ã€ŠCultivation Onlineã€‹


 Chapter 1 Cultivation Online

    "Brother! I got the game you wanted!" The teenager said cheerfully next to the young manying on the bed. In her grasp was arge helmet that looked like a bike helmet, but with more of a sci-fi look.

    The young man¡¯s eyes were closed, seemingly asleep, but the girl continued to speak: "Here, let me help you put it on..."

    The girl climbed on therge bed that could fit an entire family of four, and she lifted his head, putting the helmet she had prepared on his head.

    "Thank you..." The young man finally spoke in a hoarse voice after she gentlyid his head back down.

    The girl smiled, tenderly caressing his hair so it wouldn¡¯t bother him. "Brother, although I will be busy with school this week, next week for sure, I will y with you."

    "Un..."

    "I wille backter, so until then, have fun!" After those words, she went to touch the button on the side of the helmet and waited a few moments before leaving the young man alone.

    ¡ª

    It only took a few seconds after the button was pressed for the young man¡¯s body in the real world to fall into a state simr to slumber. He could no longer smell the aroma that was unique to his room or feel the weight of the nket pressing down on his body. Instead, he could feel himself standing, something he didn¡¯t have the opportunity to experience for many years.

    The world before him was mostly ck, like the night sky without stars, and he could see white numbers floating above him, slowly counting down.

    ?10:01?

    ?10:00?

    ?09:59?

    "I can see... I can feel my limbs... I... am no longer blind or a cripple..." The young man broke down in this darkness, bing emotional and falling to his knees.

    He was born with an incurable illness that left him blind at the age of 7 and crippled at the age of 13. He is now 18 years old, and for the past 5 years he wouldy in his bed, unable to do anything else besides justying there; it was a gruesome and unimaginable life that one wouldn¡¯t even dare to imagine themselves in.

    However, for this young man who has spent more than half of his life living in a world void of light, he was able to continue living without giving in to despair because of his caring younger sister, who supported him every day without anyints.

    "So this is the world¡¯s first VRMMORPG with 100% immersion, huh."

    When he first heard of the game from his younger sister, he almost couldn¡¯t believe it.

    A game that operates inside the mind of the individual, allowing that person to live in another world without the need to move a single limb ¡ª who would believe that such an incredible and advanced technology could exist? Not to mention that this high-tech technology was announced to be affordable enough for even the mostmon families to enjoy.

    It was unimaginable at first, but experiencing it firsthand, the young man can only believe it.

    ?02:19?

    ?02:18?

    The countdown continued to lower as the young man tries to familiarize himself with the feeling of moving his limbs. Although it was difficult at first, even tripping after every few steps, he gradually became familiarized with his body again.

    ?00:03?

    ?00:02?

    ?00:01?

    ?00:00?

    ?Wee to Cultivation Online!?

    As the system¡¯s notice appeared, the ck space quickly brightened, bing a bright white room. And right before the young man, a crack appeared out of thin air, looking like a ss window being cracked.

    Crack. Crack. Crack...

    The crack grewrger andrger ¡ª until it wasrge enough for an adult to fit.

    Suddenly, therge crack broke apart entirely, revealing the darkness behind it, and a beautiful woman with a graceful and elegant body slowly walked out from within the cracked space, looking like a goddess appearing from another world.

    "This is..." The young man could only watch in a daze as the beautiful woman who just came out of the cracked space began looking at him from top to bottom with a seemingly cold expression on her otherwordly face. Dressed in unfamiliar red and golden robes, her figure was supple and graceful. Her facial features are sharp, symmetrical, and peerless. All in all, she looked like an otherworldly goddess. However, despite all of her perfect features, her gaze was anything but friendly.

    She stared at him with her golden eyes that overflowed with a feeling of dominance, and her aura radiated with a tyrannical power that the young man cannotprehend.

    "Mortal, ce your hand on this." The beauty spoke to him with a cold voice that was fitting for a ruler, and the young man watched as she pulled out a crystal ball from thin air.

    "Okay." Believing that she was an NPC, the young man followed her instructions and ced his hand on the crystal ball without thinking about it too much, and words began appearing inside the crystal ball.

    Name: ???

    Cultivation: None

    Legacy: None

    Bloodline: None

    Physique: Heaven Refining Physique

    Physical Strength: 34

    Mental Strength: 275

    Soul Strength: 1,210

    Physical Defense: 10

    Mental Defense: 1,121

    "?!?!" The beauty¡¯s expression suddenly changed upon seeing the information in the crystal ball, her clear eyes filled with disbelief.

    "Heaven Refining Physique!" Her hands trembled along with the crystal ball in her grasp. "Not to mention his Soul Strength is at the rank of Spirit Warrior despite being only a mortal with no cultivation ¡ª No, that is nothing whenpared to his physique!"

    The beauty has never been this shocked before, even to the point of her body trembling.

    "Is something wrong?" The young man asked her upon seeing her silence and excited expression.

    She lifted her head to look at him, thinking to herself: ¡¯I must rope him into joining my faction before the others find him...¡¯

    "What is your name?" she asked him with a serious expression.

    "You can call me Yuan."

    "Take this token and keep it with you until we meet next time." The beauty retrieved a jade medallion from thin air and suddenly tossed it to him. "I don¡¯t have much time left here. Make sure you don¡¯t lose the token, I will see you again."

    "Huh? Wait, I have some..." Before Yuan can even ask her any questions, the beauty walked back into the cracked hole, disappearing alongside the crack in the air.

    "What an odd NPC. What should I do now?" He looked around the empty ce.

    ?Character evaluationplete. Teleportation will ur in 10 seconds.?

    ?00:02?

    ?00:01?

    As the timer reached zero, Yuan¡¯s vision suddenly twisted, giving him a slight headache. When he blinked and opened his eyes, he found himself on some kind of stage where many people that wore the same white robe as him were gathered in a spacious area.

    "This is... Cultivation Online?" His eyes widen when he saw mountains floating in the sky above the clouds and what appeared to be houses built on these floating mountains.

    "Wee, Mortals! I am Elder Song, in charge of making sure that before you all leave this ce and adventure this vast world that you will have a goal of what you want to do here set in your mind." An old man in blue robes suddenly greeted everybody with a booming voice, causing everybody there to look above them.

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    "He¡¯s flying! He is really flying while standing on that sword!" The people eximed the obvious.

    Elder Song smiled and said: "I will answer your questionster, but first, let me exin to you about this world ¡ª the world of Cultivation."

    "First and foremost, this is the Heavenly Continent, and we are currently at Mountain #96. Before you were transported here, everyone should have met a representative from our world that gave you an evaluation. That is your character status; it tells you almost everything about yourself."

    "We will start with the basics. In this world, humans and monsters cultivate their bodies and mind with Spirit Qi that allows them to obtain supernatural powers. We call people like them Cultivators, and the higher the cultivation you reach, the stronger you will be in this world. Legacy and Bloodlines are special features that can be obtainedter on if you are fortunate enough. As for Physique, everyone here should have one. Whether or not it is useless, this will tell you."

    Elder Song waved his long sleeves and thousands of talisman flew towards the people there.

    "Activate it with your thoughts," said Elder Song.

    The crowd followed his instruction, and loud exmations resounded soon afterward.

    "It says that I have an Earth-ranked Physique! What does that mean?"

    Elder Song looked at the young man who just spoke and said to him, "There is a one in ten thousand chances one is born with an Earth-rank Physique. Congrattions. You are what we call ¡¯talented¡¯."

    "Elder, how many ranks of Physiques are there?"

    "The rank for Physiques consists of Mortal, Earth, Heaven, and Divine."

    "Elder, what does having a Mortal-rank Physique mean, and what is the difference between the ranks?"

    Elder Song remained silent for a moment, before speaking with a grin, "Having a Mortal Physique means you are only ordinary, but having an Earth Physique means you are talented. The difference is obvious ¡ª you are naturally inferior to those who have a better physique than you! The more talented you are, the easier it will be for you as a Cultivator!"

    His words caused many faces to sink, especially those with a Mortal Physique.

    "Can our Physiques be changed?" Someone suddenly asked.

    "Physiques can be changed, but the process is a long and painful one, so most people just ept their fate."

    The people sighed in relief after hearing that their Mortal Physique can be changed.

    "Does anyone here happen to have a Divine rank Physique?" Elder Song¡¯s eyes flickered with expectation, but when nobody replied to his question the light in his eyes dimmed.

    ¡¯The chances of someone having a Divine Physique is one in a hundred million, a genius above genius that knows no equal, so it isn¡¯t surprising that such a prodigy wouldn¡¯t appear amongst a mere thousand people.¡¯ He shook his head inwardly.

    "Elder, I have a Heaven-ranked Physique." An individual suddenly said out loud, causing everybody there to look at him.

    "Hoh? The chances of a Heaven Physique appearing is one in a million. You are a very fortunate one, young genius. What is your name?"

    "My name is Shen Ming," replied the handsome young man.

    "Shen Ming? Isn¡¯t he the eldest son of Shen Li, the CEO of Royal Entertainment?"

    Some people there recognized the handsome young man whose face looked exactly the same as he does in real life.

    "Did you receive something from the representative who did your evaluation?" Elder Song asked him with great interest.

    "Yes, I did." Shen Ming did not hide that fact and told him the truth. "I received this pouch from the representative."

    "Oho... That is a storage pouch used to store items, there may be a few things in there that could benefit you. However, only cultivators are capable of using it. Additionally, if you can meet the person who gave you that gift again, they might even recruit you as a disciple for their Sect."

    "Sect? You mean like guilds?"

    "A Sect is a ce created by one or a group of people for the purpose of nurturing its disciples to be powerful Cultivators ¡ª a school for Cultivators, basically." Elder Song briefly exined. "Is that it? Does nobody else have a Heaven Physique?"

    After a moment of silence, Elder Song shook his head and thought to himself, ¡¯What a pity that there is only one person out of the thousands here worth investing in. But even then, I don¡¯t know who had given him that storage pouch. It¡¯d be rude of me if I were to steal away their target, and I might even offend someone I cannot afford to offend.¡¯

    "I have one question for everybody here before I let you leave... What do you desire to achieve in this world? Strength? Status? Wealth? Handsome men? Beautiful women? Tell me, Mortals from another world!"

    "I want to fly like you!"

    "I wish for power!"

    "I want to be famous!"

    "I want enough money to make a mountain!"

    "I want to walk around with beautiful women in both my arms!"

    "I want handsome men to pamper me!"

    Elder Song smiled upon hearing the masses¡¯ desires. "If you want to survive in a world such as this, then you must have power! In this world, the strong rules the weak! Wealth and fame will naturallye if you are strong! People will flock to you if you are strong! Remember my words, young ones ¡ª this world looks down on the weak and the inferior, respecting only the strong! Having strength means you have everything!"

    "Who do you think have the most power in this world?" Elder Song nced at the people below with a narrowed gaze, sending chills down their spine.

    "Cultivators! We, Cultivators, are a symbol of power, wealth, fame, and respect ¡ª we are the rule of this world!"

    "Cultivators, is that some sort of ss?" The people wondered.

    "Elder, how do I be a Cultivator?"

    Elder Song smiled. "It¡¯s simple, really." He suddenly waved his sleeves, and thousands of glowing orbs appeared out of the blue and flew towards the people and directly at their forehead, submerging into their brain.

    "I have just given you all the method to cultivate. It is now up to you to decide whether you want to cultivate or remain as a mortal." Elder Song waved his sleeves again, and four portals appear not too far away from the group. "Each portal represents a Continent. In this world, we have Four Great Continents not including this Heavenly Continent. Once you step inside, it will take you to a ce within one of these Four Great Continents randomly, but even I will not know exactly where you¡¯llnd so it is up to your fate."

    ?You have learned: Basic Qi Gathering Techniqiue?

    ?Rank: Mortal?

    ?Mastery Level: 1?

    ?Description: Absorbs 1 Qi every second. Can only be activated when sitting in the lotus position.?

    "Now, scram. I have spent too much of my precious time dealing with you mortals. You will learn more about this world as you travel. Even if I use the remaining of my longevity, I won¡¯t be able to exin to you everything about this world."

    With another wave of his sleeve, everybody there began flying towards the portal as though they were being pulled towards them.

    "Ahhhhh!!!"

    Shocked cries resounded, and those who entered the portal would soon appear in this vast and unknown world at random.

    ¡ª

    After being thrown into the portal, Yuan felt the slight dizziness again, and before he was aware, he was in the middle of a forest.

    "Where is this? Is there a map I can use?"

    Suddenly, arge map with fourrge continents separated by water appears before him.

    "Eastern Continent?" That was the only information he could gather from the map. Everything else was cked out.

    Yuan tilted his head to look at the bright sky and sighed. "I didn¡¯t get to ask him about my Physique. That old man said that there only exist four ranks of Physiques: Mortal, Earth, Heaven, and Divine, so why does my Physique not belong to any one of these four ranks? Do I have a special body?"

    In his grasp was a talisman with the following words on it:

    ?Heaven Refining Physique?

    ?Rank: Celestial?

 Chapter 2 Mysterious Little Girl

    "Character status." Yuan activated the systemmand through his mind as he did with the talisman.

    Name: Yuan

    Cultivation: None

    Legacy: None

    Bloodline: None

    Physique: Heaven Refining Physique

    Physical Strength: 34

    Mental Strength: 275

    Soul Strength: 1,210

    Physical Defense: 10

    Mental Defense: 1,121

    "What do these stats do?" He pondered and pondered, but s, without a guide or someone to teach him, he was clueless. "From what the creators of this game said, there will be no guides or manuals, leaving us, the yers, to learn about this game for ourselves..."

    "There should be a leveling system in these types of games, but where is the experience bar? What is my level? This feels more like reality than ying a game." Yuan opened and closed his hands into a fist.

    Bang!

    Suddenly, he punched a nearby tree.

    "Ah! It really hurts! Does it hurt because this game is sending pain signals to my brain, making it believe that I am actually hitting a real tree? That¡¯s... scary no matter how I think about it."

    What if he got stabbed by a sword? What would that feel like? He didn¡¯t want to think about it.

    "Umm... excuse me, the brother over there..." A sweet voice suddenly resounded behind Yuan, making him turn his head.

    "Huh?"

    Standing right behind him was a cute little girl in red robes who looked to be around 10 years old, hugging a red ball in one arm and a book in the other.

    ¡¯How did she get so close behind me without making a single sound? I didn¡¯t even notice her presence! And what is such a young girl doing here, in the middle of nowhere? Perhaps there is a city nearby?¡¯ Yuan became curious.

    "Are you an NPC or a yer?" He asked her, who tilted her head sideways with a puzzled expression.

    "NPC? yer? Xiao Hua is Xiao Hua," replied the little girl.

    "So your name is Xiao Hua, huh. My name is Yuan."

    "How did Brother Yuan manage to get in here?" She suddenly asked him with a curious gaze, almost like it is her first time seeing another person in her life.

    "Get in here? We are outside, aren¡¯t we?"

    She shook her head and said, "We are inside my family¡¯s garden."

    "Huh? Garden?" Yuan looked stupefied at her answer. "This forest is your garden...?"

    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.

    She nodded.

    If this ce that looks like a forest is her family¡¯s garden, then how big was the house itself? He couldn¡¯t imagine it. While it sounded unbelievable, it also exined why such a small girl like her would appear here.

    "Sorry for intruding, but I was teleported here by some old man against my will..." He tried to exin without sounding too crazy. "I¡¯ll leave immediately, so can you tell me the way?"

    But out of his expectations, the little girl shook her head. "Brother Yuan, since you are already here, why don¡¯t you y with Xiao Hua?"

    "You want me to y with you?" He did not expect such a request from her.

    "Xiao Hua is always alone and it is boring to y with herself."

    "What about your family?"

    "They are always busy and cannot y with Xiao Hua."

    "Is that so..." Yuan felt sorry for her. He himself would be an outcast if it were not for his younger sister, so he knew very well what it feels like to be alone.

    "Okay, this big brother will y with you!" He patted his chest with confidence. Due to his illness that left him unable to move even a limb, he did not have the leisure to y with his younger sister when she was young, so he saw this as an opportunity to experience what it would be like if he wasn¡¯t born with that illness.

    "Really? You will y with Xiao Hua?" Her eyes glittered like the tiny stars in the sky, and her bright expression was adorable enough to soften the hearts of even the cruelest killers out there.

    "Un. What do you want to y?"

    "Then Xiao Hua will throw the ball to you, and you will throw it back, okay?" She ced the book down and showed him the ball.

    "Let me get some distance... Okay, I am ready."

    And without further ado, the two began ying throwing ball, and soon after, the merryughter of a joyous little girl would echo in the forest.

    ¡ª

    While Yuan was spending his time entertaining a mysterious little girl, other yers would either be strengthening themselves or trying to gain more information about this world. Everybody rushed to surpass their friends and rivals in this new game that just came out, especially those who wish to be a professional and are required to be ahead of everybody else.

    Minutes quickly turned into hours, and while everyone was grinding in their own ways, Yuan continued to y with the little girl.

    ¡¯What monstrous stamina this little girl has! We have been throwing this ball back and forth for many hours, yet there is not a drop of sweat on her face! Even her small body shows no sign of fatigue!¡¯ Yuan smiled bittered, his entire body drenched in sweat. How could he, a young man, get worn out before a little girl that¡¯s half his age while ying throwing ball? Although he has not moved a muscle for many years in the real world, this was virtual reality; he shouldn¡¯t even be sweating, let alone feeling fatigued!

    "What¡¯s wrong, Brother Yuan? You do not look so good... Are you sick?" Xiao Hua¡¯s words dealt significant damage to his pride.

    "No... I am... just a bit... tired..." he said in an exhausted voice.

    Hearing his words, she no longer threw the ball at him. "Then do you want to take a rest before we resume?"

    "You... you still want to y?"

    "Un!" she nodded vigorously, nearly making him cry.

    "Okay... but let me rest for a bit..."

    He sits down at a nearby tree, and Xiao Hua follows him, sitting beside him.

    "Where is Brother Yuan from?" she asked.

    "I am from a faraway ce called Earth."

    "Earth?"

    Seeing her glittering eyes, Yuan smiled. "Do you want to hear about my homnd? Although it is not much, I still have memories of the ces I went as a child."

    "Yes! I want to hear stories about this Earth!"

    "Very well, then..."

    Yuan began telling stories to Xiao Hua of the things he has done as a child, and she quickly became engrossed in his stories.

    After an hour of nonstop storytelling, when he ran out of both breaths and stories to tell her, Xiao Hua opens the book in her grasp and spoke, "Since Brother Yuan yed with Xiao Hua and even told her stories, Xiao Hua shall also tell you stories," she said. "This is Xiao Hua¡¯s gratitude to you, Brother Yuan!"

    Yuan did not refuse and humbly epted her appreciation.

    However, when she began reading the book in her hands, he was surprised to find out that he wasn¡¯t able to understand a single wording out of her mouth. It sounded more like chanting than a story!

    But he didn¡¯t want to be rude to her, so he continued to listen. Soon, without being aware, he closed his eyes. After closing his eyes, he began feeling more rxed andfortable, almost as though he was experiencing some kind of hypnotization.

    The weird chanting from Xiao Hua became less gibberish ¡ª he was beginning toprehend her words, and information he never knew was being fed into his head. This continued for a whole hour before a sharp sound would suddenly wake Yuan from his meditative state.

    ?You have learned Heaven¡¯s Secret Art?

    "Heaven¡¯s Secret Art...?"

    Xiao Hua smiled gently upon hearing Yuan¡¯s mumble.

    And suddenly, above the sky for every yer to witness, a grand system notice appears.

    ?yer Yuan has be the world¡¯s first yer to have learned a Divine-rank Skill! Congrattions!?

    The announcement shocked every witness there, especially those yers at the top. The game has not even been out for a day, yet someone has managed to obtain a Divine-rank Skill already? Who was this yer ¡¯Yuan¡¯, and what did he do to obtain it?

 Chapter 3 Becoming a Cultivator

    "What¡¯s wrong, Brother Yuan?" Xiao Hua asked him, who looked dazed while staring at the sky.

    "Oh, the announcement..." He pointed to the words in the sky.

    "I don¡¯t see anything, though?" She said.

    "Hm? You cannot see the words in the sky?"

    She shook her head, prompting Yuan to ponder. ¡¯Perhaps NPCs cannot see the game¡¯s notifications?¡¯

    ¡ª

    ?Heaven¡¯s Secret Art?

    ?Rank: Divine?

    ?Mastery Level: 1?

    ?Description: There are nine heavenly stages for Heaven¡¯s Secret Art. Each new stage will unlock a new ability.?

    ¡ª

    ?Heaven¡¯s First Secret Art ¡ª Consuming Heaven Technique?

    ?Rank: Divine?

    ?Mastery Level: 1?

    ?Description: Absorbs 5 Qi per second. Can only be activated when sitting in the lotus position.?

    ¡ª

    "Xiao Hua, what is Qi?" Yuan decided to ask her, who he believes to have more knowledge than him regarding this world.

    "Qi is the essence of this world; it is what people use to cultivate."

    "Cultivate, huh. That old man had said the same... Let me try this..." he closed his eyes and positioned himself to sit in the lotus position before activating the skill.

    Ding!

    ?You have cultivated for the first time, unlocking Qi Experience?

    ?5/5,000?

    ?10/5,000?

    ?15/5,000?

    His Qi Experience increased by 5 for every second he cultivated. Additionally, when he activated the Consuming Heaven Technique, his breathing naturally became calm and rhythmic, and his entire body felt refreshed, almost as though it was breathing through every existing pore.

    Within just a few minutes, Yuan suddenly felt his entire body explode with a cool feeling, almost like he had been thrown into a pool of cool water on a hot day.

    ?You have seeded in breaking through your mortal shackles, bing a Spirit Apprentice!?

    ?All stats +100?

    ¡¯All I have to do is sit here and cultivate to grow stronger in this game? How boring!¡¯ Yuan ignorantly thought to himself. ¡¯But it does feel pleasant, almost like I am rxing in a warm bath or something of sorts.¡¯

    ¡ª

    Name: Yuan

    Cultivation: First Level Spirit Apprentice

    Legacy: None

    Bloodline: None

    Physique: Heaven Refining Physique

    Physical Strength: 134

    Mental Strength: 375

    Soul Strength: 1,310

    Physical Defense: 110

    Mental Defense: 1,221

    ¡ª

    "Congrattions on bing a Cultivator, Brother Yuan." Xiao Hua said to him with a smile.

    "It is all because of you, Xiao Hua. You have my gratitude."

    "Then let¡¯s continue to y!" She stood up with the ball already in her hands, ready to be thrown.

    Yuan smiled bitterly, but he didn¡¯t refuse and continued to y with her.

    Surprisingly, when he stood up, all the fatigue he had just moments ago was gone; he had fully recovered all of his exhausted energy the moment he became a Cultivator.

    The two began ying again, but the speed the ball was being thrown seemed to be at a much faster pace than previously.

    ¡ª

    Meanwhile, the world was in turmoil from the game¡¯s first world announcement.

    Rich and powerfulpanies in the real world began looking into this yer named Yuan with hopes to find his real identity. However, it was a near-impossible task due to the way the game handled the yers¡¯ privacy.

    Unlike other games where one can see the yers¡¯ names at nce, Cultivation Online did not have that feature. Unless the individual allows it, nobody would be able to see their name, not even their friends.

    After spending many resources and time looking for Yuan, people quickly came to a realization that unless Yuan willingly revealed himself, his identity would remain unknown forever. But that alone was not enough to force these people into giving up on trying to find him.

    The inte, game forums, even newspapers, people began offering real money for information on Yuan, even outright paying thousands for the person himself to reveal himself.

    Virtual reality has be so deeply involved in the real world that it would not be an exaggeration to say that professional gamers and top rankers have more fame and respect than even the top celebrities in the world.

    Some professional gamers, in fact, earn seven digits every month just from s alone!

    In fact, even casual gamers can earn more money than people with normal jobs just by selling in-game items for real money!

    With so much and appeal, it would only be obvious for people to want to be a gamer where they can have fun and earn money instead of choosing work that involvesbor.

    Furthermore, ording tost year¡¯s gaming report, at least half of the world¡¯s poption is a virtual gamer!

    ¡ª

    After throwing the ball for a few hours without breaking a sweat, Yuan suddenly stops.

    "What¡¯s wrong? Are you feeling tired again?" Xiao Hua asked him.

    "My sister is calling for me; it is time for dinner," he said.

    "You are going to leave?" Her expression instantly turned gloomy upon hearing his words, feeling reluctant to let him leave. She was afraid that he wouldn¡¯te back once he had left.

    "Don¡¯t leave Xiao Hua alone!" She hurriedly said, almost breaking into tears.

    For more, visit [./]

    Yuan patted her head with a smile. "I will be back to y with youter, I promise."

    "...You promise?"

    "If I break my promise, then I shall swallow ten thousand needles!" He swore clearly in a loud voice.

    "Okay... then Xiao Hua will wait for Brother Yuan here." She took a seat by the same tree and closed her eyes to rest.

    "Log off!"

    Yuan¡¯s vision blurred, and the warmth in his limbs gradually disappeared. Darkness surrounded his view, and he could no longer see nor feel anything.

    ¡ª

    "Brother, how was the game?" His sister¡¯s voice resounded beside him.

    "It was... fun." He showed a gentle smile, but deep inside, he was reluctant to leave that bright and colorful world where his body was not useless.

    "What¡¯s for dinner today?" He asked her despite already knowing the answer.

    "Chicken soup!"

    Yuan smiled bitterly. He has been eating nothing but soup for thest few years, after all.

    "Here, let me help you up." She took off the helmet on his head before lifting his head and adjusting his body to a sitting position.

    She began feeding him warm soup with a spoon soonter. "How is the temperature?"

    "Perfect..."

    The room became quiet with Yuan drinking soup being the only sound that could be heard.

    After Yuan finished dinner that was only onerge bowl of soup, sheid him back down on the bed. "I will be right back for your cleaning," she said.

    Momentster, she returns to the room with a towel, a bucket of warm water, and new clothes.

    "Excuse me, brother." She said before stripping himpletely naked.

    "...Yu Rou..."

    "What is it?"

    "I¡¯m sorry..."

    "..."

    The room instantly turned silent.

    "What are you saying now? You are being weird, brother," she chuckled, breaking the silence.

    "I know, but I am ¡ª Mmm?!" His words were interrupted by a warm towel pressing down on his face.

    "You don¡¯t have to worry about me, brother. When you cure your illness one day, then you can pay me back."

    "...Un..." An indescribable feeling welled up in Yuan¡¯s heart.

    ¡¯Will such a day evere?¡¯ he wondered inwardly.

    "Okay! You are all clean now, brother! Even your precious little thing! Hehe..." Teased Yu Rou with a sheepishugh.

    "Ah! You little! Don¡¯t y around with my body because I can¡¯t feel anything!"

    "Eh? What are you talking about? I definitely did not touch anything!"

    "You definitely did!"

    Laughter filled the room.

    "Yu Rou, thank you." Yuan suddenly said, "I will repay you one day, this I promise..."

    Putting his clothes on for him, Yu Rou smiled, "I won¡¯t be humble when that timees."

    ¡ª

    "Alright brother, we are done for tonight. I will be back in the morning."

    "Ah, can you put the helmet back on before you leave?"

    "You want to continue ying? What about sleep?"

    "I don¡¯t think I can sleep tonight, and ying the game is already considered sleeping, you know?"

    "What am I going to do with you if you get addicted? Only tonight, okay?"

    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    "Un."

    ¡ª

    "Brother Yuan, you¡¯re really back!" Xiao Hua instantly stood up with a happy expression upon seeing him appear out of nowhere like a ghost.

    "I did make a promise to you," he patted her, who was poking her head at him with clear indications.

    "What do you want to do now that the stars are already out?" he then asked.

    "y games!" She answered without hesitation.

    "I figured." He nodded with a smile.

 Chapter 4 Hidden Ques

    Yuan continued to y with Xiao Hua throughout the night without a care in the world. Meanwhile, other yers were either trying to find the best way to strengthen themselves or were already in the process of grinding their strength.

    The yers also grew addicted to their new profound strength, with the power to smash rocks with mere fists and skip meters into the distance; it gave them a sense of superiority, and it made them feel really good about themselves.

    However, for someone who is crippled and blind in the real world, Yuan wouldn¡¯t mind spending all of his time just ying with Xiao Hua, who has many resemnces to his younger sister.

    The world under the night sky seemed still, with the only thing moving being two shadowy figures and a ball.

    "Xiao Hua, will you be fine with ying out here till sote? Won¡¯t your parents be worried if you don¡¯t return soon?" Yuan asked her after noticing that she has been out here ying with him for nearly the entire day.

    "It is okay. Xiao Hua is always out here ying by herself, so they are used to it."

    "..." His pity towards her increased with every passing moment he spent with her. "Xiao Hua, how about we take a rest from ying and let me tell you some more stories?"

    "Stories?" Her eyes began flickering like the stars in the night sky upon hearing the magic word, and she instantly sat by the tree.

    Yuan followed and sat beside her. "The stories I will be telling you today are fairy tales from my homnd."

    "Fairy tales? Like mythology and legends?"

    "Well... not exactly. Fairy tales are more short stories made for entertainment rather than legends and such. They are pure fiction, so it¡¯s not real."

    "What¡¯s the difference?"

    "...You will know when you hear it."

    Yuan began telling her famous and ssical fairy tales from Earth that he¡¯s heard when he was young such as a certain individual poisoning a girl who awakened due to a kiss from a prince, mermaids in the ocean, and pirates fighting in the sea.

    While it has been many years since Yuan has heard of these stories, he was still able to recall them clearly and greatly entertain Xiao Hua, who was not used to this genre of stories.

    "These people... are they all mortals?" She suddenly asked him.

    "To my knowledge, yes."

    "This is nothing like stories of mythical beasts ruling the world or immortals overturning Heaven. It is normal, yet it brings so much entertainment." She didn¡¯t know mortals could be so entertaining despite being the focus of these stories.

    "Do you have any more fairy tales to tell Xiao Hua?" She asked.

    For more, visit lightnovelpu/b[.

    "Unfortunately, that was all I could remember. But I will find some more to tell youter."

    "It¡¯s a promise!"

    "It¡¯s a promise." Yuan smiled.

    "Okay, then it is Xiao Hua¡¯s turn to read." She opened the same book she used to teach him Heaven¡¯s Secret Art.

    "That¡¯s..." Yuan wondered if she was going to teach him another skill.

    "Although Brother Yuan has already learned the technique, you have not fully mastered it. However, with your powerfulprehension skills, Xiao Hua believes that Brother Yuan will master it in no time."

    Thus, she began reading.

    However, this time around, Yuan was only able to understand everything from the beginning only to losephrensionter on. It felt like he was listening to a story with a plot that quickly deepens as it progresses, bing more mysterious and profound.

    ¡ª

    It took Xiao Hua nearly an hour to finish reading the book that was only a dozen pages thick.

    When she finished, she looked at Yuan to see the expression he was making. He was sitting still with his eyes closed, and on his face was a calm expression, looking as though he was in a trance.

    From N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡¯Brother Yuan is truly a genius??¡¯ she mumbled to herself, ¡¯What takes others many tries toprehend takes you only one time. What takes others many years to learn ¡ª you learn in just a few hours.¡¯

    Her gaze stared at his face nonstop, seemingly enchanted by his expression. ¡¯Who are you, really?¡¯

    ¡ª

    ?Yourprehension for Heaven¡¯s Secret Art has greatly increased?

    ?Heaven¡¯s Secret Art Mastery Level has been increased(1 -? 2)?

    ?You have learned Heaven¡¯s Second Secret Art ¡ª Heaven Splitting Sword Strike?

    ¡ª

    ?Heaven¡¯s Second Secret Art ¡ª Heaven Splitting Sword Strike?

    ?Rank: Divine?

    ?Mastery Level: 1?

    ?Description: Consumes 10,000 Qi. Must wield a sword to activate. Creates a pir of light that will destroy everything that dares to block its path.?

    ¡ª

    When Yuan opened his eyes again, Xiao Hua was resting her head on hisp, and the night sky had already long passed with the sun peeking in the horizon.

    "It¡¯s already morning?" He wondered how long he had been in that trance state.

    "Oh... You¡¯re awake, Brother Yuan." Xiao Hua rubbed her eyes and casually sat up. "Did you learn anything new during your enlightenment?"

    "Enlightenment? Is that what that feeling was?"

    "Un."

    "I see... Right, I have reached the second stage of Heaven¡¯s Secret Art and learned Heaven Splitting Sword Strike."

    Xiao Hua looked at him with her eyes slightly widened more than usual, seemingly filled with surprise.

    "Good job, Brother Yuan." She gave him a thumbs up a momentter. "But your cultivation base iscking, so you will not be able to use it right away."

    "Right, it says I need 10,000 Qi for its activation. Is it the same Qi as the one I absorb when cultivating?"

    She nodded to his question.

    "It says I have 5,010/10,000 Qi right now. If I max it out and use the skill, won¡¯t my Qi be depleted and I will have to cultivate until I gain it back?"

    "Your depleted Qi will naturally recover until it returns to its original state so you will not have to cultivate every time you use a technique. However, recovering Qi naturally takes time, and it will slow down your cultivation. That is why Cultivators do not use their Qi pointlessly." Xiao Hua exined to him as though she was an expert. "Additionally, if your Qi falls below a certain point, then your body will be in a weakened state until you recover your Qi. In extreme cases, you may lose consciousness or even the ability to Cultivate."

    Yuan took his time digesting all of the information. "So if I have 100 Qi and I use a skill that requires 10 Qi, my remaining 90 Qi will naturally recover back to 100 without the need to cultivate?" He asked her just in case.

    Seeing her nod, Yuan fully understood the system. "So it is just like any other game but with a slight twist that requires more management. Qi is required for skills but also for a breakthrough in cultivation; it would be unwise to use it unless necessary."

    "Thank you, Xiao Hua. If not for you, I would still be clueless right now."

    "Brother Yuan, gratitude is shown with action, not with words." She patted her own head, causing him tough.

    "Right, right. Thank you very much..." He said with his hands on her head.

    ¡ª

    After Xiao Hua was satisfied, Yuan stood up and said, "It is about time for me to leave again, but I will be backter."

    Xiao Hua didn¡¯t stop him this time and nodded. "Bye-bye, Brother Yuan. y with Xiao Hua again when you get back, okay? Here, you can use this to call me." She handed him a ne that she had just removed from her neck.

    Yuan epted the ne without much thought. "Then, I will see youter." He waved at her before disappearing from the sunlight like a ghost.

    After Yuan left, Xiao Hua stared at where he stood before logging off, seemingly in a daze. "Thank you, for ying with Xiao Hua..." Her body suddenly began to flicker, and her body glowed with beautiful light.

    "It was fun... really, really fun..." Her body slowly broke down into tiny lights resembling fireflies before floating towards the clouds and disappearing.

    ?Congrattions! yer Yuan haspleted the world¡¯s first Hidden Quest!?

    "Brother Yuan..." That night, a sweet and childish voice echoed across the starry sky.

 Chapter 5 Death Penalty

    "Good morning, brother."

    "Morning."

    "I have breakfast with me," she said, cing the bowl of soup on the adjustable table on the bed.

    "Yu Rou, can I ask you for a favor?" Yuan asked her as he¡¯s being fed like a patient in a hospital.

    "What is it?"

    "I¡¯d like to hear some fairy tales tonight." His words dumbfounded her, who wasn¡¯t expecting such a request.

    "Why fairy tales?" She asked in a worrying tone, afraid the illness might have finally messed up his mind.

    "I made a friend in the game, and she happens to be a young NPC. I promised her that I¡¯d tell her more fairy tales," he exined.

    "You are telling fairy tales to NPCs? Brother... what are you doing, really?" Yu Rou sighed, thinking how silly he was being.

    "Don¡¯t let the fact that they are NPCs fool you into thinking that they are not worth your time. They move, think, react, and speak like real yers. You wouldn¡¯t know if they are a real yer or not unless you ask them.

    "Yeah, yeah. Just don¡¯t do anything weird to her, alright?"

    "W...Weird? Why would I do anything weird?" Yuan asked.

    "Haven¡¯t you heard? There have been plenty of perverts getting killed for touching NPCs inappropriately. The penalty for death is extremely harsh in this game from what I heard."

    "Perverts touching NPCs? You can do that in this game?" Yuan lifted his eyebrows in surprise. What a profound game!

    "Ah! You¡¯re thinking about doing something perverted, aren¡¯t you!? Don¡¯t even think about it, brother! I prohibit you from doing that as your sister!"

    "That only works if you are the older one, no?" He smiled.

    "Then... then I will stop taking care of you! Hmph!"

    "Aiii... Do you think your brother is some kind of pervert that likes to touch NPCs? Unlike some people, I have morals, you know." He sighed, and continued to speak, "Anyway, what is this death penalty, and what happens if you die?" He was more interested in that than the perverts in the game.

    "ording to those who have died, some became unable to cultivate after death while some have even lost their cultivation base entirely, requiring them to restart from scratch."

    For more, visit [.

    Yuan pondered. "So you basically have to start from the beginning... That is indeed very harsh for a game."

    "Additionally, some people have already tried to buy new consoles to start fresh but guess what? They still appear in the game with the same character!"

    "So we are limited to one character no matter what?" Yuan cannotprehend the game creators¡¯ motive for creating such a system; it¡¯s almost as if they want humans to live in another world with life as realistic as possible.

    "Ah, brother, it¡¯s time for me to go to school. I will pick up some fairy tales on the way home," she said before leaving.

    "Thank you."

    ¡ª

    "She¡¯s not here..." Yuan looked around for a small figure, but Xiao Hua was nowhere to be found. "I guess she went home."

    He decided to sit down and cultivate to wait for her. Seconds turned into minutes, and minutes turned into hours. Until night came, Yuan sat there like a stone statue, cultivating and unaware that time had passed by so quickly.

    10,000/10,000

    ?You have absorbed enough Qi for a breakthrough?

    ?You have reached Second Level Spirit Apprentice?

    ?All stats +150?

    10,005/20,000

    20,000/20,000

    ?You have absorbed enough Qi for a breakthrough?

    ?You have reached Third Level Spirit Apprentice?

    ?All stats +200?

    20,005/40,000

    40,000/40,000

    ?You have absorbed enough Qi for a breakthrough?

    ?You have reached Fourth Level Spirit Apprentice?

    ?All stats +250?

    80,000/80,000

    ?You have absorbed enough Qi for a breakthrough?

    ?You have reached Fifth Level Spirit Apprentice?

    From N?velDrama.Org.

    ?All stats +300?

    148,550/160,000

    Yuan did not stop cultivating until it was time for him to eat dinner. "We couldn¡¯t y today but that¡¯s fine. At least I will have stories ready for the next time we meet." He stared at the night sky for a moment before logging off.

    ¡ª

    After feeding Yuan and getting him cleaned, Yu Rou began reading fairy tales to him like a mother would tell stories to her child before bedtime, but her voice was still too immature to sound like a real mother.

    "How was my narration?" she asked him in a cheeky tone.

    "It sucked..."

    "What¡ªFine! You can read it yourself next time!"

    "Ah! I¡¯m sorry, Yu Rou. I was only joking." Yuan hurriedly corrected himself, "Your voice was so heavenly that I thought you were a real fairy!"

    Yu Rou blushed. "It was embarrassing to read these childish stories out loud, you know?" she saidter, "I will remember this debt you owe me!"

    "Yes yes, I will even give you my life, so find me a few more fairy tales, okay?"

    "..."

    "Yu Rou?" He called out to her after receiving no answer.

    "Brother, please don¡¯t say things like that ever again," said Yu Rou with a serious expression on her face, her voice somewhat sorrowful.

    Yuan quickly realized that he had screwed up. "I¡¯m sorry..." he apologized right away.

    "As long as you understand..." Yu Rou left his side to close the light, "Brother, it is gettingte, you should go to sleep now."

    "Un. Goodnight."

    "Goodnight, brother."

    ¡ª

    Inside her room, Yu Rou surfed the inte on her phone for some time before sleeping like always.

    "This yer Yuan is very mysterious and baffling. In just two days since the game¡¯sunch, he was able to be the first yer to obtain a Divine-rank skill and finish a Hidden Quest. Is he even human?"

    Despite not being able to y the game due to school and Yuan, she would still keep up with the newest information about the game so when the timees for her to y, she wouldn¡¯t feel too lost. "Meanwhile, my brother is fooling around with a young NPC..." she smiled bitterly at that thought.

    "Wow, his bounty has increased to five million already!" Her eyes widened at the effort and money others were willing to put out just to find this one yer.

    "So much fame... how envious..." she turned the phone off and closed her eyes. "Brother too... used to be flickering with lights under the spotlight..." she sighed before slowly falling asleep.

 Chapter 6 Servants

    "How is the search going? Have you found any information on this yer Yuan yet?" A handsome young man sat on his bed with Cultivation Online¡¯s console¡ªthe helmet¡ª still on his head, his gaze at the middle-aged man standing by the door.

    "Sorry, young master, but this yer seems resolute in keeping his identity a secret. Not even our offer was able to lure him out," said the middle-aged man in a tired tone. He has gone without sleep for the past two days just to look for information on Yuan, but s, the results came back in a box of disappointment filled with a whole lot of nothing.

    "Not taking the bait? Then all we have to do is increase the temptation. Go and adjust the reward to twenty million. Unless this yer is already super wealthy, then he will surely bite the bait sooner orter," said the young man casually, as though twenty million means nothing in his eyes.

    "Understood." The middle-aged man then left the young man alone.

    "I will have my hands on this yer no matter the price. This individual is either Lady Luck¡¯s child or has connections to the game creators, allowing him to obtain things in the game that normal people will never have a chance to obtain. If I get him to join my faction, then my family¡¯s position within the ranks will surely rise!"

    Simr scenes yed out throughout the world with many high-standing figures doing whatever they can in their power to learn more about this yer Yuan who is already light-years ahead of everyone else in the game, unaware that Yuan still has no idea how much of a stir he has created in the real world just because of a few system announcements. While Cultivation Online is just a mere game in Yuan¡¯s eyes, that was not the case for others, who have their own ulterior motives.

    ¡ª

    After eating breakfast, Yuan went into the game, but s, the small figure of Xiao Hua¡¯s was still nowhere to be found.

    "Did she get in trouble with her family for staying out sote?" He thought of that possibility. "Maybe she was lying about her family not worrying so we could y for a bit longer..."

    Yuan sighed, missing the cheerful little girl. Without her, what else is there to do in this world? Strength, wealth, fame ¡ª Yuan was not interested in any of these. All he wanted to do was have fun and use his body normally, something he cannot achieve in the real world.

    He pulled out the ne she gave him before she left. Shaking his head, he sighed. "I shouldn¡¯t be so impatient. I will wait for her just like she had waited for my return."

    Thus, he sat down to cultivate again. While it was boring at first, as he slowly grew used to cultivating, he began feeling pleasure, like getting a massage during a nap.

    Time passed quickly, and the night sky appears once again.

    160,000/160,000

    ?You have absorbed enough Qi for a breakthrough?

    ?You have reached Sixth Level Spirit Apprentice?

    ?All stats +350?

    320,000/320,000

    ?You have absorbed enough Qi for a breakthrough?

    ?You have reached Seventh Level Spirit Apprentice?

    ?You have learned Enhanced Senses?

    ?All stats +400?

    ¡ª

    ?Enhanced Sense?

    ?Rank: N/A?

    ?Description: Permanently enhances the functions of all avable senses. Requires no activation.?

    ¡ª

    320,295/640,000

    "It is taking longer and longer to advance to the next level, and the requirement needed is doubling with every level. Just how many more levels is there?" Yuan pondered, but knowing he¡¯s still an apprentice makes him worry about theter stages. "It will take a month of straight cultivating to advance one level in theter stages at this rate! This cultivation thing is such a chore..."

    Just as Yuan was about to log off for tonight, an announcement appears in the sky, attracting countless gazes from below.

    ?Congrattions! yer White Lotus has be the world¡¯s first yer to have obtained a Servant!?

    While Yuan wondered what type of Servant this White Lotus had obtained, everybody else was surprised to see ¡¯yer White Lotus¡¯ instead of ¡¯yer Yuan¡¯ who was thought to have another shock for the world. But of course, many yers were also relieved to know that Yuan would no longer be the only ¡¯Ancestor¡¯ in the world.

    ¡¯Ancestor¡¯ is a title created by themunity that refers to those who have appeared in the system as a ¡¯world¡¯s first¡¯ after Yuan¡¯s first announcement.

    ¡ª

    "Servants, huh." Yuan suddenly began having desires of obtaining a Servant. But how does one obtain a Servant?

    After logging off the game, Yu Rou was already beside him with dinner in her hands.

    "Yu Rou, how do you obtain Servants in this game?" He decided to ask her.

    "Servants? Did someone obtain a Servant already?" She asked with curiosity. "Also, I don¡¯t know anything about obtaining Servants."

    "It was someone named White Lotus."

    "White Lotus!" Yu Rou immediately recognized that name. "She is one of the top yers at the moment who has a cultivation base at Fifth Level Spirit Apprentice! Furthermore, she is actually a rich youngdy in real life, too."

    "Fifth Level Spirit Apprentice is considered the top?" Yuan, who is already a Seventh Level Spirit Apprentice, was surprised to hear that someone who is two whole levels behind him is at the top.

    ¡¯Are they really top yers? I barely cultivated and I¡¯m already two levels above one of the top rankers!¡¯ He wondered.

    "Yu Rou, who has the highest cultivation in the game as of this moment?"

    "I believe it is someone known as Lightning Emperor, who is a Sixth Level Spirit Apprentice."

    N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

    "Whoa, what an edgy name..."

    "That¡¯s what you¡¯re concerned about?" Yu Rou chucked. "Say, what¡¯s your cultivation now? Since you spent most of your time fooling around, it should be pretty low, right? Let me take a guess... you are a Second Level Spirit Apprentice."

    Yuan grinned, "Wrong!"

    "First Level Spirit Apprentice?"

    "Wrong again."

    "What... Don¡¯t tell me... you have yet to cultivate?!"

    "Yu Rou, since when have I be so pitiful and weak in your eyes? Your brother is disappointed..." Yuan said in a sorrowful voice. "Aiii, nevermind, I am just a nobody in the game, anyway. And like you have said, I have been fooling around, so hurry up and y with me so we can do things together."

    "This week is impossible since I still have school, but next week for sure when summer break begins."

    "School, huh. I am envious." Yuan smiled bitterly.

    "Going to school is nothing to be envious about, brother. It is boring and tiring," sighed Yu Rou.

    "But I still envy you and every student out there..." He sighed inwardly.

    After talking for a few more minutes, Yu Rou went back to her room to sleep, and Yuan himself also went to sleep.

    "If she doesn¡¯t appear by tomorrow, I should use that ne..." He told himself before falling asleep.

 Chapter 7 Heaven Splitting Sword Strike

    "Xiao Hua, where are you? Your favorite brother is here to y with you!" Yuan shouted loudly in the forest the moment he logged into the game.

    "Aiii... What am I doing?" He sat down afterward, his hand reaching for the ne around his neck.

    Despite it seemingly made out of steel with a piece of jade attached, the ne was as light as a feather, nearly weightless.

    ?Xiao Hua¡¯s Ne?

    ?Grade: ????

    ?Description: Obtained from Xiao Hua.?

    "Even though she said to use this to call her... how do I use it?" He yed around with the ne as he pondered.

    He tried poking it, caressing it,manding it to open, even licking it, but s, the ne remained unchanged. After many minutes and many failurester, Yuan decided to stop trying to activate the ne.

    "Oh, Xiao Hua. How can you give me something soplicated without exining its functions?" He sighed loudly.

    Suddenly, as though the heavens heard his sigh, the earth trembled.

    __

    The sound of metal shing resounded, followed by loud cursing.

    "Eat my Coiling Sword Strike, you bastard!"

    "Courting death!"

    Boom! A loud explosion appeared in the distance, startling Yuan. What just happened? Why did the earth tremble the way it did just now? Did someone drop a bomb?

    ng! The sound of metal shing resounded again, and a gust of wind suddenly swept the ce, nearly lifting Yuan into the air.

    "Devil Meng Li! If I don¡¯t kill you today, then I am not Zhan Xuegang!"

    "Ahahaha! A mere half-step Spirit Grandmaster like you think you can kill me? Today will be the day you will realize your foolish existence ¡ª in hell!"

    ng! ng! ng!

    Visible ripples filled with profound power swiftly swept the sky after every sh, sending chills down Yuan¡¯s spine every time it swept past him.

    "It is actually two people fighting against each other that is causing this phenomenon?!" Yuan was shocked, to say the least. "To fight in someone else¡¯s garden, how disrespectful!"

    Soon, two figures could be seen fighting each other in the air from where Yuan stood. One with long red hair and one with long ck hair. They were flying back and forth, throwing powerful sword strikes at each other that would create ripples upon being blocked by the other person.

    "They are flying, just like that old man!" Yuan recalled Elder Song, the old man who gave him and thousands of other yers a brief exnation about this world while standing on a sword in the air.

    The fight in the airsted for many minutes without either one gaining an advantage over the other; they seemed to be equally matched.

    However, as they were getting closer and closer to where Yuan stood, the destructive ripples created by their sword shes also became painful to bear for him.

    Despite not being apart of the fight, Yuan could feel a dominating pressure making it difficult for him to breathe, and his body felt as though it was carrying arge rock.

    "Die for me! Seven Earthly Sword Strikes!"

    "Ahahaha! Too weak! Way too weak! Bloody Sword Strike!"

    A ripple far superior to the previous swept through the ce until it could no longer be seen on the horizon.

    Cough! Yuan could no longer resist the pressure and coughed up a mouthful of blood. "Damn! This is really ufortable!" He wiped the blood from his mouth with his hand.

    "I can even taste the iron-like taste of blood..." Yuan waspletely immersed at this moment. The pain in his body and the realistic features of this game temporarily made him forget that this was just a game.

    "If they get any closer, I will definitely die from coteral damage!" He began running away from the two, but the shes between them were also getting stronger.

    "Nine Earthly Sword Strikes!"

    "Devil¡¯s Blood!"

    Boom! Trees fell and the clouds scattered from the impact, and Yuan was sent flying towards a tree, losing consciousness a momentter.

    ¡ª

    "Hahahaha! Zhan Xuegang, what¡¯s wrong? Didn¡¯t you say that you will kill me today?" One of the figures beganughing while pointing at the other person who was missing an arm. "The Prime Disciple of the Profound Sword Sect is only so-so¡ªjust like that junior sister of yours... Hahahaha!"

    "I will... I WILL KILL YOU!" Zhan Xuegang roared, his eyes turned red, and his cultivation base suddenly increased dramatically.

    "What!?" The eyes of Devil Ming Li widened from shock. "You... you had a breakthrough in the middle of our fight?!"

    "I will avenge Junior apprentice-sister Xia today by killing you even if I have to lose all four of my limbs and be a cripple!" His eyes and nose began bleeding, and veins appeared all over his body.

    "Was she your lover by any chance? Then let me tell you something important before you die... her body was amazing! It is truly a pity that she had killed herself so quickly or else I would have surely enjoyed her body even more! Hahahaha!"

    "MENG LI, GO TO HELLLLLL!!!!" The blue sword in Zhan Xuegang¡¯s grasp glowed a dark blue light, and killing intent soared beyond the clouds.

    "SPIRIT BLADE!"

    "Trying to bring me down with you? Just because you are now a Spirit Grandmaster like me does not mean we are on equal standing, you fool!" Meng Li¡¯s red hair glowed a crimson color along with his eyes, looking like a real devil from hell.

    "Hell¡¯s Fire!"

    Suddenly, before the two of them could release their techniques, a little girl in red robes appeared in-between them like a ghost, and in her grasp was a ne covered in fresh blood.

    For more, visit lightnove/lpub[.

    "For disturbing the peace of our ce, your cultivation base shall be crippled as a punishment." The little girl waved her sleeves, and Meng Li and Zhan Xuegang felt their entire cultivation base copse an instantter.

    Without any cultivation to support them, the two were no longer able to control their attacks or fly, and they fell straight to the ground, breaking many bones upon hitting the earth.

    "Who are you?!" Meng Li cried out loud as heid on the ground, experiencing major pain across his body. To cripple him, a Spirit Grandmaster, with a mere wave of her sleeves, her background must be shocking.

    As for Zhan Xuegang, he could only stare at the little girl in the air with wide eyes. He was too shocked to think.

    "What did we do to offend you?! Answer me!" Meng Li shouted again after receiving no answer from her.

    However, the little girl ignored him, descended from the sky to a nearby tree, and walked to where Yuan¡¯s unconscious bodyid.

    "That¡¯s the trash who was watching us fight..." Meng Li was aware of Yuan¡¯s presence and that he had been watching them, but because he was too weak to affect them, Meng Li treated Yuan like an ant and ignored him. The same goes for Zhan Xuegang.

    The little girl kneeled to wipe the blood off Yuan¡¯s lips, her hands trembling slightly. "For injuring him... you shall be punished with death..."

    After wiping the blood from Yuan¡¯s lips, the little girl stood and turned to face the two figures lying on the floor, her expression grim and filled with killing intent.

    For more, visit ligh/tnovelpub/[.

    "Heaven Splitting Sword Strike..." The world suddenly trembled, and the heaven dimmed, almost turning into night. And a sword made from a golden light appeared in the grasp of the little girl.

    "Heaven Splitting Sword Strike?! Impossible! What are you doing here in the Lower Heavens?!" Zhan Xuegang recognized the technique being witnessed, and his heart nearly stopped from shock.

    The little girl ignored his question and suddenly shed the sword downwards, and the heavens seemed to have split into two at that moment.

    BOOM! A massive earthquake shook the entire Eastern Continent, shocking many experts within the continent, even alerting many ancient experts around the world.

    ¡ª

    Yuan slowly opened his eyes, and the first thing that he noticed was the obviouslyrge earth fissure in front of him with an end that he cannot physically see, looking as though it separated the earth in half.

    "What¡ªDid those two cause this?! This is ridiculous!" Yuan¡¯s back was soaked in cold sweat upon seeing the earth fissure that seemed endless. He couldn¡¯t imagine the power that was required to cause this much destruction. This earth fissure was more than enough to change the geography of this world!

    Suddenly, Yuan¡¯s heart jumped. He slowly turned his head, and it was this moment he realized that he had been sleeping on the softp of this little girl.

    "Xiao Hua!" He was pleasantly surprised to see her sitting beside him, even allowing him to sleep on herp. "Are you hurt anywhere?"

    Yuan felt relieved upon seeing no injuries on her.

    Xiao Hua suddenly pulled his head back down to herp. "Master, you shouldn¡¯t move too much. You are injured."

    "Eh?" Yuan became dumbfounded. "What did you just call me? Master? What kind of game are we ying this time?"

    "This is not a game. Xiao Hua has epted Brother Yuan as her Master." She showed him the ne covered in blood with a serious expression.

    "That¡¯s the ne you gave me¡ªOh... so that¡¯s what you meant by using that to call you... to summon you as a Servant?" He facepalmed upon realizing the real meaning behind her words, making a loud pping sound. "Xiao Hua... you... Aiya!" He sighed loudly.

    "Do you not ept Xiao Hua?" Her expression saddened. "Is Xiao Hua a bad girl?"

    "That¡¯s not it. I really like you, but... to keep you as a Servant is too much... since it will cause many unnecessary misunderstandings..."

    "Misunderstands? Xiao Hua does not mind..."

    ¡¯But I do!¡¯ Yuan replied inside his head.

    After a moment of silence, Yuan finally said to her, "Brother Yuan."

    "Huh?" Xiao Hua looked at him with a puzzled expression on her face.

    "As long as you call me Brother Yuan like normally, then there will be no misunderstandings." He exined to her.

    "Then..." Her eyes began sparkling. "Brother Yuan!"

    She suddenly hugged him, hiding the bashful smile on her face.

    ?You have epted Xiao Hua as your Servant!?

    Name: Xiao Hua

    Servant Grade: Divine

    Master: Yuan

    Cultivation: Third Level Spirit King

    Legacy: Supreme Heaven¡¯s Legacy

    Bloodline: Divine Bloodline

    Physique: Purple Mist Physique

    ¡ª

    ?Heaven¡¯s Secret Art?

    ?Rank: Divine?

    ?Mastery Level: 4?

    ¡ª

    ?Heaven¡¯s First Secret Art ¡ª Consuming Heaven Technique?

    ?Rank: Divine?

    ?Mastery Level: 5?

    ¡ª

    ?Heaven¡¯s Second Secret Art ¡ª Heaven Splitting Sword Strike?

    ?Rank: Divine?

    ?Mastery Level: 4?

    ¡ª

    ?Heaven¡¯s Third Secret Art ¡ª Heavenly Domain?

    ?Rank: Divine?

    ?Mastery Level: 2?

    ¡ª

    ?Heaven¡¯s Fourth Secret Art ¡ª Heaven Sealing Technique?

    ?Rank: Divine?

    ?Mastery Level: 1?

    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    ¡ª

    ?Fly?

    ?Rank: Earth?

    ¡ª

    ?Superior Senses?

    ?Rank: Heaven?

    ¡ª

    ?Qi Manifestation?

    ?Rank: Earth?

    ¡ª

    ?Purple Mist?

    ?Rank: Divine?

    ¡ª

    ?Congrattions! yer Yuan has obtained the world¡¯s first Divine grade Servant!?

    When the announcement appeared above the sky, countless cries of shock resounded around the world, and rumors of yer Yuan being a cheater quickly began spreading like wildfire on this day.

 Chapter 8 An Overwhelming Advantage

    "What the hell! This yer Yuan is clearly already at endgame while the rest of us are still picking herbs just to earn barely enough money for amon weapon!"

    "The game hasn¡¯t even been out for a week and he is already obtaining things that will probably take months, even years of grinding!"

    "Can he even be considered a yer at this point anymore? He is ahead of the entire yer-base¡ªand not by a small margin!"

    "At this rate, couldn¡¯t he potentially rule over everybody at some point?"

    "This asshole must be cheating! There is no way he can obtain all these things so quickly. Even the current best yers are nowhere near him, and I refuse to believe that some no-name can possibly be so far ahead of everyone else without cheating!"

    "That¡¯s right! He¡¯s clearly cheating! Where are the admins? What about the game creators? He needs to be punished!"

    "He either has balls that are hard as steel or he¡¯spletely nuts. To cheat so openly, does he think it wouldn¡¯t raise even a little bit of suspicion?"

    Rumors of Yuan cheating in the game began spreading like wildfire across the inte.

    Cheaters nowadays, especially in popr games, are punished more severely than older times where cheating would only be frowned upon but nobody really tries anything major to stop them.

    Furthermore, if you are caught cheating, then there is a high possibility of receiving a fine that is more expensive than ten years of rent for housing, and there are even many cases of cheaters being jailed for up to four years.

    For more, visit lightn/o/v/elpub[.

    With so many risks involved, only those who are rich and really don¡¯t care would be willing to cheat.

    However, even these types of people wouldn¡¯t cheat so openly. So in Yuan¡¯s case, people could only assume that he waspletely nuts to be so obvious in the current most popr game in the world!

    ¡ª

    "Cheating, huh. What do you think, White Lotus? Do you also believe this Yuan to be a cheater?" A handsome young man in purple robes kicked the decapitated wolf head by his feet to the side. In his grasp was a steel sword with a ck handle, and blue lightning snakes would coil around the de every so often that was dripping with fresh blood.

    Beside him stood two other people, both beautifuldies.

    The beautiful youngdy with elegant features by his side silently stared at the announcement in the sky. "Whether he is cheating or not does not concern me," she said a momentter, her gaze switching from the announcement to therge ck cat beside her. "But I am interested in what a Divine-rank Servant would look like..."

    Her Two-tailed ck Cat is a normal monster without a grade, but it has great agility and powerful attacks. Ifpared to Cultivators, then its power would be equivalent to a Fourth Level Spirit Apprentice.

    N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

    "This Divine-grade Servant... with this, his influence within and outside the game is massive and can no longer be ignored, and his actions could very well greatly impact the world..."

    "What¡¯s this? Is the Lightning Emperor, ranked third in the Legacy Ranking, feeling pressure from a no-name?" The other beautifuldyughed charmingly.

    "Do you feel nothing regarding our situation, Fiery Queen?" Lightning Emperor looked at her with a serious expression. "This is not a joking matter. Forget about me, the entire Legacy Ranking may be thrown into disorder because of this Yuan."

    "I¡¯d be lying if I say I am not interested in this yer, but the entire Legacy Ranking? That¡¯s an exaggeration. He¡¯s is probably just another cheater."

    "What if he turns out to be the real deal, someone with extreme luck and skills? What will you do then?"

    The cheerful expression on Fiery Queen¡¯s face turned serious after his question. "Then I will obviously do what I have to and recruit him."

    "Hah! Do you think you are the only one with that thought? Forget about the Feng Family who is currently ranked first, every family within the Legacy Ranking is actively looking for him even as we speak!"

    "Che. I know that already. But it doesn¡¯t matter how many are looking for him. As long I find him first, then he will be mine!"

    Lightning Emperor only snorted at her words. "Talking to you is a waste of breath."

    ¡ª

    "We¡¯re here... the Skeleton Graveyard." Lightning Emperor readied his sword, his awareness alert.

    In front of the current three top yers was arge graveyard with many skeletons walking around awkwardly, like wooden puppets with stiff movements.

    "Let¡¯s quickly finish this. I am feeling sick just from your presence," said Fiery Queen.

    "You willingly followed us..."

    "Only because we happen to have epted the same quest."

    "Che. Let¡¯s go. They have already noticed us."

    Fiery Queen retrieved her weapon, which was a long whip. White Lotus followed, holding a normal-looking sword in front of her.

    Despite being top yers, neither of them had any chance to obtain weapons with a grade, so they can only put up with these normal weapons with no grade.

    "Lightning Element." Lightning Emperor caressed his sword, causing the lightning snakes to return, coiling around the de as though it was dancing.

    "Body Enhancement¡ªSpeed." Fiery Queen¡¯s supple body glowed blue, and her body could no longer feel any weight, feeling as though she has be as light as a feather.

    "Xu Hei." White Lotus said softly, and the ck cat stood in front of her.

    "Let¡¯s go!" Lightning Emperor kicked his feet, flying towards the skeletons at a quick speed.

    "Don¡¯t order me around!" Fiery Queen also charged forward, followed by White Lotus and her Servant.

    ¡ª

    "Xiao Hua... you..." Yuan was shocked upon seeing her character status. Although he doesn¡¯t understand what they meant, they were obviously not ordinary.

    "To have apanion this powerful so early on in the game... Isn¡¯t this technically cheating?" Yuan was aware of the advantage he currently has over all the other yers, but because he isn¡¯t ying forpetitive reasons, he doesn¡¯t on nning to use this advantage.

    "Say, Xiao Hua. Compared to a Spirit Apprentice cultivator, how much stronger are you as a Spirit King?" He asked her so he could betterprehend the differences between them.

    "..." Xiao Hua looked at him weirdly for a moment before saying, "one thousand... ten thousand...? Brother Yuan, they cannot bepared because the difference is too vast."

    "The difference is too vast? How so?"

    "Hmmm... That mountain over there... Xiao Hua can make it disappear with one attack." She pointed at therge mountain at the horizon and said casually.

    "Disappear with one attack?" Yuan¡¯s eyes popped when he heard her confident words. If what she said was true, wouldn¡¯t that make her a walking bomb with destructive power equivalent to a nuke? One that can be used multiple times? How could she possibly be a mere Servant? Wouldn¡¯t her existence be considered a bit unbnced for a game? Or are all cultivators this powerful once they reach a certain stage?

    Yuan couldn¡¯t help but wonder what the game creators were thinking when they thought that giving such a small girl like her so much power would be a great idea.

    "Xiao Hua, do not use your powers recklessly, okay? I don¡¯t want to see you identally destroy a city or a piece ofnd¡ª" He suddenly turned to look at the earth fissure, his eyes wide open.

    "X...Xiao Hua... did you do this?" He asked her after having a feeling that it wasn¡¯t the two cultivators who had created this mess.

    "Un." She nodded calmly, seemingly thinking nothing much of it.

    "Aiii!" Yuan sighed loudly. "What if you had identally hit somebody with that? Xiao Hua, listen up. Do not use your power unless I give you permission, okay?"

    "Un." She epted his request quite easily.

    "Good." Yuan looked at the earth fissure one more time before turning away with a bitter smile on his face. "Let¡¯s go, Xiao Hua. It¡¯d be bad if someone were to see us here right now..."

    For more, visit ligh/tnov/elpub[.]/

    Thus, the two began walking further from the crime scene.

    ¡ª

    "Xiao Hua, what will you do now that you have be my Servant?" Yuan asked her, still unsure of what the purpose of Servants is in this game.

    "Xiao Hua will follow Brother Yuan wherever he goes," she answered quickly. "And she will lead you to the next realm."

    "Huh? Lead me to the next realm?"

    "Un."

    "Well... nevermind that for now. What about your family? What will they say if you decide to leave home to follow me?"

    "Brother Yuan is Xiao Hua¡¯s family now, so there are no problems." She looked at him with flickering eyes.

    "I don¡¯t think that logic would work..." He shook his head, unsure of what to do with her.

    For more, visit lig/htno/v/elpub[.

    Taking a child who he met only a few days ago away from her family would cause countless problems if this was the real world, but Yuan recalled that he was in a game and she is only an NPC, so there shouldn¡¯t be any problems.

    "Alright, do as you wish, Xiao Hua." He finally said with a forfeiting smile.

 Chapter 9 Jade Frog

    ?Congrattions! yer Lightning Emperor, yer White Lotus, and yer Fiery Queen has be the first yers to have cleared Skeleton Graveyard!?

    The sudden announcement shocked many yers, but it was not because they were the first to clear this dungeon but because three different families from the Legacy Ranking were grouped together! In other words, they were cooperating, something that is rarely seen by the public, if ever.

    "Holy shit! Three of the top 10 families within the Legacy are actually cooperating to clear a dungeon together!"

    "Perhaps they have decided to make an alliance to bring down this yer Yuan?"

    "That is a possibility..."

    Many yers gossiped about the new announcement online, some even making conspiracies. The Legacy Ranking is a system in the real world ¡ª or a real-world ranking so to speak, where professional yers fight each otherpetitively to obtain a spot within the Legacy Ranking.

    There can only be 100 yers in the Legacy Ranking, ranked one to one hundred. Being a part of the Legacy Ranking brings countless profits and almost no downfalls. Wealth, fame, authority, power ¡ª one can obtain all that just by being in the Legacy Ranking. Additionally, once a yer bes a part of the Legacy Ranking, regardless of their rank, their family will also be a Legacy Family, allowing them to recruit talented yers to help them remain or climb the ranks within the Legacy Ranking, almost like a guild or n in games.

    Countless yers, young and old, fight in worldwide tournaments just to obtain the qualifications to challenge someone who is within the Legacy Ranking to steal their spot. Furthermore, only one game would be chosen every decade as the focus. Because of this, the rankings would usually have major changes every decade, except for those at the very top of the ranking.

    The game the Legacy Ranking had chosen to be the main focus for this decade was obviously Cultivation Online, the hottest VRMMORPG in the world to date.

    ¡ª

    Moments after the announcement, another one appears above the clouds.

    ?Congrattions! yer Xiong Lu has obtained the world¡¯s first Spirit grade equipment!?

    "He¡¯s finally appeared, huh." Lightning Emperor narrowed his gaze at the name on the announcement.

    Xiong Lu of the Heaven¡¯s Divinity, standing at the top of the Legacy Ranking as the number one yer in this world. He is a major figure even in the real world, owning one of the biggest gamingpanies out there.

    "Even an unsurpassable monster like him could only obtain the lowest grade equipment in this game after so many hours... yet this Yuan..." Fiery Queen sighed loudly.

    ¡ª

    "Xiao Hua, what are the grades for equipment?" Yuan asked her after the announcement disappeared.

    "Spirit, Earth, Heaven, Divine, each broken into four tiers of quality: Low, Medium, High, and Peak. There are other grades higher than Divine, but there is no need to worry about that since you can only find them in the higher realms."

    "Realm... you also mentioned that before. What did you mean by bringing me to the next realm?"

    "Brother Yuan is currently in the lowest realm ¡ª the Lower Heaven. Xiao Hua¡¯s job is to help Brother Yuan reach the highest realm ¡ª the Supreme Heaven."

    "Your job?" He questioned. Why and who would give her such a job?

    "Xiao Hua epted the Supreme Heaven¡¯s Legacy, so it became her job to find a sessor."

    "...What a deep game." Yuan looked at the sky, "How do we get to the next realm?" he asked.

    "Brother Yuan is too weak right now and should only worry about getting stronger. After that, we can challenge the Realm Guardian for ess to the next realm."

    "So it¡¯s that kind of game, huh." Yuan became more understanding of the goal of this game.

    "Is there a reward for getting there? The Supreme Heaven," he asked out of curiosity, not expecting anything too much.

    "Everything," she answered after a moment of silence, "The winner shall obtain everything this world has to offer... so... they be this world¡¯s God."

    "Eh?" Yuan totally did not expect such a generous reward. "Allowing yers to be God? So the game creators are essentially giving admin powers to those who reach that point? How generous of them."

    ¡¯But I have no use for such power, so I will enjoy my life to the fullest and leave it to others to fight for that reward.¡¯ Yuan thought to himself. He was content with just having the ability to use his eyes and limbs as he wishes.

    ¡ª

    After walking for some time, Yuan finally realized that they were walking aimlessly without a destination. "Xiao Hua, where should we go now? Or rather, what should we do?" he asked her, who seemed to be the one leading this journey.

    Xiao Hua looked at him with a nonchnt expression and said, "Help Brother Yuan get stronger."

    "And how will we do that?" Although he doesn¡¯t really desire strength, it wasn¡¯t something he would refuse either.

    "That..." Xiao Hua suddenly pointed to the distance where there was an open field, and in this middle of this open field was arge figure at least 5 meters tall.

    "That¡¯s... a frog?" Yuan quickly blinked a few times nonstop when he saw the massive frog with jade-like skin sitting in the middle with its eyes closed, seemingly sleeping.

    "That is a Jade Frog; it has power equivalent to a Ninth Level Spirit Apprentice cultivator."

    "Ninth Level Spirit Apprentice?! I am only a Seventh Level Spirit Apprentice! Are you telling me to go kill myself?!" Yuan nearly cried upon hearing her words.

    For more, visit [.

    "Although the Jade Frog is two levels above Brother Yuan¡¯s cultivation base, it shouldn¡¯t matter because Brother Yuan has cultivated the Heaven Consuming Technique, allowing him to be stronger than most Cultivators at the same level."

    "Is that really how it works?"

    "Un."

    "But I also don¡¯t know how to fight ¡ª Ah... it noticed us." Yuan suddenly pointed at the Jade Frog, its head turned towards their direction with killing intent radiating from its gaze.

    Whoosh! The Jade Frog suddenly leaped and appeared dozens of meters into the sky, almost as though it was trying to touch the clouds.

    "Watch out!" Yuan instinctively grabbed Xiao Hua by her waist with one hand and jumped back to avoid the shadow. Secondster, the Jade Frognds at where they originally stood, creating a dent in the ground.

    "That was close..." Yuan wiped the invisible sweat from his forehead when he saw the hole on the ground. They could¡¯ve been meat paste if he didn¡¯t dodge that.

    "Brother Yuan, good luck." She gave him a thumbs up and casually walked to the side to watch, dumbfounding Yuan.

    Thinking that she was just an ant, the Jade Frog ignored her and kept its gaze on Yuan.

    For more, visit lightnov/elpub[.

    "You... How am I supposed to fight this monster without any weapons?!" he cried out loud.

    "Then Brother Yuan can use this..." Xiao Hua retrieved a small pouch from her robes, pulling out a steel sword from inside.

    However, when she pulled out the sword, it also alerted the Jade Frog, causing it to leap towards her. In the Jade Frog¡¯s eyes, Xiao Hua, who has a weapon, was more of a threat than Yuan who was empty-handed, so it ignored Yuan and went for her instead.

    "Xiao Hua! Watch out!" He shouted to warn her, but Xiao Hua only watched it fall on her with a calm expression.

    Boom! The ground slightly shook when the Jade Frognded on Xiao Hua¡¯s small frame.

    Yuan¡¯s eyes widened, and his jaw dropped from shock. In his mind, Xiao Hua has most likely turned into a pancake after being squashed by the Jade Frog¡¯s massive body and weight.

    Suddenly, purple mists began seeping out from beneath the Jade Frog, almost like it had farted, and Yuan returned to his senses.

    The purple mist distanced itself from the Jade Frog and gathered beside Yuan, before forming into the figure of a small girl.

    "Xiao Hua!" Yuan was baffled by what he¡¯d just witnessed. What just happened?

    "What¡¯s wrong, Brother Yuan?" she asked him in a normal voice as though she did not just get ttened by the Jade Frog.

    "You... what happened just now?"

    "Xiao Hua¡¯s Purple Mist Physique?"

    "Yes... but I am also talking about why you just stood there to take its attack! You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

    "But Brother Yuan said Xiao Hua cannot use her power until Xiao Hua has permission, and Xiao Hua did not have permission..."

    Yuan looked at her with wide eyes, his expression perplexed. "Are you an idiot?!" he suddenly yelled at her.

    Startled, Xiao Hua shrunk her head like a scared turtle.

    "Even if you didn¡¯t want to use your powers, you could¡¯ve just dodged! There was no reason for you to stand there and take the hit!" Yuan was upset, but mostly at himself for telling her to do something without thinking about it.

    Xiao Hua is just an NPC, someone programmed to act and do things a certain way, so if Yuan told her to sit, then she will sit without questioning him, her ¡¯master¡¯. But Yuan didn¡¯t take into consideration that she was an NPC, who is also his Servant, and treated her as a real human, hence why he believed that she would have some logic in her when he told her to not use her power recklessly.

    "Sorry..." Xiao Hua apologized.

    "Aiii!" Yuan facepalmed when he saw her sad face. "I should be the one apologizing, Xiao Hua... I had told you to do something without thinking... I¡¯m sorry."

    Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    "?"

    "When I told you to not use your powers, I didn¡¯t mean topletely seal off your power and be a punching bag... If you are in danger or feel like you need to use your powers, then just use it."

    "What about Brother Yuan¡¯s permission?"

    "Forget I had ever said that and use it ording to your judgment. What I am trying to say is there¡¯s no need to crack an egg by smashing it with arge rock, and think about your surroundings and the environment before you decide to use it."

    "Xiao Hua understands." She nodded.

    "Good. Now, give me that sword. I have a debt to settle with this damn frog."

    The moment Yuan grabbed the steel sword by the handle, information about the sword appeared in his head.

    ?Spirit Sword?

    ?Grade: Spirit?

    ?Quality: Peak?

    ?Physical Strength Required: 900?

    ?Mental Strength Required: 1,500?

    ?Sharpness: 1,000?

    ?Description: Cuts metal like butter.?

    "Good sword!" Yuan instantly took a liking to it after swinging it a few times in the air.

 Chapter 10 A Natural Prodigy

    The Jade Frog remained unmoving, its gaze seemingly filled with confusion as it stared at Xiao Hua, who didn¡¯t even bother to return its gaze, as though it was nothing in her eyes. How did this insignificant-looking little girl escape unscathed after being crushed by its massive weight, it wondered.

    Yuan walked forward in a calm manner, his gaze deeply focused on the Jade Frog. Although he has never been in a fight before, he felt oddly calm at this moment, as though it was only natural.

    "I have never been in a fight before, let alone use a sword. I have spent the majority of my life in a bed, silently rotting away. However, as powerless I may be outside of this world, I can use my limbs and eyes to the fullest in this world! As long as I am here, I feel as though I can achieve anything, even defeating this giant frog!" Yuan suddenly dashed towards the Jade Frog, alerting it. His speed was faster than even the fastest man on earth, and he arrived in front of Jade Frog in the blink of an eye.

    "Witness! Remember! Learn! Execute!" The fight between the two cultivators shed inside his head, and his hands moved ordingly.

    sh! The sword in his grasp had easily sliced the skin of the Jade Frog, causing blood to gush out from its stomach. The Jade Frog screamed from the pain, and it jumped back to avoid him.

    Xiao Hua¡¯s eyes widened when she witnessed the movements of Yuan¡¯s sword. "Although it was stiff and seemed like the swing of an amateur... it was clearly a sword technique."

    Yuan did not chase after the Jade Frog and only looked at the sword in his grasp, and on his face was dissatisfaction. "Che. I moved exactly as that guy did, but something about it did not feel right..."

    "Brother Yuan... you..." Xiao Hua could only be shocked. What she just witnessed was the technique of one of the two cultivators she had killed. Did he learn it just from watching them fight for a brief moment?

    For someone to learn and execute a technique only after watching it once and only for a few moments, Yuan could only be described as a prodigy.

    "I executed the movements perfectly and it had hit the target, but there was something missing..." Yuan pondered. "Perhaps... Qi?"

    As though he had received enlightenment, Yuan smiled, and his gaze returned to the Jade Frog. "This time, I will y you!" he eximed with confidence, his sword pointing at the trembling Jade Frog.

    The Jade Frog was confused. The human looked incredibly weak and vulnerable just moments ago, yet the moment he grabbed the sword, everything about him changed. His weak aura became sharp like the sword, and his gaze showed dominance, even a hint of arrogance. What had happened to him that caused this change?

    Even Xiao Hua was also a bit baffled by his change. It was as if he had gone from a mortal who knew nothing about the world to a profound swordmaster! Even the aura he emitted has changed entirely!

    Yuan dashed towards the Jade Frog while it was dazed, and his hands maneuvered the sword in his hands with the same movements but with more precision and speed. The sword in his hand suddenly glowed red ¡ª

    "Bloody Sword Strike!"

    Sha! The Jade Frog instinctively leaped back, but its movements were too slow whenpared to Yuan¡¯s sword strike, and it split in half in mid-air, causing organs and blood to fly everywhere.

    Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    ?You have learned Bloody Sword Strike?

    ¡ª

    ?Bloody Sword Strike?

    ?Rank: Earth?

    ?Mastery Level: 1?

    ?Description: Consumes 900 Qi. Must wield a sword to activate. A technique from the Blood Sect.?

    ¡ª

    ?yer Yuan has be the world¡¯s first yer to have learned an Earth-ranked skill! Congrattions!?

    ?yer Yuan has be the first yer to have killed the Elite Boss: Jade Frog!?

    Two announcements appeared, back to back, for the world to see.

    ¡ª

    After the Jade Frog died, Xiao Hua ran up to Yuan and asked him, "Brother Yuan, where did you learn that technique?"

    The sharp aura around Yuan disappeared the moment he heard Xiao Hua¡¯s voice. "Hm? Oh, it was a skill used by that red-haired dude fighting in the sky," he said casually.

    Xiao Hua silently looked at him with her eyes flickering with admiration. "No wonder Brother Yuanprehended the Heaven¡¯s Secret Art in such a short time..." she mumbled to herself.

    "Anyway, I feel like I have gotten stronger from that fight just now. It also felt great to use my body in such a way!" Yuanughed, "Perhaps I have a talent for fighting? Hahaha!"

    "Brother Yuan is a genius, no doubt." Xiao Hua nodded with a serious face.

    "Stop it... you¡¯re embarrassing me with your ttering..."

    "Xiao Hua is not ttering. Brother Yuan¡¯s ability toprehend things is otherworldly. Such talents are rarely seen even in the higher heavens, let alone this Lower Heaven..."

    Yuan shook his head, "I was able to beat that frog with ease only because of the powerful sword you gave me. Thank you, Xiao Hua." He patted her head.

    "Then when Brother Yuan bes strong enough, Xiao Hua will give Brother Yuan more powerful weapons!" she said cheerfully.

    "You have equipment stronger than this sword? What are you, a walking weapon shop?"

    "Un. But Brother Yuan is too weak to wield any of them, so Xiao Hua can only wait until he gets strong enough to wield them without exploding to death."

    "E...Exploding to death?" Yuan shivered upon hearing her cruel words. "Surely you must be joking..."

    "Unlike normal weapons without a grade, Spirit-grade and above weapons are called Spiritual Weapons that have the ability to gain their own consciousness. If one tries to wield a Spiritual Weapon stronger than their own strength, then the conscious in the weapon may try to kill that person depending on its personality." Xiao Hua exined to him.

    "How dangerous... it¡¯s almost as if everything in this game will try to kill you if you are too weak..." Yuan thought to himself.

    "Weapons, monsters, even humans... it does not matter... if it is strong, then it will dominate the weak. That¡¯s why Brother Yuan has to be strong, so he will not be bullied by the strong."

    "I will be fine as long as I have you, Xiao Hua." Yuan tried to praise her, but she only turned solemn.

    "Brother Yuan, Xiao Hua is only strong in this Lower Heaven... In the higher heavens, Xiao Hua is only an ant whenpared to the real experts..." she sighed.

    "Only an ant?" Yuan cannot imagine how powerful the cultivators in the higher heavens are when Xiao Hua is already strong enough to destroy an entire mountain.

    Xiao Hua suddenly walked away and towards where the dead Jade Frogid.

    "Where are you going?" Yuan followed her.

    "When monsters die, some of them will drop a monster core." Xiao Hua shoved her entire arm into the Jade Frog¡¯s corpse without flinching and pulled out a small crystal a momentter. "Monster cores are very important to Cultivators because they can greatly assist them in cultivation with Qi stored inside."

    "Here you go, Brother Yuan." She handed Yuan the monster core.

    "What about you? Don¡¯t you also need to grow stronger?" He asked.

    "The amount of Qi inside this monster core is too little to have any effect on Xiao Hua, so Brother Yuan should use it."

    Yuan nodded, and he threw the monster core into his mouth without hesitation. "Taste like candy..." he thought.

    "Ah! Brother Yuan!" Xiao Hua shouted loudly, looking baffled and scared at the same time when she saw Yuan throw the monster core directly into his mouth.

    "Hm? What¡¯s wrong?" Yuan looked at her casually.

    "Monster cores are not meant to be swallowed like that!" she said urgently, "Hurry up and spit it out!"

    When Yuan saw her panicking face, he also panicked. What will happen to him now that he ate one?

    Cold sweat soaked Yuan¡¯s back, but there was nothing he could do because the monster core had melted in his mouth the moment it touched his tongue and have already entered his stomach...

    "I... already swallowed it..." Yuan spoke in a stiff tone. "I know it is already toote, but what happens if someone swallows a monster core?"

    Xiao Hua dropped to her knees and said, "Monster cores contain the entire cultivation base of its retainer before death, so if someone tries to swallow so much Qi in one go... they will explode to death..."

    "Exploding to death again!?" Yuan¡¯s jaw dropped from shock. There are too many things in this game that will cause him to explode to death!

    Suddenly¡ª

    ?Heaven Refining Physique activated?

    ?1,280,000 Qi has been refined from the Jade Frog¡¯s monster core?

    ?You have absorbed enough Qi for a breakthrough?

    ?You have reached Eighth Level Spirit Apprentice?

    ?All stats +450?

    ¡ª

    "..."

    "..."

    "...."

    "Brother Yuan, did you just have a breakthrough?" Xiao Hua asked after a long silence, her voice filled with disbelief.

    "I did..." he answered with a weird smile.

 Chapter 11 A Priceless Treasure

    Xiao Hua looked at Yuan with a pondering gaze. "Brother Yuan¡¯s cultivation base was only at the early stages of Seventh Level Spirit Apprentice before consuming the Jade Frog monster core. Even if Brother Yuan consumes the entire Jade Frog monster core, he shouldn¡¯t be able to break through to Eighth Level Spirit Apprentice right away and would only be halfway there..."

    "Additionally, Brother Yuan also directly absorbed the entire monster core and did not receive any bacsh but had a breakthrough instead... Xiao Hua has never seen anything like this before..."

    "Perhaps it had something to do with my physique?" Yuan said.

    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    "Brother Yuan¡¯s physique?"

    "It¡¯s called Heaven Refining Physique," he said, hoping she¡¯d know something about it.

    However, Xiao Hua only tilted her head. "Heaven Refining Physique? Xiao Hua has never heard of it before..."

    "But if it has something to do with why Brother Yuan was able to consume that Jade Frog monster core, then we can obtain some more monster cores to experiment."

    "Hmm..." Yuan suddenly retrieved the token given to him by the goddess during his character evaluation and showed it to her. "Then do you know what this thing is, or its purpose?"

    Xiao Hua¡¯s eyes instantly widened with shock when she saw the jade token in his hand. "Ancient Spirit Jade! And so big!" she eximed loudly, "Where did Brother Yuan obtain this!?"

    "It was given to me by some beauty. I don¡¯t know her name, though. What does it do?" Yuan became curious when he saw her shocked expression, looking as though she just witnessed the heavens copse before her.

    "This is a Spirit Jade; it is somewhat simr to a monster core but holds far more Qi within. Even a pebble-sized Royal Spirit Jade of low quality, the lowest grade, is extremely valuable in the higher heavens... since it can awaken or bestow bloodlines..." Xiao Hua forcefully swallowed her saliva and continued, "The Ancient Spirit Jade in Brother Yuan¡¯s grasp is three grades above the Royal Spirit Jade... and is probably of high quality... Not to mention it is the size of a palm-sized rock..."

    The presence of the Ancient Spirit Jade was enough to make the usually calm Xiao Hua tremble uncontrobly ¡ª it was just that valuable of a treasure.

    "Hmmm... So I can consume this and obtain Qi like monster cores, right?" Yuan licked his lips when he thought about how sweet the Jade Frog monster core tasted. "I wonder how much stronger I¡¯ll grow if I were to eat this..."

    Xiao Hua nearly received a heart attack when she heard his words and hastily grabbed his hands. "You mustn¡¯t! If Brother Yuan consumes this, even if you have a unique physique, you will surely explode to death! Even a peak Spirit Emperor would not dare to imagine consuming it!"

    Yuan chucked when he saw the anxious face she made, "Rx, Xiao Hua. I won¡¯t consume it. Such a valuable item, how could I consume it before I find that beauty to ask her why she gave me this Spirit Jade?"

    ¡¯For that person to have this Ancient Spirit Jade, she must have a shocking background... Maybe someone from the Supreme Heaven?¡¯ Xiao Hua thought to herself.

    "Xiao Hua, here."

    "?"

    "!!!"

    Xiao Hua¡¯s soul nearly abandoned her body when Yuan suddenly threw the Ancient Spirit Jade at her. Barely catching it, she looked at him with a baffled expression. "Brother Yuan...?"

    "It¡¯d be wiser if you were to keep this Ancient Spirit Jade for me until I be strong enough to protect it," he said.

    "Xiao Hua cannot hold something this valuable!" She instantly refused while shaking her head, her hands already trembling from the invisible weighting from the Ancient Spirit Jade.

    Yuan frowned, "If you don¡¯t want to hold it, then who will? I am aware of my weak existence in this vast world, so having me hold something like that will only bring endless trouble. If I could, I would just throw it away, but now that I know its value... You know what I mean, right?"

    Xiao Hua clenched her fist and nodded with a serious expression. "Xiao Hua vows to protect this Ancient Spirit Jade even at the cost of her life!"

    "Wrong!" Yuan said loudly. "No matter how valuable that Spirit Jade is, it is only an object and will never be as valuable as your life! If it everes to losing your life or that Spirit Jade, then you will choose to lose the Spirit Jade!"

    "But..."

    "No buts! This is an order!" Yuan was adamant about his decision. In his eyes, there is nothing in this world that can be as valuable as Xiao Hua¡¯s life.

    "...Xiao Hua understands..." She reluctantly nodded before storing the Ancient Spirit Jade in her storage pouch.

    With the Ancient Spirit Jade gone from her sight, the atmosphere was no longer as heavy and suffocating.

    ¡¯I was unable to learn more about that beauty or why she¡¯d give me such a valuable treasure... How unfortunate.¡¯ Yuan sighed inwardly.

    ¡ª

    "Where do we go to obtain more monster cores?" Yuan asked her with the steel sword still in his grasp, his blood still heated from the battle with the Jade Frog.

    "Any monster with a cultivation base of Seventh Level Spirit Apprentice and above will have a chance to drop a monster core," she said.

    "Then what are we waiting for? Let¡¯s get hunting!"

    Xiao Hua began leading Yuan around to find monsters for him to fight. With her cultivation base, it was an easy job for her to locate monsters within a thousand-meter radius.

    "There¡¯s a middle-level monster 200 meters to the north."

    Low-level are monsters between levels one to three, middle-level between levels four to six, and high-level are monsters between levels seven to nine.

    "Eh? If it isn¡¯t at least at a Seventh Level, what point is there for us to hunt them if they don¡¯t drop monster cores?"

    "Brother Yuan, no matter how talented an individual is or how many heavenly techniques they have, without the experience to use them properly, they will still be regarded as someone weak."

    "I cannot argue against that..." Yuan nodded.

    Thus, the two began ughtering every monster that crossed paths with them... or more precisely, every monster that was unfortunate enough to be in that area.

 Chapter 12 Heaven-Defying Physique

    ?yer Fire Red, yer Poisoned Fiend, yer Mad Dog, and yer Get Creamed has be the first yers to have cleared Burning Cave for the first time! Congrattions!?

    An announcement hung above the clouds as Yuan elegantly danced around with the steel sword in his grasp, quickly decapitating the four silver wolves surrounding him. The wolf corpses plummeted to the ground, but Yuan did not stop his sword movements and continued to dance, ying the two wolves that were trying to run.

    Xiao Hua, who was watching him at a distance pped, like a spectator watching a street performance. "Brother Yuan¡¯s growth is simply astonishing, like a sponge absorbing water, he easilyprehends everything from his own weakness to his strength. In just a few mere hours, his swordsmanship and Qi maniption has increased by leaps and bounds."

    Her gaze suddenly flickered with regret. "If only Brother Yuan grew up in Supreme Heaven instead of this Lower Heaven where the Qicks in both quality and quantity..."

    After ying thest silver wolf, Yuan retrieved all monster cores he had collected during this grind.

    "Only seven had dropped after killing dozens of monsters, huh." Yuan cried inwardly at the small amount of monster core he has obtained after spending so much time and effort into ying monsters.

    "Seven monster cores is considered a pretty sessful hunt..." Xiao Hua said to him upon seeing his disappointment. "If used properly, seven monster cores canst a month of cultivation."

    "But in Brother Yuan¡¯s case..."

    "This wouldn¡¯t evenst a minute for me, let alone one month!" Yuan suddenly throws one into his mouth, and sure enough, it startled Xiao Hua again.

    ?Heaven Refining Physique activated?

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    ?560,000 Qi has been refined from the Silver Needle Wolf¡¯s monster core?

    ?You have absorbed enough Qi for a breakthrough?

    ?You have reached Ninth Level Spirit Apprentice?

    ?All stats +500?

    1,519,395/3,840,000

    ¡ª

    "Brother Yuan... you..." Xiao Hua looked at Yuan like he was a ghost, her gaze filled with shock and bewilderment.

    "Taste like candy." Yuan licked his lips and said, "Although it did not have as much Qi as the Jade Frog¡¯s monster core, it is still very beneficial towards my cultivation."

    "B...B...Brother Yuan..." Xiao Hua called him, but she didn¡¯t know what to say after that.

    "What¡¯s wrong?" He looked at her with an innocent gaze, seemingly unaware of how amazing his ability is.

    Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    "When a cultivator absorbs the Qi within a monster core, they can only absorb a limited amount of Qi from the monster core depending on the quality of the monster core. However, even a high-grade monster core will only allow one to absorb at most 50% of its total Qi before the rest dissipates back into the world. This is a rule set by Heaven itself and cannot be defied. But... from Brother Yuan¡¯s situation... perhaps his Heaven Refining Physique can ignore this rule and defy the Heavens?" Xiao Hua trembled at the thought that Yuan could possibly have a heaven-defying physique.

    "Defying the heavens, huh..." Yuan thought of his real body in real life. "If only I had such an ability in my other life, too..." he sighed inwardly.

    Suddenly, Xiao Hua turned her head, and her gaze narrowed. "Brother Yuan, there are people near us..."

    ¡¯Hm? People? Are they yers or NPCs?¡¯ He wondered. Since this will be his first encounter with other people besides Xiao Hua since he started ying this game, he wanted to see them.

    "Three people ¡ª two Seventh Level Spirit Apprentice and one Eighth Level Spirit Apprentice, and they are fighting a peak-level Fiery Lizard."

    "I am interested," said Yuan. "Let¡¯s go take a look."

    "Un."

    ¡ª

    Three young adults, two male, and one female stood a few meters away from a giant lizard with red scales that had ck lines spread across like burn marks from a lightning strike. Their gaze flickered continuously with fear and nervousness, and underneath their clothes was a body covered in sweat. They have been fighting this Fiery Lizard for many minutes, yet none of them was able to break through this Fiery Lizard¡¯s defense.

    "Shit! This thing¡¯s scale is as hard as steel! Senior apprentice-brother Mo, we need to leave now before we exhaust our Qi!"

    "Junior apprentice-brother Wang is right! We cannot beat this beast with our current abilities! Let¡¯s leave before it¡¯s toote!"

    The eldest among the three there, Mo Zhou, bit his lips as he stared at the Fiery Lizard before him. He has already exhausted all his techniques on this Fiery Lizard, yet there were only scratches on the surface of its scales. "I refuse!" he suddenly shouted.

    "Senior apprentice-brother Mo!" The other two became anxious when they saw the stubbornness on his face.

    "You two can leave, but I will stay here until either one of us dies! My life depends on this Fiery Lizard¡¯s monster core!" Mo Zhou bit his lips until it bled, but he continued to look at the Fiery Lizard with narrowed eyes filled with determination. "Either I die here or I return to the sect and die there! Since I will die either way, I might as well put everything on the line at this moment!"

    "Then die here! I only helped you out of pity!" said the male before he turned to run away from the fight.

    "This wouldn¡¯t be happening if you didn¡¯t offend Senior apprentice-brother Ren!" The female also abandoned the fight. Neither of those two was willing to risk their lives for him despite being friends for many years.

    Mo Zhou sighed at his junior apprentice sister¡¯s words. "Junior apprentice-sister Ling is right... but I couldn¡¯t ignore my heart no matter what... not even knowing that I will be offending a Chosen by doing so..." He lifted his sword once again to face the Fiery Lizard. "Come, you trash!"

    ¡ª

    "Hmm? Xiao Hua, you said that there were three, but why is there only one here?" Yuan pointed at Mo Zhou, who was fighting the Fiery Lizard with fierce eyes and a bloodied robe.

    "They left before we could arrive," she replied calmly.

    "What about him? Do you think he¡¯ll win?"

    Xiao Hua shook her head. "His cultivation base is almost dried up; it will only be a matter of time before he copses due to Qi Deprivation."

    "He is the only other person I have met so far besides you, Xiao Hua. It¡¯d be a shame if he were to die here..." Yuan suddenly jumped into the fight with his sword raised. "Bloody Sword Strike!"

    The Spirit Sword easily prated the unsuspected Fiery Lizard¡¯s steel-like scales and directly pierced its heart, instantly killing it with one strike. "Are you okay?" Yuan looked at the dazed Mo Zhou, who was staring at him like a dumb chicken, his mouth wide open and all.

 Chapter 13 Flying Sword Sec

    "T...T...T...This..." Mo Zhou stuttered like a baby who just started speaking. He has never seen anyone prate the scales of a Fiery Lizard known for its nearly imprable defense with a single sword strike, let alone with such ease!

    Yuan suddenly extended his hand for Mo Zhou, who had fallen to the ground from shock. "So? Why did you continue to fight that thing despite the obvious conclusion?" he asked as he pulled Mo Zhou off the ground.

    Mo Zhou¡¯s expression stiffened upon hearing his question. "I will die if I fail to obtain a Fiery Lizard monster core, so I might as well die trying..." he sighed in a sorrowful tone.

    "Why would you die if you cannot obtain one?" Yuan became interested in his situation.

    Taking another deep sigh, Mo Zhou said, "Because I had offended a Chosen from my sect..."

    "Chosen? What¡¯s that?"

    Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    Mo Zhou looked at him with a weird expression. How can anyone not know what a Chosen means?

    "A Chosen is someone who is favored by the mighty heaven; they are all born with great talents and are respected by everyone."

    "Favored by the heavens, huh..." Yuan nodded, "So you mean to tell me that you are going to die because you had offended this one guy? What did you do, kill his parents in front of him?"

    Mo Zhou shook his head violently at his words. "No way! All I did was court senior apprentice-sister Xing... but because senior apprentice-brother Ren also fancies her... my actions angered him..."

    "Are they dating?"

    "No..."

    "Aiya!" Yuan facepalmed, making a loud pping sound. "He wants to kill you because you went ahead and confessed your love to this Xing girl? What kind of unreasonable man is this senior apprentice-brother Ren of yours?"

    Mo Zhou became dumbfounded by his words. "But... this type of situation happens all the time...?" he thought to himself.

    Yuan nced at the Fiery Lizard corpse. "You need that, right?" he asked while pointing.

    "...Yes."

    "Take it."

    "Eh?" Mo Zhou looked at him with a face full of surprise. This Fiery Lizard monster core is no doubt a valuable treasure that even the sect elders would covet, yet this young man was willing to give it to him, who he just met, just like that?

    "Really...?" Mo Zhou mumbled in a doubtful tone. "But it was you who killed it..."

    "Then I¡¯ll just take it for myself¨C" Yuan turned to walk towards the corpse.

    Seeing his actions, Mo Zhou quickly panicked. "Wait! I want ¨C No, please let me have it! I, Mo Zhou of the Flying Sword Sect, will be forever in your debt!"

    "Brother Yuan is really kind. If it were anybody else, they would have definitely kept it for themselves." Xiao Hua thought to herself as she watched Mo Zhou fall to his knees to kowtow to Yuan as a way to show his gratitude.

    "If there is anything this savior needs from this Mo Zhou, he will do it without fail!" Mo Zhou said loudly with tears falling off the corner of his eyes.

    Having never been in such a situation, Yuan didn¡¯t know how to react to Mo Zhou¡¯s actions. "No need to be so humble. If I can exchange a mere monster core for someone¡¯s life, of course, I will do it without hesitation," he said.

    "Thank you! Thank you very much..." Mo Zhou stayed kowtowing. "Not only did you already save me once from the Fiery Lizard... you are also giving me this Fiery Lizard monster core... In such a short time, you have already saved my life twice! Please, ept this as my gratitude..."

    "It is awkward seeing a grown man such as yourself in this position while crying... hurry and stand up already..."

    ¨C

    It took a moment, but Mo Zhou eventually calmed down.

    "I haven¡¯t gotten your name yet..."

    "You can call me Yuan."

    "Then, fellow Daoist Yuan, once again, I am Mo Zhou, an outer disciple of the Flying Sword Sect." Mo Zhou stretched his hands for a handshake.

    "Flying Sword Sect? What¡¯s a sect, again?" Yuan asked, forgetting that he¡¯d already heard of such a word when he first arrived in this world.

    Mo Zhou instantly became dazed at his question.

    "Brother Yuan, a Sect is an organization dedicated to the practices of cultivation, where people go to study cultivation." Xiao Hua exined to him.

    "So in other words... a school for cultivators?" Yuan looked at Mo Zhou, and a profound light shed in his eyes. "Hey, Mo Zhou, can you give me a tour around your Flying Sword Sect? I have never been to a sect before, you see..."

    Mo Zhou trembled, waking up from his daze. "So you really are a rogue cultivator..." he mumbled in a voice of disbelief.

    "Rogue cultivator?" Yuan looked at Xiao Hua with a question mark floating on the top of his head.

    Visit lightn///ove/lpub[. for a better experience

    "They are independent cultivators that do not belong to any sect."

    "Oh, I understand. But why do you look so shocked?" He turned to look at Mo Zhou.

    "I can tell that Daoist Yuan is a Ninth Level Spirit Apprentice, but he was able to y that Fiery Lizard that even Third Level Spirit Warriors would have trouble, and you even killed it with such ease..."

    "What he is trying to say is Brother Yuan, who does not have the support of Sects, shouldn¡¯t be this powerful," Xiao Hua intervened.

    She looked at the dumbfounded Mo Zhou and said, "Brother Yuan is special. Don¡¯tpare him with these geniuses. Even these so-called Chosen are nothing in front of Brother Yuan."

    "Ah, you are making me blush with such a bashful statement..." Yuan sighed in a low voice, his face slightly red.

    "No ¨C as arrogant as it may have sounded, I believe it... that Daoist Yuan is no doubt a genius." Mo Zhou said with a serious expression. "As for visiting my Flying Sword Sect... I will have to get permission from my sect elder before I can say for sure..."

    "Really? Then what are we waiting for?" Yuan said cheerfully. He didn¡¯t expect that he¡¯d have the chance to go to school in a video game, something he did not have the luxury of doing in the real world due to the limitations on his body.

    "Ah! Give me a second to retrieve the monster core..." Mo Zhou said hastily, nearly forgetting about it.

 Chapter 14 Thousand Swords Formation

    "Bloody Sword Strike!"

    A red arc of light swept through the forest and directly beheaded the three meters tall ape without alerting it.

    ?Yourprehension with Bloody Sword Strike has reached a new level?

    ?Bloody Sword Strike Mastery Level (1) ¡ú (2)?

    ?Bloody Sword Strike?

    ?Rank: Earth?

    ?Mastery Level: 2?

    ?Description: Consumes 90,000 Qi. Must wield a sword to activate. A technique from the Blood Sect.?

    When Yuan noticed how the Qi consumption had increased a hundred folds with a single mastery level increase, his jaw dropped from shock. Wouldn¡¯t his Heaven Splitting Sword Strike require one million Qi to activate at mastery level 2 at this rate?

    "Fellow Daoist Yuan is really... iprehensible..." Mo Zhou trembled in shock as he watched Yuan y high-level monsters with ease, and all in a single strike. "Even that high-level Spirit Apprentice Bull Ape was in in a single strike..."

    Ever since they met and decided to visit the Flying Sword Sect, Yuan would hunt down every monster in their path, collecting a few more monster cores.

    "Eleven so far, huh..." Yuan counted the number of monster cores he had obtained, and the bundle of glistening monster cores in Yuan¡¯s grasp dumbfounded Mo Zhou to the core, who thought he was in an auction house.

    "So many monster cores!"

    Mo Zhou eximed loudly. Monster cores are all valuable resources that greatly assist cultivators with their cultivation, and they are greatly desired by cultivators from all levels. And because they can only be acquired through high-level monsters, they are considered rare and hard to obtain. But now in front of his eyes, there are a dozen of them all gathered on one man¡¯s palm.

    "You consider this many? It won¡¯t even fill the gap between my teeth if I eat them all..." Yuan sighed.

    "What?"

    Mo Zhou couldn¡¯tprehend the meaning behind his words, but he had a premonition that he would regret it if he knew, so he decided to ignore it.

    ¨C

    "We have been running into a lot of high-level monsters, haven¡¯t we? That was already the sixth one..." Mo Zhou pondered as another high-level monster falls to the ground with its head detached from its neck.

    "You really like beheading things..."

    "It¡¯s efficient and easy, after all." Yuan smiled casually: "Tch. No monster core from this one..."

    "Easy, huh..."

    Mo Zhou inwardlypared Yuan with the Chosen in his sect. Would they be able to say such bold words so casually? Would they also be able to behead high-level monsters with such ease? Most likely not.

    A thought suddenly appeared in Mo Zhou¡¯s head: ¡¯Since he is a rogue cultivator... there is a chance I can rope him into joining our Flying Sword Sect...?¡¯

    If the Flying Sword Sect epted a genius like him into their ranks, they will surely be overjoyed. Hell, they may even consider him a candidate as a future Sect Leader!

    "Say, Daoist Yuan... have you ever considered joining a Sect?" he decided to ask him.

    Yuan thought about it for a moment and shook his head: "I did not know of the existence of these so-called ¡¯Sects¡¯ until today, so no, I have never thought about it."

    "Then... would you be interested in joining my Flying Sword Sect? I am sure the Sect will wee you with wide arms."

    "..."

    While Yuan pondered, Xiao Hua decided to open her mouth and speak: "Brother Yuan, there is no need for you to join a Sect; it will only hinder your growth. Xiao Hua believes that Brother Yuan will grow stronger much faster when together with Xiao Hua as a rogue cultivator."

    Mo Zhou¡¯s mouth dropped when he heard Xiao Hua¡¯s words. Because she has been silent, he didn¡¯t really pay much attention to her. He wondered about their rtionship.

    "If I ever join a Sect, it¡¯d only be for fun," said Yuan. "However, it is still too early for me to join any Sect, so I will have to refuse that offer for now."

    "Is that so..."

    While Mo Zhou was dispirited due to Yuan refusing his offer, he understood that there was still hope for him to join the Flying Sword Sect in the future. "Then, if you ever feel like joining a sect, pleasee to my Flying Sword Sect."

    "I¡¯ll keep that in mind."

    ¨C

    After walking for a few more hours, the group finally arrived at a vast valley surrounded by high mountains.

    "This is the Flying Sword Sect?" Yuan was mesmerized by the scene of the thousand swords hovering in the air above the valley, looking as though there was a roof made of swords covering the ce.

    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.

    "That¡¯s the Thousand Swords Formation; it is a Heaven-ranked battle formation. If activated, they will all attack at once, like a rain of arrows. Though, it has been over 100 years since it wasst activated." Mo Zhou wanted to leave a deep impression on Yuan with the Sect¡¯s power, hoping it would increase the chances of him join the Sect.

    Mo Zhou¡¯s words and the magnificent scene indeed left a deep impression within Yuan, who has never seen anything like this before. As for Xiao Hua, she only nced at it for a second before looking away.

    "Please wait here for a moment while I go ask for permission to give you a tour around as a guest."

    "Un." Yuan nodded and waited outside for him.

    __

    "A genius rogue cultivator, you say?" An old man sat in his exquisite wooden chair, his gaze as the young man standing before him.

    "That¡¯s right, Elder Jiang. He managed to y a high-level Fiery Lizard with a single sword strike, even piercing its steel-like scales known for its imprable defense!" Mo Zhou shared his experience with Yuan to the old man before him.

    The old man was Elder Jiang, a sect elder of the Flying Sword Sect, who was also in charge of the administration for the sect.

    "If this young man is really as good as you praised him to be, then I¡¯d like to meet him myself." Elder Jiang stood up and walked towards the door. "What are you waiting for? Let¡¯s go."

    "Yes!"

    Mo Zhou led Elder Jiang outside the sect where Yuan and Xiao Hua waited patiently.

    "Fellow Daoist Yuan! Thank you for waiting... umm..."

    "Hmm... Ninth Level Spirit Apprentice... how old are you, young man?" Elder Jiang could tell Yuan¡¯s cultivation base with a single nce.

    "You seem to be around Mo Zhou¡¯s age... not bad for a rogue cultivator who cultivated without any proper guidance." He nodded with approval.

    "You are...?"

    "This is Elder Jiang, he is in charge of the sect¡¯s administrations for the Outer Court disciples." Mo Zhou introduced Elder Jiang to Yuan.

    "I see. Nice to meet you, Elder Jiang."

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    Elder Jiang gently brushed his white beard and said, "I will get straight to the point, do you want to join my Flying Sword Sect as a disciple? The Sect provides countless benefits and resources to its disciples to help them grow. If you join, then your cultivation base will definitely rise faster than before. Perhaps you may even qualify to be an Inner Court disciple one day."

    "Inner Court disciple?" Yuan wondered if Inner Court disciples meant being something like an upperssman.

    "You..."

    Elder Jiang frowned and looked at Mo Zhou.

    "Elder Jiang, you see... Daoist Yuan has actually never been aware of the existence of sects until today, hence why he wanted to visit our Flying Sword Sect..." Mo Zhou exined to him with a bitter smile.

    "What...? How is that even possible?" Elder Jiang doubted his words, but even an idiot coulde up with a better excuse.

    Elder Jiang looked at Yuan again, and he sighed. "Whatever. I do not care about your circumstances. Well? What is your answer? I will ept you as an Outer Court disciple right this moment if you so wish."

    Mo Zhou saw the chance and urged Yuan. "Daoist Yuan, you are really lucky! Under normal circumstances, one would have to pass the entrance exam before they get admitted into the sect as a disciple. However, Elder Jiang here has the authority to ept you into the sect without any of that hassle! This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance that anyone would be willing to die for!" he said with excitement.

    "..." Yuan turned silent for a moment.

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    However, despite the enticing offer, Yuan still shook his head. "Although I appreciate the gracious offer, I will have to decline..."

    "Why?!" Mo Zhou eximed. How could anybody let such a chance go to waste? This could be his ticket to bing an Inner Court disciple of a great sect such as the Flying Sword Sect ¨C a chance every Outer Court disciple like Mo Zhou would die for!

    "Like I have already said... I am not yet ready to join any factions. I am currently waiting for someone, and until she arrives, I will not make any big decisions," said Yuan.

    Xiao Hua nced at Yuan when he mentioned that he was waiting for someone. Who could this person be?

    "..."

    "..."

    "...Very well..." Elder Jiang said with his eyes closed, "If that is your decision then so be it. However... do note back one day and ask for my generosity again as you have already lost it once."

    Mo Zhou sighed. All of his efforts were wasted in such a short amount of time. Perhaps the reason Elder Jiang did not put any real effort into pursuing Yuan was that he still doesn¡¯t fully trust his words ¨C that Yuan was a prodigy that even Inner Court disciples may not be able to match.

    "Umm... about the tour... am I still allowed to see your sect?" Yuan asked with a sly expression; he still wanted to see the inside even after all that he¡¯s said.

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    Mo Zhou looked at Elder Jiang with the corner of his eyes, waiting for his answer.

    Elder Jiang coldly snorted and said, "Let him see what he¡¯s missed out."

    He walked away afterward.

    "..."

    Yuan was speechless. Refusing Elder Jiang¡¯s offer must have offended him.

    Mo Zhou sighed again and said with an apologetic expression, "Don¡¯t worry about it too much, Daoist Yuan. It was my fault to begin with... If I hadn¡¯t spoken so highly of you in front of Elder Jiang with the intention of recruiting you then this would¡¯ve never have happened."

    Yuan shook it off and said, "I don¡¯t mind it. He¡¯s just a grumpy old man, after all."

    "G-Grumpy old man... Daoist Yuan... please don¡¯t ever let him hear you say that in front of him or else he will definitely kill you..." Mo Zhou, with a terrified expression, turned to see whether or not Elder Jiang had heard Yuan. When he couldn¡¯t see Elder Jiang¡¯s figure, Mo Zhou sighed in relief.

    "Forget about him and let¡¯s hurry and go inside. I have been itching to see the inside since the sight of the Thousand Sword Formations!" Yuan said in an urging tone.

    Mo Zhou smiled bitterly and said, "Alright... follow me..." He turned around and led the two inside, where disciples could be seen bustling around.

    "Wow... they all carry swords with them..." Yuan¡¯s eyes flickered with excitement. He couldn¡¯t be more excited at this moment. In his eyes, this ce was just begging for him to explore!

 Chapter 15 The Stone Tablets

    "That building over there is the cafeteria for Outer Court disciples like me. The Inner Court disciples eat at a separate building." Mo Zhou exined as he guided Yuan around the Flying Sword Sect.

    "Un. Un." Yuan nodded his head in excitement.

    "Do you see that open area over there? That is where disciples go for lectures from Sect Elders once a week."

    "That tall building is where disciples train to sharpen their sword techniques," said Mo Zhou as he pointed to the pagoda that was in the distance.

    "What a unique shape for a building..." Yuan silently admired the elegant tower.

    "Do you think I can go inside for a closer look?" he then asked Mo Zhou, who quickly shook his head in an apologetic manner.

    "I¡¯m sorry, Daoist Yuan, but visitors are not allowed inside any building with a ceiling..."

    "Che. What a stinky ce. How will you attract new disciples if you block off everything?" Yuan shook his head in pity.

    "Uhh..." Mo Zhou didn¡¯t know how to refute his ignorant statement and could only smile awkwardly. Because normally, one wouldn¡¯t tour around a Sect before deciding whether they want to join or not.

    "Forget it." Yuan suddenly said. "Let¡¯s continue with the tour."

    Mo Zhou heaved a sigh of relief when Yuan didn¡¯t continue the topic.

    "Okay, then let me show you what disciples of the Flying Sword Sect deem as the most important thing in this Sect!"

    "Ohh?"

    Hearing his words, Yuan instantly became curious about this ce.

    After walking for a few minutes, they stopped in front of three tall stone tablets sitting beside each other.

    These three stone tablets were perfectly rectangr and had dozens of names engraved on it, resembling a memorial for the dead. However, unlike the other two, the middle stone tablet only had a few names on it, and they were much bigger and sharper than the rest.

    "What¡¯s this? A memorial for the dead?" Yuan opened his mouth to ask without thinking.

    "Wha¡ª" Mo Zhou looked at him with a scared look. He then looked around to see if anybody was there to hear his words.

    After seeing that the ce was empty, Mo Zhou heaved another sigh of relief.

    "Daoist Yuan, even though I am aware of your ignorance about Sects, what you¡¯d just said had greatly offended not only me but also every disciple in this Sect!"

    "What?" Yuan looked at him with a baffled expression.

    "This is not a memorial for the dead but a ranking for the entire Sect! Every name on these three tablets represents a genius within the Sect, and they are all respected by the thousands of disciples in this Sect! If others besides me had heard your words, they would¡¯ve jumped at you with their swords raised, as that was extremely disrespectful to the individuals that have poured their sweat and blood just to be on that ranking!"

    "I-Is that right? I had no idea, but I will still apologize for my rude remarks... Sorry." Yuan said in an apologetic tone.

    Seeing his sincere apology, Mo Zhou nodded with an approving smile. "It¡¯s fine. I know you didn¡¯t mean it."

    He then turned to the three stone tablets again and said: "Every stone tablet except the middle one holds forty-five names, with the middle having only ten, adding up to a total of one hundred names."

    "These hundred names are the names of the strongest disciples within the Flying Sword Sect¡ª not including the Sect Elders and the Sect Leader. And every single one of them receives the Sect¡¯s full backing, allowing them to enjoy almost an unlimited amount of resources provided by the Sect. Ah... and everybody in the middle stone tablets is given the title ¡¯Core Disciple¡¯."

    Mo Zhou¡¯s eyes sparkled with admiration as he stared at the three stone tablets, especially when his gaze met with the middle one, seemingly mesmerized.

    "Every disciple in this Sect¡ª including me¡ª desires to have our own names engraved on the stone tablet."

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    Suddenly, as Mo Zhou ended his words, thest name on the third stone tablet disappeared. And a few secondster, another name engraved itself on the very same spot.

    When Mo Zhou saw this, his eyes flickered with excitement.

    "Look! Someone just reced the 100th name!"

    "Eh? How did the names on the tablet change itself? Aren¡¯t they engraved into it?" Yuan was more curious about the phenomenon than the event itself.

    ¡ª

    After staring at the stone tablet for a few moments, Yuan suddenly noticed the name ¡¯Ren Fuchen¡¯.

    He pointed to the first stone tablet and asked Mo Zhou in a curious tone: "Hey, that Ren Fuchen... is he the same as the Ren that you had offended?"

    When Yuan mentioned Ren Fuchen, Mo Zhou¡¯splexion noticeably paled.

    He then nodded in a dispirited motion, confirming Yuan¡¯s curiosity.

    "His name is ranked... 14th. He¡¯s the 14th strongest disciple in this ce?"

    Mo Zhou nodded again but even slower this time.

    "What about the girl you were courting? Is she also on the ranking?"

    Hearing his question, Mo Zhou silently pointed to thest name engraved on the middle stone tablet.

    "Xing Aiying... ranked 10th..." Yuan then turned to look at Mo Zhou with a surprised look. "You actually courted someone that has her name on the ranking ¡ª the middle one, no less? How bold and aspiring!"

    "..."

    Mo Zhou could only smile bitterly at Yuan¡¯s words that were seemingly filled with admiration and praise.

    "Anyway, this is pretty much all there is to see, for guests like you at least," Mo Zhou said.

    "Now I have to give this Fiery Lizard monster core to senior apprentice-brother Ren..." Mo Zhou sighed in a dejected manner.

    "Do you really have to give it to him? You didn¡¯t do anything wrong, so there¡¯s no reason for you to listen to his nonsense," said Yuan.

    Mo Zhou shook his head and said, "You don¡¯t understand, Daoist Yuan. This is a world where the strong makes the rules and the weak obey their rules, even if such rules are unreasonable and full of nonsense."

    "And I¡¯m telling you that only an idiot would follow such rules," Yuan shrugged. "You are the one who doesn¡¯t understand here."

    "A-An idiot?" Mo Zhou looked at him, who¡¯d unknowingly called everybody in this world an idiot, with a weird expression on his face.

    "How about Ie with you to meet this Ren guy?" Yuan suddenly said, dumbfounding him.

    "It¡¯s fine," Mo Zhou said a momentter with a bitter smile, "This is my own problem, I cannot drag you into it, especially not after all that you¡¯ve done for me already."

    Yuan turned silent and looked at him with a calm expression.

    "Is that so? Then¡ª"

    Suddenly, a loud voice resounded from the distance.

    "Hey, isn¡¯t that the kid who tried to court senior apprentice-sister Xing and ended up offending you?"

    Both Yuan and Mo Zhou turned to look in the direction of the voice, and Mo Zhou¡¯s face paled the instant he saw the two handsome young men in the distance looking at him.

    "S-Senior apprentice-brother Ren! Senior apprentice-brother Zhen!"

    When Yuan saw how Mo Zhou¡¯s legs were shaking like jello, he knew just how fearful he was towards these two individuals.

    "Mo Zhou, you bastard! How dare you make me walk to your living quarters to look for you!" The handsome young man on the right approached Mo Zhou with an angry expression, his hands grasped tightly into fists.

    "Where have you been hiding? Didn¡¯t I say that today was thest day for you to bring me a monster core from a Fiery Lizard or else¡ª?!"

    "I have it! I have a Fiery Lizard monster core with me! Here you go!"

    Mo Zhou pulled out a small red crystal from his robe pockets and showed it to Ren Fuchen.

    ¡¯That brat really managed to obtain a Fiery Lizard monster core!¡¯ Ren Fuchen¡¯s eyes widened upon seeing the crystal. He did not think that someone as weak as Mo Zhou would have the ability to y a powerful beast like the Fiery Lizard, yet there was its monster core in his grasp.

    "How did you get it? Don¡¯t tell me you bought it?"

    Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    "It doesn¡¯t matter how I obtained it! I have gotten what you asked, so leave me alone from now on!"

    "Hahahaha!" Hearing his words, Ren Fuchen burst outughing. "You really are an idiot! You really think that I¡¯d leave you alone just because you somehow managed to obtain the monster core? That was only an excuse for me to beat you up!"

    "What?!" At this point, Mo Zhou¡¯s heart was filled with bitterness. "You promised that you¡¯d forget about me courting senior apprentice-sister Xing if I give you the Fiery Lizard monster core!"

    "Of course, I will honor my words and forget about your disgraceful act of courting senior apprentice-sister Xing. However, after you give me the Fiery Lizard, it will no longer be about that. How dare a lowly trash such as yourself have feelings for senior apprentice-sister Xing! Just your feelings are enough for you to get beaten!"

    Mo Zhou trembled uncontrobly upon hearing those words. Just his love for his senior apprentice-sister Xing is enough to get beaten? Where is the justice in that? But s, he was weak and Ren Fuchen was a Chosen ¡ª their status in this world was simply too far apart.

    "Wow, what a statement!" Yuan suddenly said loudly, causing Mo Zhou¡¯s body to mysteriously stop trembling. "Beating someone up just because they love the same person as you? What a messed up personality you have there." Yuanughed out loud, almost like he was watching a funny movie.

    "And who the fuck are you? You are clearly not a disciple of this Sect, so how did you get in here?" Ren Fuchen finally noticed Yuan and Xiao Hua standing by the side.

    "Who am I? I am the person who gave him that Fiery Lizard monster core," said Yuan, his expression calm.

    For more, visit lig/ht/nov/elpub[.

    "Daoist Yuan!" Mo Zhou looked at him with wide eyes.

    "Hoh? So you are the one..." Ren Fuchen looked at Yuan with narrowed eyes.

    "Why did you give him something as precious as the Fiery Lizard monster core? What did he offer in return?" he asked.

    "He didn¡¯t give me anything, nor do I want anything from him. I gave him it simply because I felt like it," Yuan casually replied.

    "..."

    Although he didn¡¯t know who Yuan was, Ren Fuchen was wary of him. After all, what kind of normal individual would give away something as valuable as a Fiery Lizard monster core for free?

    "And? What do you want?"

    "I¡¯d appreciate it if you stop bullying him," said Yuan with a smile.

    "And what if I said no?" While Ren Fuchen didn¡¯t want to offend someone as mysterious as him, he wasn¡¯t afraid of him. Not only is he a Chosen but they are still inside the Flying Sword Sect, where he has protection in every direction.

    "Of course, you will refuse...." Yuan turned to look at Mo Zhou and said, "I have already saved his life once, it won¡¯t be weird if I do it again, right?"

    "You..." Ren Fuchen instantly frowned at his words.

    "Daoist Yuan!" As for Mo Zhou, he looked at Yuan with tears in his eyes, his gaze filled with admiration, and his heart filled with gratitude.

 Chapter 16 A Battle Maniac

    "I do not know which hole you crawled from, but consider this is yourst warning!" Ren Fuchen said as he unsheathed the sword by his side, causing the aura around him to change.

    Yuan looked at Ren Fuchen with a smile. Instead of worrying that he might have to fight another human for the first time, he actually found this situation to be pretty entertaining.

    "You wanna fight? Let¡¯s go! I have been wanting to test my sword on something that¡¯s not monster for once!" Yuan also retrieved his sword.

    When Ren Fuchen saw Yuan¡¯s sword that was emitting a powerful and sharp aura, his eyes widened with shock.

    "A Spirit-grade sword... and it¡¯s even peak quality! He actually has a peak quality spiritual weapon!"

    Any weapons with a grade are considered precious treasures, as they are always many times stronger than normal weapons, especially weapons with higher quality.

    And although Yuan¡¯s sword is only at the lowest grade, Spirit-grade, a peak quality weapon is something that even someone like Ren Fuchen, who is ranked 14th overall in this entire Sect, does not have.

    Ren Fuchen frowned deeply after realizing that Yuan had a peak quality weapon whilst he only held a medium quality weapon. His attitude also changed, and he no longer looked at this situation as calmly as before. After all, he is already at a disadvantage before the fight even started! Compared to Yuan¡¯s peak quality weapon, his medium grade quality is akin to a wooden stick!

    "What are you standing there for? If you don¡¯t want to fight then just say so." Yuan said to him when he doesn¡¯t move even after many moments, his voice with a hint of provocation.

    ¡¯No! Although he has a superior weapon, I have the advantage in terms of Cultivation base! He¡¯s only a ninth level Spirit Apprentice whilst I am a fifth level Spirit Warrior! There¡¯s no way I could lose even if he has a peak quality weapon!¡¯ Ren Fuchen encouraged himself with such logic.

    Visit l/ightnove/lpub[/. for a better experience

    Even if Yuan has a peak quality weapon, if he does not have the Cultivation base to use its full potential, it will actually burden him instead.

    "If you hand over that weapon as an apology, then I don¡¯t mind forgiving you for everything you¡¯ve done up to this point, and I will even stop bothering Mo Zhou. How does that sound?"

    Before Yuan could even open his mouth to speak, Xiao Hua opened her mouth for the first time, "Brother Yuan, this will be good practice for you. Although you have familiarized yourself with beasts, you have yet to fight another human and to be honest, you will most likely be fighting more humans than beasts in the future."

    Yuan nodded and raised his sword to stand in an offensive stance. He had no intention of avoiding this fight, as he already considered this as an in-game event.

    "Good! Then I shall take it off your dead body!"

    Ren Fuchen roared as he charged towards Yuan with the sword in his grasp raised high in the air.

    "Triple Sword Strike!"

    Ren Fuchen connected three attacks together in the blink of an eye, making it seem as though he attacked three times with a single movement.

    Yuan¡¯s eyes widened at his approach, but he was not shocked. Instead, he was watching Ren Fuchen¡¯s attack closely, almost as if he was analyzing it.

    In the next instant, Yuan raised his sword, blocking all three strikes with a single move.

    "What?!"

    Ren Fuchen eximed in surprise after Yuan perfectly blocked his attack.

    However, despite blocking it perfectly, Yuan was pushed back slightly from the power created by someone five whole levels above him.

    "Amazing..."

    Yuan looked at his trembling hands with a wide smile on his face.

    "This tingly and numbing sensation... What a great feeling!"

    Yuan, whose real body cannot feel anything, was excited to experience such a feeling for the first time, and it made him feel alive.

    "Is he crazy?" Ren Fuchen looked at Yuan¡¯s smiling face and thought to himself.

    "Come! Let¡¯s fight even more!"

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    It was Yuan¡¯s turn to be aggressive this time.

    ¡¯Could Brother Yuan be a battle maniac?¡¯ Xiao Hua wondered to herself.

    "Bloody Sword Strike!"

    The de of the sword suddenly glowed red, and killing intent filled the ce.

    "?!?!?!?!"

    Ren Fuchen nearly crapped his pants when he realized that Yuan had just used an Earth-grade sword technique.

    "Impossible! You are clearly only a Spirit Apprentice! How could you possibly use an Earth-grade sword technique!" He gasped in shock.

    Ren Fuchen hastily raised his sword to block the iing attack.

    Bang!

    The moment their swords collided, Ren Fuchen felt as though he was shing against a mountain, and his knees were forced to the ground by the tyrannical pressure pressing down on him!

    The next instant, Ren Fuchen noticed cracks appearing across his sword.

    "Not good! At this rate, he will break my weapon!"

    "Help me!" he suddenly called out to his fellow disciple that had been on standby.

    In the next moment, the disciple retrieved his sword and approached them at high speed.

    "Daoist Yuan! Watch out!"

    Mo Zhou couldn¡¯t react in time to block the disciple and yelled out loud to warn Yuan of the iing danger.

    However, Yuan did not even turn to look at the disciple and swung his sword, throwing Ren Fuchen many meters into the distance.

    Once Ren Fuchen was out of the picture, Yuan turned to face the second disciple.

    "Bloody Sword Strike!"

    He activated the same skill and quickly swung his sword, sending an arc of light towards the surprised disciple.

    The disciple, who was not the least prepared for such a strike, could only watch as the arc speed towards his direction and separate one of his limbs.

    "AAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!! MY ARM! MY ARM!!!"

    The disciple dropped on the floor and screamed in agony while clutching the right side of his body.

    "Oops..."

    Yuan had acted purely on instinct and did not really mean to cut off the disciple¡¯s arm, even feeling bad for him afterward.

 Chapter 17 Blood Sec

    ¡¯H-He should be fine, right? This is just his reaction as an NPC, right? His arm will regrow as if nothing happened after I leave, right?¡¯ Yuan tried to convince himself so that he¡¯d feel less guilty for cutting the disciple¡¯s arm.

    "Y-You bastard! I will fucking kill you!" Ren Fuchen roared in anger, but he was secretly fearful of Yuan¡¯s tyrannical strength. Even now, his arms are shaking from Yuan¡¯s strike.

    "It¡¯s not my fault he jumped into our fight," Yuan directed the me towards the disciple, which caused the disciple to cough up a mouthful of blood upon hearing his words.

    "AHHHH! HELP ME! I¡¯M BLEEDING TO DEATH!"

    The disciple continued to yell at the top of his lungs, but the nearby disciples did not assist him, as they did not want to be caught up in their ruckus.

    Eventually, the disciple¡¯s voice reached Elder Jiang¡¯s ears, who was sipping tea not too far from the ce.

    Throwing his tea down, Elder Jiang leaped into the air and approached the noise. The way he jumped from rooftops to rooftops made it seem as though he could control the gravity around him, allowing him to be weightless.

    When he arrived, Elder Jiang¡¯s eyes widened with shock at the puzzling situation. He then quickly reacted by stopping the blood from spurting out of the disciple¡¯s arm.

    Once he fixed the problem by cing some sort of seal around the disciple¡¯s arm, Elder Jiang wiped the sweat from his forehead and turned to face Mo Zhou.

    "What the hell is going on here, Mo Zhou?!"

    He directed his anger towards Mo Zhou, who was trying his best not to piss his pants from listening to the disciple¡¯s agonizing screams.

    "T-T-This... T-They confronted us with hostility, and in order to protect me, Daoist Yuan sparred with senior apprentice-brother Ren... When senior apprentice-brother was on the verge of losing, senior apprentice-brother Huang tried to back-stab Daoist Yuan, which resulted in this situation..."

    "Daoist Yuan? That child?!"

    Elder Jiang turned to look at Yuan, who was trying to hide the bloody sword in his hand behind his back while awkwardly smiling at him.

    "This child, who is only a ninth level Spirit Apprentice, defeated not only Huang Ding but also Ren Fuchen, one of the top Inner Court disciples?"

    Elder Jiang couldn¡¯t believe his ears. Although Cultivators achieving victory against people with a higher Cultivation base is not that umon, such arge skip in level is unheard of!

    "It doesn¡¯t matter who is right or wrong here right now, but is this how you repay my generosity for letting you inside as a guest? I don¡¯t care what background you came from, prepare to face the consequences for attacking a disciple of the Flying Sword Sect!"

    Elder Jiang began approaching Yuan, who felt something amiss here. They are clearly the ones in the wrong for confronting him, and he even defended one of their disciples from getting bullied, yet he¡¯s going to be punished?

    Sure, he did slice that disciple¡¯s arm off, but that was an ident that could¡¯ve been prevented if he didn¡¯t jump in the middle of their match.

    "It doesn¡¯t matter who is right or wrong? Although I do not belong here, don¡¯t I have the right to be safe as a guest in your house? One of your students provoked me into fighting him, but you don¡¯t care about that. Your own students are being bullied by their fellow students in in sight, yet nobody even bothered to prevent it. If this is how you act as a teacher of this ce, then I don¡¯t think you should be a teacher!" Yuan said what was on his mind without saving any face for Elder Jiang.

    "How dare you! Who are you to lecture me?!" Elder Jiang¡¯s eyes turned red from anger, clearly provoked by Yuan¡¯s words.

    Seeing Elder Jiang emit faint killing intent, Xiao Hua also silently prepared herself. If Elder Jiang so much as tries to hurt Yuan, she will not hesitate to kill him.

    Just as Elder Jiang prepared himself to punish Yuan for speaking out of line, a sudden voice resounded in his ears.

    "Wait."

    Elder Jiang instantly halted his movements and turned to look behind him.

    When he saw that it was a middle-aged man with sharp features and a dominating presence standing behind him, his eyes widened with shock.

    "S-Sect Leader!"

    Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    Not only Elder Jiang but everybody there eximed loudly.

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    "Step back, Elder Jiang. I will personally take care of this."

    "What?!"

    Elder Jiang was shocked speechless, but he didn¡¯t dare refuse and silently nodded.

    Once Elder Jiang stepped back, the Sect Leader stepped forward.

    He then looked at Ren Fuchen and Huang Ding and spoke, "I have been watching since the beginning."

    His words dumbfounded the two, causing them to tremble in fear.

    "How pathetic. Not only did you lose a two on one but you also had the audacity to attempt a back-stab. Where did you learn to fight like cowards? I do not recall teaching this type of swordsmanship in my Sect! I will surely discipline both of you afterward."

    Ren Fuchen¡¯s expression paled upon hearing the Sect Leader¡¯s words. Knowing his character, they will surely be experiencing hell after this. As for Huang Ding, he directly fell unconscious after hearing the Sect Leader¡¯s words.

    "What is your response?!" The Sect Leader suddenly roared.

    "Y-Yes, Sect Leader!" Ren Fuchen replied in a cracked voice.

    "Hmph." The Sect Leader coldly snorted.

    He then turned to look at Yuan. "That technique you used just now... You must be from the Blood Sect."

    ¡¯The Blood Sect?! That evil ce?!¡¯ Elder Jiang cried inwardly.

    He didn¡¯t expect someone innocent-looking like Yuan to be apart of that vile ce! If he¡¯d known, he would have never allowed him inside this ce!

    "I do not want any trouble with you or your ce, so please just leave us alone. As for this incident, it was our fault, so you don¡¯t have to worry about anything."

    "..."

    Everybody there was speechless watching their domineering Sect Leader act so humble before someone way younger. Not many of them even have heard of this Blood Sect, so they were also puzzled.

    "Uhhh..." Yuan was also speechless. He didn¡¯t expect the situation to make such a turn and was at a loss of what to do.

 Chapter 18 Mo Zhouâ€™s Gratitude

    After standing there and pondering for a moment, Yuan decided that it would be better for him and Mo Zhou to just acknowledge being a disciple from the Blood Sect.

    "That¡¯s right, I am indeed from the Blood Sect," he said with a confident voice.

    "And I don¡¯t mind pretending what happened today did not ur, but you have to promise me that my friend, Mo Zhou, will no longer be bullied by his fellow disciples."

    "Daoist Yuan!" Mo Zhou couldn¡¯t believe his ears and began crying. Why would Yuan go this far for him when he didn¡¯t do anything to really deserve this treatment?

    "Mo Zhou, huh?" The Sect Leader turned to look at Mo Zhou for a moment before saying, "You will be my disciple starting today! Anyone who dares to touch you will have to answer me!"

    "What?!"

    When the Sect Leader made his announcement, everybody there gasped in shock, Mo Zhou included.

    "Greet your new Master!" The Sect Leader continued.

    Mo Zhou immediately kowtowed on the ground and bowed to him.

    "This disciple greets Master!"

    "Good! Starting today, you will be training under me!"

    "Yes!"

    Mo Zhou replied with enthusiasm in his voice.

    Although Yuan did not expect such an oue yet again, he was more than satisfied.

    "Then I will be taking my leave," he said.

    The Sect Leader nodded and looked at Mo Zhou again, "Go guide our guest to the exit!"

    "Yes, Master!"

    Thus, Mo Zhou brought Yuan and Xiao Hua away from the crowd.

    Once they were gone, Sect Elder Jiang spoke, "Sect Leader... making Mo Zhou your disciple is a little bit..."

    "Hmph!" The Sect Leader coldly snorted. "If you hadn¡¯t noticed by now, the sword technique used by that child is one of the Blood Sect¡¯s most powerful technique!"

    "What?! Does this mean¡ª"

    "That child is definitely not just your average disciple from the Blood Sect. Judging from his prowess and ability to fight those many realms above himself, I won¡¯t be surprised if his Master is the Blood Sect¡¯s Master himself, Lord Blood!"

    "Lord Blood!" Elder Jiang trembled in fear just by hearing his name.

    "And if someone like him calls Mo Zhou his ¡¯friend¡¯, then there¡¯s a high possibility that the Blood Sect will help us if we are ever in danger because of their rtionship. If that¡¯s the case, then I won¡¯t hesitate to make him my disciple, even if it will make many disciples unhappy!"

    Elder Jiang stared at him with a gaze filled with admiration. ¡¯To think that the Sect Leader would be thinking so far ahead just to keep his Sect safe! It¡¯s no wonder why he¡¯s the Sect Leader!¡¯

    "Sect Leader is sharp and wise, to think I doubted your decision even for a moment. Please, forgive me."

    "If you want to be forgiven, then take care of the rest of this mess!" The Sect Leader said before walking away.

    The news of Mo Zhou, a mere Outer Court disciple, suddenly bing the Sect Leader¡¯s disciple came out of the blue and shocked every disciple within the Flying Swords Sect, especially those already at the top.

    "What?! How could a nobody like Mo Zhou be chosen as the Sect Leader¡¯s disciple when the rest of us have been working our asses off just for that spot?!"

    "The Heavens are unjust! This world is unfair!"

    No doubt many people began to despise Mo Zhou because of his luck and bullshit, but s, with the Sect Leader behind his back, who would dare to touch him now?

    Outside the Flying Sword Sect, Mo Zhou dropped to his knees and kowtowed to Yuan, who was slightly taken back by his behavior.

    "What are you doing?" Yuan tried to lift him off the floor.

    "Daoist¡ª No! Brother Yuan! Everything you have done for me, I do not know if I will ever be able to repay you but I will do my best as the Sect Leader¡¯s disciple and will one day return this debt!"

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    Yuan smiled and casually waved his hands, "Don¡¯t worry about it. Like I¡¯d already said many times, I am not doing this because I want any reward."

    "No! This is not a reward! I am doing this because I want to, just like you!" he quickly responded.

    Yuan could tell that Mo Zhou will not change his mind no matter what he says at this point so he only shook his head inwardly and epted the oue.

    "Fine, do whatever you want."

    "I will!"

    "And good luck with that girl you fancy, I¡¯m rooting for you."

    "R-Right..." Mo Zhou began blushing.

    "Then, I¡¯ll be leaving. I have already caused too much trouble in your ce."

    Yuan began walking away.

    "Take care, Brother Yuan!" Mo Zhou waved at him from the Flying Sword Sect.

    A few momentster, after Yuan left the Flying Sword Sect, messages appeared before his eyes:

    ?Congrattions! You have unlocked the Bond System!?

    Visit lightnovelpu//b[./]c/om for a better experience

    ?¡¯Mo Zhou¡¯ has been added to your Bond!?

    ?Mo Zhou¡¯s Bond level has increased to Acquaintance!?

    ?Mo Zhou¡¯s Bond level has increased to Friend!?

    ?Mo Zhou¡¯s Bond level has increased to Brotherhood!?

    ?Congrattions! Your Bond level with Mo Zhou has reached Brotherhood!?

    ?You have gained the following effect from Mo Zhou¡¯s Bond level: ¡¯Mo Zhou¡¯s Gratitude¡¯?

    ?Mo Zhou¡¯s Gratitude: Increases Sword Mastery by 25% and Sword Damage by 10%?

    ?Sword Mastery: Increases your control when wielding swords?

    ?Sword Damage: Increases your damage when wielding swords?

    For more, visit [.

    ?Congrattions! You have unlocked Associations!?

    ?¡¯Flying Sword Sect¡¯ has been added to your Associations!?

    ?Because of the drama you¡¯ve caused there, your rtionship with ¡¯Flying Sword Sect¡¯ has decreased drastically!?

    ?Because of your bond level with ¡¯Mo Zhou¡¯, Prime Disciple of ¡¯Flying Sword Sect¡¯, your rtionship with ¡¯Flying Sword Sect¡¯ has increased greatly!?

    ?Congrattions! You have unlocked Fame!?

    ?Due to your actions at ¡¯Flying Sword Sect¡¯, your Fame has increased by 10!?

    ?Fame: Increases as you make a name for yourself.?

    Yuan nearly received a headache from the number of notifications being spammed.

    "Where should we go now?" Yuan asked Xiao Hua as they left the area.

    "Hmm..." Xiao Hua pondered as their figures entered the forest.

 Chapter 19 Spirit Warrior

    As they traveled further away from the Flying Sword Sect, Xiao Hua thought to herself, ''It''s only been a few days since Brother Yuan became a Cultivator, yet he is already powerful enough to hold his own against Spirit Warriors, even though he''s only a Ninth Level Spirit Apprentice. This kind of growth is unheard of and is terrifying, to say the least. His experience with the sword is also increasing at a frightening rate, almost like he''s the reincarnation of a Sword Emperor.''

    "Besides wandering around aimlessly for valuable resources and collecting monster cores, there is really nothing else to do."

    "Additionally, because Brother Yuan is already a Ninth Level Spirit Apprentice, he has to attain enlightenment before he can make a breakthrough and be a Spirit Warrior."

    Xiao Hua turned to look at Yuan and spoke, "Brother Yuan, what would you like to do? Even if you keep consuming monster cores to fill your Qi, once you reach the peak of the Spirit Apprentice realm, you will not be able to gain more Qi unless you be a Spirit Warrior."

    "How do I be a Spirit Warrior?" he asked her.

    "To be a Spirit Warrior, you mustprehend the enlightenment that wille naturally once you reach the peak of the Spirit Apprentice realm. However, whether you will really gain enlightenment or not will depend on your fate and talent."

    "What do you mean by that?"

    Yuan expressed puzzlement.

    "Although most people are born with the capability to cultivate, their max potential is predetermined before birth. For example, whilst Brother Yuan may be able to reach the peak of the Spirit Apprentice realm with ease, you might not gain enlightenment that is required to breakthrough to the Spirit Warrior realm, thus forever remaining a Spirit Apprentice."

    "That being said, albeit valuable and hard to find, there are plenty of treasures out there that can help one exceed their limit and rewrite their fate."

    Although she did not say it, Xiao Hua actually has a few of these treasures on her, so even if Yuan is destined to remain as a Spirit Apprentice forever, she can help him escape such a fate.

    Yuan looked at his Qi Experience as he listened to Xiao Hua speak.

    1,519,395/3,840,000

    "If I consume 3 more monster cores, it should be more than enough to max out the Qi Experience¡­" Yuan thought to himself.

    Suddenly, without thinking too much about it and excited to experience this enlightenment, Yuan retrieved three monster cores and threw them into his mouth all at once.

    ?Heaven Refining Physique activated?

    ?900,500 Qi has been refined from the Blood Ape''s monster core?

    ?895,415 Qi has been refined from the Vampire Wolf''s monster core?

    ?730,650 Qi has been refined from the Scaled Boar''s monster core?

    3,846,000/3,846,000

    ?You have absorbed enough Qi for a breakthrough?

    ?Because your Qi Experience is already full, you will not be able to receive anymore Qi until you reach the next realm?

    The notifications disappeared for a few seconds before returning.

    ?You have met the requirements for a breakthrough?

    ?You have reached First Level Spirit Warrior?

    ?Your ''Enhanced Senses'' has developed into ''Advanced Senses''?

    From N?velDrama.Org.

    ?You have learned Enhanced Strength?

    ?All stats +1,000?

    ¡ª

    ?Advanced Senses?

    ?Rank: Mortal?

    ?Description: Sharply enhances the functions of all avable senses permanently. Requires no activation?

    ¡ª

    ?Enhanced Strength?

    ?Rank: N/A?

    ?Description: Greatly enhances your strength and stamina?

    Once Yuan has reached the Spirit Warrior realm, he could feel arge amount of profound energy expanding in this body; it made him feel as though his body had increased in size despite having no changes made to his actual body.

    For more, visit lightnov/elpub[./

    "..."

    Xiao Hua stared at Yuan with eyes as wide as two round eggs, her cute and round face filled with shock and disbelief.

    "B-B-Brother Yuan¡­ Y-Y-You¡­"

    She couldn''t believe what she''d just witnessed!

    Although the Spirit Warrior realm is nothing special in her eyes and could be easily disregarded, Yuan had actually managed to be a Spirit Warrior without any enlightenment! Such an achievement was unprecedented even in the higher Heavens!

    "B-Brother Yuan¡­ what did you just do?" she asked him in a trembling voice.

    "Hm? But I didn''t do anything? Just like before, I had enough Qi for a breakthrough, and before I could even react, I had already be a Spirit Warrior."

    Yuan responded, sounding somewhat disappointed that he did not get to experience this ''enlightenment''.

    "Unbelievable¡­"

    Xiao Hua still couldn''t believe it. Just what kind of cultivating prodigy is Yuan? Hell, calling him a prodigy is still an understatement considering what he''d just aplished!

    While Xiao Hua was dumbfounded by his achievements, Yuan looked at his current stats.

    Cultivation: First Level Spirit Warrior

    Legacy: None

    Bloodline: None

    Physique: Heaven Refining Physique

    Physical Strength: 3,734?

    Mental Strength: 3,975

    Soul Strength: 4,910

    Physical Defense: 3,710

    Mental Defense: 4,821?

    Qi Experience: 3,846,000/38,460,000

    "38 million?! I need 38 million Qi for the next level?! This is ridiculous!"

    Yuan felt slightly dizzy after seeing the long numbers and sudden spike in the Qi required for the next level.

    "I might as well eat the rest of the monster cores right now!"

    Yuan retrieved all of his remaining monster cores and tossed it into his mouth.

    However, what happened next dumbfounded him greatly.

    ?Heaven Refining Physique activated?

    ?Because you have consumed a monster core that is not suitable for your cultivation base, the overall absorbed Qi will be reduced by 90%?

    ?88,000 Qi has been refined from the Blood Ape''s monster core?

    ?82,500 Qi has been refined from the Vampire Wolf''s monster core?

    ?70,500 Qi has been refined from the Scaled Boar''s monster core?

    ?85,000 Qi has been refined from the Vampire Wolf''s monster core?

    ?65,000 Qi has been refined from the Hairy Serpent''s monster core?

    ?66,700 Qi has been refined¡­?

    ?54,650 Qi has been refined¡­?

    Qi Experience: 4,500,000/38,460,000

    "W-W-What the hell?! Why am I barely getting any Qi from the monster cores now?!"

    Xiao Hua''s voice responded to his puzzlement a few momentster, "Because Brother Yuan is now a Spirit Warrior, any monster core that is not from a Spirit Warrior beast will no longer be as effective."

    "N-No way¡­ but that makes no sense!"

    "Brother Yuan''s existence also makes no sense¡­" Xiao Hua sighed.

    After calming down and thinking about it for a moment, Yuan realized that such a system was actually quite logical and fair, as it would prevent those with power that far exceeded this area''s level range from taking advantage of the weak too much and force them to hunt stronger monsters.

    "Well, this is a good time to take a break from cultivation, since I am starting to get tired of all this hunting¡­ mentally..." he thought to himself.

    "Xiao Hua, can you lead us to the nearest city? We can talk about our ns after we take a break."

    Xiao Hua nodded and said, "The nearest city is 10 kilometers away."

    "10 kilometers¡­ let''s run there."

    Having never felt this energetic before, Yuan suggested running there.

    "Okay." Xiao Hua easily agreed.

    Thus, the two began running towards the nearest city.

 Chapter 20 Spirit City

    After half an hour of running, Yuan and Xiao Hua could finally see the city walls.

    ?You have discovered ¡¯Spirit City¡¯?

    "This ce seems to be called Spirit City," said Yuan after reading the system notification.

    "Spirit City is one of the four Great Cities within the Eastern Continent, and it¡¯s ranked third in terms of influence." Xiao Hua quickly exined.

    "Then what are we waiting for? Let¡¯s go!"

    Yuan and Xiao Hua approached the city gate.

    "What are they doing?"

    As they approached, Yuan noticed the crystal ball in one of the guards¡¯ grasp.

    "It¡¯s to inspect the visitors. Unless Brother Yuan is a wanted criminal, you don¡¯t have to worry about it."

    Yuan nodded.

    For more, visit [.

    A few minutester, they reached the guards at the gates.

    "Entrance fee is 1 silver for each individual," said the guard once they got close enough.

    "Uh... Xiao Hua, do you have any money?" Yuan, who was penniless, looked at her with an awkward expression, feeling slightly embarrassed to be asking such a little girl for money.

    But s, Xiao Hua shook her little head.

    "What the hell. Do you want to enter this ce without money? Where did such beggarse from?" The guards sneered inwardly when they realized that they were dealing with penniless people.

    "If you have no money, then I cannot allow you inside," said one of the guards. "Get out of the way already! There are people behind waiting for you!"

    Yuan sighed and prepared to leave.

    However, before he could even take a step, the person standing behind him spoke, "If you want, I can pay for your entrance fee."

    Yuan turned to look at the person who just spoke; it was a pretty youngdy wearing a pair of fine robes.

    "If you don¡¯t mind..." Yuan spoke with an embarrassed face.

    "Young Lady, we shouldn¡¯t bother ourselves with these two beggars..."

    The old man standing beside the youngdy suddenly mumbled into her ears, unaware that his words were heard by Yuan, who has enhanced senses.

    "..."

    However, Yuan decided to ignore the old man¡¯s disrespectful remarks.

    "As the youngdy of the Xuan Family, how could I ignore people in need of help? And it¡¯s just two silvers."

    The youngdy shook her head at the old man, looking disappointed by his words.

    "Excuse me, this will ount for their entrance fee, too."

    The youngdy then handed four pieces of silver coins to the guards.

    After a quick nce, the guard nodded and retrieved the crystal ball.

    "ce your hands on it," said the guard.

    Yuan ced his hands on the globe.

    A few secondster, it glowed a green light.

    "You may pass."

    The guard then turned to Xiao Hua, who also passed with a green light.

    A few momentster, once they have passed the inspection and entered the city, Yuan bowed to the pretty youngdy.

    "Thank you. Although it¡¯s not much, please ept this as my gratitude."

    Yuan pulled out a Monster Core and ced it in front of the youngdy, who immediately covered her mouth in surprise.

    "B-Blood Ape Monster Core! This is simply too much for two mere silvers! I cannot ept this!" The youngdy quickly refused.

    Most Blood Apes are around the Eighth Level Spirit Apprentice Realm, and their monster cores would usually fetch at least 100 gold coins in the market ce! If she epted this monster core, it would make her feel guilty for taking advantage of Yuan.

    "Don¡¯t worry, I have no more use for this quality of monster core, and it¡¯s only something I picked up during my travel here." Yuan understood the reason for the youngdy¡¯s hesitation but continued to urge her to ept it.

    The pretty youngdy looked at Yuan¡¯s honest face and the shiny monster core in his hands and forcefully swallowed.

    "Since you insist, I will ept it..." she epted the Blood Ape Monster Core with trembling hands.

    Once the monster core was off his hands, Yuan said to Xiao Hua, "Let¡¯s go."

    "W-Wait! What¡¯s your name? I am called Xuan Wuhan!"

    "You can call me Yuan," he responded.

    "Thank you, Yuan! If you need help with anything, you can find my Xuan Family in Spring City!" Xuan Wuhan then handed Yuan a medallion made of metal and imprinted with the word ¡¯Xuan¡¯.

    Yuan casually epted the medallion without thinking too much about it.

    ?¡¯Xuan Wuhan¡¯ has been added to your Bond!?

    ?Xuan Wuhan¡¯s Bond has increased to Acquaintance!?

    Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    "Then, I will see you around," he said before leaving with Xiao Hua.

    After Yuan left, the old man beside Xuan Wuhan spoke, "Young Lady, why did you give him the family medallion? That is not something strangers should hold."

    "That young man... despite his young age, there was a formidable aura around him. He¡¯s most likely a genius cultivator from somerge family. If I can be friends with him, it will benefit our Xuan Family, not to mention his honest character. I like people like him."

    "Are you sure about his background? He wasn¡¯t able to take out two silvers just now..." The old man remained doubtful.

    "Were you even watching just now? He handed me a Blood Ape Monster Core worth over 100 gold coins without batting an eyelid because I gave him two silvers! That is not something even I would do! He must be testing people on purpose!"

    "B-But why would he do something like that? What would he aplish by testing others?"

    Xuan Wuhan shook her head and spoke, "Just like my grandfather, the more profound and powerful the individual, the less sense they make. It is not something people like us can fathom."

    "Are you saying that the young man just now is as powerful as the Ancestor, who is a Spirit Master? That¡¯s a bit..."

    "Of course, not. I am just saying." Xuan Wuhan said. "Anyway, let¡¯s go. We cannot miss the auction, or we will have to deal with my father¡¯s angry shoutingter."

    Meanwhile, Yuan and Xiao Hua wandered around the city aimlessly.

    "Xiao Hua, we need to earn some money. How about we sell the monster cores we hunted on our way here? They seem quite valuable," he said.

    "Un. One monster core will easily sell for over 100 gold and willst us for a while, and we still have four of them."

    "Then the question now is where to sell these monster cores..."

    "If you want the most money out of the monster cores, we can look for an auction house. Although it might take some time, we will get the most profit out of it. If you do not mind selling them for much cheaper, any regr store that deals with monster cores will do the job," said Xiao Hua.

    "An auction house, huh? That sounds kind of fun. I have never been to one before. But where can we find one?"

    "Most big cities will hold an auction every few weeks, not to mention this Spirit City, one of the four biggest cities on this continent. We should find one with rtive ease if we ask around."

    Yuan nodded.

    "If it won¡¯t take too long, I will use the auction house to sell my monster cores. But if we have to wait a few weeks, I¡¯d rather just sell them for cheaper."

    After deciding their next course of action, Yuan began asking around in hopes to find an auction house to sell his monster cores, as he did not want to experience today¡¯s humiliation any more in the future.

 Chapter 21 Azure Phoenix Auction House

    After walking around for half an hour and speaking to many people about the auction houses in this city, only one name came up repeatedly.

    "This Azure Phoenix Auction House seems very popr. Let¡¯s give it a look," said Yuan.

    Xiao Hua nodded and followed Yuan to the location of this Azure Phoenix Auction House.

    ording to the people Yuan spoke with, the Azure Phoenix Auction House is one of the wealthiest and most influential auction houses within the Eastern Continent. What¡¯s more, they are backed by the Azure Phoenix Sect, one of the most powerful backgrounds in this world.

    "We are really fortunate to have arrived in this city right on the day it opens, right, Xiao Hua?"

    "En." Xiao Hua nodded her little head.

    The Azure Phoenix Auction House only opens once every three years because they have to stock up valuable treasures, and coincidentally, they came at the exact day it would open.

    After walking around the Spirit City that upies miles ofnd for many minutes, Yuan and Xiao Hua have finally arrived at the Azure Phoenix Auction House¡¯s entrance.

    "Wow, thisrge ce is the auction house?" Yuan couldn¡¯t help but be amazed by the luxurious building before him that took up an entire street.

    "Excuse me, is this the Azure Phoenix Auction House?" Yuan asked one of the people there just in case.

    Once he confirmed that they were at the right ce, Yuan approached one of two pretty youngdies standing silently by the entrance, assuming she was one of the workers here.

    "Hello, do you work here?" he asked.

    "I do," she replied with a gentle voice.

    "Great! I came here today because I would like to sell something here."

    "..."

    The youngdy looked at Yuan with a weird face after hearing his words.

    "Umm... I¡¯m sorry, but we stopped epting things for the auction a month ago," she said a momentter.

    "What...?"

    Yuan stood there with a dumbfounded look.

    The youngdy chuckled and spoke, "Is this your first time at an auction house?"

    "Yes..."

    "Then let this sister teach you something about them. If you wish to sell something using auction houses, you must let them know ahead of time so they can put it on a list to let the guests know. People won¡¯t go to auction houses if they don¡¯t know what will be sold, you know? They have to prepare, too."

    "I see... that makes sense..." Yuan sighed, feeling disappointed and slightly frustrated.

    "Looks like I will have to sell these monster cores elsewhere..."

    ¡¯Spirit Apprentice Realm monster cores?¡¯ The youngdy noticed the monster cores in Yuan¡¯s hands and shook her head inwardly.

    Even if Yuan was in time to sell his monster cores, the Azure Phoenix Auction House wouldn¡¯t ept something so insignificant. In fact, even if he brought Spirit Warrior Realm monster cores, the Azure Phoenix Auction House wouldn¡¯t even give it a nce.

    The youngdy did not want to disappoint Yuan anymore, who was clearly ignorant of many things, so she remained quiet.

    However, the other worker there, who has been watching them since the beginning, burst outughing, "Hahaha! Does this kid actually want to sell that trash at our Azure Phoenix Auction House?! This is hrious!"

    "Lian Rong! Why must everything thates out of your mouth be so foul? He¡¯s clearly very young and ignorant! There¡¯s no need to mock him!"

    The youngdy beside Yuan frowned at her fellow worker¡¯s unsightly behavior.

    "Hmph! I am only speaking the truth! And the earlier he learns, the faster he will grow up! Why are you even protecting a beggar like him, Na Ying?" Lian Rong coldly snorted, her gaze filled with mockery.

    "Don¡¯t mind her, little brother. It¡¯s not a crime or disgraceful to be ignorant at times. " Na Ying tried soothing Yuan, acting like his next-door friendly sister.

    "What¡¯s wrong with you, Na Ying? Are you perhaps charmed by this kid? Hahaha! I wonder how the disciples at Azure Phoenix Sect will react once they learn of this!" Lian Rong continuedughing.

    "..."

    Although Yuan did not mind Lian Rong¡¯s mockery, the little girl standing beside him was boiling with anger.

    ¡¯This insignificant little ant has no idea who she¡¯s mocking! Brother Yuan is a genius among genius ¡ª a prodigy that will shock even the Upper Heavens! One day, Brother Yuan will be a figure that stands above all! I cannot allow him to continue being mocked!¡¯

    "Are you done embarrassing yourself yet? Even I am starting to feel ashamed just by being beside you!" Na Ying shook her head.

    "You¡ª! Are you looking for a fight, Na Ying?!"

    "Oh? Do you want to fight me? Are you sure about that, senior apprentice-sister?" Na Ying narrowed her eyes, and the cultivation base of an expert at the peak Spirit Warrior Realm emitted from her body.

    A bead of sweat appeared on Lian Rong¡¯s forehead after feeling Na Ying¡¯s pressure.

    "J-Just you wait! Once we return to the sect, I will¡ª"

    "What¡¯s with themotion here?!" A strong voice suddenly resounded.

    Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    A few secondster, an old woman appeared in front of them with an annoyed face.

    "Senior Chang!"

    Both of the girls immediately stopped their argument and bowed to the old woman.

    "Do not forget where the two of you are right now! Regardless of your status at the Azure Phoenix Sect, you are working for me now! And I will not tolerate this kind of behavior at my Azure Phoenix Auction House!"

    "I am sorry..."

    They quickly apologized.

    "Enough. I will deal with you two afterward. The guests are already seated. Close the doors ande inside," said Senior Chang.

    "Wait!"

    Just as Senior Chang turned around, a cute but overbearing voice stopped her steps.

    "X-Xiao Hua?" Yuan looked at her with wide eyes.

    "What are you doing?" he whispered in her ears.

    "Don¡¯t worry, Brother Yuan. Xiao Hua will deal with this," she responded with a smile on her face.

    "Who the hell is this little girl?" Senior Chang frowned when she sensed a profound aura surrounding Xiao Hua¡¯s tiny body. It gave her a dreadful feeling.

    "Are you the owner of this ce?" Xiao Hua suddenly asked.

    "That¡¯s right. And who are you?" Senior Chang responded.

    However, Xiao Hua did not immediately respond and pulled out her storage pouch.

    Then, right before their eyes, Xiao Hua pulled out a blue dagger from the pouch.

    The instant the dagger was revealed to the world, an unfathomable presence suddenly appeared and enveloped the ce.

    "This presence¡ª!!!" Senior Chang stumbled backward and nearly fell on her butt when she saw the dagger and sensed its aura.

    "This dagger is a Heaven-grade weapon at the peak quality ¡ª Heavenly Frost Dagger," said Xiao Hua, and she continued in a calm manner, "Who I am is not important right now. What is important, though, is that I had nned to sell this dagger at your Azure Phoenix Auction House. However, because one of your workers mocked Brother Yuan and angered me, I am now having second thoughts."

    After a moment of silence, Senior Chang¡¯s stiff body began trembling.

    "Who?! Who dared to offend you?! I will kill that bastard for you!" Senior Chang¡¯s attitude took a sudden turn, shocking both Lian Rong and Na Ying, who has never seen her this agitated before, acting as though someone had just killed her son.

    Even Yuan couldn¡¯t help but look at Xiao Hua with wide eyes. Since when did theye here to sell that dagger? And why does she feel so different right now?

    "That girl over there!" Xiao Hua wasted no time pointing her small fingers.

    Senior Chang turned to look at Lian Rong, who was as pale as a ghost right now, looking like all of her blood had just been drained out of her body.

    "What have you done, Lian Rong?!" Senior Chang roared at her with a furious expression.

    "I...I...I..."

    Unable to respond and filled with despair, the youngdy named Lian Rong fell to her knees, even pissing her pants due to fear.

    Na Ying covered her mouth from shock as she witnessed this unexpected turn of events.

    What¡¯s going to happen now?

 Chapter 22 VIP Room

    "Senior Chang, this is what had happened..." Na Ying began exining to her the events that took ce right before she¡¯d arrived.

    "You... you foolish thing!" Senior Chang was speechless.

    To think that Lian Rong, someone usually with keen eyes and great intelligence to misjudge a hidden expert due to her arrogance.

    "There is nobody you can me but yourself for being so arrogant and failing to recognize Mt. Tai!" she shook her head.

    "Please! Senior Chang! You can¡¯t kill me! I am an Inner Disciple from the Azure Phoenix Sect!" Lian Rong began begging for her life.

    "I am not the one who will decide whether you live or die today! You are begging the wrong person!"

    After hearing Senior Chang¡¯s words, Lian Rong immediately ran to Yuan and kotowed before him, and she begged him with a face filled with tears and snot.

    "Please, Young Master! This lowly one has failed to recognize someone as prestigious as you!"

    "..."

    Yuan was speechless. This is the first time he¡¯d seen a youngdy begging for him to spare her life.

    For more, visit [.

    "Young man, although she has wronged, I would also like to request for your forgiveness. After all, she is an Inner Disciple of the Azure Phoenix Sect. If you kill her, they will surely..."

    Yuan suddenly raised his hand and stopped her sentence.

    "Wait a moment. I never said anything about killing her. You were the one who spoke such words. Do not try to act as though I was the one who wants her dead."

    "I... I understand. Lian Rong! Be grateful! This young man has decided to spare your life!"

    "Thank you, benefactor!" Lian Rong cried.

    "..."

    Yuan couldn¡¯t but help find these peoples¡¯ behavior weird and unnecessarily exaggerated. Why must she be executed for mocking him? If he was to kill anyone that has offended him, who knows how many people will die.

    ¡¯I hope this won¡¯t be a trend amongst NPCs...¡¯ Yuan silently prayed.

    "Ummm... now that everything has been settled... are you willing to sell your Heaven-grade dagger at our auction house? I promise you that you will not regret it! 80... no! You will receive 90% of the revenue, and we will only take 10%! Normally, it would be 75/25, but because we have troubled you today, I am willing to make it 90/10!" Senior Chang suddenly said.

    In fact, Senior Chang did not care about the revenue of the Heavenly Frost Dagger. All that matters to her was the reputation that woulde from selling it.

    Thest time a Heaven-grade weapon was sold at the Azure Phoenix Auction House was one hundred years ago, and it was only a low-quality weapon at that time! As for a Heaven-grade weapon at the peak quality ¡ª this would be the first one in their thousands of years of history!

    Once the world learns of this, the Azure Phoenix Auction House will surely skyrocket in poprity, and they will receive much more attention and guests in the future!

    "You are asking the wrong person. I am not the owner of that weapon ¡ª she is." Yuan pointed to Xiao Hua, who was casually holding the dagger as though it was a normal weapon.

    "En. I am willing to sell it but only under one condition." Xiao Hua said. "You must also sell his monster cores at your ce."

    "Okay! I ept that condition!" Senior Chang immediately epted without even needing to think about it.

    Even if the Azure Phoenix Auction House loses a bit of face or bes aughing stock for selling Spirit Apprentice level monster cores, the Heaven-grade weapon will make up for it and more!

    "Xiao Hua..." Yuan smiled warmly after realizing her intentions. To think that she¡¯d be willing to sell such a precious item just for him, he couldn¡¯t thank her enough.

    "Are you sure, Xiao Hua? That¡¯s a precious item, right? You don¡¯t have to force yourself to sell it. I can sell the monster cores elsewhere." Yuan said to her.

    When Senior Chang heard Yuan¡¯s words, she felt the urge to beat him up and seal his mouth shut.

    "It¡¯s only a Heaven-grade weapon, Xiao Hua has many more of them. And Brother Yuan does not use daggers, so it would only continue collecting dust." Xiao Hua said, dumbfounding Yuan.

    ¡¯How can one have so many rare items but no money at the same time?¡¯ he wondered where she got all of these items from.

    A few momentster, Xiao Hua handed the Heavenly Frost Dagger and the four Spirit Apprentice level monster cores from Yuan to Senior Chang.

    "If you steal anything, I will destroy this ce." Xiao Hua gave Senior Chang a stern warning before following Na Ying, who was assigned to serve them, to one of the VIP rooms.

    After they left, Senior Chang sighed a breath of relief.

    "Even though she¡¯s a little girl, her attitude and presence are beyond normal, almost like that of an Immortal¡¯s! Not to mention that she actually dared to take out a peak quality Heaven-grade weapon out in the open! Even idiots would not dare steal from her..." Senior Chang felt the chills just thinking about her.

    Just as Senior Chang began walking, she noticed that Lian Rong was sitting on the floor with a dazed face.

    "Use this chance and change that arrogant attitude of yours. Even if you are an Inner Disciple of the powerful Azure Phoenix Sect, there are countless people in this world that you shouldn¡¯t offend."

    "Yes, Senior..." Lian Rong nodded.

    "Anyway, hurry up and return to work. I¡¯m not paying you guys to stand around and be depressed all day," said Senior Chang before disappearing into the auction house.

    Meanwhile, Yuan and Xiao Hua just stepped into the VIP room, where there were several other individuals.

    "Kids?"

    The people there turned their attention to Yuan and Xiao Hua, seemingly curious about their identity.

    "Who are these kids? I don¡¯t recognize them."

    "I don¡¯t know them, either."

    "How could strangers enter this VIP room? They must have a shocking background that we are not aware of."

    "I don¡¯t mean to brag, but I am familiar with every background that is capable of entering the VIP room, and even I don¡¯t know them."

    It seemed as though nobody in the VIP room recognized Yuan, but that was to be expected, as he does not belong to any background and arrived in this world only recently.

    "Yuan! I did not expect to see you so soon again!"

    Suddenly, a pretty youngdy approached him.

    "You are... Xuan Wuhan?" Yuan also did not expect to see her here, especially when they were together not too long ago.

    "If I knew that you wereing here, we could¡¯vee here together!" she said.

    "Hahaha... I did not n oning here at first. It¡¯s only a coincidence."

    "Coincidence or not, we are together again. Come here and sit at my table."

    Yuan nodded and followed Xuan Wuhan to her table, where the old man from before and two unfamiliar handsome young men sat.

    "The Young Lady was right... to enter this room, his background is not so simple after all." The old man was surprised to see Yuan in the VIP room.

    "Who are they?" One of the young men asked after seeing Xuan Wuhan return with strangers.

    "Friends I recently made," she said.

    "Hmmm..."

    The two handsome young men looked at Yuan with a pondering gaze.

    "Which noble family are you from? I am Du Bai from the Du Family," said the handsome young man on the left.

    "I am Du Hai, his twin brother," said the one on the right.

    "Uh... I am not from any family," Yuan casually responded as he sat down beside Xuan Wuhan.

    "What?"

    They all looked at him with a surprised expression.

    "Then you must be a disciple of a powerful sect. Which sect do you belong to?"

    "I am also not a part of any sect. I¡¯m a Rogue Cultivator," he said.

    "..."

    Once Yuan said those words, the entire room went silent, as everyone in the room was paying attention to him trying to figure out his identity.

    "A... A Rogue Cultivator, you say? Hahaha... what a good joke..."

    A few momentster, the entire room burst withughter.

    "There¡¯s no way some Rogue Cultivator would have the privilege to enter this VIP room!"

    "Hahaha! He must really want to keep his background hidden!"

    "Too bad that only makes me more intrigued!"

    "..."

    It was Yuan¡¯s turn to be speechless. He did not understand why they wereughing at him or why they couldn¡¯t believe his words. But regardless of the reason, since they don¡¯t believe him, there was nothing he could do. And it¡¯s not as though he cared whether they believed him or not.

    "Just ignore them, Yuan." Xuan Wuhan said to him.

    And just as she said those words, the lights in the room suddenly dimmed.

    "The auction is finally starting," said Xuan Wuhan as she pointed to therge stage that was right below their VIP room.This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.

 Chapter 23 Beginning of the Auction

    "Hello, esteemed guests! Wee to the Azure Phoenix Auction House! I will be your main host today, Qing Qing!"

    A beautiful youngdy appeared on the stage with a dazzling smile and a cheerful attitude, brightening the atmosphere despite the dimmed lights.

    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.

    "Before we begin, allow me to remind you of the rules for this auction house! First of all, once you have made a bid on an item, it will be final and you cannot reim the offer! Rule number two, you are not allowed to pressure others with your background! This is an auction house, not the streets! After one warning, we will ask you to leave! Andstly, if you bid on an item and cannot afford it in the end, we will take whatever you have on hand until it¡¯s enough to pay the debt! If the debt is not paid, we will hold you until someone pays the debt!"

    After announcing the rules, Qing Qing pped her hands. A momentter, another beautifuldy appeared on the stage while pushing a cart covered by a thick cloth.

    "Then without further ado, let me reveal the first item for today¡¯s auction ¡ª an Earth-grade medium quality chest te made of silver metal, allowing it to have nearly no weight while retaining high defenses! As long as this armor is on your body, all damage dealt by those below the Spirit Master realm will be reduced in half!"

    As Qing Qing announced the item, her assistant removed the cover on the cart and revealed the silver armor under it.

    "50% damage reduction as long as their Cultivation is below the Spirit Master level? How powerful!" Yuan gazed at the armor with wide eyes. If he had such equipment, it would greatly increase his survivability in this world!

    Xiao Hua noticed his desire for the armor in Yuan¡¯s eyes and spoke, "Brother Yuan, although it may sound powerful, it¡¯ll only work if your opponent is below the Spirit Master level. With your talent, you¡¯ll be fighting Spirit Masters in no time! What¡¯s more, with Xiao Hua here, nobody will be able to hurt you, even if they are a Spirit Grandmaster!"

    Yuan chuckled at her confident face and nodded.

    Meanwhile, the Du Brothers sitting on the other side of his table were ring at the silver armor with drooling eyes.

    For more, visit li/ghtnovelpub[/.

    "This is a must-have item! As long as we have this, we will be near-invincible within the Inner Court!"

    Theyughed loudly.

    "Relying on treasures too much will affect your Cultivation, Du Bai, Du Hai." Xuan Wuhan reminded them after seeing their excited expressions.

    However, as though they did not hear her, the Du Brothers continued to stare at the armor.

    "The starting price for the armor will be 100,000 Gold!" Qing Qing announced.

    "100,000 Gold!" Yuan could feel his heart skip a beat after hearing the price, and it was just the starting price. It¡¯s no wonder why they refused to ept his Monster Cores that would only sell for a measly 100 Gold.

    "110,000 Gold!" The Du Brother immediately bid.

    "115,000 Gold!"

    "118,000 Gold!"

    "120,000 Gold!

    "130,000 Gold!"

    The price went up by thousands with each call, and within minutes, it raised to 280,000 Gold!

    "280,000 Gold... Even if there are yers here, I doubt they¡¯ll have enough money to buy it..." Yuan thought to himself.

    "280,000 Gold going once... going twice... and sold!"

    "Yes! We got it!"

    The Du Brothers hugged each other with joy after winning the bid.

    "Their family must be filthy rich..." Yuan thought as he watched them celebrate.

    "We will keep the item for now. After the auction ends, the winners may retrieve the item after paying the debt," said Qing Qing as she called for another assistant to go onto the stage.

    "The next item will be a Spirit-grade Martial Technique, Fire Lotus Palm Strike! The ability packs devastating power and will also burn everything it touches! The starting price will be 10,000 Gold!"

    "A single Spirit-grade skill costs over 10,000 Gold?!" Yuan was shocked.

    Since all of his skills were either self-taught or taught by Xiao Hua, they were all free. He simply cannot imagine paying for an Earth-grade skill, much less a skill at the Divine-grade.

    "Ummm... how much would a Divine-grade skill normally cost?" Yuan decided to ask Xuan Wuhan.

    Xuan Wuhan looked at him with wide eyes. "Divine-grade? You cannot buy that kind of technique even with all of the money in this world! Hahaha!" sheughed afterward.

    Yuan¡¯s jaw dropped to the ground after hearing her words. Cannot be bought with money? To think Xiao Hua would be so generous that she¡¯d give out something like that for free! He suddenly felt the urge to wrap his arms around her and embrace her tightly!

    A few minutester, the Fire Lotus Palm Strike was bought by an old man in the VIP Room for 48,000 Gold.

    "The third item is a Tier 3 pill, Soul Strengthening Pill with 80% purity, crafted by the renowned 3-Star Alchemist, Bai Ming!"

    "Xiao Hua, what¡¯s an Alchemist? Do they turn things into gold?" Yuan asked her.

    "Alchemists are medical experts that craft special medicine with their Cultivation, usually in the form of pills. Every pill has a different effect. Some can increase your strength while others can boost your stamina. Pills are usually expensive, so it¡¯s not an exaggeration to say they make gold..."

    "I see..." Yuan nodded as though he understood something.

    "Soul Strengthening Pill... it has a mind-calming effect, allowing you to achieve greater results during Cultivation. I want this!" Xuan Wuhan gripped her hands into a fist.

    "Senior Bai personally crafted 15 Soul Strengthening Pill for today¡¯s auction, enough to fill three pill bottles, and we will be selling them separately. For the first bottle that contains 5 Soul Strengthening Pills, the starting price will be 5,000 Gold!"

    Yuan¡¯s eyes nearly popped out of its sockets after hearing the price.

    "Mother of fortune, 1,000 Gold for one tiny pill?! If I want to earn money quickly, it seems like bing an Alchemist is the only way!" Yuan¡¯s interest in alchemy was piqued. He thought that if one day he has a chance to learn alchemy, he would definitely give it a try.

    However, Xiao Hua also noticed this and quickly lowered his expectations of being an Alchemist by saying, "Although pills can be sold for good money, it¡¯s also incredibly hard to craft pills, and they usually end in failures unless you are a very skilled Alchemist. Even a single Tier 1 pill will require hours of effort toplete, not to mention that the supplies needed to craft the pill will also cost a lot of money. What¡¯s more, even geniuses will need to train for years before they can be a proper Alchemist. If Brother Yuan wants to be an Alchemist, you will need a lot of money, talent, and patience."

    "..." Yuan¡¯s hype for Alchemists immediately dipped after hearing Xiao Hua¡¯s ¡¯encouraging¡¯ words.

    ¡¯Life is hard even inside a game, huh...¡¯ he sighed inwardly.

 Chapter 24 Heaven-grade Treasure

    "6,000 Gold!" Xuan Wuhan immediately bid for the Soul Strengthening Pill once the auction began.

    "6,100 Gold!"

    "6,200 Gold!"

    A few minutester, Xuan Wuhan managed to secure the Soul Strengthening Pill for 7,500 Gold.

    "Yes! Now I will be able to breakthrough to the third level Spirit Warrior Realm!" she made a victorious fist.

    However, Xuan Wuhan was not satisfied with just a single bottle, so she proceeded to bid on the other two bottles.

    After a few more minutes, two more bottles of Soul Strengthening Pills were handed to Xuan Wuhan, and she ended up paying 25,000 Gold for all three bottles.

    "Hey, Yuan." Xuan Wuhan suddenly called for him.

    "What¡¯s the matter?" he turned to look at her.

    Xuan Wuhan smiled and opened one of the pill bottles to retrieve a Soul Strengthening Pill.

    "Here you go. It¡¯s not much but I hope we can be friends for years toe!" she said while handing it to him.

    Yuan epted the pill with slightly widened eyes.

    "Thank you!" he said with a smile on his face.

    When Yuan held the Soul Strengthening Pill in his hands, the system automatically analyzed it for him.

    [Soul Strengthening Pill] [Tier 3] [Purity: 82%]

    [Effects: Permanently increases Soul Strength by 1,000]

    [Description: A Spiritual Pill concocted by Bai Ming.]

    [Limit: 3]

    "It increases my Soul Strength permanently! And by 1,000!" Yuan eximed.

    Xiao Hua then spoke, "Most pills have a limitation on how many you can consume before it no longer benefits your body. These Soul Strengthening Pills can only be eaten 3 times before it stops benefiting your body. With that being said, even if it won¡¯t improve your body, it still has other benefits such as calming your mind during Cultivation, hence why she bought so many of them."

    "I see..." Yuan nodded.

    "Hey, why don¡¯t you give us one of those pills too, Lady Xuan. Aren¡¯t we also friends?"

    The Du Brothers asked her after seeing her give one to Yuan.

    "If you wanted some, why didn¡¯t you even try to buy it?" Xuan Wuhan asked them.

    "That¡¯s because you were very eager to have them, so we didn¡¯t fight for them with you," said Du Hai with a cheeky smile.

    "Are you saying that I only won because you allowed me to win?" Xuan Wuhan narrowed her eyes at him.

    Du Hai¡¯s cheeky smile quickly became an apologetic one and said, "T-That wasn¡¯t my intention..."

    "Then forget it!"

    "..."

    After Xuan Wuhan turned her eyes away from him, Du Hai looked at Yuan with narrowed eyes, almost like he med Yuan for being responsible for the situation.

    Sometimeter, after ten more items were auctioned, Yuan¡¯s monster cores finally made its appearance.

    "Umm... for our next item, we have a few monster cores..." Qing Qing sounded less confident and somewhat embarrassed by her own words.

    "Monster Cores? Could it belong to a Beast that was at the Spirit Master level?" The people were slightly surprised by the appearance of monster cores, as they are rarely sold in Auction Houses.

    "They are Spirit Apprentice level monster cores," said Qing Qing with a weird tone.

    "Spirit Apprentice monster cores? Did the Auction House mess up? How could they sell such trash here?"

    "There must¡¯ve been a mistake. I cannot imagine the Azure Phoenix Auction House purposefully selling trash."

    "The Azure Phoenix Auction House does not make mistakes. Although I don¡¯t know the reason, these monster cores were approved by Senior Chang herself," said Qing Qing, and she continued, "The starting price for all four of these monster cores will be 500 Spirit Stones."

    For more, visit l/ightno/velp/ub[.

    However, nobody made a bid even after many minutes. It was an unprecedented event for the Azure Phoenix Auction House.

    "Just take those trash away from our sights! Are you mocking us with them? Nobody wants it!" Du Bai shouted loudly.

    "That¡¯s right! What kind of joke is this? Even if you are the Azure Phoenix Auction House, there is a limit."

    Following Du Bai, other guests also beganining. To sell something worth so little in this high-end Auction House with treasures worth tens of thousands of Gold was akin to selling street meat in a luxurious restaurant. The guests were feeling as though they were being mocked by the auction house.

    "What should I do...? Senior Chang told me to sell these even if we have to lose face!" Qing Qing cried inwardly.

    Meanwhile, in the VIP Room, Yuan was slightly trembling from anger. Even though theints were directed at the auction house and Qing Qing, he felt as though they were all directed at him, who wanted to sell these monster cores.

    Xuan Wuhan noticed the irritated expression on Yuan¡¯s face and wondered if the monster cores belonged to him. After all, he gave her one of them at the city¡¯s entrance.

    "It¡¯s just a few hundred golds. If these monster cores really belong to him, it¡¯ll definitely benefit our rtionship, and he might even owe me for giving him face. It might also be another one of his tests..."

    Thus, Xuan Wuhan spoke the next moment, "I will bid 600 Gold for these monster cores."

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    "Lady Xuan! Why would you bid for the monster cores? They are just trash! Don¡¯t waste your money on them. If you want, I can give you some at the Spirit Warrior level for free as a gift!" Du Hai said to her.

    "Shut up! Do I need your permission if I want to buy something? I just happened to need these monster cores, so I am buying them!" she coldly snorted.

    "..." Yuan looked at her with wide eyes.

    ¡¯Not only did she give me a Soul Strengthening Pill worth hundreds of Gold but she¡¯s also buying my monster cores... I will definitely thank her properly in the future...¡¯ he thought to himself with a warm smile on his face.

    "Would you like to pay for the monster cores now?"

    An assistant from the auction house asked Xuan Wuhan after she easily won the bid due to ack ofpetitors.

    Xuan Wuhan retrieved 600 Gold and handed it to the assistant. "I want it now," she said.

    "Understood."

    The assistant epted the money and returned a few minutester with the monster cores.

    Meanwhile, on the stage, a new item was already being auctioned.

    "For the next item, we have this piece of crystal that is of unknown origin. Although we cannot tell you the purpose of its existence, it has arge amount of Qi flowing within like a monster core. In fact, if it was a monster core, it would beparable to one at the Spirit Grandmaster level." Qing Qing showed them the cobble-sized piece of crystal to the guests.

    "Comparable to a Spirit Grandmaster monster core!"

    The people were shocked, as monsters at the Spirit Grandmaster level were exceedingly rare and terrifying, and they have the power to wipe out arge city like this Spirit City with ease. In fact, thest time a Spirit Grandmaster monster appeared in this world was 1,000 years ago, killing millions of people and nearly destroying the world if not for the Spirit Grandmasters that sacrificed their own lives to kill it.

    When Xiao Hua saw the cobble-sized crystal, her eyes slightly widened.

    "Brother Yuan, that¡¯s a Spirit Crystal."

    Xiao Hua¡¯s voice suddenly resounded in his head.

    "Spirit Crystal? Like the Ancient Spirit Jade I have?" he asked.

    "No, it¡¯s not real Spirit Jade. Real Spirit Jade, even at the lowest quality, would have more Qi. And even though it¡¯s notparable to Spirit Jade, it¡¯ll still provide a big boost to your Cultivation. It can also be used as a currency in the upper Realms."

    ¡¯I wonder how much Qi I would get from consuming it,¡¯ he pondered.

    "Brother Yuan, you should bid for it." Xiao Hua suddenly said.

    "What? But I don¡¯t have any money."

    "We may have no money now but we will have plenty once we sell the Heavenly Frost Dagger. It¡¯ll be more than enough to buy something like this Spirit Crystal, and the people here seem to be unaware of its true value."

    Yuan pondered for a moment and asked, "Are you sure? It¡¯s still your money."

    Even if Xiao Hua allowed him to use the money from selling the Heavenly Frost Dagger, Yuan was not shameless enough to ept it. In fact, if he epts it despite everything that she¡¯s already given him, it¡¯ll make him feel guilty instead.

    "Buy it, Brother Yuan." Xiao Hua nodded with a resolute face.

    "Okay, if you say so."

    "I must get this piece of crystal that is overflowing with Qi! If I can cultivate the Qi inside, I might even breakthrough and be a Spirit Master in no time!"

    Xuan Wuhan¡¯s eyes glittered with excitement.

    "There¡¯s no way something that contains so much Qi is not a treasure! It must be a treasure with a powerful ability!"

    Not just Xuan Wuhan but Du Brothers and the others in the VIP room were also trembling in excitement.

    "Since we do not know its true value, we will let the guests decide. The auction begins now!" Qing Qing announced loudly.

    "10,000 Gold!"

    "30,000 Gold!"

    "100,000 Gold!"

    The people immediately began bidding, and the price fluctuated quickly.

    Within mere minutes, the price for the Spirit Crystal reached half a million Gold.

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    "Xiao Hua... it¡¯s already at 500,000 Gold. Are we still going to buy it?" Yuan asked her.

    Xiao Hua did not hesitate for a second and nodded.

    "500,100 Gold!" Yuan made a bid for the first time in this auction and in his life.

    "This brat... he¡¯s not a simple one, as expected..."

    The people in the VIP room nced at Yuan with the corner of their eyes.

    From N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡¯You want to buy something when I am here? Then you will have to ask me for permission first!¡¯ Du Hai coldly sneered in his heart and raised his hand.

    "510,000 Gold!"

    "510,100 Gold." Yuan calmly responded.

    Du Hai gnashed his teeth and spoke loudly, "Are you purposely trying to provoke me by adding so little every time?!"

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    Yuan raised an eyebrow at Du Hai¡¯s words, as he truly didn¡¯t understand why Du Hai would be upset about that. "Is there something wrong with that?"

    "..."

    Du Hai trembled in anger at Yuan¡¯s response, thinking that he was being mocked.

    "520,000 Gold! This is how you bid in an auction! What is the point in adding so little?!"

    "520,100 Gold. What if I add too much and waste money? I¡¯d rather y it safe." Yuan innocently shook his head.

    After all, it was not his money that he¡¯s using to bid.

    Xuan Wuhan chuckled after hearing Yuan¡¯s words, which only fueled Du Hai¡¯s rage even further.

    "Good! Since you want to y that game, then I will also y!"

    "520,200 Gold!"

    "520,300 Gold."

    "520,400 Gold!"

    "520,500 Gold."

    After a few minutes of bidding back and forth, Du Hai was finally unable to endure it and burst with anger, "You mother fucker! How dare you y with me like this!"

    Seeing Du Hai lose control of his temper and preparing to strike Yuan, Na Ning, who had been standing in the background in silence stood forward and spoke, "Esteemed guest, please behave yourself. If you continue any further, we will have to ask you to leave."

    "Du Hai, sit back down!" Du Bai grabbed Du Hai¡¯s robes with a frown.

    "Che!" Du Hai coldly snorted and returned to his seat. However, his narrowed gaze remained on Yuan even after many momentster.

    "We cannot afford to offend the Azure Phoenix Sect! And give up on this treasure. Our money won¡¯tst till the end if you spend so much at once. If you want to deal with him, we can do it after the auction." Du Bai whispered in Du Hai¡¯s ears afterward.

    "Yuan, the Du Brothers are unforgiving people. They will surely try to cause trouble for you afterward. I will speak to themter." Xuan Wuhan whispered in Yuan¡¯s ears when she noticed their suspicious gazes.

    "Thank you for the warning. " Yuan nodded.

    Although he was not afraid of them, he¡¯d rather not have to deal with them.

    A few minutester, Yuan won the bid with 550,000 Gold.

    "Esteemed guest, would you like to pay for the item now, or would you like to pay for it afterward?" Na Ning asked him with a polite tone and a respectful demeanor.

    "You can subtract it from that item afterward." Xiao Hua said to her.

    "I understand." Na Ning nodded and walked away.

    Xuan Wuhan raised her eyebrows at Xiao Hua words, and she pondered. ¡¯That item? Did they put something else besides the monster cores up for auction?¡¯

    After selling the Spirit Crystal, a few more items were sold.

    "Before we start the auction for the final item we have today, allow me to introduce the owner of this auction house, Senior Chang!" Qing Qing suddenly said, dumbfounding the people there.

    "Madam Chang will be making an appearance today? How rare."

    The people thought.

    A few momentster, an olddy appeared on the stage with a wooden box in her hands.

    "Thank you all foring to my auction house today. Since thest item we have for today is a little bit special, I will be conducting the final auction." Senior Chang spoke in a low voice, yet her voice echoed in every corner of the room.

    After saying those words, Senior Chang opened the wooden box and revealed the beautiful dagger resting inside.

    "T-That aura! It¡¯s a Heaven-grade treasure!"

    Without even needing Senior Chang to introduce the Heavenly Frost Dagger, the people there were already able to tell what kind of treasure it was from the profound aura that was shrouding the blue dagger.

    "It¡¯s really a Heaven-grade treasure! Hahaha! I have lucked out bying here today!"

    "Even though I won¡¯t be able to afford it, I am already satisfied to witness something so valuable with my own eyes!"

    The crowd went into an uproar after the appearance of the Heavenly Frost Dagger, as thest time something this precious appeared in the public was 100 years ago!

 Chapter 25 End of the Auction

    "Elder Jia, we must buy this Heaven-grade treasure at all cost!" Xuan Wuhuan said to the old man beside her with a serious expression.

    "I agree with the Young Lady. Although it might get expensive very fast, Heaven-grade treasures do not appear very often in this world, and this one appears to be of great quality, too."

    "Du Hai, this treasure..."

    "Of course, we are going to try and bid for it! Even though we might not win, we cannot simply sit here and do nothing while there is such a treasure before us!" Du Hai spoke with a regrettable face.

    Although the Du Family has decent wealth,pared to the other esteemed guests in the V.I.P room, their wealth is nothing significant. However, even if there¡¯s the slightest chance they could buy the Heaven-grade treasure, they will surely try.

    The V.I.P room quickly became chaotic, and everybody there looked at the Heavenly Frost Dagger with lustful eyes.

    Even if they have to use all of their money and rece the food on their dinner table with water for the next ten years, they felt that it would all be worth it if they obtained the treasure.

    Once the anticipation within the auction house was at its maximum, Madam Chang spread her arms and spoke with a wide smile, "Then without further ado, let the bidding for this peak quality Heavenly Frost Dagger begin at 10 million gold!"

    Despite the outrageous price, the people at the auction house began bidding like animals.

    "11 million gold!"

    "11.5 million gold!"

    "13 million gold!"

    Within minutes, the minimum price for the Heavenly Frost Dagger increased to 21 million gold.

    "21 million gold..." Yuan listened to the biddings with a dazed face, seemingly in disbelief.

    He cannot even begin to imagine what he could do with that much wealth.

    "25 million gold!" Xuan Wuhuan suddenly shouted.

    The sudden high bid by Xuan Wuhuan slowed the bidding pace briefly, but after a few moments, it returned to normal.

    When the bidding reached 30 million gold, the pace finally slowed down permanently, as only very few individuals there could afford to bring out so much money.

    "30.5 million!"

    Of course, Xuan Wuhan, whose family belonged to the business circle, was one of these rich individuals.

    "31 million!"

    "31.5 million!"

    After a few more minutes of bidding from the same three people, a new voice suddenly resounded.

    "40 million gold."

    The voice was profoundly calm, causing everybody in the V.I.P room to turn to look at the person who just spoke.

    However, that person had not been in the V.I.P room since the beginning, and the people there wondered when this person arrived.

    "T-That¡¯s Qi Jiguang from Heaven and Earth Pce! What¡¯s he doing in this ce?!" Someone there eximed after realizing his identity.

    "What?! The Heaven and Earth Pce?!" Although most people there were unfamiliar with the name Qi Jiguang, they all gasped in shock after hearing the name ¡¯Heaven and Earth Pce¡¯.

    "That man is at the peak of the Spirit Grandmaster. He¡¯s considered as a peak expert in the Lower Heavens." Xiao Hua mumbled to Yuan, who seemed to be dazed by the profound aura surrounding this Qi Jiguang.

    "I wonder what it would be like to fight someone as powerful as him..." Yuan said in a low voice.

    Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    Xiao Hua looked at him with raised eyebrows. "As expected of a battle junkie. In this entire room, you are probably the only one thinking such a thing, Brother Yuan. But at your current cultivation, you won¡¯t evenst a second against a single finger from him. You¡¯ll die instantly."

    "Hmm?"

    When Qi Jiguang noticed the two of them looking at him, he also looked back.

    Although there was nothing out of the ordinary about Yuan, he could sense an invisible yet formidable auraing from Xiao Hua.

    ¡¯That little girl... I cannot see her cultivation base, but she¡¯s without a doubt an expert like me.¡¯ Qi Jiguang thought to himself.

    While her presence piqued his interest, he did not want to involve himself with another expert at his level without any good reason, as that might lead to unnecessary confrontation.

    Many moments have passed since Qi Jiguang bid 40 million gold for the Heavenly Frost Dagger without anyone else trying to outbid him.

    ¡¯Damn it! Why did someone like him have to appear here today?!¡¯ Xuan Wuhuan cried inwardly. While she had the ability to continue bidding, she did not want to fight against someone from the Heaven and Earth Pce and identally offend him, as that would be devastating for her family and its business.

    "Since there doesn¡¯t seem to be any more bidders, the bid for this Heaven-grade treasure shalle to an end! Congrattions to the esteemed guest for winning this exquisite treasure!" Madam Chang pped with smiles all over her face, as she just earned 4 million gold from this transaction alone.

    After the auction ended, Xuan Wuhan said to Yuan, "If you ever need anything,e find me at Spring City. You can show anyone the medallion I gave you, and they will lead you to me. I hope to see you againter, Yuan."

    The Du Brothers nced at Yuan with narrowed eyes for a moment before leaving the ce.

    Sometimeter, Na Ying approached them after the auction ended and said, "Esteemed Guests, please follow me to im your sales."

    Yuan nodded and proceeded to follow her to a private room at the top of the auction house.

    "Madam Chang will be here in a few moments with your earnings, please rx in the meantime." Na Ying said to them as she poured them a cup of spiritual tea.

    ?You have gained the following effect from consuming Phoenix Blossom Tea?

    ?Increased Qi Absorption Rate by 10% for 12 hours?

    ?Soul Strength +500 permamently?

    Yuan gained some stats after drinking the tea.

 Chapter 26 Wealth Leaderboards

    "What wonderful tea..." Yuan mumbled after sipping the tea, feeling a little bit stronger after just a single sip.

    "I¡¯m d you like this tea, Esteemed Guest. It¡¯s called the Phoenix Blossom Tea, a spiritual tea made by the Azure Phoenix Sect. Usually, only Elders within the Sect are allowed to enjoy this tea, but Madam Chang specifically wanted you to try it." Na Ying said to him with a smile.

    A few minutester, Madam Chang entered the room and bowed to them.

    "Thank you for being patient with this one, Esteemed Guests. I have just finished organizing your sales."

    She then ced a ring made of jade and a small red pouch on the table before them and continued, "I have already deducted the auction house¡¯s 10% share and your purchase worth 550,000 gold from the ie, so there are 35 million gold and your purchase in the Spatial Ring from the Heaven-grade treasure and 540 gold in the Storage Pouch from the monster cores."

    "And you can keep the Spatial Ring and the Storage Pouch as well. Although it¡¯s nothing significant whenpared to the Heaven-grade treasure, please consider it as a small gift from the Azure Phoenix Sect."

    ?Spatial Ring?

    ?Grade: Earth?

    ?Mental Strength Required: 5,000?

    ?Description: A mythical ring that contains its own space, allowing you to store things inside and retrieve them with a thought.?

    ?Storage Pouch?

    ?Grade: Spirit?

    ?Mental Strength Required: 500?

    ?Description: A pouch that contains its own space. Although there¡¯s not much room inside, you can fit a few watermelons inside.?

    Yuan picked up the jade ring and the red pouch, and a notification appeared before him.

    ?35,450,560 gold has been received?

    ?You have unlocked the Wealth Leaderboards?

    ?Congrattions! You have reached first ce in ¡¯Wealth Leaderboards¡¯, bing the wealthiest yer in Cultivation Online?

    ?Congrattions! You have obtained the unique title ¡¯Rich Young Master¡¯!?

    Visit l/ightno/v/elpub[./ for a better experience

    ?Fame +100?

    When Yuan saw that he¡¯d be the richest yer in Cultivation Online, he didn¡¯t express any surprise. In fact, it would be more surprising if he wasn¡¯t in the first ce!

    "Xiao Hua, here, take this."

    After receiving the Spatial Ring, he handed it to Xiao Hua, who looked at him with a puzzled face.

    "Why are you giving it to me, Brother Yuan? It¡¯s your money."

    However, Yuan shook his head and said, "To begin with, it was your treasure that was sold, and I will feel bad for epting this much money when it doesn¡¯t even belong to me."

    "Xiao Hua belongs to Brother Yuan. Everything in Xiao Hua¡¯s possession is also Brother Yuan¡¯s possession, so it¡¯s not weird."

    "I know, but it still doesn¡¯t feel right with me, getting so much wealth when I didn¡¯t do anything to deserve it. Keep it. But when we really need that money, we can use it." Yuan was adamant about not epting the 35 million gold.

    He felt that it was too much money for him at his current level and that it would take away all of the fun in the game if he could buy whatever he wanted with such ease.

    In fact, he even feels slightly guilty for having an overpoweredpanion such as Xiao Hua by his side.

    However, obtaining a massive amount of resources without working for it and earning these resources by himself are two entirely different matters. Furthermore, as someone who could only rely on others to help him survive for almost his entire life, he did not want to rely too much on Xiao Hua, who resembled his real younger sister, hence why he refused the gold.

    Seeing the stubbornness in Yuan¡¯s eyes, Xiao Hua ultimately nodded her head and epted the Spatial Ring and all of the money inside.

    However, after taking the Spatial Ring, she transferred the money inside the Spatial Ring to her own Storage Pouch, before handing the Spatial Ring back to Yuan.

    "Brother Yuan, I will take the money, but you should keep the Spatial Ring. It¡¯ll be very convenient for you since you can carry many things with you without the burden of carrying its weight that way."

    Yuan nodded and epted the Spatial Ring without much thought,pletely oblivious to the fact that the Spatial Ring itself was valued at a few hundred thousand golds.

    Meanwhile, outside of the Azure Phoenix Action House, arge notification was hanging above the clouds with countless eyes staring at it.

    ?yer Yuan has be to first yer to unlock the Wealth Leaderboards by umting over 1,000,000 gold?

    "Somebody has already earned over one million gold?! How is that even possible?!"

    "Look! It¡¯s that alleged cheater, Yuan!"

    "Holy shit! If you convert that amount of gold into real-life money, that¡¯s over ten million dors at the market¡¯s current rates!"

    Since Cultivation Online is a video game ¡ª a very popr one at that ¡ª there would obviously be people using the game to make profits in real life by trading in-game currencies for real-life currencies, and at the current state of the game, a single gold coin was worth around ten dors in real life.

    This type of business is usually called Real World Trading, RWT for short, and is against the terms of service for most online games out there. However, despite being against the terms of services, there are many people who would rather go out of their way to use such services to strengthen themselves in-game than to waste time and effort to earn them fairly.

    Furthermore, this type of business is not limited to only in-game gold, as people buy in-game treasures and resources with real money, too.

    With all that being said, RWT is not against Cultivation Online¡¯s terms of services, as such terms never existed in the first ce, so there are already many yers using their real-life money to buy Cultivation Online gold and vice-versa.

    If Yuan were to convert all of his in-game gold to real-life currency, he¡¯d have over 350 million dors right now. But of course, Yuan is oblivious to such a business market, thus such thoughts never crossed his mind.

    "If you ever need to sell anything to our Azure Phoenix Auction House, pleasee by again."

    Madam Chang handed them a badge with the auction house¡¯s name on it.

    ?You have obtained Azure Phoenix Auction House Diamond Pass?

    "As long as you have that pass, you can enter any auction house in this world that is owned by the Azure Phoenix Sect."

    "Thank you."

    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.

    After epting the pass, Yuan and Xiao Hua left the auction house.

 Chapter 27 Stuffing His Face With Food

    Once Yuan and Xiao Hua left the auction house, they wandered around the city aimlessly.

    "What should we do now, Xiao Hua? Now that we have enough money, maybe we should better gear ourselves for the future."

    However, Xiao Hua merely tilted her head in a puzzled manner and spoke, "But Xiao Hua has plenty of treasures you can use."

    Yuan showed a bittersweet smile and said, "While that is true, I cannot rely on you for everything. I want to work hard and earn my own equipment, too."

    Xiao Hua remained puzzled, and she asked, "Xiao Hua has noticed this for a bit now, but why does Brother Yuan want to work so hard? If it were someone else in your shoes, they would surely take advantage of the situation and not do so much work."

    Yuan chuckled after hearing her words and said, "Although it may not seem like it, I have lived the majority of my life as a cripple, where I cannot even use the bathroom without help from someone else. I hate the feeling of being so powerless and useless, and despite breathing, I never felt alive. But now that I can finally use my useless body again, I want to enjoy life to the fullest and experience what it means to be alive."

    "Brother Yuan... you must have lived a difficult life..."

    "Past tense?" Yuanughed in a dispirited tone, "Even though I may appear fine now, I am actually still living that pointless life."

    "..."

    "But Brother Yuan is no longer a cripple! He¡¯s even a cultivation genius!" Although Xiao Hua does not know his situation, she could feel a sense of loneliness and desperation within his tone.

    "That may be true in this world, but once I log out, I will return to being a cripple in that dark and still world. Anyway, let¡¯s leave this depressing topic behind and enjoy ourselves with our newfound wealth." Yuan said as he continued walking around the city.

    Meanwhile, Xiao Hua silently stared at him with a pondering gaze, seemingly in deep thoughts.

    ¡¯Maybe there¡¯s something Xiao Hua can do to relieve Brother Yuan¡¯s pain...¡¯ she thought to herself.

    Sometimeter, they arrived at what appears to be an equipment shop.

    "Wee to the Dragon Armory!" The middle-aged man behind the counter said to them after noticing their presence. "We have all sorts of Spirit-grade weapons and armor! If you are looking for something specific, just let me know!"

    "I will," Yuan said as he began looking around.

    ?Bone Sword?

    ?Grade: Spirit?

    ?Quality: Medium?

    ?Physical Strength Required: 300?

    ?Mental Strength Required: 600?

    ?Sharpness: 300?

    ?Description: A sword made from the bones from a Spiritual Skeleton?

    ?Price: 30,000 Gold?

    ?Fiery Lizard Scale Armor?

    ?Grade: Spirit?

    ?Quality: High?

    ?Physical Strength Required: 500?

    ?Mental Strength Required: 250?

    ?Physical Defense: 5,000?

    ?Description: Crafted with highly durable scales from a Fiery Lizard?

    ?Price: 80,000 Gold?

    ¡¯Good lord, the equipment here is so expensive!¡¯ Yuan¡¯s eyes widened when he saw the price for these Spirit-grade weapons. It made the 540 Gold he¡¯d earnedpletely insignificant!

    "It¡¯s expensive, right?" Xiao Hua could read his expression and said with a smile. "Unless you are from a noble family or have the backing of a powerful Sect, nobody woulde to these ces to look for equipment."

    "Why didn¡¯t you tell me before we walked in here? Now I feel like a beggar walking into a jewelry store..." Yuan sighed. "Let¡¯s leave and get something to eat instead."

    When the middle-aged man saw that they were leaving after looking at just two items, he sucked his teeth in disdain, "Che! To think I¡¯d wasted my breath greeting these poor bastards."

    Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    "..."

    Hearing such words, Yuan stopped walking and turned around to look at the middle-aged man with a frown.

    "What? Are you going to hit me for speaking the truth?" The middle-aged man remained nonchnt and even continued to insult him. "This store is owned by the Earth Dragon Sect. Hit me if you dare."

    "..."

    Yuan¡¯s eyebrows twitched at the irritating toneing from the middle-aged man, but he had nothing to say, as he was truly poor. Furthermore, he didn¡¯t want to cause unnecessary trouble inside a shop owned by an NPC because who knows what the NPC might do.

    However, Xiao Hua was not as kind as Yuan, and she despised people looking down on Yuan, her beloved Master. A momentter, she retrieved her storage ring and pulled out two peak quality Heaven-grade treasure¡ªone in each of her small hands.

    When the middle-aged man realized that she was holding two Heaven-grade weapons and was even treating them as though they are mere toys, his eyes rolled back from shock, and he copsed the next moment.

    ¡¯That¡¯s what you get for bullying Brother Yuan.¡¯ Xiao Hua sneered inwardly before putting away the Heaven-grade weapons and leaving the store with a satisfied expression on her cute face.

    Once they left the store, Yuan and Xiao Hua went to a nearby restaurant, where they proceeded to fill their stomach with delicious food.

    ¡¯Oh my god! This food is crazy delicious! I can¡¯t believe how real it tastes inside a game!¡¯ As though he¡¯d turned into a starving beast, Yuan stuffed food into his mouth and down his throat, and both of his hands were upied with food at all times.

    Meanwhile, Xiao Hua watched him eat like an animal with her jaw hanging. This is the first time she has seen anyone eating so frantically. It was almost as though he¡¯d never eaten anything before today.

    "The food isn¡¯t going anywhere, Brother Yuan. If you don¡¯t eat slowly, you might choke to death," she said to him.

    "I can¡¯t help it! My hands are moving by themselves! After all, I have eaten nothing but soup for thest few years!" Yuan said in a stuffed voice as he continued to mercilessly shove food into his mouth with tears flowing down his fat cheeks.

    Xiao Hua merely shook her head before she began to eat her own te of food with elegance.

 Chapter 28 Cooking Techniques

    After spending nearly three hours stuffing his face with food in the restaurant, Yuan was finally satisfied with his stomach, which was fully bloated at this moment, making him appear fatter than normal.

    "Unbelievable... Brother Yuan¡¯s stomach is a true mystery. Not only can you consume monster cores and feel perfectly fine, but you can also eat enough food to feed ten whole families..." Xiao Hua stared at him with wide eyes.

    "Hahaha... I don¡¯t usually eat so much, but for some season, when I swallow the food, it feels as though the food disappears before it even reaches my stomach." Yuan said. "And my Qi has increased significantly, too."

    After consuming so much food, his Qi Experience has increased by 1 million,parable to the Jade Frog¡¯s monster core.

    "That¡¯s because of the food Brother Yuan ate. It¡¯s not ordinary food, but spiritual food, which is cooked from monsters and contains spiritual energy."

    "Is that why it also tasted so good? Man, I should eat more of these so-called spiritual foods." Yuan said as he rubbed his stomach.

    However, when the bill appeared sometimeter, Yuan immediately regretted eating so much.

    "500 gold coins?! That¡¯s nearly everything I have! Why the hell is it this expensive?! Did they miscalcte the bill?" Yuan eximed with a terrified expression.

    "Brother Yuan... did you order the food without looking at the prices? Spiritual food is considered luxury food... of course it would be expensive... and you ate so much of it..." Xiao Hua said to him.

    Yuan sighed and spoke, "If it¡¯s like this, I¡¯d rather hunt and cook my own food."

    "That¡¯s an option, too." Xiao Hua nodded. "After all, it¡¯s just cooked monster meat."

    "Then it¡¯s decided! In order to save money, I shall learn how to cook spiritual food!"

    And he continued, "By the way, are there any techniques that teach you how to cook?"

    Xiao Hua nodded and said, "It¡¯ll cost you a few gold coins, but you can find these kinds of techniques in any Cultivator market."

    "Great. Then let¡¯s go shopping again after this."

    After paying the massive restaurant bill that depleted almost everything he¡¯s earned from selling the monster cores, Yuan and Xiao Hua returned to strolling in the streets.

    Sometimeter, they approached a store with arge sign that read ¡¯Cultivator Essentials¡¯.

    "Wee to Cultivator Essentials! How may I assist you, Young Master?" A prettydy greeted him with a warm smile after noticing their presence.

    "Hello. Do you sell cooking techniques in this ce?" Yuan asked her.

    "Cooking techniques, huh? Give me a moment to check."

    The prettydy then went to the back of the shop.

    A few minutester, she returned with three books in her hand.

    "We have three cooking techniques. Pick whichever is to your liking."

    "Hmm..." Yuan looked at the three techniques before him.

    "Thousand Knife Techniques... Heavenly Fire Control... Senior Wu¡¯s Recipes..."

    Yuan made a weird expression after reading the title of these three books. "Are they really cooking techniques? They look more like fighting techniques... And thest one... it¡¯s only a recipe book, right?"

    The prettydy behind the counter chuckled, and she said, "I can assure you that they are cooking techniques. If you aren¡¯t convinced, I can let you read a few pages for yourself."

    "Really? Then excuse me..."

    Yuan picked up the techniques and began reading them one at a time.

    A few minutester, a notification appeared.

    ?You have learned Thousand Knife Technique?

    ?Thousand Knife Technique?

    ?Rank: Mortal?

    ?Mastery Level: 1?

    ?Description: Consumes 100 Qi. Must wield a knife or dagger to activate. Amon knife technique for chefs around the world.?

    ?You have learned Heavenly Fire Control?

    ?Heavenly Fire Control?

    ?Rank: Mortal?

    ?Mastery Level: 1?

    ?Description: Consumes 10 Qi per second. Allows you to control and adjust temperatures of regr fire with your spiritual energy.?

    ?You have read Senior Wu¡¯s Recipes?

    ?Your Cooking knowledge has increased significantly?

    ?You have learned Cooking Skill?

    ?Cooking Skill?

    ?Mastery Level: 1?

    ?You have learned new cooking recipes?

    ?You can now cook Tier 1 spiritual food?

    From N?velDrama.Org.

    "Uh..." Yuan did not mean to learn the techniques without paying, and he turned to look at the prettydy with a worried face, but she appeared to be oblivious of what just happened.

    "How much are these techniques, again?" he asked her with a shaky voice.

    "Ten gold coins each!" she quickly responded with a bright smile.

    "..."

    Not wanting to feel like he¡¯d justmitted a robbery, Yuan decided to pay for these techniques even if it will cost him all of his remaining money.

    "I will buy them..." He said in a sighing voice, before taking out 30 gold coins and cing it on the counter.

    "Thank you very much for your purchase, Young Master!" The prettydy immediately epted his money with her face full of smiles.

    After buying the three cooking techniques, Yuan and Xiao Hua left the shop.

    "Haaa... I only have 10 gold coins left..." Yuan sighed deeply after taking a look into his empty wallet.

    "Should Xiao Hua give you some money? After all, she made Brother Yuan pay for her own share of food in the restaurant." Xiao Hua said to him after seeing his saddened face.

    "No, it¡¯s fine. You have already done enough for me. And it¡¯s about time for me to start helping you, even if it¡¯s as small as paying for your food..." Yuan said. "And if I really need money, I can just farm some more monster cores and sell them again."

    "Don¡¯t mention it, Brother Yuan. It¡¯s only natural for Xiao Hua to assist you as your servant. It¡¯s her responsibility, after all."

    Yuan showed a gentle smile on his face and said, "Thank you, Xiao Hua. But instead of a servant, you are like a little sister to me."

    "Xiao Hua... Brother Yuan¡¯s little sister? Really?" she looked at him with sparkly eyes.

    "That¡¯s right." Yuan nodded. "That¡¯s why you should stop calling yourself my servant."

    Xiao Hua quickly nodded with a blissful smile on her face, "Okay! Then Xiao Hua will be Brother Yuan¡¯s little sister starting now!"

 Chapter 29 Leaving Spirit City

    "Xiao Hua, it¡¯s about time for me to log off for dinner. I will be backter." Yuan said to her sometime after leaving the Cultivator shop.

    "Where will you go during my absence?" he then asked her.

    Xiao Hua pointed to the ne around his neck, and she said, "You can call Xiao Hua using the ne whenever you are back."

    After saying those words, Xiao Hua¡¯s body began glowing, before being absorbed into the ne.

    "What a profound ne..." Yuan mumbled to himself before logging off.

    After logging off the game, Yuan patiently waited for Yu Rou to bring him dinner, and he felt as though time had stopped.

    Unlike the colorful world in the game, the real world was pitch ck, almost like he was living in the void, and his body felt nonexistent.

    ¡¯Haaa... If only I could live inside Cultivation Online forever...¡¯ Yuan sighed inwardly.

    After familiarizing himself with the world inside the game, his perception of the real world became even worse, and it felt even more lonely than usual.

    Inside the game, whether it be the pedestrians or just the noises nature made, it was always lively. However, whenever he returned to his own room, the only thing he could hear was the sound of his own heart beating and very rarely subtle noises from outside his room, a world he hasn¡¯t stepped foot in for many years.

    Visit l/i/ghtnovel/pub[. for a better experience

    After waiting around for a few minutes that felt like hours, he could finally hear footsteps approaching his bed.

    However, he could immediately tell that it was not Yu Rou, as these footsteps were too heavy to be Yu Rou¡¯s, so it was someone else in his room.

    From N?velDrama.Org.

    "Who¡¯s there...?" Yuan asked in a hoarse voice.

    "Young Master, the Young Lady is currently busy with the Masters, so I will be taking care of you for today." A voice belonging to a middle-aged woman responded.

    "..."

    "For today¡¯s dinner, we have beef soup with¡ª"

    "It¡¯s fine..." Yuan suddenly interrupted.

    "I am not hungry today..."

    "Even if you say that... I have a job to do..." The person sighed in a troubled tone.

    "I won¡¯t... repeat myself..."

    "..."

    Silence filled the room, and a momentter, the middle-aged woman spoke, "I understand. Please rest well, Young Master."

    The door closed a few secondster, and Yuan could barely hear the person who just left coldly snorting in disdain.

    "With that useless body, it¡¯s a miracle that he hasn¡¯t been tossed out of this house already..."

    "..."

    ¡¯I can still hear you, you know?¡¯ Yuan smiled bitterly.

    Since the only functioning part of his body were his mouth and ears, he has to rely on his hearing more than normal people, allowing him to hear things people normally wouldn¡¯t be able to.

    ¡¯Perhaps my voice, even my ability to hear might abandon me in the future, just like the rest of my body had...¡¯

    Sometimeter, Yuan returned to Cultivation Online.

    However, he did not immediately call for Xiao Hua, as he had spent a few minutes silently staring at this colorful world.

    ¡¯What am I doing? I don¡¯t have the time to be depressed! Every second I spend idling around is a second lost in this beautiful world! I may be useless and crippled in the real world, but I am not like that in this world!¡¯

    After calming down, Yuan summoned Xiao Hua using the ne.

    "You¡¯re back already, Brother Yuan?" she looked at him with a pondering gaze.

    Despite Yuan¡¯s efforts to hide his emotions, Xiao Hua was able to notice the sadness within his eyes at a single nce.

    "Are you okay, Brother Yuan? You seem a bit sad." She asked him.

    "Don¡¯t worry about it. It¡¯s nothing I can¡¯t handle, and it¡¯ll quickly go away after I y a few monsters!" He said.

    Although she was worried, Xiao Hua did not want to force him.

    "If Brother Yuan needs somebody to talk to, Xiao Hua will always be by your side."

    "Thank you, Xiao Hua. I will keep that in mind." Yuan smiled.

    Xiao Hua nodded, and she said, "Then let¡¯s continue Brother Yuan¡¯s training. Although you won¡¯t gain much from Monsters Cores at the Spirit Apprentice levels, you can still improve your sword techniques. And once you are more experienced inbat, we can start looking for monsters at the Spirit Warrior realm."

    "Then what are we waiting for? Let¡¯s start training!"

    Yuan and Xiao Hua began making their way out of the city.

    Sometimeter, once they were a few miles away from the city, Xiao Hua spoke in a low voice, "Brother Yuan, we are being followed."

    "Could it be the Du Brothers from the Auction House? Xuan Wuhan did warn me that those two might be up to something before we separated."

    Xiao Hua nodded and said, "Yes, but I can sense another person with them. He¡¯s a Cultivator at the peak of the Spirit Master realm."

    "Spirit Master? That¡¯s one realm above me..." Yuan showed a worried expression,pletely forgetting about the Spirit King walking beside him.

    "Don¡¯t worry, Brother Yuan. If they try to do anything funny, Xiao Hua will take care of them. Let¡¯s just continue acting like we are unaware of their presence."

    Yuan nodded, and the two of them delved deeper into the wilderness.

    After walking for a few more miles, a familiar-sounding voice resounded.

    "Stop right there, you little bastard!"

    Yuan and Xiao Hua stopped walking and turned around, and standing a few meters behind them were the Du Brothers and a tall middle-aged man with a bulky frame.

    "Following me all the way out here, what do you want from me? I doubt it¡¯s anything good, though." Yuan asked them with a frown on his face.

    "Since you dared to ruin my face in the Auction House before so many people and even directly in front of Lady Xuan¡¯s presence, I will have you pay for it with your life!" Du Hai spoke loudly, his face filled with anger.

 Chapter 30 One Against Two

    "Wait a second, what do you mean I ruined your face? Your face looks perfectly fine! I didn¡¯t even touch you!" Yuan said with a bewildered expression. "If you are going to lie, at least do it better!"

    "Th-That¡¯s not what I mean! Are you making fun of me, you bastard?!" Du Hai stomped his feet in anger, and he continued, "Because of you, my reputation was ruined! You even embarrassed me in front of Lady Xuan! I won¡¯t forgive you even if you die!"

    "What an exaggeration. If you are going to kill someone just because they embarrassed you a little bit, you¡¯ll have to kill a lot of people in the future. That¡¯s going to be a hard lifestyle." Yuan shook his head, and he was unable toprehend the thought process of these kinds of people.

    "So what?! I have already killed tons of people for messing with me, and it¡¯ll only get easier in the future! This is a world where the strong eats the weak and where the weak has no privilege toin!"

    Yuan frowned and said, "I don¡¯t care what kind of psychopathic world you live in, but I am not in a good mood today, so you should leave me out of it before I get angry."

    "Hahahaha!"

    The Du Brothers burst outughing at his words, and they spoke, "So what if you get angry?!"

    "What are you going to do to us?!"

    "What CAN you do to us?! You are a mere single Spirit Warrior, and we have two Spirit Warriors and one peak Spirit Master!"

    "Hahaha! I cannot believe that a nobody like you could be so entertaining!"

    N?velDrama.Org content.

    For more, visit /light/nove/lpub[./

    "Well, since you made usugh, we¡¯ll give you a quick and painless death."

    The Du Brothers withdrew their swords and pointed them at Yuan.

    "..."

    Yuan silently stared at the Du Brothers with a grim expression, his aura slowly growing sharper and sharper, almost like a sword.

    When the Spirit Master saw this, he frowned and said to Du Brothers, "Young Masters, don¡¯t underestimate him. He¡¯s emitting a powerful aura that doesn¡¯t suit his level. He might have the strength to fight those above his own level."

    "So what if he can fight people above his own level? We can also do the same!" Du Bai scoffed.

    "Are you looking down on us? Even though you are at the Spirit Master level, you are still just a mere guard that¡¯s hired by my family!"

    Meanwhile, on the opposite side, Yuan asked Xiao Hua, "Do you think I will be able to win against those two?"

    "Both of them are in the fifth level Spirit Warrior realm. Although they are slightly better than the disciple you defeated before, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem for Brother Yuan."

    "That¡¯s all I need to hear." Yuan nodded before retrieving his own sword.

    "Oh? You also have a peak Spirit-grade weapon? I guess you really didn¡¯t wander into the VIP Room by ident! Hahahaha!"

    "However, unfortunately for you, having that sword won¡¯t change the oue!"

    The Du Brothers then sheathed their swords and pulled out two peak Spirit-grade swords a few secondster.

    "I am going to warn you two onest time! Do not force my hands!" Yuan shouted at them with the sword in his hand tightly grasped.

    "Enough bullshitting! Let¡¯s get him, Du Bai!"

    Du Bai nodded, and the two of them began rushing at Yuan.

    "This will be fun!" A wide grin appeared on Yuan¡¯s face as he also stepped forward.

    A momentter, the three of them shed, and Yuan maneuvered his sword like an expert, blocking both their sword strikes at once.

    "Let¡¯s see how long you can keep this up!"

    The Du Brothers began releasing a torrent of sword strikes at Yuan.

    Ding! Ding! Ding!

    However, Yuan either deflected their attacks or perfectly blocked them, albeit barely.

    ¡¯This is much more difficult than I¡¯d expected! If I want to win this fight, I will have to be the aggressive one!"

    After being on the defensive side for a few more strikes, Yuan suddenly stepped forward and began attacking the Du Brothers, catching them off guard.

    ¡¯What powerful blows!¡¯

    ¡¯He¡¯s not an ordinary one!¡¯

    The Du Brothers began sweating after tasting just a few of Yuan¡¯s sword strikes.

    Meanwhile, Xiao Hua was not even paying attention to their fight, and she had her eyes on the Spirit Master this entire time, as she was prepared to kill him the moment he even tries to interfere with Yuan¡¯s fight.

    ¡¯Just who is this brat? Which Family does he belong to? To think he¡¯d be able to fight the Du Brothers by himself! And it even looks like he¡¯s slowly defeating them!¡¯ The Spirit Master watched their fight with wide eyes filled with disbelief, and he began worrying that they might have picked the wrong person to fight with.

    "..."

    The longer the Spirit Master watched Yuan¡¯s fight, the more shocked and worried he became.

    ¡¯This young man is a genius! He¡¯s not only fighting back the Young Masters, but he¡¯s even growing stronger as he fights! He¡¯s a freaking monster! I cannot allow this to continue any longer, or the Young Masters will be in danger!¡¯

    The Spirit Master prepared to interrupt the fight, but he suddenly noticed an immense pressure not too far away, causing his eyes to shift to the small figure a few meters away, who was staring dagger at him.

    ¡¯That little girl... she¡¯s an expert like me!¡¯

    The Spirit Master¡¯s back was instantly soaked in cold sweat after this realization. Anyone would think she was Yuan¡¯s little sister at nce, but to think that she would be his guardian instead! It was truly a shocking revtion!

    And he was certain that this little girl¡¯s cultivation base was much more formidable than his own, as not even Spirit Grandmasters would be able to emit such a terrifying invisible pressure.

    However, he cannot just stand there and watch the Du Brothers die to Yuan, as their parents would surely kill him for failing to protect them.

 Chapter 31 Negotiations

    "Young Lady, why don¡¯t we talk about this?" The Spirit Master took the initiative to speak with Xiao Hua, as he was certain that he would not be able to defeat Xiao Hua in a fight, and if the Du Brothers continued fighting Yuan, they would also lose to him sooner orter and lose their lives.

    With no more options at hand, he could only resort to pleading for their forgiveness, hoping that they would at least spare the Du Brothers¡¯ lives.

    And he said, "Why don¡¯t we negotiate? If you let the Young Masters leave this ce in one piece, the Du Family willpensate you for the trouble they have caused for your Young Master."

    "Let them go... you say? But they were the ones who willingly jumped at Brother Yuan." Xiao Hua responded with a nonchnt expression.

    "I won¡¯t deny that the Young Masters are the ones at fault here, but you gain nothing by killing them. In fact, if you kill them, regardless of your background, the Du Family will do everything in their power to avenge their deaths, and I¡¯m sure neither of you would want the entire Du Family chasing after you."

    "The Du Family? I have never heard of them before." Xiao Hua said.

    "..."

    The Spirit Master was dumbfounded. Although the Du Family is not the most powerful family in the world, they are considerably famous in the Cultivation world with multiple experts at the rank of Spirit Grandmaster within their family, and even if someone does not know of their achievements, they would at least know of their reputation.

    "Furthermore, if I kill all three of you, how will the Du Family know who killed you? Even if one of you managed to escape, do you even know who we are? How are you going to find us?" Xiao Hua asked him with a cold gaze that did not fit her childish appearance.

    The Spirit Master¡¯splexion immediately paled after hearing Xiao Hua¡¯s word, and he began to realize the gravity of their situation. If Xiao Hua kills the Du Brothers including him, who will tell the Du Family about the culprits? Unless they can talk to ghosts, they will never find out the truth!

    "P-Please, have mercy, Young Lady! There is no need to spill blood over such a minorplication, right? At the end of the day, those two are only Juniors who allowed their arrogance and pride to go to their head! There are many people like them out there, and I¡¯m sure that even your Young Master has made mistakes before!" The Spirit Master began pleading, and if not for Xiao Hua¡¯s pressure on him, he would¡¯ve kowtowed to her.

    "Don¡¯tpare Brother Yuan to those two bullies! He¡¯s a kind brother who yed with Xiao Hua when nobody else would!" Xiao Hua suddenly shouted, identally emitting killing intent, which suffocated the Spirit Master.

    "I... can¡¯t... breathe...!" The Spirit Master began choking.

    Meanwhile, right as Yuan knocked the Du Brothers to the ground, he noticed the ominous aura behind him, causing him to turn around and look.

    "Xiao Hua!"

    When he saw the unpleasant expression on Xiao Hua¡¯s face, his initial thought was that the Spirit Master had done something to her, so he ignored the Du Brothers and immediately rushed to her side.

    "Are you okay, Xiao Hua?!"

    "Hm?" Hearing Yuan¡¯s voice, Xiao Hua snapped out of her rage and turned to look at him, who was staring at her with a worried expression.

    "Are you hurt anywhere?!" he asked her, and she nodded.

    "Xiao Hua is okay, Brother Yuan."

    "Is that so? That¡¯s great to hear," he sighed in relief.

    After knowing that Xiao Hua was safe, Yuan finally noticed the Spirit Master that wasying on the ground, who was heavily panting, almost as he¡¯d just ran a marathon.

    "What happened to him?" he mumbled to Xiao Hua.

    "Xiao Hua doesn¡¯t know." She casually shrugged.

    After catching his breath, the Spirit Master spoke, "Please... I beg you... don¡¯t kill us..."

    "That is not for me to decide." Xiao Hua said, and then she turned to look at Yuan, who appeared to be dumbfounded.

    "What is he talking about? Why would I kill them?" Yuan asked.

    "Eh? You¡¯re not going to kill us?" The Spirit Master looked at him with wide eyes filled with shock.

    "Of course, not. While I am slightly angry about everything today, I am not like some people, who would kill another just because they were offended. However, that isn¡¯t to say I would never kill anyone because even I have a limit." Yuan said to him.

    "T-Thank you, Young Master! Thank you for having mercy! I will immediately leave with those two, and we will never appear before you again!" The Spirit Master kowtowed to him with tears in his eyes.

    "Wait a second! Who said you can leave so fast?" Yuan suddenly said.

    "Huh?" The Spirit Master looked at him with wide eyes.

    "I have unexpectedly used up most of my energy after fighting with those two, and I¡¯d spend 500 gold coins filling up my stomach not long ago. Now I feel like I wasted my money. How are you going topensate me for this tragedy?" Yuan said to him with a frown.

    "..."

    Not just the Spirit Master, but even Xiao Hua was staring at him with wide eyes filled with shock.

    "O-Of course... Although this isn¡¯t much because the Young Masters had already used most of it, I will give you all of it..."

    The Spirit Master quickly retrieved his money pouch and offered it to Yuan as though he was giving an offering to a God.

    ¡¯I never thought a day where I would be a victim of extortion woulde¡ªand it¡¯s even to a mere Spirit Warrior Junior!¡¯ he cried inwardly, feeling his pride as a Spirit Master shattering into a thousand pieces.

    Yuan cleared his throat and epted the money pouch without a hint of shame on his face, and he spoke afterward, "Thank you for the donation."

    ¡¯Donation, my ass!¡¯ The Spirit Master retorted inwardly, but he didn¡¯t dare toin out loud, as he feared that Yuan might change his mind and kill all of them.

    "You may leave now."

    After receiving Yuan¡¯s permission, the Spirit Master immediately went to grab the Du Brothers and quickly left the scene.

    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.

    "W-Wait a minute! Where are you taking us?! We haven¡¯t lost to him yet!"

    "Let me fight him! I won¡¯t be able to sleep tonight if I don¡¯t beat him up!"

    The Du Brothers struggled to escape the Spirit Master¡¯s grasp, but being an entire realm below him, they were effortlessly taken away by him, disappearing a few momentster.

 Chapter 32 Sword Aura

    After the Spirit Master and the Du Brothers are long gone, Xiao Hua spoke, "Brother Yuan, why did you let them leave? Knowing their personalities, the Du Brothers definitely won¡¯t forgive you for what happened today, and they will surelye back even stronger for revenge one day."

    "Xiao Hua is aware of Brother Yuan¡¯s kind personality, and Brother Yuan only very recently became a Cultivator, so killing people might still be difficult for you, but there are people in this world that are better off dead. Because even if they no longer pose any threat to you, they will surely be a threat to someone else."

    "The Cultivation world is a ce where if you do not consume your enemies, they will eventually consume you instead. So you must be the one who consumes others, not the other way around."

    Hearing Xiao Hua¡¯s lecture, Yuan sighed, "I know that I may be naive, perhaps even a fool in your eyes, and that these people are only NPCs within a game, but I do not wish to kill another human being unless absolutely necessary, as I am afraid that it might affect my mind negatively, since there has already been a few times where I forgot that I am actually inside a video game, treating this world as though it¡¯s the real world."

    "..."

    Xiao Hua listened to his words in silence. And although she only understood half of it, she knew what he was trying to say, and she said afterward, "Brother Yuan, what you have experienced today is barely the tip of the Cultivation world and verymon in our world. There will be many more people like the Du Brothers out there, and there will even be people with far worse personalities. You will also encounter simr situations in the future, sometimes more than once in a single day. And unless you are strong ¡ª strong enough to handle any situation thates your way, you will always be bullied by the strong and powerful ones."

    A bitter smile appeared on Yuan¡¯s face.

    "I guess living life as a Cultivator isn¡¯t as easy as I initially thought. I just hope that I won¡¯t be someone without morals or someone who is apathetic to other peoples¡¯ life like the Du Brothers."

    "Don¡¯t worry, Brother Yuan. If you ever walk astray in your Cultivation path or feel like you are bing a different person, Xiao Hua will be there to help you return back to normal."

    "Thank you, Xiao Hua. I will also try my best to familiarize myself with this new world and lifestyle as a Cultivator without being a burden for you."

    "People will always change, but it¡¯s how they change that truly matters. As long as Brother Yuan remains the kind brother that he is right now, it will be fine even if you change a little." Xiao Hua said to him.

    "Hahaha... You are really like my little sister, who is actually more mature and intelligent than she appears." Yuan chuckled, feeling as though he could see Yu Rou in Xiao Hua¡¯s shadow.

    "Anyway, how¡¯s Brother Yuan feeling? Were you injured during your fight with the Du Brothers?" Xiao Hua asked him sometimeter.

    "Besides having a few superficial scratches and feeling a little bit hungry again, I¡¯m perfectly fine." He said with an energetic expression.

    Xiao Hua nodded and continued to speak, "Brother Yuan¡¯s experience and insight have increased significantly from the fight. If we continue at this rate, Brother Yuan should be prepared to fight monsters at the Spirit Warrior level in no time."

    "Then what are we waiting for? Let¡¯s continue training!" Yuan said with enthusiasm.

    "Brother Yuan really likes to fight, huh?" Xiao Hua said with a smile.

    "Of course, since I feel like I am actually alive when I fight. I also enjoy moving my body, swinging a sword around, and the thrill thates from fighting." Yuan nodded.

    The two of them began walking deeper into the wilderness shortlyter, and Yuan would continue sharpening his sword skills while Xiao Hua assisted by locating all of the monsters for him.

    After many hours of training with the sword, a notification appeared before Yuan.

    ?Your mastery with the sword has improved significantly?

    ?Your understanding of swords has reached a new level?

    ?You have met the criteria to learn ¡¯Sword Aura¡¯?

    ¡¯Sword Aura...?¡¯

    Yuan raised his eyebrows at this new term.

    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.

    "Xiao Hua, what¡¯s Sword Aura?" He decided to ask the only expert avable.

    "Sword Aura?! Has Brother Yuan¡¯s swordsmanship reached the level where he can already learn Sword Aura?!" Xiao Hua looked at him with a shocked face.

    "I don¡¯t even know what that is... But after listening to your tone, I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s something impressive?"

    "Of course, it¡¯s something impressive! Only true swordsmen can learn Sword Aura! And it¡¯s not something one can learn just by training with a sword, as you can train with a sword for your entire life and not understand Sword Aura, whilst some people can do it within a few years of training! People with Sword Aura are also called Swordmasters! However, Brother Yuan has only trained with the sword for only a few days! If people learn of your talent, there will be countless Swordmasters who will beg you to be their disciple!" Xiao Hua said to him with excitement.

    "You¡¯re praising me too much, again... It¡¯s making me blush..." Yuan said with a slightly rosy face.

    "Then can you teach me how to use this Sword Aura?" he asked her a momentter.

    Xiao Hua shook her head and said, "That¡¯s not possible for Xiao Hua because she is not a Swordmaster, so she does not understand Sword Aura."

    "I see... Then how do people normally learn Sword Aura?"

    "Through training, Brother Yuan. Once you grasp the understanding of Sword Aura, it¡¯s only a matter of time before you learn it. In fact, all Swordmasters will eventually learn Sword Aura as long as they keep training with the sword." Xiao Hua said.

    "Then I don¡¯t have to do anything special?"

    Yuan asked, and Xiao Hua shook her head.

    ¡¯I wonder how long it¡¯ll take for me to learn Sword Aura...¡¯ Yuan pondered to himself as he stared at the sword in his hand with a dazed expression.

    ¡¯If the Du Brothers really decide to return for revenge, I will be ready for them, and I won¡¯t let them escape a second time.¡¯

 Chapter 33 Monster Slayer

    After meeting the criteria for learning Sword Aura, Yuan and Xiao Hua continued to hunt monsters for a few hours.

    "I have been training with the sword nonstop for five hours now, but I still cannot seem to learn this Sword Aura..." Yuan sighed.

    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.

    "It would be more shocking if Brother Yuan actually learns Sword Aura in such a short time. Even the top geniuses in the Higher Heavens need to train for many years before they can learn Sword Aura." Xiao Hua said to him.

    "There¡¯s no need to be impatient, Brother Yuan. You are without a doubt a genius that was born with a high affinity with swords. If you train enough, you¡¯ll definitely learn Sword Aura sooner orter."

    Yuan nodded, and they returned to hunting more monsters.

    After killing a few monsters, a notification appeared before Yuan.

    ?Congrattions, you have in a total of 1,000 monsters?

    ?You have gained the title ¡¯Novice Monster yer?

    ?Because of your title ¡¯Novice Monster yer¡¯, all of your damage dealt to monsters will be increased by 10%. Monsters will feel more pain from your attacks as your damage to them increases.?

    ¡¯This is my second title, and it evenes with a very beneficial effect.¡¯ Yuan wondered to himself if Titles are amon thing in Cultivation Online. Of course, due to theck of guides for this game, he cannot know for sure without talking to other people or looking it up online.

    Sometimeter, Xiao Hua suddenly stopped moving and said, "Brother Yuan, there¡¯s a person ahead of us."

    "Oh? What¡¯s he doing?" Yuan asked.

    "He seems to be pacing back and forth in front of this cave entrance with a distressful expression on his face."

    Hearing Xiao Hua¡¯s words, Yuan pondered, ¡¯Is he an NPC or a yer?¡¯

    "Let¡¯s go see the situation. If he¡¯s truly that worried, maybe there¡¯s something we can do to help him." He said.

    Xiao Hua nodded, and they made their way toward this cave entrance.

    A few minutester, a middle-aged man with a paleplexion entered their view, and the middle-aged man noticed them at the same time.

    "Ah! It appears that my pleading has finally reached the Heavens! Please, Esteemed Cultivators, I need your help!" The middle-aged man quickly approached them with teary eyes and a desperate expression.

    "What¡¯s the matter?" Yuan asked him.

    "My daughter¡ª she was captured by a fearsome monster and was taken inside the cave! Please, can you help me by bringing her back?! I will do anything in return for your help! Please, Saviors!" The middle-aged man even got on his knees and kowtowed to Yuan.

    ?You have received a Quest?

    ?Quest: Unknown Man¡¯s Plea?

    ?Location: Demonic Spider¡¯s Silent Cave?

    ?Difficulty: Medium?

    ?Quest Description: Help the man by rescuing his daughter from the Demonic Spider?

    ¡¯A Quest?¡¯ Yuan was immediately intrigued, as this is his first time encountering a normal quest.

    "Xiao Hua, what¡¯s a Demonic Spider?" he decided to ask her first.

    "Demonic Spiders are intelligent and deceptive monsters that mostly dwell within caves like this one, and they are usually within the Spirit Warrior levels." Xiao Hua said to him.

    "Do you think I can defeat a Demonic Spider at my current level?"

    Xiao Hua nodded, "As long as its cultivation is below the third level, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem for Brother Yuan."

    Yuan sighed in relief after hearing her words, and he looked at the middle-aged man and said, "Okay, we¡¯ll help you rescue your daughter."

    ?You have epted the Quest ¡¯Unknown Man¡¯s Plea¡¯?

    "Oh! Thank you! Thank you very much, brave warrior!"

    "You can thank me after I return with your daughter," Yuan said to him before he approached the cave.

    ?You are about to enter ¡¯Demonic Spider¡¯s Silent Cave?

    ?Rmended Level: Third level Spirit Warrior and above?

    "Let¡¯s go, Xiao Hua," Yuan said to her, who nodded with a mysterious glint in her gaze.

    Once Yuan and Xiao Hua entered the cave shortlyter, the middle-aged man standing outside cried inwardly: ¡¯Finally! I am finally free!¡¯

    "This ce isn¡¯t as dark as I¡¯d expected," Yuan said after realizing that he was able to see inside clearly despite how dark it looked from outside.

    "That¡¯s because all of Brother Yuan¡¯s senses have improved after bing a Cultivator." Xiao Hua said.

    And then she continued, "By the way, Brother Yuan should be careful."

    "Huh? Can you already sense the Demonic Spider?"

    However, Xiao Hua shook her head and said, "That man outside... he lied to us."

    Yuan¡¯s eyes widened with surprise after hearing such words, and he asked, "W-What do you mean by that? Why would he lie to us? And how can you tell?"

    "Because Xiao Hua has already searched this entire cave with her spiritual sense, and she was unable to sense the man¡¯s ¡¯daughter¡¯ inside this ce. However, there is a Demonic Spider in here."

    "But the despair in his eyes seemed so real, and so was his tears... What if the Demonic Spider has already eaten his daughter?" Yuan asked, still feeling slightly doubtful.

    "That¡¯s not possible, because Xiao Hua would¡¯ve been able to sense her blood. Perhaps the man outside is working for the Demonic Spider by luring people into this ce for it. After all, Demonic Spiders are very crafty and intelligent beings. It¡¯s not umon for them to use humans to bait other humans into their dwelling."

    "No way..." Yuan stopped moving and stood there with a dazed expression on his face. He didn¡¯t doubt the man even for a second because of the Quest. If the man had really tricked them, why would a Quest appear, even asking him to save his daughter? It made no sense at all.

    "Then should we turn around and leave this ce?" Yuan asked her.

    "We could do that, but doesn¡¯t Brother Yuan want to fight a monster at the Spirit Warrior level? This could be a good opportunity for Brother Yuan¡ª at least Xiao Hua thinks so."

    "You think so...?" Yuan showed a bitter smile on his face.

    Should he continue on with this Quest that might be a trap, or should he just turn around and call it quits?

 Chapter 34 Demonic Spider

    "..."

    After standing there with a pondering face for some time, Yuan finally said, "Okay, let¡¯s do this. Even if that man may have lured us into this trap, if I leave now, who knows how many more people will fall victim to this scheme if I leave it alone."

    "Tell me more about the Demonic Spider, Xiao Hua. Does it have any fatal weaknesses?"

    Xiao Hua nodded and said, "Demonic Spiders are renowned for their powerful poison, which can easily kill someone below the Spirit Warrior level within mere seconds, and their sharp ws that can cutrge boulders as though it¡¯s paper. However, as long as you avoid these two deadly attacks, the Demonic Spider is no different than just an oversized spider."

    "...You make it sound like it¡¯s an easy task to dodge those attacks." Yuan looked at her with raised eyebrows.

    "Although the Demonic Spider has powerful attacks, itcks the speed to take advantage of its raw power. So as long as Brother Yuan pays attention, you shouldn¡¯t have any problems dodging its attacks."

    "I hope so..." Yuan sighed.

    The two of them began walking deeper into the cave until they encountered what appeared to be an entrance to another area in the cave.

    "This is definitely the boss room..." Yuan mumbled to himself after seeing the suspicious entrance that oozed with an obnoxious feeling.

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    "The Demonic Spider is right beyond that point, Brother Yuan, and it appears to be at the fourth level Spirit Warrior realm." Xiao Hua said to him after scouting for him using her spiritual sense.

    "Fourth level... That¡¯s one level higher than your rmended level..." Yuan said.

    "Brother Yuan is a genius so it will be fine." Xiao Hua raised her thumb at him.

    "I have a feeling that you are overestimating me..."

    "Don¡¯t worry, Brother Yuan. If you are in trouble, Xiao Hua wille to your rescue, so you can fight to your heart¡¯s content."

    "I guess so... What¡¯s the worst that can happen? I die and restart my cultivation? Well, here goes nothing."

    After taking a moment to prepare himself mentally, Yuan began walking towards the boss room with a sword in his hand.

    After entering the boss room, Yuan could see a spacious area with webs and bones littering the ground, but there was no sight of the Demonic Spider.

    "Where¡¯s the Demonic Spider?" he asked after looking left and right without seeing the monster.

    "It¡¯s above you, Brother Yuan." Xiao Hua said to him.

    "Why didn¡¯t you tell me that before I entered this room?!" Yuan immediately looked up at the ceiling, where a 5-meter tall monster with a half-human and half-body spider was hanging on the webs that covered the entire cave ceiling.

    "That thing is massive!" Yuan eximed with a terrified expression, as he has never seen anything this terrifying before.

    Not only did it look like a monster straight out of a horror movie, but it also had eight massive and sharp legs, and each of them was as big as Yuan¡¯s entire body.

    "Be careful, Brother Yuan! It¡¯sing!"

    Right as Xiao Hua warned him, the Demonic Spider kicked its legs and jumped at Yuan with itsrge mouth wide open.

    "Oh shit!" Yuan quickly jumped back.

    Boom!

    The Demonic Spidernded a momentter, destroying the solid ground with ease.

    "Looks like we have quite the nimble one here." The Demonic Spider suddenly spoke in a hoarse voice.

    "It can speak?!" Yuan was thoroughly shocked now, as he did not expect the Demonic Spider to suddenly start speaking in humannguage.

    "Some demonic beings can gain the ability to speak once they reach a certain cultivation level." Xiao Hua said to him.

    "Since it can speak, I might as well question it!" Yuan said, and he continued, "Demonic Spider! What happened to the daughter of the man outside?!"

    "What... you ask? I ate her, of course.... Hahaha!" The Demonic Spider burst outughing, sending chills down Yuan¡¯s body.

    "Children¡¯s meat smells and tastes the best, after all! Although I¡¯d promised that man that I¡¯d return his daughter if he brings me 10 humans, I simply couldn¡¯t resist my urges, and I consumed her flesh and bones on the second day!" The Demonic Spider held a blissful expression on its human-like face as it recalled eating the human girl.

    "You bastard..." Yuan narrowed his eyes in anger, and he emitted killing intent for the first time ever.

    ?You have gained new information for the Quest ¡¯Unknown Man¡¯s Plea¡¯?

    ?Quest ¡¯Unknown Man¡¯s Plea¡¯ has been updated?

    ?Quest Description: y the Demonic Spider that consumed the man¡¯s daughter?

    "I like the look in your eyes ¡ª it resembles that of a wild beast..." A grin appeared on the Demonic Spider¡¯s face, and it continued to speak, "However, you are only at the first level Spirit Warrior realm. You cannot defeat me, so you should just give up and let me eat you."

    The Demonic Spider then turned to look at Xiao Hua and said, " This is truly my lucky day. Your skin is very smooth and beautiful; it also smells much better than the other child. I bet you are going to taste much better, too."

    The smile on its face grew even wider when it imagined taking a bite from Xiao Hua¡¯s tempting body.

    "Since you like to eat so much, I will let you eat my sword!"

    Yuan shouted, and he rushed at the Demonic Spider with the sword in his hands raised.

    "Bloody Sword Strike!"

    A red aura covered the sword¡¯s de, creating a red arc of sword light as it shed towards the Demonic Spider.

    Ding!

    The Demonic Spider quickly blocked the Yuan¡¯s strike with one of its legs, and the impact made it sound as though two swords had collided.

    ¡¯It¡¯s tough!¡¯ Yuan was surprised by how hard the Demonic Spider¡¯s legs were, feeling as though they were made out of metal.

    However, Yuan was not the only one who was surprised after that exchange, as the Demonic Spider was also shocked by Yuan¡¯s strength.

    ¡¯How does this human have such strength when he¡¯s only at the first level Spirit Warrior realm?! He¡¯d even managed to cut my legs that are harder than steel in a single strike!¡¯ The Demonic Spider looked at the sword cut with wide eyes filled with shock.

 Chapter 35 Poison Sac

    "Looks like you have some ability, Cultivator." The Demonic Spider showed him a grotesque smile and continued, "However, you won¡¯t be able to defeat me if that¡¯s all of your strength."

    "You talk too much for a monster!" Yuan said, and he rushed at the Demonic Spider again.

    "How brave!" The Demonic Spider used its legs to sweep at Yuan, but he dodged it with ease.

    ¡¯Just as Xiao Hua said! Although it may be strong and tough, its speed is very slowpared to the Cultivators I¡¯ve already fought!¡¯ Yuan felt relieved inwardly after seeing that he could dodge the Demonic Spider¡¯s attacks with no problem.

    "Bloody Sword Strike!"

    Yuan activated his sword skill, and he aimed it directly at the Demonic Spider¡¯s face.

    "If I can¡¯t cut your legs, I will go straight for your face!"

    Ding!

    The Demonic Spider used two more legs to block its face.

    "Hahaha! Did you forget that I have eight limbs?! Die for me!"

    After blocking Yuan¡¯s attack, the Demonic Spider opened its mouth and spat out a lob of green liquid at him.

    Yuan¡¯s eyes widened at the green liquid that was flying towards his face, but he was not caught off guard, as he¡¯d been watching the Demonic Spider¡¯s every movement very carefully.

    After dodging the poison spit, Yuan distanced himself from the Demonic Spider and raised his sword in a particr manner.

    "I do not believe that I cannot cut you down!"

    Yuan took a deep breath before closing his eyes.

    "How dare you close your eyes during our fight?! Are you looking down on me?!" The Demonic Spider shouted in anger, and it began running at Yuan with a fierce aura.

    However, Yuan remained calm, and he slowly opened his eyes a secondter, which was glowing brilliantly, and his ck eyes suddenly became golden.

    When the Demonic Spider saw Yuan¡¯s golden eyes, it immediately stopped running at him and stared at him with narrowed eyes, feeling an ominous feelinging from Yuan.

    ¡¯This is my first time using this skill, but I have a feeling that it¡¯ll defeat the Demonic Spider.¡¯ Yuan felt very confident at this moment, and his senses were sharper, almost as though something within him had awakened.

    For more, visit lig/htnove/lpub/[.

    ¡¯Oh? Brother Yuan is finally going to use that technique?¡¯ Xiao Hua watched with enthusiasm.

    Yuan¡¯s body suddenly exploded with immense spiritual energy and a heavenly aura, and his sword gushed with a golden light that was so bright and thick that the de itself could no longer be seen, almost as though it¡¯d turned into a pir of light.

    After raising the sword towards the heavens, Yuan swung it vertically as though he wanted to split the seas and separate the heavens.

    "Heaven Splitting Sword Strike!"

    A golden beam of light then shot out from the sword and rushed at the Demonic Spider, and if one looked closely, they would be able to see the image of a dragon within the golden light.

    The Demonic Spider watched the golden beam flying towards it with wide eyes, and it wanted to dodge it, but for some odd reason, it was unable to move its muscles, much less its legs, almost as though there were invisible chains bounding its body.

    The Demonic Spider suddenly felt the urge to turn its head, so it slowly turned to look at the small figure standing a few meters away, and when it saw the barely noticeable smile on Xiao Hua¡¯s face, it immediately realized why it couldn¡¯t move its body, and it roared loudly.

    "AAAAAHHHHHH! DAMN YOU, HUMANS!"

    When the golden light finally reached the Demonic Spider, it consumed the Demonic Spider¡¯s figure, before destroying its body into a million pieces until there was nothing left of its existence.

    However, the golden light did not stop even after erasing the Demonic Spider and continued to fly towards the end of the cave.

    BOOM!

    The entire cave shook violently as Yuan¡¯s sword strike created a massive hole in the cave.

    ?Congrattions! yer Yuan has be the first yer to kill the Elite Boss: Demonic Spider?

    ?Congrattions! yer Yuan has be the first yer to conquer the Demonic Spider¡¯s Silent Cave!?

    Two announcements appeared in the sky for every yer in the world to see.

    Meanwhile, inside the Demonic Spider¡¯s Silent Cave, Yuan silently stared at the gaping hole in the cave, seemingly surprised by the Heaven Splitting Sword Strike¡¯s prowess.

    "As expected of a Divine-rank Skill, its ability is through the roof..." Yuan mumbled in a dazed voice.

    Sometimeter, Xiao Hua approached Yuan with two items in her hand, and she said, "Brother Yuan, the Demonic Spider dropped its Monster Core and a Poison Sac."

    "Oh, thank you..." Yuan epted the Monster Core without hesitation but then looked at the Poison Sac with a worried expression.

    "Xiao Hua, is it safe to be holding that thing?" he asked her.

    "Un. The poison is contained inside the sac, so you won¡¯t get poisoned." She nodded.

    ?Poison Sac?

    ?Material?

    ?Description: A rare item dropped by Demonic Spiders. It can be used to enchant weapons or used to create poison pills?

    "Anyway, let¡¯s get out of here," Yuan said.

    The two of them began making their way out of the cave, and a few minutester, they reached the exit.

    N?velDrama.Org content.

    "Y-You are! What happened?! Where¡¯s my daughter?!"

    When the middle-aged man saw Yuan, his eyes widened with shock.

    Why is he still alive? What happened to the Demonic Spider?

    Seeing the middle-aged man, Yuan immediately frowned and said to him, "How dare you lie and bait us! You never wanted us to save your daughter!"

    The middle-aged man immediately got on his knees and kowtowed to them, "I¡¯m sorry, Cultivators! I had no choice because the Demonic Spider has my daughter! It said that if I brought ten humans to it, it would let my daughter live!"

    Yuan shook his head and said, "Just like how you¡¯d lied to us, the Demonic Spider also lied to you. It never nned on keeping its words. Your daughter... she was eaten by it on the second day."

    "N-No! Impossible!"

    The middle-aged man looked at Yuan with disbelief, and he begged Yuan in a voice filled with desperation, "Please! That cannot be true! She must be in there somewhere!"

    "I don¡¯t gain anything by lying to you. If you do not believe me, you can go inside and check for yourself. I have already killed the Demonic Spider, so you don¡¯t have to worry about¡ª"

    Before Yuan could even finish his sentence, the middle-aged man got up and rushed into the cave, disappearing into the darkness.

    For more, visit [.

 Chapter 36 Consuming the Demonic Spiderâ€™s Monster Core

    Many minutes have passed since the middle-aged man rushed inside the Demonic Spider¡¯s Silent Cave to look for his daughter.

    Meanwhile, Yuan and Xiao Hua waited for him outside.

    ¡¯I wonder how much Qi I will gain by consuming the Demonic Spider¡¯s monster core.¡¯ Yuan thought to himself with the shiny monster core in his hands, preparing to pop it into his mouth like eating hard candy.

    Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    When Xiao Hua noticed Yuan staring at the Demonic Spider¡¯s monster core with craving eyes, she asked him, "Brother Yuan, are you going to eat the monster core...? Although Brother Yuan can eat Spirit Apprentice level monster cores without any problems, Xiao Hua is worried that Spirit Warrior level monster cores may contain too much Qi for you to consume..."

    "We won¡¯t know that until I try it, right?" Yuan said.

    "That is true, but..." Xiao Hua still wore a worried expression.

    Yuan then said with a confident smile, "Don¡¯t worry, Xiao Hua. I have faith in my stomach!"

    "But the Qi goes to your Dantian, not your stomach, Brother Yuan... It¡¯s not food, after all." Xiao Hua said to him with a dumbfounded face.

    "What¡¯s the difference?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    "The Dantian is every Cultivator¡¯s source of power and where you store your Qi. Without it, one cannot cultivate Qi. And any damage done to one¡¯s Dantian is incredibly hard to heal, that¡¯s why every Cultivator cares for their Dantian more than their own life because they rather die than live life as a cripple." Xiao Hua exined to him the importance of one¡¯s Dantian.

    "If one cannot cultivate, they are considered a cripple in this world? And people would rather die than to live as a ¡¯cripple¡¯? That¡¯s bullshit!" Yuan looked at her with wide eyes filled with disbelief, even feeling slightly angry at Cultivators.

    As a cripple himself, Yuan couldn¡¯t help but feel offended to hear that Cultivators would rather die than being a ¡¯cripple¡¯. In fact, he doesn¡¯t even consider people who cannot cultivate to be real cripples, even finding it incredibly disrespectful.

    "So what if one cannot Cultivate? That does not mean they should die! These Cultivators truly live a luxurious life, worrying about such insignificant matters!" Yuan sighed loudly.

    "..." Xiao Hua was speechless.

    Although it may not be of any importance to Yuan who grew up in a world without any Cultivation and in a rtively peaceful world, in the Cultivation world, whether one can cultivate or not was a matter of life or death, because if one cannot cultivate they will remain weak forever and will eventually be consumed by the stronger people who can cultivate.

    ¡¯Brother Yuan may not understand the importance of Cultivation now, but once he grows stronger and experiences more of the Cultivation world, he¡¯ll see the real ugliness of this world.¡¯ Xiao Hua pondered to herself.

    And while Xiao Hua was thinking to herself, Yuan tossed the monster core in his mouth.

    "Brother Yuan!" Xiao Hua¡¯s heart skipped a beat after seeing this. No matter how many times she has witnessed Yuan eating monster cores, she could not get used to such an abnormal scene and would always feel nervous afterward.

    "Calm down, Xiao Hua. I am fine." Yuan said to her as he savored the sweet taste in his mouth. Just like Spirit Apprentice level monster cores, the Demonic Spider monster core melted into a sweet substance the moment it touched his tongue.

    Visit lig/ht/n/o/velpub[. for a better experience

    After swallowing the Demonic Spider¡¯s monster core, Yuan could feel an enormous power growing from within his body, causing his aura and cultivation to skyrocket.

    ?Heaven Refining Physique activated?

    ?153,840,000 Qi has been refined from the Demonic Spider¡¯s monster core?

    38,460,000/38,460,000

    ?You have absorbed enough Qi for a breakthrough?

    ?You have reached the Second Level Spirit Warrior?

    ?+1,500 Stats?

    70,692,000/70,692,000

    ?You have absorbed enough Qi for a breakthrough?

    ?You have reached the Third Level Spirit Warrior?

    ?+2,000 Stats?

    153,840,000/153,840,000

    ?You have absorbed enough Qi for a breakthrough?

    ?You have reached the Fourth Level Spirit Warrior?

    ?+2,500 Stats?

    165,568,000/307,680,000

    "B-B-Brother Yuan... you... you..." Xiao Hua red at him with a terrified expression, as she has never seen anyone raise their cultivation by three levels in a single breath.

    "See? I am fine even after consuming the monster core." Yuan said to her afterward with a bright smile on his face.

    ¡¯What is going on?! How can Brother Yuan raise cultivation levels as easy as breathing? Could he be the Cultivation God¡¯s reincarnate?!¡¯ Xiao Hua cried inwardly.

    However, Yuan obtained more than just Qi from consuming the Demonic Spider¡¯s monster core, as his Heavenly Refining Physique unexpectedly activated again.

    ?Heaven Refining Physique activated?

    ?You have gained ¡¯Weak Poison Resistance¡¯ from consuming the Demonic Spider¡¯s monster core?

    ?Weak Poison Resistance?

    ?Description: Slightly increases your poison resistance?

    "Xiao Hua, I also gained some resistance against poison after consuming the monster core, but this has never happened before." Yuan decided to ask her, who¡¯s still trying to recover from the earlier shock.

    "Brother Yuan, what did you just say...?" Xiao Hua asked him with a dazed face.

    "Uh... that I gained some poison resistance after consuming the monster core?" Yuan repeated himself.

    "T-That¡¯s impossible!" Xiao Hua quickly shook her head, and she continued to speak in a shocked voice, "Xiao Hua has never heard of someone gaining something else besides Qi from consuming monster cores before!"

    Yuan casually shrugged his shoulder and said, "There¡¯s a saying that there¡¯s always a first time for everything."

    However, Xiao Hua was not convinced, as this would be an unprecedented event in the Cultivation world that has existed for countless millions of years!

    ¡¯No... there is a story in the Upper Heavens that mentions an individual who has a simr ability... but that is only a legend from the ancient times...¡¯

 Chapter 37 Quest Complete

    "Brother Yuan is truly... unfathomable..." Xiao Hua could barely stand still at this moment, feeling as though hermon sense regarding the Cultivation world had been flipped upside-down by Yuan¡¯s profound existence.

    "Are you okay, Xiao Hua? Your expressions are more exaggerated than usual." Yuan suddenly said to her,pletely unaware of how heaven-defying his own existence is.

    "X-Xiao Hua is fine..." she nodded a momentter, and she continued, "But is Brother Yuan really fine? Does your body feel weird? You did just breakthrough three times in the blink of an eye, after all..."

    "I feel perfectly fine," he said. "In fact, I feel even better than normal!"

    And then he said, "By the way, Xiao Hua, remember that Spirit Crystal you bought from the auction house? Since it¡¯s simr to a monster core, maybe I can eat it too?"

    When Xiao Hua heard his words, she immediately shook her head with a horrified expression and spoke in a stern voice, "Absolutely not, Brother Yuan! You cannot eat the Spirit Crystal! It contains spiritual energy that rivals even Spirit Grandmasters! And it¡¯s nothing like a monster core! Brother Yuan will definitely explode into a million pieces after eating it!"

    "If you say so..." Yuan said with a slightly disappointed expression, as he was curious about the Spirit Crystal¡¯s taste.

    __

    A few minutester, Xiao Hua suddenly said, "Brother Yuan, he¡¯sing back."

    Yuan turned to look at the cave, and the middle-aged man slowly walked out of the cave with an emotionless expression, almost as though he¡¯d lost all of his will to continue living.

    When Yuan saw the hopelessness in the middle-aged man¡¯s nk eyes, he also felt a slight pain in his heart, as he understood what the middle-aged man was feeling at this moment very well.

    After living for so many years as a cripple who cannot even leave his own bed without another¡¯s assistance, even the world¡¯s toughest man would experience depression, much less someone as young and innocent as Yuan, and it was inevitable that he would have thoughts about ending his own life to make things easier for his little sister.

    "That man... he¡¯s lost the will to live," Yuan mumbled in a low voice. "If only there¡¯s something we can do to relieve that sorrow."

    Xiao Hua gently shook her head and spoke, "There is nothing we can do for him, Brother Yuan. This is the harsh reality for those without power ¡ª the weak will be consumed by the strong. There¡¯s only one way to avoid this kind of situation, and that is to be strong enough to protect the things you love."

    "..."

    Yuan was speechless, but he was beginning to understand this world better and why people¡ªCultivators thirst for power. If one was weak, they might experience the same situation as this middle-aged man, losing their loved ones to a stronger existence that¡¯s beyond their own abilities.

    And somewhere within Yuan¡¯s heart, the desire for strength¡ªthe desire to protect this peaceful life he¡¯s living¡ªbegan to bud.

    "Ah... you¡¯re still here..." The middle-aged man stopped in front of Yuan and Xiao Hua.

    "I¡¯m sorry for your loss... If only I came to this ce earlier..." Yuan sighed.

    The middle-aged man shook his head and spoke in a low voice, "No, this is entirely my fault. If only I didn¡¯t bring her to this dangerous ce to pick herbs with me..."

    "But for poor people like us, this is the only way for us to continue living."

    "Anyway, I would like to apologize for tricking you into the Demonic Spider¡¯s cave." The middle-aged man got on his knees and kowtowed to them with a sincere feeling, not daring to lift his head even many momentster.

    "Please, you don¡¯t need to apologize for something you were forced to do. If I were in your shoes, I would¡¯ve done the same thing." Yuan said while pulling the man off the floor.

    "Then allow me to thank you for killing the Demonic Spider ¡ª for avenging my daughter¡¯s death..."

    The middle-aged man reached into his pockets before taking out a beautiful nt with seven colorful leaves that resembled a rainbow.

    "That¡¯s the Seven Colored Herb, Brother Yuan!" Xiao Hua immediately recognized this beautiful nt and said in an excited voice while pulling his sleeves.

    "Is it valuable?" he asked.

    "The Seven Colored Herb is an extremely rare medicine that does not grow in any specific location in this world! Most people live their entire life without seeing one! It¡¯s a priceless treasure!" she said.

    "Are you sure that you want to part with such a precious item?" Yuan asked the middle-aged man, feeling hesitant about epting such a priceless treasure. "Don¡¯t you need money? If you sell it..."

    However, before Yuan could even finish his sentence, the middle-aged man shook his head and said, "Without my daughter, I no longer have any need for money. And this medicine was found by my daughter. I¡¯m sure that she would want you to have it, too."

    "..."

    "Please, young man, ept it." The man lowered his head and extended his arms until the Seven Colored Herb was right before Yuan¡¯s body.

    Seeing this, Yuan sighed and epted the herb.

    "Thank you..."

    Once Yuan epted the Seven Colored Herb, the middle-aged bowed to him onest time before turning around and walking away.

    "Please wait!" Yuan suddenly shouted at him.

    When the man stopped walking and turned around, Yuan tossed a small pouch at him and said, "It may be nothingpared to your gift, but I hope you can live a carefree life for the rest of your life!"

    The middle-aged man did not say anything and merely nodded his head before disappearing into the woods.

    "I don¡¯t know how much money was inside that pouch since I didn¡¯t look in it after it was given to me by that Spirit Master, but I hope it was enough." Yuan sighed afterward.

    "Don¡¯t worry, Brother Yuan. There was plenty of money inside." Xiao Hua said with a smile.

    "Eh? How do you know? You didn¡¯t even touch it."

    "A storage pouch without any protection is no different than an open book for Cultivators who can control their spiritual sense. Just like how Xiao Hua uses her spiritual sense to locate monsters for Brother Yuan, Xiao Hua can also use her spiritual sense to sense things that cannot normally be seen with the naked eyes." Xiao Hua said.

    "Anyway, there were about 3,000,000 gold coins inside that pouch. Butpared to the Seven Colored Herb he gave to Brother Yuan, it¡¯s akin to buying a priceless treasure with a grain of rice."

    "This thing is that valuable...?" Yuan looked at the colorful nt in his grasp.

    Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    [Seven Colored Herb]

    [Tier 7 Medicine]

    [Description: An extremely rare herb with countless uses]

    ¡¯Tier 7 medicine! Even the Soul Strengthening Pill Xuan Wuhan gave me is only Tier 3!¡¯ Yuan cried inwardly.

    A few more momentster, a notification appeared before him.

    ?You havepleted the Quest: Unknown Man¡¯s Plea?

    ?You have been rewarded with: 1x Seven Colored Herb?

    ?Fame +10?

    ?¡¯Mu Qing¡¯ has been added to your Bond!?

    ?Mu Qing¡¯s Bond level has increased to Acquaintance!?

    ?Congrattions! You have gained the following effect from Mu Qing¡¯s Bond level: ¡¯Mu Qing¡¯s Approval¡¯?

 Chapter 38 Flying Sword

    ¡¯Mu Qing¡¯s Approval...? Is Mu Qing that man just now?¡¯ Yuan raised his eyebrows in a puzzled manner after seeing the notification.

    ?Mu Qing¡¯s Approval: Grants you ess to certain events?

    ¡¯What kind of effect is this?¡¯ Yuan became even more puzzled after seeing the description.

    Unlike Mo Zhou¡¯s Gratitude that grants him offensive benefits, this Mu Qing¡¯s Approval provided nothing of that sort except a vague description.

    ¡¯I guess not every effectes with benefits like Mo Zhou¡¯s Gratitude...¡¯ Yuan thought to himself.

    "Xiao Hua, now that I have defeated a monster at the Spirit Warrior level, do you think I am ready to fight other monsters at the same level?" Yuan asked her sometimeter.

    "Un. But Spirit Warrior level monsters don¡¯t usually roam in this area. The Demonic Spider must have been a special asion. If Brother Yuan wants to fight Spirit Warrior leveled monsters, we will have to travel further south to the Purple Bamboo Forest. There we can find monsters between the first level and the third level Spirit Warrior."

    "How far away is this ce?" Yuan asked.

    "A few thousand miles," she casually responded.

    "A few thousand?!" Yuan¡¯s eyes widened with shock, as that was akin to traveling from one continent to another in the real world! How long would it take for them to get there without a ne or any vehicle?

    "Um... And how are we going to get there?" He decided to ask her.

    "We fly, of course." Xiao Hua calmly responded. "Unless Brother Yuan wants to run there, which will take a couple of days."

    "W-Wait a second... did you just say ¡¯fly¡¯? You can fly?!" Yuan looked at her with wide eyes,pletely forgetting about her skills.

    Xiao Hua nodded and said, "Once a Cultivator reaches the Spirit Grandmaster level, they can manipte the spiritual energy within their body and their surroundings and soar in the sky. Of course, there are talented individuals out there who can fly before reaching the Spirit Grandmaster level."

    "But since Brother Yuan can¡¯t fly yet, Xiao Hua will carry you with a flying sword."

    After saying those words, Xiao Hua retrieved a sword from her storage pouch and tossed it in the air.

    One would expect the gravity to pull the sword towards the ground, but the sword actually remained suspended in the air, almost as though there was an invisible hand holding it.

    "Oh my god..." Yuan stared at the floating sword with bright eyes.

    He has been wanting to try something like this ever since he saw that Cultivator floating in the sky while standing on his sword when he first arrived in this world. However, he didn¡¯t expect that such an opportunity would arise so fast.

    Visit //[.]c/om for a better experience

    "You are the best, Xiao Hua! I love you!" Yuan went to hug her out of sheer excitement.

    "Oh..." Xiao Hua¡¯s soft cheeks turned slightly rosy after the hug.

    "Anyway, how do I do this? Do I just jump on the sword?" Yuan asked her afterward.

    "U-Un." Xiao Hua nodded, and she spoke, "Because Xiao Hua will control the sword for Brother Yuan, you will only need to control the spiritual energy in your legs and feet, or you will fall off the sword in the air."

    "Okay, let¡¯s give this a try!"

    Yuan immediately turned to face the flying sword with excitement in his gaze.

    After preparing himself, he jumped on the sword.

    Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    "Ah!"

    Yuan immediately fell off the sword a secondter due to a mistake in his bncing.

    "This is harder than I¡¯d thought..." Yuan said, but he did not lose hope and tried again.

    "Ack!"

    "Ugh!"

    "Oof!"

    After many trials and errors that resulted in his face kissing the ground, Yuan finally began getting used to controlling his spiritual energy and bncing himself on the sword.

    "Look! I am floating!" Yuan spoke with excitement after standing on the flying sword without falling for over a minute.

    Seeing this Xiao Hua said, "Xiao Hua will move the sword now. Try to stay on the sword, Brother Yuan."

    "Do it slowly!" He quickly warned her.

    A secondter, the flying sword began moving very slowly, traveling a single meter every few seconds.

    "Hahaha! I am doing¡ª"

    Just as Yuan prepared to celebrate his achievement, he lost control over his spiritual energy and fell off the sword again.

    "Don¡¯t worry, Brother Yuan, you¡¯ll get used to it." Xiao Hua encouraged him.

    Thus, Yuan began training with this flying sword for the remainder of the day.

    After many hours of training, Yuan was finally able to remain standing on the sword even when it was flying at 100 miles per hour. However, any faster than that and he would fall right off the sword.

    By the end of the day, Yuan could finally withstand the flying sword traveling over 300 miles per hour. Of course, he still needed Xiao Hua to control the sword for him.

    "Okay, Xiao Hua, it¡¯s about time for me to log off. We can start traveling to the Purple Bamboo Forest after I return." Yuan said to her at the end.

    "Un." Xiao Hua nodded before returning to the ne, and Yuan logged off shortlyter.

    After logging off, Yuan could already hear the sound of gentle footsteps approaching his room, and he immediately knew it was Yu Rou.

    Once the door to his room opened, Yu Rou¡¯s soft voice resounded, "I apologize for not being able to take care of you yesterday, Brother."

    "There¡¯s no need for you to apologize. Even you need to rest on some days. Anyway, are you okay? I heard from the maid that you were speaking with Father and Mother." Yuan said to her.

    "Haha..." A low-spiritedugh escaped from Yu Rou¡¯s mouth, and she spoke, "Instead of speaking, it was more like being scolded."

    "Eh? You were scolded? Now that¡¯s something you won¡¯t hear every day. What did you do?" Yuan was surprised to learn that Yu Rou had been scolded, as she was the role model type of girl who¡¯s always respectful and obedient towards her parents.

    "Well, my grades in school dropped a little bit¡ª enough for me to get scolded."

    Although Yuan couldn¡¯t see her expression, he could hear the bitterness in her voice.

    "I see... Our parents are very strict when ites to performance, after all..." Yuan said.

    "They can be too strict at times..." she sighed.

    "Anyway, let¡¯s not talk about such a depressing subject. Why don¡¯t you tell me about your experience with Cultivation Online while I help you clean? How are you enjoying the game so far?" Yu Rou asked him a momentter.

    "To say I am enjoying it is an understatement!" Yuan quickly said.

    "Oh? Tell me more about it." Yu Rou smiled after hearing his voice that was filled with excitement and happiness, which was an unfamiliar feeling even for her.

 Chapter 39 Player Killing

    "Just the other day, for the first time in many years, I got to eat something that¡¯s not soup or porridge!" Yuan recalled to Yu Rou the wonderful food he¡¯d eaten in the game. "Even though I¡¯d spent all of my money on it, I do not regret it!"

    "And let me tell you¡ª eating food in the game feels no different than eating in real life! You can taste every vor and spice in the food! I don¡¯t know how they did it, but this kind of technology is simply otherworldly!"

    "Is that all you¡¯ve been doing in the game? Eating food?" Yu Rou chuckled at him. "What about your cultivation? Isn¡¯t that the main focus of the game? How far have you progressed?"

    "I don¡¯t know how I am doingpared to the others, but I think I am progressing at a steady pace."

    Hearing his words, Yu Rou said, "Most of the top yers around the world are just reaching the ninth level Spirit Apprentice Realm. What level are you, Brother?"

    ¡¯What? They are just reaching the ninth level? Why are they so slow? Does this make me a top yer?¡¯ Yuan pondered to himself.

    "Uhh... I am at the fourth level..." Yuan said a momentter, purposefully leaving out the ¡¯Spirit Warrior Realm¡¯ so he can surprise herter on.

    "The fourth level only?! Just how much have you been cking, Brother? At this rate, I will catch up to you even though I am a weekte to the game!"

    "Does one¡¯s cultivation really matter? It¡¯s not as though you cannot y the game without cultivating..." Yuan said to her, unable toprehend why everyone is trying so hard to improve their cultivation.

    "And I feel like cultivating normally takes too much time, and it¡¯s too boring since you only sit there and breathe."

    For more, visit lig/htnov/elpub[.//

    "While it¡¯s true that you do not need to cultivate to y the game, you are going to get bullied by other yers and even NPCs if you are not strong in the game. The saying ¡¯only the strong survives¡¯ is deeply rooted in the game¡¯s world and it¡¯s almost like nature itself there, so if you are not strong enough, you won¡¯t be able to survive, much less enjoy the game."

    "There are even many yers who are killing other yers to loot their items, and yer Killing is getting more popr by the day." Yu Rou said to him.

    Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    "Ah? yer Killing? What a pain in the ass..." Yuan shook his head inwardly. Now he not only has to deal with psychopathic NPCs who will kill you if you even slightly bother them but also other yers?

    "Why can¡¯t everyone just enjoy the game peacefully? Why must they dirty such a beautiful world with blood and corpses?"

    "It¡¯s the nature of the game so there¡¯s nothing we can do about it. Even if you try to mind your own business and not cause trouble for others, other yers will still cause trouble for you. And if it¡¯s not a yer, it¡¯ll be an NPC. That¡¯s why you should cultivate seriously if you wish to enjoy the game, Brother. I don¡¯t want to see anyone bullying you."

    Hearing her concerned voice, Yuan spoke with a smile on his face, "Don¡¯t worry, Yu Rou. I won¡¯t let anyone bully me, nor will I let anyone bully you in the game. If they cause even the slightest trouble for you, your brother here will cut them down without mercy."

    Yu Rou chuckled at his words and said, "Before you start cutting anyone, you should start improving your cultivation first."

    "Then I shall raise my cultivation just for you, Yu Rou," Yuan said.

    Sometimeter, after Yu Rou finished cleaning and feeding Yuan, she asked him, "Do you have anything else you want to say before I leave?"

    "Yeah, just one thing." Yuan said, and he took a deep breath before continuing, "Thank you, and good night."

    "Good night, Brother. I can¡¯t wait to y with you in a few days." Yu Rou said to him before leaving the room.

    After Yu Rou left the room, Yuan went to sleep shortlyter.

    Meanwhile, inside her own room, Yu Rou surfed the inte for thetest Cultivation Online news.

    "Hmm? yer Yuan makes the headlines again? He sure is popr, even having his own forums." Yu Rou clicked on the link without even thinking and began reading the forums that only had posts about yer Yuan.

    [yer Yuan has be the first yer to umte over 1,000,000 gold coins in Cultivation Online, which is worth over 10,000,000 dors at the current market rates!]

    [yer Yuan is currently the only yer on the Wealth Leaderboards!]

    [yer Yuan bes the first person to y a Demonic Spider!]

    [yer Yuan managed to solo the dungeon ¡¯Demonic Spider¡¯s Silent Cave¡¯, even achieving the First Clear!]

    [Just who is this yer Yuan?! Click here to find out!]

    [Top 10 theories on yer Yuan and his real identity!]

    [Another yer iming to be yer Yuan has appeared!]

    There were over a hundred topics on yer Yuan on the forums, and it would take Yu Rou the entire night if she wanted to read through all of them.

    "This yer Yuan¡¯s reputation is growing by the day¡ª to the point where there are already people impersonating him. The questions people have about his existence are almost countless. It would be interesting if I could somehow meet this yer in the game."

    After spending an hour on the inte, Yu Rou entered her bed and went to sleep.

 Chapter 40 Contemp

    Early in the morning, before the sun was even out, the rm beside Yu Rou rang, waking her from her slumber.

    After waking up and tidying her bed, Yu Rou went to the bathroom to take a quick shower, wash her face, and brush her hair, before going to the kitchen to cook breakfast. However, she was not feeding herself.

    Once breakfast was finished, Yu Rou carried the bowl of soup she¡¯d just cooked and some other things to arge room that was isted at the end of the hall.

    "Brother, are you awake?" Yu Rou knocked on the door before going into the room.

    "I¡¯m awake," Yuan spoke in a hoarse voice.

    "Let me brush your teeth."

    Yu Rou proceeded to lift Yuan into a sitting position before brushing his teeth and wiping his face with a warm towel.

    A few minutester, she began feeding him the soup she¡¯d personally cooked.

    "How¡¯s the temperature?" she asked him.

    "Perfect."

    For more, visit [.

    Yu Rou wore a smile on her face as she continued feeding him a spoon at a time.

    "Brother, my four-day vacation from school starts in three days, so I will finally be able to y with you soon." Yu Rou said to him.

    "That¡¯s great... I want you to meet a friend I¡¯ve made in the game. She reminds me of you a lot..." Yuan said with a smile on her face.

    "She...?" A slight frown appeared on Yu Rou¡¯s face when she learned that Yuan made a female friend.

    "Is she pretty?" she decided to ask him.

    "Yeah, she¡¯s very cute. I¡¯m sure that you¡¯ll get along with her easily." Yuan said without hesitation.

    Yu Rou¡¯s eyebrows trembled at his words, and she said, "I highly doubt that, Brother."

    "Why not? She¡¯s already like a second sister to me."

    "Second sister?!" Yu Rou eximed in a surprised voice, and she quickly said, "I hope you are not getting fooled by her, Brother. You are not very experienced with that kind of stuff, after all."

    Yu Rou was worried that Yuan might¡¯ve been tricked by some sly fox with unkind intentions, as these kinds of people were a dime a dozen these days.

    "Listen here, Brother. You may not know this but there are many people out there who will willingly pretend to be your friends for their personal benefits, and once they have what they wanted from you, they will toss you aside like trash! Even though it¡¯s just a game, you must stay vignt, especially with the females! They are the craftiest ones! Who knows what kind of trouble you¡¯ll get into with them..." Yu Rou gave him a stern warning.

    "Haha... you are overexaggerating..." Yuan chuckled at her words, and he said, "Xiao Hua is not that kind of person. You¡¯ll understand it once you meet her."

    "Don¡¯t worry, Brother, that will be the first thing I do once I can y the game!"

    After chatting for a few more minutes, Yu Rou said, "Brother, it¡¯s time for me to go. I¡¯ll see you againter tonight."

    "Have a safe day," Yuan said to her before entering the game.

    N?velDrama.Org content.

    Once Yu Rou left Yuan¡¯s room, she went to eat breakfast that was prepared by someone else.

    "Young Lady, for breakfast we have..."

    A middle-ageddy wearing maid clothes began exining the food on the table for Yu Rou.

    After Yu Rou finished eating breakfast, the maid said to her, "The car is ready, Young Lady."

    Yu Rou gracefully wiped her lips with a napkin before nodding her head.

    Sometimeter, Yu Rou was escorted outside by another maid.

    "Haaa... why must the Young Lady waste her precious time on that cripple? I even heard that her performance in school was lower than usual. She must not be getting enough sleep because of that cripple." One of the maids sighed in a pained tone after Yu Rou was gone.

    "There¡¯s nothing we can do about it. The Young Lady insists on taking care of him by herself, even restricting us from going into his room without her permission," said another maid.

    "Why does she care so much for him? I doubt he is able to do anything for her with that useless body."

    "I have only heard of this from the older servants, but apparently the Young Master used to have a healthy body."

    "Does it really matter what happened in the past? The fact is that he¡¯s a cripple now and will continue to be one in the future. I simply cannot fathom the Young Lady¡¯s thoughts. She could easily gather countless men with her status and beauty, yet she¡¯d rather spend her time with a bed stricken cripple who might die at any moment."

    "You should really watch your mouth. If the Young Lady hears such words, losing your job will be the least of your worries..."

    While the maids in the house talked behind Yuan¡¯s back, Yuan was having the time of his life soaring besides the clouds in the sky on a flying sword.

    "WOOOHOOOO~~! This is the best feeling ever!" Yuan shouted from excitement as he flew over mountains and rivers, feeling as free as a bird.

    "Be careful, Brother Yuan. You¡¯ll fall if you lose control of your spiritual energy." Xiao Hua warned him from behind. And unlike Yuan, who needed the assistance of the flying sword to fly, she was flying in the air with just her spiritual energy alone.

    "I don¡¯t understand why anyone would walk if they can just ride these things. If I could fly, I¡¯d be flying everywhere¡ª even in the streets!"

    "Flying gets tiring if you do it for too long, and it consumes too much spiritual energy. Most people would rather save as much spiritual energy as they can in case they run into trouble. And because not many people have reached the Spirit Grandmaster level in this ce, we will barely run into any Cultivators who can fly." Xiao Hua exined to him.

    "I see... Anyway, how long before we reach our destination?" Yuan asked her.

    "We will arrive in a few hours. But we¡¯ll also take short breaks in-between because Brother Yuan cannot remain on the sword for long."

    "Sounds good." Yuan nodded.

 Chapter 41 Pang City

    After flying for a little under an hour, Yuan was beginning to feel fatigued from using his spiritual energy constantly.

    ¡¯How am I feeling tired already?! I have over 100 million Qi!¡¯ Yuan was baffled by how quickly his Qi depleted when he had over 100 million Qi.

    Either flying requires a massive amount of Qi to maintain or therge number of Qi does not justify his actual amount of Qi.

    ¡¯No wonder why Cultivators rather walk than fly!¡¯ He sighed inwardly.

    "Hold on a little bit longer, Brother Yuan." Xiao Hua suddenly said to him. "There¡¯s a small city up ahead. We can rest there."

    A few minutester, Yuan could see the city walls with buildings inside a few miles in the distance. Although it did not appear to be as big as Spirit City, it was still considerably spacious.

    ?You have discovered ¡¯Pang City¡¯?

    Sometimeter, Yuan and Xiao Hua descended from the sky andnded near the city entrance, instantly attracting the attention of everyone there.

    "An expert! It¡¯s an expert!"

    "I have never seen anyone fly without the assistance of a flying sword before!"

    The people there began mumbling to each other with awe, their gazes filled with respect.

    When the guards at the gates saw Yuan and Xiao Hua, they immediately approached them and bowed to them, "Wee to Pang City, Seniors!"

    "Seniors?" Yuan raised his eyebrows in a baffled manner. Does he really look that old in the eyes of these guards?

    "Listen here, I am only 18 years old. Don¡¯t address me as if I am an old man... That¡¯s disrespectful." Yuan said to them.

    "..."

    The guards stared at Yuan with evenrger eyes after hearing his words. What kind of prodigy could control a flying sword at such a young age?! Calling him a genius would still be an understatement!

    "O-Our apologies, Young Master!"

    The guards apologized when they snapped out of their daze.

    "Brother Yuan, people care about your power above anything else in the Cultivation world. Being called a Senior means they acknowledge that your strength is above theirs, and it¡¯s not disrespectful at all."

    "Is that so? But it still feels weird to be addressed in such a manner." Yuan said.

    "Anyway, what do you want with us?" He asked the guards a momentter.

    "If it¡¯s not too much to ask, we would like to know the Young Master and Young Lady¡¯s reason for visiting this ce." The guards responded still with their heads lowered.

    "We don¡¯t have any reason, really. We¡¯re only taking a break here before we resume our journey." Yuan said to them.

    "If the Young Masters are looking for a ce to rest, may we rmend the Lord¡¯s Manor," said one of the guards.

    "The Lord¡¯s Manor? That sounds like a very expensive ce, and we won¡¯t be staying here for long, so it¡¯s not necessary." Yuan quickly rejected their offer, as he was personally penniless.

    "Don¡¯t worry about the expenses, Young Master. The Lord won¡¯t charge you even a single coin." The guards said to him.

    Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    "But I don¡¯t want to intrude on this person without any reason," Yuan said. In his eyes, it was simply too awkward for him to stay in someone¡¯s house without any good reason, not to mention a ce as impressive-sounding as the ¡¯Lord¡¯s Manor¡¯.

    "To tell you the truth, we are only following the Lord¡¯s orders, as he is currently in a troubled situation and is looking for experts for help." The guards suddenly revealed the real reason why they wanted him to go to the Lord¡¯s Manor.

    For more, visit lightnov/elpu/b/[.

    "Oh?" Yuan¡¯s eyes flickered with interest upon hearing the guards¡¯ words.

    ¡¯Could this be a quest? Maybe the real reason they approached me is because I am a yer...¡¯ Yuan thought to himself.

    "I guess it won¡¯t hurt to visit this person who might need our help. What do you think, Xiao Hua?" Yuan nodded a momentter.

    "Xiao Hua will follow Brother Yuan¡¯s decision," she quickly responded.

    "Okay, then let¡¯s go to this Lord¡¯s Manor," Yuan said to the guards, who immediately wore very bright smiles on their faces.

    "Thank you very much, Young Masters! The Lord will be filled with joy once he learns of this!"

    "Please wait a moment while I find an escort for the Young Masters!"

    One of the guards quickly left the scene.

    A few minutester, the guard returned with a very beautifuldy who did not have the appearance of an ordinary escort.

    "Wee to Pang City, esteemed guests." Thedy greeted them with courtesy before introducing herself, "I am Luo Ling, the eldest daughter of the Luo Family that governs this humble city. Allow me to escort you back to my home."

    "You can call me Yuan, and this is Xiao Hua." Yuan gave her a quick introduction.

    "Senior Yuan and Senior Xiao, right?"

    "You can drop the formality and just call me Yuan." He said to her, as it felt incredibly weird for a beautifuldy who only appeared to be in her mid-twenties to call him ¡¯Senior¡¯.

    "How does Daoist Yuan sound? I do not dare to address someone as powerful as you so casually." Luo Ling said to him.

    "Powerful...? You are giving me too much credit. I am only at the Spirit Warrior level." Yuan said with a bashful smile.

    "Despite that, you emit a very formidable aura, not to mention the Young Lady beside you..." Luo Ling looked at Xiao Hua with a nervous gaze.

    Although she cannot see Xiao Hua¡¯s entire cultivation base, she was certain that Xiao Hua was at least at the Spirit Grandmaster level, as many people here have witnessed her flying without the assistance of a flying sword, and she even emits the aura of a true expert.

    "Daoist Yuan is fine, I guess." He nodded a momentter.

    For more, visit l/ightn/ovelpu/b[.

    Luo Ling proceeded to escort Yuan and Xiao Hua into the city.

    Meanwhile, the people that had to wait in line to get inside the Pang City began mumbling to each other.

    "Did you see that? I have never seen Lady Luo personally receive guests before!"

    "Of course I saw it! I am not blind! And those two were clearly experts! It¡¯d only be obvious that they would be treated with the utmost respect!"

    "Hey... did you hear that young man just now? I think he called himself ¡¯Yuan¡¯..."

    "Could he be the yer Yuan that everyone and their mother has been talking about?"

    "Are you sure you heard right? He didn¡¯t give off the feeling of a yer, much less an unfathomable individual such as yer Yuan. He¡¯s probably just an NPC with a simr name."

    "Yeah, probably."

    "It would be amazing if he was the real yer Yuan, though."

    A group of yers within the line chatted with each other while they waited for their turn to enter the city.

 Chapter 42 Luo Family

    After entering the city, Yuan said to Luo Ling, "The guards mentioned that the Lord of this city is currently in a troubled situation. What¡¯s troubling him, and how can we help him?"

    "Well, it¡¯s like this, Daoist Yuan. A few days ago, some ignorant adventurer went into the mountains to hunt, and he identally killed the Mountain Lord¡¯s child. This greatly angered the Mountain Lord, who immediately med our city and swore to send an army of monsters to trample us very soon."

    "Mountain Lord? Is that a person or...?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    "The Mountain Lord is a fearsome beast at the fifth level of the Spirit Warrior realm, and it is a guardian of sorts for the Pang Mountain that¡¯s right beside our Pang City. If it attacks our city, only my father who¡¯s also at the fifth level of the Spirit Warrior realm can fight it, but then he won¡¯t be able to protect the city against the other monsters, and we are currentlycking in manpower with around 50 guards with most of them being at the Spirit Apprentice level." Luo Ling exined the situation to him.

    "This is why we are looking for any help we can get. If Daoist Yuan is willing to lend us your power, it would definitely help us a lot, and we won¡¯t spare any effort into repaying you afterward." Luo Ling said to him with her head lowered.

    "Since this city needs help and the strongest threat is only at the fifth level of the Spirit Warrior realm, there¡¯s no reason why I would refuse to give you my assistance." Yuan nodded.

    Now that he is at the fourth level of the Spirit Warrior realm, he shouldn¡¯t have any problems fighting even seventh level Spirit Warriors, much less a Spirit Warrior at the fifth level.

    "Thank you very much, Daoist Yuan! My father will definitely be ecstatic to hear thister!" Luo Ling bowed to him again before they continued walking.

    Sometimeter, they arrived at a massive building that was situated in the middle of the city.

    "Wee to my family¡¯s humble home." Luo Ling said to him when they were at the front gates.

    "..."

    Yuan looked at the decorated building with wide eyes. How can such a ce be described as ¡¯humble¡¯?

    "Wee back, Young Lady. Wee to the Lord¡¯s Manor, esteemed guests." The guards by the gate greeted them when they approached.

    "Where¡¯s my father?" she asked them.

    "Lord Luo should be finishing up with the other guests right as we speak¡ª"

    "Oh! Esteemed guests! You are finally here!"

    A middle-aged man wearing luxurious official clothes suddenly came running out of the building in the middle of the guard¡¯s sentence.

    "Wee to my humble home, esteemed guests! The guards have already briefed me about your presence. Thank you so much for taking the time to even listen to our request despite being so busy yourselves." Lord Luo extended his hands to Yuan for a handshake.

    "Don¡¯t worry about it. We are not actually that busy, anyway." Yuan said as he epted Lord Luo¡¯s handshake.

    "Please, let us continue speaking inside."

    Lord Luo then led them into arge guest room and said to Luo Ling, "Bring us our finest tea, and bring the other two here while you¡¯re at it."

    "Yes, father." Luo Ling nodded.

    "Excuse me for a moment, Daoist Yuan." She said to him before leaving the room.

    "Esteemed guests, once again, allow me to thank you foring here." Lord Luo said to them a momentter.

    "Just call me Daoist Yuan, and I have heard everything about your situation from Luo Ling," Yuan said to him. "You need help defending the city, right?"

    "That¡¯s right, Daoist Yuan. As shameful as it may sound, being only a fifth level Spirit Warrior, I do not have what it takes to defend the city in this dire situation. We usually don¡¯t have to worry about the beasts within the Pang Mountain because of a peace treaty between the city and the Mountain Lord, but because of what happened with the Mountain Lord¡¯s child, the treaty was broken. We had even tried to bring the perpetrator directly to the Mountain Lord, hoping it¡¯d at least spare the innocent people in the city, but s, the Mountain Lord was too consumed in anger to even care." Lord Luo spoke in a sighing voice.

    "Daoist Yuan, the city and I will be eternally grateful even if you can help us take care of the weaker monsters, as it¡¯s the people in the city that I am the most worried about, and I will handle the Mountain Lord by myself."

    ?You have received a Quest?

    ?Quest: Protecting Pang City?

    ?Difficulty: Easy?

    ?Quest Description: Defend the Pang City against the Mountain Lord¡¯s attack?

    Yuan nodded his head and said, "Okay, we¡¯ll help you defend the city."

    "Thank you! Thank you very much, Daoist Yuan!"

    Sometimeter, Luo Ling returned to the room with a teapot and two cups along with two other individuals that appeared to be around the same age as Yuan.

    "Let me introduce you to my other children, Daoist Yuan." Lord Luo pointed at the handsome young man and said, "This is my eldest son Luo Ming, who is 20 years old and at the first level Spirit Warrior."

    N?velDrama.Org content.

    "Hello, fellow Daoist." Luo Ming nodded at him.

    Lord Luo then moved to the beautiful youngdy beside him and said, "This is my youngest child, Luo Li, who is at the same age as Daoist Yuan and at the peak of the Spirit Apprentice level."

    "It¡¯s a pleasure to meet someone as talented and handsome as Daoist Yuan." She gave him a graceful bow with the colors on her cheeks slightly rosy.

    ¡¯Handsome...?¡¯ Yuan raised his eyebrows. This is the first time anyone¡¯s ever praised him for being handsome.

    ¡¯Now that I think about it, I don¡¯t know what my appearance looks like in this game...¡¯ Yuan suddenly came to this realization, as he never really cared about his own appearance, hence why he did not give it any thoughts until now.

 Chapter 43 Ulterior Motives

    After his children introduced themselves, Lord Luo said to Yuan, "Daoist Yuan, you came to the Pang City to rest, right? I have already arranged two of our best rooms for you and the Young Lady. And from the information we¡¯ve gathered, the Mountain Lord ns on attacking us either tomorrow or the day after, so you are free to do whatever you want until then."

    "I will leave one of my children with you just in case you need anything." Lord Luo then turned to look at his youngest daughter, Luo Li with a sharp gaze.

    Luo Li immediately realized what her father was trying to tell her and stepped forward.

    "I will be taking care of all of your needs, Daoist Yuan. If there¡¯s anything you desire, don¡¯t hesitate to talk to me," she said to him.

    Assisting the guests¡¯ needs are usually the servants¡¯ job, but Lord Luo specifically assigned his own daughter to take care of Yuan simply because he hoped that some kind of romantic rtionship could bud between them, as it would definitely benefit their family to have a talented individual like Yuan with them.

    "I¡¯ll be troubling you," Yuan calmly said, unable to take the obvious hint.

    "Luo Li, show the guests their rooms. I have to return to the other guests since I kind of left them hanging toe here." Lord Luo said to her.

    He then turned to look at Yuan and said, "I won¡¯t bother you any longer, Daoist Yuan. If you need anything ¡ª anything at all ¡ª just let my daughter know and she¡¯ll take care of it. Although she may be young, I can proudly say that I¡¯ve raised a verypetent daughter."

    After Lord Luo and the others left the room, Luo Li said to Yuan, "Shall we head to your room now?"

    Yuan nodded and followed her to arge room somewhere down the hall.

    "This will be Daoist Yuan¡¯s room, and the one next to it will be the Young Lady¡¯s room." Luo Li said to them.

    "Xiao Hua will stay with Brother Yuan." Xiao Hua suddenly said to her.

    "That¡¯s okay, too. The bed isrge enough to fit four people, after all." Luo Li nodded.

    A few momentster, when they entered the room, Yuan was amazed by the spacious room that was decorated with Chinese antiques in almost every direction.

    "What do you think, Daoist Yuan? Is this room to your taste?" Luo Li asked him a momentter.

    "Un." He quickly nodded.

    "Then I will leave you alone for now. If you need anything, I will be standing outside." Luo Li said to him.

    "Eh? You don¡¯t have to do that. It would actually have the opposite effect, and I won¡¯t be able to rx." Yuan looked at her with wide eyes.

    "Then what do you suggest, Daoist Yuan? My father told me to stay with you, after all. He won¡¯t like it if I left you alone."

    For more, visit [.

    Yuan scratched his head before saying, "I guess you can stay here for now. I have a few questions about a few things, too."

    "Then I shall stay in this room with Daoist Yuan." Luo Li nodded before walking to the door and standing there like a guardian of sorts.

    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.

    "You don¡¯t have to be so strict with yourself. Sit down and rx." Yuan said to her with a weird smile on his face, feeling kind of awkward with her seriousness.

    Sometimeter, Yuan and Luo Li sat across each other on the couch.

    "Your father mentioned other guests. Are they also going to be helping with defending the city?" Yuan asked her.

    "Yes. Most of them are warriors who came from a very distantnd, and they were all very eager to help us defend the city after we told them about our situation, and we cannot be more thankful to everyone for helping us, especially you, Daoist Yuan." Luo Li said with a beautiful smile on her face.

    ¡¯A distantnd? Could they be yers like myself?¡¯ Yuan thought to himself.

    "I see... then can you tell me more about this ce?" he asked a momentter.

    "Our Pang City? We¡¯re just an ordinary city with a few thousand citizens. Compared to Daoist Yuan¡¯s background, we¡¯re not even worth mentioning." Luo Li replied with an embarrassed smile.

    For more, visit [/.

    "My background?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    Luo Li nodded and said, "Despite being the same age as me, Daoist Yuan is already at the fourth level Spirit Warrior. I have never met anyone as talented as you before. Surely, you muste from a powerful sect or a renowned family."

    However, Yuan quickly shook his head and said, "I¡¯m neither from a powerful sect or a renowned family."

    "Eh? Really? Then where did Daoist Yuane from? And who taught you how to Cultivate?" Luo Li looked at him with wide eyes, as she cannot imagine someone as talented as Yuaning from nowhere.

    "Well, I am also from a distantnd that is not well-known in this ce. As for who taught me cultivation..." Yuan turned to look at Xiao Hua, who was casually sitting beside him with a calm expression.

    "This Young Lady taught you cultivation?" Luo Li stared at her with a dazed expression.

    However, Xiao Hua shook her head and said, "Xiao Hua did not really do anything. It was Brother Yuan who learned everything by himself."

    "That¡¯s not true, Xiao Hua. If not for you I would not have be a Cultivator so soon, and you were the one who gave me the cultivation technique and taught me what it means to be a Cultivator."

    "Xiao Hua merely gave Brother Yuan the chance to learn the cultivation technique. It was mostly due to Brother Yuan¡¯s own effort and talent that he managed to learn it."

    Visit ligh/tnove/lpub[.] for a better experience

    Luo Li was speechless. Hearing their conversation, it sounded as if Yuan had only be a Cultivator very recently.

    "When did Daoist Yuan start cultivating?" she decided to ask him out of curiosity.

    "Uhh... about a week ago?" Yuan said after pondering for a bit.

    "..."

    Luo Li stared at him with wide eyes that were filled with disbelief. It¡¯d taken him only a week to reach the fourth level Spirit Warrior realm from the beginning? What kind of cultivation monster is he?!

 Chapter 44 Appearance

    "Don¡¯t think too much about it, you¡¯ll only give yourself a headache," Xiao Hua suddenly said to Luo Li, almost as though she could read her mind. "Brother Yuan is a prodigy that appears once every few generations. You won¡¯t understand his talent with ordinary logic."

    "Is...Is that so...?" Luo Li decided to take Xiao Hua¡¯s advice and stopped thinking about it.

    Sometimeter, Yuan said, "By the way, I would like to take a look around this city if you don¡¯t mind."

    "Of course not! Let me speak with my father first, then I will guide you around the city!" Luo Li quickly said.

    Yuan nodded, and Luo Li left the room shortlyter.

    Once Luo Li was gone, Yuan looked around the room with curiosity, as this is his first time being inside such a unique room, and that is when he noticed the tall mirror sitting at the corner of the room.

    "Oh? A mirror?" Yuan immediately stood up and walked to the mirror with his heart filled with anticipation and nervousness. What does he look like in this world? Is he really as handsome as Luo Li described him?

    "This is me...?"

    Yuan stood before the mirror that was slightly taller than his head with a dazed face.

    He had short but silky ck hair on his oval-shaped head, clear brown eyes that were bright as crystals, long eyshes that would make even females jealous, sharp but neat eyebrows, and a small nose. Overall, his face was very symmetrical and pleasant-looking.

    Visit l/i/ghtnove//lpub[. for a better experience

    Thest time he¡¯d seen his own face was when he was 7 years old¡ª before he lost his ability to see and became blind.

    "If I recall correctly, Yu Rou once mentioned that one¡¯s appearance in the game will closely resemble their appearance in the real world, hence why I entered this game with an avatar already created for me. However, I do not know what I look like in the real world, and it has been over 10 years since Ist saw my own face, so I cannot confirm whether this face really resembles my real appearance or not..."

    Furthermore, because he does not know the standard regarding one¡¯s appearance, he cannot really tell whether he¡¯s really handsome or not.

    Therefore, he decided to ask someone else for their opinion.

    "Xiao Hua, I have a question for you." Yuan suddenly said to her.

    "What is it, Brother Yuan?"

    He then pointed at his own face and asked with a serious expression, "Without being biased, what do you think of my appearance? Would you say that I am handsome? Or am I ugly?"

    "..."

    Xiao Hua looked at him with wide eyes, seemingly speechless by his sudden question.

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    A few momentster, she spoke in a bashful voice and with slightly rosy cheeks, "Xiao Hua thinks Brother Yuan is very handsome..."

    "Really? Are you sure that you¡¯re not justplimenting me because you don¡¯t want to hurt my feelings? It¡¯s okay to tell the truth, Xiao Hua." Yuan said to her, as he had a feeling that her judgment might be somewhat inurate because of their rtionship.

    "X-Xiao Hua is telling the truth! Brother Yuan is very handsome!" Xiao Hua said again, but her face was flushed with redness this time.

    "Okay, I will trust your judgment." Yuan nodded.

    "..."

    Xiao Hua was speechless. Why would he even want this kind of feedback? Did he not look in the mirror just now? Anyone with a working brain would agree that Yuan was handsome. Or did he just want to tease her?

    "Why are you asking about your appearance, Brother Yuan? Is it because of that Luo girl?" she decided to ask him.

    However, Yuan quickly shook his head and said, "No, I was just wondering because I have never really cared for my own appearance."

    "Don¡¯t worry, Brother Yuan. In the cultivation world, one¡¯s appearance isn¡¯t that important. As long as you are talented and powerful, unless you have the world¡¯s ugliest face, you¡¯ll be able to attract girls! And since Brother Yuan is both talented and handsome, you will, without doubt, have beauties fighting for you in every direction in the future!" Thinking that Yuan was worried about his appearance, Xiao Hua decided to cheer him up.

    "Hahaha... My appearance is the least of my worries, Xiao Hua..." Yuanughed in a bitter voice.

    A few minutester, Luo Li returned to the room. However, she looked a little bit different than before she left, almost as though she came back even prettier.

    It was obvious that besides speaking with her father, Luo Li had spent some time improving her own appearance with light makeup.

    Of course, as someone who doesn¡¯t pay much attention to appearances, Yuan waspletely oblivious of this fact.

    "Daoist Yuan, I have let my father know about your wishes to look around the city. We can leave whenever you want," she said to him.

    "Okay, then let¡¯s leave now," Yuan said.

    Sometimeter, they left the Lord¡¯s Manor.

    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.

    "Where do you wish to visit first, Daoist Yuan?" she asked him once they were outside.

    Yuan shrugged and said, "I don¡¯t know what¡¯s in this city, so I¡¯ll let you choose where to visit."

    The most up-to-date novels are published on li/ghtn/ovelpub[.]/c/om

    However, as this is her first time giving a tour to someone, Luo Li was also unsure of where to go. Therefore, she decided to just walk around the city until theye across something that would pique Yuan¡¯s interest.

    "That fruit stall over there is managed by Madam Ying, and it always has the freshest fruits in the city."

    "That¡¯s Mister Wang¡¯s Treasure, the only weapon shop in our city."

    "This is the residences¡¯ area, where most of the citizens live."

    "That building over there is Li¡¯s Clinic..."

    Luo Li gave a brief exnation for most of the shops and buildings they passed, and Yuan would listen to her with a bright face, looking as though he was in an amusement park.

    However, he would show the most interest when Luo Li talked about the buildings that were rted to food, and upon noticing this, Luo Li asked him, "Would you like to experience some of Pang City¡¯s finest cuisines?"

    "Really?" Yuan immediately became excited. But when he remembered that his wallet was near empty, he asked her, "I only have ten gold coins on me. Will that be enough?"

    Finding his question quite silly, Luo Li couldn¡¯t help butugh slightly, "With 10 gold coins, you can eat everything on every single menu in this city and still have plenty of money left."

    "What? The food here is that cheap? Myst meal was atrociously expensive inparison!" Yuan was shocked to learn that the food in this ce was so cheap, especially when he¡¯d spent 500 gold coins on his previous meal.

    "Brother Yuan, that¡¯s because you were stuffing your face with expensive spiritual meat... Normal food will only cost a few silver coins at most." Xiao Hua said to him.

    "Is that so? Then what are we waiting for? Let¡¯s go eat until our stomachs are round!" Yuan quickly said.

 Chapter 45 Bounty

    Sometimeter, Luo Li brought Yuan to one of theirrgest and most famous restaurants.

    "Hundred Style Pork Shop?" Yuan looked at the sign above the door with a slightly wet mouth.

    "As the name implies, this restaurant specializes in pork. Of course, there are other foods on the menu, but they are most famous for their pork." Luo Li said to them before they walked inside.

    "Wee to the Hundred Style Pork Shop, Lady Luo!" The receptionist immediately recognized and greeted Luo Li.

    "Table for three," she said.

    "I understand. Please,e with me."

    The receptionist then led them to thergest table in the room that could easily fit even arge family.

    "Here¡¯s the menu, Young Lady."

    "Thank you. By the way, you can send the bill to my family." Luo Li then said to the receptionist.

    "Eh? Are you sure?" Yuan asked her when he heard her words.

    For more, visit [./]

    "Yes. Although it¡¯s not much, please allow my family to treat Daoist Yuan to this meal. If my father was here, he would¡¯ve also said the same. After all, Daoist Yuan is still our esteemed guest. If we cannot even do something as simple as feeding you, then it would bring shame upon the entire Luo Family." Luo Li said.

    "You¡¯re exaggerating..." Yuan said with an awkward smile, as he was not used to this royalty-like treatment.

    "Anyway, please order whatever you want, Daoist Yuan. My family will bear all of your bills today."

    Seeing the stubbornly beautiful smile on Luo Li¡¯s face, Yuan could only nod his head and ept her offer.

    A few momentster, Yuan began ordering from the menu.

    "I¡¯ll have this braised pork, this seasoned pork, this pulled pork, this... this... this... and this..."

    "..."

    Both the receptionist and Luo Li stared at Yuan with wide eyes as he continued to name dishes after dishes until he named almost every dish that was avable on the menu.

    Meanwhile, Xiao Hua casually sat there with a calm expression, looking as though she was used to seeing this scene.

    "V-Very well. I¡¯ll immediately notify the cooks..." The receptionist quickly left their table a few minutester with her hands feeling slightly numb from writing essentially the entire menu.

    "D-Daoist Yuan must have been starving from his journey..." Luo Li said to him with a stiff smile on her face, while silently wondering to herself whether Yuan really had the ability to eat so much food.

    "Yes, I am quite exhausted after riding the flying sword for so long." Yuan nodded.

    "If you don¡¯t mind me asking, where does Daoist Yuan n on heading to after the Pang City?" she suddenly asked him.

    "Oh, we are heading to the Purple Bamboo Forest for training," he said with a calm expression.

    "The Purple Bamboo Forest?!" Luo Li covered her mouth in shock after hearing his words.

    "Eh? What¡¯s the matter?" Yuan was surprised by her reaction.

    "The Purple Bamboo Forest is renowned for nurturing powerful beasts above the Spirit Warrior realm! It¡¯s a dangerous ce where beasts as powerful as the Mountain Lord are abundant, and only the strongest warriors would dare to train such a ce!" Luo Li looked at Yuan with awe in her eyes, "To think Daoist Yuan would go to such a dangerous ce just for training, you are truly on another levelpared to me, who cannot even go to the Pang Mountain without supervision. I am now feeling ashamed to even share the same table as you..."

    "It may be a dangerous ce, but how else am I going to grow stronger?" Yuanughed.

    "Indeed, while it may be dangerous, the cultivation world is already filled with danger, and only those who are willing to risk their lives for improvements like Daoist Yuan can truly reach the peak. I really admire Daoist Yuan for that." Luo Li said to him with an adoring gaze.

    Sometimeter, the receptionist and a few servers returned to their table with dishes in both their hands.

    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.

    "We will continue bringing the dishes as they are being cooked. Do you need another table to hold the dishes?" The servers asked them.

    "No, it¡¯s fine. Brother Yuan will finish the dishes before you can even bring out new tes..." Xiao Hua said to them.

    Sometimeter, once the table was filled with dishes, Yuan quickly began stuffing his face with food.

    "Oh, man! This food is really amazing! The meat is so vorful and filled with juices! Every bite I take fills my mouth with bliss!"

    "..."

    Luo Li watched as Yuan constantly shove food into his mouth without stopping with a dazed face, silently wondering to herself, ¡¯Daoist Yuan is truly unfathomable... How can so much food fit into that body?¡¯

    A few momentster, Luo Li also began eating the food, but unlike Yuan, she ate as slow and as gracefully as possible, as she was afraid of ruining her makeup.

    And just like Xiao Hua had predicted, Yuan managed to finish the dishes on the table before the next round of tes were brought to them, which greatly shocked the servers there.

    "Hey, did you hear? They increased their offer for yer Yuan again."

    Suddenly, as he was chewing his food, Yuan heard the people sitting behind them mention his name, causing him to slow down.

    "I saw it. It¡¯s up to 50 million dors, right?"

    "They are even awarding anyone who can identify yer Yuan with 5 million."

    "5 million?! I will be set for life with that amount of money!"

    "It will only be a matter of time before one of his friends or even family members reveal his real identity to the world for the money."

    "I can¡¯t believe people are willing to pay that much money for a cheater like yer Yuan."

    "You will never understand the rich."

    "There are even some people who want to see yer Yuan being PK¡¯d! I think the bounty is around 10 million right now."

    "Hahaha... Reward or not, if I ever see this yer Yuan, I¡¯m definitely going to yer Kill him!"

    "..."

    Yuan slowly turned around to look at the group of people chatting loudly behind him with a dumbfounded expression, his round cheeks still filled with food. Surely, they must be talking about someone else with the same name as him, right? After all, he does not recall doing anything that would make other yers hate him to the point of putting a bounty on his head! Hell, he hasn¡¯t even encountered any other yers until now!

 Chapter 46 Learning About The Situation

    "What¡¯s the matter, Brother Yuan? Are you full already?" Xiao Hua asked him after noticing that he¡¯d stopped eating the food.

    "No... not yet..." Yuan quickly returned to stuffing food into his mouth, but his ears remained perked and focused on the group of yers behind him, as he was curious about this ¡¯yer Yuan¡¯ they were mentioning. Surely, they must be talking about someone else who has the same name as him, right? After all, it¡¯s not umon for people to have the same name in games nowadays, as they have removed the ¡¯unrepeatable names¡¯ limit for most games these days, allowing yers to have whatever name they want without the frustration of changing names because someone had already picked the name before them.

    "Though, this yer Yuan sure is quite the mystery. Anyone with a working brain would not hide their existence when there¡¯s so much fame to their name. If he continues to hide his identity, people will eventually forget about him, wasting this massive opportunity to be famous."

    "Do you think yer Yuan is actually someone within the Legacy?"

    "That¡¯s not possible. Everyone in the Legacy has already announced their identity in the game to the world, and we know that it¡¯s not possible for one person to have two different characters in this game even if they buy two consoles."

    "It doesn¡¯t matter who this yer Yuan is! As long as there¡¯s a bounty for his head, everyone will be aiming to PK him!"

    ¡¯Good heavens, what on earth did this yer Yuan do to make the yers so angry?¡¯ Yuan silently pondered to himself as he listened to the yers talk.

    A few minutester, when Yuan could no longer contain his curiosity, he turned around and spoke to the yers, "Excuse me, can you tell me more about this yer Yuan? What did he do to make the others want to yer Kill him?"

    Hearing his question, the yers looked at him with a weird expression.

    "Hm? You don¡¯t know about yer Yuan? Have you not been on the intetely? Even people who don¡¯t y the game know about him!" One of them said to them.

    "Unfortunately, I haven¡¯t..." Yuan said with a bitter smile.

    "Well, yer Yuan is a mysterious yer who has been dominating the game with an impossibly fast progression recently, and there are even usations of him being a cheater."

    "A cheater?" Yuan¡¯s eyes widened with surprise. How does one even cheat in this game?

    "Is that why people want to PK him? Because he¡¯s cheating?" He then asked.

    "That¡¯s only one of many reasons why people want him dead. Well, the biggest reason is that they envy this yer Yuan, who is akin to a god-like existence in this game at this current moment."

    "God-like existence?" Yuan expressed awe.

    "Of course. He not only has a Divine-grade technique but also a Divine-grade servant! And it hasn¡¯t even been that long since the gameunched! It¡¯s no wonder people are calling him a cheater! How else can you progress that fast?!"

    "Eh...?" Yuan¡¯s eyes widened with shock after hearing such words. A Divine-grade technique and a Divine-grade servant?

    He slowly turned to look at Xiao Hua and swallowed nervously. Surely, it must only be some kind of coincidence...

    When the yers saw Yuan¡¯s bewildered reaction, they allughed loudly, "Hahaha! We know exactly how you feel, young man! We also felt the same when we first heard it!"

    "However, this yer Yuan is not only powerful, but he¡¯s also incredibly rich, as he¡¯d obtained over 1,000,000 gold coins not long ago, bing the first person to enter the Wealth Leaderboards!"

    "And he even soloed this dungeon recently!"

    "..."

    Yuan began sweating profusely at their words.

    ¡¯Heavens! They are really talking about me!¡¯ He cried inwardly after this realization.

    N?velDrama.Org content.

    "I-I see..." Yuan tried his best to remain calm and said to them, "Thank you for this information, I will now also keep my eyes out for this yer Yuan..."

    "Good luck, buddy! We¡¯ll also try our best to find and kill this yer Yuan! But because almost every yer is currently looking for him, it won¡¯t be that easy!" The yers said to him with bright smiles all over their faces, and they left the restaurant shortlyter.

    "..."

    Yuan quickly turned around and continued eating with his back soaked in cold sweat.

    ¡¯What the hell?! I am definitely not a cheater! How dare people use me of cheating when they don¡¯t even know anything?!¡¯

    It was at this moment that Yuan swore to keep his identity a secret from the other yers, as it would be disastrous if people knew of his real identity. And even if he was powerful enough to defeat other yers, he did not want to fight every yer that crosses paths with him in the future.

    ¡¯Why have things be soplicated now? Why must I be hunted by every yer in the world because I got a little bit lucky? I only want to enjoy this game like everyone else!¡¯ Yuan sighed inwardly.

    However, this situation is something he cannot control, and he could only hope that people will soon forget about him.

    Meanwhile, Xiao Hua and Luo Li silently stared at Yuan with a contemting expression, almost as though they were unable toprehend Yuan¡¯s conversation with the other yers just now. However, they quickly gave up a few secondster and continued eating as though it wasn¡¯t their concern.

    An hourter, Yuan rubbed his round stomach with a satisfied expression. "Ahh, that was amazing..."

    Luo Li chuckled and said to him, "What¡¯s even more amazing is Daoist Yuan¡¯s stomach. I did not think you would really eat everything, and I apologize for doubting your ability."

    "Young Lady, the bill will be 6 gold coins..." The server said to her afterward.

    "I will have someone bring the money overter," she nodded.

    A few minutester, all of the servers and even the cooks in the restaurant came outside to bow to them.

    "We thank Young Lady and her friends for their patronage." They said to them.

    "What should we do now, Daoist Yuan?" Luo Li asked him after they left the restaurant.

    "Let¡¯s return to the Lord¡¯s Manor. I¡¯m too full to do anything right now." Yuan said to her.

    "Very well." She nodded.

 Chapter 47 Cultivation Technique Improvements

    Upon returning to the Lord¡¯s Manor, Yuan went straight to his room with Xiao Hua, while Luo Li went to brief her father about their little tour and restaurant bill.

    "What should we do now, Xiao Hua? We have plenty of time until the Mountain Lord attacks, but I don¡¯t want to just sit around and do nothing." Yuan said to her.

    "Most people would cultivate during their free time, as every minute matters," she said to him.

    "Eh... But I find cultivating normally very boring. I¡¯m just sitting there and breathing, after all. And it¡¯ll take forever for me to reach the next level if I were to cultivate normally..." Yuan sighed.

    Now that he needs millions upon millions of Qi to reach the next level, it would take him many days, even weeks to breakthrough a single level when his cultivation technique only absorbs 5 Qi per second.

    "Cultivation, in general, takes a very long time," Xiao Hua said to him. "Once Brother Yuan reaches the higher realms, it might take you decades of cultivation time to improve a single level."

    "But since Brother Yuan doesn¡¯t want to cultivate normally, why don¡¯t Xiao Hua read her book for you?" Xiao Hua then suggested.

    "Oh? That book?" Yuan nodded. Now that he¡¯s improved his cultivation, perhaps he might learn something new this time.

    A few momentster, Xiao Hua retrieved her book and began reading it.

    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.

    Yuan closed his eyes and focused on Xiao Hua¡¯s gentle and innocent voice.

    Many minutester, Luo Li returned to the room, but when she saw that Yuan had entered cultivation, she decided to remain outside until he was done, as it was very offensive to interrupt someone while they were cultivating, and it might even lead to internal injuries that are very difficult to heal.

    A few hourster, Yuan opened his eyes, feeling as though new knowledge was gushing into his head.

    ?Yourprehension for Heaven¡¯s Secret Art has greatly increased?

    ?Heaven Consuming Technique Mastery Level (1) ¡ú (2)?

    ?Heaven Consuming Technique?

    ?Rank: Divine?

    ?Mastery Level: 2?

    ?Description: Absorbs 500 Qi every second. Can only be activated during cultivation in the lotus position?

    ?Heaven Splitting Sword Strike Mastery Level (1) ¡ú (2)?

    ?Heaven Splitting Sword Strike?

    ?Rank: Divine?

    ?Mastery Level: 2?

    ?Description: Consumes 10,000,000 Qi. Must wield a sword to activate. Creates a pir of sword light that will destroy everything that dares to block its path?

    ¡¯500 Qi per second! That¡¯s 100 times faster than before! And I need 10 million Qi to activate Heaven Splitting Sword Strike now?! That¡¯s 1,000 times more than before!¡¯ Yuan was shocked by the massive improvements to his cultivation technique.

    ¡¯I guess it only makes sense that you would absorb and use more Qi the higher your level,¡¯ he thought to himself.

    Seeing the formidable aura around Yuan, Xiao Hua could easily tell that he¡¯d once again improved as a Cultivator.

    ¡¯Just what is Brother Yuan¡¯s limit? Does he even have a limit to his talent?¡¯ Xiao Hua pondered to herself.

    Every Cultivator under Heaven is either born with or without talent and for those born with talents, regardless of how much, there is always a limitation to their talents as set by the Mighty Heavens.

    ¡¯No... There exist people who do not have a limit to their talents... but those people are...¡¯

    "Xiao Hua, my understanding of the cultivation technique has improved slightly," Yuan suddenly said to her. "I can now absorb more Qi with the cultivation technique."

    Xiao Hua quickly tossed her thoughts to the side and said, "Brother Yuan is always improving so Xiao Hua is not surprised."

    Meanwhile, when Luo Li heard the two of them talking, she knocked on the door and said, "Are you finished with cultivation, Daoist Yuan?"

    "Eh? Don¡¯t tell me you have been standing outside this entire time?" Yuan quickly went to open the door for her.

    "I did not want to bother Daoist Yuan, after all." She nodded.

    "Anyway, I have some news for Daoist Yuan. We have new information on the Mountain Lord, and it might begin the invasion as early as tomorrow morning."

    "I understand." He nodded.

    "One more thing, my father would like to invite you for dinnerter, but it¡¯s okay to refuse because we know that you might still be full from the restaurant earlier today."

    "Dinner? That sounds great." Yuan immediately epted their invitation regardless of how full his stomach was, as he would never turn down a meal as long as it wasn¡¯t only soup.

    "That¡¯s great! I will let my father know." Luo Li said before disappearing again.

    After Luo Li left, Yuan said to Xiao Hua, "I¡¯m also going to leave for a bit. If she returns before I do, just let her know."

    Xiao Hua nodded and watched as Yuan disappeared into thin air right before her eyes.

    "..."

    Silence filled the room after Yuan logged off, and Xiao Hua pondered with curiosity.

    ¡¯How does Brother Yuan disappear and appear as he pleases like that? He shouldn¡¯t know any teleporting techniques. And where does he go?¡¯

    However, after pondering for a few seconds, almost as though something inside her head had flipped, Xiao Hua immediately lost all interest in Yuan¡¯s sudden disappearance and treated it as though it was only normal.

    Meanwhile, after logging off the game, Yuan patiently waited for Yu Rou until she entered the room and began doing her daily routine.

    "Yu Rou, I¡¯m currently doing an important quest, and even though it might not happen until tomorrow morning, I¡¯ll be staying in the game for the night just in case," Yuan said to her.

    "Oh? So you¡¯re finally ying the game seriously, Brother? Okay, I¡¯ll let you y. But you really shouldn¡¯t do this too often. I don¡¯t want your health to weaken because of it."

    "Hahaha, you worry too much, Yu Rou. I have never felt better ever since I started ying the game, and there are even times when I feel as though my body is filled with energy. Of course, the only thing limiting me is my pathetic condition."

    Sometimeter, after being cleaned and fed by Yu Rou, Yuan returned to the game.

 Chapter 48 In-Game Even

    A few minutes after Yuan returned to the game, Luo Li knocked on the door.

    "Daoist Yuan, dinner is ready," she said to him.

    "I¡¯ming!" Yuan said beforeing out of the room with Xiao Hua.

    Luo Li then led the two of them into arge room with a long table in the middle where the rest of her family was waiting.

    "Thank you for epting our invitation, Daoist Yuan." Lord Luo said to him after seeing him.

    "No, I should be thanking you for inviting me."

    "Please, have a seat." Lord Luo gestured to the two empty seats beside him and two servants pulled out the chair for them.

    "Thank you..."

    After taking a seat, Lord Luo pped his hands. A few secondster, the servants began carrying dishes after dishes into the room.

    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.

    "I have heard about your impressive appetite to eat an entire menu and made sure to have enough food so that you don¡¯t have to worry about holding back." Lord Luo said to him with a bright smile as the table was being filled to the brim with food.

    For more, visit [.

    They began eating shortly afterward.

    "..."

    "..."

    "..."

    The Luo Family watched with wide eyes as Yuan consumed the food on the table as though he was a food monster.

    Even Luo Li, who had seen him eat before, couldn¡¯t help but stare at Yuan with wide eyes.

    ¡¯How can he still eat like that when he¡¯d already consumed so much not too long ago? Where does the food go after entering his stomach? It¡¯s almost as though there is a ck hole inside his stomach which could consume even the entire world!¡¯

    Meanwhile, Lord Luo was beginning to worry about what might happen to their family¡¯s finances if they had to feed Yuan like this every day.

    A little over an hourter, after they finished eating and the servants carried away the empty dishes, Lord Luo looked at Yuan and said to him, "Daoist Yuan, now that dinner is finished, why don¡¯t we have a little conversation? My family would like to ask you some questions."

    "Since you have satisfied my stomach, I don¡¯t mind answering a few questions. What would you like to know?" Yuan said.

    "Do you have any hobbies?" Luo Li was the first to ask him.

    "It may sound simple, but I enjoy doing anything that requires me to exert myself. Whether it be hunting monsters or simply walking around town, I enjoy it all."

    "I think it¡¯s wonderful." Luo Li said with an alluring smile.

    "I will ask the next question," said Luo Ming. "Since you mentioned hunting monsters, what¡¯s the strongest beast you¡¯ve defeated so far?"

    "The strongest beasts, huh? I defeated a Demonic Spider that was at the fourth level Spirit Warrior realm not long before arriving at this ce." Yuan said in a calm voice.

    "A Demonic Spider?!" Luo Ming eximed in a shocked voice. "Y-You are stronger than I¡¯d expected, Daoist Yuan. Even the Elders at my sect would have trouble fighting a Demonic Spider..."

    "..."

    The other people in the room had simr expressions as Luo Ming after learning that Yuan had defeated a Demonic Spider. If only they knew that he¡¯d obliterated it with a single strike.

    A few momentster, Luo Ling asked him, "You don¡¯t have to answer this if you don¡¯t want to, Daoist Yuan, but do you have a Dao Companion?"

    "..."

    The room instantly turned silent with everyone¡¯s gaze staring intensely at Yuan, especially Luo Li, whose heart was beating loudly.

    "Dao...Companion...?" Yuan lifted his eyebrows at this unfamiliar term. "I¡¯m sorry, but what is a Dao Companion?"

    Albeit a little bit surprised by his question, Luo Ling responded with a smile on her face, "A Dao Companion is someone you walk the cultivation path with for the rest of your life¡ª a spouse so to speak."

    "Like a wife? Then no, I do not have someone like that. I am way too young to be thinking about something like that." Yuan shook his head.

    "What are you talking about, Daoist Yuan? You are already eligible for marriage at the age of 16! Then what about a girlfriend? Surely, someone as talented and handsome as you should have one or two already, right?" Luo Ling continued to ask him with a brave expression on her face.

    "No... I also don¡¯t have someone like that..." he said with a bitter smile on his face.

    ¡¯I am in no position to have someone like that in my life as I do not want them to waste their time on someone in my condition, and I¡¯m sure that nobody would be willing to ept me if they knew about my real identity...¡¯ Yuan sighed inwardly.

    Even if someone in the real world would be willing to take care of him, Yuan wasn¡¯t sure that he¡¯d be able to endure the guilt, as his heart is already filled to the brim with guilt for making Yu Rou take care of him.

    "I see... I¡¯m sorry if my questions made you feel awkward, Daoist Yuan." Luo Ling apologized to him afterward. She then turned to look at Luo Li and winked at her.

    Seeing this, Luo Li blushed.

    "Anyway..."

    Just as Lord Luo opened his mouth to speak, the door mmed open before a guard came rushing into the room.

    "Who dares?! Do you have no manners?!" Lord Luo shouted at the guard who came into the room.

    However, the guard ignored his anger and quickly said, "Please excuse my sudden entrance, Lord Luo! This is an emergency! There are thousands of beasts from the Pang Mountain rushing here as we speak!"

    "What?!" Lord Luo immediately stood up with a surprised face, "The Mountain Lord is already attacking us?! I was told they wouldn¡¯t attack until tomorrow morning! This is too sudden!"

    "Whatever! I will deal with whoever gave us the intel after we settle this situation!"

    Lord Luo then turned to look at Yuan and said, "I deeply apologize for this, especially when you just filled your stomach, but it appears the Mountain Lord has already begun its revenge."

    Yuan shook his head and said, "This just means I have more energy to fight with."

    "Gather all of the guards and prepare to defend the city!" Lord Luo then ordered the guard.

    Once the guard disappeared, Lord Luo said to his children, "I want the three of you to follow Daoist Yuan and defend the city with him. I am going to deal with the Mountain Lord."

    "Yes, father!" They nodded.

    A few momentster, Lord Luo also rushed outside.

    "Please take care of us, Daoist Yuan."

    The Luo Family bowed to Yuan afterward.

    Sometimeter, a notification appeared above Pang City.

    ?Event ¡¯Mountain Lord¡¯s Invasion¡¯ has begun!?

    ?y the monsters attacking Pang City to receive points!?

    ?The yer with the highest points at the end will receive a special reward!?

    "An in-game event?" Yuan looked at the notification in the sky with his interest piqued.

 Chapter 49 Domineering Presence

    After seeing the notification on the sky and not wanting to let the others get ahead of him in points, Yuan quickly said to the others, "Let''s go!"

    Yuan and the Luo Family proceeded to run outside the city gates, where hundreds of people were already gathered.

    There were around one hundred people wearing simr-looking armors whilst the rest of the people there were wearingmon and unmatching gear. It was obvious who the yers were and who were the NPCs at a nce.

    ''There are so many yers here¡­'' Yuan was slightly surprised, even feeling a little nervous, worried that he might reveal his identity once he starts fighting.

    "Xiao Hua¡­" he suddenly called for her, and he asked her, "Do you have any equipment that covers the face? Something like a mask¡­"

    Not even questioning why he needed it, Xiao Hua nodded before rummaging her storage pouch.

    "Here you go, Brother Yuan." Xiao Hua handed him an elegant-looking ck face mask that could cover his entire face.

    "Thank you, Xiao Hua. I will return it to youter," he said as he epted the mask.

    ?ck Jade Mask?

    ?Grade: Spirit?

    ?Quality: Peak?

    Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    ?Mental Strength Required: 2,500?

    ?Description: A profound mask that increases your Mental Defense by 5,000?

    "Just like the sword, Brother Yuan can keep it." Xiao Hua said to him afterward.

    Yuan nodded, and immediately after wearing the mask, he could feel his mind easing and feeling more tranquil.

    The Luo Family wondered why Yuan felt the need to hide his face, but they didn''t have time to ask him as someone there suddenly shouted with excitement, "The monsters are here!"

    Once the people there heard that, they all retrieved their weapons and prepared to fight.

    Very soon, hundreds of monsters between the third level and seventh level Spirit Apprentice could be seen rushing towards the city walls.

    "DEFEND THE CITY!"

    The guards roared loudly, causing the atmosphere to instantly change, and the ce there quickly became a battlefield with both the NPCs and the yers engaged in fights with the monsters.

    Yuan and the Luo Family also began attacking the monsters.

    ?+2 Points?

    ?+3 Points?

    ?+1 Point?

    After Yuan swiftly beheaded three monsters with only normal sword techniques, he rushed to the front lines where there were barely any people but filled with monsters and began ying even more monsters with ease, each with a single sword strike.

    The monsters that were in by Yuan did not even have a chance to scream before bing a corpse, and when the Luo Family saw how effortlessly he was ying these monsters, their eyes widened with admiration and awe.

    Granted, Yuan was a Spirit Warrior fighting monsters way below his level, but the way he so effortlessly executed the monsters was nothing short of perfection, and it was almost like a walk in the park for him.

    However, it was not just the Luo Family that were surprised by Yuan''s prowess, as the other yers have also taken notice of his domineering presence on the battlefield.

    "Who the hell is that single-man-army?! He''s killing the monsters as though they are defenseless chickens!"

    "He''s probably some expert NPC assisting with the situation!"

    "Forget about him! Look at the little girl next to him! She''s killing the monsters with her bare hands! And she''s even making it look so effortless!"

    The people there watched as Xiao Hua pped every monster that dared to attack her with a single p to the face, shocking everybody there greatly.

    ?+1 Point?

    ?+2 Points?

    ?+2 Points?

    ?+1 Point?

    ?+3 Points?

    Points continuously flowed for Yuan even when Xiao Hua killed the monsters, racking up over two hundred points within mere minutes.

    Meanwhile, the other yers were having trouble dealing with just a single monster, and most of them had less than 10 points even after many minutes.

    ''How many monsters are there?!'' Yuan cried inwardly after ying over 500 monsters but was still surrounded by them.

    He also wanted to use Heaven Splitting Sword Strike to clear the mobs faster, but he did not want to destroy the ce in the process, as the Pang City was right behind him, so he could only give up on such thoughts and defeat the monsters without any shy attacks.

    "Daoist Yuan, the beastsing here are growing stronger! The Mountain Lord should be near!" Luo Ling suddenly said to him.

    "The Mountain Lord? If we kill it, won''t its subordinates stop attacking the city?"

    "Yes, and our father should be fighting the Mountain Lord right now!"

    Yuan nodded, "Then let''s continue defending the city until he defeats the Mountain Lord!"

    "Bloody Sword Strike!"

    For more, visit ligh/tnovel//pub[.

    The sword in Yuan''s hand flickered, and three more monsters were in in a single strike.

    ?Yourprehension with Bloody Sword Strike has reached a new level?

    ?Bloody Sword Strike Mastery Level (2) ¡ú (3)?

    ?Bloody Sword Strike?

    ?Rank: Earth?

    ?Mastery Level: 3?

    ?Description: Consumes 900,000 Qi. Must wield a sword to activate. A technique from the Blood Sect.?

    "Ha!"

    After killing a few more hundred monsters with the sword, Yuan''sprehension improved again.

    ?Your mastery with the sword has improved significantly?

    ?You have learned ''Novice Sword Mastery''?

    ?Novice Sword Mastery?

    ?Description: Slightly improves your control with the sword by 15% and increases all damage dealt with swords by 10%. Your enemies will feel more pain from your sword attacks as your damage increases. Requires no activation.?

    Many minutes of fightingter, as both yers and NPCs were beginning to run out of energy, someone wearing Pang City''s armor approached the Luo Family and shouted at them in a panicked voice, "Young Ladies! Young Master! It''s about your father, Lord Luo! He''s currently in a critical condition after fighting with the Mountain Lord!"

    "What?! What happened to our father?! And what about the Mountain Lord?!" Luo Ming quickly shouted back.

    After taking a deep breath, the guard continued, "Lord Luo, he¡­ he lost the fight against the Mountain Lord! However, he barely managed to escape with his life and is currently being treated by the doctors! And while his life is not in danger, he cannot continue fighting!"

    "How could this be¡­?" Luo Li covered her mouth in shock, feeling lightheaded after hearing such news.

    "Does this mean the Mountain Lord is still going on a rampage? If we don''t defeat it soon, the monsters will eventually overwhelm the people here and destroy the city!" Luo Ming said with a frown.

    "We will have to worry about our fatherter. Right now, we must defeat the Mountain Lord!" Luo Ling then turned to look at Yuan, who was still ying monsters not far away from them.

    She then ran to him and said, "Daoist Yuan! We''ve just received news that our father lost to the Mountain Lord!"

    "What?! Is your father okay?" Yuan said in a surprised tone.

    She nodded and said, "His life is not in danger, but he won''t be able to fight the Mountain Lord anymore, and you are the only one here that''s strong enough to fight it. Please, help us defeat the Mountain Lord! I will do anything to repay you afterward!"

    Yuan did not even need to think before nodding his head, "Okay, I will fight the Mountain Lord."

 Chapter 50 Heavenly Domain

    "Lead us to the Mountain Lord!" Luo Ling said to the guard.

    However, before they leave, Yuan said to Xiao Hua, "I alone should be enough to handle the Mountain Lord. Can you stay behind to make sure the people here aren¡¯t overwhelmed by the monsters? You cane to me afterward."

    The people there were already looking exhausted and he cannot imagine what might happen to the defense here if he were to leave so abruptly.

    Xiao Hua nodded and said, "Xiao Hua will take care of the beasts here."

    "Thank you, Xiao Hua."

    "The two of you also stay here and help her," Luo Ling said to her sliblings.

    Yuan then followed Luo Ling and the guard to the Mountain Lord whilst Luo Li and Luo Ming stayed behind with Xiao Hua to assist the people.

    Once Yuan was gone, Luo Li bowed to Xiao Hua, "Senior Xiao, please take care of us."

    Xiao Hua nodded, and she turned to look at the hundreds of monsters on the battlefield.

    ¡¯It¡¯s going to take forever if I kill them one at a time...¡¯ she thought to herself.

    ¡¯Brother Yuan said that I can use my powers as long as I am conscious of the surroundings and I don¡¯t destroy any nature...¡¯

    "Tell the guards the retreat." Xiao Hua suddenly said to Luo Li.

    "R-Right away!" Luo Li nodded, not daring to doubt her words after seeing the serious expression on her face.

    "Retreat! Guards! Retreat back to the gates!" Luo Li suddenly shouted loudly.

    The guards quickly rushed back to the gates after hearing her words, even feeling relieved that they don¡¯t have to fight any longer.

    However, the other yers were left dumbfounded by this unexpected turn of events.

    "What the heck?! What about the monsters?!"

    "Are you trying to make us do all of the fighting, you damn NPC?!"

    "Whatever! That just means more points for me!"

    Despite the yers¡¯ anger, Luo Li ignored them and said to Xiao Hua, "Senior Xiao, the guards have retreated to the gates! Is this good enough for you?"

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    Xiao Hua nodded and took a deep breath before closing her eyes.

    "..."

    "..."

    A few moments of silenceter, she slowly opened her eyes, and her gaze flickered with a golden light that seemed to carry the Will of Heaven within.

    She calmly raised her right arm into the air before pressing her palms down in a profound manner.

    "Heavenly Domain..." Xiao Hua mumbled in a low voice.

    BOOM!

    Xiao Hua¡¯s Spirit King cultivation base suddenly exploded, causing the dark sky to brighten, and the entire ce became filled with a golden light, almost as though they were bathed in sunlight.

    "W-What is this golden light?! What is going on?!"

    Both the yers and the guards were baffled by this phenomenon.

    In the midst of the yers¡¯ confusion, the monsters suddenly began screaming in pain, sounding as though they were being ughtered before...

    St!

    The monsters within the golden light¡ª within Xiao Hua¡¯s Heavenly Domain were crushed into meat paste, almost as though an invisible boulder had suddenly fallen on them, squashing them t.

    And within mere seconds, only ttened beast corpses remained within the Heavenly Domain.

    "..."

    The ce turned dead silent after the people there witnessed this shocking scene and Xiao Hua¡¯s terrifying prowess.

    Meanwhile, on the other side of the city, Yuan was shocked when he suddenly gained thousands of points at once.

    ?+1,169 Points?

    ?+1,014 Points?

    ?+2,841 Points?

    ¡¯What the heck? Where did all of these pointse from? I hope Xiao Hua didn¡¯t go overboard again...¡¯ Yuan cried inwardly.

    "There¡¯s the Mountain Lord!" The guard suddenly said.

    "That¡¯s the Mountain Lord...?" Yuan was speechless when he saw a group of guards trying to fight a massive 7-meter tall ck bear in the distance.

    Luo Ling nodded with a serious expression on her face, "Indeed, that¡¯s the Mountain Lord¡ª the ck Beast, and it seems to have advanced to the sixth level Spirit Warrior realm since thest time we saw it. No wonder why my father lost to it..."

    "Do you think you can defeat it?" Luo Ling turned to look at him with a worried expression, as she was worried that she was asking too much from him.

    "I will try my best," Yuan responded a momentter.

    For more, visit lightnov/elpub/[.

    "Don¡¯t push yourself too hard, Daoist Yuan. If you cannot defeat it, just run away."

    "How can I possibly do such a thing knowing that the city might fall if I don¡¯t defeat it here?" Yuan quickly shook his head.

    "Daoist Yuan..." Luo Ling looked at him with a passionate gaze, looking like a child before her hero or a teenager before her idol.

    A few momentster, once they were close enough, Luo Ling shouted at the guards that were already at their limit, "Get back! Reinforcement is here!"

    "Young Lady!" A blissful expression appeared on the guards¡¯ faces when they saw Luo Ling¡¯s face and the masked expert beside her who was emitting a profound aura.

    "I will assist you to the best of my ability, Daoist Yuan," she said to him after they arrived before the Mountain Lord.

    Yuan nodded and stared at the Mountain Lord with a serious gaze through the holes in his mask.

    ¡¯What a terrifying gaze and a bloodthirsty aura. This Mountain Lord is, without doubt, stronger than the Demonic Spider...¡¯

    Despite facing such a threatening opponent, Yuan was feeling calmer than when he fought the Demonic Spider. Perhaps it was due to the ck Jade Mask¡¯s effect, or maybe he was simply getting used to these situations, but his mind waspletely tranquil at this moment.

    "..."

    When the Mountain Lord saw Yuan¡¯s confident aura, it narrowed its gaze and silently stared at him.

    A few secondster, it spoke in a grim voice, "No matter how many experts you humans bring, I will tear down this city and avenge my son!"

    *ROAAAR*

    The Mountain Lord released a deafening roar before it rushed at Yuan and Luo Ling with red eyes filled with killing intent, even causing the ground to tremble with each step it took.

 Chapter 51 Achieving First Place

    "Here ites, Daoist Yuan!" Luo Ling quickly said to him.

    Yuan nodded and raised his sword as the Mountain Lord lifted its massive ws and swung at them.

    Boom!

    Yuan felt as though arge boulder was trying to crush him when he blocked the Mountain Lord¡¯s strike.

    "I will back you up!" Luo Ling used this chance to thrust her sword at the Mountain Lord¡¯s face, but s, with a single roar from the Mountain Lord, Luo Ling was sent flying away from the tremendous air pressure.

    "Luo Ling! Are you okay?!" Yuan asked her whilst he pushed the Mountain Lord¡¯s w to the side.

    "I-I am not hurt..." she quickly responded.

    "Get lost, you human ant! You don¡¯t have the qualifications to meddle in our battle!" The Mountain Lord roared at her.

    "I understand that you are angry because of what happened to your child, but do you really have to kill so many innocent people and destroy an entire city for revenge?!" Yuan suddenly said.

    "Don¡¯t try to persuade me, brat! I will kill everyone in this city even if it¡¯s thest thing I do and there¡¯s nothing you can do to stop it!"

    The Mountain Lord roared again, and its aura began growing more powerful and tyrannical.

    "If that¡¯s the case, then watch me stop you!" Yuan¡¯s eyes flickered with a bright light and his sword began trembling, almost as though it was filled with excitement.

    "Bloody Sword Strike!"

    A red light shed before the Mountain Lord¡¯s eyes and before it could even react, Yuan¡¯s sword was already directly in front of its eyes.

    "?!"

    The Mountain Lord quickly closed its eyelids to protect its eyes with its steel-like skin, but s, Yuan¡¯s sword was much sharper than it¡¯d anticipated and pierced right through its tough skin.

    "Aaaaaaagh!!!"

    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.

    The Mountain Lord screamed in pain as blood squirted from its eyes.

    "Che! I couldn¡¯t reach the brain and kill it in one shot." Yuan sucked his teeth after pulling his sword out of the Mountain Lord¡¯s face with effort.

    Visit l/ightnove//lpub[.] for a better experience

    "I will kill you! I will fucking kill you!"

    The Mountain Lord roared before rushing at Yuan with its ws swinging recklessly.

    Seeing this, Yuan immediately focused on dodging its strikes, feeling the tremendous pressure from each strike as it brushed by his face. If the Mountain Lord sessfully hit him even once, he will most likely turn into meat paste and die.

    After dodging a dozen strikes, Yuan finally saw an opportunity to strike back and quickly stabbed his sword at the Mountain Lord¡¯s uninjured eye.

    "AAAAAAGH! HOW DARE YOU?!"

    Without its sights, the Mountain Lord was severely crippled in its movements and ability to defend itself from Yuan¡¯s iing attacks.

    "It sucks without the ability to see, right? I know that feeling very well! And I am giving you onest chance to leave before I really kill you!" Yuan said, feeling that it was only right to show mercy to the Mountain Lord who had lost its child to a human even though it was a monster, not to mention that it was once peaceful with humans.

    "Even if I leave today, my hatred for humans and for this ce will never subdue! Unless you kill me today, I will definitely return for revenge!"

    "Then you leave me with no other choice!" Yuan narrowed his eyes with a resolute feeling, and he tightened his grasp on the sword.

    "Bloody Sword Strike!"

    Yuan rushed at the Mountain Lord before thrusting his sword forward, and because the Mountain Lord could not see, it was unable to react, allowing Yuan to pierce its neck with ease.

    ?Congrattions! yer Yuan has be the first yer to kill the Elite Boss: ck Beast!?

    ?You have subdued the Lord of Pang Mountain!?

    ?+10 Fame?

    ?+5,000 Points?

    ?You have sessfully defended Pang City from the Mountain Lord¡¯s Invasion!?

    An announcement announcing the end of the event suddenly appeared above Pang City for all yers to see after Mountain Lord was in by Yuan, followed by another announcement a few momentster.

    ?yer Yuan has amassed a grand total of 11,690 points during this event, obtaining the most points out of all participants and will receive a special reward for such an achievement!?

    When the other yers saw the familiar name ¡¯yer Yuan¡¯, they immediately began shouting in excitement.

    "It¡¯s yer Yuan! He¡¯s actually in this ce right now!"

    "Where is he?! Who is yer Yuan?!"

    "Holy shit! 11 thousand points?! I only have 300 points after killing over a hundred monsters! Just how on earth did he obtain so many points in such a short time?!"

    It was at that moment the yers there realized something.

    "W-Wait a second... There¡¯s only one person who can possibly have so many points! That little girl who used some overpowered technique to kill most of the monsters here!"

    "Now that you mentioned it, where is that little girl?!"

    "Impossible! yer Yuan is actually a little girl?!"

    "It all makes sense now! That golden light must have been a Divine-grade technique! No wonder why it was so powerful, even overpowered!"

    "This new information is definitely going to shock the world!"

    "Quick! Someone hurry and post it online! The world must know about this as soon as possible!"

    "Hahaha! To think that we¡¯ve been wasting our time looking for a male yer when we should¡¯ve been looking for a little girl this entire time! This is hrious!"

    The people there began logging off to spread the news on the inte,pletely unaware of the chaos this misunderstanding will cause in the future.

    Meanwhile, the real yer Yuan was silently staring at the Mountain Lord¡¯s corpse, feeling slightly guilty for killing it, as any normal human would go crazy from sorrow if their children were killed.

    "I cannot thank you enough for protecting the Pang City and the innocent citizens that live here, Daoist Yuan." Luo Ling had unknowingly appeared behind him and said to him with her head lowered.

    "Thank you for defeating the Mountain Lord, Senior Yuan!" The guards also bowed to him at a 90-degree angle.

    "There¡¯s no need to thank me. Although it had a valid reason for wanting revenge, I could not allow an entire city to fall and thousands of innocent people to die because of it." Yuan said to them.

    A few momentster, Xiao Hua returned to his side and said, "Well done, Brother Yuan."

    "You too, Xiao Hua."

    "Daoist Yuan, the guards will handle everything from here. Let¡¯s return to my father¡¯s side for now. He needs to know that the city is no longer in danger." Luo Ling said to him sometimeter.

    While Luo Ling led Yuan back to the Lord¡¯s Manor, the real world was in utter chaos from the new information regarding yer Yuan that had just appeared on the inte.

    [Shocking News! yer Yuan is actually female¡ªand a little girl at that!]

    [New information regarding yer Yuan has surfaced!]

    [yer Yuan is currently at Pang City!]

    The new information on yer Yuan shocked the whole world collectively. However, not everyone was willing to believe this new information despite the convincing evidence from the yers that had participated in defending Pang City, as it was simply too unbelievable that some little girl without any background could possibly be the number one yer in the world.

    There were even some people who wanted to see for themselves whether this information was true, so they began making their way towards Pang City regardless of how far away they were from the ce at the moment.

 Chapter 52 Pang Cityâ€™s Hero

    "Father! Are you okay?!" Luo Ling went straight to her father¡¯s room where he was being treated after returning home.

    "Ling¡¯er... why are you here...? What happened to defending the city? What about the Mountain Lord...?" Lord Luo asked them with an anxious face whileying on the bed with bloodied bandages all over his body.

    "Please calm down and listen to me, father! Everything has been resolved by Daoist Yuan! He not only defended the city gates from the invasion but even defeated the Mountain Lord by himself! The city is safe!" Luo Ling exined the situation to him with a bright face.

    "W-What?! Is that true? Our Pang City is no longer in danger?!" Lord Luo¡¯s eyes flickered with emotions after hearing the news.

    "Yes, father. It¡¯s all true, so you can rest and focus on healing your injuries." Luo Ling said to him.

    "I-I don¡¯t know what to say, Daoist Yuan... I really don¡¯t know how to thank you for your contribution... If not for my condition, I would even kowtow to you right now..." Lord Luo said to him with a grateful expression.

    "Your feelings are more than enough," Yuan said with a smile.

    "No, that cannot do! I must thank you properly!"

    An idea suddenly shed inside his head, and he quickly said, "I know! You can have my daughter! And if Luo Li alone is not good enough for you, I can also give you Luo Ling here! And if you don¡¯t want to make them your wife, they can be your concubines!"

    "Uh..."

    Yuan looked at Lord Luo with a baffled expression, but before he could even respond, Lord Luo looked at Luo Ling and asked her, "What do you think, Ling¡¯er? Are you willing to serve Daoist Yuan even as a concubine? You probably won¡¯t find someone like him again."

    "Wait a..."

    And as Yuan opened his mouth, Luo Ling bashfully nodded her head with a rosy face.

    "I am willing," she mumbled in a low but clear voice.

    The door opened a secondter and the rest of the Luo Family entered the room.

    "Father! How are your injuries?!" Luo Ming asked him without having a single clue as to what kind of situation he¡¯d just walked into.

    "Father!" Luo Li also approached the bed with a worried expression on her face.

    However, instead of telling them that he was okay to calm them down, Lord Luo instead looked at Luo Li and said to her, "Li¡¯er! I have already heard about the situation from Ling¡¯er, and I am thinking about giving your hand and Ling¡¯er¡¯s to Daoist Yuan for saving our city, and your elder sister has already agreed to be his concubine."

    "Eh?! What?!" Luo Li immediately looked at Luo Ling with a shocked face.

    "I¡¯m sorry, little sister. I know that you already have feelings for Daoist Yuan, but I have also fallen for him..."

    "Elder sister..." Luo Li looked at her with a perplexed feeling in her heart.

    However, in the midst of their conversation, Yuan loudly cleared his throat and said, "Excuse me. I am ttered by your feelings, but I have already said that I am too young to marry, much less two of you."

    "That¡¯s fine, Daoist Yuan! If you want to marry them in a few years, they can wait for you! I can also assure you that they have never been in a rtionship before, so they are still maidens!" Lord Luo quickly said, clearly adamant about giving his daughters to him as a reward for saving the city.

    "T-That¡¯s not what I am trying to say¡ª"

    "Are we not good enough for you, Daoist Yuan...?" Luo Ling suddenly asked him with a disheartened expression.

    "Eh? I never said that..." Yuan quickly shook his head, feeling slightly overwhelmed by the situation as he has never been in this kind of situation before.

    "If Daoist Yuan does not feelfortable with us now, we are willing to wait until you are ready to ept us however long that might take... even if it¡¯s only as your concubines." Luo Li said to him a momentter.

    Yuan was speechless. Why do they want to be with him so much? Or are they programmed to like whoever saves the city?

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    ¡¯What the heck even is a concubine?!¡¯ Yuan cried inwardly.

    While Yuan was pondering in silence, Xiao Hua spoke in a calm voice, "Brother Yuan is destined to be a great figure who will rule the cultivation world in future, and there will be nock of women who will want to be with him. Xiao Hua won¡¯t speak of your qualifications, but it won¡¯t be long before Brother Yuan challenges the Stairway to Heaven, and once that happens, who knows if you¡¯ll still be alive by the time he returns here."

    "What?! Daoist Yuan is going to challenge the Stairway to Heaven?!"

    Everyone in the room was shocked to hear Xiao Hua¡¯s words, but Yuan couldn¡¯t understand why. What even is this Stairway to Heaven?

    "So we are underestimating Daoist Yuan even now... To think he¡¯d be brave enough to participate in the Stairway to Heaven..." Luo Ming said with an awkward smile.

    "If Daoist Yuan really ns on climbing the Stairway to Heaven, we will only be a burden for you. I¡¯m sorry, Daoist Yuan, but you can forget about our conversation just now." Luo Ling released a deep sigh.

    However, Luo Li¡¯s gaze remained resolved, and she said, "Daoist Yuan... If you still remember me by the time your adventure ends, please do visit this ce again. I will wait for you until myst breath."

    "..."

    Seeing the sincere emotions in her gaze, Yuan couldn¡¯t help but nod his head.

    "Although I don¡¯t know what will happen in the future, I definitely won¡¯t forget about you or my experience in this ce," Yuan said with an innocent smile. "The next time we meet, let¡¯s eat together again, okay?"

    "Un! It¡¯s a promise, Daoist... No, Brother Yuan!" Luo Li nodded with slightly teary eyes.

    "Don¡¯t forget about me neither, okay?" Luo Ling also said to him.

    "I won¡¯t," he nodded still with a smile on his face.

    ?Congrattions! Because of your massive contributions during ¡¯Mountain Lord¡¯s Invasion¡¯, you have been awarded the unique title ¡¯Pang City¡¯s Hero¡¯!?

    ?Pang City¡¯s Hero?

    ?Description: Bearing the title of Hero, your reputation within Pang City will always be at the maximum, and your overall cultivation speed will increase by 10%?

    ?¡¯Luo Li¡¯ has been added to your Bond!?

    ?Luo Li¡¯s Bond level has increased to Acquaintance!?

    ?Luo Li¡¯s Bond level has increased to Friend!?

    ?Luo Li¡¯s Bond level has increased to Intimate!?

    ?Congrattions! Your Bond level with Luo Li has reached Intimate!?

    ?You have gained the following effect from Luo Li¡¯s Bond level: ¡¯Luo Li¡¯s Adoration¡¯?

    ?Luo Li¡¯s Adoration: Increases your Charm by 10 and Overall Damage by 15%.?

    ?Charm: Increases your overall attractiveness?

    ?Overall Damage: All of the damage you inflict to others will feel more painful?

    ?¡¯Luo Ling¡¯ has been added to your Bond!?

    ?Luo Ling¡¯s Bond level has increased to Acquaintance!?

    ?Luo Ling¡¯s Bond level has increased to Friend!?

    ?Luo Ling¡¯s Bond level has increased to Intimate!?

    ?You have gained the following effect from Luo Ling¡¯s Bond level: ¡¯Luo Ling¡¯s Adoration¡¯

    ?Luo Ling¡¯s Adoration: Increases your Charm by 20 and Luck by 10.?

    ?Luck: Increases the chances of monsters dropping their monster cores?

    ?¡¯Pang City¡¯ has been added to your Associations!?

    ?Because of your heroic actions that saved the city, your rtionship with ¡¯Pang City¡¯ has increased significantly!?

    ?Because of your bond level with ¡¯Luo Li¡¯, daughter of ¡¯Luo Family¡¯, your rtionship with Pang City has increased significantly!?

    ?Because of your bond level with ¡¯Luo Ling¡¯, daughter of ¡¯Luo Family¡¯, your rtionship with Pang City has increased significantly!?

    Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    For more, visit li/ght//novelp/ub[.

    ?Due to your actions at ¡¯Pang City¡¯, your Fame has increased by 50!?

    ?Your rtionship with Pang City has reached the maximum level!?

    ?Due to your rtionship with Pang City, all monsters within a 1,000-mile radius from Pang City will drop their monster cores twice as often!?

    Once the barrage of notifications had stopped for Yuan, he said to the Luo Family, "I will stay in this city for one more day just in case the monsters return."

    "Please! You can stay here as long as you want! I wouldn¡¯t even mind if you lived here forever!" Lord Luoughed loudly despite the pain in his body.

    "By the way, I will properly award you for helping us once the preparations areplete." Lord Luo then said to him.

    "You really don¡¯t have to..."

    "There¡¯s no need to be humble. You are already like family to us, anyway! And you can just think of it as an early wedding gift or something like that! Hahaha!" Lord Luoughed again.

    *Cough*

    For more, visit lig/htnovelpub[.

    "Fuck! That hurts!" Lord Luo cursed in a painful voice afterughing too hard.

    "Get some rest already, father. We will take care of everything for you." Luo Ling said to him.

    "Thank you..." he mumbled before falling asleep a few momentster.

    "You can rest in your room, Brother Yuan. If you need anything, just let me know and I will do my best to assist you." Luo Li said to him with rosy cheeks before she quickly walked towards the door.

    "See yater, Brother Yuan!" Luo Ming casually waved at him.

    Once Luo Li and Luo Ming left the room, Luo Ling approached his ears and whispered to him, "If my sister is not enough for you, you can call for me afterward."

    She winked at him in a seductive manner before leaving the room,pletely unaware that Yuan was too innocent to understand the meaning behind her words.

 Chapter 53 Starry Abyss

    "Did you hear? yer Yuan is currently at Pang City!"

    "Where is that?"

    "It¡¯s only 30 miles away from here. Want to go over there and take a look? There will be many other people who¡¯ll be going there to see for themselves whether yer Yuan is really a little girl or not."

    "Let¡¯s go!"

    After news of yer Yuan spread throughout the inte, thousands of yers began making their way towards Pang City in hopes of seeing yer Yuan, who was rumored to be a cute little girl.

    Of course, Yuan himself waspletely unaware of the misunderstanding about him that had spread throughout the inte, and he was silently cultivating in the Lord¡¯s Manor.

    A few hours have passed since the Mountain Lord¡¯s invasion, and Luo Li took a deep breath before knocking on the door to Yuan¡¯s room.

    *Knock* *Knock*

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    "Brother Yuan, it¡¯s Luo Li," she said to him from outside.

    "You cane inside," Yuan responded a momentter.

    "Were you cultivating? I hope I didn¡¯t interrupt your cultivation..." Luo Li said after seeing the spiritual energy that was gathered around him.

    "It¡¯s okay. I was about to take a break anyway." Yuan said as he got off the bed, feeling a little bit stiff from sitting in the same position for many hours.

    "Do you need something from me?" he asked her a momentter.

    "Quite the opposite, actually. We have finished preparing the reward for your contribution during the Mountain Lord¡¯s invasion, and we would like you to receive it now,¡¯ she said.

    "Okay." Yuan nodded before following her outside with Xiao Hua by his side.

    A few minutester, they entered this massive long room with Lord Luo sitting on arge chair at the end of the room, and he was still wrapped in bandages.

    Luo Ming and Luo Ling were also in the same room, as were all of the servants in the building and a few guards.

    Once Luo Li brought Yuan to the front, Lord Luo spoke in a clear voice, "Daoist Yuan, I have said this before, but I will say it again. Neither I¡ª nor this city can thank you enough for what you have done for this ce, and one can even say that you are the sole reason why this city and the thousands of citizens that live here are still alive right now."

    "Although this reward isn¡¯t much, it¡¯s the most precious item our Pang City can afford."

    Lord Luo suddenly pped his hands, and two servants approached Yuan with two boxes in their grasp.

    Once they opened the boxes, Lord Luo continued to speak, "For your contributions, from defending the Pang City from thousands of beasts to defeating the Mountain Lord, my Luo Family shall award you with 1,000,000 gold coins and our Luo Family¡¯s heirloom, the Starry Abyss."

    Inside one of the boxes was a small storage pouch that contained 1,000,000 gold coins, whilst the other bigger box contained a beautiful dagger with a golden handle and a pitch-ck de that seemed to be made from some kind of jade.

    "The Starry Abyss has been passed down in my family for over ten generations, but nobody in the family has ever been able to wield it, almost as though it has its own consciousness. Perhaps you, Daoist Yuan, who will be climbing the Stairway to Heaven one day, might be able to wield it."

    ¡¯A dagger...? But I have only ever practiced with a sword...¡¯ Yuan looked at the flickering ck dagger that appeared to contain an entire universe within with a dazed expression, feeling some kind of connection to it.

    "Brother Yuan, that¡¯s a Soul Weapon..." Xiao Hua suddenly said to him in a low voice, and when Yuan turned to look at her, he could only see a shocked expression on her face.

    However, since this wasn¡¯t the time or situation to ask her for an exnation, Yuan could only wait untilter to ask her.

    "Thank you very much for your gift. I swear that I will keep it safe no matter what." Yuan humbly bowed to them before he epted the gift, as he learned that bowing in this world meant a disy of respect after seeing it so many times.

    ?Congrattions! You have obtained a Soul Weapon!?

    Once Yuan epted the gifts, an announcement appeared in the sky for everyone but Yuan to see.

    ?Congrattions! yer Yuan has be the first yer to obtain a Soul Weapon!?

    However, the yers were puzzled by the announcement, as this is their first time hearing about Soul Weapons. What even is a Soul Weapon, and how does it differ from regr weapons?

    Once the rewards have been distributed, Lord Luo then said to Yuan, "By the way, we have collected all of the monster cores from Mountain Lord¡¯s invasion. We were able to collect 241 monster cores at the Spirit Apprentice level and the Mountain Lord¡¯s Spirit Warrior realm monster core, and I¡¯d also like to give them all to you, as you were the one who killed most of them, anyway."

    However, Yuan said, "You can have the Spirit Apprentice level monster cores, I only need the Spirit Warrior monster core."

    "Are you sure, Daoist Yuan? If you sold them, you could earn some more gold."

    He nodded and said, "1,000,000 gold coins is more than enough for me right now. If anything, I¡¯d like to donate those monster cores to the guards who also risked their lives defending the city yesterday."

    When the guards in the room heard Yuan¡¯s words, their faces immediately brightened, and they silently thanked Yuan in their hearts.

    "I understand. If that¡¯s your request, I will leave the Mountain Lord¡¯s monster core with you and share the rest with the guards." Lord Luo nodded with an approving smile on his face. Good-natured Cultivators like Yuan are hard toe by nowadays, and he cannot be any happier to know that his daughters might be taken care of by someone like him in the future.

    Sometimeter, Lord Luo said to him, "Breakfast is almost done, Daoist Yuan. Are you interested?"

    "Of course!" He nodded without hesitation.

 Chapter 54 Soul Weapons

    Once breakfast finished and Yuan returned to his room, he asked Xiao Hua, "What¡¯s a Soul Weapon?"

    "Soul Weapons are as its name suggests¡ª weapons that contain a soul, allowing it to have its own consciousness. They are exceedingly rare treasures even in the higher realms with nearly unlimited potential. And due to their uniqueness, they do not have specific Grades like ordinary weapons do. It¡¯s really shocking that the Luo Family would have something like this." Xiao Hua exined to him.

    "A weapon with a soul... so there¡¯s somebody inside the weapon? How does that even happen?" Yuan asked, still confused about the concept.

    "That¡¯s not quite right, Brother Yuan. There¡¯s nobody in the weapon. The term ¡¯soul¡¯ does not actually mean there¡¯s someone in the weapon. It¡¯s just a weapon with just enough consciousness to pick their Masters."

    "Oh... So I cannot talk with it?" Yuan said with a slightly disappointed expression.

    "That might not be the case either, Brother Yuan. Because Soul Weapons are essentially living weapons that grow stronger with their Master, there¡¯s a chance its ¡¯soul¡¯ can evolve in the future, allowing it to speak."

    "Soul Weapons can grow stronger? No wonder why you say it has unlimited potential."

    Xiao Hua nodded and said, "However, in order for it to grow, Brother Yuan must be able to wield it first, and Soul Weapons are not easy to control. Because regardless of your cultivation base, if the Soul Weapon does not recognize you as its Master, it will be no different from an ordinary weapon, perhaps even worse."

    Yuan nodded.

    He then retrieved the beautiful ck dagger and stared at it with a mesmerizing face.

    ?Starry Abyss?

    ?Level: 0?

    ?Rank: Soul Weapon?

    ?Growth Rate: Very Slow?

    ?Requirement: ????

    ?Description: A beautiful dagger with an unknown origin. Appears to contain its own universe within the de?

    "How do I get it to recognize me?" Yuan asked her a momentter.

    "Brother Yuan can try feeding it some of your blood to see whether it will recognize you or not." Xiao Hua suggested.

    "Feed it my blood? How much blood?"

    "A few drops should be enough," she said.

    Yuan nodded and took a deep breath before pricking his finger with the tip of the Starry Abyss, feeding it a few drops of his own blood.

    The moment Yuan¡¯s blood touched the dagger, his blood sunk into the dagger¡¯s de, and Yuan could see his blood being absorbed by the flickering stars inside the de.

    A few secondster, the dagger began trembling.

    "W-What is going on, Xiao Hua?" Yuan asked her with a nervous expression.

    "It¡¯s reacting to your blood, Brother Yuan! There¡¯s a good chance it will recognize you! Quickly, feed it more of your blood!" She urged him with excitement on her face.

    Yuan nodded and squeezed a few more drops of blood onto the shaking dagger.

    As the dagger absorbed more of Yuan¡¯s blood, the trembling grew stronger, and the dagger itself even started heating up.

    "It¡¯s burning me!" Yuan dropped the dagger when it became unbearably hot to hold.

    However, as though gravity stopped working, the Starry Abyss did not fall to the floor and remained levitating before Yuan.

    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.

    After spending a few moments suspended in midair, the Starry Abyss finally stopped trembling.

    "Try touching it, Brother Yuan." Xiao Hua suddenly said to him.

    Yuan nodded and reached for the dagger.

    After poking it a few times to make sure it wasn¡¯t hot, Yuan grabbed the dagger.

    ?Congrattions! You have been recognized by the Starry Abyss as its new Master!?

    ?You have obtained the title ¡¯Soul Weapon Master¡¯?

    "I did it, Xiao Hua! It recognized me as its new Master!" Feeling some sort of connection with the dagger, Yuan said to her in excitement afterward.

    Xiao Hua nodded with a smile, "The Soul Weapon definitely recognizes Brother Yuan¡¯s unlimited potential."

    For more, visit lightno/vel/pub[.

    "How do I make it grow stronger?" he asked her.

    "Soul Weapons will naturally grow strong with the Master, so as long as Brother Yuan continues growing stronger so will the Soul Weapon. Though, if you wish to make it grow faster, you can hunt monsters with the Soul Weapon so it can absorb their blood and grow stronger that way."

    "But I don¡¯t know any dagger techniques besides the Thousand Knife Technique, and that¡¯s for cooking," he said.

    "Even seemingly innocent and useless techniques like cooking techniques can be deadly inbat if used properly, Brother Yuan."

    Yuan nodded and said, "I guess I can try using the Thousand Knife Technique with this dagger on weaker monsters when I have the time."

    Meanwhile, in Lord Luo¡¯s room, a guard said to him, "Lord Luo, there has been an influx of visitors at our city ever since the Mountain Lord¡¯s invasion, and they¡¯re all Cultivators."

    "What? Do you know why?" Lord Luo asked.

    "We asked them for their reason foring to our city, and a few of them said that they were here for ¡¯yer Yuan¡¯."

    "Do they mean Daoist Yuan? But why would so many peoplee here just to see him?" Lord Luo pondered out loud.

    "We have also asked them that question, but they did not provide us with any good reasons, saying things like they simply wanted to meet him."

    Lord Luo nodded his head and said to the guard a few momentster, "Notify Daoist Yuan of the situation. Since these people came here for him, it¡¯d be for the best to let him decide what we should do in this situation."

    Sometimeter, the guard exined the situation to Yuan, who was sweating by the end.

    "Don¡¯t let them know that I am here! In fact, tell them that I have long left the city!" Yuan quickly said to the guard, who was slightly dumbfounded by his reaction, looking like he was on the run or something.

    ¡¯It looks like Senior Yuan is more popr than we¡¯d anticipated.¡¯ The guard thought to himself.

    "Understood. We won¡¯t let them bother Senior Yuan no matter what." The guard said to him before leaving the room.

    ¡¯Damn! This must be due to the announcement! Now every yer in the world knows that I am in this city! I must leave this ce as soon as possible!¡¯ Yuan sighed inwardly.

    ¡¯However, it¡¯s too dangerous to leave now when there are so many people looking for me outside. I will leave once there are fewer people tomorrow.¡¯

    With that decided, Yuan returned to cultivating in silence to calm his mind.

 Chapter 55 Yu Rouâ€™s Evaluation

    Once Yuan realized that there were many people visiting Pang City to see him, he remained inside the Lord¡¯s Manor until it was dark outside, and after eating dinner with the Luo Family, he logged out and waited for Yu Rou to feed him once again.

    "Brother, how is your progress in the game?" Yu Rou asked him as she wiped his body with a wet towel.

    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.

    "Fairly good. I have made some new friends and got to eat some amazing food," he responded with a smile.

    "Oh? Tell me about these new friends," she quickly asked him.

    "Well, they are only NPCs, but they feel as real as yers with almost no distinctions between them."

    "I have heard about that, too. Despite being NPCs, you will not be able to tell the difference between a yer and an NPC unless they start talking about our world."

    "Yes, it¡¯s really shocking how realistic the world is."

    Sometimeter, once Yu Rou finished feeding and cleaning Yuan, she said to him, "Brother, I will be able to y with you after tomorrow. Where are you currently in the game? I will be entering the game after this and see where I start so that we can arrange a meeting once I begin ying."

    "Me? I am in a ce called Pang City," he responded without thinking.

    "Hm? Pang City? Isn¡¯t that where the famous yer Yuan wasst seen? Did you by any chance see this person?" Yu Rou asked him.

    "P-yer Yuan? I have no idea..." Yuan quickly said.

    "What a pity. I wanted to confirm whether the rumors are true or not," she sighed after hearing his words.

    "Rumors? What kind of rumors?" Yuan asked her with his interest intrigued.

    "Well, there were some yers that had participated in the event at Pang City who imed that they have seen yer Yuan with their own eyes and that ¡¯he¡¯ is actually a ¡¯she¡¯." Yu Rou exined to him what she read on the inte.

    "What the heck?!" Yuan cried out loud in a shocked voice. Why would anyone call him a female?

    "I was shocked too when I first saw this information online. Apparently, she¡¯s a little girl who can use a very powerful technique that wiped out hundreds of monsters in the blink of an eye."

    "A little girl...?"

    If Yuan could feel his body right now, he would definitely be feeling the cold sweat soaking his back right now.

    ¡¯How on earth did they mistake Xiao Hua as me?¡¯ he cried inwardly.

    "I...I have a feeling that this information might be wrong..." Yuan suddenly said to her.

    "Eh? What makes you say that?" Yu Rou asked him.

    "I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s just a feeling I am getting," he responded.

    "What a coincidence, Brother, as I am also getting a simr feeling." Yu Rou said.

    "You seem very interested in this yer Yuan, why is that?" Yuan asked her a momentter.

    "Even if you weren¡¯t interested in something at first, you will eventually be intrigued by it if you keep seeing it online constantly. Though, I am more interested in this yer¡¯s Servant more than anything."

    "Servant?"

    "Un." Yu Rou nodded, and she continued, "Because I personally don¡¯t like violence or fighting, I want to be a Cultivator who has servants that will fight for me, and I cannot help but wonder what a Divine-grade servant might look like. Any monster with such a high grade must be extremely powerful, right? Like a Phoenix or a Dragon."

    ¡¯Actually, she¡¯s human... and a little girl at that...¡¯ Yuan responded to Yu Rou in his head.

    For more, visit light/novelpub[.

    After talking for a few minutes, mostly about what kind of servants she wants once she starts ying the game, Yu Rou said to him, "It¡¯s gettingte, Brother. I am going to create my character tonight, and I will tell you where I am tomorrow morning."

    "Okay. Good night, Yu Rou."

    "Good night, Brother."

    Yu Rou closed the lights before leaving the room.

    ¡¯Since Yu Rou wants to have servants, I should ask Xiao Hua tomorrow if there are any methods to tame monsters...¡¯ Yuan thought to himself before falling asleep.

    Meanwhile, inside her room, Yu Rouid on the bed with the helmet used to y Cultivation Online on her head.

    A brief moment after pressing the power button, Yu Rou could feel her consciousness slowly being transported to another ce by a mysterious force.

    Sometimeter, when she opened her eyes, an old man with a profound gaze was already staring at her a few meters away, and they appeared to be inside this white room.

    "Hello..." Yu Rou took the initiation to speak to him.

    "What is your name?" he asked her in a deep but clear voice.

    "Yu Rou."

    "ce your hand on this." The old man pushed a crystal ball towards her.

    Yu Rou nodded and ced her hand on the crystal ball.

    A few momentster, her status appeared.

    Name: Yu Rou

    Cultivation: None

    Legacy: None

    Bloodline: None

    Physique: Pure Yin Physique

    Physical Strength: 62

    Mental Strength: 80

    Soul Strength: 54

    Physical Defense: 40

    Mental Defense: 90

    A disappointed light flickered within the old man¡¯s eyes after he saw Yu Rou¡¯s status, and he sighed inwardly, ¡¯Another one with just above average talent, huh? Why am I so unluckypared to that cold woman who encountered someone with the legendary Heaven Refining Physique? I am now certain that Heaven holds some kind of grudge against me.¡¯

    "Is everything okay, Senior?" Yu Rou asked him after seeing his dejected expression.

    "Although you may not have amazing talents, you should be able to live afortable life with the Pure Yin Physique. Good luck, youngdy." The old man said to her before disappearing into the cracked space behind him.

    A few seconds after the old man left, Yu Rou felt her consciousness being transported to another ce, and she could see arge crowd of people standing around her when she opened her eyes again.

    "Wee to the world of Cultivation, Mortals!"

    A loud and clear voice resounded above Yu Rou, causing her and the other people there to look up at the sky, where a handsome middle-aged man was floating in the air and staring down at them with a smile on his face.

 Chapter 56 Leaving Pang City

    "I am Elder Yang, and I will be giving you a brief introduction to our world before I let you explore this vast world by yourself," said the handsome middle-aged man floating in the sky.

    "First and foremost, you should know about the existence of Cultivators, as we have the potential to be the most powerful beings in this world, even bing a God. I am what you call a Cultivator, and as Cultivators, we absorb the energy of Heaven and Earth that are known as Qi or Spiritual Energy to cultivate our bodies. Once you¡¯ve cultivated enough, you can do things like fly around the skies like a bird with wings or even split the seas with your fist."

    "The next thing you should keep in mind is that in the cultivation world strength is all that matters. In a world where the strong eat the weak, if you do not have the power to defend yourself, you are essentially a chicken waiting to be hunted by the strong, and you can me nobody but yourselves when that happens."

    "Now that you know the basics of this world, allow me to bestow you the method of cultivation. Of course, this cultivation technique is only the most basic one out there. If you wish to obtain a stronger cultivation method, you must find it yourself in this vast world."

    With a single wave of his sleeves, every yer there received the skill ¡¯Basic Qi Gathering Technique¡¯.

    "And before I send you all away, do any of you have either a Heaven-rank or Earth-rank Physique?" Elder Yang looked at the yers with an anticipating gaze.

    Yu Rou looked at her own status.

    ?Pure Yin Physique?

    ?Rank: Earth?

    "I have an Earth-ranked Physique called the Pure Yin Physique," she said as she raised her hand.

    "Oh, the Pure Yin Physique, huh?" Elder Yang looked at Yu Rou while nodding his head with approval.

    "Although it may only be Earth-ranked, the Pure Yin Physique is at the top of most Physiques at that rank, even beating some Heaven-rank Physique in terms of usefulness. As for what it does¡ª it simply allows you to absorb Spiritual Energy or Qi that contains Yin Elements much easier than normal people. Furthermore, your body will dispose of all impurities for you, saving you the effort of needing to dispose of them by yourself. If you ever manage to reach the Higher Heaven, visit the Divine Yin Temple. They will dly ept someone like you as their disciple, and don¡¯t forget to mention that Elder Yang from the Supreme Yang Temple referred you to them."

    Yu Rou nodded at the Cultivator¡¯s words.

    "Nobody else has either a Heaven-ranked or Earth-ranked Physique? What a disappointing bunch." Elder Yang shook his head in a disappointed manner before waving his sleeves again, sending the yers towards the teleporters right behind them.

    "..."

    Yu Rou opened her eyes again, finding herself in the middle of a busy city this time around.

    "Where is this?"

    Yu Rou proceeded to walk around the city for a few minutes, even asking the pedestrians about their location.

    "This is the Spring City in the Eastern Continent," said one of the pedestrians.

    "I see. Thank you."

    Now that Yu Rou was aware of her location, she continued to explore the city and experience the beauty of this world for a few more minutes before logging off and going to sleep.

    However, she did not fall asleep right away like usual, as the world of Cultivation Online had left a deep impression, filling her heart with excitement.

    ¡¯I cannot wait to explore this world with Brother...¡¯ she thought to herself before falling asleep after much effort.

    "..."

    "..."

    "..."

    "Brother, are you awake?" Yu Rou entered his room early in the morning.

    "Yes, I am. Did you enter the gamest night?" he asked her.

    "I did! And I was blown away by how amazing and realistic the world seemed! It exceeded my expectations on many levels! No wonder why it¡¯s the most popr game in the entire world right now! I almost didn¡¯t want to log off once I started ying!" Yu Rou spoke in a voice filled with excitement, sounding like a child who just went to the amusement park for the first time.

    "Hahaha... So you finally understand..." Yuan said with a smile on his face.

    "Anyway, after getting my character evaluated, I was given a brief exnation about the world by some Cultivator before being sent to this beginner¡¯s city called ¡¯Spring City¡¯ in the Eastern Continent. I don¡¯t know how far away it is from Pang City, but I hope it¡¯s not too far."

    N?velDrama.Org content.

    "Don¡¯t worry, Yu Rou. No matter how far away you are, I wille to you. Spring City, right? I will definitely see you there."

    "Un! I can¡¯t wait to y with you, Brother!" Yu Rou nodded with enthusiasm.

    Sometimeter, Yu Rou went to prepare for school whilst Yuan returned to the game.

    "Wee back, Brother Yuan." Xiao Hua said to him after seeing his face appear out of thin air like a ghost.

    "Did anything happen while I was away?" he asked her.

    "Luo Ling and Luo Li came to visit youst night, but I told them you had to go somewhere," she said to him.

    "I see. Let¡¯s go talk to them now before we leave this ce."

    Xiao Hua nodded and followed him to meet with the Luo Family.

    "Luo Li!" Yuan called out to her after seeing her figure in the hallway.

    "Brother Yuan, you¡¯re back." Luo Li greeted him with a courteous bow.

    "Sorry I missed youst night. I had to log off for the night."

    "Don¡¯t worry about it. It wasn¡¯t anything important, anyway." Luo Li said to him with a slightly rosy face when she recalled the reason she visited himst night.

    "Anyway, I was just about to call you for breakfast," she then said to him.

    Yuan nodded and said, "Let¡¯s go. I need to fill my stomach before I return to my journey."

    "You¡¯re leaving already?" Luo Li looked at him with a dispirited face. Although she knew that this moment would eventuallye, she didn¡¯t want to part with him so soon, as there were still many things that she wanted to do with him.

 Chapter 57 Teleportation Device

    "Yes, I n on leaving this ce after breakfast," said Yuan after Luo Li asked about his departure.

    "Is that so... I understand." Luo Li nodded before continuing, "Let¡¯s continue this conversation with everyone else."

    "Okay."

    Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    Sometimeter, Yuan and the Luo Family began eating breakfast.

    "Where do you n on going after this, Brother Yuan? Or are you still nning on going to the Purple Bamboo Forest for training?" Luo Ling asked him during breakfast. While they normally speak after breakfast, she didn¡¯t want to waste any more time after learning that he would be leaving soon.

    "No, my ns have changed. I will be going to Spring City after this to meet up with someone. As for training at Purple Bamboo Forest... that will have to wait until ater date."

    "Spring City? That¡¯s quite far away from here even if you are flying there on a sword." Lord Luo said to him.

    "Really? How far is it?" Yuan asked him with a slightly anxious frown, worried that he might not be able to meet Yu Rou on time.

    "Spring City is approximately 30 thousand miles from our Pang City. It will take you over 100 hours to fly there even if you flew without rest for the entire journey."

    "No way..." Yuan¡¯s face immediately dropped after learning just how far away Spring City was from his current location. At this rate, Yu Rou¡¯s entire vacation will end by the time he even gets there, and he will have to wait another week before they can y together.

    Seeing the desperation on Yuan¡¯s face, Luo Ming spoke out loud, "If you are in that much of a hurry to get to Spring City, why don¡¯t you use the Teleportation Device in Liang City? It¡¯s only 3,000 miles from here. Though, you will have to pay a tremendous amount of gold to use it."

    "Really? I can reach Spring City in a short amount of time if I use this Teleportation Device?!" Yuan¡¯s dispirited expression immediately brightened.

    "Yes, you should be able to reach Spring City before the day ends. However, it won¡¯t be cheap. After all, Teleportation Devices require a massive amount of spiritual energy to operate, and the further you need to go, the more expensive it¡¯ll cost you. 30,000 miles isn¡¯t bad at all, so the gold we gave you should be more than enough for you to use it." Luo Ming said to him.

    "Thank you! I will use this Teleportation Device even if it¡¯ll cost me an arm and leg!" Yuan said to him.

    "Why are you in such a hurry, Brother Yuan? Is this person you are meeting that important?" Luo Ling suddenly asked him.

    "Yes, she¡¯s the most important person in my life!" He responded without hesitation.

    "The most important person in your life...?" Luo Li repeated in a low voice, feeling somewhat envious of this person.

    Even Xiao Hua couldn¡¯t help but look at him with her interest piqued.

    "It¡¯s not an exaggeration to say if not for her, I would not be alive right now." Yuan nodded with a heartfelt expression on his face.

    "Is she your lover, Brother Yuan?" Luo Ming couldn¡¯t help but ask him.

    "Hahaha... of course, not." Yuanughed at his words before saying, "She¡¯s my sister."

    ¡¯Oh, it¡¯s just his sister...¡¯ The Luo Family sighed in relief after hearing his words.

    "Brother Yuan¡¯s sister... what kind of person is she?" Xiao Hua suddenly asked him while staring at him intensively.

    "She¡¯s a very kind individual who puts others¡¯ well-being above her own. Even though she¡¯s already busy enough with her own life, she never fails to take care of me every single day, even when she¡¯s exhausted herself, and I cannot thank her enough for her sacrifices."

    "It sounds like you have a wonderful sister, Brother Yuan. I fully understand why you must leave now." Luo Li said to him with a smile.

    Once the small conversation was over, they continued to eat.

    Sometimeter, once breakfast was finished, Lord Luo whispered to one of the servants.

    The servant returned a few minutester with a scroll in her hands and handed it to Yuan.

    "That map will show you how to get to Liang City from here. Since you will be flying, it will be much easier for you, but you must pass a mountain range before you can see Liang City."

    "Thank you," Yuan epted the map.

    "Allow me to walk you outside, Brother Yuan." Luo Ling stood up and said to him.

    "I wille too." Luo Li also said.

    A few momentster, Luo Ling suddenly embraced one of his arms close to her chest whilst Luo Li went for the other before leading him outside, making Yuan appear to be some kind of yboy with a beauty in each of his arms.

    Once they were outside, Yuan was dumbfounded by the massive crowd that filled the streets.

    "W-Why is there so many people here?" he was dumbfounded.

    "After what happened with the Mountain Lord, our Pang City has been flooded with visitors. Many of them appeared to havee here looking for Brother Yuan, and even though we have already told them that you had long left this city, the numbers continued to grow." Luo Ling said to him.

    "I see... then I can only fly out of here..." Yuan sighed.

    "Goodbye, Luo Li, Luo Ling. I won¡¯t forget my experience here." He then said to them with a bright smile on his face.

    "Can I hug you before you leave?" Luo Li suddenly asked him.

    Yuan nodded and opened his arms without thinking too much about it.

    Luo Li immediately leaped into his arms and embraced him tightly. "Come back here when you have the time, okay? I will always be waiting for you."

    "I will."

    After hugging him for a few moments, Luo Li released her arms and took a step back before suddenly propelling herself towards Yuan, kissing him on the cheeks.

    "..."

    Yuan was speechless, but he didn¡¯t mind it.

    "I will see youter, Brother Yuan..." Luo Li said to him with a red face before running back into the house.

    "It¡¯s my turn to say goodbye." Luo Ling also went to embrace him.

    "I am going to miss you," she mumbled to him.

    A few momentster, Luo Ling released him and kissed him on the other side of his cheeks, and unlike Luo Li, she did not immediately run away afterward.

    "The next time you visit us, we can do something even more intimate," she winked at him in a seductive manner.

    Although Yuan couldn¡¯t understand the meaning behind her words, he nodded his head regardless.

    "I will see youter," he said to her.

    Once Luo Ling also entered the house, Xiao Hua said to him, "Brother Yuan sure is popr with thedies."

    "Hehe..." he showed a bashful smile before speaking, "Anyway, let¡¯s head to Liang City for the Teleportation Device."

    Yuan then retrieved his Spirit Sword to let Xiao Hua control it. A few momentster, the two of them soared towards the clear sky and left the city, shocking the people that saw them from below.

 Chapter 58 Liang City

    After leaving Pang City, Yuan and Xiao Hua flew straight towards Liang City. However, because of Yuan¡¯s low cultivation base, they needed multiple breaks in between their journey.

    "I am going to eat the Mountain Lord¡¯s monster core now," Yuan suddenly said during their third break.

    A few momentster, he popped the monster core into his mouth like a piece of candy before swallowing the sweetness.

    ?Heaven Refining Physique activated?

    ?311,000,000 Qi has been refined from the ck Beast¡¯s Monster Core?

    307,680,000/307,680,000

    ?You have absorbed enough Qi for a breakthrough?

    ?You have reached the Fifth Level Spirit Warrior?

    ?+3,000 Stats?

    480,500,000/615,360,000

    For more, visit lightnove/l/pub[.

    After consuming the Mountain Lord¡¯s Monster Core, Yuan could feel his exhausted energy instantly recover to the brim and more.

    He then turned to look at his status screen.

    Cultivation: Fifth Level Spirit Warrior

    Legacy: None

    Bloodline: None

    Physique: Heaven Refining Physique

    Physical Strength: 12,734

    Mental Strength: 12,975

    Soul Strength: 14,910

    Physical Defense: 12,710

    Mental Defense: 13,821

    Qi Experience: 480,500,000/615,360,000

    Fame: 80

    Charm: 30

    Luck: 10

    Seeing theserge numbers, Yuan couldn¡¯t help but wonder if it was normal for Cultivators at his level to have such high stats.

    He then looked at his avable skills.

    ?Heaven¡¯s Secret Art? ?Mastery Level: 2?

    ?Consuming Heaven Technique? ?Mastery Level: 2?

    ?Heaven Splitting Sword Strike? ?Mastery Level: 2?

    ?Bloody Sword Strike? ?Mastery Level: 3?

    ?Thousand Knife Technique? ?Mastery Level: 1?

    ?Heavenly Fire Control? ?Mastery Level: 1?

    ?Cooking Skill? ?Mastery Level: 1?

    ?Advanced Senses?

    ?Enhanced Strength?

    ?Weak Poison Resistance?

    ?Novice Sword Mastery?

    Despite having so many techniques at hand, Yuan felt like he only had one or two from using the same technique over and over again. However, it was not as though there was any need for him to use the other techniques when Bloody Sword Strike is more than enough to handle most threats with ease.

    "Are you okay, Brother Yuan?" Xiao Hua asked him in a worried tone after noticing that he had been staring at the empty air with a dazed face, worrying that he might have finally gone crazy from eating too many monster cores.

    "Oh, I¡¯m fine. I was just thinking about something," he said a momentter.

    "Anyway, let¡¯s continue our journey now that I am full of energy again."

    Xiao Hua nodded, and they returned to the sky shortlyter.

    "..."

    "..."

    "..."

    "Do we need to rest again?" Xiao Hua asked him an hourter.

    Yuan shook his head and spoke in a rxed tone, "No, I am still filled with energy. I cannot believe how much stronger I got just from one level."

    "The higher your cultivation, the more difference between each level." Xiao Hua said to him.

    After flying for another hour, Yuan was finally beginning to feel tired, so they rested for half an hour, and they continued this routine until they reached Liang City.

    "Finally... I can finally see the city!" Yuan spoke with teary eyes when he saw the tall city walls in the distance. It has been over 12 hours since they left Pang City, and the entire journey was simply mentally exhausting for someone like Yuan who has never traveled such a long distance in one go before.

    Sometimeter, they descended near the entrance where there was a decently long queue of people waiting to get inside the city.

    However, when the guards saw how Yuan and Xiao Hua appeared out of nowhere from the skies, they immediately ignored the people in the line and rushed towards them.

    "Wee to our Liang City, Senior Cultivators. If there¡¯s anything you need, please let us assist you." The guards spoke after politely bowing to them.

    "We¡¯re here for the Teleportation Device," said Yuan. "It¡¯s here, right?"

    "That is correct. Our Liang City indeed has a Teleportation Device. However, it has a travel distance limit of 70,000 miles."

    "That¡¯s more than enough. I only intend on traveling to Spring City, which should be around 30,000 miles away."

    "I understand. Pleasee with me, I will lead you to the Teleportation Device."

    Yuan nodded and followed one of the guards into the city while the other guards returned to assist the other people.

    Sometimeter, they reached the center of Liang City, where the Teleportation Device was in the middle of a crowded square street.

    "That¡¯s the Teleportation Device?" Yuan raised his eyebrows in a surprised manner after seeing therge circr object that seemed to be made of some kind of metallic material. It looked like a massive round mirror but without the ss in the middle, and there was even a stage right before it.

    "Is there anything else you need from me, Seniors?" The guard asked them after they arrived.

    "No, this is all... Thank you for taking the time to bring us here." Yuan said to him.

    "Please, you don¡¯t even need to mention it. I am merely doing my job."

    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.

    For more, visit lightnovelp/ub[.

    The guard left a few momentster, leaving Yuan and Xiao Hua standing before the Teleportation Device.

    "Where would you like to go?" An old man with a profound aura standing beside the Teleportation Device suddenly spoke to Yuan after noticing their presence.

    "Spring City," he said.

    "Spring City, huh. That would be 30,247 miles from here." The old man said to him.

    "How much will it cost?"

    "350,000 gold coins." The old man quickly responded.

    ¡¯That much?!¡¯ Yuan cried inwardly. Although he had prepared himself for it, the price still shocked him greatly.

    Seeing Yuan¡¯s dumbfounded expression, the old man said, "It requires an enormous amount of spiritual energy to operate the Teleportation Device; it¡¯s only natural it¡¯ll cost this much."

    "Do you still want to use it?"

    For more, visit lightnovel/pub[.

    Yuan quickly nodded, "Yes, I do."

    The old man then extended his wrinkly hands towards Yuan, signaling him for the payment.

    Seeing this, Yuan sighed inwardly before taking out his storage pouch and handing the old man the money.

 Chapter 59 Xuan Family

    After counting the money with his spiritual sense, the old man nodded with satisfaction and said to them, "Go ahead and step onto the stage."

    Yuan and Xiao Hua proceeded to walk onto the stage and stood before the massive Teleportation Device.

    The old man then walked to a stand that was only a few meters away and ced onto it a few chunks of beautiful crystal that emitted intense spiritual energy.

    A few momentster, once the Teleportation Device was charged up with Spirit Qi from the crystals, the empty space before Yuan began to twist and turn, and a ck portal appeared.

    "You won¡¯t be directly teleported inside Spring City but a few miles out. Enter the Teleportation Device whenever you are ready but don¡¯t take too long because it will disappear in a minute."

    Yuan nodded and turned to look at Xiao Hua.

    "Are you ready?" He asked her.

    "Whenever Brother Yuan is ready," she nodded her small head.

    Yuan then extended his hand for her to hold, and Xiao Hua grabbed it without hesitation.

    After taking a deep breath, Yuan took a step forward and walked into the portal while holding Xiao Hua¡¯s small hands, disappearing from Liang City.

    For more, visit lightnov//elpub[.]

    And literally a secondter, just like when he first entered the game and met Xiao Hua, Yuan found himself surrounded by trees in the middle of nowhere.

    "Let¡¯s go up," Yuan said, and they soared to the sky a momentter to look for the city.

    "I think it¡¯s that ce over there," Yuan pointed at the city in the distance.

    "Let¡¯s go."

    They began flying towards the city.

    ?You have discovered ¡¯Spring City¡¯?

    A few minutester, they descended from the sky andnded in front of the city gates, and just like the guards from Pang City and Liang City, the guards at Spring City immediately approached them after seeing them descend from the Heavens.

    "Wee to our Spring City, Seniors. If you need anything, just let me know." The guard said to him.

    "It¡¯s fine. We are only here to meet with someone." Yuan said to the guard.

    "May I have the Seniors name so we can report to the Xuan Family of your presence?" The guard suddenly said.

    "Xuan Family?" Yuan suddenly recalled Xuan Wuhan, who mentioned that her family was in this city.

    "That¡¯s correct, Senior. The Xuan Family controls this city, and we were instructed to let them know if any experts arrive at our city to avoid any unnecessary trouble." The guard exined to him.

    "Then do you know Xuan Wuhan?" Yuan asked him.

    "The Young Lady? Are you acquainted with the Young Lady?" The guard showed a surprised face.

    "Yes, she asked me to see her if I ever visit Spring City, and I have some time before my meeting. Here, she even gave me this."

    Yuan showed him the medallion Xuan Wuhan gave him in Spirit City.

    "That¡¯s the Xuan Family¡¯s Medallion!" The guards¡¯ eyes widened with surprise after seeing the medallion. Only those trusted by the Xuan Family would have something like that!

    "Please follow me, esteemed guests! I will immediately bring you to the Xuan Family!" The guard bowed to them with respect.

    For more, visit li/ghtnovelpub[/.

    "By the way, you can call me Yuan."

    "Young Master Yuan!"

    Meanwhile, another guard rushed to return to the Xuan Family before Yuan and Xiao Hua could arrive to alert them about their presence.

    "What? Someone with my family¡¯s medallion ising here? I don¡¯t recall anyone that goes by the name ¡¯Yuan¡¯." The head of the Xuan Family, Patriarch Xuan raised his eyebrows after hearing about Yuan.

    "He mentioned the Young Lady¡¯s name, even iming that she was the one who gave him the medallion," said the guard.

    Patriarch Xuan nodded and said, "Bring my daughter here."

    "Yes, Patriarch!"

    Sometimeter, Xuan Wuhan appeared before them with a messy appearance, looking like she¡¯d just gotten out of bed.

    "What¡¯s the matter, father? I was having a nice dream, you know?" she asked him with a tired expression.

    "Do you know someone by the name of ¡¯Yuan¡¯?" Patriarch Xuan immediately asked her.

    "How do you know about Daoist Yuan, father?" Xuan Wuhan¡¯s face immediately became energetic after hearing Yuan¡¯s name, and she looked at him with a surprised face.

    "So you are acquainted with him?"

    "Yes, I met him at Spirit City and the auction house there. Although I don¡¯t know his background, he¡¯s definitely not an ordinary individual, especially the little girl who follows him around. I have a feeling that she¡¯s a real expert like Grandpa."

    "A Spirit Master like my father, huh? That¡¯s very likely, as the guards saw her flying with their own eyes."

    "Wait a moment! They were here? In our city?!" Xuan Wuhuan quickly asked him.

    "Yes, and they are heading here as we speak."

    "Why didn¡¯t you tell me that from the beginning! I am not ready to receive any guests, and I have already wasted plenty of time here!"

    "Then you¡¯d best hurry up and fix your appearance before they arrive." Patriarch Xuan shook his head at her. While Xuan Wuhan is known for being a hard worker by the people outside, she was theplete opposite at home, being azy girl who spends most of her time sleeping.

    "I will be right back!" Xuan Wuhan said before she ran towards the bathroom.

    Meanwhile, Yuan and Xiao Hua had just arrived at the Xuan Family¡¯s household.

    "Heavens... This ce is even bigger than the Luo Family¡¯s manor in Pang City. It¡¯s almost likeparing a small hut to a massive mansion!" Yuan spoke with a dazed look on his face as he stood right outside their building. It¡¯s no wonder why Xuan Wuhan was treated like a V.I.P at the auction house.

    "The Xuan Family has already been notified of your arrival, esteemed guests."

    Just as the guard finished his sentence, the door opened, and a handsome and tall middle-aged man with a profound aura walked out of the building and stared at Yuan with a sharp gaze.

    ¡¯Fifth Level Spirit Warrior?! How old is this young man? He doesn¡¯t look any older than my daughter!¡¯ Patriarch Xuan was filled with surprise after seeing his cultivation base and young appearance.

    N?velDrama.Org content.

    However, what shocked him the most was Xiao Hua¡¯s formidable presence, who was naturally emitting a profound aura, yet he could not see the full extent of her cultivation base despite being a Spirit Master himself.

    ¡¯A real expert! She¡¯s a real expert!¡¯ he cried inwardly.

 Chapter 60 What the Heck Happened to You?!

    <h4>Chapter 60 - What The Heck Happened To You?!</h4>

    "You must be Daoist Yuan. I am the Patriarch of the Xuan Family and Xuan Wuhan¡¯s father, Xuan Chao. Thank you for taking the time to visit our humble family." Patriarch Xuan sped his hands together and bowed to them respectfully with a friendly smile on his face.

    "Thank you for having me." Yuan followed his movements and returned the bow.

    "Please,e inside."

    Yuan and Xiao Hua then followed him into the massive building.

    "Wee, Esteemed Guests."

    Two rows of servants standing parallel to each other bowed to them in unison as they entered the house.

    Once they were in the guest room, the servants served them tea, and Patriarch Xuan spoke as Yuan held the teacup, "I have heard about you from my daughter, Daoist Yuan, and I must say, you are as talented as... No, you have exceeded my expectations. Reaching the Fifth Level Spirit Warrior realm at such a young age, I can only imagine how talented your Master must be."

    "And I cannot help but ask, just how old are you this year?" Patriarch Xuan looked at him with clear eyes filled with interest.

    "I turned 18 three months ago," Yuan responded casually.

    "E-E-Eighteen?!" Patriarch Xuan eximed, nearly standing up from shock. Although Yuan looked young, he did not really expect him to be such a young man since appearance is the most deceptive part about Cultivators with Xiao Hua as the perfect example.

    "Unbelievable... I thought you were near my daughter¡¯s age, maybe even slightly older, but s, to think you were actually younger than her by 3 years!" Patriarch Xuan praised him without feeling any shame, even feeling a little envious of his talent.

    And while he wanted to ask Yuan about his background, Patriarch Xuan did not want to appear too inquisitive on their first meeting.

    It was at this moment the door to the room opened, and a beautiful youngdy wearing subtle yet striking makeup entered the room.

    Yuan turned around to look at Xuan Wuhan and smiled upon seeing her, "Hello, Xuan Wuhan. I havee to visit you."

    "Daoist Yuan! Thank you for¡ª What the heck happened to you?!"

    Xuan Wuhan suddenly eximed in a shocked tone midway through her sentence, dumbfounding Yuan and Patriarch Xuan.

    "Eh?" Yuan watched with wide eyes as Xuan Wuhan ran towards him in an aggressive manner.

    "How are you already at the Fifth Level Spirit Warrior realm?! Thest time I saw you, you were only at the first level! And that was only a few days ago!" she looked at him with a gawking face.

    "What!?" Patriarch Xuan stood up from shock after hearing his daughter¡¯s baffling words. Not even a cultivating monster can improve their cultivation so quickly! Just what kind of background does Yuan have?

    "W-Well... A few things have urred since the auction house..." Yuan said with a weird smile on his face.

    "You must¡¯ve had quite the fortunate encounter to raise your cultivation so quickly. How envious. I also want a fortunate encounter..." Xuan Wuhan sighed loudly.

    "I wouldn¡¯t call them fortunate events, though..." Yuan shook his head with a bitter smile.

    "Anyway, what brings you to Spring City? Don¡¯t tell me you are here just to see me?" she asked him with flickering eyes.

    "I¡¯m meeting with my sister here," Yuan calmly responded.

    "Oh..." Xuan Wuhan mumbled, feeling somewhat disappointed.

    "Then how long do you n on staying here?" she asked a momentter.

    "I¡¯m not sure, but it probably won¡¯t be long," he said.

    "Do you have a ce to stay? If not, you can stay here for the time being. We have plenty of guest rooms."

    "That probably won¡¯t be necessary, since I will be meeting with my sister in a few hours. Thank you for the offering, though."

    "Don¡¯t worry. If you ever need a ce to stay, you know where to go," she said to him.

    "What about dinner? It¡¯s being prepared right now," Patriarch Xuan suddenly said.

    "I can stay for that." Yuan nodded.

    While they waited for dinner to be ready, Xuan Wuhan asked Yuan about his activities after they separated from the auction house.

    Yuan then told them about his encounter with the Demonic Spider and the Mountain Lord at Pang City.

    Both Xuan Wuhan and Patriarch Xuan listened to his adventure with dropping jaws. How can so much happen in just a few days? Furthermore, it doesn¡¯t exin how he managed to improve his cultivation base so quickly.

    "You said that you don¡¯t belong to any sect, right? Do you intend on joining one in the future?" Xuan Wuhan asked him afterward.

    "I honestly don¡¯t know. I haven¡¯t seen enough of this world yet to want to stay in one ce for an extended amount of time," he said.

    "If that is your only concern then I don¡¯t think you need to worry because only the newer disciples have their movements and activities limited to within the Sect, mostly for their own safety." Xuan Wuhan said, and she continued, "Inner Disciples and Core Disciples such as myself have plenty of freedom. In fact, most of us spend more time outside than inside the sect."Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    "Take me for example. I belong to a sect, yet I spend more time outside than at the sect. As long as I don¡¯t ck and continue to progress my cultivation, they won¡¯t restrict my movements."

    "And with your talents and your current cultivation, it¡¯s almost guaranteed that you will be a Core Disciple the instant you join a sect. If you are still worried, then you can join my sect. My grandfather is an Elder at the sect, and with his backing, even the Sect Leader will have to think twice before doing anything to you."

    Hearing her words, Yuan nodded and said, "I will think about it."

    Although he wasn¡¯t interested in Sects at first, if he wants to have a better understanding of Cultivators, he should live around them for some time. And since Xuan Wuhuan has reassured him that he won¡¯t have his freedom limited, it seemed like the perfect time to join one.

    However, because he still needed his sister¡¯s opinion on this matter, he won¡¯t make any decisions for now.

 Chapter 61 Meeting With Yu Rou

    "Take as long as you need to think about it. Although it¡¯s verymon for Cultivators to join a Sect, it¡¯s not something you should take lightly, as it will more likely than not affect the rest of your life." Xuan Wuhan said to him.

    "And if you ever decide to join a Sect,e to the Dragon Essence Temple. It¡¯s one of the top Sects in the world and also where I am currently. They¡¯ll treat you nicely¡ª I can guarantee you that."

    Yuan nodded, "I will keep that in mind."

    Sometimeter, once dinner was ready, Xiao Hua asked Yuan after they were seated at the dining table, "Are you going to be okay with so little food, Brother Yuan?"

    Because the Xuan Family is not aware of Yuan¡¯s eating habits, she was worried that the food might not even fill the gap between his teeth.

    "Although it won¡¯t be enough to fill my stomach, I don¡¯t need a full stomach every time I eat something," he said a momentter.

    Xiao Hua no longer said anything and they began eating shortlyter.

    Many minutester, after dinner, Yuan said to the Xuan Family, "Thank you for the wonderful dinner. I have to go now."

    "You¡¯re leaving already? It¡¯s already dark outside." Xuan Wuhan said to him, seemingly reluctant to see him leave so quickly.

    "I would like to stay for longer, but my sister should be arriving soon, and I have promised her that I won¡¯t make her wait for long."

    "Is that so..." Xuan Wuhan nodded and said, "Then promise me that you¡¯lle to visit me again in the future."

    She then extended her hand to him like she was asking for a handshake.

    Yuan did not hesitate to shake her hands and said, "I promise."

    Once Yuan and Xiao Hua left the building a few momentster, Patriarch Xuan said to her, "You really like him, huh? I have never seen you act so friendly towards another man before."

    "Even though he¡¯s extremely talented and powerful, it isn¡¯t obvious at nce, and that doesn¡¯t change even after you speak with him. He¡¯s a very kind and humble individual despite his status¡ªpletely opposite of the arrogant geniuses that I am used to seeing on a daily basis. It¡¯s a refreshing feeling." Xuan Wuhan said with a gentle smile on her face.

    "I cannot argue with that. Talented Cultivators like him are very rare nowadays. They are usually filled with arrogance, and the more talented they are the worse their character. It only makes one wonder what kind of background he¡¯s from." Patriarch Xuan nodded in an approving manner.

    "Why don¡¯t you go talk to your grandfather? Let him know about the situation and see if he can convince Daoist Yuan to join the Sect." He suddenly suggested.

    However, Xuan Wuhan shook her head and said, "I will let grandpa know about his existence, but I won¡¯t tell him to convince Daoist Yuan. We can¡¯t look desperate, after all."

    Meanwhile, outside the building, Yuan said to Xiao Hua, "I am going to log off for now."

    For more, visit ligh/t/novelpub[.

    "See youter, Brother Yuan." Xiao Hua said to him before disappearing into the ne.

    A few momentster, Yuan left the cultivation world and proceeded to wait for Yu Rou to return in the real world.

    "Brother! I am back! I can finally y with you tomorrow!" Yu Rou¡¯s excited voice resounded outside his room, and Yuan could hear the sound of her running in the hallway.

    "Wee back, Yu Rou," Yuan said to her with a smile on his face after she entered his room a momentter.

    "Un! Let me change out of my school uniform and prepare dinner for you first! I will be right back!" Yu Rou said to him, and she ran outside before Yuan could even tell her to calm down.

    About half an hourter, Yu Rou returned to his room with all of the necessities on a small cart.

    "How was your day, Brother? Do you think you¡¯ll be able to make it to Spring City by tomorrow morning?" Yu Rou asked him as she wiped his skinny body with a warm wet towel.

    "You have underestimated me, Yu Rou. I am already in Spring City." Yuan responded with a smile.

    "Really? I bet you were already close to it." Yu Rou said,pletely unaware that he¡¯d traveled over 30,000 miles and spent 350,000 gold coins just to get there.

    "You have no idea..." Yuan said.

    "And what do you mean tomorrow morning? Can you not y tonight?"

    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.

    "I would love to y tonight, but I have piano practice at home early tomorrow morning, so I have to sleep right after this," she said as she changed the wet towel and wiped his body for the second time.

    "I see... then I will also sleep early tonight to make time pass by faster," Yuan said.

    After cleaning and feeding Yuan, Yu Rou went to shower and eat her own dinner before going to sleep, not even bothering to spend a few minutes on the inte as usual.

    The following morning, Yu Rou woke up early and spent 2 hours with piano practice before returning to Yuan¡¯s room to wash his face and feed him breakfast.

    "Let¡¯s meet at the front of the city by the entrance," Yu Rou said to Yuan as she wiped his lips after breakfast.

    "Sounds good. I will see you there." Yuan said.

    A few minutester, Yuan entered the game while Yu Rou returned to her own room.

    Visit li//ghtnovelp/ub[. for a better experience

    "Xiao Hua, let¡¯s go. We¡¯re going to meet my sister now."

    "Un." Xiao Hua nodded her head, feeling slightly nervous for some reason.

    "By the way, can you do me a favor?" Yuan suddenly asked her as they walked to the front of the city.

    "What is it, Brother Yuan?" she looked at him.

    "Can you not call me ¡¯Yuan¡¯ when we are with my sister? I¡¯d like to surprise herter," he said.

    Xiao Hua tilted her head with a puzzled expression on her face after hearing his words.

    "It¡¯s a bitplicated, but my real name is not really Yuan... I mean, it is, but it isn¡¯t at the same time," he revealed to her.

 Chapter 62 Yu Tian

    "Then what should Xiao Hua call Brother Yuan?" she asked him.

    "Tian... Yu Tian, that is my real name," Yuan said to her.

    "Xiao Hua understands, Brother Tian," she nodded her head.

    "Thank you, Xiao Hua."

    Yuan and Xiao Hua continued to approach the city¡¯s entrance.

    Many minutester, they arrived at the city gate, and to their surprise, there was a small crowd gathered there and looking like they were surrounding something, and they were all young men.

    "Fairydy, what is your name? I am Bai Chen from the Heavenly Tiger Academy..."

    "Forget about him, young fairy. My father is an Elder at the prestigious Nine Crane Sect!"

    "Why are you standing here by yourself, youngdy? Are you waiting for someone? Why don¡¯t youe with me instead¡ª"

    A clear and delightful-sounding voice suddenly interrupted these young men, "I am sorry, but I have no interest in apanying any of you, and I already have a schedule with someone else."

    "Are you saying this person you are waiting for is more important than me, Yin Zhou, Inner Disciple of the mighty Jade Fist Mountain!?" An arrogant voice resounded afterward.

    "That¡¯s right." The feminine voice responded, sounding as calm as a still pond, "This person is more important to me than anything else in the world."

    Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    "This voice belongs to..." Yuan could instantly recognize this beautiful voice even if she mumbled a single word with a thousand people talking loudly around her.

    "The audacity! I don¡¯t care if you have a pretty face, but how dare you p my face before my fellow disciples¡ª"

    "Yu Rou!" Yuan shouted her name as he approached the crowd.

    "Brother...?" Yu Rou¡¯s eyes flickered brightly after hearing his voice. Although it sounded clearer and more energetic than usual, she would never mistake his voice for another¡¯s.

    "Who the hell are you?" The crowd around Yu Rou immediately turned their attention to Yuan with frowns, who wore a calm on his face.

    "Oh? Are you perhaps the person she¡¯s waiting for¡ª the person that¡¯s more important than me? Then you have exactly three seconds to turn around and leave before I¡ª"

    Before the man could even finish his sentence, Yuan took a step forward and swung his sword at a speed that could not be followed with one¡¯s eyes, stopping directly before the man¡¯s neck.

    "I don¡¯t care who you are¡ª You have three seconds to leave her alone before I send you to hell," Yuan spoke in a cold and demanding voice, his gaze filled with a dreadful feeling that threatened to destroy anything that dares to disobey hismand.

    Feeling the cold de pressing against his neck, the man named Yin Zhou didn¡¯t even dare to swallow.

    ¡¯This young man is in the fifth level Spirit Warrior realm! He¡¯s definitely a genius disciple from a renowned sect! I cannot mess with him!¡¯ Yin Zhou cried inwardly after sensing the powerful aura emitting from Yuan¡¯s body.

    "T-There must have been a misunderstanding, Young Master... I will immediately leave..."

    Once the disciples from the Jade Fist Mountain left, the others also left in silence, not daring to offend this mysterious expert that came out of nowhere.

    ¡¯Brother Yuan...¡¯ Xiao Hua was dumbfounded by the fierceness shown by Yuan just now, as this is her first time seeing him emit killing intent towards another human being. In fact, she didn¡¯t even know he could be this domineering.

    When the path between the siblings was cleared and Yu Rou could finally see the tall and handsome young man that stood not too far away from her, she covered her mouth from shock, and her eyes flickered with many emotions simultaneously, causing it to be teary.

    "You are taller than I¡¯d anticipated, Yu Rou..." Yuan spoke with a warm smile on his face, his gaze at the beautiful youngdy before him.

    "Brother Tian... You... I..." Yu Rou was speechless. Even though she¡¯d prepared in advance what she wanted to say to him, after seeing her brother who had been crippled for nearly his entire life standing and lookingpletely healthy, she was simply at a loss for words.

    "What¡¯s wrong, Yu Rou? Why aren¡¯t you saying anything? Cat¡¯s got your tongue?" Yuan said to her after waiting long enough.

    "Brother Tian! Waaaa!"

    In response to his words, Yu Rou lunged herself at him with her arms wide open while crying out loud, "I cannot believe it... you... you look even better than I¡¯d imagined you would if you were healthy!"

    Yuan immediately opened his arms to catch her in his embrace before hugging her tightly, something he has been wanting to do for many years but was not physically capable of. However, with Cultivation Online¡¯s 100% immersive system, it finally allowed Yuan to feel Yu Rou¡¯s warmth, and it allowed Yu Rou¡¯s dream to witness Yuan being healthy again toe true.

    And albeit they were only inside a game and not in the real world, it still meant a great deal to them.

    "Yes... you also look a lot different than I¡¯d imagined," Yuan said to her.

    A few minutester, once Yu Rou cried enough and calmed down, Yuan said to her, "Let me introduce you to my little friend who has been with me since the beginning and helped me a great deal since then. It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that if not for her, I wouldn¡¯t be here right now. I have said this before but she¡¯s like another little sister to me now."

    "..."

    Yu Rou turned to look at the pretty young girl standing behind Yuan.

    ¡¯What a pretty girl! She looks just like a doll!¡¯ Yu Rou was surprised by Xiao Hua¡¯s doll-like appearance. There¡¯s no doubt that Xiao Hua would grow up to be a very beautiful woman.

    "Nice to meet you, Brother Tian¡¯s sister. Xiao Hua is Xiao Hua," she introduced herself a momentter.

    "She¡¯s an NPC, right? Why is she talking in third-person?" Yu Rou asked Yuan.

    "Is that weird? I find it very cute," Yuan said.

    "Cute..." Yu Rou looked at him with slightly narrowed eyes.

    "Anyways, I am called Yu Rou. Since Brother Tian treats you like a little sister, let¡¯s try to get along, okay?" Yu Rou extended her hands towards Xiao Hua for a handshake.

    Xiao Hua nodded and shook her hands, yet there was this fierce atmosphere between the two of them, almost like they were standing on an invisible battlefield.

 Chapter 63 Cultivatorsâ€œ Haven

    After shaking hands with Xiao Hua, Yu Rou turned to look at Yuan¡¯s handsome appearance some more, almost as though she was trying to engrave his image into her soul.

    "Anyway, now that we are together, what do you want to do, Yu Rou?" Yuan asked her a momentter.

    "I haven¡¯t really thought about it, but I would like to raise my cultivation a little bit first. I don¡¯t want to be a burden, after all."

    "You don¡¯t have to worry about that since I will never see you as a burden. In fact, I would like you to rely on me, as I can only do something for you in this world." Yuan said to her.

    "Thank you, Brother..." she nodded.

    "Xiao Hua, are there any quiet ces we can go so she can cultivate peacefully?" Yuan then asked her.

    "We can rent a cultivation room," she quickly said. "They are made specifically for these kinds of situations where Cultivators need a ce to cultivate in peace but do not have a ce of their own."

    "A cultivation room...? That sounds very interesting," Yu Rou said. "Where can we find one?"

    "There are at least one in every city, so there should be one here too."

    "Let¡¯s ask around." Yuan suggested.

    A few minutester, after speaking with some of the pedestrians, they learned of a ce called ¡¯Cultivators¡¯ Haven¡¯ that was only a few blocks away, so they began making their way towards that ce.

    Sometimeter, they stood before arge and tall building that had over twenty floors, resembling a pagoda.

    Once they entered the building, one of the receptionists there noticed them and immediately waved her hands at them.

    "Wee to Cultivators¡¯ Haven! How may I assist you?" The beautifuldy asked them once they approached her.

    "Hello, we would like to rent a room for cultivation." Yuan responded.

    The receptionist looked at them and asked, "One room for each of you or just one room?"

    "One room is fine," he said.

    "Then how long would you like to rent the room for?"

    Yuan turned to look at Yu Rou and asked her, "How long?"

    "I don¡¯t want to spend too much time on cultivation when I am with you so a few hours is enough," Yu Rou said.

    Yuan nodded and returned to the receptionist, "Four hours is enough."

    However, the receptionist responded with an apologetic expression, "I¡¯m sorry, but we cannot rent the room for less than 24 hours at a time. Though, you can leave at any time you want."

    "Okay, then we¡¯ll do 24 hours." Yuan nodded.

    "Thank you. Now as for the room itself, which floor would you like a room in?"

    "What¡¯s the difference?" Yuan asked.

    "We have a total of 21 rooms avable in our Cultivators¡¯ Haven, and the higher floor you go, the more effective your cultivation will be since we have ced special arrays to improve the quality of Spirit Qi in that room. Of course, it alles at a higher cost."

    "The rooms on floors 1 to 9 will have normal-quality Spirit Qi whilst floors 10-20 will have higher quality Spirit Qi¡ª about a 30% improvementpared to cultivating outside normally and the rooms on floors 1 to 9. As for the rooms at the peak of the building¡ª the 21st floor, it¡¯s about a 50% improvement. There are only three rooms avable on that floor, and two of them are already upied."

    "Which floor would you like a room on?" The receptionist asked him after exining their structure to him.

    "I want the room on the 21st floor," Yuan responded without hesitation, as he only wanted the best for Yu Rou and would not ept anything less than the best.

    "A-Are you sure, esteemed guest? It¡¯ll cost 1,000 gold coins to use the 21st-floor rooms for 24 hours, and you¡¯ll only be using it for a few hours..." The receptionist seemed slightly taken aback.

    "1,000 gold coins!?" Yu Rou¡¯s eyes widened with shock, and she quickly tugged at Yuan¡¯s sleeves. "Brother, you don¡¯t have to spend so much money on me! We¡¯ll only be here for a few hours!"

    However, Yuan shook his head with a resolute expression on his face, "Nonsense. This is the only way I can repay you for your sacrifices in the real world, and I am not going to be humble about it! I will pay for the room even if it costs 100,000 gold coins!"

    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.

    Yuan quickly ced the money on the counter before Yu Rou could further persuade him and repeated, "I want a room on the 21st floor for 24 hours!"

    "Right away, esteemed guest." The receptionist epted the money with a bright smile on her face, as this would reflect positively on her position as someone who managed to rent out such an expensive room.

    "Aiya... Brother... to think you¡¯d really spend 1,000 gold coins without blinking an eye. How on earth did you obtain such wealth, anyway? Most yers have at most a few dozen gold coins after grinding for days, and even the richest yers out there that spend real money on the game wouldn¡¯t dare to spend sovishly." Yu Rou sighed loudly, shocked speechless by Yuan¡¯s unhealthy spending habit.

    s, if only she knew that he¡¯d spent 350,000 gold coins just to meet her. One could only imagine the face she¡¯d make then.

    "If you don¡¯t mind me asking for your name, esteemed guest..."

    "Yua¡ª Yu Tian..." Yuan stuttered.

    "Young Master Yu Tian, right? Please give me a moment to bring you the key."

    A few momentster, the receptionist returned with a circr medallion that appeared to be made from some sort of jade or crystal and handed it to Yuan.

    "The time will start from the moment you open the door with the key, and once the 24 hours is up, the room will block all Spirit Qi from entering the room." The receptionist exined to him afterward.

    "I see. Thank you." Yuan said to her before walking up the stairs with the group.

 Chapter 64 Xiao Huaâ€™s Mission

    After walking up 20 flights of stairs, Yuan and his small group finally reached the 21st floor. On this floor, there existed only three doors made of stone that were eventually distanced from each other and a stone tablet right beside each door. Two of the three stone tablets already had a key inserted into the hole, signaling that it was already upied.

    Therefore, Yuan and the others walked to the stone tablet that had an empty keyhole.

    After inserting the key into the keyhole, the stone door began to tremble before it started opening. However, it was unlike any normal door, and it opened by levitating off the ground.

    Once they walked into the empty room, the stone door closed itself, sealing them inside.

    A few momentster, the empty room began filling with rich and dense spiritual energy, and arge drawing resembling a magic circle appeared on the floor that spread throughout the entire room.

    "Wow, this feels entirely different from the Spirit Qi from the outside," Yuan expressed his surprise after feeling the spiritual energy in the room.

    "There¡¯s a special array in the room that attracts Spirit Qi and increases its quality." Xiao Hua exined to him.

    "Array? What is that?" Yuan continued to ask her.

    "Arrays are also known as formations and they are techniques with an area of effect created by Array Masters, and anything inside that formation will have to obey thew set by the formation master within the array. For example, if one were to set a movement restriction array inside this room, we would have our movements restricted in some way until we leave this room."

    "I see... So that¡¯s what these weird symbols on the floor are..." Yuan said as he looked at the massive magic circle on the floor.

    "Arrays circles usually reveal themselves after activation, hence why they are often used as traps by Array Masters," Xiao Hua said to him.

    "Anyway, I am going to start cultivating now." Yu Rou suddenly said as she sat down in the middle of the room in the lotus position.

    A few momentster, her breathing calmed down and became somewhat rhythmic.

    ?You have cultivated for the first time, unlocking Qi Experience?

    A notification appeared before her as she absorbed her first Qi.

    ?Due to Qi Gathering Array, your Qi absorption rate has increased slightly?

    1/5,000

    3/5,000

    4/5,000

    6/5,000

    7/5,000

    9/5,000

    While Yu Rou cultivated in silence, Yuan mumbled to Xiao Hua in a low voice to not distract Yu Rou.

    "Xiao Hua, do you think you can let my sister learn the Divine-grade technique, too?" he asked her.

    However, Xiao Hua quickly shook her head and said, "Because Xiao Hua is not from the Lower Heaven, Xiao Hua cannot help those in the Lower Heaven, or she will be punished by the Heavens."

    "Huh? Then why are you helping me?" Yuan looked at her with a baffled face.

    "Because Xiao Hua has chosen Brother Yu¡ª Brother Tian to assist her with the Supreme Heaven¡¯s Legacy, and Xiao Hua can only help those who are participating in the Legacy."

    "I have heard this before, but what exactly is the Supreme Heaven¡¯s Legacy?"

    For more, visit li/ghtnovelp/ub[.

    "The Supreme Heaven¡¯s Legacy is a mission given to Xiao Hua by the Heavens that she must fulfill, and Xiao Hua¡¯s mission is to find someone who can climb the Stairway to Heaven and reach the Supreme Heaven."

    "Why are you burdened with this mission? And what happens if you fail?" Yuan raised his eyebrows in a puzzled manner, feeling more confused than in the beginning.

    However, Xiao Hua did not immediately respond to him, even looking hesitant on speaking, almost like she was afraid of something.

    "If you don¡¯t want to tell me now, you don¡¯t have to. Tell me whenever you feel ready, I¡¯ll always be willing to listen," Yuan said to her a momentter.

    "Thank you, Brother Tian..." she nodded with a relieved look on her face.

    "Then can you tell me about this Stairway to Heavens?" he continued to ask.

    "Yes. The Stairway to Heaven is a path that will lead one to a higher realm if they manage to pass the challenges on that path."

    "Oh, I remember you saying something about defeating the Realm Guardian before we can ascend to a higher realm." Yuan suddenly recalled his conversation with her around the time he defeated the Jade Frog.

    Xiao Hua nodded and continued, "There are multiple Stairway to Heaven in this world, and there is a Realm Guardian at the end of every stairway before one can ascend to the next realm."

    "Then where is this Stairway to Heaven? I would like to see it."

    "Brother Tian is still too weak to challenge the Stairway to Heaven¡ª he¡¯ll only die if he went right now," Xiao Hua spoke to him with a serious expression on her face.

    "At what level should I challenge it, then?"

    "Spirit Grandmaster... that¡¯s the lowest requirement for climbing the Stairway to Heaven even if you are a genius," she quickly replied.

    "Spirit Grandmaster... that¡¯s quite far away..." Yuan sighed.

    "With Brother Tian¡¯s talent, he¡¯ll reach Spirit Grandmaster in no time," Xiao Hua spoke in a confident voice.

    About an hourter, Yu Rou opened her eyes and spoke in an excited voice, "Brother! I have entered the First Level Spirit Apprentice and became a Cultivator!"

    ?You have seeded in breaking through your mortal shackles, bing a Spirit Apprentice!?

    ?All stats +50?

    "Congrattions, Yu Rou," Yuan said to her with a smile on his face.

    "Un! I am going to cultivate some more before we start our adventure! Please be patient with me just a little longer, Brother Tian!" she said.

    "Take as long as you need, I won¡¯tin no matter how long you make me wait..." Yuan said with a bittersweet smile on his face.

    If Yu Rou has the patience to take care of him nearly every day for the past five years without uttering a singleint, he definitely won¡¯tin about a few mere hours.N?velDrama.Org content.

 Chapter 65 Spoiling Yu Rou

    After spending another hour inside the cultivation room, Yu Rou entered the second level Spirit Apprentice realm.

    ?You have absorbed enough Qi for a breakthrough?

    ?You have reached Second Level Spirit Apprentice?

    ?All stats +75?

    Two more hourster, she entered the third level Spirit Apprentice.

    ?You have absorbed enough Qi for a breakthrough?

    ?You have reached Third Level Spirit Apprentice?

    ?All stats +100?

    "Brother, I have cultivated enough, let¡¯s do something else." Yu Rou said to him afterward.

    "Are you sure? You can cultivate some more if you want," he said to her.

    "Honestly, I want to continue cultivating because I don¡¯t want to waste the 1,000 gold coins you¡¯d spent to rent this room, but I also don¡¯t want to waste time cultivating here..." Yu Rou sighed with a perplexed expression on her face.

    "I¡¯m telling you, it¡¯s only 1,000 gold coins. I can earn that much by killing a few monsters and selling their monster cores," he said to her.

    "Really? You can earn that much money from fighting monsters?" Yu Rou looked at him with suspicious eyes. If one could earn money using that method, wouldn¡¯t everyone be rich with gold coins by now?

    "Of course." Yuan nodded.

    "Anyway, if you want to leave, let¡¯s go buy you some equipment. We cannot have you leaving the city barehanded," he said to her.

    Yu Rou nodded and followed Yuan outside the room. But before they could leave, they had to pull a lever next to the door so that it would open.

    After leaving the room, Yuan took the key from the stone tablet and walked downstairs with the others.

    "There are still 20 hours left. Give it to the next person thates here." Yuan said as he handed the dumbfounded receptionist the key.

    "Esteemed guest! You can simply keep this key with you and use it the next youe to our Cultivators¡¯ Haven. Furthermore, we have many branches across the Eastern Continent, and as long as you have this key, you can rent a room in any of the other branches." The receptionist exined to him.

    "Really?" Yuan raised his eyebrows, "Then I¡¯ll give it to my little sister here. She can use it in the future."

    Since he can cultivate by consuming monster cores, he didn¡¯t need to use niche ces like the Cultivators¡¯ Haven to improve his cultivation.

    "I would also like to spend 30,000 gold coins to buy more time in case she needs it in the future," Yuan said as he handed the money to the surprised receptionist.

    "R-Right away, esteemed guest!" The receptionist quickly epted the money and ran to the back.

    N?velDrama.Org content.

    "Brother!!!" Yu Rou suddenly called out to him.

    "What?" He turned to look at her with an innocent-looking face.

    "30,000 gold coins!? Even if you have that much money, you shouldn¡¯t have spent it on me!" she quickly lectured him.

    30,000 gold coins were worth about 300,000 dors in the real world¡ª it was a massive fortune to spend on anything, much less renting out some cultivation room.

    "Trust me, Yu Rou. It¡¯s only 30,000 gold coins. Your brother has plenty left. And it¡¯s a good investment in case we cannot y together and you want to improve your cultivation in a safe environment. Although it may seem overboard, you are already behind the majority of the yers in terms of cultivation, and this will help you catch up even if it¡¯s only a little."

    "..." Yu Rou was speechless, mostly because what Yuan said made sense. There will definitely be days where they won¡¯t be able to y with each other, and if she wants to improve cultivation during such days, she can simply go to the Cultivators¡¯ Haven and cultivate safely and peacefully, as she didn¡¯t like fighting or shedding blood.

    A few minutester, the receptionist returned with a new key and handed it to Yuan, "Esteemed guest, there is 40 days worth of time in this key. Please keep it safe."

    "Huh? 40 days?" Yuan raised his eyebrows, as the math didn¡¯t add up.

    "Yes, we have decided to give you 10 days as a bonus for doing business with us." The receptionist said with a smile on her face.

    ?Cultivators¡¯ Haven has been added to your Associations!?

    ?Your rtionship with Cultivators¡¯ Haven has slightly increased from doing business with them!?

    "I see... Thank you..." Yuan epted the new key before giving it to Yu Rou.

    "Thank you, Brother..." She epted the key.

    "Oh, I happen to have an extra storage pouch here. You can take this and keep your items inside." Yuan said as he handed her a storage pouch. Since he also has a spatial ring, he didn¡¯t need a storage pouch.

    For more, visit lightnove//lpub[.

    "You also have a storage pouch? Just how on earth did you obtain such a rare treasure? Only a handful of yers have a storage pouch, and they are all top yers!" Yu Rou looked at him with wide eyes. Did he really just y around this entire time? There was simply no way that a casual yer would have so much money at this point of the game, much less a storage pouch. Just what on earth has he been doing in this game?

    "Ah, it was given to me as a gift," Yuan said.

    "A gift!? Whoever gave you this must be incredibly rich and generous." Yu Rou sighed in admiration.

    "Anyway, let¡¯s find a store and get you some equipment," Yuan said a momentter.

    "I feel bad for making you waste so much money on me, Brother... You are spoiling me too much."

    "I am only getting started," he responded with a proud expression, feeling refreshed that he can finally be of help to Yu Rou. "In fact, I am going to spoil you until I am satisfied!"

    Yu Rou merely shook her head and spoke with a bittersweet smile, "Although I am grateful, don¡¯t me me when you are out of money..."

    "I can simply hunt a few monsters and sell their monster core at that time!" He said with a bright smile on his face, and they began walking around Spring City in search of an equipment store.

 Chapter 66 Spirit Weaver

    After walking around the city for some time, Yuan and the others finally decided on an equipment store that was named ¡¯Spring City¡¯s Spiritual Treasures¡¯.

    Once they entered the store, the middle-aged man behind the counter shouted: "Wee to our equipment store! What kind of equipment are the young ones looking for?"

    "Hmm... What kind of weapon do you want to use?" Yuan asked her.

    "I¡¯m not sure, but something light and small is preferred," she said.

    "Something light and small, huh?" The middle-aged man began to ponder for a moment before speaking, "We have daggers, throwing knives, and fans. Which of these suit the youngdy¡¯s taste more?"

    "Fans? They are considered as weapons?" Yuan was surprised, as this is his first time hearing such a thing.

    "Of course! Anything can be a weapon in the hands of a Cultivator! However, fans are notmonly used due to their fragile appearance and weak presence, and most people prefer something that looks strong or cool¡ª something like a sword." The middle-aged man exined to him.

    "Can I look at the fans?" Yu Rou then asked.

    "Sure thing! These are the best fans we have in store at the moment!"

    The middle-aged man then retrieved a long wooden box from the room behind and ced it on the counter.

    Upon opening the box, three beautiful fans that seemed to be made of special materials were revealed to Yu Rou.

    "Wow... It¡¯s beautiful..." Yu Rou quickly became fond of these fans.

    However, her excitement disappeared as quickly after seeing the prices for these fans.

    ?Jade Fan?

    N?velDrama.Org content.

    ?Grade: Spirit?

    ?Quality: High?

    ?Physical Strength Required: 100?

    ?Mental Strength Required: 250?

    ?Price: 60,000 Gold?

    ?Red Metal Fan?

    ?Quality: High?

    ?Physical Strength Required: 170?

    ?Mental Strength Required: 300?

    ?Price: 75,000 Gold?

    ?Spirit Weaver?

    ?Quality: Peak?

    ?Physical Strength Required: 50?

    ?Mental Strength Required: 300?

    ?Price: 200,000 Gold?

    "Do you have something less expensive...? Amon fan is fine, too..." Yu Rou said to the middle-aged man while sighing inwardly. There was simply no way that she could shamelessly ask her brother to buy something so expensive for her after he¡¯d already wasted 30,000 gold on her.

    "If you want something normal, you can find them on the shelves over there. Most of them are less than 5 gold coins." The middle-aged man spoke as he pointed at the wooden shelves by the window.

    However, Yuan suddenly spoke as the middle-aged man prepared to close the wooden box, "Wait, I will buy the Spirit Weaver."

    "Eh?"

    The middle-aged man immediately stopped his movements to look at Yuan, as did Yu Rou, who stared at him with a gawking expression on her face.

    "Don¡¯t look at me like that, Yu Rou. I know you want it since you were staring so intensively at it." Yuan said to her with a smile as he paid the shopkeeper.

    "E-Even if I want it, you can¡¯t spend 200,000 gold just like that! Just how much money do you have, Brother!?" she said to him, wondering if he¡¯d taken out a loan from somewhere shady.

    "I have enough..." he said with a smile.

    "Thank you for the purchase, Young Master!" The middle-aged man changed the way he addressed Yuan, even speaking in a more respectful voice.

    After counting the money, the middle-aged man handed the beautiful white fan to him and said, "The reason this one is more expensive than the others is not only because of its peak-quality but because this treasure was born naturally, and naturally born treasures are naturally more expensive than man-made treasures."

    After epting the white fan, Yuan extended his arms at Yu Rou and said to her, "Money is meant to be spent or else it isn¡¯t worth anything, Yu Rou. Furthermore, this is only a game. ept it."

    "While that is true, you still shouldn¡¯t spend sovishly. Who do you think you are? yer Yuan, the richest yer in the game?" Yu Rou shook her head with a defeated smile on her face.

    "..."

    The smile on Yuan¡¯s face immediately stiffened after hearing her words, and he didn¡¯t dare to respond to her question, fearing that he might reveal his identity sooner than he¡¯d nned.

    A few momentster, Yu Rou looked at the Spirit Waver with sparkling eyes. "This fan is truly beautiful! While I still want to fight using servants in the future, I definitely won¡¯t stop using this fan, either!"

    Hearing Yu Rou¡¯s words, the shopkeeper suddenly said, "If you want servants, you can simply go to the Beast Contract shop that¡¯s down the street. You can find all sorts of beasts there."

    "Really?! Let¡¯s go take a look, brother!" Yu Rou quickly said to him.

    "Okay," he nodded.

    They left the equipment store shortlyter and then went straight to the Beast Contract shop that was mentioned by the middle-aged man.

    "Wee to our Beast Contract store! Are you looking to form a contract with a beast today, young guests?" The receptionist behind the counter called out to them after seeing them enter the store.

    "We¡¯re just looking around for now," Yu Rou said.

    "Perhaps I can help you with what you¡¯re looking for. What kind of beasts are you looking to get? We have matured beasts, young beasts, and even ones that are waiting to hatch."

    "You sell even unhatched beasts? How does that work? I thought you can only form a contract with beasts with a will." Yu Rou asked.

    "We simply do what¡¯s called a Forced Contract, which will forcefully establish a rtionship between the unhatched beast and the seller so that they will be contracted to you immediately after their birth. Most customers tend to go for unhatched beasts because they are much easier to train than the young ones while the mature ones are harder to control. Of course, unhatched beasts are also more expensive than the others."

    "Do you want to buy a servant here, Yu Rou?" Yuan asked her sometimeter.

    She shook her head and said, "No, I don¡¯t think I want to form a contract in such an unhealthy manner. I¡¯d rather not force a contract and find a beast that¡¯s willing to be my servant, which will make our rtionship that much more trustworthy and real."

    For more, visit [.

    "I understand," Yuan nodded.

 Chapter 67 Repeatable Quests

    After leaving the Contract Beast store, Yuan asked Yu Rou, "What do you want to do now that you have a weapon?"

    "Since this is a game, we should bepleting quests and clearing dungeons for rewards, right?" she said to him.

    "What have you been doing with Xiao Hua?" she then asked.

    "Well... we mostly wander the wilderness and fight monsters," he responded after a quick ponder.

    "That¡¯s all you¡¯ve been doing? What about quests?" she looked at them with wide eyes.

    "Uh... wepleted only two quests so far."

    "Two!? And you somehow managed to obtain so much money!? I don¡¯t believe you, brother. There must be something unique that you¡¯re doing differently from the other yers for you to have so much money."

    "Then do you want to hunt monsters with us? Of course, we¡¯ll only fight monsters at your level," Yuan suggested.

    However, she shook her head and said, "We can fight monsterster. I want to experience more of this world first, so I am going to do a few small quests."

    "You know where to find quests?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    "Un. Most shops hand out quests if you asked," she nodded.

    "Where did you learn that? I didn¡¯t even know about that!" he said.

    "The inte is a wonderful source of information. You can learn almost everything on it. Anyway, this is how most yers are earning their money¡ª by doing quests and clearing dungeons."

    "But since we have plenty of time to y together, I want to enjoy the casual things in this game with you before we start doing the serious stuff like clearing dungeons and hunting monsters."

    "I am okay with that," Yuan nodded. "I will follow you around now, so lead the way."

    "Okay!"

    Yu Rou then led Yuan around Spring City until she found a medicine store and went inside.

    "Hello, I am looking for a quest. Does this store need assistance with something?" Yu Rou asked the receptionist a momentter.

    The receptionist nodded and said, "Oh, thank you for asking! I have been running low on some herbs, so if you don¡¯t mind, can you bring me 3 jins of Spirit Grass? They can be found ten miles away from the city."

    ?You have received a quest from ¡¯Mr. Qiang¡¯s Medicine Shop¡¯?

    ?Quest: Gathering Spirit Grass?

    ?Difficulty: Easy?

    ?Quest Description: Bring back 3 jins of Spirit Grass to Mr. Qiang¡¯s Medicine Shop?

    ?Reward: 30 silver?

    "We¡¯ll be back with the Spirit Grass." Yu Rou said to the old man before walking out of the store with Yuan.

    "That¡¯s it?" Yuan was surprised by how easy it was for them to receive quests.

    "What did you expect, brother?" Yu Rou looked at him weirdly.

    "Nothing... it¡¯s just thatpared to the quests I have done, this is kind of... boring?"

    "I don¡¯t know what kind of quest you¡¯ve done but this is quite normal for quests, and it¡¯s also very popr among the yers since it¡¯s rtively safe and rewarding."

    ¡¯30 silvers are rewarding?¡¯ Yuan raised his eyebrows. Compared to the rewards he¡¯s been given, 30 silvers is practically nothing.

    Seeing Yuan¡¯s doubtful look, Yu Rou said, "30 silvers may not seem much to someone as rich as you, but it¡¯s a considerable amount for other yers. If onepletes these quests ten times, they would have enough formon equipment and whatnot."

    "Repeatable quests, huh..." Yuan nodded.

    "Anyway, let¡¯s go harvest some Spirit Grass. I have already done some researchst night about this ce so I know pretty much everything that¡¯s around Spring City, including the location of Spirit Grass," Yu Rou said as she led Yuan outside the city.

    "As expected of you, always prepared." Yuan smiled at her enthusiasm.

    Sometimeter, they left Spring City and began making their way towards the Spirit Grass.

    "Brother Tian, there are some low-level Spirit Apprentice beasts ahead." Xiao Hua suddenly warned them.

    Yuan then said to Yu Rou, "I will take care of them."

    "Be careful, brother..." she nodded.

    N?velDrama.Org content.

    Yuan then retrieved the Starry Abyss and silently approached the monsters.

    ¡¯Three Horned Pig at the third level Spirit Apprentice... This is a good time for me to use the Starry Abyss and practice my dagger skills...¡¯ Yuan thought to himself.

    Once he was close enough, Yuan suddenly rushed forward and swung the Starry Abyss ording to the techniques he¡¯d learned from the Thousand Knife Techniques.

    Whoosh!

    The ck dagger in Yuan¡¯s grasp flickered, and the three monsters were cleanly beheaded the following second without even having the chance to react.

    ¡¯Hm? This feeling isn¡¯t that bad.¡¯ Yuan looked at the Starry Abyss with a pleasantly surprised face.

    Meanwhile, Yu Rou stared at the scene with a shocked expression.

    ¡¯His movements are so fast and crisp! I didn¡¯t even notice his arm had moved until he beheaded the monsters!¡¯ she cried inwardly after witnessing Yuan¡¯s prowess. If only she knew that this is his first time wielding a dagger.

    "That was amazing, brother! You looked like an entirely different person just now!" She praised him afterward. "I guess you weren¡¯t lying when you said that you had hunted a lot of monsters!"

    "Your cultivation must be fairly high right now. What¡¯s your cultivation, brother?" she then asked him.

    "That¡¯s a secret," he said with a mysterious smile on his face.

    "Eh? Why would you keep that a secret?" she raised her eyebrows.

    "Because it¡¯s for a surprise I have for youter," he quickly replied.

    "Hmm..." Yu Rou narrowed her eyes at him with a suspicious gaze.

    Seeing this, Yuanughed nervously before saying, "Anyway, now that the monsters are dealt with, let¡¯s continue."

    "Huh? You¡¯re going to leave just like that? What about these three monsters?" Yu Rou suddenly asked him.

    "What do you mean? What about these three monsters?" Yuan tilted his head in a puzzled manner.

    For more, visit //lightnovel/pub[.

    "Don¡¯t tell me you were actually going to leave behind so much material on the ground?! That¡¯s so wasteful! If we sell these monsters¡¯ meat and bones to the store, we can earn much more money!" she exined to him.

    "Oh... I never thought about that..." he mumbled in a low voice.

 Chapter 68 Divine Sense

    ¡¯Did he really earn all that money just from selling monster cores? I cannot imagine how many monster cores one would need in order to earn hundreds of thousands of gold coins...¡¯ Yu Rou shook her head helplessly as Yuan, who didn¡¯t even know about selling the monsters¡¯ materials.

    "Brother, we can either chop these pigs up like a butcher would and sell their materials separately or just sell the whole corpse at once. Which method would you rather choose? We¡¯d earn more money from selling the materials individually, but it¡¯ll also require much more work," Yu Rou said to him a momentter.

    "Let me chop them up for you," Yuan said to her.

    "Do you know how to...?" Yu Rou looked at him with a doubting gaze. Butchering a whole monster is not something one can do without training and experience.

    "Yes, I have this cooking technique called Thousand Knife Technique, and when I look at these corpses, my mind automatically tells me how to butcher it with my dagger, almost like it¡¯s only natural," Yuan said to her.

    "Really? But I am more interested in why you have a technique meant for cooking..." she said to him.

    "I¡¯m not sure since I have never done it, but I feel very confident when looking at it."

    Yuan approached the three Horned Pigs with the Starry Abyss still in his grasp. He then kneeled in front of the corpses and began cutting monster corpses with the dagger.

    His movements were neither too slow nor too fast with each cut done in a single smooth motion, making all of his movement appear extremely natural, almost like he has years of experience already.

    "Wow... And you learned that from a cooking technique?" Yu Rou mumbled in awe.

    "Yes. Do you want to learn it, too? I still have the technique book with me," Yuan asked her.

    "You can share techniques with others?" Yu Rou raised her eyebrows.

    "We¡¯ll know once we try it. Let me finish up butchering this pig, though."

    Afterpletely butchering the first horned pig perfectly, Yuan began working on the second horned pig, and his movements appeared even cleaner than previously.

    "As expected of Brother Tian, he¡¯s learning at an extremely fast pace." Xiao Hua nodded her head in approval after seeing Yuan skillfully butcher the horned pigs.

    "I¡¯m not surprised, since my brother is a genius who learned to y nearly every instrument in the world professionally when he was only five years old, after all." Yu Rou also nodded her head, agreeing with Xiao Hua.

    "Brother Tian can y the instrument?" Xiao Hua looked at him with wide eyes. Is there something this guy can¡¯t do?

    "Not only can he y the instrument but he can y them wlessly! There used to be tens of millions of people who admire¡ª"

    "That¡¯s enough, Yu Rou. It¡¯s all in the past. There¡¯s no need to bring it up anymore..." Yuan suddenly interrupted her with a solemn expression on his face.

    "Oh... I am sorry, brother. I got too excited and brought up something I shouldn¡¯t have again..." Yu Rou quickly realized her mistake and apologized to him.

    Although Yuan used to y the instrument, because of his illness that crippled his sight, he was forced to adapt to ying the instruments while blind and until he can no longer physically move his body.

    "..."

    Seeing the depressing atmosphere around them, Xiao Hua decided to not ask any questions for now and silently watched Yuan butcher thest horned pig.

    A few minutester, once all three Horned Pigs were wlessly butchered by Yuan, he tossed the materials into his spatial ring.

    "I¡¯m speechless, brother. Even though that was your first time butchering a pig¡ª a monster, you didn¡¯t make a mess! Even your hands are clean! It¡¯s almost like you never did it!" Yu Rou expressed her admiration for him once again.

    "It¡¯s mostly thanks to the knife technique that I could even cut it at all and this knife that made it much smoother," Yuan said.

    "Here, why don¡¯t you take a look at the technique yourself?" Yuan retrieved the Thousand Knife Technique he¡¯d bought from the store and handed it to Yu Rou.

    "It¡¯s like a book," she said as she began flipping through the pages.

    Sometimeter, Yu Rou finished reading the entire technique. She looked at Yuan with a tilted head and spoke, "How did you learn the technique? I read the entire thing word by word and still don¡¯t have the skill."

    "I did exactly what you just did¡ª I read the book," Yuan said.

    He then turned to look at Xiao Hua and asked her, "Are these techniques a one-time use thing? If I already learned a technique from it, others won¡¯t be able to do the same?"

    However, Xiao Hua shook her head and said, "That¡¯s not possible. Techniques are not like monster cores where they disappear after one use¡ª as long as you canprehend the technique, you should be able to learn it."

    "Then why can¡¯t I learn it?" Yu Rou asked her.

    "That¡¯s simply because you haven¡¯tprehended the technique. Unless you are a cultivation prodigy like Brother Tian who canprehend something at a mere nce, you¡¯ll need to read that book over and over again until you canprehend it. Of course, it is also possible that you are notpatible with the technique. If that¡¯s the case, you won¡¯t learn the technique no matter how many times you read it. However, that usually happens only with the more profound techniques¡ª not some ordinary cooking technique."

    "Oh... Then I¡¯ll try again at another time," Yu Rou said, sounding somewhat disappointed.

    Yuan and the others returned to finding the Spirit Grass shortlyter.

    During their journey, they encountered two more monsters, both at the second level Spirit Apprentice realm, which Yuan swiftly and casually dealt with before spending some more time butchering.

    Two hours have passed since Yuan and the others began the quest, and they have just reached the area where the Spirit Grass was located.

    "What does Spirit Grass look like?" Yuan asked after they reached the location.

    "It¡¯s like regr grass but with a blue tip¡ª like this one," Yu Rou spoke as she harvested a single de of Spirit Grass before showing it to Yuan.

    "We need 3 jins of these? That¡¯s going to take forever!" Yuan¡¯s eyes widened after seeing the small grass.

    "Actually, these are much heavier than regr grass, so we don¡¯t need as much as you think. Here, see for yourself." Yu Rou handed him the Spirit Grass.

    "Wow! You¡¯re right! I can actually feel some weight behind it!" Yuan expressed awe. How can something so tiny and light-looking have such weight to it?

    "Brother Tian, the most deceiving thing in the cultivation world is one¡¯s appearance. You should never judge a book by its cover, or you¡¯ll regret it." Xiao Hua warned him.

    Yuan nodded his head before he began looking around.

    After spending a few minutes looking around, Yuan decided to stop using his eyes to look for the Spirit Grass and began to try something new.

    ¡¯The Spirit Grass has a unique aura to it... If I can sense it with my cultivation, I should be able to find them even without needing to use my eyes...¡¯

    Yuan then began expanding his own aura until he could sense things a few meters around him.

    ¡¯Wow... Even though my eyes are closed, I can somehow still see the world in my mind, and it seems even clearer than using my eyes...¡¯ Yuan was amazed by this new finding. If only he could use this same technique in the real world. That way, he would still be able to see despite being blind.

    ?You have learned Divine Sense?

    ?Divine Sense?

    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.

    ?Rank: Earth?

    ?Mastery Level: 1?

    ?Description: As long as one activates their Divine Sense, they will be able to see everything in a certain distance, even things that normally can¡¯t be seen with the bare eyes.?

    And within just a few moments, Yuan was able to locate over a dozen Spirit Grass at once.

    "..." Xiao Hua looked at the expanded aura around Yuan with wide eyes.

    ¡¯Divine Sense? Brother Tian somehow learned to use Divine Sense by himself? Even though he can only expand his Divine Sense a few meters, that¡¯s an incredible achievement for someone who¡¯s only at the Spirit Warrior realm!¡¯ Xiao Hua thought to herself.

    Normally, only Cultivators at the Spirit Master realm are able to learn and use Divine Sense, yet Yuan managed to learn it when he¡¯s only in the Spirit Warrior realm.

    However,pared to eating monster cores and his godlikeprehension talent, it didn¡¯t shock Xiao Hua too much, who was already getting used to his iprehensible existence.

    "Here, Yu Rou. I found 12 Spirit Grass," Yuan showed Yu Rou the Spirit Grass he found using his Divine Sense.

    "What! How did you find this many so quickly?! I only found 2 myself!" Yu Rou looked at the small pile of Spirit Grass on his hands with wide eyes.

    "Why don¡¯t you try using your cultivation to sense the Spirit Grass instead of looking for them with your bare eyes? It¡¯s much easier and more efficient because they have a unique aura that distinguishes them from the rest," Yuan said to her.

    "How do I do something like that?" she raised her eyebrows in a puzzled manner.

    "Uhh... I¡¯m not sure either..." Yuan scratched his head, as it was such a natural feeling for him.

 Chapter 69 Player Killer

    "Brother Tian, Divine Sense is not something anyone can use, and they must have an appropriate cultivation before they can even learn it," Xiao Hua said to him.

    "Oh... Is that so?" Yuan nodded. "Then I will continue to look for Spirit Grass with my Divine Sense."

    Once Yuan left to look for more Spirit Grass, Yu Rou turned to look at Xiao Hua and said to her, "You know a lot of things despite your young age..."

    "...Xiao Hua has existed for longer than you think," she responded with a calm voice.

    "Eh? Then how old are you?" Yu Rou looked at her with wide eyes.

    "..."

    However, Xiao Hua did not respond to her, acting as though she was deaf.

    "You can¡¯t even tell a fellowdy?" Yu Rou insisted.

    "One¡¯s age does not matter when you are a Cultivator..." Xiao Hua said, avoiding the question.

    Yu Rou shook her head inwardly and sighed after seeing Xiao Hua¡¯s strong reluctance.

    "Anyway, I can¡¯t let Brother Tian do all of the work by himself. I¡¯ll also continue looking for Spirit Grass..." Yu Rou returned to searching for Spirit Grass with her bare eyes.

    Half an hourter, Yuan returned to Yu Rou and Xiao Hua with an abundant amount of Spirit Grass in his spatial ring.

    "I should have around 20 jins of Spirit Grass in my spatial ring right now," Yuan said to her.

    "20 jins?! That¡¯s way more than what we need," Yu Rou said.

    "Yes, but if the quest is repeatable, we canplete it multiple times in a single run," Yuan said.

    "Oh, that¡¯s quite smart, brother. Meanwhile, I have only managed to find 2 jins worth of Spirit Grass..." Yu Rou sighed.

    "Brother Tian, Xiao Hua also gathered some Spirit Grass for you," Xiao Hua said.

    "Thank you, Xiao Hua. You can keep it to yourself until we need to hand it in," Yuan said to her.

    "Un," she nodded.

    "Now that we¡¯vepleted the quest, let¡¯s return to the medicine store and hand in our Spirit Grass," Yu Rou said.

    Thus, they began making their way back to Spring City.

    However, on their way back, Yuan and his small group encountered another group of yers that appeared to be heading in their direction.

    "Brother Tian, there are four Cultivators at the fifth level Spirit Apprentice realm ahead," Xiao Hua said to them way before the two groups even met.

    "They must be yers that are doing the same quest," Yu Rou said.

    Once the two groups met, the other group asked them, "Hello, are you guysing from the Spirit Grass location?"

    "Yes, that¡¯s right. It¡¯s just a mile that way," Yuan pointed in the direction they came from.

    The four yers then exchanged gazes with each other and nodded with a determined gaze in their eyes before turning to look at Yuan again.

    "Since you know where to find more Spirit Grass and it¡¯s not too far away, why don¡¯t you do us a solid favor and hand over the ones you already have to us?" One of the yers said to them, and the other three yers drew their weapons.

    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.

    "..."

    Yuan was speechless. Are they being robbed? In broad daylight?

    "And before you get any ideas, let me warn you that there are four of us and only three of you¡ª and one of them is a mere child!" The yer said.

    "What should we do, brother?" Yu Rou asked him as she grabbed his sleeves.

    "Hmm..." Yuan narrowed his eyes at the four yers and asked them a momentter, "The four of you are yers, right?"

    "So what if we are?!"

    "Hurry up and give us all of your Spirit Grass, or do we have to take it from your corpses!?"

    "..."

    Yuan ignored the four yers and turned to ask Yu Rou, "Can you confirm for me that if yers die, they will respawnter?"

    Yu Rou nodded and said, "If a yer dies, they won¡¯t be able to control their character for an hour, and they¡¯ll respawn in thest city they were in."

    "Are you going to kill them?" she asked him afterward.

    "Yes," he nodded with a cold expression on his face.

    "..."

    Xiao Hua looked at him with wide eyes. He¡¯s willingly going to kill four Cultivators? What happened to his righteous speech about not wanting to kill anyone just a few days ago?

    Yuan retrieved the Starry Abyss and approached the four yers with a cold gaze, and he spoke in a low voice, "I don¡¯t care if you want to rob us. I wouldn¡¯t have cared even if you wanted to kill me... However, threatening to kill my sister before me, you have crossed a line that you should¡¯ve never crossed..."

    The four yers looked at Yuan¡¯s serious expression and beganughing out loud.

    "Are you going to fight the four of us by yourself!? Who the hell do you think you are?!"

    "Stop wasting our time and die already!" One of the yers suddenly rushed forward and swung the sword in his grasp at Yuan with sluggish movements, looking like aplete beginner with the sword.

    "..."

    Yuan remained calm despite the sudden attack, even looking at the yer with disdain in his eyes.

    "You call that a sword attack?" Yuan casually shifted his body and barely dodged the sword.

    The second he dodged the yer¡¯s attack, Yuan jerked his hand forward, stabbing the yer in the chest with the Starry Abyss.

    "..."

    The yer stared at him with wide eyes filled with disbelief for a moment before falling onto the ground.

    ?You have killed your first yer!?

    ?You have gained the title ¡¯yer Killer¡¯!?

    "H-He killed our brother! Kill him and avenge our brother!"

    The remaining three yers immediately sprang into action after witnessing their brother being killed by Yuan, their faces filled with anger.

    "Thousand Knife Technique!"

    However, Yuan swung the Starry Abyss before any of the yers could even get close to him, and before the yers could even react, a ck light shes right before their necks.

    *Plop* *Plop* *Plop*

    The three yers copsed onto the floor simultaneously a momentter with deep cuts in their necks.

    After killing the four yers, Yuan stared at the corpses on the floor, feeling an indescribable feeling in his heart.

    ¡¯I thought I wouldn¡¯t be able to kill people, but it was surprisingly easy...¡¯ Yuan looked at his palms that were slightly trembling.

    However, he was not scared, nor was he traumatized by the experience.

    "This is... excitement?" Yuan mumbled to himself in disbelief.

    For more, visit [.]

    When he fought the four yers, he didn¡¯t see it as fighting another human. Instead, it felt no different than fighting monsters.

    "Brother! Are you okay!?" Yu Rou and Xiao Hua approached him a momentter.

    "Are you hurt anywhere?" Yu Rou began patting him all over his body to check for injuries.

    "Don¡¯t worry, I am not injured," he said with a reassuring smile.

    And then he continued, "Do you think I¡¯ll be punished for killing other yers?"

    "I don¡¯t think so, since there are many yer Killers out there but none of them have been punished for it," Yu Rou said to him.

    "I see..."

    "That was your first time killing another yer, right? How do you feel, brother?" Yu Rou asked him afterward.

    "I don¡¯t know, but one thing for sure is that I don¡¯t feel bad about it, and knowing that they don¡¯t die permanently made it much easier," he said. "I won¡¯t let anyone hurt you, Yu Rou, no matter who they are."

    For more, visit lightnovelpu/b[/.]

    "Thank you, brother..." Yu Rou nodded with a bashful expression on her slightly rosy face.

    "What should we do with their corpses?" Yuan asked sometimeter.

    "They¡¯ll respawn in an hour, so let¡¯s take their stuff before that happens," Yu Rou said as she began rummaging through their pockets.

    "Y-You¡¯re going to take their stuff?" Yuan looked at her with wide eyes, as he didn¡¯t expect to see such savageness from her.

    "Why not? You know that saying ¡¯An eye for an eye¡¯? They tried to rob us, so it¡¯s only fair that we do the same to them. And it feels no different from dismantling a monster after killing it."

    Sometimeter, Yu Rou returned with a disappointed expression on her face.

    "Besides their weapons, they only had fifteen silvers and some minor recovery pills on them..." she sighed, "I guess it¡¯s better than nothing."

    Sometimeter, they continued walking back to Spring City.

    "Xiao Hua, can you tell us if there are people close to us? I don¡¯t want to risk running into more people like the ones just now," Yuan said to her.

    For more, visit [.

    "Okay," she nodded.

    Two hourster, they returned to Spring City, and then Mr. Qiang¡¯s Medicine Shop.

    "Wee back, youngdy! Did you find the Spirit Grass?" The receptionist immediately recognized her beautiful face.

    "Yes, we even brought more than you¡¯d requested if you don¡¯t mind." Yu Rou said to him.

    "Oh, that¡¯s perfect! I¡¯ll pay you 10 silver more for every extra jin of Spirit Grass you have for me."

    The receptionist then ced a scale on the counter and said, "Throw everything you have on here."

    Yu Rou nodded and ced her 2 jins worth of Spirit Grass onto the scale.

    Then Yuan ced his 20 jins of Spirit Grass into the scale.

    "You gathered 22 jins of Spirit Grass in such a short amount of time? I¡¯m amazed!" The receptionist eximed his admiration.

    "Wait, we still have more," Yuan said and turned to look at Xiao Hua.

    "How much did you gather?" he asked her.

    "318 jins," she responded calmly.

    "Huh?"

    Everyone in the store suddenly turned to look at her with wide eyes filled with disbelief.

 Chapter 70 Divine Crystal of Heavenly Fortune

    "I-I¡¯m sorry, youngdy, but I don¡¯t think I heard you properly just now. How much Spirit Grass did you say you have?" The receptionist cleaned his ears with his pinky finger before asking.

    "318 jins of Spirit Grass," Xiao Hua repeated in a calm voice.

    "3-318 jins... that¡¯s a whole year¡¯s worth of supply! And you mean to tell me that you gathered that much in a few hours?" The receptionist stared at her with clear disbelief.

    "Un." Xiao Hua retrieved her spatial ring before dumping out a small mountain of Spirit Grass onto the counter, crushing the entire scale t.

    "..."

    The receptionist and everyone else in the store was beyond words, as most of them have never seen so much Spirit Grass in one ce before, and even Yuan and Yu Rou were staring at her with wide eyes.

    How on earth did she gather so much Spirit Grass? Unless she plucked the entire location of its Spirit Grass, there was no way she would have obtained so much!

    "A-Anyway... No matter how you obtained these Spirit Grass, I will pay you for them." The receptionist spoke after snapping out of his daze.

    "340 jins of Spirit Grass will be worth 3,400 silver, converted to gold coins will be 34 gold coins... Are you okay with this?" The receptionist said to them.

    "Y-Yes, that¡¯s fine," Yu Rou nodded.

    A few minutester, after the receptionist epted the Spirit Grass, he handed 34 gold coins to Yu Rou.

    ?You havepleted the Quest: Gathering Spirit Qi?

    ?You have been rewarded with: 34 Gold Coins?

    "Congrattions onpleting your first quest, Yu Rou," Yuan said to her with a smile on his face. "And you can keep the gold for yourself."

    "Thank you, brother! This is mostly due to you and Xiao Hua!" Yu Rou said.

    After leaving the medicine store, Yuan asked Yu Rou, "What do you want to do now?"

    "Hmm... After seeing how you had defeated those yers with such ease, I have realized just how important it is to have a skill, so I want to use the money we¡¯d just earned to buy some techniques."

    Yuan nodded and said, "Then let¡¯s find a store that sells some techniques that can be used with a fan."

    "I know just the ce!" Yu Rou said, and she began leading Yuan and Xiao Hua through the city again.

    About half an hourter, they reached this ordinary-looking building that gave the atmosphere of a library from the outside.

    "Myriad of Techniques, huh?" Yuan read the sign above the door with a curious gaze.

    "ording to many yers on the inte, one has a chance to obtain a free technique if they have perfectpatibility with it! Furthermore, this ce sells the cheapest techniques in the entire city!" Yu Rou said as she has had her eyes set on this ce ever since she learned of it.

    "Let¡¯s head inside," Yuan said.

    Once they entered the building, they were baffled by the luxurious interior of the building that looked theplete opposite of the outside appearance, feeling like they¡¯d entered some exalted individual¡¯s expensive mansion instead.

    They were then greeted by a beautiful youngdy who was wearing what appeared to be disciple robes.

    "Wee to Myriad of Techniques, please ce your hands on this crystal ball, as it will judge your qualifications." The young disciple said to them at the doorstep.

    "Qualifications? Why must we qualify before we can buy techniques?" Yuan asked her, as he couldn¡¯tprehend the meaning behind their actions.

    "We have three floors in this building with different quality and ranks of technique on each floor. Every guest will automatically have ess to the first floor, but if they wish to buy techniques on the second or third floor, they must pass a simple test," she exined to him.

    "I see... Yu Rou, you can go first," Yuan said to her.

    "Un."

    She nodded her head before cing her hand on the crystal ball provided by the disciple.

    A few secondster, the clear crystal ball began glowing a beautiful golden light.

    "..."

    When the beautiful youngdy saw this, her eyes widened with surprise, and she spoke when the light disappeared shortlyter, "You... You are quite the lucky one, young girl."

    "Huh? What do you mean?" Yu Rou asked her.

    "The Divine Crystal of Heavenly Fortune just measured your fortune and fate, and you are apparently deeply connected to someone with a heavenly destiny," said the female disciple.

    "I¡¯m sorry, but I still don¡¯t understand..." Yu Rou spoke with an apologetic smile on her face.

    "It¡¯s okay, because I don¡¯t understand it either, and I am only telling you what my Master told me to say." The female disciple said with a straight face.

    "Your Master...?" Yu Rou looked around but there was nobody else there.

    "Ah, my Master is on the third floor, and he is speaking to me using his Divine Sense. Anyway, you are qualified to buy techniques on the second floor." The disciple said to Yu Rou before turning to look at Xiao Hua and continued, "You are next."

    Xiao Hua did not immediately ce her hands on the crystal ball and stared at the female disciple with narrowed eyes, seemingly in a deep ponder.

    "Is something the matter?" Yuan asked her.

    "No, Xiao Hua is fine," she quickly responded before cing her small hands on the crystal ball.

    The Divine Crystal of Heavenly Fortune glowed a simr golden color a few secondster, perhaps even a little brighter than Yu Rou¡¯s result, but there was a hint of ck within the center of the light.

    "..."

    The female disciple spoke after the light disappeared, "Just like the previous youngdy, you are deeply involved with someone with a heavenly destiny, however, you also..."

    When the female disciple noticed the subtle killing intent in Xiao Hua¡¯s eyes, she immediately stopped speaking with a mysterious smile on her face.

    After a moment of silence, the female disciple turned to look at Yuan and continued as though Xiao Hua did not exist, "It is very rare for someone to have connections to someone with a heavenly destiny, much less two of them at once. Although it may not seem like it, my heart is beating in anticipation for your results, young man."

    "Heavenly destiny... You have mentioned this word a few times now, but what exactly does that mean?" Yuan asked her.

    "Well, to put it in simpler terms, they are people who are destined to create massive waves that will greatly affect the world one way or another. There are multiple ranks of destiny like minor destiny that will only affect the lower realms and major destiny that will affect the higher realms, and the highest level of destiny is the heavenly destiny. Only powerful individuals that will affect every realm under the heavens will bear such a destiny." The female disciple exined to him.

    "Is that so?" Yuan nodded. While he understood the concept behind it, he didn¡¯t understand the real meaning behind having such a destiny.

    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.

    ¡¯So both Yu Rou and Xiao Hua will be involved with someone like that, huh? I wonder who this person is...¡¯ Yuan pondered to himself as he ced his hands on the Divine Crystal of Heavenly Fortune.

    The moment Yuan touched the Divine Crystal of Heavenly Fortune, the crystal ball trembled violently before exploding into many pieces.

    "Ah!?" The female disciple cried out in a startled voice when the Divine Crystal of Heavenly Fortune suddenly exploded.

    "A-Are you okay?! What happened just now?" Yuan asked her in a surprised voice.

    "I-I am not injured, but the Divine Crystal of Heavenly Fortune..." The female disciple looked at the shattered crystal with a terrified look on her face, as she has never experienced something like this before.

    "M-Master... the Divine Crystal of Heavenly Fortune... it exploded..." The female disciple lifted her head towards the ceiling and spoke to the empty air.

    A momentter, the female disciple spoke again and with a dazed expression on her face, "R-Really? You want me to bring him to you?"

    "I-I understand!" The female disciple nodded before looking at Yuan again.

    "Umm... My Master would like to speak with you..."

    Hearing her words, Yuan rubbed his eyes and sighed in a depressed voice, "I am going to have to pay for destroying the Divine Crystal of Heavenly Fortune, aren¡¯t I?"

    "Eh? N-No! That¡¯s not it. It wasn¡¯t your fault that the Divine Crystal of Heavenly Fortune exploded... I think. Anyway, I don¡¯t know why, but my Master would like to speak with you." The female disciple said to him.

    "Can we go with him?" Yu Rou suddenly asked.

    "I¡¯m sorry, but my Master only asked for his presence..." she responded with an apologetic smile.

    However, Xiao Hua grabbed Yuan¡¯s sleeves with a stern look on her face.

    Seeing this, the female disciple said with a smile on her face, "You can rx, little girl, we won¡¯t do anything to him."

    But s, Xiao Hua did not move a muscle and continued to grab onto Yuan¡¯s sleeves.

    "It¡¯s okay, Xiao Hua. I want you to protect Yu Rou in my stead when I am gone." Yuan said to her. "Make sure nobody bullies her, okay?"

    "Okay..." Xiao Hua eventually released his sleeves and watched Yuan disappear with the female disciple shortlyter.

    "Are you okay, Xiao Hua? You have been acting weirdly ever since we entered this building," Yu Rou asked her.

    "Xiao Hua is fine..." she said to her, and she continued a momentter, "But that girl... she¡¯s a very powerful Cultivator that shouldn¡¯t exist in this Lower Heaven..."

 Chapter 71 Translucent Dew of Flawlessness

    "Huh? What do you mean by that?" Yu Rou asked Xiao Hua, as she was unfamiliar with such terms.

    "That girl with the disciple robes just now is a Cultivator at the Spirit King realm, and unless she also has a Legacy to fulfill, she¡¯s an existence that shouldn¡¯t be in this world¡ª the Lower Heaven," Xiao Hua exined to her.

    "Spirit King... Lower Heavens...?" Yu Rou shook her head, still confused about what Xiao Hua was trying to say.

    "Anyway, let¡¯s look around the first floor before we go to the second floor," Yu Rou said.

    "Un." Xiao Hua nodded and followed Yu Rou, as she didn¡¯t need to learn any new techniques for herself.

    Meanwhile, Yuan and the female disciple had just reached the second floor.

    "What is your name, young man? I am called Zhu Yuying," said the female disciple.

    "Yu Tian," he responded.

    "Oh, that¡¯s a nice name," she nodded with a smile on her face.

    "Anyway, before you meet my Master, you should know a few things about him. First and foremost, my Master is a very outgoing individual, but do not feel toofortable around him, and most importantly, do not show any sign of disrespect, or else you will dearly regret it."

    "I don¡¯t think I will have a problem with that..." Yuan said, as he wouldn¡¯t disrespect anyone without a good reason.

    "Good. Then the next thing you should know about my Master is that he has very keen eyes for everything, so do not lie to him, because he will know," Zhu Yuying continued. "If you don¡¯t feelfortable with answering his questions, you should just remain silent, as that is better than being a liar."

    "Is he going to question me a lot?" Yuan asked.

    "I don¡¯t know," she casually shrugged.

    "Is that so..."

    After navigating around the second floor for a few minutes, they reached the staircase for the third floor.

    However, there were two guards standing by the stair with a semi-transparent barrier that blocked their ess to the third floor.

    "Master wants to speak with him," Zhu Yuying said to the guards.

    "What? The Master is willing to meet with a stranger?" The guards looked at Yuan with wide eyes, wondering what was so special about him.

    "Since it¡¯s the Master¡¯s request, go ahead."

    One of the guards then snapped his fingers, and the barrier blocking their path began disappearing.

    A momentter, they were free to enter the third floor.

    "This is the third floor?" Yuan expressed surprise after seeing the third floor, which was onlyrge enough to fit two 5 meter-long bookshelves on each side and surprisingly empty, as there were barely books on these bookshelves¡ª enough to be counted with one¡¯s hands.

    "My Master is waiting for you at the other side of that door," Zhu Yuying pointed to the door at the end of the small room that emitted a profound feeling.

    Yuan swallowed nervously before walking towards the door that gave him the chills.

    He then opened the door, and to his surprise, there was only darkness behind this door.

    "Uhhh... I am supposed to enter this?" Yuan turned around to look at Zhu Yuying, who nodded with a smile on her face.

    "Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s only a portal that will take you to my Master, who is in a ce so far away that the only way you can meet him is through teleportation."

    Yuan narrowed his eyes, feeling a bit ufortable about the weird atmosphere and the whole situation. What if they are trying to trick him just like what happened at the Demonic Spider¡¯s Silent Cave?

    However, as Yuan was wondering whether to trust them, an ancient voice resounded in his head: "It isn¡¯t polite to make the Seniors wait so long, young man."

    And right as the voice ended in his head, a powerful force appeared from beyond the door, sucking him inside the darkness.

    "Ahhhhhh!"

    Yuan screamed out loud as his body was tossed into the darkness, feeling like he was falling constantly through an endless hole.

    The falling sensationsted for a good minute before the darkness suddenly vanished, reced by a bright light.

    Yuan looked around, and to his surprise, he was surrounded by clouds, and when he looked down, he saw a vast world¡ª one that stretched to the horizons.

    ?You have discovered ????

    "What the heck?! Where am I?! What happened to the technique store?!" Yuan eximed in a shocked voice as he continued falling from the sky.

    "I¡¯m going to die! I am definitely going to die if I fall from this height!" Yuan cried out loud.

    "Hahaha... Calm down, young man from another world¡ª you won¡¯t die."

    A simr voice suddenly resounded beside Yuan, causing him to turn around.

    "You are..."

    Yuan¡¯s eyes widened with shock when he saw a healthy-looking old man with long white hair and a long beard falling beside him.

    The old man suddenly waved his sleeves, and as though gravity had stopped working, their body immediately stopped falling.

    "Come with me."

    The old man began flying away, and Yuan could feel an invisible force pulling him along.

    A few minutester, theynded on this small floating ind that had a beautiful jade table in the center and two jade chairs beside it.

    Once theynded, the old man immediately walked to one of the chairs and sat down before taking out a teapot and two teacups.

    "Sit down, young friend." The old man gestured to him in a friendly manner.

    "..."

    Although Yuan was still trying to make sense of the situation, he sat down as instructed.

    "Try this."

    The old man handed him one of the teacups.

    "T-Thank you..."

    Yuan epted the teacup without thinking and looked at the transparent liquid in the cup. If he hadn¡¯t seen the ripple on the surface, he would¡¯ve mistaken it as an empty teacup.

    The old man then pulled the teacup towards his own lips before chugging the cup of liquid in an instant.

    Yuan followed the old man¡¯s actions and drank the transparent liquid.

    "Wow..."

    Yuan could feel a refreshing feeling flow down his throat before it expanded in his stomach and then the rest of his body, feeling almost like an explosion had urred within his body.

    ?You consumed a Translucent Dew of wlessness?

    ?Impurities will now be cleansed from your body?

    A few seconds after consuming the translucent liquid, sticky ck substances could be seen oozing from every pore on Yuan¡¯s body, filling the ce with an intense smell that resembled the smell of rotten eggs and many other unpleasant smells.

    Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    "Whoa! What is happening to me?!" Yuan stood up in a panic after seeing this scene.

    "Your body is currently discharging the impurities within your body. One must reach the Spirit Grandmaster realm before they can start cleaning the impurities within their body, but the Translucent Dew of wlessness will help you achieve that regardless of your cultivation, and it will continue to protect your body from collecting any more impurities in the future so that you don¡¯t have to waste time manually discharging the impurities within your body after every breakthrough." The old man exined to him in a calm voice.

    "The Translucent Dew of wlessness is a rare treasure that will be very beneficial to you and your future cultivation."

    "I don¡¯t really understand it, but thank you for giving me such a treasure, Senior." Yuan bowed to him with his body nearly covered in impurities.

    "No need to thank me, as this is but a small token for making youe all the way to this ce." The old man smiled.

    A few minutester, once Yuan discharged every drop of impurity that was contaminating his body, the old man waved his sleeves, creating a powerful wind that blew away the impurities and the awful smell.

    ?You have cleaned every drop of impurity within your body, obtaining a Refined Body!?

    ?You have gained the title ¡¯Untainted Body¡¯?

    ?Description: Having an untainted body, your cultivation speed will increase significantly as long as you keep your body clear of impurities?

    "How do you feel, young man?" The old man asked him afterward.

    "I don¡¯t know how I should describe this refreshing feeling... It feels almost like I have been reborn..." Yuan said while staring at his own palms, feeling incredibly light and energetic, even powerful.

    "Rebirth, huh? That¡¯s a good way to describe it." The old man nodded before pointing at the seat.

    Once Yuan was seated again, the old man spoke, "I know you are wondering why I brought you to this ce and where we are, so let¡¯s get that out of the way first."

    "First of all, this ce is not a location from where you came from¡ª the Lower Heaven¡ª or anywhere in the world for that matter. It is its own world¡ª another dimension so to speak, hence why I was able to bring you here without much trouble."

    "Now as for why I brought you to this ce, it¡¯s simply because I want to know more about you¡ª young man who destroyed the Divine Crystal of Heavenly Fortune with his destiny."

    "Huh?" Yuan looked at the old man with wide eyes. So he really was responsible for destroying that treasure!

    "However, before we continue, why don¡¯t we introduce ourselves?" The old man spoke, and he continued, "Most people address me as Master Bai, but you can just call me Senior Bai."

    Yuan nodded and said, "My real name is Yu Tian, but I am also known as Yuan."

    "Yu Tian, huh?" Senior Bai nodded his head before continuing, "Now then, continuing with the matter¡ª the reason why the Divine Crystal of Heavenly Fortune exploded after trying to read your fortune is simply because it could not read your destiny, hence why it exploded."

    "...Huh?" Yuan looked at him with his eyebrows raised in a puzzled manner. What does he mean by that?

 Chapter 72 An Unknown Destiny

    "The Divine Crystal of Heavenly Fortune is a very powerful treasure that can read one¡¯s fortune and destiny, and depending on the importance of their destiny, they are given a rating. There are countless geniuses in this world who have the ability to change or create history, but very few of them will be given a minor destiny. Then we have the major destiny, geniuses who will affect the heavens to a certain extent. Someone with a major destiny will appear every once every ten thousand years." Senior Bai exined to him the functions of the treasure he destroyed.

    "As for the final rating¡ª heavenly destiny... There have been only 13 people who were given such a destiny ever since the ancient times, and every single one of these individuals had greatly affected the world so much that they were given their own Era."

    "However, not many people know this, but there is actually another rating beside the three I just exined, and there is no name for such a destiny, hence why I just call it the unknown destiny."

    "The unknown destiny is the only destiny the Divine Crystal of Heavenly Fortune cannot read or sometimes mistake as a heavenly destiny, and in the cases where the Divine Crystal of Heavenly Fortune cannot read a destiny, it will explode."

    After the lengthy exnation, Senior Bai gave Yuan a moment to digest the information before continuing, "Ever since the ancient times... No... ever since the first Cultivator learned to cultivate, there have only been two other individuals other than yourself that have had an unknown destiny, and I want to know what kind of person you are as the third person to have an unknown destiny, hence why I brought you here."

    "I see... but what do you want to know about me? I have lived an insignificant life for the majority of my life, so I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll find anything interesting about me," Yuan said to him.

    "Your life experiences don¡¯t matter to me. What I want to know is your ambitions¡ª why you decided to be a Cultivator and what keeps you on the cultivation path," Senior Bai said to him.

    "My ambitions...?" Yuan lifted his eyebrows before speaking in a calm voice, "Honestly, I don¡¯t have any ambitions, and I only want to enjoy this beautiful world with my little sister and hopefully make some friends."

    "You have no ambitions? That¡¯s quite hard to believe, as every Cultivator has a dream."

    Despite expressing his doubt, Senior Bai was unable to sense any lies from Yuan¡¯s clear gaze.

    "Although I may not have any ambitions, I do have a dream. However, this dream is not something one can achieve just by working hard for it." Yuan said with a bitter smile on his face.

    "Hoh? Do you mind rifying?" Senior Bai asked him with his interest piqued. "In the cultivation world, there is almost no dream that cannot be attained through hard work."

    "What about a person who was born without legs and dreams of walking? What about a person a blind man dreams of seeing again?" Yuan asked him. "Do you think those kinds of dreams could be achieved?"

    "Hahaha..." Senior Bai suddenlyughed out loud before speaking, "And here I was wondering what you were going to say. So what if one is born without legs? They can simply grow some with the help of treasures! The same goes for blind people! I know over a dozen medicines and treasures that can cure blindness!"

    Yuan was speechless. They can do that in the cultivation world? However, even if that was the case, this was only a game, and once he logs off, this so-called cultivation world will cease to exist.

    "Anyway, what about bing a Cultivator? What drove you to walk the cultivation path?" Senior Bai then asked him.

    "Well, it kind of happened by chance," Yuan spoke before briefly recalling how he became a Cultivator.

    "Chance? Nonsense! You are someone with an unknown destiny! Everything that happened to you or will happen to you in the future¡ª everyone that you have met or will meet in the future, it was predetermined by fate before you were even born!" Senior Bai said before continuing, "Then why do you continue to cultivate? If you didn¡¯t choose this path, why don¡¯t you quit?"

    "Because I have learned from a friend that strength means everything in this world, and without strength, I could lose everything that¡¯s important to me, hence why I continue to cultivate and continue to grow stronger, as I wish to explore this world with those who are dear to me without losing them."

    "Cultivating to protect those important to you, huh? Despite hearing simr words from Cultivators countless times throughout my life, I can only respect one¡¯s desire to protect their loved ones. And your friend is right¡ª the cultivation world is an unforgiving world that preys on the weak and rewards the strong. If you wish to explore this world, you must have enough power." Senior Bai spoke as he profoundly caressed his long white beard.

    After a moment of silence, Senior Bai said, "I have a firm understanding of your character now, but people can always change, and I can only hope that you do not change too much."

    "By the way, if you don¡¯t mind me asking, do you have a unique Physique? I can feel a profound feeling from your body, but I have never felt such a feeling before." Senior Bai suddenly asked.

    "My Physique? I have something called the Heaven Refining Physique," he casually responded.

    "Hea¡ª Heaven Refining Physique?!?!?!?"

    Senior Bai suddenly cried out loud as he stood up with a shocked expression on his face.

    "Eh?" Yuan looked at Senior Bai with wide eyes, as he didn¡¯t expect such an intense reaction.

    After a long moment of silence, Senior Bai cleared his throat before sitting back down.

    "I see... So you are the person she met..."

    "What do you mean, Senior Bai?" Yuan asked with his head tilted in a puzzled manner.

    "N-Nothing, I was just talking to myself," Senior Bai quickly said with an awkward smile on his face.

    "Anyway, I don¡¯t dare to keep you in this ce any longer, little friend. If fate allows it, we shall meet each other again." Almost as though he was in a hurry, Senior Bai waved his sleeves, enveloping Yuan with his spiritual energy before sending Yuan flying towards the Heavens.

    A few momentster, Yuan was surrounded by darkness again, but he was falling in the opposite direction this time around.

    After sending Yuan back to the portal, Senior Bai stared at the sky with a dazed look on his face.

    "So his name was Yu Tian, huh... To think I¡¯d meet the genius with the Godly Physique that woman met in this ce... As expected of someone with an unknown destiny."

    "I would¡¯ve given him a few techniques and some treasures to help out his journey, but s..."

    After standing in the same spot for an unknown amount of time, Senior Bai sighed in an annoyed tone, "I should probably let her know about our meeting or she¡¯ll think I am trying to steal him from her or something..."

    "Wee back, Yu Tian," Zhu Yuying greeted him after he returned to the skill store. "How was your meeting with my Master?"

    "I don¡¯t know how I should describe it," he said with a weird smile on his face. "Everything just happened so fast..."

    "Then what did you two talk about?" she then asked.

    "He asked me about my dreams and why I decided to be a Cultivator..."

    "That¡¯s it?" Zhu Yuying looked at him with raised eyebrows.

    "Yes," he said.

    "..."

    Zhu Yuying turned silent. Why would her Master call him for something casual like that? She couldn¡¯tprehend it.

    "Anyway, since you have already spoken with my Master, I¡¯ll leave you alone to look for skills now. Ah, you are allowed to buy a technique from any floor," she said to him a momentter.

    "I understand. Since I am already here and there doesn¡¯t seem to be much technique up here, I¡¯ll look around this floor first before I reunite with the others."

    Zhu Yuying nodded and left him alone on the third floor shortlyter.

    Yuan began looking around the third floor, but with only 2 bookshelves and a dozen techniques, it didn¡¯t take long for Yuan to see everything on the third floor.

    And out of the dozen techniques on the third floor, there was only one technique that he could learn, as it was rted to the sword.

    "Demon Sealing Strike... What a powerful-sounding technique," Yuan mumbled the name of the technique with a feeling of awe.

    He then opened the technique and began looking through it.

    "..."

    A few minutes after Yuan began reading the technique, he unknowingly entered a trance, which allowed him to indulge in the technique as though he was in his own world.

    After an unknown amount of time had passed, a notification appeared before him.

    ?You have learned Demon Sealing Strike?

    For more, visit light/no/v/elpub[.

    ¡ª

    ?Demon Sealing Strike?

    ?Rank: Heaven?

    ?Mastery Level: 1?

    ?Description: Consumes 1,000,000 Qi. Must wield a sword to activate. An ancient sword technique used to seal demons?

    "Oh no... I learned the technique without paying for it again..." Yuan facepalmed himself afterward.

    N?velDrama.Org content.

    "And it¡¯s even a Heaven-rank technique... I hope I can afford it with my remaining gold, or I am going to have to borrow the difference from Xiao Hua..." he sighed.

    Meanwhile, above the sky, another announcement appeared.

    ?yer Yuan has be the world¡¯s first yer to have learned a Heaven-rank Skill! Congrattions!?

 Chapter 73 Wind Blade

    After he¡¯d identally learned the Heaven-grade technique from the third floor, Yuan walked downstairs with a guilty expression on his face.

    "What¡¯s the matter? You don¡¯t look so good."

    The guards noticed his expression and decided to speak to him, wondering if something unpleasant had happened during his meeting with their Master.

    "Uhh... I was just wondering how much this technique would cost if I were to buy it..." Yuan showed them the Demon Sealing Technique.

    "The Demon Sealing Technique, huh? That¡¯s one of the rarest and more powerful techniques one can find in this store, and it¡¯s even a Heaven-grade technique, so it¡¯ll be quite costly."

    Yuan immediately began sweating profusely after hearing the guards¡¯ words.

    "If I recall correctly, this technique should be worth around 300,000,000 gold coins..."

    "300,000,000 gold coins?!?!?!?!??!?!" Yuan cried out loud, nearly copsing from fright.

    If the Demon Sealing Technique is really worth three hundred million gold coins, he wouldn¡¯t be able to buy this technique even if he¡¯d borrowed all of Xiao Hua¡¯s money, and it would require him to sell about 10 Heaven-grade treasures to have enough money for the purchase.

    ¡¯300 million gold coins... it¡¯s impossible... I cannot pay for this...¡¯ Yuan thought to himself.

    For more, visit lightnov//elpu/b[.

    While it pains him to even think about it, he¡¯ll have to skip this purchase even if it is considered theft that he learned the technique without paying for it.

    ¡¯I¡¯m sorry, Yu Rou... Even though it was by ident and it¡¯s only a game, your brother hasmitted a crime and is now a criminal...¡¯ he sighed inwardly.

    "A-Are you sure you¡¯re okay...?" The guards asked him again, as they were confident that something was bothering him.

    "No, I¡¯m fine, really..." Yuan sighed as he turned around and began walking back upstairs.

    "Where are you going, fellow Daoist?" The guard asked.

    "To return this technique¡ª I cannot afford it," he responded in a pitiful voice.

    The guards exchanged looks with each other beforeughing out loud, "Hahaha! Is that what you were worried about? Then you don¡¯t have to worry, since you don¡¯t have to pay for that technique."

    "What?" Yuan immediately stopped walking to look at the guards with his eyes wide with disbelief.

    "W-What do you mean I don¡¯t have to pay for it?" he asked them.

    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.

    Visit lightnov/elpub[/. for a better experience

    "I guess our senior sister forgot to tell you about this, but those who qualified to step onto the third floor are allowed to take one cultivation technique for free."

    "...Are you serious?" Yuan looked at them with a doubtful gaze.

    Who in their right mind would give away something worth three hundred million gold coins for free?

    "Why would we lie to you? If you don¡¯t believe us, you can ask our senior sister or whoever is at the reception," said one of the guards. "Though, they¡¯ll just tell you the same thing."

    "Thank god!" Yuan suddenly released a deep sigh of relief, feeling like he¡¯d narrowly escaped punishment after doing something bad.

    "Even though it¡¯s for free, you need to make sure to check it out at the reception." The guards then warned him.

    "I will! Thank you!"

    Yuan left the ce shortlyter to look for Yu Rou and Xiao Hua.

    "Howrge is this ce...?" Yuan was at loss for words after realizing just how muchrger the first and second floor waspared to the third floor.

    And after walking around for a solid half an hour, Yuan was finally able to reunite with Yu Rou and Xiao Hua on the second floor.

    "Brother! You¡¯re back!" Yu Rou said to him.

    "Sorry for leaving you two like that," he said.

    "Brother Tian, you... are you okay?" Xiao Hua was looking at him with her eyes as wide as saucers.

    Yuan had only been gone for an hour at most, yet there was something vastly different about him!

    "Hm? Yes, I am. Why are you asking?"

    "There¡¯s something different about you..." she said.

    "Oh, that¡¯s because I just removed all of the impurities in my body!" he said with an innocent smile on his face.

    "You what?!" Xiao Hua eximed.

    Cultivators can only start discharging the impurities within their body after entering the Spirit Grandmaster realm, and it usually requires years of effort before they can remove all of the purities within their body! However, Yuan had only been gone for an hour and he somehow managed to remove all of the impurities within his body?!

    There is only one treasure in this world that she knows of that could possibly achieve such a miracle¡ª the Translucent Dew of wlessness!

    However, such a treasure should not exist in the Lower Heavens! Hell, the Translucent Dew of wlessness is considered a peerless treasure even in the higher realms, as it not only removes all impurities within one¡¯s body but it will also prevent their body from building up more impurities in the future, allowing one to save a magnitude of time in their life since they no longer need to manually remove their impurities anymore, which takes time and effort that could be used towards cultivating instead!

    "J-Just who did Brother Yuan meet...?" Xiao Hua asked him.

    "Some Senior surnamed Bai," he said.

    "Was he the one who gave you the Translucent Dew of wlessness?"

    "Yes¡ª he said it was a small token for taking up my time." Yuan nodded.

    "..."

    Xiao Hua was speechless. Just who in the world would be rich enough to give away such a valuable treasure for such a reason?

    "Anyway, how has your search been going? Did you find any techniques that suit your taste?" Yuan asked Yu Rou sometimeter.

    "Well... Although there are not many skills that can be used with a fan, I have managed to find a skill that could be useful."

    Yu Rou showed him the scroll she had in her hand.

    "Wind des? A Mortal-rank technique that summons wind des that cut foes from a distance..." Yuan looked at the title and description, not daring to read the content inside, fearing that he might identally learn it.

    "This way, once I get my own servant, I¡¯ll be able to support it from a distance without being in the danger zone," Yu Rou said to him.

    "I see... this technique is really fitting for you," Yuan said as he handed the technique back to her.

    "What about you, brother? Did you find a technique yet?" Yu Rou then asked him.

    "Yeah, I did. It¡¯s a sword technique," he said.

    "What about you, Xiao Hua? You have been following me the entire time so you didn¡¯t get any chance to look around." Yu Rou turned to look at her.

    "Xiao Hua doesn¡¯t need any new techniques," she shook her head.

    "I see... Then let¡¯s pay for our techniques and leave this ce."

    "Are you sure you only want one technique? I think it¡¯ll be better if you have a few more..." Yuan said to Yu Rou.

    "Are you forgetting something, brother?" Yu Rou said to him with a slight frown on her face.

    "What am I forgetting?" He raised an eyebrow.

    Yu Rou continued, "You may be able to learn techniques very quickly, but I don¡¯t have your talent, so it¡¯ll take me days, even weeks to even learn a single technique. What am I going to do with a bunch of techniques that I don¡¯t have the time to learn?"

    "And you have already spent enough money on me. I can¡¯t let you spoil me too much, or I¡¯ll really start feeling guilty about it."

    "I understand..." Yuan said.

    Sometimeter, they approached the cashier to pay for their techniques.

    "Thank you for visiting our Myriad of Techniques! How may I help you today?" A young man greeted them from behind the counter.

    "Yes, I would like to purchase these techniques..."

    Yuan ced his Demon Sealing Technique and Yu Rou¡¯s Wind de onto the table.

    "Yes, right away."

    The young man picked up Yu Rou¡¯s technique first and said, "This will cost 200,000 gold coins."

    "200,000 gold coins?! Why is it so expensive? It¡¯s only a Mortal-rank technique!" Yu Rou eximed.

    Even Yuan was shocked by this unexpected price. Why is this technique so expensivepared to the techniques he¡¯d brought?

    "I don¡¯t know what to tell you, youngdy. Martial Techniques such as this Wind de are very rare and powerful and usually worth this much, and it¡¯s a technique from the second floor. In fact, our Myriad of Techniques is very affordable and cheap whenpared to most stores out there with our pricing. If you went to another store, they would probably charge around 300,000 gold coins for this technique. Though, if you want something cheaper, there are many techniques that cost less than 1,000 gold coins on the first floor with some costing even less than 100 gold coins."

    "No way..." Yu Rou sighed before turning to look at Yuan. "It¡¯s okay, brother. I¡¯ll just look for something cheaper on the first floor..."

    Visit lightnovelpu/b[/./ for a better experience

    However, Yuan said, "It¡¯s okay, Yu Rou. If you want this technique, I¡¯ll buy it for you. And before you say anything to me, I already know what you¡¯re going to say, but I won¡¯t change my mind, so just keep quiet and nod your head."

    "..."

    After hearing his words, Yu Rou, who was about to persuade him, slowly nodded her head with a dazed look on her face.

    After listening to the sibling¡¯s conversation, the young man behind the counter went to pick up the technique Yuan had picked. However, when he saw the name of this technique, his eyes widened with shock, and he turned to look at Yuan with deep respect in his eyes.

 Chapter 74 Feeling Pain

    ¡¯T-The Demon Sealing Technique! This is a technique from the third floor! And it¡¯s even the most powerful one!¡¯ The young man looked at Yuan with a feeling of deep admiration in his gaze, as only the top geniuses with at least a major destiny are qualified to step onto the third floor.

    However, while the Demon Sealing Technique is an extremely powerful technique that can seal even the strongest of demons with a single move, it is also extremely hard to learn, and it will take even top geniuses many years to even grasp the surface of this technique, hence why most people avoid it.

    "T-This technique will be free of charge, esteemed guest..." The young man said to Yuan with a smile on his face.

    "What?! Free of charge?!" Yu Rou eximed with disbelief on her face. Howe she has to pay 200,000 gold coins for her technique whilst Yuan won¡¯t be charged even a single coin? That¡¯s outrageous!

    "Yes, one can receive a technique of their choice for free if they qualified to enter the third floor," Yuan exined to her why he didn¡¯t need to pay.

    "Unfair..." Yu Rou sighed.

    Sometimeter, Yuan paid the young man 200,000 gold coins for Wind de, leaving only a little over 200,000 gold coins for himself.

    ¡¯If I keep spending money at this rate, my wallet won¡¯tst, and I¡¯ll run out of money before Yu Rou returns to school!¡¯ Yuan cried inwardly.

    However, no matter how much it might pain his heart or wallet, he won¡¯t be humble when ites to helping Yu Rou.

    "Thank you for your purchase, esteemed guests!"

    The young man handed the techniques back to Yuan who then handed the Wind de to Yu Rou.

    "Thank you, brother!" Yu Rou epted the Wind de with an ecstatic expression on her face.

    Sometimeter, they left the Myriad of Techniques.

    "Although I won¡¯t be here for long, I hope to see you again in the future, Daoist Yu Tian," Zhu Yuying said to him at the entrance.

    "Yes, thank you for everything, too." Yuan nodded at her.

    After leaving the Myriad of Techniques, Yuan asked Yu Rou, "What should we do now?"

    "It¡¯s gettingte, brother. And it¡¯s almost time for dinner, so we¡¯ll stop here for today."

    "Okay, I will see you on the other side," Yuan said.

    Yu Rou logged off a few secondster.

    "We¡¯ll be back tomorrow, Xiao Hua."

    Xiao Hua nodded and disappeared into his ne.

    Yuan also logged off shortlyter.

    "..."

    "..."

    "..."

    "W-What the heck?"

    Yuan immediately frowned after logging off, as a strong smell that resembled rotten eggs suddenly assaulted his nose.

    "What¡¯s this smell?! It smells like shit!" Yuan felt like puking, but then he realized something.

    ¡¯Wait a second... this smell... I have smelled this awful smell before...¡¯ Yuan suddenly recalled the impurities his body had discharged.

    However, that only made him more confused. Why would he be smelling something that he¡¯d experienced in the game?

    A momentter, the door opened, and Yu Rou walked into his room

    "Brother, here I am¡ª Ahhhh! Brother?! Are you okay?!" Yu Rou suddenly shrieked in a terrified voice shortly after entering his room.

    "W-What happened, Yu Rou?!" Yuan was startled by her shouting.

    "Why does this room smell so awful, and what are those ck gunk sticking to your body?!"

    Yu Rou eximed.

    "B-ck gunks...?" Yuan immediately turned speechless after hearing her words.

    Although he couldn¡¯t see his own body, in Yu Rou¡¯s eyes, his body was pretty much submerged in this ck gunk, looking like someone had poured a bucket of waste on him.

    For more, visit lig/htnovelpub[.

    "P-Please wait for a minute, brother! I will be right back!" Yu Rou immediately ran back outside to look for the servants.

    Meanwhile, Yuan was pondering with a serious frown on his face.

    ¡¯ck gunk... Impurities? No, that shouldn¡¯t be possible. Why would my real body discharge impurities when it happened in the game? But this awful smell is exactly like the impurities in the game,¡¯ Yuan pondered and pondered, but he was unable to find an exnation for this phenomenon.

    "What if... what if what happens in the game also affects the real world...?" Yuan mumbled in a low voice before turning silent again.

    A momentter, heughed, "Hahaha! What nonsense am I thinking? There¡¯s no way that¡¯s possible! If that was the case, wouldn¡¯t I also be able to cultivate in the real world?"

    Afterughing for a few seconds, Yuan suddenly stoppedughing and mumbled to him, "Well... it won¡¯t hurt to try..."

    Yuan took a few deep breaths as he would before cultivation, and he tried to recall the technique Heaven¡¯s Secret Art.

    A momentter, almost as though it was embedded inside his memories, the scripture appeared inside his head. However, just because he can remember the contents of the technique does not actually mean he¡¯ll be able to use it.

    A few more momentster, Yuan took another deep breath before he started reciting the cultivation technique ¡¯Consuming Heaven Technique¡¯ as though he was cultivating in the game.

    One second... two seconds... three seconds...

    "Ouch!"

    Yuan suddenly cried out loud after feeling sharp pain appear all over his body, feeling as though he was being stabbed by needles everywhere, which quickly forced him to stop cultivating.

    "W-What was that...?"

    Yuan mumbled in a dazed voice, as he wasn¡¯t expecting anything to happen. However, to his surprise, his body actually had a reaction when he tried to cultivate! Even though it was unpleasant and very painful, it is still a reaction nheless!

    And wanting to confirm that it was not just his imaginations, Yuan tried to cultivate again.

    A few secondster, the same pain urred within his body.

    "Ah! It hurt! It really hurts! Hahahaha! It actually hurts! I can actually feel something!" Yuanughed loudly, as it has been a long time since he had felt any profound sensation from his body ever since it became numb and crippled.

    Sometimeter, Yu Rou returned to his room with a wheelchair and some servants.

    *Cough* *Cough*

    The servants were caught off guard by the intense smell and began coughing, feeling like they were being choked by the stench.

    "Brother, let¡¯s get you out of that bed and clean those ck gunk off your body. I have also called for a doctor who will be here shortly to look at your body." Yu Rou said to him as she pulled his body from the sticky impurities with effort and while ignoring the smell that was assaulting her nose.

    Once Yuan was seated in the wheelchair, Yu Rou said to the servants, "I want this ce cleaned up by tomorrow morning. However, keep some of that ck gunk for the doctor to examer."

    "Yes, Young Lady."

    The servants bowed to her with respect, not daring to utter a singleint in her presence.

    After Yu Rou left the room with Yuan, the servants immediately began to curse under their breaths.

    "What the heck! Why do we have to clean after that cripple?!"

    "What even are these ck gunks? It¡¯s all sticky and nasty, not to mention its horrendous smell!"

    "This is probably caused by the young master¡¯s condition. I have never seen anything like this before, but I won¡¯t be surprised he dies within the next few days..."

    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.

    "Hmph! The faster he passes the better!"

    "I feel bad for the youngdy, who wasted so many hours of her life tending to him only for him to die like that..."

    While the servants started cleaning the stinky room and the dirty bed, Yu Rou entered the bathroom with Yuan.

    After taking off Yuan¡¯s clothes, Yu Rou used the showerhead to rinse the impurities off his body.

    Once that was done, she began scrubbing his body that was still sitting on the wheelchair with some fragrant body wash. However, because the stench from the impurities was quite strong, Yu Rou had to wash and rinse his body three times before the rotten smell could fully disappear.

    "I¡¯m sorry, Yu Rou..." Yuan sighed.

    "What are you saying now? I have been washing your body like this once a week for years now¡ª this is not much different except for the smell." Yu Rou said to him.

    And she continued, "I can only hope that it¡¯s nothing serious and the doctor can exin what had caused that ck gunk to appear... It¡¯s sticky and oily like wet slime, but I have never seen anything like this before..."

    "Me too..." Yuan said.

    While he has an idea of what the ck gunks are and why it appeared, he didn¡¯t dare to say it to her without confirmation, as he¡¯d only sound crazy for saying such a thing.

    A few minutester, after rinsing Yuan¡¯s body for the fourth time, Yu Rou said, "Give me a moment to rinse myself off."

    Sometimeter, once Yu Rou cleaned the impurities that were sticking to her body, she pulled Yuan¡¯s light body off the wheelchair and carried him into the massive bathtub that was right beside them before sitting in the bathtub with him.

    "How do you feel right now, brother? Does it hurt anywhere? While there are no injuries on your body, I am still worried about your condition." Yu Rou asked him while hugging his back from behind.

    "No, I am perfectly fine," he quickly responded.

    "Haaa... When I first saw you submerged in that ck gunk, I was nearly scared to death, thinking that something terrible might have happened to you," she sighed in relief afterward.

    However, she still wasn¡¯t free of worries, as she still needed to know why his body discharged that ck gunk.

 Chapter 75 Doctor Wang

    After sitting in therge bathtub for a few minutes, Yu Rou suddenly noticed something different about Yuan¡¯s body, and she decided to ask, "Is it just me or... did you get fatter, brother?"

    "What? Have you been feeding me more soup than usual?" Yuan responded in a puzzled voice.

    "No, I measure everything I cook, and I don¡¯t recall increasing the size of your meals. However, your body is clearly fatter than before, and it¡¯s not as boney!" Yu Rou said as she looked at his bare body with a wondering look.

    "Are you sure you aren¡¯t imagining things? I cannot imagine why I would suddenly grow fatter... It¡¯s not as if I had been eating more¡ª" Yuan suddenly stopped talking midway through his sentence, as he realized something.

    Although he hasn¡¯t been fed more by Yu Rou, his meals have indeed increased recently¡ª and by a fair amount!

    ¡¯Impossible... Could it be caused by my food consumption in the game...?¡¯ Yuan thought to himself, and his suspicions grew stronger.

    "Well, as long as you don¡¯t grow to the point where I can no longer carry you, it should be fine, but I¡¯ll still ask the doctor about itter," Yu Rou said.

    Ten minutester, a servant knocked on the bathroom door and said from the outside, "Young Lady, Doctor Wang is here."

    "Okay, let¡¯s get out now, brother." Yu Rou tightly embraced his body from behind before standing up, pulling him with her.

    A few momentster, she ced him on a specially made table that was located right beside the bathtub before pressing a few buttons on the table.

    Soon, warm wind began blowing from the sides of the table, quickly drying Yuan¡¯s body. In the meantime, Yu Rou dried her own body with a towel and wore a clean set of pajamas.

    Once she was fully clothed, she helped Yuan with his clothes next.

    After cing Yuan back on the wheelchair, Yu Rou led him outside and into another room, where an old man with greyish hair and a long beard was waiting.

    "Thank you foring here despite it being sote, Doctor Wang." Yu Rou bowed to him.

    "Don¡¯t even mention it. Even if it was past midnight and I am already asleep, I would immediatelye here if summoned." Doctor Wangughed as he stood up and walked to them.

    "So? What happened? You sounded pretty frantic on the phone, so I thought something must¡¯ve happened to the Young Master. But he seems perfectly fine." Doctor Wang said after looking at Yuan¡¯s condition with his bare eyes. "In fact, he looks even healthier than myst visit!"

    "Well, you see..." Yu Rou proceeded to exin the situation, telling Doctor Wang about the ck gunks that smelled like rotten eggs and Yuan getting fatter somehow when he has only been getting lighter throughout the years.

    "ck gunks that smell like rotten eggs? Interesting..." Doctor Wang closed his eyes to ponder.

    After a moment of silence, he spoke, "I have only heard of such situations in ancient medicine books but have never seen it personally. Do you have a sample of the ck gunks that I can look at?"

    "Yes! I will be right back!" Yu Rou said as she rushed back to Yuan¡¯s room for the sample.

    Once Yu Rou left the room, Doctor Wang looked at Yuan with a pitiful gaze. Out of the tens of thousands of patients he¡¯d treated before, Yuan¡¯s condition was one-of-a-kind. While he has seen patients with simr conditions, they were mostly caused by idents or due to natural-born illnesses. Yuan, however, is neither sick nor injured¡ª at least not a single doctor from around the world was able to find anything wrong with his body after many years of effort. Even Doctor Wang himself, who is recognized as one of the best doctors in the world, cannot find the source of Yuan¡¯s problems and was baffled by this phenomenon.

    "Young Master, have you felt any pain or ufortable feeling within your bodytely?" Doctor Wang asked Yuan sometimeter.

    "No," Yuan said, not telling Doctor Wang about the pain he¡¯d felt when he tried to cultivate.

    "What about other feelings besides pain or difort?"

    "Well, this might sound weird but I have been feeling more energetic as oftely. If I could, I would be jumping around right now," Yuan said with a bittersweet smile.

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    "Full of energy...?" Doctor Wang looked at Yuan with wide eyes. This is his first time hearing such wordsing from Yuan¡¯s mouth.

    "What about your diet? Have your meals changedtely?" Doctor Wang then asked.

    "No, I am still eating nothing but soup," Yuan said in a sighing voice.

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    "What about the amount? Did the Young Lady increase your portions?"

    "No, she told me that herself not long ago."

    "I am going to feel your pulse now." Doctor Wang then turned his hand and began examining his pulses.

    A few momentster, Doctor Wang retrieved a stethoscope from his bag and began listening to Yuan¡¯s heartbeats.

    "Hmm... how strange..." Doctor Wang suddenly mumbled in a puzzled voice.

    "Is there something wrong?" Yuan asked him with a worried frown.

    "Hm? Oh, no! In fact, it¡¯s the opposite of that!" Doctor Wang responded in a surprised voice, and he continued, "My eyes were not wrong¡ª Your condition has indeed improved since ourst checkup!"

    "Really?" Yuan eximed in an excited voice. Even though his improved condition doesn¡¯t have any meaning overall and he¡¯s still crippled, it still made him happy to know that he was getting healthier, and it will also make Yu Rou happy once she hears about it.

    "I wouldn¡¯t lie to my patients even if it¡¯s thest thing I do," Doctor Wang chuckled.

    A few minutester, Yu Rou returned to the room with a small stic container that contained a little of the impurities that were discharged by Yuan.

    "Hoh? This is the nk gunk that came from the Young Master¡¯s body? Fascinating..." Doctor Wang looked at the impurities with great interest, and he continued, "It resembles dirty engine oil at nce, but I have never seen anything like this before."

    "Can I open it?" He looked at Yu Rou, who immediately looked hesitant.

    Yu Rou then walked to the door with Yuan before opening the door a little.

    "Okay, you can open it now!" Yu Rou said to him afterward.

    "..."

    Doctor Wang stared at her with wide eyes. Surely, the smell isn¡¯t as bad as they make it out to be, right?

    After swallowing his nervousness, Doctor Wang opened the contain slightly and took a quick sniff of the ck gunk inside.

    *Urg!*

    Doctor Wang gagged after smelling the stench and immediately sealed the container again.

    "What in lord¡¯s name was that foul smell?! I had many unpleasant experiences with foul smells as a doctor but this experience was almost unbearable!" Doctor Wang eximed with trembling hands before cing it on the floor, as he didn¡¯t even dare to touch the container anymore.

    After a moment of silence, Doctor Wang continued, "I will have no idea what that ck gunk is without examining it more closely with proper equipment, so I¡¯ll bring it back to myb first thing tomorrow to examine it."

    "Thank you, Doctor Wang." Yu Rou said to him from the door, still not daring to approach him.

    "Anyway, I have examined the Young Master¡¯s body and wasn¡¯t able to find anything wrong or different about him except the fact that his body is slightly healthier than before." Doctor Wang gave Yu Rou a brief exnation of the results.

    "Nothing wrong with him? His health even improved? Are you sure about that, Doctor Wang?" Yu Rou looked at him with a pleasantly surprised look.

    "Yes, so you shouldn¡¯t worry about this incident too much. However, without identifying that ck gunk, I do not dare to give you a clearer answer."

    "That¡¯s okay! I am already more than satisfied with the results!" Yu Rou said with a bright smile on her face.

    "Did you hear that, brother? You¡¯re getting healthier!"

    "Yes... I heard..." Yuan said with a slight smile on his face.

    "Anyway, since there¡¯s nothing else we can do before I examine the ck gunk, I will take my leave now. Though you should continue keeping an eye on the Young Master just in case anything else happens, and if that happens, make sure to call me and I will drop everything and run here."

    "I will! Thank you again, Doctor Wang!" Yu Rou bowed to him as he left.

    "Hahaha... I am envious of you, Young Master. If only I had such a caring sister to take care of me every day!" Doctor Wangughed loudly as he disappeared from their sight.

    Once Doctor Wang left, Yu Rou said to Yuan, "Brother, let¡¯s sleep together tonight. The maids are still cleaning your room, and like Doctor Wang just said¡ª I need to keep an eye on you."

    "Okay, I¡¯ll be in your care tonight," Yuan said.

    A few minutester, once Yu Rou returned to her own room with Yuan, she suddenly said, "Oh, right. You still haven¡¯t eaten because of this incident. I will be right back, brother."

    After carrying Yuan onto her bed, Yu Rou disappeared into the kitchen to prepare dinner for him.

    ¡¯Now that I am alone, let¡¯s try cultivating again. Even though it hurts like hell, the pain gradually lessens the more I try to cultivate.¡¯ Yuan said inwardly as he prepared himself mentally for the pain.

    Sometimeter, Yuan took a deep breath and began reciting the cultivation technique in his head.

 Chapter 76 Feeling Nothing but Pain

    "Ouch!"

    "..."

    "Ah!"

    "..."

    "Shit!"

    "..."

    "Ack!"

    Yuan spent nearly half an hour trying to cultivate while enduring the intense pain that came from it but to no avail, feeling nothing but pain and with no progress.

    ¡¯Why? Why can¡¯t I cultivate when there¡¯s clearly a reaction? Every time I feel like I am close to a breakthrough, the pain immediately interrupts my breakthrough!¡¯ Yuan sighed inwardly.

    ¡¯I guess I¡¯ll have to ask Xiao Hua and see if she knows something about this...¡¯

    Once Yu Rou returned to the room with dinner a few minutester, Yuan decided to stop cultivating for the time being to eat dinner.

    Sometimeter, Yu Rou said to him, "Brother, you can go ahead and sleep first, I am going to surf the inte to see if there is anything we can do together tomorrow."

    "Okay. Goodnight, Yu Rou." Yuan said to her.

    "Goodnight, brother." After tucking Yuan into bed, Yu Rou went to herputer and began surfing the inte, and as usual, she went to look at the forums to see if there was anything new or important she should know about.

    ¡¯yer Yuan made the headlines again? What did he do this time?¡¯ Yu Rou saw the posts that were marked ¡¯hot¡¯ and quickly clicked on the link.

    [yer Yuan has be the first yer to learn a Heaven-rank technique!]

    [yer Yuan shocks the world again with his insane progression speed!]

    [Just how is yer Yuan these high-ranking techniques!? Click here to find out!]

    ¡¯So yer Yuan now has a Divine-rank technique and a Heaven-rank technique, whilst the rest of us are still running around with Mortal-rank techniques...¡¯ Yu Rou shook her head.

    This yer Yuan is simply too amazing and unfathomable. How is he able to achieve such results? What is he doing differently from others? Is he really even a real yer? What if yer Yuan is actually an admin screwing with everybody? That seemed more usible than yer Yuan being a cheater.

    After reading all of the new forum threads about yer Yuan, Yu Rou for some reason decided to turn to look at her brother, who was already sound asleep on her bed.

    "..."

    After pondering for a good moment, she returned to the inte and searched for the Wealth Leaderboards.

    "What! There are already so many people on the Wealth Leaderboards?!" Yu Rou eximed in a low but surprised voice.

    It has only been a few days since the Wealth Leaderboards was unlocked by yer Yuan and there were already a thousand yers from all around the world that has managed to amass over one million gold.

    Obviously, these thousand people were not your regr yers but some of the wealthiest yers in the world who took advantage of their wealth to buy gold coins from other yers through Real World Trading just so they can get onto the Wealth Leaderboards.

    ¡¯Let¡¯s see if I can find my brother¡¯s name here...¡¯ Yu Rou began scrolling through the thousand names.

    After all, if Yuan could easily take out 431,000 gold coins and spend it on her without batting an eyelid, he should be on the Wealth Leaderboards.

    However, Yu Rou was unable to find the name ¡¯Yu Tian¡¯ on the Wealth Leaderboards even after scrolling all the way to the very bottom of the list, which was not too surprising, as he¡¯d spent nearly half a million already, and that could have kicked him off the Wealth Leaderboards.

    ¡¯Now that I think about it, what is Brother Tian¡¯s name in Cultivation Online? I never got to ask him,¡¯ she thought to herself after this realization.

    ¡¯Whatever, I¡¯ll just ask him tomorrow...¡¯ Yu Rou shrugged before returning to the forums, where she navigated to the ¡¯Events¡¯ section.

    Once she was in the ¡¯Events¡¯ section, where yers from all over the cultivation world share their experience with past and ongoing events to others for contribution points, which they can redeem for gold coins in-game.

    ¡¯Let¡¯s see if there are any ongoing events near Spring City that we can attend together...¡¯ Yu Rou proceeded to type ¡¯Spring City¡¯ in the search bar.

    Literally, a secondter, over 10 pages of results that mentioned Spring City was in front of her.

    ¡¯Hmm... Most of these have already ended... Oh? What¡¯s this?¡¯

    [There will be a major event tomorrow at Spring City where the lord of the city¡ª the Xuan Family¡ª will be hosting a Disciple Recruitment Exam for the Dragon Essence Temple, a very prominent sect in the cultivation world! Only those above the 3rd level Spirit Apprentice realm can join!]

    "Dragon Essence Temple? Recruiting disciples?" Yu Rou raised her eyebrows.

    She then opened a new tab on her web browser and looked up the term ¡¯Sect¡¯.

    "Let¡¯s see... Sects are an organization dedicated to the practice of cultivation and martial arts. Disciples from a Sect can receive training from the Sect Elders and may even obtain valuable rewards from the Sect to further assist their cultivation."

    "My! So they are basically schools for Cultivators!"

    Yu Rou then turned to look at Yuan again, thinking to herself, ¡¯If I recall correctly, brother has always expressed his desire to experience school life. Even though he cannot do that in this world, he can definitely do it in the cultivation world! Albeit it¡¯ll be different from our schools, it¡¯s better than nothing at all!¡¯

    ¡¯Good! It¡¯s decided! We¡¯ll try to join this sect together and do our best as Cultivators!¡¯ Yu Rou nodded to herself with a resolute expression on her face.

    After looking around the inte for a few more minutes Yu Rou also went to bed, but since Yuan cannot feel his body and his body itself is quite fragile, she must make sure to keep a safe distance from him and even ce some padding between him to make a small wall, as it would be disastrous if she identally rolled into him and injure his body.

    Once she closed her eyes, Yu Rou fell asleep rather quickly.

    ¡ª

    Yu Rou woke up early in the morning, as usual, to clean herself before preparing herself for her piano lessons.

    Once her morning lessons were done, Yu Rou went to prepare breakfast for Yuan.

    "Good morning, Yu Rou," Yuan greeted her when she returned to the room with food in her hands.

    "Good morning, brother. It feels weird to be greeting you in my own room," she chuckled.

    After washing Yuan¡¯s face and brushing his teeth, Yu Rou fed him chicken soup.

    "Brother, I think I know what we should do next," she said to him as she fed him.

    "What do you want to do?"

    "You have always wanted to experience school, right? Well, there are these ces known as ¡¯Sects¡¯ within Cultivation Online, and they are basically schools for Cultivators. I know they¡¯re not the same, but it¡¯s the only way for you to experience school right now."

    "Sects? What a coincidence! I was also about to ask if you wanted to join one with me!" Yuan said in a surprised voice.

    "Really? Then should we join one?" she asked.

    "Of course!"

    "Great! Then we should participate in the event in Spring City today!" Yu Rou said to him.

    "Event? What event?"

    "There¡¯s an event in Spring City where the lord of the city, the Xuan Family, will be recruiting disciples for the Dragon Essence Temple! If we pass this exam, we should be able to join this sect!"

    "The Xuan Family and the Dragon Essence Temple?" If Yuan could see right now, he would be staring at Yu Rou with wide eyes filled with surprise.

    What a coincidence! Not only did he n on joining the Dragon Essence Temple in the future but he also knew the Xuan Family!

    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.

    "Okay, that sounds good," Yuan said.

    "Then it¡¯s decided!"

    "Ah, one more thing, brother. Your room is still being cleaned by the maids, so you¡¯ll y beside me today," she said to him.

    "Oh... I forgot... Your gaming helmet was also submerged in that ck gunk and was tossed in the trashst night, so we¡¯ll have to get you a new one."

    "What?! They threw away my gaming helmet?! What about my ount? Don¡¯t tell me I¡¯ll have to create a new ount! You must retrieve that helmet no matter how bad it smells!" Yuan cried out loud, his voice filled with panic. He cannot imagine what he¡¯ll do if he really has to create a new ount because of this! What will happen to Xiao Hua, who is still inside the ne? Would she remain there forever? That¡¯s terrifying to even think about!

    "There¡¯s no need to panic, brother. Did you forget? You can only have one ount and one character, and it doesn¡¯t matter how many times you change the gaming helmet, you¡¯ll still be able to y your character."

    "Oh... right... I indeed forgot about that." Yuan said in a low voice before sighing in relief.

    "Anyway, I¡¯ll go tell someone to buy one right now."

    Yu Rou left the room to tell a maid to buy another console for Yuan.

    About an hourter, the maid returned to Yu Rou with a brand new gaming helmet.

    Once everything was prepared, Yu Rou and Yuan bothid on the same bed with the gaming helmet on their heads.

    "I¡¯ll see you inside, brother." Yu Rou said to Yuan before pressing the power button on his helmet, sending him into the game first before going inside herself.

    "Wee back, Brother Yu¡ª Tian..." Xiao Hua left the ne a second after he logged on.

    "Xiao Hua... Thank god you won¡¯t be trapped inside that ne forever..." he sighed again after seeing her cute face.

    "???" However, Xiao Hua merely looked at him with a puzzled look on her face. Why would she be trapped inside the ne forever?

 Chapter 77 Dragon Essence Temple Exam Token

    Yu Rou entered the game a few moments after Yuan.

    "Are we all ready to take this exam?" Yu Rou asked them.

    "Exam?" Xiao Hua looked at Yuan, as she had no idea what they were talking about.

    Yuan proceeded to exin to Xiao Hua their ns for today and how they are going to partake in this exam to be disciples for the Dragon Essence Temple.

    "Brother Tian is going to be a disciple for the Dragon Essence Temple? But it would be much more efficient for you to stay as a Rogue Cultivator and find resources in the wilderness than to join a Sect since you will have topete against tens of thousands of disciples from the Sect for resources, and the resources you get are not very valuable." Xiao Hua said to him, finding his purpose quite puzzling and unnecessary.

    "I know what you mean, but I am not bing a disciple for the resources. Instead, I want to experience life as a Cultivator and see how the other Cultivators live. If I am going to be stronger as a Cultivator, I should know more about them, right?" Yuan said to her.

    "..." Xiao Hua turned silent after hearing his response. Indeed, Yuan needed a better understanding of Cultivators and the cultivation world, as he was quite naive in this regard.

    Sometimeter, Yuan and Xiao Hua began making their way towards this exam site while being led by Yu Rou.

    As they were walking, Yuan asked Xiao Hua, "Xiao Hua, can I ask you a few questions regarding cultivation? I need some advice."

    "What is it, Brother Tian?" she looked at him.

    For more, visit /[.

    "Do you know why one might feel pain all over their body when they try to cultivate? It feels like being stabbed by needles."

    Hearing Yuan¡¯s words, Xiao Hua immediately frowned with a worried expression on her face.

    "Brother Tian, are you feeling pain when cultivating?" She asked him, worried that it might be a side effect from eating too many monster cores.

    "Eh? N-No... I am just asking," he quickly shook his head.

    "Well... There are a few reasons why one would feel pain during cultivation," Xiao Hua said, and she continued, "One of them is simply because their meridians are blocked by impurities or other unnatural things. Anothermon reason would be damaged meridians. If one has damaged meridians, they would not be able to cultivate until healing them."

    "What about a normal person who is trying to cultivate for the first time? When they try to cultivate, their body will feel intense pain, but it also feels as though they are making progress¡ª like they are getting closer to their breakthrough."

    "One¡¯s circumstances do not matter, Brother Tian. If their body experiences pain when trying to cultivate, there must be something wrong with their meridians or body," Xiao Hua said to him.

    "Hmmm... Then are there any methods to help with that kind of problem?" Yuan asked.

    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.

    "Yes, there are treasures that cleanses one¡¯s meridians with some even restoring them to a healthy condition. If one is having trouble trying to be a Cultivator, there are even treasures that can forcefully assist with their breakthrough. However, since medicines and treasures that can heal or affect one¡¯s meridians are very valuable, most people won¡¯t be able to buy them."

    Xiao Hua then continued, "In fact, the Seven Colored Herb in Brother Tian¡¯s possession is a key ingredient in many pill recipes that can affect one¡¯s meridians, hence why it¡¯s so sought after and valuable."

    "The Seven Colored Herb, huh..."

    Yuan wondered if he would be able to cultivate in the real world if he consumes these treasures that can heal his meridians.

    After walking around therge city for half an hour, Yuan and the others finally reached the ce of the exam, and they were able to spot it from very far away due to therge gathering that was already present there.

    "Man, I can¡¯t wait to join the Dragon Essence Temple!"

    "What cultivation level are you now? I just reached fifth level Spirit Apprentice!"

    "Haha, since I don¡¯t have much time to y, I only managed to reach the third level today."

    "What do you think the exam will look like?"

    "Who knows. I have never done this before."

    "Me neither."

    There appeared to be a good chunk of people within the crowd that were yers, and they were all filled with excitement as they waited for the exam to start.

    "Wow, there¡¯s a lot of people here," Yuan eximed after seeing the sea of people there.

    "That¡¯s to be expected, since the Dragon Essence Temple is a renowned Sect, and there are many yers that still haven¡¯t joined a Sect yet." Yu Rou said to him.

    Once they got closer to the area, Yuan looked around for the Xuan Family.

    ¡¯I don¡¯t see Xuan Wuhan or her father... Are they going to be hereter?¡¯ Yuan wondered to himself when he couldn¡¯t see their figures anywhere.

    After standing around for a few minutes, a group of individuals wearing simr clothes approached the area.

    "If you are here for the initial exam for the Dragon Essence Temple, make a single file line here!" The person in front of the small group¡ª a middle-aged man with an unfriendly face shouted loudly.

    Very quickly, the crowd began scrambling around.

    A few minutester, Yuan and Yu Rou managed to secure a spot somewhere in the middle of the line, but they were still behind a least a hundred people.

    Once there was an orderly line that snaked around the entire area, the middle-aged man spoke loudly, "I am Elder Kang, a Sect Elder for the Outer Disciples from the Dragon Essence Temple, and I am here today to look for potential new disciples to join our sect. This is just the initial exam to see whether you are qualified to take the real exams, so you won¡¯t be a disciple for passing this exam."

    "Once you qualify for this exam, you will be able to partake in the real exam directly at the Dragon Essence Temple four days from now."

    "Oh... so we won¡¯t be able to experience this ce together even if we pass this..." Yu Rou sighed, and she continued, "I also have school on that day, so I will miss the real examination regardless."

    "Even if we can¡¯t go today, we can do it when you can y again," Yuan said to her. "I won¡¯t join the sect without you."

    "No, I don¡¯t want to be a burden for you, brother. My ying schedule is very limited, so I won¡¯t be able to y with you too often. I want you to experience the Sect as a disciple even without me!"

    "Are you sure...?" Yuan asked her with a slight frown on his face.

    "Of course! I wanted to join the sect for you, brother! If you don¡¯t join the sect because of me, I¡¯ll feel extremely guilty about it, since that¡¯s the opposite of my intentions!" Yu Rou said to him.

    After a moment of silence, Yuan nodded, "Okay, I¡¯ll join the sect."

    "That¡¯s good!" Yu Rou smiled.

    "Once I be a disciple, perhaps I can ask them to make an exception for you, so you will be able to be a disciple even without taking the exam!" Yuan then said to her.

    "Unless you be a very important individual in the sect, I don¡¯t think they would make that kind of exception..." Yu Rou shook her head.

    "There¡¯s no need to worry about that because Brother Tian will definitely be a famous disciple in no time," Xiao Hua said to her.

    With Yuan¡¯s talents, he could easily be a Core Disciple for the Dragon Essence Temple.

    "Is that so...?" Yu Rou mumbled, wondering where her confidence wasing from.

    While her brother may be exceptionally talented, there are countless geniuses in the cultivation world, and a prominent ce such as the Dragon Essence Temple will surely have a few geniuses that could rival Yuan, right? After all, there is a saying ¡¯there¡¯s always someone better than you¡¯.

    After standing in the line for half an hour, it was finally Yuan¡¯s turn to take the exam.

    "Name?" Elder Kang asked Yuan without looking at him, keeping his own gaze on the clipboard in his hands.

    "Yu Tian," he said.

    "What¡¯s your cultivation level and age?" Elder Kang then asked in an uninterested tone, almost like he didn¡¯t want to be there.

    "..."

    Yuan immediately hesitated.

    "F-Fifth Level Spirit Apprentice, 18 years old," he decided to lie.

    ¡¯Fifth Level Spirit Apprentice?¡¯ Yu Rou looked at him with raised eyebrows and a suspicious gaze. Although she cannot see his cultivation level, surely he must be above Fifth Level Spirit Apprentice, right? After all, he¡¯d defeated four yers at the same level with ease!

    "Yu Tian, Fifth Level Spirit Apprentice, 18 years old..." Elder Kang wrote his name and age on the clipboard without even looking at him.

    "ce your hands on the crystal ball behind me. If it glows green, you pass. Next!"

    Yuan nodded and went to touch the crystal ball that was managed by the disciples that came with Elder Kang.

    A few momentster, the crystal ball glowed a bright green.

    "Congrattions, you pass. Take this token. You¡¯ll need it for the real exam. Without it, you won¡¯t be able to partake in the examination so don¡¯t lose it." The disciple said to Yuan before handing him a small jade token.

    ?You have obtained ¡¯Dragon Essence Temple Exam Token¡¯?

    "Thank you," Yuan said to them before leaving the ce with the others.

    "You¡¯re not going to take the exams, Xiao Hua?" Yu Rou asked her afterward.

    "No," Xiao Hua shook her head.

 Chapter 78 Center of Attention

    "Why not? Aren¡¯t you going to the sect with Brother Tian?" Yu Rou raised her eyebrows.

    "Xiao Hua follows Brother Tian wherever he goes," she quickly nodded.

    "How will you follow my brother into the sect if you¡¯re not a disciple?" Yu Rou asked.

    "Xiao Hua can follow Brother Tian as a servant since disciples are allowed to have servants with them," she responded.

    "S-Servant...?" Yu Rou looked at her with wide eyes. However, while Xiao Hua called herself a servant, Yu Rou did not think about the ¡¯pet¡¯ system and took her words quite literally as a servant like the maids in their Yu Family¡¯s household.

    "By the way, what should we do now that we cannot join the sect instantly? Should we just return to doing quests?" Yuan asked a momentter.

    "Hmmm... I want to learn the technique we just bought, but I don¡¯t want to spend too much time on it..." Yu Rou sighed.

    "It¡¯s okay. Have some confidence in yourself, Yu Rou. After all, you¡¯re also a genius yourself," Yuan said to her with a gentle smile on his face.

    "Brother..." Yu Rou nodded a momentter.

    "Xiao Hua, do you know of a good ce where she can practice silently? Should we return to Cultivators¡¯ Haven?" Yuan decided to ask her.

    "No, there are better ces for learning techniques," she said. "Just like how there are formations that can speed up your cultivation speed, there are also formations that can help with yourprehension. However, it doesn¡¯t actually boost one¡¯sprehension skill¡ª only create an atmosphere where one can concentrate much easier."

    "That sounds like the perfect ce for learning techniques! What is this ce called?" Yu Rou spoke with excitement in her voice.

    "Pagoda of Tranquility," Xiao Hua said.

    "Pagoda of Tranquility? I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a building in this city with that name..." Yu Rou said.

    "That¡¯s because there isn¡¯t one in Spring City. If you want to go to that ce, there¡¯s one in Nature City, which is about 1,00 miles away."

    "1,000 miles!? It¡¯ll take us days to get there!" Yu Rou eximed.

    "It¡¯ll only take a few hours if we fly there," Xiao Hua said.

    Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    "F-Fly...?" Yu Rou looked at her with wide eyes filled with surprise.

    Xiao Hua nodded with a calm expression on her face before she started levitating in the air.

    "Y-You¡¯re really flying!" Yu Rou then turned to look at Yuan and asked him, "D-Did you know about this?!"

    "Hm? Pretty much." Yuan nodded.

    Then he continued, "But how are we supposed to take her with us? I don¡¯t think she can use the flying sword even with your help."

    "Brother Tian can carry her," Xiao Hua said.

    "Hmm... I guess that could work..." Yuan nodded.

    He then retrieved the flying sword and waited for Xiao Hua to support it with her spiritual energy.

    "I¡¯m going to carry you now, Yu Rou," Yuan said as he lifted Yu Rou¡¯s entire body effortlessly.

    "B-Brother?!" Yu Rou¡¯s face immediately flushed with redness when Yuan suddenly carried her princess-style.

    "Hold still, Yu Rou!" Yuan said to her as he jumped onto the flying sword.

    ¡¯This is a bit awkward, but I should manage...¡¯ Yuan thought to himself as he adjusted his bnce and posture.

    "Are we ready to go, Brother Tian?" Xiao Hua asked him.

    "Yes, go ahead, but don¡¯t go too fast." Yuan nodded.

    A momentter, Xiao Hua flew towards the bright sky whilst controlling the flying sword.

    "Look! Immortals!"

    The pedestrians pointed at their disappearing figure with awe on their faces, and the yers watched with dazed looks, hoping they would be able to do the same in the future.

    "Aaaaaaaaah!!!" Yu Rou screamed with her eyes closed when they suddenly started moving, not daring to open them even many momentster, and her arms were tightly wrapped around Yuan¡¯s neck.

    "Are you okay, Yu Rou?" Yuan asked her with a smile on his face. "You won¡¯t fall, so don¡¯t worry."

    However, Yu Rou still refused to open her eyes until many minutester when she was finally getting used to the feeling of flying in the air, but her slender arms remained hugging Yuan¡¯s neck tightly.

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    "Wow..." Yu Rou looked at the passing scenery with her eyes filled with wonder.

    "What do you think, Yu Rou? Isn¡¯t this world beautiful?" Yuan asked her a momentter.

    "Yes!" Yu Rou said.

    After looking at the scenery for a few minutes, Yu Rou turned to look at Yuan, who held a gentle smile on his handsome face as he carried her like some kind of prince, and Yu Rou¡¯s gaze would remain on his face for the next few minutes.

    "Hm? What¡¯s the matter?" Yuan looked at her and asked after realizing that she was staring intensely at him.

    "N-Nothing!" Yu Rou quickly said in a startled voice, feeling her heart rate skyrocketing afterward.

    "A-Actually, I wanted to ask about Xiao Hua... Howe she can fly? What cultivation is she at?"

    "Uhhh... Spirit...King?" Yuan responded in a weird tone.

    "Spirit King? What cultivation level is that?" Yu Rou raised her eyebrows in a puzzled manner.

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    "I think it¡¯s like five realms above the Spirit Apprentice realm?"

    "W-Wait! Five realms above me?! That¡¯s ridiculously high! And you had someone powerful like her following you around this entire time?! You can literally do anything in this game if you wanted with her around!" Yu Rou stared at him with a shocked gaze, and even more questions appeared inside her head.

    Howe someone as powerful as Xiao Hua is following him around? Who is Xiao Hua, exactly?

    Yu Rou narrowed her eyes at Yuan with a suspicious gaze, and she asked him, "Brother... I have been meaning to ask you this question for a while now, but what is your in-game name?"

    "..."

    Yuan¡¯s body immediately stiffened after hearing her question, and his back and hands quickly became sweaty.

    ¡¯Haaa... Why did I pick ¡¯Yuan¡¯ as my name? What if she learns about ¡¯that¡¯ because of this? I don¡¯t want to lose her...¡¯ Yuan sighed inwardly.

    "Brother? Are you okay? Why aren¡¯t you saying anything? It¡¯s just your in-game name. There¡¯s no need to be so secretive..." Yu Rou said to him a momentter, her suspicions growing even stronger.

    "..."

    ¡¯I could lie to her, but she will learn the truth sooner orter¡ª about my name and ¡¯that¡¯, and I cannot bear the guilt of lying straight to her face... not after everything that she¡¯s done¡ª sacrificed for me...¡¯

    After seeing the perplexed expression on Yuan¡¯s face, Yu Rou said, "It¡¯s okay, brother. Although I don¡¯t know the reason, you don¡¯t have to tell me if you don¡¯t want to. I can wait until you are ready to tell me."

    "No, it¡¯s okay." Yuan suddenly said. "I¡¯ll tell you."

    "Are you sure? You don¡¯t have to force yourself..."

    "While there are a few reasons why I don¡¯t want to say it, you are my precious little sister, and I simply can¡¯t say no to you," Yuan said with a bittersweet on his face.

    After taking a deep breath, Yuan spoke in a slightly shaky voice, "In this world, I have given myself the name ¡¯Yuan¡¯..."

    "Yuan...?" Yu Rou looked at him with wide eyes filled with surprise, but she was not shocked. In fact, she was feeling somewhat relieved.

    After staring at Yuan for a good minute, Yu Rou turned to look at Xiao Hua, who was staring back at her with a silent gaze.

    Yu Rou then closed her eyes and took a deep breath before speaking in a surprisingly calm voice, "I see... so you were yer Yuan this entire time."

    "I¡¯m sorry for trying to hide it from you, Yu Rou. It¡¯s just that there are many people who are angry at me and trying to hunt me for some reason, and I didn¡¯t want you to think of me as some viin or someone who is hated by others..."

    Yu Rou shook her head and even caressed his cheeks with her hand, "Don¡¯t be silly, brother. I don¡¯t care what the others think about you, and even if the entire world is against you, I would never hate you. After all, you are still my precious brother who was always there when I needed someone..."

    She then continued, "And I think I know the reason why so many people are trying to hunt you, so you don¡¯t need to worry about that."

    "Really? Why?" Yuan asked her.

    "It¡¯s simple, brother. They are jealous of you¡ª of your talents. No matter if it¡¯s the real world or in video games, there will always be people who will be envious of your talents, so you shouldn¡¯t pay too much attention to them."

    "Anyway, as expected of you, brother. Not only did you shock the world with your talents in the real world but you are also causing quite themotion in the gaming scene. No matter where you go, whether you are aware or not, you are always in some kind of spotlight."

    "Haha... you are exaggerating, Yu Rou..."

    "Whether I am exaggerating or not, it is a fact that you have once again be the center of attention across the world. Although the world may no longer care about the name ¡¯Yu Tian¡¯ after you disappeared from the entertainment world, everybody is currently paying attention to the name ¡¯Yuan¡¯ and watching your every step, so make sure you don¡¯t let them down, brother. Of course, I will also be watching you." Yu Rou said to him with a smile on her beautiful face.

    "Un." Yuan nodded.

 Chapter 79 Pagoda of Tranquility

    ¡¯So Brother Tian is actually the mysterious yer Yuan, huh...¡¯ Yu Rou thought to herself with a subtle smile on her face as she rested her head on Yuan¡¯s chest as they soared across the sky on a flying sword. ¡¯No wonder why I was so interested in his identity. Maybe I somehow knew that it was my brother, hence why I took interest in him in the first ce...¡¯

    ¡¯As for yer Yuan being a little girl, it must be Xiao Hua that they¡¯re talking about since they are always together. How did they even mistake her for my brother?¡¯

    ¡¯If mother and father learn about this, they will probably be shocked... but I cannot tell them, or they might try to take advantage of brother again, and I cannot allow him to suffer anymore...¡¯

    Yu Rou lifted her head slightly to look at Yuan¡¯s handsome face again, and he looked much better than before, as he felt as though the invisible mountain on his shoulders had disappeared after telling Yu Rou the truth.

    ¡¯yer Yuan... the only yer in the world with a Divine-grade and Heaven-grade technique... He also has a Divine-grade servant... Hmm?¡¯

    Yu Rou suddenly realized something, and she opened her mouth to speak, "Brother, you have a Divine-grade servant right? What does it look like? Can you summon it for me to seeter?"

    "Uhh..." Yuan turned to look at Xiao Hua and said, "I¡¯m pretty sure you have already met her..."

    Yu Rou also turned to look at Xiao Hua, her gaze filled with shock.

    "What?! Xiao Hua is the Divine-grade Servant?! Humans can also be Servants?! I had no idea that was even possible!" Yu Rou eximed after learning this shocking information.

    "No wonder why she¡¯s following you around despite her crazy cultivation level! You sure are lucky to find someone like her, brother!" Yu Rou said to him.

    However, Xiao Hua shook her head and said, "No, Xiao Hua is the lucky one to have met Brother Tian."

    "You can call me Yuan again, Xiao Hua," Yuan said to her.

    "Okay, Brother Yuan." Xiao Hua nodded, feeling more familiar with this name.

    "Brother, can you tell me about your adventures as Yuan?" Yu Rou asked him sometimeter, and she continued, "I would love to know the story behind yer Yuan¡¯s achievements."

    Yuan nodded and said, "Of course."

    He proceeded to tell her about his adventure since he started the game. He began the story with how he met Xiao Hua. Then he told her about his encounter with these two experts fighting each other in the sky before his adventures at the Flying Sword Sect. Then he recalled what happened at the auction house and how he managed to unlock the Wealth Leaderboards, bing the richest yer in the game instantly. He told her about the dangers of this world and how he encountered and killed the Demonic Spider. Andstly, he spoke about what happened at Pang City and how he defended the city from tens of thousands of monsters, eventually ying the Mountain Lord and bing the hero of an entire city.

    Yu Rou held a shocked face as she listened to his ridiculous story that sounded like a fantasy, yet her heart was filled with admiration for Yuan, who managed to achieve so many unbelievable things in such a short time.

    "What a crazy adventure you¡¯ve experienced, brother. It¡¯s like you started your adventure in the endgame while everyone else started from the very beginning. If not for you, I would still be doing gathering quests right now and probably for the rest of the week."

    "What about your goals, brother? What do you hope to achieve in this game?" Yu Rou then asked him.

    "I originally wanted to just explore this world at my own pace and have fun together with you, but now..." Yuan paused for a moment before continuing, "I want to be strong and raise my cultivation base so that nobody can bully us like what happened when those yers tried to rob us."

    "Then my goal is to be strong enough so that I won¡¯t slow you down, Mr. yer Yuan!" Yu Rou chuckled.

    Yuan smiled and said, "Like I said, Yu Rou. You don¡¯t have to worry about that. I¡¯ll y with you regardless of how far you are behind, and I am also going to do my best to assist you."

    "Un! Now that I know your real identity, I won¡¯t be humble about it any longer!" sheughed.

    A few hourster, they reached Nature City,nding a few miles from the city because Yu Rou didn¡¯t want them to attract too much attention with their flying abilities.

    After paying the entrance fees, Yu Rou asked the guards by the entrance, "Do you know where Pagoda of Tranquility is?"

    "Yes, if you walk straight down this road, you will arrive at this 3-story pagoda in about 10 minutes." One of the guards quickly answered her question with a slightly bashful expression on his face after seeing Yu Rou¡¯s pretty face.

    "Thank you!" Yu Rou said with a blinding smile, and the guard felt as though an arrow had pierced his heart.

    Once they knew which way to go, Yuan and the other two began making their way to the Pagoda of Tranquility.

    Sometimeter, they arrived at this luxurious pagoda that gave a simr atmosphere to Cultivators¡¯ Haven.

    "Let¡¯s go inside," Yuan said as he entered the building.

    "Wee to Pagoda of Tranquility! How many I help you all today?" The receptionist behind the counter waved at them.

    "I¡¯d like to rent a room," Yuan said.

    "Which floor would you like a room in? The higher floors will have a higher quality formation, improving the effects and your concentration."

    "The best room you have avable," Yuan responded without hesitation.

    "We have three rooms avable on the third floor, and that would be 10 gold coins per hour." The receptionist said.

    ¡¯Only 10 gold per hour? This is much cheaper than Cultivators¡¯ Haven!¡¯ Yuan thought to himself.

    "Let me get 2 rooms, 10 hours each," he said a momentter.

    "That would be 200 gold coins," said the receptionist.

    Yuan nodded and handed him the money.

    "May I know your names?"

    "Yu Tian, Yu Rou, and Xiao Hua," he said.

    A few momentster, after writing their names down, the receptionist handed them two keys.

    "Thank you foring to our Pagoda of Tranquility." The receptionist bowed to them before they went upstairs.

    Once they were on the third floor, Yu Rou said to Yuan, "Brother, I am going to spend 4 hours and see if I can learn it by then."

    "Don¡¯t worry, Yu Rou. You can spend as much time as you need, and knowing your talents, I am confident that you¡¯ll learn it in no time," Yuan said to her.

    Yu Rou nodded and went into one of the avable rooms that had a wooden door instead of a boulder this time, as learning techniques did not require as much peace and silence as one would during cultivation.

    Once Yu Rou was inside the room, she immediately sat down on the floor and retrieved the Wind de technique from her storage pouch, and she began studying it with a serious expression on her face.

    Meanwhile, inside Yuan¡¯s room, he was sitting in the lotus position as Xiao Hua recited Heaven¡¯s Secret Art for him. Even though he does not have any new techniques to learn, he was nowhere near mastering the Divine-grade technique, and he wanted to take this chance to improve his understanding as much as possible.

    ¡¯If I have a better understanding of this technique, I might be able to finally cultivate in the real world, too.¡¯ Yuan thought to himself as he closed his eyes and listened to Xiao Hua recite the technique for him.

    Four hours passed in the blink of an eye, and Yu Rou knocked on Yuan¡¯s door.

    "How did it go, Yu Rou? Did you learn the technique?" Yuan asked her after opening the door.

    "No," she shook her head, and she continued, "But I am getting very close to understanding it! I just need a few more hours!"

    "Take as long as you need, Yu Rou. If 10 hours isn¡¯t enough, I¡¯ll pay for more." Yuan said to her.

    "It¡¯s alright, brother. I should learn the technique with the remaining 6 hours left!" She spoke with confidence written all over her face before she returned to her own room and continued to study the technique.

    Yuan also returned to listening to Xiao Hua¡¯s voice shortlyter.

    For more, visit lightnove/lpub[./

    A few hourster.

    ?Yourprehension for Heaven¡¯s Secret Art has reached a new level?

    ?Heaven¡¯s Secret Art Mastery Level (2) ¡ú (3)?

    ?You have learned Heaven¡¯s Third Secret Art ¡ª Heavenly Domain?

    Heavenly Domain

    Rank: Divine

    Mastery Level: 1

    Description: Holding absolute authority within your domain, dominate the battlefield, and pressure your enemies with the Heavenly Domain!

    "Heavenly Domain..." Yuan mumbled in a low voice after learning this technique.

    Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    "Congrattions, Brother Yuan. You are only in the Spirit Warrior realm, but your understanding of Heaven¡¯s Secret Art is already near Xiao Hua¡¯s level. It¡¯s almost like this technique was made for you." Xiao Hua said to him afterward.

    "Thank you, Xiao Hua. This array below us is amazing. My mind is much clearer than normal, allowing me to concentrate even more." Yuan said to her.

    "Anyway, even though there¡¯s still some time before our time is over, let¡¯s leave for now and wait for Yu Rou to finish."

    Yuan and Xiao Hua left the room shortlyter and proceeded to stand outside Yu Rou¡¯s room, patiently waiting for her to finish herst hour inside the room.

 Chapter 80 Results

    ?You have learned Wind de?

    Wind de

    Rank: Mortal

    Mastery Level: 1

    Description: Summon wind des that can attack foes from a distance. Requires at least 500 Qi to activate.

    "Yes! I finally managed to learn it!" Yu Rou eximed in excitement after seeing the notification, feeling relieved that she did not have to waste any more time on it.

    "How much time do I have left in this room?" Yu Rou turned to look at the timer beside the door.

    "10 minutes left?!" Her eyes widened with surprise after seeing that it¡¯d taken her nearly 10 hours to learn a single Mortal-rank technique.

    "I really cannotpare to Brother Tian who can learn techniques as easy as breathing," she sighed loudly.

    After storing the Wind de technique into her storage pouch, Yu Rou went outside to knock on Yuan¡¯s door, but to her surprise, he was already outside and waiting for her.

    "Brother... When did youe out? I didn¡¯t make you wait too long, right?" she asked him.

    "No, we just came out," he said with a smile.

    "Anyway, how did it go? Were you able to learn the technique?"

    "Un!" Yu Rou nodded with a bright smile. "I barely managed to learn it in those 10 hours!"

    "Congrattions, Yu Rou," Yuan said.

    "I am nothingpared to you, brother." Yu Rou shook her head.

    "That¡¯s not true," he said.

    "You don¡¯t need to try andfort me, brother. I have known very well about the difference between our talents for years now¡ª this is nothing new." Yu Rou said, and she continued, "Anyway, now that I have learned a new technique, I would like to use it, so let¡¯s go hunting some monsters!"

    Yuan nodded, "Okay, where do you want to go?"

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    "Anywhere that has low-level monsters, preferably ones around the first level to second level Spirit Apprentice," she said.

    "There are plenty of beasts below the third level Spirit Apprentice a few miles from this city," Xiao Hua said.

    "Great! Then let¡¯s go!" Yu Rou said.

    They proceeded to walk downstairs and returned the keys to the receptionist before leaving the building.

    Once they were outside, Yuan retrieved his flying sword and jumped onto it with Yu Rou in his arms.

    A few momentster, they soared towards the sky and flew for a few minutes until they were a couple of miles away from Nature City.

    "There are a few first-level Spirit Apprentice beasts below us," Xiao Hua said to them.

    "Oh! I want to fight them!" Yu Rou said.

    Xiao Hua nodded, and they descended to the ground a momentter.

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    "Where is it?" Yu Rou asked after theynded.

    "200 meters that way." Xiao Hua pointed south.

    "Okay!"

    Yu Rou proceeded to walk in that direction with wide strides, clearly impatient to try out her new skill.

    "Slow down, Yu Rou. The monsters aren¡¯t going anywhere," Yuan said to her with a smile after seeing her excitement.

    A few momentster, Yu Rou could finally see the monster; it was a slightly oversized fox with orange fur and red eyes.

    "That¡¯s a Red-eyed Fox. They are nimble but weak. If you don¡¯t hit it with your first strike, you won¡¯t have a second chance because it will run away," Xiao Hua said in a low voice.

    Yu Rou nodded and retrieved her Spirit Waver.

    After taking a deep breath, she gathered her spiritual energy before waving her fan a momentter.

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    "Wind de!"

    An arc of wind resembling long-distance sword attacks suddenly flew from the Spirit Waver and at the Red-eyed Fox.

    However, because this is Yu Rou¡¯s first time using the skill and the Spirit Waver, her aim was way off target, missing the Red-eyed fox by a long shot.

    Bang!

    The Wind de did a weird turn in the air before flying into a tree and destroying it with ease.

    When the Red-eyed Fox saw this, it immediately turned around and ran away.

    "Wow... No wonder why this skill cost so much despite being a Mortal-rank technique! It¡¯s really powerful!" Yu Rou¡¯s eyes flickered with excitement after seeing the skill¡¯s destructive power.

    "The strength isparable to a technique at the Earth-rank technique," Xiao Hua said to her.

    And she continued, "If it doesn¡¯t hit the target, it won¡¯t matter even if the technique is the strongest in the world, though."

    "I know, but it¡¯s actually very hard to control this skill." Yu Rou sighed.

    "Unless you¡¯re Brother Yuan, one would normally require many hours of training before they can use a newly learned technique properly."

    "Even if I have to practice for hundreds of hours, I am going to perfect this skill that my brother bought me!" Yu Rou said with a resolute expression on her face.

    Sometimeter, they continued to hunt low-level monsters with Xiao Hua giving the directions and Yu Rou trying her best to hit her targets.

    An hour and countless missester, Yu Rou finally managed to hit her target with Wind de, brutally cutting the monster in half as it did to the tree before.

    "Uwa... Isn¡¯t this technique like... a little too powerful?" Yu Rou realized this after she witnessed how the monster nearly exploded into a bloody mess.

    "Isn¡¯t it a good thing that the technique¡¯s powerful?" Yuan tilted his head, not understanding her worries.

    "I mean, of course, but it¡¯s a little too brutal for my taste." Yu Rou sighed. How can an elegant youngdy like her use such a savage technique? It would definitely ruin her graceful image!

    "Then do you want a new technique?" Yuan asked her.

    "No, this is fine. It may be a brutal technique, but I don¡¯t dislike it. I just need to get used to the scene of my opponents being torn apart by the skill." Yu Rou said.

    "Anyway, let¡¯s continue hunting monsters. The only way I can get better with this skill is by using it over and over again! Therefore¡ª onto the next monster, Xiao Hua!" Yu Rou pointed in a random direction with her fan with a profound expression on her face.

    "Okay..." Xiao Hua nodded.

    And for the next few hours, until it was time for dinner, Yu Rou would hunt monsters continuously using her Wind de whilst Xiao Hua led her around the wilderness.

    As for Yuan, he merely followed them in silence. However, it was not as though he waspletely rxed, as he still had to make sure that no harm woulde to Yu Rou, so whenever they approach a monster, he would mentally prepare himself just in case he needed to step in and protect Yu Rou.

    "Brother, I have hunted so many monsters, yet not one of them dropped a single monster core, why is that?" Yu Rou asked him at the end of their adventure.

    "That¡¯s because only monsters above seventh level Spirit Apprentice drop them," he responded. "Did I get that right, Xiao Hua?" he asked her just in case.

    "That¡¯s right," she nodded.

    "Seventh level Spirit Apprentice, huh? That¡¯s a long way..." Yu Rou sighed.

    "Anyways, I am going to log off now to cook dinner, brother. You can y a little longer until dinner is ready if you like."

    "No, it¡¯s fine. There¡¯s nothing I can do in this area in such a short time, anyways."

    "Then I¡¯ll see you on the other side," Yu Rou said to him before logging off.

    "I¡¯ll see you tomorrow, Xiao Hua."

    "Un. Goodbye, Brother Yuan." Xiao Hua said to him before disappearing into the ne.

    Yuan also logged off shortlyter.

    Once he was in the real world again and Yu Rou left to prepare dinner, Yuan began trying to cultivate again, hoping that he would have better results after his understanding of the cultivation technique had improved.

    "..."

    "..."

    "..."

    "...Ouch!"

    Yuan tried to cultivate many times without any progress until Yu Rou returned with the food.

    "Are you okay, brother? I heard you yelling in pain just now..." Yu Rou said to him in a worried voice.

    "Hm? Oh, it¡¯s nothing." Yuan said, not prepared to tell her about trying to cultivate in the real world just yet¡ª at least not until he confirms that it actually works and he¡¯s not just going crazy.

    "If you feel any pain in your body, don¡¯t hesitate to let me know, okay?" Yu Rou said to him afterward.

    "Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t," Yuan said.

    "Good. Anyway, I have some news. Doctor Wang will beingter, and he said that he has some results regarding the ck gunk that discharged from your body."

    "Okay," Yuan said.

    "Let¡¯s fill your stomach before he arrives," Yu Rou said as she began feeding him chicken soup.

    Sometimeter, Doctor Wang arrived at their home, and Yu Rou greeted him with Yuan in the wheelchair.

    "You have the results already, Doctor Wang? That was quicker than I¡¯d anticipated," Yu Rou said to him.

    "Well, I worked without stopping for nearly the entire day to get the results as soon as possible, and you won¡¯t believe what I found from the examination," Doctor Wang said.

    "What is it? Is it something we should be worried about?" Yu Rou asked him with a nervous expression.

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    "Actually, it should be the opposite! ording to the results, the ck gunks are actually impurities! Although I don¡¯t know how it happened, it appears that the Young Master has managed to discharge the impurities within his body."

    "Impurities...?" Yu Rou raised her eyebrows. What does that even mean?

    "Sit down, Young Lady. This is going to take some time to exin," Doctor Wang said to her.

    Yu Rou nodded, and she went to grab a chair before sitting down and waiting for Doctor Wang to continue.

 Chapter 81 Player Yuanâ€™s Sister

    "Before we begin, I should let you know that this is based on one ancient medicine book I read in the past, as this is the first time something like this has happened in our medical history," Doctor Wang said with a serious expression.

    "Ancient medicine book?" Yu Rou raised her eyebrows, unsure of how to feel about this.

    "Yes, the ck gunk that came out of the Young Master¡¯s body are impurities¡ª filth that gathers in one¡¯s body over time¡ª simr to the filth that gathers on one¡¯s face and their pores naturally, but this impurity is much more filthy and impotent, and it is something that normally cannot be cleaned from one¡¯s body, as it gathers deep within your body."

    "Then why did it happen to my brother?" Yu Rou asked afterward.

    "Honestly, I don¡¯t know." Doctor Wang shook his head, feeling a little shameful that he had to say such words as one of the best doctors in the world.

    "Not even that ancient medicine book mentioned anything?"

    "Unfortunately."

    Yu Rou looked at her brother before continuing, "Then why do you say it¡¯s a good thing?"

    "Because the impurities are harmful to one¡¯s body. Although it won¡¯t kill us, it is obviously better for our body to get rid of its impurities." Doctor Wang said.

    "So everybody has these impurities, right?"

    For more, visit li/gh/tnovel/pub[.

    "That¡¯s correct. You, me, and everyone in this world should have these impurities within our body, and there is nothing we can do to it unless what happened to the Young Master happens to us too." Doctor Wang nodded.

    "Anyway, that¡¯s all I have for the results. However, I have another reason foring here today. Young Master, would you mind visiting my hospital tomorrow so I can scan your body to make sure there¡¯s nothing wrong with it?"

    "What do you think, Yu Rou?" Yuan asked her.

    "We¡¯ll lose some time ying together, but your well-being is more important to me, so we can go tomorrow," Yu Rou said.

    "Then it¡¯s decided." Doctor Wang nodded his head. "I will see you tomorrow."

    "See you tomorrow, Doctor Wang!"

    Once Doctor Wang left, Yu Rou helped Yuan brush his teeth before tucking him into her bed. Even though his own room is already clean, the foul smell still lingered, and they will need to wait a few more days to let it disappear naturally.

    As Yuan slept on her bed, Yu Rou surfed the web. However, unlike previously, whenever she sees ¡¯yer Yuan¡¯ being mentioned on the forums, a proud smile would appear on her face.

    ¡¯Hahaha... now that I know my brother is actually yer Yuan, seeing these people specte and talk about him is a hundred times more entertaining!¡¯ Yu Rouughed inwardly as she read everything about yer Yuan even more intensively than before.

    After spending many minutes looking at people talking about her brother, Yu Rou suddenly had the desire to post something herself, so she created a brand new ount under the alias ¡¯yer Yuan¡¯s Sister¡¯ and posted on the forum with the title ¡¯I am yer Yuan¡¯s Sister, Ask Me Anything¡¯.

    "Let¡¯s see what kind of questions I¡¯ll get," Yu Rou waited in anticipation.

    And not even a minute after she made her post, someone has alreadymented on her post.

    [If you are yer Yuan¡¯s sister then I am yer Yuan¡¯s father! Hahaha!]

    "Well, it¡¯s not as though I didn¡¯t expect these kinds ofments since I also wouldn¡¯t believe it if someone with a brand new ount imed to be yer Yuan¡¯s sister." Yu Rou shook her head with a smile.

    And by the time Yu Rou finished reading the firstment, anotherment was made on her post.

    [Brand new ount iming to be yer Yuan¡¯s sister¡ª Kinda sus...]

    And then another¡ª

    [If you are really yer Yuan¡¯s sister, prove it.]

    [Are you delusional? Who would believe you?]

    [What a bad troll!]

    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.

    Yu Rou shook her head at these rightfully suspicious replies before closing herputer and going to sleep.

    ¡¯Well, even if they asked legit questions, I wouldn¡¯t answer them seriously, anyway.¡¯ Yu Rou thought to herself as sheid beside Yuan who was already deeply asleep.

    ¡¯If the world learns about my brother¡¯s identity, they might take him away from me, and I cannot allow that to happen no matter what...¡¯ Yu Rou thought to herself as she fell asleep.

    ¡ª

    The following morning, after Yu Rou finished her piano lessons and fed Yuan breakfast, she prepared to go to the hospital with Yuan.

    "Are you ready, brother?" Yu Rou asked him, who was sitting in the wheelchair wearing formal clothes she specifically picked.

    "Whenever you are," he said.

    "Then let¡¯s go," Yu Rou nodded as she began pushing the wheelchair.

    And by the time they left the house, there was already a ck limousine waiting in the front with four guards wearing ck uniforms standing around it.

    "Where will we be heading today, Young Lady?" One of the guards asked her.

    "Doctor Wang¡¯s hospital," she calmly responded.

    Another guard opened the door of the limousine for them.

    Once Yu Rou carried Yuan inside the limousine, the guard folded the wheelchair and stored it inside the trunk, before going sitting inside with them.

    A few momentster, the limousine began moving, quickly leaving the sight of the mansion behind them.

    Inside the limousine, Yuan wasying on the long seat with his body strapped so he doesn¡¯t fall and his head resting on Yu Rou¡¯sp.

    "How are you feeling right now, brother?" Yu Rou asked him.

    For more, visit lightnovelpu/b[/.

    "It¡¯s been a few months since I left the house, so I¡¯m a little bit excited," Yuan said with a smile on his face.

    "Excited, huh? I would be too if we weren¡¯t going to the hospital..." Yu Rou said with a bittersweet smile on her beautiful face.

    The ce turned silent, and Yu Rou continuously caressed Yuan¡¯s soft and silky long hair until they reached their destination half an hourter.

    "We¡¯re here, Young Lady." The guards said to her as he opened the door.

    Once the other guard retrieved the wheelchair, Yu Rou carried Yuan to the wheelchair, not even asking the guards for help. In fact, the guards were aware of Yu Rou¡¯s strict rules when it came to touching Yuan, as she would not allow anyone to touch him unless permitted.

    By the time Yu Rou and Yuan started approaching therge hospital a few meters away, Doctor Wang was already waiting at the entrance in his doctor uniform. However, he was not alone, as there was another individual standing beside him¡ª a beautiful youngdy around the same age as Yuan.

    "Young Lady, Young Master, thank you foring," Doctor Wang said to them with a smile on his face, and he continued, "My granddaughter heard you siblings wereing, so she decided to visit today."

    "Hello, Lady Yu, Young Master! It¡¯s been a while since west met!" The beautiful youngdy waved at them with a bright smile on her face.

    "It has been a while indeed, Wang Xiuying," Yu Rou said with a somewhat stiff smile on her face.

    "You can talk with them after we go somewhere more private," Doctor Wang said.

    "Do you need some help, Lady Yu? I can help you push the Young Master if you¡¯re tired," Wang Xiuying said to Yu Rou when she got close.

    "Thank you for the offer, but I will kindly decline since I don¡¯t want to bother you with it," Yu Rou said, still with a smile on her face.

    "Don¡¯t worry about bothering me. You are currently at the hospital, and it is my job as a nurse to assist the patients," Wang Xiuying responded.

    "..."

    Despite having a smile on her face, Yu Rou seemed a bit annoyed at Wang Xiuying¡¯s approaches, mostly because she knew that Wang Xiuying was a huge fan of Yuan when he was still actively ying the instruments.

    "Xiuying, I know you are excited to see your idol, but don¡¯t get too excited. You can talk to himter," Doctor Wang shook his head at her.

    And he continued a momentter, "Anyway, follow me."

    Yu Rou then pushed the wheelchair and followed Doctor Wang.

    For more, visit lightn/ovel/pub[.

    Wang Xiuying, however, waited until Yu Rou and Yuan caught up before walking with them.

    "Young Master Yu Tian, do you remember me?" Wang Xiuying spoke as they walked.

    "I wouldn¡¯t forget your cheerful voice even if I wanted to, Miss Wang," Yuan said with a smile on his face.

    "Please, you can just call me Xiuying like my grandfather does," she said.

    "Anyway, I heard you are going to get an x-ray today. Are you okay?"

    "Yes, I am fine. It¡¯s just that something happened a few days ago, so we¡¯re here for an examination just in case," Yuan said.

    "I see... Well, whatever happened, I hope it¡¯s nothing serious or bad."

    "Thank you for worrying about me."

    "Hehe. As your number one fan, of course, I would worry about your well-being. Even if you cannot y the instrument anymore, I will still continue to be your number one fan for the rest of my life!" Wang Xiuying said to him without feeling bashful.

    "..."

    Meanwhile, despite her calm expression, Yu Rou red at Wang Xiuying with a cold gaze from the corner of her eyes.

    Wang Xiuying had noticed Yu Rou¡¯s cold res long ago, but she acted as though she wasn¡¯t aware and continued to speak with Yuan.

    Meanwhile, Doctor Wang could feel a spine-chilling atmosphereing from behind him, and he continued walking without daring to look back, even walking a little faster than before.

 Chapter 82 Legendary Child Prodigy

    "Hey, look over there! Isn¡¯t that Doctor Wang and his granddaughter? Who are those two youngsters following them? They must be really important people if they are getting treated by the Divine Doctor himself..."

    When the other patients and even some workers in the hospital noticed Yu Rou and Yuan following Doctor Wang, they immediately began gossiping with each other, as it was incredibly rare to see Doctor Wang working personally in the hospital.

    "Ah, you must be new here. That¡¯s the Yu Family, they¡¯re one of thergest donors for our hospital, and Doctor Wang is currently taking care of one of their children, who has this incurable illness." One of the more experienced workers there exined to the new nurse.

    "Wait a second... Did you just say the Yu Family?! That famous family with an immeasurable presence in the entertainment industry, especially the music industry? If I recall correctly, they have a genius musician in nearly every generation!"

    "That¡¯s right¡ª they are that Yu Family."

    "Amazing! Then that beautiful youngdy just now must be Yu Rou¡ª the genius pianist who ced 3rd in the national pianopetition at only 16 years old! I knew she looked familiar! She looks even prettier in person than she does on television! What about that young man in the wheelchair? I don¡¯t recognize him."

    "Since you know Yu Rou, you definitely know that young man. Although he lookspletely different now due to the illness that devastated his body, he¡¯s Yu Tian¡ª the child prodigy."

    "Wait! That¡¯s Yu Tian?! The legendary child prodigy who could y literally every instrument in the world before 10 years old with countless golden trophies under his belt? I wouldn¡¯t have known if you didn¡¯t tell me!"

    "Yes, it¡¯s truly a pity that he was struck with that illness, or he would¡¯ve been the greatest musician in history."

    "I haven¡¯t seen him ever since he disappeared from television, almost like he¡¯d disappeared from the world. He was still ying the instruments perfectly while blind when Ist saw him on television."

    "I guess even the Heavens envied him, so they decided to punish him. Haaa... I would be willing to do anything if I can see him on the stage once again..."

    "Me too..."

    While the nurses talked about the Yu Family¡¯s legacy, Yuan and the others just reached their destination.

    "Just put the Young Master on the x-ray table whenever you are ready," Doctor Wang said to Yu Rou.

    "Here, let me help you," Wang Xiuying said to Yu Rou.

    "...Thank you."

    Even though Yu Rou could¡¯ve done it by herself, she didn¡¯t stop Wang Xiuying from helping.

    After all, as much as she hated other women getting close to her brother, she simply couldn¡¯t deny someone as cheerful and kind as Wang Xiuying, who is one of the few people in this world that still respected her brother despite his tragedy.

    Once Yuan was on the table, Yu Rou and Wang Xiuying left the room and went to the other room, where they could watch Yuan from behind a ss window.

    "I am going to start now, Young Master." Doctor Wang spoke into the microphone that broadcasted his voice into Yuan¡¯s room before typing a few things into theputer beside him.

    The x-ray machine suddenly activated, and Yuan was sent into this egg-shaped capsule for scanning.

    And since the scanning process required some time, Wang Xiuying decided to y some music on her phone.

    "..."

    When Yu Rou heard the piano music that flowed wlessly from her phone, she turned to look at Wang Xiuying and asked, "Is that all you ever listen to?"

    "Pretty much!" she nodded without hesitation.

    "Although I also listen to other music created by the Young Master, I like this masterpiece the most."

    "..."

    Yu Rou had nothing else to say so she remained silent for the rest of the time, even enjoying the music that was being repeated in a loop by Wang Xiuying, as it was music that was yed by Yuan.

    For more, visit [.

    Sometimeter, Yuan was pulled out of the capsule, and while Doctor Wang read the results, Yu Rou went to put Yuan back in the wheelchair.

    "How is my brother, Doctor Wang?" Yu Rou asked after returning with Yuan.

    "Hmmm..." After a moment of silence, he said, "As I had already expected, there¡¯s nothing wrong with the Young Master¡¯s body, so you don¡¯t have to worry about the impurities."

    "I see... that¡¯s great." Yu Rou sighed in relief after hearing the results.

    "However, that is not all I have to say," Doctor Wang suddenly continued, and he said, "ording to the results, the Young Master¡¯s bones... they have gotten stronger¡ª denser than before."

    "Huh? My bones have gotten denser?" Yuan spoke in a surprised voice. He wondered if this was also caused by the game.

    "Yes... Although it¡¯s not that much denser than before, it¡¯s definitely improved enough to be noticed."

    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.

    "Well, it doesn¡¯t matter how much stronger my bones grow if I can¡¯t use them," Yuanughed in a bitter voice.

    "Don¡¯t give up, Young Master. The heavens won¡¯t abandon a genius such as yourself if they favored you enough to give you such talents. I¡¯m sure this is only temporary, and if my grandfather can¡¯t heal you, I¡¯ll definitely try to do something!" Wang Xiuying spoke with enthusiasm.

    "Yeah, yeah, let¡¯s see how that works out for you when all you are doing nowadays is y video games..." Doctor Wang shook his head.

    "I can still study medicine as I y video games! In fact, I have learned a bunch about ancient medicine in the game that I am currently ying!" Wang Xiuying said to him.

    "Ancient medicine...? Are you also ying Cultivation Online?" Yuan suddenly asked her.

    "Eh?" Wang Xiuying turned to look at him with a surprised expression on her face.

    "I am also ying the game with my sister right now," he said when he heard her surprised noise.

    "Wait... I don¡¯t mean to be disrespectful, but you can y the game, Young Master? Even in your condition?" Wang Xiuying said with a dazed look.

    "Yes. Although I don¡¯t know how it works, I can y the game perfectly fine, and I am even perfectly healthy while inside the game, so I can use my limbs and see with my eyes." Yuan said.

    Both Doctor Wang and Wang Xiuying stared at him with gawking expressions on their faces.

    "N-Now that you mention it... I recall seeing on the news that mentioned something like that¡ª how even blind people can y the game and somehow use their sights in the game." Wang Xiuying spoke in a dazed voice afterward.

    "W-Wait a minute! Does this mean I can watch you y the instrument again inside the game?! Let¡¯s y together, Young Master~!" Wang Xiuying said to him in a cheerful voice.

    "I will be participating in the Dragon Essence Temple¡¯s disciple examination in a few days. If you want, we can meet there," Yuan said.

    "Oh, I am already a disciple of another Sect¡ª one that focuses on medicine and alchemy," Wang Xiuying sighed. "However, I¡¯ll definitely try to meet with you one day."

    "What is your Sect called? If I am ever around the ce, I can try to find you," Yuan said.

    "It¡¯s called ¡¯Pill Academy¡¯, located in the Northern Continent," she said.

    "Northern Continent? That¡¯s quite far away since I am in the Eastern Continent," Yuan said.

    "Oh... then it might be a while before we can y with each other..." Wang Xiuying sighed in a regretful voice.

    However, Yu Rou was trying her hardest to not smile at her misfortune.

    ¡¯Who knows what she might try to do to my brother when I am not there...¡¯ she sighed inwardly.

    "Anyway, is there anything else you need from us, Doctor Wang?" Yu Rou asked him a momentter, as she wanted to return to ying Cultivation Online with Yuan.

    "No, I just wanted to see if there were any changes to the Young Master¡¯s body after that incident. Since we have done the x-ray and have the results, there is nothing else I need from you two."

    "Then we¡¯ll go home now. Thank you again, Doctor Wang, for taking the time to do this." Yu Rou said.

    "Haha... Don¡¯t even mention it. Not only am I close with your parents but I am also a fan of the Young Lady and the Young Master." Doctor Wangughed out loud.

    "I¡¯ll walk them outside," Wang Xiuying said as she followed Yu Rou and Yuan outside to their limousine.

    "I¡¯ll see youter, Young Master! I hope we get to y with each other soon!" Wang Xiuying waved at them as they entered the car.

    "Yes, I hope so too," Yuan said to her.

    Once the limousine drove off, Wang Xiuying returned to Doctor Wang¡¯s side.

    "It¡¯s been a long time since Ist saw the Young Master so energetic. We have never spoken to each other so much before. I bet it¡¯s all because of Cultivation Online, where he¡¯s able to live as a healthy young man again." Wang Xiuying said to Doctor Wang.

    However, Doctor Wang didn¡¯t respond to her, and he was silently staring at Yuan¡¯s x-ray results.

    "What¡¯s the matter, grandpa? Is there something wrong with the results?" Wang Xiuying asked him after noticing this.

    "No, it¡¯s just that the Young Master¡¯s situation is extremely weird, to the point where it¡¯s not an exaggeration to call it a phenomenon..." Doctor Wang said in a profound voice, and he continued, "Looks like I will have to dig up and read some more ancient medical records. Perhaps I¡¯ll learn something new there."

 Chapter 83 Silver Ape Cave

    After returning to their home, Yu Rou and Yuan quickly dived into the world of cultivation known as Cultivation Online.

    "Wee back, Brother Yuan," Xiao Hua said to him after sensing that his presence had returned to the world.

    "Hello, Xiao Hua." Yuan greeted her.

    "What are we going to do today? Do you still want to continue practicing Wind de?" Yuan asked Yu Rou afterward.

    "Yes, but I don¡¯t want to slow down your progress with my boring training," she sighed.

    Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    "What are you saying? It¡¯s called training for a reason. If you don¡¯t train, you won¡¯t get better," Yuan said to her. "Although it might be time-consuming, you¡¯ll have to do it eventually."

    "I guess so..." Yu Rou nodded.

    And since theyst logged off while they were still in the wilderness, they didn¡¯t need to do any traveling and were able to continue hunting monsters instantly.

    A few hourster...

    "Congrattions, Yu Rou. You can finally y the monsters without making a mess," Yuan said to her as he looked at the cleanly separated monster corpse with a smile on his face.

    For more, visit lightnov/elp/u/b[.

    "Yes! And my mastery level for it increased by 1!" Yu Rou said with an excited expression on her face.

    "And now that I am pretty confident in my own control of the skill, we can do something harder! Of course, it probably won¡¯t be a challenge for you no matter what we do at my level, though..."

    "Something more difficult, huh? What do you have in mind?" Yuan asked her.

    "A dungeon!" she quickly said. "There are multiple strong monsters in dungeons, and if we can find one that has never been discovered before, there¡¯s a high chance we might obtain valuable treasures!"

    "A dungeon? Where do we find those?" Yuan asked her.

    "Well, there are many known dungeons around this ce, but they have already been searched by the other yers so we won¡¯t find any treasures inside." Yu Rou said.

    "Hmmm... What do you think, Xiao Hua? Do you know of any dungeons around here? Something like the Demonic Spider¡¯s Silent Cave." Yuan decided to ask her, who seemingly knew everything.

    "Demonic Spider¡¯s Silent Cave... Do you mean Beast Nests? It¡¯s where wild beasts gather and make their home, and there are usually treasures inside because beasts instinctively pick up anything that has Qi." Xiao Hua asked him.

    "Yes! That¡¯s exactly it! Do you know where we can find one?" Yu Rou asked her.

    For more, visit /[.]c/om

    "Xiao Hua should be able to find some with her Divine Sense..."

    Xiao Hua then closed her eyes, and a profound feeling expanded from her small body a momentter, sweeping many miles in an instant.

    ¡¯Wow... What a powerful Divine Sense. I wonder how it feels to see so many things and so far at once... It¡¯s probably like having eyes in the sky.¡¯ Yuan watched with slight envy, wondering how long it¡¯ll take before he can start doing the same thing.

    ¡¯If I can also Divine Sense in the real world, that would be great, too.¡¯ Yuan sighed inwardly.

    About a minuteter, Xiao Hua opened her eyes again and said, "There is a Beast Nest a few kilometers from here, and there are about 30 beasts inside between the second level and sixth level Spirit Apprentice realm."

    "Sixth level Spirit Apprentice... Do you think you can handle those, brother? I will take care of the ones below the fourth level." Yu Rou asked him.

    "Of course," Yuan nodded.

    "As for Xiao Hua... You can just stay behind us until we need you since it won¡¯t be challenging at all if someone as overpowered as you also fought the monsters alongside us." Yu Rou said to her.

    "Well, although brother is also quite overpowered, at least he can¡¯t snap the monsters out of existence with his cultivation base..." Yu Rou then added.

    "Okay," Xiao Hua nodded. She wouldn¡¯t do anything unless Yuan asked her to either way.

    "Then let¡¯s go to this Beast Nest!"

    Xiao Hua then led them to the location.

    Many minutester, once they reached the area, a notification popped up for both Yuan and Yu Rou.

    ?You have discovered ¡¯Silver Ape Cave¡¯?

    "Silver Ape Cave... I don¡¯t recall seeing this name on the forums so we should be the first ones to have discovered this dungeon," Yu Rou said.

    "That¡¯s good. Then let¡¯s clear this ce up real quick¡ª"

    However, before Yuan could even take a step towards the dark cave, Yu Rou grabbed his arm and said, "Wait a second, brother! Have you forgotten? If we clear this dungeon together, our names will be announced to the entire world!"

    "Oh, right... That would be disastrous for us. I don¡¯t want you getting caught up in my mess, after all." Yuan nodded.

    If people see that yer Yuan has a teammate, the other yers would also begin looking out for Yu Rou to find him, something he did not wish to see.

    "Then what should we do?" Yuan asked her.

    "How about this? Brother will go inside first and clear out the stronger monsters and thene back outside, then I will go inside and clean out the rest of the weaker monsters," Yu Rou suggested.

    "That doesn¡¯t sound too bad, but I still don¡¯t want to leave you alone inside... Although they may be weak, idents might happen," Yuan said to her, being extremely cautious when it came to Yu Rou¡¯s safety.

    "Then why don¡¯t Xiao Huae with me? Since she¡¯s an NPC, she won¡¯t appear on the announcements," Yu Rou said after a moment of pondering.

    "Oh... Now that you mention it, that¡¯s true!" Yuan nodded. "Okay, let¡¯s do that."

    A few momentster, Yuan retrieved his Starry Abyss and went inside the dark cave.

    However, once he was inside, the entire ce was well lit, almost like there weremps inside.

    Once he reached the end of the cave, there was a spacious area that resembled the Demonic Spider¡¯s Silent Cave boss area. However, in the middle of this spacious area were a dozen apes with silver fur and a massive glowing tree. This tree nearly reached the ceiling of the cave which was over 30 meters in height, and most of the Silver Apes were deep asleep around this gigantic tree with a few of them ying on the thick tree branches.

    After taking a minute to analyze the situation and the Silver Apes, he counted 6 Silver Apes at the sixth level Spirit Apprentice and 8 of them at the fifth level. The rest of them were between the second level and fourth level Spirit Apprentice realm.

    Once he found his targets, Yuan casually approached the glowing tree.

    "Hooo! Hooo! Hooo!"

    "Ooo! Oooo! Oooo!"

    When the Silver Apes ying on the tree noticed Yuan¡¯s presence, they began screaming to alert those that were asleep, immediately waking them up.

    "Ooo! Ooo! Aaaah!"

    "Hooo! Hooo! Ahhh!"

    Very quickly, 36 screaming Silver Apes surrounded Yuan, who stood there with a calm expression on his face, seemingly unfazed by the situation.

    A few momentster, some of the more powerful Silver Apes suddenly jumped at Yuan with their sharp ws spread wide open.

    Seeing this, Yuan skillfully maneuvered the ck dagger in his hands.

    "Thousand Knife Techniques!"

    The ck dagger flickered, and multiple ck arcs of lights appeared around him.

    A secondter, the Silver Apes that rushed at Yuan fell to the ground without any signs of life from their eyes or bodies.

    When the other Silver Apes saw this, they began panicking. However, they did not run away.

    After killing a few of the Silver Apes, Yuan began his own assault, specifically aiming for the Silver Apes with a higher cultivation base.

    A few minutester, all of the Silver Apes above the fourth level Spirit Apprentice were in, leaving only the weaker ones.

    "..."

    After witnessing their strongest members being in by Yuan without any efforts, the Silver Apes no longer dared to surround him and even began backing up to the massive tree.

    Yuan approached the tree, but he did not attack the Silver Apes, puzzling them.

    After looking around the tree and making sure there was nothing that Yu Rou couldn¡¯t handle, Yuan turned around and left the scene, dumbfounding the Silver Apes.

    "Brother! Are you okay?" Yu Rou asked him after Yuan left the cave faster than she¡¯d anticipated.

    "Yes, and I have dealt with all of the Silver Apes above the fourth level Spirit Apprentice realm. Though, I do feel a bit sinful after storming in there and killing them when they were minding their own business..." Yuan sighed.

    "You shouldn¡¯t feel pity for beasts, Brother Yuan. Although they may seem peaceful at nce, Silver Apes are vicious creatures that attack people in groups once they are hungry, and countless merchants and travelers have fallen to Silver Apes," Xiao Hua said to him.

    "Is that so..." Yuan nodded.

    "Anyway, it¡¯s my turn to have some fun!" Yu Rou said as she retrieved her Spirit Weaver.

    "Be careful in there, Yu Rou. Although Xiao Hua is with you, don¡¯t get too ahead of yourself, as there are still over a dozen Silver Apes inside, and half of them are at the third level and above." Yuan said to her.

    He then turned to look at Xiao Hua and said to her, "And Xiao Hua, make sure you protect my sister properly! Although she won¡¯t really die, it might affect her cultivation, and I cannot imagine seeing my sister¡¯s corpse even if it¡¯s just a game."

    "Don¡¯t worry, Brother Yuan. Xiao Hua will protect your sister at all costs!" Xiao Hua nodded with a serious expression on her face.

    Yuan nodded, and Yu Rou entered the Silver Ape Cave with Xiao Hua by her side a momentter.

 Chapter 84 Spirit Frui

    "Wow... So these are Silver Apes? And what¡¯s the massive glowing tree in the middle?" Yu Rou mumbled in a low voice after seeing the Silver Apes.

    However, unlike previously, they were not sleeping around the tree. Instead, they were¡ª

    "A-Are they... Are they eating each other?" Yu Rou covered her mouth in shock after realizing that the Silver Apes were consuming the Silver Apes that had been in by Yuan.

    "That¡¯s their nature¡ª they eat anything as long as they¡¯re hungry," Xiao Hua said.

    "As for the glowing tree, that¡¯s a Spirit Tree. It can grow Spirit Fruits that benefit one¡¯s cultivation base. However, it takes many decades to grow even one, and the Silver Apes has already eaten all of them."

    "What a pity..." Yu Rou sighed.

    "Anyway, let¡¯s clear this Beast Nest. Xiao Hua, don¡¯t do anything yet. Although you may not be a yer, you¡¯re still Brother Tian¡¯s servant, so your contribution might still be counted toward my brother¡¯s contribution, and his name will show up on the announcements."

    Xiao Hua silently nodded at Yu Rou¡¯s words.

    Yu Rou locked her eyes on therge group of Silver Apes gathered in a circle while consuming the dead Silver Apes.

    After taking a deep breath, she swung the Spirit Weaver.

    "Wind de!"

    An arc of powerful wind flew towards the Silver Apes horizontally, and before the Silver Apes could even react, the Wind de had sliced a dozen Silver Apes in halves.

    "Oooo! Aaaah! Ooo!"

    Alerted, the Silver Apes immediately dropped their food and rushed at Yu Rou.

    However, when they noticed the immense aura emitted by Xiao Hua, they immediately stopped in their tracks and stood there as though they were stone statues.

    "What the?"

    Although Yu Rou was dumbfounded by the situation, she didn¡¯t dare to stop and continue to throw Wind des at the Silver Apes.

    Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

    The Silver Apes dropped one at a time right in front of each other, yet none of them dared to move, almost as though they were rooted from fear.

    A few minutester, all of the Silver Apes were in by Yu Rou, and an announcement appeared for the world to see.

    ?Congrattions! yer Yu Rou has be the first yer to have cleared Silver Ape Cave!?

    When Yuan saw the announcement in the sky, a relieved smile appeared on his face.

    Once Yu Rou came back outside, Yuan praised her, "Wow, that was faster than I¡¯d anticipated. Good job, Yu Rou."

    However, Yu Rou did not celebrate and merely sighed in a dejected voice, "Something was wrong with those Silver Apes. It seemed like they were going to attack me at first, but they suddenly stopped moving and allowed me to kill them without any effort. It was ridiculous and not fun at all!"

    "Uh..." Yuan was speechless and did not know how to respond to herints, as he only cared about whether she was hurt or not.

    "Anyway, you managed to clear the dungeon and received an announcement. This makes you an Ancestor, right?" Yuan asked her.

    "While that is the case, since it¡¯s only a dungeon clear, my title isn¡¯t worth as much as your Skill and Servant category ¡¯firsts¡¯." Yu Rou said.

    "Hmm... Then do you want to look for a few more dungeons to clear?" Yuan asked her a momentter.

    "No, it¡¯s fine."

    "Then what would you like to do now?"

    "I would like to go on an epic journey that might take days, even weeks toplete, but I don¡¯t have the time for that now, so I want to spend my remaining time looking for a servant." Yu Rou said.

    "A servant, huh? What do you think, Xiao Hua? Any way we can help my sister tame a beast?" Yuan asked her.

    Xiao Hua nodded and said, "It¡¯s very easy to tame beasts. You just need to feed it some food and if it likes you, you can try to tame it."

    "Huh? It¡¯s that easy?" Yu Rou looked at her with wide eyes.

    Xiao Hua nodded again and said, "There are also techniques that allow you to tame and control beasts."

    "Let¡¯s try the feeding method first. What kind of food should we be feeding them?" Yu Rou asked.

    "It depends on what kind of beast you¡¯re trying to tame, but most of them like food that contains spiritual energy, especially Spirit Fruits. You are almost guaranteed to tame most beasts with a Spirit Fruit," Xiao Hua said.

    "Spirit Fruits, huh? It¡¯s such a pity that the Silver Apes had taken all of them." Yu Rou sighed.

    "You can buy Spirit Fruits in the market, they are worth about 500,000 gold coins each."

    "500,000 gold coins!" Yu Rou eximed. "That¡¯s a lot of money, but you can afford them without much trouble, right, brother?"

    Yuan immediately began sweating after hearing her words, and he said a momentter, "I only have around 200,000 gold coins left."

    "Huh? How¡¯s that possible? You¡¯re still number one on the Wealth Leaderboards! Surely, you have much more than 200,000 gold coins!" Yu Rou said.

    "Well... most of that wealth is actually in Xiao Hua¡¯s possession," Yuan said.

    Yu Rou then looked at Xiao Hua and said, "But that wealth is still brother¡¯s right?"

    Xiao Hua nodded and said, "Xiao Hua is only holding it for Brother Yuan."

    "Then what¡¯s the problem?" Yu Rou continued to ask.

    "I didn¡¯t want to rely too much on Xiao Hua and wanted to earn my own money, so I would rather not use the money we¡¯d earned from selling her treasure unless it¡¯s an emergency." Yuan exined to her.

    "Oh, I see... Then I¡¯ll ask her." Yu Rou said, and she continued, "Xiao Hua, can I borrow 500,000 gold coins from you? I¡¯ll pay you back in the future. I also can¡¯t keep on relying on my brother forever."

    Xiao Hua nodded her small head and retrieved 500,000 gold coins before handing it to Yu Rou without blinking an eye. In the eyes of a Cultivator at her level, 500,000 gold coins is a neglectable amount of wealth.

    "Are you sure, Yu Rou? It¡¯s only 500,000 gold coins... You don¡¯t have to pay us back." Yuan said to her.

    "I borrowed it from Xiao Hua, not you, brother, and I am not shameless enough to ept money without paying it back. And like I¡¯d said, I don¡¯t want to be too reliant on you. If you can¡¯t ept that money from Xiao Hua, then you should know how I feel."

    Hearing her words, Yuan nodded.

    "Anyway, where can we buy a Spirit Fruit?" Yu Rou asked.

    "Spirit Fruits are pretty rare, so only luxurious stores would have them," Xiao Hua said, and she continued, "There¡¯s a very popr ce in Phoenix City named ¡¯Golden Phoenix Bazaar¡¯, and you can find most rare and valuable treasures there."

    "Great! Where is this ce?" Yu Rou asked.

    "Approximately 5,000 miles away. If we leave now, we should arrive there by tomorrow morning." Xiao Hua said.

    "Tomorrow morning, huh? What do you think, Yu Rou? It won¡¯t be my first time ying throughout the whole night," Yuan said to her.

    "Let¡¯s do it. Since I only have one more day before I have to return to school, I would like to y with you for as long as possible." Yu Rou nodded.

    After retrieving his flying sword, Yuan picked up Yu Rou and jumped onto the sword before Xiao Hua flew towards the sky with them.

    "Although it¡¯s going to take some time, I cannot wait to be able to use the flying sword by myself," Yu Rou said.

    "Me too." Yuan nodded.

    After flying for some time, they descended to take a quick break. After flying for a few more hours, the siblings logged off temporarily for dinner.

    Once they logged back into the game, they returned to their journey, and Yu Rou would fall asleep in Yuan¡¯s arms shortlyter.

    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.

    Many hourster, by the time Yu Rou woke up, they had already traveled over 5,000 miles.

    For more, visit lightnovelp/u/b[//.

    "Good morning, Yu Rou. We should be there within an hour," Yuan said to her.

    "Brother...? Oh no! I identally fell asleep since flying felt so good!" Yu Rou eximed. "I¡¯m sorry, brother..."

    "Why are you apologizing?" Yuan shook his head.

    "Even though you are doing this for me, I fell asleep and left you alone..." she sighed.

    "It¡¯s fine. Anyway, look over there¡ª I can see a phoenix." Yuan suddenly said to her.

    "What?! A phoenix?!" Yu Rou immediately turned to look at where he was looking to see arge bird in the sky.

    However, once they got closer to it, they realized that the phoenix was actually an enormous phoenix kite that was being flown from the city.

    "A kite?" Yu Rou mumbled in a low and surprised voice, as this is her first time seeing such a massive kite.

    "Rumors have it there is a living phoenix currently living in the city, and that kite is used to honor the phoenix," Xiao Hua said.

    "Wait a second... A real phoenix living in the city? Surely, that must be fake, right? After all, who would be able to miss the majesty sight of a phoenix?" Yu Rou said.

    "Magic beasts like phoenixes are considered as Divine Beasts, and they have the capability to take on a human form once they reach a certain cultivation base, so it¡¯s not impossible that a phoenix could be living in the city disguised as a human," Xiao Hua exined.

    "If there¡¯s really a phoenix, I¡¯d like to meet one..." Yu Rou sighed as they descended a few miles from the city.

 Chapter 85 Golden Phoenix Bazaar

    ?You have discovered Phoenix City?

    When Yuan and the others approached the city, they immediately noticed the massive line stretching for at least a mile long from the city entrance.

    "What in heaven¡¯s name? Why is the queue so long?" Yuan stared at the line with wide eyes.

    "It¡¯s only natural this ce is so busy. Phoenix City is one of the most popr areas within the Eastern Continent due to its rich environment and abundance of treasures, so powerful Cultivators and rich merchants from all over the worlde here to do business," Xiao Hua exined to him.

    "Anyway, let¡¯s get in line first. Over a dozen people had entered the line by the time you finished speaking!" Yuan said as he walked to the back of the line.

    After standing in line for half an hour, it was finally their turn to enter the city.

    "ce your hands on this ball," said one of the guards once Yuan approached them.

    Yuan ced his hands on the crystal ball, and once the guards confirmed that he was not a criminal, they said, "Entrance fee for Phoenix City is one gold coin."

    "The three of us are together," Yuan said as he handed them 3 pieces of gold coins.

    "Here are your guest permits. Due to the immense poption and not wanting to overpopte the city, you are only allowed to stay in Phoenix City for three days. If you are caught past your date, you¡¯ll be fined 100,000 gold coins. If you wish to stay longer, you must visit the Administration Hall, and you can extend your time for a price."

    "I understand, " Yuan had to agree to such rules before they were finally allowed inside.

    "Wow, this ce is far more popr than I¡¯d thought if they need to make such rules fearing for overpoption..." Yuan said once they were inside.

    "Most popr cities that focus on business are like this," Xiao Hua said.

    "Well, three days is more than enough, as we¡¯ll be leaving immediately after we obtain a Spirit Fruit. Anyway, where do we go now?" Yuan asked her.

    However, Xiao Hua shook her head and said, "Xiao Hua has never been here before¡ª she has only heard of the Golden Phoenix Bazaar being here."

    "Then I guess we¡¯ll have to ask around," Yuan said.

    After spending a few minutes speaking to the pedestrians, Yuan got a good idea of the direction and began making his way towards the Golden Phoenix Bazaar with the other two girls.

    "This ce is really meant for business only. No matter where we go, the streets are filled with nothing but shops." Yu Rou said as they walked, enjoying the scenery. "Do people even live in this city? Because I haven¡¯t seen any houses yet."

    "Only the wealthiest of people would live in a ce like Phoenix City, and they are all within the center of the city. Do you see those tall buildings in the distance? They are houses." Xiao Hua said as she pointed in that direction.

    "What?! Those pagodas are actually homes?! That¡¯s like living in Cultivators¡¯ Haven, which has 21 floors!" Yu Rou eximed.

    After walking for many minutes, they reached this extremely wide street with a beautiful ¡¯Golden Phoenix Bazaar¡¯ kite flying in the sky.

    "Wow, so this is the Golden Phoenix Bazaar... But why does it appear so emptypared to the other streets?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    Xiao Hua shrugged.

    "I guess it doesn¡¯t really matter why there are so few people here. Anyway, we should just look at every store until we find one that¡¯s selling Spirit Fruits, right?" Yuan said.

    "Un." They nodded.

    However, right as Yuan prepared to enter the street, they were immediately stopped by the guards standing not too far away.

    "Wait a second. Do you have permission to enter this area?" The guards asked them.

    "Permission? We need permission to enter the Golden Phoenix Bazaar?" Yuan asked them with a surprised look, as this is his first time hearing this.

    "Naturally. The Golden Phoenix Bazaar is not your ordinary ce where one can enter normally, and only those with a permit are allowed to do business here."

    "Then where do we get a permit? I¡¯d like to buy something in there." Yuan asked them.

    "This must be your first time here. Even getting the permit to enter this ce is not that simple. First and foremost, you must donate a generous amount of money to the city lord before you can even be considered for the permit." The guard said to him.

    "Money...?" Yuan immediately began sweating. "How much are we talking about?"

    "Most people donate at least 10,000,000 gold coins," said the guard.

    "10,000,000 gold coins?!" Yuan¡¯s jaw dropped to the ground.

    If one must pay 10,000,000 to use the Golden Phoenix Bazaar, they might as well go somewhere else! At least they would still have 10,000,000 gold coins to spend by doing so!

    "What¡¯s so special about the Golden Phoenix Bazaar, anyway? Requiring 10,000,000 coins for a permit to shop at a ce is simply outrageous if you ask me. Nobody in their right mind would pay so much money for that." Yu Rou shook her head, unable toprehend the reason behind this system.

    N?velDrama.Org content.

    "That¡¯s where you¡¯re wrong, youngdy. Although it may be expensive, it is very well worth it, as the people you can find in this ce are mostly renowned experts with immense backing or status in this world, and most peoplee here mainly to make connections with these individuals¡ª shopping is only secondary." The guard exined to them the true purpose of the Golden Phoenix Bazaar.

    For more, visit //l/ightnovelpub[.

    "I see... that makes more sense..." Yu Rou nodded.

    "What about the Spirit Fruit? Since we cannot enter this ce without spending an extra 10,000,000 gold coins, we¡¯ll have to look elsewhere for them," Yuan sighed.

    "Spirit Fruits? If you are looking for Spirit Fruits, then you can only find them inside the Golden Phoenix Bazaar," one of the guards said after hearing Yuan¡¯s words.

    "How convenient..." Yuan sighed again.

    "If you really want to enter the Golden Phoenix Bazaar, there are methods that don¡¯t require payments or permits, though." One of the guards suddenly said.

    "What are those methods?" Yuan immediately asked.

    "It¡¯s quite simple, actually."

    The guards exchanged nces with each other before speaking¡ª

    "You just need a rmendation from a Spirit Grandmaster Cultivator!"

    "If you reach the Spirit Grandmaster realm, you will be allowed to enter the Golden Phoenix Bazaar without any limitations!"

    "Hahaha!"

    The guards burst outughing afterward, thinking that it was more realistic to pay 10,000,000 gold coins than to find someone at the Spirit Grandmaster realm.

    "Spirit Grandmaster? Why didn¡¯t you say so? We have one right here." Yuan said with a relieved smile on his face.

    "What did you just say? That there¡¯s a Spirit Grandmaster amongst you? Who? You? Hahaha!" The guards didn¡¯t take Yuan seriously and beganughing even louder.

    "Well, she¡¯s not exactly a Spirit Grandmaster¡ª she¡¯s a Spirit King," Yuan said as he pointed at Xiao Hua.

    "Spirit King?! HAHAHAHAHA!" The guardsughed so hard after hearing his words that they¡¯d begun rolling on the floor dying fromughter.

    Yuan looked at the guards with a dumbfounded expression on his face. Why are theyughing so hard? What¡¯s so funny?

    "If... If this little girl is a Cultivator with a Spirit Grandmaster cultivation base, much less Spirit King, I will run an entirep around the Golden Phoenix Bazaar while naked!" One of the guards suddenly said.

    "Only the Golden Phoenix Bazaar? I am willing to run around the entire city naked if she¡¯s really a Spirit King! Hahaha!"

    "..."

    Yu Rou and Yuan looked at each other with raised eyebrows.

    "What are you twoughing at while on duty? I have been in a bad moodtely so I can use a fewughs! Go ahead, tell me what¡¯s so funny!"

    A clear but irritated feminine voice suddenly resounded, and when the guards heard this female¡¯s voice, they immediately stoppedughing and turned around with fearful expressions on her faces, looking as though they were staring at death.

    Yuan and Yu Rou also turned to look at the person who¡¯d just spoken, and a very beautiful woman in herte twenties wearing red robes with a golden phoenix pattern could be seen walking in their direction.

    "M-Madam Feng!" The guards immediately kowtowed on the ground with their back soaked in cold sweats. "W-We were wrong forughing while on duty! Please have mercy!"

    However, the woman being addressed as Madam Feng coldly snorted, "Did you not hear me? I want to know what¡¯s so funny that it made youugh like maniacs!"

    "W-Well... it¡¯s like this..."

    The guards proceeded to exin the situation to Madam Feng.

    A few momentster, Madam Feng turned her focus from the guards to Yuan and the two girls beside him.

    "So you think it¡¯s funny to joke about being a Spirit King, huh?" Madam Feng narrowed her eyes at them and suddenly¡ª

    Boom!

    The cultivation base of a Spirit Grandmaster suddenly erupted from Madam Feng¡¯s body, filling the area with a suffocating pressure, causing Yuan and Yu Rou to begin choking as though they were having trouble breathing.

    "Do you still think it¡¯s funny to¡ª"

    However, before Madam Feng could even finish her sentence, Xiao Hua shouted in a cute but angry voice, "How dare you hurt Brother Yuan!"

    Boom!

    An immense pressure that far exceeded Madam Feng¡¯s pressure suddenly appeared to cancel out Madam Feng¡¯s pressure, before forcing Madam Feng onto her knees.

    For more, visit ///[/.

    "T-This is?!" Madam Feng lifted her head with much effort to look at Xiao Hua, her gaze filled with shock and fear.

    "A Spirit King!"

 Chapter 86 Madam Feng

    ¡¯A real Spirit King! She¡¯s a real Spirit King! But how is that possible?! How can a Spirit King possibly remain in the Lower Heavens?!¡¯ Madam Feng cried inwardly after realizing her mistake that could potentially end her life.

    "Please have mercy, Senior Spirit King! This junior had eyes but still failed to recognize your mighty presence!" Madam Feng then kowtowed on the floor with her smooth forehead kissing the solid floor.

    However, Xiao Hua did not budge and continued to release her spiritual energy.

    "What¡¯s going on here?! Which expert is emitting this powerful presence?!"

    "This expert definitely surpasses the Spirit Grandmaster realm! The Spirit Lord realm? No! It¡¯s even higher! This presence belongs to a Spirit King!"

    The other experts located within the Golden Phoenix Bazaar were greatly shocked when they sensed Xiao Hua¡¯s immense presence that appeared out of thin air. However, they were too scared to even peek their heads out the windows to see the situation, much less show themselves, and unless directly told to, they would rather not stick their noses where it doesn¡¯t belong, especially when a Spirit King was involved.

    After all, a single mistake could mean the end of their business and even their life! That¡¯s how much power a Spirit King holds in this Lower Heavens where the peak experts are only at the Spirit Grandmaster realm!

    Meanwhile, at the entrance of the Golden Phoenix Bazaar, Madam Feng remained kowtowing on the floor, not even daring to lift her head.

    "Xiao Hua, it¡¯s okay now. We¡¯re not hurt," Yuan said to her a momentter.

    "Un." Xiao Hua nodded her head and immediately retrieved her powerful aura, allowing Madam Feng to breathe again.

    "Are you okay?" Yuan approached Madam Feng before extending his hand out to her.

    "T-Thank you..." Fearing that Xiao Hua might get angry at her again if she doesn¡¯t ept his hands, Madam Feng grabbed Yuan¡¯s hands and allowed him to pull her to her feet.

    "Anyway, I will apologize again for getting ahead of myself and causing trouble for you, and I never intended on harming you."

    Madam Feng lowered her head and bowed to them in an apologetic manner after she was standing again.

    "It was only a misunderstanding, you don¡¯t have to take it to the heart," Yuan said with a calm smile on his face.

    "Anyway, since you have confirmed that Xiao Hua is indeed at the Spirit King level, we should be able to shop in the Golden Phoenix Bazaar, right?" Yuan then asked her.

    "Y-Yes..." Madam Feng quickly nodded her head. Nobody would dare to stop them even if they wanted to live in the Golden Phoenix Bazaar.

    And she continued, "If you don¡¯t mind, I can help you with whatever you¡¯re looking for. I am the owner of the Phoenix Heaven in the Golden Phoenix Bazaar, one of the most renowned stores in the city. No matter what kind of treasure you¡¯re looking for, we will have it. If we don¡¯t, we¡¯ll know where you can find it."

    "That¡¯d be great!" Yuan said, and he continued, "We¡¯re looking to buy a Spirit Fruit."

    "Spirit Fruit...?" Madam Feng looked at him with a dazed face, seemingly speechless.

    Yuan immediately began feeling nervous after seeing Madam Feng¡¯s reaction, worried that it might not be avable because of its rarity.

    However, Madam Feng was thinking theplete opposite, as Spirit Fruits are pretty worthless in the Golden Phoenix Bazaar, where the treasures are usually worth 100 times more than Spirit Fruits.

    "If it¡¯s only Spirit Fruits, I can offer some to you for free..." Madam Feng said to him a momentter.

    "Really? Isn¡¯t it very expensive, though?" Yuan looked at her with wide eyes.

    "Yes, it¡¯s my way of saying sorry for the trouble I¡¯ve caused you three today." Madam Feng said. "And if I have to be honest, Spirit Fruits aren¡¯t that valuable in my eyes, as my shop sells things that are worth way more."

    "Since you don¡¯t mind, I won¡¯t be humble," Yuan nodded his head.

    "Please, follow me." Madam Feng said as she turned around and began walking away.

    "Isn¡¯t this great, Yu Rou? We don¡¯t have to spend any money on the Spirit Fruit now," Yuan said to her as they followed Madam Feng.

    "Un," she nodded.

    A few minutester, they entered this luxurious building that was somewhere in the middle of the Golden Phoenix Bazaar.

    "Wee back, Madam Feng. Wee to the Phoenix Heaven, esteemed guests." The workers inside greeted them the moment they entered the building.

    Madam Feng nodded her head before speaking to one of the workers there, "Bring me three Spirit Fruits and wrap them up nicely; it¡¯s for these esteemed guests."

    "As you wish, Madam Feng." The worker bowed before walking away.

    "Three Spirit Fruit? We only nned on buying one," Yuan said to her afterward.

    "Don¡¯t worry about it, one or three¡ª it doesn¡¯t make a difference to me," Madam Feng said to him with a smile, and then she suggested, "Anyway, it might take some time for them to wrap up the Spirit Fruits. Why don¡¯t I show you around the store while we are waiting?"

    Hearing her words, Yuan nodded, and they proceeded to follow Madam Feng around the first floor of the building.

    "How much are the treasures here usually worth? I don¡¯t see any price tags." Yuan suddenly asked her out of curiosity.

    "The first floor mostly contains treasures worth between 10 million gold coins and 100 million gold coins," Madam Feng quickly responded to him.

    "100 million gold coins...?" Yuan looked at her with a dazed face.

    There appeared to be around six floors in this building, and if the first floor already contained treasures that are worth tens of millions of gold coins then he cannot imagine what kind of treasure they have on the top floors.

    "What is this?" Yuan suddenly stopped in front of a disy case that had a single red leaf inside, wondering how this is even a treasure.

    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.

    "That¡¯s a Blood Leaf from the Devil¡¯s Forest¡ª it¡¯s a rare treasure that requires 500 years to naturally grow," Madam Feng exined to him. "It¡¯s usually used in strengthening pills."

    "Is that so..." Yuan mumbled in a low voice.

    A few minutester, they finished seeing all of the treasures on the first floor.

    "Do you wish to see the other floors?" Madam Feng asked him afterward after noticing how much they were enjoying the tour, especially Yuan, whose eyes were essentially glowing with excitement.

    "If you don¡¯t mind," Yuan said.

    "Haha... Why would I?" Madam Fengughed in a slightly awkward voice.

    While she normally wouldn¡¯t allow strangers to the higher floors, there was simply nothing she could do when there was a Spirit King amongst them. Even if Yuan wanted to rob the entire building, Madam Feng could only stand there with a smile on her face while they rob the store.

    However, since Yuan did not appear to be that kind of person, even feeling kind of pleasant to be around, Madam Feng wasn¡¯t too worried about showing them the treasures, or else she wouldn¡¯t even have suggested it in the first ce.

    Madam Feng brought Yuan and the others to the second floor a few momentster, but there appeared to be fewer disy cases on the second floorpared to the first floor.

    "How much are the treasures on this floor?" Yuan couldn¡¯t help but ask.

    "Around 100 million gold coins to 200 million," she said with a smile.

    "200 million..." Yuan could feel himself sweating just from hearing the enormous amount of wealth.

    Madam Feng then continued, "The treasures on the third and fourth floor are worth around 200 million to 700 million."

    "On the fifth floor, the treasures are all worth over one billion gold coins, but since the amount is so high, we normally ept only Spirit Crystal from that point forth."

    "As for the sixth floor... Most of the treasures there are priceless, so we only ept trades with a simr value for it."

    After seeing every treasure on the second floor, they continued onto the third floor.

    "This is a Divine-grade sword?" Yuan gazed at the beautiful and sharp sword in the disy case with admiration in his eyes.

    "That sword is called ¡¯Thousand Lords¡¯, and although it is only of low-quality, it is immensely powerful¡ª to the point where even a Mortal would be able to cleave an entire mountain in half if they could wield it."

    "Xiao Hua, at what cultivation level do I need to be in order to wield something like this?" Yuan decided to ask her.

    "Brother Yuan should be able to wield Earth-grade treasures now, perhaps even low-quality Heaven-grade treasures. However, you¡¯ll need to reach Spirit Grandmaster before you can even consider wielding a Divine-grade treasure."

    "Spirit Grandmaster... That¡¯s quite far away..." Yuan sighed.

    After spending a few minutes on the third floor, right as they prepared to head onto the fourth floor, one of the workers there approached them with three luxurious-looking square boxes.

    "Madam Feng, here are the Spirit Fruits you have requested."

    For more, visit /lightn/ovelpub[.

    Madam Feng epted the Spirit Fruits before handing them to Yuan.

    "Here you go, esteemed guests. It¡¯s not much, but please ept this small token from me."

    "Thank you..." Yuan epted the boxes with a humble expression on his face.

    "Although you now have what you came for, do you still wish to see the other floors? I can see that you have a fascination for swords. Since that¡¯s the case, you¡¯ll definitely love what I have on the top floor." Madam Feng said to him afterward.

    While she could just let Yuan leave now, she didn¡¯t want them to leave before she could create some sort of connection with them, especially with Xiao Hua, a Spirit King.

    "Okay," Yuan immediately nodded, as he was also curious about the treasures on the higher floors.

 Chapter 87 Empyrean Overlord

    After putting away the Spirit Fruits into his spatial ring, Yuan and the others followed Madam Feng to the fourth floor, where even fewer disy cases were avable.

    "What kind of pill is this?" Yu Rou suddenly asked after seeing the reddish pill in the disy case, as she cannot imagine how a single pill could possibly cost hundreds of millions of gold coins.

    "That¡¯s the Spirit Advancement Pill; it can boost the cultivation base of any Cultivator before the Spirit Master realm by an entire realm¡ª so nine levels." Madam Feng exined to her.

    "An entire realm?! So I can reach the Spirit Warrior realm right now if I swallowed it?" Yu Rou asked, her voice filled with shock.

    "Correct. However, you can only consume one of these in your lifetime, so most people would consume it at the first level Spirit Warrior realm so they can be a Spirit Master instantly."

    "Wow... How much would one of these costs?" Yuan asked afterward.

    "650 million gold coins," Madam Feng responded with a smile on her face.

    "650 million?!" Yuan¡¯s jaw dropped. It didn¡¯t take him much effort or money to reach the fifth level Spirit Warrior realm, so the ridiculous price seemed unjustified in his eyes.

    However, to the majority of Cultivators in this world that require months and even years of effort for a single breakthrough, if they could potentially save many years of their life with a single pill, the Spirit Advancement Pill was worth every penny if they could afford it.

    After walking a circle around the fourth floor, Madam Feng brought them onto the fifth floor, where only seven items were being sold.

    "Everything in here is worth over 1 billion gold coins...? I wonder what you can do with that amount of money in this world..." Yu Rou mumbled.

    "Although one billion gold coins may seem like a lot, it¡¯s actually not as much as you are thinking. An average sect will earn and spend tens of millions of gold coins a month, whilst the bigger ones spend hundreds of millions of gold coins every month." Madam Feng said.

    "But that¡¯s for an entire sect with thousands of people, right? I cannot imagine someone spending so much money on a single individual," Yu Rou shook her head.

    "If you are talented enough, people will be willing to spend as much resource as needed. You will be surprised by how much resources wealthy families spend on their most talented children." Madam Feng said with a smile on her face.

    "Let¡¯s take this Golden Spirit Silk for example. This Golden Spirit Silk is a very important ingredient for an extremely rare and powerful pill that will permanently increase an individual¡¯s cultivation speed. If you have a very talented individual in your family and enough money, would you be willing to spend it on this person, who will surely be a great figure in the future and earn much more than what you¡¯d spent? There¡¯s really not much difference between investing in business hoping for a good return and investing in an individual hoping to maximize their growth."

    "Investing into a person¡¯s future, huh?" Yu Rou turned to look at Yuan, who was considered to be one of the most talented child prodigies in history, and how much their family had invested into him before he became a cripple.

    "Do you know of a herb called the Seven Colored Herb? How much do you think one of those would cost?" Yuan suddenly asked her, who appeared very experienced in prices for treasures.

    "The Seven Colored Herb? Now that¡¯s a treasure everyone with a store in the Golden Phoenix Bazaar would covet even though they probably won¡¯t try to sell it. If I had one right now, it would be ced on the sixth floor, as they are extremely rare and priceless."

    "Priceless, huh..." Yuan nodded.

    For more, visit lightnov/elpub[.

    "..."

    Seeing his reaction, Madam Feng narrowed her eyes at him, wondering if he had in his possession a Seven Colored Herb.

    "Anyway, let¡¯s continue the tour." Madam Feng said a momentter, and they returned to looking at the disy cases whilst Madam Feng exined to them the history and value for each of these treasures that are worth over a billion gold coins.

    Sometimeter, Madam Feng brought Yuan and the others onto the top floor in the building.

    "There are only 3 items on this floor?" Yuan mumbled after seeing three thick disy cases perfectly distanced from each other. However, unlike the previous transparent disy cases, these disy cases werepletely ck, resembling sses that were tinted to the extreme.

    "These disy cases are protected by a powerful formation that can block even attacks from a Spirit Grandmaster such as myself," Madam Feng said to them.

    Then she snapped her fingers, and one of the disy cases suddenly became transparent again, allowing them to see the item inside.

    "Is that... Is that a heart?" Yuan asked in a baffled voice after seeing the red pulsing object that resembled a beating heart.

    "It¡¯s still beating, too!" Yu Rou eximed.

    "Although it looks like this and closely resembles a heart, it is actually a Monster Core that once belonged to an extremely fearsome magical beast at the Spirit Grandmaster realm," Madam Feng said.

    "A monster core?! This beating thing?!" Yuan¡¯s jaw dropped, as this is his first time seeing such a unique-looking monster core. Although he can eat normal monster cores without batting an eye, he will definitely have trouble putting something this disgusting into his mouth.

    "The Spirit Grandmaster demonic beast was a special existence that had demonic blood flowing in its veins, hence why its monster core looks this way." Madam Feng said.

    "Demons? How do they differ from magical beasts?" Yuan asked.

    "Demons are extremely powerful and fearsome monsters that resemble humans but are neither human nor beasts¡ª they are bloodthirsty entities with unknown origins, so we do not know how they came into existence. However, we do know that they are extremely powerful and feared by most people," she exined.

    "I see..." Yuan nodded.

    "Well, you won¡¯t find any demons in the Lower Heavens, though, as they are usually too powerful to exist here." Madam Feng said a momentter.

    "Let¡¯s move onto the next item. I have a feeling that you¡¯ll really like it."

    After snapping her fingers, the second disy case revealed itself.

    "This is... a sword?" Yuan looked at the beautiful yet fierce-looking sword in the long disy case with admiration, and his hands quickly became itchy, as he had this strong urge to hold the sword.

    "This is not your ordinary treasure¡ª it¡¯s a Soul Weapon," Madam Feng said with a smile on her face. "And it¡¯s called the Empyrean Overlord."

    "A Soul Weapon?" Yuan became even more interested after hearing that.

    "Hm? Don¡¯t you also have a Soul Weapon, brother?" Yu Rou suddenly recalled.

    "Eh?" Madam Feng looked at Yuan with wide eyes filled with surprise.

    "Y-You also have a Soul Weapon? If you don¡¯t mind, can I see it?" she asked him a momentter in a trembling voice.

    "Sure." Yuan nodded and retrieved the Starry Abyss the next second.

    "Amazing! This is my first time encountering another individual with a Soul Weapon!" Madam Feng eximed, and she continued, "If you don¡¯t mind me asking, where did you obtain this beauty?"

    "It was given to me by some people I helped," he said in a calm voice.

    "I-It was given to you...?" Madam Feng mumbled in a trembling voice with a dazed expression on her beautiful face, wondering what kind of person would give away a Soul Weapon just because they had been helped by him?

    "What about you? Where did you obtain this sword?" Yuan then asked her.

    "I found this baby inside the Legacy Tomb of some powerful Cultivator five hundred years ago," Madam Feng said with a nostalgic feeling around her.

    "Legacy Tomb? What¡¯s that?" Yuan tilted his head.

    "They are essentially a Cultivator¡¯s graveyard, Brother Yuan. When a powerful Cultivator is near death but they want to pass down their legacy, they will create these areas to challenge those who wish to attain their legacy, and whoever passes the challenges will obtain all of that Cultivator¡¯s wealth," Xiao Hua exined to him.

    "I¡¯m more interested in how long ago you found it... 500 years? Do Cultivators really live that long?" Yu Rou said to Madam Feng with a dazed look on her face, as she cannot even imagine living past 150, much less 500.

    Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    "Yes, most Cultivators at the Spirit Grandmaster realm can live up to 1,000 years," Madam Feng said to her.

    "1,000 years? Then what about a Spirit King?" Yu Rou asked as she turned to look at Xiao Hua.

    "..." Xiao Hua¡¯s eyebrows immediately twitched, as she understood Yu Rou¡¯s intent on asking such a question.

    "I¡¯m not really sure, but they should have a longevity of at least 10,000 years..." Madam Feng answered with an innocent face.

    "10,000 years?!" Yu Rou¡¯s jaw dropped, and her curiosity regarding Xiao Hua¡¯s age intensified.

    "Anyway, even though I managed to obtain this Soul Weapon, I cannot use it, as it won¡¯t recognize me as its owner no matter what I did." Madam Feng sighed afterward.

    "It won¡¯t recognize you...?" Yuan mumbled with a profound expression on his face.

    When Xiao Hua saw this, she turned to look at Madam Feng before asking her, "Since the Soul Weapon is on disy in this store, you are willing to sell it, right?"

    Hearing her question, Madam Feng immediately nodded, "T-That¡¯s correct! Though, I am mostly looking to trade it for something of simr value... if you don¡¯t mind..."

    Madam Feng spoke in a reserved voice, as her fear for Xiao Hua still lingered within her heart.

    Meanwhile, Yuan stared at Xiao Hua whose intentions were clear as day with a surprised face, clearly speechless.

 Chapter 88 Trading for the Soul Weapon

    "Xiao Hua... don¡¯t tell me you are going to..." Yuan looked at her with his eyes wide open.

    Xiao Hua nodded and said, "Brother Yuan looked like he wanted to hold the sword, and Xiao Hua believes that she should invest in Brother Yuan¡¯s future, as there¡¯s no doubt that he¡¯ll be a great figure in the future."

    "While it¡¯s true that I wanted to try holding the sword, it is an exaggeration to say that I want it..." Yuan said with a perplexed expression on his face.

    However, Yu Rou said with a smile on her face, "There¡¯s no need to be humble, brother. You may be able to fool others but you cannot fool me. I know you want that sword, and as Xiao Hua said, you are worth the investment."

    "Yu Rou... you..." Yuan shook his head at his little sister who¡¯d betrayed him. The only reason why he refused the Soul Weapon was because he feared the enormous price that Xiao Hua might have to pay in order to obtain it for him.

    "Anyway, what do you want in exchange for the Soul Weapon? Are you looking for something in particr?" Xiao Hua returned to Madam Feng.

    "Honestly, I have been hoping to exchange the Empyrean Overlord for another Soul Weapon¡ª one that I can use. However, I have had the Empyrean Overlord for over 500 years now, and there have been countless individuals interested in it, but s, I have not met another individual with a Soul Weapon until today, and I doubt you would be willing to part with your current Soul Weapon." Madam Feng sighed.

    "Weapons, huh? Although Xiao Hua does not have any Soul Weapon, she has plenty of treasures..." Xiao Hua then opened her spatial ring and began pulling out weapons one after another until the floor was littered with at least a dozen weapons, each emitting its own powerful aura.

    "..."

    Not just Madam Feng, but even Yu Rou and Yuan were staring at Xiao Hua with gawking expressions on their faces. Just how many treasures does she have?

    "T-These are all..." Madam Feng¡¯s body trembled in excitement after feeling the aurasing from these treasures.

    "They are all peak-quality Divine-grade treasures. Pick as many as you want for the Soul Weapon," Xiao Hua said with a calm expression on her face. Since she¡¯d already nned on giving these weapons to Yuan in the future, it wouldn¡¯t make a difference if she traded them for another weapon that he¡¯ll be using.

    "D-Divine-grade treasures..." Yu Rou¡¯s mouth salivated from the sight of so many endgame treasures.

    A single one of these treasures would shake the entire world and its entire yerbase, yet there were over a dozen of themying before her on the floor. If she¡¯d posted this on the forums online, nobody would believe her even if they were beaten to death.

    After a long moment of silence, Xiao Hua spoke, "You¡¯re not satisfied? If you cannot pick, Xiao Hua will exchange all of them for the Soul Weapon¡ª"

    "W-Wait a moment, Senior..." Madam Feng suddenly said in a trembling voice, "I-I am just speechless. A single one of these treasures could easily fetch over 500 million gold coins... And you¡¯re willing to exchange a dozen of them for the Soul Weapon...? That¡¯ll make me look like I am trying to take advantage of you!"

    "Then what do you want for the Soul Weapon?" Xiao Hua asked her again, seemingly annoyed that she cannot make up her mind.

    "Then if you don¡¯t mind, I will take these three Divine-grade treasures..." Madam Feng picked three of the Divine-grade weapons off the floor and showed them to Xiao Hua.

    "Okay." Xiao Hua nodded her head without hesitation, as she wouldn¡¯t have minded even if Madam Feng wanted all of them since Soul Weapons are truly priceless.

    Once Madam Feng epted the Divine-grade weapons, Xiao Hua returned the rest into her spatial ring.

    Meanwhile, Madam Feng retrieved the Empyrean Overlord from the disy case and handed it to Yuan. "Thank you for doing business with Phoenix Heaven, esteemed guests."

    "This is the Empyrean Overlord..." Yuan held the massive sword that was nearly his height with both of his hands, barely keeping it from falling due to its immense weight.

    "T-This is much heavier than I¡¯d expected..." Yuan eximed afterward.

    "Well, it weighs over 1,000 jins, not to mention the Soul Weapon hasn¡¯t recognized you as its master yet. If you can control it, it should be as light as a feather." Madam Feng said.

    And then she continued, "Oh, I forgot to ask you this, but have you been acknowledged by your other Soul Weapon?"

    "Eh? Does that matter?" Yuan asked her.

    "Un," she nodded and continued, "Most people can only contract one Soul Weapon at a time unless they have a strong soul. However, even if one has the capability to control two Soul Weapons at once, there¡¯s a high chance that the Soul Weapons would reject each other, as most Soul Weapons do not like sharing their resources."

    "Sharing their resources?" Yuan raised an eyebrow.

    For more, visit light/novelpub[.

    "Soul Weapons grow with their owners, but if you have two Soul Weapons, it¡¯s only logical that they will have to share that experience, slowing down their growth by half." Madam Feng exined to him.

    "I had no idea it would be like that... and yes, I am already contracted with the Starry Abyss," Yuan said to her. "It would suck if I am unable to contract it because of the Starry Abyss since I like them both equally."

    "Well... there¡¯s no harm in trying. If it doesn¡¯t work out, I don¡¯t mind giving you a refund," Madam Feng said.

    "Don¡¯t worry, Brother Yuan. With your talents, you¡¯ll have no trouble controlling two Soul Weapons at once!" Xiao Hua said to him.

    "That¡¯s right, brother. Don¡¯t underestimate yourself." Yu Rou patted his back for encouragement.

    Yuan nodded andid the sword on the floor. He then poked a hole in his finger with the Starry Abyss before squeezing a drop of his blood onto the sword.

    The moment his blood touched the Empyrean Overlord, it immediately began trembling. However, it was not just the Empyrean Overlord that had a reaction to Yuan¡¯s blood, as Madam Feng suddenly felt a shiver going down her spine.

    ¡¯This smell is...?¡¯ Madam Feng unconsciously raised her eyebrows after smelling an indescribable fragrance that had suddenly appeared in the room and instantly attracted her attention.

    Meanwhile, the Empyrean Overlord on the floor suddenly began levitating off the floor.

    Visit lightnovel/p//ub[.] for a better experience

    "Oh?" Yuan became excited after seeing the Empyrean Overlord reacting the same way the Starry Abyss had when he contracted it.

    The Starry Abyss in his grasp also suddenly began trembling, almost as though it was trying tomunicate with the Empyrean Overlord.

    After an entire minute had passed with both Soul Weapons trembling nonstop, they suddenly stopped moving.

    Another momentter¡ª

    ?Congrattions! The Empyrean Overlord has recognized you as its owner!?

    ?Empyrean Overlord?

    ?Level: 0?

    ?Rank: Soul Weapon?

    ?Growth Rate: Very Slow?

    Visit //[. for a better experience

    ?Requirement: ????

    ?Description: A mythical sword once wielded by the Sword Emperor. It can be as light as a feather or as heavy as a star?

    "It worked! The contract worked! It recognized me as its Master!" Yuan shouted in excitement after seeing the notification.

    "Congrattions, Brother Yuan." Xiao Hua said to him without much surprise on her face.

    "See? There¡¯s nothing you cannot do, brother." Yu Rou said with a smile on her face.

    However, as they were celebrating, Madam Feng suddenly moved and approached Yuan.

    "What¡¯s wrong, Madam Feng?" Yuan asked her when she got extremely close to him.

    "I¡¯m sorry, but I cannot control myself right now..." Madam Feng spoke as she suddenly grabbed Yuan¡¯s hand that was still bleeding slightly and lifted it towards her own face.

    "Aaaah..."

    Madam Feng took a deep breath with an ted expression on her face before she opened her mouth and shoved Yuan¡¯s bleeding finger into her own mouth, shocking everybody there.

    "M-Madam Feng?!" Yuan eximed, yet he couldn¡¯t remove his arm when he tried, as he was being tightly held by a Spirit Grandmaster, and he could feel Madam Feng sucking on his finger¡ª or more precisely, his blood.

    "W-What are you doing to my brother?!" Yu Rou also cried out loud, her eyes wide with shock.

    However, almost as though she was in a trance, Madam Feng ignored everything around her and continued sucking on Yuan¡¯s finger with an enchanted expression on her face, looking like she was charmed by the taste of his blood.

    "Get away from Brother Yuan!" Xiao Hua waved her sleeves with a frown on her small and round face, forcing Madam Feng off the terrified Yuan.

    "Thank god my finger is still here!" Yuan sighed in relief after seeing that his finger, albeit wet with Madam Feng¡¯s saliva, was still intact.

    After a long moment of awkward silence, Madam Feng finally snapped out of her daze, and when she realized what she¡¯d just done, she immediately kowtowed on the floor with her face flushed with redness, "I-I-I am so sorry! I don¡¯t know what happened to me just now! Something about your blood had attracted me, and I unconsciously...! I swear I didn¡¯t do it on purpose!"

    "My blood...?" Yuan looked at her wet finger with raised eyebrows. Why would his blood attract her? Unless Madam Feng turned out to be a vampire, there was no logical exnation behind her actions just now.

    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.

    "Please! Believe me! I really don¡¯t know what happened just now!" Madam Feng continued to beg for forgiveness.

    "It¡¯s fine... I was just a little surprised, that¡¯s all..." Yuan said with a smile on his face.

 Chapter 89 Phoenix Blood

    "Are you really okay, Brother Yuan?" Xiao Hua asked him in a worried voice.

    "Yes, I am not hurt. She was just sucking my blood, that¡¯s all," Yuan nodded.

    "Sucking your blood?" Yu Rou raised her eyebrows and looked at Madam Feng, who remained kneeling there with a guilty expression on her face.

    "Anyway, let¡¯s forget about this and continue with the tour¡ª there¡¯s still one item left, and I would very much like to see it," Yuan said a momentter.

    "Right away, esteemed guest!" Madam Feng quickly stood up and snapped her fingers, causing the third andst disy case to reveal the treasure inside.

    Once the third treasure was revealed, both Yu Rou and Yuan raised their eyebrows.

    "This is... a jade slip?" Yuan ced his head in front of the disy case and narrowed his eyes, making sure he wasn¡¯t seeing things.

    "This object has this indescribable feeling to it..." Yu Rou also looked at it with curiosity. "What is this thing?"

    "The jade slip is just a container. The real treasure is inside, and inside the jade slip is a single drop of blood." Madam Feng responded.

    "Blood?" They looked at her with raised eyebrows.

    "Of course, it is not just any ordinary blood, as it once belonged to a legendary divine beast¡ª the Vermilion Phoenix." Madam Feng spoke with a smile on her face.

    "Vermilion Phoenix? So there is phoenix blood inside that jade slip?" Even Xiao Hua became interested after learning of its origins, as phoenixes are extremely rare divine beasts.

    "That¡¯s right, and this is authentic phoenix blood." Madam Feng nodded.

    "How can you tell it¡¯s real phoenix blood?" Yuan asked. "Is there some way to test it?"

    "There is, but that requires one to consume the blood and test its effects, which is aplete waste since there¡¯s only a single drop. However, we know this is real phoenix blood without needing to test it because it was given to us by the Vermilion Phoenix herself." Madam Feng said to them.

    "What? You have met the phoenix?" Yuan looked at her with wide eyes.

    "No, I haven¡¯t. The phoenix blood had been passed down many generations, and it was my ancestors that obtained the phoenix blood from the Vermilion Phoenix." Madam Feng shook her head.

    "Is that so? Then does this phoenix blood actually do anything besides being extremely rare?" Yu Rou asked her.

    "Of course," Madam Feng quickly nodded. "Phoenix blood is a miracle treasure with many effects. A single drop can bring a half-dead man back to life! It can also heal any illness and injuries, and it could even regrow your limbs. Furthermore, if you consume phoenix blood, your longevity will increase significantly! Depending on the quality of the blood and the strength of the phoenix it came from, it can grant even a mortal over 10,000 years of longevity without needing to cultivate!"

    ¡¯Heal any illness or injuries...?¡¯ A profound expression appeared on Yuan¡¯s face when he heard that, and an idea immediately appeared in his mind.

    ¡¯If the Translucent Dew of wlessness affected my body in real life, maybe this phoenix blood could also heal my illness? Even if it¡¯s only a possibility, I must obtain this phoenix blood at all cost!¡¯

    "Umm... What do you want in exchange for the phoenix blood?" Yuan decided to ask her.

    "You want this phoenix blood?" Madam Feng looked at him with a surprised face, as did Yu Rou and Xiao Hua. Why does he want the phoenix blood?

    "Yes..." Yuan nodded.

    "Hmm... I don¡¯t really know... I have had countless offers before, but none of them managed to attract me, and I don¡¯t have anything in mind for now." Madam Feng said.

    "How about the other Divine-grade treasures? Xiao Hua can give you all of them for the phoenix blood." Xiao Hua suddenly chimed in.

    Since this is her first time seeing such intense desire from Yuan¡¯s eyes, she wanted to do her best to assist him.

    "I¡¯m sorry, Senior, but I would prefer something else..." Madam Feng apologized to her.

    "If you don¡¯t say what you want then how are we supposed to know what to trade?" Yu Rou asked with a slight frown on her face.

    "Well... Although I have never really thought about what I wanted in exchange for the phoenix¡¯s blood, I think I have something in mind now..." Madam Feng spoke in a nervous tone, and she turned to look at Yuan afterward.

    "Huh?" Yuan raised his eyebrows after noticing her gaze, but he soon realized what she wanted from him.

    "You... want my blood?" he asked her.

    "..." Madam Feng did not immediately respond and remained silent for a long moment before nodding her head in an embarrassed manner.

    "Okay, how much do you want?" Yuan immediately agreed. "As long as it doesn¡¯t kill me, I¡¯ll give you however much blood you want."

    "R-Really?" Madam Feng¡¯s eyes flickered with excitement.

    "B-Brother... are you really going to...?" Yu Rou looked at him with disbelief. Although it may appear quite the bargain to obtain real phoenix blood by exchanging his own blood, this entire situation appeared extremely suspicious, as it was simply too good to be true.

    "Yes, it¡¯s fine. It¡¯s only my blood. It¡¯ll return sooner orter," Yuan nodded.

    For more, visit lightno/velpub[/.

    He then looked at Madam Feng and continued, "How do you want to draw my blood?"

    "Uh... I was just thinking about drinking it straight from your body..." she said.

    "Drinking it straight from my body?" Yuan trembled in fright after hearing her words.

    ¡¯This is for the phoenix blood! I must endure it!¡¯ Yuan cried inwardly before nodding.

    "Go ahead." He lifted his arm, showing her his pale and smooth arms.

    Seeing this, Madam Feng unconsciously licked her luscious red lips.

    "..."

    Yuan trembled even more after seeing this. Thinking to himself that Madam Feng being a vampire was bing more and more likely.

    "If you do anything suspicious to Brother Yuan, Xiao Hua will not hold back this time like previously," Xiao Hua suddenly warned her with narrowed eyes.

    "I-I wouldn¡¯t dare, Senior..." Madam Feng said with a fearful expression.

    "Why don¡¯t we go somewhere morefortable?" Madam Feng then suggested to Yuan.

    After Yuan nodded, Madam Feng said, "Follow me."

    Sometimeter, they entered this room that was behind some curtains on the 6th floor, and it was clearly Madam Feng¡¯s personal room, as the room was filled with furniture and even arge bed.

    "Please take a seat on the bed," Madam Feng pointed at therge red bed.

    "Okay." Yuan nodded and sat on the bed without hesitation.

    Madam Feng then sat beside him with Yu Rou and Xiao Hua standing a few meters away.

    "Whenever you¡¯re ready," Madam Feng said to him in a gentle voice.

    Yuan nodded before using the Starry Abyss to cut a small opening on the lower area of his palm, and blood immediately began flowing out.

    Madam Feng quickly grabbed his hand and kissed his wound with her soft lips, not letting even a single drop of his blood go to waste.

    "Mmm..."

    Erotic noises came from Madam Feng as she savored Yuan¡¯s blood that was iprehensibly delicious for some reason, and just a single drop of it made Madam Fengpletely addicted to it.

    Meanwhile, Yuan tried his best to keep a poker expression on his face, but the feeling of Madam Feng¡¯s soft lips was simply too stimting, especially her tongue that was gently licking his wound, almost like a dog.

    "Why do you think she likes my brother¡¯s blood so much? Is she actually a vampire disguised as a human?" Yu Rou whispered to Xiao Hua as they watched.

    Xiao Hua shook her head and said, "No, she¡¯s not a vampire. As for why she¡¯s consuming Brother Yuan¡¯s blood... Xiao Hua can think of a few."

    "Brother Yuan¡¯s blood may be special¡ª perhaps he has a unique bloodline that has the effect of making people addicted to it."

    "Huh? Is that even possible?" Yu Rou looked at her with wide eyes.

    Xiao Hua nodded and said, "There are many unique bloodlines in this world, and some of them have powerful and iprehensible effects, such as having blood that can increase magical beasts cultivation or blood that can strengthen even treasures."

    "Wow..." Yu Rou expressed her awe after hearing what bloodlines could do.

    "But if my brother¡¯s blood can affect humans, why aren¡¯t we affected by it?" Yu Rou then asked.

    N?velDrama.Org content.

    "Perhaps it only affects some people, like how some medicines work better on some than others," Xiao Hua said.

    "That makes sense..." Yu Rou nodded.

    Many minutester, Yuan was beginning to feel lightheaded, so he tapped Madam Feng¡¯s shoulders and said, "I think I am at my limit... If I lose any more blood, I¡¯ll probably die from blood loss..."

    "Aaaahhh~!"

    Madam Feng removed her lips from his wound a few secondster, even releasing a loud and satisfied sigh, sounding as though she¡¯d just drank something delicious.

    "Thank you, esteemed guest... I don¡¯t know why I crave for your blood, but I am now satisfied." Madam Feng said to him.

    "..."

    However, Yuan did not respond.

    "Esteemed guest?" Madam Feng noticed that Yuan was staring at her with wide eyes, so she called him again.

    "Your eyes... they changed colors..." Yuan said to her, whose brown eyes had suddenly turned golden after drinking his blood.

    "Eh?"

    Madam Feng immediately rushed to look for a mirror after hearing Yuan¡¯s words, almost like she was in a panic.

    "It¡¯s gold... It¡¯s really golden!" Madam Feng suddenly eximed in an excited voice, dumbfounding the people in the room. "Hahaha! It has returned! My powers have returned!"

    "Powers...?" Yuan raised his eyebrows in a puzzled manner, wondering what she was talking about.

 Chapter 90 Vermilion Phoenix

    "It¡¯s a miracle! My powers are starting to return! Hahaha!" Madam Feng danced around like an excited little girl after seeing her golden eyes in the mirror.

    Meanwhile, Yuan and the other two girls were staring at her with a dazed look on their faces.

    What was she so excited about? What did she mean by ¡¯her powers are back¡¯ when she¡¯s already at the Spirit Grandmaster realm?

    "Umm... are you okay?" Yuan suddenly asked her.

    "Hm?" Madam Feng immediately turned to look at Yuan, but her gaze towards him had changed significantlypared to previously, almost like she was seeing him in a new light!

    She turned around and walked to him very quickly before stopping a meter away and lowering her body until both her knees were on the floor, and she proceeded to press her forehead onto the floor made of marble, kowtowing to Yuan.

    "Esteemed guest... No, Young Master... Thank you very much for restoring my powers even if it¡¯s only slightly!" Madam Feng said to him.

    "I... I don¡¯t really understand," Yuan said while scratching his head.

    Madam Feng then said, "To tell you the truth, I am not exactly human. In fact, I am a Divine Beast¡ª the Vermilion Phoenix."

    "You¡¯re a phoenix?!" Yuan eximed in a shocked voice.

    "No way..." Even Yu Rou and Xiao Hua were startled by this reveal by Madam Feng.

    "Yes, however, due to some circumstances, my bloodline was cursed, and my powers have been sealed and I am forced to live my life as a human. I have been living such a life for over 10,000 years now." Madam Feng continued to reveal even more secrets about herself that she¡¯d kept a secret for over 10,000 years.

    "10,000 years!" Yuan cannot imagine living for so long and was greatly shocked to hear that Madam Feng had this much experience.

    "So your powers have returned, huh? That¡¯s great to hear," Yuan said with a smile.

    "Yes... But it¡¯s only a small amount, and I can still feel the curse restricting my body." Madam Feng sighed.

    And then she lifted her head to look at Yuan with a hopeful gaze and continued, "However, Young Master... I believe your blood can help me remove this curse and allow me to be free once again."

    "My blood?" Yuan raised his eyebrows in a surprised manner.

    "Yes. For some reason, I am attracted to your blood, and after drinking it, my curse weakened, so I can only assume that your blood has the ability to remove my curse." Madam Feng said.

    "Therefore, I plead the Young Master for help! Please help get rid of this curse that has trapped me in this Lower Heavens for 10,000 years! I will do anything in return!"

    After a moment of silence, Yuan spoke in a calm voice, "If my blood can really help you remove your curse, I would dly help by giving you as much blood as you need. However, it requires time for my blood to recover, and I don¡¯t have the time to wait around, not to mention who knows how much blood you will need to fully remove that curse."

    "That¡¯s right. Brother Yuan will soon climb the Stairway to Heaven until he reaches the peak. He doesn¡¯t have the time to linger in this small ce," Xiao Hua also chimed in.

    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.

    "Stairway to Heaven...?" Madam Feng looked at him with surprise, and she became silent.

    "Are you okay?" Yuan asked her after she remained silent for a minute.

    After blinking her eyes in a dazed manner a few times, Madam Feng suddenly said to Yuan, "Young Master... if you cannot stay here, then I will follow you until I am free of my curse! Of course, I won¡¯t selfishly request your help free of charge! Everything in this store¡ª including myself¡ª I shall bestow to the Young Master! As long as you let me follow you and consume your blood asionally, you can do whatever you want with these treasures or my body!"

    "Everything in this store?" Yuan looked at her with a gawking expression. He cannot imagine obtaining so many expensive treasures at once, and all he needed to do was share some of his blood.

    "I won¡¯t ask you to give your treasures since I don¡¯t need so many treasures that I cannot use, and I don¡¯t want to feel greedy¡ª like I¡¯d taken advantage of you, who is currently in a bind because of a curse. I am satisfied with just the Phoenix Blood," Yuan said with a gentle smile on his face.

    "..."

    Seeing Yuan¡¯s blinding smile, Madam Feng narrowed her eyes before bowing to him again. "Thank you, Young Master!"

    Madam Feng then said, "Young Master, may I have some of your blood again? Just a single drop will do."

    Yuan nodded and extended his arm.

    Madam Feng lifted her head and licked the wound on Yuan¡¯s palm.

    A secondter, the wound immediately disappeared, and a few more secondster, a notification appeared before Yuan.

    ?Vermilion Phoenix has initiated a temporary servant contract with you!?

    "Young Master, this one¡¯s full name is Feng Yuxiang or Feng Feng for short. Until my curse is lifted, I shall swear my allegiance to the Young Master and heed your everymand without anyints, and the Young Master can use my body as he pleases. Will the Young Master allow me to stay by your side?"

    "Yes, I don¡¯t mind." Yuan nodded. It would benefit him to have another powerful ally by his side, anyway.

    ?You have epted Vermilion Phoenix as your Servant!?

    Name: Feng Yuxiang

    Servant Grade: Divine

    Master: Yuan

    Cultivation: Ninth Level Spirit Grandmaster

    Legacy: None

    Bloodline: Ancient Phoenix Bloodline

    Physique: Inextinguishable Immortal Fire

    ¡ª

    ?Phoenix Fire?

    ?Rank: Heaven?

    ?Mastery Level: 5?

    ¡ª

    ?Superior Sense?

    ?Rank: Heaven?

    ¡ª

    ?Qi Manifestation?

    ?Rank: Earth?

    ¡ª

    ?Fly?

    ?Rank: Earth?

    ¡ª

    ?Undying mes?

    ?Rank: Divine?

    ¡ª

    ?Fire Immunity?

    ?Rank: Divine

    ¡ª

    ?Cursed Bloodline?

    ?Rank: ????

    ?Congrattions! Because you have obtained a Divine Beast as your Servant, you have been awarded the unique title ¡¯Divine Beast Tamer¡¯!?

    After Yuan epted Feng Yuxiang as his servant, an announcement appeared in the sky for every yer to witness.

    ?Congrattions! yer Yuan has be the first yer to obtain a Divine Beast Servant!?

    The announcement immediately caused an uproar within themunity, creating a wildfire on the inte shortlyter.

    "Divine Beast...?" yer White Lotus mumbled to herself as she stared at the announcement in the sky with a dazed expression on her face, and she turned to look at her Two-tailed ck Cat. As the first yer to have obtained a Servant, she was naturally proud of herself. But after yer Yuan suddenly came out of the blue and obtained a Divine-grade Servant, her achievements were instantly overshadowed. Now that yer Yuan has obtained a Divine Beast, she might as well treat her achievement as though it¡¯d never happened.

    Meanwhile, back in Feng Yuxiang¡¯s room, Yu Rou and Xiao Hua were staring at Feng Yuxiang with a shocked expression on their faces.

    "Brother... just obtained a phoenix as his Servant?" Yu Rou mumbled in a low voice. Although she couldn¡¯t help but be slightly envious of Yuan, she was also proud of him for yet another incredible achievement that will without doubt shake the entire world.

    Xiao Hua, on the other hand, had an ufortable and indescribable feeling in her chest, almost like something important and special had been taken away from her.

    "Thank you, Young Master." Feng Yuxiang said as she suddenly stood up and kissed Yuan on the cheeks.

    "Ah!" Yu Rou shouted loudly after seeing this, her eyes wide with shock.

    Sometimeter, Yuan asked Feng Yuxiang, "I can call you Feng Feng, right? What are you going to do with this ce if you are going to follow me?"

    "Yes, the Young Master can address me as he pleases. As for the Phoenix Heaven, since I don¡¯t have anyone I trust enough to entrust them this ce, I will simply close the store down since I won¡¯t have the time to manage it anymore," she responded.

    "I see..." Yuan nodded, and he continued a momentter, "By the way... the Phoenix Blood..."

    "Here is the Phoenix Blood, Young Master." Feng Yuxiang then handed him the jade slip that contained the Phoenix Blood.

    "Oh yeah... since you are actually the Vermilion Phoenix, does this mean this blood is yours?" Yuan suddenly asked her.

    "That¡¯s right, Young Master," Feng Yuxiang nodded, and she continued, "However, the blood within that jade slip was extracted from my body before I was cursed, so you can also say it¡¯s no longer my blood."

    "How does the curse work, exactly?" Yuan then asked her.

    "Well, it seals my cultivation base and suppresses it, not allowing me to ascend to the next realm no matter how much I cultivate, hence why I have been stuck in the Spirit Grandmaster realm for over 10,000 years now."

    "Furthermore, it puts a restriction on my bloodline, forcing me to remain in my human form, and I cannot transform back into my phoenix form until the curse weakens enough."

    "Does this mean you are actually much stronger than your current self?" Yuan continued to ask.

    "That¡¯s right, Young Master. My real cultivation base is actually much higher because I was born in the higher realms. I am only stuck in this ce now because if I would not survive in the higher realms with my current strength." Feng Yuxiang nodded.

    "However, my powers should return as the curse weakens. So while I cannot assist the Young Master much in my current state, once my curse weakens and my powers slowly return, I will be of more use to the Young Master in the future," she said.

 Chapter 91 Unknown Bloodline

    "If you don¡¯t mind me asking, how did you even get the curse in the first ce?" Yuan suddenly asked Feng Yuxiang.

    Hearing his question and recalling her history, Feng Yuxiang sighed in a depressed manner before speaking, "This is going to sound silly, but we phoenixes are born with extreme pride, but that pride sometimes turn into arrogance, and being the young phoenix I was back then, I¡¯d identally offended someone I wasn¡¯t supposed to, so that person cursed my bloodline, sealing my powers..."

    Yuan stared at her with a dumbfounded expression. She had her powers sealed and her bloodline cursed just because she offended someone? Just what kind of person did she offend? And how powerful must this person be to curse a phoenix¡¯s bloodline?

    "At least you¡¯re being honest," Yu Rou suddenly approached them and said.

    "By the way, what are you going to do with that Phoenix¡¯s Blood, brother?" she then asked him.

    "I¡¯m going to consume it, of course," he said.

    "Eh? Why would Brother Yuan...?" Xiao Hua also approached them and looked at Yuan with a puzzled face. "Are you injured or sick somewhere, Brother Yuan?"

    "N-No, not really," Yuan quickly shook his head.

    "Then why do you need the Phoenix¡¯s Blood, Brother Yuan?" Xiao Hua tilted her head in a puzzled manner. "If you are not injured then it¡¯s about increasing your longevity... However, Brother Yuan is still very young and nowhere near his limit. He doesn¡¯t need to use such a treasure to increase his longevity."

    In Xiao Hua¡¯s view, only Cultivators who have reached the end of their longevity and also the limit of their growth would require obtaining longevity from treasures, as that is the only way they can continue living.

    For more, visit [.

    "Well... It¡¯s kind ofplicated..." Yuan said with an awkward smile on his face. It was not as though he could tell them that he wanted to see whether the Phoenix¡¯s Blood could heal his body in the real world, as that would make him sound crazy.

    "By the way, Young Master, I have been wondering, what kind of bloodline do you have? If your blood can weaken that person¡¯s curse, you muste from a powerful family that is even more powerful than that person, right?" Feng Yuxiang suddenly asked him.

    "Bloodline...? But I don¡¯t have any unique bloodline," Yuan said¡ª at least that¡¯s what his status says.

    Yuan then opened his status to in case.

    ?Bloodline: None?

    Indeed, he did not have any bloodline ording to the system.

    "That¡¯s impossible, Young Master, for you to not have a powerful bloodline. Normal blood would not attract a Divine Beast such as myself, much less weaken the curse from a powerful Cultivator in the upper heavens," Feng Yuxiang said to him with a puzzled face.

    "I don¡¯t know what else to say since I really don¡¯t have any special bloodline and I am not from some powerful family," Yuan said.

    Feng Yuxiang became silent with a pondering expression on her face. A few momentster, she spoke, "Although I didn¡¯t mention this before, my phoenix blood also has the ability to awaken bloodlines. In fact, all Divine Beasts have such ability. If you drink my blood, perhaps you will learn more about your bloodline. After all, not everyone is born with their bloodline awakened. Some must fulfill requirements or require assistance from treasures in order to awaken their bloodlines."

    "Really?" Yuan raised his eyebrows. Perhaps that¡¯s why the system cannot recognize his bloodline, as it has yet to awaken.

    "Anyway, we¡¯ll know whether I have a bloodline or not after I consume the phoenix blood. I just have to break the jade slip, right?" Yuan asked Feng Yuxiang.

    "Allow me to help you, Young Master."

    Yuan nodded and handed her the jade slip.

    Feng Yuxiang then ced the jade slip above Yuan¡¯s head and said, "Open your mouth, Young Master."

    Yuan lifted his head and opened his mouth.

    Feng Yuxiang then snapped the jade slip in half, and a single drop of golden blood escaped from the jade slip, falling directly into Yuan¡¯s throat.

    A few secondster¡ª

    ?You have consumed a drop of Vermilion Phoenix Blood?

    ?You have gained 50,000 years of longevity from consuming Vermilion Phoenix Blood?

    ?All of your injuries and illness has been cured?

    ?The Vermilion Phoenix Blood is reacting to your Bloodline?

    ?Attempting to awaken Bloodline?

    ?...?

    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.

    ?...?

    ?...?

    ?Failed?

    ?Attempting to awaken Bloodline again?

    ?...?

    ?...?

    ?...?

    ?Failed?

    ?Final attempt to awaken Bloodline?

    ?...?

    ?...?

    ?...?

    ?Failed?

    ?Vermilion Phoenix Blood is too weak to awaken your Bloodline?

    ?Heaven Refining Physique activated?

    ?Vermilion Phoenix Blood has been refined?

    ?You have obtained the skill ¡¯Superior Regeneration¡¯ from refining Vermilion Phoenix Blood?

    ?Superior Regeneration?

    ?Rank: Heaven?

    ?Description: Greatly improves all of your regeneration abilities.?

    "Uhh..." Yuan looked at Feng Yuxiang afterward and said, "I think the Vermilion Phoenix Blood is too weak to awaken my Bloodline."

    "What?! My blood is too weak?!" Feng Yuxiang eximed in a shocked voice.

    "That¡¯s outrageous! My blood has the capabilities to awaken all Bloodlines below the Divine-grade!"

    However, Feng Yuxiang suddenly turned silent, and she continued a momentter, "Actually, that would make sense since your blood was able to weaken that person¡¯s curse, so it¡¯s not too far-fetched to say your Bloodline is above the Divine-grade..."

    Feng Yuxiang looked at Yuan with a gaze of admiration and even a hint of fear within her eyes. People who are born with Bloodlines above the Divine-grade are too far and few in-between, and only extremely powerful families in the upper heavens have the capabilities to give birth to someone with such a powerful Bloodline. Just who is Yuan? What kind of powerful cultivation family is he from?

    "Brother Yuan has a Bloodline that¡¯s above Divine-grade?" Xiao Hua also looked at Yuan with wide eyes filled with shock. It has been a while since she felt this way¡ª probably not ever since she first witnessed Yuan consuming monster cores.

    While Feng Yuxiang and Xiao Hua stared at Yuan with dazed looks on their faces, Yu Rou spoke, "What are the grades for Bloodlines? Though, I can already imagine how powerful Divine-grade is just by its name..."

    "There are many grades for Bloodlines. The lowest grade would be Royal-grade, then Imperial-grade, and finally, Divine-grade. Of course, there are still much more powerful Bloodlines that are above the Divine-grade such as the Ancient-grade, but you only see people with that kind of Bloodline in the upper heavens, not a small ce such as the Lower Heavens," Feng Yuxiang exined.

    "And since my Vermilion Phoenix Blood could not awaken the Young Master¡¯s Bloodline, it means that his Bloodline is above the Divine-grade and too powerful for my blood to do anything."

    "Then what could possibly awaken my Bloodline?" Yuan asked her out of curiosity.

    "Well... There are plenty of Divine Beasts that can awaken Bloodlines above the Divine-grade, such as the Heavenly Dragon and the Star Tortoise, but you won¡¯t find any of them in the Lower Heavens, as they only live in the upper heavens." Feng Yuxiang said.

    "The upper heavens, huh," Yuan mumbled.

    "Are you sure you¡¯re not from some powerful cultivation family from the upper heavens, Young Master? After all, there¡¯s simply no way an ordinary Cultivator would have such a powerful Bloodline¡ª not even if they are the luckiest people in the world." Feng Yuxiang asked him again.

    "Yes, I am sure." Yuan nodded.

    "Hmm..." Feng Yuxiang narrowed her eyes at him. Of course, she didn¡¯t fully believe him. But since Yuan didn¡¯t want to tell her, she won¡¯t continue asking, as she was afraid that it might anger him.

    "Anyway, I still have to close down this store before I can leave this ce. Can you spare me a few hours, Young Master?" Feng Yuxiang asked him afterward.

    "Go ahead, we¡¯ll be here." Yuan nodded.

    "Thank you, Young Master! Then I¡¯ll try to get this over with as soon as possible!" Feng Yuxiang then left the room and began closing the store down.

    Meanwhile, Yuan said to Yu Rou, "Yu Rou, don¡¯t you have piano lessons to attend to today?"

    Yu Rou shook her head and said, "No, there are no lessons on Sundays. However, I still have to cook you breakfast, so I¡¯ll do that now."

    "Okay," Yuan nodded.

    After Yu Rou logged off to prepare breakfast, Xiao Hua suddenly spoke, "Brother Yuan, can we really trust that woman?"

    "Feng Feng? I think so," he nodded with a calm expression. "Why? Do you not trust her?"

    "Well... she has done some unfavorable things..." Xiao Hua said.

    "I guess her first impression isn¡¯t exactly the best. However, I can feel that she¡¯s not a bad person at heart, just like you, Xiao Hua." Yuan said with a smile on his face, causing her to blush.

    "Like Xiao Hua?" she mumbled.

    "That¡¯s right. It¡¯s hard to exin it, but I can somehow tell whether someone is a good person or a bad person just by their aura¡ª it¡¯s something that has been with me since I was young. While I haven¡¯t been around people for many years now, my ability still remains," Yuan said.

    After a moment of silence, Xiao Hua nodded and said, "Since Brother Yuan trusts that bird, Xiao Hua will also believe in her. As for Brother Yuan¡¯s Bloodline, Xiao Hua will think of something."

    "Thank you, Xiao Hua." Yuan said to her, and he continued, "Anyway, I will also log off for now. If Feng Feng returns before I do, just let her know that I will be backter."

    Xiao Hua nodded, and Yuan logged off the next second with his heart throbbing with excitement, as he was impatient to see whether the Vermilion Phoenix Blood had affected his body in the real world just like the Translucent Dew of wlessness had.

 Chapter 92 Breakthrough?

    After logging off Cultivation Online, Yuan immediately began trying to move his real body, hoping that the Vermilion Phoenix Blood had cured his illness and healed his crippled body.

    But s, he quickly realized that nothing had changed when he still couldn¡¯t move his limbs or see the world around him.

    However, he was not discouraged, and he began reciting the cultivation technique inside his head, silently praying that it would work.

    ¡¯Even if my body is still crippled, as long as I can cultivate...!¡¯

    With that thought in mind, Yuan proceeded to spend many minutes cultivating.

    "..."

    "..."

    "...Ouch!"

    The pain returned after a few moments of cultivation, but Yuan did not give up and tried again.

    "...Ouch!"

    And again.

    "..."

    "...Ouch!"

    And again.

    "...Ouch!"

    "Why?! Why hasn¡¯t anything changed?! My body is still useless and I cannot cultivate! Why didn¡¯t the Vermilion Phoenix Blood work like the Translucent Dew of wlessness?! Damn it!" Yuan gritted his teeth in frustration and cried out in a low but deeply sorrowful voice after realizing that he was still crippled and useless, feeling as though his hopes had shattered.

    However, right as tears flowed from his eyes, Yuan suddenly felt a warm feeling in his heart, almost as though there was a small me within his heart.

    This warm feeling gradually grew hotter and hotter, and it also began spreading throughout his body shortlyter.

    A few minutester, Yuan could feel his entire body burning feverishly, almost like he was inside an oven with its temperature turned up.

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    However, this burning sensation did not feel painful, nor was it unpleasant.

    ¡¯This is... Is this the effects of the Vermilion Phoenix Blood?¡¯ Yuan wondered to himself, feeling as though his body was engulfed in mes just like a burning phoenix.

    Although Yuan did not know this at the time, his damaged meridians were actually being restored by the Vermilion Phoenix Blood, hence the burning sensation all over his body.

    After sweating a bucket of sweat, the burning sensation in Yuan¡¯s body began to subdue, yet the gentle me within his heart lingered no matter how long had passed, almost like an undying me.

    Once everything calmed down, Yuan took a moment to clear his mind and began reciting the cultivation technique again.

    This time, Yuan could instantly recognize the difference, and the difference was as clear as day and night¡ª like breathing with a blocked nose and breathing normally.

    Furthermore, although there was still slight pain while he cultivates, it wasn¡¯t as painful as before and it waspletely endurable even for long periods at a time.

    And many minutester, Yuan suddenly felt a refreshing feeling spread throughout his body starting from the center of his body until it reached the end of his limbs, making him recall the first time he¡¯d be a Cultivator.

    ¡¯This feeling... Did I be a Cultivator?¡¯ Yuan wondered to himself as he was unsure. Without the system telling him, he had no proof or confirmation that he had sessfully be a Cultivator just now.

    For more, visit /lig/htnovel/pub[.

    However, one thing he was certain would be his condition¡ª even if he¡¯d somehow managed to be a Cultivator in the real world, his body still remained crippled. With that being said, it was not as though nothing about his body had changed.

    Although it was only slightly, his body had regained some sense of feeling, allowing him to feel the wet nket and his own sweat when he previously wouldn¡¯t have been able to feel a thing except for the weight of the nkets.

    "It worked! Hahaha! It really worked!" Yuan beganughing out loud at his sess.

    "What worked?" Yu Rou suddenly returned to the room with breakfast.

    "Oh... Nothing..." Yuan said. He was simply not ready to tell her just yet.

    ¡¯Just wait a little longer, Yu Rou... Once I can finally start moving again...¡¯ A mysterious smile appeared on Yuan¡¯s face.

    "Ah! Brother Tian! Why is your body soaked in sweat?!" Yu Rou immediately realized the wet nkets and eximed.

    "Eh? I guess it¡¯s a little hot in here..." Yuan said with a weird smile on his face.

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    Yu Rou immediately removed the wet nket from his body and tossed it on the floor.

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    "Let¡¯s quickly finish breakfast before you catch a cold..." Yu Rou said as she began feeding him soup for breakfast.

    A few minutester, Yu Rou called the servants to change the nkets and clean the bedsheets whilst she took Yuan to the bathroom to give him a quick shower.

    While being cleaned by Yu Rou, Yuan could faintly feel her hands rubbing his body, indicating that his senses were truly beginning to return.

    ¡¯Ahhh... How long has it been since Ist felt such sensations on my body?¡¯ Yuan sighed inwardly, feeling like he was on cloud nine.

    However, a weird and unfamiliar sensation appeared in his body when Yu Rou began cleaning the area below his waist, especially the area between his legs. Although he couldn¡¯t understand why, it felt unfathomably awkward, and he could feel a chill going down his spine.

    This weird sensation would continue to linger in his body for some time, as Yu Rou seemed to be especially focused on cleaning around that area.

    Sometimeter, he could feel the water rinsing his body.

    And then he felt a strong wind blowing on his body.

    By the time Yu Rou finished cleaning Yuan, the servants had long cleaned the bedsheets and nkets in Yu Rou¡¯s room, allowing them to sleep on it again.

    "I made sure the nkets this time are not as heavy so you don¡¯t sweat like that again," Yu Rou said to him before they entered the cultivation world again.

    "Hm? Looks like Feng Feng is still trying to close the store," Yuan said after not seeing her face in the room.

    While they waited for Feng Yuxiang to finish closing the store, Yuan asked Xiao Hua, "How can someone who just became a Cultivator tell that they have actually be one?"

    Although Xiao Hua was confused as to why he would ask such a basic question, Xiao Hua still answered him regardless, "When someone bes a Cultivator for the first time, they will be able to feel a burst of spiritual energy within their body."

    "It¡¯s that refreshing feeling, right?" Yuan asked.

    "That¡¯s right." Xiao Hua nodded.

    "What else?"

    "Well... They will be able to sense the spiritual energy in the air. If one cannot feel Spirit Qi, then it means they are not a Cultivator yet."

    ¡¯Ah! That¡¯s right! Feeling the spiritual energy in the air! How could I forget such a basic thing!¡¯ Yuan sighed inwardly. His excitement from cultivating sessfully had messed with his ability to think properly.

    After asking Xiao Hua a few more basic questions about Cultivators, Yuan sat on Feng Yuxiang¡¯s bed and cultivated while they waited for her to return.

    A little over two hourster, Feng Yuxiang returned to the room with her body slightly glistening from sweat.

    "I am sorry for making you wait so long for me, Young Master. I ran into some problems, but I have finally closed the store." Feng Yuxiang said to him.

    If not for some reluctant people begging her to stay in Phoenix City, she would¡¯vepleted her errands much quicker. Though, as one of the top figures and the owner of one of the most famous stores in Phoenix City, it was only a given that her sudden departure would shock a lot of people in the city, especially the powerful families and individuals.

    "Don¡¯t mind it." Yuan said, and then he continued, "By the way, I have another question regarding your Vermilion Phoenix Blood. Does it have any effects besides healing injuries, increasing longevity, and awakening Bloodlines?"

    "Hmm... Another effect, huh?" Feng Yuxiang immediately closed her eyes to ponder.

    After thinking for a good minute, she suddenly opened her eyes and said, "Oh. That¡¯s right. My blood can also heal one¡¯s meridians."

    ¡¯Restore meridians? Xiao Hua did mention something like that before. Perhaps that was the reason for my frustration. Now that her blood has restored my meridians, I can finally cultivate!¡¯

    After pondering for a moment, Yuan turned to look at Feng Yuxiang before approaching her with a wide smile on his face.

    For more, visit [.

    "Thank you, Feng Feng! Although you may not realize it, you have saved my life with your blood! In return, no matter how much blood you want from me or when you want it, I will dly give it to you!" Yuan suddenly opened his arms and hugged Feng Yuxiang¡¯s slender body tightly, his voice filled with joy.

    "Y-Young Master?!" Feng Yuxiang panicked when Yuan suddenly embraced her, as she could immediately feel Xiao Hua ring daggers at them. However, she also didn¡¯t dare to push Yuan away, as that could be regarded as being disrespectful! Furthermore, she has already told Yuan that he could do whatever he wanted to his body, and pushing him away would contradict her promise!

    Sometimeter, once Yuan expressed all of his excitement through the embrace, he released Feng Yuxiang, who appeared to be sweating even more than a minute ago.

    "Anyways, are you ready toe with us?" Yuan asked Feng Yuxiang afterward.

    Feng Yuxiang nodded and said, "No matter where the Young Master goes, this one shall follow."

    A secondter, Feng Yuxiang¡¯s body suddenly became engulfed in beautiful golden mes until her body could no longer be seen, and her figure began shrinking until it was a small ball of golden mes.

    While Yuan was dumbfounded, Feng Yuxiang¡ªnow a ball of golden mes¡ª flew directly at Yuan¡¯s chest where his heart was located, disappearing from the room and into his chest, and Yuan could feel a warm sensation in his heart afterward, almost like his heart was also engulfed in mes.

    ¡¯This sensation...¡¯ The warm and pleasant feeling in his heart was very familiar, and it quickly reminded him of a simr feeling that could be felt in his real body.

 Chapter 93 A Frenzied Crowd

    "Are you okay, Brother Yuan? Are you feeling any pain?" Xiao Hua asked him after Feng Yuxiang entered his body.

    Yuan patted his body and nodded a momentter, "Yes, everything¡¯s fine. I am not hurt, nor does it feel unpleasant."

    He then turned to look at Yu Rou and handed her all three Spirit Fruits and said, "Here¡¯s the Spirit Fruits. You¡¯ll need them to tame the beasts."

    However, Yu Rou only epted two of them and said, "You can keep thest one, brother. I just need an extra one for insurance."

    Although Yuan didn¡¯t really need the Spirit Fruit, he nodded regardless. If Yu Rou ever needed another one, he can offer it to her again at that time.

    After putting away the Spirit Fruit, Yuan said, "Then let¡¯s find you a Servant now."

    However, Yu Rou shook her head and said, "No, it¡¯s fine, brother. There are only a few hours left before I have to prepare for school again. I¡¯d rather spend this time just enjoying the game casually with you."

    "Hmm..." Yuan immediately began to ponder.

    A momentter, he spoke with a bright expression on his face, "I know! Why don¡¯t we go eat in some restaurant? I bet you still haven¡¯t experienced the amazing food in this world!"

    "Food, huh? I heard you can taste the food as though it was real," Yu Rou nodded with interest.

    "That¡¯s right. And they are incredibly tasty," Yuan said in an excited voice.

    "Okay, let¡¯s go." Yu Rou agreed a momentter.

    They left the room shortlyter and began walking downstairs. When they reached the fifth floor, they realized that all of the disy cases were empty and the treasures had been taken out. However, that was expected, as Feng Yuxiang had closed this store down.

    Once they reached the first floor, Yuan spoke out loud, "Feng Feng, what should we do about this ce?"

    A momentter, Feng Yuxiang¡¯s voice resounded in his mind, almost like she was living inside his head, "You can just leave it as it is, Young Master. The next manager will take care of everything."

    "I understand," Yuan nodded.

    "Is she talking to you from inside? Howe I can¡¯t hear her voice?" Yu Rou asked him with a fascinated gaze.

    "I am talking to the Young Master through Divine Sense," Feng Yuxiang¡¯s voice suddenly resounded in Yu Rou¡¯s head.

    "Wow! How amazing! Talking to people directly in their minds... that¡¯s just like telepathy!" Yu Rou eximed.

    A few momentster, they stepped outside the store. However, to Yuan¡¯s surprise, an entire crowd had gathered outside the store, feeling almost like there was a protest of some sort going on.

    "W-What is going on here? Why are there so many people here?" Yuan was startled by the gathering that surrounded the entire front store, blocking his view.

    Furthermore, all of these people had powerful auras or luxurious clothes around their bodies, indicating that they were all experts or from wealthy families.

    "Who are you? Where is Madam Feng?"

    The people outside immediately asked them after seeing them leave the store.

    "Uhhh..."

    Just as Yuan pondered how he should respond, Feng Yuxiang¡¯s voice resounded in his head, "Young Master, just tell them that I am currently sleeping in my room and that I do not wish to be disturbed for the time being if they want me to reconsider my decision."

    Yuan then repeated her words to the people outside despite not knowing the context, "Um... Madam Feng is currently sleeping in her room, but she doesn¡¯t want to be bothered by anyone, or else she will not reconsider her decision."

    The ce instantly turned silent when they listened to Yuan¡¯s words.

    "Let¡¯s calm down for now and let Madam Feng rest. I¡¯m afraid that if we continue to linger outside her store, she¡¯ll really leave the city..." One of them suddenly said.

    "Yes, you¡¯re right. The city will take a huge hit if Madam Feng or her store suddenly disappears. We cannot take this matter lightly."

    "Well, what do you suggest we do then? We cannot just let her leave like this!"

    "No idea, but do you think Madam Feng¡¯s sudden decision was due to that powerful spiritual energy not long ago? She announced her leave shortly afterward, after all. I would not be surprised if she¡¯d been forced to leave this city!"

    "What kind of nonsense are you talking about? Madam Feng is the strongest individual in this city who has been around for over 1,000 years! Who could possibly threaten her, much less force her to leave?"

    "Even if someone can threaten Madam Feng, what¡¯s there to fear? The entire Golden Phoenix Bazaar has her back! If someone dares to mess with one of us, they¡¯ll definitely regret it!"

    "Do not underestimate whoever released that pressure! I was here when it happened, and it nearly gave me a heart attack! That individual is extremely strong¡ª much stronger than Madam Feng and everyone here!"

    "I believe that the individual who threatened Madam Feng to leave is a Cultivator at the Spirit King level."

    "Spirit King? Why the hell would someone like that be here? Cultivators above the Spirit Grandmaster realm may stay in this world for at most 100 years after their breakthrough before they must leave this realm and ascend to a higher realm, or else they will risk being punished by the Heavens!"

    "Unless you are telling me that this person had managed to reach the Spirit King realm in 100 short years after breaking through Spirit Grandmaster!"

    "I am not lying to you! The pressure really felt that powerful!"

    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.

    While the people gathered outside the store argued with each other, Yuan took this chance to slip away from the Golden Phoenix Bazaar with Yu Rou and Xiao Hua following behind.

    "Man, that was chaotic. Just how popr are you, Feng Feng?" Yuan wiped the cold sweat from his forehead after managing to escape from that frenzied crowd.

    "I have been in this city ever since I came down here from the upper heavens, and due to my high cultivation, people quickly began looking up to me as some sort of guardian for the ce." Feng Yuxiang exined to him. "My reputation eventually peaked, and I am somewhat revered by the people in that city."

    After a moment of silence, she continued, "However, none of that matters now, as I have the Young Master. By the way, Young Master, I know you said that you don¡¯t want my treasures, but if you ever change your mind, just let me know. Although the treasures are valuable, it¡¯s nothingpared to the freedom you are giving me, Young Master."

    "Un." Yuan nodded.

    After leaving the Golden Phoenix Bazaar, Yuan asked Feng Yuxiang, "Do you know any good ce to eat, Feng Feng? Since you¡¯ve been here forever, you should know every building in this city, right?"

    "I¡¯m sorry, Young Master, but I rarely leave the Golden Phoenix Bazaar. However, there is this ce that I have heard numerous times from others throughout the years¡ª it¡¯s a restaurant called Phoenix¡¯s Nest."

    For more, visit [.

    "Phoenix¡¯s Nest? People really like using the name Phoenix in this city, huh." Yu Rou said.

    "Well, I kind of did save this city from a very powerful beast before when I still had some of my Phoenix powers left. The city used to be called something else before." Feng Yuxiang said.

    "Oh? You saved an entire city? Then you¡¯re just like my brother." Yu Rou smiled.

    Sometimeter, after asking around, Yuan and the others finally reached the restaurant named Phoenix¡¯s Nest.

    "How many will be dining today, esteemed guests?" The waiter by the door greeted them when they approached the restaurant¡¯s entrance.

    "Three," Yuan said.

    "Three, right? Please follow me."

    The waiter then brought them to a small table and said, "That is the menu. Just raise your hand when you¡¯re ready to order and someone will be with you."

    "Thank you," Yuan said as he grabbed the menu and began flipping through the pages.

    "Just order whatever you want," Yuan said to Yu Rou.

    However, Yu Rou sat there with a dazed expression on her face, seemingly in deep thoughts.

    "What¡¯s the matter, Yu Rou? Is something bothering you?" Yuan asked her after noticing her strange behavior.

    Hearing his question, Yu Rou quickly snapped out of her daze and shook her head before speaking, "That¡¯s no it, brother. It¡¯s just that... I never thought the day woulde where the two of us would be sitting in a restaurant and eating food like a normal family. Even though this is just a game, it feels too real to ignore."

    "Yu Rou..." Yuan looked at her with a soft gaze, and he nodded, "You are right. While this world may not be real, our experience and feeling in this world certainly are, and I cannot wait to explore more of it with you."

    "Me, too, brother!" Yu Rou nodded with a bright smile on her beautiful face.

    Sometimeter, Yuan raised his hands and someone approached them to take their order.

    Yuan then proceeded to name dishes after dishes, dumbfounding both Yu Rou and the waiter.

    "C-Can you even eat that much?" Yu Rou stared at him with a gawking expression. If Yuan could eat that much in the real world, she would definitely have trouble feeding him every day.

    "Of course, or else I wouldn¡¯t be ordering it!" Yuan replied to her with a confident expression on his face before he returned to order more dishes.

 Chapter 94 Exploring the City Peacefully

    After spending a couple of minutes naming out nearly every dish on the menu, Yuan finally ced the menu down on the table and said, "That¡¯s all from me."

    The waiter there had the urge to cry out loud, ¡¯It¡¯s literally all from you!¡¯

    Fortunately, the waiter managed to suppress his thoughts and responded with a stiff smile on his face, "Thank you, esteemed guests. I will let the chief know..."

    The waiter then walked away.

    However, the waiter returned a few minutester with a middle-aged man who didn¡¯t appear to work there with his luxurious appearance.

    Once the two were standing by their table, the middle-aged man said with a friendly smile on his face, "Excuse me, esteemed guest. My name is Cen Wenben, and I am the manager of this restaurant. It appears that you have ordered a massive amount of food from us, and I would like to offer my gratitude for that. However, as there has been an increase of customers who dine and dashtely, we will have to require some payment up-front as a form of insurance. 50 percent of the total amount is enough."

    "That makes sense..." Yuan nodded his head and asked, "How much is the entire bill?"

    "5,400 gold coins, esteemed guests..." Cen Wenben quickly said.

    "5,400 gold coins?!" Yuan¡¯s eyes widened with surprise. This restaurant is at least 10 times more expensive than the luxurious restaurant he went to previously that had cost him 500 gold coins! As expected of one of the wealthiest cities in this world, everything is incredibly expensive!

    ¡¯I really need to start paying attention to the price of each item...¡¯ Yuan noted to himself as he retrieved 5,400 gold coins and handed them to the manager.

    For more, visit lightn//ovelpub/[.]c/om

    "I¡¯ll pay the full amount now."

    "Thank you, esteemed guest! And I deeply apologize for this inconvenience!" The smile on Cen Wenben¡¯s face widened after he epted the money, and he bowed to them before leaving them alone again.

    "Spending thousands of gold on food... only someone like you would be able to spend so luxuriously, brother..." Yu Rou said to him afterward.

    "Haha..." Yuanughed awkwardly, as he was too excited and forgot to look at the prices before it was toote. Though, at least he wasn¡¯t as poor as before, where 500 gold coins were enough to make himpletely broke.

    About twenty minutester, the food they ordered beganing in one at a time, and they immediately started eating the food, especially Yuan, who had essentially be a food monster and stuffed the food into his mouth as though they were nothing, allowing the waiters to continue putting dishes on the table without overfilling it.

    "Brother..." Yu Rou was shocked by his seemingly borderless stomach. How can so much food fit inside his body? It also made her worry that she might not be feeding him enough in the real world since the amount of soup she feeds to him is literally nothingpared to the amount he¡¯s gobbling up now¡ª almost likeparing a drop of water to an entire ocean.

    "Brother Tian, should I increase the amount of soup I feed you? If it¡¯s not enough, you can just tell me, you know? I¡¯m afraid that I might starve you to death after seeing how much you can eat right now..." Yu Rou said to him sometimeter.

    "Haha... Don¡¯t worry about it, Yu Rou. I only have this appetite whenever I am in this world. A single bowl of soup is more than enough to fill my stomach outside." Yuan said to her.

    Hearing their conversation, Xiao Hua suddenly spoke, "Brother Yuan¡¯s appetite is probably caused by his unique physique. Furthermore, because Cultivators expend a lot more energy than normal people, we also need to eat a lot more. Of course, we usually substitute the difference with the spiritual energy we absorb with some Cultivator even changing their diet to spiritual energy only."

    "So you¡¯re telling me that Cultivators can survive without food as long as they absorb the spiritual energy in the air?" Yu Rou asked.

    "That¡¯s right. A Cultivator at Brother Yuan¡¯s level canst a month without food, but he¡¯ll need to drink water at least once a week. Once a Cultivator reaches the Spirit Grandmaster realm, they can stop eating or drinking entirely and survive only on spiritual energy." Xiao Hua said.

    "I see..." Yu Rou nodded, and she returned to eating her food.

    About an hourter, once the table had nothing but empty dishes left, Yuan said while patting his round stomach, "What should we do now, Yu Rou?"

    "Can you even do anything besides sitting while in that state, brother?" Yu Rou responded with a smile on her face.

    "I¡¯ll be fine," he nodded.

    "Well, I am also full, so I don¡¯t feel like doing anything right now. However, I don¡¯t want to just sit around and do nothing, so let¡¯s explore this city until it¡¯s time for me to leave," Yu Rou suggested.

    "Sounds good," Yuan said.

    After sitting around for a few more minutes, Yuan and Yu Rou proceeded to walk around the city, almost like they were taking a stroll in the park.

    Of course, there were a few young masters that wanted to disturb the sibling¡¯s peaceful time together when they saw the beautiful Yu Rou. However, before they could even approach them, like a guardian spirit, Xiao Hua pressured them with an invisible pressure, taking care of the trouble before it even began.

    Although Xiao Hua saw Yu Rou as a rival for Yuan¡¯s attention, when she saw the joy on Yuan¡¯s face whenever he spoke with¡ª or even looked at Yu Rou, she simply cannot allow anyone to disturb that happiness, as she feared that she might have to experience that cold auraing from Yuan again whenever someone messes with Yu Rou in his presence, something that put chills in her body even now if she tried to remember his cold gaze.

    After spending a few oddly peaceful hours within a city asrge as the Phoenix City mostly due to Xiao Hua¡¯s protection, Yu Rou logged off the game to cook dinner for Yuan.

    Yuan decided to stay in the game for a few more minutes to spend some time with Xiao Hua until it was time for dinner.

    After logging off, Yu Rou began feeding him dinner.

    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.

    However, after drinking his bowl of soup, Yuan spoke in a puzzled voice, "Yu Rou, did you make less soup today? My stomach isn¡¯t as full as it normally would be..."

    It was an odd feeling to not be full after drinking a whole bowl of soup, as he would usually feel quite full afterward.

    "Huh? That¡¯s not possible. I didn¡¯t change the amount," Yu Rou responded in a surprised voice.

    "However, if you¡¯re still hungry, I can go ahead and make another bowl of soup for you..."

    For more, visit lightno/velpub[./

    "No, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯m not hungry, but I am also not full. It¡¯s that kind of feeling," Yuan said to her.

    "Okay, then I will cook a little bit more tomorrow morning," Yu Rou nodded.

    "By the way, your room is finally clean again, brother. However, since you¡¯re already here, let¡¯s sleep together for another night, as we don¡¯t usually do this."

    "Okay," Yuan said.

    "I¡¯m going to make sure I am prepared for school tomorrow, you can go to sleep first." Yu Rou said to him before leaving the room.

    Normally, Yuan would agree with her and go to sleep, but now that he has be a Cultivator in the real world too, he wanted to cultivate whenever he had the time. Although he wasn¡¯t sure that cultivating might help his condition, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to try.

    ¡¯Maybe the reason the bowl of soup wasn¡¯t enough for me is because I am now a Cultivator, which will require me to consume more energy?¡¯ Yuan pondered to himself before he began reciting the cultivation technique inside his mind, slowly absorbing the spiritual energy around him.

    ¡¯Xiao Hua was right, I can now sense the spiritual energy in this room now that I have be a Cultivator. This means I am not dreaming and that I have actually be a real Cultivator in this world too!¡¯ Yuan was filled with enthusiasm for the future.

    Even if bing a Cultivator won¡¯t help him move or see again, if he cultivated enough, maybe he¡¯ll also be able to use Divine Sense in this world, and that would be worth all of his effort.

    And with that in mind, Yuan began to focus on cultivating.

    Half an hourter, Yu Rou returned to the room, and she mistook Yuan¡¯s cultivation as sleeping since his breathing pattern waspletely rxed and seemingly rhythmic.

    Since I was in the store at that time, I didn¡¯t see any announcements, but one should make the announcement if they made a Divine Beast their servant, right? Oh well, I¡¯ll see once I go online,¡¯ Yu Rou thought to herself as she began to surf the inte.

    And as she¡¯d expected, when she opened the forums, all she could see was ¡¯yer Yuan¡¯ being mentioned in the titles, and his presence filled pretty much the entire page.

    [yer Yuan makes the headlines again! And this time he¡¯s obtained a Divine Beast as a Servant!]

    [Incredible! yer Yuan has obtained another Servant¡ª a Divine Beast!]

    [What grade could this Divine Beast possibly be?!]

    [If you know yer Yuan, I am willing to pay 1 billion dors if you can reveal his real identity to me!]

    ¡¯One billion dors, huh? That¡¯s quite the tempting offer, but s, I wouldn¡¯t betray Brother Tian even if you offered me the world...¡¯ Yu Rou shook her head, and she began reading through all of the posts that mentioned Yuan.

 Chapter 95 Increased Appetite

    While Yu Rou lost track of time as she was engrossed with the inte talking about her brother, Yuan was silently cultivating on the bed, slowly absorbing the spiritual energy in the room.

    His cultivation speedpared to the game was incredibly slow, and it had taken him nearly two hours to enter the next level whilst it only took less than half an hour to reach second level Spirit Apprentice in the game.

    ¡¯What are the cultivation stages in the real world, anyway? I doubt it¡¯s the same as the game. However, since I have no other references, I¡¯ll just follow the cultivation stages in Cultivation online,¡¯ Yuan thought to himself as he continued to cultivate even when Yu Rou entered the bed and went to sleep.

    One hour... two hours... three hours...

    Yuan spent the entire night cultivating, and by the time morning came, he had managed to breakthrough only two times, reaching third level Spirit Apprentice.

    "Good morning, Yu Rou." Yuan greeted her the moment she woke up and rubbed her eyes.

    "Brother...? You¡¯re awake early today..." she said to him in a drowsy voice.

    Yuan merely smiled at her words, as he obviously didn¡¯t sleep the entire night. However, despite not getting any sleep, he was as energetic as ever¡ª even feeling better than he normally would after a good night¡¯s sleep.

    After spending a few minutes resolving herself to wake up, Yu Rou eventually left the bed and went to prepare for the day.

    Yu Rou returned to the room an hourter with two bowls of soup and a wet towel to wash Yuan¡¯s face.

    "Brother, I cooked two bowls of soup for breakfast today. If you cannot finish it, don¡¯t force yourself," she warned him before she began feeding him.

    However, to her surprise, Yuan managed to finish both bowls of soup to the veryst drop.

    "Two bowls of soup... For some reason, I am still not full..." Yuan said in an awkward voice afterward.

    "What? You¡¯re still not full? How is that even possible?" Yu Rou looked at him with wide eyes.

    Why did his appetite suddenly increase so drastically? Is this somehow rted to what has happened to him recently?

    ¡¯I should let Doctor Wang know about this just in case there¡¯s something wrong... I also need some advice on his diet if it remains like this,¡¯ Yu Rou thought to herself.

    "Brother, I know you¡¯re not full, but I am afraid of overfeeding you, so I¡¯ll have to ask for Doctor Wang¡¯s advice before I decide to feed you anymore, okay?" Yu Rou then said to him.

    "Yes, that¡¯s fine. Likest night, while I am not full, I am also not hungry either," Yuan said.

    "Okay, I¡¯ll let him know now before I go to school."

    For more, visit l//ightnovelpub[.

    Sometimeter, on her way to school, Yu Rou called Doctor Wang and exined to him about Yuan¡¯s situation.

    "The Young Master¡¯s appetite suddenly increased, huh? This might actually be a good sign because that means his body is requiring more energy to function, and that usually happens when their body is growing stronger. I suggest you continue to feed him two bowls of soup for a few more days to see if his growing appetite is permanent or only temporary." Doctor Wang said to her through the phone.

    "If the Young Master¡¯s appetite is permanent, I suggest you increase his diet slowly without overfeeding him so that his body is getting the energy it requires. I wille to check on him once a week to monitor his body¡¯s condition just in case."

    "I understand. Thank you, Doctor Wang."

    Meanwhile, Yuan returned to the world of cultivation.

    "Are you going to partake in the disciple examination at the Dragon Essence Temple now, Brother Yuan?" Xiao Hua asked him after he returned.

    "That¡¯s right." Yuan nodded.

    "Even though Brother Yuan will progress his cultivation base faster outside?" Xiao Hua asked him.

    "My purpose for going to the Dragon Essence Temple is not to improve my cultivation base. Instead, I wish to expand my knowledge and experience with Cultivators so I can better deal with them in the future."

    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.

    For more, visit light/no/velpub/[/.

    "I acknowledge that I am still far too naive in this world regarding Cultivators and their nature, and I want to understand this world more. Although it¡¯s important to improve my cultivation base it¡¯s also important that I enjoy this world, as that has been and still is my intention since the beginning."

    Xiao Hua turned silent after hearing his words.

    ¡¯Brother Yuan is indeedcking experience when ites to Cultivators. Although he might be fine now with Xiao Hua and that phoenix protecting him, who knows what might happen in the upper heavens, where there exists Cultivators much stronger than us. It¡¯ll definitely benefit Brother Yuan in the long run the earlier he familiarizes himself with thepetitive nature of Cultivators and realizes the brutal nature of the cultivation world.¡¯

    "Okay, Xiao Hua will no longer stop Brother Yuan from going to the Dragon Essence Temple now. However, it would lose all meaning if Xiao Hua is besides Brother Yuan the entire time while he¡¯s a disciple, so Xiao Hua will let Brother Yuan live his disciple life by himself. Of course, Xiao Hua will still protect Brother Yuan when he¡¯s in danger." Xiao Hua said to him.

    "How are you going to protect me if you¡¯re not there?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    Xiao Hua then pointed at the ne around his neck.

    "Oh, that¡¯s right. You can go into the ne like Feng Feng can enter my body," Yuan finally recalled.

    "Anyway, do you know where the Dragon Essence Temple is located? Do you think we¡¯ll make it there before the examination begins? Although I can enter the sect without participating in the examination if I spoke to Xuan Wuhan¡¯s grandfather, I still want to experience it like how people normally would."

    "The token given to you should tell you the location," Xiao Hua said, and she continued, "Just activate it with your spiritual energy, and its location will appear inside your mind."

    Yuan followed her instructions and retrieved the Dragon Essence Temple Exam Token before activating it with his spiritual energy.

    A few secondster, an image of the Dragon Essence Temple and its location appeared inside his head like some sort of map.

    However, Yuan immediately frowned when he realized just how far away this ce was.

    "It¡¯s over 100,000 miles away from our current location... Even the flying sword won¡¯t be fast enough. Unless we take the Teleportation Device again, I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll make it in time for the examination," he sighed.

    "Allow me to help, Young Master."

    Feng Yuxiang¡¯s voice suddenly resounded, and a small ball of golden mes emerged from his chest a secondter.

    "Feng Feng?" Yuan looked at her with raised eyebrows.

    "I can carry the Young Master to the Dragon Essence Temple. It¡¯s only 100,000 miles. And I can fly much faster than a flying sword." Feng Yuxiang suggested to him.

    "You¡¯ll... carry me?" Yuan looked at her with wide eyes.

    "Unless the Senior wants to carry you, but with the difference in your sizes..." Feng Yuxiang looked at Xiao Hua whose head could not even reach Yuan¡¯s shoulders. She cannot imagine someone so tiny carrying Yuan who was almost twice her height. Actually, she can, but it would be an incredibly hrious sight, but s,ughing at Xiao Hua will definitely get her killed.

    "..."

    However, Xiao Hua still frowned after hearing Feng Yuxiang¡¯s words, as she hated her height being mentioned more than anything else.

    Feng Yuxiang immediately began sweating after noticing Xiao Hua¡¯s narrowed gaze.

    "A-Anyway... since I am also a phoenix, I can fly faster than Cultivators normally would be able to. 100,000 miles¡ª we can arrive by tonight."

    "By tonight?" Yuan began pondering.

    ¡¯If we can reach there by tonight, it¡¯ll save us a lot of time¡ª time I can use to cultivate in the real world...¡¯

    After pondering for a moment, Yuan nodded his head and said, "Okay, I¡¯ll have to trouble you for this one, Feng Feng."

    "Don¡¯t even mention it, Young Master. My body is already yours¡ª there¡¯s no need to thank me every time you use it," Feng Yuxiang said with a shameless smile on her face.

    "Are you ready to leave now, Young Master?" Feng Yuxiang asked him a momentter.

    "Yes."

    "Then if you¡¯ll excuse me..."

    Feng Yuxiang suddenly lowered her body and picked up Yuan, carrying him like a princess.

    And before Yuan could even react, two massive fiery wings suddenly blossomed from Feng Yuxiang¡¯s back.

    When the people around them saw this, they were immediately shocked.

    "T-That¡¯s Madam Feng! What¡¯s she doing here?! And who¡¯s that young man she¡¯s carrying?!"

    Feng Yuxiang ignored the uproar she caused and immediately flew towards the sky with Yuan screaming out loud like Yu Rou did when she first experienced flying with the flying sword.

    "Which direction should I go, Young Master?" Feng Yuxiang asked him after they were above the entire city and nearly touching the clouds.

    "That direction," Yuan pointed to the east ording to the map in his head.

    Feng Yuxiang nodded, and her fiery wings pped once before they began soaring towards the east, leaving a trail of golden fire in the sky.

    Meanwhile, Xiao Hua followed them from behind. However, even with her Spirit King cultivation base, she had to put a lot of effort in order to keep up with their speed. Though, that was to be expected, as phoenixes are known to dominate the heavens with their flying techniques.

 Chapter 96 Vermilion Phoenix Dominating the Heavens

    ¡¯This is amazing! We¡¯re flying at a speed ten times more than what the flying sword can achieve!¡¯ Yuan was filled with excitement as they soared through the air faster than even what most fighter jets in his world could achieve.

    "If the Young Master thinks this is fast, just wait until I recover my phoenix form and powers. It¡¯ll be likeparing a slow walk to a sprint! 100,000 miles? I can even travel 1,000,000 miles in the blink of an eye!" Feng Yuxiang noticed Yuan¡¯s excitement and took this chance to brag a little to improve his impression of her.

    "A million miles in the blink of an eye? How could anything possibly travel that fast?" Yuan mumbled in a dazed voice, as he cannot even begin to imagine traveling at such a ridiculous speed.

    "It all depends on your movement techniques, Young Master. There are extremely profound movement techniques out there that can allow Cultivators to travel from star to star with a single step¡ª it¡¯s not something even I canprehend."

    "Movement techniques, huh? Speaking of them, I don¡¯t have any movement techniques¡ª only martial techniques." Yuan just realized this.

    "What? The Young Master doesn¡¯t have a movement technique? That¡¯s outrageous!" Feng Yuxiang eximed in a shocked voice.

    "Huh? Are movement techniques that important?" Yuan raised his eyebrows after seeing her surprised expression.

    "Of course! Young Master, movement techniques are as important as martial techniques if not even more important! When you fight with an enemy, how you move to strike and how you move to dodge or defend is extremely important, or you will be no different than a sitting duck on the battlefield!" Feng Yuxiang said to him.

    And she continued, "If the Young Master does not have a movement technique, I can provide you with my movement technique! Although it¡¯s meant for phoenixes, it can still be used in the human form."

    "Really?" Yuan looked at her with flickering eyes, clearly excited for this movement technique.

    For more, visit lightnove/lpub[.

    "Of course."

    Feng Yuxiang then turned to look at Xiao Hua and spoke to her, "Senior, you won¡¯t mind me giving the Young Master a movement technique, right?"

    Because Feng Yuxiang didn¡¯t want to be disrespectful to Xiao Hua, who might be teaching Yuan as a teacher, she must ask for permission before teaching Yuan anything, as that is proper equities in the cultivation world, and trying to steal disciples from another is greatly frowned upon.

    "..."

    After a moment of silence, Xiao Hua nodded, "The more Brother Yuan learns the better. Xiao Hua does not have a good movement technique that is befitting of Brother Yuan¡¯s talent, so you can give one to him."

    Since she was not Yuan¡¯s Master, she didn¡¯t mind other people teaching Yuan¡ª as long as what they are teaching is notplete trash and worthless.

    "Thank you, Senior! I will try my best teaching the Young Master!" Feng Yuxiang said to her.

    Sometimeter, after spending a few hours in the air, Feng Yuxiang suddenly stopped.

    She then pointed in front of them with her head and said, "This ce must be the Dragon Essence Temple. I can sense a profound presenceing from that ce."

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    Yuan turned to look in the direction Feng Yuxiang was looking at to see a massive ce that looked like a city but with a lot more buildings.

    "So that¡¯s the Dragon Essence Temple, huh? It¡¯s so muchrgerpared to the Flying Sword Sect."

    "I don¡¯t know a Flying Sword Sect, but the Dragon Essence Temple is one of the most powerful factions in the Lower Heavens only beaten by a few ces and the Heaven and Earth Pce." Feng Yuxiang said.

    Yuan nodded and said, "Anyway, the examination won¡¯t start for a few more days so let¡¯s spend some time practicing this movement technique."

    "Okay, let me find a suitable ce."

    Feng Yuxiang proceeded to fly around the area until they found this emptynd and descended there.

    "This looks like the perfect ce to practice my movement technique," Feng Yuxiang said as she ced Yuan back down.

    Sometimeter, Feng Yuxiang said, "Since this is something I learned naturally as the Vermilion Phoenix, I don¡¯t have it written on a scroll, so the Young Master will have to try and learn it from watching my movements. Although it might take you much longer to understand the technique this way than to read the technique straight from a book or scroll, at least you get to witness it being executed before your eyes. Of course, it could also benefit you if you are someone who learns better from watching than reading."

    "Also, because this movement technique is not really meant for humans, it might take the Young Master longer to learn it. However, I believe in the Young Master. If you work hard enough, you should be able to use this technique in a few years."

    For more, visit [.

    "A few years?!" Yuan looked at her with wide eyes.

    Feng Yuxiang misunderstood Yuan¡¯s type of surprise and said with a smile on her face, "I know a few years might sound a little too fast for a movement technique, but trust me, Young Master, I will do my best to teach you!"

    However, Xiao Hua opened her mouth to speak afterward, "Your logic does not apply to Brother Yuan, Vermilion Phoenix. If you underestimate Brother Yuan, you¡¯ll be in a world of surprise."

    "Huh?" Feng Yuxiang could notprehend Xiao Hua¡¯s words and tilted her head in a puzzled manner. However, that was to be expected, since Feng Yuxiang is unaware of Yuan¡¯s heaven-defyingprehension abilities that allow him to learn even Divine-grade abilities in a few hours.

    And before Xiao Hua could even exin, Yuan opened his mouth to speak, "Feng Feng, can you show me the movement technique?"

    "R-Right away, Young Master!" Feng Yuxiang nodded, and she walked until she was many meters away from them.

    "Watch closely, Young Master! I will try to do this as slowly as possible, but it might still be a bit fast!" Feng Yuxiang took a deep breath.

    And then she began moving her legs and feet in a unique but rhythmic manner.

    "This is a movement technique?" Yuan raised his eyebrows when he saw Feng Yuxiang¡¯s movement techniques, as it made no sense to him.

    A few minutester, Feng Yuxiang stopped and asked him, "What do you think, Young Master?"

    "Uhhh... I don¡¯t think I understand it..." Yuan responded, and he continued, "How is that going to help you dodge your opponents during a battle? You are just moving around in a small area."

    Feng Yuxiang pondered for a moment before speaking, "Young Master, why don¡¯t you try attacking me?"

    "Huh? Are you sure?"

    Feng Yuxiang nodded and said, "Yes."

    "Okay..." Yuan retrieved his Spirit Sword and approached Feng Yuxiang.

    "Young Master, you can attack me whenever you are ready. You also don¡¯t need to hold back." Feng Yuxiang said to him a momentter.

    After taking a deep breath, Yuan said, "Here Ie!"

    Yuan began attacking Feng Yuxiang without any real sword techniques.

    "Eh?"

    However, Yuan quickly realized that no matter how much he tried to hit Feng Yuxiang, she would narrowly dodge all of his attacks.

    "This is only the basics, Young Master. Let me show you what this movement technique can achieve with a high mastery level..."

    Feng Yuxiang said to him before her fiery wings returned.

    She then took a step towards Yuan before disappearing from his view, almost like a ghost.

    "What do you think, Young Master?"

    Feng Yuxiang¡¯s voice suddenly resounded from every direction around Yuan, causing him to look around. However, no matter which direction he looked in, Feng Yuxiang was there. In fact, there were over a dozen Feng Yuxiang casually standing around him right now, almost like her body had multiplied.

    "What the? This is a movement technique? Are you sure you didn¡¯t clone your body instead?" Yuan said with a dumbfounded expression.

    Feng Yuxiang suddenly stopped moving, and a secondter, her clones disappeared.

    "I am just moving so fast that you are seeing a dozen of me," Feng Yuxiang said.

    "So as long as I learn this movement technique, my opponents won¡¯t be able to hit me?" Yuan asked her afterward.

    "That¡¯s correct. Unless they know your movement technique or can guess where you are going to move next, it¡¯s going to be extremely difficult for them to even graze you, much lessnd an urate strike on you. And even if they somehow know your movements, they still need to be fast enough to hit you. As long as you are within the Lower Heavens, you will be untouchable with this movement technique."

    "Untouchable..." Yuan mumbled in a low voice.

    "By the way, this technique is called ¡¯Vermilion Phoenix Dominating the Heavens¡¯. I named it myself," Feng Yuxiang said with a prideful expression on her face.

    "Vermilion Phoenix Dominating the Heavens? What an arrogant name for a movement technique..." Xiao Hua was speechless by Feng Yuxiang¡¯s shamelessness to give the movement technique such a grand name.

    Sometimeter, Yuan said to Feng Yuxiang, "Feng Feng, can you show me the movement technique a few more times? I have already memorized all of the movements, but I still need to understand its essence."

    "Eh? You have already memorized the movements?" Feng Yuxiang looked at him with a dazed face.

    There are over a thousand movements for the movement technique! How can someone at the Spirit Warrior level memorize that many movements in such a short time? That was simply unbelievable!

    Visit ligh/tnovelp/ub[. for a better experience

 Chapter 97 Movement Technique

    Seeing Feng Yuxiang¡¯s shocked face, Xiao Hua smiled and thought to herself, ¡¯If you are shocked about something so insignificant, you might die from a heart attack after you see Brother Yuan¡¯s other talents...¡¯

    Meanwhile, Feng Yuxiang pondered to herself, ¡¯Did the Young Master really memorize all of the steps after watching it just once? No... that¡¯s not possible. There¡¯s no way someone from the Lower Heavens can possibly have such a shocking level of talent. However, the Young Master has a Bloodline that¡¯s above the Divine-grade, and his origins are not clear, so he might actually be someone from the upper heavens who decided toe to the Lower Heavens for training, hence why there¡¯s a Spirit King following him.¡¯

    Content held by N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡¯However, even if that¡¯s the case... How can a Spirit King remain in the Lower Heavens without being punished by the Heavens with Heavenly Tributions? Maybe she has a treasure that hides her presence? But I have never heard of such a treasure like this before...¡¯

    "Are you okay, Feng Feng?" Yuan suddenly called out to her. "If you¡¯re tired, we can continue thister."

    He wondered if she was tired after that impressive demonstration.

    "Eh? N-No! I am fine. Let me show you the movements again, Young Master."

    Feng Yuxiang took a deep breath before she began disying the Vermilion Phoenix Dominating the Heavens movement technique again.

    Meanwhile, Yuan stared at her with intensive eyes, looking as though he was trying to stare a hole in Feng Yuxiang¡¯s body.

    ¡¯What an intensive gaze!¡¯ Feng Yuxiang¡¯s body trembled slightly after feeling Yuan¡¯s gaze, feeling as though there was nothing she could hide from him and almost like she was naked before his powerful gaze.

    Many minutester, Feng Yuxiang finished her demonstrating the movement technique for the second time.

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    "What do you think, Young Master?" Feng Yuxiang asked him afterward.

    "I think I have the gist of it. Can you do it again? This time, I¡¯ll try to follow your movements." Yuan said as he approached her.

    "You want to do the movement technique with me?" Feng Yuxiang raised her eyebrows, and she continued, "I don¡¯t mean to be disrespectful, Young Master, but even if you memorize all of the movements, executing the movements is an entirely different matter. Although you may get the first couple steps correct, everything after that will be a mess¡ª at least that¡¯s how learning movement techniques usually happen."

    "Well, even if that¡¯s the case, how else am I going to get better at it besides practice?" Yuan said to her.

    "I guess so..." Feng Yuxiang nodded.

    "Whenever you are ready, Young Master," she said to him a momentter.

    "Go ahead."

    After hearing his words, Feng Yuxiang began using her movement techniques again, and Yuan tried his best to follow her movements.

    "..."

    Feng Yuxiang was dumbfounded when Yuan copied her movements wlessly, and although his movements grew stiff and awkward towards the end, he still managed to execute the movements without any mistakes.

    This blew Feng Yuxiang¡¯s mind wide open. How can a mere mortal at the Spirit Warrior realm learn her¡ª Vermilion Phoenix Dominating the Heavens movement technique so quickly? She¡¯d only disyed the movement technique twice!

    "You were right, Feng Feng. Although the beginning was simple and easy to follow, it grew increasingly exhausting and difficult to move towards the end. However, I should get it right after a few more tries," Yuan said to her with an innocent face, unaware that what he¡¯d just done was incredibly shocking and unbelievable.

    "Uh... I... Err..." Feng Yuxiang was at a loss for words.

    "Hehe..."

    A small chuckle could be heard from Xiao Hua who watched the entire thing from beginning to end.

    "Xiao Hua told you not to underestimate Brother Yuan, Vermilion Phoenix. He¡¯s a prodigy who can learn Divine-grade techniques in only a few hours and even learn profound techniques just by watching others," Xiao Hua said to her with a smile on her face.

    "..."

    Although this is Feng Yuxiang¡¯s first time seeing Xiao Hua smile, she was more shocked by what Xiao Hua said.

    ¡¯The Young Master can learn Divine-grade techniques within hours? What kind of heaven-defying talent is that?¡¯ Feng Yuxiang stared at Yuan with a dazed expression on her face.

    Sometimeter, after resting until he could move again, Yuan began to execute the movement technique again.

    This time, it appeared even smoother and more urate than previously, almost like his experience with it had leaped by at least a few years between his first and second attempt!

    Feng Yuxiang¡¯s jaw dropped upon seeing Yuan¡¯s improvement. Just how ridiculously talented is her Young Master? He could even put the talented geniuses from the upper heavens to shame with his tremendous talents!

    However, Xiao Hua suddenly said to her, "If you think that¡¯s the most shocking part about Brother Yuan, just wait until you see him do ¡¯that¡¯."

    "That? What do you mean ¡¯that¡¯, Senior?" Feng Yuxiang asked with her interest piqued.

    "You¡¯ll find out eventually," Xiao Hua shrugged, as she wanted Feng Yuxiang to find out naturally as she did.

    Feng Yuxiang swallowed nervously, and she silently pondered to herself what ¡¯that¡¯ could possibly mean.

    Meanwhile, Yuan spent the next hour practicing the movement technique.

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    "I think I finally got it, Feng Feng. What do you think?" Yuan asked her as his legs continued to move without stopping, feeling quitefortable with the movement technique now.

    "Y-Yes... You have pretty much learned the technique now, Young Master." Feng Yuxiang said, her gaze filled with admiration.

    However, Yuan did not stop practicing the movement technique, and he continued until he finally received a notification.

    ?You have learned ¡¯Vermilion Phoenix Dominating the Heavens¡¯?

    ?Vermilion Phoenix Dominating the Heavens?

    ?Rank: Divine?

    ?Mastery Level: 1?

    ?Description: A powerful movement technique created by the Vermilion Phoenix Feng Yuxiang?

    "Two hours... The Young Master managed to learn my movement technique that took me years to learn in just two short hours... Is he really human?" Feng Yuxiang mumbled in a low voice as she watched Yuan perfect her movement techniques with a dazed expression on her beautiful face.

    While she has seen her fair share of talented Cultivators in the upper heavens, none of them couldpare to Yuan in terms of theirprehension skills, and even the top genius would need at least a month to learn Divine-grade techniques, much less a few hours!

    After resting for a few minutes, Yuan said to them, "I am going to log off now, and I probably won¡¯t be back until the examination starts, so don¡¯t panic if I don¡¯t return tomorrow."

    "Okay. See youter, Brother Yuan." Xiao Hua said to him before disappearing into the ne.

    Seeing this, Feng Yuxiang also disappeared into his chest.

    Once he logged off the game, Yuan immediately began cultivating in the real world until Yu Rou returned from school and prepared dinner for him.

    A few hourster, Yu Rou entered his room with three bowls of soup on a cart and some cleaning utilities.

    "Brother, what did you do in the game today?" Yu Rou asked him as she removed the nket around his body before removing his clothes and wiping his body down with a warm wet towel.

    "I learned a new technique today¡ª a movement technique," Yuan said.

    "Movement techniques? What are those?" Yu Rou asked.

    Yuan proceeded to exin to her about movement techniques and how they can be used to dodge attacks and many other things.

    "Wow... So you learned another Divine-grade technique? As expected of you, brother. It¡¯s only been a day since you started ying alone again and you have already made significant progress. Perhaps I really am a burden to you..." Yu Rou sighed.

    "Nonsense, you are definitely not a burden! If not for you, we would¡¯ve never gone to Phoenix City or met with Feng Feng, not to mention the Myriad of Techniques, so you have definitely contributed to my progress!" Yuan said.

    "If you say so..." Yu Rou nodded.

    Sometimeter, after cleaning Yuan¡¯s body, Yu Rou said, "Brother, since two bowls of soup was not enough yesterday, I have cooked three bowls of soup for tonight."

    "Thank you, Yu Rou."

    After feeding Yuan the second bowl of soup, Yu Rou asked him, "What do you think, brother? Can you eat another bowl?"

    "Yes, I can," Yuan said.

    "Okay." Yu Rou nodded and proceeded to spoon-feed him the third bowl of soup.

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    "What about now? Are you full now?" Yu Rou asked him afterward.

    "Uh..." Yuan hesitated to respond.

    Yu Rou raised her eyebrows when she saw this, and she said, "Brother, it¡¯s okay to tell me the truth. If three bowls of soup are not enough, I will cook four, five¡ª until you are satisfied."

    "..."

    After a moment of silence, Yuan said, "Although I am not full, I actually feel like I ate something this time, so perhaps I will be full after two or three more bowls."

    "Two or three more bowls... Heavens, brother, are you going to eat an entire week¡¯s worth of food every day now? Are you sure your body can handle that much food? What if you get fat?" Yu Rou spoke in a worried voice.

    "Haha... I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll have to worry about that," Yuan said. After all, everything he eats will naturally turn into energy that will aid him in his cultivation.

    And he continued, "However, I don¡¯t think I need to have a full stomach every meal. Just three bowls are good enough for now."

    "Okay... Then I will continue feeding you three bowls of soup every meal until Doctor Wang gives his advice," Yu Rou nodded.

 Chapter 98 Dragon Essence Temple Disciple Examination

    After Yu Rou finished feeding Yuan, she said to him, "Okay, brother. Now that your own room has been cleaned, I am going to let you sleep by yourself again."

    A few momentster, Yu Rou carried Yuan to the wheelchair before pushing him back to his own room.

    "Do you want to y tonight, brother?" Yu Rou asked him.

    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.

    Now that she knows his real identity as yer Yuan, she was more willing to let him y more so that he can continue progressing as much as possible.

    "No, it¡¯s okay. In fact, I am going to take a break from Cultivation Online for a few days until the Dragon Essence Temple examination begins," Yuan said to her.

    "Huh? You¡¯re taking a break already? Why?" Yu Rou asked him with a dumbfounded expression on her face.

    Although missing a few days of progress might not matter when Yuan¡¯s already months, even years ahead of other yers, it still doesn¡¯t make any sense why he would want to take a break so suddenly.

    "Did something happen today? Is that why you¡¯re taking a break?" Yu Rou asked him. "It¡¯s okay to speak to me, brother."

    "No, it has nothing to do with the game, honestly. I just want to take a break and prepare myself before I partake in the examination."

    "Preparations for the examination... in the real world?" Yu Rou could not understand his intentions, but since Yuan insisted on taking a break, there was nothing she could do. After all, it was not as if she could force him to y the game.

    "Okay. Then I¡¯ll leave you alone now. Goodnight, brother." Yu Rou closed the lights in the room before leaving Yuan alone.

    Once he was alone, Yuan immediately began cultivating, and he would not stop for the rest of the night.

    By the following morning, Yuan had managed to breakthrough once again, reaching fourth level Spirit Apprentice.

    "Haaa... This is taking much longer than the game. If only there were monster cores in this world or things equivalent that would allow me to increase my cultivation faster..." Yuan sighed.

    Sometimeter, Yu Rou entered his room to clean his face and brush his teeth before feeding him breakfast.

    After Yuan consumed all three bowls of soup, Yu Rou wiped his lips with a wet towel before leaving for school.

    Once he was alone again, Yuan returned to cultivating. Even though the progress might be slow, at least he can make some progress.

    Yuan repeated this process for the next two days, and besides eating and cultivating he was doing nothing else¡ª not even sleeping.

    By the time the Dragon Essence Temple began their disciple examination, Yuan had reached the fifth level Spirit Apprentice realm.

    "Yu Rou, I am going back to Cultivation Online today. The Dragon Essence Temple should begin their disciple examination today, too," Yuan said to her after breakfast.

    "Okay. Good luck, brother. Of course, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll pass the exam without any effort." Yu Rou chuckled.

    And then she said, "Oh, I know you¡¯re already going to be in the spotlight, so try not to reveal your identity as yer Yuan, okay? You have no idea how many yers are looking for you right now. If they learn of your identity, our lives will no longer be as peaceful."

    "I understand..." Yuan responded in a nervous voice.

    Sometimeter, Yuan returned to the world of cultivation.

    "Wee back, Brother Yuan." Xiao Hua was the first to appear before him.

    "I am back. The Dragon Essence Temple disciple examination should be today, right?" Yuan asked.

    "That¡¯s right." Xiao Hua nodded, and then she turned to look towards the direction of the Dragon Essence Temple. "There¡¯s already a lot of people gathered."

    "Then let¡¯s get going!"

    However, Xiao Hua shook her head and said, "Brother Yuan, Xiao Hua will remain inside the ne until you decide to leave the sect or need help. This way, Brother Yuan can experience the cultivation world the way it¡¯s meant to. If you ever need advice, Xiao Hua will speak to you using Divine Sense like the Vermilion Phoenix."

    Yuan nodded and said, "It¡¯s going to feel lonely without having you by my side all the time, but I understand why you are doing this."

    After Xiao Hua returned to the ne, Yuan began running towards the Dragon Essence Temple.

    ¡¯Oh, right... There will be a lot of people participating in this examination¡ª both NPCs and yers alike. In order to keep my identity safe, I should at least hide my face.¡¯

    Thinking that, Yuan stopped moving and retrieved the ck Jade Mask and wore it on his face, hiding everything but his bright and innocent eyes.

    "This should be good enough," Yuan nodded to himself before he continued running towards the Dragon Essence Temple.

    Sometimeter, Yuan arrived at the Dragon Essence Temple, and as he¡¯d expected, there was already a sea of people gathered there.

    ¡¯Wow... Is this what it feels like going to school on the first day?¡¯ Yuan wondered to himself as he followed the crowd.

    Many minutester, they arrived at this mountain range that had nothing but mountains and trees beside arge gate at the horizon that had a majestic sign with the words ¡¯Dragon Essence Temple¡¯ on it.

    Visit ligh/tnovel//pu/b[. for a better experience

    ¡¯We are taking the examination here?¡¯ Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    After waiting around for a few more minutes, a middle-aged man wearing colorful robes appeared before them by jumping on top of the gate.

    "Wee to the Dragon Essence Temple disciple examination! Before we begin the examination, we must verify whether or not you are actually qualified to be here!" The middle-aged man spoke to them in a loud and domineering voice.

    "Below me is a transportation gate that will teleport you to the real examination halls. However, only those who have the Dragon Essence Temple Exam Token will be teleported to the examination hall. Everyone else will be teleported randomly to the mountain range behind me, and there are many powerful magical beasts that roam that area, so if you are thinking about sneaking into the disciple examination, I urge you to rethink that decision because we won¡¯t take responsibility for whatever happens to you afterward."

 Chapter 99 First Tes

    "Now, if you are ready to partake in the Dragon Essence Temple disciple examination, step forth and enter the gate!"

    After he finished speaking, the middle-aged man jumped down from the gate before walking into the gate as a demonstration, disappearing into the portal.

    And immediately afterward, the people there began rushing towards the gate. Meanwhile, there were more than just a couple of people there who decided to remain standing still and not approach the gate, clearly hesitant to continue.

    As for Yuan, he followed the mass and entered the gate.

    A second after entering the gate, along with every person that entered the gate, Yuan was transported to this vast and empty grasnd that stretched to the horizon. Furthermore, there was another gate that resembled the one they just entered a few miles away from their location.

    "W-Where are we?"

    The people there were puzzled as to why they were brought to this empty grasnd. After all, what could they possibly do in this ce that is rted to the examination?

    After waiting for a few minutes for everyone to gather, the middle-aged man with the colorful robes began to speak, "This will be your first examination. In this vast grasnd that spans over 10,000 miles, there are 1,000 hidden jade slips, and only those who have a jade slip may advance to the next stage of the examination. You all have two days to advance to the next test by entering the gate over there before you are automatically disqualified and kicked out of this ce."

    "Does anyone have any questions?"

    The participants there immediately raised their hands.

    "What kind of examination is this? I don¡¯t see how finding a needle in a haystack has anything to do with bing a disciple of the Dragon Essence Temple!"

    The middle-aged man turned to whoever just spoke and said, "This is an examination based on your luck¡ª we are simply testing your fate¡ª whether you are fated to be a disciple or not. Although you may not understand it, one¡¯s fortune and destiny y a huge role in the cultivation world, and without either of these, you will never achieve anything great in the cultivation world, and our Dragon Essence Temple has no use for someone like that."

    "Senior, what exactly do you mean by ¡¯hidden¡¯? Are they buried underground or are they just ced around this grasnd?" Another participant asked a few momentster.

    The middle-aged man smiled at the participant¡¯s question and said, "There are 997 jade slips resting above the ground normally with three special jade slips buried within the ground. If any of you manages to find the jade slip buried within the ground, you will receive a very special reward at the end of the examination if you pass the examination, or you can exchange the jade slip to automatically be a disciple. However, if you do that, you will forfeit the reward. The choice is up to you."

    After answering a few more questions, the middle-aged man said, "The first examination begins!"

    Immediately after the middle-aged man ended his sentence, the thousands of people gathered there began spreading out in every direction and running around with their heads looking left and right without stopping.

    Meanwhile, Yuan stood there with a calm expression on his face.

    ¡¯This is not much different from when I had to pick Spirit Grass with Yu Rou. I should be able to find it with my Divine Sense,¡¯ Yuan thought to himself.

    ¡¯Hm? Why¡¯s this youngd just standing there?¡¯ The middle-aged man turned to look at Yuan after noticing his odd behavior. However, when he saw the powerful aura subtly emitting from Yuan¡¯s body, he immediately gasped in shock.

    ¡¯Fifth level Spirit Warrior?! Why the hell is someone like that participating in our disciple examination?! He could instantly qualify to be an Inner Disciple if he spoke to a sect elder!¡¯

    It was not just the middle-aged man who had noticed Yuan¡¯s powerful presence, as a few figures within the participants had also taken notice of him. Furthermore, the sect elders that were watching the disciple examination from somewhere within the Dragon Essence Temple with a treasure were all pondering to themselves why someone at his level would go through the trouble to participate in the examination meant for beginners or those without backgrounds.

    In fact, there were even a few of them who thought Yuan could be a spy sent by another ce.

    After taking a deep breath, Yuan closed his eyes and began using his Divine Sense to search for the jade slips.

    ¡¯Divine Sense?! Impossible! He¡¯s only a Spirit Warrior! How can he possibly use Divine Sense?! But that aura! This feeling! He¡¯s definitely using Divine Sense!¡¯

    The middle-aged man became even more surprised after realizing what Yuan was doing, nearly falling on his butt from shock.

    Meanwhile, somewhere in the Dragon Essence Temple, a dozen sect elders gathered and watched the situation from arge bucket of water that projected whatever was happening in the examination hall.

    "What the heck?! Who is this person?! He can even use Divine Sense as a Spirit Warrior!"

    "Whoever he is¡ª his background must be immensely powerful! That¡¯s probably why he¡¯s hiding his identity!"

    "What should we do? Should we just let him participate in the examination?"

    "Let¡¯s continue watching to see what he¡¯s up to."

    While many pairs of eyes watched Yuan¡¯s every movement, Yuan himself had already found six pieces of jade slip with his Divine Sense.

    ¡¯It¡¯s too easy if I look for the normal jade slips. Let¡¯s try finding the ones buried in the ground for that special reward. I have two whole days, anyway.¡¯

    With that in mind, Yuan walked around the vast grasnd with his Divine Sense activated.

    After walking around for three hours with his Divine Sense constantly looking around, Yuan suddenly stopped moving.

    "Oh? Is this it?"

    Yuan retrieved his Starry Abyss and used it to dig a hole in the ground.

    A few momentster, he grabbed the red-colored jade slip from the ground.

    Meanwhile, the people watching him were speechless, as they didn¡¯t expect someone with Divine Sense to participate in their disciple examination.

    ¡¯So much for luck and fate...¡¯ The middle-aged man sighed after seeing the red jade slip in Yuan¡¯s hands.N?velDrama.Org content.

 Chapter 100 Second Tes

    After obtaining one of the three special jade slips, Yuan proceeded to walk towards the gate.

    However, the middle-aged man overseeing that examination suddenly approached Yuan and blocked his path.

    "Congrattions on finding the first special jade slip, young man. I am Elder Long, an Outer Court Sect Elder for the Dragon Essence Temple. May I have your name?" The middle-aged man spoke to Yuan in a polite voice.

    "Yuan," he responded.

    "Daoist Yuan, huh? Anyway, since you have the special jade slip, allow me to exin a few more things to you. You can obtain a special jade slip in every test, and the more you gather, the better your reward will be towards the end. Furthermore, if you manage to obtain a special jade slip for every test, you¡¯ll get to enter the Dragon Temple for 24 hours."

    "Dragon Temple? What is that?" Yuan asked.

    "The Dragon Temple is a very special ce that can only be essed by the Sect Master of the Dragon Essence Temple, and once inside, you will have a limited time to search for and obtain as many treasures as you can in the given time. As for what kinds of treasures you can find inside... You will learn more about it if you actually manage to obtain ess to that ce."

    Yuan nodded and said, "Okay, I will try my best."

    "Good luck, Daoist Yuan."

    Elder Long said to him before leaving him alone and returning to overseeing the other participants.

    After Elder Long left, Yuan continued moving forward and entered the gate a few momentster, disappearing from the grasnd.

    Once Yuan left, Elder Long turned to look at the sky and said, "His name is Yuan! A prodigy who can use Divine Sense as a Spirit Warrior can¡¯t be a nobody!"

    Meanwhile, a few of the sect elders watching the exam left the spectators¡¯ room and began trying to uncover Yuan¡¯s real background.

    "This is the second examination?" Yuan looked around the area that resembled the wilderness.

    "Congrattions on passing the first test. In order to pass the second exam, you must hunt magical beasts."

    A young woman suddenly approached Yuan and said to him.

    "Hunting magical beasts? Perfect!" Yuan said.

    The young woman raised her eyebrows after seeing Yuan¡¯s enthusiasm. Normally, one would not react with excitement when they¡¯re told to hunt magical beasts but nervousness instead.

    The young woman then said with a frown on her face, "Although there are Sect Elders scattered around this ce to make sure there are as few incidents as possible, we cannot guarantee your safety, and there have been plenty of participants who died here."

    "I see..." Yuan nodded, yet his voice did not sound worried at all.

    "..."

    The young woman was speechless. However, when she used her spiritual sense to look at Yuan¡¯s cultivation base, her eyes widened with shock.

    "Fifth level Spirit Warrior?!" she eximed in a loud voice.

    "Eh? Yes, I am at the fifth level Spirit Warrior. Is there something wrong with that?" Yuan asked her in an innocent voice.

    "Yes... I mean... No...?"

    The young woman did not know how to respond to Yuan¡¯s question. Although the examination did not forbid Spirit Warriors from participating in the examination, they have also never had a participant as powerful as Yuan before, as most people above the Spirit Apprentice realm would automatically be epted into the Dragon Essence Temple without needing to pass the examination.

    Furthermore, most of the magical beasts in this examination were only at the Spirit Apprentice level with only a few at the Spirit Warrior level. There was simply no way someone at the fifth level Spirit Warrior level would have trouble in this ce!

    After a moment of silence, the young woman cleared her throat before speaking, "Ahem! A-Anyway, in order to pass this test, you must hunt magical beasts to obtain points¡ª 100 points to be exact. Depending on the level of the magical beast you defeat, you will gain a certain amount of points. For example, magical beasts at the first level Spirit Apprentice level will give you 1 point and a third level Spirit Apprentice magical beast will give you 3 points. As for the magical beasts above the Spirit Apprentice level, they will all give you 25 points. There will be a time limit of three days for this exam."

    "Do you have any questions?"

    Yuan nodded before asking, "What about the special jade slip? How do I obtain that here?"

    "The special jade slip...?"

    Yuan then showed her the red jade slip he obtained from the first test.

    "Oh, that. It¡¯s been so long since someone tried to obtain it that I¡¯d nearly forgotten about it."

    N?velDrama.Org content.

    "1,000 points. If you can obtain 1,000 points, you¡¯ll get the special jade slip," said the young woman.

    "1,000 points... This might take longer than the previous test." Yuan mumbled.

    After a moment of silence, Yuan asked the Sect Elder, "Senior, where can I find the most magical beasts at the Spirit Warrior level?"

    "Uh... Over there..." The Sect Elder pointed towards the west.

    "Thank you!" Yuan said to her before running towards the west.

    "...Where on earth did such an oddballe from? Fifth level Spirit Warrior... He¡¯s already almost at my cultivation level, yet he¡¯s taking the examination?" The Sect Elder shook her head after Yuan left.

    ?+4 points?

    A notification appeared after Yuan killed a magical beast at the fourth level Spirit Apprentice realm in a single hit with the Empyrean Overlord.

    "Heavens, this is such a powerful sword! The Spirit Sword is nothingpared to this!" Yuan looked at the massive sword in his grasp that felt no heavier than a wooden stick with a mesmerizing gaze.

    Even though the monster was only at the Spirit Apprentice level, he¡¯d managed to kill it with a casual swing that barely had any force behind it, almost like slicing tofu with a sharp knife! There was simply no resistance from the magical beasts!

 Chapter 101 Third Tes

    ?+5 points?

    ?+6 points?

    ?+3 points?

    ?+7 points?

    Every time Yuan swung his massive sword, a magical beast would inevitably sumb to death, and his points racked up extremely quickly, resembling the time at Pang City.

    Meanwhile, the Sect Elder watching Yuan sweep through the magical beasts as though they were trash was shocked speechless.

    ¡¯Which numbskull gave a fifth level Spirit Warrior the examination token? Whoever it was, he needs a damn beating! And I will be the first to volunteer for that!¡¯ The Sect Elder cursed inwardly as he counted the points Yuan had obtained.

    Two hourster, Yuan had managed to collect a total of 300 points.

    "Did that Senior give me the wrong directions? I haven¡¯t seen a single Spirit Warrior magical beast since I started hunting them..." Yuan sighed.

    Content held by N?velDrama.Org.

    After running around aimlessly for another hour, Yuan finally encountered a magical beast at the Spirit Warrior level. However, because he immediately killed it a secondter, it didn¡¯t feel any different from hunting Spirit Apprentice magical beasts.

    ¡¯The fuck! He killed a Spirit Warrior magical beast in a single strike! And he even made it look so effortlessly!¡¯ The Sect Elder watching Yuan cried inwardly after seeing this.

    ¡¯What is someone like him doing at the Dragon Essence Temple? Although we may be one of the top sects, there are other ces stronger than us, such as the Heaven and Earth Pce! Surely, he would benefit more by going to those ces!¡¯

    The Sect Elder could not understand Yuan¡¯s intentions for choosing their sect when there are much better options out there, and those sects would not refuse someone as ridiculously talented as him even in a million years, yet he decided toe to the Dragon Essence Temple, even going through the effort of participating in the disciple examination.

    Meanwhile, Yuan continued to y magical beasts for points without a care in the world.

    After a few more hours, Yuan finally managed to amass a total of 1,000 points, bing the first participant to reach 1,000 points in many decades.

    ¡¯What else can one expect? It¡¯s like throwing a tiger into a chicken pen!¡¯ The Sect Elder watching Yuan wasn¡¯t even surprised that he¡¯d obtained 1,000 points. In fact, he expected nothing less from Yuan!

    A few momentster, the Sect Elder watching Yuan decided to approach him and said, "Congrattions, young man. You have managed to collect 1,000 points, being the first person in 69 years to have achieved this!" The Sect Elder congratted him.

    "Thank you. Do I get my special jade slip now?" Yuan asked.

    "Of course. Here you go." The Sect Elder then handed to Yuan a blue-colored jade slip.

    And then he continued, "The gate is to the north that way."

    Once Yuan left the scene, the Sect Elder took a seat on the floor with an exhausted expression on his face.

    "I have never felt so tired in my life, and I haven¡¯t even done anything significant. However, I am more mentally exhausted than physically, so..."

    Sometimeter, Yuan reached the gate to the next test. However, he didn¡¯t immediately enter it.

    Instead, he logged off to cultivate until Yu Rou entered his room with dinner.

    "How was the examination, brother?" Yu Rou asked him as she wiped his body.

    "Was it difficult?"

    "It¡¯s actually pretty easy. But I have only experienced two tests, so I cannot say anything for the rest of the exams. In fact, I don¡¯t even know how many exams I have to pass before I be a disciple," Yuan said.

    "Is that so? Want to tell me about it?"

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    "Of course," Yuan said, and he proceeded to tell her about the first exam and then the second exam.

    "Haha... You make it sound so easy, but I bet it¡¯s actually very difficult for the others." Yu Rou chuckled.

    Sometimeter, after dinner, Yu Rou returned to her own room whilst Yuan returned to the cultivation world to continue with the exam.

    After entering the gate to the third test, Yuan found himself before a veryrge pond with silver-colored water and a silver tree towards the end of the pond. Furthermore, there were already over a hundred people waiting near the silver pond.

    "What is this?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    "Wee to the third test." A young man wearing regr disciple robes suddenly greeted Yuan.

    "Hello. What do I have to do for this test?" Yuan asked him.

    "It¡¯s very simple. You just enter the pond and walk towards the silver tree. The further you go, the better the results. However, you only need to take 20 steps in order to pass this exam." The disciple exined to him.

    "Twenty steps...?" Yuan became even more puzzled after the exnation. What kind of weird exam was this?

    Seeing Yuan¡¯s puzzled eyes behind the ck mask, the disciple continued, "This pond is no ordinary pond¡ª it¡¯s a profound treasure that tests ones¡¯ talent, and the further you can go, the more talented you are."

    "Normal Cultivators would only be able to take around 10 steps before they are unable to move forward. Meanwhile, talented Cultivators should have no problem taking over 20 steps. If you can take 50 steps, you are considered a peak Cultivation genius, but only one or two people would achieve that every ten years."

    "I see..." Yuan nodded as he finally understood the meaning behind this test, and he asked a momentter, "What happens if one reaches the tree in the back?"

    The disciple looked at Yuan with a dazed face beforeughing out loud, "It takes 100 steps to reach the silver tree, but there has only been one person in our sect¡¯s history that has managed to reach the silver tree, and that person is the Dragon Essence Temple¡¯s Founder, who had passed away over a hundred thousand years ago."

    "A hundred thousand years ago..." Yuan mumbled in a dazed voice.

    "Oh, I have one more question. How many steps do I need to take to obtain the special jade slip from this test?" Yuan then asked.

    "The special jade slip? That requires you to take 75 steps if I recall correctly." The disciple said.

    "Okay, thank you," Yuan said before joining the other participants.

 Chapter 102 Fifty Steps

    After joining the other participants near the silver pond, Yuan watched as the participants walked on the silver water one by one.

    The person currently taking this test was a young man who just took his 13th step towards the silver tree. However, this young man¡¯s face was soaked in sweat, looking as though he had just run a marathon or had been sshed in the face with a bucket of water.

    "Ahhhh!"

    The young man suddenly began shouting while lifting his leg slowly, looking as though he was really struggling to take another step.

    Ssh!

    The young man fell a few secondster, falling directly on top of the silver water without submerging into the water like one would have expected.

    "13 steps... failed." The Sect Elder standing next to the silver pond said after the young man fell down.

    The Sect Elder then waved his sleeves, using his spiritual energy to pull the participant back to where the other participants were gathered before speaking out loud, "Next!"

    A momentter, a youngdy stepped forward and bowed to the Sect Elder before turning to stare at the silver pond and the tree.

    After taking a deep breath, she took her first step into the silver liquid and towards the silver tree.

    Tap... Tap... Tap...

    The silver water rippled with every step the youngdy took.

    A few momentster, the youngdy took her 19th step.

    On her twentieth step, although she struggled a little bit, she still managed to take the 20th step, passing the exam. However, the youngdy did not stop despite already passing the exam and continued to push herself for a few more steps.

    In the end, the youngdy managed to achieve 23 steps for the exam.

    "You have passed. You may enter the gate now and proceed to your final test." The Sect Elder said to the youngdy, who bowed to him before leaving the test area.

    ¡¯So there is only one more test after this one, huh. I wonder what kind of test it is...¡¯ Yuan pondered to himself as he continued to watch the participants challenge the test one by one.

    About half an hourter, a youngdy with long ck hair and a pair of sharp eyes stepped forward to challenge the silver water. However, unlike the previous participants, this youngdy attracted the attention of every individual there with her beauty and the domineering aura around her.

    "It¡¯s finally Fairy Min¡¯s turn! I wonder how many steps the genius of the Min Family is going to take!"

    "Hahaha, of course, she¡¯s going to take 50 steps easily!"

    "Good luck, Fairy Min!"

    The participants there spoke and cheered for her as though they were very familiar with this beautifuldy¡¯s identity, and even the Sect Elder foreseeing the test gave her an approving nod.

    A few momentster, once the atmosphere calmed down and the participants were quiet, the youngdy known as Fairy Min took her first step into the silver pond.

    One step, two steps, three steps.

    Fairy Min easily traveled over ten steps without any effort and with her every movement filled with confidence and arrogance.

    Eleven steps, twelve steps, thirteen steps.

    Fairy Min took her twentieth step as effortlessly as she did the previous ten without breaking a single sweat on her body.

    "As expected of Fairy Min! She might even reach 75 steps at this rate!"

    The other participants were incredibly excited for Fairy Min, feeling as though they were in her shoes.

    A few more momentster, Fairy Min took her thirtieth step, surpassing every participant that had taken this test thus far.

    A few more momentster, she took her fortieth step.

    However, after taking her fortieth step, Fairy Min did not immediately take her next step and instead stood still for a minute to catch her breath.

    Almost a minuteter, Fairy Min finally challenged the silver pond with her 41st step.

    Ssh!

    A powerful ripple appeared in the pond as Fairy Min took her 41st step.

    After her 41st step, Fairy Min stopped for another minute before taking the next step, and she would continue this until she took her 47th step.

    "Haaa... haaa... haaa..." Fairy Min panted heavily with sweat dripping down her face as she took her 48th step.

    Ssh!

    Another ripple appeared in the silver pond after she took her 48th step.

    After resting for a minute, Fairy Min attempted her 49th step.

    "Ha!"

    Fairy Min suddenly shouted out loud as she took her 49th step, and without taking another break, she went straight for the 50th step.

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    Boom!

    The entire silver pond trembled after Fairy Min took her 50th step.

    Fairy Min wanted to take another step, but s, she knew that her body would not be able to endure another step, so she turned around and returned to the Sect Elder.

    "Congrattions, Min Li from the Min Family¡ª you are the first person in thest 7 years to have walked 50 steps for this test." The Sect Elder congratted her upon her return.

    "Thank you, Senior..." Min Li nodded her head, yet she appeared to be disappointed by her results.

    "You may proceed onto the final test." The Sect Elder then said to her.

    Min Li nodded, and she walked to the gate. However, she stopped walking after she reached the front of the gate and turned around to stare in the direction of the other participants with a profound gaze, or more specifically, she was staring at the figure wearing a ck jade mask, who was emitting a profound and mysterious aura.

    After staring at Yuan for a moment, she turned around and stepped into the gate, disappearing from the test area.

    Once Min Li left the scene, the other participants returned to being silent, and the test continued as usual.

    Many minutester, it was finally Yuan¡¯s turn, and he stepped forward.

    "Why is he wearing a mask? What an odd fellow." The participants mumbled to themselves after seeing Yuan¡¯s appearance.

    However, when the Sect Elder saw Yuan, his eyes widened in shock like the other Sect Elders.

    ¡¯Fifth level Spirit Warrior!¡¯ he cried inwardly.

 Chapter 103 The Final Step

    ¡¯What the hell is a Cultivator at the fifth level Spirit Warrior realm doing here?! Even Min Li from the Min Family was only at the peak of the Spirit Apprentice realm!¡¯ The Sect Elder was greatly baffled by Yuan¡¯s unusual and overwhelming presence in the exam.

    And since most of the other participants there were between the third level and seventh level Spirit Apprentice realm, they weren¡¯t even able to see Yuan¡¯s real cultivation base.

    "Just to confirm, I just have to walk to that silver tree, correct?" Yuan asked the Sect Elder, snapping him out of his daze.

    "T-That¡¯s correct! As long as you can take 20 steps, you will pass this exam."

    Yuan nodded his head, and he proceeded to take his first step into the silver pond.

    ¡¯What kind of results will he have? Although he¡¯s already at the fifth level Spirit Warrior realm, this test doesn¡¯t care for one¡¯s achievements, only their raw talents!¡¯ The Sect Elder watched Yuan with interest and curiosity, even a little bit of excitement, wondering what kind of results he would show them.

    Meanwhile, Yuan just took his first step into the silver pond.

    ¡¯This feels like I am walking on a mattress filled with water or something like that...¡¯ Yuan thought to himself as his feet touched the silver liquid that supported his weight.

    After taking his first step, Yuan took his second step, then a third, and then a fourth¡ª until he took his 20th step.

    "Who is that man? He managed to take 20 steps effortlessly like Fairy Min!"

    "He¡¯s blocking his face so we can¡¯t tell!"

    The participants were surprised to see a nobody casually taking 20 steps as though he was taking a stroll in the park.

    Meanwhile, Yuan continued walking towards the silver tree with a calm expression on his face behind the mask.

    21... 22... 23...

    28... 29... 30...

    After taking his thirtieth step, Yuan did not stop and continued approaching the silver tree.

    "Heavens! He¡¯s already taking his 35th step! And he did it without taking a single break!"

    "Could this man be another genius at Fairy Min¡¯s level?!"

    "Haha, I doubt it. Fairy Min is a real Cultivation genius! Although 15 steps may appear very little, the gap is actually immense¡ª like heaven and earth!"

    "I am willing to bet that he¡¯ll stop before 40 steps!"

    "I bet that he¡¯ll reach 45 steps at most!"

    While the participants began betting with each other for the results, Yuan continued walking towards the silver tree.

    A few momentster, Yuan reached 45 steps without feeling any resistance or breaking a sweat.

    After taking a few more steps, Yuan achieved 50 steps, rivaling Fairy Min¡¯s results.

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    "Good lord! First, we have Fairy Min who became the first person to achieve 50 steps in thest 7 years, now we have this mysterious man who also achieved 50 steps on the same day! To have two people achieving 50 steps so close to each other¡ª this is unprecedented!"

    However, as the participants there trembled in excitement, Yuan continued to move forward.

    "He¡¯s still going!"

    51...52...53...54...55...

    Boom!

    The silver pond trembled the moment Yuan took his 60th step.

    ¡¯I still don¡¯t feel any different... Is there something wrong?¡¯ Yuan raised his eyebrows when nothing happened after taking 60 steps whilst the other participants began struggling much sooner.

    However, since he didn¡¯t feel anything, Yuan continued to walk.

    A few momentster, he took his 75th step, shocking the participants and the Sect Elder.

    "75 steps! He managed to take 75 steps! This man is a real prodigy!"

    The participants stared at Yuan with gawking expressions.

    "One thousand years... It¡¯s been over 1,000 years since someone has taken 75 steps in the Pond of Evaluation..." The Sect Elder mumbled in a dazed voice.

    However, Yuan was not done yet, as he still felt no resistance or challenge from the silver ponder, almost like the silver pond was purposefully going easy on him, and after taking the 75th step, he continued moving towards the silver tree towards the end.

    "He¡¯s going for the silver tree! He might actually do it!"

    "75 steps is already impressive enough! Does he really think he can take 100 steps and reach the silver tree that has only been achieved by one person in history¡ª the founder of the Dragon Essence Temple?!"

    "He only has 25 steps left to reach the silver tree, but every single step will feel as though he¡¯s trying to leap over an entire sea, and it will only grow increasingly more difficult as he gets closer to the tree!"

    "I am willing to bet that he won¡¯t make it past 90 steps!"

    "I bet 100 gold he¡¯ll stop at 80 steps!"

    "50 gold he¡¯ll make it past 90 steps!"

    "I will bet 10 gold he¡¯ll actually make it to the silver tree!"

    While the participants began another gambling session on whether the results, Yuan continued to approach the silver tree with slow but calm steps, still feeling no pressure whatsoever.

    ¡¯This is probably the easiest test in this exam...¡¯ Yuan thought to himself as he took his 90th step.

    "90 steps! He only has 10 more to go before he bes the second person in history to reach the silver tree!"

    Everybody there watched with a nervous feeling in their guts, feeling as though they were in Yuan¡¯s shoes.

    91 steps... 92 steps... 93 steps...

    Every single step Yuan took after the 90th step would cause the entire ce to tremble, and on his 95th step, the silver tree at the end of the pond began glowing brightly.

    "W-What is happening?!" The Sect Elder took a few steps back from shock, his gaze filled with disbelief.

    However, Yuan ignored the glowing tree and continued to walk.

    96...97...98 steps!

    On Yuan¡¯s 98th step, the silver tree began cracking with a subtle golden lighting from within the cracks.

    After Yuan took his 99th step, the cracks grew evenrger, and the entire tree was filled with these cracks.

    "The final step..." Yuan mumbled as he took his 100th step, leaving the silver water and stepping onto thend that hosted the silver tree.

    Boom!

    The moment Yuan finished all 100 steps, the silver tree suddenly exploded, transforming into a golden tree, baffling everyone in the test room!

 Chapter 104 Talent That Rivals Their Founder

    "H-H-He really did it! He really managed to take 100 steps and reach the silver tree!"

    The Sect Elders watching the examination from afar were all shocked speechless by Yuan¡¯s wless performance.

    "What happened to the silver tree, though? Why did it turn golden? This didn¡¯t happen before even when the founder achieved 100 steps¡ª at least it was not recorded!"

    "Forget about the tree! We have another prodigy who rivals our founder in terms of talents! We must let the Sect Master and the Grand Elders know about this as soon as possible! We cannot let such a talent leave our grasp!"

    The Sect Elders there then scrambled outside to look for the Sect Master and Grand Elders.

    Meanwhile, back at the examination hall, after crossing the silver pond and reaching the silver tree that had suddenly turned into a golden tree, Yuan calmly walked back to the other participants before approaching the Sect Elder.

    "I only need to take 75 steps to receive the special jade slip, correct?" Yuan asked the Sect Elder, not even caring about his achievement of 100 steps that put him on the same level as their founder.

    "T-T-That¡¯s correct..." The Sect Elder nearly forgot how to speak after experiencing this shocking event.

    After panicking for a few moments, the Sect Elder finally managed to retrieve a white-colored jade slip and handed it to Yuan with trembling hands.

    "H-Here you go..." The Sect Elder lowered his body and offered the special jade slip to Yuan, acting almost like a servant before his lord.

    "Thank you," Yuan epted the white-colored jade slip before tossing it into his spatial ring with the rest of the special jade slips.

    After storing away the white-colored jade slip, Yuan turned to the gate and began walking towards it.

    "W-Wait a second! Where are you going?" The Sect Elder suddenly stopped him.

    "Huh? Didn¡¯t I pass this test?" Yuan responded in a dumbfounded voice. Since he passed this test, he was obviously going to the next test.

    "You¡¯re going to take the next test? That won¡¯t be necessary." The Sect Elder shook his head and continued, "You are the only person besides the Founder of the Dragon Essence Temple to have achieved 100 steps in this ce, meaning your talents rival our Founder. There¡¯s no longer any need for you to participate in the next test because you will be epted into the sect regardless of the results."

    "I don¡¯t need to take the next test...?" Yuan raised his eyebrows. How else is he going to obtain the final special jade slip and enter the Dragon Temple?

    After a moment of silence, Yuan spoke, "Even if I pass now, I would still like to participate in the final test. After all, I have alreadye this far. It wouldn¡¯t feel good if I stopped here without finishing it. Furthermore, I am doing this mostly for the experience, and I don¡¯t want to lose that feeling."

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    "Doing this for the experience...?" The Sect Elder looked at Yuan with a surprised expression on his face.

    However, after pondering for a moment, he found sense in Yuan¡¯s words. After all, nobody at the fifth level Spirit Warrior realm would willingly waste their time in this ce unless they were doing it for another purpose.

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    ¡¯Perhaps he¡¯s a Young Master from a very powerful family that¡¯s currently on a journey for training? That would make sense as to why he has to hide his identity and why he¡¯s participating in this disciple examination.¡¯ The Sect Elder thought to himself.

    "If you insist on continuing with the examination, go ahead. I won¡¯t stop you if that¡¯s what you really want. Just remember that no matter the results, you¡¯ll still be qualified to be a disciple at our Dragon Essence Temple." The Sect Elder reminded Yuan before letting him go.

    "Thank you," Yuan nodded his head, and he proceeded onto the next test shortlyter.

    Meanwhile, somewhere within the Dragon Essence Temple, the Sect Master and the Grand Elders gathered at the spectators¡¯ room, where the other Sect Elders have been watching the disciple examination.

    "Are you sure? That someone from the examination managed to cross the Pond of Evaluation and achieve 100 steps, even making the silver tree turn golden?" The Sect Master of the Dragon Essence Temple, Long Yijun, asked the Sect Elders there with a serious expression on his face.

    "Take a look for yourself, Sect Master. The golden tree."

    The Sect Elders pointed at the treasure that projected the area for the third exam, and there was a golden tree clearly in the projection.

    "Hmm..." Long Yijun became silent and began pondering with a deep frown on his face.

    "This participant... What¡¯s his name?"

    An old man with short white hair and a short beard suddenly asked.

    The Sect Elders turned to look at the Grand Elder who just spoke, and one of them said, "He called himself ¡¯Yuan¡¯, but we¡¯re not sure whether that¡¯s his surname or given name. Furthermore, he¡¯s already at the fifth level Spirit Warrior realm."

    "Huh? His name is Yuan? And he¡¯s a fifth level Spirit Warrior?" The old man looked at the Sect Elders with a dazed face.

    "Is there something wrong, Elder Xuan?" Long Yijun noticed his odd reaction and asked him.

    After a moment of silence, Elder Xuan suddenly burst outughing for a good minute before speaking, "There¡¯s no need to investigate this individual. I know him."

    "What? You know this man?"

    Everybody in the room looked at him with a surprised look on their faces.

    Elder Xuan nodded and said, "Yes, he¡¯s my granddaughter¡ª Xuan Wuhan¡¯s friend. She sent me a message not long ago about someone very talented and by the name of Yuan who might visit our Dragon Essence Temple in the future and to treat him well."

    "Core Disciple Xuan¡¯s friend?"

    The Sect Elders didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry after hearing this news, as they had spent the entire day scrambling their heads trying to figure out Yuan¡¯s identity and whether or not he was a spy only to find out that he was rted to the Xuan Family.

 Chapter 105 The Last Tes

    "Now that we know this cultivation prodigy¡¯s identity, what should we do, Sect Master?" One of the sect elders suddenly asked him.

    "What do you think, Elder Xuan?" Long Yijun turned to look at him for advice. "Since he¡¯s technically yours, what do you want to do with him?"

    Elder Xuan shrugged and said, "How am I supposed to know? I don¡¯t even know his intentions foring here! We can decide where to go once I have a little conversation with this young man."

    And then he continued, "In the meantime, you should prepare to open the Dragon Temple, Sect Leader. I have a good feeling this youngd will obtain thest special jade slip from the final test and collect all of them, bing the first one to do so in 10,000 years."

    "The Dragon Temple, huh? It¡¯s been such a long time since someone qualified to enter that ce." Long Yijun smiled, and he continued, "Even if this young man doesn¡¯t manage to obtain thest special jade slip, I¡¯ll still let him enter the Dragon Temple, as that is most likely what our Founder would want to happen if he were still here today."

    After a moment of silence, Long Yijun suddenly said, "Although this might be near impossible and a very difficult task to achieve, I want everything that is rted to the young man named Yuan to be hidden from the public. I don¡¯t want the other sects to know about his existence for now, but when they do, it¡¯ll be a pleasant surprise for them."

    "A pleasant surprise...? Are you thinking about letting him participate in the Mystic Realm next month?" Elder Xuan looked at Long Yijun with a surprised look on his face. "He¡¯ll only be a disciple for a month at that time whilst the other disciples participating will all be Core Disciples. I cannot imagine the Core Disciples being very happy about a nobody who just joined the sect recently taking up one of their spots so suddenly when they are working themselves to the bone to obtain a spot, and there are very few spots avable, which makes this situation even more sensitive."

    "So what if the Core Disciples will be unhappy? If they are unhappy, they can go ahead and try to achieve 100 steps in the Pond of Evaluation! Even if theyin, the cultivation world favors those with talent, so they have no right toin unless they are more talented than him!" Long Yijun spoke in a stern voice.

    The sect elders in the room exchanged looks with each other. While they do not reject having someone as talented as Yuan take up a slot for the Mystic Realm, they don¡¯t know whether they should or should not let their disciples know about this, as their disciples were also Core Disciples trying to obtain a slot for the Mystic Realm.

    Long Yijun noticed the perplexed expressions on the sect elders¡¯ faces, and he spoke, "Even if they are your disciples, it¡¯s best to leave them in the dark for now, as it might affect their cultivation negatively. The Dragon Essence Sect was only given 3 slots for the Mystic Realm, and with Yuan taking one of these slots, only two other Core Disciples will participate in the Mystic Realm. Though, you can tell them that we have already given one of the slots to a disciple¡ª just not his identity."

    "Yes, Sect Master." The sect elders acknowledged his orders.

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    "Now, let¡¯s see how this cultivation genius will do in the final test. Will he continue to surprise us, or will he do the opposite?"

    Long Yijun and the other sect elders proceeded to spectate Yuan with the treasure.

    Meanwhile, Yuan had just walked through the gate and entered the area for the final test; it was arge but empty room with a tall stone tablet located a few meters away in the center of the room.

    The stone tablet resembled the stone tablets he saw in the Flying Sword Sect that were used to rank the disciples, but there were no names on this one¡ª onlyplex symbols that somewhat looked like words.

    "Congrattions on passing the previous three exams and reaching the final exam." A young woman with a very pretty face that had been waiting in the room said to Yuan after noticing his presence.

    "This is the final test? Where are the other participants?" Yuan asked when he couldn¡¯t see anybody else there.

    "The final exam is a bit special and requires absolute peace and concentration, so everybody will have their own room for the rest of the test," said the young woman.

    "My name¡¯s Xue Jiye, and I will be overseeing this test."

    "Before we begin, allow me to exin to you how this exam works and what you need to do in order to pass it."

    Xue Jiye then pointed towards the tall stone tablet and said, "That stone tablet contains many cultivation techniques from our Dragon Essence Temple, and your goal is to study it and try toprehend whatever technique it shows you. As for the technique it will be showing you, it will change depending on your test results from the previous exams. Therefore, the better your results from the previous exams, the more powerful and unique the cultivation technique the stone tablet will show you."

    "As for the condition to pass this exam, you¡¯ll need to understand at least 10% of the cultivation technique. Do you have any questions?" Xue Jiye ended her sentence with a question.

    "I need toprehend 10% in order to pass, huh? What about the special jade slip? How much of the cultivation technique do I have toprehend in order to obtain the special jade slip?" Yuan asked.

    "The special jade slip...?" Xue Jiye raised her eyebrows. This is her first time being asked about the special jade slip since she first started overseeing the participants, and it has been two years since then.

 Chapter 106 Tablet of Comprehension

    After a moment of silence, Xue Jiye responded to Yuan¡¯s question regarding the special jade slip, "In order to obtain the special jade slip, you mustprehend at least 70 percent of the cultivation technique. Furthermore, you have only 7 days to study the stone tablet."

    "Of course, the better your results, the better cultivation technique you¡¯ll get to learn, but that also means you¡¯ll need much longer to understand the technique, as stronger cultivation techniques are more often than not moreplex and profound. However, no matter what cultivation technique the stone tablet gives you, the requirements are the same."

    "I understand," Yuan nodded.

    "Good. Do you have any more questions? If you do not, you may begin the test. The moment the Tablet of Comprehension reveals your cultivation technique is the moment your timer begins." she asked him.

    "How do I know how much of the cultivation technique I haveprehended in the end?" Yuan asked her.

    "The Tablet of Comprehension will let us know the results by the light it emits. A white glow means you haveprehended 10 percent of the cultivation technique which is required for you to pass this test. A green glow means you have understood 25 percent of the technique. It will glow an azure-colored light past 50 percent and a red light at 70 percent. At 80 percent, the stone tablet will emit a ck light, and 90 percent will emit a golden light."

    "What about 100 percent?" Yuan asked her out of curiosity.

    "100 percent? That has never happened before so I don¡¯t know. In fact, nobody knows what will happen¡ª not even the Founder who only managed toprehend 90 percent in seven days." Xue Jiye shook her head.

    Sometimeter, Yuan walked to the tall stone tablet and stood before it.

    "It¡¯s assessing your results and picking the perfect technique for you so give it a few minutes," Xue Jiye said to him as she pulled out a chair from her spatial ring before sitting down and watching him with a nonchnt expression on her face.

    ¡¯Hm? Wait a second... This guy... This guy is a fifth level Spirit Warrior?! His cultivation is even higher than mine¡ª two levels higher!¡¯ Xue Jiye was shocked when she realized Yuan¡¯s cultivation base.

    ¡¯Just how old is this guy? His voice sounded very young¡ª even younger than me!¡¯ Xue Jiye cried inwardly.

    Meanwhile, in the spectators¡¯ room, the sect elders there started to gamble with each other.

    "I am betting 100 contribution points that he¡¯ll achieve 50 percent understanding in 7 days!"

    "I will bet 50 contribution points that he will reach 70 percent!"

    "Since you guys are favoring him so much, I shall do the opposite! 100 contribution points that he¡¯ll reach less than 50 percent!"

    "One thousand contribution points that he¡¯ll reach 90 percent." Long Yijun suddenly joined the fun, dumbfounding the sect elders.

    "1,000 contribution points? That¡¯s ten years¡¯ worth of contribution points!" The sect elders eximed.

    "How about you, Elder Xuan? Wanna make a bet? Whoever guesses correctly will obtain all contribution points ced in this bet."

    "Hmm..." Elder Xuan looked at Yuan¡¯s figure from the treasure for a moment before speaking, "Then I shall bid 500 contribution points that he¡¯ll be the first person in history to reach 100 percent understanding."

    "What? 100 percent?"

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    Everybody in the room looked at him with wide eyes.

    "Aren¡¯t you giving him too much credit, Elder Xuan? Although his talent is definitely on par with the Founder¡¯s talent, even the Founder could only reach 90 percent after 7 days. Furthermore, because of his excellent results from the previous tests, one can only imagine what kind of technique he¡¯ll get, but one thing is for sure, and that is the technique won¡¯t be a weak one."

    Long Yijun also chimed in, "I agree with Elder Xin. With his results, he¡¯ll get to learn at least an Earth-grade if not a Heaven-grade cultivation technique from the Tablet of Comprehension. I don¡¯t know about you, but I have never seen or heard of anyone that can fullyprehend an Earth-grade technique within 7 days, much less a Heaven-grade."

    "Well, it wouldn¡¯t be a gamble if I don¡¯t go against the odds, right?" Elder Xuanughed.

    "Anyway, what is the most powerful cultivation technique the Tablet of Comprehension can reveal? The highest grade I have seen so far is at the Earth-grade, which happened 300 years ago."

    Hearing Elder Xuan¡¯s question, Long Yijun said, "ording to the Dragon Essence Temple¡¯s record, since the sect¡¯s founding, there have only been three people who received a cultivation technique above the Earth-grade from the stone tablet, and they were all at the Heaven-grade."

    "However, as for the Founder... Although nobody knows what kind of technique he¡¯d received, it was rumored to be a Divine-grade technique."

    "A Divine-grade technique, huh?" Elder Xuan mumbled with a profound expression on his face.

    Meanwhile, Yuan stood before the Tablet of Comprehension without moving a muscle, patiently waiting for it to reveal his cultivation technique.

    About ten minutester, Yuan¡¯s eyebrows suddenly twitched, as he could see lines that became symbols appearing on the Tablet of Comprehension.

    "The Tablet of Comprehension has picked your cultivation technique! Your time starts now! Remember, you only have 7 days toprehend as much of the technique as you can!" Xue Jiye said to him after seeing this.

    Yuan immediately sat down in the lotus position and proceeded to stare at the stone tablet with an intensive gaze, looking as though he was trying to stare a hole in the stone tablet.

    A few more minutester, the symbols stopped appearing on the stone tablet.

    Although he couldn¡¯t understand the symbols at first, after staring at the stone tablet for a few minutes, the symbols actually began moving and formed a picture! However, only Yuan was able to see this change on the stone tablet, whilst Xue Jiye and the others could only see a wall of still symbols!

    "Dragon¡¯s Gaze?" Yuan suddenly mumbled these two words after staring at the picture that resembled an eyeball for many minutes with a seemingly mesmerized look on his face.

    At the same moment Yuan learned of the technique¡¯s name, the stone tablet emitted a white glow, shocking Xue Jiye, and the others.

    ¡¯Impossible! Only fifteen minutes have passed since he sat down!¡¯ Xue Jiye immediately stood up from shock after seeing this white glow, indicating that Yuan has already understood 10 percent of the technique!

 Chapter 107 Dragonâ€™s Gaze

    "What! How is that possible?! Am I just seeing things or is the Tablet of Comprehension emitting a white glow already?! It hasn¡¯t even been half an hour since he sat down!"

    The sect elders inside the spectators¡¯ room quickly became morous after seeing the Tablet of Comprehension glowing.

    "This young man..." Long Yijun stared at the glowing stone tablet with a dazed look on his face.

    "This Yuan is the definition of a true cultivation genius," Elder Xuan said with a smile on his face.

    Meanwhile, inside the examination room, Xue Jiye stood there with a bewildered expression on her beautiful face, looking like she¡¯d just seen a ghost.

    ¡¯Impossible! How did heprehend 10 percent of the technique already?! Even if it¡¯s a weak cultivation technique, he shouldn¡¯t be able to learn it so quickly!¡¯ she cried inwardly.

    As for Yuan, he continued to stare at the symbols that formed an eyeball¡ª ring back at it with a piercing gaze.

    The eyeball on the stone tablet grew more realistic and lively the longer Yuan stared at it, almost as though it wasing to life, and after ring at it for an hour, Yuan could see colors appearing on the stone tablet and coloring therge eyeball.

    Once the entire eyeball was colored in a golden and amber color, the Tablet of Comprehension began emitting a green light, indicating that Yuan hadprehended at least 25 percent of the cultivation technique.

    ¡¯My god! He¡¯s already at 25 percentprehension!¡¯ Xue Jiye quickly covered her mouth when she suddenly felt the urge to scream out loud.

    "25 percent! He¡¯s already at 25 percent!"

    As for the people watching from the spectators¡¯ room, without needing to worry about interrupting Yuan¡¯s concentration, they shouted at the top of their lungs from excitement.

    "Hahaha! At this rate, he might reallyprehend the entire cultivation technique!" Elder Xuanughed out loud, and he continued, "And he might even do it in less than 7 days!"

    "Hmm..." Long Yijun remained silent and continued to stare at Yuan with a profound gaze.

    Another two hourster, the eyeball on the stone tablet changed for Yuan again, and this time, the eyeball appeared to be emerging from the stone tablet!

    Yuan was startled when he saw this change, but he didn¡¯t look away, as something about the eyeball kept his gaze attached, almost mesmerized.

    And although the eyeball looked incredibly realistic, if one looked closely, they would not be able to sense any life in it, so it felt no different from looking at a realistic art¡ª a masterpiece.

    However, as Yuan continued to stare into this eyeball for another hour, he began to feel a profound pressureing from it. Although it was only very slightly and barely noticeable at first, the longer he stared at it, the stronger the pressure became until it felt like he was being looked down upon by some superior entity, almost like a God looking at mortals from the Heavens.

    However, despite this intense pressure, Yuan did not back down and challenged the gaze.

    Boom!

    After staring at the eyeball for some time, the eyeball suddenly flickered with a golden light, and Yuan found himself floating in the middle of the void and surrounded by stars the next second with Xue Jiye and the stone tablet nowhere to be seen, almost like he¡¯d been teleported to the outer space.

    "What the?" Yuan looked around with a puzzled expression on his face.

    A few momentster, something caught his attention, causing him to turn around.

    "?!?!?!"

    When Yuan turned around and saw the massive creature flying behind him, his hair stood up straight like a cat when frightened or feeling threatened.

    ¡¯Is this... a dragon?!¡¯ Yuan cried inwardly as he recognized the shape of this creature from movies when he was a kid.

    However, this dragon was muchrger than he remembered. It hadrge golden eyes the size of an entire and a massive body that stretched to the horizon countless miles into the distance.

    Meanwhile, in the examination room, Xue Jiye noticed that Yuan had suddenly closed his eyes, seemingly asleep.

    Furthermore, the stone tablet was no longer glowing a green light, and it had once again changed colors.

    ¡¯Azure-colored light! He¡¯sprehended 50 percent of the technique!¡¯ Xue Jiye cried inwardly after seeing this change, falling down onto the chair behind her.

    In the spectators¡¯ room, the sect elders were no longer making noises. Instead, they silently stared at Yuan with a serious expression on their faces, pondering to themselves whether Yuan will really be able toprehend 100 percent of the technique within 7 days, as it was looking increasingly likely that he would every time the stone tablet changed colors.

    ¡¯It¡¯s only been 6 hours since he started studying the technique given by the Tablet of Comprehension and he has already managed toprehend over half of the entire technique. At this rate, he¡¯ll really be the first person in history to achieve 100 percentprehension, and he might do it in a single freaking day!¡¯ Long Yijun thought to himself.

    ¡¯Where on earth did you find such a monster, my dear granddaughter?¡¯ Elder Xuan showed a bittersweet smile on his face.

    Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.

    Meanwhile, back in Yuan¡¯s mind where the dragon existed, even though he was like a speck of dustpared to the dragon, Yuan continued to stare back at the massive dragon despite its terrifying presence and iprehensible size.

    "What is your name, human?"

    The dragon suddenly spoke to him.

    "Oh? You can speak?" Yuan was pleasantly surprised by this, and he continued, "My name is Yuan."

    "Yuan... You are the second person to have learned my Dragon¡¯s Gaze from the Tablet of Comprehension with the first one being a man named Long Chen. However, hisprehension abilities pale inparison to yours, as it took him over three days to reach this far whilst it took you only a few hours, and he was frozen from shock when he first saw me." The dragon spoke in a deep and profound voice that caused the stars in the surroundings to tremble.

 Chapter 108 Star-Destroying Gaze

    "Are you... Are you real?" Yuan suddenly asked the dragon.

    "No, I am a mere illusion created by the Tablet of Comprehension in this world. However, that is not to say I do not exist, as this is an illusion of my real-self. If you manage to reach the upper heavens then perhaps you will get to see the real me. And when that happens, don¡¯t think you¡¯ll be able to stand there as calmly as you are now." The Dragon spoke in an arrogant voice, sounding as though Yuan had somehow hurt its pride by not cowering in fear from its immense presence like any norm human should.

    "Anyway, enough yapping, human. This great one shall demonstrate to you the power of Dragon¡¯s Gaze." The Dragon turned to look at therge in the distance and continued, "Do you see that star? Before the Dragon¡¯s Gaze, it is no different than a little rock..."

    The Dragon¡¯s golden eyes suddenly flickered with a profound light before shooting out an invisible beam that flew straight at the in the distance.

    A secondter¡ª BOOM!

    The entire that was 10 timesrger than Earth exploded into countless fragments before disappearing into the darkness, and the shockwave created by the explosion was powerful enough to send Yuan flying tens of miles backward. Of course, before the Dragon¡¯s iprehensible size, it appeared as though Yuan never moved at all.

    "..." Yuan witnessed this mind-blowing scene with his jaw dropped and his eyes wide open from shock, as he has never seen anything this dramatic before.

    "That is the power of Dragon¡¯s Gaze at its maximum potential. In the beginning, you¡¯ll only be able to scare a few people with it, but once you understand the technique more, you¡¯ll be able to kill your enemies with a mere gaze!" The Dragon spoke afterward.

    "Killing people with just my gazes? That sounds incredibly powerful but also extremely dangerous at the same time..." Yuan mumbled in a dazed voice.

    "Anyway, can you do that again? I will need to see it a few more times before I can learn it," Yuan then said to the Dragon with an innocent expression on his face.

    "A few times? Hahahaha!"

    The Dragon suddenly exploded withughter, causing the entire starry sky to tremble, and Yuan felt his internal organs dancing around viciously. However, for some odd reason, it didn¡¯t hurt him at all.

    Once the Dragon stoppedughing a few momentster, it spoke in a serious voice, "Although yourprehension ability may be impressive, don¡¯t overestimate yourself, you mere human! The previous human had to watch the technique for hundreds of thousands of times before he could even begin to understand it! And only after watching for a few million more times did he finally understand the technique enough to use it!"

    N?velDrama.Org content.

    "A few million? But he only had seven days to study the technique, right? There¡¯s no way he could¡¯ve watched the technique so many times in such a short time!" Yuan expressed his doubts.

    "We are currently inside your mind, so time flows differently in here. You can stay in here for a few years if you wish and only a few hours will have passed in the outside world!" The Dragon said.

    "What? I can study the technique for a few years while I am here?" Yuan mumbled in a dazed voice.

    "Yes. However, your spirit and soul must also be strong enough to endure it because the longer you stay in here the more exhausting it will be for your body and mind, and you are only a Spirit Warrior whilst the previous human was already a Spirit Grandmaster when he came here."

    "At your level, you will be able to remain inside this space for a few weeks at most, which is only enough to witness a few thousand Dragon¡¯s Gaze."

    "A few thousand, huh? That should be more than enough," Yuan nodded with a calm expression on his face.

    "..."

    The Dragon stared at Yuan with its massive eyes narrowed after hearing his words. After a moment of silence, it spoke, "Since you are so confident that you can learn my Dragon¡¯s Gaze so easily, how about a little bet with me, human?"

    "A bet? But aren¡¯t you only an illusion?" Yuan said.

    "I may be an illusion but I still have some powers in here. Although I may not be able to physically help you, there are other things I can do here." The Dragon said.

    And it continued, "As for the bet... If you can learn my Dragon¡¯s Gaze before I demonstrate it a total of 10,000 times, I will consider it your win, and I shall give you something very special."

    "If you lose, well, there¡¯s really nothing you can do for me in here so you won¡¯t lose anything for losing the bet. Therefore, you can only gain something from this bet. How about it?"

    Since there was nothing to lose, Yuan nodded. "Okay, let¡¯s do it."

    "Good! Then watch closely, because I will be demonstrating my Dragon¡¯s Gaze without stopping now!"

    The Dragon then turned to look at another in the distance that had suddenly appeared out of thin air before using the Dragon¡¯s Gaze once again, obliterating the almost instantly.

    Whoosh! Yuan was pushed back a few miles again after the explosion, yet he did not blink and stared with an intensive gaze as the Dragon continued destroyings one at a time.

    Boom! Boom! Boom!

    The Dragon obliterated a dozen stars in just a few minutes, taking breaks only for a few breaths before its eyes shot out another star-destroying beam, and Yuan witnessed each and every single being obliterated without blinking his eyes.

    Very quickly a couple of days have passed inside his mind, and Yuan has witnessed the Dragon¡¯s Gaze almost a thousand times.

    Meanwhile, on the outside, the Tablet of Comprehension changed colors once again after a few hours of silence, turning bright red this time, shocking Xue Jiye and those in the spectators¡¯ room even more.

 Chapter 109 State of Enlightenmen

    "A red light! He¡¯sprehended the technique 70 percent now! And it¡¯s been only a few hours since heprehended 50 percent! Just how ridiculously talented is this guy?! He puts ¡¯fast learners¡¯ to shame with his learning speed!" Xue Jiye could no longer contain her voice and mumbled in a shocked voice.

    ¡¯I wonder what it looks like in the spectators¡¯ room right now... How are the sect elders reacting to this young man?¡¯ Xue Jiye pondered to herself.

    Meanwhile, in the spectators¡¯ room, everybody there turned to look at Elder Xuan with a profound expression on their faces, thinking to themselves how Elder Xuan will most likely win this gamble and obtain 20 years¡¯ worth of contribution points in a single bet.

    Back inside Yuan¡¯s mind, he continued watching the Dragon obliterate stars every few breaths until he could see the scene even if he closed his eyes and stopped watching.

    After spending a few more days inside this special space, Yuan¡¯s eyes suddenly turned golden, resembling that of the Dragon¡¯s eyes.

    When the Dragon noticed the change in Yuan¡¯s eyes, it was inwardly shocked by Yuan¡¯s progress.

    ¡¯This human has alreadyprehended the Dragon¡¯s Gaze to such an extent?! It¡¯s only been a week since we started!¡¯ The Dragon cried inwardly. ¡¯At this rate, I will really lose the bet! To think I, the Great One, would lose to a mere human! Even if it¡¯s only something as minor as losing a bet, it¡¯s still more than enough for me to lose face! Luckily for me, we are alone here and I am only an illusion, or the other Divine Beasts would surely turn me into aughing stock!¡¯

    "Why did you stop? Are you tired?" Yuan asked the Dragon when it suddenly stopped using the Dragon¡¯s Gaze to destroys, forcing him out of his trance and halting his progress briefly.

    "No... I am fine. I am only a mere illusion so I cannot experience exhaustion. Let¡¯s continue."

    The Dragon continued shooting invisible beams from its massive eyes that seemedrger than thes it was destroying a momentter, and Yuan returned to staring at the scene with a dazed expression on his face.

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    After watching for a few more hours, Yuan suddenly closed his eyes, yet he could still somehow see thes being destroyed by the Dragon.

    ¡¯Enlightenment! This human has entered the state of enlightenment!¡¯ The Dragon realized why Yuan suddenly closed his eyes, yet it did not stop destroying stars.

    Meanwhile, in the examination room, the Tablet of Comprehension began changing colors again.

    The red light grew darker and darker, until it was no longer red andpletely pitch ck, resembling the void.

    "80 percent?! He¡¯d just reached 70 percent an hour ago! Why did his progress suddenly increase so exponentially?!" Xue Jiye covered her mouth from shock.

    Even the sect elders in the spectators¡¯ room were puzzled by Yuan¡¯s results.

    "This... Could this be enlightenment?" One of the sect elders asked in a weird tone, sounding as though he was doubting himself. However, Yuan experiencing enlightenment was the only logical exnation for the sudden change.

    Of course, enlightenments are incredibly rare moments that most Cultivators can live even their entire life without experiencing it a single time.

    Meanwhile, Yuan was already experiencing his second enlightenment. If the sect elders knew this, they would literally lose their minds, as none of them have experienced the state of enlightenment yet.

    A few more hours passed inside Yuan¡¯s mind, and he suddenly opened his eyes.

    The second Yuan opened his eyes, a profound ripple appeared around him and spread throughout the endless void, and his golden eyes were glowing brighter than ever before.

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    A notification also appeared before him a momentter.

    ?You have learned ¡¯Dragon¡¯s Gaze¡¯!?

    ?Rank: Ancient?

    ?Mastery Level: 1?

    ?Description: A technique created by the ¡¯Great One¡¯. A single gaze will cause Immortals to bow and the Heavens to tremble in fear!?

    ¡¯Ancient-rank?¡¯ Yuan raised an eyebrow at this unfamiliar rank.

    Meanwhile, in the outside world, an announcement appeared for all yers to witness.

    ?yer Yuan has be the world¡¯s first yer to have learned an Ancient-rank skill! Congrattions!?

    This announcement dumbfounded and shocked every yer in every location across the world.

    The yers were dumbfounded because they have never heard of an ¡¯Ancient-rank¡¯ skill before until today and shocked because yer Yuan made yet another appearance.

    Meanwhile, inside the Dragon Essence Temple, the sect elders within the spectators¡¯ room were shaking from excitement when the Tablet of Comprehension suddenly changed colors, turning into a beautiful and majestic golden light!

    "He did it! 90 percentprehension! He has reached the Founder¡¯s results! And he did it in less than one day!" The sect elders rejoiced as though they were watching their own child.

    "Just 10 more percent and he¡¯ll make history... However, oveing thesest 10 percent is like trying to reach the heavens; it won¡¯t be easy at all, and it¡¯ll probably be even harder to achieve than the previous 90 percent..." Long Yijun mumbled with a serious expression on his face.

    "Well, he still has six more days toprehend thest 10 percent. Even if he doesn¡¯t, he¡¯s already surpassed the Founder in terms of cultivation talent andprehension skills. We must nurture this young man and spare no expense on him no matter what," Elder Xuan spoke with a profound expression on his face.

    Back inside Yuan¡¯s mind, the Dragon stared at Yuan with a baffled gaze.

    "3,000... You have managed to learn Dragon¡¯s Gaze after watching it less than 3,000 times. Compared to the previous human, you are... No, it would be disrespectful to you if I were topare you to someone who needed years of effort to learn the technique while you did it in less than a week inside this space."

    "How strong is an Ancient-rank technique?" Yuan asked the Dragon afterward.

    "The Ancient-rank is one rank above the Divine-rank." The Dragon responded, and it continued, "However, even though it¡¯s only one rank higher, it¡¯s countless times stronger than any Divine-rank technique out there."

 Chapter 110 Seal of Approval

    "If youpare Ancient-rank techniques to Divine-rank, the difference is like heaven and earth or Immortals and mortals¡ª it¡¯s so vast that they¡¯re almost iparable." The Dragon said to Yuan.

    "However, it will also be much harder to train and master than Divine-rank techniques¡ª"

    The Dragon suddenly stopped talking halfway through its sentence and looked at Yuan with a weird gaze, and then it continued a momentter, "Well, knowing your talent, it¡¯ll probably be no different than a Divine-rank technique, and you¡¯ll master it incredibly fast."

    "Anyway, you have managed to surpass my expectations, broadened my views with yourprehension talents, and even won a bet against this Great One. Therefore, as promised, I shall now bestow you a special reward."

    The Dragon proceeded to close its eyes for a minute.

    Once the Dragon reopened its eyes, a golden beam of light shot out from its eyes and pierced straight into Yuan¡¯s forehead.

    "Whoa!"

    After watching the Dragon destroys with its gaze thousands of times, Yuan naturally responded to the golden beam by jolting his body in a startled manner, even feeling his heart skip a beat. However, when he realized that his body didn¡¯t explode like the stars, he released a sigh of relief.

    A few momentster, once the golden beam disappeared, another notification appeared before Yuan.

    ?You have received the Great One¡¯s Seal of Approval?

    "Seal of Approval...?" Yuan mumbled, feeling as though nothing about his body had changed after receiving the Seal of Approval.

    "What can I do with this seal?" Yuan asked the Dragon afterward.

    "With my Seal of Approval, you will have a chance to obtain my Legacy." The Dragon spoke in a calm voice.

    "Legacy...?" Yuan raised his eyebrows. Is it something like Xiao Hua¡¯s Legacy?

    The Dragon continued to speak a momentter, "Go to the Dragon Temple and find my statue. If you use Dragon¡¯s Gaze on the statue, it will activate a hidden formation, which will require the Seal of Approval to fully activate. As for whates afterward... you will have to go there and figure it out yourself."

    "If you manage to obtain my Legacy, find the real me that exists somewhere in the upper heavens and I will give you a few treasures that will make even powerful Immortals drool with envy. However, since I am merely an illusion in this ce, the real me won¡¯t recognize you, as we have never truly met before. But as long as you have the Seal of Approval and the Legacy, everything should be fine."

    "Do you have any questions, human... No, what is your name? You have earned my respect, so I shall address you as your name." The Dragon suddenly said to him.

    "Yuan. My name is Yuan," he responded.

    "Then do you have any questions for me, Yuan?"

    After pondering for a moment, Yuan asked, "I have heard the name Dragon Temple before but I don¡¯t know what it really is. Can you tell me a little bit about the ce? What kind of ce is the Dragon Temple?"

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    The Dragon nodded its massive head before speaking, "The Dragon Temple is a trial that was created by me... the real me countless years ago to challenge the geniuses in the Lower Heavens in hopes of finding someone who can inherit my Legacy. There are also some treasures that can be obtained from the Dragon Temple. The Tablet of Comprehension, for example, is a treasure that Long Chen had found in the Dragon Temple from a challenge."

    "Of course, the treasures within the Dragon Temple are worthlesspared to the real treasure¡ª my Legacy. If they manage to pass all of the challenges, obtain the Legacy, and find me in the upper heavens, I shall bestow to them unimaginable wealth and priceless treasures that even Immortals and Gods covet."

    "However, nobody has managed to find the Legacy to this day, much less obtain it. Perhaps you, Yuan, will be the first person to inherit my Legacy."

    Yuan nodded and said, "I will try."

    After a moment of silence, the Dragon spoke again, "Your body can endure a few more weeks in this space. Would you like to continue studying the technique?"

    "Yes, let¡¯s do this until I have to log off for dinner," Yuan said.

    "Dinner...?" The Dragon looked at Yuan with a puzzled gaze.

    Sometimeter, Yuan returned to watching the Dragon obliterating stars with the Dragon¡¯s Gaze, further increasing his understanding of the technique.

    Meanwhile, inside the spectators¡¯ room, the sect elders were in a small conversation.

    "The Tablet of Comprehension is glowing a golden light, meaning that he has reached at least 90 percentprehension of the technique. However, since we have never witnessed anyone achieving 100 percent, we won¡¯t be able to tell if he has trulyprehended 100 percent of the technique or not."

    "The only thing we can do is wait and see the results. Perhaps the color might change again, or something entirely different might happen. We can guess what might happen for as long as we want but without the results, we will never really know," Long Yijun said to them.

    The sect elders nodded, and they returned to staring at the stone tablet for even the slightest change.

    Time quickly passed for everyone including Yuan, who got so absorbed in watching the Dragon destroying stars that he¡¯d forgotten about the flow of time.

    Sometimeter in the real world, Yu Rou returned home from school and went straight to Yuan¡¯s room with haste, as yer Yuan¡¯s new achievement was being talked about even at her own school!

    However, when she entered his room and Yuan didn¡¯t greet her, she stopped to ponder.

    ¡¯Hmm? Brother would normally leave the game and wait for me before I even return. Is he still doing the disciple examination? He did learn an Ancient-rank skill today, so he might still be busy right now... I shouldn¡¯t disturb him even if he might miss dinner tonight...¡¯

    Afraid that she might identally ruin something for Yuan, Yu Rou decided to leave him alone until he decides to log off himself, and she left the room a few momentster to do other things.

 Chapter 111 Talents That Will Make Even the Heavens Jealous!

    After learning the Ancient-rank technique, Dragon¡¯s Gaze, Yuan remained inside the special space to further study the technique by watching the Great One continuously destroys, and because time flows differently in that space, not to mention his state of enlightenment, Yuan forgot about the passage of time and spent two more weeks within the special space without even realizing how much time had passed.

    Of course, only a little more than half a day had passed in the outside world, so besides missing dinner and breakfast, Yuan didn¡¯t really miss out too much.

    Ding!

    A system notification suddenly appeared before Yuan, snapping him out of his state of enlightenment.

    ?Yourprehension for Dragon¡¯s Gaze has reached a new level?

    ?Dragon¡¯s Gaze Mastery Level (1) ¡ú (2)?

    Dragon¡¯s Gaze

    Rank: Ancient

    Mastery Level: 2

    Description: A technique created by the ¡¯Great One¡¯. A single gaze will cause Immortals to bow and the Heavens to tremble in fear!

    The moment Yuan¡¯s Mastery Level increased, the Tablet of Comprehension outside began to tremble.

    When the sect elders noticed this, they eximed, "Something¡¯s going to happen!"

    A few secondster, the Tablet of Comprehension cracked like a mirror, and just like the silver tree from the third exam, it exploded into many pieces before revealing a golden tablet.

    "A golden tablet?! Is this what happens when oneprehends 100 percent of the technique?!" Long Yijun shouted out in sheer excitement.

    "He really did this! This young man really did it! He has achieved the impossible!"

    "Heavens! What just happened?!" Xue Jiye cried out loud when she saw this, yet she was too nervous to investigate it by herself.

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    Meanwhile, inside Yuan¡¯s mind.

    "HAHAHAHA!"

    The Dragon suddenly burst withughter, causing the entire universe to tremble, even shattering a fews by ident.

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    "You are truly one amusing human, Yuan! I have never seen a mortal withprehension abilities as ridiculous as yours¡ª not even in the upper heavens! Although there are many cultivation monsters in the upper heavens with heaven-sent talents, they are all Immortals and Gods, and you are the first Spirit Warrior that has managed to baffle me speechless in such a manner!"

    The Dragon praised Yuan, something it has never done before ever since its creation by the Tablet of Comprehension, and it continued speaking, "You have talents that will make even the Heavens jealous! However, having such immense talent is not always a good thing, as it can also be a misfortune in the cultivation world where everybody is either plotting or destroying one another, especially the envious humans who will do everything in their power to destroy those superior to them if they have the capabilities."

    "Only those with great talent and a powerful background will truly rise in the cultivation world, whilst everyone will require an immense amount of luck and skills to survive. I don¡¯t know your background, but with your talents, I can only imagine how many people will try to destroy you before you be too powerful to stop, especially since you are only a Spirit Warrior."

    "If I were you, I wouldn¡¯t reveal my true talents to everyone and remain as lowkey as possible."

    Yuan nodded, "I understand."

    "Anyway, you have only a few more days at most inside this space. What do you want to do?" The Dragon asked him a momentter.

    "Although not much time has passed in the real world, it still feels as though I had lived here for a few weeks, and I am beginning to miss my sister¡¯s voice, so I¡¯ll leave now," Yuan said.

    "Very well... I shall let you leave now."

    The Dragon¡¯s eyes began glowing. However, before teleporting Yuan away, the Dragon said, "I truly hope that you will obtain the Legacy and meet the real me in the upper heavens. Good luck, Yuan."

    A momentter, Yuan opened his eyes, and the first thing he noticed was the golden tablet standing majestically standing before him.

    ¡¯Huh?¡¯ Yuan raised his eyebrows, unaware why the stone tablet had suddenly turned golden.

    When Xue Jiye noticed that Yuan had finally opened his eyes after sitting there for almost 2 days, she called out to him, "Are you okay?!"

    "Hm?"

    Yuan turned around to look at the pretty youngdy that was approaching him,pletely unaware that his eyes were still glowing golden, resembling the eyes of Divine Beasts.

    "What is this feeling?!"

    When Xue Jiye looked into Yuan¡¯s golden eyes, she felt an indescribable sense of fear and despair that filled in her heart that caused her body to tremble.

    Thud!

    Xue Jiye fell on her butt the next second, and a weird sensation could be felting from between her legs before a warm sensation followed.

    "Ah! Don¡¯t look at me!" Xue Jiye quickly cried out loud with a flushed face and covered her face with her arms when she realized that she¡¯d identally pissed herself after looking into Yuan¡¯s eyes that were unknowingly using Dragon¡¯s Gaze.

    "Eh? Are you okay?"

    However, Yuan was still unaware that he was naturally using Dragon¡¯s Gaze and approached Xue Jiye with his golden eyes still glowing brightly.

    "Ahhh~!"

    Xue Jiye quickly realized that blocking Yuan from her views did not help her situation at all when she could still feel his piercing gaze even though she was not looking at him.

    "S-Stop! Are you doing this on purpose?! Stop looking at me and turn around!" Xue Jiye shouted in an angry voice.

    "Okay..."

    Although Yuan was puzzled as to why Xue Jiye was telling him to look away and why she sounded angry, he listened to her and turned around.

    A few momentster, a portal appeared a few meters away from Yuan, and a couple of figures walked out of the portal.

    "S-Sect Master! Grand Elder!" Xue Jiye was surprised to suddenly see their faces, but it was not too shocking, as Yuan¡¯s results were simply that ridiculous.

    "You can return to your living quarters for now, Disciple Xue. However, don¡¯t say a single word about what you saw here today. I will speak with youter," Long Yijun said to her with a serious expression on his face.

 Chapter 112 End of the Disciple Examination

    "Y-Yes, Sect Leader!" Xue Jiye quickly stood up before making her way towards the portal and disappearing from the scene, leaving behind a trail of glistening liquid and a small puddle of clear water.

    Once Xue Jiye left the ce, Long Yijun and Elder Xuan turned their attention to Yuan, but when they saw his golden eyes behind the ck jade mask, their bodies uncontrobly trembled from a dreadful feeling that made them feel as though they were standing before a powerful beast, almost like they were in a life-or-death situation.

    Despite their cultivation base as Spirit Masters, they felt helpless before a mere Spirit Warrior just from his gaze; it was an iprehensible feeling for the two experts.

    "Daoist Yuan... Can you do something about your eyes?" Long Yijun asked Yuan a momentter with a weird smile on his face.

    "My eyes? What about my eyes?" Yuan asked, still unaware that his Dragon¡¯s Gaze was active.

    "It¡¯s glowing golden, and it doesn¡¯t feelfortable being stared at by it," Long Yijun said.

    "Oh, I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t know it was active... No wonder why my eyes were feeling a little bit different than usual," Yuan closed his eyes and deactivated the skill.

    Because he¡¯d gotten used to keeping Dragon¡¯s Gaze activated inside the special space for many days without rest, it felt as natural as breathing, hence why he didn¡¯t notice it instantly.

    Once the golden eyes were gone, Long Yijun released a relieved sigh before speaking, "Hello, Yuan. My name is Long Yijun, and I am the current Sect Leader for the Dragon Essence Temple, and this over here is¡ª"

    Elder Xuan stepped forward and extended his arm for a handshake, "How are you doing, Yuan? My surname is Xuan, Xuan Zan."

    "Xuan...?" Yuan raised his eyebrows after hearing this familiar surname.

    "That¡¯s right. I am Xuan Wuhan¡¯s grandfather. She has already told me about you," Elder Xuan said.

    "Oh! So you¡¯re Xuan Wuhan¡¯s grandfather! She also told me toe see you if I evere to the Dragon Essence Temple!" Yuan shook his hand.

    "Yes. If you¡¯d came to me straight away, I could¡¯ve made you a disciple right away, and you wouldn¡¯t have needed to participate in this examination. With that being said, I am also relieved that you didn¡¯te to me first, or else we would¡¯ve never realized the full extent of your talents." Elder Xuan said with a smile on his face.

    Long Yijun suddenly began walking, and he stood before the golden tablet a momentter with his hands caressing the solid tablet with a mesmerizing look on his face.

    "Congrattions, Yuan... or should I call you Disciple Yuan now that you have passed the exam? Either way, you have achieved something nobody¡ª not even our Founder could have achieved byprehending 100 percent of the technique given to you by the Tablet of Comprehension within 7 days. Hell, you¡¯d evenpleted it in 2 days!" Long Yijun said to him a momentter.

    "W-Wait a second... two days? I have been here for two days?" Yuan asked them with a dumbfounded look on his face.

    "Yes." Long Yijun nodded.

    "I-I¡¯ll be right back!"

    Yuan immediately logged off to see if Yu Rou was still around.

    "Yu Rou?" Yuan immediately called for her after logging off.

    "The Young Lady has already left for school, Young Master." A clear voice that belonged to a youngdy suddenly responded to him, but it was not Yu Rou¡¯s voice.

    "That voice... Is that you, Meixiu?" Yuan asked.

    "Yes, Young Master. This is Meixiu speaking," she responded.

    "I see... How long have I been in the game?" he asked her a momentter.

    "The Young Master has been ying since yesterday morning, and he¡¯s missed two meals¡ªst night¡¯s dinner and this morning¡¯s breakfast. The Young Lady has ordered me to standby here just in case you log off and require assistance," Meixiu said.

    Because Meixiu was Yu Rou¡¯s personal maid and also the same age as her, Yu Rou trusted Meixiu enough to leave her alone with Yuan, and she would let Meixiu take care of Yuan whenever she could not.

    As for why Meixiu wasn¡¯t present the previous time Yu Rou was unable to attend Yuan, it was simply because she was busy with another task.

    However, it was not only Yu Rou who trusted Meixiu, as Yuan also trusted her, even treating her like a friend, as they have known each other for many years¡ª even before he was crippled.

    "Would you like to eat breakfast... or lunch now, Young Master?"

    "It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m not hungry. Since Yu Rou has already gone to school, I will return to the game for now. You don¡¯t need to stay here either," Yuan said to her.

    "I cannot do that, as the Young Lady has specifically ordered me to stay here until she returns," Meixiu said.

    "...You¡¯re just like your mother, always so serious with your job, even though you¡¯re around the same age as Yu Rou. It¡¯s admirable, really."

    "Thank you for yourpliments, Young Master."

    "I¡¯ll go now. You can do whatever you want." After saying that, Yuan went back into the cultivation world.

    After returning back to the cultivation world, Long Yijun continued speaking to Yuan as though he¡¯d never left in the first ce, "Not only have you achieved something nobody has ever achieved before, but you have done it in an unbelievably short time! If I didn¡¯t witness your results with my own eyes, I wouldn¡¯t have believed it even if someone beats me to death!"

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    "However, while your achievements are definitely incredible, we also have to keep it a secret for now, or it might bring you¡ª even the Dragon Essence Temple unnecessary trouble. I will exin more to youter, but for now, let¡¯s get you out of this ce."

    "What about the special jade slip?" Yuan suddenly asked him.

    "Hahaha! Don¡¯t worry about something like that. I have already decided to let you enter the Dragon Temple!" Long Yijun said, and he continued, "Come, let¡¯s continue our conversation somewhere morefortable."

 Chapter 113 Introducing Himself

    After passing the final exam and meeting Long Yijun and Elder Xuan, Yuan followed them out of the examination area through the portal and straight into the spectators¡¯ room with the other sect elders present.

    "Where is this?" Yuan looked around the unfamiliar scenery.

    "This is the spectators¡¯ room, where high-ranking sect elders can watch the disciple examination and see if there are any talented participants they can ept as disciples." Long Yijun said.

    "Hello, Daoist Yuan. Why don¡¯t you be my disciple? I can promise you that we¡¯ll have a ¡¯good¡¯ time together," one of the female sect elders, who had a mature and enchanting figure, suddenly said to Yuan with an alluring gaze, even winking her bright eyes at him.

    "How shameless of you, Elder Shan! The Sect Master and Grand Elder are present, you know!" Another sect elder quickly scolded her.

    "So what? It¡¯s not like they don¡¯t already know my character." Elder Shan shrugged, and she continued, "Furthermore, someone as talented as Yuan... I would do anything to make him my disciple... hehe..."

    Elder Shan red at Yuan with a hungry look on her beautiful face, almost like a predator before its prey.

    Yuan swallowed nervously when he saw this, as he has never been red at with such a chilling gaze before.

    "You¡¯re scaring him, Elder Shan." Elder Xuan said to her, and he continued, "I know you all want him to be your disciple, but we can talk about thatter. For now, let¡¯s make sure he¡¯sfortable and understands the situation that we¡¯re in."

    Sometimeter, Yuan took a seat with the others sitting around him.

    "For starters, let¡¯s introduce ourselves." Long Yijun said. "Once again, I am Long Yijun, the current Sect Master of the Dragon Essence Temple."

    Elder Xuan went next and said, "I am one of three Grand Elders, Xuan Zan."

    The mature female elder then said, "Surnamed Shan¡ª Shan Shang, and I am in charge of the Core Disciples. If you are ever feeling lonely or bored,e find me, okay, Daoist Yuan? I¡¯ll entertain you."

    "..."

    After a moment of awkward silence, the next elder in the room spoke, "Xin Ming, and I am also in charge of the Core Disciples alongside Elder Shan."

    "Bai Ling, and I am in charge of the Disciplinary Hall. If you ever run into trouble, whether it be with another disciple or a sect elder, you cane find me."

    Long Yijun then said, "There are a few more sect elders that had seen your performance from this ce, but they had to leave early for other duties. Would you like to introduce yourself? A brief introduction about yourself and a little about why you decided to join our Dragon Essence Temple."

    Yuan nodded and took off his ck jade mask, revealing to them his handsome and young face.

    "Oh my! You¡¯re much younger and more handsome than I¡¯d expected! I am definitely going to make you my disciple now!" Elder Shan¡¯s eyes flickered with excitement after seeing Yuan¡¯s face, and she even licked her lips in a weird manner.

    Yuan tried his best to ignore the weird woman and said, "My name is Yuan, and I am 18 years old. I have only recently be a Cultivator and I want to learn more about the cultivation world, so I came to the Dragon Essence Temple to broaden my views!"

    "..."

    To Yuan¡¯s surprise, nobody there responded to him, and they all stared at him with wide eyes filled with shock.

    "Y-You¡¯re only 18 years old? And you became a Cultivator only recently? How recently are we talking about? A few years ago?" Long Yijun was the first to snap out of his daze and ask Yuan.

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    "No, I became a Cultivator only a few weeks ago," Yuan responded with an innocent-looking expression on his face.

    "A FEW WEEKS AGO?!"

    Everybody in the room simultaneously eximed in a shocked voice with one of them even breaking his chair and falling onto the floor.

    "Just where on earth did youe from? If you don¡¯t mind, can you tell us your background? Which powerful family do you belong to? I can promise you that it won¡¯t leave this room, and no matter where you came from, we don¡¯t treat you any different¡ª I swear on it as the Sect Master of the Dragon Essence Temple!" Long Yijun asked him in a nervous voice.

    "Why does everyone think I am from a powerful family?" Yuan responded with puzzlement, and he continued, "I don¡¯t belong to any powerful family."

    "How is that possible? What about your parents? They must be powerful Cultivators, right?" Elder Xuan asked him next.

    "No, my parents are not Cultivators. They are musicians," Yuan said. Since he didn¡¯t have a family in this world, he told them about his family in the real world.

    "What?! Your parents are mortals?! And they gave birth to a cultivation prodigy like you?! What are the Heavens thinking?!" Long Yijuan cried out loud.

    It was as though the Heavens created a cultivation prodigy like Yuan just to mess with every Cultivator in the world. Not only is Yuan from amon background and a family of mortals, but he has talents that surpass even the Founder of the Dragon Essence Temple, who was once recognized as the number one expert in the entire Lower Heavens! If this is not spitting in the face of every Cultivator, especially those born from a powerful family, then what is?

    "If what you say is true... and I don¡¯t mean to doubt you... then we have a serious issue at hand," Long Yijun spoke a momentter with a serious expression on his face.

    The other sect elders also nodded their heads with grim looks on their faces, instantly turning the atmosphere heavy.

    "Eh? Why would it be an issue that I am not from a powerful family?" Yuan asked, still unaware of the situation he was in.

    "Well, to put it simply, there will be countless people who will be envious of your talents, and because you have no powerful family backing you, there will be nothing to stop these people from trying to harm you¡ª destroy you before you can grow too powerful," Long Yijun said to him.

 Chapter 114 The Importance of Having a Strong Backing

    "You wish to learn more about the cultivation world, right? Well, the first thing you need to know about the cultivation world is its brutal and unforgiving nature." Long Yijun continued.

    "There are many selfish and coldhearted Cultivators out there who are without reason and will do everything in their power to bully those weaker than themselves and try to destroy those above them if they get the chance."

    "This is why it¡¯s extremely important to have a powerful backer or an influential background, especially if you are talented, as they will be able to protect you to a certain extent, and the more powerful your backing the safer you¡¯ll be in the cultivation world. This is another reason why many Cultivators aim for the most prestigious sects, as that will make them feel safer."

    "If you don¡¯t have a strong backing ore from a powerful family, other Cultivators will be able to bully you without needing to worry about the repercussions. If you have a powerful background, on the other hand, people will have to think twice before they want to mess with you."

    "Do you now understand why it¡¯s so important to have a backing and connections in the cultivation world? Cultivators... they can be heartless and selfish creatures that will do anything to achieve their own goals, even if they have to drag down others in order to do so."

    ¡¯I see... The dragon also said the same thing, but it didn¡¯t go into too much depth...¡¯ Yuan thought to himself after hearing Long Yijun¡¯s long exnation on why it was important for him to have a strong backing.

    "I understand," Yuan nodded afterward.

    Long Yijun continued to speak a momentter, "Now back to our situation. You have immense talent¡ª talents that will make many, many Cultivators jealous, yet you do note from a powerful family that can protect you, hence why it¡¯s a problem."

    "While the Dragon Essence Temple can protect you to a certain extent, and we will do everything in our power to protect you as long as you are a disciple here, there are no guarantees, as there are powerful factions and Cultivators out there in this vast world that even we cannot deal with."

    "Therefore, I suggest hiding your real talent from the world until you have sufficient backings. Of course, that is not to say you shouldn¡¯t show off your talents¡ª just overdo it... like what you did during the third and final exam..."

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    Yuan nodded.

    "Now onto the second matter... Elder Xuan, do you want to take over?" Long Yijun asked him.

    Elder Xuan nodded before looking at Yuan and speaking, "You said that you came to the Dragon Essence Temple for experience, right? I have heard from my granddaughter about how you do not want to be restricted like normal disciples and wish to travel freely. Normally, only Core Disciples will have such luxury, but we will make it an exception for you since you are already at the Core Disciples¡¯ level."

    "Although you have just passed the examination and be a disciple, it would make no sense to make someone at your cultivation level an Outer Court¡ª even an Inner Court disciple. However, with that being said, we also cannot just make you a Core Disciple, as that has never happened before and it would upset many of the Core Disciples."

    "Therefore, we¡¯ll make you an Outer Court disciple in name so that you can experience the sect from the beginning exactly like you wanted while giving you Core Disciple privileges and benefits, so you¡¯ll actually be a Core Disciple disguised as an Outer Court disciple until you pass the Core Disciple examination and be one officially."

    "How does that sound, everyone?" Elder Xuan asked the others for their feedback.

    "That sounds pretty interesting," Elder Shan said, and she continued, "We can keep him hidden from our enemies since they tend to only look at the Inner Disciples and Core Disciples."

    "I also approve of this. However, how are we going to hide his cultivation base?" Elder Xin asked.

    "I will handle that," Elder Shan said. "I have a pill that¡¯ll disguise his real cultivation base and make him appear much weaker than he actually is."

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    Long Yijun looked at Yuan and asked him, "Are you okay with being an Outer Court disciple for now? If you wish, we can make you an Inner Court disciple instead."

    However, Yuan shook his head and said, "I want to experience a normal sect life as intended, which means I start from the bottom and walk my way to the top."

    While it was a little toote for Yuan to live a ¡¯normal¡¯ sect life, Long Yijun and the other sect elders did not say anything and decided to let Yuan live that illusion for now.

    "Then it¡¯s decided. Starting today, you will be an Outer Court disciple, but if you ever need something¡ª anything at all¡ª just let one of us know and we¡¯ll assist you to the best of our abilities without making it too obvious. We¡¯ll give you ourmunication jade slipter so you can contact us whenever you feel the need." Long Yijun said.

    A momentter, Long Yijun continued, "Disciple Yuan, I have one... no, two more important matters to discuss with you before I can let you go so bear with me. The first one is about a ce called Mystic Realm that we n on having you participate in next month, and the second matter is about the Dragon Temple that will most likely happen after the Mystic Realm."

    "Mystic Realm...? What¡¯s that?" Yuan asked.

    "To put it simply, it¡¯s a massivepetition that happens only once every ten years where all of the elite sects from around the world send their most talented disciples to participate in the Mystic Realm¡ª a mysterious ce that contains many challenges and treasures, and the higher your sect ranks the more rewards and fame you¡¯ll obtain." Long Yijun exined.

    And he continued a momentter in a passionate voice, "Our Dragon Essence Temple ranked 7th for thest event, but with you on our side this year, I have no doubt that we¡¯ll achieve at least top 3!"Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.

 Chapter 115 Accepting a Master

    "Every sect will be given a certain amount of slots depending on their results from the previouspetition, and we managed to secure 3 slots for this year¡¯s Mystic Realm," Long Yijun said.

    "One of those spots will be given to you. Of course, we¡¯re not going to ask you to participate without anything in return, so we¡¯ll give you full ess to the Profound Pavilion, where you can learn all kinds of techniques between the Mortal-rank to Earth-rank. There are also a few Heaven-rank techniques avable, but you¡¯ll need to be apanied by one of us in order to ess those."

    "Furthermore, whatever you obtain from the Mystic Realm, we¡¯ll let you keep them. Normally, the disciples are required to hand in the treasures they find inside the Mystic Realm, but we¡¯ll make it an exception for you."

    "What do you think? Are you willing to participate in the Mystic Realm for the Dragon Essence Temple?" Long Yijun asked him afterward.

    Yuan nodded without hesitation, "Sure. I don¡¯t mind participating."

    Since there was no reason for him to refuse, and he was curious about this Mystic Realm, Yuan epted their request.

    "Great! Then let¡¯s talk about the Dragon Temple. The Dragon Temple is a mythical ce discovered by our Founder, Long Chen, and he built the Dragon Essence Temple around it in order to protect it. It¡¯s a mysterious ce with many challenging tests, and you¡¯ll be rewarded for passing those tests."

    "The only reason why we are not sending more disciples in there is simply because it requires a tremendous amount of resources and effort to open the ce for even a single person, and there¡¯s a high chance the Dragon Temple might refuse entrance if you are not talented enough, hence why we only allow those who have exceptional results during the disciple examination to enter the Dragon Temple." Long Yijun exined to him.

    "You wish to enter the Dragon Temple, right?"

    "Yes, I do." Yuan nodded.

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    "Then I¡¯ll immediately start preparing for it now. It should be ready for you shortly after the Mystic Realm if I begin now¡ª that¡¯s just how much effort is required to open it."

    "Do you have any questions for us?" Long Yijun asked him a momentter.

    "No, not really..." Yuan shook his head.

    "Good, then we can finally¡ª"

    "Wait a second!"

    Elder Shan suddenly interrupted Long Yijun.

    "What¡¯s the matter, Elder Shan?" They looked at her with raised eyebrows.

    "We still haven¡¯t decided on who should be Yuan¡¯s Master, and I would like to volunteer," she said with a stern expression on her face.

    "..."

    The ce quickly became silent, as the sect elders there were well aware of Elder Shan¡¯s stubborn character. If she truly wanted Yuan to be her disciple, it¡¯ll be near impossible to make her give up.

    "Why don¡¯t we let the young man himself decide such an important matter?" Elder Xuan said, and he turned to look at Yuan.

    "What do you think, Disciple Yuan? Although disciples are not required to have a Master, it¡¯s highly rmended that you get one, as they can provide you with resources and advice for your cultivation. Furthermore, having a Master is also considered as having a ¡¯backing¡¯ within the sect."

    "How about it, little brother? Why don¡¯t youe with this big sister here? I¡¯ll promise you that you¡¯ll never have a boring day when you¡¯re my disciple." Elder Shan suddenly stood up and approached Yuan with weird leg movements, appearing incredibly tempting and seductive with every step, and even the other sect elders couldn¡¯t help but swallow nervously after seeing her feminine charm.

    "I have only ever epted female disciples before, but I¡¯ll make it an exception for you. My disciples are also very beautiful and popr in the sect with countless admirers, so if you be my disciple, you¡¯ll get to meet with them often." Elder Shan walked behind Yuan and leaned on him with herrge and heavy racks pressing down on top of Yuan¡¯s head.

    "I..." Yuan was speechless. Although he does not understand why Elder Shan was acting so weird and clingy, his heart felt an indescribable sense of danger when around her, almost like a baby rabbit before a hungry tiger.

    "Forget about her, young man. Be my, Xin Ming¡¯s disciple! Although she may look very young and attractive, don¡¯t let her appearance deceive you, as she¡¯s actually an old hag over 300 years old!"

    "Who are you calling an old hag, you wrinkly old man?!" Elder Shan quickly removed one of her shoes and tossed it at Elder Xin with an enraged look on her face.

    "How dare you throw your smelly shoes at me!" Elder Xin eximed.

    "Hahaha! Ignore those two idiots, Brother Yuan. I can see clear righteousnessing from your eyes, and I believe that you¡¯ll fit in at our Disciplinary Hall perfectly!" Bai Lingughed out loud.

    "Disciple Yuan, you are not limited to just sect elders, you know? If you want, I can also ept you as my disciple," Long Yijun suddenly said.

    "Though, with your monstrousprehension abilities, I doubt any of us will be your Master for long," he continued with a bittersweet smile on his face.

    Sometimeter, Elder Shan asked Yuan, "What do you think, little brother? Who do you want as a Master?"

    "Uhhh..."

    After a moment of silence, Yuan spoke, "Since I cannot really decide, can I just ept all of you as my Master?"

    "You want all of us? My, you¡¯re quite the greedy one, but that¡¯s fine too." Elder Shan chuckled after hearing his answer.

    "Can I not have more than one Master?" Yuan asked.

    "Although not verymon, it¡¯s normal for disciples to have more than one Master at a time since it¡¯s not possible to learn everything from one Master. Though I don¡¯t think there has been a disciple who has had the Sect Master and many high-ranking sect elders as Master simultaneously before..." Elder Xuan said to him.

    "Then again, you are not a normal disciple, and there¡¯ll always be a first for everything¡ª just like how you¡¯d demonstrated during the disciple examination."

 Chapter 116 Pill of Concealmen

    "So? Does everyone here agree to have Disciple Yuan as their disciple?" Long Yijun asked them a momentter, and he continued, "I¡¯ll bepletely honest¡ª his talent is simply too much for us to keep to ourselves, so instead of being selfish, it¡¯s best if we all contribute to teaching him about the cultivation world for the best results. After all, it might affect his growth negatively if he has only one Master."

    "I have no qualms about that decision," Bai Ling said with a calm expression on his face.

    "Me neither," Elder Xin said.

    Everyone there then turned to look at Elder Shan, who held a hard-to-read expression on her beautiful face.

    After a moment of silence, she sighed out loud, "Fine, I¡¯ll share him. Although I¡¯d rather keep him for myself, what the Sect Master said makes sense. I doubt I¡¯ll be able to train someone as talented as him properly, and I¡¯ll only slow down his progress."

    Sometimeter, Long Yijun and the other sect elders there handed Yuan theirmunication jade slip so that Yuan couldmunicate with them whenever he wanted.

    "By the way, is there anything that I need to do now that I have epted all of you as my Master?" Yuan asked them. "What about the lectures?"

    "We do give private lectures to our disciples every month and public lectures once a year, but you are not required to attend either of them. If you have any questions regarding cultivation or need resources for cultivation, you can just let us know using themunication jade slip. Furthermore, because you are still only an Outer Disciple, we¡¯ll avoid physically meeting with each other as much as possible since we don¡¯t normallymunicate with disciples in person, and I don¡¯t want the other disciples thinking that we are favoring you too much, as that might affect the entire sect as a whole." Long Yijun said to him.

    "I understand." Yuan nodded.

    "Here¡¯s a few more things before we let you go." Elder Xuan then handed Yuan two separate medallions.

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    "The silver medallion will allow you to go to the Treasury Hall and obtain as many resources as you need for your cultivation¡ª just don¡¯t overdo it, as we don¡¯t have an unlimited supply of resources. I will speak with the elder in charge there and let him know of your existence to avoid any problems."

    "As for the gold medallion, that¡¯ll grant you full ess to the Profound Pavilion. I¡¯ll also let the elder in charge of that ce know about you."

    "Don¡¯t lose them; it¡¯ll be problematic if someone that¡¯s not supposed to have them gets a hold of them."

    "I won¡¯t lose them," Yuan said with a serious expression on his face.

    Sometimeter, Elder Shan said to Yuan, "Come with me, little brother. I still have to give you the pill that¡¯ll disguise your real cultivation base. However, I don¡¯t have it on me, so we¡¯ll have to get it in my room."

    "Okay..." Yuan nodded innocently without thinking too much about it.

    However, Elder Xin blocked Yuan¡¯s path and said to Elder Shan, "You can go back by yourself and return here once you have the pill. I don¡¯t trust you one bit with him, especially if you¡¯ll be alone with him. Who knows what you¡¯ll do to this innocent boy when you¡¯re alone with him."

    "Haaa... You are thinking too lowly of me, Elder Xin. Do you really believe that I wouldy my hands on my own disciple?" Elder Shan sighed with a disappointed look on her face, and she continued, "Despite my character, I am still a maiden, you know?"

    "Hmph!" Elder Xin coldly snorted, not even bothering to answer her.

    "Fine... I¡¯ll be right back..." Elder Shan shook her head before leaving the building.

    While Elder Shan left to grab the pill, Long Yijun handed Yuan a medallion of his own and said, "This is the Absolute Authority medallion, and only the Sect Master can hand it out. As long as you have this, nobody in the sect will dare to touch you. However, don¡¯t go unting it every chance you get and only use it during emergencies, and of course, don¡¯t lose it."

    "Thank you," Yuan nodded as he tossed another medallion into his Spatial Ring.

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    Once Elder Shan returned a few minutester, she handed Yuan a ck pill the size of a fingernail.

    "Eat this and nobody but Spirit Masters and above will be able to tell your real cultivation base," Elder Shan handed him the pill.

    [Pill of Concealment] [Tier 2] [Purity: 92%]

    [Effects: Temporarily conceals your cultivation base by 7 levels for 30 days]

    [Description: Only works if you are below Spirit Master]

    After tossing the pill into his mouth and swallowing it with the help of some water, Yuan could feel his aura being suppressed, yet his strength remained the same.

    "There¡ª now you¡¯re only a 7th level Spirit Apprentice, just enough to qualify as an Inner Disciple," Elder Shan said afterward.

    Sometimeter, Long Yijun opened another portal to the disciple examination and said to Yuan, "Once you return to the examination, just enter the gate behind the Tablet of Comprehension and you¡¯ll be teleported to the gathering area where everyone that has passed the examination will be gathered. Here¡¯s your token; it¡¯s proof that you have passed the disciple examination."

    "Although we won¡¯t see each other for a while, we¡¯ll always be watching over you, so go ahead and enjoy life as a disciple until the Mystic Realm," Elder Xuan said to him.

    "Good luck, Brother Yuan." Bai Ling said to him.

    "Try not to cause too much trouble." Elder Xin said with a smile.

    Lastly, Elder Shan said to him before kissing the palm of her hands and blowing it towards his direction, "If you are ever feeling lonely,e find me at Blossom Peak."

    "I will see you allter, Seniors. Thank you for everything so far." Yuan bowed to them before entering the portal and disappearing from the room.

 Chapter 117 Golden Symbols

    Once Yuan entered the portal and disappeared from the spectators¡¯ room, Long Yijun and all of the sect elders there sat down in a chair with an exhausted expression on their faces.

    "Heavens... That was exhausting..." Elder Xin was the first to speak there, and he continued a momentter, "It¡¯s really difficult being around a genius like Yuan. There¡¯s simply something about his aura that frightens me."

    "You got that feeling too? Although I cannot tell what it is, there¡¯s something fearsome hidden within Yuan, and it felt like there were always two pairs of eyes watching me at all times." Long Yijun said with his back soaked in sweat. "Perhaps I¡¯m just imagining things, and it¡¯s just his natural aura."

    "There will soon be a massive ripple sweeping the entire cultivation world, especially after the Mystic Realm, when Yuan¡¯s existence will be known to the rest of the world and to all of the elite sects out there, and we¡¯ll need to be prepared before that happens, or our Dragon Essence Temple will be in danger," Elder Xuan said to them with a serious expression on his face.

    "Yes, this is a serious risk that our Dragon Essence Temple is taking, but this is what usually happens when an extraordinary genius appears in the cultivation world," Long Yijun said, and he continued, "However, we cannot be afraid to take risks, or our Dragon Essence Temple will never stand at the top again."

    "By the way, I just realized this, but we never asked Yuan what kind of cultivation technique he¡¯d received from the Tablet of Comprehension. Since his examination results were on the Founder¡¯s level, there¡¯s a high chance that he¡¯d learned the same technique our Founder learned¡ª a Divine-rank technique if the rumors are correct." Bai Ling suddenly said to them.

    Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.

    "There¡¯s no need to ask him since I witnessed it for myself." Long Yijun said.

    "Really? What kind of technique did he learn?" Bai Ling asked with a curious look on his face.

    Long Yijun closed his eyes to recall Yuan¡¯s golden eyes before speaking a momentter, "The technique our Founder used to dominate the Lower Heavens... It was an otherworldly technique that allowed him topletely freeze his opponents¡¯ movements by instilling deep fear into their very soul with a mere gaze, right? ording to some of the records that were written by witnesses that have seen our Founder¡¯s battles, our Founder¡¯s eyes would glow golden whenever he activates this technique."

    "And when I met Yuan for the first time after he finished his exam, his eyes were glowing golden, and it was able to make even a peak Spirit Master such as myself experience fear."

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    The ce quickly turned silent after Long Yijun ended his sentence.

    "If Yuan really learned the Founder¡¯s technique, there¡¯s a very high chance that he¡¯ll dominate the Lower Heavens like the Founder had¡ª it¡¯s only a matter of when he¡¯ll achieve it," Elder Shan said with a serious look on her face for once. "Therefore, we should protect him at all cost."

    "I agree with Elder Shan. Our Founder was so talented during his time that there hasn¡¯t been anyone who managed to reach his heights even 100,000 yearster. If Yuan, who has talents that surpass even the Founder, we must make sure he grows up properly." Bai Ling said.

    "If we can protect Yuan until he can dominate the Lower Heavens, our Dragon Essence Temple will once again rise to the top. If we fail, however, our Dragon Essence Temple might crumble." Elder Xin said with a pondering expression on his face.

    "Is there even a need to think about this? Of course, we will protect Yuan even if we have to risk the entire Dragon Essence Temple! I¡¯m sure the Founder would also say the same if he was here!" Long Yijun stood up and said.

    "I agree with the Sect Master. Who knows what other talents Yuan might be hiding," Elder Xuan said.

    "Then it¡¯s decided. We¡¯ll protect Yuan at all costs," Elder Xin and Elder Bai nodded their heads.

    "Someone who¡¯s even more talented than our Founder, huh? I can already imagine how thedies will react once they learn about Yuan. Therefore, I should take advantage of my situation and be the first to act." Elder Shan chuckled with a weird expression on her face.

    "Do you have no shame, Elder Shan? You¡¯re already 300 years old while Yuan is merely 18 years old. He¡¯ll choose your disciples before he even considers you!" Elder Xinughed out loud.

    "One¡¯s age bes inconsequential when you are both Cultivators, especially at the higher levels. You¡¯re just jealous that I am going after Yuan while I rejected you 200 years ago." Elder Shan looked at Elder Xin with a smirk on her face.

    "..." Elder Xin became speechless after being reminded of his youthful days when he was infatuated with Elder Shan but was ultimately rejected by her.

    "Did you really have to bring that up? That¡¯s very underhanded of you..." He sighed a momentter.

    Meanwhile, after entering the portal, Yuan returned to the examination hall with the golden Tablet of Comprehension still standing there.

    Yuan approached the golden tablet and bowed it.

    "Thank you for everything. I will try my best to find your Legacy in the Dragon Temple and meet the real you somewhere in the upper heavens."

    The Tablet of Comprehension suddenly trembled, and the symbols on the tablet began moving, before emerging from the golden tablet and flying directly at Yuan¡¯s body, submerging itself within his body.

    "What the?"

    Yuan patted his body after the symbols disappeared into his body. Oddly enough, he didn¡¯t feel any different, nor did any notifications pop up, so he has no clue as to what had just happened.

    Meanwhile, inside Yuan¡¯s body, golden symbols appeared on all of his bones, yet neither Xiao Hua nor Feng Yixiao could see or sense the golden symbols.

    Sometimeter, Yuan left the examination hall through the gate, bing the first person toplete the disciple examination.

 Chapter 118 Becoming a Disciple

    After passing through the gate, Yuan was transported to a gathering area somewhere in the outer areas of the Dragon Essence Temple.

    "What? You have passed the exam already? What¡¯s your name? And let me see your token."

    The sect elders in charge of the new disciples were dumbfounded when they saw Yuan appearing from the gates, as the other participants are still in the final examination trying toprehend their techniques, and even if some of them have already managed toprehend 10 percent before the seven day period, they would always try to study the technique as much as they can before their time is up.

    "Here you go. My name is Yuan."

    Yuan showed the sect elders the token that proved that he¡¯d indeed passed the examination.

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    Once the sect elders confirmed the integrity of the token, they said to Yuan, "Very well. Come with me to gather your uniform and identification token."

    Yuan proceeded to follow the sect elder into this building where he was handed three sets of Outer Court disciple uniforms.

    "How old are you and what is your cultivation base?" The sect elder then asked him.

    "18 years old, seventh level Spirit Apprentice," Yuan responded.

    "Seventh level Spirit Apprentice? That¡¯s pretty high for your age, and you are already qualified to take the Inner Court disciple examination. However, you must be a disciple for at least a month before you can take the exam."

    After recording Yuan¡¯s information into a logbook, the sect elder handed Yuan his identification token and another item before speaking, "This is the Dragon Essence Temple¡¯s rule book; it contains everything you can and cannot do as a disciple of the sect. If you break any rules, you¡¯ll be sent to the Disciplinary Hall for punishment. If you break enough rules or one major rule, your disciple status will be renounced and you will no longer be a disciple of the sect, and worst-case scenario, you¡¯ll have your cultivation crippled before being thrown out with death even a possibility. Therefore, I highly urge you to read and memorize the entire rule book."

    "I understand," Yuan nodded.

    "Also, there will be a small lecture that will be heldter that all newly epted disciples must attend before they are allowed into the sect, as it will teach you more about the sect and things you are expected to do as a disciple. However, since you have finished the examination much faster than others, you¡¯ll have to wait a few days until the disciple examination ends."

    The sect elder then pointed to a long building with many doors not too far away from them and said, "You can stay in one of those rooms until then. The lecture will happen in seven days when the examination officially ends. Take this time to read the rule book."

    "Okay. Thank you, Senior." Yuan bowed to the sect elder before going into one of the rooms.

    Once he was inside the room, Yuan looked at the small ce with a speechless look on his face.

    There was barely any free space in the room, and besides a small bed that could not really be called a bed because it waspletely made of stone, and the toilet, there was nothing else in the room.

    "I am supposed to live here for an entire week? This is ridiculous!" Yuan sighed loudly before sitting on the cold, hard ¡¯bed¡¯. Luckily for him, he can simply log off the game and wait in the real world inside hisfortable room. However, such a thing was impossible for the people of this world, and Yuan pitied them.

    "Congrattions on passing the disciple examination and bing a disciple of the Dragon Essence Temple, Brother Yuan." Xiao Hua¡¯s voice suddenly resounded inside Yuan¡¯s head.

    "Oh, Xiao Hua. Thank you. And it feels like it¡¯s been forever since Ist heard your voice," Yuan said.

    "Xiao Hua is always with Brother Yuan, and she¡¯s always watching him," Xiao Hua said.

    "Congrattions, Young Master; it seems like you have learned another powerful technique," Feng Yixiao¡¯s voice resounded next.

    "Thank you, Feng Feng."

    Because most of the events had happened inside Yuan¡¯s mind, neither Xiao Hua nor Feng Yixiao knew about the Great One or anything that happened inside the special space.

    After talking with Xiao Hua and Feng Yixiao for a few minutes, Yuan retrieved the Dragon Essence Temple rule book and began reading through it thoroughly, not daring to miss a single sentence, as he didn¡¯t want to identally break any rules.

    "No fighting between disciples. If you have a problem with another disciple, settle it on the stage after notifying a sect elder. Offenders will be punished with 3 months of solitary confinement in the Disciplinary Cave."

    "Murder, rape, and other simr disgraceful behaviors will not be tolerated in this sect. Offenders will have their cultivation crippled and their disciple status renounced."

    "Any degree of betrayal towards the sect will be punished with execution by beheading!"

    Yuan spent almost the rest of his time ying to read and memorize the rule book that had a little over 100 pages.

    Once it was time for dinner, Yuan logged off the game and waited for Yu Rou to return.

    "Brother, are you still ying the game?" Yu Rou asked him after entering his room.

    "I¡¯m here, Yu Rou, and I would like to apologize for missing dinner and breakfast. I got too caught up with the disciple examination that I forgot about the time," Yuan said in an apologizing tone.

    "Don¡¯t worry about it, brother. I¡¯ll forgive you since you appeared on the announcement again after learning an Ancient-rank skill. Tell me all about it when Ie back with your dinner, okay?"

    "Okay."

    Yu Rou then left the room to prepare for his dinner.

    Half an hourter, Yu Rou returned to his room, and Yuan began telling her about everything he¡¯s experienced in the examination, including his encounter with the Great One and its Legacy.

 Chapter 119 Outer Court Disciple

    "Do you need more food, brother? You did missst night¡¯s dinner and today¡¯s breakfast, after all." Yu Rou asked him after feeding him 3 bowls of soup.

    "Thank you, and no, I don¡¯t," Yuan said.

    "Okay, then I¡¯ll leave you alone for now."

    After Yu Rou left the room, Yuan began cultivating by absorbing the spiritual energy in the room, and he would cultivate until the following morning when Yu Rou returned to his room with breakfast in her hands.

    After breakfast, Yuan went back into Cultivation Online to check whether there were more people who¡¯d passed the examination, but s, there has yet to be another participant who¡¯d passed the disciple examination besides him.

    Seeing this, Yuan went back into his small room and reread the rule book one more time before logging off and spending the rest of his time cultivating in the real world.

    Yuan would repeat this for the next four days until he could finally see other participants who had passed the examination appear at the gathering area, and he¡¯d also managed to reach the 6th Spirit Apprentice during this time.

    However, since there are still 3 days before the lecture, Yuan did not linger around and logged off to cultivate some more in the real world.

    After waiting for a grand total of 7 days, once the disciple examination had officially ended and all of the participants who¡¯d passed the exam gathered in the Dragon Essence Temple, Yuan finally emerged from his small room and blended in with the crowd of new disciples while waiting for the lecture to begin.

    There were a little over 300 disciples there, and considering how there were tens of thousands of people that had participated in the disciple examination from the beginning, it showed just how difficult the disciple examination truly was to the rest of the world.

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    Yuan looked around, and there were a few familiar faces that he recognized from the disciple examination, and one of them was Fairy Min, who¡¯d disyed an impressive performance during the third examination and definitely one of the most prominent figures there.

    Meanwhile, Fairy Min was also looking around with her small head turning left and right, seemingly trying to find a certain individual.

    However, when she couldn¡¯t see this person she was looking for, a puzzled and surprised look appeared on her face.

    ¡¯Where is that person with the ck jade mask? Surely, he didn¡¯t fail the disciple examination, right? Not only was he a Spirit Warrior but he also had an unfathomable aura! There¡¯s no way someone like that could possibly fail the disciple examination!¡¯ Min Li pondered to herself when she could not see a man wearing a ck jade mask in the crowd.

    However, little did she know that Yuan was standing only a few feet away from her. Though, not only did Yuan change his appearance but he also consumed the Pill of Concealment that disguised his cultivation and aura, so it was only natural that Min Li did not recognize him.

    After standing around for a few minutes, one of the sect elders appeared before them and said, "All of you new disciples, follow me to the lecture site!"

    "Yes, Senior!"

    The disciples then followed the sect elder like a group of ducklings.

    Sometimeter, they arrived at thisrge building and entered it. Once inside, they all took a seat and waited for the sect elder.

    "First and foremost, allow me to congratte you all on passing the disciple examination and bing a disciple of the Dragon Essence Temple! Out of 54 thousand Cultivators that participated in the disciple examination, only 310 of you have managed to be a disciple! This is something you should be proud of!"

    "For this lecture, I¡¯ll be talking mostly about a few sect rules and a few general things you need to know as a disciple of the Dragon Essence Temple!"

    "Let me begin with your status as an Outer Court disciple."

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    "While you are a disciple of the great Dragon Essence Temple and you should feel proud, just remember that there is always someone better than you and that you are only an Outer Court disciple! If you see a Senior, be it a fellow disciple or a sect elder, be courteous and greet them! If a Senior asks you a question, answer them! In the cultivation world and not just the sect, respecting your Seniors will go a long way!"

    "As an Outer Court disciple, do not expect any support from the sect when ites to resources until you are an Inner Court disciple! If you want resources, work for them! The Dragon Essence Temple has over 100,000 disciples, which means resources are scarce and only those who are worthy will be supported! Although you may have be a disciple, you have not yet contributed to the sect, so do not expect the sect to hand out free food!"

    "Now many of you should be wondering how you can obtain resources in the sect. Allow me to introduce you to the Contribution Hall, where you can spend your contribution points for resources and treasures alike. There are three different Contribution Halls, each located within their own court, so the Outer Court will have their own Contribution Hall whilst Inner Court will also have one."

    "The difference between each Contribution Halls are the resources you can obtain from them, meaning you will be able to obtain more valuable treasures in the Inner Courtpared to the Outer Court, as this is a privilege for those who¡¯d earned it and an incentive for you to climb higher in the sect and the cultivation world!"

    The disciples swallowed nervously after hearing the sect elders¡¯ words.

    "How does one obtain contribution points, Senior?" One of the disciples raised his hands to ask.

    "There are many methods you can use to obtain contribution points. You do missions for the sect, you sell treasures you don¡¯t need, and you can even ask for them from your fellow disciples," said the sect elder.

 Chapter 120 Their First Lecture

    "What kind of missions do we have to do, Senior? And where do we ept these missions?" Another disciple asked after the sect elder stopped talking.

    "You can find and ept all kinds of missions at the Mission Hall. Every mission inside the Mission Hall are requests from the people in the outside world, so you will obtain more than just contribution points from the sect, which is basically a little bonus from the sect," exined the sect elder.

    "I should also let you know that as Outer Court disciples, you are obligated toplete at least one mission every three months, so quarterly. Failure to do so will result in punishment that is usually in the form of a fine, so you¡¯ll have to pay contribution points."

    "There are a variety of missions with their own difficulties, so you can choose to do easy missions that require no skills like cleaning dishes for some restaurant or the more difficult missions that require you to hunt specific magical beasts for their materials. Of course, the harder the mission the more rewarding it will be at the end."

    "However, don¡¯t chew more than you can bite, as there have been plenty of incidents that resulted in the deaths of disciples because the disciple arrogantly or ignorantly tried to challenge something they have no qualifications to even challenge."

    Sometimeter, the sect elder continued, "Okay, I think I have covered enough about contribution points. Now let¡¯s talk about what the sect of you as Outer Court disciples."

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    "First and foremost, you are not allowed to leave the sect without permission from the sect unless you are on a mission, and only Inner Court disciples and above are allowed to leave the sect as they please. If you need to go somewhere, you must go to the Reception Hall and state your reason for leaving the sect. If the sect deems it reasonable, they will allow you to leave."

    "If you are outside on a mission, you are not allowed to wander too much. If you leave the sect for too long without any ountability and for an unreasonably long amount of time, the sect will deem you as a deserter or dead and revoke your disciple status. This is mostly to prevent the Outer Court disciples from getting out of hand in the outside world. You guys are no longer mortals but Cultivators¡ª disciples of an elite sect. Therefore, you must learn to separate yourself from the mortal world."

    "If you encounter trouble with other Cultivators while you are outside, try to solve it peacefully, especially if the opposite party belongs to another elite sect. While it¡¯s verymon for disciples from other sects to fight each other and our sect does not forbid fighting against others, you should know that there are people and ces you cannot offend. Just keep that in mind because the Dragon Essence Temple is not invincible in this vast cultivation world."

    After talking about a few more things regarding their status as Outer Court disciples, the sect elder began talking about a few rules for the sect.

    "This can be found in your rule book, but I am still going to mention it because it still happens very often between disciples from all ranks. If you are in a disagreement with another disciple, before you duke it out in the middle of the sect and destroy the sect¡¯s property or identally hurt other disciples, find a sect elder to settle it for you. If that¡¯s not enough, you can challenge the other to an official fight in the arena, where you are free to fight each other to your heart¡¯s content. However, you are not allowed to kill your opponent."

    "If the two of you truly hate each other to the point where you are not willing to exist in the same world, you can request for a deathmatch, and you will be able to kill your opponents during the deathmatch. However, once you agree to a deathmatch, the sect will no longer protect you no matter what happens, and you will be at the mercy of your opponent and vice versa. Therefore, don¡¯t request for a deathmatch if you fear death."

    After talking about a few more major rules that they should not break, the sect elders asked the disciples, "Do any of you have any questions for me before I let you all live your life as disciples?"

    "Where do we live, sect elder?" One of the disciples raised her hands and asked.

    "Your identification badge will show you the location of your living quarters, and it also acts as a key to the house so don¡¯t lose it. Furthermore, all Outer Court disciples are required to have roommates. Though, there will be some exceptions if youe from a renowned family."

    The sect elder nced at Min Li briefly before continuing, "Any more questions?"

    "When can we start participating in lectures by the sect elders?" Another disciple asked.

    "You can participate in them whenever you want. There will be at least 2 lectures a week from different sect elders at the Education Peak if you wish to listen to the lectures. If you¡¯re lucky, you might even get to see one of the higher-ranking sect elders there. Of course, they only appear once a year."

    After spending a few more minutes answering the disciples¡¯ questions, the sect elder handed out another book to everybody there and said, "This is a guidebook that mentions all of the locations and buildings within the Dragon Essence Temple, and it answers most frequently asked questions. Even if you are looking for something specific, it should all be in there."

    "Now that you havepleted your first lecture, I shall let you all experience life as a disciple for the Dragon Essence Temple for yourselves."

    "Thank you, Senior!"

    All of the disciples then stood up and bowed to the sect elder before leaving the building with excitement and enthusiasm.

    However, right as Yuan approached the door, the sect elder suddenly grabbed his arm and said, "Please stay here for a little longer, Disciple Yuan."

    "O-Okay..." Yuan nodded with a startled look on his face.

 Chapter 121 1000 Contribution Points

    "What¡¯s the matter, Senior?" Yuan asked him once the rest of the disciples had left the room.

    "Grand Elder Xuan told me to hand you this Identification Token to you," said the sect elder as he handed Yuan another identity token.

    "Identification Token? But I already have one," Yuan raised his eyebrows in a puzzled manner.

    "Don¡¯t ask me, I am just following the Grand Elder¡¯s orders." The sect elder shrugged before walking away in a hurried manner, almost like he didn¡¯t want to stay there any longer.

    ¡¯What kind of background does that disciple have that the Grand Elder would do something like this for him?¡¯ The sect elder wondered to himself after leaving the building, as this is his first time seeing a Grand Elder being involved with a mere Outer Court disciple, and he made a mental note to not offend a disciple named ¡¯Yuan¡¯.

    Once the sect elder was gone, Yuan used his spiritual sense to activate the identification token, and inside his mind appeared the location of his living quarters. However, since he has 2 identification tokens, Yuan looked into both of them just in case there was a difference.

    ?Dragon Essence Temple Identification Bronze Token?

    ?Disciple Name: Yuan?

    ?Disciple Status: Outer Disciple?

    ?Living Quarters: Outer Court, Building #2,600?

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    ?Mission Completed: 0?

    ?Contribution Points: 0?

    ?Offenses: 0?

    __

    ?Dragon Essence Temple Identification Gold Token?

    ?Disciple Name: Yuan?

    ?Disciple Status: Outer Disciple?

    ?Living Quarters: Outer Court, Building #70?

    ?Mission Completed: 0?

    ?Contribution Points: 1,000?

    ?Offenses: 0?

    "1,000 contribution points!" Although he didn¡¯t know its worth, Yuan was delighted to suddenly have 1,000 contribution points.

    While Yuan didn¡¯t know this, the 1,000 contribution points was a portion of what Elder Xuan earned after winning the gamble regarding his results during the Tablet of Comprehension.

    There were also two different buildings, so Yuan decided to take a look at the living quarter attached to the bronze token, which was building #2,600 within the Outer Sect.

    After following the map in the token for about half an hour, Yuan arrived before this ordinary-looking building. Once he used the token to open the door, Yuan entered the house and looked around.

    There were many rooms avable inside the house¡ª six to be exact, and five of them had their doors closed whilst the room near the end of the hallway was open.

    Yuan walked to the end of the hallway to look inside the room, and as he¡¯d expected, the room waspletely empty.

    "This isn¡¯t much better than the guest room I¡¯d stayed 7 days in..." Yuan was baffled when he saw how the bed alone took up half of the entire room.

    However, at least this bed has a mattress on it. The quality of the mattress was another matter, though, as it was tough and ufortable.

    Of course, Yuan was unaware that there was a good reason as to why an elite sect such as the Dragon Essence Temple would have such poor living conditions, as having afortable bed or environment would only encourageziness, hence why the sect is making it difficult for the disciples to rx and bezy.

    "Hopefully the other building is slightly better," Yuan sighed before walking out of the room.

    "Hm? Are you a new disciple?"

    One of the other 5 closed rooms there suddenly opened, and a young man around Yuan¡¯s age walked out of the room at the same time Yuan walked out of his room.

    "Yes, I am," Yuan nodded.

    "I see. Well, wee to building #2,600. My surname is Shen, and I became a disciple here not long ago¡ª three months ago." The disciple extended his hand for a handshake.

    Yuan epted the handshake and introduced himself, "My name is Yuan, and I just passed the disciple examination."

    "Oh? Did you perhaps manage to see Fairy Min during the examination?" Disciple Shen suddenly changed topics.

    "Fairy Min? Oh, yes, I saw her achieving 50 steps during the third examination," Yuan nodded.

    "Damn! You lucky bastard managed to witness Fairy Min¡¯s glory! I wish I was there! If only I didn¡¯t decide to participate in the previous examination!" Disciple Shen eximed, dumbfounding Yuan.

    "Is she that famous?" Yuan asked him afterward.

    "Of course! Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve not heard of her family¡ª the Min Family?! They are one of the Seven Legacy Families!" Disciple Shen spoke with an admiring look on his face.

    "Legacy Families? What are those?" Yuan raised his eyebrows, as this is his first time hearing such a thing.

    "You must havee from a backwater ce if you don¡¯t even know of the Seven Legacy Families! They are the most influential and powerful families within the Lower Heavens. However, the most special thing about the Legacy Families is their history and background, as they are merely branches of a muchrger power in the upper heavens!"

    "Why would they do that?" Yuan asked.

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    "To train their descendants, obviously. If their descendants, which is Fairy Min in this case, fulfill her family¡¯s legacy, she will receive immense status and power once she returns to her family in the upper heavens. And for a family to have their own Legacy, the Min Family must be immensely powerful even in the upper heavens."

    "Wow, the cultivation world is much moreplicated than I thought..." Yuan mumbled in a low voice.

    "Anyways, I¡¯m going to see if there are any easy missions I can partake in at the Mission Hall. I¡¯ll see you around, fellow disciple." Disciple Shen waved at him before leaving the building.

    Meanwhile, Yuan followed the map in his second identification token and went to his second living quarters.

    "This is..."

    However, before he even reached his building, Yuan was quickly dumbfounded by the luxurious buildings located in this area, feeling as though he¡¯d identally entered the wrong neighborhood that was meant for the wealthy and powerful disciples.

    "Am I going to live here?" Yuan wondered as he looked for building #70.

 Chapter 122 You Donâ€™t Belong Here!

    After walking around for a few minutes and following the building numbers, Yuan finally arrived at building #70, and it was arge building with two floors.

    "This is definitely better than the previous house, but this might be a little too much of an improvement..." Yuan stood in front of the building for a minute to admire the aesthetics of these buildings.

    "Congrattions on passing the disciple examination, Fairy Min! Of course, we knew you¡¯d pass the examination before you even took it!"

    "Forget about passing the examination! Fairy Min had achieved 50 steps in the silver pond! It has been seven years since someone managed such a feat! I¡¯m sure the Min Family will be ecstatic once they hear of this!"

    "How would you like to celebrate this asion? Should we have a feast at the Dragon Pavilionter?"

    "That sounds like a great idea! What do you think, Fairy Min? The food¡¯s on us!"

    When Yuan overheard this conversation, he turned around and noticed arge group of disciples walking with a beautiful youngdy¡ª Fairy Min. However, these disciples were not wearing the Outer Court¡¯s uniform.

    The Outer Court disciples are given in white clothes as their uniforms, whilst the Inner Court disciples get to wear colorful blue and green uniforms, and that was what the majority of the disciples following Fairy Min were wearing.

    "Hm?"

    Fairy Min suddenly stopped walking when she noticed Yuan standing not far away, and the other disciples also stopped to look at Yuan.

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    "Who¡¯s that guy? I don¡¯t recognize his face." One of the disciples there said.

    "I don¡¯t either."

    "Then what¡¯s he doing in this area?"

    "Looking at his uniform, he¡¯s only an Outer Court disciple. Besides Fairy Min who¡¯s from one of the Seven Legacy Families and the top-ranking disciples, how many Outer Court disciples get to live here? He must have gotten lost or something."

    While the disciples mumbled to each other trying to figure out Yuan¡¯s ability, Fairy Min narrowed her eyes and stared at Yuan with a pondering expression.

    ¡¯Why does it feel like I have seen him somewhere before?¡¯ Fairy Min thought to herself.

    She was confident that she has never seen Yuan before, yet she couldn¡¯t shake off this feeling that she has seen him somewhere before, and it was very recently, too.

    However, her thoughts were quickly interrupted by the disciples around her.

    "Hey! You there! What do you think you are doing in this ce?! This is not a ce where ordinary Outer Court disciples can just wander around! Get out of here!"

    Hearing the disciple¡¯s question, Yuan responded in a calm voice, "But I live here."

    "What? You live here?"

    The disciples exchanged nces with each other before one of them asked, "Are you a new disciple? Which family do you belong in?"

    "Yes, I just passed the disciple examination, and I don¡¯t belong to any family," Yuan said.

    "How can a nobody¡ª a new disciple, no less, be assigned a house in this area meant for the privileged? Did the sect elders make a mistake somewhere and identally gave him the wrong house?" One of the disciples spoke his thoughts out loud.

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    "That must be a case! Although it¡¯s umon, mistakes like this are bound to happen every so often."

    The other disciples quickly agreed with the disciple who just spoke.

    "You heard us! There must have been a mistake that allowed you to get a house in this ce! Return to the sect elder who handed you your identification token and tell him about the mistake! If you want to live in this area, you must either be ranked top 10 in the disciple ranking for the Outer Court disciples¡¯ ranking ore from a prominent family like Fairy Min here! Hurry up and get out of here! You¡¯re ruining our moods!"

    "..." Yuan was speechless. These disciples were essentially telling him to tell Grand Elder Xuan that he¡¯d made a mistake!

    After a moment of silence, Yuan said to the disciples, "I don¡¯t think there were any mistakes. Now if you¡¯ll excuse me, I would like to settle down in my new home."

    Yuan turned around and began walking towards his house.

    The disciples were dumbfounded by Yuan¡¯s daring response.

    Meanwhile, the disciple who just told Yuan to

    "The audacity! Do you know who you are talking to? I am an Inner Court disciple! Since you are a new disciple, I won¡¯t me you too much! However, for you to im that you live here despite what we told you whilst being a nobody¡ª that¡¯s spitting in the faces of everyone that lives here, which includes Fairy Min! Therefore, I am going to need you to get on your knees and apologize to her!" The Inner Court disciple stepped forward and pointed at Yuan with an overbearing aura.

    "..."

    Yuan was speechless. It hasn¡¯t even been half a day since he got to live life as a disciple and he¡¯s already in an awkward situation with other disciples.

    "Do you hear me?! Get on your knees and apologize to Fairy Min!" The Inner Court disciple repeated, seemingly adamant about making Yuan apologize.

    However, despite his humble nature, Yuan was not the type to apologize for something he didn¡¯t do, especially if the other party was being unreasonable!

    "Why should I apologize? If there has truly been a mistake with my lodging, I will leave. However, you did not hand me my identification token so you don¡¯t know that, yet you are telling me to apologize. Don¡¯t be unreasonable," Yuan said to the disciples with a slight frown on his face.

    And he continued, "If you want to continue arguing that I don¡¯t belong here, you can bring a sect elder here and we can settle it that way. Until then, I am going to stay here. Goodbye."

    Yuan turned around and opened the door with the identification token before walking inside.

    "Get back here, you little bastard!"

    Yuan heard an angry shout as he entered the building, but he ignored it and closed the door, leaving the people outsidepletely speechless, as this is the first time they have encountered an Outer Court disciple like Yuan.

 Chapter 123 Returning With a Sect Elder

    "That damn disrespectful little brat! He¡¯s only a mere Outer Court disciple who¡¯d just passed the disciple examination! How dare he disrespect and defy so many Inner Court disciples?! Who the fuck does he think he is?!"

    The Inner Court disciple that Yuan ignored stomped the floor angrily, feeling his blood boiling from anger, as this is his first time being treated in such a fashion ever since he became an Inner Court disciple, and to make things even worse, it¡¯d happened right in front of Fairy Min¡ª the woman he admired!

    "Right? I have never seen a disciple that disobedient towards his Seniors! There must be something wrong with that disciple¡¯s head! He was probably dropped on the head when he was young!"

    "Since he wants to y, I¡¯ll y with him! He thinks everything will be okay if a sect elder is involved! I¡¯ll show him just how mistaken he is! A mere Outer Court disciple dares to defy me? Courting death!" The Inner Court disciple sneered.

    "Anyway, I will apologize for that disciple¡¯s crime! Please don¡¯t mind him¡ª I¡¯ll have him kicked out of this ce as soon as possible! After all, only privileged geniuses such as yourself are worthy of living here!" The Inner Court disciple said to her with a smile on his face.

    "You can do whatever you want," Fairy Min spoke for the first time, yet her voice was without emotions, almost like she was not interested in the situation or the disciples following her.

    "Anyway, what do you think about our offer, Fairy Min? Do you want to celebrate with us at the Dragon Pavilionter today?" The other disciples continued to ask her.

    "No thank you, I am busy with other things," Fairy Min said to them before she began walking again.

    A few momentster, Fairy Min stopped in front of a certain building and began walking towards the door.

    When the disciples following her saw the building she was approaching, their faces dropped and theirplexions paled.

    "What! That¡¯s ridiculous! Fairy Min¡¯s living quarters is actually right beside that little bastard?!" One of the disciples eximed out loud.

    Indeed, Fairy Min was assigned to building #69, making Yuan her neighbor.

    "Hmph! He won¡¯t be living there for long!"

    "That¡¯s right! It¡¯ll be a miracle if he¡¯s still living in that building after today!"

    "I would love to break that door down and drag that little fucker out here and give him a good beating, but this is a special ce that even we, Inner Court disciples, cannot intrude!"

    "Enough talking! I am going to get a sect elder to force that bastard out here and kowtow to us! I am going to let him know the disparity between an Outer Court disciple and an Inner Court disciple today!"

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    "Hahaha! I¡¯ll stay here to make sure he doesn¡¯t go anywhere or try to run away! It¡¯s toote even if he¡¯s realized his mistakes! After today, he won¡¯t ever dare to disrespect another Inner Court disciple again!"

    The Inner Court disciple nodded before leaving the scene to look for a sect elder whilst the other disciples lingered around the area, patiently waiting for him to return in anticipation for some good drama.

    Meanwhile, inside her house, after closing the door, Fairy Min sighed out loud, "What a bunch of annoying and shameless individuals. I don¡¯t even know them, yet they¡¯re treating me as though we¡¯re best friends because of my background."

    The Inner Court disciples and other disciples that had been following Fairy Min wereplete strangers that decided to follow her on their own will, but such a scene was not umon for her. As the youngdy of the Min Family, there are always people looking for an opportunity to form a connection with her because of her powerful family, and it has been that way since she was young. However, she quickly learned that ignoring them and treating them as though they are invisible was the best solution, hence why she didn¡¯t tell them to go away.

    "Though, I do feel sorry for that Outer Court disciple. He has offended so many Inner Court disciples on his first day as a new disciple in this sect, and I share some me for his situation, as I was the one who brought them with me even if it wasn¡¯t intentional."

    Fairy Min sighed. However, it was toote to save the Outer Court disciple after everything that had happened, as the hole he¡¯d dug himself was simply too deep.

    Even if a sect elder solves the problem with the lodging, the Inner Court disciples will surely continue to make that Outer Court disciple¡¯s life a living hell for offending them.

    Furthermore, as a member of a Legacy Family, she cannot meddle with others¡¯ affairs too much as it could reflect on her family as a whole, something she cannot afford to happen even if she has to turn a blind eye to some unfortunate young man.

    Sometimeter, the Inner Court disciple returned to Yuan¡¯s living quarters with a sect elder by his side.

    "Heavens! That Qiao Kang actually brought back Elder Yao who is known for being especially harsh on Outer Court disciples while being theplete opposite for Inner Court disciples! That Outer Court disciple is truly unlucky to have to deal with some like Elder Yao!"

    "Hahaha! Forget about staying in that building, that Outer Court disciple probably won¡¯t be able to stay in the sect after this!"

    "Greetings, Elder Yao!"

    The disciples there greeted him when he got close.

    "Where is the Outer Court disciple that dares to disrespect Inner Court disciples and act almighty before the Young Lady of the Min Family?!" Elder Yao spoke loudly.

    A few momentster, the Inner Court disciple known as Qiao Kang stopped in front of building #70 and said to Elder Yao while pointing at the building¡ª "This is the ce, Elder Yao! He¡¯s inside!"

    Elder Yao nodded with an angry frown on his face, "Good! I will make this insolent brat regret being born today! Step back!"

 Chapter 124 Lowering Their Heads

    The disciples there immediately moved to make a path for Elder Yao, who approached Yuan¡¯s living quarters with heavy steps.

    "I have never seen Elder Yao so angry before! That Outer Court disciple is dead! He¡¯s definitely going to regret acting all tough after meeting Elder Yao!"

    The disciples there watched with anticipation as Elder Yao stepped on the doorstops in front of Yuan¡¯s building.

    BANG! BANG! BANG!

    Elder Yao knocked on the door with force before shouting in a vicious voice, "This is Elder Yao from the 3rd Disciplinary Squad! Get your ass out here right this instance and identify yourself, Outer Court disciple!"

    The disciples standing not far away felt their hearts tremble after hearing Elder Yao¡¯s loud voice, and even though they were not the ones in trouble, it still struck fear into their minds.

    BANG! BANG! BANG!

    "Get out here right this instance! Or do I have to force myself inside instead, Outer Court disciple?!" Elder Yao knocked on the door again when nobody answered the door after 5 short seconds.

    After a few more seconds, the door finally opened, and Yuan appeared before them once again with a calm expression on his face.

    "So you¡¯re the Outer Court disciple who imed that you belong in this area? If that¡¯s the case, howe I don¡¯t recognize your face at all, huh?" Elder Yan narrowed his eyes at Yuan¡¯s face.

    "Isn¡¯t it normal that you won¡¯t recognize everyone in the world?" Yuan asked with his eyebrows raised.

    Elder Yao looked at him with a face of disbelief. "You actually dare talk back to me, a sect elder? Looks like Disciple Qiao was telling the truth when he called you a disrespectful little brat! Kneel before me right now and apologize!"

    Yuan was speechless. He frowned a momentter and said, "Aren¡¯t you here to see whether assigning this house to me is a mistake or not? Yet you started yelling at me the moment you arrived, acting like I am in the wrong. I respect my Seniors, but I also know an unreasonable person when I see one!"

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    "Y-You little brat! You really think you deserve to live here, huh?! You are just a nobody! A mere Outer Court disciple who¡¯d just passed the disciple examination!"

    Elder Yao roared at Yuan, and he continued, "And you dare to im that you are worthy enough to live beside someone like the Young Lady of the Min Family?! Do you have no shame?! Even I wouldn¡¯t dare to live beside the Min Family if you paid me!"

    "If it wasn¡¯t a mistake that you got assigned this building, I will freaking eat my shoes before every single Outer Court disciple in this sect!"

    Hearing Elder Yao¡¯s words, Yuan became speechless. Is this sect elder really going to eat his own shoes? He cannot imagine it.

    "Since you don¡¯t want to leave this ce, I have no choice but to force you out with my authority as a sect elder of the Disciplinary Hall!"

    And before Yuan could even respond, Elder Yao suddenly moved to grab him by the cor before throwing him into the air and forcing him out of the house.

    "Whoa!"

    Yuannded a few meters away with a startled look on his face.

    "Now hand me your identification token! Or do I have to take it with force as well?!" Elder Yao approached him with an overbearing and oppressing aura.

    However, since Elder Yao was only a fourth level Spirit Warrior Cultivator, Yuan didn¡¯t feel any pressure from him.

    ¡¯Should I just use the Absolute Authority the Sect Master gave me to deal with this situation?¡¯ Yuan pondered as Elder Yao got closer to him. After all, even a naive little boy would be able to tell by now that Elder Yao was not the reasonable type and that no matter what Yuan says to him at this point, he would only be wasting his breath.

    ¡¯I wanted to settle this as peacefully as possible, but s...¡¯

    Yuan sighed inwardly as he reached into his Spatial Ring for the Absolute Authority. However, before Yuan could even take it out, a loud sigh suddenly resounded and echoed in the area.

    "I knew you would run into some trouble when I decided to give you one of the buildings in this ce, but I didn¡¯t think it¡¯de so soon and in such a manner, too." A calm voice followed after the sigh ended.

    "T-This voice is..." Elder Yao immediately stopped walking after hearing this profound voice, and his body trembled in shock.

    However, the other disciples did not recognize the identity behind this mysterious voice and werepletely puzzled.

    Meanwhile, inside one of the rooms in building #69, Fairy Min, who had been watching the situation from the beginning by peeking through the closed curtains from the windows, mumbled in a surprised voice, "This voice belongs to Grand Elder Xuan! Why did he show up here? And judging by his words, it seems like he was the one who allowed that Outer Court disciple to live here! Just who is that young man?!"

    "Elder Yao, I am greatly disappointed by your performance today. As a sect elder of the Disciplinary Hall, I had expected you to handle this situation professionally and properly, yet you were blinded by anger and acted unfitting of your status, even treating my granddaughter¡¯s friend in such an aggressive manner... I don¡¯t know what I should do with you." Elder Xuan¡¯s voice continued to speak, lecturing Elder Yao who was sweating profusely at this moment.

    Elder Yao quickly kneeled on the ground and lowered his head before speaking in a pleading voice, "This disciple was wrong and has done something inexcusable! Please punish this disciple as you see fit, Grand Elder!"

    "GRAND ELDER?!" The disciples watching the scene were greatly shocked after hearing Elder Yao¡¯s voice, and they finally realized the identity behind the voice.

    After realizing this fact, they also kneeled on the ground with their heads lowered and their backs soaked in cold sweats, wondering to themselves why the hell would a Grand Elder suddenly be involved with their situation!

 Chapter 125 Two Choices

    Seeing Elder Yao and the disciples lowering their heads, Elder Xuan spoke without revealing his presence, "If you think lowering your heads will solve everything, the world would not be this chaotic and dangerous."

    "Please forgive us, Grand Elder! We were wrong! We didn¡¯t know this Outer Court disciple was assigned to this ce by you!" Qiao Kang suddenly said.

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    "Did I ask for your input, disciple?" Elder Xuan responded in a nonchnt voice, immediately shutting the Qiao Kang up.

    Elder Xuan continued a momentter, "Every disciple here will be punished with 1 month of confinement within the Caves of Repentance."

    "As for you, Elder Yao... Since you belong to the Disciplinary Hall, I shall let your leader decide your punishment. And before you leave, I want you to remember whates out of my mouth next¡ª What happened here today did not happen at all, do you understand me? I was never here, and you have never met the Outer Court disciple. This applies to the disciples, too."

    "If I hear even a single disciple that is not here right now speaking about what happened here today, you can expect another visit from me, and I will be there in person at that time."

    "We understand, Grand Elder! We will forget about what happened today!"

    Elder Yao and the disciples responded in a fearful voice.

    "Good. Now get out of my sight!" Elder Xuan¡¯s voice boomed within the disciples¡¯ and Elder Yao¡¯s head, nearly knocking them unconscious with his powerful voice.

    The next second, once they could stand again, the disciples and Elder Yao ran away like a bunch of scared rabbits before a tiger.

    Once they were all gone, Elder Xuan spoke again, "Are you okay, Disciple Yuan? I apologize for that just now. While it¡¯smon for disciples to argue with each other, it¡¯s inexcusable for a sect elder to bully a disciple."

    "Don¡¯t worry about it, Senior Xuan. It¡¯s only natural that there¡¯d be a couple of bad apples no matter where you are," Yuan said with a calm smile on his face.

    "You have handled this situation much better than I would¡¯ve if I was still a disciple, and I thank you for that. Most people quickly result to violence when theye to a disagreement, and that is a trait many Cultivators have because we are vicious and brutal in nature. Anyway, I must return to my own business now. If you ever encounter another simr situation, it¡¯s okay to scare them a little with your powers as long as you don¡¯t kill them. This is just how the cultivation world works, as intimidation works better than actual violence in most cases."

    "However, if a sect elder is involved like today, it¡¯s best if you immediately contact one of us to help you. Although we won¡¯t show ourselves, we¡¯ll definitely keep you safe."

    "Intimidation over violence... I will keep that in mind, Senior Xuan! Thank you very much for helping me today!" Yuan bowed towards the sky, feeling as though he¡¯d learned something important today.

    "Don¡¯t even mention it.... Hahaha..." Elder Xuan¡¯s voice sounded as though it was getting further away, dumbfounding Yuan.

    Once Yuan could no longer hear Elder Xuan¡¯sughing voice, Yuan returned to his room and sat on therge,fortable bed before taking out the guide book and reading through it as he was doing before being interrupted by Elder Yao and the others.

    Meanwhile, inside Fairy Min¡¯s room, the beautiful youngdy remained standing by the window with a dazed look on her face.

    "Disciple Yuan? I don¡¯t recognize this name at all. Just who is he? Which family did hee from? And what kind of connection does he have with the Grand Elder? Although the Grand Elder said that the Outer Court disciple was his granddaughter¡¯s friend, their conversation sounded like they were pretty close friends themselves!" Min Li mumbled to herself in a dumbfounded voice, feeling her interest slightly piqued by him.

    Sometimeter, at the Disciplinary Hall, Elder Yao entered Bai Ling¡¯s room after being summoned by him.

    "Greetings, Leader Bai!" Elder Yao bowed to him with respect and his back soaked in sweat.

    "Do you know why I called you here?" Bai Ling ignored his greetings and asked him with a calm voice.

    "Yes, I do!" Elder Yao responded after a brief moment of silence.

    "Good, then this will make things much easier for the both of us." Bai Ling then stood up from his chair and walked to the window before staring outside with a seemingly dazed look on his face.

    "Do you have any idea what you¡¯ve done today, Elder Yao?" Bai Ling asked him a momentter.

    "No, I do not, Leader Bai!" Elder Yao quickly responded.

    "At least you¡¯re honest," Bai Ling nodded, and he continued, "That Outer Court disciple... you may not know him now, but I can guarantee you that you will know him in the near future¡ª and I am willing to bet my position as Leader of the Disciplinary Hall that you will regret what you¡¯ve done today."

    Elder Yao looked at him with a surprised look, and he said, "Please enlighten this ignorant one, Leader Bai! Just who is that Outer Court disciple and why did Grand Elder Xuan protect him?"

    "..."

    However, Bai Ling did not respond to his question and continued to speak as though he never heard it, "I will give you two choices, Elder Yao. For your offenses today, I can either let the Sect Master know about this incident so he can punish you himself, or you can give a lecture to the disciples at the Education Peak and eat your shoes before every disciple there afterward. It¡¯s your decision."

    "W-What did you just say?!" Elder Yao cried out loud with pure disbelief on his face

    Why on earth would Bai Ling involve the Sect Master over a mere Outer Court disciple?! It was not as though he¡¯d killed this disciple! This is ridiculous! How can they treat a sect elder like him because of a single Outer Court disciple?! None of this made any sense!

 Chapter 126 A Massive Crowd at the Education Peak

    "Did I stutter, Elder Yao? Perhaps I did, so allow me to rephrase myself," Bai Ling then spoke slower but in a much louder and clearer voice, "Either I let the Sect Master know about your mistakes today, or you eat your own shoes before the disciples at the Education Peak at the end of your lecture."

    "I won¡¯t do something as unreasonable as kicking you out of the sect or anything like that so consider yourself lucky that you¡¯re getting off so lightly."

    ¡¯Mother fucker! You dare call this a light punishment?! Telling me to eat my shoes in front of the disciples is worse than being kicked out of the sect! At least I would still have my dignity left for thetter punishment!¡¯ Elder Yao cursed at Bai Ling inwardly, as he didn¡¯t dare to utter such words for real.

    "I know what you¡¯re thinking, Elder Yao. After all, you have worked with me for over 10 years now. However, you have no idea how much trouble you are actually in, and I don¡¯t me you for that. That¡¯s why I am letting you know right now that you should eat your own shoes before I let the Sect Master know, as he might really kick you out of the sect if he finds out what had transpired today." Bai Ling said to Elder Yao while knowing very well that Long Yijun will definitely hear about this incident sooner orter.

    "Is this situation really that serious? I would understand it if that Outer Court disciple belonged to one of the Seven Legacy Families but he¡¯s clearly not!" Elder Yao spoke a momentter with a relentless expression on his face.

    "Don¡¯t even bother asking me about that Outer Court disciple¡¯s identity because I won¡¯t say anything unless you don¡¯t mind dying afterward." Bai Ling looked at Elder Yao with his eyes narrowed and emitting faint killing intent.

    Elder Yao swallowed nervously after seeing this, and after a moment of silence, he sighed, "Very well... I shall eat my own shoes in front of the disciples..."

    "Good choice. You may leave now." Bai Ling said to him.

    Elder Yao nodded and left the room, but he didn¡¯t forget to bow to Bai Ling before leaving as that was how much he¡¯d respected the leader of the Disciplinary Hall.

    ¡¯Not just Grand Elder Xuan but even Leader Bai and possibly the Sect Master is protecting that Outer Court disciple! What on earth is that brat¡¯s identity? If he doesn¡¯t belong to the Seven Legacy Families then he could onlye from the Four Ancient Families!¡¯ Elder Yao pondered to himself as he returned home to prepare for the lecture.

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    Later the same day, Elder Yao walked to the Education Peak with a solemn expression on his face.

    ¡¯Damn! I shouldn¡¯t have run my mouth at that time! No! That fucking brat Qiao Kang is the root of this! If he didn¡¯te to me, I would¡¯ve never met that damn Outer Court disciple and offended the Grand Elder and Leader Bai! I¡¯ll fucking kill him once hees out of confinement!¡¯ Elder Yao cursed inwardly as he approached the Education Peak, where thousands of disciples could be seen walking about.

    The Education Peak is where disciples gather to partake in lectures from sect elders. However, not only sect elders gave lectures there, as disciples are also able to give their own lectures if they were approved by the sect, so there would always be lectures for disciples to participate.

    Of course, the Education Peak is the most popted when a sect elder decides to give a lecture, as they are often the most knowledgeable and experienced in the sect, hence why when Elder Yao suddenly showed up at the Education Peak, the disciples there immediately began following him.

    "Isn¡¯t that Elder Yao? It¡¯s been a while since I have been to one of his lectures!"

    "Me, too! Thest time he¡¯d given a lecture was nearly 3 years ago! I heard that over a dozen Outer Court disciples who¡¯d listened to his lecture managed to be an Inner Court disciple within the same year!"

    "Really? Then I must listen to his lecture today even if the heavens fall!"

    "We still don¡¯t know whether Elder Yao is really giving a lecture today or he¡¯s just visiting since there was no prior notice! Most sect elders announce their lectures a least a week beforehand!"

    "He¡¯s not telling us that he¡¯s not giving a lecture even though there are so many of us clearly following him. Surely, he intends on giving a lecture today!"

    "I hope you¡¯re right! I have been dying to attend a lecture given by Elder Yao!"

    The hype between the disciples grew as they followed Elder Yao to one of the many empty areas designed for public lectures.

    Sometimeter, Elder Yao settled down in one of these areas and stood at the spot meant for the lecturers.

    "See! He¡¯s really giving a lecture today! Looks like we lucked out today bying here and witnessing it by chance!"

    "Hahaha! You are so damn right!"

    "Hey, is it just me or does Elder Yao seem a bit off today? He looks kind of sick." One of the disciples there noticed Elder Yao¡¯s paleplexion and mumbled to the disciples around him.

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    "You¡¯re right. He looks like he hasn¡¯t slept or eaten in a week or something."

    Meanwhile, Elder Yao scanned the massive crowd that had gathered for his ¡¯lecture¡¯ with his back soaked in cold sweats.

    ¡¯Fuck... why are there so many disciples at the Education Peak today when there are no sect elders giving lectures? If I don¡¯t be aughing stock after today, I¡¯ll eat my damn shoes again!¡¯ Elder Yao cursed inwardly, feeling the urge to cry out loud.

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    There were at least 3 thousand disciples gathered there, and every single one of them was staring at Elder Yao with anticipation in their gazes, looking like a bunch of children before their idol, but s, little did they expect that they were merely participating in a clown show disguised as a lecture!

 Chapter 127 Eating His Own Shoes

    "Ahem!" Elder Yao suddenly cleared his throat loudly, trying to relieve some of his anxiety, but s, it barely helped him keep calm.

    "W-Wee, disciples. F-For today¡¯s lecture... I will be... giving a lecture... on..." Elder Yao spoke in a trembling voice, feeling as though he was a child with stage fright while standing on the stage for the first time, and he could barelyplete a full sentence without stuttering.

    When the disciples saw this, they silently looked at each other with their eyebrows raised and their gazes full of questions. Why was Elder Yao acting so weird? It seemed like he was on the verge of a breakdown from the disciples¡¯ view.

    "Are you okay, Elder Yao? You don¡¯t look so good." One of the Inner Court disciples there decided to ask him.

    "I am fine... Just feeling a little under the weather..." Elder Yao responded a momentter.

    ¡¯Feeling under the weather?¡¯ The disciples became even more puzzled after hearing such words.

    Why would a sect elder willingly give a lecture when he¡¯s sick? Furthermore, can Cultivators even feel ¡¯under the weather¡¯? Clearly, it was something else that was bothering him, but these disciples didn¡¯t dare to probe any further and epted his lie as the truth, as they didn¡¯t dare to offend Elder Yao who was known for being a ruthless sect elder.

    The disciples then patiently waited for Elder Yao to get himself together before continuing with the lecture.

    A few minutester, once Elder Yao calmed down enough, he began giving the lecture, and it was about random things that made no sense for a lecture, but the nervousness and uncertainty in his voice did not go away and remained for the rest of the lecture. In fact, his voice only became weirder and harder to listen as the lecture went on.

    The disciples participating in the lecture were greatly baffled by the bizarre situation with some of them even thinking that they were being pranked by Elder Yao. After all, no sane sect elder would call this mess a ¡¯lecture¡¯, as it was more of a babbling session with the topic constantly changing abruptly.

    However, none of the disciples spoke up norined regardless of the unusual situation, nor did any of them decide to suddenly leave the lecture abruptly, as they were still afraid of offending Elder Yao.

    The ¡¯lecture¡¯ by Elder Yaosted for an entire hour, but for the disciples, it felt like they were being punished for an eternity.

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    ¡¯Fuck! Why am I wasting my time here?! I could¡¯ve been listening to Fairy Ling¡¯s lecture by now!¡¯

    ¡¯What the heck is Elder Yao doing? Has he lost his mind? I want my precious time back!¡¯

    "Damn it! I want to leave now but what if I offend him? I have heard about his reputation and I don¡¯t want to be the first one to leave!¡¯

    The disciples there cursed inwardly, and most of them silently hoped for another disciple to leave first so they can follow! But s, because all of them were thinking the same thing and waited for someone else to act, none of them left and stayed for the entire lecture!

    "This is the end of my lecture..." Elder Yao said to the disciples at the end of the lecture.

    However, he wasn¡¯tpletely finished there, as he still had one more thing to do.

    And just as the disciples there sighed in relief inwardly that the lecture was finally finished and prepared to leave, Elder Yao suddenly removed his shoes and began doing the unthinkable¡ª putting it in his mouth and chewing it as though it was food!

    "What the fuck?" One of the disciples there couldn¡¯t hold back his voice and spoke in a surprised voice after witnessing Elder Yao eating his own shoes.

    In fact, every disciple there was staring at Elder Yao with a gawking expression at this moment, looking like they were witnessing the impossible.

    And because Elder Yao was a Cultivator at the Spirit Warrior realm, he was able to bite through the shoe with his raw strength and chew on it.

    After chewing on his own shoes for a few seconds with a disgusted expression that he could not hide on his face, Elder Yao swallowed it.

    "Urg!"

    Elder Yao almost puked after feeling the shoe enter his stomach, but s, he resisted his urges and continued eating the rest of the shoe.

    The disciples that were prepared to leave the ce as quickly as possible no longer moved, and they all stood there with dazed faces as they watched Elder Yao eat his shoe with a suffering expression on his face.

    A few gruesome minutester, Elder Yao finished eating his shoe. However, he did not stop there and proceeded to remove his second shoe and began eating that too.

    Sometimeter, Elder Yao finished eating his other shoe.

    Once he swallowed thest bit of his shoe, Elder Yao red at the disciples there before walking away in silence and quickly disappearing from the scene while barefooted, leaving the disciples in wonder as he¡¯d left without giving any exnation.

    When Elder Yao¡¯s figure left the Education Peak, all of the disciples there finally spoke again, immediately creating an uproar within the sect, and as one would¡¯ve expected from such a bizarre situation, news of Elder Yao eating his own shoes after an embarrassing ¡¯lecture¡¯ spread throughout the entire sect like wildfire, shocking every disciple and sect elder that heard it.

    Meanwhile, at the Disciplinary Hall, Elder Yao stood before Bai Ling once again, but he was barefooted this time since he came straight to this ce after leaving the Education Peak.

    "I hope you¡¯ve learned your lesson today, Elder Yao. Just because they are Outer Court disciples doesn¡¯t mean you can walk all over them like they¡¯re ants, as you¡¯ll one day step on the wrong ant and face its wrath like today," Bai Ling said to him with a nonchnt expression on his face.

    "Thank you for this lesson, Leader Bai..." Elder Yao bowed to him before leaving the room with a nk look on his face, looking like he had died inside.

 Chapter 128 What Does New Disciples Normally Do?

    At the Sect Master¡¯s Pagoda, Long Yijun listened to Elder Xuan briefing him about the situation with a serious expression on his face.

    "Elder Yao and Disciple Yuan... what a pain in the ass..." Long Yijun rubbed his eyes with an exhausted look afterward.

    "Are you going to do anything about this, Sect Master?" Elder Xuan asked him.

    After a moment of silence, Long Yijun shook his head and said, "As much as I want to beat Elder Yao for what he did to Disciple Yuan, Elder Bai has already dealt with the situation and punished Elder Yao for his behavior. I appointed Elder Bai the leader of the Disciplinary Hall for a reason, and I don¡¯t like beating a dead horse so I am not going to step in this time."

    "I understand," Elder Xuan nodded.

    Meanwhile, back at building #70, Yuan closed the guidebook after reading through the entire thing.

    "Wow, there are so many exciting ces in the Dragon Essence Temple! I will definitely visit all of them when I get the chance, especially this Dragon Pavilion restaurant that¡¯s meant for Cultivators! I wonder how it differs from the restaurants outside?" Yuan mumbled to himself.

    "Hmm, it¡¯s still too early for dinner, so I¡¯ll look around for now." Yuan then got off the bed and made his way outside.

    "What should I do now that I am a disciple? What do disciples normally do?" Yuan pondered to himself as he went outside.

    "Disciple Yuan! Please wait for a second!"

    The most up-to-date novels are published on li/ghtno/velpu/b[.]c/om

    Yuan stopped walking when a clear voice resounded from behind him, causing him to turn around to see who¡¯d just spoken.

    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    "You are..."

    To his surprise, Fairy Min was outside of her house and appeared to be the one who¡¯d just called for him.

    "How did you know my name?" Yuan asked her with raised eyebrows, as he doesn¡¯t recall ever introducing himself to her or any of the disciples from the disciple examination.

    "I identally overheard your conversation with Grand Elder Xuan and learned of your name. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t tell anyone about your rtionship with the Grand Elder or what happened today." Fairy Min spoke as she approached him.

    "I see... thank you?" Yuan responded with a puzzled look on his face, as he wasn¡¯t sure what she was up to.

    ¡¯Is she going to try and kick me out, too?¡¯ Yuan wondered to himself.

    Once Fairy Min was standing a few steps away from him, she spoke, "I haven¡¯t introduced myself. I am Min Li from one of the Seven Legacy Family. And I would like to apologize for what happened today. Even though I didn¡¯t know them, I should¡¯ve stepped in and told them to stop."

    "Huh? You didn¡¯t know them?" Yuan looked at her with wide eyes. Then why were they following her around like they were a group of close friends? Hell, they even spoke to her as though they have known each other for years!

    For more, visit lig/htnovelpub[.]

    "I know this may sound like I am bragging but when you¡¯reing from a family as prestigious as one of the Seven Legacy Families, there are always people like those disciples from before following me around hoping they¡¯d benefit from me or my family, and it¡¯s better for me to act like they are not there most of the time, hence why I didn¡¯t tell them to go away," Min Li exined to him after seeing his puzzled face.

    "Of course, I am sure you understand my feelings since you also appear to be from a powerful family."

    "Uhh..." Yuan scratched his head with an awkward atmosphere around him, and he said, "I¡¯m not from any powerful nor prestigious family, though."

    "Huh? You¡¯re not?" Min Li looked at him with her eyes widened slightly from surprise.

    If he doesn¡¯te from a powerful or influential family, why did Grand Elder Xuan protect him from Elder Yao and the Inner Court disciples, much less give him a building in this area meant for the privileged. Surely, there must be something special about him!

    ¡¯So you want to hide your real identity, huh? I will find out the truth sooner orter!¡¯ Min Li thought to herself whilst trying her best to remain calm on the outside.

    "By the way, where are you going now?" Min Li suddenly asked him.

    "I honestly don¡¯t know myself. I¡¯ll probably just walk around until I see something interesting," Yuan shrugged.

    "Walk around until you see something interesting?" Min Li raised her neat and slender eyebrows in a puzzled manner. Why does it sound like he¡¯s going to take a stroll around the sect like he¡¯s at the park? Does he have that much free time on his hands? Even though he¡¯d just be a disciple? After all, most people would be either cultivating or doing something more productive as a new disciple.

    "Do you have any suggestions? What do disciples normally do when they just joined a sect?" Yuan suddenly asked her.

    "Uhh... They either go to the Profound Pavilion to learn new techniques or they go to the Education Peak for lectures. However, seeing that you are at the seventh level Spirit Apprentice already, you should go to the Profound Pavilion." Min Li gave her suggestions to him.

    "Profound Pavilion, huh?" Yuan immediately began pondering.

    ¡¯I already have three sword techniques, but I only have one dagger technique, and it¡¯s not really even a dagger technique as it¡¯s meant for cooking instead. Maybe I should see if the Profound Pavilion will have a good dagger technique that¡¯ll go well with the Starry Abyss...¡¯

    After pondering for a minute, Yuan has decided to go to the Profound Pavilion to search for a new dagger technique.

    "Thank you, Disciple Min, for your guidance," Yuan said to her with a bright smile, and he continued, "And you don¡¯t worry about what happened previously since I can tell that you¡¯re not a bad person."

    "..."

    Min Li looked at his handsome smile with a slightly dazed look on her pretty face, and when she noticed that Yuan was walking away, she unconsciously shouted, "Wait! I¡¯lle with you, too!"

 Chapter 129 Profound Pavilion

    "You want toe with me? Why?" Yuan stopped to look at her with a puzzled face.

    Content held by N?velDrama.Org.

    "Why... you ask?" Min Li stood there with a somewhat dazed face, as she¡¯d spoken without thinking just now.

    However, this is also the first time someone has questioned her like this. If it were anybody else, they wouldn¡¯t even think about asking her why she wanted to follow them and would just ept it with a delighted smile on their face.

    "I had also nned on heading to the Profound Pavilion to see if they have any techniques I can learn. Since you¡¯re going there now, I might as well tag along with you. Or do you not want me around you? Am I being a bother? If you¡¯re worried that I might attract unwanted attention, I can follow you from a distance," Min Li said to him a momentter.

    "Well... It¡¯s not that you¡¯re being a bother... Whatever, you can do whatever you want," Yuan quickly gave up on giving an exnation and allowed her to follow him.

    "Thank you, Disciple Yuan." Min Li showed him a beautifully bright smile.

    Yuan didn¡¯t react much despite her charming appearance and nodded his head with a calm expression before turning around and walking again.

    Min Li was speechless once again, and she stared at Yuan¡¯s back that was getting further away with a dazed look.

    ¡¯He seems uninterested in me... This is a first.¡¯ Min Li thought to herself before she took her first step and began walking once Yuan was a dozen meters away from her.

    "Look over there! Isn¡¯t that Fairy Min from one of the Seven Legacy Families?!"

    For more, visit [.

    "You¡¯re right! And she looks absolutely stunning! I wonder where she¡¯s going?"

    The disciples outside quickly took notice of Min Li¡¯s presence and conversations about her and her family immediately began between the disciples.

    Hell, there were even a few disciples who began following her like the group of Inner Court disciples from before.

    "Congrattions on passing the disciple examination and bing a disciple, Fairy Min!"

    "Fairy Min, do you have some time now? If you do, why don¡¯t we have a celebration?"

    ¡¯She¡¯s really popr...¡¯ Yuan thought to himself as he could hear the disciples trying to talk to Min Li very clearly.

    However, a few momentster, Min Li suddenly stopped walking and turned around to look at the group of disciples following behind her, and she spoke with a calm but cold expression on her face, "I am busy right now, can you all leave me alone?"

    The disciples following her immediately stopped walking and looked at her with a dumbfounded expression before showing an embarrassed or awkward look on their faces.

    "Thank you." Min Li did not even wait for their response and continued walking, subtly following Yuan from behind while keeping a safe distance so that people would only assume that they were coincidentally walking the same direction.

    For more, visit /lightnove/lp/ub/[.

    Meanwhile, Yuan followed the map inside his head that he¡¯d memorized from the guidebook and slowly approached the Profound Pavilion.

    Sometimeter, Yuan arrived before a tall building that resembled the Myriad of Techniques in Spring City, but it was much more luxurious and grandpared to the ordinary-looking Myriad of Techniques.

    After taking a moment to admire the building, Yuan walked inside.

    Min Li followed him inside a momentter.

    Once Yuan was inside the Profound Pavilion, he was immediately puzzled by theyout of the ce. Unlike the Myriad of Pavilion, there were no techniques on disy, and besides the reception and a staircase at the end of the building, there was nothing else there.

    "You must be a new disciple."

    One of the sect elders behind the desk suddenly called out to Yuan after seeing his face that looked like he was lost.

    "Yes, I am." Yuan nodded before he approached the desk with a middle-aged man sitting behind it.

    "What kind of techniques are you looking for, new disciple? Cultivation techniques? Martial techniques? Movement techniques?" The sect elder asked him a momentter.

    "I¡¯d like a technique that¡¯s specifically designed for daggers," Yuan said.

    "So you¡¯re a dagger user, huh? What¡¯s your budget?" The sect elder then asked him.

    "Budget? I have to pay for techniques here?" Yuan looked at the sect elder with a surprised look on his face as the guidebook never mentioned anything about needing to pay for the techniques!

    "Of course you have to pay for the techniques. Did you think you¡¯d get to learn techniques for free just because you are a disciple? This is why new disciples are..." The sect elder shook his head.

    "Well... I have around 200,000 gold coins left..." Yuan said a momentter.

    "Gold coins?" The sect elder looked at Yuan with raised eyebrows beforeughing out loud.

    "Hahaha! You¡¯re a very amusing little guy, Outer Court disciple! When I say you have to pay for the techniques I didn¡¯t mean gold! This is the Profound Pavilion, not a store, and we ept no other currency besides contribution points!" The sect elder exined to him a momentter.

    "If we charged the disciples real money, how will those from amon background learn any techniques? This is a sect, where a disciple¡¯s contribution and efforts take priority over everything else!"

    "That makes sense..." Yuan nodded, and then he said, "If it¡¯s contribution points, I have exactly one thousand. What can I get with that much?"

    "Excuse me? What did you just say? Did you just say that you have 1,000 contribution points?" The sect elder looked at Yuan with a face of disbelief.

    "Yes," Yuan confirmed. "Or is that not enough for a technique?"

    "Uhhh..." The sect elder was speechless.

    One thousand contribution points was a massive amount for even an Inner Court disciple, much less an Outer Court disciple who¡¯d just entered the sect! Hell, it would normally require ten years of collecting contribution points through sect missions for an ordinary disciple to save up that many contribution points! However, this Outer Court disciple who was clearly new to the sect had somehow managed to obtain 1,000 contribution points? That was outrageous!

 Chapter 130 Flying Daggers

    "You have 1,000 contribution points? That¡¯s ridiculous!" The sect elder eximed in a loud voice, causing everybody there to look at them with a curious gaze

    Meanwhile, Min Li watched Yuan from the corner of the building like a partner watching their children¡¯s first shopping experience.

    ¡¯1,000 contribution points... even I only got 100 contribution points for joining the sect... why is there such a big disparity between the two of us?¡¯ Min Li pondered to herself as she continued trying to unveil Yuan¡¯s mysterious identity and seemingly unfathomable background.

    "Since you im to have 1,000 contribution points, let me see your identification token." The sect elder extended his arm with his hands open and his fingers gesturing to give it to him.

    Yuan nodded and handed the sect elder his identification token without hesitation.

    Once the identification token was in his hands, the sect elder used his spiritual energy to peek inside the token, and Yuan¡¯s identification appeared.

    ?Dragon Essence Temple Identification Gold Token?

    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ?Disciple Name: Yuan?

    ?Disciple Status: Outer Disciple?

    ?Living Quarters: Outer Court, Building #70?

    Visit [. for a better experience

    ?Mission Completed: 0?

    ?Contribution Points: 1,000?

    ?Offenses: 0?

    ¡¯Heavens! This Outer Court disciple has a gold identification token! And he really has 1,000 contribution points!¡¯ The sect elder cried inwardly after confirming that Yuan was not lying about his contribution points.

    The sect elder swallowed nervously before turning to look at Yuan with a different kind of light in his eyes and with a respectful gaze.

    There existed four grades of identification tokens in the Dragon Essence Temple. Bronze-grade, silver-grade, gold-grade, and finally, dragon-grade tokens.

    Every grade of identification represented the importance of whoever held that token. For example, if a disciple has a bronze identification token, that person was an ordinary disciple without any impressive backgrounds.

    Meanwhile, those with silver identification tokens are people with decent backings or have impressive talents.

    As for those with a gold identification token, only those whoe from prominent or powerful families such as the Seven Legacy Families are qualified to obtain one.

    For the dragon identification token, only the Sect Masters or high-ranking elders are allowed to have it.

    However, this ranking applied to not just disciples but to sect elders too, and in this case, the sect elder speaking with Yuan right now was only a bronze identification token holder! In other words, he was below Yuan in terms of status!

    "T-Thank you, Disciple Yuan. I-I have confirmed your contribution points. Please give me a few moments to bring you the cultivation techniques specialized for dagger users..." The sect elder spoke to Yuan in a respectful and humble tone, dumbfounding the people that had been watching them.

    "Does that Outer Court disciple really have 1,000 contribution points? I cannot imagine what he must have gone through in order to collect so many contribution points!"

    "You can obtain any cultivation technique you want from this ce with that many contribution points! I envy him!"

    The disciples began mumbling to each other about Yuan.

    A few minutester, the sect elder helping Yuan returned to the desk with over a dozen martial techniques that are best suited for daggers.

    "Thank you for your patience, Disciple Yuan. I have brought pretty much every technique suitable for daggers from the back with me, and they are mostly Mortal-rank with a few exceptions at the Earth-rank. Please take your time looking through them," said the sect elder with a humble look on his face, dumbfounding Min Li and the other disciples, as it was an incredibly weird feeling to see a sect elder acting so humble before an Outer Court disciple who didn¡¯t have any reputation.

    Yuan proceeded to look through the techniques one by one without reading the contents inside, as he was afraid of learning them by ident.

    ¡¯Poison Stab... Night¡¯s Edge... Exploding Dagger... Zealous Piercer...¡¯

    Yuan spent the next few minutes reading the techniques¡¯ names and their description.

    "Hmm? This is..."

    Yuan looked at thest martial technique in the stack with an intrigued look on his face.

    "Flying Daggers... Mortal-rank."

    Even though the technique was only a Mortal-rank technique, the word ¡¯flying¡¯ had instantly attracted his attention.

    "It looks like you are interested in the Flying Dagger technique, Disciple Yuan. Although it¡¯s only a Mortal-rank technique, if mastered, you¡¯ll be able to defeat your opponents from a distance even with a weapon known for its short-range such as the dagger!" The sect elder said to him after seeing his intrigued face.

    "How many contribution points for this technique? I want it," said Yuan, as the idea of defeating his enemies from afar sounded very cool to him.

    "That technique would set you back 75 contribution points, Disciple Yuan," said the sect elder.

    "Only 75 contribution points? That¡¯s very cheap! I¡¯ll take it!" Yuan said with a pleasantly surprised look on his face.

    "Very cheap?" The sect elder¡¯s eyebrows twitched after hearing his words.

    Although 75 contribution points may seem like nothing when he has 1,000 contribution points to spare, it would take a normal disciple almost an entire year to obtain!

    "I understand. You want the Flying Dagger technique, right? I¡¯ll subtract it from your 1,000 contribution points now."

    A few momentster, the sect elder handed the gold identification token back to Yuan.

    "Good luck with the technique, Disciple Yuan."

    "Thank you," Yuan nodded as he tossed the Flying Dagger technique into his Spatial Ring.

    Once he¡¯d gotten his technique, Yuan turned around and prepared to leave, and that was when he noticed Min Li standing in the background.

    "Why are you standing there? Aren¡¯t you going to get a technique, too?" Yuan asked her.

    For more, visit lightnovelpu/b[.

    "No, I am fine. I don¡¯t need any techniques," she calmly shook her head.

    Yuan was speechless after hearing her words. If she didn¡¯t need any techniques then why did she follow him all the way over here, even saying that she nned oning here?

    "Anyway, what are you going to do now that you¡¯ve gotten a technique? Are you going to the practice field to try out your new technique?" Min Li then asked, dumbfounding Yuan even more with her entric behavior.

 Chapter 131 Practice Area

    "Practice field, huh. I do want to try out the Flying Daggers as soon as possible," Yuan nodded after Min Li¡¯s suggestion.

    He then closed his eyes to recall the map inside his head to locate the training field.

    After standing there for a few moments and locating the exact ce, Yuan left the Profound Pavilion.

    Of course, Min Li also left the Profound Pavilion and followed Yuan shortly after like some kind of stalker.

    Sometimeter, they arrived at the practice fields, a vast and spacious area that spanned for miles and was separated into four different parts.

    One part of the area had theserge and long walls that appeared to be made out of steel ced all over the area whilst a few disciples could be seen punching these steel walls.

    In the second area, there were over a hundred human-shaped puppets made out of wood, and these puppets apparently could move on their own and defend themselves against the disciples¡¯ attack. However, these puppets didn¡¯t appear to have the capability to attack the disciple.

    Meanwhile, in the third area, there were also puppets, and unlike the second area, these puppets attacked the disciples¡ª aggressively at that.

    As for the fourth area, there were a dozen mid-sized arenas and there were currently a few disciples sparring with each other on them.

    There was actually a fifth area¡ª the area in the middle, but it waspletely empty with the exception of some disciples sitting on the floor with their eyes closed, seemingly cultivating.

    Yuan immediately assumed this ce to be a resting area for the disciples, as no sane Cultivator would truly do their cultivation out in the open and surrounded by so many people and noises.

    "What are those walls over there? And why are they punching it repeatedly?" Yuan mumbled in a curious voice after seeing their unusual activities.

    "That¡¯s the Wall of Absorption; it¡¯s said to be indestructible against physical attacks and have regeneration properties. They are very popr for those who wish to test out the full extent of their strength." Min Li suddenly responded to him from behind, startling him a bit.

    "What about those puppets? Are they also indestructible?" Yuan asked her afterward.

    "No, they¡¯re not, but they¡¯re extremely hard to break if you¡¯re not a Spirit Warrior," she said.

    "If I... If I identally break one, how much do I have to reimburse the sect?" Yuan asked in a slightly nervous tone.

    Min Li looked at him with her beautiful eyebrows raised, and she said, "Even I cannot break one at my full strength yet you think you can break one at whilst being two levels under me?"

    "Well... You can¡¯t always be too careful. After all, they look expensive..."

    Min Li was speechless. Despite his seemingly profound background, Yuan did not act like someone that belongs to a powerful family.

    There was a clear hint of naivety and innocence around him, but there was also something charming about him that kept her interest piqued.

    "You won¡¯t have to pay for any damages done to the puppets so you don¡¯t have to worry about breaking them," Min Li said a momentter.

    "I see. Thank you," Yuan said to her before he retrieved the Flying Daggers technique and began reading through it.

    Min Li raised her eyebrows yet again after seeing this.

    "What are you doing now?" She asked him.

    "I¡¯m learning the technique," Yuan responded in a calm voice.

    "What?" Min Li¡¯s eyes widened, and she pointed at the area in the center of the practice area and said, "Why don¡¯t you do it over there? There¡¯s a formation the cancels out unwanted noise so you¡¯ll have absolute peace and silence while inside¡ª"

    However, before Min Li could even finish her sentence, Yuan closed the technique and tossed it back into his Spatial Ring with a calm expression on his face.

    ?You have learned Flying Daggers?

    [Flying Daggers]

    [Rank: Mortal]

    Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.

    [Mastery Level: 1]

    [Description: Control your daggers with spiritual energy and send them flying through the battlefield, ying your enemies from a distance! Qi consumption will vary depending on how many Daggers you control at once and its speed.]

    Min Li would¡¯ve never thought that Yuan could have learned the technique in such a short time so she assumed that he was only putting away the technique so he could listen to her advice and go to the resting area.

    However, when Min Li noticed that Yuan was walking towards the second area where the defensive puppets were instead, she frowned with a puzzled look on her beautiful face.

    ¡¯What the... Where is he going?¡¯ Min Li wondered to herself as she watched Yuan stand before a puppet.

    A few momentster, she watched as Yuan retrieved a very beautiful ck dagger that did not have any unique aura to it.

    ¡¯What a beautiful weapon... but I don¡¯t sense anything specialing from it¡ª is it just an ordinary weapon with good looks?¡¯ Min Li thought to herself.

    ¡¯Hmm? Why is he bringing out a weapon now when he still hasn¡¯t learned the technique? What¡¯s he trying to do?¡¯

    Meanwhile, Yuan ced the Starry Abyss t on his palms, and he activated Flying Daggers.

    The Starry Abyss began trembling the next second, and after a few more seconds, it began levitating in the air with a subtle red glow around the dagger.

    "WHAT?!"

    When Min Li saw the dagger flying above Yuan, she uncontrobly shouted in a shocked voice, quickly attracting the attention of everyone there.

    "Isn¡¯t that Fairy Min? What¡¯s she doing here? And did that loud voicee from her just now?"

    "I think it was somebody else. After all, why would Fairy Min suddenly shout?"

    "What do you think she¡¯s watching? Do you think she might be watching us train?"

    "That might be the case! Let¡¯s try not to embarrass ourselves now!"

    The disciples in the practice area began training with even more intensity because they wanted to impress Fairy Min, but s, little did they know that she was not paying attention to them whatsoever, and her gaze was locked onto Yuan¡¯s figure.

 Chapter 132 Destroying the Training Puppe

    ¡¯Is that the technique he¡¯d just obtained from the Profound Pavilion¡ª Flying Daggers?! But that¡¯s impossible! He didn¡¯t have the time to learn it!¡¯ Min Li cried inwardly after witnessing Yuan levitate the Starry Abyss.

    Then she recalled that brief moment that Yuan took to look through the technique, but that onlysted for a minute at most if not even shorter. How can someone learn an entire technique in less than a minute? Even if it¡¯s the lowest rank technique, such a feat shouldn¡¯t be possible!

    "It must be a different technique..." Min Li forced herself to believe that Yuan was only using a simr technique.

    However, when she saw Yuan controlling the dagger and making it fly around exactly like the technique Flying Daggers would do, her eyes widened with shock again.

    ¡¯T-That¡¯s really the Flying Daggers technique! He¡¯d really managed to learn a Mortal-rank technique in a minute! Just what is his background?! Even the top geniuses from the Seven Legacy Families pales inparison to him!¡¯

    ¡¯Wait a second...¡¯ Min Li suddenly thought of a possibility.

    ¡¯The Four Ancient Families... Could he be from one of the Four Ancient Families?!¡¯ Min Li pondered to herself with a serious frown on her face.

    The Four Ancient Families are very simr to the Seven Legacy Families in the way that they are only a branch family that has a main family somewhere in the upper heavens. However, other than that, the two powers werepletely different.

    While the Seven Legacy Families are known for their influence andrge family size, in terms of power and influence, the Four Ancient Families vastly surpasses the Seven Legacy Families by a long shot!

    Furthermore, very little is known about the Four Ancient Families, as they don¡¯t usually show up in public or participate inrge gatherings. One can say they are a mysterious background with immense power that is at the peak of the Lower Heavens.

    ¡¯If this Disciple Yuan is really from one of the Four Ancient Families, it would make sense as to why he¡¯s so talented but at the same time a nobody that no one recognizes," Min Li thought to herself as she watched Yuan improve with the Flying Daggers technique at a shocking speed.

    Meanwhile, Yuan was having the time of his life controlling the Starry Abyss in the air, and once he¡¯d familiarized himself with the technique, he began using it to attack the defensive puppets.

    "Flying Dagger!" Yuan activated his spiritual energy and directed the Starry Abyss in the air to fly straight at the puppet, and the Starry Abyss trembled for a split second before shooting itself towards the puppet like a shooting star.

    Whoosh!

    The Starry Abyss arrived before the puppet before one could even finish blinking their eyes and struck the puppet in the center of its head before it could even react.

    Boom!

    The defensive puppet was sent flying backward, even hitting another puppet in the back before stopping.

    "So powerful!" Yuan mumbled in a dumbfounded voice when he saw the destructive power from the technique. "And this is only a Mortal-rank technique? Or is the power mostly due to the Starry Abyss because it¡¯s a Soul Weapon?"

    Meanwhile, Min Li¡¯s mouth was wide open from shock after she witnessed the powerful blow from the Flying Daggers techniques.

    ¡¯What the heck?! The Flying Daggers is only a Mortal-rank technique and is known for being fast but weak! Yet he¡¯s disying power with the technique that rivals even Earth-rank destructive techniques! Not to mention, he¡¯d just learned the technique not long ago!¡¯ Min Li cried inwardly.

    A few momentster, the puppet that had been struck by the Abyss Dagger slowly returned to standing in front of Yuan, but there was a small crack on its forehead.

    Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡¯Even though I don¡¯t have to pay for it, I shouldn¡¯t destroy it...¡¯ Yuan thought to himself, and he proceeded to continue his training with the Flying Daggers technique, and every time he went to strike the defensive puppet, he made sure to hit the puppet in a new area and avoided the cracked areas.

    Once the puppet was full of cracks, Yuan went to another puppet and continued his training.

    About half an hourter, another notification appeared.

    ?Yourprehension for Flying Daggers has reached a new level!?

    ?Flying Daggers Mastery Level (1) ¡ú (2)?

    [Flying Daggers]

    [Rank: Mortal]

    [Mastery Level: 2]

    "Let¡¯s see just how much of a difference a single mastery level makes!" Yuan mumbled to himself in anticipation before using the Flying Daggers on the Starry Abyss and attacking a brand new defensive puppet at full power and speed.

    Whoosh!

    The Starry Abyss floating in the air suddenly flickered and disappeared, and in the speed it takes for one to blink, the Starry Abyss had already reached the puppet in the chest.

    BOOM!

    To Yuan¡¯s surprise, the Starry Abyss not only sent the puppet flying but it¡¯d also created a hole the size of one¡¯s fist in the middle of the puppet¡¯s chest.

    ng!

    Once the puppet bumped into another puppet many meters away, the puppet struck by the Starry Abyss broke into two pieces, dumbfounding Yuan and every disciple in the practice area that had been startled by the loud noise created by the impact.

    "H-H-He broke the Training Puppet! I have never seen anyone achieve that before!"

    "Just who is that disciple?! I don¡¯t recognize his face!"

    The disciples there mumbled to each other after witnessing a Training Puppet being destroyed in such a vicious manner for the first time.

    "He... He really destroyed a Training Puppet..." Min Li mumbled to herself in a low voice and stood there with a dazed face.

    A few momentster, Min Li suddenly began making her way towards the second area with a sword in her hands and a resolute look on her beautiful face.

    "Look at that! Fairy Min is also going to challenge the Training Puppet! She definitely wants to try it herself after seeing what that disciple achieved!" The disciples noticed her actions and watched in anticipation.

 Chapter 133 Challenging Yuan

    ¡¯If he can destroy a Training Puppet whilst being two whole levels below me in cultivation, not to mention with a Mortal-rank technique, there¡¯s no reason why I, Min Li, cannot destroy one too!¡¯ Min Li thought to herself with a resolute look on her face, feeling as though she¡¯d been challenged by Yuan after seeing his dazzling disy.

    Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.

    Every single disciple in the practice area including Yuan stopped whatever they were doing to watch Min Li, who stood before a Training Puppet with an ordinary sword in her hands and a serious but still beautiful look on her face.

    ¡¯Since he¡¯d used an ordinary weapon and a Mortal-rank technique, I shall do the same!¡¯ Min Li thought to herself as she prepared her mind and sword.

    After taking a deep breath, Min Li moved.

    She took a step forward with the sword in her hand raised and trembling.

    "Haa!"

    Min Li shouted out loud as she swung the sword in her hands.

    Boom!

    The Training Puppet flew many meters away from the impact.

    "Wow! As expected of Fairy Min! To think she could disy such strength with a Mortal-rank technique!"

    "That¡¯s true, but...pared to that other disciple... it felt a little bitcking... I think..." One of the disciples there suddenly mumbled.

    "You idiot! Don¡¯t say that out loud! What if Fairy Min hears you?!" Another whispered.

    "..."

    Min Li¡¯s eyebrows twitched a little bit when she heard those disciples talk, but she pretended as though she didn¡¯t hear it and focused on the Training Puppet.

    A momentter, the Training Puppet returned, and as she¡¯d expected, there wasn¡¯t any damage on the puppet despite such a powerful blow.

    Min Li stared at the Training Puppet with a frown on her face, but she wasn¡¯t discouraged, as the previous attack was only a warmup.

    After taking another breath, Min Li disyed her second strike, and the sword in her hand emitted an even more powerful aura than previously.

    Boom!

    The Training Puppet was sent flying once again by the strike.

    "Wow! That strike was at least twice as powerful as thest one! And it surpassed even the other disciple¡¯s attacks at first!"

    "As expected of Fairy Min! I knew her first strike was only a warmup!"

    However, despite the disciples¡¯ praises, Min Li did not feel happy even in the slightest, as she knew very well that it wasn¡¯t enough to destroy the Training Puppet.

    The Training Puppet returned to her side a momentter, and there was a slight crack on its body, but it was nothing significant and could only be considered as superficial damage.

    ¡¯How is this possible?¡¯ Min Li pondered to herself. ¡¯Although I am only using an ordinary weapon, my mastery with this Mortal-rank technique has long reached its peak after training with it for over ten years, yet it cannotpare to his Flying Daggers technique that he¡¯d just learned not long ago! This doesn¡¯t make any sense! Unless...¡¯

    Min Li turned to look at the beautiful weapon in Yuan¡¯s grasp.

    ¡¯Unless that¡¯s not an ordinary weapon at all! I¡¯d been fooled by itsck of aura! That weapon is definitely a powerful treasure! There¡¯s no way someone from the Ancient Family will carry around an ordinary weapon! Since that¡¯s the case, I will also use my personal weapon!¡¯

    After convincing herself that Yuan¡¯s Starry Abyss was actually a treasure and not an ordinary weapon at all, Min Li stowed away her ordinary sword and retrieved another sword¡ª a beautiful blue sword that emitted a sharp and profound aura that sent chills down the disciples¡¯ back when they saw it.

    "There it is! Fairy Min¡¯s Heaven-grade treasure, the Eternal Fairy Needle!"

    "Wow, the de of that sword is incredibly thin! I have never seen anything like that before! But won¡¯t it affect its durability?"

    "Are you stupid? That¡¯s a Heaven-grade treasure! You cannot judge treasures by their appearance! Even though it has an incredibly thin de, it¡¯s actually more durable than even broadswords¡ª at least that¡¯s what I heard."

    Whilst the disciples mumbled to each other, Min Li prepared herself for the third strike.

    Sometimeter, Min Li stepped forward while shouting in a loud voice.

    "Haaaa!"

    The eternal Fairy Needle in her grasp flew forward, striking the Training Puppet directly on the chest.

    BOOM!

    The Training Puppet was sent flying like it¡¯d beenunched by a rocketuncher andnded in the third practice area many meters in the distance.

    "Heavens... what a powerful strike! I don¡¯t think I have seen even Earth-grade techniques disy such power!"

    "Do you think Fairy Min managed to destroy the Training Puppet with that strike just now?"

    "Of course! There¡¯s simply no way the Training Puppet could¡¯ve survived that!"

    However, to everybody¡¯s surprise, the Training Puppet returned a few momentster with only arge crack in its chest.

    "What the heck? Are the Training Puppets really that durable? To the point where it can withstand even a Heaven-grade treasure?!"

    "If that¡¯s the case, then how powerful is that disciple who¡¯d destroyed itpletely?!"

    The disciples were shocked beyond belief when they realized just how difficult it was to destroy a Training Puppet, and they all turned to look at Yuan who had been standing there with an innocent face with shocked gazes.

    Meanwhile, Min Li stared at the Training Puppet with a slightly angry look on her face, feeling irritated for the first time in many years. As a genius who is often praised by her surroundings and with very few rivals in her life, she cannot help but feel angry when she suddenly meets another individual who she cannot even begin topare to, not to mention she was being watched by hundreds of other disciples.

    ¡¯I know I¡¯d dug this hole myself when I decided to challenge him, but I have vastly underestimated him! If I don¡¯t destroy the Training Puppet, my face will be in jeopardy!¡¯ Min Li thought to herself.

    ¡¯Since it hase to this, I must go all out even if I am cheating a little!¡¯

 Chapter 134 Admitting Defea

    ¡¯If I don¡¯t destroy a Training Puppet today, it won¡¯t just affect my reputation but also my family! I cannot let that happen no matter what! Not even if I have to sacrifice all of my faces!¡¯ Min Li thought to herself.

    A momentter, she took a deep breath before taking a unique stance.

    When the other disciples saw this and recognized her stance, they immediately shouted with excitement.

    "That¡¯s the Min Family¡¯s most powerful technique¡ª a Divine-rank technique!"

    "What?! She¡¯s going from a Mortal-rank technique to a Divine-rank technique?! Does she want to destroy that Training Puppet so badly?"

    "Well, think about it as though you are in her shoes. She was the one who decided to challenge that disciple who¡¯d manage to destroy the Training Puppet. If she loses, it¡¯ll affect her reputation alongside her family¡¯s reputation, and you know how much the Seven Legacy Families values their reputation!"

    "But that disciple used a Mortal-rank technique... and it was even the Flying Daggers technique that is known for being weak! If she uses a Divine-rank technique, wouldn¡¯t that be cheating and count as her loss regardless?"

    "Well, yeah, but at least she will save some face for destroying the Training Puppet."

    While the disciples mumbled to each other, Min Li focused on her next and final attack, even picking a new Training Puppet that did not have any cracks to make it a little bit fairer.

    ¡¯This will definitely make me lose face, but at least I will destroy the Training Puppet!¡¯

    With that in mind, Min Li took a step forward, causing the ground to tremble a little, and she swung the sword in her hands that radiated with a profound aura.

    "HAAAAAAAAH!"

    Min Li shouted at the top of her lungs, attempting to force every ounce of strength in her body out with her voice.

    BOOOOM!

    An explosion urred upon impact, and the Training Puppet was sent flying like a shooting star, crashing into many other Training Puppets.

    "Heavens..."

    The other disciples¡¯ jaw dropped to the ground when they witnessed the destructive power of the Divine-rank technique. There was simply no way the Training Puppet would be able to move again after being hit by such a powerful strike!

    "Haaa... haaa... haaaa... Did I... destroy it...?"

    Min Li kneeled on the ground with an exhausted expression on her face while panting heavily.

    The Divine-rank technique had exhausted pretty much all of her spiritual energy, making something as easy as standing a difficult task for her.

    The other disciples also watched with nervous expressions, their gazes all staring at the mountain of Training Puppets that had piled up after the Min Li¡¯s attack.

    A few momentster, the Training Puppets began moving once again and slowly returned to their original spots.

    However, the disciples and Min Li didn¡¯t care about the other Training Puppets¡ª only the one that she¡¯d struck.

    Two minutester, they could finally see the Training Puppet that Min Li attacked.

    "I-Impossible..." Min Li mumbled with clear disbelief on her face as the Training Puppet that she¡¯d struck slowly approached her with a long and deep cut on its chest, feeling quite intimidating for some reason.

    A few momentster, the Training Puppet stood before Min Li once again, clearly still functional and notpletely destroyed despite the damage it¡¯d sustained that would instantly kill any Cultivator.

    "H-How is that possible?"

    The other disciples there were also in disbelief, and they turned to look at Yuan with a fearful expression on their faces.

    If Yuan could destroy the Training Puppetpletely with a Mortal-rank technique whilst Min Li could not achieve the same results with a Divine-rank technique and a Heaven-grade treasure, just how much more powerful is he?

    ¡¯Damn it! Just who is this Disciple Yuan?!¡¯ Min Li cried inwardly and stared at Yuan with a frustrated look on her face.

    Meanwhile, Yuan, who waspletely oblivious that Min Li had challenged him, said to her, "Wow, that was such a powerful technique! I am impressed!"

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    *Cough*

    Min Li nearly coughed up a mouthful of blood after hearing Yuan¡¯s words, as she misunderstood it for mockery.

    ¡¯T-This is the first time I¡¯ve been humiliated in such a manner! He¡¯d even mocked me for daring to challenge him!¡¯

    However, as frustrated as she was, Min Li wasn¡¯t angry at Yuan, mostly because she was the one who¡¯d challenged him in the first ce, even ming herself for not being strong enough.

    "You... How old are you?" Min Li asked Yuan sometimeter.

    "Me? 18 years old," Yuan calmly responded.

    "..."

    Min Li stared at him with a gawking expression.

    ¡¯He¡¯s the same age as me?! Yet there¡¯s such a vast disparity between us?! He¡¯s definitely from one of the Four Ancient Families! I am almost certain now!¡¯ Min Li cried inwardly.

    "Anyway, I am going to return home for now..." Yuan turned around and walked away.

    However, Min Li shouted at him, "Wait for a second!"

    "Yes?" Yuan looked at her with a calm expression.

    "I... I won¡¯t lose to you next time! Regardless of your background, I am going to win next time!" Min Li dered with a determined look on her face.

    "Uhh... Okay?" Yuan raised his eyebrows in a puzzled manner, as he had no idea what she was talking about, but he figured that it would be for the best to just nod his head and ept it.

    "..."

    Min Li was speechless. Does she really look that insignificant in his eyes? Are the Four Ancient Families really that much more powerful than the Seven Legacy Families?

    ¡¯Hmph! Just you wait! Although I may be nothing more than an ant in your eyes right now, I swear that I will catch up to you and make you recognize me as your equal!¡¯ Min Li swore to herself as she watched Yuan disappear from the practice area.

    Meanwhile, Yuan returned to his home and acted as though nothing special had happened,pletely unaware that he¡¯d made Min Li think of him as a rival!

 Chapter 135 Unbelievable Rumor

    "Just who was that Outer Court disciple? I have never seen him before, nor do I recognize his face! Does anyone here know him?" One of the disciples there suddenly asked out loud.

    "No, I have also never seen him around here before, and Ie to this ce nearly every day!"

    "Me neither! I have trained here every day for the past 2 years without missing a single day and I also don¡¯t recognize him!"

    Since nobody there recognized Yuan¡¯s identity, they all turned to look at Fairy Min with a questioning gaze.

    After a moment of silence, one of them decided to ask her, "Fairy Min, do you perhaps know who that Outer Court disciple was?"

    "I don¡¯t know him!" Min Li responded in an irritated voice before standing up and patting her clothes and knees.

    Once she¡¯d fixed her appearance, Min Li walked away while resisting the urge to cry, as she¡¯d unintentionally suffered a humiliating defeat by Yuan before so many disciples, which will surely affect her reputation and possibly her family¡¯s face.

    Sometimeter, once Min Li left the scene, the disciples at the practice area looked at each other and said, "Did you see how dejected Fairy Min looked just now? I think it would be better if we don¡¯t talk about this..."

    "Yeah, I think so too. After all, talking bad about Fairy Min is akin to pping the Min Family in the face, and I don¡¯t want to risk offending one of the Seven Legacy Families."

    "Me too! I didn¡¯t see anything here today!"

    "Good! Then let¡¯s act as though nothing happened here today!"

    However, even if the majority of the disciples there agreed to keep what happened today a secret, there were bound to be a few of them who couldn¡¯t keep their mouths shut and spoke about the event at the practice area to others, which quickly spread throughout the sect as a rumor.

    Luckily for Fairy Min, since only a few people spoke about it at first, the other disciples doubted this rumor when they heard it, as it was simply too unbelievable.

    "What? Fairy Min lost to some unknown Outer Court disciple in a challenge? That¡¯s outrageous!"

    "Some unknown Outer Court disciple managed to destroy a Training Puppet with an ordinary dagger and a Mortal-rank technique¡ª the Flying Daggers technique, no less? How is that possible? You must have been dreaming!"

    "There¡¯s no way Fairy Min would lose to some nobody! Quit your bullshit!"

    "I am telling you the truth! If you go to the practice area now, you would see many cracked Training Puppets! These damages had been done by that Outer Court disciple!" The disciple that spread the rumors said, feeling slightly annoyed that nobody believed him.

    "Do you think I am stupid? Of course, there would be cracked Training Puppets in the practice area! Do you know how many disciples practice there every day? I¡¯d personally cracked one myself after hitting it over 1,000 times in a single day!"

    "That¡¯s not what I mean!"

    "Hmph! I don¡¯t know who you are but if you continue to gossip about Fairy Min in a negative light, I will personally give your skull some cracks! Get lost!"

    "..."

    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    That disciple was speechless. After pondering for a minute, he realized that it made sense why nobody would believe him, as the event was simply too unbelievable! If he didn¡¯t witness it himself, he would¡¯ve definitely reacted the same as these disciples.

    Meanwhile, after returning to her own room, Min Li copsed on the bed with her head buried deep inside her pillow and began crying her eyes out, releasing all of her frustration alone after today¡¯s defeat.

    "I swear I won¡¯t lose to you next time, Disciple Yuan!" Min Li cried out loud sometimeter.

    As for Yuan, he was casuallyying on thefortable bed inside his room while staring at the floating Starry Abyss in the air. Even though he¡¯d already reached mastery level 2 for this technique, he just cannot seem to get enough of it, as it¡¯d reminded him of the flying sword.

    "Hopefully I¡¯ll be able to control a flying sword soon," he mumbled in a low voice.

    After spending some time reading the guidebook some more to decide where he wanted to go for tomorrow, Yuan logged off the game to cultivate in the real world until Yu Rou returned from school to feed him dinner.

    ¡¯Even though I haven¡¯t slept in an entire week, I don¡¯t feel tired, even filled to the brim with energy. I wonder if this is actually healthy for me...¡¯ Yuan wondered to himself as he calmed his mind to prepare for another night of cultivation.

    However, unlike the past few days, Yuan did not cultivate throughout the whole night and decided to cultivate only for a few hours before going to sleep.

    The next morning, Yu Rou said to him, "Brother, Doctor Wang will beingter this morning. Do you think you can wait for him to finish before you y the game? I have school so I won¡¯t be able to attend, but Meixiu will be here if you need anything."

    "Okay," Yuan said.

    Once Yu Rou left for school, Yuan began cultivating until someone knocked on his room.

    "Young Master, Doctor Wang is here to see you," Meixiu knocked on his door and said.

    "Let him in," Yuan responded.

    Doctor Wang entered the room with Meixiu a momentter.

    "How have you been feelingtely, Young Master? Does your body hurt anywhere? Do you feel any different than usual?" Doctor Wang asked him.

    "No, I feel as great as usual," Yuan quickly responded.

    ¡¯As great as usual...?¡¯ Doctor Wang raised his eyebrows in a surprised manner. Normally, one wouldn¡¯t im to feel ¡¯great¡¯ if they were in Yuan¡¯s condition.

    "T-That¡¯s great to hear. Anyway, I have brought some equipment with me to scan your body today, but since this is portable equipment, it is also weaker than the ones in the hospital, so I will need to remove your clothes." Doctor Wang said before turning to look at Meixiu and said, "Do you mind helping the Young Master strip while I prepare the equipment? Thank you."

    "Uhhhh..." A speechless and perplexed look appeared on Meixiu¡¯s face, but she nodded regardless, and then she approached Yuan on the bed a momentter.

 Chapter 136 A Bug in the System

    "Excuse me, Young Master. I¡¯ll be removing your clothes now," Meixiu said to him once she was beside the bed.

    "Go ahead," Yuan said.

    Meixiu swallowed nervously and reached for Yuan¡¯s pajamas with trembling hands.

    Although Yu Rou had specifically told her to not touch Yuan unless absolutely necessary, she also told her to assist Doctor Wang if he requested help, which conflicted with each other and ced Meixiu in a difficult spot.

    A few momentster, Meixiu stripped Yuan until he was stark naked.

    "Uhh..."

    When Doctor Wang saw this, he spoke in an awkward voice, "You didn¡¯t need to remove his underwear..."

    "Ah! I am so sorry, Young Master! I wasn¡¯t thinking properly just now!" Meixiu eximed in a startled voice after realizing her mistake, and she quickly went to put Yuan¡¯s underwear back on his body, but s, she¡¯d unintentionally touched something soft while fixing his underwear due to her panicked and hasty movements.

    ¡¯T-The Young Lady is going to kill me if she finds out that I¡¯d soiled the Young Master¡¯s body with my hands...!¡¯ Meixiu cried inwardly after she realized what she¡¯d done.

    "Haha..." Yuan suddenlyughed, and he said, "You¡¯ve always been clumsy, Meixiu. Don¡¯t worry about it too much."

    "B-But the Young Lady..."

    "I won¡¯t say anything if you won¡¯t," Yuan said with a smile on his face.

    Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.

    "..." Meixiu was speechless. Is she really going to keep this a secret from Yu Rou?

    "I-I understand, Young Master... Thank you... and sorry..." Meixiu bowed to him despite the fact that Yuan wouldn¡¯t be able to see it.

    Doctor Wang shook his head when he saw this, but this wasn¡¯t any of his business, so he acted as though it had never happened.

    Sometimeter, Doctor Wang approached the bed with the equipment by his side.

    However, Doctor Wang¡¯s eyes widened with shock when he saw Yuan¡¯s body.

    "Y-Y-Young Master! What happened to your body?!" Doctor Wang eximed in a shocked voice.

    "Huh? Did something happen to my body?" Yuan¡¯s eyebrows quickly furrowed into a worried face.

    "N-No... It¡¯s just that...pared tost week, your body is much bulkier and clearly has more muscles in general, almost like you¡¯ve been working out." Doctor Wang spoke in a dumbfounded voice, as this is a situation that he has never encountered before.

    After all, how does a cripple who cannot move anything below his neck suddenly obtain muscles when all he does isy around in the bed all day?

    Meixiu couldn¡¯t help but nce at Yuan¡¯s body out of curiosity, and sure enough, there were some defined areas on his body¡ª something she didn¡¯t notice before because she was too nervous.

    "I... have no idea..." Yuan said despite having a clue as to what might have caused this, and he continued, "Maybe it¡¯s because I have been eating three bowls of soup instead of just one every meal?"

    "Uhhh..." Doctor Wang was speechless. If drinking three bowls of soup per meal would give one muscle without doing anything, everybody in the world would drink soup every day for all three meals! If anything, Yuan should be getting fatter, yet one could easily tell at a nce that the muscles on Yuan¡¯s body were real muscles and not fat!

    "Excuse me, Young Master, I am going to take a quick look at your body..." Doctor Wang began testing the toughness of Yuan¡¯s muscles.

    ¡¯Heavens! His muscles are even stronger than mine! Although I may be old, I shouldn¡¯t lose to someone like the Young Master who hasn¡¯t lifted a finger for many years!¡¯ Doctor Wang cried inwardly after his quick assessment.

    ¡¯This... is this a good thing?¡¯ Doctor Wang pondered with a serious look on his face as he was unsure of how to diagnose Yuan¡¯s situation.

    While it would normally be a good thing for someone to gain muscles, it might be troublesome for someone like Yuan who cannot use his body. What if his muscles continue to grow to the point where it might harm Yuan¡¯s body instead?

    Sometimeter, Doctor Wang decided to scan Yuan¡¯s body before he decided on anything.

    Doctor Wang then ced four pieces of equipment that resembledrge bracelets on Yuan¡¯s body, one on each limb.

    Afterward, Doctor Wang ced a dozen wired sensors all over Yuan¡¯s body and connected it to the monitor beside the bed.

    "I am going to scan your body now, Young Master." Doctor Wang said as he pressed a button on the monitor.

    A few momentster, the equipment began glowing a neon green color, and the wired sensors also began trembling slightly while glowing as well.

    After waiting for a few minutes, Doctor Wang could see an x-ray of Yuan¡¯s body on the monitor.

    "W-What is this?" Doctor Wang mumbled in a dazed voice when he saw the results.

    Doctor Wang then rubbed his eyes for a few seconds before looking at the monitor again, and sure enough, he was not dreaming and he could see Yuan¡¯s bones glowing a subtle but golden color.

    ¡¯Is this a glitch in the system?¡¯ Doctor Wang immediately came to this conclusion as it was the only logical one he could think of. ¡¯Well, this equipment is not as powerful or urate as the ones in the hospital, so something like this can happen from time to time...¡¯

    ¡¯But I¡¯ll do it again just in case.¡¯

    Doctor Wang proceeded to restart the monitor before scanning Yuan¡¯s body again.

    A few minutester, the same results came back but with even more rity.

    ¡¯What the heck? Why does it look like there are golden symbols etched onto the Young Master¡¯s bones?¡¯ Doctor Wang was truly baffled speechless this time, as he could not find a logical exnation for this phenomenon other than it being a weird glitch in the software. After all, there was simply no way there could be golden symbols engraved onto Yuan¡¯s bones, as that would require surgery, something Yuan clearly hasn¡¯t had since ever.

    "Is everything okay?" Yuan asked him sometimeter.

    "Y-Yes... your bones seem to be okay," Doctor Wang hastily said, treating the golden symbols as a bug in the system.

 Chapter 137 Perfectly Healthy

    After checking Yuan¡¯s x-ray, Doctor Wang proceeded to test Yuan¡¯s blood and a few other things.

    Once the results came back and there was nothing abnormal, Doctor Wang said, "Okay, I am done with your checkup, Young Master. Your body is as healthy as usual, and there¡¯s nothing wrong with your blood. In fact, I would even say that you¡¯re getting healthier every time I see you."

    "Do you have any questions for me before I leave, Young Master?"

    "Yes... Doctor Wang... Am I... Is my condition really caused by some unknown and undetectable illness?" Yuan suddenly asked.

    After all, if the Translucent Dew of wlessness and Feng Yixiao¡¯s phoenix blood had affected him in real life, why didn¡¯t the phoenix blood heal his condition when it supposedly cured all of illness and injuries? Why is he still crippled?

    "..."

    Doctor Wang shook his head in a solemn manner. After a moment of silence, he spoke, "I¡¯ve already told you this many times already, Young Master, but we cannot find anything wrong with your body. Your blood, your bones, your muscles¡ª anything that could be tested in your body we have already tested and multiple times too. However, the results are always the same¡ª you arepletely healthy."

    "With that being said, there¡¯s no way someone healthy would suddenly lose their ability to move their body and see, so we could on conclude that it is a new illness that can avoid our current technology. I¡¯m really sorry that I cannot be of more help to you, Young Master. I am also really ashamed to even call myself a doctor whenever I am before you..." Doctor Wang sighed.

    "There¡¯s no need for you to feel guilty, Doctor Wang. I understand that there are some things in this world that cannot be fixed no matter what, and I am simply one of those things," Yuan said to him with a smile on his face.

    "Young Master... You are truly too kind..." Doctor Wang said, feeling an urge to cry.

    For more, visit li/ghtnov/elp/ub[./

    Content held by N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡¯Why did the heavens punish the Young Master in such a way? What did he do to deserve this kind of life? This is too cruel even if the heavens are jealous of the Young Master¡¯s talents.¡¯ Doctor Wang sighed inwardly.

    Sometimeter, Meixiu escorted Doctor Wang outside before returning to his room.

    "Do you need anything from me, Young Master?" Meixiu asked him afterward.

    "Uhh... can you help me put my clothes back on?" Yuan said.

    "Oh! Right! I nearly forgot about that!" Meixiu quickly went to put on his clothes as she didn¡¯t want to be responsible if Yuan catches a cold because of it.

    "I am going in the game now," Yuan said to her afterward.

    "I understand, Young Master. I¡¯ll head to school to serve the Young Lady now," Meixiu said.

    "Have fun..." Yuan said.

    ¡¯Fun...?¡¯ Meixiu thought to herself. While she found helping Yu Rou fun, there was nothing fun about going to school, where she must act like a student and a servant at the same time.

    Although Meixiu is a maid, she is also a student at the same time, and because of Yu Rou, she got to attend the same prestigious school as Yu Rou. And because only rich and famous students go to that school, it wasmon seeing these students bringing their servants to school with them.

    Sometimeter, Meixiu left the room and closed the lights whilst Yuan returned to Cultivation Online.

    After returning to his room in the disciple, Yuan sat on the bed and spoke out loud, "Xiao Hua, Feng Feng, I have a question. Can youe out for a moment?"

    A secondter, Xiao Hua came out of his ne whilst Feng Yixiao emerged from his chest.

    "What¡¯s the matter, Young Master?" Feng Yixiao asked him.

    "Well... it¡¯s like this..."

    Yuan proceeded to tell them about his condition in the real world without saying it¡¯s him.

    "Wow, that sounds horrible..." Feng Yixiao shook her head afterward, and she continued, "If I had to live like that, I¡¯d probably ask to be killed."

    "..."

    For more, visit [.]

    Yuan was speechless. But it was not as though he didn¡¯t understand Feng Yixiao¡¯s thoughts.

    "Feng Feng, you said that your phoenix blood could cure all illness, right? What if a person in that condition consumes your blood but doesn¡¯t heal? Then what would that mean?" Yuan then asked her.

    "Indeed, my phoenix blood can cure all illnesses. However, there is a limit to such abilities, as it will only cure mortal illnesses," she said.

    "Mortal illness? What does that even mean?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    Xiao Hua then spoke, "Just like poison and medicine, there are many levels of illnesses. In other words, there are illnesses only mortals can have whilst Cultivators are immune to them. However, that goes both ways as there are illnesses that can only affect Cultivators but not mortals, as we have different bodies and immune systems."

    "Heavens... I didn¡¯t know there exists such a thing..." Yuan mumbled.

    "Anyway, my blood can heal all mortal illnesses and most illnesses that affect only Cultivators. If this is a Cultivator we¡¯re talking about then that is most likely the case. If the crippled person is a mortal... then that person must have contracted something extremely rare and powerful that would even affect Cultivators."

    "Is this person someone you know, Young Master? If that¡¯s the case, it¡¯d be better if you find a real expert. After all, we¡¯re not doctors... at least I don¡¯t think so..." Feng Yixiao turned to look at Xiao Hua who shook her head.

    "Xiao Hua only knows the basics," she said.

    For more, visit l/igh/tn/ov/elpub[.

    "A real expert, huh? Where can I find one?" Yuan then asked.

    "I know of a few renowned doctors in the Lower Heavens but they are always traveling so I don¡¯t always know where they are. However, if I sense their aura, I¡¯ll immediately let you know, Young Master." Feng Yixiao said.

    "Thanks a bunch, Feng Feng. I¡¯ll be counting on you." Yuan nodded.

 Chapter 138 Carp Leaping Over Dragonâ€™s Gate Tower

    After talking to Feng Yixiao and Xiao Hua for a few more minutes, they returned to their own ¡¯home¡¯ while Yuan prepared to leave the house once again to explore the sect.

    However, before Yuan could even take a dozen steps out of his house, a familiar voice resounded, "Where are you going?"

    Yuan turned around to see Min Li standing by the door with slightly dark eyes, almost like she didn¡¯t get enough sleepst night or something.

    "I am going to the ¡¯Carp Leaping Over Dragon¡¯s Gate Tower¡¯," Yuan responded with a super long name.

    "Carp Leaping Over Dragon¡¯s Gate Tower?!" Min Li looked at him with widened eyes.

    The Carp Leaping Over Dragon¡¯s Gate Tower is a unique ce in the sect where disciples go to test their skills and challenge their limits by fighting powerful beasts, and the faster one defeats the beasts the higher score they will obtain. The ce is so popr and important to the sect and disciples that there is even a ranking just for it, allowing the disciples topete with each other for the top ranks.

    However, because of its difficulties, only those who have been in the sect for over a year would dare to challenge it unless they were talented geniuses from powerful families such as Min Li.

    But even someone like Min Li wouldn¡¯t challenge the Carp Leaping Over Dragon¡¯s Gate Tower so quickly and without any preparations.

    Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡¯This guy... It¡¯s only his second day as a disciple and he¡¯s already challenging that ce?! Just how much is he trying to show off his talents?!¡¯ Min Li cried inwardly.

    When she saw Yuan walking away a momentter, she quickly said, "W-Wait a moment! I aming too!"

    Yuan raised his eyebrows. Why is she following him again? But since he didn¡¯t have an issue with it nor a reason to shoo her away, he didn¡¯t say anything in the end.

    Sometimeter, they arrived before an incredibly tall building that almost pierced the clouds; it was so tall that Yuan was able to see it from his building, hence why he¡¯d managed to get to this ce without any problems. Furthermore, there were two more of these towers further in the distance, presumably within the Inner Court and the Center of the sect.

    There were at least 100 floors in this massive tower, and there was also an incrediblyrge golden board located next to the entrance with many disciples around it.

    "Look! Ming Yong defeated the guardian on the 51st floor and entered the 52nd floor! He has managed to enter the top 200!"

    The disciples there shouted with excitement when the name ¡¯Ming Yong¡¯ appeared on the bottom of the list on the golden board that had a total of 200 names on it.

    Yuan looked up and sure enough, there was a golden light emitting from the windows on the 51st floor.

    "If you want to be an Inner Court disciple, you must defeat at least 30 floors. 75 floors if you want to be a Core disciple," Min Li said to him from behind.

    "How does it work?" Yuan asked her without looking back.

    "Every floor will have a magical beast that you must defeat in order to advance¡ª some will have more than one. If you defeat the magical beast, you¡¯ll get to ascend to the next level, and you¡¯ll repeat this until you can no longer continue. Also, you are only allowed 15 minutes of rest for each floor." Min Li exined to him.

    For more, visit li/ghtnovelpub[.

    After a moment of silence, she asked him, "If you don¡¯t mind me asking, why are you challenging the Carp Leaping Over Dragon¡¯s Gate Tower now? You still have plenty of time until the next Inner Court disciple examination. Don¡¯t you want to improve your strength as much as possible before you challenge it?"

    "I can challenge this ce as many times as I want, right? Then why does it matter if I challenge it now orter? I also read from the guidebook that there will be a special reward for you if you manage to beat all 100 floors," Yuan said.

    "100 floors?" Min Li looked at him from behind with a dumbfounded look on her face.

    "There have been less than 10 disciples since the sect¡¯s founding that had managed toplete all 100 floors, and it has been over 1,000 years since thest disciple achieved such a feat. Do you really think you canplete 100 floors?" Min Li asked him.

    And she continued, "Furthermore, the magical beasts in the tower are all illusions that adjust to your cultivation level so you can only rely on your own skills and talent to defeat them. Raw strength won¡¯t work."

    "Oh? So I can train here regardless of my cultivation level? That¡¯s good to hear," said Yuan who wanted to hone his dagger and sword skills some more but is having a hard time finding opponents at his level.

    "Can I go inside even though there¡¯s already someone inside? Or do I have to wait?" Yuan then asked.

    "Only one person can challenge the tower at a time. You can register over there." Min Li pointed at the small pavilion a dozen meters away from them.

    "Okay, then I¡¯ll..."

    "Wait a second!" Min Li suddenly stopped him.

    "What is it this time?" Yuan looked at her with raised eyebrows.

    "I am going to go first this time!" Min Li said with a resolute look on her face.

    "Uh... sure?" Yuan nodded. Since Min Li looked desperate to challenge the tower, Yuan didn¡¯t argue with her and allowed her to go first.

    Min Li then approached the pavilion.

    "Look over there! That¡¯s Min Li! It looks like she¡¯s going to challenge the tower too!"

    "How daring! This is only her second day at the sect and she¡¯s already challenging the Carp Leaping Over Dragon¡¯s Gate Tower! As expected of a genius from one of the Seven Legacy Families!"

    When the disciples there noticed her presence, they were immediately hyped, and they could not wait to see her performance.

 Chapter 139 Taking Longer Than Expected

    "D-Disciple Min! Are you going to challenge the Carp Leaping Over Dragon¡¯s Gate Tower today?" The sect elder sitting in the small pavilion showed a surprised face and asked her in a slightly excited voice.

    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    "Yes, I am." Min Li nodded and handed her disciple identification token to him.

    "Very well! I have recorded your name, Disciple Min! Good luck!" The sect elder said to her.

    After Min Li left the pavilion, Yuan approached the ce and said to the sect elder, "I¡¯d like to challenge the tower too."

    "Let me see your identification token," the sect elder spoke in an uninterested tone, his attitude towards Yuan beingpletely different from Min Li which was expected.

    "Here you go," Yuan handed his bronze identification token to the sect elder.

    "You have been a disciple at the sect for only two days? And you want to challenge the tower? You must be full of yourself..." The sect elder shook his head at Yuan.

    "Eh? But Disciple Min is the same as me..." Yuan said with a dumbfounded look.

    "The same as you?! Outrageous! How dare youpare yourself to a genius from one of the Seven Legacy Families?! Who do you think you are?!"

    Yuan was speechless. Why is he being scolded? Did he say something wrong?

    The sect elder then quickly recorded his name down before tossing the identification token back at him in a disrespectful manner.

    "..."

    Yuan stared at the sect elder with a frown on his face after catching the identification token.

    "What are you looking at? You got something to say?" The sect elder frowned back.

    "No..." Yuan decided that he didn¡¯t want to waste his energy on this sect elder and turned around and walked away, not to mention that he¡¯d already argued with another sect elder not long ago.

    A few minutes after returning to the tower, Yuan noticed a red lighting from the 52nd floor.

    "Aiya! Ming Yong failed!"

    "52 floors is still an incredible achievement since he¡¯d managed to reach the top 200 in the Tower Ranking. Give him a few more years and he¡¯ll definitely reach 75 floors and be a Core disciple!"

    A few more minutester, the entrance to the tower opened, and a handsome young man walked out with a messy and bloodied appearance, looking like he¡¯d been beaten and robbed by a group of bandits.

    Seeing this, Min Li turned to look at Yuan and said to him before approaching the tower, "I won¡¯t lose to you this time, Disciple Yuan!"

    Min Li then retrieved her Heaven-grade sword and entered the tower.

    "Look! Fairy Min¡¯s going to challenge the tower next!"

    The disciples there watched her enter the tower with admiration in their gazes, and even Ming Yong bowed to her despite being injured himself, "Good luck, Fairy Min."

    "What floor do you think Fairy Min will reach?"

    "Definitely over 60 floors!"

    "I am willing to bet that she¡¯ll achieve over 75 floors!"

    Meanwhile, Yuan stared at the Heaven-grade sword in Min Li¡¯s grasp.

    "Xiao Hua, didn¡¯t you tell me before that one must have a sufficient cultivation level before they can wield a powerful treasure or their body will explode? Howe she can wield a Heaven-grade treasure while being a Spirit Apprentice?" Yuan asked Xiao Hua in a low voice.

    "In most cases, Cultivators are only allowed to wield treasures at their level. However, like most situations in the world, there are special cases where people can wield treasures much stronger than themselves. For example, that girl might have a powerful bloodline that allows her to achieve such a feat, or it could be exined by a mythical cultivation technique their family owns, as these kinds of techniques are quitemon in the upper heavens, especially for the powerful families," Xiao Hua exined to him.

    "Young Master, it could also be the weapon itself that¡¯s allowing that youngdy to wield it despite hercking cultivation base. After witnessing her strength yesterday, I can confidently say that was not the Heaven-grade¡¯s full potential. I have seen many spiritual treasures in my life, and there exist unique spiritual treasures that have such an ability." Feng Yixiao also gave her two cents.

    And she continued, "However, regardless of how she¡¯s able to wield it, that youngdy will not be able to disy that spiritual treasure¡¯s full strength until she increases her own cultivation base."

    "I see... thank you for the exnation." Yuan nodded.

    Once Min Li entered the Carp Leaping Over Dragon¡¯s Gate Tower, the door closed behind her, and the first floor lightened with a greyish light.

    A mere minuteter, the greyish light on the first floor turned golden, signaling that Min Li had passed the first floor.

    "Wow! As expected of Fairy Min! She¡¯s already cleared the first floor!"

    "How incredibly fast! Most disciples take nearly 5 minutes on average to finish the first floor!"

    Another minuteter, a golden light appeared on the second floor and Min Li ascended to the third floor.

    For more, visit [.

    After spending ten minutes inside the tower, Min Li ascended a total of 9 floors, shocking the disciples watching outside.

    Furthermore, more and more disciples gathered at the tower to witness Min Li¡¯s spectacle after they learned that she was participating in the tower.

    On the tenth floor, Min Li took a little over five minutes to pass that floor, as she¡¯d to fight two magical beasts instead of one on the 10th floor.

    Because the difficulty increased with each floor, especially every ten floors, Min Li needed more and more time to pass each floor as she ascended to the top, and by the time she reached the 19th floor, over 20 minutes had passed.

    As for the 20th floor, it took her nearly 10 minutes to defeat.

    Half an hourter, Min Li arrived at the 29th floor, and the 30th floor took her 15 minutes to defeat.

    ¡¯This... this is taking much longer than I¡¯d expected...¡¯ Yuan thought to himself after realizing how long it took to climb this tower. ¡¯Guess I¡¯ll go get something to eat while she¡¯s inside.¡¯

    And with that in mind, Yuan left the scene to look for some food, as he didn¡¯t like the idea of just standing around and doing nothing.

 Chapter 140 Dragon Pavilion

    After leaving the area, Yuan went to the Dragon Pavilion that is known for its delicious food¡ª at least that¡¯s what the guidebook imed.

    "This smell... is delicious!" Yuan¡¯s nose twitched with delight when he smelled a sweet and luscious aroma before he could even see the Dragon Pavilion, allowing him to reach the area without using his eyes.

    A few minutester, he arrived before this enormous pavilion that had round tables set up everywhere¡ª both inside and outside of the pavilion, almost like a feast, and most of the tables were already upied by disciples.

    "Wow... this is a restaurant? I have never seen anything like this before." Yuan mumbled in a slightly dazed voice after seeing this ce that looked more like a public gathering than anything.

    "Hello, are you here to dine?" One of the disciples suddenly approached him and asked him.

    "Huh?" Yuan looked at this young man wearing a banner over his Outer Court disciples¡¯ uniform that read ¡¯Dragon Pavilion¡¯ with raised eyebrows.

    "You work here? Even though you are a disciple?" Yuan couldn¡¯t help but ask him.

    "Hm? You must be a new disciple if you¡¯re asking such a question. And yes, disciples can work in the sect for contribution points," said the disciple.

    "I see..." Yuan nodded as he learned something new again.

    "Anyway, are you going to eat here?" The disciple asked him again.

    "Yes, I want to dine here," Yuan quickly nodded.

    "Since you are a new disciple, I can only assume that you don¡¯t have a lot of contribution points, and the food here requires you to pay contribution points," said the disciple, and he continued, "If you want to use money, you¡¯ll have to go to the cafeteria, or you can pay other disciples who have contribution points."

    "How much do they cost?" Yuan asked with slightly wide eyes. He has to use contribution points even for food?

    "Themon dishes generally cost around 1-5 contribution points while the most expensive ones are around 10 contribution points," said the disciple.

    "Oh, then there¡¯s no problem," Yuan said with a calm look on his face.

    "You¡¯re really going to eat here?" The disciple looked at Yuan with slight disbelief on his face.

    Because the Dragon Pavilion is a luxury, almost all of the disciples thate to the Dragon Pavilion are wealthy disciples that have plenty of contribution points, and most new disciples would rather save their contribution points for something more meaningful than food such as cultivation techniques and cultivation resources.

    "Yes," Yuan nodded.

    "Umm... I should¡¯ve mentioned this early but you also need 10 contribution points to reserve a table for an hour. If you stay longer than an hour, it¡¯ll be another 10 contribution points," said the disciple.

    "That¡¯s fine." Yuan handed the disciple his gold identification token.

    "G-Gold!" The disciple covered his mouth and eximed in a shocked voice after seeing Yuan¡¯s gold identification token.

    "I-I am deeply sorry for not recognizing you, Senior!" The disciple quickly bowed to Yuan after realizing that he was before a bigshot with a gold identification token.

    "Uh... don¡¯t worry about it?" Yuan said with a puzzled look on his face.

    "Please follow me, I¡¯ll bring you to our best table," said the disciple, and he proceeded to lead Yuan deeper into the pavilion.

    Sometimeter, they reached this secluded and small table that was surrounded by water with colorful fishes swimming within and beautiful flowers and giant water lilies floating around.

    "Wow... what a peaceful and calming ce," Yuan mumbled in a dazed voice as he could already feel his mood improving just from being in that atmosphere.

    "Here¡¯s the menu, Senior. By the way, my name is Chu Bo," said the disciple as he handed a golden menu to Yuan after he sat down.

    "This is it?" Yuan was surprised to see only a little over 20 items on the menu.

    "Although there are not many choices, I can guarantee you that every dish on the menu is considered as a ¡¯favorite¡¯ by every disciple that has dined here before," said Chu Bo.

    "Furthermore, the menu changes every week."

    "Then can I get everything on the menu?" Yuan said without hesitation a momentter.

    "E-Everything?" Chu Bo looked at Yuan with wide eyes, and he continued, "The portions are not small, Senior. A single dish can feed two to four people."

    "It¡¯ll be okay," Yuan said with a smile on his face. "I can handle it."

    "I-I understand... That¡¯ll be a total of 124 contribution points..." Chu Bo said with his back feeling sweaty, as he cannot imagine spending 124 contribution points on food even if they taste extremely good.

    Yuan handed Chu Bo his identification token. Once the contribution points were paid, Chu Bo bowed to Yuan and said, "Thank you, Senior, I¡¯ll be right back."

    Once Chu Bo left the scene, Yuan turned to look at the water and watched the fishes swim around elegantly for a few minutes until he noticed a figure suddenly jumping towards the water andnding on one of the giant water lilies floating in the middle of the water, and this figure was a beautiful youngdy holding what appeared to be an instrument in her fair hands.

    "Woooo! I have been waiting for this!" Someone from the other side of the pavilion suddenly shouted.

    "I came here today just to listen to Fairy Fei¡¯s music!"

    "Me too! I cannot wait to hear Fairy Fei¡¯s zither music!"

    Yuan raised his eyebrows after hearing the disciples from around the pavilion.

    "A zither? She¡¯s going to y music with thatrge instrument?" Yuan mumbled to himself in a low voice after seeing this unfamiliar instrument, feeling an indescribable sensation in his heart afterward.

    A momentter, this youngdy wearing pink robes known as Fairy Fei sat down on the giant water lily with the instrument known as a zither ced on top of herp, and after taking a deep breath, she ced her fingers on the thin strings and began ying music with it.Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 141 Fairy Feiâ€™s Zither Performance

    The moment Fairy Fei¡¯s finger released the string on the zither, a beautiful and clear music note that pulled people¡¯s heartstrings resounded in the area, even creating a single ripple on the water that moved like a small wave.

    Yuan could feel his heart beating faster when he heard this music note, and his eyes narrowed at Fairy Fei¡¯s hands that danced elegantly and skillfully on the zither, ignoring her beautiful face and everything else while everyone else was focused on her facial expressions and beauty.

    ¡¯What a unique sound and elegant performance... I can feel my mind calming down just from listening to her music,¡¯ Yuan thought to himself after watching Fairy Fei y the zither for a few minutes. If this Fairy Fei were to perform in his world, she would be an instant sensation around the world with her skills.

    "Excuse me, Senior?" Chu Bo¡¯s voice suddenly resounded in Yuan¡¯s ears.

    "Eh?" Yuan turned around to see Chu Bo standing behind him, and he quickly said, "Oh, I¡¯m sorry. I was too absorbed in that youngdy¡¯s performance."

    "Haha... Don¡¯t worry about it, Senior. That¡¯s a natural reaction for everyone when they hear Fairy Fei y the zither for the first time," Chu Bo said, and he continued to exin, "Fairy Mei is actually a Core disciple who oftenes to the Dragon Pavilion to practice her zither, allowing the guests to enjoy their food and listen to wonderful music at the same time. Of course, she¡¯s also getting paid contribution points for doing this so she benefits from it too."

    "Anyway, your food will be ready in a few minutes, Senior. Please enjoy Fairy Fei¡¯s zither y in the meantime."

    Yuan nodded and returned to watching Fairy Fei y the zither.

    After watching Fairy Fei¡¯s hand movements for a few minutes and memorizing all of her movements, Yuan closed his eyes to fully indulge himself in the music.

    "I see... so this is how you y the zither," Yuan mumbled to himself as he began imagining himself ying the zither inside his head, imitating Fairy Fei¡¯s hand movements while the sounds continued to flow into his ears.

    If one could see inside Yuan¡¯s mind right now, they would be shocked to see that all of his hand movements replicated Fairy Fei¡¯s movements perfectly despite having his eyes closed.

    After imagining himself ying the zither for a few minutes, Yuan began moving his hands for real, acting as though he was ying an invisible zither on hisp.

    When Chu Bo saw this, his eyes widened with surprise, and then he turned to look at Fairy Fei¡¯s movements before he returned to looking at Yuan,paring the two.

    ¡¯Heavens! It feels almost like I am seeing Fairy Fei ying the zither before my very eyes when I am looking at him!¡¯ Chu Bo cried inwardly, nearly mistaking Yuan as Fairy Fei because of his precise and wless hand movements.

    ¡¯This Senior is also a zither expert? As expected of someone with a gold identification token!¡¯ Chu Bo wondered,pletely unaware that Yuan is actually a beginner who didn¡¯t even know the existence of zithers until just a few minutes ago.

    If Chu Bo had known this fact, who knows how he would react.

    Sometimeter, the food Yuan had ordered arrived at his table, and he began stuffing his face. However, while his eyes and mouth were focused on the food on the table, his ears and mind werepletely focused on Fairy Fei¡¯s zither music.

    Sometimeter, once Yuan cleaned every single te on the table with ease, he returned to watching Fairy Fei y the zither with a focused gaze, looking like how he would normally look when trying to learn a technique.

    Meanwhile, Chu Bo cleaned the table with a startled look on his face, as he has never seen a single person eat so much food and so quickly before.

    An hour passed within the blink of an eye since Yuan came to the Dragon Pavilion, and Chu Bo said to him, "Senior, your time in the Dragon Pavilion is up. However, if you¡¯d like to extend for another hour, that¡¯d be 10 contribution points."

    "How long does she usually y for?" Yuan pointed at Fairy Fei and asked Chu Bo.

    "It¡¯s mostly random, but usually between two to four hours," he responded. "There are even times when she¡¯d practiced for an entire day without a break. I guess it all depends on her mood."

    "I¡¯d like to extend for another hour then," Yuan said as he handed another 10 contribution points to Chu Bo.

    "Thank you, Senior." Chu Bo bowed to him afterward before he returned to standing in the corner to wait for Yuan¡¯s orders.

    Meanwhile, Yuan returned to watching Fairy Fei¡¯s performance.

    ¡¯I... kind of miss ying instruments...¡¯

    This thought suddenly appeared in Yuan¡¯s head after Fairy Fei finished another song.

    ¡¯Even though I used to hate ying the instruments because mother and father always forced me to practice until my fingers bled, after bing crippled and being unable to even hold an instrument for many years, I am beginning to miss them...¡¯ Yuan sighed inwardly.

    Visit /lightnovelpu/b[. for a better experience

    After watching Fairy Fei for another hour, Yuan decided to leave the Dragon Pavilion and return to the Carp Leaping Over Dragon¡¯s Gate Tower to see if Min Li was closed to finishing.

    "How was your experience being at our Dragon Pavilion for the first time, Senior?" Chu Bo asked Yuan afterward.

    "It was great," Yuan said to him, and he continued, "Especially that youngdy¡¯s performance. Although there are some ws, it was a delightful experience overall."

    "ws...? Fairy Fei?" Chu Bo looked at Yuan with wide eyes, seemingly speechless.

    Ting!

    A sharp music note suddenly resounded, startling everybody that was fully indulged in the music, causing everybody there to turn to look at Fairy Fei who¡¯d suddenly stopped ying the zither and was looking in a certain direction.

    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Fairy Fei suddenly stood up and carried the zither with her hands before jumping from the giant water lily.

    Once she¡¯dnded somewhere in the Dragon Pavilion, she narrowed her eyes at a handsome young man a few meters away and spoke in a cold voice, "I heard what you¡¯d said just now¡ª that my performance is wed? I would love to listen to the reasoning behind your words... Outer Court disciple."

    ¡¯Oh, shit...¡¯ Chu Bo unconsciously took a few steps backward when Fairy Fei suddenly appeared before them.

 Chapter 142 Playing the Zither

    "You, who imed that my zither performance was wed... What is the reasoning behind such ims? Are you also a zither expert? What qualifications do you have to call me out?" Fairy Fei looked at Yuan with narrowed eyes while she stood on the thin railings with perfect bnce.

    "Qualifications?" Yuan raised his eyebrows, and then he said, "Although I am not a zither expert, I don¡¯t need to be a zither expert to tell that you had made several mistakes in your ying in thest hour. As long as I have enough experience in music, I can tell if something is amiss just by the notes and flow alone, and there were several notes that didn¡¯t flow properly during your performance."

    ¡¯T-This disciple...¡¯ Fairy Fei clenched her teeth tightly after hearing Yuan¡¯s words and her eyebrows twitched uncontrobly, but she was not angry at him. In fact, she was surprised that Yuan had managed to notice her mistakes, even feeling a little bit nervous since she has never been caught or called out before, as everyone would just assume that she was perfect.

    Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.

    However, she did not want to admit that she¡ª a Core disciple¡ª was wrong right before two Outer Court disciples.

    "What is your name?" Fairy Fei suddenly asked him after a moment of silence.

    "Yuan," he calmly responded.

    "Disciple Yuan, right? Since you are so confident that my performance was wed, why don¡¯t you show me how it¡¯s done?" Fairy Fei thenid her zither on the table and stared at Yuan with a serious look on her elegant face. "You have ¡¯experience¡¯ in music, right? Surely, you will be able to y the zither better than me if that is the case."

    "Uhh..." Yuan looked at the beautiful zither that seemed to be made of some kind of woodying on the table with a somewhat dazed look on his face.

    Although he has never yed the zither before, he was not someone who would shy away from something they have never experienced before, especially when it was rted to music and instruments. After all, how else will he learn them if not by ying with them?

    ¡¯That¡¯s what I thought! Even though you may have a sharp intuition for music, you don¡¯t have what it takes to y the zither!¡¯ Fairy Fei smiled inwardly after seeing Yuan¡¯s dazed face.

    For more, visit /lightno/velp/ub[.

    Of course, she¡¯d rather if Yuan didn¡¯t actually y the zither, as she wouldn¡¯t know what to do if he really yed the zither better than her.

    However, little did Fairy Fei know that she¡¯d already dug a deep hole for herself by giving an instrument to Yuan who was widely recognized by the whole world to be the number one prodigy in history in the field of music.

    And when Fairy Fei saw Yuan reaching for the zither, she cried inwardly, ¡¯He¡¯s actually going to y the zither?!¡¯

    Fairy Fei frowned before speaking out loud, "Wait a second!"

    "What¡¯s the matter?" Yuan looked at her with an innocent look on his face, and he continued, "You want me to y the zither, right? Although I have never yed it before, I should be able to y it to some extent."

    "Eh? You have never yed the zither before?" Fairy Fei looked at him with her clear eyes wide open, as did Chu Bo who thought he was definitely an expert.

    "Ahem!"

    After a moment of silence, Fairy Fei cleared her throat before speaking in a somewhat stiff voice, "N-Never mind! You can go ahead and y the zither."

    "Okay." Yuan nodded and pulled the zither closer before sitting back down.

    Yuan then closed his eyes to practice a little bit more inside his head.

    A few momentster, Yuan opened his eyes again and took a deep breath before he slowly lifted his hands like he was prepared to y the piano.

    ¡¯Such calm movements... I would¡¯ve never thought this would be his first time if he didn¡¯t say it...¡¯ Fairy Fei frowned when she saw Yuan¡¯s arm movements before he even began ying the zither.

    Yuan¡¯s finger gently touched one of the strings on the zither, and a singleter¡ª

    Ting~

    An extremely crisp and beautiful sound echoed in the ce, creating a calm ripple on the water while causing Fairy Fei¡¯s heart to skip a beat at the same time.

    Another note immediate followed afterward¡ª

    Ting~

    Yuan began ying the zither with precise movements like a real expert who had years of experience with the instrument, reying one of Fairy Fei¡¯s earlier songs.

    Fairy Fei¡¯s jaw dropped when she saw this, and she cried inwardly, ¡¯T-This damn brat lied to me! How dare you say this is your first time ying the zither when you can produce such wless notes?!¡¯

    Meanwhile, when the other guests at the Dragon Pavilion realized the music had returned, they immediately mistook Yuan¡¯s zither y for Fairy Fei¡¯s zither y.

    "Where¡¯s Fairy Fei ying from? Why did she suddenly move locations?"

    "Who cares where she¡¯s ying from¡ª this music is amazing! In fact, I think it sounds even better than just a few moments ago!"

    "Perhaps Fairy Fei found a new favorite spot, enhancing her performance."

    "..."

    When Fairy Fei heard the other guests¡¯ words, she nearly puked out a mouthful of blood on the spot but somehow managed to resist it by clenching her teeth tightly together.

    ¡¯Just who is this Outer Court disciple?! If he can dine in this ce, he¡¯s definitely no ordinary individual! However, I don¡¯t recognize him at all!¡¯ Fairy Fei pondered to herself with a deep frown on her face.

    The only thing keeping Fairy Fei from losing her temperament was Yuan¡¯s unknown identity. Even though Yuan is only a mere Outer Court disciple, Fairy Fei knew very well that one¡¯s outer appearance can be very deceiving and that she shouldn¡¯t judge someone just by their looks. After all, no sane Outer Court disciple would be able to keep calm before a Core disciple, much less challenge them in such a manner!

 Chapter 143 Completely Absorbed in Yuanâ€™s Performance

    Ting~

    The music notes from the zither flowed throughout the entire Dragon Pavilion, sounding as though the heavens were singing, and Yuan progressively got better at ying the zither the longer he yed it.

    Within minutes after he touched his first zither, Yuan¡¯s skills and movements have already drastically changed, even ying the zither in his own style.

    This shocked Fairy Fei, who cried inwardly, ¡¯His hand movements have changed! It looked like he was copying my style at first, but he suddenly started using his own style! What does this mean? Is this really his first time ying the zither? But... that¡¯s impossible!¡¯

    A few more minutester, after ying the final music note in the song, Yuan stopped moving his hands and turned to look at Fairy Fei before speaking, "What do you think? Although it was a bit rough, I have managed to y the song properly."

    ¡¯Rough?! You call that performance ¡¯rough¡¯?!¡¯ Both Chu Bo and Fairy Fei cried inwardly after hearing his words.

    "..."

    Fairy Fei stared at Yuan with a profound frown on her face, and she spoke after a moment of silence, "y it again."

    "Excuse me?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    "I said y the zither again. You said I had several ws in my performance, right? Well, you¡¯re going to y every single song that I¡¯d made a mistake in for me."

    "Uhhh... I don¡¯t mind, but my time at the Dragon Pavilion is already up..." Yuan said, mostly because he also wanted to y the zither for a little bit longer after finding out how entertaining it was.

    Fairy Fei then turned to look at Chu Bo before speaking, "I will pay for his extra time."

    "Y-Yes, Senior apprentice-sister!" Chu Bo nodded nervously.

    "You can stay here as long as necessary now," Fairy Fei said after she returned to looking at Yuan.

    Yuan nodded and continued to y the zither a momentter, ying apletely different song this time.

    Ting~

    ¡¯This is my original song, Swan Flying Above the Heavens! Let¡¯s see if he can y it properly!¡¯ Fairy Fei proceeded to stare at Yuan with a sharp gaze and without blinking, almost like she couldn¡¯t afford to miss even the slightest movement from him.

    However, the longer she listened to Yuan y, the more Fairy Fei admired Yuan¡¯s skills, especially his hand movements, even feeling a little bit agitated that Yuan was ying her original song better than herself!

    As for Yuan, the more he yed with the zither the morefortable he got with the instrument, and he even started to y the zither with his eyes closed midway through the third song.

    Ting~

    Once Yuan began ying his fourth song, Fairy Fei took a seat next to him and closed her eyes, fully indulging herself in Yuan¡¯s zither y.

    Very quickly, Fairy Fei found herselfpletely absorbed in Yuan¡¯s performance, feeling as though each music note yed by Yuan was massaging her body and mind.

    The other guests in the Dragon Pavilion also felt the same, and most of them had even stopped eating their food to fully focus on the music.

    "Did Fairy Fei reach a new level with her zither? I have listened to her zither y many times before but this is the first time I am feeling this way..."

    "Yes... I can feel a warm sensation all over my body just from listening to this music... I wouldn¡¯t mind spending all of my contribution points if I can listen to this a little bit longer..."

    A little over an hourter, Yuan finished his 7th and final song.

    "I am finished," Yuan turned to look at Fairy Fei and said to her afterward.

    However, there was no response from Fairy Fei who was sitting beside him with her eyes still closed, seemingly asleep.

    "Uhhh..." Yuan didn¡¯t want to disturb her peaceful mood, so he stood up and quietly walked away.

    "A-Are you really going to leave her like this?" Chu Bo asked Yuan in a low and nervous voice when he noticed that Yuan was leaving.

    "Yes, I have somewhere that I need to be," Yuan responded, and he said, "The food was really good. I¡¯ll definitely return when I have the time."

    Once Yuan left the Dragon Pavilion, Chu Bo remained standing in the same spot and patiently waited for Fairy Fei to open her eyes again.

    However, unbeknownst to Chu Bo, Fairy Fei was actually experiencing enlightenment at this very moment after listening to Yuan y the zither, hence why she remained still even many hourster.

    By the time Fairy Fei opened her eyes again, Yuan was already long gone.

    ¡¯To think I¡¯d experience enlightenment from that Outer Court disciple¡¯s performance... Just who is this young man?¡¯ Fairy Fei wondered to herself after she emerged from her enlightenment, feeling as though herprehension with the zither went up by a whole level.

    "W-Where did that disciple go?!" Fairy Fei asked Chu Bo with a dumbfounded look on her face when she realized that Yuan had disappeared.

    "T-That disciple has already left... six hours ago..." Chu Bo responded with a sweaty back.

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    "What?! He actually disappeared without a word?! And you just let him leave?!" Fairy Fei mmed the table with her palms, causing it to tremble.

    "I-I¡¯m sorry, Senior apprentice-sister... I thought you wouldn¡¯t mind, and I didn¡¯t dare to make him stay for too long," Chu Bo quickly apologized.

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    "What was that disciple¡¯s name again?" Fairy Fei then asked with a frown on her face.

    "Disciple Yuan."

    "Disciple Yuan... Do you know anything about him? His background? Anything at all!" Fairy Fei asked Chu Bo.

    "N-No..." Chu Bo quickly shook his head. "I only know that this is his first time at the Dragon Pavilion and that he¡¯s a new disciple."

    "First time at the Dragon Pavilion?! So he listened to my songs for the first time today?! And he somehow managed to y it so perfectly?!" Fairy Fei¡¯s jaw dropped to the floor when she realized the real situation.

    ¡¯Disciple Yuan... Disciple Yuan... Just who are you?¡¯ Fairy Fei stared at the zither on the table that had a lonely aura to it, almost like the zither was also upset that Yuan had left it behind.

 Chapter 144 I Want to Know More About Him!

    "I ended up staying at the Dragon Pavilion for longer than I¡¯d intended... I hope I don¡¯t get scolded for suddenly disappearing after signing up for the challenge..." Yuan mumbled to himself as he power-walked back to the Carp Leaping Over the Dragon¡¯s Gate Tower after leaving the Dragon Pavilion, silently hoping that Min Li was still inside the tower.

    "What the heck?"

    When Yuan returned to the tower, he was shocked by the progress Min Li had made during the 3 hours that he¡¯d disappeared, and to his surprise, Min Li was only on the 43rd floor!

    ¡¯It took her over three hours to progress a little over 10 floors?! Just long will this challenge take?¡¯ Yuan cried inwardly.

    After standing around for a few more moments, Yuan approached one of the nearby disciples before asking him, "Excuse me, fellow disciple. How long does it usually take for one toe out of the tower?"

    The disciple looked at Yuan before speaking, "Well, it depends on how far they climb. Most people wille out after a couple of hours. However, because this is Fairy Min that we¡¯re talking about, it¡¯ll probably take a few more days before shees out."

    "A few days?!" Yuan¡¯s eyes widened with shock after hearing this, as he truly didn¡¯t expect it would take this long.

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    The disciple nodded and said, "Some disciples even stay inside the tower for an entire week, as they spend all 15 minutes to rest on each floor after defeating it."

    ¡¯If I knew it¡¯d take this long, I would have stayed at the Dragon Pavilion to y the zither some more!¡¯ Yuan sighed inwardly.

    ¡¯Oh well... Guess I¡¯ll cultivate in the real world while I wait for Disciple Min toe out.¡¯

    With that in mind, Yuan logged off the game and began cultivating in the real world.

    Meanwhile, news of Fairy Fei¡¯s breakthrough spread throughout the sect like wildfire, causing the Dragon Pavilion to have an influx of guests for the next few days as everybody and their mother wanted to listen to Fairy Fei¡¯s zither y.

    However, to the disciples¡¯ disappointment, Fairy Fei stopped showing up at the Dragon Pavilion for an entire week after her ¡¯breakthrough¡¯ even though she would normally show up twice a week.

    As for what Fairy Fei was doing during this time, she went around the sect looking for information about a new Outer Court disciple named ¡¯Yuan¡¯, but s, no matter how much she searched or how many sect elders she asked, none of them seemed to know a disciple named Yuan.

    "How is it possible that nobody knows him? If he can dine at the Dragon Pavilion, surely he must be someone with important background. Furthermore, the disciple who served him said that he had a golden identification token!" Fairy Fei sighed, feeling dejected that she could not learn anything about Yuan.

    "What¡¯s the matter, Disciple Fei?"

    A mature figure suddenly approached Fairy Fei from behind and asked her.

    Fairy Fei turned around to see Elder Shan standing behind her.

    "Disciple greets Master Shan!" Fairy Fei greeted her.

    Elder Shan nodded and continued, "You seem to have a lot on your mind. Perhaps I can assist you."

    "Do you know of a disciple by the name of ¡¯Yuan¡¯?" Fairy Fei asked her. "I have asked multiple sect elders already, but none of them seem to know this Outer Court disciple."

    ¡¯Y-Yuan...?¡¯ Elder Shan looked at Fairy Fei with wide eyes. How did Yuan attract a Core disciple¡¯s attention already?

    "Can you tell me a little bit more? Why are you bothering yourself with an Outer Court disciple?" Elder Shan asked her a momentter, pretending as though she didn¡¯t know Yuan, and she was curious about her disciple¡¯s rtionship with Yuan.

    "Well... this happened at the Dragon Pavilion not long ago..."

    Fairy Fei proceeded to recall what happened at the Dragon Pavilion to Elder Shan. She spoke of Yuan¡¯s characteristics, his seemingly unfathomable background, and his amazing zither skills that¡¯d helped her gain enlightenment.

    Elder Shan listened to Fairy Fei with a loose jaw, as she would¡¯ve never imagined that such a thing could¡¯ve happened between the two of them.

    ¡¯Yuan is not only a cultivation expert but also a genius with the zither? And to think Disciple Fei, a Core disciple, would receive enlightenment from listening to his zither music... Just what kind of entity is he?¡¯ Elder Shan wondered to herself.

    "What do you think, Master Shan? Do you know of this disciple?" Fairy Fei asked again afterward.

    A profound smile appeared on Elder Shan¡¯s face, and she spoke, "Who knows? Maybe I do, maybe I don¡¯t. If this Outer Court disciple is as amazing as you described him to be, you¡¯ll definitely meet him again in the future. Anyway, I am currently very busy running errands for the Sect Master. I¡¯ll talk to youter, Disciple Fei."

    And without giving Fairy Fei a chance to respond, Elder Shan disappeared from the ce, dumbfounding Fairy Fei.

    "So Master Shan knows this Outer Court disciple... but why isn¡¯t she telling me anything and purposefully hiding his identity? I want to know more about him! No... I need to know more!" Fairy Fei mumbled to herself in a resolute voice, as she feared that she might not be able to sleep peacefully if her curiosity for Yuan¡¯s mysterious background is not settled.

    Meanwhile, after cultivating for two days straight in the real world, Yuan returned to the cultivation world to see where Min Li was at for the tower.

    "76 floors?" Yuan mumbled after seeing a golden lighting from the 75th floor, indicating that Min Li had passed that floor.

    "Look! Fairy Min did it! She actually managed to pass 75 floors in the Carp Leaping Over Dragon¡¯s Gate Tower! And she¡¯s still only a Spirit Apprentice!"

    "Hahaha! I¡¯m so d that I dropped everything I was doing toe here to witness this grand asion!"

    "As expected of Fairy Min! Her talent is simply otherworldly! She will definitely have a limitless future!"

    The disciples there celebrated Min Li¡¯s achievements as though it was their own.

 Chapter 145 Challenging the Tower

    Another hour after Min Li reached the 75th floor, a golden light emitted from the 77th floor, indicating that she had passed that floor as well.

    "Wow! 77 floors on her first try! As expected of Fairy Min!"

    "She has taken first ce in the rankings! Fairy Min is currently the highest climber out of all Outer Court disciples!"

    "I find it crazy how she¡¯d decided to challenge the Carp Leaping Over Dragon¡¯s Gate Tower only two days after she¡¯d be a disciple! Only someone from one of the Seven Legacy Families would dare to be so bold and confident in their abilities!"

    However, little did these disciples know that the reason Min Li challenged the tower was not because of the tower itself but because of a certain Outer Court disciple! Furthermore, this Outer Court disciple had left midway through her challenge to eat food and y the zither!

    If Min Li knew that Yuan had cared so little about her performance, it would definitely deal a lot of damage to her confidence and pride.

    About another half an hourter, the 78th floor glowed a bright light. However, it was not a golden color like everyone had expected but a bright red color instead.

    "Oh no! Fairy Min could not pass the 78th floor!"

    All of the disciples there released a saddened noise after seeing this red light.

    ¡¯Does this mean she¡¯s finally finished?¡¯ Yuan thought to himself.

    A few minutester, the door to the tower opened, and Min Li slowly walked out with messy hair and shabby clothes, looking very simr to the disciple that had challenged the tower before her.

    When the disciples there saw her rough appearance, they immediately approached her with medicines and recovery pills in their hands.

    "Congrattions on passing the 77th floor and reaching 1st ce, Fairy Min! You are now guaranteed to be a Core disciple once your cultivation base reaches the Spirit Warrior realm!"

    "You can have this high-quality recovery pill, Fairy Min! It¡¯ll instantly heal all of your injuries and restore your spiritual energy!"

    "Do you want some water, Fairy Min? I happen to have some right here..."

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    "Give me a break!" Min Li suddenly shouted, causing the disciples around her to scramble away after staring at her for a good two seconds.

    Once she finally had some room to breathe, Min Li retrieved a white pill from her Spatial Ring and tossed it into her mouth before she drank some water.

    A few momentster, the small injuries on her face and limbs began disappearing, and even her breathing gradually became calm again.

    After she¡¯d made aplete recovery, Min Li searched the crowd for a certain individual. Once she saw Yuan¡¯s face, a prideful smile appeared on her face.

    ¡¯Let¡¯s see if you can beat me and how long it¡¯ll take you!¡¯ she said to herself inwardly.

    Seeing Min Li smiling at him, Yuan thought to himself, ¡¯It should be my turn to challenge the tower now, right? After all, I did register my name after Disciple Min...¡¯

    After pondering for a moment, he decided to enter the tower while everyone else was still focused on Min Li, sneaking into the tower without attracting anyone¡¯s attention¡ª except Min Li who had kept her gaze on him the entire time.

    "Eh? Did someone just enter the Carp Leaping Over Dragon¡¯s Gate Tower just now? Who was it?" One of the disciples there suddenly said when he noticed the door close behind him.

    "Who cares, honestly. I¡¯d onlye here for Fairy Min and nobody else!"

    ¡¯He went inside!¡¯ Min Li thought to herself after seeing Yuan enter the tower.

    "How about a celebration at the Dragon Pavilion, Fairy Min? It¡¯ll be my treat, of course."

    A few handsome-looking Inner Court disciples approached Min Li and offered her free food at the Dragon Pavilion, yet Min Li didn¡¯t even bother to nce at them and said, "No thank you, I am busy right now."

    "Busy, you say?"

    The Inner Court disciples were dumbfounded by her response. Other than standing there and staring at the tower, she didn¡¯t look ¡¯busy¡¯ at all.

    Meanwhile, inside the tower, Yuan had just arrived on the first floor that was more spacious than it appeared from the outside, resembling an empty dojo.

    ?Wee to Carp Leaping Over Dragon¡¯s Gate Tower!?

    A notification appeared before Yuan a few moments after he entered the tower.

    ?Initializing Character Evaluation?

    ?Character Evaluation Completed?

    ?The Tower¡¯s difficulty has been adjusted to ¡¯Dragon¡¯?

    "Dragon?" Yuan raised his eyebrows when he saw the difficulty. He wondered how difficult ¡¯Dragon¡¯ was, how many difficulties existed in this challenge, and what difficulty Min Li had to deal with.

    A few momentster, a list of rules appeared before Yuan.

    ?Dragon Difficulty?

    ?Challenger has 10 minutes to pass each floor or the Challenger will automatically fail?

    ?Challenger is limited to 15 minutes of rest for every 10 floors?

    ?Magical Beasts will start from ¡¯1st level Spirit Warrior¡¯?

    ?Magical Beasts are extra study?

    ?Magical Beasts are extra powerful?

    ?Magical Beasts will have significantly increased strength, speed, and defense?

    ?A powerful Magical Beast will appear every ten floors?

    ?All medicine, pills, and resources that affect the Challenger¡¯s body or cultivation will be restricted?

    A few momentster, Yuan could feel his suppressed aura returning to normal, most likely because the tower had sealed the Pill of Concealment¡ª not that it affected Yuan in any way because his cultivation didn¡¯t change.

    ?Trial will begin in 30 seconds?

    In those thirty seconds, Yuan prepared himself by retrieving both of his Soul Weapons, wielding the Empyrean Overlord with his hands, and controlling the Starry Abyss with the Flying Dagger technique, allowing him to use both Soul Weapons simultaneously.

    Once the thirty seconds were up, an ape-like magical beast suddenly appeared in the middle of the and roared, emitting an aura that was equivalent to a Cultivator at the 1st level Spirit Warrior realm.

    However, Yuan didn¡¯t even blink from the pressure it emitted and immediately controlled his Starry Abyss to strike the magical beast like it was a Training Puppet.

    Whoosh!

    Boom!

    A gaping space appeared in the magical beast¡¯s head as the Starry Abyss ripped a clean hole in its face with ease, clearly the first floor in less than three seconds!

 Chapter 146 20th Floor

    ?You have passed the 1st floor. Please ascend to the next floor within 10 seconds or you will automatically fail the trial.?

    "What? That was easy..." Yuan mumbled to himself in a surprised tone when he defeated the monster with such ease. "Well, this is the first floor, after all..."

    A few secondster, Yuan ascended to the next floor by walking up the staircase not far away from him.

    However, he didn¡¯t immediately reach the 2nd floor and entered the resting area that was between the first and second floor instead.

    ?You have entered the resting area. The timer will begin when you begin to cultivate.?

    Yuan ignored the resting area and proceeded to the 2nd floor.

    Meanwhile, outside the tower, the disciples there were dumbfounded when the first floor glowed a golden light so quickly.

    "What? Whoever is inside has already passed the first floor? But that¡¯s too quickly even for the first floor! Not even Fairy Min cleared it that fast!"

    The disciples outside were dumbfounded by what they had witnessed.

    "Maybe that disciple had used his most powerful technique from the start? That would exin it."

    "What a waste of energy!"

    "Hahaha! What an idiot! Who uses their strongest attack on the first floor?"

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    However, not even a minuteter, the second floor glowed a golden light.

    "What?! He¡¯d passed another floor so quickly already?! Is he trying to exhaust all of his spiritual energy before he reaches the tenth floor?!"

    Half a minuteter¡ª

    "Another one! He¡¯s on the third floor already!"

    Another half a minuteter¡ª

    "Again?! This disciple clearly doesn¡¯t understand how the tower works!"

    The disciples were slightly shocked, as they cannot imagine what must be going through the mind of the disciple challenging the tower right now.

    Three more minutester, the ninth floor glowed a golden light.

    "Heavens... This disciple... He¡¯s not even taking any breaks in-between each floor!"

    "Hahaha! I¡¯ll give him 20 floors maximum before he gets kicked out of the tower for exhausting his energy!"

    "20? You¡¯re being too generous! I bet that idiot won¡¯t even make it past the 10th floor!"

    "Hahaha!"

    While the disciplesughed merrily outside the tower, inside the tower, Yuan had just stepped onto the tenth floor.

    ?You have 10 minutes to defeat the Magical Beasts?

    Once the magical beasts appeared¡ª two of them for the first time, the timer began.

    ?9:59?

    ?9:58?

    ?9:57?

    ?9:56?

    "Two monsters, huh? They¡¯re still only at the 2nd level Spirit Warrior realm, though."

    Yuan then controlled the Starry Abyss to kill one of the magical beasts while he pounced at the second magical beast with the Empyrean Overlord raised.

    "Bloody Sword Strike!"

    Therge sword glowed a red color, and¡ª

    Whoosh!

    The entire floor shook when Yuan sliced the magical beast in half like a sharp knife cutting through tofu before hitting the floor. However, there was surprisingly no damage done to the floor despite being struck by Yuan, which is one of the reasons why Yuan hasn¡¯t been minding his own strength too much.

    After passing the 10th floor, Yuan continued to the 11th floor.

    ?Congrattions on reaching 10 floors. The difficulty has been adjusted.?

    ?Magical Beasts will now have ¡¯Weak Regeneration¡¯?

    ?Magical Beasts will have their power, speed, and defenses increased slightly?

    ?The trail for the 11th floor will begin in 10 seconds?

    A massive green mantis appeared in the center of the room ten secondster and stared at Yuan with an intimidating gaze while emitting an aura close to the 4th level of the Spirit Warrior realm.

    ¡¯From the second level to the fourth level? I might have to fight Spirit Masterster at the higher floors...¡¯ Yuan swallowed nervously before controlling the Starry Abyss to attack the green mantis.

    Whoosh!

    However, to his surprise, the green mantis was defeated as easily as the monsters from the previous floors.

    ¡¯Maybe it¡¯s not as difficult as it appears...¡¯ Yuan thought to himself as he continued to ascend the tower with rtive ease, and he proceeded to y the magical beasts on each floor with the same speed as he did from floors one to ten.

    When the disciples saw how quickly Yuan ascended from the 11th floor to the 20th floor, they were all gobsmacked.

    "Good lord! Where is this disciple getting his energy from?! He rushed from the 1st floor to the 20th floor in less than 10 minutes! That¡¯s freaking ridiculous!"

    ¡¯Disciple Yuan...¡¯ Min Li stared at the tower that was one-fifth lit up with golden lights with a nervous frown on her face.

    ¡¯20 floors in 10 minutes... Are you really that confident in your own abilities or are you simply being reckless?¡¯ she wondered to herself.

    Meanwhile, on the 20th floor, Yuan did not immediately attack the magical beasts that had just spawned and merely looked at them with a surprised look on his face, as he¡¯d seen these monsters before.

    "Demonic Spiders? Two of them at the 5th level Spirit Warrior realm?"

    Seeing these two Demonic Spiders, Yuan immediately recalled what happened not long ago at the Demonic Spider Silent Cave and sighed, "If only I was able to save that man¡¯s daughter..."

    A few secondster, Yuan rushed at the Demonic Spiders without using the Starry Abyss or the Flying Daggers technique, as he had a personal grudge with Demonic Spiders and he wanted to vent a little.

    BOOM!

    The entire floor shook violently as Yuan tore apart one of the Demonic Spiders with ease.

    After killing the first Demonic Spider, Yuan turned to look at the second with a calm but slightly cold look on his face.

    "To think I was somewhat fearful of you not too long ago..." Yuan mumbled in a low voice as he casually approached the Demonic Spider that could not speak like the one he¡¯d encountered outside.

    "Kaaaa!"

    The Demonic Spider quickly raised its front legs that resembled scythes and shed them at Yuan¡¯s face.

    Whoosh!

    Yuan used the phoenix movement technique to dodge the iing attacks with ease before appearing behind the Demonic Spider.

    "Die!"

    Boom!

    The floor shook once again as Yuan shed the Demonic Spider with the Empyrean Overlord vertically, slicing it cleanly in half.

    ?You have passed the 20th floor?

 Chapter 147 This Place Is Now off Limits!

    After reaching the 21st floor, the difficulty adjusted once again.

    ?Congrattions on reaching a total of 20 floors. The difficulty has been adjusted.?

    ?Magical Beasts will now have ¡¯Weak Physical Damage Resistance¡¯?

    ?Magical Beasts will have their power, speed, and defenses increased slightly?

    When Yuan saw the notification this time, he didn¡¯t react much and patiently waited for the magical beasts to spawn.

    Ten secondster, a magical beast with an aura at the 6th level Spirit Warrior realm spawned in the middle of the room, and Yuan immediately slew it with the Starry Abyss like usual.

    Half a minuteter, he cleared the 22nd floor.

    Another half a minuteter, the 23rd floor glowed with a golden light.

    24... 25... 26...

    Yuan arrived at the 30th floor five minutester and then defeated the two 7th level Spirit Warrior magical beasts there within a single minute, ascending to the 31st floor.

    ?Congrattions on reaching a total of 30 floors. The difficulty has been adjusted.?

    ?Magical Beasts will now have ¡¯Weak Spiritual Damage Resistance¡¯?

    ?Magical Beasts will have their power, speed, and defenses increased slightly?

    However, despite the difficulty adjustments, Yuan didn¡¯t feel its effects, almost like there were no changes at all, and he continued to ascend the tower at record-breaking speeds.

    After spending a total of 30 minutes inside the tower, Yuan has managed to reach the 51st floor after defeating the magical beasts on the 50th floor that were at the 9th level of the Spirit Warrior realm, climbing half of the tower.

    ?Congrattions on reaching a total of 50 floors. The difficulty has been adjusted.?

    ?Magical Beasts will now have ¡¯Moderate Regeneration¡¯?

    ?Magical Beasts will now have ¡¯Moderate Physical Damage Resistance¡¯?

    ?Magical Beasts will now have ¡¯Moderate Spiritual Damage Resistance¡¯?

    ?Magical Beasts will have their power, speed, and defenses increased moderately?

    Yuan expected the monsters on the 51st floor and onward to be at the Spirit Master realm, but to his surprise, the monsters remained at the peak of the Spirit Realm even after the 60th floor.

    "Maybe the tower is only limited to monsters below the Spirit Warrior level? That would make sense since most disciples are only Spirit Apprentices and it would be ridiculous if the tower makes these Spirit Apprentices fight Spirit Masters..."

    Thus, Yuan continued speeding through the rest of the tower with barely any breaks in-between the floors, and he only began taking breaks before the boss room after reaching the 70th floor, mainly because the trial was so easy that he¡¯d gotten bored of it.

    Meanwhile, outside the tower, hundreds of disciples stared at the Carp Leaping Over Dragon¡¯s Gates Tower that had 75 floors glowing with a golden color with gawking expressions on their faces, as they have never witnessed such an incredible sight before.

    Furthermore, none of the disciples there have spoken a single word after Yuan passed the 50th floor, and they only stared in silence as they witnessed an unprecedented event.

    ¡¯This Disciple Yuan... Damn it! Why are you so damn talented?! This isn¡¯t fair!¡¯ Min Li cried inwardly when Yuan passed her record and ascended to the 78th floor.

    Yuan¡¯s performance at the Carp Leaping Over Dragon¡¯s Gates Tower was so shocking that it¡¯d reached the ears of most disciples in the sect and even many sect elders, causing more people to show up at the tower to witness the spectacle.

    "What? Some unknown disciple managed to ascend over 70 floors in less than an hour? How is that fucking possible?" One of the sect elders directly cursed when he heard this news.

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    Another sect elder directly spat the tea in his mouth back out when he learned about the situation.

    "Fuck! Did a Core disciple sneak inside the Carp Leaping Over Dragon¡¯s Gates in the Outer Court or something? I don¡¯t believe that an Outer Court disciple will be able to achieve such feats!"

    The news had spread so fast that it reached even the ears of Long Yijun and the other high-ranking sect elders.

    "What? Who could possibly..."

    When Long Yijun wondered which disciple was responsible for thismotion, the image of Yuan¡¯s face immediately appeared in his head, causing him to facepalm loudly.

    Pa!

    ¡¯It¡¯s definitely Disciple Yuan! I cannot imagine anyone else doing anything close to this!¡¯ Long Yijun thought to himself, and he decided to personally head to the Carp Leaping Over Dragon¡¯s Gates Tower.

    "This is definitely Disciple Yuan¡¯s doing..." Elder Xuan sighed when he heard the news from Bai Ling.

    "What should we do?" Bai Ling asked.

    "Fortunately for us, nobody seems to know who is challenging the tower so we can still avoid Disciple Yuan¡¯s identity and talent from being leaked before the Mystic Realm. However, we won¡¯t be able to hide the fact that a disciple with monstrous talents has appeared in our sect, so we need to prepare for that." Elder Xuan said.

    And he continued, "I¡¯m sure the Sect Master is already heading to the tower as we speak, but I¡¯ll also go just in case."

    "I¡¯lle along too," said Bai Ling.

    Thus, Long Yijun and many high-ranking sect elders appeared at the tower sometimeter, and by the time they arrived at the tower, there were less than ten floors left in the tower, leaving them speechless.

    ¡¯Heavens... Don¡¯t tell me he¡¯s going to set another precedent by bing the first person to defeat all 100 floors in the Carp Leaping Over Dragon¡¯s Gates Tower? Even the Founder only managed to pass 99 floors!¡¯ Long Yijun cried inwardly as a golden light emitted from the 94th floor.

    Once Yuan stepped onto the 95th floor, Long Yijun and the other high-ranking sect elders began dispersing the crowd at the ce, as they didn¡¯t want Yuan¡¯s identity to leak so quickly.

    "This ce is now off limits! You all have 30 seconds to disappear from my sight or I will punish you for disobeying my¡ª the Sect Master¡¯s direct orders!" Long Yijun¡¯s voice boomed in the area, startling the disciples there.

    "You heard the Sect Master! Everyone, scram!" Bai Ling also shouted at them.

    Very quickly, the disciples there began scattering like a group of scared ants, disappearing from the Carp Leaping Over Dragon¡¯s Gates Tower and emptying out the area in the time it would take Yuan to finish many floors¡ª less than a minute.

 Chapter 148 The 100th Floor

    Once all of the disciples left the scene with the sect elders remaining, Long Yijun turned to look at the low-ranking sect elders and shouted, "This includes the sect elders! Or are you trying to tell me that you¡¯re not disciples?!"

    The sect elders there immediately began sweating and ran away in a hurry, silently wondering to themselves why they couldn¡¯t be there as well.

    "What the heck? We¡¯re sect elders, right? Why can¡¯t we be there as well?" One of them asked after they were all very far away from the Carp Leaping Over Dragon¡¯s Gate Tower.

    "Why are you asking us? Do we look like the Sect Master to you?" Another one said.

    "Haaa... I wanted to know who was inside that tower, though."

    "What about the record book? Surely, we can find out if we look at whoever signed up for the tower, right?"

    "You¡¯re right! There¡¯s the record book! Who is in charge of that this week?"

    "That would be Elder Bao, right? But I don¡¯t see him here."

    Meanwhile, the disciples were alsoining to each other¡ª

    "Why were we chased away? What¡¯s wrong with seeing the person inside the tower?"

    "Who knows. Maybe you should ask the Sect Master afterward."

    "Do you think I have a fucking death wish?!"

    "We¡¯ll eventually find out. There¡¯s no way someone so talented can be kept hidden for long."

    Back at the Carp Leaping Over Dragon¡¯s Gate Tower, Long Yijun and the other high-ranking sect elders there all stared at a middle-aged man who was soaking in cold sweats at this moment.

    "Let me see the record book." Long Yijun extended his hand to the sect elder who managed the records.

    "Here you go, Sect Master..." Elder Bao handed the book to Long Yijun with trembling hands, and he recalled how he¡¯d disrespected the young Outer Court disciple who signed up after Min Li.

    ¡¯Fuck, fuck, fuck! I am so fucking dead! If they learn that I¡¯ve offended the person inside the tower right now, they will eat me alive!¡¯ Elder Bao cried inwardly, feeling like he¡¯d fall unconscious from fear at any moment.

    A few momentster, Long Yijun mumbled, "I knew it... It¡¯s Disciple Yuan that¡¯s inside right now."

    "Did you even need to look at the book, Sect Master? I¡¯m pretty sure we already knew..." Elder Shan said with a smile on her face, and she turned to look at the tower and continued to speak, "Do you think he¡¯ll achieve 100 floors?"

    "We already know that he¡¯s more talented than the Founder so that¡¯s very likely," said Elder Xuan.

    "Anyway, you are Sect Elder Bao, right?" Bai Ling approached him and asked.

    "T-That¡¯s right!" Elder Bao quickly nodded.

    Bai Ling then ced hisrge hands onto Elder Bao¡¯s shoulders firmly before speaking in a serious and deep voice, "I want you to listen to me very carefully, Elder Bao. The disciple who entered this tower¡ª Disciple Yuan¡ª you will not reveal any information about him no matter what! In fact, you can forget about what happened here today, do you understand me?"

    Elder Bao immediately nodded his head, shaking his sweat all over the ce.

    However, Elder Shan approached them and said, "I don¡¯t think he understands, Elder Bai. We need to ensure that he doesn¡¯t forget it by next week..."

    Elder Bao looked at Elder Shan¡¯s beautiful face with wide eyes filled with shock and fear. What is she going to do with him?

    "You don¡¯t have to bully him, Elder Shan. I¡¯m sure we can trust Elder Bao to keep something this small as a secret. After all, he wouldn¡¯t be a sect elder if he couldn¡¯t." Xin Ming shook his head and said to her, subtly threatening Elder Bao¡¯s position as sect elder.

    "I won¡¯t say anything! I swear, Seniors! I didn¡¯t see or hear anything today! In fact, I wasn¡¯t even here today! Disciple who? I don¡¯t even know what you¡¯re talking about!" Elder Bao quickly eximed, feeling as though there were knives around his neck at this moment, and a single wrong word might get him killed.

    "See? Elder Bao understands." Xin Mingughed out loud afterward.

    "Whatever." Elder Shan no longer cared about Elder Bao and turned around to continue watching the tower.

    "You may leave now, Elder Bao." Long Yijun said to him who immediately scrambled away in a heartbeat, like a rabbit running away from a group of tigers and lions.

    "So this is the Disciple Yuan that I have been hearing so much about from you guys. I thought you were all exaggerating, but s, it seems like I am still a frog in a well..." One of the high-ranking sect elders there suddenly spoke, as he wasn¡¯t there when Yuan introduced himself.

    "Wee to Disciple Yuan¡¯s talent show, Elder Zou. Just wait until he clears the 100th floor¡ª that¡¯s when the real show begins." Elder Shan chuckled in a cute manner.

    Meanwhile, inside the tower, Yuan has just reached the 99th floor.

    ?Congrattions on reaching the 99th floor. The difficulty has been adjusted.?

    ?Magical Beasts will now have ¡¯Superior Regeneration¡¯?

    ?Magical Beasts will now have ¡¯Superior Physical Damage Resistance¡¯?

    ?Magical Beasts will now have ¡¯Superior Spiritual Damage Resistance¡¯?

    ?Magical Beasts will now have ¡¯Powerful Intimidation Aura¡¯?

    ?Magical Beasts will now have ¡¯Powerful Damage Mitigation¡¯?

    ?Magical Beasts will have their power, speed, and defenses increased significantly?

    ?The number of Magical Beasts in the room has increased to 99?

    "99 monsters this time, huh?" Yuan smiled bitterly when the number of monsters doubledpared to the previous floor, and they were all at the peak of the Spirit Warrior realm.

    Yuan raised the Empyrean Overlord and charged at the group of magical beasts with a calm expression on his face, and the Starry Abyss followed him from behind for a second before it shot itself forward and began ying the magical beasts with ease.

    A couple of minutester, all 99 magical beasts were in by Yuan.

    ?You have passed floor 99! Proceed to the final floor and prepare to challenge the Great One!?

    Yuan¡¯s eyebrows raised in a surprised manner when he saw this notification.

    Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.

    "The Great One? I¡¯ll have to fight that Dragon? Are you kidding me?! How am I supposed to defeat a Dragon that¡¯s countless timesrger than myself and can even destroy stars with a mere gaze?!" Yuan cried out loud.

 Chapter 149 The Great Oneâ€™s Challenge

    "Look! Disciple Yuan has passed the 99th stage! He¡¯s going to challenge the final floor now!" Bai Ling pointed at the tower and shouted in excitement despite the other people there already realizing this because they have been watching the tower this entire time.

    "What kind of challenge do you think exists on the final floor?" Elder Shan asked out loud.

    "Who knows, I have only reached the 83rd floor myself..." Xin Ming shrugged.

    "The Sect Master also only reached the 92nd floor."

    "Besides the Founder who stepped onto the 100th stage, I don¡¯t think anyone else knows what exists on the 100th floor, and the Founder didn¡¯t leave behind any notes about his experience in the tower except a single world¡ª terrifying," said Long Yijun with a serious look on his face.

    "Terrifying, huh? If even the Founder who is known for being fearless finds the 100th floor ¡¯terrifying¡¯, just what could possibly exist on the 100th floor? I cannot wait until Disciple Yuanes back outside." Elder Shan sighed.

    Meanwhile, inside the tower, Yuan rested for 15 minutes in the resting area before walking up the stairs and entering the 100th floor.

    And to his surprise, when Yuan stepped onto the 100th floor, he was greeted by a clear blue sky and a seemingly endless arena that stretched to the horizon, almost like he¡¯d been teleported from inside the tower to another world that was made of a single stage.

    Content held by N?velDrama.Org.

    Yuan looked down, and sure enough, the staircase he¡¯d just walked on had suddenly disappeared.

    ?You have entered the 100th floor?

    ?A powerful presence emerges from the void?

    Whoosh!

    A massive ck portal suddenly appeared a few miles away from Yuan, and a long figure emerged from the portal a few momentster.

    This long and golden figure looked exactly like the Great One from the Tablet of Comprehension, but it paled inparison in size and was no longer as enormous as the previous version that could block even entire stars with its mere body. However, that is not to say the Dragon wasn¡¯t huge, as it was taller than even the highest buildings in Yuan¡¯s world with the thickness of multiple trainsbined together.

    "Congrattions on reaching the 100th floor, human. You are the second person to have reached this far, and it has been over 100,000 years since thest visitor stepped onto this floor." The Great One red at Yuan with itsrge golden eyes and spoke to him as though it was their first meeting.

    "You don¡¯t remember me?" Yuan couldn¡¯t help but ask the Dragon.

    "Remember you? Why would I remember someone I have never met before?" The Dragon was puzzled by Yuan¡¯s words. After all, even if it has been 100,000 years, it wouldn¡¯t forget someone when it has only met one other person beside him!

    "So you¡¯re not the same ¡¯Great One¡¯ as the one from the Tablet of Comprehension?" Yuan continued to ask due to his curiosity.

    "Hmmm? The Tablet of Comprehension? Let me take a look at your body!"

    Visit /light/nov/elpub[. for a better experience

    The Great One suddenly shed its eyes, and a golden light entered Yuan¡¯s body.

    "You... You already have my Seal of Approval?" The Great One mumbled in a speechless voice, as it¡¯d nned on giving Yuan the Seal of Approval if he¡¯d passed the trial by beating the 100th floor! But now that Yuan already has the Seal of Approval, it has made this entire trial pointless!

    "Yes, the other Great One gave it to me after I¡¯d won a bet," Yuan said to the Great One.

    "Hmmm..."

    The Great One turned silent for a few moments before speaking, "Since you¡¯ve already received the approval from the other ¡¯me¡¯, I don¡¯t see a point in continuing this trial."

    "Eh?! But why? I came all the way up here, too!" Yuan eximed in a dumbfounded voice. Did he really just climb 100 floors for nothing?

    The Great One then continued, "I have taken a good look at your body just now, and as much as I hate to admit it, despite being a 1st level Spirit Master, I do not believe I have the capability to defeat you, who has two Soul Weapons and phoenix blood mixed in your blood, not to mention the two powerful presence I can feel hidden somewhere within your body."

    "Although I am the same ¡¯Great One¡¯ as the one you met in the Tablet of Comprehension, I am merely an illusion who has had its real powers limited to the level where it would make defeating this tower near impossible but also not truly impossible at the same time."

    "Even if you say that, what are you going to do now if you¡¯re not going to fight me?" Yuan asked.

    "Hmmm..."

    The Great One began pondering again. After all, it cannot just let Yuan pass without giving him a trial.

    A few momentster, the Great One spoke again, "How about this... In order to pass this floor, I will have you fight against 100,000 magical beasts at the peak of the Spirit Warrior realm."

    "100,000 magical beasts?!" Yuan¡¯s mouth dropped to the ground, as that amount was 1,000 more than what he¡¯d had to fight on the 99th floor!

    "While I can handle 100 magical beasts with ease, I definitely won¡¯t have the energy to defeat 100,000 magical beasts at once! This is definitely an impossible task!"

    "Don¡¯t worry, I will make sure you have an ample amount of time toplete this challenge, as this is more of a test of endurance than your strength and talents, and you have already proved yourself in the other aspects."

    "I shall bend the rules of this tower and give you unlimited time for this challenge because of the unexpected situation. Furthermore, I shall give you the ability to temporarily pause the challenge at will so that you can rest whenever you are exhausted or need a break. However, you are only allowed a total of 24 hours of rest time. Once you use up all 24 hours, you¡¯ll have to fight until you either defeat all 100,000 magical beasts or until you cannot go on and fail the challenge."

 Chapter 150 100 000 Magical Beasts

    "24 hours of rest time and unlimited time to defeat 100,000 magical beasts..." Yuan pondered with a frown on his face. Since he can pause the challenge whenever he wants, it wouldn¡¯t affect his time in the real world unlike the Tablet of Comprehension. However, it will still take a very long time for him to kill 100,000 magical beasts, perhaps even days.

    "What do I get forpleting this challenge? Since you changed the original trial, I should get something in return, right?" Yuan asked the Great One.

    "If you manage to pass this trial of mine, I shall grant you the key to the treasure room in the Dragon Temple. Since you have the Seal of Approval, I¡¯m sure you intend on going to the Dragon Temple anyway in the future to try and obtain my Legacy. Inside the treasure room, you¡¯ll find a few things that I¡¯d left behind before I ascended from this world and traveled to the upper heavens, and while there may not be much inside, each treasure will surely assist you in your cultivation path immensely."

    "A dragon¡¯s treasures, huh?" Yuan nodded, as he cannot help but be curious about what a Dragon would consider as treasures.

    "Then... I shall begin whenever you are ready."

    Yuan took a few deep breaths before speaking in a resolute voice, "I am ready!"

    "Very well..."

    ?The Great One¡¯s Challenge will begin shortly?

    ?0:10?

    ?0:9?

    ?0:8?

    ?0:7?

    Yuan swallowed nervously as the seconds counted down.

    Once the timer reached zero, Yuan suddenly felt the ground shaking a little bit.

    "Huh?" Yuan¡¯s eyes widened with shock when he saw a ck line suddenly appearing at the horizon, and this ck line gradually grewrger andrger, and the earth shook harder and harder in response.

    Very quickly, the ck line transformed into a ck sea, and Yuan could see a wave of magical beasts charging towards him like an army of ants at war.

    ¡¯Holy... this is... this is much scarier than I¡¯d thought!¡¯ Yuan cried inwardly, and his entire body trembled while all of his hair stood up like a porcupine when it¡¯s threatened.

    ¡¯This is too much! They will definitely tten me before I can even do anything!¡¯

    "Don¡¯t worry, Young Master. As long as you use the movement technique, it won¡¯t matter how many enemies there are¡ª you¡¯ll be able to avoid them all wlessly." Feng Yixiao¡¯s voice resounded in Yuan¡¯s head.

    Visit [. for a better experience

    ¡¯Oh, right! I nearly forgot about that!¡¯ Yuan thought to himself.

    Xiao Hua¡¯s voice resounded next, "Brother Yuan, don¡¯t forget about the Heavenly Domain. You can use it to suppress the magical beasts¡¯ movements, which will make it easier for you to dodge their attacks and y them!"

    Yuan nodded, and he was no longer fearful of the sea of magical beasts swarming towards him.

    ¡¯Hmmm... This kid... I can see why the other me gave him the Seal of Approval. You don¡¯t see this type of talent often even in the upper heavens...¡¯ The Great One thought to itself as it watched Yuan adjust to the atmosphere and emit a powerful aura that did not was not befitting of someone at the Spirit Warrior realm, as his aura was stronger than even most Cultivators who¡¯d just reached Spirit Master!

    "Brother Yuan, you can also use Heaven Splitting Sword Strike. Although it¡¯ll consume a lot of your spiritual energy, it¡¯ll be worth it since there are so many magical beasts bundled up together.

    "Thank you for the advice, Xiao Hua!"

    Yuan suddenly straightened his back and held the Empyrean Overlord like a knight before raising it high into the sky.

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    After charging the Empyrean Overlord with a portion of his spiritual energy, the Empyrean Overlord began emitting a bright golden light that was almost too blinding to look at.

    "Hmm? What kind of technique is that? This aura... Could it be a Divine-rank martial technique?" The Great One was surprised to see someone as young as Yuan learn a Divine-rank technique and even reached such mastery with it.

    Of course, if the Great One had known about what happened at the Tablet of Comprehension, it wouldn¡¯t care about a measly Divine-rank technique.

    "Heaven Splitting Sword Strike!"

    Yuan swung the Empyrean Overlord horizontally, sending a massive beam of light towards the army of magical beasts.

    BOOOOOM!

    The entire world shook as the Heaven Splitting Sword Strike disintegrated thousands of magical beasts in a single strike!

    ?You have in 4,420 magical beast?

    ?95,580 remaining?

    "Heavens!" The Great One eximed in a shocked voice when it saw the raw destructive power of the Yuan¡¯s Divine-rank technique. "Is that really a Divine-rank technique? To disy such powers when he¡¯s only a Spirit Warrior, this must be one of the strongest Divine-rank techniques out there!"

    However, despite killing over 4,000 magical beasts in a single strike, the ck sea did not seem to have diminished even slightly, and they continued to charge at Yuan.

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    "Heaven Splitting Sword Strike!"

    Yuan decided to use the technique again to lower the numbers again.

    ?You have in 5,110 magical beast?

    ?90,470 remaining?

    And again...

    "Heaven Splitting Sword Strike!"

    ?You have in 4,975 magical beast?

    ?85,495 remaining?

    Yuan continued to use Heaven Splitting Sword Strike until a dozen timester when his spiritual energy lowered by half.

    For more, visit ligh/tnovelpub[.

    ?49,321 remaining?

    In just a few minutes, Yuan had managed to cut the number of monsters he needed to hunt in the trial by half.

    ¡¯This human is a monster! Why does he have so much spiritual energy?! If it were any ordinary Spirit Warrior at his level, they would only be able to use such a powerful skill once or twice, yet this human managed to release over a dozen of them! It seems like I have underestimated him still! If I¡¯d known about his power, I would¡¯ve made him kill 1,000,000 magical beasts instead of 100,000 which is looking incredibly easy for him right now!¡¯ The Great One cried inwardly, but s, even it could not stop the trial once it began.

 Chapter 151 Unique Ability

    After ying over 50,000 magical beasts with the Empyrean Overlord, Yuan received an unexpected notification.

    ?Congrattions! Your Soul Weapon Empyrean Overlord has absorbed enough lifeforce and leveled up!?

    ?Your Empyrean Overlord has unlocked a new unique ability!?

    ?Empyrean Overlord?

    ?Level: 1?

    ?Rank: Soul Weapon?

    ?Growth Rate: Very Slow?

    ?Requirement: ????

    ?Unique Ability: Amplify the power of all sword techniques by 100% when wielding this sword?

    "100 percent?! Does this mean all of my techniques will double in power?! That¡¯s overpowered as heck!" Yuan eximed in a shocked voice, but he didn¡¯t have the time to think about it too much as the magical beasts continued to approach him.

    For more, visit lig/htnovelpub[.

    Once the magical beasts were close enough, Yuan activated Heavenly Domain, creating a golden circle around him that extended for a dozen meters, slowing and suppressing everything within the circle to a certain extent.

    "Another Divine-rank technique?! And it¡¯s even a restriction technique!" The Great One was dumbfounded once again after seeing Yuan use a second Divine-rank technique.

    ¡¯I have looked at his bones, and he should be no older than 18 years old, yet he¡¯s already learned two Divine-rank techniques and can use them with such proficiency?! This human¡¯sprehension ability is shockingly high!¡¯ The Great One thought to itself, unaware that Yuan had also learned its Dragon¡¯s Gaze from the Tablet of Comprehension.

    Meanwhile, Yuan used the Flying Daggers technique with the Starry Abyss to y the magical beasts that ignorantly entered the Heavenly Domain only to have their movements speed significantly decreased, even feeling as though they were suddenly carrying arge boulder behind their back.

    Sha! Whoosh!

    The magical beasts dropped like flies as the Starry Abyss flew around in a circle, instantly killing the magical beasts.

    And because the Flying Daggers is only a Mortal-rank technique, it required very little spiritual energy to maintain, allowing Yuan to use it effortlessly and continuously.

    ¡¯As expected of a Soul Weapon... it can rip apart magical beasts with ease despite using only a Mortal-rank technique, and by the looks of it, that Soul Weapon is still in its infancy period. I can only imagine how powerful it¡¯ll be once it grows up alongside a monster like this human...¡¯ The Great One said inwardly.

    Whoosh!

    Yuan swung the enormous sword in his grasp effortlessly at the magical beasts that the Starry Abyss could not reach in time, cutting down even magical beasts twice his size with a single swing.

    "Blood Sword Strike!"

    The Empyrean Overlord emitted a powerful aura that did not exist before.

    BOOM!

    ?You have in 23 magical beast?

    ?48,124 remaining?

    However, despite the Heavenly Domain slowing down the monsters and Yuan killing the monsters at a rapid rate, there were simply too many magical beasts, and Yuan was surrounded by them a littleter.

    Though, it was not as though Yuan was in any danger, as the magical beasts were still restricted by the Heavenly Domain, so even if they wanted to attack Yuan, they would be too slow for him, who had a Divine-rank movement technique, allowing him to dodge the magical beasts despite being attacked by many of them at once.

    When the Great One saw this, its eyes widened again, and it mumbled to itself, "That movement technique... Why does he know a movement technique meant for phoenixes? Does it have anything to do with the phoenix blood that¡¯s in his body? This human is full of surprises and mysteries... I¡¯m sure the real ¡¯me¡¯ in the upper heavens would love to meet someone like him."

    For more, visit lightnov/elpu/b[./

    Two hours of nonstop actionter, Yuan shouted, "Great One! How do I pause this trial?! I need a break!"

    "Just say ¡¯pause trial¡¯!" The Great One responded.

    Yuan then shouted, "Pause trial!"

    The moment Yuan spoke these two words, almost as though time itself had stopped, all of the magical beasts¡¯ movements came to a sudden halt, looking like they¡¯d frozen in time.

    ?23:59:59?

    ?23:59:58?

    ?23:59:57?

    "Don¡¯t forget, you only have 24 hours to rest." The Great One said to him afterward.

    Yuan immediately sat down to cultivate and recover his exhausted spiritual energy.

    Whoosh!

    A few seconds after Yuan sat down and closed his eyes, the spiritual energy in the area could be seen rushing towards Yuan at a rapid speed, almost like he was a ck hole sucking all of the spiritual energy around him.

    "..."

    The Great One was speechless after seeing this, and it mumbled, "A pure body that doesn¡¯t contain any impurities... Did he also consume the Translucent Dew of wlessness? What is someone like him doing in the Lower Heavens? One would have trouble finding the things he¡¯d somehow managed to obtain even in the upper heavens!"

    After resting for a few hours until half of his spiritual energy returned, Yuan stood up and asked the Great One, "How do I resume the trial?"

    "Just say ¡¯resume trial¡¯."

    Yuan nodded and prepared himself mentally before saying the word.

    ?Trial will resume in 3 seconds?

    ?2?

    ?1?

    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    The moment the trial resumed, almost as though time began flowing again, the magical beasts began moving and continued to attack Yuan.

    After fighting the monsters again for a few hours, Yuan paused the trial again to rest, and he repeated this process until it was time for him to log off for dinner.

    "Pause trial!" Yuan then stood up and said to the Great One, "I¡¯ll be back after dinner."

    When Yuan logged off and disappeared before its eyes, the Great One raised its eyebrows in a puzzled manner. However, it didn¡¯t say anything and merely closed its eyes and patiently waited for Yuan to return.

    Once he¡¯d returned to the real world and Yu Rou began her routine, Yuan recalled his experience for the day to Yu Rou while she cleaned his body and fed him soup. He spoke about ying the zither at the Dragon Pavilion, climbing the Carp Leaping Over Dragon¡¯s Gate, and needing to defeat 100,000 monsters to pass the final trial.

 Chapter 152 Perfect Concealmen

    "The zither, huh?" Yu Rou mumbled after hearing about this instrument from Yuan, and she said a momentter, "People used to y those instruments in the ancient times if I remember correctly, but it¡¯s rarely yed today."

    "What? Why did people stop ying them? It¡¯s such a wonderful instrument that can invoke one¡¯s inner feelings with a single note!" Yuan asked in a surprised voice, as he couldn¡¯t understand why people suddenly stopped ying the zither.

    "I¡¯m not too sure either, but I can look it up online if you want." Yu Rou said to him.

    "Okay."

    "Give me a moment..."

    Yu Rou pulled out her smartphone and did a quick search on the web.

    "Zithers... Eh?" Yu Rou released a surprised voice.

    "What is it?" Yuan raised his eyebrows and asked her with his interest piqued.

    "Well... it says that the reason people stopped ying the zither was due to some curse... It doesn¡¯t make any sense," Yu Rou said.

    "Curse?"

    "Yes... They say those who y the zither are cursed with a fate worse than death..." Yu Rou said.

    "What the heck? Do people actually believe in that crap? I can¡¯t believe it! To think they¡¯d abandon such a wonderful instrument because of a mere ¡¯curse¡¯! If I¡¯d known about this instrument before, I would definitely have made it my main instrument!" Yuan sighed loudly.

    "Well, at least you get to y the instrument in the game, right?" Yu Rou said to him.

    "I guess... But after learning about the zither, I cannot help but wonder what other instruments I can y in the game... While I am no longer a musician, ying the zither had red some sort of me in my body... I think..."

    "Really? Now I have another thing to look forward to inside the game¡ª seeing you y the instruments again! Maybe you can even be a famous musician in the game!" Yu Rou said.

    "Famous musician, huh? I think I¡¯ve had enough of that life," Yuan said with a bittersweet smile on his face.

    "Oh... right..." Yu Rou realized that she¡¯d opened an old wound for Yuan and quickly apologized, "I¡¯m sorry, brother... I got too excited again..."

    "Don¡¯t worry about it. Although I don¡¯t n on bing famous, I do want to y the instruments at times."

    "But you¡¯re already famous, brother. You¡¯re ¡¯yer Yuan¡¯, the number one yer in the world right now!" Yu Rou said.

    For more, visit [.

    "Me? The number one yer? On what basis?" Yuan asked since he cannot imagine how he¡¯d be the number one yer in the world when he hasn¡¯t really been doing much besides enjoy the game at his own leisure.

    "On what basis, you say? By your progress, of course! Most yers in the world are still learning Mortal-rank techniques, yet you¡¯ve already learned your first Ancient-rank technique and even a couple of Divine-rank techniques! Your cultivation base is also vastly superiorpared to the other yers!"

    "I see... But I don¡¯t really care if I¡¯m the number one yer or not¡ª I just want to enjoy the game." Yuan said.

    "I know you wouldn¡¯t care about something like this, but the other yers care, especially the Legacy Family. That¡¯s why they¡¯re all looking for you," said Yu Rou.

    "What will they do even if they find me?" Yuan asked.

    "They¡¯ll probably ask you to join their family and share your secrets with them so that they can also progress as fast as you in the game."

    "Secrets? There are no secrets, though. I just y the game normally." Yuan sighed.

    "Nobody would believe that brother. I also wouldn¡¯t have believed it if I didn¡¯t know you."

    "What a pain in the ass. I hope they¡¯ll never find me so that I can continue ying the game peacefully," Yuan said a momentter.

    "I also hope the same, brother."

    "By the way, Yu Rou, I left you at Phoenix City, right? Will you be okay by yourself?"

    "Un. I will be fine. Not only do I still have the 100,000 gold that was given to me by Xiao Hua but I also have a friend from school who¡¯s also in Phoenix City, and I¡¯d promised to y with her this weekend."

    "A friend, huh? That¡¯s nice." Yuan said.

    "I¡¯ll introduce her to you one day in the future, brother. She¡¯s a really sweet and elegant girl."

    "Okay."

    Sometimeter, Yu Rou asked him, "You¡¯re going to y tonight, right? After all, you still have that trial..."

    "Yes, I only have 24 hours of pause time. If I sleep now, I will probably fail the challenge."

    "Okay, I¡¯ll leave you alone then. Good luck, brother."

    Once Yu Rou left the room, Yuan returned to cultivation online and took a few minutes to prepare himself before he began ying the monsters on the 100th floor until the morning came and he had to pause the trial again for breakfast.

    Meanwhile, waiting outside the tower, Long Yijun and the other sect elders were puzzled, even slightly nervous.

    "What¡¯s happening in the tower right now? It¡¯s been over a day since he¡¯d entered the 100th floor yet he¡¯s still not done!" Elder Shan spoke out loud.

    "Who knows what he¡¯s doing inside, but I have never seen anyone remain on a single floor for so long before." Long Yijun said.

    And he continued, "Anyway, there¡¯s nothing we can do right now but until the 100th floor shes either a red or golden light!"

    Thus, they continued to wait for Yuan¡¯s result.

    Inside the tower, Yuan continued to y monsters for a few hours before pausing the trial and resting until half of his spiritual energy was restored so that he could continue fighting.

    On the third day, a notification appeared before Yuan after he slew his 90,000th magical beasts.

    ?Congrattions! Your Soul Weapon Starry Abyss has absorbed enough lifeforce and leveled up!?

    Content held by N?velDrama.Org.

    ?The Starry Abyss has unlocked a new unique ability ¡¯Perfect Concealment¡¯!?

    ?Starry Abyss?

    ?Level: 1?

    ?Rank: Soul Weapon?

    ?Growth Rate: Very slow?

    ?Requirement: ????

    ?Unique Ability: (Perfect Concealment) Use spiritual energy to turn the weapon invisible and conceal its presence wlessly at will.?

 Chapter 153 Clearing All 100 Floors

    "Perfect concealment, huh? Let¡¯s try it."

    Yuan then activated Perfect Concealment for the Starry Abyss, and just like the unique ability¡¯s description, the Starry Abyss suddenly became invisible with its presence and aurapletely concealed.

    However, in Yuan¡¯s eyes, the Starry Abyss was notpletely invisible, as he could still sense his own spiritual energy around the Starry Abyss.

    With that being said, for the magical beasts and even the Great One, it felt like the Starry Abyss had suddenly disappeared from this world, almost like it ceased to exist.

    ¡¯I can no longer feel the presence of the second Soul Weapon... It must have the ability to conceal itself... This is an extremely powerful ability even for a Soul Weapon...¡¯ The Great One narrowed its eyes on Yuan, but s, it could not sense the Starry Abyss no matter how much it tried.

    ¡¯He can now kill even Spirit Masters without alerting them... What a terrifyingly powerful Soul Weapon... Where on earth did he obtain it?¡¯

    If the Great One knew that such a powerful Soul Weapon had once belonged to a family of mortals, it would definitely freak out.

    Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

    Now that the magical beasts could not even see or detect the Starry Abyss, they have be absolutely defenseless and powerless under its attacks, and they could only stand there and wait for their turn to be killed.

    The speed at which Yuan killed the magical beasts suddenly doubled with the Starry Abyss¡¯s unique ability unlocked, and he killed the remaining 10,000 magical beasts in just a few more hours.

    Meanwhile, Long Yijun and the sect elders waiting outside were almost shaking from anxiety.

    "It¡¯s been four days since Disciple Yuan stepped onto the 100th floor, yet he¡¯s still inside... I wonder if something happened inside..." Long Yijun mumbled with a nervous frown on his face, as he cannot even begin to imagine losing someone as talented as Yuan in just a few days after he¡¯d joined the sect!

    "I hope it¡¯s nothing serious... Maybe it¡¯s like the Tablet of Comprehension, where he is given a week to finish." Elder Xuan sighed, trying to convince himself that nothing had happened to Yuan.

    "Can one even die inside the tower?" Elder Shan suddenly asked. "The magical beasts inside are merely illusions. Although they can hurt you slightly from the impact, they cannot kill you¡ª at least I have never heard of a disciple dying inside the tower before."

    "The tower won¡¯t allow a disciple to die while inside. It will automatically stop the trial if it deems the disciple to be in a dangerous situation." Long Yijun said.

    "But things could be different on the 100th floor..." Bai Ling said. "After all, none of us have been to the 100th floor before, so we cannot rule out that possibility."

    The ce immediately turned silent.

    However, the very next moment, the tower suddenly began trembling.

    "Eh? What¡¯s happening?!"

    Before anyone there could even react, the 100th floor emitted a golden light, and a semi-transparent golden dragon suddenly escaped the tower and appeared in the sky directly above the Dragon Essence Temple, shocking all of the disciples there and even people outside the sect!

    This golden dragon flew a few circles around the Dragon Essence Temple before flying higher into the sky and disappearing from the peoples¡¯ view. However, a sound that resembled a dragon¡¯s roar could be heard a few momentster that echoed thousands of miles away, sending chills down the spine of everyone that heard it.

    "Heavens! What on earth was that just now?!" Long Yijun cried out loud afterward, feeling his body rapidly heating up and his heart throbbing like war drums!

    Meanwhile, disciples all around the Dragon Essence Temple could all see a golden tower standing majestically in the Outer Court, as the tower itself had suddenly changed appearance too.

    "L-Look over there! That¡¯s the Carp Leaping Over Dragon¡¯s Gate Tower! The highest floor is emitting a golden light! Does this mean someone had managed to clear all 100 floors in the tower?!"

    "Impossible! Who could¡¯ve done such a thing?!"

    Nearly every disciple in the sect began making their way to the Outer Court to see what was going on and witness for themselves the disciple who¡¯d managed to achieve this incredible feat.

    "Just like the Tablet of Comprehension and the silver tree¡ª the Carp Leaping Over Dragon¡¯s Gate has also be golden!" Elder Xuan eximed.

    "H-He really did it! Disciple Yuan really defeated all 100 floors in the tower, bing the first person in history to achieve such a grand feat!" Long Yijun stared at the tower that had all 100 floors emitting a golden light with a gawking look on his face.

    "Sect Master, this is going to be troublesome. I have just received intel that many powerful figures from the other elite sects are approaching the Dragon Essence Temple." Bai Ling suddenly said to him.

    "Furthermore, the disciples from the Inner Court are also heading to this ce."

    "What a pain in the ass!" Long Yijun immediately retrieved his jade slip and activated it with his spiritual sense before speaking in a loud and domineering voice.

    "This is the Sect Master speaking! Any disciple that approaches the Carp Leaping Over Dragon¡¯s Tower will immediately have their disciple status stripped regardless of their status! This includes sect elders too! I repeat! Stay away from the tower!"

    Long Yijun broadcasted his voice throughout the sect to every disciple like some sort of in-game announcement, and all of the disciples that wanted to approach the tower immediately halted their movements and no longer dared to continue forward.

    "Dealing with the disciples in the sect isn¡¯t much of an issue, but for those outside the sect... We¡¯ll have to prepare for them." Elder Xuan said.

    "It is what it is. I knew Disciple Yuan wouldn¡¯t be able to keep his talents hidden for long, but we¡¯ll still try our best to protect his identity until the Mystic Realm opens! Once that happens, the people managing the Mystic Realm will definitely be able to protect him!" Long Yijun said.

    And he continued, "Elder Xuan, stay here until Disciple Yuanes out. As for the rest of us, we are going to prepare for our guests!"

    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    "Yes, Sect Master!"

 Chapter 154 Dragon Temple Treasure Key

    Inside the tower, Yuan was bombarded with notifications afterpleting the challenge by defeating 100,000 magical beasts.

    ?Congrattions! You have passed the 100th floor of ''Carp Leaping Over Dragon''s Gate'' in Dragon difficulty, clearing the trial!?

    ?Congrattions! You havepleted the hidden quest ''Dragon Trial''!?

    ?You have obtained the title ''Dragon Warrior''?

    ?Congrattions, you have in a total of 100,000 monsters?

    Content held by N?velDrama.Org.

    ?You have obtained the title ''Elite Monster yer''?

    ?Because of your title ''Elite Monster yer'', all of your damage dealt to monsters will be increased by 50%. Monsters will feel more pain from your attacks as your damage to them increases?

    ?Yourprehension for Flying Daggers has reached a new level?

    [Flying Daggers]

    [Rank: Mortal]

    [Mastery Level: 3]

    [Description: Control your daggers with spiritual energy and send them flying through the battlefield, ying your enemies from a distance! Qi consumption will vary depending on how many Daggers you control at once and its speed.]

    "So you''ve finally defeated all 100,000 magical beasts, huh¡­ I knew it would''ve happened sooner orter, but I would''ve never even imagined that you''d clear the trial with such ease. Congrattions, you have be the first person topletely clear the Dragon Trial, and as promised, I shall bestow you the key for the treasure room now¡­"

    The Great One opened its eyes widely, and a golden beam pierced Yuan''s head the next moment.

    ?You have obtained ''Dragon Temple Treasure Key''?

    A few secondster, the Great One blinked, causing the beam to disappear.

    "You now have the key to the treasure room," said the Great One. "Now you just need to enter the Dragon Temple and reach the treasure room, which will also be a challenge itself."

    "Thank you," Yuan said.

    "No, I should be thanking you¡­ Thank you foring here and entertaining me. I wonder how many more years I will have to wait until the next person reaches the 100th floor again¡ª not that it really matters for me since I am merely an illusion, so the flow of time doesn''t exist for me."

    "One more thing¡­ I''m sure that you already have been told about this by the other ''me'', but I''d like to repeat it again. I want you to meet the real ''me'' in the upper heavens. If you obtain the Legacy within the Dragon Temple and find the real ''me'', you''ll be given wealth and treasures that normal people cannot even begin to imagine."

    Yuan nodded and said, "Don''t worry, I''ll definitely try to look for the real you once I reach the upper heavens."

    The Great One then said, "Very well¡­ The farewell, young genius¡­"

    ?You are now being teleported to the first floor?

    A few secondster, Yuan disappeared from the 100th floor and reappeared on the first floor again, feeling as though everything that''d just happened was merely a dream.

    Once Yuan was gone, the Great One looked at the seemingly borderless sky and mumbled in a solemn voice, "He will definitely shake the entire cultivation world with his talents in the future if he hasn''t already by now¡­ However, the more talent he has, the more difficult his cultivation path will be, and I truly hope that he''ll manage to survive until he meets the real me¡­"

    "I shouldn''t do this, but I really want you to meet the real me, so I shall make this an exception and give you an extra reward¡­"

    The Great One suddenly began glowing and disintegrating into tiny lights like a bunch of scattering fireflies, flying towards the sky and disappearing into the distance.

    Meanwhile, as Yuan approached the exit that was also the exit, the walls in the room began glowing, and tiny golden orbs of light emerged from the walls before flying towards him.

    "W-What is happening?" Yuan watched as the golden orbs floated towards him before going inside his body.

    ?You have absorbed a massive amount of Qi?

    ?You have absorbed enough Qi for a breakthrough?

    ?You have reached Sixth Level Spirit Warrior?

    ?+3,500 Stats?

    ?You have absorbed enough Qi for a breakthrough?

    ?You have reached Seventh Level Spirit Warrior?

    ?+4,000 Stats?

    ?You have absorbed enough Qi for a breakthrough?

    ?You have reached Eighth Level Spirit Warrior?

    ?+4,500 Stats?

    ?You have absorbed enough Qi for a breakthrough?

    ?You have reached Ninth Level Spirit Warrior?

    ?+5,000 Stats?

    ?7,451,000,000/19,691,520,000 Qi?

    "N-Ninth Level Spirit Warrior?!" Yuan was speechless after realizing that he''d suddenly gained 4 cultivation levels without doing anything.

    Now even if he has the Pill of Concealment, he would still be at the second level of the Spirit Warrior realm, which is pretty attention-grabbing for a mere Outer Court disciple!

    "I''ll have to talk to Senior Xuan or one of the sect elders about this¡­" Yuan sighed as he opened the door and walked outside the tower.

    "Huh?"

    And to his surprise, almost like Elder Xuan had heard his sigh, Yuan could see Elder Xuan standing in front of the tower and staring at him with an intensive gaze.

    "Senior Xuan¡ª"

    Yuan called out to him, but s, before he could even finish speaking, Elder Xuan ran in front of him and grabbed his clothes before running away while dragging along like some kind of toy.

    "I don''t have time to exin right now! Just be quiet ande with me!" Elder Xuan said to Yuan in an urgent voice, dumbfounding him.

    A few minutester, they arrived at some unfamiliar building in the Inner Court and entered the building.

    "W-What''s going on, Senior Xuan? Why did we have to run like we''re being chased by monsters?" Yuan asked him afterward.

    "Why, you ask? It''s all because of you!" Elder Xuan sighed out loud after locking the door.

    "M-Me? Did I do something wrong?" Yuan asked him in a baffled voice, as he doesn''t recall doing anything too crazy.

    "Aiya¡­ Even though we''d told you to remain lowkey until the Mystic Realm, you just had to go and show off your talents at the tower, huh?" Elder Xuan shook his head before taking a seat on the couch. "Sit down¡­ I''ll exin the situation to you right now."

 Chapter 155 A Dangerous Situation

    Once Yuan took a seat, Elder Xuan continued to speak, "Because of your performance at the Carp Leaping Over Dragon¡¯s Gate Tower, it has caught the attention of many, and experts from the other elite sects are currently approaching the Dragon Essence Sect even as we speak."

    "Is that so..." Yuan mumbled in a calm voice, clearly still unable to grasp the situation at hand.

    Elder Xuan shook his head and sighed, "I know you probably don¡¯t understand the dangerous situation you¡¯re in right now, so I¡¯ll exin it to you again."

    "Do you remember what we told you about remaining lowkey until the Mystic Realm? If you¡¯re too talented, people will be jealous, and they will do everything in their power to destroy you so that you won¡¯t be a threat in the future. However, at the Mystic Realm, if you can attract the attention of the people managing the event, they will be able to protect you, and you might even be able to ascend to the next realm¡ª Spirit Heavens!"

    "This ce we are currently in is called the Lower Heavens, and the next realm is called Spirit Heavens, where Cultivators above Spirit Grandmaster exists." Elder Xuan said.

    "Anyway, that isn¡¯t important right now. What¡¯s important is your safety, Disciple Yuan. The other sects will definitely pressure us into revealing your identity, but you can rest assured that we give your name to them even if we have to fight."

    "I¡¯m sorry, Senior Xuan, I didn¡¯t think that I would cause such amotion by participating in the trial, as I was only trying to experience the sect like a normal disciple," Yuan sighed afterward.

    Elder Xuan immediately became speechless. Indeed, it wasn¡¯t Yuan¡¯s fault for going to the tower, as every disciple will eventually challenge it at least once. And nobody could¡¯ve predicted that Yuan would clear all 100 floors, nor could they have predicted that the tower would react in such a manner when someone cleared the 100th floor, as it has never happened before.

    "You don¡¯t need to me yourself for this, Disciple Yuan. We want you to continue to experience life as a normal disciple even after this, but you should avoid things in the sect that has a ranking." Elder Xuan said.

    "As for the other elite sects... they will only pressure us, and I doubt there will really be any fighting because our Dragon Essence Temple isn¡¯t weak, and the others know of this. They won¡¯t risk going to war with us over a single disciple, especially if they don¡¯t know your identity."

    "If the sect is really in trouble because of me, I will do something about it myself," Yuan suddenly said.

    "Huh? What do you mean by..." Elder Xuan¡¯s eyes suddenly widened as he¡¯d just realized the auraing from Yuan.

    "Second level Spirit Warrior?! But you should have consumed the Pill of Concealment! Does this mean you¡¯re actually at the peak level now?! Ninth level Spirit Warrior?!" Elder Xuan eximed in a shocked voice, as he could¡¯ve never imagined that Yuan would increase his cultivation level by four whole levels in a single day.

    "Is this the result of clearing all 100 floors in the tower?" Elder Xuan couldn¡¯t help but ask.

    Yuan nodded and said, "I think so."

    "Can you tell me what you¡¯d experienced in the tower? Especially on the 100th floor."

    "Okay." Yuan then recalled his experience in the tower to Elder Xuan.

    "Dragon difficulty? Only 15 minutes of rest for every 10 floors? 100,000 magical beasts at the peak Spirit Warrior realm?" Elder Xuan began sweating midway through Yuan¡¯s experience.

    ¡¯Heavens! I don¡¯t think I would be able to defeat 100,000 peak-level Spirit Warrior magical beasts in such a short time even at my current level! Yet this young man who was only at the fifth level Spirit Warrior realm at the time was able to achieve such an incredible feat in four short days!¡¯ Elder Xuan looked at Yuan with deep admiration within his gaze.

    "To think you¡¯d experienced such a journey... It¡¯s no wonder the Founder called the 100th floor ¡¯terrifying¡¯." Elder Xuan sighed,pletely unaware that the Founder had another challenge, which was much easier than the one Yuan had to endure because Yuan didn¡¯t mention the Great One changing the challenge for him.

    "Anyway, I will let the Sect Master know about this once he¡¯s done with our guests. In the meantime, you can stay here until they leave." Elder Xuan said to him. "I don¡¯t want to risk anything."

    "Okay. Once again, I apologize for the trouble..." Yuan said to him.

    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    "There¡¯s no need for you to apologize, as this is simply how the cultivation world works." Elder Xuan said to him before leaving the building to group up with Long Yijun and the other sect elders so he can assist them in case anything happens.

    Once Elder Xuan was gone, Feng Yixiao¡¯s voice resounded, "Don¡¯t worry, Young Master. If anyone dares to try and harm you, I will burn them alive until there¡¯s nothing left of them¡ª not even their bones!"

    "You don¡¯t need to worry about protecting Brother Yuan because Xiao Hua alone is enough to protect him." Xiao Hua said afterward.

    "Won¡¯t it be problematic if a Spirit King like you suddenly starts killing Cultivators in the Lower Heavens? You might even invoke a Heavenly Tribtion..." Feng Yixiao said. "I think it would be safer if I, a Spirit Grandmaster, protects the Young Master. After all, I am more than enough to protect him from most threats in the Lower Heavens."

    "You don¡¯t have to worry about Xiao Hua. Xiao Hua has permission to be in the Lower Heavens, and killing a few Cultivators won¡¯t affect Xiao Hua," she responded in a calm voice.

    "Why are we evenpeting with each other about who should protect the Young Master?" Feng Yixiao sighed.

    Meanwhile, in the Sect Master¡¯s headquarters, Long Yijun sat in his chair while the other sect elders stood beside him like a group of bodyguards, and sitting before them was a group of Spirit Master experts, each of them wearing uniforms belonging to a different sect.

 Chapter 156 Blessing in Disguise

    "Wee to the Dragon Essence Temple, esteemed guests. How may I help all of you today?" Long Yujin spoke with a friendly smile on his face, acting like he didn¡¯t know why they were there.

    "You don¡¯t have to y dumb, Sect Master Long. You know exactly why we are here. Spare the ignorance and let us get straight to the point." One of the experts there suddenly said in an arrogant voice.

    "..."

    The friendly smile on Long Yijun¡¯s face immediately disappeared, and he responded in a cold voice, "Then I will be as straight as a sword¡ª You loting here was a waste of time. I won¡¯t tell you anything, so you can all return to your sects now. Thank you."

    "Don¡¯t be like that, Sect Master Long. We are only here because we are concerned about the phenomenon that happened in the Dragon Essence Temple not long ago," said a different individual.

    "Concerned? About what? Why does whatever happens in the Dragon Essence Temple concern the Golden Hand Mountain or any of you for that matter?" Long Yijun said with a puzzled look on his face.

    "Cut the crap, Sect Master Long. We didn¡¯t waste transportation treasures toe here just to go back empty-handed. Which disciple cleared all 100 floors in the Carp Leaping Over Dragon¡¯s Gate Tower? We all saw it on our way here¡ª a golden tower with all 100 floors emitting a golden light!"

    "And who told you to use those transportation treasures? I don¡¯t recall inviting any of you to the Dragon Essence Temple. Perhaps I am truly getting old..." Long Yijun cleaned his ears with his pinky.

    "You damn old fart..."

    The experts there gritted their teeth in irritation. They knew that it was going to be incredibly hard to get Long Yijun to open his mouth, especially when this is rted to someone talented enough to make history, but they didn¡¯t expect it to be this difficult.

    "Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll get to meet with this genius at the Mystic Realm in a month. Hahaha!" Long Yijunughed out loud, and the sect elders standing beside him couldn¡¯t help but lose theirposure and giggle like little kids in a serious ssroom.

    "Hmph! So what if he¡¯s slightly talented? That¡¯s not saying much since he¡¯s from this ce! I doubt he¡¯ll be able to affect the Dragon Essence Temple¡¯s ranking in the Mystic Realm even if he can clear all 100 floors in the Carp Leaping Over Dragon¡¯s Gate! In fact, I bet my disciples will be able to do the same!" One of the Sect Masters there suddenly eximed.

    "Oh? Is that so? Are you willing to bet on that?" Long Yijun¡¯s eyes suddenly flickered with profoundness.

    When the Sect Master saw Long Yijun¡¯s confident grin, he said, "Good! What do you want to bet on?!"

    Long Yijun suddenly retrieved his spatial ring before taking out a beautiful golden sword from within, and he said afterward, "I will bet this Dragon ying Saber that none of your disciples will beat 100 floors."

    "The Dragon ying Saber?! You¡¯re really going to bet that?!" The people there were greatly shocked by Long Yijun¡¯s offer, and they all swallowed nervously when they felt the overbearing aura emitting from the golden saber.

    The Dragon ying Saber is a Divine-grade treasure that has been passed down from Sect Masters to Sect Masters in the Dragon Essence Temple, and it was unthinkable to them that Long Yijun would be bold enough to gamble such a precious treasure.

    "Hahaha! Good! Since you¡¯re so confident, I shall also be confident!" The other Sect Master also retrieved his spatial ring before taking out a long green spear.

    "That¡¯s the Divine Bamboo Spear! Sect Master Wang is also going to gamble his Divine-grade treasure!"

    "Hey! Let me join! I also want my disciples to participate in this fun!" Another Sect Master suddenly said.

    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    "What are you talking about, Sect Master Chang! How are we going to split the Dragon ying Saber if you join?"

    "We can worry about the shareter!" Sect Master Changughed.

    Long Yijunughed inwardly when he saw these Sect Masters acting so confident that they would win.

    If clearing all 100 floors of the Carp Leaping Over Dragon¡¯s Gate Tower was so simple, he wouldn¡¯t dare to gamble with the Dragon ying Saber!

    ¡¯Hahaha! These fucking idiots! If the Founder who was widely known as the number one genius in his era couldn¡¯t clear the tower, what makes these idiots think their disciple can?!¡¯ Long Yijun tried his best to not burst outughing, as this was an incredible chance for him to earn two Divine-grade treasures at once!

    "Since it¡¯s like this, I also want in!" Another person there suddenly stepped forward.

    "Me too!"

    "Fuck it! Since you¡¯re all going in, I¡¯ll also put my foot forward!"

    In just a few minutes, all of the guests there have decided to send their disciple to the Dragon Essence Temple to challenge the Carp Leaping Over Dragon¡¯s Gate Tower.

    Meanwhile, the sect elders from the Dragon Essence Temple looked at each other with disbelief in their gaze. Are they really going to earn this much treasure from this event? Perhaps this event is actually a blessing in disguise!

    "What about it, Sect Master Long? Are you willing to let our disciples challenge the Carp Leaping Over Dragon¡¯s Gate Tower? If you win this bet, you¡¯ll get to obtain many Divine-grade treasures and other priceless artifacts! If you lose, you¡¯ll only be losing one Divine-grade treasure!"

    "How do I know that you¡¯ll keep your words if I actually win? I want a blood oath from everyone participating in this!" Long Yijun suddenly eximed.

    "What? You want our blood oath?" The other Sect Masters there looked at each other with a surprised expression on their face.

    "If you can¡¯t do it then you can forget about participating in the event," Long Yijun spoke with a firm look on his face, causing the others to frown.

 Chapter 157 Blood Oath

    When the Sect Masters there hesitated after hearing the words ¡¯blood oath¡¯, Long Yijun coldly sneered, "It appears that you guys are all bark and no bite. Forget it! I never expected much from a bunch of spineless old frogs anyway!"

    "Wait a damn second, Sect Master Long! Who are you calling spineless?! Since you are so confident, then watch as my disciples wipe that smug off your damn face! And I am well aware of what you¡¯re trying to do here! Don¡¯t think you can earn so many treasures so easily because as long as a single disciple from one of our sects manages to clear all 100 floors, it¡¯ll be our victory!" Sect Master Wang eximed.

    Long Yijun nodded and said, "I don¡¯t mind. However, each sect can only bring three disciples to participate. After all, I don¡¯t have the time to let every disciple in your sect challenge the tower."

    "Three disciples from each sect, huh? What do you guys think?" Sect Master Wang turned to look at the other Sect Masters.

    "Hmph! You¡¯re being more generous than I¡¯d anticipated, Sect Master Long. To think you¡¯d be generous enough to give each of us three chances instead of just one¡ª I will bow to that! However, you have just dug yourself an even deeper hole by giving us more chances! Since that¡¯s the case, I am willing to do a blood oath!"

    "Me, too! Especially if only a single disciple is needed to clear all 100 floors!"

    A few momentster, Long Yijun then said, "Very well! Then let me be the first to do my blood oath!"

    Long Yijun suddenly stood up and used the Dragon ying Saber to cut a small opening in his thumb before speaking out loud while staring at the ceiling, "I, Long Yijun, under this blood oath and with Heaven as a witness, swear that if a single disciple from the sects that belong to these individuals before me manages to clear all 100 floors in the Carp Leaping Over Dragon¡¯s Gate Tower that I will forfeit my Dragon ying Saber!"

    Long Yijun allowed a droplet of his blood to fall on the floor after his sentence ended, but surprisingly, the blood did not touch the floor and stter as one would expect. Instead, the blood went right through the floor and disappeared somewhere.

    "I have done my blood oath. If you dare to participate in this bet, swear a blood oath!" Long Yijun looked at the Sect Masters there and spoke in a domineering voice.

    Sect Master Wang then stepped forward and swore, "I, Wang Mingqing, under this blood oath and with Heaven as a witness, swear that if none of the disciples from our sect can clear all 100 floors of the Carp Leaping Over Dragon¡¯s Gate Tower that I will forfeit this Divine Bamboo Spear in my hands!"

    Sect Master Wang dropped his blood onto the floor, and it also disappeared into the floor like Long Yijun¡¯s blood.

    Another Sect Master there stepped forward and began another blood oath, "I, Chang Hai, under this blood oath and with Heaven as a witness, swear that if none of the disciples from our sect can clear all 100 floors of the Carp Leaping Over Dragon¡¯s Gate Tower that I will forfeit this Blood Moon Cleaver!"

    In just a few minutes, nearly every Sect Master there swore a blood oath.

    "What are you guys waiting for? If you guys participate, we¡¯ll have more chances. Even if we have to share the Dragon ying Saber with all of us here, it will definitely be worth it! And there¡¯s simply no way that our disciples won¡¯t be able to clear such a childish trial!" Sect Master Wang looked at the rest of the Sect Masters there that didn¡¯t want to participate and encouraged them.

    However, these Sect Masters remained hesitant and suspicious about the whole situation. While none of them knew just how difficult the Carp Leaping Over Dragon¡¯s Gate Tower truly was, they could feel an ominous feelinging from Long Yijun¡¯s nonchnt expression.

    "Screw it! If you¡¯re too afraid to participate then don¡¯t! It just means that we¡¯ll have fewer people to share the wealth with afterward!" Sect Master Wang sneered.

    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    "So a total of 4 sects will be participating in this bet, huh? Very well. Send your disciples here to challenge the tower before the end of the month, as I¡¯d rather have this resolved before the Mystic Realm begins."

    "Hmph! Don¡¯t worry, they¡¯ll definitely be here to take away your Dragon ying Saber!" Sect Master Wang said before turning around and leaving the ce.

    "Make sure you clean that Dragon ying Saber before you hand it to us, Sect Master Long! Hahaha!" Sect Master Changughed out loud as he walked away.

    Sometimeter, once the guests were long gone, Long Yijun returned to his seat and closed his eyes, seemingly deep in his thoughts.

    The sect elders also took a seat in their own chairs.

    A few momentster, everybody in the room burst outughing collectively.

    "Hahaha! These idiots really believe that their disciples can clear all 100 floors in the tower! These fucking idiots have no idea what they¡¯re going up against!" Bai Lingughed out loud.

    "We¡¯ve really struck gold this time! To think we¡¯d earn 4 Divine-grade treasures without needing to do a damn thing! This is practically free money!" Xin Ming pped his legs as heughed hysterically.

    Sometimeter, Elder Shan spoke, "Although obtaining four Divine-grade treasure is a good thing, Sect Master Wang and the others definitely won¡¯t forfeit their treasure so easily. We can expect some hostility from them afterward."

    "Elder Shan is right." Long Yijun nodded and continued, "They¡¯ll definitely do whatever they can to retrieve the treasures once they lose it so we¡¯ll have to prepare for that. Luckily for us, even though they¡¯re also elite sects, they aren¡¯t powers that we cannot handle, and I doubt they are going to immediately start a war with us over a Divine-grade treasure."

 Chapter 158 Ninth Level Spirit Warrior

    "What happened here? Where are the guests? Did they leave already?" Elder Xuan showed up at the scene a few minutes after the other Sect Masters left.

    "Oh, Elder Xuan. You¡¯ve missed it. The Dragon Essence Temple is about to be rich!" Bai Ling said to Elder Xuan with a broad smile on his face.

    "Rich? How so?" Elder Xuan sat down before looking at Bai Ling with raised eyebrows.

    "Well... This is what happened while you were away."

    Bai Ling proceeded to exin to Elder Xuan what had transpired not long ago, about how the other Sect Masters have decided to send three disciples from each sect to challenge the Carp Leaping Over Dragon¡¯s Gate Tower, and if none of the disciples can clear 100 floors, they will each forfeit a Divine-grade treasure.

    However, if a single disciple from any of the participating sects manages to clear 100 floors in the tower, the Dragon Essence Temple will forfeit the Dragon ying Saber.

    "Heavens! You actually dared to use the Dragon ying Saber in a gamble, Sect Master?" Elder Xuan looked at Long Yijun with disbelief on his face.

    The Dragon ying Saber is one of few precious treasures left behind by the Founder over 100,000 years ago before his disappearance, and it was unthinkable that Long Yijun would dare to risk it in a gamble.

    "Though, unless they have someone even half as talented as Disciple Yuan, they will struggle to reach even the 99th floor. As for the 100th floor... hahaha! That¡¯s in impossible unless they¡¯re as talented as Disciple Yuan!" Elder Xuanughed.

    Everybody in the room looked at Elder Xuan with wide eyes, as this is the first time they¡¯ve seen himugh in such a manner.

    "Elder Xuan, did you perhaps ask Disciple Yuan about the 100th floor?" Elder Shan asked him.

    "I certainly did! And it shocked me speechless when I heard about his experience in the tower!" Elder Xuan continued tough.

    "Stop teasing us and share it with the rest of us already! What kind of challenge exists on the 100th floor?" Long Yijun said to him.

    Elder Xuan nodded and cleared his throat before he recalled what Yuan said to him.

    "Not only did Disciple Yuan have to ascend the tower at the highest difficulty set by the tower but he also had to y magical beasts at the Spirit Warrior level on every single floor. Furthermore, he only had 10 minutes to clear each floor or he would automatically fail the challenge. To top it all off, he was only allowed 15 minutes of rest for every 10 floors!"

    "Heavens! What kind of ridiculousness is that?! Even I didn¡¯t have such restrictions when I challenged the tower!" Long Yijun eximed in a terrified voice.

    "Me neither. I had 15 minutes to rest after every floor, and I had unlimited time to clear each floor. 10 minutes per floor is simply impossible for me, especially after the 70th floor." Bai Ling said.

    "Did you forget how fast Disciple Yuan cleared the tower? Not including the 100th floor, he did it in only a couple of hours! It took me nearly an entire week to reach the 85th floor!" Elder Shan sighed with admiration in her gaze.

    "What about the 100th floor, Elder Xuan?" Xin Ming asked him.

    "The 100th floor..." Elder Xuan took a deep breath before speaking in a slow but clear voice, "Disciple Yuan... He had to defeat a total of 100,000 peak level Spirit Warrior magical beasts..."

    "One hundred¡ª What?!"

    Everybody in the room eximed in a terrified voice, sounding like they¡¯d just witnessed their ancestor climbing out of their tomb.

    "Not only did he have to defeat 100,000 magical beasts but he also only had 24 hours to rest. Once he uses up that 24 hours, he would no longer be able to rest. I don¡¯t know about you guys, but I wouldn¡¯t dare to im that I can achieve such a feat at my current level even if you gave me a week of rest time, and I am a Spirit Master whilst Disciple Yuan is only a Spirit Warrior." Elder Xuan shrugged.

    "A 5th level Spirit Warrior defeating 100,000 peak Spirit Warrior... I am beginning to believe that Disciple Yuan might belong to one of the Four Ancient Families." Bai Ling mumbled.

    Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.

    "Four Ancient Families? I doubt even they would have someone as freakish as Disciple Yuan! This young man is probably an Immortal in disguise!" Xin Ming spoke with a sweaty feeling.

    "It¡¯s no wonder the Founder called it ¡¯terrifying¡¯. I wouldn¡¯t dare to step on the 100th floor even if I can now that I know what¡¯s waiting there." Elder Shan sighed.

    "100,000 magical beasts... Hahaha... HAHAHAHAHA! There¡¯s absolutely zero chance for those idiots now!" Long Yijun stood up and burst outughing like some kind of maniac.

    Sometimeter, Elder Xuan spoke, "Oh, right. One more thing. You¡¯re going to have to give Disciple Yuan an even stronger concealment pill, Elder Shan."

    "Eh? Why?" Elder Shan raised her slender eyebrows.

    "Because he... he is now at the peak of the Spirit Warrior realm. I think clearing the tower had significantly improved his cultivation base." Elder Xuan said.

    "P-Peak of the Spirit Warrior realm?!?!?" Elder Shan stood up from shock as did the other people there.

    "B-But he¡¯s only like what? 18 years old? That¡¯s ridiculous! At this rate, he¡¯ll reach Spirit Master before the Mystic Realm even opens!" Xin Ming mumbled in a dazed voice.

    "Luckily for us, the Mystic Realm doesn¡¯t limit participants by their cultivation base but their age instead." Long Yijun said. "Anyway, you guys can continue to prepare for the Mystic Realm. I shall stay here for a few more days just in case there are more guestster."

    "Yes, Sect Master!"

    Long Yijun then turned to look at Elder Xuan and said, "I¡¯ll leave Disciple Yuan in your hands."

    Elder Xuan nodded and said with a smile on his face, "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take care of him as if he¡¯s my own grandson."

 Chapter 159 Recruitment

    "Sorry for making you wait, Disciple Yuan, but you are free to go now that the guests have left. And fortunately for all of us, nothing significant had urred." Elder Xuan said to Yuan after returning to his side.

    "Just remember, don¡¯t tell anybody that you were the one who cleared the tower today no matter what, and don¡¯t approach something that has a ranking. We cannot risk having your identity leaked before the Mystic Realm." Elder Xuan gave him another reminder.

    Yuan nodded and said, "Don¡¯t worry, Senior Xuan, I won¡¯t do anything that might jeopardize my life as a disciple¡ª oh..."

    Yuan suddenly stopped speaking, and then he continued, "Disciple Min, my neighbor... she knows I was supposed to enter the tower after her."

    "Disciple Min... Min Li from the Seven Legacy Families?" Elder Xuan immediately frowned.

    "This is going to be troublesome andplicated..." he sighed a momentter.

    "Why would it beplicated? I can speak with her and ask her to not tell anyone," Yuan said.

    Elder Xuan shook his head and said, "The Seven Legacy Families is not as simple as you think. Even as a Grand Elder, I cannot approach her as I please. Furthermore, the Seven Legacy Families are always looking for talented individuals to join their family, even fighting with each other at times over individuals, and I cannot imagine that Min Li would intentionally hide your existence from her family since it will greatly improve her position within the family."

    "Her family recruits talented people? Why would they do that? They¡¯re not a sect, right?" Yuan asked Elder Xuan.

    "They may not be a sect, but that doesn¡¯t mean they have no reason to recruit talented individuals to further expand their own family¡¯s power and influence. In fact,rge families like them tend to take recruiting talents more seriously than sects." Elder Xuan said.

    "Anyway, don¡¯t let my words stop you. If you think you can convince Min Li to keep your identity a secret then by all means try. Even if she lets her family know, your identity should be safe for a while since I doubt the Min Family would be stupid enough to reveal your talents for theirpetitors until they can secure you."

    "If the Min Family cannot persuade you to join their family then they might threaten to reveal your identity. Try to stall them until the Mystic Realm if they do approach you."

    Yuan nodded. "I¡¯ll keep that in mind."

    Sometimeter, Elder Xuan left the scene, and Yuan returned back to his own living quarters.

    However, as one would have expected, a familiar figure approached Yuan and blocked his path the moment she saw his figure from afar.

    "Come with me. This is not a good ce to speak," Min Li said to him before turning around and entering her own home.

    Yuan nodded, "I also wanted to talk with you."

    Yuan then followed Min Li into her home with an innocent and calm look on his face. If it were anyone else in his shoes right now, they¡¯d be too nervous to enter Min Li¡¯s home alone.

    Once they were inside, Min Li pointed at the couch and said, "Sit down. I¡¯ll go brew us some tea."

    After Yuan sat down, Min Li went into the kitchen to brew some tea.

    A couple of minutester, she returned with a whole pot of tea and two pretty teacups.

    "Here. Don¡¯t worry, I didn¡¯t poison or anything like that," Min Li said to him.

    Yuan raised his eyebrows after hearing her words. Why would she say something like that? It was not as though he was expecting her to poison him in the first ce.

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    A few momentster, the two of them began sipping on the tea without talking to each other for a few more minutes until Yuan ced down the teacup and sighed in a satisfied voice.

    "Haaa... That was some great tea."

    "Thank you, it¡¯s a family speciality." Min Li said after she ced her own teacup down.

    "Anyway, what did you want to talk to me about?" Yuan asked her afterward.

    "It will be a little long, so you can go first. You also wanted to say something to me, right?" Min Li said to him.

    Yuan nodded and said, "I¡¯d appreciate it if you can keep what happened today a secret. For various reasons, I cannot let people know that I was the one who cleared the Carp Leaping Over Dragon¡¯s Gate Tower today, as it might affect my life as a normal disciple in the sect."

    Min Li looked at him with a dumbfounded look on her face. "A normal disciple? You? What kind of a joke is that? Would a ¡¯normal¡¯ disciple destroy Training Puppets with Mortal-rank techniques? Would a ¡¯normal¡¯ disciple clear all 100 floors in the Carp Leaping Over Dragon¡¯s Gate Tower? Who are you, really?"

    "I don¡¯t know what else to tell you since I have already said that I don¡¯t belong to any powerful family..." Yuan said as he scratched his head, and he continued, "I am just someone trying to enjoy life in this world while also trying to understand the cultivation world better."

    Min Li turned silent after hearing his words, and after a long moment of silence, Min Li spoke with a serious look on her face, "If what you said just now is true¡ª that you don¡¯t belong to any powerful family, then why don¡¯t you join my family?"

    "..." Yuan widened his eyes when he heard Min Li¡¯s words, but he wasn¡¯t shocked because of her words. Instead, he was surprised at how Elder Xuan was right on the mark regarding Min Li and how she might try to recruit him to join her family.

    "If you join the Min Family, you¡¯ll receive endless resources from the family to assist your cultivation, and if you receive enough support from the family, there¡¯s even a good chance that you will get to travel to the upper heavens and join the Min Family that¡¯s there."

 Chapter 160 Seven Legacy Families

    "If you manage to get epted by the Min Family in the upper heavens, they will be able to supply you with even better cultivation resources, and your cultivation will soar at a speed that one cannot even begin to imagine. The Min Family is also a powerful family in the upper heavens, so you will have their backing."

    Hearing Min Li¡¯s words, Yuan shook his head and said, "Although I am humbled that you¡¯d invite someone like me to your family, I don¡¯t think I am ready to join any factions for real yet, as I don¡¯t want my freedom to be limited."

    Min Li frowned at his words, and she spoke, "Then why did you join the Dragon Essence Temple? Your actions do not match your words, Disciple Yuan!"

    "I only joined because they promised me that they wouldn¡¯t restrict my freedom and that I am allowed to leave the sect whenever I want. In other words, I am not required to give the sect mymitment. Of course, that is not to say I don¡¯t care about the sect."

    "..."

    Min Li turned silent afterward, and she pondered to herself.

    ¡¯While it¡¯s not impossible for him to be free in the future, the Min Family will most likely restrict his movements for a while to ensure that he doesn¡¯t run away, especially if they learn about his unfathomable talents.¡¯

    Sometimeter, Min Li opened her mouth again, "What do you want?"

    "Huh?" Yuan raised his eyebrows in a puzzled manner.

    "I¡¯m asking you what it would take for you to join the Min Family! Do you want money? Do you want fame? If you¡¯re that kind of person, the Min Family can even provide you with as many beautiful women as you want!" Min Li said with a cold gaze.

    "Uh..." Yuan was speechless. Why does Min Li seem so desperate trying to recruit him?

    "Does it really matter if I join the Min Family or not? I am just a single individual, and there are plenty of talented individuals out there. It would be fine if you ignored one or two of them, right? Why do you want me to join your family so much?" Yuan decided to ask her.

    "You have no idea what it means to be part of one of the Seven Legacy Families! Everything is apetition here! Your performance! Your achievements! Your contribution! Everything! I don¡¯t want to stay in the Lower Heavens forever, nor do I n on staying here! And the only way I can leave this ce is with my family¡¯s help!"

    "However, just because I was born in the family doesn¡¯t mean I will naturally get their help! I must earn it! And I am currently nowhere near my goal whilst my siblings are way ahead of me! If I can recruit someone as talented as you into the Min Family, it will definitely help me achieve my goal! So please, join the Min Family! If you want, I will even be your woman! If you join the Min Family, they will definitely assign you someone within the family as your wife to keep you there, and I will volunteer to be your wife! No, I will even fight for that position if you want! If I somehow still lose, I will be your concubine instead!"

    Yuan¡¯s jaw dropped after Min Li¡¯s unexpected outburst and offer. But s, no matter how much he tried, he simply could not understand Min Li¡¯s feelings.

    Yuan suddenly noticed the glistening tears in Min Li¡¯s eyes that were on the verge of falling and sliding off her face, which made him swallow nervously.

    "I...Give me some time... I need to think about it..." Yuan spoke in an awkward voice a momentter.

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    Min Li wiped the tears from her eyes and nodded afterward.

    "Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t reveal your identity, nor did I have the intention to from the start. After all, I cannot risk the other Legacy Families knowing about your existence before you join the Min Family!"

    For more, visit l/ightnove/lpub[.

    A few minutester, Yuan left Min Li¡¯s house and returned to his own.

    "Xiao Hua, Feng Feng, I have a question. Why would someone want to leave the Lower Heavens to go to the upper heavens? What¡¯s up there?" Yuan asked them in a pondering voice as heid on the bed with a dazed look on his face.

    "Most people¡ª Cultivators yearn for the upper heavens because there are more opportunities therepared to this Mortal world. The Qi in that world is more abundant and dense, allowing Cultivators to cultivate many times faster. This also means the treasures that can be found in the upper heavens are more powerful and valuable, as they are being nurtured by higher quality Qi. It¡¯s like giving nts different qualities of fertilizers, and the better quality the fertilizers the better quality the nt will grow to be." Feng Yuxiang responded to his question.

    "Brother Yuan, for us Cultivators, we always strive for constant growth. The Lower Heavens greatly limit our growth so it¡¯s only natural for Cultivators to want to travel to a ce that is not as limiting." Xiao Hua spoke next.

    "I see..." Yuan closed his eyes, seemingly trying to go to sleep.

    However, Feng Yuxiang¡¯s voice resounded again.

    "Young Master, if you¡¯re thinking about joining one of the Seven Legacy Families, I highly suggest you refrain from doing that."

    "Eh? Why is that?" Yuan opened his eyes and asked.

    "I don¡¯t know what the Seven Legacy Families look like in the Lower Heavens since I don¡¯t interact with them much, but in the upper heavens, they are all incredibly arrogant and self-centered people who will do anything to achieve their goals. I don¡¯t want someone like the Young Master to be affiliated with these kinds of people, as I am afraid that they might corrupt your mind and soul."

    "As for what that little girl said... While I didn¡¯t detect any lies in her words, you can never be too cautious in the cultivation world."

 Chapter 161 Stairway to Heaven

    "I see... Thank you for telling me about this. I might have rushed my judgment if it were not for you, Feng Feng. If the Seven Legacy Families are truly such nasty people then I¡¯d rather stay away from them," Yuan said afterward.

    "As for Disciple Min... Maybe I can help her achieve her dreams without needing me to join her family."

    "How does one even travel to the upper heavens, anyway? I know of the Stairway to Heaven, but are there any other methods one can use to travel to the upper heavens?" Yuan asked a momentter.

    "Indeed, the Stairway to Heaven is only one of multiple methods, and it¡¯s even the second most difficult method, but despite that, it¡¯s the most used method by Cultivators since the other methods are somewhat unrealistic." Feng Yuxiang said, and she continued, "The first method, as most people know, would be to breakthrough the Spirit Grandmaster realm and be a Spirit Lord. Once that happens, you will be able to ess the Stairway to Heaven and ascend the staircase without needing to clear the trials as you have already qualified to ascend with your cultivation."

    "For our second method, as you know, would be to challenge the Stairway to Heaven and attempt to clear the trials to gain recognition and the qualifications to ascend. This is the mostmonly used method simply because this allows Cultivators who have not reached the Spirit Lord realm to ascend to the upper heavens. Of course, it¡¯s not an easy thing to achieve, and only a couple of Cultivators will manage to pass the trials and ascend to the next realm every 100 years."

    "As for the third and final method... while this is technically the easiest way to ascend, it¡¯s also the most unrealistic method, as it requires someone from the upper heavens toe down to the Lower Heavens and take you to the upper heavens. This is something only the Seven Legacy Families and the Four Ancient Families can achieve, as they have families in the upper heavens."

    "However, even if they can do such a thing, it requires a tremendous amount of resources for someone in the upper heavens toe down to the Lower Heavens, hence why they only do that once in a blue moon when they have someone extremely talented."

    "I see..." Yuan mumbled as he obtained a firm understanding regarding the upper heavens and the Stairway to Heaven.

    Sometimeter, Yuan said, "I am going to log off now. Too many things have happened today and I need some rest."

    "See youter, Young Master."

    "Goodbye, Brother Yuan."

    Yuan logged off the next moment.

    Once he returned to the real world, Yuan took a few deep breaths to calm his mind before he started cultivating until Yu Rou entered his room.

    "Brother, you probably know about this already but apparently something amazing happened in Cultivation Online today!" Yu Rou said to him as she cleaned his body.

    "Huh? What happened?" Yuan asked her.

    "Many yers within the Eastern Continent heard a loud beastly roar that traveled hundreds of thousands of miles! Some even said it sounded like a dragon¡¯s roar! Maybe there¡¯s going to be a special event and the roar was some sort of sign!"

    "R-Really? I didn¡¯t hear anything, though." Yuan mumbled.

    Although Elder Xuan had spoken to him about his performance at the Carp Leaping Over Dragon¡¯s Gate Tower, Elder Xuan never mentioned the dragon escaping the tower, nor did he mention the loud roar that came from it.

    "If it¡¯s true, you must try to participate in this event! Who knows what you might be able to get from it!" Yu Rou said to him.

    "Okay," Yuan said.

    "I will also keep my ears peeled for any information regarding this event. Once I learn something, I will immediately let you know!"

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    Sometimeter, Yu Rou left his room and returned to her own room.

    Yuan continued cultivating for the rest of the night afterward.

    After his morning routine, Yuan dived back into the game and wondered to himself, "What should I do today?"

    Yuan retrieved the guide book and began flipping the pages until he found something interesting.

    "Oh, right. I have wondered what the Mission Hall looked like ever since they introduced it to the disciples. I should take a look at it now."

    With this in mind, Yuan went outside.

    However, he did not immediately leave and turned to look at Min Li¡¯s house, almost like he was expecting her toe out and follow him around.

    But to his surprise, Min Li didn¡¯t show up.

    "I guess I¡¯ll be alone today," Yuan casually shrugged before making his way to the Mission Hall.

    As Yuan walked away from the area, Min Li peeked through her window curtains and watched Yuan¡¯s back disappear from her view.

    Once Yuan was gone, Min Li squatted and covered her face with her hands in an embarrassed manner.

    "What in heavens¡¯ name was I thinking yesterday?! Why did I offer myself to him?! He must now think I am some slut who¡¯d offer her body to anyone that can help me achieve my goals! Aaaaah! I shouldn¡¯t have spoken without thinking about it!" Min Li cried out loud with her face flushed with redness, feeling like digging a hole and jumping into it.

    "I want to follow him and see where he¡¯s going today, but I don¡¯t have enough courage to stand before him and act like nothing happened yesterday! Ahhhhh! Damn it! I should¡¯ve waited a bit longer before inviting him to join the Min Family!"

    Sometimeter, Yuan arrived at the Mission Hall. It was arge two-story building that took up an entire block with disciples constantly entering and leaving the ce, being one of the most active areas that Yuan has experienced in the sect thus far.

    But that¡¯s to be expected since this ce is where most disciples go to earn their contribution points, which is mandatory if they want anything from the sect.

 Chapter 162 Visiting the Mission Hall

    After taking a moment to admire the outside view of the Mission Hall, Yuan entered the building through the wide entrance that could fit even 10 adults if they stood side-by-side.

    "Wow..."

    Yuan was immediately baffled by the atmosphere in the Mission Hall, as it looked like some sort of unorganized office with papers pinned all over the walls. In fact, one wouldn¡¯t be able to avoid seeing these papers no matter which direction they looked.

    After entering the building, Yuan approached the pinned papers on the walls and began reading a couple of them.

    "The Chun Family is looking for someone to escort their carriage from Huang City to Jin City. 100 gold as a reward. Fourth level Spirit Apprentice and above preferred. 5 Contribution Points."

    "The Ming Family is looking for Cultivators to clear out the magical beasts that have been roaming dangerously close to their city. 1 gold coin for every magical beast in. Third level Spirit Apprentice and above preferred. 1 Contribution Points for every 30 magical beasts in."

    "Sect Elder Bai from the Golden Lance Pce is looking for perfectly extracted ¡¯Poison Sacs¡¯ from Demonic Spiders. 1,000,000 gold coins each. No cultivation requirements. 5 Contribution Points for each exchange."

    "The Jie Family is looking for someone to manage their household while they go on a business trip for 7 days. 15 gold coins. No cultivation requirements. No Contribution Points."

    "The Lord of Sparrow City is looking for someone to y the ¡¯Red Demon¡¯ that is running rampant around their territory. 10,000,000 gold coins. Fifth level Spirit Warrior or above preferred. 50 Contribution Points."

    After spending a couple of minutes looking through a few missions on the walls, Yuan noticed one thing. The majority of these requests were rted to ying monsters or acting as a guard for some families with some missions requiring only materials, and very few of them were not rted to Cultivators. As for those missions that did not require any cultivation, the majority of them did not give Contribution Points, so one can assume that they were meant for disciples who only wanted to fulfill their duty as a disciple and nothing else.

    "Oh? Those papers are colored differently." Yuan noticed the yellow papers gathered not too far away from him and approached them.

    "Inner Court Disciple Huang is looking for a sparring partner. 1 Contribution Points for every hour of sparring. First level to second level Spirit Warrior. Meet at Lonely Peak in three days at 3 PM after the posting date."

    "Outer Court Disciple Gong is looking for someone to clean his clothes. 1 Contribution Points for every 50 batches of clothes. No cultivation required. Meet at building #2,910 in the Outer Court."

    "Core Disciple Xing is looking for someone to give her massages once a week. 5 Contribution Points every session. No cultivation level. Female disciples only. Meet at building #55 in the Inner Court. An interview is required before being hired."

    Yuan read these yellow-colored missions with his interest piqued, ¡¯So even disciples are allowed to create their own request to put in the Mission Hall, huh? However, won¡¯t disciples be able to abuse this by coordinating with each other so they canplete each other¡¯s mission and avoid doing real missions to fulfill their disciple duties?¡¯

    However, after looking around some more, Yuan noticed arge paper that said, "Requestsmissioned by fellow disciples will not count towards your disciple duties!"

    "Oh... I guess this solves it..." Yuan mumbled to himself.

    Yuan then looked at the Contribution Points he had left.

    ¡¯781... I should be fine for a while even if I don¡¯t do any missions. However, I do want to experience what it would be like to ept a mission. I don¡¯t want to travel outside the sect so I¡¯ll pick one created by a fellow disciple.¡¯

    With that in mind, Yuan began looking through most of the missions that were requested by disciples in the Dragon Essence Temple.

    After looking for a few minutes, Yuan¡¯s gaze suddenly stopped at a particr mission, mostly because it mentioned a word that immediately caught his attention.

    "Core Disciple Fei is looking for an Outer Court disciple surnamed ¡¯Yuan¡¯ who is experienced with the zither. 50 Contribution Points to anyone that can provide urate information that leads her to him."

    ¡¯50 Contribution Points just to find me?! That¡¯s the same level of reward as the other mission that required one to fight some ¡¯Red Demon¡¯! Fairy Fei? Isn¡¯t this the disciple who yed the zither at the Dragon Pavilion? Why is she looking for me?¡¯ Yuan mumbled to himself.

    After pondering for some more, Yuan turned to look at the disciple standing beside him and gently tapped the disciple¡¯s shoulder.

    "Excuse me, this is my first time in the Mission Hall. How do I ept a mission?" Yuan asked the disciple in a friendly voice.

    "Oh... You can just tear the request off the wall and take it to the counter over there¡ª" The disciple pointed to the desks near the entrance.

    "Thank you very much," Yuan said to the disciple before taking Fairy Fei¡¯s request off the wall and walking towards the desk.

    "I¡¯d like to ept this mission from Core Disciple Fei." Yuan showed the request to the sect elder behind the desk.

    "Core Disciple Fei?" The sect elder looked at the request with wide eyes.

    "50 Contribution Points for a request of this level?" The sect elder was speechless, as this is possibly the most overpaid request he has ever seen before.

    However, since this is Core Disciple Fei who is known for being rich with Contribution Points because of her contributions at the Dragon Pavilion, it wasn¡¯t too shocking that she¡¯d spend so luxuriously for something so simple.

    "What¡¯s your name?" The sect elder asked.

    "Disciple Yuan," Yuan responded.

    "Eh?" The sect elder looked at Yuan in the face with a gawking expression. What on earth was going on here? Is he the same person Disciple Fei was looking for? Why is he turning himself in?

    ¡¯Ah, whatever. It¡¯s not my job to care about such matters.¡¯ The sect elder thought to himself and decided to ignore their situation.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.

 Chapter 163 Disciple Fei

    "Here, take this, you¡¯ll need it to enter the Inner Court since you¡¯re still an Outer Court disciple. You can also locate Core Disciple Fei¡¯s living quarters with this." The sect elder handed Yuan a token after writing a few things down in his book.

    "Thank you," Yuan epted the token and turned to walk out of the Mission Hall shortly after.

    After leaving the Mission Hall, Yuan followed the map in the token to Fairy Fei¡¯s living quarters.

    An hourter, Yuan reached the end of the Outer Court that was also a border between the Outer Court and Inner Court.

    "I would like to enter the Inner Court for a mission," Yuan handed the token to one of the sect elders stationed there.

    "Hmm... let me see..."

    The sect elder looked at the token and nodded, "I see... Okay, here¡¯s your permission slip. Make sure you don¡¯t lose it, and you are only allowed to stay within the Inner Court for 4 hours. Once your time is up, the permission slip will destroy itself. If you¡¯re caught inside the Inner Court without a permission slip, you¡¯ll be punished, so make sure you keep that in mind. Of course, you can extend the time bying back here. However, I am only allowed to extend your time if you still haven¡¯tpleted your mission."

    "I understand," Yuan nodded.

    After entering the Inner Court, Yuan continued to follow the path towards Fairy Fei¡¯s house, and as an Outer Court disciple inside the Inner Court, Yuan naturally attracted the gazes of the Inner Court disciples there.

    Although he¡¯d encountered a few Outer Court disciples on his way to Fairy Fei¡¯s house, it was only like one out of one thousand disciples that were Outer Court disciples there.

    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Many minutester, he arrived in the area where Core Disciples live.

    "Let¡¯s see... building #7..." Yuan walked around the spacious area and looked at each building individually.

    After walking for about ten minutes, Yuan suddenly stopped walking when a distinct sound entered his ears.

    "This sound... Someone¡¯s ying the zither. It¡¯s most likely Disciple Fei."

    Yuan proceeded to follow the sound of the zither and arrived in front of thisrge building a few minutester.

    Right as Yuan stepped onto the doorstep, the zither music stopped, and the sound of people pping followed immediately afterward.

    "That was amazing, Senior Sister Fei! It¡¯s only been a week since Ist heard you y the zither and you have already improved to the degree where I almost couldn¡¯t recognize your music!"

    "Me too! If I didn¡¯t watch you y, I would¡¯ve thought it was someone else!"

    "Congrattions, Senior Sister! Your Zither Arts has improved to another level yet again! At this rate, it won¡¯t be long before you are able to use ¡¯that¡¯ Zither Technique!"

    Yuan could hear a couple of unique voicesing from the other side of the house, and they were all female voices.

    *Knock* *Knock*

    Yuan knocked on the door a few moments after the zither music stopped.

    "Are we missing someone today? I thought we weren¡¯t expecting any more guests today."

    "I don¡¯t think anyone else is supposed to be here."

    "I¡¯ll go see who it is..."

    A few momentster, a pretty Inner Court disciple opened the door and appeared before Yuan.

    "An Outer Court disciple? Do you know whose door you¡¯re knocking? What do you want?" The Inner Court disciple asked Yuan with an irritated expression on her face, mostly because she saw Yuan as a nuisance who was disturbing their time with Fairy Fei.

    "I¡¯m here to see Disciple Fei," Yuan said to her.

    For more, visit li/ghtnovel/pub[.

    "D-Disciple Fei?" The Inner Court disciple looked at Yuan with a gawking expression on her face, almost like she was in disbelief.

    "Y-You¡¯re just a mere Outer Court disciple! How dare you address a Core Disciple so casually? Do you think you are friends with her or something?! Get out of here before I shove my foot up your butt!"

    Yuan was speechless. Why did the Inner Court disciple suddenly be so aggressive?

    "Calm down, Junior Sister Feng. A youngdy shouldn¡¯t speak so vulgarly, especially not when you¡¯re in Senior Sister Fei¡¯s house. What¡¯s with themotion, anyway?" Another Inner Court disciple appeared before them.

    "Hmph! me this disrespectful Outer Court disciple!" Disciple Feng said while pointing at Yuan¡¯s innocent-looking face.

    "Hm?" The second Inner Court disciple looked at Yuan¡¯s handsome face for a moment before speaking, "What did you do to anger my Junior Sister so much?"

    "I... I don¡¯t know." Yuan shrugged his shoulders in an innocent manner.

    "Y-You little thing!" Disciple Feng immediately fumed again. "How dare you say that you don¡¯t know! You addressed Senior Sister Fei as ¡¯Disciple Fei¡¯ like you¡¯re her friend! That is uneptable for an Outer Court disciple!"

    Yuan looked at her with wide eyes, "Really? What¡¯s wrong with calling a fellow disciple ¡¯disciple¡¯?"

    "Are you seeing this, Senior Sister Ying? This guy has no awareness at all!"

    The other Inner Court disciple shook her head with a bittersweet smile on her face, and she said, "You¡¯re here for Senior Sister Fei, right? Since you were able toe here, it must have been approved by a sect elder. Why do you need to see her?"

    Yuan then retrieved the mission paper and showed it to them, "I¡¯m here for this."

    "Let me see that..." Disciple Ying took the paper from his hands to look at it closely.

    "Did you know about this? I didn¡¯t know that Senior Sister Fei had created a request in the Mission Hall. And who¡¯s this ¡¯Yuan¡¯?"

    "Uhh... That would be¡ª"

    Before Yuan could even finish his sentence, another voice interrupted him, "What¡¯s going on out here? Who¡¯s outside disturbing my performance?"

    A few momentster, Fairy Fei appeared before them.

    "H-Hello..." Yuan said to her with a stiff smile on his face.

    "Y-You are!" Fairy Fei¡¯s eyes widened with shock after seeing Yuan¡¯s face, and she staggered backward until she bumped into a wall.

 Chapter 164 Do You Know This Outer Court Disciple?

    "Y-You are! What are you doing here?!" Fairy Fei pointed at Yuan with trembling fingers and a shocked look on her face, dumbfounding the Inner Court disciples there.

    "S-Senior Sister Fei? Are you okay? Do you know this Outer Court disciple?" Disciple Ying decided to ask her.

    "I... I..." Fairy Fei was speechless. How is she supposed to answer such a question? Tell them that she was defeated by this Outer Court disciple in her own field of expertise?

    "T-This Outer Court disciple... is my assistant!" Fairy Fei spurted out without thinking.

    "Your assistant?" They all looked at her with wide eyes.

    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡¯Since when did Senior Sister Fei need an assistant?¡¯ Disciple Feng wondered to herself.

    ¡¯Since when did I be her assistant?¡¯ Yuan asked himself with his eyebrows raised in a funny manner.

    Fairy Fei immediately panicked, and she corrected herself after clearing her throat, "I-I meant to say that he¡¯s my student! That¡¯s right! I am currently teaching him how to y the zither!"

    "What?! You epted this Outer Court disciple as your student?!" Disciple Feng eximed in a baffled voice. Why did Fairy Fei ept an Outer Court disciple as her student¡ª a man at that¡ª when she, an Inner Court disciple and her friend, has been asking Fairy Fei to teach her the zither?

    "He may not seem like it but he has great talent, and I believe that he will eventually surpass me one day..." Fairy Fei spoke whilst trying her best to not choke on her own words due to how ridiculous it sounded for her.

    Visit lightno/velpub[. for a better experience

    Fairy Fei looked at Yuan with her heart beating like crazy, but when she noticed that Yuan wasn¡¯t saying anything, much less call out her bullshit even a few momentster, she sighed in relief inwardly.

    "I-If you think I have made a mistake by epting him as my student, why don¡¯t we let him y the zither so you can determine whether he¡¯s truly worthy or not?" Fairy Fei suddenly suggested.

    The disciples there turned to look at Yuan with suspicious gazes.

    ¡¯Can he really y the zither?¡¯ They wondered inwardly because usually only women would pick up the zither.

    "What do you think, Disciple Yuan? Can you y the zither for us? Just one song will be enough..." Fairy Fei looked at Yuan with a stiff smile on her face.

    "I don¡¯t mind, since I would also like to y the zither again..." Yuan nodded his head after pondering for a moment.

    "Great! Come inside!" Fairy Fei¡¯s face beamed with delight after seeing Yuan¡¯s approval.

    "Uhh..."

    Disciple Ying and Disciple Feng looked at Fairy Fei with a dumbfounded look on their faces, as Fairy Fei looked to be the most excited one for some reason.

    Sometimeter, Yuan entered Fairy Fei¡¯s house and closed the door behind him before following Fairy Fei and the Inner Court disciples to the yard behind the house, where two more Inner Court disciples were waiting.

    "Wee back, Senior Sister Fei. What took you so long? My ears have gone cold from waiting for your next song!" One of the disciples there said.

    "Hmm? Who¡¯s that? Eh? An Outer Court disciple? And a man at that? Why is he here?" The other disciple asked after seeing Yuan¡¯s figure.

    "Junior Sister Zhao, Junior Sister Gu, this is Disciple Yuan, an Outer Court disciple and also my student," Fairy Fei introduced Yuan to the two girls and vice versa.

    "S-Student? Senior Sister Fei¡¯s student? Howe this is my first time hearing about this?" Disciple Gu mumbled, as she has known Disciple Fei for many years now.

    "Because it was only recently that I¡¯d epted him as my student." Disciple Fei said.

    "Anyway, Disciple Yuan is going to y one song for us as an introduction."

    "You can use that zither over there." Disciple Fei pointed at the beautiful zither sitting on the table a few meters away.

    Yuan nodded and sat down behind the zither a momentter.

    Visit lightno/ve//lpub[. for a better experience

    ¡¯Senior Sister Fei is actually letting a man touch her zither? This is... Shocking would be an understatement...¡¯ The disciples there looked at Yuan sitting behind the zither with dumbfounded expressions on their pretty faces.

    They all knew how much Disciple Fei treasured her precious zither¡ª so much so that even they had never touched her zither before.

    Meanwhile, Yuan stared at the elegant azure-colored zither before him with a calm gaze.

    After a moment of silence, Yuan lifted his head to look at Disciple Fei and asked her, "Which song should I y?"

    "Do you remember the first song you yed on that day? You can y that one."

    Yuan nodded and took a deep breath before lifting his arms in a slow but smooth manner.

    The next moment¡ª Ting~!

    A string on the zither trembled, creating a clean and crisp sound that immediately pulled the heartstrings of the disciples sitting not far away from it.

    Another beautiful zither note resounded in the area not even half a secondter.

    ¡¯W-What is this feeling?¡¯ They all wondered to themselves the indescribable feeling in their heart,pletely unaware that they¡¯d just been bewitched by Yuan¡¯s zither skills.

    Meanwhile, Disciple Fei had long closed her eyes to fully indulge herself in Yuan¡¯s zither music.

    Time passed very quickly, and before the disciples were aware, Yuan yed thest note on the zither.

    "What do you think?" Yuan asked the disciples, snapping them out of their daze.

    "I... Uhh..."

    The disciples were speechless, and they turned to look at Disciple Fei with perplexed looks on their faces. While it was obvious that Yuan¡¯s performance was superior whenpared to Disciple Fei¡¯s performance that urred before Yuan¡¯s appearance, they didn¡¯t dare to say it to her face, as that might anger her and get them banned from listening to her performances in the future.

    "C-Can you y another song? I don¡¯t think I can tell your skills just from a single song..." Disciple Zhao suddenly said.

    When the other disciples heard Disciple Zhao¡¯s words, they quickly agreed with her, "Yeah! y another song for us so we can judge properly!"

    __

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    Discord is avable now in the Author¡¯s Note!

 Chapter 165 In Need of a Partner

    When the female disciples began demanding a second song, Yuan turned to look at Disciple Fei, who quickly nodded her head, giving him the approval to continue using her zither.

    Thus, Yuan ced his fingers on the zither strings once again and began ying another song.

    The atmosphere immediately changed again, and Yuan¡¯s zither music echoed throughout the area, allowing disciples far away from their location to enjoy the music as well.

    "Wow! This must be Fairy Fei¡¯s zither performance! I think she has improved yet again!"

    "As expected of a genius, her talents with the zither are off the charts!"

    "What beautiful music... I can listen to this all day if it was an option..."

    Yuan finished his second song a few minutester, and the world turned quiet again, even feeling a little bit lonely without the music.

    "A-Again! y another song, Disciple Yuan!" One of the Inner Court disciples said with a slightly bashful look on her face.

    "Yeah! Two songs are not enough! You need to y at least a dozen songs!" Another one said.

    "A dozen songs...?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    For more, visit l/ight/novelpub[./

    "You can y until you are satisfied," Disciple Fei suddenly said to him.

    Yuan nodded, and he began ying the zither again shortly after.

    Meanwhile, the Inner Court disciples and Disciple Fei closed their eyes and fully indulged themselves in the music, feeling their minds entering an indescribable state that allowed them to think with more rity, almost like there was some sort of special effectsing from Yuan¡¯s zither y.

    An hourter, Yuan suddenly stopped ying the zither, as he¡¯d run out of songs to y.

    Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.

    "Eh? Why did you stop? I was so close to entering a state of enlightenment! At least that¡¯s what it felt like!"

    "Don¡¯t stop! y some more!"

    The Inner Court disciples immediately beganining.

    However, Yuan shook his head and said, "That¡¯s all the songs I know."

    "Just repeat the songs then!" One of them quickly responded.

    "Okay, calm down, Junior Sisters. Disciple Yuan has already showcased his abilities enough. Let¡¯s give him a break." Disciple Fei said, and she continued, "Furthermore, this gathering was supposed to end over an hour ago. Come back next month, perhaps Disciple Yuan will be here again."

    "If you say so, Senior Sister Fei..."

    Although the Inner Court disciples were reluctant to leave, they had no choice.

    "I¡¯m sorry for being rude to you at the beginning, Disciple Yuan." Disciple Feng said to him with an apologetic expression on her face before leaving the ce.

    "I would also like to apologize for doubting your abilities, Disciple Yuan. Thank you for today¡¯s performance." Disciple Ying said to him with a friendly smile on her face.

    "If you ever need anything, you can find me at Building #921," said Disciple Gu.

    "See you next time, Disciple Yuan. Make sure you¡¯re here next month, too!" Disciple Zhao said to him.

    Once all of the Inner Court disciples left the ce, leaving Yuan and Disciple Fei alone, Disciple Fei immediately lowered her head slightly and spoke in an apologetic voice, "I am really sorry for calling you my student and pressuring you to y the zither again!"

    Yuan shook his head and spoke in a calm voice, "There¡¯s no need to apologize. I don¡¯t mind it, and I also wanted to y the zither."

    Disciple Fei nodded, and then she said a momentter, "By the way, what are you doing here? Why were you knocking on my house?"

    "Oh, right... I nearly forgot..." Yuan showed Disciple Fei the mission that she¡¯d created.

    "Ah... that..." Disciple Fei immediately blushed, looking like someone who was caught doing something embarrassing.

    "I wanted to look for you regarding somethinging up, but I didn¡¯t know where you lived or who you were even after asking many sect elders, so I could only resort to such a method..." Disciple Fei said, and then she continued, "And since you showed up yourself, I guess it technically means that you havepleted my request, so I¡¯ll give you the 50 contribution points now. Give me your identification token."

    Yuan nodded and handed Disciple Fei his identification token.

    "Hm? This is a bronze identification slip. What happened to your gold one?" Disciple Fei asked him when she noticed this.

    "You mean this one? I only use it when I need contribution points since the bronze one has none," Yuan exined.

    "Y-You have two identification tokens?" Disciple Fei looked at him with wide eyes.

    Why would they give him two identification tokens? It was almost as though the sect was trying to hide Yuan¡¯s real identity.

    However, Disciple Fei decided to not think too deeply about this for now and transferred the contribution points to him.

    "I gave you 60 contribution points instead of 50 because of your performance just now," Disciple Fei said to him after returning the identification token to him.

    "Thank you," Yuan said afterward.

    "By the way, you said that you were looking for me? Why?" Yuan asked sometimeter.

    "About that..." Disciple Fei suddenly began acting hesitant.

    A few moments of silenceter, she spoke, "Well... I am in need of a partner..."

    "Partner?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    "What kind of partner?" He asked her with an innocent face.

    One would normally think of ¡¯lovers¡¯ when they hear the word ¡¯partner¡¯ from a female, but Yuan was too innocent to think of such things.

    "There will be arge zitherpetition next week, and I need a partner in order to even participate. I have been looking for someone who can y the zither even half as decent as I can, but there¡¯s no such person in the Dragon Essence Temple. However, you... you can definitely do it! Please! I will pay you as many contribution points as you want if we can participate in thispetition!" Disciple Fei said to him in a slightly desperate voice.

    "Zitherpetition, huh? What¡¯s so special about thispetition anyway?" Yuan asked, his interest piqued.

 Chapter 166 Zither Competition

    Hearing Yuan¡¯s question, Disciple Fei said, "This zitherpetition is one of thergestpetitions in the continent that urs only once every three years, and as you may have expected, it gathers the best musicians from around the world. Despite my abilities that are widely praised by the entire sect, I¡¯d only ced 7th in thestpetition out of thousands of participants."

    "Seventh out of thousands? That¡¯s already very good..." Yuan said with slightly wide eyes.

    "Seventh ce may be good but it isn¡¯t good enough! I want at least 3rd ce, as that¡¯s when you get the real rewards!" Disciple Fei said.

    "What kind of rewards?" Yuan asked, his interest piqued.

    "For thestpetition, third ce got some Earth-rank Zither Art as a reward. The second ce received a Heaven-rank Zither Art, and the first ce received a Heaven-grade treasure that is also a zither."

    "Zither Art? What are those?" Yuan asked.

    "They are... Here, let me show you instead. It¡¯ll be much quicker that way."

    Disciple Fei then sat behind her zither and took a deep breath before pulling one of its strings.

    Ting!

    A sharp and aggressive music note that Yuan wasn¡¯t familiar with resounded and a somewhat transparent arc that resembled Yu Rou¡¯s Wind de technique flew from the zither before hitting a teacup on the table a few meters away and cleanly slicing it in half, almost like someone had shed it with a thin sword or a sharp weapon.

    "What you¡¯ve witnessed just now is Zither Art without any techniques. By infusing some spiritual energy into your fingers and releasing it with the zither, you can turn the zither into a deadly long-range weapon." Disciple Fei said to him.

    "Turning instruments into weapons?" Yuan looked at her with a gawking expression on his face, as he would¡¯ve never imagined that such a thing could be possible.

    Disciple Fei then continued, "As for this year¡¯spetition... Because they will be receiving support from the Heaven and Earth Pce, the rewards have be much more valuable and desirable. Third ce will receive an Earth-rank Zither Art technique and an Earth-grade treasure. The second ce will receive a Heaven-rank Zither Art technique and a Heaven-grade treasure. As for the first ce, shockingly, you will receive a Divine-rank Zither Art technique and a Heaven-grade treasure! Do you have any idea how valuable Divine-rank techniques are?!"

    "A Divine-rank Zither Art technique..." Yuan mumbled in a low voice.

    However, despite the temptation of a Divine-rank technique, Yuan was more interested in the Heaven-grade treasure, as he wanted a zither of his own.

    "And you want me to participate in thispetition with you, right?" Yuan asked her a momentter.

    "That¡¯s right! With your zither skills, we¡¯ll have a great chance of reaching the top 3! If we reach the top three, we¡¯ll share the Earth-rank Zither Art and you can keep the zither since I already have one! My current Zither Art is only Mortal-rank after all! What do you think? I¡¯ll even pay you contribution points for your participation!" Disciple Fei looked at him with a pleading gaze.

    After pondering for a moment, Yuan nodded his head and said, "Okay, I¡¯ll participate in thispetition with you. Just let me know when."

    "Thank you very much! I¡¯ll let my Master knowter!" Disciple Fei was so excited that she unconsciously grabbed Yuan¡¯s hands and shook them vigorously.

    "By the way, now that we¡¯re going to be partners in this bigpetition, we¡¯ll need to practice and hone our skills before thepetition. Since you cannot enter the Inner Court easily as an Outer Court disciple, I wille to your living quarters instead so that we can practice together. Where do you live?" Disciple Fei asked himter.

    "Building #70," Yuan answered with a calm face.

    "That area, huh? Well, it¡¯s not too surprising since you have a gold identification token. Okay, I¡¯ll see you there first thing tomorrow morning!" Disciple Fei said.

    Sometimeter, Yuan left her house and the Inner Court, returning back to his own house.

    ¡¯A musicpetition, huh? How long has it been since I¡¯dst participated in one...?¡¯ Yuan thought to himself. As someone who has participated in hundreds ofpetitions before, he couldn¡¯t help but feel excited about participating in anotherpetition after so long.

    Once Yuan left, Disciple Fei also left her house to seek out Elder Shan, her Master.

    "Master, I have something important to tell you."

    "Hm? Disciple Fei? What¡¯s the matter?" Elder Shan stopped working and looked at her.

    "This is regarding the zitherpetition next week."

    "Oh, right, the one backed by the Heaven and Earth Pce. What about it? If I recall correctly, you are required to bring a partner this time. Did you find one yet?" Elder Shan asked her.

    Disciple Fei nodded and said, "Yes, I found someone, and he¡¯s that Disciple Yuan I mentioned not too long ago."

    "D-Did you just say Disciple Yuan?!" Elder Shan eximed in a shocked manner.

    "Y-Yes... Is there a problem with that?" Disciple Fei asked with a nervous look on her face.

    Elder Shan did not immediately respond to her and silently pondered with a deep frown.

    A moment of silenceter, Elder Shan spoke, "Disciple Yuan... What did he say?"

    "Uhhh... He¡¯d agreed to participate in thepetition with me," she responded.

    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    "I see..." Elder Shan closed her eyes and sighed.

    After another moment of silence, Elder Shan stood up and said, "Follow me."

    "Eh? Where are we going, Master?" Disciple Fei raised her eyebrows as she followed Elder Shan outside.

    "To meet with the Sect Master."

    "The Sect Master?! W-Why?! Did I do something wrong?!" Disciple Fei eximed with a nervous look on her face because only disciples who are in deep trouble with the sect would meet the Sect Master.

    "Calm down, you¡¯re not in trouble. This is about Disciple Yuan. I don¡¯t know how much you know about him but I¡¯m sure that you can tell that his existence within the sect is a unique one." Elder Shan said to her.

    "D-Disciple Yuan? Is he¡¯s really that special?" Disciple Fei looked at her with a dumbfounded face.

    "Special is an understatement, my dear disciple. You¡¯ll understand more about him in just a moment." Elder Shan said as she brought Disciple Fei to the Sect Master¡¯s headquarters.

 Chapter 167 What Did He Do This Time?

    "Sect Master, this is Elder Shan. I have something important to talk about regarding Disciple Yuan," Elder Shan knocked on Long Yijun¡¯s door and said from the outside.

    "Disciple Yuan? What did he do this time?" Long Yijun immediately sighed and stopped working.

    "Come inside!"

    Elder Shan opened the door a momentter and entered the room with Disciple Fei following behind her.

    "Hm?" Long Yijun raised his eyebrows after seeing Disciple Fei, wondering what she¡¯s doing there and how she¡¯s rted to this situation.

    "Disciple Fei, go ahead and tell the Sect Master what you told me beforeing here," Elder Shan looked at her and said.

    Disciple Fei nodded and stepped forward before bowing to Long Yijun in a respectful manner, "Core Disciple Fei greets the Sect Master."

    After greeting Long Yijun, Disciple Fei began to speak, "I will be participating in the zitherpetition that will be held in a week with my partner, an Outer Court disciple surnamed Yuan."

    "Zitherpetition? With Disciple Yuan?" Long Yijun¡¯s jaw loosened a little bit after hearing her words. Since when did Yuan be a zither expert?

    Disciple Fei nodded and said, "Disciple Yuan has outstanding talents with the zither, and I believe that we have a good chance of obtaining third ce if he participated in thepetition with me."

    "Third ce? If I recalled correctly, you¡¯d ced 7th ce for thestpetition," Long Yijun said with a pondering face.

    "That¡¯s correct, Sect Master."

    After pondering for a moment, Long Yijun spoke, "I am aware that thispetition is being backed by the Heaven and Earth Pce, so thepetition will be much fiercer this year. What makes you think you will be able to achieve 3rd ce?"

    "If you¡¯d listened to Disciple Yuan ying the zither, you would understand my feelings, Sect Master. I... I¡¯d managed to obtain zither enlightenment after listening to his zither y."

    "What?! Enlightenment? Just like that?!" Long Yijun eximed in a shocked voice, as this is his first time hearing of such a thing.

    Disciple Fei nodded.

    ¡¯Maybe I should also listen to Disciple Yuan y the zither...¡¯ Long Yijun thought to himself.

    Sometimeter, Long Yijun said, "Anyway, I understand the situation now, but letting Disciple Yuan leave the sect is not as simple as you think, Disciple Fei, as his existence within the sect is... a little special to say the least..."

    "If I may ask, just who is Disciple Yuan, exactly? He¡¯s clearly someone with an important background, but I do not recognize him at all, nor have I ever heard of someone like him!" Disciple Fei said.

    Long Yijun took a deep breath before speaking, "To tell you the truth, Disciple Fei, we also have no clue as to what Disciple Yuan¡¯s true background is. There are spections that he¡¯s from one of the Four Ancient Families, but that is only a spection at best."

    "The Four Ancient Families?!" Disciple Fei¡¯s jaw dropped after hearing this.

    Even if it is only spection, it was still incredibly shocking that they¡¯d evaluate Yuan as someone worthy enough to exist in one of the Four Ancient Families.

    After a moment of silence, Disciple Fei asked Long Yijun with a worried look on her face, "Then what¡¯s going to happen now? Are you going to forbid him from participating in thepetition?"

    "What? Of course not!" Long Yijun quickly responded with a surprised look on his face.

    Although he won¡¯t say it because it would affect his face and position as the Sect Master, he actually didn¡¯t dare to confine Yuan inside the sect despite his value to them, especially after promising him that they would not restrict his movements and freedom.

    "Then he can participate in thepetition with me?" Disciple Fei asked again with a slightly excited look on her face.

    "If that¡¯s what he wants to do, there¡¯s no reason for me to refuse, especially if you are so confident that you would achieve 3rd ce in the tournament. After all, any reputation or recognition you gain from thepetition will also affect the Dragon Essence Temple." Long Yijun nodded.

    He then turned to look at Elder Shan and said, "I hope you don¡¯t mind, and I am not doubting your abilities, but since Disciple Yuan will being with you, I want Elder Xuan to apany you just in case."

    Elder Shan nodded and said, "Don¡¯t worry, Ipletely understand. I won¡¯t be able to sleep for the rest of my life if anything were to happen to him while we are outside. In fact, even if you didn¡¯t mention it, I would¡¯ve personally asked for help."

    Long Yijun nodded and said a momentter, "Then I will look forward to your results, Disciple Fei."

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    "Thank you, Sect Master. I will try my best to bring glory to the Dragon Essence Temple." Disciple Fei bowed before leaving the ce with Elder Shan shortly after.

    "Zitherpetition, huh? I just hope that he doesn¡¯t make amotion there..." Long Yijun sighed as heid back on his seat, experiencing an uneasy feeling in his chest for some reason.

    After leaving the Sect Master¡¯s headquarters, Disciple Fei asked Elder Shan, "Master, do you really think Disciple Yuan belongs to one of the Four Ancient Families?"

    "Honestly, I have a feeling that his true background might even surpass that of the Four Ancient Families. You weren¡¯t there to witness it, but Disciple Yuan¡¯s cultivation talent... It¡¯s so ridiculously insane that it¡¯s scary."

    "Above the Four Ancient Families? Does a power like that even exist in the Lower Heavens? I thought the Four Ancient Families are the strongest within the Lower Heavens." Disciple Fei said.

    Elder Shan shook her head and said, "The Lower Heavens may seem smallpared to the upper heavens, but there are many powerful and hidden backgrounds in this world that prefer to remain lowkey or unknown to the rest of the world as a method of survival, and the Four Ancient Families is just scratching the surface of what might exist¡ª at least that¡¯s what I think."

 Chapter 168 Abandoned Shed

    After returning to her own ce, Elder Shan asked Disciple Fei, "What are you going to do now?"

    "I am going to prepare myself for thepetition and practice my zither arts with Disciple Yuan until then. If what he said is true¡ª that he has never yed the zither before until very recently, I believe that his skills will reach an unbelievably high level within a week before the tournament."

    "W-Wait a second... Did you just say Disciple Yuan has only recently started ying the zither?" Elder Shan looked at her with wide eyes.

    Disciple Fei nodded and said, "I know it¡¯s really hard to believe such words, but I don¡¯t see a reason for him to lie, and he doesn¡¯t seem to be the kind of person to lie about such things."

    "Hard to believe? Haha! That¡¯s hardly true!" Elder Shan suddenly beganughing, dumbfounding her.

    And she continued a momentter, "With hisprehension skills, it would be more shocking if he doesn¡¯t learn so quickly!"

    "I-Is that so?" Disciple Fei mumbled in a slightly dazed word.

    Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.

    "Anyway, you can leave now and prepare for thepetition. I¡¯m already being overworked by the Sect Master because of the Mystic Realm. If I don¡¯t finish this work before yourpetition starts, things will get even moreplicated for me!" Elder Shan sighed.

    "Then I won¡¯t bother you any longer. Thank you, Master, for your time." Disciple Fei bowed to Elder Shan before leaving the ce and returning to her own home to prepare.

    Elder Shan shook her head with a bittersweet smile before returning to her own work.

    Meanwhile, after returning to his own home, Yuan logged off the game and proceeded to cultivate in the real world until Yu Rou returned from school.

    "Brother! I have some big news!" Yu Rou came into his room shouting.

    "What¡¯s the matter?" Yuan asked.

    "I just saw this from the forums as I wasing home, but there¡¯s going to be some sort ofrgepetition that¡¯ll be happening in the Eastern Continent sometime next week, and it¡¯s rted to ying the zither! Rumors have it that you can obtain a Divine-rank technique if you achieve first ce!" Yu Rou said to him.

    "Oh, that zitherpetition? I know about it since I will be participating in it." Yuan responded in a calm manner.

    "WHAT?!"

    Yu Rou nearly tripped on herself after hearing Yuan¡¯s unexpected words.

    "Y-You¡¯re going to participate in a musicpetition again?!" Yu Rou eximed afterward, her gaze on Yuan filled with shock and excitement.

    "It¡¯s only apetition inside the game, and I doubt I will be able to achieve any good results since I have only learned about the zither only very recently," Yuan said.

    "You¡¯re underestimating yourself, brother! Did you forget who you are? The number one musical prodigy who has mastered dozens of instruments from around the world before the age of seven! One week is more than enough for you topletely master the zither!" Yu Rou said.

    "If I recall correctly, you¡¯d even mastered the piano in less than 3 days!"

    "Genius, huh? I don¡¯t really like to associate myself with that word, but that¡¯s probably because I have been called such a word countless times that I am tired of hearing it," Yuan sighed.

    "There¡¯s nothing you can really do about it, brother. What do you expect to do? Call you the opposite of what you are? If you¡¯re a genius, people will naturally call you one." Yu Rou said.

    And she continued, "The only other way is to not let people know that you are a genius, but brother, that¡¯s easier said than done. How does one even hide their talents? Especially someone like you... Even an ignorant person would be able to tell that you are a genius just by your performance at something."

    "Anyway, you¡¯ll be participating in this zitherpetition, right? Although you can¡¯t see my face right now, I am actually really bitter that I won¡¯t be able to witness your brilliance in thepetition, brother." Yu Rou sighed.

    "Don¡¯t worry, there will always be another chance," Yuan said.

    "I hope so..."

    Sometimeter, after dinner, Yu Rou left Yuan¡¯s room, but she didn¡¯t immediately return to her own room like usual and instead took a detour to arge shed behind the main house with Meixiu follow behind her.

    For more, visit /light//novelpub[.

    "Young Lady, this ce is..." Meixiu looked at this shed with a perplexed look on her face. Why did Yu Rou suddenly decide toe to this ce? It has been many years since they visited this seemingly abandoned shed.

    "Do you have the key for the lock?" Yu Rou asked her.

    "Yes. Here is the key, Young Lady." Meixiu handed her a somewhat rusty key the next moment.

    A few secondster, Yu Rou unlocked the heavy lock that kept the doors closed for many years before walking inside and flipping a switch.

    After a few flickers, the light turned on, revealing the inside of the shed that had many shelves and disy cases ced inside, and sitting on these disy cases were golden trophies of all sizes and shapes that were won from small contests to majorpetitions with all of them rted to music.

    "No matter how many times Ie here and look at these trophies, this breathtaking scenery always leaves me speechless," Yu Rou mumbled in a low voice as she approached these disy cases and looked at the golden trophies.

    [Awarded to Yu Tian for taking 1st ce in the 23rd National Piano Competition]

    [Awarded to Yu Tian for his breathtaking performance during ¡¯Battle of Talents¡¯]

    [Awarded to Yu Tian for ranking 1st ce in the Rising Stars Grand Prix]

    Over three hundred of such trophies filled the shelves and disy cases inside therge shed, turning it into some sort of trophy museum. One can only imagine how long it¡¯d take to collect all of these trophies even for a group of geniuses, let alone a single prodigy¡ª Yu Tian¡ª whose name upied every single golden trophy in this room without a single one of them ranking below 1st ce!

 Chapter 169 Trophy Room

    "I haven¡¯t been to this ce ever since Brother Tian stopped participating inpetitions..." Yu Rou sighed while surrounded by hundreds of golden trophies.

    "Then why did the Young Lady suddenly decide to return to this ce?" Meixiu couldn¡¯t help but ask her out of curiosity.

    Hearing her words, Yu Rou turned around with a beautiful smile on her face, and she said, "Because he¡¯ll be participating in apetition soon!"

    "Participating... in apetition? The Young Master?" Meixiu looked at her with a dazed look on her face, unsure of how to think or feel about this.

    "Yes! Brother Tian will be participating in a musicpetition inside Cultivation Online! Although it¡¯s not a realpetition, it¡¯s the closest thing we¡¯ll get!"

    "The Young Master... participating in apetition..." Meixiu mumbled with a profound look on her face, seemingly in deep thoughts.

    Sometimeter, Yu Rou pped her hands together and bowed to the trophies in the room before mumbling in a sincere voice, "Good luck, brother... Let the cultivation world know of your musical talents..."

    After spending a couple more minutes admiring Yuan¡¯s trophy room, Yu Rou locked the doors before returning to her own room.

    "By the way, do you want to y Cultivation Online with me?" Yu Rou suddenly asked Meixiu.

    "Me? y games with the Young Lady? I wouldn¡¯t dare..." Meixiu quickly shook her head with a scared look on her face.

    "Why not? You can consider it as work since you¡¯ll be ¡¯serving¡¯ me inside the game instead of the real world. Furthermore, I know how hard you work for me, so I want you to rx and have fun sometimes." Yu Rou said to her.

    "But... my mother..." Meixiu sighed.

    "If you¡¯re worried about your mother scolding you, I will personally talk with herter."

    "Thank you, Young Lady..." Meixiu nodded.

    Although she doesn¡¯t show her emotions often orin at all because of the way she was raised as a maid, Meixiu is also a youngdy just like Yu Rou who has desires and aspirations, and while she doesn¡¯t show it, she¡¯s actually quite jealous of Yuan who can y games all day, not including his condition.

    "Don¡¯t even mention it! I should be the one thanking you!" Yu Rou said as she entered the bed.

    "Goodnight, Young Lady." Meixiu closed the lights before leaving Yu Rou¡¯s room and returning to her own and immediately going to sleep, as she has to wake up earlier than Yu Rou and prepare breakfast for her.

    The following morning, after his morning routine, Yuan returned to Cultivation Online and waited for Disciple Fei to arrive at his house so that they could practice with the zither.

    Meanwhile, after she¡¯d prepared for the day, Disciple Fei left her home with her zither in her hands. While she can store the zither in her storage pouch or spatial ring, she preferred carrying it around more, as it made her feel more authentic as a zither expert.

    "Look! It¡¯s Fairy Fei! She must be going to the Dragon Pavilion today!"

    The disciples immediately jumped in joy when they saw Disciple Fei in the Outer Court, and because it has been many days since herst performance, it made them feel even more excited.

    "Finally! I have been waiting for her to return to the Dragon Pavilion! Her zither arts must have improved even more since herst performance! I cannot wait to listen to her y!"

    "Me too! I was going to train my sword techniques at the practice area, but I¡¯ll save that for another day!"

    Thus, news of Fairy Fei returning to the Dragon Pavilion spread throughout the sect like wildfire, causing disciples from around the sect to gather at the Dragon Pavilion, crowding the ce.

    However, little did these disciples know that Disciple Fei had no intentions of going to the Dragon Pavilion anytime soon and that she was actually going to an Outer Court disciple¡¯s house today which would definitely cause mayhem if found out.

    "Where¡¯s Fairy Fei? I heard that she was going to show up here today!"

    "I don¡¯t know, I saw her in the Outer Court carrying her zither, but I came here as fast as possible to get a decent seat so I don¡¯t know where she actually went."

    "Fuck! You mean to tell me that you¡¯d only seen her walking around in the Outer Court!? She could¡¯ve gone anywhere! What made you think she wasing to the Dragon Pavilion?!"

    "Don¡¯t ask me! I was not the one who spread the rumor!"

    Amotion urred in the Dragon Pavilion when Fairy Fei hadn¡¯t shown up even after waiting for over an hour.

    While the disciples that could not afford to dine in the Dragon Pavilion could notin because they were all standing outside for free, the disciples that¡¯d paid to sit inside the Dragon Pavilion were livid about Fairy Fei¡¯s absence and even looked like they were bloodthirsty afterward, as they¡¯d wasted contribution points due to some unfounded rumor that Fairy Fei would show up, feeling like they¡¯d been yed.

    Meanwhile, Fairy Fei strolled in the opposite direction of the Dragon Pavilion, slowly approaching Yuan¡¯s building.

    "Hmm? Who¡¯s that?" Min Li noticed Fairy Fei¡¯s beautiful figure in the distance from the window, mostly because of her Core Disciple uniforms that stood out.

    "T-That¡¯s a Core Disciple! What¡¯s someone like that doing in the Outer Court?" Min Li mumbled to herself as she watched Disciple Fei approach her building.

    "Huh? Is she here for me?" Min Li raised her eyebrows when Disciple Fei suddenly stopped in front of her house to look around, looking like she was searching for something.

    A few momentster, Disciple Fei began moving again, but she¡¯d only walked a few more steps before stopping again.

    "T-That¡¯s Disciple Yuan¡¯s house! Is she here for him? But why is a Core Disciple looking for him?" Min Li pondered with a frown on her face.

    "W-What if she¡¯s his partner? Maybe this is about my offer to him!" Min Li cried, feeling somewhat paranoid.

    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Meanwhile, Fairy Fei approached the doorsteps and knocked on the doors.

 Chapter 170 Practicing for the Competition

    After hearing the door being knocked on, Yuan went to open the doors and greeted Disciple Fei.

    "Hello, Disciple Fei. Come inside." Yuan invited her inside with a nonchnt look on his face.

    Disciple Fei nodded and entered the building.

    Sometimeter, once they were sitting in the living room, and Yuan asked her, "So? What are we going to do, Disciple Fei?"

    "First and foremost, you can stop calling me ¡¯Disciple Fei¡¯. Although it¡¯s only temporary, I am now your partner," she said in a calm voice.

    "Then what am I supposed to call you?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    "Fei Yuyan, that is my name, and you will call me as such when we are alone," she said with a stern look on her face as she red at Yuan.

    Yuan nodded without thinking too much about it and said, "Okay, Fei Yuyan. What are we going to do now?"

    A momentter, Fei Yuyan ced her zither on the table and said, "What else? We¡¯re going to practice the zither for the entire week until thepetition!"

    Yuan looked at her with raised eyebrows, and he said, "We¡¯re both going to use the same zither? Wouldn¡¯t it be better if there was another one?"

    "Of course not! I know you probably don¡¯t have a zither, so I brought an extra one with me." Fei Yuyan said as she retrieved another zither from her spatial ring.

    "You¡¯ll be using this one for now. Everyone at thepetition will be provided with a zither of simr quality so you don¡¯t need to worry about unfair conditions because you don¡¯t have a good zither."

    Yuan nodded and looked at the familiar-looking zither, as it was the one he¡¯d first yed at the Dragon Pavilion.

    "Anyway, before we begin our practice, allow me to exin a little more about the zitherpetition in more depth."

    "First and foremost, there will be three main judges¡ª each of them a top zither expert with hundreds of years of experience under their belt so you can expect a fairly urate judgment for your skills. Of course, you won¡¯t see them until the final part of the exam."

    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    "The previouspetition was split into three parts, and we will be graded for each part. In the end, whoever has the most points will win thepetition, simple as that."

    "However, they might do things differently this year because of the Heaven and Earth temple. Furthermore, we will have a partner this time, so anything can happen."

    Yuan nodded and asked, "What did you dost year?"

    "We were graded on our hand techniques for the first part, so how you y the zither will be very important."

    "If you do not meet their expectations, there¡¯s a good chance that you might not be able to proceed to the second round so keep that in mind."

    "For the second part, you will be given one hour to memorize and y a random song that will be provided for you. Once again, if your performance is not satisfactory, they will fail you on the spot."

    "By the time you reach the final part, there will only be a dozen participants remaining at best. And as for the final part for thepetition, if you can make it there, you¡¯ll have to y the zither with one of the judges."

    "Huh? ying music with the judge?" Yuan raised his eyebrows in a surprised manner, as this is the first time that he¡¯s ever heard of such a thing in a musicpetition.

    Fei Yuyan nodded and said, "One of the judges will pick a song, and you¡¯ll have ten minutes to memorize the song. Once time¡¯s up, the judge will y the song and you will follow along, and you will have points deducted for every mistake made. The judge will not stop ying even if you make a mistake, but if you suddenly stop ying, you will automatically fail, so you must continue ying the zither even if you make a mistake."

    "Wow... What an interesting way to do a musicalpetition..." Yuan mumbled with a somehow excited smile on his face.

    Fei Yuyan shook her head at him and said, "I know it sounds fun, but it¡¯s actually really difficult. I myself made over a dozen mistakes during the song. Furthermore, the judge¡¯s performance will easily distract you because of how amazing it sounds."

    "Anyways, let¡¯s start practicing now. We don¡¯t have much time before thepetition. For today, we¡¯ll take turns ying the zither just to get ourselves familiarized with each other¡¯s ystyle. Starting tomorrow, we¡¯ll begin practicing for thepetition for real."

    Yuan nodded.

    "Then I will start first."

    Fei Yuyan took a deep breath, and she began ying the zither shortly after.

    A few minutester, she said to Yuan, "It¡¯s your turn now. Try to y the song I¡¯d just yed even if you don¡¯t know it. This will be good practice just in case you¡¯ll have to do the same during thepetition."

    Yuan nodded and closed his eyes to recall every music note Fei Yuyan had yed and all of her hand movements.

    A few momentster, Yuan began moving his fingers on the zither strings, following Fei Yuyan¡¯s movements perfectly.

    ¡¯This Disciple Yuan... He¡¯s really a genius...¡¯ Fei Yuyan mumbled to herself as she silently admired Yuan¡¯s zither skills.

    Even though this is her first time ying this song in public, Yuan had managed to y the song perfectly without missing a single note, perhaps even slightly better.

    "What do you think?" Yuan asked her afterward.

    "Good enough," Fei Yuyan responded with a stiff expression on her face.

    "I will now y the next song."

    Fei Yuyan began ying a few secondster, and Yuan started ying after she stopped, repeating the song.

    They repeated this for the entire day, ying over 100 different songs by the end of the day.

    ¡¯T-This guy is a freaking monster!¡¯ Fei Yuyan stared at Yuan with wide eyes and her body sweaty from ying the zither so much.

 Chapter 171 Is This Breaking the Sect Rules?

    ¡¯T-This guy! Why is he so good with the zither?!¡¯ Fei Yuyan cried inwardly after their practice session ended.

    ¡¯We yed over a hundred songs and I¡¯d made mistakes for a third of them, but s, this guy! This guy managed to not only repeat my songs after hearing it once, but he¡¯d even done so wlessly without any mistakes! How the heck is that even possible?!¡¯

    One normally wouldn¡¯t be able to pinpoint mistakes in something they¡¯re not familiar with, so it was only normal to assume that Yuan wouldn¡¯t be able to pick out her mistakes when he has never heard of the song before. However, that was not the case, and to Fei Yuyan¡¯s surprise, Yuan had managed to do just that!

    "It¡¯s been years since I¡¯vest yed an instrument for such a long time without many breaks. It¡¯s really refreshing," Yuan said as he wiped the sweat from his forehead with a satisfied look on his face.

    "You have yed before?" Fei Yuyan looked at him with wide eyes, and she continued, "I thought you were new to the zither."

    Yuan nodded and said, "Indeed, I am new to the zither. The first time I heard of the zither was at the Dragon Pavilion almost a week ago, much less touch one. However, I am not new to music since I used to y it professionally. As for the instruments... they¡¯re mostly nothing like the zither."

    "What do you mean by ying it ¡¯professionally¡¯?" Fei Yuyan asked with her eyebrows lifted in a puzzled manner, as the concept of ¡¯professional¡¯ musicians was not a thing in this cultivation world.

    "It¡¯s when I y a certain instrument on a stage before tens of thousands of people, sometimes even millions," Yuan briefly exined.

    "How is that any different from what we are about to do in thepetition? After all, there will surely be hundreds of thousands of people watching you." Fei Yuyan asked.

    Yuan shook his head and said, "The only difference is that it¡¯s not apetition. There¡¯s only you and the audience, and it¡¯s almost a routine, as we travel around the world."

    "What? Travel around the world to y music for people? I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯d get from that besides reputation because it sounds like a waste of time for me." Fei Yuyan shrugged.

    Traveling around the world sounded very time-consuming, and as Cultivators, it sounded like a pain to travel around the world to y music for others, even if she loved the zither.

    "Where I am from, it¡¯s nowhere as vast as the cultivation world so traveling around the world is not as crazy as it sounds."

    "Where are you from, anyway?" Fei Yuyan noticed this chance to ask him about his background and directly went for it without any hesitation.

    "I am from a farawaynd called Earth..." Yuan said with a nonchnt look on his face.

    ¡¯Earth? Never heard of such a ce...¡¯ Fei Yuyan wondered to herself what kind of ce was this and if it existed in the Lower Heavens or somewhere in the upper heavens.

    Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.

    "What about your family?" she asked him a momentter.

    "My family? They¡¯re just regr people and musicians," Yuan said.

    "M-Musicians? So youe from a family line of musicians?" Fei Yuyan mumbled in a dazed voice. It¡¯s no wonder he was so talented with the zither, as it appears that he was from a family who specializes in music!

    For more, visit ligh/tn/ovelp/ub[.]c/om

    Of course, Fei Yuyan had no clue that Yuan¡¯s parents were only ordinary mortals and that they¡¯ve never cultivated before. If she¡¯d known this, she would¡¯ve definitely reacted a lot more differently.

    After talking to Yuan some more, Fei Yuyan stood up and said, "Where¡¯s the bathroom? I am going to take a shower."

    "Uh... It¡¯s over there..." Yuan pointed to a certain room in the building without thinking too much about her words.

    Fei Yuyan nodded and said, "I will be right back."

    Yuan nodded and said, "Then I will continue practicing the zither for a little bit longer."

    Thus, Fei Yuyan went to the bathroom to clean the sweat she¡¯d umted whilst Yuan yed the zither, making Fei Yuyan spend more time in the bathroom than she¡¯d anticipated because she identally absorbed herself in Yuan¡¯s performance.

    ¡¯Third ce is definitely achievable if I have someone like him as my partner!¡¯ Fei Yuyan tightly grasped her hands into fists with motivation and excitement on her face.

    Sometimeter, Fei Yuyan returned to the living room with a fresh appearance, looking like a fairy more than ever.

    "You can use the bathroom now," she said to Yuan.

    Yuan nodded, but he didn¡¯t immediately leave, as he waited until he finished the song before he stood up and walked to the bathroom.

    Fei Yuyan looked at the zither that Yuan had been using for practice, and to her surprise, the ordinary zither was emitting a joyful aura, almost like it was satisfied by Yuan¡¯s performance!

    ¡¯This is... I have only heard of Zither Masters being able to achieve such a thing¡ª giving auras to the instruments they y, yet he...¡¯ Fei Yuyan stared at the zither with a shocked face.

    Sometimeter, once Yuan also returned with a fresh appearance, Fei Yuyan suddenly asked him, "Do you have an empty room?"

    "An empty room? There are plenty in thisrge house, but why do you ask?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    "In order to practice efficiently, I have decided to live here until thepetition, so that is what I shall be doing. You don¡¯t mind, right?" Fei Yuyan said with a slightly nervous look on her face, clearly aware of the risks behind her decision.

    "Uhh..." Yuan was speechless. She wanted to live in the same house as him? Although he didn¡¯t mind it, would they be breaking any sect rules by doing such a thing?

    "Give me a moment... I want to make sure that we¡¯re not breaking any sect rules by doing this" Yuan said as he closed his eyes to recall the rulebook.

    "S-Sect rules?" Fei Yuyan stared at him with a gawking look on her face, clearly in disbelief.

 Chapter 172 A Lot Can Happen in a Single Night

    After taking a moment to recall the sect rules, Yuan opened his eyes and spoke in a nervous voice, "ording to the sect rules, male and female disciples are forbidden to share the same living quarters unless they are married or have a high-ranking sect elder¡¯s permission, and the punishment is at most 3 months of confinement in the Disciplinary Cave..."

    Fei Yuyan was speechless. Albeit subtly, did Yuan really just refuse herpany in his house? What kind of man would refuse to let a beautiful girl stay in their house even if they might receive punishment? If it were any other men that were in Yuan¡¯s shoes right now, they would definitely let Fei Yuyan stay in their living quarters without hesitation even if they were to get kicked out of the sect the following day!

    Fei Yuyuan then spoke with a slight frown on her face, "That rulebook is outdated¡ª it was created thousands of years ago and nobody except a few really even follows it anymore, especially the Inner Court disciples. Furthermore, as a Core Disciple, I have more leeway in the sect. In other words, I can do almost whatever I want without restrictions if it doesn¡¯t affect the sect."

    "And I highly doubt that living in a house with a male disciple will affect the sect in any way. Therefore, you can just ignore it."

    "Even if you say that, I think it¡¯d be for the best if we received permission from one of the sect elders, as you can never be too safe or you might regret it in the future. I know a few of them, so I can ask them." Yuan suddenly retrieved Elder Xuan¡¯s jade slip and activated it using his spiritual energy.

    "Uhhh... Senior Xuan, can you hear me?" Yuan spoke to the jade slip.

    Meanwhile, sitting behind his desk inside his living quarters, Elder Xuan felt the jade slip in his robes tremble, causing him to stop working and look at it.

    ¡¯Hm? Disciple Yuan? Did something happen to him?¡¯ Elder Xuan frowned with a worried look on his face, wondering what Yuan had done this time.

    "Senior Xuan, can you hear me? I hope I am not bothering you," Yuan¡¯s voice resounded from the jade slip a momentter.

    Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.

    "Yes, I can hear you. What happened?" Elder Xuan asked him.

    "Well..." Yuan proceeded to exin the situation to Elder Xuan, dumbfounding him greatly.

    ¡¯What the heck? Core Disciple Fei? What¡¯s she doing at his house? And why are they staying together? Don¡¯t tell me that they¡¯re...¡¯ Elder Xuan stared at the jade slip with wide eyes filled with shock.

    "Anyway, do you think she can stay here? It¡¯ll only be for a week at most," Yuan asked him again afterward.

    "A-Ahem! I don¡¯t see the problem." Elder Xuan said in a stiff voice after clearing his throat, and he continued, "Whatever you do inside, just try to keep it contained within the house."

    "Eh? I understand...?" Yuan said, sounding a little confused by Elder Xuan¡¯s words.

    Once Yuan ended themunication, Elder Xuan slumped back in his seat and sighed, "I told him to remain lowkey for a while, and he ends up bringing a female disciple into his home, even wanting to let her stay there for an entire week, and this disciple is even a Core Disciple..."

    "Well, I cannot me the guy. Talented people like him will attract women as easily as breathing."

    After a moment of silence, Elder Xuan retrieved another jade slip before activating it and speaking to it, "My granddaughter, can you hear me?"

    A few momentster, Xuan Wuhan¡¯s sleepy voice resounded, "What¡¯s the matter, grandpa? I don¡¯t n on returning to the sect until next week even if you beg me."

    Elder Xuan sighed and said, "This is about Disciple Yuan..."

    "Oh? Yuan?! How¡¯s he doing in the sect? Nobody¡¯s bullying him, right?" Xuan Wuhan¡¯s voice immediately sounded much more energetic after hearing Yuan¡¯s name.

    "Yeah, he¡¯s doing great. In fact, he¡¯s doing so great that he¡¯d managed to woo a Core Disciple to stay at his house for an entire week! If you continue toze around at home, someone will definitely take Yuan before you can do anything, and with his otherworldly talents, there will be some very powerful contenders."

    "W-WHAT?!" Xuan Wuhan¡¯s voice resounded in a shocked manner after, almost like she¡¯d just heard something impossible.

    "I-Is that true, grandpa?! Who¡¯s this Core Disciple!" Xuan Wuhan¡¯s obviously panicked voice resounded from the jade slip, causing it to tremble.

    "I don¡¯t know. I only know that he¡¯d asked me for permission to allow a female Core Disciple to stay in his living quarters for a week. As for the reason, I have no clue since I didn¡¯t bother to ask." Elder Xuan lied with a straight face, as he knew very well it was Fei Yuyan that was at Yuan¡¯s house.

    "And you agreed?! Why did you do something like that, grandpa?!" Xuan Wuhan eximed.

    "What else was I supposed to do? Refuse? This is a Core Disciple and Disciple Yuan that we¡¯re talking about. I may be a Grand Elder, but there are some things even I have no control over, especially when Disciple Yuan is involved."

    After a moment of silence, Elder Xuan asked, "Well? Do you feel likeing back to the sect now?"

    "I...I will be back in three days!" Xuan Wuhan responded a momentter in a resolute voice.

    "Three days, huh? A lot can happen in a single night, much less three days, my granddaughter." Elder Xuan said, trying his best to not burst outughing from teasing Xuan Wuhan.

    "Fine! I¡¯lle back now, okay?! Anyway, I¡¯m leaving!"

    The jade slip turned lifeless after Xuan Wuhan ended themunication with Elder Xuan.

    "Silly little girl..." Elder Xuan shook his head as he ced the jade slip back into his robes.

    Meanwhile, Yuan said to Fei Yuyan with an innocent smile on his face, "Now that we have permission, you can stay here without breaking any sect rules!"

    "You are really... I don¡¯t even know what to say..." Fei Yuyan rubbed her eyes like she was exhausted.

 Chapter 173 Unable to Sleep

    "Anyway, now that we have permission, I¡¯ll be staying here until thepetition finishes." Fei Yuyan said to him in a slightly angry voice, clearly unhappy about the way Yuan had handled this situation.

    "By the way, I won¡¯t be here at night and will return in the morning." Yuan suddenly said to her as she went to look for an empty room.

    "What? Why not? Where are you going that requires you to stay outside all night?" Fei Yuyan asked him with raised eyebrows.

    "I¡¯m not going anywhere¡ª I just won¡¯t be avable until the morning," Yuan said.

    "Is that so? I won¡¯t need you at night, anyway," Fei Yuyan quickly responded in a somewhat weird tone, and she left the ce to look for her own room.

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    Sometimeter, Fei Yuyan settled in the room that was only two doors away from Yuan¡¯s room.

    "We will begin practice tomorrow morning at sunrise. Good night and get plenty of rest because we¡¯ll practice even harder tomorrow," Fei Yuyan said to Yuan before retiring inside her room.

    However, Fei Yuyan was unable to sleep like she normally would, as this is her first time sleeping with another individual in the same building after she became an Inner Court disciple, much less a male disciple!

    In fact, this is definitely her first time staying overnight at a man¡¯s house, and she would¡¯ve never imagined that it¡¯d belong to an Outer Court disciple either!

    Meanwhile, after returning to his own room, Yuan logged off for the night and waited for Yu Rou to return from school.

    After dinner was served and Yu Rou brushed his teeth, Yuan proceeded to spend the rest of the night cultivating.

    However, inside cultivation online, only an hour after Yuan logged off, Xuan Wuhan appeared outside of the Dragon Essence Temple with an irritated frown on her face, looking like someone who¡¯d their peace disturbed.

    "S-Senior apprentice sister Xuan! Wee back!" The guards standing at the entrance of the sect immediately bowed to Xuan Wuhan who was not only a Core Disciple but also Grand Elder Xuan¡¯s granddaughter, and it would not be an exaggeration to say that she was as famous if not even more popr than Fei Yuyan.

    However, Xuan Wuhan ignored these guards and walked directly into the sect.

    The guards turned to look at her with scared looks on their faces, and they wondered to themselves what had happened that made her appear so angry, as they have never seen her act in such a way before.

    "Wee back from your vacation, Senior apprentice sister Xuan!"

    "Greetings, Fairy Xuan!"

    "How was your vacation, Senior apprentice sister Xuan? I hope you enjoyed it because you earned it!"

    Almost every disciple in the Outer Court recognized Xuan Wuhan and greeted her the moment they saw her, and even if the disciples didn¡¯t recognize her face they recognized her uniform that only Core Disciples are qualified to wear, so they still greeted her with respect.

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    "Thanks." Xuan Wuhan responded in a nonchnt manner before walking away with wide strides, dumbfounding these disciples.

    "Did something happen to Fairy Xuan? She¡¯s usually cheerful and easy to approach, yet she¡¯s acting the total opposite today."

    "Maybe something unpleasant happened during her vacation."

    "Wait a second, I thought Fairy Xuan wouldn¡¯t return to the sect for another week? Maybe that has something to do with her behavior?"

    "That must be it. I wonder if this is rted to what happened not long ago at the Carp Leaping Over Dragon¡¯s Gate."

    "Maybe they are gathering all of the Core Disciples for a meeting."

    "Do we know the identity of the disciple who cleared the tower yet?"

    "No, not yet. The sect elders aren¡¯t saying anything but that¡¯s because they also don¡¯t know anything¡ª at least that¡¯s what I was told when I asked some of them."

    "What? Not even the sect elders are aware of the situation? This situation must be moreplicated than we¡¯d expected..."

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    "Think about it, this is the first time anyone has cleared all 100 floors in the tower, and even the Founder could only clear 99 floors, failing on thest floor. I doubt the sect would be willing to reveal a talent like that to the rest of the world right before the Mythic Realm."

    "Oh, right. The Mythic Realm is only around the corner, huh? I cannot wait for this year¡¯s tournament. I heard a certain rumor that the other elite sects also epted a couple of cultivation prodigies."

    "Really? I wonder how they¡¯ll fare against our disciples."

    "Hmph! Do you even need to ask that question? Of course, our disciples won¡¯t lose!"

    "I guess..."

    Sometimeter, Xuan Wuhan arrived in the area Yuan lived in and looked around for building #70.

    Meanwhile, Min Li, who was getting ready for bed, noticed Xuan Wuhan¡¯s appearance from her window.

    "Isn¡¯t that Grand Elder Xuan¡¯s granddaughter? What¡¯s she doing here?" Min Li mumbled to herself as she tried her best to watch Xuan Wuhan from the window without being noticed.

    Once she¡¯d found her target, Xuan Wuhan approached building #70 and knocked on the door after stepping onto the doorstep.

    However, when nobody answered the door even a minuteter, Xuan Wuhan knocked on it again, this time with even more force.

    ¡¯D-Don¡¯t tell me that they¡¯ve already started doing ¡¯that¡¯?!?!?!¡¯ Xuan Wuhan cried inwardly, feeling ufortable all over her body for some reason.

    "Yuan! Are you inside?!" Xuan Wuhan knocked on the door while shouting out loud, sounding a little bit desperate, "It¡¯s me! Xuan Wuhan! Hurry up and open the door!"

    But s, Yuan had long logged off the game and would not be able to hear her voice no matter how loud she shouted.

    However, it was a different story for Fei Yuyan, who¡¯d recently fallen asleep with much difficulty, and Xuan Wuhan¡¯s constant knocking eventually woke her up.

    "Damn it! What kind of rude person would knock on the door so loudly thiste?! And I¡¯d finally managed to sleep too!"

    Fei Yuyan quickly got off the bed and went downstairs before opening the door in an agitated manner.

    "Who¡¯s barking so loudly in the middle of the night?! What are you, a dog?! Name yourself!" Fei Yuyan spoke in an angry voice as she opened the door.

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 Chapter 174 Why Are You Here?

    "Who are you calling a dog?! I am Xuan Wuhan, a Core Disciple!" Xuan Wuhan responded to Fei Yuyan¡¯s words.

    "Disciple Xuan?" Fei Yuyan¡¯s eyes widened with surprise when she saw Xuan Wuhan¡¯s familiar face standing right in front of her, and she continued, "What are you doing here sote at night?"

    "Eh? Disciple Fei?" Xuan Wuhan¡¯s eyes also widened with shock when she saw a familiar face.

    She then looked at the building number to make sure that she was in the right ce. However, she suddenly recalled that they were currently at the Outer Court. Even if this wasn¡¯t Yuan¡¯s building, what is a Core Disciple like Fei Yuyan doing here?

    "You... This is Disciple Yuan¡¯s house, right?" Xuan Wuhan decided to ask her.

    Fei Yuyan immediately began sweating cold sweats, and she stared at Xuan Wuhan with a nervous look on her face, clearly hesitant to tell the truth. However, since Xuan Wuhan mentioned Yuan¡¯s name, Xuan Wuhan is clearly rted to him one way or another so there was no way she could lie in this situation.

    "Y-Yes, this is Disciple Yuan¡¯s house..." Fei Yuyan answered after a moment of awkward silence.

    "..."

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    After another moment of awkward silence, Xuan Wuhan spoke, "I-If you don¡¯t mind me asking, what are you doing in another disciple¡¯s house sote at night? And a male disciple too..."

    However, Fei Yuyan didn¡¯t answer her question and instead asked, "I-I can ask you the same... Why are you looking for Disciple Yuan sote in the night? I thought you wouldn¡¯t return to the sect until next week?"

    Xuan Wuhan frowned slightly and said, "Well, my schedule has changed and I have returned now, okay? As for why I am here¡ª I was the one who introduced Yuan to the Dragon Essence Temple. Of course, I would want to see how he¡¯s doing in the sect now that I have returned."

    "What? You were the one who brought Yuan to the sect? Does this mean you know his background?" Fei Yuyan¡¯s eyes widened after hearing Xuan Wuhan¡¯s words.

    "T-That¡¯s right! I know his background! I know everything about him!" Xuan Wuhan lied to Fei Yuyan without even thinking about it.

    "Can you tell me? I¡¯ve been trying to figure out his background, but I can only assume that he¡¯s from one of the Four Great Families..." Fei Yuyan sighed.

    "F-Four Great Families? Yuan?" Xuan Wuhan looked at Fei Yuyan with a shocked look on her face.

    "Eh? You mean he¡¯s not?" Fei Yuyan raised her eyebrows, looking a little suspicious of Xuan Wuahan¡¯s reaction.

    "I-I am not telling you anything! After all, I¡¯d promised him that I¡¯d not reveal his identity to anyone! If you want to know so badly, why don¡¯t you ask him yourself?" Xuan Wuhan decided to y the ¡¯it¡¯s a secret¡¯ card, narrowly escaping the hole she¡¯d dug herself.

    "Hmmm..." Fei Yuyan narrowed her eyes at Xuan Wuhan before shaking her head a momentter and saying, "Anyway, I don¡¯t have the time or energy to entertain you right now. If you¡¯re looking for Disciple Yuan, he¡¯s already retired for the night. Come back tomorrow morning."

    Fei Yuyan proceeded to close the door on Xuan Wuhan¡¯s face, but a quick reaction from Xuan Wuhan¡¯s foot stopped the door from closing.

    "Wait a second, I have answered your question, but you still haven¡¯t answered mine. What are you¡ª a Core Disciple doing in Yuan¡¯s living quarters at this time? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re staying here?"

    "Why does it matter? It¡¯s none of your business what I do with another disciple. But if answering your question will make you go away then yes, I am currently staying in Disciple Yuan¡¯s home for the time being."

    Xuan Wuhan gritted her teeth at Fei Yuyan. Although there has been no enmity between the two of them before today, their current situation has definitely lowered their opinions of each other.

    "Now if you don¡¯t have anything else, please go away. I would like to get back into my bed and sleep, something you disturbed with your rude knocking," Fei Yuyan said as she tried to close the door again.

    However, Xuan Wuhan refused to move her foot, blocking Fei Yuyan from closing the door on her.

    "What is your problem, Disciple Xuan? You may be the Grand Elder¡¯s granddaughter, but even you have to follow the sect rules, and what you¡¯re doing right now is definitely breaking the sect rules."

    "What sect rule am I breaking, exactly?" Xuan Wuhan shamelessly asked her.

    "You..." Fei Yuyan was speechless. Unlike Yuan, she did not memorize the rulebook, hence why she could not answer Xuan Wuhan¡¯s question.

    "How about this? To make sure you¡¯re not defiling my innocent friend, I¡¯ll also stay in this house to keep watch." Xuan Wuhuan suddenly suggested,

    "D-Defile?! H-How dare you! Who do you think I am?! Why would I defile anyone?!" Fei Yuyan eximed. "And what are you, a guard dog?!"

    "You¡¯re acting mighty suspicious, Disciple Fei. Why are you not telling me your reason for being here if you have nothing to hide?" Xuan Wuhan said with narrowed eyes.

    "Because I..." Fei Yuyan rubbed her eyes and sighed.

    "Fine, I¡¯ll tell you. Will you leave me alone if I do that?"

    "Of course..." Xuan Wuhan nodded.

    Fei Yuyan took a deep breath before exining to Xuan Wuhan about the zitherpetition and Yuan bing her partner, hence why she¡¯s staying over at his house¡ª so they can practice more efficiently.

    Xuan Wuhan was speechless after learning the situation, even feeling somewhat guilty for her behavior.

    "I-I am sorry for misunderstanding the situation, but if it¡¯s only something like this, why did you try to hide it like you¡¯re doing something immoral?" Xuan Wuhan said afterward.

    "I...I don¡¯t know..." Fei Yuyan said. "Anyway, I am too tired, and I still have practice tomorrow with Disciple Yuan. I am going to sleep. Goodbye."

    "W-Wait a moment! One more thing!" Xuan Wuhan quickly said.

    "What is it?" Fei Yuyan looked at her with a tired expression.

    "Can Ie tomorrow and watch you two practice?" Xuan Wuhan asked.

    "Do whatever you want as long as it doesn¡¯t disturb our practice..." Fei Yuyan said before closing the door, leaving Xuan Wuhan standing outside with a dazed look on her face.

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 Chapter 175 Unexpected Guests

    "Xuan Wuhan... What¡¯s her rtionship with Disciple Yuan, really?" Fei Yuyan mumbled to herself as she entered her bed to sleep, but s, it took her another hour to fall asleep again, mostly because she kept wondering about Xuan Wuhan and Yuan¡¯s rtionship.

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    As for Xuan Wuhan, she reluctantly left the area, but she did not return to her own house. Instead, she went to bother Elder Xuan, her grandfather.

    "Heavens... What did I just witness?" Min Li covered her mouth in shock after eavesdropping on Xuan Wuhan and Fei Yuyan¡¯s small argument. This is the first time she¡¯s ever heard of two Core Disciples arguing with each other over an Outer Court disciple.

    ¡¯It¡¯s fine... Even though I may be at a disadvantage in terms of our disciple status, I will sooner orter be a Core Disciple, and I am also from one of the Seven Legacy Families! Furthermore, my appearance isn¡¯t worse than theirs¡ª at least I don¡¯t think I am losing in that aspect!¡¯ Min Li thought to herself, trying to convince herself that she wasn¡¯t losing to Xuan Wuhan and Fei Yuyan, as they are clearly also trying to secure a ce in Yuan¡¯s heart.

    Meanwhile, in the real world, Yuan peacefully cultivated for the rest of the night,pletely oblivious to the small drama that had urred at his house between two top beauties in the Dragon Essence Temple.

    Once morning came and Yu Rou returned to his room and finished her daily routine, Yuan returned to the game.

    "Hm? She¡¯s still sleeping?" Yuan raised his eyebrows when he didn¡¯t see Fei Yuyan in the living room, as he¡¯d expected her to be awake by now.

    ¡¯Maybe she¡¯d pushed herself too hard during yesterday¡¯s practice...¡¯ Yuan thought to himself.

    *Knock* *Knock*

    Somebody knocked on the door a few seconds after Yuan took a seat in the living room to wait for Fei Yuyan.

    ¡¯Who could be here so early in the morning?¡¯ Yuan wondered to himself as he went to open the door.

    "Hello, Disciple Yuan."

    A familiar face greeted him at the door.

    "Disciple Min? What¡¯s the matter?" Yuan asked her.

    "Nothing important. I heard you ying the zither yesterday, and I just wanted to listen to it more clearly. Do you mind if I watch you y the zither today?" Min Li asked him whilst trying her best to not blush.

    However, to Min Li¡¯s surprise, Yuan apologized to her, "Did our practice bother you yesterday? I hope it didn¡¯t disturb your cultivation, and I am really sorry if it did... And you could¡¯ve at least let me know if it did..."

    "Uhhh..." Min Li was slightly speechless.

    Most buildings in the Dragon Essence Temple are enforced with formations that block sound from leaving or entering the house so that one wouldn¡¯t be able to disturb others during their cultivation or vice versa, so there was no way that Min Li could¡¯ve heard Yuan ying the zither no matter how loud he yed it.

    "D-Don¡¯t worry about it, I really enjoyed it, or else I would¡¯ve knocked on your door sooner." Min Li responded in a stiff voice a momentter.

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    Yuan nodded afterward and said, "I¡¯m relieved. And you¡¯re definitely weed to watch us practice the zither today."

    "Thank you, Disciple Yuan." Min Li said to him, pretending as though their recent conversation had never happened.

    *Knock* *Knock*

    And just as Min Li took a seat in the living room, the door was knocked on again.

    "Who could it be this time?" Yuan raised his eyebrows, wondering why there were so many guests today.

    "Hello, Yuan! It¡¯s been a while!" Xuan Wuhan greeted Yuan at the door this time.

    "Xuan Wuhan!" Yuan was pleasantly surprised to see her face.

    "What are you doing here?" Yuan asked her.

    "What do you mean by that, Yuan? Am I, a fellow disciple of the sect, not supposed to be here?" Xuan Wuhan asked him.

    Seeing Yuan¡¯s speechless face, Xuan Wuhan smiled and said, "I¡¯m joking with you, Yuan. Anyway, I have heard about the zitherpetition and how you¡¯re going to participate in it with Disciple Fei, and I would like to watch you practice. After all, you¡¯ll need some audience to judge your performance, right?"

    Hearing her words, Yuan nodded, "That makes sense. Although Disciple Fei hasn¡¯t woken up yet, please,e inside."

    "She¡¯s still sleeping? What azy girl..." Xuan Wuhan took this opportunity to smear some dirt on Fei Yuyan¡¯s image.

    Xuan Wuhan entered the building a momentter.

    However, to her surprise, there was already another individual inside the living room.

    "Y-You... Aren¡¯t you Min Li from the Seven Legacies Family? What are you doing here?" Xuan Wuhan looked at Min Li with wide eyes.

    "I... I am here to listen to their practice." Min Li said.

    "You? Don¡¯t you have better things to do as a member of the Seven Legacy Families?" Xuan Wuhan raised her eyebrows, and she stared at Min Li with a suspicious gaze.

    "What does belonging to the Seven Legacy Families have anything to do with this?" Min Li responded calmly. Even though she was before a Core Disciple, she wasn¡¯t feeling scared or nervous like most disciples would be if they were in her shoes right now.

    "..."

    Xuan Wuhan was speechless, mostly because she had nothing good to say.

    Sometimeter, Xuan Wuhan said to Yuan, "If Disciple Fei doesn¡¯t wake up soon, I¡¯ll go knock on her door."

    However, Yuan shook his head and said, "There¡¯s no need to wake her up. She practiced for many hours yesterday so she¡¯s definitely very tired."

    "Then what about your practice?"

    "I can still practice by myself. Let¡¯s go outside to the backyard so that we don¡¯t disturb Disciple Fei." Yuan suggested.

    Xuan Wuhan nodded, and she followed Yuan outside with Min Li following behind her.

    Once they were outside, Yuan sat behind the zither and prepared to y it.

    Xuan Wuhan and Min Li swallowed nervously, feeling somewhat anxious to see Yuan y the zither for some reason.

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 Chapter 176 Overslept

    Once the guests were seated and he was prepared to y the zither, Yuan ced his fingers on the zither and began pulling the strings, causing them to tremble and send out musical notes that massaged one¡¯s brain and transported their mind to the heavens.

    Xuan Wuhan and Min Li¡¯s jaw simultaneously dropped to the ground when they heard Yuan ying the zither for the first time, looking like they¡¯d just witnessed their ancestors crawling from their graves, and it¡¯d only taken them a few seconds to recognize Yuan¡¯s talents.

    ¡¯This guy...! He¡¯s not only talented in cultivation but he¡¯s also talented with instruments? Is there anything he¡¯s not talented in?¡¯ Xuan Wuhan cried inwardly.

    ¡¯What amazing music that he¡¯s producing... Not even the expert musicians in my family can y the zither as well as he does...¡¯ Min Li thought to herself.

    The twodies quickly indulged themselves in Yuan¡¯s music, as did the disciples near that area once they heard Yuan¡¯s music, even stopping their movements to close their eyes and enjoy the music.

    "Who¡¯s ying the zither? I thought it was Fairy Fei at first but the Dragon Pavilion isn¡¯t even close to this ce!"

    One of the disciples wandering outside asked the other disciples.

    "Who else besides Fairy Fei would have the ability to y the zither to such an extent in the sect? Furthermore, I heard from some disciples that they¡¯d spotted Fairy Fei in the Outer Court yesterday. Maybe she¡¯s ying the zither somewhere in the Outer Court!"

    "If that¡¯s the case, I want to watch her performance!"

    "Me too! Let¡¯s try to locate her!"

    Thus, the Outer Court disciples, with their interest piqued, decided to follow the sound of the zither. Once they¡¯d arrived at the area that housed the most important and privileged disciples in the Outer Court, these Outer Court disciples stopped and didn¡¯t dare to traverse any further.

    "It¡¯sing from this area, but normal disciples aren¡¯t allowed in this area..."

    "This ce is where all of the top disciples live, right? I think it¡¯d be fine as long as we do not disturb them. After all, there is no sect rule stating that we cannot enter this ce."

    "You don¡¯t know? There have been many incidents where ignorant disciples would enter this ce only to get beaten by the disciples living here, as they treat this ce as some sort of sacred sanctuary where only the privileged are allowed to traverse. If you don¡¯t mind getting beaten, you can go ahead and enter this ce."

    When the other disciples heard such a thing, they immediately tossed the idea of entering this ce out of their minds. Although they wanted to watch Fairy Fei¡¯s zither performance, it wasn¡¯t worth risking offending someone in this ce and possibly their life as well.

    "If we cannot enter this ce, why don¡¯t we all just stand here and listen to the music instead? We don¡¯t really need to watch Fairy Fei perform it since we don¡¯t normally do that anyway."

    "Sounds reasonable... Okay, I am staying here."

    Thus, the disciples there decided to gather outside the area and quickly crowded the ce.

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    Sometimeter, inside Yuan¡¯s house, Fei Yuyan rubbed her eyes in a tired manner.

    ¡¯What time is it...?¡¯ She opened her eyes and stared at the unfamiliar ceiling with a dazed face.

    "Oh no! It¡¯s already way past morning! I was supposed to practice with Disciple Yuan! It¡¯s all that darn Disciple Xuan¡¯s fault that I¡¯d overslept!" Fei Yuyan cried out loud when she saw the slightly orange sky outside, and she quickly fixed her appearance before running outside her room.

    However, the entire house was dead silent, almost like she lived in this house alone.

    Fei Yuyan went to knock on Yuan¡¯s door, but s, nobody answered no matter how much she knocked.

    "Where did he go?" Fei Yuyan frowned, wondering where Yuan could¡¯ve gone at this time.

    "Maybe he went to get food?"

    With this in mind, Fei Yuyan went to wash her face before leaving the house.

    However, the moment she opened the door, she could hear a heavenly sound that could only be yed by a zither.

    "T-This is...?" Fei Yuyan immediately turned around to look behind the building before closing the door and approaching the backyard.

    Once she opened the door to the backyard, Yuan¡¯s zither music immediately flowed into her ears and caused her body to tremble with delight.

    Yuan noticed Fei Yuyan¡¯s presence, but it did not distract his performance and he continued to y the song until the end.

    At the end of the song, Yuan turned to look at the dazed Fei Yuyan and said to her with a smile on his face, "Good morning, Disciple Fei¡ª or should I say good afternoon?"

    Xuan Wuhan and Min Li turned to look at Fei Yuyan once they noticed her presence.

    "Hm? So you¡¯re finally awake, huh? Took you long enough. Yuan has been practicing the zither this entire time without any breaks. At this rate, you¡¯ll be a burden to him in thepetition," Xuan Wuhan said to Fei Yuyan while shaking her head.

    "..."

    Fei Yuyan immediately trembled in anger and shouted at Xuan Wuhan, "Whose fault do you think it is that I overslept?! If you didn¡¯t wake me up in the middle of the night by knocking on the door like a rude ape, I would¡¯ve woken up on time!"

    "W-Who are you calling an ape?! There are things you cannot say to a fellow sister no matter how angry you are!" Xuan Wuhan eximed.

    "Shut up! I don¡¯t want to hear anything from you!" Fei Yuyan said.

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    "Calm down, there¡¯s no need to yell at each other." Yuan said to them with a slightly startled look on his face, and he continued while looking at Fei Yuyan, "There is still plenty of time until the day¡¯s over so it¡¯s not like you¡¯ve wasted an entire day."

    Fei Yuyan nodded and said in a casual voice, "I don¡¯t have the time to argue with an ape. I¡¯m going to practice now."

    "T-This bitc..." Xuan Wuhan gritted her teeth. While she wanted to yell at Fei Yuyan, she didn¡¯t want to disturb their practice, so she forcefully swallowed her anger and pretended like she never heard Fei Yuyan¡¯s insults.

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 Chapter 177 Otherworldly Music

    "Anyway, since I¡¯ve missed half of today¡¯s practice, let¡¯s do something different. I had nned on doing something simr to our practice yesterday, but s..." Fei Yuyan sighed.

    And she continued, "Do you remember what I said aboutstpetition¡¯s final part¡ª where you must follow the judge and y their song alongside them? This is what we¡¯re going to be doing today. I will y a song and you¡¯ll y alongside me."

    Yuan nodded, and he asked afterward, "Are we going to y a new song?"

    "Of course. The judges will create a new song just for thepetition so nobody besides themselves would know the song beforehand, as that would give the participants an unfair advantage and we don¡¯t want that."

    "Anyway, I will y the song once, and you¡¯ll have 10 minutes to prepare..." Fei Yuyan suddenly paused, and she said in an awkward voice a momentter, "But you¡¯ve already been doing that even for yesterday¡¯s practice..."

    "Ah... What should we do now? I was going to ask you to use new songs so I can follow you but do you even know any new songs?" Fei Yuyan asked Yuan, as she has been the one teaching him new songs this entire time.

    "Hmmm..." Yuan pondered for a moment before nodding, "I think I can do that."

    "Eh? Really? You know songs that even I don¡¯t know?" Fei Yuyan stared at him with a gawking look on her face, as she truly didn¡¯t expect that from him.

    Yuan nodded and said, "I know a few songs from my hometown. Although I¡¯ve never yed them on the zither, it¡¯s not my first time ying the same song on different instruments."

    "That¡¯s great! Let¡¯s hear one of them!" Fei Yuyan said with her interest piqued, silently wondering to herself what kind of music Yuan had prepared for her.

    "Give me a moment... It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve yed those songs." Yuan closed his eyes and proceeded to recall some of the songs that he¡¯d yed in the real world when he was still active as a musician.

    A few minutester, with his eyes still closed, Yuan ced his fingers back on the zither and began ying the song from his memories.

    "T-This... What kind of music is this?" Fei Yuyan¡¯s jaw dropped to the ground when she heard this song that was like nothing she has ever heard of before, almost like it was otherworldly.

    While it¡¯s only normal for songs to not sound simr to each other, they mostly followed a simr theme or feeling, yet the song yed by Yuan right now did not follow such rule and sounded oddly foreign.

    As for Xuan Wuhan and Min Li, while they don¡¯t know much about music, they knew instantly how unique this song sounded purely from the atmosphere it created.

    Hell, even the disciples gathered outside the area were dumbfounded by such a drastic change in music, feeling like they¡¯d suddenly been tossed into another world.

    A few minutester, Yuan stopped his movements and turned to look at Fei Yuyan.

    "What do you think?" he asked her.

    "Uhh..." Fei Yuyan stared at him with a speechless look, clearly taken aback by the unfamiliar music.

    "I-It sounds great... But... How am I supposed to y that kind of song? Are you teasing me right now?" Fei Yuyan said to him.

    "Huh? What do you mean? Why would I be teasing you?" Yuan looked at her with wide eyes, as he didn¡¯t expect such a response from her.

    "That song you just yed is objectively extremely difficult, as it has many unique notes, and the speed you yed it is also incredibly fast! There¡¯s no way I can y something that profound after hearing it once! Even the song created by the judges for the previouspetition wasn¡¯t anything like this!" Fei Yuyan exined to Yuan her frustration.

    "R-Really? It didn¡¯t feel like that for me..." Yuan pondered, and he continued a momentter, "Okay, I will try to y something that has less unique notes and with a slower pace in general."

    After taking a deep breath, Yuan began ying another song that was from his world.

    "Oh?"

    Fei Yuyan raised her eyebrows after listening to this song. Although it still sounds foreign and otherworldly, it wasn¡¯t as chaotic and fast-paced as the previous song, allowing her mind to follow it properly.

    Sometimeter, after Yuan finished the song, Fei Yuyan said to him, "Okay, give me ten minutes."

    Yuan nodded and patiently waited for Fei Yuyan to prepare herself.

    For more, visit /lightno/ve/lp/ub[.

    Once Fei Yuyan was ready, she looked at Yuan and nodded her head while her fingers were already on the zither.

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    "Three... two... one..."

    Ting~

    Yuan and Fei Yuyan began ying the zither simultaneously, and Fei Yuyan tried her best to follow Yuan¡¯s pace, but s, even someone inexperienced with music like Xuan Wuhan and Min Li could tell that Fei Yuyan was falling behind and making mistakes.

    Halfway into the song, Fei Yuyan suddenly stopped moving her fingers and stared at the zither with a slightly flushed face, embarrassed that she was unable to y any further.

    ¡¯Damn it! I am the one that¡¯s supposed to be teaching him, not the other way around! When did our roles change?! And his performance is simply too wless! I am barely able to y the song because his music would always distract me, tempting me to stop ying to fully focus on listening to his beautiful music! However, if I don¡¯t listen to his music, I won¡¯t be able to follow along! At this rate, I¡¯ll really be a burden in thepetition!¡¯

    Once Fei Yuyan stopped ying the zither, Yuan also stopped before asking her, "Do you want to start again from the beginning?"

    After a moment of silence, Fei Yuyan nodded in a bashful manner.

    Xuan Wuhan chuckled when she saw this, "So much for the number one zither expert in the sect, Fairy Fei..."

    Fei Yuyan¡¯s eyebrows twitched after hearing Xuan Wuhan¡¯s words, but she ignored it and pretended like she didn¡¯t hear it and prepared to y the zither again.

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 Chapter 178 Not Interested in Men

    After taking a deep breath, Fei Yuyan began ying the zither again with Yuan, trying her best to synchronize her music with his, but s, she stopped ying again somewhere in the middle of the song.

    ¡¯This is too difficult!¡¯ Fei Yuyan cried inwardly with her back soaked in sweat despite barely practicing.

    "It¡¯s okay, we can start again and do this until you can finish the song," Yuan said to her in a soothing tone, almost like he was trying to make her feel better.

    However, Fei Yuyan shook her head and said, "Then that would make this entire practice pointless! If I cannot follow the judge after one try, I¡¯ll immediately fail!"

    "But if you don¡¯t practice, how will you improve? It¡¯s called ¡¯practice¡¯ for a reason."

    "That¡¯s easy for a genius like you to say..." Fei Yuyan sighed.

    "People may call me a genius, but I have spent more time practicing the instruments than anyone at my age when I was a mere child¡ª even those twice or thrice my age. Every day, without fail, I would spend at least ten hours a day practicing different instruments, even on the days that I havepetitions and whatnot." Yuan sighed after recalling the amount of time he¡¯d spent practicing the instruments.

    He¡¯d spent so much time on instruments that his social life was basically nonexistent outside of his family and a small circle of people.

    "Ten hours a day every day?"

    Everybody there looked at him with wide eyes. How does he cultivate if he spends all of his time practicing instruments?

    The most up-to-date novels are published on [/.]c/om

    "Anyway, let¡¯s continue to practice. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll get it right soon orter. Once you get it right for the first time, it¡¯ll be much easier next time even if it¡¯s with a new song." Yuan said to Fei Yuyan, who nodded in a dazed manner.

    Thus, the two of them continued to practice with Fei Yuyan trying her best to synchronize with Yuan¡¯s performance.

    Of course, Fei Yuyan had stopped midway a couple more times, but there was clear progress, albeit rather slow.

    After a dozen failures, Fei Yuyan finally managed toplete the song with Yuan, but her performance was still questionable at best with multiple mistakes.

    Meanwhile, the disciples listening to their performance outside were puzzled by the weird noisesing from Yuan¡¯s building.

    "Who¡¯s that second zither yer? This amateur is ruining Fairy Fei¡¯s wless performance!"

    "Maybe Fairy Fei is teaching someone the zither."

    "Aiya... What a damn pity and a waste of Fairy Fei¡¯s time..."

    The disciples thereined about this ¡¯amateur yer¡¯,pletely unaware that they were all dissing the same Fairy Fei that they were praising.

    Meanwhile, somewhere in the Inner Court, Elder Shan looked at the pill in her hands with a proud expression on her face.

    "I have finallypleted this enhanced Pill of Concealment. Now I just need to give it to Disciple Yuan." Elder Shan mumbled to herself as she left her building and made her way towards Yuan¡¯s living quarters.

    However, to her surprise, there were hundreds of Outer Court disciples gathered outside the area, dumbfounding Elder Shan when she witnessed this scene.

    "What the heck is going on here?"

    Elder Shan approached the crowd and spoke loudly, "What is the cause of this gathering?"

    When the disciples turned around and saw Elder Shan¡¯s beautiful face, they immediately lowered their heads and greeted her.

    "Greetings, Elder Shan!"

    After their greetings, the disciples proceeded to exin their situation to her.

    "What? My disciple is ying the zither in this area?" Elder Shan raised her eyebrows, then she recalled how Fei Yuyan¡¯s going to be participating in the zitherpetition with Yuan.

    ¡¯She must be practicing with him, huh.¡¯ Elder Shan thought to herself before speaking out loud, "Well, this is not a ce for disciples to gather. If you want to listen to her zither music, you can wait until she decides to visit the Dragon Pavilion! Now scram!"

    Although they were reluctant to leave, there was simply no way these Outer Court disciples could defy a sect elder, much less a high-ranking sect elder like Elder Shan.

    Once the disciples left the scene, they all mumbled to each other, "Man, this is my first time seeing Elder Shan in such a close distance! Her title as the prettiest sect elder is not for show!"

    "I heard she was even the number one fairy back when she was still a young disciple! Man, if only I can have a partner like that!"

    "Quit your dreaming! Don¡¯t you know that Elder Shan has no interest in men? Rumor has it that she¡¯s only interested in women, hence why she only epts female disciples!"

    "Really? Damn, what a pity! But that¡¯s also hot in its own ways!"

    Sometimeter, Elder Shan approached Yuan¡¯s building and knocked on the door, and she shouted loudly, "Disciple Fei! Come outside!"

    "Eh? That sounds like my master. What¡¯s she doing here?" Fei Yuyan turned around with a puzzled look on her face. "And why did she call for me when this is clearly your house?"

    Fei Yuyan then ced her zither down and went to open the door.

    "Master? What are you doing here?" Fei Yuyan asked her after greeting her.

    "I have something for Disciple Yuan," Elder Shan said, and she continued, "Are you guys practicing right now?"

    "Yes, but since it¡¯s gettingte, we¡¯re about to stop."

    "Oh? I know it¡¯s only been two days but let me see your progress." Elder Shan said.

    "I have been curious about Disciple Yuan¡¯s zither skills ever since you asked him to be your partner for thepetition."

    "Uhhh..." Fei Yuyan immediately hesitated, mostly because she didn¡¯t want Elder Shan to learn that Yuan has already surpassed her with the zither.

    ¡¯Ah, whatever... She¡¯s going to learn about it sooner orter...¡¯ Fei Yuyan sighed inwardly before nodding her head.

    A few momentster, Fei Yuyan returned to the backyard with Elder Shan by her side, dumbfounding Xuan Wuhan and Min Li.

    "Hmm?"

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    Elder Shan also raised her eyebrows when she noticed the two of them, as she wasn¡¯t expecting any other guests other than herself.

    Author¡¯s Note: We have reached our goal of #1 for win-win, but we must stay in this position until the end of the month for the 5 chapters mass release! Support the novel by joining Privilege at the low cost of 1 coin! Only avable in the mobile app!Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 179 Enhanced Pill of Concealment

    "E-Elder Shan!" Xuan Wuhan and Min Li quickly stood up from theirfortable seats and bowed to her once they realized who she was.

    "Disciple Xuan and Disciple Min? What are you two doing here?" Elder Shan unconsciously asked them.

    "We¡¯re here to watch them practice," Xuan Wuhan said.

    "Oh? But I thought you wouldn¡¯t be back at the sect for another week? Did something happen at home?" Elder Shan looked at Xuan Wuhan with raised eyebrows.

    "N-No... Nothing happened. I just felt likeing back earlier," Xuan Wuhan said with a somewhat stiff smile on her face.

    "You? Hahaha... Now that¡¯s something I didn¡¯t expect to hear from someone renowned for spending more time outside the sect than inside."

    Elder Shanughed for a moment before turning to look at Yuan and speak, "Come with me for a second, Disciple Yuan. I have something for you."

    Yuan nodded and followed her into the house.

    "Here, this is an enhanced Pill of Concealment. It¡¯ll suppress your cultivation for an entire realm."

    Yuan nodded and epted the pill.

    For more, visit [.

    "What about the effects of the current pill? What happens if I swallow two pills with simr effects?" Yuan asked her a momentter.

    "Right, that¡¯s what this pill is for¡ª"

    Elder Shan retrieved another pill and showed it to him; it was a clear white pill without any special auras or designs on it.

    "This is the Pill of Cleansing. It¡¯ll erase all pill effects that are currently affecting your body. As for your second question, it depends on the pill. If you swallow two Pill of Concealment, you might get a stomach ache at worse. However, if you swallow two very powerful pills, your body might explode, so you must be cautious of what you eat and not eat pills carelessly."

    "E-Explode? I haven¡¯t heard that word in a while..." Yuan mumbled in a dazed voice before looking at the pills in his hand.

    [Powerful Pill of Concealment] [Tier 2] [ Purity: 77%]

    [Effects: Temporarily conceals your cultivation base by an entire realm for 15 days]

    [Description: Only works if you are below Spirit Master]

    [Pill of Cleansing] [Tier 1] [Purity: 97%]

    For more, visit lightn/o/velpub[.

    [Effects: Remove all Tier 3 and below pill effects that are affecting your body]

    [Description: Only works if the pills are below Tier 3]

    After swallowing the Pill of Cleansing, a notification appeared.

    [You have consumed Pill of Cleansing]

    [The effects of ¡¯Pill of Concealment¡¯ has been removed]

    Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.

    Yuan could feel his aura exploding outwards after consuming the Pill of Cleansing.

    However, that aura didn¡¯tst very long as Yuan swallowed the Powerful Pill of Concealment a few secondster, and his peak Spirit Warrior aura lowered until it resembled someone at the peak Spirit Apprentice level.

    "Great, it worked perfectly." Elder Shan nodded with a prideful look on her face.

    Yuan raised his eyebrows at her and said, "You mean you weren¡¯t certain of its effects?"

    Elder Shan chuckled and said, "Of course I¡¯m certain¡ª but there is no such thing as a perfect pill¡ª at least I have never seen one before."

    "Anyway, let me listen to some of your zither music before I leave. I¡¯m very intrigued by your abilities in music." Elder Shan then said to him.

    "Okay." Yuan nodded.

    They left the building and returned to the backyard shortly after.

    "You¡¯re going to be staying here, too?" Xuan Wuhan asked Elder Shan after noticing that she was taking a seat.

    "Might as well since I am already here," Elder Shan nodded.

    A few momentster, Yuan returned to his seat behind the zither and turned to look at Fei Yuyan, "Should we continue what we¡¯ve been doing?"

    Hearing his words, Fei Yuyan quickly shook her head and said, "I-It¡¯s okay. Since my Master has heard of my zither y many times before and she is mostly here for your performance, you can y by yourself."

    Yuan didn¡¯t think too much of Fei Yuyan¡¯s words and nodded.

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    After taking a deep breath, Yuan began ying one of Fei Yuyan¡¯s songs on the zither.

    "T-This is..." Elder Shan¡¯s eyes immediately widened just a few seconds into Yuan¡¯s performance, as she only needed to see Yuan¡¯s graceful movements and listen to the first few music notes to recognize his talents.

    ¡¯He¡¯s already on another levelpared to Disciple Fei! Did he really just learn the zither not long ago? This is really hard to believe even with his godlike talents. Unless hisprehension ability works on other things besides cultivation techniques, which would be beyond heaven-defying...¡¯

    A few minutester, after finishing his first song, Yuan proceeded onto the second song after a brief pause.

    Elder Shan closed her eyes to enjoy the music.

    ¡¯I have not felt this rxed in many, many years...¡¯ Elder Shan thought to herself as she unconsciously dozed off.

    Sometimeter, Yuan stopped ying the zither after his fifth song, and to his surprise when he turned to look at Elder Shan, she waspletely asleep with a peaceful expression on her face.

    "Hmm?"

    When thedies there noticed Yuan¡¯s look, they turned to look at Elder Shan as well.

    "S-She¡¯s asleep?" Fei Yuyan¡¯s eyes widened with shock.

    "Should we wake her up? I would feel guilty waking up someone with that kind of sleeping face," Xuan Wuhan said.

    "Oh? But you don¡¯t feel guilty for waking me upst night?" Fei Yuyan red at her.

    "This and that are two different situations." Xuan Wuhan shrugged in a nonchnt manner.

    "You little¡ª"

    Fei Yuyan raised her voice, identally waking Elder Shan.

    "Hmm? Did I fall asleep?" Elder Shan rubbed her eyes before recalling that she was not inside her own room.

    "Uhhh... I..."

    Elder Shan¡¯s face immediately blushed, and then she cleared her throat loudly before speaking in an awkward voice, "T-That was a great performance, Disciple Yuan. I haven¡¯t felt this rxed for a long time. Maybe I should visit you again in the future when I¡¯m having trouble sleeping. Anyway, I just remembered that I have some work I need to finish... See you disciplester..."

    Author¡¯s Note: We have reached our goal of #1 for win-win, but we must stay in this position until the end of the month for the 5 chapters mass release! Support the novel by joining Privilege at the low cost of 1 coin! Only avable in the mobile app!

 Chapter 180 Do Whatever You Want

    After saying her goodbyes, Elder Shan quickly disappeared from the scene with a slightly rosyplexion on her beautiful face.

    Once Elder Shan was gone, Fei Yuyan said, "I guess we can stop practice here for today. Good job, Disciple Yuan, and I apologize for sleeping through half of today¡¯s practice."

    Yuan nodded since it was also about time he logged off for dinner.

    Fei Yuyan then turned to look at Xuan Wuhan and Min Li with a slightly cold expression and said to them, "Shows over, you can go home now."

    Xuan Wuhan raised her eyebrows, and then she suddenly turned to look at Yuan before asking, "Hey Yuan, do you mind if I stay here for the night?"

    "W-What?! What are you trying to achieve here, Disciple Xuan? Why would you want to stay here?" Fei Yuyan was the first to react to Xuan Wuhan¡¯s words.

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    "Why not? I am too tired to walk after sitting here for the entire day. I¡¯d rather just stay here for the night. It¡¯s fine, right, Yuan?" Xuan Wuhan asked him again.

    Everyone there turned to re at Yuan with an intensive gaze, but Yuan didn¡¯t even budge an eyebrow and nodded calmly, "I don¡¯t mind. But you should get permission first like Disciple Fei."

    "Right away!"

    Xuan Wuhan immediately retrieved hermunication jade slip and contacted Elder Xuan, her grandfather.

    A few secondster, Elder Xuan¡¯s voice resounded in a casual manner, "What¡¯s the matter now?"

    "Grandpa, I¡¯m going to stay over at Yuan¡¯s house tonight. Can I get your permission real quick?" Xuan Wuhan said.

    "..."

    Elder Xuan did not immediately respond and remained silent for a good moment until a low mumble finally responded, sounding a little helpless, "Go ahead... Do whatever you want..."

    "Thanks, grandpa!"

    After deactivating themunication jade slip, Xuan Wuhan looked at Yuan and said with a bright smile on her face, contrary to her ¡¯exhausted¡¯ state, and she said, "Well, there you have it! I¡¯ll be staying here tonight!"

    ¡¯T-This little...¡¯ Fei Yuyan silently gritted her teeth at Xuan Wuhan¡¯s shameless abuse of her background.

    Meanwhile, Min Li sighed inwardly, ¡¯If only I didn¡¯t live directly next door to him...¡¯

    Because she lived so close to him, she wasn¡¯t able to use the same excuse as Xuan Wuhan.

    Sometimeter, Xuan Wuhan went to find a room for the night whilst Fei Yuyan went to clean her body of the sweats she¡¯d .u.mted from practice.

    If news of Yuan staying in the same building as two top fairies for the night were to spread to the other disciples, there would, without a doubt, be an army of angry people gathered in front of his house on the same day.

    Once Fei Yuyan came out of the bathroom, Yuan went to clean himself next.

    "I never knew you were such an aggressive woman, Disciple Xuan," Fei Yuyan said to Xuan Wuhan after running into her while walking towards her own room. "How can you act so shamelessly? I wonder what would happen if the disciples knew that one of the Three Graceful Fairies was such a woman."

    Hearing her words, Xuan Wuhan pretended to be stupid and said, "I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about. I am simply sleeping over at a friend¡¯s house. Meanwhile, you¡¯re taking advantage of your situation as ¡¯partners¡¯. It wouldn¡¯t take you even an hour to get here from your ce, yet you¡¯d opted to stay in a man¡¯s house even though you barely know him. Perhaps you are actually secretly hoping that something might happen?"

    "N-Nonsense! Even if it¡¯s just one hour, it adds up! We only have one week before thepetition! If I take one hour toe here and another to return home every day, that¡¯s at least 14 hours that could¡¯ve been used towards our practice! And I know Disciple Yuan isn¡¯t that type of person so I am not expecting anything!"

    "Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say, ¡¯partner who overslept and missed half of today¡¯s practice¡¯." Xuan Wuhan said in an obnoxiously sarcastic voice.

    "T-That¡¯s all your fault! I swear to heaven, Disciple Xuan! Don¡¯t push my limit!" Fei Yuyan red at her with narrowed eyes.

    However, before their tension increased any further, Yuan appeared and said with an innocent look on his face, "What¡¯s wrong?"

    "N-Nothing..." Fei Yuyan immediately smiled and said to him, "Goodnight, Disciple Yuan. I definitely won¡¯t repeat the same mistakes tomorrow."

    "Goodnight, Yuan. I can¡¯t wait to hear more of your music tomorrow," Xuan Wuhan also said to him with a smile on her face, acting like her little fight with Fei Yuyan never happened.

    Yuan nodded and said, "Goodnight to both of you."

    They all went to their respective rooms shortly after.

    While Fei Yuyan immediately went to sleep and Xuan Wuhan stayed up for a few more hours to cultivate, Yuan logged off the game to eat dinner.

    After dinner, Yuan spent the rest of the night cultivating until it was morning.

    In the morning, Yu Rou cleaned his body and fed him breakfast before going to school while Yuan returned to the game.

    "Good morning, Disciple Yuan." Fei Yuyan greeted him in an elegant manner when he appeared in the living room, even casually sipping on tea like she¡¯d been awake for some time.

    "Good morning, Disciple Fei," Yuan greeted her. "Did you have enough sleepst night?"

    "Yes, I slept soundly since there was no monkey disturbing my sleep," Fei Yuyan responded with a smile that did not fit her words.

    "M-Monkey?" Yuan raised his eyebrows, wondering why she would mention monkeys in this situation.

    Sometimeter, Xuan Wuhan appeared and said, "Oh? Looks like you really woke up properly this time. I was even thinking about knocking on your door if you weren¡¯t awake by now."

    "..." Fei Yuyan looked at her weirdly, but she decided to ignore Xuan Wuhan ultimately.

    A few minutester, Min Li knocked on the door and said, "You¡¯ll also be practicing today, right?"

    Yuan nodded and said, "Yeah, do you want to join us today as well?"

    "If you don¡¯t mind," Min Li nodded, trying her best not to blush.

    Thus, they began their third day of practice with only four days left until the zitherpetition.

 Chapter 181 Heavenly Melody Academy

    "Un¡ª You have improved a lotpared to yesterday¡¯s practice, Disciple Fei," Yuan said to her with an approving smile on his face after another day of practice, resembling a lecturer.

    "Thank you..." Fei Yuyan said in a slightly dejected voice, unsure of how she should feel about her situation.

    On one hand, her zither skills were improving at a rapid rate that she has never experienced before, but on the other hand, she was being taught by a junior disciple who had less experience than her with the zither, putting her ¡¯senior¡¯ status to question and even subtly pping her in the face with his godlike talents.

    ¡¯It appears that I am the only one who¡¯s really benefiting from this practice...¡¯ Fei Yuyan sighed inwardly, feeling slightly ashamed of herself.

    "At this rate, Yuan might win the entirepetition by himself even without needing your help, Disciple Fei," Xuan Wuhan said to her with a smile.

    Fei Yuyan wanted to refute Xuan Wuhan¡¯s words, but there was nothing she could say, as she also believed that Yuan has the capability to carry her to third ce even if her performance turns out to becking.

    Sometimeter, once the practice was over, Min Li returned to her home next door whilst everyone else went to do their own things.

    "Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re going to stay here again tonight? I thought it was only forst night," Fei Yuyan said to Xuan Wuhan who was casuallyying in her bed and had no intention of leaving anytime soon.

    "Did I say it was only for a single night? Since I am already here, it shouldn¡¯t matter if I stayed here for another day or a couple more days." Xuan Wuhan said in a shameless voice.

    Fei Yuyan shook her head and ignored Xuan Wuhan, almost like she was already getting used to her behavior.

    The following day, Yuan and Fei Yuyan went to the backyard early in the morning to practice their zithers with Xuan Wuhan as a spectator as well as Min Li, who was ignoring her daily routine and practice just to spend more time around Yuan so she doesn¡¯t fall behind these two top beauties who were already ahead of her in terms of rtionship and intimacy.

    If her family knew about this, they would definitely scold her, but fortunately for her, she was the only one from the Min Family in the Dragon Essence Temple while her siblings were at the other and more powerful elite sects.

    Sometimeter, their fourth day of practice came to an end.

    However, right as everyone there prepared to leave the backyard, a familiar-sounding voice resounded, "Disciple Fei! I¡¯ming in!"

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    Elder Shan did not even wait for one of them to open the door and opened the door with her own keys before appearing in front of them a momentter.

    "Master? What¡¯s the matter? Did something happen?" Fei Yuyan looked at her with a puzzled face, wondering why Elder Shan appeared to be so excited.

    "You haven¡¯t heard? The judges for the zitherpetition have been announced and you won¡¯t believe who¡¯ll be judging this year¡¯spetition!" Elder Shan said.

    "Who?" Fei Yuyan asked with a slightly dazed look on her face, as she has never seen Elder Shan so excited before.

    "The Sect Master of Heavenly Melody Academy¡ª Senior Song Ling¡¯er!" Elder Shan said with a smile on her face.

    "WHAT?! SENIOR SONG LING¡¯ER?!" Fei Yuyan eximed in a shocked voice, startling Yuan and the other two.

    "Senior Song Ling¡¯er? Who¡¯s that?" Yuan decided to ask her.

    "Y-You don¡¯t know Senior Song? The number one zither expert in the Lower Heavens? She¡¯s even called the Goddess of Music!"

    "Goddess of Music?" Yuan raised his eyebrows, unsure of how to feel about such an overbearing title.

    "The Heavenly Melody Academy is an elite sect that purely focuses on instruments with most of if not all of their disciples using instruments as their weapons, and their Sect Master, Senior Song Ling¡¯er, has mastered over a dozen instruments with the zither being her favorite," Elder Shan exined to Yuan.

    "Honestly, I wanted to join the Heavenly Melody Academy at first before the Dragon Essence Temple, but I wasn¡¯t determined enough to focus on the zither at that time so I went with the Dragon Essence Temple instead." Fei Yuyan shrugged.

    "Do you regret it?" Elder Shan suddenly asked her. "You could¡¯ve definitely be a Core Disciple there as well with your zither skills."

    "I would be lying if I say that I don¡¯t since there are times when I wonder if I would¡¯ve done better as a disciple at the Heavenly Melody Academy, but I am mostly d that I¡¯d joined the Dragon Essence Temple, Master." Fei Yuyan said.

    Elder Shan nodded with a smile on her face, and she continued, "Anyway, there will be two more judges alongside Senior Song, but they might as well not be there with Senior Song¡¯s presence there! If you can impress her, it will greatly benefit you and maybe even the Dragon Essence Temple¡¯s rtionship with the Heavenly Melody Academy."

    "Although the Heavenly Melody Academy is vastly different from the other sects, do not underestimate their prowess, as they are ranked the 3rd strongest sect in the Lower Heavens."

    "What about our Dragon Essence Temple? Where do we rank?" Yuan suddenly asked.

    A bittersweet smile appeared on Elder Shan¡¯s face, and she responded, "During our Founder¡¯s era, our Dragon Essence Temple was number one, but s, ever since his disappearance, we have slowly dropped in the ranks, and we¡¯re now only 7th in the ranking."

    "7th? That¡¯s already very good, no?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    "Of course, butpared to our former glory, it¡¯s quite shameful and a p to our Ancestors¡¯ faces..." Elder Shan sighed.

    "Anyway, I believe that our ranking will soon change for the better so it¡¯s all good." Elder Shan winked her pretty eyes at Yuan, dumbfounding the threedies there, and they silently wondered what else Yuan was hiding from them.

 Chapter 182 Practicing Until Morning

    Shortly after Elder Shan left the ce, Fei Yuyan suddenly said, "Disciple Yuan, you can rest for the day. I am going to practice a little longer."

    "Eh?" Yuan looked at her with raised eyebrows, and he said, "You have already practiced for 10 hours today. It¡¯s better to get some rest."

    "I know, but I don¡¯t think I can calm down so quickly after learning about Senior Song. She has countless admirers whether it¡¯d be for her beauty or her musical abilities. I¡¯ve admired her ever since I can remember," Fei Yuyan said.

    And she continued, "Now that I know about her appearance at thepetition, I must not embarrass myself at all cost! Therefore, I am going to practice more and try my best to impress her!"

    Yuan nodded and said to her, "Don¡¯t overdo it, Disciple Fei. It¡¯ll be problematic if you tire yourself out right before thepetition. It¡¯s happened to me multiple times so I know how it feels."

    Fei Yuyan smiled and said, "Are you worried about me? Don¡¯t forget that I am a Cultivator¡ª a Spirit Warrior. I can practice for an entire week without rest and will still feel perfectly fine."

    Sometimeter, Yuan and the others left the backyard whilst Fei Yuyan remained to practice her zither.

    "Brother, guess what¡¯s being talked about in my school!" Yu Rou asked Yuan after she returned home.

    "What?"

    "The zitherpetition! You know my school is a prestigious school for musicians¡ª there¡¯s no way they wouldn¡¯t talk about something as massive as the zitherpetition!" Yu Rou said.

    Visit ligh/tnovelpub[. for a better experience

    "In fact, I even know a couple of students in my school who intend on participating in the zitherpetition!"

    "Eh? There are people in your school that also know how to y the zither?" Yuan asked with his interest piqued.

    "Yes, a lot of people in my school y Cultivation Online, and they learned to y the zither there. Of course, they are still not very good at it, but they still wanted to participate. As for the others, there¡¯ll only be at thepetition as a spectator."

    Yu Rou then continued, "Therefore, try not to reveal yourself, okay? Most people nowadays may not remember you, but there¡¯s a lot of students in my school that still remember your talents, brother, especially since I am there."

    "Don¡¯t worry, I will be wearing a mask for thepetition just in case," Yuan said.

    "Good." Yu Rou nodded.

    "By the way, I would like to stay in the game tonight and practice the zither some more." Yuan suddenly said.

    "Don¡¯t overwork yourself, brother. You should know by now that rest is as important as the practice itself."

    "I know, Yu Rou. There¡¯s no reason for me to overwork myself, anyway."

    For more, visit lightnov//elpub[./

    "Okay..."

    A few minutester, Yuan returned inside the game, and he went to the backyard to see whether Fei Yuyan was still practicing or not.

    And as he¡¯d expected, Fei Yuyan, while being basked in gentle moonlight, was practicing the zither.

    "What¡¯s the matter, Disciple Yuan?" Fei Yuyan stopped ying to look at him. "Couldn¡¯t sleep?"

    "No, I¡¯ve just decided to practice some more with you," Yuan said to her.

    "Are you sure? You can go ahead and sleep if you want to. I am doing this on my own ord so you don¡¯t need to feel guilty about leaving me alone." Fei Yuyan said with a smile on her face.

    "I am also here on my own ord so you don¡¯t have to worry. Thepetition is only a couple of days away, and I don¡¯t want to disappoint you so I¡¯ll try my best until then."

    "Disappoint me...?" Fei Yuyan looked at Yuan with a slightly dazed look on her face.

    Yuan nodded with a smile and said, "Since you came to me and asked me to be your partner, I feel an obligation to meet your expectations."

    Fei Yuyan blushed for some reason after hearing Yuan¡¯s words, and she nodded, "Since you insist on practicing with me, there¡¯s no reason for me to refuse."

    A few momentster, Yuan sat beside her and ced his hands on the zither.

    "Then let¡¯s practice all night!" Fei Yuyan said, and they began ying the zither together.

    "Hmm? This sounds like Disciple Yuan¡¯s zither..." Min Li, who had her windows open, could suddenly hear another person ying the zither besides Fei Yuyan.

    The thought of closing the windows to sleep in silence was thrown out of Min Li¡¯s mind, and she decided to sleep with the zither music in the background.

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    As for Xuan Wuhan, she waspletely oblivious to the situation outside since she didn¡¯t have her windows opened, which activates the sound-proofing formation and prevents all sound from entering her room.

    Thus, she spent the entire night in her own room whilst Yuan and Fei Yuyan yed the zither together until it was morning.

    "Wow... It¡¯s already morning? It didn¡¯t feel like that much time had passed!" Fei Yuyan eximed when she saw the sun rising on the horizon.

    "Time passes much quicker when we¡¯re absorbed, especially when ites to music. And congrattions, Disciple Fei, you can now perfectly synchronize your music with mine." Yuan said to her with a satisfied smile on his face, feeling incredibly refreshed despite spending all night practicing.

    "Did you already forget? You can call me Fei Yuyan when we¡¯re alone," she said, also with a smile on her face.

    Sometimeter, Fei Yuyan went back into the house to clean herself.

    Once they were both clean and refreshed, Fei Yuyan asked Yuan, "What do you want to do today? Do you want to continue practicing after a short break?"

    Yuan asked, "Thepetition is only 2 days away, right?"

    "Thepetition doesn¡¯t actually start until the third day, but we will take the whole day before thepetition to rest and prepare ourselves, so today will be ourst day practicing." Fei Yuyan said to him.

    "Okay." Yuan nodded, feeling quite excited about thepetition.

 Chapter 183 Last Day of Practice

    "I will be right back," Yuan said to Fei Yuyan after taking a shower, as it was about time for him to eat breakfast.

    "Okay, I¡¯ll see you in a bit."

    After returning to his room, Yuan logged off the game and waited for Yu Rou to do her routine.

    About an hourter, Yuan logs back into the game to find Fei Yuyan casually sipping tea in the living room.

    "Did you already eat breakfast?" Yuan asked her.

    "Breakfast? No. I only eat food once a week." Fei Yuyan casually responded.

    "Eh?" Yuan looked at her with wide eyes.

    "Once a week?! That¡¯s unhealthy! Especially if you¡¯re spending so much time practicing!" he said to her.

    Fei Yuyan raised her eyebrows and said, "What are you talking about? As Cultivators, we don¡¯t need to eat as often as mortals since we feed on spiritual energy. In fact, most Cultivators treat food like snacks."

    Yuan stared at Fei Yuyan with a loose jaw. Because his breakthroughs mostly relied on monster cores and fortuitous encounters such as the Carp Leaping Over Dragon¡¯s Gate Tower, he didn¡¯t know that he could fill his stomach with spiritual energy alone.

    "Even if you can fill your stomach with spiritual energy... That still sounds unhealthy..." Yuan mumbled, as he cannot even begin to imagine eating no food for an entire week straight.

    Furthermore, while spiritual energy may be able to fill up one¡¯s stomach, what about one¡¯s nutrition? Does spiritual energy have the necessary nutrition for one¡¯s body? How is that any different from drinking water to fill up one¡¯s stomach?

    "If you want to eat something, you can go ahead and eat without me. I can wait for you to return before we start practice." Fei Yuyan said to him.

    Yuan shook his head and said, "No, it¡¯s fine. I already ate. We can begin to practice whenever you¡¯re ready."

    Fei Yuyan raised her eyebrows. Did he eat inside his room or something?

    After shaking the questions in her mind away, Fei Yuyan tilted her head backward along with the teacup, gulping down the tea at once.

    "Okay, let¡¯s start practice now." Fei Yuyan said to him afterward.

    Yuan nodded, and as he turned to walk outside, Fei Yuyan suddenly said, "We can stay inside today; it¡¯s raining outside right now."

    "Oh, okay." Yuan nodded again before taking a seat on the couch.

    A few minutester, once they were in position and prepared, the two of them began ying the zither.

    Xuan Wuhan woke up an hourter with Min Li knocking on the door a few minutester.

    "Wow, it sounds even more impactful since we¡¯re inside a closed area," Xuan Wuhan said with a slightly dazed look on her face after listening to her first song for the day.

    "Also, it sounded like you¡¯ve both improved a lot since yesterday. How much did you actually practicest night? Did you even sleep?" Xuan Wuhan asked them afterward.

    "No, we didn¡¯t sleepst night actually. Instead, we¡¯d spent the entire night ying the zither together¡ª alone." Fei Yuyan responded to her in a calm voice.

    Xuan Wuhan¡¯s eyes widened, and she proceeded to stare at Fei Yuyan with a speechless look on her face.

    "Anyway, let¡¯s continue." Fei Yuyan said to Yuan, and they continued practicing the zither again.

    Time passed quickly and before they realized it, it was already night again.

    "Okay, Disciple Yuan. This is enough for today. Go rest now, and then we¡¯ll spend the entire day tomorrow resting even more. Our body and mind must be in perfect shape before thepetition, after all." Fei Yuyan said to him at the end of their practice session.

    "Okay." Yuan nodded and went to shower first this time.

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    Once Yuan returned, Fei Yuyan went to clean herself.

    "What do you think, Yuan? Are you confident in your abilities? Do you think you¡¯ll have a chance at 3rd ce? I don¡¯t know much about zither, but if someone like Disciple Fei could reach 7th ce, you¡¯ll definitely be able to reach 3rd ce if not even first ce!" Xuan Wuhan said to him.

    "I am also unsure about my current standing since I am new to the zither and Disciple Fei is the only other zither yer I know and canpare to. However, no matter what happens, I¡¯ll y the zither to the best of my abilities and hopefully, meet Disciple Fei¡¯s expectations," Yuan said with a smile on his face.

    "You¡¯re quite the humble one despite your talents, Yuan. I really admire that. You¡¯re clearly already better than Disciple Fei who is already highly established and respected in the zithermunity, yet you act like equals."

    "Well, I¡¯ve learned at a very young age to never look down on others regardless of their situation, so I can only look up to or as equal to somebody," Yuan said.

    "Your parents have taught you well then..." Xuan Wuhan said.

    However, a bittersweet smile appeared on Yuan¡¯s face, and he said in a slightly dispirited voice, "The only thing my parents taught me was music and instruments. Everything else was either self-taught or taught by my sister."

    "I-Is that so? Then who taught you to be humble?" Xuan Wuhan asked, feeling a little awkward now.

    A weird smile appeared on Yuan¡¯s face, and he said, "It took a while, but I learned it after realizing why all of my opponents were crying and staring at me with hatred on their faces after a musicpetition."

    "Although I didn¡¯t realize it until it was toote, I had always looked at my opponents with a cold and indifferent face. Perhaps they mistook my natural expression as arrogance, hence why I was hated by a lot of people."

    "You? Arrogant and indifferent? I cannot imagine it, especially the being hated part." Xuan Wuhan said.

    Yuan chuckled and said, "I don¡¯t really remember most of it, but my sister would always tell me how much I have changedpared to my childhood days. Perhaps living most of my life as a cripple had really changed my character."

    "Eh? What did you just say? A cripple? You?"

    Xuan Wuhan and Min Li stared at Yuan with wide eyes after he identally spilled some beans.

 Chapter 184 Two Life-Saving Treasures

    "Ehhh..." Yuan looked at the two beauties with an awkward look on his face after realizing what he¡¯d just said.

    "A-Anyway, I am getting very sleepy, so I am going to retire for the day. I¡¯ll see you all tomorrow," Yuan said to them before rushing upstairs, almost like he was running away before they could further question him.

    "What was that about?"

    Xuan Wuhan and Min Li exchanged looks with each other. Yuan was definitely keeping something from them, but who doesn¡¯t have a few secrets they¡¯d rather keep to themselves?

    "It¡¯s gettingte so I¡¯ll be leaving too. I¡¯ll see you tomorrow, Senior apprentice-sister Xuan..." Min Li said as she left the building.

    "Guess I¡¯ll go cultivate," Xuan Wuhan shrugged before going into her room.

    "Hmm? Where did everyone go?" Fei Yuyan came out of the bathroom a few minutester to see an empty living room.

    "Oh well..."

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    Fei Yuyan shook her head before going into her room and falling asleep shortlyter.

    The following day, Xuan Wuhan asked everyone there, "What are you going to do today if you¡¯re not going to be practicing the zither?"

    "Well..."

    However, before Fei Yuyan could respond, someone knocked on the door before a voice resounded, "Are you guys inside? It¡¯s me!"

    "Master?" Fei Yuyan went to open the door after hearing Elder Shan¡¯s voice.

    "What¡¯s the matter, Master?" Fei Yuyan asked after greeting her.

    "What do you mean? The tournament¡¯s tomorrow, you know, and I¡¯m here to see if you¡¯re ready to leave yet."

    "We¡¯re leaving the sect already? I thought we wouldn¡¯t have to depart until tomorrow morning." Fei Yuyan said with raised eyebrows since this did not happenst time.

    "Due to the presence of Heaven and Earth Pce and Senior Song, the ce will be much more crowded thanst time. If we don¡¯t leave now, we¡¯ll have trouble getting into the city." Elder Shan exined.

    "Oh, that makes sense..." Fei Yuyan then turned to look at Yuan and asked him, "Are you ready to leave now?"

    Yuan immediately nodded and said, "I am ready to leave whenever you are."

    "W-Wait a second! Elder Shan! I would also like toe with you!" Xuan Wuhan suddenly said.

    "You?" Elder Shan raised her eyebrows, and then she said, "I can only carry two other individuals on my flying treasure so you¡¯ll have to ask your grandfather to take you."

    "Eh? My grandpa is also going?" Xuan Wuhan mumbled in a surprised tone.

    Elder Shan nodded and said, "Yes, that¡¯s why you should talk to him instead."

    "Anyway, we need to speak with the Sect Master before we leave the sect. Come with me, Disciple Fei, Disciple Yuan."

    "I¡¯ll see you twoter," Yuan said to Min Li and Xuan Wuhan.

    Once Fei Yuyan and Yuan left with Elder Shan, Xuan Wuhan and Min Li looked at each other.

    "D-Do you think Grand Elder Xuan would be willing to take me along?" Min Li asked Xuan Wuhan.

    "I can ask for you..." Xuan Wuhan nodded.

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    "Thank you, senior apprentice-sister."

    Meanwhile, at the Sect Master¡¯s headquarters sometimeter, Elder Shan knocked on the door and said, "Sect Master, I¡¯ve brought Disciple Fei and Disciple Yuan here, and we¡¯ll be leaving the sect soon."

    "Come inside."

    A momentter, they entered the room.

    "I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d see you again so soon, Disciple Yuan." Long Yijun said with a somewhat stiff smile on his face.

    "Anyway, about this zitherpetition... There¡¯ll be a lot of people there, you know?"

    "I know," Yuan nodded.

    "If there¡¯s a lot of people, it means there¡¯ll be a lot of people watching you..." Long Yijun narrowed his eyes at Yuan, who appeared oblivious at this moment.

    Yuan suddenly smiled and said, "Don¡¯t worry, Sect Master, I¡¯ll be wearing a mask during thepetition so that people won¡¯t be able to recognize me."

    "Oh?" Long Yijun and Elder Shan looked at Yuan with surprised looks on their faces. They didn¡¯t think he would be aware, which definitely was a shocker.

    Sometimeter, Long Yijun retrieved a medium-sized wooden box and ced it on the table.

    "Take these, Disciple Yuan. In case anything happens, these treasures will keep your life safe."

    After opening the wooden box, Yuan could see two items sitting inside.

    One of these two items was a deep green jade slip with the other being a silver talisman.

    "The jade slip is called ¡¯Jade Barrier¡¯, and the token is named ¡¯Ten Thousand Miles Talisman¡¯." Long Yijun said, and he proceeded to exin their usages, "If you pour some of your spiritual energy into the Jade Barrier, it will create a very powerful defensive formation around you that can block even a Spirit Grandmaster¡¯s strike, but it will only be able to block a single hit no matter who attacks you so you must use it wisely."

    "As for the Ten Thousand Miles Talisman, as long as you activate it with your spiritual energy, it will immediately teleport you ten thousand miles from your location. However, it does so randomly so there are some risks involved, such as being teleported in the middle of an ocean or in the middle of a beast¡¯s nest."

    "Remember, Disciple Yuan, that you can only use these treasures once before they lose their powers." Long Yijun warned him.

    "I understand," Yuan nodded before epting these two life-saving treasures.

    For more, visit [./

    "Thank you," he said afterward.

    ¡¯The Sect Master personally handed Disciple Yuan two powerful life-saving treasures?! For what?! Leaving the sect?! Just what is his background?!¡¯ Fei Yuyan cried inwardly after seeing this.

    "Good luck, Disciple Fei and Disciple Yuan. Go and make the sect and our ancestors proud." Long Yijun said to them before looking at Elder Shan and continuing, "I¡¯ll leave them in Elder Xuan¡¯s and your care, Elder Shan."

    "Rest assured, Sect Master. I won¡¯t let either of theme to any harm, and I¡¯ll prioritize their lives over mine," Elder Shan nodded with a serious look on her face.

    ¡¯What the heck? We¡¯re only going to participate in a zitherpetition, and it¡¯s not as if we¡¯re hunting powerful magical beasts...¡¯ Fei Yuyan was left speechless by their serious conversation, as it sounded like they were going somewhere dangerous.

 Chapter 185 Special Treatment

    Yuan left the Sect Master¡¯s headquarters with the others shortly after Long Yijun gave him the life-saving treasures.

    "Disciple Yuan," Elder Shan suddenly called out to him, and then she reached into her spatial ring before pulling out a red pill and handing it to him.

    "Although this pill is not as powerful as the life-saving treasures the Sect Master gave you, this Pill of Dominance will enhance yourbat capabilities by 100% for ten minutes. However, you¡¯ll be a bit sore and feel weak afterward so if you cannot defeat your opponents in 10 minutes, use the Ten Thousand Miles Talisman to get as far away as possible."

    "Thank you, Senior Shan..." Yuan epted the pill.

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    [Pill of Dominance] [Tier 3] [Purity: 88%]

    [Effects: Enhances all of your stats by 100% for 10 minutes followed by a 75% deduction in all stats for 24 hours]

    [Description: Only consume if you are a Cultivator!]

    ¡¯Even Master gave Disciple Yuan something to keep him safe?¡¯ Fei Yuyan stared at him with a slightly dazed look on her face.

    "Let¡¯s go meet up with Elder Xuan now." Elder Shan said before bringing them to his living quarters.

    "Hmm?" Elder Shan raised her eyebrows when she noticed two familiar-looking faces standing beside Elder Xuan.

    For more, visit lightn/ovelpu/b[./

    Of course, it was Xuan Wuhan and Min Li. In the end, Xuan Wuhan managed to persuade Elder Xuan to bring her and Min Li along to thepetition.

    "Are we all ready to leave?" Elder Xuan asked them after they gathered.

    "Yes, and we just came from seeing the Sect Master. We¡¯re ready to leave at any time." Elder Shan nodded.

    "Good. Then we shall depart right away. However, before we leave, allow me to give this to you, Disciple Yuan..." Elder Xuan said as he retrieved two items and extended them towards Yuan.

    "These two items wille in handy if you¡¯re ever in trouble. The first item is called ¡¯Thunder Needle¡¯. You can activate it by pouring your spiritual energy inside, and once that happens, it will explode in three seconds, releasing a powerful explosion that¡¯s as strong as an all-out attack from a Cultivator at the peak Spirit Master realm, so make sure you throw it before it explodes."

    "This second item is called Dragon Marble; it¡¯s an extremely rare treasure with very limited quantities since only a dozen of these were found in the Dragon Temple many thousand years ago. There are only two of these treasures left in the sect, and if you activate it with your spiritual energy, it¡¯ll transport you back to the Dragon Essence Temple no matter where you are in this world as long as you¡¯re within the Lower Heavens. Use it wisely."

    ¡¯The Dragon Marble?! Grand Elder Xuan is going to give away such a precious life-saving treasure to Disciple Yuan?! Why?!¡¯ Fei Yuyan¡¯s jaw dropped to the ground when she saw this, as did Xuan Wuhan and Min Li.

    They were only going to participate in some music tournament inside a city. The chances of them being in danger were practically none, yet Yuan still received many powerful life-saving treasures as though he was being sent to the battlefield!

    ¡¯Why are they only giving him life-saving treasures? What about me? What about the rest of us?! Aren¡¯t we also leaving the sect? Why does he get such special treatments?!¡¯ Fei Yuyan cried inwardly, feeling slightly envious of Yuan, but she didn¡¯t dare toin.

    "Thank you, Senior Xuan." Yuan epted the small silver needle and the golden marble before tossing them into his spatial ring.

    "How can you give him something so precious when I only gave him a Pill of Dominance? Now you¡¯re making me look bad..." Elder Shan sighed afterward.

    "I¡¯m sorry, it wasn¡¯t intentional, Elder Shan..." Elder Xuan said with a somewhat stiff smile.

    Sometimeter, Elder Shan retrieved what appeared to be a wooden boat toy from her spatial ring.

    After pouring some of her spiritual energy into the wooden boat, the toy-sized wooden boat suddenly expanded until it wasrge enough to fit three people, dumbfounding Yuan.

    "Get on." Elder Shan said to them as she boarded the wooden boat.

    Fei Yuyan entered the boat before taking a seat.

    "What are you waiting for, Disciple Yuan? Come over here." Fei Yuyan patted the empty seat beside her with a seemingly innocent look on her face, yet her eyes nced at Xuan Wuhan for a split second.

    Yuan nodded and took a seat beside Fei Yuyan, even feeling something soft pressing the side of his h.i.p.s afterward.

    Visit [. for a better experience

    Xuan Wuhan¡¯s eyebrows twitched after seeing this, and she definitely did not miss Fei Yuyan¡¯s quick nce.

    Meanwhile, Elder Xuan also retrieved his flying treasure.

    "T-That¡¯s a treasure?"

    Yuan stared at Elder Xuan¡¯s ¡¯flying treasure¡¯ with wide eyes, as it looked like a small circr tform made of clouds.

    Elder Xuan smiled at Yuan¡¯s reaction, and he said, "There are many different types of flying treasures. You can even find ones that resemble and move like magical beasts, but they¡¯re not actually real."

    Sometimeter, Elder Shan and Elder Xuan activated their flying treasures and took flight, soaring towards the clouds in the sky before speeding into the distance at a speed that was vastly superior to flying swords.

    "Wow... How expensive are flying treasures?" Yuan asked a few minutester.

    "Flying treasures are very rare in the Lower Heavens so the chances of you buying them are extremely low," Fei Yuyan said.

    "Then how were these flying treasures obtained?"

    "I obtained mine during arge tournament two hundred years ago," Elder Shan responded.

    "As for Elder Xuan, I believe it was given to him by the sect for his meritorious achievements when he was still a mere disciple. Do you also want one?"

    Yuan shook his head and said, "No, I just find them really cool, and I still prefer the flying sword."

    "There are also flying treasures that resemble swords. In fact, the Sect Master of the Radiance Sword Sect has a flying treasure that¡¯s simply an enormous sword." Elder Shan said, causing Yuan to imagine himself soaring in the sky with an enormous sword.

    ¡¯Maybe I can use the Empyrean Overlord as my flying sword in the future?¡¯ Yuan thought to himself.

 Chapter 186 Accidentally Spilling the Beans

    After flying for a couple of hours, the flying treasures came to a sudden halt, and Elder Shan said, "We¡¯re at the ce. However, since we cannot enter the city with flying treasures, we¡¯ll have to descend here."

    A few momentster, Elder Shan and Elder Xuan descended their flying treasures before storing them away.

    Once they were standing on the ground again, Yuan retrieved a ck jade mask and wore it on his face, covering his handsome features besides his bright eyes that illuminated with energy and excitement.

    "W-Wait a second... That jade mask..."

    When Min Li saw this familiar-looking jade mask, she immediately recalled the mysterious figure during the disciple examination.

    "Y-You! It was you all along?!" Min Li cried out loud while pointing at Yuan with trembling fingers when she realized the truth.

    "Huh?"

    Everybody there including Yuan turned to look at Min Li with raised eyebrows and puzzled expressions.

    "What are you talking about?" Xuan Wuhan asked her.

    "Y-You! Disciple Yuan! You were the masked figure from the disciple examination?! I saw you during the third exam, even taking notice of you because of your powerful aura! I had wondered where you went because I didn¡¯t see you after the examination! So you were right beside me this entire time!" Min Li eximed.

    For more, visit li/g/htnovelpub[.]/c/om

    "Eh? Yes... I was there when you took fifty steps," Yuan nodded, not even bothering to hide anything. "Is there something wrong?"

    "Of course! You emitted the power of someone at the Spirit Warrior realm at that time! Howe you¡¯re only a Spirit Apprentice now?! In fact, now that I look at your cultivation, it went up by two whole levels since Ist checked! How is that even possible?!" Min Li said.

    "Huh? What are you talking about? Yuan has always been a Spirit Warrior. He was at fifth level Spirit Warrior even before he¡¯d be a disciple at the Dragon Essence Temple," Xuan Wuhan casually said.

    "What?!" Fei Yuyan and Min Li turned to look at Xuan Wuhan with their eyes wide with shock.

    How could an Outer Court disciple be at the fifth level Spirit Warrior realm?!

    Elder Xuan and Elder Shan looked at each other with a bittersweet smile on their faces, and Elder Xuan said a momentter, "Actually... Disciple Yuan is currently under the effects of a pill known as ¡¯Pill of Concealment¡¯ that suppresses his cultivation level by an entire realm, and his real cultivation base is actually peak Spirit Warrior, but keep this a secret, okay? I am only revealing this fact because it¡¯s impossible to keep it hidden at this point."

    "Peak Spirit Warrior?!?!"

    The three fairies turned to look at Yuan with gawking looks on their beautiful faces.

    How old was Yuan again? 18 years old? How can someone that young have such an impressive cultivation base? That¡¯s something you normally only see in the upper heavens!

    For more, visit lightn/ovelpub[./

    Thud.

    Min Li suddenly fell to her knees with disbelief on her face.

    ¡¯I... I have beenparing myself to a Spirit Warrior this entire time? It¡¯s no wonder why he was able to destroy the Training Puppet so casually! I¡¯ve been fooled!¡¯ Min Li cried inwardly, feeling as though she¡¯d lived a life of lies this entire time.

    ¡¯T-This guy... He¡¯s even more monstrous than I¡¯d expected! Peak Spirit Warrior at such a young age! He¡¯s definitely from one of the Four Ancient Families if not a hidden family that¡¯s even more powerful!¡¯

    "A-Are you okay?" Yuan asked Min Li in a weird tone after seeing her fall to her knees.

    "Yes... I am..." Min Li said a momentter before standing up and patting the dirt off her slightly stained robes.

    Sometimeter, Elder Shan asked them, "Are we ready to continue?"

    "Yes."

    They all nodded.

    For more, visit light/nov/elpub[/.

    Thus, Elder Shan began leading them towards the city that was less than a mile away.

    ¡¯Peak Spirit Warrior... He¡¯s not only more talented than me in music, but he¡¯s also stronger than me in cultivation...¡¯ Fei Yuyan stared at Yuan¡¯s back from behind with a profound expression on her face, wondering if there were any more secrets from him.

    Many minutester, they arrived before the city walls.

    "Wow... There¡¯s a lot of people here..." Yuan mumbled in a dazed voice after seeing the sea of people trying to get inside the city.

    "Damn, I¡¯ve underestimated the crowd. I didn¡¯t expect there to be so many people here." Elder Shan sucked her teeth after seeing so many people.

    Elder Xuan shook his head and said with a smile on his face, "Even though you are mostly shameless at the sect, you can be quite humble and innocent at times, Elder Shan."

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    "What do you mean by that?" Elder Shan looked at him with one of her eyebrows raised.

    Elder Xuan chuckled and said, "Do you really think they¡¯re going to make us wait in line like everyone here? Just follow me."

    Elder Xuan did not wait for a response and stepped towards the city walls and into the crowd.

    Visit lightnovelp/ub[. for a better experience

    "Eh?"

    Despite having no eyes behind their back, the people in front of Elder Xuan unconsciously turned around due to Elder Xuan¡¯s profound aura that poked their backs with an invisible finger.

    "That¡¯s a Sect Elder from the esteemed Dragon Essence Temple!"

    "Hey! Isn¡¯t that Elder Xuan?! Dragon Essence Temple¡¯s Grand Elder! What¡¯s he doing here?!"

    The people there immediately recognized his majestic robes, and not daring to block his path, they quickly made way for him, creating a long and empty path from the back of the line to the front of the line.

    "What are you all waiting for? Let¡¯s go." Elder Xuan said to the others in a calm voice.

    A few secondster, Yuan and the others followed Elder Xuan through the massive crowd and towards the city entrance with dumbfounded looks on their faces.

    "Wee to our city, Sect Elders and Disciples of the Dragon Essence Temple!" The guards greeted them in a respectful voice once they reached the front.

 Chapter 187 Splitting the Rooms

    "Don¡¯t mind us too much. We¡¯re only here because of the zitherpetition that¡¯ll be held in this city," Elder Xuan said to the guards with a friendly expression.

    "Of course. The majority of peopleing to the city these past few days are only here for thepetition. Are you going to be participating or are you just spectating, Seniors?" The guard then asked.

    "My disciples will be participating in the zitherpetition," Elder Xuan responded.

    "I see. Then please ept this. It¡¯s a small gift from our city for those that¡¯ll be participating in thepetition."

    The guard suddenly showed them a small golden medallion, and he continued, "If you head to the Royal Blossom Hotel and show them this token, you¡¯ll receive rooms to reside until you decide to leave the city¡ª free of charge, of course."

    "Oh? That¡¯s very generous of this city. I¡¯ll be sure to thank the lord of this ce when I get the chance," Elder Xuan said with a smile on his face.

    "Thank you, Senior!" The guard bowed to him respectfully.

    Of course, the city doesn¡¯t hand out these tokens to just anybody that decides to participate in thepetition like candies and only prestigious or powerful backgrounds like the Dragon Essence Temple would receive them, especially if their Grand Elder is there.

    After epting the golden medallion, Elder Xuan entered the city of the others.

    "Did you already reserve a hotel for us, Elder Shan? If you haven¡¯t, we can head to the Royal Blossom Hotel for our rooms since it¡¯ll be difficult for us to find empty rooms right now." Elder Xuan asked her.

    "Of course, I did. I am not ipetent. However, the Royal Blossom Hotel is definitely a much nicer ce than the hotel I¡¯d reserved, so we can act as though I didn¡¯t reserve us any rooms." Elder Shan said, dumbfounding them.

    "V-Very well... Since that¡¯s the case, we¡¯ll head to the Royal Blossom Hotel instead." Elder Xuan said.

    "Then follow me. I am pretty familiar with this city since I¡¯ve been here a few times," Elder Shan said as she took back the lead from Elder Xuan and began leading the others to the Royal Blossom Hotel.

    "Wow! Look at that group of fairies! I have never seen such beautiful women in my life!"

    "Damn! I would not ask for anything else in my life if I could have a woman that¡¯s even half as pretty as one of them!"

    The pedestrians in the city stopped whatever they were doing to stare at Elder Shan and the female disciples with bewitched expressions on their dazed faces after noticing their presence.

    "Why don¡¯t you try approaching them? Maybe you¡¯ll get lucky."

    "Are you nuts? Look at their uniforms! They¡¯re from the Dragon Essence Temple! And judging by their aura, they¡¯re definitely powerful experts! If you don¡¯t cherish your life, go ahead and approach them!"

    Sometimeter, Elder Shan stopped walking in front of this tall and massive building that not only upied the entire street but was also surrounded by beautiful cherry blossoms.

    Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.

    "Wow... What a beautiful ce," Yuan mumbled with a dazed look on his face, feeling mesmerized by the cherry blossoms.

    After standing outside for a few moments to admire the beautiful trees, Elder Shan entered the building with the others.

    "Wee to the Royal Blossom Hotel, esteemed guests from the Dragon Essence Temple."

    A dozen servants greeted them the moment they entered the building, almost like the hotel was expecting their arrival.

    Elder Shan didn¡¯t act too surprised about this and showed them the medallion.

    "How many rooms do we get with this?" Elder Shan asked them afterward.

    One of the workers there immediately responded, "Normally, you will be allowed to have up to five rooms, but due to the uingpetition that has caused an influx of guests, we are only able to spare two rooms. However, each room can amodate up to four people. We apologize for the inconvenience."

    "You don¡¯t need to apologize. We can¡¯tin about something that¡¯s given to us for free, after all." Elder Shan said.

    She then turned to look at Yuan and the others.

    "Let¡¯s see... We have six of us but only two rooms¡ª two male and four females. I guess it¡¯s obvious how we should split the rooms."

    Elder Shan then pointed at the female disciples and said, "The three of you can stay in one room, and I¡¯ll stay with Elder Xuan and Disciple Yuan."

    "Eh?"

    Everybody there stared at Elder Shan with gawking expressions.

    "Ahem!" Elder Xuan cleared his throat a momentter and said, "Elder Shan, wouldn¡¯t it make more sense if you joined the three female disciples instead of joining us¡ª two men? After all, each room can fit four people."

    "Why force four people into a single room when we can share the rooms evenly and have more space? This is a no-brainer." Elder Shan responded in a clear voice, her beautiful face void of even the slightest sign of shame or embarrassment, and she continued, "And I don¡¯t mind sharing a room with you two since I¡¯m confident that nothing will happen."

    "Are you sure about that? While I am also confident that neither of us will do anything, I cannot say the same for you, Elder Shan." Elder Xuan said with narrowed eyes. "But since you want to share the rooms evenly, my granddaughter can stay in the same room as us."

    Elder Shan¡¯s eyebrows twitched after hearing Elder Xuan¡¯seback.

    Meanwhile, Xuan Wuhan¡¯s heart throbbed with excitement, and she could already imagine sleeping in the same room as Yuan, perhaps even in the same bed!

    "Why are you making this so difficult, Elder Xuan? Just let the disciples be together. However, since Disciple Yuan cannot sleep with the others for obvious reasons, he can stay with us, the elders." Elder Shan said after a moment of silence.

    Elder Xuan raised his eyebrows and said in a casual voice, "Why not? It¡¯s not like this is their first time sleeping in the same ce, anyways."

    "W-What did you just say?" Elder Shan¡¯s eyes immediately widened with shock, and she stared at Elder Xuan with disbelief on her face.

 Chapter 188 Did You Two Already Do â€˜Thatâ€™ Together?

    "What do you mean it¡¯s not their first time sleeping together, Elder Xuan?!" Elder Shan suddenly stepped forward aggressively, looking like she wanted to grab Elder Xuan by the cors and shake him violently.

    However, Elder Shan resisted her urges and stopped after her first step, yet her gaze still stared daggers at Elder Xuan, almost like she was demanding an answer!

    A slight smile appeared on Elder Xuan¡¯s as he shook his head, and then he said, "Calm down, Elder Shan. I¡¯ll exin."

    Thus, in order to calm Elder Shan down, Elder Xuan exined the whole situation regarding Fei Yuyan staying at Yuan¡¯s living quarters so they can practice more conveniently.

    Elder Shan turned to look at Fei Yuyan with disbelief on her face after hearing the whole story and finally understanding the situation.

    "Y-You... Unbelievable! How could you not tell your own Master about this! We¡¯re going to have a little talkter¡ª just you and me!" Elder Shan said to her, clearly upset about Fei Yuyan¡¯s actions for some reason.

    "Yes, Master..." Fei Yuyan responded with a nod before sighing inwardly, ¡¯This is exactly why I didn¡¯t want to tell you about staying at Yuan¡¯s house...¡¯

    "Senior Shan, if you¡¯re worried about Disciple Fei breaking the sect rule, rest assure, since we¡¯d received Elder Xuan¡¯s permission," Yuan said to Elder Shan afterward, worried that Disciple Fei might get scolded because of some misunderstanding.

    A bittersweet smile appeared on Elder Shan¡¯s face after seeing Yuan¡¯s innocent face, and she said, "Don¡¯t worry, Disciple Yuan, neither of you is in trouble, nor is this about breaking the sect rules."

    "I-Is that so?" Yuan nodded, feeling relieved that it wasn¡¯t about breaking the sect rules.

    "Anyway, I won¡¯t allow Disciple Yuan to sleep in the same room with the female disciples while I am here, so he¡¯ll be sleeping with us." Elder Shan said in a clear voice with an adamant look on her face.

    Elder Xuan shook his head inwardly. Knowing Elder Shan¡¯s stubbornness and without any assistance from the other elders, Elder Xuan knew that it was near impossible to change her mind.

    "Fine... You can stay with us..." Elder Xuan mumbled in a tired-sounding voice afterward.

    "Eh?!" Xuan Wuhan felt her heart drop after hearing this, as it meant that she¡¯ll no longer be able to sleep with Yuan in the same room, much less the same bed!

    While she wanted toin, she didn¡¯t want to sound desperate, and she was not as shameless as Elder Shan.

    Meanwhile, the workers in the hotel stood there with dumbfounded looks on their faces as they witnessed this spectacle that would¡¯ve done great as a romanticedy.

    "P-Please, allow me to show you the rooms..." One of the servants there said to them after their little show was over.

    Sometimeter, the servant led them to the fourth floor and showed them thest two rooms in the hallway.

    "These will be your rooms, esteemed guests. If you wish to stay even after thepetition, there will definitely be more avable rooms since those who came for thepetition usually leave immediately afterward."

    "And here are the keys to your rooms."

    Once the servant left the scene, Elder Shan handed one of the two keys to Fei Yuyan and said, "You girls can do whatever you want for the rest of today and tomorrow. Just make sure you¡¯re back in the hotel before midnight so we know you¡¯re safe."

    Immediately after hearing Elder Shan¡¯s words, Fei Yuyan looked at Yuan and asked him, "Disciple Yuan, do you want to look at zithers with me? I know thisrge musical store that not only disys powerful zithers but they also sell them!"

    "Really? I want to go." Yuan immediately nodded.

    "I¡¯ll go as well," Xuan Wuhan said.

    "Me too," Min Li also said.

    "Wait a second, before you go, let me speak with you real quick, Disciple Fei." Elder Shan suddenly said.

    "I¡¯ll be right back." Fei Yuyan said to them before following Elder Shan into one of the rooms.

    Once they were inside, Elder Shan silently stared at Fei Yuyan with narrowed eyes.

    After a few moments of awkward silence that felt like an hour for Fei Yuyan, Elder Shan opened her mouth and spoke in a serious voice, "Did... Did you two already do ¡¯that¡¯ together?"

    "That?" Fei Yuyan raised her eyebrows with a puzzled look on her face, as she was too nervous to think properly right now.

    "Do you really need me to spell it out for you?" Elder Shan shook her head.

    And she continued, "I¡¯m talking about ¡¯that¡¯! You lived at his house for almost an entire week, right? Surely, you must¡¯ve had s.e.x already!"

    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    "S-S-S.e.x?!" Fei Yuyan took a step back from shock, and she stared at Elder Shan with disbelief on her face. How can a beautiful woman like Elder Shan mention such a vulgar word so casually?

    "We didn¡¯t do anything like that!" Fei Yuyan quickly refuted aftering back to her senses.

    "What? You haven¡¯t? Really? You¡¯re not lying to me, right? There¡¯s no way a woman and man at your age would be able to live together without doing anything!" Elder Shan said, doubting her.

    "W-What kind of woman do you think I am, Master?! There¡¯s no way I would do something like that with someone I¡¯d just met! Furthermore, Disciple Yuan wouldn¡¯ty a hand on me even if I ampletely vulnerable! He¡¯s too kind and innocent!" Fei Yuyan said.

    "Hmph! I don¡¯t believe it! All men are beasts by nature! If you let your guard down, they¡¯ll immediately try to take advantage of you, and I doubt Yuan is any different! Tempt him enough and he¡¯ll reveal his true nature! This is my experience with men after living for over 300 years!" Elder Shan said, clearly having some sort of resentment towards men.

    "Master, you make it sound like Disciple Yuan is a bad guy, yet you¡¯d insisted on sleeping in the same room as him and Elder Xuan. That doesn¡¯t make any sense!" Fei Yuyan said, leaving Elder Shan speechless for a moment.

 Chapter 189 Instrument Store

    After a moment of silence, Elder Shan cleared her throat and said, "While that is true, have you forgotten who I am? As a sect elder, there are risks I must take, and I am very confident that I can protect myself. After all, I have managed to protect myself for over three hundred years in this world dominated by beasts."

    Fei Yuyan looked at her with her eyebrows raised, unsure of what to think at this moment.

    "A-Anyway, you are lucky that Disciple Yuan is a good kid, or your maiden status would¡¯ve been revoked during your first night together." Elder Shan then said, before quickly changing the subject.

    "By the way, do you have feelings for Disciple Yuan? Do you like him?"

    "L-Like him?" Fei Yuyan¡¯s jaw dropped slightly. Why does Elder Shan care so much about their rtionship? She¡¯s usually not such a busybody, and it was almost like she¡¯s jealous of them or something.

    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.

    "While I respect Disciple Yuan, even admire him for his talents, so I definitely like him, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s that sort of ¡¯like¡¯ Master is thinking about... I think," Fei Yuyan responded after a moment of silence.

    "Why do you ask, Master?" Fei Yuyan decided to ask her.

    "No reason, really. I was just curious since this is my first time seeing you so close to a man¡ª almost intimately." Elder Shan said.

    And she continued, "Since you don¡¯t have any serious feelings for him nor did anything really happened between you two, I guess there¡¯s no need for us to continue the conversation any longer. Let¡¯s go. You want to go to the music shop, right?"

    "You¡¯reing with us, Master?" Fei Yuyan asked her with a surprised look.

    "Of course. I have a duty to protect Disciple Yuan. If anything happens to him, the Sect Master will have my head..." Elder Shan said.

    "Just who is Disciple Yuan, and why is the sect so protective of him?" Fei Yuyan asked.

    However, Elder Shan shook her head and said, "Even if you are my disciple, I am not allowed to tell you. But you¡¯re a smart girl, so you¡¯ll most likely figure it out without me. And if you can wait a few more weeks, you¡¯ll know exactly why the sect treasures Disciple Yuan so much."

    "A few more weeks?" Fei Yuyan immediately pondered.

    The first thing that appeared in her mind after hearing Elder Shan¡¯s words was the Mystic Realm, one of the biggest events urring in the Lower Heavens this year, and coincidentally, it¡¯s only a few weeks away.

    "D-Don¡¯t tell me... Disciple Yuan... He¡¯s going to participate in the Mystic Realm?" Fei Yuyan couldn¡¯t help but ask.

    Elder Shan merely smiled at Fei Yuyan¡¯s guess without replying or confirming it.

    ¡¯I see... So Disciple Yuan¡¯s going to be participating in the Mystic Realm...¡¯ Fei Yuyan thought to herself after seeing Elder Shan¡¯s smile.

    Sometimeter, they left the room and regrouped with the others.

    For more, visit lightnovel/pub[.]

    "Are we ready to go?" Yuan asked them afterward.

    "Yes, let¡¯s go."

    Fei Yuyan nodded before taking the lead.

    Meanwhile, Yuan and the other twodies followed her.

    As for Elder Xuan and Elder Shan, they also followed, but they distanced themselves a little bit more to give the disciples more room, almost like guardians looking over them from behind.

    "Are you really trying to start something with Disciple Yuan, or are you only teasing him?" Elder Xuan asked her as they followed the disciples through the street.

    "I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about." Elder Shan responded in a nonchnt manner.

    "I know you dislike men because of your experience with them when you were young, but not every man out there is like that, and Disciple Yuan is certainly one of those people on the likable side. I haven¡¯t known him for too long, but I can tell that he¡¯s a genuine person just from the few conversations we had with each other."

    "I know that. You don¡¯t have to tell me." Elder Shan said, still with an unreadable expression on her face.

    For more, visit [.

    "Then what is your deal? You dislike men, yet you enjoy seducing them knowing full well it won¡¯t result in anything. That¡¯s very misleading and confusing, or is this your way of revenge to make up for all of the trouble you¡¯d encountered in the past?" Elder Xuan sighed.

    "Perhaps. Perhaps not." Elder Shan mumbled.

    Elder Xuan shook his head, but he didn¡¯t continue questioning her and left it as it is since it wasn¡¯t his business, and as long as it doesn¡¯t affect the Dragon Essence Temple, Elder Shan can mislead as many young men as she wants.

    Sometimeter, they arrive at thisrge store with gentle music ying somewhere in the background.

    "This sounds like a flute..." Yuan mumbled after hearing this sharp and crisp sound.

    "Let¡¯s go inside." Fei Yuyan said to them as she entered the shop.

    "Wee to our store, Divine Melody! How may I help you today, esteemed guests from the Dragon Essence Temple?" One of the workers there immediately recognized their background and approached them.

    "We¡¯re only here to look around," said Fei Yuyan.

    "I understand. Please take as long as you need. There¡¯s a small map over there if you¡¯re looking for a specific instrument. If you need anything, just speak to anyone wearing this uniform and they¡¯ll be able to assist you."

    Once the worker left them alone, Fei Yuyan said, "What do you want to see first, Disciple Yuan?"

    "I don¡¯t know. I am fine with anything, really." Yuan said.

    Fei Yuyan nodded, "Okay, then follow me. I¡¯ll just take you around the store."

    "Wow... This must be the instrument that¡¯s being yed right now." Yuan said after they entered a certain room in the store.

    "You mean the dizi? They are flutes usually made from bamboo," Fei Yuyan said as they stood before a disy case that had a beautiful green flute with ten holes in it.

    After spending a few minutes in the dizi session, Fei Yuyan led them into another room that showcased a different instrument that resembled guitars in Yuan¡¯s world.

 Chapter 190 Spirit Stones

    "What is this instrument called?" Yuan asked after seeing the instrument that resembled a guitar.

    "This instrument is called a pipa," Fei Yuyan quickly responded.

    ¡¯A pipa, huh... I wonder if it functions simr to the guitar...¡¯ Yuan wondered to himself as they wandered around the room, admiring the beautifully crafted instruments inside the disy case.

    After spending a couple of minutes in the pipa room, they went to another room.

    "This instrument resembles a violin..." Yuan mumbled after seeing this mallet-shaped instrument with a thin handle, and there was even a bow beside it exactly like a violin.

    "I have never heard of a ¡¯violin¡¯ but this instrument is called an erhu. You ce it on your thighs and use that bow to y the strings." Fei Yuyan briefly exined to him.

    "I see..." Yuan nodded.

    Sometimeter, they left the room with erhu and entered thest room in the building.

    "Do you recognize these instruments, Disciple Yuan?" Fei Yuyan asked him in a sarcastic voice inside the room filled with nothing but zithers.

    Yuan smiled and yed along with her, "I don¡¯t know, but they seem very familiar."

    For more, visit /[/.

    "Anyway, look at this zither over here." Fei Yuyan then pointed at the zither in one of the disy cases and continued, "This is a Heaven-grade zither made from Ice Jade, a very rare material, and rumor has it that it was once owned by the Zither Goddess. The name of this zither is Eternal Imprisonment."

    "Zither Goddess? What kind of person is this Zither Goddess?" Yuan asked, feeling more interested in the individual than the zither.

    "The number one zither expert in this world. If the Zither Goddess ims to be the second-best zither yer in this world, nobody would dare to im first. There are even legends of the Zither Goddess creating life and stars with her zither music."

    "Creating life with music? I cannot imagine such a thing..." Yuan shook his head.

    "That¡¯s just a legend, but if the Zither Goddess is real, I¡¯d love to meet someone like her." Fei Yuyan sighed with a longing feeling in her eyes.

    "Perhaps Yuan might be the Zither God one day," Xuan Wuhan suddenly said in a joking tone.

    "The Zither God?" Fei Yuyan looked at Yuan with a weird expression on her face, mostly because she was trying to imagine Yuan as the Zither God, but s, she could not put together such an image no matter how much she tried.

    "Anyway, let¡¯s continue looking around. After we finish seeing these rooms, we can take a look at their store and see if there¡¯s anything to buy." Fei Yuyan said.

    They returned to looking at zither a momentter while Fei Yuyan gave Yuan brief history lessons on almost all of the zithers there.

    If Fei Yuyan changed her disciple uniforms to one of the uniforms in this ce, the guests would never realize it.

    Sometimeter, Fei Yuyan brought them out of the zither room before taking them to this massive courtyard behind the store.

    Inside the courtyard, there were about a dozen disy cases ced in an orderly fashion, and inside these disy cases were instruments with a price tag.

    Yuan approached one of these disy cases that was showcasing a ck-colored dizi.

    [ck Sparrow Flute]

    [Grade: Earth]

    [Quality: High]

    [Description: A bamboo flute made of ck bamboo found in the ck Sparrow Forest]

    [Price: 5,000,000 gold coins or 500 spirit stones]

    "F-Five million gold?!" Yuan¡¯s jaw dropped slightly after seeing the price tag.

    "Wow, it¡¯s pretty cheap, especially since it¡¯s a high-quality Earth-grade treasure." Fei Yuyan appeared behind Yuan and said.

    "This is cheap?" Yuan raised his eyebrows, and he asked a momentter, "By the way, what are spirit stones?"

    "Spirit stones are a major cultivation resource for Cultivators, and not only can they be used as currency but a single one of them is worth about 10,000 gold coins. However, people still prefer trading with gold coins since they¡¯d rather use spirit stones to improve their cultivation." Fei Yuyan exined to him.

    "I see..." Yuan nodded.

    Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    "If this was a zither, I would¡¯ve probably bought it, but s... I don¡¯t y the dizi..." Fei Yuyan shook her head at the ck Sparrow Flute before walking to the next disy case that was showcasing another high-quality Earth-grade treasure¡ª a red-colored pipa with a price tag of 8 million gold coins or 800 spirit stones.

    A few minutester, Fei Yuyan sighed loudly, "How unfortunate. There¡¯s not a single zither instrument being sold today. Thest time I was here, there were 3 of them being sold!"

    "Is this everything to see in this ce? Where should we go next? There¡¯s still plenty of time." Xuan Wuhan said.

    "Who said we¡¯re done here? There¡¯s still one more ce in this store that I want to show you, especially Disciple Yuan." Fei Yuyan said while looking at Yuan with a mysterious smile on her face.

    "Come with me!" she said before walking off on her own.

    Seeing this, Yuan quickly followed her, and the others followed him.

    A couple of minutester, they arrive at this mysterious and silent ce with two guards standing beside this door that emitted an ominous feeling, both of them peak Spirit Warriors.

    "Where are we? I don¡¯t think we¡¯re supposed to be here!" Xuan Wuhan said to Fei Yuyan.

    "Of course this is not a ce for the public. Only those who¡¯d ce top ten in the previous zitherpetition cane here, and since I¡¯d ced 7th, I am allowed to go inside. However, I can only bring one person along with me, and I¡¯ll be bringing Disciple Yuan."

    "Eh? That¡¯s not fair." Xuan Wuhan immediatelyined.

    "If you can y the zither even half as decent as Disciple Yuan, I might consider bringing you insideter. Otherwise, it¡¯d be just a waste of my time, and effort," Fei Yuyan shook her head.

    "You..." Xuan Wuhan narrowed her eyes at Fei Yuyan, but s, she couldn¡¯t y the zither at all.

    Fei Yuyan no longer paid attention to Xuan Wuhan and turned to look at Yuan.

    "Follow me," she said to him.

 Chapter 191 Soul Ensnaring Zither

    Sometimeter, Yuan followed Fei Yuyan and approached the guards with her.

    "Wee, Fairy Fei." The guards immediately recognized her beautiful appearance.

    "It¡¯s been a while, you two. I would like to go inside with a friend today," Fei Yuyan said to them.

    The guards turned to look at Yuan¡¯s masked face, but since he was wearing the Dragon Essence Temple¡¯s uniforms, they didn¡¯t bother to question his identity.

    "I understand. You have an hour instead."

    The guards then opened the door until there was just enough room for one of them to walk inside.

    Once they were inside, the guards closed the heavy doors shut.

    "Do youe here often?" Yuan asked her after they entered this empty but spacious room.

    "No, I¡¯ve only been here three times since thestpetition," Fei Yuyan shook her head.

    "Anyway,e look at this."

    Fei Yuyan suddenly grabbed Yuan¡¯s hands and dragged him towards the center of the room where arge white nket was covering a round table alongside something else.

    "What do you think is underneath the nket?" Fei Yuyan asked him after casually releasing his hand.

    Yuan looked at the familiar-looking shape and said, "Is it a zither?"

    Fei Yuyan nodded with a smile, "Correct!"

    She then removed the nket and said, "This is the Soul Ensnaring Zither!"

    "Soul Ensnaring Zither? What an ominous name..." Yuan mumbled as his gaze examined the ck zither that had glistening strings like it was made out of clear crystals!

    "What are you talking about? It¡¯s a wonderful name! Legend says this zither can trap both human and magical beasts¡¯ souls with its music¡ª that is if you can y it!" Fei Yuyan said.

    "What do you mean ¡¯if you can y it¡¯?" Yuan asked her.

    Fei Yuyan did not immediately answer his question and instead took a seat in front of the zither.

    "It¡¯ll be easier for me to show you instead of exining it."

    After taking a deep breath, she ced her fingers onto the string and began ying the zither.

    However, to Yuan¡¯s surprise, the music notesing from the zither werepletely different from what he¡¯d expected, and it sounded somewhat suppressed and muffled, almost like Fei Yuyan was ying the zither underwater or something.

    How can a perfect-looking zither y such a weird sound? Even the strings on the zither were shaking normally when moved so such a sound shouldn¡¯t be possible. It didn¡¯t make any sense at all, and this is his first time seeing such a thing.

    "Do you understand now?" Fei Yuyan stopped ying a few momentster and looked at Yuan.

    However, Yuan shook his head and said, "I¡¯m even more confused now. I don¡¯t see anything wrong with the zither."

    "That¡¯s because this zither is ¡¯cursed¡¯," Fei Yuyan said, and she continued, "This zither used to be yed by the Zither Goddess before she left it here and left for the upper heavens, and not a single zither expert has been able to y it properly since then."

    "What about the other zither that was used by her? Is that one also like this?" Yuan couldn¡¯t help but ask.

    "No, that one can be yed properly. It¡¯s just this one that¡¯s unwilling to let others y." Fei Yuyan sighed.

    "How does that even work, though? Does the zither have a consciousness of its own? Like Soul Weapons."

    Fei Yuyan shrugged and said, "Nobody knows, really. This zither is neither a Soul Weapon nor a spiritual treasure; it¡¯s like a phenomenon."

    "I see..." Yuan mumbled.

    "Do you want to try ying it?" Fei Yuyan suddenly asked him.

    "Can I really?" Yuan looked at her with wide eyes.

    "Of course," Fei Yuyan nodded, and she continued, "The only reason this zither isn¡¯t in a disy case is because the owner wants people to y it and hopefully actually be able to y it properly."

    "Then why not open this ce up to the public?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    "If not even experts can y it, what makes you think normal people will?" Fei Yuyan shook her head.

    "Anyway, go ahead and try it. Who knows¡ª maybe you¡¯re the one the zither has been waiting for."

    Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    Fei Yuyan then stood up to let Yuan sit down.

    After taking a seat, Yuan stared at the zither in silence without actually ying it.

    "Haaaa..."

    Taking a deep breath, Yuan slowly raised his hands into the air before cing it onto the zither and ying it.

    ¡¯So even he cannot y it, huh? Why did I have a feeling that maybe he could?¡¯ Fei Yuyan thought to herself as the muffled noises returned.

    To Fei Yuyan¡¯s surprise, even Yuan was unable to y the zither.

    "Hmmm..." Yuan stopped ying after pulling a couple of strings and returned to staring at it in silence.

    A few minutester, Yuan suddenly began ying the zither again, but s, the results were the same with the music notes sounding muffled and suppressed.

    However, Yuan didn¡¯t stop ying the zither regardless and continued to y it until he yed an entire song.

    "There¡¯s no point, Disciple Yuan. The zither won¡¯t suddenly start working even if you y a dozen songs. Many zither experts have tried the same with some ying even hundreds of songs." Fei Yuyan said to him afterward.

    "Let me y a few more songs to be certain," Yuan said, and he quickly returned to ying the cursed zither again.

    After ying his second song, Yuan immediately continued onto the third¡ª then the fourth and fifth.

    On his sixth song, Yuan suddenly closed his eyes while his fingers continued to move.

    Fei Yuyan raised her eyebrows after seeing this.

    ¡¯How is closing your eyes going to help?¡¯ she wondered.

    However, unbeknownst to Fei Yuyan, Yuan closed his eyes not because he wanted to try something new.

    Instead, just like what happened at the Tablet of Comprehension, Yuan had unconsciously closed his eyes and suddenly found himself in an unfamiliar ce!

    However, instead of a starry scenery, Yuan was inside a pavilion while surrounded by water, almost like the Dragon Pavilion where he met Fei Yuyan for the first time!

    Ting~

    Suddenly, a heavenly noise resounded in Yuan¡¯s ears, causing him to turn around.

    And to his surprise, there was a youngdy with otherworldly beauty sitting behind him with the Soul Ensnaring Zither in front of her!

 Chapter 192 Zither Goddess

    Ting~ Ting~ Ting~

    This unknown beauty continued to y the zither despite Yuan¡¯s sudden appearance, and Yuan stood there silently to listen to her music, feeling as though every music note was pulling his heartstrings alongside something he couldn¡¯t really pinpoint¡ª his soul.

    After an unknown amount of time has passed, the beauty finally stopped ying the music before cing her hands on herp and turning to look at Yuan with her beautiful eyes that resembled jewels.

    "What do you think of my music?" she suddenly asked him, her clear voice sounding as beautiful as the zither music if not even more pleasant sounding.

    Yuan snapped out of his daze after hearing her words, and he quickly uttered in a dazed voice, "It... It¡¯s wonderful... I have never heard of anything like your music before, nor could I have imagined that music would be able to reach such a level."

    If someone like this beauty had existed in his world, it would¡¯ve definitely made his professional life more exciting, and the musical world would¡¯ve also been much more lively.

    The beauty smiled at his words, and then she spoke, "Do you know why you¡¯re here?"

    Yuan quickly shook his head.

    "Because you have the potential to y music at the same level as me if not even better," she said.

    "The Soul Ensnaring Zither... I have treated this instrument as though it was my own baby ever since I received it as a birthday present from my parents who¡¯d unfortunately passed away shortlyter."

    "Then you¡¯re... You¡¯re the Zither Goddess?" Yuan asked her with slightly wide eyes.

    "The Zither Goddess, huh? I guess you can call me that since that¡¯s what everybody addresses me as¡ª not that I¡¯d asked for such a nickname."

    "If you don¡¯t mind me asking, why did you decide to leave behind the Soul Ensnaring Zither? I don¡¯t know how long it has been since you left the Lower Heavens but I could still clearly sense a lonely feeling from the zither when I saw it." Yuan couldn¡¯t help but ask.

    "It¡¯s important to you, right? Why would you leave something so precious and with so much memory behind?"

    The Zither Goddess turned to look at the ck zither in silence before speaking a momentter, "Because I wanted to quit ying the zither."

    "Eh? Quit the zither? Why?" Yuan looked at her with wide eyes filled with surprise, as he didn¡¯t expect such an answer from her.

    However, the Zither Goddess did not respond to his question. Instead, she asked him, "Do you want to y this zither?"

    "I... I do... But no matter how much I tried, I just couldn¡¯t get the sound out properly," he said.

    Hearing his words, the Zither Goddess moved slightly to the side and said, "Come, sit here. I¡¯ll teach you how to y this zither."

    "R-Really?" Yuan did not hesitate and quickly went to sit beside her.

    The Zither Goddess chuckled in a graceful manner before saying, "The Soul Ensnaring Zither is a unique instrument that can only be yed with the proper technique, and I will teach you this technique right now."

    "Go ahead¡ª try to y it."

    Yuan nodded and began ying the zither shortlyter.

    Tong...

    However, the zither still yed muffled noises.

    "Don¡¯t mind it and continue ying it." The Zither Goddess said to him.

    Yuan nodded and focused on ying the zither despite showing no signs of progress.

    Sometimeter, the Zither Goddess suddenly moved, and to Yuan¡¯s surprise, she¡¯d ced her fair hands onto his hand without disturbing his movements, almost like their hands had be one, and she began guiding them as though they were her own hands.

    A few minutester, the muffled sounding from the zither suddenly changed.

    Ting...

    Although it wasn¡¯t as crisp and heavenly-sounding as the sound produced by the Zither Goddess, Yuan had still managed to y a clear sound with the zither!

    "You¡¯re a quick learner." The Zither Goddess suddenly said to him.

    "B-But you¡¯re the one controlling my hands..." Yuan said with an awkward smile on his face.

    "That¡¯s what it may look like from your perspective, but this is actually all your own doing. I am merely teaching you the technique, and you¡¯re the one that¡¯s learning andprehending it."

    Yuan nodded and continued to concentrate on ying the zither.

    In just a few more minutes of practice, Yuan had managed to not only capture the essence of the technique but also incorporate his own techniques into it, creating a whole new technique out of it.

    This greatly shocked the Zither Goddess, who did not expect him to learn the zither art so quickly, much less create his own technique off of it!

    For more, visit lig/ht/novelpub[.]/c/om

    ¡¯This young man is a true music prodigy... If only I had met him while I was still in the Lower Heavens...¡¯ she sighed inwardly, feeling profound regret that she couldn¡¯t have a rival like Yuan in her era.

    Meanwhile, outside Yuan¡¯s mind, Fei Yuyan stared at Yuan with her eyes as wide as saucers.

    ¡¯H-He¡¯s ying the zither! He¡¯s actually ying the zither!!!¡¯ Fei Yuyan cried inwardly as Yuan unconsciously yed the zither exactly the same way he was inside his mind, producing heavenly sounds that resembled the Zither Goddess¡¯s music.

    ¡¯How did he do it?! I can¡¯t believe it! I want to ask him but I don¡¯t dare to disturb him!¡¯ Fei Yuyan continued to cry inside her mind, feeling as though her soul was being pulled out of her body by Yuan¡¯s heavenly performance.

    Sometimeter, Yuan suddenly stopped ying the zither, and he turned to look at the heavenly beauty sitting right beside him before asking, "What is the name of this zither art?"

    A weird smile appeared on the Zither Goddess¡¯s face, and she responded, "My zither art has no name, and since you¡¯ve made it your own unique technique, you can name it yourself."

    After taking a moment to think, Yuan then said with a handsome smile on his face, "Since I learned it from you, I shall call it the Zither Goddess¡¯s Ethereal Arts."Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 193 Zither Goddessâ€™s Ethereal Arts

    "Zither Goddess¡¯s Ethernal Art, huh? Are you sure that you want to name it after me?" The Zither Goddess asked him afterward.

    Yuan nodded, "I¡¯m sure."

    The Zither Goddess smiled, and then she said, "There is nothing left for me to teach you, and I hope you get to meet the real me outside one day. Perhaps you might be able to reignite my passion for the zither once again. Until then, Zither God."

    "Eh? What did you just call me?" Yuan¡¯s eyes widened with surprise when the Zither Goddess suddenly called him the ¡¯Zither God¡¯, but s, before he could get an answer, the scenery changed, and the youngdy with otherworldly beauty disappeared from his sight.

    Yuan slowly opened his eyes, and he could still see the Soul Ensnaring Zither before him. However, the Zither Goddess was nowhere to be seen, and he could only see Fei Yuyan¡¯s shocked face beside him.

    <You have learned ¡¯Zither Goddess¡¯s Ethereal Arts¡¯>

    <Rank: Unknown>

    <Mastery Level: 1>

    <Description: A Zither Art created by ¡¯Yuan¡¯ after receiving enlightenment from the Zither Goddess>

    <Congrattions! You have created your first unique skill!>

    <You have gained the title ¡¯Novice Technique Creator¡¯>

    Meanwhile, two system announcements appeared back to back for the yers to see.

    <Congrattions! yer Yuan has created a new skill!>

    <Congrattions! yer Yuan has be the first yer to create a new skill!>

    "What the heck? You can create your own skills in this game?"

    The yers around the world were baffled by this new discovery. How does one even create their own skill?

    "D-Disciple Yuan!" Fei Yuyan suddenly spoke in a loud voice filled with excitement after she snapped out of her daze.

    "Y-You did it! You actually managed to y the Soul Ensnaring Zither!"

    "Eh?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    He then turned to look at the Soul Ensnaring Zither for a moment before reaching for one of the strings.

    Ting~

    A heavenly sound echoed in the small room after Yuan pulled the string with the Zither Goddess¡¯s Ethereal Arts in mind.

    "How did you do it?! What¡¯s the secret to ying this zither?! I also want to try ying it!" Fei Yuyan suddenly approached him with anticipation in her eyes.

    "Uhhh... I¡¯m not sure how to exin it... But you need a certain technique to y this zither, and I don¡¯t know if I can teach you this technique since even I don¡¯t know how it works. If I could teach you, I would definitely do it in a heartbeat!" Yuan said.

    "Is that so..." Fei Yuyan sighed in a dejected manner.

    A few moments of silenceter, she continued, "Anyway, now that we know you can y this zither, we must let the owner of this zither know so he can give you the zither!"

    "Wait... I can keep the zither if I can y it?" Yuan said with a dumbfounded look on his face.

    "ording to the owner of the zither, he will be willing to give the zither to whoever can y it properly. After all, what¡¯s the point of keeping something that cannot be yed? Might as well give it to someone who can actually use it!" Fei Yuyan said to him.

    "Where can we find this person?" Yuan asked, mostly because he also wanted to keep the Soul Ensnaring Zither.

    "He¡¯s actually in this city. We can make an appointment with him today and meet him tomorrow," Fei Yuyan said.

    "Then that¡¯s what we shall do." Yuan nodded.

    A few momentster, Yuan left the room with Fei Yuyan, leaving the Soul Ensnaring Zither behind.

    "Hey, let Senior Zou know that we¡¯ll be visiting him tomorrow." Fei Yuyan said to the guards outside.

    "Eh?" The guards looked at her with raised eyebrows.

    Fei Yuyan then pointed at Yuan and said with a beautiful smile on her face, "We¡¯ve finally found the person who can y the Soul Ensnaring Zither."

    "WHAT?!"

    "IS THAT TRUE?!"

    Both guards shouted simultaneously.

    Fei Yuyan nodded with a prideful expression on her face, acting like she was the one who can y the zither, "That¡¯s right!"

    "I-I will let Master Zou know about this! Please go see him tomorrow!"

    "This is huge news! Master Zou will be exhrated to hear this!"

    Sometimeter, Fei Yuyan and Yuan returned to the others¡¯ side.

    Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.

    "What happened?" Xuan Wuhan asked them after they returned.

    "Nothing much." Fei Yuyan said with a mysterious smile on her face.

    She then turned to look at Elder Shan and said, "Master, Yuan and I must visit Senior Zou tomorrow."

    "The Zither Master, Senior Zou? Why?" Elder Shan asked with slightly wide eyes.

    "Un." Fei Yuyan nodded, "That¡¯s right. And it¡¯s rted to the zither. You¡¯ll understand tomorrow, Master."

    "You can¡¯t tell us now?" Elder Xuan raised his eyebrows.

    "It¡¯d ruin the fun!" Fei Yuyan giggled.

    "Anyways, we¡¯re done here. Let¡¯s walk around the city until it¡¯s time to retire for the night!"

    Elder Xuan and Elder Shan looked at each other with perplexed expressions on their faces, unsure of how they should feel about surprises when it¡¯s rted to Yuan.

    Sometimeter, Fei Yuyan and the others began strolling through the city. And because of their prestigious uniforms that were easily recognizable, they encountered little to no trouble at all throughout their entire tour with the exception of a few idiots that couldn¡¯t recognize their background and approached thedies, hoping to gain something from it.

    But s, the only thing these ignorant individuals got was cold and somewhat murderous res from the three youngdies.

    Yuan and the others returned to the Royal Blossom Hotel after walking for a few hours.

    Meanwhile, at the Zou Family¡¯s household, the two guards from the Divine Melody stood before an old man.

    "Are you certain about this information? That someone who can y the Soul Ensnaring Zither has finally appeared?" The old man, Senior Zou, asked for confirmation with a serious frown on his face.

    "Although we didn¡¯t witness it for ourselves, there¡¯s no reason for Fairy Fei Yuyan to lie to us about such a matter," said one of the guards.

    "Fei Yuyan... That youngdy from the Dragon Essence Temple who ced 7th cestpetition, huh?" Senior Zou caressed his long white beard with a profound look on his face.

 Chapter 194 What Is This Indescribable Feeling?

    "Although it was only briefly, I have spoken to the youngdy known as Fei Yuyan before. A really talented and respectful girl. I cannot imagine someone like that lying about such a thing. What about the person who can supposedly y the Soul Ensnaring Zither? Do you know anything about his background?" Senior Zou asked the two guards.

    "No, Master Zou. That person was wearing a ck jade mask so we couldn¡¯t identify him. However, he was wearing the Dragon Essence Temple¡¯s disciple uniform, so we can only assume that he¡¯s a disciple there."

    Senior Zou nodded after a moment of silence, and then he said to the two guards, "Bring the Soul Ensnaring Zither here. I¡¯ll see for myself whether this mysterious individual can really y the zither once owned by the Zither Goddess!"

    Meanwhile, at the Royal Blossom Hotel, Elder Shan said to the three female disciples, "We¡¯ll see you all tomorrow morning."

    The female disciples stood outside their own room with reluctant expressions on their faces, clearly unhappy about how the room had been split.

    However, Elder Shan ignored them and said to Yuan, "Let¡¯s go to our room."

    After opening the door, Elder Shan grabbed Yuan¡¯s hand and forcefully pulled him into the room.

    "G-Grandpa! You must protect Yuan from Elder Shan!" Xuan Wuhan said to Elder Xuan with a serious and nervous look on her face.

    A bittersweet smile appeared on Elder Xuan¡¯s face as he said, "Don¡¯t worry, Elder Shan won¡¯t do anything to Disciple Yuan even if I¡¯m not there. She¡¯s always like this, but nothing really ever happens. That¡¯s just Elder Shan for you."

    "Even if you say that, I am not convinced! Just keep an eye on Yuan until tomorrow morning, grandpa!" Xuan Wuhan urged him.

    "You don¡¯t have to keep repeating it. Sect elders are not allowed to be in a rtionship with the disciples, anyway. Therefore, you can rest assured and go to sleep." Elder Xuan said.

    "If you say so..."

    Xuan Wuhan and the other two girls went into their room sometimeter whilst Elder Xuan entered his own room.

    "Elder Shan is so shameless! How can she act so s.l.u.tty before a disciple if she doesn¡¯t intend on doing anything?!" Xuan Wuhanined out loud the moment their door closed shut.

    "Although my Master has her own ws, don¡¯t you dare address her with such a vulgar word, Disciple Xuan!" Fei Yuyan immediately frowned, feeling an obligation to protect Elder Shan¡¯s image as her disciple.

    Min Li shook her head at them, and she proceeded to enter one of the two avable beds to sleep,pletely ignoring the other two while they continued to argue with each other.

    Meanwhile, in the other room, Elder Shan said to Yuan, "You will be sleeping in the same bed with me tonight, Disciple Yuan."

    Yuan looked at the alluring smile on Elder Shan¡¯s face with raised eyebrows.

    And then he said, "It¡¯s fine, Senior Shan. You can keep the bed to yourself. I won¡¯t be needing a bed, anyway."

    "What? Then where are you going to sleep? The floor? We cannot have that." Elder Shan said.

    "There¡¯s a second bed in this room, you know?" Elder Xuan said to Elder Shan after shutting the door.

    Yuan then said, "No, that¡¯s not it. I will be logged off, so I don¡¯t need any bed."

    "Logged... off?" Elder Shan looked at Yuan with her slender eyebrows raised in a puzzled manner, as this is her first time hearing of such a term.

    "Yes, that¡¯s why you can keep the bed to yourself. Anyway, it¡¯s time for dinner. I¡¯ll be back in the morning. Goodnight, Seniors."

    After saying that, Yuan logged off the game, disappearing from their sights.

    "W-What the? Where did he go?" Elder Shan mumbled in a dazed voice.

    Even Elder Xuan was baffled by Yuan¡¯s sudden disappearance.

    However, before they could think too much about the situation, like some kind of phenomenon, both Elder Xuan and Elder Shan suddenly stopped caring about the matter.

    "I¡¯m going to cultivate. If you even dare to try anything funny, I¡¯ll make you regret it." Elder Shan said to Elder Xuan as she sat on the bed in the lotus position and closed her eyes.

    Elder Xuan shook his head and said, "My wife may be dead but my loyalty for her remains unwavering. I would never do anything to betray her in heaven."

    He then sat on the bed in the opposite direction and also closed his eyes to cultivate.

    "..."

    Elder Shan did not say anything and remained silent.

    Meanwhile, after dinner was served, Yuan cleared his mind before he began to cultivate.

    However, to his surprise, he was unable to clear his mind, as the sound of the Zither Goddess¡¯s music lingered inside his head.

    ¡¯Zither Goddess...¡¯

    For some reason, Yuan could feel his heart beating faster when he recalled Zither Goddess¡¯s wless appearance, who was, without doubt, one of the most beautiful women he has ever seen in his life with the mysterious beauty during his character evaluation being another wless beauty.

    However, even though the beauty during the character evaluation was very beautiful, Yuan didn¡¯t feel any different after meeting her, unlike the Zither Goddess, who would cause his heart to flutter whenever the image of her face appears inside his mind.

    ¡¯What... is this indescribable feeling?¡¯ Yuan couldn¡¯t help but feel a little worried, wondering if there was something wrong with his body, or even worse, his heart.

    ¡¯I cannot cultivate while my mind is like this¡ª I should get some sleep.¡¯ Yuan sighed inwardly before giving up cultivation for the night.

    Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    Of course, it was still difficult for Yuan to fall asleep, as Zither Goddess¡¯s beautiful face and gentle smile would remain in his head and refuse to leave for pretty much half of the night.

    And even when Yuan managed to fall asleep after much difficulty, Zither Goddess would still show up in his dream to y the zither with him until he was woken up by Yu Rou for breakfast.

 Chapter 195 Qi Manifestation

    ¡¯What a weird dream...¡¯ Yuan thought to himself after waking up.

    However, for some reason, he felt a little bit sad that he¡¯d woken up, almost like he wanted to continue dreaming and ying the zither with Zither Goddess.

    ¡¯I wonder if I¡¯ll be able to y the zither with the real person if I go to the upper heavens...¡¯ Yuan sighed inwardly, feeling a strong desire to meet Zither Goddess.

    After breakfast, Yu Rou said, "Brother, the zitherpetition is tomorrow, right?"

    "Yes, that¡¯s right."

    "Are you making your way to the location yet?"

    "I am already there. We arrived yesterday."

    "I see... By the way, I need some help getting out of the city. I haven¡¯t logged in since west yed together, but my permit will have long expired when I log in next time, and I don¡¯t want to be punished for staying longer than I was permitted." Yu Rou said.

    Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    "Oh, right... I had forgotten about that..." Yuan mumbled.

    And then he said, "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll send Fei Fei over to help you when you decide to log in."

    "Okay! Thank you!"

    Sometimeter, Yuan returned to the game.

    "Wee back, Disciple Yuan." Elder Shan opened her eyes the moment she felt Yuan¡¯s presence suddenly appear in the room.

    "I am back, Senior Shan¡ª"

    Right as Yuan opened his mouth, Elder Shan suddenly reached for his arms before pulling him onto the bed.

    "S-Senior Shan?!" Yuan spoke in a startled voice when Elder Shan suddenly embraced him on the bed, treating him like some sort of pillow.

    "How could you let a beautiful young woman like me stay in the same room as some old man for the entire night? It¡¯s like you don¡¯t care at all..." Elder Shan sighed out loud.

    Elder Xuan¡¯s eyebrows twitched at her words, and he said, "I may be older than you, but to call yourself a young woman... That¡¯d make me a middle-aged man, no?"

    However, Elder Shan ignored Elder Xuan¡¯s words and continued to hug Yuan¡¯s body, even wrapping her legs around his legs.

    "What do you think, Disciple Yuan? We can stay like this for as long as you¡¯d like... Just give me the word..." Elder Shan said with an alluring smile on her face.

    Bonk!

    Before Yuan could even respond, Elder Shan felt something hard hit her head.

    "Ah! How dare you hit me, Elder Xuan!" Elder Shan shouted in a painful voice before turning to behind her.

    However, to her surprise, Elder Xuan was still sitting on the bed and nowhere near her with a puzzled look on his face.

    "What do you mean? I never hit you." Elder Xuan said with a dumbfounded look on his face, yet the pain in Elder Shan¡¯s expression looked genuine.

    "Then who hit me just now?! Are you telling me a ghost did it?!" Elder Shan did not believe Elder Xuan.

    "I really don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about, Elder Shan. You¡¯re iming that I¡¯d hit you, but look at my hands¡ª they¡¯re empty!" Elder Xuan showed her his hands.

    Elder Shan narrowed her eyes at him. It felt like someone had hit her head with something hard and solid, but there was no way Elder Xuan could¡¯ve hit her from so far away and then hide the weapon so quickly, so what happened just now? Did she imagine being hit? Did she imagine the pain? That¡¯s ridiculous no matter how she thought about it!

    For more, visit li/g/htnov/el/pub[.

    However, since there was no evidence or exnation to the situation just now, Elder Shan decided to ignore it and returned to focusing on Yuan.

    "Well? What do you think, Disciple Yuan? I can teach you a lot of things¡ª"

    Bonk!

    "Ah!"

    After being hit the second time, Elder Shan immediately turned around to look at Elder Xuan, who stared back at her with a gawking look on his face.

    Although he didn¡¯t see it at first, he definitely saw what happened the second time!

    "Qi manifestation!" Elder Xuan mumbled in a shocked voice.

    "What did you just say? Qi manifestation?" Elder Shan looked at him with a frown on her face.

    Elder Xuan nodded and said, "I witnessed it with my own eyes just now! Someone had manifested their spiritual energy and hit your head with it!"

    "What?!" Elder Shan immediately sat up on the bed.

    Then she continued, "How is that possible?! Only Cultivators at the level of Spirit Grandmaster can have the ability to manifest their spiritual energy outside their body! Why would someone like that attack me for no reason?!"

    Elder Xuan then turned to look at Yuan. Perhaps there was a Spirit Grandmaster somewhere out there protecting Yuan and this expert didn¡¯t like what Elder Shan was doing to him?

    It was at this moment, unbeknownst to Elder Xuan or Yuan, a young voice suddenly resounded inside Elder Shan¡¯s head¡ª

    ¡¯Stop being so clingy with Brother Yuan...¡¯ Xiao Hua¡¯s voice resounded, sounding a bit irritated and envious.

    "Eh?" Elder Shan turned to look at Yuan with wide eyes.

    ¡¯Whose voice was that just now? Does Disciple Yuan have a sister at the Spirit Grandmaster level watching over him?! I knew it! He¡¯s definitely from a very powerful family!¡¯ Elder Shan thought to herself, feeling a little sweaty afterward.

    "A-Anyway, let¡¯s go see if the other disciples are awake yet..." Elder Shan then said, pretending as though everything was normal.

    Elder Xuan watched as Elder Shan disappeared from the room with raised eyebrows, wondering what had happened just now.

    He then looked at Yuan, who looked as puzzled.

    Sometimeter, they followed Elder Shan outside.

    "Are you girls awake yet?" Elder Shan knocked on the door.

    A few momentster, Min Li opened the door and said, "Good morning, Elder Shan, Elder Xuan, and Disciple Yuan."

    "Where¡¯s the other two?" Elder Shan asked.

    Min Li opened the door to show them inside the room, and both Xuan Wuhan and Fei Yuyan could be seen still sleeping in their bed.

    "They spent most of the night ¡¯talking¡¯ to each other..." Min Li said with a somewhat bitter smile on her face.

 Chapter 196 Senior Zou

    "Disciple Fei, Disciple Xuan! Wake up!" Elder Shan walked into the room shouting their name, startling them awake.

    "M-Master? What are you doing in our room?" Fei Yuyan asked her with a drowsy face, clearly still half asleep.

    "It¡¯s already morning! Aren¡¯t you going to meet with Master Zou today?" Elder Shan reminded her.

    Fei Yuyan¡¯s eyes widened when she noticed Yuan standing by the door, and she woke up almost instantly, "I-I am sorry! I overslept!"

    Fei Yuyan quickly got off the bed with a flushed face, feeling embarrassed to be seen in such a messy appearance by Yuan.

    Xuan Wuhan also got off the bed and quickly fixed her appearance.

    Sometimeter, Elder Shan asked them, "Are you ready?"

    "Yes..." Fei Yuyan nodded.

    After thedies fixed their appearances and washed their faces, they began making their way towards the Zou Family¡¯s household that took almost two hours of walking.

    As they approached the Zou Family, Yuan could hear many people ying the zither, sounding somewhat in tune with each other.

    For more, visit lightn/ovelpub[.

    "The Zou Family have zither lectures for those who wish to y the zither," Fei Yuyan said to Yuan after noticing that his interest was piqued.

    "Let¡¯s go inside."

    A few momentster, they arrived at the gates, where a young guard stood.

    "We¡¯re here to see Senior Zou. We¡¯ve already notified him in advance that we¡¯ll be showing up today," Fei Yuyan said to the guard, who was instantly dazed by her beauty.

    "W-W-What is your name?" The guard asked her in a nervous voice.

    "Fei Yuyan."

    "I-I will be right back!"

    The guard turned around and ran away, acting like a shy boy running away from his crush.

    A few minutester, the guard returned with an old man wearing white robes.

    "Greetings, Senior Zou." Fei Yuyan sped her hands and bowed to him respectfully.

    Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.

    "It¡¯s been a while, Disciple Fei." Senior Zou nodded his head at her.

    He then turned to look at the two elders standing behind her and bowed to them, "Wee to the Zou Family, fellow Daoists."

    "Thank you for seeing us despite being a busy man yourself, Master Zou."

    Elder Xuan and Elder Shan returned his bow with their own.

    "Of course. I wouldn¡¯t miss this chance for the world." Senior Zou said with a smile on his face before he turned to look at Yuan, who was still wearing his ck jade mask.

    "So you must be the one who can y my Soul Ensnaring Zither, huh? Can I have your name?" Senior Zou asked him.

    "You can call me Yuan," he responded.

    "I see... Please, follow me. Let¡¯s continue this somewhere more private and peaceful." Senior Zou said as he turned around and began walking.

    "Soul Ensnaring Zither? Why does this name sound so familiar?" Elder Xuan asked Elder Shan.

    "Soul Ensnaring Zither... If I am correct, it used to belong to the Zither Goddess before she ascended from the Lower Heavens, and it is also known as the ¡¯cursed instrument¡¯ since nobody could y it ever since she left it behind." Elder Shan exined to him.

    "I see... And we¡¯re here today because Disciple Yuan can apparently y it?" Elder Xuan mumbled.

    "Why am I not even surprised?" Elder Shan said with a smile on her face.

    A few minutester, they arrived at this peaceful courtyard behind the main building.

    "Here¡¯s the Soul Ensnaring Zither," Senior Zou said as he pointed at the beautiful ck zither sitting on a round jade table in the courtyard.

    "This instrument has been with my family ever since the Zither Goddess left it behind 25,000 years ago, and it has been waiting for a new owner since then."

    He then turned to look at Yuan and continued with a serious expression on his face, "Young man... can you really y the Soul Ensnaring Zither?"

    Yuan nodded with a serious face.

    Senior Zou did not say anything else and took a step to the side, giving Yuan a clear path to the zither with clear indications.

    Seeing this, Yuan walked to the round jade table and took a seat in front of the Soul Ensnaring Zither.

    Although it has been less than a day since hest saw the instrument, it felt much longer has passed for Yuan.

    After taking a deep breath, Yuan ced his fingers on the zither and closed his eyes, recalling the song yed by the Zither Goddess.

    Ting~

    The strings on the Soul Ensnaring Zither trembled, emitting a heavenly sound that instantly caused Senior Zou¡¯s eyes to widen with shock.

    ¡¯H-He¡¯s really ying the zither!¡¯ Senior Zou stared at Yuan¡¯s fingers and watched his wless hand movements with a gawking expression.

    Very quickly, Senior Zou as well as everyone else that was there became mesmerized by Yuan¡¯s zither performance.

    ¡¯Heavens... It¡¯s only been a couple of days since Ist heard his zither music and it has already improved by leaps and bounds¡ª to the point where I cannot evenpare it to his performance a few days ago!¡¯ Elder Shan cried inwardly.

    For more, visit [.]

    ¡¯This is... Disciple Yuan¡¯s zither arts? Is there anything he cannot do so perfectly?¡¯ Elder Xuan sighed inwardly.

    ¡¯Disciple Yuan...¡¯ Fei Yuyan stared at Yuan with a perplexed expression on her face. Although the ck jade mask was blocking Yuan¡¯s face, she could still somehow see his handsome face, and the longer she stared at him, the more heated her face felt.

    A few minutester, Yuan stopped ying the zither, and he turned to look at the dazed Senior Zou.

    "What do you think?" Yuan decided to ask.

    "Do I even need to answer that question...?" A bittersweet smile appeared on Senior Zou¡¯s face.

    Despite having over 100 years of experience with the zither, he still felt inferior in front of Yuan who appeared to be a very young man. If he knew that Yuan had only been ying the zither for about a week, perhaps he might even be puking out blood right now from shock.

    A few momentster, Senior Zou suddenly lowered his head and said to Yuan in a sincere voice, "Thank you... for letting me experience the Soul Ensnaring Zither¡¯s brilliance, as I was convinced that I would never get to witness someone ying it properly¡ª at least not in this life."

 Chapter 197 The Day Before the Zither Competition

    "I was told that if someone could y this zither, they would get to keep it. Is that true?" Yuan asked Senior Zou sometimeter.

    Senior Zouughed out loud after seeing Yuan¡¯s eyes that were filled with anticipation, and he nodded, "Yes, that¡¯s right."

    Yuan immediately smiled behind the ck jade mask.

    "However, before I can give it to you, I want to know at least the face of the person I am giving this treasure to." Senior Zou suddenly narrowed his eyes at Yuan, seemingly suspicious of Yuan¡¯s identity.

    Yuan nodded his head and removed the ck jade mask without hesitation.

    Senior Zou¡¯s eyes widened with surprise after seeing Yuan¡¯s handsome and young face.

    ¡¯He¡¯s much younger than I¡¯d expected! A true prodigy! He¡¯s a true prodigy!¡¯ Senior Zou cried inwardly.

    After a moment of silence, Senior Zou nodded and said, "Very well. The Soul Ensnaring Zither is now yours, young man."

    Almost instantly after Senior Zou said those words, a couple of notifications appeared in front of Yuan.

    <Congrattions! You havepleted the hidden quest: Zither Goddess¡¯s Abandoned Zither>

    <You have been rewarded with: Soul Ensnaring Zither>

    <Fame +50>

    [Soul Ensnaring Zither]

    [Rank: N/A]

    [Description: A normal zither that turned into a unique treasure after being yed by the Zither Goddess for many years. Neither a normal instrument nor a treasure.]

    ¡¯So it¡¯s really not a treasure...¡¯ Yuan was not too surprised since Fei Yuyan had already told him about it beforehand. However, it was still very shocking to know that the Zither Goddess had turned a normal instrument into a treasure just by using it to y music.

    "By the way, I have been wondering this, but since you¡¯re in this city at this time, do you n on participating in the zitherpetition?" Senior Zou suddenly asked him.

    Yuan nodded and said, "I am participating in thepetition with Disciple Fei as my partner."

    "Is that so..." A smile appeared on Senior Zou¡¯s face, and he said, "Well, I look forward to your performance. With your talents, I won¡¯t expect anything less than 1st ce!"

    "Really?" Fei Yuyan¡¯s eyes flickered with excitement.

    After all, Senior Zou has participated in the zitherpetition many times as a judge, so his judgment is highly regarded. If he says that Yuan could achieve first ce, there was a very good chance that it might really happen!

    Senior Zou turned to look at Fei Yuyan and responded with a smile, "Of course... That is if you also do your part as his partner. After all, this is a pairedpetition¡ª not a solo."

    Fei Yuyan nodded with a serious look on her face.

    "Good. Then I shall see you all again tomorrow¡ª as one of the three judges." Senior Zou said with a smile on his face.

    Sometimeter, after Yuan and the others left, Senior Zou stared at the sky and mumbled in a low voice, "Atst... You have found your long-awaited partner..."

    After leaving the Zou Family¡¯s household, Yuan asked Fei Yuyan, "What should we do now? Thepetition isn¡¯t until tomorrow."

    "Yes, but we still have to register for it." Fei Yuyan said.

    "Eh? We still haven¡¯t registered?" Yuan looked at her with wide eyes.

    Normally, one would register for apetition weeks, even months beforehand.

    Fei Yuyan nodded and said, "Let¡¯s go to the ce where thepetition will be held."

    Thus, Yuan and the others began following Fei Yuyan around again.

    Sometimeter, they arrived before this massive and spacious gathering area that could easily fit tens of thousands of people at once.

    "Are everyone here participating in thepetition?" Yuan mumbled in a dazed voice when he saw the sea of people in this area. Not even the biggestpetitions he¡¯d attended before had this many participants.

    "Not everyone, but most of them. Since thispetition requires a partner, it¡¯s only obvious that there would be more people." Fei Yuyan said.

    "Come with me."

    Yuan nodded and followed her to therge building at the end of the gathering hall.

    "Hey, look over there! That¡¯s Fairy Fei from the Dragon Essence Temple! Looks like she¡¯ll be participating in this year¡¯spetition as well!"

    "Wow! I still remember her performance at thestpetition! I cannot wait to see how much she has improved since then!"

    "Who do you think is her partner? Could it be one of those two fairies following behind her?"

    The people there quickly took notice of Fei Yuyan¡¯s presence, even mistaking Xuan Wuhan and Min Li as her partner for the zitherpetition since there are way more females who pick up the zither than males.

    Meanwhile, Yuan looked around the area and the people there with a serious gaze.

    ¡¯How many of these people here are yers?¡¯ he wondered inwardly as he tried to pick out those who appeared to be yers.

    Very quickly, he noticed a group of people that stood out from the rest of the crowd with their unique hairstyles that easily gave away their identity standing not far away.

    ¡¯They must be yers...¡¯ Yuan thought to himself.

    A few momentster, Yuan noticed a couple more individuals there that were very likely yers.

    ¡¯Wow, there¡¯s a lot more yers here than I¡¯d expected...¡¯ Yuan swallowed nervously when he realized just how many yers were there.

    While he feels perfectly fine being around NPCs, he would, for some reason, be nervous when there are yers around.

    "We¡¯ve arrived at the registration area," Fei Yuyan said to them after entering the building.

    A few momentster, once they spotted an empty desk, they approached the worker behind the desk to register.

    "We are from the Dragon Essence Temple, and I would like to register for thepetition with my partner here." Fei Yuyan said to the worker behind the desk.

    "Hm? Oh! Fairy Fei! Wee back! I was beginning to wonder if you¡¯ll skip participating in this year¡¯spetition!" The worker easily recognized Fei Yuyan¡¯s pretty face and continued, "Give me a moment, I¡¯ll register your names right now."Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

 Chapter 198 Replica

    "Who is your partner, Fairy Fei?" The worker asked her.

    Fei Yuyan pointed at Yuan who was still wearing his ck jade mask and said, "My partner is a fellow disciple, Yuan."

    The worker turned to look at Yuan with raised eyebrows.

    ¡¯Her partner¡¯s a man? What a lucky bastard,¡¯ The worker cursed at Yuan inwardly, feeling envious.

    After writing their names in a logbook, the worker handed them two tokens, both with the number 5163 carved into them.

    "These tokens will indicate that you¡¯re partners, and your scores will be added at the end."

    When Yuan epted the token, a notification appeared before him.

    <You are now participating in ¡¯Heaven and Earth Zither Competition¡¯>

    <Special event: Reach top 3 to receive special rewards>

    ¡¯Top three, huh? Since I am already trying to achieve third ce, this is perfect.¡¯ Yuan smiled inwardly after seeing the notification, wondering what the game will give him for reaching the top 3.

    "Now that we¡¯re registered for thepetition, we only need to wait for it to start. What do you want to do until then?" Fei Yuyan asked Yuan afterward.

    "I would like to go somewhere where I can y the Soul Ensnaring Zither," Yuan responded after pondering for a moment.

    "You want to y the zither? What about resting before thepetition?" Fei Yuyan looked at him with raised eyebrows.

    "I can¡¯t help it. My hands have been itching to y the zither ever since I received the Soul Ensnaring Zither!" Yuan sighed.

    "What are you? An addict?" Fei Yuyan shook her head with a hopeless smile on her face.

    "Anyway, if you want to y the zither, I know a ce, and you can even have an audience there."

    "Really? Let¡¯s go." Yuan quickly agreed.

    Thus, Fei Yuyan left the gathering area before taking Yuan and the others to thisrge park in the middle of the city.

    However, there were already people ying music in the park. In fact, there were many different instruments being yed at the same time, almost like they werepeting with each other.

    "What¡¯s going on here? Why are there so many people ying instruments here? And wouldn¡¯t it be rude to y when there¡¯s already somebody else ying?" Yuan asked Fei Yuyan.

    "Normally that¡¯d be the case, but this ce is a little special. Musicianse here to receive recognition, and it¡¯s almost like apetition for the people here to see who has the most audience."

    "What do you get for doing such a thing, anyway?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    "Well, it¡¯s also considered training for many people since your concentration can be easily disturbed in this chaotic atmosphere with so many people ying at once. Getting recognition is just a bonus."

    "I see..." Yuan nodded.

    "Just find an empty spot and try it. You might be surprised by how difficult it is to y in this ce."

    A few momentster, Yuan took a seat before this stone table and retrieved the Soul Ensnaring Zither from his spatial ring.

    After cing it down on the stone table, Yuan took a deep breath to calm his mind and took a long minute to get used to the loud atmosphere.

    Meanwhile, Fei Yuyan and the others took a seat nearby, patiently waiting for Yuan to start with anticipation on their faces.

    ¡¯This is nothing new for me. I have been trained to ignore my surroundings and focus solely on the instrument, even ying through a massive earthquake one time...¡¯ Yuan thought to himself.

    A few momentster, almost like there was a filter inside his mind, Yuan isted the surrounding noises, and the only sound he could hear was his own breathing and the sound of his heart beating.

    Ting~

    Yuan began ying the zither a momentter, instantly filling the park with heavenly zither music.

    When the others in this park heard this divine noise, they immediately began trying to locate where it wasing from.

    Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    "Who is ying this zither music?! I have never heard anything this beautiful-sounding before!"

    "This... sounds too good to be true..."

    "I must see for myself who is producing such magical notes even if it¡¯s thest thing I do in this life!"

    Very quickly, everybody in the park began approaching Yuan¡¯s location, and even the other musicians in the park stopped ying their instruments to admire the music.

    "Whoever is ying this must be a top expert! I cannot miss this chance to meet a top zither expert!"

    Thus, even the other musicians in the park began making their way towards Yuan¡¯s location.

    A minute after Yuan began ying the zither, over one hundred people were already gathered at his location to watch his performance.

    "W-Who is that? The mask is blocking his face so I cannot identify him, but he¡¯s definitely a man! I don¡¯t know of any male zither experts who can y the zither with such perfection¡ª not even Master Zou! No disrespect to him, of course!"

    "L-Look at the instrument he¡¯s using! Are my eyes tricking me, or is that the Soul Ensnaring Zither?!"

    "What?! The Soul Ensnaring Zither?! That¡¯s impossible!"

    The audience there quickly took notice of the beautiful zither Yuan was ying from, and they were in disbelief.

    "That must be a replica! The Soul Ensnaring Zither cannot be yed by anyone else other than the Zither Goddess! It has been like that for thousands of years!"

    "Nobody that is currently living in the Lower Heavens has ever heard the Soul Ensnaring Zither¡¯s sound before so there¡¯s no way for us to tell whether that¡¯s the real one or just a fake. However, even without any evidence, I can say with confidence that Soul Ensnaring Zither is fake!"

    Although the audience did not believe even for a second that the instrument Yuan was ying was the legendary cursed instrument, they could not question his zither arts, and they quickly ignored the instrument and returned to focusing on the music.

    And while everybody there was too immersed in Yuan¡¯s music to care about their surroundings, a tall and slender figure wearing a veil over their head suddenly appeared behind the crowd to watch the performance as well.

    ¡¯That¡¯s definitely the real Soul Ensnaring Zither... But how...? Just who is this person?¡¯ The veiled figure wondered, feeling extremely shocked by this abnormal situation they had encountered by mere chance.

 Chapter 199 Veiled Figure

    ¡¯His movements... His aura... This person is definitely a top zither expert! And judging by his clothes, he¡¯s... an Outer Court disciple from the Dragon Essence Temple?!¡¯ The veiled figure was greatly shocked by Yuan¡¯s uniform, silently wondering why he didn¡¯t join the Heavenly Melody Academy instead.

    ¡¯With his abilities, he could easily be a Core Disciple at the Heavenly Melody Academy, even a high-ranking sect elder! Yet he decided to join the Dragon Essence Temple that doesn¡¯t have any zither experts? What reason could have possibly led him to such a foolish decision?! He¡¯s wasting his talents in that ce!¡¯

    This veiled individual did not believe the Dragon Essence Temple deserved an excellent zither expert like Yuan, even feeling a bit envious of them.

    The veiled individual suddenly had the urge to go up to Yuan and tell him to leave the Dragon Essence Temple and join the Heavenly Melody Academy instead. However, when they noticed Elder Xuan and Elder Shan¡¯s presence sitting not far away, they quickly tossed out that idea.

    ¡¯Grand Elder Xuan and Great Elder Shan... What are they doing in this ce? Are they following that disciple? Perhaps even protecting him? That¡¯s ridiculous...¡¯

    The veiled figure has never heard of an Outer Court disciple needing protection from two high-ranking sect elders before until today.

    Sometimeter, Yuan finished his second song, and the audience immediately exploded with cheers and pping.

    "y another song!"

    "Encore!"

    Yuan was slightly startled when he looked up and saw the massive crowd pping for him.

    "Okay, I will y another song," Yuan said to them, increasing the hype.

    However, right as he prepared to y the third song, a tall figure wearing a veil on their head and pretty fitted red robes jumped from the back of the crowd andnded a few meters away in front of him.

    "W-Who¡¯s that?"

    The crowd stared at this neer with raised eyebrows.

    "Damn! Look at that figure! She¡¯s definitely a peerless beauty behind that veil!"

    "How can you tell that she¡¯s a beauty without looking at her face? There¡¯s a very high chance she¡¯s only perfect below the neck! Why else would she be wearing a veil?"

    "Shut up! I know a beauty when I see one even without looking at their faces!"

    Meanwhile, Elder Xuan and Elder Shan narrowed their eyes at this unknown threat with great caution, preparing to defend Yuan at any moment. Although they cannot tell exactly this unknown presence¡¯s full cultivation, they were sure that she was at least a Spirit Grandmaster.

    And while they do not have the ability to fight against a Spirit Grandmaster, they can at least reassure Yuan¡¯s safety.

    "Can I help you?" Yuan asked the veiled woman who had a wless body figure after staring at her for a moment.

    However, the unknowndy did not respond to Yuan¡¯s question and instead took a seat at the stone table directly beside Yuan.

    She then retrieved a red zither from her spatial ring and ced it on the table.

    This veileddy then turned to look at Yuan and proceed to stare at him in silence, almost like she was trying to tell him something.

    And even though there was a piece of cloth blocking her face, Yuan could somehow see the expression she was making and recognize that she was challenging him.

    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    Yuan nodded and said, "Whenever you¡¯re ready."

    The veileddy then lifted her hands and showed him three of her slender fingers.

    A secondter, she curled one of those fingers, making it two.

    Yuan immediately realized that she was doing a countdown and nodded his head.

    On the third count, both Yuan and the veileddy yed their zither at the same time.

    Ting~

    Ting~~

    Two beautiful yet very unique and distinct music notes appeared at the same time, almost like they were trying to outdo each other.

    The audience expected a chaotic scene. However, to their surprise, they quickly realized that they were able to listen to both songs simultaneously without feeling like the music was interfering with one another.

    "H-How is this possible?"

    The audience was dumbfounded, feeling like they were existing in two worlds at once. It was an odd phenomenon that they¡¯ve never experienced before.

    "T-This is..." Fei Yuyan¡¯s jaw dropped to the ground when she realized what was happening, especially after witnessing the skill being disyed by the veileddy.

    ¡¯Although I¡¯ve never personally heard her y the zither before, there¡¯s only one person I can think of that can y so perfectly¡ª Senior Song, Sect Master of the Heavenly Melody Academy! I cannot believe it! She challenged Disciple Yuan with the zither the day before thepetition!¡¯ Fei Yuyan cried inwardly, her heart beating with excitement.

    For more, visit l//ightno/velp/ub[.

    "Master, I think that¡¯s Senor Song..." Fei Yuyan whispered to Elder Shan, who immediately turned to look at her with wide eyes.

    "A-Are you sure? What¡¯s she doing here? Challenging Disciple Yuan, no less..." Elder Xuan said.

    "Who else but Senior Song can produce such heavenly music notes? Eh... Besides Disciple Yuan, of course..." Fei Yuyan said.

    "What do you think is going to happen to thepetition now?" Xuan Wuhan couldn¡¯t help but ask.

    "Who knows..." Fei Yuyan shrugged. "Anything can happen at this point once she realizes that Disciple Yuan is a participation in thepetition¡ª"

    Ting!

    An awkward and off-sounding noise suddenly resounded in the area, causing the people to turn to look at the veileddy who¡¯d suddenly stopped ying the zither.

    The veileddy looked at her own hands that were slightly trembling, seemingly in disbelief that she¡¯d lost the challenge, and then she turned to look at Yuan, who was still ying the zither without a care in the world for his surroundings.

    ¡¯It took him a single song¡ª No, half a song to snap me out of my concentration... Just who is this zither expert and where on earth did hee from?¡¯ The veileddy thought to herself, her interest in Yuan peaked, feeling an indescribable feeling in her heart.

 Chapter 200 Being Poached in Public

    Yuan finished his song two minutes after the veileddy stopped ying her zither, and he turned to look at her with his clear eyes afterward.

    "That was very fun. Thank you for ying with me," Yuan said with a smile behind his mask.

    "..."

    The veileddy stared at Yuan¡¯s bright eyes in silence, seemingly pondering about something, and after a long moment of silence, she finally spoke for the first time in a very soothing voice, "How would you like to join the Heavenly Melody Academy? Whatever position you want, you can have."

    "Eh?"

    Not only Yuan but everybody there was dumbfounded by the veileddy¡¯s sudden words that turned out to be a recruitment for the Heavenly Melody Academy!

    "B-But I am already a disciple at the Dragon Essence Temple..." Yuan responded in a dazed voice.

    The veileddy nodded her head, and she continued in a shameless voice, "I know. You can simply leave them ande to us. After all, you¡¯re definitely more suited for the Heavenly Melody Academy where everybody is a musician."

    However, before Yuan could even respond, the veileddy lifted her right hand and grabbed the red veil that was covering her face before pulling it off her head, revealing the peerless face behind it.

    When the people there saw this extremely beautiful woman that resembled a goddess, their eyes and mouths widened with shock.

    "T-That¡¯s!"

    "Senior Song?!"

    "What! She was the Sect Master of the Heavenly Melody Academy this entire time?!"

    "D-Does this mean that unknown zither expert had managed to defeat Senior Song, who is widely recognized as the Goddess of Music, in a one-on-one zither battle?! This is unprecedented!"

    "She really was Senior Song..." Fei Yuyan mumbled in a dazed voice.

    After revealing her identity to the people there, Song Ling¡¯er stood up and turned to look at Elder Xuan and Elder Shan with a serious expression on her face.

    "I have never done this before¡ª poaching a disciple from another sect and even in front of their sect elders and fellow disciple. What I am doing right now will definitely tarnish my reputation, and I respect the Dragon Essence Temple¡¯s reputation, but I simply cannot allow someone so talented with the instrument to waste his time in a ce where they don¡¯t even teach music. In fact, I am a little frustrated that he¡¯d decided to join your sect and not mine. I hope you can understand my feelings, elders from the Dragon Essence Temple." Song Ling¡¯er said to them.

    Elder Xuan and Elder Shan were shocked speechless after listening to Song Ling¡¯er¡¯s words. Not even in a million years could they have imagined that there would be a day where the Sect Master of the Heavenly Melody Academy would personally poach one of their disciples and directly in front of them at that.

    However, no matter how Song Ling¡¯er felt, even if she threatened them with des on their neck, there was no way they would give up someone like Yuan. After all, his cultivation talents are equal to his music talents if not even above that!

    "I understand your feelings very well, Senior Song, but this is not something we have a say in. If you really want to continue with this conversation, then you must speak with our Sect Master," Elder Xuan said to her, directing all responsibility to Long Yijun, mostly because he didn¡¯t want to deal with someone like Song Ling¡¯er, who was known for being stubborn and aggressive.

    Song Ling¡¯er frowned. However, if she could poach someone like Yuan, even if she has to travel to the end of the world, it would be worth it one hundred and ten percent!

    "It¡¯s fine, Senior Song, you don¡¯t have to speak with the Sect Master." Yuan suddenly said, and he continued, "While I am grateful and humbled at the same time that you¡¯d invite me to your sect, I don¡¯t n on leaving the Dragon Essence Temple."

    "Why?! What¡¯s at the Dragon Essence Temple that¡¯s keeping you there?!" Song Ling¡¯er suddenly snapped, startling everybody there. "I have never seen someone as talented as you before! You don¡¯t belong in a ce like the Dragon Essence Temple! You belong to the Heavenly Melody Academy, where you¡¯ll be able to really shine! If you join our sect, I can guarantee you that you¡¯ll be a world-famous musician whose name will be as prestigious if not even more prestigious than the Zither Goddess!"

    Hearing Song Ling¡¯er¡¯s words, Yuan couldn¡¯t help but show a bittersweet smile.

    "There are some matters in the Dragon Essence Temple that I must attend to, therefore I cannot just leave. Furthermore, I don¡¯t intend on bing a world-famous musician, since music is only a hobby of mine and I want to focus on cultivation more."

    "What?! Music is only a hobby?! That¡¯s such a waste of your heaven-sent talents!" Song Ling¡¯er stared at Yuan with disbelief in her eyes.

    How could someone with such tremendous talents not focus on improving that specific talent? She has never seen such foolishness before!

    Of course, Song Ling¡¯er was unaware of Yuan¡¯s godlike cultivation talents, or else she wouldn¡¯t be reacting in such a manner.

    "I¡¯m really sorry, but I have decided to never y the instruments seriously ever again since I have already experienced enough of that in my life," Yuan said to her.

    "..."

    Song Ling¡¯er narrowed her eyes at Yuan, but she didn¡¯t say anything else.

    A momentter, she took a deep breath and released it.

    She then turned around and started walking away from the area.

    "This won¡¯t be yourst time seeing me, nor will I give up on trying to poach you either. I¡¯ll be sure to give a visit to the Dragon Essence Temple after this zitherpetition." Song Ling¡¯er said as she disappeared from the area.

    Once Song Ling¡¯er left the scene, Elder Xuan approached Yuan and said to him, "Let¡¯s also leave before it gets any more chaotic."

    Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.

    Yuan nodded and left the park with the others shortlyter.

 Chapter 201 Warning Her Disciples

    After leaving the park, Song Ling¡¯er returned to the hotel she was staying at, but then she suddenly realized something that made her run back to the park.

    ¡¯I forgot to ask that person for his name! What a blunder!¡¯ Song Ling¡¯er cried inwardly when she realized that she¡¯d forgotten to ask for Yuan¡¯s name due to her frustration at that moment.

    But s, by the time she returned to the park, Yuan and the others were already long gone!

    ¡¯Forget it. I¡¯ll ask Long Yijun when I visit the Dragon Essence Temple. Even if they try to hide him from me, I have already memorized his figure and hands so I¡¯ll recognize him at nce.¡¯

    Thinking this, Song Ling¡¯er once again returned to the hotel, but her mind couldn¡¯t get rid of Yuan¡¯s wless zither arts, and she proceeded to spend the rest of the day thinking about Yuan¡¯s performance, even analyzing it.

    ¡¯Wait a second... That person was ying the Soul Ensnaring Zither, Daoist Zou¡¯s treasure! Maybe he knows this unknown expert¡¯s identity.¡¯

    After spending an hour in her hotel, Song Ling¡¯er went outside for the third time today, and she went straight to the Zou Family¡¯s household, surprising Senior Zou with her unannounced visit.

    "S-Senior Song! Wee to my humble ce! How may I help you today?" Senior Zou bowed to her in a respectful manner.

    "The Soul Ensnaring Zither... When did you give it away?" Song Ling¡¯er asked him.

    "Eh? How¡¯d you know that I¡¯d given away the Soul Ensnaring Zither? I haven¡¯t announced anything yet," Senior Zou looked at her with a surprised face.

    "Because I saw someone ying with it not long ago," she calmly responded.

    "I see... So he¡¯s already ying it..." A warm smile appeared on Senior Zou¡¯s face, causing Song Ling¡¯er to raise her eyebrows.

    Then she asked him, "Just who is that person? I have also tried ying the Soul Ensnaring Zither multiple times, but I never figured out how to y it properly, yet this person did it wlessly."

    Senior Zou shook his head and said, "Believe me when I say this, but I also don¡¯t know his background. Besides his face and that he¡¯s from the Dragon Essence Temple, I don¡¯t know anything else about him."

    "Wait... You saw his face? What did he look like?" Song Ling¡¯er suddenly asked, her eyes brimming with curiosity.

    "Well... He was a very handsome young man."

    "A handsome young man? And you don¡¯t recognize him at all? How can such a talented individual be a nobody?" Song Ling¡¯er asked.

    Senior Zou shrugged and said, "I have no idea."

    Song Ling¡¯er no longer said anything and stood there with a pondering look on her beautiful face.

    And almost as though he¡¯d suddenly recalled something, Senior Zou spoke a momentter, "Oh, right. He¡¯s also called ¡¯Yuan¡¯, and he will be participating in the zitherpetition with Fei Yuyan as his partner."

    "He¡¯s what?!" Song Ling¡¯er turned to look at him with a shocked look on her face.

    If someone like Yuan participated in thepetition, it would no longer be apetition but a one-sided performance instead!

    "I-Is there something wrong with that?" Senior Zou asked her.

    "..."

    "No... If someone like him participates in thepetition, there¡¯s no doubt that he will be an instant sensation. In fact, if I could, I would give him the first ce and end thepetition right now."

    "You think of him that highly? I have never seen you praising someone to such an extent. Your disciples will cry if they hear that," Senior Zou chuckled.

    "They can cry all they want, but if they want toin, they better prove to me that they¡¯re worth praising." Song Ling¡¯er spoke in a nonchnt voice.

    "Anyway, I¡¯m going to leave now. Thank you for your time."

    Senior Zou nodded and said, "My Zou Family will always have its doors open for you, Senior Song."

    Song Ling¡¯er left the Zou Family shortlyter.

    "Yuan, huh?" Song Ling¡¯er mumbled his name as she traveled in the streets with a veil covering her face, yet her womanly figure still attracted countless gazes.

    Sometimeter, Song Ling¡¯er arrived at a hotel that was different from the one she was staying at.

    "Wee back, Senior Song!"

    The workers there immediately greeted her when they saw her figure.

    "Are my disciples here?" she asked the workers behind the reception desk.

    "Yes, they are currently inside their room, Senior Song."

    Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    Song Ling¡¯er nodded and proceeded to look for her disciples.

    "Master!"

    Two individuals in their early twenties, a youngdy and young man, showed up shortly after Song Ling¡¯er knocked on their doors and greeted her.

    "Ai Wan, Wei Kang, I have something important to say," Song Ling¡¯er said to them, and she continued with a serious look on her face, even removing her veil so they could see how serious she was being, "This zitherpetition... You will meet someone exceptional¡ª someone who will make you doubt your own talents and existence."

    Her disciples looked at her with a gawking expression, as they could notprehend why she was telling them such a thing right before thepetition.

    "I am telling you this because I want you to prepare yourselves, since you two have been acting very rxed, almost like you¡¯ve already won thepetition. Don¡¯t getcent because you are my disciples."

    "We were wrong to look down on others just because we¡¯re your disciples, Master." The disciples lowered their heads, apologizing for beingcent.

    Song Ling¡¯er nodded her head and left shortlyter, returning to her own hotel.

    "What happened to the Master? She¡¯s acting a little suspicious."

    The two disciples looked at each other with a dumbfounded look after she left.

    "Master usually carries this confident and slightly arrogant aura around her, but I couldn¡¯t feel that from her just now..." Wei Kang, the male disciple mumbled.

    "Perhaps something really happened. I have never seen her act like this before." Ai Wan sighed.

    And she continued, "She said there¡¯ll be someone ¡¯exceptional¡¯ in thepetition, right? Did she just praise someone? I don¡¯t think I have ever seen her praise anyone before¡ª not even her own disciples."

    "I¡¯m actually feeling a little excited about thispetition now." Wei Kang said with a slight smile on his face.

    "Me, too."

 Chapter 202 Introducing the Judges

    After returning to the Royal Blossom Hotel, Elder Shan sighed while looking at Yuan, "I knew you¡¯d attract Sect Master Song¡¯s attention at thepetition with your talents, but I didn¡¯t think we¡¯d encounter her before thepetition, and she¡¯d even gone as far as trying to poach you. This is going to be problematic..."

    "Why would it be problematic? I have already refused her invitation to join the Heavenly Melody Academy," Yuan said.

    "Just because you¡¯d refused her invitation doesn¡¯t mean she¡¯ll give up on you, Disciple Yuan. And knowing Senior Song¡¯s character, she¡¯ll most likely continue trying to poach you until she gets tired of it, which might take a couple of years if not decades..."

    "Hopefully the Sect Master can convince Senior Song to give up." Elder Xuan sighed loudly.

    "Anyway, you should stay inside the hotel for the rest of the day. It¡¯s best to stay lowkey after what happened at the park today since I¡¯m sure that it is already being spread around as we speak."

    As Elder Xuan had guessed, the people that witnessed Yuan¡¯s performance were already spreading what they witnessed and how an unknown zither expert from the Dragon Essence Temple had defeated the Heavenly Melody Academy¡¯s Sect Master, Song Ling¡¯er. Of course, nobody believed this rumor at first, since they would¡¯ve known about such an expert already if he really existed.

    But as more and more people began spreading the news with even some reputable musicians saying the same thing, some people could not help but start believing the rumors to a certain extent.

    "Since there¡¯s nothing to do until thepetition tomorrow, I¡¯ll log off for today," Yuan said to the elders before logging off in their room and spending the remainder of the day cultivating in the real world, even advancing a level by the end of the day, reaching 7th level Spirit Apprentice.

    The following day, after returning to the game and some preparations, Yuan and the others left the hotel and went to the gathering area again.

    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    "Good luck, both of you. We¡¯ll be watching your performance in the spectators¡¯ area," Elder Shan said to Yuan and Fei Yuyan once they reached outside the gathering area.

    "Good luck, Yuan! I¡¯ll be cheering for you!" Xuan Wuhan said to him with a bright smile on her face.

    "Good luck, Disciple Yuan..." Min Li said to him, feeling a little awkward, as this is her first time being in such a situation.

    "Good luck, and above all, have fun." Elder Xuan said with a smile.

    "Thank you all," Yuan said to them before following Fei Yuyan inside the gathering area.

    "Hm? There appear to be fewer people here today than before. What happened?" Yuan asked after noticing that the gathering area was much more emptypared to yesterday.

    "Only participants are allowed here now, that¡¯s why." Fei Yuyan said. "Anyway, there¡¯s still another hour or so until they close the gates and begin thepetition. Let¡¯s find a ce to wait until then."

    Yuan nodded and followed Fei Yuyan around until they found an empty spot underneath a tree, where they proceeded to wait.

    "Look over there¡ª isn¡¯t that Fairy Fei from the Dragon Essence Temple? She¡¯s participating in this year¡¯spetition as well!"

    "Who¡¯s her partner, though? And why is that person wearing a mask?"

    The other participants there quickly noticed Fei Yuyan¡¯s presence, and some of them even decided to approach her with friendly greetings.

    "Hello, Fairy Fei. I am Wan Hu from the Wan Family. I just want to let you know that I¡¯d started ying the zither after witnessing your performance in the previouspetition, and now I am participating in thepetition myself."

    "Fairy Fei, do you remember me? I am Du Ruhui, and I was ranked 8th ce in thestpetition."

    Fei Yuyan nced at these people, and then she said, "Please do not bother me right now, I am trying to concentrate on thepetition. If you have the time to chit chat, use that time to prepare yourself for thepetition instead."

    These people were dumbfounded by Fei Yuyan¡¯s cold response, but it was not unexpected, since Fei Yuyan was known for being distant towards others, especially men.

    Meanwhile, Yuan surveyed the area, even paying attention to the people that were just entering the ce, almost like he was searching for a certain individual.

    Of course, he was simply trying to see how many participants there were yers.

    Time passed quickly, and the gates to the gathering were shut exactly an hourter.

    "Wee to the 100th Zither Competition."

    A familiar face suddenly appeared before the participants and said out loud, silencing the ce immediately.

    "That¡¯s Senior Zou..." Yuan mumbled after seeing him.

    "My surname is Zou, and I am one of the judges that will be participating in this year¡¯spetition," Senior Zou said, and he continued, "Allow me to introduce the other two judges that will be working with me today."

    A few secondster, two figures descended from the sky andnded beside Senior Zou.

    One of them was a woman wearing a crimson red dress and a veil over her head, whilst the other judge was a tall handsome man that emitted a powerful aura.

    "On my right side, we have Senior Song, Sect Master of the Heavenly Melody Academy." Senior Zou introduced Song Ling¡¯er.

    He then pointed to the tall man and said, "On the other side, we have Elder Jing from the Heaven and Earth Pce, our sponsor for this year¡¯spetition!"

    After introducing the judges, Senior Zou continued, "Normally, we would grade each of you separately until the final event, but as most of you have guessed, we will be doing things slightly different for this year¡¯spetition."

    While Senior Zou talked aboutpetition, Song Ling¡¯er searched the crowd with her sharp eyes from behind the veil, seemingly trying to look for a certain individual.

    For more, visit lightn/ovelpub[//.

    ¡¯Found him! He¡¯s really participating in thispetition! Yuan!¡¯ Song Ling¡¯er¡¯s eyes widened when she saw Yuan with his ck jade mask standing beside Fei Yuyan, and she could immediately feel her heart beating slightly faster than just a moment ago for some reason.

 Chapter 203 Always Looking for Talented Individuals

    After Senior Zou mumbled about thepetition and some of its history, he turned to look at Song Ling¡¯er and spoke, "Senior Song, are we ready to start thepetition?"

    "..."

    However, almost as though she didn¡¯t hear him, Song Ling¡¯er did not respond to his question, making Senior Zou repeat his words for a second time.

    "Senior Song, are we ready to start thepetition?"

    "Eh? What did you just say?" Song Ling¡¯er suddenly snapped out of her dazed and turned to look at Senior Zou¡¯s dumbfounded face.

    "I-I said, we are ready to start thepetition whenever you are ready, Senior Song."

    Song Ling¡¯er then nodded, "Yes, we can start."

    Senior Zou nodded his head, and then he turned to look at the thousands of participants there and said, "Follow me to the arena where you¡¯ll perform in front of millions of people."

    The participants there swallowed nervously when they heard that there were going to be millions of people.

    While they¡¯d expected and prepared themselves for arge crowd, they didn¡¯t expect such a massive audience! This must be the influence of the Heaven and Earth Pce and the Sect Master of the Heavenly Melody Academy, Song Ling¡¯er!

    Senior Zou suddenly turned around and walked into the building, and the participants followed him.

    A few minutester, Senior Zou led them through the entire building and into a vast, empty area that spanned for almost an entire mile, with spectators blocking the scenery in every direction due to the sheer amount of people that were present.

    However, upon closer inspection, the area wasn¡¯t actually empty, and there were thousands of small wooden tables ced around the area in an orderly fashion with a zither resting on top.

    Furthermore, each of these zithers looked exactly the same, and none of them looked any different from another. In fact, they were all ordinary zithers.

    When the spectators saw these participantsing out of the building, the noises in that area exploded with excitement, causing the air to shake.

    "You have five minutes to find a seat, and you must be sitting directly next to your partner. Go." Senior Zou said to them, and the participants scattered like ants to find their seats.

    Although it was a bit messy at first, all of the participants were seated before five minutes had passed.

    Once everyone was seated, the three judges jumped on top of three tall tforms that were ced directly in front of the participants before taking a seat.

    Sitting directly in the middle of the participants was Song Ling¡¯er with Senior Zou on her right side and Elder Jing on her left side.

    Visit [.]c/om for a better experience

    "Thank you all foring here today." Senior Zou spoke in a calm voice, yet his voice boomed loudly and rippled throughout the area, sounding as though he was using an invisible microphone.

    "Before we start, allow us to introduce ourselves."

    Senior Zou suddenly stood up and introduced himself, "My name is Zou Fujian, and I was only 7 years old when I first touched the zither. It has been exactly 135 years since I¡¯ve started practicing the zither, yet I still cannot help but be excited when I see a zither in front of me. This is also my 9th time acting as a judge here. That¡¯s all."

    After his brief introduction, Senior Zou returned to his seat whilst the sect elder from the Heaven and Earth Pce stood up and began introducing himself with a proud aura around him, "Surname Jing, and I am a sect elder from the Heaven and Earth Pce for the Inner Court disciples. I will admit that my experience with the zither is not as vast or profound as the other two judges, but I have supervised over 100 disciple examinations for the Heaven and Earth Pce, bringing hundreds of talented disciples to the sect, so I know a thing or two about judging people. That¡¯s all."

    After Elder Jing sat down, everybody in the area turned to look at the beautiful figure sitting in the middle, their gaze filled with admiration and anticipation.

    A momentter, Song Ling¡¯er stood up and removed her veil, revealing to the audience her peerless beauty.

    "Heavens! What a divine beauty!"

    "As expected of the Divine Zither Fairy! Her beauty knows no boundaries!"

    "Hahaha! I didn¡¯te here to watch the zitherpetition, only to witness for myself whether Senior Fairy Song was as beautiful as people say she is! I can now say for certain that she¡¯s the most beautiful woman I have ever seen! This trip was definitely worth it!"

    For more, visit [.

    "Aaaaah! Senior Fairy Song! I love you!"

    The men and women there showered Song Ling¡¯er with praises regarding her beauty, almost like everyone there were her admirers.

    However, Song Ling¡¯er did not pay attention to the noises, and her eyes remained fixed in a certain direction.

    Noticing this, Senior Zou followed her gaze and turned to look in the direction she was looking at.

    ¡¯Why am I not surprised?¡¯ A slight smile appeared on his face when Senior Zou saw a distinct figure wearing a jade ck mask who was also sitting beside a very pretty youngdy.

    ¡¯She¡¯s really obsessed with him, huh? Well, I cannot me her. After all, she always talked about how she will be the first one to y the Soul Ensnaring Zither after the Zither Goddess... I can imagine the shock that she¡¯d received when someone much younger than her stole that achievement from her.¡¯

    A few momentster, once the noises in the area died down, Song Ling¡¯er spoke in a calm voice, "Sect Master of the Heavenly Melody Academy, Song Ling¡¯er. We are always looking for talented individuals in the Dao of Music, especially those who specialize in the zither. Therefore, if you can attain at least the top ten, I will consider epting you as a disciple in the Heavenly Melody Academy. As for whoever achieves first ce... I shall make you my own disciple!"

    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only

    The crowd gasped in shock when they heard such words from Song Ling¡¯er. She was going to ept a disciple today? This was something nobody there could¡¯ve expected¡ª not even her own disciples!

    Meanwhile, Yuan looked at Song Ling¡¯er¡¯s beautiful figure from behind the mask, pondering to himself, ¡¯Why does it feel like she¡¯s talking specifically to me?¡¯

    Visit li/ghtno/vel//pub[. for a better experience

 Chapter 204 How Is This Even Fair?

    After her explosive announcement, Song Ling¡¯er returned to her seat in a casual manner, almost like it was just another day for her.

    Meanwhile, the crowd exploded into anothermotion.

    "Senior Fairy Song will be epting another disciple?! But if I remember correctly, she¡¯d mentioned that she won¡¯t be epting any more disciples after epting her current two disciples six years ago!"

    However, not everybody was excited about Song Ling¡¯er¡¯s announcement.

    "She¡¯s really sneaky... I didn¡¯t think she would strike back so quickly..." Elder Shan felt her eyebrows twitch upon hearing Song Ling¡¯er¡¯s announcement.

    "Since she already knows that Disciple Yuan has what it takes to achieve first ce if not guaranteed to take first ce, she purposefully announced that she¡¯ll ept the first ce as her disciple to use the crowd to pressure Disciple Yuan into epting. What a brilliant yet shameless move!" Elder Xuan shook his head, unsure whether tough or cry at Song Ling¡¯er¡¯s desperate attempt to force Yuan into joining the Heavenly Melody Academy.

    "What if Disciple Yuan doesn¡¯t actually achieve first ce? What then? Will she simply change her mind?" Xuan Wuhan couldn¡¯t help but that.

    "No, that¡¯s not possible. Although there are two other judges there, Senior Song¡¯s judgement will easily outweigh their judgement. If she says first ce belongs to Disciple Yuan, he will undoubtedly get first ce! Who will dare to refute her judgement? Who has the credentials to challenge her judgement? Nobody!" Elder Xuan exined to her. "Furthermore, with Disciple Yuan¡¯s abilities, nobody would find Senior Song¡¯s judgement unfair!"

    "T-This is really unfair! A scandal! How can someone as prestigious as Senior Song lower herself to such a degree just to recruit Disciple Yuan? I cannot understand this..." Xuan Wuhan sighed.

    Elder Xuan and Elder Shan looked at Xuan Wuhan with weird looks. If Xuan Wuhan knew just how talented Yuan was, she would understand Song Ling¡¯er¡¯s desperation. In fact, if the roles were reversed, their Sect Master Long Yijun would undoubtedly be doing the same thing as Song Ling¡¯er¡ª doing whatever he could to poach Yuan.

    Sometimeter, Senior Zou cleared his throat, and he spoke in a clear voice, "Now let¡¯s talk about thepetition itself."

    "There will be three different parts in thepetition, and you will be scored from one to ten by each judge. At the end of thepetition, whichever team has the most points will be dered first ce."

    "For the first part, we will have each of you y three music notes¡ª no more, no less. You can y any note you want, but you only have three, so choose wisely."

    Senior Zou then pointed to the participants sitting in the first row and said, "We will start from you. You have 30 seconds to prepare, starting now."

    The ce immediately became silent, and millions of eyes gazed upon this participant who was going first, casting an invisible pressure on this participant who felt like a mountain had suddenly appeared on his shoulders.

    The participant¡¯s hands trembled as he reached for the zither on the table, and a momentter¡ª

    Ting... Ting... Tin¡ª

    Three very awkward-sounding music notes echoed in the area, immediately putting frowns on the audiences¡¯ faces.

    However, none of the audience made any noise orined, and they silently waited for the judges¡¯ verdict.

    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    Senior Zou and Elder Jing turned to look at Song Ling¡¯er, almost like they were waiting for her to give her verdict first, but after seeing that she hadn¡¯t moved even after a good moment, they decided to give their verdicts first.

    "Zero."

    Senior Zou spoke in a cold voice.

    "Zero."

    Elder Jing followed.

    Once the other judges gave their verdict, Song Ling¡¯er finally spoke, and her cold voice resounded clearly in the ce, "There¡¯s no need for your partner to continue. The two of you may leave the premise, as you are no longer qualified to participate in thispetition."

    The participant nodded with a flushed face and teary eyes, yet he didn¡¯tin. As for his partner who was staring at him with an enraged expression, he also remained silent.

    After bowing to the Song Ling¡¯er and the others, the two of them left the area with a shameful back.

    "Next." Senior Zou immediately looked at the next participant.

    A few secondster, three beautiful notes resounded in the area.

    "Five." Senior Zou dered.

    "Six." Elder Jing followed.

    "Two." Song Ling¡¯er said in a nonchnt voice.

    "..."

    The audience was slightly baffled by Song Ling¡¯er¡¯s score that was vastly lowerpared to the other two judges. However, they weren¡¯t too surprised, since someone like Song Ling¡¯er must have an extremely high standard due to her experience and background.

    A few minutester, over a dozen teams were graded, but Song Ling¡¯er has yet to give anyone above three points.

    Half an hour and hundreds of teamster, they finally reached a team that was rtively famous, as they¡¯d ranked in the top 20s individually in the previouspetition.

    Three music notester, the two judges looked at Song Ling¡¯er.

    For more, visit l/i/gh/tno/velpub[.

    However, she remained silent.

    A few more secondster, Senior Zou spoke, "Eight points."

    "Eight points from me as well. Great job."

    Everyone there turned to look at Song Ling¡¯er and patiently waited for her judgement.

    Two secondster, she opened her mouth and mumbled, "Six points."

    "Oh! Someone finally managed to score above three points, even doubling it!"

    "Who is that? I don¡¯t think I know his name."

    "That¡¯s Ning Xiang, he ced 11thstpetition. It seems like he has practised his butt off since then, and his efforts are showing."

    Ten minutester, another team managed to receive more than 5 points from Song Ling¡¯er. At this point, the audience and participants alike only cared about Song Ling¡¯er¡¯s verdict and barely paid attention to Senior Zou and Elder Jing.

    For more, visit [.

    After some time, it was finally Song Ling¡¯er¡¯s own disciple turn.

    "Look! That¡¯s Ai Wan and Wei Kang! Senior Fairy Song¡¯s disciple! I didn¡¯t know they were going to participate in thepetition!" The spectators¡¯ immediately recognized them.

    "What! How is this even fair?! They¡¯ll definitely get first ce! This is probably why Senior Fairy Song announced that she was epting new disciples! Because she knew how difficult it would be to achieve first ce with her disciples participating!"

    The audience was stumped by their unexpected appearance.

 Chapter 205 Zero Points

    "Wei Kang and Ai Wan? Is this even legal? How can they allow Senior Song¡¯s own disciples to join thispetition? They¡¯ll obviously dominate the entirepetition!" Xuan Wuhanined in a sighing voice, and she continued, "I just hope that they¡¯re not better than Yuan."

    "I have never heard them y before, but I don¡¯t think Disciple Yuan would fall behind them." Elder Shan said, continuing with a smile on her beautiful face, "After all, he defeated their master, Senior Song, in a one-on-one battle."

    While the audience talked about Wei Kang and Ai Wan, Song Ling¡¯er spoke first for the first time, "You may begin."

    The ce instantly turned silent, and everybody there stared at Wei Kang who was the first to go with intensive gazes.

    After taking a deep breath, Wei Kang moved his arms in an elegant and precise manner, ying three music notes in quick session, his aura radiating with confidence and elegance.

    Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    Ting~ Ting~ Ting~

    Three beautiful music notes that pulled the listeners¡¯ heartstrings resounded in the area.

    "Aaahh... What beautiful music notes..."

    "As expected of Senior Fairy Song¡¯s disciple¡ª he¡¯s on an entirely different levelpared to the other participants..."

    "Indeed... Nobody else has managed to cause my heart to tremble in such a manner."

    A few momentster, Senior Zou and Elder Jing turned to look at Song Ling¡¯er, giving her the opportunity to go first since they were her disciples.

    However, Song Ling¡¯er remained silent, her intentions clear.

    Senior Zou and Elder Jing exchanged looks with each other before nodding.

    The next moment, Senior Zou spoke with a smile on his face, "That was excellent, Junior Wei. I expected nothing less from one of Senior Song¡¯s disciples. Although it was only three mere music notes, I was able to fully grasp your profound understanding of the zither with that brief performance just now. I¡¯ll give you ten points."

    The crowd cheered with excitement after hearing Senior Zou give out his first perfect score, which was to be expected.

    "I agree with Senior Zou. It was only three music notes, but I already want to hear more. Great job." Elder Jing praised Wei Kang.

    "Thank you, Seniors." Wei Kang stood up and bowed to them before turning to look at Song Ling¡¯er who has yet to give her judgment.

    After a moment of awkward silence, Song Ling¡¯er finally spoke in a nonchnt voice, "Do you remember what I told you about beingcent?"

    "I do, Master." Wei Kang nodded, sensing an ominous feelinging from Song Ling¡¯er¡¯s tone.

    "Then what was that rubbish just now? I¡¯ve heard better soundsing from a pig. What an utter disappointment from you, Wei Kang. Zero points." Song Ling¡¯er said in a cold voice.

    "Z-Zero points?"

    Everybody there including Wei Kang himself was baffled by Song Ling¡¯er¡¯s harsh assessment. How could such a wonderful performance be worth less than the others who were clearly worse, much less zero points?

    "Maybe she¡¯s being especially harsh on him because of their master and disciple rtionship. You see this very often¡ª when the master purposefully degrades their own disciples so they can grow stronger and faster."

    While everybody there felt that Wei Kang had deserved much better than zero points, who dared to challenge Song Ling¡¯er¡¯s decision? Regarding her own disciple, no less.

    After giving Wei Kang her verdict, Song Ling¡¯er turned to look at the pretty youngdy sitting beside him, her second disciple, Ai Wan, whose back was filled with cold sweat at this moment.

    "Go ahead." Song Ling¡¯er said to her a momentter.

    "Yes, Master."

    Ai Wan nodded, and she proceeded to take the full 30 seconds of preparation time to calm her mind and focus on the zither before her.

    After taking a deep breath, Ai Wan yed three music notes in a simr fashion to Wei Kang, yet it produced an entirely different sound, even giving off its unique atmosphere.

    The audience could feel their bodies rxing after hearing these music notes.

    "Such a powerful yet peaceful note... How does she create such a wonderful sound?"

    "I nearly dozed off after listening to her music notes!"

    Sometimeter, Senior Zou spoke with a smile on his face, "Wonderful! It¡¯s only been half a year since I¡¯vest heard you y and you¡¯ve improved by leaps and bounds since then! A definite 10 points from me!"

    "I am speechless, really." Elder Jing spoke next, and he said, "It¡¯s also a definite 10 points from me."

    Once the two judges finished their assessments, everybody turned to look at Song Ling¡¯er, and Ai Wan swallowed nervously.

    After a moment of silence, Song Ling¡¯er said in a calm voice, "I¡¯m d to see that at least one of my disciples had listened to my words. Nine points."

    A bright smile appeared on Ai Wan¡¯s face after hearing Song Ling¡¯er¡¯s verdict, and she immediately bowed, "Thank you, Master!"

    ¡¯Che...¡¯ Wei Kang sneered inwardly when Ai Wan didn¡¯t get scolded like he had been shamed in front of millions of people by their master, feeling incredibly salty.

    After Song Ling¡¯er¡¯s disciples¡¯ turn, the next hundred teams failed to produce anything worthy of praise, as the standard had been raised incredibly high by Ai Wan and Wei Kang despite his score.

    In fact, it was so boring that some of the crowds even began to doze off.

    Half an hourter, three unexpectedly beautiful music notes resounded in the area, sweeping the audience¡¯s drowsiness away in an instant.

    "W-Who yed those three notes just now?" Someone in the audience asked.

    "It was that beautiful young fairy¡ª I think that¡¯s Fairy Fei from the Dragon Essence Temple."

    "Oh! I know of her! She ced 7th in thestpetition!"

    "Wow! She is not only a beauty but also an excellent zither expert! I think Senior Fairy Song¡¯s disciples finally have a real opponent in this zitherpetition!"

    "Are you sure she only ced 7th? That doesn¡¯t seem right! Her three music notes were not any less magnificent than Ai Wan or Wei Kang, who could easily reach the top 3 if they participated in thepetition!"

    For more, visit lightn/ovelpub[.

    "I¡¯m sure! I cannot even begin to imagine how much she¡¯d practiced since then for her to reach this level in such a short time!"

    The audience was blown away by Fei Yuyan¡¯s performance,pletely oblivious to the fact that her improvements were due to practicing with Yuan, and it was only for one short week!

 Chapter 206 Yuans Three Music Notes

    *p* *p* *p*

    A few moments after Fei Yuyan yed her three music notes, Senior Zou suddenly began pping his hands, and he spoke in a praising voice, "I don¡¯t even know where to begin, Disciple Fei. I have witnessed your performance in the previouspetition, and if I had listened to your performance just now while blindfolded, I would have never guessed that it was you ying the zither."

    After taking a deep breath, he continued to speak, "If you were to participate in the previouspetition in your current condition, I have no doubt that you would be able to achieve first ce easily! Ten points from me!"

    "Thank you for your praises, Senior Zou." Fei Yuyan stood up and bowed to him.

    A few secondster, Elder Jing said, "While this is my first time seeing you y the zither, I have no qualms iming that you¡¯re as talented as Ai Wan and Wei Kang after listening to those three music notes alone. Ten points from me as well, and I am excited to see what else you have in store for uster."

    "Thank you, Elder Jing." Fei Yuyan said to him before turning to look at Song Ling¡¯er, who was staring at her with a profound expression.

    After a moment of silence, Song Ling¡¯er spoke, "You... Where did you learn to y the zither?"

    "Eh?"

    To her surprise, as well as everyone there, Song Ling¡¯er had asked her a question instead of giving her verdict.

    "I learned to y the zither by myself as it was only a hobby at first, Senior Song."

    Hearing her response, Song Ling¡¯er continued to ask, "How do you usually practice?"

    "I don¡¯t have any special practice routines, and I only practice by ying the zither normally¡ª a few hours every week. However, I have changed things up very recently by practicing with my partner, who has contributed a lot to my improvements." Fei Yuyan exined.

    ¡¯This girl... she¡¯s managed to reach such a high level of zither arts without a proper master? And she¡¯s also from the Dragon Essence Temple? Why are there so many talented musicians at the Dragon Essence Temple when they don¡¯t belong there at all?!?!¡¯ Song Ling¡¯er cried inwardly after realizing that Fei Yuyan was mostly another genius with talent equal if not even greater than her current disciples, and her envy towards the Dragon Essence Temple increased some more.

    After a moment of silence, Song Ling¡¯er finally gave her verdict, "Nine points from me."

    "Thank you, Senior Song!" Fei Yuyan bowed to her.

    "Wow! She actually received nine points from Senior Fairy Song! Does this mean Senior Fairy Song recognizes Fairy Fei¡¯s talents to be simr to her own disciples?"

    "Well, she definitely deserves it!"

    "If her partner doesn¡¯t drag her down, there¡¯s a good chance that her team will be top 10¡ª even top 3!"

    Meanwhile, Ai Wan and Wei Kang turned to look at Fei Yuyan with narrowed eyes, wondering if she was the person Song Ling¡¯er was talking about when she warned them of an ¡¯exceptional¡¯ genius that will be in thepetition.

    A few momentster, everybody in the audience turned to look at the next participant¡ª a somewhat slender figure wearing a ck jade mask on his face.

    "What the heck? Why¡¯s he wearing a mask?"

    "What an oddball. He¡¯s even the only person wearing a mask there."

    "This is Fairy Fei¡¯s partner? I hope his zither arts won¡¯t be a burden."

    The people there already began looking down on Yuan before his performance even began.

    ¡¯Oh boy...¡¯ Senior Zou sighed inwardly, wondering what¡¯s going to happen now that they¡¯ve finally reached this unknown prodigy who could defeat even Song Ling¡¯er in a one-on-one battle.

    "W-Wait a second! I recognize him! He was at the park yesterday!"

    Someone in the crowd suddenly shouted in a surprised voice, dumbfounding the people around him.

    "Park? What park?"

    "Oh! I was there too! He was the one who was challenged by Senior Fairy Song to a zither battle, even defeating her one-on-one!"

    "What kind of nonsense is that? Senior Fairy Song is the number one zither expert in the Lower Heavens! As if someone in this ce could defeat her in a one-on-one zither battle!"

    "Trust me, Ipletely understand why you¡¯d be suspicious because I would be too if I didn¡¯t witness it for myself, but once you listen to him y the zither, you¡¯ll understand what I said is true! I couldn¡¯t sleepst night because his zither music was stuck inside my head!"

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    "..."

    Song Ling¡¯er¡¯s eyebrows twitched uncontrobly after hearing the crowd¡¯s conversation, yet there was nothing she could say about it.

    "Ahem!"

    Senior Zou suddenly cleared his throat loudly, causing a small ripple to sweep the ce, quickly silencing the noise.

    "Go ahead. You may begin." Elder Jing said to Yuan shortly after the ce calmed down,pletely oblivious of the other two judges that were acting slightly strange.

    Yuan nodded his head and proceeded to ce his fingers gently on the string without actually touching the strings.

    After taking a deep breath, Yuan pulled on the string with his fingers, creating three music notes that actually sounded as though it was only one note, almost like he¡¯d yed the three notes simultaneously, and an otherworldly sound echoed in the ce.

    When the audience heard this music note, their eyes immediately widened with surprise, as they could somehow see the image of an incredibly beautiful flower field in front of them.

    "W-What the heck? Am I seeing things? Why do I suddenly see flowers?"

    "I am seeing it too! The entire area is filled with beautiful flowers!"

    "T-This is..."

    The judges¡¯ eyes widened with shock when they realized what was happening.

    "His music note was so profound that it¡¯d created an illusion for anyone that heard it! This level of zither art is simply legendary! And as far as my knowledge goes, only the Zither Goddess has managed to produce this phenomenon before, and he¡¯d managed to achieve this same phenomenon using only an ordinary zither!" Senior Zou unconsciously stood up on the tform and stared at Yuan with a gawking look on his face.

 Chapter 207 Playing Seriously

    "Heavens... Who on earth is that participant?" Elder Jing mumbled in a dazed voice as he stared at the figure wearing a ck jade mask with wide eyes.

    ¡¯This Yuan... He wasn¡¯t using all of his abilities during our one-on-one? Was he... looking down on me?¡¯ Song Ling¡¯er stared at Yuan with clear disbelief in her eyes.

    It was simply unthinkable that someone would look down on her¡ª the Sect Master of the Heavenly Melody Academy, feeling an indescribable sensation in her heart after learning this.

    Of course, Yuan wasn¡¯t purposefully looking down on Song Ling¡¯er during their one-on-one; it was just that he didn¡¯t feel being so serious in a friendlypetition between two zither yers, and he saw it more of a friendly spar.

    However, as someone who was conditioned to perform his very best duringpetitions, now that he was actually participating in one, he¡¯d unconsciously flipped his ¡¯serious¡¯ switch on and yed the zither with absolute focus and seriousness, especially since this is a musicpetition.

    Meanwhile, the audience and the participants alike stared at Yuan with shock and disbelief written all over their faces. Although most of the spectators didn¡¯tprehend the situation and just how amazing Yuan¡¯s performance just now truly was, they knew that it was the best thing they¡¯ve heard today and most likely their entire lives.

    As for the other participants, they were gobsmacked by Yuan¡¯s performance, and they could still see the illusion of flowers even though many moments had passed since they heard the three music notes!

    ¡¯Yuan... you...¡¯

    Even Fei Yuyan was staring at Yuan with a gawking expression on her face, feeling her heart racing at this moment.

    After a long moment of silence thatsted for a few minutes, Song Ling¡¯er finally snapped out of her daze, and for the first time in thispetition, she gave a verdict first, "Ten points."

    However, she didn¡¯t say anything else. No praises, no opinions¡ª nothing, almost like she was speechless.

    Senior Zou and Elder Jing followed a momentter, and they also only gave their verdict without any other words.

    "Ten points..."

    "Ten points..."

    Despite having the first participant to receive a perfect score in thispetition, the audience did not explode with excitement or cheering and remained rtively silent, most likely because they were still trying to grasp the situation.

    By the time most of these spectators returned to their senses, the judges had already given their verdict and moved onto the next team.

    However, the next team did not seem to be in the right mindset when it was finally their turn, and when they tried to y the zither, it sounded almost as though it was their first time touching the zither, or they¡¯dpletely forgotten how to y it.

    "Zero points."

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    "Zero from me as well."

    "Zero."

    The three judges quickly gave their verdict, and for the first time in thispetition, right after the first perfect score, the first lowest possible score was achieved.

    And to the audiences¡¯ surprise, this continued to happen for the next few teams as well. It was almost like every participant that went after Yuan had suddenly lost their ability to y the zither.

    This greatly baffled the audience, making them wonder if Yuan had purposefully screwed with the other participants, which should be considered cheating.

    However, the judges didn¡¯t say anything about it, so there was nothing the audience could say. Even when someone wanted to raise their voice, they would suddenly recall Yuan¡¯s otherworldly performance, which quickly made them change their mind. After all, there was no need for someone with such talents to cheat in apetition.

    An hourter, the final team received their verdict for the first part of thepetition.

    And by the end of the first part of thepetition, over half of the participants were disqualified due to their unsatisfactory results with only a few hundred teams left.

    "That is the end of the first part," Senior Zou said, and he continued, "For the second part of thepetition, we will have the teams y a song together."

    "Finally we get to listen to some real music!"

    "I have been waiting for this!"

    The audience was hyped. Although the first part of thepetition was exciting in its own ways, it was too short for the audience to truly immerse themselves in the music, as it would end after three quick notes.

    Sometimeter, Senior Zou continued, "Since this is a partneredpetition, you should¡¯ve practiced with your partner. Therefore, we¡¯ll let you decide on the songs you want to y."

    "You have three minutes to perform, but any of us judges can decide to cut it short if they find it displeasing to the ears."

    Senior Zou then pointed to the team in the front and said, "We¡¯ll start from you. You have one minute to discuss with your partner and prepare for your song. As for the other teams, you are not allowed to talk with each other until it¡¯s your turn or you will be automatically disqualified. Begin."

    Immediately, the two people in that team began talking with each other, deciding which song they should y.

    Thirty secondster, the participants took a deep breath and began ying the zither simultaneously.

    A very pleasant-sounding noise flowed throughout the area and into the audiences¡¯ ears.

    The majority of the audience was quickly attracted by the music and became immersed in it.

    However, thirty seconds into the song, when the team made their first mistake with a single out-of-tune note, Song Ling¡¯er¡¯s voice resounded, "That¡¯s enough."

    The music immediately stopped after her words resounded, and the participants lifted their heads to look at Song Ling¡¯er¡¯s face that had a slight frown on her beautiful face, their back and forehead soaked in cold sweats.

    "This is a teampetition¡ª not a solo. You¡¯ve clearly not practiced with each other enough to screw up so early into the song. You¡¯re disqualified." Song Ling¡¯er said a momentter in a cold voice, crushing that team¡¯s hopes into pieces.

 Chapter 208 God Descends from Heaven

    After the first team was disqualified, they continued onto the second team, who was shaking a little, obviously quite nervous after seeing what happened.

    "Begin." Senior Zou said to them.

    Fifty-five secondster, the team began ying their music.

    Luckily for this team, they¡¯d managed to calm down enough within those fifty-five seconds to y more than half of the song without making any mistakes.

    However, in the end, they made a couple of mistakes towards the end, which resulted in even more mistakes because they thought Song Ling¡¯er was going to immediately disqualify them for a single mistake.

    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    But to their surprise, Song Ling¡¯er did not disqualify them right away.

    Once the judgment began, Senior Zou said, "It was pretty decent at the beginning, but after your first mistake, like a ripple effect, the rest of your song became riddled with mistakes. Two points."

    "I enjoyed the first half, so I¡¯ll give you three points at the very least," said Elder Jing.

    Song Ling¡¯er then said, "Zero points. You¡¯re disqualified."

    The third team began ying their song a couple of momentster.

    But s, just like the first team, they were immediately disqualified by Song Ling¡¯er after their first mistake before the thirty-second mark.

    "It looks like Senior Fairy Song intends on disqualifying those who make mistakes early."

    "Man, I cannot imagine what it would be like to be one of her disciples. They must be under a lot of stress with her straight and unforgiving character."

    "If you want to be the very best, you have to sacrifice some things in your life..."

    Half an hour and a dozen disqualified teamster, the first team to make zero mistakes during their performance finally appeared.

    "Finally, someonepetent." Senior Zou said, and he continued, "The performance was pretty amazing overall, your music notes were in sync, the pace was neither too fast nor too slow, and your techniques were smooth and precise. Ten points from me."

    "I agree with Senior Zou. Ten points from me as well." Elder Jing said.

    "Seven points." Song Ling¡¯er said, surprising the audience with her high score.

    "Who are those two?! They also received somewhat high scores from Senior Fairy Song in thest part as well!"

    Some of the audience that did not recognize the team then asked the others.

    "That¡¯s Zhao Jieyu and Zhao Chengjiao. They¡¯re siblings that ced 2nd and 3rd in thestpetition."

    "Wow! Second and third ce?! Their family must be grinning from ear to ear!"

    A couple of hourster, it was finally Ai Wan and Wei Kang¡¯s turn to perform once again, and the audience immediately straightened their backs with some even leaning forward from anticipation.

    "What song should we y?" Ai Wan asked Wei Kang.

    "God Descends from Heaven!" Wei Kang quickly responded without hesitation.

    "What?! You want to y God Descends from Heaven? That¡¯s one of the most difficult songs in existence! There¡¯s no way we can y this song without making any mistakes!" Ai Wan said to him with a look of surprise on her face.

    And she continued, "We¡¯re already behind that team with Fei Yuyan and that mysterious masked person! We cannot risk losing any more points!"

    "They are exactly the reason why we must take this risk! Do you think we¡¯ll defeat them without going all out? Did you not hear that masked person¡¯s three music notes? There¡¯s no way we can defeat someone like that if we don¡¯t go all out!"

    Ai Wan turned silent for a moment after hearing Wei Kang¡¯s words, and then she nodded a momentter with a serious expression on her face, "You¡¯re right, Wei Kang. Our Master told us to not becent. If we don¡¯t take this seriously and lose first ce, we¡¯ll be aughing stock!"

    "Are you ready?" Senior Zou asked them since they took a little over a minute to discuss.

    "Yes, we are." Wei Kang said to him.

    A few secondster, the two of them began ying the zither, and a dozen unique music notes appeared in quick session, dumbfounding the audience with their face-paced music.

    "T-This song is God Descends from Heaven! One of the most difficult songs in this world with over ten thousand music notes, and they¡¯re going to y this in apetition?! As expected of Senior Fairy Song¡¯s disciples¡ª they¡¯re very bold!"

    "Heavens! Look at how fast they¡¯re ying the zither!"

    "Legends has it that a god had descended to the Lower Heavens from the upper realms when this song was first created, hence its name!"

    Meanwhile, Senior Zou and Elder Jing looked at Ai Wan and Wei Kang with surprised looks on their faces. Even they can¡¯t y the God Descends from Heaven song perfectly, yet these two are going to y it in a duet during apetition?

    And as one would¡¯ve expected, Ai Wan and Wei Kang made plenty of mistakes during their performance¡ª over a hundred mistakes before the thirty-second mark, yet Song Ling¡¯er did not disqualify them and allowed them to continue to y this seemingly impossible song.

    However, they were also ying the music too quickly for most people to notice these mistakes, so only the top experts like the judges were able to discern these mistakes.

    ¡¯What fast-paced, chaotic music... This is my first time hearing such a song...¡¯ Yuan red at these two people with narrowed eyes, clearly piqued by their music.

    Exactly three minutester, Ai Wan and Wei Kang stopped ying at the exact same time with theirst music note rippling throughout the ce, their faces and body soaked in sweat.

    Three secondster, once the audience realized that the music had stopped, the entire ce exploded with cheering that shook the atmosphere there.

    Sometimeter, Senior Zou said while pping, "Even though there were many mistakes in your performance, I cannot help but still admire your courage for ying this song during apetition, even ying it to the end without any major mistakes or obvious off syncs. And this is my first time hearing the God Descends from Heaven song during apetition despite my experience. Therefore, I am going to give you ten points."

 Chapter 209 Perfectly in Sync

    After Senior Zou¡¯s verdict, Elder Jing spoke, "Above and beyond¡ª that¡¯s all I can say. Ten points from me as well."

    Everybody then turned to look at Song Ling¡¯er, who nodded her head and said, "I see that you¡¯ve finally understood the situation you¡¯re in, Wei Kang."

    "Yes, Master!" Wei Kang said with a serious look on his face.

    "Although there were many mistakes in your performance, I do not expect anyone to y the God Descends from Heaven song perfectly, especially not in a duet. You get nine points from me."

    The crowd cheered after hearing Song Ling¡¯er¡¯s verdict. Although it was not a perfect score, neither was their performance, so it was fully justified for once.

    "Thank you, Master!"

    Ai Wan and Wei Kang bowed to her before sitting back down and exchanging satisfied looks with each other. Then they turned to look at Yuan, who was calmly sitting there and staring at his zither with a pondering gaze.

    ¡¯What¡¯s he thinking about?¡¯ They couldn¡¯t help but wonder to themselves after seeing Yuan¡¯s bright eyes that gave them an ominous feeling for some reason.

    Thepetition continued, and just like previously, after Ai Wan and Wei Kang¡¯s performance, the rest of the participants appeared to becking in their performance, causing the audience to grow bored.

    Sometimeter, when they finally reached Yuan¡¯s team, the audience immediately straightened their backs and widened their eyes with anticipation flickering within.

    "It¡¯s them! Fairy Fei and her mysterious partner!"

    "I wonder what kind of surprise they¡¯ll bring this time and how their performance willpare to Ai Wan and Wei Kang¡¯s performance!"

    Meanwhile, Fei Yuyan asked Yuan, "What song should we y?"

    However, almost as though he couldn¡¯t hear her, Yuan remained silent and continued staring at his zither with a dazed look on his face.

    "Disciple Yuan?" Fei Yuyan called out to him again.

    "Eh? I¡¯m sorry, I was thinking about something. What did you just say?" Yuan snapped out of his daze and turned to look at her with a puzzled look on his face.

    "It¡¯s our turn to perform," Fei Yuyan said with her eyebrows raised, and she continued, "What song should we y? After Senior Song¡¯s disciples¡¯ performance, it¡¯ll be hard for us topete since we don¡¯t know any difficult songs like Gods Descending from Heaven."

    Yuan then said, "Do you remember that one song we yed during our practice when we stayed up all night? Let¡¯s y that song."

    Fei Yuyan¡¯s eyes widened, and then she said, "A-Are you sure about that? That song... It¡¯s too unique. What if the judges don¡¯t like it? I think it¡¯d be safer if we yed one of my songs."

    "It¡¯ll be fine. It may be a bit uniquepared to the music you¡¯re used to, but this is apetition to see how well we can y the song as partners. Anyway, just y as we did during practice¡ª I¡¯ll follow your pace." Yuan said to her with a smile behind his mask.

    Fei Yuyan nodded with a serious look on her face, and then she turned to look at her zither.

    ¡¯I cannot be a burden to Yuan...¡¯

    After taking a deep breath, Fei Yuyan moved her slender arms and began ying the zither with her fair hands.

    Yuan followed Fei Yuyan¡¯s movements and yed the zither at the exact time she did.

    "W-What the? What kind of music is this?"

    The audience was immediately taken aback by the unique-sounding music that had a theme they¡¯ve never heard before.

    However, not every single spectator in the audience was unfamiliar with this type of music.

    "Wait a second... Why does this music sound so familiar?"

    "H-Hey! That¡¯s a famous song from our world! Why do they know such a song?!"

    The yers in the audience were baffled once they realized that this song being yed was a song from their modern world, especially the yers that were among the participants there!

    Unless a fellow yer taught them this song, there was only one other reason why they would know this song! One of them was a yer! And since most of the NPCs there knew Fei Yuyan, it could only mean that the figure wearing the ck jade mask was a yer!

    ¡¯That person was a fellow yer this entire time? My god! Why is he so good at the zither already?! Did he pick up the zither the moment he started ying this game?!¡¯

    "Just who is behind that ck mask?!" The participants that were yers wondered.

    Meanwhile, the judges were baffled by not only the unique song but also their perfect performance that flowed smoothly and was also wlessly in sync.

    In their eyes, it was almost as though Yuan and Fei Yuyan had be a single entity ying one song.

    "T-This is..." Song Ling¡¯er almost couldn¡¯t believe her eyes.

    ¡¯Impossible! The reason they sound so perfectly in sync is not because they are used to ying together¡ª it¡¯s because Yuan is following Fei Yuyan¡¯s rhythm wlessly!¡¯

    Although most of the people there may not be aware of the situation, Song Ling¡¯er knew exactly how shocking Yuan¡¯s performance was.

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    While Fei Yuyan only needed to y the song at her own pace, Yuan had to imitate Fei Yuyan¡¯s movements and follow her pace without making any mistakes; it was an incredibly difficult thing to do even for top experts, and only those who fully grasp their partners¡¯ skills would be able to achieve such a thing.

    Of course, even Fei Yuyan herself was not aware of this, and she continued to y the zither innocently.

    A few minutester, Fei Yuyan stopped ying the zither, and the music immediately halted without any dys, almost like she was the only one who was ying the zither this entire time.

    However, the audience appeared to be a little puzzled afterward.

    "Is it just me or was their performance a little bit disappointing? It didn¡¯t have the same impact as their previous performance..."

    "Right? Although the song was unique and very pleasant-sounding, it wasn¡¯t as exciting as I thought it¡¯d be..."

    "Compared to Ai Wan and Wei Kang, their performance is definitelycking."

    Completely oblivious to the ¡¯real¡¯ performance behind Yuan and Fei Yuyan¡¯s show just now, the audience expressed their disappointment.

 Chapter 210 Thirteen Points

    After Yuan and Fei Yuyan¡¯s performance, the judges pondered before giving their verdict.

    Elder Jing turned to look at Senior Zou and Song Ling¡¯er. Since he was the least experienced out of the three, he wanted to let the experts go first so that his judgment isn¡¯t too far off, causing him to lose face.

    However, neither Senior Zou nor Song Ling¡¯er spoke even many momentster, causing Elder Jing to raise his eyebrows.

    Then he turned to look at Yuan and Fei Yuyan. After clearing his throat, Elder Jing gave his verdict first for the first time.

    "This is my first time hearing such unique music, and I must say, it was definitely a positive new experience overall. The synchronization between the two of you was also fantastic. However,pared to your previous performance, especially you, young man in the ck mask, it was quitecking and a disappointment if I am being honest. I had expected much more, but s... Seven points from me."

    "..."

    The audience was silent throughout Elder Jing¡¯s verdict, and nobody made any noises afterward, as they also felt that it was quite a fair assessment.

    However, Senior Zou and Song Ling¡¯er turned to look at Elder Jing with frowns on their faces.

    ¡¯This guy... He also couldn¡¯t fathom their performance?¡¯ Senior Zou was speechless, but he wasn¡¯t too shocked, since he also almost missed it.

    Senior Zou then turned to look at Song Ling¡¯er, who held a frown even deeper than his own on her beautiful face, causing him to swallow nervously.

    "I... I will give you ten points." Senior Zou suddenly said, dumbfounding Elder Jing and the audience.

    "What? Ten points? Are you sure about your verdict, Daoist Zou? I don¡¯t mean to doubt your judgment, but how could you give them a simr score to what you gave Ai Wan and Wei Kang who was clearly superior? I hope you aren¡¯t still affected by their previous performance..." Elder Jing couldn¡¯t help but question Senior Zou¡¯s decision.

    Senior Zou shook his head and said, "I¡¯ll let Senior Song exin..."

    They turned to look at Song Ling¡¯er, who spoke in a calm yet cold voice a momentter, "If you cannot fathom why Daoist Zou gave them ten points instead of a disgraceful seven points, you do not qualify to be a judge in thispetition. If not for my respect for the Heaven and Earth Pce, I would have you removed from your position as judge already."

    After her cold remarks, shocking Elder Jing, Song Ling¡¯er turned to look at Fei Yuyan and Yuan.

    "Once again, you have exceeded my expectations. Ten... No, thirteen points from me." Song Ling¡¯er said, her gaze directly on Yuan¡¯s figure.

    "W-What? Did Senior Fairy Song just say ¡¯thirteen points¡¯?"

    "Unless we are all hearing things¡ª I think she did..."

    "Is it even possible to give more than ten points? And why thirteen points?"

    "Maybe it¡¯s to make up for Elder Jing¡¯s seven points, making it a total of 30 points..."

    "Why would she do that, though? Even Senior Zou gave them ten points. I cannot fathom their reasons for doing so."

    "Perhaps there was something about their performance that only those two noticed? After all, they¡¯re the judges."

    The audience went into an uproar after hearing Senior Zou and Song Ling¡¯er¡¯s puzzling verdict.

    After all, how could they give Yuan¡¯s team a perfect score when Ai Wan and Wei Kang couldn¡¯t achieve that kind of score after ying God Descends from Heaven, a song that¡¯s objectively harder to y?

    "You must be wondering why I gave you such a score." Song Ling¡¯er suddenly said as she looked at Fei Yuyan¡¯s direction who held a confused look on her face.

    Upon hearing Song Ling¡¯er¡¯s words, Fei Yuyan nodded with a dazed look on her face. While she was pretty satisfied with their performance, she didn¡¯t think it was worthy of such a high score.

    Song Ling¡¯er then said, "Your performance overall was great, but it wasn¡¯t anything too amazing, and it would be worth at most 7 points if not for the other factors."

    "The other factors...?" Fei Yuyan raised her eyebrows.

    Song Ling¡¯er nodded and said, "Your partner¡¯s performance."

    ¡¯Yuan¡¯s performance?¡¯

    Song Ling¡¯er continued, "Your partner disyed a shocking level of talent and skills by following your pace wlessly, which earned the extra points. I normally wouldn¡¯t do something like this, but I know very well that he could¡¯ve performed much better if he wasn¡¯t limited by you."

    "If he¡¯d yed the zither at his own level without any restrictions, the performance would¡¯ve definitely turned out better. However, if he¡¯d done that, you would not have been able to y together, simply because of the fact that the disparity between your abilities is just that vast, and this is not a solopetition, so he sacrificed his own performance in order to match yours."

    "..."

    Fei Yuyan was shocked speechless after learning the real reason behind their verdict, and she turned to look at Yuan with a pained expression on her face.

    "I¡¯m sorry, Disciple Yuan... It seems like I will be a burden to you no matter what I do..." Fei Yuyan said to him a momentter with teary eyes.

    "I..." Yuan didn¡¯t know what he should say in this situation since this is the first time he¡¯s been put into such an awkward situation.

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    "You don¡¯t have to say anything to me. I know that I cannotpare to you, nor can I catch up to you, and that¡¯s not your fault. Although I may continue to be a burden until the end of thispetition, let¡¯s y to the best of our abilities, okay?" Fei Yuyan said to him after wiping her eyes and showing him a smile.

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    "..."

    After a moment of silence, Yuan suddenly turned to look at Song Ling¡¯er and said, "I have a suggestion, Senior Song."

    "What is it?" Song Ling¡¯er raised her eyebrows in a curious manner.

    "As you¡¯d said, I didn¡¯t perform at my best, and our performance was only above average, so we don¡¯t deserve such a high score no matter how you spin it. Therefore, allow me¡ª by myself¡ª to y another song to make up for the points, or at least justify it somewhat." Yuan said, surprising her and everyone there.

 Chapter 211 Temporary Buff

    "You... want to y a song by yourself?" Song Ling¡¯er raised her eyebrows.

    Under normal circumstances, that would not be allowed, as this is apetition¡ª a partneredpetition. However, she really wanted to listen to Yuan y the zither seriously by himself even if it would invalidate the integrity of thepetition. After all, in her eyes, he was going to win thispetition regardless.

    "Okay, go ahead." Song Ling¡¯er nodded her head a momentter, surprising the audience.

    "Senior Song, are you sure? This isn¡¯t part of thepetition..." Elder Jing said in a nervous voice.

    "Who cares? If he wants to y, let him y," Senior Zou said with a smile on his face.

    "You too, Daoist Zou...?" Elder Jing was dumbfounded. Why did they want to listen to this participant y so much? It was almost as though they were subtly favoring him!

    "Thank you, Seniors..." Yuan said to them before focusing on the zither.

    He then closed his eyes to recall a certain face-paced song that was yed only recently.

    A few momentster, after taking a deep breath, Yuan began ying the zither, and his hands moved with extreme speed.

    Ting~!

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    A very familiar-sounding song began ying, dumbfounding the audience and the judges alike.

    "T-This song is¡ª?!"

    "God Descends from Heaven! He¡¯s actually ying God Descends from Heaven!"

    "So he actually knows this song as well!"

    Song Ling¡¯er and the other judges watched with bulging eyes as Yuan yed God Descends from Heaven wlessly and at a pace that sounded even faster than Ai Wan and Wei Kang when they performed.

    Meanwhile, Fei Yuyan stared at Yuan with a gawking expression on her face. Although nobody else there was aware, she knew that not only did Yuan start ying the zither only a week ago but he has also never heard or yed the song God Descends from Heaven until today!

    ¡¯He can y God Descends from Heaven after listening to it a single time...? Just how heaven-defying are his musical talents? How does his mind operate?¡¯ Fei Yuyan couldn¡¯t help but cry inwardly, feeling like this is Yuan¡¯s most shocking moment to date.

    ¡¯This guy is a fucking monster! How can he y one of the most difficult songs with seemingly no effort at all?!¡¯ Wei Kang cursed inwardly as he watched Yuan¡¯s finger movements flow as smoothly as water and with precision, almost like he was a music machine or something simr.

    "L-Look behind him! Am I seeing things or is there someone floating behind him?!" One of the spectators suddenly pointed at Yuan and shouted in a shocked voice.

    "No, you¡¯re right! I also see it! What a beauty!"

    "This must be another illusion!"

    "It¡¯s almost like a goddess has descended from the heavens because of his music!"

    The audience was shocked when a beautiful youngdy with peerless features suddenly appeared behind Yuan halfway through the song like a spirit guardian watching over him.

    "T-That¡¯s¡ª!" Senior Zou shook uncontrobly and stood up after seeing the beautiful figure floating behind Yuan.

    Although it took a moment for him to recognize her face, it was, without doubt, the Zither Goddess behind Yuan!

    ¡¯W-Why am I seeing the illusion of the Zither Goddess behind him? What¡¯s the meaning of this?¡¯

    Meanwhile, Song Ling¡¯er subconsciously ced her hands onto her chest, and she could feel her heart beating almost as fast as Yuan was ying the zither.

    Exactly three minutester, Yuan stopped ying the zither with thest music note creating a ripple that spread throughout the area and snapping everyone out of their daze.

    As for the yers there, a notification popped up for them.

    [Your stats has been increased by 10% for 30 minutes from the effects of ¡¯God Descending from Heaven¡¯]

    Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    To their surprise, they¡¯d received a temporary buff after listening to Yuan¡¯s zither arts!

    "Phew... What an amazing song..." Yuan took a deep breath after the song ended, feeling extremely satisfied despite making a couple of mistakes.

    In fact, one of the major reasons why he suggested ying a song by himself was simply so that he could y God Descends from Heaven while it was still fresh inside his mind, even using the score as an excuse to y the song.

    Yuan then turned to look at the judges and said, "I have finished. Thank you for listening to my selfish request."

    The ce turned dead silent, to the point where even a pin drop could be heard miles away.

    Sometimeter, Song Ling¡¯er said in a somewhat shaky voice, "I... I think I have seen enough today."

    "Eh? What do you mean by that, Senior Song?" Elder Jing couldn¡¯t help but ask her.

    Song Ling¡¯er then stood up and said in a loud and clear voice, "There¡¯s no need for us to continue this when the results are clear. Therefore, I am ending thispetition here."

    "WHAT?!"

    The audience, participants, and judges alike stared at Song Ling¡¯er with disbelief in their eyes, as they couldn¡¯t believe that she¡¯d cut thepetition short just like that!

    However, if they thought about it, after witnessing Yuan¡¯s performance, it was clear who would receive first ce so Song Ling¡¯er¡¯s decision made some sense!

    "S-Senior Song... T-This is a partneredpetition... I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be fair for the other participants if we end thepetition because of a single outstanding participant." Elder Jing said in a nervous tone.

    Song Ling¡¯er red at Elder Jing, but she didn¡¯t say anything. She then pointed at the participants and said, "Look at their faces. Do they look like people with the will to continue? And I don¡¯t need to sit through the entirepetition to know who¡¯ll obtain what ce."

    Elder Jing turned to look at the participants, and sure enough, the majority of them held bitter expressions on their faces and their aura without any motivation or confidence. Even if they continued with thepetition, their performances would beckluster at best.

    "W-What about the second and third ce? There has to be more than one winner..." Elder Jing then said.

    Song Ling¡¯er nced at the participants before speaking in an indifferent voice, "The rewards are too good for them! The second and third ce will remain empty! If you have a problem with that, go ahead and challenge me!"

    Author¡¯s Note: Since we¡¯ve managed to take first ce for win-win, I will be giving a five-chapter mass releaseter, probably sometime during the middle of the month since I am very busy now.

 Chapter 212 Player Yuans First Public Appearance

    The ce fell into silence once again after Song Ling¡¯er¡¯s domineering words, and the participants trembled at the thought of challenging Song Ling¡¯er.

    The participants then turned to look at Yuan who suddenly looked much bigger than previously, almost like he¡¯d grown a few sizes. However, that was just their admiration for Yuan making it seem like he was bigger than normal.

    After witnessing his god-like performance that¡¯d seemingly summoned a goddess instead of a god, they did not feel likepeting against such a monster.

    Suddenly, someone within the participants stood up and approached Yuan.

    The others there turned to look at this individual, who was Wei Kang.

    Once he was standing before Yuan, to everybody¡¯s surprise, Wei Kang lowered his head and bowed to Yuan before speaking in a respectful voice, "Congrattions on winning thepetition, Senior. You definitely deserve it even though the whole thing was somewhat abnormal and unprecedented."

    "L-Look! That arrogant Wei Kang is lowering his head to someone else that isn¡¯t Senior Fairy Song!"

    "I can see that for myself!"

    A few momentster, Ai Wan followed Wei Kang¡¯s footsteps and also bowed to Yuan in a respectful manner.

    "Hello, Senior. I am Ai Wan, and I would like to thank you for opening my eyes today. This may sound a little disrespectful to my master, but you have broadened my views with your zither arts. Hopefully, we can y the zither together in the future."

    Yuan nodded at them and said, "Thank you. If there¡¯s ever a chance, let¡¯s y the zither together."

    Sometimeter, Song Ling¡¯er asked the other two judges, "Do you have anything else to say? If you are not satisfied with the results, we can talk about it."

    Senior Zou quickly shook his head and said, "No, there¡¯s no need. I already knew the results of thispetition the moment he yed the Soul Ensnaring Zither before my very eyes, and if I was as daring as you, Senior Song, I would¡¯ve also ended thepetition early."

    "What about you, Elder Jing? Do you have something else to add?" Senior Zou then asked Elder Jing, who quickly shook his head.

    "Do whatever you want. I am only here because my sect is sponsoring thepetition. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t even be here." Elder Jing shrugged.

    "Then it¡¯s decided."

    They turned to look at Song Ling¡¯er, who nodded.

    A few momentster, Song Ling¡¯er turned to look at Yuan and Fei Yuyan and spoke in a loud voice that resounded clearly, "This concludes the zitherpetition! Congrattions to the winners, Fei Yuyan and ¡¯Yuan¡¯ from the Dragon Essence Temple, for achieving first ce in thispetition!"

    "W-What did she just say?"

    "Huh? Did I just hear ¡¯Yuan¡¯?"

    The yers there stared at the figure wearing the ck jade mask with shocked looks on their faces.

    Literally, three secondster, arge notification appears directly above thepetition, confirming the yers¡¯ doubt.

    [Congrattions to the participants that have attained the top three for this event!]

    [First ce: yer Yuan]

    [Second ce: N/A]

    [Third ce: N/A]

    [yer Yuan¡¯s brilliant performance that mesmerized millions of spectators as well as the judges with his zither arts has achieved first ce and will be given a special reward for his achievements!]

    In front of Yuan, a couple of notifications appeared.

    [Due to your performance in the zitherpetition, you have gained a massive amount of fame!]

    [Fame +1,000]

    [You have gained the title ¡¯Zither Prodigy¡¯ for obtaining first ce in the zitherpetition]

    [Because of your title ¡¯Zither Prodigy¡¯, spiritual music yed from a zither will have an enhanced effect, increasing its buff strength by 50%!]

    "What?! He¡¯s really yer Yuan! The currently leading yer who¡¯s rumored to be a cheater!"

    "Impossible! I thought he was a little girl! I knew I couldn¡¯t have trusted those bullshit rumors!"

    "So that¡¯s yer Yuan! He¡¯s somehow exactly as I imagined! Mysterious and all!"

    The yers were excited to see this infamous yer Yuan for the first time with their very eyes, as there have been only spections about his existence this entire time. In fact, some of them even believed that Yuan was created by the creators of this game to fool the yers!

    "Does this mean he¡¯s really a yer and not some NPC created by the creators? Heavens! I can see the forums exploding once they find out about this!"

    "They said he¡¯s from the Dragon Essence Temple, right? This is huge news! Maybe we¡¯ll even get to speak with him soon!"

    Meanwhile, the yers within the participants felt an urge to approach Yuan and speak with him, perhaps even shake his hands, but s, Song Ling¡¯er had just left the judges¡¯ tform and stood before Yuan, preventing anybody from approaching them with her immense aura.

    "Follow me so I can distribute your rewards for your achievements," Song Ling¡¯er said to them.

    Fei Yuyan and Yuan nodded, and they followed Song Ling¡¯er into the building, leaving everyone else behind.

    Once Yuan left the area, the yers there immediately began logging out of the game and jumping straight into the forums for Cultivation Online, spamming the ce with new threads.

    [Breaking News! yer Yuan has appeared in the zitherpetition!]

    [Shocking new information about yer Yuan has surfaced!]

    [yer Yuan is currently a disciple at the Dragon Essence Temple!]

    The online forums were bombarded with new threads regarding Yuan, and the forums quickly red with excitement from this new information.

    The news traveled so fast that Yu Rou, who was still at school, was already hearing about it.

    "Did you hear?! They say yer Yuan has appeared in the zitherpetition that a couple of our students had participated in! This is his first public appearance ever!"

    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    "What! Really?! What did he look like?!"

    "He was wearing a mask so they couldn¡¯t see his face properly, but he was a tall and slender man!"

    "So he wasn¡¯t a little girl? I was right to not listen to the previous rumors regarding his gender!"

    "Anyway, this is huge news! I¡¯m sure there will be a lot of people visiting the Dragon Essence Temple now that they know his whereabouts!"

 Chapter 213 Zither Competition Rewards

    ¡¯They¡¯re talking about Brother Tian?¡¯ Yu Rou listened to the conversation between her ssmates without turning to look at them, as she didn¡¯t want to make it seem like she was interested.

    However, Meixiu was a different case, and she listened to the conversation while looking at them with a pondering look on her face.

    ¡¯yer Yuan... first ce? If I remember correctly, the Young Master is also participating in a musicpetition inside the game...¡¯ Meixiu thought to herself.

    As someone who has been with the sibling for her entire life, she knew very well the extent of Yu Tian¡¯s talents, and she found it hard to believe that someone other than Yu Tian would achieve first ce in a musicpetition. In fact, Yu Tian has never received anything lower than first ce, so it was always expected that he would achieve first ce no matter what kind ofpetition he participated in.

    ¡¯Perhaps the Young Master is participating in a differentpetition? After all, I heard the world in Cultivation Online is countless timesrger than our own world.¡¯

    "Sister Rou!"

    Someone suddenly approached Yu Rou from behind and called out to her.

    Yu Rou turned around to see an innocent-looking youngdy with long wavy brown hair, a slim figure, and tworge meat buns on her chest standing behind her.

    "Xia Jingyi," Yu Rou smiled at her.

    "It¡¯s time for lunch, Sister Rou. Let¡¯s go eat."

    "Okay." Yu Rou nodded and stood up from her seat before following this pretty youngdy outside.

    On her way outside, the other ssmates in the room watched her leave without turning their heads, their gazes filled with admiration and respect.

    Once they were outside the ssroom, Yu Rou and Xia Jingyi went to sit at a clean table somewhere in therge courtyard in the middle of the school.

    "Here¡¯s your lunch, Young Lady." Meixiu ced arge and luxurious-looking lunchbox on the table.

    "Thank you, Meixiu. You can also take a seat and eat with us," Yu Rou said to her.

    However, Meixiu shook her head and said, "I¡¯m afraid I cannot act so familiar with the Young Lady at school..."

    Yu Rou sighed, "Do whatever you want..."

    After eating their lunch quickly but elegantly, Xia Jingyi said, "Sister Rou, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard by now¡ª about yer Yuan! He¡¯s made another appearance! A public one this time!"

    A smile appeared on Yu Rou¡¯s face, and she said, "Of course. After all, everyone else in my ss was talking about it. I would hear about it even if I didn¡¯t want to."

    "I almost couldn¡¯t believe it when I heard it! To think yer Yuan is also a musical genius! It¡¯s almost like there¡¯s nothing in this world that he cannot do!" Xia Jingyi said in an excited voice, her admiration for yer Yuan as clear as day.

    "You really admire this yer Yuan, huh?" Yu Rou said with a somewhat mysterious smile on her face.

    Even though Xia Jingyi is her best friend for many years and someone she trusts fully, she never thought about revealing Yuan¡¯s real identity to her.

    "Of course! Everything about his existence intrigues me! Aren¡¯t you also curious about his background? His real identity!" Xia Jingyi said to her.

    "Well... I was..." Yu Rou said in a somewhat awkward voice.

    "Past tense? What¡¯s that supposed to mean? Did you lose interest?" Xia Jingyi looked at her with raised eyebrows.

    "Something like that." Yu Rou nodded.

    And she continued, "What are you going to do if you learn his identity, anyway?"

    "I don¡¯t know, but I¡¯ll probably ask him to be my friend or something."

    "Your friend...?" Yu Rou couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at her words.

    "Anyway, are you ready to y Cultivation Online with me this weekend? I will be ying the game for the first time tonight." Xia Jingyi asked her.

    Yu Rou nodded and said, "Just let me know where you start and I¡¯ll see if we can y together."

    "Okay! I¡¯ll let you know tomorrow!" Xia Jingyi said.

    Sometimeter, they returned to their ssrooms to continue with their school day.

    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only

    Meanwhile, inside the game, Yuan followed Song Ling¡¯er to this small room somewhere inside the building.

    "Since you¡¯ve achieved first ce and there is no second or third ce, I¡¯ll give you the rewards for first ce as well as second ce," said Song Ling¡¯er as she retrieved the treasures and ced them onto the table.

    Fei Yuyan stared at the Divine-grade Zither and Divine-rank Zither Arts with a dazed look on her face, as this is her first time being so close to something so precious.

    ¡¯Wow... So this is what a Divine-grade treasure looks like...¡¯

    However, Fei Yuyan quickly shook her head, and then she turned to look at Yuan and said, "Go ahead, Disciple Yuan. You can take the rewards for the first ce and I¡¯ll settle with the second ce rewards. After all, you are the only reason we¡¯ve made it this far, and I am not shameless enough to ask for something so precious when I know that I don¡¯t deserve it."

    "Are you sure? We entered thispetition as a team, so regardless of our contribution, we should share the rewards." Yuan said to her.

    "Disciple Yuan..." A sweet smile appeared on Fei Yuyan¡¯s face, but she insisted that he ept the treasure.

    "I know that you¡¯re trying to make me feel better but don¡¯t¡ª you¡¯ll actually make me feel worse and filled with guilt if I epted the first ce rewards."

    "Hmmm..."

    Yuan remained silent for a moment to ponder.

    A few momentster, he said, "How about this? I¡¯ll take the Divine-grade Zither, and I¡¯ll also take the Divine-rank Zither Arts. However, I¡¯ll only keep the Divine-rank Zither Arts until I learn the technique, and I¡¯ll give it to you right after I am done with it so that you can use it as well. It¡¯ll only be a few days at most."

    "A few days at most... But this is a Divine-rank technique we¡¯re talking about..." Fei Yuyan and Song Ling¡¯er stared at Yuan with wide eyes filled with disbelief.

 Chapter 214 End of the Zither Competition

    "Y-You don¡¯t have to give yourself a deadline, Disciple Yuan. You can give it to me whenever you are finished with it. There¡¯s no need to rush it. I highly doubt anybody can learn a Divine-rank technique in just a few days. Zither Arts may not be asplicated as some cultivation techniques, but it¡¯s still a Divine-rank technique nevertheless." Fei Yuyan said to Yuan after hearing his words that sounded like bragging.

    "Okay." Yuan didn¡¯t argue with Fei Yuyan and nodded his head before tossing the Divine-grade Zither and the Divine-rank Zither Arts into his spatial ring.

    [Congrattions! You have obtained a Divine-grade treasure!]

    [Congrattions! You have obtained a Divine-rank technique!]

    After epting the rewards, a notification appeared in the sky for all of the yers to see.

    [yer Yuan has obtained a Divine-grade treasure!]

    [yer Yuan has be the first yer to have obtained a Divine-grade treasure!]

    Once both Yuan and Fei Yuyan stored away their treasures, Song Ling¡¯er said to them, "Now that I¡¯ve given you one of the rewards, let¡¯s continue onto the second reward."

    "Eh? There are more rewards?" Fei Yuyan looked at Song Ling¡¯er with wide eyes.

    Song Ling¡¯er nodded her head and said, "Did you already forget what I said at the beginning of thepetition? That I would ept the first ce as my disciples?"

    "Y-You mean... You want to ept us as your own disciples? You weren¡¯t joking about that?" Fei Yuyan¡¯s jaw dropped to the ground. After all, she could¡¯ve never imagined that she would one day have the opportunity to be the famous Song Ling¡¯er¡¯s disciple!

    "Why would I joke about something like that before so many people?" Song Ling¡¯er responded with a serious look on her face.

    "Though to tell you the truth, I originally only wanted to ept Yuan as my disciple, but after seeing your talents that couldpete even with my current disciples, I have decided to also make you my disciple." Song Ling¡¯er said to Fei Yuyan, not hiding her true intentions.

    "But we¡¯re still disciples of the Dragon Essence Temple... We cannot just ept someone from another sect as our Master, especially me, since I am already a Core Disciple." Fei Yuyan said to her, mostly as an excuse.

    "It¡¯ll be fine. What I will be teaching you will not interfere with the Dragon Essence Temple¡¯s teachings, and I will even speak to your Sect Master about this. Furthermore, it¡¯s not impossible to ept a master from another sect since that has happened many times in the past."

    Song Ling¡¯er then turned to Yuan and continued, "I know you don¡¯t want to leave the Dragon Essence Temple so I¡¯ll allow you to stay at the Dragon Essence Temple while being my disciple at the same time. This way, you won¡¯t have to leave your sect while being able to study under me at the same time."

    However, Yuan said, "I appreciate your considerations, Senior Song, but I really don¡¯t intend on focusing on the zither too much. After all, I am already studying the sword and the dagger."

    "You¡¯re what?"

    Both Fei Yuyan and Song Ling¡¯er stared at him with wide eyes again.

    Seeing their expressions that were filled with disbelief, Yuan decided to retrieve the Empyrean Overlord and the Starry Abyss to prove to them that he indeed practiced with swords and daggers.

    "See? I am ying the zither mostly as a hobby, and I do not intend on focusing too much on it."

    "T-That¡¯s ridiculous! How can you toss away such a heaven-sent talent like this! I won¡¯t allow it!" Song Ling¡¯er said with a frown on her face, clearly unwilling to see someone as talented as Yuan letting his talent go to waste.

    And before Yuan could even respond, Fei Yuyan spoke, "I have to agree with Senior Song here, Disciple Yuan. You have the capabilities to be one of the greatest zither experts in the world. Why would you not focus on this path instead? Can you at least give us your reason?"

    A bitter smile appeared on Yuan¡¯s face, and he proceeded to tell them a little about his past when he was still active as a musician and how his parents would force him to y, working him like a machine.

    "Although I like music¡ª even love¡ª I simply cannot find myself focusing on music like it¡¯s the only thing in my life, as I have already found other things in life that I am interested in. The sword and the dagger are only some of many examples."

    "Perhaps I might return to that path in the future, but for now, while I still can, I want to enjoy everything else this world has to offer."

    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only

    "..."

    Song Ling¡¯er and Fei Yuyan remained speechless for a few moments after hearing Yuan¡¯s background.

    "Fine... If you don¡¯t want to focus on this path then I won¡¯t force you, since that¡¯ll only do more negative than positive. However, that doesn¡¯t mean I have given up on you because I haven¡¯t, and I will never abandon someone as talented as you, Yuan. Mark my words¡ª I¡¯ll make you serious about music again even if it¡¯s thest thing I do!"

    After saying that, Song Ling¡¯er turned around and walked out of the room.

    And just as Yuan and Fei Yuyan prepared to leave the room as well, Elder Shan and Elder Xuan appeared before them with Min Li and Xuan Wuhan behind them.

    "Congrattions on achieving first ce, Disciple Yuan, Disciple Fei! The Dragon Essence Temple will definitely reward you for your contribution!" Elder Xuan said to them with a wide smile on his face.

    "Did Senior Song do anything weird to you, Disciple Yuan?" Elder Shan began patting Yuan all over his body like she was looking for injuries.

    "I-I am fine..." Yuan said in a slightly dazed voice.

    "Congrattions, Yuan! We¡¯ll have to celebrate this asion when we return to the sect!" Xuan Wuhan said to him.

    "Congrattions, Disciple Yuan." Min Li said afterward.

    "Thank you all." Yuan nodded with a bright smile on his face, feeling relieved that he did not disappoint anyone.

 Chapter 215 Group Call

    After the zitherpetition ended, Yuan and the others returned to the Royal Blossom Hotel for a moment before checking out of the hotel and making their way back to the Dragon Essence Temple on the sect elders¡¯ flying treasures.

    Meanwhile, in the real world, many powerful and influential individuals from over a dozen different families from across the world gathered online in a group call.

    "We have to do something about this yer Yuan! He¡¯s tearing the Legacy Families¡¯ reputation to shreds! Every single time his name appears on the announcement, it¡¯s a p to our faces! Even worse, we still don¡¯t know his identity!" One of the voices said in a serious voice.

    "What do you suggest we do then? We don¡¯t know this yer¡¯s identity, nor does it seem like he wants our money," said another voice.

    "No logical being would refuse status and money unless they already have these..." Another person in the group call voiced his opinions.

    "Then what can we do? We cannot allow this yer Yuan to continue dominating the game! Cultivation Online has be the most sessful and fastest-growing game the world¡¯s ever seen before, and it will only continue to grow as more people realize its potential! We cannot allow a single person to monopolize it!"

    "Since we cannot contact him from the outside, we can only try to contact him from the inside, right? I heard yer Yuan had appeared in public for the first time day in a musicpetition, even obtaining a Divine-grade treasure and a Divine-rank technique from it."

    "What! Is that true?!"

    "Yes, and ording to the people that were at thispetition, yer Yuan is a disciple at the Dragon Essence Temple in the Eastern Continent."

    "Eastern Continent, huh? I have some people from my family in the Eastern Continent who can approach him, but my top yer is currently in the Southern Continent so he won¡¯t make it," said a new voice that belonged to a female.

    "I also have a couple of yers in the Eastern Continent that can try to contact yer Yuan," said another voice.

    "No disrespect to your families or yers, but I wouldn¡¯t suggest sending just any yers to approach yer Yuan. After all, what if he sees it as a sign of disrespect¡ª that we¡¯re underestimating or undervaluing him."

    Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    "I agree with Mister Jason. If possible, we should have our top yers approach him so that he can feel morefortable and valued."

    "Who here have their top yers in the Eastern Continent?"

    "What about White Lotus? She¡¯s a top yer and currently at the Eastern Continent, right?"

    "Yes, but she¡¯s currently busy in her own sect. I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll have the time to travel all the way to the Dragon Essence Temple to find him, especially when there¡¯s a really important eventing up in the uing weeks."

    "The Lightning Emperor is also busy with his own sect, so we cannot ask him to meet yer Yuan."

    "Most of the top yers are all too busy grinding their own strength so they don¡¯t fall behind yer Yuan too much. There¡¯s nothing we can do."

    "Speaking of this uing event, what was it called again? Mystic Realm?"

    "Yeah, I heard it¡¯s one of the biggest events in the Lower Heavens and every top yer is aiming for it."

    "Does this mean yer Yuan will also be participating in this event? If that¡¯s the case, we can simply wait until the top yers meet him during this event. It¡¯s less than a month away, anyway."

    "While I prefer that we contact him sooner thanter, if there are no top yers that can meet him now, we can only wait until the Mystic Realm. I don¡¯t want to risk offending this yer Yuan."

    "Furthermore, he must know some secrets about the game that¡¯s allowed him to progress so insanely fast. He might even have rtionships with the creators of this game that nobody knows about. If we can learn some of these secrets, our own yers will also be able to progress as fast if not even faster than him!"

    "What about the other families? They will surely do everything in their power to contact him."

    "So what? Even if they go to the Dragon Essence Temple, they still need to find yer Yuan amongst the thousands of people there."

    "I suggest we send some of our yers to the Dragon Essence Temple to investigate. After all, we also don¡¯t know his identity. It¡¯ll be like finding a needle in a haystack."

    "There¡¯s no way someone like yer Yuan would be able to hide his identity perfectly. Even if he tries, he¡¯s simply too unique."

    "Then it¡¯s settled. All of us will send some yers to the Dragon Essence Temple to investigate. In fact, see if there are any yers from our alliance that are already a disciple there. If you receive any new information regarding yer Yuan, notify the rest of us immediately."

    The group call ended shortlyter, and the people that were in the call began preparing for their investigation in yer Yuan.

    In fact, these people were not the only ones in a meeting on this day, as simr conversations between other families had urred after the zitherpetition, all nning to approach the Dragon Essence Temple to learn more about this mysterious yer Yuan.

    "Wee back, all of you. I¡¯m relieved to see that all of you have managed to return in one piece." Long Yijun said to Yuan and the others after they returned to the Dragon Essence Temple.

    "I have already heard about what happened at the zitherpetition so you can spare the exnation. Disciple Yuan, Disciple Fei, your achievements have greatly boosted the Dragon Essence Temple¡¯s reputation, and for your contribution, the sect will definitely award you appropriately. For now, go home and get some rest. We¡¯ll find you once we are prepared to hand the rewards out."

    "Thank you, Sect Master!" Fei Yuyan bowed to him, and Yuan followed.

    Sometimeter, they left the ce, leaving Elder Xuan and Elder Shan behind with Long Yijun.

 Chapter 216 Returning to the Dragon Pavilion

    Once Yuan and the other disciples left the ce, Long Yijun turned to look at Elder Shan and Elder Xuan with a serious expression on his face.

    "Tell me everything that has happened," he said to them with a listening look on his face.

    Elder Xuan nodded and said, "Allow me to exin first."

    He then proceeded to exin everything that had happened during their time outside the sect, leaving almost no detail out, such as Elder Shan¡¯s scandalous behavior.

    "I see..."

    Long Yijun turned to look at Elder Shan and asked, "Do you have anything to add."

    "Only one thing," she quickly responded before continuing, "I am certain that there¡¯s a Spirit Grandmaster watching over Disciple Yuan in the shadows."

    "What!"

    Both Long Yijun and Elder Xuan looked at her with wide eyes.

    "Tell me more!" Long Yijun said in a somewhat demanding tone.

    Elder Shan nodded and exined her encounter with Xiao Hua¡¯s voice that urred when she got too clingy to Yuan.

    "Qi manifestation... Indeed, only Spirit Grandmasters would be able to achieve such a feat..." Long Yijun pondered with a serious look on his face.

    Even as a peak Spirit Master, he could barely use qi manifestation, much less make it stiff enough to hit someone with it.

    "If this is really the case, we won¡¯t have to worry too much about Disciple Yuan¡¯s safety. However, we can¡¯t let our guard down even after learning this information. After all, we want to show this Spirit Grandmaster that we truly care about Disciple Yuan and his well-being."

    "I agree." Elder Xuan nodded.

    "Good, now let¡¯s talk about their rewards. How should the sect award them for their contribution? I think they deserve more than just some contribution points," Long Yijun said.

    "How about we let them cultivate at the Dragon¡¯s Peak?" Elder Xuan suddenly suggested.

    "The Dragon¡¯s Peak? That¡¯s very generous of you..." Elder Shan looked at him with wide eyes.

    "Can I hear your reason for this, Elder Xuan?" Long Yijun did not refuse and asked for his reason instead.

    "Simple. Disciple Yuan. I wouldn¡¯t have even thought about it if not for Disciple Yuan. However, with his talents, he¡¯ll definitely benefit greatly from the Dragon¡¯s Peak. Perhaps he¡¯ll even feel indebted to us afterward." Elder Xuan said.

    "Hmmm..." Long Yijun closed his eyes to ponder.

    A few momentster, he opened his eyes again and mumbled, "I¡¯d originally nned on letting him enter the Dragon¡¯s Peak after the Mystic Realm and before the Dragon Temple, but if I let him go there before the event, it¡¯ll definitely increase our chances of obtaining a higher rank."

    "The other Core Disciples won¡¯t be happy once they learn of this, especially since Disciple Yuan is still an Outer Court disciple." Elder Shan suddenly said.

    "Hmmm... Good point. The Mystic Realm is only two weeks away, and I don¡¯t intend on having Disciple Yuan participate as an Outer Court disciple. Although this is a little bit earlier than scheduled, let¡¯s have Disciple Yuan take the Inner Court disciple examination next week." Long Yijun said.

    Sometimeter, Elder Xuan asked, "What about the matter with the Carp Leaping Over Dragon¡¯s Gate Tower? Have the participating sects sent their disciples yet?"

    Long Yijun then said, "I was just about to talk about this. Yes, they have already sent their disciples here. We are waiting on just a couple more people to arrive before we begin, and they are expected to arrive tomorrow."

    "I see..."

    At the same time, after leaving the Sect Master¡¯s headquarters, Yuan returned to his own home with the others still following him.

    "We should celebrate your victory at the Dragon Pavilion," Xuan Wuhan suddenly suggested to them.

    "That¡¯s a great idea. The treat will be on me." Fei Yuyan nodded.

    And then she continued, "Of course, I am only treating Disciple Yuan. The two of you can pay for your own food."

    "How stingy," Xuan Wuhan snorted.

    "Why should I spend my precious contribution points on you who did nothing for me other than giving me headaches? What did you do to deserve it?" Fei Yuyan sneered back without hesitation.

    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    Sometimeter, Yuan and the others made their way to the Dragon Pavilion.

    The people there were ecstatic when they saw Fei Yuyan¡¯s pretty face at the Dragon Pavilion because they thought that she had finally decided to practice there again.

    "Wee back, Senior apprentice-sister Fei! The stage has been lonely without youtely. Thankfully, you¡¯re finally back." One of the workers there quickly approached them.

    "Senior apprentice-sister Xuan and senior apprentice-sister Min as well¡ª wee to the Dragon Pavilion."

    "I¡¯m sorry, but I did note here today to y the zither. I¡¯m here to eat. Give me your best table," Fei Yuyan said to the disciple who ignored Yuan because he didn¡¯t think Yuan was with them at first.

    "Oh... Is that so..." The disciple showed a disappointed look on his face after learning that Fei Yuyan was only there to eat.

    "Anyway, please follow me."

    Fei Yuyan and the others proceeded to follow him.

    However, the disciple frowned when he noticed that Yuan was also following behind them, and he said in a somewhat cold voice, "Excuse me, Outer Court disciple. Unless you¡¯re with these seniors, please wait outside."

    Yuan raised his eyebrows slightly, and he said, "I am with them."

    "Eh?"

    The disciple turned to look at the three beauties who now held a small frown on their faces, and it was at this moment that the disciple realized that he¡¯d fucked up big time.

    "I-I deeply apologize for the misunderstanding!" The disciple bowed to Yuan.

    For more, visit lig/ht/novelpub[.//

    "Just bring us to our table." Fei Yuyan said.

    "R-Right away!"

    The disciple turned around and led them to their table shortlyter.

    "Please take your time looking at the menu, seniors. I have another table to attend to so I¡¯ll go look for a recement now..."

    The disciple then scurried away without returning, almost like he didn¡¯t dare to continue being around them after his mistake, and he went to find another worker there to serve them.

    A few minutester, a disciple with a familiar face, Chu Bo, who had served Yuan previously, appeared before them to take their orders.

    Author¡¯s Note: This mighte as a surprise but check out my new novel ¡¯Inferior Cultivation System¡¯ if you like OP MC, smart MC, knowledgable MC, Systems, and face-pping. Don¡¯t worry, it won¡¯t affect my release rate for Cultivation Online.

 Chapter 217 An Expensive Meal

    "Wee back to the Dragon Pavilion, senior disciples," Chu Bo greeted Yuan and the others the moment he¡¯d arrived before looking at Yuan with admiration in his gaze.

    After all, this is his first time seeing someone with so many top beauties at once, and they were even prominent beauties within the sect. One can only imagine how many people would be envious of Yuan¡¯s situation right now, as he had a beauty sitting close to him in almost every direction.

    "Have you decided on what you¡¯d like to eat?" Chu Bo asked them after his greeting.

    Yuan nodded and spoke without even a shred of hesitation within his voice, "I want everything on the menu likest time."

    "..."

    Everybody there beside Chu Bo looked at Yuan with surprised expressions on their faces, almost like they couldn¡¯t believe what they¡¯d just heard.

    "I understand. What about the Senior Fairies? What would you like to eat today?" Chu Bo proceeded to ask the others, dumbfounding them even more.

    Yuan had already ordered everything that was on the menu, why did he feel the need to ask them what they wanted to eat? It was almost as if he expected Yuan to eat all of the food he¡¯d ordered by himself, which didn¡¯t sound very possible.

    Seeing these beauty staring at him with questionable gazes, Chu Bo responded with a somewhat stiff smile on his face, "Senior apprentice-brother Yuan has a big appetite, and he finished everything on the menu by himself thest time he was here, so I assumed that he¡¯d be doing the same this time..."

    "What? Is that true?" They turned to look at Yuan who quickly nodded his head without any shame on his face.

    For more, visit lig//h/tnovelpub[./

    "Heavens... even my contribution points would be in danger if wee to the Dragon Pavilion more than once a month..." Fei Yuyan spoke in a joking voice.

    "Anyways, since that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll have..."

    Fei Yuyan ordered her food next, followed by Xuan Wuhan and Min Li.

    "Thank you. I shall notify the cooks right now," Chu Bo bowed to them before leaving the ce.

    Once they were alone again, Fei Yuyan turned to look at Yuan and said, "Not only did we win this zitherpetition, I¡¯d even improved my own zither arts greatly, and this is all thanks to you, Disciple Yuan. This isn¡¯t much, but I¡¯d like to thank you properly..."

    She then reached into her robes before retrieving her disciple identification badge.

    "Let me see yours."

    Yuan didn¡¯t think much about it and retrieved his bronze disciple identification badge.

    Fei Yuyan ced her own directly before Yuan¡¯s badge, and a few secondster, she transferred some of her own contribution points to him.

    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only

    [You have received 1,000 contribution points from Fei Yuyan]

    "Are you sure? You really don¡¯t need to... I didn¡¯t join thepetition because I wanted a reward from you," Yuan said to her.

    "It¡¯s okay, really. It¡¯s the only thing I can do for you now, and I don¡¯t know how else I can express my gratitude," she responded.

    Yuan nodded and epted the contribution points.

    ¡¯I should check out the ce where I can use my contributionter and see what I can buy with my points...¡¯ Yuan thought to himself as he put away his badge.

    A few momentster, Yuan suddenly retrieved the Soul Ensnaring Zither and said, "Why don¡¯t I y a few songs while we wait for our food?"

    "That sounds great!" Xuan Wuhan immediately nodded.

    After taking a deep breath, Yuan began ying the zither. However, he didn¡¯t y anything too extravagant. With that being said, even though he wasn¡¯t ying seriously, it was good enough to fool every disciple in the Dragon Pavilion, making them believe that it was Fei Yuyan who was ying.

    Meanwhile, the three beauties sitting around him stared at him without blinking, looking like they¡¯d been mesmerized by his performance.

    Sometimeter, once the food began arriving at the table, Yuan stored the zither and began eating his food, quickly shocking thedies.

    ¡¯How can so much food fit inside such a small body?¡¯ They couldn¡¯t help but ask themselves.

    ¡¯He¡¯s really talented in everything he does... even eating...¡¯

    Sometimeter, Yuan sighed in a satisfied manner, "That was a great meal."

    "I can¡¯t believe it... You really finished every single te..." Xuan Wuhan mumbled in a dazed voice, and she continued, "This makes me somewhat worried about that time you had dinner at my house... It was probably only enough to fill the gaps between your teeth..."

    "What? Disciple Yuan had dinner at your house?" Fei Yuyan turned to look at her with wide eyes, surprised by her sudden reveal.

    "That¡¯s right. We had dinner with my father there as well." Xuan Wuhan said with a somewhat smug look on her face.

    "..."

    Fei Yuyan was speechless.

    "Anyway, here¡¯s my badge for the bill. This is my treat." Fei Yuyan then handed Chu Bo her badge.

    "Eh? Does that include us? Even though you¡¯d already said that you wouldn¡¯t treat us?" Xuan Wuhan asked her.

    Fei Yuyan nced at her and said, "I will dly change my mind and make you pay for it if that¡¯s what I am understanding from your words."

    Xuan Wuhan immediately turned around and began whistling. Although she has plenty of contribution points as well, she¡¯d rather not use them if she didn¡¯t have to, as she was saving them up for a new cultivation technique.

    "Thank you, Senior apprentice-sister Fei." Chu Bo said as he subtracted the bill from her contribution points.

    ¡¯200 contribution points gone just like that...¡¯ Fei Yuyan¡¯s eyebrows uncontrobly twitched after seeing the devastation Yuan had caused to her wallet. For an ordinary disciple, it would take months, even years to collect 200 contribution points, yet she¡¯d spent the same amount for a single meal, not to mention the 1,000 contribution points she¡¯d given to Yuan beforehand.

    Spending 1,200 contribution points in a single day, unless somebody went on a shopping spree in the Exchange Hall and bought every expensive treasure their gazended on, was an unthinkable act that would cause many disciples to physically cry.

    Author¡¯s Note: Check out my new novel ¡¯Inferior Cultivation System¡¯ if you like OP MC, smart MC, knowledgable MC, Systems, and face-pping. Don¡¯t worry, it won¡¯t affect my release rate for Cultivation Online or Dual Cultivation.

 Chapter 218 Heaven Severing Zither Arts

    After leaving the Dragon Pavilion, Xuan Wuhan and Fei Yuyan said their farewells to Yuan and Min Li.

    "I have to get back to training, so I¡¯ll find another time to chat with you, Yuan. It has been a wonderful experience these past few days," Xuan Wuhan said to him.

    "Now that the zitherpetition is over, I also have to return to my regr training schedule. Once again, thank you for everything, Disciple Yuan. I¡¯ll see youter," Fei Yuyan bowed to him before leaving.

    "What are you going to do now that thepetition is over?" Min Li asked him as they walked back to their houses together.

    "I¡¯ll spend some time on the technique I¡¯d gotten from thepetition, and then I¡¯ll probably go to the ce where I can spend some of my contribution points," said Yuan.

    "The Exchange Hall? What are you trying to buy?"

    "I don¡¯t know yet. Do you want toe as well?" Yuan asked her, as he was used to having her follow him around.

    "N-No... I have already spent enough time without a sword in my hands. Just like the other two, I must get back to my training, or else I¡¯ll get scolded by my family when I show no improvements," she sighed.

    "I see... I¡¯ll see you around, Disciple Min," Yuan said to her before entering his building.

    After returning to his room, Yuan retrieved the Divine-grade treasure and the Divine-rank technique to inspect it.

    [Frozen Jade Zither]

    [Grade: Divine]

    [Quality: Low]

    [Mental Strength Requirement: 35,000]

    [Soul Strength Requirement: 50,000]

    [Description: Can create music notes that will freeze one¡¯s heart and soul]

    "Heaven Severing Zither Arts... A single music note can split the heavens in half..."

    "Xiao Hua, I know Divine-grade treasures cannot be used by those with insufficient cultivation, but does that apply to even instruments? I cannot imagine exploding to death because I pulled one of its strings," Yuan said out loud.

    "No, Brother Yuan can y it, but you won¡¯t be able to utilize its full potential," Xiao Hua¡¯s voice resounded, and she continued, "It¡¯ll just be like ying an ordinary zither without injecting your spiritual energy into it."

    "One can also wield a Divine-grade sword as a mortal, but without the cultivation to use it properly, the Divine-grade sword will only function as though it¡¯s an ordinary sword that¡¯s sharper and more durable than usual."

    "I see... So I can still use this zither to y music normally, but I won¡¯t be able to produce special effects that can only be done when using spiritual energy. I think I get the gist of treasures in general." Yuan nodded as he pulled one of the strings on the Frozen Jade Zither.

    A beautiful music note resounded in the room.

    "Hmmm... It¡¯s pretty good sounding, but I still prefer the Soul Ensnaring Zither," he mumbled after the noise calmed.

    After putting away the Frozen Jade Zither, Yuan turned his attention to the Divine-rank technique ¡¯Heaven Severing Zither Arts¡¯ and began reading through it.

    "What an interesting technique..."

    Yuan mumbled to himself after reading through the entire content once. After pondering for a few minutes, he returned to the first page to reread it once again.

    An hourter, a notification appeared before Yuan as he was absorbed in the technique.

    [You have learned ¡¯Heaven Severing Zither Artz¡¯]

    [Heaven Severing Zither Arts]

    [Rank: Divine]

    [Description: A single music note to sever the heavens!]

    Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    "Hmm... This technique was much simpler than I¡¯d anticipated, and I managed to learn it in an hour. Guess I can give this technique to Fei Yuyan tomorrow when I check out the Exchange Hall."

    With that in mind, Yuan logged off for the day and cultivated in the real world while waiting for Yu Rou¡¯s return.

    "Wee back, Yu Rou," Yuan said out loud after hearing her footsteps entering his room.

    "I¡¯m back, brother! And congrattions! I heard that you¡¯d achieved first ce in the zitherpetition! Of course, I had already expected this oue since it¡¯s a given that you woulde first in a musicpetition, but still, congrattions!" Yu Rou said to him in a cheerful voice.

    "Thank you, Yu Rou."

    "I wish I was there to witness it... But s... School... Haaa..." Yu Rou sighed.

    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll y the zither for you the next time we meet," said Yuan.

    "It won¡¯t be the same since you¡¯re notpeting against others..."

    "To be honest, it wasn¡¯t much of apetition since it was very different from what I¡¯m used to."

    Yuan spoke with Yu Rou for about half an hour, telling her everything he¡¯d experienced at thepetition before Yu Rou left the room and Yuan went to cultivate for the rest of the night.

    Once morning came and Yu Rou finished her morning routine, Yuan dived back into Cultivation Online and left his house early in the morning to head to Fei Yuyan¡¯s house so he could give her the Divine-grade technique.

    However, halfway there, Yuan suddenly stopped walking, as he¡¯d realized that he no longer had the permission to enter the Inner Court, prohibiting him from even getting close to Fei Yuyan¡¯s living quarters, much less meet her.

    ¡¯Looks like I¡¯ll have to find another way to meet her,¡¯ he thought to himself.

    ¡¯For now, let¡¯s head to the Exchange Hall to see what kind of things they have there.¡¯

    Thus, Yuan turned around and began making his way towards the Exchange Hall after taking a moment to recall the map of the sect.

    On his way to the Exchange Hall, Yuan passed the Practice Grounds, where hundreds of disciples were already awake and training. Of course, Min Li was also there, practicing her sword techniques on the training puppets and being watched by the other disciples, their gazes filled with admiration for Min Li.

    Yuan stopped to watch Min Li practice for a few minutes before he continued walking again.

    Half an hourter, he stood before a tall andrge pagoda that had 3 floors, and directly above its entrance was a grand sign that read ¡¯Exchange Hall¡¯.

    Author¡¯s Note: Check out my new novel ¡¯Inferior Cultivation System¡¯ if you like OP MC, smart MC, knowledgable MC, Systems, and face-pping. Don¡¯t worry, it won¡¯t affect my release rate for Cultivation Online or Dual Cultivation.

 Chapter 219 Exchange Hall

    "So this is the Exchange Hall, huh?" Yuan stared at the entrance with a pondering gaze.

    The Exchange Hall is where disciples go to spend their hard-earned contributions points, and unlike the Profound Pavilion that only has cultivation techniques, the Exchange Hall has everything else from treasures to cultivation resources.

    "Hey! Why are you standing there and blocking the entrance? If you¡¯re not going to enter, scram!"

    A tall and bulky disciple suddenly walked up from behind and forcefully bumped into Yuan¡¯s shoulder, snapping him out of his admiration for the building.

    Yuan frowned at this. He was standing many meters away from the entrance and was nowhere near it, so how could he be blocking the entrance.

    "What? Do you have a problem?" The bulky disciple that rudely bumped into Yuan stopped walking when he noticed the displeased look on Yuan¡¯s handsome face, feeling even more irritated at Yuan because of his owncking appearance.

    This smallmotion quickly attracted the disciples in that area.

    "Look! Someone had offended Senior apprentice-disciple Tiger, the Mad Tiger!"

    "What¡¯s this about? Why would an Outer Court disciple offend him? Does he not know who he¡¯s dealing with?"

    "I don¡¯t know, but only an idiot would dare to offend one of the top ten disciples in the Outer Court! And this is Mad Tiger we¡¯re talking about! He¡¯s infamous for beating anyone that bothers him even slightly!"

    The most up-to-date novels are published on li/ghtnovelworld[.]c/om

    While the disciples there watched themotion from a distance andughed at Yuan¡¯s misfortune, the bulky disciple who is known as ¡¯Mad Tiger¡¯ approached Yuan in an aggressive manner.

    Disciple Tiger stopped once he stood directly before Yuan and stared at Yuan in the eyes, and he said in an overbearing voice, "Since you don¡¯t seem to recognize me, I¡¯ll assume that you¡¯re a new disciple and give you some ck. I am Wu Laohu, ranked 3rd in the Outer Court ranking! Now that you know my identity, you can either kiss the ground with your forehead and apologize for blocking my way or eat one of my fists¡ª you decide."

    However, Yuan stood his ground despite the menacing auraing from Disciple Tiger¡¯srge body that resembled a boulder, and he said in a calm voice, "I will choose neither. You were the one who bumped into me. If somebody has to apologize, it should be you."

    "Heavens! He actually dared to defy Mad Tiger even after he had introduced himself! This Outer Court disciple is simply courting death!"

    "Looks like another victim will fall to the Mad Tiger today..."

    Wu Laohu¡¯s body trembled after hearing Yuan¡¯s words that defied him, and veins began appearing all over his body.

    "Since you cannot pick¡ª I shall pick one for you!" Wu Laohu suddenly raised his fists with an explosive aura.

    However, just as Wu Laohu prepared to release his punch, a figure appeared behind him and gently tapped his shoulders, drifting Wu Laohu¡¯s attention to behind him.

    "E-Elder Zhou!"

    Wu Laohu¡¯s aggressive aura immediately disappeared when he saw the face of the person standing behind him, and hisrge figure suddenly appeared much smaller than just a moment ago.

    "Just because you are ranked 3rd in the Outer Court ranking does not mean you can act however you please in this sect. This is also not the sparring stage but the Exchange Hall. If you continue causing a ruckus out here, I¡¯ll dly be your opponent." Elder Zhou said to him.

    "I-It was this disciple¡¯s mistake. It won¡¯t happen again, Elder Zhou!" Wu Laohu bowed to Elder Zhou in a respectful manner, yet his eyes remained on Yuan¡¯s figure.

    ¡¯This is all that little bastard¡¯s fault! If he didn¡¯t oppose me, I wouldn¡¯t have been scolded by Elder Zhou in front of so many people! How fucking unlucky of me!¡¯ Wu Laohu cried inwardly, pushing all of the me to Yuan.

    "If you¡¯re here to purchase something, do your business and leave."

    "Yes, Elder Zhou!" Wu Laohu did not dare to linger around and immediately went inside the Exchange Hall.

    The other disciples there followed and immediately returned to their own business.

    Elder Zhou then turned to look at Yuan, who was just calmly standing there.

    ¡¯So this is Disciple Yuan, huh. I didn¡¯t get to see himst time at the Carp Leaping Over Dragon¡¯s Gate Tower because of the guests, but he¡¯s somewhat different from what I¡¯d expected. He appears... more humble than I¡¯d imagined...¡¯ Elder Zhou thought to himself.

    "You too. If you have business at the Exchange Hall, do it and leave. This is not a ce for you to loiter around," Elder Zhou said to Yuan a momentter.

    Although he¡¯d like to speak with Yuan more, he knew about Yuan¡¯s special existence, so he couldn¡¯t just start chatting with him as though they were friends, as that would immediately raise suspicions from the other disciples.

    "Thank you, Elder, for stopping that disciple." Yuan bowed to him before entering the Exchange Hall.

    ¡¯What a humble kid. But if I hadn¡¯t stopped that disciple just now, you would¡¯ve sent him flying...¡¯ Elder Zhou sighed inwardly as he watched Yuan¡¯s figure disappearing into the building.

    Once he¡¯d entered the Exchange Hall, Yuan went directly to the reception desk and asked the disciple behind the counter, "Hello, what do you sell here?"

    The disciple looked at Yuan as though he was looking at someone crazy, and he spoke a momentter, "This is the Exchange Hall. Whether it be cultivation resources or treasures, you can have anything you want as long as you have enough contribution points."

    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    "Anything I want?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    However, he¡¯d onlye here to see what they had, even expecting some sort of disy area like regr stores, so if he was asked what he wanted, he most likely wouldn¡¯t have an answer immediately.

    ¡¯What do I need?¡¯ Yuan began pondering.

    "If you don¡¯t know what you want yet, you can think about it elsewhere¡ª just don¡¯t stand here." The disciple warned Yuan.

    "Oh, okay." Yuan nodded and proceeded to stand in the corner of therge room, pondering if there was anything he needed from this ce.

    Author¡¯s Note: Check out my new novel ¡¯Inferior Cultivation System¡¯ if you like OP MC, smart MC, knowledgable MC, Systems, and face-pping. Don¡¯t worry, it won¡¯t affect my release rate for Cultivation Online or Dual Cultivation.

 Chapter 220 The Most Unreasonable Person Yet

    Standing casually by the wall, Yuan pondered what he could use his contribution points on.

    ¡¯I already have two Soul Weapons and a couple of treasures, so I don¡¯t need any more of these. I also have enough techniques. What about cultivation resources? But how do I know what I need?¡¯

    ¡¯I am one level away from being a Spirit Master, but I am not in a rush. Though, if they have something that can help me reach Spirit Master, I might as well get it...¡¯

    After pondering for a few minutes, Yuan decided to ask for some Spirit Warrior monster cores so that he can consume them and hopefully reach the Spirit Master realm.

    However, just as Yuan prepared to return to the reception, arge frame suddenly stepped in front of him and blocked his path.

    Yuan raised his eyes slightly to look at Mad Tiger Wu Laohu staring at him with profound rage within his gaze.

    "What do you want this time? I¡¯m certain that I¡¯m not blocking your path this time," Yuan said to him in a slightly mocking tone.

    "You must think you¡¯re safe just because Elder Zhou stopped me from beating you, huh? Unless you n on staying in the Exchange Hall for the rest of your life, you¡¯ll never escape from me!" Wu Laohu growled in a low voice.

    "Why would I need to escape from you? If you have a problem with me, we can settle this with a sect elder¡¯s assistance." Yuan said to him.

    "Oh, don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll settle this alright, and we won¡¯t even need any assistance from a sect elder," said Wu Laohu as he reached into his robes and pulled out his disciple identification token.

    "I, Wu Laohu, challenge you to a deathmatch!"

    Ding!

    [You have received a special request!]

    [Outer Court Disciple Wu Laohu has challenged you to a deathmatch!]

    The other disciples there gasped in shock when they heard Wu Laohu¡¯s words.

    "Good lord! Did the Mad Tiger just challenge someone to a deathmatch?! It has been over a year since he¡¯sst stepped onto that kind of stage!"

    "What¡¯s that Outer Court disciple going to do?! He has every right to refuse Mad Tiger¡¯s challenge, but I doubt the Mad Tiger would ept that!"

    Yuan looked at Wu Laohu¡¯s disciple identification badge that was shoved directly in front of his face, and he spoke in a somewhat surprised voice, "You¡¯re willing to challenge someone to a deathmatch because they ¡¯blocked¡¯ your path? You¡¯re probably the most unreasonable person I¡¯vee across to date!"

    "You think this is about that?! This is about you making me lose face in front of so many people! This is about Elder Zhou scolding me! If you hadn¡¯t opposed me, none of that would¡¯ve happened!" Wu Laohu said in a suppressed voice, yet one could hear the anger in his voice very clearly!

    For more, visit lightnovelworld[.

    Yuan stared at Wu Laohu in disbelief. He simply couldn¡¯t believe that someone so unreasonable would exist in this world, and he cannot imagine what goes through such a mind.

    After a moment of silence, Yuan shook his head and said, "I¡¯ll have to refuse your challenge. You may be an unreasonable person, but there¡¯s no reason for me to go along with your farce."

    "Y-You little..." Wu Laohu¡¯srge body trembled, yet he didn¡¯t dare to act too rashly, especially since he was inside the Exchange Hall. If he fought Yuan in this ce, he would definitely receive a harsh punishment. However, if he waited until Yuan left the premises, he would be able to beat Yuan up all he wanted and he¡¯ll most likely only receive a p on the wrist like all the other times.

    "Good! If that¡¯s how you want to y, I¡¯ll y your damn game!" Wu Laohu said to Yuan before leaving the Exchange Hall withrge strides and heavy steps.

    ¡¯What a bothersome disciple...¡¯ Elder Zhou sighed inwardly after watching this scene from somewhere inside the building.

    ¡¯I should let the Sect Master know about this just in case anything really happens.¡¯

    After Wu Laohu left the scene, an upset voice resounded in Yuan¡¯s head, "Why didn¡¯t you just ept his challenge, Young Master? It wouldn¡¯t have required you to lift more than a single finger to kill that arrogant cultivator. If you don¡¯t want to kill him, I¡¯ll dly turn him into ashes for you!"

    Yuan shook his head and said, "I simply cannot imagine killing someone over something so insignificant. Why are there such unreasonable and petty people in this world? It¡¯s almost like nobody had taught them about decency or respect."

    "Anyway, I¡¯m going to see if they have Spirit Warrior monster cores. I really hope that guy calms." Yuan said as he approached the receptionist once again.

    If Wu Laohu was a fellow yer, he might¡¯ve epted the deathmatch because they can respawn with only slightly inconveniences, but since he doesn¡¯t know whether NPCs can respawn or not, he didn¡¯t want to take their lives so easily, as that would feel like he¡¯d actually murdered someone.

    After reaching the desk, the disciple behind it looked at Yuan as though he was crazy, as most Outer Court disciples wouldn¡¯t even dare to look at Wu Laohu, much less oppose him!

    "Do you have any Spirit Warrior monster cores?" Yuan asked the disciple since he wasn¡¯t talking.

    "Spirit Warrior... monster cores?"

    The ridicule on the disciple¡¯s face became even more apparent after hearing Yuan¡¯s words. After all, what kind of Outer Court disciple would be able to afford Spirit Warrior monster cores? Even if he could afford it, why would he need something so powerful at his level? Only Core Disciples would need something so powerful.

    "You won¡¯t find any Spirit Warrior monster cores on the first floor. You need to head to the second floor, but only Inner Court disciples are allowed up there." The disciple answered Yuan a momentter.

    "Inner Court disciple, huh? Looks like I won¡¯t be able to obtain the monster cores for now." Yuan sighed.

    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    Author¡¯s Note: Check out my new novel ¡¯Inferior Cultivation System¡¯ if you like OP MC, smart MC, knowledgable MC, Systems, and face-pping. Don¡¯t worry, it won¡¯t affect my release rate for Cultivation Online or Dual Cultivation.

 Chapter 221 Disciples From Other Sects

    After Yuan left the Exchange Hall because he learned that one cannot ess the second floor unless they are Inner Court disciples, he suddenly recalled the silver medallion that Elder Xuan had given him.

    ¡¯If I remember correctly, the silver medallion will allow me to obtain cultivation resources at the Treasury Hall. Maybe they¡¯ll have some Spirit Warrior monster cores there.¡¯ Yuan thought to himself.

    ¡¯Where¡¯s the Treasury Hall, again?¡¯ Yuan began pondering.

    A few momentster, once Yuan realized that the Treasury Hall was in the Inner Court, he sighed out loud, "In the end, I still have to be an Inner Court disciple..."

    "What should I do now?"

    Yuan looked around the sect with a pondering look, wondering where he should explore now that his adventure had ended much quicker than he¡¯d expected.

    And just as he was thinking, Yuan suddenly heard the disciples around him speaking with excitement, "Did you hear? Disciples from other sects are currently challenging the Carp Leaping Over Dragon¡¯s Gate Tower!"

    "What? This is the first time outsiders are challenging the tower!"

    "No, I think this has happened before, but that was very long ago. Why are disciples from other sects challenging the tower so suddenly? Did something happen recently?"

    "You forgot already? One of our disciples had managed to clear all one hundred floors, creating a pretty bigmotion not long ago!"

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    "Oh, right, that did happen, and we still don¡¯t know that disciple¡¯s identity. However, what does that have anything to do with what¡¯s happening now?"

    "Who cares! Do you want to go watch or not?"

    "Of course! Let¡¯s go!"

    Many disciples from around the sect could be seen approaching the same direction at this moment¡ª towards the Carp Leaping of Dragon¡¯s Gate Tower to witness the special event.

    Yuan¡¯s interest was immediately piqued after listening to the disciples, mostly by the disciples from the other sects, and he began following the other disciples to the scene.

    Sometimeter, Yuan arrived at the Carp Leaping of Dragon¡¯s Gate Tower where hundreds of other disciples and even sect elders were already present.

    ¡¯Wow, there¡¯s a lot of people here...¡¯ Yuan thought to himself as he stood towards the end of the crowd, so he couldn¡¯t really see the disciples from the other sects.

    However, he was able to see the golden lights emitted by the tower, and whoever was challenging the tower at this moment was on the 40th floor.

    "Heavens! Who¡¯s currently inside the tower?" One of the neers there decided to ask.

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    "It¡¯s Ao Zongqing that¡¯s inside right now. It took him less than an hour to reach 40 floors." Someone there responded.

    "What! The number one genius from the Iron Courage Pavilion?! Why¡¯s he challenging the tower?!"

    "Nobody really knows the details, but rumors say it¡¯s because of a gamble between the Dragon Essence Temple and their sect."

    Meanwhile, standing in the front, there were seven disciples and four sect masters from their respective sects. Of course, Long Yijun and some of the high-ranking sect elders were there as well.

    ¡¯It would be nice if we could see what¡¯s happening inside, but s...¡¯

    Yuan wanted to watch the disciples from the other sects challenge the tower, but then he remembered how long it took Min Li to finish, which quickly made him lose interest, as he wasn¡¯t willing to stand around for a whole week until they all finish.

    Thus, after standing around for a couple of minutes, Yuan decided to leave the ce and return to his own room.

    However, right as he turned around and walked a few steps, Elder Xuan¡¯s voice resounded in his head, "Disciple Yuan, go to the Inner Court and find Elder Shan. She has a few things to give you and also something to tell you. If you need help entering the Inner Court, show the elder your gold disciple identification badge."

    Yuan nodded and began making his way towards the Inner Court whilst Elder Xuan remained at the tower for the event.

    ¡¯I didn¡¯t know I could use my second identification badge like this... Now I can visit the Treasury Hall as well.¡¯ Yuan thought to himself.

    Many minutester, Yuan arrived at the entrance to the Inner Court.

    "What do you want, Outer Court disciple? Do you have business in the Inner Court?" The elder there asked Yuan.

    "Yes. Here¡¯s my identification badge." Yuan responded as he showed the elder his gold identification badge.

    "T-This is...!" The sect elder was immediately shocked to see the gold identification token, and he turned to look at Yuan with wide eyes filled with disbelief and respect.

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    "I understand... If you don¡¯t mind me asking, what business do you have in the Inner Court?" The elder asked him after handing the badge back to him.

    "I would like to go to the Treasury Hall," Yuan answered, purposefully not mentioning Elder Shan.

    "Thank you... You may enter now." The sect elder then opened the gates for him, allowing Yuan to enter the Inner Court with rtively no effort.

    Yuan was slightly dumbfounded by how easy it was to enter the Inner Court.

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    ¡¯This gold identification badge is very convenient...¡¯ Yuan thought to himself as he stored the badge inside the spatial ring.

    ¡¯If I recall correctly, Elder Shan said that I could find her at the Blossom Peak...¡¯ Yuan closed his eyes and opened the sect¡¯s map inside his head to look for a Blossom Peak.

    Once he¡¯d located Blossom Peak, Yuan began making his way towards Elder Shan¡¯s ce, even passing the Treasury Hall on the way there.

    About half an hourter, Yuan arrived at this vast and spacious hill with a singlerge building sitting in the middle and surrounded by a flower field.

    And even though he was still very far away from Elder Shan¡¯s building, he could see Elder Shan¡¯s figure and a couple of other figures near a blossom tree right beside the house, looking like they were in a lecture or something.

    Seeing this, Yuan began walking towards them with a nonchnt look on his face.

    Author¡¯s Note: Check out my new novel ¡¯Inferior Cultivation System¡¯ if you like OP MC, smart MC, knowledgable MC, Systems, and face-pping. Don¡¯t worry, it won¡¯t affect my release rate for Cultivation Online or Dual Cultivation.

 Chapter 222 Elder Shans Reward

    As Yuan approached Elder Shan and the other two figures, he noticed these four-legged objects sitting on the ground in front of them, and they were prettyrge as well.

    ¡¯What are those things? They look like pots... And there is even smokeing from them...¡¯ Yuan thought to himself as he got closer and closer to them.

    "Senior Shan!" Yuan called out to her once he was close enough.

    "Hmm?" Elder Shan turned around with raised eyebrows, wondering who would dare to enter her territory without making an appointment, as she wasn¡¯t expecting any visitors today.

    However, when she saw Yuan¡¯s innocent face, a smile immediately appeared on her face, and she said, "Disciple Yuan! You¡¯ve arrived much quicker than I¡¯d anticipated. I wasn¡¯t expecting to see you until tomorrow, after all."

    The other two figures also turned to look at Yuan after they saw Elder Shan¡¯s reaction, acting like she was delighted to see him or something.

    ¡¯An Outer Court disciple...?¡¯

    These two disciples raised their eyebrows after seeing Yuan¡¯s uniform, as they have never seen an Outer Court disciple appearing in this sacred ce before.

    "Hello, Senior Shan. I hope I¡¯m not bothering you, but Senior Xuan told me toe here," Yuan said to her.

    "Don¡¯t worry, you won¡¯t bother me even if you tried!" Elder Shanughed gracefully before she pointed to the two dumbfounded figures sitting not far away from her.

    "Let me introduce you to my disciples."

    Elder Shan¡¯s disciples then stood up and introduced themselves despite feeling that Yuan should¡¯ve been the first one to introduce himself since they were more senior.

    "Qian Qi, Inner Court disciple."

    "Bei Bei, Core Disciple."

    They gave a simple and direct introduction.

    Yuan nodded and said, "Hello, I am Yuan."

    After their brief introduction, Elder Shan turned to look at her disciples and said, "Anyway, the two of you can continue concocting pills. I¡¯ll be right back."

    "Follow me inside," Elder Shan said to him before entering the building.

    Yuan nodded and followed her.

    Once they were inside, Elder Shan pointed to the couch and said, "Go ahead. Take a seat."

    After Yuan sat down on the couch, Elder Shan also took a seat, even deciding to sit directly beside him.

    "First and foremost, allow me to congratte you again for getting first ce in the zitherpetition, exceeding my expectations." Elder Shan said to him with a somewhat serious look on her face, and she continued, "Even though you¡¯ve already received a reward from thepetition, the Dragon Essence Temple has decided to also reward you for your contribution since your results greatly increased our reputation."

    "Let me see your identification badge."

    Yuan nodded and showed her his bronze identification badge.

    [You have received 10,000 contribution points from Shan Shang]

    "Ten thousand contribution points!" Yuan mumbled in a surprised voice.

    "10,000 contribution points may be a lot, butpared to the next reward, it¡¯s almost worthless," Elder Shan said with a smile on her face.

    "There are more rewards?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    Elder Shan nodded and said, "The Sect Master has decided to let you go to the Dragon¡¯s Peak."

    "Dragon¡¯s Peak? What¡¯s that?" Yuan asked.

    "It¡¯s one of the most sacred ces in the Dragon Essence Temple beside the Dragon Temple. After all, it used to be our Ancestor¡¯s peak."

    "What¡¯s so special about this ce?" Yuan continued to ask.

    "Well, I have only been there once, but the spiritual energy there is extremely dense for some reason, which will greatly boost your cultivation speed. Furthermore, legend has it that the Ancestor had hidden a treasure in that ce before he disappeared, but nobody has been able to find it despite looking through every nook and cranny."

    "I see..."

    "One more thing, we want you to participate in the Inner Court disciple examination next week and be an Inner Court disciple," said Elder Shan after a moment of silence.

    "Eh? Inner Court disciple? I thought we can only do that once we¡¯ve spent enough time as an Outer Court disciple."

    "Indeed, but there are always special asions. As long as you have the Sect Master¡¯s permission, a disciple can partake in the Inner Court¡ª even Core Disciple examination regardless of their time in the sect."

    After a moment of silence, Yuan nodded, "Okay. If the Sect Master wants me to be an Inner Court disciple, I¡¯ll participate in the examination."

    "Thank you, Disciple Yuan. Once you be an Inner Court disciple, you¡¯ll be able to enter the Dragon¡¯s Peak. After Dragon¡¯s Peak will be the start of the Mystic Realm, so you¡¯ll be quite busy."

    "It¡¯ll be a great experience," Yuan said with a smile.

    "Do you have anything else for me?" He then asked.

    "No, that¡¯s all for now." Elder Shan said.

    "Then I won¡¯t linger around and disturb your lecture with your disciples."

    "Don¡¯t worry about it. I am only going through previous lessons today."

    "I¡¯ll see youter, Senior Shan," Yuan said as he stood up.

    "Wait a second."

    Elder Shan suddenly grabbed his robes.

    "Hmm?"

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    Just as Yuan turned around, Elder Shan stood up and moved with lightning-quick speed, giving him a gentle kiss on the forehead.

    "E-Elder Shan?" Yuan stared at her with a dumbfounded look on his face.

    "That was my reward to you. I¡¯ll give you something even more intense if you manage to achieve first ce for the Mystic Realm as well." Elder Shan winked at him with a smile on her beautiful face.

    Yuan was speechless and didn¡¯t know how he should respond to such words. Therefore, he only nodded at her words in a dazed manner.

    Meanwhile, Xiao Hua nearly left the ne on an impulse after seeing Elder Shan¡¯s quick and sly action, but she¡¯d somehow managed to resist herself and remained inside the ne.

    Sometimeter, Yuan left Elder Shan¡¯s house, but right as he closed the door, he could hear a painful cry suddenlying from Elder Shan.

    Bonk! Bonk! Bonk!

    "Ah!"

    "Are you okay?" Yuan asked her, who was almost in tears from the pain.

    "Y-Yes... I am..." Elder Shan said with a stiff smile on her face.

    Author¡¯s Note: Check out my new novel ¡¯Inferior Cultivation System¡¯ if you like OP MC, smart MC, knowledgable MC, Systems, and face-pping. Don¡¯t worry, it won¡¯t affect my release rate for Cultivation Online or Dual Cultivation.

 Chapter 223 I Did Not Steal Anything!

    "Goodbye, fellow disciples," Yuan said to Elder Shan¡¯s disciples before leaving the premises.

    The two disciples watched as Yuan¡¯s figure disappeared into the distance, and they mumbled¡ª

    "Just who is that Outer Court disciple? What rtionship does he have with our Master?" Qian Qi asked out loud.

    "I have never seen him before so I don¡¯t know. But if he cane to this ce as an Outer Court disciple then there must be something special about him. Maybe he¡¯s from a powerful family," said Bei Bei the Core Disciple.

    A couple of minutester, once the pain dealt by Xiao Hua had finally disappeared, Elder Shan came back outside and returned to their lectures.

    When her disciples saw this, they wondered if she would tell them about that mysterious Outer Court discipleter, but s, Elder Shan never mentioned Yuan even after their lecture ended.

    After leaving Elder Shan¡¯s ce, Yuan began making his way towards the Treasury Hall, but then he recalled something that made him turn around and walk in another direction.

    Sometimeter, Yuan arrived at a familiar-looking ce¡ª Fei Yuyan¡¯s living quarters.

    Yuan approached the doorstep and knocked on her door.

    After waiting for a couple of moments without any answer, Yuan knocked on the door again, and he repeated this for a few minutes.

    "Is she not home?" Yuan mumbled.

    Yuan decided to wait a few more minutes just in case Fei Yuyan was busy.

    Once he was certain that Fei Yuyan was absent, Yuan decided to leave for now and head to the Treasury Hall.

    "I¡¯ll juste back here at another time since I can enter the Inner Court without any problems now."

    After leaving Fei Yuyan¡¯s living quarters, Yuan finally arrived at the Treasury Hall half an hourter, and although it resembled the Exchange Hall, there was only a single floor here.

    Upon entering the building, Yuan went straight to the front desk where a sect elder was in charge.

    The sect elder turned to look at Yuan with raised eyebrows after seeing his Outer Court uniform.

    "What¡¯s an Outer Court disciple like you doing here? Only Inner Court disciples are allowed to use this ce, you know." The sect elder said to him.

    Hearing the sect elder¡¯s question, Yuan retrieved his spatial ring and took out the silver medallion that Elder Xuan had given to him before showing it to the sect elder behind the desk.

    "Can I use this ce if I have this?" Yuan asked him in a calm voice.

    "What¡¯s that?"

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    The sect elder did not immediately recognize the silver medallion at first because it was so rare. However, once he picked it up and inspected it, his eyes widened with shock, and he eximed, "T-The Silver Fortune Medallion! Where¡¯d you get this?!" The sect elder eximed in a startled voice, sounding as though he¡¯d just witnessed his ancestors crawling out of their graves.

    "Uhh... It was given to me?" Yuan said.

    "Nonsense! There¡¯s no way an Outer Court disciple would have something like this! You either stole it or found it by ident! I am confiscating this now!" The elder said with a frown on his face as he tossed the Silver Fortune Medallion inside his pocket.

    "What?!" Yuan eximed in a surprised manner, and he spoke, "How could you use me of stealing it when you have no proof! It was given to me! You can¡¯t just take it from me!"

    "Hmph! Do I need any proof besides you being an Outer Court disciple?"

    "What does my disciple status have anything to do with this?" Yuan asked with a frown.

    "Then let me ask you this¡ª What kind of Outer Court disciple would have the Silver Fortune Medallion that allows one to retrieve as many treasures as they want from the Treasury Hall?! Not even Core Disciples would be given such a thing, let alone an Outer Court disciple!" The sect elder responded. After all, if the sect were to give an Outer Court disciple the Silver Fortune Medallion that allows them near full ess to the Treasury Hall, they might as well make him a high-ranking sect elder!

    "But it is a fact that I was given that medallion! Please give it back to me." Yuan extended his hand with a stern look on his face.

    "The audacity! I am already saving you some face by not giving you a beating for stealing such a precious thing! If you don¡¯t scram, I¡¯ll not only discipline you but also report you to the Sect Master!" The sect elder raised his voice, causing the other people there to notice them.

    "Stealing? Did that Outer Court disciple steal something from the Treasury Hall? Does he have a death wish?"

    "What kind of idiot would try to steal from the sect..."

    The Inner Court disciples there shook their heads before returning to their own business, as they couldn¡¯t care less about an Outer Court disciple who was about to be punished.

    "Well?! Do you admit to stealing the Silver Fortune Medallion or not?!" The sect elder then said, urging Yuan to admit his faults.

    "I did not steal anything!"

    However, Yuan did not back down and refused to admit to something he didn¡¯t do.

    Seeing this, the sect elder trembled in anger, and he suddenly pulled his arms back before releasing it, propelling his palms at Yuan with a powerful force.

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    "Get out of here!" The sect elder said as he attacked Yuan, trying to kick him outside with force.

    Yuan¡¯s eyes widened with surprise when the sect elder attacked him out of nowhere. Though, since the sect elder was only a sixth-level Spirit Warrior, Yuan did not feel intimidated or pressured.

    Just as the sect elder¡¯s palms reached Yuan¡¯s chest, Yuan activated his movement technique and dodged the strike wlessly.

    The sect elder¡¯s eyes widened with surprise when Yuan dodged his surprise attack, and he could feel many surprised gazes directed at him, which caused his face to flush with redness.

    "Y-You little brat...!" The sect elder growled in a low voice, feeling like Yuan had pped him in the face by dodging his strike in front of so many people.

 Chapter 224 Treasury Hall

    "W-What¡¯s going on?! Why did the sect elder suddenly attack that Outer Court disciple?!"

    The Inner Court disciples there were greatly shocked by this sudden incident, as they have never seen such a forceful and aggressive reaction in the Treasury Hall before.

    "Whatever that disciple did, he¡¯s done for. Nobody offends a sect elder from the Treasury Hall and gets away with it!"

    "It¡¯s been a long time since someone has caused trouble in the Treasury Hall! I cannot wait to see how that Outer Court disciple gets punished!"

    Meanwhile, Yuan turned to look at the sect elder with a frown on his face, "That was dangerous! How could you suddenly attack a disciple without any reason as a sect elder?!"

    "Without a reason?! I have plenty of reasons to discipline you! You not only stole the Silver Fortune Medallion but you also dared to talk back to a sect elder!"

    "You assumed that I¡¯d stolen it without any evidence, and then you attacked me when I asked for you to return it to me! That¡¯s unreasonable!"

    "Shut your damn mouth, you freaking liar! How could a disciple like you exist in the righteous Dragon Essence Temple?! You don¡¯t belong here! Not only will I discipline you, but I will also make sure you are no longer a disciple after today!"

    "I can say the same thing to you! You want to discipline me? Go ahead and try!" Yuan stood his ground, not willing to be bullied by the sect elder.

    ¡¯Not only the disciples but even the sect elders are unreasonable! This really makes me question some things!¡¯ Yuan sighed inwardly.

    Hearing Yuan¡¯s provoking words, the sect elder jumped over the desk and approached Yuan while surrounded by an aggressive aura.

    "If I don¡¯t punish you today, I do not deserve to be a sect elder!" The sect elder spoke as he approached Yuan.

    "Haaa... What the heck is going on here, Elder Gu? I stepped away for a few minutes and trusted you with the Treasury Hall, and this is how you repay me? By creating amotion with an Outer Court disciple inside the Treasury Hall?" A sighing voice suddenly resounded, causing everybody there to look at the entrance, where a tall middle-aged man stood.

    "Elder Bei!" Elder Gu looked at Elder Bei with a perplexed look on his face.

    "You¡¯ve misunderstood the situation, Elder Bei. I am merely disciplining this disciple who not only dared to steal a precious item from the sect but also dared to lie in front of a sect elder!"

    Elder Bei raised his eyebrows, and he turned to look at Yuan, who was standing there still with an unpleasant look on his face.

    "What did he steal?" Elder Bei asked as he approached them.

    "This¡ª the Silver Fortune Medallion!" Elder Gu quickly showed him the silver medallion in his hands.

    "T-That¡¯s..." Elder Bei¡¯s eyes widened with shock when he saw the Silver Fortune Medallion.

    He then turned to look at Yuan in a stiff motion before asking him, "Y-Young disciple... Can you tell me your name?"

    "Disciple Yuan," he responded.

    ¡¯Disciple Yuan! Shit! He¡¯s the disciple Grand Elder Xuan warned me about! This fucking idiot Elder Gu actually offended the one person we¡¯re not supposed to offend when I went to get some food!¡¯

    Elder Bei immediately began sweating after realizing the situation.

    While Elder Xuan had told Elder Bei about Yuan and the Silver Fortune Medallion because he was the manager at this ce, Elder Xuan didn¡¯t tell anyone else because he didn¡¯t want too many people knowing about Yuan¡¯s existence to keep the risks of revealing his identity low. Furthermore, Elder Gu was only an assistant working in this ce temporarily, so he was definitely not briefed about Yuan.

    But s, little did Elder Xuan and Elder Bei expect that Yuan would arrive at the Treasury Hall at the worst time¡ª when Elder Bei went out to get some food.

    "Elder Bei?" Elder Gu called out to him when he stood there in silence for many moments.

    Elder Bei rubbed his eyes and released a long sigh.

    After sighing, he turned to look at the other disciples there and said, "The Treasury Hall is closed for today. Everybody, get out."

    Although Elder Bei tried his best to remain calm, his voice turned out quite angry-sounding, causing the Inner Court disciples there to sweat.

    The disciples began leaving the building, and a couple of momentster, only Elder Gu, a few other sect elders working there, and Yuan remained.

    Once the ce was dead silent, Elder Bei extended his hand at Elder Gu and spoke again, "Give me the Silver Fortune Medallion."

    Elder Gu did not think twice and handed the silver medallion to Elder Bei.

    Once the medallion was in his hands, Elder Bei turned to look at Yuan before showing him the Silver Fortune Medallion on his palm, almost like he was offering it to Yuan, shocking everybody there.

    "I deeply apologize for the misunderstanding and inconvenience you¡¯ve experienced at the Treasury Hall today. I am the only one here who was informed by Elder Xuan regarding your situation, so please excuse the others for their ignorance." Elder Bei lowered his head as he apologized to Yuan, shocking the others even more.

    Yuan then said, "I won¡¯t me anyone for being ignorant. However, being ignorant and being unreasonable are two different things. That sect elder immediately assumed that I¡¯d stolen this medallion without any evidence when I showed it to him, even striking me out of the blue when I asked for him to return it. That¡¯s simply inexcusable."

    "What? Is this true? He attacked you?" Elder Bei looked at Yuan with wide eyes.

    Yuan nodded with a serious look on his face.

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    "..."

    After a moment of silence, Elder Bei turned to look at Elder Gu and said, "Since when do we, sect elders, attack disciples over suspicions and without any evidence that they¡¯dmitted a crime? Even if he did, when did that be our responsibility to discipline disciples? The disciplinary squad exists for a reason! I will listen to the whole story and deal with youter. Go wait in my room until I am done here!"

    "Y-Yes..." Elder Gu nodded with a dazed look on his face, as he still couldn¡¯tprehend the situation. Why did Elder Bei protect that Outer Court disciple? Why was he scolded? It didn¡¯t make sense!

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    Once Elder Gu left the scene, Elder Bei returned to Yuan and said, "Don¡¯t worry, I will handle this properlyter, so let¡¯s stop thinking about this for now. Why did youe to the Treasury Hall today? Are you looking for some treasure? Tell me what you need and I¡¯ll see if we have it."

    Seeing how Elder Bei wanted to drop the subject, Yuan had no reason to continue this drama and said, "I am here to see if I can get some Spirit Warrior monster cores."

    "Spirit Warrior monster cores?" Elder Bei raised his eyebrows at this unexpected answer.

    "Do you have a specific type of monster core in mind?"

    Yuan shook his head and replied, "No, any kind of monster core will do."

 Chapter 225 Ill Take Them All

    "Any kind, huh?" Elder Bei went behind the desk and took out a small book that listed all of the monster cores they had in the Treasury Hall. While they have plenty of Spirit Apprentice monster cores, they don¡¯t have many monster cores at the Spirit Warrior level since it¡¯s not often sought after by the disciples.

    "How many do you need? And what level do you prefer for the Spirit Warrior monster cores?"

    Yuan scratched his head and said, "Honestly, I don¡¯t know how many I need, but I¡¯d like the highest level monster core you have."

    "The highest level?" Elder Bei looked at him with wide eyes.

    In his eyes, Yuan was only at the ninth level Spirit Apprentice realm. Why would he need monster cores that were far above his own level?

    However, since the Treasury Hall has wronged Yuan, Elder Bei didn¡¯t ask him any questions and looked at the monster core book.

    A few momentster, he said, "The highest level Spirit Warrior monster core we have right now is at the 8th level, and we only have one of them. We also have one 6th level Spirit Warrior monster core. Then we have about a dozen Spirit Warrior monster cores below the 3rd level."

    "I¡¯ll take them all," Yuan said without any hesitation.

    "A-All of them?" Elder Bei looked at Yuan with a gawking expression on his face, wondering if this is Yuan¡¯s method of revenge because they¡¯d treated him wrongly.

    However, since Yuan had the Silver Fortune Medallion, the Treasury Hall was obligated to give Yuan whatever he wanted as long as it wasn¡¯t unreasonable. While the monster cores are worth a couple of hundred contribution points, it wasn¡¯t so much that it would instantly bankrupt the Treasury Hall.

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    After a moment of silence, Elder Bei nodded with a forced smile on his face, "I understand. Please give me a minute to prepare your monster cores."

    Yuan nodded and proceeded to wait whilst the other sect elders watched him with dazed expressions.

    A couple of minutester, Elder Bei returned to the room with arge box.

    "Here are your monster cores." Elder Bei ced the box on the counter.

    Yuan nodded and then said, "Thank you. How many contribution points do I have to pay for it?"

    "Pay?" Elder Bei looked at him with raised eyebrows before saying, "You don¡¯t have to pay anything. It¡¯s all for free."

    Yuan looked at him with wide eyes and mumbled, "Free?"

    In his mind, the Silver Fortune Medallion only gave him ess to the Treasury Hall and perhaps some low tier treasures for free, but he didn¡¯t expect that it would allow him to obtain so many Spirit Warrior monster cores for free, as that sounded too good to be true in a ce where most disciples are expected to earn their resources.

    "Uhh... I¡¯ll feel bad if I ept so many resources for free. How about I purchase them at a discounted rate instead?" Yuan suddenly suggested.

    For more, visit [.

    Since he already has so many contribution points, it would be a waste if he didn¡¯t use them because he would get everything for free.

    After pondering for a moment, Elder Bei nodded, "Since you insist on paying for them, I¡¯ll give you a 50% discount for the monster cores. It¡¯ll be 450 contribution points. Are you okay with this?"

    Yuan nodded and handed Elder Bei his disciple identification badge without hesitation.

    A few momentster, Elder Bei handed Yuan¡¯s identification badge back to him and said, "Thank you for your business."

    Yuan epted his badge and the monster cores, tossing them into his spatial ring afterward.

    Once he had everything he needed, Yuan left the Treasury Hall with a calm look on his face and made his way back to his own living quarters.

    Meanwhile, Elder Bei turned to look at the other sect elders and said, "What happened here today... You will act as though it never happened, or you can ignore what I said and risk your status as a sect elder. That¡¯s all I have to say."

    Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    After his brief words that shocked the other sect elders, Elder Bei returned to his room in the Treasury Hall where Elder Gu was waiting.

    "E-Elder Bei! What was that all about?! Why did you protect that Outer Court disciple?!" Elder Gu immediately began asking for an exnation.

    "..."

    In response to Elder Gu¡¯s words, Elder Bei raised his hands and swung them directly across Elder Gu¡¯s face, pping him soundly.

    "Y-You..." Elder Gu looked at Elder Bei with disbelief in his eyes and a burning sensation on his cheeks, but he didn¡¯t dare to retaliate since he was far weaker than Elder Bei who was at the Spirit Master realm.

    "Follow me!"

    Elder Bei said and turned around, walking outside.

    Although he was reluctant, Elder Gu couldn¡¯t oppose Elder Bei¡¯smands and followed him outside.

    Once they were outside alongside the other sect elders, Elder Bei asked out loud, "Allow me to ask all of you this¡ª What did I tell all of you at the beginning of this month?"

    One of the sect elders there immediately raised his hand and said, "That if a disciple with the Silver Fortune Medallion appears, we are to immediately notify you, Elder Bei!"

    "Good! So I wasn¡¯t just dreaming about telling you!" Elder Bei then turned to look at Elder Gu and asked them, "Then what happened to you, Elder Gu? Did you forget? Or did you purposefully disobey my order?"

    "I-I had forgotten, Elder Bei..." Elder Gu quickly responded.

    "I see, so you¡¯d forgotten, huh? Then let¡¯s hope this incident will help you remember things better in the future." Elder Bei said, and he continued after taking a deep breath, "Regardless of how the entire situation went down, even if I want to, I cannot protect you since you decided to attack that disciple."

    "However, I do not have the authority to punish you since I am only the manager of this ce, so I will let someone with more authority and status than myself handle you. Elder Gu, you are temporarily relieved of your duties in the Treasury Hall, and I will be letting Grand Elder Xuan know about the situation so he can deal with youter."

    "G-Grand Elder Xuan?!" Elder Gu eximed in a shocked voice. Why would a Grand Elder be involved in such a minor incident?!

 Chapter 226 You Cannot Do This to Me!

    "W-Why do you have to involve Grand Elder Xuan?! This is only a small incident! There¡¯s no need to bother a grand elder because of an Outer Court disciple! That¡¯s an exaggeration, Elder Bei!" Elder Gu immediately began sweating after hearing that Grand Elder Xuan might be involved in this mess.

    Elder Bei shook his head before sighing, "You really are clueless, aren¡¯t you, Elder Gu? Just an Outer Court disciple? Do you really think an ordinary Outer Court disciple will be given the Silver Fortune Medallion? When was thest time an Outer Court disciple had such a priceless object in their pockets? Think about it before you speak..."

    Elder Gu immediately turned speechless. After listening to Elder Bei¡¯s words, he¡¯d finally came to that realization, but s, it was toote for him to regret it, as there was no medicine for regret in this world.

    "Get out of my sight before I lose my patience." Elder Bei said a few secondster.

    Elder Gu nodded in a dispirited manner before walking out of the Treasury Hall and returning to his living quarters, where he pondered what he went wrong and what he could¡¯ve done to prevent this disaster that had fallen upon him.

    Meanwhile, Elder Bei returned to his room and retrieved amunication jade slip.

    After activating it with his spiritual energy, Elder Bei spoke to it, "Grand Elder Xuan, this is Elder Bei from the Treasury Hall. I apologize for bothering you, but this is regarding Disciple Yuan that you¡¯d warned me about..."

    Elder Bei proceeded to exin the situation to Grand Elder Xuan, telling him about Elder Gu¡¯s behavior and how he¡¯d treated Yuan.

    On the other side of the sect at the Carp Leaping Over Dragon¡¯s Gate, Elder Xuan who¡¯d been watching the disciples from the other sect challenge the tower immediately frowned after receiving Elder Bei¡¯s notice.

    "Sect Master, I¡¯ll have to excuse myself for a bit." Elder Xuan said to him, who was also there with him.

    "Hm? What happened?" Long Yijun raised his eyebrows after seeing Elder Xuan¡¯s angry face.

    "Well..."

    Elder Xuan proceeded to give a brief exnation of the situation about what had urred at the Treasury Hall with Yuan and Elder Gu.

    "Elder Gu did what?!" Long Yijun eximed in a shocked voice after hearing the news, causing the other people there to turn and look at him with raised eyebrows, wondering what this was about.

    "Go deal with him quickly! If not for my current situation, I would personally see him myself!" Long Yijun said in an angry voice.

    How could a sect elder treat Yuan in such a manner after his massive contribution to the sect? Granted that nobody in the sect knows about Yuan participating in the sect because Long Yijun had personally made it so that it wouldn¡¯t spread, there are no excuses for a sect elder to be acting like the way Elder Gu had towards any disciple.

    A few momentster, Elder Xuan left the scene and headed towards the Inner Court and the Treasury Hall.

    "Greetings, Grand Elder!"

    The sect elders inside the Treasury Hall greeted Elder Xuan the moment he stepped into their building, feeling their back soaked in cold sweats, as they didn¡¯t expect Elder Xuan to appear so quickly.

    "Tell me everything that happened." Elder Xuan spoke in a calm yetmanding voice.

    One by one, the sect elders gave their side of the story and what they saw during the incident.

    "I understand. Thank you."

    After getting all of the sect elders¡¯ statements, Elder Xuan made his way to Elder Gu¡¯s living quarters and knocked on the door in a somewhat aggressive manner.

    A few momentster, Elder Gu opened the door and appeared before Elder Xuan, greeting Elder Xuan with a paleplexion and his back soaked in sweat.

    "Do you know why I am here?" Elder Xuan asked him with narrowed eyes.

    "I...I do..." Elder Gu nodded in a timid manner.

    "Before I say anything, I¡¯ll give you an opportunity to exin yourself and tell me your side of the story," said Elder Xuan.

    "Thank you, Grand Elder!"

    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only

    Elder Gu proceeded to exin the situation to him and how he thought Yuan had stolen the Silver Fortune Medallion because it wasn¡¯t possible for an Outer Court disciple to have such a thing.

    However, Elder Gu also subtly med Yuan for being aggressive and disrespectful to him, hence why he lost his temper and tried to force him out of the Treasury Hall.

    Elder Xuan¡¯s eyebrows twitched when Elder Gu called Yuan disrespectful and aggressive. Although he didn¡¯t say anything, Elder Xuan didn¡¯t believe even for a second that Yuan, who was as innocent as a child, would behave in such a manner without any reason.

    A few minutester, once Elder Gu finished exining himself, Elder Xuan spoke in a low but grim voice, "You imed that Disciple Yuan had disrespected you and even provoked you to attack him, but I cannot imagine someone like him doing such a thing. Although I may not have known him for long, I have known him long enough to know what kind of person he is."

    "As for the Silver Fortune Medallion, Elder Bei had already warned everyone in the building about it, so you can only me yourself for forgetting about it."

    "Elder Gu, your behavior today has greatly disappointed the Sect Master and me. Therefore, as of this moment, you are no longer a disciple of the Dragon Essence Temple."

    "W-What?! You¡¯re going to kick me out of the sect over a small mistake?! Because of a mere Outer Court disciple?! This isn¡¯t fair at all and totally not justified! It¡¯s not like I¡¯d broken any sect rules either! You cannot do this to me, Grand Elder!" Elder Gu couldn¡¯t believe his ears.

    However, Elder Xuan shook his head and said, "You have no idea who that ¡¯Outer Court disciple¡¯ is, nor do you have any idea how much the sect values his presence. If you¡¯d chased him out of the sect, even a million of your lives would not be able topensate for such a loss!"

 Chapter 227 Nearly Lost Her Mind From Shock

    "Even a million of my lives cannotpare to that Outer Court disciple¡¯s...?" Elder Gu stared at Elder Xuan with a dazed look on his face, his gaze filled with disbelief.

    Edler Xuan shook his head and said, "You¡¯re extremely lucky that I was the one who came here since the Sect Master wanted to personallye here after hearing what you¡¯d done. Fortunately for you, he¡¯s currently busy with our guests. If you understand what I¡¯m saying, I rmend you leave this sect before the guests leave and the Sect Masteres to find you."

    Elder Gu immediately began sweating again. The Sect Master wanted to see him? Because he¡¯d offended a mere Outer Court disciple? Heavens! He better get as far away from the Dragon Essence Temple or else the Sect Master might skin him alive!

    "If you don¡¯t have anything else to say, hand over your disciple identification badge." Elder Xuan said as he showed his palms to Elder Gu.

    After a deep sigh, Elder Gu handed over his disciple identification badge.

    "You have three days to pack everything and leave the sect¡¯s premises." Elder Xuan said to him before turning around and walking away, returning to the Long Yijun¡¯s side.

    Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    As for Elder Gu, since he didn¡¯t have much to pack, he left the Dragon Essence Temple without speaking to anyone, as he was too embarrassed by his own situation to say anything.

    "Sect Master, everything has been dealt with."

    After returning to Long Yijun¡¯s side, Elder Xuan showed him Elder Gu¡¯s disciple identification badge.

    "Hmph! You¡¯re too kind, Elder Xuan. If it was me, I¡¯d given him a good beating before I kicked him out!" Long Yijun coldly sneered before focusing on the tower again.

    Meanwhile, inside his own room, Yuan retrieved the monster cores andid them on the table.

    After counting them, he had one 8th and 6th level Spirit Warrior monster core, four 3rd level, four 4th level, and eight 1st level Spirit Warrior monster cores.

    ¡¯18 monster cores, huh. I wonder if this will be enough for me to breakthrough to the Spirit Master realm...¡¯ Yuan thought to himself.

    He needed approximately 12 billion Qi Experience in order to breakthrough to Spirit Master, but he wasn¡¯t sure if these monster cores would be enough.

    "Young Master, what do you n on doing with so many monster cores? If you¡¯re trying to reach the Spirit Master realm, I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll be able to with that little amount of monster cores, and it¡¯ll take you months to absorb them." Feng Yuxiang said to him,pletely unaware of Yuan¡¯s heaven-defying physique.

    "You think so too, Feng Feng? If only I had a Spirit Master monster core," he sighed.

    "I have a Spirit Grandmaster monster core, but that¡¯s too much for you to handle, Young Master. Furthermore, it¡¯s not an ordinary monster core, so it¡¯ll be even more difficult to absorb. If you¡¯re not careful with it, the monster core could even attack you as you absorb it, destroying your cultivation base."

    "Destroy my cultivation...?" Yuan could feel his back beginning to sweat after hearing Feng Yuxiang¡¯s words. He should be more careful with consuming monster cores in the future.

    "What about these, Feng Feng? Will these monster cores give me any issues?" Yuan asked her a momentter.

    "Hmm... I don¡¯t think they will..." Feng Yuxiang said after examining the monster cores with her spiritual sense.

    "Okay, then I will absorb them," Yuan said in a casual manner.

    "Wait a second, Young Master. You¡¯re going to absorb them now? Even if you are at the peak of the Spirit Warrior realm, it¡¯ll take you at least a week to absorb the eighth level Spirit Warrior monster core, and it won¡¯t even be worth the time since you¡¯ll only get a very small fraction of its spiritual energy." Feng Yuxiang said to him.

    After all, most people absorb monster cores that are above their own level.

    "It¡¯s okay, Feng Feng. It won¡¯t take me a week, and even if it doesn¡¯t help me breakthrough, it¡¯ll definitely bring me closer to Spirit Master."

    After saying those words, Yuan picked up the low-level monster cores first and began tossing them into his mouth one by one like candies.

    [Heaven Refining Physique activated]

    [38,654,154 Qi has been refined from the Ruby Cavern Toad¡¯s monster core]

    [31,544,851 Qi has been refined from the Dark Deer¡¯s monster core]

    [32,441,778 Qi has been refined...]

    [70,828,182 Qi has been refined...]

    [155,991,394 Qi has been refined...]

    When Feng Yuxiang saw this, she nearly lost her mind from shock, and she quickly left his body and appeared in the room.

    "W-What are you doing, Young Master?! You can¡¯t eat monster cores! Hurry and spit it out!" Feng Yuxiang spoke in a panicked voice, even sticking her fingers into Yuan¡¯s mouth to try and search for the monster cores, almost like a mother trying to dig out something her baby wasn¡¯t supposed to put into their mouth, but s, the monster cores had already melted the moment it touched his tongue.

    "Calm down, phoenix..."

    Xiao Hua also came out of her ne and pulled Feng Yuxiang away from Yuan.

    "B-But the Young Master swallowed some monster cores! Thest time someone did that, he exploded into a bloody mess!" Feng Yuxiang said, as she could still remember that one time thousands of years ago when she¡¯d witnessed someone swallowing monster cores and the consequences of such actions.

    "Brother Yuan is okay... He has a special physique that allows him to consume monster cores without any problems... See? He¡¯s still fine." Xiao Hua pointed to Yuan, who was startled by Feng Yuxiang¡¯s exaggerated reaction.

    "R-Really?" Feng Yuxiang wiped the tears that had gathered in the corner of her eyes after realizing that Yuan hadn¡¯t exploded into a bloody mess yet.

    "Yes... I am perfectly fine." Yuan confirmed.

    Feng Yuxiang released a long and deep sigh afterward, feeling like she¡¯d just lost a few hundred years of her lifespan from shock just now.

    Xiao Hua merely shook her head, as she knew very well what Feng Yuxiang felt since she had experienced the same shocking experience firsthand.

 Chapter 228 Above Divine-rank Physiques

    "A-Are you sure there are no side-effects to eating monster cores, Young Master?" Feng Yuxiang asked him a momentter, as she was still not convinced that one could consume monster cores like that.

    "Look, I¡¯ll even eat another one to prove to you that nothing happens," Yuan said to her as he popped another monster core into his mouth and swallowed it.

    [Heaven Refining Physique activated]

    [134,655,197 Qi has been refined from the Assassin Leopard¡¯s monster core]

    Feng Yuxiang experienced another minor heart attack after seeing Yuan eat another monster core.

    "Brother Yuan has been doing this way before he met you and nothing bad has happened to him yet so we can assume that it¡¯s safe," Xiao Hua said a momentter.

    After a moment of silence, Feng Yuxiang spoke in a dazed voice, "Young Master, if you don¡¯t mind, can you tell me what kind of physique you have that allows you to consume monster cores like that? I have never heard of such a heaven-defying physique even in the upper heavens."

    Yuan nodded and said, "Heaven Refining Physique."

    "Heaven Refining Physique?" Feng Yuxiang raised her slender eyebrows in a manner as she has never heard of such a thing before.

    Then she closed her eyes to ponder.

    After many moments of silence, she suddenly snapped her eyes open and shouted in a voice of realization, "That¡¯s right! I have heard of this physique before!"

    "Eh? Really?" Both Yuan and Xiao Hua looked at her with anticipation in their gazes.

    Feng Yuxiang nodded and said, "If I remember correctly, I heard about the Heaven Refining Physique once before over 50,000 years ago when I was still roaming the upper heavens. It¡¯s a legendary physique that has existed only once before, and the individual who had that physique was said to be an incredible cultivator who dominated the heavens. Unfortunately, that¡¯s all I know."

    "I see... So someone else had this physique before..." Yuan mumbled.

    "Well, that¡¯s only natural," said Feng Yuxiang, and she continued, "In this world, there can be multiple people with the same physique. Of course, the rarer and stronger the physique, the fewer people will have them. However, there are some really special physiques in this world that can exist only in one person at a time as mandated by the heavens, as they are simply too powerful to exist in multiple people. In other words, unless that person dies, nobody else can be born with the physique."

    "In your case, Young Master, the person who used to have the same physique was a legend from countless years ago in the ancient times, so we can assume that he¡¯s long passed away, as only real immortals at the peak of cultivation can exist for that long, or else he wouldn¡¯t be a mere legend."

    And she continued, "Does your physique do anything else besides allow you to consume monster cores?"

    Yuan shook his head and said, "Not that I know of. Can physiques have multiple powers?"

    Feng Yuxiang nodded and said, "Of course. The more powerful the physique the more likely it¡¯ll have a second, even a third effect."

    "What about the rank? Do you know the rank of your physique, Young Master?"

    Yuan nodded and said, "Celestial."

    "Celestial? What rank is that?" Feng Yuxiang raised her eyebrows in a truly puzzled manner, as this is her first time hearing of such a rank.

    "Above the Divine-rank is the Ancient-rank, and above Ancient-rank is Mythic-rank, so I can only assume that the Celestial-rank is above the Mythic-rank, which is quite hard to believe if I am being honest..." Feng Yuxiang mumbled in a low voice.

    "After all, you won¡¯t see anyone above the Divine-rank in the Lower Heavens, much less the Celestial-rank that is likely above the Ancient and Mythic-rank. It just doesn¡¯t sound usible unless the Young Master was born in the upper heavens."

    "That¡¯s not possible," Yuan shook his head. Forget about the upper heavens, he wasn¡¯t even born in the Lower Heavens.

    The only logical reason for this is that yers such as himself don¡¯t abide by thews of this world, hence why they¡¯re able to cultivate much quicker and defy thews in this world. After all, if one thinks about it, yers are Otherworlders who came from another world¡ª Earth. It shouldn¡¯t be too far-fetched to think that they would have an advantage over the people of this world since they¡¯re yersparing themselves to NPCs.

    "Anyway, I am going to consume the rest of these monster cores. Hopefully, they¡¯ll help me reach Spirit Master."

    Yuan proceeded to toss the rest of the monster cores into his mouth, and Feng Yuxiang could only watch this unfathomable scene with a dazed look on her face.

    For more, visit [.

    Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    [Heaven Refining Physique activated]

    [1,841,243,648 Qi has been refined from the Preying Howler¡¯s monster core]

    [40,594,785 Qi has been refined from the ded Jackal¡¯s monster core]

    [69,347,481 Qi has been refined from the Greater Storm Wolf¡¯s monster core]

    [5,652,214,875 Qi has been refined from the Lonely Giant Screamer¡¯s monster core]

    "E-Even the eighth level Spirit Warrior monster core was swallowed without any problems... Just how powerful of a heaven-defying physique is this Heaven Refining Physique?" Feng Yuxiang mumbled in a low voice, feeling a chill in her spine after watching Yuan¡¯s shocking performance.

    ¡¯Hmmm... I¡¯d only managed to absorb a little over 9 billion Qi from all of the monster cores. I still need three more billion Qi Experiences before I can breakthrough to Spirit Master...¡¯ Yuan thought to himself afterward. Where else can he obtain these 3 billion Qi Experiences? Cultivating normally would take too long, and the Treasury Hall already gave him all of their monster cores.

    "Hopefully, the Dragon Peak will be able to help me obtain thest three billion Qi and allow me to breakthrough to Spirit Master..." Yuan mumbled as he gazed outside the window.

    Sometimeter, once they calmed down, Xiao Hua and Feng Yuxiang returned inside Yuan¡¯s body. And since there was nothing else to do until the Inner Court disciple examination next week, Yuan decided to log off for the day to cultivate in the real world.

 Chapter 229 Parents

    After cultivating in the real world for a couple of hours, Yuan stopped his cultivation and waited for Yu Rou to enter his room.

    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    Suddenly, he could hear footsteps approaching his room. However, these graceful and quiet steps did not belong to Yu Rou.

    A few momentster, the door opened, and Meixiu¡¯s voice resounded, "Good evening, Young Master. I will be attending you tonight because the Young Lady has been summoned by the Masters."

    "Our parents? Do you know why?" Yuan asked her.

    "I do not, Young Master."

    "I understand. Thank you."

    A few momentster, Meixiu began removing Yuan¡¯s clothes and wiping him down with a wet towel.

    "Young Master, if you don¡¯t mind me asking, you¡¯d participated in a musicalpetition in Cultivation Online, right? I heard about it from the Young Lady." Meixiu suddenly asked him.

    "Yes, I did."

    "What kind of instrument did you y?" she then asked.

    "An instrument called the zither," Yuan casually said.

    "Did you win? Knowing the Young Master, you most likely ced first again."

    "I did."

    "C-Congrattions, Young Master," Meixiu said in a somewhat surprised voice.

    After wiping his body, Meixiu began feeding Yuan his three bowls of soup.

    ¡¯Could the Young Master be yer Yuan who¡¯s currently dominating the game and causing amotion around the world with his mysterious identity? Although it¡¯s hard to believe, their stories line up...¡¯ Meixiu thought to herself. While she doesn¡¯t particrly care about matters outside of the Yu Family, the countless talks about yer Yuan have also caught her interest recently.

    Meanwhile, in a separate household a couple of miles away from Yuan¡¯s home, Yu Rou stood before two individuals¡ª a handsome middle-aged man and a beautiful middle-aged woman.

    "Yu Rou, do you know why we called you here today?" The middle-aged man asked her.

    "I do not, father." Yu Rou responded in a calm voice.

    Indeed, these two individuals were the sibling¡¯s parents, Yu Yong, the father, and Tang Lee, the mother.

    After a moment of silence, Yu Yong spoke, "Do you know of the game ¡¯Cultivation Online¡¯?"

    "Eh?"

    Yu Rou¡¯s eyes widened at Yu Yong¡¯s unexpected question, as she never expected things that were not rted to music woulde out of their parent¡¯s mouth.

    "I-I have... I even yed it for a couple of days during my vacation," she responded after her initial surprise.

    Tang Lee then said, "Well, the other families have been talking about it recently, or more specifically, they have been talking about an individual who goes by the name of ¡¯yer Yuan¡¯. Do you know of this person?"

    "I do... He¡¯s all over the inte, after all." Yu Rou nodded in a somewhat dazed manner, silently wondering to herself why their parents were suddenly interested in yer Yuan who was their own son.

    Yu Yong then said, "The children from the other families have recently participated in this musicalpetition rted to the ¡¯zither¡¯ within Cultivation Online, and they told their families that this yer Yuan was without a doubt a musical genius with strong beliefs that he belongs to a family with a music background."

    And he continued, "I have heard of this yer Yuan before but never really paid attention to him, but if he¡¯s really a musical genius, I would like to meet him."

    "Why do you want to meet him, father? He¡¯s just a gamer who¡¯s decent with the zither, right? Even if he¡¯s a genius with the zither, there¡¯s no guarantee that he could y the other instruments as well. Furthermore, nobody ys the zither anymore." Yu Rou asked him.

    "It doesn¡¯t matter how many instruments he can y. Ourpany is always looking for talented people, and if this yer Yuan is as talented as they say, I want him to y for mypany!" Yu Yong said.

    Yu Rou shook her head and said, "I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s impossible for now, father. Everybody has been looking for yer Yuan¡¯s real identity since the game started weeks ago, but nobody has been able to learn anything to date."

    "I know¡ª I have been researching about him as well. However, I don¡¯t believe that he¡¯ll be able to hide his identity forever. Sooner orter, his identity will be revealed, and when that happens, I will be the first one to greet him." Yu Yong said with a serious look on his face.

    "Anyways, the reason I called you here today is to let you know that we will begin doing our tours in Cultivation Online instead of the real world, as that seems to be the trend nowadays."

    "W-What? How does that work?" Yu Rou stared at them with a gawking look on her face.

    "Simple. We will start doing concerts in the game to spread ourpany¡¯s reputation within the game. The other families have already been doing this and to great sess. Therefore, we shall be doing the same as well."

    "Y-You don¡¯t mean..." Yu Rou swallowed nervously after hearing this, as she could feel an ominous feeling looming in the atmosphere.

    "I¡¯ve heard from others that even people who cannot see or move in the real world can operate like they¡¯re perfectly healthy inside the game. If that¡¯s the case, then we can have Yu Tian y the game and start ying instruments again within the game. He has been useless for far too long, and it¡¯s about time he steps onto the stage again, albeit a virtual one."

    For more, visit [.

    Yu Rou silently gritted her teeth when she heard this, yet she didn¡¯t know what she could say at this moment.

    "What... What if Brother Tian doesn¡¯t want to do it?" Yu Rou asked a momentter.

    Tang Lee then spoke in a cold voice, "He doesn¡¯t have a choice in this. If he doesn¡¯t want to do it, then we will simply disown him and kick him out of the house, as we have no use for someone who does nothing but eat up our money and resources. It¡¯s not cheap maintaining someone in his condition even for us, after all."

 Chapter 230 Yu Tians Decision

    "T-That¡¯s unreasonable, mother! Where will Brother Tian go if you kick him out?! He cannot do anything by himself, either! You cannot do this to him!" Yu Rou immediately said.

    "How dare you raise your voice at me, Yu Rou!" Tang Lee shouted back, and then she continued, "We have spent hundreds of millions of dors in thesest 10 years on that boy¡¯s medical bill hoping that he can be healed! However, it¡¯s very clear to us that his condition is permanent! If that¡¯s the case, why should we continue to waste our money on someone like him?! There are things in life you must give up, even if that ¡¯thing¡¯ is family!"

    "But Brother Tian has brought fame and reputation to our family andpany! How can you throw him away like trash after everything he¡¯s done for the family?! He¡¯d even sacrificed his childhood so that our family could prosper!" Yu Rou did not care about getting scolded and continued to defend Yu Tian, as she cannot imagine a life without him.

    "It is true that his talents have brought our family andpany to the peak of the musical world¡ª that we won¡¯t deny. However, we¡¯ve paid him back and more with the millions we¡¯ve spent on him for thest 10 years. If he doesn¡¯t want to continue contributing to the family, then there¡¯s no reason for him to remain in this family. We¡¯ve thought long and hard about this, and this is our decision. If you don¡¯t want that, then it¡¯d be in your best interest to convince Yu Tian toply with our request and y for the family again." Yu Yong said to her with a stern expression on his face.

    "...I understand." Yu Rou said after a moment of silence.

    Sometimeter, Yu Rou left her parent¡¯s living quarters and returned to her own ce.

    On her way home, she pondered how she should ry this news to Yu Tian and convince him to y for the family again.

    Once she¡¯d returned, Yu Rou went straight to Yuan¡¯s room. However, she didn¡¯t immediately enter his room and stood outside in front of the doors for many minutes.

    "What¡¯s wrong, Yu Rou?" Yuan¡¯s voice resounded from inside the room.

    Yu Rou took a deep breath before entering the room, and she said in a solemn voice, "I spoke with father and mother today."

    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only

    "I know. Meixiu told me." Yuan said.

    "What did you talk about this time? Did your grades lower again?" Yuan spoke in a joking voice.

    However, Yu Rou didn¡¯t smile, nor did she respond to his question.

    "What¡¯s the matter, Yu Rou?" Yuan asked her, feeling something amiss from the quiet atmosphere.

    "Well... You might not like what I am about to tell you, but this is something I must tell you," Yu Rou said, and she began telling him about what had urred at her meeting with their parents as well as the conversation.

    "Because the other families have been bringing their music into Cultivation Online, mother and father decided to do the same, and they want you to start ying the instruments again." Yu Rou said to him, leaving out the part about disowning him if he refuses for now.

    "..."

    Yuan immediately became speechless after listening to Yu Rou¡¯s words, and after a long moment of silence, he spoke, "So... They want me to repeat what I did when I was young in Cultivation Online?"

    "Yes, they want you to start ying the game but purely focusing on music."

    After another moment of silence, Yuan said in a sighing voice, "If I hadn¡¯t experienced the beautiful world that is Cultivation Online, I would¡¯ve probably agreed. However, I have many things to do inside the game, so I won¡¯t have time to do what they want me to. Even if I do have time, I refuse to y the instrument for them."

    Yu Rou began sweating when she heard Yuan¡¯s decision, and she began trying to convince him, "Why don¡¯t you think about it again, brother? You¡¯ll be able to return to your previous spotlight, and people will finally stop looking down on you. I also want to hear you y music again."

    However, Yuan remained reluctant and said, "There¡¯s no need for me to think about it. I want to explore the cultivation world of my own free will. If you want to listen to my music, just let me know and I¡¯ll y for you, Yu Rou."

    "..."

    It was Yu Rou¡¯s turn to remain silent this time, and after a long moment of silence, she spoke in almost a crying voice, "Brother... I didn¡¯t want to tell you this at first because I know it¡¯ll hurt you, but... Mother and father said that if you don¡¯tply, they¡¯ll disown you and kick you out of the house..."

    "Oh... Is that so..."

    Even though Yuan¡¯s voice remained somewhat calm, he could feel a painful sensation in his heart for a few seconds after learning that he might be disowned. After all, anybody would feel betrayed if their parents said they¡¯d disown them non-jokingly.

    Sometimeter, Yuan said in a calm yet somewhat cold voice, "If they are going to disown me purely because I don¡¯t want to work as a puppet for them again, then they can disown me. I don¡¯t want to spend the rest of my life as a puppet. Instead, I want to live the rest of my life to the fullest so I don¡¯t have any regrets when I inevitably pass."

    "B-But where are you going to go, brother?! Think about this for a second! You won¡¯t be able to survive by yourself! And don¡¯t make it sound like you¡¯re going to die anytime soon because you¡¯re not! Even Doctor Wang said that you¡¯re growing healthier!"

    For more, visit [.

    "It¡¯ll be okay, Yu Rou. I will figure something out, and this is a good opportunity to finally set you free from your responsibilities and live a normal life."

    "No! I don¡¯t want that! I want to continue taking care of you forever!" Yu Rou quickly refused.

    "You know you can¡¯t do that, Yu Rou. After all, you also have your own life to live." Yuan sighed, wondering what he can say to convince his little sister to give up on him so that she could also live her life to its fullest.

 Chapter 231 Planning to Leave the Family

    "Yu Rou, how about we end this conversation here today? I would like to think about it some more... alone." Yuan suddenly suggested.

    After a moment of silence, Yu Rou said, "Okay... I¡¯ll leave you alone for tonight. Please think about this carefully, brother. I don¡¯t want to be separated from you."

    "Un."

    After turning off the lights, Yu Rou left Yuan¡¯s room and returned to her own room.

    However, just as she prepared to sleep, her phone began ringing.

    Yu Rou looked at the caller; it was from her father, Yu Yong.

    "Yes, father?"

    "Did you speak to him?" Yu Yong asked her.

    "I did, father."

    "What was his response?"

    For more, visit [.

    "Brother Tian... He said that he needed some more time to think about it." Yu Rou said.

    "Hmph!"

    A cold snort immediately followed, and Yu Yong said, "What does he even need to think about? The answer should already be obvious! Did the illness start affecting his brain?! Yu Rou! You tell him that he has three days to decide! If he doesn¡¯t decide by then, we¡¯ll decide for him by disowning him!"

    "I... I understand, father. I¡¯ll tell Brother Tian."

    Yu Rou tossed her phone on the bed after Yu Yong ended the call.

    Plop!

    Yu Rou¡¯s body suddenly copsed onto the bed in an exhausted manner.

    "How did ite to this...? I just wanted to live a peaceful life with Brother Tian even if I had to take care of him forever..." she sighed.

    Meanwhile, inside his own room, Yuan tossed his n to cultivate for the night and began pondering what he should do now that he¡¯s been thrown into this difficult situation so suddenly.

    Visit [. for a better experience

    As much as he wanted to remain inside the family and stay with Yu Rou, he didn¡¯t want to continue ying the instruments just so his family, mostly his parents, could feed off his fame and hard work. Furthermore, if his family disowns him, he will finally have a good excuse to tell Yu Rou to stop taking care of him so she could also live a normal life.

    ¡¯The cultivation world... I want to explore more of it¡ª every nook and cranny if possible. But that won¡¯t be possible if I spend most if not all of my time ying the instruments like I used to. But... How am I supposed to live alone when my body is like this? Like Yu Rou had said, I cannot survive by myself...¡¯

    ¡¯Even if I can somehow manage by myself, where can I go?¡¯

    ¡¯Wait... I should have a bank ount with a couple of thousands inside. Maybe I can use that money to move out and then find some way to earn more money.¡¯

    ¡¯But how can I earn money when I¡¯m in this condition? If only I can earn money just by ying Cultivation Online...¡¯

    Yuan proceeded to spend the entire night thinking about his n just in case his family really decided to disown him.

    The following morning, Yu Rou came to his room, and she asked him in a tired voice, almost like she didn¡¯t get any sleep, "Brother... Did you think about it? Father... He said you only have three days to decide or he¡¯ll disown you."

    "I don¡¯t need three days to decide, since I have alreadye to a decision." Yuan said, and he continued, "I know you want me to stay here, but I really don¡¯t want to give up my freedom even in Cultivation Online as I had in the past. I know you don¡¯t want this, but I also want you to live your life without anyrge responsibilities like taking care of me every day, and it¡¯s not like we¡¯re not going to see each other ever again."

    "But where are you going to go? Who will take care of you? How are you going to survive?" Yu Rou asked him.

    "You¡¯re probably going tough at me for saying this after what I just said, but I¡¯ll need your help for a few more things if I want to live by myself. Can you do that for me? If not... I¡¯ll just let fate decide my life." Yuan said in a sighing voice.

    "..."

    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    After a moment of silence, Yu Rou sighed, "What do you need me to do for you, brother? I¡¯ll hear you out at least. What¡¯s your n?"

    "I should have an ount with a few thousand dors inside, and I¡¯ll use that money to move to another ce, which shouldst me a couple of months. I¡¯ll also use some of that money to hire someone who can take care of me in your ce. This way, you won¡¯t have to worry about me as much anymore. However, I¡¯ll need someone you can trust to take care of me."

    "I also n on making money, but I¡¯m not sure how I can do that at the moment. Perhaps there is a way I can earn real-life money by ying Cultivation Online."

    "Hmm..." Yu Rou listened to Yuan¡¯s ns with a serious look on her face.

    "I understand your ns..." Yu Rou spoke after pondering for a moment, and she continued, "I guess you can use that money to move out of the house and hire a maid or something, but who will fit that role? I don¡¯t think there is anyone that I trust enough to take care of you every day. As for making money through Cultivation Online, that is very possible, as you can sell items or gold in the game for real-life currency. In fact, it¡¯s already a huge market with tens of millions of dors being traded every day."

    "Really? I can do that? If that¡¯s the case, I can simply sell some things and earn money that way," Yuan said.

    "But you¡¯ll need someone to do that for you since you obviously can¡¯t do it yourself, and that might give away your identity, so it¡¯s really risky unless the person doing it can be trusted." Yu Rou sighed.

 Chapter 232 I Can Only Trust You

    "Well, can you think of someone? I can only think of one person when ites to ¡¯trust¡¯." Yuan said a momentter.

    "Really? Who?" Yu Rou asked in a truly puzzled voice.

    "Meixiu," Yuan quickly answered.

    "..."

    Yu Rou turned silent.

    "It¡¯s true that Meixiu can be trusted... But..." Yu Rou pondered with a perplexed frown on her face.

    While she can trust Meixiu to take care of Yuan in her stead, even keeping his secret as yer Yuan, she was worried that they would develop some sort of rtionship with each other from spending too much time together and that her rtionship with Yuan might grow further apart as a result.

    "Oh, right... She¡¯s your personal maid, nor can we really separate her from you just to help me, much less giving her such a burden that is me... That would be way too selfish of me. I guess we¡¯ll just have to find some random person to help me and hope for the best. If my identity as yer Yuan is revealed, it is what it is... I highly doubt that¡¯ll make my life more miserable than currently," Yuan sighed.

    "..."

    Yu Rou turned silent once again, and then she said a momentter, "Brother... Let me speak with Meixiu to see if she wants to help you. Of course, I won¡¯tmand her or anything like that, and it will be entirely up to her whether she helps or not. How does that sound?"

    "Are you sure? You¡¯ve been with Meixiu for all your life, and she has been your servant for as long as well. I don¡¯t think I can really separate the two of you."

    "Don¡¯t worry, brother. It¡¯s not like Meixiu will stop helping me. Furthermore, I can say the same to you, as Meixiu has been in our lives for almost the same time, and she¡¯s almost like a second sister to us at this point."

    "I guess you can go ahead and ask her. However, don¡¯t force her, Yu Rou. Even if you are trying to help me, I don¡¯t want you to force Meixiu, because I won¡¯t ept her help if that¡¯s the case."

    "Who do you think I am, brother? I am not unreasonable like some people in this family. I won¡¯t force her¡ª I swear."

    "Okay... If you say so."

    "Are you going to y Cultivation Online today?" Yu Rou asked him after their daily routine.

    "No, I¡¯ll take a break today. There¡¯s nothing to do until next week, anyway."

    "Okay."

    After cleaning up, Yu Rou went to eat her own breakfast and prepared for school.

    On her way to school, Yu Rou asked Meixiu while they sat in the car.

    "Meixiu, I have something important to ask you." Yu Rou stared at Meixiu in the eyes with a serious look on her face.

    "What is it, Young Lady?"

    Yu Rou took a deep breath, and she began exining to her the situation regarding Yuan.

    "Well, my parents are thinking about making Brother Tian y instruments inside Cultivation Online as he used to when he was young, but my brother refused. The thing is... if he refuses, they will disown him and kick him out of the house..."

    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    "What?!" Meixiu covered her mouth in shock, as she could almost not believe her ears. "How could the Masters..."

    "What does the Young Lady and Young Master n on doing?" Meixiu couldn¡¯t help but ask, as this will definitely change the entire household as a whole.

    "We don¡¯t really know yet, but Brother Tian intends on leaving the family and living by himself. However, his condition doesn¡¯t exactly allow that... Therefore, he¡¯s thinking about hiring someone else to take care of him, as he doesn¡¯t want me to bear the burden anymore."

    "That¡¯s very like the Young Master." Meixiu nodded.

    "But the problem is that I don¡¯t know anyone I trust enough to take care of Brother Tian. There are many bad people out there¡ª heartless people who will mistreat or take advantage of Brother Tian¡¯s condition, and I fear that very much." Yu Rou spoke from the bottom of her heart.

    While it sounded like she was trying to get sympathy from Meixiu so that she could pressure Meixiu with guilt, that was not the case, as Yu Rou truly feared that someone might take advantage of Yuan.

    "Indeed, this world is filled with nasty people." Unexpectedly, Meixiu agreed.

    "Anyways, I have been thinking about people who I trust enough to take care of Brother Tian, and after thinking about it for very long, I could only think of a single person that I trust enough¡ª and that¡¯s you, Meixiu."

    "M-Me...?" Meixiu pointed at herself with a startled look on her face. "But I am the Young Lady¡¯s..."

    "I know." Yu Rou quickly interrupted, and she continued, "I know that you¡¯re my personal maid and that you¡¯ve been for almost my entire life, but I can only trust you to take care of Brother Tian. Of course, I am only asking you, and if you refuse, I won¡¯t hold anything against you since I know very well from experience how difficult it could be at times to take care of Brother Tian, especially if you¡¯re doing it every day for years, and even brother himself said that it¡¯s all up to you whether you want to listen to our request or not."

    "You don¡¯t need to give me an answer right away. Think about it. We¡¯ll continue this conversation when wee back home," Yu Rou then said.

    "I understand, Young Lady." Meixiu nodded, feeling many perplexed emotions in her heart.

    While Yu Rou went to school, Yuan focused on cultivation.

    ¡¯Now that even my own parents have given up hope on me, I can only rely on Yu Rou and myself to survive! I should¡¯ve expected this oue sooner orter!¡¯ Yuan gritted his teeth in frustration, his heart burning with the desire and passion to crawl out of this hellhole.

    ¡¯Cultivation is now my only hope to recover! Even if it¡¯s not a full recovery, I will be satisfied with a partial recovery!¡¯

    At this moment, unbeknownst to Yuan, the mes within his heart began pulsating, and the golden symbols engraved in his bones began to glow brightly.

 Chapter 233 Meixius Decision

    Although Yuan was unaware of the subtle changes within his body, the golden symbols engraved in his bones glowed brightly and emitted this profound aura that attracted the nearby spiritual energy, vastly increasing Yuan¡¯s spiritual energy absorption rate.

    Meanwhile, the mysterious me inside his heart pulsated as though it had be a heart itself, and with each beat, the spiritual energy he¡¯d absorbed was instantly purified and enhanced, greatly boosting its effectiveness.

    With these two profound and mysterious powers inside his body, Yuan¡¯s cultivation speed soared to a level that rivaled even his cultivation speed in Cultivation Online without eating monster cores.

    ¡¯What¡¯s going on? Why did my cultivation speed suddenly increase so much?¡¯

    Even without knowledge of what¡¯s happening inside his body, Yuan could tell that something had changed, as his cultivation speed had suddenly increased.

    However, he wasn¡¯tining. And worried that it was only temporary, Yuan focused on cultivating without thinking about anything else.

    Whoosh!

    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    A fresh feeling suddenly exploded within his body, signaling that he had a breakthrough, reaching 8th level Spirit Apprentice in just one hour since he began cultivating.

    The same refreshing feeling urred again just three hourster, meaning Yuan had another breakthrough, reaching the peak Spirit Apprentice.

    ¡¯I had managed to enter Spirit Warrior previously without needing any enlightenment, but that is most likely because of the game. If I want to achieve the same feat in the real world, I¡¯ll probably have to experience this enlightenment. Let¡¯s see if I can make another breakthrough again.¡¯

    With that in mind, Yuan began cultivating again.

    Six hourster, Yuan could feel his body filled to the brim with spiritual energy, yet he could not enter Spirit Warrior, almost like there was something preventing him from advancing.

    ¡¯So this is what Xiao Hua meant by needing enlightenment to continue. However, how does one achieve enlightenment?¡¯ Yuan began pondering.

    But s, no matter how much he thought about it, he had zero clues about enlightenment.

    ¡¯I should ask Xiao Hua about it tomorrow...¡¯

    Meanwhile, after school, Yu Rou got into her limousine with Meixiu.

    Once the door closed and the car began moving, they resumed their conversation from this morning.

    "Have you thought about it, Meixiu?" Yu Rou asked her.

    Meixiu nodded, and then she spoke, "Young Lady, if you don¡¯t mind me asking, what will happen to us if I decide to help the Young Master? Will I still be serving you?"

    "I want you to focus on taking care of my brother, and I don¡¯t want to overwork you, so I¡¯ll find someone else to take care of my needs. Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s not like you¡¯re fired. You¡¯re just being hired by my brother instead." Yu Rou said.

    "I¡¯ll even pay you for him. This way, Brother Tian will have less burden."

    "I don¡¯t really care for the money, Young Lady. If money is my only reason to work for you, I would¡¯ve left long ago since I have already saved up enough money to quit my job." Meixiu said.

    And she continued, "I know how much the Young Master means to you, and I am also indebted to the Young Master for many things in the past, so if the both of you need my help, I¡¯ll do my best."

    "D-Does this mean you¡¯re willing to take care of Brother Tian?" Yu Rou asked her for confirmation.

    Meixiu nodded with a slight smile on her face, and she said, "Only if the Young Lady allows me to continue working for her even if I am already taking care of the Young Master. Of course, I will still prioritize the Young Master, but if I have some free time, I would like to work for you then."

    "Meixiu... I don¡¯t even know how I should thank you..." Yu Rou could feel herself tearing up.

    "You don¡¯t have to thank me for anything, Young Lady. I am merely doing my job."

    Yu Rou nodded, "Then it¡¯s decided. We¡¯ll talk more about this once we return to my brother."

    Sometimeter, the limousine stopped in front of their home, and Yu Rou and Meixiu headed directly for Yuan¡¯s room.

    "Brother! I have great news!" Yu Rou said as she opened the door.

    "I can hear you perfectly, Yu Rou. There¡¯s no need to scream." Yuan said with a smile on his face.

    "Meixiu, go ahead and tell him!" Yu Rou said to Meixiu who¡¯d just entered the room.

    Meixiu then approached the bed before bending her body and bowing to Yuan.

    "Young Master, I, Meixiu, will be in your care starting today."

    "Huh? Does this mean you¡¯re willing to leave Yu Rou¡¯s side toe work for me? If that¡¯s the case, I should be the one saying that..." Yuan said in a somewhat dazed voice.

    "Yes, but I won¡¯t be leaving the Young Lady¡¯s side. I have decided to work for the both of you, as I¡¯d been trained for this very purpose." Meixiu said.

    "Isn¡¯t this great, brother? Now that we have taken care of your caretaker problem, we only have two more problems left! Your new home and..."

    Yu Rou suddenly stopped in the middle of her sentence. She then went to close the door and continued in a lower voice, "Meixiu, we¡¯re about to tell you a very big secret that you must not reveal to anybody¡ª not even my parents, okay?!"

    "Not even the Masters?" Meixiu swallowed nervously. What kind of secret are they going to tell her?

    "Can you promise to not tell another soul, Meixiu? This secret is very rted to taking care of Brother Tian as well."

    Meixiu nodded with a serious look and said, "I promise, Young Lady, that I won¡¯t tell another soul even if I¡¯m tortured to death."

    "T-That¡¯s a little bit extreme but okay..." Yu Rou was taken aback by Meixiu¡¯s seriousness.

    "Anyway, do you know about yer Yuan? The yer that everybody has been talking about recently? Well, that¡¯s¡ª"

    Before Yu Rou could even finish her sentence, Meixiu interrupted and said, "yer Yuan is the Young Master, right? I know."

    "Eh?" Yu Rou stared at her with a shocked face.

 Chapter 234 A Small Change

    "Wait a second... You knew? How did you know that I was yer Yuan? And how long have you known about it?" Yuan asked Meixiu after a moment of silence since Yu Rou was too shocked to speak. "I¡¯m pretty sure we¡¯d kept it hidden pretty well... I think..."

    "The musicalpetition¡ª that¡¯s how I learned it," Meixiu said in a calm voice.

    "The Young Lady said the Young Master was participating in a musicpetition, and then yer Yuan managed to obtain first ce in a musicpetition sometimeter."

    "When I asked the Young Master what kind of instrument he yed during hispetition, he said it was the zither, which happened to be the samepetition yer Yuan had won first ce, so I assumed that the Young Master was yer Yuan. It was only after the Young Lady¡¯s words just now that confirmed my suspicions."

    "So you¡¯ve only known about it for a day or so?" Yuan asked her.

    "That¡¯s correct."

    "Y-You didn¡¯t tell anybody else about this, did you?" Yu Rou finally asked her.

    "Of course not, Young Lady. It was only a suspicion until just now, anyway." Meixiu shook her head.

    "Well... Since you already know, this will make things much easier for us. Brother Tian will need to earn money in the future, and he intends on selling some things in Cultivation Online for real money. However, it¡¯s obvious that he won¡¯t be able to do that by himself, so you¡¯ll do that for him, hence why not just anyone can do this job."

    Meixiu nodded, "I understand."

    "By the way, Brother Tian, while you¡¯ve already decided to leave the family, let¡¯s wait until thest day so we have more time to prepare. Although we¡¯ve found someone to take care of you, we still need to look for a new home for you. It¡¯s the weekend tomorrow, so I¡¯ll call some people and see if they have a ce. After all, I¡¯d rather you stay with someone I know."

    "Okay," Yuan said.

    Yu Rou and Meixiu left the room to prepare dinner for Yuan.

    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    An hourter, Yu Rou returned to the room to take care of his needs.

    "Yu Rou, I want to y tonight. I¡¯ve slept enough this morning."

    "Okay." Yu Rou said as she fixed his long hair and ced the console on his head before turning the power on.

    While Yuan entered the game, Yu Rou cleaned the ce and left his room.

    Meanwhile, Yuan summoned Xiao Hua.

    "Xiao Hua, I have a question regarding something you¡¯d said before. When a cultivator reaches peak Spirit Apprentice, they must experience ¡¯enlightenment¡¯ before they can breakthrough to Spirit Warrior, correct?"

    "That¡¯s right." Xiao Hua nodded.

    "What exactly is this enlightenment? Are there any tricks to it?"

    "Why do you want to know, Brother Yuan? You¡¯re already a Spirit Warrior and even about to be a Spirit Master." Xiao Hua asked him.

    "Well... I am just curious about it since I never got to experience it for myself. Furthermore, it might help me if I need to experience enlightenment for Spirit Master."

    Xiao Hua nodded and then said, "Close your eyes, Brother Yuan."

    Yuan didn¡¯t question her and closed his eyes.

    Once Yuan closed his eyes, Xiao Hua lifted her small hands and poked Yuan between his eyebrows with her finger.

    A small light appeared between Yuan¡¯s forehead for a split second before disappearing.

    Meanwhile, inside Yuan¡¯s head, he was experiencing enlightenment. However, it was not his own enlightenment. Instead, it was Xiao Hua¡¯s enlightenment when she first broke through to Spirit Warrior, and she was merely sharing her experience with him through a mysterious technique.

    "So this is what enlightenment feels like, huh?" Yuan mumbled, and he opened his eyes a few secondster.

    Although it felt much longer inside his head, it onlysted a few seconds in reality.

    "There are really no tricks to receiving enlightenment, Brother Yuan. However, it might help you if you have felt it before."

    "I see... Thanks a bunch, Xiao Hua! I¡¯ll see you again tomorrow!"

    Yuan immediately logged off and began trying to gain enlightenment for himself while the feeling was still fresh.

    After taking a deep breath, Yuan recalled what he¡¯d experienced just now and began cultivating with that in mind.

    Yuan quickly entered a tranquil state of mind where he thought of nothing, almost like he was half asleep.

    A few hourster, Yuan felt as though the invisible wall that had been blocking him from progressing had suddenly copsed, allowing his spiritual energy to flow forward, breaking through to Spirit Warrior.

    Whoosh~!

    A gust of wind appeared in the room despite the closed windows, and the thin nkets covering Yuan¡¯s body were sent flying off the bed.

    In this dark room with all light sources turned off, a faint golden light could be seen around Yuan¡¯s body at this moment, and inside Yuan¡¯s body, he could feel a tingly sensation coursing through his veins across his body.

    A couple of momentster, the light subdued and the wind disappeared.

    ¡¯This is what Spirit Warrior feels like in the real world? I feel more energetic and powerful than I did in Cultivation Online when I first entered Spirit Warrior...¡¯

    With so much energy in his body, Yuan couldn¡¯t help but try to move his limbs, and to his surprise, while he couldn¡¯t move his arms or legs, he could feel rigid movements in his fingers and toes!

    ¡¯I...I can move?!¡¯

    Even though he was barely able to move his fingers and toes for a few seconds, Yuan was ecstatic about this small change, as this meant that he still has hopes for recovery!

    And to make sure he wasn¡¯t imagining things, Yuan spent the next couple of minutes moving his fingers and toes.

    ¡¯I-It¡¯s real! I am not dreaming! I can really move my body!¡¯ Yuan cried inwardly.

    For more, visit lightnove/lpub[.

    Once he¡¯d calmed down, Yuan immediately returned to cultivating. If reaching Spirit Warrior helped him recover some control over his own body, what will happen once he reaches Spirit Master and above? Will he be able to move his limbs next? Maybe he¡¯ll even be able to walk again!

 Chapter 235 Looking for a New Home

    Even though he¡¯d broken through to Spirit Warrior, Yuan¡¯s cultivation speed did not slow down. Instead, it grew even stronger. In fact, he was absorbing the spiritual energy around him so quickly that it created a very subtle wind in the room, almost like there was a fan on low power inside the room.

    By the time morning came, Yuan had advanced another level, reaching 2nd level Spirit Warrior.

    Meanwhile, after waking up, Yu Rou immediately went to prepare breakfast.

    ¡¯Eh? Why¡¯s the nket on the floor?¡¯ Yu Rou thought to herself when she entered the room and saw the nket on the floor.

    The windows were closed, so it couldn¡¯t have been the wind. However, she didn¡¯t think much about it and proceeded with her daily routine.

    A few hourster, after feeding Yuan and cleaning him up, Yu Rou prepared for her morning practice.

    After morning practice was finished, Yu Rou returned to her room. However, instead of surfing the inte or ying Cultivation Online as she¡¯d nned, Yu Rou looked through the contacts on her phone and began calling people she trusted.

    And while there were a lot of contacts on her phone, only a couple of them truly mattered to her.

    Yu Rou picked one of these trusted contacts and called it.

    Ring~

    A few ringster, someone picked up the phone.

    "Good morning, Young Lady. Do you need me for something? Did something happen to the Young Master?" Doctor Wang¡¯s voice resounded through the phone.

    "Doctor Wang, how are you doing? Although this is rted to Brother Tian, it¡¯s not what you are thinking." Yu Rou said, and she continued, "Due to a few unexpected circumstances, Brother Tian... he¡¯s looking for a new ce to stay, and I was wondering if you have any ces that you¡¯re willing to rent to him."

    "Huh?"

    As Yu Rou had expected, Doctor Wang made a puzzled noise behind the phone and turned silent for a moment.

    "If you don¡¯t mind me asking, why is the Young Master looking for a new ce to stay? What¡¯s wrong with his current room? Did he release impurities again?" Doctor Wang asked.

    "No, it¡¯s nothing like that... I wished it was that simple," Yu Rou sighed.

    She continued, "Well... Brother Tian might get kicked out of the house, so we have to look for a new ce for him to stay, and I¡¯d prefer it if he rents a ce from someone we trust."

    "W-What? Why would the Young Master be kicked out of the house?" Doctor Wang¡¯s bbergasted voice resounded.

    "It¡¯s a long story..." Yu Rou sighed, and she proceeded to exin the situation to Doctor Wang, mostly because he¡¯ll be affected by it sooner orter. After all, once their parents disown Yuan, they will no longer pay for his medical bills. Even if Doctor Wang is a very generous individual, there¡¯s no way he¡¯d continue treating Yuan without any payments that would cost him millions each year.

    "Heavens... I can¡¯t believe it... To think they¡¯d disown the Young Master over something like this..." Doctor Wang was truly speechless.

    "Don¡¯t worry, Doctor Wang... Even if my parents will no longer pay for Brother Tian¡¯s treatment, we¡¯ll pay for it instead." Yu Rou said.

    Since she knew how much wealth yer Yuan has, if Yuan sold even a portion of his in-game gold and treasures, he¡¯ll be able to pay for the medical bills and livefortably for a while.

    "Young Lady... We can talk about that once we get there. For now, let¡¯s deal with the situation at hand, and that is finding the Young Master a new residence." Doctor Wang said.

    And he continued, "While I don¡¯t have any free rooms to rent, I have a few guest rooms avable in my main home, and if you don¡¯t mind, you can move the Young Master there. That way, I can monitor him with more ease. Of course, it¡¯ll be free of charge. You don¡¯t need to pay me for rent, as your family has donated more than enough to my hospitals."

    "Your main home...?"

    Yu Rou immediately hesitated. If this is their main home, Doctor Wang¡¯s granddaughter should also be there, and she¡¯d rather not let Yuan so close to her without any supervision.

    ¡¯I¡¯ll let Brother Tian live there if it¡¯s ourst resort...¡¯

    With this in mind, Yu Rou said, "Thank you for your offer, but I can¡¯t let Brother Yuan invade your family like this, Doctor Wang. I¡¯ll see if there are any other options first. If not, I¡¯ll contact you again."

    "I understand. My doors will be open for the Young Master whenever. I¡¯m sure my granddaughter Wang Xiuying wouldn¡¯t mind having the Young Master here as well." Doctor Wang said.

    Yu Rou hung up shortlyter and eximed afterward, "She¡¯s exactly the reason why I don¡¯t want Brother Tian living there! Who knows what that fox might do to my brother when I¡¯m not around!"

    Sometimeter, Yu Rou called a few more people but to no avail.

    "Looks like there¡¯s only one more person to call..."

    Yu Rou picked up the phone and tapped on the name ¡¯Xia Jingyi¡¯.

    Ring... Ring... Ring...

    "Sister Rou! I was just about to call you! Are you going to y Cultivation Online today? I just finished unboxing the console!"

    "Oh... Something else came up, so I won¡¯t be able to y this weekend." Yu Rou said.

    "What happened? You don¡¯t sound happy," Xia Jingyi suddenly asked.

    After sighing, Yu Rou responded, "I¡¯m looking to rent a ce for my brother. I don¡¯t want to go into the details, but he needs to find a new home soon."

    "Is that so..."

    After a moment of silence, Xia Jingyi said, "Well, if you¡¯re looking for a ce, how about I lend you one of the rooms in an apartment owned by my parents? You don¡¯t have to pay me anything either. It¡¯s also not too far away from our school, so you can visit him after school."

    "Really?!" Yu Rou immediately became ecstatic after hearing this.

    "Yes. I¡¯ll let my parents know that it¡¯s upied so they don¡¯t rent it out by ident." Xia Jingyi said.

    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    "Thank you so much! I¡¯ll definitely repay you for this when I get the chance!"

    "You don¡¯t have to repay me, Sister Rou. After all, we¡¯re friends, and you¡¯ve already done enough for me at school. If anything, I should be the one repaying you for everything you¡¯ve done for me." Xia Jingyi said with a warm smile on her face.

 Chapter 236 Moving Out

    After talking with Xia Jingyi for a few minutes on the phone, Yu Rou hung up and went to Yuan¡¯s room to ry the news to him.

    "Brother, I¡¯ve found a ce for you to stay at, and it¡¯s even for free!"

    "Really? How did you find this ce?" Yuan couldn¡¯t help but ask.

    "Do you remember that time I mentioned my ssmate who was a sweet girl? I spoke to her just now, and she said that you can move into her apartment for free!"

    "I see... Thank you, Yu Rou, for helping me with this... None of this would¡¯ve been possible without you." Yuan said.

    "Don¡¯t even mention it!" Yu Rou chuckled.

    "Anyway, when do you n on moving out?"

    "I can move out now if everything is prepared," Yuan said.

    "Well, you have someone to take care of you, and you have a ce to stay. Now we just need to worry about your medical expenses and whatnot." Yu Rou said.

    "It¡¯s fine, Yu Rou. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll need to do any more checkups. After all, I¡¯ve been doing it for the past ten years without any different result; it¡¯s just a waste of money at this point." Yuan said, not mentioning his slight recovery just yet, as he wanted to be able to move at least his limbs before telling her.

    For more, visit [./]

    "Are you sure? I still think it would be better if we have Doctor Wang check your body every once in a while." Yu Rou said.

    "I guess we can do that."

    "Anyway, since there¡¯s nothing else, we can move whenever you want, brother."

    "Let¡¯s move out now. I don¡¯t want to stay in this ce any longer." Yuan said.

    "Okay. Let me get your wheelchair."

    Yu Rou went outside and returned a couple of minutester with the wheelchair.

    "Brother, I think we should get you cleaned first before you leave. After all, it might be more difficult to clean you in your new home." Yu Rou suddenly suggested.

    "Okay."

    Thus, Yu Rou ced Yuan in the wheelchair before pushing him to the bathroom.

    Visit ligh/tnovelpub[. for a better experience

    Once the bathtub was ready with warm water, Yu Rou rinsed Yuan¡¯s body and washed him before carrying him into the bathtub.

    "Brother... you¡¯ve gotten noticeably heavier... I¡¯m already starting to have trouble carrying you." Yu Rou said, and she continued, "Even your body... It¡¯s definitely much meatier thanst week, and even your muscles are somewhat refined! Is this because of the soup or something else?"

    Yu Rou was pleasantly surprised when she realized just how much Yuan¡¯s body has changedpared tost week. It would be likeparing a skeleton to a healthy body!

    "Who knows, but isn¡¯t this a good thing? Maybe I¡¯ll even suddenly start walking again next month if it continues like this!" Yuanughed in a non-joking voice.

    "Don¡¯t worry, bother. No matter what, I will not lose hope. Even if our parents give up, I will never give up on you..." Yu Rou said in a somewhat sobbing voice.

    If Yuan could turn around and see Yu Rou¡¯s face right now, he would see tears dripping from her beautiful face.

    "Yu Rou..." Yuan sighed.

    ¡¯While I cannot do anything for her in this world... if it¡¯s Cultivation Online...¡¯

    After thinking for a moment, Yuan said, "Yu Rou... You¡¯ve always wanted me to return to the spotlight, right?"

    "Eh?" Hearing Yuan¡¯s sudden question, Yu Rou quickly wiped her tears and said, "Of course. Brother¡¯s the most handsome when he¡¯s surrounded in that dazzling light, and I want people to look at you in admiration like previously."

    "I don¡¯t know when I¡¯ll be able to return to that spotlight in this world, but in Cultivation Online, where I can use my body to its full extent and more, I¡¯ll do my best."

    "What are you talking about, brother? You¡¯re already in the spotlight. People just don¡¯t know it¡¯s you... yet." Yu Rouughed slightly.

    "I know... that¡¯s why I¡¯ll reveal my identity¡ª I¡¯ll let the world know who yer Yuan is, so they¡¯ll know it¡¯s me." Yuan suddenly said, shocking Yu Rou.

    "What?! If you do that, you¡¯ll¡ª!"

    "Of course I am not going to reveal it now, but once I¡¯m ready, I¡¯ll let the world know. The only reason I¡¯ve been keeping this identity a secret is so that our peaceful life won¡¯t be disturbed. However, now that our peace has been disturbed, it wouldn¡¯t matter if I reveal my identity or not. Perhaps I¡¯ll even get some help that way."

    "While that is true... That¡¯s a very risky move. Who knows what will happen once the world learns of your real identity, especially the Legacy Families. They¡¯re the ones you should be the most worried about since you¡¯ve taken their spotlights."

    "I see..." Yuan mumbled.

    After submerging themselves in the bathtub for many minutes, Yu Rou carried Yuan out of the bathtub and ced him on the drying table whilst she went to dry herself with a towel.

    Once she was fully dressed, Yu Rou helped Yuan put on his clothes before carrying him back to his wheelchair.

    Upon leaving the bathroom, Yu Rou went to speak with Meixiu.

    "Meixiu, I¡¯ll bring Brother Tian to his new living quarters now. Can you pack his things in the meantime? It¡¯s mostly just his clothes and the console," Yu Rou said to her.

    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only

    "I understand." Meixiu nodded.

    Once Yu Rou and Yuan left the ce, Meixiu immediately began packing Yuan¡¯s clothes.

    And just like Yu Rou had said, there really wasn¡¯t much to pack besides some clothes and pajamas. In fact, the biggest thing she had to pack was the gaming device that took up an entire suitcase by itself.

    Meanwhile, Yu Rou entered the limousine with Yuan and made their way to the apartment that was only three miles away from the school she was attending, and she called Xia Jingyi before leaving the house to let her know that they were heading there now.

 Chapter 237 17F

    Half an hour after leaving the house, the limousine stopped in front of arge apartment that had over 20 floors, and Yu Rou pushed Yuan towards the entrance, where a youngdy with tworge assets was standing.

    "Sister Rou!" Xia Jingyi waved at her with a delightful look on her face upon seeing their figures.

    "I¡¯m sorry foring here on such short notice, Jingyi," Yu Rou said with an apologetic smile.

    "Don¡¯t even mention it. I don¡¯t live that far away from here, anyway." Xia Jingyi said.

    She then looked at Yuan and said, "Hello, Sister Rou¡¯s elder brother. My name is Xia Jingyi, a fellow ssmate, it¡¯s really nice to finally meet you."

    "My name¡¯s Yu Tian. Thank you for letting me stay here. When I get the chance, I¡¯ll definitely repay you."

    "We can talk about thatter," Xia Jingyi said, and she continued, "Come, let me show you your room."

    There were two entrances they had to pass before reaching the elevators. The first entrance led to a small lobby where the mailboxes are kept, whilst the 2nd entrance led to the receptionists and elevators.

    "Your room will be on the 17th floor." Xia Jingyi said as she pressed the button inside the elevator.

    The elevator door closed, and they began ascending quickly.

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    A few momentster, they arrived on the 17th floor.

    Ding!

    The door opened, and Xia Jingyi walked out, followed by Yu Rou and Yuan.

    Xia Jingyi stopped in front of the door at the end of the hall and said, "This is 17F, it¡¯s thergest and most luxurious room on this floor."

    "A-Are you sure?" Yuan spoke in a hesitant voice, and he continued, "You can just give me one of the ordinary rooms. I don¡¯t want to feel like I am taking advantage of your kindness, especially since I am living here for free."

    Xia Jingyi chuckled and said, "Sister Rou always mentioned how kind and humble you are. Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s just one room. It won¡¯t affect us at all."

    "Here¡¯s the keys and a spare one." Xia Jingyi handed Yu Rou two sets of keys after unlocking the doors.

    "Thank you."

    "Let me show you around." Xia Jingyi opened the door and went inside the apartment room.

    "There is a living room, a kitchen, one bathroom with its bathtub and shower separated, three bedrooms, and a balcony. Also, everything in here is new, so it¡¯s not been used before. What do you think?"

    After a quick tour around the ce, Yu Rou nodded, "If I have to be honest, it¡¯s muchrger than necessary."

    And she continued, "The bedroom is good, and the bathroom is also big enough. I don¡¯t have anyints."

    "That¡¯s great. Then you can move here whenever you feel like it. The keys are already in your hands."

    "Once again, thank you for this, Jingyi," Yu Rou said to her.

    After talking for some time, Xia Jingyi, "If you ever need me, just call my number and I¡¯ll see what I can do."

    "Okay," Yuan said.

    "By the way, Sister Rou, before I leave you two alone, I am currently in the Eastern Continent at somece called Red Pearl City."

    Yu Rou nodded and said, "I¡¯ll see how far away it is and if I¡¯ll be able to get there."

    "Okay. I¡¯ll go do some quests and cultivate some more in the meantime."

    After Xia Jiayi left the ce, Yuan said, "I¡¯ll let Feng Feng know. She should be able to help you meet her since you¡¯re both within the Eastern Continent."

    "Sounds great. Anyways, let¡¯s put you on your new bed so we can get some feedback. If you don¡¯t like it, we can change the mattress."

    Yu Rou proceeded to push the wheelchair into thergest bedroom before carrying Yuan onto the bed.

    "Well? What do you think?"

    "It¡¯s a bit softer than what I¡¯m used to, but I think I like this better."

    "I¡¯ll ask you again in a few days." Yu Rou said.

    Ring~ Ring~

    "It¡¯s Meixiu." Yu Rou said after seeing the caller on her phone.

    "Are you on your way here, Meixiu?"

    "Yes. I am on my way to the address you gave me."

    "Okay, call me again when you¡¯re downstairs."

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    After hanging up, Yu Rou and Yuan began talking more about their ns until Meixiu called again.

    Once Meixiu arrived, Yu Rou went downstairs to meet her beforeing back up.

    "This will be Brother Tian¡¯s new home." Yu Rou gave Meixiu a tour around the ce.

    "This ce is very close to school, which will make things far more convenient for the both of us."

    Meixiu nodded, and then she asked, "What else needs to be done?"

    "Well, there¡¯s really nothing else to do... Oh, right!" Yu Rou suddenly recalled.

    "We need to find a way for Brother Tian to sell his in-game items for real-life currency. It would be risky if Brother Tian traded the treasures personally so it would be for the best if he handed you the treasures instead."

    "In other words, we need you to y Cultivation Online!"

    "I-I understand..." Meixiu nodded, feeling like it was a weird thing for her to y video games since she has never really touched them before besides a few asions when Yu Rou wanted to y with her.

    "Hopefully, you are also in the Eastern Continent, or that will make thingsplicated," Yuan said.

    And he continued, "Though, Feng Feng should still be able to pick you up... I¡¯ll ask herter."

    "Feng Feng...?" Meixiu raised her eyebrows.

    "Yes, she¡¯s a phoenix who can fly at extreme speeds. She¡¯ll probably be able to travel to other continents with ease as well. Anyways, we can figure the rest of this out once you create your character."

    "Okay."

    Sometimeter, Yu Rou began unpacking Yuan¡¯s luggage whilst Meixiu went to clean the house that was slightly dusty. Once that was done, Meixiu went outside to buy a console so she could y Cultivation Onler.

 Chapter 238 Meixius Evaluation

    Meixiu returned to the apartment half an hourter with the console in her grasp.

    "Great! Why don¡¯t you start ying now?" Yu Rou said to her.

    "You want me to y right now, Young Lady?" Meixiu raised her eyebrows.

    Yu Rou nodded. "There¡¯s nothing else to do until dinner anyways."

    "If that¡¯s what you want..."

    "Let¡¯s go to the other room." Yu Rou and Meixiu went to the room next to Yuan¡¯s room a few momentster.

    Once Meixiuid on the bed and ced the helmet on her head, Yu Rou said to her, "You can log off after creating your character and looking at the map to see which continent you¡¯re on. You¡¯ll be transported to one of the four avable continents randomly, so let¡¯s pray that you end up in the Eastern Continent. See you in a bit."

    After pressing the power button, Meixiu could feel her consciousness leaving her body and moving elsewhere, feeling almost like she was ascending to heaven or something simr.

    A few momentster, she found herself inside a white room that had been visited by every other yer in the world.

    nk!

    The space before her suddenly cracked, and to Meixiu¡¯s surprise, a youngdy around her age appeared from the crack.

    "Hmmm... So you¡¯re someone from the ¡¯Missing Piece¡¯, huh? I was wondering if you guys were anything special, but looking at you now, you don¡¯t seem any different than the mortals in our world." The youngdy said in a somewhat disappointed voice after staring at Meixiu for a second.

    "Umm..." Meixiu had many questions in her head, but she wasn¡¯t able to ask any of them due to the youngdy speaking before she could.

    "ce your hand on this crystal ball so we can get this over with. I¡¯ve already lost my interest."

    Meixiu decided to not ask any questions and ced her hands on the crystal ball.

    A few momentster, her status appeared.

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    Name: Meixiu

    Cultivation: None

    Legacy: None

    Bloodline: None

    Physique: Spirit Severing Physique

    Physical Strength: 82

    Mental Strength: 220

    Soul Strength: 555

    Physical Defense: 34

    Mental Defense: 150

    "Oh?"

    The youngdy¡¯s eyebrows raised in a slightly surprised manner when she saw Meixiu¡¯s seemingly high stats.

    "Spirit Severing Physique, huh? Not bad¡ª Not bad at all. Since you have a Divine-rank physique, you¡¯re qualified to be a servant for me at the very least. Here. Take this. If you ever reach the upper heavens,e find me at the Qu Family and show this to the people there."

    The youngdy surnamed Qu tossed a jade medallion to her before turning around and walking into the crack.

    A few moments after the youngdy disappeared from the white room, Meixiu was teleported to Mountain #189, one of the thousands of floating mountains around that ce, and despite the gaming being out for many weeks now, there were still tens of thousands of new yers every day.

    After standing around for a few minutes, an NPC appeared before them in the sky, and he began exining to them about the cultivation world.

    Once the exnation ended, he gave the yers the Basic Qi Gathering Technique alongside a talisman that told the yers their physique¡¯s rank.

    [Rank: Divine]

    Meixiu stared at the word on her talisman that would make countless yers and NPCs alike jealous with a somewhat tranquil look on her face, almost like she didn¡¯t really care.

    "If you have a Heaven-rank or above physique here, raise your hand." The Cultivator in the sky said.

    "..."

    However, nobody raised their hands.

    The Cultivator sucked his teeth in disappointment after seeing this, and he quickly said afterward, "My time is precious and limited. You can all get out of my face now."

    And with a wave of his sleeves, all of the yers there were sent flying towards the portals in the back.

    Once she was standing again, Meixiu brought up the map.

    "Western Continent..." Meixiu sighed before logging off the game like Yu Rou had told her to.

    After logging off the game, Meixiu removed the helmet from her head and got off the bed.

    "Young Lady, I am done." Meixiu knocked on Yuan¡¯s door.

    "Already? That was quick." Yu Rou opened the door for her, and she continued, "Well? Did you spawn within the Eastern Continent?"

    Meixiu shook her head and said, "Unfortunately, I did not, Young Lady. I am currently within the Western Continent."

    "How unlucky..." Yu Rou also sighed.

    "It¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯ll talk to Feng Feng after this and see if there¡¯s any way we can bring her to the Eastern Continent." Yuan said.

    "Okay."

    Sometimeter, Yu Rou said, "I¡¯ll go prepare for your dinner now¡ª Oh, wait... We don¡¯t have any ingredients to cook with since we didn¡¯t go shopping yet."

    "Let me go order some groceries now..."

    Yu Rou opened her phone and began buying groceries on a shopping app, allowing them to receive food and groceries without leaving the house.

    An hourter, someone knocked on their door and handed off the groceries to Meixiu.

    "I¡¯ll cook dinner, Young Lady," Meixiu said.

    However, Yu Rou immediately refused and said, "Although this won¡¯t be myst time cooking for Brother Tian, I won¡¯t be able to cook for him as often, so I want to do it properly like usual. You can just rx, Meixiu. After all, you¡¯ll be working hard starting tomorrow."

    "If you say so, Young Lady..." Meixiu nodded, and she proceeded to sit on the couch doing nothing but stare at the space in front of her with a dazed look.

    "..."

    Yu Rou was speechless by this, and she sighed, "If you want, you can help me wash the vegetables, I guess..."

    "I shall do that then." Meixiu immediately stood up and went to the sink to wash the vegetables.

    "Just how much of a workaholic are you, Meixiu? You¡¯re still too young to be acting like this..." Yu Rou shook her head, as she didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry at Meixiu¡¯s desire for work.

 Chapter 239 The Truth

    After cooking dinner and feeding Yuan, Yu Rou said, "Even though you¡¯d moved out of the house and everything, there¡¯s still about two days before you¡¯re officially disowned, so I n on keeping it a secret until then. Who knows, maybe mother and father will even change their minds about disowning you."

    "Okay. However, even if they change their mind, I have already decided to leave the family. After all, if one day I recover from this condition, I don¡¯t want them to believe that it was all due to their help. I want to prove to them and myself that I can survive even without them." Yuan said.

    "If that¡¯s your decision, brother, I won¡¯t say anything else. I also believe that you¡¯ll one day make a full recovery," said Yu Rou.

    "Anyways, it¡¯s gettingte, so I¡¯ll head home tonight. I¡¯ll be back tomorrow, though." Yu Rou said.

    "Okay. See you tomorrow."

    After leaving Yuan¡¯s apartment, Yu Rou locked the door with the spare keys and quickly returned home.

    Meanwhile, Meixiu stayed behind to take care of Yuan.

    "Do you need anything, Young Master?" Meixiu asked him.

    "Yes, I actually do... Meixiu, can you stop calling me Young Master? I am no longer part of the Yu Family, and there¡¯s no need to be so formal to me. Just call my Yu Tian, or even better, Yuan."

    "..."

    Meixiu did not immediately respond.

    After a moment of silence, she suddenly asked him, "When do you n on telling the Young Lady the truth?"

    "..."

    "..."

    "..."

    "The truth... huh."

    A bittersweet smile appeared on Yuan¡¯s face, and he said, "I wanted to tell her yesterday¡ª No, I nned on telling her if she refused to let me leave the family, but I guess that¡¯s no longer needed. However, that¡¯s not to say I intend on keeping that secret forever. Once the time is right, I¡¯ll tell her."

    "I understand."

    "Thank you, Meixiu..." Yuan suddenly said, and he continued, "Thank you... for not telling her even though you work with her pretty much every day."

    "It¡¯s not a big deal, really. I don¡¯t think it would change your rtionship that much even if she knew."

    "Perhaps... But I don¡¯t want to risk it." Yuan sighed.

    "But she will find out sooner orter, especially now that you¡¯re no longer part of the family." Meixiu said, and she continued, "Who knows, maybe the Masters will reveal everything to her once they officially disown you."

    "..."

    Yuan turned silent after hearing her words.

    And he spoke in a solemn voice, "If that happens, it is what is it."

    Meixiu shook her head and sighed, "I really don¡¯t understand you sometimes, Young Master¡ª Yuan. How hard would it really be for you to say ¡¯we¡¯re not blood-rted since I was adopted into the family¡¯?"

    "You won¡¯t understand it even if I told you, Meixiu. The fear of being ignored once someone realizes that you¡¯re not who they think you are." Yuan sighed.

    "I don¡¯t think the Young Lady is that kind of person. Even if you¡¯re not real siblings, she won¡¯t abandon you." Meixiu said.

    "I know she¡¯s not, and she most likely won¡¯t abandon me, but I still fear that minuscule possibility, and I can¡¯t shake off this feeling no matter how much I try. I... really don¡¯t want her to hate me for lying to her all these years."

    "I wouldn¡¯t consider that lying so neither should you. After all, everyone has a secret or two in their lives. Don¡¯t think too much about it." Meixiu shook her head.

    "If our parents don¡¯t tell her first, I¡¯ll tell her the truth once I recover from my condition somewhat," Yuan said.

    Meixiu looked at Yuan¡¯s still body for a moment before speaking, "Yuan... Do you really believe that you¡¯ll be able to recover fully?"

    Yuan chuckled at her words and said, "Of course not. However, there¡¯s no harm in hoping for the best."

    "I see..."

    "Anyway, you can go rest. I¡¯ll be on Cultivation Online tonight to see if I can bring you to the Eastern Continent." Yuan said.

    "I understand. Goodnight."

    "Goodnight."

    Once Yuan entered the game, Meixiu went to the bathroom to wash herself before going to sleep shortlyter.

    Inside the game, Yuan called for Feng Yuxiang and asked her, "Feng Feng, do you think you can bring someone from the Western Continent to the Eastern Continent?"

    "The Western Continent? I can. But why?"

    "I have a friend there, and I have some business with her. How long do you think it¡¯ll take to bring her here?"

    "It shouldn¡¯t take too long¡ª probably a few days, even less if we take the teleportation devices. Do you want me to bring your friend from the Western Continent here, Young Master?" Feng Yuxiang asked.

    Yuan nodded, and he said, "Yes, but before that, can you bring my sister, Yu Rou, to a ce called Red Pearl City? She¡¯s still in Phoenix City, and her permit expired."

    Feng Yuxiang nodded, "That won¡¯t be a problem. When do you want me to go?"

    "You can start making your way there now. I¡¯ll tell her to meet you there sometime tomorrow." Yuan said.

    "It¡¯s fine, I have memorized her aura, so I will be able to find her no matter where she is as long as she¡¯s within the city. However, it¡¯ll still be better to have a meeting point. How about the Golden Phoenix Bazaar where we first met?"

    "Okay. I¡¯ll tell her that."

    "Then I¡¯ll be back after I transport your sister. See youter, Young Master."

    "Thank you for your help, Feng Feng."

    "Don¡¯t even mention it, Young Master. It¡¯s my pleasure to assist you."

    Feng Yuxiang left the Dragon Essence Temple shortlyter and soared towards Phoenix City, shocking the sect elders and disciples within the sect with her fiery appearance.

    And shortly after Feng Yuxiang left, someone knocked on the door to Yuan¡¯s house.

    "Is this where Disciple Yuan lives?! You had an official match today, and you missed it! If you don¡¯t show up tomorrow, you¡¯ll be punished ording to the sect rules!"

    "What?" Yuan was shocked when he heard this. Where did this matche from? And who¡¯s he fighting?Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 240 Official Match

    After hearing the knock on the doors, Yuan went downstairs to see who was knocking on the door.

    Upon seeing the middle-aged man standing before him, Yuan asked, "Excuse me, but what do you mean by official match? I don¡¯t remember epting any matches."

    The sect elder standing outside then pulled out a logbook and pointed at his name that was written on one of the pages, "Is this not you?"

    Yuan looked at the logbook.

    "Outer Court Disciple Yuan versus Outer Court Disciple Wu Laohu."

    "That is indeed my name, but I don¡¯t recall agreeing to any matches." Yuan was baffled to see that unreasonable disciple¡¯s name next to his name.

    And he wondered, ¡¯How did he even learn my name? I don¡¯t remember giving it to him!¡¯

    Unbeknownst to Yuan, whenever a disciple challenges another disciple to a deathmatch, regardless if the challenge is epted or not, their names will be recorded in a jade slip at the Dispute Hall so the sect elders can keep watch of them, and that¡¯s how Wu Laohu learned of his name.

    "I don¡¯t know your situation, Disciple Yuan, but it¡¯s an official match, and if you don¡¯t participate tomorrow, you¡¯ll be punished ording to the sect rules." The sect elder said, thinking to himself that Yuan must be backing out after agreeing to fight Wu Laohu.

    "Is there no way to cancel the match?" Yuan asked, as he really didn¡¯t feel like fighting without any reason.

    The sect elder shook his head and said, "After your name is written in the logbook and a sect elder stamps it, you must participate in the fight no matter what. However, if both you and Wu Laohu agree to end the match, we can stop it."

    ¡¯Haaaa... I doubt that person will agree to stop the fight, especially since he was the one who started it.¡¯ Yuan sighed inwardly.

    Xiao Hua¡¯s voice suddenly resounded inside his head, "Brother Yuan, just ept the challenge and fight him. That disciple is the type of people who won¡¯t give up until the bitter end, so it¡¯s better to just give him what he wants. You¡¯ll take care of him easily, anyways."

    ¡¯Since I have no choice but to fight him, I guess so...¡¯

    Yuan then nodded, "I understand. I¡¯ll show up for the match tomorrow."

    "Good. The match will begin at the peak of sunrise tomorrow morning." The sect elder said to him before leaving.

    After returning to his room, Xiao Hua appeared and said, "Brother Yuan, there will be times when you must step onto the stage and fight even if there are no good reasons for it. That¡¯s just the cultivation world. You fight and fight and fight until nobody dares to fight you anymore."

    "If you don¡¯t ept these challenges, people will think you¡¯re a pushover and continue pressuring and bullying you. That¡¯s why the best thing to do is to just fight them."

    "Hmm..." Yuanid on the bed and stared at the empty ceiling with a dazed look on his face.

    "Thank you, Xiao Hua. I think I know what to do tomorrow." Yuan nodded.

    "I¡¯ll see you tomorrow morning, Xiao Hua. I just logged on to speak with Feng Feng for a bit."

    "Okay. Goodnight, Brother Yuan."

    After Xiao Hua returned to the ne, Yuan logged off and proceeded to cultivate until morning.

    "Good morning, Yuan." Meixiu entered his room early in the morning already with breakfast prepared.

    "Good morning, Meixiu."

    Sometimeter, Meixiu began feeding Yuan soup.

    "What do you think? Does it suit your taste?" Meixiu asked.

    "Yes."

    For more, visit lightn///ovelpub[/.

    After breakfast, Yuan said, "By the way, Meixiu, I have a way to get you to the Eastern Continent in just a few days. I¡¯ll let you know when it happens."

    "I understand."

    After cleaning up, Meixiu said, "The Young Lady should be here in half an hour."

    "I have something to take care of in Cultivation Online so I won¡¯t be able to greet her when she arrives," Yuan said.

    "I understand. I¡¯ll notify the Young Lady."

    Sometimeter, Yuan went into Cultivation Online whilst Meixiu waited for Yu Rou¡¯s arrival.

    Once Yuan returned to his room in the Dragon Essence Temple, he left the house and made his way to the sparring area where matches between disciples are held almost every day whether it be deathmatches or just casual sparring.

    About twenty minutester, Yuan arrived at the area, and to his surprise, there was already arge crowd there with all of them surrounding arge tform.

    "I heard Mad Tiger¡¯s opponent was too scared to show up yesterday?"

    "That¡¯s right. We waited for the entire day and the bastard never showed up despite agreeing to this fight! What a spineless coward!"

    "Then how do we know he¡¯ll be showing up today?"

    "Apparently one of the sect elders spoke with himst night and confirmed that he will be showing up today."

    "I see..."

    While the disciples made fun of Yuan for not showing up yesterday, Yuan approached the stage that had two people on it¡ª Wu Laohu and a sect elder.

    "Look who decided to finally show up?! Did you finally stop shitting your pants?!" Wu Laohuughed out loud when he noticed Yuan¡¯s approaching figure.

    The disciples there quickly turned to look at Yuan¡¯s handsome face, even making a path for him so he could enter the stage.

    A few momentster, Yuan stepped onto therge stage and stood a couple of meters away from Wu Laohu.

    "Where were you yesterday?" The sect elder looked at Yuan with a frown on his face.

    "I didn¡¯t know I had a match yesterday because I never agreed to fight him," Yuan responded in a calm voice.

    The sect elder coldly snorted at his words and said, "Bullshit. I personally witnessed you agreeing to the fight, yet you dare im that it never happened? I didn¡¯t know you were this shameless."

    Yuan frowned at the sect elder¡¯s words. Was he involved in this scandal as well?R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only

 Chapter 241 Im Gonna Make an Example Out of You!

    "Disciple Yuan, right? I can still forgive you for your audacious behavior if you kowtow before me and beg for forgiveness." Wu Laohuughed out loud in a provocative manner.

    However, Yuan remained calm and said, "If you fight every person that you bump into, you¡¯ll eventually bump into the wrong person and regret it."

    Yuan¡¯s words wiped the smile off Wu Laohu¡¯s face, and Wu Laohu sneered, "I changed my mind. Even if you beg for forgiveness, it¡¯s already toote. I¡¯m going to beat you until even your mother won¡¯t recognize you!"

    "Elder Cheng, you can start the match!"

    Elder Cheng nodded and said, "The rules for this match are simple¡ª you fight until either one of you faints!"

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    The disciples were shocked when they heard the rules. Normally, one can end the fight by surrendering or leaving the stage, but ording to Elder Cheng¡¯s words, they only lose when one of them loses consciousness! Isn¡¯t this basically a death match but without the death part?

    "What? I have never seen such rules before! Did Elder Cheng and Mad Tiger n this fight? I have heard rumors of it happening before as well!"

    "Shhh! Don¡¯t let them hear you or you¡¯ll be on the stage next!"

    Yuan¡¯s eyebrows twitched when he heard these disciples¡¯ whispers. Apparently, this isn¡¯t Wu Laohu¡¯s first time doing something like forcing another disciple to fight him.

    ¡¯Why am I not surprised?¡¯ Yuan sighed inwardly.

    For more, visit [.

    "This is the true nature of the cultivation world, Brother Yuan. People will do whatever they can to achieve their goals." Xiao Hua¡¯s voice resounded inside his head.

    Elder Cheng then continued, "Weapons are allowed in this match, but you are not allowed to use treasures! Furthermore, you are not allowed to kill each other!"

    Elder Cheng looked at Wu Laohu as he said thest sentence, almost like it was specifically meant for him!

    After all, even though he can help Wu Laohu rig a match, he won¡¯t be able to save him if he kills another disciple.

    Seeing Elder Cheng¡¯s gaze, Wu Laohu showed a smile that said, "Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t kill him."

    Elder Cheng nodded. He then turned to look at Yuan and said, "Are you ready to fight?"

    "I am," Yuan responded calmly.

    Wu Laohu retrieved an ordinary sword from his storage pouch and swung it around a few times with excitement in his movements.

    Meanwhile, Yuan simply stood there without moving a single finger. Since he couldn¡¯t use treasures, all of his weapons were restricted. With that being said, he never nned on using a weapon to begin with.

    "Does that disciple intend on fighting Mad Tiger without a weapon?! He¡¯s a madman!"

    The disciples were dumbfounded when they saw this, and they couldn¡¯t tell if it was arrogance or stupidity.

    Wu Laohu frowned when he saw this, thinking that Yuan was looking down on him.

    "Hmph! As if I need a weapon to best your ass! In fact, I can beat you even more without a weapon!" Wu Laohu tossed his sword back into the storage pouch a few secondster.

    Meanwhile, many meters in the distance, hidden from in sight, an old woman wearing high-ranking sect elder robes watched the match with a smile on her face.

    "The Sect Master told me to protect him, but he also told me to not interfere unless necessary. While I could have prevented this match from even happening in the first ce, that wouldn¡¯t be fair to Disciple Yuan who wanted to experience life as a disciple, right?"

    This olddy was a high-ranking sect elder who worked at the Dispute Hall. Even though she could¡¯ve stopped Wu Laohu and Elder Cheng from rigging this match, she purposefully allowed this match to continue so that Yuan could experience the true nature of the cultivation world and sects where unfairness is in every corner.

    While the Dragon Essence Temple tries its best to keep certain things fair for the disciples, they only keep it to a minimum as a way to teach the disciples thews of the jungle and prepare them for the outside world where everything is much worse.

    Once both disciples were ready, Elder Cheng left the stage and said, "You may now begin the match!"

    Immediately after Elder Cheng¡¯s words ended, Wu Laohu kicked his feet and rushed at Yuan with a bloodthirsty look on his face.

    "I¡¯m gonna make an example out of you and show the others what happens when you offend me, Mad Tiger Wu Laohu!"

    Once he was close enough, Wu Laohu began wing his hands at Yuan like a tiger relentlessly.

    "..."

    However, to the disciples¡¯ surprise, Yuan casually dodged every strike with a graceful movement technique they have never seen before.

    "What kind of movement technique is that?!"

    "I don¡¯t know, but look at his feet! You can see a trail of mes wherever he moves!"

    "I guess this disciple has some ability, after all!"

    The disciples were excited to see Yuan holding his own ground, but some of them still wanted to see a beatdown.

    "Is that all you can do?! Dodge?! Fight me!"

    Wu Laohu began getting irritated after a couple of minutes, feeling as though he was fighting an invisible enemy who he cannot hit.

    Yuan remained silent as he continued dodging Wu Laohu¡¯s strikes.

    A few more momentster, Yuan suddenly said, "I didn¡¯t want to fight, but you forced my hands."

    Suddenly, Yuan disappeared from Wu Laohu¡¯s view and distanced himself.

    "Where do you think you¡¯re going?!" Wu Laohu quickly turned around and chased after Yuan.

    However, before he could even take two steps, Wu Laohu suddenly stopped moving and stood there like a statue, puzzling the spectators.

    Meanwhile, Yuan stood there with a cold expression on his face, his eyes glowing brightly with a golden color as he activated Dragon¡¯s Gaze for the first time.

    "T-This is..."

    Wu Laohu¡¯s body trembled uncontrobly after seeing Yuan¡¯s golden eyes that emitted a feeling of absolute dominance.

    Under the effects of Dragon¡¯s Gaze, Wu Laohu suddenly felt as though the entire world had darkened and the passage of time had stopped, and the only thing he could see was these two glowing eyes in the distance that were threatening his very existence!

 Chapter 242 Thereâ€™s No Surrendering In This Match

    After activating Dragon¡¯s Gaze for the first time since he learned it, Yuan continued to stare at Wu Laohu like a predator staring at its prey.

    Since he could not use his treasures, nor did he intend on using any weapons, this was the only way he could deal with Wu Laohu without gravely injuring him.

    "W-What¡¯s happening to Mad Tiger? He suddenly stopped moving!"

    "Look at his face! It¡¯s twisted with fear for some reason!"

    "What?! How is that possible?!"

    The disciples and Elder Cheng there turned their heads to look at Yuan, and to their surprise, when they saw his golden eyes, their bodies trembled with profound fear despite not being targeted by the terrorizing gaze.

    ¡¯What kind of terrifying technique is that?! I have never experienced such fear in my life¡ª not even when I nearly died that one time!¡¯ Elder Cheng could feel his legs shaking uncontrobly, almost like there was an ongoing earthquake.

    While the disciples and Elder Cheng were quaking in their boots by the unfathomable aura emitted by the Dragon¡¯s Gaze, Wu Laohu, who was directly targeted by this gaze, felt a hundred times worse, almost as though he was staring at a divine beast at this moment.

    ¡¯What am I looking at? Why is everything so dark? Where am I? Who... am I?¡¯

    As though he¡¯d lost his mind, Wu Laohu began questioning his own existence.

    Shhhhh...

    Unbeknownst to Wu Laohu, he¡¯d pissed his pants, creating a yellow puddle underneath his feet and shocking the crowd. In fact, even after pissing his pants, Wu Laohu remained oblivious to that fact, as he was too fearful to notice anything.

    Furthermore, he didn¡¯t dare to look away from Yuan¡¯s threatening gaze even for a split second, as he feared that if he looked away, Yuan would immediately kill him.

    "You forced my hand."

    Yuan suddenly said, startling Wu Laohu.

    "W-What did you just say...?" Wu Laohu mumbled in a low voice.

    "I said... this is all your fault."

    BOOM!

    Yuan¡¯s aura suddenly exploded, and his eyes began glowing even more brightly!

    "Amazing! He¡¯s releasing an aura that¡¯s simr to Spirit Warriors but he¡¯s only at the peak of Spirit Apprentice!"

    The disciples were shocked by Yuan¡¯s sudden disy of prowess.

    Cough!

    Unable to bear Yuan¡¯s Dragon¡¯s Gaze any longer, Wu Laohu coughed up a mouthful of blood, staining the marble floor red. However, he didn¡¯t fall unconscious just yet and is barely holding on!

    "If you didn¡¯t provoke me, none of this would have happened. If you didn¡¯t force this match, I wouldn¡¯t need to do this." Yuan spoke in a calm voice as he began moving again, making his way towards Wu Laohu.

    "S-S-Stay away from me..." Wu Laohu spoke with a terrified voice, feeling a strong desire to turn around and run away, yet he remained standing there, rooted in fear.

    Before he realized it, Yuan was already standing in front of him like a towering giant!

    "P-Please... I-I forfeit! I surrender this match!" Wu Laohu shouted out loud, sounding like he was beginning for his life.

    However, Yuan calmly resounded, "Surrender? Did you forget? There¡¯s no surrendering in this match. It¡¯ll only end when one of us loses consciousness."

    The moment his sentence ended, Yuan increased the intensity of his Dragon¡¯s Gaze, pressuring Wu Laohu even more.

    Cough!

    Wu Laohu coughed up another mouthful of blood, feeling his vision bing blurry.

    "Perhaps... I should just kill you right here and right now so you will never be able to bother me again..." Yuan spoke in a cold voice, his eyes narrowing slightly.

    "W-What?!" Wu Laohu¡¯s eyes widened with shock, and he could feel bloodlusting from Yuan¡¯s gaze.

    ¡¯He¡¯s not bluffing! He¡¯ll really kill me!¡¯ Wu Laohu thought to himself.

    Unfortunately for Wu Laohu, due to the influence of Dragon¡¯s Gaze, he was in no condition to think logically, hence why he forgot about the sect rules regarding disciples killing another disciple.

    "Die!"

    Yuan activated Dragon¡¯s Gaze to almost full power, sending Wu Laohu into shock.

    "Ah!"

    Wu Laohu¡¯s eyes rolled behind his head with his body falling backward.

    Thud!

    Wu Laohu¡¯s body copsed onto the floor a momentter with foaming out of his mouth.

    "..."

    The entire ce turned dead silent when they realized what had just happened.

    "Mad Tiger lost consciousness! It¡¯s that disciple¡¯s win! He defeated the 3rd ranked Outer Court disciple without lifting a single finger!" One of the disciples there eximed after a moment of silence.

    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only

    After defeating Wu Laohu, Yuan closed his eyes and rubbed them for a few seconds. Once he reopened his eyes, they returned to normal.

    "This is my win, right?" Yuan turned to look at Elder Cheng and spoke.

    "Gulp!"

    Elder Cheng swallowed nervously as a chill went down his spine. Even though Yuan was no longer using Dragon¡¯s Gaze, Elder Cheng¡¯s body subconsciously reacted even to Yuan¡¯s gaze.

    ¡¯J-Just who is this Outer Court disciple?!¡¯ he cried inwardly.

    "Hahahahaha!"

    Suddenly, a burst of loudughter resounded in the area, causing everybody there to turn around, and to their surprise, an olddy was approaching the arena.

    "Who is that sect elder?"

    The Outer Court disciples there were unfamiliar with this olddy¡¯s appearance.

    However, Elder Cheng¡¯s eyes widened with shock when he saw this olddy, as there was no way he¡¯d not recognize the person he¡¯s working for¡ª his boss!

    "Senior E-Elder Dai!" Elder Cheng immediately bowed to her.

    Elder Dai stopped in front of Elder Cheng and spoke in a calm voice, "Elder Cheng, what¡¯s going on here?"

    "N-Nothing out of the ordinary, Senior Elder Dai. It¡¯s just two Outer Court disciples sparring with each other." Elder Cheng responded with a stiff smile on his face.

    "Oh? Is that so?" Elder Dai nodded with an oblivious look on her face, acting as if she didn¡¯t know any better.

    And she continued, "You may return to the Dispute Hall. I¡¯ll handle things from here."

    "You will?" Elder Cheng looked at her with a gawking expression. Why does she, a high-ranking sect elder, want to handle something like a match between two Outer Court disciples?

 Chapter 243 Becoming Famous in the Outer Court

    "Do I have to repeat myself?" The calm look on Elder Dai¡¯s face suddenly turned cold, causing Elder Cheng to tremble.

    "N-No! I will leave this to you, Senior Elder!" Elder Cheng bowed to Elder Dai again before leaving the area inrge strides.

    Once Elder Cheng was gone, Elder Dai looked at the Outer Court disciples and said, "Someone bring me a bucket of cold water. Now."

    Immediately after Elder Dai¡¯s words, most of the disciples there scrambled to get a bucket of cold water.

    While they waited for the water, Elder Dai looked at Yuan and asked him, "That was a marvelous disy of technique. However, why didn¡¯t you strike him? It would¡¯ve ended much sooner if you¡¯d just knocked him unconscious with your fists."

    After a moment of silence, Yuan spoke in a calm voice, "Because I was taught that intimidation works better than violence. Even if I¡¯d beaten him, I don¡¯t think he will give up, and he will eventuallye to bother me again."

    "Is that so?" Elder Dai nodded.

    "Anyways, congrattions on defeating Wu Laohu who was ranked 3rd. Since you defeated him, you¡¯ll now rece his spot as third."

    Meanwhile, somewhere within the Outer Court, on the Outer Court disciple¡¯s Power Ranking, Wu Laohu¡¯s 3rd ce was reced by Yuan¡¯s name before being pushed down to the 4th ce, shocking the disciples that were there to witness this change.

    "Disciple Yuan? Who¡¯s this? I don¡¯t recognize this name! Where the heck did hee from?! Defeating that Mad Tiger is no easy feat!"

    For more, visit li/ghtnov/elpub[.

    A small uproar urred within the sect on that day with Yuan¡¯s name spreading like a wildfire.

    A few minutes after the disciples left to get a cold bucket of water, one of the disciples finally returned with arge bucket of cold water.

    "Here you go, Senior!" The disciple handed the cold bucket to Elder Dai, who immediately went onto the stage and dumped the entire cold bucket on Wu Laohu¡¯s unconscious body.

    Ssh!

    "Aaaaaah!"

    Wu Laohu woke up screaming as though he was just having a nightmare.

    "Where am I?!" He looked around with a dazed look on his wet face, clearly puzzled by his situation.

    However, when he saw Yuan¡¯s handsome figure standing not far away, Wu Laohu recalled everything that had happened and immediately ran away.

    "Ahhh! Monster! Get away from me! Help¡ª!"

    Before Wu Laohu could run very far, Elder Dai appeared in front of him and pped him in the face, causing him to fall on the floor again.

    "Looks like you¡¯re still quite healthy." Elder Dai said in a nonchnt voice, and she continued, "You¡¯re lucky this wasn¡¯t a deathmatch, young man. Come with me, I have a lot to say to you."

    Although he was puzzled, Wu Laohu nodded regardless.

    "Senior, I..."

    Yuan suddenly spoke, but Elder Dai shook her head and interrupted, "You don¡¯t have to tell me anything. I know what happened. They forced this match upon you even though you didn¡¯t ept it. Don¡¯t worry, I will punish them ording to the Sect Rules."

    Hearing Elder Dai¡¯s words, Yuan nodded and said, "Thank you."

    "Heavens! I was right! Wu Laohu and Elder Cheng actually conspired against this Disciple Yuan with this fixed match! What an unfair match!"

    "Hahaha! But they still lost in the end! How hrious!"

    Sometimeter, Yuan left the scene, and the other disciples also left shortlyter to spread the news of Wu Laohu¡¯s miserable loss.

    For more, visit l/ightnovelpub/[./

    "What? Disciple Yuan? This is the first time I¡¯ve heard of this disciple. Is he new?"

    "A new disciple defeated that Mad Tiger? He must be a genius!"

    "I heard he used some kind of eye technique that rendered Mad Tiger spineless with a single gaze! I wouldn¡¯t mess with this guy even if I had ten lives!"

    "I was there to witness his eye technique! Shit! I am still getting chills down my spine just thinking about it, and it felt like I was looking at a powerful beast!"

    Yuan¡¯s name spread across the Outer Court like wildfire, and within a single day, almost every disciple in the Outer Court had heard about his fight against Wu Laohu, bing famous.

    Meanwhile, in the Dispute Hall, Elder Cheng and Wu Laohu stood beside each other while they faced Elder Dai with nervous looks on their faces.

    "Elder Cheng, did you really think I didn¡¯t know about your actions? Not just today¡ª I have known about it since you rigged your first match." Elder Dai said in a calm voice, dumbfounding Elder Cheng.

    ¡¯Does this mean she doesn¡¯t intend on punishing me?¡¯ He wondered inwardly with a hopeful feeling.

    "Do you know why I didn¡¯t even bother to punish you?" Elder Dai then asked him.

    "N-No, I do not, Senior Elder." Elder Cheng quickly shook his head.

    "Because the cultivation world is never fair. Things like this happen on a daily basis throughout the world, not just the cultivation world, and I really couldn¡¯t care less about it since it doesn¡¯t really affect the sect." Elder Dai said, and she continued, "However, like most situations in the cultivation world, it¡¯s not about whether you¡¯re caught or not."

    Elder Dai narrowed her eyes and said in a cold voice, "It¡¯s about who you¡¯re doing it to."

    "If you¡¯d treated a nobody unfairly, who would care? Nobody would care even if the entire world knew. However, if you treated someone from the Legacy Family like how you treated Disciple Yuan today, what do you think would happen once word gets out?"

    Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    "Of course, I doubt anybody would be stupid enough to offend someone from the Legacy Family, but hypothetically, if you¡¯d done that, everybody would call you out for it."

    "Now returning back to the topic at hand. The main reason I will be punishing you two for your actions today is not because you were being unfair¡ª it¡¯s simply because you¡¯d picked the wrong person to offend." Elder Dai spoke in a calm manner.

    "Elder Cheng, you are no longer a disciple of the Dragon Essence Temple as of this moment. As for Wu Laohu, you¡¯ll be punished with four years of confinement. If you have a problem with my decision, you may speak with the Sect Master. However, I highly advise you to just ept my punishment and not speak with the Sect Master, who will definitely make your lives much more miserable."

 Chapter 244 A Powerful Slap

    "Y-You¡¯re going to kick me out of the sect?" Elder Cheng stood there with disbelief on his face.

    "I-I have served this sect for over 50 years! How can you throw me away like trash for something like this?! If it¡¯s as you¡¯d said, that my actions don¡¯t affect the sect that much, why must you give me such a severe punishment, Senior Elder Dai?! Just who is that Outer Court disciple?!"

    "I don¡¯t really have anything else to say. If you want to challenge my decision, go ahead and speak with the Sect Master. However, don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you." Elder Dai said in a casual manner before waving her hands.

    "You may leave now. Ah, make sure you hand over your disciple identification token before you leave." Elder Dai said.

    "I will speak with the Sect Master! Even though I am wrong for what I did, I don¡¯t deserve such a punishment!" Elder Cheng mmed his disciple identification token on the desk before walking out.

    "What about you, Disciple Wu Laohu? Do you also want to challenge my decision?" Elder Dai turned to look at him.

    However, Wu Laohu shook his head and said, "I... I ept my punishment. No, please punish me."

    After the horror he¡¯d experienced today and the embarrassment he¡¯d shown, Wu Laohu would rather stay holed up in confinement for the next couple of years, hoping that the disciples would forget him by the time he reemerges, especially Yuan, who he prays to never run into again for the rest of his life.

    Meanwhile, Elder Cheng left the Dispute Hall to look for the Sect Master.

    "Hm? The Sect Master? He should be at the Carp Leaping Over Dragon¡¯s Gate Tower right now with the other Sect Masters." A fellow sect elder told Elder Cheng after being asked about Long Yijun.

    For more, visit li/ght/n/ovelpub[.

    "I see. Thank you."

    While Elder Cheng proceeded to make his way towards the tower, the disciples at the tower began whispering to each other after hearing about the fight between Wu Laohu and Yuan.

    "What? Wu Laohu was defeated by a new disciple? As if I¡¯d believe that!"

    "It¡¯s true! Look at the Power Ranking if you don¡¯t believe me! A disciple by the name of Yuan had taken his spot and pushed everyone else down a ce!"

    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    "What?!"

    Once a smallmotion urred in the ce, the news eventually reached the ears of Long Yijun and the others.

    ¡¯What? Disciple Yuan fought a match against Disciple Wu Laohu? Howe I¡¯m not aware of this until after the fight ended?¡¯ Long Yijun immediately frowned.

    Elder Xuan and the other high-ranking elders such as Elder Bai and Elder Xin turned to look at Long Yijun, as they were also clueless.

    "Wu Laohu? Isn¡¯t that the rumored Mad Tiger who climbed to 3rd ce after spending only 2 years in the sect? A new disciple defeated someone like him? This is interesting."

    The other sect masters there also had their interests piqued when they heard this news.

    "Sect Master Long, do you know this Disciple Yuan who defeated the Mad Tiger?" One of them even decided to ask him.

    "No... I have no idea." Long Yijun shook his head.

    "If even the Sect Master doesn¡¯t know of such a talented disciple, he must be fairly new to the sect! Hahaha! How lucky for the Dragon Essence Temple! Looks like you have picked up another rough gem!"

    The guests thereughed out loud.

    ¡¯You have no idea...¡¯ Elder Xuan smiled inwardly at their statement.

    Sometimeter, Elder Cheng arrived at the ce and approached the Long Yijun with a sweaty face.

    "S-Sect Master... This disciple would like to have a word with you..." Elder Cheng bowed to Long Yijun in a respectful manner.

    Long Yijun raised his eyebrows at Elder Cheng¡¯s unexpected approach.

    "Elder Cheng from the Dispute Hall, correct? What¡¯s the matter? Why are you sweating so much?" Long Yijun asked him with raised eyebrows.

    "T-This is..."

    Elder Cheng¡¯s legs trembled, feeling incredibly nervous at this moment, almost like there was someone suffocating him.

    "This disciple seeks justice!" Elder Cheng managed to speak his mind by shouting out loud, even crying afterward.

    This shocked the people there. What happened? Why does Elder Cheng look like a child running to his parents after being bullied?

    Seeing this, Long Yijun turned to look at the other Sect Masters and said, "Please excuse me for a moment."

    "Come with me." He then said to Elder Cheng before leaving the crowd to go somewhere more private.

    "What happened?" Long Yijun asked him.

    "T-This..."

    Elder Cheng proceeded to exin how he¡¯d wronged by forcing a match between two disciples and how Elder Dai wanted to punish him by throwing him out of the sect without mentioning Wu Laohu or Yuan¡¯s name.

    "What? Elder Dai said that?" Long Yijun couldn¡¯t help but be surprised after listening to Elder Cheng.

    Even if Elder Cheng had done exactly what he¡¯d said, kicking him out of the sect for something like this was truly an overkill, especially if he¡¯d worked at the sect for so many years.

    However, just as Long Yijun was prepared to show Elder Cheng some pity by lowering his sentence, he suddenly recalled what the others were talking about not long ago, which immediately caused him to frown.

    And in a low but cold voice, Long Yijun spoke, "Elder Cheng. Let me ask you something. What is the name of the disciple that you¡¯d forced to fight in a match?"

    "The name? I think his name was Yuan¡ª"

    Before Elder Cheng could even finish his sentence, Long Yijun roared with veins all over his forehead.

    "YOU FUCKING FOOL!"

    PAP!

    A powerful p suddenly flew across Elder Cheng¡¯s face, sending him flying high into the air and towards the crowd at the Carp Leaping Over Dragon¡¯s Gate Tower, greatly shocking them.

    "What the heck?!" One of the Sect Masters there fell from his seat in a startled manner before staring at Elder Cheng¡¯s unconscious body that had suddenly fallen from the sky andnded in front of him like a corpse!

 Chapter 245 Fake It Till You Make It

    Elder Cheng¡¯s unconscious body falling from the sky had shocked everybody at the Carp Leaping Over Dragon¡¯s Gate Tower, immediately causing a scene there.

    "E-Elder Cheng! What happened to you?!" Elder Xuan quickly went to check his pulses just to make sure he wasn¡¯t actually dead.

    After confirming that Elder Cheng was alive, Elder Xuan released a sigh of relief.

    "What happened? Where¡¯s Sect Master Long?" The other Sect Masters there wondered since Elder Cheng was seen following Long Yijun.

    And as though their words had summoned the demon, Long Yijun could be seen approaching them from a distance, but there was something different about himpared to when he left.

    When the Sect Masters and the other disciples there saw the rage on Long Yijun¡¯s face, they thought his parents had been murdered or something, causing their body to tremble uncontrobly.

    "Sect Master! What¡¯s the matter? Why are you so angry?" Elder Xuan quickly approached Long Yijun.

    "Hmph! Get this!"

    Long Yijun quickly exined the situation to Elder Xuan without letting the others hear it.

    "Elder Cheng did what?!"

    Elder Xuan shook his head in regret, and all of the pity and worry he had for Elder Cheng disappeared in less than a second after learning what Elder Cheng had done to Yuan.

    "Elder Bai!" Long Yijun suddenly called for Bai Ling, Disciplinary Hall¡¯s leader.

    "Yes."

    Elder Bai appeared beside him immediately.

    "Toss Elder Cheng into the Confinement Chamber until we¡¯re done here! I¡¯ll deal with himter!" Long Yijun spoke in a demanding tone.

    "Yes, Sect Master."

    Elder Bai did not question Long Yijun and immediately went to pick up Elder Cheng before carrying him away, and the people there watched with gawking expressions on their faces.

    "I apologize for the slight disturbance, fellow guests and disciples. Please, act as though nothing had happened just now." Long Yijun said to the people there with a smile on his face before walking back to his seat like nothing really happened just now, shocking the people even more.

    ¡¯What the heck just happened?! Who was that sect elder and what did he do to piss Sect Master Long so much?!¡¯

    ¡¯As if I could forget such a scene just because you told me to! I probably won¡¯t ever forget the look on Sect Master Long¡¯s face for the rest of my life!¡¯

    Although the people there were extremely curious about the situation that had just urred, nobody there actually dared to bring the topic up after seeing Long Yijun¡¯s fearsome demeanor just now¡ª not even the Sect Masters from the other sects.

    On the other hand, Long Yijun cursed inwardly, ¡¯Fuck! Why are there so many people trying to offend Disciple Yuan?! It¡¯s almost like they¡¯re purposefully trying to chase him out of the sect with their scandalous behaviors! If I have to kick out every sect elder to keep Disciple Yuan safe until the Mystic Realm, I¡¯ll freaking do it!¡¯

    "Sect Master, while what Elder Cheng did was wrong, you should also calm down." Elder Xuan suddenly said to him. "Don¡¯t forget that it¡¯s Disciple Yuan¡¯s desire to experience sect life as a normal disciple, and for normal disciples, they experience these kinds of unfairness every day."

    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    "..."

    Long Yijun became somewhat speechless after hearing Elder Xuan¡¯s words. How could he have overlooked such a thing? If they keep on protecting Yuan from these unfair situations, he will never experience life as an ordinary Outer Court disciple, nor will he understand their struggles.

    Therefore, unless it threatened Yuan¡¯s life, they shouldn¡¯t interfere with his life and let him deal with the problems by himself. Of course, once Yuan deals with the situation, they¡¯ll punish the offenders afterward.

    "Thank you for the reminder, Elder Xuan. I nearly robbed him of what made him want to join the Dragon Essence Temple in the first ce¡ª experience." Long Yijun sighed.

    At this moment, the 89th floor from the tower emitted a golden light, signaling that whoever was challenging the tower had managed to reach the 90th floor.

    Visit [. for a better experience

    "Hahaha! Look at this, Sect Master Long. We¡¯re only at our second challenger and he¡¯s already managed to climb all the way to the 90th floor! At this rate, someone will defeat all 100 floors and we¡¯ll still have half of our disciples left!" One of the guest Sect Mastersughed out loud.

    "Hmm? The 90th floor, huh? Not bad for someone who¡¯s supposed to be your sect¡¯s best disciple." Long Yijun responded in a casual manner, almost like he wasn¡¯t worried even in the slightest.

    "Hmph! Act tough all you want now! I can¡¯t wait to see the desperation on your face when you have to hand over the Dragon ying Saber!"

    Long Yijun smirked at such remarks and said, "Yes, I also cannot wait."

    Meanwhile, after defeating Wu Laohu, Yuan returned to his room andid on his bed, and he proceeded to stare at the empty ceiling with a dazed look on his face.

    "It was much harder than I¡¯d expected¡ª acting like I did during the match," Yuan sighed out loud.

    "Brother Yuan, what you did today is simply acting like a real ¡¯Cultivator¡¯." Xiao Hua said to him.

    "A real Cultivator? What¡¯s the difference?"

    "A real Cultivator won¡¯t let anything block their path¡ª they will walk straight no matter what stands in their way. If a mountain blocks your path, you destroy that mountain. If an ocean blocks your path, you split that ocean. If another Cultivator blocks your path, you trample on that Cultivator. That¡¯s how the most sessful and powerful Cultivators in this world behave, hence why they¡¯re called ¡¯real Cultivators¡¯." Xiao Hua exined to him.

    "That¡¯s... very aggressive and unreasonable... I don¡¯t know if I want to be someone like that." Yuan sighed.

    "Don¡¯t worry, Brother Yuan. You can be a true Cultivator even without being like that. As long as you know when and how to act like a true Cultivator, you¡¯ll be fine. If I recall correctly, there¡¯s this saying¡ª fake it till you make it... You simply need to fake that character and hope people believe it."

    "Hmmm..." Hearing Xiao Hua¡¯s words, Yuan turned silent to ponder again.

 Chapter 246 Picking Up Yu Rou

    "I think I understand what I should do. Thank you, Xiao Hua. You¡¯re always helping me. If only there¡¯s something I can do for you." Yuan said.

    "Xiao Hua is satisfied with just being around Brother Yuan." Xiao Hua quickly responded.

    Sometimeter, Yuan said, "I¡¯ll see youter, Xiao Hua."

    "Goodbye, Brother Yuan."

    Yuan logged off the game shortlyter.

    Once Yuan logged off, he could immediately feel two presence around him.

    "Sorry for making you wait, Yu Rou," Yuan said to her.

    "Don¡¯t worry about it. I just got here." Yu Rou responded.

    "By the way, I spoke with Feng Feng, Yu Rou. I told her about your situation, and she¡¯s currently heading to Phoenix City to pick you up. She also told you to wait for her at the Golden Phoenix Bazaar."

    "Wait. Today?" Yu Rou asked.

    "Yes."

    "Okay. Fortunately, I brought my console with me, so I can enter the game even though I am here." Yu Rou said.

    Yuan then continued, "As for Meixiu, after helping Yu Rou meet with Xia Jingyi, she wille to the Western Continent to help you next, but you need to let her know your location so that she knows where to go."

    "I understand, Yu¡ª Young Master," Meixiu said.

    Sometimeter, Yu Rou went into the 3rd bedroom to set up her console whilst Meixiu went into her own room, both of them entering Cultivation Online once they were prepared.

    While Yu Rou went to meet Feng Yuxiang and Meixiu wandered around to find her location, Yuan remained in the real world to cultivate. Currently, his priority was to raise his cultivation as fast as possible so that his body could recover faster, and he still had a few days until the Inner Court disciple examination.

    Meanwhile, after entering the game, Yu Rou began making her way towards the Golden Phoenix Bazaar.

    Many minutester, Yu Rou arrived at the Golden Phoenix Bazaar, and she proceeded to stand outside the street to wait for Feng Yuxiang.

    When the guards saw this, they tilted their heads. Normally, one can¡¯t loiter around the Golden Phoenix Bazaar even if they are outside the street. However, since Yu Rou was quite the eye candy, they didn¡¯t want to drive her away and allowed her to stay there so they could look at her beauty.

    For more, visit lightnovel/pub[.

    "Looks like she¡¯s waiting for somebody. Do you think it¡¯s her boyfriend?" One of the two guards there asked.

    "If it is, then that man is a damn fool," said the other guard, and he continued, "If she was my girl, I wouldn¡¯t make her wait so long. In fact, I¡¯d even be here before sunrise."

    "Do you want to go speak with her? Maybe you¡¯ll get lucky."

    "I don¡¯t know man. You think I should?"

    "I wouldn¡¯t be saying it if I didn¡¯t! Go get her!"

    The guard nodded, and just as he prepared to approach Yu Rou, a burst of mes appeared in the sky before descending directly outside the Golden Phoenix Bazaar, shocking the guards and everybody there.

    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    "T-That¡¯s Madam Feng! Madam Feng is back!"

    The guards were greatly shocked by her appearance, as Feng Yuxiang¡¯s whereabouts had been unknown for a while now!

    Many people could be seen running out of their stores in the Golden Phoenix Bazaar when they noticed Fang Yuxiang¡¯s aura, and they quickly approached Yu Rou and Feng Yuxiang.

    "Where have you been, Madam Feng?! The city¡¯s Lord has been worried sick ever since you disappeared!"

    "Madam Feng! Are you finally back at the Golden Phoenix Bazaar?!"

    "I¡¯ve missed you and your shop, Madam Feng! Pleasee back to us! The Golden Phoenix Bazaar is not the same without your presence! It feels empty!"

    Feng Yuxiang looked at the people swarming them with a nonchnt expression on her face, and she spoke a momentter, "I am busy with other things, so no, I won¡¯t be returning."

    "What?! What are you busy with, Madam Feng? Perhaps we can help you!"

    "Yeah! We¡¯ll do everything in our power to help you aplish your needs!"

    Hearing their words, Feng Yuxiang coldly snorted and said, "None of you can help me. Just forget about it. I won¡¯t return to the Golden Bazaar Phoenix no matter what you say."

    She then turned to look at Yu Rou and asked her, "Are you ready to leave?"

    "Yes."

    Feng Yuxiang then wrapped her arm around Yu Rou¡¯s waist before soaring towards the heavens.

    "Madam Feng~~~~! Pleasee back to us~~~!"

    Despite the desperate shouting from below, Feng Yuxiang ignored it and asked Yu Rou, "Red Pearl City, right? If we head to the Teleportation Device three cities away, we arrive at the destination in less than a day."

    "Thank you, Senior Feng." Yu Rou said to her.

    "You can call me by my nickname just like the Young Master." Feng Yuxiang said to her as she began flying away from Phoenix City.

    While Feng Yuxiang and Yu Rou made their way towards Red Pearl City, Meixiu wandered around the area until she could see city walls in the distance.

    Ding!

    [You have discovered Tang City]

    "Tang City, huh..."

    However, since Meixiu was not really interested in Cultivation Online, she logged off after learning the name of her location.

    "Yuan, are you awake?" Meixiu asked him after entering his room.

    "Yes, what¡¯s the matter?" Yuan stopped cultivating and responded.

    "I am in a ce called Tang City."

    "I see. I¡¯ll let Feng Feng know once she¡¯s finished helping Yu Rou."

    "I understand."

    "In the meantime, can you check my bank ount to see how much money is left in there? The information is..."

    After giving Meixiu his personal bank ount information, Meixiu used her phone to look at his bank bnce.

    A few momentster, she spoke in a low voice, "Yuan... there¡¯s no money in this bank ount. The bnce is literally zero."

    "W-What?!" Yuan eximed in a shocked voice.

    Where did his money go? He doesn¡¯t recall spending any of it, either!

 Chapter 247 A Year Ago

    ¡¯I don¡¯t have any money in my bank ount? How¡¯s that possible? I haven¡¯t touched it since I got it!¡¯ Yuan pondered for a moment before realizing something.

    However, before he could even say anything, Meixiu spoke, "The statement says the money, all 242,690 dors, had been transferred to another bank ountst year..."

    "Two hundred thousand? I guess I had more than just a couple of thousand inside. As for where the money went, I can only imagine that it was my parents who took them." Yuan sighed.

    And he continued, "Although I don¡¯t know how much I actually earned during my professional days, they really don¡¯t intend on leaving anything for me even though I earned it, huh? And if they¡¯d taken the money a year ago, that means they were already prepared to disown me at that time."

    "..."

    Meixiu was silent as she listened to Yuan¡¯s grumbling.

    If she recalls correctly, not even mentioning the money Yuan had won from majorpetitions, his parents would earn millions of dors every single time Yuan went on the stage to perform in front of an audience. In fact, therger performances easily earned them tens of millions of dors. It is safe to assume that Yuan was the Yu Family¡¯s golden goose, hence why his parents waited so long before officially abandoning him.

    Furthermore, Yuan would perform almost every other day, and if he was not performing for an audience, he would be participating inpetitions, and he did this for many years. One can safely assume that Yuan had earned the Yu Family hundreds of millions of dors if not billions when he was ying for them.

    However, despite everything he¡¯s done and given them, the Yu Family discarded him when they deemed him useless, and even worse, they were shameless enough to take what little he had left, leaving him with literally nothing.

    ¡¯Perhaps this is why they even adopted me in the first ce¡ª because they can dispose of me whenever they feel like it since I¡¯m not their real son.¡¯ Yuan sighed inwardly.

    "Anyway, since my parents have ess to that ount, I cannot use it anymore. I will need a new bank ount. But how do I open one?" Yuan asked a momentter.

    "We can ask the Young Lady once she¡¯s done with the game," Meixiu suggested.

    "Okay."

    Thus, Yuan returned to cultivating whilst Meixiu went to clean the house even though it was already pretty clean.

    Many hourster, Yu Rou finally arrived at Red Pearl City with Feng Yuxiang.

    "Thank you, Feng Feng." Yu Rou said to her as theynded in front of the city entrance, shocking the pedestrians and guards there.

    "Don¡¯t even mention it." Feng Yuxiang said, and she continued, "Anyway, I will return to the Young Master¡¯s side now. But before I leave..."

    Feng Yuxiang reached into her spatial ring and retrieved a small red pouch before handing it to Yu Rou.

    "Take this. If you¡¯re ever in danger, just use the life-saving treasures inside."

    "You don¡¯t have to..." Yu Rou hesitated to ept such precious treasures for free.

    "It¡¯s okay. The Young Master cares for you very much, and he will be sad if anything happens to you."

    After a moment of silence, Yu Rou reluctantly epted the treasures. "Thank you, Feng Feng. I¡¯ll definitely repay you in the future."

    Feng Yuxiang nodded before flying away, making her way back to the Dragon Essence Temple.

    ¡¯Young Master¡¯s sister... she doesn¡¯t share the same bloodline as the Young Master...¡¯ Feng Yuxiang thought to herself as she soared in the sky.

    After spending a few hours with Yu Rou, Feng Yuxiang couldn¡¯t help but probe Yu Rou¡¯s body with her spiritual energy, and to her surprise, she noticed that Yu Rou and Yuan belonged to a different bloodline!

    Even without tasting Yu Rou¡¯s blood, as a phoenix and a Divine Beast, she has the ability to examine one¡¯s bloodline just by being in close contact with them, and while she was curious about their real rtionship, Feng Yuxiang didn¡¯t dare to probe too deeply into their business.

    ¡¯No wonder why the Young Master is extremely talented whilst his sister is somewhatcking... So they weren¡¯t rted in the first ce...¡¯ Feng Yuxiang thought to herself.

    While Yuan¡¯s presence radiated with overwhelming talents, Yu Rou, on the other hand, was only above averagepared to the Cultivators of this world¡ª at least that¡¯s how she appeared in Feng Yuxiang¡¯s eyes, which didn¡¯t make sense at first. But if they were not real siblings, that exined their disparity.

    After arriving at Red Pearl City, Yu Rou logged off the game to let Xia Jingyi know.

    "Jingyi? I have arrived at Red Pearl City." Yu Rou said to her over the phone.

    "What? Already? That¡¯s super quick! How did you do it?" Xia Jingyi¡¯s surprised voice resounded shortlyter.

    "Let¡¯s just say I had a little assistance from a friend," Yu Rou chuckled.

    "Anyways, it¡¯s alreadyte, and we have school tomorrow, so let¡¯s y next weekend."

    "Okay!" Xia Jingyi quickly said.

    After hanging up the phone, Yu Rou went to knock on Yuan¡¯s door.

    "Brother Tian, I have arrived at my destination, and Feng Feng is returning to your side now," she said to him.

    "That¡¯s good," Yuan said.

    Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    "I¡¯m going to prepare your dinner now." Yu Rou said.

    "Wait for a second, Yu Rou. Before you go, I have something to tell you."

    "What¡¯s the matter?" Yu Rou asked.

    "Well... It¡¯s about my bank ount... It¡¯spletely empty." Yuan said in a sighing voice.

    "What?" Yu Rou stared at him with wide eyes.

    Yuan then exined the situation to her.

    After learning the situation, Yu Rou was greatly shocked, even disgusted by her parents¡¯ actions.

    "How could they do something like this, much less to their own son?! That¡¯s your money! Something you earned! They have no right to take it from you! And to think they did itst year! Completely shameless and disgusting!" Yu Rou eximed, immediately feeling enraged.

 Chapter 248 Real-world Trading

    "It¡¯s okay, Yu Rou. Fortunately for us, your friend allowed me to stay here for free." Yuan said a momentter.

    "Even if that¡¯s the case, their actions are inexcusable! It¡¯s like they¡¯re doing everything they can to ruin your life! How can they do that to their own children?! That¡¯s despicable!" Yu Rou sighed.

    ¡¯Because I¡¯m not really their child...¡¯ Yuan sighed, feeling a strong urge to reveal everything to Yu Rou at this moment, but he¡¯d managed to resist such urges at the end.

    "Anyways, what should we do now? That bank ount is no longer safe, so I will need to put my money somewhere else." Yuan asked her a momentter.

    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only

    "I can open up a new ount for you tomorrow, brother. But until you have enough money, I will pay for your expenses," Yu Rou said.

    "Are you sure?"

    "Of course. How else are you going to pay for your food and other necessities? Although I¡¯m not rich, I have more than enough to help you." Yu Rou said.

    And she continued, "But you should really sell your in-game stuff as soon as possible, brother, as the value for gold in Cultivation Online has been decreasingtely since people are growing stronger, allowing them to grind gold at a faster rate, not to mention the number of new yers joining the game everyday. It¡¯s not really bad right now since the game is still fairly new and the rich people are buying as much gold as they can to upgrade their avatars, but every dor counts, especially when the family is no longer supporting you."

    "Hmm... How much are gold coins worth, anyway?" Yuan suddenly asked.

    "Let me check real quick..."

    Yu Rou proceeded to check on her phone.

    "ording to the most popr trading website right now, one gold is worth about 7 dors, so it dropped a few bucks since the Wealth Leaderboards came out."

    "Seven dors for a single gold coin? That¡¯s very profitable, no?" Yuan said in a surprised voice.

    If he has one million gold coins, that¡¯s about 7 million dors in the real world!

    "If you think about it, it¡¯s not easy to earn money in Cultivation Online, and it usually takes on average three to four hours for the average yer to earn a single gold coin. Of course, if you¡¯re a powerful Cultivator who can fight high-level monsters, you can make much more by selling their materials and monster cores, but not many people are at that level. Even the top yers just recently entered Spirit Warrior despite spending tens of millions of real-life money for Cultivation Online gold and treasures to boost their cultivations."

    "Speaking of cultivation, what level are you at right now?" Yu Rou suddenly asked.

    "Hm? Me? The peak of Spirit Warrior, about to enter Spirit Master." Yuan casually responded.

    "Peak Spirit Warrior?!?!" Yu Rou¡¯s jaw dropped after hearing his words.

    Yuan had managed to surpass the top yers by almost an entire realm without spending a single penny? That¡¯s simply too crazy! Too overwhelming! The difference was too vast! Even if the top yers spend hundreds of millions, they probably won¡¯t be able to reach Yuan¡¯s level!

    ¡¯If the world knew of Brother Tian¡¯s cultivation, they¡¯d probably go crazy¡ª even more than currently...¡¯ Yu Rou thought to herself.

    "S-Since you¡¯re this powerful, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem for you to earn gold in Cultivation Online. However, there is something even more precious than gold, and that is raw materials and treasures." Yu Rou then said.

    And she continued, "Let¡¯s say you have a million gold and a treasure worth one million gold. If you sold the gold coins, you¡¯ll only get 7 million. However, if you sell the treasure, people will definitely pay more¡ª at least 30 percent more. After all, treasures are more unique than gold, so it¡¯s always better to sell resources and treasures."

    "How much would a Divine-grade treasure sell for?" Yuan suddenly asked.

    "Eh? Divine-grade? Do you intend on selling a treasure at that grade?" Yu Rou looked at him with a surprised expression.

    "Yes. I obtained this Divine-grade zither after winning thepetition, but I don¡¯t really need it, as I already have another zither." Yuan said.

    "A Divine-grade instrument... The families with a music background will go crazy for that. But I¡¯m not sure about the price since nobody has sold anything even close to this grade before..."

    "What¡¯s the most expensive item that has been sold thus far? Xiao Hua sold a Heaven-grade with peak quality to an auction house for over 30 million gold coins before." Yuan said.

    "T-Thirty million gold coins? That must be when you unlocked the Wealth Leaderboards. If you¡¯d sold that in the market, you¡¯d have earned at least 300 million dors!" Yu Rou eximed.

    "Well, yeah, but I don¡¯t really consider that my money since it was Xiao Hua¡¯s treasure that was sold," Yuan said.

    "If you sell the Divine-grade zither, you can easily get half a billion dors, Brother Tian! That¡¯s more than enough to support yourself for many years! Are you going to sell it?" Yu Rou asked him.

    "Yes. I n on selling it. But how do I go about selling something so precious?"

    "Indeed, you cannot sell something that precious in an ordinary market. However, I know just the ce for expensive treasures¡ª the auction house!" Yu Rou said.

    "You can ce the zither in an online auction house with a minimum starting price and the highest bidder gets to buy it."

    "How will the trade work? Do I give them the treasure before or after they pay? Either way, this doesn¡¯t seem safe." Yuan said.

    After all, what if the buyer just logs off the game after receiving the item without paying? How can you chase the scammer, much less get your items back? Wait for them to log back on and kill them?

    "Don¡¯t worry, brother. Although it¡¯s not perfect, there¡¯s a system in ce for that." Yu Rou said, and she proceeded to exin to him about the system in more detail.

 Chapter 249 Officially Disowned

    "Let me exin to you how the online auction house works." Yu Rou said, and she proceeded to exin.

    "First, a seller will list the item in the auction house, and if the item exceeds a certain price threshold, a staff member from the website must verify the item before the treasure is allowed to be auctioned."

    "Once the treasure is verified in-game by a staff member and the auction begins, verified ounts will be allowed to bid on the item."

    "At the end of the auction, the yer with the highest bid will deposit the money on the website which cannot be touched until the transaction ispleted or canceled."

    "Once the staff member confirms the money is there, the seller will meet a staff member in-game and hand the treasure to the staff member."

    "After the website confirms that the treasure is indeed the real thing, they will proceed to transfer the money to the seller¡¯s bank ount before handing the treasure to the buyer,pleting the transaction."

    "I know there are some obvious ws with this system, such as the staff member working together with others to scam the seller or vice versa, but that hasn¡¯t happened yet, and the website itself is very popr and reliable with millions of dors in transaction every day, so I doubt they would risk their reputation over a treasure. In fact, even the government is watching them closely, so they won¡¯t do anything stupid."

    "I see... Then let¡¯s do that." Yuan said.

    "Okay. I¡¯ll create an anonymous ount for you when I get hometer." Yu Rou said.

    "Thank you."

    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    Sometimeter, Yu Rou went to cook dinner whilst Meixiu assisted her.

    After feeding Yuan, Yu Rou went back home to create an ount for Yuan.

    "Let¡¯s see... Register a new ount..."

    "Anonymous..."

    "Seller..."

    "Current location... Eastern Continent..."

    "Complete."

    After spending a few minutes on the website, Yu Rou created an anonymous ount for Yuan, so that people won¡¯t see his yer name when he sells things in the auction house. Of course, it would be better for one to show their name, especially if they¡¯re a top yer, as that would give them more credibility.

    "Good. Now I just need to wait until Meixiu meets with Brother Tian so that we can begin earning some money." Yu Rou chuckled.

    If Yuan seriously wanted to earn money through real-world trading, he could easily be one of the richest yers in this world with the stuff he currently has. However, knowing her brother, he probably doesn¡¯t care much about fame or wealth.

    Just as Yu Rou prepared to enter her bed to sleep, her phone began ringing.

    A frown appeared on Yu Rou¡¯s face when she saw the caller, but she picked it up regardless.

    "Hello, mother."

    "I¡¯m tired of waiting. What¡¯s his decision?" Tang Lee spoke in a cold voice.

    "Brother... I tried to convince him, but he refuses to y the instruments again..." Yu Rou responded in a nervous voice.

    "Damn! That fucking useless piece of shit! How dare he defy us after all that we¡¯ve done for him?! If it weren¡¯t for us, he would have remained as a nobody! If it weren¡¯t for us, he wouldn¡¯t have survived this long in his condition! Good! If this is his decision, then he can get the hell out of my family! I doubt he¡¯ll even survive a week in that condition without our support!"

    "..."

    Hearing her mother¡¯s enraged voice and insults towards Yuan, Yu Rou¡¯s body trembled in anger, and she tightly gritted her teeth, resisting her urges to curse Tang Lee out loud.

    "Furthermore, I forbid you from meeting him from now on! He¡¯s officially disowned! Therefore, he¡¯s no different than a stranger now!" Tang Lee suddenly said.

    "What?! T-That¡¯s unreasonable, mother!" Yu Rou immediately said in a panicked voice, her voice even cracking a bit from shock.

    "Shut up! As long as you¡¯re part of this family, you will listen to us! Unless you want to follow in your brother¡¯s footsteps and leave the family, don¡¯t you dare talk back to your parents! Do you understand me?!"

    "I..."

    Yu Rou wanted to rebel at that moment and follow Yuan¡¯s decision by leaving the family. However, she ultimately resisted her impulses. After all, even if she cannot see Yuan anymore, she can still help him from the shadows. However, if she left the family, she will no longer be able to help Yuan in case of emergencies.

    Furthermore, she¡¯s still a minor who has to attend school. It was unrealistic and irresponsible for someone like her to suddenly leave the family.

    "Well?! I don¡¯t think I heard your answer, Yu Rou!" Tang Lee¡¯s voice resounded again.

    "I understand, mother... I will no longer see Brother Tian..." Yu Rou responded in a pained voice, as she never thought that she would one day utter such words.

    "I don¡¯t want to hear that useless thing¡¯s name anymore, either!"

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    Sometimeter, Tang Lee closed the connection.

    "..."

    After hanging up, Yu Rou tossed her phone on the bed before burying her face in the pillow and bawling her eyes out until she cried herself to sleep a few hourster, soaking the pillow with her tears.

    Early in the morning, Yu Rou woke up before sunrise as usual. Since she has been waking up at the same time almost every day for the past few years to take care of Yuan, her body would instinctively wake up.

    However, after remembering that Yuan was no longer part of the family, Yu Rou closed her eyes and went back to sleep, but to nobody¡¯s surprise, she was unable to go back to sleep.

    "I¡¯m sorry, brother, for being so powerless..." she mumbled in a dispirited voice.

    Once it was time for school, despite having no motivation or energy to leave the bed, Yu Rou struggled with herself until she was in the car.

    Sometimeter, Yu Rou went to pick up Meixiu at the apartment.

    "Did something happen, Young Lady? Your eyes are red, and you look exhausted... Did you not sleepst night?" Meixiu asked her in a worried tone after seeing her messy appearance.

    "I¡¯ll exin everythingter..." Yu Rou sighed.

 Chapter 250 Desperation and Passion

    After struggling to pay attention and stay awake in her sses, Yu Rou managed to endure until lunchtime.

    "Sister Rou, did something happen to you? I noticed that you were dozing off during ss. This is unprecedented..." Xia Jingyi asked her after they sat down for lunch.

    "It¡¯s a long story..." Yu Rou sighed.

    "If you don¡¯t want to say it..."

    "No, I¡¯ll tell you, since you¡¯re somewhat rted now." Yu Rou said, and she proceeded to exin to them what had happened yesterday and how her mother forbade her from seeing Yuan.

    Cough! Cough!

    "What?!" Xia Jingyi almost choked on her drink after listening to Yu Rou, and she mmed the desk in anger.

    "How can she do that to you and your brother¡ª her own children?! I have never seen such despicable people before! Ah... I¡¯m sorry for yelling at your parents, Sister Rou, but I just can¡¯t remain calm after hearing what they did..." Xia Jingyi said.

    "Don¡¯t worry about it, Xia Jingyi. I also feel that what my parents did is unforgivable! However, there¡¯s nothing I can do, and it¡¯s not like I could just leave the family. If I was even half as talented as Brother Tian, perhaps I would have some saying in the family, but s, that¡¯s not the case." Yu Rou sighed.

    While it¡¯s true that Yuan could support both of them if he begins real-world trading, there are things in this world that cannot be solved even with money. Furthermore, she doesn¡¯t intend on letting Yuan take care of her forever. If anything, it should be the other way around¡ª she should be taking care of him! However, she can¡¯t do that if she leaves the family, and the biggest problem is that she¡¯s still a minor, whilst Yuan is considered an adult.

    "What are you going to do now, Sister Rou?" Xia Jingyi asked her a momentter.

    "I honestly don¡¯t know, but we can only continue with our ns and see how it goes. If things don¡¯t work out, we will think of something else." Yu Rou said.

    "If you need anything, just let me know, Sister Rou! I¡¯ll do my best to support you and your brother!" Xia Jingyi said.

    "Thank you, Jingyi." Yu Rou said to her with a sweet smile.

    "What should I do, Young Lady? If the Masters find out that I¡¯m helping the Young Master, there¡¯s a good chance they¡¯ll also force me to stop." Meixiu suddenly said.

    "You¡¯ll continue taking care of Brother Tian since there¡¯s nobody else we can trust right now. I¡¯ll try my best to keep your business a secret. If my parents find out... Once again, we¡¯ll think of something." Yu Rou said to her.

    "I understand, Young Lady." Meixiu nodded.

    Meanwhile, Yuan continued to cultivate in his room, reaching 3rd level Spirit Warrior an hour before Meixiu returned.

    "Young Master... I mean, Yuan, I have something news regarding the Young Lady." Meixiu said in a solemn voice.

    "Hm? Did something happen to Yu Rou?" Yuan asked in a worried voice.

    "Well..."

    After taking a deep breath, Meixiu exined to him the situation, how he¡¯s officially disowned and kicked out of the Yu Family and how they forbade Yu Rou from seeing him anymore.

    "Yu Rou can¡¯t see me anymore...?" Yuan mumbled in a dazed voice.

    After taking longer than necessary to understand the meaning behind such words, mostly because he was shocked, Yuan gritted his teeth in anger.

    "I don¡¯t care if they take away all of my possessions and money. I don¡¯t even care if they kick me out of the family. However, to think they¡¯d stoop as low as this...! They¡¯re clearly using Yu Rou to purposefully piss me off!"

    Yuan subconsciously tightened his hands to make a fist at this moment despite not feeling them, and his fingers trembled a bit, moving more than usual.

    "..."

    Due to her attentiveness, Meixiu did not miss this slight movement and nearly cried out loud of shock after seeing it.

    Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡¯I... I wasn¡¯t imagining things just now, right? Yuan... his fingers... it moved!¡¯ Meixiu cried inwardly, unsure how much of what she just witnessed was real or just her imagination.

    However, after rubbing her eyes and looking again, she couldn¡¯t see Yuan¡¯s fingers moving anymore.

    ¡¯Perhaps it really was just my imagination?¡¯ she wondered.

    "I swear... if they made Yu Rou cry just to get back at me!" Yuan said, experiencing an indescribable feeling of rage in his heart that felt simr to heartburn.

    Dub! Dub! Dub!

    Yuan could feel his heart racing, unaware of the me in his heart that was expandingrger and fiercer.

    Feeling a subtle but suffocating atmosphere suddenly appear in the room, Meixiu spoke in a nervous voice, "I... I am going to prepare dinner now."

    And she quickly escaped the room, immediately feeling better after leaving Yuan¡¯s room.

    ¡¯What was the feeling just now?¡¯ Meixiu wondered to herself as she wiped the cold sweats off her forehead.

    Meanwhile, Yuan tried his best to calm down, but s, it was much more difficult than he¡¯d expected.

    ¡¯I thought only the cultivation world would have such unreasonable people, but it appears that such people exist in this world as well, and they even used to be my own parents!¡¯ Yuan sighed inwardly after realizing this fact.

    Unfortunately, unlike Cultivation Online where he has many powerful supporters, he could only rely on Yu Rou and a few other people in this world. Furthermore, his movements are extremely limited, making it impossible for him to do anything about this situation.

    ¡¯If only I could move! If only I am not so useless in this world!¡¯ Yuan gritted his teeth in frustration.

    ¡¯The only thing I can do right now is to improve my cultivation!¡¯

    With this thought in mind, Yuan began cultivating again despite the unpleasant feeling in his heart that is desperation mixed with passion.

    A few momentster, a gentle breeze appeared in the room as Yuan¡¯s cultivation speed suddenly increased even more, but s, he was too focused to notice this change.

 Chapter 251 Soul Techniques

    After cooking dinner, Meixiu went back into Yuan¡¯s room to feed him. However, she was a little bit nervous to enter his room at first, fearing that ufortable atmosphere that still lingered in her body.

    Yuan stopped cultivating the moment he noticed Meixiu standing in front of his room.

    Sometimeter, Meixiu began feeding Yuan three bowls of soup.

    After Yuan gobbled down all three bowls of soup with ease, Meixiu gently wiped his lips with a wet towel.

    "Allow me to wipe your body now," said Meixiu in a somewhat shaky voice.

    "Okay."

    Meixiu proceeded to unbutton Yuan¡¯s customized pajamas and began wiping his body down with a warm wet towel.

    ¡¯His body... It¡¯s even more refined and muscr thanst time... Just how does his body work?¡¯ Meixiu wondered to herself as she wiped every nook and cranny of his body before moving to the lower areas.

    Meixiu swallowed nervously as she carefully wiped his lower body, trying her best to avoid another ident likest time.

    A few minutester, Meixiu buttoned his clothes back up before leaving the room to clean up.

    Meanwhile, Yuan returned to cultivating.

    After cleaning the dishes and taking a shower, Meixiu visited Yuan one more time before bed to see if he needed anything.

    "Goodnight, Meixiu."

    "Goodnight..."

    Once Meixiu went to sleep, Yuan began absorbing the spiritual energy in the area.

    ¡¯Is it because we¡¯re living in a higher ce that there¡¯s more spiritual energy here?¡¯ Yuan wondered to himself as he realized thatpared to his old home, the spiritual energy in this ce was more abundant.

    One hour... Two hours... Three hours...

    Time passed in a shing speed as Yuan deeply indulged himself in his cultivation, achieving another breakthrough and reaching 4th level Spirit Warrior.

    ¡¯At this rate, I¡¯ll catch up to my cultivation in Cultivation Online...¡¯ Yuan thought to himself.

    ¡¯Wait a second...¡¯

    Yuan suddenly came to a realization.

    ¡¯If I could use Divine Sense when I am only a Spirit Warrior in Cultivation Online, perhaps I¡¯ll also be able to Divine Sense in this world with my current cultivation?¡¯

    Yuan could feel his heartbeats quickening immediately after this thought.

    What if he can use Divine Sense to see again? This way, even if he cannot move, he can at least see his surroundings.

    With this thought in mind, Yuan immediately began trying to use Divine Sense.

    ¡¯Let¡¯s see... Divine Sense...¡¯

    Yuan tried to replicate the feeling he gets when he uses Divine Sense in Cultivation Online, but after trying for a couple of minutes without any results, Yuan gave up for the moment.

    ¡¯Why can¡¯t I use Divine Sense? Do I have to reach Spirit Master before I can use Divine Sense like Xiao Hua once said?¡¯ Yuan wondered to himself.

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    Just like how he couldn¡¯t immediately breakthrough to Spirit Warrior from Spirit Apprentice without enlightenment like he had in the game, perhaps he can¡¯t use Divine Sense until he¡¯s a Spirit Master either.

    ¡¯Or maybe I¡¯m just not used to Divine Sense enough to use it in the real world. I should practice in Cultivation Online after breakfast and try againter.¡¯

    Meixiu woke up early in the morning to prepare breakfast. After feeding Yuan, she went to school with Yu Rou whilst Yuan went into Cultivation Online to practice his Divine Sense.

    "Xiao Hua, are there any tricks to learning Divine Sense?" Yuan decided to ask the expert before doing anything.

    "Unfortunately, just like enlightenment, Divine Sense is something one naturally learns when they reach Spirit Master. Of course, there are geniuses who learn Divine Sense before that like Brother Yuan, these people are very rare." Xiao Hua said to him.

    "I see... Then is there any way to practice Divine Sense to make it stronger?" He then asked.

    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    "As long as you continue using it, you¡¯ll naturally improve. Though there are methods to training one¡¯s Divine Sense, and that is to cultivate Soul Techniques."

    "Soul Techniques? How are they any differentpared to normal cultivation techniques?"

    "As the name suggests, Soul Technique specifically trains one¡¯s spirit and soul. However, these techniques are very rare and even the lowest rank Soul Techniques can be worth more than Heaven-rank cultivation techniques."

    "What? They¡¯re that valuable?" Yuan was shocked to learn this.

    "Of course. While it¡¯s rtively easy for a Cultivator to train their physical bodies and their cultivation bases, training their soul is an entirely different matter, and without the proper technique, there¡¯s a high chance of damaging their soul¡ª a risk no sane Cultivator would dare to risk since a damaged soul usually means instant death with no chance of reincarnation." Xiao Rou said.

    And she continued, "Training one¡¯s soul is a very delicate matter that requires extreme care and attention, as a single mistake could cost even an Immortal their entire life."

    "Immortals and reincarnation? Do they really exist?" Yuan couldn¡¯t help but ask.

    "While Immortals are definitely very real, reincarnation, one the other hand... There has been no solid evidence it exists. However, many if not most Cultivators believe in reincarnation," said Xiao Hua.

    "I see... Thank you, Xiao Hua. I¡¯ll practice my Divine Sense the normal way since I don¡¯t have a Soul Technique and I don¡¯t feel like touching something that dangerous without more knowledge."

    "Xiao Hua will help Brother Yuan." Xiao Hua said, and she continued, "Sit down and activate your Divine Sense."

    Yuan nodded and followed her instructions.

    Once he was seated in the lotus position, he closed his eyes and activated his Divine Sense.

    "Now try to expand your Divine Sense until you can no longer expand it." Xiao Hua¡¯s voice resounded.

    A few momentster, Yuan expanded his Divine Sense until he reached his limit, feeling like someone trying to stretch their arms without moving.

    "Good. Now keep your Divine Sense like that until you can no longer endure it, Brother Yuan. This will improve your endurance and strength at the same time," Xiao Hua said to him like a lecturer.

 Chapter 252 A Bored Face

    Yuan followed Xiao Hua¡¯s instruction and kept his Divine Sense active and as far out as he could manage until he could no longer keep it up due to exhaustion.

    "Haa... haaa... It¡¯s really tiring trying to maintain Divine Sense; it¡¯s much more exhausting than using cultivation techniques." Yuan said afterward while panting.

    "That¡¯s obvious, Brother Yuan, since using Divine Sense requires more than just your spiritual energy, as it uses your mental strength as well. With that being said, Brother Yuan is only a Spirit Warrior whilst people normally unlock their Divine Sense as a Spirit Master. Compared to the others, Brother Yuan is already miles ahead."

    Yuan nodded his head and rested until he recovered his mental and spiritual energy before he began training his Divine Sense again, and he repeated this process for nearly the entire day.

    Just as Yuan prepared to log-off, Feng Yuxiang returned to the house.

    "I¡¯m back, Young Master!" Feng Yuxiang said, sounding like a family member after a long day at work.

    "Wee back, Feng Feng. Thank you for taking my sister to that location," Yuan said to her.

    "Don¡¯t even mention it, Young Master. It¡¯s my pleasure to help you. After all, as long as this contract stands, my everything belongs to you." Feng Yuxiang said with a smile on her face.

    And she continued, "What about your other friend who¡¯s in the Western Continent?"

    "Oh, right. Her name is Meixiu, and she¡¯s currently at Tang City in the Western Continent."

    "Tang City, right? Got it. What does she look like, Young Master? It¡¯ll make things much more convenient since I have never seen her before." Feng Yuxiang then asked.

    "Uhh... How does she look...?" Yuan was speechless, as he hasn¡¯t seen Meixiu¡¯s appearance since he lost his eyesight over a decade ago!

    Feng Yuxiang raised her eyebrows, and she spoke a momentter in a puzzled voice, "You don¡¯t know what your friend looks like, Young Master?"

    "W-Well... It¡¯s been a very long time since Ist saw her, after all." Yuan quickly thought of an excuse.

    "Oh, I see. Then what do you remember about her?" Feng Yuxiang then asked.

    "Hmm..."

    Yuan closed his eyes to think, recalling Meixiu¡¯s features when she was young.

    "She has this naturally bored-looking face, or more precisely, she always looks bored, almost like nothing in this world could entertain her. I think you¡¯ll immediately notice her since she really stands out." Yuan said as he recalled Meixiu¡¯s face.

    "I-I see..." Feng Yuxiang nodded with a somewhat dazed expression on her face, as she didn¡¯t expect such an awkward description.

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    "Ah, she will be at the city entrance waiting for you." Yuan suddenly said.

    "The entrance, right? I understand. I¡¯ll see you in a few days, Young Master. Stay safe." Feng Yuxiang said to him before turning around and leaving the house again.

    Whoosh!

    Tworge and majestic ming wings appeared behind Feng Yuxiang¡¯s back, and with a single p of her wings, Feng Yuxiang soared many miles into the distance.

    "See you tomorrow, Xiao Hua."

    "See youter, Brother Yuan."

    After logging off the game, Yuan immediately tried to use his Divine Sense, but s, there were no results.

    ¡¯I shouldn¡¯t expect immediate results. This could take days, even months before anything happens... However, no matter how long it takes, as long as there¡¯s a chance that I can see again...¡¯ Yuan motivated himself.

    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only

    Sometimeter, Meixiu returned home and began preparing dinner.

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    During dinner, Yuan said to her, "Meixiu, my friend Feng Feng is heading to the Western Continent right now, and she¡¯ll probably be there in a few days. If you have time, log into the game and see if she arrived yet."

    "What does this friend of yours look like?" Meixiu asked.

    "She¡¯s a really prettydy with long ck hair and brown eyes. She also wears red clothes that seem a little too small for her since it sticks to her skin." Yuan said as he recalled Feng Yuxiang¡¯s image in his head.

    "Sticks to her skin...?" Meixiu raised her eyebrows, thinking that this person must be wearing a tight dress or something to show off her body but Yuan is too oblivious to realize it.

    "I understand. I will check the game whenever I¡¯m avable." Meixiu then said.

    After dinner, Meixiu went to do her own things whilst Yuan tried activating his Divine Sense again.

    An hourter, Yuan gave up and went to cultivate instead.

    The following morning, after Meixiu finished feeding Yuan breakfast, he went into the game while Meixiu went to school.

    "Let¡¯s train my Divine Sense today as well!" Yuan sat down and quickly activated his Divine Sense with more determination than ever.

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    However, a few hours into his training, someone knocked on his door, forcing him to stop for the time being.

    "Who could it be?" Yuan wondered to himself as he went to open the door.

    Standing outside his doorsteps was a beautiful youngdy with a familiar-looking face.

    "Hello, Min Li. It¡¯s been a while." Yuan said to her.

    "Hello, Disciple Yuan. I hope I¡¯m not bothering you." Min Li greeted him back.

    "No, you¡¯re fine. Do you need something?" Yuan then asked.

    Min Li shook her head and said, "Nothing, really. I heard about what happened recently and how you defeated the 3rd strongest Outer Court disciple, taking his ce in the Power Ranking. Congrattions."

    "Although it wasn¡¯t my intention to fight him, thank you," Yuan said with a somewhat stiff smile.

    "Disciple Yuan, you may be a Spirit Warrior and with extreme talents that this world has never seen before, but I won¡¯t give up on trying to catch up to you!"

    Min Li said, and she suddenly released her aura, surprising Yuan.

    "You managed to breakthrough to Spirit Warrior? Congrattions!" Yuan congratted her in a sincere voice.

    "T-Thank you..." Min Li felt embarrassed by his words for some reason and began blushing in response.

    "A-Anyway, I¡¯m going to return to my training now. I¡¯ll talk to youter, Disciple Yuan."

    "Okay. See you." Yuan nodded.

    Min Li then turned around and walked away.

 Chapter 253 Inner Court Disciple Examination

    After Min Li left, Yuan went back inside his house and returned to training his Divine Sense.

    However, not even an hourter, he could hear the door being knocked on again.

    "Who is it this time?" Yuan mumbled as he went to open the door.

    "Are you Disciple Yuan?" A middle-aged woman wearing sect elder robes stood outside his door this time.

    "Yes, I am." Yuan nodded.

    "I am here to notify you that the Inner Court Disciple Examination will begin tomorrow morning, and you must be present at Jade Peak before sunrise or you¡¯ll automatically fail. Do you have any questions for me?"

    "Jade Peak before sunrise, right? I will be there. Thank you." Yuan said to the sect elder.

    The sect elder left the ce shortlyter.

    After leaving Yuan¡¯s ce, the sect elder sighed to herself, " This is my first time notifying a disciple in such a manner. What am I? Some kind of messenger? However, this is an order from a high-ranking elder, so I have no choice but to do it..."

    Yuan returned to his room afterward, and he mumbled, "Inner Court disciple, huh? I kind of want to experience life as an Outer Court disciple some more, but I don¡¯t really know if there¡¯s anything else I can do as an Outer Court disciple that an Inner Court disciple cannot do..."

    "Brother Yuan is an abnormal existence. Even though you have the title of an Outer Court disciple, you don¡¯t really get treated like one, and you¡¯re already too powerful to experience the struggle that other Outer Court disciples must endure." Xiao Hua said to him.

    "Is that so? But there¡¯s nothing I can do about that... What a pity..." Yuan sighed.

    "Once Brother Yuan travels to the upper heavens where there are more geniuses, you might be able to experience the struggle some people go through¡ª or not... since I highly doubt someone as talented as Brother Yuan would struggle in anything that¡¯s rted to cultivation..."

    "Anyways, I¡¯ll participate in this examination and be an Inner Court disciple tomorrow. For now, let¡¯s continue focusing on training my Divine Sense."

    Thus, Yuan returned to his training.

    Once the sun began setting, Yuan logged off the game and waited for Meixiu to return. Of course, he tried to activate his Divine Sense again but to no avail.

    After dinner, he said to her, "Meixiu, I¡¯m going to stay in the game tonight since there will be an event early tomorrow morning, and I don¡¯t want to wake you up earlier than you already do."

    "It¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t mind. Your health is more important to me. When do you need to enter the game?" Meixiu asked him.

    "Are you sure? I can just stay in the game. It¡¯s not my first time doing this, anyways. Of course, Yu Rou approved of this as well."

    "If the Young Lady also allowed it then..." Meixiu said, then she continued after a brief pause, "What about breakfast? You¡¯ll miss breakfast at this rate..."

    "It¡¯s only one meal, I¡¯ll be fine. Furthermore, I¡¯ll be in the game, so I won¡¯t really feel any hunger."

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    "I understand. Then goodnight, Yuan."

    "Goodnight."

    After Yuan went inside the game, Meixiu went to do her own things before falling asleep.

    Inside the game, Yuan proceeded to spend the entire night training his Divine Sense.

    "Brother Yuan, your Divine Sense¡¯s range has increased by almost a dozen meters since you began training. At this rate, it won¡¯t be long before you surpass me, Brother Yuan." Xiao Hua said.

    "You¡¯re exaggerating, Xiao Hua. It¡¯ll take me years before I can catch up to you..." Yuan sighed.

    Xiao Hua looked at Yuan and blinked her eyes in a dazed manner.

    If Yuan had managed to reach the peak of Spirit Warrior in just a few weeks as a mortal who has never cultivated before, one can only imagine what he could achieve in a few years! Perhaps he might even ascend to the highest heaven and stand at the peak of this universe!

    Xiao Hua suddenly turned to look at the window and said, "Brother Yuan, it¡¯s almost sunrise."

    "Oh, right! I almost forgot! Thank you for reminding me, Xiao Hua!"

    Once Xiao Hua entered the ne, Yuan made his way to the Jade Peak that was only a couple of minutes away if he ran.

    Meanwhile, at the Jade Peak, there were already over a hundred Outer Court disciples gathered there, all of them preparing to take the Inner Court Disciple Examination.

    And just minutes before the sun fully rises, Yuan arrives at the Jade Peak, being thest person there. With that being said, since almost everybody there arrived hours earlier in advance with some even having slept there through the night in fear of missing the examination, Yuan was destined to be thest to arrive.

    The other disciples there frowned when they saw Yuan arriving right before the deadline. In their eyes, it was because Yuan couldn¡¯t care enough about the examination, hence why he was acting so carefree.

    "Che! Why is someone like that participating in the examination? He¡¯s looking down on all of us with his carefree attitude!"

    "Right?! Look at his casual-looking face! It¡¯s like he¡¯s taking a stroll in a park or something!"

    "Forget about him. People like that won¡¯t make it through half of the examination. In other words, he won¡¯t be an Inner Court disciple."

    "Hmph! I have engraved his face into my soul! Just wait until I be an Inner Court disciple! I¡¯ll be sure to teach him a lesson or two about his behavior!"

    To these Outer Court disciples that have trained for years and endured countless trials to reach this point, bing an Inner Court disciple is something profoundly significant and honorable with the Inner Court Disciple Examination being the sacred path that will lead them to that position, and for someone to act so nonchnt in this sacred exam was a sphemy, even a p at their faces!

 Chapter 254 Increasing the Standards

    After arriving at the Jade Peak, Yuan could already feel an unpleasant atmosphere in the air when he noticed the other disciples staring at him with frowns on their faces.

    ¡¯They seem unhappy. Did something happen? Or are they just nervous about the examination?¡¯ Yuan wondered to himself,pletely oblivious that they were angry at him for being on time, as that waspletely unreasonable.

    And while the other disciples only mumbled to each other, one of them was actually brave enough to approach Yuan and said loudly, "Hey! You! What¡¯s your name?!"

    "Me? I¡¯m Yuan," he calmly responded.

    "Hm? Yuan? Why does that name sound so familiar?" The disciples there wondered when they heard Yuan¡¯s name.

    "Oh, shit! He¡¯s that Outer Court disciple who defeated the Mad Tiger recently!" One of them quickly realized and eximed in a surprised voice, shocking the other disciples.

    "What?! He¡¯s the new disciple who took Mad Tiger¡¯s 3rd ce in the Power Ranking?! No wonder why he dares to act so carefree in the Inner Court Disciple Examination!"

    The Outer disciples there immediately found Yuan¡¯s te¡¯ arrival to be more understanding now and felt less offended.

    "He¡¯s a new disciple who only recently joined the sect, right? Why is he participating in the Inner Court Disciple Examination already? Even the top geniuses in our sect usually wait half a year before they decide to be an Inner Court disciple."

    "Maybe he¡¯s just that confident. Who knows."

    "Even though he¡¯s defeated the Mad Tiger, you cannot be an Inner Court disciple with just raw strength, after all."

    While the disciples mumbled to each other, Yuan asked the disciple who spoke to him, "Do you need something from me?"

    "Uh... N-No... I just wanted to know the names of those who will be participating in the examination with me... I¡¯m sorry if I¡¯d bothered you... And good luck..." The disciple acted very humbly after realizing that he was standing before the one who was said to have defeated the Mad Tiger without lifting a finger.

    "I see. Good luck to you, too." Yuan nodded at the disciple who quickly turned around and walked back into the crowd.

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    A few seconds after Yuan gathered with the other disciples, the sect elder that went to Yuan¡¯s house to notify him of the examination appeared before them and said, "Hello, Outer Court disciples. I am Elder Tantai. Everybody here that is participating in the examination, follow me to the examination hall."

    Once Elder Tantai turned around and began walking, the disciples there followed her like a group of ducklings.

    Half an hourter, they arrived at the borders between the Outer Court and the Inner Court.

    "That is the Examination Hall; it¡¯s where onees out either as an Inner Court disciple or remains as an Outer Court disciple." Elder Tantai pointed at the massive stadium in the distance.

    A few minutester, they arrived at therge entrance to this ce.

    "Once we walk through these doors, whether you be an Inner Court disciple or not today, you will not enter these doors again for another year." Elder Tantai said.

    If they be an Inner Court disciple, even if they are a cultivation genius, it will take them more than one year to even qualify to take the examination to be a Core Disciple. As for those who fail to be an Inner Court disciple today, they will have to wait another year before they can try the examination again.

    Elder Tantai opened the door and walked inside.

    Sometimeter, they arrived inside the stadium that was shaped like a football field in the modern world; it was a vast and spacious one-mile long field inside with a couple of gates towards the end.

    Once they were at the center of this field, Elder Tantai said, "For the examination, you will have to pass three tests."

    And she continued, "For the first test, we will test your endurance by lighting an incense that has poisonous properties, and you must protect yourself with your spiritual energy until the incense ispletely burned. Don¡¯t worry if you¡¯re infected by the poison, as we have antidotes prepared."

    "For the second test, we will test yourbat prowess with a Training Puppet. Use your strongest and most experienced martial skill on it."

    "Lastly, we will have you fight against a real magical beast at the peak of Spirit Apprentice. Of course, you must defeat it in order to pass."

    "Does anyone have any questions before we begin?" Elder Tantai then asked.

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    "What kind of poison is it, Elder?" Someone raised his hands and asked.

    "Poison from a Weeping Serpent," said Elder Tantai without hesitation.

    "What?! The Weeping Serpent?!"

    The disciples were shocked when they heard this name, and some of them even began shaking in fear.

    Poison from a Weeping Serpent can kill anyone below Spirit Warrior within seconds, and most of the people there were only peak Spirit Apprentice with a few that just entered Spirit Warrior!

    What if they die before they even begin the second exam, much less be an Inner Court disciple?!

    Furthermore, while they expected this sort of test since it has happened before in previous examinations, the sect has never used such a strong poison for the examination before! This is a first!

    Seeing the fear on the disciples¡¯ faces, Elder Tantai said, "If you¡¯re too afraid of the poison, you may turn around and leave the Examination Hall. However, let me tell you, even if youe back next year, the poison won¡¯t get any weaker. In fact, it¡¯ll only grow stronger as time goes. The Dragon Essence Temple has decided to increase its standards for all disciples, after all."

    The disciples¡¯ eyes widened with shock when they heard this. The sect increased its standards? Why would they suddenly do that when the sect has remained the same for thousands of years? What caused this change?

    "You have ten seconds to decide whether you want to continue or not... Ten... Nine..."

    Elder Tantai suddenly started the countdown, making the disciples panic even more.

 Chapter 255 Special Training Puppet

    "Three... Two... One..."

    After ten seconds, to Elder Tantai¡¯s surprise, none of the disciples decided to leave the examination.

    "Now then, let¡¯s continue with the examination, shall we?"

    Elder Tantai ced a foot-long purple-colored incense stick into the ground and said, "I want everybody to sit around the incense stick."

    The disciples followed her instruction, and a few momentster, all 121 disciples sat around the incense stick.

    "The exam will officially begin once I light the incense stick. If you¡¯re poisoned, I will immediately apply the antidote, but you will automatically fail the examination."

    The disciples swallowed nervously, and they watched as Elder Tantai lit the incense stick.

    Once the incense stick was lit, purple smoke began to fill the area quickly, but Elder Tantai remained standing directly beside the poisonous incense stick without a care in the world.

    Meanwhile, the disciples quickly began releasing their spiritual energy, covering their body with it so that the poisonous smoke won¡¯t be able to touch them. Of course, it required tremendous effort and a lot of stamina to maintain this state, and the disciples could feel their spiritual energy depleting at a rapid rate.

    As for Yuan, since he was a peak Spirit Warrior, he had plenty of spiritual energy to spare, andpared to the other disciples, he only needed to expend some of his spiritual energy to block the poison since his spiritual energy was much more powerful.

    "Brother Yuan, you don¡¯t even need to use any spiritual energy to defend against poison at this level," Xiao Hua¡¯s voice suddenly resounded in his head.

    "Furthermore, with Brother Yuan¡¯s ability to resist poison, something that he¡¯d obtained from consuming the Demonic Spider¡¯s Monster Core, the Weeping Serpent¡¯s poison won¡¯t have any effect on you."

    ¡¯Really? Let me try it...¡¯

    Trusting Xiao Hua¡¯s words, Yuan stopped cultivating and covering his body with spiritual energy, allowing the purple smoke to engulf his body.

    ¡¯Xiao Hua¡¯s right. I don¡¯t feel any different.¡¯ Yuan was pleasantly surprised by this.

    However, when the sect elder saw this, she immediately retrieved a brown pill and tossed it at Yuan.

    "Eat it quickly or you¡¯ll die!" Elder Tantai thought Yuan had already exhausted his cultivation and was exposed to the poison.

    "Eh?" Yuan subconsciously caught the brown pill, but he didn¡¯t eat it and instead said to her, "But I¡¯m fine."

    "What?" Elder Tantai¡¯s eyes widened with surprise after hearing Yuan¡¯s word, and upon closer inspection, Yuan didn¡¯t appear to be struggling at all.

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    ¡¯What is going on?¡¯ she asked herself.

    Yuan was clearly exposed to the Weeping Serpent¡¯s poison, but for some reason, he waspletely fine.

    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡¯Does he have a unique physique that protects him from poison?¡¯ Elder Tantai could only think of this logical exnation to Yuan¡¯s situation. However, if that was the case, why didn¡¯t he do it early to save some spiritual energy?

    Elder Tantai decided to not think too deeply about this as long as Yuan was fine.

    "Keep the pill just in case you feel any symptoms. If you feel unpleasant or sick even the slightest at any moment, consume that pill immediately or you will really die," she then said to him.

    "I understand." Yuan nodded his head and proceeded to sit there with a calm atmosphere around him.

    "..."

    Despite listening to their puzzling conversation, the other disciples did not stop focusing on protecting themselves, fearing that if they lose focus for even a second that they might fail the exam.

    Fifteen minutester, the incense stick only burned halfway to the end, and over half of the disciples there were already soaked in sweat, looking like they could barely hold on.

    Elder Tantai took note of the disciples who she believes will fail soon and prepared the antidote in advance.

    A minuteter, the first disciple to exhaust his cultivation base before the entire incense stick burned, and Elder Tantai tossed the pill at him.

    The disciple did not hesitate to consume the pill, as he could feel his skin burning the second the smoke touched his body.

    After another couple of minutester, over a dozen disciples swallowed the same pill, failing the examination.

    The incense sticksted for exactly thirty minutes, and at the end of the test, fifty-one disciples failed the examination.

    "70 of you remaining, huh? Much better than I¡¯d expected, to be honest." Elder Tantai nodded her head in approval.

    "You have ten minutes to rest before we begin the next test." Elder Tantai said to them afterward.

    The disciples immediately sat down to cultivate and restore their spiritual energy.

    While the disciples rested, Elder Tantai prepared the next test by cing a Training Puppet in the middle of the field.

    Ten minutester, Elder Tantai pped her hands and spoke loudly, "You are done resting! If you continue, I will immediately fail you! Gather in front of me!"

    The disciples quickly stopped their cultivation and stood up after hearing Elder Tantai¡¯s words.

    A few momentster, all of the disciples gathered in front of Elder Tantai.

    "I will now exin the second test." Elder Tantai said as she pointed at the silver-colored training puppet that looked slightly differentpared to the ones in the Practice Area.

    "Some of you might have seen this before, but this is a special training puppet mostly used by Inner Court and Core disciples because they are more durable than the ones in the Outer Court, and they have a special feature that allows them to gauge how powerful their attacks are."

    As her sentence ended, Elder Tantai turned around and punched the training puppet.

    Boom!

    The impact sounded very powerful, but the training puppet only moved back a couple of meters.

    A few secondster, the training puppet began changing colors from silver to a dark yellow color.

    "The colors will determine how much damage it¡¯d sustained. There are three colors¡ª Green, yellow, and red. Green means nonlethal damage. Yellow is lethal. As for red, it means you can kill even a Spirit Warrior magical beast with that strike, and the darker the color the more damage they sustain. In order to pass this test, you must make the puppet turn yellow." Elder Tantai exined.

 Chapter 256 Exploded Into Many Pieces

    "Oh, one more thing. You are not allowed to use your own weapon in this test." Elder Tantai added, and she pointed to the weapon rack not far in the distance and continued, "Use one of those."

    "Are there any questions?"

    One of the disciples there raised his hand and said, "We can use any technique we want, right?"

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    Elder Tantai nodded, "That¡¯s right."

    Sometimeter, after the questions, Elder Tantai said, "If you wish to challenge the training puppet, step forward."

    A few seconds after Elder Tantai¡¯s words, a disciple at the peak Spirit Apprentice stepped forward and spoke loudly, "I will go first!"

    He then went to pick up a spear from the weapon rack beforeing back and approaching the training puppet.

    The disciple stood a few steps in front of the training puppet and took a moment to prepare himself.

    After taking a long and deep breath, the disciple raised his spear.

    Once the spear was raised perfectly parallel to the ground, the disciple held his breath for a second before thrusting it forward.

    Boom!

    The training puppet was sent flying backward, but it slowed down very quickly and stopped five meters away from its original spot.

    The disciple waited for the evaluation nervously, and a few secondster the training puppet turned from silver to green, then dark green, before finally settling at yellow.

    "You passed." Elder Tantai said.

    "Yes!" The disciple shouted in excitement before returning the spear in the weapons rack.

    A few minutester, another disciple stood before the training puppet that had returned to its original spot with a different weapon in his hand¡ª a sword.

    "Haaaa.... Ha!"

    The disciple shed the sword in his hand, creating a powerful strike that made the training puppet fall to its knees.

    Once it stood up again, the colors began changing.

    Light green... dark green... light yellow...

    "You passed." Elder Tantai said once the color stopped at light yellow.

    The next disciple went, but he didn¡¯t pick up a weapon and stood before the training puppet with his bare fists.

    "Mountain Shattering Fist Strike!"

    The disciple threw a punch with immense force at the training puppet, sending it flying many meters away.

    After falling down a dozen meters away, the training puppet got back up and slowly walked back to its original spot while changing colors as it walked.

    Dark green... light yellow... dark yellow...

    "Not bad." Elder Tantai nodded her head when she saw this, and she continued, "You pass."

    "Thank you, Elder." The disciple bowed to her before standing with the other two who had passed before him.

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    The disciples continued to challenge the training puppet one by one, and in less than an hour, over half of the disciples used their turn.

    "Light yellow¡ª pass."

    "Light yellow¡ª pass."

    "Dark green¡ª fail."

    "Dark green¡ª fail."

    "Light Yellow¡ª pass."

    Out of the thirty-something disciples that challenged the training puppet, only two-thirds of them had managed to pass the test by scoring a yellow color. However, nobody there has managed to make the training puppet turn red.

    A few more triester, a disciple with a first-level Spirit Warrior cultivation base has finally managed to hit the training puppet hard enough for it to turn light red.

    "Heavens! What a powerful martial skill! I could feel the impact even from here! I don¡¯t even dare to imagine what it must feel like to get struck by such a powerful blow!"

    The disciples were shocked by this young man who was wielding a greatsword in his hands.

    "I recognize that martial skill! It¡¯s the ¡¯Relentless Force¡¯, an Earth-rank martial skill!"

    "No wonder why it was so powerful! To think he¡¯d trained an Earth-rank technique to such a high level! What astounding talents and disy!"

    Elder Tantai pped afterward, and she spoke in a praising voice, "Great! It¡¯s been a while since a disciple has managed to hit a red color during the examination. In fact, thest time someone managed to hit red was almost a year ago."

    "Thank you, Elder, for your praises!"

    Sometimeter, once everyone else went, it was only Yuan who hadn¡¯t gone.

    "That¡¯s Disciple Yuan who defeated the Mad Tiger. What color do you think he¡¯ll achieve?" The disciples immediately started mumbling to each other while Yuan went to the weapons rack to pick his weapon.

    "Who knows, really. During his match with the Mad Tiger, he didn¡¯t lift even a finger and used some mysterious technique to take down the Mad Tiger."

    "I have a feeling he¡¯ll hit a dark yellow, maybe even light red."

    "I think it¡¯ll only be light yellow."

    A few momentster, Yuan returned to the training puppet with a sword in his hand, and the other disciples stopped talking to watch with intensive gazes.

    ¡¯Hmm... What technique should I use?¡¯ Yuan thought to himself.

    While the Heaven Splitting Sword Strike is his most powerful technique avable, he didn¡¯t want to destroy this ce. As for his next strongest sword technique, Demon Sealing Technique, it was out of the question since he has never used it before. Therefore, he could only use the Bloody Sword Strike, his most used technique.

    After taking an offensive stance, Yuan took a deep breath.

    Once he released his breath, the sword in his hand began glowing bright red, and Yuan swung the sword with all of his might.

    Boom!

    Yuan¡¯s aura exploded with a tyrannical feeling, and a red arc of light appeared in the air as the sword connected with the training puppet¡¯s neck.

    Cling!

    To Yuan¡¯s surprise, the de to the sword in his hand exploded into many pieces after Yuan struck the training puppet.

    However, that was not the only thing to break during his strike, as the training puppet¡¯s head was cleanly sliced off from its body like it had been executed.

    "WHAT?!" Elder Tantai shouted in a shocked voice when she saw this, as this is her first time seeing someone destroy a training puppet in such a manner.

    As for the other disciples, their eyes were wide as saucers with their jaws dropped to the ground, looking like they¡¯d just witnessed something impossible.

 Chapter 257 Powerful Magical Beast

    "What in the name of heavens just happened?! Am I imagining things or did he just decapitate the special training puppet that even Spirit Warriors cannot destroy?!"

    One of the disciples there mumbled in a dazed voice as he stared at the silver head that had rolled a few meters away after being detached from its body.

    Meanwhile, the training puppet that Yuan had decapitated continued to function, turning colors.

    Light green, dark green, light yellow, dark yellow, light red, dark red... ck!

    To everybody¡¯s surprise, the special training puppet had suddenly turned ck¡ª a color they didn¡¯t know existed, much less seen before!

    Yuan looked at the broken sword in his grasp with a dazed expression on his face. He didn¡¯t expect the sword to break so easily; it felt like he¡¯d smashed a rock with an egg. However, to his surprise, he¡¯d still managed to decapitate the training puppet.

    Of course, it was the spiritual energy released from the sword that had sliced the training puppet¡¯s head cleanly off its body, as the sword was destroyed the moment it touched the puppet¡¯s tough body due to the immense force behind it.

    Sometimeter, once she snapped out of her daze, Elder Tantai approached the training puppet to examine its damage with a perplexed look on her face, seemingly trying to figure out what the heck just happened.

    She then looked at Yuan¡¯s broken sword.

    "I don¡¯t recognize the technique you¡¯d just used. What rank is it?" she then asked him.

    "Earth-rank," he calmly responded.

    "..."

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    Elder Tantai questioned her own existence after learning that Yuan had managed to decapitate a special training puppet with an Earth-rank technique while she can¡¯t even damage it with a technique of the same rank and a cultivation base of 7th level Spirit Warrior.

    "A-Anyway... you passed..." Elder Tantai said after a moment of silence.

    Even if she can¡¯tprehend what just happened, she couldn¡¯t deny what was right before her eyes.

    Fortunately for her, Yuan was thest person to take the test, or she would¡¯ve needed to find another special training puppet, which would have dyed the examination for at least two to three hours since nobody could¡¯ve expected an Outer Court disciple destroying a special training puppet that even Core Disciples cannot destroy.

    "As expected of the one who defeated the Mad Tiger without lifting a finger... If he¡¯d lifted his finger, perhaps that match would¡¯ve ended up as a deathmatch..."

    The disciples there wholeheartedly believed that Wu Laohu had lucked out when Yuan decided to let him survive.

    Sometimeter, Elder Tantai gathered the disciples again and said, "There are twenty-four of you left, and we will be heading to the final test where you must defeat a magical beast before you be an Inner Court disciple. If you have any questions, ask away."

    One of the disciples immediately raised his hand and asked, "What kind of magical beasts will we be fighting?"

    Elder Tantai then responded in a calm voice, "It¡¯s a powerful magical beast that is mostly found within the Jade Forest¡ª the Jade Frog."

    "The Jade Frog?!" The disciples expressed shock upon hearing this name.

    Jade Frogs are incredibly hard to deal with since they have arge body and tough skin, and they like to jump around. A single mistake could lead to their bodies getting ttened.

    Meanwhile, Yuan tilted his head after hearing this familiar name.

    ¡¯Jade Frog? Isn¡¯t this the first monster that I have fought in this game? The one that nearly gave me a heart attack because I thought it¡¯d turned Xiao Hua¡¯s body into meat paste?¡¯ Yuan remembered his encounter with the Jade Frog as though it was just yesterday, as that was his firstbat experience in this world.

    "Who would like to go first?" Elder Tantai asked the disciples after answering all of their questions.

    "I¡¯d like to go first." An eager voice immediately responded.

    The disciples turned to look at the voice, and to their surprise, Yuan had volunteered to go first.

    "S-Sure, go ahead." Elder Tantai said, and she continued, "One of the gates at the end will open once the test begins, and you will have fifteen minutes to defeat the Jade Frog or it¡¯s an automatic loss. And just like the previous test, you can only use the equipment provided to you."

    Yuan nodded his head before heading to the weapons rack to pick up another weapon.

    This time, he chose a dagger, surprising the Elder Tantai and the other disciples with his choice.

    "Why¡¯s he using the dagger? I thought for sure he was going to use the sword again!"

    "Is he trying to show off or something? This test is entirely differentpared to the previous two tests. You need a lot of experience and knowledge to fight a magical beast, especially the Jade Frog that¡¯s well known for killing inexperienced Cultivators who are not used to their attack patterns."

    "Who knows. He¡¯s done nothing but surprise since the beginning. Maybe he¡¯ll do the same for this time as well."

    Sometimeter, once Yuan was standing in the middle of the field with the other disciples standing all the way in the back, Elder Tantai shouted, "Release the magical beast!"

    The metal gates immediately opened, and the ground began shaking as a Jade Frog made its appearance by hopping out of the entrance.

    The disciples swallowed nervously when they saw the Jade Frog and its intimidating appearance.

    Meanwhile, Yuan stared at the round magical beast with a nostalgic feeling.

    BOOM!

    The Jade Frog stopped moving after itnded a few meters away from Yuan, and it proceeded to stare at Yuan and the others there as though it was analyzing them and their situation.

    In this stillness and silence, a movement was suddenly made, but it was not by the Jade Frog.

    Instead, it was Yuan who moved first, as he¡¯d suddenly tossed his dagger into the air.

    A vicious light flickered in his eyes, and right as the dagger in the air reached its highest point and prepared to fall down, it suddenly stopped moving and hovered in the air for a split second before shooting itself at the Jade Frog like a shooting star.

 Chapter 258 Becoming an Inner Court Disciple

    The moment it saw the dagger trembling in the air, the Jade Frog sensed imminent danger, causing its body to instinctively jump up to avoid it.

    Whoosh!

    The Flying Dagger barely missed the Jade Frog. However, before the Jade Frog could evennd, the Flying Dagger suddenly did a sharp turn and flew at it again like there was a string attached to the Jade Frog.

    Whoosh!

    A gaping hole appeared before the Jade Frog¡¯s forehead a split secondter, instantly killing it.

    Thud!

    The ground shook when therge and heavy Jade Frog¡¯s lifeless body fell down from the sky, shocking the spectators.

    Once the ce was still, Yuan turned around and walked back to be with the rest of the disciples without even turning around or checking whether the Jade Frog was truly dead or not.

    "I have defeated the Jade Frog. Am I an Inner Court disciple now?" Yuan asked Elder Tantai who stood there with a gawking look on her face.

    After a long moment of silence, Elder Tantai nodded her head in a stiff movement before speaking, "Y-Yes... Congrattions on bing an Inner Court disciple, Disciple Yuan... here¡¯s your badge. Take this to the distribution center to get your Inner Court disciple badge and robes..."

    Yuan epted the badge with humbleness before walking out of the examination hall in a casual manner, almost like he was taking a stroll in a park.

    The other disciples there watched as Yuan¡¯s back disappeared from their sights.

    "Just where on earth did this Disciple Yuane from and howe I have never heard of him until recently? There¡¯s no way such a genius would be a nobody!" Elder Tantai mumbled to herself in a dazed voice.

    Sometimeter, once the Jade Frog¡¯s corpse was taken away, Elder Tantai resumed the examination.

    Meanwhile, Yuan went to the distribution hall and handed the elder at the front desk the badge he¡¯d just obtained from Elder Tantai.

    "So you just passed the Inner Court Disciple Examination, huh? Congrattions." The sect elder there treated him with respect, taking Yuan by surprise.

    After all, he¡¯s been treated like an insect most of the time by the sect elders in this sect¡ª at least that¡¯s what it feels like, and it was a refreshing feeling to be respected by a sect elder.

    "Can I have your old identification badge?" The sect elder then asked him.

    Yuan nodded and handed him the bronze identification badge.

    "I¡¯ll be right back." The sect elder went to the back of the room for a few minutes before returning.

    "Here you go. I have updated your identification badge. As for your living quarters, you can choose to stay in your current ce or be assigned a new living quarter in the Inner Court."

    Yuan immediately responded without any hesitation, "I will remain in my current residence."

    The sect elder was slightly surprised by Yuan¡¯s decision. After all, the living quarters within the Inner Court are more spacious and luxurious overall, and you only have one roommatepared to the 5 roommates in the Outer Court. Any logical being would choose to live in the Inner Court.

    ¡¯Perhaps he doesn¡¯t want to leave his friends?¡¯ The sect elder could only think of one reason for Yuan¡¯s decision.

    "If that¡¯s your decision, then I won¡¯t say anything. However, if you wish to move to the Inner Court for whatever reason, you cane back here and we¡¯ll arrange something for you," said the sect elder a momentter.

    And he continued, "Now about your new uniforms... Which color do you want? Blue or green?"

    "Does it matter which one I choose?" Yuan asked.

    "No, it doesn¡¯t matter. It¡¯s just a preference thing."

    "Then I¡¯ll choose blue."

    "Very well. I¡¯ll be right back again."

    The sect elder went to the back for a second time before returning a few minutester with three sets of blue uniforms.

    "Here you go. If the sizes don¡¯t fit, you may return to exchange them."

    "Thank you, Senior." Yuan epted the uniforms.

    "One more thing before you leave. There¡¯ll be a lecture tomorrow that¡¯ll introduce you to life as an Inner Court disciple. If you can, please attend it. It¡¯ll be at the Education Peak in building #111."

    "I understand. I¡¯ll try to attend it." Yuan nodded.

    Sometimeter, Yuan left the distribution hall and returned to his own living quarters.

    "Hm?"

    Min Li, who was just about to leave her house, noticed Yuan¡¯s approaching figure and the blue robes he was carrying.

    "D-Disciple Yuan! Those uniforms¡ª You¡¯re an Inner Court disciple now?!" Min Li eximed in a shocked voice.

    Yuan nodded and said, "Yes, I just took the examination today and became an Inner Court disciple."

    Min Li¡¯s jaw dropped to the ground.

    "W-Why didn¡¯t you tell me?! I would¡¯ve done the examination with you!" Min Li asked him.

    "That... never crossed my mind... I didn¡¯t know you wanted to take the examination as well," Yuan said in an apologetic voice.

    "I-I am not ming you or anything..." Min Li quickly said.

    "Anyways, now that you¡¯re an Inner Court disciple, will you be moving out?" Min Li then asked him.

    "No, I will be staying here," Yuan responded.

    "Really?" A pleasantly surprised expression on Min Li¡¯s face.

    "Why?" she couldn¡¯t help but ask him, hoping that he would say something romantic like ¡¯because of you¡¯ or something along that line.

    But s, Yuan said, "There¡¯s really no reason for me to move out of such a nice house."

    "Eh? But you will have to walk to the Inner Court every time you need something from there, which will take up a lot of time."

    "It¡¯s okay. I like to be active, anyways."

    "I-Is that so..." Min Li mumbled.

    Normally, Cultivators want to spend as much time as they could on cultivation whilst saving time for everything else so they can have more time for cultivation. However, for geniuses like Yuan, minor things like that don¡¯t really matter, as it won¡¯t affect their extreme cultivation speed much if any at all.

    Sometimeter, Min Li left the ce to go to the practice area.

    ¡¯The next Inner Court Disciple Examination is in three months... haaa...¡¯ Min Li sighed inwardly as she left the ce.

    Meanwhile, Yuan went back to his own room.

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    "Congrattions on bing an Inner Court disciple, Brother Yuan." Xiao Hua said to him.

    "Thank you, Xiao Hua," Yuan said to her.

    A few momentster, Yuan sat down and began training his Divine Sense.

    Once the sky began turning dark, Yuan logged off the game and waited for Meixiu to return home.

    "I¡¯m back, Yuan," Meixiu said to him after closing the door.

    "Wee back, Meixiu."

    "I¡¯ll prepare dinner right now."

    After putting down her stuff from school and changing her clothes, Meixiu went to cook dinner.

    Once that was done, Meixiu went to feed Yuan.

    "Yuan, you need to be careful when you¡¯re ying the game," Meixiu suddenly warned him.

    "Huh? Why would you say that?" Yuan asked.

    "The Young Lady told me to warn you because there will be a lot of yers trying to get into the Dragon Essence Temple to meet you."

    "Really? I should start wearing my mask even in the sect then..." Yuan mumbled.

    "The Young Lady also told me to warn you to stay away from people who try to ask you personal questions even if they might be an NPC because yers can disguise themselves as NPCs and you won¡¯t know it."

    "I understand. I¡¯ll be careful," Yuan said.

    "By the way, how is Yu Rou doing at school? I hope she¡¯s doing fine after what happened recently."

    "The Young Lady is doing much better. Furthermore, she can always meet you in Cultivation Online¡ª at least that¡¯s what she keeps telling herself."

    "I see... I n on leaving the Dragon Essence Temple to spend more time with Yu Rou in a week or so anyway. I cannot leave until I participate in the Mystic Realm, since I promised the Sect Master and others that I¡¯d help them."

    "The Mystic Realm?" Meixiu raised her eyebrows.

    Sometimeter, after she finished feeding Yuan dinner, Meixiu said, "I¡¯ll let you rest for a bit before I wash your body, Yuan."

    "Okay."

    Meixiu went to clean the dishes afterward.

    Half an hourter, Meixiu returned to the room with his wheelchair.

    After picking Yuan up from the bed and cing him in the chair, Meixiu pushed him to the bathroom, where she helped him undress.

    And since she didn¡¯t want to get her clothes wet while washing Yuan, Meixiu decided to also take her clothes off and went into the bathroom with him naked.

    Once they were inside the bathroom, Meixiu squeezed some body wash onto her palms before she rubbed it all over Yuan¡¯s body.

    Once Yuan¡¯s body was covered in body wash, Meixiu used a soft scrubber and began scrubbing his body.

    ¡¯This is my first time washing him...¡¯ Meixiu thought to herself as she cleaned whatever she could.

    A few momentster, Meixiu reached his lower area, and her eyes subconsciously moved to look at the cute thing between Yuan¡¯s legs.

    Almost like she was mesmerized or something, Meixiu couldn¡¯t find the strength to look away, and she proceeded to stare at it with a dazed look on her face.

    Meixiu finally snapped out of her daze a few momentster, and she proceeded to wash Yuan¡¯s legs, ignoring the thing in the middle for now.

    ¡¯What is this feeling?¡¯ Meixiu swallowed nervously when she noticed her heart beating faster than usual, feeling as though the temperature in the room had suddenly increased.

 Chapter 259 An Unexpected Phenomenon

    "I know I said this before, but I really appreciate you doing this for me, Meixiu." Yuan suddenly said to her while she scrubbed his legs.

    "D-Don¡¯t worry about it... You have also helped me out a lot when I didn¡¯t know any better as a child." Meixiu responded in a low voice.

    When she was a young child who was still in training to be the perfect servant, she would often make mistakes and get scolded by her mother. When that happens, Meixiu would cry like any other brat and seek Yuan forfort.

    "I was originally trained to serve you, Yuan, but after what happened to you, they decided to assign me to the Young Lady instead..." Meixiu suddenly said.

    "At one point, I was even..."

    Meixiu suddenly stopped midway through her sentence.

    "Meixiu?"

    "Never mind that... I was just talking to myself," Meixiu mumbled a momentter.

    After cleaning Yuan¡¯s legs, there was only one ce that still needed to be cleaned¡ª the area between his legs.

    Meixiu swallowed nervously at the thought of touching this cute snake, almost like she feared that it might bite her if she approached it.

    However, as much as she wanted to leave that ce alone, she was trained to do her job properly; it was inexcusable for her to half-ass a job or leave her job unfinished.

    Therefore, she could only swallow her nervousness and reach for the soft thing between Yuan¡¯s legs and began cleaning it with her hands, as it was very difficult to clean every nook and cranny with the sponge.

    A chill went up Yuan¡¯s spine when Meixiu began cleaning his precious thing. Perhaps it was due to his Spirit Warrior cultivation base, but the sensation of his own body has significantly improved since then, allowing him to feel a lot more. He¡¯d already noticed this when Meixiu began washing his body, but it wasn¡¯t as apparent as currently for some reason, almost like the area between his legs was much more sensitive than other areas on his body.

    And then an unexpected phenomenon happened.

    "This is..." Meixiu¡¯s eyes widened with shock when the small snake suddenly started growingrger andrger.

    Since this is her first time washing Yuan, it is only obvious that she has no prior knowledge, so she didn¡¯t know if Yuan¡¯s sprout was normal in such situations.

    Of course, Yuan was oblivious to this natural reaction on his body.

    Meixiu didn¡¯t know whether she should continue or stop at this point, but she eventually convinced herself to continue.

    Thus, Meixiu began washing Yuan again but with a slight difference¡ª she was rushing it, something she had never done before.

    A few secondster, Meixiu finally stopped washing him and began rinsing the soap off his body with the showerhead.

    "I am finished..." Meixiu spoke in a tiny voice afterward, her face flushed with redness.

    "Thank you, Meixiu." Yuan said to her in a calm voice,pletely oblivious to the blushing expression on Meixiu¡¯s face at this moment.

    Sometimeter, Meixiuid arge dry towel on Yuan¡¯s bed before cing Yuan on this nket and drying his body off with another towel.

    Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡¯It¡¯s back to normal again...¡¯ Meixiu thought to herself as she dried his body.

    After drying Yuan¡¯s body, Meixiu helped Yuan put his clothes on.

    "I am done here, Yuan. I am going to clean myself now..." Meixiu said, stillpletely naked at this point.

    "Okay. You can go to sleep afterward."

    "Goodnight, Yuan."

    "Goodnight."

    Meixiu went to the bathroom to wash herself shortly after, and Yuan began cultivating.

    ¡¯What was that warm sensation just now?¡¯ Yuan wondered to himself before he started his cultivation.

    Meanwhile, Meixiu spent longer than usual in the bathroom. Once she was finally out again, she went straight to her room and sat on her bed with a dazed look on her face for many minutes before she decided to put on the console and enter Cultivation Online to see whether Yuan¡¯s friend was there.

    After spending half an hour of waiting with no results, Meixiu logged off the game to sleep.

    That night, Meixiu had a weird dream where she was surrounded by mushrooms and snakes.

    The following morning, after feeding Yuan breakfast, Meixiu went to school.

    "You look tired, Meixiu. Did you not get enough sleepst night? This is my first time seeing you like this." Yu Rou said to Meixiu inside the car when she noticed Meixiu¡¯s dazed look.

    "N-No... I am fine, Young Lady." Meixiu responded with a slight dy.

    "I see... If you need to rest, just let me know and I¡¯ll give the teachers an excuse so you can rest for the day."

    "Thank you, Young Lady, but I am fine."

    "How¡¯s Brother Tian?" Yu Rou then asked.

    "The Young Master is doing great, and as usual, he¡¯s eating three bowls of soup with ease," she responded.

    "I see... By the way, this reminds me, you were supposed to be Brother Tian¡¯s servant at one point, right? I remember your mother saying something like that to me before." Yu Rou suddenly asked.

    "T-That¡¯s right... I was trained to support the Young Master and satisfy his every need." Meixiu nodded.

    Yu Rou¡¯s eyes widened, and she mumbled in a slightly surprised voice, "That sounds like they trained you to be his wife or something."

    "..."

    Meixiu remained silent regarding Yu Rou¡¯s statement, yet a weird glint flickered in her eyes.

    "Do you regret it?" Yu Rou continued to ask. "Not being able to work for Brother Tian despite training for it, I mean."

    "While it did feel bitter at first since it felt like all of the training I did was for nothing, I was able to assist the Young Lady because of the skills I had learned with that training, so I don¡¯t have any regrets," Meixiu answered after a moment of silence.

    "But you¡¯re taking care of Brother Tian now, just like you were trained. It feels like fate," Yu Rou chuckled at her own statement.

    Sometimeter, they arrived at school and began their sses.

 Chapter 260 You Tricked Me!

    While Meixiu went to school with Yu Rou, Yuan continued to train his Divine Sense in Cultivation Online.

    Meanwhile, at the Carp Leaping Over Dragon¡¯s Gate Tower, Long Yijun and the other Sect Masters stared in shock as the 99th floor emitted a golden light.

    "H-He really did it! He¡¯s managed to reach the 100th floor!"

    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g

    The disciples there mumbled to each other with surprise.

    "Who¡¯s currently inside? I just arrived."

    "Shui Zi, the number one genius of the Grand Saber Pce!"

    "Shui Zi, huh? I heard he managed to reach Spirit Warrior at the young age of 18 and peak of Spirit Warrior at 27 years old. He¡¯s definitely up there even for a genius."

    Meanwhile, the Sect Mastersughed out loud, "Hahaha! Looks like this will be thest person to challenge this tower even though we still have 2 more people!"

    "I was getting worried for a second, but it¡¯s relieving to see someone finally reach the final floor!"

    Despite most of their disciples challenging the tower, most of them had stopped around the 90th floor, and only Shui Zi managed to reach the 100th floor.

    However, Long Yijun did not show any signs of worry, and he merely stared at the tower with a calm look on his face.

    "What do you think about this, Elder Xuan? Do you think he¡¯ll beat the 100th floor?" Elder Bai suddenly asked him.

    "I want to say it¡¯s impossible, but we have been taught again and again that there¡¯s no such thing as ¡¯impossible¡¯ by ¡¯him¡¯. Though, it is still unlikely that he would be able to pass that floor." Elder Xuan said with a bittersweet smile on his face.

    Meanwhile, inside the tower, a handsome young man with a fierce expression on his face slowly climbed the stairs to the 100th floor after spending 15 minutes recovering his strength.

    "Already thest floor? I will give this ce some credit since it was not easy climbing to this level, but s, it looks like I am fated to defeat this tower." Shui Zi said with a confident smile on his face.

    A few momentster, Shui Zi stepped onto the 100th floor and was greeted by the new scenery.

    "What a vast ce... Am I still inside the tower? Or is this merely an illusion?" Shui Zi mumbled in a dazed voice.

    "Anyways, where are the monsters? Hurry up ande out so I can beat this boring tower already." Shui Zi shouted out loud in an arrogant voice.

    "Hoh? A boring tower, huh?"

    The space before Shui Zi suddenly twisted, and a gaping hole appeared in the space a momentter.

    Then, Shui Zi watched with wide eyes as a massive golden dragon appeared from within the ck hole.

    Once it appeared, the Great One gazed upon Shui Zi as though he was an ant and spoke in a calm voice, "While I will give you credit for making it here, nor did I expect someone else toe here so soon after thest one, but you don¡¯t have what it takes to clear the 100th floor."

    "..."

    Shui Zi did not respond to the Great One, mostly because he was frozen stiff from shock and fear.

    "Hmph. What a boring one." The Great One shook its head when it saw the state Shui Zi was in.

    "Anyways, since you want to get this over with, allow me to tell you the challenge for this floor."

    BOOM!

    An intense aura suddenly exploded from the Great One¡¯srge body, causing the entire world to shake.

    "If you want to defeat the 100th floor, you must defeat me!" The Great One¡¯s voice echoed in Shui Zi¡¯s ears.

    "I-Impossible! You¡¯re asking for the impossible! This isn¡¯t fair! How the fuck am I supposed to defeat a dragon?!" Shui Zi was snapped out of his daze by the Great One¡¯s aura that activated his instincts and desire to run.

    "Hahaha!"

    The Great One suddenlyughed before speaking, "Impossible? If it was impossible, how did the person who came before you pass the floor and defeat the tower?"

    "Are you telling me that this person defeated you?!" Shui Zi eximed.

    "No, we didn¡¯t fight, and I had another challenge for him."

    "What?! That¡¯s even more unfair! Why are you giving me a different challenge, then?!"

    A mysterious smile appeared on the Great One¡¯s face, and it spoke in a calm voice, "If you¡¯d like, I can let you take that challenge instead."

    "Really?"

    A hopeful look appeared on Shui Zi¡¯s face after hearing this and he immediately nodded his head, "Yes! I want to take that challenge!"

    "Very well..."

    The Great One said.

    A few momentster, the ground suddenly began rumbling, startling Shui Zi.

    ¡¯What the heck is this shaking?¡¯ he wondered to himself.

    The Great One spoke as a ck line appeared on the horizon.

    "For this challenge, you must defeat 100,000 peak Spirit Warrior magical beasts. You will have unlimited time to do so and 24 hours of rest time, and you may pause this challenge whenever you wish. However, once your 24 hours run out, you will have to fight until yourst breath."

    Shui Zi¡¯s eyes widened with shock after hearing this.

    "You want me to fight against 100,000 Spirit Warrior magical beasts?! This is even more impossible than fighting you! You tricked me! There¡¯s no way anyone could possibly pass this trial even if they¡¯re given a week to rest!" Shui Zi pointed at the Great One with trembling hands.

    "Why would I trick you? Thest person cleared this challenge with no problem at all." The Great One shook its head.

    "Then tell me who defeated this challenge?! I¡¯ll believe you then!"

    However, the Great One shook its head and said, "That person¡¯s name is too great for someone like you. If you do not ept the challenge, then you will automatically forfeit."

    Shui Zi gritted his teeth in anger, and he turned to look at the sea of magical beasts that were swarming towards him at this moment, his back soaked in cold sweats.

 Chapter 261 Impossible to Beat

    Shui Zi watched as the sea of magical beasts quickly closed their distance, and once they were only half a mile away, Shui Zi could no longer keep calm and shouted, "I give up! I give up! Get me out of here!"

    The Great One coldly snorted after seeing Shui Zi surrender the challenge, "Not even going to attempt the challenge? You¡¯re a much bigger coward than I¡¯d anticipated. Get lost. You do not qualify to even be in my presence!"

    The Great One¡¯s eyes flickered with a golden light, and before Shui Zi realized it, he was back on the first floor of the tower.

    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    Meanwhile, outside the tower, Long Yijun and the other Sect Masters just witnessed the lights on all 99 floors turn off, signaling Shui Zi¡¯s failure.

    "What?!"

    The Sect Masters there were speechless by this, as they¡¯d truly expedited Shui Zi to defeat the tower.

    A few momentster, Shui Zi left the tower with a dazed look on his face, looking empty, almost like he was dead inside.

    "Shui Zi! What happened in there?! You were so close!" His Sect Master quickly approached him.

    "I... I... can¡¯t do it. No human being can pass the 100th floor. It¡¯s impossible." Shui Zi responded in a voice of disbelief.

    The Sect Masters there immediately frowned, and one of them asked, "What do you mean by that? What was on the 100th floor?"

    "It... It was a dragon¡ª a real dragon. I had to defeat a dragon." Shui Zi spoke, and his body trembled upon recalling the Great One¡¯s intimidating aura.

    "What! A dragon?! Don¡¯t tell me you had to fight this dragon!" The Sect Masters there were shocked.

    Even Long Yijun and the high-ranking sect elders were surprised by this since they didn¡¯t hear anything about a dragon from Yuan!

    Shui Zi nodded and said, "It was a golden dragon, and it had the cultivation of a Spirit Master."

    After taking a deep breath, he continued, "However, that¡¯s not even the worst part, since there was another challenge on the 100th floor, which involves defeating 100,000 Spirit Warrior magical beasts with only 24 hours to rest."

    "100,000 Spirit Warrior magical beasts?! How is that even possible?!" The Sect Masters there repeated in a shocked voice, their expressions filled with disbelief. Even if they challenged this tower themselves, they would not dare to im that they can defeat 100,000 magical beasts.

    Shui Zi nodded again and said, "Furthermore, the dragon imed that someone had managed to clear that challenge by defeating all 100,000 magical beasts."

    ¡¯That¡¯s the challenge Disciple Yuan told us about...¡¯ Elder Xuan thought to himself after hearing Shui Zi¡¯s words.

    At that moment, the Sect Masters there turned to look at Long Yijun who was casually sitting there with a smug look on his face.

    "What are you looking at? You still have two more disciples. Hurry up, the Mystic Realm ising up and I need to finish preparing for that." Long Yijun said to them.

    However, the Sect Masters did not send another disciple inside the tower, and they remained standing there while staring at Long Yijun with deep frowns on their faces.

    If what Shui Zi said was true¡ª that they had to either defeat a Spirit Master dragon or fight 100,000 Spirit Warrior magical beasts, there was simply no way the remaining two disciples would be able to defeat this tower.

    In other words, they are destined to lose their bet!

    "Sect Master Long, you tricked us! You knew it was impossible to beat this tower, so you made the bet with the Dragon ying Saber as bait!"

    One of the Sect Masters suddenly pointed at Long Yijun and med him for tricking them.

    However, Long Yijun remained calm and said, "No shit, you idiot. Why else would I dare to gamble the Dragon ying Saber? With that being said, you are wrong about one thing¡ª that the tower is impossible to defeat. If it¡¯s really impossible, how did my disciple defeat it?"

    "Bullshit! I bet your disciple had an entirely different challenge and the tower is merely screwing with us because we¡¯re not disciples of this sect! Or you manipted the tower to give us an impossible challenge!" The Sect Masters said.

    Long Yijun shook his head and said, "As if I have the power to manipte the tower. In the history of the sect, nobody¡ª and I mean not a single person before ¡¯that¡¯ disciple had managed to clear all 100 floors, and even the Founder was defeated on the 100th floor!"

    The Sect Masters¡¯ faces dropped after hearing such words. Not even their Ancestor who was known as the number one genius during his era could beat the 100th floor? Then what kind of monster does it take to defeat the tower? Just who is this disciple the Dragon Essence Temple is trying so hard to hide?

    "I know what you¡¯re thinking, but I won¡¯t say anything. If you wish to meet this disciple, you¡¯ll see him at the Mystic Realm." Long Yijunughed out loud.

    "Che!"

    The Sect Masters there snickered coldly.

    "Anyways, are you going to continue or not? If not, you can forfeit the bet and your treasures as well." Long Yijun held his hand out in azy manner.

    The Sect Masters gritted their teeth in frustration.

    Even though they knew it was impossible for the remaining disciples to defeat the tower, they couldn¡¯t just hand their treasures to Long Yijun without even trying, as that would simply make things even more embarrassing for them!

    "I will challenge the tower!" One of the remaining two disciples suddenly stepped forward and said.

    "Chances are I will not be able to defeat the dragon or 100,000 magical beasts, but I will definitely try!"

    The disciple¡¯s Sect Master nodded and said, "Well said! We have not lost just yet!"

    Thus, the next disciple went inside the tower and began climbing it.

    ¡¯Go ahead, keep struggling. The results will remain the same, anyways.¡¯ Long Yijunughed inwardly at their futile efforts.

 Chapter 262 Abnormal Amount of Visitors

    Sometime after the next challenger went inside the Carp Leaping Over Dragon¡¯s Gate Tower, Long Yijun mumbled to Elder Xuan who was sitting right beside him, "He should be an Inner Court disciple by now. Go find him and let him enter the Dragon¡¯s Peak alongside Fei Yuyan."

    Elder Xuan nodded, "I understand."

    When the other Sect Masters noticed Elder Xuan leaving the scene, they asked, "Where¡¯s he going?"

    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.

    "Elder Xuan does not want to waste any more of his time here since he already knows the oue. Therefore, he¡¯s leaving to work." Long Yijun responded in a nonchnt voice.

    "Y-You little¡ª!"

    The Sect Masters gritted their teeth at Long Yijun¡¯s obvious provocation. However, they didn¡¯t dare to im that they will definitely win this bet, especially not after what they learned about the 100th floor.

    Even for a Spirit Master like them, it would be impossible to defeat 100,000 magical beasts even if they were given a month, much less 24 hours of rest time, and they cannot fathom the talent and strength that is required to pass this tower.

    If what the dragon on the 100th floor told Shui Zi was true¡ª that someone had managed to defeat 100,000 magical beasts and clear the tower, then the cultivation world is about to experience a turmoil it hasn¡¯t felt in countless years.

    "Hey, what are you guys thinking?" One of the Sect Master there suddenly whispered to the other three.

    "Isn¡¯t it obvious?! I¡¯m thinking about how we can get ourselves out of this shithole! It¡¯s obvious that we won¡¯t win this bet. However, we¡¯ll be handing 4 Divine-grade treasures to the Dragon Essence Temple if we lose!"

    "Is there anything we can really do at this point? We¡¯ve sworn a blood oath! Unless you want to invoke a Heavenly Tribtion and curse your future generations, we cannot break the blood oath!"

    "Fuck! We were blinded by the Dragon ying Saber! That bastard really got us good this time!"

    "Even though we cannot do anything about the blood oath, we can still try to work something out with him after we give him our treasures. I highly doubt the Dragon Essence Temple wants to offend four sects at once!"

    "Right! We can simply buy our Divine-grade treasures back, or we can offer something else in return for them!"

    "Let¡¯s try to figure this out before ourst disciple challenges the tower!"

    Long Yijun noticed the other Sect Masters whispering to each other, and he could already imagine what they were talking about. However, it didn¡¯t matter to him, as the Dragon Essence Temple would benefit from this bet no matter what they did at this point, and he continued to watch the tower light up with golden lights.

    Meanwhile, Elder Xuan went to Yuan¡¯s living quarters and knocked on the doors.

    A few momentster, Yuan opened the door and greeted him, "Hello, Senior Xuan."

    "Let¡¯s talk inside." Elder Xuan said.

    Yuan nodded and closed the door after he entered.

    Once they were seated, Elder Xuan began to speak, "First and foremost, allow me to congratte you on bing an Inner Court disciple."

    "Thank you, the examination was pretty fun," Yuan said with a smile.

    "Fun..."

    A bittersweet smile appeared on Elder Xuan¡¯s face. In this entire sect, Yuan is probably the only disciple who would have fun during such an important examination.

    "Anyway, I¡¯m here to talk about the Dragon¡¯s Peak. The Sect Master wants you and Fei Yuyan to enter before the Mystic Realm that is only a week away. Are you avable now? I can take you there right now."

    Yuan nodded and said, "Yes, I am free. I was just training my Divine Sense."

    "Training Divine Sense at your cultivation level, huh? I didn¡¯t start training my Divine Sense until I was a Spirit Master. Unfortunately, the Dragon Essence Temple doesn¡¯t have any Soul Techniques to assist you in that matter." Elder Xuan said.

    "It¡¯s fine."

    "Okay, then follow me. Let¡¯s go pick up Disciple Fei before we head to Dragon¡¯s Peak."

    Just as Elder Xuan turned to walk towards the door, Yuan suddenly said, "Please wait a moment. Senior Xuan."

    "Hmm?" Elder Xuan turned around and watched as Yuan retrieved a ck jade mask before putting it on his face.

    Elder Xuan raised his eyebrows after seeing this.

    "Is it fine if I go outside with my mask? There are a lot of people looking for me, and I don¡¯t want them to recognize me." Yuan said.

    Elder Xuan became even more puzzled after hearing his words, and he asked, "Are there disciples bothering you right now? I will immediately deal with them if that¡¯s the case¡ª"

    "No, it has nothing to do with the disciples, nor am I being bothered right now. However, there are people out there looking for me, and I have been told that they will be trying to enter the sect just to look for me because of my appearance at the zitherpetition."

    "Now that you mention it, there has been an irregr amount of people trying to enter the sect as oftely, and most of them are rogue cultivators. Are they perhaps the people you¡¯re referring to?" Elder Xuan asked him.

    Ever since the zitherpetition, a lot of people have been visiting the Dragon Essence Temple with some people even trying to sneak inside. However, none of the elders or Long Yijun found that weird, as it was normal for people to flock to the Dragon Essence Temple after what happened at the zitherpetition, and this is usually what happens after apetition or tournament.

    Though, the number of people visiting the sect as of recent is through the roof and unlike anything the sect has experienced before, and most of them were rogue cultivators without any backgrounds.

    "If these people are here because of you, then we need to tighten up the security around the sect..." Elder Xuan mumbled with a perplexed look on his face.

    Sometimeter, he said, "I¡¯ll speak with the Sect Master afterward. For now, let¡¯s get you and Disciple Fei to the Dragon¡¯s Peak so you can strengthen yourselves as much as possible before the Mystic Realm."

 Chapter 263 Dragons Peak

    After leaving the house, Elder Xuan led Yuan to the Inner Court to look for Fei Yuyan.

    The appearance of Elder Xuan in the Outer Court surprised everyone and attracted countless gazes from the disciples around them, and they all bowed to him the moment they noticed him.

    As a high-ranking sect elder, they are revered as much as the Sect Master himself, and they usually don¡¯t appear in public, much less the Outer Court, so for Elder Xuan, one of the most renowned high-ranking sect elder to appear in the Outer Court was very shocking, to say the least.

    "Who¡¯s that Inner Court disciple following him? He¡¯s even wearing a mask..."

    "Why is he wearing a mask? What¡¯s he trying to hide? His ugly face?"

    "Who knows."

    Sometimeter, Elder Xuan and Yuan arrived at Fei Yuyan¡¯s living quarters and knocked on the doors.

    After waiting for a few moments with no response, Elder Xuan knocked on the door again.

    However, nobody answered the door.

    "How odd..." Elder Xuan retrieved his jade slip and looked at it before continuing, "Disciple Fei hasn¡¯t signed out of the logbook so she should still be within the sect. Maybe she went to the Dragon Pavilion?"

    "Do you have any idea where she went?" Elder Xuan decided to ask Yuan.

    Yuan shook his head and said, "I tried to visit her a few days ago as well, but she wasn¡¯t here either."

    "Let¡¯s go to Elder Shan¡¯s living quarters and see if Disciple Fei is there or if she knows Disciple Fei¡¯s location." Elder Xuan suggested.

    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    Yuan nodded his head, and they proceeded to head to the Blossom Peak to see Elder Shan.

    Sometimeter, they knocked on Elder Shan¡¯s door.

    "Who is it?" Elder Shan appeared before them a few momentster.

    "Elder Xuan and... Disciple Yuan?" It took a few seconds for Elder Shan to recognize Yuan¡¯s ck jade mask, and when she realized that it was Yuan, she subconsciously took a step back and covered her head with her hands.

    "Elder Shan? What are you doing?" Elder Xuan raised his eyebrows when he saw her puzzling actions.

    "A-Ahem! Nothing." Elder Shan cleared her throat before continuing, "Anyway, what are you doing here? And why are you hiding your face, Disciple Yuan?"

    "It¡¯s aplicated situation for him, we¡¯ll discuss itter. As for now, we¡¯re looking for Disciple Fei so we can head to the Dragon¡¯s Peak. She wasn¡¯t at her house, so we figured toe here." Elder Xuan said.

    "Oh, Fei Yuyan? She¡¯s currently in closed cultivation in the Immortal Caves." Elder Shan said.

    "Immortal Caves? What¡¯s that?" Yuan immediately asked, his interest piqued.

    "The Immortal Caves are located at Cloud Peak, where the spiritual energy is incredibly thick and abundant, only second to Dragon¡¯s Peak in the entire sect. Core Disciples usually spend the most time cultivating there, especially if there¡¯s nothing else to do outside. And since the Mystic Realm is getting close, everybody wants to improve their cultivation as fast as possible to be eligible for the Mystic Realm."

    "One must be eligible to participate in the Mystic Realm? How do you pick who gets to participate?" Yuan asked them.

    "Well, the Mystic Realm is a mysterious ce where one¡¯s overall strength and cultivation doesn¡¯t matter at all. Instead, one¡¯s talent reigns supreme. Everyone who enters the Mystic Realm will have their entire cultivation base wiped, but you¡¯ll regain your cultivation once youe back out." Elder Xuan exined to him.

    And he continued, "Therefore, we pick the participants depending on their growth and improvements over a certain time. So far, you¡¯re the only disciple who is certain to participate in the Mystic Realm. As for the other two disciples... We¡¯ll figure it out by the end of the week.":

    "Wow... A mystic ce, indeed." Yuan¡¯s anticipation for this ce grew slightly more.

    "Anyway, since Disciple Fei isn¡¯t here and we can¡¯t just disturb her cultivation, I guess you¡¯ll have to go to Dragon¡¯s Peak by yourself for now, Disciple Yuan." Elder Xuan said to him.

    "Okay." Yuan nodded.

    "Thank you, Elder Shan. We¡¯ll see youter."

    "Oh, right. Before I leave..." Yuan suddenly reached into his spatial ring and retrieved a cultivation technique.

    "Can you give this to Disciple Fei when shees out of cultivation?"

    "This is...?" Elder Shan epted the technique with a nonchnt look on her face.

    However, when she realized what she was holding, her eyes widened with surprise, "The Divine-rank cultivation technique you¡¯d obtained from the zitherpetition? You¡¯re already done with it?"

    Yuan nodded, "Yes, I learned it quicker than I¡¯d expected so I don¡¯t need it anymore. Please give it to Disciple Fei."

    Elder Shan and Elder Xuan¡¯s jaws dropped after hearing his words. He¡¯d managed to learn a Divine-rank technique in just a few days? As expected, hisprehension abilities are beyond their understanding.

    "I understand... I will give this technique to Fei Yuyan when I see her." Elder Shan nodded her head.

    "Thank you, Senior Shan!" Yuan said to her.

    Elder Xuan and Yuan left the ce shortlyter, heading to Dragon¡¯s Peak that was almost two hours away.

    "So this is the Dragon¡¯s Peak? It¡¯s... so empty..." Yuan stared at the spaciousnd before them with raised eyebrows.

    "Well, the Founder was a simple man who loved to feel free, so he didn¡¯t have much if anything in his area," said Elder Xuan.

    "I see... but the spiritual energy in this area... it¡¯s really abundant. I can feel my cultivation base slightly growing just from breathing in this ce." Yuan mumbled.

    "Rumors say this is caused by a treasure that the Founder had hidden in this ce before his disappearance since this ce was not like this in the beginning, and it only became like this after the Founder¡¯s disappearance." Elder Xuan said.

    And he continued, "However, despite all of our efforts throughout the years, nobody has found the supposed treasure to this day, and it¡¯s been tens of thousands of years."

    "I see..." Yuan mumbled with a pondering look on his face.

 Chapter 264 Where Is the Treasure?

    "Anyway, you can stay here for as long as you like until the Mystic Realm begins. Although it might be a long shot, try to breakthrough to the Spirit Master realm before then. While your cultivation base may not matter in the Mystic Realm, it¡¯ll definitely shock a lot of people and affect their minds and performance." Elder Xuan said to him.

    "If you need anything from me, just contact me using themunication jade slip. I¡¯ll be at the Carp Leaping Over Dragon¡¯s Gate Tower with the Sect Master and the others."

    Yuan nodded, and he suddenly asked, "How are the guests doing? Did they manage to clear the tower yet?"

    Elder Xuan shook his head and spoke with a smile on his face, "No, but one of them managed to reach the 100th floor. You didn¡¯t tell me about the dragon."

    "Oh... I forgot... I¡¯m sorry." Yuan said.

    "Hahaha... Don¡¯t worry about it. It was a pleasant surprise. We won¡¯t me you for it." Elder Xuanughed out loud.

    Sometimeter, Elder Xuan left the ce, leaving Yuan alone at Dragon¡¯s Peak.

    "What am I supposed to do here? Just sit down and cultivate?" Yuan mumbled to himself since Elder Xuan didn¡¯t exactly give him any instructions.

    "By the way, Xiao Hua, can you see the treasure in this ce with your Divine Sense? I couldn¡¯t sense anything." Yuan suddenly asked her.

    "No, Xiao Hua cannot sense anything either. The people in this ce should¡¯ve already swept this entire ce with their Divine Sense, anyway, so either there¡¯s no treasure in this ce or it cannot be found through normal means."

    "Through normal means? How else can we locate a treasure besides our Divine Sense?" Yuan asked.

    "There are treasures that can locate other treasures. There are also magical beasts with special senses that allow them to pick up treasure. There are even powerful arrays that can pinpoint treasures as long as it¡¯s within the array. There are many methods one can use to locate treasures. However, unless they¡¯re incredibly ipetent, the people of this sect should¡¯ve already tried all of these methods throughout the years."

    "If that¡¯s the case, perhaps there really is no treasure in this ce, and this abundant spiritual energy is merely a natural phenomenon?" Yuan said.

    "No, there¡¯s definitely a treasure in this ce." Xiao Hua suddenly said. "Xiao Hua just analyzed the flow of the spiritual energy in this ce, and it¡¯s not natural. Something here is attracting the spiritual energy to this ce."

    "Really? Then can you pinpoint what is causing this phenomenon?"

    "No, Xiao Hua cannot find anything no matter how much she tries. Maybe one requires a special technique or treasure to find the treasure." Xiao Hua said.

    "Hmmm? Special technique...?" Yuan raised his eyebrows as though he¡¯d realized something.

    ¡¯What if it¡¯s a treasure that can only be seen with the Dragon¡¯s Gaze? After all, the Founder also knew of this technique...¡¯ Yuan thought to himself.

    With that in mind, Yuan activated the Dragon¡¯s Gaze and proceeded to look around. However, he found nothing out of the ordinary.

    ¡¯Nothing? Maybe it¡¯s in a different area since this ce seems very big.¡¯

    Thus, Yuan proceeded to walk around the Dragon¡¯s Peak as though he was taking a stroll while his eyes glowed gold and emitted an ancient aura.

    "Nothing here..."

    "Nothing out of the ordinary here either..."

    Yuan spent the next two hours walking around the peak, but s, he couldn¡¯t find the treasure.

    ¡¯Perhaps there is really no treasure in this ce? But Xiao Hua said there¡¯s definitely something manipting the flow of spiritual energy in this ce, hence the abundance of spiritual energy.¡¯

    After pondering for a moment, Yuan wondered if he needed to activate Divine Sense as well as Dragon¡¯s Gaze, so he proceeded to walk around the Dragon¡¯s Peak for the second time, but this time, he had both Dragon¡¯s Gaze and Divine Sense activated.

    "Still nothing?" Yuan was truly puzzled now.

    The Dragon¡¯s Peak was spacious but also very empty, so there are very few ces one can hide a treasure.

    The treasure could be hidden underground, but not even Xiao Hua could find the treasure with her Divine Sense that¡¯s powered by the cultivation of a Spirit King, so that was unlikely.

    "If it¡¯s not hidden on the surface or underground, there¡¯s only one more ce..."

    Yuan slowly tilted his head until he was staring at the sky. However, there was nothing there.

    "..."

    After taking a deep breath, Yuan activated the Dragon¡¯s Gaze again.

    "T-T-This is..."

    Yuan subconsciously took a few steps back with a shocked look on his face when he saw the thing flying above the Dragon¡¯s Peak.

    "What¡¯s the matter, Brother Yuan?" Xiao Hua asked him since she couldn¡¯t see anything in the sky.

    Yuan pointed at the sky with his entire arm trembling, and he said, "There... There is a huge glowing dragon flying in the sky!"

    "What? Xiao Hua cannot see anything in the sky," she quickly said.

    "I am not lying! It¡¯s really there! It¡¯s circling around the area like a guardian of some sorts!" Yuan hastily said.

    "..."

    No matter how hard she tried to look, Xiao Hua couldn¡¯t see the dragon Yuan was talking about.

    "Can you describe it, Brother Yuan?" she then asked.

    "It¡¯s at least one... no, two hundred meters in length, and it doesn¡¯t appear to have a physical body¡ª only a golden outline. It resembles the Great One I saw on the 100th floor in the tower." Yuan described the dragon to the best of his abilities.

    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    "That sounds like..." Just as Xiao Hua opened her mouth to speak, Yuan suddenly said in a surprised voice.

    "Oh, it just noticed me... and it¡¯s looking directly at me."

    Yuan looked at the golden dragon in the sky that was also staring back at him with a profound gaze.

    After a few moments of silence and stillness, suddenly, the dragon began moving.

    "Eh?" Yuan¡¯s eyes widened with shock when he saw the dragon start to fly at him like a meteor, immediately sending chills down his spine.

 Chapter 265 Dragon Essence

    Seeing the golden dragon flying at him, Yuan subconsciously retrieved his Empyrean Overlord and took a defensive stance as it felt like an extremely powerful and violent beast was rushing at him at this moment.

    "Brother Yuan?" Xiao Hua was puzzled by Yuan¡¯s sudden alertness and called out to him.

    But s, Yuan was too focused on the dragon to hear Xiao Hua¡¯s voice.

    Whoosh!

    The dragon slithered through the air in a smooth movement before headbutting Yuan.

    Yuan held the Empyrean Overlord in front of his body to block the attack, but to his surprise, as though it was a ghost, the dragon went directly through his sword and straight into his body!

    "Ah!" Yuan shouted in a surprised voice when the dragon suddenly invaded his body.

    "What happened, Brother Yuan?!" Xiao Hua left the ne and asked him.

    "T-The golden dragon went inside my body!" He quickly said.

    "Brother Yuan, Xiao Hua believes that the dragon is¡ª"

    Right as Xiao Hua spoke, a notification appeared before him.

    Ding!

    [Heaven Refining Physique activated]

    [Minor Dragon Essence has been refined]

    [Soul Strength +10,000]

    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    [Your Divine Sense has reached a new level]

    [Divine Sense Mastery Level (1) ¡ú (2)]

    "¡ªDragon Essence, so it¡¯s not harmful to your body. In fact, it will even benefit you greatly!" Xiao Hua said.

    "Dragon Essence? What is that? I just gained a lot of stats from absorbing the Minor Dragon Essence." Yuan said.

    "What! Brother Yuan already absorbed the Dragon Essence?!" Xiao Hua looked at him with a gawking expression on her small face.

    Unlike monster cores, monster essences are very unique in the way they are created and absorbed. When a magical beast dies, its Dantian will form into a monster core that allows Cultivators to absorb some of its spiritual energy. However, when ites to essences, they can be created without needing the magical beasts¡¯ death.

    With that being said, only powerful magical beasts have the ability to create essences, mostly Divine Beasts like the Great One, and even then it requires a lot of energy and time to form its own essence.

    As for why magical beasts would waste their time and effort on creating essences¡ª it¡¯s sort of training for them, like how Yuan trains his Divine Sense, as it strengthens their control over their own spiritual energy as well as their soul and mental strength.

    "B-Brother Yuan, even though it¡¯s only a minor essence, it normally takes months if not years for an individual to fully absorb it, yet you managed to absorb it so quickly, almost instantaneously... It¡¯s almost as shocking as your eating habits..." Xiao Hua said to him with her eyes wide as saucers.

    "Does absorbing monster essences not give you Qi like monster cores do?" Yuan asked her since he didn¡¯t get any Qi from absorbing the Dragon Essence.

    "Essences are unique in the way that different essences will have different effects. Some essence can give you Qi while others will grant you other benefits such as increased physical strength or mental strength." Xiao Hua exined to him.

    "I see... and the Dragon Essence happened to give me Soul Strength..." Yuan mumbled.

    "WHAT!" Xiao Hua suddenly shouted in a shocked voice.

    For more, visit [.

    "S-Soul Strength?! The Dragon Essence gave Brother Yuan Soul Strength?! Is this true?!" Xiao Hua asked him in a somewhat nervous manner.

    "Y-Yes..." Yuan nodded, startled by her reaction.

    "That¡¯s incredibly lucky, Brother Yuan! Out of everything one can obtain from essences, Soul Strength is the rarest and most sought after essence by even top Cultivators since it directly improves your Soul Strength without needing any Soul Techniques or training!" Xiao Hua said to him in an excited voice, her body slightly shaking from excitement as though she was the one who received the benefit.

    "Either the Founder of this ce is incredibly generous to leave behind the Dragon Essence or he wasn¡¯t the one who put the Dragon Essence here!"

    Yuan nodded and continued to ask, "By the way, it¡¯s only a Minor Dragon Essence. Does this mean there are even higher qualities of essences?"

    Xiao Hua nodded and said, "That¡¯s right. There are Minor Essences, Major Essences, and Divine Essences."

    "I see..." Yuan mumbled, and he continued, "What about methods one can use to find essences? This Dragon Essence was hidden in in sight yet nobody managed to find it despite thousands of years."

    However, Xiao Hua shook her head and said, "Just like how each essence has different effects, they also have different properties. Therefore, there is no single method to look for essences. They¡¯re all incredibly rare and can only be found by chance or fate."

    "As for Brother Yuan... since only you managed to find it despite it being in in sight for so many years, one can say the Dragon Essence was fated to be found by you. In other words, it¡¯s fate."

    "Fate, huh..." Yuan suddenly recalled his meeting with Senior Bai and their talk about destiny and fate. Perhaps he was destined for this fortunate encounter.

    Suddenly, another phenomenon urred in the ce, as all of the spiritual energy gathered at Dragon¡¯s Peak began dispersing in every direction.

    "What¡¯s going on?" Yuan looked at the change with wide eyes.

    Xiao Hua responded in a calm voice, "The Dragon Essence was what attracted the spiritual energy to this area. Now that it¡¯s gone since Brother Yuan absorbed it, there is no longer anything attracting the spiritual energy, so it¡¯s only natural they are leaving. Soon, this ce will return to being a normal ce without its abundance in spiritual energy."

    "I see..."

    Xiao Hua then continued, "Brother Yuan, you should take this opportunity to cultivate and absorb as much spiritual energy as you can since it¡¯ll take some time before the spiritual energy in this ce returns to normal."

    Yuan nodded and immediately sat down and began reciting his cultivation technique.

    Whoosh!

    The spiritual energy that was dispersing suddenly stopped leaving and began approaching Yuan as though they were attracted to him, quickly creating a small tornado around him. However, Yuan could only feel a gentle andfortable breeze around him.

    Meanwhile, his cultivation base began to soar closer and closer to Spirit Master!

 Chapter 266 Nine Dragon Symbols

    Ding!

    [Due to your title Pang City¡¯s Hero, cultivation speed has increased by 10%]

    Ding!

    [Due to your Untainted Body, cultivation speed has increased by 100%]

    Ding!

    [Environmental effect has increased your cultivation speed by 500%]

    [+3,852 Qi]

    [+3,946 Qi]

    [+3,750 Qi]

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    [+3,656 Qi]

    Due to his title and untainted body, Yuan¡¯s cultivation speed more than doubled, not to mention the Dragon¡¯s Peak that was abundant with spiritual energy. Yuan absorbed over 3,000 Qi every second, and in just a minute, he¡¯d absorbed over two hundred thousand Qi.

    Meanwhile, Xiao Hua sat in front of Yuan and watched him cultivate in silence.

    ¡¯What a crazy cultivation speed for someone at the Spirit Warrior realm... He¡¯s absorbing the spiritual energy like he¡¯s eating food, almost like an unstoppable monster.¡¯ Xiao Hua thought to herself as she stared at Yuan¡¯s peaceful face with admiration on her face.

    ¡¯At this rate, Brother Yuan will absorb enough spiritual energy to breakthrough to Spirit Master in a month... And even though Brother Yuan won¡¯t be a Spirit Master in time for the Mystic Realm, it¡¯s already an incredible feat, especially since we¡¯re still in the Lower Heavens where the quality of Qi isn¡¯t as good...¡¯

    After an hour of cultivation, unbeknownst to Yuan or Xiao Hua, inside Yuan¡¯s body, the Dragon Essence he¡¯d absorbed just finished merging with the golden symbols engraved in his bones, causing them to change slightly before emitting a bright and golden glow.

    Whoosh!

    The spiritual energy in the area suddenly grew restless, and they began rushing toward Yuan¡¯s body as though Yuan¡¯s body had be a ck hole with intense suction.

    "W-What¡¯s going on?" Xiao Hua mumbled in a dazed voice when she noticed this sudden change, and it was unlike anything she has ever seen before.

    Ding!

    [Nine Dragon Symbols has been activated!]

    [Nine Dragon Symbols have reached level one]

    [Due to the Nine Dragon Symbols, your cultivation speed have increased by 1,000%]

    Yuan¡¯s cultivation speed suddenly increased by a whopping 1,000 percent, shocking and puzzling Yuan at the same time, as he had no idea what this Nine Dragon Symbols was or how he¡¯d obtained it.

    However, he didn¡¯t think about it too much for now and decided to focus on cultivating, as he was worried that if he¡¯d stopped, this sudden boost would disappear as well.

    [+8,411 Qi]

    [+8,301 Qi]

    [+8,569 Qi]

    His Qi gathering speed per second immediately doubled, allowing him to absorb over 8,000 Qi every single second, and in just an hour, Yuan had managed to absorb almost 30 million Qi!

    Xiao Hua watched Yuan cultivate with her mouth wide open and jaw dropped. What caused this sudden and explosive increase in cultivation speed? Does it have anything to do with the Dragon Essence? However, she has never heard of essences having such a unique ability after being absorbed! After all, even though the Dragon Essence had the ability to gather spiritual energy at Dragon¡¯s Peak, such an ability shouldn¡¯t have transferred to Yuan after he absorbed it! Otherwise, it would be too powerful, and the heavens would never allow such a w to exist!

    ¡¯Wait a second... Brother Yuan also managed to obtain a magical beast¡¯s ability after he consumed its monster core! Maybe he can also do the same with their essence? But that would be too...¡¯ Xiao Hua didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry at Yuan¡¯s unbelievable existence.

    Whenever it feels like she has witnessed all there is to Yuan¡¯s talents, he would suddenly show even more talents like some sort of magic show! But instead of taking out a rabbit from his hat, Yuan takes out unbelievable talents that would leave anyone filled with jealousy if they knew about it!

    After another 6 hours of cultivation, Yuan decided to finally stop cultivating as it was gettingte.

    "Hmm? Xiao Hua? You were sitting there this entire time?" Yuan finally noticed Xiao Hua sitting in front of him when he opened his eyes.

    "Yes..." Xiao Hua nodded with a dazed look on her face.

    "I made some really good progress today," Yuan said with a smile on his face, and then he asked, "By the way, do you know anything about the Nine Dragon Symbols?"

    "Nine Dragon Symbols? Xiao Hua has never heard of that before. Is that a treasure?" she asked with a tilted head.

    "I don¡¯t know, but I think that is what¡¯s causing the explosive increase in my cultivation speed."

    "Nine Dragon Symbols... Perhaps the phoenix will know something." Xiao Hua then said.

    Yuan nodded, "I¡¯ll ask her when shees back."

    A few momentster, Xiao Hua entered the ne before Yuan logged off the game.

    Once Meixiu returned, she immediately went to cook dinner as usual before feeding Yuan.

    After feeding Yuan, Meixiu went to take a quick shower before retiring for the day inside her room.

    "Let¡¯s see if his friend has arrived yet..."

    Meixiu wore the helmet and immediately went inside Cultivation Online.

    Once she was inside the game, Meixiu looked around the ce, and she immediately noticed a smallmotion right outside the city gates.

    Meixiu narrowed her eyes at the crowd of people that appeared to be surrounding an individual¡ª a very beautiful young woman wearing tight red robes and a very mature body.

    "That must be her..." Meixiu mumbled to herself before she approached her.

    "Excuse me..." Meixiu tried to push her way to the young woman in the red dress, but s, the crowd was too strong for her to do anything.

    "Get out of my way!" A clear voice suddenly resounded loudly.

    The ce immediately turned silent, and a path quickly appeared in the crowd.

    A few momentster, the young woman in the seductive red clothes walked out of the crowd and stopped in front of Meixiu.

    "A naturally bored face and someone who doesn¡¯t understand ¡¯fun¡¯... You fit the description the Young Master gave me. Are you the Young Master¡¯s friend?" Feng Yuxiang asked Meixiu.

    "By Young Master, do you mean Yuan?" Meixiu asked.

    Feng Yuxiang nodded and said, "Looks like I have found the right person. Come with me, I¡¯ll bring you to the Eastern Continent so you can meet with the Young Master."

    Author¡¯s Note: For those confused about the numbers, it¡¯s Cultivation Speed x Base Qi Absorption Rate. Yuan¡¯s cultivation technique absorbs around 500 Qi per second, and it¡¯s 610% and 1610% of that 500, not 1000% of 3000.

 Chapter 267 A New Experience

    After meeting with Meixiu, Feng Yuxiang hugged Meixiu¡¯s waist and flew towards the heavens as she did with Yu Rou, and they proceeded to make their way towards the Eastern Continent.

    "T-This is..."

    Meixiu was shocked when Feng Yuxiang suddenly brought her into the air, and when she looked down, her body began trembling nonstop uncontrobly.

    "Hm? Are you scared of heights?" Feng Yuxiang asked Meixiu when she noticed her shaking.

    "I... I..." Meixiu was speechless. Since she has never flown in a ne or went to any tall ces before, she was never aware of her acrophobia. In other words, she was scared of heights.

    "Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t identally drop you or anything. You can close your eyes, too." Feng Yuxiang suggested this to her.

    Meixiu immediately closed her eyes, but the image of the distant ground still lingered inside her mind.

    "By the way, if you don¡¯t mind me asking, what¡¯s your rtionship with the Young Master? I know you¡¯re friends, but I want to know more about you and the Young Master." Feng Yuxiang suddenly asked her.

    "A friend, huh? Is that what Yuan said?" A slight smile appeared on Meixiu¡¯s face.

    "Hm? You¡¯re not friends? Then what are you to him?"

    "I¡¯m more of his caretaker¡ª a servant so to speak," Meixiu said.

    "Oh? You¡¯re his servant as well?" Feng Yuxiang said in a surprised tone. "I¡¯m also the Young Master¡¯s servant."

    Meixiu opened her eyes again to look at Feng Yuxiang with wide eyes filled with surprise. How could someone like her be a servant? She looks like a powerful madam from an influential family more than anything.

    "What¡¯s with that look? You don¡¯t believe me?" Feng Yuxiang raised her eyebrows at Meixiu¡¯s doubtful gaze.

    "Yuan... He called you a phoenix. Are you really a phoenix?" Meixiu suddenly asked.

    "That¡¯s right. I¡¯m a phoenix, but I have my powers sealed right now so I cannot show you." Feng Yuxiang nodded.

    "Is that so..."

    The two of them became silent afterward, and it remained that way for a couple of minutes until Feng Yuxiang suddenly said, "We¡¯ll take the teleportation device that¡¯s at the city of Liyang, which is about four hours away."

    "F-Four hours?" Meixiu was slightly surprised.

    "How long do you think it¡¯ll take us to reach the Eastern Continent and meet up with Yuan? Do you think we¡¯ll make it before sunrise?"

    While Meixiu didn¡¯t mind losing sleep for a single night, she couldn¡¯t neglect Yuan¡¯s breakfast no matter what.

    "By sunrise, huh? It¡¯s definitely doable, but I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ll be able to handle the speed, since you¡¯re a mortal..." Feng Yuxiang said to her.

    "I will be fine," said Meixiu.

    "If you say so..." Feng Yuxiang nodded, and she immediately raised her flying speed, nearly doubling it.

    "!!!"

    Meixiu could feel her chest tightening from the speed increase. Even though Feng Yuxiang shielded Meixiu from most of the wind pressure with her spiritual energy, it was still very powerful for a mortal who hasn¡¯t even started cultivating yet.

    Meanwhile, inside his own room, Yuan tried to activate his Divine Sense again.

    ¡¯Monster cores don¡¯t affect my real life cultivation when I consume them inside the game, but monster essences might be a different case... Hopefully, the Dragon Essence will finally enable me to use my Divine Sense in this world as well...¡¯

    With that in mind, Yuan took a deep breath and tried to activate his Divine Sense.

    "..."

    "..."

    "..."

    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.

    Yuan could feel his spiritual energy reacting to his attempt, but in the end, he was still unable to activate his Divine Sense.

    ¡¯I still can¡¯t activate my Divine Sense, however, there was a response at least! It shouldn¡¯t be long before I can actually use my Divine Sense! Maybe if I raise a couple more levels...¡¯

    Even though Yuan couldn¡¯t activate his Divine Sense yet, he was feeling more motivated and hopeful than ever.

    Thus, Yuan began cultivating.

    However, immediately after he began cultivating, Yuan noticed something different about his cultivation speed¡ª it¡¯d suddenly increased again.

    While it isn¡¯t as explosive as his cultivation improvements in Cultivation Online, it was still a pretty big differencepared to thest time he¡¯d cultivated, and his cultivation quickly moved towards 5th level Spirit Warrior.

    Two hours have passed since Feng Yuxiang and Meixiu met, and they¡¯d just arrived at the city of Liyang, arriving two hours earlier than anticipated.

    Feng Yuxiangnded directly in front of the city¡¯s entrance, shocking the guards there.

    "Seniors!"

    Everybody there bowed to Feng Yuxiang when theynded, startling Meixiu who knew nothing about Cultivators and their culture. It was a new experience for her.

    "How may we help you, Esteemed Seniors?" The guards in front of them said before bowing to them again.

    "We¡¯re here to use the teleportation device," said Feng Yuxiang.

    "I understand. Please, follow us."

    The guard proceeded to lead Feng Yuxiang and Meixiu into the city and towards the teleportation device.

    On the way, Meixiu looked around the scenery and the people there with a somewhat intrigued gaze.

    Since she rarely leaves the house and only goes out to go to school with Yu Rou, Meixiu doesn¡¯t have much experience in the outside world.

    "You¡¯re somewhat different from what the Young Master described." Feng Yuxiang suddenly said to her.

    "Me? What did he say about me?" Meixiu asked her with a curious look.

    Feng Yuxiang smiled and said, "The Young Master said it¡¯s hard for you to find entertainment in things, almost like you¡¯re always bored."

    "I see..."

    To Feng Yuxiang¡¯s surprise, a somewhat sweet smile appeared on Meixiu¡¯s face.

    Sometimeter, they arrived at the teleportation device.

    "Where would you like to go, Esteemed Seniors?" The guard guiding them asked.

    "The Eastern Continent." Feng Yuxiang immediately responded.

    "The Eastern Continent... That¡¯s a little bit far..." A perplexed expression appeared on the guard¡¯s face.

    Seeing the guard¡¯s face, Feng Yuxiang continued, "Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯re not going to use the teleportation device for free. I¡¯ll pay for it."

    The guard¡¯s expression immediately rxed after hearing Feng Yuxiang¡¯s words, and he quickly nodded, "I understand! Please, follow me to the front!"

 Chapter 268 Nothing Is Impossible In the Cultivation World!

    "Excuse me! Coming through!"

    The guard forcefully led Feng Yuxiang and Meixiu through the crowd that was waiting in line for their turn at the teleportation device.

    This caused the people already in line to frown, especially since most of them were from somewhat big families, and this was a p in the face to them since they had to stand in line like everybody else.

    "Hey! What gives? Howe they get to skip the line while the rest of us stand here?! What¡¯s so special about them?!" Someone in the line suddenly shouted out loud in a frustrated voice, calling them out.

    "That¡¯s right! Do you know who I am?!"

    "I¡¯llin to the Mayor!"

    The guard quickly turned around and responded to that person in a sarcastic voice, "Well, if you have the ability to fly, I will also allow you to skip the line. How does that sound?"

    "Fly?"

    The people there raised their eyebrows in a puzzled manner.

    "Do you have a problem with us going first?" Feng Yuxiang suddenly turned around and spoke, even releasing a little bit of her Spirit Grandmaster cultivation base.

    "S-Spirit Grandmaster!"

    The people there were immensely shocked by Feng Yuxiang¡¯s cultivation base. Just where on earth did this Spirit Grandmastere from? And howe they don¡¯t recognize her?

    "Please forgive us, Senior Grandmaster!"

    The people there quickly lowered their heads and apologized to Feng Yuxiang.

    Feng Yuxiang didn¡¯t say anything else and continued to approach the teleportation device with Meixiu following behind her.

    ¡¯How overbearing...¡¯ Meixiu thought to herself, yet she found it somewhat admirable.

    A few momentster, they arrived in front of the teleportation device.

    "Esteemed Seniors, because the Eastern Continent is very far away, we can only teleport you to three ces. Are you fine with that?" The person managing the teleportation device asked them.

    Feng Yuxiang nodded and said, "Teleport us to the one closest to the Dragon Essence Temple."

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    "The Dragon Essence Temple, right? Give me a moment to look at the map..."

    The worker proceeded to look at therge map that was pinned to a portable board nearby; it had the location of every city in the Lower Heavens with a teleportation device.

    "That would be the Iron Lotus City, which is approximately 290,000 miles from our current location. As for the price... It will be 3,400,000 gold, Esteemed Seniors."

    ¡¯3,400,000 gold!¡¯ Meixiu was inwardly shocked when she heard the astronomical amount of gold needed to use the teleportation device.

    Yu Rou had told her about the exchange rates for Cultivation Online gold and real-life money, and it was about one gold for every seven dors. In this case, 3,400,000 gold was worth at least 23,800,000 dors!

    This amount of money is more than enough to feed an entire family luxuriously for their entire life, and they¡¯re going to spend all of it on transportation? Not even the richest family in their world would dare to spend sovishly.

    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡¯Just how on earth did Yuan make someone like her into his servant?¡¯ Meixiu couldn¡¯t help but be curious.

    "Here¡¯s 2,500 spirit stones. Keep the change." Feng Yuxiang handed a storage pouch to the worker in a nonchnt manner, acting as though she was only buying some cheap food.

    "T-Thank you very much, Esteemed Senior! Please give me a moment to prepare the teleportation device for you."

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    The worker epted the storage pouch with excitement before counting the spirit stones inside.

    Once he confirmed the payment, the worker went to set the settings on the teleportation device so it would teleport them to their desired location.

    A few minutester, the worker returned to them and said, "The teleportation device is ready. Just let me know when and I¡¯ll activate it. Once activated, you have 60 seconds to enter the teleportation device before it loses power."

    Feng Yuxiang turned to look at Meixiu and asked her, "Are you ready?"

    Meixiu nodded.

    "Let¡¯s go then."

    The two of them stood before the teleportation device a few momentster, and once the worker activated the device, they walked into the portal.

    Meixiu felt a little dizzy after entering the teleportation device and the feeling lingered for some time even after the teleportation was finished.

    "Are you okay?" Feng Yuxiang asked her.

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    "Yes... Just a little dizzy."

    "I¡¯m surprised you didn¡¯t throw up since mortals can¡¯t handle much spiritual energy, and you¡¯d just walked through a portal created from arge amount of spiritual energy." Feng Yuxiang said to her.

    And she continued, "You must have a strong soul strength. Makes me wonder why you¡¯re not a Cultivator. You might have the talent for it."

    "I... have no reason to be a Cultivator," Meixiu said.

    After all, she only joined the game so she could help Yuan out.

    "No reason? There are plenty of reasons for one to be a Cultivator! Wealth, fame, status, power... Do you not have desires?" Feng Yuxiang asked her.

    "My desire..." A certain thought appeared in her mind.

    "I do have one, but bing a Cultivator won¡¯t help me realize that dream. It¡¯s impossible." Meixiu shook her head.

    "Impossible? Nothing is impossible in the cultivation world! At least this is what I learned after following the Young Master for a short time."

    "Yuan?" Meixiu raised her eyebrows.

    Feng Yuxiang nodded and said, "That¡¯s right. The Young Master is an incredible existence with a limitless future. I have only been with him for a few weeks and I can only imagine how strong he¡¯ll grow in the future."

    "Anyways, we can continue this conversationter. Are you still dizzy? We won¡¯t make it to the Dragon Essence Temple by sunrise if we linger around for too long." Feng Yuxiang said to her.

    "I am okay. We can continue." Meixiu nodded.

    "Okay."

    The two of them returned to the air shortlyter, and Feng Yuxiang continued chatting with Meixiu like they were already friends while they soared in the clouds. Perhaps it was due to their simr background as Yuan¡¯s servant, but Feng Yuxiang found Meixiu to be an interesting individual who was very different from the average person.

 Chapter 269 We Should Play Together

    Ssh!

    Right as the sun began rising at the horizon in the real world, a refreshing sensation surged from Yuan¡¯s body as he made a breakthrough and reached 5th level Spirit Warrior.

    After the breakthrough, Yuan stopped cultivating and tried to activate his Divine Sense again.

    A few momentster, he stopped and thought to himself, ¡¯I still can¡¯t activate my Divine Sense, but I can feel its progress. Just a little more...¡¯

    Meanwhile, inside the game, Feng Yuxiang said to Meixiu after flying for many hours without rest, "I can see the Dragon Essence Temple. We¡¯ve arrived."

    "Hmm?"

    Meixiu, who was just asleep, slowly opened her eyes to see the Dragon Essence Temple in the distance.

    "This is a sect? It looks no different than a city," she mumbled.

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    "Most sects are a city itself, but unlike normal cities, only its disciples or approved guests are allowed inside. Furthermore, there are no businesses in sects. While there may be a few, it¡¯s all set up by the sect and not for profit." Feng Yuxiang exined to her.

    "Anyways, it¡¯s sunrise. Let¡¯s get you to the Young Master¡¯s living quarters."

    Feng Yuxiang then silently flew towards the Dragon Essence Temple beforending in the backyard of Yuan¡¯s living quarters a few minutester since she didn¡¯t have the keys to the house.

    Once theynded, Meixiu said to Feng Yuxiang, "Thank you for bringing me here, Senior Feng. I have to leave now."

    Feng Yuxiang nodded, "I was just doing my job. Anyways, you can call me Feng Feng like the Young Master."

    Meixiu logged off the game shortlyter whilst Feng Yuxiang rxed in the backyard to wait for Yuan to return.

    After logging off the game, Meixiu removed the helmet from her head and sat on the bed with a somewhat dazed look on her face.

    "Cultivation Online... What an experience... It really felt like I was living in another world just now." Meixiu mumbled to herself, and she finally understood why the hype and poprity for this game existed, as it waspletely justified.

    After sitting there for a few moments, Meixiu stood up and went to prepare breakfast for Yuan, and to her surprise, she didn¡¯t feel any fatigue or sleepy like she¡¯d expected after staying inside the game for the entire night.

    While the soup cooked, Meixiu went to wash her face, brush her teeth, and prepare for school.

    Once breakfast was prepared, Meixiu knocked on Yuan¡¯s room and said, "It¡¯s time for breakfast."

    "I¡¯m awake." Yuan¡¯s voice resounded.

    Meixiu opened the door and pushed the mini cart inside his room.

    "I met with Feng Fengst night, and she took me from the Western Continent to the Eastern Continent, even arriving at your living quarters right before I logged off," Meixiu said as she fed Yuan breakfast.

    "Oh? Already? That was quicker than I¡¯d expected. How did it go? Did you enjoy it?" Yuan asked her.

    "..."

    After a moment of silence, Meixiu said, "Yes, I enjoyed it. It was a unique and mythical experience. Meeting Feng Feng, learning about cultivators and the cultivation world, using the teleportation device, and the most shocking experience of all¡ª flying in the sky."

    "As long as you had fun. I know you only intend on ying the game so you can help me sell items and gold, but you should really consider ying with me. We can travel the cultivation world and experience everything together."

    Meixiu¡¯s eyes widened when she heard Yuan¡¯s unexpected words, which left her speechless for a good moment.

    "What do you think, Meixiu? You¡¯re always working, even as a child. In fact, I think we¡¯re very simr, in the sense that we¡¯re always working for the same ce. If it weren¡¯t for my sudden condition, I¡¯m pretty sure that I would still be working for the Yu Family even right now. This may sound crazy, but I no longer see my condition as a curse. Perhaps it is even a blessing in disguise."

    "Telling me to y with you... Is that amand?" Meixiu suddenly asked him.

    "Of course not. It¡¯s a request, Meixiu. If you don¡¯t want to y with me, that¡¯s fine. However, from your words just now, I could tell that you really enjoyed your time in Cultivation Online. If that¡¯s the case, you might as well continue ying. You might even find another purpose in life besides working as I did."

    "Are you really fine with me being by your side in Cultivation Online as well?" Meixiu asked again, her voice sounding somewhat nervous.

    "Why did you make it sound like I can¡¯t stand your presence? Even though we¡¯ve always been near each other for almost our entire lives, I¡¯ve never once had such thoughts, and we¡¯ve never really yed together before. This is a great opportunity to do so."

    "But I don¡¯t really have the time..." Meixiu sighed.

    "It¡¯s fine. We can y together whenever you¡¯re free or don¡¯t have school on the weekends. I also don¡¯t mind missing a meal once in a while so we can y more." Yuan said with a smile on his face.

    After a moment of silence, Meixiu said, "Okay. I understand. I¡¯ll y with you."

    "That¡¯s great!"

    After breakfast, Meixiu went to school with Yu Rou whilst Yuan continued his training inside cultivation online.

    "Oh, right. I should go meet with Feng Feng first since she¡¯s probably waiting for me¡ª"

    Right as Yuan thought about returning to his living quarters to meet up with Feng Yuxiang, a trail of mes could be seen traveling in the sky like a shooting star, flying toward Yuan¡¯s location.

    And for some reason, Yuan immediately recognized this me.

    "Feng Feng?"

    A few momentster, Feng Yuxiang entered Yuan¡¯s body.

    "I¡¯m back, Young Master," she said to him afterward.

    "Wee back, Feng Feng. And thank you for your hard work. I¡¯ll let you drink some of my bloodter." Yuan said to her.

    "Really? Thank you, Young Master!" Feng Yuxiang¡¯s excited voice quickly resounded, as it has been some time since she tasted his delicious blood.

 Chapter 270 Three Years Old

    After Feng Yuxiang returned to his body, Yuan sat down on the soft ground and began his cultivation.

    The still atmosphere suddenly changed when Yuan started to absorb the spiritual energy in the air, and a small tornado appeared around him once again.

    [+8,174 Qi]

    [+8,412 Qi]

    [+8,059 Qi]

    Feng Yuxiang was greatly shocked when she saw this, as she¡¯d just returned and didn¡¯t know about the Dragon Essence.

    "What¡¯s happening? Did the Young Master consume a treasure that increased his cultivation speed?" Feng Yuxiang decided to ask Xiao Hua using her spiritual sense.

    "Brother Yuan absorbed a Minor Dragon Essence, which gave him not only increased Soul Strength but also cultivation speed... I think." Xiao Hua responded to her.

    "What! Dragon Essence?! Soul Strength! That¡¯s the rarest property one can obtain from essences! How lucky!" Feng Yuxiang grew even more shocked after hearing this.

    "Wait... Cultivation speed? I have never heard of essences giving such an effect before," she suddenly realized.

    "You may not know this, but Brother Yuan not only has the ability to consume monster cores. He can even obtain their abilities after consuming them. Perhaps it also applies to essences."

    "What! That¡¯s impos¡ª"

    Feng Yuxiang wanted to say that such a thing couldn¡¯t be possible, but after recalling Yuan¡¯s unfathomable talents and his legendary physique, she decided to not continue that sentence.

    After a moment of silence, Xiao Hua suddenly spoke, "Phoenix, you¡¯re a Divine Beast as well, right? Why don¡¯t you create some Phoenix Essence for Brother Yuan."

    "You make it sound like it¡¯s easy making essence..." Feng Yuxiang responded in a sighing voice.

    "I also have my powers sealed, so I cannot do that in a reasonable amount of time. Perhaps once the curse is lifted, I will be able to create some Phoenix Essence for the Young Master, but in my current condition, that¡¯s impossible."

    Yuan cultivated in silence, not moving from that spot for ten hours straight.

    At the end of the day, he¡¯d obtained a little over 300 million Qi. In just two days, Yuan had managed to umte around 500 million Qi, which is enough Qi for someone at first level Spirit Apprentice to enter 4th level Spirit Warrior.

    After he stopped cultivating, Yuan logged off the game to wait for Meixiu to return from school.

    For more, visit [.

    Sometimeter, Meixiu returned home, cooked dinner, and began feeding Yuan.

    Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.

    "Yuan... Can I ask you why you decided to use this name?" Meixiu suddenly asked him.

    "..."

    After a moment of silence, Yuan said, "That was my name before I was adopted."

    "Eh?"

    Meixiu¡¯s eyes widened slightly from surprise. Now that she thought about it, she didn¡¯t know anything about Yuan¡¯s life before he was adopted into the Yu Family.

    "As you already know, I was adopted into the Yu Family when I was just three years old. Yu Rou was still a baby at that time so she doesn¡¯t know about it. I don¡¯t know my real parents and when I was in the orphanage, everyone would call me Yuan."

    "I see..."

    "Do you know why I was adopted into the Yu Family in the first ce?" Yuan suddenly asked her.

    "I do not..." Meixiu said.

    "Someone had posted to the inte a video of a three-year-old ying a piano, which immediately became an inte sensation. Of course, that kid was me, and when the Yu Family saw that video, they decided to adopt me and trained me so I can y for the family¡ª at least that¡¯s why I think I was adopted. Otherwise, I cannot imagine the Yu Family adopting me for any other reason."

    Meixiu was speechless after learning this for the first time. So the Yu Family adopted Yuan merely for his musical talents? Of course, this made sense and wasn¡¯t too shocking considering how the Yu Family treated him after Yuan could no longer y the instruments.

    "I¡¯m sorry..." Meixiu suddenly apologized to him.

    "Why are you apologizing to me? You¡¯re not the one at fault here." Yuan chuckled.

    "I know, but I am also part of the Yu Family." Meixiu sighed.

    Once dinner was finished, Meixiu went to do her necessities before going to sleep.

    ¡¯Even though I missed sleepst night, I didn¡¯t feel tired or sleepy at all during school today. How weird...¡¯ Meixiu thought to herself

    Although she was trained to do her job even with very little to no sleep, it was odd for her to feel no fatigue despitecking sleep.

    The following day, Yuan returned to Cultivation Online and proceeded to spend another 10 hours cultivating, bringing the total of Qi absorbed to 800 million.

    ¡¯I am still about 2 billion Qi away from Spirit Master... I might now make it to Spirit Master before the Mystic Realm even with my increased cultivation speed.¡¯ Yuan thought to himself.

    Three dayster, Yuan absorbed another 900 million Qi, umted 1.7 billion Qi.

    Meanwhile, at Carp Leaping Over Dragon¡¯s Gate Tower, the gamble between Long Yijun and the other Sect Master has finallye to an end.

    "Hahaha!" Long Yijun exploded withughter as thest disciple walked out of the tower with a defeated look on his face, the results obvious.

    "Looks like none of your disciples were able to defeat all 100 floors! I win this bet! Now, hand over your treasures!" Long Yijun said to the fuming Sect Masters with a wide smug on his face.

    "This isn¡¯t the end, Sect Master Long! We¡¯ll be back after the Mystic Realm!" The Sect Masters there said to him as they reluctantly retrieved their Divine-grade treasures and handed them to Long Yijun in front of the spectators, shocking them greatly.

    "Heavens! I thought this entire event was just for show! To think there was so much on the line!" The disciples watched with salivating mouths as Long Yijun held four Divine-grade treasures at once.

    "We¡¯re leaving!" The other Sect Masters didn¡¯t dare to stay any longer and said to their disciples.

    "You¡¯re leaving already? Don¡¯t you want to stay behind a little longer? Perhaps we can sit down for a drink or something!" Long Yijun said to them in a sarcastic voice.

    "Hmph!"

    The Sect Masters pretended they couldn¡¯t hear him and disappeared from the Dragon Essence Temple without looking back.

 Chapter 271 Last Two Spots

    After the Sect Masters and their disciples left, Long Yijun returned to his headquarters with the other high-ranking sect elders.

    "Hahaha! What a bunch of idiots! They really thought they were going to defeat the tower!" Long Yijunughed merrily as he looked at the four Divine-grade treasures in his grasp.

    "Sect Master, what should we do now? While it¡¯s great that we¡¯ve obtained these Divine-grade treasures, I highly doubt the other sects will just let us keep them." Elder Xuan suddenly asked.

    And he continued, "They¡¯ll definitelye back for them."

    Long Yijun stoppedughing after hearing Elder Xuan¡¯s words and nodded with a serious look on his face, "I am well aware of that. We also have no need for these Divine-grade treasures, so I intend on selling it back to them."

    "How much do you intend on selling it for?" Elder Bai suddenly asked.

    Long Yijun showed a malicious grin and said, "The full price, of course!"

    The sect elders were startled, but they were not shocked by Long Yijun¡¯s response.

    A Divine-grade treasure is not something one can just buy even if they have enough money¡ª at least not in the Lower Heavens where it¡¯s extremely scarce, especially when they are powerful treasures that have been passed down for generations.

    If the Dragon Essence Temple had lost their Dragon ying Saber, despite their wealth, they would have needed to sacrifice a few decades of resources at the very least to purchase it back from the other sects. That¡¯s how ridiculously priceless these Divine-grade treasures were.

    However, unless the other sects are willing to wage war against the Dragon Essence Temple to get their treasures back, they could only grit their teeth and pay the Dragon Essence Temple every coin for their treasures back.

    "By the way, how¡¯s Disciple Yuan? Is he currently training at Dragon¡¯s Peak?" Long Yijun suddenly asked Elder Xuan.

    "Yes, I took him there the same day you asked me. However, Disciple Fei is currently in closed cultivation, so she will have to enter the Dragon¡¯s Peak at another time," said Elder Xuan.

    Long Yijun nodded and said, "That¡¯s fine. With the Mystic Realm right around the corner, the most important thing right now is making sure Disciple Yuan is prepared."

    "Although we don¡¯t know what will happen in the Mystic Realm this year, it¡¯s definitely not going to be easy even with Disciple Yuan assisting us. Therefore, we need to make sure he has everything he needs."

    "By the way, Sect Master, it appears that there are many people looking for Disciple Yuan. It¡¯s also why we¡¯ve been bombarded with visitorstely. Apparently, they are here for Disciple Yuan, and Disciple Yuan doesn¡¯t want to be found by them¡ª at least that¡¯s what I think."

    "What? Who are these people looking for Disciple Yuan? And what do they want from him?" Long Yijun immediately frowned.

    "We only know that these people are mostly rogue cultivators without any backgrounds. The sect elders have questioned a few of them, and these rogue cultivators all say the same thing¡ª ¡¯I just want to speak with ¡¯yer Yuan¡¯," said Elder Xuan.

    "yer Yuan? Is that Disciple Yuan¡¯s title or something?" Long Yijun raised his eyebrows in a puzzled manner.

    And then he said, "Anyways, regardless of their reason, if Disciple Yuan doesn¡¯t want to be bothered by these people, we will assist him. Tighten up the security. Nobody is allowed near the sect unless authorized by me from now on. If they dare get close, beat them up!"

    Hearing Long Yijun¡¯smand, the sect elders responded, "Yes, Sect Master!"

    "One more thing, Sect Master. This is regarding thest two spots for the Mystic Realm." Elder Shan said a momentter, and she continued, "Do we have any names yet?"

    "I was just about to bring this topic up." Long Yijun nodded.

    "Does anyone here have any rmendations? I¡¯ve been too focused on Disciple Yuan and haven¡¯t paid much attention to the other Core Disciples."

    "Well... Besides Disciple Yuan, I can only think of two disciples who qualify for the Mystic Realm." Elder Bai said.

    "So you¡¯re also thinking about those two, huh?" Long Yijun mumbled.

    He then looked around and asked, "Do any of you have objections to letting those two disciples participate in the Mystic Realm with Disciple Yuan?"

    Elder Shan then asked, "Just to be clear, these two disciples are..."

    "It¡¯s Gao Dongya and Xue Jiye," said Long Yijun.

    Gao Dongya is the current leader on the Core Disciple¡¯s Power Ranking. He only became a Core Disciple three years ago and immediately shot up the rankings within months, reaching first ce in less than a year of bing a Core Disciple, and he has been in that position since then like an immovable mountain.

    As for Xue Jiye, while she is only ranked 13th in the leaderboards, she only recently became a Core Disciple half a year ago. In terms of talents and potential, she was on par with Gao Dongya.

    "When should we make the announcement?" Elder Xuan then asked.

    "Tomorrow." Long Yijun immediately responded.

    The sect elders there nodded their heads.

    Meanwhile, in the real world, after dinner, Yuan said to Meixiu, "The Mystic Realm ising up and I am very close to making a breakthrough, so I will stay in the game tonight to cultivate."

    "Okay." Meixiu agreed without anyints.

    Thus, Yuan went back into the game sometimeter, and he proceeded to spend the entire night cultivating. While increasing his cultivation in the real world is important, he also didn¡¯t want to disappoint those who were counting on him for the Mystic Realm.

    [+8,019 Qi]

    [+8,132 Qi]

    [+8,252 Qi]

    After spending the entire night cultivating, Yuan gained another 250 million Qi, moving towards Spirit Master at a rapid rate!

    ¡¯I have only about a billion Qi left. If I continue to cultivate at this pace for two more days, I should be able to breakthrough to Spirit Master!¡¯ Yuan thought to himself as he logged off at sunrise for breakfast before returning to the game for another day of cultivation.Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

 Chapter 272 The Three Names

    Early in the morning shortly after sunrise, Long Yijun summoned all of the Core Disciples within the Dragon Essence Temple.

    Once they received this summoning, regardless of what they were doing, even if they were in closed cultivation at the Immortal Caves, the Core Disciples gathered at the location of the gathering within an hour.

    "I was wondering when they¡¯ll announce this year¡¯s participants for the Mystic Realm."

    "Right? They usually announce it a month before the Mystic Realm, but this year they waited until the veryst minute."

    The Core Disciples there mumbled to each other while they waited for Long Yijun to show up.

    "I was getting worried that they might¡¯ve forgotten about it for a second."

    "Forget about the Mystic Realm that will determine a sect¡¯s ranking? Nobody would forget such an important event!"

    "Who do you think will get the spots for the Mystic Realm?"

    "I think we all know who¡¯ll be upying the first and second spot."

    "It¡¯ll probably be Gao Dongya and Xue Jiye, right?"

    "Probably? You mean most likely? Out of all of us, they¡¯re the most prominent in terms of potential. The only question is who¡¯ll get the third spot."

    "What about Liang Qichao? He¡¯s always mentioned when one talks about Gao Dongya and Xue Jiye."

    "It¡¯s possible, but who knows, really. Everyone here has a chance to obtain that third spot."

    While the Core Disciples there made their guesses on who¡¯ll upy the third spot, Fei Yuyan stood at the back of the crowd like a bystander with a nonchnt look on her face.

    ¡¯Even though he¡¯s not a Core Disciple, it¡¯s already obvious that they¡¯ll pick him for the third spot...¡¯ The image of Yuan¡¯s handsome face appeared in Fei Yuyan¡¯s head as she thought about him.

    Suddenly, someone tapped her on the shoulder, causing her to turn around.

    "What do you want?" Fei Yuyan immediately frowned after seeing Xuan Wuhan standing behind her with an innocent-looking smile on her face.

    "Who do you think will get the third spot for the Mystic Realm?" Xuan Wuhan suddenly asked her.

    Fei Yuyan silently looked at her for a moment before speaking, "You should already know the answer to that question. Are you making fun of me?"

    "You¡¯re no fun at all." Xuan Wuhan shrugged, and then she continued, "Are you disappointed?"

    "Why would I be? I never hoped to be picked for the Mystic Realm in the first ce." Fei Yuyan said.

    "Haaa..." Xuan Wuhan sighed and said, "Sometimes I wonder why you¡¯re even in the Dragon Essence Temple. You would fit more with the Heavenly Melody Academy instead."

    "..."

    Fei Yuyan remained silent at her remarks.

    A few momentster, someone there suddenly said, "Look! It¡¯s Gao Dongya! He¡¯s managed to break through to the 7th level of the Spirit Warrior realm during his closed cultivation!"

    "Heavens! Another breakthrough? When was hisst breakthrough? Four months ago? I swear, it feels like he¡¯s always one level higher every time I see him. At this rate, he¡¯ll reach Spirit Master before he turns 30! What monstrous talents!"

    A handsome young man with long ck hair, eyes, and wearing a ck disciple uniform could be seen slowly walking towards the disciples with a nonchnt look on his face, causing the disciples there to swallow nervously when they were met by his gaze.

    Once Gao Dongya arrived at the gathering area, the ce grew significantly quieter.

    Though, a couple of female disciples there approached him and began trying to start a conversation with him.

    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g

    "Senior Brother Gao, congrattions on getting a spot. Although it hasn¡¯t been announced yet, we¡¯re confident that you¡¯ll definitely be picked."

    "Congrattions on your breakthrough, Senior Brother Gao. We should have a celebration or something at my living quarterster."

    The other Core Disciples acted as though they couldn¡¯t hear their obvious flirting as it was amon sight for the top disciples to have admirers.

    "Che. What a bunch of sluts. Just wait until they learn about Yuan. I won¡¯t be surprised even if they removed their clothes on the spot for him. Don¡¯t you think so, Disciple Fei?" Xuan Wuhan asked her in a low voice.

    "..."

    Fei Yuyan looked at Xuan Wuhan with disbelief on her face, but she managed to resist herself from responding to that im in the end.

    A few minutester, the disciples began talking again as a pretty youngdy approached the crowd.

    "Looks like Xue Jiye also experienced a breakthrough. Third level Spirit Warrior at 20 years old. Her talents are definitely on par with Gao Dongya if not slightly behind."

    And just like how the female disciples surrounded Gao Dongya, some of the male disciples there approached Xue Jiye and began trying to strike a conversation with her.

    "Congrattions on your breakthrough, Fairy Xue. Just a nce and I can already tell that you¡¯ve be prettier."

    "Fairy Xue, how about we have breakfast at the Dragon Pavilion after this gathering? It¡¯ll be my treat."

    Sometimeter, Long Yijun and a few of the higher ranking sect elders such as Elder Xuan and Elder Shan arrived at the gathering area.

    "Greetings, Sect Master! Greetings, Grand Elders!"

    Every disciple there lowered their heads and greeted them the moment they got close enough.

    After standing still, Long Yijun spoke in a loud voice, "I¡¯m sure you all know why I gathered all of you here today. The Mystic Realm is in four days, and we will be announcing the disciples that were chosen to represent the Dragon Essence Temple and participate in the Mystic Realm right now!"

    Long Yijun cleared his throat before going straight into the subject without any speeches like usual, "The disciples that will be participating in the Mystic Realm will be Disciple Gao Dongya and Disciple Xue Jiye!"

    The Core Disciples didn¡¯t react much to the announcement since they had already expected this result, and they all patiently waited for the third name.

    However, to the disciples¡¯ surprise, Long Yijun said in a calm voice, "That¡¯s all."

    "What?"

    The disciples¡¯ eyes widened with shock and disbelief. What about the third spot? There should be three disciples in total participating in the Mystic Realm! Where¡¯s the third name?! What happened to the third spot?!

 Chapter 273 Whos the Third Disciple?

    "S-Sect Master! That¡¯s only two names! What happened to the third spot? I thought we were given three spots for the Mystic Realm?!" One of the disciples there decided to ask him.

    Long Yijun turned to look at the disciple who just spoke and responded in a calm voice, "Indeed, the Dragon Essence Temple has been given three spots, and there will be three disciples participating in the Mystic Realm. However, I won¡¯t be naming the third disciple for now."

    Long Yijun¡¯s words dumbfounded the disciples. He won¡¯t be naming the third disciple? Is it because they haven¡¯t decided on the third person yet or do they want to keep this individual hidden for some reason?

    "..."

    Gao Dongya narrowed his eyes with an uncertain expression on his face.

    Meanwhile, Xue Jiye raised her eyebrows and thought to herself, ¡¯The Sect Master is clearly trying to hide this individual... But why?¡¯

    After pondering for a moment, the image of two glowing golden eyes behind a ck jade mask appeared in her thoughts, causing her body to tremble.

    ¡¯It couldn¡¯t be!¡¯ Xue Jiye cried inwardly after recalling the cultivation prodigy who¡¯d managed toprehend 100 percent of the Tablet of Comprehension when she participated as an observer.

    While the Dragon Essence Temple has never sent a disciple that wasn¡¯t a Core Disciple to the Mystic Realm, there were no rules stating that it must be a Core Disciple!

    ¡¯It¡¯s possible! That masked person might take the third spot!¡¯ Xue Jiye thought to herself.

    However, she hasn¡¯t heard of this person ever since the disciple examination ended.

    ¡¯What happened to that person, anyway? Did he join the sect? Or did he leave?¡¯ Xue Jiye wondered to herself, feeling the desire to meet with this cultivation genius once again.

    Sometimeter, another disciple raised his hands and asked, "Sect Master, does that mean you¡¯ve already picked a disciple for the third spot or you¡¯re still thinking?"

    The disciples there swallowed nervously after hearing that question, as they also had the same question in their mind.

    Long Yijun quickly responded, "The third spot is already upied by a disciple."

    "If that¡¯s the case, why can¡¯t you tell us who this disciple is? While we have noints about Disciple Gao and Disciple Xue participating in the Mystic Realm since they definitely qualify more than us, we cannot say the same for this third disciple," said a disciple.

    And he continued, "And if I¡¯m correct, we¡¯re allowed to challenge the sect¡¯s decision if we, the Core Disciples, believe that someone isn¡¯t qualified to participate in the Mystic Realm, as that¡¯s how it¡¯s always been."

    "Indeed, you may challenge the sect¡¯s decision. However, that only applies when the disciple in question is questionable. In this case, it is without a doubt that this disciple qualifies for the Mystic Realm." Long Yijun said in a confident voice.

    The disciples exchanged puzzled nces with each other. Just who is this disciple that has so much support and confidence from the Sect Master? Hell, even the sect elders there showed no signs of doubt, clearly showing their support for the Sect Master.

    Seeing the doubtful atmosphere, Long Yijun suddenly smiled and said, "How about this? I am willing to bet my position as Sect Master of this sect that this disciple will, without a doubt, bring the Dragon Essence Temple to at least rank 3 at the Mystic Realm. If we achieve any less, I will resign from my position."

    "WHAT?!"

    Not just the disciples but even the sect elders there were greatly baffled by Long Yijun¡¯s announcement.

    "S-Sect Master! That¡¯s a little..." Elder Xuan said to him in a nervous voice.

    While he also believes that Yuan would achieve a high rank in the Mystic Realm, nothing in this world is certain, especially when ites to the Mystic Realm.

    "Sect Master, you don¡¯t have to do that. We won¡¯t doubt your decision any longer, so please, take back that statement!"

    The disciples said to him in a panicked manner, as they couldn¡¯t have expected such a turn of events.

    However, Long Yijun remained resolute and said, "This is not about your trust in me¡ª but my trust in this disciple and my own judgment! If my judgment turns out to be wrong and it costs the Dragon Essence Temple the Mystic Realm, I don¡¯t deserve to be the Sect Master! That¡¯s all!"

    The ce quickly turned dead silent as nobody there could find any words to say to Long Yijun who was clearly very adamant about keeping to his words.

    "Does anyone here have anything else to say before I let you all go?" Long Yijun asked them after a moment of silence.

    The disciples remained silent, as their only question could not be answered at this moment.

    "Then everybody but Gao Dongya and Xue Jiye may leave." Long Yijun said to them a few momentster.

    Once all of the disciples beside the two Mystic Realm participants left, Long Yijun said to them, "Follow me."

    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    Gao Dongya and Xue Jiye nodded their heads before following Long Yijun back to the sect master¡¯s headquarters, where Long Yijun proceeded to give them more details about the Mystic Realm.

    "As you already know, the Mystic Realm is a month-long event where disciples from their respective sect must work together to obtain points by aplishing feats within the Mystic Realm. Of course, this means that the sects with more slots have the advantage since they have more hands helping each other. But don¡¯t worry, I am confident that even with three people, we¡¯ll do fine. Teamwork is a must in the Mystic Realm, and I want the two of you to get used to each other over the next four days."

    Hearing Long Yijun¡¯s words, Gao Dongyu spoke in a calm voice, "If that¡¯s the case, wouldn¡¯t it be better if all three participants are here? How can we strengthen our rtionships with each other if one of us is missing?"

    Long Yijun then said, "He¡¯s currently cultivating at Dragon¡¯s Peak right now so that¡¯s impossible. However, once he¡¯s done, I will definitely let you guys meet."

 Chapter 274 Rainbow Koi

    "He¡¯s training at Dragon¡¯s Peak?"

    Both Gao Dongya and Xue Jiye were surprised by this since even Core Disciples such as them would need to go through a lot of trouble before they¡¯re allowed to cultivate there.

    "Anyways, let¡¯s continue." Long Yijun said, and he proceeded to speak more about the Mystic Realm to the two disciples.

    Meanwhile, at Dragon¡¯s Peak, Yuan suddenly stopped cultivating and stood up before shouting, "Oh no! I totally forgot about the lecture for the Inner Court disciple!"

    "Eh? Lecture?" Fang Yuxiang asked him.

    "It was supposed to happen after the Inner Court Disciple Examination, but I¡¯d forgotten about it because of the Dragon Essence! What a blunder... I hope my absence didn¡¯t cause any inconvenience..." he sighed.

    "It¡¯s just a lecture, Young Master. You should be more worried about the Mystic Realm than some introduction ss." Feng Yuxiang said.

    "Oh, right. Speaking of the Mystic Realm, do you know anything about this ce, Xiao Hua, Feng Feng?" Yuan asked after sitting down again.

    "No, Xiao Hua doesn¡¯t know anything about the Mystic Realm." Xiao Hua said, surprising Yuan since she¡¯s usually the most knowledgeable.

    "I know about it." Feng Yuxiang¡¯s voice quickly resounded, and she continued, "It¡¯s a veryrge event in the Lower Heavens that only urs once every 10 years."

    "It¡¯s an event where only the most powerful sects in the Lower Heavens can participate, and the results will determine the sects¡¯ rank for the next decade, so it¡¯s very important to these elite sects that care so much about their position."

    "As for the participants in question, if you perform well and catch the attention of the judges, there¡¯s a very small chance that you¡¯ll be given the chance to be a disciple at one of the sects that exist in the upper heaven¡ª Spirit Heaven."

    "Wait a second... Does this mean the judges for this Mystic Realm are people from the upper heavens?" Yuan asked.

    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    "That¡¯s right. The Mystic Realm is organized by 7 different sects from the upper heavens. It¡¯s a tradition that has existed since ancient times." Feng Yuxiang said.

    "I see... Anything else?"

    "Let¡¯s talk about the Mystic Realm itself. From what I heard, the Mystic Realm is actually a world of its own, meaning it doesn¡¯t belong to any of the heavens," said Feng Yuxiang.

    "Anyways, while I haven¡¯t been to the Mystic Realm myself, I have heard plenty of stories about it. Inside the Mystic Realm, your cultivation base is wiped, so it¡¯s almost like you¡¯re starting from scratch in a sense."

    "Inside the Mystic Realm, you can earn points by increasing your cultivation level or defeating magical beasts, and you can even earn points by helping people. Almost everything you do is judged."

    "I see..." Yuan mumbled.

    "Therefore, even if the Young Master reaches Spirit Master, it won¡¯t matter once you¡¯re inside the Mystic Realm."

    "I know, but I still want to reach Spirit Master since I am so close to it. Once I reach Spirit Master, I¡¯ll probably take a break from cultivating like this since I don¡¯t like spending most of my time sitting still like this." Yuan sighed.

    "Young Master, how close are you to your breakthrough?" Feng Yuxiang suddenly asked him, and she continued, "I have a monster core at the 6th level Spirit Warrior with me if you want to consume it..."

    "Eh? Really? But I don¡¯t want to ept something so precious from you without giving you anything in return¡ª even if you¡¯re my servant." Yuan said to her.

    "How about the Young Master donates more blood to me in return for the monster core?" Feng Yuxiang said.

    "Are you sure? I¡¯ll be giving you my blood regardless if you give me the monster core or not."

    "I¡¯m sure, Young Master. In fact, my body is craving for your blood even as we speak, and I am trying my best to hold it in. If giving you this monster core will allow me to drink your blood even a day sooner, I would not hesitate!"

    After thinking about it for a moment, Yuan nodded his head and said, "Okay. I¡¯ll exchange my blood for your monster core."

    After all, he was already getting tired of sitting still after just a few days of cultivation, and he hated remaining in one spot for long periods of time since it reminded him of the real world.

    "Great!"

    Feng Yuxiang appeared from his body after Yuan agreed to ept the monster core, and she retrieved a monster core from her spatial ring.

    "This is a monster core?" Yuan raised his eyebrows at the glowing monster core that looked somewhat different from the monster cores he had eaten, as it had this fiery appearance.

    "Did you forget who I was before I became your servant already, Young Master? I am the owner of one of the most prestigious shops in the Golden Phoenix Bazaar. I have no need for ¡¯normal¡¯ treasures, and monster cores are no different." Feng Yuxiang said.

    And she continued, "This monster core belongs to a Rainbow Koi, an incredibly rare magical beast that can only be found in one ce within the Lower Heavens¡ª the Frozen Cave, one of the very few danger zones in this world."

    "Rainbow Kois are Spirit Warriors at birth, and they grow incredibly fast. However, they don¡¯t really have muchbat prowess, if any at all, and they die naturally once they reach Spirit Master, so they have a short lifespan, and if they die naturally, it won¡¯t drop its monster core."

    "This is why Rainbow Koi monster cores are considered a priceless treasure and are sought after by many. Furthermore, people who absorb them have a very small chance to obtain a special power that allows them to control fire, and it gives more spiritual energy than normal monster cores at its level."

    Feng Yuxiang exined to him.

    "Controlling fire? From a fish? How does that work?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    "Well, one can control fire using their spiritual energy, but those with this power can control fire without needing spiritual energy, saving them a lot of energy. Furthermore, the monster core enhances one¡¯s ability towards fire techniques, so most people looking for them are all practitioners who use techniques rted to fire, such as alchemy masters."

    "I see... What a unique monster core. It¡¯s definitely different from what I¡¯ve consumed in the past." Yuan mumbled as he epted the monster core from Feng Yuxiang.

 Chapter 275 Spirit Master

    "While it might not help you breakthrough to Spirit Master, it should close that distance by a lot." Feng Yuxiang said to Yuan as she handed him the fiery-looking monster core that looked as though there were living mes trapped inside.

    "Wow¡­ It''s warm..." Yuan mumbled after feeling the heat the monster core was emitting on his palms.

    After taking a deep breath, Yuan popped the Rainbow Koi''s monster core into his mouth, and unlike normal monster cores that only had a sweet taste, the Rainbow Koi''s monster core actually tasted somewhat spicy after the sweetness!

    [Heaven Refining Physique activated]

    [1,325,888,196 Qi has been refined from the Rainbow Koi''s monster core]

    19,691,520,000/19,691,520,000

    [You have absorbed enough Qi for a breakthrough]

    [Because your Qi Experience is already full, you will not be able to receive anymore Qi until you reach the next realm]

    [You have met the requirements for a breakthrough]

    [You have reached First Level Spirit Master]

    [+10,000 stats]

    [Your ''Advanced Senses'' has developed into ''Superior Senses'']

    [Superior Senses]

    [Rank: Earth]

    [Description: Greatly enhances the functions of all avable senses permanently. Requires no activation]

    [Heaven Refining Physique activated]

    The physique suddenly activated again.

    [You have gained ''Novice Fire Control'', ''Weak Fire Enhancement'', and ''Weak Fire Resistance'' from consuming the Rainbow Koi''s monster core]

    [Novice Fire Control]

    [Description: Allows you to control fire elements without using spiritual energy]

    [Weak Fire Enhancement]

    [Description: Enhances all fire techniques'' strength by 50%. No activation required.]

    [Weak Fire Resistance]

    [Description: Slightly increases your fire resistance. No activation required.]

    "Oh, I had a breakthrough. I''m now a Spirit Master." Yuan looked at his hands with a slightly dazed look on his face, feeling his body overwhelming with energy and strength.

    "W-What?!" Feng Yuxiang stared at Yuan with a gawking look on her face, as she didn''t expect him to suddenly breakthrough, much less a breakthrough without any enlightenment!

    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g

    Not even in her wildest dream could she have imagined that Yuan would reach Spirit Master without needing any enlightenment!

    This kind of talent was simply too terrifying! It shouldn''t exist if she has to be honest!

    "So Brother Yuan didn''t need enlightenment to reach Spirit Master, either, huh? Just where is Brother Yuan''s limit if he even has one?" Xiao Hua''s defeated voice suddenly resounded, sounding like she was already used to it.

    "What do you mean by that?" Feng Yuxiang asked her.

    "Brother Yuan also entered Spirit Warrior without any enlightenment; it was just like any other normal breakthrough for him." Xiao Hua said.

    "Unbelievable¡­" Feng Yuxiang mumbled in a dazed voice, and she continued, "Just what is your body made of, Young Master?"

    "Even if you ask me that, how am I supposed to answer that kind of question?" Yuan responded with a bittersweet smile on his face.

    The most logical exnation would be the game''s system that''s allowing him to breakthrough without needing any enlightenment. Another reason that could be causing this would be his unknown bloodline.

    Yuan summoned his status and looked at it¡ª

    Cultivation: First Level Spirit Master

    Legacy: None

    Bloodline: None

    Physique: Heaven Refining Physique

    Physical Strength: 39,734

    Mental Strength: 39,975

    Soul Strength: 51,410

    Physical Defense: 39,710

    Mental Defense: 40,821

    Qi Experience: ???/???

    ''Huh? Why does my Qi Experience have so many question marks? Is the number so big that even the game is having trouble calcting it?'' Yuan wondered to himself after seeing it. How will he see how much Qi he needs for the next level now?

    Sometimeter, Yuan said, "Anyways, now that I am a Spirit Master, I no longer need to continue cultivating, so I''ll just leave this ce and find something else to do until the Mystic Realm."

    "Young Master, what about the fire controlling skill? Did you manage to obtain it after consuming the monster core?" Feng Yuxiang suddenly asked him.

    Yuan nodded and said, "Yes, I got it."

    "..."

    Feng Yuxiang didn''t show much of a reaction after learning that Yuan had managed to ovee the small chance and obtain the ability to control fire without using his spiritual energy, mostly because she was still numb from her previous shock.

    "I''m going to tell Elder Xuan that I''m done here," Yuan said before retrieving themunication jade slip and calling Elder Xuan.

    "What''s the matter, Disciple Yuan?" Elder Xuan picked up a couple of momentster than usual.

    "Senior Xuan, I just had a breakthrough and reached Spirit Master. What should I do now?" Yuan asked him.

    "..."

    However, Elder Xuan did not respond even a good minuteter, making Yuan wonder if Elder Xuan was still there.

    "Elder Xuan? Did you hear me?"

    "Huh?! What did you just say? I''m sorry, but I don''t think I heard you correctly just now. Did you say that you''d reached Spirit Master?" Elder Xuan finally responded, his voice filled with disbelief.

    "Yes, that''s right. I''ve just reached Spirit Master." Yuan repeated.

    "..."

    After another moment of silence, Elder Xuan spoke loudly, but he wasn''t talking to Yuan¡ª

    "Sect Master! H-He did it! He reached Spirit Master!"

    "What?! Is that true?!" Long Yijun''s shocked voice, which was also filled with excitement, quickly responded.

    "Yes! I am speaking to him right now!" Elder Xuan said.

    "Hahaha! This is great! Bring him here!" Long Yijun then said.

    "Yes, Sect Master!" Elder Xuan said before returning to Yuan, "Stay right there. I''ll be there in a few to pick you up. The Sect Master would like to speak with you."

    "Okay," Yuan said before closing the connection.

    Meanwhile, at the sect master''s headquarters, after Elder Xuan left the ce, Long Yijun looked at Gao Dongya and Xue Jiye and said to them with a smile on his face, "Looks like you''ll meet him sooner than expected."

    Gao Dongya swallowed nervously.

    ''I heard them talking about reaching Spirit Master¡­ Don''t tell me¡­'' he wondered inwardly.

    Meanwhile, Xue Jiye had another thought in her mind, ''Is it him? Could it really be him? That genius during the disciple examination?''

 Chapter 276 Introducing the Team

    A few minutes after he spoke with Elder Xuan through themunication jade slip, Yuan could see a cloud in the distance approaching his location.

    A few more momentster, this cloudnded in front of Yuan with Elder Xuan standing on top of it.

    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g

    "First and foremost, allow me to congratte you on your breakthrough, Disciple Yuan. You don¡¯t see an 18-year-old Spirit Master every day if ever." Elder Xuan said with a warm smile on his face, looking like a grandfather watching his grandchildren grow up.

    "Thank you, Elder Xuan," Yuan said.

    "Come with me. I will take you to the Sect Master where you¡¯ll meet the other two disciples that will be participating in the Mystic Realm with you."

    Yuan nodded and stepped onto the flying treasure before they soared to the sect master¡¯s headquarters.

    Theynded a few minutester, and they walked into the building.

    "It¡¯s really you! I knew it!" Xue Jiye shouted in a surprised voice the moment she saw Yuan¡¯s ck jade mask, even pointing at him with a trembling finger.

    Yuan turned to look at Xue Jiye, and he mumbled, "Oh, you¡¯re the girl who identally leaked herself during¡ª"

    "H-Hey! Why are you bringing that up?!" Xue Jiye quickly interrupted him in a panicked manner, and she continued with a flushed face, "And that was entirely your fault! If you hadn¡¯t looked at me with those eyes, none of that would¡¯ve happened!"

    "Oh, right. The two of you have already met." Elder Xuan remembered that Xue Jiye was the one watching over Yuan during the Tablet of Comprehension exam.

    "Disciple Yuan, congrattions on reaching Spirit Master so quickly. Once again, you have exceeded my expectations." Long Yijun suddenly said to him, shocking Gao Dongya and Xue Jiye who only noticed his immense aura after the mention.

    ¡¯Heavens! How long has it been since Ist saw him when he was only at the fifth level of Spirit Warrior?!¡¯ Xue Jiye cried inwardly after seeing Yuan¡¯s overwhelming growth.

    Meanwhile, Gao Dongya stood in the background with an unreadable expression on his face.

    "Come over here, Disciple Yuan, so I can introduce you to these two who will be participating in the Mystic Realm with you." Long Yijun said.

    Yuan nodded his head and went to stand beside Long Yijun, who patted his shoulders and said, "This is Disciple Yuan, a disciple who recently joined the Dragon Essence Temple. And before you question his qualifications, allow me to tell you some of his achievements."

    Long Yijun cleared his throat before speaking in a manner that sounded like he was bragging about his own son in public, "Disciple Yuan has not only managed to take 100 steps during the third test at the silver pond but he¡¯d also managed to achieve 100 percentprehension at the final exam with the Tablet of Comprehension."

    "What! 100 steps in the silver pond?!" Xue Jiye eximed.

    However, Long Yijun wasn¡¯t finished, and he continued in an even prouder-sounding voice, "That¡¯s not all! Do you remember what happened recently at the Carp Leaping Over Dragon¡¯s Gate Tower?"

    "Impossible... You don¡¯t mean he¡¯s..." Gao Dongya couldn¡¯t help but open his mouth after hearing this obvious hint.

    "That¡¯s right! Disciple Yuan was the one who cleared all 100 floors, bing the first person in the sect¡¯s history to achieve such a feat!"

    Gao Dongya and Xue Jiye swallowed nervously upon hearing this, and they recall the rumors that had been spreading around the sect regarding the challenge on the 100th floor.

    They slowly turned to look at Yuan and his clear eyes that glistened brightly behind his ck mask.

    "Now introduce yourselves." Long Yijun asked the two disciples.

    Xue Jiye nodded and went first, "Even though we have already met before, allow me to introduce myself again. I am Xue Jiye, currently 20 years old, and I specialize in dagger techniques."

    "Oh?" Yuan raised his eyebrows after learning that Xue Jiye also uses daggers, taking him by surprise.

    After Xue Jiye¡¯s introduction, the handsome young man standing beside her said in a calm voice, "Gao Dongya, 25 years old, and I¡¯m a swordmaster."

    "Now that you know each other, I want you three to familiarize yourselves with each other before the Mystic Realm, as you are required to work in a team inside." Long Yijun said to them.

    And then he continued, "Do any of you have any questions for me?"

    Yuan quickly raised his hands and spoke, "When is the Mystic Realm?"

    Long Yijun quickly replied, "The Mystic Realm will happen in four days, but we will leave the sect 2 days before that since the ce is very far from our current location, so you all have two days to prepare yourselves."

    "Of course, since the Mystic Realm doesn¡¯t allow you to bring any treasures with you inside, you shouldn¡¯t need any luggage, to begin with," he continued.

    "I would tell you more about the Mystic Realm but there have been rumors about the Mystic Realm being somewhat different from the previous years¡ª that something big has happened in the upper heavens, so I can only tell you what the previous Mystic Realms have been like."

    Thus, Long Yijun proceeded to tell them about the experiences the previous disciples had experienced inside the Mystic Realm.

    By the time Long Yijun was finished, many hours had passed with half of the day already done.

    "Anyways, this is all I know about the Mystic Realm. It may or may not be helpful information." Long Yijun said to them, and he continued, "I will contact you again in two days when we leave or when I need you again."

    Sometimeter, Yuan and the other two disciples left the sect master¡¯s headquarters.

    "Hey, how about we go eat something at the Dragon Pavilion? My treat." Xue Jiye suddenly said shortly after they left, her gaze directly on Yuan as she spoke, almost like there was a deeper meaning behind her words.

    "I¡¯ll pass." Gao Dongya didn¡¯t hesitate to refuse before walking away.

 Chapter 277 Xue Jiye

    "What an unfriendly fellow, even though the Sect Master just told us to connect with each other. Oh well, at least I won¡¯t be using more contribution points." Xue Jiye said as she walked Gao Dongya walked away.

    A few secondster, Xue Jiye returned to Yuan and asked him again, "What about you? Want toe?"

    Yuan nodded his head, "I will go with you."

    There was no way he¡¯d refuse food, especially if it was free. Of course, he also wanted to know a little bit more about the disciples that will be participating in the Mystic Realm with him.

    "Great. Then let¡¯s go."

    Xue Jiye began walking shortlyter, and she thought to herself, ¡¯Unless he ns on eating with that mask on, I will finally be able to see the face behind that mask!¡¯

    The two of them arrived at the Dragon Pavilion sometimeter, and they were taken to the best seat in the ce.

    Once they were seated, Xue Jiye said, "Go ahead. Order whatever you want. I¡¯ll pay for it."

    Yuan nodded his head and proceeded to pick every item on the menu, shocking the waitress there and Xue Jiye, who stared at him with wide eyes.

    Despite being a Core Disciple and unlike Fei Yuyan, Xue Jiye did not have many contribution points to spare since she would use them to exchange for treasures to power up, and she didn¡¯t expect Yuan to order that much food, putting her in a difficult spot.

    "You... Can you really eat all of that? Or are you just messing with me?" Xue Jiye asked him after the waitress went away to get the order.

    "Why would I mess with you? Of course, I can eat all of them. Why else would I order them?" Yuan quickly responded.

    "..."

    Xue Jiye was left speechless by his serious voice.

    After a moment of silence, she said, changing the topics, "Anyways, how long has it been since you joined the sect? A month?"

    Yuan nodded and said, "About."

    "What have you been doing since then? Well, besides challenging the Carp Leaping Over Dragon¡¯s Gate Tower and bing the first person to have cleared all 100 floors?"

    Yuan had to think a little before he responded. And after thinking for a minute, Yuan realized that he didn¡¯t really do much in the sect besides the Zither Competition and participating in a match.

    "Well, I participated in a musicpetition and I fought another disciple on the stage," he finally said.

    "You fought another disciple? Who would dare to fight you?" Xue Jiye seemed more surprised that anyone would fight a genius like him than anything.

    "Someone named Wu Laohu, I think."

    "Wu Laohu? Never heard of him." Xue Jiye shrugged.

    As a Core Disciple, they usually don¡¯t pay attention to matters outside of the Inner Court, so while Wu Laohu was quite famous within the Outer Court, he was essentially a nobody in the Inner Court.

    Sometimeter, the waitress returned with the food.

    "Well... go on. I¡¯d like to see you eat all of them." Xue Jiye said to him, anticipating to see Yuan remove his mask.

    Yuan nodded, and as Xue Jiye had expected, he removed his ck jade mask so he could eat properly.

    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.

    "So young!" Xue Jiye¡¯s jaw dropped upon seeing Yuan¡¯s young and handsome face. "H-How old are you again?"

    "Me? I¡¯m 18 years old." Yuan casually responded.

    "Eighteen?!"

    Xue Jiye cannot imagine being 18 years old and a Spirit Master at the same time. What kind of talent would that take?

    If only Xue Jiye knew that Yuan had only started cultivating recently. Who knows how she¡ª or anyone in this world would react if they knew.

    While Xue Jiye stared at him silently, Yuan went to eat his food before it turned cold, quickly consuming everything on the table.

    ¡¯Did my capacity increase after bing a Spirit Master?¡¯ Yuan wondered inwardly after realizing that he was not full despite eating so much food that would normally give him a full belly.

    Meanwhile, Xue Jiye was full after a single dish.

    "Thank you for this meal, Disciple Xue," Yuan said to her after wiping his lips with a warm towel.

    "D-Don¡¯t even mention it..." she responded in a defeated voice.

    After paying the bill with what felt like a bleeding heart, Xue Jiye said, "I guess I will see you in two days when the Mystic Realm begins."

    Yuan nodded, "See youter."

    By the time they left the Dragon Pavilion, the sky was already beginning to darken.

    Yuan went straight home, where he tested the effects of bing a Spirit Master.

    The first he did was test his Divine Sense, and to his surprise, the area of effect for his Divine Sense more than doubled, perhaps even triplingpared to before, allowing him to see even Min Li¡¯s house¡ª the entirety of it.

    "Wow... I can see so many things at once..." Yuan mumbled in a voice of awe.

    "Just wait until you¡¯re a Spirit Grandmaster or higher, Young Master. In the upper heavens, there are people who can cover even an entire city with their Divine Sense." Feng Yuxiang said to him.

    "Un." Yuan nodded.

    After familiarizing himself with his new profound strength, Yuan logged off for the day to test out his Divine Sense in the real world, but s, he was still unable to fully release his Divine Sense.

    "Wee back, Meixiu," Yuan said to her after she returned from school.

    "I¡¯m back, Yuan."

    "You don¡¯t have school tomorrow, right?"

    "That¡¯s right," Meixiu said.

    "Then would you like to y with me tomorrow? The Mystic Realm is in a few days, and I would like to hand the Divine-grade treasure to you so that you can sell it." Yuan said to her.

    "I promised the Young Lady that I would visit her tomorrow morning, but I will y the game once I return," Meixiu said.

    "Okay."

    Meixiu went to prepare dinnerter, and Yuan cultivated while he waited. Sometimeter, Meixiu returned to the room with dinner.

 Chapter 278 Visiting Yu Rou

    After feeding Yuan, Meixiu went to do her own things until she went to sleep.

    Meanwhile, Yuan stayed up all night to cultivate like usual.

    ¡¯I don¡¯t even remember when was thest time I got two nights of sleep in a row...¡¯ Yuan thought to himself, but oddly enough, he didn¡¯t feel any different despitecking sleep. In fact, he felt more refreshed and energetic than ever.

    The following morning, after feeding Yuan breakfast, Meixiu returned to the main house to meet with Yu Rou.

    "Hey, Meixiu. Even though we saw each other at school yesterday, it feels longer than that." Yu Rou said to her.

    However, Meixiu didn¡¯t immediately respond, and she looked around the room with raised eyebrows.

    After a moment of silence, she spoke, "Young Lady, when was thest time you cleaned your room? It¡¯s a mess in here."

    "You¡¯re exaggerating, Meixiu." Yu Rou casually said.

    Meixiu turned to look at the clothesying on the floor as well as the dirty desk in the distance.

    Normally, Meixiu would be the one who cleans Yu Rou¡¯s room daily, but since she no longer lives here and spends most of her time with Yuan, that has be impossible.

    For more, visit [.

    "Young Lady... did you even find someone to rece me?" Meixiu suspected that nobody was taking care of Yu Rou in her ce because no servant would dare to allow such an unkempt appearance in her room.

    "..."

    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g

    After a moment of silence, Yu Rou spoke, "I didn¡¯t find a recement for you."

    "What? Why?" Meixiu asked her in a genuinely surprised voice.

    "Think about it, Meixiu. If I reced you, my parents would know that you¡¯re currently taking care of Brother Tian, and there¡¯s a good chance that they¡¯ll tell you not to help him. Therefore, I cannot rece you no matter what." Yu Rou gave Meixiu an exnation on why she didn¡¯t find another servant.

    "Oh..." Upon realizing the situation, Meixiu nodded her head.

    "However, that doesn¡¯t excuse your messy room, Young Lady. I am going to clean up now." Meixiu said, and she immediately went to tidy up the room.

    Seeing this, Yu Rou said with a smile on her face, "I didn¡¯t want to take any more of your job away from you, so I purposefully refused to clean my room so you can do it."

    "..." Meixiu was speechless. Does Yu Rou intend on leaving her room dirty for an entire week just so she could clean it for her? That¡¯s unbefitting of her image.

    Visit [. for a better experience

    "What about the other things? Who will take care of you?" Meixiu then asked her.

    "I don¡¯t need anybody to take care of me. I have been taking care of brother Tian while taking care of myself for many years now¡ª as if I need someone to do everything for me. And I don¡¯t trust anybody else to be so close in my life. They¡¯ll definitely tell my parents about everything I do."

    "By the way, speaking of Brother Tian, how¡¯s he doing recently? Did anything significant happen?"

    "Not that I know of." Meixiu shook her head as she folded Yu Rou¡¯s clothes.

    "Oh, I see. Oh, when you go back, can you tell Brother Tian that yers who have been approaching the Dragon Essence Temple are being beaten by the disciples of that sect so they cannot approach the ce? Though, I think he should still try to hide his identity since we can never be too careful."

    Meixiu looked at her with a still face before speaking, "Young Lady... Wouldn¡¯t it be better if you spoke to him yourself?"

    Yu Rou immediately frowned and said, "And how am I supposed to do that, Meixiu? I cannot even meet with Brother Tian! While I can sneak a meeting with him, I shouldn¡¯t do something so risky when everything is still heated regarding Brother Tian¡¯s situation."

    "But you don¡¯t need to see the Young Master to speak with him, Young Lady. You can always call him. There¡¯s no way the Masters would find out that way." Meixiu said.

    "Eh?"

    Yu Rou immediately turned dead silent, and she stared at Meixiu with a shocked expression on her face, looking like she¡¯d just realized something.

    "W-Why didn¡¯t I think of that before?! My brain must have stopped working after being told that I could no longer meet with Brother Tian! I totally forgot about this method!" Yu Rou eximed a momentter.

    "Thank you for reminding me! Ah! But Brother Tian doesn¡¯t have a phone. Meixiu, since you¡¯ll be with Brother Tian whenever I can call him, I¡¯ll just call your phone and speak with Brother Tian that way!" Yu Rou then said.

    Meixiu nodded, "I understand."

    "I¡¯ll call youter tonight after dinner, so make sure you¡¯re free by then!"

    After cleaning Yu Rou¡¯s room, Meixiu went to work outside a little just so the other servants won¡¯t be suspicious of her disappearance.

    "Isn¡¯t that Meixiu? Hey, Meixiu! Where have you beentely? It feels like forever since Ist saw you!" One of the other servants called her out after noticing her.

    Meixiu stopped sweeping the floor and turned to look at the middle-aged woman that was approaching her, and she spoke with a nonchnt look on her face, "The Young Lady has assigned me with a project so I spend most of my time outside now."

    The middle-ageddy nodded and said, "It must be hard being the only person working for the Young Lady. However, it¡¯s definitely much better than working for that crippled thing. I cannot imagine being near him, much less taking care of him every day. I¡¯m d the Masters finally got rid of him; it was long overdue. The Young Lady can also finally focus on her school and music without wasting her time on that thing."

    "..."

    Meixiu¡¯s grip on the broom subtly tightened when she heard the other servant¡¯s words, but she didn¡¯t say anything and remained silent. Hell, even her nonchnt expression remained still, acting like she wasn¡¯t affected by the other servant¡¯s clear disdain for Yuan.

 Chapter 279 Housekeeper

    "By the way, if you¡¯re still cleaning, you should hurry up. The housekeeper, your mother, she¡¯ll be here to visit us in half an hour." The other servant said to her before walking away in a nonchnt manner.

    "Mother, huh..." Meixiu mumbled in a low voice.

    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g

    Indeed, visiting Yu Rou wasn¡¯t the only reason she returned today, as her mother, the head of the servants, was visiting today as well.

    Ten minutester, after cleaning up the area outside of Yu Rou¡¯s room, Meixiu went to the courtyard where many other servants were already gathered.

    There were about a dozen servants working at the house, and all of them were already standing in an orderly fashion in a straight line.

    "It¡¯s been a while since the Housekeeper visited us, and whenever she does, it¡¯s because something bad has happened."

    "Not always. Sometimes she visits us to make sure things are in an orderly fashion. Of course, if she finds even the slightest mistakes, we¡¯ll get yelled at¡ª and that happens every single time she visits."

    Even though the Housekeeper had yet to arrive, these maids didn¡¯t dare to speak loudly, and they all mumbled to each other.

    Meixiu ignored them and went to stand in the formation.

    The other servants went silent for a moment when they noticed Meixiu. Out of all of the servants there, she was the youngest and most definitely the prettiest. Furthermore, Meixiu worked directly with Yu Rou, the Young Lady, making her position above theirs automatically. This would, of course, cause some people to be jealous of her. However, knowing who Meixiu¡¯s mother was, they didn¡¯t dare to badmouth her, as they feared the Housekeeper more than the Masters themselves.

    A few minutester, much earlier than expected, a figure could be seen approaching them from a distance; it was a tall and pretty woman with ck hair tied into arge bun behind her head, and she had a cold and serious expression on her face.

    At nce, one could see simrities between her and Meixiu, such as their naturally nonchnt facial features and their somewhat distant aura.

    When the servants saw this woman¡¯s figure, they immediately straightened their bodies and faces.

    Once the Housekeeper stopped walking and stood a few meters in front of the formation, the servants all bowed and greeted her simultaneously, "Good morning, Senior Housekeeper!"

    The Housekeeper didn¡¯t respond to their greetings and proceeded to walk and stand in front of the servant that was to the very right of the formation.

    Once the Housekeeper stopped walking, the servant lifted her head and stood there like a statue.

    The Housekeeper proceeded to inspect the servant¡¯s uniform and her appearance overall.

    "Turn."

    The servant turned her body around at the Housekeeper¡¯smand.

    "Turn."

    A few momentster, the servant turned around, facing the Housekeeper again.

    "Your cor is crooked, there¡¯s a strand of hair on your shoulder, and your shoes are dusty. Since when did we hire monkeys to work for the Yu Family? Get out of my sight and fix yourself right now." The Housekeeper said to the servant in a cold voice.

    "Yes, Housekeeper!" The servant didn¡¯t dare toin despite being called a monkey, and she quickly left the scene.

    Once she finished inspecting the first servant, the Housekeeper went to stand in front of the next servant and began inspecting her as well.

    The Housekeeper continued to inspect the servants until all of them were checked.

    "Turn."

    Meixiu turned around in a smooth and graceful movement.

    "Turn."

    Meixiu turned around again.

    "..."

    The Housekeeper silently stared at Meixiu for a moment before turning around and walking back to her original spot without saying a word.

    By the time the Housekeeper finished her inspection, the servants that were told to leave have returned with their appearances corrected.

    Once everyone was back, the Housekeeper said, "It appears that most of you have gottencent since myst visit, hence your disgraceful appearances. If I spot even a single mistake during my next visit which will be unannounced, I will have everyone here retake their maid training. Of course, you can refuse, but that will be the end of your career in the Yu Family."

    The servants there trembled after hearing the Housekeeper¡¯s words.

    A few momentster, the Housekeeper continued, "I will walk around the house in a moment to make sure you¡¯re not cking on cleaning the household, either."

    The Housekeeper dismissed the servants a momentter, telling them to go back to work.

    However, just as Meixiu began walking, she was stopped.

    "You stay right here, Meixiu."

    "Yes, Housekeeper," Meixiu responded before standing there in silence.

    Once all of the other servants disappeared, the Housekeeper approached Meixiu and said, "You don¡¯t seem any different than usual despite the situation."

    "I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re trying to tell me, Housekeeper," Meixiu said.

    "You can drop the act with me, little girl. The Young Master was disowned and you¡¯re telling me that you don¡¯t feel anything?" The Housekeeper said to her.

    "Is that why you visited today... Mother?" Meixiu asked her.

    "Yes, because I wanted to see your crying face, but it appears to me that you¡¯re not the least worried or saddened that he is no longer in your life. And to think that you used to motivate yourself using the Young Master whenever you were having difficulties during training."

    Meixiu¡¯s eyebrows twitched upon hearing her mother¡¯s words.

    And her mother continued, "Or did you forget about it? If you forgot your purpose¡ª why you became a servant in the first ce, allow me to help you remember. You were originally trained to be the Young Master¡¯s personal servant and more. The reason you even managed to endure the hellish training at such a young age was because you wanted to be with him¡ª by the Young Master¡¯s side."

    "You don¡¯t have to remind me because I remember it very well, mother," Meixiu said after a moment of silence.

    "Really? Because it doesn¡¯t look that way." Her mother stared at her with a mysterious glint in her eyes.

 Chapter 280 Meixius Mother

    "Why do you even care, anyways? You usually don¡¯t talk about him. Furthermore, the Young Master is gone and there¡¯s nothing you nor I can do about it." Meixiu said when her mother continued ring at her like she did something wrong.

    "Do you really not care about the Young Master? Did your feelings for him change after he became a cripple? I guess you¡¯re no different from the other maids¡ª always filled with disdain towards him and forgetting who he used to be." Her mother shook her head.

    Meixiu gritted her teeth after hearing her mother¡¯s words before shouting in a loud voice, "Don¡¯tpare me to those trash!"

    "..."

    Her mother remained a calm expression despite Meixiu¡¯s unexpected outburst¡ª or maybe because she expected Meixiu¡¯s outburst that she didn¡¯t react. Regardless, she has always managed to break Meixiu¡¯s nonchnt appearance with ease.

    "I see." Her mother said in a nonchnt voice before turning around and walking away.

    "Follow me," she suddenly said.

    Meixiu didn¡¯t say anything and followed her mother inside the house.

    A few minutester, they arrived in front of Yu Rou¡¯s room, something Meixiu expected when she saw the direction they were walking in.

    Meixiu¡¯s mother knocked on the doors immediately after they arrived, and she proceeded to stand in front of the doors in a manner that reeked of professionalism.

    Meanwhile, Meixiu stood beside her in a simr fashion.

    A few momentster, Yu Rou opened the doors.

    "Greetings, Young Lady."

    Meixiu¡¯s mother bowed to Yu Rou and greeted her. Meixiu followed despite already meeting with Yu Rou before this.

    "Hello, Miss Meifeng. It¡¯s been a while." Yu Rou returned the greeting in a graceful manner.

    "May Ie inside for a moment?" Meifeng asked her.

    "Of course." Yu Rou nodded.

    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.

    Meixiu and her mother, Meifeng, entered Yu Rou¡¯s room a momentter.

    Upon entering the room, Meifeng immediately started looking around the room with her sharp gaze, clearly looking to see if the room was clean.

    For more, visit [.

    "Don¡¯t worry, Miss Meifeng. Meixiu has been doing her job wlessly." Yu Rou said with a smile on her face.

    "I just wanted to make sure that my daughter hasn¡¯t been cking on her work." Meifeng nodded her head, yet she still continued to inspect Yu Rou¡¯s room for another minute afterward, even wiping umon areas behind Yu Rou¡¯s desk with her fingers to see if there was any dust.

    "Anyways, why did youe here today, Miss Meifeng?" Yu Rou asked her as she took a seat on the bed.

    Meifeng then said, "I just wanted to make sure you were doing fine, Young Lady. Even though I work at the main household now, I used to be your caretaker. Is it weird for me toe by once in a while to see your condition?"

    Yu Rou showed a bittersweet smile before speaking, "As expected, you¡¯re here because of my brother¡¯s situation."

    "I¡¯m sorry you had to go through this, Young Lady. Don¡¯t tell the Masters I said this, but I really don¡¯t think the Young Master deserved to be disowned. Even though he¡¯s still so young, he¡¯d already worked enough and deserves to rest for the rest of his life."

    Meifeng¡¯s words dumbfounded Meixiu. In her mind, there was no way her mother could show suchpassion¡ª at least she has never seen it before.

    "If there¡¯s anything I can do for you, please let me know."

    Yu Rou nodded, "Thank you, Miss Meifeng, but I am fine."

    After a moment of silence, Meifeng suddenly asked, "The Young Master... where is he right now? I cannot imagine leaving someone in his condition in the street and without a ce to stay. Furthermore, his caretaker... Who¡¯s currently taking care of him?"

    "That¡¯s..." Yu Rou immediately hesitated on responding.

    Seeing this, Meifeng continued, "I know you¡¯re hesitant about telling me anything, and rightfully so. However, I am truly worried about the Young Master¡¯s wellbeing. You may not know this, but I was the Young Master¡¯s personal caretaker at one point."

    "Eh? Really?" Yu Rou¡¯s eyes widened at Meifeng¡¯s words.

    Meixiu was also surprised to hear this since she doesn¡¯t remember seeing her mother assist Yuan before.

    "I was only assigned to him for a very brief moment, but during that short time, I¡¯vee to adore the Young Master and his talents that took the world by storm. I wanted to continue being his caretaker so I can personally witness his growth as a prodigy, but there were too many other things that needed my attention, so I was eventually reassigned by the Masters." Meifeng said with a disheartened look on her face, her voice sincere.

    However, before Yu Rou could even respond, Meifeng continued, "I¡¯m sure the Young Master has a ce to stay now, but that¡¯s not what I¡¯m worried about. I am worried about his caretaker more than anything else."

    "In fact, I have someone in mind. If you allow me, I will have that person take care of the Young Master."

    "That¡¯s a bit..." Yu Rou didn¡¯t know how she should respond, and her eyes subconsciously turned to look at Meixiu for help.

    For more, visit [.

    "..."

    As the head of all servants who could spot dust even from across the room, there was no way Meifeng could¡¯ve missed the obvious shift in Yu Rou¡¯s eyes.

    "I see... It¡¯s no wonder why I don¡¯t feel any sadnessing from you, Meixiu." Meifeng slowly turned around to look at her daughter with a narrowed gaze, and she continued in a slow but clear voice, "It¡¯s because you were never separated to begin with. You are the Young Master¡¯s new caretaker, am I right?"

    Meixiu swallowed nervously after hearing Meifeng¡¯s words that were right on the spot.

    "Miss Meifeng... This is..." Yu Rou also began panicking. What if she tells Meixiu that she cannot take care of Yuan? What if she assigns another individual to be Yuan¡¯s caretaker?

    "That¡¯s right, mother. I am currently taking care of the Young Master. Do you have a problem with that?" Meixiu responded, not even bothering to hide the fact.

 Chapter 281 Yellow Envelope

    "Do I have a problem, you say? Since when did you obtain the courage to speak back to me in such a manner?" Meifeng narrowed her eyes at Meixiu.

    "..."

    However, Meixiu did not back down and continued to stare at her own mother with a serious expression on her face.

    "Miss Meifeng..." Yu Rou called out to her with cold sweat running down her own back.

    After a moment of awkward silence, Meifeng finally spoke with a slight smile on her face, "No, I don¡¯t have any problems. In fact, I was going to help you volunteer to be the Young Master¡¯s caretaker."

    "Really?" Yu Rou was surprised by Meifeng¡¯s approval.

    Meifeng nodded and said, "When I couldn¡¯t stay by the Young Master¡¯s side, I thought that I could perhaps have Meixiu stand by his side in my stead. That¡¯s why I suggested training her in the first ce."

    Meixiu¡¯s eyes widened with surprise. While she¡¯d agreed to take the training of her own will, she didn¡¯t know of her mother¡¯s intentions until today, and it was quite shocking, to say the least.

    "Are you not worried about my parents saying something, Miss Meifeng? I doubt they¡¯ll allow your daughter to take care of Brother Tian..." Yu Rou suddenly asked her.

    "Yes, I am. Hence, why I will be giving you two choices now, Meixiu." Meifeng said, and she stared at Meixiu dead in the eyes with a serious expression.

    For more, visit [.

    "One, you will remain in the Yu Family and continue serving the Young Lady as her servant. However, you are not allowed to take care of the Young Master, as there is no way the Masters would allow you to do that."

    "Or you can continue being the Young Master¡¯s caretaker. However, if you choose this path, you will have to leave the Yu Family and stop being the Young Lady¡¯s caretaker. It¡¯s either the Young Master or the Young Lady¡ª you can¡¯t have both. Which will you pick?"

    "..."

    Meixiu¡¯s eyes widened with shock upon being given these two options.

    However, to Meifeng and Meixiu¡¯s surprise, Yu Rou was the first to speak, and she said in a resolute voice, "Meixiu, you must pick Brother Tian! I can take care of myself, but Brother Tian... he cannot do that!"

    "If I leave the Yu Family, what will happen to school...?" Meixiu suddenly asked.

    "Of course, you will no longer be able to attend the same school as the Young Lady, as you¡¯re only there because of the Yu Family. However, if you¡¯re willing to pay the school fees by yourself, you¡¯ll still be able to attend the school like normal."

    Meixiu frowned. Paying the school¡¯s fee by herself? Even with her savings, she won¡¯tst until the end of the year if she had to pay for such a prestigious school by herself.

    "I know this is a difficult choice for you, but you cannot continue to sneak around. The Masters will eventually find out that you¡¯re helping the Young Master behind their backs, and the punishment for that will be much worse than just leaving the Yu Family. Hell, even my position may be at risk." Meifeng said.

    For more, visit [.

    And she continued, "If you choose to leave the Yu Family to take care of the Young Master, I¡¯ll also try to support you however I can. As for the Young Lady... I believe her when she says that she can take care of herself."

    "Meixiu, do you even have to think about this?! You need to pick Brother Tian! As for your school, we¡¯ll think of something!" Yu Rou continued to urge her.

    Meixiu suddenly closed her eyes, and memories of her childhood with Yuan quickly flowed into her head.

    "What¡¯s wrong, Meixiu? Did you mess up again? Come here, you can cry on my shoulders..." Yuan¡¯s childish voice resounded in her head.

    Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.

    "Crying again? Here, do you want some chocte? It¡¯ll make you feel better."

    "Your training is almost done? Congrattions! Let¡¯s both do our best, okay?"

    "..."

    Meixiu opened her eyes after a long minute of silence before walking in front of Yu Rou.

    After taking a deep breath, Meixiu lowered her body and bowed to Yu Rou, "I¡¯m sorry, Young Lady, but I have decided to leave the Yu Family. Please forgive me."

    A smile appeared on Yu Rou¡¯s face, and she nodded, "Thank you for your years of dedication and hard work, Meixiu. Please take care of Brother Tian from now on. I will definitely repay you in the future."

    Sometimeter, Meifeng said, "I will let the Masters know of your departureter, Meixiu."

    She then turned to look at Yu Rou and continued, "Young Lady, if you don¡¯t mind, can I visit the Young Master? I haven¡¯t seen him in years..."

    Yu Rou nodded and said, "Meixiu, you can bring Miss Meifeng to see Brother Tian when you leave. I¡¯ll have the other servants pack your things so you don¡¯t have to worry about that."

    "Thank you, Young Lady."

    "Don¡¯t call me that anymore, Meixiu. You¡¯re no longer working for me and I am no longer your Young Lady. Call me Sister Rou."

    "That¡¯s... I understand, Sister Rou." Meixiu said to her after a slight hesitation, feeling a little bit odd afterward.

    After talking with Yu Rou for a little bit longer, Meixiu left the ce with Meifeng.

    "..."

    Once she was alone, Yu Rouid on the bed with a dazed look on her face.

    "Not just Brother Tian, even Meixiu is gone now... leaving me all alone in this ce..." Even though she personally encouraged Meixiu to leave, Yu Rou couldn¡¯t help but shed some tears from Meixiu¡¯s departure.

    After a moment of silence, she mumbled, "Maybe I should just leave this ce and go with Brother Tian and Meixiu."

    Yu Rou then got off the bed and walked to her desk. After unlocking one of the drawers with a key, Yu Rou used another key to unlock a box that was inside the drawers, retrieving arge yellow envelope that had a whitebel that read ¡¯Certificate of Adoption¡¯.

    Yu Rou carefully opened the envelope that appeared to have already been opened before and stared at the certificate after taking it out, her expression as calm as a still pond.

    After staring at the certificate and a certain name on it for a few moments, Yu Rou ced it back inside the envelope and locked her drawers before leaving her room with a gentle smile on her face.

 Chapter 282 Apology

    After leaving the house, Meixiu brought her mother to Yuan¡¯s apartment in a limousine. Of course, this limousine belonged to Meifeng despite her status as a servant, as she was only second in rank in the Yu Family, directly below Yu Rou and her parents.

    "The Young Master is currently living in this apartment?" Meifeng raised her eyebrows upon arriving at the ce.

    While the apartment wasn¡¯t too bad, it wasn¡¯t fitting for someone like Yuan¡ª at least that¡¯s what Meifeng thought.

    In her mind, a genius like Yuan, someone who can literally make money rain with his god-like musical talents, doesn¡¯t deserve to live in an apartment with hundreds of other individuals.

    Sometimeter, they entered the elevator and quickly made their way to the 17th floor.

    ck.

    Meixiu opened the door to 17F with her keys and said, "Young Master, I¡¯m home."

    Yuan, who was cultivating while waiting for Meixiu¡¯s return, was puzzled to hear the words ¡¯Young Master¡¯e out of her mouth when she seemed to have gotten used to calling him Yuan.

    However, Yuan realized something was amiss when he heard two sets of footsteps entering the apartment.

    ¡¯Did Yu Roue? No... these footsteps are too gentle.¡¯ Yuan wondered to himself who this visitor could be if not Yu Rou.

    For more, visit [.

    "Young Master, you have a visitor," Meixiu said to him from outside his room after gently knocking on his doors.

    "Who is it?" Yuan asked.

    "Young Master, it¡¯s me." Meifeng quickly responded in an unbelievably soft voice.

    "M-Miss Meifeng?!" Yuan immediately recognized her mature voice despite many years of not hearing it.

    "May Ie inside?" Meifeng asked him from outside.

    "Y-Yes. Please,e inside."

    Meifeng turned to look at Meixiu and said to her with a serious expression, "Stay out here. I want to speak with him privately."

    Although she was hesitant to leave Yuan alone with her mother, she couldn¡¯t find the strength to refuse and nodded her head.

    Meifeng approached the doorknob with her hands, and after taking a deep breath, she turned the handle and opened the door.

    Upon entering Yuan¡¯s room and closing the door, Meifeng turned to look at the young man lying on the bed.

    "Young Master..."

    Meifeng was surprised to see Yuan¡¯s healthyplexion, but she didn¡¯t think too much about it for now and decided to kneel beside the bed on both her knees.

    "Miss Meifeng, what are you doing here? Did..." Yuan was worried that his adopted parents might have found out about Meixiu helping him, hence why her mother was here.

    "No, the Masters don¡¯t know about my presence here. You can rx. I am not here to separate Meixiu from you¡ª I can¡¯t." As though she could see through his worries, Meifeng reassured him of his worries in a gentle voice.

    "Then why are you...?"

    "I¡¯m here to apologize to you, dear Young Master..." Meifeng suddenly reached for one of Yuan¡¯s hands and held it close to her heart, treating it as though it was some kind of fragile treasure.

    "Apologize? What for?" Yuan asked her in a truly puzzled voice.

    "For everything..." Meifeng sighed, and she continued, "If I hadn¡¯t shown your musical talents to the Masters, they wouldn¡¯t have made you y for the family, and you would¡¯ve kept your childhood at the very least for a few more years."

    "However, because I showed the Masters your talents, they adopted you and essentially made you into a ve whose only purpose in life was to y music for the family, and it¡¯s entirely my fault that you had to sacrifice your childhood¡ª yourself¡ª with nothing in return."

    "You earned the Yu Family countless fame and wealth, but what did you get in return? Not only did you lose your ability to see at a young age, but you also lost your ability to move shortly after. And now, a few yearster, even the family that you supported and helped rise to the peak of the music world abandoned you..."

    "Furthermore, I even stopped visiting you because of this guilt, as I could not bear seeing the Young Master in such a condition. I know that there¡¯s nothing I can say or do that will get rid of this sin, nor do I expect to be forgiven, but please, even if you hate me, do not me Meixiu for any of this. She¡¯s an innocent girl who did her best at a very young age even if I scolded her a dozen times a day just so she could be by your side when I could not. If you have to hate someone, hate me, who brought you into the Yu Family."

    Tears flowed from Meifeng¡¯s eyes as she cried in silence since she didn¡¯t want Yuan to realize that she was crying.

    "..."

    After a moment of silence, Yuan spoke in a soft voice, "Miss Meifeng, I don¡¯t me you for any of this, much less hate you. There¡¯s no way I can hate you. After all, if not for you, I would¡¯ve never met my sister Yu Rou, Meixiu, and many others. And even if you didn¡¯t tell the Yu Family about me, they would¡¯ve still learned about me sooner orter since that video was widespread."

    "While I do me someone for this, it¡¯s definitely not you. As for my childhood... Even though I had spent most of it ying music for the Yu Family, I didn¡¯t see it just as ¡¯ying for the Yu Family¡¯. Yu Rou, Meixiu, you, and everyone who watched me perform... It¡¯s because of your smiles when I y the instruments that I y them."

    "Fame? Wealth? I don¡¯t care about any of that."

    "Young Master..."

    The tears that had begun to stop suddenly started flowing again for Meifeng, and she began crying in a suppressed manner, as she was unable to resist her tears this time.

    "Miss Meifeng, this may sound weird, but can youy your head on my hand?" Yuan suddenly asked her.

    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.

    Meifeng didn¡¯t think too much about it and followed his instructions, nting her cheeks on his warm hands.

    Feeling the warmth of Meifeng¡¯s face on his palm, Yuan gritted his teeth and mustered all of his strength and cultivation to move his fingers that were closest to Meifeng¡¯s eyes, wiping some of the tears from her soaked eyes, shocking her greatly once she realized what had just happened.

    "Y-Young Master... you... just now..." Meifeng lifted her head to stare at Yuan, who had a gentle smile on his face at this moment.

 Chapter 283 The Perfect Solution

    Hearing Meifeng¡¯s gasping voice, Yuan spoke with a smile on his face, "Even if my childhood was taken away from me, at least I still have my future, and I won¡¯t give up until I can personally leave this bed with my own strength."

    "Young Master... you... are you really..." Meifeng almost couldn¡¯t believe what had just happened.

    Did he just move his fingers? Even if it was just slightly, that is a huge improvement and a hopeful sign that he might actually recover in the future!

    "Yes, I am really recovering. But please keep this a secret for now, as I want it to be a surprise for Meixiu and Yu Rou." Yuan said in a low voice.

    "I will keep it a secret! I won¡¯t tell a single soul even if it¡¯s thest thing I do, I promise!" Meifeng nodded her head with excitement, causing the tears on her face to drop faster.

    After spending a few minutes wiping her tears and calming down, Meifeng spoke, "Young Master, what do you n on doing now that you¡¯re no longer part of the Yu Family? While you¡¯re definitely recovering, it¡¯s going to be difficult without the Yu Family¡¯s support and resources."

    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g

    And she continued, "If you need money, just let me know and I¡¯ll do my best to support you."

    "It¡¯s okay, Miss Meifeng. I already have a n. However, I am worried about one thing."

    "What are you worried about, Young Master? Is there anything I can do to help?"

    "I don¡¯t know if you can help or not, but I am worried that Meixiu might get in trouble if the Yu Family learns that she¡¯s helping me, which might affect you as well, and I don¡¯t want that to happen. Do you know of any solutions?" Yuan asked her.

    For more, visit [.

    "I see..."

    To Yuan¡¯s surprise, Meifeng actually began chuckling at his question, and he wondered if he¡¯d said something funny.

    "My dear Young Master, I have the perfect solution for that¡ª one that won¡¯t cause any trouble for Meixiu even if the Masters find out," Meifeng said a momentter.

    "Really?!" Yuan reacted with excitement. What could this solution possibly be? It sounded too good to be true!

    "Yes, I would never lie to you, Young Master. Anyways, the solution to all of this is to have Meixiu leave the Yu Family, so even if she decides to work for you, they cannotin about it." Meifeng said, immediately leaving Yuan speechless.

    "M-Meixiu leaving the Yu Family? I don¡¯t think I can be that selfish¡ª taking Meixiu away from Yu Rou. And what about Meixiu? What if she doesn¡¯t want to do that, and I won¡¯t force her either." Yuan quickly said.

    "You don¡¯t have to worry about any of that, Young Master. In the first ce, Meixiu was trained to be your caretaker, andstly, she has already agreed to leave the Yu Family to be by your side." Meifeng finally revealed to him the situation.

    "Wait... what? Meixiu decided to leave the Yu Family? What about Yu Rou?" Yuan mumbled in a shocked voice.

    "Indeed, Meixiu has already left the Yu Family. I will be notifying the Masterster today. As for the Young Lady, she also agreed with this, even urging Meixiu to leave the family." Meifeng said.

    "I... don¡¯t know what to say, really..." Yuan sighed, and he continued, "I just don¡¯t want to burden Meixiu any more than I already am..."

    "A burden, huh?" Meifeng pondered for a moment before speaking again, "How about this, Young Master? Let¡¯s ask Meixiu what she thinks."

    Meifeng then stood up from her kneeling position and took a moment to fix her appearance before going outside to call for Meixiu.

    "Come here, Meixiu. The Young Master would like to speak with you." Meifeng said to her, who was standing near the entrance of the apartment.

    Once they were inside Yuan¡¯s room together, Meifeng spoke, "Meixiu, the Young Master is worried that he might be a burden to you. Tell him the truth."

    Meixiu nodded her head before speaking, "I enjoy taking care of the Young Master, and I do not see the Young Master as a burden."

    "There you have it, Young Master. Meixiu herself has spoken. If you still doubt it, you¡¯re going to hurt Meixiu¡¯s feelings."

    "I see..." Yuan mumbled in a somewhat dazed voice.

    "Anyways, Meixiu will no longer be part of the Yu Family, and she will be your caretaker starting today." Meifeng said before turning to look at Meixiu, "As for school, if you wish to continue attending school, then I will try to work something out."

    For more, visit [.

    Meixiu nodded her head.

    Once everything was settled, Meifeng looked at her watch and said, "I don¡¯t have much time left here, but before I leave, I need to make sure that you haven¡¯t forgotten your training and that you¡¯re taking care of the Young Master properly. Therefore, you¡¯re going to show me how you take care of the Young Master right now."

    "Right now? But what am I supposed to do? The Young Master already ate breakfast..."

    Meifeng stood still for a moment before moving to wipe Yuan¡¯s forehead with her finger.

    She then said, "Look, the Young Master is sweating. I want you to change his clothes, and while you¡¯re at it, wash his body."

    Meixiu¡¯s eyes widened after hearing her mother¡¯s words. While she doesn¡¯t mind changing Yuan¡¯s clothes, washing Yuan¡¯s body in front of her mother is an entirely different story, especially if thest incident were to repeat itself.

    "Why are you hesitating? If you¡¯re not going to take care of the Young Master properly, I won¡¯t hesitate to rece you."

    Meixiu swallowed nervously, but she didn¡¯t dare to refuse her mother. Therefore, she could only nod her head.

    Thus, Meixiu began removing Yuan¡¯s clothes whilst Meifeng stood in the background and silently watched her every movement.

    This reminded Meixiu of her childhood when she was still in training, and just like currently, her mother would watch her from a distance, calling out on every minor mistake she makes.

 Chapter 284 Does It Feel Good?

    "Meixiu, why are you removing the Young Master¡¯s clothes now?" Meifeng suddenly stopped Meixiu before she could even remove Yuan¡¯s shirt.

    Seeing Meixiu¡¯s puzzled expression, Meifeng said in a strict voice, "Look around, do you see anything to carry the Young Master with? Or did you n on letting the Young Master lie on the bed naked and wait until you¡¯re prepared? What if the Young Master catches a cold because of that?"

    Meixiu¡¯s eyes widened after realizing her fault, and she immediately stopped removing Yuan¡¯s clothes to prepare the wheelchair.

    "I apologize, Young Master," Meixiu said to him afterward.

    "Don¡¯t worry about it, Meixiu," Yuan said.

    However, Meifeng said, "The Young Master may forgive you, but I won¡¯t be as forgiving as your mother and trainer."

    Sometimeter, after she prepared the wheelchair, Meixiu picked up Yuan and carefully ced him onto the wheelchair while he was fully clothed.

    Once Yuan was seated securely on the wheelchair, Meixiu pushed him into the bathroom, where she proceeded to remove Yuan¡¯s clothes.

    "..."

    Meifeng didn¡¯t say anything about this, but that¡¯s mostly because her attention was distracted by Yuan¡¯s refined body.

    ¡¯How can someone who hasn¡¯t moved a muscle for so many years have such a refined body?¡¯ Meifeng wondered to herself.

    While Meifeng stared at Yuan¡¯s naked body with a dazed look on her face, Meixiu turned on the water for the showerhead and began rinsing Yuan¡¯s body once she checked the temperature.

    "Let me check the temperature as well." Meifeng suddenly said.

    Meixiu nodded, handing the showerhead to her mother.

    After feeling the temperature of the water for a moment, Meifeng handed the showerhead back to Meixiu without saying anything, which meant she has noints most of the time.

    After rinsing Yuan¡¯s body, Meixiu squeezed some body wash onto a sponge and prepared to scrub Yuan¡¯s body.

    However, Meifeng quickly stopped her and said, "Stop right there, Meixiu. What¡¯s that in your hands?"

    "A sponge...?" Meixiu responded in a puzzled voice.

    "And you n on washing the Young Master¡¯s fragile body with a sponge? Use your hands!" Meifeng said to her.

    Meixiu swallowed nervously before nodding her head and tossing the sponge to the side.

    She began scrubbing Yuan¡¯s body with her bare hands shortly after, feeling surprised once she realized just how strong Yuan¡¯s body was.

    A few minutester, after washing Yuan¡¯s body and legs, Meixiu reached the area she feared the most, especially since her mother was still watching.

    After swallowing nervously, Meixiu took a deep breath and began washing the final area with shaky hands.

    Of course, Meifeng didn¡¯t miss this, but she remained silent.

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    "Hmm?" Meifeng raised her eyebrows when a certain something on Yuan raised as well.

    ¡¯Since he can move his limbs to a certain extent, it¡¯s safe to assume that he can feel again as well, right?¡¯ Meifeng wondered to herself after seeing Yuan¡¯s wondrous reaction.

    "Young Master, how are you feeling right now? Does it feel good?" Meifeng suddenly asked him, shocking Meixiu to the point where she stopped moving to stare at her with wide eyes.

    "Eh? What do you mean by that, Miss Meifeng?" Yuan asked her in a genuinely puzzled voice.

    "Hmm..." Meifeng narrowed her eyes and pondered, ¡¯So it¡¯s just his body¡¯s natural reaction, huh? Or maybe he just doesn¡¯t understand it? Nobody taught him about that kind of stuff, after all.¡¯

    "Never mind, Young Master, it was just a misunderstanding," Meifeng said a momentter before looking at Meixiu.

    "Why did you stop? Hurry up and continue washing the Young Master or he¡¯ll catch a cold," she continued.

    Meixiu nodded her head with a dazed look on her face, and she continued washing Yuan¡¯s body.

    "Slow down. What if you damage it? That area is worth more than you can possibly fathom, Meixiu." Meifeng said to Meixiu when she noticed Meixiu¡¯s rushing movements.

    "I¡¯m sorry," Meixiu said.

    "Don¡¯t apologize to me. Apologize to the Young Master."

    "I¡¯m sorry, Young Master."

    Yuan didn¡¯t know what they were talking about or why Meixiu was apologizing so he responded casually, "Don¡¯t worry about it."

    After taking another minute to wash Yuan¡¯s precious area, Meixiu finally rinsed his soapy body with warm water before quickly drying him off with a small towel.

    A few momentster, they returned to Yuan¡¯s room.

    Meixiu ced a nket on the bed and ced Yuan on it before wiping the rest of his body.

    Once Yuan was fully clean and dried, Meixiu helped Yuan into a new set of clothes.

    However, just as Meixiu prepared tob Yuan¡¯s hair with a brush, her mother interrupted and said, "I will brush the Young Master¡¯s hair."

    Meixiu didn¡¯t refuse and passed the brush to her, and Meifeng began brushing Yuan¡¯s long hair gently and professionally.

    "Thank you, Meixiu, Miss Meifeng. Words cannot describe my gratitude for your hard work." Yuan said to them afterward.

    "Although we appreciate your feelings, we¡¯re not doing this for your gratitude, Young Master." Meifeng quickly responded.

    "Even if that¡¯s the case, it won¡¯t change my feelings."

    A few more minutester, Meifeng¡¯s phone began ringing.

    "It¡¯s my rm, which means it¡¯s about time for me to leave. Although my visit today was shorter than I¡¯d hoped, I will definitely return in the future to make sure everything is fine, Young Master." Meifeng said as sheid Yuan back onto the bed.

    "Okay."

    After Meifeng left the apartment and going downstairs to where her car was parked, Meifeng looked at Meixiu and said, "Meixiu, your dream... don¡¯t give up hope."

    Meixiu¡¯s eyes immediately widened, and she asked in a mumbling voice, "W-What do you mean by that, mother?"

    However, Meifeng dodged her question and said with a rare smile on her face, "Keep working hard and you¡¯ll definitely be rewarded in the future."

    And before Meixiu could say anything else, Meifeng entered the car and closed the door before driving away.

    After standing around for a few moments, Meixiu went back upstairs.

    "Are you ready to y with me, Meixiu?" Yuan asked her after she returned.

    Visit [. for a better experience

    "Just a minute, Young Master. I promised the Young Lady that I¡¯d call her when Ie back so she could talk to you." Meixiu said to him as she retrieved her phone and called Yu Rou.

 Chapter 285 Phone Call

    "Young Master? Miss Meifeng is no longer here. You can call me Yuan again." Yuan said to Meixiu.

    "Oh, right..." Meixiu realized that she¡¯d subconsciously reverted back to her old ways of addressing him after her mother¡¯s unexpected visit.

    After calling Yu Rou¡¯s cell phone, Meixiu waited for her to answer.

    One and a half ringster, Yu Rou picked up the phone and said, "Hello? Meixiu? Are you back at Brother Tian¡¯s ce right now?"

    "Yes, Young¡ª Sister Rou. I am with him right now," Meixiu responded.

    "Great! Can you pass the phone to him? You can even turn on the speaker."

    Meixiu then turned on the speaker before cing the phone a few inches beside Yuan¡¯s head.

    "Hello? Can you hear me?" Yu Rou¡¯s voice resounded on the speaker.

    "I can hear you, Yu Rou," Yuan said.

    "Phew! It feels like forever since Ist heard your voice! And I¡¯m sorry that I didn¡¯t call you early, Brother Tian. Even though I cannot see you, the thought of calling you never entered my mind for some reason."

    For more, visit [.

    "Don¡¯t worry about it."

    "Is Miss Meifeng still there?"

    "No, she just left."

    "I see... Then I will assume that she¡¯d already told you everything regarding Meixiu¡¯s situation."

    "That¡¯s right. Miss Meifeng told me everything. But are you sure about this, Yu Rou? What about your caretaker? Will you be fine alone?"

    "Are you underestimating me, brother? Did you forget that it was me who took care of you for thest couple of years? I think I can handle myself just fine!" Yu Rou said in a prideful voice.

    "I guess you¡¯re right, Yu Rou. I¡¯m sorry for doubting you. I just wanted to make sure."

    "Don¡¯t worry about it. Anyways, I promised Xia Jingyi that I will y Cultivation Online in a bit so let¡¯s get to the topic."

    After taking a deep breath, Yu Rou said, "Doctor Wang called mest night, and he said that he¡¯ll be visiting youter this afternoon. I gave him your address, so he should be there soon."

    For more, visit [.

    "Doctor Wang...? I understand." Yuan said.

    "Next, let¡¯s talk about your bank ount. I have created another bank ount for you and Meixiu, so you¡¯ll both have ess to it. As for the ount that will be selling the items, I will send the information to Meixiu after this call."

    "Meixiu, make sure you follow the instructions! Though, it¡¯s probably going to be impossible topletely hide Brother Tian¡¯s identity since he¡¯s selling a Divine-grade treasure, something only yer Yuan would have at this moment, especially when it¡¯s a zither and everybody knows that he¡¯d participated in a zitherpetition."

    "I understand," Meixiu said.

    "Anyways, this is all I have for now. I¡¯ll call you tomorrow morning again, Brother Tian and Meixiu!" Yu Rou said to them before hanging up the phone.

    "Now, let¡¯s¡ª"

    Just as Yuan opened his mouth to speak, Meixiu¡¯s cell phone began ringing again.

    "Did you forget something?" Meixiu asked Yu Rou who called back for some reason.

    Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.

    "Right, I almost forgot to tell you that your stuff has been packed, and it will be shipped to your ce tomorrow. Bye!" Yu Rou said before hanging up again.

    For more, visit [.

    "Anyways, what should we do now? I wanted to y with you when you returned, but Doctor Wang will be arriving soon." Yuan sighed.

    "It¡¯s okay, Yuan. Now that I have left the Yu Family and school, I can stay home all day and y whenever you want." Meixiu said to him.

    "Eh? You don¡¯t n on going to school?" Yuan asked her in a surprised voice.

    "I don¡¯t know yet, but I certainly don¡¯t have the funds to go to school since the Yu Family won¡¯t be supporting me once they learn of my leave."

    "If it¡¯s money you need, once we sell the Divine-rank treasure, we should have more than enough to pay for your school!" Yuan said.

    "The money from the game...?" Meixiu mumbled.

    "Don¡¯t you want to go to school, Meixiu? You¡¯ll still get to see Yu Rou if you do." Yuan asked her.

    After pondering for a moment, Meixiu said, "I... don¡¯t really want to go to school if I am being honest. It¡¯s a musical school filled with talented musicians but I can¡¯t even y a single instrument, making me feel out of ce. And while there are sses not rted to music, I learned these things years ago when I was a child. The only reason I went to school was because of Sister Rou."

    "If you don¡¯t want to go to school, there is really nothing I can do. Since that¡¯s the case, let¡¯s y Cultivation Online together until you find something you want to do." Yuan said to her after a moment of silence.

    "Okay." Meixiu nodded.

    Half an hourter, Doctor Wang appeared before their doorsteps and knocked on the door.

    "Oh, Meixiu. I guess this is the right ce since you¡¯re here." Doctor Wang greeted her with a smile.

    "May Ie inside the apartment and see the Young Master?" Doctor Wang then asked.

    Meixiu nodded.

    "Young Master, how are you feeling?" Doctor Wang asked after entering his room.

    "Doctor Wang, you can stop addressing me as Young Master now that I am no longer with the Yu Family," Yuan said to him.

    "But I have been calling you ¡¯Young Master¡¯ for almost ten years now. It¡¯s going to be awkward for me to suddenly change it."

    "I guess whatever makes you feel morefortable." Yuan then said.

    "Thank you, Young Master. Anyways, I have heard about your situation from the Young Lady and I really don¡¯t know what to say..." Doctor Wang sighed, his gaze on Yuan a pitiful one.

    "The Yu Family... what are they thinking, disowning their own son, not to mention the condition you¡¯re in... I have been speechless ever since I learned about it. When I told my granddaughter about it, she even bawled her eyes out for an hour straight." Doctor Wang shook his head.

    After all, what kind of parents would throw away their disabled son out like trash because he didn¡¯t want to work for them?

 Chapter 286 Minimal Price

    "Don¡¯t worry, Young Master. Even if the Yu Family abandoned you, I will never abandon my patients." Doctor Wang said in a sincere voice.

    "Thank you, Doctor Wang, but just your feelings are enough," Yuan said to him after hearing his words.

    "Young Master, you do not have a choice in this. I had sworn to myself many years ago that I will never leave my patients¡¯ side until they¡¯re healed or take their veryst breath trying." Doctor Wang said in a stern voice.

    And he continued, "Even though I won¡¯t get a penny out of the Yu Family by doing this, it has never been about the money. I¡ª your fans¡ª we all want to see your recovery and await the day you can stand on the stage again with an instrument by your side. Of course, now that you are no longer with the Yu Family, you won¡¯t need to y the instrument. However, I still hope for that day."

    "I..." Yuan opened his mouth but realized he was left speechless by Doctor Wang¡¯s words.

    "You don¡¯t have to say anything, Young Master. Furthermore, I will still do your monthly check-up at the hospital like always and you won¡¯t have to pay a single penny for it." Doctor Wang said.

    "No, I cannot let you do that, Doctor Wang. I will pay you for the treatments." Yuan quickly said.

    "No offense, Young Master, but where are you going to get the fund? Unless your parents left you a fortune before disowning you, I cannot see how you¡¯ll be able to afford it."

    "I may not have the money now but I will definitely have it soon."

    Doctor Wang raised his eyebrows after hearing Yuan¡¯s confident voice, and he said in a defeated voice, "I understand... but I won¡¯t ask you for it."

    Sometimeter, Doctor Wang began his check-up on Yuan.

    "Young Master, your muscles have gotten more robust and refined since Ist saw you... again..." Doctor Wang said to him in a voice of disbelief afterward, as he has never seen anything like this before despite decades of experience in the field.

    What exactly is Yuan¡¯s body made of that allows him to grow such a refined body just from eating nothing but soup every day when even normal, functioning people would require a healthy diet and continuous exercise to maintain it, much less obtain it?

    Just like his unknown illness, his physique is a phenomenon of its own.

    After putting away his tools, Doctor Wang asked, "Young Master, how has your appetite beentely? Are three bowls of soup enough or do you think we should increase it?"

    Doctor Wang also wanted to see if increasing his food intake would help strengthen his body even more.

    "Hmm... I think I can handle four¡ª even five bowls of soup now. Meixiu, what do you think? Is that too much for you?" Yuan asked her since she¡¯s the one who will be cooking it.

    "It¡¯s okay. I can handle it." Meixiu said.

    "Then let¡¯s try 4 bowls of soup for one week to see if you can handle 5." Doctor Wang said.

    "I understand," Yuan said.

    "Anyways, as always, your body is perfectly healthy, Young Master. But if anything ever happens or you feel even the slightest difort, call my phone immediately."

    "I will. Thank you again, Doctor Wang."

    Doctor Wang left the apartment shortly after.

    "Yuan, before we y, let me look at the information Sister Rou sent me so I know how to sell the treasure," Meixiu said to him after locking the door.

    "Okay. I will wait for you inside the game. You¡¯re in the backyard of my living quarters, right?"

    "Yes."

    "Alright. I¡¯ll see you inside the game!" Yuan said to her before going inside the game.

    After helping Yuan log into the game, Meixiu went into her room and pulled out a thinptop that she uses mostly for work.

    Once she found Yu Rou¡¯s message in the form of an email, Meixiu began reading about the website and how the ce functions.

    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g

    [The website is called COyerAuctions.]

    [The ount¡¯s information is...]

    [In order to sell an item you must...]

    [Once you submit your item...]

    [After they confirm the item in-game...]

    [Make sure you use a VPN when you¡¯re on the website just in case people want to track you down...]

    [The bank information is...]

    Meixiu read through the message multiple times just in case she missed anything before going to the website COyerAuctions.

    Visit [. for a better experience

    On the front page, after logging into a VPN and the ount Yu Rou provided for her, Meixiu clicked on therge ¡¯sell¡¯ that was right next to ¡¯buy¡¯ and ¡¯trade¡¯ and proceeded to type the information that Yuan had given her right before entering the game.

    [Type: Auction]

    [Item name: Frozen Jade Zither]

    [Grade: Divine]

    [Quality: Low]

    [Type of treasure: Instrument]

    [Continent: Eastern Continent]

    [Time limit: 7 days]

    [Minimal Price: ¡ª ]

    Meixiu stopped at the minimal price since she was never given a number, and she pondered how much a Divine-grade treasure would be worth before giving up and searching the site forparison.

    Of course, nobody was selling anything even close to Divine-grade with the vast majority of them sellingmon items and Spirit-grade treasures.

    "These people are selling Spirit-grade treasures for thousands of dors?" Meixiu¡¯s eyes widened with surprise when she saw the yers asking for thousands of dors for a single Spirit-grade treasure.

    However, even more shocking was the auction ce where there were treasures being sold for tens of thousands of dors.

    After looking around the website for a couple of minutes, the highest grade of treasure she could find was an Earth-grade treasure that was being auctioned for a whopping 500,000 dors¡ª half a million dors!

    "Earth-grade... ording to Yuan, that¡¯s two grades below the Divine-grade, yet it¡¯s already being sold at such an astronomical price."

    After pondering for some time, Meixiu finally decided on a price and typed it into the website.

    [Minimal Price: 100,000,000]

    One normally wouldn¡¯t dare to put such an astronomical number price tag fearing that nobody would bid, but Meixiu was used to seeing big numbers from working with the Yu Family, hence why she clicked ¡¯sent for review¡¯ without hesitation.

 Chapter 287 Fake Request

    A few seconds after Meixiu sent her auction request through the website, a staff member saw her request due to the request being tagged ¡¯urgent¡¯ because of the information Meixiu had put in.

    "Hmm... What do we have here... What?! Divine-grade treasure?!" The staff¡¯s initial thoughts after seeing Meixiu¡¯s auction request was that it must have been done by a troll since nobody has sold a treasure higher than Earth-grade since the game went online.

    However, no matter how ridiculous the request seemed, it was his job to look through it.

    "A Divine-grade zither... An instrument... Eastern Continent... Minimal price... 100 million?!" The staff¡¯s eyes bulged at the ridiculous price. However, if this was truly a Divine-grade treasure, that amount of money would be more justified.

    "This request is obviously a troll, yet I am somehow hesitant to decline it for some reason..." The staff was feeling perplexed about this situation.

    "This ount is not only an anonymous ount but also a new one, and it¡¯s selling a Divine-grade treasure that no yer would have at this stage of the game... No, there¡¯s actually one person who could possibly have a Divine-grade treasure¡ª yer Yuan. However, would he really sell his Divine-grade treasure so soon after getting it? Even if it¡¯s just an instrument, one wouldn¡¯t sell such a treasure unless they have something even more valuable..."

    "People say he¡¯s rich since he isn¡¯t swayed by the countless offers to reveal his identity, so he doesn¡¯t need the money... Yet here he is, selling a Divine-grade treasure. Yeah, right."

    Despite his suspicion that the request was fake, the staff didn¡¯t decline it immediately and sent a note to the anonymous requester.

    [If you really have a Divine-grade treasure for sale, you wouldn¡¯t mind depositing 10,000 dors first as a precaution if it turns out to be fake and a waste of our time, right? Once we determine that you really have a Divine-grade treasure, we will not only return the 10,000 but even double it. If you don¡¯t respond within 24 hours, we will deem this request to be fake and delete it as well as ban your ount.]

    Meanwhile, halfway across the world, Meixiu received a notification just as she prepared to close herptop.

    After reading the staff¡¯s note, Meixiu responded with a single word.

    [Okay.]

    Ding!

    The staff responded half a minuteter with the instructions.

    Meixiu followed the staff¡¯s instructions and deposited 10,000 dors on the site without hesitation.

    [I have confirmed your deposit. Please tell us the city closest to your location so we can estimate how long it¡¯ll take for the nearest staff member to arrive for a meeting.]

    The staff behind theputer typed this sentence with trembling hands since he didn¡¯t expect this supposed troll ount to immediately deposit 10,000 dors without hesitation.

    ¡¯Either this troll has a lot of money and is willing to spend 10,000 dors to waste our time or he¡¯s the real deal!¡¯ The staff swallowed nervously as he pressed enter to send the message to Meixiu.

    Ding!

    [I will let you know the locationter.]

    Since Meixiu doesn¡¯t know anything about the game nor its location, she couldn¡¯t give the staff a location until she speaks with Yuan.

    However, the staff member responding to Meixiu was shaking behind the desk in nervousness.

    "Later?! Why the hell are you making me wait?!" He couldn¡¯t help but curse out loud, causing his co-workers to look at him.

    "What are you shouting about?" They asked him.

    "Come look at this!" The staff pointed at his screen.

    The workers gathered around him and read his conversation with Meixiu.

    "What the? Divine-grade treasure? Is this for real?"

    "Fuck! This must either be a troll or yer Yuan!"

    "If this is a troll, he¡¯s one rich troll to spend 10,000 dors just to waste our time."

    "Right?! I was thinking the same!" The staff said.

    "But what if it¡¯s real?"

    "Then this auction will be the biggest auction on our website to date even if we include the auctions from the old games."

    "Too bad we won¡¯t know until he gives us a location and we meet to confirm the treasure."

    "Should we notify the headquarters or the higher up about this?"

    "Not until we verify the treasure."

    While the staff waited nervously for Meixiu to give them the location, Meixiu herselfid on the bed with the helmet on her head.

    However, she didn¡¯t immediately enter Cultivation Online. Instead, sheid there with a nervous expression on her face.

    "I am going to see Yuan... And he¡¯s going to bepletely healthy inside the game..." Meixiu swallowed nervously at this thought.

    After lying there for a couple of minutes, Meixiu pressed the power button on the side of the helmet and entered Cultivation Online.

    Meanwhile, inside the game, Yuan said to Feng Yuxiang the moment he entered the game.

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    "Feng Feng,e out. I¡¯ll feed you my blood now."

    Feng Yuxiang immediately appeared before him with her eyes glistening with anticipation.

    Yuan retrieved the Starry Abyss and quickly slit an opening on his finger.

    "Here you¡ª"

    Before Yuan could even finish his sentence, Feng Yuxiang threw herself at him and immediately began sucking his finger like she was a vampire starved of blood.

    Xiao Hua also appeared just in case Feng Yuxiang wouldn¡¯t be able to stop sucking Yuan¡¯s blood by herself.

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    "Aaaahh... How refreshing..." Feng Yuxiang stopped sucking a few minutester, releasing a satisfied sigh afterward.

    "Are you okay, Young Master? Should I stop now?" Feng Yuxiang looked at him with her eyes glowing a beautiful golden color.

    "I¡¯m okay. You can drink some more." Yuan nodded.

    "Thank you, Young Master!" Feng Yuxiang did not hesitate to ce Yuan¡¯s finger back into her mouth and continued sucking his blood.

    A few more minutester, to Yuan¡¯s surprise, Feng Yuxiang¡¯s hair suddenly changed colors, turning scarlet red with a fiery feeling to it!

    "Aaaaaah~" Feng Yuxiang released Yuan¡¯s finger from her mouth after another moment,pletely oblivious to the changes in her appearance.

 Chapter 288 Meeting Meixiu

    "Feng Feng... Your hair..." Yuan pointed at her scarlet hair with his finger that was still wet with Feng Yuxiang¡¯s saliva.

    "Eh? What about my hair?" Feng Yuxiang looked at her hair.

    "What! It turned red!" Feng Yuxiang eximed in a surprised voice after realizing this, almost like it waspletely unexpected.

    "Is that supposed to happen?" Yuan asked her a momentter.

    "Yes! This means your blood is really working and suppressing the curse on me!" Feng Yuxiang nodded her head.

    "What about your powers, phoenix?" Xiao Hua asked her.

    "Unfortunately, it¡¯s stillpletely sealed. However, I have no doubt that if I continue sucking the Young Master¡¯s blood, my curse will sooner orter disappear entirely! I have lived over 10,000 years like this! A few more years¡ª even a few decades won¡¯t affect me!" Feng Yuxiang spoke with enthusiasm in her tone.

    Once Feng Yuxiang stopped sucking Yuan¡¯s blood for a minute, the small opening on his finger closed by itself within seconds.

    As for Feng Yuxiang, her golden eyes and scarlet hair also returned to normal shortly after.

    "Oh, right. Meixiu will be joining us today," Yuan said to them.

    "Meixiu? Really?" Feng Yuxiang seemed happy to see Meixiu again.

    "Yes, she should be here any minute¡ª"

    Yuan suddenly stopped speaking when he noticed a familiar presence appear in his backyard out of the blue.

    Even though he doesn¡¯t have his Divine Sense activated, after bing a Spirit Master, he gained the ability to naturally detect others¡¯ presence as long as they were close enough and he wasn¡¯t too distracted.

    "I think that¡¯s her," Yuan said in an excited voice before he stood up and walked towards the backyard.

    Once he reached the door that led to the backyard, Yuan took a deep breath and opened the door.

    Meanwhile, Meixiu, who had just entered the game, turned around when she heard some noisesing from behind her.

    "You are..."

    Meixiu¡¯s eyes widened with shock when she saw the handsome young man standing at the opened door a few meters away from her.

    Although his appearance slightly differed from his body in the real world, Meixiu could instantly tell that she was looking at Yuan at nce.

    Even though it has been at least a decade since shest saw him in such a perfect and healthy appearance, Meixiu would never forget Yuan¡¯s lively face and unique charisma, especially his clear eyes that radiated with innocence.

    Meanwhile, in Yuan¡¯s eyes, other than her maid uniform and height, Meixiu looked almost no different from how he remembered her. Long silky ck hair, a neatly cut and even bang, crystal clear ck eyes, and her unique characteristic¡ª a naturally bored-looking face.

    Of course, she was much taller than the child from back then, not to mention her beautiful face that would not lose to even the top beauties in the Dragon Essence Temple such as Xuan Wuhan or Fei Yuyan, perhaps even beating them in certain criteria.

    "Yu...Yuan?" Meixiu mumbled his name in a dazed voice.

    "It¡¯s been a while, Meixiu. You¡¯re even taller than Yu Rou now." Yuan slowly approached her with a handsome smile on his face.

    "..."

    Almost as though she didn¡¯t know what to do or how to react, Meixiu remained standing there like a frozen statue until Yuan was practically standing in front of her.

    "I have always wanted to do this..."

    Yuan suddenly opened his arms wide and embraced Meixiu before speaking in a gentle voice, "Thank you, Meixiu... for taking care of Yu Rou and me for all these years..."

    "Yuan..."

    Two streams of glistening tears suddenly appeared on Meixiu¡¯s beautiful face, quickly staining Yuan¡¯s shoulders.

    Meixiu slowly lifted her arms a momentter before returning Yuan¡¯s hug, yet she didn¡¯t say anything, only embracing Yuan in silence.

    "They seem very close with each other." Feng Yuxiang mumbled in a mosquito-like voice as she peeked her head from inside the house and watched them hug each other.

    "..."

    Xiao Hua also did the same without moving her mouth, watching their reunion in silence.

    Sometimeter, Yuan removed his arms from her and stepped back.

    "Meixiu, let me introduce you to my friends first," Yuan said to her before turning around to look at the opened door.

    "Xiao Hua, Feng Feng,e here," he said to them.

    A few momentster, the two of them left the house and stood beside Yuan.

    "You already know her but this is Feng Yuxiang, also known as Feng Feng, and she¡¯s a phoenix." Yuan pointed to Feng Feng and said.

    He then pointed to Xiao Hua and said, "This is Xiao Hua, my first friend in this world, and she¡¯s like another little sister to me."

    Xiao Hua nodded her head at Meixiu after the introduction.

    "Now let me introduce you to Meixiu." Yuan said, and he continued, "Xiao Hua, Feng Feng, this is Meixiu, who is like a family member to me since we¡¯ve always been near each other since childhood. And just like Yu Rou, she has helped me tremendously throughout the years. It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration even if I said that I wouldn¡¯t be alive now if it were not for the two of them and their support for me."

    "Alongside Yu Rou, she¡¯s one of the most important people in my life."

    "I¡¯ve said this before, but any friends of the Young Master are also a friend of mine! If you ever need help, don¡¯t hesitate toe to me for help!" Feng Yuxiang said to Meixiu.

    "Xiao Hua too."

    Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.

    "It¡¯s nice to meet all of you." Meixiu nodded.

    And then she focused her gaze on Yuan.

    ¡¯Especially you, Yuan...¡¯ A rare smile appeared on Meixiu¡¯s face as she stared at his handsome face.

    Sometimeter, they returned to the house and took a seat on the couches in the living room.

    "Let me brew some tea for us." Feng Yuxiang said to them before going to the kitchen.

    Meanwhile, Yuan began telling Meixiu about his experience in cultivation, starting from the beginning when he first met with Xiao Hua to how he got this point.

 Chapter 289 Long Chen City

    "So during the Inner Court Disciple Examination, I fought the Jade Frog for the second time, and I¡ª"

    "Young Master, I¡¯m back with the tea." Feng Yuxiang returned to the living room an hour after she left to make tea, but since Yuan was too absorbed in telling Meixiu his experience with the game, he didn¡¯t notice how much time had passed.

    It was the same for Meixiu, who was simply too absorbed in Yuan¡¯s story and his liveliness that made her forget about the passage of time.

    "Thank you, Feng Feng," Yuan said to her as she poured the tea for them.

    "Hm? What kind of tea is this? It¡¯s all red." Yuan asked her after picking up the teacup and noticing the red water that resembled watered-down blood.

    "It¡¯s tea made from a valuable type of herb that can boost one¡¯s mental strength. People call it Crimson Lotus Tea." Feng Yuxiang said.

    Yuan proceeded to take a sip of this Crimson Lotus Tea after blowing it a few times.

    "Oh? It¡¯s sweet." Yuan mumbled in a surprised voice afterward, and he chugged the entire cup a momentter.

    Ding!

    [You have gained the following effect from consuming Crimson Lotus Tea]

    [Mental Strength +1,500]

    Meixiu also gained the same stats after drinking the tea.

    "Feng Feng, I drank a tea called Phoenix Blossom Tea before and it increased my Soul Strength. Is there a limit to how much benefit one can obtain from drinking tea or consuming treasures in general?" Yuan asked her afterward.

    Feng Yuxiang nodded, "Of course there is a limit, Young Master. If one can obtain strength from drinking the same tea every day, there wouldn¡¯t be so many cultivators risking their lives in the cultivation world."

    "When ites to treasures that can be consumed, especially teas, there is a limit to how much benefit one can gain before their body stops benefitting from that specific treasure no matter how much more they consume."

    "Most treasures will only work once before one can no longer benefit from them. As for treasures that can benefit you multiple times, they are too few and far between." Feng Yuxiang exined to him.

    "I see..." Yuan mumbled.

    "Anyways, I would still drink this tea even if I don¡¯t gain anything from it." Yuan extended his cup and continued, "Can I get another cup?"

    "Of course you can." Feng Yuxiang poured him another cup.

    Sometimeter, Meixiu said, "Yuan, I have created an auction request for the Frozen Jade Zither, but it still needs to be verified. The staff asked me to give them my closest city so they can meet up and look at the treasure."

    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.

    Yuan nodded and turned to ask Feng Yuxiang, "Where¡¯s the nearest city?"

    "That would be Long Chen City, which was obviously named after the Dragon Essence Temple¡¯s Founder. And it¡¯s about 20 miles from this ce." Feng Yuxiang said.

    "I see... Since there¡¯s still some time left before the Mystic Realm, let¡¯s try to sell the treasure." Yuan said to Meixiu.

    "Wait a second, Young Master. What are you trying to sell? The Frozen Jade Zither?" Feng Yuxiang asked him.

    Yuan nodded, "That¡¯s right. I don¡¯t really have a need for it since I already have the Soul Ensnaring Zither."

    "Why? Do you need money for something?"

    "Yes."

    "If you want, I can give you some..." Feng Yuxiang said, even reaching for her spatial ring.

    "It¡¯s fine, Feng Feng. I can just sell the zither. And you should already know by now that I don¡¯t like having everything handed to me without giving any effort myself."

    "I understand..." Feng Yuxiang nodded in a somewhat dejected manner.

    "I need to let the Seniors know that I¡¯ll be leaving the sect before I actually leave."

    A few momentster, Yuan called Elder Xuan with hismunication jade slip.

    "Hello? Disciple Yuan?"

    "Senior Xuan, I would like to leave the sect for a bit."

    "Leaving the sect? Where are you going? The Mystic Realm is just three days away!"

    "I have some business at Long Chen City with my friend. It shouldn¡¯t take long¡ª probably a couple of hours."

    "Oh, if it¡¯s just Long Chen City, go ahead. I would apany you, but I am extremely busy right now and the other elders as well so you¡¯ll have to go alone. The Dragon Essence Temple is also closely associated with Long Chen City so there shouldn¡¯t be any problems if you go there, especially if you¡¯re wearing the sect¡¯s uniform. However, if anything happens, don¡¯t be afraid to use the life-saving treasures we gave you." Elder Xuan said to him.

    "I understand. Thank you, Senior Xuan."

    "Stay safe."

    After hanging up, Yuan said to Meixiu, "You can tell them to meet us in Long Chen City."

    Meixiu nodded her head before logging off and going to herptop.

    [Long Chen City.]

    Ding!

    A response quickly returned ten secondster.

    [We can be at the northern gates within half an hour. Are you able to make it there within that time?]

    [Yes.]

    [Then we will see you there in half an hour.]

    "I¡¯m going online to meet the client!" The staff said after closing the chat.

    "Do you want us toe with you just in case?"

    "No, I can do this by myself. I¡¯m not going to let you guys take my credits."

    "Hahaha! I bet you it¡¯s going to be a troll, anyways!"

    "You can keep the credits! If you meet yer Yuan, don¡¯t forget to ask for his autograph! Hahaha!"

    Despite his co-workersughing at him, the man who epted Meixiu¡¯s auction request went to the gaming room that was located at the same building he worked at.

    "Luckily for me, I didn¡¯t leave Long Chen City after failing to learn more about yer Yuan at the Dragon Essence Temple." The man sighed to himself before lying on one of the ten avable beds there and wearing the helmet on his head.

    "Let¡¯s hope this won¡¯t be a waste of time..." he sighed before pressing the power button and entering the game.

 Chapter 290 Verifying the Treasure

    After returning to the game, Meixiu told Yuan about the situation.

    "The northern entrance at Long Chen City in 30 minutes, huh. We can arrive in a few minutes if we fly there." Yuan nodded.

    "However, since we¡¯re going to be meeting with a yer, we should hide our identities."

    Yuan turned to look at Xiao Hua and asked her, "Xiao Hua, do you have another mask like the ck Jade Mask to give to Meixiu?"

    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g

    Xiao Hua shook her head.

    "If you need a mask, I have one, Young Master." Feng Yuxiang said.

    "Really? Do you think we can borrow it for now?"

    Feng Yuxiang nodded and pulled out a red mask from her spatial ring a momentter.

    Unlike the ck Jade Mask that wasrge enough to cover one¡¯s face, this mask only covered the upper half of one¡¯s face, leaving the chin and mouth exposed. Furthermore, it was red in color with some gold outlines.

    "You can keep it. I tried selling it years ago but eventually gave up and tossed it with the other things I couldn¡¯t sell." Feng Yuxiang handed it to Meixiu in a casual manner.

    [Crimson Mask]

    [Grade: Spirit]

    [Quality: High]

    [Mental Strength Required: 1,000]

    [Description: A beautiful red mask that increases your Mental Defense by 2,000]

    "Thank you, Feng Feng." Meixiu epted the mask.

    "Even though it¡¯s a treasure and you don¡¯t have any cultivation, you should be able to wear it after consuming the Crimson Lotus Tea." Feng Yuxiang said.

    And she continued, "Speaking of your cultivation, do you intend on staying as a mortal forever, or are you going to start cultivating soon?"

    "I..." Meixiu turned to look at Yuan for help since she didn¡¯t know anything about cultivators.

    For more, visit [.

    "I think you should be a cultivator, Meixiu. This way, you can protect yourself in this world that¡¯s full of unreasonable people." Yuan said to her.

    "I will protect you whenever we¡¯re together, but there may be times when we¡¯re separated."

    Meixiu nodded, "Okay, I will be a cultivator."

    A few momentster, Yuan retrieved the flying sword and said to Meixiu, "I can carry you."

    "Eh?" Meixiu¡¯s eyes widened after hearing Yuan¡¯s words. He wants to carry her?

    "Ahem!" Feng Yuxiang suddenly cleared her throat before speaking, "If you want, I can carry you instead..."

    Meixiu nodded and said to Yuan in a somewhat bashful voice "I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯m ready to be carried by you... yet..."

    Yuan didn¡¯t understand what she meant by that but nodded his head regardless.

    "Okay, I¡¯ll leave Meixiu to you, Feng Feng."

    Sometimeter, Yuan jumped on the flying sword and flew towards the sky with Xiao Hua.

    Feng Yuxiang followed them after carrying Meixiu like before.

    "Xiao Hua, you mentioned that some people are able to fly before Spirit Grandmaster. Do you think I can learn to fly now that I am a Spirit Master?" Yuan asked her while they flew toward Long Chen City slowly.

    "In order to fly, Brother Yuan must learn Qi Manifestation to a certain extent, where you release the spiritual energy inside your Dantian outside and control the gravity around you."

    "How does one learn Qi Manifestation? Is there a technique for it?" Yuan asked.

    "No, Qi Manifestation is something one must learn by themselves."

    "I see... I will try itter." Yuan nodded.

    Yuan and the others descended from the sky a few minutester once they could see Long Chen City in the distance.

    Once they returned to the ground, they walked a few hundred meters until they could see the entrance to the city.

    "This is the northern entrance, right?" Yuan asked Feng Yuxiang.

    "That¡¯s correct."

    Thus, they began waiting for the staff member from the auction site.

    "Xiao Hua, Feng Feng, can you hide for now? There¡¯s a chance the yers can use you to identify us." Meixiu suddenly said to them.

    "Oh, Meixiu¡¯s right. We¡¯re trying to hide our identity." Yuan agreed with Meixiu.

    Xiao Hua and Feng Yuxiang nodded their heads and disappeared by returning to Yuan¡¯s body.

    "Wow..." Meixiu mumbled in a dazed voice after seeing this scene.

    About ten minutester, they could see a skinny man in histe twenties wearing in clothes approaching them with a nervous smile on his face.

    "Hello... I am a staff member at COyerAuctions... Are you the ones selling the Frozen Jade Zither?" The staff said in a nervous voice, mostly because of the invisible but powerful auraing from Yuan, who stood there menacingly in the staff¡¯s eyes.

    ¡¯A ck mask... Could it really be? yer Yuan?¡¯ The staff swallowed nervously at this thought.

    "We are," Meixiu said.

    "Hello, esteemed guests. You can call me Lee, and I am here to verify the Frozen Jade Zither¡¯s legitimacy before we begin the auction."

    "How are you going to verify the treasure?" Meixiu then asked.

    "I just need to verify the grade of the treasure. However, before we do that, let¡¯s go somewhere more private. There are too many people around here."

    Yuan and Meixiu then followed this person named Lee into the woond behind them.

    A few minutester, they stopped.

    "Now, if you could, please take out the Frozen Jade Zither. I just need to verify the grade and quality to make sure it¡¯s real. Also, you can rest assured that I won¡¯t touch the treasure until we officially begin the auction with your approval," said Lee.

    Meixiu turned to look at Yuan since he was the one who had the treasure.

    After nodding his head, Yuan retrieved the Frozen Jade Zither from his spatial ring and held it in front of Lee.

    "This is..." Lee felt the chills throughout his body the moment the Frozen Jade Zither appeared, and the atmosphere in that area also became colder.

    Lee narrowed his eyes at the zither.

    [Frozen Jade Zither]

    [Grade: Divine]

    [Quality: Low]

    [Mental Strength Requirement: 35,000]

    [Soul Strength Requirement: 50,000]

    [Description: Can create music notes that will freeze one¡¯s heart and soul]

    "R-Real... It¡¯s really a Divine-grade treasure!" Lee subconsciously took a few steps with a shocked expression on his face after seeing the zither¡¯s stats.

 Chapter 291 The Treasure Is Real!

    ¡¯I-It¡¯s real! Since this Divine-grade treasure is real, there¡¯s a very good chance this person in the ck mask is...¡¯ Lee turned to look at Yuan with a shocked face, looking like he¡¯d just received a revtion.

    "Have you verified it?" Meixiu suddenly asked him.

    "Y-Yes! I have! Thank you very much!" Lee quickly responded in a startled manner.

    "What should we do from this point?" Meixiu then asked.

    Lee swallowed heavily and took a deep breath to calm himself down before speaking, "Before we continue, I have a few questions for you. The questions, of course, are optional, so you don¡¯t have to answer them if you don¡¯t want to. However, it would be in your and the bidders¡¯ best interest that they have more information on the treasure."

    Meixiu nodded her head.

    "Ahem! First and foremost, where did you obtain this treasure? A brief background is fine as well." Lee then asked.

    "It was obtained from an event," Yuan responded.

    ¡¯What a young voice! Could yer Yuan be a youngster?!¡¯ Lee cried inwardly after hearing Yuan¡¯s voice.

    Lee swallowed nervously and continued to ask, "I-If you don¡¯t mind me asking, was it obtained from the Zither Competition that urred recently?"

    Lee really wanted to straight out ask Yuan if he was really yer Yuan but due to their anonymous ount, such a question would break the terms of service, as anonymous ounts are called anonymous for a reason. With that being said, as long as he doesn¡¯t ask questions that directly ask for their identity, it would be fine.

    "It¡¯s..."

    Yuan opened his mouth to speak, but Meixiu quickly interrupted, "You may move onto the next question."

    Lee nodded and immediately asked the next question without anyints, "Then let¡¯s continue to the auction itself."

    "You requested for the minimum bid to start at 100 million dors, is that correct?"

    "Yes," Meixiu said.

    "The time limit for the auction will be 7 days, is that correct?"

    "Yes."

    "Do you have any special requests for the auction?"

    "No."

    "Do you ept trades, or do you want money only?"

    "Money only."

    Meixiu answered Lee¡¯s questions as straightforwardly as possible.

    "Thank you. Now, allow me to exin to you how the auction will proceed since this appears to be your first time working with us." Lee said.

    And he continued, "Once we get your approval and receive the treasure, we will immediately begin the auction. There is normally a line based on a firste first serve rule, but we will make an exception this time and give your treasure priority due to its value."

    "At the end of the auction, the highest bidder will pay the money to the website, which will be transferred to your ount after deducting the service fees, which is 10 percent of the total amount. Once we transfer the money to your ount, we will hand over the treasure to the buyer. Do you have any questions so far?"

    Meixiu pondered for a moment before speaking, "Are there any assurances for us? What if you take the treasure and run with it?"

    "I understand your worries, esteemed guest, and while I personally don¡¯t have anything to reassure you, I do hope the website¡¯s reputation that has been built upon decades of trust will reassure you to some extent."

    "Our website, COyerAuctions, has over ten million sessful transactions since its foundation with millions of dors transferred every day. In total, our website has earned tens of billions of dors for the yers. Furthermore, all of this was done without a single fraud transaction. While we have been used of stealing before by people for clout and money, plenty of times at that, we¡¯ve been proven innocent for every single case."

    Lee exined their website¡¯s history and its trustworthiness.

    Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.

    "If that¡¯s not enough to convince you to trust us, we will even deposit the requested minimal amount¡ª 100,000,000 dors into your ount temporarily. Of course, you won¡¯t be able to withdraw it until after the bid."

    "What do you think?"

    After pondering for a moment, Meixiu nodded, "Okay."

    "Great! Can you give me about 30¡ª no, 15 minutes to prepare things? I will log off and approve of the auction as well as notify the higher management so they can transfer the money to your ount. Once that¡¯s done, I will return for the treasure."

    "Okay."

    "Thank you!"

    Lee logged off a few secondster.

    Yuan and Meixiu also logged off shortly after.

    Meanwhile, after logging off, Lee removed the console from his head before rushing out of the room with an ecstatic look on his face.

    "It¡¯s real! It¡¯s real! It¡¯s really real! Hahaha!" Leeughed out loud as he ran in the hallways, quickly returning to his workroom.

    Bang!

    Lee opened the door with force and shouted loudly, "It¡¯s real! The treasure is real! I verified it! It¡¯s really a Divine-grade treasure! And the person selling it was most likely yer Yuan!"

    Everybody in the room stopped whatever they were doing and turned to look at him with dumbfounded expressions on their faces.

    "W-Wait a second... Are you serious? The auction request is real?" One of Lee¡¯s co-workers asked him in a trembling voice.

    "Yes! I will exin itter since I need to call upper management asap!"

    Lee immediately went to pick up his phone and dialed a number.

    "Hello, this is Lee. My staff code is 19X6SE... This call is regarding one of the auction requests I had received recently..."

    Lee proceeded to exin to the upper management about the Frozen Jade Zither, which immediately caused a stir within the upper management.

    "Are you sure?! That yer Yuan might be selling his Divine-grade treasure?!"

    "Yes, I am fairly certain that was yer Yuan. His appearance and ck mask matched the descriptions from those who saw him at the Zither Competition!" Lee said with confidence in his voice.

    "This is huge news! And this auction... we¡¯re going to make sure the entire world knows of it! Don¡¯t mess this up, Lee! Your head is on the line here!"

    "Yessir!" Lee said before hanging up and going to hisputer to speak with Meixiu through the website.

 Chapter 292 Announcing the Auction to the World

    [Hello, this is Lee. I have just spoken with the upper management, and they have agreed to proceed with the auction. 100 million dors should be deposited into your ount within the next few minutes.]

    After sitting in front of herptop for a couple of minutes after she logged off from Cultivation Online, Meixiu received this message from Lee on COyerAuctions.

    And just like Lee had promised, 100 million dors was added to her ount¡¯s wallet.

    [I have received the money.] Meixiu typed.

    [Great, then we may proceed with the auction. Once again, the bid willst for 7 days, and you will receive the money within 48 hours after the auction with the service fees already deducted, which is 10 percent of the total amount.]

    [I understand.]

    [Then I will meet you inside the game in five minutes to retrieve the treasure from you.]

    [Okay.]

    After her message, Meixiu went to exin to Yuan the situation.

    "They have deposited 100 million dors into our ount, but we cannot withdraw it until after the auction."

    "That¡¯s fine."

    They returned to Cultivation Online a few minutester and waited for Lee to log in.

    Once Lee also returned to the game, Yuan handed the Frozen Jade Zither to Lee, who immediately tossed it inside his spatial ring.

    Even though spatial rings are expensive, every staff member working for the website was given one so that they can safely secure the treasures given to them.

    "Thank you for trusting us. We will not disappoint you. The auction will begin tomorrow after we advertise the auction to the world," said Lee to them before logging off the game.

    "What should we do now?" Meixiu asked Yuan afterward.

    "Want to hang out at Long Chen City for the rest of the day? We can eat food and look at stores together. Perhaps we can even look for a cultivation technique for you." Yuan said.

    "Eat food and look at stores?" Meixiu mumbled.

    ¡¯Isn¡¯t this basically a date?¡¯ she wondered inwardly.

    After a moment of silence, she spoke, "But I already have a cultivation technique. It was given to me when I first started."

    "Oh, the basic cultivation technique? I have it as well but I never used it since I have a better one. And if you have a better cultivation technique, you will be able to cultivate faster." Yuan said.

    "I understand." Meixiu nodded.

    Feng Yuxiang¡¯s voice suddenly resounded, "I would give you a cultivation technique but I don¡¯t have any, and as a Divine Beast, we don¡¯t really need any cultivation techniques since we absorb the spiritual energy in the air naturally. Of course, having one would help, but it won¡¯t help me since I cannot increase my cultivation base because of the curse."

    "Xiao Hua, what about our cultivation technique? Do you think Meixiu can learn it as well?" Yuan then asked her.

    "If Sister Meixiu agrees to help Xiao Hua with her legacy," she replied.

    "What do you think, Meixiu?" Yuan then asked her.

    "Okay." Meixiu nodded.

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    "Great! Thank you, Xiao Hua!"

    Sometimeter, Yuan and Meixiu made their way towards Long Chen City, and since Yuan was wearing his Inner Court uniform, the guards allowed them to enter the city without paying any fees, even greeting them with respect.

    Meanwhile, in the outside world, the world was taken by surprise when COyerAuctions, the leading market for Cultivation Online, announced theirtest high-profile auction.

    "What?! There¡¯s going to be a Divine-grade treasure being auctioned offter?! Impossible!"

    "It¡¯s real! The website made an official announcement just a few minutes ago! They have also verified the treasure!"

    "Heavens! Who could possibly sell a Divine-grade treasure at this stage of the game, much less have one?!"

    "I can only think of yer Yuan when ites to having Divine-grade treasures!"

    "Could this treasure be one of yer Yuan¡¯s treasures?!"

    "That¡¯s very likely, but the website didn¡¯t mention yer Yuan¡¯s name, which is odd considering that it would definitely bring more attention to the auction if they attached his name to the auction!"

    "Who knows, really. We can only wait for more information about this auction."

    While the news spread from the peoples¡¯ mouth, it was also mentioned on the news and the inte, especially yer Yuan¡¯s dedicated forums which blew up with spections regarding this auction being rted to yer Yuan.

    [yer Yuan might have auctioned off his Divine-grade treasure!]

    [There¡¯s a high possibility that this treasure belongs to yer Yuan!]

    [The auction will start at a whopping 100 million dors, bing one of the most expensive auctions right off the bat!]

    While the inte raged with excitement, the Legacy and wealthy families out there began preparing their money for the treasure.

    "What a damn pity this Divine-grade treasure is only an instrument! If it was a sword or any other weapon, I wouldn¡¯t be so hesitant about joining the auction!"

    "Then should we ignore this auction?"

    "No, let¡¯s still try to buy it. Who knows when such an opportunity might arrive again. However, we won¡¯t go all out."

    Many people had the same sentiment towards this auction since the Divine-grade treasure was only an instrument and not an actual weapon.

    However, not every family had the same opinion. In fact, it was theplete opposite for wealthy families with a musical background. In their eyes, the zither, one of the most popr instruments ever since yer Yuan¡¯s debut at the Zither Competition, was akin to the holy grail, something they must get their hands on!

    Thus, it was a chaotic scene across the world for most musical families andpanies.

    Meanwhile, at the Yu Family, Tang Lee mmed the table with an excited expression on her face after hearing about the auction, and she said, "We must get our hands on this Divine-grade zither!"

    Yu Yong nodded his head in agreement and said, "Not only will this benefit our yers since most of them use the zither but we might even get to know this yer Yuan¡¯s identity if we manage to buy it."

    "I will call our ountants right now. We can¡¯t let the other families get their hands on this treasure!" Tang Lee immediately pulled out her cell phone and began calling people.

 Chapter 293 We Should Do This More Often

    After speaking with a dozen ountants, Tang Lee closed her phone and said to Yu Yong, "We¡¯re ready to bid whenever the auction begins."

    "Good. This is going to be a fierce fight. The other families won¡¯t let us obtain the zither easily since whichever family gets it will have a massive advantage over the other families." Yu Yong nodded.

    Meanwhile, simr situations yed out in the other musical families.

    "We must get our hands on this Frozen Jade Zither! We cannot let the Yu Family get it or our current advantage will instantly disappear!"

    "The Yu Family may be rich, but their resources are not unlimited, especially not after what happened to their golden goose!"

    Wealthy families around the world prepared their bank for the uing auction whilst themon folks waited for the spectacle.

    Meanwhile, inside Cultivation Online and the Dragon Essence Temple, Elder Shan knocked on Fei Yuyan¡¯s doors.

    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.

    "Master? Do you need something?" Fei Yuyan greeted her at the door, but she found it unusual that Elder Shan would visit her unannounced.

    "Here, Disciple Yuan asked me to give this to you." Elder Shan extended her hand with a scroll in her grasp.

    "What¡¯s this?" Fel Yuyan raised her eyebrows as she epted the scroll.

    "It¡¯s the Divine-rank technique the two of you had obtained at the zitherpetition. Apparently, he¡¯s done with it." Elder Shan exined.

    "Wait... He¡¯s done with it already? How long has it been since thepetition? A week?" Feng Yuxiang mumbled in a dazed voice.

    "He handed it to me a couple of days ago so it actually took him much shorter than that."

    "Unbelievable... I cannot imagine learning a Divine-rank technique in such a short time. Hisprehension abilities are simply god-like." Fei Yuyan sighed in a defeated voice, realizing that she will never be at Yuan¡¯s level.

    "By the way, thest spot for the Mystic Realm... It¡¯s Disciple Yuan, isn¡¯t it?" Fei Yuyan suddenly asked.

    "Is it that obvious?" Elder Shan smiled.

    "Of course," she nodded.

    "Don¡¯t tell anybody about this, though. The Core Disciples won¡¯t be happy if they learn that an Inner Court disciple had taken their spot¡ª a new disciple who recently joined, at that." Elder Shan said.

    "Don¡¯t worry, Master. I won¡¯t tell anybody." Fei Yuyan promised.

    "Anyways, good luck with the technique. I¡¯ve got a few more things to do before the Mystic Realm."

    "Thank you, Master."

    "Don¡¯t thank me¡ª thank Disciple Yuan the next time you see him. Maybe even a kiss." Elder Shan chuckled.

    "M-Master! Don¡¯t make such jokes! It¡¯s not funny! We... The two of us live in different worlds. I don¡¯t qualify to be with someone like him." Fei Yuyan sighed in a dejected manner.

    "..."

    Elder Shan didn¡¯t expect Fei Yuyan to respond so seriously, leaving her speechless.

    After a moment of awkward silence, Elder Shan said, "If you really like him, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s impossible. You never know¡ª he might even make you his Dao Companion."

    "Dao Companion...?" Fei Yuyan stared at Elder Shan with wide eyes filled with surprise.

    "Don¡¯t underestimate yourself, Disciple Fei. You¡¯re one of the Three Graceful Fairies, have some more confidence in yourself. And if you don¡¯t ask him, how else are you going to find out?"

    "I see... Thank you, Master, for your advice." Fei Yuyan nodded.

    Sometimeter, Elder Shan left Fei Yuyan¡¯s living quarters.

    "Disciple romance, huh? If only there was someone like Disciple Yuan during my disciple days..." Elder Shan returned home with a solemn look on her face.

    Meanwhile, in Long Chen City, Yuan and Meixiu walked side by side as they strolled through the city.

    "Senior Disciple, how about some chicken skewers? It¡¯s on me!"

    A middle-aged man working by the streets suddenly called out to Disciple Yuan, offering them free food.

    Yuan immediately nodded, "Thank you."

    "This is the least I can do for the Dragon Essence Temple that has helped ourmunity a lot!" The workerughed as he handed Yuan two sticks of chicken skewers.

    "Here you go." Yuan handed the other chicken skewer to Meixiu.

    "Thank you..." Meixiu epted the chicken skewer.

    After eating the skewer, Yuan sighed, "That chicken skewer made me even more hungry. Do you want to sit down and eat some food?"

    "Whatever you want to do," Meixiu responded.

    Yuan nodded and took her to a random restaurant where they spent the next hour sitting down and eating food.

    Inside the restaurant, Yuan disyed his amazing eating abilities to Meixiu who was only slightly surprised by his eating habits.

    "The food in this game... the taste is too realistic..." Meixiu was more shocked by how well her tastebuds worked inside the game, almost like she was eating real food.

    "Right? This is actually my favorite part about Cultivation Online! I am only limited to soup outside, but in this world, I can eat whatever I want!" Yuan said with a bright smile on his face.

    After they finished eating and Yuan paid the tab which was given a discount because of his status as an Inner Court disciple at the Dragon Essence Temple, Yuan and Meixiu continued to wander the city until they eventually found something that would pique their interest and cause them to stop momentarily, almost like two lovers on a date.

    As the sky grew darker, Yuan and Meixiu left the city and flew back to the Dragon Essence Temple with the help of Xiao Hua and Feng Yuxiang.

    "I had fun today, Meixiu. We should definitely do this more often¡ª just spending our days leisurely." Yuan said to her after they returned to his backyard.

    Meixiu nodded with a slightly rosy face that was hidden by the darkness outside, "I had fun too."

    "Anyways, before we log off for the night, let¡¯s see if Meixiu can learn Heaven¡¯s Secret Art." Yuan said to Xiao Hua once they went back into the house.

    "Okay." Xiao Hua nodded her small head before taking out her book.

    After giving Meixiu some instructions, Yuan sat down in the lotus position with Meixiu sitting right beside him.

    However, before she started, Xiao Hua said, "By the way, Sister Meixiu, are you sure you¡¯re willing to help Xiao Hua with her legacy? Xiao Hua can only teach you the technique if you agree."

    Although she didn¡¯t know anything about Xiao Hua¡¯s legacy, Meixiu nodded her head.

    A few momentster, Xiao Hua began reading her book, quickly filling the room with iprehensible words, almost like she was mumbling gibberish.

 Chapter 294 Frozen Jade Zither Auction

    An hour after Xiao Hua started reading her book, she suddenly closed it and stopped reciting the technique.

    "What do you think, Meixiu?" Yuan asked her afterward.

    Meixiu shook her head and said, "I didn¡¯t understand a thing."

    "That¡¯spletely expected since it normally takes months, even years to learn a cultivation technique at this level¡ª that is unless you¡¯re Brother Yuan, of course." Xiao Hua said.

    And she continued, "Although Xiao Hua appreciates Sister Meixiu for agreeing to help Xiao Hua with her legacy, Xiao Hua thinks you should find a more suitable cultivation technique."

    "Eh? Shouldn¡¯t you give Meixiu some more time to learn the technique? I think it¡¯s still too early for her to give up." Yuan said.

    However, Xiao Hua shook her head and said, "Xiao Hua can tell. Unlike Brother Yuan, Sister Meixiu was unable to remain focused the entire time. Even if she cannot learn the technique in a few hours like Brother Yuan, she should at least have the ability to remain focused."

    "When one cannot remain focused during a certain cultivation technique, it usually means they are not suited for the cultivation technique, so they won¡¯t learn it no matter how long they study it." Feng Yuxiang suddenly jumped in.

    "I also tried to learn the technique but was unable to focus even slightly so I gave up after a few minutes." Feng Yuxiang shrugged.

    "That¡¯s because you¡¯re a Divine Beast. Only human cultivators are able to learn Xiao Hua¡¯s technique," she said.

    "What kind of cultivation is it, anyway? I¡¯m kind of interested." Feng Yuxiang said.

    However, Xiao Hua shook her head and said, "It¡¯s a secret."

    "Sorry, Meixiu, but I guess you can only cultivate the basic cultivation technique for now until we find you a more suitable cultivation technique," Yuan said to Meixiu.

    "I don¡¯t mind," she said in a calm voice.

    Sometimeter, Yuan and Meixiu logged off the game.

    After logging off, Meixiu went to cook dinner while Yuan cultivated in his room.

    Once dinner was served, Meixiu went to sleep. As for Yuan, he spent the entire night cultivating like usual.

    The following morning, after breakfast, Meixiu took herptop to Yuan¡¯s room and said, "The auction will start in a few minutes."

    "How much do you think we¡¯ll be able to sell the Frozen Jade Zither for?" Yuan asked her.

    "Who knows, but it should be more than enough to support us for a very long time," Meixiu said as she pulled up the website.

    The first thing that popped up when she entered the website was the words ¡¯Divine-grade Treasure Auction¡¯. Upon clicking this pop-up, she was immediately taken to the auction.

    [Frozen Jade Zither]

    [Grade: Divine]

    [Quality: Low]

    [Type of treasure: Instrument]

    [Requirements: 35,000 Mental Strength, 50,000 Soul Strength]

    [Description: Obtained from an event]

    [Time limit: 7 days]

    [Starting Price: 100,000,000]

    [Minimal Bid: 100,000]

    [Time until auction starts: 14:39]

    [Current Bidders: 150,241,777]

    "Wow, there are over 150 million people on this page as of this moment," Meixiu mumbled as she watched the number increase by thousands with every passing second.

    However, despite the massive amount of ¡¯bidders¡¯ there, the majority of them were only there to spectate the real bidders fight each other for the first Divine-grade treasure ever being sold.

    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    Meanwhile, across the world, news outlets and online streamers were all focused on the auction.

    As the timer approached zero, the anticipation from people around the world only heightened.

    By the time there was only one minute left, the auction had amassed a grand total of 300 million ¡¯bidders¡¯, breaking the website¡¯s record by ten folds, and this number would only increase.

    [0:04]

    [0:03]

    [0:02]

    [0:01]

    [0:00]

    [Auction begins!]

    The second the auction started, the 100,000,000 starting price suddenly jumped up by a massive 10 million dors!

    [Ling Family has bid 110,000,000!]

    [110,000,000]

    However, not even ten secondster, the number jumped again!

    [Anonymous has bid 125,000,000!]

    [125,000,000]

    The number continued to grow with every passing minute, and in just ten short minutes, the price for the Frozen Jade Zither had reached 200,000,000 dors!

    [Yu Family has bid 200,000,000!]

    Furthermore, in order to bid in an auction, one must actually have the funds avable and ready in their ount!

    The explosive increase shocked the majority of the spectators, but in the eyes of these wealthy families, the fight was just beginning!

    The website reached a peak of 500 million ¡¯bidders¡¯ an hour after the auction started, slowly decreasing once the bidding also slowed down.

    [Lotus Family has bid 258,000,000!]

    [Chen Family has bid 258,500,000!]

    [Dreamyer has bid 260,000,000!]

    [Anonymous has bid 261,000,000!]

    "It¡¯s already at 260 million, Yuan," Meixiu said to him in a calm voice.

    While the number may seem astronomical to the average person, in Meixiu¡¯s eyes, who has seenrger numbers, she didn¡¯t show too much reaction to it.

    As for Yuan, who used to earn simr numbers in a month from ying professionally also didn¡¯t show much excitement when he heard the amount. In his mind, he only needed enough money to support himself and Meixiu.

    "I see... Anyways, there are still seven days. Let¡¯s leave it for now." Yuan said.

    "Okay."

    After closing herptop, Meixiu helped Yuan enter the game before she went to her own room and entered the game herself.

    Inside the game, Yuan said to Meixiu, "I will be participating in the Mystic Realm in a few days, but we will be leaving the sect sometime today. Do you want toe with me, Meixiu?"

    Meixiu nodded, "Yes."

    After all, if she¡¯s not with Yuan, she has nowhere else to go, nor was there anything for her to do.

    Sometimeter, Yuan could feel themunication jade slip in his pocket tremble.

    "Disciple Yuan, pleasee to the sect master¡¯s headquarters. We¡¯re going to be leaving the sect in an hour." Elder Xuan¡¯s voice resounded from the jade slip.

    "Okay," Yuan replied before leaving his living quarters with Meixiu shortly after.

 Chapter 295 Dao Companion

    "Yuan, should I wear my mask as well?" Meixiu asked him before leaving the house.

    "Oh, right. I almost forgot. Let¡¯s wear our mask just in case." Yuan nodded as he wore the ck Jade Mask.

    Meixiu followed and wore her Crimson Mask before following Yuan outside.

    "Hmm? Disciple Yuan? Where are you going? And who¡¯s that beside you? She doesn¡¯t look like a disciple." Min Li noticed them and called out to him from her windows.

    "Good morning, Disciple Min. I am heading to the sect master¡¯s headquarters right now," said Yuan.

    "Sect master¡¯s headquarters? Did you do something again? Most disciples go there only when they¡¯re in trouble with the Sect Master," Min Li said in a slightly worried voice.

    "Haha... No, I am not in trouble. I¡¯m meeting with Elder Xuan there since we¡¯re about to leave the sect for the Mystic Realm."

    "W-Wait a second... The Mystic Realm? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re going to participate in it?" Min Li stared at him with wide eyes, but after she recalled his talents, her shock almost instantly disappeared.

    "That¡¯s right." Yuan nodded.

    "I-I see... Well... Good luck, I guess..." Min Li was speechless.

    "Oh, and this is my friend, Meixiu. See youter, Disciple Min!"

    Yuan left the ce shortly after, leaving Min Li standing by the window with a dazed look on her face.

    "That was Min Li, my neighbor, and a fellow disciple. She¡¯s from a really powerful and influential family from what I heard," Yuan introduced her to Meixiu after they left.

    Sometimeter, they arrived at the sect master¡¯s headquarters.

    *Knock* *Knock*

    Yuan knocked on the door loudly after arriving at the doorstep

    "It¡¯s me, Disciple Yuan!"

    The door opened a few momentster and Elder Xuan appeared before them.

    "Wee, Disciple Yuan¡ª" Elder Xuan stopped speaking when he noticed Meixiu standing beside him.

    "Who¡¯s this?" he then asked.

    "This is my friend, Meixiu. I hope you don¡¯t mind her tagging along with us." Yuan said to him.

    "Your friend...?" Elder Xuan raised his eyebrows.

    He then said, "Let¡¯s assemble with the others for now. We¡¯ll see what the Sect Master has to say about this."

    Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.

    Yuan and Meixiu followed Elder Xuan inside the building to meet with Long Yijun, the high-ranking sect elders, as well as the participants.

    "We¡¯ve been waiting for you, Disciple Yuan¡ª Hm? Who¡¯s that?" Long Yijun asked the moment he noticed the person with a feminine figure standing next to Yuan.

    "This is my friend, Meixiu, and I¡¯d like to bring her with me," Yuan said.

    "Your friend...?" Everyone in the room turned to look at Meixiu with raised eyebrows.

    "You say she¡¯s your friend, but she¡¯s actually your Dao Companion or something, right?" Elder Shan chuckled after a moment of silence.

    "Dao Companion? What¡¯s that?" Yuan asked in a puzzled voice, forgetting that he¡¯d heard this term before.

    "You don¡¯t know? A Dao Companion is someone who has sworn to follow you for the rest of their lives." Elder Shan exined.

    And before Yuan could even say anything, Meixiu opened her mouth and said in a calm voice, "I guess you can call me his Dao Companion."

    "Eh?"

    All of the eyes on her widened with shock and surprise. Yuan¡¯s Dao Companion?! But they couldn¡¯t sense any cultivation from her! In other words, she was a mortal! How could a mere mortal be the Dao Companion of a heaven-defying genius like Yuan?

    "A-Are you really his Dao Companion? You¡¯re not joking with us here, right?" Elder Shan asked her in a trembling voice since she personally couldn¡¯t believe it.

    Meixiu nodded her head and spoke in a serious voice, "I have promised to follow and serve Yuan for the rest of my life."

    Unbeknownst to the people in the room, Meixiu was talking about their rtionship in the real world. Of course, Meixiu herself has never heard of the term Dao Companion until today and misunderstood its meaning after hearing Elder Shan¡¯s poor exnation.

    "I see... if you make it sound like that, I guess you can call her my Dao Companion." Yuan also agreed, following Meixiu¡¯s misunderstanding.

    Elder Shan¡¯s jaw dropped to the floor after hearing Yuan¡¯s confirmation.

    After a moment of awkward silence, Long Yijun cleared his throat before speaking, "S-Since she¡¯s your Dao Companion, I guess she can tag along."

    "Thank you, Sect Master." Yuan nodded,pletely oblivious to the misunderstanding that had been created from this situation.

    ¡¯Looks like someone had beat you to the punch, Disciple Fei...¡¯ Elder Shan sighed inwardly, feeling a little pity for Fei Yuyan.

    Elder Xuan also had simr thoughts, but he was thinking about his granddaughter, Xuan Wuhan, instead.

    "Anyways, now that everyone is here, we can start making our way to the Mystic Realm." Long Yijun said.

    "Disciple Yuan and his Dao Companion, Disciple Gao, Disciple Xue, Elder Xuan, Elder Shan, Elder Dai, and myself will be going to the Mystic Realm while everyone else will remain here to take care of the sect while we¡¯re gone."

    Long Yijun then turned to look at Elder Bai and said, "I¡¯ll leave you in charge until we return, Elder Bai."

    "I will protect the sect with my life on the line, Sect Master." Elder Bai nodded with a serious look on his face.

    Sometimeter, everyone that was going to the Mystic Realm gathered outside.

    Once they were outside, the sect elders retrieved their flying treasures.

    Elder Shan summoned her boat and Elder Xuan summoned his cloud treasure.

    "Come over here, Disciple Yuan." Elder Shan patted her flying treasure.

    Yuan didn¡¯t say anything and entered the boat, followed by Meixiu.

    "The two of you can ride with me." Elder Xuan said to Gao Dongya and Xue Jiye.

    A few momentster, once everyone was on a flying treasure, they took to the skies.

    "What about the Sect Master?" Yuan asked when he noticed that they¡¯d left him behind.

    "Don¡¯t worry about him¡ª look." Elder Shan pointed below them.

    Yuan turned his head to look at the direction she was pointing, and to his surprise, there was a dragon flying towards them with Long Yijun and Elder Dai riding on its head!

 Chapter 296 Flying Treasure

    Yuan felt his heart skip a beat when he saw this dragon, and he eximed in an excited voice, "Is that a real dragon?!"

    Even though this dragon wasn¡¯t as intimidating as the Great One, it was still an exciting sight to see a real dragon.

    However, Elder Shan chuckled and said, "No, you silly. Do you remember when Elder Xuan said there are flying treasures that resemble magical beasts but aren¡¯t actually real? That dragon is one of those flying treasures. There¡¯s no way anyone would be able to tame a mighty dragon and ride them like a flying treasure."

    "Is that so... but it looks so realistic," Yuan mumbled in a somewhat disappointed voice.

    "You can tell whether it¡¯s real or not by its aura." Elder Shan then said.

    "Oh, you¡¯re right... I cannot sense any auraing from it." Yuan realized.

    Feng Yuxiang¡¯s voice suddenly resounded in Yuan¡¯s head, "Once I am able to transform back to my phoenix form, I¡¯ll let the Young Master ride me as much as he wants! Who needs dragons when you have a phoenix! We¡¯re both Divine Beasts, anyway."

    A smile appeared on Yuan¡¯s face, and he mumbled, "Thank you, Feng Feng."

    Secondster, Long Yijun caught up to them, and he said, "We¡¯re going to take the teleportation device at Bright Needle City to the Northern Continent, where the Mystic Realm will take ce. It¡¯s going to take a couple of hours before we arrive at the city so you can rx until then."

    "Yes, Sect Master!" They responded.

    Sometimeter, Elder Shan opened her mouth and spoke, "Disciple Yuan, since we have plenty of time, why don¡¯t you tell me a little more about you and your Dao Companion here? How¡¯d you two meet?"

    Yuan nodded and said, "Her parents worked for my parents, so we¡¯ve known each other since we were kids."

    "Oh, childhood friends, huh? What a lovely rtionship already." Elder Shan chuckled.

    Then she looked at Meixiu and said, "I¡¯m very interested in what kind of woman could captivate someone like Disciple Yuan¡¯s heart. Of course, if you don¡¯t want to show your face, that¡¯s fine as well."

    ¡¯Captivate Yuan¡¯s heart?¡¯ Meixiu found Elder Shan¡¯s choice of words to be weird, but she didn¡¯t think too much about it and nodded her head before removing her Crimson Mask to show Elder Shan her face.

    "I see..." Elder Shan nodded her head as though she realized something, not feeling the slightest shock that Meixiu was a beauty, as it was only natural for someone as talented as Yuan to have a beauty by his side. In fact, it would be weird if Yuan¡¯s Dao Companion wasn¡¯t a beauty.

    "Anyway, you¡¯re certainly one luckydy, bing his Dao Companion at such a young age. You have no idea how many people will be envious of you in the near future." Elder Shan said.

    "T-Thank you...?" Meixiu said in a hesitant voice since she wasn¡¯t exactly sure what Elder Shan was talking about.

    Sometimeter, Yuan asked, "Senior Shan, since you¡¯re a Spirit Master as well, can you use Qi Manifestation?"

    "Qi Manifestation? Only Spirit Grandmasters can do that!" Elder Shan quickly said.

    "Really? But I heard that some Spirit Masters are able to use Qi Manifestation."

    Elder Shan shook her head and said, "Maybe if they¡¯re a heaven-defying genius or have some unique physique, but under normal circumstances, one cannot use Qi Manifestation before they be a Spirit Grandmaster. Well, I can release my Qi outside to a certain extent, but that¡¯s not true Qi Manifestation."

    After a moment of silence, she continued, "Well, if it¡¯s you, who can use Divine Sense before reaching Spirit Master, maybe you can use Qi Manifestation before you be a Spirit Grandmaster. Though, you¡¯ll probably still need to be around peak Spirit Master before you can do it."

    "Do you want to try it now?" Elder Shan suddenly asked.

    "Really? How do I try?"

    Elder Shan extended her hand and said, "Now gather your spiritual energy in your hand and imagine it leaving your hand and touching my hand."

    Yuan nodded and followed her instructions, lifting his hand and gathering his spiritual energy in his hand.

    He then imagined it leaving his hand, almost like he¡¯d grown a second hand.

    However, he gave up a momentter when he couldn¡¯t release the spiritual energy, and it was like there was an invisible wall preventing him from doing so.

    "Don¡¯t worry, if it was so easy, every Spirit Master would be able to do it." Elder Shan said to him afterward.

    Yuan nodded and said, "I¡¯m going to continue trying."

    "Go ahead. Just don¡¯t exhaust yourself. Qi Manifestation also requires a lot of energy to maintain." Elder Shan said to him.

    A few momentster, Xiao Hua¡¯s voice resounded inside his head, "Brother Yuan, Qi Manifestation is very simr to Divine Sense. Just practice like you would with Divine Sense."

    ¡¯Now that you mention it, they are very simr!¡¯ Yuan realized this fact and immediately started trying to release his spiritual energy like he does with Divine Sense.

    After an hour of practicing, Yuan finally managed to produce some results! Although it was only very slightly, he¡¯d managed to extend his spiritual energy a few inches outside his body!

    When Elder Shan saw this, her eyes widened with shock.

    "D-Did you just...?" Elder Shan mumbled in a dazed voice.

    Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.

    "I think I am getting a hang of it." Yuan nodded.

    "Unbelievable... To think you¡¯d actually manage to release your spiritual energy outside of your body, even if it¡¯s just a little, and you¡¯d just entered Spirit Master. I am a little ashamed of myself now..." Elder Shan sighed.

    Thus, Yuan continued to practice his Qi Manifestation for the next few hours until they arrived at Bright Needle City.

    However, instead of descending outside the city like one normally would, Long Yijun led them directly inside the city, only descending once they were directly above the teleportation device.

    Of course, nobodyined when they saw this, and the workers there even weed them with bright smiles on their faces.

 Chapter 297 Mystic Realm Gathering Spot

    "Wee to Bright Needle City, Seniors from the Dragon Essence Temple. Are you heading to the Northern Continent for the Mystic Realm?" The worker there immediately recognized their identity and even their destination at a nce since he was warned beforehand.

    "Yes, we are." Long Yijun nodded his head.

    Sometimeter, after paying the worker the bill in spirit stones, Long Yijun and the others walked through the teleportation device.

    "Are you okay?" Yuan asked Meixiu after noticing the difort on her face.

    "Yes... Just a little dizzy." Meixiu said.

    "That¡¯s what happens when mortals use teleportation devices. Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s nothing serious and will go away after some time." Elder Shan said to them.

    A few momentster, they returned to the skies on their flying treasure.

    "We¡¯ll arrive at the location in three hours." Long Yijun said to them in the air.

    "By the way, I have been wondering, but how many sects will be participating in the Mystic Realm?" Yuan suddenly asked them.

    "Well, it¡¯s different every time, but there will always be over 100 sects." Elder Shan said, and she continued, "And out of these sects, only 100 of them will enter the sect ranking and be an elite sect, and our Dragon Essence Temple ranked 7th during thest Mystic Realm."

    "If I remember correctly, the slots for each sect are distributed depending on their previous results. How will new sects obtain these spots if they didn¡¯t participate previously?" Yuan then asked.

    "In the case that a new sect wants to participate in the Mystic Realm, there are a few ways they can obtain a slot, whether it be earning them through important events or even straight-up buying them with money, which most of them do. Of course, they can only obtain one slot maximum no matter how they obtained it."

    "Over 100 sects, huh? That¡¯s a lot of people. What benefits does being an elite sect bring besides recognition?" Yuan then asked.

    "Nothing, really. However, recognition and fame are the most important factors for sects since that¡¯s what attracts new disciples. Even though the difference between rank 7 and rank 6 may not seem very much in your eyes, it¡¯s actually very vast, especially since that might be the deciding factor for someone looking for a new sect."

    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    "I see..." Yuan nodded.

    About an hourter, their scenery suddenly changed drastically, going from a world rich with trees and greenery to a barren world that barely had any healthy-looking trees, and the further they went, the more deste the ce looked.

    "Where are we?" Yuan couldn¡¯t help but ask, feeling an ominous feelinging from this ce.

    "This is the ¡¯Deste Land¡¯, a unique ce that takes up one-third of the entire Northern Continent." Elder Shan exined.

    "Did something happen in this ce that caused this atmosphere?" Yuan continued to ask.

    "Legend has it that a fight had urred in this ce."

    "A fight...?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    Elder Shan nodded, "That¡¯s right. Not a war¡ª a fight between two cultivators."

    "Good lord... two people caused this? Is that even possible?" Yuan¡¯s eyes widened with surprise.

    "Yes, but this happened in the ancient times when there were no restrictions between each of the heavens and Immortals were free to roam from heaven to heaven with little to no effort. Perhaps what happened in this ce is the reason the mighty Heavens ced the restrictions on us in the first ce¡ª at least if the legend was true."

    "Is that so..." Yuan mumbled before turning to watch the scenery again.

    Although there was nothing to see, the barren world itself was a spectacle for Yuan, who has never seen such a view before.

    A few more hourster, Long Yijun said to them, "We¡¯re almost there. Prepare yourselves."

    "W-What is that thing in the distance?" Yuan suddenly asked, his voice sounding a little shocked.

    Meixiu narrowed her eyes, and she could see some sort of chasm in the distance, almost like a pair of gates opened slightly.

    "That¡¯s the gates to the Mystic Realm. Quite big, right?" Elder Shan chuckled at his reaction.

    "Big is an understatement, Senior Shan. That thing is massive! Is that a treasure? How did they move that thing? Or has it always been there?" Yuan expressed his awe.

    "Yes, it¡¯s a treasure, and no, they cannot move it." Elder Shan exined.

    A few minutester, the alreadyrge gates appeared evenrger, making anyone who was in its presence feel like mere ants.

    "We¡¯re here." Long Yijun said about ten minutester.

    Once they stopped flying in the air, Yuan and everyone else looked down at the area, and to their surprise, there were houses built on the ground along with some camps and a couple of hundred people.

    "We¡¯rending." Long Yijun said before descending his flying treasure.

    Yuan and the others could feel numerous gazes suddenly directed in their direction.

    "Ignore them." Elder Xuan said.

    Once theynded, Long Yijun retrieved his flying treasure which turned into a toy-like object that resembled a dragon. He then pulled out another toy-like object from his spatial ring, which resembled a house this time.

    Long Yijun poured his spiritual energy into this toy house before throwing it at the empty lot in front of them.

    Poof!

    The palm-sized toy house suddenly expanded until it was the size of a real building, leaving Yuan speechless and Meixiu full of surprise.

    "Quickly, go inside." Long Yijun said to them in a hasty voice, sounding as though they were in immediate danger.

    Yuan and the other didn¡¯t dare to linger and immediately went inside this building that was already filled with decoration.

    However, while the disciples went inside, Long Yijun and the sect elders remained standing outside while facing a certain direction, almost like they were waiting for something.

    And a few secondster, they could see many figures approaching their direction, all of them emitting powerful auras belonging to Spirit Masters with even one of them being a mighty Spirit Grandmaster!

 Chapter 298 Jealousy

    "It¡¯s been a while, fellow Daoists." Long Yijun greeted the guests with a friendly smile on his face while the three elders stood behind him with vignt looks on their faces.

    Even though these guests all had friendly-looking expressions on their faces, one can never be too careful in the cultivation world where anything can happen, especially when they arepetitors.

    "Sect Master Long and sect elders, it¡¯s been ten long years since ourst meeting."

    "You arrived almost at thest minute this time, Sect Master Long. Did something happen? The Dragon Essence Temple is usually always the first ones to arrive."

    "Don¡¯t tell me you almost forgot about the Mystic Realm?"

    These guests were all Sect Masters and high-ranking elders from the other sects, their intentions unclear.

    "I guess you can say something like that." Long Yijun responded in a calm voice.

    "By the way, I heard the Dragon Essence Temple managed to win a major bet recently that earned them a few Divine-grade treasures. Congrattions." One of them suddenly spoke, mentioning the gamble Long Yijun made with the other sects.

    "Hahaha! Thank you! Indeed, my Dragon Essence Temple managed to amass a small fortune due to some minor luck! However, my sect doesn¡¯t really need these treasures, so if you would like to buy them, give the Dragon Essence Temple a visit after the Mystic Realm! I will even give you a discount!" Long Yijun said, still with an innocent-looking smile on his face.

    The Sect Masters there stared at Long Yijun with dumbfounded looks on their faces, as they didn¡¯t expect him to suddenly start selling the Divine-grade treasures he¡¯d obviously tricked from the others! What a shameless fellow, they all thought!

    "A-Anyways, I have been wondering for a while now but I only saw two disciples from your group. I thought the Dragon Essence Temple obtained 3 slots from thest Mystic Realm?" The Spirit Grandmaster there suddenly asked.

    The two disciples he was referring to were Xue Jiye and Gao Dongya. As for Meixiu, there was no way they¡¯d let a mortal who hasn¡¯t even begun to cultivate enter the Mystic Realm. Meanwhile, in his eyes, Yuan, who was emitting the aura of a Spirit Master¡ª it was impossible for someone like that to be a mere disciple.

    In fact, everybody there thought the same and mistook Yuan as another sect elder from the Dragon Essence Temple.

    Long Yijun realized this fact and took advantage of their misunderstanding and said with an arrogant-looking smug face, "The Dragon Essence Temple is so confident this year that we¡¯d decided to only use two out of our three slots."

    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    "What?! Are you insane?!"

    The Sect Masters there were shocked speechless by Long Yijun¡¯s ims.

    So confident in his two disciples that they¡¯d be willing to give up an entire spot?! Not even the number one sect would do such a foolish thing! After all, every additional spot in the Mystic Realm could be the difference between rank one and rank 10!

    Furthermore, they have already done their research on Xue Jiye and Gao Dongya even before they became Core Disciples! While they are, without doubt, among the top geniuses in the Lower Heavens, they don¡¯t show any heaven-defying talents that would shake the entire world, and the other sects also have simr talents, hence why the Sect Masters couldn¡¯t understand where Long Yijun¡¯s confidence wasing from.

    After talking with each other for a few more minutes, the people from the other sects left Long Yijun and the others alone, yet they felt as though something was amiss.

    "Let¡¯s go inside as well." Long Yijun said to the sect elders afterward.

    Once they were inside the building, Long Yijun burst outughing, "Hahahaha! These idiots really believed me! They really thought I would give up such a valuable spot over arrogance!"

    Yuan and the other disciples watched himugh with raised eyebrows.

    Afterughing for some time, Long Yijun said, "Anyways, you guys can rx until the Mystic Realm starts in two days. There are plenty of rooms in this building so pick whichever one you want. The sect elders and I will keep watch until then."

    Sometimeter, Meixiu said to Yuan, "It¡¯s gettingte so I¡¯ll log off first to prepare dinner."

    Yuan nodded, "I¡¯ll also log off in a bit. I want to practice Qi Manifestation for a little longer."

    After logging off the game, Meixiu went to prepare dinner.

    While dinner was cooking, Meixiu went to check on the Frozen Jade Zither¡¯s auction.

    [Time until auction ends: 6 days 10 hours]

    [Current Bid: 410,000,000]

    "400 million already, huh? At this rate, it will definitely reach half a billion."

    Although the auction has slowed down, Meixiu had no doubt that it would reach at least 500 million.

    A few minutester, Meixiu could hear her phone ringing, and to her surprise, it was from her mother.

    "Hello," Meixiu answered the phone after taking a deep breath.

    "Meixiu, I have spoken with the Yu Family and notified them of your leave." Meifeng¡¯s voice resounded a few secondster.

    And she continued, "They were definitely not happy about it, especially since you¡¯re my daughter and the Young Lady¡¯s personal maid. However, there was nothing they could do about it since you¡¯re not bound to a contract like I am since you¡¯re still not old enough to legally sign any contracts. If you had been even a few monthste, you would¡¯ve been stuck with the Yu Family for essentially the rest of your life, so consider yourself lucky."

    "I see... Thank you... mother..." Meixiu said to her after hearing this news.

    "Don¡¯t thank me, Meixiu. I didn¡¯t do this for you. Everything is for the Young Master." Meifeng said.

    After a moment of silence, Meifeng suddenly said, "Meixiu... To tell you the truth, I am very envious of you, who can stay by the Young Master¡¯s side, whilst I can only watch him from a distance. Therefore, if you don¡¯t treat the Young Master properly, I won¡¯t forgive you. Do you hear me?"

    "I hear you..." Meixiu responded in a somewhat dazed voice.

 Chapter 299 Rebellious Stage

    "Good. Then I¡¯ll be leaving now." Meifeng said to Meixiu before cutting the phone call.

    "Haaa..." Meifeng released a long and deep breath afterward, rubbing her eyes in a tired manner.

    A few momentster, Meifeng turned around and entered the room that was right behind her with a serious-looking expression on her face.

    Inside the room, there were two individuals sitting across from each other on a small but fancy table filled with luxurious food and a couple of servants standing at the end of the room.

    "What did Meixiu say? Did you manage to convince her to stay?" Yu Yong asked her the moment she returned.

    Meifeng shook her head and said, "Unfortunately, she wouldn¡¯t listen to me no matter how much I tried to convince her, even cutting the line on me forcibly when I tried. I will take full responsibility for my daughter¡¯s sudden departure, Masters."

    Yu Yong ced his utensils down before sighing, "Don¡¯t worry about it, Meifeng. It¡¯s not your fault. Meixiu is probably in her rebellious stage since she¡¯s around that age. Once she gets over it, she will definitely return to us so let¡¯s just give her more time."

    "Thank you, Master Yu." Meifeng bowed to him.

    Obviously, it was only an excuse that Meifeng had created for Meixiu, as she¡¯d told the Yu Family that Meixiu was tired of working and decided to leave.

    "Anyway, how is the auction looking for the Divine-grade treasure?" Tang Lee suddenly asked.

    "Allow me a moment to check," Meifeng said as she pulled out her phone.

    After checking the auction, Meifeng said, "The highest bid right now is 411 million dors; it¡¯d increased by 21 million since west checked half an hour ago."

    "I see... Do you have any predictions on how much it might cost by the end?" Tang Lee then asked.

    "It¡¯s hard to tell since this is the first time a Divine-grade treasure has been sold. Furthermore, it is highly likely that this treasure belongs to yer Yuan. With that being said, the price most likely won¡¯t see any more significant increases since this treasure is only an instrument, and its high requirements restrict most if not all of the yers at this moment, so most of the other families have already stepped back." Meifeng said.

    Yu Yong nodded and said, "While it¡¯s true that the treasure has a high requirement, this is an investment for the future! Once we have someone who can use that zither, everything will change and we will overtake the other families!"

    "Continue monitoring the auction. We¡¯ll stop bidding for now until thest day."

    "Yes, Master Yu."

    Meanwhile, after dinner was prepared, Meixiu went to feed Yuan four bowls of soup as instructed by Doctor Wang.

    A few minutes after dinner, almost as though she knew, Yu Rou called Meixiu¡ª or more specifically, Yuan.

    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.

    "How was your day, brother? I saw the auction! It¡¯s a massive sess! Over 400 million dors in a single day¡ª you¡¯ll definitely get at least 500 million from the auction!" Yu Rou¡¯s excited voice resounded in his ears, making it feel as though Yu Rou was really in the room.

    "At this rate, you won¡¯t have to worry about not having enough money for the rest of your life!"

    "Indeed," Yuan said.

    "By the way, do you see other yers at the Mystic Realm?" Yu Rou suddenly asked.

    "No, I just got there myself."

    "I see... Well, good luck, brother! Although I will be going back to school tomorrow, I had a lot of fun with Xia Jingyi. We did many quests together, even hunting a dozen magical beasts. Of course, I was the one who slew them all!" Yu Rou spoke in a proud voice.

    "That sounds fun," Yuan said with a smile on his face.

    "It is! You shoulde y with us once you¡¯re done with the Mystic Realm."

    "That¡¯s what I n on doing¡ª oh, wait. I still have one more thing to do before the Mystic Realm."

    "Take your time, brother. We have plenty of time to y the game together." Yu Rou said.

    "Anyway, I will talk to youter. I¡¯m going to sleep now. Goodnight, brother. Goodnight, Meixiu."

    "Goodnight, Yu Rou."

    "Goodnight, Sister Rou."

    After the phone call ended, Meixiu returned to her own room to sleep whilst Yuan cultivated.

    The following morning, after breakfast, they returned to Cultivation Online.

    "Good morning, everybody." Yuan greeted them.

    "Did you have a good restst night? The Mystic Realm won¡¯t start until sunrise tomorrow but there will be a gatheringter today since all of the participating sects have arrived." Elder Xuan said to him.

    Yuan nodded, then he asked, "By the way, I have been wondering, but do you think I can take a closer look at the gates to the Mystic Realm? Or would that be too dangerous?"

    "Well, besides some roaming magical beasts in this area, there¡¯s really not much danger. And with so many peak experts in this ce, even a Spirit Grandmaster magical beast won¡¯t be able to do a thing, so you don¡¯t have to worry about them." Elder Xuan exined.

    Long Yijun interrupted, "It¡¯s not the magical beasts we¡¯re worried about¡ª it¡¯s the other sects. While it¡¯s very unlikely that anybody would start a fight here, it¡¯s not impossible, and it has happened before."

    "Even if we may act friendly to one another, it¡¯s all just a public act. Don¡¯t forget, we¡¯re allpetitors fighting for the next highest rank."

    "However, if you want to look at the gates, I won¡¯t say no. Just make sure you¡¯re with one of the sect elders." Long Yijun said.

    "I wille with you." Elder Xuan said, and he continued, "And before you leave, change into these clothes."

    Yuan epted the clothes that resembled what sect elders would wear.

    "The others think you¡¯re a sect elder because of your cultivation base. It would be in our best interest to keep them thinking that until the start of the Mystic Realm." Elder Xuan said.

    "Okay. Do you want toe with us, Meixiu?" Yuan asked her.

    Meixiu silently nodded her head.

 Chapter 300 Taking a Closer Look at the Mystic Realm

    "I-I also want toe!" Xue Jiye suddenly said, and she continued, "It¡¯s my first timeing to this ce, and it¡¯s probably going to be myst, so I want to make it more memorable!"

    Elder Xuan nodded, "Okay."

    A few momentster, Yuan went to the other room to change his clothes, wearing the sect elder¡¯s uniform given to him by Elder Xuan.

    "Wow, you look much better in those clothes than I¡¯d anticipated. You¡¯ll definitely be a popr sect elder if you be one, especially among the female disciples." Elder Shan¡¯s eyes widened with surprise when she saw Yuan wearing the sect elder¡¯s uniform, which gave him a more profound feeling and also enhanced his handsome appearance by a level.

    Even Xue Jiye couldn¡¯t help but swallow nervously after seeing Yuan¡¯s new appearance.

    After another moment, Yuan and Meixiu wore their masks before going outside with Elder Xuan, making their way towards the Mystic Realm that was only a couple of miles in the distance.

    Since the ce was an empty and tnd and the gates were massive, the Mystic Realm looked much closer than reality, and when they approached the gates, it felt like they weren¡¯t getting any closer despite walking towards it for many minutes.

    About half an hourter, they could see arge group of people gathered in the front, all staring at the Mystic Realm with awe on their faces.

    "Looks like we¡¯re not the only ones who wanted to look at the Mystic Realm." Xue Jiye mumbled as they approached this group.

    The people there turned to look at them when they noticed their presence.

    "The Dragon Essence Temple, huh?"

    However, they didn¡¯t pay too much attention to them and returned to looking at the Mystic Realm that was emitting an otherworldly light, almost like it would lead them to another world if they entered the light.

    Meanwhile, Yuan was wondering if there were any yers among these people, as they all looked rtively simr to each other in terms of appearance and the aura they gave off.

    "Wow, this treasure is even more massive than I thought..." Yuan mumbled in a dazed voice as he tilted his head to look at the giant gate that pierced the clouds in the sky.

    There were also theseplex symbols on each side of this gate, giving the ce a more mystical feeling to it.

    Almost as though they were captivated by it, Yuan and the others stared at this gate with dazed looks on their faces for many minutes without blinking.

    Suddenly, unbeknownst to the others there, a voice resounded from beyond the Mystic Realm that only reached Yuan¡¯s ears, and it was an ancient-sounding voice, almost as though it was beckoning him.

    ¡¯s...¡¯

    ¡¯I have...¡¯

    ¡¯Been...¡¯

    ¡¯Waiting...¡¯

    ¡¯For you...¡¯

    Yuan¡¯s eyes widened when he noticed a semi-transparent figure hovering directly between the gates, almost like a hologram of sorts.

    However, this person didn¡¯t have a face. It had long ck hair that pped behind him like a cape, and it was wearing ck clothes with gold outlines around the clothes, giving this individual a majestic atmosphere, almost like he was royalty.

    When Yuan saw this faceless individual, his blood began boiling for some reason, and it was unclear whether the reaction was due to excitement or something else entirely.

    "Who... are you?" Yuan mumbled in a mosquito-like voice.

    Even though this individual hovering in front of the Mystic Realmcked any facial features, Yuan could somehow tell that it was looking directly at him.

    ¡¯Come...¡¯

    ¡¯Here...¡¯

    This ancient voice continued to beckon Yuan.

    After an unknown amount of time had passed, Yuan suddenly felt someone pat his shoulders.

    "Are you okay?" Elder Xuan asked him.

    "Eh? What do you mean?"

    "I have been calling you for a while now, but you were absorbed in the Mystic Realm, not noticing it."

    "Oh, I¡¯m sorry. I was a little too focused on that figure floating in front of the gates. Who is that person?" Yuan said.

    "Huh? Figure? What are you talking about? There¡¯s nobody there." Elder Xuan looked at him with a surprised expression.

    Elder Xuan then turned to look at the gates just in case, but as he¡¯d expected, there wasn¡¯t anybody there.

    "Are you sure you saw somebody there? One cannot approach the Mystic Realm without the tokens, hence why we aren¡¯t getting any closer than this, and we won¡¯t be getting these tokens untilter today." Elder Xuan exined to him.

    "Yes, I¡¯m sure," Yuan said, and he proceeded to describe the faceless man to Elder Xuan.

    "Hmm... As far as I¡¯m aware, nobody has seen this faceless individual before since I have never heard of this person until today. We can ask the Sect Masterter, but we should get back for now since the gathering will happen soon."

    "Okay." Yuan nodded, following Elder Xuan and the others back to their building.

    ¡¯Come...¡¯

    ¡¯Here...¡¯

    The voice continued to resound inside Yuan¡¯s head even as he left the ce.

    However, when he turned around, that faceless individual was no longer there, and the voice disappeared shortly after as well.

    Once they returned to their building, Elder Xuan exined the situation to Long Yijun.

    "Interesting... A faceless individual..." Long Yijun pondered with a serious look on his face.

    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.

    "Do you know something about this, Sect Master?" Elder Xuan asked.

    After a moment of silence, Long Yijun shook his head and said, "While I have heard of numerous phenomenons urring around the Mystic Realm before, I don¡¯t recall anything about a faceless person. I can ask aroundter, but don¡¯t expect an answer."

    "I see..." Yuan nodded.

    "Anyways, the gathering won¡¯t happen for another two hours, but we should start heading there now or else it will look bad for the Dragon Essence Temple if the envoys from the Spirit Heaven arrive before us."

    "Envoys from the upper heavens? Does this mean people from this Spirit Heaven wille down here?" Yuan asked.

    Long Yijunughed and said, "Of course not, silly. It takes too much effort and resources toe down here. Even if they¡¯re incredibly rich, they won¡¯t be able to affording down here every decade!"

 Chapter 301 The Aura of a Spirit King

    "Is that so... What a pity. I wanted to see someone from the Spirit Heaven." Yuan sighed.

    Long Yijun chuckled at his words and said, "Besides having a much higher cultivation base and being more knowledgeable because of theirrger world, there¡¯s really not much difference between us. It¡¯s not as if people from the upper heavens are different entities."

    "I see... that makes sense." Yuan nodded.

    "Anyways, let¡¯s get moving. The other sects are already gathering at the location."

    The Dragon Essence Temple left the building and followed the other sects to the gathering area that was just a few miles away from their lodging location.

    Sometimeter, they arrived at the gathering area, where over a hundred sects gathered and stood separated from each other but in an orderly fashion, almost like a massive military formation getting ready for war.

    The Dragon Essence Temple stood at the very front of this massive formation. Despite the fact that many sects had arrived before them, there was an empty spot in the front with other sects upying the spots behind it, almost like it was left empty specifically for the Dragon Essence Temple.

    Each sect had around five to ten people with them, but there were also sects that brought over a hundred people, mostly for spectating.

    While everybody there waited for this envoy from the Spirit Heaven to show up, Yuan turned to look at the Mystic Realm that was in the distance, hoping to see the faceless figure again.

    ¡¯Xiao Hua, Feng Feng, was it just me, or did you two also see that faceless figure?¡¯ Yuan decided to ask the two experts dwelling inside his body.

    ¡¯Xiao Hua didn¡¯t see anyone like that.¡¯

    ¡¯Me neither, Young Master. Are you sure you weren¡¯t seeing things?¡¯

    ¡¯I¡¯m sure. It was even calling for me... I don¡¯t know why, but I felt somewhat nostalgic when I saw this faceless figure, almost like I¡¯d seen it before, but that¡¯s impossible. Maybe I¡¯m just overthinking things,¡¯ Yuan sighed inwardly.

    Suddenly, Xiao Hua said in a serious voice, ¡¯Brother Yuan, be careful. There are a lot of people looking in our direction right now. Although I cannot say for certain that they¡¯re looking at you, it¡¯s very likely.¡¯

    Hearing Xiao Hua¡¯s words, Yuan realized why he was feeling ufortable for some time now. So it was caused by these stares.

    ¡¯The Dragon Essence Temple is quite popr, after all. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if they were staring at us.¡¯ Yuan said.

    ¡¯While that is true, the looks they¡¯re giving are different from that of awe or admiration, and they look more like they¡¯re trying to see through your mask, Young Master.¡¯ Feng Feng added.

    Yuan¡¯s body shuddered after hearing these words, and he wondered to himself, ¡¯It couldn¡¯t be the other yers, right?¡¯

    Indeed, these people staring at Yuan were all yers that were chosen to participate in the Mystic Realm. While their cultivation bases are nothing exaggerated like Yuan, who was a Spirit Master, they all show promising talents, not to mention their Heaven-rank physiques.

    Although the Sect Masters and Sect Elders all mistook Yuan as a Sect Elder because of his Spirit Master cultivation base, the yers were not fooled by his cultivation, mostly because yer Yuan was famous for his ck mask ever since the zitherpetition, and everybody knew that he was in the Dragon Essence Temple, hence why they expected him to show up at the Mystic Realm.

    And just as the yers had expected, yer Yuan showed up.

    ¡¯So that¡¯s the famous yer Yuan, huh? Even though I cannot see his cultivation base, he gives off the same feeling as our Sect Master¡ª the same domineering aura.¡¯ One of the yers there thought inwardly.

    ¡¯yer Yuan... Just you wait! If we ever meet in the Mystic Realm, I am going to rip that mask off your face and reveal your identity to the world!¡¯ Another one thought.

    ¡¯yer Yuan... I wonder what he looks like underneath that ck mask...¡¯

    Sometimeter, the atmosphere in the ce began to change, and although it was a subtle change at first, all of the Sect Masters there noticed it.

    Upon feeling this change, they all said to their disciples, "The envoy ising! Stand straight and don¡¯t utter a single sound unless you¡¯re told to speak!"

    The entire ce immediately turned dead silent, and everyone there waited nervously for this ¡¯envoy¡¯ to show up.

    Whoosh!

    The wind suddenly picked up, and a massive portal appeared above the sects, shocking the Sect Masters.

    "W-Wait! What¡¯s happening?!"

    "T-This is! Somebody from the upper heavens is trying toe down to the Lower Heavens?! Did they send an envoy to personally oversee the Mystic Realm this time?!"

    Usually, the experts from Spirit Heaven would just use some sort of treasure to speak with them from above, and rarely would theye down to the Lower Heavens in person. In fact, thest time a real envoy showed up in the Lower Heavens for the Mystic Realm was over 10,000 years ago!

    Perhaps this is what the rumors actually meant? That a real envoy would be showing up?

    The spiritual energy in the area started acting up and began rushing towards the portal in the sky.

    A domineering aura appeared momentster, and it was something nobody there¡ª not even the Sect Masters, have experienced before.

    However, two people recognized this kind of aura.

    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g

    Feng Yuxiang, who had experienced it herself not long ago when she first met Yuan.

    And Xiao Hua, who could emit the same aura herself¡ª the aura of a Spirit King!

    "Young Master, it¡¯s a Spirit King! A Spirit King is descending!" Feng Yuxiang said to him in an excited voice.

    "What? The same level as Xiao Hua?" Yuan was surprised to hear this since this is his first time seeing another cultivator at the same level as Xiao Hua ever since he started ying the game.

    After a few more moments of suspense and tension, Yuan and the others could see a figureing out of the portal¡ª an old man wearing ck and red robes.

 Chapter 302 Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunity

    "Wee to the Lower Heavens, Senior Envoy!"

    The Sect Masters and experts there all bowed to this old man in ck clothes after he descended.

    This old man swept the crowd with a calm gaze before nodding his head and speaking in a nonchnt voice, "My surname is Nie. You can simply address me as Senior Nie, and I am from the Nine Array Academy, one of the seven Spirit Academies within the Spirit Heaven."

    Despite speaking in a calm tone, his voice sounded very clear for everyone there, almost like he was standing directly in front of them.

    "I was sent down here to the Lower Heavens for one... No, two purposes. First and foremost, I will be overseeing the Mystic Realm, and secondly, I am looking for potential talents to bring to the Spirit Heaven with me."

    "WHAT?!"

    The people there expressed immense shock after hearing Senior Nie¡¯s words.

    Senior Nie continued to speak, ignoring the peoples¡¯ shocked reaction, "However, I can only bring a very limited number of people with me. Three people to be exact. Therefore, I will select the participants with the most potential and best results in the Mystic Realm toe with me."

    "If you manage to get selected, you¡¯ll also have a chance to be a disciple at one of the seven Spirit Academies, and depending on your potential, you might even be an Inner Disciple straight away."

    "The seven Spirit Academies are the most prestigious and influential sects in the Spirit Heaven with countless resources and heavenly techniques. Countless cultivators dream of bing a disciple at one of these seven sects, but one must go through rigorous tests before they are epted as a disciple. However, you will get to bypass such tests and be a disciple immediately if you¡¯re chosen."

    The disciples there trembled with excitement after hearing Senior Nie¡¯s words. If they are chosen to go to the Spirit Heaven with Senior Nie, their future will surely be a sessful one! This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

    As for the Sect Masters and Sect Elders there, while they were happy for their disciples for getting such a grand opportunity, they were also quite jealous of the disciples since most of them dream of ascending to the Spirit Heaven as well.

    Meanwhile, the yers there were even more excited.

    ¡¯If I get to ascend to the Spirit Heaven before I reach Spirit Grandmaster, I will immediately be ahead of every yer in the Lower Heavens, and there¡¯s even a good chance that I could surpass the seemingly unrivaled yer Yuan!¡¯

    The yers thought to themselves.

    "Now that I¡¯ve introduced myself, allow me to tell you about the Mystic Realm." Senior Nie said.

    After taking a deep breath, he continued, "Let¡¯s talk about the rules of the Mystic Realm."

    "With that being said, these rules are mostly rules set by the Mystic Realm and they are not something I¡ª or anyone for that matter¡ª have control over. You can consider it as the rules of that world."

    "Anyways, first and foremost, your cultivation base will not matter in the Mystic Realm. Once you enter the gates to the Mystic Realm, your cultivation base will be wiped, and you¡¯ll have to start from scratch. However, this is only temporary since your cultivation base will return once youe back out. Furthermore, any spiritual energy you obtain whilst inside the Mystic Realm will affect your real cultivation base, so you¡¯ll even see an increase in your cultivation afterward depending on how much you earned inside."

    After giving the people a few moments to digest the information, Senior Nie continued, "Next! Treasures are not allowed inside the Mystic Realm! If you have anything that isn¡¯t a part of your body, you¡¯ll be rejected by the Mystic Realm until you get rid of those treasures!"

    "As for the third rule which is rted to the second rule, just like treasures, you¡¯re not allowed to bring your magical beasts into the Mystic Realm since they are considered as their own entity! Of course, you can bring your magical beast inside if you give it a token! However, that will take away one precious spot, so you¡¯ll have to consider if that¡¯s worth it or not!"

    Yuan raised his eyebrows when he heard this. What about Xiao Hua and Feng Yuxiang? Does this mean they¡¯ll have to stay out here while he goes inside?

    ¡¯Looks like we won¡¯t be able to follow you inside the Mystic Realm, Young Master.¡¯ Feng Feng suddenly said to him.

    "Unless we take the two disciples¡¯ spot from them...¡¯ she added.

    However, before Yuan could say anything, Senior Nie continued, "Furthermore, only those who are below the age of 30 are allowed to enter the Mystic Realm! As for those who have magical beasts as servants, the magical beast must be younger than 100 years old!"

    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g

    ¡¯100 years old... I guess I won¡¯t be able to go in after all...¡¯ Feng Yuxiang sighed.

    ¡¯What about you, Xiao Hua? You¡¯re human, so you should be able to enter... Unless you¡¯re over thirty...¡¯ Feng Yuxiang said to her.

    "..."

    However, Xiao Hua didn¡¯t respond to her and remained silent.

    ¡¯It¡¯s okay, you two. Even if you can go inside with me, I cannot take away the others¡¯ spots. They earned it, and it¡¯d be incredibly rude of us if we stole it.¡¯ Yuan said to them.

    ¡¯I knew that, Young Master. I was only joking with you.¡¯

    "The next rule¡ª once you enter the Mystic Realm, you have 30 days to show results and obtain points. You can obtain points by increasing your cultivation, ying magical beasts, finding treasures, clearing trials, and many more methods. If you manage to obtain a certain amount of points, you will be able to enter the Mystic Pagoda somewhere inside the Mystic Realm. As for what¡¯s inside the Mystic Pagoda... I cannot tell you¡ª nobody can. Why? Because nobody has managed to enter the Mystic Pagoda before." Senior Nie said.

    And he continued with a subtle smile on his face, "If you manage to enter the Mystic Pagoda, you¡¯re guaranteed toe to the Spirit Heavens with me so keep that in mind."

 Chapter 303 Distributing the Tokens

    "Now let¡¯s talk about your safety in the Mystic Realm¡ª although you won¡¯t outright die if you die inside the Mystic Realm, there¡¯s a chance that it might affect your cultivation once you leave the ce so don¡¯t take death lightly inside just because you won¡¯t die for real." Senior Nie continued to speak.

    "If you happen to die inside the Mystic Realm, you will immediately be teleported out of the Mystic Realm, and you won¡¯t be able to enter for a second time since every individual can only enter the Mystic Realm once in their lifetime."

    "That¡¯s all I have for now¡ª does any of the Sect Masters here have any questions for me before I hand out the tokens?" Senior Nie swept the crowd with a calm gaze.

    The ce remained silent. Although all of the Sect Masters had questions inside their heads, it was not rted to the Mystic Realm that they¡¯ve seen many times before, and it might offend Senior Nie if they brought it up in their current situation.

    "Then I shall begin handing out the tokens now."

    After taking a deep breath, Senior Nie spoke, "Ranked first, Heaven and Earth Pce, 7 tokens."

    "Heaven and Earth Pce is present, Senior Nie!"

    The Sect Master of the Heaven and Earth Pce responded loudly.

    Senior Nie then tossed seven square-shaped tokens made of a blue material that resembled jade at the Sect Master of the Heaven and Earth Pce.

    After epting the tokens, the Sect Master bowed in a respectful manner, "Received! Thank you, Senior Nie!"

    Senior Nie nodded his head before continuing, "Ranked second, Grand Sword Mountain, 6 tokens."

    "Grand Sword Mountain is present, Senior Nie!"

    The Sect Master of the ce responded, and Senior Nie handed them 6 tokens.

    "Ranked third, ming Fists Sect, 5 tokens."

    "ming Fist Sect is present, Senior Nie!"

    "Ranked fourth, Azure Phoenix Sect, 4 tokens."

    "Ranked fifth, Purple Lotus Fairy Garden, 3 tokens."

    "Ranked sixth, Frozen de Academy, 3 tokens."

    "Ranked seventh, Dragon Essence Temple, 3 tokens."

    "Ranked eighth, Three Poisons Manor, 2 tokens."

    "Ranked ninth, Heavenly Totem Sect, 2 tokens."

    "Ranked tenth, Diamond Palms Sect, 2 tokens."

    After naming the top ten sects, Senior Nie said, "The rest of you will be getting one token each."

    He then tossed over a hundred tokens down, each flying to one of the Sect Masters there.

    In total, there were 150 tokens handed out by Senior Nie, meaning there will only be 150 participants entering the Mystic Realm.

    "The Mystic Realm will open at sunrise tomorrow, and I won¡¯t be back until then." After saying those words, Senior Nie flew away and quickly disappeared from the scene, almost like he was in a hurry to go somewhere.

    Once Senior Nie¡¯s presence waspletely gone, everybody there sighed in relief, feeling as though arge amount of pressure had just been lifted from their bodies.

    When they were certain that Senior Nie would not suddenly return, the massive formation began breaking apart and the sects returned to their own lodging.

    "Let¡¯s also return." Long Yijun said to them.

    Yuan and the others nodded and followed Long Yijun back to the building.

    However, before they could reach the building, someone suddenly called out loud, "yer Yuan!"

    Yuan¡¯s body subconsciously stopped walking and turned around after hearing his name being called out by an unfamiliar-sounding voice.

    When he turned around, there was a handsome young man with short ck hair and a cold face standing behind him, looking to be in his mid-twenties.

    "Remember my name¡ª Lightning Emperor! I don¡¯t care who you are but I will surpass you soon! Just you wait!" This yer who is renowned around the world as one of the current top yers said with a serious look on his face.

    However, before Yuan could even respond, Lightning Emperor turned around and walked away.

    ¡¯Lightning Emperor? Why does his name sound so familiar?¡¯ Yuan wondered.

    Then he remembered.

    ¡¯Oh, right! Yu Rou mentioned him once before¡ª that top yer who had the highest cultivation base.¡¯

    Yuan narrowed his eyes at Lightning Emperor and looked at his cultivation base.

    ¡¯Sixth level Spirit Warrior, huh.¡¯

    "Did you know that disciple from the Grand Sword Mountain?" Long Yijun asked him.

    "Not really." Yuan shook his head, and they began walking again shortly after.

    However, another yer called out to Yuan after a few steps.

    "yer Yuan! If you dare, show me the face behind that mask!"

    This yer outright asked Yuan to reveal his identity in a shameless voice.

    Yuan looked at this goofy-looking young man for a moment before he continued walking,pletely ignoring the yer.

    "Hey! Where do you think you¡¯re going¡ª"

    The yer tried to approach Yuan, but s, Elder Xuan stepped between them and said, "If you wish to speak with our disciples, you should bring your Sect Master with you."

    The yer swallowed nervously upon feeling Elder Xuan¡¯s invisible pressure, and he decided to turn around and run away.

    "I¡¯ll do whatever it takes to see your face, yer Yuan! See ya in the Mystic Realm! Hahaha!" The yerughed out loud as he disappeared into the distance.

    "You sure have a lot of friends, Disciple Yuan." Elder Xuan said to him afterward.

    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    "If only that was the case..." Yuan sighed.

    A few more yers tried to approach Yuan after thest person, but before they could get close, Elder Xuan would always stand in their path and block them, and not wanting to be outdone by Elder Xuan, Elder Shan also did the same, even fighting him to block the other yers.

    "yer Yuan! Please shake my hands!"

    Another voice resounded, this time from a female yer.

    "Please stay away. Our disciples do not wish to speak with any guests right now." Elder Shan immediately blocked this female yer.

    However, Yuan stopped walking and turned around, thinking to himself, ¡¯This voice... It sounds so familiar...¡¯

    When Yuan turned around and finally saw the face of this female yer, his eyes widened, and he nearly blurted out her name in surprise.

    ¡¯Wang Xiuying! What¡¯s she doing here?¡¯

    Indeed, this person was Wang Xiuying, Doctor Wang¡¯s granddaughter!

 Chapter 304 Handshake

    "I see... Sorry to bother you..." Wang Xiuying sighed after being told off by Elder Shan, and she turned around with a dejected look on her face.

    However, a stiff voice suddenly resounded, halting her steps.

    "Wait."

    "Huh?" Wang Xiuying turned around, and to her surprise, Yuan was looking at her, even walking in her direction.

    "D-Disciple Yuan?" Elder Shan looked at him with wide eyes. He ignored all of the male cultivators when they tried to approach him, but when it came to a pretty youngdy approaching him, he didn¡¯t mind it, even responding to her?

    A few momentster, Yuan stood in front of the speechless Wang Xiuying.

    He then extended his hand, almost like he was asking for a handshake.

    Wang Xiuying stared at Yuan¡¯s hands in a dazed manner, her eyes filled with disbelief.

    "You wanted a handshake, right?" Yuan asked her in a low voice so she won¡¯t easily recognize him, snapping her out of her daze.

    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g

    "Y-Yes! Sorry for the dy!" Wang Xiuying nodded her head before she quickly reached for Yuan¡¯s hands, giving him a firm handshake.

    ¡¯What a pair of beautiful and clear eyes¡ª it reminds me of someone...¡¯ Wang Xiuying thought to herself when she looked at Yuan¡¯s bright eyes through the holes in the mask, feeling nostalgic for some reason, almost like she¡¯d seen them before.

    "Umm..."

    Despite shaking hands for longer than one normally would, Wang Xiuying didn¡¯t remove her hands from Yuan, almost like she¡¯d forgotten about it after seeing his eyes.

    "Oh! Sorry!" Wang Xiuying hastily released her grasp once she realized the situation.

    "Anyways, I am Healer Wang, and I¡¯m from the Medicine Valley. It¡¯s an honor to finally meet you, yer Yuan! Thank you for shaking my hands, and good luck in the Mystic Realm!" Wang Xiuying gave Yuan her nickname,pletely unaware that Yuan already knew her real identity.

    ¡¯Healer Wang...?¡¯ Yuan raised his eyebrows at her name but he didn¡¯t say anything, merely nodding in silence.

    Once Wang Xiuying left, Yuan returned to the others.

    "Yuan, that girl was Doctor Wang¡¯s..." Meixiu also recognized Wang Xiuying since she visits Doctor Wang¡¯s hospital often with Yu Rou.

    "Yes, it was Wang Xiuying," Yuan confirmed. "Just like you, she looked almost like she did when she was young, so I immediately knew it was her."

    "So you knew her?" Elder Shan said.

    Yuan nodded, "Yes, she¡¯s a good friend of mine."

    Elder Shan became even more confused after hearing such words since it looked theplete opposite just now, almost like it was their first meeting, especially since Wang Xiuying didn¡¯t appear to know him.

    Sometimeter, they returned to their lodging.

    Inside, Yuan spoke, "Since I cannot bring treasures inside, I won¡¯t be able to hide my face... Are there any methods to get around this?"

    Long Yijun then said, "That¡¯s simple¡ª you can just wear an ordinary mask inside."

    "I see..."

    "I can go buy one right now." Elder Xuan said.

    "Thank you for your trouble," Yuan said to him.

    Elder Xuan left the ce shortly after to buy some masks for Yuan.

    Long Yijun said afterward, "Here are the tokens for the Mystic Realm. Don¡¯t lose them or you won¡¯t be able to enter the Mystic Realm."

    He then handed a blue token to each of the participants.

    "As for your treasures, you can hand them to me now or before you enter the Mystic Realm tomorrow. I¡¯ll hold onto them for you." Long Yijun then said.

    Gao Dongya and Xue Jiye handed their spatial rings and storage pouches to Long Yijun a momentter.

    "What about you, Disciple Yuan? I can hold onto them for you, or you can let your Dao Companion hold it for you." Long Yijun asked him afterward.

    ¡¯Xiao Hua will hold onto your treasures for you tomorrow, Brother Yuan.¡¯ Xiao Hua suddenly said to him.

    "It¡¯s okay, Sect Master. I have someone else who will keep my treasures safe." Yuan said to him.

    "If you say so..." Long Yijun nodded with a puzzled look on his face.

    Someone else will hold onto his treasures? Who else besides Meixiu will do that?

    Sometimeter, Long Yijun dismissed them until tomorrow.

    Yuan and Meixiu logged off the game to rest for the big event tomorrow.

    While dinner was cooking, Meixiu checked the auction, but the price only increased by a few hundred thousand since thest time she checked.

    ¡¯The auction has slowed down to almost a halt, but it¡¯ll pick back up on the final day,¡¯ she thought to herself.

    After feeding Yuan dinner, Meixiu went to sleep. Yuan also went to sleep since he wanted to rest properly before the big day tomorrow.

    Early in the morning tomorrow, way before sunrise, Meixiu woke up and prepared breakfast. After feeding Yuan, they both entered the game.

    "Are you all ready?" Long Yijun looked at them.

    "Yes, Sect Master!" They all nodded.

    "Disciple Yuan, here." Elder Xuan handed Yuan a ck mask, but it was made of ordinary material.

    "Thank you, Senior Xuan!" Yuan quickly switched from his ck Jade Mask to this ck mask made of some kind of marble, giving it a glossy appearance.

    Sometimeter, the Dragon Essence Temple made their way to the gathering area and stood in a formation like they did yesterday, and they proceeded to wait for Senior Nie to return.

    Right before sunrise, Senior Nie returned to the scene and hovered above everyone there.

    "Greetings, Senior Nie!"

    All of the Sect Masters there bowed to him.

    "I will give all of you thirty minutes to prepare before we officially begin the Mystic Realm. If you¡¯re prepared, you may stand over there." Senior Nie pointed to the empty area in front of the Mystic Realm.

    Soon, participants began gathering at that spot.

    "Are you ready, Disciple Yuan?" Long Yijun asked him after asking Xue Jiye and Gao Dongya.

    "Give me a second," Yuan said.

    Then he said, "Xiao Hua, Feng Feng, you cane outside now."

    "Xiao Hua? Feng Feng?" Everyone there raised their eyebrows at these unfamiliar names.

    Suddenly, the ne on Yuan began to glow, and a small ball of me came out of his chest.

    A secondter, a cute little girl and a beautifuldy appeared before Yuan like ghosts.

    The moment Xiao Hua¡¯s presence appeared and Senior Nie sensed it, his eyes widened with immense shock.

    "Spirit King?! Impossible!"

    Without any hesitation, he immediately flew towards the Dragon Essence Temple.

 Chapter 305 Two Incredibly Powerful Individuals

    The other people there immediately noticed Senior Nie¡¯s sudden movements and watched as he approached the Dragon Essence Temple.

    "S-Senior Nie?!" Long Yijun and the others were shocked by his sudden appearance, and they hastily went to bow to him.

    However, almost as though he couldn¡¯t see them, Senior Nie ignored them and stared at Xiao Hua with wide eyes filled with surprise. How could such a young girl emit the aura of a Spirit King?

    He then sped his hands and bowed to Xiao Hua in a courteous manner, "What is someone like you doing here, Fellow Daoist? And if you don¡¯t mind me asking, where are you from?"

    The entire ce was dead silent as everyone there watched Senior Nie lower his head and treat a little girl as though they were equals, shocking them greatly.

    Nobody there couldprehend the situation. Why was Senior Nie, an envoy from the Spirit Heavens, acting so respectful towards this little girl? However, even more shocking was the way Senior Nie addressed this little girl¡ª Fellow Daoist, which implied that they were on equal footing to a certain extent.

    "Xiao Hua¡¯s reason for being here doesn¡¯t concern you." Xiao Hua said to him in a calm voice that shook the heart of everyone there when they heard it.

    How could she treat Senior Nie with such ack of respect?! Courting death would be an understatement!

    A rigid smile appeared on Senior Nie¡¯s face after hearing Xiao Hua¡¯s disregarding words, but he didn¡¯t get angry, even acting like it never happened and said, "Then allow me to ask you another question. How did you, a Spirit King,e down here? Unless one receives permission from the Ji Family, they cannot travel to the Lower Heavens, and as far as I¡¯m aware, I was the only one who¡¯d received permission toe down here in thest 1,000 years."

    ¡¯A Spirit King?! That little girl?!¡¯

    The spectators were shocked to the core after hearing Senior Nie¡¯s words. How could a little girl who only appeared to be around 10 years be a Spirit King? Even if she had consumed some sort of appearance-changing pill to alter her appearance, it couldn¡¯t possibly change her appearance in such a drastic manner!

    However, despite Senior Nie¡¯s questioning, Xiao Hua shook her head, seemingly adamant about remaining silent.

    "Hmm..." Senior Nie narrowed his eyes at Xiao Hua with a suspicious gaze.

    He was only a first level Spirit King whilst Xiao Hua appeared to be at the third level, so there was a good chance he won¡¯t be able to defeat her even if they fought. Furthermore, as a Spirit King who came from the upper heavens, Senior Nie has several restrictions ced upon him and cannot cause too much drama in the Lower Heavens or he¡¯ll be punished by the heavens.

    ¡¯This little girl... She doesn¡¯t appear to be using any treasures to change her appearance... A Spirit King at such a young age and I don¡¯t recognize her... Perhaps she came from a ce even higher than Spirit Heavens...?¡¯ Senior Nie¡¯s body shuddered at the thought that Xiao Hua could be from a ce even higher than the Spirit Heavens!

    ¡¯If that¡¯s really the case, I cannot offend her no matter what!¡¯ Senior Nie took a deep breath before speaking again, "I apologize if my curiosity has bothered you, Fellow Daoist. If you do not want to say anything, I won¡¯t pursue it any further."

    Just as Senior Nie prepared to leave, his gaze subconsciously looked at Yuan, who was standing directly next to Xiao Hua.

    ¡¯A Spirit Master? Wait... I can sense the token on him! Does this mean he¡¯s participating in the Mystic Realm¡ª that he¡¯s under the age of thirty?!¡¯

    Senior Nie was greatly surprised to find such tremendous talent in the Lower Heavens, and his anticipation for the Mystic Realm increased significantly.

    Although Senior Nie wanted to stay there a little longer to speak with Yuan, he didn¡¯t dare to linger too much because of Xiao Hua¡¯s presence!

    After Senior Nie left the ce and returned to his original spot in the air, Long Yijun spoke in a dazed voice, "D-D-Disciple Yuan... T-They are..."

    Yuan then said, "Sorry for thete introduction, but they are Xiao Hua and Feng Yuxiang. They¡¯re both precious friends who are traveling with me, and they also give me guidance on certain things."

    ¡¯Xiao Hua? Her voice sounded so familiar... Was she the one who...¡¯ Elder Shan subconsciously covered her head when she recalled Xiao Hua¡¯s voice who warned her to stay away from Yuan.

    "W-Wait a moment... Feng Yuxiang? Golden Phoenix Bazaar¡¯s Madam Feng?" Elder Xuan recognized Feng Yuxiang¡¯s name because of her widespread fame.

    Everybody there was speechless. Why are there two god-like presences so close to Yuan? Had they been following and guarding him this entire time? And just what is Yuan¡¯s true background? Not even people from the Four Ancient Families would have a Spirit King and a peak Spirit Grandmaster as bodyguards!

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    Meanwhile, at the Heaven and Earth Pce¡¯s group, their Sect Master, Qi Jiguang, looked at Xiao Hua with wide eyes.

    ¡¯That little girl! I remember seeing her at the Azure Phoenix Auction House! She was a Spirit King this entire time!?¡¯ He easily recalled Xiao Hua mostly because of her distinctive small figure and powerful aura.

    No matter how much they tried, the people there could not take their eyes off Xiao Hua and Feng Yuxiang because of their immense presence that overshadowed even Senior Nie¡¯s presence!

    In their eyes, Xiao Hua was a mysterious expert whom Senior Nie acknowledges as a fellow Spirit King Cultivator! And although it took some time, the people there eventually recognized Feng Yuxiang and her beauty as the number one expert of Phoenix City and also the owner of one of the most prestigious shops in the Lower Heavens!

    Why on earth were these two incredibly powerful individuals in this ce? And why are they standing with the Dragon Essence Temple? It was iprehensible for everybody there except the person who brought them to this ce¡ª Yuan!

 Chapter 306 Shattering Their Confidence

    Many minutes have passed since the conversation between Senior Nie and Xiao Hua ended, but the atmosphere there remained heavy, almost suffocating, especially for those people standing closest to the Dragon Essence Temple.

    "Xiao Hua, here are my treasures. Please hold onto them while I enter the Mystic Realm." Yuan handed Xiao Hua his spatial ring and storage pouch.

    "Xiao Hua will protect the treasures without fail!" Xiao Hua said to him with a serious look on her face, acting like she was handed a big responsibility.

    "Who would dare to steal from a Spirit King in the Lower Heavens?" Feng Yuxiang raised her eyebrows.

    Xiao Hua could leave Yuan¡¯s treasure on the ground, go take a nap, ande back with the treasure still on the ground,pletely untouched.

    "By the way, what are you going to do with your Soul Weapons, Young Master?" Feng Yuxiang suddenly asked him.

    "S-Soul Weapon?!" Long Yijun and the others turned to look at them with wide eyes filled with shock after hearing their conversation, even ignoring how Feng Yuxiang addressed Yuan as ¡¯Young Master¡¯.

    "Huh? What do you mean? I can¡¯t take treasures inside so I¡¯ll have to leave it out here obviously." Yuan said.

    "But Soul Weapons are unique... They must be within a certain distance from its Master¡ª there¡¯s no way around it."

    "Eh? What happens if I am too far away from them?" Yuan then asked.

    "I think it would be better if I showed it to you..." Feng Yuxiang said, and she continued, "Can you hand me one of your Soul Weapons for a moment?"

    Yuan nodded, and he retrieved the Starry Abyss from the spatial ring before handing it to Feng Yuxiang.

    Once she had the Starry Abyss in her grasp, Feng Yuxiang suddenly took off into the sky and flew away, acting like a thief during a grab-and-run situation.

    Feng Yuxiang¡¯s sudden movements attracted the attention of everybody there, including Senior Nie.

    ¡¯Where¡¯s she going?¡¯ They all wondered.

    However, Senior Nie was more interested in the Starry Abyss that was within her grasp.

    "Is that... a Soul Weapon?" Senior Nie mumbled in a dumbfounded voice, as he didn¡¯t expect to find a Soul Weapon in the Lower Heavens.

    In just a few minutes, Feng Yuxiang managed to fly almost a hundred miles away from the Mystic Realm, and right as she reached the 100th-mile mark, the Starry Abyss in her hand suddenly disappeared.

    Meanwhile, at the Mystic Realm, Yuan was surprised when the Starry Abyss suddenly appeared before him like a ghost.

    "How did..." Yuan waspletely baffled by this phenomenon.

    "Soul Weapons are bound to their owners. If they get too far away from their masters, they will immediately teleport back to them, almost as if they have a mind of their own." Xiao Hua exined to him.

    Feng Yuxiang returned sometimeter.

    "Do you understand now, Young Master? You won¡¯t be able to escape your Soul Weapons. However, I don¡¯t know how it¡¯ll work with the Mystic Realm." Feng Yuxiang said to him.

    A moment after Feng Yuxiang¡¯s words, Senior Nie¡¯s voice suddenly resounded, "Soul Weapons are an exception and allowed inside the Mystic Realm since they are considered as ¡¯part of the individual¡¯. I didn¡¯t mention it at first because I didn¡¯t think there would be someone with a Soul Weapon here. Congrattions, young man¡ª you¡¯re now a few hundred steps ahead of everyone else before you¡¯re even inside the Mystic Realm."

    "What?! He can bring a powerful treasure inside while the rest of us have to go inside empty-handed?! That¡¯s so unfair!"

    The other participants immediately startedining, feeling extremely envious of Yuan¡¯s Soul Weapon.

    "I see... Then I will bring my Soul Weapons with me." Yuan said.

    "Huh? Soul Weapons...?" Long Yijun and the others raised their eyebrows.

    "Y-You have more than one?" Elder Xuan asked him in a dazed voice.

    Yuan nodded, and he proceeded to take out his other Soul Weapon, Empyrean Overlord.

    Forget about the others, even Senior Nie¡¯s jaw dropped when he saw Yuan holding two Soul Weapons¡ª one in each hand.

    Ignoring the difficulty of obtaining two Soul Weapons, what kind of talent is required to wield two Soul Weapons at the same time? Senior Nie has never seen such talents before even within the Spirit Heavens, and they have plenty of heavenly geniuses that would put most of the people here to shame.

    ¡¯Just who is that young man?! I cannot see the full extent of his talents!¡¯ Senior Nie cried inwardly.

    "By the way, Young Master, you can store your Soul Weapons within your body." Feng Yuxiang said to him.

    "Really? How do I do that?" Yuan asked.

    "Just imagine your body as a spatial ring and the Soul Weapons being stored inside your body."

    Yuan nodded his head and followed Feng Yuxiang¡¯s instructions.

    A momentter, the Empyrean Overlord and Starry Abyss disappeared from his hands, yet he could still feel their presence inside his body, almost like how Feng Yuxiang dwells within his body!

    "I think I am ready to enter the Mystic Realm! I will see you allter!" Yuan said to Long Yijun and the others who were too dazed to respond properly.

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    "Y-Yeah... G-Good luck..." Long Yijun mumbled in a low voice.

    "See youter, Disciple Yuan..." Elder Shan and Elder Xuan said.

    "Don¡¯t go easy on them, Disciple Yuan." Elder Dai said to him with a smile on her face.

    "That¡¯s right! Go beat them senseless, Young Master! Make them regret being born!" Feng Yuxiang cheered for him.

    "Have fun, Brother Yuan." Xiao Hua said to him with a rxed expression, almost like she had no concern at all¡ª that she was absolutely confident in Yuan¡¯s ability.

    "See youter, Yuan," Meixiu said to him.

    After saying his goodbyes, Yuan, Xue Jiye, and Gao Dongya approached the other participants with the token in their grasp.

    It was at this moment the Sect Masters and all of the experts there realized something, as they were too shocked by many other things to realize this before.

    "W-Wait a damn moment! That Spirit Master was a participant this entire time?! But he¡¯s clearly wearing the sect elders¡¯ uniform for the Dragon Essence Temple! And if I didn¡¯t mention it already¡ª he¡¯s a damn Spirit Master!"

    "That¡¯s right! How could a Spirit Master possibly qualify for the Mystic Realm?! What¡¯s going on here, Sect Master Long?!"

    The experts there didn¡¯t want to believe that someone under 30 years old could possibly be a Spirit Master. If someone like that truly exists and enters the Mystic Realm... The other participants won¡¯t be able topete with someone like that! It¡¯d be a one-sided ughter!

    Long Yijun burst outughing after seeing the other Sect Masters¡¯ reactions, and he spoke in a loud and clear voice so that everybody could hear him¡ª

    "I know many of you are in disbelief and doubting everything at this moment, and I do not me you for that! In fact, I would probably be doing the same thing if I were in your shoes! However, this is reality! Not only is my disciple a Spirit Master, but he¡¯s also only eighteen years old! Hahaha! Good luck to everyone participating in the Mystic Realm! If I were to give you one piece of advice¡ª give up while you can!"

    Theplexion of the Sect Masters and the participants alike turned as white as sheets after hearing Long Yijun¡¯s words, their faces filled with disbelief and immense shock.

    Reaching Spirit Master as an eighteen-year-old? Where on earth did this cultivation monstere from? And why does the Dragon Essence Temple have someone like him helping them out?

    "Spirit Master... Eighteen years old?" Senior Nie mumbled in a low voice, subconsciouslyparing Yuan¡¯s talents to the top geniuses within the Spirit Heavens.

    Meanwhile, the other participants stared at Yuan with gawking looks on their faces as they watched him slowly approach them with an unfathomable aura surrounding his figure at this moment.

    In their eyes, Yuan looked much bigger than he did a moment ago, almost like he¡¯d suddenly grown a couple of meters, and they felt like ants inparison to his awe-inspiring presence.

    And when they realized that they were going topete against this cultivation monster in the Mystic Realm, their confidence shattered like ss under the force of a hammer.

 Chapter 307 Entering the Mystic Realm

    ¡¯Impossible! This is impossible! There¡¯s no way we can beat a monster like him! He¡¯s way above our league!¡¯

    The participants felt as though someone from the upper heavens suddenly decided toe down to the Lower Heavens just to mess with them by showing off his heaven-defying talents in the Mystic Realm where only talents mattered.

    Even for the sects with more than three tokens, they didn¡¯t feel any confidence in defeating the Dragon Essence Temple that only has three slots. In fact, even if the Dragon Essence Temple only had one slot and Yuan upied that slot, they still wouldn¡¯t have any confidence despite having the advantage in numbers.

    ¡¯Two Soul Weapons and a Spirit Master cultivation base... The Mystic Realm is going to be exciting this year...¡¯ Senior Nie smiled inwardly as his gaze remained on Yuan¡¯s figure.

    Once the Dragon Essence Temple joined the other participants, Senior Nie spoke loudly, "I will open the Mystic Realm in five minutes! Use this time to prepare yourself if you haven¡¯t already!"

    The next five minutes felt like an eternity for the participants and the Sect Masters alike. Even though it was a rare opportunity for these participants to show off their talents before someone from the Spirit Heavens, this cultivation monster came out of the blue and stole all of the spotlights without any effort.

    Meanwhile, the yers were more shocked about Yuan¡¯s age, as that gave them a little more information on his mysterious identity.

    ¡¯yer Yuan is only eighteen years old? What a discovery! He¡¯s around my age!¡¯ Wang Xiuying thought to herself, feeling pleasantly surprised.

    ¡¯Spirit Master... He definitely has the highest cultivation base out of all yers as of this moment!¡¯ Lightning Emperor thought to himself, realizing just how much he¡¯d underestimated yer Yuan¡¯s advantage.

    Five minutes of absolute silenceter, Senior Nie spoke, "I forgot to mention one more thing¡ª once you go inside, every sect will be separated from each other so you won¡¯t immediately start fighting with each other the moment you go inside."

    After his sentence ended, Senior Nie began making weird signs with his hands before shouting out loud, "OPEN!"

    The symbols on each side of the gates suddenly began glowing golden, and the lighting from the Mystic Realm gradually grew brighter and brighter until it was nearly blinding.

    All of the participants narrowed their eyes at this bright light, and unbeknownst to them, they were fully enveloped by this warm light.

    Once the light subdued, the Sect Masters turned to look at the ce where the participants had gathered, and as they¡¯d expected, it waspletely empty there, almost like all of the participants had disappeared like a ghost.

    "They have sessfully entered the Mystic Realm." Senior Nie said to them before waving his hands and retrieving this massive mirror from his spatial ring, putting it directly in front of the Sect Masters.

    "We will be able to see the participants inside the Mystic Realm with this Mirror of Surveince." Senior Nie said.

    A few momentster, the Sect Masters could see their own disciples in the mirror as well as the other participants, almost like they were watching a movie or something.

    However, Senior Nie was not finished, and he brought out a couple of crystal balls¡ª seven to be exact¡ª that hovered in the air around him.

    "Connect!" Senior Nie suddenly said.

    The seven crystal balls began glowing a subtle blue light.

    "Can you all see it?" Senior Nie asked the crystal balls as though he was speaking to them.

    "Yes... I can see it perfectly. Thank you for your troubles, Elder Nie." A feminine voice resounded from one of the seven crystals.

    "It finally started, huh? I wonder if there are any promising talents this year. What do you think, Senior Nie?" Another voice resounded from a new crystal.

    "There are definitely a few," Senior Nie nodded.

    "Hoh... My anticipation just went up."

    Senior Nie then looked at the Sect Masters and the other spectators and said, "They are all sect elders from each of the seven Spirit Academies, and they will be watching the spectacle with us."

    "Greetings, Seniors!"

    The Sect Masters there greeted the experts behind the crystal balls.

    "Good luck to all of your disciples!" One of the crystals responded, sounding rather friendly.

    Meanwhile, once their vision returned, the participants were surprised to find themselves transported to some unfamiliarnd.

    "So this is the Mystic Realm?" Xue Jiye looked at her surroundings with a slightly dazed look on her face, realizing that they were no longer at the Deste Land but in a grasnd in the middle of nowhere.

    "Hey." Gao Dongya suddenly spoke.

    "Hm? What is it?" Xue Jiye turned to look at his handsome face that had a frown on it.

    "Where¡¯s our third person?" Gao Dongya said in a serious voice.

    "Eh?" Xue Jiye¡¯s eyes widened with surprise after hearing his words, and she immediately looked around them. However, she could only see Gao Dongya there with her.

    "Where¡¯s Disciple Yuan?! I thought he was supposed to be with us! Why did he get separated from us?!" Xue Jiye eximed.

    "Disciple Yuan! Are you here?!" Xue Jiye began shouting his name at the top of her lungs, hoping that he was actually near them.

    But s, nobody responded to her.

    "Disciple Yuan!" Xue Jiye did not want to believe that they had been separated and continued shouting his name.

    "Stop your shouting, woman! It¡¯s clear that he was separated from us after entering the Mystic Realm! What are you going to do if you attract unwanted attention with your loudmouth? We don¡¯t have any cultivation to protect ourselves at this moment!" Gao Dongya said to her.

    "W-Woman? Loudmouth?" Xue Jiye stared at Gao Dongya with a surprised look, as this is her first time seeing him being so vocal.

    "Anyways, we can only focus on ourselves for now and look for himter when we have some capability to protect ourselves. Let¡¯s find somece where we can cultivate." Gao Dongya then said.

    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.

    Although she was not happy about the way Gao Dongya addressed her, Xue Jiye couldn¡¯t find any fault in his logic and nodded her head in agreement.

 Chapter 308 Separated From the Team

    While Xue Jiye and Gao Dongya looked around for a secure spot where they could cultivate safely, outside the Mystic Realm, Long Yijun and the others were baffled by Yuan¡¯s disappearance.

    "W-Where¡¯s Disciple Yuan? I thought each sect was supposed to be transported together?" Elder Shan mumbled in a dazed voice.

    The other Sect Masters were also puzzled by this since they were also looking for Yuan, who was the number one threat to them at this moment.

    "Where¡¯s the Young Master? I can¡¯t see him in the mirror at all!" Feng Yuxiang eximed after looking at every sect in the mirror.

    Meanwhile, on Xiao Hua¡¯s face was a deep frown, looking quite worried, even a little bit angry.

    BOOM!

    Suddenly, Xiao Hua released her third level Spirit King cultivation base, scaring the living hell out of everybody there.

    Then they watched as Xiao Hua retrieved a massive sword that was thrice her size before flying towards Senior Nie, looking very aggressive.

    Senior Nie nearly had a heart attack when he saw Xiao Hua flying at him with a huge sword, and he also retrieved his own weapon to defend himself.

    "What do you think you¡¯re doing, Fellow Daoist?! Are you trying to anger the heavens by causing amotion in the Lower Heavens?!" Senior Nie asked her.

    "What happened?"

    Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.

    "Who¡¯s the little girl?"

    The voicesing from the crystal ball were filled with shock and puzzlement when they saw a little girl attack Senior Nie.

    Xiao Hua stopped a few meters away from Senior Nie before pointing her massive sword at him and speaking in a serious voice, "What did you do to Brother Yuan?! If you lie, I will cut you down!"

    "Yuan... Are you talking about that talented young man with the ck mask? I had nothing to do with his disappearance, and I am as puzzled as you are! Furthermore, I only have the power to open and close the Mystic Realm, nothing else! Once they enter the Mystic Realm, I have no control!" Senior Nie said.

    "Calm down and put your sword away before you anger the heavens!" Senior Nie then said.

    "..."

    Xiao Hua did not immediately put her sword away and stared at Senior Nie in silence.

    A few momentster, Xiao Hua lowered the sword, handling the massive thing as though it was as light as a branch.

    Senior Nie nced at the sword in Xiao Hua¡¯s hands, and his heart skipped a beat when he realized its quality.

    ¡¯Mythic-grade treasure?!¡¯ he cried inwardly.

    Mythic-grade treasures were two grades above Divine-grade, and they are almost nonexistent even in the Spirit Heavens!

    ¡¯This little girl is definitely from a ce even higher than Spirit Heavens! I cannot offend her no matter what!¡¯

    Senior Nie cleared his throat before speaking, "I know you¡¯re worried about that young man¡¯s disappearance, but believe me when I say you don¡¯t have to. The Mystic Realm is not an evil ce. In fact, it¡¯s theplete opposite, being a ce where people can go inside and train, and nobody has ever died inside."

    "As for why that young man was separated from his group, one can only assume that the Mystic Realm made a mistake and separated him by ident. But you don¡¯t have to worry since he¡¯ll most likely show up sooner orter."

    After a moment of silence, Xiao Hua said, "If Brother Yuan doesn¡¯t return in one month, Xiao Hua will make you take responsibility."

    Senior Nie swallowed nervously after hearing Xiao Hua¡¯s threatening words.

    "Hey! Who do you think you¡¯re talking to?! That¡¯s Senior Nie from¡ª"

    "I understand." Senior Nie interrupted one of the voicesing from the crystal ball, and he continued, "I will take full responsibility if that young man doesn¡¯t return."

    Xiao Hua nodded her head before returning to the Dragon Essence Temple¡¯s side and proceeded to act as nothing had happened, dumbfounding everyone there.

    "Who was that little girl just now?" One of the voices from the crystal ball asked afterward.

    "I don¡¯t know. However, she¡¯s a third-level Spirit King with a Mythic-grade treasure... I¡¯m pretty confident that she came from a realm even above the Spirit Heavens." Senior Nie exined to them.

    "What?! Above the Spirit Heavens?! What is such an individual doing at the Lower Heavens?!"

    The voices expressed their shock and disbelief.

    "I know. I almost couldn¡¯t believe it at first, but I don¡¯t know of a ¡¯Xiao Hua¡¯ in the Spirit Heavens, and there¡¯s no way such an individual could be a nobody." Senior Nie sighed, and he continued, "As for that young man, I can only hope that he returns, or my life is in danger..."

    The crystal balls remained silent. None of them would have imagined that such a situation could be possible¡ª that a Spirit King¡¯s life could be in danger in the Lower Heavens where Spirit Lords are nonexistent, much less a Spirit King!

    "You worry too much, Xiao Hua. The Young Master will be fine even if the heavens fall on him." Feng Yuxiang said to her after she returned.

    Xiao Hua didn¡¯t say anything, only nodding her head, still with a slight frown on her face.

    Meanwhile, inside the Mystic Realm, after opening his eyes, Yuan found himself surrounded by dried trees and leaves.

    "Where am I? What happened to the other two?" Yuan raised his eyebrows with a puzzled look on his face.

    "Disciple Xue? Disciple Gao? Are you two here?" Yuan shouted their names, but s, there was no response, almost like he was the only one there.

    After standing around for a few moments, Yuan suddenly turned to look in a certain direction, as he could hear a faint whispering from that direction.

    "Come..."

    "Here..."

    "Who¡¯s there?!" Yuan called out to the voice.

    However, the voice continued to beckon him.

    "Come..."

    "Come..."

    "Here..."

    Yuan swallowed nervously. Although the voice gave an eerie vibe, he couldn¡¯t feel any malice from it.

    After pondering for a moment, Yuan decided to follow this voice.

 Chapter 309 Following the Voice

    "Here..."

    "Come... Here..."

    The voice continued to beckon Yuan, its volume increasing the longer he followed the voice.

    While Yuan subconsciously followed the voice, he checked his own body.

    Cultivation: First Level Spirit Apprentice

    Legacy: None

    Bloodline: None

    Physique: Heaven Refining Physique

    Physical Strength: 134

    Mental Strength: 375

    Soul Strength: 1,310

    Physical Defense: 110

    Mental Defense: 1,221

    His cultivation had been wiped like they said it would, and he was only at the first level Spirit Apprentice. However, for whatever reason, he didn¡¯t feel as weak as he did when he was at the same level before. Perhaps it was the Soul Weapons in his body, but he felt pretty confident in his own strength despite his low cultivation base.

    As for his techniques, all of them remained unchanged. However, if he wanted to use them, he¡¯d need to increase his Qi because he wouldn¡¯t be able to use most of his techniques at his current cultivation base.

    Half an hourter, Yuan suddenly stopped walking when he realized that the voice was no longer calling for him.

    He looked around, and to his surprise, he could see an ancient-looking temple in the distance from where he was standing.

    "Is this the ce the voice wanted me to go to?" Yuan mumbled to himself as he approached this temple that was about half a mile away.

    As Yuan got closer to the temple, he realized how run down the ce looked, almost like it had existed for tens of thousands of years.

    Yuan stood directly in front of the staircase that led to the temple a few minutester with a pondering expression on his face.

    ¡¯Does that voice belong to the faceless person? Why is it calling for me?¡¯ he wondered.

    After standing there for a few moments, Yuan decided to walk up the stairs and enter the temple since he won¡¯t have any answers without approaching the source.

    There were exactly 100 steps on the staircase to the temple, and upon reaching the top, Yuan could see the inside of this temple through the empty doorway.

    After taking a deep breath, Yuan entered the temple.

    Inside the temple was a long and empty room except for the 10-meter tall stone tablet at the end of this room that had refined angles and clean words engraved onto it, looking pristine overall, almost like it was newly built, in contrast to the rest of the temple that was ancient and on the verge of copsing.

    Furthermore, there was not even a speck of dust on this tablet made of marble, almost as though someone cleaned it very recently.

    Yuan tilted his head to look at the words carved into this tablet, but s, he was unable to understand thenguage. However, despite not understanding a thing, Yuan still felt a sense of awe and dominance from the way the words were carved into the stone tablet, as each line was filled with precision and confidence.

    "What¡¯s this feeling I¡¯m getting from these words? It feels so familiar for some reason..." Yuan gently caressed the words on the stone tablet with his fingers, feeling slightly nostalgic, almost like he¡¯d seen these words before.

    "Anyways, what happened to the voice?"

    Yuan then looked around while speaking in a loud voice, "Why did it call me to this ce? I am here just like you wanted! Say something! Anything!"

    "..."

    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    However, there was no response.

    Yuan scratched his head, unsure of what he should do now.

    "Well, I should follow the Sect Master¡¯s instructions and quickly increase my cultivation base before I roam the Mystic Realm."

    Before entering the Mystic Realm, Long Yijun gave them some advice, and one of them was to start cultivating as soon as they can so they have some capabilities to protect themselves.

    Yuan proceeded to sit down directly in front of the stone tablet and took a deep breath before he began cultivating.

    [Due to your title Pang City¡¯s Hero, cultivation speed has increased by 10%]

    [Due to your Untainted Body, cultivation speed has increased by 100%]

    [Due to the Nine Dragon Symbols, your cultivation speed has increased by 1,000%]

    [Environmental effect has increased your cultivation speed by 400%]

    "What? 400 percent? This ce is almost like the Dragon Peak that had 500 percent!"

    Yuan was shocked by thisrge number. Is this because of the immense spiritual energy in the Mystic Realm or this ce specifically?

    He recalls Long Yijun mentioning about the Mystic Realm having an abundant amount of spiritual energy, but he didn¡¯t expect it to be this much. At this rate, he¡¯ll reach Spirit Warrior in no time!

    Thus, Yuan began reciting the cultivation technique in his head, absorbing the spiritual energy in the temple at a rapid pace.

    [+7,502 Qi]

    [+7,411 Qi]

    [You have absorbed enough Qi for a breakthrough]

    [You have reached Second Level Spirit Apprentice]

    [All stats +150]

    After literally two seconds of cultivation, Yuan had a breakthrough and reached the second level.

    A few more secondster, he enters the third level and so on.

    [You have absorbed enough Qi for a breakthrough]

    [You have reached Third Level Spirit Apprentice]

    [You have reached Fourth Level Spirit Apprentice]

    [You have reached Fifth Level Spirit Apprentice]

    [You have reached Sixth Level Spirit Apprentice]

    In slightly less than 10 minutes since he started cultivating, Yuan had managed to increase his cultivation base by an entire realm, entering first level Spirit Warrior with ease.

    [You have reached First Level Spirit Warrior]

    [All stats +1,000]

    Yuan stood up to stretch after entering the Spirit Warrior realm for the third time in this life.

    "The voice still hasn¡¯t returned. Why exactly did it bring me to this ce? It probably has something to do with this stone tablet but I don¡¯t understand it." Yuan sighed.

    Just as he prepared to sit back down and cultivate some more, Yuan heard a gentle voice resound behind him, causing him to turn around.

    "Umm... Who are you?" This voice asked him in a slightly nervous tone.

    When Yuan turned around, he could see a pretty youngdy with silky long ck hair and azure blue eyes wearing in green clothes standing at the entrance of the temple, and on her face was a slightly surprised expression, almost like she didn¡¯t expect to see anyone in this ce. Furthermore, she was holding a bamboo basket in her arms, looking like she was a viger out to gather herbs.

    However, what surprised him the most was the powerful aura that surrounded this youngdy¡¯s figure.

    ¡¯A Spirit Master!¡¯ Yuan cried inwardly.

    He had mistaken this youngdy as a fellow participant at first, but there is no way anyone would be able to reach Spirit Master so quickly when their cultivation bases were wiped after entering this ce, so there was only one exnation for this¡ª this youngdy was a native in the Mystic Realm!

    To think he¡¯d encounter a Spirit Master Cultivator so quickly after entering the Mystic Realm, nobody would¡¯ve ever imagined this. However, whether this encounter is a fortunate one or not is still unknown.

    "Hello..." Yuan greeted her in a friendly voice, and he continued, "My name is Yuan."

 Chapter 310 Sword Marks

    "Yuan...?" The azure-eyed beauty raised her eyebrows, and she asked, "I don¡¯t recognize you. What are you doing here at my Lord¡¯s stone tablet?"

    "Your lord...? I¡¯ll apologize in advance if I am not supposed to be here, but I was called here by a voice." Yuan said to her.

    "A voice? What did the voice tell you?" The azure-eyed beauty asked him, seemingly intrigued by his situation.

    "It only told me toe here," Yuan shrugged.

    "Is that so..." The azure-eyed beauty mumbled before she started moving again, approaching his direction¡ª or more specifically, the stone tablet behind Yuan.

    "I¡¯ll assume that you¡¯re not from around here since I don¡¯t recognize your aura," she said to him.

    "Yes... I came here with my fellow disciples, but we somehow got separated." Yuan exined his situation briefly.

    "I see..."

    The azure-eyeddy stopped moving once she stood directly in front of the stone tablet.

    She then ced the bamboo basket in her arms down before kneeling on the floor and kowtowing to the stone tablet.

    Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.

    After a moment of stillness, the youngdy lifted her head and retrieved a towel from the basket, and she began wiping the stone tablet as though it was a fragile treasure.

    "Umm... What is this ce?" Yuan decided to ask her.

    "This ce doesn¡¯t have a name, nor does it have any other purpose besides housing my Lord¡¯s stone tablet," she responded in a calm voice.

    "Your Lord?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    "Yes, my family served him for countless generations, and it¡¯s my job to clean his stone tablet once a month. However, Ie here at least once a week since I have nothing else to do."

    After spending a few minutes cleaning the stone tablet, she turned to look at Yuan in the eyes and spoke, "You mentioned a voice calling you to this ce, right?"

    Yuan nodded his head.

    "Well... There¡¯s actually a barrier made of Sword Aura protecting this temple if you didn¡¯t know, and unless you¡¯re protected by my family¡¯s blessing, it¡¯s impossible to get near this ce, much less enter the temple..." The azure-eyeddy revealed to him.

    "Sword Aura?" Yuan mumbled in a low voice, finding this word very familiar.

    After pondering for a moment, he recalled Xiao Hua briefly exining Sword Aura to him before.

    "I don¡¯t know how you bypassed the barrier, nor anything about this voice you heard, but you¡¯re here for a reason."

    "I see... thank you... uhh... Can I get your name?" Yuan asked her upon realizing that she hasn¡¯t introduced herself yet.

    The youngdy then spoke, "My name is Lan Yingying, and I¡¯m the guardian of this unnamed temple."

    "Ummm, Miss Lan, if you don¡¯t mind me asking, do you know what¡¯s written on this stone tablet? Maybe it¡¯ll give me a hint or something." Yuan suddenly asked her.

    Lan Yingying turned to look at the stone tablet and said, "The words written on my Lord¡¯s stone tablet don¡¯t mean anything¡ª if you can even call it that."

    "Huh? What do you mean?"

    "These symbols are sword marks created by my Lord when he was still alive and practicing his Sword Aura. At least that¡¯s what the legend says." Lan Yingying said.

    "Legend? How long has it been since he passed away?"

    Lan Yingying shook her head and said, "We don¡¯t know for sure when he disappeared, but it was definitely a few hundred thousand years ago."

    "A-A few hundred thousand years ago?!?!" Yuan eximed, as he truly didn¡¯t expect that this person had been dead for such a long time.

    "And you¡¯re still cleaning his stone tablet despite such a long time? What¡¯s the purpose?" Yuan couldn¡¯t help but ask.

    "When my Lord was still alive, he epted my family¡¯s ancestors as his servants, and our family has been serving him since then¡ª even if he¡¯s no longer in this world. Cleaning his stone tablet has be a tradition in my family since his disappearance." Lan Yingying said.

    "Anyways, I will be leaving now. I don¡¯t mind if you stay here, but don¡¯t make a mess, or I¡¯ll get angry." Lan Yingying said to him before leaving the temple.

    "..."

    Yuan decided to remain in this ce since he wanted to be sure that there¡¯s really nothing here for him.

    After Lan Yingying left the ce, Yuan took a seat in front of the stone tablet again. Although he wasn¡¯t sure what was so special about the stone tablet, he had a feeling that it was rted to why he was called here.

    Thus, he began cultivating again.

    About an hour and a halfter, he entered second-level Spirit Warrior.

    Another hourter, he breakthroughs to third level Spirit Warrior.

    Yuan took a deep breath and opened his eyes, stopping his cultivation to look at the stone tablet in front of him.

    "Sword marks..." Yuan¡¯s gaze focused on the incredibly clean and sharp marks on the tablet.

    After spending two hours looking at the sword marks, Yuan returned to cultivating for another two hours, reaching the fourth level Spirit Warrior realm.

    Yuan repeated this process until the sky began turning dark.

    At the end of the day, he¡¯d managed to reach the fifth level Spirit Warrior realm.

    After logging off the game, Yuan could already smell Meixiu cooking dinner.

    "What happened to you, Yuan? You weren¡¯t with the other two disciples." Meixiu asked him during dinner.

    "I don¡¯t know, either. I was separated from them before I was aware of it."

    "Are you okay?"

    "Yes, I found this pretty safe area and managed to increase my cultivation base to the fifth level Spirit Warrior realm."

    "Xiao Hua... she was really worried about you. She even..." Meixiu said, and she exined the situation that had urred after his disappearance.

    "What? Xiao Hua did that? Can you tell her not to worry and that I am okay after dinner?" Yuan quickly said.

    "I will." Meixiu nodded.

    "Thank you."

    After dinner, Yuan returned to Cultivation Online to cultivate some more whilst Meixiu went to deliver the news of Yuan¡¯s situation to Xiao Hua and the others.

 Chapter 311 Studying Sword Aura

    "Wee back, Meixiu." Feng Yuxiang said to her the moment she logged back inside, acting as though her disappearance was only natural.

    Meixiu nodded and said, "I have some news for you regarding Yuan."

    "Brother Yuan?" Xiao Hua was the one to react upon hearing his name, and she quickly asked, "What about Brother Yuan?!"

    "I just wanted to let you know that even though he¡¯s separated from the other two disciples, he¡¯s still safe and sound," Meixiu said.

    "What? How do you know that? Did you contact him somehow?" Long Yijun looked at her with a face of disbelief. How could one contact someone that¡¯s inside the Mystic Realm? He has never heard of this before.

    Meixiu nodded, "Yes, I have a method of contacting Yuan."

    "So Brother Yuan is safe?" Xiao Hua asked her again just in case.

    "Yes, he¡¯s safe and well. In fact, he¡¯s even reached fifth level Spirit Warrior."

    "What?! Fifth level Spirit Warrior?! But he¡¯s only been inside for a day!" Elder Shan eximed in a shocked voice.

    "Heavens... At this rate, he¡¯ll return to his original cultivation base in no time..." Elder Xuan mumbled.

    "Hahaha! As expected of Disciple Yuan! His talents know no bounds!" Long Yijunughed out loud.

    The other sects looked at the Dragon Essence Temple as though they were crazy. What the heck are they talking about? Their number one disciple is missing and they look quite happy, and the Sect Master is evenughing out loud.

    "Thank heavens..." Xiao Hua released a sigh of relief after hearing that Yuan was fine.

    Meanwhile, inside the Mystic Realm, Yuan spends another hour looking at the stone tablet.

    "Miss Lan mentioned that this ce is surrounded by Sword Aura. Now that I¡¯m a Spirit Warrior again, I can use my Divine Sense. Let¡¯s see if I can see this Sword Aura with my Divine Sense..."

    Thus, Yuan closed his eyes and activated his Divine Sense, extending it as far as he could manage.

    But s, he was unable to ¡¯see¡¯ this Sword Aura. However, with that being said, he could sense an unfamiliar aura around the temple.

    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g

    "Is this Sword Aura? I can sense it but not see it..." Yuan mumbled in a pondering voice.

    He continued to ¡¯feel¡¯ this Sword Aura, trying to understand it for as long as his Divine Sense could hold up.

    When he could no longer use his Divine Sense due to exhaustion, he began cultivating to restore his spiritual energy.

    Once he was full of energy again, Yuan used his Divine Sense to inspect the Sword Aura around the ce, and the longer he looked at it, the more he understood it¡ª at least that was the feeling he was getting.

    It was almost like that time when Xiao Hua read her book to him for the first time. He couldn¡¯tprehend a single thing at first, but as he listened to it, he gradually understood it more and more until he eventually learned the technique.

    Thus, from night to sunrise, Yuan studied the Sword Aura in fascination, almost like he was mesmerized by its existence.

    Yuan logged off for breakfast, returning shortly after to study it some more.

    In the afternoon, Yuan retrieved his Divine Sense and took a deep breath afterward.

    He then turned to look at the sword marks on the stone tablet, and he proceeded to stare at it for hours without moving a single muscle.

    Suddenly, he began closing his eyes, feeling a familiar sensation overwhelm his body.

    "This feeling... Enlightenment?" Yuan mumbled in a low voice as his mind drifted.

    Even though his eyes were closed, Yuan could still see the stone tablet in his mind, and he could see each and every sword mark clearly, almost like he still had his eyes open.

    Suddenly, the sword marks on the stone tablet began disappearing.

    A few momentster, all of the sword marks disappeared with the stone tabletpletely clean and untouched.

    A few more secondster, Yuan could see a figure suddenly appear before the stone tablet with its back facing him, and in this figure¡¯s grasp was an ordinary sword.

    Yuan then watched as this figure raised the sword in its grasp and struck the stone tablet repeatedly, creating multiple sword marks on it.

    A few minutester, the stone tablet returned to its original form with many sword marks on it.

    However, the sword marks disappeared again a few secondster.

    Once all of the sword marks were gone, the figure repeated the actions and struck the stone tablet with its sword using the exact same movements, and this scene repeated tens¡ª hundreds of times inside Yuan¡¯s head.

    Yuan¡¯s enlightenment continued throughout the night, even forgetting to log off for dinner.

    "He¡¯s still inside the game?" After cooking dinner, Meixiu waited for Yuan toe out of the game, but in the end, he remained inside the game.

    And not wanting to disturb him, Meixiu quietly put his dinner in the refrigerator before calling it a night.

    The following morning, Meixiu woke up to see Yuan¡¯s condition, but s, he was still inside the game.

    Meixiu decided to not log into the game until Yuan returns likest time. While she waited, she went to look at the auction and other things online to kill time.

    Meanwhile, inside Cultivation Online, Yuan had just witnessed the figure strike the stone tablet thousands of times. And with every strike, he could sense the Sword Aura from the sword and the sword marks much clearer.

    Suddenly, Yuan stood up inside his mind, and he approached the figure.

    A few secondster, Yuan stood exactly where the figure once stood and with a sword in his grasp.

    After taking a deep breath, Yuan began replicating the figure¡¯s sword movement, almost like he¡¯d be that figure himself.

    One... two... three...

    Yuan struck the stone tablet three times, but there were no marks on the stone tablet.

    However, Yuan didn¡¯t stop and continued to strike the stone tablet.

    One hundred... two hundred... three hundred strikes.

    After striking the stone tablet hundreds of times inside his mind,pletely unbeknownst to him, a profound aura that resembled Sword Aura began appearing around Yuan¡¯s real body!

 Chapter 312 Advanced Sword Mastery

    "I wonder if that young man is still there..." Lan Yingying mumbled to herself as she approached the unnamed temple shortly after sunrise.

    While she normally visits the temple once a week to clean the stone tablet, she has been experiencing a weird sensation in her chest ever since she met the masked man two days ago, almost like her guts was telling her to return to the temple.

    About half an hour of walkingter, Lan Yingying arrived at the temple, and she could already feel something different in the air before she even stepped onto the staircase to the temple.

    "This aura... It can¡¯t be..." Lan Yingying quickly ascended the staircase when she realized the type of aura she was experiencing.

    A few momentster, she stood at the entrance of the temple and looked inside, and to her surprise, the masked person was still there. Furthermore, there was even a subtle amount of Sword Aura emitting from his body!

    Of course, the most shocking part about all of this was his cultivation base which had increased exponentially since theirst meeting only two days ago!

    ¡¯My lord! He was a first level Spirit Warrior just two days ago! Now, he¡¯s a fifth level Spirit Warrior?! How can anyone cultivate so fast?!¡¯ Lan Yingying covered her mouth in shock when she realized Yuan¡¯s immense growth.

    She has seen many geniuses in her lifetime, but she has never seen someone with as much talent as this masked individual, who¡¯d managed to learn Sword Aura as a Spirit Warrior.

    No... There is one person she can think of who could possibly rival this person in terms of talent¡ª the ¡¯Lord¡¯ her family used to serve who was known to have unrivaled talents and a legendary swordmaster.

    Lan Yingying didn¡¯t want to disturb Yuan, so she quietly turned around and prepared to leave.

    However, just as she turned around, she noticed a change on the stone tablet that she has cleaned ever since she could walk.

    ¡¯T-The sword marks! They¡¯re reacting to that individual¡¯s Sword Aura?! Impossible!¡¯ Lan Yingying nearly cried out loud after seeing the Sword Aura that was left behind by the person who made the sword marks reacting for the first time in her life.

    ¡¯W-Who is this person?!¡¯ Lan Yingying wondered with a serious look on her face, and she decided to stay around to witness the situation for a little bit longer.

    Meanwhile, inside Yuan¡¯s head, he struck the stone tablet for the thousandth time, creating a small cut on the stone tablet, and the sword in his grasp was emitting weak Sword Aura.

    ¡¯This... This is the feeling I was looking for!¡¯

    Yuan¡¯s eyes flickered with profoundness, and he continued to strike the stone tablet.

    The more he practiced his Sword Aura, the deeper and cleaner the cuts got.

    Two thousand... five thousand... ten thousand...

    Yuan struck the stone tablet over ten thousand times without stopping, his understanding of Sword Aura increasing with every strike.

    Meanwhile, the training inside his mind also reflected in the real world, as his Sword Aura grew increasingly stronger and sharper. If one were to drop a piece of paper on top of Yuan right now, it would definitely be torn to shred the moment it touches the Sword Aura surrounding him.

    Lan Yingying watched as Yuan improved his Sword Aura at a frightening rate.

    Suddenly, she noticed that the Sword Aura in the sword marks was actually leaving the stone tablet and being absorbed by Yuan¡¯s Sword Aura!

    ¡¯What?! He¡¯s absorbing my Lord¡¯s Sword Aura?! No¡ª My Lord¡¯s Sword Aura is attracted to him! It¡¯s going towards him on its own will!¡¯ Lan Yingying was shocked to the core when she realized what was happening.

    It took a couple of hours, but eventually, Yuan absorbed all of the Sword Aura on the stone tablet.

    WHOOSH!

    A powerful gust of wind swept the ce when Yuan absorbed thest bit of Sword Aura from the stone tablet.

    Lan Yingying, who was standing all the way at the entrance, noticed small tears on her clothes when the Sword Aura touched her despite standing so far away from Yuan.

    ¡¯What intense Sword Aura!¡¯ Lan Yingying didn¡¯t care about her clothes being destroyed by Yuan¡¯s Sword Aura¡ª or more precisely, she was too focused on him to care about such a minor thing.

    The Sword Aura around Yuan subdued a few momentster, and he opened his eyes, taking a deep breath afterward.

    [Your mastery with the sword has improved significantly]

    [Your understanding of swords has reached a new level]

    [Your ¡¯Novice Sword Mastery¡¯ has developed into ¡¯Advanced Sword Mastery¡¯]

    [You have understood the basics of Sword Aura]

    [You have learned Sword Aura]

    [Congrattions! You have been awarded the title ¡¯Swordmaster¡¯]

    [Advanced Sword Mastery]

    [Description: Greatly improves your control with the sword by 30% and increases all damage dealt with swords by 50%. Your enemies will feel more pain from your sword attacks as your damage increases. Your sword techniques will also have more impact. Requires no activation.]

    [Sword Aura]

    [Mastery Level: 1]

    [Description: Allows you to convert your spiritual energy into Sword Aura and treat it as though it¡¯s a real sword. Increases sword damage and sharpness. The effects increase with Mastery Level.]

    "So this is Sword Aura, huh? I feel like I am surrounded by invisible swords..." Yuan looked at his hand that was protected by Sword Aura.

    "Hmm? Isn¡¯t this kind of like Qi Manifestation?" He mumbled in a pondering voice.

    "Who¡¯s there?" Yuan suddenly noticed a presence behind him and turned around.

    "Eh? You¡¯re... Miss Lan?" Yuan immediately recognized her pretty face and unique azure-colored eyes.

    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.

    However, there was something different about her this time. More precisely, her appearance¡ª her clothes. They were ragged, almost like someone had used a knife and shed her clothes a dozen times until it turned into this sad state, and a lot of her skin was exposed by the holes in her clothes.

    "Umm... Are you okay?" Yuan pointed at her shredded clothes,pletely oblivious that he was the culprit.

    Lan Yingying looked down with a nonchnt expression before speaking, "Never mind that. I want you to meet my family. Can youe with me now?"

 Chapter 313 When Can We Expect a Child?

    "You want me to meet your family? Why?" Yuan looked at Lan Yingying with wide eyes.

    "Because I want to confirm something. Perhaps it might even have something to do with you being here," she said in a calm voice.

    "Really?" Yuan¡¯s eyes flickered with excitement. Since she¡¯s the guardian of this ce, and her family used to serve the swordmaster who marked this stone tablet, they might know something about the voice that beckoned him, perhaps even the faceless individual he saw outside the Mystic Realm.

    Lan Yingying nodded and said, "It¡¯s only half an hour away from this ce. Follow me."

    She then turned around and walked out of the temple in a casual manner, acting as though her clothes weren¡¯t in such a shabby state.

    Yuan didn¡¯t linger around and proceeded to follow her outside the temple.

    After some time, he could no longer hold his curiosity and decided to ask her, "What happened to your clothes? Did you encounter a powerful magical beast on your way here?"

    Lan Yingying looked at him without stopping her legs, and she said, "There are no magical beasts in this area. As for why my clothes are in this state¡ª"

    Lan Yingying raised her hand and pointed her finger at him.

    "You¡¯re the one who made my clothes like this¡ª your Sword Aura, to be exact."

    "W-What! I am terribly sorry! I didn¡¯t mean to..." Yuan was shocked to hear that he was the cause of her ridiculous appearance.

    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g

    "I know... You don¡¯t have to say anything. It was my fault for being so nosy and getting too close, anyways." Lan Yingying shrugged it off casually.

    "Thank you, Miss Lan!" Yuan said to her, feeling relieved that she didn¡¯t me him.

    Half an hourter, they arrived at this spaciousnd in the middle of the dead forest, and at the center of this ce was arge wooden cabin alongside a couple of smaller buildings.

    "You live here?" Yuan raised his eyebrows. He didn¡¯t expect a young girl like Lan Yingying to live in a ce like this, especially since she looked so noble and graceful, almost like a noble in a big family.

    "Yes, and my grandparents," she said.

    "Oho? What a surprise." An old man with long white hair and a medium white beard came out of the cabin before they could even approach it.

    "Grandma,e look at this¡ª look at what Ying¡¯er brought home. It¡¯s a man! And our dear granddaughter even looks like a mess!" The old man suddenly began shouting out loud in a voice full of excitement.

    "What?! A man?! Impossible!" Another voice quickly resounded, and a few secondster, an olddy also came out of the house and stood beside the old man.

    "Heavens! Look at her appearance! Looks like they had plenty of fun beforeing back here!"

    "I¡¯m back, grandfather, grandmother." Lan Yingying said to them, acting like she didn¡¯t hear their loud words just now.

    "Hey, boy. Are you my granddaughter¡¯s boyfriend? Where did you two meet? How long have you been dating? Have ya done ¡¯that¡¯ yet?" The old man suddenly began bombarding Yuan with questions.

    "Calm down, you old fool. What if you scare him away? This is the first time she brought home a man, too! I¡¯ll skin you alive, old fool." The olddy even smacked the old man¡¯s butt as she scolded him.

    "Hello, young man. You can ignore this old fart. With that being said, when can we expect a child from you two?" The olddy spoke with a grin on her face.

    Meanwhile, Yuan was left speechless by their weird questions.

    "Grandfather, grandmother, stop joking around. This is a serious matter regarding the Lord¡¯s stone tablet." Lan Yingying said to them with a slight frown on her face.

    "The Lord¡¯s stone tablet?"

    Her grandparents¡¯ face suddenly became serious upon hearing her words.

    "What about the Lord¡¯s stone tablet? Did something happen?" The old man then asked with a frown on his face.

    Lan Yingying nodded her head before pointing at Yuan and speaking, "The Lord¡¯s stone tablet reacted to him, allowing him to absorb the Sword Aura left behind by the Lord."

    "WHAT?!"

    The both of them eximed in a shocked voice.

    "D-Don¡¯t tell me he¡¯s the Lord¡¯s descendant?!" The olddy spoke in a trembling voice.

    "I brought him here to see if that is the case or not." Lan Yingying said.

    "Hmmm..."

    After a moment of silence, the old man said, "Come inside first. We¡¯ll talk once we are feeling morefortable."

    The grandparents then entered the house.

    "Let¡¯s go, Yuan." Lan Yingying said to him before going inside the house.

    "..."

    Although it felt weird to enter a stranger¡¯s home, Yuan didn¡¯t feel any malevolence from them and decided to trust them.

    Once they were inside, Yuan sat around arge table with the others.

    "Give me more context." The old man then said.

    Lan Yingying nodded and proceeded to recall everything she knew¡ª from her first meeting with Yuan two days ago to their second meeting today.

    "I see... Can you tell me a little bit more about yourself, young man?" The old man then turned to look at Yuan.

    Yuan nodded and said, "I came here with my fellow disciples, but we got separated on our way here, and before I knew it, I was in the forest. Then I heard this voice that beckoned me, so I followed it, and the voice led me to the temple."

    "Hmmm..."

    The grandparents pondered for a moment before speaking, "If you don¡¯t mind me asking... What is your purpose foring to this ce?"

    "To bepletely honest with you, I have no clue." Yuan shrugged.

    The grandparents exchanged looks with each other, and the olddy asked him a momentter, "Young man... Did you perhapse from the outside world?"

    "Eh?" Yuan¡¯s eyes widened.

    The people here are aware of the outside world? That they¡¯re currently inside the Mystic Realm? Just what is this ce?

 Chapter 314 Mystic Realm Natives

    "What? You think we wouldn¡¯t know about the world outside the Mystic Realm when you outsiderse here every ten years?" The old man said.

    And he continued, "You know, the people of this world¡ª the natives... Our ancestors also used to live in the outside world, but they decided to live in this world instead, isted from the outside world."

    "Huh? But how¡¯s that possible? I thought we only have a month inside the Mystic Realm before we must leave?" Yuan spoke in a dazed voice.

    "Hahaha... Sure, that¡¯s how the Mystic Realm works nowadays. However, that wasn¡¯t the case during the ancient times when people could enter the Mystic Realm at will and without any restrictions." The old man said.

    And he continued, "The Mystic Realm changed when it got an owner¡ª who turned this ce into a massive trial of sorts, implementing the rules that you¡¯re experiencing now."

    "Wow... I had no idea the Mystic Realm would have such a deep history. What about the people of this world? Can you guys leave the Mystic Realm?" Yuan asked after his initial awe.

    The olddy shook her head and said, "Unfortunately, we¡¯re stuck in this world."

    "Before the owner created the rules for this world, he¡¯d asked everybody in this world if they wanted to leave or stay in this world, and at that time, our ancestors, with full knowledge that they won¡¯t be able to leave this ce ever again, decided to stay in here."

    "There is no way out of this world¡ª only a way inside, not including the time limit of 1 month." The old man continued.

    "Don¡¯t you want to go outside?" Yuan suddenly asked.

    "Not really. ording to our ancestors, the spiritual energy in this world is much better than the spiritual energy outside. Although it¡¯s much smaller in this world, we¡¯ll get to live longer since we have a higher cultivation base, and there are not as many worldly conflicts here." The olddy exined.

    "I guess the spiritual energy in this ce is much more abundant than outside overall..." Yuan couldn¡¯t deny this since he¡¯d experienced it for himself firsthand.

    "To tell you the truth, not everyone in this world is like us, as most of the natives aren¡¯t very fond of outsiders, since many of them are jealous of your ability to leave this ce. Therefore, it¡¯s best to keep your identity as an outsider hidden." The old man revealed to him, taking him by surprise.

    "I see... Thank you for the heads up." Yuan nodded.

    "Anyways, returning to the topic at hand... We believe you¡¯re a descendant from our Lord¡¯s bloodline in the outside world, and we would like to check your blood if you don¡¯t mind." The olddy said.

    "I highly doubt it... But what if... What if I turn out to be a descendant?" Yuan asked, his interest piqued.

    "Then we will serve you for the rest of our lives¡ª at least until you have to leave the Mystic Realm." Lan Yingying said to him with a serious look on her face.

    "Uhhh..." Yuan looked at them with a perplexed expression. They¡¯re going to serve him? That didn¡¯t feel right to him for some reason.

    "How will you test my blood?" He still asked them a momentter.

    "Oh, that¡¯s simple. You simply have to mix some of your blood with our blood to see if there¡¯s any reaction. If there¡¯s even the slightest reaction, it¡¯ll mean that you¡¯re the Lord¡¯s descendant." The old man exined.

    "Are you willing?"

    Yuan nodded.

    Seeing his approval, the old man turned to look at Lan Yingying and said, "Go ahead. Drop some of your blood into this bottle."

    "Yes, grandfather."

    Lan Yingying retrieved a small knife from her spatial ring before cutting a decentlyrge hole in her finger, startling Yuan with the amount of blood she squeezed into the bottle.

    "Don¡¯t worry, we only need a drop of your blood." The old manughed after seeing his nervous expression.

    After Lan Yingying stopped pouring her blood into the bottle, she licked the wound on her finger, and Yuan watched as the cut on her finger instantly healed.

    "Go ahead, young man." The old man handed the bottle to Yuan afterward.

    Yuan nodded and retrieved his Starry Abyss before cutting a small wound on his thumb.

    ¡¯A Soul Weapon?¡¯

    The old couple was shocked when they realized the treasure in Yuan¡¯s grasp, but they didn¡¯t say anything.

    A few secondster, Yuan dripped arge drop of his blood inside the blood, and everybody there watched for any reaction in anticipation.

    Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.

    One second... two seconds... three seconds...

    Half a minute passed without any reaction, and the old man ced the bottle down and sighed.

    "Unfortunately, you¡¯re not the Lord¡¯s descendant." The old man said in a sighing voice.

    "I see..." Yuan nodded, feeling relieved for some reason.

    "Well, even if you aren¡¯t the Lord¡¯s descendant, you¡¯re still a very talented youngd, learning Sword Aura as a Spirit Warrior. You definitely qualify to sow your seed inside our granddaughter." The olddy said with a grin on her face.

    "Sow my seed in her? What?" Yuan waspletely puzzled by their words.

    "Don¡¯t mind them, Yuan. They¡¯ve been like this ever since my parents died, and they¡¯re worried that our family¡¯s long legacy will end with me." Lan Yingying exined to him.

    "Anyways, do you have any questions for them?" Lan Yingying then asked him.

    Yuan nodded and said, "Do you know anything about the voice that beckoned me to the temple? And what about that faceless person I saw?"

    "..."

    However, the old couple didn¡¯t respond to him, and on their face was a gawking expression, their eyes filled with shock.

    "What¡¯s the matter?" Yuan asked them.

    "A-Are you sure about that? A faceless person?!" The old man asked him in a trembling voice.

    Yuan nodded, "Yes. I¡¯m sure. Do you know who that is?"

    The old man swallowed nervously before speaking, "That... That is most likely the Lord!"

    "Huh?" Yuan¡¯s eyes widened with surprise after learning this new information.

 Chapter 315 Faceless Statue

    "C-Can you please give some more description to this ¡¯faceless person¡¯? What kind of clothes was he wearing? What color was his hair? How long was his hair? How tall was he? What kind of aura did he emit?" The old man asked him in an anxious voice.

    Yuan nodded his head before closing his eyes to recall the faceless person.

    "He was wearing ck clothes with a golden outline. He had long ck hair that was nearly as long as his body, and he looked a little bit taller than the average adult. Probably around 74 inches if I had to take a guess. As for his aura... He definitely gave the feeling of a noble or something otherworldly."

    "W-What about his sword?! Was he carrying a sword?!" The old man asked, his voice growing more excited as he spoke.

    "A sword...?" Yuan pondered harder.

    After a moment of silence, Yuan said, "Oh, yeah, I think he was carrying a sword on his back. However, it looked like an ordinary sword so I didn¡¯t pay too much attention to it."

    "Hahaha! That¡¯s it! He definitely sounds like the Lord!" The old man said as he stood up.

    "Come with me!" The old man then walked outside.

    Yuan and the others followed him outside.

    Once they were outside, the old man led them to a path that was behind the cabin. A few minutester, they reached this small but empty area, and standing in the middle of this area was a statue made of some kind of metallic material. However, the most surprising part about this statue was its face¡ª or more precisely, itsck of a face.

    Indeed, it was a statue of the faceless figure.

    "This is..." Yuan was dumbstruck the moment his eyesid on the statue.

    "Is this the person that you saw?" The old man asked him afterward.

    Yuan nodded in a dazed manner, "Yes... Although he looks slightly different, he is, without doubt, the faceless person I saw!"

    Despite being a statute, it gave off a domineering aura, almost like it was a real person standing there.

    "Although you¡¯re not the Lord¡¯s descendant, you¡¯re most likely rted to him in some way since he beckoned you to the stone tablet." The old man said.

    "Just who is this Lord person anyways?" Yuan asked, and he continued, "And why is he faceless even as a statue?"

    "Let me answer your second question first. The Lord... Nobody has ever seen his face before, hence why his statue is faceless. Just like what you¡¯re doing right now, the Lord always wore a mask¡ª ever since his first appearance to the day he disappeared from this world." The old man said.

    "As for who the Lord is¡ª we also don¡¯t know much about his existence except for the fact that he¡¯d showed up one day out of the blue, exhibiting heaven-defying talents and obtaining admiration from countless people. Our ancestors were one of these people, hence why they decided to serve him. Also, he somehow managed to obtained control of the Mystic Realm, bing its master."

    "Oh? So he was the one who closed the Mystic Realm and turned it into a ce of trials? Why did he do such a thing?" Yuan asked, his interest piqued.

    "Nobody knows, honestly. The Lord was an entric person who exceeds all expectations... We will probably never know his true intentions..." The old man sighed.

    "I see... Then do you know anything about the Mystic Pagoda?" Yuan decided to ask them since Senior Nie made it sound like an important ce.

    "The Mystic Pagoda? That¡¯s where the Lord used to live." The olddy said to him.

    And she continued, "Don¡¯t tell me the outsiders are still trying to open it? They should give up already."

    "Eh?"

    Seeing the puzzlement in Yuan¡¯s eyes, the olddy exined, "Every ten years, the outsiders will try to open up the Mystic Pagoda, but it¡¯s useless. Only the owner of the Mystic Realm can enter that ce, but nobody but the Lord knows how to do it. Even to this day, nobody else besides the Lord has managed to be the master of this ce."

    "Is that so..." Yuan mumbled in a low voice.

    "Anyways, do you have any more questions? If not, why don¡¯t you and our granddaughter here go conceive a child or two? After all, you only have a month in this world." The olddy suddenly said to him with a smile on her face.

    "What?" Yuan looked at the granny with wide eyes.

    "Why are you still joking about that grandmother?" Lan Yingying shook her head in a calm manner.

    "Joke? Do I look like I¡¯m joking?" Her grandmother turned to look at her with a serious expression on her face.

    Lan Yingying¡¯s eyes widened slightly at this.

    "You... You¡¯re serious?" she mumbled in a dazed voice.

    "Of course. This young man has extraordinary talents. He definitely qualifies to help us continue our lineage." The olddy said.

    "Our legacy hassted for hundreds of thousands of years. We¡¯re not going to let it end with you, Yingying." The old man also said with a profound look on his face.

    "..."

    The two old couple emitted a fearsome aura at this moment, causing both Yuan and Lan Yingying to shudder.

    It was at this moment a loud and sharp ear-piercing cry suddenly resounded in the area, but it didn¡¯t sound like it came from a human.

    "Che." The old man sneered with an annoyed look on his face. "They don¡¯t learn, do they?"

    Then, to Yuan¡¯s surprise, the old man suddenly levitated off the ground and flew into the sky.

    "A Spirit Grandmaster?!" Yuan eximed.

    However, Yuan quickly realized that the auraing from the old man surpassed even Feng Yuxiang who was a peak Spirit Grandmaster. In other words, there was a good chance this old man was a Spirit Lord!

    A few momentster, a veryrge bird covered in ck, metallic feathers, could be seen flying towards their direction, and it emitted a familiar aura¡ª the aura of a Spirit Grandmaster.

    "What on earth is that?!" Yuan was shocked by thisrge bird that was slightlyrger than a football field.

    However, the old man remainedpletely tranquil despite facing such an intimidating monster.

    "Did you anger your master or something? Why else would he send you here¡ª to your death?" The old man shook his head before lifting his hand and pointing at therge bird, mumbling in a low voice.

    "Sacred Fire."

    Whoosh!

    A massive rotating ball of sparkling white mes suddenly appeared in front of the old man¡¯s finger.

    Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.

    "Begone."

    The old man released the ball of white mes, shooting it directly at the massive bird.

    *KRAAAAAAA*

    Therge bird released a painful cry as the white mes engulfed its entire body instantly. However, the noises didn¡¯tst more than a few seconds as the white mes quickly consumed its massive body until even its ashespletely disappeared from this world.

    After disintegrating therge bird, the old man returned to their side and spoke with an innocent smile on his face, acting like he¡¯d just gotten rid of an insect and not a powerful magical beast, "Anyways, why don¡¯t the two of you go find a room and start working on that child? We don¡¯t have that much time, after all."

 Chapter 316 Unique Charisma

    "Grandfather, we just met and are no different than strangers. How can you ask me to conceive a child with him? Not to mention our situation..." Lan Yingying said to him.

    "So what if you¡¯re strangers? Your rtionship won¡¯t matter regardless since he¡¯ll be leaving in a month whether you like it or not!" The old man said.

    "Even if you say that... What about his opinion on this matter?" Lan Yingying turned to look at Yuan, who looked very confused about the current situation.

    "Do we even need to ask him? Who could possibly refuse our beautiful granddaughter? And why do you seem so reluctant? If you don¡¯t continue our lineage, who will take care of the Lord¡¯s stone tablet in the future? Who will be here to greet the Lord when he returns?" The old man sighed.

    "W-Wait a minute..." Yuan suddenly interrupted. "What do you mean by yourst words? Hasn¡¯t it been hundreds of thousands of years since the Lord ¡¯disappeared¡¯ from this ce? Can a human even live that long?"

    The old man chuckled after hearing his words, and he spoke a momentter, "Of course not¡ª no human would be able to live that long. However, the Lord is not dead, and while we say he ¡¯disappeared¡¯, the Lord merely left the Mystic Realm and hasn¡¯t returned since then. Although we don¡¯t know where he went or what he¡¯s doing outside, with his heaven-defying talents, we¡¯re certain that he could reach the peak of cultivation and be a real Immortal."

    "True Immortals can live millions of years with ease, nor are they affected by the passage of time. They also can¡¯t die from natural causes such as diseases or old age, and the only way they can die is if someone kills them, but even that requires some effort."

    "And as long as the Lord is alive, he¡¯ll definitely return to this world in the future. That¡¯s what he promised my ancestors right before he left, after all." The old man said with a confident smile on his face.

    Yuan was speechless. He was simply amazed by their loyalty to this Lord person. If he had to wait hundreds of thousands of years, even potentially millions of years for someone to return, he would¡¯ve probably lost faith long ago.

    "Anyways, thank you for teaching me so much about this world, but I have to leave now, as I still need to regroup with my team," Yuan said to them a momentter.

    "What? You¡¯re leaving already? But you still haven¡¯t done anything with our granddaughter! At least sow your seeds in her before you leave!" The olddy quickly said.

    Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.

    "Umm... I¡¯m not exactly sure what you mean by that..." Yuan then said.

    The old couple exchanged looks with each other. What kind of life has this young man been living that made him so innocent? What about his parents?

    "Ahem!" The old man cleared his throat and said, "In other words... I want you and my granddaughter to have a child together."

    Yuan¡¯s eyes widened with shock. While he doesn¡¯t know anything about giving birth since nobody has taught him about the subject, he at least knew how much responsibility it was to have children.

    "B-But I won¡¯t be in this world in a month... And I don¡¯t think I am ready to bear so much responsibility..." Yuan said to them a momentter.

    "It¡¯s fine even if you leave. We aren¡¯t asking for you to take responsibility, either. You simply need to impregnate our granddaughter so that our lineage will continue. We¡¯ll take care of everything else after that." The olddy said.

    Yuan looked at the old couple for a moment before turning to look at Lan Yingying.

    After a moment of silence, Yuan lowered his head and apologized to them, "I¡¯m sorry, but if I ever have children, I want to be there for them. You see, even though I was adopted at a young age, I never knew my real parents or what they look like, and I don¡¯t want my own children to experience the same loneliness I felt before I was adopted. I hope you can understand..."

    "..."

    The old couple was left speechless by Yuan¡¯s words. As much as they wanted him to conceive a child with their granddaughter, they couldn¡¯t force him.

    After a moment of silence, the old man nodded and said, "I see... I will also apologize if you felt pressured by us. If you don¡¯t want to, we won¡¯t force you."

    "What a pity... We have been looking for someone like you for such a long time, too..." The olddy sighed in a regretful voice.

    The old man then said, "Yingying, go show the young man the way out and take him to the nearest city. Although there should be no magical beasts around this ce, there are magical beasts roaming outside, and they might be a little too much for him to handle even if he understands Sword Aura."

    "Okay." Lan Yingying nodded.

    "Thank you, Seniors. It was nice meeting you." Yuan said to them.

    "Just call us Grandpa Lan and Grandma Lan. I am also d that we got to meet a genius like you since it gives us a feeling of what our ancestors might have felt when they met the Lord for the first time," said Grandpa Lan.

    "If you decide to change your mind about having a child with our granddaughter before leaving this ce, you cane back here at any time. My granddaughter will always be avable for you." Grandma Lan said to him.

    Sometimeter, Lan Yingying led Yuan away from the cabin and towards the direction of the unnamed temple.

    "Isn¡¯t it strange, grandpa?" Grandma Lan spoke after Yuan left.

    "What?"

    "How we don¡¯t dislike him even though he¡¯s a human. In fact, I even liked him very much," she said.

    "I know how you feel, grandma. There was just something attractive about him. Perhaps it¡¯s his unique charisma. I wonder if this is what our ancestors felt when they met the Lord. If so, I can totally understand why they decided to serve him." Grandpa Lan said with a smile on his face, and the two of them returned to the cabin shortly after.

 Chapter 317 Blue Star

    "Let me see the stone tablet one more time before we leave this ce," Yuan said to Lan Yingying when they returned to the temple.

    Lan Yingying nodded her head, and they climbed the staircase, entering the temple a momentter.

    Yuan approached the stone tablet. Once he was directly in front of it, he sped his hands together and bowed to the stone tablet.

    "I don¡¯t know why you called me here, and I might never find out, but thank you for showing me this ce, allowing me to learn Sword Aura." Yuan paid his respect to the stone tablet.

    After Yuan lifted his head, he continued, "Maybe I¡¯ll even see you in the upper heavens when I decide to ascend this world. At that time, I¡¯ll thank you properly."

    Sometimeter, Lan Yingying led Yuan away from the temple.

    As they walked, Lan Yingying suddenly asked him, "Hey... What¡¯s the outside world like?"

    "Eh? The outside world? It hasn¡¯t been long since I came to this ce so I can¡¯t really tell you what¡¯s different... sorry," he said.

    "Don¡¯t mind it," she shook her head with a somewhat gloomy feeling in her eyes.

    After a moment of silence, Yuan asked her, "Do you want to go outside?"

    A profound glint appeared in Lan Yingying¡¯s eyes, and she nodded her head, "I¡¯d be lying if I say I am not curious about the outside world."

    "I think it¡¯s unfair..." Yuan suddenly said.

    And he continued, "How your ancestors¡¯ decision to stay in this world also affected their children and so on. If someone wants to leave this ce, they should have the choice to do so¡ª at least that¡¯s what I believe."

    A small smile appeared on Lan Yingying¡¯s pretty face after hearing Yuan¡¯s words.

    "Then why don¡¯t you try to be the Master of this ce and set us all free?" Lan Yingying suddenly said.

    "But nobody knows how the Lord became the Master, right? Even if I want to help you, I don¡¯t know what I should be doing."

    "The Mystic Pagoda. Perhaps you¡¯ll find some clues there."

    "Where is the Mystic Pagoda?" Yuan then asked.

    Lan Yingying lifted her hand and pointed to a certain direction in the sky.

    "Do you see that blue star? If you follow it, it¡¯ll lead you to the Mystic Pagoda."

    Following her fingers, Yuan¡¯s eyes widened with surprise when he realized what she was talking about.

    "What! How could there be stars in the sky already? The sun hasn¡¯t even begun to set yet!" Yuan eximed in a shocked voice.

    "That star is a special star. You can see it throughout the day no matter if it¡¯s day or night."

    "I see... Thank you..."

    Yuan turned to look at Lan Yingying, and he continued in a somewhat awkward voice, "By the way, are you sure you want to continue walking around in that appearance? What if someone sees you?"

    Lan Yingying looked down at her own clothes that were still torn, and she said, "Oh, right. I nearly forgot."

    Lan Yingying suddenly stopped walking and proceeded to remove her clothes on the spot, taking Yuan by surprise.

    "You could¡¯ve at least warned me..." Yuan instinctively turned around to give her some privacy.

    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.

    "Okay, I am done." Lan Yingying said a momentter, sounding very calm despite just changing her clothes in front of a man, and they continued walking shortly after, acting like nothing just happened.

    "How far away is the nearest city?" Yuan asked her after walking for an hour without seeing anything civilization in sight.

    "About seven days, give or take," she responded in a calm manner.

    "Seven days?! That¡¯s an entire week!" Yuan¡¯s eyes widened with shock. Just where the heck did the Mystic Realm take him?

    At this rate, he won¡¯t regroup with the others until there are only a few days left in the Mystic Realm.

    "We¡¯re in the most isted area in this world so there¡¯s nothing we can do about it." Lan Yingying said.

    "I see... I¡¯m sorry for making you go through the trouble, and thank you..." Yuan said to her.

    "It¡¯s okay. I have nothing better to do, anyway." Lan Yingying said.

    "What do you normally do besides cleaning the stone tablet?" Yuan decided to ask her.

    "Cultivate... and hunting ignorant magical beasts that dare to enter our area without permission, just like that Onyx Crow." Lan Yingying said.

    Yuan swallowed nervously after hearing her words. After all, he also entered their ce without any permission.

    Lan Yingying noticed his weird behavior and said, "Don¡¯t worry, we are forbidden from harming humans unless they threaten us or show aggression first. This is a rule set by the Lord."

    "I see..."

    Yuan nodded, and they continued to walk in silence for a couple of hours until Yuan suddenly realized something.

    "Oh no! Ipletely forgot about Meixiu!" Yuan stopped walking and eximed.

    "Meixiu?" Lan Yingying raised her eyebrows.

    "Give me a moment! I¡¯ll be back in a bit!" Yuan said to her before logging off the game.

    "Meixiu?! Are you here?" Yuan called out for her when he logged off.

    "I¡¯m here, Yuan," she quickly responded.

    "I¡¯m sorry! I was too absorbed in the game andpletely forgot to log off again!" He said to her.

    "Don¡¯t worry about it," she said to him.

    "Let me go warm up your breakfast."

    After warming up the soup, she fed it to Yuan.

    "Once again, I¡¯m really sorry."

    "It¡¯s okay, really. There¡¯s nothing else for me to do, anyway."

    Yuan then said, "If you want, you can y the game with Feng Feng and the others. You don¡¯t have to wait for me to finish the Mystic Realm since that¡¯s going to take a while."

    "Even though I am doing nothing but watching the participants, I enjoy it. It feels like I am watching a movie or something, and the others are always engaged in something." Meixiu said.

    "W-Wait a moment... You can watch us from the outside?" Yuan was surprised when he heard this.

    "Yes, we can see everything the participants are doing using this treasure. However, for some reason, you¡¯re not shown, so we cannot see where you are or what you¡¯re doing." Meixiu said to him.

 Chapter 318 Earth Dragon

    "If you can see the participants, does this mean you know where the other two disciples are at? Where are they? I need to regroup with them as soon as possible, and it would help a lot if I know where to go." Yuan said to her.

    "Unfortunately, while we can see them, we don¡¯t know their exact location, especially since they have spent almost every minute in the same location ever since they entered the Mystic Realm, increasing their cultivation base," Meixiu said.

    "Once I learn of their location, I¡¯ll let you know immediately," she then added.

    "Okay. Thank you. I have to return to the game now. There¡¯s somebody waiting for me."

    "Eh? Who are you with?"

    "A native from the Mystic Realm. I met her on the first day, and she¡¯s currently helping me reach the nearest city. However, it¡¯s going to take a week..." Yuan sighed.

    "Anyways, I¡¯m going back now. Thank you for dinner, it was amazing as always."

    Sometimeter, Yuan returned to Cultivation Online whilst Meixiu went to clean up before going back inside the game as well.

    "Sorry for making you wait, Miss Lan. I¡¯m back." Yuan said to her, who was just standing there with a dazed look on her face.

    Once she saw Yuan, Lan Yingying nodded her head and continued walking like nothing was out of the ordinary.

    After walking for an hour, Lan Yingying suddenly said, "Do you want to run? It¡¯ll shorten the time we need to get to the city by almost half depending on how fast we run."

    Yuan nodded, "If you don¡¯t mind."

    Thus, the two of them began speeding up and running across the empty grasnd, following the direction of the blue star in the darkened sky.

    A couple of hourster, once the sky waspletely dark and flickering with stars, Lan Yingying suddenly halted and said, "Stop."

    Yuan quickly stopped and asked her, "What¡¯s the matter?"

    "There¡¯s a magical beast ahead. First level Spirit Master. I¡¯ll handle it." Lan Yingying said to him.

    "Wait a moment." Yuan suddenly stopped her, and he continued a momentter, "Can I handle this? I want to try out my Sword Aura."

    "You want to fight a Spirit Master as a Spirit Warrior? You¡¯re not even halfway to the peak of Spirit Warrior..." Lan Yingying looked at him with wide eyes, almost like she was looking at a crazy person.

    "I just want to hit it once with my Sword Aura. If it doesn¡¯t work out, I¡¯ll let you handle it." Yuan then said.

    "Okay..." Lan Yingying nodded her head.

    The two of them continued moving shortly after, but they stopped running.

    About ten minutester, they could see a massive reptile with arge jaw that resembled a certain type of dinosaur, and it was standing on two legs, almost like a T-Rex. Furthermore, there appeared to be rocks growing on its skin, kind of like an armor.

    "What kind of magical beast is that?" Yuan couldn¡¯t help but ask her.

    "That¡¯s an Earth Dragon. They are incredibly tough and powerful. One would think they are slow due to theirrge figure, but they are actually the opposite and quite nimble." Lan Yingying said.

    And she continued, "If you want to hit it, you¡¯ll need to take it by surprise. However, you only have one chance. If your attack fails for whatever reason, I will deal with it."

    Yuan nodded and took a deep breath before retrieving the Empyrean Overlord from his body.

    "T-That sword..." Lan Yingying couldn¡¯t take her eyes away from the Empyrean Overlord for some reason after seeing it, almost like there was something about it that was attracting her on a spiritual level.

    Meanwhile, Yuan took a deep breath before disying his movement technique, closing the distance between him and the Earth Dragon very quickly.

    The Earth Dragon noticed Yuan almost immediately, but when it realized Yuan¡¯s pathetic cultivation basepared to its own, the Earth Dragon scoffed at Yuan¡¯s reckless behavior inwardly and didn¡¯t even bother trying to defend against Yuan¡¯s attack since it was confident in its own toughness.

    Once he was close enough, Yuan¡¯s eyes flickered with viciousness, and his body exploded with Sword Aura.

    "?!?!"

    The contempt in the Earth Dragon¡¯s eyes immediately disappeared, reced with intense fear.

    "Bloody Sword Strike!"

    The Empyrean Overlord emitted a domineering red aura, and Yuan swung it at the Earth Dragon without holding back.

    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    BOOM!

    The Earth Dragon was frozen from shock and felt suppressed by the sword¡¯s overwhelming pressure.

    A split secondter, the Empyrean Overlord reached the Earth Dragon¡¯s tough skin before cleaving its massive body in half with ease, like a sharp knife going through tofu.

    However, the Empyrean Overlord didn¡¯t stop after cleaving the Earth Dragon and continued to m onto the ground, creating a massive fissure in the ground that spread out meters into the distance, resembling tree roots.

    Lan Yingying¡¯s jaw dropped when she witnessed the overwhelming prowess disyed by Yuan, who was merely a fifth-level Spirit Warrior.

    ¡¯Heavens! What is his body made of?! How can a Spirit Warrior have such strength?¡¯ Lan Yingying cried inwardly.

    Forget about killing the Earth Dragon in one hit, she didn¡¯t even expect Yuan to prate the Earth Dragon¡¯s defenses!

    ¡¯Is he really this powerful, or is it because of that mythical sword?¡¯ Lan Yingying wondered to herself.

    After killing the Earth Dragon, Yuan went to check if it left behind its monster core, but s, it was empty.

    A few momentster, Lan Yingying approached Yuan and looked at the Earth Dragon¡¯s corpse with a weird glint on her eyes before swallowing nervously.

    "Yuan, what kind of sword is that?" Lan Yingying asked him a momentter.

    "The Empyrean Overlord? It¡¯s my Soul Weapon," he said.

    "Soul Weapon? What about the dagger? It gave off a simr aura."

    "That¡¯s also a Soul Weapon. I have two," he calmly responded.

    "Two Soul Weapons..." Lan Yingying was speechless.

    After a moment of silence, she asked him, "By the way, if you don¡¯t mind, can I see that sword? I am getting some kind of feeling from it, and I don¡¯t know why."

 Chapter 319 Unknown Entity

    "Sure. Go ahead." Yuan nodded his head, not hesitating to hand the Empyrean Overlord to Lan Yingying since he trusted her, and even if she wanted to steal it, the Soul Weapon will automatically return to him if it gets too far away from him.

    "Here you go." Yuan handed the sword to her in a casual manner.

    "T-This sword is... so heavy!" Lan Yingying was taken by surprise by the weight of the Empyrean Overlord, nearly falling over trying to hold it at first.

    "Oh, right, I forgot about that. It weighs about 1,000 jins naturally." Yuan had forgotten about its weight after handling it like a tree branch for so long.

    "Where did you obtain such a treasure? And do you know its background?" she then asked, her gaze staring at the beautiful sword with a somewhat mesmerizing look.

    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g

    "Apparently, it was found in a Legacy Tomb five hundred years ago. As for its background... It used to be wielded by a Sword Emperor." Yuan recalled what Feng Yuxiang told him and the Empyrean Overlord¡¯s description.

    "Sword... Emperor? Do you, by any chance, know the name of this Sword Emperor?" Lan Yingying asked.

    "No, I don¡¯t."

    "I see..." Lan Yingying mumbled.

    "Thank you for letting me see it."

    She handed the Empyrean Overlord back to Yuan a momentter.

    "Let¡¯s continue moving." Yuan then said.

    "Wait a moment." Lan Yingying suddenly said, and she pointed at the Earth Dragon¡¯s corpse, "Since you killed the Earth Dragon, its corpse obviously belongs to you, but do you think I can buy it off you?"

    "Eh? You want this Earth Dragon¡¯s corpse?" Yuan raised his eyebrows, wondering why she wanted it.

    "If you want it, you can take it. Also, you don¡¯t have to pay me." Yuan said, as he doesn¡¯t have any uses for the corpse, nor does he n on selling its materials.

    "Really? Are you sure? An Earth Dragon¡¯s corpse will fetch a lot of money if you sell it..." She asked him just to be sure.

    Yuan nodded, "It¡¯s the least I can do for you, who¡¯s helping me reach the nearest city."

    "Thank you very much..." Lan Yingying bowed to him before collecting the Earth Dragon¡¯s corpse with her spatial ring.

    Shortly after, they continued to run across the grasnd, encountering a couple more magical beasts in a few hours.

    Of course, Yuan wanted to fight these magical beasts despite having a lower cultivation base inparison.

    And just like the Earth Dragon, these Spirit Master magical beasts looked at Yuan with contempt when they realized he was only a Spirit Warrior, lowering their guards.

    However, these magical beasts immediately regretted underestimating Yuan¡¯s low cultivation base the moment he released his Sword Aura, and they could only powerlessly stare at Yuan as he shes their body into two parts.

    After Yuan killed these magical beasts, Lan Yingying would collect their corpses, almost like a trash collector picking up trash on the sidewalk.

    "Do magical beasts not drop monster cores around here or something? I¡¯ve killed over a dozen of them without a single monster core!" Yuanined after some time.

    "The higher cultivation a magical beast, the less likely they¡¯ll drop a monster core." Lan Yingying said to him.

    "Really? That doesn¡¯t make any sense, but s..." Yuan sighed.

    Once the sun began peeking at the horizon, Yuan logged off the game to eat breakfast prepared by Meixiu.

    "How are you doing in the Mystic Realm? Xiao Hua wanted to know." Meixiu said to him afterward.

    "I¡¯m still making my way to the nearest city. I¡¯ve also been encountering more and more magical beasts the closer we get to the city. However, you don¡¯t have to worry since I can deal with them easily, especially ever since I¡¯ve learned Sword Aura."

    "I understand. I¡¯ll let them know."

    Once she returned to the game, Meixiu ryed Yuan¡¯s situation to Xiao Hua and the others.

    "What? Sword Aura?!" Long Yijun and the others expressed great shock after hearing this news.

    "So Brother Yuan finally learned Sword Aura, huh?" Xiao Hua already knew that he would learn Sword Aura. It was just a matter of when.

    Meanwhile, Yuan continued to follow the blue star in the sky with Lan Yingying.

    "We should arrive in the city by tomorrow afternoon," Lan Yingying said to him.

    "Okay."

    After running for a couple of hours without stopping, Lan Yingying suddenly felt a cold shiver run down her spine, causing her to stop running, and she shouted in a panicked voice, "Yuan! Stop!"

    "Eh? What happened? Another magical beast?" Yuan stopped and asked her.

    However, when he turned around and saw the nervous look on Lan Yingying¡¯s face¡ª even though she had remained rtively calm from their previous encounters with magical beasts¡ª he realized something was amiss.

    "It¡¯s worse than a magical beast! We need to get away from this ce as soon as possible!" Lan Yingying said to him.

    "Get away? From what?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    And before Lan Yingying could respond to him, a deep voice suddenly resounded.

    "The little princess is together with a human? What an unusual sight."

    BOOM!

    The ground shook as a figure suddenly descended from the sky andnded about a hundred meters away from Yuan and Lan Yingying¡¯s location.

    "What the heck is that?" Yuan¡¯s eyes widened with surprise when he saw this ¡¯person¡¯ and its unique appearance, not to mention its tyrannical aura that was unlike anything he¡¯s experienced before.

    This entity was standing on two tall legs like a human, and it also had the body of a human. However, this human-like figure had glowing red skin and a single ck horn directly in the center of its forehead. The sclera of its eyes was pitch ck with its iris and pupils bright red. Furthermore, it had long sharp ears, sharp fingernails that resembled ws, and long ck hair. If one looked closely, there was also a red crystal imnted in the middle of its chest. If one had to describe this entity with a single word, that word would be demonic.

    "Where are you going with this human, little princess?" The demonic being spoke with arge, diabolic smile on its face, showing its two rows of sharp white teeth.

 Chapter 320 Demon

    "Miss Lan, what is that thing? It can even speak!" Yuan was more amazed by this unknown entity¡¯s existence than feeling fearful of it.

    "You¡¯ve never heard of a demon before?" Lan Yingying looked at him with surprise.

    "A demon? That thing? This is my first time hearing about them, much less seeing one." Yuan said, and he continued, "How are they any differentpared to magical beasts?"

    "They¡¯re vastly superior to magical beasts overall. Just like how magical beasts are stronger than human cultivators at the same cultivation level, demons are stronger than magical beasts and by a huge margin as well. A Spirit Apprentice demon can even defeat a Spirit Warrior cultivator with ease." Lan Yingying exined to him.

    "Furthermore, they cannot be killed by normal means and are essentially immortal since they can survive most injuries, even if you put a hole in their heart..."

    "What? Such powerful entities exist? Howe nobody talks about them outside?" Yuan was speechless.

    "I can¡¯t tell you since I don¡¯t know what it¡¯s like outside, but in this world, they are very infamous for their brutality and tremendous strength. However, they are also very rare, and most people live their entire lives without even seeing one."

    "Then I guess we¡¯re super lucky to encounter one right now?" Yuan asked.

    "Hey, what are you two talking about? I also want to join in on the conversation." The demon suddenly said to them. However, it remained standing there, seemingly unwilling to approach them for some reason.

    "How are you unaffected by the Lord¡¯s Sword Aura? You demons shouldn¡¯t be able to get this close to the Divine Forest." Lan Yingying spoke with a frown on her face.

    The demonughed before speaking, "It¡¯s all thanks to your parents. Thanks to their blood, we¡¯ve gained some resistance to the Sword Aura, but this is the furthest I can go for now. Sooner orter, we¡¯ll be able to enter the Divine Forest and consume you and those old bastards."

    Lan Yingying gritted her teeth in anger after hearing the demon mention her parents, and she lifted her arm with her Spirit Master cultivation fully activated.

    "Shut up! Sacred Fire!" She shouted.

    A ball of white mes appeared in front of her palms before flying at the demon.

    However, despite seeing the ball of mes flying at it, the demon didn¡¯t even bother to move and remained standing there with a nonchnt look on its face.

    The white mes engulfed the demon a momentter, but it didn¡¯t show any reactions.

    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    "You¡¯ve improved, little princess. However,pared to those old bastards, your Sacred Fire is still too weak to do any real harm to our bodies, much less kill us." The demon spoke as it bathed in her mes casually.

    A few momentster, the white mes disappeared on their own, leaving behind minor burn marks on the demon¡¯s red skin. However, these injuries immediately healed within seconds as well.

    "Miss Lan... you..." Instead of paying attention to the demon, Yuan was fully focused on Lan Yingying at this moment, mostly because her appearance had experienced some changes.

    It wasn¡¯t anything shocking, but Lan Yingying¡¯s ck hair had suddenly turned pure white, and her azure-colored eyes turned into a beautiful pink color.

    Lan Yingying¡¯s minor transformation reminded him of Feng Yuxiang¡¯s transformation when her hairs and eyes changed colors after consuming his blood.

    However, it didn¡¯t immediately ur to Yuan that Lan Yingying could be a magical beast like Feng Yuxiang since he thought Feng Yuxiang was unique as a Divine Beast and a phoenix, not to mention her curse, hence why she could transform into a human.

    The demon suddenly spoke, "Don¡¯t worry, little princess. I didn¡¯te here to kill you today. I¡¯m here to ry a message from our Demon Lord, who said he¡¯ll let you live if you be his woman. If you don¡¯t, the Demon n will raid the Divine Forest in two weeks when we fully absorb your parents¡¯ blood."

    "I¡¯d rather die than to be that bastard¡¯s ything!" Lan Yingying spoke with a fierce look on her face.

    "Don¡¯t be so quick to make up your mind. You have two weeks to decide." The demon shrugged.

    Then it turned to look at Yuan and continued to speak, "As for you, human... I won¡¯t let you go so easily. If you want to continue, you¡¯ll have to kill¡ª"

    In the middle of the demon¡¯s sentence, it was forced to stop speaking when a gaping hole suddenly appeared in its head, shocking Lan Yingying who had no idea what just happened.

    The demon copsed onto the ground in a lifeless manner.

    "W-What happened?!" she eximed.

    The next second, a dagger appeared out of thin air and hovered directly beside Yuan.

    "That¡¯s your Soul Weapon! It can turn invisible?!" Lan Yingying was left speechless by the Starry Abyss¡¯s ridiculous ability.

    "Yes." Yuan nodded with a calm look on his face, and he said, "I hope you don¡¯t mind my actions just now. That demon is clearly very dangerous, and it made you cry, so I decided to take care of it."

    Lan Yingying looked at him with a loose jaw, not realizing that tears had formed by her eyes.

    But s, one cannot kill a demon with raw strength.

    "Take care of me? A mere Spirit Warrior human? Hahaha! That¡¯s the funniest thing I¡¯ve heard all year long!"

    The demon¡¯s voice suddenly returned, taking Yuan by surprise.

    "What the heck? It¡¯s still not dead even with an injury like that?" Yuan turned to look at the demon with a surprised face, and sure enough, it was standing again.

    The gaping hole in its face also began to close back up, and in just a few moments, the demon healed fully.

    "I¡¯ll admit that you¡¯d managed to surprise me with that invisible attack just now. However, no matter how many times you open a hole in my face, you won¡¯t be able to kill me." The demon looked at Yuan with immense contempt in its gaze, almost like it was looking at an insect and not a human.

 Chapter 321 Three Free Attacks

    "This is indeed quite troublesome. How can I kill that thing if it can survive even with a hole in its face?" Yuan sighed.

    "I¡¯m sorry, Yuan, but let¡¯s give up on going to the city for now and return to my grandparents to see if there¡¯s anything we can do about this situation. Although I have the power to defeat that demon, I don¡¯t have the power to kill it." Lan Yingying said to him.

    "Wait a second, Miss Lan. You mentioned Sword Aura. Are demons afraid of Sword Aura or something? Maybe I can still..."

    However, Lan Yingying shook her head and said, "No, the demons are not afraid of Sword Aura in general. Instead, they are specifically afraid of the Lord¡¯s Sword Aura. Before leaving this world, the Lord created these Sword Aura barriers around every city and the Divine Forest to protect them from the demons."

    "As for why they¡¯re afraid of the Lord¡¯s Sword Aura... It¡¯s simply because the Lord¡¯s Sword Aura is so powerful that if a demon touches it, they will be destroyed until there¡¯s nothing left of them. No matter how powerful their regeneration abilities may be, if you destroy their bodies until there¡¯s not even a hair left, there won¡¯t be anything to regenerate from."

    "I see... Then are there any more methods that can be used to kill demons?" Yuan asked.

    "Besidespletely erasing their existence, you need techniques with divine attributes such as my Sacred Fire."

    "Techniques, huh?" Yuan mumbled.

    "Hm?"

    He suddenly recalled the Heaven-grade technique he¡¯d learned at Myriad of Techniques¡ª the Demon Sealing Strike.

    "What about sealing demons? Can we seal them with techniques?" Yuan then asked.

    "Demon sealing techniques? Those are incredibly rare and hard to learn, but yes, sealing a demon is akin to killing them." Lan Yingying nodded.

    "I understand. Let me fight this demon. I think I¡¯ll be able to defeat it." Yuan said to her as he retrieved the Empyrean Overlord.

    "What?! You want to fight that demon?! Don¡¯t do it! It has the strength of a peak Spirit Master, and you don¡¯t meet the requirements to kill it!"

    "It¡¯s okay. I just want to try something." Yuan said with a smile on his face.

    "Oh? You¡¯re approaching me?" The demon was pleasantly surprised when Yuan began walking towards it.

    "Don¡¯t tell me that you¡¯re nning on fighting me¡ª a demon?" The grin on the demon¡¯s face grew wider.

    "That¡¯s right," Yuan responded with a calm look on his face, and he continued, "I won¡¯t be able to defeat you unless I get closer."

    "HAHAHAHA! You¡¯re truly an amusing human! Normally, when a human sees me, they turn and run the opposite direction while shitting their own pants!"

    Afterughing for a moment, the demon suddenly stopped and narrowed its eyes at Yuan with a vicious expression.

    "With that being said, who the fuck do you think you are, human? Do you really think you can defeat me when you couldn¡¯t kill me with a surprise attack? This is why I despise humans. They¡¯re incredibly arrogant and stupid at the same time." The demon looked at Yuan with clear disdain.

    Yuan didn¡¯t respond to the demon this time, and he continued to approach it with a resolute expression on his face.

    Seeing this, the demon took a few steps back and said, "Very well. Imend your bravery even if it might be stupidity, so I¡¯ll give you three free attacks."

    "Then I won¡¯t be humble and ept these three attacks¡ª"

    Yuan suddenly activated his movement technique and appeared in front of the demon with the Empyrean Overlord raised high in the sky.

    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g

    "Bloody Sword Strike!"

    Despite the powerful aura emitted by the Empyrean Overlord, the demon remained standing there with its arms crossed and without batting an eyelid.

    BOOM!

    The Empyrean Overlord cleaved the demon into two separate parts from the head down.

    Plop.

    The demon copsed on the ground again.

    However, a few momentster, as though its body was made of liquid, the demon¡¯s separated bodybined into one whole part, returning to its original state without a single injury on its body.

    "You have two more attacks, human." The demon spoke with an arrogant grin on its face, knowing very well that even if it gave Yuan 1,000 free strikes, it still wouldn¡¯t be defeated.

    "Heaven Splitting Sword Strike!"

    Yuan wasted no time activating his second and strongest attack, sending a massive beam that was also mixed with Sword Aura at the demon.

    The demon reacted this time, as it could sense a dreadful feeling from the Heaven Splitting Sword Strike, and it quickly dodged to the side, avoiding half of the attack.

    However, the other half of the attack hadpletely disintegrated half of the demon¡¯s body, giving it quite a scare, causing it to sweat a little.

    Lan Yingying¡¯s eyes widened with shock when she witnessed the demon retreating and the damage Yuan¡¯s second attack dealt to it.

    ¡¯If that demon hadn¡¯t dodged the second attack, its entire body would¡¯ve disappeared as if it had touched the Lord¡¯s Sword Aura! What a powerful sword technique!¡¯ Lan Yingying could feel her blood heating up afterward, and she began feeling hopeful that perhaps Yuan could really defeat it!

    "Why did you dodge my attack just now?" Yuan asked the demon with a calm look on his face, and he continued, "I thought you were absolutely confident in your body¡¯s regenerating abilities? I guess you¡¯re not invincible, after all."

    "You... You fucking brat... A mere human... How dare you!" A tyrannical aura exploded from the demon¡¯s body as its facial expression twisted with anger after feeling a burning sensation on its face from Yuan¡¯s words.

    "What are you doing? I still have one more attack. Are you going to break your own words?" Yuan said.

    "Hahaha! So what if I break my words? I am a fucking demon!" The demonughed as it suddenly rushed at Yuan while spreading its w-like hands.

    "I¡¯m going to rip your fucking limbs apart, drink your blood, and crunch on your bones, human!"

 Chapter 322 Demon Sealing Strike

    Yuan immediately used his movement technique to dodge the demon¡¯s fast but seemingly simple w attacks.

    Whoosh!

    After dodging a couple of attacks, Yuan retaliated with the Starry Abyss that had returned to being invisible.

    The Starry Abyss tore another hole in the demon¡¯s face, but the demon continued to attack Yuan without falling.

    "Are you incapable of learning, human?! You can¡¯t kill me no matter how many holes you bore in my body!"

    However, Yuan ignored the demon¡¯s words and continued to attack it with the Starry Abyss, and in just a couple of minutes, he¡¯d bore over a hundred holes on the demon¡¯s body.

    ¡¯Is there no limit to its regenerating abilities?¡¯ Yuan wondered inwardly as he casually dodged the demon¡¯s w attacks.

    "Blood Spear!"

    The demon suddenly created a long spear from its own blood before thrusting it at Yuan¡¯s face.

    "Whoa!"

    Yuan was slightly surprised by the spear, but he¡¯d still managed to dodge it.

    "I¡¯ve had enough of you, damn human! Die!"

    The demon created a dozen more spears that levitated in the air like the Starry Abyss.

    [Flying Blood Spears!]

    The demon pointed at Yuan, and a dozen spears suddenly flew at Yuan with extreme speed.

    [Heaven Splitting Sword Strike!]

    Yuan swung his sword once, destroying all of the spears simultaneously and erasing one of the demon¡¯s arms temporarily.

    Seeing that its attack had failed, the demon continued to attack Yuan aggressively with the spear.

    Ding! Ding! ng!

    Yuan defended himself with the Empyrean Overlord whilst attacking the demon with the Starry Abyss, waiting for the perfect opportunity to use the Demon Sealing Strike. However, the demonpletely ignored the Starry Abyss and focused on attacking Yuan.

    Meanwhile, Lan Yingying watched their intensive fight from a ce where the demon cannot enter with a dazed expression on her face.

    This is her first time seeing a human fight a demon and on such an equal standing. Even though demons are known for being insanely powerful, this demon appears to be struggling against a human cultivator who is only a Spirit Warrior!

    "Stop running away! What are you, a cockroach?!" The demon eximed in an agitated voice when it realized that it couldn¡¯t defeat this human¡¯s profound movement techniques.

    "If you don¡¯t want me to dodge then you should probably stop attacking me." Yuan casually responded.

    "Like hell! I¡¯ll fucking kill you at all cost!" The demon shouted as he continued his endless wave of assaults.

    "And you humans have limited energy! Unlike us demons, you¡¯re useless once your spiritual energy runs out, and you¡¯ll be no different than a mortal with no powers!"

    Lan Yingying then warned him, "Yuan! You must finish this fight as soon as possible! The longer you fight a demon the more disadvantaged you are! Demons have nearly unlimited stamina and spiritual energy! You won¡¯t oust him in endurance!"

    "Why don¡¯t youe out here and help your human friend, little princess? However, I can¡¯t promise you that I won¡¯t identally eat you as well! Hahaha!" The demon provoked her.

    "It¡¯s okay, Miss Lan. You don¡¯t have to worry about me. It won¡¯t be long before I defeat this demon." Yuan then said.

    "I¡¯d like to see you try!" The demon coldly snorted. While it was afraid of Yuan¡¯s Heaven Splitting Sword Strike, it was confident that Yuan wouldn¡¯t be able to use this technique too many times since it looked like it would consume a lot of spiritual energy.

    Furthermore, the technique itself was easy to dodge as long as one remains vignt, and as long as it doesn¡¯t hit its entire body, it¡¯ll be able to regenerate itself.

    Yuan and the demon shed against each other hundreds of times over the next few minutes, and once they were beginning to get into the rhythm, Yuan¡¯s aura suddenly exploded, and a pressurizing aura appeared around them, restricting the demon¡¯s movements.

    [Heavenly Domain!]

    The demon was taken by surprise by this mysterious pressure that slowed down its movements by a fair amount.

    "What is this ufortable feeling?!"

    However, slowing down the demon¡¯s movements was just a ploy to distract its attention and also the beginning of Yuan¡¯s n.

    "Hey! Demon!"

    Yuan suddenly called out to it, causing it to subconsciously turn to look at him.

    The moment the demon¡¯s gaze met with Yuan¡¯s eyes, his eyes turned golden and assaulted the demon with an invisible mental attack that was unlike anything the demon has experienced before.

    The world suddenly turned dark for the demon, and all the demon could focus on at this moment was a pair of majestic eyes from an unfathomable existence hovering behind Yuan that looked down at it as though it was a mere ant.

    "W-What the fuck are you?! You¡¯re not human!"

    The demon mistook Yuan as a monster in human skin when it experienced the Dragon¡¯s Gaze, and it feared for its life for the first time.

    However, Yuan didn¡¯t say anything and took this chance to attack the demon when it was frozen from fear.

    [Demon Sealing Strike!]

    Yuan stabbed the Empyrean Overlord that was emitting an ancient aura directly in the demon¡¯s chest, not noticing the symbols that had appeared on the sword¡¯s de.

    "Huh?"

    The demon didn¡¯t feel any pain, only a numbed feeling, and it didn¡¯t realize that it had a sword piercing its body until it looked down and saw the massive sword between its chest.

    "What do you think you¡¯re doing? You really don¡¯t learn¡ª " The demon halted its sentence when it realized something was amiss¡ª that its body was getting stiffer by the second.

    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g

    The demon looked down again for the second time, and to its surprise, the wound around the sword was actually transforming! It was turning into stone!

    "W-What is this?! What did you just do to me?!" The demon roared out loud and attacked Yuan in a panicked manner, but it struggled to release any strength.

    Yuan kicked the demon in the stomach and pulled out the Empyrean Overlord from its body simultaneously before speaking in a calm voice, "Who knows, but I hope this demon sealing technique works on you."

    "D-D-Demon sealing technique?! Why do you know something like that?! Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re a descendant of the Demon Sealing n?!" The demon eximed while it kneeled on the ground powerlessly, feeling its body getting weaker as the petrifying effect from its wound spread throughout its body.

    "Demon Sealing n? Never heard of them before. I learned this technique from a technique store some time ago." Yuan calmly responded, feeling quite happy that the technique appeared to be working perfectly against this demon.

    "Curse you! I curse you, damn human!" The demon shouted loudly, and it felt an intense urge to rip Yuan to pieces, but s, all four of its limbs and the majority of its body had turned to stone.

    "If I ever get out of this seal, I will fucking kill you¡ª!"

    The demon¡¯s shouting halted when its mouth turned into stone, and a few more secondster, the rest of the demon became petrified, transforming into a stone statuepletely.

    "Yuan... you... you really sealed the demon?" Lan Yingying approached him and the petrified demon sometimeter with clear disbelief on her face.

    "I hope so," he said.

 Chapter 323 Demon Slayer

    "What should we do with this sealed demon now, Miss Lan? How long do you think it¡¯ll be sealed for? And is there anything else we can do?" Yuan asked her afterward. It would be disastrous if the demon bes unsealed a few dayster if he doesn¡¯t take care of it properly now. However, he also didn¡¯t want to identally break the seal.

    "It depends on how powerful your sealing technique is. Looking at it right now, the demon should remain sealed for a few hundred years." Lan Yingying looked at the fully petrified demon with a feeling of awe and admiration for Yuan, who sealed a demon as a Spirit Warrior.

    "However, I think you should still take care of it entirely. You know that technique you used during your second free strike? Do you think you canpletely obliterate the demon with it?" Lan Yingying then asked him.

    "It won¡¯t break the seal if I hit it in this state?" Yuan asked just to make sure.

    "It¡¯ll be fine. Even if your attack doesn¡¯t kill it, the seal won¡¯t be undone, and the demon won¡¯t be able to regenerate until the seal ispletely gone, so you can take your time killing it. That¡¯s why demons are so afraid of sealing techniques." Lan Yingying exined to him.

    "I see... Okay, I¡¯ll destroy itpletely so it won¡¯t be able to cause any more trouble for you in the future." Yuan nodded before distancing himself from the sealed demon.

    Once he was far enough, Yuan held the Empyrean Overlord in front of him and took his time to gather his spiritual energy.

    Lan Yingying¡¯s eyes widened when she saw this and realized that Yuan¡¯s previous Heaven Splitting Sword Strike wasn¡¯t at its full power despite showing immense strength¡ª enough to kill a demon.

    At this moment, Yuan¡¯s body was gushing with Sword Aura, and the sword in his grasp was glowing a beautiful golden color.

    [Heaven Splitting Sword Strike!]

    Once he¡¯d gathered enough spiritual energy, Yuan released his ultimate attack at the demon andpletely covered its entire figure this time.

    Under this intense power, the demon¡¯s figure quickly disintegrated until not even a speck of hair remained.

    Lan Yingying swallowed nervously at Yuan¡¯s destructive power, as it was unlike anything she had experienced before.

    After killing the demon, a notification appeared in front of Yuan.

    [Congrattions! You have in a Demon, obtaining the title ¡¯Demon yer¡¯!]

    Meanwhile, outside the Mystic Realm, an announcement appeared in the skies for the yers to see.

    [yer Yuan has be the world¡¯s first yer to have killed a Demon!]

    The yers wondered what a demon was and how they are different from magical beasts.

    "Feng Feng, what¡¯s a Demon?" Meiuxiu asked her after seeing the notification.

    "Huh? A fiend? Why are you suddenly asking about fiends? They are incredibly evil and powerful beings that used to rule the cultivation world." Feng Yuxiang looked at her with raised eyebrows.

    Demons are also known as fiends, and they used to run rampant in the cultivation world.

    "Well... Yuan just killed a demon inside the Mystic Realm, so I¡¯m asking," Meixiu revealed this to them.

    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.

    "What?! He killed a demon?! How is that possible?!" Feng Yuxiang¡¯s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets after hearing Meixiu¡¯s words.

    "Demons have heaven-defying regenerative abilities and cannot be killed by normal means! Even the weakest demons are as strong as a peak Spirit Master! I know the Young Master is incredibly talented, but he doesn¡¯t have what it takes to kill a demon¡ª at least he shouldn¡¯t!"

    "W-Wait a second... There are demons in the Mystic Realm? Howe no participants have encountered one until today? And I thought they went extinct after the Demon Sealing n purged them from the cultivation world..." Long Yijun mumbled in a dazed voice.

    "The Mystic Realm is an ancient treasure so it¡¯s not impossible that there might be some demons inside. However, to actually run into one and even kill it... Disciple Yuan is an entirely different type of existence..." Elder Xuan said.

    "I still can¡¯t believe it... How did the Young Master kill the demon? One must either know demon sealing techniques or have special spiritual energy that has divine attributes. However, I know for sure that the Young Master¡¯s spiritual energy doesn¡¯t have any divine attributes because I didn¡¯t sense it in his blood." Feng Yuxiang said, as she¡¯d tasted his blood before.

    "Then it could only be the demon sealing techniques..."

    However, Xiao Hua shook her head and said, "Xiao Hua has been with Brother Yuan even before he was a cultivator and she doesn¡¯t recall Brother Yuan learning any techniques that allow him to seal demons..."

    Because she¡¯d been separated from Yuan in the Myriad of Techniques, Xiao Hua wasn¡¯t aware that Yuan had learned the Demon Sealing Strike.

    "No matter how the Young Master killed that demon, I¡¯m relieved to hear that he¡¯s safe despite encountering a demon. I still remember my first encounter with a demon in the upper heavens. It was a terrifying experience, to say the least..." Feng Yuxiang sighed.

    "Eh? Madam Feng... You came from the upper heavens? And demons still exist in the upper heavens?" Elder Xuan looked at her with a surprised expression.

    "Unfortunately, they still exist. They¡¯re just not as active and always in hiding... And yes, I came from the upper heavens. Due to circumstances, I am now here..." Feng Yuxiang sighed.

    "I-I see..." Elder Xuan nodded.

    Meanwhile, inside the Mystic Realm, at a ce isted from the rest of the world, a red-skinned figure lifted its head to look at the cloudy sky with a narrowed gaze as it sat on a red throne.

    "That fool perished... Did he get too full of himself and went too deep into that man¡¯s Sword Aura? Even though I specifically warned him to not get ahead of himself." This demon mumbled, yet it expressed no sorrow after knowing that a fellow demon had just died.

 Chapter 324 Transformation

    "Demon Lord, what should we do now that there¡¯s one less demon?" Another demon suddenly asked after sensing the death of the demon Yuan had in.

    "Change? Nothing will change, except that we¡¯ll have more blood now to consume that he¡¯s gone. Perhaps we¡¯ll even be able to attack those annoying things a few days earlier now." The Demon Lord spoke as it turned to look at the other 3 demons.

    "There used to be hundreds, thousands of us. However, that fucking human with the Sword Aura ughtered us as though we¡¯re insects, and in just the span of a few years, our numbers have reduced to a mere dozen..."

    Unlike humans and magical beasts that have to increase their lifespan through cultivation, demons have a near-infinite lifespan at birth, meaning they¡¯re immortal regardless of their cultivation base.

    The Demon Lord¡¯s gaze turned to look at the small pool of blood in the center of these three demons and continued, "That Lan Family wanted topletely wipe us out, so they continued to attack us even after that human long disappeared. Although they¡¯d manage to kill ten of us throughout the years, we also managed to kill two of them. Now, there¡¯s only four of us and three of them."

    "In this world, they are the only beings that can threaten our existence. Once we get rid of them, we can finally rule the Mystic Realm. We¡¯re going to enve the humans and drink their blood every day."

    "If not for that damn human and his Sword Aura, we wouldn¡¯t be in this pitiful situation and be soaking in the humans¡¯ blood already! That bastard even covered every city in this world with his Sword Aura, preventing us from gaining strength by eating humans!" Another demon expressed his frustration for the Lord.

    The Demon Lord stood up a momentter and approached the pool of blood and shoved its hand inside before pulling it back out and using its hands as a cup, it drank a mouthful of the blood.

    "No matter how many times I drink their blood, it¡¯s always a marvelous feeling. Once we gain enough resistance to the Sword Aura, we¡¯ll kill the rest of the Lan Family and consume their blood before dealing with the humans in the cities. Eventually, we¡¯ll find a way to control the Mystic Realm and open this world back up, allowing us to go outside, where there¡¯ll be even more humans for us to y with!"

    While the demons prepared their attack, Yuan went to pick up something that was left behind by the demon after he killed it.

    "What¡¯s this?" Yuan showed the red crystal to Lan Yingying.

    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    "That¡¯s a Demon Core, somewhat simr to monster cores, but they contain much more spiritual energy. However, they also contain a lot more impurities and can even make a human go mad if not handled properly." Lan Yingying exined to him with a somewhat weird expression on her face right now.

    "Simr to monster cores...?" Yuan looked at the demon core with a pondering look on his face, wondering whether he should try to eat this thing or not, as it gave him an ominous feeling, almost like it was taboo to consume them.

    "B-By the way..."

    Lan Yingying suddenly spoke, looking quite fidgety.

    "Do you think I can buy that demon core off you?" she asked him.

    "Eh? You want this as well? What do you n on doing with so many monster corpses and this demon core?" Yuan couldn¡¯t help but ask her.

    "I know it may seem selfish of me, but I really need these things, especially since the demons will be attacking us soon. I must power myself up as much as possible so that I could assist my grandparents when they decide to attack. You saw how powerless I was just now against that demon. At this rate, I¡¯ll only be a burden..." Lan Yingying sighed.

    After pondering for a moment, Yuan nodded his head and extended his hand, offering the demon core to her.

    "Here. I don¡¯t need any money. Instead, can you tell me more about your situation? I want to see if I¡¯ll be able to help you out." Yuan said to her.

    "A-Are you sure?" Lan Yingying looked at him with a dazed look on her face. "What about your friends? Don¡¯t you need to regroup with them?"

    "I do, but I cannot just leave you alone after learning about the demons."

    Furthermore, if he helps her situation and ys the demons, the Dragon Essence Temple will still earn points. After all, there was no rule that said one couldn¡¯t act independently and earn points this way.

    ¡¯I still don¡¯t know where the other two are, anyway.¡¯ Yuan thought to himself.

    After a moment of silence, Lan Yingying epted the demon core before nodding her head, "Okay. I¡¯ll tell you about myself and our situation."

    After taking a deep breath, she continued, "As you can probably tell from my white hair and eye color, I am different from your average human. In fact, I am not really a human..."

    "Eh? You¡¯re not human? Then what are you?" Yuan¡¯s eyes widened with surprise.

    "I¡¯ll show you my real form, but before I do, I must warn you that I¡¯m a little big..."

    After taking another deep breath, Lan Yingying¡¯s body slowly began to transform, and her body grew longer and rounder, resembling that of a serpent.

    In just moments, the beautiful Lan Yingying had turned into a massive and long snake with pretty white scales, transforming the lower half of her body first before transforming the rest of her body, bing a full-fledged snake that was around 50 meters in length.

    "This is my real form," Lan Yingying spoke in a nervous voice after her transformation, and she continued, "I am actually a Divine Beast, and our species are known as Divine Serpents. The reason I am collecting the corpses is simply because I n on consuming them, as that¡¯s how we improve our cultivation."

    "..."

    Yuan was speechless, yet there was not even a hint of fear in his gaze. If anything, he was filled with awe at this moment.

 Chapter 325 Riding Lan Yingying

    "Wow... You¡¯re actually a big snake? This is my first time seeing something like this. How cool!" Yuan said to her in an excited voice after a moment of silence.

    "C-Cool? Me?" Lan Yingying was taken by surprise after hearing such words. This is also her first time encountering a human who doesn¡¯t show even the slightest feeling of fear even after seeing her true form.

    Although there have been humans who didn¡¯t express fear towards her true form before, she knew they were nervous and fearful of her inwardly, and they were just too scared of expressing it, fearing that it might anger her and be the end of their lives.

    "Do you think I can touch your body?" Yuan suddenly asked her.

    "Eh? S-Sure..." Lan Yingying nodded after a brief moment of hesitation.

    Hearing her approval, Yuan immediately approached her and caressed her beautiful white scales with his hand.

    "Wow... It¡¯s so smooth..." Yuan mumbled after feeling its unique texture that was unlike anything he¡¯s touched before.

    "..."

    Lan Yingying felt a little bit embarrassed at this moment even though she didn¡¯t feel any shame when she was half-naked in front of Yuan before, as this is her first time letting a human being touch her divine scales.

    "How does your transformation work? I know a phoenix who is also in human form, but her situation is a little bit unique." Yuan then asked her.

    "Y-You know a phoenix?" Lan Yingying¡¯s body shuddered after learning this.

    "Yes. We¡¯re good friends," he said.

    "Well... All magical beasts have the ability to transform into humans after they reach a certain cultivation level, but this requirement differs with each species as some magical beasts can transform much earlier than others. However, Divine Beasts such as myself usually require a much higher cultivation base to transform into a human since our bodies are somewhat unique."

    "With that being said, my species is also unique in this sense since we can transform into humans as early as reaching Spirit Master." Lan Yingying exined to him.

    "What about your human body? Are they any differentpared to normal humans?"

    Lan Yingying shook her head and said, "No, there aren¡¯t any differences as far as I¡¯m aware. We have the same internal organs and reproductive systems as normal humans when we transform."

    After a brief pause, she continued, "Actually, there is one thing that¡¯s different¡ª our Dantian. Even if we can transform our bodies, we cannot transform our core Dantian or spiritual energy, and that¡¯s how people usually tell us¡ª well, normal magical beasts¡ª apart from real humans. Divine Beasts are different and can imitate human spiritual energy almost perfectly so most people can¡¯t tell the difference between Divine Beasts and humans."

    "I see... How amazing... The cultivation world is truly a mythical ce where anything is possible." Yuan expressed his awe for the cultivation world again.

    Sometimeter, Lan Yingying asked him, "What do you want to do now, Yuan? I have to return to my grandparents to warn them about the situation so I won¡¯t be able to apany you any further."

    "I¡¯lle with you," Yuan said.

    "Are you sure? This is a fight between demons and Divine Beasts... You will get hurt¡ª even die." Lan Yingying warned him.

    As much as she wanted Yuan to help them with his sealing techniques, she couldn¡¯t bear to see him die because of their situation.

    "I¡¯m sure. I can¡¯t just leave you alone, especially not after what that demon said." Yuan sighed, recalling how the demon talked about drinking her parents¡¯ blood.

    After a moment of silence, Lan Yingying nodded and said, "Get on my back. I¡¯ll let you ride me. We¡¯ll travel faster this way, too."

    "I can ride you?" Yuan¡¯s eyes flickered with excitement, as he has never imagined riding a massive snake like a mount before.

    Lan Yingying nodded.

    Seeing her approval, Yuan jumped on Lan Yingying¡¯s back.

    "I¡¯ll move slowly at first so you can get used to it." Lan Yingying said as she began slithering her massive body across the ground gracefully.

    "Oh?" Yuan was surprised when he could barely feel Lan Yingying¡¯s body moving despite her movements, almost like there was some sort of invisible force keeping him stable and safe.

    It was so stable that he could probably take a nap without falling off.

    Lan Yingying increased her movement speed every few minutes, and after some time, she was moving faster than flying swords.

    "Are you okay, Yuan?" She asked him just in case.

    "Yes! This is awesome!"

    "We should return to my grandparents¡¯ home in a few hours." Lan Yingying said to him.

    "Okay." Yuan nodded.

    Meanwhile, in the real world, Meixiu sat before herptop with a cup of cold water in her hand.

    There was only a couple of hours left for the Frozen Jade Zither auction before it officially ends, and the 411 million had increased to a grand 525 million dors.

    [Yu Family has bid 526,100,000!]

    [Anonymous has bid 526,200,000!]

    [MusicGenius has bid 526,300,000!]

    Meixiu watched as the price for the Frozen Jade Zither skyrocketed, albeit at smaller increments.

    Although it may seem crazy that someone would be willing to spend so much money on a virtual item in a video game, when the world is dominated by video games with the majority of people in the world ying games actively, the abnormal slowly bes the norm, especially with how hyped and popr Cultivation Online has been.

    Furthermore, spending astronomical amounts of money on video games has long be the norm ever since the creation of the Legacy Families.

    530 million... 540 million... 550 million...

    The number grew closer and closer to 600 million, and the number of viewers on the website has returned to its peak numbers when the auction first started, as everyone there wanted to witness and be part of history when the most expensive in-game item is being sold.

    When there were only 10 minutes left in the auction, the number stopped exactly at 600 million without any more bids.

    As for the highest bidder, it was the Yu Family that had plenty of money to spare.Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

 Chapter 326 End of the Frozen Jade Zither Auction

    "The Yu Family, huh. How amusing that they¡¯re paying so much money to Yuan after kicking him out of the family and robbing him of everything while beingpletely oblivious to the truth..." Meixiu could only imagine the shock on the Yu Family¡¯s face once they realize yer Yuan¡¯s true identity. Perhaps they might even puke blood once they learn the truth.

    "If they had treated Yuan with even the slightest of care, perhaps the Yu Family wouldn¡¯t have needed to spend so much money on the Frozen Jade Zither," Meixiu mumbled to herself as thest ten minutes slowly approached zero.

    Meanwhile, across all COyerAuctions¡¯ headquarters and working buildings around the world, all of its staff members were watching the auction with wide grins on their faces, looking like they were just minutes away from winning the lottery.

    "Hahaha! Congrattions, Lee! You¡¯ll definitely be promoted after this auction that¡¯ll definitely make history! Hell, they might even move you to the main headquarters!" His fellow workers treated Lee differently after they realized that the treasure and auction were real, acting like they never doubted him in the first ce.

    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    "Don¡¯t forget about us when you move up thedder, Lee!"

    Although these people were praising and cheering for Lee¡¯s sess out in the open and acted like they were happy for him, they were actually burning with envy inwardly, cursing the heavens for not sending the notification for the auction request to them instead of Lee.

    "Thank you all. If I hadn¡¯t listened to my guts and ignored the auction request, we wouldn¡¯t be here right now." Lee said to them with the widest smile in the room on his face.

    Not only will he receive recognition for his work, but he¡¯ll also receive a small portion of that 10% service fee, and even if it¡¯s just 10 percent of that 10 percent, he¡¯d be earning at least 6 million dors, which is far more than his total ie after working for thepany for over twenty years.

    "Look! It increased by another million! Who is this MusicGenius?!" One of them asked.

    "That¡¯s the pride of the Jiang Family, he¡¯s a musical genius who shook the world with his musical talents at 10 years old, and he has been ying for Royal Entertainment for thest 9 years."

    "Royal Entertainment? Ah, they¡¯re the Yu Family¡¯s number one rival, who owns Jade Entertainment."

    "So it¡¯s a battle between the tworgest giants in the music industry, huh? I wonder who¡¯ll end up victorious since they both have enormous wealth."

    The staff and hundreds of millions of people around the world watched as two families fought for the Frozen Jade Zither.

    [Yu Family bids 603,000,000!]

    [MusicGenius bids 605,000,000!]

    [Yu Family bids 610,000,000!]

    [MusicGenius bids 610,100,000!]

    [Yu Family bids 610,200,000!]

    The battle between the Yu Family and MusicGenius continued even a couple of minutes after the timer for the auction reached zero. Once the bid remains unmatched for 10 seconds, the winner will be decided!

    When the auction reached 620,000,000, the viewers watched in anticipation as the final countdown started!

    [00:10]

    [00:09]

    [00:08]

    [00:07]

    Once the countdown finally reached zero, arge announcement appeared in the middle of the website.

    [Congrattions to the Yu Family for winning this bid!]

    In the end, the Yu Family won the bid, but it¡¯d cost them 620 million dors.

    However, while this may seem like a lot of money, it was only a drop in the bucket for them who owns one of thergest entertainmentpanies in the world with businesses and branches all over the world, earning them billions annually.

    Once the auction ended, 620 million dors were deducted from the Yu Family¡¯s ount before being sent straight to Meixiu¡¯s ount on the website with the service fees already deducted.

    In the end, Meixiu received 558,000,000 dors from the auction and an additional 20,000 dors for her initial deposit that was doubled by Lee.

    Meixiu wasted no time withdrawing the money, depositing it directly to the bank ount that she shared with Yuan.

    Normally, having such a massive amount of money suddenly deposited into one¡¯s bank ount at once would alert the bank and trigger some sort of investigation, but luckily for Yuan and Meixiu, the bank ount was created by Yu Rou, who was the daughter of the prestigious Yu Family, granting that bank ount premium features such as absolute anonymity.

    Meixiu went to look at the bank ount to make sure the money had been deposited, and sure enough, there were 558,020,000 dors inside.

    Ding!

    A notification from the COyerAuctions appeared a few minutes after the auction ended.

    [Congrattions on the auction! The upper management would like to request an interview with you. They have promised that you¡¯ll receive full anonymity so you don¡¯t have to worry about your identities being leaked. What do you say?]

    After reading the notification, Meixiu typed three words without any hesitation¡ª

    [No, thank you.]

    [I understand. If you ever have something else that you¡¯d like to sell, please don¡¯t hesitate to use COyerAuctions again! We¡¯ll even give you some sort of deal such as reducing the service fees! Once again, thank you for trusting and using our tform!]

    The inte went crazy with everybody talking about the Frozen Jade Zither¡¯s auction, and many people believed it to be yer Yuan¡¯s treasure.

    Meanwhile, inside the Mystic Realm, Yuan and Lan Yingying had just returned to the temple.

    "There are too many trees here so we¡¯ll have to go on foot." Lan Yingying said to him before transforming back to her human form.

    Her white hair and pink eyes also returned back to their original colors.

    Sometimeter, they arrived at the cabin.

    "Grandfather! Grandmother!" Lan Yingying called out to them as they approached the cabin.

    "Hm? You¡¯re back with the young man already? Did you decide to change your mind and impregnate our granddaughter, after all?" The grandparents were pleasantly surprised to see Yuan return with Lan Yingying so quickly.

 Chapter 327 Preparing for the Demons Invasion

    "Grandfather, this isn¡¯t the time to joke. We have an emergency." Lan Yingying said to him as she retrieved the demon core and showed it to him.

    "Hmm? What¡¯s that?" Grandpa Lan didn¡¯t immediately recognize the demon core since it has been many years since hest saw one.

    However, when he finally realized what he was looking at, his eyes widened with surprise, and his yful expression turned solemn.

    "Where did you get that demon core?" He asked her in a serious voice, and he continued, "Let¡¯s talk inside."

    A few momentster, they returned to the table.

    Once all four of them were fully seated, Lan Yingying recalled their encounter with the demon and how Yuan defeated it.

    "We were attacked by a demon on our way to the city," she started off with this shocking information.

    "What?! Impossible! The Lord¡¯s Sword Aura should have prevented them from getting so close to the city!" Grandma Lan said.

    "Yes... But they absorbed my parents¡¯ blood, granting them resistance to the Sword Aura." Lan Yingying sighed.

    "They what?! These damn demons!" Grandpa Lan mmed the desk in a small fit of rage.

    After a moment of awkward silence, Grandma Lan spoke, "Then what happened to that demon? Surely, you didn¡¯t kill it, since we know you can¡¯t kill demons yet..."

    Lan Yingying nodded and said, "The demon was killed, but I was not the one who killed it."

    She then turned to look at Yuan and continued, "Yuan was the one who killed it."

    "Y-You?"

    The grandparents turned to look at Yuan with disbelief written all over their faces. How could a human that¡¯s only a Spirit Warrior kill a demon? Judging by the energying from the demon core, that demon should¡¯ve been no weaker than a peak Spirit Master.

    A Spirit Warrior defeating a peak Spirit Master? In what world would this make any sense?

    "H-How on earth did you kill the demon?" They asked him a momentter, still with a dazed look on their faces.

    "I used a sealing technique on the demon before finishing it off," Yuan responded in a casual manner, acting like it was only an ordinary magical beast that he¡¯d in.

    "Sealing technique? Are you perhaps from the Demon Sealing n in the outside world? They were always there to help whenever a demon was involved." Grandpa Lan asked him.

    Yuan shook his head, "No, I am not associated with the Demon Sealing n. I learned the sealing technique by chance."

    "B-By chance, you say?" The grandparents looked at each other.

    Demon sealing techniques are incredibly rare because the Demon Sealing n seized most of the techniques during the ancient times and forbade people from sharing the technique with strangers, as it was the pride of their family and what made them unique in the cultivation world.

    Therefore, learning such a technique ¡¯by chance¡¯ was very unlikely.

    "Anyways, let me continue. The demon Yuan slew said that the rest of the demons intend on raiding the Divine Forest in two weeks. What should we do?" Lan Yingying asked them.

    "Two weeks, huh?" They mumbled before turning quiet to ponder.

    After a long moment of silence, Grandpa Lan looked at Yuan before asking him, "What do you n on doing, young man?"

    "I¡¯d like to help you with whatever I can," he quickly responded.

    "I see... We greatly appreciate it, and your demon sealing technique will definitely help our situation a lot, but are you sure? It¡¯s going to be very dangerous fighting against the demons."

    "Since you already killed one, there should be four demons left, including the Demon Lord, who is the most powerful of them all. And judging from the demon core you got, that demon was probably the weakest of the bunch."

    "If you stay here with us, we cannot guarantee your safety."

    Yuan nodded and said, "There¡¯s still two weeks before they attack, right? That¡¯s plenty of time for me to increase my strength."

    "Uhh... I guess..."

    In their eyes, two weeks was no different than two days, and not many improvements can be made in such a short time even if he was a peak genius. If Yuan was given two years, perhaps he might be able to assist their fight with the Demon Lord, but at his current level, he wouldn¡¯t even be able to get in range to attack the Demon Lord without dying.

    "I understand. If you need anything at all, just let us know." Grandpa Lan said to him.

    Hearing such words, Yuan didn¡¯t hesitate to ask, "Then do you have any monster cores?"

    "Monster cores? No, we don¡¯t. However, we can hunt some magical beasts and get you some." Grandpa Lan said.

    "How many do you need? Most magical beasts around this area are above Spirit Master."

    "I want as many as possible if you don¡¯t mind," Yuan said without hesitation.

    "I understand. I¡¯ll go hunt some magical beasts after this."

    "Thank you for the trouble," Yuan said to him.

    "Hahaha... Don¡¯t mind it. No amount of monster cores will be able to match a demon core for us."

    Sometimeter, Yuan asked them, "By the way, I have been wondering... Since Miss Lan is a Divine Beast, does this mean both of you are also Divine Beasts?"

    "Oh? Yingying told you about it?"

    Yuan nodded.

    "That¡¯s right. I am also a Divine Beast. However, Grandma Lan here is not a Divine Beast."

    "My real form is a Jade Serpent¡ª I am just an ordinary magical beast." Grandma Lan said.

    "When a Divine Beast mates with an ordinary magical beast, the baby will always be a Divine Beast, but we can only have one child in our lifetime." Grandpa Lan exined to him.

    "I see..." Yuan mumbled.

    "Anyways, if the demons want to attack us, we¡¯ll be fully prepared for them." Grandpa Lan said.

    "However, it won¡¯t be easy defeating four demons when there are only two of us who can actually kill the demons¡ª me and you, young man."

    "I¡¯m going to hunt some magical beasts right now and see if I can get you some monster cores. In the meantime, you can stay here with the other two. Of course, if you want to be more productive, you can always mate with Yingying." Grandpa Lan said with a smile on his face before leaving the cabin.Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 328 Consuming Magical Beasts

    Once Grandpa Lan left the cabin, the atmosphere immediately turned silent.

    "Young man, would you like some tea?" Grandma Lan suddenly asked him.

    "I do," he quickly nodded.

    "Okay, I¡¯ll go prepare some for you right now."

    Lan Yingying then said, "I¡¯m going to increase my cultivation."

    "Oh? Do you cultivate normally like humans or do you do something else to improve your cultivation?" Yuan asked her.

    "I can cultivate normally, but that¡¯s not the most effective method for us¡ª at least my bloodline. In order to increase my cultivation base quickly, I must consume other magical beasts."

    Yuan¡¯s eyes flickered with interest and excitement after hearing her words, and he asked, "Does this mean you can also eat monster cores?"

    Lan Yingying nodded, "We can eat them, but monster cores take very long for us to fully absorb, and the amount of spiritual energy we obtain from monster cores cannotpare to the magical beasts¡¯ body itself. And it sometimes gives us stomachaches, so I tend to avoid eating them."

    "Wow..." Yuan mumbled.

    Even though her method of eating monster cores differs from his own method, it was still quite fascinating to find someone else who can ¡¯eat¡¯ monster cores.

    "Do you think I can watch you?" Yuan suddenly asked her.

    "Y-You want to watch me consume magical beasts?" Lan Yingying looked at him with wide eyes.

    "Yes." Yuan nodded, his gaze filled with curiosity.

    "I-I guess..." Lan Yingying nodded after feeling slight hesitation.

    "Follow me outside."

    Once they were outside, Lan Yingying retrieved all of the magical beast corpses that they¡¯d collected during their journey, piling them up like a small mountain.

    Lan Yingying nced at Yuan for a brief second before transforming into her beast form.

    She then grabbed one of the magical beasts¡¯ corpses with her tail and lifted it in the air, directly above her head.

    After taking a deep breath, Lan Yingying opened herrge mouth before releasing her tail, dropping the magical beast¡¯s corpse into her mouth and swallowing it whole.

    Yuan watched in fascination. He never thought magical beasts could cultivate in such a manner.

    "Haaaa..."

    Lan Yingying released a satisfied noise after swallowing the magical beast, and white mes could be seen blowing out of her mouth and nose when she breathed.

    After eating her first magical beast, Lan Yingying picked up the second one and proceeded to consume that one in a single bite as well.

    In just a few moments, Lan Yingying cleaned up the mountain of magical beasts, and she was so absorbed in eating that she¡¯d forgotten about Yuan watching her.

    "Ah, that was delicious~!" Lan Yingying spoke with a satisfied voice.

    "Amazing... Where does all of that go? Even if your body is big, it¡¯s weird seeing how you consume a mountain of magical beasts and still lookpletely normal." Yuan asked her.

    If he ate a lot of food, his stomach would bloat a little.

    "Oh... I don¡¯t really ¡¯consume¡¯ them. I burn them with Sacred Fire, converting them to spiritual energy inside my body and increasing my cultivation that way. This way, I won¡¯t feel full no matter how many magical beasts I consume."

    "I see..." Yuan nodded.

    Sometimeter, Lan Yingying returned to her human form before going back inside the cabin with Yuan to drink tea Grandma Lan made.

    "Can you tell me more about the outside world?" Lan Yingying suddenly asked him.

    "The outside? What do you want to know?"

    "I don¡¯t know. Anything you know."

    Yuan pondered for a moment before nodding, "Okay, I don¡¯t know much, but I¡¯ll tell you everything I have experienced outside."

    Thus, Yuan began telling her of his journey ever since he became a cultivator.

    Of course, the story didn¡¯tst long since Yuan hadn¡¯t been a cultivator for long.

    "I see... The outside world seems like a wonderful ce. In this world, we cannot wander too much or leave the Lord¡¯s Sword Aura or the demons will be able to kill us." Lan Yingying sighed.

    After tea, Grandma Lan took Yuan upstairs to the rooms and said to him, "Since we don¡¯t expect guests, we don¡¯t have any spare rooms. Therefore, how about you share a room with Yingying? Her bed is big enough to fit two peoplefortably, too!"

    The smile on her face grew wider and wider the more she spoke.

    "It¡¯s okay, I don¡¯t need a room," Yuan said, dumbfounding Grandma Lan.

    "Then where will you sleep?" She asked.

    "I will be cultivating so it doesn¡¯t matter if I have a room or not," he responded.

    "I-Is that so..." Grandma mumbled, feeling that getting this young man to mate with their granddaughter might be harder than defeating even the Demon Lord.

    Yuan logged off sometimeter as it was gettingte.

    "Yuan, the auction ended," Meixiu said to him during dinner.

    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    "Really? How much did it sell for?"

    "The Frozen Jade Zither sold for 620 million dors, and we got 558,020,000 dors after the service fees."

    "Now we can pay for the rent of this ce even though Yu Rou¡¯s friend is willing to lend it to us for free," Yuan said.

    Meixiu raised her eyebrows. This is the first thing he thinks about after obtaining so much money? Paying for rent? If he wanted, he could even buy this entire building and still have plenty left.

    "Ah, can you tell Xiao Hua and the others that I most likely won¡¯t be able to regroup with the other two disciples anytime soon." Yuan suddenly said.

    "Huh? Why? Did something happen?"

    "Yes, and it¡¯s not something I can ignore," Yuan said, and he proceeded to exin the Lan Family¡¯s situation to Meixiu.

    "Demons, huh? I understand. I¡¯ll let them know when I log on tomorrow."

    "Thank you," Yuan said.

    "Oh, right. One more thing, Meixiu. If you need to buy something, just use the money we got from the auction. You don¡¯t need to ask me for permission."

    "Are you sure? It¡¯s your money..." She said.

    "What am I going to do with so much money? If we ever run out, I can just sell some more items." Yuan said.

    "I understand. Thank you, Yuan."

    Meixiu went to sleep shortly after cleaning up and Yuan spent the night cultivating in the real world.

 Chapter 329 Heaven Refining Physique

    The following morning, Meixiu logged into the game after feeding Yuan breakfast, and she ryed to them Yuan¡¯s situation.

    "As expected of the Young Master... Willingly helping these people even though they¡¯re up against demons..." Fang Yuxiang sighed with a look of admiration on her face.

    Even if she was in her phoenix form and with all of her powers, she wouldn¡¯t dare to fight demons unless it was absolutely necessary.

    "Tell Brother Yuan to not push himself too hard when you get the chance," Xiao Hua said to Meixiu.

    "I understand."

    Meanwhile, inside the Mystic Realm, Yuan went to visit the faceless statue again.

    "Just who are you...?" He mumbled as he stared at the statue with a dazed look on his face.

    Sometimeter, Lan Yingying approached him and said, "Yuan, my grandfather has returned."

    "Hm? Already? That was fast."

    The two of them returned to the cabin a few minutester.

    "Hey, young man, I have returned." Grandpa Lan said to Yuan as he extended his hand with a leather pouch in his grasp.

    "I have hunted every magical beast in the Divine Forest. Although there weren¡¯t many magical beasts in the first ce, I have managed to obtain a couple of monster cores for you."

    "Thank you very much!" Yuan epted the leather pouch with a wide smile on his face.

    "Yingying, I saved their corpses for you." Grandpa Lan then handed a spatial ring to her.

    "Thank you, grandfather."

    "Don¡¯t mention it. The two of us have reached our limits so it won¡¯t do us any good. However, this is also the same for those demons. Therefore, we should focus on the two of you, who can still grow." Grandpa Lan said to them.

    "I¡¯m going to consume them in a bit." Lan Yingying said.

    Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.

    "What about you, young man? There may not be many monster cores inside, but you won¡¯t be able to absorb all of them in two weeks. Go ahead¡ª take a look inside."

    Yuan nodded and opened the storage pouch, and 3 monster cores fell onto his palms.

    "Two Spirit Master monster cores and one at the Spirit Grandmaster level." Grandpa Lan said.

    "Wow, this is much better than I¡¯d expected! Once again, thanks!"

    "Hahaha... You can thank me by mating with Yingying..." Grandpa Lan said, not giving up on this matter just yet.

    Sometimeter, Lan Yingying went outside so that she could consume the magical beasts her grandfather brought back.

    And to Yuan¡¯s surprise, over three hundred magical beasts¡¯ corpses piled up in front of the cabin, surpassing the previous mountain by at least three folds.

    It took over three hundred magical beasts to obtain 3 monster cores? Yuan dreaded how many he¡¯d need to kill in order to obtain one in the future as he grows stronger since it¡¯ll only get harder to obtain them.

    While Lan Yingying consumed the magical beasts, Yuan tilted his mask and prepared to swallow the monster cores.

    Grandpa Lan expressed great shock after seeing what he was trying to do, and he quickly eximed, "What do you think you¡¯re doing?! Don¡¯t tell me you got the urge to eat monster cores after witnessing Yingying eat the magical beasts, right?! You¡¯ll die!"

    "Eh?" Lan Yingying stopped eating to see what themotion was about.

    "Young man, humans cannot consume monster cores. Even magical beasts cannot do it. Yingying is a little bit special because of her unique bloodline as a Divine Beast, and even she gets stomachaches from swallowing them." Grandma Lan shook her head.

    "It¡¯s okay," said Yuan in a calm voice, and he continued, "I also have a special physique, and it allows me to consume monster cores."

    Lan Yingying and her grandparents¡¯ jaw dropped from shock after hearing his words. Can he really eat monster cores? What kind of heaven-defying physique does he have?

    "Here, let me show you..."

    Yuan said as he tossed one of the Spirit Master monster cores into his mouth, swallowing the tiny amount of sweet liquid left behind afterward.

    [Heaven Refining Physique activated]

    [??? Qi has been refined from the Earth Dragon¡¯s monster core]

    [You have absorbed enough Qi for a breakthrough]

    [You have reached Sixth Spirit Warrior]

    [+3,500 Stats]

    [You have absorbed enough Qi for a breakthrough]

    [You have reached Seventh Level Spirit Warrior]

    [+4,000 Stats]

    [You have reached Eight Level Spirit Warrior]

    [+4,500 Stats]

    [You have reached Ninth Level Spirit Warrior]

    [+5,000 Stats]

    [You have reached First Level Spirit Master]

    [+10,000 Stats]

    [You have reached Second Level Spirit Master]

    [+11,000 Stats]

    "Whooo..." Yuan released a deep breath after consuming the monster core.

    "See? I am perfectly fine," he said to them afterward.

    However, there was no response from the grandparents or Lan Yingying, as they all stared at him with a gawking expression on their faces.

    They always thought Yuan to be a human being, but after witnessing him consume monster cores and breakthrough multiple realms as easy as breathing, they began to doubt whether he was really human or not. Hell, they wouldn¡¯t doubt it even if Yuan suddenly revealed to them that he was a Divine Beast this entire time.

    "Y-Young man... If you don¡¯t mind me asking, what kind of physique do you have?" Grandpa Lan asked him in a trembling voice.

    Yuan nodded and said, "Heaven Refining Physique."

    He didn¡¯t mind telling them since he trusted them.

    "H-Heaven Refining Physique?! That legendary physique?!" Grandpa Lan unconsciously took a few steps back from shock.

    "You know of my physique?" Yuan asked, his interest piqued.

    After taking a deep breath, Grandpa Lan nodded and said, "The Heaven Refining Physique is one of the most mythical physiques to ever exist, and if I remember correctly, the founder of the Demon Sealing n had this physique..."

    "The founder?" Yuan raised his eyebrows. "How long ago are we talking about?"

    "Many millions of years ago, I guess..." Grandpa Lan said, and he continued, "The founder of the Demon Sealing n was also rumored to eat demon cores, but nobody has ever confirmed it..."

 Chapter 330 Bane of Demons

    "What else do you know about the founder of the Demon Sealing n?" Yuan asked him, his interest piqued. Perhaps he might learn something new about his physique.

    "Not much, honestly. He was a powerful man¡ª one of the most powerful entities during his time, and he founded the Demon Sealing n to y demons."

    "Nobody knows his background or his motives for founding the n, but all of the humans and even magical beasts admired him like a god. As for the demons, well, they¡¯d run just from the mention of his name."

    "What was his name?" Yuan asked.

    "Unfortunately, his name has been lost to the passage of time, so nobody really knows. However, we know his nickname¡ª Bane of Demons, Divine Paragon!"

    "Divine Paragon? What a cool nickname..." Yuan mumbled, thinking how nice it would be if he also had a nickname.

    Sometimeter, Yuan proceeded to consume the other two monster cores.

    [Heaven Refining Physique activated]

    [??? Qi has been refined from the Forest Mantis¡¯s monster core]

    [You have absorbed enough Qi for a breakthrough]

    [You have reached Third Level Spirit Master]

    [+12,000]

    [You have reached Fourth Level Spirit Master]

    [+13,000]

    "Heavens... It took you two monster cores to increase your cultivation base by almost an entire realm... Does your Heaven Refining Physique have a limit?" Grandpa Lan mumbled in a dazed voice.

    "A limit, huh? I have never reached this so-called limit yet, so I can¡¯t really tell you." Yuan said.

    "Is that so... But don¡¯t push yourself too hard." Grandpa Lan said.

    "I won¡¯t," Yuan said.

    After taking a deep breath, Yuan popped thest monster core into his mouth, which contained the power of a Spirit Grandmaster that is considered to be the peak of the Lower Heavens.

    WHOOSH!

    Yuan could feel his body gushing with spiritual energy after consuming the monster core, feeling as though many years of unused energy suddenly surge forward.

    [Heaven Refining Physique]

    [??? Qi has been absorbed from the Blood Ripper]

    [You have absorbed enough Qi for a breakthrough]

    [You have reached Fifth Level Spirit Master]

    [+14,000]

    [You have reached Sixth Level Spirit Master]

    [+15,000]

    [You have reached Seventh Level Spirit Master]

    [+16,000]

    [You have reached Eighth Level Spirit Master]

    [+17,000]

    [You have reached Ninth Level Spirit Master]

    [+18,000]

    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    Yuan¡¯s cultivation base stopped at the ninth level.

    "I didn¡¯t reach Spirit Grandmaster, but I can somehow feel it..." Yuan mumbled, feeling as though his body had grownrger from the sheer amount of power that resided within his body at this moment.

    "My lord... Are you okay, young man? Do you feel any different right now? Any pain?" Grandpa Lan asked him.

    Normally, one wouldn¡¯t be able to increase their cultivation base so quickly, skipping so many levels at once. If they did, it was most likely with the help of some priceless treasure, and it would only be one or two levels, not an entire realm and some more. However, even then, their body will feel ufortable, even pain from the overwhelming amount of spiritual energy suddenly going inside their body.

    "I feel perfectly fine¡ª actually, I feel a little full, almost like I just ate a feast, but it¡¯s spiritual energy instead of food..." Yuan said.

    "You shouldn¡¯t keep so much energy inside your body for too long or it might actually harm your body. Go and release it by training your techniques." Grandpa Lan said to Yuan, and he pointed in a certain direction before continuing, "There¡¯s a training area not far from here."

    "Okay, I¡¯ll go now. Thank you!" Yuan immediately began running to the training area, andpared to before, his speed almost tripped.

    In just a few minutes, he arrived at this spacious area that hadrge boulders ced everywhere with thergest boulder asrge as a ten-story building.

    And without further ado, Yuan retrieved the Empyrean Overlord and began his rampage on these boulders.

    [Bloody Sword Strike!]

    Yuan released as much spiritual energy as he could with the technique.

    Whoosh!

    A strong gust of wind appeared as the Empyrean Overlord cleaved therge boulders cleanly in half, almost like a sharp knife against a piece of paper.

    [Heaven Splitting Sword Strike!]

    Yuan used his strongest attack on the ten-story building after cleaving a fewrge boulders.

    The entire ground shook as a massive beam of spiritual energy released from the Empyrean Overlord and flew towards the building.

    BOOM!

    The entire boulder disintegrated until nothing was left in an instant, almost like Yuan had used a methrower on a ball of cotton.

    However, the attack didn¡¯t stop at the boulder and continued flying into the distance¡ª directly at the mountain not far away.

    BOOM!

    The ground shook again as the Heaven Splitting Sword Strike created arge hole in this mountain.

    Meanwhile, back at the cabin, Grandpa Lan held a profound expression on his face as he stared at the hole that had suddenly appeared in this mountain at the horizon.

    "Yingying, what do you think of this human?" He suddenly asked her, who was still stuffing her mouth with magical beasts.

    "Yuan?" she stopped eating and asked.

    "If... If you can leave this world, would you be willing to follow him, is what I¡¯m trying to ask." Grandpa Lan spoke with a solemn look on his face.

    "I-I can leave this world? Really?!"

    "I won¡¯t guarantee you anything, but if you bring this human to the Mystic Pagoda, he might be able to bring you outside¡ª it¡¯s a strong feeling I am getting right now, and my intuition is rarely wrong."

    "But the demons will be attacking us soon! And he only has a month in this ce!" Lan Yingying said.

    "I know, which is why instead of being sitting ducks and waiting for them to prepare for the invasion, we should strike them first when they least expect it." Grandpa Lan suddenly suggested, shocking Lan Yingying.

    "Once you consume all of the magical beasts and the young man gets used to his newfound strength, we¡¯ll attack."

 Chapter 331 Learning to Fly

    After spending almost the entire day exhausting himself, Yuan returned to the cabin.

    "Wee back, young man. How do you feel?" Grandpa Lan said to him.

    "I feel even better than before despite having less energy," Yuan said, feeling as though he¡¯d released all of his pent-up frustration by destroying countless boulders.

    "Good. Then let me tell you our ns." Grandpa Lan said, and he continued, "Instead of waiting for the demons to invade us, we¡¯re going to invade them before they¡¯re fully prepared, and we¡¯re going to do it in three days. Do you think you¡¯ll be ready by then?"

    "Three days, huh? I think I will be ready." Yuan nodded.

    "Great, then if you need anything until then, don¡¯t hesitate to let us know."

    Sometimeter, Yuan logged off for dinner.

    After dinner, Yuan cultivated until the morning, reaching 6th level Spirit Warrior.

    When he returned to the game, Yuan took a seat outside the cabin and began practicing his Qi Manifestation.

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    "This is definitely much easier now that I¡¯m at the ninth level Spirit Master..." Yuan mumbled to himself as he manifested the spiritual inside of his body without any effort at all.

    After practicing for a couple of hours, a notification appeared before him.

    [You have learned Qi Manifestation]

    [Qi Manifestation]

    [Rank: Earth]

    [Description: Allows you to release your spiritual energy outside the body and use it as a weapon.]

    "Let¡¯s try this..." Yuan stood up and turned to look at a tree that was a couple of meters from him.

    After taking a deep breath, he imagined his spiritual energy leaving his body and forming a fist, aiming it directly at the tree.

    Boom!

    Yuan¡¯s spiritual energy left his body and struck the tree a split secondter, knocking the tree down.

    "Wow, what a powerful technique... But how will this help me fly?"

    After pondering for a moment, he went inside the cabin to find Grandpa Lan.

    "Grandpa Lan, you can fly, right? Can you teach me how to fly using Qi Manifestation? I just learned it."

    "You learned Qi Manifestation already? As expected of a genius..." Grandpa Lan looked at him with slightly wide eyes, butpared to his other talents, this wasn¡¯t shocking at all.

    "If you know Qi Manifestation, then you also know Qi Maniption. Try to manipte the spiritual energy around you and control it. Once you control it, you can alter the gravity around you, allowing you to levitate. Practice enough and you¡¯ll be able to fly."

    "I understand. Thank you for the advice."

    Yuan went back outside to practice flying.

    Once outside, he stood there silently without moving a muscle for many minutes, almost like he¡¯d turned into a statue.

    He used Qi Manifestation and tried to manipte the spiritual energy around him.

    Once he got used to the feeling, he imagined the spiritual energy lifting his body into the air, and after many minutes of practice, he¡¯d managed to levitate himself a couple of inches off the ground.

    "What a fast learner." Grandpa Lan mumbled to himself as he watched Yuan practice from inside the cabin with his Divine Sense.

    After practicing for a couple more hours, Yuan could eventually soar in the sky, albeit a little bit slow.

    [You have learned Fly]

    [Fly]

    [Rank: Earth]

    [Description: Allows you to fly in the sky. The faster you fly, the more Qi you consume.]

    "Although flying is fun, I think I still like flying with a sword."

    With that in mind, Yuan retrieved the Empyrean Overlord and made it levitate in the air with Qi Manifestation.

    Once he got used to controlling the sword in the air, he jumped on the sword and began surfing the air for the first time without Xiao Hua¡¯s assistance.

    "Hahaha! This is great!"

    Yuan proceeded to fly around the Divine Forest for the next few hours until he was almost out of spiritual energy and covered in sweat.

    "I can fly around perfectly right now, but I wonder what will happen once I leave the Mystic Realm and lose my current cultivation base. Will I still be able to fly around since I have already learned the skills? And how much of my current cultivation will be transferred outside?" Yuan wondered to himself as he returned to the cabin.

    "Wee back, young man." Grandpa Lan said to him when he returned.

    And when he noticed Yuan¡¯s sweaty appearance, he said, "There¡¯s a small waterfall not far from here. Go clean yourself there. Do you need directions?"

    Yuan shook his head and said, "I saw that during my training so I know where to go. Thank you!"

    He left the cabin again shortly after and flew to this waterfall that was a couple of miles away.

    A few minutes after Yuan left, Grandpa Lan called for Lan Yingying.

    "What¡¯s the matter, grandfather?" she asked him.

    Arge grin appeared on his face before he spoke, "The young man¡¯s cleaning himself at the waterfall. This is your chance to seduce him! Enter the water with him!"

    "A-Are you serious, grandfather?" Lan Yingying looked at him with wide eyes.

    "Does it look like I am joking?" Grandpa Lan responded with a serious expression.

    "Old fart, don¡¯t force Yingying if she doesn¡¯t want to do it."

    "Nonsense! She shares the same bloodline as me! I can tell if she likes someone or not! Tell me, Yingying¡ª do you not like that young man? Even if you don¡¯t, it¡¯s your duty to continue our bloodline!" Grandpa Lan said to her.

    After a moment of silence, Lan Yingying nodded with a solemn expression, "I understand. I¡¯ll do my best."

    Meanwhile, at the waterfall that has fresh and clean water, Yuan removed his clothes and quickly rinsed them in the waterfall before hanging them on a tree nearby.

    After hanging the wet clothes, he went to test the waters before jumping right inside. This is his first time washing himself at a river, and there was even a waterfall right behind him.

 Chapter 332 A Thousand Years

    After hanging his clothes on a nearby tree to let them dry, Yuan entered the shallow river that barely reached his shoulders, rinsing the dried sweat off his body.

    "Wow, this feels amazing!"

    Maybe it was because of his body as a cultivator but the water didn¡¯t feel cold at all. It felt refreshing, resembling the feelings he¡¯d get after a breakthrough.

    After submerging himself in the water for a couple of minutes, Yuan turned to look at the waterfall and wondered what it would feel like to go under it, treating it like a shower.

    "I¡¯m a cultivator, so it should be fine, right?" Yuan mumbled to himself, a little bit worried that the waterfall might crush him to death if he went into it.

    However, he won¡¯t know unless he tried it, so he approached the waterfall with care.

    Once he was directly before the waterfall, Yuan stuck a finger inside the waterfall to test the pressure.

    "It¡¯s not that bad..."

    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.

    When he realized that he could withstand the pressure, he proceeded to insert his hand deeper into the waterfall.

    "It feels very light¡ª much lighter than it appears. Is it because of my body?"

    After feelingfortable and confident that his body could handle the waterfall, he took a few steps forward, entering the waterfall and allowing the water to pour down over his entire body.

    "This feels great!"

    It felt like he was being massaged by the waterfall.

    Some minutester, Yuan sensed a presence approaching the waterfall.

    "Yuan, can I join you in the water?" Lan Yingying¡¯s figure could be seen in the distance and approaching his direction.

    However, there was something different about her appearance, and Yuan¡¯s eyes widened with surprise when he saw her, who waspletely naked at this moment.

    She had a great figure with perfect portions from head to toe, pale skin that resembled snow, and on her chest were two luscious and round breasts that attracted Yuan¡¯s gaze, especially the small and elegant pink circles on her breasts. Her legs were slender and long, and between these beautiful legs was a single slit that made Yuan feel something he didn¡¯t understand.

    "Miss Lan? You¡¯re also here to bathe?" Yuan asked her in a calm voice after his initial surprise.

    If it was any other man in his situation, they might¡¯ve gone crazy from the stimtion just at the sight of Lan Yingying¡¯s peerless body.

    "Yes... I hope you don¡¯t mind," she said.

    "Of course, not." Yuan quickly responded with an innocent smile on his face. "Please, join me. The water feels great and very refreshing."

    Lan Yingying nodded and entered the water a momentter.

    However, she didn¡¯t say anything else after entering the water.

    ¡¯Grandfather told me to seduce him... But how do I do that?¡¯ Lan Yingying wondered inwardly, as nobody has ever taught her how to seduce humans before.

    Furthermore, as someone who has lived in the Divine Forest for her entire life, she only knows what her family taught her as well as things she naturally learns as a Divine Beast, and none of this knowledge would help her seduce a human.

    "You shoulde over here, " Yuan suddenly said to her, and he continued, "It feels even better under the waterfall."

    Lan Yingying didn¡¯t say anything and merely nodded her head.

    She slowly made her way to the waterfall, and a few momentster, she stood directly beside Yuan with the waterfall massaging their body.

    After another moment of silence, Lan Yingying spoke, "Yuan, to tell you the truth, it was my grandfather who suggested Ie here to seduce you. He really wants me to continue the family¡¯s legacy¡ª to have a baby with you."

    Lan Yingying felt that it was quite rude to keep such a thing hidden from him and didn¡¯t want to feel like she was lying to him, who was risking his own life to help their situation with the demons, so she told him the truth.

    "Yuan, I understand why you don¡¯t want to have children, but remember, I am not human, so I am not giving birth to a human child. I am a Divine Beast; it¡¯spletely different. You can even consider it as having a pet or something."

    Yuan turned to look at her with wide eyes, and after a moment of silence, he said, "Even if you say that... I don¡¯t know how to make babies. I was only taught how to y instruments and memorize songs."

    "I-It¡¯s really simple!" Lan Yingying realized that she had a chance, so she quickly responded.

    "I only need your blood and spiritual energy!" Lan Yingying then said.

    "My blood and spiritual energy? I don¡¯t know how to make babies, but this doesn¡¯t sound right..." Yuan said with a confused look on his face.

    Lan Yingying then said, "I don¡¯t know how humans make babies, but this is how we¡ª Divine Beasts¡ª conceive. Through blood and spiritual energy."

    Yuan closed his eyes to ponder.

    After a few minutes of silence, Yuan opened his eyes and said, "Okay, I¡¯ll help you."

    "Really?!" Lan Yingying eximed.

    Yuan nodded. "As you¡¯d said, I am not really giving birth to a human child, and this is just a game..."

    "T-Thank you! Let¡¯s begin immediately!"

    Lan Yingying wasted no time transforming into her beast form.

    "What should I do?" Yuan asked her.

    "You just need to retrieve some of your blood and mix it with your spiritual energy."

    "Okay, tell me when to stop."

    Yuan took out the Starry Abyss and slit his palms before collecting his blood with Qi Manifestation.

    "That¡¯s enough blood." Lan Yingying suddenly stopped him.

    Yuan nodded and stopped draining his own blood.

    "What should I do now?" Yuan asked as his own blood floated in front of him in the shape of a sphere.

    "Mix it with your spiritual energy until I tell you to stop." Lan Yingying said.

    Yuan followed her instructions and proceeded to mix his spiritual energy with the blood.

    Slowly, his blood began glistening like there were stars living inside. A few more momentster, his blood began to solidify and clear up, almost like it was crystalizing, and it was also growing smaller in size.

    "Okay, that¡¯s enough." Lan Yingying said to him once the crystalized blood was the size of his thumb.

    "Here you go." Yuan handed his crystalized blood to Lan Yingying, who epted it with her tail.

    "Thank you very much for this, Yuan. I will never forget it." Lan Yingying said to him before throwing the crystal inside her mouth and eating it.

    ¡¯T-This is?! What kind of blood is this?! I have never tasted anything this pure and delicious before!¡¯ Lan Yingying¡¯s eyes widened with shock a few seconds after swallowing Yuan¡¯s blood.

    She then turned to look at Yuan with a weird glint in her eyes. If she wasn¡¯t a Divine Beast but an ordinary magical beast, perhaps she might¡¯ve gone crazy and attacked Yuan purely because of his blood, especially when it¡¯s enhanced with his rich spiritual energy.

    "Are you done?" Yuan asked her a momentter.

    Lan Yingying snapped out of her daze and nodded her head.

    "Yes, I should be able to conceive a child in the future."

    "Do you know how long that will take?" Yuan then asked, his interest piqued.

    Lan Yingying pondered for a moment before answering his question, "About a thousand years, give or take."

    "Eh?" Yuan¡¯s eyes widened from surprise, and he proceeded to stare at her with a speechless look on his face.

 Chapter 333 A Cup of Blood

    "A thousand years?! Does it really take that long? I cannot even fathom living that long!" Yuan eximed after learning how long it¡¯ll take for Lan Yingying to give birth to their child.

    "Yes, it takes a really long time for Divine Beasts such as myself to convert the ¡¯seed¡¯ that you gave me into a child." Lan Yingying said.

    And she continued, "It also differs for each species. Some Divine Beasts may need a few hundred years while some may even need a few thousand years."

    "If I recall correctly, Dragons and Phoenixes require the most time for their child¡ª about ten thousand years."

    "T-Ten thousand years!?" Yuan waspletely speechless.

    Sometimeter, Lan Yingying returned to her human form.

    "Once again, thank you for impregnating me." Lan Yingying lowered her head and bowed to him afterward.

    The two of them proceeded to spend some more time in the river before getting out and returning to the cabin.

    "How was the waterfall? I hope you had fun." Grandpa Lan weed them back with a massive grin on his face.

    "Yes! It was really fun! It also felt really good! Thank you for rmending that ce!" Yuan said to him.

    "It felt good, huh?" The smile on Grandpa Lan¡¯s face widened even more.

    "Grandfather, Yuan has agreed to impregnate me, and I have already absorbed his blood." Lan Yingying said to him.

    "What?" Grandpa Lan turned to look at her with wide eyes filled with shock, as he didn¡¯t expect things to go so smoothly!

    "Hahaha! This is great news! Wee to the family, young man!" Grandma Lanughed out loud after hearing this news.

    And she continued, "We¡¯re going to have a feast tonight!"

    Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.

    However, Grandpa Lan continued to stand there with a dazed face. Even though he was the one who encouraged it the most, he truly didn¡¯t think it would be sessful.

    "Since this is the case, you should definitely head to the Mystic Pagoda and try to leave this ce with him." Grandpa Lan said to them a momentter.

    "Huh? You want to leave the Mystic Realm?" Yuan turned to look at Lan Yingying with slightly wide eyes since this is his first time hearing about it.

    "Yes. After we deal with the demons, I n to take you to the Mystic Pagoda to see if you can open it." Lan Yingying nodded.

    "Does this mean you know how I can be the master of the Mystic Realm?"

    Lan Yingying shook her head.

    "I see... Then I will also try my best to find a way to help you leave." Yuan said.

    Sometimeter, they sat around the table while Grandma Lan prepared for the feast.

    "I just realized this, but you took off your mask. You¡¯re a pretty handsome fellow, and this ising from a magical beast with different standards. Why do you feel the need to hide your appearance?" Grandpa Lan asked him.

    "Ah, I¡¯m not really hiding because of my appearance. I¡¯m mostly hiding since there are a lot of people who want to know my identity." Yuan said.

    "Understandable. You¡¯re a very talented young man. There are bound to be countless people who are interested in you." Grandpa Lan nodded.

    A momentter, Lan Yingying spoke, "By the way, Yuan, I have been wondering, do you have a special bloodline or something? Your blood... It¡¯s not normal."

    "What do you mean?" Grandpa Lan was the first to speak, asking for more context.

    "When I tasted his blood, it gave my body an unusual sensation; it was unlike anything I have experienced before, and even my cultivation base increased a little." Lan Yingying described her experience with Yuan¡¯s blood.

    "What? Is that true?" Grandpa Lan then turned to look at Yuan with his curiosity peaked.

    "Young man... If you don¡¯t mind, can I have a drop of your blood? I want to confirm my suspicions." He then asked.

    Yuan nodded, "I don¡¯t mind."

    He then poked a small hole in his finger and retrieved a drop of his blood before handing it to Grandpa Lan with Qi Manifestation.

    After dropping the blood onto his tongue, Grandpa Lan closed his eyes and silently analyzed the blood.

    A momentter, he opened his eyes with disbelief written all over his face.

    "My lord... You really have a bloodline that¡¯s at the very least Divine-grade... This is also my first time tasting something this exquisite." Grandpa Lan mumbled in a dazed voice.

    "Yingying, quickly, give the young man some of your blood!" Grandpa Lan said.

    And he continued, "As Divine Beasts, our blood has the property to awaken human bloodlines!"

    However, Yuan shook his head and said, "I have already tried that¡ª with Phoenix blood."

    "Eh? You tried to awaken lock your bloodline with Phoenix blood... and it didn¡¯t work?" Grandpa Lan looked at him with wide eyes.

    Yuan nodded.

    "Hmm..."

    After a moment of silence, Grandpa Lan continued, "Although Phoenixes are at the top of the Divine Beasts¡¯ ranking, their blood isn¡¯t as powerful when ites to awakening human bloodlines."

    "That¡¯s where we¡ª Divine Serpents¡ªe in. Our blood can awaken most bloodlines in existence unless you have a God-like bloodline."

    "God-like bloodlines?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    "Only the most powerful families in the upper heavens would have a God bloodline."

    "I see... Then let¡¯s try it." Yuan nodded.

    Sometimeter, Lan Yingying poured her own blood into arge cup until it waspletely full before handing it to Yuan.

    "T-This much?" Yuan was startled by the amount of blood that was in front of him at this moment.

    "You probably only had a drop of Phoenix blood, right? A human can only handle so much Divine Beast blood no matter how powerful you are. If you consume too much, it¡¯ll harm you instead. However, our bloodline is a bit unique in that aspect, as you can consume arge quantity without worrying about any harmful effects, and it¡¯ll even increase its effectiveness."

    "I understand." Yuan nodded with a resolute look on his face.

    He then took a deep breath before grabbing the cup of blood and chugging it down like a warrior.

    After chugging the blood, Yuan could immediately feel his body heating up, simr to when he consumed Feng Yuxiang¡¯s Phoenix blood!

 Chapter 334 Awakened Bloodline

    "Argh! So hot!" Yuan eximed as his body grew warmer and warmer until it was smoking.

    "A-Are you okay?!" Lan Yingying was startled when she saw this, feeling worried that something might have gone wrong.

    "Calm down, Yingying. This means his bloodline is awakening." Grandpa Lan said to her in a calm voice.

    And he continued, "Endure it, young man. If you lose consciousness, your bloodline won¡¯t awaken!"

    Yuan nodded before making his way outside the cabin since it was much cooler there.

    Once outside, he sat on the ground in the lotus position and tried to calm down by cultivating. However, the intense heat burning his body made things extremely difficult for him to stay focused.

    "Akk!"

    Yuan suddenly puked out a mouthful of blood, startling Lan Yingying.

    "Are you sure he will be okay, grandfather? If my blood kills him... I don¡¯t think I can continue living with such guilt..."

    Grandpa Lan didn¡¯t say anything and continued to watch Yuan with a serious expression on his face.

    *Rumble*

    "Hmm?" Grandpa Lan suddenly raised his eyebrows.

    "Is it just me or is the ground shaking?"

    "I feel it as well." Lan Yingying confirmed.

    "It¡¯s been a while since west had an earthquake." Grandpa Lan mumbled, not thinking too much of it at first.

    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.

    However, the shaking did not stop like they¡¯d expected it to sooner orter, and it was even gradually getting stronger.

    "This isn¡¯t a normal earthquake. What¡¯s happening?" Grandpa Lan frowned upon realizing that this was an abnormal phenomenon.

    Meanwhile, outside the Mystic Realm, the spectators realized that the gates to the Mystic Realm were shaking.

    "L-Look at the Mystic Realm! It¡¯s shaking!"

    "How is that possible? I don¡¯t feel any earthquakes!"

    "Something must have happened inside the Mystic Realm!"

    Upon closer inspection, they realized that the participants inside the Mystic Realm were experiencing an earthquake.

    Senior Nie and the others from the Spirit Heaven frowned at this phenomenon, as they have never heard of the Mystic Realm acting like this before.

    "Does anyone know what is happening?" One of the crystal balls asked.

    "I have never heard of this before." One of them responded.

    "Brother Yuan..." Xiao Hua mumbled his name in a low voice as she looked at the entrance to the Mystic Realm.

    Inside the Mystic Realm, as the earthquake grew stronger, the people in that world began to worry that it might be the end of the world and that the Mystic Realm itself was copsing, causing people to panic.

    "What¡¯s going on?!" Grandma Lan stopped her cooking and went outside to see if they knew anything.

    "We also have no idea what¡¯s going on right now." Grandpa Lan said.

    "Hopefully it¡¯s nothing serious¡ª"

    "Ahhh!"

    Yuan suddenly began screaming in a painful voice, and as though the world resonated with his pain, the earthquake shook even fiercer.

    "T-This is... It can¡¯t be!" Grandpa Lan stared at Yuan with a dazed look on his face.

    "Surely, he¡¯s not causing this earthquake from trying to awaken his bloodline, right?!"

    "What?! Yuan¡¯s the cause of this earthquake?!" Lan Yingying eximed.

    "I don¡¯t know yet, but there¡¯s a good chance, especially since it started shortly after he started awakening his bloodline. However, what kind of bloodline could possibly cause such a phenomenon?" Grandpa Lan mumbled.

    [Attempting to awaken bloodline]

    [...]

    [...]

    [...]

    [Failed]

    [Attempting to awaken bloodline]

    [...]

    [...]

    [...]

    [Failed]

    [Attempting to awaken bloodline]

    [...]

    [...]

    [...]

    [Failed]

    Yuan had expected the awakening to stop after three attempts like previously, but to his surprise, after his third failure, it continued to try and awaken his bloodline.

    [Attempting to awaken bloodline]

    [...]

    [...]

    [...]

    [Failed]

    Ten failures, twenty failures, fifty failures...

    Sixth... seventy... eighty...

    Ny... Ny-five... Ny-nine...

    After 99 attempts to awaken his bloodline and 99 failure, there was finally some change within the notifications.

    [Attempting to awaken bloodline]

    [Attempt sessful]

    [You have awakened your Bloodline!]

    Ding!

    [Immortal Monarch Bloodline]

    [Grade: Royal]

    [Description: You will obtain increased stats whenever your cultivation increases. Stats obtained from breakthroughs will also affect Soul Strength.]

    "R-Royal-grade? How is that possible?" Yuan stared at his bloodline with disbelief on his face.

    The lowest quality of bloodlines was Royal-grade and definitely below Divine-grade, but if that was the case, Feng Yuxiang¡¯s Phoenix blood should¡¯ve been able to awaken it, so why does his bloodline show Royal-grade? Could it be a bug in the system? Or is there something special about this bloodline that he has yet to understand?

    Once Yuan awakened his bloodline, the earthquake in the Mystic Realm also came to a halt.

    "A-Are you okay, Yuan?!" Lan Yingying approached him with a worried look on her face.

    "Yes... I am fine, thank you..." Yuan nodded his head, which was dripping with sweat.

    "Thank the lord..." Lan Yingying released a deep sigh of relief to know that her blood didn¡¯t harm him.

    "How about it, young man? Did you manage to awaken your bloodline?" Grandpa Lan asked him a momentter.

    "Yes, I did. However... It¡¯s Royal-grade."

    "What? Royal-grade? How is that possible? I tasted the blood myself! There¡¯s no way such powerful blood could only be Royal-grade!" Grandpa Lan expressed the same disbelief as Yuan after hearing the news.

    "Can I taste your blood again just to make sure?" Grandpa Lan asked him.

    Yuan nodded and quickly gave him a few drops of his own blood.

    After tasting the blood, Grandpa Lan became even more puzzled, "I have tasted Royal-grade Bloodlines before, and this is definitely not Royal-grade."

    "I-Is that so..." Yuan mumbled, believing this to be a bug in the game more and more.

    Meanwhile, somewhere in this boundless universe, an old man with an ancient and timeless aura sat before a seemingly ordinary but massive jade tablet that had the word ¡¯Destiny¡¯ carved into it, looking like he¡¯d been in the same position for countless years.

    The jade tablet that was almost a hundred times the old man¡¯s size suddenly began to glow, and the engraved word ¡¯Destiny¡¯ began glowing golden.

    The old man opened his eyes to look at the jade tablet with a sentimental feeling in his gaze.

    "s... you have finally returned to us..."

    The old man stood up a momentter and immediately kneeled onto the ground before the jade tablet, kowtowing to it.

    "Wee back, Master... The Nine Heavens will soon tremble before your might once again... and for the final time..."

 Chapter 335 Immortal Bloodlines

    After kowtowing to the jade tablet for a couple of minutes, the old man stood up and patted his robes before turning around and walking away from the ce.

    "This subordinate wille to get you as soon as possible, Master..."

    Meanwhile, back inside the Mystic Realm, Yuan sat around the table with the Lan Family as they began their feast.

    "Good lord, you appear to have a bigger appetite than even us, Divine Beasts!" Grandma Lan eximed when Yuan disyed his eating talents before their very eyes for the first time.

    "Hahaha! At this rate, you¡¯ll even eat our portions! Well, eat all you want! You¡¯re going to need all your strength when fighting the demons." Grandpa Lan said to him.

    Sometimeter, after the feast, Lan Yingying turned to look at Yuan and asked him, "Your bloodline awakened, right? Do you know what kind of bloodline you have?"

    Yuan nodded and said, "Something called Immortal Monarch Bloodline."

    "Pft!"

    Grandpa Lan directly spat out the tea in his mouth after hearing Yuan¡¯s words.

    "I-Immortal?! You have an Immortal bloodline?!" He looked at Yuan with disbelief in his gaze.

    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.

    "There¡¯s no way an Immortal¡¯s bloodline could possibly be Royal-grade! I am certain about this now!" Grandpa Lan said.

    "What¡¯s an Immortal¡¯s bloodline?" Yuan asked him.

    "Immortal bloodlines are special bloodlines that can only be passed down by true Immortals in the highest realms at the upper heavens, and these bloodlines usually have heaven-defying powers that can turn even a normal human into a peak cultivation prodigy!" Grandpa Lan exined everything he knew about Immortal bloodlines.

    "To tell you the truth, I don¡¯t know much about Immortals or Immortal bloodlines except that they are incredibly rare and powerful. If you have an Immortal bloodline, then you¡¯re definitely a descendant of a very powerful Cultivator."

    "I see... Thank you for the information."

    After the feast, Yuan logged off the game and waited for Meixiu to finish preparing dinner.

    In the meantime, Yuan tried to see if there was any change to his body after consuming Lan Yingying¡¯s Divine Beast blood and awakening his bloodline.

    However, he didn¡¯t feel any different than before his bloodline¡¯s awakening.

    Sometimeter, Meixiu went into his room with dinner.

    "Yuan, did you feel the earthquake inside the Mystic Realm today?" Meixiu asked him.

    "Eh? There was an earthquake? I didn¡¯t notice it..." Yuan said, as he was too focused on awakening his bloodline to notice the massive earthquake.

    "The gates to the Mystic Realm suddenly began shaking yesterday, and it caused quite the stir among the spectators."

    "I see..."

    "You know the crazy part? Apparently, there was also an earthquake in this world sometime this afternoon. It was all over the news." Meixiu said.

    "Wow, what a coincidence," Yuan mumbled.

    After dinner, Meixiu went to sleep whilst Yuan went to cultivate.

    However, for some reason, he felt extremely tired that night, falling asleep a few minutester.

    Furthermore, he had a dream that night¡ª a weird dream where he stood before a massive jade tablet that was asrge as a small mountain, and there was the word ¡¯Destiny¡¯ engraved into this jade tablet.

    "Geezer, I¡¯m going to do it onest time."

    An unfamiliar voice came from Yuan¡¯s mouth as he spoke¡ª or more specifically, the body he was in spoke.

    "How long do you think it¡¯ll take this time, Master?" An old voice resounded behind him.

    And without turning around, the body Yuan was in spoke, "Who knows. It could be a thousand years from now. It could be a hundred thousand years from now. Hell, it could even be a million years. However, the moment this jade tablet glows, it means I have returned."

    "This subordinate will wait for your return no matter how many millennia it may take," said the old voice.

    After a moment of silence, the old voice returned, "Master, this may be out of my line, but do you intend on telling ¡¯her¡¯ about your departure?"

    "I don¡¯t..." He immediately responded, and he continued, "I¡¯m sure that she¡¯ll be angry at me for keeping her in the dark about this, but I don¡¯t want to disturb her cultivation. She¡¯s very close to bing a true Immortal, and any distractions might take that away from her."

    "Geezer, if she makes a scene, just let her know what I told you¡ª that I will be back for you guys no matter what."

    "Anyways, I¡¯m going to leave now. I¡¯ll see youter, Geezer."

    It was at this point of the dream when Yuan woke up.

    ¡¯What a weird dream...¡¯ He thought to himself.

    However, despite this being his first time experiencing such a dream, he felt oddly nostalgic, almost like he¡¯d seen that exact scene before.

    Furthermore, he realized that his limbs became more responsive in the morning, allowing him to move his fingers with less effort. If he tried, he could even lift his arm and legs a little off the bed!

    Yuan was filled with excitement by this change, and his anticipation for the future grew some more.

    Sometimeter, Meixiu entered his room to do her daily routine.

    "Yuan, let¡¯s give you a wash before you y," Meixiu said to him, as it has been some time since shest cleaned him.

    "Okay," Yuan said.

    Inside the bathroom, whilst Meixiu scrubbed his body down with her soapy hands, Yuan suddenly spoke, "Meixiu, do you know how to make babies?"

    "Eh?"

    Meixiu nearly slipped on the wet floor after hearing Yuan¡¯s sudden question.

    "B-Babies? Why are you asking?" She responded in a stiff voice with her face heating up quickly.

    "Well, I was in this situation that required me to make babies. However, that person was not human, so the methods were a bit unique, and I have been curious about it since then." Yuan revealed his experience in the Mystic Realm to Meixiu, greatly shocking her.

    "D-Did you do it? Make babies with this person, I mean..." Meixiu decided to ask him.

    "Yes, I did." Yuan calmly responded, and he continued, "She¡¯s a Divine Beast, so it¡¯ll take a thousand years for her to give birth¡ª at least that¡¯s what she told me."

    "..."

    Meixiu became speechless after hearing Yuan confirm that he had indeed impregnated another entity in the game!

 Chapter 336 How to Make Babies

    "L-Let me get this straight... You impregnated an NPC in the game?" Meixiu asked again just in case.

    "That¡¯s what she told me," Yuan responded in a calm voice, not thinking too much about it.

    "Heavens..." Meixiu mumbled in a dazed voice. She cannot imagine how Yu Rou would react once she learns of this.

    ¡¯Perhaps it would be better if I don¡¯t tell her... for her own sake...¡¯ Meixiu thought to herself.

    After a moment of silence, she said, "Yuan... I know the Yu Family didn¡¯t teach you this, but you really shouldn¡¯t impregnate women so easily, especially if you just met them."

    "I know that, but these people are really nice, and I really wanted to help them," Yuan said.

    "Let¡¯s continue this talk after this. My mother will kill me if you catch a cold because I didn¡¯t take care of you properly."

    "Okay."

    Thus, Meixiu continued to clean Yuan¡¯s body, but her heart felt heavier than usual, almost like there were invisible chains weighing it down.

    ¡¯It¡¯s just an NPC so it should be fine... And it¡¯s only a game...¡¯ Meixiu thought to herself as she moved her hands to the thing between Yuan¡¯s legs.

    ¡¯Making babies, huh? I guess it¡¯s about time he learns about these kinds of things...¡¯

    Because the Yu Family only cared about his musical talents, they didn¡¯t want anything that wasn¡¯t music-rted to enter his brain, and that includedmon sense for even the basic things in life.

    After all, the lessmon sense Yuan had, the easier it was for them to control him and trick him.

    As for things regarding the opposite sex, that never even crossed the Yu Family¡¯s mind. Of course, Yu Rou taught him somemon sense, but she wanted Yuan to remain innocent and pure for as long as possible, so she purposefully avoided talking about these kinds of things.

    After cleaning Yuan¡¯s body, she brought him back to his room where she dried his body some more and changed his clothes.

    "You want to learn how to make babies, right?" Meixiu asked him afterward.

    "Yes."

    "Well, first and foremost, you need to understand the importance of having babies with another individual. Having a baby isn¡¯t something you can take lightly, Yuan, as it will affect you for the rest of your life. Luckily, it only happened inside the game, but if it was the real world, you will have a lot of responsibility to bear."

    "Furthermore, you should only have babies with your significant other¡ª someone you care enough about that you wouldn¡¯t mind spending the rest of your life with them," Meixiu said to him.

    Hearing Meixiu¡¯s words, Yuan suddenly spoke, "So someone like you?"

    "Eh?"

    Meixiu was at a loss for words after hearing Yuan¡¯s words that took herpletely by surprise and also made her body shiver.

    And Yuan suddenly continued, "I wouldn¡¯t mind spending the rest of my life with you, Meixiu. Does this make you my significant other?"

    "W-Well... N-Not exactly..." Meixiu responded in a trembling voice.

    "Having a significant other requires an agreement between two people that want to be with each other. You cannot just call someone your significant other because you want to be with them." Meixiu exined to him.

    "I see..." Yuan mumbled.

    "Anyways, now that you know not to have a baby with every female you meet, let¡¯s talk about the process of making babies."

    After taking a deep breath, Meixiu continued, "In order to make babies, a man needs to connect bodies with a female, or more specifically, use the thing between their legs to connect with the female¡¯s body."

    "What! You can use that thing to make babies?! I thought it was only for peeing!" Yuan eximed in a truly surprised tone after learning this revtion.

    "It¡¯s actually a little moreplicated than that, but yes, that¡¯s the gist of it... And such an act is called... having sex..." Meixiu said, somehow managing to keep a straight face as she educated Yuan on this kind of topic.

    "Anyways, this is the basics of having babies. Do you have any questions?" Meixiu said to him.

    "This is just the basics? Heavens, I never knew it would be soplicated." Yuan mumbled.

    And he continued, "Thank you for telling me, Meixiu. I have learned a lot today, and it¡¯s just the beginning of the day."

    "Don¡¯t mention it... You would¡¯ve learned it sooner orter even without me, anyway." Meixiu said.

    Sometimeter, Meixiu returned to her room after helping Yuan enter the game.

    ¡¯He doesn¡¯t mind spending the rest of his life with me, huh?¡¯

    A warm smile appeared on Meixiu¡¯s beautiful face as she ced the helmet on her head.

    After entering the game, Meixiu looked at Feng Yuxiang and spoke to her, "Feng Feng, I have a question."

    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.

    "What is it?"

    "How do Divine Beasts make babies? And can they really mate with humans?" Meixiu asked her, as this has been on her mind ever since Yuan told her about it.

    "W-What? Why are you asking me such questions?" Feng Yuxiang looked at her with wide eyes.

    "I¡¯m... I¡¯m just curious..." Meixiu said.

    "Well... Different species have different methods of mating with each other, but in general, most Divine Beasts only require blood and spiritual energy to conceive a child." Feng Yuxiang said a momentter.

    "Is this the same with humans?"

    Feng Yuxiang nodded, "That¡¯s right. Divine Beasts can indeed mate with humans, but such a situation is very rare since most Divine Beasts see humans as inferior beings."

    After a moment of silence, Meixiu continued to ask, "What happens if a human and a Divine Beast mate with each other like humans do¡ª by having sex? Can they conceive that way?"

    Feng Yuxiang¡¯s jaw dropped after hearing Meixiu¡¯s question. Why was she asking such weird questions? Is this rted to the Young Master?

    "If a human and Divine Beast have... ahem... sex... It¡¯s usually only for pleasure, as it¡¯s more efficient to mate using blood and spiritual energy since it¡¯s always almost guaranteed to impregnate them." Feng Yuxiang said to her.

    "I see..." Meixiu mumbled, realizing that she might have misunderstood Yuan because of hisck of context.

    Meanwhile, the others werepletely baffled by their conversation that waspletely random and out of ce.

 Chapter 337 Abandoned Valley

    Inside the Mystic Realm, Yuan and the Lan Family gathered outside the cabin.

    "We¡¯re going to invade the demons today. Are you all prepared?" Grandpa Lan asked them.

    Once everyone there nodded, Grandpa Lan continued, "I¡¯ll carry all of you in my beast form."

    A momentter, he transformed into a massive white serpent, andpared to Lan Yingying, he was at least ten timesrger¡ªrge enough to wrap around an entire mountain with ease!

    Yuan was slightly surprised to see Grandpa Lan¡¯s beast form, butpared to the Great One that was literally countless timesrger than a star, it wasn¡¯t too shocking.

    When everyone jumped onto his back, Grandpa Lan suddenly levitated off the ground and began slithering in the air!

    A flying snake¡ª it was a sight to behold.

    "L-Look at the sky! What on earth is that?!" One of the participants¡ª a yer stared at the sky in shock as he witnessed a massive snake slithering through the clouds like a dragon!

    "Heavens! Is that a dragon?!"

    Many of the participants mistook Grandpa Lan as a dragon.

    "No, that¡¯s a serpent! It¡¯s a magical beast! But I have never seen anything like that before!"

    Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.

    "Since it¡¯s flying it must be at least a Spirit Grandmaster, right?! There are such powerful beings in the Mystic Realm?!"

    Half of the participants in the Mystic Realm saw the flying serpent in the sky because of Grandpa Lan¡¯s massive size and the distance they traveled.

    Of course, the spectators outside the Mystic Realm also saw the massive snake in the sky.

    "What kind of magical beast is that? I don¡¯t recall ever seeing such a magical beast before in the Mystic Realm." Senior Nie asked the people on the other side of the crystal balls.

    "No idea. I don¡¯t remember seeing such a magical beast before, either."

    "Well, the Mystic Realm is still filled with mysteries even though we¡¯ve explored it many times."

    "Actually... Rumor has it that there exists a Divine Beast somewhere within the Mystic Realm... Could that be it?" One of them suddenly said.

    "What? A Divine Beast? As if that¡¯s possible!" Another voice scoffed.

    A couple of hourster, Grandpa Lannded in a deste area and transformed back to his human form.

    "We¡¯re going to be traveling by foot here since we don¡¯t want to alert the demons that are hiding deep within the Abandoned Valley just yet." He said to them.

    As they walked, Grandpa Lan continued, "Once we confront the demons, I will be dealing with the Demon Lord, leaving the other three demons in your hands. I¡¯d like to take on another one, but I¡¯ll have my hands full with just the Demon Lord."

    "I can take care of two demons by myself since they¡¯re nowhere near as powerful as the Demon Lord. Young man, Yingying, the both of you will take care of thest one. Once you deal with that one, I¡¯ll need you to help me kill the other two demons since I don¡¯t have the ability to kill them." Grandma Lan said.

    The two of them nodded.

    "Yuan, I¡¯ll distract the demon while you strike it with your demon sealing technique. They have no idea that you know such a technique, and we¡¯re going to use that fact to our advantage." Lan Yingying said to him.

    "Okay." Yuan nodded

    After navigating through the dead valley for another three hours, they reached the deepest parts of the valley.

    "It¡¯s weird how we haven¡¯t run into any magical beasts," Yuan mumbled.

    "That¡¯s because the demons hunted them all." Grandpa Lan said.

    "Demons don¡¯t care if they are humans or magical beasts¡ª they will hunt them as long as it increases their cultivation. Hell, they will even hunt other demons if necessary."

    "Their aggressive nature and insatiable hunger for strength is the main reason they¡¯re a danger to all living beings and why they were eventually hunted."

    "How are demons born?" Yuan suddenly asked.

    "Honestly, I can¡¯t tell you since I don¡¯t know. Demons have been around since ancient times and not much is known about them. Perhaps you¡¯ll find such information in the upper heavens, but in the Lower Heavens, I doubt anyone knows."

    "I see..."

    Sometimeter, Grandpa Lan said, "I can sense them."

    And he continued, "However, they can also sense us. I¡¯m going to distract the Demon Lord first."

    After saying such words, Grandpa Lan turned into his beast form and immediately flew into the sky.

    "Hahaha! I didn¡¯t think you¡¯de here on your own ord, sparing us the effort of breaking into the Divine Forest!" A deep voice filled with malice suddenly echoed, followed by a powerful aura that immediately made the atmosphere suffocating.

    A momentter, Yuan could see the figure emitting this powerful aura flying towards Grandpa Lan in the skies.

    "That¡¯s the Demon Lord?" Yuan mumbled with a dazed look.

    This demon looked almost like the demon he defeated, except that he was much more muscr and the red crystal in its chest was muchrger and had a deeper color than the previous demon. Of course, it was also much more powerful and more dangerous.

    This Demon Lord reminded him of someone¡ª that red-haired cultivator who was fighting in the skies right before Xiao Hua became his servant¡ª the same person he learned the Bloody Sword Strike from, as they both emitted an evil-feeling aura.

    A momentter, three more demons could be seen flying in the sky, but they were not looking at Grandpa Lan. Instead, their gazes were directly on Yuan and the others.

    "You brought a human here to assist you? Hahaha! How desperate are you?!" The three demonsughed for a moment beforending a few meters away from them, each of them emitting an aura more powerful than the demon Yuan killed previously.

    "It¡¯s been many years since Ist tasted human blood! How fortunate! I¡¯ll take care of the human and the little princess! The two of you can take care of that granny!" The demon in the center spoke with a massive grin on its face.

 Chapter 338 As if SuChapter a Toy Could Injure Me!

    "Make sure to save some of that human¡¯s blood for us, and try not to kill the little princess. The Lord would like to have some fun with her before chewing on her meat and drinking her blood." Another demon said.

    "Yuan... follow me..." Lan Yingying suddenly mumbled to Yuan.

    Once Yuan nodded his head, Lan Yingying turned around and began running away. Seeing this, Yuan also turned around and followed her.

    "Where the hell do you think you¡¯re running off to when you were the ones who came here first, you little shits?!"

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    The demon standing in the front immediately began chasing after Yuan and Lan Yingying.

    Grandma Lan didn¡¯t even bother to block this demon and allowed it to chase after them.

    When the other two demons saw this, their eyebrows raised.

    Grandma Lan smiled and said, "They don¡¯t need my help. What¡¯s more, I already have my hands full with you little demons..."

    After saying that, she transformed into arge serpent with green scales that resembled jade.

    "What are you going to do?"

    "Even if we cannot defeat you, you won¡¯t be able to kill us either."

    The two demons chuckled after seeing Grandma Lan transform.

    Meanwhile, in the skies, the Demon Lord spoke as it hovered before Grandpa Lan, "Do you really believe that you¡¯ll be able to defeat us because you attacked us before we attacked you? Because we¡¯re not prepared?"

    And it continued, "Did you already forget what happenedst time you tried to invade us by surprise? You lost your son and his partner. This time, you¡¯ll lose your wife, your granddaughter, and your own life!"

    After a moment of silence, Grandpa Lan spoke, "I remember very well what happened. Their death was unfortunate, but we¡¯d managed to reduce your kind by more than half. This time... we¡¯re going to kill all of you and clean up the Mystic Realm."

    The smile on the Demon Lord¡¯s face immediately turned upside down after hearing Grandpa Lan¡¯s words, and it spoke in a grim voice, "Let me see you try!"

    Boom!

    The Demon Lord exploded with a massive aura, and it rushed at Grandpa Lan.

    "Sacred Fire!"

    Grandpa Lan opened his mouth and spat out fire mes at the Demon Lord.

    "Scatter!"

    The Demon Lord used its bare hands to punch the white mes, causing it to scatter all over the ce and making it rain small fireballs all over the ce.

    Thus, the Demon Lord began fighting Grandpa Lan in the skies.

    Meanwhile, Lan Yingying and Yuan continued to run away until they were many miles away from the others.

    "How long do you n on running for?! Did youe all the way here just to abandon those old people?!" The demon shouted at them as it chased after them.

    A few more minutester, Lan Yingying finally stopped running and turned around.

    "We can stop now, Yuan."

    The demon also came to a sudden halt and stared at them with narrowed eyes, wondering what they¡¯re nning.

    ¡¯Yuan, I¡¯m going to distract it as nned. Strike it with your sealing technique when you see the chance,¡¯ Lan Yingying said to him using Divine Sense.

    Yuan nodded his head.

    After taking a deep breath, Lan Yingying turned into her beast form and immediately rushed at the demon.

    "Oh? You¡¯re going to attack me by yourself? Did you bring that human just to spectate?" The demon was surprised when Yuan stayed behind whilst Lan Yingying attacked it alone.

    Pap!

    Lan Yingying used her tail like a whip, attacking the demon with it and cracking the air on impact.

    The demon didn¡¯t even bother to avoid the attack and merely used its arms to block it.

    Boom!

    The demon was sent flying off into the distance from the impact, but it didn¡¯t sustain any injuries in the end.

    "Haha! Come at me! Entertain me for a bit before I kill that human!"

    The demon and Lan Yingying began attacking each other, quickly turning the scene into a mess.

    "Little princess, your parents were a treat. My body still trembles when I recall how delicious their meat tasted. I wonder how you¡¯ll taste..." The demon licked its lips, treating its fight with Lan Yingying as a joke, almost like it was ying around with her.

    "Shut up!" Lan Yingying¡¯s attacks immediately grew more aggressive, clearly agitated by the demon¡¯s words.

    "Ahaha! Are you angry, little princess?! Do you want to kill me?! Unfortunately, you don¡¯t have the power to kill me! And in just a moment, you¡¯ll witness those two old bastards enter our stomachs!"

    The demon continued to provoke Lan Yingying.

    A few minutester, once the demon was fully absorbed in fighting Lan Yingying, it forgot about Yuan¡¯s seemingly insignificant presence.

    "Sacred Fire!" Lan Yingying opened her mouth and released a torrent of white mes at the demon, who didn¡¯t even bother to dodge it.

    "You don¡¯t learn, do you?! You won¡¯t be able to injure me with such weak mes, much less kill me!"

    The demon patted the white mes off its body as though it was mere dust.

    "I¡¯ve spent enough time messing with you. I would love to eat you right here and now, but s, the Demon Lord would kill me if I do, so I¡¯ll have to endure not it and not kill you¡ª"

    The demon suddenly stopped talking when it felt something pierce its body, causing it to look down.

    "Huh?"

    The demon raised its eyebrows when it saw a huge sword piercing its body from the back.

    It turned around to look at the masked figure standing behind it with an annoyed expression on its face, and it spoke in a calm voice, "What the fuck do you think you¡¯re doing, human? You should¡¯ve run away when you had the chance. I had even forgotten about you since your presence is akin to an ant."

    However, Yuan didn¡¯t say anything and merely pulled the Empyrean Overlord out of the demon¡¯s body and took a few steps back.

    "Hmph! What a joke. As if such a toy could injure me!" The demon looked at Yuan with clear disdain on its face.

    "Are you sure about that?" Yuan spoke as he pointed to the demon¡¯s body.

    "What?"

    The demon looked down, and to its surprise, the hole in its body wasn¡¯t regenerating at all! In fact, it was even turning into stone!

    "W-What the heck is happening?! What the fuck did you do to me just now, human?!" The demon roared at Yuan with veins all over its face.

    Yuan shrugged and said, "It was nothing much¡ª just a demon sealing technique."

    "A what?!" The demon was shocked after hearing Yuan¡¯s words.

    Once it realized the situation, it roared in anger, "Damn you, human! You must be from the Demon Sealing n! What is someone like you doing here?!"

    Unlike the demon Yuan previously sealed, this demon was still able to move and release its aura after being struck by the Demon Sealing Strike, most likely because it was much more powerful than the previous demon.

    However, the petrifying effect was still spreading, and it appeared to be spreading much quicker than before. After all, Yuan was also much stronger than before.

    "Fuck, fuck, fuck! I curse you, human! I curse you, Demon Sealing n¡ª"

    s, the demon wasn¡¯t able to finish itsst sentence before being sealed by the Demon Sealing Strike.

    "Yuan, let¡¯s leave this demon alone for now so we can help my grandparents. We can finish it off afterward." Lan Yingying said to him.

    And she continued, "This way, we won¡¯t alert the other demons. Once sealed, they won¡¯t be able to move for at least a few hundred years."

    Yuan nodded, and they proceeded to return to Grandma Lan¡¯s side.

 Chapter 339 Key to Mystic Pagoda

    *Crack*

    *Pap*

    Boom!

    Grandma Lan used her tail like a whip, sending the demons flying whenever they tried to get close to her.

    "Did youe here just to y around?! As if such weak attacks could kill us!" The demons would return to her no matter how many times they were sent flying by her tail.

    However, Grandma Lan ignored them and continued to buy time for Yuan and Lan Yingying, as they were her only hope in killing them.

    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.

    In the sky, Grandpa Lan and the Demon Lord also exchanged hundreds of blows with each other in just a few minutes.

    "Old snake, you guys lost your chance to kill us off when that damn human failed to kill us hundreds of thousands of years ago! Even if your bloodline continues for many generations, you will never be able to defeat us!" The Demon Lordughed out loud.

    The demons were the oldest entities in the Mystic Realm, as they have survived for hundreds of thousands of years¡ª even before the Lord became the master of the Mystic Realm. However, despite living for so long, their cultivation hasn¡¯t improved by much, mostly because they can only grow so much with the limited amount of spiritual energy in the Mystic Realm, hence why they want to break out of the Mystic Realm so badly¡ª so that they can continue to grow.

    No matter how much time they¡¯re given, if they do not have enough spiritual energy for a breakthrough, their cultivation will remain unchanging.

    "Once we take care of your family, we¡¯ll kill all of the humans in this damned world! Eventually, we¡¯ll find a way to enter the Mystic Pagoda and open the seal that has locked us in this world for far too long!"

    "Hahaha! You want to leave the Mystic Realm? In your dreams, Demon Lord! Even if you manage to kill all of us, you¡¯ll never be able to enter the Mystic Pagoda! Do you know why? Because you don¡¯t have the key! Hahaha!"

    "Key? What are you talking about?!" The Demon Lord immediately frowned, as this is its first time hearing about a key being required to open the Mystic Realm.

    "You want to know? Too bad! That¡¯s as much as you¡¯ll know about the Mystic Pagoda!" Grandpa Lanughed.

    In truth, Grandpa Lan didn¡¯t know anything about the Mystic Pagoda, and he¡¯d only mentioned a ¡¯key¡¯ just to mess with the Demon Lord.

    Of course, the Demon Lord didn¡¯t think it was being lied to as what Grandpa Lan said was quite logical.

    "Tell me about this damn key!!!"

    The Demon Lord roared, its aura increasing to a whole new level as it started getting serious.

    "Make me!"

    Grandpa Lan¡¯s aura also rose.

    When their auras collided, it created an immense pressure in the area that made the dead trees sink a little deeper into the ground.

    Meanwhile, at Grandma Lan¡¯s area, when the demons noticed the Demon Lord getting serious, they also turned serious.

    "Looks like it¡¯s about time we stop ying around and kill you once and for all."

    The demons emitted an ominous aura that caused the dirt around them to turn ck.

    "No matter how many times you attack us, we won¡¯t die. Why don¡¯t you just give up and let us give you a painful death? Or, you can struggle and we¡¯ll eat you alive."

    However, a mysterious smile appeared on Grandma Lan¡¯s face, and she spoke, "Indeed, we should probably end this."

    "Blood Spear!"

    The demons summoned a red spear using their blood.

    "Get her!"

    Just as the demons prepared to attack Grandma Lan, one of the demons felt an immense pressure suddenly appeared behind it, causing it to stop and turn around.

    "What?"

    The demon mumbled in a dumbfounded voice as a figure wearing a ck mask swung the massive sword in his hand horizontally, slicing its body in half.

    "Where the fuck did this humane from? And what happened to the one chasing after him?" The other demon was as surprised when it realized that its partner had been attacked out of the blue. However, the demon wasn¡¯t worried about its partner, as it was confident that such a minor injury wouldn¡¯t be able to kill it.

    As for the demon sliced in half, it frowned when it realized that its body wasn¡¯t regenerating.

    "What¡¯s going on?!" The demon eximed a momentter.

    However, Yuan didn¡¯t respond to it and turned his attention to the second demon.

    "I admire your guts for returning to his ce, but it was a foolish choice, human! This is not a battle you can just enter as you please! You don¡¯t qualify to stand on the same battlefield as us!" The demon shouted as it tossed the spear in its grasp at Yuan.

    Yuan immediately used his movement technique to dodge the spear before approaching the demon.

    "Haha! What are you going to do with that sword¡ª" The demon¡¯s eyes widened with shock when it finally paid some attention to the Empyrean Overlord in Yuan¡¯s grasp.

    However, before it could even continue, Yuan stabbed the sword in-between its chest.

    Meanwhile, the other demon that had its body sliced in half was turning into stone.

    "Ahh! What is going on?! What is happening to my body?!" The demon cried out loud.

    "T-This is¡ª! A sealing technique?!" The second demon was shocked to see this, and it looked down at the sword in its chest with a fearful expression.

    "D-Don¡¯t tell me..."

    Yuan didn¡¯t say anything and pulled the sword out of its body, letting the petrifying effect spread throughout its body.

    "You came back faster than I¡¯d anticipated, young man, just like the first time." Grandma Lan said to him with a smile on her face.

    "I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t return faster," Yuan said.

    "Fuck! My body! Why?! Why is someone from the Demon Sealing n here?! And that sword! You must be¡ª!" The two demons looked at Yuan with fear in their eyes, something they haven¡¯t experienced since the Lord left the Mystic Realm.

    Meanwhile, in the air, the Demon Lord noticed something was amiss and turned to look at the ground where Yuan and the others were.

    When it noticed Yuan and the Empyrean Overlord in his hands, the Demon Lord¡¯s eyes widened with shock, and it roared in a spiteful voice, "That sword! Impossible! You¡ª You have returned?!"

 Chapter 340 The Lords Sword

    "What are you talking about?" Grandpa Lan looked at the Demon Lord with a puzzled expression.

    However, the Demon Lordpletely ignored Grandpa Lan and continued to stare at Yuan¡¯s figure with disbelief.

    "A mask! That sword! After so many years, you have finally decided to return to the Mystic Realm¡ª Lord!" A massive smile appeared on the Demon Lord¡¯s face, but there was also a hint of fear in its eyes.

    "What?!" Grandpa Lan eximed in a shocked voice when he heard the Demon Lord addressed Yuan as ¡¯Lord¡¯.

    "I won¡¯t forget the humiliation you had put me through on that day no matter how many years passes, Lord!" The Demon Lord suddenly flew towards Yuan¡¯s location.

    "Watch out!" Grandpa Lan shouted loudly to warn Yuan and the others of the Demon Lord¡¯s presence.

    "Huh?" Yuan turned around at Grandpa Lan¡¯s voice, and to his surprise, the Demon Lord in the sky was flying in their direction!

    BOOM!

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    The Demon Lord punched Yuan with all of its might, as it didn¡¯t want to risk this chance to take him by surprise.

    Luckily for Yuan, Grandpa Lan had warned him right before the Demon Lord made his strike, giving him a split second to react and protect himself with the Empyrean Overlord.

    However, the impact was an entirely different matter, and Yuan was sent flying many meters away, crashing into trees and destroying them with his back.

    Yuan managed to stabilize himself after flying about two hundred meters.

    *Cough*

    He coughed up a mouthful of blood afterward.

    ¡¯What a powerful strike! If I hadn¡¯t blocked that attack, I would¡¯ve probably died just now!¡¯ Yuan¡¯s body trembled at that thought, yet his eyes didn¡¯t have even a hint of fear within them.

    Instead, it flickered with excitement, as he has never been pushed to such an extent before.

    "Yuan! Are you okay?!" Lan Yingying quickly approached him.

    "Yes, I¡¯m fine." Yuan nodded.

    "Yuan? Wait a second, you¡¯re not the Lord. Who are you? And where did you get that sword?" The Demon Lord finally noticed Yuan¡¯s cultivation base that was too low to be the Lord and stopped its assault.

    A secondter, both grandparents stood between Yuan and the Demon Lord.

    "If that young man was the Lord, he would¡¯ve killed you as easily as breathing!" Grandpa Lan said.

    "Then he must be a descendant of the Lord! After all, that sword in his hand belongs to the Lord!" The Demon Lord revealed, as it will never forget the devastation that sword had caused the demons.

    "What?! Really?!"

    The Lan Family expressed shock upon learning this since even they didn¡¯t know that the sword in Yuan¡¯s hand once belonged to the Lord!

    ¡¯Is that why I felt some sort of connection to it?¡¯ Lan Yingying finally realized why she was attracted to the sword. It turned out to be the Lord¡¯s sword.

    "So the Sword Emperor is the Lord?" Yuan mumbled.

    Does this mean the Sword Emperor is dead? After all, Feng Yuxiang mentioned that she found the Empyrean Overlord in a Legacy Tomb, where powerful cultivators leave their legacy behind because they are close to death.

    "That¡¯s not possible¡ª he cannot be the Lord¡¯s descendant! We have already tested his blood!" Grandpa Lan said.

    The Demon Lord turned to look at the two demons that had been sealed by Yuan.

    "Then you must be someone from the Demon Sealing n that¡¯s also affiliated with the Lord. In any case, I cannot and will not let you leave this ce alive." It red at him with a bloodthirsty gaze.

    "Blood Sword!"

    The Demon Lord summoned its weapon using its own blood.

    "Even if there are four of you, it won¡¯t be enough to kill me, especially if the Lord isn¡¯t with you." The Demon Lord began approaching them with its aura growing stronger and stronger.

    "Young man, we¡¯re going to distract it while you look for the opportunity to strike it with the demon sealing strike," Grandpa Lan said to him.

    "Okay." Yuan nodded.

    "Let¡¯s go, grandma. Yingying, you stay behind. There¡¯s nothing you can do here."

    Even though Lan Yingying didn¡¯t want to admit it, she truly did not qualify to be in this battle.

    A few secondster, both of the grandparents went to attack the Demon Lord.

    "Hahaha! Are you trying to distract me while that human waits for the chance to seal me? I am not as foolish as the other demons!" The Demon Lordughed out loud as it began fighting the two snakes.

    And whenever it had the chance, it would throw an attack at Yuan to let him know that it was keeping track of him.

    "I¡¯m going to fight it." Yuan suddenly said after some time.

    "What? You can¡¯t! The Demon Lord is on another level! You won¡¯t be able to get close to him, much less attack him!" Lan Yingying said.

    "Perhaps not at my current level, but if I increase my cultivation somehow..." Yuan spoke as he turned to look at the sealed demons not far away from them.

    "What do you n on doing?" Lan Yingying asked him.

    "I¡¯m going to kill them and eat their demon cores..." Yuan replied, shocking her.

    "Are you serious?!" She looked at him with wide eyes.

    Yuan nodded, "If it¡¯s true that the founder of the Demon Sealing n was able to eat demon cores, I should be able to do the same since I have the same physique."

    "But that¡¯s just a rumor¡ª a legend! Demon cores arepletely different from monster cores! It¡¯s too dangerous" Lan Yingying said.

    "It may be risky, but we won¡¯t know unless I try it." Yuan said, and he continued, "Don¡¯t worry, I have a feeling that everything will work out just fine."

    Lan Yingying opened her mouth, but s, she decided to not say anything and let him try to eat the demon cores.

    A momentter, Yuan pointed the Empyrean Overlord at the sealed demons and took a deep breath, preparing to use the Heaven Splitting Sword Strike on them.

 Chapter 341 Perfect Regeneration

    "What do you think you¡¯re doing?!" The Demon Lord immediately noticed Yuan gathering his spiritual energy, clearly preparing for an attack, and it immediately rushed at him.

    However, the grandparents also went to block its path.

    "You think you can just ignore us?"

    Pap!

    Grandpa Lan pped the Demon Lord with its powerful tail, sending it further away from Yuan.

    "Get out of my way¡ª" Just as the Demon Lord roared, Yuan released the Heaven Splitting Sword Strike,pletely missing the Demon Lord.

    "Hahaha! Where the hell are you aiming?" The Demon Lordughed in a slightly nervous tone afterward, as it felt the immense power within the strike released by Yuan just now.

    ¡¯If that thing had hit me, I would¡¯ve been in danger! This human is truly too dangerous to be left alive! Luckily, this human doesn¡¯t have any control over it!¡¯ The Demon Lord cried inwardly, thinking that Yuan had only missed because he doesn¡¯t have full control over the technique.

    However, it suddenly noticed that Yuan wasn¡¯t even paying attention to it. Instead, he went to where the sealed demons were before they were ¡¯identally¡¯ struck by the attack and picked up their demon cores.

    ¡¯What the hell is he doing?¡¯ The Demon Lord raised its eyebrows at Yuan¡¯s puzzling actions.

    A momentter, Yuan tossed one of the demon cores in his mouth, shocking the Demon Lord and the grandparents.

    "Hahaha! What is that idiot doing?! Does he want to kill himself?! That makes things much easier for me!" The Demon Lord burst outughing like a maniac after witnessing Yuan¡¯s actions.

    "Young man! What are you doing?!" Grandpa Lan eximed.

    While he knew that Yuan could consume monster cores, he was still shocked speechless by Yuan¡¯s actions just now. After all, demon cores arepletely different from monster cores. If eating monster cores is akin to drinking water, then eating demon cores is akin to drinking alcohol!

    Meanwhile, Yuan could feel his tongue beginning to burn after consuming the demon core.

    "Demon cores are spicy!" Yuan eximed, recalling the first time he identally ate spicy food. However, the demon core was spicier than anything he¡¯s ever experienced before, feeling like he¡¯d just poured a bottle of hot sauce in his mouth!

    [Heaven Refining Physique Activated]

    [??? Qi has been absorbed from the Demon Core]

    [You have absorbed enough Qi for a breakthrough]

    [You have reached first level Spirit Grandmaster]

    [+Stats 25,000]

    Ding!

    [Your body has cleansed the impurities from the Demon Core]

    [Demon core has been refined]

    [Your skill ¡¯Superior Regeneration¡¯ has developed into ¡¯Perfect Regeneration¡¯]

    [Perfect Regeneration]

    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    [Rank: Divine]

    [Description: Can restore even a missing limb]

    When the Demon Lord, who was waiting for Yuan to explode from consuming the demon core, realized that Yuan was perfectly fine, even experiencing a breakthrough from it, the Demon Lord nearly lost its mind from shock.

    "What?! That¡¯s impossible! How can a mere human consume a demon core?! You should¡¯ve died the moment you ate it!" The Demon Lord eximed in a voice filled with bewilderment.

    However, Yuan ignored the Demon Lord and proceeded to consume the second demon core.

    [Heaven Refining Physique Activated]

    [??? Qi has been absorbed from the Demon Core]

    [You have absorbed enough Qi for a breakthrough]

    [You have reached second level Spirit Grandmaster]

    [+Stats 26,000]

    [You have reached third level Spirit Grandmaster]

    [+Stats 27,000]

    [Your body has cleansed the impurities from the Demon Core]

    ¡¯Fuck! It wasn¡¯t a fluke that he survived the first demon core?!¡¯ The Demon Lord was hoping that Yuan was only lucky enough to survive at first, but after witnessing him consume a second demon core, it concluded that it was not coincidence or luck that Yuan could eat demon cores.

    ¡¯Is this human really human?! How can a human survive the chaotic spiritual energy within a demon core?! Even a demon would go mad if it consumes a demon core! He¡¯s even more dangerous than the Lord in some ways!¡¯

    "So this is what being a Spirit Grandmaster feels like, huh? As expected, my body is filled with energy, and it feels like I won¡¯t lose no matter what I¡¯m fighting." Yuan mumbled to himself before turning to look at the Demon Lord who was staring at him with its face twisted in disbelief.

    "I wonder how your demon core will taste, Demon Lord." Yuan suddenly said to it, causing a chill to go down the Demon Lord¡¯s back.

    "Try to get my demon core if you can, you damn monster!"

    The Demon Lord roared before it rushed at Yuan with the bloody sword in its grasp.

    "Oh no! Watch out, young man!"

    The grandparents reacted a little slow this time around, mostly because they were still shocked by Yuan¡¯s unbelievable appetite, allowing the Demon Lord to slip right through them.

    "I¡¯ll be okay!" Yuan said to them as he raised the Empyrean Overlord and weed the Demon Lord.

    Once it was close enough to strike, the Demon Lord swung its blood sword at Yuan.

    Boom!

    Yuan blocked the attack with his own sword, causing the ground to shake from the impact.

    However, unlike previously, he wasn¡¯t sent flying.

    Furthermore, the blood sword in the Demon Lord¡¯s grasp even cracked a little!

    The Demon Lord sucked its teeth before quickly repairing the sword with its blood.

    "Blood Arms!"

    The Demon Lord suddenly grew two arms behind its back.

    "Blood Sword!"

    Then two swords appeared in those arms.

    "Die for me!"

    The Demon Lord struck Yuan again, this time with two extra swords.

    Yuan immediately used his movement technique to dodge the strikes before activating Heavenly Domain, restricting the Demon Lord¡¯s movements to a small extent.

    "Four arms? That¡¯s not fair!" Yuan eximed after dodging its strikes.

    "Hmph! You don¡¯t get to say such words after what you just did! Are you really human? Damn monster in human skin!" The Demon Lord said to him.

    "Young man! Are you okay?!"

    The grandparents returned to his side after their quick sh.

    "I¡¯m okay, and let me fight the demon alone," Yuan said to them.

    "Y-You want to fight it by yourself?" Grandpa Lan looked at him with a dazed face.

 Chapter 342 Fighting the Demon Lord

    "I fight better when there¡¯s nobody around me since I can let loose without needing to worry about hitting you guys as well," Yuan said to them.

    "I-I understand... If you think you can defeat it by yourself, we won¡¯t get in your way. But if I sense that you¡¯re in danger, I¡¯ll immediately assist you." Grandpa Lan said to him before returning to his human form.

    "You want to fight me alone? Hahaha! Don¡¯t get cocky just because your cultivation improved slightly! You¡¯re still only a Spirit Grandmaster whilst I am a Spirit Lord! There¡¯s still a vast gap between us!" The Demon Lordughed as its aura continued to rise.

    Yuan didn¡¯t wait any longer and rushed at the Demon Lord, striking it with his Empyrean Overlord.

    ng!

    The Demon Lord used two of its swords to block Yuan¡¯s strike whilst using its third one to retaliate.

    Yuan then used his movement technique to dance around the Demon Lord. Despite being an entire realm above Yuan, the Demon Lord still had its movements suppressed by the Heavenly Domain.

    "What an annoying movement technique!" The Demon Lord didn¡¯t dare to waste its movements while being restricted and waited for Yuan to strike, as a single mistake might cost its life.

    [Bloody Sword Strike!]

    Yuan suddenly attacked the Demon Lord after a minute of trying to confuse it with his movement technique.

    However, even though the Demon Lord couldn¡¯t move at its full speed, its reaction remained in peak condition, allowing it to defend against Yuan¡¯s strike even though its movements were slowed.

    The two of them continued to dance back and forth with Yuan being on the offensive and the Demon Lord on the defensive for many minutes.

    ¡¯Fuck! How long can he keep this restriction domain active?! How much spiritual energy does he have?!¡¯ The Demon Lord cried inwardly, as it had been waiting for Yuan to exhaust his spiritual energy.

    After all, to sustain such a powerful pressure that could restrict even a Spirit Lord¡¯s movements, it would obviously require an immense amount of Qi.

    However, many minutes have passed without any signs of Yuan exhausting his spiritual energy.

    Half an hourter, the Demon Lord roared, "Don¡¯t tell me you have unlimited energy as well?!"

    The Demon Lord decided to risk it and flew into the sky, where the Heavenly Domain could not reach him.

    Yuan narrowed his eyes at the Demon Lord in the sky. Although he could also fly, he wasn¡¯t confident enough in his flight abilities to fight someone like the Demon Lord in the skies.

    "Blood Spears!"

    The Demon Lord suddenly summoned a dozen spears with its blood before throwing them at Yuan.

    Yuan immediately used his movement technique to dodge them, but the Demon Lord continued to summon the spears, raining them down on him.

    "You think you¡¯re the only one with inexhaustible spiritual energy?! I can do this all day!" The Demon Lordughed as it continued to throw spears at Yuan from the sky.

    Hundreds of spearster, Yuan left the ground and flew into the air as well.

    "So you¡¯ve finally decided to fight me!" The Demon Lord said as it summoned its swords and flew towards him.

    ng!

    The two of them shed in the air, causing the clouds around them to ripple away.

    "You fell for it, human!" The Demon Lord suddenly grinned.

    The next second, two more arms appeared behind the Demon Lord¡¯s back, preparing to strike Yuan at any moment now.

    "Let¡¯s see if your movement technique works in the air!"

    However, Yuan remained calm despite the Demon Lord¡¯s surprise.

    And right as the Demon Lord moved its arms, Yuan¡¯s eyes glowed golden, causing the Demon Lord to halt for a split second.

    In this split second, Yuan used the invisible Starry Abyss to create a hole in the Demon Lord¡¯s face, taking it by surprise for a second time.

    And with his third strike¡ª

    "Demon Sealing Strike!"

    Yuan used this chance to stab the Empyrean Overlord in the chest.

    "He did it!"

    The Lan Family watching from afar trembled in excitement after seeing Yuan sessfully strike the Demon Lord.

    "AAAAAH! DAMN YOU!" The Demon Lord shouted in rage after realizing that Yuan had managed to injure it sessfully.

    Normally, it wouldn¡¯t react even if it had its entire body crushed into meat paste, but a single strike from someone with a demon sealing technique is akin to death no matter how minor the injury! Hell, even an injury as small as a paper cut will seal a demon¡¯s fate!

    This is why the demons feared the Demon Sealing n so much. If they so much as bump into their swords, it would mark the end for the demons.

    After his sessful strike, Yuan immediately retrieved his sword and distanced himself from the Demon Lord, running back to the Lan Family just in case.

    "Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!

    The Demon Lord didn¡¯t even bother to chase after Yuan and instead began digging a hole in its own stomach with its bare hands, trying to rip away the injury created by Yuan.

    But s, the Demon Lord soon realized that its efforts were in vain since the petrifying effects eventually began to spread throughout its body.

    Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.

    "No! No! No! It can¡¯t end here! It can¡¯t! I still have to leave this godforsaken world and rule the outside world! I cannot die here!" The Demon Lord began shouting like a maniac who¡¯d gone crazy.

    Who could¡¯ve thought that after struggling for hundreds of thousands of years, the Demon Lord would sumb to a human who, logically speaking, shouldn¡¯t even have the qualifications to face it.

    Unfortunately for the Demon Lord, Yuan was someone who transcended all logic andmon sense even in the cultivation world where almost anything can happen.

    "If I die... I will take at least one of you with me!!!" The Demon Lord suddenly flew towards their direction with its eyes bright red and a resolute expression.

    Seeing this, Grandpa Lan suddenly shouted, "Shit! It¡¯s nning on blowing itself up! If we¡¯re caught in that, we¡¯ll be in grave danger!"

    "What?! It can do something like that?!" Yuan eximed.

 Chapter 343 Core Detonation

    "Is there anything we can do to stop it?" Yuan asked them.

    "There is none! I¡¯ll try to stop it. The rest of you run away!" Grandpa Lan said, prepared toy down his own life for them.

    However, Yuan said to him, "No! I will take care of it!"

    "What?! You¡¯ll die!" Lan Yingying said to him.

    "That¡¯s fine. I won¡¯t die forever even if I die. However, that might not be the case for you guys." And without waiting for them to respond, Yuan made his move, flying towards the Demon Lord.

    "Wait! Young man!" Grandpa Lan tried to stop him, but s, Yuanpletely ignored him and continued moving forward.

    "Hahaha! So you want to die, huh?! This is perfect!" The Demon Lordughed as its aura grew more vtile and intense.

    The Demon Lord was not only getting more powerful, but its body was also glowing redder and redder.

    As Yuan got closer to the Demon Lord, he wondered if there was anything he could do, but s, he could not think of any methods that would save him in this desperate situation.

    "Hmph! So what if I die? I¡¯ll just respawn! So what if I lose my cultivation base? I¡¯ll just cultivate some more! If I be a cripple, it won¡¯t be my first time! And it¡¯s not like I won¡¯t be able to walk or move! I¡¯ll still be able to explore this world¡ª whether I¡¯m a cultivator or not!"

    Yuan changed direction midway, leading the Demon Lord further away from the Lan Family.

    Of course, the Demon Lord was more than happy to chase after Yuan even if it wouldn¡¯t be able to kill the Lan Family. In its eyes, he would do the other demons a bigger favor if it killed Yuan, who was a much bigger threat than the Lan Family could ever be.

    "Do you really think you can outrun me?!" The Demon Lordughed as it got closer and closer to Yuan.

    Even though Yuan¡¯s strength could rival even a Spirit Lord as a Spirit Grandmaster, his flying speed was an entirely different story.

    Slowly but surely, the Demon Lord caught up to Yuan, and it was just a matter of time before it blew its entire cultivation up.

    Yuan stopped running away once they were far enough from the Lan Family, and there was no point when he knew that he wouldn¡¯t outrun the Demon Lord.

    "In just a few seconds, I will blow up, and everything within ten thousand meters will disappear with me!" The Demon Lordughed out loud as it hovered a few meters away from Yuan.

    "Go ahead. You¡¯ll be the only one dying, anyway." Yuan shrugged in a nonchnt manner, dumbfounding the Demon Lord.

    "You¡¯re not afraid of dying?" The Demon Lord frowned.

    "I won¡¯t die."

    "Bullshit! You¡¯re not immortal! Not even a Spirit King would survive a Core Detonation at this level!" The Demon Lord didn¡¯t believe Yuan.

    Yuan didn¡¯t bother responding to it and calmly stared at the Demon Lord that was almost petrified at this moment.

    Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.

    "Oooh! I can feel it! Power overwhelming my body! Hahaha! It¡¯s about time! Die for me, human!" The Demon Lordughed out loud until it exploded.

    It was at this moment Yuan thought about logging off to escape the explosion, but s...

    [You cannot log off duringbat]

    A secondter, the Demon Lord¡¯s body suddenly began twisting and turning in a spiraling motion, almost like a ck hole had appeared inside its body and was consuming the Demon Lord inside-out.

    The Demon Lord¡¯s body twisted until it was the size and shape of a small pebble, almost like a ss marble of sorts.

    This pebble then glowed brightly before exploding with a massive amount of spiritual energy.

    Yuan immediately used the Empyrean Overlord to protect himself by cing it in front of his face. However, the explosion was toorge and powerful, and Yuan could feel everything below his chest disappear almost instantly.

    "Ah!"

    Yuan was overwhelmed with pain, losing consciousness almost immediately.

    Meanwhile, the Lan Family could see a bright light in the distance, followed by a strong earthquake a secondter.

    "Yuan!" Lan Yingying felt her heart being squeezed when she saw this light, and tears quickly flowed from her eyes.

    "s... This young man actually sacrificed his life for us..." Grandpa Lan sighed, feeling an indescribable feeling in his heart.

    Many of the participants in the Mystic Realm were also able to see this bright light in the sky, as it was like a second sun that had suddenly appeared in the world.

    The sun created by the Demon Lord remained for a good minute before it finally began to subside.

    The Lan Family went to the scene of the explosion in hopes to find Yuan¡¯s remains, but s, they were unable to find him, almost like he¡¯d disappeared from this world.

    "As expected, his body haspletely disintegrated from the Demon Lord¡¯s Core Detonation..." Grandpa Lan sighed.

    After all, even he wouldn¡¯t survive such a devastating attack, much less a Spirit Grandmaster with a human body.

    "Yingying, make sure you take care of that baby... That young man sacrificed his own life so that you two¡ª all of us could live..." Grandma Lan said to her in a griefing tone.

    "I understand..." Lan Yingying nodded, still with tears in her eyes.

    Meanwhile, about a hundred miles away from where the explosion had urred, a body that was anything butpleteid on the ground, looking like a corpse that had recently been chewed on by wild animals.

    "Heavens... That almost scared me to death..." The voice of a youngdy resounded after this disfigured body suddenly dropped from the sky andnded behind her.

    "Just what on earth happened to this person? His body looks like it¡¯d just ate an explosion. Was he a victim of that random explosion just now?" The youngdy inspected the corpse out of curiosity, not feeling grossed out by the awful sight that would normally make any youngdy¡¯s stomach churn with disgust.

    "Hmm? And why does it feel like I have seen him somewhere before?"

    Ding!

    [Perfect Regeneration has activated!]

 Chapter 344 Barely Surviving the Explosion

    "W-What?! His body is regenerating?!" The youngdy was shocked when the mutted body suddenly began healing, and she watched as this halfpleted body regrow the rest of its body as well as all four limbs in just a matter of moments, almost like she was before an immortal monster or something.

    The youngdy took a few steps back just in case.

    Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.

    A few momentster, the mutted body recovered perfectly; it was unlike anything the youngdy had seen before.

    "Ugh..." Yuan slowly opened his eyes to see the sunlight assaulting his eyes.

    "Did I die? Did I respawn outside the Mystic Realm?" Yuan slowly sat up, still recalling the pain he¡¯d felt before losing consciousness.

    Once his mind and vision began to stabilize, Yuan looked around his surroundings, and to his surprise, he wasn¡¯t outside the Mystic Realm!

    "What! Don¡¯t tell me I didn¡¯t die from that explosion?! This is a miracle!" Yuan quickly stood up with excitement on his face.

    Fortunately, he¡¯d managed to protect his head and heart. Although his regenerative abilities are not as exaggerated as the demons¡¯, it was pretty close, allowing him to regenerate as long as his head and heart are unharmed.

    It was at this moment that Yuan realized he was not alone and there was another presence not far away from him.

    "Who¡¯s there?" Yuan turned to look at the tree a few meters away from him.

    "That voice... yer Yuan?"

    The youngdy who had hidden behind a tree slowly walked out with her hands up, showing Yuan that she was not a threat to him.

    "Y-You¡¯re..." Yuan was surprised to see Wang Xiuying there.

    After revealing herself, Wang Xiuying stared at Yuan with a somewhat amazed expression on her face.

    "What is it?" Yuan decided to ask her, feeling like something was amiss right now.

    "Uhh..." Wang Xiuying appeared to hesitate for a moment before pointing at his face.

    It was at this moment Yuan realized that his mask was gone and his face was in full disy.

    ¡¯Oh no! The explosion must have removed the mask! Now she knows what I look like!¡¯ Yuan cried inwardly.

    "D-Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t tell anyone what you look like¡ª I promise!" Wang Xiuying quickly said to him, feeling extremely nervous at this moment, as she was worried that he would kill her because she saw his face.

    ¡¯Hmm? She doesn¡¯t recognize me?¡¯ Yuan realized that Wang Xiuying didn¡¯t realize who he was even though she saw his face.

    Fortunately for Yuan, Wang Xiuying only remembers what he looked like when he was a kid. Even though she has seen him plenty of times as an adult, Yuan looks somewhat different in the real world because of his skinny appearance, and Wang Xiuying hasn¡¯t seen him since his recovery. Furthermore, his appearance in cultivation online has been enhanced as a cultivator.

    "A-Also... your clothes..." Wang Xiuying pointed at his legs with a blushing face.

    Yuan looked down, and to his surprise, he waspletely naked from his chest down.

    While his body regenerated, his clothes were a different story. No wonder why it felt a little breezy down there.

    "Umm... Sorry, but I don¡¯t have any clothes on me..." Yuan said in a calm voice.

    "I-I¡¯ll give you some of mine, okay?" Wang Xiuying said as she removed the firstyer of her clothes.

    Luckily for them, disciple uniforms in the cultivation world are mostly unisex, so both genders can wear them and look the same.

    "Thank you..." Yuan epted her clothes and quickly wore them.

    Although they were a little small, it was good enough to be worn.

    "Anyways, what were you doing that made you in such a state? And how on earth are you still alive? I thought you were some kind of immortal monster at first!" Wang Xiuying said to him afterward.

    "Oh... I was fighting some really powerful demon, and it decided to blow itself up." Yuan sighed.

    "Is that what caused the explosion? You¡¯re really something else, yer Yuan. No wonder why you¡¯re the number one yer in the world right now." Wang Xiuying said.

    "What do you n on doing now?"

    "I¡¯m going to go back and see if there¡¯s anything left of the demon just in case it also survived," Yuan said.

    "Can Ie with you? I won¡¯t get in your way¡ª I promise. I just want to see how yer Yuan ¡¯ys¡¯ the game." She asked him.

    "I don¡¯t mind." Yuan nodded.

    Since he already knew her and was even on good terms with her in the real world, Yuan didn¡¯t mind letting her follow him.

    "Ah. Do you know which way was the explosion?" Yuan asked her.

    "That way."

    Yuan nodded his head and proceeded to follow the direction she pointed.

    Sometimeter, they arrived at the site where the explosion urred, and as expected, the destruction caused by the Demon Lord wasn¡¯t anything tough at.

    There was a massive crater where the Demon Lord exploded, almost like a meteorite hadnded in this ce.

    "My lord... you survived something like this?" Wang Xiuying turned to look at him with a dazed expression.

    "I know... I¡¯m also surprised..." Yuan mumbled.

    The crater was a few miles in diameter, and it could be argeke if it was filled with water.

    "I¡¯ll be right back," Yuan said to her before flying into the crater to see if he could sense the Demon Lord.

    "H-He¡¯s flying?! He can fly?! Does this mean he¡¯s already a Spirit Grandmaster?! Impossible! We¡¯ve only been in the Mystic Realm for a week! Even if his cultivation base didn¡¯t reset to the beginning like the rest of us, he still shouldn¡¯t have been able to reach Spirit Grandmaster in such a short time!" Wang Xiuying was truly shocked to the core after witnessing Yuan¡¯s flying ability.

    Meanwhile, Yuan flew around the crater with his Divine Sense activated.

    "Hmm... I don¡¯t see the Demon Lord nor its demon core. Maybe the demon core was destroyed by the explosion? I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if it was..."

    After spending a couple of minutes in the crater without any results, Yuan returned to Wang Xiuying¡¯s side.

 Chapter 345 Unsuspecting Victims

    "Did you find what you were looking for?" Wang Xiuying asked him after he returned.

    "No, I didn¡¯t. Which is probably a good thing," he said.

    "What are you going to do now? Head to the Mystic Pagoda? It¡¯s only a day from this ce."

    "I still have one more ce to visit."

    Wang Xiuying nodded and followed him.

    Sometimeter, they arrived at the Abandoned Valley.

    The only reason Yuan came to this ce was for the Lan Family.

    ¡¯I hope they¡¯re fine... The explosion was extremely powerful, after all...¡¯ Yuan sighed inwardly.

    It would be dreadful if the Lan Family was also affected by the Demon Lord¡¯s explosion.

    "Wang... Healer Wang, how long was I knocked out after the explosion?" Yuan turned to ask her.

    "Uhh... A couple of minutes?"

    "Hmm..."

    "What about a white snake? Did you see any white snakes in the sky recently?"

    "Yes! I saw a flying white snake sometime before the explosion! It was really mythical!" Wang Xiuying nodded her head in excitement just recalling the flying white snake in the sky.

    "Before the explosion? Then they probably haven¡¯t left yet..." Yuan wondered where the Lan Family could¡¯ve gone after he was blown away. Surely, they didn¡¯t return to the Divine Forest, right? If they did, he won¡¯t be able to return to them since he doesn¡¯t know where the ce was located.

    ¡¯Hopefully, they¡¯re fine.¡¯ Yuan prayed inwardly for their safety.

    Sometimeter, Yuan turned to look at Wang Xiuying and asked her, "I¡¯m going to head to the Mystic Pagoda now. Do you also want toe with me?"

    "I do!" Wang Xiuying quickly nodded, as she wouldn¡¯t miss this chance that every other yer hoped to have¡ª ying alongside yer Yuan!

    Yuan looked in the sky to find the blue star before following the direction.

    "yer Yuan, if you don¡¯t mind me asking, why did you decide to y Cultivation Online?" Wang Xiuying asked him as they walked.

    "Because I want to feel alive," he calmly responded.

    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.

    "Alive...?" Wang Xiuying raised her eyebrows in a puzzled manner.

    "Yes. In the real world, even though I am living, I never felt like I am truly alive¡ª at least that was how I felt before I started ying this game." Yuan said.

    "Oooh. I think I get what you mean. I have had a lot of patients who told me the same thing." Wang Xiuying said.

    And she continued, "Oh, I am a nurse outside."

    Yuan merely smiled.

    ¡¯I know,¡¯ he said inwardly.

    "What do you do outside? If it¡¯s too personal, you don¡¯t have to answer. I know you¡¯re skeptical since everyone is trying to learn your identity, but I personally don¡¯t care about any of that."

    "I don¡¯t really do anything outside, unfortunately. I stay at home all day."

    "So you¡¯re a modern-day hermit?" Wang Xiuying said.

    "A what?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    "A modern-day hermit. Someone who stays at home and doesn¡¯t go outside unless absolutely necessary. There are many people like that nowadays due to how popr gaming has be." Wang Xiuying exined.

    "Well, I do it not because I like to. I simply don¡¯t have a choice." Yuan sighed.

    "You must be living a difficult life, huh." Wang Xiuying looked at Yuan, feeling somewhat nostalgic, almost like she has spoken with him before.

    ¡¯The way he speaks and the feeling he gives me... It¡¯s very simr to Yu Tian... I wonder if this is what he would be like if he wasn¡¯t in that condition...¡¯ Wang Xiuying noticed some simrities before Yuan and Yu Tian, mostly their atmosphere and speech.

    ¡¯I wonder what he¡¯s doing right now.¡¯

    "What about you? Why did you decide to y?" Yuan suddenly asked her.

    "I yed on a whim since it was very popr, but once I realized how effective and unique medicine is in this world, it became my reason for continuing. I have a dream, you see. A dream to heal someone, and I believe the knowledge to do so is in this world!"

    "I know it sounds silly, but I have already incorporated some of the medical practices in this world into our world, and it¡¯s working perfectly!"

    Wang Xiuying looked up into the skies and mumbled, "This game is so realistic that sometimes I wonder whether this is just a game or actually something more¡ª like another world of sorts."

    "Another world, huh? How nice would that be if it was true..." A smile appeared on Yuan¡¯s face.

    After walking for some time, they encountered a magical beast with a cultivation base around the peak of Spirit Apprentice.

    "Uh... You¡¯re a Spirit Grandmaster, right?" Wang Xiuying turned to look at him.

    While she was also at the peak of Spirit Apprentice, she wasn¡¯t exactly an expert in fighting.

    "I¡¯ll take care of it." Yuan said.

    He then used the Starry Abyss and Flying Daggers to take care of the magical beast instantly.

    "Wow! How do you do that?" Wang Xiuying expressed her admiration for his technique.

    "Hm? It¡¯s just a Mortal-grade technique that allows me to control a dagger using my spiritual energy."

    "How can such a powerful technique only be Mortal-grade?"

    After taking care of the magical beast, they continued walking in the grasnd until they reached a small city.

    Unfortunately for them, neither of them had money, so they were unable to enter the city that required a small fee.

    However, even if they had money, the Mystic Realm uses a different currency, so the currency outside wouldn¡¯t have much worth in here.

    "I guess we can only walk around the city..." Wang Xiuying sighed.

    "Or we can fly over it," Yuan suggested.

    "Fly?!" Wang Xiuying¡¯s eyes flickered with excitement.

    "Let¡¯s fly!" she nodded in agreement.

    "I¡¯ll have to carry you if you don¡¯t mind," said Yuan.

    "I don¡¯t mind."

    A momentter, Yuan carried Wang Xiuying in a princess carry before flying into the sky, shocking the guards there.

    "Heavens! He was a Spirit Grandmaster?! Did we just kick away a Spirit Grandmaster?! We¡¯re dead!" The guards began crying once they realized that they¡¯d screwed up big time.

    In their minds, Yuan was probably going straight to the city lord toin.

    Of course, Yuan did theplete opposite, ignoring the city and flying straight over it.

    "Wow! So this is what it feels like to fly!" Wang Xiuying looked down at the city with exhration.

    "I cannot wait until I be a Spirit Grandmaster so that I can fly as well! But that might take a few years!"

    Once they were on the other side of the city, Wang Xiuying said, "yer Yuan, do you mind if we continue flying for a little longer? If you¡¯re tired, we can go back down, though."

    "You can just call me Yuan. And I don¡¯t mind. We travel much faster this way as well." Yuan nodded.

    Sometimeter, Yuan suddenly stopped in midair with his gaze towards the ground.

    "There are some people there. I think they¡¯re also participants." Yuan said.

    Wang Xiuying looked down, and sure enough, there were two people wearing the same uniform at the bottom, and these people hadn¡¯t noticed them yet.

    "I think that¡¯s the Diamond Palms Sect. They¡¯re from the Northern Continent and ranked tenth." Wang Xiuying recognized them since they were also on the same continent as her sect.

    "What are you going to do?" She then asked.

    "Well, my Sect Master told me to get rid of the other participants as soon as I see them," Yuan said.

    "G-Get rid of...?" Wang Xiuying¡¯s body shivered at his words.

    "Yes. If I kill them inside this ce, they¡¯ll be teleported outside and disqualified." Yuan nodded.

    Then he added, "Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t disqualify you."

    "Really?" Wang Xiuying released a sigh of relief after hearing that.

    "Really."

    "Anyways, I don¡¯t want them to see my face, so I¡¯ll get rid of them from up here."

    After taking a deep breath, Yuan retrieved the Starry Abyss and made it turn invisible.

    He then used Flying Daggers to control the Starry Abyss,manding it to fly towards the two unsuspecting victims on the bottom.

    A secondter, two holes appear in their faces, instantly killing them.

    Wang Xiuying swallowed nervously when she saw this.

    ¡¯He can kill us as easily as breathing, and we won¡¯t even know what hit us...¡¯ she sighed inwardly.

    The difference between them was simply too vast.

    Meanwhile, outside the Mystic Pagoda, the Sect Master of the Diamond Palms Sect was shocked to the core when his disciples suddenly died out of the blue.

    "What?! What the fuck just happened?! Who killed my disciples?!" He eximed, causing the others to look at his disciples thatid on the ground in the Mystic Realm with arge hole in their heads.

    "Heavens... How brutal yet efficient..."

    A few momentster, the bodies of the two dead participants disappeared from the Mystic Realm before appearing outside with their injury fully recovered.

    "Huh? What happened? Why are we outside the Mystic Realm?"

    The two didn¡¯t even realize that they had been killed even after waking up outside the Mystic Realm. In their eyes, their visions had turned ck for a split second, and before they were aware, they were already outside the Mystic Realm. The thought of being killed just now didn¡¯t even cross their minds.

    It was not until after their Sect Master approached them and told them what happened that they finally realized they had been killed.

    "What?! That¡¯s impossible! There wasn¡¯t even anybody around us!" The two of them eximed, looking extremely confused by the situation.

    As for Wang Xiuying¡¯s view... After meeting Yuan, the mirror suddenly stopped spectating her, almost as though the treasure could no longer find her location.

 Chapter 346 Who Is Responsible For This?!

    "Are you sure you weren¡¯t ambushed or something?" The Diamond Palms Sect¡¯s Master asked the two disciples that had been brutally killed.

    "I¡¯m confident that we were alone, Sect Master!" One of the disciples quickly responded with a serious expression on his face. "We were in opennd, and we haven¡¯t encountered another participant since we entered!"

    "Then how did you two die? Who killed you?" The Sect Master mumbled in a dazed voice.

    Even he didn¡¯t see what had happened to them through the treasure. Their death was so sudden and random that if he was told his disciples were killed by ghosts, he would probably believe it.

    The Sect Master then turned to look at Senior Nie and bowed to him, "Senior Nie, what should we do now? Has something like this happened before? Where the participants die out of nowhere?"

    Senior Nie shook his head and said, "No, this has never happened before. As for what happens... Since your participants have died inside the Mystic Realm, regardless of the circumstances, your sect is now disqualified. Whatever points you received before the disqualification will be your final score."

    The Sect Master of the Diamond Palms Sect staggered like he was about to faint after hearing Senior Nie¡¯s words. How could they be disqualified so early on in the Mystic Realm? They have been in the top ten for over a hundred years! At this rate, it would be a miracle if they manage to even get into the top 100! How could such a tragedy befall their sect?! Who did they offend to deserve this?!

    However, as much as the Sect Master of the Diamond Palms Sect wanted to ask for a second chance, he knew it was pointless, and he¡¯d only be making himself into aughing stock.

    The other Sect Masters swallowed nervously when they saw this, silently praying to themselves that this wouldn¡¯t happen to their sect.

    But s, within the next few hours, many other participants experienced the same tragedy the Diamond Palms Sect had experienced.

    The participants were dying left and right without a single person knowing the cause, and this caused a greatmotion outside the Mystic Realm.

    "Just what in Heaven¡¯s name is going on?! Who is responsible for this?!"

    "Could it be another participant? Or is someone from the Mystic Realm responsible for this?!"

    "This is outrageous! At this rate, the sect ranking for the next 10 years will be all messed up!"

    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    Senior Nie was greatly bewildered by this situation, as he has never seen anything like this before.

    "What do you think is happening, Elder Nie?" One of the crystal balls asked him.

    "I really don¡¯t know what to tell you. Somebody is killing all of these people without showing himself or his methods. It¡¯s like he has an invisible weapon or something simr. And at the rate he¡¯s killing them, taking into ount the distance between each victim, this predator is traveling very quickly¡ª too quickly if I am being honest."

    "What does this all mean?" Another voice asked.

    After pondering for a moment, Elder Nie said, "This may sound absurd, but if we cannot see this killer from the treasure, he¡¯s probably a Mystic Realm native, and for some reason, he¡¯s killing every single participant. As for his reason for doing so... We will probably never know..."

    "We have known that the natives inside the Mystic Realm aren¡¯t very friendly towards us outsiders, but they have never outright hunted the participants until today. Did something change within the Mystic Realm?" One of the voices from the crystal ball spoke.

    "What should we do about the sect ranking this year? It¡¯s a freaking mess already, and there are still three weeks left. At this rate, all of the participants will be disqualified."

    Senior Nie then said, "The cultivation world is vtile in nature. Anything can happen, even ridiculous events that nobody can imagine, and this is simply one of these moments. Even if the sect ranking is flipped around this year, where the previous lowest ranking sect bes first and the previous first rank besst, we will judge it as we usually do."

    Meanwhile, at the Dragon Essence Temple, Long Yijun and the other sect elders were clearly very worried about the current situation.

    "I wonder what¡¯s going on, really. It¡¯s been a week since the Mystic Realm started and we still haven¡¯t seen Disciple Yuan¡¯s shadow, much less the person himself. I hope he¡¯s fine." Long Yijun sighed,pletely unaware that Yuan was behind this phenomenon.

    While he did tell Yuan to disqualify as many participants as he could, Long Yijun could¡¯ve never expected this kind of oue.

    However, two people there understood what was going on.

    "Xiao Hua, these invisible attacks... It¡¯s definitely him, right?" Feng Yuxiang turned to ask her.

    After a moment of silence, Xiao Hua nodded, "The way all of these people are killed as efficiently as possible with a single strike to the head... It definitely resembles Brother Yuan¡¯s style."

    After spending so much time with Yuan, she was obviously used to his fighting style, and Yuan was someone who would always go for the head whenever it was possible. Out of the thousands of magical beasts he has in, most of them had died from a single strike to the head.

    After getting Xiao Hua¡¯s confirmation, Feng Yuxiang said to Long Yijun and the others, "I think it¡¯s the Young Master behind these attacks."

    "What? Yuan? Really? How can you tell?" Elder Xuan quickly asked.

    "The attack patterns and these invisible strikes... One of the Young Master¡¯s Soul Weapons can turn invisible, and looking at the size of these holes, it matches what his Starry Abyss is capable of." Feng Yuxiang exined to them.

    "If that¡¯s the case, howe we can¡¯t see him? Where is he killing them from?" Elder Shan then asked.

    "I have a spection, but it sounds a little too absurd even for the Young Master..." Feng Yuxiang said.

    "Let us hear it." Long Yijun said with a serious expression on his face.

    Feng Yuxiang took a deep breath before continuing, "The sky."

    "What? Are you saying that Disciple Yuan is somehow killing them from the skies¡ª that he¡¯s flying?" Elder Shan looked at her with wide eyes, as it was too unbelievable.

    After all, only Spirit Grandmasters could possibly achieve such feats!

    Feng Yuxiang sighed, "That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t want to say it. It sounds absurd, I know, but it¡¯s the only thing I can think of."

    And she continued, "Think about it¡ª the first two victims were in an empty grasnd for miles with nowhere to hide, yet they were killed without seeing a shadow. If there¡¯s nobody around them, then the attack could¡¯ve onlye from one ce¡ª the skies."

    "I see, that makes sense... but it also doesn¡¯t make sense at the same time." Elder Xuan said.

    "In order to attack from the sky, Disciple Yuan must have learned to fly, but in order to do so, he must have reached at the very least Spirit Grandmaster. However, it¡¯s only been a week since the Mystic Realm opened. Even if Disciple Yuan somehow managed to escape having his cultivation base wiped, he still wouldn¡¯t be able to reach Spirit Grandmaster in such a short time¡ª at least he shouldn¡¯t."

    Feng Yuxiang shrugged, "I don¡¯t know. The Young Master is unpredictable. He¡¯s literally the reason why I try to avoid using the word ¡¯impossible¡¯ since he somehow always makes the impossible... well... possible."

    "Let¡¯s continue watching. Maybe Disciple Yuan will show up sooner orter." Elder Shan suggested.

    Inside the Mystic Realm, Wang Xiuying watched as Yuan disqualified the 39th disciple with a nonchnt expression on her face, almost like she was already used to seeing such a sight.

    ¡¯At this rate, he¡¯ll kill all of the participants in the Mystic Realm before the 30 days time limit is over...¡¯ Wang Xiuying sighed inwardly.

    The disparity between Yuan and all of the participants was simply too vast.

    This made Wang Xiuying wonder why he was being so nice and friendly to her. Normally, someone as secretive as yer Yuan wouldn¡¯t reveal so much about himself to a stranger like her, yet he has spoken to her as though they were already friends.

    In fact, Wang Xiuying already considers yer Yuan as her friend, something she didn¡¯t think was possible before today.

    "Congrattions, Yuan." Wang Xiuying suddenly said to him.

    "Hm? What for?" He raised his eyebrows slightly in a puzzled manner.

    "Congrattions on getting first ce for the Mystic Realm, obviously."

    "Haha... We don¡¯t know that yet. There are still 3 weeks left. Anything can happen in these next three weeks."

    "You¡¯re so humble, Yuan. Think about it... You¡¯re a Spirit Grandmaster who can take out any participant with a single thought. Who in this ce could rival someone like you?"

    "Perhaps that¡¯s the case, but despite my cultivation base, I nearly died today. This shows me that no matter how powerful you are, you are not invincible and you can never be too careful in the cultivation world."

    "If you say it like that, I guess so..." Wang Xiuying nodded.

    Meanwhile, at the Mystic Pagoda, three figures stood before a tall building that emitted a majesty aura.

    "What are we doing here, grandfather?" Lan Yingying asked him.

    "I just felt likeing here, that¡¯s all..." Grandpa Lan responded with a gloomy feeling around him.

    After standing there silently for a few minutes, Grandpa Lan sped his hands together and bowed to the Mystic Pagoda.

    "I¡¯m sure it was fate that he came to this ce. Thank you for guiding that young man here, Lord. If only I was a little bit stronger..."

 Chapter 347 Mystic Pagoda

    Lan Yingying and Grandma Lan followed Grandpa Lan¡¯s movements, bowing to the Mystic Pagoda with respect.

    Sometimeter, Grandpa Lan transformed into his beast form and carried his family back to the Divine Forest.

    Meanwhile, somewhere in the Mystic Realm, Gao Dongya and Xue Jiye finally began their journey after spending an entire week increasing their cultivation, reaching the Spirit Warrior realm.

    "The spiritual energy in this world is abundant and rich. If only the outside world was like this, I would¡¯ve be a Spirit Master by now!" Xue Jiye sighed out loud.

    Then she turned to look at Gao Dongya and asked him, "What should we do now? We still have no idea where Disciple Yuan is."

    "It would only be a waste of time if we look for him when we don¡¯t even know where we are, much less where he is. The only thing we can do right now is follow the n and obtain as many points as we can with what little time we have left." Gao Dongya said.

    And he continued, "Hopefully, that¡¯s what he¡¯s doing as well."

    "What do you want to do then? Hunt for magical beasts for the next three weeks?" Xue Jiye suggested, as that seemed to be the most efficient method of grinding points.

    Gao Dongya narrowed his eyes at her and said, "What a simple woman. Do you really believe you are the only one with that thought? We won¡¯t achieve first ce if we do something like this!"

    "Stop calling me woman! I have a name¡ª Xue Jiye! And do you really think we can take first ce with just the three¡ª two of us? Your ambition is too high!"

    "I don¡¯t know about you but I always strive for the best results, and the best result for the Mystic Realm would be the Mystic Pagoda!" Gao Dongya said in a calm voice.

    "The Mystic Pagoda? Hmph! Nobody has opened that ce up since ancient times. What makes you think you¡¯ll be able to open it?"

    "If I had your attitude, I would never be able to open it." Gao Dongya said, and he turned around and began walking.

    "Enough chit-chatting. We have already spent too much time increasing our cultivation."

    "Since you¡¯re so smart, why don¡¯t you tell me where we can find the Mystic Pagoda?" Xue Jiye said.

    Gao Dongya then pointed to the skies, where a blue star flickered.

    "If you¡¯d done your research beforeing here, you would know that by following the blue star, you¡¯ll reach the Mystic Pagoda. This isn¡¯t the first time people have been to this ce. Seriously, why did the Sect Master even pick someone like you toe here if you¡¯re not taking this seriously?"

    "Che." Xue Jiye sucked her teeth at Gao Dongya¡¯s response that left her speechless.

    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    Thus, they began their journey towards the Mystic Pagoda, as was every other participant in the Mystic Realm.

    Normally, they would be hunting magical beasts and doing whatever they can to increase their points, but this year was different, as everybody wanted to ascend to the Spirit Heaven, where their career as a cultivator would surely reach a new level.

    Even if their sects were to receive a lower rank because of this, none of the participants cared.

    In their mind, since there was someone as monstrous as Yuan participating in the Mystic Realm, the only way they could beat someone like him was to go above and beyond and open up the Mystic Pagoda.

    "Looks like all of the participants are heading towards the Mystic Pagoda."

    The observers outside the Mystic Realm noticed this.

    "This year¡¯s Mystic Realm is truly a mess. Not only are the participants getting killed by a mysterious force, but they¡¯re also not following the routine. This is all because of Senior Nie¡¯s presence." One of the Sect Masters there sighed.

    "Can you really me them, though? If I was in their shoes, I would also be trying to do whatever I can to go to the Spirit Heaven."

    "If I weren¡¯t so old and have an entire sect to take care of, I would also love to try to ascend."

    While the Sect Masters mumbled to each other, Senior Nie and the people in the Spirit Heavens spoke to each other.

    "Do you think the Mystic Pagoda will finally open this year?" One of the crystal balls asked.

    "Most likely not," said another voice.

    "Yeah, I highly doubt it as well."

    "The Mystic Realm has existed for countless years with countless challengers, yet not a single person has managed to open the Mystic Pagoda. This year won¡¯t be any different."

    However, Senior Nie smiled and said, "Actually, there is one person who¡¯d managed to open the Mystic Pagoda."

    "Hm? There was someone like that? Howe I have never heard of it?"

    Half of the spectators were hearing this for the first time.

    "Are you talking about the owner of the Mystic Realm, Elder Nie?"

    "Wait a second... The Mystic Realm has an owner? This is my first time hearing about this!"

    Senior Nie nodded his head and said, "It¡¯s not surprising some of you don¡¯t know about this since it¡¯s only mentioned in ancient scrolls regarding the Mystic Realm."

    "Countless years ago, when the Mystic Realm still had no Master, people could enter and leave the ce at will. However, all of that changed when a certain individual¡ª a certain young man entered the Mystic Realm and became its Master."

    "W-Wait a moment..." One of the voices interrupted and spoke, "You¡¯re telling me some youngster became the Master of the Mystic Realm? How did that happen? Who is this young man?"

    "Nobody knows his identity." Senior Nie said.

    "What? Nobody? How is that possible?" A voice of disbelief quickly resounded.

    "Because he was always wearing a mask. The only thing we know about this individual is that he¡¯s a young man¡ª at least that¡¯s what people got from his voice. He entered the Mystic Realm, became its Master, left the ce, and he was never heard from again."

    "Of course, this person also made new rules for the Mystic Realm and closed its doors. Now, only those with tokens are allowed to go inside."

    Then someone asked, "What about the tokens? Where did we get them?"

    "It was given to the founders of our sect, and we have been hosting the Mystic Realm ever since then. Nobody besides the founders knows why we¡¯re doing this, but it¡¯s be a tradition of sorts, and nobody really questions it anymore." Senior Nie said to them.

    "Heavens... And here I thought we were doing this because we¡¯re recruiting potential talents for our sect..." One of the voices mumbled in a dazed voice.

    "Honestly, that¡¯s how most of us see this nowadays, so regardless of what our founders were thinking, this is the oue," said another voice.

    Meanwhile, inside the Mystic Realm, Wang Xiuying suddenly pointed to the tall building at the end of the horizon and said, "Look at that pagoda! I think that¡¯s the Mystic Pagoda!"

    Yuan nodded and sped up a little, quickly approaching the pagoda in the distance.

    Sometimeter, they arrived at the pagoda, and Yuan descended from the sky.

    "We got here much quicker than expected since we flew here. Look at the door, this is definitely the Mystic Pagoda." Wang Xiuying pointed at the top of the door, where the words ¡¯Mystic Pagoda¡¯ were engraved.

    "This ce looks more ¡¯ordinary¡¯ than I¡¯d anticipated," Yuan said as he looked at the Mystic Pagoda.

    "You think so too?" Wang Xiuying agreed with him, and she continued, "I thought it would be more special, but I have seen simr buildings in the Northern Continent plenty of times by now. However, this ce does give me a unique feeling that other ces don¡¯t, but I cannot pinpoint what this feeling is exactly."

    "Let¡¯s take a look around the ce!" Wang Xiuying suggested.

    The two of them proceeded to walk around the Mystic Pagoda to see if there was anything around the ce.

    Literally, a minuteter, they returned to the front of the ce.

    "I didn¡¯t see anything special. What about you?"

    Yuan shook his head. Even with Divine Sense, he wasn¡¯t able to see anything unique.

    Of course, his Divine Sense wasn¡¯t able to prate the Mystic Pagoda for some reason, almost like there was something protecting it.

    A few momentster, Wang Xiuying suddenly approached the doors to the Mystic Pagoda and tried to open it.

    However, she quickly realized that was impossible, as there was no door handle at the door.

    Thus, she could only try knocking on the door.

    "Hello? Anybody inside?"

    "..."

    Nobody responded to her, something Wang Xiuying had expected even before knocking on the door.

    "Any idea how to open this ce?" Wang Xiuying turned to look at Yuan, who had been standing there in silence, staring at the Mystic Pagoda with a dazed expression on his face.

    "Yuan? Are you okay?" she asked him again.

    "Y-Yes..." Yuan nodded, and he continued, "This ce seems so nostalgic for some reason, almost like I have been here before."

    "You¡¯re thinking too much. There¡¯s obviously no way you could¡¯ve been here before." Wang Xiuying chuckled.

    "I guess..." Yuan nodded and approached Wang Xiuying before standing at the door to the Mystic Pagoda.

    It was at this moment the doors that had been sealed shut for countless years suddenly began to tremble.

    "T-This is..." Wang Xiuying¡¯s eyes widened with shock when the doors suddenly opened. Why did the doors suddenly open? They didn¡¯t even do anything special!

    "M-Maybe it opened because I knocked on the doors?" she mumbled, as this was the only exnation she could think of.

 Chapter 348 Suspiciously Easy

    "The Mystic Pagoda opened? Why?" Yuan raised his eyebrows upon seeing the doors open automatically.

    However, there was nobody to wee them inside, so why did the doors open?

    "Let¡¯s go inside and check it out," Yuan suggested.

    "W-Wait!" Wang Xiuying turned around, grabbed him, and quickly pulled him away from the Mystic Pagoda.

    Once they were far enough, the doors to the Mystic Pagoda closed again.

    "Don¡¯t be so hasty, Yuan! What if it¡¯s a trap? If you ask me, I think it¡¯s too easy! There¡¯s no way the Mystic Pagoda would open so easily for us when nobody has managed to open it for so long!" Wang Xiuying exined to him why they shouldn¡¯t go inside.

    Yuan nodded after hearing her words, "That makes sense. It¡¯s quite suspicious how the ce just opened."

    "That¡¯s right! What if we¡¯re ambushed by traps the moment we go inside? That would be disastrous!" Wang Xiuying said.

    "Then what should we do?" Yuan asked her.

    "I say we wait until someone else goes inside and see what happens. I¡¯m sure there are peopleing to this ce as we speak." Wang Xiuying responded.

    "Okay. We can observe them from the skies, where we should be safe." Yuan agreed.

    "What should we do in the meantime?"

    "I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s getting a bitte, so I¡¯m about to log off for the day."

    "It¡¯s also almost time for dinner for me as well."

    Thus, the two of them looked around the Mystic Pagoda for a few more minutes before logging off.

    In the real world, Yuan said to Meixiu, "I have arrived at the Mystic Pagoda."

    "Really? Were you able to open it?" Meixiu asked him as she fed him dinner.

    "About that... The Mystic Pagoda opened by itself, but it might be a trap, so we didn¡¯t go inside."

    "Wait... We? You¡¯re with somebody?" Meixiu raised her eyebrows.

    "That¡¯s right. I¡¯m with Wang Xiuying right now. I met her by chance, and we¡¯ve been traveling together since then."

    "I see..." Meixiu mumbled.

    "By the way, are you responsible for killing the participants? A lot of participants had been disqualified after being killed by an invisible attack." Meixiu told him about the chaos that urred outside the Mystic Realm because of his actions.

    "Oh, yeah, that was me. I took care of everyone as we approached the Mystic Pagoda. There were a lot of them, but I made sure to kill all of them like the Sect Master had advised us to do."

    "So Feng Feng and Xiao Hua were right about you being responsible for the attacks..."

    "All of the participants were unharmed after they left the Mystic Realm, right?" Yuan asked her.

    The only reason he could kill them so casually was because he was told that they wouldn¡¯t die inside the Mystic Realm.

    "Yes, all of them were fine. However... A few of them had lost a couple of levels for their cultivation after being killed." Meixiu revealed this to him.

    "Well, at least they¡¯re not hurt." Yuan casually said.

    In his mind, it was much better to lose their cultivation than to die since cultivation can be restored through time whilst death was permanent¡ª for the NPCs at the very least.

    Meixiu also didn¡¯t think too much of it since she was not a cultivator.

    "Will you be ying tonight?" Meixiu asked him after dinner.

    "Yes, I will."

    "Okay."

    Sometimeter, Yuan returned to the game whilst Meixiu went to sleep.

    Inside the game, Yuan flew towards the sky and began overseeing the Mystic Pagoda, patiently waiting for someone to fall for this ¡¯trap¡¯.

    Once he realized that it might take a while before someone shows up, he decided to start practicing his flying skill in the sky.

    Thus, Yuan proceeded to spend the entire night circling around the ce, improving his flying speed and air maneuvers.

    Wang Xiuying returned to the game in the morning.

    "Wee back." Yuan greeted her.

    "Yuan? When did youe back on?" she asked him.

    "Sincest night."

    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.

    "What? You spent the entire night ying? That¡¯s not healthy, you know." Wang Xiuying sort of lectured him.

    Then she asked, "Did anybodye through at all?"

    "No, I didn¡¯t see anybody."

    "It might take a couple of days before someone¡ª"

    "Wait. I sense a presence not far from here." Yuan suddenly interrupted her.

    "Really? Then let¡¯s hide!" Wang Xiuying said.

    Yuan nodded and carried her into the air, hiding inside the clouds.

    About fifteen minutester, a figure approached the Mystic Pagoda.

    "Hm? That person looks familiar for some reason..." Yuan narrowed his eyes at this young man that had a goofy-looking face.

    After pondering for a moment, he remembered where he¡¯d seen this person.

    "Ah, that¡¯s the yer who wanted me to show my face to him."

    "He¡¯s a yer?" Wang Xiuying asked.

    "Yes."

    The two of them continued to watch this yer¡¯s every movement.

    The yer first looked around the Mystic Pagoda just like they did when they first arrived. Once he found nothing special, the yer stood before the door and started knocking on it.

    However, there was no response from the Mystic Pagoda.

    "What¡¯s happening? Why isn¡¯t the door opening for him?" Wang Xiuying mumbled in a puzzled voice.

    "Let¡¯s wait a little bit longer," Yuan suggested.

    A few minutester, the yer started kicking the door to the Mystic Pagoda, hoping to open it by force.

    Once the yer realized that kicking the door wasn¡¯t doing him any good, he started hitting it with the ordinary sword in his grasp.

    Ding!

    The sword rebounded after striking the door, flying right out of the yer¡¯s grasp.

    After retrieving the sword, the yer tried hitting the door again multiple times.

    However, in the end, the Mystic Pagoda remained unharmed.

    "It doesn¡¯t look like the Mystic Pagoda will open for him." Wang Xiuying said.

    "Then there¡¯s no reason to keep him alive," Yuan said, immediately controlling the Starry Abyss to fly at the goofy-looking yer, creating a hole in his face a secondter.

 Chapter 349 Inside the Mystic Pagoda

    Once the yer¡¯s corpse disappeared from the Mystic Realm, Yuan returned to the ground with Wang Xiuying.

    "The door didn¡¯t open for that yer. How weird." Wang Xiuying went to knock on the door again a few momentster, but there was no response this time.

    "It¡¯s not opening even for us now. I wonder how this ce works," she sighed.

    Yuan didn¡¯t say anything and approached her.

    "Eh?! It opened again!" Wang Xiuying was surprised when the door suddenly opened.

    She then turned to look at Yuan with a pondering expression on her face.

    "Yuan, can you go over there for a second?" Wang Xiuying pointed.

    Yuan nodded and walked to the location.

    And just as Wang Xiuying expected, the Mystic Pagoda closed its doors when Yuan distanced himself from the building.

    "Yuan! I think the door is opening for you! Come back here!" Wang Xiuying said to him.

    "For me? Why?" Yuan raised his eyebrows in a puzzled manner.

    Once he approached the Mystic Pagoda, the doors opened again.

    "Look! The door opened when you got close! And it will close if you walk away!" Wang Xiuying said.

    And she continued, "Do you know why this is happening? Did you do anything special beforeing here?"

    Yuan shook his head, "Not that I remember."

    Besides fighting some demons and meeting the Lan Family, he didn¡¯t really do anything special.

    ¡¯Hmm? Wait a second. If the Empyrean Overlord belonged to the Lord, perhaps the Mystic Pagoda recognizes it, hence why it¡¯s opening its doors for me?¡¯ Yuan suddenly recalled this fact.

    "I¡¯m going to go inside then," Yuan said a momentter.

    "I wille with you!" Wang Xiuying quickly said.

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    Although there might be traps inside, it was much better than staying out here by herself, especially when there might be many participants who will be arriving soon. In other words, she felt much safer by Yuan¡¯s side.

    Yuan nodded his head, and the two of them entered the pagoda a momentter.

    "This ce is... empty..." Wang Xiuying said as she looked around the room that had literally nothing but a spiraling staircase a few meters away.

    After looking around to make sure the room was really empty, they proceeded upstairs to the second floor.

    However, the second floor was also empty.

    "Nothing here either? Where are the treasures? A ce this difficult to get into should have at least a couple of heaven-defying treasures, right?" Wang Xiuying sighed.

    And just like previously, after spending a few minutes looking around, they proceeded to the next floor.

    "From its appearance outside, the Mystic Pagoda should have nine floors." Wang Xiuying said as they entered the third floor.

    "Why am I not surprised?" Wang Xiuying merely shook her head in disappointment when she saw that nothing was on the third floor as well.

    However, they still looked around regardless.

    Sometimeter, they reached the eighth floor, and as expected, it was empty.

    "There¡¯s only one more floor. I hope there¡¯s something there." Wang Xiuying said after looking around the ce.

    After taking a deep breath, they walked upstairs.

    "Look! There¡¯s actually something here!" Wang Xiuying spoke with excitement when she noticed something different about the room.

    However, when she realized what these things were, her excitement immediately died.

    "A bed... a desk... a chair... That¡¯s it?" Wang Xiuying sighed.

    Then she noticed the mask hanging on the wall behind the desk.

    "Well, that¡¯s something unique, I guess."

    Yuan looked around and said, "Well, I was told the Master of the Mystic Realm used to live here, so it makes sense this room looks like this."

    He then turned to look at the mask on the wall and mumbled, "That must be the mask he wore. What an ordinary-looking mask."

    Compared to his ck Jade Mask, the mask on the wall looked too ordinary. In fact, it was just an ordinary mask with nothing special about it.

    "I was hoping for this mask to be a treasure, but it turned out to be ordinary as well." Wang Xiuying said after inspecting the mask.

    "Here." She then handed it to Yuan.

    "Your old mask broke, right? You can use this one instead."

    "Thank you." Yuan epted the mask and immediately put it back on his face.

    Coincidentally, the mask fitted his face perfectly.

    "What should we do now? There¡¯s clearly nothing in this room besides the furniture." Wang Xiuying said.

    Yuan looked around, and he noticed that there was another staircase leading up.

    "There¡¯s still one more floor," he said to her.

    "What? How is that possible? I remember very clearly that there are only nine floors in this ce! At least that¡¯s what it looked like from the outside!"

    "I also counted nine floors." Yuan agreed with her.

    "Maybe it¡¯s a secret floor where the treasures are held?" Wang Xiuying¡¯s eyes began flickering with excitement and hope again.

    "Let¡¯s check it out."

    A few momentster, they climbed the staircase.

    The tenth floor was clearly much smaller than the other floors, almost like an attic or sorts.

    However, there was nothing on this floor as well¡ª nothing physical at the very least.

    "What do you think this drawing is?" Yuan asked her as he looked at theplicated drawing on the floor.

    "This looks like a magic circle... At least that¡¯s what they look like in movies." Wang Xiuying said.

    And she continued, "But this is the cultivation world, so it¡¯s probably a formation. I have seen a couple of them before, but none of them look even remotely asplicated as this one."

    "I think this is what is protecting the Mystic Pagoda." Wang Xiuying said after pondering for a moment.

    "I think so too." Yuan agreed.

    However, just as they prepared to go back downstairs, the formation suddenly began to glow brightly.

    "W-What¡¯s happening?!" Wang Xiuying eximed, and she subconsciously hugged Yuan.

    "I have no idea¡ª"

    Before he could even finish his sentence, the two of them disappeared from the room, almost like they had been teleported or something.

 Chapter 350 Pillar of Light

    Once Yuan and Wang Xiuying disappeared from the tenth floor in the Mystic Pagoda, the building itself began to glow a bright azure-colored light before shooting a massive beam into the sky for everyone in the Mystic Realm to see.

    At the Divine Forest, Lan Yingying was floating on top of the water at the waterfall where Yuan impregnated her with a dazed expression on her face when she first noticed the azure-colored pir of light in the distance that pierced the heavens.

    "W-What is that?"

    For some reason, Lan Yingying felt an urge to approach that light.

    A few momentster, her grandparents could be seen flying in her direction in the sky.

    "Grandfather! What is going on?" She asked him.

    "I also have no idea, but it seems to being from the Mystic Pagoda! Something must have happened there! We must see what¡¯s happening!" Grandpa Lan said to her in an urgent manner.

    Lan Yingying quickly left the water to put on her clothes.

    A few momentster, Grandpa Lan transformed into his beast form before carrying the other two into the skies, flying towards the direction of the beam.

    Meanwhile, outside the Mystic Realm, the spectators were shocked when they saw this azure-colored beam in the sky.

    However, they were not shocked because of the light itself. They were shocked because the pir of light had somehow managed to prate the Mystic Realm and appear in their world, piercing their heavens as well!

    "Heavens! What is happening this time?!"

    The voices from the crystal balls were greatly shocked by this phenomenon.

    "This is also my first time seeing this... I have no idea what is going on..." Senior Nie shook his head with a nervous frown on his face.

    There have been too many unexinable events happening in the Mystic Realm this year. Just what on earth is happening?

    "Wait a second... This feeling I am getting from that pir of light... It¡¯s a transportation formation? It¡¯s something simr to when I came down to the Lower Heavens from the Spirit Heavens!" Senior Nie suddenly realized this.

    "What does that mean?" One of the voices asked.

    "Either somebody is going inside the Mystic Realm through a formation or the other way around¡ª someone is leaving the Mystic Realm!" Senior Nie said.

    "That¡¯s..."

    The spectators were speechless. Who could be doing such a thing? And for what reason?

    Sometimeter, one of the crystal balls cried out loud, "Ah! I can also see the pir of light here!"

    "What?!" Senior Nie eximed.

    Another voice followed, "It¡¯s true! I can see it as well! Look outside!"

    The people living at Spirit Heavens immediately looked outside their window, and to their surprise, the pir of light had somehow managed to appear in the Spirit Heavens as well.

    "Heavens! Don¡¯t tell me this is the same pir of light from the Mystic Realm?"

    "What else could it be?! How did this happen?!"

    The people from the Spirit Heavens were greatly bewildered by this unknown pir of light, especially the people that had no idea about what was happening in the Mystic Realm.

    The powerful backgrounds from the Spirit Heavens were also alerted by this pir of light, and people from all over the world were immediately sent to investigate it.

    Meanwhile, after disappearing from the Mystic Pagoda, Yuan and Wang Xiuying found themselves on this small tform that was surrounded by clouds, almost like they were somewhere in the sky.

    There was a path made from the same material as the tform in front of them, and at the end of this path was a tall wall that resembled city walls.

    "Where are we?" Wang Xiuying asked while she was still hugging Yuan¡¯s body tightly.

    Ding!

    Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.

    [You have discovered Ancient Dragon City]

    [Fame +1,000]

    "Ancient Dragon City...? Were we teleported to this ce by that formation? Just what is this ce?" Yuan mumbled in a dazed voice.

    However, Yuan was quickly snapped out of his daze when he heard a shouting voice resound in his ears.

    "Who are you people?! How did you activate the teleport formation?!"

    Before Yuan could even react, a dozen people with weapons in their grasp surrounded him and Wang Xiuying, and they were all emitting the power of a Spirit Grandmaster!

    "Y-Yuan..." Wang Xiuying¡¯s grasp on him tightened even more after feeling their unfriendly atmosphere.

    "Hello, I¡¯m sorry if we¡¯re not supposed to be here, but we were brought to this ce against our will by ident through a formation... I think." Yuan said to them.

    "Impossible! Nobody has used this teleport formation for hundreds of thousands of years!" One of the figures said.

    "What is your purpose foring here?!" Another one asked.

    "I already told you guys¡ª I don¡¯t know how we got here. We also don¡¯t have any reason to be here, so I¡¯d appreciate it if you tell us how we can go back." Yuan said to them.

    The group of people turned to look at each other.

    After a moment of silence, one of them said, "That¡¯s impossible. We also don¡¯t know how to activate that formation."

    "What?! We can¡¯t go back?! What about the Mystic Realm?!" Wang Xiuying eximed.

    "Mystic Realm...? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re from the Lower Heavens..." One of them recognized the Mystic Realm and asked.

    "That¡¯s right. We came from the Lower Heavens." Yuan confirmed.

    After another moment of silence, the one leading them spoke, "Regardless of your situation, we are going to bring you in for further questioning. If you resist, we¡¯ll kill you right here."

    In their eyes, neither Wang Xiuying and Yuan were powerful enough to threaten them¡ª especially not Wang Xiuying, who was a mere Spirit Apprentice, so they lowered their guard a little bit.

    "There¡¯s nothing we can do now but listen to them, Yuan." Wang Xiuying said to him.

    Yuan nodded, "Okay, we¡¯ll cooperate."

    Thus, the group of Spirit Grandmasters began escorting Yuan and Wang Xiuying towards the city walls in the distance.

 Chapter 351 Detained

    Once they reached the gates, the Spirit Grandmasters stopped Yuan and Wang Xiuying and said to them, "Before you enter, you must wear these."

    "Handcuffs...? Really? Why are we being treated like criminals?" Wang Xiuying frowned at the sight of these cuffs.

    "Why? Because you guys broke the rules, so you¡¯re criminals in our eyes." One of them said.

    "What?! What rules did we break? We just got here!" Wang Xiuying was in disbelief.

    "Just bying here without permission, you¡¯ve broken one of our most sacred rules!"

    "But we arrived here by ident! We didn¡¯te here because we wanted to!"

    "Regardless of your circumstances or situation, it¡¯s a fact that you¡¯ve stepped onto our sacred soil without permission. Furthermore, you¡¯re humans! Humans are not allowed in this ce!"

    "You¡¯re humans as well!" Wang Xiuying refuted.

    The Spirit Grandmasters looked at each other before bursting out withughter.

    "Humans? Us? Hahaha! We only took the appearance of humans because it¡¯s more convenient to travel in such a small form!"

    "That¡¯s right! We also take up much less space in this form!"

    "T-This form?" Wang Xiuying stared at them with wide eyes, finally realizing the situation.

    "Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re all magical beasts in human forms? I have heard about it, but this is my first time actually seeing it in person..." Wang Xiuying¡¯s body trembled once she realized that they were not really humans, only monsters in human skin.

    "That¡¯s right! We¡¯re all dragons!"

    They all held a prideful expression on their faces at this moment.

    "D-Dragons?! You¡¯re all Divine Beasts?!" Yuan looked at them with surprise.

    "What? Not all dragons are Divine Beasts! What an ignorant human." The dragons shook their heads at him.

    "Anyways, enough chit-chatting. Hurry up and put on these handcuffs, or we¡¯ll consider this is resisting us and we¡¯ll kill you on the spot."

    "..."

    Since they were outnumbered and were technically in the wrong foring to this ce without permission, Yuan and Wang Xiuying agreed to be cuffed without much fuss.

    "Good. Now we can enter the city."

    Wang Xiuying looked at these cuffs with a frown on her face, and she spoke, "Yuan... I don¡¯t feel so good. It¡¯s like these cuffs are draining my strength..."

    "Eh? Really?" Yuan raised his eyebrows since he didn¡¯t feel such effects.

    "These are special cuffs that will seal the cultivation of anyone wearing them¡ª mostly humans. As long as you wear these, you won¡¯t be able to use your cultivation and cause any troubles."

    "As if we¡¯d cause any trouble!" Wang Xiuying eximed.

    "It¡¯s better to be safe than sorry, and we only have these kinds of shackles in this ce so it¡¯s not like we have a choice."

    The dragons said to them before bringing them into the city.

    Once they were inside the city, the dragons brought Yuan and Wang Xiuying into this building before tossing them into a jail cell.

    "The two of you will stay right there until our supervisores for questioning," said the dragons before leaving them alone.

    "I can¡¯t believe it... To think we¡¯d be criminals and even tossed into a jail cell..." Wang Xiuying sighed, as this was apletely new experience for her.

    "We¡¯ll be fine as long as we cooperate with them," Yuan said to her.

    "This is all that damned Mystic Pagoda¡¯s fault! Why did it bring us here?! Are we still inside the Mystic Realm? If not, does this mean we have failed the event since we technically left the ce? Aaaah! I have so many questions!" Wang Xiuying sighed out loud.

    "There¡¯s nothing we can really do since we¡¯re already in this ce. Once they let us go, we will find a way back home." Yuan said.

    "You¡¯re really optimistic, huh? What makes you think they¡¯ll release us? What if they keep us here forever?"

    "But we didn¡¯t do anything wrong. Why would they keep us here forever?" Yuan tilted his head with an innocent expression on his face.

    "You really don¡¯t understand, huh. These people are not human, Yuan! They¡¯re all magical beasts! I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if they treat humans like trash! Even worse¡ª food!" Wang Xiuying shuddered at the thought of being eaten by dragons.

    "If anything happens, we can simply log off," Yuan said.

    "But we won¡¯t be able to log back on afterward since they¡¯ll be waiting for us! In other words, we won¡¯t be able to y until we have other yers rescue us! But who could possibly rescue us when we don¡¯t even know where we are? If the only way toe here is through the Mystic Pagoda, nobody will be able toe here!" Wang Xiuying sighed.

    Yuan frowned upon realizing how grave their situation was.

    "If we die, maybe we¡¯ll respawn outside the Mystic Realm..." Yuan then said.

    "I doubt it. Did you already forget? We¡¯re inside a city, Yuan. All cities are checkpoints, so if you die, you¡¯ll simply respawn in yourst city visited." Wang Xiuying said.

    "Oh, I didn¡¯t know that since I have never died before. And I don¡¯t really interact with other yers either." Yuan said.

    "Anyways, we¡¯re in big trouble right now. Hopefully, these dragons don¡¯t have any grudges with humans..." Wang Xiuying sighed.

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    About half an hourter, a figure finally entered their room and stood before their jail cell.

    "Hello." Yuan greeted this middle-aged man wearing silver armor that had a dragon design on his chest and two dragon heads on his shoulders.

    "Hmmm..." This middle-aged man didn¡¯t respond to his greetings, merely staring at them with a solemn expression on his face.

    "How long has it been since Ist saw humans? Ten thousand years? A hundred thousand years? I don¡¯t remember. However, the stench you humans give off... I will never forget it." The middle-aged man mumbled with a look of disdain on his face.

    Wang Xiuying swallowed nervously after hearing his words. Clearly, this guy doesn¡¯t like humans. Which meant their chances of surviving this nonsense just dropped significantly.

    After a moment of silence, the middle-aged man spoke, "I will now ask you questions. If anything thates out of your mouth is not rted to the question, I will have you both executed. Do you understand?"

    "Y-Yes..." Wang Xiuying quickly nodded.

    Yuan nodded silently.

 Chapter 352 Interrogation

    Once Yuan and Wang Xiuying nodded their heads, the middle-aged man began to speak, "First question¡ª how did you two use the teleport formation to get here?"

    "We don¡¯t know." Wang Xiuying said, and she continued, "We were standing on this formation, and before we knew it, we were already teleported to this ce."

    After a moment of silence, the middle-aged man continued, "Second question¡ª where were you guys before this? Where is this formation that you spoke of?"

    "It was inside this building that is also within this ce called the Mystic Realm."

    "The Mystic Realm?" The middle-aged man frowned and turned silent again.

    "Third question, what is your purpose foring here?"

    "As we¡¯d already said countless times by now, we didn¡¯te here by choice. We have no reason to be here." Yuan said.

    "Last question... What are your backgrounds?" The middle-aged man narrowed his eyes and stared at them with a sharp gaze.

    "We¡¯re just disciples within the Lower Heavens. We were participating in this event that required us to enter the Mystic Realm, and after exploring the ce, we ended up here." Wang Xiuying said.

    Sometimeter, the middle-aged man turned around and prepared to leave the room.

    "W-Wait! What about us?" Wang Xiuying asked him in a nervous voice.

    "You¡¯ll be staying here for a little longer while I verify some information. Don¡¯t worry, as much as I hate you, humans, I don¡¯t kill unnecessarily." The middle-aged man said to them before leaving the room.

    "Phew... At least they won¡¯t immediately kill us..." Wang Xiuying released a relieved sigh.

    Thus, the two of them continued to wait inside the jail cell.

    Meanwhile, outside the building, the middle-aged man made his way to this massive pce, which took him about an hour of flying.

    "Captain Cheng."

    The guards at the bottom of this pce greeted this middle-aged man wearing silver armor.

    "I¡¯m here to see the Royal Family regarding the teleport formation that had recently been activated," he said.

    "The Royal Family is already expecting you."

    Captain Cheng nodded his head and proceeded to walk the steps to the pce on the top.

    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.

    Even though he could simply fly up there, he didn¡¯t dare to do so since it was a sign of disregard and disrespect for the royal family that lived in this ce.

    Sometimeter, Captain Cheng entered the pce that was made entirely out of some sort of white jade-like material, giving the ce an exquisite atmosphere.

    Once inside, Captain Cheng went straight to the audience hall, where four people sat at the end of the room, almost like they were expecting Captain Cheng to arrive.

    "This subordinate apologizes for making the Royal Family wait." Captain Cheng kneeled on one of his knees and lowered his head before these four people before speaking in a respectful voice.

    "Raise your head." One of the four figures spoke.

    "Yes, Your Majesty."

    Captain Cheng raised his head to look at the four people sitting on the tform before him.

    A middle-aged man with sharp facial expressions, a beautiful middle-aged woman that gave off a sophisticated aura, a handsome young man with a stern look on his face, and finally, a graceful youngdy with bright and clear eyes.

    "Now, tell us about the individuals who¡¯d managed to activate the teleport formation," said the middle-aged man wearing majestic robes fitting of an emperor.

    "Yes, Your Majesty." Captain Cheng responded before continuing, "ording to my investigation, these two individuals are humans from the Lower Heavens, and they¡¯d identally arrived at this ce."

    "What? Humans from the Lower Heavens? And they identally arrived at this ce? How is that possible? One doesn¡¯t simply just ¡¯identally arrive¡¯ at our Ancient Dragon City that has been isted from the rest of the world for millions of years!" The middle-aged woman spoke with a dumbfounded look on her beautiful face.

    "They also mentioneding from the Mystic Realm..." Captain Cheng suddenly added.

    "What? The Mystic Realm? Why didn¡¯t you say that first, you idiot!" The middle-ageddy quickly said.

    "The Mystic Realm... So it¡¯s time, huh..." The middle-aged man mumbled with a nostalgic look on his face. "But why are there two people? I was only expecting one."

    "Captain Cheng, I want you to bring these two humans here." The middle-aged man then said.

    "Pardon me? Your Majesty wants me to bring the humans... here? To the Dragon Pce?" Captain Cheng looked at them with wide eyes filled with shock, as he thought humans are forbidden to step foot inside the Dragon Pce!

    "Do I have to repeat myself, Captain Cheng?" The middle-aged man frowned.

    "N-No! This subordinate will immediately bring them here! Please excuse me!"

    Captain Cheng quickly stood up and left the pce. However, he didn¡¯t forget to bow to them once more before leaving.

    "Why are you allowing humans to step foot inside our sacred Dragon Pce, father?" The young man sitting beside him asked after Captain Cheng left the scene.

    "This is aplicated situation that even I don¡¯t understand fully, and it¡¯s also our ancestors¡¯ will."

    "What?! The ancestors?!" The young man and youngdy expressed great shock after hearing this.

    "You¡¯re still too young to learn it, so I will spare the exnation for now. You¡¯ll probably understand it sooner orter regardless now that these visitors have finallye." The middle-aged man said.

    "Finallye?" The young man raised his eyebrows, as it sounded like they have been waiting for these people toe for a long time now.

    Didn¡¯t these humanse here by ident? How could they possibly predict something like this?

    "I wonder what kind of people these humans are. This will be my first time seeing humans." The youngdy suddenly spoke with anticipation in her eyes.

    "Why are you excited? They are only humans¡ª inferior beingspared to us dragons. From what I heard, they¡¯re all weak and have terrible characteristics. In fact, humans are the reason we¡¯ve isted ourselves in this world." The young man sneered.

    "Still, I want to see them for myself." The youngdy said.

 Chapter 353 Dragon Palace

    After leaving the Dragon Pce, Captain Cheng returned to the building where Yuan and Wang Xiuying were being held.

    "Are the humans still inside?" Captain Cheng asked the guards standing outside.

    "Yes, Captain! Nobody has entered or left this ce ever since you left!" The guards responded.

    "Good."

    Captain Cheng went inside a momentter to see Yuan and Wang Xiuying sitting in their jail cell with bored-looking expressions on their faces.

    "Guards! Open the cells!" Captain Cheng said to them.

    "Yes, Captain!" The guards didn¡¯t question him and immediately opened the cell doors.

    "Are we free?!" Wang Xiuying¡¯s face immediately brightened.

    "No, you¡¯re not free. You¡¯reing with me now." Captain Cheng said to them.

    "Oh..." Wang Xiuying sighed after hearing this and returned to look dispirited.

    Once they were outside, Captain Cheng carried the two of them into the skies using Qi Maniption.

    "You¡¯re... a Spirit King?" Yuan recognized his spiritual energy. However, it was much more powerful than Senior Nie¡¯s and even Xiao Hua¡¯s cultivation. If he had to take a guess, this person was around the peak of Spirit King.

    Captain Cheng looked at Yuan and said, "You can tell? Not bad for someone only in the Spirit Grandmaster realm."

    "Only?" Wang Xiuying raised her eyebrows. "How powerful are the people here when you make it sound like Spirit Grandmasters are insignificant?"

    "Hmph. You¡¯re from the Lower Heavens so Spirit Grandmasters are probably the peak of cultivation there and are revered by everyone and their mother. However, in this world, Spirit Grandmasters are only qualified to be bodyguards at best!"

    "What? Bodyguards at best?" Wang Xiuying stared at him with a dazed look on her face, as she was having trouble imagining the power scale of this ce.

    "Just where are we, exactly?" Yuan asked him a momentter.

    "You¡¯re currently in the Ancient Dragon City, a ce isted from the Nine Heavens. In other words, we don¡¯t belong to the Nine Heavens. However, if we were, we would probably exist somewhere in the middle of the Nine Heavens."

    "So even higher than the Spirit Heavens? Amazing." Yuan expressed his admiration.

    "Spirit Heavens? Hah! That ce is like a backwater areapared to our sacred ce!" Captain Chengughed out loud.

    Sometimeter, Yuan asked, "By the way, where are we heading? We¡¯ve been traveling for almost an hour now."

    "It¡¯s a ce that¡¯s too good for you humans, that¡¯s for sure. We¡¯re almost there. I¡¯ll exin it more once we get there."

    A few more minutester, Captain Cheng started descending from the skies.

    "That¡¯s... a pce? What a beautiful ce." Yuan expressed his admiration for the pce made out of white jade.

    "A breathtaking ce, indeed..." Wang Xiuying mumbled with a dazed look on her face.

    Once theynded, Captain Cheng said to them, "This is the Dragon Pce, where the Royal Family lives."

    "The Royal Family?" Wang Xiuying swallowed nervously. These people sound like incredible big shots! Why were they brought here? To meet the Royal Family?

    "I will warn you now, and I will only warn you once. If you show even the slightest disrespect or hostility towards the Royal Family, I will immediately kill you on the spot." Captain Cheng warned them with a stern look on his face.

    "Do you two understand?"

    "Yes." They quickly nodded.

    "Good. Then follow me." Captain Cheng then led them to the staircase where other guards were stationed.

    ¡¯Wow, they¡¯re really all Spirit Grandmasters...¡¯ Yuan said to himself after seeing their cultivation.

    Once they climbed the staircase, Captain Cheng brought them to the audience room, where the Royal Family was already seated.

    ¡¯That¡¯s the Royal Family? They have such a powerful atmosphere around them!¡¯ Wang Xiuying could feel a suffocating pressure around her body just from looking at them.

    "Stop right there!" Captain Cheng suddenly said to them once they got within a certain distance from the Royal Family.

    Yuan and Wang Xiuying immediately stopped walking.

    "Greet the Royal Family!" He continued.

    "Uhh... Hello?" The two of them greeted the Royal Family awkwardly, as they have never met royalty before, much less greet them.

    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.

    "The audacity! Why aren¡¯t you kneeling on the floor when you¡¯re greeting the Royal Family?! And what¡¯s with that greeting?! Do you have a death wish?! I even warned you right before we entered this ce!" Captain Cheng roared at them before grabbing the sword by his side and raising it into the air, seemingly prepared to chop them to pieces.

    "Aaah! Yuan!" Wang Xiuying shouted in a terrified voice.

    Yuan subconsciously responded to Wang Xiuying¡¯s voice, and he immediately summoned the Empyrean Overlord and stood between Captain Cheng and Wang Xiuying, protecting her from him.

    "Y-You! How dare you point a weapon at me! A mere human!" Captain Cheng¡¯s Spirit King cultivation base exploded from his body.

    *Cough*

    Wang Xiuying coughed up a mouthful of blood after experiencing Captain Cheng¡¯s tyrannical cultivation base. Yuan wasn¡¯t much better. Even with his talents, the disparity between Spirit Grandmaster and Spirit King was simply too much. Furthermore, his opponent was a dragon.

    However, he wasn¡¯t just going to stand there and do nothing while Wang Xiuying was feeling pain.

    But before he could really do anything, the middle-aged man sitting at the end of the room suddenly stood up and shouted in a loud voice, "Halt!"

    A powerful aura that was far stronger than Captain Cheng¡¯s aura suddenly filled the ce, yet it didn¡¯t hurt Yuan or Wang Xiuying. Instead, it canceled out Captain Cheng¡¯s aura.

    Captain Cheng immediately withdrew his pressure after hearing the middle-aged man¡¯s words.

    "Who told you to treat the guests so roughly, Captain Cheng?! If you¡¯d hurt them or worse¡ª killed them¡ª the death sentence would be the least of your worries!" The middle-aged man eximed, shocking him.

    "T-This subordinate was wrong!" Captain Cheng immediately kneeled on the ground and apologized.

    However, the middle-aged man ignored him and approached Yuan and Wang Xiuying.

    "Be at ease, guests. Things had gotten out of hand just now, and it was never our intention." The middle-aged man said to Yuan with a friendly smile on his face.

 Chapter 354 Royal Family

    Despite the middle-aged man¡¯s friendly approach, Yuan remained alert, keeping the Empyrean Overlord in his grasp.

    "Captain Cheng, get out of our sight!" The middle-aged man turned to look at him.

    "B-But I cannot leave these two here without any supervision¡ª"

    "Do you really think we need supervision for them?" The middle-aged man narrowed his eyes.

    "T-This subordinate has asked a stupid question! Please excuse me!" Captain Cheng said before leaving the room with a reddened face.

    Once Captain Cheng left the scene, the middle-aged man returned his attention to Yuan and said, "I¡¯m Xi Shengmo, also known as the Dragon Emperor, ruler of the Ancient Dragon City. Behind me is my royal family."

    The middle-aged woman nodded her head and said, "I¡¯m Xi Mingze, also known as the Dragon Empress."

    "Dragon Prince, Xi Murong," said the handsome young man in a prideful tone.

    "Hello! I am Xi Meili, the youngest child! I have always wanted to meet humans!" The graceful youngdy spoke with a bright smile on her face,plimenting her bright eyes.

    "..."

    Yuan felt oddly at ease after Xi Meili¡¯s introduction, and he lowered his sword.

    He then turned to look at Wang Xiuying and asked her, "Are you okay?"

    "Y-Yes... I am fine. I have experienced worse pain when I practiced my own medicine on myself..." She nodded her head after wiping the blood from her lips.

    "Here, let me help you get these cuffs off." The Dragon Emperor snapped his fingers, causing the cuffs to open and fall onto the ground.

    Once the situation calmed down, the Dragon Emperor returned to his seat and said to them, "I have heard the situation from Captain Cheng. You two arrived here by ident after encountering a formation in the Mystic Realm, correct?"

    "That¡¯s right." Yuan nodded.

    "Hmmm..."

    After sitting there in silence with a pondering face, the Dragon Emperor spoke, "Come with me. I want to confirm something¡ª whether it¡¯s all just a big coincidence or you¡¯re really the one."

    "Confirm what?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    The Dragon Emperor stood up and said, "Our ancestors had a prophecy¡ª that one day, a human will arrive at our Ancient Dragon City andplete the ritual."

    "Ritual?" Wang Xiuying and Yuan looked at each other. This sounded dangerous in its own ways.

    "Come with me, I¡¯ll show you." The Dragon Emperor said as he walked out of the room.

    Yuan and Wang Xiuying followed him. Not that they really had a choice in the first ce.

    "Hey, why are you wearing a mask?"

    The Dragon Princess, Xi Meili, suddenly appeared beside Yuan and asked him with a curious gaze on her pretty face.

    "Oh, I have my reasons. But if you want me to take it off, I don¡¯t mind, since that reason doesn¡¯t apply in this ce." Yuan said.

    "I want to see your face if you don¡¯t mind." Xi Meili said.

    Yuan nodded and removed the mask on his face, revealing to them his handsome and young face.

    "Good enough?"

    "Yes, you look much better than I¡¯d imagined." Xi Meili chuckled.

    "I¡¯ll take that as apliment." Yuan smiled.

    "What¡¯s the outside world like? Are there a lot of humans?" Xi Meili then asked.

    "Yes, there are. The only thing different outside is that we¡¯re not surrounded by clouds like we¡¯re here. This reminds me, are we somewhere in the sky or something?" Yuan then asked.

    "Nope. That¡¯s just how this world is. The ground is made of clouds, and the sky also has clouds."

    "I see... What a mythical ce." Yuan nodded.

    Sometimeter, they arrived at the ritual site, which was a couple of miles behind the Dragon Pce.

    The ritual site itself wasn¡¯t anything too special. There were nine dragon statues ced in a circle formation, and in the middle of this formation was a crystal ball shaped like a dragon¡¯s head.

    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    "What are we supposed to do here?" Yuan asked them.

    "Do you see that crystal ball in the middle?" The Dragon Emperor asked him, and he continued without waiting for a response, "That is the Crystal of Fate. If you drop your blood onto it, the Crystal of Fate will evaluate your talents, and the dragon statues will release a pir of light that corresponds to your talents."

    "If you can somehow make all nine dragon statues release a pir of light, a treasure will reveal itself. This treasure was left behind by our ancestors, and we have been trying to obtain it for millions of years now. However, we¡¯ve never been able to release all nine pirs of light¡ª only seven at most."

    "Now this is where their prophecyes into y. They said that one day, someone¡ª a human will arrive in our world and release all nine pirs of light."

    "Hmph! As if a mere human could possibly have more talents than us dragons!" The Dragon Prince suddenly snorted.

    He then looked at Yuan and said, "Just so you know, I have managed to release 7 pirs of light! And I am recognized as one of the most talented dragons since our ancestors¡¯ era!"

    "If you can release more pirs of light than I did, I will lower my head and call you boss!"

    "Ehhh..." Yuan was at loss for words.

    "By the way, I also managed to release seven pirs of light." Xi Meili said a momentter.

    "Now which one of you would like to go first? The prophecy only mentioned a single human, so I wasn¡¯t expecting two." The Dragon Emperor said to them.

    Yuan then said, "If we help you in this ritual, will you help us return to our own ce?"

    "As in return to the Mystic Realm? That¡¯s going to be a little tricky since it¡¯s been a long time since anyone has left this world, but we¡¯ll try to assist you to the best of our abilities."

    "I understand." Yuan nodded, then he turned to look at Wang Xiuying and asked her, "Do you want to go first?"

    "I do!" Wang Xiuying immediately nodded her head.

 Chapter 355 Dragon Awakening Ritual

    "Okay, then this youngdy shall go first." The Dragon Emperor nodded his head at Wang Xiuying.

    Wang Xiuying then approached the crystal ball in the middle of the formation.

    "I just need to drop some of my blood onto this crystal ball, right?" She asked for confirmation.

    "That is correct. You may use the dagger beside the Crystal of Fate to release your blood. Just a few drops will be enough." The Dragon Emperor nodded.

    Wang Xiuying grabbed the cool-looking dagger with a dragon design on the handle and poked a small hole on the tip of her finger.

    She then squeezed a few drops of blood onto the crystal ball.

    The crystal ball immediately absorbed her blood and began glowing a subtle golden light.

    A few secondster, one of the dragon statues emitted a golden aura before shooting into the sky.

    A few more secondster, a second dragon statue released a pir of golden light into the sky.

    Then, a third pir of light appeared in the sky for all of the people in the city to see.

    "Someone is partaking in the Dragon Awakening Ritual? Who could it be?"

    The people in the city stopped whatever they were doing to spectate the ritual like they always do.

    However, the ritual ended sooner than the people had expected, as the pirs of lights had stopped at three.

    "Hahaha! Which trash is participating in the ritual? Three pirs of light? That¡¯s pathetic!"

    "When was thest time someone released only three pirs? I don¡¯t remember!"

    The people spectating the ritual from afar burst outughing when they saw the results.

    Meanwhile, at the ritual site, Xi Murong pped his thighs andughed out loud, "Three?! Hahaha! Howughable!"

    "I guess you¡¯re not the one..." The Dragon Emperor shook his head at Wang Xiuying, who returned with a somewhat embarrassed expression on her face.

    "Don¡¯t mind it, youngdy. Releasing three pirs of light is actually very good for someone from the Lower Heavens. You should be proud of yourself." Xi Meili approached Wang Xiuying tofort her.

    "Thank you, Dragon Princess..." Wang Xiuying said with a slight smile on her face.

    "I am serious, youngdy. Releasing three pirs of light is an incredible feat for a human. This Dragon Awakening Ritual is meant for dragons. If other humans in the Lower Heavens were to take this ritual, they might not even be able to release a single pir." Xi Meili reassured her that it was nothing to be embarrassed about.

    "If you say it like that, I guess..." The smile on Wang Xiuying¡¯s face became less stiff and more genuine.

    "Young man, it¡¯s your turn." The Dragon Emperor looked at Yuan.

    Since Wang Xiuying failed, it was very likely that Yuan is the person mentioned in the prophecy, but there is also the chance that neither of them has anything to do with the prophecy and that they¡¯d truly arrived in this ce by ident.

    Sometimeter, Yuan approached the crystal ball shaped like a dragon¡¯s head and took a deep breath.

    He then dropped some of his blood onto it.

    Once the crystal ball absorbed his blood, it immediately began to glow golden, and it was emitting a light that was noticeably more colorful than Wang Xiuying¡¯s attempt.

    A few secondster, the first pir of light was released, piercing straight into the heavens.

    The second pir appeared a few more secondster, as did the third and fourth.

    "Look! Someone else is partaking in the Dragon Awakening Ritual!"

    "Four pirs, huh? At least this person is already better than thest one."

    "Obtaining three pirs will guarantee that they will reach Spirit Grandmaster. Four pirs mean they have the talent to reach Spirit Lord."

    A few secondster, the fifth pir appeared.

    "Five pirs! This person will reach at least Spirit King! Not bad!"

    "Ooooh! Six pirs! Someone has managed to obtain six pirs! This person is, without a doubt, a genius! Spirit Emperor is guaranteed for this person as long as he or she lives long enough!"

    "H-Heavens! Seven pirs! This person has managed to get seven pirs! He¡¯s on the same level as the children from the Royal Family!"

    "Whoever this person is, his future is looking great!"

    "S-Seven pirs...?" Xi Murong, the Dragon Prince, swallowed nervously upon seeing this, and an ominous feeling appeared in his guts.

    However, the eighth pir didn¡¯t appear after the seventh pir¡ª at least not within just a few seconds like usual.

    Just as Xi Murong sighed in relief that Yuan stopped at seven pirs of light, the eighth dragon statue began emitting a golden aura before shooting it into the skies, shocking the spectators.

    "E-Eight! Eight pirs! Whoever this individual is¡ª he¡¯s managed to rival the ancestors in terms of talents!"

    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    The spectators were shaking in excitement when they saw this.

    The Dragon Emperor also trembled with excitement and anticipation when he saw this.

    ¡¯He¡¯s the one! There¡¯s no way he isn¡¯t the one in the prophecy!¡¯ The Dragon Emperor was almost certain at this point that Yuan was the one they have been waiting for¡ª the one who¡¯ll help them reveal their ancestors¡¯ treasure!

    A whole minute after Yuan released the eighth pir of light, the Ancient Dragon City suddenly began to shake, which shook the residences greatly, as they have never experienced an earthquake in this world before.

    In fact, natural earthquakes cannot happen in this world, so this was a phenomenon caused by something unnatural!

    "W-What¡¯s happening?"

    The earthquake was so powerful that it¡¯d knocked many people onto the ground.

    A few moments into the earthquake, the ninth dragon statue suddenly began to emit a golden aura.

    However, what came out of the ninth statue wasn¡¯t a pir of light. Instead, the hologram of a dragon appeared from the statue and flew towards the sky before circling around the world like some kind of guardian.

    In fact, this dragon somewhat resembled the dragon that appeared at the Dragon Essence Temple after Yuan cleared all 100 floors of the Carp Leaping Over Dragon¡¯s Gate Tower!

 Chapter 356 Dragon Ancestor

    The moment this dragon appeared in the sky, the Dragon Emperor and his family could feel their blood reacting to the dragon.

    "Ancestor!"

    The Dragon Emperor and the others immediately kowtowed on the ground and bowed to the dragon in the sky.

    If one were to see the Ancient Dragon City from above right now, one would see that every person in this city was kowtowing at this moment.

    Unexpectedly, the ancestor of the Royal Family had been summoned after awakening the ninth dragon statue.

    "This dragon looks familiar... The Great One?" Yuan sort of recognized this dragon in the sky, as it resembled the Great One he has met multiple times by now.

    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.

    After circling around the sky above the Ancient Dragon City exactly nine times, the golden dragon stopped flying and turned to stare at the city with its powerful gaze that sent chills down everyone¡¯s spine.

    The Dragon Ancestor then narrowed its eyes at the area behind the Dragon Pce, or more specifically, the individual who was standing in the Dragon Awakening Ritual¡ª Yuan.

    "So you have finally returned..." The Dragon Ancestor spoke.

    And it continued, "Oh, before you respond or ask me anything, I am merely a recording, so I won¡¯t be able to answer your questions."

    After a moment of silence, the Dragon Ancestor continued, "The fact that you¡¯ve summoned me means you¡¯ve finally made it to my humble world. You may or may not remember anything, but this is proof that you¡¯re on the right track. However,ing here is just the beginning. You still have a long journey before you will aplish your goals."

    "And just like we have arranged, I have left behind for you a small gift. I hope to see you soon at the peak."

    After a small pause, the Dragon Ancestor continued, "Now as for my family... I don¡¯t know who is in charge right now or what you¡¯re doing, but I want you to treat my little friend here right. Consider this request my will or something like that. You won¡¯t regret it, I promise."

    "Until next time, my friend."

    The Dragon Ancestor disappeared from the sky shortly after saying his words, dumbfounding everybody in the Ancient Dragon City, as nobody there had any idea what their ancestor was talking about.

    However, to call someone its ¡¯friend¡¯, this person must be fairly important to the Dragon Ancestor.

    Once the Dragon Ancestor disappeared, the ninth and final pir of light appeared in the sky.

    It was at this moment a massive magic circle appeared in the sky above the Ancient Dragon City.

    "What the heck is that?!" Xi Murong cried out loud when he saw this formation.

    "Such a thing existed above the city? Even I didn¡¯t know this!" The Dragon Emperor was also shocked to see the formation.

    A few momentster, this formation in the sky released a powerful light that basked everyone in the Ancient Dragon City.

    "Father! I can feel my body growing more powerful! I think this light is affecting our bloodline!" Xi Meili suddenly eximed.

    "What?!"

    When Xi Meili mentioned their bloodline, the Dragon Emperor and Dragon Empress immediately checked their bodies, and sure enough, their bloodlines had improved!

    The formation in the sky disappeared exactly a minuteter, and a small object could be seen descending from the sky afterward.

    This object descended towards the Dragon Pce and hovered in front of Yuan sometimeter.

    "This is... a drop of blood?" Yuan grabbed the bottle that contained a single drop of blood inside.

    [You havepleted the Hidden Quest: Dragon Awakening Ritual]

    [You have obtained ¡¯Dragon Ancestor¡¯s Blood Essence¡¯]

    [You have obtained Fame +500]

    Peace quickly returned to the Ancient Dragon City, but the people there were still filled with shock and disbelief about the events today, and they will remain that way for the next couple of days.

    "Y-Young man, what was your name again?" The Dragon Emperor looked at Yuan with aplicated look on his face.

    "Yuan."

    "Do you think I can take a look at that treasure, Yuan? Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t take it from you. The ancestor has already spoken. That treasure belongs to whoever manages to release all nine pirs of light." The Dragon Emperor reassured him that they won¡¯t take away the treasure.

    After all, if they went against their ancestors¡¯ wishes, it might affect their bloodline, and no treasure in this world is worth more than their own bloodline.

    Yuan nodded and handed him the bottle.

    The Royal Family gathered around the Dragon Emperor and looked at the drop of blood inside the bottle.

    "My bloodline is reacting to this drop of blood." Xi Meili said.

    "Mine as well." Xi Murong agreed.

    "I think this drop of blood belongs to the ancestor..." The Dragon Emperor said.

    "If that¡¯s true, this drop of blood is too precious to be given to a human! We cannot give it to him! It¡¯ll be worth more in our hands!" Xi Murong said.

    Pap!

    "Ah!"

    Xi Murong suddenly cried out loud in a painful voice when the Dragon Empress pped him.

    She then said with a frown on her face, "Were you asleep just now when the Dragon Ancestor spoke? The Dragon Ancestor wants this treasure to be given to Yuan, so it will be given to him! No questions asked! Unless you want to challenge the Dragon Ancestor!"

    "I-I don¡¯t dare!" Xi Murong quickly said.

    Challenge the Dragon Ancestor who dominated the Nine Heavens and created this utopia for them? He¡¯d be cursed to death by everyone around him regardless of his status as Dragon Prince!

    Sometimeter, the Dragon Emperor handed the bottle back to Yuan and said to him, "Please take care of this treasure, Yuan. This drop of blood is worth more than you can possibly fathom¡ª it¡¯s not something a human being should hold if I have to bepletely honest with you."

    "I understand. Thank you." Yuan nodded and epted the bottle of blood.

    "Umm... Do you have something I can use to hold it? I don¡¯t have my spatial ring with me."

    The Dragon Emperor nodded and said, "Of course. We have plenty of those. Come with me."

 Chapter 357 Xi Meili

    Sometimeter, Yuan and Wang Xiuying followed the Royal Family back into the Dragon Pce.

    "Congrattions, Yuan. You¡¯ve managed to obtain a treasure that even Immortals would kill for." Xi Meili said to him.

    "Immortals? How powerful are Immortals?" Yuan asked.

    "Real Immortals are extremely powerful. They¡¯re so powerful that even my parents cannot do anything to them despite their cultivation bases." Xi Meili said, and she continued, "By the way, my parents are one realm above Spirit Emperors¡ª Spirit Sovereigns."

    "I see... but what can I do with this drop of blood? Can I consume it?" Yuan then asked.

    After all, he¡¯s already consumed phoenix blood before.

    "Yes. You can consume it to increase the grade of your bloodline. And depending on your bloodline, it might increase the grade of your bloodline by more than one grade! Crazy, right? Humans would go to war for this drop of blood." Xi Meili said.

    "How lucky, Yuan. You have once again obtained something incredible." Wang Xiuying congratted him.

    And she continued, "I¡¯m beginning to understand how you were able to achieve the things you had achieved."

    "It just happens," Yuan said with a smile on his face.

    Sometimeter, the Dragon Emperor handed Yuan a spatial ring, "Here, you can use this to store your treasures."

    [Dragon Spatial Ring]

    [Grade: Heaven]

    [Mental Strength Required: 25,000]

    [Description: A pouch that contains its own space. Muchrger than normal Spatial Rings. Can hold a few hundred watermelons inside.]

    "Thank you." Yuan epted the ring before storing the Dragon Ancestor¡¯s Blood Essence inside.

    "Now, regarding your way back to the Lower Heavens... We can try to activate the teleport formation you guys came from, but that will require some time and research since it¡¯s been a very long time since west used it." The Dragon Emperor said to them.

    "How long do you think it¡¯ll take, Senior Xi?" Wang Xiuying asked him.

    "At least a week," he responded.

    "A week, huh... As long as we can get back before the Mystic Realm event ends..." she nodded.

    "You can stay here in the meantime. I will assign some servants to you¡ª"

    "I will do it!" Xi Meili suddenly interrupted, even volunteering for the job.

    "You will?" Her father looked at her with raised eyebrows.

    "You guys don¡¯t mind, right? I want to spend as much time as I can with you two before you leave this ce. Who knows, maybe this will be myst time seeing humans." Xi Meili said.

    "I don¡¯t mind," Yuan said.

    "Me neither." Wang Xiuying agreed.

    "Great! Lunch is about to be served, so we can decide what you want to do afterward. Maybe I can show you around the city or something." Xi Meili suggested.

    "That sounds like a great idea." As someone who loves to explore, Yuan agreed with her suggestion.

    Xi Meili then brought them to the guest room, where they drank tea and talked about random things until lunch was prepared.

    "What¡¯s life like here? You can¡¯t leave this ce, right? It reminds me of the people inside the Mystic Realm since they also cannot leave that world." Yuan asked Xi Meili.

    "It¡¯s not that we cannot leave this ce. We can leave whenever we want, but nobody really wants to go outside." Xi Meili revealed to him.

    "Really? Why? Aren¡¯t you bored of staying in this one ce for the rest of your life?" Yuan then asked.

    "Although I don¡¯t know how big the outside world is, I was told that the Ancient Dragon City wasparable to an entire continent outside. And while it does get boring sometimes, at least we¡¯re safe in this world."

    "I heard from my parents that the outside world is incredibly dangerous with life-threatening existences roaming everywhere. In this world, people rarely die from unnatural causes, and everyone can live for tens of thousands of years without any worries."

    "What an incredible ce... It sounds almost like a paradise." Wang Xiuying said, feeling a little envious of their peaceful life.

    "Yes!" Xi Meili nodded her head with a bright expression on her face, and she continued to speak, "Furthermore, everyone in this world is from the dragon race, so we don¡¯t have to worry about arguing with the other races, which is incrediblymon in the outside world from what I heard."

    "I see... By the way, what cultivation are you? I cannot sense your cultivation base." Yuan suddenly asked her, as he has been wondering about this for a while now.

    "Me? I¡¯m a Spirit Emperor," she casually said.

    "Spirit Emperor?! If you don¡¯t mind me asking, how old are you?" Wang Xiuying asked her.

    "I will be 10,169 years old next month."

    "Ten thousand years old?! You don¡¯t look that old!" Wang Xiuying said, feeling a little envious of Xi Meili. If only she could be 100 years old and look like she was in her early twenties, much less 10,000 years old¡ª that would be the dream of every female in the real world.

    "Old? I¡¯m still very young. My brother is almost 30,000 years old. As for my parents, they¡¯re well over 100,000 years old!" Xi Meili said.

    "What¡¯s the average lifespan for an ordinary dragon?" Yuan asked out of curiosity.

    "About 50,000 years, but that number increases drastically with cultivation."

    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    "50,000 years..." Yuan mumbled in a dazed voice.

    The cultivation world is truly unfathomable and filled with wonders.

    "What about you two? How old are you?" Xi Meili asked them next.

    "I¡¯m 18 years old." Wang Xiuying said.

    "I¡¯m also 18 years old," Yuan said.

    "Wait... You¡¯re only 18 years old?" Xi Meili looked at Yuan with a gawking expression on her pretty face.

    "Yes?" Yuan said in a questioning tone.

    "And you¡¯re already a Spirit Grandmaster? As expected of someone who managed to release all nine pirs of light... Your talents are truly terrifying." Xi Meili said.

    Sometimeter, a servant notified them that lunch was prepared.

    "Let¡¯s go eat for now. We can talk moreter." Xi Meili said, escorting them to the dining room shortly after.

 Chapter 358 A Dragons Pride

    Once Xi Meili brought them to the dining room, they were greeted by arge table that was filled with food from the center to the edge of the table.

    There was so much food on the table that it looked like a feast for 100 people.

    Wang Xiuying was left speechless by this. Surely, they didn¡¯t have to cook that much food for just six people, right?

    "That¡¯s a lot of food," Yuan said out loud after seeing it.

    Xi Meili chuckled and said, "We¡¯re dragons¡ª we eat a lot."

    "Come, take a seat." The Dragon Emperor said to them with a bright smile on his face, clearly in a very blissful mood.

    A few momentster, once they were all seated, the Dragon Emperor spoke again, "Yuan, I will raise this cup for you, who released all nine pirs of light and made history today, even helping us improve our bloodlines."

    "Thank you, Yuan." The Dragon Empress also raised her cup.

    "Che. As much as I hate to admit it, you¡¯re pretty good for a human." Xi Murong also raised his cup.

    After spending some time alone, Xi Murong realized that Yuan wasn¡¯t like the other humans and that he was qualified to be acknowledged by them.

    "If I remember correctly, you promised to address Yuan as ¡¯boss¡¯ if he managed to release more pirs than you, Elder Brother." Xi Meili reminded him as she raised her cup.

    "S-Shut up! Why did you have to remind him!" Xi Murong¡¯s face quickly flushed with redness.

    "Go ahead. Eat whatever you want and as much as you want!" The Dragon Emperor said to them before digging in.

    The Royal Family immediately started grabbing the food and tossed them into their mouths, takingrge bites and eating them in a somewhat barbaric manner,pletely unbefitting of their status.

    Wang Xiuying was left speechless by their eating manner, but when she thought about it, they were not human, and their eating resembled how magical beasts would eat their food.

    "Wow, these foods have so much spiritual energy in them! They taste great!" Yuan eximed after swallowing a mouthful of food.

    "Almost everything on this table was raised by the Royal Family. I¡¯m d you like it." The Dragon Emperorughed.

    "I can feel my cultivation base soaring just from eating... I have never experienced this before!" Wang Xiuying managed to enter the Spirit Warrior realm after swallowing a few mouthfuls of food.

    "Most of them are raised to Spirit Grandmaster before we eat them, so you¡¯re consuming Spirit Grandmaster spiritual meat. You¡¯ll most likely increase a few more levels during this lunch." Xi Meili said to her.

    "S-Spirit Grandmaster spiritual meat... I don¡¯t know about the Spirit Heavens, but the Lower Heavens definitely don¡¯t have such luxury..." Wang Xiuying mumbled, and she quickly began stuffing more food inside her mouth, as this was a great opportunity to raise her cultivation easily.

    ¡¯It was the right choice to follow Yuan! If I continue following him, who knows what might happen. I might even be a top yer just by following him!¡¯ Wang Xiuying thought to herself.

    ¡¯Unfortunately, I am not ying this game to be the best yer out there.¡¯

    Since her main objective was to find a cure for Yu Tian in this vast cultivation world, she will be focusing on that.

    ¡¯If I can go to the Spirit Heavens, I will be able to learn even more things! I might even find a cure for Yu Tian!¡¯ Wang Xiuying thought.

    Sometimeter, once they had consumed over half of the food on the table, the Royal Family began worrying if they would have enough food or not, as they had underestimated Yuan¡¯s eating capabilities.

    ¡¯Heavens! This human¡¯s appetite is as big as us dragons! And dragons are known for having huge appetitespared to the other races!¡¯ Xi Murong cried inwardly when he realized how much Yuan had eaten.

    Meanwhile, Wang Xiuying had stopped eating long ago, and she was on the verge of copsing from eating too much. However, she¡¯d managed to increase her cultivation base to ninth-level Spirit Warrior from her effort.

    "Tell the cooks to bring us more food! And tell them to not stop cooking until I say so!" The Dragon Emperormanded the servants there, as he wasn¡¯t going to risk running out of food, which would be an embarrassment for their family.

    A royal family running out of food during a feast? If word got out, they would beughing stocks!

    "If there¡¯s not enough food, you don¡¯t have to mind me," Yuan said to them with an innocent face.

    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.

    "Hahaha! Nonsense! Eat as much as you want! In fact, don¡¯t stop eating until you¡¯re full!" The Dragon Emperor said.

    Yuan nodded and continued to stuff his face with more food.

    When Xi Murong saw this, he quickened his eating pace, not wanting to lose to Yuan for a second time.

    ¡¯Although you might have beaten me in terms of talent, I will never let you beat me when ites to eating! My pride as a dragon is on the line here!¡¯ Xi Murong cried inwardly.

    A few hours and a couple hundred pounds of foodter, Yuan patted his round stomach and finally stopped eating.

    "I am full!" He said with a satisfied look on his face, as it has been a long time since he¡¯d been this full.

    "Yes! I won!" Xi Murong said with a somewhat sick look on his face.

    "Huh?" Yuan looked at Xi Murong who was looking in his direction with a prideful look, unaware of the battle they just had.

    "Are you sure you¡¯re really human and don¡¯t actually have a dragon bloodline?" Xi Meili chuckled.

    "I¡¯m pretty sure I am human..." Yuan smiled.

    "Anyways, it¡¯s gettingte, so we¡¯ll have to visit the city tomorrow. I¡¯ll show you the guest rooms now if you¡¯re ready to move." Xi Meili said to them.

    "Give me a few minutes..." Yuan said while pointing at his round belly.

    "Me too." Wang Xiuying also said.

    "Don¡¯t worry. Take all the time you need. I¡¯ll go prepare your rooms now." Xi Meili said to them before leaving the dining room.

 Chapter 359 Rivals

    While Xi Meili went to prepare their rooms, the Dragon Emperor remained in the room with them and spoke, "Yuan, if you have any questions for me, now is the best time."

    "Now that you mention it, I have had something on my mind ever since I saw the Dragon Ancestor. Just who is the Dragon Ancestor? And is he rted to the ¡¯Great One¡¯?" Yuan asked.

    The Dragon Emperor immediately frowned upon hearing Yuan mention the Great One, and he spoke in a serious voice, "Where... Where did you hear about the Great One?"

    "Oh, I met him a few times¡ª well, not actually in person, but I have spoken with his illusions a couple of times," Yuan said.

    "I see..."

    The Dragon Emperor closed his eyes for a moment before speaking, "The Dragon Ancestor and the ¡¯Great One¡¯ are not rted at all. The Dragon Ancestor is an incredibly powerful Divine Beast who has existed since the primordial era with multiple empires across the Nine Heavens, and this Ancient Dragon City is merely one of them. As for the Great One, he was born in the same era as the Dragon Ancestor, and they were rivals of sorts, both racing to the peak."

    "Rivals, huh... Do you know who won?" Yuan asked.

    "Sorry, but I can¡¯t tell you, as I don¡¯t have the answer to your question. ording to the rumors, they were both equally as talented, so who knows, really."

    "I see..." Yuan mumbled.

    "Then do you know where I can find the Great One?"

    "Unfortunately, the Great One isn¡¯t someone you can just ¡¯find¡¯. You must have a strong destiny if you want to find him, and even then, you don¡¯t know when or where you¡¯ll find him." The Dragon Emperor said.

    "And from my knowledge, the Great One is always traveling the Nine Heavens."

    "I see..." Yuan nodded.

    "By the way, I have been wondering as well... What was the Dragon Ancestor talking about? They had anticipated your arrival and even expected that you¡¯d release all 9 pirs of light. It seemed like they had arranged for everything that happened today."

    "Honestly, I also have no idea. This is my first time in this ce, and I have never met any dragons besides the Great One beforeing here." Yuan shrugged.

    "How weird..." The Dragon Emperor mumbled. The Dragon Ancestor definitely expected Yuan¡¯s arrival, even speaking to him as though he was very familiar with Yuan. Of course, it was only a recording, but something felt odd about this situation.

    Sometimeter, Xi Meili returned and said, "Your rooms are prepared. Can you guys walk now?"

    "Yes, I can. Thank you." Yuan nodded as he stood up from his chair, feeling as though he¡¯d gained some weight overall.

    Thus, Yuan and Wang Xiuying followed Xi Meili to their rooms.

    "Wow, what a massive room. I have never been to such a luxurious room before, and I have been to many high-grade hotels because of my grandpa!" Wang Xiuying eximed.

    As the granddaughter of one of the most famous doctors in the world, it was only natural that Wang Xiuying would have plenty of experience as a rich youngdy.

    However, no hotel in their world could rival a mere guest room in the Dragon Pce that was as spacious as an entire house.

    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    "Yuan, your room is right next door." Xi Meili said to him.

    "Okay. Thank you."

    "I¡¯ll leave you two alone to rest now. Tomorrow, I will show you guys around the city, okay?"

    "That sounds great." Yuan nodded.

    "Great. Then goodnight!" Xi Meili said to them before leaving and returning to her own room.

    "This is such a wonderful room that I¡¯m going to sleep in here tonight instead of my own room!" Wang Xiuying dered with an excited look on her face.

    "What happened to sleeping every day?" Yuan said with a teasing smile on his face.

    "S-Shut it! Once in a while is fine! And I am still technically sleeping! It¡¯s just that I¡¯ll be doing it inside the game!" She quickly refuted, her face slightly rosy.

    "Then I¡¯ll see youter. Goodnight." Yuan said to her before going to his own room.

    "Goodnight, Yuan."

    A few momentster, Yuan entered his own room and looked around, paying the most attention to the ancient-looking furniture.

    After spending many minutes looking around the ce, Yuan jumped onto therge bed that could easily fit an entire family of four.

    "Wow, what afortable bed. I have never experienced anything like this before..." Yuan felt as though he was sleeping on clouds when heid on the bed.

    Sometimeter, he retrieved the Dragon Ancestor¡¯s Blood Essence and stared at it silently.

    "I really want to consume this right now, but it¡¯s probably better to wait until I return to Feng Feng¡¯s side so I can ask for advice. I can¡¯t be so hasty with such a priceless treasure, after all."

    With that in mind, Yuan stored the dragon blood back into the Dragon Spatial Ring.

    Yuan logged off the game shortly after for dinner.

    "Yuan, something happened outside the Mystic Realm today," Meixiu said to him as she fed him dinner.

    "What happened?"

    "A pir of light shot out of the Mystic Realm," she said.

    "Eh? Really? What caused this pir of light?" Yuan was unaware that the pir of light was created by the teleport formation.

    "Nobody knows. However, the pir of light came from the Mystic Pagoda, so something probably happened there,¡¯ she then said.

    "Hm? Mystic Pagoda?" Yuan suddenly realized something.

    "I think I know why..." He then said.

    "Really? What caused it?"

    "This is going to be a little long, so I¡¯ll tell you after dinner," Yuan said.

    "Okay."

    After feeding Yuan dinner and cleaning the mess, she returned to his room for his long story.

    "Let¡¯s see... where should I begin?"

    After pondering for a moment, Yuan began recalling what he¡¯d experienced in the Mystic Realm today, starting from how he entered the Mystic Pagoda with Wang Xiuying before being teleported to this weird ce where only dragons lived.

 Chapter 360 Serious Implications

    "Ancient Dragon City...? So are you still inside the Mystic Realm or not?" Meixiu asked him after hearing his story.

    "I don¡¯t think so."

    "But you still have your cultivation base, right? Shouldn¡¯t your cultivation base return to your original cultivation base¡ª maybe a little more after you leave the ce?" Meixiu asked.

    "Now that you mention it, I still had my Mystic Realm cultivation base at the Ancient Dragon City. Maybe it¡¯s a phenomenon because I didn¡¯t leave the Mystic Realm the proper way?"

    "That¡¯s the only logical exnation for it, I guess," Meixiu mumbled.

    "Anyways, what are you going to do now? Do you have a way to return to the Mystic Realm?"

    "I have no idea how to return, but the Dragon Emperor said he¡¯ll try to do something about it, so we can only rely on him for now."

    "Do you want me to tell the Sect Master and the others?" Meixiu then asked.

    "I don¡¯t want them to worry so let¡¯s keep this a secret for now, and it¡¯s not like we¡¯re in danger or anything," Yuan said.

    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.

    "Okay."

    Sometimeter, Meixiu left his room whilst Yuan went back inside the game, mostly because he wanted to sleep in the Dragon Pce that was much morefortable than his own room, just like Wang Xiuying.

    "Ahhh, this bed is perfect..." Yuan closed his eyes and fully indulged himself in thefort, feeling as though he was surrounded by fluffy clouds, and he quickly fell asleep.

    The following morning, Yuan was woken up by a knock at the door.

    "Yuan, are you awake?" Xi Meili¡¯s voice resounded from outside.

    "Yes... I am awake..." Yuan responded in a sleepy voice.

    "I just want to let you know that breakfast will be ready soon so if you¡¯re hungry, just go to the dining room in about an hour."

    "Okay. I¡¯ll be there." Yuan said to her.

    Shortly after waking up, Yuan logged off for Meixiu¡¯s breakfast.

    "By the way, Doctor Wang texted me this morning. He said that he¡¯ll be here in a bit."

    "Okay."

    About half an hour after breakfast, Doctor Wang knocked on their door.

    "I know this is a bit earlier than usual, but I¡¯ll be busyter, so I hope you don¡¯t mind." Doctor Wang said after he arrived.

    "Don¡¯t worry about it, Doctor Wang. I¡¯m grateful that you woulde here even when you¡¯re so busy."

    Doctor Wang proceeded to check Yuan¡¯s health and body.

    "As expected, your body is growing stronger and stronger. However, it¡¯s very weird that despite having a body that¡¯s healthier than even some athletes, you are still unable to move your body, almost like there is an invisible force preventing you from moving."

    "If I wasn¡¯t a doctor, I would believe that you had been cursed or something." Doctor Wang said.

    "Cursed? Haha... That¡¯s very funny, Doctor Wang." Yuan chuckled, as he didn¡¯t believe in these kinds of things.

    "I am serious, Young Master. Your situation makes no sense at all. You¡¯re not sick. Your body is fine. We have tested your blood, your bones, your muscles¡ª everything. However, we couldn¡¯t find anything wrong with your body. I also don¡¯t believe in superstitions, but your situation is making me doubt my own beliefs!" Doctor Wang said.

    "..."

    After a moment of silence, Yuan said, "Meixiu, are you here?"

    "Yes, I am."

    "Sorry, but can you leave for a moment? I¡¯d like to speak with Doctor Wang privately."

    "Okay," Meixiu said before leaving the room and closing the door behind her.

    "We¡¯re alone now, Young Master. What do you have for me?" Doctor Wang asked him.

    Yuan didn¡¯t say anything, only lifting one of his arms a little off the bed.

    "WHAT?! Y-YOU¡ª"

    "Lower your voice, Doctor Wang!" Yuan quickly interrupted him.

    Doctor Wang subconsciously covered his mouth with his hands, and he stared at Yuan with his eyes wide with shock.

    Once he¡¯d calmed down enough, he spoke, "Y-Young Master... Since when can you...?"

    "A couple of weeks ago, I guess," Yuan said.

    "I¡¯m sorry for keeping this a secret, but I wanted to wait until I could move properly so that I could surprise you all."

    "Who else besides myself knows about this?" Doctor Wang asked him.

    "Only you and Miss Meifeng know about this," Yuan said.

    "Meifeng? Meixiu¡¯s mother?"

    "Yes."

    "Tell me more about this, Young Master. Did it suddenly happen? Or did you do something special?" Doctor Wang asked.

    "Well... My recovery began when I started ying Cultivation Online."

    "What? That super popr game that¡¯s currently dominating the world? My granddaughter also ys it."

    "This is going to sound crazy, but I think the game somehow affects our real body as well. Although I have no concrete proof, I have a feeling that¡¯s what is happening." Yuan said.

    "Indeed, that does sound a little... No, it definitely sounds crazy." Doctor Wang agreed with him.

    "I know, but Doctor Wang, do you remember when I was covered in that smelly stuff?"

    "The impurities? There¡¯s no way I could ever forget about that, and I can still smell the stench very clearly." Doctor Wang shuddered just thinking about the stench.

    "Well, to tell you the truth, that also happened to me when I was ying the game. I ate some kind of treasure that cleansed all of the impurities from my body. When I logged off the game, I was shocked to find out that it¡¯d also happened to my real body."

    "Hmmm..." Doctor Wang pondered with a serious look on his face.

    "I understand. I will do my own investigation as well. If it¡¯s true that this game can somehow affect the real body, it will have some serious implications that could change the world." Doctor Wang said.

    "Oh, I¡¯ll also keep this matter between us, so you don¡¯t have to worry about that."

    "Thank you, Doctor Wang."

    "Anyways, it¡¯s a great thing that you¡¯re finally recovering. It¡¯s been long overdue. I cannot wait to see you walk on your own again." Doctor Wang said with a genuine smile on his face.

 Chapter 361 Changing Diet

    "By the way, I am thinking about changing your diet back to normal. What do you think, Young Master?" Doctor Wang suddenly asked him.

    "Change my diet? You mean I get to eat normal food again?" Yuan asked him in an excited voice, as it has been many years since he¡¯dst tasted real food¡ª in the real world at least.

    "Yes, but it will be in small portions since your body will need to get adjusted to eating such food again."

    "Also, you will need to speak with Meixiu about this, since she will be the one cooking it." Doctor Wang said, and he continued, "Shall we get Meixiu back in here?"

    "Yes."

    Sometimeter, Doctor Wang called Meixiu back into the room.

    "So I have decided to change the Young Master¡¯s diet and see if he can eat real food again. Are you okay with that, Meixiu? You¡¯ll be the one preparing all of the food, after all. If you need help, there are paid services out there that will help you cook the food and deliver it to your door." Doctor Wang exined to her.

    "I can cook the food by myself," Meixiu said without hesitation, as that was what she had been trained to do.

    "Okay, then I will send you the menu in three days. You can continue feeding the Young Master soup for now." Doctor Wang said.

    "I understand." Meixiu nodded.

    Doctor Wang left shortly after.

    Yuan returned to the game, and he immediately went to the dining room.

    "I¡¯m sorry for arriving a littlete. I was busy with something." Yuan apologized to them.

    "It¡¯s fine. Let¡¯s eat before the food goes cold." The Dragon Emperor said to him before digging into the food.

    Breakfaststed for an hour, and although it was not a feast, there was as much foodst their previous meal.

    After breakfast, Xi Meili asked them, "Do you want to visit the city today?"

    "I do." Yuan immediately nodded.

    "If you¡¯re going, I will go as well." Wang Xiuying said.

    "Okay, then let¡¯s go."

    Once Yuan had rested enough to walk properly, Xi Meili brought them outside and proceeded to escort them around the city.

    "You don¡¯t need guards?" Wang Xiuying asked her.

    In her mind, princesses like her usually would have a bodyguard or two just in case something happens.

    "Haha... You think I need a guard? I can protect myself just fine. And who would dare to mess with me? They have nowhere to run or hide in this world. Besides, I am only weaker than my parents and a few individuals in this world." Xi Meili said with a confident smile on her face.

    Sometimeter, once they were on the streets, everybody they passed through would bow to them¡ª or more specifically, Xi Meili.

    "Good morning, Your Highness."

    "Good morning, Dragon Princess!"

    "Good morning, everybody!" Xi Meili returned their greetings with a bright smile on her face.

    "Wow, do you have a good rtionship with everyone?" Yuan asked her, as he has never seen anyone so easy-going before.

    "Of course! In such a small world, it would be more beneficial for everyone if we have a good rtionship with each other."

    "That makes sense. If only it was the same outside." Yuan sighed.

    "Today, I want to show you guys the Ancestral Dragon Temple; it was created by our Dragon Ancestor." Xi Meili said.

    "Ancestral Dragon Temple? What kind of ce is it?" Yuan asked, as it sounded simr to the Dragon Essence Temple¡¯s Dragon Temple.

    "It¡¯s something like a yground for us dragons, and there are prizes if we win." Xi Meili said.

    "A yground? That sounds very interesting!" Yuan¡¯s anticipation immediately went up, as he has never been to a yground before.

    "It¡¯s a little bit far from here so bear with me. Of course, we can fly there, but that will take away the point of showing you the city."

    "It¡¯s okay, we can walk there," Yuan said.

    Thus, they continued to make their way to the Ancestral Dragon Temple. On the way there, Xi Meili would give a history lesson on some of the buildings they passed.

    About two hourster, they arrived at the Ancestral Dragon Temple, which was filled with people.

    "This is a yground? It doesn¡¯t look like one." Wang Xiuying said with her eyebrows raised.

    After all, ygrounds don¡¯t have arenas¡ª at least they shouldn¡¯t.

    "This is where dragons go to have fun." Xi Meili said.

    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.

    And she continued, "And yes, we have fun by fighting with each other."

    "There are seven arenas in this ce. You can challenge whoever you want¡ª"

    "Oh my god! He died!" Wang Xiuying suddenly eximed, interrupting Xi Meili.

    On the stage, one of the fighters had decapitated his opponent.

    Xi Meili chuckled at her reaction and said, "Don¡¯t worry, he¡¯s not really dead."

    A few momentster, the ¡¯dead¡¯ fighter suddenly disappeared from the stage and appeared outside the stage with his head reattached to his body, and the person himself looked perfectly healthy.

    "There¡¯s a formation in these arenas. As long as you stand on it, even if your body is destroyed, you will not truly die. This allows the fighters to go all out on each other. However, you will not be able to enter the stage for one week if you die because your body can only handle so much of the formation. If you die twice in a short time, the formation might not work properly." Xi Meili exined to them.

    She then pointed to another arena and continued, "That arena over there also has a formation that can limit both fighters to a certain cultivation base so they can fight on fairer terms. For example, if a Spirit Grandmaster wants to fight a Spirit King fairly, he can do so by fighting in that arena, where both of them will be Spirit Grandmasters. Does the Lower Heavens have something like this?"

    "I don¡¯t think so... At least I have never heard of such a thing until today," Yuan said.

    "That¡¯s not unexpected, since these formations are pretty powerful and not something the Lower Heavens should have." Xi Meili said.

 Chapter 362 Ancestral Dragon Temple

    "Look! It¡¯s Her Highness, Princess Xi! Good morning, Princess Xi!"

    When someone there noticed her presence and announced it, everyone there turned to bow to her, and even the fighters on the stage stopped fighting momentarily just to bow to her.

    "Morning, everybody! Please, continue what you¡¯re doing! Don¡¯t mind us!" Xi Meili waved at them.

    "Princess Xi, are you here to fight today? There is a line of people waiting to exchange techniques with you!" One of the judges there suddenly said to her.

    "Hahaha! There¡¯s always a line!" Another judgeughed out loud.

    One would expect a graceful princess like Xi Meili to avoid such things, but to one¡¯s surprise, Xi Meili loved to fight, and she was a regr at the Ancestral Dragon Temple.

    Not only that, but she also epts a fight from anyone no matter their background. Of course, she has yet to experience a single defeat in the Ancestral Dragon Temple.

    "Sorry, but I am not here to fight today. I am just showing my new friends around the city." Xi Meili said.

    And then she thought of something.

    She turned to look at Yuan and said, "Unless you want to try it? You don¡¯t have to worry about getting hurt, and you get rewards if you win."

    "What kind of rewards?" Yuan asked.

    "From spirit stones to treasures, I guess. The spectators can bet on the match, and if you win, you get a portion of it. The fighters can even gamble their treasures in a match."

    "They won¡¯t die even if I kill them, right?" Yuan wanted confirmation.

    "Yes, you don¡¯t have to worry about hurting anyone." Xi Meili nodded.

    "Okay, I will participate in a match." Yuan then agreed.

    "Great! Oh, one more thing..." Xi Meili approached Yuan until her face was right beside his ears, and she whispered, "Don¡¯t tell them you¡¯re a human for now. Pretend you¡¯re a dragon."

    "Okay." He nodded.

    "Won¡¯t they recognize him by his smell like the guards did? They knew we were humans right away." Wang Xiuying suddenly said.

    "Not everyone in this world knows the smell of humans. In fact, most of them have never seen humans before, so you¡¯ll just smell a little funny to them. The guards are a little special because they¡¯re trained to detect humans." Xi Meili said.

    "S-Smell funny? I don¡¯t think I like how that sounds..." Wang Xiuying said.

    "It¡¯s not a bad smell¡ª at least I don¡¯t think so. I even think you smell pretty nice, especially Yuan. You have a unique smell that gives me a pleasant feeling whenever I smell it." Xi Meili said with a smile on her face.

    "Judges! My friend here would like to participate in a match!" Xi Meili then said to one of the judges.

    "Oh? Sure! Which stage would he like to fight in?" One of the judges then asked.

    "What do you think, Yuan? Do you want to fight as a Spirit Grandmaster? You can even fight as a Spirit Master or Spirit Warrior."

    "I¡¯d like to fight as a Spirit Master," Yuan said, as he was more familiar with his own strength as a Spirit Master than a Spirit Grandmaster.

    "Judge! Spirit Master!" Xi Meili then ryed his response to one of the judges.

    "Go to stage number seven. He can go after this fight." The judge then said to her.

    Although there were people in line, who would dare make the Dragon Princess wait? The fighters didn¡¯t voice anyints either, as they were used to this favoritism for her.

    "Thank you."

    Thus, they began waiting for the fighters on the stage to finish their fight.

    "Purple Dragon Fist!"

    "Iron Dragon ws!"

    Boom!

    A ripple of spiritual energy swept the area as these two fighters¡¯ techniques collided.

    "Ah!"

    One of the fighters flew off the arena a secondter.

    "Match ends! The winner is Long Yanjun!" The judge announced.

    "Do you want to continue fighting?" The judge then asked the fighter.

    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.

    "Who is my next opponent?" He asked.

    The judge pointed to Yuan, who was standing beside Xi Meili.

    "The Dragon Princess¡¯s friend."

    "Oh? Princess Xi¡¯s friend? Now that¡¯s something you don¡¯t see every day." Long Yanjun smiled before nodding his head.

    "Alright! I¡¯ll fight him as well!"

    "Come on the stage, young man!" The judge said to Yuan.

    Yuan nodded and approached the stage.

    Many spectators that had been spectating the other stages suddenly left their stage to spectate Yuan¡¯s match, as they did not recognize him, and they were curious about his capabilities, especially since he was Xi Meili¡¯s friend.

    "Does anyone recognize him? I don¡¯t think I have seen him before." One of the spectators asked out of curiosity.

    "I don¡¯t recognize him either."

    "Me neither."

    "First time seeing him as well."

    "Does nobody here know him? How is that possible?"

    Although the Ancient Dragon City is as big as an entire continent, it was by no means a big ce, especially when everyone could live for thousands of years with ease, so most of the people in this world already know each other one way or another.

    Therefore, it was incredibly rare for someone to remain as a nobody, especially if that person is a friend of the Dragon Princess, one of the most recognized individuals in this world.

    "What¡¯s your name? I¡¯m Long Yanjun." The fighter on the stage introduced himself.

    "You can call me Yuan," he responded.

    "Yuan? I haven¡¯t heard of you before. Where did youe from?" Long Yanjun asked him.

    "Uhhh... The Dragon Essence Temple?" Yuans said.

    "Dragon Essence Temple? I have never heard of this ce." Long Yanjun raised his eyebrows.

    "Y-Yeah... It¡¯s a pretty small ce so not many people know it. It¡¯s also in a secluded area very far away from this ce." Yuan gave him an excuse, trying his best to act like he¡¯s from this world.

    "I see... Well, best of luck to you." Long Yanjun sped his hands and bowed to Yuan in a respectful manner.

    "Yes, good luck to you as well." Yuan followed his movements and returned the bow.

 Chapter 363 Let Me Fight Him!

    "I will assume that this is your first time here since I don¡¯t recognize you, so give me a minute to exin to you the rules." The judge said to him.

    "One, you cannot use any treasures. Two, under any circumstances, if you leave the arena, it will be your loss. Anything else goes."

    "Hm? Since I cannot use my treasures, will there be weapons provided to me? I usually use a sword or dagger." Yuan said.

    "I don¡¯t mind if he uses his treasures." Long Yanjun suddenly said.

    "Are you sure?" The judge asked him for confirmation.

    "If that¡¯s what he¡¯sfortable with, I don¡¯t mind. It wouldn¡¯t be fair to him if he cannot fight without his weapons."

    The judge nodded and said, "Okay, you can use your treasure."

    "Wait, you¡¯re going to be fighting me with your fists? But that wouldn¡¯t be fair at all." Yuan said.

    Long Yanjunughed and said, "Don¡¯t worry, my fists are my treasure. They won¡¯t lose to even Heaven-grade treasures."

    "Even if you say that, it just doesn¡¯t feel right fighting someone barehanded with a weapon. It¡¯s okay, I will eventually have to learn how to fight without my weapons since I shouldn¡¯t rely on them too much." Yuan said, refusing to use his treasures.

    "Are you sure?" Long Yanjun asked him, admiring his strong integrity.

    "I am sure." Yuan nodded.

    "Good! Then I shall let you have the first strike!" Long Yanjun said to him before standing there in a defensive position. "Go ahead. I won¡¯t attack you unless you strike!"

    Yuan nodded, but he didn¡¯t immediately attack.

    Instead, he pondered how he should fight Long Yanjun.

    After a moment, he thought of something.

    ¡¯I can simply use Qi Manifestation and use it as though it¡¯s my weapon!¡¯ He thought to himself.

    "I¡¯ll be striking now," Yuan warned him since he was kind enough to give him the first strike.

    "Go ahead." Long Yanjun said with a confident smile on his face.

    After taking a deep breath, Yuan used Qi Manifestation and covered his fist with thick spiritual energy.

    "What! How can you use Qi Manifestation at that level?!" Long Yanjun was shocked when he saw what Yuan was trying to do.

    The spectators were also shocked.

    Both Yuan and Long Yanjun have their cultivation limited to the first level of Spirit Master, and although they have seen geniuses who can use Qi Manifestation before Spirit Grandmaster, they were always around the peak of Spirit Master.

    This is their first time seeing someone use Qi Manifestation at the first level!

    "Heavens! How does he have the spiritual energy to use Qi Manifestation at the first level? This guy is a monster!"

    "Where on earth did hee from? There¡¯s no way such a talented individual is a nobody!"

    Meanwhile, Yuan used a movement technique to instantly close his distance with Long Yanjun.

    "Fast!" Long Yanjun crossed his arms and prepared to block Yuan¡¯s strike.

    Boom!

    "Fuck!"

    Long Yanjun cursed out loud as he was sent flying out of the stage.

    Before Long Yanjun left the stage, both his arms had beenpletely crushed by Yuan¡¯s casual and even somewhat inexperienced punch, but after he left the stage, his injuries immediately healed, almost like his injury never happened in the first ce.

    Once he was outside the stage, Long Yanjun¡¯s peak Spirit Lord cultivation base returned, allowing him to regain control over his own body.

    "What a powerful punch!" He looked at his arms that were trembling from shock.

    He then turned to look at Yuan and sped his hands together, "I had underestimated you. I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s my loss."

    "He defeated Long Yanjun in a single strike?! Even though it was a free attack, it is still shocking! Long Yanjun has a 90 percent win rate with over a thousand victories and only a hundred losses!"

    The spectators saw Yuan in a more serious light now.

    "Do you wish to stay on the stage for another fight?" The judge asked him afterward.

    "The fight ended too fast. I¡¯d like to do another one." Yuan said.

    "Okay. Then who would like to fight this young man next?" The judge looked at the spectators.

    Immediately, over a dozen people raised their hands.

    "I want to fight him!"

    "No, let me fight him!"

    "Pick me! Pick me!"

    The judge looked at Yuan and asked him, "You can pick your fighter."

    "Pick me, young man! I also use the sword!" One of the fighters there said, and he was emitting the aura of a peak Spirit King.

    "Really?"

    "Yes! Really! Look!"

    This individual then retrieved a red sword that was emitting a profound aura that could only be emitted by Divine-grade treasures.

    "Okay! Let¡¯s fight!" Yuan nodded with excitement.

    Hearing Yuan¡¯s words, this middle-aged man with the red sword jumped onto the stage.

    "My name is Xing Chongzhi!" The middle-aged man introduced himself with his hands sped.

    "Yuan."

    "Then for this match, the both of you can use your treasures." The judge said.

    "Xing Chongzhi is fighting next? Although he only has a win rate of 70 percent, all of his losses don¡¯t include the sword! When he wields his sword, his win rate is 100 percent!"

    "This is going to be an interesting fight."

    "Do you think Yuan will win?" Wang Xiuying asked Xi Meili as they watched from the background.

    "I have never seen his sword skills so I cannot say. However, Xing Chongzhi is a renowned sword expert who learned Sword Aura when he was only 700 years old. He¡¯s definitely one of the best swordmasters in the Ancient Dragon City."

    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.

    "700 years? What is this Sword Aura, and why does it take so long to learn?" Wang Xiuying asked.

    "Sword Aura isn¡¯t something you can just learn, and you cannot learn it through normal means like other techniques because it¡¯s not really a technique. One can even go their whole life without learning Sword Aura if they¡¯re not talented enough or destined to." Xi Meili said.

    "Wow... That sounds quite incredible." Wang Xiuying said as she looked at Yuan, wondering how he¡¯ll defeat someone who knows such a powerful skill.

 Chapter 364 Royal Familyâ€™s Secret Child

    "Take out your sword." Xing Chongzhi pointed his red sword at Yuan with a confident smile on his face.

    Yuan nodded and retrieved his Empyrean Overlord, shocking the spectators.

    "Is that...?"

    "That¡¯s a Soul Weapon! He has a Soul Weapon!"

    The spectators immediately recognized the Empyrean Overlord as a Soul Weapon despite itsck of aura¡ª or perhaps that¡¯s how they knew it was a Soul Weapon right away.

    "I didn¡¯t recognize it because of the chaotic situation at that time, but to think he has a Soul Weapon as well..." Xi Meili mumbled in a slightly surprised voice.

    "As well? Does this mean you also have one?" Wang Xiuying asked her.

    "Yes. It¡¯s our family heritage that was left behind by our Dragon Ancestor. It¡¯s a powerful spear that is rumored to have the capabilities to pierce even the heavens." Xi Meili nodded.

    On the stage, after his initial surprise, Xing Chongzhi smiled and said, "A Soul Weapon, huh? I¡¯m envious."

    "Are the two of you ready?" The judge asked them.

    "Ready when you are." Xing Chongzhi said to Yuan.

    "I am ready as well."

    "Then the match begins now!"

    "I¡¯m going to bet ten spirit stones on Xing Chongzhi!" One of the spectators suddenly said.

    "I¡¯ll bet fifteen on that young man!"

    "Fifty for Xing Chongzhi!"

    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    "Twenty-five spirit stones for Xing Chongzhi!"

    The spectators began shouting out their bets with most of them betting on Xing Chongzhi¡¯s victory, which wasn¡¯t too surprising due to his perfect win rate when he wields a sword.

    Furthermore, Xing Chongzhi knew Sword Aura, something that could be used even as a Spirit Master.

    "I will bet one thousand spirit stones on Yuan!" A clear voice suddenly resounded, causing the people to turn to look at this person who dared to bet such arge amount.

    "Princess Xi? You think this young man is going to win?" One of them couldn¡¯t help but ask her.

    "Not really. I¡¯m just hoping for a miracle to happen," she said with a calm smile on her face.

    Meanwhile, on the stage, Xing Chongzhi suddenly released his Sword Aura, filling the area with a domineering pressure.

    The audience was immediately awed by Xing Chongzhi¡¯s Sword Aura.

    "Wow! How long has it been since Ist saw Xing Chongzhi¡¯s Sword Aura?"

    "I have seen it many times now, but it still leaves me speechless."

    "As expected of a swordmaster. Even though he¡¯s not directing the Sword Aura at me, I can still feel as though there are invisible swords surrounding me!"

    "Sword Aura, huh?" Yuan was pleasantly surprised that his opponent knew Sword Aura too!

    "You¡¯re not the only one who can use Sword Aura!" Yuan said with a smile on his face before releasing his own Sword Aura, immediately colliding with Xing Chongzhi¡¯s Sword Aura.

    "What! Impossible!"

    The first to express her shock and disbelief was Xi Meili.

    If she remembers correctly, Yuan mentioned that he was only 18 years old! How could someoneprehend Sword Aura at such a young age?!

    It took Xing Chongzhi 700 years to understand Sword Aura and he was considered a top genius with the sword!

    "I really don¡¯t know what to say besides... As expected from the one who released all nine pirs of light." Xi Meili mumbled in a low voice.

    Meanwhile, the other spectators were shocked speechless, and they could feel invisible swords touching their neck after Yuan released his Sword Aura, which was clearly more devastating than Xing Chongzhi¡¯s Sword Aura.

    On the stage, Xing Chongzhi stared at Yuan with a gawking look on his face, looking like he was looking at ghosts for the first time in his life.

    "H-How old are you, again?" Xing Chongzhi decided to ask him,pletely forgetting about their match.

    "I¡¯m eighteen years old," Yuan responded.

    "E-Eighteen years old... A-And when did you learn Sword Aura?"

    "A little over a week ago, I guess," Yuan said.

    "Y-You learned Sword Aura a week ago? And it¡¯s already this powerful?" Xing Chongzhi¡¯s body trembled after hearing Yuan¡¯s words.

    It was at this moment he realized that his 100 percent win rate was in jeopardy. How could he possibly fight against someone who has managed to learn Sword Aura a few hundred years faster than he did? Not to mention Yuan¡¯s Sword Aura was already stronger than his own despite knowing it for only a mere week, whilst he has known Sword Aura for many centuries.

    ¡¯I-It¡¯s okay. His Sword Aura may be more powerful than mine, but when ites to techniques, I should still be superior!¡¯ Xing Chongzhi thought to himself.

    Indeed, Xing Chongzhi had guessed correctly. Whilst Yuan was a monster when ites toprehension, he was still too young and inexperiencedpared to Xing Chongzhi, who has thousands of years of experience under his belt.

    Therefore, while Yuan was unrivaled in terms of raw strength, his technique was a bitcking.

    "Here Ie!" Xing Chongzhi immediately used his movement technique to close the distance whilst swinging the red sword in his grasp in a swift and precise manner.

    Yuan also used his movement technique to dodge the iing strike before retaliating with the Empyrean Overlord.

    [Bloody Sword Strike!]

    Yuan swung the massive sword as though it was as light as a feather.

    ¡¯I cannot block that with my sword! He¡¯ll send me flying!¡¯ Xing Chongzhi could instinctively tell that he wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand the might of Yuan¡¯s sword and didn¡¯t even bother to block it, using his effort to dodge it instead.

    CLANG!

    The stage shook when Yuan¡¯s sword mmed onto it, and to his surprise, there was not a single dent on the tform.

    ¡¯What is this tform made of?! It¡¯s like steel!¡¯ Yuan cried inwardly, feeling his entire body tremble from the impact, even almost losing grip on his sword.

    Xing Chongzhi noticed that this was his chance to strike and immediately went for Yuan¡¯s neck.

    ¡¯Oh!¡¯

    When Yuan saw Xing Chongzhi suddenly appear in front of him with the red sword already in motion and heading towards his head, he subconsciously activated Dragon¡¯s Gaze at its full power, taking Xing Chongzhi by surprise and instantly halting his movements.

    Seeing this, Yuan ignored the numbing sensation in his arms and swung the Empyrean Overlord, separating Xing Chongzhi¡¯s head from his body in a split second.

    The audience gasped in shock after they witnessed this unexpected oue. However, what surprised them the most was the technique Yuan had just used, as it caused their dragon bloodlines to react in a manner that was simr to awe and reverence.

    "I-Impossible! How does he know that technique?!" Xi Meili eximed in a shocked voice after seeing Yuan use Dragon¡¯s Gaze.

    The Dragon¡¯s Gaze is one of the most powerful techniques for dragons! However, it¡¯s not a technique that could be learned just by any dragons! In fact, only dragons of royal blood can learn this technique!

    "D-Did he just use Dragon¡¯s Gaze?" The other people there were also in disbelief.

    "I think he did..."

    "He¡¯s from the Royal Family? But I have never seen him before! Don¡¯t tell me that he¡¯s the Royal Family¡¯s secret child!"

    The audience immediately began to specte about Yuan¡¯s background.

    A few moments after Yuan killed Xing Chongzhi, he reappeared outside the stage still with a dazed look on his face, almost like he was still under the effects of the Dragon¡¯s Gaze.

 Chapter 365 Human

    "Xing Chongzhi, are you okay?" The judge for stage 7 patted him on the shoulders when he showed no response even many moments after leaving the stage.

    "W-What happened to me just now? Why am I standing outside the stage?" Xing Chongzhi finally snapped out of his daze and proceeded to look around with a puzzled look on his face, clearly unaware of what had just urred.

    "You were killed by the young man." The judge revealed to him.

    "What! How is that possible?! I was pretty sure I had him at that moment!" Xing Chongzhi expressed disbelief. In his mind, he¡¯d sessfully connected his strike, killing Yuan.

    Nobody there med him for his reaction, as it was a normal response for someone who¡¯d just experienced the Dragon¡¯s Gaze at point-nk.

    The judge shook his and began exining everything that had happened, shocking him even further.

    "Dragon¡¯s Gaze?! What?!" Xing Chongzhi turned to look at Yuan, who was still standing on the stage, with a bbergasted look on his face.

    "You are part of the Royal Family?!" Xing Chongzhi asked him, as everyone knew that only the Royal Family could learn such a profound technique.

    "No?" Yuan said.

    "You¡¯re not? Then how did you learn the Dragon¡¯s Gaze? That¡¯s something only the Royal Family can learn!" Xing Chongzhi and the other spectators only became more puzzled after hearing his words.

    However, before Yuan could respond, Xi Meili suddenly said, "He¡¯s from the Royal Family."

    "Eh?"

    Both Yuan and Xing Chongzhi turned to look at Xi Meili, and on Yuan¡¯s face was a surprised look. Since when did he be part of the Royal Family?

    ¡¯Yuan, just follow along with me for now. I¡¯ll exin to youter.¡¯

    Xi Meili¡¯s voice suddenly resounded inside Yuan¡¯s head.

    Yuan nodded while looking at her before clearing his throat and speaking out loud, "T-That¡¯s right. I am actually from the Royal Family. I wasn¡¯t sure whether I should reveal my identity or not before..."

    The spectators gasped in shock after learning this. To think the Royal Family had a third child!

    "He may be from the Royal Family, but he isn¡¯t rted to our Royal Family in the way you¡¯re thinking." Xi Meili suddenly said, clearly that misunderstanding.

    "What?"

    The spectators¡¯ thoughts went wild with theories, and they could only think of one thing after pondering for some time¡ª that Yuan had married into the Royal Family! In other words, he was Xi Meili¡¯s husband!

    "C-Congrattions, Princess Xi!" The people there suddenly bowed to her.

    "Eh?" Xi Meili raised her eyebrows, wondering what they were thinking.

    "You have finally found your partner after 10 thousand years! Congrattions!"

    The spectators congratted her again.

    "What?!" Xi Meili¡¯s eyes widened with shock. How in heaven¡¯s name did they get to that conclusion?

    "That¡¯s wrong! He¡¯s not my husband! We¡¯re just friends!" Xi Meili refuted their ims with a flushed face.

    And she continued, "Furthermore, he¡¯s a human!"

    "W-Wait... What? He¡¯s a human? How is that possible?" Everybody there turned to look at Yuan with shocked looks on their faces.

    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    How the hell did a human appear in their Ancient Dragon City? And how could a human belong to the Royal Family? Nothing about his background made sense!

    "His situation is aplicated one. Do you guys remember the nine pirs of light that urred not long ago? He was the one who released all pirs of light and summoned the Dragon Ancestor." Xi Meili revealed to them the truth.

    "What! H-He¡¯s the one who was behind that?! A mere human?!"

    Amotion quickly started in the Ancestral Dragon Temple.

    "Uhhh..." Yuan wasn¡¯t sure what was happening, so he said, "Are we still fighting?"

    The judge snapped out of his daze and said, "R-Right! Does anyone still want to fight him?!"

    The spectators exchanged nces with each other.

    After a moment ofplete silence, a dozen people raised their hands at once and said, "I want to fight him even more now! I have never fought a human before!"

    "Me too! Let me fight him!"

    Since there were so many people that wanted to fight Yuan, the judge decided to ask him again.

    "I¡¯ll fight until I can no longer fight," Yuan said.

    "Great! Then let¡¯s start with you!" The judge randomly pointed to one of the spectators with his arms raised.

    A momentter, the fighter appeared on the stage with ance in his grasp.

    ¡¯What kind of weapon is that? It looks like a spear, yet the head looks slightly different.¡¯ Yuan wondered to himself as he held the Empyrean Overlord in front of him.

    The fight started after the judge left the stage.

    [Bloody Sword Strike!]

    [Dragon Lance!]

    Ding!

    The fighter could feel his arms shaking violently after their weapons collided.

    ¡¯What a powerful attack! It feels like I am fighting against a mountain!¡¯ The fighter cried inwardly as he slid backward on the stage until he was at the edge of the stage.

    ¡¯That was close! I shouldn¡¯t fight him head-on! He¡¯s too powerful!¡¯ With that in mind, the fighter started to dodge all of Yuan¡¯s attacks while retaliating with hisnce that had an advantage in range due to the long handle.

    However, even with the range advantage, the fighter was unable tond a single hit on Yuan due to his profound movement technique.

    "What kind of movement technique is he using?! He¡¯s leaving a trail of mes as he moves, and I cannot predict his movements at all!"

    "It¡¯s probably some profound human movement technique we have never heard about before."

    The spectators were mesmerized by Yuan¡¯s movement techniques,pletely unaware that he¡¯d learned it from a phoenix.

    After a few minutes of fighting back and forth, Yuan finally managed to defeat the fighter after taking him by surprise with his movement technique that had suddenly improved drastically, almost as if he had a breakthrough in the middle of the battle.

    [Yourprehension for ¡¯Vermilion Phoenix Dominating the Heavens¡¯ has reached a new level]

    [Vermilion Phoenix Dominating the Heavens Mastery Level (1) ¡ú (2)]

 Chapter 366 Staring Contest

    After defeating the fighter with thence, Yuan proceeded to fight the other participants that wanted to fight him, and because of his profound movement technique that only got more ridiculously hard to predict after his skill had reached a new level, none of his opponents was able to even touch his shadow, leading to Yuan¡¯s victory inevitably.

    "Is there anyone else that would like to fight me?" Yuan asked with his body soaked in sweat as he defeated his 30th opponent in a row, setting a new record at the Ancestral Dragon Temple.

    "Fuck! Is he really human? Where does he get his stamina from?"

    The dragons there refused to believe Yuan was a human. In their minds, humans are weak and fragile existence that cannot hold a candle against dragons, yet it was theplete opposite with Yuan.

    "Where did this humane from, anyway?"

    The dragons were filled with questions but had no answers, and they didn¡¯t want to stick their noses into the Royal Family¡¯s business too much.

    A few moments went by without anyone appearing on the stage.

    "I guess this is it," Yuan said, feeling very satisfied, as he¡¯d gained a lot of experience through so many battles just now.

    However, right as he prepared to leave the stage, someone said, "I¡¯ll fight you next!"

    A figure suddenly jumped onto the stage from afar and stood before Yuan with a bright smile on her face.

    "Xi Meili?" Yuan raised his eyebrows when he saw the dragon princess standing on the stage. She wants to fight him as well?

    "Look! Princess Xi wants to fight him next!"

    "Ohhh! This is going to be exciting!"

    The spectators were immediately filled with anticipation after seeing this matchup. By now, pretty much everybody in the Ancestral Dragon Temple was watching their fight, leaving the other stagespletely empty.

    "I just couldn¡¯t hold my excitement back after seeing you fight and defeat so many people, so I decided to fight you as well, Yuan. I hope you don¡¯t mind." Xi Meili said to him.

    "I don¡¯t mind." Yuan nodded.

    "Thank you, Yuan. However, I will admit that I won¡¯t be able to defeat you in a normal fight, so let¡¯s do something different in this match." Xi Meili then said.

    "Something different? What do you have in mind?" Yuan tilted his head slightly.

    "Dragon¡¯s Gaze. We¡¯re going to see which of us can use Dragon¡¯s Gaze better. Like a staring contest. How does that sound?" She suggested.

    "You can use the Dragon¡¯s Gaze as well?" Yuan looked at her with wide eyes, as this was a pleasant surprise.

    "Of course. The Dragon¡¯s Gaze is a technique taught to everybody in the Royal Family." Xi Meili nodded, and she continued. "It is one of the most ancient techniques out there for our Dragon Race, and it was created during the primordial era."

    "I know this may be unfair to you, who has only lived for 18 years while I have almost 10 thousand years of experience with the technique, but I really want to see how powerful your Dragon Gaze is."

    "I don¡¯t mind it. I also want to see your Dragon¡¯s Gaze." Yuan nodded with a smile on his face.

    "Great! Then at the count to three, we¡¯ll both use Dragon¡¯s Gaze simultaneously. Whoever is overwhelmed first will be the loser. Judge, you will do the counting." Xi Meili said.

    "I understand, Princess Xi."

    "Ready when you are, Yuan."

    "I am ready."

    The judge began his count to three once both of them were ready.

    "One... two... three!"

    On three, both Yuan and Xi Meili activated Dragon¡¯s Gaze, and their eyes immediately glowed gold.

    Whoosh!

    A massive pressure suddenly enveloped the ce, causing the spectators to take steps back and away from the stage.

    "Not bad, Yuan." Xi Meili said with a smile on her face as she stared at Yuan directly into his eyes.

    "However, this isn¡¯t my full power."

    Xi Meili increased the intensity of her Dragon¡¯s Gaze, and the pressure grew stronger.

    Yuan could immediately feel goosebumps appearing all over his body, yet there was a smile of excitement on his face.

    "I am also just getting started!"

    Yuan said as his golden eyes glowed more brightly.

    The spectators took a couple more steps back.

    "Hahaha! Not bad! Not bad at all, Yuan!"

    Xi Meili suddenly started moving, slowly approaching Yuan with small steps.

    The world around Yuan suddenly grew darker and darker, and Yuan felt like cowering as Xi Meili approached him, but he¡¯d managed to fight back his fear.

    Then, he also started to move forward!

    Xi Meili was shocked inwardly when Yuan did the exact opposite of what she expected.

    ¡¯What a powerful mental strength he has! He actually dares to approach me even though he¡¯s clearly afraid!¡¯

    Xi Meili¡¯s blood that had been calm for many thousand years suddenly began boiling with excitement! She wanted to see the limit of this human!

    The two of them continued to walk closer to each other, quickly closing their distance.

    A few momentster, they both stood directly in front of each other with their faces only a couple of inches away from each other.

    The spectators swallowed nervously when they saw this. Even though they were not shing treasures or disying shy techniques, their match was more exciting and nerve-wracking than any of the matches that had urred today!

    "Yuan, if you can defeat me, I¡¯ll consider marrying you¡ª No, I¡¯ll marry you." Xi Meili suddenly said with a rxed smile on her face, shocking the spectators.

    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.

    However, Yuan was too focused on resisting her Dragon¡¯s Gaze to hear her words.

    After standing so close to each other for about a minute, blood could be seen flowing from Yuan¡¯s nose, clearly reaching his limit.

    Xi Meili didn¡¯t say anything when she saw this and continued to increase the strength of her Dragon¡¯s Gaze.

    A few momentster, blood flowed from Yuan¡¯s eyes, looking like he was crying blood.

    Yuan could feel pain all over his body¡ª like it was being crushed by an unrivaled force. Despite this, he refused to give up and continued to fight Xi Meili¡¯s Dragon¡¯s Gaze with his Dragon¡¯s Gaze.

 Chapter 367 Returning to the Dragon Palace

    *Cough*

    After resisting Xi Meili¡¯s Dragon¡¯s Gaze for another minute, Yuan suddenly turned his head to the side and coughed up a mouthful of blood before closing his eyes and losing consciousness.

    When she saw Yuan¡¯s body beginning to fall, Xi Meili quickly used her slender arms to catch his body, hugging his body afterward so that he didn¡¯t fall.

    "Yuan!" Wang Xiuying rushed onto the stage with a worried look on her face.

    "He¡¯s okay. He only sustained minor internal injuries and lost consciousness due to the tremendous stress his mind had endured. His injuries will heal once he leaves the stage, but he¡¯ll probably remain unconscious for a little bit longer." Xi Meili said to Wang Xiuying to calm her down.

    Xi Meili then carried Yuan like a princess and said, "I¡¯ll cut our tour today short and bring him back to the Dragon Pce with me for now."

    "Thank you all for your time today." Xi Meili said to the spectators and the fighters before flying away while carrying Yuan in her arms and Wang Xiuying with Qi Manifestation.

    The people in the Ancestral Dragon Temple remained still and silent for a good moment even after Xi Meili and the others left.

    Sometimeter, someone said, "I¡¯m exhausted¡ª even though I didn¡¯t fight anyone today. I think I¡¯ll go home for today."

    Once one person spoke, the others also began snapping out of their daze.

    "You¡¯re right. I need some good rest after today..."

    "Me too."

    Thus, everyone left the Ancestral Dragon Temple shortly after, leaving the Ancestral Dragon Templepletely empty for the rest of the day, which was an extremely rare sight.

    On their way back to the Dragon Pce, Xi Meili stared at Yuan¡¯s peaceful sleeping face their entire way there with a profound look on her face, looking like she was in deep thoughts.

    "Even though I am well aware that he¡¯d managed to reveal all nine pirs of light, his talents still shock me." Xi Meili mumbled in a low voice.

    "Just what is his background? It¡¯s simply unbelievable that someone like him exists in the Lower Heavens."

    "Do you have any ideas?" Xi Meili turned to ask Wang Xiuying.

    Wang Xiuying shrugged and said, "He¡¯s as much of a mystery to me as he is to you. I also have no idea about his identity. We encountered each other by chance, and I have been following him since then out of curiosity."

    "I see... Well, I won¡¯t dive any deeper than this."

    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Sometimeter, they returned to the Dragon Pce.

    "What happened?! Who did this to him?!" The Dragon Emperor was immediately enraged when he saw Xi Meili bring back Yuan in such a state, looking like he was prepared to kill someone.

    "Well... I did this to him..." Xi Meili said with a somewhat blushing look on her face.

    "What? You? Why? What happened?" The Dragon Emperor was greatly taken aback when he learned that it was his own daughter that had injured Yuan!

    "Calm down, father. Let me exin." Xi Meili said, and she proceeded to exin to him the situation and how everything urred.

    "I had a match with him, and I wanted to test his limits..."

    After exining everything to the Dragon Emperor, he sat down with a look of disbelief on his face.

    "He also knows Dragon¡¯s Gaze? How is that possible?" The Dragon Emperor mumbled.

    "Anyways, I am going to let Yuan rest in his room for now." Xi Meili said.

    Sometimeter, Xi Meili ced Yuan on the bed before returning to the Dragon Emperor¡¯s side.

    "Father, I have a question." Xi Meili said to him with a serious look on her face.

    "What is it?" He looked at her with raised eyebrows, as she rarely shows such an expression.

    "What do you think of a dragon and a human being together?" Xi Meili asked.

    "Huh? What do you mean by that?" The Dragon Emperor didn¡¯t immediatelyprehend her question and asked her.

    "Marriage. What do you think of a dragon marrying a human?" Xi Meili asked again, this time making it crystal clear.

    "Marriage? What kind of question is this¡ª Wait... Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re..." The Dragon Emperor¡¯s eyes widened with shock when he realized her reason for asking this question.

    "D-Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re interested in him?" He asked for confirmation.

    Xi Meili nodded and said, "I am considering it."

    "What made you pick him?" The Dragon Emperor asked her with a profound frown on his face, yet he didn¡¯t immediately refuse.

    "Is it because of his talent? His strength? Or is it just because of the fact that he¡¯s a human?"

    "A little bit of everything," she replied with a slight smile on her face.

    "In terms of talent, he¡¯s above everyone in this world. Although his experience is somewhatcking, he¡¯s definitely a fast learner. Furthermore, he has this unique aura around him¡ª this charisma that is quite attractive. Oh, he¡¯s also very handsome." Xi Meili said.

    "You¡¯re really serious about this, aren¡¯t you?" The Dragon Emperor said with a pondering look on his face.

    Xi Meili nodded. "I sat through countless arranged marriages, meeting countless men over thest few thousand years, but s, none of them could make my blood boil the way Yuan did today on the stage."

    "I understand that he appears to be an excellent partner, but you just met him not long ago... You¡¯re barely acquainted, much less friends." The Dragon Emperor said.

    "And how is that any different from the people you¡¯ve arranged for me, huh? I don¡¯t even know them at all!" Xi Meili refuted.

    "Uhh..." The Dragon Emperor was rendered speechless after hearing her words. Indeed, his logic was wed.

    After pondering for a moment, he said, "You¡¯re right about that. However, he¡¯s not from our world, and he won¡¯t remain here forever. Once we find a way to help them return to where they came from, that¡¯ll be the end of you and him."

    "..."

    It was Xi Meili¡¯s turn to be silent now, as her father was right about this one. Yuan won¡¯t be here forever, which will make their rtionshipplicated if not impossible.

 Chapter 368 First Defeat

    "Well... If he cannot stay here, how about I just follow him outside?" Xi Meili suddenly suggested. "I have always been interested in the outside world, anyway."

    "You want to go outside? Are you crazy? The humans will hunt you for your blood! It¡¯s too dangerous!" The Dragon Emperor immediately refused.

    "That¡¯s only what our ancestors taught us, but they have also never been to the outside world before. If there are humans like Yuan and Wang Xiuying outside, I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be that bad."

    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.

    After a moment of silence, the Dragon Emperor said, "Unfortunately, that¡¯s impossible¡ª not because I don¡¯t want to let you go outside with him. Your cultivation base is simply too high to follow him back to the Lower Heavens, where Spirit Grandmaster is the limit."

    "You¡¯re simply asking to be punished by the heavens for doing so."

    "Oh, right... He¡¯s from the Lower Heavens..." Xi Meili sighed,pletely forgetting about that for a second.

    Meanwhile, inside Yuan¡¯s room, Wang Xiuying checked his pulses just to make sure he was okay.

    ¡¯Seeing him sleep like this... he really reminds me of Yu Tian...¡¯ Wang Xiuying said as she stared at Yuan¡¯s sleeping face with a somewhat dazed gaze.

    The more she looked at Yuan, the more she felt like she had seen him before.

    "Nnn..." Yuan suddenly opened his eyes slowly.

    "Where am I...?" he mumbled in a dazed voice.

    "Oh, you¡¯re awake, Yuan. We¡¯re at the Dragon Pce in your room. Xi Meili took us back after you fell unconscious during the match." Wang Xiuying exined to him what had happened.

    "I see... So I lost the match, huh?" A smile on Yuan¡¯s face as he realized the situation.

    "This was my first time losing a fight," he sighed in a somewhat bitter voice.

    Losing felt much worse than he¡¯d expected, especially since it¡¯s his first defeat.

    "I wouldn¡¯t really call that a fight... And your opponent has 10 thousand years more experience than you. It¡¯s only obvious that you wouldn¡¯t be able to defeat her no matter your talents." Wang Xiuying said, trying tofort him.

    "I guess you¡¯re right." Yuan nodded.

    "Wait right here. I¡¯ll go to Xi Meili to let her know that you¡¯re awake." Wang Xiuying said before leaving the room for a few minutes.

    "Xi Meili... she was very strong¡ª stronger than anyone I have ever fought before," Yuan mumbled as he stared at the ceiling with a dazed look on his face.

    Sometimeter, Wang Xiuying returned with Xi Meili and the Dragon Emperor.

    "Are you okay, Yuan? Are you hurt anywhere?" Xi Meili asked him.

    "I am fine," he said.

    "Anyways, you really surprised me, Yuan. You¡¯re only 18 years old, yet yourprehension for the Dragon¡¯s Gaze is already as strong as mine!" Xi Meili immediately praised him afterward.

    A bittersweet smile appeared on Yuan¡¯s face.

    "As strong? That¡¯s not true. I waspletely defeated by your Dragon¡¯s Gaze."

    "Yuan, if you don¡¯t mind me asking, where did you learn the Dragon¡¯s Gaze? And how long has it been since you learned it? The Dragon¡¯s Gaze is a secret technique only avable to the Royal Family." The Dragon Emperor suddenly asked him.

    "Oh, I learned it from the Great One. And it was probably around a month ago when I learned it," he said.

    "The Great One?!" The Dragon Emperor eximed.

    "One month?!" Xi Meili was shocked for a different reason.

    To think Yuan couldprehend the Dragon¡¯s Gaze to such an extent in a mere month whilst it took her thousands of years to reach her current level! The disparity was toorge!

    "Can you tell me more about it? How did you learn it from the Great One?" The Dragon Emperor continued to ask.

    Yuan nodded and exined to him how he learned it from the Tablet of Comprehension, where he met the illusion of the Great One.

    "I understand it, but I cannot believe it... The Great One is teaching the secret technique to random people? Just what is he thinking?" The Dragon Emperor could feel a headacheing.

    It would be a disaster if their secret technique was revealed to the public, but luckily for them, ording to Yuan, only two people have learned the Dragon¡¯s Gaze, and he was one of them.

    "Is it really that bad if an outsider learns the technique?" Yuan couldn¡¯t help but ask them.

    The Dragon Emperor nodded and said, "Since ancient times, only the Royal Family can use the Dragon¡¯s Gaze, and it¡¯s already well-established that whoever learns the Dragon¡¯s Gaze is royalty in the Dragon Race. If someone who isn¡¯t part of the Royal Family learns this technique, it¡¯ll create massive confusion and chaos amongst us¡ª the dragons."

    "There are multiple Royal Families out there, and we¡¯re just one of many. Although we don¡¯t really care that much about an outsider learning the technique since we¡¯re in this isted world, the other Royal Families in the upper heavens may not react so kindly to an outsider learning their technique, something they are extremely proud of."

    Xi Meili added, "They consider the technique as sacred as their bloodline, as both of them were given to them by the Dragon Ancestor."

    "In other words, you shouldn¡¯t use your Dragon¡¯s Gaze so lightly¡ª especially in front of other dragons."

    "I see... I didn¡¯t know about this since the Great One never told me about it when I learned the technique..." Yuan said.

    "Anyways, there¡¯s nothing we can do about it now that you¡¯ve learned the technique. Just make sure you¡¯re not around dragons when you use that technique, as it will definitely cause misunderstandings." The Dragon Emperor said to him.

    "I understand." Yuan nodded.

    "Of course, if you marry someone from the Royal Family, you¡¯ll be considered royalty, allowing you to use the technique as much as you wish." Xi Meili suddenly said, clearly suggesting something here.

    Of course, Yuan was too innocent to pick up the hint and said, "Marriage? As in husband and wife? But I don¡¯t think it¡¯s right to marry someone just to use a technique."

    Xi Meili smiled after hearing his words, "I think so too."

 Chapter 369 Dragon Meat Skewer

    "Anyways, it¡¯s not like we¡¯re telling you to never use the Dragon¡¯s Gaze ever again. Just make sure you¡¯re very careful when using it, as it will definitely offend the other Royal Families if they learn that an outsider had learned their sacred technique," said the Dragon Emperor a few momentster.

    "I understand. I will be careful." Yuan nodded.

    "Now, regarding the teleport formation that will bring you back to the Lower Heavens, I have found a way, but we will need some time to prepare." The Dragon Emperor suddenly said.

    "Does this mean we can return to our own ce? This is great news!" Wang Xiuying quickly said.

    "Yes. However, it will still take around a week."

    "That¡¯s fine. As long as we return before the event ends." Yuan said.

    Sometimeter, the Dragon Emperor left the room and returned to prepare for their departure.

    "What do you want to do now?" Xi Meili asked them afterward.

    "Do you still want to look around the city? Or do you want to do something else?"

    "I still want to look around," Yuan said.

    "Okay, but you only have one week, so we won¡¯t be able to see much. Maybe you¡¯lle back next time for much longer. At that time, I will show you around the entire Ancient Dragon City." Xi Meili said to him.

    "Even if I want toe back, how can I do that?" Yuan asked.

    "I don¡¯t know, but if you¡¯ve already managed toe here once, you¡¯ll definitely find yourself here a second time. I believe in fate, and if you¡¯re fated to return, you¡¯ll definitely return. If that happens..." A mysterious smile appeared on her face.

    Yuan nodded, "Okay."

    "Go get some more rest. We¡¯ll go back to touring the city tomorrow morning."

    Xi Meili also left the room shortly after, meeting her father at the teleport formation outside the Ancient Dragon City.

    "I have decided, father." Xi Meili said to him.

    "On what?" He raised his eyebrows.

    "I won¡¯t marry Yuan now. However, if he manages to return to this world for a second time, I will marry him." Xi Meili said.

    "What kind of decision is that? You¡¯ll marry him if he returns for a second time? Do you really think he¡¯ll be able to return here for a second time? If he was destined toe here before, he¡¯s already fulfilled his fate in this world, which means he no longer has a reason to return here." The Dragon Emperor said.

    "If fate allows it, he will definitely return. I also have this feeling that this won¡¯t be myst time seeing him." Xi Meili said with a confident smile on her pretty face.

    "Even if he is fated to return in the future, who knows when that will be. It could be ten years from now. It can even be ten thousand years from now. We will never know." The Dragon Emperor said.

    "So what? We can live up to tens of thousands of years with ease because of our bloodline."

    The Dragon Emperor shook his head in a defeated manner.

    "Do as you wish. You¡¯ll probably forget about him in a few hundred years, anyway." The Dragon Emperor shrugged.

    "Do you want to make a bet with me on that, father?" Xi Meili suddenly asked him.

    "A bet? Interesting. Tell me more." He said.

    "One thousand years¡ª if he doesn¡¯t return in one thousand years, I¡¯ll marry someone on your terms." Xi Meili then said.

    "Y-You¡¯re serious about this?" The Dragon Emperor looked at her with wide eyes.

    "Does it look like I am joking with you, father?" Xi Meili responded with a solemn look on her face.

    "And if he returns before the time limit of one thousand years, I will have to let you marry him without anyints, right?" The Dragon Emperor then spoke.

    Xi Meili nodded, "That¡¯s right."

    "Very well. I will ept your bet."

    "The countdown will start once he leaves this world. Is that okay?" Xi Meili asked.

    "I am fine with that."

    "Great! Then it¡¯s decided!" Xi Meili then turned around and returned to the Dragon Pce with a cheerful aura around her, leaving the Dragon Emperor speechless.

    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    "She really likes him, huh?" The Dragon Emperor shook his head with a bittersweet smile on his face before returning to focus on the teleport formation.

    The next day, after eating the breakfast cooked by Meixiu, Yuan went into the game to have his second breakfast for the day with the Royal Family.

    "Are you two ready for another day in the city?" Xi Meili asked them with an energetic aura around her.

    "I am!" Yuan responded with a simr aura around him.

    "Yes." Wang Xiuying also nodded, albeit a little less excited whenpared to Yuan.

    Thus, Xi Meili brought them around the city again. However, she didn¡¯t bring them towards the Ancestral Dragon Temple this time.

    Instead, she brought them to multiple restaurants, showing off their dragon¡¯s cuisine, as she knew how much Yuan loved food.

    "This is our famous Dragon Meat Skewer! Try it!" Xi Meili handed each of them a skewer.

    "D-Dragon Meat?" Both Yuan and Wang Xiuying looked at her with wide eyes.

    Isn¡¯t this considered cannibalism if they eat their own kind?

    Xi Meili noticed their weird gazes andughed, "Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s not actually ¡¯dragon¡¯ meat. I mean it is, but it¡¯s not the type you¡¯re thinking of."

    "Oh..."

    They took a bite a momentter.

    "Wow! This is so delicious!" Yuan immediately imed, feeling the meat melt in his mouth before exploding with vor and spiritual energy.

    "Wow, the texture is heavenly. It doesn¡¯t feel like I am eating meat at all! I wonder if this is what it would be like eating clouds if we could eat them!" Wang Xiuying said as she finished the entire skewer in just a few seconds.

    "Can I have some more?" She then asked.

    "Me too! I also want some more!" Yuan said.

    "Are you sure? We finished breakfast not long ago." Xi Meili chuckled before asking for a couple more skewers.

 Chapter 370 Spirit Stone Cave

    "Here ya go, Princess Xi. These are on me." The man selling these skewers said to her.

    After handing the skewers to Yuan and Wang Xiuying, Xi Meili handed a spirit stone to the man and said, "Don¡¯t worry about it. My friends enjoyed it, so I will pay for it. You can keep the change as well."

    "Thank you very much, Princess Xi!" The man dly epted the spirit stone.

    After eating the skewers in a few minutes, Wang Xiuying said, "That pretty stone you just gave the man as payment, it¡¯s called a spirit stone, right? I have seen them before, but I never understood them. Just where do people obtain them? Or are they like treasures, something you find naturally in the wild?"

    "You don¡¯t know where spirit stonese from? Hehe... Then I know exactly where to bring you tomorrow!" Xi Meili said with a smile on her face.

    "As for your question, I shall wait until tomorrow to answer it. For now, let¡¯s just continue what we¡¯re doing."

    Wang Xiuying nodded, but her curiosity peaked.

    Thus, Xi Meili continued to show them restaurants and different foods.

    By the end of the day, they had eaten so much that dinner wasn¡¯t necessary.

    In the real world, Yuan asked Meixiu," What are the other participants doing now?"

    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.

    "The same as usual. They¡¯re trying to reach the Mystic Pagoda while improving their cultivation at the same time. Some people have reached the ce, but none of them have been able to open it." Meixiu said.

    And she continued, "In fact, the participants that have arrived at the ce seemed to have stopped fighting each other to try and open the Mystic Pagoda together."

    "So they¡¯re working together to open the Mystic Pagoda, huh? Even though I somehow managed to open it, I still don¡¯t understand how¡ª"

    Yuan suddenly stopped speaking as he realized something.

    "Wait a second... The demons said the Empyrean Overlord used to belong to the Lord, who is the master of the Mystic Realm and the Mystic Pagoda. Maybe that¡¯s the key to opening the Mystic Pagoda?"

    "Hmm... That does make sense." Meixiu said.

    "Anyways, I should be returning to the Mystic Realm soon. The Dragon Emperor found a way for us to return, but it¡¯ll take at least a week."

    The following morning, after breakfast, Meixiu said, "Doctor Wang has sent me the menu. I will be going shopping in a bit."

    "Oh? What¡¯s on the menu?" Yuan then asked.

    "Doctor Wang told me to keep it a surprise for you," she said.

    Yuan smiled and said, "I can¡¯t wait."

    Sometimeter, Yuan entered the game whilst Meixiu dressed up casually before going outside.

    Luckily for Meixiu, there was arge supermarket only a couple of blocks from their apartment, making shopping easy and convenient.

    An hourter, she returned to the apartment.

    Meanwhile, inside the game, Yuan and Wang Xiuying followed Xi Meili.

    "So, to answer your question from yesterday, there are a couple of ways spirit stones are created." Xi Meili said as she escorted them to this isted area.

    "One, spirit stones can be created naturally like minerals and gems."

    Xi Meili pointed to the cave in front of them and continued, "That is a Spirit Stone Cave, where spirit stones can be mined. This is the mostmon way people get their spirit stones. Normal people cannot ess this area, but because my family owns the Spirit Stone Cave, I can show you the inside in a moment."

    "Another method is to create them by yourself, but this method is incredibly umon and almost nobody does it."

    "W-Wait a second... Create them by ourselves? Does this mean we can also make spirit stones?" Wang Xiuying asked.

    "That¡¯s right. Cultivators can make their own spirit stones." Xi Meili nodded.

    "What! That means unlimited money! Why is this method umon? It should be the mostmon!"

    Wang Xiuying eximed. After all, who wouldn¡¯t want to be able to make their own money?! That¡¯s a no-brainer!

    Xi Meili chuckled and said, "Because it requires a tremendous amount of spiritual energy and effort to make even a single spirit stone, and cultivators would rather use that energy and time to increase their cultivation."

    "How much effort and time are we talking about?" Wang Xiuying then asked.

    "Let¡¯s see... As a Spirit Warrior, it¡¯ll probably take you a couple of weeks to create a single spirit stone, and during these few weeks, you would not be able to progress your cultivation because you¡¯ll be using all of your spiritual energy to create the spirit stone. Do you understand why it¡¯s such an umon practice?" Xi Meili said.

    "I see... but what about the cultivators at the top? Surely, they can make spirit stones much faster."

    "They can. In fact, a Spirit Grandmaster can make one spirit stone a day, but like I¡¯d already said, it¡¯s not worth it, as they¡¯d rather use that time and energy on improving their cultivation."

    Yuan then said, "If I remember correctly, a single spirit stone is worth about 10,000 gold. Although that may seem like a lot to us, for a Spirit Grandmaster, that¡¯s probably nothing, but I could be wrong."

    "No, you¡¯re right." Xi Meili said.

    "A single spirit stone may be worth a lot in the hands of a mortal, but for a cultivator at that level, it¡¯s worth nothing, as the resources they need to improve their cultivation are worth tens of thousands of spirit stones if not hundreds of thousands of spirit stones."

    "Do you understand now?" Xi Meili asked Wang Xiuying.

    She nodded, "Yes, I understand. Thank you for the exnation."

    "Great! Then let me show you inside the Spirit Stone Cave. Follow me." Xi Meili said to them.

    "Greetings, Princess Xi." The guards standing in front of the Spirit Stone cave greeted her, and they were both emitting the power of a Spirit King.

    "Hello. I would like to show my friends around the Spirit Stone Cave since they have never seen it before. I hope you don¡¯t mind." Xi Meili said to them.

    "Of course not. Please, take as much time as you need." The guards opened the doors for her with smiles on their faces.

 Chapter 371 Beef Stew

    "Follow me." Xi Meili said to the two of them before walking into the cave that was brightly lit despite having no obvious sources of light, almost like the walls themselves were glowing.

    The cave was incredibly long, as they¡¯d walked for over ten minutes without seeing anything.

    "How deep is this cave?" Wang Xiuying couldn¡¯t help but ask.

    "A few thousand miles, I guess," she casually responded.

    "What?! That¡¯s incredibly long! How is that even possible?"

    "Do not underestimate Spirit Stone Caves. Each of them is incredibly spacious but only contains a few hundred thousand spirit stones, and if you mine them all, it will require 100 years for them to return." Xi Meili said.

    "Did you realize that the spiritual energy in here is vastly different from the outside? This is a special type of spiritual energy that gives birth to spirit stones. If you evere across this kind of spiritual energy, make sure to look around, as there will be a Spirit Stone Cave nearby, and those are worth a fortune, so make sure you remember this feeling." Xi Meili said to them.

    Wang Xiuying and Yuan nodded before engraving this spiritual energy into their heart. Hopefully, they¡¯ll run into a Spirit Stone Cave of their own one day.

    About half an hourter, they could finally see some spirit stones, and they were sticking out of the wall like crystals.

    "Wow, so this is what spirit stones look like in nature... How cool."

    Both Yuan and Wang Xiuying stared at them as though they were fascinated.

    "We make sure to leave some behind so that they can regrow in the future."

    "They can regrow?" They looked at her with raised eyebrows.

    Xi Meili nodded and said, "As long as we don¡¯t mine everything, they will eventually grow back. Though, that will take at least 100 years."

    "Anyways, this is the furthest we should go. But it¡¯s not because we cannot be there. It¡¯s simply because there won¡¯t be anything to see unless we travel a few hundred miles out, which could take hours, and I don¡¯t want to waste your time." Xi Meili said.

    And she continued, "If you really want to see it, just imagine arge chunk of spirit stones stuck in the wall."

    "Do you have any questions?"

    Wang Xiuying then asked, "Does mining arger chunk of spirit stone increase its effectiveness? Why do I only see spirit stones the size of a pebble?"

    "Great question. There¡¯s actually a reason why they¡¯re so small and not bigger, and it¡¯s simply because having a bigger size doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯ll have more spiritual energy. A fist-sized spirit stone and a pebble-sized spirit stone will have the same amount of spiritual energy; it¡¯s just how the heavens made it work."

    "However, that doesn¡¯t mean you can make the spirit stones extremely small, as spirit stones will lose effectiveness if they be too small. After millions of years of practice and experience, the cultivators have figured out the perfect size for spirit stones, and that has be the standard."

    "I see..."

    Sometimeter, they left the Spirit Stone Cave.

    "What should we do now?" Yuan asked her.

    "There¡¯s nothing to do besides looking around the city." Xi Meili said.

    "Then what do you normally do?" Wang Xiuying asked her.

    "I train¡ª all day. I rarely go outside," she said, surprising them, as she looked like the type that really enjoyed going outside.

    "In fact, I haven¡¯t explored the city like I have with you guys for many years. If I ever go outside, it would be to fight the others at the Ancestral Dragon Temple. It sounds boring, right? But I really love training and improving myself." Xi Meili said with a smile on her face.

    "I see, since this is such a rare chance, let¡¯s go look around the city some more," Yuan said to her.

    "Okay!" Xi Meili nodded with excitement.

    Thus, they made their way towards the city and began another round of exploration whilst trying new food whenever they would encounter them.

    Time passed extremely quickly, and in what felt like the blink of an eye, it was already dark.

    Yuan logged off the game after eating dinner with the Royal Family.

    The moment Yuan logged off the game and returned to his room, a strong and rich aroma assaulted his nose, making his mouth immediately salivate.

    ¡¯Wow! What an amazing smell! What could Meixiu be cooking?¡¯ Yuan wondered inwardly, his imaginations running wild.

    Sometimeter, Meixiu entered his room and helped him sit up on the bed.

    "What¡¯s for dinner?" Yuan quickly asked her.

    "Beef stew," she responded in a calm voice.

    And she continued, "Although it¡¯s still somewhat like soup, there arerge meat chunks in there, and ites with rice."

    "As long as I can chew on it, I won¡¯tin!" Yuan said.

    "Give me a moment..." Meixiu then ced a nket in front of him just in case any food was to fall, and she proceeded to feed him beef stew.

    "This food is amazing! The meat is tender, like that Dragon Meat Skewer I had not long ago! I didn¡¯t know you were such a good cook! Of course, your soup tastes good too, but this is a different level!" Yuan praised her after a single bite.

    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    "Thank you..." Meixiu said with a slight smile on her face, as she couldn¡¯t help but feel happy after hearing his praises, especially when she¡¯d worked her butt off during training to reach this level.

    After dinner, Meixiu asked him, "How do you feel?"

    "Well... To bepletely honest, I am not full. However, the food was great." Yuan said.

    "Not full, huh... Well, this is what Doctor Wang advised, but I will let him know that you¡¯re not full. By the way, for reference, how much do you think you can still eat?"

    "I can probably eat two to three more meals of this size no problem," he said.

    "T-That much?" Meixiu looked at him with wide eyes. Fortunately, they have plenty of money from selling the treasure, or it would be a struggle feeding him.

    "Okay."

    After dinner, Meixiu ryed the news to Doctor Wang.

    Of course, Doctor Wang wasn¡¯t surprised that the meal wasn¡¯t enough for Yuan, as he¡¯d purposefully made it so that Yuan wouldn¡¯t be full so that his stomach would adapt to the new diet.

    "Continue feeding him this amount for the next three days, then you can slowly increase the amount." Doctor Wang instructed her over the phone.

    "I understand. Thank you." Meixiu said to him.

    The following morning, Yuan and Wang Xiuying followed Xi Meili around the city again.

    And in the blink of an eye, another day passed.

    The three of them continued this until an entire week had passed.

    "The teleport formation should be ready in three days." The Dragon Emperor said to them.

    "Three days, huh? What do you guys want to do? Continue looking around the city? But we¡¯ve looked at pretty much everything. If only you guys had more time here, we could¡¯ve gone further." Xi Meili asked them.

    "This may sound weird, but I¡¯d like to practice my Dragon¡¯s Gaze with you." Yuan suddenly said, dumbfounding her.

 Chapter 372 Training With Xi Meili

    "Y-You want to practice Dragon¡¯s Gaze? With me? But it¡¯s dangerous doing it outside the Ancestral Dragon Temple." Xi Meili said to him, worried that she might permanently injure him.

    Yuan said, "That¡¯s right. You¡¯re more experienced with the technique, so I¡¯d figured you can give me some advice. Furthermore, during our match, it felt like I was understanding more about the technique just from looking at your eyes. As for injuring me... you don¡¯t have to worry about it. I¡¯ll be fine."

    "Well... I don¡¯t mind." Xi Meili said.

    Yuan then turned to look at Wang Xiuying and said, "What about you?"

    "Don¡¯t mind me. I will be watching you in the background," she said.

    Sometimeter, they arrived at the courtyard.

    "I don¡¯t really know what kind of advice I should give you, so let¡¯s just use Dragon¡¯s Gaze on each other like we did during our match and see if you can understand anything from it." Xi Meili said to him.

    Yuan nodded.

    "Let¡¯s start slow." Xi Meili then stood about 10 meters away from him.

    "We¡¯re going to slowly approach each other like previously. Ready when you are."

    "I am ready," Yuan said.

    "Then we¡¯ll use our Dragon¡¯s Gaze on the count of three... two... one... go!"

    Whoosh!

    A profound pressure immediately enveloped the courtyard when Yuan and Xi Meili¡¯s Dragon¡¯s Gaze collided, giving Wang Xiuying a nostalgic feeling. However, this time, she made sure to stand all the way back where the pressure didn¡¯t affect her as much.

    A few momentster, once they were feeling a littlefortable, Yuan and Xi Meili began approaching each other.

    And with each step they took, they increased the strength of their Dragon¡¯s Gaze.

    Before they knew it, both of them were standing directly in front of each other again, silently staring right into each others¡¯ eyes like they wanted to see their soul.

    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Since this wasn¡¯t a match, Xi Meili didn¡¯t try to overwhelm Yuan, and she merely matched his strength, perhaps even slightly above him.

    A few minutester, Xi Meili asked him, "Well? Are you improving?"

    "Can you increase the strength of your Dragon¡¯s Gaze some more? You don¡¯t have to go easy on me." Yuan said to her.

    After a moment of silence, Xi Meili suddenly increased the strength of her Dragon¡¯s Gaze.

    Although it wasn¡¯t quite as powerful as it was during the match, it was pretty close, and it was just enough to not injure him and enough to make him feel pressured.

    Yuan quickly began sweating under Xi Meili¡¯s powerful Dragon¡¯s Gaze, feeling as though there was an almighty being staring down at him as though he was an ant.

    A few minutes of pure silenceter, once Xi Meili noticed Yuan reaching his limit, she closed her eyes and said, "Okay, let¡¯s take a rest here. Any more and you might suffer internal injuries, which is devastating for any cultivator."

    "Okay." Yuan nodded, and he proceeded to sit down in the lotus position and closed his eyes, recalling everything he¡¯d experienced just now.

    An hourter, once they had recovered, Yuan and Xi Meili returned to their training, and they would continue this until the day ended.

    The following day, they also continued to do the same thing.

    On the third day, Yuan took a seat in the middle of the courtyard and closed his eyes to recall everything he¡¯s learned for the past two days.

    Meanwhile, Wang Xiuying and the Royal Family watched him in the background.

    "What do you think? After two days of training, how is his progress?" The Dragon Emperor asked Xi Meili.

    "To bepletely honest, he¡¯s terrifying¡ª his talents. He absorbs all experience like a sponge absorbing water and greatly improves in a short time. I was able to see a clear difference and improvement in his Dragon¡¯s Gaze after every practice session." Xi Meili gave her judgment.

    "If he continues to practice the technique, he¡¯ll most likely surpass me very soon."

    "If only he wasn¡¯t born a human but a dragon instead. What a pity." Xi Murong sighed in a truly regretful tone.

    "There¡¯s nothing wrong with being talented as a human, as talents don¡¯t favor a certain race. In the outside world, there are plenty of humans with talents that surpass even your father and me." The Dragon Empress spoke with a solemn expression on her face.

    Sometimeter, a profound aura surrounded Yuan.

    When the Royal Family saw this, their eyes widened with shock.

    "Enlightenment! He¡¯s experiencing enlightenment!" Xi Murong eximed in a baffled voice.

    "Shut your mouth! Don¡¯t you dare disturb him!" The Dragon Empress immediately pped the back of his head while lecturing him.

    "What¡¯s an enlightenment?" Wang Xiuying asked in a whispering voice.

    "Enlightenment is a trance-like state where your mind and heart bes crystal clear to focus on one thing¡ª whatever caused the enlightenment." Xi Meili exined.

    And she continued, "When that happens, one will improve drastically at whatever they are trying to gain enlightenment on."

    "For example, Yuan¡¯s probably having enlightenment about the Dragon¡¯s Gaze. Once he¡¯s done, his understanding and mastery of the technique will improve drastically."

    "I see... How long do enlightenments usuallyst?"

    The Dragon Emperor said, "It depends on theplexity of whatever he¡¯s having enlightenment about. If it¡¯s a simple technique, he can be done in a matter of minutes."

    "However, if he¡¯s having an enlightenment about somethingplex¡ª like Dragon¡¯s Gaze, he could be in that state for days if not weeks."

    "W-Weeks?!" Wang Xiuying eximed in a low voice. What will happen to the Mystic Realm? And it¡¯s not like she could take him out of enlightenment!

    "Don¡¯t worry, we have already prepared the teleport formation, so you can leave whenever. It doesn¡¯t have to be today. If you want, you can even return by yourself first. He can follow you after he¡¯s done." The Dragon Emperor said to her.

    However, Wang Xiuying shook her head and said, "No, it¡¯s okay. I will stay here until the veryst minute. We came here together, so we¡¯ll leave together¡ª at least we¡¯ll try."

 Chapter 373 The Real Player Yuan

    "I will stay here to watch over him. You guys can leave." Xi Meili volunteered to stay behind even though that wasn¡¯t necessary. However, she wanted to be here when he woke up so that she could congratte him.

    "Are you sure? This will take some time. We can simply block ess to this area so that nobody could disturb him." The Dragon Emperor said to her.

    "Yes, I want to stay here." Xi Meili nodded.

    "Do as you please..."

    The Dragon Emperor left with the others shortly after.

    "What happened to her? It¡¯s like she¡¯s obsessed with him." The Dragon Empress asked her husband after they left, as she was unaware of the bet he made with Yuan.

    "She likes him." The Dragon Emperor said with a slight smile on his face, and he continued, "And she wants to marry him."

    "What?"

    Everybody there turned to look at him with wide eyes filled with shock, especially Wang Xiuying and Xi Murong.

    "She wants to marry that human?! A dragon with royal lineage?! That¡¯s sphemy towards our bloodline!" Xi Murong eximed, clearly disapproving of her decision.

    Meanwhile, Wang Xiuying wondered what would happen if a yer marries an NPC.

    ¡¯There are plenty of yers out there that are currently in a romantic rtionship with an NPC, so I guess marriage isn¡¯t too far-fetched...¡¯ She thought to herself.

    "I think it¡¯s cute." The Dragon Empress said, and she continued, "I couldn¡¯t care less if she wants to marry a human or a dragon. I only care about one thing¡ª his qualifications. And from my understanding, Yuan is more than qualified to join our Royal Family."

    "Y-You too, mother?" Xi Murong looked at her with disbelief.

    "Anyways, it¡¯s her decision, and I will respect it." The Dragon Empress said.

    Then she looked at Xi Murong and said, "If you have a problem with it, why don¡¯t you confront her about it?"

    "I... I would rather not..." Xi Murong responded in a reserved voice.

    Despite being the older one, he feared Xi Meili a little, especially whenever she¡¯s angry.

    Sometimeter, the Royal Family returned to their business whilst Wang Xiuying returned to her room before logging off.

    "Since it¡¯s going to take some time before he wakes up, I¡¯ll take a small break from the game and help grandpa out at the hospital." Wang Xiuying mumbled to herself after leaving the game.

    After stretching her body, Wang Xiuying left her room and went downstairs to watch some television.

    In this day and age that¡¯s dominated by video games, it was only natural for television to be heavily involved with video games. In fact, the most popr channels in the world are gaming channels that talk about the current trends and whatnot for certain video games.

    "Let¡¯s see if there are any new trends for Cultivation Online..." Wang Xiuying went to the channel that was dedicated to Cultivation Online news.

    "Today, we will be interviewing one of the yers in Cultivation Online who ims to be yer Yuan!" The speaker on the television spoke while a young man wearing a ck mask sat beside him.

    Wang Xiuying immediately raised her eyebrows after seeing this ¡¯yer Yuan¡¯ who was obviously a fake.

    "Another one? How many people havee forward as the real yer Yuan now? I have already lost count. These people clearly know he¡¯s a fake, yet they are still giving him a spotlight. What are these people thinking?" Wang Xiuying shook her head.

    Because of yer Yuan¡¯s fame and the fact that nobody knows his real identity, it was only natural for people to try and im they were yer Yuan and steal his fame, but s, not a single person has managed to prove themselves to be the real one despite dozens of peopleing forward as the real one.

    "Tell me¡ª and the audience watching this¡ª why should we believe you when you im to be yer Yuan? What kind of proof can you provide us that proves you¡¯re the real one? And if you are indeed the real one, why have you suddenly decided to reveal yourself after remaining lowkey for so long?"

    The man with the ck mask then spoke in a confident voice, "I simply got bored of hiding, so I decided toe out of hiding. As for whether I have proof or not¡ª of course, I have proof. Why else would Ie all the way over here?"

    The presenter then said with a stiff smile on his face, "You sound so confident that I am already starting to believe you."

    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    And he continued, "Let¡¯s start with the easy questions first."

    "Why did you decide to y Cultivation Online?"

    "Because I was bored."

    "What cultivation are you currently in Cultivation Online?"

    "First level Spirit Master."

    "How old are you?"

    "Eighteen years old."

    "What are you currently doing in the event known as Mystic Realm?"

    "Nothing too crazy. I¡¯m just farming some magical beasts for points."

    "Why have you refused toe out despite so many offers to reveal your identity?"

    "I was skeptical of them, and I still am."

    Wang Xiuying shook her head again.

    "This is allmon knowledge by now. What a waste of time."

    Ever since Yuan¡¯s age and cultivation level was revealed right before they entered the Mystic Realm, it was spread throughout the inte like wildfire.

    Many people couldn¡¯t believe how far ahead he actually waspared to the top yers, much less the average yers, and even more people were shocked by his young age.

    After asking ¡¯yer Yuan¡¯ a dozen useless questions that didn¡¯t directly prove that he was the real yer Yuan, the presenter then said, "This is all for today. Follow us on the next episode tomorrow for more proof! Find out whether he¡¯s really yer Yuan or just another phony tomorrow here, Cultivation Online Daily News!"

    "What an idiot." Wang Xiuying closed the television afterward, no longer feeling any will to continue watching.

    "Guess I¡¯ll go to the hospital now and see if grandpa needs any help there."

    Thus, she took a few minutes to prepare herself before leaving the house.

 Chapter 374 Not Logging Off

    After arriving at her family¡¯s hospital that was owned by Doctor Wang, Wang Xiuying went to look for her grandfather.

    "Grandfather, do you need any help around here?" She asked him.

    "Hm? What happened to your game? I thought you were going to take the entire month off due to some massive event." Doctor Wang looked at her funny, especially when she was so excited not too long ago.

    "Well, something happened, and I have some free time, so I figured that I¡¯de here and help out in the meantime," she said.

    "I see... But I don¡¯t really need any help today. You can try asking the other nurses."

    "Hmmm..."

    After a moment of silence, Wang Xiuying spoke, "Grandpa, you visited Yu Tian recently, right? How¡¯s he doing? Considering how his family kicked him out... I¡¯m kind of worried."

    "The Young Master? He¡¯s doing perfectly fine." Doctor Wang said.

    "Perfectly fine?" Wang Xiuying raised her eyebrows.

    "Yes. I even decided to change his diet, so he¡¯s no longer just eating soup for every meal."

    "Oh, that¡¯s great!"

    "By the way... Do you think I can go visit him at his new ce?" She suddenly asked.

    "Eh? Why?"

    "It¡¯s been a while, that¡¯s all. And I feel like speaking to him."

    Doctor Wang pondered for a moment before speaking, "I will have to ask them for permission before I say anything."

    "That¡¯s fine."

    Doctor Wang called Meixiu shortly after, but nobody picked up, so he left her a message about Wang Xiuying wanting to visit.

    Meanwhile, Wang Xiuying went to help out the others in the hospital.

    It wasn¡¯t until after Meixiu logged off the game to prepare dinner that she saw Doctor Wang¡¯s message.

    "Wang Xiuying wants to visit us?" Meixiu raised her eyebrows.

    [I will ask him when hees out of the game.]

    She texted back to him.

    [Okay. Thank you.] Doctor Wang responded a minuteter.

    However, Yuan didn¡¯t log off that night, missing his dinner.

    "He must be busy inside the game."

    Once Meixiu realized that Yuan was most likely going to stay inside the game for the night and miss dinner, she wrapped his food and ced them inside the fridge.

    Meixiu wasn¡¯t too worried initially since this wasn¡¯t his first time forgetting to log off.

    However, when Yuan didn¡¯t log off for the second and a third day, she grew increasingly worried that something might have happened to him.

    She wanted to forcefully take him out of the game to ask him what was happening and why he hadn¡¯t logged off for so many days, but she¡¯d resisted her urges, as she was worried that he might be doing something incredibly important in the game that wouldn¡¯t let him log off for whatever reason.

    Furthermore, she has been checking his pulses just to make sure he was still alive and well.

    "Haaa... If only I could see what he¡¯s doing..."

    Meixiu sat on the floor beside the bed and rested her head on it.

    ¡¯I haven¡¯t cooked or done anything in two days... It¡¯s a new record...¡¯ Meixiu thought to herself.

    It was at this moment her phone rang.

    She looked at the caller; it was Doctor Wang.

    "Are you okay? It¡¯s been two days since you texted me. Did you forget or something?" Doctor Wang asked her through the phone.

    "Sorry, it¡¯s not that... Yu Tian, he hasn¡¯t logged off the game yet." She revealed.

    "What? How is that possible? It¡¯s been two whole days! That can¡¯t be healthy." Doctor Wang said.

    "I would go over there now to check his condition, but I have an important meeting in a few minutes, so if you don¡¯t mind, I will send my granddaughter over to check his condition. Don¡¯t worry, you can trust her skills." Doctor Wang said.

    "Okay." Meixiu quickly agreed.

    She knew that Yuan and Wang Xiuying were on good terms, so he most likely wouldn¡¯t mind her visiting, especially if it¡¯s for a valid reason. Furthermore, Yuan told her that he was with Wang Xiuying inside the game, so maybe she knows something about his situation.

    "I¡¯ll send her the address right now."

    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    The connection closed shortly after, and Doctor Wang immediately contacted Wang Xiuying and told her about the situation.

    "Yu Tian hasn¡¯t logged off for two whole days and Meixiu is worried? Okay, I will immediately go there now. What¡¯s the address?" Wang Xiuying spoke with a serious look on her face.

    Although she was initially happy that Doctor Wang told her to visit Yu Tian, her excitement quickly subsided after hearing about the situation.

    After receiving the address, Wang Xiuying grabbed her tools and made her way to Yuan¡¯s apartment.

    "This is where he lives now?" Wang Xiuying raised her eyebrow at the apartment before her.

    Sometimeter, she entered the elevator and went to the 17th floor.

    Wang Xiuying stood before 17F a momentter, and she knocked on the door.

    "Hello! It¡¯s me, Wang Xiuying!"

    Meixiu opened the door a few momentster to let her inside.

    "I¡¯ll save the greetings for another time, Meixiu. Where¡¯s Yu Tian?" Wang Xiuying asked her.

    "Here..."

    Meixiu led her into Yuan¡¯s room.

    Wang Xiuying didn¡¯t say anything and immediately checked his pulse.

    "His pulses seem perfectly fine..." Wang Xiuying released a sigh of relief after confirming that he wasn¡¯t in danger.

    "So did he tell you what he was doing thest time you spoke to him? Do you know why he hasn¡¯t logged off? Sometimes I also lose track of the time and stay inside the game for longer than I would like. However, two whole days is a little too much, especially since he knows that you¡¯ll be cooking food for him." Wang Xiuying said.

    "I was hoping you could answer that question..." Meixiu said to her.

    "Hm? What do you mean?" Wang Xiuying tilted her head.

    Meixiu took a deep breath and said, "He told me that the two of you were ying together, so I was hoping you know why he¡¯s noting out..."

    In her mind, Yuan¡¯s well-being was more important than his identity in a video game, so if she had to reveal his identity to make sure he was okay, she would do it without any hesitation.

    Furthermore, Wang Xiuying is Doctor Wang¡¯s granddaughter and Yuan¡¯s number one fan, so Meixiu felt that she could trust her with Yuan¡¯s identity.

 Chapter 375 Before Sunrise

    "Huh? What do you mean I¡¯m ying with Yu Tian?" Wang Xiuying¡¯s head remained tilted in a puzzled manner.

    "The person I am ying with currently is¡ª"

    Wang Xiuying¡¯s eyes suddenly widened when she realized what Meixiu was trying to tell her.

    She then slowly turned her head to look at Yu Tian, who was sleeping peacefully on the bed with the console on his head.

    Although the console was blocking half of his head, she could still see some resemnce between Yu Tian and Yuan.

    "A-Are you... Are you telling me that Yu Tian is yer Yuan?" Wang Xiuying asked her for confirmation, as she was in disbelief.

    Meixiu nodded silently.

    "So he knew this entire time who I was?" Wang Xiuying mumbled in a low voice.

    To think she¡¯d been ying with her number one idol, Yu Tian, this entire time without being aware! And she even saw his face! What a blunder on her part!

    "Please keep this a secret between us, Wang Xiuying. We cannot risk his identity being leaked outside, hence why he didn¡¯t tell you." Meixiu said to her afterward.

    "D-Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t tell a single soul. I promise!" Wang Xiuying quickly said after snapping out of her daze.

    Meixiu nodded, "I trust you."

    "Anyways, now that I know Yu Tian is yer Yuan, I understand why he¡¯s like this." Wang Xiuying said.

    And she continued, "He¡¯s currently in a state of enlightenment, and I was told that he wouldn¡¯t wake up until he finishes."

    "Enlightenment? How long will it take before he wakes up?" Meixiu asked.

    Wang Xiuying sighed and said, "I was told it could take days... even weeks."

    "Weeks?!" Meixiu eximed.

    A few days were already unreasonably long, much less a couple of weeks. Can one even survive that long without eating?

    "Don¡¯t worry, Meixiu. I know what you¡¯re thinking, but there have been plenty of people out there who have remained inside the game for over a week without any problems." Wang Xiuying said to her.

    "Even if you say that, I cannot let him stay inside the game for so long. I don¡¯t want anything to happen to him." Meixiu said, as she couldn¡¯t help but worry about it.

    Wang Xiuying nodded and said, "I think so as well, so let¡¯s give him one or two more days to leave by himself before we forcefully wake him up."

    And she continued, "I will monitor him inside the game and you will monitor him here."

    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    "Okay." Meixiu nodded.

    Sometimeter, after making sure that Yuan waspletely fine and healthy, Wang Xiuying left the ce and returned home.

    "yer Yuan was Yu Tian all along? I still cannot believe it..." Wang Xiuyingid on her bed and stared at the empty ceiling with a dazed look on her face for a very long time.

    Sometimeter, she entered the game and went to the courtyard behind the Royal Pce, where Yuan was still sitting in the lotus position with his eyes closed. Sitting a few meters away from him was Xi Meili, who was staring at him with a profound expression, her thoughts unknown.

    A few momentster, Wang Xiuying took a seat beside Xi Meili.

    Xi Meili remained still, almost like she didn¡¯t notice Wang Xiuying sitting beside her.

    ¡¯He¡¯s Yu Tian...¡¯ Wang Xiuying thought to herself as she gazed at Yuan¡¯s handsome face.

    After a minute of silence, Xi Meili suddenly said, "I really like him."

    "Huh?" Wang Xiuying turned to look at Xi Meili with a surprised look on her face.

    Xi Meili acted like nothing was out of the ordinary and continued in a calm voice, "He¡¯s the only person that has managed to pique my interest so much. Even now, I cannot take my eyes off him."

    "What about you? Do you like him as much as I do?" Xi Meili suddenly asked, dumbfounding her.

    Wang Xiuying then turned to look at Yuan and spoke with a smile on her face, "I really admire him."

    "Admiration?" Xi Meili finally turned to look at her, as she was surprised by Wang Xiuying¡¯s answer.

    Wang Xiuying nodded and said, "He¡ª at a very young age, was able to impress and influence many people with his talents, and I was one of these people that he¡¯d influenced."

    "His talent, huh? I kind of understand that feeling, as he has also influenced me just by showing off his talents." Xi Meili nodded.

    "Hmm? Wait a second. I thought you didn¡¯t know him, since you said that you¡¯d followed him on a whim." Xi Meili suddenly realized this.

    An awkward smile appeared on Wang Xiuying¡¯s face, and she said, "Well, yeah... That¡¯s what I thought at first, but it appears that I have known him for quite some time now."

    "Sorry, but I don¡¯t understand..." Xi Meili said.

    "It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t understand since I am also trying to wrap my own head around it."

    The two of them returned to being silent shortly after, and they continued to stare at Yuan with a silent gaze and their own thoughts.

    At the end of the day, right as Wang Xiuying prepared to log off the game, she noticed that the aura around Yuan was beginning to change.

    "What¡¯s happening to him?" She couldn¡¯t help but ask.

    "Unbelievable..."

    However, Xi Meili didn¡¯t respond and only mumbled with a look of disbelief on her face.

    "D-Did something happen?" Wang Xiuying became worried.

    "No... It¡¯s just that... He¡¯s already reaching the end of his enlightenment. At this rate, he¡¯ll finish before sunrise." Xi Meili said in a nervous voice.

    "It¡¯s only been three days since he started his enlightenment for the Dragon¡¯s Gaze, a deeply profound andplex technique for dragons, and he¡¯s already reaching the end. I can only describe hisprehension talents as god-like..."

    "Forparison, when I had an enlightenment of the technique, it took me three months to finish my enlightenment."

    "T-Three months?!" Wang Xiuying looked at her with wide eyes, as she cannot imagine anyone sitting there without moving for so long.

 Chapter 376 Mastery Level 3

    "I-I will be right back!" Wang Xiuying said to Xi Meili before logging off the game and picking up her phone.

    "Hello?" Meixiu quickly answered the phone after seeing Wang Xiuying¡¯s name as the caller.

    "Hey, Meixiu, great news. I think Yuan will be done by sunrise," she ryed this news to her.

    "Really?" Meixiu asked.

    "Yes, and I will stay inside the game tonight to let him know about the situation."

    "Thank you very much, Wang Xiuying," Meixiu said to her.

    "Don¡¯t worry about it. I am only doing what¡¯s natural. Then I¡¯ll speak with you againter."

    After hanging up, Wang Xiuying went back into the game and waited for Yuan to finish his enlightenment with Xi Meili by her side.

    Meanwhile, inside Yuan¡¯s mind, he could only see a pair of golden eyes staring at him from a distance that grew closer the longer he stared at it.

    This pair of eyes resembled Xi Meili¡¯s eyes, but it also gave him a feeling of the Great One.

    Although Yuan was not aware of it himself, he has been staring at this pair of eyes for thest three days inside his mind.

    Suddenly, a familiar sound echoed in his mind.

    Ding!

    [Yourprehension for Dragon¡¯s Gaze has improved tremendously from enlightenment]

    [Yourprehension for Dragon¡¯s Gaze has reached a new level]

    [Dragon¡¯s Gaze Mastery Level (2) ¡ú (3)]

    [Dragon¡¯s Gaze]

    [Rank: Ancient]

    [Mastery Level: 3]

    [Description: A technique created by the ¡¯Great One¡¯. A single gaze will cause Immortals to bow and the Heavens to tremble in fear! Used by Royal Families of the Dragon Race.]

    After the notification resounded, the pair of golden eyes inside Yuan¡¯s mind slowly closed itself before disappearing.

    Yuan slowly opened his eyes afterward.

    "Congrattions on your enlightenment, Yuan." Xi Meili greeted him with a bright smile on her pretty face.

    "Xi Meili? Did I just experience another enlightenment?" He mumbled in a dazed voice.

    "Another enlightenment? Why am I not surprised that this isn¡¯t your first time?" Xi Meili said with a bittersweet smile on her face.

    "How long has it been in that state?" Yuan asked.

    However, before Xi Meili could answer that question, Wang Xiuying stood up and approached him with a serious-looking expression on her face.

    "Wang Xiuying? What¡¯s the matter?" Yuan asked her in a somewhat nervous voice because of the way she approached him.

    "Yuan... or should I call you Yu Tian?" Wang Xiuying said to him.

    "W-W-What did you just call me?" Yuan¡¯s eyes widened with shock when he heard his real namee out of Wang Xiuying¡¯s mouth¡ª or at least that¡¯s what he thought he heard.

    "I know the truth, Yu Tian. To think you were yer Yuan all along. I feel foolish for not recognizing you earlier..." Wang Xiuying sighed.

    "H-How...? How did you find out?" Yuan asked her.

    Did she finally recognize him from his appearance? But even if he looked simr to his appearance in the real world, she didn¡¯t have solid proof that they were the same person! And judging by the way Wang Xiuying is speaking, it sounded like she was absolutely confident about his identity!

    "As much as I hate to admit it, I didn¡¯t find out by myself. It was Meixiu who told me." Wang Xiuying said.

    "What? Meixiu told you my identity? Impossible!" Yuan became even more shocked after hearing this, feeling a little betrayed that Meixiu would reveal his identity to someone¡ª even if that person was someone he trusted! And this made him feel extremely ufortable for some reason.

    "Do you have any idea how worried Meixiu was because of you?" Wang Xiuying then said.

    "What?"

    Seeing Yuan¡¯s puzzled face, Wang Xiuying decided to reveal everything to him.

    "You have been in enlightenment for three whole days, Yuan. That means you haven¡¯t logged off for three days!"

    "WHAT?!"

    When Yuan realized the situation, his heart immediately sank.

    He¡¯d been inside the game for three days straight?! No wonder why Meixiu would be worried!

    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.

    "And because she had no idea what you were doing, she told me the truth about your identity. I was also very worried at first when I learned that you haven¡¯t logged off for three days. I even visited your apartment to check your condition!"

    "Heavens! I will be right back! I need to speak with Meixiu as soon as possible!" Yuan said to her, and without waiting for a response, he immediately logged off the game.

    "Uhhh..." Xi Meili was left speechless by their confusing conversation just now, but when Yuan disappeared, her questions also disappeared, almost like she suddenly forgot about them.

    "Meixiu!" Yuan called for her the moment he returned to the real world.

    "Yuan! You¡¯re finally back!" Meixiu released a deep sigh of relief after hearing his voice again.

    "I am so sorry! It was never my intention to stay inside the game for so long! I had another sudden enlightenment, whichpletely screwed with my sense of time." Yuan exined to her why he didn¡¯t log off for so long.

    "It¡¯s okay, you don¡¯t have to say anything. I have already heard of your situation from Wang Xiuying. I am just relieved that you¡¯re okay." Meixiu said to him.

    "Even if you say that... I am really sorry for making you worried!"

    "I would be lying if I told you that I wasn¡¯t worried, but thanks to Wang Xiuying for telling me the situation, it wasn¡¯t too bad."

    Sometimeter, once they calmed down, Meixiu said, "Now it¡¯s my turn to apologize. I promised to keep your identity a secret, yet I revealed your identity to Wang Xiuying... I am sorry..."

    "What are you talking about? You had a legitimate reason to do so. Although I felt a little betrayed at first, I didn¡¯t know anything at that time. Just know that I don¡¯t me you at all, Meixiu." Yuan said to her.

    "Okay..." Meixiu said.

    A few momentster, Meixiu asked him, "How is your body feeling right now? Do you feel hungry? It¡¯s been three days since youst ate, after all."

    "Now that you mention it, I do feel a little hungry."

    "I will go cook something right away," Meixiu said before going outside to prepare for his breakfast.

 Chapter 377 Golden Dragon Robe

    After cooking more breakfast than she¡¯s supposed to because Yuan hasn¡¯t eaten anything in three days, Meixiu slowly fed Yuan.

    Sometimeter, after breakfast, Yuan said to Meixiu, "I should be returning to the Mystic Realm today."

    Then, he returned to the game whilst Meixiu cleaned the dishes.

    "Wee back." Wang Xiuying said to him.

    "I¡¯m really sorry for the trouble I have caused you two, Wang Xiuying," Yuan said.

    "Don¡¯t worry about it anymore. We¡¯re already long past that. Anyways, the teleport formation is ready, and we can return to the Mystic Realm whenever we want."

    Yuan nodded and said, "Give me a few more minutes here."

    He then turned to look at Xi Meili and said to her, "Thank you for your hospitality and for training me."

    Xi Meili smiled and said, "You can thank me bying back here in the future so that we can y together again. There¡¯s still a lot of ces I want to show you in this world."

    "I would love to return to this ce again, but since I came here by ident..."

    "I believe that you¡¯ll return to this ce again. If you came here once... you¡¯ll definitelye here a second time." Xi Meili said to him.

    Yuan nodded.

    "Let¡¯s go see my father so that he can activate the teleport formation for you."

    Yuan and Wang Xiuying proceeded to follow Xi Meili to see her father, the Dragon Emperor.

    "What? You¡¯re already finished with your enlightenment?"

    As expected, the Dragon Emperor was greatly surprised to see Yuan awake so quickly.

    After his initial surprise, the Dragon Emperor brought Yuan and Wang Xiuying to the teleport formation¡ª the same one they came to this world from.

    "It was very nice meeting the two of you. It¡¯s like a breath of fresh air in our monotonous life." The Dragon Emperor said, and he continued, "If you ever have the chance, you shoulde back."

    "I will try." Yuan nodded.

    "Good. Then stand on the teleport formation." The Dragon Emperor instructed them.

    Yuan and Wang Xiuying followed his instructions and stepped onto the formation.

    "Wait a second!" Xi Meili suddenly said.

    "Before you leave, ept this small gift from me." She then handed Yuan a storage pouch.

    "Don¡¯t open it now," she said afterward.

    "Thank you," Yuan said after epting the storage pouch.

    "You too, Wang Xiuying." Xi Meili handed her a storage pouch as well.

    "T-Thank you!" Wang Xiuying dly epted the gift, silently wondering what was inside.

    "I¡¯ll activate the teleport formation now." The Dragon Emperor then said.

    "Goodbye, everyone!" Yuan said to the Royal Family.

    "Bye-bye!"

    "Good luck out there, you two." The Dragon Empress said to them.

    "See you next time!" Xi Meili said.

    The Dragon Emperor then dropped a single drop of his blood onto the teleport formation, causing it to shine brightly.

    A few secondster, a familiar feeling enveloped Yuan and Wang Xiuying as they disappeared from the teleport formation and left the Ancient Dragon City.

    Then, a beautiful pir of light appeared, piercing the heavens.

    Meanwhile, in Spirit Heaven, the same pir of light appeared from the heavens and shot downwards into the ground, acting theplete oppositepared to its previous appearance.

    This pir of light then appeared in the Lower Heavens, aimed directly at the Mystic Realm.

    The spectators outside the Mystic Realm were shocked when the pir of light returned.

    "What the heck is happening this time?!" Someone there eximed his frustration.

    The pir of light lingered for a minute before disappearing.

    Inside the Mystic Realm, Yuan and Wang Xiuying returned to the 10th floor of the Mystic Pagoda.

    "We¡¯re really back..." Wang Xiuying released a sigh of relief after realizing that they¡¯d finally returned to the Mystic Realm.

    "Looks like it." Yuan nodded.

    "Let¡¯s quickly get off this floor just in case it activates again." Wang Xiuying said to him.

    Yuan nodded, and they both went downstairs to the ninth floor.

    On the ninth floor, Wang Xiuying took a seat on the stiff bed and opened her storage pouch to see what was inside, as her curiosity had long reached its peak.

    "Wow! There are so many spirit stones inside!" Wang Xiuying eximed in a surprised voice.

    "Really?"

    Yuan looked at her with his interest piqued as well.

    "There are at least 1,000 spirit stones in here! If I recall correctly, each spirit stone is worth 10,000 gold! That¡¯s 10 million gold worth of spirit stones in here!" Wang Xiuying was shocked by her sudden wealth.

    "What about you, Yuan?" Wang Xiuying asked him.

    "Let me see..."

    Yuan took a look inside the storage pouch.

    "You¡¯re right. I also have around 1,000 spirit stones, and there¡¯s also something else in here..."

    Yuan then retrieved a pair of ck and gold robes with a dragon design on it from the storage pouch.

    "Wow, what a cool-looking pair of robes. It kind of resembles the clothes the Dragon Emperor was wearing." Wang Xiuying said.

    [Golden Dragon Robe]

    [Grade: Divine]

    [Quality: Peak]

    [Mental Strength Required: 50,000]

    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    [Soul Strength Required: 50,000]

    [Description: An excellent piece of traditional clothing worn by Dragons of the Royal Family. Increased Charm by 100 and Luck by 50 when worn. Enchanted with ¡¯Superior Physical Resistance¡¯ and ¡¯Superior Mental Resistance¡¯. Grants passive skill ¡¯Dragon Aura¡¯ when worn.]

    "This clothing is a Divine-grade treasure...?" Yuan mumbled in a dazed voice as he stared at the Golden Dragon Robe.

    "Yuan, there¡¯s a note sticking to it." Wang Xiuying pointed to the piece of paper poking out of the Golden Dragon Robe¡¯s pocket.

    Yuan picked it up and read it.

    [Your clothes looked a little bit small for your size, so I went ahead and picked a new pair of clothes for you. I think it¡¯ll suit you well. See you next time. Xi Meili.]

    "What a thoughtful person." Wang Xiuying smiled.

    Yuan chuckled and said, "I will definitely have to return to the Ancient Dragon City in the future to return the favor now."

 Chapter 378 Exiting the Mystic Pagoda

    "It¡¯s going to be hard to repay this favor though since it¡¯s a Divine-grade treasure..." Yuan mumbled.

    "Wait... It¡¯s a Divine-grade treasure? This clothing?" Wang Xiuying¡¯s eyes widened with shock after hearing this.

    "Yes." Yuan nodded.

    Wang Xiuying was speechless. This Dragon Princess truly loved him deeply if she was willing to give him a Divine-grade treasure!

    "I¡¯m going to change now." Yuan then said.

    "O-Okay..." Wang Xiuying turned around to give him some privacy.

    A few momentster, Yuan said, "I am finished."

    Wang Xiuying turned back around after hearing his words, and Yuan¡¯s new appearance stunned her for a good moment, as he looked incredibly handsome and charming in these new clothes, almost like he was royalty.

    If she didn¡¯t know any better, she would¡¯ve definitely mistaken him for royalty just by his appearance alone, not to mention this unfathomable aura around him.

    "Yuan, you kind of give me the same feeling as the people in the Ancient Dragon City¡ª like you¡¯ve turned into a dragon." Wang Xiuying said.

    "That¡¯s probably because of the ¡¯Dragon Aura¡¯ from this robe."

    "Dragon Aura? So it makes your presence like that of a dragon?"

    "Something like that."

    "What a convenient skill. Do you think she gave you this robe so that you can use your Dragon¡¯s Gaze safely? After all, as long as you wear that clothing, you¡¯ll be able to use your Dragon¡¯s Gaze without having to worry about the other Royal Families causing you trouble because you¡¯re a human."

    "Oh! I didn¡¯t think of that! You¡¯re absolutely right, Wang Xiuying! As long as I am wearing this robe, I will be a ¡¯dragon¡¯, allowing me to use my Dragon¡¯s Gaze more openly!" Yuan spoke with excitement.

    "The Dragon Princess really thought it out, huh? I am admiring her more and more."

    "Yes!" Yuan agreed.

    "Are you ready to leave this ce?" She asked him after putting on the clothes she¡¯d lend him.

    He nodded.

    It was at this moment more notifications appeared before Yuan.

    [Xi Meili has been added to your Bond!]

    [Xi Meili¡¯s Bond level has increased to Acquaintance!]

    [Xi Meili¡¯s Bond level has increased to Friend!]

    [Royal Family Xi has been added to your Associations!]

    [Because of your performance at ¡¯Ancient Dragon City¡¯, your rtionship with the Royal Family Xi has increased drastically!]

    [Due to your actions at ¡¯Ancient Dragon City¡¯, your Fame has increased by 50!]

    ¡¯The Bond System? It¡¯s been a while since Ist saw it. I wonder how it works...¡¯ Yuan thought to himself. Thest time the Bond System activated was at Pang City.

    "Yuan?" Wang Xiuying called out to him when he stood there with a dazed face.

    "Sorry, I¡¯ming."

    The two of them proceeded to go downstairs.

    Before leaving the Mystic Pagoda, Yuan said, "Let me wear my mask first."

    Wang Xiuying nodded and watched him put on his ck mask thatplimented his ck robes perfectly.

    "Okay, I am ready."

    The two of them approached the door, which opened automatically.

    Meanwhile, outside the Mystic Pagoda, most of the remaining participants had gathered there, and all of them had agreed to work with each other to figure out how they could open the Mystic Pagoda.

    However, an entire week had passed without any progress, as the Mystic Pagoda remained sealed.

    "What was that light just now? That was the second time I have seen it!" One of them asked when a pir of light suddenly descended from the skies andnded on the Mystic Pagoda.

    "I have no idea, but it¡¯s definitely rted to this ce. If we can figure it out, perhaps that¡¯ll be the key to opening this damn ce!" Another one said.

    "But we have already searched every nook and cranny in this area. What else can we do at this point?"

    "Keep searching! There must be a way to open the door!"

    While the participants tried everything to open the Mystic Pagoda,pletely unbeknownst to these people, three figures had been watching their every action for the past week from the skies.

    "Look at these outsiders dirtying our Lord¡¯s Mystic Pagoda with their filthy presence! If I could, I would kill every single one of them for disrespecting the sacred ground!" Grandpa Lan mumbled in a loathing voice.

    "Calm down, old man. You¡¯ll shorten your lifespan if you get angry over these idiots." Grandma Lan shook her head.

    Ever since Yuan¡¯s death, Grandpa Lan has been acting like a grumpy old man who¡¯s easily bothered by even the slightest things.

    "What is that pir of light, anyway? I have never seen anything like that before." Lan Yingying said a momentter.

    "I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s also my first time witnessing such a phenomenon. I hope it¡¯s not a bad sign..." Grandpa Lan said.

    It was at this moment one of the participants there suddenly shouted in a shocked voice, "L-Look! The door is opening!"

    "What?!"

    Everybody there immediately turned to look at the Mystic Pagoda, and sure enough, the door was opening.

    "T-The Mystic Pagoda opened? How?"

    Even the Lan Family in the sky was greatly bewildered by this random urrence.

    "I¡¯m going down there! I cannot let these outsiders¡¯ dirty feet step into the Lord¡¯s home!" Grandpa Lan said.

    And just as he prepared to descend from the sky, his movements halted when he noticed two figures walking out of the Mystic Pagoda.

    The first person toe out was a pretty youngdy at the Spirit Warrior realm. The second person was an individual wearing a ck mask who was also emitting this unfathomable aura that made the people around him admire him unconditionally, almost like he was royalty.

    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.

    "Who are those people?! And how did theye out of the Mystic Pagoda?!" Grandpa Lan was baffled by their mysterious presence, especially when he saw the person in the ck mask and clothes, as the aura he gave off resembled that of a beast rather than a human.

    "H-Hey! Who the heck are you two?! And how long have you been inside the Mystic Pagoda?!" The participants on the ground asked them.

    "W-Wait! I recognize you! You¡¯re Healer Wang from Medicine Valley!" One of the participants who was also a yer recognized Wang Xiuying¡¯s pretty face.

    "Whoa... There are so many people here..." Wang Xiuying was also surprised to see them, as she didn¡¯t expect to be surrounded by people the moment she left the Mystic Pagoda.

    "What?! Does this mean you¡¯re also a participant?! How did you enter the Mystic Pagoda?!" The participants immediately began questioning her.

    "Ehh..." Wang Xiuying took a few steps until she was standing behind Yuan.

    "Answer us! How did you enter the Mystic Pagoda, and how long have you two been inside?!" The participants slowly surrounded them, sealing even the smallest path so that they couldn¡¯t escape.

    "Are all of you participants?" Yuan asked them in a low voice.

    "That¡¯s right!" One of them answered.

    "Good."

    Yuan didn¡¯t say anything else and retrieved the Empyrean Overlord, his intentions clear.

    "W-Wait! A mask! That sword! You¡¯re that monster from the Dragon Essence Temple!"

    Some of the participants quickly connected the dots and realized his identity.

    However, they were not the only ones who realized this.

    "That sword! Impossible!" Grandpa Lan¡¯s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets when he saw the Empyrean Overlord in the masked man¡¯s grasp.

    "Yuan?! He¡¯s still alive?!" Lan Yingying covered her mouth from shock, and tears immediately began flowing from her eyes when she realized that he¡¯d survived the Demon Lord¡¯s Core Detonation!

 Chapter 379 Beauty Falling From the Sky

    "W-What do you think you¡¯re doing?" The participants there looked at Yuan with nervous expressions when they saw that he¡¯d suddenly retrieved his weapon and was standing there menacingly.

    "L-Let¡¯s talk this out first, okay? There¡¯s no need for pointless bloodshed... We¡¯re all in this together..."

    However, Yuanpletely ignored them, and he lifted his Empyrean Overlord into the air.

    "R-Run! He¡¯s going to kill us all!" One of the participants there suddenly shouted.

    "Fuck you, you damn coward! Look at how many of us there are and how many they have! As if there¡¯s any need to run! Don¡¯t forget! He¡¯s no longer a Spirit Master in this world! We can take him!" Another participant refuted, even suggesting that they fight him together.

    "Y-Yeah! Let¡¯s get him! All of us together! There¡¯s no way he¡¯d be able to defeat so many of us at once!"

    The participants there all prepared for battle, yet none of them dared to approach him first.

    Yuan closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

    When he opened them, it flickered with a vicious light.

    [Heavenly Domain!]

    The ce was suddenly assaulted by a tyrannical pressure that caused all of the participants there to feel as though they were carrying mountains on their back whilst their bodies were chained down,pletely sealing their movements.

    "W-What is this?! I can¡¯t move my body!"

    One by one, the participants there began lowering their bodies until their knees were kissing the ground.

    In just a few moments, everyone there was on their knees, almost as though they were greeting royalty¡ª if not for the terrified expressions on their faces.

    "W-Wait! Let¡¯s not be so hasty, alright? Let¡¯s talk¡ª"

    One of the participants there opened his mouth to speak, but before he could even finish his sentence, Yuan swung the Empyrean Overlord in his grasp in a wide motion.

    Whoosh!

    A massive red arc of sword light was released from the strike, sweeping through the participants there and slicing their bodies in half instantly.

    "Ah!"

    "Damn it!"

    "I¡¯ll remember this!"

    The participants cried out loud as their bodies disappeared from the Mystic Realm before appearing outside the gates.

    After his initial swing, Yuan went to clean up the other participants he¡¯d missed.

    And in less than a minute, over 90 participants perished from the Mystic Realm and were disqualified from the event.

    Meanwhile, outside the Mystic Realm, the spectators were shocked speechless by what they¡¯d just witnessed.

    "Is that the Young Master? He looks somewhat different..." Feng Yuxiang mumbled in a dazed voice as she stared at his figure in the mirror.

    "Brother Yuan..." Xiao Hua released a sigh of relief after seeing that he was fine.

    However, they were only able to see Yuan for a brief moment. Once Yuan killed all of the participants in the Mystic Realm, the mirror no longer spectated him anymore.

    This baffled Senior Nie and the others.

    "What the hell is going on with the Mystic Realm this year? Howe the treasure isn¡¯t spectating that participant? And how did he open the Mystic Pagoda?" Senior Nie was filled with questions inside his head.

    "Who was that masked figure just now?! Is he also a participant?! And did he juste out of the Mystic Pagoda?!"

    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.

    The elders in Spirit Heavens were also greatly shocked by Yuan¡¯s presence, and they immediately bombarded Senior Nie with questions.

    "He¡¯s a participant from the Dragon Essence Temple. Although his appearance is different from when he first entered, I cannot forget that Soul Weapon. However, I have no other information regarding his identity besides that."

    "Oh yeah, he was also a Spirit Master before he entered the Mystic Realm, and he¡¯s apparently only 18 years old." Senior Nie added.

    "What! Such a genius exists in the Lower Heavens?! We must secure him at all costs!" One of the elders said.

    "I think so too... But which of our sect should he join?"

    "He¡¯ll be joining my sect, of course!" Someone then said.

    "Nonsense! Why should he join yours?!" Another one refuted.

    "Because he¡¯s using a sword, and we¡¯re a sword sect! Why else?!"

    "So what if he¡¯s using a sword? He can still join other sects! I have plenty of sword cultivators in my sect that focus on other weapons!" A second person refuted.

    The experts began fighting over who would get to take Yuan in as their disciple.

    Senior Nie shook his head and said, "You guys... You can discuss that after he agrees to follow us back to Spirit Heaven."

    "What? Isn¡¯t that a no-brainer? Who would refuse to ascend?"

    "Right? Who in their right mind would rather stay in this dump when they could ascend without any effort? If you¡¯re a true cultivator, you¡¯d want to reach the peak!"

    The elders didn¡¯t believe that anyone could possibly willingly refuse to ascend to the Spirit Heavens.

    "I don¡¯t know... He seemed to be acquainted with that little girl who was a Spirit King... I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if they don¡¯t really belong to the Lower Heavens and only came down here for whatever reason like I did."

    "Really? Just what are their backgrounds?"

    "Only the Heavens know..." Senior Nie sighed.

    "Hahaha! Do you see that? That¡¯s our Dragon Essence Temple¡¯s number one genius!" Long Yijunughed out loud after seeing so many participants disqualified at once.

    The other Sect Masters looked at him in envy. Why don¡¯t they also have a monster disciple in their sect?

    Inside the Mystic Realm, after killing all of the participants, Yuan stows away the Empyrean Overlord.

    "I didn¡¯t know you could be this ruthless, Yuan..." Wang Xiuying said with a smile.

    "Well¡ª"

    "Yuan!"

    Just as Yuan opened his mouth, he heard a familiar voice resound above him, causing him to look up into the sky.

    And to his surprise, Lan Yingying was falling from the sky with her arms spread wide open and a blissful look on her face.

    Yuan instinctively opened his arms to catch her.

    A momentter, Lan Yingyingnded in his arms and embraced him tightly, "Thank the Lord! You¡¯re still alive, Yuan!"

 Chapter 380 Master of the Mystic Realm

    "Yuan! Is it really you?! Are you really not a ghost?!" Lan Yingying tightly embraced him to make sure that he was real.

    "What is going on? Who is this?" Wang Xiuying was surprised when a beauty suddenly fell from the sky.

    "M-Miss Lan? What are you doing here?" Yuan asked her in a dumbfounded voice after catching her from the sky.

    "We came to the Mystic Pagoda to check up on the phenomenon that urred here recently, but to think we¡¯d see you here!" Lan Yingying said.

    "We?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    A secondter, two more figures descended from the sky.

    "Grandpa Lan! Grandma Lan!" Yuan was pleasantly surprised to see them as well.

    "Are you really the young man...? How on earth did you survive the Demon Lord¡¯s Core Detonation? And where have you been this whole time?" Grandpa Lan asked him with a dazed look on his face, almost like he was looking at a ghost.

    Yuan then said, "It¡¯s a long story, but I barely managed to survive the st. And thanks to my regeneration skill that I¡¯d obtained from consuming the Demon Core, I was able to recover fully."

    "Y-You obtained a skill from consuming the Demon Core...?" They all looked at him with baffled expressions.

    "Anyways, it¡¯s relieving that you have managed to survive that st." Grandpa Lan said.

    "Yuan, who are these people?" Wang Xiuying asked him a momentter.

    "They are the Lan Family, and they¡¯re natives in the Mystic Realm. They were also the first ones I met when I came to this ce, and they have helped me a bunch since then." Yuan introduced the Lan Family to Wang Xiuying.

    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    "H-Hello, I am Wang Xiuying, and I am a friend of Yuan..." Wang Xiuying greeted them.

    "Any friend of Yuan is our friend." Grandpa Lan nodded, seemingly in great spirits.

    "Anyways, how did you open the Mystic Pagoda, young man?" He turned to look at Yuan.

    Yuan shrugged and said, "I honestly don¡¯t know. I think it has something to do with the Empyrean Overlord, but I don¡¯t have any solid proof. The door opens when I get close to it is all I know."

    "I see... Interesting..." Grandpa Lan began pondering.

    After a moment of silence, he spoke, "If you don¡¯t mind, can you show us the inside? I have always wondered what the Lord¡¯s living quarters looked like."

    "W-Wait... Living quarters? This ce?" Wang Xiuying said in a dazed voice.

    "That¡¯s right. This ce belongs to the Master of the Mystic Realm, who we call the ¡¯Lord¡¯." Grandpa Lan confirmed.

    "Unbelievable... To think this mysterious ce that cannot be opened by normal means turned out to be a living quarter for some individual... And here I thought it was a special ce filled with treasures and whatnot." Wang Xiuying mumbled.

    "It is a special ce... but probably not in the sense that you outsiders are thinking." Grandpa Lan said with a smile on his face.

    Sometimeter, Yuan brought the Lan Family inside the Mystic Pagoda, leading them from the first floor all the way to the ninth floor.

    During this whole time, Lan Yingying stayed close to Yuan like two peas in a pod. It was as though she was reluctant to leave his side after almost losing him once, and the grandparents found this cute of her.

    Wang Xiuying, however, was puzzled by Lan Yingying¡¯s seemingly intimate rtionship with Yuan, and she wondered what happened between them.

    "This ce is much more spacious than I¡¯d expected... And by that, I mean there¡¯s nothing in here..." Grandpa Lan said after climbing all nine floors.

    "There seems to be another floor to this ce. I thought there were only nine floors?" Lan Yingying said after she noticed the 10th floor.

    "Let¡¯s check it out." Grandpa Lan said.

    "W-Wait! Don¡¯t go up there!" Yuan hastily said to them.

    "Hm? Why not?" They looked at him with their eyebrows raised.

    "Because there¡¯s a teleport formation up there that will take you to this ce called Ancient Dragon City," Yuan said, and he proceeded to exin the Ancient Dragon City to the Lan Family.

    "Is that so... No wonder why I can sense this inhuman aura around you..." Grandpa Lan said afterward. "So this is the feeling of a ¡¯dragon¡¯."

    "I don¡¯t know how, but the Lord is most likely rted to the Ancient Dragon City in some way for him to have a teleport formation to that ce inside his home."

    "Yuan, look at this... There¡¯s a slit here..." Lan Yingying suddenly pointed to the floor in front of the ce where Yuan got his mask from.

    "Oh, yeah. I noticed it before but didn¡¯t think too much about it." Yuan said.

    "If you look closely at it, don¡¯t you think your Empyrean Overlord would fit perfectly inside this slit?" Lan Yingying said.

    "What?" Yuan looked at her with wide eyes, then he turned to look at the somewhat unnaturally wide slit in the ground.

    "Let me try it..."

    Yuan then retrieved his sword and inserted it inside the slit.

    And to his surprise, it was a perfect fit, almost like this slit was made for his sword.

    The moment the tip of his sword reached the end of the slit, Yuan felt a ¡¯click¡¯.

    Suddenly, the entire Mystic Pagoda began rumbling as though there was an earthquake.

    "W-What¡¯s going on now?"

    The shakingsted for a good moment before it calmed down.

    And when it did¡ª

    Ding!

    [Congrattions! The Mystic Realm now recognizes you as its Master! You have be the Master of the Mystic Realm!]

    [You have obtained the title ¡¯Master of the Mystic Realm¡¯!]

    [You now have fullmand over the Mystic Realm!]

    "Uhh... I think I just became the Master of the Mystic Realm," Yuan suddenly said, shocking everybody in the room.

    "What?! How?!" Grandpa Lan eximed.

    "Probably because of this?" Yuan pointed to the Empyrean Overlord that was inserted perfectly into the floor.

    "Good lord... To think you can be the Master of the Mystic Realm in such a manner..." Grandpa Lan mumbled in a dazed voice, and then he realized that unless one had the Empyrean Overlord, it was literally impossible to be the master of the Mystic Realm!

 Chapter 381 Forcefully Removed

    "Now that I am the Master of the Mystic Realm, what can I do?" Yuan asked them.

    "Literally anything you want." Grandpa Lan said.

    "The Mystic Realm itself is a treasure, and as its master, you¡¯re like its god. If you desire, you can even change thendscapes in this world."

    "Hmm..."

    After pondering for a moment, Yuan spoke, "I think I want to open up the Mystic Realm, allowing the natives of this world to go outside."

    "What? Really?" Grandpa Lan looked at him with wide eyes.

    Yuan nodded and said, "You told me that the natives of this world dislike outsiders because of envy, right? That they¡¯re all stuck inside this world because of their ancestors¡¯ decision."

    "If that¡¯s the case, I would like to free them."

    As someone who loved to go on adventures and visit new ces, Yuan pitied these Mystic Realm natives that are secluded inside this world like birds in a cage.

    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.

    He then turned to look at Lan Yingying and said, "You also told me that you¡¯re interested in the outside world, right? If I open the Mystic Realm, you¡¯ll be able to go outside and experience it for yourself."

    After a moment of silence. Grandpa Lan said, "If that¡¯s your decision, you may do as you please."

    Yuan nodded, and he proceeded to ask, "How do I open up the Mystic Realm, though? And before I do that, can I forcefully remove people from the Mystic Realm? I would like to disqualify the other participants if I could in this manner."

    Wang Xiuying couldn¡¯t help but chuckle after hearing his words.

    "Yes, you can remove anyone you want. Justmand the Mystic Realm to do so." Grandpa Lan said.

    "How do I do that?"

    "Just tell it to do so like you¡¯re speaking to someone."

    "Really? Does it really work like that?" Yuan mumbled.

    After taking a deep breath, Yuan said loudly, "Mystic Realm, can you kick out everyone who doesn¡¯t belong in this world? Ah, but don¡¯t kick out Wang Xiuying who¡¯s with me now."

    Ding!

    [Command acknowledged!]

    [All outsiders shall be removed from the Mystic Realm]

    A moment after Yuan¡¯smand, every single participant besides Wang Xiuying was suddenly teleported outside of the Mystic Realm, shocking everybody outside.

    "What?! Why am I outside the Mystic Realm?! Has a month passed already?!" One of the participants eximed in a puzzled manner.

    "Impossible! We should¡¯ve had another two weeks inside!" Another one said.

    "Then why are we all out here?! What¡¯s going to happen now?"

    Senior Nie felt a headache iing after seeing this phenomenon.

    "Just what in heaven¡¯s name happened? Why did all of the participants suddenly get kicked out of the Mystic Realm?" One of the crystal balls spoke.

    "Not everyone." Senior Nie said, and he continued, "There are two people missing... That genius from the Dragon Essence Temple and that girl from Medicine Valley."

    Senior Nie remembered all of the participants before they went inside, so he knew who was still inside the Mystic Realm.

    "What should we do now? This year¡¯s Mystic Realm is aplete bust."

    "Hmmm..."

    After a moment of silence, Senior Nie said, "Let¡¯s wait until everyonees out of the Mystic Realm before I decide."

    Meanwhile, amongst the participants that had been forcefully teleported out of the Mystic Realm, Gao Dongya and Xue Jiye looked around with disbelief on their faces, as they had been forcefully kicked out as well.

    "What the fuck is happening?!" Gao Dongya cursed out loud, as they were extremely close to reaching the Mystic Pagoda.

    In fact, they were able to see the Mystic Pagoda in the distance right before getting kicked out of the Mystic Realm!

    "This is why I said we should hunt some magical beasts for points! Look at us now! Besides increasing our cultivation base, we don¡¯t have any other points! If our rank is screwed up because of that, the Sect Master will kill us!" Xue Jiyeined to him.

    Gao Dongya would normally have aeback for herints but he was speechless this time, as it was true that they didn¡¯t have many points.

    "Where is Disciple Yuan? I don¡¯t see him out here." Xue Jiye suddenly realized that he wasn¡¯t with them.

    "Perhaps he was disqualified before us." Gao Dongya said.

    "Don¡¯t jinx it!" Xue Jiye quickly said.

    Sometimeter, Senior Nie said to them, "Everyone that just got kicked out of the Mystic Realm, you may return to your sect for now. I will announce the results once everyone is out."

    "What? Does this mean there are still people inside the Mystic Realm? Why were we kicked out? Who decided that?" The disqualified participants were speechless.

    Many minutester, once the participants returned to their sects, Long Yijun stared at Gao Dongya and Xue Jiye with a deep frown on his face, yet he didn¡¯t look angry at all.

    "I¡¯m sorry, Sect Master. We have failed you." Gao Dongya said with his head lowered.

    "I¡¯m sorry, Sect Master." Xue Jiye also apologized.

    After a moment of silence, Long Yijun spoke, "Don¡¯t worry about it too much. Although I am also upset about the results, this situation waspletely unexpected and out of control. Hopefully, Disciple Yuan, who is still inside the Mystic Realm, won¡¯t disappoint us."

    "What? Disciple Yuan is still inside?" Gao Dongya was surprised to hear this.

    "Where was he this entire time? He was separated from us the moment we went inside." Xue Jiye said.

    "I know. However, I don¡¯t know why he was separated from you two or where he went. All I know is that he¡¯s still safe and sound inside the Mystic Realm. In fact, he even managed to open the Mystic Pagoda." Long Yijun revealed to them.

    "What?! He opened the Mystic Pagoda?! How?!" Gao Dongya eximed in a shocked voice, causing the other participants to look at him.

    Who opened the Mystic Pagoda? The participants that were not there to witness Yuaning outside the Mystic Pagoda were unaware of the situation. However, they would soone to learn about everything from the others, greatly shocking them as well.

 Chapter 382 Returning to the Cabin

    Inside the Mystic Realm, after kicking out all of the participants, Yuan said in a calm manner, "Okay, I think I got rid of all of the participants. Do I now do the same for opening the Mystic Realm?"

    Grandpa Lan nodded and said, "Yes, but I think you should let the natives know before you open it."

    "How should I let them know? Gather all of them in one ce?" Yuan asked.

    "No, you don¡¯t need to do that much. Just speak to them using the Mystic Realm. You can broadcast your voice to everyone in this world if you wish. Just ask the Mystic Realm to help you."

    Yuan nodded and said, "Mystic Realm, I would like to speak with everyone in this world, so make sure my voice can be heard by everyone."

    [Command acknowledged]

    [You may speak whenever]

    "Ahem!" Yuan cleared his throat before his speech, and his voice echoed throughout the world for everyone to hear, almost as though there was a god speaking to them from above.

    "Hello, everybody in the Mystic Realm. I will keep this brief. I have recently be the Master of the Mystic Realm, and as the new Master, I will be opening the Mystic Realm for those of you who wish to leave this world and go outside."

    "There will be a portal near the Mystic Pagoda, so if you wish to leave, you may go through this portal, which will take you outside the Mystic Realm. That is all."

    The natives were greatly shocked after hearing Yuan¡¯s words. There¡¯s a new Master for the Mystic Realm? And this person will be opening the Mystic Realm again? Why would this person do something like that for them? And who is the identity of this new Master?

    The natives were also sketchy about this announcement. Nevertheless, many of these natives were desperate to leave the Mystic Realm, so a lot of people from around the Mystic Realm began preparing their trip to the Mystic Pagoda.

    "Now that all of that is done, what else should I do?" Yuan asked.

    "You have already done more than enough, young man." Grandpa Lan said with a smile on his face.

    And he continued, "Everyone that has been yearning to leave this ce will be finally able to do so. I can imagine the poption in this world lowering by a lot in the next few weeks."

    "How about I open the Mystic Realm for the people outside as well? This way, there will be more peopleing into this world."

    "Hm? You mean you¡¯re not going to take the Mystic Realm with you?" Grandpa Lan looked at him with wide eyes.

    "Can I even take something this massive with me?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    "Of course. You can take it with you like a Soul Weapon." Grandpa Lan nodded.

    "But if I do that... How will people enter or leave this ce?" Yuan asked.

    "Well... They can¡¯t¡ª at least not until you take out the treasure again."

    After pondering for a moment, Yuan said, "I will leave the Mystic Realm where it has been for thest few hundred thousand years. This way, people can enter and leave as they wish, and the sects will be able to continue doing this event which decides the rank of their sects."

    After all, even if he¡¯s the Master of the Mystic Realm, he has no real use for such a ce, and it would be somewhat unfair to the people that have been relying on the Mystic Realm for so long if he took it with him.

    "I understand. If that¡¯s your decision, then so be it." Grandpa Lan nodded.

    "Yuan, what should we do now?" Wang Xiuying asked him a momentter.

    "Since you have automatically disqualified all of the participants, there is no longer any reason for us to be here. We can simply leave whenever we want."

    "You¡¯re right... I don¡¯t think we should linger in this ce when everyone is already outside." Yuan agreed with her.

    "There¡¯s no need to be in such a hurry, young man. How about we return to the cabin and have some tea before you leave? I also have something to give you." Grandpa Lan said to him.

    "Okay." Yuan nodded.

    "What about you? Do you want toe along? I can take you out of here if you wish."

    "I don¡¯t want to leave alone. I can already imagine what might happen if I do..." Wang Xiuying shuddered at the thought of being surrounded by everyone outside the moment she leaves, asking her why she¡¯s the only one who didn¡¯t get kicked out.

    "Great. Then let¡¯s go." Grandpa Lan said to them.

    A momentter, they went outside, where Grandpa Lan transformed into his serpent form, shocking Wang Xiuying.

    "Y-You¡¯re a magical beast?"

    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.

    "A Divine Beast, to be exact." Grandpa Lan said with a smile.

    "A Divine Beast...? Yuan, don¡¯t you also have a Divine Beast as a servant?" Wang Xiuying recalled one of his world announcements.

    "What? You have a Divine Beast as a servant?" The Lan Family looked at him with their eyes wide with shock.

    They didn¡¯t know Divine Beasts could be servants, as they are usually extremely prideful beings that would never lower themselves to be a servant.

    "Yes, I do." Yuan nodded.

    "Unbelievable..." Grandpa Lan mumbled.

    Lan Yingying stared at Yuan silently, seemingly in deep thoughts.

    "Get on my back. I¡¯ll carry you guys back to the Divine Forest." Grandpa Lan said to them.

    "Let me create the exit for the natives first," Yuan said, and hemanded the Mystic Realm to create a portal right outside the Mystic Pagoda, which will let the natives finally leave this ce.

    Once that was done, he jumped on Grandpa Lan¡¯s back with Wang Xiuying and the others before flying into the sky and away from the Mystic Pagoda.

    In the air, Wang Xiuying looked at Lan Yingying for a good moment before asking her, "If you don¡¯t mind me asking, what¡¯s your rtionship with Yuan?"

    "What...?" Lan Yingying pondered for a moment before speaking, "He impregnated me."

    "He what?!" Wang Xiuying eximed, nearly falling off Grandpa Lan¡¯s back from shock after hearing Lan Yingying¡¯s shocking words.

 Chapter 383 Farewell Gift

    "Y-Yuan! Is that true?! You impregnated this youngdy?!" Wang Xiuying turned to him for answers, as she couldn¡¯t believe that someone as innocent as Yuan would do something like that to a woman he¡¯d only recently met.

    Yuan nodded in a calm manner and confirmed, "Yes, she asked me to impregnate her, so I decided to help her."

    "U-Unbelievable..." Wang Xiuying stared at him with clear disbelief on her face.

    Finding out Yuan had impregnated another woman was akin to a hardcore fangirl finding out that her number one idol had a girlfriend for Wang Xiuying.

    The shock she felt was unique and different from what Meixiu felt when she first found out about it.

    After many moments of silence, Wang Xiuying spoke again, "W-Well... Congrattions! I cannot wait to see the baby in nine months!"

    Wang Xiuying was unaware that Divine Beasts had a much longer conceiving time.

    "Nine months?" Lan Yingying raised her eyebrows.

    She then said, "It will take at least a thousand years before I can give birth. Divine Beasts are different. We cannot give birth so quickly unlike humans."

    "Is that how it works? But one thousand years... We¡¯ll be long dead by then..."

    "As long as you reach Spirit Grandmaster, you¡¯ll be able to live over a thousand yearsfortably." Grandma Lan said to her.

    "Perhaps in this world, but s..." A bittersweet smile appeared on Wang Xiuying¡¯s face. Although Spirit Grandmasters can live to be a thousand in this cultivation world, they are only inside a game.

    ¡¯There¡¯s no such thing as cultivation in the real world, after all...¡¯ Wang Xiuying thought to herself.

    A few hourster, they arrived at the cabin in the Divine Forest.

    "Go ahead and make yourselves at home. I¡¯ll go brew some tea." Grandma Lan said to them.

    After they sat down, Grandpa Lan said, "I will be right back."

    He then disappeared somewhere.

    "Yuan, what are you going to do once you go back outside?" Lan Yingying asked him.

    "Well, I am going to return to my sect for a while. Then I am going to enter this ce called Dragon Temple. Once all of that is done, I n on leaving the sect so that I can explore the rest of the Lower Heavens before I decide to ascend through the Stairway to Heaven." Yuanid out his ns.

    "The rest of the Lower Heavens? That¡¯s going to take years, Yuan." Wang Xiuying said to him.

    And she continued, "There are four continents in the Lower Heavens, and as far as I am aware, a single continent in this world is as big as all of the continents on ¡¯Earth¡¯bined."

    "Really? Then I guess I will just look around until I feel like going to the upper heavens." Yuan said.

    "What about following that Senior Nie to Spirit Heaven? You opened the Mystic Pagoda, so you automatically qualify to ascend with him." Wang Xiuying then asked.

    "Nah. I¡¯d rather ascend with my own effort. And there are still things I need to do in the Lower Heavens." Yuan said.

    "Makes sense." Wang Xiuying nodded.

    Sometimeter, Grandpa Lan returned with a small wooden box in his hands.

    He sat down in an empty seat before cing the box before them.

    "I want you to have the thing inside this box. It¡¯s a farewell gift from us¡ª the Lan Family." Grandpa Lan said with a mysterious smile on his face.

    And he continued, "You deserve it."

    "What is it?" Yuan couldn¡¯t help but ask.

    "Open it up and see for yourself," he said with a smile.

    Yuan nodded and opened up the box, and to his surprise, there were two familiar-looking objects resting inside the box.

    There were two crystals¡ª red crystals.

    "T-This is... Demon Cores?" Yuan asked in a dazed voice.

    "Yes. One of them belongs to the minor demon you had sealed but never got to finish. We finished it for you after your disappearance." Grandpa Lan exined.

    "As for the second demon core... It belongs to the Demon Lord."

    "Wait... What?" Yuan¡¯s eyes widened with surprise.

    "Didn¡¯t the Demon Lord explode himself? How could his demon core have survived that?" Yuan asked.

    "Although it may be called ¡¯Core Detonation¡¯, it doesn¡¯t actually require the demon to destroy their demon core. In fact, a demon¡¯s core has nothing to do with their cultivation, as they store their cultivation inside their body."

    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    "So their blood, their muscles, their bones¡ª every single cell in their body. This is one of the reasons for their near indestructible bodies, as their bodies are made mostly out of spiritual energy."

    "If a demon core isn¡¯t their Dantian, then what is a demon core? And why does it contain so much spiritual energy?" Yuan asked.

    "Unfortunately, I do not have an answer for that question, as I don¡¯t know that much about demons, to begin with." Grandpa Lan shook his head.

    "I see..." Yuan mumbled.

    "Anyways, we found the Demon Lord¡¯s demon core at the ce where he self-destructed. We were going to feed it to Yingying when she¡¯s actually pregnant so that the baby can feed off the spiritual energy and grow stronger, but seeing that you¡¯re still alive, we¡¯re going to give it back to you." Grandpa Lan said.

    "Are you sure?" Yuan asked.

    "Yes." Lan Yingying nodded.

    "I see... Thank you." Yuan epted the demon cores and tossed them into his Dragon Spatial Ring.

    "Now, onto our next subject..." Grandpa Lan said as his expression suddenly turned solemn.

    "Yuan, what do you think about letting Lan Yingying follow you outside?"

    "What? Miss Lan?" Yuan¡¯s eyes widened with surprise.

    "Grandfather..." Lan Yingying was also surprised by his suggestion, as she thought he was only joking back then when he first mentioned it.

    After a moment of silence, Yuan turned to look at Lan Yingying and asked her, "Miss Lan, do you want to follow me? I cannot guarantee you that it will be entertaining."

    "I..." Lan Yingying opened her mouth, but she didn¡¯t continue, and she turned to look at her grandparents with a hesitant look, clearly reluctant to leave them behind.

 Chapter 384 Leaving the Mystic Realm

    "Why are you hesitating now, Yingying? Forget about us old folks and go have fun with the youngsters. You¡¯ll definitely enjoy the outside world more than this forest." Grandpa Lan said to her.

    "Furthermore, you¡¯ll conceive his child in the future. It would be better for the child if the father is there during birth, don¡¯t you think so as well?" Grandma Lan added.

    "What about my duty?" Lan Yingying asked.

    "You¡¯re worried about that? Just leave it to us. We will continue to clean the Lord¡¯s tablet." Grandpa Lan said.

    After a slight pause, he continued with a smile on his face, "In fact, starting today, you have a new ¡¯Lord¡¯."

    "Wait... What?" Lan Yingying looked at him with wide eyes.

    "Go ahead and serve the young man as your new ¡¯Lord¡¯. You¡¯re not bound by a contract, anyway. It was our ancestors who decided to follow the Lord. We¡¯re simply carrying out their duties as a family tradition." Grandpa Lan said to her.

    "..."

    After a long moment of silence, Lan Yingying stood up from her seat and walked to the side of the table where Yuan was sitting.

    "Miss Lan?" Yuan looked at her with raised eyebrows.

    "Yuan..."

    Lan Yingying lowered her body until she was on her knees.

    "No... Please allow me to call you my Lord." Lan Yingying said as she lowered her head until it was kissing the floor.

    "I wish to serve you as my Lord." Lan Yingying repeated since Yuan didn¡¯t respond for a moment, mostly because he was speechless.

    "A-Are you sure?" Yuan asked her.

    "I am positive." Lan Yingying nodded her head with a resolute expression on her face.

    "Okay. If you want to follow me, there¡¯s no reason for me to refuse." Yuan easily agreed.

    "Really? You don¡¯t mind?" Lan Yingying¡¯s eyes flickered with excitement.

    "Why would I mind? It¡¯s not like I dislike you. In fact, I really like you." Yuan said with a smile on his face.

    "Great! Now let¡¯s make this official with a contract!" Grandpa Lan said a momentter.

    "You just need some of my blood, right?" Yuan asked her, as this is what Feng Yuxiang needed.

    Lan Yingying nodded.

    "Okay."

    Yuan retrieved the Starry Abyss, opened a wound on his finger, before finally offering it to Lan Yinying.

    Lan Yingying dly epted his hand and opened her mouth, putting his finger inside a momentter to suck his blood.

    Wang Xiuying swallowed nervously from the background, her face slightly flushed with redness, as this scene looked kind of erotic for some reason.

    [Divine Serpent ¡¯Lan Yingying¡¯ has initiated a servant contract with you!]

    "My Lord, this subordinate shall follow you forever and swear my loyalty to you." Lan Yingying said to him.

    "Just call me Yuan, Miss Lan," Yuan said to her.

    "I cannot." Lan Yingying shook her head.

    "Young man, we take our tradition very seriously." Grandpa Lan said to him.

    "It¡¯ll be easier on her if you let her address you as ¡¯Lord¡¯." Grandma Lan also said.

    Yuan nodded his head, "Fine. Call me whatever makes you feelfortable, Miss Lan."

    "Young man, you should stop calling her ¡¯Miss Lan¡¯. It makes you sound distant from her. Just call her Yingying like we do." Grandpa Lan then said.

    "Okay. Yingying, I will ept you as my servant." Yuan said.

    Ding!

    [You have epted Divine Serpent ¡¯Lan Yingying¡¯ as your Servant!]

    Name: Lan Yingying

    Servant Grade: Ancient

    Master: Yuan

    Cultivation: Ninth Level Spirit Master

    Legacy: None

    Bloodline: Sacred Serpent Bloodline

    Physique: World Eater Physique

    ¡ª

    [Sacred Fire]

    [Rank: Ancient]

    [Mastery Level: 3]

    ¡ª

    [Superior Sense]

    [Rank: Heaven]

    ¡ª

    [Devour]

    [Rank: Ancient]

    ¡ª

    [Unlimited Growth]

    [Rank: ???]

    ¡¯Yingying is an Ancient-grade Divine Beast? That¡¯s even higher than Feng Feng, who¡¯s a phoenix! And she has so many Ancient rank skills!¡¯ Yuan was inwardly surprised when he saw Lan Yingying¡¯s stats.

    ¡¯And what¡¯s this Unlimited Growth skill? I cannot see its rank, just like Feng Feng¡¯s Cursed Bloodline...¡¯

    "The contract ispleted," Yuan said to her a momentter.

    "Wee to the team. I will introduce you to the others once we go outside."

    "Okay!" Lan Yingying nodded with a blissful expression on her face.

    "Ahhh... How they grow up so quickly..." Grandma Lan said with a smile on her face.

    And she continued, "Let¡¯s all drink the tea before it gets cold."

    Thus, they sat down around the table and began drinking her tea.

    Meanwhile, outside the Mystic Realm, an announcement appeared in the sky.

    [Congrattions! yer Yuan has be the first yer to obtain an Ancient grade Servant!]

    This announcement shocked every yer currently online. In fact, many of these yers are learning about the existence of Ancient grade for the first time because of this announcement!

    "Ancient grade servant..." Meixiu stared at the grand announcement in the sky with a dazed look on her face.

    "What¡¯s the matter, Meixiu?" Feng Yuxiang asked her after noticing her nk stares into the sky.

    "Yuan... He just obtained another servant." Meixiu said to her.

    "What?! The Young Master?! Is that why I felt a chill down my spine just now?!" Feng Yuxiang eximed in a shocked voice.

    "What kind of magical beast is it this time?" She then asked.

    Meixiu shook her head and said, "We will find out once he leaves the Mystic Realm."

    Inside the Mystic Realm, Yuan and the others spent a good hour calmly sipping tea and talking about random things casually.

    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    After they finished all of the tea, Yuan and the others prepared to leave the Mystic Realm.

    "Stay safe, Yingying, young man, and youngdy." Grandpa Lan said to them.

    "We will be here if you ever decide toe to visit us." Grandma Lan said.

    "Thank you for everything that you¡¯ve done for me," Yuan bowed to them.

    "Thank you, grandfather, grandmother, for taking care of me. I will never forget the time I have spent here." Lan Yingying also lowered her head.

    Grandpa Lan smiled and said, "You can thank us by showing us our great-grandchildren."

    Lan Yingying nodded, "I promise."

    After saying their final goodbyes, Yuan and the others entered a teleport that he¡¯d created, leaving the Mystic Realm.

 Chapter 385 Mystic Realm Results

    After entering the portal, Yuan, Wang Xiuying, and Lan Yingying appeared outside the Mystic Realm.

    "So this is the outside world..." Lan Yingying mumbled in a dazed voice as she looked at the deste area and the people gathered outside.

    Meanwhile, Yuan and Wang Xiuying were bombarded with notifications.

    [You have obtained a massive amount of spiritual energy from the Mystic Realm!]

    [You have enough Qi for a breakthrough]

    [You have reached Second Level Spirit Master]

    [+11,000 Stats]

    [You have reached Third Level Spirit Master]

    [+12,000 Stats]

    [You have reached Fourth Level Spirit Master]

    [+13,000 Stats]

    "..."

    "..."

    "..."

    [You have reached Ninth Level Spirit Master]

    [+18,000 Stats]

    Yuan¡¯s cultivation stopped at the peak of Spirit Master after leaving the Mystic Realm whilst Wang Xiuying¡¯s cultivation entered fifth level Spirit Warrior.

    As for Lan Yingying, her cultivation base remained the same.

    "Brother Yuan!"

    "Young Master!"

    Two figures could be seen flying in their direction shortly after they left the Mystic Realm.

    "Xiao Hua. Feng Feng. It¡¯s been a while." Yuan greeted them.

    "Young Master, is it true that you¡¯d epted a servant?" Feng Yuxiang immediately asked him, and she turned to look at the beauty standing beside him.

    "You... You¡¯re a Divine Beast?" Feng Yuxiang could immediately tell, as Divine Beasts have a distinct aura and smell that could easily be noticed by other Divine Beasts.

    "I am." Lan Yingying nodded calmly.

    "Are you okay, Brother Yuan?" Xiao Hua asked him after her initial shock, as Yuan¡¯s cultivation base suddenly leaped all the way to the peak of Spirit Master.

    "Yes, I am fine." Yuan nodded.

    Sometimeter, Senior Nie approached them and said, "Sorry to intrude on your reunion, but I would like to announce the results. Please go back to your sect in the meantime. And young man, I would like to speak with you afterward."

    "Okay." Yuan nodded.

    "I will see youter, Wang Xiuying," Yuan said to her before going back to the sect.

    "See youter! It was fun ying with you!"

    As Yuan walked back to the Dragon Essence Temple, everybody there stared at him with serious frowns on their faces, looking like they were all in deep thoughts.

    "Wee back, Disciple Yuan." Long Yijun said to him after he returned.

    "I cannot wait to see the results!" Elder Shan chuckled.

    Once everyone was back in their own sect, Senior Nie hovered above them and said, "First and foremost, let me start by saying that this year¡¯s Mystic Realm waspletely unexpected and full of unexinable phenomenons that have never happened before. In other words, it was an unprecedented experience."

    "However, such is the nature of the cultivation world. Therefore, I will continue to rank the sects based on the points the participants have umted during the time they were inside, even if it was cut short."

    Senior Nie then turned to look at the Mystic Realm and began making some weird hand signals.

    "Reveal!" He shouted.

    A momentter, a list of sect names and numbers appeared in front of the Mystic Realm for all to see.

    [Rank 1: Dragon Essence Temple(9,999,999 Points)]

    [Rank 2: Medicine Valley(5,032 Points)]

    [Rank 3: Heaven and Earth Pce(1,512 Points)]

    [Rank 4: Azure Phoenix Sect(641 Points)]

    [Rank 5: Heavenly Melody Academy(357 Points)]

    [Rank 6: Grand Sword Mountain (240 Points)]

    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.

    [Rank 7: Three Poisons Manor(101 Points)]

    [Rank 8: Fallen Saber Sect(88 Points)]

    [Rank 9: Xianxia Academy(72 Points)]

    [Rank 10: Pink Garden Paradise(69 Points)]

    "W-What kind of result is that?!"

    The Sect Masters there eximed after seeing this unexpected result.

    How on earth did the Dragon Essence Temple amass ten million points whilst the others couldn¡¯t even break five digits?

    And how did the Medicine Valley achieve second ce, beating the Heaven and Earth Pce that is now kicked all the way to the third ce?

    Furthermore, there were sects in the top 10 that weren¡¯t even top 50 before!

    "This year¡¯s Mystic Realm¡ª What a mess!" The Sect Masters there shook their heads at the results that were hard to swallow.

    Of course, many of the Sect Masters there were unable to ept this result.

    "Senior Nie! There¡¯s clearly something wrong with the results! Look at the Dragon Essence Temple! How could they have possibly achieved ten million points in such a short time?! The highest points recorded in history were only 10,000 points! Their points are 1,000 times higher, which is clearly impossible!"

    "Hmm..."

    Senior Nie looked at the scoreboard with narrowed eyes.

    Indeed, the results looked a bit ridiculous even for him. However, if Disciple Yuan was the one who opened the Mystic Pagoda which hasn¡¯t been opened since forever, it would make sense why they¡¯d managed to obtain so many points.

    As for the Medicine Valley, their disciple was following Disciple Yuan, which could be the reason for her unusually high points despite being alone.

    "What do you guys think?" Senior Nie asked the people behind the crystal balls.

    "Who cares about the results? It doesn¡¯t affect us, anyway. Just get on with it so we can take that genius to the Spirit Heavens!"

    "I agree. The results are final. There¡¯s nothing we can do at this point."

    The elders all agreed.

    Senior Nie nodded and said to the people on the ground, "The results are final. If you don¡¯t like the results, you can fix it next time."

    The Sect Masters¡¯ hearts dropped after hearing the verdict, especially the sects that used to be top 10 but didn¡¯t even make the top 50 this year because someone had killed their disciples before they could earn any points.

    As for the sects that used to be top 100 but now within the top 10, they were obviously ecstatic about the results.

    However, out of everyone there, nobody was more ecstatic than Long Yijun and the Dragon Essence Temple, as the results had far exceeded their expectations by reaching first ce!

    "Hahahaha! We did it! You did it, Disciple Yuan! The Dragon Essence Temple has returned to being first again after so long! Hahaha!" Long Yijun could no longer hold his excitement and burst outughing.

 Chapter 386 Picking Three Individuals

    Sometimeter, after Long Yijun eventually calmed down, Senior Nie said to everyone there, "The Mystic Realm has officially ended. I will now pick three people toe to the Spirit Heavens with me."

    The Sect Masters and the disciples swallowed nervously.

    A momentter, Senior Nie approached the Dragon Essence Temple first with the crystal balls floating around him.

    "Greetings, Senior Nie." Long Yijun and the other sect elders greeted him respectfully.

    Senior Nie nodded and said, "First and foremost, allow me to congratte the Dragon Essence Temple for obtaining the first ce in the Mystic Realm."

    "Thank you, Senior Nie. However, this is all due to the effort of our disciples, mostly Disciple Yuan, our most recent and talented disciple." Long Yijun said.

    "Yes... I can see that..." Senior Nie turned to look at Yuan and continued with a smile on his face, "Would you like toe with me to the Spirit Heaven, young man? You will get the ability to pick whichever of the seven Spirit Academies you would like to join. Furthermore, we will fully support your cultivation path by giving you near-unlimited resources, and we can even guarantee you that Spirit Heaven will not be yourst stop."

    "Spirit King... No, I will guarantee you that as long as you follow me, you will be able to attain Spirit Emperor in the future."

    The other participants watched as Senior Nie extended his hand for Yuan with envy in their gazes.

    However, to everybody¡¯s surprise, Yuan shook his head and said, "Thank you for the offer, Senior Nie, but I will have to decline your offer to go with you to the Spirit Heaven."

    "W-What?" Senior Nie blinked his eyes in a dazed manner, looking like he was in disbelief.

    Surely, he didn¡¯t just get refused, right?

    Long Yijun and the others gasped in shock as well.

    "How could you refuse! Do you have any idea how many people want to be in your shoes now?!" One of the crystal balls eximed.

    "That¡¯s right! You cannot refuse this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! If you don¡¯te to the Spirit Heaven now, who knows when you¡¯ll get another chance!"

    Sometimeter, Senior Nie asked him, "May I ask you for the reason for your decision?"

    Yuan nodded in a calm manner and said, "I still have many things to do in the Lower Heavens, so I cannot leave just yet. Furthermore, I want to ascend to the Spirit Heaven with my own strength. I am going to challenge the Stairway to Heaven, after all."

    "Stairway to Heaven? Even if you are a heaven-defying genius, it¡¯s not guaranteed that you¡¯ll ascend the stairway." One of the crystal balls said.

    "Indeed. Countless top geniuses have failed while less talented people have seeded. It¡¯s really random. However, if we bring you with us, it¡¯s guaranteed that you¡¯ll ascend."

    Senior Nie then spoke, "You don¡¯t have to rush to a decision, young man. I can remain in the Lower Heavens for another week, so you have all that time to decide."

    However, Yuan shook his head and insisted, "You don¡¯t have to wait for me. I have already made a decision. I will not ascend to the Spirit Heaven¡ª not right now or in a week."

    "Hmm..."

    A perplexed expression appeared on Senior Nie¡¯s face.

    As much as he wanted to bring Yuan with him to the Spirit Heaven, it was not as though he could force him.

    Even if he wanted to drag Yuan to the Spirit Heaven with him, he wouldn¡¯t act so shamelessly even if it¡¯s thest thing he does.

    "It is unfortunate, but if you don¡¯t want toe with me, I will have no choice but to find someone else. Don¡¯t regret this decision, young man." Senior Nie no longer paid attention to Yuan and flew away.

    "What?! You¡¯re just going to let him get away so easily?! Grab him if you have to!" One of the crystal balls said.

    "If you want to take him by force, by all means, get your ass down here and try it yourself." Senior Nie coldly snorted.

    Meanwhile, the other participants stared at Yuan as though they were looking at a fool. What kind of idiot would possibly refuse such an opportunity?

    "Does he not care about his cultivation career? He¡¯s even such a genius! What a damn waste of talent! Fuck me!" A feminine voice resounded from the crystal balls, cursing in a graceful tone.

    "Are you sure about this?" Long Yijun asked him afterward.

    "I am sure." Yuan nodded without any regret in his heart.

    After leaving the Dragon Essence Temple, Senior Nie went to the Heaven and Earth Pce.

    "Greetings, Senior Nie." The Sect Master and the disciples greeted him respectfully.

    Senior Nie nodded before turning to look at a certain individual in the group.

    "You. What¡¯s your name?" Senior Nie asked him.

    "Lightning Emperor!" The handsome young man responded with a smile on his face.

    "Lightning Emperor?" Senior Nie raised his eyebrows, wondering what kind of parents would give their own child such a ridiculous name.

    But he didn¡¯t think too much about it and nodded, "Okay. Would you like toe with me to the Spirit Heaven? I have seen your talents in the Mystic Realm, and they¡¯re definitely remarkable."

    "I am willing!" Lightning Emperor quickly responded.

    "Good." Senior Nie nodded his head before flying to another location.

    "Congrattions, Junior apprentice-brother Lightning Emperor, on your advancement!"

    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.

    "Don¡¯t forget about us when you go to the Spirit Heaven!"

    The other disciples quickly congratted him.

    "Thank you, everybody!" Lightning Emperor bowed to them with a wide smile on his face.

    A few momentster, Senior Nie asked another participant to follow him to the Spirit Heaven, and to no one¡¯s surprise, that participant immediately epted, which should be the normal response in such a situation.

    "Now... for the third person..."

    Senior Nie swept the crowd with a profound gaze until itnded on a pretty youngdy.

    He then flew to her and asked her, "Do you want toe with me to the Spirit Heaven?"

    "Huh? Are you talking to me?" Wang Xiuying pointed at herself when he noticed Senior Nie staring directly at her.

    "Yes. You." Senior Nie confirmed with a nod of his head.

 Chapter 387 Returning to the Dragon Essence Temple

    "Do you want to follow me to the Spirit Heaven?" Senior Nie asked Wang Xiuying again.

    Wang Xiuying was speechless since she didn¡¯t think that she would get the chance.

    She then turned to look at Yuan in the distance.

    ¡¯As much as I want to stay down here and y with you, I have something more important to do...¡¯ she said inwardly.

    Wang Xiuying returned to Senior Nie and asked him, "If I go to the Spirit Heaven, I will get to pick a sect to join, right?"

    "That¡¯s right. You can join any of the seven Spirit Academies," he confirmed.

    "Then out of these seven Spirit Academies, are there any of them that focus on medicine?"

    Senior Nie nodded and said, "Looks like you¡¯ll have a new disciple, Elder Mu."

    One of the crystal balls then spoke, "My Spirit Healing Academy is the top medicine sect in the Spirit Heaven that has over ten thousand Alchemy Apprentices and a thousand Alchemy Masters. If you wish to join my sect, you will need to be proficient and passionate in the field of medicine."

    "I want to join!" Wang Xiuying quickly said.

    "Good. But you should know one more thing. Although you have been given the right to join our sect, you have yet to qualify, as our sect is a bit special, so you are still required to take our disciple examination. Are you okay with that?"

    "I am okay with that." Wang Xiuying quickly responded.

    "Then it¡¯s decided. I will see you when you get up here."

    Once Senior Nie has picked three people that will be following him to the Spirit Heaven, he said to them, "Congrattions to everyone that has been chosen. I will give you all seven days to prepare for your departure."

    Soon after, Senior Nie dismissed everyone there.

    However, right as the sects began leaving, another phenomenon urred at the Mystic Realm, as people could be seening out of the gates!

    "W-What the heck? Who are those people?"

    The sects there were puzzled by this, as was Senior Nie and the others in the Spirit Heaven.

    These people were clearly not participants, so they could only be the natives inside the Mystic Realm.

    "Hahaha! It¡¯s true! It¡¯s really true! We can finally leave the Mystic Realm! Thank the new Master of the Mystic Realm! Thank the Lord!" The people that just came out of the Mystic Realm quickly began rejoicing in their freedom.

    Seeing this, Senior Nie approached these Mystic Realm natives and asked them what was going on.

    "How did you guys leave the Mystic Realm?" Senior Nie asked them.

    "How? The Mystic Realm has a new Master! And this person decided to give us freedom! Now anybody can leave the Mystic Realm!" The natives exined to him.

    "Heavens..." Senior Nie mumbled in a dazed voice.

    Just who is this new master of the Mystic Realm? And why would he make this change that might affect the world?

    ¡¯Actually, I can think of one person...¡¯ Senior Nie recalled Yuan, who had somehow managed to open the Mystic Pagoda, but he had no concrete proof that he was the new Master of the Mystic Realm.

    After answering all of Senior Nie¡¯s questions, the Mystic Realm natives left the scene and scattered around the Lower Heavens.

    Sometimeter, Long Yijun said to the others, "We¡¯re going to return to the Dragon Essence Temple now."

    Yuan quickly said, "Please wait a moment! I would like to speak with my friend onest time before she leaves."

    Long Yijun nodded.

    Yuan then approached Wang Xiuying and said to her, "Congrattions on ascending."

    "Hehe... It¡¯s all thanks to you, Yuan." Wang Xiuying said with a bright smile on her face.

    "Unfortunately, this means we cannot y together for a while, but I will definitely go to the Spirit Heaven in the future, so let¡¯s y again then," Yuan said to her with his hands extended.

    Wang Xiuying shook his hand and nodded, "Yes! I will see you in the Spirit Heaven!"

    Sometimeter, Wang Xiuying left the scene with her sect and Yuan returned to the others.

    "Let¡¯s return to the sect now." Long Yijun said, and the others brought out their flying treasures.

    "We don¡¯t really have enough room for everyone here..." Elder Xuan said.

    "Let¡¯s talkter, Young Master." Feng Yuxiang said to him before turning into a small ball of me and going inside his body.

    Xiao Hua also entered her ne shortlyter.

    The others then looked at Lan Yingying, wondering if she¡¯ll be doing something simr.

    "Do you also want to enter my body?" Yuan asked her, thinking that she also had the capability.

    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    However, Lan Yingying shook her head and said, "I do not know how to do that. This is the best I can do."

    She then transformed into her serpent form, yet it was different from her usual form.

    Unlike herrge beast form, Lan Yingying had transformed into a small and slender snake before wrapping herself around Yuan¡¯s wrist, turning into a bracelet of sorts.

    "Wow..." Elder Shan mumbled in a dazed voice, as she has never seen anything like this before.

    "Are we all ready to leave?" Long Yijun asked them a momentter.

    "Yes."

    Once everyone there was on a flying treasure, they took off into the sky and returned to the Dragon Essence Temple.

    A few hourster, they arrived at the sect.

    "The three of you can go back to your living quarters for now to rest. We¡¯ll contact you again in three days." Long Yijun said to the disciples.

    "Yes, Sect Master." They nodded.

    "Good work at the Mystic Realm, all of you." Elder Xuan said.

    "Yes. Great work indeed."

    "Disciple Yuan, please wait for a moment." Long Yijun stopped him right as he reached the door.

    And he said, "The Dragon Temple will be opened in a week from now."

    "I understand. Thank you, Sect Master." Yuan said to him before returning to his own living quarters with Meixiu.

    After the disciples left, Long Yijun sat down in his seat in an exhausted manner.

    "What an experience it has been..." he sighed.

 Chapter 388 Recalling His Experience in the Mystic Realm

    "Not only did the Mystic Realm finish earlier than anticipated, but everything else is also a mess. We¡¯ll have a lot of work on our hands once the news spreads." Elder Shan said with a bittersweet smile.

    And she continued, "At least we got first ce."

    Long Yijun shook his head and said, "Do you really think people will ept the results? Even if they won¡¯t say it to our faces, there will be plenty of people who think we don¡¯t deserve this rank, especially when the results are so... questionable."

    "That is true... Ten million points... I would also question it if I was in their shoes." Elder Shan agreed.

    "What can we do at this point?" She then asked.

    "We can only prove to the world that we¡¯re worthy of this position." Long Yijun spoke with a dignified expression on his face.

    "How do we do that?" Elder Shan asked.

    "First, we¡¯re going to up the requirements to join the Dragon Essence Temple. Although we held a disciple examination recently, we will hold another one while the heat is still at its peak. Furthermore, while some people will question us, there will also be plenty of people who will admire us." Long Yijun said.

    The elders there nodded with solemn looks on their faces. The Dragon Essence Temple will no longer be the same starting today.

    Once they were prepared, Long Yijun and the other high-ranking sect elders gathered all of the disciples in the Dragon Essence Temple in one spot.

    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.

    Of course, Yuan and the other two Mystic Realm participants were exempted from this gathering.

    An hourter, every avable disciple in the sect, regardless if they were busy or not, gathered at the Summit Peak, one of the most spacious areas in the sect.

    Over thirty thousand disciples gathered at the ce with the majority of them being Outer Court disciples, and they were standing the furthest away from the stage where Long Yijun and the other elders were standing whilst the Inner Court and Core Disciples got the best seats in the front.

    "Ahem!"

    After clearing his throat, Long Yijun spoke in a loud and clear voice, "You must be wondering why I have returned to the sect so quickly and why I had gathered all of you here today."

    "The Mystic Realm had ended earlier than anticipated¡ª it was an unprecedented event."

    "Secondly, I am here to announce the results of the Mystic Realm, and I am happy to dere that our Dragon Essence Temple has finally managed to take first ce again after so many years!"

    "Oooooh!"

    "First ce?!"

    "Hell yeah!"

    The thousands of disciples there immediately erupted with cheering from excitement.

    "And in order to celebrate, we will be giving every single disciple extra allowances for the next ten years!" Long Yijun announced, causing the excitement to skyrocket.

    After all, more allowances mean more resources, and more resources meant they get to cultivate just a little bit faster!

    "In three days, I will introduce the three disciples that helped us achieve this feat, so make sure you¡¯re ready by then."

    After giving a small speech, Long Yijun handed the stage to the sect elders and disappeared from the scene to prepare for other things.

    Meanwhile, inside Yuan¡¯s living quarters, Yuan said to the others, "You guys cane out now."

    A secondter, Feng Yuxiang came out of his chest and Xiao Hua came out of his ne. Finally, Lan Yingying unwrapped herself from Yuan¡¯s wrist and transformed back into a human.

    Once everyone was present, Yuan said, "Let¡¯s introduce each other now."

    "I will go first." Feng Yuxiang said, and she continued, "My name is Feng Yuxiang, I used to work as a store owner in the Golden Phoenix Bazaar, and I am now a proud servant for the Young Master. Oh, I am also a Divine Beast¡ª a Phoenix."

    "A Phoenix...?" Lan Yingying raised her eyebrows. This is her first time meeting another Divine Beast besides her grandfather and father.

    Meixiu went next.

    "I am called Meixiu, and I am something like a caretaker for Yuan. We¡¯ve also known each other since childhood."

    "Xiao Hua." Xiao Hua gave a brief introduction.

    "Nice to meet all of you. My name is Lan Yingying, and I am a native of the Mystic Realm. Just like Miss Feng, I am a Divine Beast¡ª a Divine Serpent, to be exact." Lan Yingying then introduced herself.

    "A Divine Serpent, huh? What kind of serpent are you?" Feng Yuxiang asked her.

    "I¡¯m not exactly sure..." Lan Yingying said.

    "Do you have any special abilities, then?"

    "I can summon these white mes called Sacred Fire," she said.

    "White mes? I have never heard of that ability before." Feng Yuxiang shook her head.

    "How did you meet Brother Yuan?" Xiao Hua suddenly asked with an intensive gaze.

    "I met him by chance at my previous Lord¡¯s tablet..." Lan Yingying said.

    "Allow me to exin," Yuan said, and he proceeded to exin his whole experience in the Mystic Realm to them until he reached the Mystic Pagoda.

    "Unbelievable... To think you had to fight so many demons in the Mystic Realm." Feng Yuxiang mumbled in a dazed voice.

    Although Meixiu told her about Yuan killing a demon, she didn¡¯t know he had to fight so many of them.

    "Where did you learn the demon sealing technique anyway, Young Master?" Feng Yuxiang then asked.

    "I learned it at some technique store," he said.

    "Technique store...?" Xiao Hua recalled the mysterious technique store that had a Spirit King greeting guests at the door.

    "Anyways, after arriving at the Mystic Pagoda, we went to the highest floor, where we found a teleport formation that suddenly teleported us to this mythical ce called Ancient Dragon City."

    Yuan said as he continued with his story.

    He then proceeded to recall everything that had happened in the Ancient Dragon City and how he managed to obtain a dragon¡¯s blood essence.

    "Blood Essence from the Dragon Ancestor?!" Feng Yuxiang eximed in a shocked manner after hearing about it, lookingpletely baffled.

 Chapter 389 Blood Essence

    "Y-Young Master, by ¡¯Dragon Ancestor¡¯, do you mean THAT ¡¯Dragon Ancestor¡¯?" Feng Yuxiang asked him in a trembling voice.

    Yuan raised his eyebrows and spoke, "Hmm? Do you know the Dragon Ancestor?"

    "If it¡¯s the same Dragon Ancestor you¡¯re talking about, of course, I know him! Oh, but it¡¯s not like I know him personally. He¡¯s just incredibly famous in the upper heavens." Feng Yuxiang said.

    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.

    "Oh? Tell me more!" Yuan said, his eyes filled with interest.

    Feng Yuxiang nodded and said, "The Dragon Ancestor is one of the oldest Divine Beasts in existence who has existed ever since the Primordial Era¡ª the earliest known Era, and the Dragon Ancestor has built multiple empires and powerful families across the Nine Heavens. He¡¯s so incredibly powerful and famous that many people revere the Dragon Ancestor as their god!"

    "Many families across the Nine Heavens, huh? I think it¡¯s the same Dragon Ancestor since that¡¯s what the Royal Family told me as well." Yuan said.

    "Heavens... You really obtained the Dragon Ancestor¡¯s Blood Essence? Not just his blood, but his Blood Essence! This is a priceless treasure even in the upper heavens, Young Master! I have no doubt that even gods would start a war for it!"

    "What¡¯s the difference between regr blood and Blood Essence?" Yuan asked her.

    "The phoenix blood I gave you is considered ¡¯regr blood¡¯ since I can offer it quite easily. Blood Essence, however, requires tedious effort and the individual¡¯s longevity to create."

    "Huh? Does that mean it¡¯ll take away your life?" Yuan¡¯s eyes widened.

    "That¡¯s right." Feng Yuxiang nodded, and she continued, "Blood Essence requires one to sacrifice their longevity, and to Cultivators, their longevity is extremely important, almost sacred, so you can imagine why Blood Essence is incredibly rare."

    "Even true Immortals that have indefinite longevity would not create Blood Essence carelessly because it could affect their cultivation, and that would be disastrous even if they lose a single level."

    "I see..." Yuan mumbled.

    "This makes me wonder... Why would the Dragon Ancestor risk so much to create his Blood Essence?" Feng Yuxiang pondered.

    After a moment of silence, Yuan asked, "Should I consume the Blood Essence?"

    Feng Yuxiang instantly stopped her thoughts and looked at him with wide eyes.

    "Absolutely not!" She loudly eximed, startling everyone in the room.

    "I¡¯m sorry for shouting at you like that, Young Master, but you must not consume the Blood Essence because your body cannot handle it. The Dragon Ancestor is a godlike being at the peak of the cultivation world, and its Blood Essence would obviously contain an immense amount of energy. It would be like an ant trying to drink all of the water in an ocean." Feng Yuxiang said.

    "Actually, can I take a look at the Blood Essence?"

    Yuan nodded and retrieved his Dragon Spatial Ring before taking out the bottle and showing it to her.

    Feng Yuxiang narrowed her eyes at the single drop of blood with a pondering look on her serious face.

    After a moment of silence, she spoke, "Even considering your abnormal talents, you shouldn¡¯t consume this Blood Essence until you¡¯re at least a Spirit Emperor, Young Master, because it will definitely kill you in an instant."

    "Spirit Emperor? The Blood Essence is that powerful?" Yuan¡¯s jaw dropped.

    How long would it take him to reach Spirit Emperor? He cannot even imagine!

    "Young Master, this Blood Essence came from a godlike being that has reached the peak of cultivation. It¡¯s not something a mere Spirit Master can consume. And telling you to consume it at Spirit Emperor is already incredibly dangerous and almost suicidal. I wouldn¡¯t tell even Spirit Sovereigns to consume this Blood Essence under normal circumstances."

    "I understand." Yuan nodded.

    "However, there are methods you can use that¡¯ll allow you to consume the Dragon Ancestor¡¯s Blood Essence without waiting until Spirit Emperor, and that requires you to dilute the Blood Essence until it¡¯s weak enough for you to consume it. Of course, this method isn¡¯t rmended, as it¡¯ll greatly weaken the effects of the Blood Essence."

    "It¡¯s okay, I¡¯ll just wait until I am a Spirit Emperor. I am in no rush to consume the Blood Essence, anyway." Yuan said.

    After all, his purpose for ying this game was never to rush to the peak as soon as possible.

    After he finished recalling his experience in the Mystic Realm to the others, Xiao Hua asked him, "Brother Yuan, what are your ns now?"

    "I am going to enter the Dragon Temple before I leave the sect and explore the Lower Heavens some more. After that, I will ascend the Stairway to Heaven."

    "Okay." Xiao Hua nodded.

    Yuan then turned to look at Meixiu and asked her, "What about you? When do you want to start cultivating?"

    "Whenever, I guess..." Meixiu casually responded, as she has no real motivation to be a Cultivator.

    Sometimeter, Yuan spoke, "Since I cannot consume the Blood Essence now, what about these demon cores? I have already eaten one so I know that¡¯s not a problem."

    He then showed them the two demon cores Grandpa Lan gave him.

    "Demon cores? These will fetch good money if you sell them, Young Master. If my store was still open, I¡¯d put these demon cores on the top floor, no doubt."

    "I don¡¯t need money so I¡¯ll keep them for now," Yuan said.

    "Hmm..." Feng Yuxiang looked at the demon cores with a pondering expression.

    "If you want to consume them like monster cores, I¡¯d only suggest consuming that one." Feng Yuxiang pointed to the demon core on the left.

    And she continued, "You¡¯ll reach Spirit Grandmaster if you consume that one, but if you consume the other one, you¡¯ll risk breaking through to Spirit Lord, which will force you to ascend to the next heaven because only Spirit Grandmasters are allowed in the Lower Heavens... With some exceptions like Xiao Hua, I guess."

    "I see... Then I¡¯ll just consume the weaker one and breakthrough to Spirit Grandmaster first." Yuan said before taking that demon core and tossing it inside his mouth.

    Xiao Hua and Feng Yuxiang had a mini heart attack after seeing his sudden actions, as this was their first time seeing someone eat demon cores, and they were not prepared for it.

 Chapter 390 Taking a Break

    [Heaven Refining Physique has activated]

    [??? Qi has been absorbed from the Demon Core]

    [You have absorbed enough Qi for a breakthrough]

    [You have reached first level Spirit Grandmaster]

    [+25,000 Stats]

    [Your body has cleansed the impurities from the Demon Core]

    [Your skill ¡¯Perfect Regeneration¡¯ has improved slightly]

    [You have absorbed enough Qi for a breakthrough]

    [You have reached second level Spirit Grandmaster]

    [+26,000 Stats]

    [You have absorbed enough Qi for a breakthrough]

    [You have reached third level Spirit Grandmaster]

    [+27,000 Stats]

    Yuan¡¯s cultivation soared all the way to the third level Spirit Grandmaster after consuming the demon core.

    "Heavens, Young Master. You¡¯re almost at my level... At this rate, you¡¯ll definitely surpass me." Feng Yuxiang mumbled in a dazed voice as the aura of a Spirit Grandmaster emitted from Yuan¡¯s body.

    "Actually, if you consume the other demon core, you¡¯ll definitely surpass me. However, if you do that..."

    Yuan smiled and said, "I will leave the other demon core for when I don¡¯t have to worry about ascending in the Spirit Heaven."

    Sometimeter, Yuan said, "I¡¯m going to take a good rest before I enter the Dragon Temple."

    "Take a good rest, Brother Yuan. You deserve it." Xiao Hua said to him before returning to her ne.

    "I¡¯ll let you rest as well, Young master. Call us if you need anything." Feng Yuxiang said.

    "Thank you for everything. I look forward to working for you, my Lord. Rest well." Lan Yingying said, turning herself into a bracelet on his wrist.

    "What should we do now?" Meixiu asked him.

    "We can log off for the day," he said.

    "Okay. I will start preparing for dinner." Meixiu said before logging off the game.

    Yuan followed her and logged off shortly after.

    In the real world, Yuan continued to cultivate his cultivation. Although he took a slight break to focus on the Mystic Realm, his progress didn¡¯t slow down too much, and in just a single night, he had a breakthrough, reaching the sixth level Spirit Warrior.

    And with this breakthrough, Yuan could feel and move his body slightly better.

    ¡¯It¡¯s only a matter of time now! Perhaps if I reach Spirit Master, I will be able to move properly again!¡¯ Yuan used this motivation to help him cultivate through the night despite finding cultivation somewhat boring at times due to its repetitiveness.

    The following day, Yuan decided to skip cultivation online and continue to improve his cultivation.

    And since Yuan wasn¡¯t ying, Meixiu also took a break, using her time to surf the inte for more information about the game and other things instead.

    "There¡¯s already 5 billion people on this forum... It was only 4 billion just a week ago, and this doesn¡¯t even take into ount those yers who don¡¯t use this forum. This game sure is growing at a crazy rate." Meixiu mumbled to herself.

    Although she has seen her fair share of video games growing popr quickly, none of them could hold a candle to Cultivation Online that has more than half of the world¡¯s poption actively ying the game.

    "At this rate, the entire world is going to be ying this game..."

    Meixiu began looking through the forum, and sure enough, it was littered with threads about yer Yuan and the Mystic Realm.

    [yer Yuan ughters over 50 participants at once!]

    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.

    [yer Yuan has obtained an Ancient-grade Servant!]

    [What could an Ancient-grade Servant possibly look like?! Click here to find out!]

    [yer Yuan refuses to ascend to the Spirit Heaven!]

    [yer Yuan takes first ce in the Mystic Realm, achieving ten million points!]

    The majority of the forum was talking about yer Yuan, which wasn¡¯t surprising after what happened at the Mystic Realm, one of the biggest events in the Lower Heavens.

    Unfortunately, only a handful of yers were able to participate in the event due to the limiting slots, or the Mystic Realm would¡¯ve been an even hotter topic.

    After losing track of time surfing the web, Meixiu was snapped out of her daze when her phone suddenly began ringing.

    "Yu Rou?" Meixiu picked up the phone after seeing her name.

    "Meixiu! Guess what!" Yu Rou¡¯s excited voice resounded from the phone.

    "What?"

    "My father has announced to all of the yers in thepany that whoever meets the requirements to wield the Frozen Jade Zither gets to use it!" Yu Rou said.

    "Is that something to be excited about?" Meixiu asked.

    "Of course! This means I will also have a chance to obtain it!" Yu Rou said.

    "But do you even have the time to y the game? Considering your schedule, it¡¯ll be incredibly hard if not outright impossible for you to beat the others who have much more time on their hands." Meixiu said.

    "Hehe... I kept the best news forst. Listen up, Meixiu. Because of Cultivation Online¡¯s massive poprity and potential, there have been a lot of students and even teachers skipping school just to y the game. Therefore, the principal has decided to cut school short this year!"

    "What...? They can do that?" Meixiu mumbled in a dazed voice.

    "Of course, the principal asked all of the parents for approval, and to my surprise, the majority of parents agreed, since they also want their kids to start ying the game!"

    "Unbelievable... How is that going to work, anyway?"

    "Well, the school will try to cram all lessons that would¡¯ve been taught throughout the year into a single month, so starting next month, I will be able to y the game seriously!" Yu Rou said.

    And she continued, "You know what¡¯s the crazy part, Meixiu? Our school isn¡¯t the first to do this! In fact, plenty of schools have already closed due to Cultivation Online! A new era of gaming is upon us! I can feel it!"

    Sometimeter, Yu Rou asked, "Is brother avable right now? I would like to speak with him."

    "He should be avable since he¡¯s taking a break from Cultivation Online. I¡¯ll go knock on his door now." Meixiu said.

 Chapter 391 Family Assignment

    "Yuan, are you awake? Yu Rou is on the phone, and she would like to speak with you." Meixiu called for him after knocking on the door.

    "Yu Rou? I am awake." Yuan stopped cultivating after hearing Meixiu¡¯s voice.

    Meixiu entered his room the next moment and ced the phone beside his pillow and the call on speaker.

    "Brother?" Yu Rou called for him.

    "I¡¯m here, Yu Rou."

    "It¡¯s been a while since I heard your voice, brother. How have you been doing?"

    "I¡¯ve been doing great."

    "That¡¯s good to hear. First and foremost, allow me to congratte you on your victory during the Mystic Realm! I knew you¡¯d crush the other participants!"

    "Thank you. It was a great experience in the Mystic Realm." Yuan said.

    "I also heard that you managed to obtain an Ancient-grade servant. What kind of servant is it this time?" Yu Rou then asked.

    "Her name is Lan Yingying, and she¡¯s a Divine Beast like Feng Feng, but she¡¯s a Divine Serpent."

    "Serpent? Does this mean she¡¯s a snake? I¡¯m not good with snakes..." Yu Rou spoke in a shaky voice.

    "Don¡¯t worry, she won¡¯t bite. And she¡¯s usually in her human form, so you don¡¯t even realize that she¡¯s a snake most of the time."

    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.

    "Oh, she can transform like Feng Feng? That¡¯s interesting. Can all Divine Beasts do that?"

    "I heard all magical beasts can transform into humans if they reach a certain cultivation base."

    "I see... Can you tell me a little of what you experienced inside the Mystic Realm? After that, I will tell you some good news!" Yu Rou said.

    "Okay."

    Yuan proceeded to recall his experience in the Mystic Realm and the Ancient Dragon City to Yu Rou through the phone.

    "Whoa! You got to meet dragons and go to a world above the clouds? I am jealous! If only I was there with you..." Yu Rou sighed.

    And she continued, "Yet that Wang girl... Ah, forget it. I will make up for it in a month."

    "Hm? What are you talking about?" Yuan asked her.

    "Hehe! Guess what, brother. My school will be closing early due to too many students skipping school to y Cultivation Online! Therefore, starting next month, I will be able to y every day!" Yu Rou revealed.

    "What? They can do that?" Yuan was dumbfounded by this.

    "Apparently."

    "What are your ns now that there¡¯s no school?" Yuan asked her.

    "I am going to y Cultivation Online seriously and try to be the first to obtain enough stats to use the Frozen Jade Zither." Yu Rou said.

    "The Frozen Jade Zither?"

    "Yes. Father said whoever gets enough stats to wield it gets to use it." Yu Rou said.

    "I see..."

    "The requirements... I will probably need to be around Spirit Master before I can wield it, right?"

    "Considering the requirements, yes..."

    "Brother, since you¡¯re number one when ites to cultivation, do you have any tips for your cute little sister that¡¯ll help me cultivate faster?" Yu Rou asked him.

    "Honestly, I don¡¯t even cultivate normally ording to Xiao Hua and the others. I consume monster cores to increase my cultivation, but that¡¯s only possible because of my unique physique. As for normal yers like you, I think the best thing to do is find a superior cultivation technique." Yuan said.

    "I see... A superior cultivation technique, huh? Looks like I will have to either buy it from the auction house or something..." Yu Rou sighed.

    "Huh? You¡¯re going to buy it from the auction house? Why?" Yuan immediately asked.

    "Well, that¡¯s where most people get their desired items nowadays, not to mention the marketce. Do you have any idea how difficult it is to obtain techniques and treasures in the game? You might not be aware since you¡¯re blessed by the gods in that game, we ordinary yers have to ve ourselves to obtain even an ordinary technique. Luckily for me, I have some cash saved up, so I should be able to buy a decent cultivation technique.¡¯

    "Yu Rou, let¡¯s not be hasty and waste your money. If you need a good cultivation technique, I will try to find one for you¡ª and it¡¯ll be free." Yuan said.

    "R-Really?!" Yu Rou¡¯s excited voice quickly resounded.

    "Yes. I am going to help Meixiu find her cultivation technique after the Dragon Temple. At that time, I will try to look for one for you as well."

    "Thank you, brother! Muah!" Yu Rou kissed him through the phone.

    "Anyways, I am going to go now. Because the school will be closing early, they are going to cramp all of the lessons together, meaning I will be busier than ever. See youter, brother! You too, Meixiu!"

    Yu Rou hung up shortly after.

    Once Yu Rou left, Yuan returned to his cultivation whilst Meixiu continued spending her time on the inte.

    Meanwhile, inside Cultivation Online, a youngdy knocked on the doors to Yuan¡¯s living quarters and patiently waited for him toe out.

    However, when nobody showed up even many minutester, the youngdy turned around and left his ce, returning to her own home that was only next door.

    "I wanted to congratte him for taking first ce in the Mystic Realm, but s..." Min Li sighed.

    After spending some time inside her own room, Min Li noticed hermunication jade slip trembling. Somebody was trying to send a message to her.

    She activated themunication jade slip to hear the message.

    "Min Li, our parents have ordered you to meet with this ¡¯Disciple Yuan¡¯ from the Dragon Essence Temple and make him join the Min Family! Even if he already belongs to another family, do whatever you must to make him join us!"

    Min Li was speechless after listening to this message that came from one of her elder brothers.

    The family has assigned her to make Disciple Yuan join the Min Family? They must have heard about his achievements in the Mystic Realm.

    "What a headache..." she sighed.

 Chapter 392 Looking for Disciple Yuan

    On the second day of Yuan¡¯s break, Min Li tried to knock on his door again after her failed attempt the previous day, but s, nobody answered.

    "Could he be at the Dragon Pavilion?"

    Thinking this, Min Li went to the Dragon Pavilion to find him.

    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    "Good morning, Fairy Min!"

    "Fairy Min, where are you going today?"

    On her way to the Dragon Pavilion, the other disciples would approach her in hopes for something¡ª anything at all.

    Once she¡¯d arrived at the Dragon Pavilion, the disciples there also approached her, almost like she was a celebrity or something.

    "Fairy Min, are you here to dine today? It¡¯s on me!"

    "Why don¡¯t youe with us, Fairy Min?"

    "I¡¯m just here to look around." Min Li said as she walked around the Dragon Pavilion, hoping to see a masked individual sitting at one of the tables.

    Unfortunately, she was unable to find Disciple Yuan anywhere in the Dragon Pavilion, so she decided to give up for the day and return to her own room to practice her cultivation.

    However, not long into her cultivation, Min Li felt hermunication jade slip tremble again.

    "Have you spoken to Disciple Yuan yet? Our parents said they need you to report to them your progress every day." Her elder brother asked her.

    "Not yet. He¡¯s currently unavable, so I cannot find him, much less speak with him." Min Li ryed this message back to her elder brother.

    Not even a minuteter, another message arrived.

    "I don¡¯t want to hear any excuses! Every minute you¡¯re not speaking with him is every minute you¡¯re giving ourpetitors! Our parents really want Disciple Yuan! You know what will happen if you disappoint them, right?!"

    "What am I supposed to do if he¡¯s not home and I don¡¯t know where to find him?" Min Li asked.

    "Then find someone who does!"

    Min Li sighed, and she stopped her cultivation to go outside.

    "Besides the Sect Master, who might know Disciple Yuan¡¯s location? It¡¯s not like I can just request an audience with the Sect Master to ask about Disciple Yuan..." Min Li sighed again.

    "Oh, right. Xuan Wuhan might know something since she¡¯s Elder Xuan¡¯s granddaughter."

    Thus, Min Li went to look for Xuan Wuhan in the Core Disciple¡¯s area.

    Normally, Outer Court disciples cannot go inside the Inner Court unless they were on a mission, but considering Min Li¡¯s background, who would dare to refuse her entry?

    After reaching Xuan Wuhan¡¯s living quarters, she knocked on the doors.

    A few momentster, Xuan Wuhan came outside.

    "Disciple Min? What are you doing here?" Xuan Wuhan asked her.

    "Sorry if I am bothering you, but do you happen to know where Disciple Yuan is? I need to speak with him about some urgent matters." Min Li said.

    "Urgent matters? I don¡¯t know, but I can ask my grandpa. Give me a moment." Xuan Wuhan said before taking out hermunication jade slip and sending Elder Xuan a message.

    A minuteter, Elder Xuan responded.

    "Disciple Yuan should be resting inside his living quarters. He didn¡¯t check out of the sect or anything since we returned from the Mystic Realm. I can try sending him a message."

    A few minutester, Elder Xuan messaged Xuan Wuhan again, "Unfortunately, Disciple Yuan isn¡¯t responding. He¡¯s most likely busy right now."

    "There you have it." Xuan Wuhan said.

    "I see... Thank you for your help." Min Li said before turning around in a dejected manner.

    Xuan Wuhan raised her eyebrows after seeing her gloomy mood, and she asked, "Did something happen? What¡¯s this urgent matter you need to take care of? Mind telling me?"

    "It¡¯s just some family business..." Min Li said.

    "The Min Family?"

    After pondering for a moment, Xuan Wuhan realized something.

    "Oh, I see... Your family is trying to recruit Disciple Yuan into their family after what happened at the Mystic Realm, huh? I totally understand. An 18-year-old who¡¯d managed to reach Spirit Master... I would also want him for myself if I was part of the Seven Legacy Families."

    "You don¡¯t understand a thing, Disciple Xuan, and I don¡¯t mean any offense. I have been assigned by my parents to recruit Disciple Yuan, and if I do not achieve this goal, they might kick me out of the family, and that¡¯s the least of my concerns."

    "Being part of the Seven Legacy Families may seem nice and all from the outside, but they don¡¯t know how much we have to struggle to receive even the slightest recognition from our own family. Meanwhile, if we make even the slightest mistake, all hell would break loose and everyone in the family will look at you like they have a grudge against you. Perfection¡ª this is what keeps the Seven Legacy Families at the top."

    Xuan Wuhan was speechless after hearing Min Li¡¯s words.

    "Well... I highly doubt Disciple Yuan would join any of the Seven Legacy Families, so what are you going to do?" Xuan Wuhan asked her.

    "Prepare for the worse, I guess." Min Li shrugged.

    "I mean... If you tell Disciple Yuan about your situation, maybe he¡¯ll help you out. He¡¯s that type of person, too."

    Min Li shook her head, "While that¡¯s true, I don¡¯t want to take advantage of his kindness. Although I may be desperate, I am not that desperate..."

    "I can only say good luck to you, Disciple Min." Xuan Wuhan said to her.

    "Thank you..."

    Min Li disappeared from the Inner Court shortly after, and she returned to Yuan¡¯s living quarters.

    After knocking on his doors again, Min Li proceeded to sit in front of his doorsteps.

    ¡¯Guess I¡¯ll have to sit here until he returns...¡¯ Min Li sighed inwardly as she began cultivating in front of Yuan¡¯s doorstep.

    Time passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, three days have passed since the Mystic Realm ended.

    After eating breakfast made by Meixiu, Yuan waited for her to finish cleaning the dishes before they entered the game together.

 Chapter 393 A Strict Family

    Once they returned to the game, Yuan could feel themunication jade slip Elder Xuan gave him tremble.

    "Disciple Yuan, where are you right now?"

    "Uhh... I am inside my room." Yuan responded.

    A few momentster, Elder Xuan responded, "That was yesterday¡¯s message. I guess you were absorbed in cultivation or something." Elder Xuan said.

    "Were you looking for me?" Yuan then asked.

    "I am not the one who was looking for you. It was Disciple Min that wanted to speak with you." Elder Xuan said to him.

    "Disciple Min? Why?"

    "No clue, but it sounded like she really needed to speak with you."

    "I understand. I will speak with her."

    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    "Oh, right. The Sect Master said to gather at the Summit Peak this afternoon for your rewards."

    "Okay. I will be there."

    Sometimeter, Yuan said, "I know we just ate, but I want to eat some more food at the Dragon Pavilion since it feels like it¡¯s been so long since Ist tasted their food."

    Meixiu didn¡¯t say anything and merely nodded.

    The two of them left the house shortly after, and to their surprise, there was a person sitting in front of their doorstep.

    Yuan raised his eyebrows as he called out, "Disciple Min? What are you doing? Why are you sitting there?"

    "Eh?" Min Li stopped cultivating and turned around to see a masked figure and a beautiful youngdy standing behind her.

    "D-Disciple Yuan?" She mumbled.

    "Yes?"

    "Y-You... You have been inside the entire time? Did you not hear my knocking?"

    "Sorry, I just came back..." Yuan shook his head.

    And he continued, "I hope you didn¡¯t wait for too long..."

    "Not long. Only for two days." Min Li said as she stood up.

    "Anyways, don¡¯t worry about it. It¡¯s not your fault that I suddenly need to speak with you. I¡¯m just d that I don¡¯t have to wait a week to speak with you."

    "Did something happen?" Yuan then asked.

    Min Li nodded and said, "It¡¯s about my family, but let¡¯s talk somewhere more private if you don¡¯t mind."

    "We were about to go to the Dragon Pavilion for some food before the gathering."

    "Sounds good." Min Li said, and then she turned to look at Meixiu.

    "She doesn¡¯t look like a disciple..."

    "Oh, right. This is my friend and caretaker¡ª Meixiu. I hope you don¡¯t mind having her with us. And this is a fellow disciple¡ª Min Li." Yuan introduced them to each other.

    "Hello," Meixiu said to her in a calm manner.

    "H-Hello... I don¡¯t mind." Min Li said, feeling a little awkward.

    Sometimeter, they arrived at the Dragon Pavilion.

    After taking a seat in their usual spot and ordering their food, Yuan asked Min Li, "So what happened to your family?"

    Min Li released a sigh before she spoke, "Do you remember our conversation before? About you joining my family?"

    "Yes, I do." Yuan nodded.

    "Well, now that my family knows of your existence because of the Mystic Realm, they have officially assigned me to recruit you into my family, and they have been bugging me since then."

    "I see... so this is about that matter."

    "I haven¡¯t told my family that I already tried to recruit you, so they¡¯re unaware of that for now. However, I am also scared to tell them that I had failed, as failure isn¡¯t epted in the Min Family."

    "You see, being one of the Seven Legacy Families, our parents¡¯ expectations for us are extremely high. In their eyes, anything besides perfect is uneptable, and failure is worse than death in some cases."

    "What a strict family... But I can somehow rte..." Yuan sighed.

    "Disciple Yuan, I know you don¡¯t want to join any families, but can you at the very least follow me back to the Min Family so they won¡¯t me me too much for not being able to recruit you?" Min Li then asked him.

    "If I don¡¯t show any results, they¡¯ll turn me into aughing stock before selling me to another family! Please! I am begging you!"

    Min Li lowered her head and spoke in a pleading voice.

    "Please raise your head, Disciple Min. I just have to meet your family and tell them I don¡¯t want to join their family, right? I don¡¯t mind. However, I won¡¯t be able to meet them right now."

    "T-That¡¯s fine! I think!" Min Li said.

    "When will you be able to meet them?" She then asked.

    "I don¡¯t know, but it will have to be after I leave the Dragon Essence Temple."

    "Wait... You¡¯re going to leave the sect? Why?" Min Li stared at him with wide eyes.

    "I only joined the sect for the experience, and I think I already have plenty," he said.

    "When are you nning to leave? And what are you going to do afterward?"

    "Well, I still have something to do in the sect, but I have no idea when I will finish it. Though, it¡¯s supposed to start in four days. After I leave the sect, I am going to explore the Lower Heavens some more before I ascend to Spirit Heaven through the Stairway to Heaven."

    Min Li was speechless. Of course, she has heard about Yuan refusing to follow Senior Nie back to Spirit Heaven. To think he¡¯d rather climb to the next realm through his own efforts and not with the help of someone else, she cannot help but admire him for that, especially since she has been relying on her own family this entire time.

    ¡¯If I had even a portion of his resolve, perhaps I wouldn¡¯t need to rely on the Min Family to ascend...¡¯ she thought to herself.

    Sometimeter, the food they had ordered many minutes ago finally started to fill the table.

    "Please enjoy your meal, Seniors! If you need anything, I will be right over there!" A familiar face said to them.

    "Thank you, Disciple Chu," Yuan said to him.

    "Let¡¯s talk more about your situationter, Disciple Min. For now, we should enjoy the food."

    "Okay." Min Li nodded, and they began eating the food shortly after.

 Chapter 394 Golden Dragon Badge

    "Mmm... Every time Ie here, there is something new on the menu, and they always taste amazing. I am going to miss this ce the most when I leave the sect." Yuan said after swallowing thest bite.

    Hearing Yuan¡¯s words, Min Li didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry. He would be the only person in the sect who would say such a word.

    At the end of their meal, right as they were about to leave, Min Li¡¯smunication jade slip suddenly trembled.

    Min Li expected to hear a message from her elder brother, but to her surprise, it was her father who messaged her.

    "What is your progress with recruiting Disciple Yuan? We have received information that the other families have already sent people to the Dragon Essence Temple to recruit him! We cannot waste any more time!"

    Although it was a simple question, Min Li didn¡¯t dare to respond so casually.

    "Greetings, esteemed father. I have just spoken with Disciple Yuan, and he has agreed toe to the Min Family for a meeting."

    A momentter, her father responded.

    "Just a meeting? Your mission is to recruit Disciple Yuan into our family! We don¡¯t need any less than that! Min Li, you are currently the least aplished in the family, and we have given you this chance to redeem yourself! Do whatever you must to secure him, even if you have to use your body!"

    "..."

    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.

    Min Li bit her lips after hearing her father¡¯s words that essentially told her to sacrifice her body in order to secure Yuan. Even though she gave Yuan the same offer previously, it still felt bitter to hear iting from her own parents.

    "If you cannot even aplish such a simple task, then you¡¯re worthless to us! We might as well give you to the other families at that point! At least you¡¯ll be worth something at that time!"

    "I understand, esteemed father... I will speak with Disciple Yuan again..." Min Li said before sending the message back.

    She then looked at Yuan, who was sitting beside her with a deep frown on his face, as he¡¯d heard everything just now.

    "And here I thought I had the worst parents in the world..." Yuan mumbled in a voice of disbelief.

    "What should I do now, Disciple Yuan? My parents won¡¯t ept anything less than you joining the family..." she sighed.

    "Well... Any chance of me joining your family just disappeared... no offense to you..." Yuan said to her.

    "I don¡¯t me you. Hell, I would leave this family if I could, but unfortunately, I don¡¯t think I have the capabilities to ascend to the Spirit Heaven without their help." Min Li sighed.

    "That¡¯s nonsense!" Yuan suddenly said, and he continued, "You won¡¯t know that unless you try!"

    "Thank you, Disciple Yuan." Min Li said with a bittersweet smile on her face.

    Suddenly, Min Li¡¯smunication jade slip trembled again. However, she was not the only one, as it was happening to every disciple in the sect at this moment.

    "All disciples in the sect will gather at the Summit Peak in 30minutes! Don¡¯t you dare bete!" Long Yijun¡¯s voice resounded from the jade slip.

    "Let¡¯s continue this talk afterward," Yuan said to her.

    "Okay." She nodded.

    A few momentster, Yuan wore his mask and left the Dragon Pavilion with Min Li and Meixiu.

    Of course, since the Sect Mastermanded all disciples to be at the gathering, this included the disciples working at the Dragon Pavilion, which meant they had to close the ce down temporarily.

    In fact, every single building in the Dragon Essence Temple had to close its doors temporarily for this gathering.

    Half an hourter, tens of thousands of disciples gathered at the Summit Peak.

    "Thank you all foring here. Although we already had a gathering three days ago, that was done without the participants who participated in the Mystic Realm. Today, we will have another gathering in honor of those three participants who helped our Dragon Essence Temple achieve first ce!"

    "Core Disciple Gao, Core Disciple Xue, andst but not least, Disciple Yuan, pleasee to the stage!"

    Long Yijun called them out.

    A few momentster, three people could be seen walking onto the stage before standing next to each other in a line.

    The first was Gao Dongya, a handsome young man who was renowned for his crazy cultivation talents. The second was Xue Jiye, an up-anding beauty who was also famous for her talents.

    The third person was Yuan, who was still wearing his mask. As for his clothing, he¡¯d changed back into his Inner Court disciples¡¯ uniform.

    "Why is he wearing a mask?" The disciples were puzzled by the mask on Yuan¡¯s face.

    In the presence of so many people, it was only natural for Yuan to be wearing his mask. After all, there could be other yers amongst thisrge crowd of disciples, and it would be disastrous if he revealed his face that could potentially reveal his identity in the future.

    "Today, the Dragon Essence Temple will be rewarding these three young heroes for their achievements in the Mystic Realm!"

    "Core Disciple Gao and Core Disciple Xue, step forward!" Long Yijun said to them.

    Gao Dongya and Xue Jiye quickly took a step forward.

    Long Yijun then stood in front of them and handed each of them a golden badge.

    "The Dragon Essence Temple rewards both Core Disciple Gao and Core Disciple Xue the Golden Dragon Badge for their contributions in the Mystic Realm!"

    "Thank you, Sect Master."

    Both Gao Dongya and Xue Jiye epted the badges, yet the smile on their faces waspletely stiff, almost like they were forcing themselves to smile.

    After all, neither of them believed they deserved any reward, as they barely did anything in the Mystic Realm.

    However, since they were before so many people and the Sect Master, it was impossible for them to refuse the Golden Dragon Badge, so they epted it with bitter smiles on their faces.

    In their mind, the Golden Dragon Badge that is one of the most honorable rewards in the Dragon Essence Temple was nothing more than a participation trophy for them.

 Chapter 395 Obsidian Dragon Medallion

    Once they¡¯d epted their Golden Dragon Badge, Gao Dongya and Xue Jiye stepped back.

    "Disciple Yuan, step forward!"

    Long Yijun called him forward.

    A momentter, Long Yijun stood in front of him and showed him a badge that looked different from the ones Gao Dongya and Xue Jiye received.

    "The Dragon Essence Temple awards Disciple Yuan for his massive contribution in the Mystic Realm, the highest honor that has only been given out two other times since the sect¡¯s founding¡ª the Obsidian Dragon Medallion, bing the third person to ever obtain it in the sect¡¯s history!"

    "As long as you have this medallion, your status within the sect is akin to that of a Sect Master, and the disciples must respect and treat you as such! Furthermore, this still applies even if you one day decide to part with the sect¡ª granted that you don¡¯t betray us!"

    Long Yijun handed Yuan a ck medallion shaped like a dragon. Compared to the badge the other two obtained, Yuan¡¯s badge was crafted with a jade-like material and shaped like the dragon whilst their badges were just ordinary golden medallions with word engravings.

    "Thank you, Sect Master." Yuan epted the badge with a bright smile on his face.

    Despite obtaining many trophies in his life, he always finds it a joy to receive a reward for his work, as that meant his efforts meant something for someone and were not wasted.

    "Disciples, give a good round of apuse for these three young heroes!" Long Yijun turned to face the audience and said loudly.

    The Summit Peak immediately exploded with cheering and pping, and it would not stop until a few minutester.

    Once the noises subsided, Long Yijun gave a short speech about the participants and the Mystic Realm before dismissing everyone but the participants.

    "I have more rewards for you three. Come with me to the Treasury Hall." Long Yijun said to them.

    "Give me a moment, Sect Master," Yuan said to him before going to where Min Li and Meixiu were waiting.

    "You two can go back to the house first. I will return as soon as I¡¯m done with the Sect Master."

    "Okay." They both nodded and left the scene together.

    Sometimeter, Yuan and the other two participants followed Long Yijun to the treasury hall.

    "The two of you can pick any treasure you want from the Treasury Hall. Disciple Yuan, you can pick two because of your contribution." Long Yijun said to them.

    However, Gao Dongya suddenly opened his mouth and said, "Sect Master, I cannot ept this reward."

    "Oh?" Long Yijun raised his eyebrows.

    "As much as I hate to admit it, I¡ª we didn¡¯t do anything to contribute to the Mystic Realm¡¯s result. It was all Disciple Yuan. Before we could even reach the Mystic Pagoda, we were kicked out, barely obtaining any points. If it were not for Disciple Yuan, I cannot even imagine what ce the Dragon Essence Temple would be right now. I don¡¯t even deserve thest reward, much less this one." Gao Dongya exined his reason for not epting this reward.

    ¡¯Kicked out? Oh... I forgot about them... I¡¯m sorry...¡¯ Yuan suddenly realized that he¡¯d identally kicked out his own teammates when hemanded the Mystic Realm to kick all participants out, and he apologized to them inwardly.

    "I-I agree with Disciple Gao, Sect Master! I won¡¯t be able to ept this reward. If I could, I would even return thest reward." Xue Jiye said to him.

    "Hmmm..." The Sect Master looked at them with a calm expression.

    After a moment of silence, he nodded, "Very well. And if you¡¯re feeling guilty about receiving the first reward, don¡¯t be. It wasn¡¯t your fault that you were kicked out of the Mystic Realm. It was an unknown phenomenon that none of us could have expected."

    And he continued, " And since you won¡¯t be picking a treasure in the Treasury Hall, I will give you guys some spirit stones to cultivate with instead."

    "Thank you, Sect Master!"

    Gao Dongya and Xue Jiye bowed to Long Yijun before leaving the scene.

    "You¡¯re quite the honorable guy, Disciple Gao. I truly didn¡¯t expect that from you." Xue Jiye said to him afterward.

    "Hmph!" Gao Dongya merely snorted at her words before parting from her.

    Meanwhile, back at the Treasury Hall, Long Yijun brought Yuan into the vault where they stored most of their valuable treasures.

    "Go ahead. Pick whichever two¡ª You know what? Since the other two refused to pick a treasure, I will give you three treasures instead of two. If you need help with an item, just ask me and I¡¯ll tell you what it does. And you can take your time." Long Yijun said to him.

    "Okay." Yuan nodded, and he proceeded to walk around the ce, taking his time to look at the description of every treasure inside the room.

    [Dragon Flower]

    [Tier 4 Medicine]

    [Description: A flower that resembles the shape of a dragon. Grants immense strength to the user for fifteen minutes]

    [Dragon Ginseng]

    [Tier 4 Medicine]

    [Description: Requires 100 years to fully mature. Mostly used as an ingredient in alchemy.]

    [Dragon Bow]

    [Grade: Earth]

    [Quality: High]

    [Physical Strength Required: 8,000]

    [Mental Strength Required: 12,000]

    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    [Description: A luxurious longbow made of Spirit Wood and Dragon Silk.]

    As one would expect from a sect with the word ¡¯Dragon¡¯ in it, there were a lot of treasures rted to dragons.

    However, even after looking at every single treasure in the Treasury Hall, Yuan was unable to pick a treasure. Though, it was not because there were no treasures that caught his attention. In fact, there were too many choices and he couldn¡¯t just pick one or two out of thousands.

    ¡¯I already have enough treasure, and none of the ones in here are better than the ones I already have. I should pick these treasures with Meixiu and Yu Rou in mind since they don¡¯t have much.¡¯ Yuan thought to himself.

    And with that in mind, Yuan went through the treasures in the room. However, instead of thinking about what he wanted, he looked at the treasures as though he was choosing presents for Meixiu and Yu Rou.

    ¡¯Xiao Hua, Feng Feng, Yingying, which of these treasures do you think would be suitable for Meixiu and Yu Rou?¡¯

    Yuan decided to turn to the experts for help. Not only were they more experienced than him when ites to treasures, but they were also females.

 Chapter 396 Dragon Ruby Ring

    "Brother Yuan, what about that Earth-grade treasure that looks like a fan? Yu Rou uses a fan, right? It might fit her." Xiao Hua was the first to give him advice.

    ¡¯That fan, huh?¡¯

    Hearing that, Yuan went to look at the treasure again.

    [Dragon Fan]

    [Grade: Earth]

    [Quality: High]

    [Physical Strength required: 5,000]

    [Mental Strength required: 10,000]

    [Description: 150% increased damage. Lowers the cost of Qi for all techniques when using this weapon by 30%]

    "Indeed, this might be the perfect treasure for Yu Rou. Thanks, Xiao Hua."

    He then turned to look at Long Yijun standing at the entrance and said, "Sect Master, for my first pick, I want this Dragon Fan."

    "Dragon Fan?" Long Yijun raised his eyebrows.

    He was puzzled as to why Yuan would pick such an umon weapon. Does he use the fan as well as the sword and dagger?

    "If that¡¯s your choice, go ahead and take it. The Dragon Fan has been sitting in this vault for many years now because nobody really uses the fan nowadays." Long Yijun said a momentter.

    "Really? Why?" Yuan couldn¡¯t help but ask.

    "Well, most cultivators view the fan that is normally small and fragile-looking as a weapon for the weak. Its elegant and graceful appearance also doesn¡¯t help because most cultivators would rather pick something powerful or popr weapons like swords."

    "I see... That makes sense... But my sister likes the fan, so I am getting it for her."

    "You have a sister?" Long Yijun was surprised to hear this for the first time.

    "Yes." He nodded.

    "She¡¯s lucky to have a brother like you." Long Yijun smiled.

    "No, it¡¯s the other way around. I am lucky to have a caring sister like her. If not for her, I wouldn¡¯t be here right now." Yuan said calmly.

    "I-Is that so..." Long Yijun was speechless, and he wondered what kind of person she was. After all, the sister of such a genius surely must be quite the genius herself.

    After picking the first treasure, Yuan continued to look around.

    "What about Meixiu? What kind of treasure would fit her?" Yuan asked the experts.

    Unfortunately, none of them knew Meixiu enough.

    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.

    "Young Master, we don¡¯t know much about Meixiu. You should know what she wants much better than us." Feng Yuxiang said to him.

    "While it is true that I have known her for a very long time, I don¡¯t actually know her very well, as she¡¯s usually very silent in the way that she doesn¡¯t talk much about her own desires."

    Because Meixiu was trained to be a servant, even if Yuan asked her what she wanted, she probably wouldn¡¯t be able to answer him.

    After all, as a professional servant, Meixiu was only taught to care for her masters, not herself.

    "Guess I will look around one more time..." Yuan mumbled to himself as he walked around the vault for the third time.

    "Hmm?"

    Yuan suddenly stopped at the end of the room when he noticed a red flicker in the corner of his eyes.

    He approached this red light to see a silver ring with a red crystal sitting inside a small red box.

    [Dragon Ruby Ring]

    [Grade: Heaven]

    [Quality: Medium]

    [Description: Increases the user¡¯s base Mental Strength and Mental Defense by 30 percent. 50,000 increase limit.]

    "Sect Master, I think I want to choose this ring for my second treasure," Yuan said to him, feeling a strong urge to take this ring that he had somehow managed to miss two times.

    "Oh, the Dragon Ruby Ring? It will greatly boost one¡¯s mental strength and defenses. It¡¯s a great treasure that even has a legend behind it ording to the expert that appraised it."

    "Legend? What kind?" Yuan asked, his interest piqued.

    "Well, legend has it that it once belonged to the Royal Family of a certain Dragon n, and that red crystal was forged with a drop of dragon¡¯s blood, hence the red color despite that type of material not existing in red."

    "Oh, it was also found by the Founder when he ventured inside the Dragon Temple. In fact, most of these treasures were found inside the Dragon Temple." Long Yijun said.

    "The Dragon Temple, huh? My anticipation for that ce just went up even more!" Yuan said.

    "Yes, look forward to it when you enter in four days." Long Yijun said with a smile.

    A few momentster, Yuan returned to look for the third treasure.

    ¡¯Both Meixiu and Yu Rou have a treasure now, but I still have one treasure to pick. What should I pick?¡¯ Yuan wondered inwardly.

    He then asked the experts, "Do any of you want something from this ce?"

    "Xiao Hua doesn¡¯t need anything." Xiao Hua said.

    "I also don¡¯t need anything, but thank you for the offer, Young Master." Feng Yuxiand said.

    "What about you, Yingying?"

    "I am also fine without anything," she said.

    Suddenly, Long Yijun said, "If you cannot pick yourst treasure, may I give you a rmendation?"

    "Okay." Yuan nodded.

    Long Yijun then went to pick a treasure and showed it to Yuan.

    "You have Soul Weapons, right? This bottle right here contains a special liquid called ¡¯Soul Liquid¡¯. If you pour some of it on your Soul Weapons, it will increase its growth rate until it levels up."

    "Oh, this does sound quite useful," Yuan said.

    "Okay, I will choose this as my third treasure. Thank you, Sect Master." Yuan said to him.

    "Haha... I should be thanking you, Disciple Yuan." Long Yijunughed.

    "Anyways, I will contact you in four days when the Dragon Temple is ready. Until then, you can do whatever you want."

    Sometimeter, Yuan left the Treasury Hall and returned to his own living quarters, where Meixiu and Min Li were waiting.

    "Meixiu, here¡¯s a treasure I picked for you." Yuan immediately handed her the Dragon Ruby Ring.

    "T-Thank you..." Meixiu was at a loss for words when Yuan suddenly handed her a ring, as it felt like he was proposing to her.

 Chapter 397 Looking for Solutions

    After epting the Dragon Ruby Ring from Yuan, Meixiu immediately wore the ring on her right hand, as it would draw too much attention if she wore it on the other hand.

    Min Li watched their little section with a weird look on her face, and she silently wondered if they were really just ¡¯friends¡¯ or something more than that.

    "Okay, Disciple Min. Let¡¯s talk more about the situation. What would you like me to do for you in this situation? Because I cannot join your family, but if I don¡¯t, you¡¯ll be unjustly punished by your parents, and I cannot do nothing about it after learning about it." Yuan sat down and asked her.

    "I honestly don¡¯t know. I have been thinking about it ever since I received my father¡¯s message, but I cannot think of a good solution to my problem. Perhaps I was never destined to ascend to the Spirit Heaven. Maybe it¡¯s my fate to stay in the Lower Heaven and be treated like an object by my family who will eventually sell me to another family, where I¡¯ll be treated even worse." Min Li shuddered at the thought of being sold to another family and bing their ything.

    "I won¡¯t let that happen to you," Yuan said with a stern look on his face.

    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    And he continued, "I know exactly how it feels to be treated badly by your own parents. Although I don¡¯t know what I can do, I will definitely do something about it. I promise. And even though you say it¡¯s not my fault, it is my problem since I am the reason you¡¯re in this situation."

    "Disciple Yuan... Thank you... And sorry..." Min Li felt a strong urge to pounce at Yuan and kiss him at this moment, but she restrained herself by crying instead.

    "Give me a few days to think about it, okay? I will try to think of something in the meantime." Yuan said to her.

    "Okay." Min Li nodded.

    Sometimeter, Min Li returned to her own living quarters.

    Once Min Li left the scene, Yuanid back on the couch in an exhausted manner.

    "What should I do now? Xiao Hua! Feng Feng! Yingying! Anybody!" Yuan cried for their help.

    The three servants appeared before him a momentter.

    "I told you the Seven Legacy Families are a bunch of selfish people who only care about their reputation, Young Master. I say you should stay as far away from the Min Family as possible." Feng Yuxiang said to him.

    "But what about Disciple Min¡¯s situation? I cannot ignore her!" Yuan said.

    "As much as I hate to say this, Young Master, but you should probably ignore her as well and let her handle the situation by herself since helping her might bring unwanted trouble for you. The cultivation world is sometimes cold-hearted and brutal like this..."

    Yuan shook his head and said in a calm voice, "The cultivation world may be cold-hearted, but I am not like that. I may be a Cultivator, but the cultivation world does not and will not define my character or morals."

    Feng Yuxiang was speechless after hearing his grand speech that touched her heart.

    "I know the pain and stress Disciple Min is feeling right now because I was also mistreated by my parents. Hell, I was even abandoned by my family, and not just once, but twice..." Yuan revealed this to them.

    "What?! Your family threw you away? What kind of idiot parents would throw such a cultivation genius away?!" Feng Yuxiang blurred out without thinking as it was simply that shocking.

    Even Xiao Hua had her mouth wide open from shock.

    If the world knew that a family had thrown an 18-year-old Spirit Grandmaster away regardless of the situation, that family would be the world¡¯s biggestughing stock in history.

    Now that Yuan¡¯s talents have been revealed to the Lower Heavens through the Mystic Realm, literally everyrge family out there including the Seven Legacy Families are trying to recruit him at all cost!

    To think one would throw away a treasure that everyone would kill for¡ª even idiots wouldn¡¯t do such a thing!

    "Is that why you don¡¯t like talking about your background? I fully understand it now, Young Master..." Feng Yuxiang said, misunderstanding the situation.

    "I used to be a cripple who couldn¡¯t even feed myself, and I could only lie on the bed all day long and have someone feed me and do everything else a normal person would be capable of with ease. And being in that state, I was nothing but a burden to my family, so they threw me away." Yuan sighed.

    "Oh... I didn¡¯t know that... I apologize for my rude suggestion just now, Young Master. But at least you managed to ovee your misfortune." Feng Yuxiang said with an innocent smile on her face.

    Seeing Yuanpletely functional and a peak talent at this moment, one can only assume that he has fully recovered from his crippled state.

    "Well..." A bitter smile appeared on Yuan¡¯s face.

    He was only functional in this world. In the other one... Not so much. Although he is making progress, he is still far away from fully recovering.

    "Anyways, enough about me. Disciple Min is the one who needs help right now. What should I do¡ª what can I do in this situation?" Yuan quickly changed the subject back to Min Li.

    "You can destroy the Min Family." Feng Yuxiang suggested again.

    Yuan looked at her with a frown on his face.

    "Stop joking, Feng Feng. I am being serious here."

    "Ehh..." Feng Yuxiang wanted to say that she wasn¡¯t joking, as destroying the Min Family would efficiently solve most of the problems.

    "I don¡¯t kill when I say destroy... Ah, forget it..." She didn¡¯t want to anger Yuan anymore, so she kept her mouth shut.

    After a moment of silence, Lan Yingying spoke, "Can¡¯t she just leave her family? That would solve most of her problems. But if she wants to rely on her family to ascend, there¡¯s really no way we can help her, unfortunately."

    "Brother Yuan could help her ascend if he really wants to..." Xiao Hua suddenly said, causing everyone there to turn their head and look at her.

 Chapter 398 Increased Difficulty

    "Xiao Hua, surely, you¡¯re not suggesting the Young Master bring that girl to the Spirit Heaven through the Stairway to Heaven, right?" Feng Yuxiang asked her with a look of disbelief on her face.

    Xiao Hua nodded and said, "Brother Yuan, there is one method that allows an individual¡ª or a few to ascend to the next heaven without needing to pass the Stairway to Heaven."

    "Really? Tell me about it!" Yuan quickly said.

    "However, Xiao Hua must warn Brother Yuan that this method isn¡¯t rmended, and nobody does it for a good reason." Xiao Hua said.

    And she continued, "A single person climbing the Stairway to Heaven can bring at most 9 people with him, and as long as this person passes all of the trials, all 9 people including the climber will be able to ascend to the Spirit Heaven."

    "In other words, Brother Yuan can bring 9 people with him to the Spirit Heaven. However, every single person you bring will tremendously increase the difficulty of your trials, making the already seemingly impossible challenge even harder, and the more people you bring, the harder it will only be, hence why nobody uses this method. You¡¯re essentially doing the trials for them."

    "Huh? Does this mean I am already bringing 3 people with me because I obviously cannot leave you three in the Lower Heaven while I ascend myself?" Yuan then asked.

    Xiao Hua nodded, "Yes and no. Xiao Hua and the phoenix came from the upper heavens, so we can actually ascend through the Stairway to Heaven without doing any trials. But we¡¯re staying down here due to our own reasons."

    "What about Yingying? She was born in the Mystic Realm that is in the Lower Heaven."

    "Miss snake will have to pass the trials in order to ascend to the next heaven since she was born in the Lower Heaven, but because she is Brother Yuan¡¯s servant that¡¯s bound by a heavenly contract, she will not increase the difficulty of your trials as much as an ordinary person who isn¡¯t your servant would, and she won¡¯t take up a slot, so you can still bring nine other people with you including us." Xiao Hua exined to him.

    "I see... Indeed, I can use this method to bring Disciple Min to the Spirit Heaven, allowing her to leave her family since she will no longer have to rely on them to ascend. Furthermore, I can even bring Yu Rou and Meixiu with me..." Yuan mumbled as he turned to look at Meixiu.

    Of course, he wouldn¡¯t leave them behind while he personally ascends.

    Everyone there turned to look at Meixiu.

    Feng Yuxiang then spoke, "While I understand it if the Young Master wants to support Meixiu and Yu Rou, I don¡¯t think I like the idea of bringing Min Li because a single person will already increase the difficulty of your trials, much less three... And what if you decide to help another person in the future? That¡¯s even more of a burden on you, Young Master!"

    "I think I will be fine even if I support three people. What¡¯s the worst that can happen? If I fail the trials, can¡¯t I just take it again?" Yuan asked.

    "Well... You can... But you can only challenge the Stairway to Heaven once every four years if you fail. And wasting four whole years in the Lower Heaven when you can be improving your cultivation base in a ce with better resources... It¡¯s truly a waste of time and talent, especially in your case, Young Master. In my opinion, four years of your time is worth as much as 40,000 years to others if not even more..." Feng Yuxiang said.

    "Xiao Hua agrees with the phoenix. Brother Yuan¡¯s time and talent are incredibly precious. You cannot afford to waste four years down here. It hasn¡¯t even been half a year since you started cultivating and you¡¯re already a Spirit Grandmaster. Xiao Hua cannot even imagine what you¡¯ll be in four years if you continue to grow..."

    Lan Yingying and Feng Yuxiang turned to look at Xiao Hua.

    It hasn¡¯t been half a year since Yuan started cultivating? How is that even remotely possible? Maybe it might be possible in the upper heavens where the spiritual energy is much better, but in the Lower Heavens, such abnormal growth shouldn¡¯t be possible.

    "Anyways, if I fail, then it is what it is. That means I¡¯m not good enough and I wasn¡¯t destined to ascend. It¡¯s only four years of my life. However, if Disciple Min fails, her entire life might be destroyed." Yuan said.

    Then he realized something.

    "Oh, right. What if I ascend to Spirit Heaven alone and thene down to the Lower Heaven like Senior Nie, bringing people with me to the Spirit Heaven that way?" Yuan asked.

    "That might not work..." Xiao Hua shook her head.

    "Why not?"

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    "In order toe down to the Lower Heaven¡ª or descending from any heaven, one must acquire the permission to do so by the lord of that heaven, and that is not something you can easily obtain, especially if you just enter the Spirit Heaven." Feng Yuxiang said to him.

    "Lord of each heaven? Like a ruler?"

    Xiao Hua nodded, "In each heaven¡ª besides the Lower Heaven, there is a true ruler who oversees the entire world. Without his or her permission, you will not be able to descend, and even if you obtain permission, you must have enough resources toe down."

    Feng Yuxiang then continued, "Think of it this way, Young Master. That Spirit King who came down from the Spirit Heaven needed help from all Seven Spirit Academies to bring three people with him to the Spirit Heaven. You can only imagine the enormous amount of resources required to bring even a single person, much less three."

    "So it¡¯s easier to bring them up through the first method, huh? Okay. I have decided. I will bring them up with me through the Stairway to Heaven!" Yuan spoke in a resolute voice.

 Chapter 399 You Can Rely On Me

    "If that¡¯s Brother Yuan¡¯s decision, Xiao Hua will support it." Xiao Hua said to him.

    "Thank you, Xiao Hua."

    "I¡¯ll go speak with Disciple Min now and see what she thinks," Yuan said before going outside and knocking on her door.

    "The Young Master is really selfless, huh? If it were any other cultivator, they wouldn¡¯t be so generous. When was thest time someone offered another individual a carry through the Stairway to Heaven? I don¡¯t even remember." Feng Yuxiang sighed.

    "Sometimes I feel like the Young Master is too kind. It¡¯ll only be harsher for him in the future when everythinges falling down on him."

    "Xiao Hua won¡¯t let that happen." Xiao Hua suddenly said.

    Feng Yuxiang looked at her and said, "I don¡¯t mean to offend you, but even if you¡¯re a Spirit King, you¡¯re only invincible in the Lower Heaven, and maybe even the Spirit Heaven. However, anything above that, you won¡¯t be able to do anything to help him if he gets into any trouble. In fact, the Young Master will easily surpass us."

    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    Xiao Hua remained silent for a moment before speaking in a calm voice, "Xiao Hua has her methods to protect Brother Yuan even if we go to the upper heavens."

    It was Feng Yuxiang¡¯s turn to be speechless. Now that she thinks about it, she doesn¡¯t know anything about Xiao Hua¡¯s background or how she¡¯s able to remain in the Lower Heaven despite being a Spirit King.

    "Well, as long as the Young Master helps me weaken the curse, I will be able to regain my sealed strength, so I will be able to protect him in the future even if we¡¯re in the upper heavens." Feng Yuxiang said in a prideful voice, almost like she was bragging to Xiao Hua that she was confident about protecting Yuan.

    Xiao Hua looked at her with a calm look, and she suddenly asked, "What will happen if you restore your cultivation base now while we¡¯re in the Lower Heaven? Will you be forced to go back to the upper heavens?"

    "Uhh..." Feng Yuxiang was left speechless once again, as she had never thought about this until Xiao Hua mentioned it.

    It would be bad if she restores her cultivation base while Yuan is still in the Lower Heaven, as that would mean she¡¯ll have to be separated from him.

    "M-Maybe I should not drink too much of his blood until he ascends just to be safe..." She mumbled.

    Of course, Lan Yingying waspletely confused about the situation, as she didn¡¯t know Feng Yuxiang or Xiao Hua enough to enter the conversation, feeling a bit left out.

    Meanwhile, outside Min Li¡¯s living quarters, Yuan knocked on her doors.

    "Disciple Yuan? What¡¯s the matter?" Min Li raised her eyebrows, as she didn¡¯t expect to see him so soon again.

    "I have a solution to your problem!" He quickly said.

    "Really? Please! Tell me!" Min Li¡¯s eyes flickered with anticipation.

    "I think you should leave that family." Yuan gave it to her straight and without beating around the bush.

    "Huh?" Min Li¡¯s eyes immediately widened.

    "You want me to leave the Min Family? If I do that, I won¡¯t be able to ascend to the Spirit Heaven! At least that is my best chance of doing so!" She said.

    "It¡¯s okay, you can rely on me." Yuan then said, dumbfounding her even more.

    "What do you mean?" she asked.

    "I will help you ascend to Spirit Heaven," he quickly responded.

    "H-How...?" she mumbled in a dazed voice.

    "I will be taking you with me through the Stairway to Heaven," he said.

    "Y-You will? But won¡¯t that make your trials much harder? Are you sure you want to bring me with you?" Min Li asked.

    Yuan nodded, "Yes, I don¡¯t mind. This is the only solution I can think of that will help your situation. I cannot join the Min Family, so your family will definitely punish you for it, meaning your chances of ascending will probably be zero."

    "However, if you leave that family, you¡¯ll have a greater chance of ascending with me. I cannot promise you that we are guaranteed to ascend sessfully, but I will definitely try my best to take all of us to the Spirit Heaven."

    "All of us? Will there be othersing with us?"

    "Yes. I also want to bring my sister and Meixiu with me to Spirit Heaven." Yuan nodded.

    "That¡¯s three people... Are you sure you can take all of us through the Stairway to Heaven? I know you¡¯re very talented but... three people are..."

    Min Li suddenly stopped there and turned silent.

    At this rate, she will not only be unable to ascend but she¡¯ll most likely get kicked out of the family if not sold to another family, so the best choice was definitely to rely on Yuan who is currently being called the number one genius in the Lower Heaven by many people.

    Furthermore, at least she will have a chance to ascend if she¡¯s with him. If she stays with her family, she might not even survive the next few years.

    "I... I don¡¯t want to be a burden to you..." she muttered in a low voice.

    As much as she wanted to rely on him, she had her own pride, andpletely relying on someone to ascend was difficult to ept.

    Although she has been relying on her family, at least she had to work for it.

    "How about this, Disciple Yuan. I will challenge the Stairway to Heaven first, and if I don¡¯t seed, I will rely on you at that time." Min Lin suddenly suggested.

    "At least I can say that I tried," she added.

    Yuan nodded, "Sounds good."

    Min Li lifted her head and stared at the clear blue sky.

    "I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d leave the Min Family in such a fashion," she sighed.

    Sometimeter, she asked Yuan, "When do you n on challenging the Stairway to Heaven?"

    "Honestly, I have no idea, but it probably won¡¯t happen until a few months down the line. I¡¯m sorry if that¡¯s too long."

    "A few months only? That¡¯s fast!"

    Min Li eximed, to Yuan¡¯s surprise.

 Chapter 400 Let Your Body Do the Talking

    "Fast? A few months is fast?" Yuan asked her.

    "Of course! I was expecting at least a few years!" Min Li quickly said.

    "A few years? That¡¯s too long!" Yuan eximed.

    "I won¡¯t even be a Spirit Master in a few months! I cannot challenge the Stairway to Heaven with such a low cultivation base! That¡¯ll be akin to suicide!" She said to him.

    "Hmm..." Yuan pondered.

    "Looks like you¡¯ll have to just rely on me in the end," he chuckled.

    "It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s nothing to be ashamed about. There will be times when you need someone¡¯s help regardless of your situation."

    Min Li sighed after hearing his words.

    "Whatever... I guess I¡¯ll figure it out when you¡¯re actually about to challenge the Stairway to Heaven."

    "Now I have to worry about how I should leave the Min Family," she said.

    "Can¡¯t you just tell them that you¡¯re leaving the family? I left my own family without even telling them." Yuan said to her.

    "What? You left your family?" Min Li looked at him with wide eyes after learning this unexpected news.

    Yuan nodded and said, "Well, they were going to disown me, and I merely decided to leave before that."

    "Why did you leave your family¡ª if you don¡¯t mind me asking..."

    "It¡¯s simple¡ª I was no longer useful to them, so they kicked me out. Our families are simr in the way that they both only ept perfection. If I make any mistakes duringpetitions, even if I won thepetition, I would be scolded and punished for it."

    "And now that I am no longer of any use to them, they decided to discard me."

    "I¡¯m sorry to hear that..." Min Li said to him.

    "Don¡¯t be sorry. It¡¯s not your fault."

    "But even if I want to leave the family, it¡¯s not as simple as it sounds. As a member of the Seven Legacy Families, I cannot simply leave the family without permission, and most of the time, people who wish to leave the family must have their cultivation base crippled before they are allowed to leave." Min Li said.

    And she continued, "If I leave without their permission, I will be a deserter, and they will hunt me down and kill me."

    "What the heck?" Yuan said in a shocked voice.

    "They would kill you just for leaving the family without permission? How is that even allowed?" Yuan said.

    "When you¡¯re powerful enough, everything is allowed." Feng Yuxiang¡¯s voice suddenly resounded behind him.

    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    "Thews of mortals do not apply to the strong," she continued.

    "Y-You are...?" Min Li was surprised by the sudden appearance of Feng Yuxiang, whom she has never seen before.

    "I¡¯m the Young Master¡¯s servant," she responded in a proud manner.

    "S-Servant?" Min Li mumbled in a dazed voice.

    "Anyways, I have a suggestion, Young Master." Feng Yuxiang said.

    "You¡¯re not going to tell me to destroy her family so that she could leave safely, right?" Yuan looked at her with narrowed eyes.

    "Haha... of course not..." Feng Yuxiangughed with a stiff smile on her face.

    "I was going to say if the Young Master shows up at their doorsteps and demands them to give you this youngdy here, they might hand her over without any hassle," she continued.

    "What? That simple? Will it really work?" Yuan asked, doubting her suggestion andpletely oblivious to the meaning behind her words.

    Feng Yuxiang nodded, "You just need to act a little aggressive and domineering. There won¡¯t be any violence if you do it properly."

    "I see... That does sound like a good idea." Yuan nodded.

    "Wait..." Min Li, however, realized what Feng Yuxiang was suggesting to Yuan and immediately flushed with redness.

    "Don¡¯t worry, Disciple Min. I will do my best to convince them to let you leave the family!" Yuan said to her.

    Min Li gave up and said, "When will you be able to do it? They¡¯ll keep asking me for updates until I recruit you."

    "Can you stall them? I have to enter the Dragon Temple in a few days so I cannot go too far." Yuan said.

    "Stall them? But how..." Min Li suddenly realized something and mumbled, "Wait a second... I can simply tell them that you¡¯ve entered closed cultivation and that I cannot speak with you until you¡¯re finished. This should get them off my back for a while since they¡¯ll assume that the other families would also be unable to approach you."

    "Closed cultivation?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    "It¡¯s when a Cultivator istes themself to prepare for a big breakthrough or when someone simply wants to focus on cultivating. It¡¯s an unspoken rule in the cultivation world that one cannot bother someone in closed cultivation, almost a taboo." Feng Yuxiang exined to him.

    "I see... I will be entering the Dragon Temple soon, and I most likely won¡¯t be able to speak with anyone while I am inside, so you can probably tell them that I¡¯m in closed cultivation."

    "Alright, I will tell them thatter." Min Li nodded.

    Sometimeter, before Yuan returned to his own living quarters, Min Li bowed to him and said, "Thank you for everything, Disciple Yuan. I will definitely repay you in the future for everything."

    "Don¡¯t worry about it. I will always be willing to help a fellow friend out." Yuan said.

    "A friend...?" Min Li mumbled to herself as she watched Yuan return to his home.

    Once the day wasing to an end, Min Li messaged her family and told them about Yuan¡¯s closed cultivation.

    Although her family was unhappy about it at first, they were notpletely unreasonable and did not ask Min Li to disturb Yuan¡¯s closed cultivation to recruit him, as that would definitely have the opposite effect.

    Therefore, they reluctantly epted the situation and said to her, "Just because he¡¯s in closed cultivation doesn¡¯t mean you can ck off! Use this time to prepare yourself and think about what you need to say to him! If you cannot think of anything to say, just let your body do all of the talking! He may be a cultivation prodigy, but he¡¯s also a man! You were blessed with your mother¡¯s good looks, so put it to good use!"

    "Yes, father." Min Li responded with a calm look on her face.

 Chapter 401 Dragon Fissure

    After returning to his home, Yuan decided to rx in his own living quarters for the next couple of days so that Min Li¡¯s lie to her family would work.

    During this time, he would y music on the Soul Ensnaring Zither for the others.

    "Wow, my Lord, I didn¡¯t know you could y the zither... And you¡¯re so talented with it..." Lan Yingying was gobsmacked by Yuan¡¯s musical talents that had instantly mesmerized her.

    And the more she listened, the more she craved.

    "No matter how many times I listen to it, it¡¯ll never get old..." Feng Yuxiang mumbled.

    Meanwhile, Meixiu stared at Yuan ying the zither with a profound look on her face. It was such an odd feeling to see Yuan ying the instrument again, almost like she had suddenly traveled to the past where Yuan would y some music for her whenever she felt down.

    Thus, for the next few days, Yuan would y the zither while surrounded by beauties on all sides.

    One day before the Dragon Temple opens, Yuan heard a knock on the door.

    "Xuan Wuhan?" Yuan was greeted by her at the door.

    "Hey, Yuan. I got some free time so I¡¯m here to congratte you. I know it¡¯s a littlete, but congrattions on winning first ce for the Mystic Realm and obtaining the Obsidian Dragon Medallion!"

    "Thank you."

    "Anyways, did you get to speak with Disciple Min? She was looking for you before, and she even came knocking on my door to see if I knew where you were."

    "Yes, I have spoken with her." Yuan nodded.

    "Is everything okay? If you need my help, just let me know!"

    "Everything is fine for now."

    "That¡¯s good to hear. By the way, do you have any ns tomorrow or the day after? Want to hang out?" she then asked him.

    "Sorry, but I will be entering the Dragon Temple tomorrow, so I won¡¯t be able to y with you," Yuan said with an apologetic smile on his face.

    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    "What? The Dragon Temple? How lucky... but it¡¯s not unexpected, considering your contributions to the sect. I hope you¡¯ll find some good treasures inside."

    Sometimeter, Xuan Wuhan left his ce.

    "I¡¯ll see you after the Dragon Temple, Yuan!" she said to him before leaving.

    The following day, Long Yijun summoned Yuan through themunication jade slip.

    "Wee, Disciple Yuan. Are you ready to enter the Dragon Temple?" Long Yijun asked him.

    "I am ready." Yuan immediately nodded.

    "Good. Follow me."

    Long Yijun proceeded to take Yuan to an isted area in the Dragon Essence Temple.

    "This is... an earth fissure?"

    Yuan was surprised by the location, as they stood before a massive earth fissure that was miles long and was so deep that one couldn¡¯t see the ground from the top.

    "This is the Dragon Fissure, and somewhere at the bottom is the Dragon Temple. However, before you are allowed to go inside, you must have a pass."

    Long Yijun then brought him to this small hut that was a couple of minutes away.

    Inside this small hut waspletely empty besides a golden magic circle on the ground. This magic circle was obviously a formation.

    "Before I give you the Dragon Temple Key, can you call out the experts? Only one person can carry the key at any given time." Long Yijun said.

    "Hm? Does this mean they cannot enter the Dragon Temple with me?" Yuan asked.

    "Unfortunately, the Dragon Temple only allows one person to enter at a time." Long Yijun nodded.

    "I see... Sorry guys, you¡¯ll have to wait for me."

    A momentter, three beauties appeared around Yuan.

    "Don¡¯t worry about it, Brother Yuan."

    "Good luck in there, Young Master. Make sure you empty out all of the treasures inside." Feng Yuxiang said.

    "Stay safe in there, my Lord." Lan Yingying said.

    Sometimeter, once Yuan stood on the golden formation, Long Yijun activated it.

    Yuan could feel a warm feeling enveloping his body as this golden orb of light suddenly appeared from the formation and entered his body.

    [You have obtained Dragon Temple Key]

    [Dragon Temple Key]

    [Description: Allows you to enter the Dragon Temple in the Dragon Essence Temple]

    "Follow me. I¡¯ll bring you to the Dragon Temple." Long Yijun said to him afterward.

    Yuan then followed Long Yijun to the edge of the Dragon Fissure.

    "Let me exin to you how this works before I open the Dragon Temple since you only have a short window to enter the temple once it¡¯s opened." Long Yijun said to him.

    And he continued, "The Dragon Fissure itself is the entrance to the Dragon Temple. However, you won¡¯t be inside the Dragon Temple until you enter the Dragon Gates, and you have exactly 10 seconds to jump into the fissure once I open it. Once you are before the Dragon Gates, it will examine your talents and see whether you qualify to enter or not. Do you understand?"

    "I understand." Yuan nodded.

    "Good, then I will open the Dragon Fissure now. Remember to jump in when I tell you to."

    After taking a deep breath, Long Yijun retrieved a couple of treasures from his spatial ring before tossing it down the Dragon Fissure.

    A few momentster, the Dragon Fissure began emitting a golden light from the bottom that gradually increased in brightness.

    Once the light peaked, Long Yijun said loudly, "Go!"

    Hearing Long Yijun¡¯s signal, Yuan didn¡¯t hesitate to jump inside the massive fissure that would undoubtedly terrify many people.

    Yuan fell and fell without any sign of ending, almost like he¡¯d jumped into an endless hole.

    After what felt like a few minutes of freefall, Yuan could suddenly see a world of clouds at the bottom with a yellow and orange background, and what appeared to be a golden temple that had a dragon statue coiling around the entire building.

    Right before hended on the floor, a mysterious power stopped his fall without injuring him.

    Once his foot touched the floor made of clouds that resembled the Ancient Dragon City, Yuan approached this golden temple that emitted an unfathomable aura.

    As he approached the Dragon Temple, a profound and familiar voice resounded from every direction, "Wee to the Dragon Temple, human."

    "The Great One..." Yuan smiled after hearing this familiar voice.

 Chapter 402 A Monster Has Been Born

    "Hm? You recognize this Great One?" The Great One sounded a little surprised when Yuan suddenly mumbled its name.

    "Of course. This isn¡¯t our first meeting. You probably don¡¯t remember because they were all separate illusions." Yuan said.

    "Interesting..."

    After a moment of silence, the Great One spoke, "Come closer, human. I want you to look into my eyes..."

    The eyes on the dragon statue suddenly began glowing golden.

    Yuan approached the door and stared at the glowing eyes with a calm look on his face.

    The next moment, almost as though someone had covered his eyes from behind, Yuan¡¯s vision ckened.

    A few secondster, Yuan could see light appearing from above, causing him to look up.

    When he looked up, a massive golden eyeball that wasrger than a star gazed down on him like a sun.

    This situation made Yuan recall the time he spent in the starry sky inside his mind at the Tablet of Comprehension. However, there were no stars here¡ª only a single eyeball that felt awfully realistic.

    "I will be looking into your memories now, human."

    Before Yuan could even respond, the Great One¡¯s sharp pupil contracted, and it began peeking into Yuan¡¯s memories.

    "Interesting... You... do not belong to the Nine Heavens..." The Great One spoke in a profound voice.

    "Eh?" Yuan wondered just how much of his memories the Great One saw.

    "Should I call you Yuan... or Yu Tian?" The Great One suddenly said, bewildering Yuan greatly.

    "Y-You can call me Yuan," he subconsciously answered.

    "Then Yuan, what do you hope to achieve or obtain in my Dragon Temple?" The Great One then asked, and it continued, "Do you want the treasures inside? Are you hoping to gain enlightenment? Is it my Legacy that you seek?"

    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    "Honestly, I am mostly here for the experience. I am fine even if I don¡¯t obtain any treasures inside or gain enlightenment. As for the Legacy, I am definitely interested in it." Yuan said.

    The Great One remained silent for a few moments before speaking, "Truthfully speaking, your talents are too high, and the Dragon Temple wasn¡¯t created with someone of your caliber in mind, as you would simply clear all of the trials with ease, so I am hesitant to let you go inside."

    The Great One normally wouldn¡¯t hesitate to let someone enter the Dragon Temple even if that person was very talented, as preventing talented individuals from entering would make the Dragon Temple¡¯s purposepletely pointless.

    However, Yuan was on another level. He was simply so talented that even the Great One hesitated to let him inside. After all, if it lets Yuan enter, he would, without any doubt, clear out all of the treasures in the Dragon Temple with ease, almost like taking candy from a baby, and that would be problematic.

    "I would normally be ecstatic to find such a talented individual, but you... I cannot see your future."

    "Is it abnormal that you cannot see my future?" Yuan asked the Great One, as it should be the other way around¡ª that it¡¯s abnormal for one to see another¡¯s future.

    "The Dragon¡¯s Gaze is more than just an offensive technique. It has the capabilities to do so much more if fully mastered, and seeing the future is one of them." The Great One revealed, shocking Yuan.

    Does this mean he would be able to see the future if he continues to practice the Dragon¡¯s Gaze?

    "Anyways, it is abnormal that I cannot see your future. If you were an Immortal or have a unique bloodline, it would make sense that I cannot see your future, but you are merely a Cultivator in the Spirit Grandmaster realm." The Great One said.

    And it continued, "There are only a few instances where I cannot see one¡¯s future. One, if they¡¯re an Immortal or stronger. Two, if they possess the bloodline of a god. Andstly... if they have an unknown destiny."

    "Unknown destiny...? I have an unknown destiny¡ª at least that¡¯s what I was told." Yuan said.

    "That exins why I cannot see your future."

    "What should I do now if I cannot enter the Dragon Temple?" Yuan then asked.

    "I never said you cannot enter. I am still thinking about how I should handle this." The Great One said, feeling a little awkward, as it has never been put into such a situation before.

    "Take your time," Yuan said to it.

    A few minutes of silenceter, the Great One spoke again, "Since you¡¯re only here for the experience, I won¡¯t take that away from you. However, you are only allowed to do three trials."

    "Okay." Yuan quickly epted.

    And he continued, "What about the treasury room and the Legacy? I was given this key to the treasury room by the other you, and I was even told to obtain the Legacy."

    "You may go to the treasury room and obtain the Legacy since you have already earned it."

    "I see! Thank you, Great One!" Yuan said.

    The next moment, Yuan returned to the cloudy scenery and the Dragon Temple.

    "I will open the door for you now. Remember... only three trials..." The Great One¡¯s voice resounded for the final time.

    Once the door opened, Yuan was greeted by a portal on the other side.

    Yuan didn¡¯t think too much and stepped into this portal, disappearing from the ce.

    Meanwhile, somewhere in the Nine Heavens, two figures sat before a Xiangqi board. One of them was an old man with long white hair neatly tied behind his back, whilst the other person was a handsome man with long golden hair flowing down his back like a waterfall.

    "What¡¯s the matter? Are you ready to forfeit this match?" The old man spoke with a smirk on his face after seeing the other individual not move for a long time.

    The handsome man suddenly opened his eyes and stood up.

    "What¡¯s the matter? Why are you smiling like that?"

    "There will finally be some entertainment in the Nine Heavens," said the handsome man.

    "What?" The old man raised his eyebrows, clearly puzzled about the handsome man¡¯s words.

    The handsome man then turned to look at the empty horizon and said, "A monster has been born. I cannot wait to see how he¡¯ll affect the Nine Heavens¡ª if he survives long enough."

 Chapter 403 Guest at the Dragon Essence Temple

    "A monster?" The old man sitting at the Xiangqi board raised his eyebrows in a surprised manner.

    "That¡¯s really funnying from a monster such as yourself. Who is this individual? Someone from the ninth heaven?" The old man then asked.

    "No, he¡¯s someone not rted to the Nine Heavens, and he¡¯s currently in the first heaven¡ª the Lower Heaven." The man with the golden hair said.

    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.

    "Lower Heaven? It¡¯s been a very long time since I¡¯ve heard of that ce." The old man mumbled.

    "Anyways, how talented is this individual?" He continued.

    "I don¡¯t know," said the handsome man.

    "I mean I don¡¯t know the full extent of his talents. However, if I had topare him with someone, it¡¯d probably be the Demon Sealing n¡¯s ancestor."

    "What!? This individual isparable to that monster who ate his way to the peak? How is that even possible? That man is one-of-a-kind and has no equal." The old man doubted the handsome man.

    The handsome man turned around with a profound smile on his face, and he spoke in a calm voice, "Who said he wasparable to the ancestor? This young monster might be even crazier than the ancestor."

    The old man stared at him with a stunned face, and after a moment of pure silence, he burst outughing.

    "Someone even more talented than that monster who single-handedly annihted the entire Demon n that once ruled the entire Nine Heavens? Have you finally gone senile, my friend?"

    The handsome man continued to smile despite the old man¡¯s mocking words, and he said, "Don¡¯t tell me I didn¡¯t warn you in the future."

    "Whatever." The old man shrugged, and he continued, "Anyways, what about our match? If you don¡¯t want to continue ying, it¡¯ll be my victory and your loss."

    The handsome man then returned to his seat and said, "My loss? I don¡¯t lose¡ª the Great One doesn¡¯t lose!"

    Meanwhile, back in the Dragon Temple, after entering the portal, Yuan was transported to what appeared to be inside arge city underneath a dark sky that had countless flickering stars, giving the ce natural but subtle brightness.

    "This is the Dragon Temple?" Yuan raised his eyebrows, as he didn¡¯t expect the ce to be a city.

    However, there was something weird about this city. It was too empty and quiet even if it waste into the night, almost like nobody else was there.

    "What should I do here?" Yuan looked around for clues.

    The first thing he noticed was the numbers counting down in the sky, and the next thing that stood out was this massive dragon statue very far in the distance.

    [167:59:10]

    "If the numbers are how long I have left in this ce, then I have 7 days to explore this ce, but where should I go first?"

    After pondering for a moment, Yuan decided to head for the dragon statue, as he recalled the Great One telling him that he would be able to find its Legacy there.

    "Once I take a look at his Legacy, I will try to find the treasure room."

    With that in mind, Yuan began making his way to the dragon statue by flying there.

    And the more of the city he saw, the more clear it was to him that he was alone in this city.

    Meanwhile, shortly after Yuan entered the Dragon Fissure, Feng Yuxiang asked Long Yijun, "How long will the Young Master have inside the Dragon Temple?"

    "That will depend on the Dragon Temple itself. It might only allow him to stay inside for a few days, or it could let him wander for a whole month. I cannot really say how long he¡¯ll be inside, I¡¯m sorry."

    "I see..."

    Long Yijun suddenly retrieved a small toy-like house and tossed it on the ground. The house grew in size until it was the size of arge house, and it was the same house he used at the Mystic Realm.

    "Youdies can stay in this building in the meantime. I won¡¯t be able to stay here for too long since I have a lot of work to do. Tell Disciple Yuan to contact me once hees out." Long Yijun said to them.

    "Thank you." Feng Yuxiang said.

    Sometimeter, Long Yijun left the scene and returned to the sect master¡¯s headquarters, where a couple of figures could be seen gathered outside the door.

    Most of these people were sect elders, but one of these figures didn¡¯t look to be part of the Dragon Essence Temple, and they were even wearing a veil.

    "Sect Master, you have a guest!" The Sect Elders there immediately said to him the moment they noticed him.

    The veiled figure suddenly stepped forward and lifted the veil covering her beautiful face.

    Long Yijun was taken aback when he recognized this face.

    "Sect Master Song? What are you doing here?" Long Yijun asked her.

    "I¡¯m here to speak with Disciple Yuan," she said in a calm voice.

    "You still haven¡¯t given up on that...?" Long Yijun shook his head.

    Obviously, he¡¯d heard from Elder Shan and Elder Xuan about Song Ling¡¯er desire to take Disciple Yuan as her own disciple after what happened at the zitherpetition.

    "I will never give up on someone with such gifted hands and talent for music!" Song Ling¡¯er said.

    Long Yijun sighed and turned to look at the sect elders there.

    "You guys can leave. I will handle things from here."

    "Yes, Sect Master."

    The sect elders bowed to them before leaving the scene.

    "Let¡¯s talk inside." Long Yijun said as he entered the building.

    "I don¡¯t want to talk to you. I want to talk to Disciple Yuan. You may be the Sect Master, but Disciple Yuan¡¯s decision is what matters the most." Song Ling¡¯er said to him.

    "Well, unfortunately for you, Disciple Yuan isn¡¯t avable right now, so you¡¯ll have to speak with me instead." Long Yijun said.

    "Where is he then? I can go to him instead."

    "That¡¯s impossible since he¡¯s technically not in the sect." Long Yijun shrugged.

    "What? Then where¡¯d he go?"

    "Who knows."

    "Che..." Song Ling¡¯er sucked her teeth before following Long Yijun inside the building.

 Chapter 404 The First Players to Ascend

    A few momentster, Song Ling¡¯er sat down in a room with Long Yijun sitting behind his work desk.

    "So where is Disciple Yuan?" Song Ling¡¯er asked.

    "He¡¯s currently inside the Dragon Temple," he said casually.

    One would expect Long Yijun to keep the Dragon Temple a secret since there are clearly plenty of valuable treasures inside. However, the Dragon Temple has been widespread knowledge for ages now.

    "The Dragon Temple? Since when?" Song Ling¡¯er said.

    "A couple of minutes ago," he said.

    "..."

    Song Ling¡¯er was speechless. If only she¡¯de to this ce a day early¡ª even a few hours early, she might¡¯ve been able to speak with Yuan.

    "Now that you know about his whereabouts, you may leave this ce."

    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    "Hmph. Then I will stay here until hees out." Song Ling¡¯er said, surprising him.

    "What? You¡¯re going to stay here until he returns? It might be weeks before hees out! As the Sect Master of one of the top ten sects in the Lower Heaven, don¡¯t you have better things to do than chase someone who has already rejected you?" Long Yijun said to her.

    Song Ling¡¯er looked at his desk that was filled with papers and sneered, "Unlike you, I finish all of my work before I decide to do anything. The Mystic Realm just ended, so I have plenty of time to spare."

    "And speaking of the Mystic Realm, your sect only obtained its ce because of Disciple Yuan. I cannot wait to see the look on your face after the next one."

    Long Yijun smiled and said, "No need to push your anger on me just because you were rejected by a junior."

    "Y-You little!" Song Ling¡¯er was immediately aggravated by hiseback.

    "Hmph. I did note here to argue with you. I am here to take Disciple Yuan with me."

    Long Yijun shook his head and said, "What makes you think he¡¯ll join your sect? He even refused to go to the Spirit Heaven with Senior Nie, you know?"

    "I know. I was there when it happened," she said, and she continued, "If he¡¯d gone with Senior Nie to the Spirit Heaven, I would have given up. But the fact that he decided to stay in the Lower Heaven means I still have a chance."

    "Keep dreaming." Long Yijunughed.

    And then he continued, "Anyways, if you¡¯re not going to leave, you can go ahead and wait for as long as you¡¯d like. In the end, it¡¯s Disciple Yuan¡¯s decision whether he wants to follow you or not. I would love to have him as a core disciple in the Dragon Essence Temple, but I know he won¡¯t stay with us for long. Perhaps after the Dragon Temple, he will leave the sect. This ce is too small for someone like him."

    "Then I shall wait for him outside the Dragon Temple," she said.

    "Do whatever you want." Long Yijun shrugged.

    Normally, Long Yijun wouldn¡¯t act so carefree before the Sect Master of another sect, but he has known Song Ling¡¯er for a very long time now, and while they were not friends, they were not enemies either.

    Long Yijun also knew that Song Ling¡¯er was not the type of person to harm others without a reason, nor was she someone who¡¯d scheme against others, so he wasn¡¯t too worried about letting her roam the sect without any supervision.

    Furthermore, it was clear to him that she was only here for Disciple Yuan.

    After leaving the building, Song Ling¡¯er went straight to the Dragon Fissure.

    She noticed a portable house by the Dragon Fissure and subconsciously decided to stay there just in case she wanted to use it, unaware that it was already upied.

    Sometimeter, Song Ling¡¯er sat by the Dragon Fissure and retrieved her zither, eventually ying it to pass time.

    "Isn¡¯t that one of the judges during the zitherpetition? What is she doing here?" Feng Yuxiang quickly recognized Song Ling¡¯er based on her aura.

    "She¡¯s obviously here for Brother Yuan," Xiao Hua said.

    "What? She¡¯s a really persistent one. The Young Master has already refused her offer plenty of times, yet she just doesn¡¯t give up."

    "Who is she?" Lan Yingying couldn¡¯t help but ask.

    "She¡¯s the Sect Master of the Heavenly Melody Academy, and she was the judge in apetition the Young Master participated in. She even had a little battle with the Young Master and lost to him, and she has been chasing after him since then." Feng Yuxiang exined the situation.

    "I see..." Lan Yinying nodded.

    Meanwhile, in the Medicine Valley that was in the Northern Continent, Wang Xiuying bowed to her master and said, "Thank you for everything, Master. I have learned a lot from this ce."

    "No, I should be the one thanking you. I have also learned a lot from you. You are definitely one of the most talented disciples we¡¯ve ever had. If you continue to study medicine, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be someone great in the future." Her master said.

    "Good luck in the Spirit Heavens."

    Wang Xiuying nodded before turning around and walking to Senior Nie, who was there with the other two participants going to the Spirit Heaven with her, and one of them was also a yer like her.

    "Are you ready to leave this ce?" Senior Nie asked her.

    "Yes, I am."

    "Good. Then we will be going to the Spirit Heaven now." Senior Nie departed the Medicine Valley with Wang Xiuying and the other two, taking them back to the ce outside the Mystic Realm.

    Once he was prepared, Senior Nie retrieved a crystal and crushed it with his hands.

    The next moment, a massive formation appeared beneath them before enveloping them in a warm light.

    "This feels like..."

    Wang Xiuying found the formation simr to the one in the Mystic Pagoda that took her and Yuan to the Ancient Dragon City.

    Whoosh!

    The four of them began levitating off the ground before shooting straight up into the sky, where a portal had suddenly opened up.

    And before they were aware, Wang Xiuying and the others left the Lower Heaven, bing the first yers to ascend.

 Chapter 405 A New Era

    After Wang Xiuying and the others entered the portal, they found themselves inside this wormhole, and their bodies continued to move upwards.

    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.

    They remained inside the wormhole for only half a minute before they were met with another portal at the end of this wormhole.

    Once they entered it, they were greeted by a clear blue sky and a dozen unfamiliar figures.

    "Wee back, Elder Nie." One of them said to him.

    Senior Nie nodded and turned to look at a particr figure in the group, and he said, "Elder Mu, she¡¯s all yours."

    A pretty middle-aged woman stepped forward and approached Wang Xiuying with a smile on her face, "You¡¯re Healer Wang, right? I¡¯m Elder Mu, we have spoken before via the crystal ball, and I will be in charge of you starting today. Follow me. I will bring you to my Spirit Healing Academy."

    "Yes!" Wang Xiuying eagerly nodded her head and followed Elder Mu.

    "The two of you haven¡¯t decided on a sect yet, so that is what you¡¯ll be doing today." Senior Nie said to the Lightning Emperor and the other participant.

    Meanwhile, an announcement appeared in the sky for all of the yers to see shortly after Wang Xiuying and the others arrived at the Spirit Heaven.

    [Congrattions! yer Healer Wang and yer Lightning Emperor have be the first yers to ascend to ¡¯Spirit Heaven¡¯!]

    Of course, the yers were well aware of this before the announcement, as the yers at the Mystic Realm had revealed this fact to the world the day it happened.

    When the yers heard that yer Yuan had willingly decided to stay behind in the Lower Heaven for some reason, everyone became puzzled and curious about this reason, as they all thought he was trying to speedrun the game¡ª at least that¡¯s what it seemed like to the yers after seeing so many ridiculous achievements from him.

    Of course, countless news sources approached the Lightning Emperor for interviews after learning that he will be ascending to the next realm which was thought to be impossible until a few yearster.

    As for Healer Wang... Since only her close friends knew her identity, she was spared from the journalists.

    Of course, that is not to say the world wasn¡¯t interested in Healer Wang. In fact, a lot of people became interested in her after learning that she was with yer Yuan during the Mystic Realm.

    This made people wonder whether Healer Wang knew yer Yuan¡¯s identity or not. If she did, she would be their biggest clue to yer Yuan¡¯s mysterious identity if not the key to it.

    Thus, many people switched from trying to find yer Yuan¡¯s identity to finding yer Healer Wang¡¯s identity.

    Meanwhile, inside the Dragon Temple, Yuan had just reached the dragon statue after flying for almost the entire day.

    "Why is the sky still dark? It should be morning by now..." Yuan wondered to himself after realizing that the night wasn¡¯t turning into day.

    Since he cannot tell the time of the day, Yuan decided to log off early, as he¡¯d rather be safe than sorry.

    After logging off and not smelling anything delicious, Yuan proceeded to spend his time cultivating until Meixiu finished preparing dinner.

    Once dinner was prepared, Meixiu fed it to Yuan.

    "Do you know how long you¡¯ll be staying inside the Dragon Temple? Xiao Hua and the others are curious." Meixiu asked him after dinner.

    "I have 7 days inside the Dragon Temple," he said.

    "A week, huh? Okay, I will let them know."

    "Thank you."

    Sometimeter, Meixiu said, "Oh, right. Wang Xiuying wanted me to let you know that she has ascended to the Spirit Heaven sessfully, and she said the world up there is very differentpared to the Lower Heaven."

    "She¡¯s making me want to hurry up and go to the Spirit Heaven to see what¡¯s up there..." Yuan smiled.

    "Also, I think there¡¯s someone waiting for you toe out of the Dragon Temple¡ª besides Xiao Hua and the others," Meixiu added.

    "Who?" Yuan asked.

    "I don¡¯t know her, but ording to Feng Feng, she used to be a judge for the zitherpetition you participated in."

    "Sect Master Song? I thought she gave up on trying to recruit me since I haven¡¯t seen her since thepetition." Yuan said.

    After a moment of silence, Meixiu asked, "Why did you refuse her offer? You don¡¯t want to y the instrument anymore? But you were having so much fun when you yed the zither just the other day."

    "It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to y the instrument. As you¡¯d said, I enjoy ying them. However, I don¡¯t want instruments to be my focus, and if I had epted her offer, I¡¯d have to y the instrument seriously again." Yuan said.

    "I see..." Meixiu mumbled, as she personally wanted to see Yuan y the instrument again seriously since she felt that Yuan had left the stage too abruptly and far too soon, and it was his musical talents that first captured her heart.

    Sometimeter, Yuan returned to the Dragon Temple and proceeded to see how he could obtain the Great One¡¯s Legacy from it.

    Meixiu went to sleep after cleaning the dishes and taking a shower.

    In the midst of the night, unbeknownst to Yuan or Meixiu, on the most popr Cultivation Online forum, a topic that would be an instant sensation overnight was created, and this single post would change their world forever and bring forth a new era!

    [Cultivation in the real world is possible!]

    Although the title of this topic was incredibly simple, it instantly attracted the attention of everyone that saw it, and within mere minutes, the post had amassed tens of thousands of views.

    [The cultivation techniques from Cultivation Online actually work in the real world! After many weeks of effort, I have finally be a Cultivator!]

    Once the people read the post, they would eitherugh at the person who made the post or try it for themselves. And while the results greatly differed from each individual, there was no doubt that some people have seeded in breaking their mortal shackles, bing Cultivators in the real world as well!

 Chapter 406 Breaking News

    After returning to the Dragon Temple, Yuan immediately began walking around the massive dragon statue trying to find a way to activate it.

    However, even after circling around the thing for a few minutes and finding nothing, Yuan took a seat in front of the statue and began pondering.

    "Oh, right. The Great One mentioned using the Dragon¡¯s Gaze on it."

    Once he¡¯d realized this, Yuan quickly stood up again and activated his Dragon¡¯s Gaze before walking around the statue again.

    However, to his surprise, he wasn¡¯t able to find it even with the Dragon¡¯s Gaze activated.

    "Nothing¡¯s happening... Maybe I need to increase the strength of the Dragon¡¯s Gaze?"

    Thinking that, Yuan pushed his Dragon¡¯s Gaze to its limits.

    "Haaa... haaa... It didn¡¯t work..." Yuan gasped for air a few minutester, as the Dragon¡¯s Gaze consumed an insane amount of spiritual energy when used at its full power.

    Yuan copsed on the floor a momentter and justid there while staring at the statue that spiraled up as though it was trying to ascend.

    "Wait a second... What if the reason I cannot find the thing is because it¡¯s at the top of the statue?"

    With this in mind, after taking a few minutes to recover his spiritual energy, Yuan flew into the air until he was even higher than the dragon statue, where he activated the Dragon¡¯s Gaze once again.

    Almost instantly after he activated his Dragon¡¯s Gaze, Yuan noticed a golden glow inside the dragon¡¯s mouth.

    "That should be it!" Yuan approached the dragon statue with excitement.

    However, even though he could see a golden light inside the dragon¡¯s mouth, he wasn¡¯t sure what to do with it, and putting his hands inside didn¡¯t feel right.

    After pondering for a moment, Yuan decided to poke the inside of the dragon¡¯s mouth with the Empyrean Overlord just to make sure it was safe.

    A few tapster, the dragon statue suddenly began rumbling.

    The rumbling quickly spread to the city, and within just moments, it seemed as if the entire world was shaking.

    "I hope nothing bad happens..." Yuan mumbled to himself as he helplessly watched the entire world shake violently.

    The earthquake eventually stopped after a few minutes, and Yuan looked around to make sure everything was okay.

    However, he quickly noticed a change in the scenery.

    Although the skies were still dark, there were subtle lightsing from the ground around the city that gradually grew clearer and brighter.

    If one looked closely, one would see that an enormous magical circle had suddenly appeared around the city.

    Furthermore, this formation appeared to be only halfplete, as some symbols and patterns looked iplete.

    "What a massive formation... How am I supposed to activate something like this?" Yuan mumbled in a dazed voice.

    Suddenly, a notification appeared before him.

    [The Great One¡¯s Seal of Approval is reacting to the surroundings]

    [The Great One¡¯s Seal of Approval has activated]

    The next moment, a golden orb of light the size of a baby¡¯s fist appeared from his forehead.

    This golden orb of light then dropped towards the ground, acting almost like a drop of water under gravity.

    A few secondster, the golden orb of light reached the ground and created a ripple effect in the formation before disappearing into the ground like a drop of water in a calm pond.

    The formation that surrounded the city began to change, and the iplete symbols and patterns began fixing themselves until they lookedplete.

    However, this process didn¡¯t finish in just a few minutes, and by the looks of it, it might take hours, even days before the formation besplete again.

    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    After waiting around for a few hours without anything happening, Yuan decided to log off for breakfast.

    Hopefully, it¡¯ll be done by the time he returns, but he wasn¡¯t feeling very hopeful.

    Meanwhile, in the real world, Meixiu slowly opened her eyes five minutes before the rm in her phone began ringing.

    After taking a moment to fight through her morning grogginess, Meixiu stretched her body on the bed before sitting up.

    Once she could open her eyes fully, Meixiu looked at the time on her phone.

    Seeing that it was only a few minutes before her rm, she went to turn off the rm before getting off the bed.

    However, right as she prepared to leave her room to go to the bathroom, her phone suddenly began ringing.

    "A phone call? Who¡¯s calling me this early in the morning?" Meixiu mumbled to herself as she went to pick up her phone again.

    "Yu Rou? What¡¯s the matter?" Meixiu answered the phone after seeing the caller.

    "Meixiu! Are you seeing the news?!" Yu Rou immediately asked her in a loud and excited voice.

    It was so loud that Meixiu subconsciously moved the phone away from her sensitive ears.

    "The news? Why would the news be on? It¡¯s barely sunrise... And I just woke up." Meixiu said a momentter.

    "Don¡¯t mind the minor details! Hurry up and look at the news! It doesn¡¯t matter which channel you pick! Just hurry! This is massive!" Yu Rou said to her.

    "O-Okay..."

    Now fully awake thanks to Yu Rou¡¯s excited voice, Meixiu went to open herptop and looked at the news.

    The first thing she saw after opening up the news was therge and bold title that read¡ª [Breaking news! Cultivation is real! Cultivation techniques from the popr video game ¡¯Cultivation Online¡¯ works in the real world ording to many yers, and there is even solid proof that it¡¯s real!]

    "W-What...?" Meixiu mumbled in a low voice as she stared at the title with a dazed look on her face.

    Not daring to believe her eyes, Meixiu read the title again and again until Yu Rou¡¯s voice resounded, "Are you seeing it?! They say cultivation is real! I just started watching, too!"

    "This must be a joke... There¡¯s no way cultivation techniques from a video game could possibly work in the real world as well, right?" Meixiu said.

    "That¡¯s what I thought at first too, but after looking around the forums and the other news sources, everybody is talking about it! There¡¯s no way they¡¯d make such an borate lie just to mess with us! I think it¡¯s true! We might be able to be Cultivators in this world as well, Meixiu!" Yu Rou said, her voice peaking with excitement.

 Chapter 407 Cultivation Is Real!

    "We can be Cultivators in the real world...?" Meixiu mumbled in a dazed voice, feeling a little awkward saying something so unbelievable out loud.

    "I repeat, cultivation is real! You can be a cultivator if you use the cultivation techniques from the popr video game ¡¯Cultivation Online¡¯!" The news anchor said in a loud and excited voice.

    "However, do keep in mind that while cultivation exists, not everyone can be a Cultivator! It could also take you days, weeks, or even months to be a Cultivator depending on your talents¡ª exactly like Cultivation Online!"

    "Furthermore, the higher grade your cultivation technique is, the higher chance you have at bing a Cultivator!"

    After talking for a few minutes, the news anchor said, "We will have a special guest in just a few minutes, and he is a yer in Cultivation Online who¡¯d sessfully managed to be a Cultivator! In fact, he is the person who made the topic about cultivation being real¡ª the first one who made this world-changing discovery!"

    "..."

    "Yu Rou... What do you think is going to happen to our world now?" Meixiu asked her.

    "I don¡¯t know... This might be a good thing, or it could turn disastrous. Only time will tell." Yu Rou sighed.

    Sometimeter, Meixiu said, "I have to tell Yuan about this..."

    "Oh, right. Is he awake yet?"

    "I will go check."

    "Hehe... Brother will be so surprised..." Yu Rou said.

    A few momentster, Meixiu knocked on Yuan¡¯s door.

    "Yuan, are you awake?"

    "Yes, I am."

    "We have an emergency..." Meixiu said.

    "What happened?"

    "Listen to the news, brother." Yu Rou said.

    "Yu Rou?" Yuan was surprised to hear Yu Rou¡¯s voice as well.

    Meixiu proceeded to grab herptop and reyed the news to Yuan.

    "Cultivation is real! As long as we use the cultivation techniques in Cultivation Online, we can be Cultivators in this world as well!" The news anchor shouted in excitement.

    "..."

    Yuan was stunned after hearing the news.

    ¡¯So the world has finally learned about it as well, huh? I guess cultivation is real...¡¯ Yuan sighed inwardly.

    Even though he has been cultivating for a while now, it felt so surreal that he didn¡¯t fully believe that he was actually doing cultivation.

    Unbeknownst to Yuan, some yers have long learned that cultivation in the real world was possible shortly after the gameunched. The only reason it hasn¡¯t been announced until today was simply because these people wanted to keep this secret to themselves so that they could get ahead of everyone else when the news eventually spread around the world.

    After all, there are bound to be a few people who would try cultivation in the real world after they y Cultivation Online. It was akin to children trying to mimic their superheroes¡¯ signature attacks while they watched the television even if they knew superpowers don¡¯t exist in the real world.

    It was their curiosity that made this discovery.

    Yu Rou¡¯s voice suddenly resounded, "Meixiu, quickly go back to the live news! It¡¯s the person who discovered that cultivation works in the real world!"

    Meixiu stopped the rey and switched it back to live news, and sure enough, there was a young man sitting beside the news anchor.

    "Can you please introduce yourself to the audience?" The news anchor asked the young man.

    He nodded and spoke in a clear voice, "Hello, my name is Fu Xi, I am 24 years old, and my in-game name is Thousand des. I am also the creator of the post ¡¯Cultivation in the real world is possible¡¯ that has over a hundred million views now on the forums."

    "Thank you foring here on such short notice, Fu Xi. Can you tell us more about how you made that discovery? And what does it feel like to be a Cultivator? How is it any different from Cultivation Online?" The news anchor asked him.

    Fu Xi nodded and said, "After ying Cultivation Online for a few days, I quickly became addicted to the world of cultivation, and I suddenly had a thought¡ª what if I can be a Cultivator in the real world as well?"

    "I knew it was ridiculous of me to have such thoughts. After all, there¡¯s no way something in a video game could possibly work in the real world as well. However, my curiosity would not calm down until I actually tried it. It was at that point that I tried to cultivate in the real world using the cultivation technique I¡¯d learned in Cultivation Online."

    "Although it didn¡¯t work at first and I gave up for a few days, my instincts told me to try again, and so I did¡ª until I managed to breakthrough and be a Cultivator."

    "That¡¯s amazing," said the news anchor, and he continued, "If you don¡¯t mind, can you share with the audience the name of your cultivation technique and how you obtained it?"

    Fu Xi nodded and said, "I don¡¯t mind. It¡¯s just an ordinary cultivation technique avable to every disciple at the Nine Saber Mountain, and it¡¯s called Spirit Mountain Scripture."

    "I know there are many people out there who do not believe in cultivation. Do you have any way to prove to them that it truly exists?"

    "Well... I just became a Cultivator, so I cannot do anything crazy. However, my strength has increased tremendously since then. I can easily lift 100 pounds with a single hand despite my skinny physique."

    "Indeed, you certainly don¡¯t look like you can lift even half of that much weight, much less all of it."

    A few momentster, someone brought a 100-pound barbell onto the stage for Fu Xi.

    After taking a deep breath, Fu Xi grabbed the center of the barbell with his stick-like arm and lifted it above his head with ease, shocking the news anchor and the audience.

    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.

    "My god! What a performance! I thought you were joking!" The news anchor said, as he didn¡¯t believe for a second that Fu Xi would be able to lift something so heavy with his thin arms that clearlycked the muscles.

    "Well, this is the best I can do at my current level. Perhaps I will be able to use the other techniques from Cultivation Online if I increase my cultivation." Fu Xi said with a proud look on his face.

    Fu Xi and the news anchor continued to talk to each other about cultivation and whatnot.

    Meanwhile, the other channels also had their own special guests, and all of them im to have seeded in cultivation.

    "What do you think, brother? Do you think they¡¯re really Cultivators? Can we really cultivate in this world?" Yu Rou asked him through the phone.

    "We can," Yuan answered quickly without hesitation, taking Yu Rou and Meixiu by surprise.

    "Why do you sound so confident?" Yu Rou couldn¡¯t help but ask.

    After a moment of silence, Yuan responded in a calm voice, "I am confident cultivation exists because... because I have also seeded in bing a Cultivator. In fact, I have been cultivating for a while now."

    "Y-You what?" Yu Rou¡¯s dumbfounded voice resounded.

    "Yuan..." Meixiu stared at him with her eyes wide with disbelief, almost as though she couldn¡¯t believe her ears.

 Chapter 408 Preparing for the Future

    "I¡¯m sorry for keeping this a secret until now, but I didn¡¯t want you to see me as someone crazy... And I was worried that all of this cultivation thing might only be inside my head¡ª an illusion I made for myself." Yuan sighed.

    "..."

    After a moment of dead silence, Yu Rou asked him, "Brother, you¡¯re not crazy. How long have you been cultivating for?"

    "It¡¯s been a while since I started so I cannot really remember, but I started cultivating even before I got kicked out of the Yu Family."

    "How does it feel to be a Cultivator? Is it any different from Cultivation Online? And how long did it take you to seed?" Yu Rou continued to ask him questions.

    "Well... It definitely took me some time to be a Cultivator. When I first tried, I would feel pain all over my body, almost like I am being stabbed by needles. Eventually, I managed to breakthrough and be a Cultivator. As for how it feels... I can¡¯t really tell you since my body is in this state. However, I do feel very energetic, and having a breakthrough is very simr to what it would feel like inside Cultivation Online."

    "That¡¯s it! I have made a decision! I am going to be a Cultivator in this world as well!" Yu Rou suddenly dered.

    And she continued, "Can you imagine doing things in the real world that you could only do in Cultivation Online before? Like using martial techniques and having super strength? This is so exciting!"

    However, Yuan said, "As exciting as it may seem, I am also very worried about the future. If everyone bes a Cultivator, what¡¯s going to happen to our world? It might get chaotic."

    "I don¡¯t think you have to worry too much, brother. Even if we can cultivate, I highly doubt we¡¯ll be able to do anything too crazy like flying and destroying mountains with a single fist. Although our world will definitely change, it probably won¡¯t be too drastic." Yu Rou said.

    "I hope you¡¯re right..." Yuan said.

    "By the way, what cultivation level are you right now, brother?" Yu Rou suddenly asked him.

    "I honestly don¡¯t know, but if we use Cultivation Online for reference, I think I am a sixth-level Spirit Warrior," he said.

    "S-Sixth level Spirit Warrior?!?!" Yu Rou eximed.

    How is it possible that Yuan¡¯s cultivation in the real world is so high? He even surpasses the majority of yers in Cultivation Online, much less the real world!

    While most yers are just entering the Spirit Warrior realm inside the game, Yuan was already a Spirit Warrior in the real world.

    "A-Anyways, I will call you guyster. I have to prepare for school now. In fact, I am already running a littlete because of the news. Bye!"

    "Goodbye, Yu Rou."

    After Yu Rou hung up, Meixiu suddenly spoke, "Yuan, is that why your body has been growing stronger and stronger despite not working out? Your body is unnaturally fit for someone who lies in bed all day."

    "I think so," he said.

    "..."

    After a moment of silence, Meixiu asked, "If you continue to cultivate... do you think it could possibly help you move again?"

    A smile appeared on Yuan¡¯s face after hearing her words, and he said, "I think so."

    As much as he wanted to tell her that he was already recovering, he wanted to make sure that he could at least lift himself off the bed before he said anything, and at the rate he was recovering, he would probably need at least a couple more months before he could tell her about his recovery.

    "What about you, Meixiu? Are you going to be a Cultivator too?"

    "I don¡¯t know yet..." she mumbled.

    "I think you should be a Cultivator, Meixiu." Yuan suddenly said.

    And he continued, "Now that the entire world knows about cultivation in the real world, there will be many Cultivators in the near future, and when that happens, things might get chaotic. If I don¡¯t recover by then, I want you to be able to protect yourself at the very least."

    "One thing I learned about Cultivators in Cultivation Online is that they can be unreasonable people."

    Whether it¡¯s Cultivation Online or the real world, there will always be people who abuse their powers and use them to bully others.

    After a moment of silence, Meixiu nodded her head and said, "I understand. I will be a Cultivator."

    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    "Great! Once I am finished with the Dragon Temple, we can go look for a cultivation technique for you together! Of course, if you want, you can ask Feng Feng or Xiao Hua to see if they can help you find a cultivation technique since I still have 6 more days inside the Dragon Temple."

    "It¡¯s okay. I will wait for you." Meixiu said.

    Sometimeter, after eating breakfast, Yuan returned to Cultivation Online whilst Meixiu went to research more about Cultivators online.

    And as she¡¯d expected, the world quickly learned that one could cultivate in the real world using cultivation techniques found inside Cultivation Online, and by the end of the day, nearly everybody in the world had heard about it.

    Of course, there were countless questions that appeared because of this situation, such as how it was possible to use cultivation techniques from a video game and if cultivating in the real world was actually safe. However, no matter how suspicious people are or whether they believed it or not, it didn¡¯t stop people from trying to be Cultivators.

    And as a result of this discovery, the yerbase for Cultivation Online skyrocketed, and powers around the world began preparing for the future¡ª a future where Cultivators may rule the world.

    By the end of the day, millions of people tried to cultivate with countless failures. With that being said, there were also plenty of people that had seeded in their cultivation, and about one in every ten thousand people would be a Cultivator on their first day!

 Chapter 409 The Great Ones Trial

    After returning to the Dragon Temple, Yuan flew into the air and looked at the formation around the city to see its progress, but as he¡¯d expected, the formation remained unfinished.

    "Since it¡¯s going to take a while for the formation to finish, I should use this time to look around the ce and see if I can find the treasure room," Yuan mumbled to himself, and he proceeded to fly around the massive city that would¡¯ve taken him months to explore if he had to do it on foot.

    However, that was easier said than done. How was he supposed to find the treasure room in this massive and empty city? Where should he start?

    After flying around the city for an hour, Yuan gave up and decided to start searching from the ground.

    "Is there really nobody in this ce besides myself?" Yuan mumbled to himself as he knocked on the closed doors.

    "Hm? It¡¯s open?"

    Realizing that the doors were not locked, Yuan decided to go inside.

    "This is..."

    Yuan was surprised to see furniture inside the buildings. In fact, every single building was fully organized with furniture, almost like people used to live in this ce.

    "Maybe people used to live in this ce in the past..."

    Sometimeter, Yuan eventually stopped entering the buildings as there was nothing new after looking through over a hundred of them.

    "What about the trials? Where can I do the trials?"

    After pondering for some time, Yuan flew back into the air once again and activated his Dragon¡¯s Gaze, and instead of using it on the dragon statue, he scanned the city with it.

    And to his surprise, he could see some of the buildings glowing a faint golden color, almost like they were surrounded by fireflies, and some buildings were glowing brighter than the others.

    And just like how bright lights affected moths, Yuan went for the brightest building he saw.

    A few minutester, he knocked on the door just in case it was upied.

    When nobody answered, Yuan opened the door and entered the building.

    The interior of the building looked almost the same as the other buildings, but there was an addition there¡ª a small dragon statue ced directly in the center of the room.

    Yuan ignored the other things in the room and approached the dragon statue.

    The moment he got close enough to the statue, it suddenly began glowing, and the doors behind him closed.

    Although he was startled, Yuan didn¡¯t panic or run away.

    A few secondster, the dark room began brightening despite theck of light sources in the room.

    Furthermore, the room also expanded, almost like the world itself was being stretched.

    "Is this an illusion...?" Yuan wondered to himself.

    The expansion of the room wouldn¡¯t stop until all of the furniture disappeared into the horizon.

    Suddenly, a notification appeared before Yuan.

    [The Great One¡¯s Trial has begun!]

    [You have a new challenge!]

    [Defeat as many enemies as you can within the time limit!]

    [The more you defeat the stronger the enemies be and the better your rewards!]

    [Difficulty has been adjusted based on your talents!]

    Ding!

    [3:59:59]

    The moment the countdown started, Yuan could see human-like figures wearing armor that resembled the armor worn by the guards in the Ancient Dragon City appearing on the horizon, and there were tens if not hundreds of them appearing at once. Furthermore, they were all wielding different weapons.

    Some of them had swords while others had spears. There were even some weapons that Yuan had never seen before.

    Fortunately for him, they appeared pretty far in the distance, giving him some time to prepare.

    "Their aura... First level Spirit Masters?" Yuan quickly retrieved his Empyrean Overlord and the Starry Abyss.

    And not waiting for these armored figures to get close, Yuan used the Starry Abyss to attack them in the distance.

    Boom!

    The Starry Abyss easily tore holes in their bodies, and after killing 100 of them, the surviving armored figures¡¯ aura suddenly grew stronger, almost like they¡¯d leveled up or something, and they were now at the second level Spirit Master realm.

    Yuan continued to y these armored figures, and this challenge reminded him of the challenge on the 100th floor of the Carp Leaping Over Dragon¡¯s Gate Tower.

    However,pared to the challenge on the 100th floor, there were not as many enemies, but they were certainly stronger¡ª much stronger.

    Second level... third level... fourth level...

    The armored figures continued to grow stronger as Yuan destroyed them, and in just an hour, these armored figures entered the Spirit Grandmaster level.

    [Heaven Splitting Sword Strike!]

    Yuan unleashed a devastating attack that instantly destroyed over a hundred of these armored figures, increasing their strength once again to the second level Spirit Grandmaster.

    Since this challenge required him to y as many armored figures as he could in what little time he was given, Yuan spared no effort destroying as many of them as he could.

    Yuan¡¯s spiritual energy depleted at an insane rate that would exhaust anyone with a simr cultivation base, but because of his skill Perfect Regeneration and the Nine Dragon Symbols inside his body, his body continuously absorbed the surrounding Qi as quickly as he used them, keeping Yuan from exhaustion.

    Furthermore, once the armored figures had reached Spirit Grandmaster, fewer of them were being summoned, and their silver armor also changed to a golden color.

    While Yuan continued his challenge inside Cultivation Online, the real world became rowdier and rowdier as more people woke up and learned about cultivation.

    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    "Sister Rou! Have you heard the news?! Apparently, cultivation is real and there are already Cultivators in our world!" Xiao Jingyi approached Yu Rou at school.

    Yu Rou smiled and said, "Everybody and their mother have been talking about it since I woke up. How can I possibly not have heard about it by now?"

    "What do you think about it? I am filled with excitement! In fact, I am going to start cultivating when I get home today! What about you? Are you going to cultivate?" Xia Jingyi said.

    "I am also going to be a Cultivator." Yu Rou nodded.

 Chapter 410 Golden Dragon Gift Box

    Ding!

    [You havepleted the Great One¡¯s Trial!]

    [Total kills: 7,945]

    [Congrattions! You have set a new record!]

    [You have been awarded a Golden Dragon Gift Box]

    After the timer had reached zero, Yuan was given a golden box for his efforts.

    "Haaa..."

    Yuanid on the floor in a tired manner as his surroundings returned to normal.

    "The Great One said it¡¯d be easy... What a joke! I nearly died fighting so many Spirit Grandmaster armored figures at once!" Yuan sighed out loud.

    Fortunately for Yuan, the armored figures had their cultivation bases peaked at the 9th level Spirit Grandmaster or he would¡¯ve been in real trouble.

    Once he¡¯d rested enough, Yuan opened the Golden Dragon Gift Box to see what was inside.

    "This is... a ne?"

    Yuan retrieved a golden ne from the Golden Dragon Gift Box.

    [Refined Dragon Ne]

    [Grade: Divine]

    [Quality: Peak]

    [Mental Strength Required: 100,000]

    [Soul Strength Required: 30,000]

    [Description: A powerful ne refined by the Great One. Deflects all spiritual techniques below Heaven-grade. Enhances the strength of one¡¯s own spiritual attacks by 50%.]

    "Wow, this is quite a powerful treasure."

    Yuan wore the treasure around his neck alongside the ne Xiao Hua gave him, and he immediately felt safer.

    "Wait... Spiritual attacks... Does the Dragon¡¯s Gaze count as a spiritual attack?" Yuan wondered to himself.

    Sometimeter, Yuan left the building to look at the formation around the city.

    The moment he left the building, another notification appeared.

    [1/3 Great One¡¯s Trialspleted]

    After taking a quick look at the formation to make sure it wasn¡¯tpleted, Yuan went to look for another trial to do.

    This time, he went for the building with the dimmest light.

    [The Great One¡¯s Trial has begun!]

    [You have a new challenge!]

    [Withstand the pressure for three hours!]

    [Difficulty has been adjusted based on your talents!]

    Ding!

    [2:59:59]

    The moment the trial began, Yuan could feel an invisible pressure bearing down on him.

    However, this pressure wasn¡¯t very strong in his opinion. In fact, he barely felt it.

    After ten minutes, the pressure grew stronger, yet it still wasn¡¯t even for Yuan.

    An hourter, the pressure was finally strong enough for Yuan to feel its effects, but it wasn¡¯t anything too strong, and he was still able to stand properly. It only felt like he was carrying a heavy backpack filled with rocks.

    After another hour, the pressure was strong enough to make Yuan feel ufortable if he continued standing, so he took a seat on the cold floor.

    Thest hour was the most difficult. If it¡¯d been another Cultivator, they would feel like they¡¯re being crushed by an entire mountain on her shoulders.

    However, for Yuan, who was a Spirit Grandmaster, that mountain felt like arge boulder.

    Of course, while boulders aren¡¯t anything to scoff at and could crush even a Spirit Warrior in an instant, Yuan was a Spirit Grandmaster. If he wanted to, he could carry even a couple of boulders and still be fine.

    Three hours passed by in a sh, and at the end, Yuan received another Golden Dragon Gift Box.

    Ding!

    [You havepleted the Great One¡¯s Trial!]

    [Total time resisted: 3:00:00]

    [Congrattions! You have set a new record!]

    [You have been awarded a Golden Dragon Gift Box]

    Yuan immediately opened the Golden Dragon Gift Box, but to his surprise, there was only an Earth-grade treasure inside.

    [Dragon Needles]

    [Grade: Earth]

    [Quality: Peak]

    [Description: Eight perfect needles crafted by the Great One. Usually used as a hidden weapon. Increases pration by 100%]

    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    "The trial was pretty easypared to thest one so maybe that¡¯s why the reward is so bad," Yuan mumbled to himself.

    Indeed, the trial he¡¯d just beaten was one of the easiest trials in the Dragon Temple, hence theck of reward.

    With that being said, it was still an Earth-grade treasure, something most if not every single yer besides Yuan would die for.

    [2/3 Great One¡¯s Trialspleted]

    Sometimeter, Yuan went back outside to look at the formation.

    "Of course, it¡¯s still not finished. Guess I¡¯ll go ahead and finish myst trial now."

    Yuan looked around the city with his Dragon¡¯s Gaze, looking specifically for the building that had the brightest glow.

    After searching for a few minutes, Yuan flew to another building.

    Although this building didn¡¯t glow as bright as his first one, it was definitely much brighter than his previous one.

    Furthermore, this building appeared to be a restaurant of sorts.

    After knocking on the door like usual, Yuan entered the building.

    Sure enough, the interior looked like that of a restaurant with many tables and chairs.

    Yuan took a deep breath before approaching the dragon statue in the middle.

    Whoosh!

    The world before him expanded once again until he had plenty of room.

    [The Great One¡¯s Trial has begun!]

    [You have a new challenge!]

    [Dodge the iing attacks for one hour or until you get hit 3 times!]

    [Difficulty has been adjusted based on your talents!]

    A timer suddenly appeared, but there were only three seconds on it.

    [0:03]

    [0:02]

    [0:01]

    Once the timer had reached zero, Yuan immediately sensed danger from behind him, and another timer appeared.

    [0:59:50]

    He quickly used his movement technique to leave his location, and the second he moved, a massive sword flew past where his neck had been just a second ago.

    Three seconds after the first attack, Yuan could feel another sense of dangering from his right side.

    Whoosh!

    An arrow suddenly appeared out of thin air a few meters away from his location and flew at his face.

    The attacks continued toe from random locations, and the more Yuan dodged, the more threats would appear at once and the quicker they would appear.

    Ten minutes into the challenge, Yuan was already being assaulted by 10 weapons at once, and they would attack him every two seconds.

    Thirty minutes into the challenge, Yuan had to avoid over 50 threats at once, all of theming at every single second, and things were just getting started.

 Chapter 411 Duplicate Treasure

    [0:00:02]

    [0:00:01]

    Ding!

    [You havepleted the Great One¡¯s Trial!]

    [Total time dodged: 1:00:00]

    [Total hits: 0]

    [Congrattions! You have set a new record!]

    [You have been awarded a Golden Dragon Gift Box]

    Yuan copsed on the floor after he saw the notification.

    "If I didn¡¯t level up the movement technique at the Ancient Dragon City, I might not have been able to pass this trial without getting hit a few times..." Yuan sighed in an exhausted manner.

    Towards the end, he had to dodge over a hundred attacks from every direction, and the attacks woulde at every second, leaving him almost no room to breathe.

    Fortunately for him, the movement technique he¡¯d learned from Feng Yuxiang was truly as powerful as she had imed.

    A few momentster, once the world returned to normal and he had rested enough, Yuan opened the Golden Dragon Gift Box to see what was inside.

    [You have obtained ¡¯Dragon Temple Treasure Key¡¯]

    "Wait a minute..." Yuan was dumbfounded when he saw the notification.

    "I already have the Dragon Temple Treasure Key!" Yuan eximed.

    He remembers obtaining the same thing at the Carp Leaping Over Dragon¡¯s Gate Tower after reaching the 100th floor! What is he going to do with this extra key? Will it be a useless treasure?

    Normally, one wouldn¡¯t be able to obtain the Dragon Temple Treasury Key unless they got lucky with one of the trials in the Dragon Temple, yet Yuan somehow managed to obtain it before even entering the ce.

    "I did all of that just for a duplicate treasure... What luck..." Yuan shook his head.

    [3/3 Great One¡¯s Trialspleted]

    [You have reached the limit of trials you canplete!]

    [You may continue to do the trials, but you will not receive any reward!]

    "To add insult to injury, that was myst attempt... Ah, whatever." Yuan gave up, as there was nothing he could do at this point.

    Sometimeter, Yuan returned to the dragon statue and looked at the progress of the formation.

    "Still not done, huh?"

    He decided to log off for the day shortly after.

    "How¡¯s everything going, Meixiu?" Yuan asked her during dinner.

    "Well... As you can expect, the entire world is in an uproar right now," she said.

    "I¡¯m not surprised."

    "The prices for cultivation techniques have also skyrocketed since then. Even a Mortal-grade cultivation technique could go for tens of thousands of dors," she added.

    "Also not surprising..."

    "Governments around the world want to regte cultivation, but with so many people doing it in secrecy, it¡¯s near impossible to do anything about it."

    "I see..."

    After a moment of silence, Yuan said, "Oh, yeah. You should have the Basic Qi Gathering Technique, right? It was given to everyone when we started the game. You should try to get a feel for cultivation in Cultivation Online before you attempt it in the real world. It¡¯s going to be like practice until you get a better cultivation technique."

    "Okay, I will try itter. What about you? Will you be ying tonight?"

    "Yes, I am waiting for some massive formation to finish, but it¡¯s taking forever. Though, I don¡¯t want to miss it when it does finish."

    Sometimeter, Yuan returned to the game and continued to wait for the formation to finish.

    Meixiu went to clean the dishes before entering the game.

    Meanwhile, after school, Yu Rou was summoned by her parents.

    Once she arrived at their main house, Yu Rou immediately noticed the empty boxesid outside the door, causing her to raise her eyebrows.

    A few minutester, she went to look for her parents in their bedroom, which was an odd ce for a meeting.

    When she entered their room, the first thing she noticed was the familiar-looking console on their bed.

    "You¡¯re finally here, huh?" Yu Yong said to her from the bed.

    "As you can see, we¡¯ll be ying Cultivation Online as well."

    "Eh...?" Yu Rou stared at them with a dumbfounded look on her face.

    "I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard by now, but apparently one can be a Cultivator if they y this game and use their cultivation techniques." Tang Lee said.

    And she continued, "Yu Rou, since you have been ying this game for some time now, you should have enough experience as a Cultivator inside the game. The other families have already started cultivating, and some of their children have even seeded in cultivating. Therefore, you¡¯re going to be a Cultivator as well."

    "I-I understand..." Yu Rou mumbled in a dazed voice.

    Although she was already nning on bing a Cultivator, it was still shocking to hear it from her parents¡¯ mouths.

    "If bing a Cultivator truly increases one¡¯s longevity and grants them superhuman strength like they say, that¡¯s not something we can ignore." Yu Yong said.

    Sometimeter, Yu Rou returned to her own house.

    After eating dinner and taking a quick shower, Yu Rou sat on her bed in the lotus position and tried to cultivate using the cultivation technique she has been using in Cultivation Online.

    Her breathing quickly calmed and became rhythmic, and her mind was cleared of all thoughts except the cultivation technique.

    Yu Rou eventually entered this mythical state that was simr to enlightenment yet it was not true enlightenment.

    A few hourster, Yu Rou suddenly felt a nostalgic feeling spread throughout her body.

    "Did I seed? Am I a Cultivator now? That was easier than I¡¯d expected..." Yu Rou opened her eyes and stood up, feeling energetic all over her body.

    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.

    She then turned to look at her desk.

    After pondering for a moment, she approached it and tried to lift it with one hand.

    Yu Rou didn¡¯t expect anything at first, but to her surprise, she¡¯d managed to lift the whole desk with a single arm! And with rtive ease too!

    "H-Heavens! It¡¯s real! I am really a Cultivator!" Yu Rou eximed in an excited voice.

    Yu Rou immediately went to pick up the phone and tried to contact Meixiu, but when nobody picked up, she called Xia Jingyi instead.

 Chapter 412 Closing School Early

    "Jingyi, how¡¯s your cultivation going? Have you be a Cultivator yet?"

    "By the sound of your voice, I can tell that you¡¯ve already be a Cultivator. Congrattions, Sister Rou. Unfortunately, I am still trying to breakthrough." Xia Jingyi¡¯s voice resounded from the phone.

    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll breakthrough soon."

    "What about you? Has anything changed now that you¡¯re a Cultivator? Have you gotten stronger like they say you would?" Xia Jingyi asked.

    "Yes! You won¡¯t believe this, but I could lift my desk with a single arm! It was really surprising!" Yu Rou said.

    "That crazy?! I¡¯m going to continue my cultivation now! Even if I have to skip tonight¡¯s sleep, I am going to do it!" Xia Jingyi said.

    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.

    "Me, too! I may already be a Cultivator but I still want to continue improving! I¡¯ll see you tomorrow at school!" Yu Rou said her goodbyes before closing the phone.

    And for the rest of the night, Yu Rou would sit on her bed in the lotus position, slowly improving her cultivation.

    The following morning, despite missing a night of sleep, Yu Rou felt incredibly refreshed and full of energy.

    "Unlike Cultivation Online, cultivation is much slower in the real world, which isn¡¯t really that surprising. And with ack of treasures to assist us, we¡¯ll be even slower." Yu Rou mumbled.

    Cultivation Online was filled with rich resources that could help boost one¡¯s cultivation within seconds, but in the real world, no such resources exist and Cultivators must rely on their own talents and patience to improve their cultivation.

    "I guess this is also good. It would be bad if people can simply buy their cultivation levels like they do in Cultivation Online, bing Spirit Warriors in just a few weeks." Yu Rou mumbled.

    In Cultivation Online, there are plenty of rich people who would buy treasures using real money to boost their cultivation base, bypassing the earlier levels. Of course, the higher their cultivation, the more expensive each level got.

    Once one reaches Spirit Warrior, the amount one would need to spend to increase a level was so high that only the richest people in the world would dare to spend that much.

    Now that one cannot simply buy their way to the top, everyone¡ª regardless of their status or wealth¡ª will have a chance to be a top Cultivator in the real world!

    "Meanwhile, Brother is already nearing Spirit Master... If he could move his body, how powerful would he be in this world?" Yu Rou wondered to herself as she prepared for school.

    Sometimeter, Yu Rou arrived at school, and to her surprise, the ce looked even more empty than usual.

    "Where is everybody?" Xia Jingyi asked the teacher.

    The teacher showed a bittersweet smile and said, "Because of the cultivation craze, everybody is staying home to cultivate."

    Yu Rou and the other few students in the ssroom were left dumbfounded by the teacher¡¯s words.

    Everybody was skipping school to cultivate? As crazy as that sounded, it wasn¡¯t that surprising!

    "It¡¯s not just the students." The teacher continued.

    "A couple of the teachers here have also resigned this morning, so we¡¯re also understaffed at this moment."

    "What¡¯s going to happen to our sses now?" Yu Rou then asked.

    "The principal has issued a gatheringter today, so we¡¯ll probably know about it at that time. In the meantime, you can do whatever."

    The students looked at each other silently.

    Sometimeter, the students there gathered in a circle and began talking to each other about cultivation.

    "Have any of you tried cultivating now?"

    "I have, but I couldn¡¯t make any breakthroughs."

    "Me too. It feels like there¡¯s something blocking me and I cannot move forward."

    "I have that feeling as well!"

    "I actually managed to have a breakthrough this morning right before school." Xia Jingyi said with a smile on her face.

    "Whoa! So you¡¯re a Cultivator now, right?! Show us what you can do!" The other students immediately looked at her with admiration.

    "Haha...pared to Sister Rou, I am nothing. She became a Cultivatorst night." Xia Jingyi said.

    "As expected of Miss Yu! You¡¯re not only talented in music but even in cultivation!"

    Yu Rou showed a stiff smile.

    If only they knew what her brother was capable of.

    A few momentster, Yu Rou and Xia Jingyi showed off to the other students their new profound strength by lifting desks and chairs and treating them as though they¡¯re weightless.

    "My god! I have been skeptical this entire time, but after seeing it with my own eyes, I cannot do anything but believe it!"

    About an hourter, Yu Rou and the others in her ss went to the auditorium where the principal, teachers, and other students in the school were gathered.

    "Ahem. Thank you foring here. As most of you, if not all of you already know by now, we¡¯re missing more than just a few students, and this is all because of the cultivation craze since yesterday. After speaking with your parents, we have agreed to close the school even earlier than anticipated."

    Although the ce was dead silent, all of the students were filled with excitement and had an urge to start screaming.

    The principal continued, "While I don¡¯t know when we¡¯ll reopen, it probably won¡¯t be anytime soon, and depending on how this cultivation thing changes our world, we might never open again."

    "I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you, and if you n on bing a Cultivator, I wish you the best of luck. Do any of you have questions? This is yourst chance to ask them."

    After spending a couple of minutes answering the students¡¯ and teachers¡¯ questions, the principal dismissed everyone.

    "What are you going to do now, Sister Rou?" Xia Jingyi asked her once they left the school.

    "I am going to focus on improving my cultivation," she said.

    "What about Cultivation Online? Are you going to continue ying?"

    "Of course!" Yu Rou quickly responded.

    And she continued, "I will y Cultivation Online in the morning and cultivate at night. A perfect bnce if I say so myself."

 Chapter 413 Spirit Severing Physique

    After breakfast, Meixiuid on her bed and returned to Cultivation Online.

    Once she was in the game, she took a seat on the cold floor in the lotus position and tried to cultivate using the Basic Qi Gathering Technique she¡¯d obtained at the beginning of the game.

    When Feng Yuxiang and the others noticed this, they turned to look at her with raised eyebrows.

    "Are you trying to cultivate? I thought you didn¡¯t have any cultivation techniques." Feng Yuxiang couldn¡¯t help but ask her out of curiosity.

    Meixiu nodded and said, "I have this technique called Basic Qi Gathering Technique. I want to get used to cultivation before I do it for real."

    "What? Basic Qi Gathering Technique? That trash everybody uses?" Feng Yuxiang immediately expressed disgust on her face.

    "Meixiu, I suggest you don¡¯t use that trash cultivation technique and wait until you have something better even if it¡¯s only for practice. After all, the better your cultivation technique, the stronger your foundations will be." Feng Yuxiang said.

    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    And she continued, "If you use that cultivation technique to form your foundations, it might affect your future by limiting it."

    "For example, if two people start cultivating with different techniques¡ª one with an inferior technique and the other with a superior technique¡ª even if the Cultivator with the inferior technique changes his cultivation technique for a better one in the future, his cultivation would not go as far as the person who has been using a superior cultivation technique since the beginning unless that person cripples his cultivation base and starts all over again."

    "This is why most Cultivators stay with one cultivation technique for their entire life even if they find something slightly better, as it¡¯s not worth the hassle of restarting your cultivation technique from the beginning."

    "I see..." Meixiu stopped trying to cultivate after hearing Feng Yuxiang¡¯s words.

    "I mean, if you really want to cultivate, I guess it¡¯s okay for you since you won¡¯t really lose much even if you have to start again. However, it¡¯s a painful process to restart your cultivation base without damaging your Dantian, and a single mistake will cripple you for the rest of your life." Feng Yuxiang added.

    "It¡¯s okay. I will wait until I have a better cultivation technique." Meixiu said.

    "I would give you a cultivation technique if I had one, but as a Divine Beast, we don¡¯t really rely on cultivation techniques to cultivate, and we absorb Spirit Qi as naturally as breathing. Though, having a cultivation technique would definitely help us cultivate faster."

    "Xiao Hua also only has one cultivation technique, but you¡¯re notpatible with it."

    "What about you, Lan Yingying? You got something that could help her out?" Feng Yuxiang turned to ask her.

    Lan Yingying shook her head and said, "Unfortunately, I don¡¯t have any techniques. I cultivate by consuming other magical beasts."

    "What a unique physique... It¡¯s somewhat simr to the Young Master, but he eats their cores instead. Hmm? Speaking of physique, do you have any unique physiques, Meixiu?" Feng Yuxiang asked her.

    Meixiu nodded and said, "It¡¯s a physique called Spirit Severing Physique."

    "S-Spirit Severing Physique?! A Divine-grade physique?!" Feng Yuxiang eximed.

    Meixiu nodded, and she asked, "Do you know what it does?"

    "The Spirit Severing Physique is a rare and powerful physique that allows you to separate your spirit from your body! It¡¯s kind of like Divine Sense, and you¡¯re near invincible as long as you¡¯re in the state!" Feng Yuxiang said.

    "Furthermore, while you¡¯re in that state, you can bypass all sorts of formations and defenses that would normally block people from entering. It¡¯s a highly coveted physique since you can enter ces where people normally cannot and not have to worry about traps."

    "Even in the upper heavens, your talents will be useful. In fact, your talents will probably be more valuable as you ascend because things get increasingly more dangerous the higher you go."

    "I know some people who have the same physique, and they would sell their services by scouting Legacy Tombs and other dangerous ces for information in exchange for an enormous amount of wealth and resources."

    "I see..." Meixiu nodded, understanding her physique a little bit more now.

    "How do I do it? I would like to try," she then said.

    "Hmm..." Feng Yuxiang pondered for a moment and said, "Unfortunately, I don¡¯t think your body can handle it right now, especially since you¡¯re still a mortal. Once you reach Spirit Warrior, you¡¯ll probably be able to do it, and as you grow stronger, you¡¯ll be able to enter your spirit form for much longer, and you can even travel further away from your real body."

    "Okay," Meixiu said.

    Meanwhile, inside the Dragon Temple, Yuan flew around the city with his Dragon¡¯s Gaze activated the entire time.

    "I have flown around the city a couple of times now, but I still cannot find the treasure room..." Yuan sighed.

    Where could the treasure room be hiding? He even checked all of the buildings that were glowing just in case.

    It was at this moment the city suddenly began rumbling again.

    "What¡¯s happening? Could it be the formation?" Yuan quickly returned to the dragon statue.

    Once he was at the dragon statue, Yuan looked at the formation that lookedpleted.

    "It lookspleted, but where is the legacy?"

    Just as Yuan thought this, the dragon statue behind him suddenly began moving.

    Whoosh!

    The dragon statue slowly transformed, turning from metal to a more realistic material, and it was even growing bigger. In just moments, the dragon statue went from looking like a statue to a real dragon, and it even flew into the sky and circled around the city exactly nine times before approaching Yuan.

    "Are you the one who seeks my legacy?" The dragon statue spoke to Yuan as though it was their first encounter.

    Yuan, who was still hovering in the air, nodded his head.

    "You¡¯re the Great One, right? I am interested in your legacy. Can you tell me more about it?"

    Author¡¯s Note: I have decided to start a new novel with an antihero protagonist as an experiment. Check out ¡¯Hero¡¯s Carnage¡¯ if you¡¯re interested.

 Chapter 414 The Great Ones Legacy

    "Interested?" The Great One¡¯s statue raised its eyebrows at Yuan¡¯s words.

    "You¡¯re merely interested in my Legacy? You know, even Immortals and Gods covet my Legacy." The Great One¡¯s statue said to him.

    "Yes, but it sounds like a lot of responsibility," Yuan said.

    "Responsibility? Hahaha! Of course, it¡¯s a lot of responsibility! Not anyone can just obtain the Great One¡¯s Legacy!"

    "What is the Great One¡¯s Legacy, anyway? ording to my knowledge, I only have to ascend to the upper heavens and find the real Great One, right?"

    "That¡¯s the gist of it, yes. However, there are more things you should keep in mind."

    The Great One¡¯s eyes suddenly flickered with a profound light, and it continued, "First and foremost, once you obtain the Legacy, you will have exactly 100 years to find the real Great One who is always wandering the Nine Heavens."

    "100 years? That¡¯s a long time..." Yuan mumbled.

    The Great One¡¯s statue raised its eyebrows. 100 years is a long time? In its eyes, 100 years could disappear in the blink of an eye, especially for most Immortals that can live for millions of years with ease.

    "Next, you are only allowed to hold the Great One¡¯s Legacy once in your lifetime, so if you happen to run into another chance to obtain the Great One¡¯s Legacy, just know that you won¡¯t be able to ept it."

    "There will be other chances to obtain this Legacy?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    "Yes. The Great One has multiple trials spread across the Nine Heavens so everyone has a chance to obtain his Legacy."

    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    "Does this mean there can be more than one person carrying the Great One¡¯s Legacy at one time?" Yuan asked.

    The statue nodded and said, "There are currently 99 people who are carrying the Great One¡¯s Legacy as of this moment. If you ept it, you will be the 100th person. However, nobody has been able toplete the Legacy¡ª not even the people at the upper heavens."

    "Can there only be one person whopletes the Legacy?" Yuan then asked.

    "No, there can be multiple people. However, the earlier youplete it, the better your rewards."

    "I see..."

    "Anyways, as for thest thing you should know about the Great One¡¯s Legacy... There¡¯s actually a curse within it that will make your cultivation life harder if you ept it."

    "Huh? A curse?" Yuan raised his eyebrows again.

    "It¡¯s nothing malicious, but if you ept it, you might lose some of your luck, and there may be unfortunate encounters that you would otherwise not experience if you weren¡¯t carrying the Great One¡¯s Legacy. Basically, it will make things more difficult for you. If you can ovee the curse and find the Great One while carrying this Legacy, you will be awarded immense wealth that would make even Immortals and Gods jealous."

    "Do you ept this Legacy?" The statue asked him.

    Ding!

    [You have been offered to carry the Great One¡¯s Legacy!]

    [Do you ept?]

    Yuan didn¡¯t immediately answer, and after pondering for a few moments, he said, "I have a question before I decide."

    "..."

    The statue was speechless. If it was anybody else, they would¡¯ve long epted the Legacy.

    "If I ept the Great One¡¯s Legacy, can I ept another Legacy in the future if I have the chance?" Yuan asked.

    "You... You¡¯re a greedy one." The statue responded in a dumbfounded voice.

    After a moment of silence, the statue continued to speak, "There is no limit on how many Legacy one can carry at a time. However, don¡¯t bite more than you can chew."

    Yuan nodded, "Since that¡¯s the case, I will ept the Great One¡¯s Legacy."

    "Good!"

    The statue¡¯s eyes suddenly glowed brightly before shooting a golden beam of light inside Yuan¡¯s body.

    Ding!

    [You have epted the Great One¡¯s Legacy!]

    [You have 100 years to find the Great One!]

    [Because of the Great One¡¯s Legacy, you have been cursed with ¡¯Minor Misfortune¡¯!]

    [Minor Misfortune]

    [Curse Grade: Heaven]

    [Description: A curse that lowers your Luck by 500]

    "You now carry the Great One¡¯s Legacy¡ª carry it with pride and honor. Good luck." The statue said to him.

    "Oh! Before you go, can you tell me where the treasure room is? I looked everywhere but still couldn¡¯t find it... Even a little hint is good enough." Yuan suddenly said to it.

    The statue didn¡¯t say anything, but its gaze turned to look in a certain direction for a good moment before it flew around the city nine times before returning to its original ce and turning back into a metal statue.

    "Thank you." Yuan bowed to the statue before flying towards the direction it had hinted.

    Sometimeter, Yuan reached the end of the city, yet he still couldn¡¯t find the treasure room.

    He then decided to fly back and forth this same path a few more times just in case he missed something, but s, the treasure room still remained nowhere to be seen.

    Yuan decided to stop and ponder for some time.

    A few minutester, he turned to look at the area outside the city, which was only a destend that had no signs of life.

    "Maybe the treasure room is outside the city and somewhere in this destend?" Yuan mumbled to himself.

    After taking a deep breath, Yuan decided to leave the city and enter the destend.

    The moment Yuan left the city, he could feel an ominous feeling looming around him, almost like there were people looking at him from every direction.

    Furthermore, the spiritual energy waspletely differentpared to inside the city¡ª it was more chaotic and impure.

    ¡¯I sure hope this is the right way and the statue wasn¡¯t just ying with me...¡¯ Yuan swallowed nervously.

    After flying straight for an hour, Yuan suddenly felt a chill down his spine, causing him to turn around.

    When he turned around, he was greeted by a massive shadowy figure that resembled a dragon following a few miles behind him. However, because of its massive and long size, it looked like it was right behind him.

    "W-What the heck is that?!" Yuan felt his heart skip a beat after seeing this unknown entity suddenly behind him.

    Author¡¯s Note: I have decided to start a new novel with an antihero protagonist as an experiment. Check out ¡¯Hero¡¯s Carnage¡¯ if you¡¯re interested.

 Chapter 415 Shadow Realm

    "Human... human... human..." The shadowy entity following behind Yuan mumbled in a ghastly voice.

    Yuan¡¯s body shuddered even more after hearing this unknown entity¡¯s voice, and its glowing red eyes that emitted bloodlust didn¡¯t help either.

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    "What are you?! And what do you want from me?!" Yuan shouted at it while he increased his flying speed.

    However, the dark entity ignored his questions and merely continued to mumble in a ghastly voice that was devoid of all emotions, "Human... human... human..."

    When it noticed Yuan increasing his speed, the unknown entity also increased its speed.

    After being chased for a few minutes, Yuan could see small glowing red dots around him in the distance.

    "Oh, the Great One! I really hope you¡¯re not messing with me now and that the treasure room is really this way!" Yuan cried out loud as he increased his flying speed even more.

    "Human... human..."

    "Human...!"

    "Human... human...!"

    More and more shadowy figures began emerging from the darkness, and in just half an hour, there were over a dozen shadowy entities following Yuan.

    Seeing this, Yuan decided to attack these entities with the Starry Abyss, but the dagger went straight through these entities¡¯ bodies.

    "HUMAN!"

    The dark entities suddenly screamed, causing Yuan to tremble from fright.

    ¡¯I probably shouldn¡¯t have done that!¡¯ He cried inwardly after seeing the aftermath.

    Not only have the dark entities sped up, but they were even beginning to attack him by spitting out these ck balls that would explode after a short time!

    "Whoa!"

    Yuan quickly dodged these ominous-looking balls.

    One of these dark balls touched the ground, and when that happened, the ground immediately disappeared the next second!

    "What are these things?!" Yuan cried out loud as he sped up even more.

    After flying for a few minutes while constantly dodging these shadow balls, Yuan suddenly felt a sense of danger from below, causing him to look down at the ground, and that¡¯s when he noticed the sea of shadowy hands that had sprouted from the ground out of nowhere.

    These shadowy hands danced left and right, and some of them would suddenly extend and shoot straight at Yuan like a spear.

    Yuan¡¯s forehead was covered in sweat at this moment. This has to be one of the most ridiculous situations he has experienced in Cultivation Online thus far.

    Furthermore, the uncertainty of the situation and these unknown entities only made things worse.

    "What are you doing here, human?"

    A gentle voice that was theplete opposite of the ghastly voices Yuan had gotten used to by now suddenly resounded, taking Yuan by surprise.

    Compared to the ghastly voices that sounded like he was being haunted, this gentle voice sounded like it came from a goddess.

    Another shadowy figure appeared a few meters in front of Yuan, but it didn¡¯t take a monstrous shape like the others. Instead, it had a feminine figure¡ª and quite the mature one at that.

    Yuan subconsciously stopped moving when his path was blocked by this shadowy figure.

    The shadowy figure suddenly lifted her hand and made a beckoning gesture with her hand, forcing him to fly towards her.

    However, the shadowy figure also moved back as Yuan approached her.

    "Continue moving. If you¡¯re caught by those things, you¡¯ll turn into one of them and be trapped in here forever. Don¡¯t mind me." The gentle voice spoke to him.

    Yuan nodded and continued to fly towards the shadowy figure.

    "So? What is a human like you doing here in the Shadow Realm?" The gentle voice asked him again.

    "Shadow Realm? What is this ce? And what are these things behind me?"

    "The Shadow Realm is a forbiddennd where banished souls like them¡ª like us dwell for eternity. It¡¯s rare for living beings to appear here," she responded.

    "I see... Well, I am trying to head to the treasure room... And the Great One suggested I go this way... Hopefully, I didn¡¯t go too far..." Yuan spoke to the shadowy figure while he dodged the iing attacks from all sides.

    "The Dragon Treasury? You¡¯re definitely going the right way. However, you might have to fly for a few more hours before you reach it." The shadowy figure said to him.

    "I-I have to continue this for a few hours?!" Yuan felt an urge to cry.

    The treasure room better be worth all this effort.

    "Since we have plenty of time to spare, why don¡¯t we talk a little more? It¡¯s been forever since I have spoken with a living being." The shadowy figure suddenly said.

    "I would love to chat with you, but as you can see... it¡¯s not easy to talk while trying to avoid these things behind me." Yuan said.

    "Hmm..."

    The shadowy figure seemed to be pondering about something.

    After a moment of silence, she spoke again, "Although this is going to be problematic for meter, I guess it¡¯s worth it if I can speak with you."

    The shadowy figure suddenly snapped her fingers, causing a profound ck ripple to appear around her.

    This ck ripple instantly swept the ce, and when it touched the shadowy entities following behind Yuan, it caused them to shiver before turning tails and flying the other direction.

    "T-Thank you..." Yuan said to the shadowy figure after taking a deep breath.

    "That will only stop the weaker ones from chasing after you. There are stronger entities in here that even I cannot control," said the shadowy figure.

    And she continued, "Anyways, now that they¡¯re not bothering you, let¡¯s talk."

    "What do you want to talk about?"

    "How long has it been since the Primordial Era? What kind of era are we in right now?"

    "Primordial Era? Sorry, I don¡¯t know..."

    "That¡¯s fine. Then do you know who¡¯s the current ruler of the Nine Heavens?"

    Yuan shook his head. "I don¡¯t know much about the Nine Heavens since I arrived in this world recently."

    "Oh? Tell me more." The shadowy figure said, her interest piqued.

    "Well... I am from a world called ¡¯Earth¡¯, and I havee to the Nine Heavens to explore it... I guess..." Yuan said.

    "Earth? I have never heard of this ce before. It must be some kind of minor world outside the Nine Heavens." The shadowy figure said.

    Author¡¯s Note: I have decided to start a new novel with an antihero protagonist as an experiment. Check out ¡¯Hero¡¯s Carnage¡¯ if you¡¯re interested.

 Chapter 416 Banished Souls

    "If you don¡¯t mind me asking, just what are you guys? Banished souls? Does this mean you¡¯re dead?" Yuan suddenly asked the shadowy figure.

    "Dead, huh? While we¡¯re not truly dead, we might as well be considered dead since we cannot leave this ce," she said.

    "We¡¯re souls¡ª evil spirits so to speak, and our physical bodies have long rotted from this world."

    "Why? Why were you guys banished here? Did you do something wrong?"

    The shadowy figure giggled in a graceful tone before speaking, "Maybe. Some considered us as sinners while others considered us as heroes¡ª it all depends on which side you stand."

    And she continued, "As for what we did... Well, we waged war against heaven and the ruler of the Nine Heavens¡ª the Celestial Emperor. And as you can probably tell from our current situation, we lost the war and were banished to this Shadow Realm."

    "The Celestial Emperor? Why would you do something like that?" Yuan couldn¡¯t understand their motivation at all.

    The shadowy figure immediately sneered in a cold voice, "That bastard is nothing more than a tyrant who abused his power by controlling the resources in the Nine Heavens. A Cultivator should not have to get on their knees and kiss the Celestial Emperor¡¯s feet to obtain resources, yet that¡¯s what we had to do! If we don¡¯t be his dogs, we would be denied the good resources and could only cultivate the low-tier resources!"

    "Imagine being told you cannot drink water no matter if it¡¯s water from a natural spring or a store, and you¡¯re forced to drink the dirty water on the streets unless you decide to give up your dignity and be the Celestial Emperor¡¯spdog! This is why we waged war against that bastard! But s, he had too much power and influence. It was a one-sided ughter."

    "However, it would still require a lot of effort and resources to kill all of us, so they decided to banish our spirits into this ce."

    "I don¡¯t know how long it has been since the war, but the majority of souls in this ce have long lost their minds and gone crazy. They¡¯re now just mindless spirits wandering the Shadow Realm with an insatiable bloodlust."

    "Howe you seem to be fine?" Yuan couldn¡¯t help but ask her, who seemed perfectly sane and was even talking to him calmly.

    "Do I seem fine? It might not seem like it, but I am actually trying my best to not consume you even now."

    "Eh?" Yuan immediately stopped moving when he heard her words, and he stared at her figure with a dumbfounded look on his face.

    "Hahaha!"

    The shadowy figure suddenly burst outughing after she saw Yuan¡¯s reaction.

    "I¡¯m just joking! You should¡¯ve seen your face just now!"

    "R-Really?" Yuan became even more dumbfounded.

    "Although most of the spirits in this ce have long lost their mind, there are still some who arepletely rational and sane, and they all used to be incredibly powerful Immortals. Of course, I am one of these individuals." The shadowy figure pointed at herself.

    Although she didn¡¯t have any facial features on her face besides two glowing red eyes, Yuan could somehow see a prideful expression on her face right now.

    "Do you know why?" She suddenly asked.

    "No... Why?"

    "Because I have hope that I will be able to leave this ce one day," she said, taking him by surprise.

    "Eh? I thought you were trapped here for eternity? And how can you leave without a body?"

    "Having a physical body is the least of my worries. As an Immortal, even if my physical body is destroyed, I won¡¯t die as long as my soul remains unharmed. Also, I can recreate my body if I have enough resources. The only problem is leaving the Shadow Realm. I cannot do it by myself."

    The shadowy figure then pointed at him.

    "This is where youe into y. I want you to help me by bringing me out of this ce," she said in a solemn voice.

    "Of course, I won¡¯t ask you to do it for free. The fact you¡¯re in this ce means you¡¯re special, and judging by your cultivation and young appearances, you¡¯re also very talented. Whether it be cultivation techniques or treasures, I¡¯m pretty sure you already have it all. Therefore, I will give you something more valuable than any treasure or technique there is in this world."

    The shadowy figure then turned her finger, pointing at herself.

    "Me. I will give myself to you."

    "Eh?" Yuan stared at her with wide eyes.

    "If you help me leave this ce, once I recreate my body, I will give my everything to you¡ª my body, my heart, and even my soul."

    Before Yuan could even respond, she continued to speak, "I will have you know that I used to be one of three Ethereal Immortal Fairies, a title that¡¯s exclusive to the most beautiful and powerful women in all Nine Heavens. Even the Celestial Emperor coveted me¡ª to the point where he was willing to forgive me for attacking him if I gave myself to him."

    "I... I don¡¯t know what to say..." Yuan said in a dazed voice, as this was too sudden.

    "Even if I want to help you, I don¡¯t know how to..."

    "It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t know. I will give you the instructions," she said.

    "I¡ª"

    However, before Yuan could even respond, another voice suddenly resounded.

    "Don¡¯t be fooled by that sly vixen, young man. Everything thates out of her mouth is nothing but fart¡ª only to seduce naive young men like you so that you would do all of her biddings."

    Midway through the sentence, another shadowy figure appeared in their location, and this figure had the shape of a tall and muscr man.

    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.

    "W-Who are you?" Yuan asked.

    "I used to be the Sect Master of the Immortal Monastery, one of the top sects in all of Nine Heavens during the Primordial Era. If you help me leave this ce, I will grant you any wish that you may have. Power, status, wealth, women¡ª anything at all."

    Author¡¯s Note: Check out my antihero novel ¡¯Hero¡¯s Carnage¡¯.

 Chapter 417 Banished Immortals

    Yuan was speechless after this neer¡¯s arrival.

    "Now hold on just a damn minute! Who are you calling a sly vixen? How dare you tarnish my reputation with such an outrageous lie!" The Immortal Fairy said in an angry voice.

    She then turned to look at Yuan and continued, "Don¡¯t listen to him, young man. Everything I said is the truth. As much as I want to get out of this ce, I won¡¯t lower myself to such a standard to do so, unlike someone over here."

    "Young man, that vixen is known for seducing young men and tossing them aside like trash once she¡¯s done with them. I cannot count how many young men she had ruined in the past," said the Sect Master.

    And he continued, "Vixen, why don¡¯t you tell him your other title besides the Ethereal Immortal Fairy? Or are you scared that it might reveal your true self? Here, let me help you then! Besides Ethereal Immortal Fairy, you¡¯re also known as the Deceitful Blood Empress!"

    "Wha¡ª?! That stupid title was given to me by those losers I¡¯d rejected! That has nothing to do with me being deceitful!" The Immortal Fairy refuted.

    And she continued to defend herself, "As one of the top beauties in the Nine Heavens, it¡¯s only natural that I would have countless admirers! However, whenever I would reject someone, they would spread lies to get back at me! Young man, you have to believe me! I am innocent!"

    "This man, on the other hand, is known for manipting people! People also called him Devil Hand Madman back in the Primordial Era! If it¡¯s anyone you should be careful about, it¡¯s him!"

    The Immortal Fairy and the Sect Master began pointing fingers at each other. It was a weird sight to witness for Yuan.

    "Umm..." Yuan suddenly interrupted them and asked, "What do you guys n on doing if you do leave this ce? Continue fighting the Celestial Emperor?"

    The two of them stopped fighting each other and turned to look at Yuan in silence.

    After a moment of silence, theyughed, "Hahaha! Of course, not! We have already lost the war¡ª there¡¯s no point in fighting anymore. Furthermore, what can one or two of us do against the Celestial Emperor when an entire army has failed to defeat him? We also don¡¯t know what it¡¯s like outside, too."

    The Sect Master then said, "My ns will mostly depend on what is happening outside and the current situation with the Celestial Emperor. If he¡¯s still ruling the Nine Heavens, then I will probably remain lowkey and change my identity. If that bastard is dead, then I will restore my sect and its glory."

    "Hmph. Unlike him, I don¡¯t have such big ambitions. I am simply so bored of this ce that I don¡¯t care what I do outside as long as I¡¯m not stuck in this dump." The Immortal Fairy said.

    "Hmm..." Yuan was relieved to hear that they didn¡¯t want revenge or anything too crazy, as he pitied their situation and wanted to help them.

    While they could also be tricking him, he didn¡¯t sense any maliceing from them.

    "Then can you tell me how I can help you leave this ce? I hope you¡¯re not going to say something like ¡¯I will need to borrow your body¡¯..." Yuan said to them.

    "Hahaha... Borrow your body? We¡¯re not ghosts. Although it¡¯s possible, it¡¯s not very practical, and it¡¯s not very convenient for us either." The Immortal Fairyughed.

    "Then how?"

    "It¡¯s really simple, actually." The Sect Master said, and he continued, "One of us will upy your treasure until we can recreate our body."

    Yuan pondered for a moment and said, "Since it¡¯s that easy, why are you guys fighting over who I should help, even trying to bash the other person?"

    "Well... Because even though it may sound simple, it actually requires a lot of your soul strength to keep us safe inside the treasure, and it¡¯s not possible for someone at your level to help two of us at once. However, the biggest issue is that the treasure we can upy is limited to Soul Weapons, and people normally can only wield one at a time." The Sect Master said.

    "You have a Soul Weapon, right? I saw you use it, hence why I even asked you to help me." The Immortal Fairy said.

    "Well... I do have a Soul Weapon... In fact, I have two, so I might be able to help both of you." Yuan said.

    "What?! You have two Soul Weapons?!"

    They both eximed in a surprised voice.

    Even during the Primordial Era that gave birth to the most talented geniuses the Nine Heavens has seen to date, it was incredibly rare for someone to wield two Soul Weapons at once.

    "Haha! This is great! This means both of us can leave!" The Sect Master shouted in a blissful voice.

    "If he has enough soul strength to wield two Soul Weapons, he¡¯ll most likely have enough soul strength to help both of us. However, his cultivation is stillcking severely." The Immortal Fairy said.

    And she continued, "You must be at least a Spirit Emperor before you can help us."

    "Spirit Emperor? That¡¯ll take years! And I only have a couple more days in this ce before I have to leave!" Yuan said to them.

    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.

    "It¡¯s only a few years. We have been here for countless years. A few more years won¡¯t make any difference to us. And you can simplye back to this ce in the future." The Immortal Fairy said.

    "I¡¯m not sure I will be able to return to this ce after I leave, though..."

    "Don¡¯t worry, the Shadow Realm exists in many ces. As long as you continue to explore the Nine Heavens, you¡¯ll eventuallye back here again. Hopefully, you¡¯ll be a Spirit Emperor by then," said the Sect Master.

    "So? Will you be willing to help us? We¡¯ll definitely repay this debt and more in the future." The Immortal Fairy asked him again.

    Ding!

    [You have received a Hidden Quest!]

    [Hidden Quest: Banished Immortals]

    [Difficulty: Impossible]

    [Description: Help the two banished souls escape from the Shadow Realm]

    [Reward: ???]

 Chapter 418 Entering the Treasure Room

    ¡¯Impossible? Just how difficult is this hidden quest?¡¯ Yuan was surprised by the difficulty of the quest.

    ¡¯Maybe the reason it says impossible is because it¡¯s literally impossible for me right now, as I don¡¯t have the required cultivation to help them.¡¯ Yuan wondered if this was the case.

    After a moment of silence, Yuan looked at the two shadowy figures and said, "I don¡¯t mind helping you, but I will only do it if you promise me something."

    "What is it?" They both asked him simultaneously.

    "Promise me that you¡¯re not deceiving me so that you can leave this ce and cause trouble outside. If you break your promise, I will take full responsibility and do everything in my power to stop you."

    As much as he wanted to trust these shadowy figures and believe they are who they say they are, he can never be too careful, and there was no way for him to know whether they are telling the truth or not.

    "..."

    The two shadowy figures turned to look at each other for a moment before raising their hands, almost like they were swearing an oath.

    "I, Yu Ning, with heaven as my witness, swear that I am not deceiving you! If I deceive you, may the heavens shatter my soul into a thousand pieces!" The Immortal Fairy swore in a sincere voice.

    "I, Ji Ran, with heaven as my witness, swear that I am not deceiving you! If I deceive you, may the heavens shatter my soul into a thousand pieces!" The Sect Master swore next.

    After their swearing ended, Yuan could feel a profound aura suddenly appear in the atmosphere.

    "Are you satisfied, young man? We don¡¯t have any ulterior motives, nor are we trying to deceive you. We are only trying to leave this hell that has kept us in the darkness for countless years." Ji Ran, the Sect Master, said to him.

    "Now that we made a heavenly oath, if we deceive you, the heavens will directly punish us by shattering our souls into a thousand pieces, and that brings us no merits."

    Hearing their sincere voices, Yuan nodded, "Okay, I will help you guys get out of this ce when I can."

    [You have epted the Hidden Quest: Banished Immortals!]

    "Thank you, young man."

    The both of them bowed to him in a respectful manner.

    "You can call me Yuan," he nodded.

    Sometimeter, they arrived before a massive golden temple.

    "Is this the treasure room?" Yuan asked the two Immortals who¡¯d decided to linger around.

    "Yes, this is the Dragon Treasury." Yu Ning said.

    And she continued, "Since the Shadow Realm and this ce isn¡¯t truly connected, we cannot enter this ce, so you¡¯ll have to go alone."

    Yuan nodded and approached the Dragon Treasury.

    "Thank you for bringing me here and preventing the other spirits from bothering me," he said to them.

    "It¡¯s nothingpared to what you¡¯ll be doing for us."

    Yuan nodded, "I will try my best to reach Spirit Emperor and return to this ce."

    "There¡¯s no need to rush, Yuan. A few hundred years mean nothing to us here, much less a few years. The most important thing is to keep yourself safe and alive. Everything will be meaningless if you die, and it will also seal our fate." Yu Ning said to him.

    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    "Don¡¯t forget about us." Ji Ran said in a joking tone.

    Yuan chuckled and said, "Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t forget something this important. I will see you twoter."

    "The sooner the better." Ji Ran nodded.

    Sometimeter, Yuan entered the Dragon Treasury whilst the two Immortal spirits lingered around the ce for a few more moments before disappearing like smoke.

    Once Yuan entered the building through the main door that was already opened, he began descending an extremely long flight of stairs that took at least half an hour of straight walking.

    If he had to take a guess, the treasure room was actually dozens of miles underground.

    And although there were no windows or sources of light, the ce was dimly lit, almost as though there were invisible candles in the ce.

    Once he reached the bottom, Yuan was greeted by another set of doors.

    This time, the doors were actually sealed shut, and there were two dragons engraved on each side of the doors.

    Yuan took a deep breath and approached the doors, and he tried to push it open.

    However, the doors remained tightly shut.

    "How do I enter this ce? I should have the key¡ª two of them at that." Yuan mumbled to himself.

    It was at this moment one of the dragon engravings suddenly shot out a golden beam from its eyes,nding directly on Yuan¡¯s body.

    The beam onlysted for a few seconds.

    Once it disappeared, the doors suddenly began rumbling, and they slowly opened the next moment.

    When the rumbling stopped, Yuan took another deep breath and entered the bright room ahead.

    The air inside the room was unnaturally cool, almost like there was an air conditioner inside, and the room was smaller than Yuan had expected.

    Inside the treasure room that was only slightlyrger than an ordinary store, there were around a dozen disy cases ced orderly around the room.

    This scenery reminded him of Feng Yuxiang¡¯s store before she closed it down.

    Yuan immediately walked around the room and looked at the treasures in the disy cases.

    [Bloody Dragon Spear]

    [Grade: Ancient]

    [Quality: Peak]

    [Physical Strength required: 200,000]

    [Mental Strength required: 350,000]

    [Description: A powerful spear refined with dragon blood. Increases damage by 500%. Increases weapon pration by 1,000%.]

    "What a powerful treasure..." Yuan subconsciously went to open the disy case to take a closer look at the spear.

    However, a notification appeared in front of him when he touched the disy case.

    [Would you like to use 1x Dragon Temple Treasure Key to open the disy case?]

    "What? Does this mean I can only take one treasure for every key I have?" Yuan mumbled in a dazed voice, feeling lucky that he¡¯d obtained a second key now, as this meant he could obtain an extra treasure in this ce.

 Chapter 419 Leaving the Dragon Temple

    Once he realized that he could only pick two treasures from the dozen in the treasure room, Yuan proceeded to look at every single treasure carefully before making a decision.

    "Oh? This looks like..." Yuan narrowed his eye when he saw a ss bottle that contained a single drop of blood inside.

    [Dragon Blood]

    [Description: A priceless treasure that will increase one¡¯s lifespan by 100,000 years and has the ability to awaken one¡¯s bloodline.]

    As he¡¯d expected, it was dragon blood. However, Yuan wasn¡¯t very excited about this drop of blood that would start a war in the cultivation world if known, and it was mostly because of the Dragon Ancestor¡¯s Blood Essence that¡¯s already in his possession.

    Not only was the Dragon Ancestor¡¯s Blood Essence much more powerful than this ordinary blood, but he has also already awakened his bloodline, so unless he really wanted that 100,000 years of longevity on top of the 50,000 longevity he¡¯d obtained from Feng Yuxiang¡¯s blood, this dragon blood was essentially useless to him.

    Thus, after spending a few seconds on the dragon blood, Yuan moved onto the next treasure, which appeared to be a semi-transparent cloak.

    [Invisible Dragon Cloak]

    [Grade: Ancient]

    [Mental Strength required: 200,000]

    [Soul Strength required: 200,000]

    [Quality: Peak]

    [Description: A powerful cloak that turnspletely invisible when worn. Increases base physical defenses by 100%. Negates all physical damage from Cultivators below Spirit King. Deflects all physical damage from treasures below Ancient-grade.]

    "Oh, this is a very good treasure... As long as I have this, I don¡¯t have to worry about getting hit by physical attacks..." Yuan mumbled to himself, putting this Invisible Dragon Cloak at the top of his list.

    The next treasure disyed was a single scale.

    [Ancient Dragon Scale]

    [Description: A near-indestructible material that can be used to forge or refine Ancient-grade treasures.]

    Next in line was a cultivation technique that Yuan was very familiar with.

    [Dragon¡¯s Gaze]

    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    [Description: A technique created by the ¡¯Great One¡¯. A single gaze will cause Immortals to bow and the Heavens to tremble in fear! Used by Royal Families of the Dragon Race.]

    "Dragon¡¯s Gaze? I would¡¯ve probably picked this if I didn¡¯t already know it..." Yuan sighed.

    The next treasure was also a cultivation technique.

    [Relentless Dragon Overwhelms the Nine Heavens]

    [Rank: Ancient]

    [Description: A single fist to shatter the stars, another to rule the heavens. Consumes half of your overall spiritual energy to unleash a heaven-destroying attack with your fists.]

    "What a powerful-sounding technique... Kind of reminds me of Feng Yuxiang¡¯s movement technique. It mighte in handy when I cannot use my treasures." Yuan mumbled to himself.

    He has already encountered multiple situations where he is restricted to using his fists, and he cannot rely on his weapons forever, so getting a fist technique might help him in the future.

    The other treasures in the room were weapons and armors, butpared to the Invisible Dragon Cloak, they weren¡¯t too impressive, and Yuan wasn¡¯t in need of weapons or armors.

    "Okay, I have decided. I am going to take the Invisible Dragon Cloak and the Relentless Dragon Overwhelms the Nine Heavens technique!"

    [Would you like to use 1x Dragon Temple Treasure Key to open the disy case?]

    "Yes!"

    [A Dragon Temple Treasure Key has been consumed]

    After opening the disy case that contained the Invisible Dragon Cloak, Yuan immediately wore it on his body like a cape.

    Ding!

    [Due to the Invisible Dragon Cloak, your Physical Defense has increased by 100%!]

    [Physical Defense: 467,420]

    The cloak disappeared the moment Yuan wore it, almost like it no longer exists. However, Yuan could still feel its presence as the owner of the treasure.

    After wearing the cloak, Yuan went to open the second disy case.

    [Would you like to use 1x Dragon Temple Treasure Key to open the disy case?]

    "Yes!"

    [A Dragon Temple Treasure Key has been consumed]

    Yuan picked up the scroll that had been sitting inside the disy case for god-knows-how-long and immediately stored it inside his spatial ring.

    "What should I do now? I reached the limit of trials I can do, I have received the Great One¡¯s Legacy, and I even went to the treasure room. There¡¯s literally nothing left for me to do in here, and I still have a couple of days left in this ce. Can I leave this ce before the time limit?"

    Yuan was already prepared to leave the Dragon Temple, but he wasn¡¯t too hasty and wanted to make sure that he wasn¡¯t missing anything in the treasure room.

    Thus, he began looking around the ce again, searching every nook and cranny with the Dragon¡¯s Gaze activated.

    When he was satisfied, Yuan shouted out loud, "Great One! Can you hear me?! I would like to leave the Dragon Temple!"

    A few moments of silenceter, a profound voice suddenly resounded in the treasure room.

    "Are you sure? Once you leave, you won¡¯t be able to return."

    "Yes, I am sure. I have already done everything here." Yuan said.

    "Everything, huh?"

    A greyish cloud suddenly appeared in the air a few meters away from Yuan before transforming into an eye.

    "So you have received my Legacy." The Great One could immediately tell at nce.

    "And you even reached the treasure room that hasn¡¯t been opened since I created this ce... Not bad... but not unexpected."

    "I can take you outside if you wish, but before you leave, tell me one thing." The Great One said.

    And it continued, "What do you n on doing after you leave this ce?"

    "I don¡¯t really know. I guess I¡¯ll explore the Lower Heavens some more with my friends before I decide to challenge the Stairway to Heaven."

    "I see..."

    The Great One didn¡¯t say anything else, and its eye suddenly flickered with a profound light.

    "Eh?"

    Before he¡¯d even realized, Yuan had been teleported outside the Dragon Temple, returning to the Dragon Fissure at the Dragon Essence Temple.

    "Disciple Yuan?"

    A surprised voice called out to him, causing him to turn around, and when he realized her identity, he mumbled in a low voice, "Senior Song?"

 Chapter 420 Heavenly War of Immortals and Gods

    "W-Where did youe from? You startled me for a second there." Song Ling¡¯er said to him in a dazed voice.

    And she continued, "What happened to the Dragon Temple? You¡¯re out earlier than I¡¯d expected."

    "I finished it earlier than I had expected as well." Yuan nodded.

    "Well, this makes things much easier for me, anyway." Song Ling¡¯er proceeded to store the zither into her storage ring.

    And she continued afterward, "You should know why I¡¯m here, so I won¡¯t beat around the bush. I¡¯m here to recruit you to the Heavenly Melody Academy. Join my sect."

    "I¡¯m sorry, but I cannot join your sect." Yuan immediately refused her offer.

    Song Ling¡¯er wasn¡¯t surprised by his response. In fact, she had expected it.

    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.

    After taking a deep breath, she asked him, "What do I have to do in order for you to join my sect?"

    "I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t intend on joining another sect while I am in the Lower Heavens, and I n on leaving this ce in the near future," Yuan said.

    Song Ling¡¯er sighed after hearing his words, and she said afterward, "I understand¡ª"

    However, she suddenly stopped in the middle of her speech, and she narrowed her eyes at him.

    "Y-You... Why are you emitting the aura of a Spirit Grandmaster?" Song Ling¡¯er suddenly realized this fact that even Long Yijun and the others had missed because they were unable to detect Yuan¡¯s cultivation base, who was a Spirit Grandmaster, whilst being a Spirit Master unless they really focused on him.

    "I am currently at the 3rd level Spirit Grandmaster," Yuan revealed his cultivation base in a casual voice, making it sound like it was normal for a young man like him to be a Spirit Grandmaster.

    "T-Third level Spirit Grandmaster?! That¡¯s two whole levels higher than mine!" Song Ling¡¯er eximed.

    "Did the Mystic Realm affect your cultivation that much? You were only a first level Spirit Master before you entered!"

    Yuan nodded, "Yes, a lot of things happened while I was inside, and my cultivation benefited a lot from it."

    "Good heavens... And to think you were only a Spirit Warrior during the zitherpetition. At this rate, you¡¯ll reach Spirit Lord by next month..." Song Ling¡¯er said, feeling all of her motivation to recruit him shattering into a thousand pieces.

    After all, who in their right mind would be shameless enough to ask a Spirit Grandmaster to be a disciple?

    If Yuan joins the Heavenly Melody Academy, he wouldn¡¯t be joining as a disciple but as the Sect Master instead!

    "Young Master! You¡¯re out already?" The door to the building a few meters from them suddenly opened, and Feng Yuxiang and the others could be seen walking out of the building a momentter.

    "Yuan? I thought you had an entire week inside. Did something happen?" Meixiu asked him.

    Yuan shook his head and said, "No, I have aplished everything I could inside, and it would simply be a waste of time if I continued to stay inside when there¡¯s nothing else to do, so I decided to leave early."

    "Does this mean you¡¯ll be leaving the Dragon Essence Temple now?" Xiao Hua asked him.

    Yuan nodded, "Yes, but I cannot just leave without saying anything. I still have to let the Sect Master and the others know."

    "Wait... You¡¯re leaving the Dragon Essence Temple already?" Song Ling¡¯er asked him in a dumbfounded voice.

    "Yes."

    "What are you going to do after you leave?"

    "I¡¯m going to explore the Lower Heavens some more with my friends before I ascend," he said.

    "..."

    After a moment of silence, Song Ling¡¯er sighed, "Fine... I give up trying to recruit you."

    And she continued, "However, I have another offer for you now."

    "Before you leave the Lower Heavens, can you visit the Heavenly Melody Academy at least once?"

    "That I can do." Yuan quickly epted her offer.

    "I am also interested in what a sect that¡¯s focused on music is like."

    "Great! Let me know before you arrive so I can prepare for it." Song Ling¡¯er reached into her robes and retrieved a jade slip before handing it to Yuan.

    "This is mymunication jade slip. You can contact me for other things if you wish." Song Ling¡¯er said.

    "Okay. I will definitely visit the Heavenly Melody Academy once before I leave." Yuan nodded.

    "It¡¯s a promise. Then I will see you then." Song Ling¡¯er said before flying away.

    After Song Ling¡¯er left the scene, Feng Yuxiang turned to look at Yuan and asked him, "Did you obtain anything good in the Dragon Temple?"

    Yuan nodded, "I will tell you all about it, but let¡¯s sit down first."

    They proceeded to enter the building Long Yijun left behind.

    Once they were all seated, Yuan began recalling his experience in the Dragon Temple.

    Although they were surprised about the priceless treasures he¡¯d obtained, they were more shocked about the Shadow Realm and the banished Immortals within.

    "Immortals from the Primordial Era... That¡¯s a really long time ago, and I mean really, really long ago." Feng Yuxiang said.

    "How long are we talking about? A few hundred thousand years?" Yuan asked.

    Feng Yuxiang chuckled and said, "More like a few hundred million years ago."

    "What?! That long?!" Yuan was greatly shocked to learn this.

    Does this mean the banished Immortals had been living in that hell for at least a few hundred million years? His pity for them grew even more.

    "As for what they said regarding the Celestial Emperor... Indeed, that has happened in the past. It was called the Heavenly War of Immortals and Gods, and it was one of the firstrge-scale wars to happen in the Nine Heavens. Tens of thousands of Immortals and many Gods perished during that war. Though, I don¡¯t know much about it besides what I just said since it¡¯d happened really long ago." Feng Yuxiang said.

    "As for whether they can be trusted or not... I really can¡¯t tell you that since I don¡¯t know either of them. Ethereal Immortal Fairy and the Sect Master of the Immortal Monastery... I have never heard of them before, but if you go to the upper heavens, you might find more information about them."

 Chapter 421 Announcing His Departure

    After recalling his experience to them, Yuan showed off his newly acquired treasure.

    "What? You had that on you the entire time? I didn¡¯t even notice it!" Feng Yuxiang was surprised when Yuan suddenly removed the Invisible Dragon Cloak from his body, allowing the others to see it.

    "An Ancient-grade treasure... As expected of the Great One... He¡¯s known for having the biggest collection of treasures in the Nine Heavens." Feng Yuxiang sighed in admiration, as she has heard of countless legends about the Great One in the upper heavens.

    Sometimeter, Yuan said, "Okay, I am going to speak with the Sect Master now regarding my departure."

    After the others returned to his body, Yuan and Meixiu returned to the Dragon Essence Temple.

    "Sect Master, are you there?" Yuan knocked on the Sect Master¡¯s headquarters.

    "Disciple Yuan? I¡¯m a little busy right now, but you can enter. I¡¯ll be with you after I¡¯m done here." Long Yijun¡¯s voice resounded a momentter.

    Yuan proceeded to open the door and enter the building, and to his surprise, there were many people gathered inside at this moment.

    Elder Xuan and Elder Shang were also there alongside four unfamiliar faces.

    However, it was clear to Yuan at a nce that the atmosphere was an unpleasant one.

    "That¡¯s Disciple Yuan? The person who opened the Mystic Pagoda and refused to ascend with Senior Nie?"

    One of the people Yuan didn¡¯t recognize mumbled in a surprised voice.

    "Disciple Yuan, you can take a seat over there for now. This won¡¯t take long." Long Yijun said to them.

    And then he returned to the four individuals and said, "Anyways, back to our topic. I am willing to return the Divine-grade treasures you¡¯d lost to our Dragon Essence Temple during the bet, but it won¡¯t be for free."

    "100,000 spirit stones. That is the amount I am willing to sell it for¡ª no more, no less."

    "100,000 spirit stones?! Are you out of your damn mind, Long Yijun?! That¡¯s one billion gold! Even Divine-grade treasures aren¡¯t worth that much!" One of the guests there said.

    "That¡¯s right! Thest time a Divine-grade treasure was sold, it was sold for around 600 million gold!" Another one said.

    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    "While that is true, it is also true that these Divine-grade treasures are of the peak quality and an inheritance treasure for your sects. Surely, they must be worth more than an ordinary Divine-grade treasure sold in an auction house... Am I right?" Long Yijun said to them, refusing to lower the cost.

    If he manages to sell these four Divine-grade treasures for 400,000 spirit stones, that would supply their sect for many years toe.

    "You...!"

    The four Sect Masters was speechless. As much as they wanted to refute Long Yijun¡¯s ims, they weren¡¯t in the position. After all, they must reim their sects¡¯ treasure at all cost, or their ancestors might curse them from their graves.

    "Look, I am not the one standing between you and your treasure¡ª you are. If you just hand over 100,000 spirit stones, I would be more than happy to return your treasures that I¡¯d rightfully won." Long Yijun continued to speak.

    "In fact, there are many people who are eyeing these treasures at this moment, and they¡¯d be more than willing to pay 100,000 spirit stones for them. I am giving you guys the opportunity to reim them first since I am a kind man. If you don¡¯t want them, I will have no choice but to sell them to other people."

    When the four Sect Masters heard Long Yijun¡¯s shameless words, they nearly coughed up a mouthful of blood from anger. However, they managed to refrain themselves from doing so, and after a long moment of silence, one of them said, "Fine! I will pay 100,000 spirit stones! Give me three days to prepare the money!"

    Once one of them surrendered, the others began surrendering as well, as they didn¡¯t want to risk Long Yijun selling their treasures to other sects, something they were certain he was shameless enough to do.

    "Thank you all for your business!"

    The four Sect Masters left the ce shortly after whilst Long Yijun kept a wide smile on his face even after they left.

    "Hahaha! A bunch of idiots!" Long Yijunughed out loud after they left.

    He then turned to look at Yuan and said, "You¡¯re out earlier than I¡¯d expected. Did something happen?"

    He repeated what Meixiu said not long ago.

    "Nothing happened. I just finished faster than anticipated. That¡¯s all," he said.

    "If that¡¯s the case, then I hope you have obtained some good treasures whilst inside. Of course, you don¡¯t have to tell me anything." Long Yijun said to him.

    "Anyways, do you have anything else for me?"

    Yuan nodded and said, "I¡¯m here to announce my departure from the Dragon Essence Temple."

    "Eh?"

    Everyone in the room looked at him with widened eyes, their expressions filled with surprise.

    "Y-You¡¯re going to leave the sect? Why? Did we do something wrong? Or did someone offend you again?" Elder Shang was the first to snap out of her daze and asked him.

    Yuan shook his head and said, "No, the sect didn¡¯t do anything wrong. It¡¯s just that I think I have experienced enough of what it¡¯s like to be a disciple, and that it¡¯s about time I leave."

    After a moment of silence, Long Yijun sighed, "I see... So it¡¯s that time, huh? I knew you wouldn¡¯t stay in the sect for long, but to think that day woulde so soon."

    "Of course, I won¡¯t even try to convince you to stay. As much as I want you to stay here, we are well aware that you don¡¯t belong to this ce. It¡¯s simply too small for someone like you. I¡¯m d you decided to leave after the Mystic Realm. What do you n on doing after you leave?"

    Long Yijun gave up rather quickly and asked him.

 Chapter 422 Watching Yuan Cultivate

    "I n on exploring the Lower Heavens some more with my friends before I challenge the Stairway to Heaven," said Yuan after Long Yijun asked for his ns.

    "The Stairway to Heaven, huh... Well, there¡¯s no doubt that you would be able to ovee this challenge that over 99 percent can¡¯t surpass." Long Yijun nodded.

    And he continued, "When do you n on leaving?"

    "I would like to say goodbye to a few people before I leave, but I should leave within the next few days," Yuan said.

    "I understand." Long Yijun said.

    "If you need anything from us, just let us know. Although you may be leaving, your contribution to the sect is worth more than what every single disciple has contributed in thest hundred yearsbined."

    Yuan nodded, and he left with Meixiu shortly after.

    Once Yuan left the scene, Long Yijun sat down and sighed, "The Dragon Essence Temple won¡¯t feel the same without him even though he only recently joined the sect."

    "At least he¡¯s not leaving our sect to join another sect, as that would be devastating." Elder Shan said.

    "I¡¯m honestly surprised that hested this long, especially with how the others have treated him. If I was him, I would¡¯ve probably left a long time ago." Elder Xuan said.

    "Are we going to tell the disciples?" Elder Shan suddenly asked.

    After all, if someone like Yuan suddenly disappeared from the sect, the disciples would question it, as Yuan was someone who¡¯d obtained the Obsidian Dragon Medallion.

    "There¡¯s no need for them to know, as that would undoubtedly reach the ears of ourpetitions. If they know Yuan is gone, who knows what they¡¯ll do." Long Yijun said.

    "But they will find out eventually." Elder Xuan said.

    "Someone as famous as Disciple Yuan, even if nobody knows his real identity or face, they will sooner orter realize that he¡¯s missing from the sect. What are we going to do then?" Elder Shan asked.

    "I am well aware that we cannot keep this a secret forever. However, the longer we keep this a secret, the more time we have to prepare for whateveres at us."

    "That makes sense." Elder Shan agreed.

    "Let the other high-ranking sect elders know of Disciple Yuan¡¯s departure. The disciples may not need to know, but it¡¯s better if the others in the circle knew about it."

    "Okay."

    Meanwhile, after Yuan left the Sect Master¡¯s headquarters, he returned to his own living quarters, but he didn¡¯t go inside.

    Instead, he went to knock on Disciple Min¡¯s door.

    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    "Disciple Yuan? You¡¯ve finished already?" Min Li was pleasantly surprised to see him so quickly, as she was prepared to wait at least a few weeks before speaking with him again.

    Yuan nodded and said, "I am also here to announce that I will be leaving the Dragon Essence Temple soon¡ª probably within the next few days."

    "I see..." Min Li wasn¡¯t surprised when she heard that he was leaving, as he¡¯d already shared this with her before he entered the Dragon Temple.

    "What should I do now? Do you want me to leave the sect as well?" Min Li asked him.

    "No, you don¡¯t need to do that." Yuan shook his head and said, "You can stay in the Dragon Essence Temple and continue to train yourself. Once it¡¯s time for me to challenge the Stairway to Heaven, I will return to take you with me."

    "You promise?" Min Li said with a slightly worried frown on her face, as she was worried that Yuan might forget about her or even worse, abandon her, and her life¡¯s basically in his hands now due to her situation.

    "I promise," Yuan said in a sincere voice.

    "Okay, I will trust you." Min Li nodded.

    Sometimeter, Yuan logged off the game with Meixiu.

    After dinner, Yuan began cultivating for the night.

    "Yuan, I am curious. What does cultivating in the real world look like? Do you think I can watch you cultivate a little tonight?" Meixiu suddenly asked him.

    "Okay. I don¡¯t mind." Yuan said. Now that they know about his cultivation in the real world, there was no reason for him to keep hiding it.

    Thus, Meixiu went to Yuan¡¯s room and waited for him to cultivate.

    After taking a deep breath, Yuan began circting his Dantian and absorbing the spiritual energy in the air.

    "This is... cultivation?"

    Meixiu was speechless when a small gust of wind suddenly picked up in the room despite the closed windows, and the wind appeared to be gathering around the bed Yuan was sleeping on.

    Furthermore, there appeared to be a subtle glow around Yuan¡¯s body that would grow brighter as he continued to cultivate longer.

    Sometimeter, once she¡¯d seen enough, Meixiu returned to her own room to sleep, yet she couldn¡¯t stop thinking about Yuan cultivating, as it was so mythical.

    The following morning, after breakfast, Yuan and Meixiu entered Cultivation Online together.

    "I¡¯m going to say goodbye to Disciple Xuan and Disciple Fei today," Yuan said to Min Li when he saw her looking at him from the window.

    Min Li nodded and didn¡¯t say anything else.

    Yuan decided to go see Fei Yuyan first, and on his way to Fei Yuyan¡¯s living quarters, every disciple in the sect would either greet him from afar or approach him and greet him.

    "Good morning, Senior apprentice-brother Yuan."

    "Good morning, Senior Disciple Yuan."

    By now, every single disciple in the sect knew about the unrivaled genius known as Disciple Yuan and his unique appearance, as Yuan would always wear a mask wherever he went.

    In fact, besides a few people, nobody knew what Yuan looked like behind his mask. Although they were certainly curious, nobody actually dared to ask him to remove his mask, as they feared that it might offend him.

    Once he reached the border separating the Outer Court and the Inner Court, the sect elder guarding the entrance allowed Yuan to enter the Inner Court without any problems, and Yuan continued to make his way to Fei Yuyan¡¯s living quarters.

 Chapter 423 I Can Take You With Me

    *Knock* *Knock*

    Yuan knocked on Fei Yuyan¡¯s door after arriving at her doorsteps.

    A few momentster, Fei Yuyan opened the door slightly just enough for Yuan to see one of her eyes through the thin crack.

    "Disciple Yuan?"

    Once Fei Yuyan noticed who it was, she opened the door wider, and Yuan could see her wearing a towel, looking like she¡¯d just gotten out of the bath, her hair still wet.

    If it was anyone else, Fei Yuyan wouldn¡¯t have revealed such an enticing sight, but since it was Yuan, she wanted to act a little bold.

    "Umm... I can wait until you¡¯re prepared." Yuan said.

    "I-It¡¯s okay. Come inside." Fei Yuyan said with a slightly rosy face.

    It was at this moment Fei Yuyan noticed Meixiu following behind him.

    "Who is she?" Fei Yuyan asked, as this was their first meeting.

    "This is my friend, Meixiu." Yuan gave a quick introduction.

    "I-I see..." Fei Yuyan nodded.

    ¡¯What a beauty... I wonder if they¡¯re anything more than just friends...¡¯ Fei Yuyan wondered inwardly.

    Once they were inside, Yuan sat on the couch whilst Fei Yuyan sat on the opposite side.

    Of course, she was still in nothing but her towel, and her bare slender legs were in full view.

    Meixiu was speechless. Either female disciples in the cultivation world are usually this bold or this Fei Yuyan is very special.

    "Have you been practicing the Divine-grade zither technique?" Yuan asked her once he sat down.

    Fei Yuyan nodded, "Yes, I have been practicing it every day since I obtained it."

    "Oh, right. I never got to thank you for giving me the technique. Thank you, Disciple Yuan."

    "You don¡¯t have to thank me. On the other hand, I¡¯m sorry I wasn¡¯t able to hand it to you personally. I tried looking for you, but you were in closed cultivation ording to Elder Shan."

    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    "Anyways, let¡¯s get to the main reason I¡¯m here today. I¡¯m here to say goodbye."

    "Eh?" Fei Yuyan¡¯s face immediately froze after hearing his words.

    At first, she was puzzled, then she was shocked.

    "G-Goodbye? Are you going somewhere?" Fei Yuyan asked him in a trembling voice.

    Yuan nodded and said, "I am going to leave the Dragon Essence Temple soon."

    "What?! That¡¯s too sudden!"

    Fei Yuyan suddenly stood up from her seat, and because of how fast she stood up, the towel covering her body came loose and dropped onto the ground before she could even react.

    "..."

    Yuan¡¯s eyes widened as he stared at Fei Yuyan¡¯s seemingly peerless naked body that was directly in front of his face.

    "Ahem!"

    Meixiu suddenly lifted her arm and blocked Yuan¡¯s view.

    "Ahh!"

    It was at this moment Fei Yuyan finally realized that she was naked and reacted, and she quickly went to pick up the towel to cover herself again, but it was already toote, as Yuan had seen everything.

    "I-I¡¯m sorry! I will be right back!"

    Fei Yuyan then rushed to her room to wear her clothes.

    A few minutester, Fei Yuyan returned to the living room, but her face was still as red as a tomato.

    "Are you okay?" Yuan asked her in a perfectly calm manner.

    "Y-Yeah... I¡¯m sorry you had to see such a sight..." Fei Yuyan responded in a mosquito-like voice.

    "A-Anyways, you¡¯re going to leave the sect soon, right? Can I ask why?" She quickly changed the subject.

    Yuan nodded and said, "I don¡¯t really have a particr reason. It¡¯s just that I think I have enough experience."

    "Experience?"

    "Yes. I joined the Dragon Essence Temple for experience since I wanted to know what it was like to be a disciple. I never intended to stay very long, either."

    "Can I ask what you¡¯re going to do afterward?"

    "I am going to explore the Lower Heavens some more with my friends before I ascend through the Stairway to Heaven."

    "Stairway to Heaven... You¡¯re really different from the rest of us. I cannot even imagine challenging it, yet you¡¯re already going to challenge it soon." Fei Yuyan sighed.

    She then looked up at the ceiling and sighed, "Spirit Heaven, huh? To bepletely honest, I also want to ascend, but with my talents, I know it¡¯s not going to happen."

    "If you want, I can take you with me." Yuan suddenly suggested.

    "What?" Fei Yuyan looked at him with wide eyes.

    "I will be bringing Disciple Min with me when I challenge the Stairway to Heaven, and it won¡¯t make much of a difference if I take you with me as well... I think..." Yuan said.

    "I... I don¡¯t know what to say, really..." Fei Yuyan mumbled in a dazed voice.

    "You don¡¯t have to make a decision now. I will ask you again when I return to pick up Disciple Min." Yuan said.

    "Okay..." Fei Yuyan nodded with a serious look on her face.

    Sometimeter, after speaking some more with Fei Yuyan, Yuan left her ce and headed to Xuan Wuhan¡¯s living quarters.

    "He... He saw me naked... What a blunder!" Fei Yuyanid on the couch in a dazed manner for many minutes even after Yuan left her ce.

    After leaving Fei Yuyan¡¯s ce, Yuan realized that he¡¯s never been to Xuan Wuhan¡¯s living quarters.

    Thus, he contacted Elder Xuan to ask for directions.

    "Thank you, Senior Xuan."

    Once he knew where to go, Yuan went directly to Xuan Wuhan¡¯s living quarters.

    However, on his way to Xuan Wuhan¡¯s ce, Yuan stopped his tracks when an unfamiliar face suddenly walked in front of him and blocked his path.

    "You¡¯re Disciple Yuan, right?" This handsome young man asked him.

    "Yes, but who are you?" Yuan asked.

    "Name¡¯s Gu Tan from one of the Seven Legacy Families¡ª the Gu Family, and I am here to recruit you to the Gu Family." This young man introduced himself.

    And because of his impression of the Min Family, Yuan immediately frowned after hearing that he was from one of the Seven Legacy Families.

    "Sorry, but I am going to have to refuse." Yuan immediately rejected the Gu Family¡¯s invitation, leaving Gu Tan speechless.

 Chapter 424 A Small Favor

    "W-Wait... Let¡¯s not be so hasty. You haven¡¯t even given me a chance to exin the benefits..." Gu Tan immediately began panicking, as he didn¡¯t expect to be rejected so quickly.

    "I don¡¯t need to hear the benefits because I won¡¯t join the Gu Family no matter what you offer me. Sorry." Yuan rejected him once again, this time being more stern, even a little brutal.

    Gu Tan began sweating profusely after hearing this, and he asked, "C-Can I at least ask why you¡¯re refusing us? Did you already join another family?"

    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.

    "No. I just don¡¯t want to join any families, especially the Seven Legacy Families." Yuan answered.

    Gu Tan wondered if one of the Seven Legacy Families had offended him.

    "I-It seems like something has happened between one of the Seven Legacy Families and you, but I can promise you that our Gu Family is different." Gu Tan tried a different approach.

    However, Yuan still shook his head and said, "Don¡¯t bother. I won¡¯t join."

    And without waiting for Gu Tan to respond, Yuan walked around him and continued his journey to Xuan Wuhan¡¯s living quarters.

    Of course, Gu Tan wasn¡¯t willing to give up so easily, as his parents had assigned him to recruit Yuan with his head on the line.

    Thus, he proceeded to follow Yuan and continue to try and recruit him.

    "What do you desire, Disciple Yuan? Do you want wealth? Fame? Power? The Gu Family will do everything in their power to fulfill your dreams. If needed, we¡¯ll even get the Gu Family from the Spirit Heaven to help."

    "I desire for you to leave me alone now. If you cannot do even such a simple thing, what makes you think you can help me with the other stuff?" Yuan said to him.

    Gu Tan was speechless, and he immediately stopped following Yuan after hearing his response.

    ¡¯Looks like I will have to give up for now and ask him againter. Maybe he¡¯s just in a bad mood.¡¯ Gu Tan tried to soothe himself.

    About ten minutes after Gu Tan left Yuan alone, another individual blocked his path.

    This time, it was a pretty youngdy around Min Li¡¯s age.

    "Hello, are you Disciple Yuan?" The youngdy greeted him with a beautiful smile on her face.

    "I am. How can I help you?"

    "I¡¯m Xue Yixin, and I was wondering if you have some time to spare so we can talk." This youngdy spoke with an enchanting expression on her face.

    "What do you want to talk about? I¡¯m busy right now, so we¡¯ll have to do itter."

    "Are you sure you can¡¯t dy it for me? It won¡¯t take long... Or it can take as long as you want it to..." This youngdy then slightly lowered her body whilst spreading the clothes around her neck, revealing tworge peaks without showing everything.

    Meixiu frowned when she saw this, and she quickly grabbed Yuan¡¯s arm before pulling him away.

    "Let¡¯s go, Yuan. This girl is a dangerous one," she said to him.

    When Xue Yixin saw this, she quickly chased after them and said, "W-Wait! I¡¯m not someone suspicious! I¡¯m from the Xue Family, one of the Seven Legacy Families!"

    Xue Yixin hoped that her background would change the situation, but to her surprise, it only made the situation worse.

    "Sorry, but if you¡¯re here to recruit me to the Xue Family, I will have to decline. I have already refused to join the Gu Family a few minutes ago. My decision won¡¯t change now even if you¡¯re from a different family." Yuan stopped for a moment to reject her before walking again.

    "Uhh..."

    The youngdy was speechless, and she stood there like a statue with a dazed expression on her face.

    Sometimeter, Yuan finally arrived at Xuan Wuhan¡¯s living quarters.

    *Knock* *Knock*

    Yuan patiently waited for Xuan Wuhan to appear after knocking on the doors.

    A few momentster, the door opened.

    "Hello, Yuan." Xuan Wuhan greeted him, yet something felt off about it.

    It was like she had been expecting him.

    And just as he¡¯d suspected, Xuan Wuhan said, "I have been expecting you. You¡¯re here to say goodbye, right?"

    Yuan nodded in a slightly dazed manner.

    "My grandfather told me about it yesterday," she continued, exining to him how she found out.

    "Oh, I see..."

    "Although you may be leaving soon, I am still d that you decided to join. Your contribution to the sect has far exceeded my expectations. Thank you, Yuan." Xuan Wuhan said with a beautiful smile on her face.

    "I should be thanking you. It was because of your suggestion that I decided to join. If not for you, I would¡¯ve probably never entered the Dragon Essence Temple or experienced all of the things I had experienced while in the sect. Therefore, thank you. If you need anything, just let me know!"

    "If you want to thank me, I have an idea." Xuan Wuhan suddenly chuckled.

    "What is it?"

    "Before I respond, can I ask you a question?"

    Yuan nodded.

    Xuan Wuhan then turned to look at Meixiu who was standing behind him.

    "Is she your girlfriend?" she asked, taking Meixiu by surprise.

    "N-No... I am not..." Meixiu quickly responded.

    "I see, then I guess it¡¯s fine." Xuan Wuhan mumbled in a low voice before turning to look at Yuan.

    "Can you do me a small favor by closing your eyes for a moment?"

    Yuan nodded and closed his eyes without any questions.

    The next moment, Xuan Wuhan took a step forward with her hands reaching for Yuan¡¯s mask.

    Once Xuan Wuhan got ahold of the mask, she removed it slightly before approaching his revealed face with her lips, kissing him on the cheeks a secondter.

    "Eh?"

    Yuan opened his eyes when he suddenly felt a soft sensation pressing against the left side of his cheeks, but by the time his eyes opened, Xuan Wuhan had already removed her lips and stepped back with a rosyplexion on her face.

    "Goodbye, Yuan. This is the best I can do for now, but if youe backter, I might be prepared to do a little more by then." Xuan Wuhan said with an embarrassed yet bright smile on her face before running back inside the building and mming the door shut, leaving Yuan and Meixiu speechless.

 Chapter 425 Core Disciple

    After Xuan Wuhan kissed him on the cheeks and went back inside her house, Yuan touched the spot she kissed with a dazed look on his face, the sensation of her soft lips still lingering on his cheeks.

    "What was that about?" He mumbled in a low voice.

    ¡¯The girls in the cultivation world... They are truly bold...¡¯ Meixiu sighed inwardly.

    If she had such boldness, what would her situation be like right now?

    After standing in front of Xuan Wuhan¡¯s living quarters for a couple of moments, Yuan and Meixiu left the scene.

    "Are you sure about this decision?"

    Inside Xuan Wuhan¡¯s living quarters, Elder Xuan sat on the couch with a cup of tea in his hands.

    A bittersweet smile appeared on Xuan Wuhan¡¯s face, and she said, "I am satisfied with just that. I know my limits. He and I... we live in two separate worlds. There¡¯s no way I am worthy to follow him."

    "You¡¯re thinking too much. It¡¯s not about your worth, but whether he¡¯ll ept you or not, and if you don¡¯t ask him, how will he know, much less ept you?"

    "I-I think I was pretty obvious with my actions just now..." Xuan Wuhan said in a dumbfounded voice.

    "Haha... You underestimate him, Wuhan. Yuan... He¡¯s a special fellow who¡¯s also quite naive and innocent. He probably won¡¯t understand the meaning behind your actions unless you tell him straight."

    Xuan Wuhan sighed, "It is what is it... I have already said my goodbyes. Even I don¡¯t have the guts to approach him after what happened just now. I will need at least a few months to recover."

    "Do whatever you want, I guess..." Elder Xuan said to her, and after finishing his tea, he left her ce.

    Meanwhile, Yuan went to find Elder Shan at the Blossom Peak.

    Once they arrived, Yuan noticed Elder Shan giving lectures to her disciple right outside her living quarters just like hisst visit.

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    "I¡¯m sorry to disturb your lecture again, Senior Shan." Yuan approached them.

    "That is..."

    This time, Elder Shan¡¯s disciples looked at Yuan in a different light, almost like they were filled with admiration.

    "Disciple Yuan? Do you need anything from me? And you don¡¯t have to worry about disturbing us. I¡¯m not really lecturing them," she said to him.

    Yuan then said, "I know you already know this, but I want to say goodbye formally."

    "Thank you for everything, Elder Shan." Yuan lowered his head a little to pay his respects.

    "W-Why are you thanking me? I barely taught you anything. In fact, I should be the one thanking you..." Elder Shan was taken aback.

    "That¡¯s not true, Senior Shan. I have learned a lot from you, and it¡¯s always a pleasant feeling with you around."

    Elder Shan couldn¡¯t help but smile after hearing Yuan¡¯s words, and she spoke in an enchanting voice, "Are you trying to court me before you leave? It¡¯s working pretty well. But s, if only I was a little younger."

    "Eh?" Yuan was puzzled by her words. What did she mean by ¡¯courting¡¯ her?

    "Good luck out there, Yuan, and most importantly, stay safe." Elder Shan said to him.

    Yuan nodded. "I will."

    "Before you go."

    Elder Shan suddenly stepped forward with her arms spread.

    The next second, she embraced Yuan tightly.

    After a few moments of physical contact, Elder Shan released him and stepped back.

    "I hope to see you at least one more time before you leave for the Spirit Heaven," she said.

    "I will definitely return before I leave," Yuan said.

    "It¡¯s a promise."

    Sometimeter, Yuan left the Blossom Peak with Meixiu.

    "Master... what was that about? Why did he make it seem like he¡¯ll be leaving the sect?" One of her disciples asked.

    "Because he is leaving the sect." Elder Shan said.

    And she quickly followed up with, "Keep this a secret, though. If I hear that you¡¯ve opened your mouth about this matter to others, I will disown you as my disciple."

    "I-I understand, Master. I won¡¯t tell a single soul!"

    They all swore with nervous looks on their faces.

    Elder Shan then turned to look at Yuan¡¯s disappearing figure in the distance.

    ¡¯If only I had met you earlier...¡¯ she sighed inwardly.

    After leaving the Blossom Peak, Yuan went to look for Elder Xuan.

    "Here to say goodbye?" Elder Xuan greeted him with a smile at the door.

    "Yes. I want to thank you for everything you¡¯ve done for me." Yuan said to him.

    "Hahaha... I¡¯ve only brought you to ces, and it was my job. You don¡¯t have to thank me."

    Yuan and Elder Xuan proceeded to spend a few minutes chatting with each other.

    "I would give you a farewell gift, but I really don¡¯t know what to give you, as anything I give you would be obsolete or worthless very quickly knowing your insane talents and progress, especially once you go to the Spirit Heavens."

    "You don¡¯t need to give me anything. I have already received enough from you and everyone else in this sect."

    "Okay. Then good luck out there and achieve great things. I¡¯m sure I will still hear your name even after you leave." Elder Xuan said.

    Sometimeter, Yuan went to visit the other high-ranking sect elders despite spending very little time with them.

    In the end, Yuan returned to the Sect Master¡¯s headquarters.

    "Enter."

    Long Yijun¡¯s voice resounded after Yuan knocked on the door.

    "Sect Master, I¡¯m here to say my goodbyes and to hand in my disciple uniform."

    Yuan said as he held his Inner Court uniform in his hands.

    Long Yijun looked at the uniform for a moment before speaking with a smile on his face, "Keep it."

    "Normally, a disciple would have to hand in their uniform once they leave the sect, but I want you to keep it. In fact, I have even prepared the Core Disciple¡¯s uniform for you, as I will be promoting you to Core Disciple as of this moment."

    Long Yijun said as he retrieved a set of uniforms meant for Core Disciples and ced it on the table before him.

    "This is..." Yuan was at loss for words.

 Chapter 426 Leaving the Dragon Essence Temple

    "I wish you the best of luck outside in the real cultivation world, Disciple Yuan... Even though you probably won¡¯t need it." Long Yijun said to him with a smile.

    "Thank you, Sect Master." Yuan epted the Core Disciple¡¯s uniform before storing it inside the Dragon Spatial Ring alongside his Inner Court Disciple¡¯s uniform.

    Sometimeter, Yuan left the ce and proceeded to make his way towards the gates of the sect. Although he could simply fly away, he wanted to leave this ce properly.

    The moment Yuan left the Dragon Essence Temple, Xiao Hua appeared from her ne, and she said, "Now that Brother Yuan is finally finished with this ce, Xiao Hua can stop hiding as well."

    "How was your experience, Brother Yuan?" Xiao Hua asked him.

    After all, the only reason she hid inside the ne this entire time was to give Yuan some independence whilst he experienced the life of a disciple in a sect.

    "It was great. I have learned a lot of things about cultivators and the cultivation world in general. Though, I could¡¯ve probably remained a disciple there for a little longer."

    However, Xiao Hua shook her head and said, "Once Brother Yuan reached the top of the ranks in the sect, there is no longer any point for you to stay there. It¡¯s just how sects work in general."

    Yuan looked at her and asked, "Xiao Hua, have you been in a sect before?"

    After a moment of silence, she nodded.

    "What was it like over there? How is itpared to the Dragon Essence Temple?"

    "Compared to the Dragon Essence Temple?"

    A slight smile appeared on her face as she said, "The Dragon Essence Temple is like a yground for children inparison."

    "Eh? What do you mean by that?" Yuan raised his eyebrows in a puzzled manner, as there could be many meanings behind her words.

    "The Dragon Essence Temple is awful and a peaceful ce. Although there are some troublemakers, it¡¯s not unreasonable or cruel. However, the sect Xiao Hua has experienced before is theplete opposite, and there is only one rule¡ª the strong is always right."

    Yuan was speechless. Just what kind of sect is she talking about? And howe she had to go to such a ce at such a young age?

    Yuan wanted to ask her about her background, but he didn¡¯t want to intrude on her privacy. Furthermore, he¡¯d already said that he would patiently wait until she willingly told him herself.

    "What are we going to do now, Young Master?" Feng Yuxiang¡¯s voice suddenly resounded as she appeared in front of him.

    "We¡¯re going to find Meixiu a cultivation technique now."

    "Where are we going to look for a cultivation technique? It¡¯s not easy finding a good cultivation technique, and the ones you can find easily are generally low-rank cultivation techniques that aren¡¯t much better than the Basic Qi Gathering Technique." Feng Yuxiang said.

    "Maybe we can look around auction houses to see if we can find one there¡ª actually, I know where we can go."

    "Where?"

    "The Myriad of Techniques. It¡¯s also where I obtained the Demon Sealing Strike and Yu Rou¡¯s technique. I think we¡¯ll be able to find a good cultivation technique for Meixiu if we go there."

    "The Myriad of Techniques, huh? I have always heard good things about them even in the upper heavens." Feng Yuxiang suddenly said.

    "Eh? Wait a second... They exist in the upper heaven as well?" Yuan said in a surprised voice.

    Feng Yuxiang nodded and said, "The Myriad of Techniques is a special shop that exists in many cities across the Nine Heavens, and rumor has it they¡¯re all owned by a single person. However, nobody really knows the identity of that person, as they have never seen him or her before."

    "I see..."

    Sometimeter, Yuan said, "Then let¡¯s go to Spring City, where the store is."

    "Spring City? Why do we have to go to Spring City?" Feng Yuxiang raised her eyebrows.

    "Eh? Because that¡¯s where the Myriad of Techniques is?"

    "But there¡¯s one even closer. It¡¯s in Long Chen City."

    "Oh, really? I didn¡¯t know that, nor did we see it when we went therest time." Yuan said.

    "Then let¡¯s go to Long Chen City."

    Thus, Yuan proceeded to soar in the sky with the others whilst Feng Yuxiang carried Meixiu.

    "Xiao Hua, I have always wanted to fly beside you without needing the flying sword ever since we flew together. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d get the chance to do so this quickly." Yuan said to her as they flew towards Long Chen City.

    "Xiao Hua didn¡¯t expect Brother Yuan to grow so fast either," she nodded.

    Yuan suddenly retrieved his flying sword and began flying on it instead.

    "I think I still like flying on a sword better. It has a different feeling to it that flying normally doesn¡¯t." Yuan said.

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    Once they arrived at Long Chen City a few minutester, they entered the city and began looking for the store.

    After asking around, they found the Myriad of Techniques somewhat hidden in a narrow path in the middle of the city.

    "Myriad of Techniques..." Xiao Hua looked at the storefront with a slight frown on her face, as she could still remember theirst visit to this ce and that powerful girl who greeted them at the door.

    A few momentster, Yuan opened the door and entered the store.

    "Wee to Myriad of Techniques¡ª"

    A beautiful girl with a familiar face greeted them but stopped halfway through her sentence.

    "Hm? You¡¯re that little Spirit King from thest time." The beautiful girl looked at Xiao Hua with a pleasantly surprised look on her face.

    "You¡¯re... Zhu Yuying? What are you doing here?" Yuan was surprised to see the same girl who greeted them in Spring City in this store as well. Did she change locations? What a coincidence.

    "Huh? That voice... You¡¯re the one who broke the Divine Crystal of Heavenly Fortunest time!" Zhu Yuying didn¡¯t immediately recognize Yuan because of the mask covering his face, and his cultivation base and aura were vastly different. However, she recognized his voice.

 Chapter 427 Myriad of Techniques

    Zhu Yuying was surprised to see Yuan again, but most importantly, she was shocked to see that he¡¯d somehow managed to reach Spirit Grandmaster in such a short time when he was still in the Lower Heavens!

    It has only been a few weeks since theirst visit, and he was only at the Spirit Warrior at that time. To think he achieved Spirit Grandmaster in such a short time¡ª not even her friends would believe her if she told them about Yuan.

    "Y-You... How did your cultivation rise so quickly?" Zhu Yuying couldn¡¯t help but ask him.

    "It just happened." Yuan shrugged.

    "It just happened, you say?" Zhu Yuying raised her eyebrows.

    Nobody ¡¯just happens to¡¯ increase their cultivation by two whole realms in such a short time unless they have experienced and survived many life-or-death situations.

    Zhu Yuying cannot imagine how many trials Yuan had to pass in order to receive such a boost.

    ¡¯He properly had to crawl through burning ground and survive countless near-death situations,¡¯ Zhu Yuying sighed inwardly in an admiring manner,pletely oblivious of the truth.

    "By the way, did you decide to change locations? What happened at the store in Spring City?" Yuan asked her.

    Zhu Yuying chuckled and said, "I didn¡¯t change locations, silly. Every single Myriad of Techniques in the Nine Heavens are connected to each other through a single powerful formation, so no matter which store you go to, you will always end up in the same ce."

    "However, there is more to it. It¡¯s a littleplicated, but I will try my best to exin it to you."

    She cleared her throat and said, "Depending on which of the Nine Heavens youe from you will be teleported to a certain part of the Myriad of Techniques. There are only three floors in the store right now, but there are actually more floors¡ª nine to be exact. If youe from the Lower Heavens, you can only ess the first three floors."

    "In order to ess the higher floors, you must enter the store from the upper heavens, so if you enter from the Spirit Heaven, you will be able to ess the fourth floor of the store."

    "So you¡¯re technically not in the Lower Heavens right now but in some other dimension, which is why I can talk to people in the Lower Heavens, as I am not really in the Lower Heaven right now."

    "I see... Although it¡¯s a littleplicated, I think I understand the system." Yuan mumbled with a pondering look on his face.

    "Anyways, if you have already had your destiny examined, you don¡¯t need to do it again."

    Zhu Yuying showed them the Divine Crystal of Heavenly Fortune and continued to speak, "And I don¡¯t want you breaking it again. This crystal ball isn¡¯t cheap, after all."

    A guilty smile appeared on Yuan¡¯s face when he recalled that incident.

    Zhu Yuying proceeded to exin things to Meixiu and the others.

    A few momentster, Meixiu and Feng Yuxiang ced their hands on the Divine Crystal of Heavenly Fortune, and to Zhu Yuying¡¯s surprise, they both had a heavenly destiny.

    "You too." Zhu Yuying suddenly said as she nced at Yuan¡¯s wrist after Meixiu and Feng Yuxiang¡¯s turn, obviously talking to Lan Yingying.

    Lan Yingying transformed into her human form and asked, "Do I have to do it even though I won¡¯t be buying anything?"

    Zhu Yuying nodded, "Everyone that wants to enter must do it."

    "Okay." Lan Yingying nodded and ced her hand on the crystal ball.

    "Another heavenly destiny? I have never seen so many people with a heavenly destiny together before," she mumbled in a dazed voice.

    It was almost like everyone in that group had a heavenly destiny.

    ¡¯Does this have something to do with him?¡¯ Zhu Yuying looked at Yuan for a moment.

    A few momentster, Zhu Yuying asked them, "So what are you guys here for today? Who¡¯s the one trying to buy a new technique? And what kind? Perhaps I can help you out."

    "We¡¯re looking for a cultivation technique for her." Yuan pointed at Meixiu.

    "I see... Do you have any special physique or bloodline? They can greatly affect your cultivation speed depending on the cultivation technique you choose." Zhu Yuying asked her.

    Meixiu nodded and said, "I have the Spirit Severing Physique."

    "S-Spirit Severing Physique? What a rare one... No wonder why you have a heavenly destiny." Zhu Yuying mumbled in a shocked voice.

    "And you¡¯re too nonchnt about it. There are many people who covet your talents. If I were you, I wouldn¡¯t reveal your physique so easily to just anyone."

    "I understand. Thank you for the advice." Meixiu nodded.

    "Anyways, I know the perfect technique for you, but unfortunately, it¡¯s on the fourth floor... You know what? Give me a few minutes."

    Zhu Yuying then lifted her head and said, "Master, are you busy?"

    A few momentster, a voice resounded in her head, "I¡¯m currently speaking with the Sect Master of the Nine Gods Hall and a few other individuals. Unless this is an emergency, save it forter."

    "Well... That young man who broke the Divine Crystal of Heavenly Fortune has returned... I remember you told me to contact you if he ever returns."

    "What? That youngster is back? Really?" Senior Bai said in a surprised voice.

    "What does he want this time?" He then asked.

    "He¡¯s here to pick a cultivation technique for his friend who has the Spirit Severing Physique."

    "The Spirit Severing Physique? There should be the perfect technique for that on the fourth floor."

    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.

    "I know, but that¡¯s the problem. He cannot ess the fourth floor yet since he¡¯s still in the Lower Heavens, and I was wondering if I can go to the fourth floor to get the technique for him."

    "..."

    After a moment of silence, Senior Bai spoke, "Go ahead. Do my friend a favor and get that technique for him."

    ¡¯Friend?!¡¯ Zhu Yuying was shocked when Senior Bai addressed Yuan as his ¡¯friend¡¯.

    "Thank you, Master. I will let him know," she said afterward.

 Chapter 428 Is There Something On Me?

    After receiving permission, Zhu Yuying turned to look at Yuan and said with a smile on her face, "Master just gave me the permission to go to the fourth floor to get the cultivation technique, so if you don¡¯t mind, give me a couple of minutes to get it for you since you cannot go there."

    Yuan nodded, "Thank you very much. Your Master is Senior Bai, right? Please thank him for me as well."

    "I will. You can wait for me in the guest area over there." Zhu Yuying pointed in a certain direction before leaving the scene.

    However, to everyone¡¯s surprise, Zhu Yuying returned a few momentster and said, "Yuan, my Master said he¡¯d like to speak with you again if you don¡¯t mind."

    "I don¡¯t mind." Yuan nodded.

    "Great. Do you still remember the way to the third floor? I cannot go with you since I will be going a different way this time."

    "I remember."

    "Alright. My Master is currently busy, but he will finish things up as soon as possible beforeing to you. You can wait for him at the door in the meantime."

    After saying that, Zhu Yuying left for good this time.

    "I will be right back," Yuan said to thedies before going to the third floor whilst the others went to the guest area to sit around.

    Once he reached the staircase to the third floor, the guards there turned to look at him.

    "Only authorized individuals may go up." One of them said to him.

    Since they were not the same guard as previously and they weren¡¯t told by Zhu Yuying about Yuan, they had no idea that Yuan was authorized by Senior Bai to go upstairs.

    "Senior Bai said he¡¯d like to speak with me," Yuan said to them.

    "What? Master Bai?"

    The two guards exchanged nces, both filled with shock. They have worked here for hundreds of years yet this is the first time someone was given permission to speak with Senior Bai.

    "Do you have any proof?" One of them asked a momentter.

    "Uhh... I don¡¯t think so..." Yuan shook his head.

    "As much as I want to let you go up, I don¡¯t want to risk it. What if you¡¯re lying to me? Our job¡ª No, our lives are on the line here." The guard then said.

    Yuan was also wearing a mask, which made the guards naturally wary of him.

    "How problematic..." Yuan mumbled.

    Without Zhu Yuying, he didn¡¯t know how to speak with Senior Bai.

    "Guess I will just have to wait here until Senior Bai realizes that I am not showing up and let him speak with you two," Yuan said to the guards, and he began standing there.

    "Uhh..."

    The two guards began sweating. If what Yuan had told them was true and they made Senior Bai wait, that would be as bad as listening to Yuan if he lied.

    "Shit... What should we do? Should we y it safe and make him wait or let him go?" One of the guards whispered to the other.

    "Why the heck are you asking me? You¡¯re the senior one! You decide!"

    "Don¡¯t pull that bullshit on me! I was here only 3 days earlier than you!"

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    While the two guards pondered whether they should let Yuan go or wait, Zhu Yuying arrived at the fourth floor.

    However, she was blocked by the person managing the entrance.

    "What are you doing on my floor, Disciple Zhu?" A pretty young girl with sharp facial features stood before her with a cold expression on her face.

    "Why do you care, Fei Xinyi? It¡¯s none of your business." Zhu Yuying coldly snorted.

    "Because this is my floor, and as the boss, I am entitled to know your business here," she responded.

    "Is that right?" Zhu Yuying remained calm.

    "That¡¯s right."

    "I am here under Master¡¯s direction. I think that¡¯s the most you need to know."

    "What? Master?" Fei Xinyi immediately frowned.

    "I swear... If you¡¯re using the Master as an excuse..."

    "If you¡¯re doubting me, you can go ahead and ask the Master himself. Anyways, I am going to do my job." Zhu Yuying said before she walked around Fei Xinyi.

    "A-As if I can do that! You know he doesn¡¯t like being bothered by insignificant matters!" Fei Xinyi said as she followed Zhu Yuying to see what she was up to.

    After walking for a few minutes, Zhu Yuying stopped before a certain shelf that was filled with techniques.

    "Let¡¯s see... Ah, here it is..." Zhu Yuying reached for the technique when she found it.

    "You... What are you doing with that technique? Why would the Master need that technique? Something¡¯s not right here!" Fei Xinyi said with a frown on her face.

    Zhu Yuying shrugged her shoulders and said, "I never said this was for the Master. I am only doing something for the Master."

    "Hmph! I don¡¯t believe you! I am going to see what you¡¯re up to, and if you¡¯re up to no good, I am going toin to the Master!"

    "Do whatever you want." Zhu Yuying shrugged again, and she began making her way back to the first floor but with an additional person.

    Meanwhile, back at the first floor, while Meixiu and the others waited for Yuan, Meixiu would stare at Lan Yingying silently¡ª or more specifically, Lan Yingying¡¯s stomach, almost like she wanted to say something.

    Lan Yingying noticed this and asked her, "Is there something on me?"

    "No... I was just wondering about something..." Meixiu subconsciously responded, and she continued, "You¡¯re pregnant with Yuan¡¯s baby, right? How does it feel? Pregnancy."

    "Excuse me? Pregnant? Who¡¯s pregnant? And whose baby?" Feng Yuxiang suddenly turned to look at them with her eyes as wide as saucers.

    Even Xiao Hua was staring at them with wide eyes, almost like she was in disbelief.

    Lan Yingying looked at Feng Yuxiang and exined, "I asked the Lord to impregnate me, and he agreed."

    Then she returned to Meixiu and continued as though it was normal, "Although I have epted his blood, I am not actually pregnant yet so I don¡¯t feel any different from usual."

    Feng Yuxiang¡¯s jaw dropped to the ground after hearing Lan Yingying¡¯s words, and then she recalled Meixiu¡¯s sudden and confusing question about how Divine Beasts make babies when Yuan was still in the Mystic Realm.

    ¡¯E-Everything makes sense now!¡¯ she cried inwardly, feeling a huge headacheing.

 Chapter 429 Visiting Senior Bai Again

    "Y-You asked for the Young Master¡¯s blood...? Really?" Despite all of the evidence, Feng Yuxiang still doubted the situation and wanted to be absolutely sure that it was not a misunderstanding.

    Lan Yingying nodded in a calm manner and said, "Yes. I should give birth in a thousand years."

    "Good heavens... A Divine Beast getting impregnated by a human..." Feng Yuxiang mumbled in a dazed voice.

    "Is that wrong?" Lan Yingying couldn¡¯t help but ask, as she wasn¡¯t aware of how things worked outside the Mystic Realm, and Feng Yuxiang was the first Divine Beast she had met besides her own family.

    "I wouldn¡¯t say it¡¯s wrong since it¡¯s not a taboo or anything, but it¡¯s definitely frowned upon by most Divine Beasts, as they see humans as inferior beings. To bepletely honest with you, I also used to look down on humans, but I learned my lesson after meeting the human who cursed my bloodline with the snap of his fingers..." Feng Yuxiang sighed.

    "Cursed?" Lan Yingying tilted her head since this is her first time hearing about her situation.

    "It¡¯s a long story, but I made some mistakes when I was young, and my bloodline got cursed as a result, forcing me to hide in the Lower Heavens since I cannot increase my cultivation above Spirit Grandmaster," Feng Yuxiang gave a brief exnation.

    "Anyways, we can talk about my situationter. Most Divine Beasts loath humans, so it would be for the best if you kept that a secret..."

    "What made you decide to do that with Brother Yuan?" Xiao Hua suddenly asked.

    Lan Yingying then exined her situation to them, everything about the demons, and how she had to continue the legacy.

    Sometimeter, Feng Yuxiang mumbled, "Since the Young Master agreed to impregnate you, there¡¯s a good chance that he might agree to impregnate me if I asked..."

    Feng Yuxiang suddenly felt a cold gaze staring at her when she said those words, causing her to turn to look at Xiao Hua, who was ring at her with dangerous-looking eyes.

    "I-I was joking... It was only a joke... You don¡¯t have to look at me like that." Feng Yuxiang quickly said with a stiff smile. "I never even thought about having children, and I am still too young to think about those things."

    "By the way, how old are you?" Feng Yuxiang then asked Lan Yingying.

    "26 years old," she answered.

    Feng Yuxiang jumped out of her seat after hearing this, and she eximed, "What! Only 26 years old!? You¡¯re practically a baby as a Divine Beast! And you already have a babying?! Heavens! You¡¯re moving too fast!"

    "R-Really?" Lan Yingying was also surprised by Feng Yuxiang¡¯s reaction.

    "Take me for example! I am in my six digits and I don¡¯t even dare think about having a child!" Feng Yuxiang said.

    "What? You¡¯re at least 100,000 years old?" Meixiu was surprised to hear this.

    Feng Yuxiang nodded, "123,200 years to be exact, and I would be considered as a ¡¯youth¡¯ in the eyes of the older Divine Beasts that have lived for millions upon millions of years."

    "If you make it sound like that, 26 years is really nothing..." Meixiu mumbled.

    It was at this moment Zhu Yuying returned with the technique in her hands as well as the manager from the fourth floor.

    "Sorry, it took a while." Zhu Yuying then handed the technique to Meixiu in a casual manner.

    "Here you go."

    "Thank you..." Meixiu epted the technique.

    "Wait... What the hell is going on here?" Fei Xinyi said with a frown on her face.

    And she continued, "You came all the way to the fourth floor to grab a technique for someone in the Lower Heavens? Are you crazy? There¡¯s no way the Master authorized this!"

    "Oh yeah? Wanna make a bet? If you win, I will do whatever you say for the rest of the week. However, if you lose, you will have to listen to me for the rest of the week." Zhu Yuying red at her with a serious expression.

    "Che! This is why I hate you!" Fei Xinyi turned around and quickly stomped away.

    There was no way she¡¯d risk it, and she¡¯d rather die than be Zhu Yuying¡¯s dog for an entire week.

    "I hope the Master finds out about this and punishes you!"

    Once Fei Xinyi left, Meixiu asked, "Is everything okay?"

    "Don¡¯t worry about it, we¡¯re always like this."

    "Anyways, take a look at the technique. It¡¯s a Divine-grade technique specifically for your physique. I hope you like it."

    Meixiu looked at the scroll on her grasp and said, "Divine-grade? This is a very expensive item, right? I don¡¯t have enough money for it..."

    "Hahaha... Don¡¯t worry about the money. It¡¯s for free. That was my Master¡¯s wish as well."

    Feng Yuxiang and the others were surprised to hear this.

    Just who is the Master of the Myriad of Techniques? He must be ridiculously generous or loaded to give away a Divine-grade technique for free even if he¡¯s in the upper heavens.

    "I see... Thank you... Again." Meixiu said.

    Meanwhile, on the third floor, the guards finally came to a decision.

    "Hey, you. You may go up. However, just so you know, if you¡¯re lying, death will be the least of your worries!" The guards said to Yuan.

    Yuan nodded and proceeded to head upstairs.

    Once he reached the door, he opened it and walked into the portal without hesitation.

    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.

    After the falling sensation, Yuan appeared in the middle of the sky again.

    Of course, since he could fly, he wasn¡¯t worried at all that he might fall to his death.

    Yuan proceeded to fly around until he could see the flying tform from before.

    Afternding, he started waiting for Senior Bai to make his appearance.

    "What a beautiful ce... I wonder if there¡¯s anything beyond these mountains..." Yuan mumbled to himself as he took the time to watch the scenery, something he didn¡¯t get the chance to do the previous time he was here.

    A few minutester, Yuan could see Senior Bai¡¯s figure approaching his location from a distance.

    However, he was not alone, and flying beside him was another individual¡ª a beautiful woman who could only be described as a goddess.

    When Yuan saw this goddess, his eyes widened with surprise, as she was the same goddess he met during his character evaluation!

 Chapter 430 Factions

    Many minutes before Senior Bai went to meet Yuan and shortly after he¡¯d spoken with Zhu Yuying, Senior Bai was sitting around arge round table with eight other individuals.

    "What¡¯s the matter, Elder Bai?" One of the individuals there asked him after noticing that he¡¯d suddenly spaced out.

    "A little something," he said before turning to look at the goddess sitting at the other side of the table and continuing to speak, "I have been told that ¡¯he¡¯ has returned to the Myriad of Techniques."

    "He?"

    Everyone in the room raised their eyebrows in a puzzled manner.

    Even the goddess looked confused, so Senior Bai exined, "Do you remember that talk I had with you not long ago? That I¡¯d met ¡¯him¡¯ at my store?"

    The goddess immediately stood up from her seat when she realized what Senior Bai was talking about, and this startled the others, as they usually don¡¯t see her act in such a manner.

    When Senior Bai saw her reaction, he said with a smile, "Should we take a break from the meeting? We¡¯ve been at it for a while now."

    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    Everybody there turned to look at the goddess.

    "Let¡¯s take a break," she said.

    And she continued, "Elder Bai, I would like to get a breath of fresh air."

    "I know just the ce." Senior Bai said with a smile on his face.

    He then retrieved some sort of device before tossing it on the floor, creating a portal that was shaped like a door.

    And without saying anything, the goddess began walking towards the portal, entering it a momentter.

    "What is going on, Elder Bai?" The other seven individuals there asked him.

    However, he merely shook his head and said, "I don¡¯t dare to say it. If you really want to know, ask her yourself."

    The people there exchanged looks with each other. Ask the goddess? As curious as they were, none of them wanted to unnecessarily stick their noses in her business, as they might make her angry, and nobody there wanted to see that.

    "I will be back." Senior Bai then said to them before entering the portal as well.

    The portal closed after Senior Bai entered it.

    On the other side of the portal that led them to another dimension, the goddess had been waiting for Senior Bai.

    "What took you so long? Let¡¯s go," she said to him in a seemingly impatient manner.

    Senior Bai smiled and said, "Is this what you look like when you¡¯re excited? I don¡¯t think I have seen you like this before¡ª" Senior Bai forcefully closed his mouth when he saw the dangerous look the goddess was giving him.

    "Let¡¯s go," he said with a bittersweet smile before flying to the hovering tform a few minutes away from their location.

    Once they got close, they were able to see a masked figure standing on the tform and seemingly admiring the scenery, and he was emitting a profound aura that was simr to dragons.

    "Spirit Grandmaster...? Why am I not surprised?" Senior Bai smiled when he saw the powerful aura around Yuan.

    However, the goddess behind him remained nonchnt and with a cold expression on her face.

    Meanwhile, Yuan was filled with surprise when he saw the goddess, as he didn¡¯t expect to see her in this ce.

    "I didn¡¯t expect to see you so soon after ourst meeting, Yuan." Senior Bai said to him after they arrived in front of him.

    "H-Hello, Senior Bai and..." Yuan didn¡¯t know how to address the goddess and waited for her to speak.

    "Xu Jiaqi¡ª that is my name," she said.

    Yuan nodded and continued, "It¡¯s nice to see you again, Miss Xu. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d see you again until I reached the upper heavens."

    ¡¯Miss Xu...?¡¯ Senior Bai raised his eyebrow after hearing this, as he has never heard someone address her so casually.

    However, Xu Jiaqi didn¡¯t seem to mind and said, "I also didn¡¯t expect to see you so soon. So you¡¯ve only reached Spirit Grandmaster, huh?"

    Xu Jiaqi wasn¡¯t surprised by his insane progress speed. In fact, she even sounded a little disappointed.

    "Are you still in the Lower Heavens?" She suddenly asked him.

    "Yes."

    "What have you been doing this entire time? If it was anyone else with that physique, they would¡¯ve been a Spirit King by now. Stop fooling around ande to the upper heavens already¡ª you¡¯re wasting your talents," she continued.

    "Eh? But there¡¯s no reason for me to rush things. I want to enjoy the cultivation world, and there are still things I must do in the Lower Heavens." Yuan said.

    Xu Jiaqi¡¯s eyebrows twitched after hearing Yuan¡¯s response. It¡¯s been a very long time since someone has dared to talk back to her. People would usually just follow her words and won¡¯t say anything back.

    However, she wasn¡¯t angry even in the slightest like she normally would.

    "Miss Xu, you seem to know a lot about my physique. Can you tell me more about it?" Yuan suddenly asked her.

    After a moment of silence, she spoke, "What do you want to know about it?"

    "Anything at all... But I am interested in its origins and what else I can do with this physique. I know that I can consume monster cores and demon cores, but that¡¯s about it. And does my physique have a limit?"

    Xu Jiaqi narrowed her eyes at Yuan, and she spoke after a moment of silence, "I don¡¯t mind telling you, but only if you promise to join my faction once you reach the upper heavens."

    "Your faction? What¡¯s that? Is it anything like a sect?" Yuan asked.

    "Allow me to exin." Senior Bai said, and he continued, "Factions are simr to families, but you follow rules as though it¡¯s a sect, so it¡¯s something like a mixture of both. Also, there¡¯s no real obligation, so you can leave whenever you want."

    "A mixture of families and sects? What is the purpose of a faction?" Yuan then asked.

 Chapter 431 Celestial Overlords

    "Factions are essential in the upper heavens because without one, you will be vulnerable in a world where the majority of people have a faction. You may think Immortals¡ª even Gods are invincible, but in the upper heavens where there are other Immortals and Gods, nobody is safe." Senior Bai exined to him.

    "If you join a powerful faction, unless the other factions want to risk a war, they won¡¯t dare to touch you."

    "Immortals, Gods, even powerful sects¡ª they all belong to a faction."

    "Do you understand the importance of factions now?" Senior Bai asked him.

    Yuan nodded, "Yes, I understand."

    "Now that you understand what factions are, what is your answer?" Xu Jiaqi asked him again.

    "My faction¡ª the Celestial Overlords, is one of the most powerful factions in the entire Nine Heavens with many peak experts and legendary figures. As long as you promise to join us, I will tell you everything I know about the Heaven Refining Physique."

    "However, if you refuse, I won¡¯t tell you anything, as you could be a potential threat to us in the future. Friend of foe¡ª you choose."

    "The Celestial Overlords..." Yuan mumbled in a low voice.

    He then turned to look at Senior Bai and asked him, "Are you also part of the Celestial Overlords?"

    Senior Bai nodded with a smile on his face.

    ¡¯If Senior Bai is part of this faction, it should be fine if I join as well since he¡¯s a good person. Furthermore, I get to learn more about my physique...¡¯

    After pondering for a few moments, Yuan nodded and said, "Okay, I will join the Celestial Overlords."

    A subtle smile appeared on Xu Jiaqi¡¯s face when she heard Yuan¡¯s words, but that smile quickly disappeared, and she said afterward, "Then starting from this point forth, you are a member of the Celestial Overlords!"

    Xu Jiaqi suddenly raised her hand and snapped her fingers.

    A few secondster, somewhere in the upper heavens, arge jade tablet began glowing before aplex symbol emerged from the jade tablet.

    This symbol disappeared shortly after it emerged from the jade tablet, appearing on Xu Jiaqi¡¯s palms the next second.

    Xu Jiaqi showed Yuan this golden symbol and said, "This is proof that you¡¯re part of the Celestial Overlords. You will be starting at the bottom of the ranks since you just joined. In order to raise your rank, you must contribute to the faction by doing good deeds and making a name for yourself."

    "The ranks are as followed from the lowest to the highest¡ª Apprentice, Warrior, Captain, General, Commander, Overlord, andstly, Celestial Overlord. The higher your rank in the faction, the more authority and benefits you obtain."

    "There are also rules you must follow as a member of the faction."

    "One, you cannot tarnish or damage our faction¡¯s reputation."

    "Two, you must listen to those above your rank as long as it¡¯s awful order."

    "Three, you cannot seriously harm or kill a fellow member of the faction."

    "Andstly, you cannot betray the faction and its members."

    "Of course, there are exceptions, but ultimately, it will be the higher-ups who will determine whether you will be punished or not. If you have any problems, whether it¡¯s about another member or something else, you can make an officialint and we will hear you out. If you wish to leave the faction, you must also speak with someone at least three ranks above you."

    "Do you have any questions so far?" Xu Jiaqi asked him afterward.

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    Yuan shook his head.

    "Then ept this symbol if you¡¯re ready and you¡¯ll officially be a member of the Celestial Overlords."

    Xu Jiaqi extended her arms, handing the symbol to Yuan.

    Yuan took a deep breath and reached for the golden symbol.

    The moment he touched the symbol, it entered his body and disappeared.

    Ding!

    [You have unlocked Factions!]

    [You have joined the Faction: Celestial Overlords!]

    [Faction: Celestial Overlords]

    [Faction Rank: Apprentice]

    "Wee to the faction, Yuan." Senior Bai said to him with a smile.

    "Thank you, Senior Bai."

    "If you want to reveal your rank and show proof that you¡¯re with the Celestial Overlords for anyone that may ask you in the future, you can do so by doing this¡ª"

    Senior Bai flipped his palms, and the symbol ¡¯Overlord¡¯ appeared on it.

    Yuan followed Senior Bai¡¯s movements and flipped his palm while imagining his faction rank showing up.

    The symbol ¡¯Apprentice¡¯ appeared on his palm a secondter.

    "If you have any problems with the faction or one of its members, you can contact me through the Myriad of Techniques. There are little to no problems that I cannot solve with my rank. Of course, if anything, there is a Celestial Overlord over here." Senior Bai pointed at Xu Jiaqi with his gaze.

    "By the way, this is a privilege that not everyone gets, so don¡¯t abuse it."

    "I won¡¯t." Yuan nodded.

    Xu Jiaqi then said, "Now that you¡¯re part of the faction, let me tell you about the Heaven Refining Physique¡ª at least everything I know about it."

    After taking a deep breath, she said, "The Heaven Refining Physique is a heaven-defying physique that, as you already know, allows you to consume monster cores, demon cores, and resources that normal people would not even dare to think about."

    "And as far as I am aware, there have only been two other individuals who had the Heaven Refining Physique before you. Of course, only one person can have this physique at a time, so the other two are most likely dead."

    "Two people?" Yuan was surprised to hear this, as he was only aware of one.

    Xu Jiaqi nodded and said, "One of them was the founder of the Demon Sealing n, and the other was... the founder of the Celestial Overlords..."

    "What?" Yuan¡¯s eyes widened with surprise.

    The person who created the faction Celestial Overlords also had the Heaven Refining Physique? No wonder why Xu Jiaqi wanted him to join her faction! It turns out that his physique has a history within the faction, and it was a pretty significant one!

 Chapter 432 Supreme Heavenâ€™s Legacy

    After revealing that the founder of their faction also had the Heaven Refining Physique. Xu Jiaqi continued to speak, "As you can already guess by now, both of these people that used to have the Heaven Refining Physique had achieved great things in their life, so I am hoping you¡¯d be the same."

    Yuan then asked, "What about its limits? I have a few treasures with me that might help me reach Spirit King or above if I consumed them, but I was told that my body would not be able to handle it, as I¡¯d be gaining too much spiritual energy at once."

    "There is a limit." Xu Jiaqi said, and she continued, "The Heaven Refining Physique merely allows you to consume things like monster cores and demon cores, but if you consume too much spiritual energy at once, your body will explode just like any other cultivator. It¡¯s just that your ¡¯limit¡¯ is higher than others, so don¡¯t overestimate yourself and consume only what you can endure."

    "I-I see..." Yuan mumbled, feeling relieved that he¡¯d listened to Feng Yuxiang¡¯s advice and didn¡¯t consume the Dragon Ancestor¡¯s blood essence.

    "Furthermore, once you reach Spirit King, your Heaven Refining Physique will no longer work."

    "Wait... what?" Yuan¡¯s eyes widened with shock when he heard this.

    "I mean, it will still work, but it won¡¯t be as effective. This is because you haven¡¯t unlocked the full potential of the Heaven Refining Physique. Once you evolve it, you will be able to consume treasures above Spirit King."

    "Heaven Refining Physique¡¯s full potential? How do I evolve a physique? I didn¡¯t even know that was possible."

    Xu Jiaqi shook her head and said, "I don¡¯t know. The founder never really gave any details, but he once said that he had to ¡¯evolve¡¯ his physique before he could further improve his cultivation past Spirit King."

    "The Heaven Refining Physique is an extremely rare and unique physique. There is almost no information out there, but if it¡¯s anything like other physiques that can evolve, you¡¯ll have to temper your body with some sort of treasure."

    "Temper my body... Okay, I will keep that in mind."

    "I will try to look through some records to see if the founder had left some clues behind, but I cannot promise you anything." Senior Bai said.

    "Thank you." Yuan nodded.

    "If you go to the Demon Sealing n, they might have some answer since their founder had the same physique, but it¡¯s going to be a challenge trying to approach them." Xu Jiaqi suddenly said.

    "Though, since you have their founder¡¯s physique, maybe it¡¯ll be easier for you."

    Xu Jiaqi then asked, "Do you have any more questions?"

    "Is there anything else I can consume besides monster cores and demon cores?" Yuan then asked.

    Xu Jiaqi pondered before speaking, "The founder usually consumes monster cores and demon cores, but I have seen him consume spirit stones at times. Obviously, cultivators don¡¯t normally consume spirit stones."

    "Spirit stones, huh..."

    Sometimeter, Xu Jiaqi asked him, "By the way, do you still have my Ancient Spirit Jade?"

    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.

    "I do... but I don¡¯t have it on me. Do you want it back?" Yuan said to her.

    "You don¡¯t have it on you? Even though I told you to keep it close to you? What if you lose it? That thing isn¡¯t cheap, you know. In fact, it¡¯s worth more than everything in the Lower Heavensbined." Xu Jiaqi quickly began lecturing him.

    "It¡¯s okay, my friend is keeping it safe for me. Since she¡¯s much stronger than me, it¡¯s safer to let her protect it."

    "You gave it to somebody?! How can you be so trusting? I highly doubt this ¡¯friend¡¯ of yours won¡¯t take advantage of your kindness and steal it from you."

    "She won¡¯t do that. We have been together since the beginning, and I trust her fully."

    "Oh really? Who¡¯s this friend of yours and what¡¯s her background?" Xu Jiaqi suddenly inquired about Xiao Hua.

    "Her name is Xiao Hua, but I don¡¯t really know her background..."

    Xu Jiaqi coldly snorted after hearing this and said, "How can you trust somebody when you don¡¯t even know their background? Laughable. And judging from your aura right now, you can kill even a Spirit Lord with some effort. As if there¡¯s someone stronger than you in the Lower Heavens."

    "It¡¯s true. She¡¯s a Spirit King."

    "Spirit King? How can there possibly be a Spirit King in the Lower Heavens?" Xu Jiaqi frowned.

    "I think it has something to do with her Legacy, but she never told me the details. Though, she did tell me that her mission was to bring me to the Supreme Heavens."

    "The Supreme Heavens?"

    The frown on Xu Jiaqi¡¯s face grew deeper, and she spoke after a moment of silence, "The Legacy your friend has... Is it the Supreme Heaven¡¯s Legacy?"

    "Eh? You know about her Legacy?" Yuan asked with a surprised look on his face.

    "Haaa..." Xu Jiaqi suddenly sighed before rubbing her eyes.

    Even Senior Bai shook his head with aplicated expression on his face.

    "I won¡¯t say too much since it¡¯s none of my business, but your friend... You should separate yourself from her as soon as possible."

    "Eh? Why?" Yuan was baffled by her warning.

    "Because she¡¯s an ¡¯Exile¡¯." Xu Jiaqi said in a cold voice.

    "An exile? What is¡ª"

    However, before Yuan could ask about it, he suddenly experienced a sharp pain in his chest.

    "Ah!"

    Yuan suddenly released a painful cry, startling Senior Bai and Xu Jiaqi.

    "Hey! What happened?!" Xu Jiaqi asked him, but Yuan was no longer conscious.

    Seeing Yuan¡¯s body falling to the ground, Xu Jiaqi subconsciously reacted and went to catch his body.

    "Elder Bai!" Xu Jiaqi suddenly shouted his name.

    Senior Bai quickly appeared beside her and touched Yuan¡¯s forehead with his finger to examine his body.

    "He¡¯s just unconscious. His body isn¡¯t harmed." Senior Bai said a momentter.

    "What happened to him?"

    "I don¡¯t know. Let me examine his condition some more."

    While Senior Bai examined his condition, Yuan himself waspletely unaware that he was unconscious.

    In fact, after experiencing the sudden pain, Yuan found himself in an unfamiliar ce, almost like he had been teleported to somewhere.

    In this new ce, the sky was dark and somewhat red with red lightning striking the ground every second.

    Yuan looked around, and to his surprise, even shock, there were bloodied corpses in every direction that piled up like mountains.

    It was a horrific sight that would terrify even the most cold-hearted cultivators in the world. However, for some reason, Yuan didn¡¯t feel anything when he saw this bloody scene.

    "Hm?"

    Yuan lifted his arms when he realized that he was holding onto something in his hands.

    "What the... Why am I holding this sword?" Yuan was speechless when he realized that he had a sword that was still dripping with blood in his grasp.

    Suddenly, a loud roar that caused the ce to tremble resounded behind him, causing Yuan to turn around.

    When Yuan turned around, he saw a person wearing clothes soaked in blood and a bloodied face flying at him.

    Yuan didn¡¯t recognize this person, but it was clear to him that this person was trying to harm him.

    And without thinking, almost as though his body reacted instinctively, Yuan swung his arm, slicing the man cleanly in half.

    The dead man¡¯s body fell onto the ground and immediately blended in with the environment that was littered with countless corpses.

 Chapter 433 Sea of Corpses and Blood

    "Pathetic ants."

    A cold voice came from Yuan¡¯s mouth after killing the unknown attacker, yet the voice didn¡¯t belong to Yuan.

    ¡¯What is going on?¡¯ Yuan wondered inwardly, as his situation was quite bizarre, but this isn¡¯t his first time being in this kind of situation, as he would have these dreams every once in a while after he unlocked his bloodline.

    However, the only difference was that these dreams would happen in the real world while he slept. This is the first time he¡¯s having one of these realistic dreams while ying Cultivation Online.

    Furthermore, this dream was vastly differentpared to his other dreams. It was much more bloody and more sinister in nature.

    "Since this is a dream, does this mean I am actually unconscious right now? What bad timing..." Yuan sighed.

    As much as he wanted to wake up from this dream, he knew that it was impossible to wake up by himself, as these dreams would not stop until he experiences all of it.

    Sometimeter, the person Yuan was dreaming of suddenly flew off the ground and towards the darkened sky.

    Yuan looked down at the sea of corpses and blood beneath him, and he wondered what caused this carnage.

    ¡¯Yuan¡¯ continued to fly straight for many hours, and there would be someone attacking him every few minutes.

    Of course, these attackers were instantly in by Yuan before they could even get close.

    A few hourster, Yuan stopped after he arrived in front of this floating temple that was the most magnificent building Yuan has ever seen, as it was so grand and luxurious that it made him speechless.

    However, right before he reached the doors, even more people surrounded him, and all of them appeared to be extremely powerful people.

    Hundreds... thousands... millions of people appeared out of the blue to surround him.

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    Yuan could see the mouth of these people moving, yet he wasn¡¯t able to hear their voices for some reason.

    After a few minutes, these people flew at him with their weapons raised.

    Yuan closed his eyes and sighed.

    When he opened his eyes again, half of the people surrounding him had disappeared, and thousands of lifeless bodies could be seen falling to the ground.

    Those that were still alive held terrified expressions on their faces, almost like they were looking at the devil himself.

    Suddenly, a bright light appeared in the distance.

    This light flew in their direction and stopped a few miles away from Yuan.

    The light began disappearing once it stopped moving, revealing a few figures inside.

    However, right as Yuan turned to look at these neers¡¯ faces, his vision turned ck, and he could hear familiar voicesing from beside him.

    Meanwhile, back at Senior Bai¡¯s world, after examining Yuan¡¯s body, he said, "There¡¯s really nothing wrong with his body, but for some odd reason, his symbol is emitting this aura I have never seen before."

    "Aura? Let me see it..." Xu Jiaqi pulled the Celestial Overlords symbol out of Yuan¡¯s body to inspect it.

    "It¡¯s reacting to his body... But even I don¡¯t know why it¡¯s doing this..." Xu Jiaqi said after a moment of silence.

    It was at this moment Yuan began opening his eyes.

    Even though he¡¯d spent a couple of hours inside his dream, only a few minutes have passed since he lost consciousness.

    "Yuan? Are you okay?" Senior Bai asked him after noticing that he was waking up.

    "Yes, I am okay."

    "What happened just now?" Xu Jiaqi then asked.

    "I don¡¯t know. I felt this pain in my body and then I began having this weird dream the next moment," he said after sitting up.

    "Don¡¯t worry, I have these dreams often."

    "Dreams?" Xu Jiaqi raised her eyebrow, yet she didn¡¯t think too much of it.

    "Anyways, as long as you¡¯re okay."

    Sometimeter, once they were certain Yuan was fine, Xu Jiaqi said, "It¡¯s about time we return."

    And she continued, "As for the Ancient Spirit Jade... You can keep it. It¡¯s a gift for joining the faction."

    Yuan nodded, "Thank you for everything. I will try my best to contribute to the faction!"

    "I will send you out now. If you need to speak with me, you know where to go." Senior Bai said to Yuan before sending him to the portal.

    Once Yuan was gone, Senior Bai smiled and said, "The others will be very jealous if they learn that you¡¯d personally recruited someone, and he¡¯s even someone from the Lower Heavens."

    However, Xu Jiaqi didn¡¯t say anything and merely stood there in silence, seemingly in a daze.

    "He reminds me of someone," she suddenly said.

    "Hm? Yuan? Who?" Senior Bai asked.

    "The founder."

    "Eh?" Senior Bai was dumbfounded after hearing this.

    "Really? I have never met the founder so I can¡¯t really say. What¡¯s simr between them? Their demeanor or aura?"

    "His eyes." Xu Jiaqi said, and she continued, "The more I look at his eyes, the more I get this feeling."

    Sometimeter, they returned to the table where the others were.

    "You¡¯re finally back." One of them said when they saw their return.

    "Did something happen?" Senior Bai asked them after noticing the weird atmosphere.

    "You didn¡¯t feel that just now? Where did the two of you go?" Another one said.

    "What happened?" Xu Jiaqi asked them in a solemn voice.

    "The entire world shook for a good minute just now."

    "What?" Senior Bai¡¯s eyes widened.

    "The ninth heaven shook?" Xu Jiaqi was also surprised to hear this.

    "Yeah. Hopefully, it¡¯s nothing to be worried about."

    "Thest time the ninth heaven shook, the first Celestial Emperor was murdered..." Senior Bai said.

    The ce turned silent after Senior Bai said such a sentence.

    Meanwhile, Yuan returned to the Myriad of Techniques after leaving Senior Bai¡¯s world.

    When the guards saw him return safely, they both released a sigh of relief, as it meant that they get to keep their job and life.

    A few minutester, Yuan returned to the first floor where everyone was waiting.

 Chapter 434 Spirit Severing Scripture

    "Wee back, Yuan."

    The first person to notice his presence was Zhu Yuying.

    "How was your visit with my Master?"

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    "It went better than I¡¯d expected," he said.

    "That¡¯s great to hear. Anyways, I gave your friend the perfect cultivation technique, but if you need anything else, just let me know."

    "Really? How much will it cost?" Yuan asked, expecting to pay for it.

    "My Master said it¡¯s for free so you don¡¯t have to pay a single gold."

    "Free again? I kind of feel bad now." A bittersweet smile appeared on Yuan¡¯s face.

    "Don¡¯t worry about it. My Master has plenty of techniques, and it¡¯s only a Divine-rank technique. If he cannot afford to give away techniques, he wouldn¡¯t be doing it in the first ce."

    "Alright." Yuan nodded.

    Sometimeter, Yuan and the others prepared to leave the Myriad of Techniques.

    "See you again next time, Yuan. Though, I will be reced in a few weeks, so I might not be able to see you until you reach the fifth heaven."

    "The fifth heaven?" Yuan asked.

    "There are nine heavens, and the ce you¡¯re at right now is the first heaven, also known as the Lower Heavens."

    "I see... But that might take a while."

    "It¡¯s okay. I can wait." Zhu Yuying said with a bright smile on her face.

    A few minutester, Yuan and the others left the store, and they returned to Long Chen City.

    "What are we going to do now, Young Master?" Feng Yuxiang asked him.

    "Let¡¯s find a ce where Meixiu can cultivate in peace," he said.

    "Is there a Cultivators¡¯ Haven in this city?"

    "I think so." Feng Yuxiang nodded.

    "Okay, let¡¯s go."

    Feng Yuxiang and Lan Yingying returned to his body to make traveling more convenient, but Xiao Hua decided to stay with Yuan and Meixiu.

    "Are you okay, Brother Yuan?" Xiao Hua asked him when she noticed him staring at her.

    "Yes, I am fine." Yuan nodded.

    Although Xu Jiaqi warned him about Xiao Hua, even telling him to separate from her, he still trusted her.

    ¡¯An exile, huh? I never got to ask them about it. Though, it doesn¡¯t matter. Xiao Hua is still Xiao Hua no matter what background she has.¡¯ Yuan thought to himself.

    Sometimeter, Yuan asked the pedestrians about the Cultivators¡¯ Haven.

    Once he had the directions, they began making their way towards the ce.

    About half an hourter, they arrived before a tall building that looked very familiar to Yuan, as the ce resembled the one in Spring City.

    "Wee to Cultivators¡¯ Haven! How may I help you today?" A prettydy asked them from behind the desk.

    "I¡¯d like to borrow one room from the highest floor for seven days," Yuan said to her.

    "You seem like you¡¯ve been with us before. Do you have a key?" The worker asked him.

    "No, I don¡¯t."

    "That¡¯s okay, we can give you a new one. For seven days, it will cost you 7,000 gold coins."

    It was at this moment Yuan realized that he had no money besides the spirit stones given to him by Xi Meili.

    "Actually, can you make it 10 days instead of 7? I will pay with a spirit stone. It is worth 10,000 gold, right?"

    "Spirit stones? If you pay with spirit stones, you get bonus time, so you¡¯ll actually get 15 days instead of 10."

    "That sounds great." Yuan nodded and handed one spirit stone to the worker behind the desk.

    After epting the spirit stone, thedy went to the back to prepare his key.

    A few minutester, she returned with the key and handed it to him.

    Once they had the key, Yuan went upstairs with the others until they reached the top floor.

    "How do I cultivate this technique? I have never cultivated before." Meixiu asked him after they entered the room.

    "You basically read whatever is in the technique and recite it until you prehend¡¯ the technique. Once youprehend it, you can practice it and begin absorbing the spiritual energy in the air and cultivate."

    "Okay."

    Meixiu then took a seat in the middle of the room and opened the scroll in her hands.

    "Spirit Severing Scripture? It has the same name as my physique..." Meixiu mumbled.

    It was no wonder Zhu Yuying picked this cultivation technique for her, as the technique seemed like it was literally created for her physique.

    Meixiu began to read the scripture.

    Although the words were foreign and she has never seen them before, Meixiu was able toprehend the words for some reason and read the scripture without a problem.

    And a few minutester, after reading through the Spirit Severing Scripture just once, a notification appeared before Meixiu.

    Ding!

    [You have learned Spirit Severing Scripture!]

    [Spirit Severing Scripture]

    [Rank: Divine]

    [Mastery Level: 1]

    [Description: Absorbs 5 Qi per second. If used during Spirit Form, you will absorb 50 Qi per second instead.]

    Once she learned the cultivation technique, Meixiu closed her eyes and began reciting the technique inside her mind.

    Soon, her breathing patterns changed.

    [You have cultivated for the first time, unlocking Qi Experience]

    [Due to Qi Gathering Array, your Qi absorption rate has increased slight]

    [5/5,000]

    [12/5,000]

    [17/5,000]

    [24/5,000]

    In just a couple of minutes after Meixiu started cultivating, she reached her first breakthrough.

    [You have seeded in breaking through your mortal shackles, bing a Spirit Apprentice!]

    [Physical Strength, Physical Defense +75]

    [Mental Strength, Mental Defense +150]

    Name: Meixiu

    Cultivation: First Level Spirit Apprentice

    Legacy: None

    Bloodline: None

    Physique: Spirit Severing Physique

    Physical Strength: 157

    Mental Strength: 1,870

    Soul Strength: 555

    Physical Defense: 109

    Mental Defense: 300

    "Wow, she made a breakthrough already? That was faster than I¡¯d expected. This cultivation technique was definitely made for her." Yuan mumbled in a low voice when he saw Meixiu absorbing spiritual energy after a single read and breaking through mere minutes after she started cultivating.

    Although she was assisted by the Qi Gathering Array in the Cultivators¡¯ Haven, Meixiu still managed to breakthrough faster than Yuan when he first started cultivating.

 Chapter 435 Meixius Cultivation

    "Yuan, I had a breakthrough," Meixiu stopped cultivating and said to him with a slightly excited feeling in her chest.

    "I noticed. Congrattions on bing a cultivator." Yuan said with a smile.

    "What do I do now?" she then asked.

    "You continue to cultivate, I guess."

    "When should I stop?"

    "Whenever you like or feel like the progress is starting to slow down significantly."

    "I understand. I will try to cultivate some more." Meixiu nodded and returned to her cultivation.

    "She¡¯s probably the most talented person behind Brother Yuan that Xiao Hua has seen in the Lower Heavens... Not including the Divine Beasts." Xiao Hua said sometime after Meixiu continued her cultivation.

    "This is the first time I¡¯ve seen you approve of someone," Yuan said with a smile.

    Xiao Hua nodded silently.

    About five hourster, Meixiu reached the 4th level Spirit Apprentice.

    [You have absorbed enough Qi for a breakthrough]

    [You have reached Second Level Spirit Apprentice]

    [Physical Strength, Physical Defense +100]

    [Mental Strength, Mental Defense +175]

    [You have absorbed enough Qi for a breakthrough]

    [You have reached Third Level Spirit Apprentice]

    [Physical Strength, Physical Defense +125]

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    [Mental Strength, Mental Defense +200]

    [You have absorbed enough Qi for a breakthrough]

    [You have reached Fourth Level Spirit Apprentice]

    [Physical Strength, Physical Defense +150]

    [Mental Strength, Mental Defense +225]

    "How long have I been cultivating?" Meixiu asked him after she lost track of time.

    "About five hours," Yuan said after he looked at the time left on the key.

    "Five hours?" Meixiu was surprised to hear that so much time had passed because it didn¡¯t feel that long for her.

    "If you want to continue cultivating, I don¡¯t mind. We don¡¯t really have anything else nned, anyway." Yuan said to her.

    Meixiu nodded, "Okay. I will continue to cultivate for some more or until Yu Rou calls us to y, but let me cook dinner first."

    "Let¡¯s leave this room first before we log off so that we don¡¯t waste our limited time," Yuan said.

    "See youter, Xiao Hua," Yuan said to her before they logged off the game.

    Once they left the game, Meixiu went to prepare for dinner whilst Yuan cultivated in the real world.

    After dinner, Meixiu helped Yuan take a quick shower.

    Sometimeter, Meixiu sat on her bed and tried to cultivate the Spirit Severing Scripture.

    However, unlike cultivation online, she was unable to seed in just a few minutes.

    "Yuan, are you awake?" Meixiu knocked on his door after seeing no progress, hoping he¡¯d have some advice for her.

    "I¡¯m still up." Yuan¡¯s voice resounded a momentter.

    "I am having trouble with my cultivation," she said.

    "What do you need help with? There¡¯s very little I can do to help you in this world, unfortunately."

    "I am trying to use the Spirit Severing Scripture, but every time I try to recall it, it¡¯s like I cannot remember it," she said.

    "Oh, that is probably because you¡¯ve only just learned the technique today. Try cultivating the technique inside Cultivation Online for a few more days." Yuan advised her.

    "Okay."

    Meixiu returned to her room shortly after and went back inside Cultivation Online to continue cultivating for the rest of the night.

    In the morning, she stopped cultivating to cook breakfast for Yuan.

    After breakfast, they both entered the game together.

    "I managed to reach the fifth levelst night. It¡¯s taking much longer to breakthrough with each level." Meixiu said to him.

    Although it only took her 5 hours to reach the fourth level, it took her the entire night¡ª 8 hours of straight cultivation to reach the next level.

    Of course, her progression was still much faster than most of the yers in Cultivation Online at this moment.

    "Haha, wee to cultivation, Meixiu. Once you reach my level, it¡¯ll take you days if not weeks to increase even a single level." Yuanughed.

    Xiao Hua looked at him and said, "And if Brother Yuan was an ordinary cultivator, it¡¯d take him a hundred times longer..."

    Sometimeter, Yuan asked Meixiu, "You¡¯re going to continue cultivating, right?"

    "Yes."

    "Then I¡¯ll go check out the restaurants in the meantime unless you want toe as well."

    "It¡¯s okay. I will stay here to cultivate." Meixiu said.

    "Alright. Have fun. I¡¯ll be back in a few hours."

    Thus, Yuan left the Cultivators¡¯ Haven with Xiao Hua while Meixiu stayed behind to cultivate.

    "What do you want to eat today, Xiao Hua?" Yuan asked her.

    "Anything Brother Yuan wants," she responded almost immediately.

    "What about Feng Feng and Yingying? Anything specific that you two would like to eat?" Yuan asked them next.

    "All up to you, Young Master."

    "It also doesn¡¯t matter to me what we eat." Lan Yingying said.

    "Okay. Guess I will just look around and see what¡¯s avable."

    Thus, Yuan began walking around the city until he found a decent restaurant.

    Once they decided to eat there, Feng Yuxiang and Lan Yingying appeared so they could eat as well.

    "W-Wee to Lotus Gourmet, esteemed guests..."

    The receptionist was startled by Feng Yuxiang and Lan Yingying¡¯s beauty, not to mention the noble-like aura around Yuan and Xiao Hua.

    It was not just the receptionist. Everyone in the store seemingly froze when they noticed their group¡¯s presence, almost like they were looking at royalty.

    "Four of us," Yuan said to the receptionist.

    "R-Right away!"

    The receptionist brought them straight to the best table in the restaurant inside a private room.

    "I will be here whenever you need me." The receptionist said to them.

    Yuan began looking through the menu, but before he could even finish the menu, he ced it down and said, "Let me just get everything on the menu."

    "E-Everything?" The receptionist looked at him with wide eyes.

    There were at least 200 dishes on the menu, and with only four people in their group, it seemed unlikely that they would be able to finish it.

    However, the receptionist didn¡¯t say anything and nodded with a smile on his face, "Right away, esteemed guests."

 Chapter 436 I Found Us Something Even Better!

    About fifteen minutes after Yuan ordered the entire menu, the workers returned with dishes in their hands.

    "Allow me to wee you all to the Lotus Gourmet once again, esteemed guests. I am the manager of this ce. If there¡¯s anything you need from us, just let us know."

    Although none of the workers there recognized Yuan and the others¡¯ identity, it was clear as day that they were important people just by their noble appearance, not to mention their unfathomable aura.

    While the workers were not cultivators, the manager was a peak Spirit Apprentice, and he could feel an invisible aura that made him feel like he wascking air whenever he got close to Yuan¡¯s group.

    Unbeknownst to him, they were all above Spirit Master. If he¡¯d known that, the manager would probably be speaking on his knees right now.

    The moment the dishes were ced on the table, Yuan began moving his hands and mouth.

    Xiao Hua and the others were used to Yuan¡¯s eating habits by now so they didn¡¯t react when they saw him gobbling down the food like a food monster.

    The workers, however, had never seen anything like this before and were greatly shocked by the speed at which the food was disappearing from the table.

    Not even a minute after the dish was ced on the table, it would be cleared out by Yuan who didn¡¯t even need to look at the dish, as he was subconsciously using Divine Sense.

    Of course, Yuan made sure to leave some food for the others, and he would eventually slow down his consumption speed.

    About half an hour into their meal, Yuan could suddenly hear a smallmotioning from the outside.

    "What? You don¡¯t have your best room avable? Then make it avable! Do you know who we are?!" An arrogant voice resounded.

    When Yuan heard this voice, his eyebrows raised, as it sounded very familiar for some reason.

    A few momentster, Yuan could hear heavy footsteps approaching their private room.

    "I don¡¯t care who¡¯s eating in here right now, scram for me! The Du Family will be eating here now!"

    A young man with an arrogant look appeared and forcefully opened the door before walking inside while shouting.

    However, when this young man noticed the beauties sitting around the table, he immediately stopped talking and stared at them with a dazed look on his face.

    Since Yuan had his back facing the door, the loud young man didn¡¯t notice Yuan¡¯s presence at first.

    It was at this moment Yuan turned around to look at the young man.

    Indeed, he was one of the Du Brothers that Yuan had an altercation with shortly after he became a Spirit Warrior.

    "Young Master Du Bai, please slow down."

    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    Suddenly, another figure appeared behind him, and it was the Spirit Master that was in charge of protecting the Du Brothers.

    "Hm?"

    The Spirit Master¡¯s gaze subconsciously turned to look at Xiao Hua for some reason, and when he saw her cute and innocent face, he jumped back and said, "W-What are you doing here?!"

    "Why are you shouting like that? Who is¡ª"

    It was at this moment Du Bai snapped out of his daze and turned to look at Xiao Hua and Yuan.

    "Y-You¡¯re that bastard from the auction house! What are you doing here?!" Du Bai finally recognized Yuan.

    "As you can see, I am eating here¡ª at least I was until you came barging in here. What do you want?" Yuan said to him with a frown on his face.

    Did he not learn his lesson from their previous confrontation?

    Du Bai suddenly pointed at Yuan andughed with an ugly smile on his face.

    "Hahaha! I have been looking everywhere for you, you damn bastard! Did you think I would forget about you or that humiliation I experienced on that day?! Not a chance! My parents will be here any minute now, and when they do, I will make you regret ever being born!"

    Then Du Bai pointed at Feng Yuxiang and Lan Yingying, "I don¡¯t know who you are but you should follow me starting today instead of this loser! My Du Family is a top family in the Lower Heavens! My parents are also Spirit Masters!"

    "The Du Family, huh?" Feng Yuxiang mumbled in a nonchnt manner.

    A momentter, Du Hai, Du Bai¡¯s brother, entered the restaurant alongside a pair of couples and two other families and their children.

    "Du Hai! Come look at what we have here!" Du Bai shouted to him.

    "What is it? I know you want to reserve the seats, but did you have to run all the way here?" Du Hai sighed as he approached the private room.

    His eyes widened when he saw Yuan¡¯s handsome face.

    "It¡¯s you!"

    "Are you two looking for a beating again?" Yuan said to them after wiping his hands and mouth with a wet cloth.

    "Hahaha! Beat us? I would love to see you try!"

    The Du Brothers stood there with their chest proudly puffed.

    "What¡¯s going on here? Where are our seats, Du Bai?" A middle-aged man suddenly approached them from behind, and the others soon followed.

    "Father! I found us something even better! Do you remember that time we went to an auction house and returned with a bruised body? This is the bastard that assaulted us on that day! We finally found him!" Du Bai ran to his father before pointing at Yuan.

    "What?" The Du Brother¡¯s father and the others there turned to look at Yuan and his table.

    However, their eyes didn¡¯t linger on Yuan for more than a second because something else had caught their attention¡ª the beautiful young woman sitting across from Yuan.

    "M-Madam Feng?! W-What are you doing here?!" The middle-aged man eximed in a shocked voice when he saw Feng Yuxiang sitting there with a frown on her face.

    "Du Wei, you daree in here and question me when your children disturbed my peace and even worse¡ª insulted my Young Master? Are you looking to die today?" Feng Yuxiang said to him in a cold voice before standing up and ring at them in an oppressive manner, sending shivers down their spine.

 Chapter 437 Decisive Action

    Du Wei, the head of the Du Family and also the Du Brothers¡¯ father, was shocked speechless after hearing Feng Yuxiang¡¯s words, but he still hasn¡¯t been able toprehend the situation because everything had happened too fast.

    How did his children offend Madam Feng, the number one expert in Phoenix City? And more importantly, who is this Young Master that Feng Yuxiang was talking about? This is the first time he has heard of Feng Yuxiang addressing someone in such a respectful manner.

    Meanwhile, the other 2 families that had followed the Du Family to this restaurant were already regretting their decision, as they were potentially in jeopardy because of the Du Family.

    "What the hell is going on here, Du Wei? I thought you brought us here for a business meeting! If you¡¯re doing this to purposefully damage our family¡¯s reputation, this means war!" One of them said to him.

    "W-Wait! I also don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on here! Du Bai! Du Hai! Exin yourselves!" Du Wei immediately turned to his sons for answers.

    However, the Du Brothers didn¡¯t know of Madam Feng or why their father was angry at them.

    "What? We didn¡¯t do anything! He¡¯s the one who¡¯s wrong! He¡¯s the one we have been looking for! That person who insulted our Du Family and assaulted us! You said that you¡¯d take care of him once we find him!" Du Bai said as he pointed at Yuan.

    Du Wei turned to look at Yuan, who was emitting the aura of a Spirit Grandmaster, his heart trembling with shock and disbelief.

    A Spirit Grandmaster had assaulted the Du Brothers? If that was the case, they wouldn¡¯t even be alive! Furthermore, he didn¡¯t even recognize this Spirit Grandmaster!

    "You told me that he was a Spirit Warrior! And that he¡¯d attacked you only because you were from the Du Family! You mentioned nothing about a Spirit Grandmaster! As if a Spirit Grandmaster would go out of his way to bully you idiots if you didn¡¯t do anything wrong in the first ce!" Du Wei shouted at them, feeling a headacheing.

    "What? Spirit Grandmaster?" The Du Brothers were shocked upon hearing this.

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    They were certain that Yuan was a Spirit Warrior when they fought. How did he suddenly be a Spirit Grandmaster in such a short time when they have only managed to increase their own cultivation base by a single level?

    "Regardless of what happened between my Young Master and your children in the past, it¡¯s clear who¡¯s in the wrong right now. We were having a peaceful meal, yet they came in here barking like wild dogs, disturbing our peace. Even worse, he¡¯d insulted my Young Master while telling me to follow him like some kind of servant. Is the Du Family asking me, Feng Yuxiang, to lower my head and be a servant of the Du Family?" Feng Yuxiang asked him in a cold voice.

    "T-The Du Family does not dare!" Du Wei quickly said.

    Then he turned to look at his sons with an enraged expression.

    "Get on your knees and apologize to Madam Feng and everyone here! I will personally take care of you two once we get back to the house!"

    "W-What? But¡ª"

    Du Bai wanted to say that this wasn¡¯t his fault, but before he could even speak, Du Wei flicked his arm and pped Du Bai in the face.

    "Get on your knees and apologize!" Du Wei repeated.

    Du Baiid on the floor with disbelief on his face. This is the first time his father had hit him.

    When Du Hai saw his brother getting hit, he knew this was serious and he quickly kneeled on the ground before Yuan and the others.

    "I apologize for everything. Please forgive me."

    Du Bai followed his brother a momentter and kneeled beside Du Hai.

    "I apologize." Du Bai spoke in a forceful voice, clearly unwilling to apologize.

    However, when Du Wei saw this, he suddenly extended his arms with an open palm, striking Du Bai in the back the next moment.

    "Ah!"

    Du Bai released a painful cry before coughing up a mouthful of blood, feeling the cultivation inside his Dantian escaping his body.

    In a single and decisive strike, Du Wei had crippled his own son¡¯s cultivation.

    "Du Bai!" Du Hai was shocked when he saw this, and he turned to look at his father with a fearful look on his face.

    "F-Father... you..." Du Bai also stared at him in shock.

    Du Wei ignored them and turned to look at Feng Yuxiang before bowing to her.

    "If that wasn¡¯t enough, I am willing to kill him. Please, spare the Du Family, Madam Feng."

    "Uhh..."

    Feng Yuxiang was not really that surprised by Du Wei¡¯s actions. If this was before she began following Yuan, she might have even wanted Du Bai¡¯s head. However, now that she¡¯s following Yuan, and knowing his character, she knew that he wouldn¡¯t let her kill the Du Brothers.

    Thus, she turned to look at Yuan, who was standing there silently, clearly surprised by what had just urred. Everything had happened so fast, and it ended before he could even react.

    Yuan said after a moment of silence, "There¡¯s no need to kill him. You have already done enough."

    Although he didn¡¯t show it on his face, Yuan was pretty appalled that Du Wei would go to such lengths to please another individual. He couldn¡¯tprehend the idea of killing one¡¯s own son to make an apology.

    "My Young Master has spoken! You can now stop bothering us and scram!" Feng Yuxiang then said.

    "Thank you for your mercy, Madam Feng and Young Master." Du Wei bowed to them again before turning to look at the Spirit Master working for their family.

    "Pick up the trash and let¡¯s go!"

    After saying that, Du Wei left the restaurant with the others whilst the Spirit Master carried the Du Brothers away like previously.

    "I deeply apologize for that just now, esteemed guests. We¡¯ll clean up the ce immediately." The manager said to them.

    A worker came to clean the blood from the floor a few momentster.

    Once the room was clean again, the manager and the other workers left the room, leaving Yuan and the others alone.

 Chapter 438 The Right Choice

    "I think I¡¯ve lost my appetite..." Yuan sighed a few minutes after the Du Family left the scene.

    "What¡¯s the matter, Young Master?" Feng Yuxiang asked him even though she had an idea.

    "I cannot understand why he did that... Did he really have to cripple his own son to make an apology? He was even prepared to kill his own son!"

    After a moment of silence, Feng Yuxiang opened her mouth and said, "Because he had to make a choice¡ª his own son or his entire family."

    "The cultivation world is a ce where one can have their entire family destroyed because a mere servant had offended someone they couldn¡¯t afford to offend. In Du Wei¡¯s mind, his family was in jeopardy because of his son¡¯s action. Therefore, in order to get rid of the problem, he decided to get rid of the one who caused the trouble in the first ce."

    "This is a verymon thing in the cultivation world, Young Master. You shouldn¡¯t think too much about it. There are people out there who would be willing to take even their own life in order to please someone."

    Before Yuan could even respond to Feng Yuxiang, almost as though she could read his mind, Xiao Hua said, "Brother Yuan, there are unreasonable people out there who would go to the extreme and ughter an entire family because they didn¡¯t like the way a person looked at them. The upper heavens are filled with people like that."

    Yuan closed his mouth after hearing Xiao Hua¡¯s words, as he was going to ask why someone would destroy an entire family over something so minor.

    "In my opinion, what Du Wei did was the right choice. He knew that he couldn¡¯t offend me, much less an unknown Spirit Grandmaster like you. Forget about me, the Young Master can destroy the entire Du Family with his current prowess." Feng Yuxiang said.

    "But I wouldn¡¯t do something like that."

    "Of course. We know the Young Master is a benevolent being. However, Du Wei didn¡¯t know that, and he wasn¡¯t going to risk his entire family just to find out."

    And she continued, "The Du Family is a top family in the Lower Heavens for a reason. They know how to survive. In fact, every top family in the Nine Heavens must first learn to survive. If they cannot do that, they would¡¯ve long been destroyed."

    "I understand." Yuan nodded.

    Sometimeter, they decided to leave the restaurant.

    When Yuan tried to pay the bill, the manager politely refused their money and said that it was on the house. After learning that there were Spirit Grandmasters amongst them, the manager no longer dared to ept their money.

    After leaving the restaurant, Yuan wasn¡¯t sure what he should do, as he¡¯d nned on eating at more than one restaurant before returning to Meixiu.

    However, with his appetite ruined, his ns also had to change.

    After pondering for some time, Yuan turned to look at Feng Yuxiang and said to her, "Feng Feng, can you train with me for a bit?"

    "Train? With the Young Master?" Feng Yuxiang expressed surprise.

    He nodded and said, "I have been using the movement technique you taught me for a while now, but I realized that I could only use it properly on the ground. In the air, I am very vulnerable. And I feel like working out a little after eating so much food."

    After what he experienced in the Shadow Realm, Yuan realized that he was having trouble dodging attacks while in the air.

    Feng Yuxiang chuckled and said, "Young Master, the movement technique is actually much more powerful when used in the air. After all, it¡¯s a technique meant for phoenixes. It¡¯s just that you haven¡¯t reached that level yet, so you can only use it on the ground."

    "Let me see where you¡¯re at right now with the technique first."

    Yuan nodded, and they proceeded to leave the city to find an empty area out in the wild where they can practice freely.

    It took about ten minutes before they found the perfect spot.

    "Alright, Young Master, I am going to attack you and you¡¯re going to dodge it with the movement technique. I will start slow. Let me know when you¡¯re ready." Feng Yuxiang picked up a random stick on the ground and treated it like a sword.

    Yuan took a deep breath before nodding his head.

    "I am ready."

    "Here Ie!"

    Feng Yuxiang kicked her feet and instantly closed their distance, then she swung the wooden stick in her grasp as though it was a sword.

    Yuan was surprised by Feng Yuxiang¡¯s speed at first, but he was able to dodge her strike perfectly.

    However, Feng Yuxiang didn¡¯t stop after the first strike and continued to attack him with the wooden stick, increasing her speed and making moreplex movements as time went on.

    Xiao Hua and Lan Yingying watched them practice in the distance as spectators.

    Although Xiao Hua didn¡¯t show any reactions, Lan Yingying was greatly impressed by their practice, as this is her first time witnessing such intensive sparring.

    Of course, the one who was most surprised there was Feng Yuxiang.

    ¡¯Heavens... How long has it been since he learned the movement technique? It took me years of practice to reach this stage, yet it¡¯s only been a couple of weeks since he learned the technique! Furthermore, he probably achieved all of this while he was inside the Mystic Realm because I have yet to see him practice this technique while I am with him!¡¯

    It took less than a minute before Feng Yuxiang realized how much Yuan had progressed with the technique, and she thought to herself, ¡¯How interesting! Let me experience your talents firsthand, Young Master!¡¯

    A smile suddenly appeared on Feng Yuxiang¡¯s beautiful face, and her movement speed doubled the next moment.

    "Whoa!"

    Feng Yuxiang¡¯s sudden increase in speed caught Yuan off guard, allowing her to connect a hit on his body, but Yuan quickly adjusted himself and continued to dodge the next few attacks.

    However, Yuan was no longer dodging Feng Yuxiang¡¯s attacks with ease, and he quickly began to sweat.

    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡¯Feng Feng... She¡¯s strong!¡¯ Yuan cried inwardly.

 Chapter 439 Training With Feng Yuxiang

    "Haaa... haaa... haaa..."

    Yuanid on the soft ground with his body covered in sweat while panting in an exhausted manner.

    They have only been training for about half an hour, but Yuan was already at his limit, feeling even more exhausted than when he fought many experts continuously at the Ancient Dragon City.

    Towards the end of their practice, Yuan was getting hit so often that Feng Yuxiang was practicallynding every single hit on him, and even though Yuan made improvements to this movement technique, it was still not nearly enough to avoid Feng Yuxiang who was always a step ahead of him.

    "Are you finished already, Young Master?" Feng Yuxiang asked him with apletely calm appearance and not a single drop of sweat on her body, looking like she just took a stroll in the park.

    "Feng Feng, you¡¯re stronger than I thought," Yuan said to her.

    "Thank you for thepliment, Young Master. Even with my cultivation suppressed, my techniques are as sharp as ever," she said.

    "We should have a serious spar in the future, Feng Feng. Even though training with you is fun, it¡¯s not satisfying enough." Yuan said as he sat up after resting enough.

    "Hehe... If you want to fight me, you should improve your movement technique even more, Young Master." Feng Yuxiang chuckled.

    "Anyways, you have exceeded my expectations in terms of your progression with the movement technique. At this rate, you¡¯ll probably be able to start using the movement technique in the air in a few months. By the way, it took me a few hundred years to reach that level and many thousand more to master it."

    "I look forward to that day." Yuan nodded.

    Feng Yuxiang then said, "I also noticed something else during our training. Young Master, you may be incredibly talented, learning everything at a rapid rate, but you stillck experience. Although your execution with the techniques is wless, you¡¯re still amateurish in terms of actualbat, and that is not something you can easily learn even with your talents."

    "Furthermore, the Young Master is used to one-shotting all of his opponents, so you¡¯re actually very weak in extended fights."

    "What do you suggest, Feng Feng?" Yuan asked her, as he agreed with everything she¡¯d just said.

    "That¡¯s simple. We can spar with each other, and you don¡¯t have to worry about defeating me with a single hit, so you can somewhat go all out. Just don¡¯t use your Dragon¡¯s Gaze or that suppressing domain since that¡¯s basically cheating." Feng Yuxiang said.

    "Of course, that is not to say you shouldn¡¯t use it during actualbat since it would be for the best if you finished the fight as soon as possible. However, for practice purposes, let¡¯s not use it."

    "Okay." Yuan nodded.

    Yuan proceeded to spend the next hour recovering his energy.

    Once he was prepared to move again, Yuan and Feng Yuxiang continued to practice with each other.

    However, this time, Feng Yuxiang allowed Yuan to use his weapon, and Feng Yuxiang also retrieved a weapon of her own.

    Feng Yuxiang waved around the red sword in her hand casually and asked him, "Are you ready, Young Master?"

    "Yes."

    The moment Yuan nodded his head, Feng Yuxiang approached him and began attacking him with the sword.

    Yuan immediately used the Empyrean Overlord to block the attack, but Feng Yuxiang¡¯s strike suddenly changed directions and avoided his sword, almost like she¡¯d anticipated it.

    Yuan was surprised and subconsciously used the movement technique to dodge her strike, barely avoiding it.

    "Your reaction is quite admirable, but if you had more experience, you would¡¯ve been able to block that attack without needing to avoid it with your body." Feng Yuxiang said as she sent the next attack.

    Once again, right as her sword was about to touch Yuan¡¯s de, it seemingly disappeared from its location before appearing on the other side and flying straight at Yuan¡¯s neck.

    This time, Yuan managed to react properly and went to block it with the Empyrean Overlord.

    However, Feng Yuxiang¡¯s sword disappeared for a second time, and by the time Yuan realized this, it was already kissing his neck.

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    Yuan swallowed nervously when he realized that he would¡¯ve died if Feng Yuxiang didn¡¯t stop her attack at thest moment.

    "Young Master, there are some things you cannot ovee with pure strength. Before an experienced cultivator, you may not be at an advantage even if you have a higher cultivation base." Feng Yuxiang said to him as she retrieved the sword from his neck.

    Yuan was speechless.

    This is the first time he¡¯s felt so powerless before someone. Even though it was a spar and he wasn¡¯t using his full strength, that was the same for Feng Yuxiang.

    After giving Yuan some time to prepare himself again, Feng Yuxiang began attacking him again.

    Ding! Ding! Ding!

    Feng Yuxiang didn¡¯t use her disappearing sword strikes without stopping and would purposefully let Yuan block her attacks at times, but whenever she would see an opening, she would use that to her advantage and corner Yuan in a decisive moment.

    In just ten minutes of practice, Feng Yuxiang had ¡¯killed¡¯ Yuan over a dozen times.

    "Are you ready to give up yet, Young Master?" Feng Yuxiang asked him with a somewhat smug look on her beautiful face.

    "N-Not yet! Let¡¯s keep going!" Yuan wiped the sweat off his face and prepared himself again.

    "That¡¯s what I like to hear!"

    Yuan was so absorbed in his training with Feng Yuxiang that he¡¯dpletely forgotten about Meixiu. However, Meixiu was also absorbed in her cultivation, and they both missed dinner without even realizing it until it was already morning the next day.

    "Oh! Ipletely forgot to log off!" Yuan panicked when he realized this, as it hasn¡¯t been long since hisst mistake.

    Thus, Yuan logged off on the spot.

    However, when he realized that Meixiu also hadn¡¯t logged off, he returned to the game and then to the Cultivators¡¯ Haven with the others.

 Chapter 440 Fierce Beauty

    After returning to the Cultivators¡¯ Haven, Yuan went straight to the top floor to see if Meixiu was still cultivating, and just as he¡¯d expected, the door to her cultivation room was still closed shut.

    Although he wanted to go inside to make sure, he didn¡¯t have the key, as it was inside the room with Meixiu.

    "I probably shouldn¡¯t disturb Meixiu if she¡¯s still cultivating, right?" Yuan asked Xiao Hua.

    She nodded and said, "That would be very dangerous, as disturbing someone that¡¯s absorbed in cultivation could be harmful. There are even cases where some cultivators have been crippled after being disturbed during their breakthroughs. This is why cultivators must find a secure and peaceful ce before they begin their cultivation."

    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    "Crippled? That¡¯s definitely not good. I guess we can only wait outside until she¡¯s done." Yuan said as he took a seat directly in front of the door to Meixiu¡¯s room.

    Unbeknownst to them, inside the room, Meixiu was actually experiencing enlightenment, hence why she became oblivious to the time.

    In the blink of an eye, two days have passed since Meixiu entered the Cultivators¡¯ Haven.

    "She¡¯s taking longer than I¡¯d expected... It¡¯s already been two days. I hope she¡¯s fine inside." Yuan sighed, and he wondered inwardly, ¡¯Is this what Meixiu felt when I didn¡¯te out of the game for three whole days? Now that I have experienced it for myself, it certainly doesn¡¯t feel good, and I don¡¯t me her for worrying.¡¯

    "If Brother Yuan is that worried, why don¡¯t you take a look inside with your Divine Sense?" Xiao Hua said to him in a calm voice, clearly aware of what was happening inside the room.

    "Oh, right! I forgot I could do that!"

    Yuan immediately closed his eyes and activated his Divine Sense that prated the door and walls in the Cultivators¡¯ Haven.

    "Oh, I can see Meixiu. She looks fine to me." Yuan released a sigh of relief after seeing that she was perfectly fine inside.

    "Wait, what¡¯s this weird aura around her? It feels familiar." Yuan suddenly noticed the unfathomable aura around Meixiu.

    "She is currently experiencing enlightenment," said Xiao Hua.

    "Enlightenment? No wonder..." Yuan mumbled.

    Now that he found out the reason for Meixiu¡¯s dy, Yuan no longer needed to use his Divine Sense. However, right as he prepared to retract his Divine Sense, for some reason, he looked inside the other two rooms that were upied by someone else.

    One of them was a middle-aged man who emitted the aura of a peak Spirit Warrior.

    The other person was a youngdy with a fairly unique appearance. Long hair that touched the ground, and a golden color made it look as though her silky hair was silk made of gold. Furthermore, she was wearing a pair of luxurious-looking robes, making it seem like she was royalty.

    However, what Yuan found the most interesting about this youngdy was her cultivation base¡ª or herck of cultivation base.

    Despite being a Spirit Grandmaster, he was unable to see this young girl¡¯s cultivation base, and she looked to be around his age.

    Unless this youngdy had a much higher cultivation base than him, which was unlikely, Yuan couldn¡¯t figure out why he couldn¡¯t see her cultivation base.

    "Xiao Hua, howe I cannot see that girl¡¯s cultivation base?" He decided to ask the expert.

    Surely, a Spirit King like Xiao Hua would be able to see her cultivation base, right?

    Xiao Hua used her Divine Sense to look at the person Yuan was talking about for a moment before speaking, "That girl is using a cultivation technique to hide her cultivation base, and it¡¯s a fairly powerful one because even Xiao Hua cannot see her cultivation base."

    "Even you cannot see her cultivation base?" Yuan was more surprised than Xiao Hua herself, and he wondered whether this youngdy was an NPC or a yer like him.

    Suddenly, the mysterious young girl opened her eyelids, revealing a beautiful pair of azure-colored eyes, and she looked to the ceiling with a deep frown on her face, seemingly unhappy about something.

    She then stood up and proceeded to leave the room in heavy and angry steps.

    Once she was outside, she turned to look at Yuan before pointing at him and shouting, "Hey! I am trying to cultivate here! How dare you peek at me while I cultivate?! Did your parents not teach you any manners?!"

    "Uhh..."

    Yuan was speechless when this fierce-looking beauty suddenly started yelling at him.

    "You¡¯re lucky I wasn¡¯t having a breakthrough, or I would¡¯ve smashed your face in by now!" The fierce beauty continued.

    "I-I apologize for peeking at you. My curiosity got the better of me." Yuan quickly said to her, as he recognized that he was wrong in this situation.

    "What a rude kid¡ª"

    The fiercedy suddenly stopped in the middle of her sentence, and her eyes widened in a surprised manner.

    "Now that I look at you closely, why are you emitting the aura of a dragon? Are you a dragon?" The fierce beauty suddenly asked him.

    "No, I am not." Yuan shook his head.

    "Then why... Forget it. If you dare peek at me again, I will smash your skull." The fierce beauty said to him before returning to her room and closing it shut.

    "I have never seen anyone as fierce as her before..." Yuan mumbled after she left.

    Feng Yuxiang¡¯s voice suddenly resounded, "Young Master, that youngdy... she¡¯s from one of the Four Ancient Families."

    "What? Really? How can you tell?" Yuan asked her.

    "Her clothes. I have met with people from the Four Ancient Families before, so I know a little about them, and judging by that youngdy¡¯s clothes, she belongs to the Azure Dragon Family." Feng Yuxiang exined.

    "Azure Dragon Family? Are they anything like the dragons in the Ancient Dragon City?" Yuan asked, his interest piqued.

    "Well... I don¡¯t know anything about the Ancient Dragon City, but judging by what you told us about them, they should be real dragons. The Azure Dragon Family, however, are not really dragons. Instead, they are half-dragons." Feng Yuxiang said.

    "Half-dragons? What¡¯s the difference?" Yuan continued to ask.

 Chapter 441 Four Ancient Families

    "Someone who is a half-dragon is usually a human with dragon blood mixed within their blood. They¡¯re not really dragons, but they have the power of dragons." Feng Yuxiang exined to him.

    "I see... That exins her unique appearance. A half-dragon, huh? Does this mean there are also half-phoenixes and half-serpents out there as well?" Yuan then asked.

    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    "That¡¯s correct." Feng Yuxiang said.

    "By the way, you said the Four Ancient Families, right? I remember hearing about them at the Dragon Essence Temple. How do they differ from the Seven Legacy Families?" Yuan continued to ask, as he found these powerful families that have existed for thousands of years to be very interesting.

    "Yes, they¡¯re simr to the Seven Legacy Families in the way that they¡¯re only branches of the main family somewhere in the upper heavens. However,pared to the Seven Legacy Families, the Four Ancient Families are far superior in terms of prowess and influence in the Nine Heavens."

    "While the Seven Legacy Families would have at most two or three Spirit Grandmasters in each family, the Four Ancient Families have at least 7 Spirit Grandmasters in each family. Furthermore, they have near inexhaustible resourcespared to the Seven Legacy Families."

    "However, unlike the Seven Legacy Families that enjoy being in the spotlight, the Four Ancient Families are very secluded and private. They won¡¯t make an appearance unless absolutely necessary."

    "Then what is someone from the Four Ancient Families doing in this ce?" Yuan then asked.

    "She¡¯s probably doing her trial."

    "Trial?"

    "Members of the Four Ancient Families are required to leave the family after they reach a certain age to go on a trial. The trial differs from person to person, but if they are unable to pass the trial in 10 years, they are forced to leave the family, and their cultivation will be crippled before they leave. However, if they pass the trial, they will be allowed to ascend to the next world."

    "Crippled and forced to leave the family if they fail the trial? That¡¯s even stricter than the Seven Legacy Families..." Yuan was speechless upon hearing this, and he wondered why there are so many families like this in the cultivation world.

    It was at this moment the door behind him suddenly opened, and Meixiu came running outside in a panicked manner.

    "Yuan?!"

    Meixiu didn¡¯t expect Yuan to be sitting right in front of the door and fell on top of him.

    "Are you okay?" Yuan said to her who was on top of him, and he could feel two round and soft sensations pressing against his body.

    Meixiu quickly got off his body and stood up with a flushed face.

    "Looks like you¡¯re finally done with your cultivation. It¡¯s been two days, you know?" Yuan said to her in a calm manner.

    "I-I am so sorry! I don¡¯t know what happened, but it didn¡¯t feel that long when I was cultivating! I thought only a couple of hours had passed at most!" Meixiu¡¯s habits as a servant kicked in, causing her to lower her body until she was bowing to Yuan.

    "It¡¯s okay, Meixiu. What you experienced is called enlightenment. You easily lose track of time when you¡¯re in that state, so I don¡¯t me you. It also happened to me before, so we can call it even with this." Yuan said with a smile on his face.

    When Meixiu got out of her enlightenment and saw how much time she had left in the room, she almost thought that she was dreaming, so she logged off to see the time, and sure enough, two whole days have passed since she started cultivating.

    In other words, she didn¡¯t cook food for two straight days, leaving Yuan to starve.

    This is definitely the biggest blunder she has made in her entire life thus far.

    Sometimeter, they logged off once Meixiu calmed down.

    After cooking the meal, she went to Yuan¡¯s room whilst still feeling guilty.

    "I¡¯m sorry, Yuan..." She apologized to him again as she fed him the food.

    "Don¡¯t worry about it," Yuan said.

    "Cultivation... It¡¯s dangerous... Especially if this happens again..." Meixiu sighed in a worried voice.

    "I don¡¯t think you have to worry about that since enlightenment doesn¡¯t happen often. I heard that some people even live their whole life without experiencing enlightenment a single time, and those who have already experienced enlightenment most likely won¡¯t experience it again." Yuan exined to her.

    "Is that so..." Meixiu was relieved to hear this.

    "What cultivation are you now after two whole days of cultivation?" Yuan asked her a momentter.

    "Ninth level Spirit Apprentice," she said.

    "Peak Spirit Apprentice already?" Yuan was surprised by her progress.

    "Are you going to try cultivating in the real world now? You might be able to do it since you have plenty of experience now."

    "I will tryter."

    And she continued, "By the way, how do you improve Soul Strength?"

    "Soul Strength? Doesn¡¯t it increase as you improve your cultivation?" Yuan said, as he would get Soul Strength alongside other stats every time he had a breakthrough.

    "Although the other stats have improved, my Soul Strength hasn¡¯t increased since I started cultivation, and I was just wondering if it requires a special method to train that," Meixiu said.

    "Well... I know that you can improve your Soul Strength with Soul Techniques and treasures, but I¡¯m not sure why your Soul Strength isn¡¯t increasing. Maybe it has something to do with your physique? We can ask Xiao Hua and the others tomorrow."

    "Okay."

    Sometimeter, after they finished their meal, Meixiu went to her room and tried to cultivate.

    As for Yuan, he also started cultivating.

    Inside her room, Meixiu sat in the lotus position on the floor since the bed was soft and uneven, and she was used to cultivating on a hard surface.

    After taking a deep breath and clearing her mind, Meixiu began reciting the Spirit Severing Technique inside her head, and to her surprise, she was able to remember the technique very easily, unlike previously when she couldn¡¯t even recall the technique no matter how much she tried.

 Chapter 442 Increase In Crime and Violence

    When Meixiu began cultivating, a small wind picked up in her room despite the closed window, and it swirled around her as though it was trying tomunicate with her.

    About an hourter, Meixiu felt a refreshing sensation spread throughout her body, almost as though she just took a cool bath on a burning day.

    It felt just like when she first became a cultivator in Cultivation Online, but it also felt much more intense.

    "I am a cultivator now?" Meixiu looked at her own hands.

    Besides feeling more energetic than before, there wasn¡¯t much change to her body.

    Meixiu stood up before taking out some dumbbells from underneath her bed.

    Because she has to carry Yuan whenever he needs to leave the bed or go somewhere, Meixiu has to keep herself in shape so that she would be able to lift Yuan without any trouble. Not to mention that it was also physically taxing to be a servant of the Yu Family.

    Meixiu began picking up the weights to test her new profound strength, and to her surprise, she could barely feel the weight of the dumbbells, almost like she was picking up feathers.

    "Even the 20kg dumbbell feels as light as a broom." Meixiu tossed the dumbbell in the air as though it was nothing.

    Meixiu felt the urge to tell Yuan that she¡¯d seeded in her cultivation and became a cultivator, but she didn¡¯t want to disturb him, so she decided to wait until tomorrow during breakfast.

    Sometimeter, Meixiu returned to sitting on the floor and continued to cultivate some more.

    Although it took her only a couple of hours to breakthrough multiple times in Cultivation Online, that was not the case in the real world.

    Perhaps it was due to ack of spiritual energy in the air, or perhaps it¡¯s because the cultivation techniques are not as effective in the real world, but it was clear that she would not be able to replicate her cultivation speed in Cultivation Online in the real world.

    The following morning, Meixiu revealed to Yuan about her breakthrough during breakfast.

    "Really? Congrattions, Meixiu! It had taken me a couple of weeks before I could be a cultivator, so you¡¯re already ahead of me in that sense." Yuan said to her.

    "Thank you."

    "What are you going to do now, Meixiu?" Yuan asked her.

    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.

    "I¡¯m going to spend a couple of days cultivating in the real world to catch up with everyone," she said.

    And she continued, "I just saw the news. There has been a rise in crimes and violence ever since the world learned that cultivation is real. It would be dangerous if I go out there without being prepared."

    "What? A rise in crimes and violence? That doesn¡¯t sound good at all. What¡¯s happening out there?" Yuan asked.

    "Too many things, to be honest." Meixiu sighed.

    "The most notable change would be how the government ns on dealing with cultivation and cultivators. With the existence of cultivators, the government has decided to step in to regte it. If you be a cultivator, you will have to register as a cultivator in some database. We don¡¯t have to worry about that for now since they are still preparing for it, but it will soon be aw that all cultivators must register as one or they¡¯ll be fined or even jailed, as the government wants to keep track of the number of cultivators in the world."

    "They also n on making sure that only qualified people are able to cultivate because they don¡¯t want some people to have too much power, especially the bad people. It¡¯s only been a couple of days since people started cultivating and violence has already gone up by a lot. One can only imagine what will happen a month from now when there are even more cultivators."

    "I see... It makes sense to regte cultivation since it would definitely be bad if the violent and unreasonable ones be cultivators and start abusing their power. I have already experienced this in Cultivation Online, and it¡¯s not a pleasant experience." Yuan said.

    "It¡¯s impossible for the government to stop everyone from cultivating since Cultivation Online is already widespread with billions of active yers. It¡¯s not like they can stop everyone from ying the game, either." Meixiu then said.

    "Anything else besides the government regting cultivation?" Yuan asked a momentter.

    "Yes. This maye as a surprise, but there are already people creating cultivation schools that are dedicated to people who wish to study cultivation or be a cultivator," she said.

    "What? Cultivation schools? Like sects?" Yuan was speechless.

    It hasn¡¯t been long since people started cultivating and there are already people creating sects?

    "Yes, and the schools will provide cultivation techniques to all students. Of course, it won¡¯t be for free."

    "Hmm... That¡¯s interesting..." Yuan said.

    "Interesting? You¡¯re interested in these cultivation schools?" Meixiu asked him.

    "Of course. I wonder how they¡¯ll differ from the sects in Cultivation Online."

    A few momentster, Meixiu continued, "Oh, influential families around the world are also recruiting talented cultivators. They are not only giving away arge amount of money, but they also promise those who join Earth-rank cultivation techniques. Some are even offering Heaven-rank cultivation techniques."

    "Not only schools but even other families are recruiting cultivators? The world adapted to cultivation quicker than I¡¯d expected." Yuan mumbled, and he wondered if the Yu Family was also recruiting cultivators.

    Sometimeter, Meixiu returned to her own room whilst Yuan returned to Cultivation Online.

    However, Yuan didn¡¯t stay inside the game for long, as he only went inside to let Xiao Hua and the others know that he won¡¯t be returning for a while.

    After all, even if they are NPCs, Yuan didn¡¯t want them to worry about him if he doesn¡¯t show up for a few days or even weeks so that he could focus on cultivation in the real world.

    "The world is changing much quicker than I¡¯d initially thought. I must also quickly recover so that I can be there for Yu Rou and Meixiu if anything ever happens to them..."

    With this in mind, Yuan took a deep breath and began absorbing the spiritual energy in the world.

 Chapter 443 The Future of the Yu Family

    After eating dinner and brushing her teeth, Yu Rou returned to her own room to spend the rest of the night cultivating.

    The following morning, right before sunrise, Yu Rou experienced a breakthrough in her cultivation, reaching 2nd level Spirit Apprentice.

    "I haven¡¯t slept for a few days now, yet I don¡¯t even feel tired or sleepy. Cultivation is such a miraculous thing." Yu Rou sighed to herself afterward.

    "I wonder how Meixiu and brother are doing. They should be awake now for breakfast."

    Yu Rou decided to call them on her phone.

    "Hello?" Meixiu answered the phone after three rings.

    "How¡¯s it going, Meixiu? Have you started cultivating yet? I just reached the 2nd level, but it took longer than I¡¯d expected¡ª at leastpared to Cultivation Online."

    "Yes, I have also started to cultivate a few days ago." Meixiu¡¯s voice resounded from the phone.

    "Really? Congrattions!" Yu Rou said.

    And she asked, "Also, you¡¯re with Brother Tian in Cultivation Online, right? What are you two doing right now?"

    "We have decided to take a break from Cultivation Online to focus on cultivation in the real world," Meixiu said.

    "Eh? Really?"

    "Yes. With the increased crime and violence because of the cultivation thing, I have decided to spend some extra time preparing myself for the future." Meixiu said.

    Yu Rou was speechless after hearing this, and she mumbled in a low voice, "Now that you mention it... You are right... I didn¡¯t really think too much about it when I saw the news, but it looks like I should probably prepare myself just in case things get much worse."

    "Anyways, since you two are busy with cultivation, I won¡¯t bother you too much. Just call me when you are finished so that we can y together in Cultivation Online, okay? It¡¯s been a while since I have seen you two, after all."

    "Okay. I will call you when we n on ying again." Meixiu said.

    After hanging up the phone, Yu Rou proceeded to call Xia Jingyi.

    "I hope I¡¯m not bothering your cultivation." Yu Rou said after Xia Jingyi picked up the phone.

    "Not at all."

    "How¡¯s your cultivation going? Have you reached the second level yet?"

    "No, I haven¡¯t. What about you?"

    "Yes, I just reached it not long ago."

    "Wow! Congrattions, Sister Rou! There aren¡¯t many people who have reached the 2nd level! You¡¯re definitely a cultivation genius! Most of my friends are just entering the first level, yet you¡¯re already at the second level. I think I still need at least another week or two before I can reach the 2nd level."

    "Cultivation genius, huh?" A bittersweet smile appeared on Yu Rou¡¯s face.

    If she was considered a cultivation genius for reaching the 2nd level in a week, what would her brother Yu Tian, who has already reached Spirit Warrior, be considered? A cultivation god?

    "By the way, Sister Rou, have you heard about the cultivation schools and the cultivation factions?" Xia Jingyi suddenly asked.

    "Of course. My parents have already begun creating a faction for our family. They have also spent a couple of billions recently to acquire a Heaven-rank cultivation technique." Yu Rou said.

    "Heavens... Your family already has a Heaven-rank cultivation technique? My family was only able to acquire an Earth-rank cultivation technique." Xia Jingyi¡¯s disappointed voice resounded.

    And she continued, "This makes me wonder if there is anyone out there with a Divine-rank cultivation technique."

    Yu Rou chuckled and said, "Divine-rank cultivation techniques are simply too rare in the Lower Heavens. We¡¯ll probably have to ascend to Spirit Heaven before we can even start thinking about Divine-grade techniques."

    "Oh yeah? I am willing to bet yer Yuan has a Divine-rank cultivation technique!" Xia Jingyi suddenly said.

    "yer Yuan?" Yu Rou smiled and said, "If someone has a Divine-rank technique, it¡¯d probably be him."

    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

    "If yer Yuan really has a Divine-rank cultivation technique, I wonder if he has tried to cultivate yet, and if he is already a cultivator, what level has he managed to achieve with it by now..."

    "I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if he¡¯s already a Spirit Warrior." Yu Rou said with a teasing smile on her face.

    "Spirit Warrior? As much as I admire yer Yuan, I think it¡¯s impossible for someone to be a Spirit Warrior already since cultivation is much slower in the real world due to theck of resources even if they have a Divine-rank cultivation technique." Xia Jingyi said.

    Sometimeter, Xia Jingyi asked, "Sister Rou, what time are you going to y Cultivation Online today?"

    "I¡¯m going to take a few days off to focus on my cultivation." Yu Rou said, and she proceeded to exin to Xia Jingyi her reason for doing so.

    "I see... That makes perfect sense. Alright, I will also follow this advice and focus on my real cultivation for now. I don¡¯t want to be bullied by someone stronger, after all."

    "I¡¯ll talk to youter, Sister Rou."

    "Definitely."

    After hanging up the phone, Yu Rou went to eat breakfast before returning to her room to spend the rest of the day cultivating.

    And with everyone focused on improving their real cultivation, a week passed by in the blink of an eye.

    *Knock* *Knock*

    "Youngdy, the Masters have summoned you to the main house." A servant knocked on the door to Yu Rou¡¯s room.

    Yu Rou stopped her cultivation and stood up to open the door.

    "Let them know that I am on my way," she said.

    Sometimeter, after taking a quick shower and dressing up properly, Yu Rou traveled to the Yu Family¡¯s main house where her parents were waiting.

    Once Yu Rou met up with her parents at the main house, they brought her to anotherrge building that was almost just as big as Yu Rou¡¯s house a few miles away from the main house, and inside this building were multiple rooms with hundreds offortable beds lined up with the console required to y Cultivation Online set up for each bed.

    "What is this?" Yu Rou asked them.

    "This is the future of our Yu Family and thepany." Tang Lee said with a confident smile on her face, and she continued, "It will also be where all of our yers will be living and ying starting today."

    Author¡¯s Note: Check out ¡¯Hero¡¯s Carnage¡¯, my other novel.

 Chapter 444 Cultivators Association

    "Everyone?" Yu Rou raised her eyebrows.

    Despite the luxurious background, the atmosphere of this ce was a little suffocating, and Yu Rou felt like she was in a hospital or something simr.

    "As you already know, we have acquired a Heaven-rank cultivation technique recently. This is where those who decide to join our Yu Family will get to practice the cultivation technique. Of course, we don¡¯t want them running away with our technique, so we¡¯ll have them cultivate in this ce." Yu Yong said.

    He then turned to look at Yu Rou and asked her, "What is your cultivation base right now?"

    "Second Level Spirit Apprentice," she responded in a calm voice.

    "Mmm. Not bad considering that you¡¯d started only a week ago." Yu Yong nodded his head before continuing to speak, "We have sent out the applications yesterday, and in less than 24 hours, we have received over a thousand requests to join our family with most of them being at the second level and a couple at the third level. In fact, we even have someone at the fourth level."

    "What? Someone has already reached the fourth level already?" Yu Rou was surprised to hear this.

    Yu Yong nodded and said, "This person has been cultivating in secrecy even before the world knew that we could cultivate in the real world, so he¡¯s ahead of the majority of cultivators currently."

    "Oh, that makes sense." Yu Rou didn¡¯t say anything else.

    "Anyways, we called you here today to let you experience the Heaven-rank cultivation technique that we acquired recently. You only have the basic cultivation technique, right?"

    "Yes..." Yu Rou nodded.

    "Go pick whichever bed you want and enter Cultivation Online. Meet me at Lu City so that I can hand you the cultivation technique." Yu Yong said to her.

    "Okay." Yu Rou nodded.

    Although she had nned on letting Yuan find a better cultivation technique for her, since he will be busy for a while, she will have to rely on her family for a better cultivation technique for now. Furthermore, this new cultivation technique should help boost her cultivation speed in the real world as well.

    Thus, Yu Rou entered the game and traveled to Lu City before meeting with Yu Yong.

    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    Inside the game, Yu Yong and Yu Rou went to a Cultivators¡¯ Haven so that Yu Rou could learn the cultivation technique safely.

    "Do you need a key for this ce?" Yu Yong asked her.

    "No, I already have one," she said.

    After they arrived at the highest floor in the ce, Yu Yong handed the cultivation technique to her and said with a solemn face, "Don¡¯t lose this. It cost us a fortune to acquire it. If you lose it, we¡¯ll sell you to make up for the losses."

    Yu Rou didn¡¯t show any reaction and nodded silently.

    "Let me know when you¡¯ve learned the cultivation technique so that we can start training the people in our family." Yu Yong said to her before entering one of the rooms to cultivate.

    Once Yu Rou entered the room and the door closed, she began trying toprehend the Heaven-rank cultivation technique.

    A weekter, Yu Rou emerged from her room with a happy expression on her face.

    "Finally! It took me an entire week to learn this cultivation technique!"

    Besides the martial technique she¡¯d gotten with Yuan¡¯s help, Yu Rou hasn¡¯t tried to learn another technique, hence why she was excited to finally learn something new even though it¡¯d taken her an entire week.

    Sometimeter, she met up with Yu Yong again to return the cultivation technique to him.

    "Now that you have a Heaven-rank cultivation technique, I expect significant improvements to your progress both in Cultivation Online and your real cultivation. Don¡¯t disappoint me." Yu Yong said to her after storing the cultivation technique inside a storage pouch.

    "I understand." Yu Rou nodded.

    Yu Rou logged off the game shortly after.

    ¡¯I can finally go home and sleep in my own bed...¡¯ Yu Rou sighed inwardly, as she had to stay in this ce until she learned the cultivation technique.

    However, before she could leave the ce, her mother, Tang Lee, stood before her.

    "Yu Rou, make sure you register yourself as a cultivator at the Cultivators¡¯ Association that waspleted just today within the next 90 days. If you don¡¯t and get caught, you¡¯ll be fined by the government and possibly go to jail." Tang Lee warned her.

    "Cultivators¡¯ Association? It¡¯s already finished? I wasn¡¯t expecting it for at least a few more weeks if not months," she said.

    The Cultivators¡¯ Association is a government-funded organization that was created to regte cultivation to a certain extent, and it has governments from around the world supporting it, quickly bing the strongest cultivation faction in the real world.

    Furthermore, not only does the Cultivators¡¯ Association regte cultivators, but they were also recruiting cultivators to assist them in maintaining public order just like the police forces.

    "I understand. I will try to register today." Yu Rou said.

    Thus, after leaving the ce, Yu Rou made her way to the Cultivators¡¯ Association that reced arge park in the middle of the city.

    Of course, the ce was crowded with people.

    "Maybe I shoulde back another day..." Yu Rou mumbled to herself before telling the driver to go back to her house, where she started cultivating with her new cultivation technique and seeing significant improvements to her progression.

    "No wonder why people are paying fortunes for better cultivation techniques... My speed almost doubled with this new cultivation technique!"

    Feeling excited about her new cultivation speed, Yu Rou proceeded to spend the entire day cultivating.

    Meanwhile, back at Yuan¡¯s apartment, Meixiu entered Yuan¡¯s room and said to him, "Yuan, the Cultivators¡¯ Association has beenpleted. We must register as a cultivator within the next 90 days or we¡¯ll be considered as illegal cultivators..."

    "We have 3 months? That¡¯s plenty of time." Yuan said.

    And he continued, "How¡¯s your cultivation going?"

    "I just reached the fifth level," she said in a calm voice.

    "Nice. I should be entering the eighth level after another week," he said.

    ¡¯Eight Level Spirit Warrior...¡¯ Meixiu sighed inwardly, wondering what might happen when he has to register his cultivation at the Cultivators¡¯ Association in the near future.

 Chapter 445 A New Rumor

    A little over a week after the Cultivators¡¯ Association was announced, over 100,000 cultivators from Yuan¡¯s city alone had registered as a cultivator with less than 1 percent of them also joining the Cultivators¡¯ Association.

    One percent may seem like very little, but the requirements to join the Cultivators¡¯ Association were not low, as one needed to be at least a Third Level Spirit Apprentice before they could even take the examination.

    After joining the Cultivators¡¯ Association, the cultivators are given a special badge and assigned to a certain location in the city where they will be working, almost like actual police but with higher pay and more authority.

    As for the number of cultivators that have registered at the Cultivators¡¯ Association worldwide, it reached 10 million people in less than a month.

    Meanwhile, Yuan had reached the Eighth Level Spirit Warrior and improved immensely for his condition¡ª to the point where he could push his upper body off the bed a few inches with his arms.

    However, despite his seemingly fit physique and feeling like he was overwhelming with energy, Yuan actually couldn¡¯t exert much strength, feeling like something was blocking him from utilizing his full potential.

    ¡¯Maybe Doctor Wang is right¡ª that I might be cursed.¡¯ Yuan sighed inwardly.

    Hopefully, he could sit up on the bed without external help by the time he enters the ninth level.

    Sometimeter, Meixiu entered his room and said, "Wang Xiuying said she¡¯ll be visitingter today for your checkup."

    Now that Wang Xiuying knew his identity as yer Yuan, she has pretty much reced Doctor Wang when ites to taking care of him such as the weekly checkups, especially when Doctor Wang and his hospital has seen an explosive increase in patients recently due to the increased violence in themunity between cultivators.

    "Okay," Yuan said.

    About two hourster, Wang Xiuying arrived at their apartment and began examining Yuan¡¯s condition.

    "Everything looks normal this week as well." Wang Xiuying said to him afterward.

    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

    "I see. Thank you."

    "What cultivation are you at right now, Yuan?" Wang Xiuying then asked him, and she continued, "I just reached the fourth level yesterday."

    "Eighth level," Yuan said.

    "Haaa... Looks like it¡¯s really impossible to catch up to you..." Wang Xiuying sighed.

    "And no wonder why your body looks so fit despite not exercising. I thought it was weird when I first noticed it. To think it was because you¡¯d started cultivating."

    When Wang Xiuying learned that Yuan had been cultivating even before it was announced, she was obviously shocked, but what shocked her the most was when she learned that he was already a Spirit Warrior while everyone else was still a Spirit Apprentice.

    Of course, there was one more thing that Yuan revealed to her.

    Wang Xiuying looked at the door to make sure it was closed before asking Yuan in a low voice, "How¡¯s your recovery goingpared tost week?"

    Yuan proceeded to show Wang Xiuying his progress by lifting his body off the bed slightly before falling back down a momentter.

    "As you can see, that¡¯s the most I can do right now," he said.

    Since she was going to be his nurse, Yuan decided to reveal to her that his body was actually recovering.

    "Wow, you¡¯re definitely making good progress. At this rate, you¡¯ll be able to tell Meixiu about your recovery soon."

    Yuan nodded his head slightly and said, "Yes, I n on telling her once I am able to sit up on the bed properly."

    "Even though it¡¯s regrettable that I couldn¡¯t assist you in your recovery as I¡¯d hoped, I am still happy to see you finally recovering after so many years." Wang Xiuying said to him.

    "Although my body is recovering, my sight doesn¡¯t appear to be getting any better. Maybe I¡¯ll remain blind for the rest of my life," he sighed.

    After a moment of silence, Wang Xiuying said, "Yuan, I don¡¯t know if this is true or fake, but I have heard a rumor going around recently¡ª that there are other things in Cultivation Online that might affect our world such as resources. I know this sounds crazy, but so is cultivation."

    "I have experimented with this rumor, but I didn¡¯t get any results, so maybe it¡¯s fake. Maybe there¡¯s some kind of requirement that one must fulfill before it takes effect, but if this is real, we might be able to fix your vision."

    Yuan was surprised after hearing Wang Xiuying¡¯s words, and then he recalled the impurities that came from his body in the real world after consuming a treasure in Cultivation Online.

    After pondering for some time, Yuan spoke, "Maybe... Maybe the treasure has to be of a certain quality? To tell you the truth, I think I have experienced it before."

    "What?! Really?! Tell me more!" Wang Xiuying was immediately intrigued.

    Yuan proceeded to tell her about the Translucent Dew of wlessness and how it cleaned his impurities both inside the game and the real world.

    Wang Xiuying turned dead silent after hearing Yuan¡¯s story.

    After a moment of silence, she said, "In order to gather further proof, we will need to obtain a high-grade treasure and test it for ourselves... I will see if my Master has any unwanted treasure since it¡¯s much easier to find higher quality treasures in the Spirit Heaven."

    "Okay. I will also try to do some more experiments on my end. This will be immense if it actually works." Yuan said.

    After talking for a couple more minutes with Wang Xiuying telling Yuan about her experience in the Spirit Heaven and her new sect, Wang Xiuying packed her tools and prepared to leave.

    "Okay, I will see you next week, Yuan," she said to him before leaving the apartment.

    "Is everything okay?" Meixiu asked him afterward.

    "Yes. I am going to return to cultivation online today for a bit." Yuan said.

    "Do you want me toe with you?"

    "No, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯m just going to talk with Xiao Hua and the others. I won¡¯t stay long. I want to reach the Ninth Level Spirit Warrior at the very least before I really start ying again." Yuan said.

    "Okay."

 Chapter 446 Stalker

    After helping Yuan with the console, Meixiu returned to her own room and continued to cultivate.

    Despite not caring about cultivation before, Meixiu found a reason that motivated her to keep cultivating, and that was Yuan.

    Even though Yuan was at a much higher cultivation than her, he was unable to move his body, so he was vulnerable to many things, and if the world continues to be more dangerous, it will be all up to her to protect him.

    Meanwhile, the moment Yuan appeared inside Cultivation Online, Xiao Hua appeared from his ne even before he could say anything.

    "Wee back, Brother Yuan." Xiao Hua said to him.

    "Hello, Xiao Hua. Did you miss me?" Yuan said with a smile on his face, feeling like it¡¯s been forever since hest yed.

    Xiao Hua nodded after hearing his words.

    "I missed you as well, Young Master." Feng Yuxiang¡¯s voice resounded.

    "Me too." Lan Yingying as well.

    "Unfortunately, I am not finished with my business yet so I won¡¯t stay here for long. I need a favor from you guys," he said a momentter.

    "What do you need, Brother Yuan?" Xiao Hua asked him.

    "I am in need of treasures¡ª mostly resources with unique effects, and I need them to be at least Earth-grade," Yuan said.

    Feng Yuxiang came outside and asked, "Resources above Earth-grade? What kind of treasures? Any specific effects? Like increasing your Soul Strength or something that boosts your cultivation? How many do you want? And why do you suddenly need resources, Young Master?"

    "Let¡¯s see... I want the resource to do something unique¡ª something like the Translucent Dew of wlessness. I don¡¯t need anything that will increase my cultivation base, and I only need one treasure from each quality from Earth-grade up to Heaven-grade. I would like to ask for Divine-grade resources, but they are too rare and I don¡¯t have enough money for them."

    "As for why I need them... Well, it¡¯s for an experiment." Yuan said to them.

    "Something like the Translucent Dew of wlessness? That¡¯s not going to be easy, Young Master. The Translucent Dew of wlessness is an extremely rare treasure that can only be found in the upper heavens, but I will see what I can do." Feng Yuxiang said.

    Yuan then retrieved the spirit stones Xi Meili gave him and handed them to her.

    "Use this to buy the resources. If it¡¯s not enough, just buy whatever you can afford with it."

    Feng Yuxiang looked at the money and wanted to say that he didn¡¯t need to pay them, but knowing his character, she epted it and said, "When do you need the resources, Young Master?"

    "I don¡¯t have a time limit so you can take your time."

    "I understand. I will go around and ask some of my friends." Feng Yuxiang nodded.

    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    "Xiao Hua will also look around."

    "I would love to help, but I don¡¯t know this world enough to help, and I¡¯m not really knowledgeable when ites to these things. I¡¯m sorry for being useless..." Lan Yingying sighed.

    "Don¡¯t worry about it, Yingying. And you¡¯re not useless." Yuan said to her.

    "Just leave this to the experts. You stay with the Young Master just in case anything happens while we¡¯re away." Feng Yuxiang smiled.

    Sometimeter, Feng Yuxiang and Xiao Hua left the Cultivators¡¯ Haven to look for treasures for Yuan.

    Once he was alone, Yuan prepared to log off.

    However, right as he was about to log off, one of the doors there opened, and a beautiful youngdy with silky golden hair walked outside.

    This was the same fierce girl who yelled at Yuan for peeking at her¡ª the mysterious girl from one of the Four Ancient Families.

    Apparently, she has been cultivating this entire time without leaving the Cultivators¡¯ Haven, which wasn¡¯t too surprising if one thought about it since cultivation sessions usuallyst for weeks.

    When this youngdy saw Yuan standing there, she immediately frowned before approaching him in an aggressive manner, "Hey! Don¡¯t tell me that you¡¯ve been standing there this entire time?! Are you stalking me or something?! Who are you!"

    "What?" Yuan¡¯s eyes widened with disbelief.

    "I just got here..." He said.

    "Bullshit! You barely moved since Ist saw you a couple of weeks ago! You¡¯re definitely a stalker!"

    Once she was in front of him, the fierce girl raised her hands and prepared to p him.

    When Yuan saw this, he also raised his hand.

    Whoosh!

    The fierce girl swung her hands at Yuan¡¯s face, but he easily caught it.

    "How can you hit people so easily? I didn¡¯t even do anything wrong! You need to stop assuming things!" Yuan said to her with a frown.

    However, he cried inwardly, ¡¯What a strong girl! I¡¯m a Spirit Grandmaster, yet I am struggling to hold her back!¡¯

    Meanwhile, the fierce girl was also surprised that Yuan had managed to stop her strike, as this is the first time that someone has stopped her ever since she left her family to go on a journey.

    Usually, she would just send them flying with a single strike and without any hassle.

    "Let me go, you pervert!" The girl suddenly shouted at him.

    "Only if you promise me that you won¡¯t try to hit me if I let you¡ª"

    Before Yuan could even finish his sentence, the girl suddenly jumped and spun her body in a graceful manner before sending her feet flying at his chest.

    BOOM!

    Yuan was sent flying to the wall after being kicked directly in the chest, causing the entire building to shake slightly and disturbing everybody that was currently cultivating inside.

    "Are you okay, Yuan?!" Lan Yingying eximed when she saw this, even forgetting to address him as ¡¯Lord¡¯, and she appeared beside him.

    "I¡¯m not hurt. Physical attacks won¡¯t harm me unless theye from a Spirit King." Yuan said to her.

    Meanwhile, the fierce girl who¡¯d just sent Yuan flying with a powerful kick knelt on the floor while clutching to her small feet after the kick, feeling like she¡¯d just kicked a metal ball.

    ¡¯What the heck is his body made of?! Metal?!¡¯ She cried inwardly, regretting her actions.

 Chapter 447 Returning to the Golden Phoenix Bazaar

    "Damn it! What is your body made of?! Why is it so freaking durable! It feels like I broke a bone or something!" The fierce girl cried out loud after kicking Yuan with her feet.

    "You should probably stop kicking people out of nowhere. I hope you¡¯ve learned your lesson." Yuan patted the dust off his clothes and approached her in a casual manner, looking like he wasn¡¯t harmed even in the slightest.

    The fierce girl gritted her teeth in anger. Despite her urge to punch Yuan in the face, she didn¡¯t dare to attack him after herst strike, fearing that she might hurt herself instead.

    "Anyways, I am not stalking you, nor do I have any reason to stalk you. It was merely a coincidence that I am still here." Yuan said to her.

    "Yingying, let¡¯s go." Yuan proceeded to ignore the youngdy and walked downstairs with Lan Yingying following behind him.

    After meeting many unreasonable people, Yuan has learned that it would be easier to just ignore them and leave the scene immediately. If this fiercedy still decides to follow him, he will use his cultivation to scare her away.

    "I¡¯ll remember your face! If I see you again, I am going to smash your face!"

    Yuan could hear the fierce girl¡¯s voice shouting from behind him.

    Once they descended a couple of floors, Lan Yingying returned to Yuan¡¯s wrist as a bracelet, and Yuan logged off on the spot. Since Meixiu was still in this ce, there was no reason for them to leave.

    After logging off, Yuan took a moment to clear his mind before he started cultivating towards the Ninth Level Spirit Warrior.

    Meanwhile, inside Cultivation Online, after leaving Yuan¡¯s side, Feng Yuxiang and Xiao Hua left the city together before going their separate ways.

    "Xiao Hua, here¡¯s the Young Master¡¯s spirit stones. I have plenty of money so I don¡¯t need it." Feng Yuxiang handed Xiao Hua the spirit stones.

    Xiao Hua looked at the spirit stones for a moment before epting it. Although she had plenty of valuable weapons, she doesn¡¯t have much money, only the gold coins they¡¯d obtained from selling her treasure at the auction house, and that amount won¡¯t be enough to buy any unique treasures.

    Of course, she¡¯d nned on trading her weapons for other treasures or even selling a few of her treasures to get the necessary funds to buy the treasures.

    "Let¡¯s see which of us will find the most valuable treasures for the Young Master, shall we? Don¡¯t worry, this is a friendlypetition. With that being said, I don¡¯t n on going easy on you!" Feng Yuxiang said to Xiao Hua, and she flew away before Xiao Hua could even respond.

    Sometimeter, Feng Yuxiang arrived at a city that had a teleportation device and used it to travel to Phoenix City.

    "I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d return to this ce so soon after leaving, but when ites to finding rare and valuable treasures, there¡¯s no better ce in the Lower Heavens than Phoenix City." Feng Yuxiang hovered above the city with a smile on her face, feeling quite confident that she would win thispetition.

    Feng Yuxiang then flew straight into the city,nding directly in front of the Golden Phoenix Bazaar.

    "Who dares¡ª"

    The guards standing there were taken by surprise by Feng Yuxiang¡¯s grand entrance and subconsciously pointed their weapons at her.

    "What are you going to do with me with those toys, huh?" Feng Yuxiang nced at them with a sharp gaze.

    "M-Madam Feng?!"

    When the guards realized her identity, they immediately dropped their weapons and got onto their knees.

    "We apologize for pointing our weapons at you, Madam Feng!" They said in union with sweat soaking their foreheads.

    "Whatever." Feng Yuxiang said before walking past them, ignoring their offense.

    "What?"

    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

    The two guards looked at Feng Yuxiang¡¯s disappearing back before looking at each other with shocked expressions on their faces.

    "She¡¯s not going to punish us?"

    "I was expecting a p in the face at the very least..."

    The two guards seemed surprised that Feng Yuxiang didn¡¯t punish them for disrespecting her, as she would normally do just that even if they looked at her wrongly, much less point their weapons at her.

    After entering the Golden Phoenix Bazaar, Feng Yuxiang entered one of the stores there.

    "Wee to our Heaven¡¯s Resource¡ª"

    A worker standing at the entrance started his weing sentence even before he could see the customer¡¯s face, and when he saw Feng Yuxiang¡¯s beautiful face, he began coughing like he¡¯d choked on something.

    "M-M-Madam Feng?!" The worker eximed.

    "Is Zhong Li here?" she asked him.

    "Y-Yes!" He nodded vigorously.

    Feng Yuxiang didn¡¯t say anything else and began walking upstairs like this ce was her house.

    Once she was on the third floor, she knocked on the only door on that floor and entered it without waiting for a response.

    Inside the room, a middle-aged man in ck robes and a young woman wearing simr clothes to the worker at the entrance were flirting with each other.

    "Who dares?!" The middle-aged man mmed the desk in anger before turning around to look at the beautiful woman standing at the entrance.

    The middle-aged man gasped in shock when he saw Feng Yuxiang standing there with an angry look on her face.

    Feeling the suffocating atmosphere, the young woman quickly tightened her loosened clothes before running out of the room.

    "M-M-Madam Feng... When did youe back? And where have you been recently? The Golden Phoenix Bazaar isn¡¯t the same without your presence..." The middle-aged man quickly changed the topic and acted like nothing just happened.

    Feng Yuxiang closed her eyes for a moment to calm down before speaking, "I¡¯m here to collect your debt, Zhong Li."

    The middle-aged man named Zhong Li swallowed nervously and asked, "W-What do you want?"

    "Nothing much. Just a few treasures from your store." Feng Yuxiang said.

    "T-That¡¯s it?" Zhong Li looked surprised at her response, and it was even a pleasant one.

    "If you want me to take everything in your store, I wouldn¡¯t mind doing so." Feng Yuxiang said to him.

    "P-Please have mercy!" Zhong Li quickly got off his seat and kowtowed to her.

    "Then I¡¯ll go look around." Feng Yuxiang said, ignoring him enitrely.

 Chapter 448 Her Reason for Leaving

    After spending about an hour in Zhong Li¡¯s store looking for the perfect treasure for Yuan, she left the ce with a couple of new treasures in her storage ring.

    "Are youing back to the Golden Phoenix Bazaar?" Zhong Li asked Feng Yuxiang right before she left the ce.

    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

    "No, I am not," she said.

    "I have more important things to do now."

    "I see..." Zhong Li nodded.

    After leaving Zhong Li¡¯s store, Feng Yuxiang didn¡¯t leave the city and proceeded to enter the next store.

    "You Quan, I am here to collect the debt you owe me when I helped you set up your store!" Feng Yuxiang said to the owner of that store.

    "Madam Feng! Where have you been?" You Quan asked after seeing her.

    "That doesn¡¯t matter. I didn¡¯te all the way here just for you to question me." Feng Yuxiang said.

    You Quan sighed in a tired manner before speaking, "What do you want from me? If it¡¯s within my power¡ª"

    "I don¡¯t need your help. It¡¯s your treasure that I need."

    "My treasures?" You Quan looked at her with wide eyes.

    In the entire Golden Phoenix Bazaar, Feng Yuxiang had the best store with the most valuable treasures. Why would she need something from his store that was small and worthless inparison?

    "What kind of treasure?" He then asked.

    "I don¡¯t care as long as it¡¯s unique."

    "Unique...?" You Quan raised his eyebrows.

    Then he said, "Why don¡¯t you look around the store? If you want something, just let me know."

    Feng Yuxiang nodded and proceeded to spend another hour in this store looking for treasures.

    "Are you sure you only want these treasures?" You Quan asked her afterward.

    "Yes, and I will consider your debt cleared for these treasures," she said.

    "Deal!" You Quan did not hesitate and immediately responded.

    The treasures Feng Yuxiang took from his store were worth at least a few hundred million gold coins, yet You Quan seemed eager to give these treasures to her as long as it cleared his debt.

    One can only imagine the reason being that You Quan¡¯s debt was actually worth more than the treasures Feng Yuxiang took.

    After leaving You Quan¡¯s store, Feng Yuxiang continued to enter other stores to collect peoples¡¯ debt in the form of their treasures, and it seemed like every person in the Golden Phoenix Bazaar was in some sort of debt for some reason.

    By the time Feng Yuxiang was done collecting their debts, she had acquired over 100 treasures from the Earth-grade to the Heaven-grade, and she had even managed to obtain a Divine-grade treasure that was worth billions of gold coins.

    "The Young Master will definitely praise me once he sees this many treasures..." A wide grin appeared on Feng Yuxiang¡¯s face as she imagined the scene in her mind.

    However, her imagination was quickly interrupted by a voice.

    "Madam Feng!"

    A man¡¯s voice resounded, wiping the smile off Feng Yuxiang¡¯s face.

    She turned around to see a middle-aged man and a group of guards behind him.

    "What do you want, Jin Yupu? I have already decided to leave the city, and I most likely won¡¯t being back here," she said to him.

    "You won¡¯t be able to convince me toe back," she added.

    "I know... I am not here to convince you to stay in the city. I just want to know your reason for leaving. Did something happen? Was it caused by the city? Or was it caused by my family? I won¡¯t be able to sleep properly without an answer, and I haven¡¯t been able to sleep a full night since you closed your store." Jin Yupu said to her.

    Feng Yuxiang¡¯s departure was a huge blow to Phoenix City¡¯s ie since her store earned them more money than everyone elsebined¡ª for thest few hundred years, and as the lord of the city, it was only natural for Jin Yupu to want to figure out why she left.

    If it was his city that chased her away, he¡¯d reform the city from the bottom to the top. If someone in his family had offended her, he¡¯d disown that person. And if someone in the city had offended her, he¡¯d give that individual a public execution¡ª that was how much Jin Yupu valued Feng Yuxiang¡¯s presence.

    "If I tell you, will you stop bothering me?" Feng Yuxiang said.

    "I promise." He nodded.

    Feng Yuxiang took a deep breath and then said, "I have found someone I want to serve¡ª a Master. And I am currently following him right now. Sooner orter, we¡¯ll leave the Lower Heavens. This is why I cannot stay here anymore."

    "What....?" Jin Yupu and everyone there looked at her with wide eyes.

    Feng Yuxiang, the number one expert in Phoenix City had abandoned her priceless store not because someone had offended her but because she lowered her head for someone else, bing their servant? How could that even be possible? Surely, they must be dreaming.

    "A-Are you serious, Madam Feng? Nobody offended you, causing you to leave the city?" Jin Yupu was clearly in disbelief.

    After all, there was no way that a peak Spirit Grandmaster like Feng Yuxiang could be a servant for another person, especially if they consider her arrogant and prideful demeanor.

    "Don¡¯t look down on my Young Master. He¡¯s a once-in-a-lifetime genius who will surely dominate the Nine Heavens one day, and I want to be there to witness it. Although I had a different goal when I first met him, after spending some time with him, I have decided that I want to follow him to the end." Feng Yuxiang said.

    "Now that you know why I am leaving, you can stop bothering me. See ya." Feng Yuxiang then flew into the sky before disappearing into the distance, leaving Jin Yupu and the others speechless.

    "I have acquired more treasures than I¡¯d anticipated. Hopefully, this means the Young Master will praise me more... Hehe..." Feng Yuxiang chuckled to herself as she sped back to Long Chen City.

 Chapter 449 Do You Think It Exists?

    Another week has passed since Yuan asked Feng Yuxiang and Xiao Hua to look for treasures, and Wang Xiuying arrived at their apartment for another weekly checkup.

    "Yuan, I have consumed a couple of Earth-grade treasures and even one Heaven-grade treasure, but none of them affected my real body." Wang Xiuying said to him.

    "What? You have already acquired the treasures? That was quick." Yuan said to her.

    "Well, it¡¯s not hard when you¡¯re one of the most prominent disciples in the Spirit Healing Academy." Wang Xiuying said in a prideful tone.

    "My master usually gives me all of the resources I need if I ask nicely and it¡¯s a reasonable amount," she continued.

    Before joining the Spirit Healing Academy, Wang Xiuying had to undertake their disciple examination, and to their surprise, she passed it with flying colors, even obtaining a high score that their sect hadn¡¯t seen in a very long time.

    Thus, Wang Xiuying had instantly be the Spirit Healing Academy¡¯s treasure¡ª one of their most valued disciples, and this gave her a lot of privileges and benefits, one of them being that she almost had unlimited resources to supply her growth.

    As a result, in just a single month, Wang Xiuying¡¯s cultivation base soared to the peak of Spirit Warrior, bing a top yer in Cultivation Online.

    Of course, Wang Xiuying wasn¡¯t the only yer to experience significant progress and growth, as Lightning Emperor, the other yer who ascended with her, also experienced simr growth.

    "So treasures below Heaven-grade don¡¯t work, huh... Maybe we need to consume Divine-grade treasures." Yuan mumbled.

    "Who knows. Maybe it really works but with a much lower chance, and higher grade treasures will have a higher chance for it to transfer to our real bodies." Wang Xiuying said.

    After a moment of silence, she continued, "Hey, Yuan, this may sound like an odd question, but do you think the world inside Cultivation Online actually exists somewhere in this seemingly boundless universe? Like another world?"

    "Cultivation Online... exists?" Yuan mumbled in a dazed voice.

    Although he never mentioned it to anyone fearing that they might call him crazy, he has indeed had such thoughts before.

    "I mean, how else can you exin the cultivation phenomenon and other things? I am not the only one with such thoughts. There are many people questioning why cultivation techniques in Cultivation Online work in our world, and there are already plenty of theories about the cultivation world being real."

    "I kind of believe it, but it¡¯s also quite unbelievable at the same time. What do you think?"

    A smile appeared on Yuan¡¯s face as he spoke in a longing voice, "If the world of cultivation truly exists, how nice would that be? I mean, if you ignore the unreasonable people, the cultivation world is such a wonderful ce that¡¯s filled with mysteries and miracles. I wouldn¡¯t mind it at all if it really exists."

    "Yes, I think so, too." Wang Xiuying said.

    Sometimeter, right before Wang Xiuying left, Yuan said to her, "I am going to log in today to see if the others have returned yet. I¡¯ll let you know the results soon."

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    "Okay. I¡¯ll be waiting." Wang Xiuying said.

    After Wang Xiuying left, Yuan asked Meixiu, "How¡¯s your cultivation?"

    "I should be entering the sixth level in a few days," she calmly responded.

    "I see... Can you enter the game with me today? I am doing an experiment," he then said.

    "What kind of experiment?"

    "Whether or not treasures inside Cultivation Online will affect our real bodies."

    "What...?" Meixiu mumbled in a dumbfounded voice.

    "I know it sounds crazy but hear me out..." Yuan proceeded to tell Meixiu about the impurity incident as well as the recent rumor regarding the topic.

    "If this is true... I cannot even imagine what could happen..." Meixiu said afterward.

    "Right? Therefore, we¡¯re going to test it out¡ª using our own bodies."

    "This is crazy..." Meixiu sighed.

    What if these treasures actually work? Will there be any side effects afterward?

    In the end, Meixiu gave up and entered Cultivation Online with Yuan.

    Inside Cultivation Online, Yuan went back upstairs to meet up with Meixiu, as he was forced to leave before by that fierce girl.

    ¡¯Hopefully, she¡¯s gone by now...¡¯ Yuan sighed inwardly as he approached the top floor.

    "Feng Feng, Xiao Hua, can you hear me?" Yuan tried to speak with them through their servant-master connection.

    "Yes, I can hear you, Young Master. Are you still at the Cultivators¡¯ Haven? I will be there in a minute." Feng Yuxiang responded a momentter.

    As for Xiao Hua, Yuan has yet to hear a response from her even after Feng Yuxiang showed up.

    "Xiao Hua is not with you?" Yuan asked her.

    Feng Yuxiang shook her head and said, "We went our separate ways."

    "I see... Then she¡¯s probably too far away to hear my voice. I hope she¡¯s okay." Yuan said.

    "There¡¯s nothing in the Lower Heavens that can harm her so you don¡¯t have to worry," said Feng Yuxiang.

    "I hope that¡¯s the case."

    Sometimeter, Yuan entered one of the cultivation rooms with Meixiu and Feng Yuxiang.

    "Here you go."

    Once they had some privacy, Feng Yuxiang proceeded to retrieve the treasures she had acquired at the Golden Phoenix Bazaar.

    Yuan and Meixiu were shaken when they saw the number of treasures Feng Yuxiang had acquired.

    "Y-You obtained this many treasures with the number of spirit stones I gave you?" Yuan asked her in a trembling voice.

    Feng Yuxiang showed a stiff smile and said, "Y-Yes... I went to speak with my friends, and I managed to get them at a discounted price because they owed me."

    "Even if there was a discount... I still can¡¯t believe that you¡¯d obtained this many treasures with the spirit stones I gave you! Look at this! There¡¯s even a Divine-grade treasure in here! Are you telling me that you got everything here for less than 1,000 spirit stones?! That¡¯s only worth around 10 million gold coins!" Yuan said to her, clearly doubting her ims.

 Chapter 450 - Longevity Seed

    <h4>Chapter 450 - Longevity Seed</h4>

    "Fine, I¡¯ll tell you the truth, Young Master." Feng Yuxiang sighed, and then she continued, "Truth is, they were given to me for free."

    "What? That sounds even less likely!" Yuan said.

    After all, who would give up such precious treasures for free?

    "I¡¯m telling you the truth, Young Master. I went to the Golden Phoenix Bazaar to acquire these treasures," she said.

    "Golden Phoenix Bazaar?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    She nodded and said, "I know everybody that owns a store there, and they¡¯re all indebted to me, so I decided to go there to collect their debt since I will be leaving this ce soon, and they gave me these treasures to clear their debt. I guess these treasures weren¡¯t free technically, but let¡¯s not ponder about the minor stuff."

    Feng Yuxiang told him the truth.

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    "Do you see any treasures that you want, Young Master?" she then asked him again.

    "Hmm..." Yuan looked at the treasures and said, "I will have to look through them one by one first."

    "Take your time," she said.

    "Anyways, thank you, Feng Feng. I owe you for this." Yuan then said to her.

    "I¡¯m just doing my job," she said with a smile.

    "If you want, I can give you some of my bloodter."

    However, to Yuan¡¯s surprise, Feng Yuxiang shook her head and refused to take his blood.

    "It¡¯s okay, Young Master. You can save your blood."

    "Eh? Really? Are you okay? You would normally be excited to drink it..." Yuan said with a surprised look on his face, wondering if something had happened.

    Feng Yuxiang showed a stiff smile and said, "Everything is fine. There are just days where I have no appetite for anything."

    "I see... Well, if you ever feel like drinking it again, just let me know."

    "Okay. Thank you, Young Master."

    Ever since Xiao Hua told her that she might be forced to ascend to a higher realm if she breaks free from her curse and restores her cultivation base, Feng Yuxiang has be hesitant on drinking Yuan¡¯s blood, especially when she could feel the curse weakening with every sip.

    ¡¯I will continue to drink his blood once we reach Spirit Heaven where there¡¯s a bigger limit. Until then, I will have to resist myself from drinking any of his blood...¡¯ Feng Yuxiang sighed inwardly.

    Yuan began looking through the pile of treasures a momentter, and he would spend the next hour doing so.

    An hourter, Yuan sighed, "Even though there are so many treasures here, none of them are really unique enough for my experiment..."

    "What experiment?" Feng Yuxiang looked at him with wide eyes.

    Was all of her efforts in vain?

    "It¡¯s hard to exin it..." Yuan said.

    After all, how would he go about telling her that he¡¯s testing to see if the treasures inside a game would affect his real body?

    He then said, "All of these treasures enhance one¡¯s strength or permanently enhance one¡¯s stats. There¡¯s really nothing truly unique about them. Isn¡¯t there something that can make my hair grow longer or something?"

    "Making the Young Master¡¯s hair grow longer?" Feng Yuxiang raised her eyebrows.

    Then she retrieved something from her spatial ring and showed it to him, "This is Longevity Seed. If you consume it, it¡¯ll grant you 100 years of longevity and even give you new hair. It¡¯s really popr amongst men who are balding."

    Yuan looked at the seed with raised eyebrows. He didn¡¯t literally mean it when he said that he wanted something that could grow his hair, as it was just an example.

    "I mean, it¡¯s an Earth-grade treasure, so I guess I can try it."

    "Thanks, Feng Feng." Yuan epted the Longevity Seed and tossed it inside his mouth.

    Ding!

    <You have consumed Longevity Seed>

    <You have gained 100 years of longevity from consuming Longevity Seed!>

    After consuming the seed, Yuan stood there and waited for his hair to grow.

    However, to his surprise, his hair began falling off his head instead, instantly making him bald!

    "What!" Yuan was shocked when he saw this.

    "Feng Feng! You lied to me! This thing is doing the exact opposite of what you said!" Yuan looked at her with a frown on his face.

    "Pft..." Feng Yuxiang almost burst outughing when she saw Yuan¡¯s bald appearance.

    Meixiu was no different, and she tried her best to resist her urges.

    "W-Wait a moment, Young Master. I didn¡¯t lie to you," Feng Yuxiang then said, "Your hair will grow back in a bit. The treasure killed all of your old hair to remake new ones."

    And just like Feng Yuxiang imed, silky ck hair began emerging from Yuan¡¯s bald head shortly after.

    However, it grew more than he expected, and by the time it stopped growing, his new hair had reached his b.u.t.t.

    "There¡¯s too much hair now..." Yuan sighed.

    "Now I have to get a haircut," he then said.

    "Why? I think you look much better with long hair, Young Master." Feng Yuxiang said to him.

    "Here. You can use this to tie your hair."

    She then handed him a golden hairband.

    "I guess this will do for now..." Yuan then tied his long and silky hair into a ponytail.

    "Now you look more like a cultivator, Young Master." Feng Yuxiang chuckled.

    "Oh... And more handsome."

    "Handsome? Wouldn¡¯t this make me look more feminine instead?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    "What do you think, Meixiu?" He suddenly asked her.

    "Eh?" Meixiu was taken by surprise, and when she saw his new appearance that had a certain charm and elegance to it, she began blushing.

    "I-I think it¡¯s fine," she finally said after a moment of awkward silence.

    "Okay, then we will be right back. Meixiu, I need you to check my hair for me." Yuan said to her before logging off shortly after.

    Sometimeter, Meixiu went to his room.

    "Well? Did my hair grow longer?" Yuan asked her.

    "No... Nothing happened," she said.

    "I see... Then let¡¯s go try some more treasures."

 Chapter 451 - Berserkerâ€™s Gem

    <h4>Chapter 451 - Berserker¡¯s Gem</h4>

    "What about this one, Yuan? It can boost your eyesight and reaction by a significant amount," Meixiu showed him a weird-looking fruit.

    "You can eat it. I have already eaten one." Yuan said to her.

    Meixiu nodded and consumed the Earth-grade treasure a momentter.

    Ding!

    <You have consumed Fruit of Perception>

    A few momentster, Meixiu said, "Wow, my eyesights got noticeably better after consuming the treasure, and I can see details that I wouldn¡¯t normally be able to before. I¡¯m not sure about my reaction speed though¡ª"

    Meixiu suddenly stopped speaking and tilted her head when she noticed something flying at her face with incredible speed.

    "Y-Yuan?" Meixiu looked at him with wide eyes.

    "Sorry, I just wanted to test your reaction." Yuan chuckled a little before retrieving his arm.

    "What do you think? Has your reaction gotten better?"

    "P-Probably..." she said.

    "Now see if these changes apply outside." Yuan then said.

    Meixiu nodded and logged off the game shortly after to see the results.

    She returned a few momentster and shook her head, "I don¡¯t think it worked."

    "What about this treasure? It¡¯s a Heaven-grade treasure, and it boosts your strength significantly." Yuan asked.

    "You want me to take this treasure as well?"

    "I mean, I wouldn¡¯t be able to test the results even if I use it," Yuan said with a stiff smile on his face.

    "Oh... Okay..." Meixiu realized what Yuan was trying to say and subconsciously nodded.

    Ding!

    <You have consumed Berserker¡¯s Gem>

    <+20,000 Physical Strength>

    "That¡¯s a lot of strength..." Meixiu muttered in a dazed voice before logging off to see if her physical strength had improved.

    ¡¯How should I go about testing my strength? As a cultivator, I am already strong enough to lift an entire desk without any issues...¡¯ Meixiu wondered to herself as she looked around her room for something extremely heavy.

    However, there was nothing in her room that would challenge her already profound strength.

    She then approached one of the cars parked in front of the apartment before looking left and right to make sure nobody was looking at her.

    Once she was clear, Meixiu bent her knees and tried to pick up the car.

    As ridiculous and embarrassing as it felt, Meixiu was also curious about the rumor.

    When she had a good grip on the car, Meixiu tried to stand up with the car.

    "?!?!?!"

    The moment she stood up, the car in her grasp also went up with her.

    This shocked her so much that she identally dropped the car back down.

    Meixiu looked left and right again to make sure nobody saw her before she ran back into the apartment.

    "I-I am only dreaming, right?" Meixiu looked at her own palms with clear disbelief on her face.

    Although she could lift her bed before she consumed the treasure, it wasn¡¯t easy.

    Once she had a good grip on the bed, Meixiu took a deep breath before lifting the bed into the air like it weighed nothing.

    "Heavens..." Meixiu mumbled in a dazed voice as she stared at the bed that was directly above her head.

    And to make sure it wasn¡¯t just a fluke, Meixiu began benching the bed as though it were a barbell.

    After benching the bed a dozen times, Meixiu carefully ced the bed back down onto the floor without a single bead of sweat on her face or body.

    "I-It¡¯s real... The treasure inside the game really affected my real body..."

    After taking a moment to calm down, Meixiu returned to Cultivation Online to share her results.

    "That took longer than I expected. How did it go?" Yuan asked her when Meixiu finally logged back in after many minutes.

    Meixiu stared at Yuan in silence before speaking in a low voice, "It worked..."

    "Huh?" Yuan¡¯s eyes widened.

    "The experiment worked..." Meixiu said, and she proceeded to tell him her experience.

    "The Heaven-grade treasure worked on you but it didn¡¯t work on Wang Xiuying? I guess this proves that every treasure has a chance to transfer its effects outside, and the chances will depend on the grade of the treasure..." Yuan said in an excited voice.

    Meanwhile, Feng Yuxiang looked at them with a weird expression on her face, as she was unable toprehend their situation.

    "Anyways, thank you for the treasures. You can keep the rest for yourself since we no longer need it." Yuan said to Feng Yuxiang afterward.

    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    "O-Okay..." Feng Yuxiang nodded and stored the rest of the treasures into her spatial ring.

    Sometimeter, Yuan said to her, "Feng Feng, can you stay here and wait for Xiao Hua? I¡¯m not sure when she¡¯lle back, though."

    "I don¡¯t mind." Feng Yuxiang nodded.

    "I wille back at least once a day just in case shees back," he then said.

    Yuan and Meixiu logged off the game shortly after to discuss the results even more.

    "Can you call Wang Xiuyingter and tell her to visit us tomorrow? I¡¯d like to tell her the results of our experiments." Yuan said to Meixiu.

    "Okay."

    "Anyways, although I was already quite confident that the rumors were true, seeing it happen again is another thing." Yuan then said.

    "Do you know what this means, Yuan?" Meixiu said.

    "As long as one is lucky enough, they might be able to use treasures from Cultivation Online to benefit their real body. This might be quite disastrous if the world finds out about it if they haven¡¯t already."

    "I¡¯m sure some people already know this, just like how people knew about cultivation way before it was announced. It¡¯s only a matter of when it bes widespread, and when that happens, the world will be even crazier."

    "What should we do?" Meixiu asked.

    "Is there even anything we can do?" Yuan sighed.

 Chapter 452 - Peak of Spirit Warrior

    <h4>Chapter 452 - Peak of Spirit Warrior</h4>

    "I think the only thing we can do is prepare ourselves for it. Though I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be that bad due to the rarity of treasures. Maybe I¡¯m wrong, who knows..." Yuan sighed.

    "If the chances of acquiring its effects are really low, it might not be that bad. And ording to my research, the majority of the yerbase are only just starting to obtain Earth-grade treasures with Heaven-grade treasures and above still unattainable besides those really wealthy and powerful yers who just buy them using real money." Meixiu said.

    "There¡¯s no use thinking about it now. Let¡¯s just focus on cultivation so when the world learns about this and evolves once again, we¡¯ll be prepared for it." Yuan said.

    "Yes, I agree." Meixiu nodded.

    Sometimeter, they started their cultivation.

    The following day, Wang Xiuying returned to their apartment.

    "What¡¯s up, Yuan? Did you need to speak with me? Does it have anything to do with your condition?" she asked him.

    "No, this is about our experiment. We have some results." Yuan said to her.

    "What! Really?!" Wang Xiuying instantly became excited.

    "Yes." Yuan proceeded to exin to Wang Xiuying everything that had urred yesterday.

    Wang Xiuying silently stared at Meixiu after hearing everything.

    "Y-You can lift a car with your b.a.r.e hands?" Wang Xiuying asked her in a somewhat doubtful voice.

    "Yes. I know it sounds crazy, but..." Meixiu nodded.

    "It¡¯s alright. I believe you. I was just expressing my disbelief that it actually worked." Wang Xiuying said.

    "You said that it was a Heaven-grade treasure that you¡¯d consumed, right? I also consumed a Heaven-grade treasure, but nothing happened to me, so I guess there¡¯s only a chance of obtaining the effects."

    "What are you going to do now, Yuan?" Wang Xiuying then asked him.

    "What do you want me to do?" He asked her in return.

    "I... I don¡¯t know... But I know what I am going to do." Wang Xiuying chuckled.

    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    "I am going to consume all of the treasures I can! Hopefully, I will eventually get lucky and strengthen my real body through the treasures in Cultivation Online."

    Wang Xiuying announced her ns.

    "Actually, you should also do the same, Yuan. Maybe there¡¯s a treasure in Cultivation Online that will be able to fix your eyesight and heal your body!"

    Hearing this, Meixiu also said, "Now that you mention it, there are countless miraculous treasures in Cultivation Online with profound effects one cannot even imagine! I¡¯m sure there are treasures out there that can help you!"

    "I think so, too. However, we should still focus on cultivating our real bodies first. I am going to enter the ninth level first before trying to breakthrough to Spirit Master. Once I do that, I will focus on Cultivation Online." Yuan said.

    "Good luck, Yuan. I am going to see if there¡¯s anything I can do to help in the Spirit Heavens. Maybe my Master will know something about your condition. I¡¯ll ask her." Wang Xiuying said.

    "Okay. Thank you."

    Wang Xiuying left shortly after while Yuan and Meixiu returned to their cultivation.

    For the next couple of days, Yuan would spend most of his time cultivating towards the ninth level Spirit Warrior while also checking Cultivation Online to see if Xiao Hua had returned yet.

    "Xiao Hua still hasn¡¯t returned yet? She¡¯s gone for so long that it¡¯s a little worrisome..." Yuan sighed when Feng Yuxiang told him she hadn¡¯t returned yet.

    "Who knows where she went. However, for her to take this long, she¡¯s either in trouble or she went really far to get the treasure." Feng Yuxiang said.

    "However, with her cultivation base, I doubt it would take this long even if she had to travel to the other side of the world."

    "Alright. I will continue to check if she has returned every day. Thank you for doing this, Feng Feng. I know this is probably very boring for you since you have to sit here all day." Yuan said to her.

    "Don¡¯t mention it, Young Master. It¡¯s really not that bad. As someone who has lived for thousands of years, how I experience time may differ from your experience."

    Sometimeter, Yuan logged off and continued to cultivate.

    One week...

    Two weeks...

    Three weeks...

    However, this single step was by no means small, and even after trying to breakthrough for an entire week, Yuan remained stuck as a Spirit Warrior.

    Meanwhile, Meixiu had managed to enter the eighth level of Spirit Apprentice, preparing to enter the ninth level.

    "I entered Spirit Master as easily as breathing in Cultivation Online, yet I cannot do the same in the real world. This also happened when I tried to enter Spirit Warrior. I guess I can only continue trying..." He sighed.

    After spending a few hours trying to breakthrough and failing, Yuan decided to enter Cultivation Online to see if Xiao Hua has returned yet.

    "Is there anything I can do to contact her?" Yuan asked Feng Yuxiang, as he was getting impatient waiting for Xiao Hua, worried that something might¡¯ve happened to her.

    "Normally, you can speak with us telepathically because of the Master and Servant connection between us, but that only works for a certain amount of distance. Once we are outside the range, we won¡¯t be able to hear your voice."

    "I see... Guess I can only keep trying to contact her."

    After taking a deep breath, Yuan closed his eyes and proceeded to spend the next couple of minutes calling Xiao Hua.

    Many minutester with no result, Yuan prepared to log off.

    "Sorry for making you wait, Brother Yuan."

    Hearing Xiao Hua¡¯s voice, Yuan was ecstatic.

    "Xiao Hua! You¡¯re back!" He eximed.

 Chapter 453 - Xiao Hua Returns

    <h4>Chapter 453 - Xiao Hua Returns</h4>

    After hearing Xiao Hua¡¯s voice, Yuan decided to stay in the game for a little longer to see why it¡¯d taken her this long to return and where she¡¯d gone.

    A few minutester, Xiao Hua returned to the Cultivators¡¯ Haven.

    "Thank the heavens you¡¯re okay, Xiao Hua. I was worried that something bad might¡¯ve happened to you because you have been gone for so long!" Yuan gave her a tight hug after seeing her again.

    Xiao Hua didn¡¯t immediately respond and merely enjoyed the sensation of being hugged by Yuan while silently blushing.

    "By the way, I returned after just two days." Feng Yuxiang said to her.

    "I¡¯m sorry, Brother Yuan, but Xiao Hua wanted to fulfill your request, so Xiao Hua did her best trying to find a unique treasure," she said.

    She then reached inside her storage pouch before taking out a small ss bottle of semi-transparent azure-colored liquid that had around 1 ounce of liquid inside.

    "What is this?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    "Celestial Water." Xiao Hua said in a calm voice.

    "W-What did you just say?" Feng Yuxiang was the first to speak, and she sounded like she was in disbelief.

    "Celestial Water." Xiao Hua repeated.

    "Celestial Water?! Impossible! Where in heaven¡¯s name did you go to obtain Celestial Water?! I refuse to believe that you have found that in the Lower Heavens! Even the Spirit Heaven wouldn¡¯t have something like this!" Feng Yuxiang quickly said.

    "What¡¯s so valuable about this Celestial Water?" Yuan asked.

    "Celestial Water is from an extremely rare treasure known as the Celestial Tree. This treasure can only be found in the fifth heaven and above, and the Celestial Tree can only produce one drop of Celestial Water every 10,000 years! An ounce of Celestial Water is worth even more than Mythic-grade treasures!" Feng Yuxiang exined.

    "Furthermore, Celestial Water has the ability to increase one¡¯s innate talent by at least 10 percent! Although it only works if you drink an ounce at a time, it¡¯s still incredibly sought after! That bottle of Celestial Water can start even a huge war if people know about it!"

    "Increasing one¡¯s talent by at least 10 percent? That is definitely unique and sounds very expensive... How on earth did you acquire such a treasure, Xiao Hua? And where did you go to obtain it?" Yuan asked her.

    "..."

    After a moment of silence, she said, "Xiao Hua went to the upper heavens to obtain the Celestial Water."

    Both Yuan and Feng Yuxiang¡¯s jaws dropped after hearing her words.

    "Y-You went to the upper heavens for this?" Yuan almost couldn¡¯t believe his ears.

    It now made sense why it took so long for Xiao Hua to return. To think she¡¯d traveled to the upper heavens during this time. He was speechless.

    "If you don¡¯t mind me asking, exactly how far did you go?" Feng Yuxiang asked her.

    However, Xiao Hua remained silent, clearly unwilling to reveal everything.

    Yuan and Feng Yuxiang looked at each other, unsure how they should react anymore.

    "Does Brother Yuan not like it?" Xiao Hua asked him a momentter.

    "Eh? Of course, I like it. In fact, I am ttered that you¡¯d gone all the way to the upper heavens to acquire such a valuable treasure for me. I just don¡¯t know how to react..." He quickly said.

    Xiao Hua nodded, and then she turned to look at Feng Yuxiang, "What treasures did you acquire for Brother Yuan?"

    Obviously, Xiao Hua didn¡¯t forget about their ¡¯friendlypetition¡¯, hence why she even bothered to ask Feng Yuxiang in the first ce.

    A bittersweet smile appeared on Feng Yuxiang¡¯s face, and she said, "Y-You win this one. There¡¯s no way my treasures couldpare with your Celestial Water even if I had a carriage-load of them."

    Xiao Hua nodded in a calm manner, yet there was a glint of delight within her eyes.

    "Here, Brother Yuan, you should drink it." Xiao Hua offered this priceless treasure that even Immortals would kill for to Yuan in a casual manner.

    "A-Are you sure? It must¡¯ve cost a fortune, right? I highly doubt my spirit stones were able to pay for even a small fraction of its price..." Yuan said.

    "It¡¯s okay. Xiao Hua didn¡¯t have to pay for it," she said, shocking them even more.

    "What? You¡¯re telling me that you¡¯d manage to obtain the Celestial Water for free? As if I¡¯d believe that!" Feng Yuxiang said afterward.

    "It¡¯s true." Xiao Hua said, not even bothering to exin herself.

    "If you say so, I will drink it. I don¡¯t want your effort to go to waste, after all." Yuan said.

    No matter how she¡¯d acquired this treasure, it was a fact that she¡¯d gone all the way to the upper heavens to obtain this treasure for him.

    After taking a deep breath, Yuan removed the seal on the ss bottle and chugged the Celestial Water down in a single gulp.

    "Whoa!"

    Yuan immediately kneeled on the floor after he drank the Celestial Water, feeling his entire body heating up at a significant rate.

    "W-What is this? I feel so hot!" Yuan eximed, recalling when he¡¯d first awakened his bloodline, as this was a familiar feeling.

    However, unlike previously, he didn¡¯t feel any pain from the heat no matter how hot it felt.

    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

    In fact, he didn¡¯t feel any difort.

    Yuan¡¯s eyes suddenly began flickering with a golden glow, almost like his Dragon¡¯s Gaze was activating and deactivating itself continuously.

    "Is this supposed to happen?" Feng Yuxiang asked Xiao Hua.

    This is her first time witnessing someone consuming Celestial Water, too.

    "I... I don¡¯t know..." she said, as this was her first time witnessing it as well.

    Meanwhile, somewhere in the upper heavens, the jade tablet with the word ¡¯Destiny¡¯ engraved into it began glowing once again.

    When this happened, an old man suddenly appeared before it like a ghost, and he proceeded to stare at the jade tablet with a profound look on his face.

    "The jade tablet is reacting once again, yet I cannot sense your presence... Just where in the Nine Heavens are you, Master?" The old man muttered in a low voice.

 Chapter 454 - Black Pajamas

    <h4>Chapter 454 - ck Pajamas</h4>

    A couple of minutes had passed since Yuan consumed the Celestial Water, and the heat in his body had finally subsided.

    "Young Master, are you okay?" Feng Yuxiang asked him afterward.

    "Yes... I am fine." Yuan said as he stood up, feeling a little lightheaded.

    "Do you feel any different?" Xiao Hua asked him.

    Yuan patted himself and shook his head, "No, I don¡¯t..."

    In fact, he didn¡¯t even get any notification.

    Normally, whenever he consumes a treasure, it would be followed by a notification and how it¡¯s affected his body. However, there was nothing this time. No notifications¡ª nothing.

    This was incredibly odd. Does this mean the Celestial Water didn¡¯t affect him at all? But how is that possible? Clearly, his body reacted to it.

    "Nothing at all? How weird. The Celestial Water is a priceless treasure even in the Supreme Heaven." Feng Yuxiang said.

    "Maybe it takes time to take effect?" Xiao Hua theorized.

    "That makes sense. Maybe it¡¯ll take effectter once your body fully absorbs it. There are many treasures like that out there." Feng Yuxiang agreed.

    "Okay. Guess I¡¯ll just have to wait and see." Yuan nodded.

    Sometimeter, Feng Yuxiang and Xiao Hua returned to his body before Yuan logged off the game to cultivate.

    Now that Xiao Hua has returned safely, Yuan was able to cultivate with a peaceful mind.

    However, he quickly noticed a change in the way that he cultivated¡ª that it¡¯d suddenly be easier to cultivate.

    Normally, he¡¯d need to clear his mind and recite the cultivation technique inside his mind to absorb spiritual energy.

    Now, he could absorb the spiritual energy around him as though it was natural, almost like breathing.

    Unfortunately for him, even if he could cultivate easier, it wouldn¡¯t matter since he cannot obtain any more spiritual energy until he breakthrough to Spirit Master.

    ¡¯I think there is a term for this... What was it? A bottleneck?¡¯ Yuan sighed inwardly.

    Sometimeter, Yuan thought to himself, ¡¯Since I cannot advance my cultivation anymore, I should practice something else... like my Divine Sense...¡¯

    Ever since he started focusing on his cultivation base, Yuan had neglected training his Divine Sense.

    In fact, it has been a while since he tried to activate his Divine Sense.

    ¡¯Thest time I tried, it felt like I was on the verge of seeding. Now that I am at the peak of Spirit Warrior, I might be able to do it...¡¯

    After taking a deep breath, Yuan began trying to activate his Divine Sense again.

    Meanwhile, in the room beside Yuan¡¯s room, Meixiu suddenly opened her eyes and looked at the ceiling for some reason.

    ¡¯It¡¯s probably just my imagination...¡¯ Meixiu thought to herself.

    However, unbeknownst to Meixiu, somebody was actually staring at her.

    "I-It worked!" Yuan eximed in an excited voice when his Divine Sense activated properly, allowing him to see inside his room and half of Meixiu¡¯s room.

    How long has it been since he was able to see? Almost a decade ago.

    Once Yuan was certain that his Divine Sense was working, tears flowed down his face, quickly soaking the pillow.

    "Are you okay, Yuan?" Meixiu asked him from outside when she heard his shouting.

    "Yes, I am okay."

    Yuan said as his Divine Sense focused onto Meixiu¡¯s beautiful face.

    Although he was already used to seeing her face, there was just something different about seeing her in the real world. Compared to her avatar in Cultivation Online, Meixiu looked almost identical with the only thing being different was their aura.

    And just as Meixiu prepared to return to her own room to cultivate, Yuan¡¯s voice resounded.

    "Meixiu, you look great in those ck pajamas."

    "Eh?"

    Meixiu¡¯s movement froze the moment she heard this, and she turned to look at his room with a look of disbelief on her face.

    "W-What did you just say?" she asked him in a dazed voice.

    Yuan chuckled and said, "You should see your face right now. It¡¯s quite funny."

    A shiver went down Meixiu¡¯s spine. Why does it sound like Yuan can see her right now?

    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

    "What¡¯s going on Yuan?" Meixiu decided to enter his room and ask him.

    The first thing she noticed when she entered his room was the smile on his face, and then the tears flowing down his closed eyes.

    "W-Why are you crying?" she asked him.

    "Because I can see," he responded.

    "What?" Meixiu¡¯s eyes widened.

    "I can see again, Meixiu. I can use Divine Sense to see." Yuan revealed to her.

    "W-Wait a moment... You can use Divine Sense? Right now?"

    "Yes. I am looking at you right now through Divine Sense. You¡¯re wearing a pair of ck pajamas, right?"

    Meixiu had to look down at her own clothes to make sure he was correct, and sure enough, she was wearing ck pajamas.

    "Unbelievable..." Meixiu muttered in a dazed voice.

    "However, it¡¯s a little exhausting to use it continuously."

    Once she¡¯d calmed down enough, Meixiu said with a warm smile on her face, "Congrattions, Yuan. This is one massive step towards your recovery."

    "Yes, I think so, too. However, there¡¯s one more thing I want to tell you..." Yuan suddenly said.

    "What is it?"

    "Come closer," he said.

    Meixiu nodded and approached him, feeling a little nervous for some reason.

    Once she was by the bed, Yuan said, "Give me your hand for a moment."

    "My hand?" Meixiu raised her eyebrow.

    "Yes. ce it on my c.h.e.s.t," he said.

    Meixiu didn¡¯t know what he was trying to do, but she kneeled on the floor and ced her fair hand on his c.h.e.s.t nevertheless.

    Feeling Meixiu¡¯s hand on his c.h.e.s.t, Yuan took a deep breath and proceeded to move his right hand that had been resting on his side.

    Meixiu¡¯s eyes widened with shock as she witnessed Yuan¡¯s right hand lift into the air without any support, and then she watched as it approached her hand.

    Before she realized it, Yuan¡¯s right hand was directly on top of her own hand.

    "Not only can I see, but I can move as well..." Yuan¡¯s voice resounded a secondter, snapping Meixiu out of her daze.

 Chapter 455 - A Noticeable Change

    <h4>Chapter 455 - A Noticeable Change</h4>

    "Y-You can move now...? Since when...?" Meixiu muttered in a low voice after Yuan¡¯s shocking reveal.

    "To tell you the truth, my recovery started many weeks ago¡ª even before you started ying Cultivation Online. In fact, I initially nned on keeping this a secret until I could get off the bed by myself, but I changed my mind after hearing your words just now." Yuan said.??

    "My words...?"

    "Yes... Your voice when you congratted me... I couldn¡¯t continue to keep it to myself after hearing it. I¡¯m sorry for keeping it a secret for so long, but I wanted to make sure that I was actually recovering and not give you or Yu Rou false hope."

    "It¡¯s okay. You don¡¯t have to apologize. I¡¯m just d that you¡¯re finally recovering, Yuan." Meixiu said to him in a gentle voice, feeling an indescribable feeling surging from her heart at this moment.

    Unbeknownst to Meixiu at first, tears began appearing in her eyes before quickly falling down her face.

    Meixiu wiped her eyes when she realized that her vision was getting blurry, and to her surprise, she was actually crying due to being overwhelmed by happiness. It was definitely a first for her.

    Meixiu quickly wiped her face with her free hand while silently hoping to herself that Yuan wasn¡¯t looking at her right now.

    Luckily for her, Yuan didn¡¯t have his Divine Sense activated since he could only use it for a few moments before it exhausts his spiritual energy.

    A few momentster, once Meixiu calmed down a little, she asked Yuan, "How much can you move right now? Can you sit up on the bed yet?"

    "Unfortunately, lifting a hand is already my limit. Any more and my body will start experiencing pain," he sighed.

    "Don¡¯t push yourself, Yuan. You¡¯re recovering, and that¡¯s all it matters."

    "I know."

    "Are you going to tell Yu Rou?" Meixiu suddenly asked.

    "..."

    Yuan didn¡¯t immediately respond, and after a moment of silence, he said, "I... I want to surprise her. When I tell Yu Rou, I want to be standing. I hope you don¡¯t mind keeping this a secret for now."

    "I don¡¯t mind," Meixiu said.

    "Thank you."

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    Sometimeter, Yuan said, "I am already at the peak of Spirit Warrior, but I cannot breakthrough to Spirit Master for some reason. I will try for a few more days. If I still cannot breakthrough, I will focus on Cultivation Online."

    "Alright. I will try to push for the ninth level before I return to Cultivation Online." Meixiu said.

    "Take your time."

    Meixiu returned to her own room a few momentster.

    ¡¯Yuan... He¡¯s recovering... He can see again, even move... I cannot wait to see him walk again.¡¯

    Meixiu thought to herself as she took a seat on the hard floor and began her cultivation.

    To her surprise, when she cultivated, Meixiu noticed a noticeable change in her cultivation speed, as she was absorbing the spiritual energy around her at a much quicker rate than she could previously achieve¡ª almost twice as fast.

    Meixiu didn¡¯t know what was causing this phenomenon, but she weed it.

    A few dayster, Meixiu entered the ninth level of Spirit Apprentice.

    "Yuan, did you manage to breakthrough?" Meixiu asked him.

    "Nope..." Yuan sighed.

    "Every time it feels like I am about to have a breakthrough, that feeling would suddenly disappear. It¡¯s like walking towards an open door, but just as you¡¯re about to enter that door, it closes in your face."

    Meixiu pondered for a moment before speaking, "Maybe it has something to do with our world? What if there¡¯s not enough spiritual energy for you to breakthrough? Spirit Master is pretty high, right?"

    "Now that you mention it... That does make sense... Okay, I will ask Xiao Hua and the otherster." Yuan said.

    "What about you? Have you reached your goal?" Yuan asked her.

    "Yes, but the three-month time limit for the registration is getting close, so I was thinking about registering myself first so I can get it out of the way. What about you, Yuan?"

    "Registering, huh? Okay, let¡¯s go register ourselves and get this over with."

    "Let¡¯s do it tomorrow since it¡¯s alreadyte today," Meixiu suggested.

    Sometimeter, Meixiu went to prepare dinner.

    After dinner, they went to sleep, taking a break from cultivation.

    The following morning after breakfast, Meixiu helped Yuan change into a more fitting outfit for their journey outside before carrying him to his wheelchair.

    "Are you ready to go?" Meixiu asked him after she prepared herself.

    Yuan didn¡¯t say anything, but he closed his hand into a fist before giving her a thumbs up.

    A smile appeared on Meixiu¡¯s face, and she pushed the wheelchair outside, leaving the apartment with him.

    "How far away is the Cultivators¡¯ Association from here?" Yuan asked her once they were downstairs.

    "It¡¯s about an hour from here on foot," she said.

    "Do you want to take the taxi instead?"

    "I want to look at the scenery if you don¡¯t mind..."

    "I¡¯m okay. We can walk."

    "Thank you, Meixiu."

    "I should probably buy a car to make traveling more convenient in case we need it..." Meixiu muttered to herself shortly after they started moving.

    Despite her young age, Meixiu already has a driver¡¯s license, so she was qualified to drive a car.

    "A car, huh? It¡¯ll definitely be necessary if we want to go anywhere that cannot be traveled in a reasonable time on foot." Yuan said.

    "Yeah, you should probably get a car." Yuan agreed with her.

    "Really? What kind of car should I get?"

    "Yes. You can get whatever you want. I¡¯ll let you choose."

    "Okay. I¡¯ll look around after we register at the Cultivators¡¯ Association."

    While they made their way towards the Cultivators¡¯ Association, Yuan would use his Divine Sense to look at his surroundings.

    Although he couldn¡¯t see any further than a few meters around him, it was more than enough for someone like him who hasn¡¯t seen the world for so many years.

    An hourter, they arrived at the Cultivators¡¯ Association.

    "Wow, there¡¯s a lot of people here even though it¡¯s so early in the morning." Meixiu was surprised to see the crowd of people gathered there.

    After taking a moment to examine the area, Meixiu approached the tall building with Yuan.

 Chapter 456 - A True Cultivation Genius

    <h4>Chapter 456 - A True Cultivation Genius</h4>

    After avoiding the crowd with much effort, Meixiu pushed the wheelchair inside the building, where there were even more people, but since the people were in line in an orderly fashion, it felt much more spacious than outside.

    It took a moment since there were multiple lines, but once Meixiu found the end of a line, she went there with Yuan.??

    While they waited in line, Yuan used his Divine Sense to look at the ce and the people there.

    The majority of people there were between the third level and the fifth level with a couple at the sixth level. Of course, all of them were still Spirit Apprentices.

    Meixiu also looked around while they waited.

    The interior of the building was quite nd, and there was barely any furniture or decoration. At the end of the room, there were a couple of desks with a clerk working behind it.

    "I have been thinking, Meixiu, but how does the registration even work? Do they have some sort of device that can gauge our cultivation?" Yuan suddenly asked.

    "I¡¯m not sure, actually. I didn¡¯t really look into it. However, I don¡¯t see any devices in the front. Let me look it up real quick."

    Meixiu proceeded to take out her cellphone and searched about the Cultivators¡¯ Association.

    A few minutester, she said, "ording to this website, we only have to prove to them that we can cultivate in order to register as a cultivator. If we want to join the Cultivators¡¯ Association, we will need to undergo some sort of exam."

    "Oh, we only need to prove to them that we can cultivate? That¡¯s easier than I¡¯d thought." Yuan said.

    They continued to wait, and after about two hours of waiting, they finally reached the front.

    "How mayI help you?" The woman behind the desk asked them.

    "We¡¯re here to register as a cultivator," Meixiu said.

    "I understand. Can I see your identification?"

    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    "Identification?"

    It was at this moment she realized that they didn¡¯t have any identification on them.

    "Are identifications necessary? We didn¡¯t bring any." Meixiu said a momentter.

    "If you don¡¯t have any identification on you, we will need your fingerprints. This is only to make sure that you¡¯re not a criminal or have any criminal record." The woman said to her.

    "Okay, we can do that instead." Meixiu nodded.

    "Great. Please scan your index finger on this."

    The woman then handed her a small device that scanned fingerprints.

    Meixiu ced her index finger on the device and waited until the woman spoke again, "Okay, you can take your finger off now."

    "Give me a minute to run your fingerprint through the database."

    Sometimeter, Meixiu¡¯s information appeared on the screen.

    When the woman saw that she was from the Yu Family, her eyes widened with surprise.

    If she was from the Yu Family, why didn¡¯t she say so in the beginning?

    Even though Meixiu and Yuan left the Yu Family, they¡¯re still technically part of the family since the Yu Family didn¡¯t remove them from the database.

    "Okay, you¡¯re cleared. Please go to the room behind me for the next step."

    Meixiu then said while pointing at Yuan, "We¡¯re together, and he¡¯s also here to register as a cultivator. Can we go inside together?"

    "He¡¯s also a cultivator?" The woman raised her eyebrow when she saw Yuan.

    "I will have to run his fingerprints as well." The woman said.

    "Okay."

    Meixiu proceeded to help Yuan ce his finger on the device.

    Sometimeter, Yuan¡¯s information appeared on the screen for the woman to see.

    ¡¯Yu Tian? He¡¯s also from the Yu Family! And he¡¯s even their son! I thought they only had a daughter!¡¯ The woman was shocked to see this, as she was only aware of Yu Rou¡¯s existence.

    "Alright... I have cleared him as well." The woman said a momentter.

    "Thank you."

    Meixiu left the desk and walked to the door at the end of the hall a momentter with Yuan, which led to anotherrge and spacious room.

    The interior of this room looked like an empty gym, and there were people sitting in the lotus position near the middle of the room, absorbing the spiritual energy in the air.

    A person only needed to continuously absorb spiritual energy for a minute straight to be deemed a cultivator, so the line moved rtively fast.

    About half an hourter, Meixiu and Yuan reached the front of the line.

    "Next!"

    A bulky middle-aged man with a stopwatch turned to look at Meixiu after the previous individual left his seat.

    "I will be right back, Yuan," Meixiu said as she left his side and took a seat beside the bulky man.

    "Good luck," he said to her.

    "I will start the time once you begin to cultivate. You must cultivate without stopping for an entire minute to qualify as a cultivator," he said to her.

    She then took a deep breath and began to recite the Divine-grade cultivation technique inside her mind.

    Very quickly, the spiritual energy in the building began flying towards Meixiu, creating a small vortex around her.

    "W-What the heck is that cultivation speed?!"

    The bulky man and the others were shocked when they saw how quickly Meixiu was absorbing the spiritual energy.

    "Heavens... She is a true cultivation genius..." The bulky man mumbled in a dazed voice as he stared at Meixiu¡¯s beautiful face, seemingly mesmerized by her.

    He has been working here ever since the Cultivators¡¯ Association was created, and he has watched tens of thousands of people cultivate during the past few weeks, but none of them couldpare to this young beauty cultivating before him right now.

    More than a minute has passed since Meixiu started cultivating, but the bulky man didn¡¯t say anything, as he¡¯dpletely forgotten about the time when watching Meixiu cultivate.

    A few more minutester, Meixiu opened her eyes and turned to look at the bulky man.

    "Excuse me, I think it¡¯s been more than a minute," she said to him in a calm voice.

    "Eh?"

    The bulky man quickly looked at his stopwatch, and sure enough, three minutes have passed since Meixiu started cultivating.

 Chapter 457 - Chairman Zhao

    <h4>Chapter 457 - Chairman Zhao</h4>

    "S-Sorry, I spaced out..." The bulky man said in a still dazed voice.

    "You have passed the cultivation test."??

    Meixiu nodded and stood up.

    "If you don¡¯t mind me asking, what cultivation base have you achieved?" The bulky man suddenly asked her.

    "Ninth Level Spirit Apprentice," Meixiu responded in a calm voice.

    "N-Ninth level!" The bulky man trembled upon hearing this.

    "Is there anything else?" Meixiu then asked him.

    "N-No..." he quickly shook his head.

    However, just as Meixiu started walking back to Yuan, a loud voice suddenly resounded, causing everyone to turn to look at the source.

    "Wait a second, youngdy!"

    At the end of the hall, an old man followed by four other individuals could be seen approaching them in a hurry.

    "C-Chairman!" The bulky man eximed when he saw this old man, and he quickly lowered his head to bow.

    ¡¯Who?¡¯ Meixiu wondered inwardly as they approached her.

    "Hello, youngdy. My name is Zhao Zheng, and I am the chairman of the Cultivators¡¯ Association. I saw your cultivation just now, and it left me in awe. Can I get your name?"

    "Meixiu," she responded.

    "Then, Lady Meixiu, would you like to join my Cultivators¡¯ Association? We are currently in need of talented cultivators, and you¡¯re exactly what we are looking for. If you join us, we can guarantee you a Heaven-grade cultivation technique, and when we acquire a Divine-grade cultivation technique in the future, you will also get to practice it." Zhao Zheng said, trying to recruit Meixiu into the Cultivators¡¯ Association.

    However, Meixiu quickly shook her head and said, "Thank you for the offer, but I do not wish to join the Cultivators¡¯ Association."

    The spectators were shocked when Meixiu refused Zhao Zheng¡¯s offer so casually. Many of them had ns to join the Cultivators¡¯ Association after this, so when they saw Meixiu getting recruited by the chairman of the association, they were overwhelmed with jealousy.

    "What! The chairman himself personally invited you to join the Cultivators¡¯ Association and you dare refuse?! Know your ce!" One of the figures standing behind Zhao Zheng suddenly eximed.

    Another one then said, "You may have some talents in cultivation, but without a proper cultivation technique, you can only go so far. However, if you join us, we can guarantee you a limitless future."

    Despite their words, Meixiu remained calm and said, "I refuse."

    "You¡ª!"

    "Stop." Zhao Zheng suddenly interrupted.

    Once there was silence, he continued, "Can you at least tell me why you¡¯re refusing my offer? Are you already part of another power? Or do you have something against our association?"

    "I have nothing against the association. My hands are already fully upied with other matters, and I¡¯m not interested in the Cultivators¡¯ Association in general." Meixiu said.

    "Other matters? There¡¯s nothing my association cannot solve. If you join us, we¡¯ll help you with whatever you¡¯re upied with." Zhao Zheng wasn¡¯t willing to give up someone as talented as Meixiu so easily.

    Hearing his words, Meixiu smiled and said, "No thank you. I enjoy what I am doing, and I will continue doing it until I am no longer needed."

    "What a pity." Zhao Zheng shook his head.

    He then said, "Well, if you ever decide to change your mind, my Cultivators¡¯ Association will always have its doors opened for you."

    Zhao Zheng turned around and walked away without saying anything else. The four people with him lingered for a little longer to stare at Meixiu with displeased looks on their faces before leaving with Zhao Zheng.

    Once the ce returned to being somewhat peaceful, the bulky man could finally breathe properly, and he continued the examination shortly after.

    "Youngdy, you¡¯re going the wrong way." The bulky man said to Meixiu when he noticed her returning to the line.

    He then pointed at the door on the other side and continued, "If you¡¯re finished, you go to that room."

    "I didn¡¯te alone," she said to him.

    Meixiu then walked to Yuan and began pushing his wheelchair.

    "He¡¯s with me, and he¡¯s also here to register," she said.

    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    "He¡¯s also a cultivator?" The bulky man raised his eyebrows when he saw Yuan.

    This is his first time seeing someone in a wheelchair registering as a cultivator.

    As they approached the bulky man, Meixiu whispered to Yuan, "I think you should keep it low-key. I don¡¯t want those peopleing back to bother you. They¡¯re definitely a troublesome bunch. I can only imagine what will happen if they see your real talents."

    "I know. I¡¯ll restrain myself." Yuan said.

    Meanwhile, after they left the test room, Zhao Zheng didn¡¯t actually leave and stayed behind to continue watching Meixiu.

    "Do we have any information on that girl?" He asked the four behind him.

    One of them pulled out his phone and said, "ording to the clerk that spoke with them, she¡¯s a servant from the Yu Family. They¡¯re a powerhouse in the entertainment industry."

    "What about that young man in a wheelchair? How is he rted to her?"

    "He¡¯s also from the Yu Family¡ª their son. That girl is probably his caretaker or something."

    "I see..."

    Back in the other room, the bulky man said, "Whenever you¡¯re ready."

    Yuan took a deep breath and began to absorb the spiritual energy in the room, making sure to keep things to a minimum by imitating the cultivation speed of other cultivators that went before him.

    When Zhao Zheng saw Yuan¡¯s abysmal cultivating speed whenpared to Meixiu, he sneered in a cold voice, "She¡¯s throwing away her talents for that trash? Ridiculous!"

    After a moment of silence, he said, "Get the Yu Family on the line and tell them that I would like a meeting with them! I am not going to let such a talented cultivator go to waste for that useless thing!"

    "Right away, Chairman Zhao."

    The person proceeded to look for the Yu Family¡¯s contact information before dialing their number.

    A minuteter, the bulky man said, "Alright. You passed."

    "Go through those doors toplete your registration."

    Meixiu nodded and left the room with Yuan shortly after.

    __

    There is a new voting system for called Golden Tickets for the premium novels that will reset once a month. You can get them through spending coins or gifting the novel a certain amount(500+). If you don¡¯t have this in your app, update the app.

    Therefore, in order to bribe you into voting, I shall give you THREE bonus chapters(including daily chapters) for both Dual Cultivation and Cultivation Online if Hero¡¯s Carnage, my new novel, reaches 1,000 Golden Tickets.

 Chapter 458 - Meeting With the Yu Family

    <h4>Chapter 458 - Meeting With the Yu Family</h4>

    "Hello, can I get your names?" A clerk working behind the desk asked Meixiu when she approached him with Yuan.

    "Meixiu and Yu Tian," she said.??

    "Okay, give me a minute to create your identifications."

    The clerk then looked up their information before creating an identification card with it.

    "I just need a picture of your face now." The clerk then said.

    Meixiu went first, taking a headshot by standing in front of the camera on the desk.

    Yuan went next.

    Once they both took a picture, the clerk printed it on their identification card before handing it to them.

    "Here you go. You¡¯re done."

    "Thank you."

    Meixiu epted the cards and left the building shortly after.

    "That was easier than I¡¯d expected," Yuan said afterward.

    "Yes. Besides that little recruitment, it went much smoother than I¡¯d expected."

    Meixiu then said, "Let¡¯s go home now that we no longer have to worry about it."

    "Alright."

    After returning to the apartment, Meixiu helped Yuan take a quick shower before changing his clothes.

    "We¡¯re going to y Cultivation Online again starting tomorrow, right? Let¡¯s call Yu Rou and see if she wants to y with us." Yuan said.

    "Okay, let me try to call her now."

    Meixiu retrieved her phone and called Yu Rou.

    However, Yu Rou didn¡¯t answer the phone in time, and it went to her voicemail.

    "She¡¯s probably busy. I will try againter¡ª"

    Meixiu stopped talking when her phone began ringing.

    "Oh? It¡¯s Yu Rou."

    Meixiu quickly answered the phone.

    "Sorry, I was just finishing up my registration at the Cultivators¡¯ Association." Yu Rou said.

    "You also went to register at the association today? We just came back from that ce."

    "What? Really? What a pity that we didn¡¯t meet." Yu Rou sighed out loud.

    "Anyways, do you need something?"

    "Yes, we n on ying Cultivation Online again starting tomorrow. Yuan asked if you want to y together."

    "Of course!" Yu Rou quickly said.

    "Where are you located? We¡¯lle to you."

    Yu Rou then gave Meixiu her location.

    "Okay, we will see you there tomorrow," Meixiu said afterward.

    "Yup!"

    After hanging up, Meixiu said, "Yu Rou said she¡¯ll y with us. She¡¯s also at a ce called Seashell City."

    "Great."

    Meanwhile, at the Yu Family¡¯s main house, Yu Yong and Tang Lee sat before an old man.

    "How can we help you, Chairman Zhao?" Yu Yong asked him.

    "Thank you for seeing me on such short notice, Yu Family." Chairman Zhao said, and then he ced a small box on the table.

    "ept thispensation from me."

    Yu Yong epted the box without even opening it.

    "Thank you."

    Chairman Zhao took a deep breath before speaking, "Anyways, I havee here today regarding someone from your family."

    Yu Yong frowned slightly upon hearing this, wondering if someone from his family had offended the Chairman of the Cultivators¡¯ Association.

    "She¡¯s a servant from your family, and I believe her name is Meixiu." Chairman Zhao then revealed Meixiu¡¯s name.

    "What? Meixiu?" Yu Yong¡¯s eyes widened.

    "Did she do something?" he then asked.

    "Haha... No, she didn¡¯t. She was at the Cultivators¡¯ Association today to register as a cultivator, and I was impressed by her cultivation talents. I wanted her to join my Cultivators¡¯ Association, but she refused, so I was hoping you could do something about it."

    "The Chairman is impressed by Meixiu¡¯s talents? Really?" Yu Yong was in disbelief after hearing this.

    "Yes. In terms of talents, she¡¯s definitely one of the best I have personally seen. Furthermore, she even imed to be a Ninth Level Spirit Apprentice."

    "Ninth level?! That¡¯s impossible!" Tang Lee eximed. She has only reached the sixth level even with her Heaven-grade cultivation technique. How could a servant who ran away from home reach the ninth level? With what cultivation technique?

    "I know it¡¯s hard to believe, but if you saw her cultivation speed..." Chairman Zhao said.

    "I am willing to negotiate¡ª No, I will buy Meixiu from the Yu Family. How much do you want?" Chairman Zhao then asked.

    "Ehh..."

    Yu Yong exchanged surprised looks with Tang Lee.

    After a moment of silence, he said, "I¡¯m sorry, Chairman Zhao, but I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s not possible right now."

    "What do you mean by that?" Chairman Zhao frowned.

    "Meixiu... She¡¯s actually no longer part of the Yu Family, as she decided to leave the family a few months ago." Yu Yong said.

    "What?" Chairman Zhao sat there with a baffled look on his face.

    "Then do you know where she is currently?"

    Yu Yong shook his head.

    "Unfortunately, we don¡¯t. Maybe her mother or my daughter knows something. I can ask them right now."

    "Please do." Chairman Zhao nodded.

    "Alright. Give me a few minutes."

    Yu Yong proceeded to take out his cellphone to call Meifeng.

    "Meifeng, do you know where your daughter, Meixiu, is currently staying?" Yu Yong asked her after she answered the phone.

    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

    After a moment of silence, Meifeng responded, "I¡¯m sorry, but she didn¡¯t tell me anything. I have tried calling her before, but she didn¡¯t pick up."

    "Then do you have any idea where she might have gone?"

    "I do not."

    "I see... Thank you."

    "Umm... If you don¡¯t mind me asking, why are you looking for Meixiu?" Meifeng suddenly asked.

    "Chairman Zhao from the Cultivators¡¯ Association would like to speak with her, so if you see her or hear anything, let me know."

    "I understand. I will let the Masters know if I hear from her." Meifeng said.

    Yu Yong hung up shortly after and proceeded to call Yu Rou.

    "Huh? Do I know where Meixiu went? No, I don¡¯t. Why do you ask?" Yu Rou responded in a casual voice after hearing her father¡¯s question.

    "Are you sure you don¡¯t know?" Yu Yong asked again. "Don¡¯t you have her contact information? You mean to tell me that you haven¡¯t spoken to her since she left? I don¡¯t believe it."

    "I don¡¯t know what to tell you, father. I really don¡¯t know anything, but I can try calling herter."

    "Okay. Let me know if you learn anything." Yu Yong said before hanging up.

    He then returned to Chairman Zhao and said, "I apologize, but it seems like nobody knows her location. However, we¡¯ll try looking for her. If we find anything, we¡¯ll let you know."

    Although Chairman Zhao was unhappy about the results, there was nothing he could do about it.

    "I understand. Thank you for trying. Here¡¯s my business card. Call me if you find her." Chairman Zhao left his business card on the table before leaving the ce.

    Once Chairman Zhao was gone, Tang Lee said, "Unbelievable... To think Meixiu was a cultivation genius that even the Chairman of the Cultivators¡¯ Association would go through such trouble to recruit."

    "We need to find her, or we might risk offending the Cultivators¡¯ Association," she added.

    Yu Yong nodded, "I agree. I will call some people that specialize in finding people now."

    Meanwhile, after her phone call with Yu Yong ended, Meifeng dialed Meixiu¡¯s number.

    "Mother?" Meixiu quickly answered.

    "Be careful, Meixiu. I don¡¯t know why, but the Chairman of the Cultivators¡¯ Association is looking for you." Meifeng wanted her.

    "What?" Meixiu was surprised to hear this. The Chairman still hasn¡¯t given up on her?

 Chapter 459 - Please Carry Me

    <h4>Chapter 459 - Please Carry Me</h4>

    "Did something happen?" Meixiu asked her.

    "That¡¯s what I want to ask you. What happened? Did you offend the Chairman? Why would someone like him be searching for you?" Meifeng asked her.??

    "Well..." Meixiu proceeded to exin to her mother what had urred at the Cultivators¡¯ Association today.

    Meifeng remained silent for a good moment after hearing Meixiu¡¯s story, and all she said at the end was¡ª

    "Just be careful and refrain from going outside for a while. Chairman Zhao is a powerful man who is at the top of the Cultivators¡¯ Association. He may not be a powerful cultivator, but he has plenty of influence and more than enough people to suppress you."

    "I understand. Thank you for the warning."

    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.

    "Don¡¯t you get it, Meixiu? If you¡¯re in danger, the Young Master will also be in danger. Whatever you do, just make sure you protect him."

    "You don¡¯t need to tell me that," Meixiu said.

    Meifeng hung up the phone shortly after.

    "Haaa..." Meixiu sighed out loud.

    However, before she could even think about the situation, her phone began ringing again.

    It was Yu Rou.

    Meixiu answered the phone but didn¡¯t say anything.

    "Meixiu? Are you okay? My father is looking for you for some reason." Yu Rou¡¯s voice then resounded.

    Meixiu released a sigh of relief after hearing Yu Rou¡¯s voice, and she said, "Yes, I am fine."

    "As for what happened..."

    After Yu Rou heard the story, she eximed in an angry voice, "What?! How shameless! You have already refused to join the Cultivators¡¯ Association, yet they¡¯re still pursuing you?! They even went out of their way to visit my parents! I cannot believe that there are people like them out there!"

    "It is what it is. There¡¯s no point getting angry about it, as it won¡¯t change anything." Meixiu said.

    "What do you n on doing? I doubt the Cultivators¡¯ Association would give up on you."

    "I don¡¯t know yet, but I will think of something."

    "Alright. If you need anything, call me, okay?"

    "I will. See you tomorrow." Meixiu said.

    After hanging up, Meixiu went to Yuan¡¯s room and exined to him the situation.

    "What a pain in the a.s.s. Now I regret going to register." Yuan sighed out loud.

    "What do you think we should do?" Meixiu asked him.

    "I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything we can do besides hope that they give up on you. After all, they have the entire Cultivators¡¯ Association behind them while we¡¯re just two people who ran away from their family." Yuan said.

    "Should we relocate just in case?" Meixiu then asked.

    "Wouldn¡¯t that just attract their attention? Judging by what Miss Meifeng and Yu Rou said, they don¡¯t know your location yet, so it¡¯s probably better if we stay put here."

    "I will try to think of something, but that¡¯s all I can think of for now."

    "Okay." Meixiu nodded.

    Sometimeter, Meixiu returned to her room and tried to sleep since she wasn¡¯t in the mood to cultivate.

    However, Yuan decided to enter Cultivation Online.

    "Young Master? It¡¯s rare seeing you during the night. Did something happen?" Feng Yuxiang asked him, as he usually doesn¡¯t return until morning.

    "Something like that." Yuan nodded.

    "Is there anything we can do to help?" Xiao Hua then asked.

    "Unfortunately, no..."

    He then said, "Feng Feng, do you remember when I asked you if you know any doctors?"

    "Yes, but I haven¡¯t been able to sense that person yet, and he never stays in one ce for long, so I have no idea where he is. Why do you need to see him so suddenly?" Feng Yuxiang said.

    After a moment of silence, he said, "My friend... He¡¯s sick, and I need him to heal as soon as possible. Although he¡¯s recovering... he¡¯s not recovering not fast enough."

    "I see... Okay, I will see what I can do." Feng Yuxiang came out of his body and continued, "I will go ask around and see if I can find him."

    Yuan nodded, "Thank you, Feng Feng. I will be meeting my sister tomorrow at Seashell City. We probably won¡¯t go far."

    "Don¡¯t worry, Young Master. I will be able to find you as long as you¡¯re still in the Lower Heavens." Feng Yuxiang said.

    "I will return as soon as possible, Young Master."

    "Yes, see you soon."

    Feng Yuxiang flew away shortly after.

    Xiao Hua appeared beside him after Feng Yuxiang left, and she asked him, "Are you really okay, Brother Yuan?"

    Yuan took a deep breath before sighing out loud, "I... I hate feeling powerless. Even though my friend is in trouble, I cannot do anything about it¡ª I really hate that feeling."

    Xiao Hua wasn¡¯t sure what to say, as this is her first time seeing Yuan acting this gloomy.

    "You¡¯re not powerless, my Lord. Even if you feel helpless, you have us. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll figure something out." Lan Yingying said to him.

    "Thank you, Yingying," Yuan said to her with a slight smile, feeling a little better.

    Sometimeter, he said to them before logging off, "I will see you guys tomorrow morning."

    "Goodnight, my Lord."

    "See youter, Brother Yuan."

    Once he logged off, Yuan proceeded to spend the rest of the night trying to breakthrough to Spirit Master, but s, it didn¡¯t work.

    The following morning, after breakfast, Yuan and Meixiu logged into the game and made their way to Seashell City to meet up with Yu Rou.

    "Eh? Feng Feng went somewherest night?" Meixiu was surprised to hear this.

    Who will carry her now?

    "I can carry you if you don¡¯t mind," Yuan suddenly said to her.

    "Or are you still not ready for it?" He remembered what she said before.

    "Uhh..."

    Meixiu wasn¡¯t sure how to respond.

    However, the scene of Xuan Wuhan kissing Yuan on the cheeks suddenly shed into her mind.

    Meixiu gritted her teeth for a moment before nodding her head with a resolute look on her face.

    "Please carry me," she said with a rosy face.

    After getting her approval, Yuan retrieved the flying sword before carrying Meixiu in his arms like a princess.

    The next moment, Yuan jumped on the sword and soared towards the sky with Xiao Hua by his side, leaving Long Chen City in a sh.

 Chapter 460 - Snowy

    <h4>Chapter 460 - Snowy</h4>

    Four hours after they left Long Chen City, Yuan and the others finally arrived at Seashell City. During their whole ride, Meixiu would try her best to avoid eye contact with Yuan, but it was nearly impossible, and every time she nced at his handsome face that was only a few inches away from her own, she would immediately begin blushing.

    They descended a couple of miles away from the city to avoid getting too much attention.??

    Once theynded, Yuan ced Meixiu back onto the ground before removing his mask.

    "You¡¯re going to remove your mask?" Meixiu asked him.

    He nodded and said, "I had to wear a mask in the sect because the yers knew I was there and were actively searching for me, but now that I am no longer there, nobody will be able to recognize me as long as I don¡¯t do anything too crazy."

    "I should also change out of the Golden Dragon Robe since it¡¯s quite attractive as well."

    Yuan proceeded to change his clothes on the spot, recing the Golden Dragon Robe with the in clothes he first wore when he started ying Cultivation Online, as it looked the most simple.

    "I should probably buy some casual clothes..." Yuan mumbled to himself afterward.

    "Hmm? What¡¯s up, Xiao Hua?" Yuan noticed Xiao Hua staring at him and decided to ask her.

    "Brother Yuan, when did your hair grow so long?" Xiao Hua said, as she¡¯d just realized his new appearance.

    "Oh, it was caused by some treasure Feng Feng gave me. I think it was called a Longevity Seed. Does it look weird?"

    Xiao Hua shook her head and said, "It¡¯s not weird. Brother Yuan resembles a cultivator even more now."

    Sometimeter, after Yuan finished changing, they began making their way towards the city.

    "Yu¡ª"

    Yuan easily picked out Yu Rou¡¯s figure despite the crowd gathered outside the city, but right as he prepared to call her, he suddenly closed his mouth.

    After a moment of silence, he said, "Who¡¯s that girl beside Yu Rou? They appear to be together."

    "Let me see..." Meixiu narrowed her eyes and looked at the beautiful girl standing beside Yu Rou.

    "Oh, that¡¯s Xia Jingyi, Yu Rou¡¯s ssmate."

    "Xia Jingyi? The one who allowed me to live in her parents¡¯ apartment?" Yuan asked.

    "Yes."

    "I see... So that¡¯s what she looks like..." Yuan nodded with a focused expression, seemingly interested in her.

    Meixiu raised her eyebrows at his reaction.

    Of course, Yuan was only interested in her because he believed that he was indebted to her, who gave him a ce to live when he was struggling to find a new home.

    "Yu Rou!" Yuan called out to her again.

    When Yu Rou heard Yuan¡¯s voice, she immediately turned to look at him, and a bright smile appeared on her face the next second.

    "Brother!"

    Yu Rou ran to him with her arms spread.

    Yuan dly weed her into his embrace.

    "It¡¯s been a while, Yu Rou."

    "It¡¯s been longer than just a while. It feels like forever since Ist saw you," she said.

    "H-Hello." Xia Jingyi greeted him in a somewhat bashful voice after catching up to Yu Rou.

    "Brother, this is¡ª"

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    Yuan turned to look at Xia Jingyi and smiled, "I know. You are Xia Jingyi, right? Let me thank you again for letting me stay in your parents¡¯ apartment. Thank you."

    She didn¡¯t say anything and only nodded.

    "I hope you don¡¯t mind letting her join us. We¡¯ve been ying Cultivation Online together this entire time, and it would be rude to exclude her." Yu Rou then said.

    "Of course I wouldn¡¯t mind it. You can join us whenever you want." Yuan said.

    "T-Thank you."

    "There¡¯s no need to be so shy, Jingyi. It¡¯s not like this is your first meeting. Look, even Meixiu is here." Yu Rou said to her.

    "I-I know, but I can¡¯t help it... You know that I¡¯m not good with men..." Xia Jingyi said.

    "You¡¯ll have to get used to it if you want toe with us. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be okay."

    "I will try..." she nodded.

    "Hello, Xiao Hua. It¡¯s been a while." Yu Rou didn¡¯t forget about her and greeted her.

    "Hello."

    Yu Rou then looked around and asked, "Where¡¯s Feng Feng? I don¡¯t see her."

    "She¡¯s currently busy with something so she won¡¯t be with us," Yuan said.

    "I see..."

    Sometimeter, Yu Rou asked, "What should we do now?"

    Yuan shrugged and said, "I don¡¯t really have a n since I only thought about spending time with you. What do you two usually do?"

    "Well... We normally hunt monsters together and do repeatable quests."

    "What about your cultivation levels?"

    "I am at the second level of Spirit Warrior while Jingyi is at the first level." Yu Rou said.

    "I see..."

    Yuan began pondering.

    Then he recalled something, "What about the Spirit Fruit you got from Feng Feng? Have you obtained a servant yet?"

    Hearing his question, Yu Rou suddenly smiled and said, "I¡¯m d you asked, brother! Feast your eyes on my servant! Come out, Snowy!"

    "Snowy?" Yuan raised his eyebrows at this weird name.

    The next moment, a small, four-legged creature covered in white fur appeared before them.

    "This is... a dog?" Yuan wasn¡¯t exactly sure what this creature was so he took a guess.

    "Wrong! Snowy is a tiger cub... I think!" Yu Rou said.

    And she continued, "We met Snowy during one of our quests near a mountain range. She was being chased by arge bear at that time, and we rescued it. After that, I gave her the Spirit Fruit because I found her really cute, and the rest is history!"

    "Also, don¡¯t be surprised when you hear this, but Snowy is actually a Heaven-grade servant!" Yu Rou said a momentter.

    "What? Really?" Yuan looked at the small white creature with a somewhat surprised look on his face, wondering how this small thing could possibly be a Heaven-grade servant.

    Suddenly, Xiao Hua approached them and said, "This cub is a Spiritual Beast."

    "A what?" Everybody there turned to look at her with wide eyes.

 Chapter 461 - Spiritual Beast

    <h4>Chapter 461 - Spiritual Beast</h4>

    "What¡¯s a Spiritual Beast? That sounds powerful." Yu Rou asked Xiao Hua.

    "They are magical beasts... but naturally more powerful, just like Divine Beasts. However, they¡¯re not quite as powerful as Divine Beasts. There¡¯s also a chance that a Spiritual Beast can evolve into a Divine Beast." Xiao Hua said.??

    She looked at the tiger cub and said, "It¡¯s very rare to find a Spiritual Beast this young since they¡¯re usually with their parents, and for you to make it into your servant... You got incredibly lucky."

    Yu Rou picked up the ball of fluff and hugged it. "Hehe... I knew she was special the moment I saw her, but I didn¡¯t think she was this special. I really lucked out!"

    Xiao Hua nodded and said, "That¡¯s why you should keep her hidden unless you absolutely need her. There are people out there who would steal others¡¯ servants out of jealousy, especially if they are rare creatures."

    "What?! Really? How does that work? Stealing another individual¡¯s servant." Yu Rou asked.

    "If the Master dies, the contract will naturally end. Though there are methods to forcefully sever a contract without killing the Master." Xiao Hua said.

    "That sounds scary..." Yu Rou said.

    Then she called Snowy back just in case.

    "There shouldn¡¯t be many people who can recognize a Spiritual Beast in the Lower Heavens since they are so rare, but you should still be careful."

    "I understand. Thank you, Xiao Hua." Yu Rou nodded.

    "Does it have any special abilities?" Yuan suddenly asked her.

    "Nope. The only thing she can do is bite, but she¡¯s too small to even fight effectively." Yu Rou said.

    Then she turned to look at Xiao Hua and asked, "Is there any way to make Spiritual Beasts grow faster? I will have to look for another servant if it¡¯s going to take a few years before I can let Snowy fight."

    Xiao Hua nodded and said, "Yes, there are treasures that can speed up a magical beast¡¯s growth, but they are incredibly rare."

    "Great! I will keep that in mind." Yu Rou said.

    Sometimeter, Yuan said, "Let¡¯s do some quests together. You two can pick."

    "Are you sure? The quests may be too easy for you." Yu Rou said.

    "I don¡¯t mind. I just want to spend time with you."

    "Okay. Then let¡¯s go look for some quests."

    Sometimeter, they entered the city and asked around to see whether there was any quest they could do.

    After about an hour of looking, they epted a quest that required them to gather some material that can only be obtained from a certain magical beast.

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    "The ck Horn Bull can be found at the Orange Field. They¡¯re around the seventh level of Spirit Apprentice. I will need as many horns as you can gather, and I will pay 10 gold coins for each horn." A middle-aged man said to them before handing them a map.

    "I understand. We should return soon." Yu Rou said.

    After leaving the ce, Yu Rou said, "ording to the map, the Orange Land is quite far away. It¡¯s going to take us around 10 hours to get there if we walk. However, if we travel by horses or carriages, it¡¯ll be much quicker."

    "Carriages?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    He then said, "I have never ridden in a carriage before. Let¡¯s try that out."

    "Okay!"

    "Where do we ride carriages?" Yuan then asked.

    "There¡¯s a store that rents horses with carriage service. Let¡¯s go there." Yu Rou said.

    Yu Rou proceeded to lead them to this store.

    Ten minutester, they arrived before arge building that had almost a dozen horses on disy, and there were even a couple of carriages in the back.

    "Hello, I would like to purchase the carriage service." Yu Rou approached the reception desk and asked the middle-aged man managing it.

    "Sure thing, youngdy. Where are you guys trying to go? And is it going to be a one-way trip or a round-trip?"

    "The Orange Lands. Round-trip."

    "Orange Lands, huh? Alright, give me a moment to do some calctions."

    A momentter, he continued, "That would be 3 gold coins for the ordinary service and 10 gold coins for the premium service."

    "What¡¯s the difference?" Yuan asked.

    "The ordinary service will provide you... well, an ordinary horse and an average carriage. You will also have to drive the carriage by yourself. The premium service provides a faster horse, arger carriage, and even a driver for the carriage for a better experience overall."

    "We¡¯ll take the premium service," said Yu Rou.

    "Alright. That¡¯ll be 10 gold coins."

    Yu Rou nodded and handed 10 gold coins to the manager.

    "Thank you for choosing us, youngdy. Give me about ten minutes to find you a driver. If you have any preferences for the driver, let me know. We even have cultivators who can drive the carriage as well as guards if you need them. However, that will cost additional fees."

    "An ordinary driver is fine." Yu Rou said.

    After all, they had Yuan, who was infinitely stronger than any guard they could provide.

    "I understand."

    The manager disappeared for some time before returning, "Your carriage is ready. Please follow me."

    Yu Rou and the others followed the manager to the outside, where a decorated carriage and a horse were waiting in the street.

    Yuan looked at the square-shaped carriage with awe, as this is his first time seeing a carriage in this fashion.

    A few momentster, they entered the carriage, but there was only room for 4 people. Any more and it¡¯ll be a little cramped.

    "Here, Xiao Hua. I will make some room for you." Yuan said when everyone was seated beside her.

    "It¡¯s okay. Xiao Hua will sit here."

    Xiao Hua said before entering the carriage and taking a seat on Yuan¡¯s l.a.p.

    "Is it okay?" she asked him afterward.

    "I don¡¯t mind." Yuan nodded.

    When Yu Rou saw this, she had an idea.

    "Snowy,e out."

    Once the white ball of fluff returned, Yu Rou had it sit on her l.a.p while she hugged it.

    "Are we ready to move?" The driver asked them a momentter.

    "Yes!" Yu Rou said.

    "Then I shall start moving the carriage now. Hah!"

    The driver said beforemanding the horses to move, pulling the carriage along with it.

 Chapter 462 - Magical Beasts Blocking the Road

    <h4>Chapter 462 - Magical Beasts Blocking the Road</h4>

    After the carriage left the city, the driver spoke in a loud voice, "We should arrive at Orange Lands in three hours if we don¡¯t get attacked by wild magical beasts."

    "Okay! Thank you!" Yu Rou responded in a loud voice.??

    Meanwhile, Yuan had his head turned to look outside the window. Riding in a carriage felt like they were riding a slow car that was also quite bumpy, yet there was a distinct difference that made riding a carriage much more enjoyable.

    "Brother, I just noticed this, but when did your hair grow so long? I don¡¯t think my hair has grown since I started ying..." Yu Rou suddenly asked him.

    Since she was used to Yuan having long hair in the real world, she didn¡¯t immediately notice it.

    "Oh, I ate a treasure that regrew my hair and made it longer. Feng Feng and Xiao Hua said it looked good, so I decided to leave it like this," he said.

    "I agree with them. You look very handsome! Don¡¯t you think so too, Jingyi?" Yu Rou asked her.

    "Eh? Why are you asking me...?" She quickly began fl.u.s.tering.

    Sometimeter, Yu Rou asked, "Brother, what have you two been doing recently? Are you doing okay living by yourselves?"

    Yuan nodded, "Yes, we¡¯re doing fine. As for what we¡¯ve been doing recently... besides cultivation, nothing else really."

    "I-If you have any problems with the apartment, please let me know... I will call someone to fix it." Xia Jingyi said to him.

    "Oh, right. I know you said we can live there for free, but I don¡¯t want to feel like a freeloader. Please allow me to pay for the rent."

    "Are you sure? The rent is not cheap there if I have to be honest with you..."

    "Yes, I am sure. We have made enough money by selling in-game items. If we need more, we can sell more items." Yuan said.

    After a moment of silence, Xia Jingyi nodded, "Okay, if you insist on paying the rent, I will tell the apartment manager to send you the bill every month starting the next month."

    "Okay."

    About an hourter, the carriage came to a sudden stop, and the driver shouted, "Esteemed guests! There¡¯s a pack of dark wolves blocking the road ahead!"

    "Dark wolves, huh? Let me take care of it!" Yu Rou eagerly left the carriage and retrieved her fan¡ª the same one that Yuan bought for her.

    She then walked to the front of the carriage and approached the group of dark wolves with a brave expression on her face.

    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    Yuan peeked his head out the window to look at the dark wolves.

    They were all between the level of 3rd level and 5th level Spirit Apprentice. It was nothing Yu Rou couldn¡¯t handle as a Spirit Warrior even if they were in a group.

    [Wind des!]

    Whoosh!

    The pack of dark wolves was instantly dismembered by the powerful wind des that were as sharp as real swords.

    After killing the magical beasts in a single attack, Yu Rou used wind des again to clean up the road.

    "The road is free again." Yu Rou said to the dumbfounded carriage driver.

    "T-T-Thank you for your efforts, esteemed fairy!" The driver stood up and bowed to her in a respectful manner after witnessing her effortlessly kill a dozen magical beasts.

    Once she returned to the carriage, Yu Rou rubbed her nose in a prideful manner and said, "Did you see that, brother? I have gotten much better with the technique."

    "Yes, I saw it very clearly. You have definitely gotten a lot stronger, especially with that technique." Yuan said with a smile on her face.

    "Well... It¡¯s the only offensive technique I have so I use it all the time, allowing me to master it very quickly." Yu Rou said.

    It was at this moment that Yuan recalled something¡ª that he¡¯d get some cultivation techniques for her.

    "Ah! Ipletely forgot to get you new techniques! Even though we went to the Myriad of Techniques... What a blunder..." Yuan sighed.

    "It¡¯s okay. We can look for themter. I¡¯m not in a hurry to look for new techniques, anyway." Yu Rou said.

    "Alright."

    About half an hourter, another magical beast blocked the road.

    Of course, Yu Rou went outside to take care of it again.

    Ten minutester, the carriage stopped again.

    "Why are there so many magical beasts blocking the road? Is it always like this? It¡¯s like they¡¯re doing this on purpose just to mess with us!" Yu Rou was beginning to get tired of them after stopping for the tenth time.

    "It¡¯smon because many people travel this road every day, and magical beastse here to find food. This is why nobody dares to travel without any guards unless they¡¯re a powerful cultivator." Xiao Hua said to her.

    "However, magical beasts aren¡¯t the only thing people have to worry about, as bandits and thieves would often target people, too."

    "I hope we don¡¯t run into any bandits... I¡¯m already overwhelmed by the magical beasts." Yu Rou sighed.

    "I can take care of the magical beasts if you¡¯re tired," Yuan said to her.

    "I¡¯m not physically tired, but it does feel repetitive and boring."

    "It¡¯s alright. I will take care of the magical beasts now."

    "Okay." Yu Rou nodded.

    Sometimeter, the carriage stopped again.

    "Magical beasts!" The driver warned.

    Yuan activated his Divine Sense and expanded it until he could see the magical beasts.

    Once he located them, he retrieved his invisible Starry Abyss and controlled it to clean out the magical beasts without stepping out of the carriage.

    The carriage driver was shocked when he saw this, as he was unable toprehend the scene before him. In his eyes, the magical beasts blocking the road were being ughtered by an invisible force.

    In just a moment, all of the magical beasts were killed, clearing the road once again.

    "Brother? Why are you just sitting there? Aren¡¯t you going to take care of the magical beasts?" Yu Rou asked him.

    "Huh? I have already taken care of them." Yuan said in a calm voice, dumbfounding Yu Rou and Xia Jingyi.

    __

    Author¡¯s Note: There is a new voting system for called Golden Tickets for the premium novels that will reset once a month. You can get them through spending coins or gifting the novel a certain amount(500+). If you don¡¯t have this in your app, update the app.

    Therefore, in order to bribe you into voting, I shall give you THREE bonus chapters(including daily chapters) for both Dual Cultivation and Cultivation Online if Hero¡¯s Carnage, my new novel, reaches 1,000 Golden Tickets.

 Chapter 463 - Internal Destruction

    <h4>Chapter 463 - Internal Destruction</h4>

    "What? You¡¯ve taken care of the magical beasts already? How is that even possible?" Yu Rou said.

    Then she peeked her head outside the carriage window to look at the front.??

    "W-What?!" Yu Rou eximed in a shocked voice the very next moment, startling Xia Jingyi.

    "What happened?!" Xia Jingyi asked her.

    "T-The magical beasts on the road have all been killed!" Yu Rou said.

    She pulled her head back inside the carriage before turning to look at Yuan with a look of disbelief on her face.

    "H-How did you do that? What did you do?" she asked him.

    Yuan lifted his palms and removed the camouge that kept the Starry Abyss invisible, revealing to them the secret.

    Yu Rou looked at the beautiful ck dagger hovering above Yuan¡¯s palm and said, "Wait a minute... I have seen that dagger before. You used it to remove materials from magical beasts before!"

    "Yes, and I can control it without needing to wield it, allowing me to attack from a distance. It¡¯s very convenient."

    "Wow... As expected of you, brother..." Yu Rou mumbled in a low voice, her eyes filled with admiration.

    Xia Jingyi was also impressed by his prowess as well, and she wondered what cultivation level he was at, but she was too shy to ask him, so she could only imagine it inside her mind.

    Sometimeter, the carriage began moving again after the driver snapped out of his daze.

    And for the rest of the journey, Yuan would take care of the magical beasts before they could even reach the road.

    About three hours after they left Seashell City, their carriage finally arrived at the Orange Lands.

    "Wow, no wonder why they named this ce the ¡¯Orange¡¯ Lands. There¡¯s so much orange color in this ce..." Yuan mumbled as he admired the orange scenery.

    From the grass to the trees and the flowers, they were all orange in color, almost like this ce was experiencing autumn while the rest of the world was in a different season.

    "Do you know where are the ck Horn Bulls?" Yu Rou asked the driver.

    He nodded and pointed to the wilderness in the distance and said, "You can find them a few miles in that direction. I will be stationed here until tomorrow or until you¡¯re all ready to return to the city."

    "Alright. Thank you."

    Sometimeter, Yu Rou and the others followed the driver¡¯s directions and disappeared into the distance.

    Once they were inside the orange wilderness, Yuan said, "Xiao Hua, can you look for the ck Horn Bulls for us with your Divine Sense? Mine is still too weak to search for them efficiently."

    "Sure thing, Brother Yuan," she said.

    "What?" Xia Jingyi raised her eyebrows after hearing Xiao Hua¡¯s words.

    Did she just call him ¡¯Yuan¡¯?

    It was at this moment that Yuan realized that Xia Jingyi wasn¡¯t aware of his identity and that he didn¡¯t tell Xiao Hua to not call him ¡¯Yuan¡¯, as he wasn¡¯t prepared for Xia Jingyi¡¯s presence.

    Meixiu and Yu Rou also realized this, but they couldn¡¯t think of any good excuses to make so quickly.

    ¡¯Xiao Hua, call me Brother Yu Tian!¡¯ Yuan quickly used his Divine Sense to speak with Xiao Hua.

    "B-Brother Yu Tian?" Xiao Hua said.

    When Xia Jingyi heard this, she thought to herself, ¡¯Oh, so I really heard it wrong... Their names sound kind of simr, too.¡¯

    After all, there was no way that Yu Rou¡¯s brother would be that famous yer Yuan.

    ¡¯Hopefully, she didn¡¯t find out...¡¯ Yuan sighed inwardly.

    However, he then wondered to himself, ¡¯Wait... Do I really need to hide my identity from her? I think she¡¯s trustworthy enough to know about my identity...¡¯

    But it was a littlete since he¡¯s already tried to hide his identity from her.

    A momentter, Xiao Hua said, "Brother Yua¡ª Yu Tian, there¡¯s a couple of ck Horn Bull half a mile in that direction."

    "Okay, let¡¯s go."

    They started moving in the direction that Xiao Hua pointed towards.

    About ten minutester, they stopped moving.

    "Wow, there¡¯s so many of them¡ª at least a dozen. How should we take care of them?" Yu Rou asked.

    "I can kill them with the Starry Abyss, but I doubt you¡¯d want me to do that..." Yuan said.

    "That¡¯s right, brother. If you do everything for us, it wouldn¡¯t be fun. We¡¯re here for the experience, after all."

    Then she said, "I am going to use wind des to take out as many as I can. Jingyi, you¡¯ll take care of the ones that I miss."

    "Okay." Xiao Jingyi nodded her head before taking a seat on the ground and retrieving a familiar-looking object from her spatial ring.

    "That¡¯s... a zither? You can y the zither?" Yuan was surprised to see Xia Jingyi pull out a zither.

    "Yes." Xia Jingyi said as she ced the zither on her l.a.p.

    And she continued, "The zither is simr to some of the instruments I y, so I picked it as my main weapon."

    "We can talk about thister. Let¡¯s deal with the ck Horn Bulls for now before they notice us or run away." Yu Rou said to them.

    "Are you ready?" She then asked Xia Jingyi.

    "I am."

    "Good, then let me begin!"

    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.

    After taking a deep breath, Yu Rou began fanning her fan many times in quick session, sending out many wind des at the herd of ck Horn Bulls that were eating the orange grass on the ground.

    The wind des went straight through the trees that blocked their path, knocking them down.

    In just a few moments, Yu Rou had in a little over half of the magical beasts.

    When the other ck Horn Bulls saw this, they immediately stopped eating and pointed their pointy ck horns in their direction.

    "Jingyi, they areing!" Yu Rou warned her.

    "Got it!"

    Xia Jingyi then pulled the strings on the zither with spiritual energy applied to her fingers and the zither itself.

    The next second, many ripples began appearing in the area.

    "Wow... What kind of technique is that? This is my first time seeing it." Yuan asked her afterward.

    "It¡¯s an Earth-grade zither technique that allows me to attack my targets internally," she said.

    "What? That sounds overpowered, attacking them internally... Doesn¡¯t this mean you can easily defeat all of your enemies?" Yuan said.

    "Not really. My attacks can easily be repelled if someone has enough spiritual energy protecting their body. Also, it doesn¡¯t have much of a range, so I can only use it when I am close to them with someone protecting me..."

    She then said, "Do you want to learn the technique? I can lend you the technique if you want."

    "Really? You won¡¯t mind?" Yuan asked her.

    "I don¡¯t mind. I bought it with my own money, and I have already learned it."

    Xia Jingyi then took out the technique from her spatial ring before handing it to Yuan casually.

    Yuan was speechless. He didn¡¯t think she¡¯d be willing to give him an Earth-grade technique so easily andpletely for free.

    "You¡¯re too generous, Jingyi." Yu Rou chuckled.

    "I owe you," Yuan said to her.

    He then opened the book and started reading it.

    "Eh? You¡¯re going to study it now? It took me almost two weeks to learn it..." Xia Jingyi said to him.

    <You have learned Silent Pulse of Internal Destruction>

    "It¡¯s okay. I have already learned the technique." Yuan said as she closed the book literally half a minuteter.

    "W-What?" Xia Jingyi stared at him with a baffled look on her face.

    "Hahaha... You should look at your own face right now, Jingyi. Did you forget? My brother is a once-in-a-thousand-years genius who has mastered multiple instruments at a young age." Yu Rou said to her.

    "Oh, right... I forgot about that... Sorry."

    "Why are you apologizing? Here¡¯s the technique. Thanks again." Yuan returned the technique to her after holding it for less than a minute.

    "Let¡¯s harvest their horns before we continue." Yu Rou then said.

    After spending a couple of minutes removing the ck horns, Xiao Hua used her Divine Sense to look for more ck Horn Bulls.

    "A mile that way," she pointed to the south a momentter.

    "Alright, let¡¯s go. I want to test out my new technique already." Yuan said, eagerly heading in that direction.

    While they walked, Xia Jingyi asked Yu Rou in a low voice, "How does she do that? Locating the ck Horn Bulls from so far away. And who is she? I have been wondering for a while now."

    "Xiao Hua? Hmm... How should I exin this..." Yu Rou pondered for a moment before continuing, "Well, she¡¯s an NPC¡ª a really powerful one at that, and she¡¯s currently traveling with my brother for some reason."

    "What? She¡¯s an NPC? I couldn¡¯t tell at all..." Xia Jingyi said.

    "That happens a lot in this game¡ª too often, in fact."

    Sometimeter, they found more ck Horn Bulls traveling slowly in a group.

    "Great. Now let me test out this new technique..." Yuan said.

    "Do you want to use my zither as well?" Xia Jingyi asked him.

    "It¡¯s fine, I have my own zither. Thank you for the offer, though."

    He then retrieved the Soul Ensnaring Zither.

    "Wow... What a beautiful zither..." Xia Jingyi muttered in awe when she saw his zither, thinking to herself that it must be a high-grade treasure.

 Chapter 464 - Please Have Mercy!

    <h4>Chapter 464 - Please Have Mercy!</h4>

    After retrieving the Soul Ensnaring Zither, Yuan took a seat on the soft ground and ced the zither on his l.a.p.

    He then closed his eyes and took a deep breath.??

    A moment of pure silenceter, he opened his eyes, and his fingers flicked the strings extremely quickly.

    Whoosh!

    A massive ripple appeared from the zither and swept the ce in an instant.

    The next second, the ck Horn Bulls didn¡¯t even have the time to react before their bodies exploded into a bloody mess.

    When Xia Jingyi used the technique, the ck Horn Bulls didn¡¯t explode violently, so when she saw the results, she began gagging from shock, nearly puking.

    "Whoa... brother... I think you went a little overboard..." Even Yu Rou had to take a step back with a disgusted look on her face after seeing the magical beasts¡¯ guts and internal organs flying all over the ce. Even though they were magical beasts, Yu Rou felt sorry for them.

    Luckily for them, they were standing far enough, or the blood and organs would¡¯ve definitely hit them.

    Yuan¡¯s jaw dropped wide open when he saw the results.

    "I-I also didn¡¯t think it would be so powerful!" He eximed a momentter.

    "Brother Tian... Did you forget your cultivation base? Even a Mortal-rank cultivation technique will disy extraordinary strength if it¡¯s used by you." Xiao Hua said to him.

    "Even if you say that, this is my first time using a zither technique, so I didn¡¯t know how to control my strength." Yuan sighed.

    "There¡¯s no way we can harvest their horns when they¡¯re in this state..." Meixiu said a momentter.

    "I¡¯m sorry..." Yuan apologized to them.

    "Brother, you¡¯re banned from using that technique if we¡¯re with you! It¡¯s simply too gruesome!" Yu Rou said to him afterward.

    "I understand." Yuan nodded.

    He then turned to look at Xia Jingyi and asked her, "Are you okay?"

    She wiped the tears from her eyes and nodded, "Yes... I was just... shocked..."

    "I¡¯m sorry..." He apologized again.

    Shortly after, they went to look for more ck Horn Bulls.

    "Meixiu, do you want to try fighting them?" Yu Rou suddenly asked her.

    "Eh? I don¡¯t know any techniques besides my cultivation technique..." she said.

    "What? You still don¡¯t have any techniques?" Yu Rou looked at her with wide eyes.

    She then looked at Yuan, who merely shook his head and said, "Looks like we¡¯ll be returning to the Myriad of Techniques sooner than I¡¯d anticipated..."

    Since Meixiu didn¡¯t have any martial techniques, Yu Rou and Xia Jingyi took care of the magical beasts without making a huge mess.

    After that batch, they continued to spend a couple more hours hunting ck Horn Bulls until they essentially hunted almost all of them in the area.

    "How many horns did we collect?" Yu Rou asked Yuan at the end.

    "About 400 give or take," he said.

    "So 4,000 gold coins, huh? That¡¯s extremely good for a single quest, and it didn¡¯t even take us that long." Yu Rou said.

    "And it is mostly thanks to Xiao Hua for locating the magical beasts for us or this would¡¯ve taken much longer, so thank you, Xiao Hua!"

    Xiao Hua nodded silently.

    "Are we going to go back now?" Yuan asked them.

    "Yes. Once we hand in our quest, we can go shopping for some cultivation techniques. Though I doubt 4,000 gold coins will be enough to buy even half a technique..." Yu Rou said.

    "Money, huh? Xiao Hua, do you still have the spirit stones I gave you? Feng Feng said that you didn¡¯t spend it."

    Xiao Hua nodded and retrieved the storage pouch containing the spirit stones and handed it to him, "Xiao Hua didn¡¯t use it, and if Brother Tian needs more money, Xiao Hua still has the money from the auction."

    Xiao Hua reminded him that she still has money from selling her Heaven-grade treasure, something that even she forgot about for a moment.

    "Okay. We¡¯ll use it if we really need it." Yuan nodded, no longer feeling as reluctant to use that money anymore for some reason.

    Sometimeter, they returned to the carriage, where the driver was taking a nap.

    "Hmm? Are you ready to return to the city already, esteemed guests?" The driver woke up when he noticed their presence.

    "Yes."

    Once everyone was inside the carriage, the driver began driving the carriage back to the city.

    "Meixiu, what martial technique do you want? In fact, what kind of weapons do you want to use?" Yuan asked her.

    "I don¡¯t know..."

    "Do you have any experience with weapons? I know you havebat experience working as a servant for the Yu Family since you¡¯re expected to be a bodyguard as well. What did your mother teach you?" Yu Rou asked her.

    "Well... Everything..." Meixiu said.

    "When we¡¯re trained, we¡¯re not just trained as servants. We also have bodyguard training as well as other things, and as the future personal servant of Yua¡ª Yu Tian, I had to train more than the others, so I am proficient with a lot of weapons, especially guns." Meixiu said.

    "Wow... I didn¡¯t know that." Yuan began seeing Meixiu in a new light now.

    Yu Rou chuckled and said, "Brother, Meixiu is probably strong enough to beat you in a fight without any cultivation techniques or cultivation."

    "Really? She¡¯s that powerful?" Yuan¡¯s eyes widened.

    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Yu Rou nodded, "I have seen her beat up people twice her size by ident once. It really widened my eyes."

    Meixiu blushed slightly after hearing Yu Rou¡¯s words.

    "Anyways, guns, huh? Are there any weapons in the cultivation world that resemble guns?" Yu Rou wondered.

    "What¡¯s a gun?" Xiao Hua asked.

    "Well... How should I exin this? It¡¯s a weapon thates in many different sizes and shapes, but they all do the same thing¡ª shooting bullets." Yu Rou said.

    However, Xiao Hua didn¡¯t understand a word she¡¯d just said.

    Meixiu then said, "Imagine a weapon that can shoot a small rock so quickly that it can pierce one¡¯s body. Kind of like a bow and an arrow."

    Xiao Hua pondered for a moment and said, "Like a slingshot?"

    "Yes, something like that."

    Xiao Hua then shook her head and said, "Xiao Hua has never seen anyone using slingshots as a weapon of choice, but there are many people who use bows and arrows."

    "Bows... I have never used a bow before." Meixiu said.

    "What about just using your fists, Meixiu? Besides guns, you should also have plenty of hand-to-handbat," said Yu Rou.

    Meixiu nodded.

    "Hand techniques, huh? I actually have one on me right now." Yuan suddenly said.

    And he asked her, "Do you want to try learning it?"

    "Okay."

    Yuan then retrieved the Ancient-rank technique he¡¯d obtained from the Dragon Temple and handed it to Meixiu in a casual manner. While he also wanted to learn the technique, he never really got the chance to do so, as he has been busy with cultivation in the real world shortly after leaving the Dragon Temple.

    "Thank you."

    After epting the technique, she opened it.

    Meixiu¡¯s eyes widened when she saw the rank of the technique, but she didn¡¯t say anything, and she proceeded to study the technique until they returned to Seashell City a few hourster.

    "How was it? Were you able to understand it?" Yuan asked her.

    Meixiu shook her head and said, "I think the technique is tooplex for me right now."

    "I see... Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll find something suitable for you at the Myriad of Techniques." Yuan said to her after storing the technique back into his spatial ring.

    "Thank you for your business." The driver said to them after dropping them off inside the city.

    Yu Rou and the others began making their way back to the store to turn in their harvest.

    "Wee, youngdy. Hmm? You¡¯re back already? Did you forget something?" The manager there asked Yu Rou when she returned much faster than he¡¯d anticipated.

    "No, I am here to hand in the horns we have hunted." Yu Rou said.

    The manager raised his eyebrows upon hearing this. He can only imagine how little horns they have collected after leaving for such a short time, but he didn¡¯t say that to them.

    "Okay. Let me see how many you¡¯ve collected. 10 gold coins each," he said a momentter.

    Yu Rou then looked at Yuan and said, "Let him see them, brother."

    Yuan nodded and went to look for an empty and spacious spot to dump the ck horns.

    Once he found the spot, he went there and began dumping out the ck horns from his spatial ring.

    The manager¡¯s jaw dropped when he saw the ck horns piling up into a small mountain inside his shop. In fact, he has never seen so many ck horns gathered in the same ce at once before.

    And the manager began worrying about whether he would be able to afford to pay them for so many ck horns.

    Yu Rou chuckled when she saw the manager¡¯s reaction, as this reminded her of her first quest with Yuan when they had to gather Spirit Grass, and Xiao Hua collected so much that the manager of that store began sweating.

    "Okay, that should be thest one. Please count them." Yuan said to the manager after dumping out all of the ck horns.

    The manager showed a crying smile before kneeling on the floor and crying out loud, "Please have mercy!"

    The manager¡¯s response immediately dumbfounded Yuan and the others, as they didn¡¯t know why he was crying or pleading for mercy.

 Chapter 465 - Returning to the Myriad of Techniques

    <h4>Chapter 465 - Returning to the Myriad of Techniques</h4>

    "W-Why are you on the floor?" Yuan asked the manager in a dumbfounded voice.

    "Please, Young Master, have mercy! Even if you take out so many ck horns, my store cannot afford all of them!" The manager said in a crying voice.??

    "Ehh..." Yuan was speechless.

    This is the reason why he kowtowed to them? Can¡¯t he simply tell them that they didn¡¯t have enough money?

    "That¡¯s fine. How much can you buy?"

    The manager lifted his head and asked in a dumbfounded voice, "Y-You¡¯re willing to forgive me?"

    "Yes?" Yuan said.

    The manager then stood up and said, "A-About 100 horns is the most I can afford."

    "That¡¯s fine."

    "Thank you, Young Master! Please give me a minute to prepare the money!"

    About ten minutester, the manager returned with a thousand gold coins in his hands.

    "Here you go, Young Master."

    After epting the money, Yuan handed it to Yu Rou.

    "Shall we leave now?"

    Yu Rou nodded.

    "W-Wait a moment... Young Master, what about the rest of your ck horns?" The manager asked him.

    "Hm? Oh, you can keep them." Yuan said in a casual manner.

    "Excuse me?" The manager looked at him with wide eyes filled with disbelief.

    "Even if you cannot buy them, we have no use for them, so we¡¯ll give them to you for free," Yuan said to the manager.

    "R-Really?"

    "Yes. You don¡¯t mind it either, right, Yu Rou?" Yuan asked her.

    "I don¡¯t really care. We did it mostly for the experience, anyway," she nodded.

    Although 3,000 gold coins may be worth a lot to the average yer, in front of Yu Rou, who was exposed to wealth countless times more than that by Yuan, it was as little as a drop of water in an ocean.

    "Thank you very much, esteemed guests!" The manager bowed to them and refused to lift his head until they left.

    "Are we going to the Myriad of Techniques now?" Yu Rou asked after they left.

    "It¡¯s getting dark outside so let¡¯s wait until tomorrow," Yuan said as he looked at the darkening sky.

    "Alright. See you guyster." Yu Rou said to them.

    "Goodnight." Xia Jingyi said.

    After logging off, Meixiu began cooking dinner.

    Meanwhile, Yuan tried his best to breakthrough to Spirit Master.

    ¡¯I should¡¯ve asked Xiao Hua when I had the chance... I guess I will do it tomorrow.¡¯ Yuan sighed inwardly.

    After failing to breakthrough, Yuan stopped trying until after dinner.

    The following morning, after breakfast, Yuan and Meixiu met up with Yu Rou and Xia Jingyi.

    "Good morning, brother." Yu Rou waved at them.

    "Good morning." Xia Jingyi said.

    "Morning. Are you guys ready to head to the Myriad of Techniques?" Yuan asked them.

    "Yes!"

    "Is there one in this city?" Yuan then asked.

    "There is. I looked it up yesterday. Follow me." Yu Rou said to them.

    Yuan and the others followed Yu Rou, and after walking for about twenty minutes, they arrived at this ordinary-looking store.

    "It feels like yesterday..." Yuan mumbled in a low voice.

    They entered the store a momentter, and a beautiful woman greeted them with a bright smile on her face.

    However, this beautiful woman wasn¡¯t Zhu Yuying like Yuan had expected; it was an entirely different person.

    ¡¯She did say that she¡¯ll be reced soon...¡¯ Yuan thought to himself.

    "Wee to the Myriad of Techniques. If this is your first time at our store, please put your hand on this crystal ball."

    Xia Jingyi stepped forward and ced her hand on the crystal ball, which glowed a golden color.

    "A heavenly destiny? Congrattions, youngdy. You can ess the first and second floor of the store. As for everyone else, you may go to whichever floor you¡¯re authorized, and don¡¯t try to cheat, because we have records of your results." The woman said to them.

    Once they passed the entrance, Yuan said to them, "Meixiu, Yu Rou, Jingyi, you three can go look for a technique. I will be in the waiting room."

    "You¡¯re noting with us?" Yu Rou asked him.

    "I want to take this time to learn a technique that I¡¯ve recently acquired, and I have something to talk to Xiao Hua about."

    "Okay. Then we¡¯ll be back!"

    After Yu Rou and the others left, Xiao Hua turned to look at Yuan and asked him, "Brother Yuan wants to speak with Xiao Hua?"

    Yuan nodded and said, "To bepletely honest, I think I am at a bottleneck. Do you remember that one time when you shared your experience breaking through to Spirit Warrior with me? Can you also do the same for Spirit Master?"

    "Brother Yuan is at a bottleneck? How is that possible?" Xiao Hua raised her eyebrows.

    "Well... It¡¯s a little bitplicated..." He sighed.

    "It¡¯s okay. If Brother Yuan needs help, Xiao Hua will do everything in her power to assist."

    "Thank you."

    Once they were in the waiting room that was a spacious area with many chairs spread out, Yuan took a seat on the floor and Xiao Hua stood in front of him.

    She then raised her hand and poked him in the forehead with a soft glow on the tip of her fingers.

    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    Yuan closed his eyes the next moment, and he began experiencing what Xiao Hua had experienced when she tried to breakthrough to Spirit Master.

    Meanwhile, on the first floor of the store, Yu Rou and the other twodies wandered around the store.

    "Do you have any techniques in mind?" Yu Rou asked Meixiu.

    "No idea."

    "Hmmm... I also don¡¯t have any idea. Let¡¯s just look around, I guess."

    As for Yuan, he¡¯d experience breaking through to Spirit Master hundreds... thousands of times in these hours.

 Chapter 466 - Ancient Seal

    <h4>Chapter 466 - Ancient Seal</h4>

    After spending a few hours experiencing Xiao Hua¡¯s experience, Yuan finally opened his eyes and looked around.

    "They¡¯re not back yet?"??

    "They came back about an hour ago to tell us that they¡¯ll need a few more hours on the second floor, but Brother Yuan was absorbed in his own thing." Xiao Hua said to him.

    "Oh, I see. That¡¯s fine. I still have a technique to learn, anyway."

    "And thanks for showing me your experience, Xiao Hua. I think I understand why I cannot breakthrough."

    "Why?" Xiao Hua asked.

    "It¡¯s most likely due to theck of spiritual energy in that ce," he said.

    Xiao Hua nodded and said, "Spiritual energy is incredibly important when one is trying to breakthrough because they¡¯ll need a massive amount of spiritual energy, hence why people usually choose a ce with the most spiritual energy before they attempt to breakthrough."

    "I see... This is going to be pretty tricky..." Yuan sighed.

    As a cripple who cannot move without the assistance of a wheelchair and Meixiu, it would be difficult for him to find a location with better spiritual energy than his room, and because of their situation, it wouldn¡¯t be smart to wander outside.

    ¡¯I guess I will have to put my breakthrough on hold and practice my Divine Sense for now.¡¯ Yuan thought to himself.

    "If Brother Yuan cannot find a ce with good spiritual energy, he can look for treasures that contain arge amount of spiritual energy instead," Xiao Hua suddenly said.

    "A treasure? That¡¯s even more tricky..." Yuan said, as he wasn¡¯t sure if there were any treasures in the real world that contain spiritual energy.

    ¡¯If only we can somehow transfer the treasures in this world back to the real world...¡¯ Yuan sighed inwardly.

    Unfortunately, unlike transferring knowledge from Cultivation Online to the real world, it was simply impossible to transfer physical objects like treasures to the real world no matter how he thought about it.

    "Thanks for the advice, Xiao Hua," Yuan said to her before taking out the Ancient-rank martial technique he¡¯d obtained from the Dragon Temple and reading through it.

    There was a handsome young man with long blonde hair practicing on a mountain peak, and every time he punched his fists out, it would create the image of a dragon that would fly into the distance before creating a hole in whatever it touched.

    "What a powerful technique..." Yuan mumbled in a low voice as he continued to watch this talented youth practice the technique ¡¯Relentless Dragon Overwhelms the Nine Heavens¡¯.

    Of course, what Yuan was experiencing right now didn¡¯t ur to Meixiu when she tried to learn the technique in the carriage. Perhaps it had something to do with theirpatibility, but Yuanprehended the technique at a frightening rate.

    While Yuan tried toprehend the technique, Xiao Hua sat beside him like some kind of guardian, making sure that nobody disturbs him.

    However, no matter how powerful Xiao Hua may be, she didn¡¯t have the capabilities to protect Yuan from everything, and one of these things being sound.

    "AAAAAH!"

    A loud voice suddenly resounded in the waiting room, snapping Yuan back to reality.

    "It¡¯s you again! You¡¯re definitely stalking me!"

    Yuan frowned when he heard this voice, and he turned to look at the door, where a blonde-haired beauty was standing with a couple of techniques in her grasp.

    "What are you doing here? I have been here since this morning." Yuan said to her.

    "And I have been here sincest night!" she quickly responded.

    "Don¡¯t you get tired of this? Just go on and continue your trial for the Four Ancient Families," Yuan sighed out loud.

    "S-So you knew my identity this entire time?! And you still im that you¡¯re not stalking me? I don¡¯t buy it!" The girl said to him with a look of disbelief on her face.

    "No... Somebody recognized your uniform and told me... You know what... Forget it... There¡¯s no point talking to you." Yuan sighed out loud.

    The fierce girl gritted her teeth and said, "Y-You¡¯re freaking lucky that we¡¯re inside the Myriad of Techniques right now, or I would¡¯ve already smashed your face in!"

    Yuan shrugged and responded in a calm voice, "Did you not learn fromst time? Go ahead and punch me if you want to experience that pain again."

    The girl suddenly felt a dull pain on her feet when Yuan reminded her about thest incident.

    "Hmph! Forget it! You can follow me all you like, but if you dare to try and do anything funny, I will smash your face in!" The fierce girl then took a seat on the other side of the room and proceeded to ignore him.

    However, to Yuan¡¯s surprise, Xiao Hua stood up and approached the fierce girl.

    The girl turned to look at Xiao Hua with a frown on her face.

    "What do you want?"

    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Xiao Hua stared at her for a good moment before speaking, "You¡¯re from the four Ancient Families, right? How much power do you hold within the family?"

    "Huh? Why do you care?"

    Xiao Hua then said, "Do you have the Ancient Seal?"

    The girl¡¯s eyes widened with surprise, and she quickly stood up and backed away from Xiao Hua.

    "Who are you? Why do you know about the Ancient Seal?"

    "..."

    "I asked you a question! Why do you know about the Ancient Seal?!"

    The fierce girl then raised her hand before throwing it at Xiao Hua¡¯s face.

    "Xiao Hua!" Yuan stood up, but before he could even do anything, Xiao Hua waved her sleeves and calmly caught the attack perfectly.

    "Y-You..." The girl¡¯s eyes widened with shock after feeling an unfathomable strengthing from Xiao Hua.

 Chapter 467 - Primordial Realm

    <h4>Chapter 467 - Primordial Realm</h4>

    "Let me go!" The fiercedy shouted when Xiao Hua didn¡¯t release her fist.

    "If anything happens to me, my family will, without a doubt, avenge me!"??

    After a moment of silence, Xiao Hua released her grasp on thedy, letting her free.

    "Now tell me how you know about the Ancient Seal!" Thedy repeated.

    "That is something only the top ranks in the family should know about!"

    "If you do not have the Ancient Seal, then Xiao Hua is no longer interested in speaking with you." Xiao Hua said to her before turning around and walking back to Yuan in a nonchnt manner.

    "Y-You little brat!" The fierce girl gritted her teeth, yet she didn¡¯t dare to approach Xiao Hua.

    "If you don¡¯t tell me how you know about the Ancient Seal, I will tell my family about you! You can either answer me or answer my family! And if you choose thetter, just know that they won¡¯t be as patient as I am now!"

    Xiao Hua turned to look at her and said, "The Ancient Seal may be a secret in the Lower Heavens, but in the upper heavens, everybody knows about it."

    "What?" The girl¡¯s eyes widened with shock, as this was new information for her.

    "A-Are you trying to tell me that you¡¯re from the upper heavens? What are you doing here? And why do you need the Ancient Seal?" she asked Xiao Hua.

    Xiao Hua didn¡¯t say anything and turned back around, ignoring her.

    "I-If you tell me, I will tell you where the Ancient Seal is!" The girl suddenly said.

    Xiao Hua immediately turned around upon hearing this, but when she saw the girl¡¯s face, Xiao Hua turned back around and said, "You¡¯re lying."

    "W-What! I am not lying! I will really tell you!"

    However, Xiao Hua ignored her.

    "Fine! If you want to y this game, I will y with you!"

    "Is everything okay, Xiao Hua? Wouldn¡¯t it be problematic if the Four Ancient Families came after us?" Yuan asked her afterward.

    Xiao Hua nodded and said, "She won¡¯t tell her family about this, and even if they doe after us, Xiao Hua can deal with them."

    "You sound confident that she won¡¯t tell her family. Why is that?" Yuan asked.

    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

    "Because she cannot contact her family unless shepletes her trial no matter the situation."

    "I see... What about the Ancient Seal? What is that?"

    "The Ancient Seal is a treasure that each of the Four Ancient Families owns, and if one gathers all four, they will get to enter the Primordial Realm."

    "Primordial Realm? What kind of ce is that?" Yuan asked, his interest piqued.

    "..."

    Xiao Hua looked at Yuan in silence for a good moment before mumbling in a low voice, "The Primordial Realm is Xiao Hua¡¯s home..."

    "What?" Yuan¡¯s eyes widened with surprise.

    "Home as in the ce you were born?" Yuan asked her.

    Xiao Hua nodded.

    "The Primordial Realm is a special ce that isn¡¯t part of the Nine Heavens, and Xiao Hua was born there. However, due to reasons, Xiao Hua had to leave the Primordial Realm."

    After pondering for a moment, Yuan decided to ask her a question that he has been curious about for a long time now.

    "Does it have anything to do with being an ¡¯exile¡¯?"

    "Eh?"

    Xiao Hua¡¯s eyes widened with shock upon hearing his question.

    "W-When did Brother Yuan learn about exiles...?" Xiao Hua asked him in a shaky voice, clearly feeling nervous.

    "I have known about it for over a month now, but to tell you the truth, I have no idea what an exile is, and I was hoping to get some rification from you," Yuan said.

    Seeing Xiao Hua¡¯s nervousness, Yuan continued in a gentle voice, "Xiao Hua, no matter who you are or what background you have, I will always be on your side. I am asking because I am worried that you might need help, but I won¡¯t be able to help you if I don¡¯t know anything."

    After a moment of silence, Xiao Hua nodded and said, "An exile is someone who has been banished from the Nine Heavens by the Celestial Emperor, and the Primordial Realm is a ce where exiles gather. Xiao Hua¡¯s family did something bad in the past, so everyone in the family was exiled. Of course, this included the future generations of the family."

    "What? So someone in your family did something bad and everyone in the family got punished¡ª including the innocent?" Yuan was speechless, finding the judgment to be cruel and unfair, especially towards the innocent children and those who will join the family in the future.

    Xiao Hua nodded and continued, "Once exiled, they cannot enter the Nine Heavens again, or they will be hunted by everyone in the Nine Heavens. And once someone is branded as an exile, they cannot remove that title no matter how much time passes or what they do. However, there is one exception¡ª the Supreme Heaven¡¯s Legacy."

    "If an exile can fulfill the Legacy, that person and their family will be allowed to return to the Nine Heavens and will no longer be regarded as exiles."

    "However, only one person per family can hold the Legacy, and Xiao Hua was chosen to fulfill this Legacy."

    "Unbelievable... To think your family would give someone so young so much responsibility, forcing you to bear such a heavy burden..." Yuan sighed.

    "It¡¯s okay. Xiao Hua wanted to do it as well."

    "As for your legacy... We just need to reach the Supreme Heaven, right?" Yuan then asked.

    Xiao Hua nodded, and she said, "Yes, but reaching the Supreme Heaven is just the beginning of the legacy. Xiao Hua doesn¡¯t know anything else beyond that."

    "It¡¯s okay. We¡¯ll find out when we get there." Yuan said.

    "Brother Yuan, there¡¯s still one more thing you should know about exiles..." she suddenly said.

    Yuan looked at her with a smile and said, "It¡¯s okay. You can tell me."

 Chapter 468 - Hunted by the Nine Heavens

    <h4>Chapter 468 - Hunted by the Nine Heavens</h4>

    "As an exile, despite holding the Supreme Heaven¡¯s Legacy, Xiao Hua will be constantly hunted by other cultivators, so she might bring trouble to Brother Yuan." Xiao Hua said to him.

    "What? Why do you have to be hunted when you¡¯re a legacy holder?" Yuan asked her with wide eyes.??

    "Because that¡¯s how the Celestial Emperor made it. He wanted to make it as difficult as possible for exiles to escape their fate. If it was so easy toplete the legacy, people would¡¯ve escaped the Primordial Realm long ago. However, after millions of years, nobody has managed to achieve true freedom." Xiao Hua said.

    "Not only are we hunted by everyone in the Nine Heavens, but we also have our strength limited so that we wouldn¡¯t be able to ascend too quickly."

    "That¡¯s... That¡¯s just not fair... It¡¯s like they¡¯re treating exiles as animals." Yuan was speechless.

    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

    "Fortunately, Xiao Hua won¡¯t have to worry about being hunted until after the third heaven, where cultivators have the ability to discern those who are exiles."

    ¡¯Is this why Miss Xu warned me to leave Xiao Hua¡¯s side as soon as possible? Because Xiao Hua will be constantly hunted by others, and if I am with her, I might also get hunted...¡¯ Yuan finally realized why Xu Jiaqi said what she said at that time.

    It turned out that she was only concerned about him.

    However, even if the entire world goes after Xiao Hua, Yuan has already decided that he wouldn¡¯t abandon her no matter what.

    "Don¡¯t worry, Xiao Hua. Even if the entire world is against you, I will be on your side. In the first ce, you didn¡¯t do anything wrong. If I ever get a chance to speak with the Celestial Emperor, I am going to give him a piece of my mind and seek justice for you."

    "Thank you, Brother Yuan." Xiao Hua said, feeling relieved that Yuan didn¡¯t decide to abandon her because of her status.

    "Xiao Hua, do you wish to visit your home? Is that why you asked that girl for the Ancient Seal?" Yuan asked her a momentter.

    Xiao Hua nodded and said, "One cannot leave the Primordial Realm without the Supreme Heaven¡¯s Legacy, but once they leave, they cannot return to the Primordial Realm without the Ancient Seal."

    "With the Ancient Seals, one can enter the Primordial Realm as they wish."

    "I see... Do you think the Four Ancient Families will lend us their Ancient Seals?"

    "Probably not... But it doesn¡¯t matter what the Four Ancient Families think. As long as the person holding the Ancient Seal is willing, they can hand over the Ancient Seal." Xiao Hua said.

    "Oh? Who is currently holding the Ancient Seals? We won¡¯t know unless we try." Yuan said, sounding a little enthusiastic.

    Xiao Hua shook her head and said, "Xiao Hua only knows that each family has one person holding the Ancient Seal, but that person¡¯s identity is very secretive, and only important figures in the families would hold such information."

    "Furthermore, the person holding the Ancient Seal can be anywhere in the Nine Heavens. For example, there could be a seal holder in the third heaven while the other seal holders are in the other heavens. After all, the Four Ancient Families exist all over the Nine Heavens."

    "What? So you¡¯re telling me that there could be a seal holder in the Supreme Heaven? That makes things even moreplicated..." Yuan sighed.

    "Yes, but the four Ancient Seal holders will gather in the same location once every 10 years to make sure that everybody still has their seal. If we can find out the location and time of their next meeting, perhaps we might be able to meet all of them at once." Xiao Hua said.

    "But just meeting them won¡¯t do any good. We need to convince them to lend us their Ancient Seals too, and that will probably be the hardest part."

    "Brother Yuan, we should forget about this for now. There¡¯s no point looking for the Ancient Seals now. Even if we somehow acquire it now, we won¡¯t be able to go there," she said.

    "Eh? Why not?" Yuan asked.

    "Because Brother Yuan is too weak. If we go there now, you will most definitely die."

    "What? The Primordial Realm is that dangerous? I thought it was your home?" Yuan¡¯s eyes widened with surprise.

    "Yes, that is where Xiao Hua¡¯s family is located, but there are other exiles living there as well, not to mention the chaotic energy in that world. It¡¯s called the Primordial Realm mainly because of the chaotic energy that¡¯s verymon in the Primordial Era, and if one doesn¡¯t have sufficient cultivation, they will be crushed to death just by being around that chaotic energy."

    "Wow... Doesn¡¯t this mean everybody living inside the Primordial Realm are incredibly powerful cultivators?" Yuan asked.

    Xiao Hua nodded and said, "They are so powerful that when babies are born, they already have the cultivation base of a Spirit Lord."

    "What! Born as a Spirit Lord?! People can be born as cultivators?!" Yuan was shocked when he heard this, as this is his first time hearing such information.

    "Yes. In the upper heavens, many people are born already with a cultivation base because their parents help them by nurturing them with spiritual energy even before they are born."

    "Heavens... Now I really want to go to the Primordial Realm..." Yuan mumbled to himself.

    Sometimeter, Yuan returned to studying the Ancient-rank technique until Yu Rou and the others returned.

    "Sorry, it took so long, brother. There were just so many techniques to look at and we didn¡¯t know what we wanted." Yu Rou apologized to him afterward.

    "I don¡¯t mind," Yuan said.

    "Since you¡¯re back, does this mean you¡¯re finally finished? What kind of cultivation techniques did you guys pick?" Yuan asked them, and he could see each of them holding onto scrolls.

    "Well, we picked a lot, but we¡¯re not sure if we want them just yet since we still need to see if we can afford them." Yu Rou said.

 Chapter 469 - Free

    <h4>Chapter 469 - Free</h4>

    "Don¡¯t worry about the price. I will pay for them even if you can afford it." Yuan said to Yu Rou after hearing her words.

    "Really?" Yu Rou¡¯s eyes flickered with excitement.??

    Although it felt weird at first, she eventually got used to being spoiled by Yuan. Now, she even enjoys being spoiled.

    "Meixiu, Miss Xia, I will also pay for your techniques."

    "Eh? You don¡¯t have to pay for my stuff as well..." Xia Jingyi said in a surprised voice, and she continued, "Also, you can just call me Jingyi. It feels weird being called ¡¯Miss¡¯ by someone older than me."

    "It¡¯s okay. Just let me pay for it. It¡¯ll also feel weird for me if I pay for everyone else but you." Yuan insisted on paying for her cultivation techniques.

    "O-Okay... Thank you, Senior Yu."

    "Senior Yu? Just call me Yu Tian." Yuan chuckled.

    "Anyways, let¡¯s go check out the techniques."

    A few minutester, they arrived at the reception desk.

    "Hello, we¡¯d like to check the prices for these techniques." Yu Rou said to the young man working behind the desk.

    "Hmm?"

    "Oh, I remember you. You¡¯re that girl who bought the Wind de technique a while ago." The young man said, as he was there during Yuan and Yu Rou¡¯s first visit to the store.

    He then turned to look at Yuan, "It¡¯s good to see you again, Senior."

    "Hello. You¡¯re still working at the desk? You don¡¯t have to rotate with another person like Zhu Yuying?" Yuan asked him.

    "Haha... I am a permanent worker here, so no, I don¡¯t have any recements," he said.

    "I see... Anyways, how much for these techniques?"

    "Let me see what you got."

    Yu Rou and the others ced the techniques in their grasp on the table, and the young man immediately began looking through the scrolls.

    "Your total wille out to 0 gold coins." The young man said with a smile on his face.

    "Excuse me?" Yu Rou raised her eyebrows in a puzzled manner, clearly doubting what she¡¯d just heard.

    "Did you just say 0 gold coins? Isn¡¯t that basically free?" Yuan asked with a surprised look on his face.

    "Yes, it¡¯s free." The young man nodded.

    "Why is it free?" Xia Jingyi asked him.

    The young man looked at Yuan and said, "As long as you¡¯re part of the faction, everything in the Myriad of Techniques is free as long as the technique is below Heaven-rank."

    "Faction? What is he talking about, brother?" Yu Rou turned to ask him.

    "Ehh... I will exinter." Yuan said.

    Then he turned to look at the young man and asked, "Are there any limitations? Like I cannot share or sell the techniques. After all, getting all of the techniques I want for free sounds a little bit... too good to be true..."

    "The only limitation is that you are limited to 10 free techniques a year. If you want to sell or share the technique, you are free to do so." The young man said.

    Yu Rou and Xia Jingyi turned to look at each other with dumbfounded expressions on their faces. They were shocked speechless by Yuan¡¯s privilege. What exactly is a faction, and how do they join it?

    ¡¯My parents had to shell out a few billion dors to acquire a Heaven-rank cultivation technique, but Brother Tian only needed to join a faction to obtain 10 free techniques every year as long as it¡¯s below Heaven-rank?¡¯ Yu Rou thought to herself.

    "If you think this is too good to be true, just wait until you achieve a higher faction rank, since the higher your rank, the better techniques you get to take for free." The young man continued.

    "A-Are you also part of the faction?" Yuan couldn¡¯t help but ask him.

    "Hahaha... of course, not. It¡¯s too unrealistic for me¡ª to the point where I cannot even dream about being part of Master Bai¡¯s faction."

    "Eh? Then how did you know that I am part of the faction?" Yuan then asked.

    The young man then retrieved a talisman from under the desk and said, "When this talisman glows gold, it means there¡¯s someone from the faction in front of me. That¡¯s how I knew."

    "Wow, that¡¯s pretty neat. Do you think I can get one as well?"

    "I¡¯m sorry, Senior, but this isn¡¯t something that can be given to everyone even if they¡¯re from the faction. I only have one because I am working at the Myriad of Techniques. If you want one, you¡¯ll have to acquire the rank of Captain." The young man exined to him.

    "I see... Thanks for letting me know." Yuan said.

    He then turned to look at Yu Rou and the others.

    "Since I can acquire any technique below Heaven-rank for free and I still have ten slots this year, do you want to go back and look around some more? I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if there were some techniques that caught your interest but you decided to ignore them because you were worried about the price."

    "R-Really? You¡¯re going to use your precious 10 slots for us?" Yu Rou looked at him with wide eyes.

    "Yes. I don¡¯t mind." Yuan nodded.

    "Thank you, brother! I love you!" Yu Rou said to him.

    "T-Thank you, Yu Tian. I will definitely return this favor one day in the future." Xia Jingyi lowered her head and bowed to him.

    "Guess I will hold onto these techniques for now." The young man said with a smile on his face.

    Yu Rou and the others left the ce shortly after and returned to the second floor to look at the techniques one more time.

    "Yingying, what about you? You only know a single technique right now, right? You should look around, too." Yuan said to her afterward.

    Lan Yingying then appeared before him and said, "Is it really okay for me to get a technique as well?"

    "Of course." He nodded.T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 470 - Contest

    <h4>Chapter 470 - Contest</h4>

    Once everyone beside Xiao Hua left, Yuan returned to the waiting room and proceeded to continue studying the Ancient-rank fist technique.

    Even though he clearly showed greatpatibility with the technique, Yuan was unable to learn this technique as easily as he learned the other techniques.??

    ¡¯As expected of an Ancient-rank technique. I cannot learn it as quickly as I learned the other techniques.¡¯ Yuan thought to himself.

    ¡¯Now that I think about it, the Dragon¡¯s Gaze is also an Ancient-rank technique, and it took me a couple of weeks to learn that technique. Although only a week had passed in real-time, I had experienced many weeks while I was studying the technique inside my head, so I should still count it as such.¡¯

    If he uses the Dragon¡¯s Gaze as an example, he will probably need at least a few weeks to learn the fist technique.

    Though, this didn¡¯t discourage Yuan. In fact, it only made him study the technique even more seriously.

    Time passed extremely quickly while Yuan was absorbed in studying the technique, and before he was aware, thedies returned to his side with new techniques in their grasp.

    "We¡¯re back, brother." Yu Rou said to him.

    Yuan opened his eyes and looked at them.

    Both Meixiu and Xia Jingyi were holding a single scroll while Yu Rou had two scrolls.

    Yuan looked around for Lan Yingying.

    "Brother? Who are you looking for?" Yu Rou asked him.

    "Yingying. She¡¯s still looking for a technique," he said.

    "Yingying? Who?" Yu Rou raised her eyebrows.

    "Uhhh... I forgot to introduce her to you, but her name is Lan Yingying, and she¡¯s like Xiao Hua and Feng Feng." Yuan gave her a brief exnation.

    "Like Xiao Hua and Feng Feng?" Yu Rou pondered.

    ¡¯Oh, Ipletely forgot... Brother Tian had acquired an Ancient-grade servant during the Mystic Realm... I wonder what she looks like...¡¯ Yu Rou recalled the announcement that shook the inte for an entire week.

    About an hourter, a white-haired beauty entered the waiting room, instantly catching Yu Rou and Xia Jingyi¡¯s attention.

    "I apologize for making you wait so long, my Lord." Lan Yingying said to him after she returned.

    "My lord?" Yu Rou raised her eyebrows.

    Lan Yingying bowed to Yu Rou and Xia Jingyi and said, "Hello. My name is Lan Yingying, and I am the Lord¡¯s servant."

    ¡¯Servant? Is she roleying?¡¯ Xia Jingyi wondered inwardly, as she wasn¡¯t aware of Lan Yingying¡¯s true identity as a Divine Beast.

    "Hello... I am Yu Rou, and I am Yu Tian¡¯s younger sister." Yu Rou introduced herself.

    "Xia Jingyi, and I am Yu Rou¡¯s ssmate." Xia Jingyi said.

    "By the way, Yingying is an NPC," Yuan said to Xia Jingyi.

    "Eh? Oh... Then she probably doesn¡¯t know about ssmates... Well, we¡¯re something like fellow disciples of the same sect." Xia Jingyi exined herself afterward.

    After their introduction, Yuan took them back to the young man at the reception diest.

    "Six Heaven-rank techniques, huh? What about the ones you found previously? Do you still want them?" The young man asked them.

    "No, we¡¯ll just take the new techniques." Yu Rou shook her head.

    "I understand. I will ce them back for youter."

    "Sorry for the trouble," Yuan said.

    "Don¡¯t mention it. I am merely doing my job."

    The young man proceeded to log in the techniques they took, and after a couple of minutes, he handed the scrolls back to Yu Rou and the others.

    "Alright. You¡¯re all set. Senior, you have 4 more free techniques for the rest of the year. It will reset at the beginning of next year."

    "I understand. Thank you." Yuan nodded.

    "See you next time, Seniors." The young man bowed to them as they left the ce.

    "Wow, it¡¯s already thiste? I would like to study the new techniques, but we can do thatter." Yu Rou said when she realized that it was alreadyte at night.

    "Goodnight."

    After saying their goodbyes, they logged off the game.

    "What kind of technique did you get, Meixiu?" Yuan asked her during dinner.

    "Oh, it¡¯s a movement technique," she said.

    "Eh? A movement technique? You only got one technique, right? What about a martial technique? Although having a movement technique is great, you cannot win a fight just by dodging." Yuan said.

    "I think I will be fine for a while even without any martial techniques. I have plenty of hand-to-handbat experience, so I should be fine even without a martial technique," she said in a confident voice.

    "I mean, you should be fine without any martial techniques for now since you¡¯re still only a Spirit Apprentice in the game, but once you reach a higher cultivation, martial techniques are essential since everyone will have one, and you cannot fight martial technique with b.a.r.e hands."

    "Yes, I n on learning a martial technique in the future, but for now, I am satisfied with just a movement technique," she said.

    After dinner, Meixiu went to cultivate while Yuan practiced his Divine Sense.

    The following morning, before they could even enter Cultivation Online, Yu Rou called Meixiu¡¯s phone.

    "Morning, Meixiu."

    "Good morning, Yu Rou. What¡¯s the matter?"

    "Apparently there¡¯s a small contest in a nearby city. It¡¯s mostly for cultivators between the first level and the third level of Spirit Warrior. Do you want to participate in it? The winner even gets an Earth-rank cultivation technique."

    "I don¡¯t really care. Do you intend on participating in it?" Meixiu said.

    "Yes."

    "Even though you just got two Heaven-rank techniques?"

    "Hehe... You can never have too many techniques! If the Earth-rank technique isn¡¯t any good, I can simply sell it to other yers for some money, and then I will give that money to Brother Tian so that I could feel less guilty about taking two Heaven-rank techniques for free." Yu Rou said.

    "Also, it will be a good experience for us. Although I have fought plenty of magical beasts, I am still inexperienced with fighting other people."

    "Okay. I will tell Yuan. Let¡¯s continue this talk inside the game." Meixiu said.

    "Alright. See you two in a bit." Yu Rou then hung up.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 471 - Fiery Lotus

    <h4>Chapter 471 - Fiery Lotus</h4>

    After meeting up with Yu Rou and Xia Jingyi inside Cultivation Online, Yuan asked them, "You want to participate in a contest?"

    "Yes, there will be other yers there as well." Yu Rou nodded.??

    "Are you sure? I assume there will be a lot of yers there since there is going to be a free Earth-rank technique." Yuan said.

    "Well, it won¡¯t hurt to take a look at the ce. If there are too many people, we can leave." Yu Rou said.

    "Alright. How far is this ce? Do we need to take a carriage there?"

    "No, it¡¯s only about a two-hour walk from here."

    They proceeded to leave Seashell City shortly after.

    A little over two hourster, they arrived at the city.

    However, they were immediately baffled by the number of people there.

    "Heavens..." Yu Rou mumbled in a dazed voice when she saw the sea of people outside the city waiting to go inside.

    If there were this many people outside the city, she can only imagine how many people were inside.

    "I have underestimated the value of an Earth-rank technique... probably because of you, brother..." Yu Rou sighed a momentter.

    "Do you still want to participate in the contest?" Yuan asked her with a smile on his face.

    "Uhhh... I will be shocked if we can enter the city before the contest is over," she sighed again.

    "What else do you want to do now?"

    "Well... I kind of want to study the technique I got yesterday."

    "Should we go to the Cultivators¡¯ Haven?"

    "Nah. I¡¯m getting bored of the nd room inside the Cultivators¡¯ Haven. We can study outside for a change, and it¡¯s not like we¡¯re cultivating, so a little disturbance should be fine. There¡¯s ake about a mile away. We can go there instead."

    "Alright. Let¡¯s go." Yuan nodded.

    "Wow, this ce is beautiful." Yu Rou said.

    "This ce kind of reminds me of a school trip we hadst year." Xia Jingyi said.

    "Oh, you mean the one we had towards the end of the year? I remember, but the water there wasn¡¯t this clear."

    "The atmosphere here is quite refreshing..." Yuan looked at theke with a look of admiration.

    "This is your first timeing to a ce like this, right?" Yu Rou said to him.

    "Yes... Our parents would never take us to these kinds of ces, after all." He said with a bittersweet smile.

    "By the way, where¡¯s Miss Lan?" Xia Jingyi asked when she realized that she was gone.

    "Oh, she¡¯s right here," he said while pointing to the snake bracelet around his wrist.

    "Huh?" Xia Jingyi raised her eyebrows upon hearing this.

    "Come out for a bit, Yingying."

    The next moment, the white bracelet around his arms began moving, before transforming into Lan Yingying.

    Xia Jingyi¡¯s jaw dropped after seeing her transformation.

    "Y-You¡¯re not human?" Xia Jingyi asked.

    "No, I am a Divine Serpent," Lan Yingying said.

    "Do you want to see my beast form?"

    Xia Jingyi nodded with curiosity.

    "I also want to see it!" Yu Rou said.

    Lan Yingying then transformed into her serpent form.

    "Whoa! You¡¯re very big!" Yu Rou was dumbfounded when Lan Yingying transformed into a massive white snakerger than even a bus, almost like a mini train.

    "You have very pretty scales..." Xia Jingyi said with a dazzled look on her face.

    "Thank you."

    "Hmm? Jingyi, do you like snakes? I thought most girls hate snakes." Yu Rou said.

    "Yes, I like snakes. I find them very cute. In fact, I have a pet snake at home." Xia Jingyi nodded.

    "Really? I should visit your home one day."

    "You cane whenever." Xia Jingyi said.

    Sometimeter, Lan Yingying returned to her human form.

    "I¡¯m going to study the technique now." Yu Rou said to them before taking a seat by theke and retrieving one of the two Heaven-rank techniques she¡¯d recently acquired.

    Xia Jingyi followed her and also started studying her new technique.

    "What about you, Yingying? What kind of technique did you take?" Yuan asked her afterward.

    "Oh, it¡¯s a me technique. I was hoping it¡¯d synergize with my Sacred Fire," she said.

    Lan Yingying then took a seat somewhere in the shades under a tree and began studying the technique.

    "I¡¯m also going to study my technique," Meixiu said before going to where Yu Rou and Xia Jingyi were studying.

    "Since everyone is studying, I might as well study too, but I kind of want to enjoy the scenery for a bit." Yuan proceeded toy beside theke and looked at the sparkling water for a whole hour before he started studying his own technique.

    After studying for a few hours, Lan Yingying was the first to learn her new technique.

    She then walked to theke and started practicing her new technique.

    Lan Yingying took a deep breath, then she proceeded to summon her Sacred Fire on her palms.

    A white ball of fire appeared, and Lan Yingying controlled the Sacred Fire, transforming the ball of fire into the shape of a lotus.

    Once she was satisfied with the shape and its consistency, Lan Yingying tossed the lotus into theke.

    Whoosh!

    This attracted the attention of everyone there.

    "Wow, what beautiful white mes..." Xia Jingyi mumbled in a low voice, seemingly mesmerized by it.

    "Look at the mes! It¡¯s not going out even though it¡¯s touching the water! I have never seen anything like this before!" Yu Rou eximed when she noticed the fire wasn¡¯t going out as itid on top of the water, making theke look as though it was actually on fire.

    However, Lan Yingying wasn¡¯t satisfied with the results, so she continued to create these ming lotuses until she ran out of spiritual energy.

    By the end of the day, Lan Yingying was capable of creating two lotuses at a time.

    "What kind of technique did you learn?" Yu Rou couldn¡¯t help but ask her towards the end of the day.

    "It¡¯s a technique called Fiery Lotus. It significantly enhances the power of mes, but it consumes a lot of spiritual energy," she said.

    "Really? It didn¡¯t look like it consumes a lot of spiritual energy because you¡¯ve been shooting them all day." Yu Rou said.

    "That¡¯s because I made sure to limit the strength of the technique and focused on mastering the control first, and if I used the technique at its full strength, it¡¯d disturb you guys."

    "Can you use its full strength now? I am curious."

    Lan Yingying nodded.

    She then created another lotus using her Sacred Fire, but it was muchrger than all of her previous lotuses today.

    In fact,pared to the palm-sized lotuses she has been practicing with throughout the day, this one was asrge as arge watermelon.

    Once she¡¯d poured enough spiritual energy into the lotus, Lan Yingying tossed it towards theke.

    The next moment, the lotus exploded into a fiery hell that consumed the entireke, illuminating the somewhat dark ce.

    "Wow! So pretty!" Yu Rou said as she watched theke burn with white mes that danced on the surface of the water.

    Sometimeter, Yu Rou and Xia Jingyi logged off after saying their goodbyes.

    Yuan and Meixiu also logged off shortly after.

    The following morning, Yuan and the others continued to study their techniques by theke, and they would continue to do this for almost an entire week.

    The second person to finish learning her new technique was Meixiu.

    On the third day, she started trying out the movement technique, dancing around the ce with stiff movements at first, eventually getting better.

    "Xiao Hua, can I borrow some of your time? I don¡¯t want to bother him since he¡¯s studying." Meixiu approached Xiao Hua on the fourth day.

    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    Xiao Hua nodded and followed Meixiu to a spacious area by theke.

    "I would like to test out my movement technique. Can you try hitting me with something?" Meixiu asked Xiao Hua a momentter.

    Xiao Hua nodded and retrieved a sword from her storage ring.

    Meixiu immediately became nervous.

    Seeing Xiao Hua wielding a sword that was as long as her body was a weird experience.

    "D-Do you have anything else?"

    Xiao Hua shook her head, and then she said, "Don¡¯t worry, Xiao Hua won¡¯t hit you."

    "Okay..." Meixiu decided to trust Xiao Hua, and she took a long and deep breath to calm down.

    "Are you ready?" Xiao Hua asked a momentter.

    "Yes." Meixiu nodded with a focused look on her face.

    Xiao Hua then kicked her feet, closing their distance instantly.

    Once she was close enough, Xiao Hua swung the sword at Meixiu.

    Whoosh!

    The de narrowly missed Meixiu.

    However, Xiao Hua didn¡¯t stop and continued to strike at her.

    Of course, Xiao Hua adjusted her speed to Meixiu¡¯s level. If she moved any quicker, Meixiu wouldn¡¯t be able to dodge it at all.

    "Ah!"

    Meixiu identally tripped a few minutes into their training, but there was a sword flying at her neck.

    Meixiu subconsciously closed her eyes and prepared for the worst.

    However, nothing happened even a momentter.

    Meixiu slowly opened her eyes, and to her surprise, the de stopped a few inches away from her neck.

    "Are you okay?" Xiao Hua asked her in a calm voice.

    "Yes. Let¡¯s continue." Meixiu said after getting up.

    Xiao Hua nodded.

    They continued to practice shortly after, and Meixiu¡¯s movements grew quicker and smoother as time progressed.

 Chapter 472 - Mount Hua Temple

    <h4>Chapter 472 - Mount Hua Temple</h4>

    "Haaa... haaa... haaa..."

    After half an hour of practicing her movement technique with Xiao Hua, Meixiu copsed on the ground in an exhausted manner.??

    It¡¯s been a very long time since she¡¯s experienced such exhaustion. The only time she can recall feeling this tired was after training with her mother when she was still in servant training.

    As for Xiao Hua, she lookedpletely calm and nonchnt, almost like she has been sitting in the shades this entire time.

    "Are you okay?" Xiao Hua asked her a moment after sheid on the floor.

    "Yes... thank you... for helping me..." Meixiu said to her.

    "If you want more training, just call Xiao Hua," she said to Meixiu before walking back to sit beside Yuan.

    After her training, Meixiu took a seat at a nearby tree and enjoyed the shades. The wind would sometimes blow, carrying the refreshing air from theke and sweeping the area with it.

    Once she¡¯d rested for a couple of hours, Meixiu would ask Xiao Hua for help again with her training. Even though it was tiring, Meixiu enjoyed practicing the movement technique that allowed her to move very quickly, and it felt very satisfying whenever she perfectly dodged the sword.

    Yu Rou managed to learn one of her two Heaven-rank techniques three days after Meixiu learned her movement technique.

    Once she got the notification, Yu Rou retrieved her treasure fan and stood before theke.

    Whoosh!

    The wind in the middle of theke began to twist, and in just a moment, a tornado appeared, swallowing up the water.

    Three secondster, the tornado grew sorge that it lowered the water in theke by a dozen inches.

    Yu Rou panicked when she saw how big the tornado was getting, so she quickly stopped it.

    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

    Countless drops of water began raining from the sky a momentter despite the clear blue sky, soaking everybody except Xiao Hua and Lan Yingying with water, as they¡¯d protected themselves by covering their body with ayer of spiritual energy that reflected the water.

    "I-I¡¯m so sorry!" Yu Rou apologized to them afterward.

    "It¡¯s okay... I¡¯m not that wet." Xia Jingyi said with a smile on her face.

    "That¡¯s the technique you had chosen? Creating a tornado? This is my first time seeing such a unique technique," said Yuan.

    "I thought it was a pretty neat technique and wouldplement my Wind des well, so I picked it." Yu Rou nodded.

    "What about your second technique?" Yuan then asked.

    "Uhh... It¡¯s also a wind technique, and it allows me to control the wind around me, allowing me to fly," she said.

    "Fly? You can do that just by reaching Spirit Grandmaster or Spirit Master if you¡¯re lucky," said Yuan.

    "Just by reaching Spirit Grandmaster? Are you listening to yourself right now, brother? Do you think everybody is talented like you? Don¡¯t make it sound so easy. It took the majority of the yerbase two to three months to reach Spirit Warrior, much less Spirit Grandmaster. It¡¯ll probably take us another 2 to 3 years if not even more to reach Spirit Grandmaster. Even if it¡¯ll take less than a year for me to reach Spirit Grandmaster, I think it¡¯s still worth learning this technique, since it will let me fly right after I learn the technique, which definitely won¡¯t take me a few years to learn¡ª I hope..."

    "I see... that makes sense." Yuan nodded.

    "Anyways, Jingyi is still studying her technique, so let¡¯s wait until she finishes before we decide what we want to do next." Yu Rou said a momentter.

    "I¡¯m sorry for holding you guys back... You don¡¯t have to wait for me if you don¡¯t want to," she sighed.

    "Nonsense! We started this together, so we¡¯re going to finish it together!" Yu Rou said, and she continued, "In the meantime, I will try to study my second Heaven-rank technique, so take your time."

    "You don¡¯t mind right, brother? Meixiu?" Yu Rou asked them.

    "I don¡¯t mind. I am still studying my technique as well." Yuan said.

    "I also don¡¯t mind it. It just means I get to practice my movement technique even more." Meixiu said.

    "Alright. Then it¡¯s decided."

    Sometimeter, Yuan, Yu Rou, and Xia Jingyi returned to their technique while Meixiu continued to practice with Xiao Hua.

    As for Lan Yingying, she sat beside theke with a Fiery Lotus floating on her palms and her eyes closed, almost like she was experiencing enlightenment, but in reality, she was just focused on keeping the Fiery Lotus from disappearing for as long as her spiritual energy allows.

    They continued this for another five days until Xia Jingyi finally learned her technique.

    "I did it!" Xia Jingyi eximed in an excited voice when she saw the notification.

    "Hm? Did you finally learn the technique?" Yu Rou stopped studying her technique and turned to look at Xia Jingyi, who was sitting right beside her.

    "Yes!" Xia Jingyi nodded.

    "Congrattions. What kind of technique did you learn?" Yuan asked her.

    "Oh, it¡¯s just another zither technique." Xia Jingyi said as she retrieved her zither that was an Earth-grade treasure.

    Ting!

    A crisp noise resounded, and a single arc of light that resembled Yu Rou¡¯s Wind de technique flew from the zither before flying towards the water in theke.

    Whoosh!

    The water in theke separated into two halves for a good second, looking like someone had created a path in theke with a sword.

    "Wow! What a powerful attack!" Yu Rou said. "So one of your techniques damages enemies internally and one slices them like swords?"

    "Yes, pretty much." Xia Jingyi nodded.

    Sometimeter, Yu Rou asked everyone, "Now that we have new techniques, what should we do? I kind of want to test out these techniques on some magical beasts. Let¡¯s go do some quests again."

    "I don¡¯t mind." Xia Jingyi nodded.

    "I¡¯m also down," Yuan said.

    "Me too." Meixiu also said.

    "Then let¡¯s go!"

    Thus, they began making their way back to Seashell City for more quests.

    Meanwhile, a few hundred thousand miles away from Yuan¡¯s location, Feng Yuxiang approached arge temple that was located at the peak of arge mountain.

    "Who are you? And why have youe to our Mount Hua Temple?"

    A group of bald monks approached Feng Yuxiang when they saw her approaching figure.

    "I heard that my good friend Li Shizhen is currently here, so I am here to visit him," said Feng Yuxiang.

    The bald monks had a look of surprise on their faces for a split second before they frowned and said, "There is nobody named Li Shizhen here! Please leave!"

    However, Feng Yuxiang stayed there with a calm look on her face and said, "The person who gave me this information wouldn¡¯t dare to lie to me, or he¡¯d risk eating a sword with his a.s.s. I know Li Shizhen is inside. I can even smell the scent of medicine from here."

    The bald monks exchanged looks with each other before retrieving the staff strapped to their backs and pointing them at Feng Yuxiang.

    "Leave!"

    These bald monks all emitted the power of Spirit Masters. However, in the face of a peak Spirit Grandmaster like Feng Yuixang, the pressure they emitted was nonexistent.

    Feng Yuxiang sighed and said, "I will give you onest chance to call Li Shizhen out for me. I don¡¯t want to cause any trouble for my Young Master, but he needs to see a doctor, and I promised him that I will find the best one for him."

    "I know the Mount Hua Temple has a million-year history in the Lower Heavens, but if I have to tear down this ce to get to Li Shizhen, I will do it."

    However, the bald monks remained adamant on keeping Feng Yuxiang out of the temple.

    "Leave! The person you are looking for is elsewhere! Even if you are heaven itself, you will have to leave!"

    Feng Yuxiang raised her eyebrows.

    The monks at Mount Hua Temple are usually very reasonable and calm. Why are they acting so suspicious?

    Feng Yuxiang pondered for a moment and then came to a realization.

    "Oh, I know. One of your top monks must be in some sort of life-or-death medical condition, and Li Shizhen is healing that person right now. Whenever he is healing someone, he forbids anyone from disturbing him until he¡¯s done. Is that why you¡¯re not letting me disturb him?"

    "This is..."

    The monks were speechless, as Feng Yuxiang¡¯s guess was spot on!

    "How long do I have to wait? If you don¡¯t tell me, I will be mad," she said to them a momentter.

    However, Li Shizhen was not only healing one of their valued monks but he also instructed them to keep his location a secret no matter what.

    And they rather listen to Li Shizhen, who has the sick monk¡¯s life on his hands.

    "We will not repeat ourselves! Li Shizhen is not here!" One of the monks suddenly said.

    "Is that so?" Feng Yuxiang mumbled in a low voice before she closed her eyes.

    After a moment of silence, Feng Yuxiang snapped open her eyes that had turned golden.

    She then released her Spirit Grandmaster cultivation before shouting in a booming voice that shook the entire mountain.

    "Li Shizhen! How long do you n on making this pitiful youngdy wait out here in the cold?! My body is freezing! If I die from hypothermia, I will definitely haunt you for the rest of your worthless life!"

    The bald monks were speechless, but before they could even react, the doors to the temple opened in a forceful manner, and a handsome middle-aged man could be seen standing there with a terrified look on his face.

 Chapter 473 - Li Shizhen

    <h4>Chapter 473 - Li Shizhen</h4>

    "M-Madam Feng! What are you doing here?!" The handsome middle-aged man eximed when he saw Feng Yuxiang¡¯s beautiful figure standing not far away from the temple.

    "Hmph! I have been looking everywhere for you, Li Shizhen! How dare you make me do so much work?" Feng Yuxiang sneered coldly.??

    "M-Master Li!" The bald monks were shocked when Li Shizhen actually came outside after hearing Feng Yuxiang¡¯s voice.

    Is she really that important to him? Just who is this fierce woman with a domineering aura that resembles powerful magical beasts?

    Li Shizhen looked at the monks and said, "Don¡¯t worry, I have stabilized the Head Monk¡¯s condition. He only needs to rest now."

    "Thank you, Savior!"

    The monks there immediately lowered their heads and bowed to him with gratitude.

    "Let my friend over there through." Li Shizhen then said.

    "Right away!"

    The monks no longer blocked her path and allowed her entrance.

    "Should have done this in the beginning," she said as she walked past them.

    Once she entered the temple, Li Shizhen brought her to the guest room and served her tea.

    "This is the first time you¡¯ve personally looked for me. Did something happen? Do you need someone to be healed as soon as possible?" Li Shizhen asked her after they sat down.

    "Not really. I want to introduce you to someone. He needs your help," she said.

    "Who? Did you finally find a husband after so many years?" Li Shizhen joked.

    Feng Yuxiang narrowed her eyes and stared at him with a dangerous look.

    "I guess you didn¡¯t learn from thest time, or maybe you forgot about it. How about I stick a rod up your a.s.s to help you remember? This temple should have plenty of them," she then said in a cold voice.

    Li Shizhen immediately began sweating, and he said with a stiff smile on his face, "Please have mercy. I still have nightmares about that incident."

    "Hmph. Although this person isn¡¯t my husband, he¡¯s a very precious person to me," she answered him regardless after a moment of silence.

    "Precious? Now my curiosity has peaked. Tell me more." Li Shizhen said.

    "He¡¯s my Young Master," she said.

    *Pft!*

    Li Shizhen suddenly turned his head away from Feng Yuxiang before spitting out the tea in his mouth.

    After coughing for a moment, he looked at her with disbelief in his eyes.

    "Y-Young Master?"

    "Yes, I have epted him as my Master," she said.

    Li Shizhen¡¯s jaw dropped, and he said, "Heavens... A Divine Beast¡ª A phoenix, no less, has epted a Master in the Lower Heavens? This is unprecedented."

    Li Shizhen was one of the very few people in the Lower Heavens that knew of Feng Yuxiang¡¯s real identity.

    "What¡¯s so special about this Young Master of yours?" Li Shizhen then asked.

    "You will know once you meet him. When can you leave this ce? It¡¯s already been a week since I left his side. I don¡¯t want to make him wait any longer."

    "Hmm... That is a tricky question. As much as I¡¯d like to leave now, I still have a patient here, and you know that I cannot leave until I am certain that he¡¯s fine."

    "What? I thought you said that you¡¯d already stabilized his condition." Feng Yuxiang frowned.

    "His condition has only stabilized. There are still many things that have to be done before he¡¯s cured. Unless you happen to have a Seven Colored Herb, then I can heal him and leave with you by today."

    "Seven Colored Herb? I think my Young Master might have one," she said, recalling how he asked for its price before.

    "Really?!" Li Shizhen was immediately filled with excitement.

    Then he frowned, "Or are you saying that just to trick me into following you?"

    "Even if my Young Master has a Seven Colored Herb, he has no reason to give it to you," she said.

    "Three days. If you are not done by then, I will make you leave by force." Feng Yuxiang said.

    Li Shizhen smiled and said, "Three days should be more than enough. Have you forgotten who I am? I don¡¯t hold the title Divine Doctor without a reason."

    "Whatever. I¡¯m going to go look around the ce until you¡¯re done."

    "Just don¡¯t cause any troubles for the monks." Li Shizhen said.

    Feng Yuxiang didn¡¯t say anything back and left the guest room.

    "Madam Feng... She has gotten softer... Is this the effect of this mysterious Young Master of hers?" Li Shizhen mumbled to himself after Feng Yuxiang left.

    Three days passed by in a sh, and Feng Yuxiang went to look for Li Shizhen to force him to leave with her if he wasn¡¯t done.

    "I don¡¯t dare to make you look for me for a second time." Li Shizhen¡¯s voice suddenly resounded behind her.

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    "Are you done?" she asked him.

    He nodded and said, "Yes. The Head Monk will make full recovery by next week."

    And then he asked, "Where are we going now?"

    "The Eastern Continent."

    Thus Feng Yuxiang and Li Shizhen left the temple shortly after, heading towards the nearest city with a teleport device, and they proceeded to teleport from city to city until they reached the Eastern Continent a few dayster.

    After reaching the Eastern Continent, Feng Yuxiang said, "If you can help my Young Master, I will forget about the debt you owe me."

    "Really?!" Li Shizhen looked at her with pure bliss on his face.

    "Only if you help him. If you turn out to be useless, I will make you pay that debt immediately."

    Li Shizhen swallowed nervously after hearing that.

    "As long as it is rted to medicine..." Li Shizhen said.

    After traveling for another day, Feng Yuxiang and Li Shizhen arrived at Seashell City.

    "Seashell City, huh? It¡¯s been over a hundred years since Ist visited this city. Thest time I did, it was to cure the city lord." Li Shizhen reminisced his history with this ce.

    "Follow me. I can sense the Young Master aura from here." Feng Yuxiang said as she began approaching the city.

 Chapter 474 - Divine Doctor

    <h4>Chapter 474 - Divine Doctor</h4>

    "Thank you for your help. Here are 500 gold coins for the trouble." An olddy handed Yu Rou the reward forpleting her quest.

    "Thank you."

    After epting the gold coins, Yu Rou left the store and grouped up with Yuan and the others waiting outside.

    "How many quests have wepleted in thest few days? I lost count at 21," said Yuan.

    "I don¡¯t know, but we earned a lot of gold coins¡ª at least if wepare ourselves to the majority of the yerbase." Yu Rou said.

    "What do you want to do now? Continue doing quests?"

    "I think we should take a break from quests and do something more rxing. Let¡¯s go to a restaurant and have some food." Yu Rou suggested.

    "That sounds great." Yuan nodded.

    However, before they could go anywhere, a familiar voice resounded from the sky, and two figures descended from the heavens a momentter, shocking the pedestrians there.

    "Young Master, I am back!" Feng Yuxiang called out to him from the sky as she descended.

    "That¡¯s your Young Master?" Li Shizhen raised his eyebrows with a surprised look on his face after sensing Yuan¡¯s Spirit Grandmaster cultivation base.

    He knew someone who could make Feng Yuxiang lower herself to be a servant wouldn¡¯t be an ordinary person, but to think he was a Spirit Grandmaster at such a young-looking age; it was quite shocking, especially since this is the Lower Heavens.

    "Feng Feng?" Yuan smiled when he saw her beautiful face.

    "They¡¯re flying..." Xia Jingyi mumbled in a dazed voice as she stared at them with disbelief on her face.

    "I¡¯m sorry for making you wait this long, Young Master. Please forgive me." Feng Yuxiang said to him afternding on the ground.

    "Why are you apologizing? I should be thanking you instead." Yuan said.

    He then turned to look at the handsome middle-aged man standing beside her and said, "Hello, you must be the doctor Feng Feng told me about."

    ¡¯Feng Feng?¡¯ Li Shizhenughed inwardly when he heard this cute nickname for Feng Yuxiang.

    He wanted to try saying it too, but he didn¡¯t dare to actually say it out loud, as that might result in a sword viting his b.u.t.t.

    Li Shizhen then responded with a friendly smile on his face, "Good morning, Young Master. My name is Li Shizhen, also known as Divine Doctor Li. I was told by Madam Feng here that you wanted to speak with me? Are you sick?"

    Yuan nodded and said, "Yes, I wanted to speak with you. Can we go somewhere more private before we continue?"

    "Most certainly. I know the perfect ce." Li Shizhen said.

    Yuan then turned to Yu Rou and the others before speaking, "I¡¯m sorry, but can you guys go ahead without me? I have some business to take care of now."

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    "Is everything okay, brother?" Yu Rou asked him with a worried look on her face.

    "Yes, everything is fine. I am just asking him for advice. I will tell you everythingter."

    "If you say so... Then we¡¯ll see youter, brother."

    "Xiao Hua, can you stay with them just in case anything happens?" Yuan said to her before they left.

    "Okay." Xiao Hua nodded.

    "Thank you."

    Yu Rou left the scene with Xia Jingyi and Meixiu a momentter, followed by Xiao Hua.

    "Shall we go now?" Li Shizhen asked him.

    "Yes, let¡¯s go." Yuan nodded.

    Li Shizhen proceeded to take Yuan to a nearby medicine store. In fact, it was one of the biggest and most popr medicine stores in the city.

    When the manager of that store saw Li Shizhen¡¯s face, he immediately kowtowed on the floor.

    "Wee to our humble establishment, Divine Doctor Li!"

    Even though he had never personally met Li Shizhen before, there was not a single doctor in the Lower Heavens that didn¡¯t know of Li Shizhen.

    "Do you mind if we use one of your private rooms for a bit?" Li Shizhen asked him with a friendly smile.

    "Please! Stay however long you want! I will even close the store until you leave so that there will be no distraction!" The manager said.

    "It¡¯s okay, you don¡¯t have to do so much. And for allowing us to use your ce, I will give every doctor in this ce an hour lecture if you wish."

    "Thank you! Thank you very much!" The manager began crying when he heard that Li Shizhen will be giving them a lecture.

    To receive a lecture from the Divine Doctor, even if it¡¯s just an hour, they will remember this for the rest of their life, and they can wear this achievement with pride.

    Yuan was left speechless after witnessing this scene, and he could only imagine how much of a big shot Li Shizhen was.

    Sometimeter, Yuan and the others entered this private room somewhere inside the medicine store.

    "Have a seat." Li Shizhen said.

    Once they were seated, Feng Yuxiang said, "Before we start, let me give you some background about Li Shizhen and why you can trust him."

    "Li Shizhen holds the title of Divine Doctor, a prestigious title that can only be held by the best doctors in the Nine Heavens, and although he¡¯s currently staying in the Lower Heavens, Li Shizhen is actually from the upper heavens."

    "What? Really?" Yuan looked at Li Shizhen with a surprised expression.

    Li Shizhen nodded and said, "There are plenty of Divine Doctors in the upper heavens while the Lower Heavenscked one, so I willingly came down here to help those in need of it. I even restricted my cultivation base to the peak of Spirit Grandmaster so that I can stay here without any problems."

    "I have wandered around the Lower Heavens for over 1,000 years now, and I do not n on returning to the upper heavens anytime soon, as there are still a lot of people who are in need of a good doctor in the Lower Heavens."

 Chapter 475 - The Reason for His Condition

    <h4>Chapter 475 - The Reason for His Condition</h4>

    "By the way, I have over 10,000 years of experience in the field of medicine, and there hasn¡¯t been a single patient that I haven¡¯t been able to cure since I became a doctor." Li Shizhen said.

    Yuan nodded, "I will trust you."

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    Though it was not like he never trusted Li Shizhen.

    Even if Li Shizhen didn¡¯t say any of that, Yuan would¡¯ve still trusted him, as he was someone that Feng Yuxiang trusted enough to approach.

    "Great. Now then, why don¡¯t you tell me what seems to be troubling you?" Li Shizhen asked him a momentter.

    Yuan took a deep breath and proceeded to exin his situation to Li Shizhen without telling Li Shizhen that he was the person on the topic.

    "I have this friend who grew incredibly sick out of the blue when he was young, and he has been crippled since then."

    "Everything seemed to be normal for the first seven years of his life, but then he suddenly lost his ability to see, bing blind. Five yearster, his body suddenly stopped functioning, so everything below his neck became useless and numb to feeling, forcing him to stay in the bed."

    "However, when the doctors checked his condition, they weren¡¯t able to find anything wrong with his body. They checked his blood, his muscles, and even his bones, but they were unable to find anything."

    "The doctors said that he was perfectly healthy, yet he was unable to move."

    "However, after 5 gruesome years, my friend finally started recovering after he started cultivating. He started feeling his body again, and now he can even move his limbs slightly."

    "He¡¯s also a peak Spirit Warrior on the verge of breaking through to Spirit Master, but he still feels as though his body doesn¡¯t have any strength to it. He can feel his body overflowing with energy, but he cannot exert any of that energy. Do you have any idea what¡¯s wrong with him and if there¡¯s any cure that will allow him to recover faster?"

    "Hmmm... Give me a moment to think about this..." Li Shizhen said to him before closing his eyes and turning silent.

    Many minutester, he opened his eyes and spoke in a calm voice, "This is an interesting case¡ª not to make fun of your friend. I have seen many cases simr to this, but there are some distinctive differences."

    "One such case being Qi deprivation. Once a cultivator reaches a certain cultivation base, they are required to continue absorbing spiritual energy to keep their bodies functioning, and if they stop absorbing spiritual energy for long enough, their bodies will slowly lose their functions. They will go blind, and their bodies will no longer be usable until they start absorbing spiritual energy again, just like your friend, but this only happens when the cultivator purposefully stops absorbing spiritual energy."

    "As cultivators, we subconsciously absorb the spiritual energy around us even if we don¡¯t actively cultivate, so one must forcefully stop their bodies from absorbing spiritual energy, or something is preventing them from doing so."

    "However, that isn¡¯t the case for your friend, as he¡¯s only a peak Spirit Warrior, meaning he¡¯s not at the level where they can experience Qi deprivation in such a manner. Furthermore, his problem began even before he started cultivating."

    After taking a moment to breathe, Li Shizhen continued, "Now onto the second case¡ª poison. There are powerful and deadly poisons out there that can have simr effects on humans if ingested. However, this is also unlikely for your friend, because you said that the doctors have checked his blood."

    "Even an incredibly ipetent doctor would be able to detect the poison in his blood if he¡¯d ingested some. Although there are undetectable poisons out there, none of them could cause the effects your friend is experiencing¡ª at least I am not aware of any."

    Yuan nodded and said, "I also don¡¯t think it was caused by poison."

    "Then onto thest probability and also the one that¡¯s most likely the cause of your friend¡¯s misfortune." Li Shizhen said.

    "Curse. Your friend was cursed."

    "W-What?" Yuan¡¯s eyes widened when he heard Li Shizhen¡¯s words.

    "Your friend was cursed, hence why the doctors cannot find anything wrong within his body, as most of them do not have the capabilities to detect even the weakest curses. The field of medicine and curses are vastly different, so unless they¡¯re a Divine Doctor like me, they most likely won¡¯t know anything about curses."

    "Another reason that supports this theory is the fact that despite being a Spirit Warrior and feeling energetic, your friend cannot exert any strength. Now the question is whether your friend was cursed by another individual or is it due to a natural curse." Li Shizhen pondered with a serious look on his face.

    "..."

    Yuan was speechless, and he recalled his conversation with Doctor Wang sometime ago. Although Doctor Wang also mentioned that he could be cursed, neither of them took such a theory seriously, as it was a ridiculous thought that curses could be real.

    And even though cultivation was proven to be real, that doesn¡¯t prove curses were real. After all, even though cultivation existed in both Cultivation Online and the real world, magical beasts that also exist in Cultivation Online don¡¯t exist in the real world.

    This meant that just because something existed in Cultivation Online, it doesn¡¯t always mean their world will also have it.

    "Is there no other reason why my friend is like that?" Yuan couldn¡¯t help but ask.

    "If he¡¯s not cursed then I don¡¯t have any idea what¡¯s wrong with your friend, as there¡¯s no illness that could affect one¡¯s body like what you exined to me. One could go blind due to illnesses, and one can even lose functions to their entire body due to illnesses, but to have a healthy body while having all of that problem just isn¡¯t possible."

    "However, if your friend is cursed, then that would exin why his body is in that state despite beingpletely healthy, and that also exins why he started recovering when he started cultivating, as most curses have weakened effects on cultivators, especially the stronger they get." Li Shizhen said.

 Chapter 476 â€“ Northern Continent

    <h4>Chapter 476 ¨C Northern Continent</h4>

    "I am fairly certain that your friend is cursed, but if you want me to be 100 percent certain, then I¡¯d need to see the patient so I can personally examine his condition." Li Shizhen suddenly said.

    "Uhh..."

    Li Shizhen¡¯s words took Yuan by surprise.

    "I-I¡¯m sorry, but that¡¯s impossible," he said a momentter.

    "Impossible? Why?" Li Shizhen raised his eyebrows.

    "My friendes from a super secretive and strict family, so getting even close to him is near impossible. Furthermore, he lives in a ce that¡¯s very, very far away from this ce."

    "Oh, and something happened to his family recently, so it¡¯s even more difficult to see him now..." Yuan made up some random excuse.

    After all, it was not like he could tell Li Shizhen the truth about his situation, as he¡¯d sound crazy.

    "Is that so?" Li Shizhen doubted Yuan was telling him the truth, but he didn¡¯t say anything about it, as there must be a reason why Yuan was acting this way.

    And he continued, "Well, I don¡¯t really need to see your friend since you told me that he¡¯s already recovering, and I have cured many people without even seeing them¡ª only by listening to their condition and symptoms."

    "Thank you for understanding. Anyway, if my friend is really cursed... Is there any way to remove this curse?" Yuan then asked.

    "Why don¡¯t you just let him drink some of your blood, Young Master?" Feng Yuxiang spoke for the first time.

    Yuan looked at her and sighed, "He¡¯s not like you, Feng Feng. He¡¯s human."

    "But that shouldn¡¯t matter. I¡¯m no expert, but your blood clearly has the ability to weaken curses. It shouldn¡¯t have anything to do with being a human or not."

    Li Shizhen then said, "Your blood has the ability to weaken curses? I have never heard of this before. How are you so sure his blood has such abilities, Madam Feng?"

    Feng Yuxiang then exined to him about her condition, "I drank his blood and the curse on me weakened, so I know it works."

    "What? Is that true? Your curse weakened?" Li Shizhen looked at her with wide eyes.

    "Yes. Why would I lie about this?" Feng Yuxiang nodded.

    "Heavens..." Li Shizhen mumbled in a dumbfounded voice.

    "Anyways, since your blood has capabilities to weaken curses, as weird as this is going to sound, if you let your friend drink your blood, it could possibly work."

    Yuan showed a bittersweet smile on his face.

    Does this mean he¡¯ll have to drink his own blood? Even though he already has such blood flowing inside his body? This doesn¡¯t make any sense to him.

    "I-I understand... But what if that doesn¡¯t work?" Yuan then asked.

    "Are there any more natural methods for getting rid of curses?"

    "Hmm... I may have some knowledge regarding curses, but I know someone who¡¯s an expert with curses. If you¡¯d like, I can take you to him so you can ask him yourself. He¡¯s not that far away from this ce. We can get there in just a few hours."

    Yuan pondered for a moment before nodding, "Okay, just give me a minute to let the others know."

    He then spoke to Xiao Hua through their servant and master connection.

    "Xiao Hua, I am going to go meet someone with Feng Feng and the Divine Doctor, and we have to leave the city for a while. Let Yu Rou and the others know, okay? I will try to return as soon as possible."

    Xiao Hua¡¯s voice resounded a momentter, "Okay, Xiao Hua will let them know."

    "Thank you."

    "Alright. We can go now." Yuan then said Li Shizhen.

    Sometimeter, they went downstairs.

    "Don¡¯t worry, I will returnter to give you guys the lecture." Li Shizhen said to the manager of the store before they left.

    "We will be fine even if the Divine Doctor cannot lecture us. We know you¡¯re a busy man, after all." The manager said.

    "When I, Li Shizhen, say that I will do something, I will do it!" He dered in a domineering voice.

    The manager and the others in the store had nothing else to say after hearing such words, so they could only lower their heads and bow to him.

    Once Li Shizhen left the store, the manager said to the others, "We¡¯re not going home until he returns even if it takes days!"

    "Yes!" The others responded with anticipation in their voice.

    Meanwhile, after leaving the medicine store, Yuan followed Feng Feng and Li Shizhen to another city that had a teleport formation.

    During their trip, Yuan asked Li Shizhen, "If I heard correctly, you mentioned something about natural curses before. What did you mean by that? Can curses even ur naturally?"

    Li Shizhen nodded and said, "I think it¡¯d be better if the expert exined it, but yes, curses can ur naturally just like how treasures can be born naturally. However, they¡¯re considered a phenomenon¡ª something akin to natural disasters. Of course, natural curses are incredibly rare and will only ur when certain conditions are met."

    "I see..." Yuan nodded.

    Sometimeter, they entered a teleport device and teleported tens of thousands of miles in an instant.

    After that, they used the teleport device again to teleport even further, as each teleport can only travel a limited distance.

    They continued this six times before they finally stopped.

    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.

    "Wee to the Northern Continent, Young Master." Feng Yuxiang said to him with a smile on her face.

    "The Northern Continent, huh? Now I only need to step onto the Southern Continent and the Western Continent so that I can say I¡¯d explore the entire Lower Heavens," he said in a joking tone.

    "Follow me. He lives in a secluded area deep inside the mountain valleys, so teleporting there is impossible." Li Shizhen said to them a momentter.

    Yuan nodded, and they continued their journey to meet this expert on curses.

    ¡¯An expert on curses, huh? I wonder what kind of person he¡¯s like...¡¯ Yuan wondered to himself as they soared into the sky.

    Author¡¯s Note: I had intended to release these chapters sooner, but Hurricane Ida happened and dyed everything due to no power or inte. I am okay and will return to writing daily now.

 Chapter 477 â€“ Embodiment Of Curses

    <h4>Chapter 477 ¨C Embodiment Of Curses</h4>

    After arriving at the Northern Continent and flying for around four hours, Yuan and the others arrived at this somewhat empty hill that only had a single small building, a tree, and a small pond beside the tree where three koi fishes can be seen swimming in circles.

    Uponnding on this hill, Li Shizhen went to knock on the door.

    However, nobody answered the door.

    "Hmm... That man probably went fishing," Li Shizhen said a momentter.

    "Fishing? This time of the day?" Yuan raised his eyebrows, as it was getting dark.

    "Yes, he¡¯s a weirdo." Li Shizhen nodded.

    "Who are you calling a weirdo, you slobby doctor?" A voice suddenly resounded.

    The door to the building opened, and a short old man with a bald head walked outside the next moment.

    "If you were here, why didn¡¯t you open the door? What took you so long?" Li Shizhen said with a frown on his face.

    "I was taking a nap! If I didn¡¯t hear your annoying voice, I would¡¯ve remained in bed!" The old man eximed in a somewhat angry voice.

    "Hmm? Madam Feng? You¡¯re here as well?" The old man suddenly noticed Feng Yuxiang and immediately began smiling.

    "How may I help you today, Madam Feng?"

    Seeing the old man¡¯s attitude turn 180 when speaking with Feng Yuxiang, Li Shizhen shook his head.

    "Damn old pervert," he snorted in a low voice.

    "I am not the one who needs your help today. My Young Master needs your help." Feng Yuxiang said to him.

    "What? Young Master?" The old man¡¯s eyes widened with shock.

    He then turned to look at the third person there.

    "Whoa! Holy heavens!"

    When the old man saw Yuan, he suddenly took a step back and shouted in a terrified voice, acting like he just saw a ghost.

    "Is there something wrong?" Yuan couldn¡¯t help but ask after seeing his reaction.

    "S-Stay away from me!" The old man shouted at him before running back into the house and mming the door shut, leaving Yuan dumbfounded.

    Even Li Shizhen and Feng Yuxiang were left speechless by his reaction to seeing Yuan, as this was their first time seeing him acting in such a manner.

    "What the heck is going on now, Zhai Ye?" Li Shizhen asked him.

    "Fuck you, Li Shizhen! I should be asking you that! Are you trying to kill me?!" Zhai Ye shouted from inside the building, sounding really angry for some reason.

    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.

    "What? Why would I want to kill you? Have you finally gone crazy from old age? We¡¯re here to talk about curses! This young man has a friend that might be cursed, so we came here for your expertise!" Li Shizhen said, feeling really confused now.

    "Hahaha! That¡¯s really funny! Because that young man you brought here is loaded with curses¡ª powerful curses that even I didn¡¯t know could exist! He has so many curses that I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if he was the embodiment of curses!" Zhai Ye said, revealing his reason for his reaction.

    "What? I¡¯m filled with curses?" Yuan¡¯s eyes widened with shock.

    Even Li Shizhen and Feng Yuxiang were shocked to hear this.

    They turned to look at Yuan, but they couldn¡¯t see anything wrong with him.

    "Come out here and exin yourself, Zhai Ye! I may not be as experienced with curses as you, but I can at least tell when someone is cursed, and I can¡¯t sense anything ominousing from him!" Li Shizhen said with a frown on his face.

    "What do you know, you amateur?! Have you forgotten about my special skill? I can tell whether someone is cursed or not at nce, no matter how weak or powerful the curse is!" Zhai Ye said.

    Li Shizhen sighed.

    He then asked Yuan, "Young Master, do you have any idea what he¡¯s talking about?"

    Yuan pondered for a moment before realizing something.

    "Ah! Do you mean the curse that¡¯s associated with my Legacy? I had epted a Legacy recently, and the Legacy contained a small curse. It¡¯s a curse called Minor Misfortunate, and it only affects my luck," he said.

    "You heard him, old man. It¡¯s only a Minor Curse. How can you be scared of a Minor Curse? I have never seen you act so fearful in front of a curse before!" Li Shizhen said to him a momentter, evenughing a bit.

    After a moment of silence, the door opened slightly, and Zhai Ye peeked through the narrow space, but he didn¡¯t dare toe out.

    He looked at Yuan with a serious expression on his face and said in a solemn voice, "You think I would be afraid of a mere Minor Curse when I have dealt with even Major Curses before? Young man, you have more than one curse on you right now. In fact, there¡¯s so many that I¡¯m amazed you¡¯re still alive."

    "Zhai Ye, exin yourself! What do you mean by that?!" Feng Yuxiang said with a deep frown on her face.

    Zhai Ye then spoke, "Although the curse may be called ¡¯Minor Misfortunate¡¯, it¡¯s actually a Major Curse. However, that curse might as well be a Minor Curse if not even lowerpared to the other curses on him."

    "There exist two types of curses in this world¡ª artificial curses and natural curses. Artificial curses are caused by other humans whilst natural curses ur naturally if certain conditions are met. There are also many levels of curses. Minor, Major, Supreme, and Ancient, to name a few. The mostmon curses are naturally artificial curses."

    "And as of this moment, I can see six... seven... perhaps even more curses on him, and they¡¯re all above Major Curses. However, that¡¯s not even the shocking part. These curses on him... they¡¯re all natural curses as far as I can tell."

    "What?! Seven natural curses?! How is that even remotely possible?!" Li Shizhen eximed, not daring to believe his ears.

    A single natural curse was already rare enough, much less seven! And they are all affecting a single person right now?

    Yuan looked down at his own body. He also couldn¡¯t believe it. Why does he have so many natural curses on him?

 Chapter 478 â€“ Celestial Rank Physique

    <h4>Chapter 478 ¨C Celestial Rank Physique</h4>

    "Young man, if you¡¯re here to look for my help, I am sorry, but I have to say that I am powerless against the curses on you. They¡¯re simply too powerful. I don¡¯t even dare to try to touch it, as it might worsen." Zhai Ye said to him a momentter.

    "Is it really that serious? Isn¡¯t there anything you can do?" Feng Yuxiang didn¡¯t want to give up so easily, especially after learning how bad the situation really is.

    "Madam Feng, do you remember when I tried to help you with your curse but was defeated in the end?" Zhai Ye suddenly asked her.

    Many years ago, Feng Yuxiang had approached him for help regarding her curse.

    "Of course. Even though you couldn¡¯t get rid of it, I still owe you greatly for your years of efforts." Feng Yuxiang nodded.

    "I have encountered tens of thousands of curses throughout my life, but I have never experienced powerlessness until I met you, Madam Feng. Your curse was my first defeat. However, as powerful as your curse may be, I still dared to try and defeat it."

    Zhai Ye then turned to look at Yuan and swallowed nervously.

    "As for him... This is my first time experiencing fear. The curses on him terrify me so much that I do not even dare to approach him."

    "I-It¡¯s okay. I understand your feeling." Yuan said to him.

    "You don¡¯t need to touch the curses on me, but do you have any advice for me? How does one normally get rid of natural curses?" He then asked.

    "That will depend on how you acquired those curses in the first ce. Do you have any idea how you may have gotten those curses?" Zhai Ye said.

    Yuan turned silent and began pondering to himself.

    After thinking for many minutes, he still couldn¡¯t think of anything, so he shook his head.

    "I cannot think of how I got these curses."

    Feng Yuxiang then asked, "Zhai Ye, is it possible for natural curses to ur during birth? Like how some are born with powerful physiques while others are born without any physiques."

    "Yes, if his ancestors were cursed and passed away without getting rid of the curse, there¡¯s a good chance that the curse might carry on to the future generations. However, there are only a handful of curses that are powerful enough to do such a thing, and this young man has more than just a handful of curses on him." Zhai Ye said.

    "I see... Can you give me some examples of natural curses?" Yuan then asked.

    "Let¡¯s say your ancestor killed a lot of people... enough people to create a mountain using their corpses. This could result in your ancestor getting cursed by the spirits of the dead people."

    "..."

    Hearing such an example, Yuan couldn¡¯t help but recall that one dream he had previously when he dreamt about killing a lot of people¡ª enough people to create multiple mountains with their corpses and many rivers with their blood.

    "Another case of a natural curse is when one is born with an extremely powerful physique and they invoke heaven¡¯s jealousy or wrath. When that happens, the heavens might put a curse on that individual so that he doesn¡¯t affect the world too much. This has happened multiple times before in the upper heavens."

    "Hm? A powerful physique? Young Master, I¡¯d say your physique is pretty heaven-defying¡ª enough to invoke heaven¡¯s jealousy. Maybe it¡¯s your physique that caused these natural curses?" Feng Yuxiang suddenly spected.

    "Really? What kind of physique do you have?" Li Shizhen asked him out of curiosity.

    "The Heaven Refining Physique," he said.

    "Never heard of it." Li Shizhen shook his head.

    "What rank is it? Divine-rank?"

    "No, it¡¯s Celestial-rank."

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    "D-Did you just say Celestial-rank?" Li Shizhen¡¯s eyes widened to the point where his eyeballs nearly rolled out of their sockets.

    "Celestial-rank?" Feng Yuxiang had a different reaction, as she wasn¡¯t familiar with this grade.

    "How high is that?" She then asked Li Shizhen, as he seemed to know judging by his reaction.

    "T-The Celestial-rank is two ranks above the Mythic-rank..." Li Shizhen mumbled in a dazed voice.

    "WHAT?!" Feng Yuxiang and Zhai Ye eximed in a shocked voice afterward.

    "Two ranks above the Mythic rank?! I didn¡¯t know it went that high!" Feng Yuxiang then said.

    "Of course you wouldn¡¯t know about it. It only exists in the Seventh Heaven and above!" Li Shizhen said.

    And he continued, "I only know about it because I once read about it in an ancient scroll from the Eighth Heaven!"

    "Ridiculous... Why is someone like that in the Lower Heavens? Where did you find this monster?" Zhai Ye said in a dumbfounded tone.

    "That¡¯s rude of you, Zhai Ye! And I didn¡¯t find the Young Master! He found me!" Feng Yuxiang said.

    "Anyways, I think I understand why you have so many natural curses. A Celestial-rank physique is something that could definitely invoke jealousy from the heavens. The stronger your physique¡ª even bloodline¡ª the more the heavens will try to hinder you. However, if you manage to ovee the heavens¡¯ jealousy, you will be unstoppable..." Li Shizhen said a momentter.

    "I have never seen anyone with a Celestial-rank physique before, but to invoke over seven natural curses... I cannot imagine what could happen once you get rid of those curses holding you back."

    "Wait, can you tell what kind of effects these curses have on me?" Yuan suddenly asked him.

    Zhai Ye shook his head and said, "I can only tell you what kind of curses they are, but I do not know the details."

    He then stared at Yuan for a few more moments before speaking, "Most of these curses are restriction curses, but there are a few that I cannot tell at all. Furthermore, there is a high probability that there are more than seven curses on you and I just cannot see them even with my special talent."

    "Since it¡¯s likely that these curses are caused by your physique, then there¡¯s only one way to undo them¡ª by tempering your physique."

    "Tempering my physique...?" Yuan mumbled to himself. This is his second time hearing this phrase, with Xu Jiaqi mentioning it before.

 Chapter 479 â€“ Treasures In The Real World

    <h4>Chapter 479 ¨C Treasures In The Real World</h4>

    "I have heard it before, but what does it mean to ¡¯temper¡¯ my physique?" Yuan asked Zhai Ye a momentter.

    "There are a couple of methods you can use to temper your body, but the mostmon ones are bathing in liquefied treasure and cultivating in a special area that affects your body." Zhai Ye said.

    "Bathing in liquefied treasure, huh?" Yuan repeated to himself.

    "I understand the first one, but what about the second method? What kind of special area do I have to cultivate in? Do you have any examples?"

    "There are multiple phenomenal ces in the cultivation world, such as a mountain that has extreme Yang Qi, and if you have a physique that benefits from Yang Qi, you can cultivate there to temper your body. Another example is a ce called the Frozen Sea where it releases extremely pure Yin Qi, so females with a special Yin Physique would go there to temper their body."

    "Some methods are stress-free while others are incredibly painful. This should be obvious, but the stronger your physique, the more resources you¡¯ll need to temper it, and in your case... you¡¯ll probably have to go to hell and back... multiple times in order to temper your body."

    Yuan nodded and said, "Returning to the first method... Are there treasures out there specifically for tempering one¡¯s body? Or can I just use any treasure for the bath?"

    "There are specific treasures out there for body tempering, Young Master. In fact, I have some with me. We can try itter." Feng Yuxiang suddenly said.

    "Really?!" Yuan immediately became elevated upon hearing her words.

    "Yes. Just let me know when you want to do it." Feng Yuxiang nodded.

    "Let¡¯s do it tomorrow, then!"

    "Okay."

    Sometimeter, Zhai Ye said, "If you got nothing else for me, can you leave? I am barely keeping my sanity just by being around you."

    "S-Sorry... We¡¯ll leave right now. And thank you very much for your help, senior." Yuan bowed to him.

    "Do you still need me around?" Li Shizhen then asked.

    "If not, I will stay around for a little more, and I still have to give a lecture to the doctors back at the medicine store," he said.

    "No, you can leave. Thank you for everything as well. I will definitely repay this debt in the future." Yuan bowed to him too.

    "You don¡¯t have to repay me. I am a Divine Doctor. I don¡¯t ept payments for my assistance. And I didn¡¯t really do anything¡ª only giving you some advice." Li Shizhen said.

    "Still, I want to thank you for helping me greatly."

    Li Shizhen nodded and then said, "Very well. How about this? If your friend¡¯s condition gets better because of this, I will ept your gratitude."

    "Okay!" Yuan said.

    "Let¡¯s go, Feng Feng," Yuan said to her before flying back to the nearest city with a teleport device.

    Once they were gone, Zhai Ye opened the door and walked outside again.

    "What more do you want from me?" He asked Li Shizhen.

    Li Shizhen smiled and said, "Wanna have a drink? It¡¯s been a decade since west sat down together, after all."

    "I hope you brought something strong¡ª strong enough for me to forget about that little monster," said Zhai Ye.

    "Of course."

    The two of them entered the building and began drinking alcohol.

    Meanwhile, after they arrived at the city, Yuan said, "Feng Feng, I am going to retire today. I will see you tomorrow early in the morning."

    "Okay. Rest well, Young Master."

    Once Feng Yuxiang entered his body, Yuan logged off the game.

    When Yuan logged off, dinner was already prepared by Meixiu.

    "Meixiu, I am finished," he said to her.

    "I¡¯ming." Meixiu entered his room a minuteter with dinner.

    Yuan wanted to tell her about everything that happened today, but Meixiu insisted that he finished dinner first.

    After dinner, Meixiu cleaned the dishes before going back to his room and taking a seat beside his bed.

    "Alright. What happened?" she asked him.

    "You won¡¯t believe what happened today, Meixiu!" Yuan proceeded to tell her everything Li Shizhen and Zhai Ye had told him.

    "You¡¯re cursed?" Meixiu wasn¡¯t sure how to react after listening to his story.

    "Do curses even exist in our world?" she couldn¡¯t help but wonder this question out loud.

    "I can only think of one instance where curses are mentioned in this world... When I asked Yu Rou about ying the zither in this world before, she told me that people used to use them many years ago, but people eventually stopped ying zither because of some curse."

    "Hmm... Give me a moment to look it up." Meixiu said before taking out herptop and searching about the curse on the inte.

    A minuteter, she said, "ording to the inte, people stopped ying the zither because bad luck would fall upon those who touch the zither. Almost all zither yers experienced misfortune, and many of them even died in idents¡ª incredibly unfortunate ones. Once the news spread, people eventually stopped ying the zither out of fear."

    "Heavens... I didn¡¯t think the zither would have such a history in our world. If curses really exist, then maybe I am really cursed." Yuan sighed.

    "Even if curses are real... How are we supposed to deal with it? You may be able to bathe in treasures in Cultivation Online, but there are no such treasures in this world¡ª" Meixiu suddenly stopped speaking midway through her sentence.

    Then she started typing on herptop.

    A few minutester, she said, "Looks like treasures actually exist in this world as well..."

    "What?! Really?!" Yuan eximed in a shocked voice.

    "Yes, and ording to some people, they have treasures that contain spiritual energy with some even granting special effects such as increased strength and hearing. However,pared to the treasures one can find in Cultivation Online, the treasures in this world are much weaker."

    "What do these treasures look like?" Yuan then asked.

    "Well, they¡¯re mostly antiques and ancient medicine from the past," she said.

    After pondering for a moment, Yuan said, "Do you think we will be able to buy some of these treasures to see for ourselves?"

    "Well... They¡¯re incredibly expensive with most of them going for millions of dors. However, we should be able to afford them." Meixiu nodded.

    "Then let¡¯s buy some. If we don¡¯t have enough money, we can simply sell some things in the auction house again. Where can we buy them?"

    "Give me a minute..."

    After looking on the inte for a few minutes, Meixiu spoke, "Looks like we can either buy them online or in real auction houses. People rmend buying them in person since there are many scammers out there."

    "Real auction houses, huh. Let¡¯s wait a few more weeks before we go outside. Hopefully, the Cultivators¡¯ Association will give up on you soon." Yuan said.

    "Okay. I will do more research on this topic in the meantime."

    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    Sometimeter, before Meixiu went back to her own room to cultivate, Yuan said to her, "Meixiu, can you grab a knife from the kitchen and leave it on a chair beside my bed?"

    "Huh? Why?" She couldn¡¯t help but ask after hearing such a weird request.

    "Well... I have been thinking... If cultivation techniques from Cultivation Online work in our world, what about the other techniques? I want to try it out."

    "Other techniques...? Now that you mention it..." Meixiu was dumbfounded after realizing that too.

    "But does it have to be a knife? That¡¯s very dangerous... What if you hurt yourself?" she said in a worried voice afterward.

    "Don¡¯t worry, I am just experimenting to see if it actually works or not. I won¡¯t do anything crazy," he promised her.

    "Okay..." Meixiu then went outside to grab a clean kitchen knife and a chair before cing the knife on the chair beside the bed in Yuan¡¯s room.

    Meixiu then proceeded to stare at the knife for a good minute before deciding that it would be better for her to stay in the room just in case anything happens.

    "Yuan, I am going to stay here tonight just in case," she said to him.

    "Okay. I don¡¯t mind," he quickly agreed.

    She then took a seat on the other side of the bed and started her cultivation.

    Meanwhile, Yuan prepared himself.

    After taking deep breaths, he began trying to recall the Flying Dagger technique that he was very used to by now.

    However, whether the Flying Dagger technique will work on a kitchen knife or not is an entirely different story.

    A few minutester, Yuan sessfully recited the full technique inside his head.

    Now it was time for the moment of truth¡ª whether it works or not.

    After taking a deep breath, Yuan used his Divine Sense to locate the knife sitting a few meters besides him.

    Once he located it, he tried to use Flying Daggers on it like he normally would in Cultivation Online.

    A momentter, the kitchen knife resting on the chair suddenly began to tremble, and he could feel an invisible connection to the knife.

    Yuan immediately became excited when he saw this, but the moment he lost focus, the connection disappeared and the knife stopped moving.

    ¡¯It actually works! Let¡¯s try that again just in case I was only imagining it!¡¯

    With that in mind, he started using Flying Daggers on the kitchen knife again.

    This time, even though he was certain that the kitchen knife was moving, he didn¡¯t lose focus.

    A few momentster, the kitchen knife that had been sitting on the chair suddenly began levitating off the chair!

    It was flying! Yuan had sessfully used Flying Daggers in the real world!

 Chapter 480 â€“ A Work Of Art

    <h4>Chapter 480 ¨C A Work Of Art</h4>

    "Hahaha! It works! It really works!" Yuan suddenly startedughing from sheer excitement when the Flying Daggers technique worked in the real world.

    "Huh?" Meixiu stopped cultivating when she heard hisughter and turned to look at the chair.

    Her eyes widened with surprise when she saw the kitchen knife she used for dinner floating above the chair, almost like a magic trick.

    However, unlike a magic trick, there were no invisible strings attached to the knife.

    "Meixiu, look! It works! It¡¯s not just cultivation techniques! Even martial techniques from Cultivation Online work in our world!" Yuan said to her.

    "Yes... I can see that..." She mumbled in a dazed voice.

    A few momentster, the kitchen knife stopped floating and fell back onto the chair seat.

    "Compared to Cultivation Online, it¡¯s actually harder to control it. I should have sufficient cultivation base to use Flying Daggers wlessly, but I am having difficulties controlling it," he said a momentter.

    "However, it¡¯s not as though I don¡¯t have enough spiritual energy. Unlike using Divine Sense, it¡¯s not exhausting, so I think it¡¯s just a matter of inexperience. Once I practice some more, I should be able to use Flying Daggers more skillfully."

    Meixiu then said, "If you can use Flying Daggers... I wonder if there are any other cultivators that have seeded¡ª or how many have seeded."

    "I¡¯m sure many people have tried to use martial techniques when they realized that cultivation techniques worked in the real world, but whether you seeded or not is a different story," he said.

    "There has been no news about this yet, but there¡¯s a good chance that some people have seeded and are purposefully keeping it a secret. It¡¯s only a matter of time before someone lets the cat out of the bag like the situation with cultivation techniques." Meixiu agreed with him.

    "Anyways, I am going to continue practicing this technique. If it¡¯s distracting, you can return to your own room to cultivate. I promise you that I won¡¯t do anything crazy so you can rest assured." Yuan said to her.

    "Okay." Meixiu nodded and returned to her room.

    Yuan proceeded to practice the Flying Daggers technique until it was morning.

    After breakfast, Meixiu asked him, "Are you going to be with us today?"

    "Yes, we will see you in a bit."

    "Where do you want to meet?"

    "Can you meet us at the Cultivators¡¯ Haven?" Yuan asked.

    "Okay. I will let them know."

    Once they entered Cultivation Online, Meixiu proceeded to wait for Yu Rou and the others while Yuan and Feng Yuxiang made their way back to Seashell City using the teleport device.

    When they finally arrived at the city, Yuan and Feng Yuxiang went straight to the Cultivators¡¯ Haven, where Meixiu and the others could be seen idling around.

    "Yu Rou!" Yuan called out to them.

    "Wee back, brother!" Yu Rou ran to him with a smile on her face.

    "Are you okay? What happened yesterday? Where did you go?" She then bombarded him with questions.

    A stiff smile appeared on Yuan¡¯s face.

    Although he promised to tell her about everything once he returned, he wasn¡¯t sure about telling her that he was cursed, as that would definitely make her worried about him.

    "I will tell youter," he decided to dy it for now.

    He then turned to look at Feng Yuxiang and said, "I am ready."

    Feng Yuxiang nodded.

    "Let¡¯s rent a hotel room. We will need a bathtub for your tempering," she then said.

    "A bathtub? Tempering?" Yu Rou and the others were quite puzzled, but they didn¡¯t ask any questions for now and decided to follow Feng Yuxiang and Yuan.

    Once they were at the best hotel in the city, they rented out a room with the biggest bathtub.

    Inside the bathroom with the bathtub, Feng Yuxiang filled the bathtub with hot water before heating the already hot water even further¡ª until the water was literally boiling.

    "Uhhh..." Yuan swallowed nervously when he saw this.

    ¡¯I am supposed to bathe in this boiling hot water? That sounds... painful...¡¯ He thought to himself.

    "Are you going to temper your body, Brother Yu¡ª Tian?" Xiao Hua asked him after realizing what they were nning on doing.

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    "Yes, I am."

    "..."

    Xiao Hua was kind of speechless, as this was quite sudden.

    Why did he suddenly decide to temper his body?

    Sometimeter, Feng Yuxiang retrieved a dozen treasures and began tossing them inside the bathtub with the boiling water, quickly turning the clear water green.

    "Alright, Young Master. You just need to bathe in this water and absorb the treasures now. However, I have to warn you that it¡¯s going to be painful."

    "Of course it¡¯s going to be painful! You¡¯re telling him to jump in boiling water!" Yu Rou said with a worried frown on her face.

    Feng Yuxiangughed out loud after hearing her words, and she said, "The boiling water won¡¯t hurt the Young Master. Have you forgotten about his cultivation base? It¡¯s the treasures that will do the hurting!"

    "Go ahead, Young Master. Try touching the water normally." Feng Yuxiang then said to him.

    Yuan nodded and dipped one of his fingers into the boiling water, and to his surprise¡ª

    "It doesn¡¯t hurt at all! It¡¯s actually quite warm!" He eximed in a surprised voice.

    "Really? Let me try..."

    Yu Rou also dipped her finger into the hot water, but she had a different reaction.

    "Ah! It burns!"

    Feng Yuxiang shook her head and said, "The Young Master may not have physically tempered his body before, but his cultivation is high enough to naturally protect his body against boiling water."

    "You could¡¯ve told me before I tried..." Yu Rou sighed.

    Sometimeter, Yuan asked, "I just need to bathe in this water, right?"

    "That¡¯s right." Feng Yuxiang nodded.

    "Okay."

    Hearing her confirmation, Yuan started taking his clothes off in a nonchnt manner while everyone was present.

    "?!?!" Xia Jingyi¡¯s face flushed with redness when Yuan suddenly began stripping, as this is her first time seeing a fully naked man.

    ¡¯Young Master¡¯s bare body... What a work of art...¡¯ Feng Yuxiang chuckled inwardly as she stared at his refined body with an intensive gaze.

 Chapter 481 â€“ Body Tempering

    <h4>Chapter 481 ¨C Body Tempering</h4>

    Yu Rou and Meixiu¡¯s eyes widened when Yuan suddenly stripped without any warnings.

    Although they have seen his naked body plenty of times by now since they had to clean his body, seeing the naked body of a cripple who cannot move and seeing the naked body of a fully functional person gave two different feelings.

    "B-Brother! You should¡¯ve at least warned us that you were going to strip! There aredies in here!" Yu Rou quickly said to him.

    "Huh?" Yuan raised his eyebrows in a puzzled manner, clearly ignorant about these kinds of situations.

    In his mind, some boundaries between men and women didn¡¯t exist.

    Although he has only seen one naked woman in his life¡ª Lan Yingying, she didn¡¯t have such a reaction when they were both naked before, so he didn¡¯t think too much about it.

    Furthermore, Yu Rou and Meixiu have seen his naked body countless times, and they have even touched it before when they had to clean his body, not to mention the number of times he bathed with Yu Rou.

    Seeing Yuan¡¯s puzzled reaction and calm demeanor, Yu Rou realized that she never really taught himmon sense when ites to things between women and men. After all, she never thought he would need this kind of knowledge, and it would also be embarrassing for her to teach someone older than her these kinds of things.

    "Forget it..." Yu Rou sighed.

    Sometimeter, Yuan entered the bathtub and sat in the center in the lotus position.

    Despite the water still at boiling point, Yuan couldn¡¯t feel any pain, onlyfort.

    "I just need to cultivate and absorb the treasures in the water, right?" Yuan asked while looking at Feng Yuxiang.

    "Yes." Feng Yuxiang nodded.

    "Okay."

    Yuan proceeded to take a deep breath before clearing his mind.

    He then started cultivating.

    However, the instant he started absorbing the treasure, he felt sharp pain all over his body, almost like there were swords and daggers poking his pores.

    "Ah!"

    Yuan cried out loud and immediately stopped absorbing the treasures, startling the people in there.

    "Are you okay?" Yu Rou asked him.

    "This is painful! It¡¯s like I am being pricked by needles all over my body!" He eximed.

    Feng Yuxiang then said in a calm voice, "I warned you that it was going to be painful, Young Master. Body tempering isn¡¯t easy. There¡¯s a reason why there are so few body refiners in the cultivation worldpared to ordinary cultivators since many people cannot endure the pain."

    "Are there any ways to lessen the pain at the very least?" Yuan asked.

    Feng Yuxiang shook her head, "Unfortunately, there are no easy ways out of this. You either endure it or give up. In fact, the pain will only intensify as you continue to temper your body."

    Yuan frowned when he heard this.

    However, as much as he wanted to give up, he needed to get rid of the curses.

    After taking a moment to calm down, Yuan tried to absorb the treasures again.

    The sharp pain quickly returned, and Yuan gritted his teeth to endure the pain.

    And just like Feng Yuxiang said, the pain only became worse the more he tried to absorb the treasures.

    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.

    What felt like needles poking at his body at first now felt like there were needles entering his body through every pore that was absorbing the treasures.

    The pain prated deeper and deeper in this body as time went on.

    Yuan had to give up a few times due to the intense pain, but he would eventually try again.

    Yu Rou and the others watched with nervous looks on their faces. Seeing Yuan in so much pain also made them experience imaginary pain all over their body.

    "Feng Feng, how long does it normally take to temper one¡¯s body?" Yu Rou asked her.

    "How long does he need to endure this?"

    Feng Yuxiang looked at Yuan and said, "Since this is the Young Master¡¯s first time doing body tempering, I didn¡¯t use too many treasures¡ª just enough to let him experience it. If he continues to absorb the treasures at his current rate, he should be done in a few hours."

    "A few hours?!" Yu Rou was shocked.

    She expected this tost only a couple of minutes at most. It was unimaginable that one needed to endure such pain for hours!

    Feng Yuxiang smiled and said, "If you think a few hours are bad, imagine tempering your body for weeks, even years."

    An hour into tempering his body, Yuan was beginning to adapt to the pain, but that didn¡¯t mean it wasn¡¯t painful any longer. In fact, the pain continued to worsen the longer he tempered his body.

    "I-Is that blood?" Yu Rou suddenly noticed the water turning slightly red.

    Feng Yuxiang nodded, "Yes, but you don¡¯t have to worry. It won¡¯t cause any permanent damage to his body."

    "The Young Master has actually increased the rate he¡¯s absorbing the treasures. If he continues at this rate, he should be done after another hour."

    And just like Feng Yuxiang predicted, after soaking in the bathtub of treasures, Yuan opened his eyes when he finished absorbing all of the treasure in the water.

    Near the end, since he¡¯d already absorbed most of the treasure by then, the pain was no longer as strong, allowing him to rx until the end.

    "How are you feeling, Young Master?" Feng Yuxiang asked him.

    "Exhausted... yet refreshed at the same time, almost like I¡¯d been reborn," he said with a smile on his face.

    "Congrattions on your first body tempering, Young Master," she said.

    "Thank you."

    Yuan then stood up from the bathtub.

    However, the very next second, Xia Jingyi released a startled cry.

    "Ah!"

    "Huh?" Yuan turned to look at Xia Jingyi, whose face was fully flushed with redness, and she even had her hands covering her eyes.

    Yu Rou and Meixiu¡¯s jaw dropped when they realized why Xia Jingyi reacted in such a manner.

    "B-Brother! Quickly, turn around!" Yu Rou shouted at him in a panicked voice.

    "What?" Yuan became even more puzzled, and he turned to look at Feng Yuxiang.

    "Young Master..." Feng Yuxiang cleared her throat and pointed at the area between his legs, her face slightly rosy as well.

    Seeing this, Yuan looked down at his body, and to his surprise, between his legs, there was something long and majestic pointing at the heavens.

 Chapter 482 â€“ Unable To Calm Down

    <h4>Chapter 482 ¨C Unable To Calm Down</h4>

    ¡¯What the?¡¯

    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    Yuan was surprised to see the thing between his legs suddenly grow in size and be as stiff as a rock, as this was his first time experiencing such a phenomenon.

    He turned to look at Feng Yuxiang and asked her in a calm voice, "What¡¯s happening to my body? Is this also the effect of the treasures?"

    "I-I guess there was a treasure in there that improved one¡¯s stamina..." Feng Yuxiang said in a stiff voice, mostly because she also didn¡¯t expect that it¡¯d result in Yuan¡¯s precious area getting ¡¯more stamina¡¯ as well.

    "Is this a bad thing or a good thing?" Yuan then asked.

    "I think it will be fine... It should calm downter." Feng Yuxiang said with a nervous look on her face, silently hoping to herself that it¡¯d calm down by itself.

    "Okay." Yuan believed her and got out of the bathtub.

    "..."

    Yu Rou and Meixiu stared at Yuan¡¯s glistening body. Although they wanted to look away, they were unable to for some reason.

    Meixiu then noticed Xiao Hua also staring at Yuan with a calm look on her face, yet there was a hint of intrigue within her innocent gaze.

    After drying his body, Yuan wore his clothes again, but it felt different than usual, even a little ufortable with the way his body is currently reacting.

    "This is ufortable and is somewhat inconvenient to walk around," said Yuan with a slight frown on his face while looking at the obvious bulge between his legs.

    Feng Yuxiang swallowed nervously at the sight of the Yuan¡¯s bulge.

    Despite being over 100,000 years old, she had zero experience in these kinds of situations.

    "You can try cultivating to calm it down." Feng Yuxiang then suggested.

    "I will do just that." Yuan nodded, and he left the bathroom shortly after.

    He then took a seat in the middle of the room and began cultivating. Of course, since he was sitting down, it made the bulge in his pants even more obvious.

    "This is super awkward..." Meixiu muttered in a low voice.

    "Right? We have taken baths together for many years, so I have seen his naked body plenty of times, but I am still embarrassed by it." Yu Rou said in a somewhat bragging voice.

    "Hm?"

    Yu Rou suddenly turned to look at Xiao Hua, who started approaching Yuan for some reason.

    Once she stood in front of him, Xiao Hua squatted down and stared at the bulging area with a profound look on her face.

    "W-What are you doing?" Feng Yuxiang asked her in a dumbfounded voice.

    Xiao Hua then pointed at the bulge and said, "Why is it like that? Xiao Hua has never seen anything like that before."

    "Uhhh..."

    Xiao Hua¡¯s innocent question left the others in the room speechless.

    Turns out there was another person that was clueless about these kinds of topics besides Yuan in their group.

    "That is what happens when your body is overly excited," Feng Yuxiang gave her a brief exnation without going into depth.

    "Don¡¯t worry, it will go away soon," she then added.

    Xiao Hua nodded and no longer paid attention to this phenomenon on Yuan¡¯s body.

    Sometimeter, Xia Jingyi spoke in a low voice, "Wow... The speed he¡¯s cultivating at is very astonishing... Is this because of his cultivation technique?"

    "I guess you can say that..." Yu Rou nodded.

    After spending a little over an hour cultivating, Yuan suddenly stopped and opened his eyes.

    He then turned to look at Feng Yuxiang and said to her in aining tone, "Feng Feng, it¡¯s not working. I cannot even cultivate properly because it¡¯s very distracting down there. And I think it¡¯s starting to hurt as well..."

    Feng Yuxiang began sweating when she heard this, and she wondered if the treasure was too powerful or if Yuan had absorbed too much of the treasure.

    After all, normal cultivators would only be able to absorb a portion of the treasure while letting the rest go to waste.

    If Yuan¡¯s godlike physique also allowed him to absorb more treasures than one normally could, it would make sense why his body hasn¡¯t calmed down yet.

    "Feng Feng, what exactly did you use for my brother¡¯s bathwater?" Yu Rou decided to ask her.

    Feng Yuxiang showed a nervous smile and said, "The treasure that¡¯s causing his condition is most likely the Endurance Yang Root; it¡¯s a very popr treasure among male body refiners since it refines their muscles and boosts their endurance. However, there¡¯s a slight side effect... And that being a slight aphrodisiac effect..."

    "Aphrodisiac effect?! You made my brother absorb that kind of evil medicine?!" Yu Rou was speechless.

    "I-I swear it wasn¡¯t done on purpose! Normally, one would only be able to absorb about ten to thirty percent of the treasures, so this side effect won¡¯t affect the person too much if any at all! However, I might have overlooked the Young Master¡¯s unique physique, hence this situation..."

    "I¡¯m sorry... I won¡¯t put something like that in the Young Master¡¯s bath again," she apologized.

    "Don¡¯t worry about it, Feng Feng. I know you don¡¯t have any bad intentions. However, this is a problem. I can¡¯t move around like this. How long will this effectst before it naturally goes away?" Yuan then asked her.

    "S-Seven days..." She muttered in a low voice.

    "An entire week?!" Yuan eximed.

    There was no way he¡¯d be able to endure this an entire day, much less a whole week.

    "Is there anything we can do to relieve it quicker?" Yuan then asked.

    The room instantly turned silent, and thedies turned to look at each other.

    Clearly, none of them wanted to be the one to tell him.

    After a moment of silence, Feng Yuxiang cleared her throat and spoke with her back straight, "Ahem! Since I am the reason the Young Master is in pain, I shall bear all responsibility."

    She then turned to look at Yuan and said with a bashful expression on her beautiful face, "Please follow me to another room, Young Master. I will take care of it."

 Chapter 483 â€“ Relieving His Pain

    <h4>Chapter 483 ¨C Relieving His Pain</h4>

    *Contains mature content*

    Disimer: Read at your discretion. You can skip this chapter without needing to worry about missing key information about the story.

    "W-Wait just a minute!" Yu Rou quickly stopped them.

    "Is there something wrong?" Feng Yuxiang asked her.

    "Of course! Everything is wrong! What do you think you¡¯re going to do to my brother¡¯s pure body?"

    "Obviously, I am going to help him relieve his pain." Feng Yuxiang spoke in a calm voice and acted as though it was natural.

    And she continued, "Unless you want to help him instead..."

    Feng Yuxiang narrowed her eyes at Yu Rou, who trembled at the thought of ¡¯relieving¡¯ Yuan.

    "N-Nonsense! I am his sister! You¡¯re asking for the impossible!" She quickly refused.

    Yu Rou then turned to look at Meixiu and said, "Meixiu, you do it! I trust you with Brother Tian¡¯s body more than I trust Feng Feng, after all!"

    "What?" Meixiu looked at her with wide eyes and even took a step back from shock.

    "Y-You want me to...? I don¡¯t think I can do something like that..." Meixiu quickly shook her head and refused.

    Even though she had touched Yuan¡¯s divine sword before, it was necessary to clean him, and it wasn¡¯t done with any vulgar intentions.

    Furthermore, she was too embarrassed to do it knowing there are people waiting for her to relieve him.

    If she was alone with Yuan, perhaps she might reconsider.

    "See? If nobody is willing to relieve the Young Master, I will have to be the one to bear this responsibility." Feng Yuxiang said with a quick shrug and a somewhat smug look on her face.

    "Xiao Hua can help Brother Tian." Xiao Hua suddenly offered her assistance.

    "..."

    The others looked at her with raised eyebrows. Regardless of her real age, letting someone like Xiao Hua deal with this situation would cause outrage if known. Furthermore, Xiao Hua was as innocent as Yuan herself when it came to this topic, so even if they allowed her to help him, she wouldn¡¯t know what to do.

    "I-It¡¯s okay, Xiao Hua. Let the adults bear this responsibility." Feng Yuxiang said to her.

    Meanwhile, Yuan was absolutely clueless as to why they were arguing about this, as he just wanted to relieve this pain between his legs, so he didn¡¯t care who had to do it.

    "Let¡¯s go, Young Master." Feng Yuxiang said to him.

    "Feng Feng! Don¡¯t go overboard!" Yu Rou warned her with a serious frown.

    Feng Yuxiang nodded before going to another room with Yuan, closing the door behind them.

    The ce quickly turned dead silent.

    "I can¡¯t believe this is happening..." Xia Jingyi mumbled in a dazed voice after a moment of silence.

    "I am going to go out and get some fresh air." Yu Rou said.

    "I wille with you..." Meixiu followed her outside.

    Xiao Hua looked at them with her eyebrows slightly raised, unable toprehend why they were unhappy about Feng Yuxiang helping Yuan relieve his pain.

    Meanwhile, inside the bedroom, Feng Yuxiang cleared her throat before speaking, "Young Master, please take off your clothes¡ª just the lower part is fine."

    Yuan nodded and obediently removed his pants. Although it felt a little weird, he didn¡¯t think too much about it, since this was only to cure his condition.

    After taking off the lower part of his clothes, Yuan sat on the edge of the bed with his sword standing upright.

    "Young Master, I am only doing this to help your condition, so excuse me in advance for touching your body..." Feng Yuxiang said as she kneeled in front of Yuan.

    Seeing Feng Yuxiang kneeling right in front of him, Yuan raised his eyebrows, and his heart began beating faster for some reason.

    After taking a deep breath, Feng Yuxiang moved her hands towards the stiff rod located directly between Yuan¡¯s legs.

    Yuan immediately felt a chill go down his back when he felt Feng Yuxiang¡¯s soft hands touching his thing.

    Feng Yuxiang¡¯s body also trembled when her hands touched Yuan¡¯s hot rod, feeling it twitching in her hands.

    Once she had a good grip on Yuan¡¯s rod, Feng Yuxiang began to gently move her hands in a stroking motion.

    Yuan was baffled by what Feng Yuxiang was doing to his body, as this waspletely new to him.

    However, as weird as it looked, it actually felt incredibly pleasurable, so Yuan didn¡¯t stop her and allowed Feng Yuxiang to continue.

    "H-How does it feel, Young Master?" Feng Yuxiang asked him in a nervous voice a few minutes into their session.

    Never could she have imagined that she would one day use her hands to please a man in such a manner¡ª a human, too.

    "I don¡¯t know... It feels good, but it also hurts a little, mostly when you move your hands down," he gave her his honest feedback.

    "It does look a little dry..." Feng Yuxiang mumbled in a low voice.

    However, there was no water around her, and she didn¡¯t want to leave the room to get some water now that they were in this kind of situation.

    After pondering for a moment, Feng Yuxiang decided to use her saliva.

    "Young Master, I am going to use my saliva to get rid of the dryness. It¡¯ll most likely stop the pain," she then said to him.

    "O-Okay..." Yuan nodded despite the weird idea.

    Once she had his approval, Feng Yuxiang moved her mouth closer to his rod before spitting some of her saliva onto it.

    Once it was soaking wet with her saliva, Feng Yuxiang continued to massage Yuan¡¯s rod.

    "What about now?" Feng Yuxiang asked him a momentter.

    "It feels much better. I don¡¯t feel the pain anymore," he said.

    "Then I will move a little faster."

    Feng Yuxiang started stroking his rod faster.

    A few minutester, Yuan felt an indescribable feeling shock his body.

    "I-I need to go to the bathroom!" He quickly said to Feng Yuxiang after realizing what this feeling was.

    However, Feng Yuxiang said, "It¡¯s okay, Young Master. Just let it out here. I will clean it upter."

    "Are you sure?" Yuan was baffled by her answer.

    "Yes," she confirmed.

    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    A momentter, Yuan could no longer hold this feeling back and gave up on trying.

    The next second¡ª

    "Ah!"

    Feng Yuxiang shouted in a startled voice when a burst of white substance shot out from Yuan¡¯s rod and went straight onto the wall a few meters behind her.

    However, it didn¡¯t stop after the first shot, and it continued shooting out the white substance, sttering the wall with white stuff all over.

    Yuan¡¯s body copsed onto the bed after releasing everything, feeling incredibly exhausted afterward.

    Feng Yuxiang looked at her hands that were also stained with Yuan¡¯s sticky white stuff with a dazed look on her face.

    She then looked at Yuan¡¯s rod, and to her surprise, it was still as stiff as a rock.

    "Y-Young Master... Looks like we¡¯ll have to do this a couple more times before you release all of your excess energy..." Feng Yuxiang said to him.

    "Is this really going to help?" Yuan asked her a momentter.

    "Yes, but since the treasure you absorbed was quite powerful, it¡¯ll take some time before we can fully relieve it."

    "Okay. Sorry for the trouble, Feng Feng." Yuan said to her with an innocent look on his face.

    Seeing Yuan¡¯s innocent expression, Feng Yuxiang felt incredibly guilty for some reason even though she was trying to help him.

    Sometimeter, Feng Yuxiang continued helping Yuan release his excess energy. As for Yuan, since he recently climaxed, his rod was more sensitive than before, allowing him to feel the pleasure from Feng Yuxiang¡¯s hands even more.

    Author¡¯s Note: I know this novel has been pretty PG-rated up to this point, and this chapter just went up a level. I have yet to decide whether I want to make this novel more mature or keep it PG, so I want some feedback. Let me know your thoughts in thements. Even if I decide to make this novel more mature, it won¡¯t be as mature as ¡¯Dual Cultivation¡¯ if you have read it before. Just some vor here and there to spice the novel up a bit, I guess.

    Do you want more mature scenes like this or no? Why and why not?

    I know the character development is slow, but Yuan will eventually grow up, and keeping him innocent forever isn¡¯t realistic even for a fictional novel. Therefore, let me know your thoughts in thements. Cheers.

 Chapter 484 â€“ A Secret

    <h4>Chapter 484 ¨C A Secret</h4>

    "Haaa... haaa..." Yuanid on the bed while breathing heavily.

    "Okay, Young Master. I am done. Your condition has finally been relieved." Feng Yuxiang said to him as she stood up.

    After spending a few hours in the bedroom, Feng Yuxiang has managed to extract a week¡¯s worth of excess energy from Yuan¡¯s body, who¡¯d absorbed too much treasure from his body tempering.

    "Thank you, Feng Feng..." Yuan said to her afterward.

    "I am merely doing my job as a servant, Young Master. There¡¯s no need to thank me, as it was my fault you were in that condition in the first ce." Feng Yuxiang said as she used her phoenix mes to clean the sticky white substances in the room without damaging the walls or floor even in the slightest.

    "Anyway, you can stay here and rest until you¡¯re ready to move again. I will be outside with the others."

    "Oh... And can you keep whatever happened in here a secret between us, Young Master?"

    "Yes... I don¡¯t think I want them to know either..." Yuan agreed.

    "Thank you, Young Master. I will see youter."

    Despite her calm voice, Feng Yuxiang¡¯s face was fully flushed with redness, and her steps were a little unbnced, looking a little tipsy from drinking too much.

    Once Feng Yuxiang left the room, Yuan continued toy on the bed with a look of wonder on his face.

    Today, he has experienced a new world¡ª one that he would forever remember.

    Sometimeter, when Yu Rou noticed Feng Yuxianging out of the room, she quickly approached her and said, "I hope you didn¡¯t do anything you weren¡¯t supposed to!"

    Feng Yuxiang showed a smile on her face and said, "Don¡¯t worry, I only did what was necessary to help his condition. I respect the Young Master¡¯s body as much as you do, so I wouldn¡¯t dare to do whatever you¡¯re thinking."

    "Anyways, the Young Master¡¯s condition has been fixed. I am going to get some fresh air. I probably won¡¯t be back for a while."

    Feng Yuxiang then left the building and flew away, not returning for a couple of days.

    About an hour after Feng Yuxiang left, Yuan emerged from the room with a refreshed look on his face, and even his aura experienced a small change.

    "B-Brother... Are you okay now?" Yu Rou asked him with a slightly rosy face, trying her hardest to not look away from him.

    "Yes, I am fine now."

    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

    "What happened inside?"

    To everyone¡¯s surprise, Xiao Hua was the one who asked him this question.

    Yuan chuckled and said, "That¡¯s a secret."

    "A secret...?" Everyone there looked at him with wide eyes, their imaginations running wild.

    "By the way, where¡¯s Feng Feng?" Yuan then noticed that she was missing.

    "She went outside for some fresh air, and she also said that she won¡¯t be back for a while." Yu Rou said.

    "Oh... I see..."

    Sometimeter, Yu Rou asked, "What should we do now, brother?"

    "Whatever you want, I guess."

    "Well, I am not sure what I want to do, but I am tired of doing quests," she said.

    "Then do you want to just explore the Lower Heavens?"

    "What do you mean by exploring? Do we just walk around?"

    Yuan nodded, "Yes. We don¡¯t need to do anything special, just travel around the world like we¡¯re going on a massive trip."

    "I want to see as much of the Lower Heavens as I can before I move up to the next realm."

    "A journey around the world, huh? That does sound like a good idea." Yu Rou nodded.

    "What about you, Jingyi? You don¡¯t have to follow us if you don¡¯t want to."

    "I don¡¯t mind following along. Besides, I don¡¯t really have anyone else to y with, and I also enjoy being with you guys," she said.

    "Okay! Then it¡¯s decided! Let¡¯s go on a journey! Do you have any destination in mind?" Yu Rou then said to Yuan.

    "Not really. I was going to ask Feng Feng to see if there were any cool ces we could go in the Lower Heavens. What about you, Xiao Hua? Do you know of any ces like that?"

    Xiao Hua shook her head.

    "I can look online and see if there are any ces like that," Yu Rou suddenly said.

    "Okay. Let¡¯s also wait for Feng Feng to return before we leave." Yuan said.

    They proceeded to walk around the city until it waste and had to log off for dinner.

    After dinner, Meixiu asked, "Yuan, do you want a shower tonight? You released a lot of sweat today."

    "Okay," he said.

    Meixiu then carried Yuan into the bathroom with the wheelchair, and just as Meixiu prepared to remove her clothes so it doesn¡¯t get wet, she remembered that Yuan could see again with his divine sense, so she restrained from going inside the bathroom naked like she normally would.

    After rinsing his body with some warm water, Meixiu began scrubbing his body with her soapy hands.

    When she reached his lower area, Meixiu paused her movements momentarily after recalling what happened today.

    A momentter, she started cleaning Yuan¡¯s cute thing that was a contrast to what she saw earlier today.

    When Yuan felt Meixiu¡¯s soft hands touching this area, Yuan couldn¡¯t help but remember what Feng Yuxiang did to him, and his body naturally reacted with an erection.

    Meixiu swallowed nervously when she saw this, and she tried her best to clean it with a clear mind.

    However, Yuan suddenly asked her, "Meixiu... I thought my body only reacted like this because of the treasure, so why is it like this now? Did the treasures from the game affect my real body too?"

    "Uhh..."

    Meixiu was left speechless by Yuan¡¯s innocent question and wasn¡¯t sure how she should respond to him.

    ¡¯Should I just tell him...?¡¯

    As much as she wanted to avoid this topic, Meixiu knew that it was impossible and that he would have to learn about it eventually, and keeping such important knowledge from him would only hurt him in the long run, especially since his body is recovering.

    Therefore, Meixiu has decided to teach Yuan what it means to be a man and why his body reacts the way it does.

 Chapter 485 â€“ What It Means To Be A Man

    <h4>Chapter 485 ¨C What It Means To Be A Man</h4>

    Meixiu closed her eyes and took a couple of deep breaths before opening them with a resolute expression on her beautiful face.

    "Yuan, I know none of this is your fault because of how the Yu Family raised you, but you¡¯re too innocent and ignorant for someone your age. You¡¯re already 18¡ª an adult. You cannot continue living like this, especially since you¡¯ll eventually recover from your condition." Meixiu said to him in a sighing voice.

    "W-What do you mean?" Yuan asked her in a nervous voice.

    "You have been ying instruments since the day you entered the Yu Family, and that is all the Yu Family has ever taught you, ignoring yourmon sense and other important knowledge. You were also crippled at a very young age, even going into istion, which limited your knowledge even further."

    "I am trying to say that you¡¯re missing a lot ofmon sense."

    "..."

    After a moment of silence, Yuan spoke in a low voice, "Then what am I supposed to do?"

    Meixiu then said, "You don¡¯t have to do anything, Yuan, because I will help you. I will give you the knowledge that the Yu Family didn¡¯t care to give you¡ª what it means to be a man."

    Meixiu then looked at his stiff rod and continued, "Let¡¯s start with this..."

    Yuan¡¯s body trembled slightly when Meixiu suddenly touched his stiff area, but the way Meixiu held it felt a little different than usual.

    "The condition you¡¯re in right now is called an ¡¯erection¡¯. It happens when your body is stimted with excitement, and most of the time, it is sexual excitement that causes it to react in such a way."

    "S-Sexual excitement? What is that?" Yuan asked, as he never really had the chance to experience it for himself because he would only focus on music almost all of the time.

    Furthermore, besides Meixiu, Yu Rou, and the servants working in the Yu Family, Yuan barely had any contact with females.

    "Sexual excitement is when you feel aroused," Meixiu exined to him.

    "It¡¯s a natural feeling of desire you get for the opposite gender when you¡¯re interested in them¡ª or whoever you want to embrace."

    "I don¡¯t understand that feeling..." Yuan sighed.

    "It¡¯s okay. You don¡¯t have to understand it now. You just need to be aware of it." Meixiu said.

    And she continued, "Now, whenever one feels aroused, their body will react a certain way, and when ites to men, the thing between their legs will react the way your body is currently reacting. Of course, there are other situations that could make your body react in such a manner, but most of the time, it¡¯s arousal."

    "I see... Is that why my body is acting like this? Because I am aroused?" Yuan asked in an innocent and calm voice.

    "Well... Only you can really tell..." Meixiu said.

    Yuan then said, "When you touched that area, my mind would remember what Feng Feng did to me to help me relieve it, and my body started to feel warmer."

    "What Feng Feng did to you...?" Meixiu raised her eyebrows.

    "Well, I cannot give you any details since I promised Feng Feng that I¡¯d keep it a secret, but she used her hands like you..." Yuan said in a slightly embarrassed voice.

    "I see..." Meixiu could imagine what had happened between Feng Yuxiang and Yuan after he just said.

    "Although you may not understand the feeling of arousal, your body can be naturally aroused even if you don¡¯t know it yourself, and that is most likely what is happening now."

    "Then how can I get rid of this feeling?" Yuan asked.

    "That feeling will naturally go away if you stop thinking about it," Meixiu said.

    "The reason it didn¡¯t go away before was because of a medicine that affected your body, so it wouldn¡¯t calm down until you use the other method to calm it down."

    "That method..." Yuan mumbled.

    "Yes, it¡¯s most likely what Feng Feng did to help you."

    Yuan swallowed nervously, and he asked, "Does it matter which method one uses?"

    "..."

    After a slight pause, Meixiu said, "Yes, it does."

    "Although one can ignore their arousal and let it calm down naturally, that feeling doesn¡¯t actually go away very effectively and will eventually build up. And as it continues to build up, it could affect one¡¯s mind negatively and make them do things they normally wouldn¡¯t do, which is also called sexual frustration, so one should use the second method to relieve themselves once in a while."

    Meixiu then looked at Yuan¡¯s rod that was in her grasp, and she continued, "Now that you have learned about arousal, you¡¯ll most likely be experiencing them more often."

    "What? Is that how it works?"

    "Yes, it is. Especially since you¡¯re at that age..."

    "I see... Then what should I do? If I cannot keep ignoring it, I will have to relieve myself, right? That will be difficult in my condition." Yuan sighed.

    Meixiu took a deep breath before speaking, "Don¡¯t worry, Yuan. I will do it for you."

    "Eh? Really? Are you sure? Feng Feng acted weird afterward when she did it for me so I thought she didn¡¯t like it. I don¡¯t want you to do something you don¡¯t like..."

    "Feng Feng acted weird not because she didn¡¯t like it; it was because she was embarrassed. Normally, a woman won¡¯t willingly do something like that if she didn¡¯t like the person, and nobody forced her, so she definitely didn¡¯t mind it." Meixiu said.

    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡¯Furthermore, I was trained to relieve you if you ever needed it...¡¯ Meixiu said inwardly, as she didn¡¯t dare to tell him out loud.

    "I see... It¡¯s relieving to know that she didn¡¯t hate it..." Yuan released a sigh of relief.

    Seeing Yuan¡¯s good-natured character, Meixiu felt something weird in her heart.

    "Then let me relieve you now. You have been naked long enough. If we stay like this any further, you might catch a cold."

    As she finished her sentence, Meixiu began moving her hands, stroking Yuan¡¯s stiff rod more skillfully than when Feng Yuxiang experienced it with her hands.

    ¡¯This is my first time doing this on a real person...¡¯ Meixiu thought to herself as she pleased Yuan¡¯s sword with her hands.

    When her mother trained her to take care of Yuan¡¯s every need, it was only on toys and mannequins, so this was her actual first experience.

    A few moments into their session, Yuan¡¯s body could already feel the difference between Meixiu and Feng Yuxiang¡¯s hand techniques, and that difference was quite vast, almost like heaven and hell.

    When Feng Yuxiang stroked it, it was much more forceful and fast, and she would sometimes grip onto it with too much strength. However, when Meixiu strokes it, he could feel the tenderness in her slow and gentle movements, almost like she was treating his thing like a treasure, and it was a constant feeling.

    Furthermore, Meixiu would use her other hand to massage other areas while her main hand was busy relieving his sword, enhancing the effects of her already skillful techniques.

    Yuan¡¯s body reached its limit in just three short minutes under Meixiu¡¯s skillful hand techniques.

    Feeling the rod in her hands twitching, Meixiu said in a soothing voice, "Go ahead. Let it out and relieve yourself."

    Hearing her voice, Yuan removed the blockade and released a stream of white substance from his lower body.

    And right before Yuan released his stress, Meixiu ced her other hand a few inches away from his rod so that his release wouldn¡¯t go everywhere in the bathroom.

    Meixiu could feel something warm and powerful shoot into her hands the next moment, and it would continue shooting into her palms for a couple more times before it stopped.

    "How are you feeling?" Meixiu asked him afterward.

    "Like something was relieved from my body... Thank you..." Yuan said to her.

    Meixiu then washed away the white stuff on her hand and the floor with the showerhead.

    Once that was done, she proceeded to rinse the soap from Yuan¡¯s body.

    A few minutester, she carried Yuan back to his room and dried his body with towels.

    "Let me take a shower before we continue our talk, okay?" Meixiu then said to him.

    "Okay."

    Meixiu then returned to the bathroom to take a shower, taking much longer than she normally would for some reason.

    Once she was eventually done, Meixiu returned to Yuan¡¯s room and continued to educate him about things that the Yu Family never taught him.

 Chapter 486 An Unexpected Find

    "Thank you, Meixiu, for the lesson. I will keep in mind everything you have taught me today." Yuan said to her after spending an hour getting lectured about the differences between men and women.

    "Then I will go back to my room now. I am more exhausted than usual for some reason," Meixiu said to him.

    "Okay. Good night." Yuan said to her.

    Once she returned to her room, Meixiu buried her face into the pillow and proceeded to suffocate herself until she could no longer endure it.

    However, she was unable to calm down despite doing that.

    ¡¯I have done it... I really did that to him...¡¯ Meixiu cried inwardly, recalling what she¡¯d done to Yuan inside the bathroom.

    Although she¡¯d expected to do such things and even more before for Yuan when she was being trained by her mother, that was years ago, and they were no longer in the Yu Family. Furthermore, their rtionship has evolved to being much more than just a servant and master.

    Meixiu would proceed to spend the entire night thinking about how she should act when around Yuan.

    As for Yuan... He slept like a baby, instantly falling asleep a few seconds after closing his eyes, and if one went into his room while he slept, one would see a gentle smile on his face.

    Meanwhile, around the same time at the Yu Family, a middle-aged man wearing a ck suit stood before Yu Yong and Tang Lee.

    "Master Yu, Madam Tang, we have located her location." This middle-aged man said.

    "Thank you, Mister Johnson. Where is Meixiu right now?" Yu Yong then asked this middle-aged man, who he¡¯d hired to investigate Meixiu¡¯s whereabouts.

    "After looking through some of the surveince cameras in the streets, we have managed to locate the building Meixiu lives in, and it¡¯s an apartment about an hour away from this ce."

    "During our investigation on Meixiu, we also found something unexpected¡ª that she appears to be with Yu Tian."

    "What? Meixiu is with that useless thing? Are you sure? Why didn¡¯t the Chairman tell us that when he visited?" Tang Lee eximed in a surprised voice.

    Mister Johnson nodded and said, "We saw them entering the apartment together, and after speaking with Chairman Zhao, he confirmed that there was a cripple in a wheelchair with Meixiu at the Cultivators¡¯ Association."

    "We even have a picture from the surveince."

    Mister Johnson proceeded to show them a picture of Meixiu pushing a wheelchair that carried Yuan.

    Yu Yong frowned and said, "She left the Yu Family to be with him? Why am I not surprised? She was trained by Meifeng to be his personal maid at one point."

    "Of course there¡¯s someone with him. That trash can¡¯t possibly live by himself now that Yu Rou is no longer helping him. However, does this also mean that Meifeng had lied to us about Meixiu¡¯s situation? I refuse to believe that she didn¡¯t know about her daughter¡¯s situation." Tang Lee then said.

    Yu Yong raised his eyebrows and said, "Meifeng has remained loyal to the family ever since she joined the family. I don¡¯t believe that she would lie to us. Though we should still talk to her about this just in case."

    "Anyway, this is an entirely different situation that can be dealt with after our current one. Can you bring Meixiu back to us, Mister Johnson?" Yu Yong asked the middle-aged man.

    He nodded and said, "Although we have located her whereabouts, we have yet to locate her exact location. We know where she lives, but we don¡¯t know where exactly, and the building owners refused to give us ess to the surveince cameras without a proper reason."

    "What are you trying to say? It¡¯s just an apartment. Go knock on every single door until you find her. That¡¯s why we hired you." Tang Lee said with a frown.

    Mister Johnson smiled and said, "Madam Tang, we were only paid to locate her whereabouts, and that is exactly what we have done. The contract doesn¡¯t state that we have to do anything else once we find her location."

    The frown on Tang Lee¡¯s face grew deeper, but before she could speak, Mister Johnson continued, "In case you forgot, Meixiu was called a cultivation genius by Chairman Zhao himself. If that¡¯s the case, there¡¯s a good chance that she¡¯s a high-level cultivator at this moment. Even if we knock on every door and find her, we cannot physically force her toe with us if she refuses since our team doesn¡¯t have the manpower to do so."

    "If there¡¯s a chance that we must use force to bring Meixiu back to the Yu Family, we will need to hire more people¡ª cultivators that are powerful enough to bring her back. However, powerful cultivators are not easy to find. Do you understand where I am getting at?"

    Yu Yong pondered for a moment before speaking, "In other words, you are asking us for more money. Is that correct?"

    Mister Johnson merely smiled at his question, his answer clear.

    "I don¡¯t care how much it will cost. I want her back at the Yu Family. We can simply have Chairman Zhao cover the cost of the operation and more when we give him Meixiu." Tang Lee said in a cold voice.

    "Very well. I will immediately assemble a team of powerful cultivators to bring Meixiu back. It should be done by the end of the week." Mister Johnson said.

    "As for the price, we will calcte everything once we get the team together before sending them to you. Once we receive the payment, we will immediately bring her back."

    Mister Johnson said, implying that unless they receive the money, they wouldn¡¯t do anything. Although the Yu Family is a powerful family, they were notpletely invincible and almighty in this world, so not everyone will be willing to work for them without money, which is the real power.

    After Mister Johnson left the ce, Yu Yong summoned Meifeng to their home despite it being incrediblyte at night.

    Meifeng, who was asleep at the time, had to wake up and make her way to their ce after being called, but she didn¡¯tin, as she puts her masters¡¯ needs before her own needs.

    Half an hourter, Meifeng arrived at the Yu Family.ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

 Chapter 487 Questioning Meifeng

    "Meifeng, have you found Meixiu¡¯s whereabouts yet?" Yu Yong asked her the moment she arrived at the house, acting as though he didn¡¯t have a single clue.

    "Unfortunately, I have not." Meifeng said, and she continued, "I tried calling her every day, but she hasn¡¯t responded to a single call."

    "Are you sure you don¡¯t know?" Tang Lee asked again, narrowing her eyes.

    "I don¡¯t understand. Are you implying that I know her whereabouts? That I am lying to you?" Meifeng then asked, feeling something was off about their atmosphere.

    Yu Yong then retrieved a photo and ced it on the table, showing a picture of Meixiu and Yuan on the street.

    It was the same photo given to them by Mister Johnson.

    "Your daughter is currently taking care of that trash, and she left the family shortly after he was disowned. This doesn¡¯t seem like a coincidence, and I refuse to believe that you, her mother, didn¡¯t know about this." Tang Lee said.

    And she continued, "You know what I think? I think you knew about her whereabouts this entire time and purposefully kept it from us. In fact, you probably even helped them."

    "..."

    Meifeng remained silent after hearing Tang Lee doubt her loyalty, even suspecting that she had something to do with Meixiu¡¯s disappearance.

    However, she didn¡¯t panic.

    "With all due respect, Madam Tang, I have worked for the Yu Family for nearly my entire life, and I had sacrificed everything in order to do so. Why would I risk all of that over something like this?"

    "Thest time I spoke with Meixiu was right before she left. She told me that she wanted to leave the Yu Family to explore other options in life. Meixiu isn¡¯t bound to a contract, nor did I have any reason to convince her to stay since she¡¯s already an adult, so I didn¡¯t say anything and allowed her to leave." Meifeng said, subtly reminding them that Meixiu wasn¡¯t under a contract so they cannot force her to stay.

    Meifeng then continued without giving the Yu Family a chance to speak, "Allow me to be blunt, Masters."

    "Meixiu has admired the Young Master ever since he was adopted into the family, and she¡¯d even endured countless hours of training from me just to be his servant. However, because of what happened to the Young Master, she was reassigned to the Young Lady. I am not saying that she doesn¡¯t care about the Young Lady, but she has always dreamed of being the Young Master¡¯s servant."

    "Since the Young Master got removed from the family, Meixiu, who is not bound by a contract, most likely decided to leave the family so that she could finally fulfill her dream as the Young Master¡¯s servant. Of course, this is all spection, but other than logical reasoning, I am also her mother, so I know what she thinks."

    Yu Yong and Tang Lee were left speechless by Meifeng¡¯s words.

    After a moment of silence, Yu Yong said, "I don¡¯t doubt you, Meifeng, but just to be safe, let me see your cellphone. Since you im that you call her every day, you must have a record of it in your phone."

    The Yu Family expected Meifeng to make an excuse to get out of this situation, but to their surprise, Meifeng said, "I understand."

    She then retrieved her cellphone and handed it over to Yu Yong without making any excuses or showing even the slightest sign of being worried.

    Yu Yong then opened her phone and checked the call record.

    His eyes widened with surprise when he saw that Meifeng had actually been calling Meixiu¡¯s phone number every single day without fail ever since Meixiu left the family, and she would sometimes even call Meixiu multiple times in one day.

    However, there was not a single sessful call within the call records.

    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

    "I-I apologize for doubting you, Meifeng... Really... If we¡¯d offended you, please forgive us." Yu Yong immediately apologized to her.

    Yu Yong valued Meifeng¡¯s loyalty and presence in the Yu Family very highly¡ª probably only second to his own wife.

    This is mostly because of Meifeng¡¯s contribution to the Yu Family throughout the years. It could be said that without Meifeng assisting them, their family wouldn¡¯t have survived for this long.

    While Yuan have boosted their wealth to a significant amount, they have always been rich. However, Meifeng had helped them stabilize their position within the entertainment industry and much more, hence why Yu Yong couldn¡¯t afford to anger or offend Meifeng.

    Even though Meifeng was under a contract with their Yu Family, she could actually leave the family if she truly tried, and Yu Yong couldn¡¯t afford to lose someone like her, especially not when the entire world was changing at a rapid pace because of the cultivation craze.

    "I am neither mad nor offended, just slightly disappointed that I don¡¯t have all of your trust just yet," Meifeng said.

    "D-Don¡¯t worry! You have myplete trust starting now!" Yu Yong reassured her.

    However, Tang Lee wasn¡¯t happy with the results, and she was still suspicious of Meifeng, but she didn¡¯t say anything and merely kept a frown on her face.

    Meifeng then asked, "If you don¡¯t mind me asking, why are you so fixated on finding Meixiu?"

    Yu Yong sighed and decided to tell Meifeng everything.

    "To tell you the truth, we¡¯re not really the ones who are looking for her¡ª it¡¯s Chairman Zhao, the current chairman of the Cultivators¡¯ Association. Apparently, Meixiu has incredible talents in cultivation, which attracted Chairman Zhao¡¯s attention, and he wants to buy Meixiu from us."

    "What?" Meifeng¡¯s eyes widened upon learning the truth, showing a little surprise for the first time.

    "Therefore, we have hired investigators to look for her. They have recently found her whereabouts, and they are nning on bringing Meixiu back soon."

    "What about Meixiu? What if she doesn¡¯t want to join the Cultivators¡¯ Association?" Meifeng asked.

    "Meifeng, you should know by now that if someone is powerful enough, they can do whatever they want. Chairman Zhao is definitely someone powerful enough to do as he pleases. If he truly wants Meixiu, there¡¯s nothing you nor the Yu Family can do about it." Yu Yong sighed again.

    __

    Author¡¯s Note: There is a new voting system for  called Golden Tickets for the premium novels that will reset once a month. You can get them through spending coins or gifting the novel a certain amount(500+). If you don¡¯t have this in your app, update the app.

    Therefore, in order to bribe you into voting, I shall give you THREE bonus chapters(including daily chapters) for both Dual Cultivation and Cultivation Online if Hero¡¯s Carnage, my new novel, reaches 1,000 Golden Tickets.

 Chapter 488 Donâ€™t Underestimate Him

    <h4>Chapter 488 Don¡¯t Underestimate Him</h4>

    Sometime after listening to the whole story from Yu Yong, Meifeng prepared to return home.

    "Meifeng, I know she is your daughter, but there¡¯s nothing we can do. I guess we can only be happy for Meixiu that she¡¯d caught the attention of someone prestigious like Chairman Zhao. If she¡¯s with him and the Cultivators¡¯ Association, I am sure that she will live a fulfilling life. And I apologize again for calling you here sote in the middle of the night. You can take tomorrow off if you¡¯d like." Yu Yong said to her before she left.

    Once she was in her car, Meifeng drove straight home while pondering the whole way there.

    ¡¯The Chairman of the Cultivators¡¯ Association... He¡¯s definitely not someone the Yu Family can deal with, much less Meixiu... This is troublesome...¡¯

    After returning home, Meifeng went straight to the locked drawer beside her bed.

    She then opened it and retrieved a burner phone and opened it.

    A momentter, she dialed a number.

    "Hello?" Meixiu answered the phone call quicker than Meifeng had expected since it was way past midnight.

    "Why are you up sote at night?" Meifeng asked her.

    "I can ask you the same... Why are you calling me sote at night, mother?"

    "You¡¯ve gotten a lot more courageous since you left the Yu Family¡ª to the point where you even dare to talk back to me," Meifeng said.

    "Anyways, let me get straight to the topic. Are you aware how much trouble you¡¯re in right now?"

    "Trouble? What are you talking about?" Meixiu¡¯s puzzled voice resounded.

    "Do you remember when I told you that Chairman Zhao from the Cultivators¡¯ Association had contacted the Yu Family? Well, the Yu Family has hired investigators to find out your whereabouts, and they have learned about the apartment. However, that¡¯s not even the worst part. They know about the Young Master as well."

    "What!" Meixiu eximed in a surprised voice.

    The Yu Family went out of their way to hire investigators to look for her? Just how desperate are they trying to recruit her to the Cultivators¡¯ Association?

    "Even if they know about our location... Does it really matter? I am no longer with the Yu Family, nor do I want to join the Cultivators¡¯ Association. It¡¯s not like they can force me either." Meixiu said.

    Meifeng sighed, "You are underestimating the world of adults and how influential some people are, Meixiu. There are some people out there who are so powerful that you have no choice but to agree."

    "As for the Yu Family, they will make you return to the family whether you like it or not, and they will sell you to the Cultivators¡¯ Association. In fact, the investigators are already preparing a team of cultivators to force you to return to the family."

    "What! What should I do? I cannot leave Yua¡ª Yu Tian¡¯s side now!" Meixiu said.

    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

    "You can move out of that apartment before they get you, but that will only dy them since they will eventually find you again, and it won¡¯t be easy moving in the street without being seen when you have to travel with the Young Master in his condition. Therefore, you can only confront this matter from the front."

    "What are you trying to say?" Meixiu asked.

    "Do you remember what I taught you? What you should do if there are people who threaten the Young Master¡¯s safety?" Meifeng asked her.

    "...I can¡¯t forget it even if I want to..." Meixiu mumbled in a low voice.

    "Good, and since you¡¯re a cultivator, you should be even more powerful. Just make sure you don¡¯t kill them and you should be fine. Ah, make sure you report it to the police afterward just in case."

    "I won¡¯t be contacting you again for a while since the Yu Family is suspecting that I¡¯d helped with your disappearance. Once you have dealt with the problem, call me on my burner only after midnight."

    "I understand."

    "Make sure you keep the Young Master safe since there¡¯s a good chance that they might use the Young Master to force you to return."

    A slight smile appeared on Meixiu¡¯s face when she recalled Yuan¡¯s flying dagger technique and said, "Don¡¯t underestimate him, mother. He may not be able to move properly, but I doubt there¡¯s anyone more powerful than him right now."

    Meifeng was left speechless for once by Meixiu.

    "What do you mean by that?" She couldn¡¯t help but ask.

    "You¡¯ll find out eventually, mother. Anyway, I am going to get some sleep. You should too. Goodnight." Meixiu closed the connection before Meifeng could even respond.

    "This little girl definitely got more courageous, even a little cheeky... Something must have happened..." Meifeng mumbled to herself before lying on her bed and falling asleep.

    Meanwhile, Meixiuid on the bed and stared at the ceiling with a dazed look on her face.

    "I just want a peaceful life with him... Why is everyone making things soplicated?" She sighed in a low voice.

    After a moment of silence, she muttered in a cold voice, "I won¡¯t let anyone take him away from me now... no matter who they are..."

    Meixiu then fell asleep for two short hours before waking up to prepare breakfast.

    "Good morning, Meixiu... Hmm? You look tired. Did you not get enough sleep yesterday?" Yuan greeted her while using his Divine Sense.

    "Yuan, I have some bad news," she said.

    "What happened?"

    Meixiu sighed and said, "It¡¯s the Yu Family. They hired investigators to find me, and they now know about our location... Including the fact that you¡¯re with me."

    Yuan remained silent for a moment before speaking, "Even if they know about our location, what are they going to do about it? Force you to go back?"

    Meixiu nodded, "From what my mother told me when she called mest night... Yes..."

    "What? How is that even legal?" Yuan eximed.

    "Well, it¡¯s not, but when you¡¯re powerful and influential like the Yu Family and the fact that they¡¯re supported by the Chairman of the Cultivators¡¯ Association... There¡¯s really pretty much nothing they cannot get away with as long as it isn¡¯t mass murder..." Meixiu sighed.

 Chapter 489 More Kitchen Knives

    "That¡¯s unfair! If they don¡¯t need to follow the rules because they are powerful, then this is no different than the cultivation world!"

    "Well... If you really think about it, the cultivation world and this world are pretty simr in some aspects, especially if you¡¯re rich and powerful." Meixiu said.

    Yuan sighed.

    "What should we do then? Move?" He asked a momentter.

    "I asked the same, but my mother said there¡¯s no point since they will find us again sooner orter."

    "Miss Meifeng? Then what did she suggest?"

    "She told us to confront them."

    "Confront them? How?"

    "By chasing them away, I guess."

    "What? She wants us to chase them away? Is that even possible?"

    "I will try."

    "Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re going to fight them?"

    "..."

    After a moment of silence, Meixiu said, "If it gets to that point, but you don¡¯t have to worry about me because I can protect myself just fine. I am more worried about you since you are vulnerable in that condition."

    "Even if you say that..."

    "Anyway, even if they are targeting me, it is my job to take care of you, and I won¡¯t be able to do that if they take me away from you."

    Yuan sighed.

    "Looks like we won¡¯t be able to y with Yu Rou and the others until this is all over. I will have to apologize to herter," he said a momentter.

    "I will stay out here just in case they knock on the door."

    "Okay."

    After breakfast, Yuan entered Cultivation Online.

    "Morning, brother. Where¡¯s Meixiu?" Yu Rou and Xia Jingyi greeted him.

    "She won¡¯t be on today... Actually, we won¡¯t be able to y for the next few days."

    "What? Why? Did something happen?" Yu Rou frowned.

    Yuan nodded and said, "The Yu Family hired investigators to find us, and they are now nning on forcing Meixiu back so that she could join the Cultivators¡¯ Association."

    Yuan exined the situation to them.

    "What! They¡¯re still on that?! Unbelievable! How can they treat Meixiu like that?! I am going to speak with my parentster!" Yu Rou eximed in an angry voice.

    Xia Jingyi was shocked. This was her first time hearing about their situation, too.

    "Do you want me to talk to my parents about this? We can probably do something about them entering the apartment." Xia Jingyi said.

    Yuan shook his head and said, "It¡¯s okay, I am sure we will be fine, and I don¡¯t want to drag your family into our trouble."

    "Okay, but give me a call if you ever change your mind."

    "Brother Tian, what is this Cultivators¡¯ Association?" Xiao Hua asked him.

    "It¡¯s aplicated situation... I don¡¯t think I can even exin it." Yuan said to her.

    "Don¡¯t worry, I will be back in a few days hopefully. Until then, you guys can y without us."

    "I don¡¯t think we can y in peace knowing that you¡¯re in trouble..." Yu Rou sighed.

    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.

    "Stay safe. I will still let my parents know so that they can keep watch, but they won¡¯t intervene unless absolutely necessary." Xia Jingyi said.

    "Thank you." Yuan nodded.

    "What are you going to do in the meantime?" Yu Rou then asked.

    "Well, we¡¯re going to see what they¡¯re going to actually do. Until then, I really cannot say."

    "Okay. Keep us updated." Yu Rou said.

    Sometimeter, Yuan logged off the game.

    Yu Rou and Xia Jingyi also logged off shortly after since they were no longer in the mood to y.

    "I have told Yu Rou and Xia Jingyi about their situation," Yuan said to Meixiu afterward.

    "Now we just wait, huh?" Meixiu sighed.

    "I am going to practice the Flying Daggers since that is the only way I can help you in case you¡¯re in trouble." Yuan then said.

    "Flying Daggers? You¡¯ll kill them." Meixiu chuckled.

    "..."

    Yuan remained silent, his thoughts unknown.

    "Anyways, I am going to cultivate too. Hopefully, I will be able to break into Spirit Warrior before they find us." Meixiu said before returning to her room.

    Once Meixiu left, Yuan mumbled in a low voice, "If I have to protect you..."

    Sometimeter, Yuan cleared his mind and began practicing Flying Daggers, making incredible progress in just a single day.

    Whoosh!

    A kitchen knife flew around the room like a paper airne, but unlike a paper airne that could not be controlled, Yuan could control the direction and speed of the kitchen knife with precision.

    Once he was confident with controlling a single kitchen knife, Yuan wondered if he could control two of them at once.

    Although he has only ever tried to control one dagger at a time even in Cultivation Online, that was only because he only had the Starry Abyss, and that was the only dagger he really ever needed.

    "Meixiu! Sorry to disturb your cultivation, but can you bring in a few more kitchen knives?" Yuan called out to her.

    A minuteter, Meixiu came into the room with two more kitchen knives in her hands, and she asked him, "Why do you need so many knives?"

    "I want to see if I can control more than one at a time," he said.

    "More than one...? Well, just don¡¯t overboard and hurt yourself..." Meixiu said as she ced the knives on the chair.

    Once Meixiu left the room, Yuan immediately began trying to control two knives at once.\\

    And to his surprise, he was able to lift two knives at once.

    However, he quickly learned that while he could levitate two knives at once, controlling them simultaneously was an entirely separate story.

    "This is much more difficult than I¡¯d expected..." Yuan sighed out loud as he proceeded to spend the rest of the day trying to control two knives at once.

    The following day, Yuan continued to practice his Flying Daggers while attempting to breakthrough to Spirit Master.

    Time passed quickly, and before they were aware, almost a week had passed.

    Meanwhile, somewhere in the city, Mister Johnson stood before four individuals emitting profound auras, all of them with cultivation at the seventh level with one even at the eighth level.

 Chapter 490 Going From Door to Door

    "Our target this time is a genius cultivator named Meixiu. This is what she looks like." Mister Johnson showed them a picture of Meixiu.

    One of the cultivators immediately whistled, "Whoa, what a beauty."

    "She¡¯s not only beautiful, she¡¯s also a cultivation genius. Don¡¯t underestimate her, or you might regret it." Mister Johnson said.

    And he continued, "ording to the Cultivators¡¯ Association, Meixiu imed to be at the ninth level of Spirit Apprentice. If this is true, she has one of if not the highest cultivation in the city."

    "Ninth level? No wonder why you called four of us to kidnap a single girl. However, even if she has a high cultivation base, it won¡¯t matter if she doesn¡¯t know how to utilize it properly. I highly doubt she¡¯ll cause any trouble for us, or are you underestimating us, huh?"

    "Scorpion is right, Johnson. So what if she¡¯s at the ninth level? She¡¯s still within Spirit Apprentice. The difference between each level as a Spirit Apprentice isn¡¯t that vast. Even if we have a lower cultivation base, ourbat experience will make up for it," said another person there.

    "She¡¯s just a little girl. I doubt we¡¯ll face any troubles when dealing with her. In fact, I can even take her by myself."

    Hearing their confident voice, Mister Johnson said, "Since you¡¯re all so confident, I won¡¯t bother going into the details. Just bear in mind that you¡¯re not allowed to hurt her too badly. The Chairman of the Cultivators¡¯ Association has a great interest in this girl. If you hurt her¡ª or even worse, damage her cultivation talents, you¡¯ll have to bear responsibility."

    "What? The Chairman of the Cultivators¡¯ Association is also in on this? Just what is so special about this girl beside her cultivation talents?" One of them asked.

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    "Our job isn¡¯t to ask questions. Just do whatever you are being paid to do." Mister Johnson said.

    He then ced a map on the table and pointed at the clear red dot on the map.

    "This is her whereabouts, but it¡¯s an apartment, and we don¡¯t know which room she is living in exactly, so we¡¯ll have to knock on every single door until we find her."

    "What a pain in the ass... But we¡¯re getting good money for such an easy job so I won¡¯tin... too much."

    "When do we carry out this mission?"

    "As soon as possible," said Mister Johnson.

    "Alright. We¡¯ll start right now."

    Sometimeter, the four hired cultivators left the briefing room and made their way to their destination.

    Once they arrived, they changed their clothes, wearing uniforms meant for carriers, disguising themselves as someone who makes deliveries.

    "There are 27 floors in this apartment, and it will take forever if we go through it one floor at a time, so let¡¯s split up into a group of two. One group will check the even-numbered floors while the other group searches the odd-numbered floors. If we find Meixiu, immediately contact the other group."

    The other three nodded.

    "ording to Johnson, Meixiu is living with only one other person¡ª a cripple, so she should be the only one answering the door."

    Once they decided on their groups, they entered the apartment and started knocking on doors.

    "Hello! You have a delivery!"

    "I don¡¯t remember buying anything online..." Some olddy answered the door a momentter.

    "Oh, I¡¯m sorry. I must have made a mistake."

    When someone that wasn¡¯t Meixiu answered the door, they would move onto the next door.

    If someone doesn¡¯t answer the door, they would note it down so that they could try againter.

    The four cultivators proceeded to knock on doors for the entire morning.

    First floor... Second floor... Third floor...

    Ninth floor... tenth floor...

    Thirteenth floor... the fourteenth floor...

    Meanwhile, inside 17F on the 17th floor, Meixiu silently absorbed the spiritual energy inside her room.

    For the past week, she has done nothing but improve her cultivation base.

    As for Yuan, he would continue practicing his Flying Daggers technique.

    Suddenly, somebody knocked on the door, but it was not their door¡ª it was the door closest to the elevator.

    "Hello! Delivery!"

    Hearing this noise, Meixiu opened her eyes and stopped cultivating.

    She then stood up and walked to Yuan¡¯s room and said to him in a low voice, "They¡¯re here."

    "What now?"

    "Let¡¯s just pretend we¡¯re not here for as long as possible."

    "Okay."

    Thus, they ignored the banging on the doors and the man shouting delivery.

    The knocking on the door continued for another minute until it stopped.

    However, the knocking returned a few momentster, but it was still not their door.

    This continued until the knocking eventually reached their door.

    "Hello! Delivery!"

    "..."

    A minuteter, the knocking stopped.

    Once all of the doors on their floor had been knocked on, the cultivators went to the next floor.

    At the end of the day, the four cultivators returned to the car.

    "No luck, huh?"

    "What now?"

    "Well, we have narrowed down the rooms. We will revisit the doors that didn¡¯t answer today again tomorrow, and we will continue this until we narrow the choices enough. Once there are less than 10 rooms, we will force our way into these rooms and see for ourselves."

    "Sounds good."

    They left the apartment shortly after and wouldn¡¯t return until the following day.

    The next day, they returned to the apartment and started knocking on doors again, but they only visited those that didn¡¯t answer them yesterday.

    By the end of the day, they narrowed the choices by half.

    "Only 21 left now."

    They lowered that number to 15 the next day, then 11, and finally down to 7 on the fourth day.

    "Meixiu must be in one of these seven rooms. There is one room on the 7th floor, one on the 9th floor, two on the 17th floor, one on the 21st floor, and thest two on the 25th floor. Let¡¯s work our way up tomorrow and get it done by the end of the day."

    "Understood."

 Chapter 491 Midnight Invasion

    "Hey, what the hell is taking so long? We¡¯re already past our deadline." Mister Johnson called the four cultivators on their fourth day on the job.

    "Calm down, Johnson. We¡¯ll get the job done by tomorrow. It took longer than expected just knocking on the doors. That bitch Meixiu is definitely avoiding us on purpose. Maybe she is somehow aware that we¡¯re looking for her."

    "What? How is that possible? Unless someone warned her about us, it¡¯s impossible that she¡¯s aware of our operation," said Mister Johnson.

    "She probably can¡¯t hear your knocking because she¡¯s ying Cultivation Online."

    "If that¡¯s the case, it¡¯ll make things even more convenient and a breeze when we take her."

    "Whatever. Just get it done by tomorrow or your check will see some deductions." Mister Johnson said.

    "What! Not our pay!"

    "Then hurry up and get the job done before the Yu Familyins even more!" Mister Johnson yelled at them before closing the line.

    "You heard him. We better finish tomorrow or our sry will suffer."

    "If that¡¯s the case, why don¡¯t we do it tonight? It¡¯ll be much easier to kidnap someone at night."

    "You¡¯re right... Let¡¯s just finish it tonight."

    Once everyone agreed on finishing the job tonight, they went to prepare for it.

    A few hourster when the sky had turned pitch ck, the four cultivators returned to the apartment with a lockpicking kit and started breaking into the rooms that didn¡¯t answer them for the past four days, starting with the room on the 7th floor.

    Click.

    Once they unlocked the door, they silently made their way into the room and began looking around.

    Inside the apartment, they could see two peopleying on their beds with the Cultivation Online gaming console on their heads.

    Seeing this, they approached them to take a look at their faces.

    Once they confirmed that neither of them was Meixiu, they silently left the ce, leaving the two peoplepletely unaware that they¡¯d just experienced a breaking and entering.

    Next was the 9th floor, and just like the previous apartment, everyone living inside was fully immersed within Cultivation Online,pletely unaware that they had four intruders inside their home right now.

    After leaving the 9th floor, they made their way to the 17th floor and immediately began working on the door that was closest to the elevator.

    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    Luckily for Yuan and Meixiu, their door was the furthest away from the elevator.

    Inside the first room on the 17th floor, they could see a family of four currently sleeping.

    The moment the cultivators saw four people, they turned around and left the room, as they were only expecting two people at most.

    Once they left that room, they began working on the second door on the 17th floor.

    "..."

    Meixiu, who had been cultivating in her room, suddenly opened her eyes when she could hear subtle noisesing from the door.

    ¡¯They¡¯re breaking in?¡¯ Meixiu quickly realized what was going on and immediately stopped cultivating.

    She then took a deep breath and silently left her room to wait for them to enter their house without notifying Yuan about the invasion, as there was a good chance that they¡¯d break into their home before she could warn him, and it would be smarter to keep the noises to a minimum.

    Click.

    The lock to their door suddenly became unlocked, and the door slowly began opening the next moment.

    Meixiu could see a shadowy figure enter the house a few secondster.

    However, before he could take two steps inside their peaceful sanctuary, Meixiu, who had been hiding right beside the door suddenly threw a quick but powerful jab at the unsuspecting invader¡¯s lower jaw.

    Crack.

    The sound of bones cracking resounded, startling the other three.

    They quickly realized what was going on when the man that entered the room first suddenly fell onto the floor with his neck bent in a weird way.

    "Shit! Scorpion is down!"

    "I-Is he even still alive?!"

    The other three immediately got into position and prepared themselves.

    "Show yourself, Meixiu! We¡¯re here to bring you back to the Yu Family! Let¡¯s not make things difficult!" One of them said to her from outside their home.

    Meixiu appeared before them a momentter with the moonlight shining on her beautiful figure, and on her face was a cold expression thatplimented the atmosphere quite well.

    "I won¡¯t go back to the Yu Family. If you want me to go back, you¡¯ll have to force me."

    "We don¡¯t want to hurt you! If you agree to follow us quietly, we will promise to leave that cripple inside alone!"

    Meixiu frowned when they pulled Yuan into the topic, even threatening her with him.

    "You may have taken out one of us by surprise, but now that you¡¯ve lost your advantage, you won¡¯t be able to take on the three of us by yourself! All of us have over ten years of experience in the military while you¡¯re just some little girl with slightly higher cultivation than us! Give up and you won¡¯t get hurt!"

    "I don¡¯t like to repeat myself. If you want me to return to the Yu Family, you will have to force me." Meixiu said.

    "Then don¡¯t me us if you get hurt! Get her!"

    The man in the front immediately stepped forward to try and grab Meixiu while the other two followed behind, but since the door only had enough room for one person to enter at a time, Meixiu didn¡¯t have to worry about fighting all three at once.

    She casually took a step back, forcing them to enter the door one by one.

    Once the first person entered the apartment, Meixiu immediately propelled herself forward so that the person could not move forward, blocking the other two from entering.

    "You¡¯re overestimating yourself!" The man went to grab Meixiu again, even utilizing a grappling technique he¡¯d learned from the military.

    However, to the man¡¯s surprise, Meixiu avoided his grappling technique perfectly, almost as though she knew about the technique and its ws.

    "What?!"

    Before the man could react, Meixiu suddenly extended her arm and grabbed the man¡¯s neck with a w-like hand.

    The man¡¯s eyes widened with surprise, but he subconsciously reacted and used both his arm to grab Meixiu¡¯s slender arm to try and pull it away.

    However, he quickly realized that even with two hands, he was unable to remove Meixiu¡¯s arm that was clutching onto his neck, almost like it was made of steel and permanently attached to his neck.

    "W-Wait... L-Let¡¯s talk¡ª"

    A cracking noise resounded midway through the man¡¯s sentence, silencing him.

    The man¡¯s body immediately limped afterward.

    "Y-You killed him?" The remaining two invaders were in disbelief when they saw Meixiu¡¯s merciless action. How could someone so beautiful and seemingly so innocent take another life so casually?

    Meixiu released her clutch on the man¡¯s neck, dropping his body on the floor.

    "So what if I killed him? It¡¯s self-defense." Meixiu then spoke in a cold voice that sent chills down their spine.

    "Y-You¡¯re fucking crazy! You won¡¯t get away with murder even if you use self-defense to justify it! And you killed two people!"

    "And there will be two more corpses if you don¡¯t leave us alone," Meixiu said.

    "F-Fuck! I am outta here! I am not getting paid enough to risk my life with this psycho!" One of them suddenly turned around and ran towards the emergency staircase, not even bothering to take the elevator.

    Seeing hisrade leave, the remaining person there also decided to leave, as there was no chance that he was going to fight Meixiu alone.

    "You better enjoy yourst moments here since you¡¯ll be going behind bars soon!" The man said to her before disappearing from the scene.

    Once the invaders left, Meixiu released a sigh of relief.

    She then retrieved her phone and dialed a number.

    A momentter, Meifeng¡¯s voice resounded, "What happened?"

    "They broke into our apartment," said Meixiu.

    "..."

    After a moment of silence, Meifeng finally responded, "Since you are able to call me, I will assume that you¡¯ve taken care of it."

    "Yes, I took care of it... But I might have gone a little overboard," she said.

    "You killed them?" Meifeng asked in a solemn voice.

    "No... I held back my strength as much as possible, but they will definitely die if they don¡¯t receive any medical care soon."

    "Haaaaa..." Meifeng sighed out loud.

    Then she said, "Call the police. I will be there soon."

    "Okay."

    Meixiu then hung up and called the cops to exin the situation to them.

 Chapter 492 The Police Arrives

    Once the noises stopped, Yuan shouted out loud in a nervous voice from his bedroom, "Meixiu! Are you okay?!"

    Since his Divine Sense wasn¡¯t powerful enough to see what was going on at the door, he had no idea what had transpired¡ª only that they had been invaded and Meixiu was dealing with the invaders.

    "I am okay." Meixiu¡¯s voice resounded a momentter.

    And she continued, "I have driven away the invaders, but it might get a little rowdy here since I have just called the police."

    "Thank heavens you¡¯re fine..." Yuan released a sigh of relief after hearing her calm voice.

    Sometimeter, Meixiu entered the room so that Yuan could actually see that she was okay, and she proceeded to exin the situation to him.

    "I can¡¯t believe they actually broke into our home to try and take you away..." Yuan said with a deep frown on his face. It has been a while since he felt this much anger, and all of this was caused by the Cultivators¡¯ Association and the Yu Family.

    "I didn¡¯t want to blow this situation up so I reported it to the police as a random robbery. Even if we tell them that the Yu Family had hired them to take me back, they wouldn¡¯t believe it, and I¡¯m sure the Yu Family will have some sort of excuse ready in case they get investigated."

    "Despicable!" Yuan muttered in a suppressed voice.

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    He didn¡¯t feel this angry when the Yu Family abandoned him, nor when they kicked him out of the house. However, breaking into their home and trying to force Meixiu back had caused him to feel emotions that he didn¡¯t know were possible.

    What would have happened if Meixiu didn¡¯t have the capabilities to protect herself? Yuan didn¡¯t even dare to imagine it.

    "What¡¯s going to happen now?" He asked her after calming down.

    "Well, the police are on their way here, but so is my mother. We¡¯ll just have to see how things go." Meixiu said in a calm voice.

    "You¡¯re awfully calm about this situation, Meixiu." Yuan noticed this and said.

    "I guess... But panicking won¡¯t help. Though I think it¡¯s mostly because I know that my mother will be here." Meixiu said.

    Sometimeter, the police arrived at their apartment along with some ambnces to take care of the two unconscious men that were on the verge of dying.

    "Can you tell me what happened?" The police officer asked Meixiu with his notepad and pen in his hands.

    Meixiu nodded and proceeded to recall the situation.

    "I was cultivating like usual, but then I heard some weird noisesing from the door, so I decided to investigate. However, right as I reached the door, I suddenly heard the door unlocking by itself. It was at this moment that I knew someone had broken into our home, so I prepared myself for the worse."

    "The invaders entered through the door the next moment, and I unconsciously punched the first person who entered, taking him by surprise. Then I proceeded to fight the second person. When I defeated him as well, thest two invaders ran away, and that¡¯s when I called the police."

    The police were left dumbfounded by Meixiu¡¯s story. How can a single girl with a delicate appearance like Meixiu fight off four adult men by herself?

    "Are you by any chance a cultivator?" One of them asked her.

    "Yes, I am." She nodded.

    "I am also not used to my new strength, so when I fought back, I might have used a little too much strength..." Meixiu said.

    "Y-Yeah... We can see that from their injuries. ording to the medics, one of the men had a broken jaw while the other had his neck crushed. It¡¯s a miracle that thetter one is still alive."

    "What about you, young man? Can we hear your side of the story?"

    The police then asked Yuan, who was sitting in the wheelchair.

    "I don¡¯t know. I only heard themotion when Meixiu fought the invaders."

    "Okay. Anyway, please sit tight while we speak with your neighbors to see if they have anything else to say."

    The police then went to knock on their neighbors¡¯ door.

    However, all of them were either asleep or ying Cultivation Online, and themotion wasn¡¯t loud enough to wake them up.

    Shortly after the police spoke with their neighbors, Meifeng showed up to the scene with a cold expression on her face.

    "Excuse me, who are you?" One of the policemen stopped her.

    "I am her mother." Meifeng pointed at Meixiu, and she continued, "I rushed here after receiving news of what had urred."

    "I see..."

    The police allowed her to enter the ce after confirming her identity.

    "What¡¯s going to happen now?" Meifeng asked the police.

    "We can¡¯t really say anything until those two unconscious men wake up and we get their side of the story, not to mention the other two who ran away. However, if this is really a robbery, then we¡¯ll make sure justice is served. As for their injuries caused by the youngdy, it¡¯ll be considered self-defense. They might try to sue herter for the damages since their injuries are quite severe, but that will be up to the court."

    "I understand. Thank you." Meifeng said to them.

    "We will contact you againter." After taking down Meixiu and Meifeng¡¯s contact information, the police left the scene.

    Once they were gone, Meifeng sat down in the living room with Meixiu and Yuan.

    "Alright, tell me the whole story."

    Meixiu nodded and recalled everything that had happened without skipping any details this time.

    "They sent four cultivators with military experiences, huh? You dealt with them much easier than I¡¯d expected. What¡¯s your cultivation?" Meifeng then asked her.

    "First Level Spirit Warrior... I had a breakthrough recently, too." Meixiu responded in a low voice.

    Meifeng¡¯s eyes widened with surprise.

    She didn¡¯t really believe it at first when they said Meixiu was talented in cultivation, but after learning her cultivation, Meifeng had no choice but to believe it.

 Chapter 493 How Long Do You Plan On Sleeping?

    <h4>Chapter 493 How Long Do You n On Sleeping?</h4>

    "Miss Meifeng, is there anything you can do about this situation? Your word usually has a lot of weight within the Yu Family, especially with Yu Rou¡¯s father." Yuan asked her.

    "Unfortunately, there is nothing I¡ª or the Yu Family can do at this moment. Although the Yu Family hired those crooks to take Meixiu back, they are only doing it because of Chairman Zhao from the Cultivators¡¯ Association." Meifeng said.

    "The Cultivators¡¯ Association is an incredibly powerful and influential background with the number of cultivators they have at their disposal, and they are only growing stronger by the day. The Yu Family does not wish to offend them, nor can they afford to, so they can only agree to help them obtain Meixiu."

    "They¡¯re all treating Meixiu like some kind of object that can be owned because they want her! I have had enough of this! Miss Meifeng, take me to the Cultivators¡¯ Association tomorrow! I am going to speak with the Chairman." Yuan suddenly said, taking them by surprise.

    "What? You¡¯re going to speak with him? Even if you do that, he has no reason to listen to you, and there¡¯s a good chance that he won¡¯t even meet you, much less speak with you." Meifeng said to him.

    "Don¡¯t worry, I have a n," Yuan said.

    Meixiu and Meifeng turned to look at each other.

    "Young Master, we can talk about this tomorrow. It¡¯s already superte, so you should get some rest for now. I will stay here with you tonight." Meifeng said.

    "Really?" Yuan said, his voice filled with excitement.

    "Yes, I will even share the bed with you... If you don¡¯t mind, that is."

    "I don¡¯t!" Yuan immediately responded.

    "Then allow me to get you to bed."

    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    Meifeng then picked Yuan up from his wheelchair and carried him to his bedroom with ease.

    "Miss Meifeng, are you cultivating?" Yuan suddenly asked her.

    "Unfortunately, I have yet to start since I am usually busy with my work. Though I do intend on starting soon," she said.

    "I see... Then do you have a cultivation technique yet? If not, I can help you obtain one." Yuan then said, surprising her a little.

    "It¡¯s okay, Young Master. The Yu Family has a Heaven-grade cultivation technique they¡¯re willing to let me borrow. Even Yu Rou is currently using this cultivation technique, you know?" Meifeng said as she ced him on the bed.

    "If you say so..."

    "I will be back in a minute," Meifeng said a momentter before leaving the room to speak with Meixiu.

    "Go get some rest. We will continue this tomorrow."

    "Okay."

    Meixiu nodded and entered her room shortly after.

    Meifeng then returned to Yuan¡¯s room and got onto the bed with him, sleeping beside him.

    "How long has it been since west shared a bed?" Meifeng suddenly mumbled in a low voice.

    "Too long..." Yuan said with a bittersweet smile on his face.

    Meifeng closed her eyes, quickly falling asleep, as it was incrediblyte into the night.

    Yuan also fell asleep a few minutester.

    Shortly after Yuan fell asleep, unbeknownst to him or Meifeng, his body suddenly began emitting a faint golden glow, and within his body, the golden symbols were beginning to change, transforming into lines that resembled veins, eventually connecting with the other golden symbols.

    Once all of the golden symbols within his body were connected, it began emitting a unique aura that caused the entire world to tremble.

    However, since it was a rtively small earthquake and both Meifeng and Yuan were deep in their sleep, neither of them noticed it.

    Only Meixiu, who couldn¡¯t sleep, had felt the earthquake.

    As for Yuan¡¯s body, it was covered in these golden lines that looked like veins.

    Furthermore, the Celestial Water he¡¯d consumed in Cultivation Online finally started showing its true effects, allowing the golden veins to fully absorb it.

    Indeed, most of the Celestial Water had actually been inactive until this point, and Yuan¡¯s significant boost in cultivation speed and improvements to his Divine Sense was only a small portion of the Celestial Water¡¯s power.

    Once the golden symbols that were now golden veins absorbed the Celestial Water, it unattached itself from Yuan¡¯s bones andbined with his meridians, instantly doubling the size of his meridians, allowing spiritual energy to flow through them much quicker and more efficiently.

    Every single time Yuan breathed, even though he wasn¡¯t actively cultivating, his body would absorb a massive amount of spiritual energy in the room, quickly emptying out the spiritual energy in his apartment.

    When the spiritual energy in his room waspletely absorbed by Yuan, his body would start to absorb arger area until he started absorbing even the spiritual energy in the others¡¯ apartment, then it would expand to outside their apartment.

    Eventually, the spiritual energy within the city started to disappear at a rapid rate, as it was all being absorbed by Yuan unconsciously.

    This phenomenon shocked every cultivator in the city, as they were forced to stop cultivating due to theck of spiritual energy in the city, and for the rest of the night, nobody living within Yuan¡¯s city was able to cultivate.

    Meanwhile, Yuan¡¯s body unconsciously hoarded all of the spiritual energy in the city.

    However, despite the massive amount of spiritual energy entering his body, Yuan¡¯s cultivation base remained untouched, almost as though it didn¡¯t receive any spiritual energy.

    The golden vein in his body was a different story, as it began growing more and more veins until it literally covered every inch of Yuan¡¯s body from head to toe.

    Eventually, the golden veins stopped glowing and appearing outside his body.

    Meanwhile, inside Yuan¡¯s dream that started almost immediately after he fell asleep, Yuan stood before a massive jade tablet that had the word ¡¯Destiny¡¯ engraved into it.

    Of course, this wasn¡¯t Yuan¡¯s first time dreaming of this ce, as it would appear inside his dream at least once a week ever since he awakened his bloodline.

    However, there was something different about the dream this time, as he was not alone in this ce.

    Standing a few meters in front of him and before the jade tablet was a tall figure wearing ck robes, silently emitting a divine aura that made it seem like he was there yet he wasn¡¯t at the same time.

    Yuan was certain that he never met this figure, nor could he see this person¡¯s face¡ª only his straight back that oozes with confidence, yet he felt a familiar feeling from this person for some reason.

    "W-Who are you?" Yuan decided to ask him after standing there in silence for a good minute.

    "You need to wake up soon..." This person responded in a calm voice.

    "Excuse me?"

    The man turned around, showing his handsome face that somewhat resembled Yuan¡¯s face, but it was much more mature and handsome.

    "How long do you n on sleeping? If you sleep any longer, all of my¡ª our effort will be in vain." The handsome man said.

    And he continued, "Your woman is in danger, yet the only thing you can do isy there and wait for her to be taken away from you. How pathetic. If it were me, I¡¯d take my sword and y everyone involved."

    Yuan was speechless. Just who is this man and what is he talking about? And most importantly, why is he having this dream?

 Chapter 494 Waking Up

    "You¡¯re still here? If you don¡¯t wake up soon, you¡¯ll forever remain useless." The handsome man suddenly said.

    "I don¡¯t quite understand... Even if I want to wake up, I cannot wake up until I finish this dream. It¡¯s been like this for many weeks now." Yuan said.

    The handsome man sighed and snapped his fingers, suddenly changing the scenery from the jade tablet to the peak of some unknown mountain.

    On this mountain, there were countless swords stabbed into the ground, looking like a graveyard for swords or something of that sort.

    "Where are we?" Yuan asked.

    "You don¡¯t remember?" The handsome man asked him.

    "Why would I remember something I have never seen before?"

    "..."

    The handsome man silently looked at him with a pondering look.

    He then spoke in a sighing voice, "Looks like the curses had affected you worse than I¡¯d anticipated."

    "Huh? You know about the curses?" Yuan¡¯s eyes widened with surprise.

    "Of course."

    "Then can you tell me more about it?"

    However, to Yuan¡¯s surprise, the handsome man said, "Nah."

    "Eh?"

    "Learning about the curses in your current condition won¡¯t do you any good. In fact, it might even harm you. Therefore, I won¡¯t say anything for now."

    "Then can you at least tell me who you are?" Yuan asked for his identity again.

    The handsome man smiled, and he began approaching Yuan.

    Once he was standing right in front of Yuan, he said, "You really have no idea?"

    Yuan frowned, and he proceeded to stare at the man¡¯s face while trying to figure out if he¡¯d seen this man before.

    However, no matter how hard he thought, he was unable to remember anything.

    He eventually shook his head, "I don¡¯t know you."

    "You don¡¯t know me, yet I somehow appeared in your dreams. You don¡¯t dream about people you have never seen before, you know? Somewhere deep in your mind¡ª your soul remembers me. That¡¯s why I am here."

    "Even if you tell me that, I can¡¯t remember what I don¡¯t remember." Yuan sighed.

    "Then why don¡¯t I nudge your memories a little?" The handsome man suddenly retrieved a beautiful sword from thin air and pointed it at Yuan.

    "Fight me."

    "What?" Yuan looked at him with wide eyes.

    "Fight me." The handsome man repeated.

    "I don¡¯t even have a weapon."

    "This is your dream. Just imagine one."

    Hearing his words, Yuan imagined the Empyrean Overlord.

    When the handsome man saw therge sword in Yuan¡¯s grasp, he smiled and said, "So you decided to use his sword, huh?"

    "You know this sword?" Yuan asked.

    "Of course. You don¡¯t?" The handsome man asked him, once again implying that he should also know about it.

    "I¡ª"

    However, right as Yuan opened his mouth to speak, the handsome man suddenly stepped forward and attacked.

    Yuan quickly reacted to the strike, blocking it.

    "Not bad... But you¡¯re still too weak."

    The sword in the man¡¯s hand suddenly disappeared, reappearing right next to Yuan¡¯s neck.

    Yuan subconsciously used his movement technique to barely dodge it, but the sword had managed to reach his neck and created a small cut on it.

    Yuan could feel his blood dripping down his neck; it was an incredibly realistic feeling, almost like he wasn¡¯t dreaming at all.

    The handsome man then continued to attack Yuan, giving him no time to breathe.

    The onught continued for a few minutes until Yuan¡¯s entire body was filled with superficial cuts.

    "You¡¯re weak. Too weak. How will you protect your loved ones when you¡¯re in such a pathetic state?" The handsome man eventually stopped attacking him and asked.

    "Y-You¡¯re just too powerful..." Yuan responded in an exhausted manner while kneeling on the ground.

    Compared to Feng Yuxiang, this handsome man was on another level. Although he felt hopeless when he sparred with Feng Yuxiang, this mysterious man gave him a feeling of dread and despair.

    "Of course, I am powerful." The man didn¡¯t deny it, even confirming it in a somewhat narcissistic tone.

    He then continued, "You can only survive when you¡¯re powerful. That¡¯s why if you continue to remain that weak, you¡¯ll die."

    "Anyways, we have wasted enough time. If you don¡¯t wake up soon, you¡¯ll really regret it."

    "I can¡¯t control when I wake up." Yuan shook his head.

    "I know¡ª because you¡¯re weak. However, I am different. I am strong, so I will wake you up."

    The handsome suddenly took a stance that Yuan had never seen before, yet he found it very nostalgic for some reason.

    "It¡¯s a sword technique..." Yuan subconsciously muttered in a low voice.

    The handsome man responded with a profound smile on his face, "Yes, you¡¯re right. It¡¯s a sword technique, and it¡¯s called the Immortal Rending Sword Strike. Remember it well."

    The next moment, Yuan watched as the man moved his hand and swung the sword, sending a massive wave of energy that felt like Sword Qi at him.

    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    Yuan¡¯s vision ckened instantly after the attack consumed him, and he could feel his body again.

    ¡¯I am awake?¡¯ Yuan quickly realized this.

    "Hmm? What¡¯s this soft feeling?" Yuan then noticed a soft and round sensation in his hand, and his body subconsciouslymanded his hand to squeeze it.

    "Mmm..."

    A weird noise suddenly resounded beside him.

    In a daze, Yuan squeezed it a couple more times.

    "Aaah..."

    A gentle moan responded.

    Then¡ª

    "Y-Young Master...?" Meifeng¡¯s shocked voice resounded the next moment.

    Yuan frowned at the situation. He decided to use his Divine Sense to see what was happening, and to his surprise, he noticed that his left hand was directly on top of Meifeng¡¯srge assets on her chest.

    "Whoa! I am so sorry! I didn¡¯t mean to do that!" Yuan¡¯s body subconsciously reacted and quickly removed his hand.

    However, Meifeng didn¡¯t care about that at all. In fact, her mind was upied by something else.

    "Y-Young Master... You... Your body..."

    Meifeng stared at him with her eyes as wide as saucers.

    "What?"

    It was at this moment Yuan realized that he was no longer lying in the bed.

    Instead, he was sitting on it.

    Furthermore, he was doing it effortlessly, almost as though there was no longer anything restricting his body.

    However, he wasn¡¯t in Cultivation Online, so he shouldn¡¯t be able to achieve such a feat.

    ¡¯A-Am I actually still dreaming?¡¯ Yuan wondered to himself, as that was the only logical exnation for this phenomenon.

 Chapter 495 Standing On His Own

    "I... I must be dreaming..." Yuan mumbled in a voice filled with disbelief as he moved his arms around without any effort.

    He was barely able to move his armsst night, yet he suddenly had the ability to sit up on the bed and move around effortlessly?

    "Y-Young Master... I-I don¡¯t think you¡¯re dreaming..." Meifeng said to him in a low voice.

    Yuan subconsciously turned his head to look in Meifeng¡¯s direction, but he was still blind. However, that didn¡¯t matter to him. Even if he remains blind for the rest of his life, as long as he can move his body properly, he will be satisfied.

    "What happened, Young Master? Why can you suddenly... move?" Meifeng asked him, silently wondering to herself if she was actually the one dreaming.

    Although she was happy for him, she was also worried about the sudden phenomenon.

    "I... I don¡¯t know. My body just started working again... Almost like when my body suddenly stopped working many years ago," he said, still in disbelief.

    After a moment of silence, Yuan decided to try and get off the bed by himself.

    He took a deep breath, then he started moving his body off the bed.

    Meifeng watched with a nervous look on her beautiful face, feeling like a mother watching her baby walking on their own for the first time.

    A momentter, Yuan managed to stand up on his own beside the bed after a little struggle.

    Despite having no trouble moving his body in Cultivation Online, it was an entirely different feeling in the real world, as his body hasn¡¯t physically stood up in many years.

    "Young Master..."

    Meifeng suddenly felt an urge to cry, and before she even realized it, tears were already flowing down her face.

    Seeing Yuan stand up on his own had overwhelmed her, who had always dreamt about seeing it happen.

    Once he was used to the feeling of standing up, Yuan began moving his legs, trying to walk.

    However, since his body wasn¡¯t used to moving for so long, it was a new challenge for him.

    "Oh!"

    Yuan even fell down a couple of times.

    "Young Master, please hold my hand." Meifeng got out of bed to assist him.

    Yuan grabbed her hand and started moving back and forth in the bedroom while being supported by Meifeng, feeling like a patient during rehabilitation.

    "How do you feel, Young Master?" Meifeng asked him a few minutester.

    "I can move my body just fine, but since I haven¡¯t moved this much in a while, it feels like my body is having trouble listening to all of mymands. However, I am starting to get used to the feeling of moving again."

    "Okay, let¡¯s continue this for a little longer," Meifeng said.

    Thus, Yuan continued to practice his movements in the bedroom with Meifeng.

    Sometimeter, Meixiu got out of her bed and started preparing for breakfast.

    While she cooked breakfast, Meixiu heard the door to Yuan¡¯s room open.

    "Good morning, mother," Meixiu said without looking back.

    There was no response from Meifeng, but Meixiu was used to receiving no response so she didn¡¯t think much of it and continued to cook breakfast.

    A few momentster, Meixiu could feel a presence approaching her from behind.

    "Do you need some help?"

    Yuan¡¯s voice suddenly resounded, but it sounded too close to her, causing Meixiu to raise her eyebrows.

    She then turned around, and to herplete shock, Yuan was standing right behind her with a smile on his face.

    "Whoa?!"

    Meixiu took a step back and nearly knocked down the cooking pan, looking like she¡¯d just witnessed a ghost.

    "Y-Y-You... You¡¯re standing?!" Meixiu eximed in a shocked voice.

    "That¡¯s right. It¡¯s pretty cool, right?" Yuan chuckled.

    "Oh, I¡¯m sorry if I scared you just now. I only wanted to surprise you," he added.

    Meixiu then silently looked up and down at Yuan to make sure she was seeing it properly. Once she confirmed that Yuan was actually standing, she rubbed her eyes and even pinched her own cheeks to make sure she wasn¡¯t dreaming.

    "You¡¯re not dreaming, Meixiu. It¡¯s real. The Young Master can move properly now." Meifeng said to her from Yuan¡¯s bedroom.

    "Why... How...?" Meixiu had so many questions that she didn¡¯t know where to start.

    "Sorry, but I don¡¯t know either. I woke up being able to move." Yuan said.

    "You woke up like that...?" Meixiu looked at him with a dumbfounded face.

    How does that even work? A miracle?

    "I don¡¯t know what to say... congrattions on your recovery?" Meixiu said a momentter.

    His recovery was so sudden that Meixiu was still trying to fully grasp the situation.

    "Meixiu."

    Yuan suddenly spread his arms with a smile on his face, his desires obvious.

    Meixiu looked at Meifeng, who was still standing by Yuan¡¯s room and staring at her with a profound gaze.

    "How long are you going to make him wait?" Meifeng said to her a momentter.

    Meixiu immediately began blushing.

    She then approached Yuan and epted his hug.

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    "I have wanted to do this for a long time now," he said as he tightened his embrace on her.

    "Now that I can move again, I promise you that I won¡¯t let anyone bully you anymore."

    Hearing Yuan¡¯s words, the redness on Meixiu¡¯s face fully blossomed.

    Once Yuan was satisfied, he let her go and said, "Alright, I will let you finish breakfast now. If you need help, let me know."

    "It¡¯s okay, I got it."

    Sometimeter, once breakfast was ready, they sat around the table in the living room with more food than usual since Meifeng was there as well.

    Of course, it felt surreal for all three of them to be sitting together like they were a real family.

    "What are your ns now, Young Master?" Meifeng asked him after breakfast while Meixiu cleaned the dishes.

    "There¡¯s a lot of things I want to do, such as giving the Cultivators¡¯ Association a piece of my mind, but first, I need to get used to moving my body again," he said.

 Chapter 496 50 Billion Dollars

    <h4> Billion Dors</h4>

    "Although you can move again, I suggest you let Doctor Wang take a look at your body just in case," Meifeng said.

    "You¡¯re right. I will call him now."

    "Umm... Can I borrow your phone?" Yuan asked Meixiu.

    Once he had Meixiu¡¯s phone, Yuan personally called Doctor Wang.

    Now that he could finally move properly, he wanted to do everything for himself no matter how little the thing is.

    "Good morning, Meixiu." Doctor Wang¡¯s voice resounded a momentter.

    "Hello, Doctor Wang."

    "Hmm? This voice... The Young Master?"

    "Yes. I am wondering when will you be free? I¡¯d like you toe and take a look at my condition. Oh, can you bring Wang Xiuying here as well if possible?"

    "You need the both of us there to check your condition? That doesn¡¯t sound good. Did something happen?" Doctor Wang asked in a worried voice.

    "Yes, something insane happened."

    "Can you exin it to me through the phone?"

    "I could, but I think it would be better for you to see it for yourselves," said Yuan with a smile on his face.

    "Though you don¡¯t have to rush here. Take your time."

    Hearing this, Doctor Wang thought to himself that if the situation wasn¡¯t urgent enough to rush them, it probably isn¡¯t that bad.

    However, he didn¡¯t want to take any chances.

    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.

    "I understand. I will try to show up as soon as possible, and I will also let Wang Xiuying know."

    "Thank you, Doctor Wang. I will see youter."

    After Yuan hung up, Meifeng asked him, "Young Master, I must ask you this now that you¡¯re able to move again... Do you intend on ying the instrument again?"

    "ying the instrument, huh..." Yuan pondered for a moment before speaking, "After ying the zither in Cultivation Online, I have realized that I don¡¯t hate ying music or instruments. Instead, it was the Yu Family that made everything feel like a chore. In other words, yes, I want to continue ying the instruments, but I won¡¯t return to the professional scene."

    "I see..."

    A warm smile appeared on Meifeng¡¯s face.

    "Speaking of instruments, I don¡¯t have any of them..." Yuan then said.

    "It¡¯s okay, I can buy some for you," Meifeng said.

    And she continued, "I have many connections in the music industry after working for the Yu Family for many years, so I know who to contact for instruments. What do you have in mind? I can buy them for you, too."

    Yuan shook his head and said, "It¡¯s okay, Miss Meifeng, you don¡¯t need to pay for them. We should have enough money to buy the instruments on our own."

    "If you¡¯re talking about the money Meixiu saved up from working, I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be enough..."

    "We¡¯d earned a decent amount of money from selling treasures we find in Cultivation Online on the auction house," he said.

    "Even if you say that, instruments aren¡¯t cheap, especially not the ones I intend on buying you. They¡¯re all created by famouspanies with centuries of experience. You only deserve to y on the best of the best instruments, after all."

    "We have half a billion, so money isn¡¯t an issue for us right now." Meixiu suddenly said after returning from cleaning the dishes.

    "Half a billion...? You earned that much through selling treasures in Cultivation Online?" Meifeng was speechless.

    Although she was aware of how profitable ying Cultivation Online was, she didn¡¯t think it was possible to earn that much money in such a short time.

    Yuan nodded, "We got pretty lucky."

    Sometimeter, Meixiu looked at her mother and asked, "Don¡¯t you need to be at work?"

    "I took a vacation three days ago, so I don¡¯t have to go back to work for another week," she said, as she had anticipated that something might happen to them after learning that the Yu Family intended to take Meixiu back forcefully, so she took a week off just in case.

    "Miss Meifeng... Would you leave the Yu Family if you had the chance?" Yuan suddenly asked her.

    "It isn¡¯t easy leaving the Yu Family, as I am bound to a contract with the Yu Family. If I want to leave before my contract is finished, I must pay an exorbitant amount of money, and the Yu Family must also agree to let me go, which is highly unlikely." Meifeng said.

    "When will the contract end?" Yuan then asked.

    "50 years."

    "F-Fifty years?!" Yuan was shocked to hear this.

    "The contract started out as 5 years, but they continued to increase the duration until it reached 50 years. I didn¡¯t mind it either since I got paid a lot of money and I had no reason to refuse."

    "Out of curiosity... How much do you have to pay if you want to leave the Yu Family?" Yuan asked her.

    "Fifty billion dors¡ª one billion for every year on the contract."

    "Fifty billion..." Yuan repeated in a low voice.

    Unless Meifeng borrowed money from others, there was simply no way that she¡¯d be able to pay such an exorbitant amount.

    "Anyways, I don¡¯t really have any reasons to leave the Yu Family right now. Despite their recent actions against Meixiu, it was mostly due to the influence of the Cultivators¡¯ Association, and they don¡¯t treat me badly either. While I have a lot of work to do, I am already used to it by now, and I ampensated for it with generous pay."

    After a slight pause, Meifeng continued, "However... If the Young Master asks me to leave the Yu Family to work for him, I will have a good reason to leave."

    "You can stay at the Yu Family. I can take care of him by myself just fine." Meixiu suddenly said while staring at Meifeng with an ambitious look on his face.

    Meifeng smiled inwardly at Meixiu¡¯s words.

    "Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t steal the Young Master from you. With that being said, I will stay here until my vacation is over, as the incident fromst night hasn¡¯t concluded just yet." Meifeng said a momentter, reminding them that they might still be in danger.

 Chapter 497 Nearly Had a Heart Attack

    After breakfast ended Yuan continued to practice his movements by walking around the house, while Meifeng and Meixiu watched him from the couch.

    "Young Master, I have been wondering for a while now, but how do you know where to go if you cannot see where you¡¯re going?" Meifeng suddenly asked him.

    Although Yuan has recovered his ability to move his body, he was still blind, meaning he shouldn¡¯t be able to see where he was going.

    "Oh, I can see just fine with Divine Sense." Yuan casually said.

    "Divine Sense? What¡¯s that?" Meifeng asked, as she wasn¡¯t familiar with the cultivation world.

    "I can basically see things around me as though I have eyes above my body without using my eyes, and the stronger my Divine Sense the further I can see. It¡¯s something cultivators can do after reaching a certain cultivation, I guess."

    "I see... What a mythical power... Now I also want to start cultivating as soon as possible." Meifeng mumbled to herself.

    About three hourster, someone suddenly started knocking on their door.

    "It¡¯s me, Doctor Wang!"

    Doctor Wang¡¯s voice resounded from outside.

    Hearing his voice, Meixiu got off the couch, but before she could go anywhere, Yuan said, "I got it."

    Meixiu looked at him for a moment before nodding her head.

    Yuan then walked to the door and took a deep breath before opening the door.

    "Wee, Doctor Wang. Wee, Xiuying." Yuan greeted them with a smile on his face after opening the door.

    ng!

    Doctor Wang dropped the metal box in his hand that carried his tools when he saw Yuan standing before him at the door.

    "Y-Y-You..."

    Wang Xiuying pointed at him with trembling hands.

    "You¡¯re standing?!" Doctor Wang eximed in a shocked voice, finishing the sentence Wang Xiuying couldn¡¯t utter.

    Yuan lowered his body and picked up the metal box dropped by Doctor Wang before speaking, "Surprised?"

    "H-How?" Wang Xiuying asked him a momentter.

    "Let¡¯s continue this inside, shall we?" Yuan said as he walked back into the apartment.

    However, both Doctor Wang and Wang Xiuying remained standing outside with a dazed look on their faces.

    It was not until Yuan invited them inside again that they finally began moving.

    "Madam Meifeng, you¡¯re here as well?" Doctor Wang was surprised to see her in the living room.

    "A lot has happened," she calmly said.

    Doctor Wang turned to look at Yuan, who was standing a few meters away, and nodded, "I bet..."

    Once everyone was seated, Doctor Wang spoke again, "What happened to you, Young Master? Howe you can move again? I nearly had a heart attack just now."

    Yuan showed a bittersweet smile and shrugged, "I wish I could tell you, but I can¡¯t. I woke up like this."

    "What? You woke up fully recovered?" Wang Xiuying¡¯s jaw dropped after hearing this, as she expected him to say that he¡¯d recovered after eating some heaven-defying treasure in Cultivation Online that affected his real body.

    "Yes," he nodded.

    "I didn¡¯t really do anything special. When I woke up this morning, my body had magically recovered."

    "It¡¯s a miracle..." Doctor Wang mumbled in a low voice.

    "Congrattions, Yu Tian! You have finally recovered! I knew you¡¯d recover one day!" Wang Xiuying suddenly started congratting him.

    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    Even though Yuan had recovered without her help, she didn¡¯t feel bad at all. No matter how Yuan recovered¡ª with or without her help, Wang Xiuying was just happy to see him finally recover.

    "Thank you, but only my body has recovered. I am still blind. Also, I want to see if there are any changes to my body, that¡¯s why I called you here." Yuan then said.

    Doctor Wang nodded, "I understand."

    Sometimeter, Yuanid on his bed while Doctor Wang and Wang Xiuying inspected his body.

    After getting the results, Doctor Wang said, "Judging by the results, your body hasn¡¯t changed much since yourst checkup. However, we can¡¯t really say for sure since this was done with basic equipment. Unless you get a more detailed examination at the hospital, we can¡¯t really say if your body had any significant changes."

    "I see... I can¡¯t go to the hospital now since I am in the middle of something troublesome, but I will definitely visit you once I am able to." Yuan said.

    "Something troublesome? Did something happen?" Wang Xiuying asked him.

    "Well... It¡¯s a littleplicated but..."

    Yuan proceeded to exin to them their situation with the Cultivators¡¯ Association and what transpired yesterday night.

    "What a bunch of arrogant and entitled pricks!" Wang Xiuying eximed after hearing the story, feeling incredibly angry.

    Even Doctor Wang couldn¡¯t help but frown. He then said, "Chairman Zhao is actually a patient of mine. I will speak with himter and try to convince him to stop this farce."

    However, Yuan shook his head and said, "It¡¯s okay, Doctor Wang. I don¡¯t want to drag your family into this as well. I will deal with Chairman Zhao myself."

    "A-Are you sure...?" Doctor Wang had a worried frown on his face.

    "Yes, I have a n," Yuan confirmed.

    "If you say so..."

    "What are your ns now that you¡¯re able to move again? Are you going to return to the music industry? I really want to hear your music again." Wang Xiuying asked him a momentter.

    Yuan smiled and said, "If you want to hear my music, you can visit me anytime and I will y for you. I won¡¯t return to the music industry, though."

    "Really?! It¡¯s a promise!" Wang Xiuying said, her body trembling from excitement.

    A private performance from Yuan was something she¡¯d dreamt of ever since she was a kid!

    "Just let me get some instruments first, okay? I am empty-handed right now," he said.

    "Oh! I have a piano at home! If you want, I can give it to you! I rarely y it anymore, anyway!" Wang Xiuying said, donating her piano to him.

    "If you don¡¯t need it, I will take it off your hands."

    "Then it¡¯s decided! I will have it delivered to you by tomorrow!"

    Yuan nodded.

 Chapter 498 Grow Up

    "Alright, I have to return to the hospital now. You can stay here if you like, Xiuying." Doctor Wang said after chatting with Yuan for about half an hour.

    "See youter, Doctor Wang," Yuan said to him.

    "Yes, I will see youter. Once again, I am so d that you¡¯ve finally recovered. Let¡¯s hope it only gets better from this point."

    Doctor Wang left the ce, but Wang Xiuying decided to stay there for a little longer.

    "I still can¡¯t believe..." Wang Xiuying mumbled in a low voice as she watched Yuan practice his movements by walking around the house.

    "Hmm? Howe you know where to go?" Wang Xiuying quickly realized this, as she wasn¡¯t aware that he could use divine sense in the real world.

    "It¡¯s divine sense," Meixiu exined to her.

    "Wait... That divine sense?" Wang Xiuying¡¯s eyes widened with shock.

    Although Meifeng didn¡¯t know the significance behind divine sense, Wang Xiuying did.

    "Yes." Meixiu nodded.

    "Unbelievable..."

    Once Yuan wasfortable with his movements, he started doing exercises such as sit-ups and push-ups.

    Since he was a peak Spirit Warrior, strength and endurance weren¡¯t an issue for Yuan. It was only a matter of his form.

    Ten push-ups... twenty... thirty...

    Fifty... one hundred...

    Yuan managed to achieve a hundred push-ups and sit-ups without any breaks and still had plenty of energy left by the end of it.

    Meanwhile, Wang Xiuying called a movingpany to move her piano to their apartment.

    "Alright, it¡¯s about time for me to leave. The piano should be here tomorrow afternoon," she said to them afterward.

    And she continued, "I will also be here tomorrow to listen to you ying."

    "Okay. See youter." Yuan said.

    Yuan then proceeded to continue his exercise, working up a good sweat.

    "I am going to take a shower," Yuan said to them.

    "Do you need help?" Meixiu subconsciously asked him since she was used to it.

    "It¡¯s okay, I got it," Yuan said before entering the bathroom.

    Once Yuan entered the bathroom, Meifeng looked at Meixiu with a mocking smile, "Looks like you¡¯re no longer needed now that he¡¯s recovered."

    "Nonsense." Meixiu quickly responded.

    "Oh? Then what can you do for him now that he can do everything himself?"

    "I-I can still do the housework such as cleaning and cooking," she said.

    "So basically a housewife? Are you going to assist him in the bed too?" Meifeng suddenly asked.

    Meixiu immediately recalled theirst shower together and blushed.

    Of course, Meifeng was unaware of this, and she continued, "You know it¡¯s going to happen sooner orter. The Young Master may still be an innocent child now, but he will eventually mature and experience actual puberty."

    "Once that happens, he will need a real woman to look after him. If you¡¯re not going to stand up for that position, someone will take him away from you, and you will truly no longer be needed at that time."

    "I hope you still remember what I taught you."

    Meixiu stared at Meifeng with a deep frown. As much as she wanted to refute Meifeng¡¯s ims, she knew that everything her mother said was the truth.

    "You¡¯re already an adult, yet you haven¡¯t matured yet. Grow up, Meixiu. You have the perfect opportunity to establish your position right now. If you let this chance get away, you¡¯ll regret it when the Young Master returns to his ordinary life and bes surrounded by even more women."

    "If I were in your shoes, I would already be pregnant by now."

    Meixiu was left speechless by her mother¡¯sst sentence.

    Meanwhile, somewhere in the city, Mister Johnson stood before the two cultivators that had abandoned their mission with a deep frown on his face.

    "Four grown men with over 10 years of military experience, yet you somehow lost to a little girl half your age, even running away with your tails tucked between your legs. Do you understand the word shame? This is what you get for underestimating Meixiu when I specifically warned you to not underestimate her."

    Hearing Mister Johnson¡¯s lecture, the two cultivators didn¡¯t dare to utter a single word.

    "Johnson... That bitch killed Scorpion and Hawk... Is there anything we can do to avenge them?"

    Mister Johnson remained silent for a moment before speaking, "How can you be so sure that they¡¯re dead?"

    "We watched that bitch snap Hawk¡¯s neck without mercy! There¡¯s no way he¡¯s still alive after that brutal strike!"

    "Even Scorpion had his neck twisted in a weird angle by a single punch!"

    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

    Mister Johnson then said, "They are still alive."

    "W-What? Really? How do you know that?"

    "You think I don¡¯t have friends in the police force? They told me about the incident that had been marked as a robbery. Scorpion and Hawk had been taken to the hospital. They were on the verge of death when they arrived at the hospital, but they¡¯re not dead."

    The other two released a sigh of relief after hearing that theirrades were still alive.

    "I wouldn¡¯t rx now if I were you. They may be alive, but they¡¯re currently in custody. I will have to speak with my buddies if they don¡¯t want to go to jail." Mister Johnson said.

    "What about the mission?" One of them asked.

    "The mission is a failure. Now that you¡¯ve caused amotion, we can no longer continue, or we will risk being investigated. I¡¯m not particrly worried about being investigated, but our clients, the Yu Family, definitely won¡¯t be happy if they¡¯re investigated, so we can only wait until things calm down for now."

    "W-What about our pay?"

    Mister Johnson sneered and said, "You still have the guts to ask for money after your embarrassing failure?! I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if the Yu Family asks forpensation for this failure! If that happens, it¡¯sing out of your ounts!"

    "What?! No way!"

    After dealing with the two idiots, Mister Johnson had to call the Yu Family to let them know the result of the mission, which was aplete failure.

    Obviously, the Yu Family wasn¡¯t happy when they heard this news, and they immediately demanded a full refund.

 Chapter 499 Aiming to Be the Firs

    "You failed the mission?! Don¡¯t give me this bullshit! I paid millions so you could do your damn job! I demand a full refund!" Yu Yong shouted at his phone after receiving the news of their failure.

    "Unfortunately, we have a no refund policy, and you have agreed to this term before hiring us. If you want us to try again, we can do so at a discounted price, but your family will be at risk of getting investigated. If you ept this risk, we will go back and get Meixiu one more time after receiving more payment."

    "Meixiu was stronger than any of us could have anticipated, so we will need more resources to take her back. I hope you understand."

    Yu Yong didn¡¯t immediately respond. Although he didn¡¯t mind an investigation since he has plenty ofwyers and friends with power, it wouldn¡¯t look good for hispany if news spread that he¡¯d hired merchants to kidnap a girl.

    However, as long as the news didn¡¯t spread, everything would be fine, and he had plenty of resources avable to keep that from happening.

    "How much?" Yu Yong asked after a moment of silence.

    "10 million." Mister Johnson quickly responded.

    "T-Ten million?! That¡¯s more than double what I paid youst time! And you consider that as a discount?! This is clearly a scam!" Yu Yong eximed.

    "Yes, it¡¯s the discounted price. If not for the discount, I would have asked for 15 million. Since four cultivators between the 7th and 8th level weren¡¯t enough to bring Meixiu back, we will have to increase our forces. I intend on bringing experts from around the world this time, so it will cost much more than usual."

    Yu Yong coldly sneered, "Using this many resources just to bring back a little girl. Aren¡¯t you ashamed of yourselves?"

    After a moment of silence, Mister Johnson said, "With all due respect, if you think you have what it takes to make her return, go ahead. I will send you their location in a moment since we were paid to do so."

    "If you want to continue working with us, send the money by next week. If not, then this is the end of our cooperation. Once again, I apologize for the inconveniences."

    Yu Yong hung up the phone after that and tossed it at the wall.

    "A bunch of useless bastards!"

    Seeing his reaction, Tang Lee said, "At least we have their location. We can have Yu Rou try to convince Meixiu to return."

    Yu Yong looked at her with a pondering look, "Why didn¡¯t we think of that sooner? We could¡¯ve saved millions! If it¡¯s Yu Rou, I¡¯m sure that she¡¯ll convince Meixiu to return! Call her here!"

    An hourter, Yu Rou arrived at their main location after being summoned by her parents.

    "Yu Rou, we have a job for you." Yu Yong said to her with a solemn look on his face.

    "..."

    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Yu Rou could already guess what they wanted from her, but she acted ignorantly and asked, "What is it, father?"

    Yu Yong then handed her a piece of paper and said, "Meixiu is living here right now, and I want you to convince her toe back."

    Yu Rou then said, "Why do you want Meixiu back? She left on her own ord, so I don¡¯t think she will return even if I ask her."

    "That isn¡¯t for you to worry about." Tang Lee said, and she continued, "Just bring Meixiu back at all cost."

    Yu Yong then added, "If you sessfully bring Meixiu back, I can consider lifting your restriction and allow you to meet with Yu Tian again. After all, he¡¯s with Meixiu right now."

    "Really?!" Yu Rou expressed excitement after hearing this.

    "Then I will go see Meixiu tomorrow!"

    Yu Yongughed inwardly seeing how easy it was convincing Yu Rou to help them.

    Sometimeter, Yu Rou returned home.

    ¡¯Since they¡¯re asking me for help, this must mean that the people they hired to bring Meixiu back have failed...¡¯

    Yu Rou had no problem agreeing to help her parents. After all, she was only told to convince Meixiu to return, and she gets to see her brother again in the process.

    ¡¯I can¡¯t wait to see Meixiu and brother again tomorrow after so long...¡¯ Yu Rou went to sleep early on that day, as she wanted the day to be over as quickly as possible.

    Meanwhile, after his shower, Yuan moved all of the furniture in the living room to the wall, freeing up a lot of space in the center of the room.

    "What are you doing, Young Master?" Meifeng asked him.

    "I want to practice something," he said.

    After taking a deep breath, Yuan began moving his legs in an odd but rhythmic manner.

    "Hmm? That¡¯s..." Meixiu quickly recognized what Yuan was trying to do.

    "Ah!"

    Yuan tripped on himself a couple of seconds into his weird movements.

    "I don¡¯t understand..." Meifeng shook her head.

    "It¡¯s a movement technique," he said.

    "Huh?"

    "A movement technique I learned in Cultivation Online. I want to try practicing it in the real world as well."

    Indeed, Yuan was trying to learn the movement technique Vermilion Phoenix Dominating the Heavens. Since he could use Flying Daggers, it obviously meant that he could learn other techniques as well.

    And what better technique than a movement technique that will help him improve his overall movement?

    "A movement technique? Good luck, Young Master. There are a lot of people trying to do the same." Meifeng mumbled in a low voice.

    "Eh?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    Meifeng then said, "Since we can use cultivation techniques from Cultivation Online, it only makes sense that other techniques could also be learned. Although nobody has managed to do so yet, there are plenty of people out there trying to be the first person to learn a technique that¡¯s not a cultivation technique."

    "Is that so..."

    "Of course, there¡¯s a good chance that someone out there has already seeded but decided to keep it a secret."

    "Most likely," Yuan said with a smile on his face.

 Chapter 500 What Do You Think of My Daughter?

    <h4>Chapter 500 What Do You Think of My Daughter?</h4>

    Yuan practiced his movement technique until it was time for dinner.

    After dinner, Yuan wanted to continue practicing, but Meifeng said, "Young Master, I get that you¡¯re excited about your recovery, but you shouldn¡¯t move around so much after eating. It¡¯s bad for your body."

    "Furthermore, since you¡¯ve only recently recovered, you shouldn¡¯t do such intensive exercises that could strain your body. We still don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve actually fully recovered or not, after all."

    "You¡¯re right, Miss Meifeng... I got ahead of myself because of this sudden recovery that might only be temporary. I shouldn¡¯t stress my body too much or it could go back to being crippled..." Yuan wasn¡¯t happy about restraining himself, but he agreed with Meifeng. They still don¡¯t know if his body is fully recovered or if it was just temporary. He could wake up tomorrow and return to being a cripple.

    "Let¡¯s not say something so demoralizing, Young Master. I¡¯m sure your body is fine now and it won¡¯t suddenly revert back to its previous state, but until we¡¯re confident that you¡¯re really okay, I wouldn¡¯t push my body so much if I were in your shoes." Meifeng said.

    "I understand."

    Sometimeter, they prepared for bed.

    Once they entered the bedroom, Meifeng suddenly asked him, "Young Master, how about a body massage? I heard that getting a massage after a day of exercise will make everything more effective."

    "If you don¡¯t mind." Yuan nodded.

    "Please lie on the bed with your back facing the ceiling."

    Once Yuanid on the bed, Meifeng got on top of him and gently sat on his buttocks in a kneeling position.

    "Will you be okay if I did this? Am I too heavy?" Meifeng asked him just in case.

    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.

    "I am okay. You¡¯re not heavy at all." Yuan said, feeling two round and soft objects pressing on his butt.

    "Great."

    Meifeng then started her massage on Yuan¡¯s back, starting from his neck and shoulders.

    "Aaahh... This feels great..." Yuan released a satisfied sigh.

    "Thank you for the praises, Young Masters."

    After massaging Yuan for a few minutes, Meifeng started speaking with him.

    "Young Master, I have a few questions for you."

    "What is it?"

    "What do you think of my daughter, Meixiu?"

    "What do I think of Meixiu?" Yuan repeated the question.

    He then said, "She¡¯s a very important person to me, and I owe a great deal to Meixiu for assisting me. Without herpany, I wouldn¡¯t have survived this long alone. I also admire her a lot for her work. Although I don¡¯t know what it¡¯s like working her job, I know it¡¯s not an easy job and not something a girl her age should be doing normally."

    "You¡¯re right, it¡¯s not easy working as a maid, especially not for the Yu Family, where the standards are many times higher. Even I cannotpare to her when I was her age, but I rarely praise her because I don¡¯t want her to feelcent. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if she hates me because of how I raised her, but looking at her now, I won¡¯t regret it even if she hates me." Meifeng said with a gentle smile on her face.

    "I don¡¯t think Meixiu hates you, Miss Meifeng."

    Meifeng chuckled a little before speaking, "Anyways, judging by your words, I will assume that you really like Meixiu. Is that right, Young Master?"

    "Yes, I really like Meixiu," he responded without hesitation.

    "Then would you mind living with her forever?"

    "No, I wouldn¡¯t. In fact, I would actually prefer it if we could remain like this forever."

    "Hmmm... That will be problematic..." Meifeng suddenly said.

    "Eh? Why would it be problematic?"

    "Why? Isn¡¯t it obvious? Because we don¡¯t know what Meixiu wants. Even if you want to be with her forever, what if she wants to leave in the future? What if she has to leave in the future when she wants to start her own family?"

    Yuan was left speechless by her words, and he immediately began pondering.

    "You¡¯re right... It¡¯s all up to Meixiu in the end. As much as I want to be with her forever, I can¡¯t force her to stay with me. She has her own life, as I have my own. Guess I can only enjoy our time together while itsts..." Yuan sighed.

    Yuan never really thought about Meixiu leaving since she told him that she wanted to be with him in the past. However, people will inevitably change as they grow older, so there was a chance that Meixiu might leave his side in the future.

    "Let¡¯s note to immediate conclusions, Young Master. Maybe Meixiu wants to stay with you forever as well. If you¡¯re worried, why don¡¯t you ask her? In fact, I know how you can stay with her forever."

    "Really? How?" Yuan quickly asked her.

    "Well, if you want someone to stay with you, you propose to them, of course. It¡¯smon practice in this world."

    "Propose? What do I propose to her?"

    "That you want to stay with her forever, of course. However, you¡¯re still too inexperienced in this subject, so wait until you¡¯re a little older and more experienced before you actually propose to her, okay? Just don¡¯t make her wait too long, or she will be gone before you get the chance." Meifeng said to him.

    Although she wanted to help her daughter and Yuan get together, she didn¡¯t want to take advantage of Yuan¡¯s innocence to do so, as it would only hurt their rtionship in the future.

    The only thing she can really do is help Yuan be aware of the situation and give him some advice. The rest will be up to him and Meixiu.

    "I understand, Miss Meifeng. Thank you for the advice." Yuan said to her.

    "I am merely doing my job as a mother, that¡¯s all," she said with a mysterious smile on her face.

    After giving Yuan an hour-long massage, Meifeng closed the light and went to sleep.

    "Let¡¯s do this again tomorrow. Goodnight, Young Master."

    "Goodnight, Miss Meifeng," Yuan said, quickly falling asleep due to Meifeng¡¯s massage that had an immediate effect on his body.

 Chapter 501 Temporary

    After falling asleep, Yuan returned to the realm of dreams once again, and the first thing he noticed was the handsome man from before, but he was sitting on arge boulder with a lonely expression on his face as he gazed at the drifting clouds.

    When Yuan saw his expression, all thoughts of trying to disturb his peace disappeared, and Yuan patiently stood there.

    "It feels great to finally start moving again, huh?" The handsome man suddenly spoke, his gaze still at the sky.

    "Are you responsible for my sudden recovery?" Yuan asked him.

    The handsome man turned to look at him and said, "Me? I am merely an imagination in your dreams. How could I possibly do that?"

    "Even though you¡¯re strong?" Yuan said.

    The handsome manughed a little before speaking, "There are things even the strongest beings in the universe cannot achieve."

    "If you¡¯re not responsible for my recovery, then who¡ª or what is?"

    "Who knows. Maybe you did it yourself by instinct. A cultivator is much more profound than you imagine."

    "However, you shouldn¡¯t celebrate so early, as your body isn¡¯tpletely healed."

    "W-What? What do you mean? How do you know that?" Yuan had kind of expected this oue when he heard Meifeng say the same thing, but this handsome man appeared confident that he hasn¡¯t fully recovered yet.

    "Because your body is still restricted by the curses. Your current freedom is merely temporary. If you don¡¯t continue to increase your cultivation, you will eventually return to your previous state." The handsome man said, leaving Yuan speechless.

    A moment of silenceter, Yuan said, "I want to increase my cultivation, but I am currently experiencing a bottleneck. I cannot breakthrough to Spirit Master no matter what. I think it¡¯s because there isn¡¯t enough spiritual energy in my ce."

    "ming on your environment for yourck of experience and failures? How typical of a weakling." The handsome man said with a cold smile on his face.

    "There is sufficient spiritual energy in your world for you to breakthrough to Spirit Master. You just can¡¯t do it because you aren¡¯t capable."

    "Then do you have any advice for me? The strong should help the weak out, right?"

    The handsome man burst outughing and said, "The strong should help the weak? Where did you hear that nonsense? In the cultivation world, you only have yourself. If someone decides to help you, it¡¯s mostly for their own benefit, or they have some other ulterior motives. You not onlyck strength but you alsockmon sense."

    "Did the curses really screw with you that much? This is going to be troublesome." The man shook his head in a regretful manner.

    "Forget it. Since you finally remember me, I will help you a little bit."

    Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    "But I don¡¯t remember you?"

    "The fact that I am in your dream means you¡¯re starting to remember." The handsome man then suddenly snapped his fingers, changing the scenery.

    "W-Where am I?" Yuan looked around his new environment that looked very familiar for some reason, and the handsome man had disappeared.

    "Hey, it¡¯s that trash who can¡¯t breakthrough to Spirit Master while everyone else has long achieved it, *!\[email protected]#^!"

    "You daree out again after what happenedst week? Are you looking for another beating, *!\[email protected]#^?"

    Someone suddenly shouted, causing Yuan to turn around and look in that direction.

    A few meters away, Yuan could see a group of young people wearing uniforms that looked very much like disciple uniforms.

    ¡¯This looks like a sect... So this is the cultivation world? Why is he showing me this?¡¯ Yuan wondered to himself.

    Then he noticed the young man that was standing not far away from this group of disciples.

    Yuan¡¯s eyes widened with surprise when he saw this young man, as this young man had facial features that looked very much like him, and it made Yuan feel like he was watching himself.

    However, this young man had a cold expression on his face that sent shivers down Yuan¡¯s back.

    "Look! He¡¯s angry! Hahaha! What are you going to do, *!\[email protected]#^?! Beat us up?!"

    "Hahaha!"

    The group of disciples beganughing. These people were clearly bullies, and that young man whose name he couldn¡¯t hear for some reason was their victim.

    "I have had enough of your bullshits! Every time we fight, you all gang up on me! Let¡¯s fight one on one if you dare!" The young man suddenly said in a cold voice.

    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.

    The group stoppedughing after hearing his words, and they exchanged nces with each other before nodding.

    "Good. Then let¡¯s fight. However, I will only fight if it¡¯s in the Life or Death arena." One of the disciples stepped forward and spoke with an arrogant look on his face.

    "Life or Death?" The young man frowned.

    "What? Are you chickening out now? What happened to your brave words a moment ago?"

    The young man sneered coldly and said, "Fine! If you want a Life or Death fight, then you got it!"

    After the young man finished his sentence, the scenery changed again, and Yuan was standing before arge stage that was surrounded by disciples.

    On the stage was the young man and the disciple that challenged him, both of them with weapons in their hands.

    Once the match began, they both released their cultivation base.

    The young man¡¯s cultivation was the peak of the Spirit Warrior, but his opponent was one level above him at the first level Spirit Master. However, the disparity from that one level was akin to heaven and earth.

    "Aiya! To think *!\[email protected]#^ would ept a Life or Death challenge from (*#@$%! He¡¯s courting death!"

    While the spectators anticipated the young man¡¯s death, in the midst of the fierce battle, the young man suddenly had a breakthrough when he was on the verge of losing, entering the Spirit Master realm.

    After his breakthrough, the young man instantly turned the tides and killed the other disciple in a gruesome manner.

    Once the match ended, the scenery changed again, and the handsome man returned.

    "What do you think?" The handsome man asked with a profound smile on his face.

    "What am I supposed to think? Are you telling me to experience a life or death battle with someone in order to breakthrough?" Yuan said to him.

    "You don¡¯t get it? Then watch it until you do." The handsome man snapped his fingers again, and Yuan returned to the arena right at the start of the life or death battle, watching them fight all over again.

 Chapter 502 Desperation

    Once... twice... ten times...

    Yuan watched the life or death fight between the young man and his opponent countless times.

    ¡¯Just what am I looking for?¡¯

    Although Yuan didn¡¯t know what he was supposed to be looking at, he eventually just started focusing on the young man that had simr facial features as him.

    After watching the young man countless times, Yuan noticed something hidden deep within the young man¡¯s eyes.

    There was a certain light¡ª a feeling of desperation, and this feeling only grew stronger the longer he was on the stage.

    The desperation reached its peak when he was about to be killed.

    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.

    That was when the young man suddenly experienced his breakthrough into Spirit Master.

    "Are you telling me that I am not desperate enough?" Yuan spoke out loud.

    Whoosh!

    The handsome man returned with a smile on his face.

    "That¡¯s precisely why. You are not desperate. If not for your condition, you would¡¯ve not made it to Spirit Warrior, much less Spirit Master."

    "Your world is quite peacefulpared to the cultivation world. Although there are some conflicts within the world, it usually doesn¡¯t affect you."

    Yuan frowned and said, "Even if you say that, how am I supposed to be desperate? I can¡¯t feel what I don¡¯t feel."

    "Then perhaps this will help you."

    The handsome man waved his sleeves, giving him another scenario.

    However, it wasn¡¯t of the life or death battle.

    Instead, it was the scene of a family being ughtered in broad daylight.

    Yuan¡¯s eyes widened with shock as he witnessed a mother and her daughter¡ª alongside thousands of pedestrians getting ughtered mercilessly in the streets.

    Although Yuan didn¡¯t recognize any of these people, tears began flowing from his eyes when he saw the woman and her daughter getting killed.

    "Mother! Sister!"

    A familiar voice suddenly resounded, causing Yuan to turn around.

    Standing behind him was the same young man from the life or death battle, but he looked much younger... and weaker.

    This young man was crying just like he was, but there was nothing he could do as he watched the murderer ughter everyone there until a cultivator finally intervened to stop the madness.

    Once the killer was apprehended, the young man walked to the corpses of the woman and the little girl.

    He knelt on the ground with tears still flowing down his face and hugged their lifeless bodies until he was forced to let them go because the people had to clean the bodies off the streets.

    Once their corpses were taken away, the young man stood up and turned to look at Yuan with a profound feeling of desperation in his gaze.

    "This is my first experience with desperation. When will you experience your first? When your family dies before your eyes? When your loved ones are taken right before your very eyes? Or when you¡¯re betrayed by someone you trusted with your life?"

    Yuan frowned and said, "I don¡¯t want to experience any of that."

    "Of course you don¡¯t. Who would want to experience such misfortune?"

    "However, you don¡¯t get to choose¡ª the weak don¡¯t have any choice but to ept their fate."

    "I can see pain in your eyes, but it¡¯s not desperation, so I will let you experience some more."

    The young man turned around and walked away, and the scenery changed once again.

    This time, the young man had his lover taken right in front of him, but he was too powerless to stop it.

    Once that scene was over, another scene appeared, then another... and another...

    Yuan experienced many different situations in his dream, all of them resulting in some sort of misfortune for the young man that increased his desperation for strength.

    Eventually, the young man was no longer a weak young man but a handsome man with a formidable aura that stood at the peak of the cultivation world.

    "Do you believe in reincarnation?" The handsome man suddenly asked Yuan as they returned to the sword graveyard.

    "Reincarnation? As in rebirth?" Yuan asked, as he wasn¡¯t familiar with this term.

    "Yes. In the cultivation world, people believe that you will be reincarnated after death, living a vastly different new life but without the memories of their previous lives, and that will repeat until you damage your soul."

    "I don¡¯t know what to say. It¡¯s the cultivation world where anything could happen. As ridiculous as reincarnation sounds, I wouldn¡¯t be too surprised if it¡¯s real."

    The handsome man smiled, and then he started approaching Yuan.

    Once he stood before Yuan, the handsome man¡¯s appearance began turning younger and younger until he resembled the young man that resembled Yuan.

    "You already know the truth deep inside, don¡¯t you? You just don¡¯t want to believe it." The young man said to him.

    "I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about," Yuan said.

    "Still trying to act dumb? Who do you think you¡¯re trying to fool? Me?"

    "But that only means you¡¯re trying to fool yourself."

    "..." Yuan turned dead silent as he stared at the young man who resembled him.

    "You wanted to know who I am, right? Do I still need to answer that question?"

    "Why?" Yuan suddenly asked.

    "Why is this happening to me?"

    "You should know that answer, too. If I tell you everything, it wouldn¡¯t be fun, right?"

    "Or you actually don¡¯t know anything," Yuan said.

    "You¡¯re right. I don¡¯t. After all, I am you, and you don¡¯t know anything. However, don¡¯t worry, because you will eventually remember..."

    The young man¡¯s body suddenly started turning into smoke, disappearing into the background.

    It was at this moment Yuan woke up from his dream, and he could immediately feel two streams of tears flowing down his face and the sensation of a wet pillow.

    "Y-Young Master... Are you okay?" Meifeng, who woke up just a second ago, asked him in a worried voice after seeing his tears.

    "Yes... I am fine. I just had a somewhat bad dream," he said with a bittersweet smile on his face.

    "A nightmare, huh?" Meifeng then wiped his tears with her hands.

 Chapter 503 Playing the Piano

    "Miss Meifeng... Have you ever felt desperation?" Yuan suddenly asked her after getting off the bed.

    "Desperation?" Meifeng raised her eyebrows, wondering to herself why he would ask such a question.

    "The feeling of being helpless¡ª a sense of weakness and hopelessness." Yuan stood there with a profound aura around him that felt a little different than usual.

    "I can¡¯t really say that I have..." Meifeng shook her head.

    "However, the closest I have felt to desperation was when my husband died, I guess."

    "Your husband?"

    Now that he thought about it, Yuan has never seen Meixiu¡¯s father before.

    "He died in an ident before I could even give birth to Meixiu," she said with a bittersweet smile on her face.

    "I¡¯m sorry for asking..."

    "There¡¯s no need for you to be sorry. It happened really long ago." Meifeng said with a smile.

    "Anyways, why the sudden question, Young Master? Does it have something to do with your nightmare?"

    "I guess..." He nodded.

    Sometimeter, they sat around the living room and began eating breakfast.

    "Wang Xiuying said that she¡¯s currently on the way here with the piano," said Meixiu after they sat down.

    "This early in the morning?" Yuan chuckled.

    "That just shows how much she wants to listen to your music again, Young Master," Meifeng said to him.

    "Even if you say that, it¡¯s been years since Ist touched an instrument... Not counting Cultivation Online, of course. I probably won¡¯t even be able to y it properly."

    "You¡¯re underestimating yourself, Young Master. Even if you haven¡¯t touched any instruments in years, you¡¯ll quickly familiarize yourself with them once you start ying again."

    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only

    "I hope so," he nodded.

    After breakfast, while Meixiu cleaned the dishes and Yuan practiced his movement technique, Wang Xiuying arrived at their apartment door with her piano.

    "Where should I put this?" Wang Xiuying asked.

    "We have made some space in the living room. You can put it there." Meifeng said to her.

    "Okay!"

    The deliverypany she hired to deliver the piano then ced the piano at the corner of the living room.

    Once everything was done, Wang Xiuying immediately urged Yuan to y the piano.

    "Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t break my promise..." Yuan said as he took a seat in front of the piano.

    "Are you sure you want to give this piano away? It¡¯s quite rare and expensive." Meifeng recognized the piano¡¯s value at nce, and she asked Wang Xiuying.

    "Yes, it is an honor for me to let Yu Tian y music using my piano. Furthermore, now that I am focused on cultivation, I don¡¯t have any time to y it. Instead of letting it rust in my room, I might as well give it to someone who can use it at its full potential."

    After getting a feel for the smooth keys on the piano, Yuan swiped his fingers across the keyboard, filling the room with beautiful sounds.

    ¡¯This feeling... How long has it been since Ist felt it?¡¯ Yuan asked himself as he recalled one of his favorite songs.

    Then, without using divine sense, Yuan began ying the piano almost instinctively.

    Music quickly filled the ce, and when the threedies heard this heavenly music, their hearts throbbed with excitement.

    Even though it¡¯s been years since Yuanst yed the piano, he was currently ying it as though he never took a break. In other words, he was ying it wlessly.

    Tears flowed down Wang Xiuying¡¯s face as she stared at Yuan¡¯s figure that was moving elegantly behind the piano, recalling the first time she first witnessed his performance on the stage.

    As for Meixiu and Meifeng, they could only silently admire Yuan¡¯s talents.

    ¡¯This is it... This is the music that once took over the world. I can¡¯t believe that I am actually hearing it again, and it¡¯s not being yed on a device.¡¯ Meifeng recalled Yuan¡¯s elegance and grace on the stage as he captivates the audiences¡¯ heart and soul with his musical talents.

    A few minutester, after ying the final note to the song, Yuan asked them, "What do you think? I think I could¡¯ve yed that a lot better."

    "A lot better?" They all looked at him with raised eyebrows.

    Meifeng then said, "I did notice a few dys between notes, but it¡¯s almost unrecognizable, and the dy is so minuscule that one wouldn¡¯t normally be able to tell the difference if they¡¯re not an expert."

    "I guess I am just used to ying it to perfection. Let me try another song."

    Yuan then began ying a new song, and it somehow sounded even better than thest, something Wang Xiuying didn¡¯t think was possible until it happened.

    After his second song, Yuan continued to y a few more songs, getting better with each song until he eventually reached the perfection that he was used to.

    Ding.

    In the midst of Yuan¡¯s 9th song, Meixiu suddenly received a notification on her phone.

    She looked at it to see that Yu Rou had texted her.

    Her eyes widened when she read the contents.

    "Y-Yu Rou ising here right now!" Meixiu said to them.

    Yuan immediately stopped ying the piano and said, "Yu Rou ising here? Why?"

    "She said that she needed to talk to me. Also, she said that she received her parents¡¯ permission."

    Hearing this, Meifeng said, "The Yu Family probably told Yu Rou toe to convince you to return to the family after thest failure. They¡¯re really predictable."

    "What should we do now, Young Master?"

    Yuan then pondered for a moment before speaking, "I have been thinking about how I should surprise Yu Rou regarding my recovery..."

    He touched the piano and said, "I think I know how I should surprise her. Can you all help me out?"

    "Of course!" Wang Xiuying quickly said.

    Meixiu and Meifeng also agreed.

    "Great! Then here¡¯s the n..."

    After telling them his n to surprise Yu Rou, Yuan returned to his bedroom and patiently waited for Yu Rou to arrive.

    Half an hourter, someone knocked on their door.

    "It¡¯s me!" Yu Rou¡¯s voice then resounded.

    As they had expected, it was Yu Rou.

    However, Yu Rou waspletely unaware of the surprise that was in store for her.

 Chapter 504 Surprising Yu Rou

    "Good morning, Meixiu!" Yu Rou greeted when she opened the door.

    "Good morning, Yu Rou." Meixiu returned the greeting.

    "Please,e inside."

    Once Yu Rou entered their apartment, she immediately noticed Meifeng and Wang Xiuying sitting in the living room.

    "Eh? Miss Meifeng? Wang Xiuying? What are you two doing here so early in the morning?" Yu Rou asked them with a surprised look on her face.

    "I¡¯m on vacation, so I figured I should visit the Young Master," Meifeng said with a calm look on her face.

    "I am here to check up on Yu Tian¡¯s condition," said Wang Xiuying.

    Although she wasn¡¯t sure why, Yu Rou felt that something was amiss from the atmosphere in the ce.

    "I see... Where¡¯s my brother? I¡¯d like to see him before I talk... though I¡¯m sure you can already guess why I am here."

    "The Young Master is currently in his room," Meifeng said.

    Yu Rou nodded and approached his room, but then she noticed the beautiful piano sitting at the corner of the room and stopped to look at it.

    "Wow! What is this premium piano doing here? It wasn¡¯t here when Ist came here."

    As a piano yer herself, Yu Rou could instantly tell that the piano was a valuable one.

    "That piano is mine... At least it was until I gave it to Yu Tian," said Wang Xiuying.

    "Eh? It¡¯s yours? But why?" Yu Rou asked.

    "I have no use for it anymore, and I¡¯d rather give it to my idol than sell it."

    Yu Rou found it strange that she would give it to Yuan when he can¡¯t even use it, and in her eyes, it was quite disrespectful to give an instrument to Yuan while knowing his background and condition. It was almost like giving a blind man a book that he cannot read.

    Though Yu Rou didn¡¯t think too much of it for now.

    "Brother, it¡¯s Yu Rou. I am here to visit you," she said to him after knocking on the doors.

    "Come inside," Yuan said.

    Yu Rou then entered the room and sat beside the bed.

    "Even though we have been ying together in Cultivation Online for a while, it still feels like forever since Ist saw you..." Yu Rou gently caressed his silky ck hair to the side so she could get a good look at his handsome face.

    "I¡¯m sorry, brother..."

    "Why are you suddenly apologizing?" Yuan asked her.

    "Because of the Yu Family, both you and Meixiu have been experiencing unpleasant situations. I wish I could help, but I am powerless within the family..."

    "There¡¯s no need for you to apologize, Yu Rou. If anything, it should be the ones responsible that need to apologize. This means the Chairman of the Cultivators¡¯ Association and our parents."

    "..."

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    After a moment of silence, Yu Rou spoke, "Brother, I am thinking about leaving the family and joining a faction."

    "Huh? W-Why would you do that?" Yuan was taken by surprise by her sudden reveal.

    "Now that cultivation is widespread and the new trend, I want to take advantage of it, especially since I am currently ahead of many people. If I remain in the Yu Family, I will forever remain powerless. However, if I leave, I will at least have a chance to be an influential person without the help of my family."

    "It¡¯s not going to be easy, but I hope to be stronger than the Yu Family."

    Yuan was speechless after listening to Yu Rou¡¯s ns.

    However, he didn¡¯t immediately dismiss it, and he asked, "Where will you go?"

    "I don¡¯t know right now, but I can tell you where I won¡¯t go¡ª the Cultivators¡¯ Association! They¡¯re just a bunch of bullies, and I refuse to lend them my assistance. I already have a Heaven-grade cultivation technique thanks to my family, so I don¡¯t really care where I go as long as they¡¯re good people with enough influence to not be bullied by the Yu Family."

    "I see... When you decide, let me know, okay?"

    "Of course!"

    "Anyways, I am here today because my parents wanted me to convince Meixiu to return to the family so that they could hand her over to the Cultivators¡¯ Association. I agreed since it meant that I would get to see you and Meixiu again, but I won¡¯t be doing any convincing."

    "I¡¯m sorry to get you wrapped up in this mess as well... But don¡¯t worry, I will handle everything soon."

    "You will? What are you going to do?" Yu Rou couldn¡¯t help but ask.

    "It¡¯s a secret for now," he said with a mysterious smile.

    "I hope it¡¯s not anything dangerous..." Yu Rou said with a worried frown.

    "It won¡¯t be." Yuan chuckled.

    Sometimeter, Yuan said, "Yu Rou, you saw the piano, right? Why don¡¯t you let Meixiu y you a song?"

    "Eh? Meixiu knows how to y the piano? Since when?"

    "She¡¯s been practicingtely, you see."

    "If you say so..."

    Yu Rou then went back outside and said, "Meixiu, my brother said you¡¯ll y a song for me?"

    Meixiu nodded, "But you¡¯ll have to wear this."

    Yu Rou looked at the object in Meixiu¡¯s hand; it was a blindfold.

    "Why do I have to be blindfolded? I won¡¯t be able to see your performance that way."

    "I want you to judge it using your ears, not eyes," Meixiu then said.

    "I guess so..."

    Once Yu Rou took a seat on the couch, Meixiu blindfolded her.

    A few momentster, Yu Rou could hear the piano being yed.

    ¡¯Wow... Meixiu is really good with the piano... How long has she been practicing to reach this level?¡¯ Yu Rou wasn¡¯t suspicious at first, but once she listened a little longer, she noticed something was off, and the feeling she got earlier grew more obvious.

    ¡¯T-This can¡¯t be Meixiu ying the piano... It¡¯s too good! Even I cannot y this perfectly with many years of practice! Unless Meixiu has talents simr to my brother, there¡¯s no way she learned the piano and reached this level in such a short amount of time!¡¯

    Although she didn¡¯t want to discredit Meixiu or her talents, it was simply too hard to believe. It hasn¡¯t been long since Meixiu left the Yu Family, and even if she started ying the day she left, it wasn¡¯t realistic for Meixiu to reach this level of performance in such a short time unless she was Yuan himself!

    ¡¯Maybe this is Miss Meifeng ying the piano and they wanted to y a trick on me...¡¯

    Yu Rou began having this thought.

    Midway through the song, someone suddenly removed her blindfold, causing it to fall onto herp.

    "Hmm?"

    Yu Rou subconsciously opened her eyes when she felt the blindfold fall off, and to her absolute shock, it wasn¡¯t Meixiu sitting in front of the piano, nor was it Meifeng like she¡¯d thought.

    It was actually Yuan sitting before the piano! And he was ying with elegance and grace!

    "B-Brother...?" Yu Rou stood up from the shock, and she stared at Yuan¡¯s moving figure with a look of disbelief on her face.

    However, she didn¡¯t say anything else and silently watched Yuan y the piano with a seemingly healthy and normal body, feeling as though she was in a dream.

 Chapter 505 His Own Company

    After ying thest note to the song, Yuan lifted his hands from the piano keyboard in an elegant manner before turning to face the shocked Yu Rou with a smile on his face.

    "What do you think? I may not be as good as I used to be, but I hope you enjoyed it."

    Hearing his words, Yu Rou¡¯s eyes finally started flowing with tears, and because she¡¯d held it in for so long, it came gushing forward like a broken dam, immediately blocking her vision.

    "Brother... You¡¯re so cruel..." Yu Rou said in a crying voice, dumbfounding him.

    And she continued, "How can you make me cry in front of so many people...?"

    Yu Rou then wiped her tears and said, "Howe you can move again? And since when?"

    Yuan then exined to her that he has no clue why it happened, "I woke up like this, and it has only been like 2 days since my recovery."

    "It¡¯s only been two days...? And your recovery happened out of the blue? What kind of miracle is this?" Yu Rou was left speechless by his words.

    Thousands of doctors around the world couldn¡¯t figure out what was going on with Yuan¡¯s condition, and he somehow heals naturally? That seemed too good to be true. However, there was no reason for Yuan to lie to her.

    Yuan suddenly approached Yu Rou and wiped the tears from her face.

    "To tell you the truth, my recovery actually started even before I left the Yu Family, but I was only able to lift a finger at that time, and I didn¡¯t want to get your hopes up, so I decided to wait until I could stand on my own before letting you know."

    "Unbelievable..." Yu Rou muttered in a low voice.

    After a moment of silence, she said, "This changes everything, brother! Now that you have recovered, there are so many things you can do! What do you n on doing now that you have recovered?"

    "I am going to focus on rehabilitation for now. Once I am confident with my movements, I am going to visit the Cultivators¡¯ Association. However, I am not sure what I want to do after that."

    "Do you intend on going back to the stage?" Yu Rou asked the question that has been asked multiple times now.

    "No, I do not." Yuan shook his head.

    Yu Rou sighed and said, "I figured... But you should reconsider, since it¡¯s such a waste of your talents. Brother, you never truly reached the peak of the musical world since you were forced to leave it due to your condition, and it has always been a dream of mine to see you on the stage again. Furthermore, you can get back at the Yu Family for abandoning you."

    "If you return to the stage, they will definitely regret disowning you. In fact, they might even try to get you back into the family."

    "Hmm..." Yuan didn¡¯t immediately refuse and began pondering.

    ¡¯Getting back at the Yu Family, huh? I definitely want to see their faces filled with regret. However, I shouldn¡¯t be doing this for revenge... Instead, I should be doing this for Yu Rou, who has been there for me since the beginning.¡¯

    ¡¯If Yu Rou wants me to return to the stage...¡¯

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    Although he has already decided to never return to the professional stage, he also told himself that he would do anything to make Yu Rou happy, and if him returning to the stage will make her happy, he cannot simply ignore it.

    "Brother, if you don¡¯t want to return to the stage, I won¡¯t force you." Yu Rou said to him, as she could guess what he was thinking.

    "I..."

    It was at this moment Meifeng spoke, "Young Master, if I may make a suggestion, you don¡¯t need to go onto the stage as ¡¯Yu Tian¡¯. You can simply do it under a different alias. After all, it¡¯s not the stage you hate¡ª but your name that is affiliated with the Yu Family, am I right?"

    "I have listened closely to all of your performances today, and I can tell that you still enjoy ying the instrument. You¡¯re afraid that if you go onto the stage that you¡¯ll once again give credit to the Yu Family."

    "If I am wrong, please correct me."

    Yuan remained silent for a moment before speaking, "I have known that I still love to y the instrument when I yed the zither inside Cultivation Online. I think you¡¯re right, Miss Meifeng. It¡¯s not the stage that I don¡¯t like¡ª I just don¡¯t want to feel like I am being used by the Yu Family again."

    "Brother..." Yu Rou felt incredibly guilty at this moment, as she was part of the Yu Family that made Yuan feel so much pain and grief.

    "Well, there are many things you can do to avoid that feeling, such as ying for anotherpany. Or even better¡ª you can make your ownpany so that you won¡¯t be ying for anyone but yourself."

    "Making my ownpany? As much as I like the sound of that, I am only 18 years old... How am I supposed to make apany?"

    Meifeng lifted her hand and pointed it at herself.

    "You don¡¯t need to do anything, Young Master. I can make thepany for you."

    "R-Really? But aren¡¯t you already incredibly busy at the Yu Family? I don¡¯t dare to make you work even more than you already are..." Yuan said.

    "It¡¯s really not that much work. Although I will be making thepany, I won¡¯t actually need to do anything, and when I do, I can do it from anywhere in the world as long as I have ess to a phone and the inte."

    "Furthermore, you can hire other people to deal with the stuff. In fact, Meixiu has some experience when ites to these kinds of things since this is what we mainly do for the Yu Family."

    Meifeng then turned to look at Meixiu and continued, "I will make thepany and you¡¯ll do everything else. Since it¡¯s just apany in name, you don¡¯t actually have to do much besides organizing events for the Young Master. You should be able to do at least that with your training. If you need help, I will step in. What do you think?"

 Chapter 506 - Divine Melody

    <h4>Chapter 506 - Divine Melody </h4>

    "I don¡¯t mind as long as Yu Tian agrees," Meixiu said in a calm voice after hearing Meifeng¡¯s suggestion.

    Besides maid training and defensive training, Meixiu also learned management since she was expected to help Yuan with his work in the future just like how Meifeng helps the Yu Family.

    "It¡¯s all up to you now, Young Master. As long as you give me a nod, I will make thepany."

    Yuan didn¡¯t immediately respond and took a couple of minutes to think about everything.

    Although he didn¡¯t care about getting revenge on the Yu Family for what they have done to him, he definitely would like to see their faces once they learn that he has recovered and started ying on the stage again.

    Furthermore, he will be making Yu Rou happy by doing so.

    Sometimeter, Yuan nodded and said, "I will leave everything to you, Miss Meifeng."

    "Great! Now I just need the name of thepany and what your new alias will be!" Meifeng said, her voice filled with enthusiasm, as this could be the start of a new legend.

    "Apany name, huh? Do you guys have any suggestions?" Yuan asked thedies in the room.

    "How about Divine Melody? Your music is always divine-sounding, after all." Wang Xiuying was the first to give a suggestion.

    "Divine Melody, huh? I also quite like it." Yu Rou agreed.

    "Well, if you both like it, I guess we¡¯ll go with Divine Melody. As for my new alias..."

    Yuan pondered for a moment before speaking, "Tian Yang shall be my new alias."

    "Okay. I will make a few phone calls with a few friends and I should have thepany ready by tonight." Meifeng said as she pulled out her phone and walked outside the apartment.

    "I cannot wait! This is so exciting!" Yu Rou spoke with her body trembling from excitement.

    "I can already imagine my parents trying to recruit you once they learn of your existence!"

    "I am also shaking from excitement!" Wang Xiuying agreed.

    "Let¡¯s not get ahead of ourselves." Yuan said, and he continued, "I may be under a new alias, but if I go outside in my current appearance, they will learn my real identity in a heartbeat."

    "I will need a disguise..."

    "How about wearing a mask like you do in Cultivation Online?" Meixiu suggested.

    "Yes, I was thinking the same thing," he agreed.

    Meixiu went to grab herptop and started looking for a mask.

    "Which one do you like?" Meixiu asked him.

    Yuan then pointed to the ck mask that somewhat resembled the one in Cultivation Online.

    "I like this one," he said.

    Yu Rou raised her eyebrows when she saw this, and she asked, "Brother... How do you see with your eyes closed?"

    "Hm? Oh, I am using divine sense to see. My sight hasn¡¯t healed yet."

    "D-Divine sense?! You can also use that in the real world?!" Yu Rou was shocked.

    "Yes." He nodded.

    "Now I¡¯m really curious what else can be used in the real world besides cultivation techniques and divine sense..." Yu Rou mumbled.

    "Well, for one, other techniques besides cultivation techniques also work," Yuan said.

    "Huh? Have you seeded in learning a martial technique?" Yu Rou asked him, as she had this feeling.

    "Yes, I have. I am now trying to learn a movement technique."

    "C-Can I see the technique you learned?!" Yu Rou quickly asked.

    "Sure."

    Yuan then used his divine sense to look for a knife. Once he found it, he made it fly towards them from the kitchen.

    "T-This is your Flying Dagger technique!" Yu Rou recognized this technique since she has seen him use it a couple of times during their questing.

    "That¡¯s right." Yuan nodded.

    "Heavens... That looks incredibly dangerous..." Wang Xiuying mumbled as she watched the kitchen knife circle around Yuan¡¯s body.

    "Should I start trying to learn Wind de?" Yu Rou wondered to herself out loud.

    "That sounds even more dangerous..." Yuan said, as he could somehow imagine Yu Rou causing mass destruction with Wind des.

    "I have ordered the mask. It should arrive within the next three days." Meixiu said a momentter.

    Sometimeter, Meifeng returned and said, "I have thepany set up. I will be the owner of thepany in name, but I will leave everything to you, Meixiu. Once you settle your situation with the Cultivators¡¯ Association and decide to reveal your identity, I will transfer thepany to you. And in case you need some refreshments, I will send you the training notes from years prior."

    "I understand." Meixiu nodded.

    "As for the Young Master, you just need to schedule a performance and start making a name for yourself again. I suggest you do a couple of public performances to gain poprity before you return to the stage."

    "Okay."

    And for the rest of the day, Yuan would y the piano for thedies in the apartment. During breaks, they would talk about their newpany and n for their future.

    At the end of the day, Yu Rou said, "I would love to stay here for longer, but it¡¯s about time I return home and report to my parents that I have failed to convince Meixiu to return to the family. I expect a scolding, but it is what it is."

    "I¡¯m sorry, Yu Rou... This is all because of me..."

    "Don¡¯t me yourself for this situation, Meixiu. We all know who¡¯s in the wrong here." Yu Rou patted her back.

    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only

    "Yu Rou, before you leave."

    Yuan approached her with his arms spread, his intentions clear.

    Seeing this, Yu Rou immediately jumped into his embrace and hugged him tightly.

    "I have been waiting for this for the entire day, you idiot." Yu Rou said, feeling her eyes tear up again.

    "I¡¯m sorry for making you wait so long."

    Once they were satisfied, Yuan let her go and Yu Rou made her way back to the Yu Family.

    "I am also going to leave as well. It¡¯s been a fun day. I will being here often to hear your music, Yu Tian!" Wang Xiuying said shortly after Yu Rou left.

    Yuan nodded and said, "Once again, thank you for the piano. I will treasure it."

    "That means more than you think to me.." Wang Xiuying said with a bright smile on her face.

 Chapter 507 - Breaking His Bottleneck

    <h4>Chapter 507 - Breaking His Bottleneck </h4>

    After Wang Xiuying left, Meixiu began cooking dinner while Meifeng looked over some documents for their newly createdpany.

    "Young Master, you¡¯ll need a disguise for your new alias," Meifeng said to him, unaware that they already have something nned.

    "Yes, I know. I will be wearing a mask when I y on the stage," he said.

    "A mask, huh? That¡¯s not a bad idea." Meifeng agreed.

    Sometimeter, after dinner, Yuan went to take a shower. Now that he can clean himself, he ns on doing so every single day.

    Once it was time for sleep, Meifeng and Yuan retired to their room while Meixiu returned to her own room.

    "Miss Meifeng, I have a question..." Yuan suddenly asked her as theyid in the same bed.

    "What is it?"

    "Do you know where I can obtain a sword?"

    "A-A sword? Like a real sword? Why do you want one?"

    "Self-defense, I guess..."

    "Self-defense?" Meifeng looked at him with raised eyebrows.

    What kind of self-defense requires a sword?

    "You see, the world is getting more dangeroustely with more and more people bing cultivators, obtaining inhuman strength that¡¯s only possible in the cultivation world, but our world is very smallpared to the world in Cultivation Online, and I was worried about what might happen in the future, so I want to prepare myself."

    "Cultivators may be strong, but I don¡¯t think we have to be that worried. It¡¯s not as though the world will suddenly be awless ce. But since the Young Masters want a sword, I will try to do something about it."

    "Thank you."

    Meifeng fell asleep shortly afterward.

    However, Yuan didn¡¯t go to sleep.

    Instead, he silently got out of the bed and went to the living room, before taking a seat on the floor.

    ¡¯This will be my first time cultivating in this position...¡¯ Yuan thought to himself as he started to absorb the spiritual energy in the air.

    ¡¯Desperation... I am not desperate enough to reach Spirit Master?¡¯ He recalled what the handsome man told him in his dreams.

    Yuan then remembered the scenes where the mother and her daughter were murdered in broad daylight. Then he recalled the betrayal of a friend. Then of the young man¡¯s lover being forcefully taken away.

    After remembering these situations, Yuan subconsciously started recing these individuals with people he knew.

    He imagined Meifeng and Yu Rou getting killed before his eyes. He imagined being betrayed by Doctor Wang and Wang Xiuying. He imagined the Cultivators¡¯ Association sessfully taking Meixiu away from him by force.

    "You¡¯re so weak... How can you protect anyone like that?"

    The handsome man¡¯s voice suddenly resounded in his head.

    Yuan gritted his teeth, and somewhere within his consciousness, an invisible me created by desperation appeared.

    The spiritual energy in the area began flying towards Yuan at an incredibly fast rate.

    "That¡¯s right. If you want to protect those you care about, you must be strong."

    "Obtain the strength to protect your family and friends..."

    "Obtain the power to defeat those who wish to covet from you..."

    "Be desperate... desperate for power..."

    The handsome man¡¯s voice continued to resound inside Yuan¡¯s head as he subconsciously cultivated, and before he was aware, he entered a trance-like state¡ª he¡¯d entered enlightenment.

    Meixiu, who was just about to fall asleep, noticed the sudden change in the atmosphere.

    She got out of the bed and looked peeked outside her room, and to her surprise, there was a figure sitting in the living room with his long ck hair fluttering behind him like a cape before a gust of wind.

    ¡¯Yuan...?¡¯ Meixiu mumbled to herself.

    Even though she was clearly looking at Yuan, for some reason, it felt like she wasn¡¯t looking at Yuan at the same time, almost like she was looking at someone else and the Yuan there was merely an illusion.

    Meanwhile, Yuan¡¯s cultivation that had been stuck at peak Spirit Warrior finally began to move.

    His Dantian that contained all of his spiritual energy began to tremble, and it slowly began expanding in size.

    Then, the golden symbol within his body that had turned into veins attached itself to the Dantian, turning it golden.

    Yuan¡¯s body was currently emitting a faint golden glow, and Meixiu was there to witness it, feeling as though she was before a divine being.

    Meixiu didn¡¯t want to disturb him, so she went back inside her room and returned to the bed, trying her best to fall asleep.

    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only

    The following morning, Yuan stood up from the floor with a profound feeling in his body.

    He was no longer a Spirit Warrior, and his body emitted the feeling of a Spirit Master.

    ¡¯So this is what it feels like to be a Spirit Master in this world...¡¯

    Yuan took a deep breath, sucking in arge amount of spiritual energy.

    "Good morning, Meixiu." Yuan suddenly noticed her presence and said to her.

    "Did you breakthrough to Spirit Master? You feel a little differentpared to yesterday." Meixiu asked him.

    "Yes, I have managed to breakthrough my bottleneck." He nodded.

    "How do you feel?"

    "My divine sense is much stronger now, and I can keep it active for a lot longer. I haven¡¯t tried using Flying Daggers, but it should be easier to control the technique now," he said.

    He then tried to use Flying Daggers, and to his surprise, he was able to control 3 kitchen knives at once with rtive ease when he could barely control two before.

    "Wow... The difference between Spirit Warrior and Spirit Master is so much even though it was only a single level..." Yuan was surprised by the results.

    "Congrattions on reaching Spirit Master."

    Yuan nodded, "Yes, now I can finally visit the Cultivators¡¯ Association."

    "You¡¯re really going to do it?" Meixiu asked in a worried voice.

    He smiled and said, "How else am I going to stop them from taking you away from me?"

    Meixiu blushed at his words.

    "I-I am going to prepare breakfast..." she said, making a quick escape.

 Chapter 508 - I Will Come With You

    <h4>Chapter 508 - I Will Come With You </h4>

    "Good morning, Young Master. You¡¯re up earlier than usual today," Meifeng said to him aftering out of his room.

    "I actually spent the night cultivating," he said with a smile.

    "I see..."

    After eating breakfast, Yuan would spend about two hours just ying the piano without any rest.

    Afterward, he would continue practicing the movement technique.

    Meanwhile, Yu Rou stood before her parents.

    "How did it go?" Yu Yong asked her.

    "It failed. Meixiu refused to return even when I asked." Yu Rou said.

    "Che!" Tang Lee sneered in disgust.

    "Meixiu appeared to be enjoying her current life with Yu Tian. I think it¡¯d be for the better if we didn¡¯t disturb their new life." Yu Rou said.

    "I have a feeling that you didn¡¯t even bother to convince her. Tell me, Yu Rou, what exactly did you do yesterday when you spent an entire day at their ce?" Yu Yong asked her in a solemn voice.

    "I tried to convince Meixiu to return to the family, but when it failed, I remained there to hang out with them since it¡¯s been a while." Yu Rou said in a casual voice.

    And before her parents could speak, she continued, "I don¡¯t know why you want Meixiu back so desperately, but even if she used to serve me, remember that Meixiu was trained to serve Yu Tian. My brother was the reason that Meixiu even wanted to be a maid in the first ce, so if you¡¯re thinking about tearing them apart, it won¡¯t happen."

    "Hmph! Leave! And you¡¯re still forbidden to contact that trash since you didn¡¯t get any satisfactory results!" Tang Lee said to her.

    Yu Rou frowned, but she didn¡¯t say anything and left the ce.

    "Looks like we¡¯ll have to rely on the mercenaries. Chairman Zhao has been getting more impatient as well." Yu Yong sighed.

    He then retrieved his cellphone to give Mister Johnson a call.

    Three days passed by in a sh, and someone knocked on Yuan¡¯s apartment early in the morning.

    "Delivery!"

    Meixiu went to open the door since she was expecting this package.

    "Thank you."

    After epting the package, Meixiu went to the living room and called out to Yuan, "Yu Tian, your masks have arrived."

    A few momentster, Yuan came out of the bathroom.

    "Great. Let¡¯s see what we have."

    After opening the package, Yuan could see over a dozen different masks in the package.

    "Hmm? Did they give us more than we ordered by ident? I don¡¯t remember picking most of these." Yuan said.

    "Oh, I forgot to mention it but I decided to buy a few more afterward just in case we needed it. I even picked a new design for some of them if you ever get bored of one." Meixiu said.

    "I see, that makes sense. Thanks."

    Yuan picked one randomly and wore it on his face.

    "What do you think?" He asked them.

    "You give off a mysterious feeling. I like it, Young Master." Meifeng gave her opinion.

    "I think it looks good, too." Meixiu nodded calmly, as she was already used to seeing him wear masks in Cultivation Online.

    "Great. Then I will be wearing one of these while I visit the Cultivators¡¯ Association tomorrow."

    "You¡¯re really nning on going there? It¡¯s going to be dangerous..." Meifeng said.

    "If I don¡¯t go, they will continue messing with Meixiu, and I am not going to sit around and let it happen. Now that I am no longer useless, I am going to do something useful with my body for once." Yuan said with a stern look on his face.

    "..."

    After a moment of silence, Meifeng said, "If you¡¯re going, then I will go with you."

    "Eh? You will? But won¡¯t you cause trouble for the Yu Family?" Yuan said.

    Meifeng then picked up one of the avable masks and wore it on her face.

    "I won¡¯t cause any trouble if they don¡¯t know who I am," she chuckled.

    "Furthermore, you¡¯ll need some backup just in case anything happens."

    "What about¡ª"

    "You stay here." Meifeng interrupted Meixiu before she could even finish speaking.

    "Don¡¯t worry, I will be more than enough to guarantee the Young Master¡¯s safety."

    "I understand..." Meixiu said, clearly discontent with the results, but she didn¡¯t want to argue with her mother, and since she¡¯s wanted by the Cultivators¡¯ Association, it would be better if she didn¡¯t go to their main headquarters.

    That night, Yuan went to sleep to make sure he was in top condition for tomorrow.

    "Looks like you¡¯re finally going to do something about the situation."

    The handsome man appeared in his dreams again.

    "You again?" Yuan sighed.

    Ever since he¡¯d started walking, he would have to deal with this handsome man who¡¯s supposedly him before his reincarnation every time he went to sleep.

    "Why are you not happy to see me? This means that you¡¯re slowly recovering your memories."

    "What if I don¡¯t want these memories?" Yuan said with a frown.

    "You don¡¯t want to remember? Even though it¡¯ll make you stronger? Are you afraid that you might be a different person once you remember everything?" The handsome man asked Yuan even though he already knew the answer.

    "Everybody will change if given enough time. This is not something you can prevent no matter how powerful you are. However, you are in control of what kind of person you want to be, so why are you afraid?"

    "I am not afraid," Yuan said in a calm voice.

    And he continued, "I just don¡¯t want to experience unnecessary emotions that you¡ª I felt before. What happened in the past happened in the past. I don¡¯t need to know about it."

    The handsome man smiled and said, "If you don¡¯t care about what happened in the past, you wouldn¡¯t exist right now."

    "What do you mean by that?" Yuan frowned slightly.

    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    "You exist for a reason¡ª reincarnated for a reason. You may not understand it now, but you will eventually remember everything and understand your reason for existing."

    The handsome man then looked towards the sky and said, "It¡¯s about time for you to wake up. I look forward to what you¡¯re going to do today. Perhaps you¡¯ve already started changing¡ª you just don¡¯t realize it."

    After that sentence ended, Yuan woke up from his sleep.

 Chapter 509 - I Am Here To Speak With Your Chairman

    <h4>Chapter 509 - I Am Here To Speak With Your Chairman </h4>

    "Good morning, Meixiu." Yuan greeted her, who was already preparing breakfast.

    "Morning."

    Once breakfast was prepared, they sat around the dining table until all of the tes were empty.

    "Once we deal with the Cultivators¡¯ Association, let¡¯s go out and eat at a restaurant, Meixiu," Yuan said to her afterward.

    "O-Okay..." Although it was quite sudden, Meixiu agreed regardless.

    After breakfast, Yuan changed into a new set of clothes and grabbed his mask.

    "Are you ready, Miss Meifeng?" Yuan asked her, who was right behind him.

    "Wait a second, Young Master," Meifeng said.

    And she continued, "The Yu Family was able to find your location because they¡¯d somehow managed to acquire footage of you and Meixiu on the public surveince cameras, so I would advise you to take a different route¡ª one that is hidden from these cameras."

    "How am I supposed to know where to go?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    "Don¡¯t worry, I have already found a route from this ce to the Cultivators¡¯ Association that will allow us to travel without being seen. You just need to follow me."

    "Okay, I will leave everything to you. I want to save my spiritual energy for when I reach the Cultivators¡¯ Association, so can I hold your hands until then?" Yuan then asked her.

    Since he needed spiritual energy for divine sense, it would be wiser to save his spiritual energy until he needed it. And even though he can use his divine sense for much longer now that he¡¯s a Spirit Master, it still wasn¡¯t enough for him to keep it activated for long periods at a time.

    "Of course, you can." Meifeng held her hands out with a smile on her beautiful face.

    Yuan then wore his mask before grabbing her soft hands.

    Meifeng also wore her mask before leading Yuan outside the door and into the streets, following the route Meifeng had prepared in advance to avoid being seen.

    "It will take us a little longer to reach the Cultivators¡¯ Association since we¡¯re taking this unique route. Since we have some time, can you tell me what you intend on doing there so I can prepare for it?" Meifeng asked him as they walked hand in hand.

    "I am going there to intimidate them," he responded in a calm voice.

    "Excuse me?" Meifeng turned to look at him with her eyes filled with shock.

    "You¡¯re going to intimidate the Cultivators¡¯ Association? One of the most powerful factions in the entire world right now? You know even the Yu Family don¡¯t dare to offend them, right?" She said to him in a dazed voice.

    "Yes, I know," Yuan responded in a calm voice.

    "Then how are you going to intimidate them?"

    "If words won¡¯t get through them, I can only use force, right?" Yuan said.

    "F-Force...?" Meifeng had a bad feeling about this, and she started regretting agreeing to this farce.

    "Don¡¯t worry, I am confident in my strength."

    "I am not worried about that... But if you act violently at the Cultivators¡¯ Association, you will get arrested."

    "The Cultivators¡¯ Association is not only a powerful force, but they are also something like the police for cultivators since normal police won¡¯t be able to deal with cultivators and their incredible strength."

    "Simply, you¡¯ll go to jail that is specifically made for cultivators."

    "I won¡¯t do anything violent... if I don¡¯t have to."

    Meifeng sighed and mumbled to herself, ¡¯Looks like I might have to call somewyers after this all goes down...¡¯

    Meifeng wasn¡¯t too worried that Yuan might go to jail for causing a scene in the Cultivators¡¯ Association as long as he doesn¡¯t kill anyone, as she has connections with many powerful and reliablewyers who can get someone out of anything as long as they had enough money.

    About an hourter, they arrive at the Cultivators¡¯ Association.

    "We¡¯re here, Young Master. Please... Just don¡¯t do anything too crazy..." Meifeng pleaded.

    Yuan didn¡¯t say anything and merely nodded.

    He then stood there for a minute to prepare himself.

    Once he was ready, he released Meifeng¡¯s hand and began walking towards the Cultivators¡¯ Association, and Meifeng followed him from behind.

    Their unique appearance quickly attracted everyones¡¯ attention, and they wondered why Yuan and Meifeng were wearing masks.

    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    There was a line to the reception, but Yuan ignored the line and walked straight to the front.

    "The line is back there." The woman working at the reception pointed to the back of the line.

    "I am here to speak with your Chairman. Take me to him."

    "I¡¯m sorry, but who are you?"

    "I will only speak with the chairman."

    "I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s not possible. Until we know your identity, you won¡¯t see anyone. Furthermore, Chairman Zhao is currently busy in a meeting, so he won¡¯t have time for you¡ª"

    BANG!

    Yuan suddenly mmed the desk with his fist, instantly destroying it.

    This startled the woman and everyone there greatly, including Meifeng, who felt like she was suddenly before a different person.

    "I will not repeat myself," Yuan said in a calm voice that had a hint of anger within.

    The woman looked at the destroyed desk with her eyes wide with shock, as the desk was made out of metal and not something an ordinary cultivator could achieve.

    A few momentster, once the guards there snapped out of their daze, they quickly surrounded Yuan and Meifeng.

    "Who the hell do you think you are?! How dare you cause such a scene at the Cultivators¡¯ Association?!"

    The head of the security there shouted at Yuan. Of course, they were all cultivators.

    Yuan slowly turned his head to look at the middle-aged man who was at the 6th level Spirit Apprentice.

    "If you bring me to your chairman, there will no longer be a scene," he then said.

    "The audacity! Apprehend them!" The middle-aged manmanded the dozen of cultivators around him.

    However, before they could even get close, Yuan released his Spirit Master cultivation base, instantly halting these Spirit Apprentices with intense pressure.

    Although none of them couldprehend what they were feeling since they had never seen a Spirit Master before, they instinctively knew to stay away from Yuan or their lives would be in danger.

 Chapter 510 - The Presence Of A Spirit Master

    <h4>Chapter 510 - The Presence Of A Spirit Master </h4>

    Badum! Badum! Badum!

    The cultivators around Yuan could feel their hearts being squeezed by this invisible pressure the longer they remained around him, so they all took steps back, fearing that their hearts might be crushed if they continued going forward.

    "W-Who are you?! Why do you want to speak with the chairman?! If you do anything funny, the entire Cultivators¡¯ Association will be upon you!" The head guard pointed at Yuan and shouted.

    "..."

    After a moment of silence, Yuan spoke, "Yuan. Tell your chairman that Yuan is here to see him."

    "Y-Yuan...? D-Don¡¯t tell me that you¡¯re ¡¯that¡¯ Yuan from Cultivation Online...?" The head guard was left speechless by this revtion.

    The others were also shocked by yer Yuan¡¯s sudden appearance.

    As for as they were aware, the real yer Yuan has never appeared in public before, and judging by his appearance and unfathomable presence, there was a good chance that this masked figure before them was truly yer Yuan¡ª the number one mysterious yer in Cultivation Online!

    Meanwhile, somewhere on the top floor of the Cultivators¡¯ Association, a decently sized group of individuals with ages ranging from old to young sat around arge conference table with Chairman Zhao sitting at the end, and all of them were emitting a profound aura.

    "If your exalted families join our Cultivators¡¯ Association that is currently the number one force in the world, it will permanently stabilize our position in the world, and your families will definitely bepensated greatly for it." Chairman Zhao said to these individuals.

    However, before any of these people could even respond, they felt an unfathomable pressure appearing right beneath them, shocking them greatly.

    "H-Heavens! What was that?! Who is releasing this pressure?!"

    "This pressure... It¡¯s the presence of a Spirit Master!"

    "Impossible!"

    The old people there stood up from shock after feeling the pressure.

    "What? Did you just say Spirit Master? Is that even possible?" Chairman Zhao eximed in a dumbfounded voice.

    His phone began ringing the very next moment.

    "What happened? Don¡¯t you know that I am currently in a meeting with the grand families?"

    "C-Chairman Zhao! I deeply apologize for disturbing your meeting with the seniors, but we have an emergency! Someone iming to be ¡¯Yuan¡¯ is here to see you! And he¡¯s causing amotion!"

    "What? Yuan? Why does that name sound so familiar?" Chairman Zhao muttered out loud, causing everyone there to look at him.

    Then he came to a realization.

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    "Y-Yuan?! That yer Yuan from Cultivation Online?! Is it really him?!" Chairman Zhao shouted at the phone.

    "I-I think so! He¡¯s even wearing a mask to conceal his identity! I think he¡¯s real!"

    "Tell him to stay put! I will be there in a moment!" Chairman Zhao closed the connection and turned to look at the people there with an apologetic smile.

    "I aming with you. I would like to see if this person is really that famous ¡¯yer Yuan¡¯." One of the old men there spoke.

    "I am also curious."

    Eventually, everyone in the room agreed to follow Chairman Zhao.

    ¡¯Is it really yer Yuan? Why would he show up so suddenly? And what business does he have with me?¡¯ Chairman Zhao wondered to himself as he walked to the elevators with the others, as he doesn¡¯t recall having any contact with Yuan before.

    Sometimeter, they arrived downstairs, and they could see two individuals wearing a mask being surrounded by many people there.

    "A-Are you really yer Yuan?!" One of the people gathered around them asked.

    However, Yuan ignored him and continued to stand there in silence.

    The old people following Chairman Zhao took a deep breath as they approached the masked man who was emitting a profound pressure.

    ¡¯Spirit Master! He¡¯s really a Spirit Master!¡¯

    They were quite shocked to see an unknown Spirit Master.

    "Make way! The Chairman is here!"

    The head guard shouted at the people there.

    A path quickly opened up, allowing Chairman Zhao to approach Yuan, but he didn¡¯t get too close, as he had a bad feeling about this situation.

    "Are you really yer Yuan? Why do you want to speak with me?"

    Yuan didn¡¯t say anything at first and started slowly walking towards Chairman Zhao until he was standing right before him.

    "I am here to give you a warning today. If you dare try toy a finger on Meixiu again, I will destroy the entire Cultivators¡¯ Association." Yuan spoke in a grim voice with his pressure growing stronger and stronger.

    Chairman Zhao could feel an invisible hand crushing his heart from the pressure, but he gritted his teeth and endured it.

    "M-Meixiu...? How are you rted to her?" Chairman Zhao asked him with a deep frown as he was having trouble breathing, and he could¡¯ve never imagined that yer Yuan would show up here for Meixiu.

    "Our rtionship doesn¡¯t concern you, nor should you stick your nose into our business. The only thing you need to know is that if you dare to bother Meixiu again, I will bring the Cultivator¡¯s Association to the ground."

    "I¡ª"

    Before Chairman Zhao could even respond, Yuan suddenly moved his arm and grabbed Chairman Zhao¡¯s neck, lifting him into the air.

    "C-Chairman!"

    The guards there subconsciously reacted, but they were stopped by the old people that were following Chairman Zhao.

    "If you don¡¯t want the chairman to die, you should stay still," said an old man with long white hair tied into a ponytail.

    Meanwhile, Yuan spoke in a low voice while staring at Chairman Zhao.

    "I am not asking you¡ª I am telling you to leave her alone. Do you understand me?"

    "Y-Yes... I-I understand..." Chairman Zhao uttered with much effort.

    "Hmph!"

    Yuan tossed Chairman Zhao to the side like trash after hearing his response.

    He then turned around and said to Meifeng, "Let¡¯s go."

    However, before he could walk very far, one of the old people there called out to him in a respectful voice, "Please wait a moment, young man."

    Yuan stopped and turned around to see an old man standing behind him with his hands sped together.

 Chapter 511 - Chairman Zhaos Resignation

    <h4>Chapter 511 - Chairman Zhao''s Resignation </h4>

    "What is it?" Yuan asked the old man.

    "I am surnamed Wu, and I would like to confirm something... Are you really a Spirit Master?" The old man asked him.

    "What do you think?"

    The old man showed a slight smile on his face before releasing his cultivation base, and to Yuan¡¯s surprise, he was also a Spirit Master!

    ¡¯There are already other Spirit Masters beside me in this world?¡¯ Yuan thought to himself.

    "Although I cannot see your face, I can tell that you¡¯re surprised by my cultivation base. You must be wondering how this is possible. If you visit my family at Mount Wu, I will tell you everything."

    And before Yuan could even respond, the old man continued, "Don¡¯t worry, I am not rted to Chairman Zhao, so whatever happened between you and him has nothing to do with me or my family. I came here today to see if the Cultivators¡¯ Association was worth my family¡¯s backing, but from the looks of it, we will have to reconsider some things."

    "Hey, Old Wu, let¡¯s not try to pull a fast one before everyone here, or have you forgotten about our presence?" Another old man suddenly stepped forward and bowed to Yuan with his hands sped.

    "My surname is Zhi, and I am also a Spirit Master." The old man surnamed Zhi then released his Spirit Master cultivation base, surprising Yuan even more.

    "Forget about Mount Wu. Come to my Mount Zhi instead. You won¡¯t regret it."

    Then another person stepped forward¡ª an old woman.

    "Instead of fighting amongst ourselves, why don¡¯t we all cooperate together?" The old woman suggested.

    She approached Yuan and said, "Surnamed Wang from the Wang Family. If you want to know how we reached Spirit Master and more about cultivation in general,e to the Jaded Garden situated outside the Yang City. We¡¯ll be more than happy to befriend a young genius such as yourself. If you¡¯re worried about your identity being revealed, I will let you know that we¡¯re really good at keeping secrets."

    The old woman then leaned over his shoulders and whispered in a low voice that could only be heard by Yuan, "After all, we have managed to keep cultivation a secret from the rest of the world for many centuries..."

    Yuan¡¯s body trembled after hearing the old woman¡¯s words.

    They kept cultivation a secret from the rest of the world for many centuries? Does this mean that they have known about cultivation even way before Cultivation Online existed? If so, that exins why they were Spirit Masters.

    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

    "See you there in a month..." The old woman said to him before turning around and walking back to Chairman Zhao.

    "Chairman Zhao, you have a lot of exining to do for us. And don¡¯t you even dare think about lying to us because we will investigate the truth ourselves afterward."

    Chairman Zhao, who was supposed to be an almighty figure, nodded his head in a powerless manner before the old woman and the other elders that were clearly more influential than Chairman Zhao.

    Yuan lingered in the ce for a few more moments before finally leaving the Cultivator¡¯s Association with Meifeng.

    Although the people there wanted to follow him, they didn¡¯t dare to do so and reluctantly stayed behind.

    "Young Master... you nearly scared me to death just now! I¡¯m shocked that we even got to leave that ce in one piece!" Meifeng sighed sometimeter.

    "I¡¯m sorry. I got a little angry and my body started moving on its own." Yuan said to her, his hands still trembling a little.

    "Young Master... Are you really yer Yuan?" Meifeng suddenly asked him.

    "I will tell you everything once we return home, okay?"

    "Of course." Meifeng nodded.

    Once Yuan and Meifeng left the scene, the elders pressed Chairman Zhao for answers before everyone in the Cultivators¡¯ Association.

    "If you don¡¯t tell us what happened, we¡¯ll speak with the council and have them deal with you."

    Chairman Zhao sighed out loud before telling them the truth in a regretful voice.

    "Che! What a shameless old man!" Someone there said out loud after Chairman Zhao revealed everything.

    "Chairman Zhao, I am greatly disappointed in you. My Wang Family no longer wishes to be affiliated with the Cultivators¡¯ Association. Excuse me."

    The old woman turned around and left the scene, followed by a few youngsters that came to this ce with her.

    The other elders also told Chairman Zhao the same thing before leaving the ce.

    As for the other people in the Cultivators¡¯ Association, they immediately started spreading news of everything that transpired there today through their phones, which spread like wildfire, shocking the world.

    "What? The real yer Yuan showed up at the Cultivators¡¯ Association to warn Chairman Zhao? What did Chairman Zhao do to offend yer Yuan?"

    "Chairman Zhao tried to force a youngdy into joining the Cultivators¡¯ Association? And this youngdy turned out to have a rtionship with yer Yuan? Talk about karma!"

    "Hahaha! Serves that old pervert right! I can¡¯t believe it! This is yer Yuan¡¯s first real appearance outside of Cultivation Online!"

    "yer Yuan is already a Spirit Master? Isn¡¯t he also a Spirit Master in Cultivation Online? Just who is yer Yuan?! How does he keep achieving these seemingly impossible achievements?!"

    The world was greatly shocked by what had happened at the Cultivators¡¯ Association, but the people were more interested in yer Yuan than what Chairman Zhao had done.

    As for the Yu Family, they had managed to dodge a bullet when Chairman Zhao revealed everything, as he wasn¡¯t aware that the Yu Family had hired mercenaries to kidnap Meixiu.

    However, the Yu Family was also shocked speechless to know that Meixiu had a rtionship with yer Yuan, someone they have been looking for themselves.

    They wanted to approach Meixiu for more information, but they were afraid of yer Yuan knocking on their doors.

    After all, if yer Yuan dared to threaten to destroy the Cultivators¡¯ Association before the Chairman of the Cultivators¡¯ Association at their main headquarters, what would stop him from visiting the Yu Family?

    The Yu Family then called Mister Johnson to cancel the pending job.

    What happened at the Cultivators¡¯ Association would be a hot topic on the news and the inte for the rest of the week, and Chairman Zhao would resign his position as Chairman the following day, which didn¡¯t surprise anyone when they learned about it.

 Chapter 512 - Hidden Experts

    <h4>Chapter 512 - Hidden Experts </h4>

    "Senior Wang, was that masked person really a Spirit Master?" One of the youngsters with Senior Wang asked her as they made their way back home on a private ne.

    "Yes, that person was, without a doubt, a Spirit Master¡ª the same level as me and the other elders," she confirmed.

    "That young man also sounded like he was around your age. I cannot imagine how terrifying his talents must be to reach Spirit Master at such a young age, and it would be even more terrifying if he only started cultivating after Cultivation Online became a thing."

    "That can¡¯t be possible, right?" Someone else there asked.

    "The question is no longer whether it¡¯s possible or not, but how he achieved it..." Senior Wang said in a low voice.

    "And whether he started cultivating before or after Cultivation Online doesn¡¯t really matter, as it won¡¯t change the fact that he¡¯s a Spirit Master at such a young age."

    "Anyways, although our visit to the Cultivators¡¯ Association turned out to be a huge waste of time, I am actually d that we went there, as I got to learn the existence of such a cultivation monster. The others in the family will go crazy once they learn about this young man."

    "As for the other families... We¡¯ll definitely be fighting for him."

    "If he¡¯s that famous yer Yuan, there¡¯s a good chance that he won¡¯t join any families, right?" Someone there asked.

    "Yes, but it won¡¯t hurt to try." Senior Wang nodded.

    "Who¡¯s this yer Yuan? I have never heard of him before." Another person said.

    "You don¡¯t know yer Yuan? Don¡¯t you y Cultivation Online?"

    "Why would I y a game about cultivation when I am already doing it in real life?"

    "No wonder why you don¡¯t know him... Well, let me tell you about yer Yuan and his achievements..."

    And for the rest of their flight, the young cultivators shared information about yer Yuan and his achievements with those that didn¡¯t know of his fame.

    Meanwhile, after returning home, Yuan removed his mask and sat in the living room in an exhausted manner with sweat dripping down his face.

    "Are you okay?" Meixiu asked him as she gently wiped the sweat off his face with a dry towel.

    "Yes... I am fine... But that was more exhausting than I¡¯d expected..."

    "Since the Young Master cannot talk right now, I will exin everything for him," Meifeng said, and he proceeded to recall everything that had happened at the Cultivators¡¯ Association.

    Meixiu expressed disbelief after hearing the situation.

    "Y-You went there as yer Yuan, even threatening the Chairman? Heavens... Are you sure everything will be fine?" Meixiu spoke in a worried voice.

    "We can¡¯t really say for now. Give it a few days and we¡¯ll see if anything will happen. However, they don¡¯t know the Young Master¡¯s identity, so they won¡¯t be able to do anything to him now even if they want to."

    "But Young Master, you really surprised me today, and I am not talking about your identity as yer Yuan. I didn¡¯t even know you can act so domineering. You felt like an entirely different person today! I still have chills just thinking about it!" Meifeng said to him in a somewhat admiring voice.

    "Well... Most of that was just an act since if I didn¡¯t act like that, they wouldn¡¯t have taken me seriously." Yuan smiled.

    ¡¯Was it really just an act? It felt too realistic...¡¯ Meifeng thought to herself.

    "Can you tell me more about your identity as yer Yuan? The Yu Family have asked me to investigate, but I came up with nothing."

    Yuan nodded and proceeded to tell her about his identity as yer Yuan and some of the stuff he¡¯s done in Cultivation Online.

    "I see... That exins why you¡¯re so powerful even in the real world... Turns out that you have been cultivating with a Divine-grade cultivation technique this entire time."

    "What are we going to do now?" Meixiu asked them a momentter.

    "Who knows, but I intend on going to the Jaded Garden to speak with those seniors next month," Yuan said.

    "Are you sure that¡¯s a good idea? What if it¡¯s a trap?" Meifeng said.

    "I think it¡¯ll be fine. If they really wanted to harm me, they could¡¯ve done so back then. All three of them¡ª and probably the other elders there were all Spirit Masters. There was no way I could¡¯ve defeated them by myself. Furthermore, they didn¡¯t appear to be bad people."

    "Why do you want to speak with them, though?" Meixiu then asked.

    "I want to know more about the cultivation world... in this world. Apparently, they have known about cultivation since many centuries again, hence why they have been able to reach Spirit Master." Yuan said.

    "So they¡¯re basically hidden experts that have been secretly cultivating for many years... I am very impressed by how they have managed to keep cultivation hidden from the public for so long." Meifeng said.

    "Yes, I am too. That¡¯s why I want to speak with them."

    "I wille with you," Meixiu said.

    "Of course. I was going to ask you if you wanted toeter." Yuan nodded.

    "Anyways, I am going to take a shower. My body is all sweaty."

    Yuan then entered the bathroom and went to clean himself.

    "You know that he was yer Yuan this entire time?" Meifeng asked Meixiu after he left.

    "Yes."

    "Well, aren¡¯t you a lucky one?"

    "..."

    Sometimeter, Yuan returned to the living room, where Meixiu and Meifeng were watching the news.

    "Look, Young Master. They are already talking about the incident at the Cultivators¡¯ Association¡ª about yer Yuan."

    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    Meifeng said as she turned the volume up a little more.

    "Breaking news! yer Yuan has finally made an appearance today at the Cultivators¡¯ Association! He even confronted Chairman Zhao, threatening to destroy the Cultivators¡¯ Association if they continued to mess with his woman!"

    "Who is this Meixiu that yer Yuan treasures so deeply?! Could it be his girlfriend?! Fiancee!? Perhaps even his wife?!"

    "H-His wife?" Meixiu was speechless after she listened to how the news spoke about their rtionship, making it seem as though they were lovers.

 Chapter 513 - Why Do You Reject My Existence?

    <h4>Chapter 513 - Why Do You Reject My Existence? </h4>

    "Yuan... Isn¡¯t that you?" Meixiu pointed at the television that was currently ying a recording from the surveince camera at the Cultivators¡¯ Association, allowing everyone to witness the drama for themselves.

    They could see two figures entering the building and walking straight towards the front.

    A few momentster, the figure wearing a ck mask suddenly smashed the metal table into pieces, shocking everyone there.

    Then the guards surrounded the masked individuals, but they didn¡¯t dare advance any further for some reason, almost like there was an invisible force that kept them from approaching the masked figure.

    A few minutester, Chairman Zhao and the elders could be seen approaching the masked figure.

    It was at this moment the masked figure walked in front of the Chairman before lifting him into the air by the neck.

    A few more momentster, the masked figure tossed the Chairman like a child getting bored of their toy and walking away.

    However, the masked figure was stopped by the elders, and after some conversation, the masked figure disappeared from the Cultivators¡¯ Association.

    Of course, all of this was yed without any sound. But even without any sound, the spectators could see how domineering that masked figure was, and they had no doubt that he had the capabilities to destroy the Cultivators¡¯ Association from his demeanor alone.

    Seeing yer Yuan for the first time, many people were in awe of his disy of dominance, and those that were already fans of yer Yuan became even more obsessed with him.

    "How embarrassing..." Yuan said with a bashful smile on his face after seeing himself acting so out of character, almost like he was watching a y.

    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    "If I didn¡¯t know you were going to do this beforehand, I would have never guessed that masked figure would be you..." Meixiu said in a dumbfounded voice.

    "I was actually afraid that the Young Master might identally kill the Chairman when he grabbed the Chairman by his neck," Meifeng said.

    "K-Kill? Why would I do something so extreme?" Yuan was surprised to hear this.

    "People do extreme things when they¡¯re angry..." Meifeng said.

    "Even if that¡¯s true, I wouldn¡¯t kill someone just because I am angry... At least I hope I won¡¯t..."

    Suddenly, Meixiu¡¯s phone started ringing.

    "It¡¯s Yu Rou," Meixiu said to them before answering the phone.

    "Hello¡ª"

    "Meixiu?! Are you watching the news right now?! Did Yuan really visit the Cultivators¡¯ Association today?!" Yu Rou asked her in an excited voice.

    "Yes... It¡¯s true..." Meixiu said.

    "Unbelievable..." Yu Rou¡¯s dumbfounded voice resounded after a moment of silence.

    To think her brother would be so daring to storm the Cultivators¡¯ Association shortly after his recovery. She can only imagine what he might do in the future.

    "Is he okay?" Yu Rou then asked.

    "Yes, everything is okay... for now."

    "I think he should be fine as long as nobody knows his identity." Yu Rou said.

    "And even if the Cultivators¡¯ Association learns of his identity, I don¡¯t think it should cause any worries since a lot of people admires yer Yuan. There will be plenty of people willing to help him if he gets into any trouble."

    "Anyways, just stay put for the next few days and see what happens. Also, keep me updated!" Yu Rou said.

    "Okay."

    An hourter, Wang Xiuying also gave them a call to make sure they were okay.

    After dinner, Meifeng said, "Young Master, I will have to go back to work tomorrow, so tonight is ourst night together."

    "I see... It was fun, Miss Meifeng. It reminds me of the day when you were still taking care of me." Yuan said to her.

    "And I will continue to take care of you from the shadows¡ª until I am no longer needed," Meifeng said with a smile on her face.

    That night, Meifeng snuggled closer to Yuan than usual.

    "Good night, Young Master."

    "Good night."

    Once he fell asleep, Yuan returned to thend of dreams.

    "Looks like you had quite some fun today." The handsome man appeared before him, just like he¡¯d expected.

    "Remember, what you experienced today is what it feels like to be the strong. As long as you¡¯re powerful, nobody will dare to defy you¡ª nobody will dare to hurt those close to you."

    Yuan silently stared at the handsome man with a slight frown on his face.

    "What is it?" The man asked him.

    "The way I acted today... You¡¯re affecting me, aren¡¯t you?" Yuan said in a low voice.

    "I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about." The handsome man shrugged.

    "Don¡¯t lie to me! I nearly killed Chairman Zhao today! If I didn¡¯t snap out of my anger, I would¡¯ve snapped his neck in half instead when I had it in my grasp! I had this nearly uncontroble desire to do so!"

    The handsome man chuckled and said, "So what? You¡¯re simply acting true to yourself. You¡¯re worried that if you didn¡¯t kill him, he would eventually return to bother you and your loved ones again, right? That¡¯s why you had an urge to kill that man."

    "Don¡¯t me me for your own desires. After all, I am you. If you me me, you¡¯re simply ming yourself."

    "Why do you reject my existence? You know, the more you refuse to ept me, the more difficult it will be for you when you must ept me, and that time will eventuallye."

    "..."

    Yuan remained silent.

    "Whatever. You don¡¯t need to ept me now, but eventually..."

    The handsome man turned around and began disappearing into the mist.

    Once the man was gone, the scenery changed, and even more of the handsome man¡¯s past began revealing itself to Yuan.

    Yuan wanted to close his eyes and ignore the dream, but s, since he was in a dream, even if he closed his eyes, he would still be able to see the dream. Therefore, he was forced to watch everything until he woke up.

    "Haaaa... Why is this happening to me?" Yuan mumbled in a low voice.

 Chapter 514 Do You Believe In Reincarnation?

    <h4>Chapter 514 Do You Believe In Reincarnation?</h4>

    "Good morning, Young Master." Meifeng greeted him when he walked out of his room.

    "Miss Meifeng? You¡¯re cooking breakfast today?" Yuan said.

    "That¡¯s right. Since I am no longer on vacation, and I will be leaving soon, I want to do something for you before I leave."

    "You¡¯re also up earlier than usual today, Young Master."

    "Yes, I had another bad dream..." He sighed.

    "You know, nightmares usually happen because you¡¯re stressed or when you¡¯re thinking too much about a certain thing. If there¡¯s something on your mind, you should let it out. Although I won¡¯t be here, you still have Meixiu. I¡¯m sure you can tell her about it." Meifeng said to him.

    "I will keep that in mind." Yuan nodded.

    A few minutester, Meixiu woke up and came out of her room, but to her surprise, her mother had already prepared breakfast for them.

    "I only made enough for you two since I won¡¯t have the time to sit down and eat," Meifeng said after cing the food on the table.

    "Thank you, Miss Meifeng. I hope you take more breaks so we can spend more time together." Yuan said.

    Meifeng chuckled and said, "Although I would like that as well, I don¡¯t want to disturb your love nest too much."

    "L-Love nest?!" Meixiu nearly spat out the water in her mouth when she heard Meifeng¡¯s words.

    "Anyways, I will see youter. Stay safe, Young Master. If you ever run into any troubles, give me a call."

    Meifeng then left the ce shortly after.

    Meixiu turned on the television while they ate so it wouldn¡¯t feel as awkward.

    "As many of us had anticipated, Chairman Zhao from the Cultivators¡¯ Association has handed in his resignation letter after yesterday¡¯s drama and will no longer be affiliated with the Cultivators¡¯ Association!"

    "Eh? He resigned? Things turned out much better than I¡¯d expected." Yuan said after chewing and swallowing the food in his mouth.

    "Wow! This food is amazing!" He then realized how great the food tasted and praised it loudly.

    "Of course, your food also tastes great, Meixiu, but there¡¯s something different about Miss Meifeng¡¯s cooking!" Yuan added since he didn¡¯t want to upset her.

    "Don¡¯t worry, I am well aware that I am still nowhere near my mother¡¯s level," she said in a calm voice.

    "I don¡¯t think you shouldpare yourself to Miss Meifeng. Not only are you less experienced, but you¡¯re also much younger than her. If anything, you shouldpare yourself to people around your age."

    Meixiu nodded.

    Sometimeter, Meixiu asked, "What are you going to do today?"

    "Well, it¡¯s been a while since we¡¯vest yed Cultivation Online. I am thinking about ying today."

    "Okay. You can go ahead and y with me. I want to make sure that everything is actually fine before I rx."

    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    "I understand."

    "What about Yu Rou and Xia Jingyi?"

    "It might be a bit early, so give them a text first."

    Meixiu then texted Yu Rou and Xia Jingyi to see if they wanted to y.

    [Yu Rou: Sorry, but I won¡¯t be able to y for a while since I will be busy with a few things.]

    [Xia Jingyi: I am really close to a breakthrough... I think... So I am going to focus on cultivation for now. Sorry.]

    After breakfast, Yuan went into his room andid on the bed. He then wore the console and went inside Cultivation Online without any help for the first time.

    "Wee back, Brother Yuan." Xiao Hua and Lan Yingying greeted him.

    "Good morning, you two."

    "Have you dealt with whatever was troubling you?" Xiao Hua asked him.

    "Yes, I have... for now."

    Yuan then looked around and asked, "Feng Feng still hasn¡¯t returned?"

    Suddenly, Feng Yuxiang¡¯s voice resounded, "I have been back for a while now."

    A beautiful woman suddenly approached them from behind.

    "It¡¯s been a while, Feng Feng," Yuan said to her with a smile on his face.

    "Yes..." Feng Yuxiang nodded, still having some trouble looking straight into his eyes.

    "Where are the others?" Feng Yuxiang then asked.

    "They are currently busy, so it¡¯s just me today."

    "I see..."

    "Well... What would you like to do today?" Feng Yuxiang then asked him.

    "Let¡¯s go somewhere quieter. How about that pond where we studied our techniques?" Yuan suggested.

    "Sure!"

    They then made their way towards the silent pond.

    Once they arrived, Yuan approached the water and silently stared at the water.

    "Did something happen to the Young Master? He feels a little different than usual." Feng Yuxiang noticed this and asked the other two.

    "No idea..." They shook their heads.

    After standing there for a couple of minutes, Yuan turned around and asked the threedies, "Do you guys believe in reincarnation?"

    "Reincarnation?" They repeated.

    "It¡¯s amon topic in the world of cultivation, right?"

    "Well... Although reincarnation is definitely a very popr belief amongst many cultivators from the Lower Heavens to the Supreme Heaven, nobody has ever been able to prove that it exists." Feng Yuxiang said.

    "Do you believe it exists?" Yuan then asked.

    "Of course. In case you forgot, Young Master, I am a phoenix¡ª I am the embodiment of rebirth. However, I have never experienced reincarnation, nor do I know anybody that has been reincarnated."

    "With that being said, even if someone is reincarnated, I don¡¯t think they will retain the memories of their previous life, or it would¡¯ve been proven to truly exist by now." Feng Yuxiang said.

    "I see..."

    "Why are you suddenly interested in reincarnation, Young Master?"

    "Well, it¡¯s been on my mind ever since someone mentioned it to me, and I am sort of in this deep hole that I cannot get out because of it..." Yuan sighed.

    "If you ask me, I don¡¯t think it really matters if reincarnation is real or not. What happened in one¡¯s past life has already ended when that person died. Even if they somehow recall the memories of their previous life, what can they do about it? It¡¯s not as if they could reim the name of their previous life and act like they never died."

    "That makes sense..." Yuan nodded, agreeing with Feng Yuxiang¡¯s words.

 Chapter 515 Relentless Dragon Overwhelms the Nine Heavens

    After thinking about the words Feng Yuxiang spoke to him, Yuan took a seat beside the pond and retrieved the ancient-rank technique Relentless Dragon Overwhelms the Nine Heavens.

    "I am going to spend the rest of the day trying toprehend this technique since it felt like I was getting close to understanding it when I stopped previously. You guys can do whatever." Yuan said to them before focusing on the technique.

    Feng Yuxiang exchanged looks with the other two.

    "Is it just me or does the Young Master feel a little different today?" Feng Yuxiang asked them.

    "Just a little." Xiao Hua agreed.

    "The Lord feels... A little more mature... Or at least the aura around him." Lan Yingying said.

    "Let¡¯s just hope it doesn¡¯t mean anything bad." Feng Yuxiang sighed.

    A few hourster, Yuan stood up and took a deep breath.

    He then positioned himself that made it seem like he was prepared to throw a fist.

    Yuan closed his eyes, and after a moment of silence, he snapped them open and released his fist, sending a powerful wave of spiritual energy that was shaped like a dragon towards the pond.

    BOOM!

    The entire ground shook as the pond was immediately erased from existence¡ª the water and all, leaving a huge crater behind.

    Yuan was left speechless by the destructive nature of the technique that erased an entire pond.

    Fortunately for them, there were no living creatures within the pond.

    <You have learned Relentless Dragon Overwhelms the Nine Heavens>

    "Heavens... Young Master, where did you learn such a powerful technique?" Feng Yuxiang asked him afterward.

    "The Dragon Temple," he said.

    "Such a powerful strength, it must be Divine-rank or above."

    N?velDrama.Org ? content.

    "Yes, it¡¯s an Ancient-rank technique."

    Yuan looked at the sky that was getting dark and said, "I am going to leave now. It might be some time before I return since it¡¯ll be a little busy for me. Also, you don¡¯t have to wait for me. If you want to do something, just go ahead and do it without me."

    "Yingying, you wanted to look around the Lower Heavens, right? You can have Feng Feng and Xiao Hua take you around."

    "I want to explore it with you..." Lan Yingying said.

    "It¡¯s okay, the Nine Heavens is a vast universe. We¡¯ll be able to explore it together plenty when I am able to y more."

    "If it¡¯s your wish..." Lan Yingying nodded.

    "Then with that settled, I will see you guyster."

    "See youter, Young Master."

    "Stay safe, Brother Yuan."

    After saying their goodbyes, Yuan logged out of the game and returned to practicing his movement technique in the real world whilst his servants began exploring the Lower Heavens without him, though it was mostly for Lan Yingying.

    As much as he wanted to y Cultivation Online, there were simply too many things for him to do in the real world.

    Once things calm down, he will return and fully explores the Nine Heavens.

    "Yuan, you know the entire world is looking for you right now, right?" Meixiu said to him during his break from practicing the movement technique.

    "Unless I reveal myself, I don¡¯t think anybody will be able to find me."

    "I guess, but there are also people looking for me since they think that by finding me, they¡¯ll find you, which is true."

    "The only people who know of your identity and location are the Yu Family, Doctor Wang and Wang Xiuying, Xia Jingyi, and Chairman Zhao¡ª And I guess the agency that was hired by the Yu Family," Yuan said.

    "This might be a little troublesome, especially since there are some people who we definitely cannot trust to keep your identity hidden. What do you want to do, Meixiu? Do you want to move out? It¡¯ll be problematic when our doors get flooded with people asking about yer Yuan. We have the funds to do so as well."

    Meixiu pondered for a moment before speaking, "Where can we go, though?"

    "Furthermore, even if they find me, they won¡¯t know that you¡¯re yer Yuan, so I think it would be fine."

    "I still think it would be better for us to move once we find a good ce."

    "Yes, I agree. But for now, let¡¯s just see how things y out."

    "Okay."

    With that decided, Yuan and Meixiu proceeded to spend the next few days just improving their cultivation base.

    During these few days, the Cultivations¡¯ Association had appointed a new Chairman, who made a public apology regarding the actions of the previous Chairman.

    One can imagine why the new Chairman felt the need to apologize, as he didn¡¯t want the mysterious yer Yuan to hold a grudge against the Cultivators¡¯ Association because of thest Chairman, which would be a big blow to them even though yer Yuan was only a single individual.

    Although yer Yuan was only a single individual, his influence inside Cultivation Online wasparable to multiplergepaniesbined, and nobody knows the true extent of his powers.

    One might argue that being influential inside a video game isn¡¯t that important, but when one considers how much Cultivation Online currently affects the world, one would understand why people value yer Yuan so much.

    Ding!

    Early in the morning, Meixiu received a message from Yu Rou that told her to make a call whenever she was avable.

    Meixiu then called Yu Rou the next moment since she was free.

    "Did something happen?" Meixiu asked.

    "Yes. I have decided to join a cultivation faction, so I will be leaving the Yu Family soon." Yu Rou said, dumbfounding Meixiu.

    After all, she¡¯d only told Yuan about her decision to leave the Yu Family during her visit.

    "Y-You¡¯re leaving the Yu Family as well? Why?" Meixiu couldn¡¯t help but ask her.

    "Well, for one, now that cultivation has be fully incorporated into our world, other talents won¡¯t be as valued. In fact, I haven¡¯t had to participate in any lessons for a long time now. This is probably my parents¡¯ way of telling me to give up on music and focus solely on cultivation."

    "Furthermore, I don¡¯t think I can stop ming myself for what happened to you and Brother Tian due to my affiliation with the Yu Family. Hopefully, leaving the Yu Family can relieve some of that guilt..." Yu Rou sighed.

 Chapter 516 Eternal Lotuses

    "Are you still worried about that? Neither Yuan nor I me you for what happened¡ª not even in the slightest." Meixiu said to her.

    "I know, but it¡¯s just a feeling that I cannot shake off. Of course, I have other reasons why I want to leave the Yu Family¡ª such as wanting to be independent like you and Brother Tian. I don¡¯t want to rely on the Yu Family forever, and I feel that if I remain in the family for any longer, I will never be able to leave."

    After a moment of silence, Meixiu said, "I understand. Let me transfer you to Yuan so you can speak with him."

    Meixiu then knocked on Yuan¡¯s room and said, "It¡¯s Yu Rou."

    Yuan opened the door while wearing only his pants, his body soaked in sweat from exercising.

    "Here you go..." Meixiu handed him the phone with a slightly rosy face.

    "Good morning, Yu Rou." Yuan ced the phone on speakers then on his bed before speaking with her while he continued to exercise.

    "You¡¯re exercising already? Don¡¯t push yourself too hard." Yu Rou said to him, as she could hear him exercising.

    "Don¡¯t worry, I know when to stop," Yuan said.

    "Anyways, I am calling to let you know that I have decided on a cultivation faction. I will be joining them next week. They¡¯re also in another city, so I will be moving out soon."

    "Eh? Already?" Yuan stopped moving and expressed his surprise.

    "I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d leave so soon, and going to another city? How far are you traveling? What about this cultivation faction? What¡¯s their name?" Yuan bombarded her with questions.

    "About 8,000 miles away, so I will be traveling pretty far."

    "Eight thousand miles?! That¡¯s around 16 hours with a ne! Why are you going that far? Why can¡¯t you just join a cultivation faction that¡¯s already in this city?"

    After all, it would only be more difficult for them to visit each other the further away they are from each other.

    "Well, this cultivation faction is a little special, and even if it¡¯s a little far, I think it¡¯s worth it." Yu Rou said.

    After a moment of silence, Yuan asked, "What¡¯s this cultivation faction called?"

    N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.

    "They are called Eternal Lotuses¡ª it¡¯s a female-only cultivation faction that¡¯s led by the one and only White Lotus, who is a top yer in Cultivation Online. They already have over a thousand talented cultivators, and they are a powerful faction and also one of the fastest-growing factions in the world."

    "White Lotus?" Yuan recalled hearing this name before.

    "White Lotus is a well-known yer from a top 10 Legacy family. She is also a trustworthy individual ording to my sources. I think it¡¯ll be fine if I go there."

    "Furthermore, I won¡¯t be going there alone. I spoke with Xia Jingyi yesterday, and she agreed toe with me."

    Knowing that Yu Rou won¡¯t be traveling alone made Yuan feel more relieved, but he was still worried.

    After all, Yu Rou was only 16 years old.

    "Brother, I know what you are thinking. I may be young, but I can take care of myself."

    "I know you can... After all, you took care of me for many years. However, it¡¯s a brother¡¯s duty to worry about his sister, right?" Yuan said with a gentle smile on his face.

    "Anyways, have you spoken to your parents about this yet?" He then asked.

    "No... I haven¡¯t, nor do I n on telling them since they will definitely refuse to let me go," she responded calmly.

    "How long do you n on staying there? In the Eternal Lotuses?"

    "I don¡¯t know... But it¡¯s going to be at least a couple of years."

    "Give me the address so that we can visit you in the future when we have the time."

    "Of course, but I don¡¯t think they allow male visitors inside their ce, so I will have to meet you somewhere else."

    "That¡¯s fine."

    Yuan and Yu Rou spoke to each other for many minutes until Yu Rou had to go.

    "I will call youter, Brother."

    "Okay."

    After hanging up, Yuan asked Meixiu, "Do you think we can do a performance before Yu Rou leaves in a week? I don¡¯t care what kind of performance. Even a contest is okay as long as I get to y an instrument."

    "You want to perform in public right now? That¡¯s a little risky, no?"

    "I think it should be fine. I want to fulfill Yu Rou¡¯s dream a little before she leaves."

    "Alright... I will try to do something about it."

    "Thank you, Meixiu."

    Yuan returned to his training shortly after, and Meixiu began looking for a ce where he could perform.

    Two dayster, Meixiu found a ce and said, "There¡¯s going to be a small piano contest in five days, and it¡¯s the earliest one I can find."

    "Five days... Right when Yu Rou leaves, huh? Let¡¯s do it."

    "I have already signed us up for it. It¡¯ll start at 8 AM in the morning, but we won¡¯t be on stage until 10 AM."

    "Great. Now we just need to let Yu Rou know."

    Meixiu then called Yu Rou.

    "Yu Rou, I have a surprise for you. Can youe to this location before 10 AM in the morning?"

    "10 AM? Why? What¡¯s going to happen in this ce? Our flight is at 1 PM." Yu Rou asked.

    "It¡¯s okay, you can go to the airport from that ce. As for why... It¡¯s a surprise. Don¡¯t worry, it won¡¯tst long at all¡ª a few minutes at most."

    "Okay... I will be there." Yu Rou agreed.

    "You won¡¯t regret it! I promise!"

    After hanging up, Yuan and Meixiu began preparing for the small contest.

    Meanwhile, Yu Rou called Xia Jingyi to let her know that they¡¯ll be leaving a little earlier than nned to make a pitstop before their flight.

    And in the blink of an eye, five days passed.

 Chapter 517 Approaching the Stage

    Early in the morning, Yu Rou opened the drawers to her desk and retrieved two items¡ª a yellow envelope and a white letter that she had just writtenst night.

    Yu Rou ced the yellow envelope inside herrge suitcase and the white letter on her desk.

    After making sure that she had everything, she left the building and took a taxi to Xia Jingyi¡¯s living quarters, not even bothering to use her family limousine.

    "Good morning, Yu Rou." Xia Jingyi greeted her at the door.

    "Morning, Jingyi. Are you ready?"

    "Yes, I am."

    Yu Rou looked at her watch; it was 9 AM.

    "We should arrive at the location my brother provided in 30 minutes. I wonder what he had nned for us."

    "If you¡¯re really curious, you can look that ce up and see if there are any events." Xia Jingyi suggested.

    However, Yu Rou shook her head and said, "That¡¯s no good. My brother wanted to surprise me, so I will let him surprise me. It would no longer be a surprise if I know what to expect."

    Xia Jingyi nodded, and after saying her goodbyes to her parents, she entered her family¡¯s limousine with Yu Rou.

    "Please take care of our daughter, Yu Rou." Xia Jingyi¡¯s parents said to Yu Rou.

    "Of course. I will make sure nothing happens to her! I should also take this chance to thank you for letting my brother stay in your apartments." Yu Rou patted her chest with a confident smile.

    "You don¡¯t have to thank us. If anything, we should be the ones apologizing for allowing that incident to ur. We¡¯ll make sure to increase security in that apartment."

    Yu Rou nodded, and she entered the car with Xia Jingyi while the driver packed their suitcases inside the car trunk.

    Once they were prepared, the limousine began driving towards the location given by Yuan.

    Meanwhile, Yuan and Meixiu approached the reception inside arge building.

    "Hello, we¡¯re here to participate in the contest," Meixiu said to the receptionist, who was a little startled when she saw their appearance, as both of them were wearing masks.

    "W-What is the name of the participant?" The receptionist then asked.

    "Tian Yang of Divine Melody," she said.

    "Please give me a moment to look through the system."

    "I have confirmed your registration. I will check you in now. You will be called onto the stage at 10 AM. Here¡¯s your identification card. You can wait in the spectator area or wait in the back room."

    After epting his identification card, Yuan and Meixiu proceeded to the spectators¡¯ area, where hundreds of spectators were watching the current contestant ying the piano.

    "It¡¯s been too long... I am starting to feel a little nervous..." Yuan said with a smile behind his mask.

    "You¡¯ll be fine," Meixiu said.

    The two of them proceeded to watch contestants take their turns at the piano, and because of their masks, they attracted quite the attention from the people around them.

    Though, since masks weren¡¯t prohibited, nobody really approached them.

    Around 9:40 AM, Yu Rou and Xia Jingyi pulled up at the location and left the car.

    "This is..." Yu Rou looked at therge banner hanging above the building and immediately knew what was going on.

    "It¡¯s a music contest... Why did your brother tell us toe here?" Xia Jingyi asked, as she wasn¡¯t aware of his recovery.

    Yu Rou merely showed a gentle smile on her face, and she said, "Who knows. Let¡¯s go inside."

    Upon reaching the receptionist, before they could even speak, the receptionist behind the desk recognized Yu Rou¡¯s face and spoke in an excited voice, "Aren¡¯t you Lady Yu Rou?! What are you doing here?!"

    The people around them heard the name ¡¯Yu Rou¡¯ and turned to look in their direction with interest.

    "Yu Rou?! That music genius who won many internationalpetitions?!"

    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only

    "Hello, I am here to spectate the contest." Yu Rou said with a friendly smile on her face.

    Because of her background, she was very famous within the music industry, hence why the receptionist immediately recognized her.

    "S-Spectate the contest?" The receptionist was taken by surprise by her words.

    Why would someone famous like Yu Roue to witness some small musicpetition? It didn¡¯t make sense. After all, there was nobody famous ying today.

    However, the receptionist didn¡¯t question her and quickly said, "Of course! Please follow me to the VIP seats."

    The receptionist then led Yu Rou and Xia Jingyi to the VIP seats that were in front of the stage.

    Their presence quickly attracted the spectators there, and even the contestant was affected by their presence.

    "Isn¡¯t that Yu Rou from the Yu Family? What¡¯s a bigshot like her doing here?"

    "Who knows... Maybe she¡¯s bored?"

    "Speaking of Yu Rou, I was there to witness herst performance, and it was beyond amazing. I wonder when she¡¯ll do another performance. It¡¯s been a while since she performed, too."

    The quiet spectators¡¯ area turned a little noisy with Yu Rou¡¯s appearance, and although Xia Jingyi wasn¡¯t as famous as Yu Rou, there were some people who recognized her there.

    Time passed quickly.

    The time was 10:05 AM.

    "Our next contestant will be from the Divine Melody. Please wee Tian Yang." The speakers announced after thest contestant got off the stage.

    "Divine Melody? Whatpany is that? I have never heard of them."

    "Me neither. I also don¡¯t know of any Tian Yang. Perhaps it¡¯s a newpany."

    "Haha... Who would create a new musicpany at this time? They should¡¯ve started a cultivation faction instead!"

    Although it seemed like there was nobody interested in this unknown contestant, if one looked at Yu Rou¡¯s face right now, they would see pure excitement and anticipation.

    A few momentster, the spectators there could see a figure wearing a ck mask slowly approaching the stage from the spectators¡¯ area, and there was this unfathomable aura him that made the people there stop talking to focus on him.

 Chapter 518 Tian Yang

    Although nobody there besides Meixiu and Yu Rou knew the identity of the masked contestant, they could somehow tell that he was a professional just by the manner he walked onto the stage and how he sat behind the piano.

    "Yu Rou, this person... He¡¯s very skilled." Xia Jingyi said with a serious expression on her face.

    "I think so too." Yu Rou nodded, still pretending to be ignorant.

    Once the atmosphere waspletely silent, Yuan ced his hands on the piano keyboard and started ying the piano.

    The audience felt chills going down their spine when they heard the first 10 notes being yed, and their ears vibrated with bliss.

    They have never heard or seen such a wless performance before, nor did they expect to witness something this profound in such a smallpetition.

    Yuan¡¯s performance continued to be yed wlessly for the next four minutes, ying the whole song without making a single mistake.

    Every movement he made seemed to be made with elegance and grace, looking like he was dancing while ying the instrument.

    The spectators quickly began specting that Yuan was a professional disguised as a beginner to surprise them, but they were unable to guess his identity.

    "Heavens... Who is this person?"

    The judges there were left speechless by Yuan¡¯s performance. In fact, they only needed to listen to his performance for half a minute to be convinced that he was going to win thispetition without anyone getting close.

    The whole performance onlysted 4 minutes, but it felt like only a few seconds had passed for the spectators, as they were fully absorbed in his performance, feeling like they were in a dream-like state throughout the whole performance.

    After ying hisst note, Yuan stood up and turned to face the dazed audience before giving them a bow.

    The audience remained silent for another moment before they exploded with cheering and admiration.

    "That was amazing!"

    "y another song!"

    "Encore!"

    The judges agreed with the audience, and one of them said, "Contestant Tian Yang, can you do us a favor and y another song? You can pick the song. And don¡¯t worry, it won¡¯t affect your scores regardless of your performance."

    Yuan pondered for a moment before nodding his head and returning to his seat behind the piano.

    After taking a deep breath, Yuan began ying another song.

    However, nobody in the audience recognized this song¡ª nobody but Yu Rou.

    Yu Rou¡¯s eyes widened with shock when she heard this song.

    "Brother..." she muttered in a low voice, trying her best to not shed any tears in public.

    The song being yed by Yuan was a song he¡¯d created for her when he was still actively ying for the Yu Family.

    However, there weren¡¯t any good memories behind this song, as the day after he created this song, Yuan¡¯s body started to break.

    This song didn¡¯tst long and onlysted half as long as the previous song, but it was so intensive and face-paced that it sounded longer than the previous song, and there were more than twice as many notes in this song.

    After finishing his second song, Yuan didn¡¯t stand up and waited for ten seconds before starting his third song.

    Despite this, none of the judges or spectatorsined. In fact, even the contestants there remained silent, as they knew that if they yed after his performance, it would only make themselves look bad.

    When she heard the third song, Meixiu could feel her heart throbbing faster and faster, as this was her favorite song, and memories began flowing inside her head.

    Whenever she was sad and brought to tears by her training, Yuan would y this song for her beforeforting her with a hug, and it would work every single time, allowing her to endure another day of training.

    About three minutester, Yuan stopped ying and stood up.

    He then bowed to the audience for a second time.

    The audience immediately erupted into a frenzy this time, and it was much louder than the previous cheering.

    Yuan started leaving the stage a momentter, and when the judges saw this, they stopped him.

    "W-Wait a minute, contestant Tian Yang!"

    "What¡¯s the matter?" Yuan turned to look at them.

    "Can you tell us a little more about yourself? Who taught you how to y the piano? How long have you been ying?" The judges asked him, as they wanted to obtain some information from him so that they could use that information to guess his identity.

    Yuan then said, "I have been ying since I was young. As for my teachers... I had many teachers throughout my career¡ª too much to name."

    "You can tell us a few names if it¡¯s too many."

    "I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯d rather not." Yuan politely refused.

    "Then can you tell us how old are you currently?" Another judge asked him.

    "I am currently 18 years old, approaching 19," he said.

    "Y-You¡¯re only 18 years old?!"

    The judges were shocked to learn this information.

    If this information was true, then one can only imagine how far he¡¯ll go when he¡¯s already this talented at his young age.

    However, this raised more questions than answered.

    Although there were many talented individuals at his age ying professionally in the music industry, the judges didn¡¯t know of any professional at Yuan¡¯s age with his level of talents¡ª and this was true even for the older professionals, so does this mean he¡¯s actually a new pianist who¡¯s just stepping into the professional scene?

    Where has he been this entire time? How can someone this talented remain as a nobody?

    The judges proceeded to ask Yuan a few more questions, hoping to learn more about him, but Yuan skillfully answered their questions without giving them any information that would give away his identity.

    The judges eventually gave up and allowed him to leave the stage.

    Of course, the moment he left the stage, the spectators surrounded him for autographs even though this was his first appearance, as they were certain that he will be famous in the industry with his talents.R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only

 Chapter 519 Tian Yang 2

    The situation got so bad that guards had to intervene.

    After many minutes of struggling to get the spectators back into their seats, Yuan approached Yu Rou and said, "You must be Yu Rou from the Yu Family. I have heard a lot about you from my teachers. Do you have some time right now? I¡¯d like to speak with you."

    Yu Rou nodded with a calm expression on her face, "I do."

    "Jingyi, you cane too." Yu Rou said to her.

    "A-Are you sure?" Xia Jingyi asked.

    "Yes, it¡¯s fine," Yuan confirmed.

    Xia Jingyi nodded and followed them outside while feeling like she¡¯d met with Tian Yang before.

    Once Yuan left the ce, the contestants were finally able to breathe properly, but none of them wanted to go on the stage anymore.

    The judges understood their feelings and eventually decided to end the contest earlier than anticipated since nobody wanted to y the piano after Yuan¡¯s godlike performance.

    And even if they were to y the piano, the results were obvious.

    Once they were outside and in a secluded area, Yuan said, "What did you think of my performance? Was it like how you remembered?"

    Yu Rou didn¡¯t say anything and immediately went for the hug, taking Xia Jingyi by surprise.

    "Y-Yu Rou?" Xia Jingyi truly didn¡¯t expect Yu Rou to suddenly hug a stranger.

    Or maybe she knew Tian Yang and had been acting like she didn¡¯t.

    "Do you not recognize my voice?" Yuan turned to look at Xia Jingyi as he embraced Yu Rou.

    Xia Jingyi¡¯s eyes widened with shock upon her realization.

    "H-H-How?!"

    One couldn¡¯t me Xia Jingyi for not recognizing Yuan until now, as nobody would imagine that a cripple who couldn¡¯t move for many years would suddenly be able to move, much less y the piano wlessly.

    However, this exined everything. If it was Yuan, who was recognized as a once-in-a-lifetime genius, the wless performance made perfect sense.

    "It just happened, I guess."

    "A-Are you really Yu Rou¡¯s brother...?" Xia Jingyi still held some doubt, as it was too hard to believe.

    "Jingyi, do you think I would touch another man that¡¯s not my brother, much less hug him?" Yu Rou said to her as her arms wrapped around Yuan¡¯s body intimately.

    "N-No..." Xia Jingyi shook her head.

    "Then there¡¯s your answer. I know it¡¯s hard to believe, but it¡¯s true."

    "..."

    Xia Jingyi then watched in silence as Yu Rou and Yuan hug each other for a few more moments.

    "I want us to stay like this forever, but unfortunately, we don¡¯t have much time here." Yu Rou said as she released him from her embrace.

    "Since it¡¯s your decision, I won¡¯t try to convince you to stay. After all, you were the one who decided to take this path." Yuan said to her.

    "Thank you for understanding, brother. I promise you that I will be a strong cultivator during our next visit."

    Yuan smiled underneath his mask and said, "I look forward to when that dayes."

    Yu Rou nodded and then turned to look at the masked figure standing behind Yuan.

    "I already told you this before you left the Yu Family, but let me say this again. Please take care of my brother, Meixiu."

    "I will," she responded in a calm voice.

    Yuan then said, "And please take care of my sister, Jingyi."

    "I¡¯m afraid that I will be the one being taken care of..." Xia Jingyi said with a bashful smile.

    Yuan shook his head and said, "It¡¯s because I know that you¡¯ll be with Yu Rou that I am not as worried about her. If she was going alone, I would probably be trying to convince her to stay now."

    "You really have no trust in me, huh." Yu Rou sighed.

    "You know that¡¯s not true." Yuan chuckled.

    He then asked her, "Will you be ying Cultivation Online over there?"

    Yu Rou nodded and said, "We¡¯ll be cultivating in Cultivation Online and the real world as a group. However, I won¡¯t be able to y with you as often since I have to be with the others."

    "That¡¯s fine. As long as we can still meet each other in Cultivation Online." Yuan said, and he continued, "When you arrive at that ce, try to log inside Cultivation Online. I have onest surprise for you."

    "Alright. I will let you know when I will be avable." Yu Rou nodded.

    After talking to each other for some more, Yu Rou gave Yuan one more tight embrace before returning to the car with Xia Jingyi and heading to the airport.

    "Goodbye, Meixiu, Brother Tian."

    "Until next time, Yu Rou."

    Once Yu Rou and Xia Jingyi left the scene, Yuan said to Meixiu, "Let¡¯s go home too."

    "What about the contest results?" Meixiu asked.

    "I don¡¯t really care about the results since I didn¡¯te here for the reward," Yuan said.

    N?velDrama.Org ? content.

    "Okay, then let¡¯s go home."

    They also returned home shortly after.

    Meanwhile, Yuan¡¯s performance at the small contest was uploaded to the inte by one of the judges when they got their hands on the rey.

    The video quickly acquired traction, especially within the musician circles.

    [Who is this Tian Yang?! I have never heard of him before!]

    [Does anyone have information on this genius?!]

    [18 years old?! I don¡¯t believe it! How can someone so young y so wlessly?!]

    There were only two things that came to one¡¯s mind when one watched the video of Yuan¡¯s piano performance.

    Awe and doubt.

    They were in awe of Yuan¡¯s godlike talents and performance, but they also doubted his identity as an 18-year-old. After all, even the old experts who have decades of experience could not do so with such perfection.

    Shortly after the video went public, countless families across the world began investigating Tian Yang, and they started with hispany Divine Melody that was only recently created.

    However, the owner of thepany and its employers were all private information that cannot be found through normal means, so those with influence began making phone calls to people with authority and influence in hopes of finding more information about the Divine Melody and Tian Yang.

 Chapter 520 White Envelope

    "Dear! Look at this!"

    Tang Lee stormed inside Yu Yong¡¯s room as he worked on thepany.

    "What happened?" Yu Yong looked at her with his eyebrows raised. It has been a very long time since he hasst seen his wife act so excited.

    Tang Lee ced herptop in front of him and yed the video of Yuan¡¯s performance as Tian Yang.

    "T-This is¡ª!" Yu Yong stood up from shock after watching the performance for merely a couple of seconds.

    "This is a genius! A true genius! Who is this masked man?!" Yu Yong quickly asked, but his eyes were still captivated by Yuan¡¯s wless performance.

    "His name is Tian Yang, and he¡¯s currently with a newpany named Divine Melody. However, nobody knows much if anything about this individual or thepany itself since they both showed up out of the blue." Tang Lee exined to him.

    "Nobody? How is that possible? Who¡¯s the owner of thepany?"

    "There are already plenty of people asking around, but nobody seems to have any idea."

    "Nobody? I don¡¯t believe it!"

    Yu Yong immediately retrieved his cell phone and started making calls to many prominent people within the industry.

    "Mister Nick, have you heard about apany called Divine Melody?" Yu Yong asked.

    "Haha... Mister Yu... Trust me, I have heard this name so much today that I am starting to go crazy. You¡¯re calling me to ask about Tian Yang, right? Unfortunately, I have no information on him."

    "I see..."

    Yu Yong quickly hung up and proceeded to call another person.

    "Mister Yu, if you¡¯re calling me about the Divine Melody or Tian Yang, I have no clue." The person who picked up the phone gave it to him straight.

    "Not even you know about them?"

    "Unfortunately, whoever made thepany knew very well what they were doing and kept everything tightly sealed. Unless we find out who helped created thispany, we may never know more about them."

    "Have you tried hacking the system?" Yu Yong then asked.

    "Trust me, you¡¯re not the first person to ask me that, and if it was sessful, I wouldn¡¯t be so empty-handed right now."

    "I understand. Keep me updated if you find anything." Yu Yong said before hanging up.

    Yu Yong proceeded to call many more people, but after an hour of effort, he still knew nothing about thepany Divine Melody or Tian Yang.

    After pondering, Yu Yong decided to call Mister Johnson, who was highly reputable when ites to intelligence and this kind of subject.

    "Master Yu, let me guess... This is about the Divine Melody."

    Yu Yong could already guess the results after hearing Mister Johnson¡¯s opening sentence.

    "What do you know?" Yu Yong still asked.

    "Nothing... as for right now. We have already received a dozen requests to find information on thepany and Tian Yang, but we have nothing as of this moment."

    "Is there no way to contact thispany?" Yu Yong asked.

    "There is a way¡ª one way. Thepany Divine Melody has one contact info¡ª an email address. This is our only lead, and we have already tried to contact them, so we¡¯re just waiting for a response right now."

    "What¡¯s the email address? I will try to reach out to them myself, and I swear to god if you ask me to pay for¡ª"

    "Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t ask for anything. Here¡¯s the email address..."

    After receiving the email address from Mister Johnson, Yu Yong hung up and opened hisptop.

    "No luck?" Tang Lee returned to his room sometimeter and asked him.

    "Nope. Whoever created thepany seems to have expected this situation and has extensive knowledge regarding how things work so we cannot dig out any information about them. However, not all is lost, since we have an email address to contact thepany."

    "What if that doesn¡¯t work?" Tang Lee asked.

    "Then we can only wait until they reveal themselves or make a mistake." Yu Yong said.

    Meanwhile, back inside their apartment, Meixiu stared at herptop with her eyebrows raised.

    After participating in the contest, their Divine Melodypany email suddenly received over a thousand emails, and they only kept oning.

    "Did something happen?" Yuan noticed her expression during his training and decided to ask her.

    She nodded and exined it to him.

    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

    "Ah, that¡¯s normal. They¡¯re most likely trying to recruit me into theirpany." Yuan said, as he has plenty of experience with this even though he was already working for the Yu Family.

    "Yuan, look at this email." Meixiu pointed to a certain email on theptop screen.

    Yuan looked at it with his divine sense andughed, "The Yu Family, too? Well, I am not surprised at all. That¡¯s how they found me in the first ce¡ª because of a video that had gone viral."

    "Are you going to answer to any of them?" Yuan then asked her.

    "No... I think it would be better if we ignore them for now."

    "I think so too." Yuan nodded, agreeing with her.

    That afternoon, in Yu Rou¡¯s living quarters, one of the servants knocked on her door,pletely unaware that she¡¯d left the family.

    "Young Lady, you have been summoned by the Masters." The servant said, patiently waiting outside her door.

    When nobody responded a minuteter, the servant knocked on her doors again and repeated.

    "Young Lady, you have been summoned by the Masters."

    After knocking a couple more times, the servant eventually decided to enter the room in case Yu Rou was ying Cultivation Online.

    "Excuse me, Young Lady."

    The servant opened the door, but to her surprise, the room waspletely empty.

    "Eh? Where¡¯s the Young Lady?"

    The servants are usually aware of her schedule, and Yu Rou would always let someone know if she¡¯d gone somewhere outside. However, there was no news from her today, and even her limousine was parked outside, so where did she go?

    After entering the room, the servant noticed the white envelope on the desk.

 Chapter 521 Bring Her Back!

    <h4>Chapter 521 Bring Her Back!</h4>

    "Master! Master! We have an emergency!"

    A servant working in the Yu Family¡¯s headquarters urgently knocked on Yu Yong¡¯s doors.

    "Enter!" Yu Yong shouted from inside the room with a bad feeling in his guts.

    Once the servant entered the room, he asked her, "What happened?"

    "I-It¡¯s about the Young Lady! She has left the family!" The servant eximed.

    "What?"

    It took a minute for Yu Yong to process those words.

    Once he eventually digested the situation, he immediately frowned and said, "What the heck are you talking about? Why would Yu Rou suddenly leave the family?"

    "T-This letter was left inside the Young Lady¡¯s room when someone went to notify her of your summoning!" The servant quickly ced the white envelope that had been opened on Yu Yong¡¯s desk before taking a few steps back.

    Yu Yong stared at the white envelope that emitted an ominous aura for a few moments before picking it up and reading the contents inside.

    [Dear father and mother, I have decided to leave the Yu Family to join the cultivation faction Eternal Lotuses. You may be wondering why I made this decision. It¡¯s simple. I disapprove of how you all treated Brother Tian and Meixiu, and I cannot get rid of this guilt as the daughter of the Yu Family that mistreated them. Therefore, I have decided to leave.]

    [Don¡¯t even bother trying to convince me to return, because I won¡¯t return even if it¡¯s thest thing I do. If you¡¯re thinking about forcing me back like how you tried to force Meixiu back into the family just to sell her to Chairman Zhao, don¡¯t bother¡ª unless you want to offend the entire Eternal Lotuses that¡¯s the number one power within their city.]

    [However, as much as I despise the family, I must thank you for giving me life and allowing me to meet with Brother Tian.]

    Yu Yong read the letter while his entire body trembled from anger.

    "What an ungrateful child!" Yu Yong mmed the desk before him, creating a crack on the surface and knocking down the stacked documents to the floor.

    "Call my wife here!" Yu Yong turned to look at the servant and spoke in amanding voice.

    "Right away, Master!"

    The servant immediately rushed outside and went to notify Tang Lee of the situation.

    Tang Lee arrived before Yu Yong a few minutester with a deep frown on her face.

    "Is it true¡ª that Yu Rou left the family to join some cultivation faction?" Tang Lee asked Yu Yong who reluctantly nodded his head.

    "Then why are you still sitting there?! Hurry up and bring her back!" Tang Lee shouted.

    Unlike Yuan who was adopted into the family, Yu Rou was a true descendant of the Yu Family, meaning that she was worth much more to the Yu Family despite being much less talented than Yuan.

    Furthermore, Yu Rou was their only child, meaning that if she leaves, they will have nobody to continue the Yu Family unless they give birth to another child.

    Even if she was less talented than Yuan, she could at least fulfill her duties as a child of the Yu Family and continue their legacy.

    However, that was much easier said than done, especially since Tang Lee was already past that age.

    While she could still give birth, it woulde with huge risks to her and the unborn baby¡¯s health, so unless absolutely have to, it wasn¡¯t an option.

    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

    "You have no idea. This situation isn¡¯t as easy as you think!" Yu Yong shouted back at her.

    "Yu Rou went to join the Eternal Lotuses! Although they¡¯re not as powerful as the Cultivators¡¯ Association, their influence is on par with them! We cannot simply force her to return like Meixiu!"

    "Eternal Lotuses? I have never heard of them." Tang Lee said.

    "Look them up. They¡¯re a female-only cultivation faction led by White Lotus, a famous Cultivation Online yer who belongs to a Legacy Family in the top 10. There are also many descendants from the Legacy Family within their ranks. We cannot afford to offend them."

    "Then what are we supposed to do?"

    "There is nothing we can do right now except give Yu Rou some time to calm her head. Once she¡¯s calm, we will try to convince her to return. Otherwise, we¡¯ll have to give up on her and make another child." Yu Yong said.

    "That¡¯s easy for you to say since you don¡¯t have to carry a baby around for 9 months, nor do you have to do any of the hardbor! What about my feelings?! I am no longer at the age where it¡¯s safe to conceive!" Tang Lee shouted.

    "Calm down. This is only the worst-case scenario. There are definitely other methods, but for now, let¡¯s just wait and see what happens." Yu Yong said.

    "Hmph!" Tang Lee didn¡¯t say anything and stormed outside the room in angry steps.

    Time passed quickly, and the following day, Yu Rou and Xia Jingyi arrived at their destination after their nended.

    Once they left the airport, Yu Rou looked around until she found an old woman holding a sign with their names, and she approached this woman.

    "Hello, I am Yu Rou, and this is Xia Jingyi."

    "It¡¯s nice to finally meet you, Lady Yu Rou and Lady Xia Jingyi. You can call me Grandma Yin. I am in charge of bringing the neers to the Eternal Lotuses¡¯ headquarters and a few other things."

    Grandma Yin then showed them to the car that was a white limousine.

    Once they were prepared to leave, Grandma Yin sat in the back with Yu Rou and Xia Jingyi while the driver, who was also a female, drove to the Eternal Lotuses¡¯ headquarters.

    "Allow me to give you a brief introduction to the Eternal Lotuses even though I am sure that you are already aware of such information. It¡¯s mostly for formalities."

    Yu Rou nodded, and Grandma Yin proceeded to exin to them about the Eternal Lotuses.

 Chapter 522 White Lotus

    "As you should know by now, the Eternal Lotuses is a female-only cultivation faction created by White Lotus, who belongs to a Legacy Family ranked in the top 10. She is also a top yer inside Cultivation Online who has recently managed to reach peak Spirit Warrior. As for her real-life cultivation, she has achieved 1st level Spirit Warrior just three days ago."

    "Wow! 1st level Spirit Warrior!" Yu Rou and Xia Jingyi expressed awe upon hearing White Lotus¡¯ impressive cultivation speed.

    Compared to her, they were still in the mid-levels as a Spirit Apprentice, and they were considered geniuses by many people.

    Of course,pared to Yuan, she was stillcking a little, but if Yu Roupared everyone with Yuan, the world would look a lot less interesting and a lot moreckluster.

    "Although the Eternal Lotuses has only recently been made public, it was actually created shortly after Cultivation Online became a thing."

    "Oooh, I didn¡¯t know that." Yu Rou said.

    "Me neither." Xia Jingyi said afterward.

    "Now let me tell you about what will happen once we arrive at the headquarters. Although we have already epted both of you into Eternal Lotuses, you¡¯re actually still required to partake in a simple test. If you¡¯ve gone to the Cultivators¡¯ Association to receive your cultivation card, then you should already know what to expect. It¡¯s mostly to gauge your talents and to see how we should train you." Grandma Yin said.

    And she continued, "There are a few physical tests, but those are mostly just to see your strength and test your limits."

    "Ummm... Can we fail these tests? What happens if we do?" Xia Jingyi suddenly asked.

    "It¡¯s fine if you fail these tests. It just means that we will need to train you more than others so you can catch up." Grandma Yin responded with a calm smile on her face.

    "Once you¡¯re officially epted into the Eternal Lotuses, you will live within the headquarters and be assigned a leader that is usually in charge of about a hundred people. If you wish to leave the headquarters to go outside for whatever reasons, you must speak to an elder or your leader."

    "This is mostly for your safety, as our headquarters are situated a little far from society."

    "What about visitors? Can we have visitors? I have a brother, and he told me that he¡¯d visit me from time to time." Yu Rou asked.

    "Visitors are only allowed inside the headquarters if they¡¯re female, but they must be screened. If they¡¯re a man, like your brother, or they failed the screening, you can only meet them outside the headquarters."

    "I thought so..." Yu Rou sighed.

    "There will also be rules that must be followed as a fellow member of the faction, but we¡¯ll get into more of that once we actually arrive."

    About three hourster, the limousine stopped right outside an unknown wilderness.

    "We¡¯re here."

    Grandma Yin said to them.

    Once they got out of the car and retrieved their luggage, Grandma Yin led the two girls inside the wilderness, where they continued to walk for another half an hour before they arrive before arge gate that was guarded by a group of female guards.

    "Wee back, Elder Yin." The guards greeted Grandma Yin with respect.

    "I have returned with the neers," she said to them.

    "Elder Yin... You know the leader doesn¡¯t like it when you go outside for these minor tasks that could be done by the others..." One of the guards said to her.

    Grandma Yinughed and said, "I was bored."

    "Anyways, let¡¯s take our neers to the weing area."

    Once the gates were opened, Grandma Yin led Yu Rou and Xia Jingyi inside the ce and then to a spacious area that had around 40 other people gathered, all of them neers just like them.

    After waiting for another hour for a couple more people to show up, a beautiful young woman with white hair appeared before the neers.

    When the neers saw this beautiful young woman, they all greeted her with respect.

    "Good morning, Senior White Lotus."

    ¡¯That¡¯s White Lotus?¡¯ Xia Jingyi looked at her unique white hair with interest, as this was her first time seeing her in person.

    It was the same for Yu Rou, but she knew how White Lotus looked beforehand due to the inte.

    "My name is Bai Lianhua or White Lotus. I¡¯d prefer it if you addressed me with the former while we¡¯re in the real world and thetter whenever we¡¯re inside Cultivation Online." Bai Lianhua said to them in a gentle voice that didn¡¯t fit her seemingly cold expression.

    "I will speak with you all againter, but for now, let¡¯s get your living quarters situated. And since many of you have just experienced a long journey, we will be starting the examinations tomorrow. With that being said, you¡¯re not allowed to wander the ce without supervision since you¡¯re still not part of the Eternal Lotuses. If you¡¯re caught sneaking around, we¡¯ll immediately send you home."

    After saying a couple of sentences, Bai Lianhua turned around and disappeared.

    "Senior Bai is really cool..."

    "Right? I think I am in love..."

    The neers were definitely in awe of Bai Lianhua¡¯s overwhelming presence.

    Sometimeter, thedies that came from all over the world were led to the living quarters and were assigned their room.

    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only

    Everybody had to share a room with another individual, and since Yu Rou came with Xia Jingyi, they were automatically assigned to be in the same room, which was exactly what they wanted.

    "We will call you tomorrow when it¡¯s time to do the examinations. Until then, you¡¯re free to do whatever you want with the exception of roaming. If you wish to go somewhere, you can speak with a member wearing this white uniform, and there will always be someone guarding outside."

    The members instructed the neers.

    Once that was done, the neers retired inside the room for the rest of the day.

 Chapter 523 Gif

    "Wow, this ce is bigger than I¡¯d expected." Xia Jingyi said as she looked around the room that had two bedrooms, a living room, a bathroom, a kitchen, and even a small backyard.

    "It feels like we¡¯re studying aboard as exchange students." Yu Rou smiled.

    "Right? I was thinking the same thing!"

    "What should we do now?" Xia Jingyi asked.

    Yu Rou pondered for a moment before speaking, "Since we have the whole day to ourselves, I will use this time to meet with Brother Tian in Cultivation Online just like I¡¯d promised him."

    Yu Rou then unpacked her luggage, retrieving the console.

    "Can I join you?" Xia Jingyi asked.

    "Of course. I don¡¯t see why you can¡¯t." Yu Rou nodded.

    Once everything was set up, Yu Rou called Meixiu to tell them that they¡¯d arrived safely and will be entering Cultivation Online shortly.

    "Although it¡¯s morning here, it should be nighttime where you are right now, right?"

    "Yes. We were just getting ready to sleep, but I will let Yuan know."

    Meixiu then knocked on Yuan¡¯s door and told him about Yu Rou.

    "Hello? Yu Rou? Are you going to enter Cultivation Online in a bit? I will meet you there." Yuan said to her.

    "Sorry for the inconvenience. I know it¡¯ste over there." Yu Rou said.

    "Don¡¯t worry, this isn¡¯t my first time staying upte." Yuan chuckled.

    "Then I will see you in a bit alongside Jingyi."

    "Alright."

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    After hanging up the phone, Yu Rou and Xia Jingyi logged into Cultivation Online and waited for Yuan and Meixiu to appear.

    Meixiu appeared a few minutester, but Yuan was nowhere to be seen.

    "Where¡¯s my brother?" Yu Rou asked Meixiu.

    "He¡¯sing here. He left the city for a moment recently to do something." Meixiu exined to her.

    "Okay."

    Sometimeter, Yuan returned to the city and met up with the others.

    "Where¡¯s Feng Feng and the others?" Yu Rou asked him.

    "Oh, I told them to explore the Lower Heavens without me since I won¡¯t be active for god-knows-how-long," he said.

    "I see... Then let¡¯s go somewhere more private so we can talk." Yu Rou suggested.

    They proceeded to rent a room in a random hotel for some privacy.

    Once they were all seated, Yu Rou began speaking, "Let me tell you about our journey first."

    "Sure." Yuan nodded.

    Yu Rou talked about their flight, the food they had during the flight, theirnding, and their meeting with Grandma Yin and White Lotus. She also talked about their new living quarters and some information about the Eternal Lotuses.

    "What do you think, brother? Are you still worried?" Yu Rou asked him afterward.

    Yuan smiled and said, "Judging by what you¡¯ve told me, the Eternal Lotuses does sound like a safe ce."

    "What about the Yu Family? Have they tried to contact you since you left the family?"

    Yu Rou shook her head, "No, they haven¡¯t contacted me just yet. Maybe they still don¡¯t know about my departure. Or they know but don¡¯t care enough to contact me."

    "I think it¡¯s better if they don¡¯t contact you." Yuan then said.

    "I think so too." Yu Rou chuckled.

    "What about you, brother? How have things been since the contest?"

    "Well... We¡¯ve been receiving a lot of emails since then. In fact, we even got one from the Yu Family. We haven¡¯t read any of them, but we can imagine what they want from us." Yuan said.

    "That¡¯s only to be expected with your level of performance. It will only be worse, you know?" Yu Rou said.

    "Yes, I know."

    After talking to each other for some time, Yu Rou asked, "Brother, what surprises do you have for me? I think I have been patient enough."

    Yuan smiled and said, "Honestly, I wanted to save this surprise until you¡¯re ready to use it, or at least during a more proper setting."

    He then retrieved a beautiful fan from his storage ring and offered it to her.

    "Here. It¡¯s an upgrade to your current weapon. It¡¯s called the Dragon Fan, and it¡¯s an Earth-grade treasure."

    Yuan finally handed Yu Rou the treasure he¡¯d gotten from the Dragon Essence Temple.

    Yu Rou epted the beautiful fan with a speechless expression on her face.

    "T-Thank you..." Yu Rou muttered after a long moment of silence.

    "It¡¯s nothing much, but I hope you like it."

    Yu Rou then jumped off her seat and into Yuan¡¯s embrace.

    "Thank you, brother! I will definitely treasure this fan¡ª as well as the old one! Forever!" Yu Rou said in an excited voice.

    Yuan then turned to look at Xia Jingyi with an apologetic smile on his face, "I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t have a gift for you now. However, I will definitely find one for you in the future."

    Xia Jingyi shook her hand and her head at the same time and said, "It¡¯s okay, you don¡¯t need to worry about me. I don¡¯t deserve any gift, anyways."

    "That¡¯s not true. I will be relying on you to make sure that Yu Rou doesn¡¯t get herself into any trouble, so it¡¯s only natural I pay you back."

    "I won¡¯t get into any trouble!" Yu Rou refuted.

    "Sure, sure..." Yuanughed.

    They proceeded to spend a couple of hours just talking to each other since it might be some time before they can see each other again.

    "Alright, brother. I have taken up enough of your time. Go get some sleep. You too, Meixiu." Yu Rou suddenly said to them.

    Yuan nodded and said, "Remember. If you get into any trouble, let us know."

    "And you¡¯lle to rescue me like a prince on a white horse, right? I know, brother." Yu Rou chuckled.

    "I am serious, Yu Rou. You¡¯re very important to me. I do not wish anything bad to happen to you... or Jingyi." Yuan said with a solemn expression on his face.

    "I promise." Yu Rou nodded.

    After saying their goodbyes and giving each other a hug, Yu Rou gave Yuan a kiss on the cheeks before they eventually logged off to do their own things.

 Chapter 524 Eternal Lotuses

    After logging off, Yuan and Meixiu went to sleep.

    Meanwhile, Yu Rou and Xia Jingyi tried to get used to their new living quarters.

    Once the sky darkened, someone knocked on their doors.

    "Here¡¯s your dinner for tonight." A member of the Enteral Lotuses handed them two trays of food.

    "Don¡¯t worry, this is only for today and tomorrow. You¡¯ll get to eat in an actual cafeteria once you be a member." The member then said to them.

    After epting the food, Yu Rou and Xia Jingyi cleared it with haste, as they were getting a little hungry since they haven¡¯t eaten since leaving the ne.

    The member returned an hourter to collect their empty tes.

    That night, Yu Rou and Xia Jingyi fell asleep with ease.

    The following morning, some members of the Eternal Lotuses gathered the neers and led them to the testing site, where they tested the neers their cultivation talents and their body limits.

    Although there were almost no requirements to join the Eternal Lotuses besides being a certain cultivation level, the neers were required to partake in this exam.

    Fortunately for the neers, failing the exams didn¡¯t mean they¡¯ll be barred from joining the faction, but it meant that they¡¯ll have to put in more effort than the others, as they¡¯ll be training separately from the others.

    The examination took nearly the entire day, and at the end of the day, Bai Lianhua reappeared before them with the results in the form of a piece of paper.

    "There are many ranks within the Eternal Lotuses. From the lowest to the highest¡ª Green Lotus, Blue Lotus, Yellow Lotus, Red Lotus, andstly, Violet Lotus. If you¡¯d acquired above 80 points in the examination, you¡¯ll start out as a Blue Lotus. If you scored below 80 points, you will start at the lowest, Green Lotus."

    "There really isn¡¯t much of a difference between each rank between the Green Lotus and the Yellow Lotus, so you don¡¯t have to worry about being treated differently. The only thing different about each rank will be your training schedule. Everyone will receive fair treatment, meaning that regardless of your rank, you¡¯ll receive the same support as your fellow sisters who may have a lower or higher rank."

    "However, that doesn¡¯t mean you can ignore seniority within the ranks. And in order to incentivize you to increase your position within the faction, I will be allowing those who reach the rank of Red Lotus to train a Heaven-rank cultivation technique and those who reach Violet Lotus to learn a Divine-rank cultivation technique¡ª the same one that I am currently cultivating."

    The neers were shocked to learn this information, as they weren¡¯t aware that someone else besides yer Yuan had acquired a Divine-rank cultivation technique.

    After all, the world announcement only lets the yers know of the first person to obtain a certain rank and not the others, so unless one announced it, nobody would know about it.

    "As for everyone else, you will be allowed to cultivate using an Earth-rank cultivation technique. Of course, this isn¡¯t mandatory. If you¡¯re satisfied with your current cultivation technique, you may continue cultivating with it." Bai Lianhua said to them.

    And she continued, "Now allow me to talk about the rules."

    "There are very few rules within the Eternal Lotusespared to the other factions, but we take these rules very seriously."

    "One, you are not allowed to harm another member in any way unless you¡¯re both sparring against each other during an official match or during practice. Depending on the severity, you will be demoted or receive fewer resources for a certain amount of time. If severe enough, we might even kick you out of the faction."

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    "Two, you are not to leak any information you learn from this ce outside. What happens inside this ce stays inside. Once again, depending on the severity and information you leaked, you will be punished ordingly."

    "Three, you will not do anything that will harm or tarnish the faction¡¯s reputation. Depending on the situation, we¡¯ll punish you ordingly."

    "Four, you will listen to your seniors¡¯ orders as long as it¡¯s awful order."

    "Last but not least, you will not betray the faction or any of its members in any fashion. If you¡¯re caught doing so... getting kicked out of the faction will be the least of your worries."

    "That¡¯s all I have for you. You will learn more about the faction and its members as you live with us. Training begins tomorrow morning after breakfast which starts at sunrise and ends 2 hourster."

    "Goodnight, Senior Bai!" The new members said to her.

    After Bai Lianhua left the scene, one of the members wearing a uniform with red lotuses on it said to them, "Before you all retire for the night, you need to receive your uniforms."

    "If you¡¯ve scored above 80 points today, stand on the right, and if you¡¯ve scored below, stand on the left."

    Yu Rou then made her way to the right side whilst Xia Jingyi, who missed 80 points by only 3 points, stood on the left.

    Once everyone was in line, they followed the Red Lotus member to receive their uniforms.

    Every member received three pairs of uniforms.

    "You only really need two pairs of uniforms since you¡¯ll have your uniforms washed every day, but just in case you destroy one, you¡¯re given a third. If you¡¯re ever down to just two uniforms, ask for another one."

    "Also, Senior Sister Bai didn¡¯t mention this, but if you intend on leaving the faction for whatever reason, you must speak with her before you¡¯re allowed to do so. Though I don¡¯t understand why anyone would want to leave this paradise."

    "If you cannot tell already,pared to the other factions, we¡¯re quite lenient and very fair towards our members as long as they don¡¯t do anything stupid."

    "However, don¡¯t take advantage of Senior Sister Bai¡¯s kindness, because if you anger her... Let¡¯s just say you don¡¯t want to see her angry."

    Sometimeter, Yu Rou and the others returned to their rooms with their new uniforms.

    After a quick shower and dinner, they went to sleep and prepared themselves for training tomorrow.

 Chapter 525 Once a Week

    Early in the morning before sunrise, Yu Rou and Xia Jingyi left their rooms after washing their face.

    Yu Rou was already used to waking up this early in the morning as a Yuan¡¯s caretaker, so she wasn¡¯t bothered by it.

    Xia Jingyi, however, had struggled to wake up. If it wasn¡¯t for Yu Rou, who pulled her nket from her bed, she wouldn¡¯t have woken up.

    "Thank you for waking me up, Sister Rou... It¡¯s only the first day of training and I am already troubling you..." Xia Jingyi sighed as they made their way to the cafeteria.

    "Don¡¯t mention it."

    A few minutester, they arrived before a 4-story tall building that was the size of a mini-mall.

    "T-This is the cafeteria...?" Xia Jingyi looked up at the building with a dazed look on her face.

    Yu Rou looked at the map given to themst night and nodded, "This should be the right ce."

    "Look, there are plenty othersing to this ce. We are definitely in the right ce." Yu Rou added.

    "This ce is just a small city in the middle of the wilderness... I wonder how long did it take them to build this ce..." Xia Jingyi wondered out loud.

    "Probably not long based on what Grandma Yin told us about this ce."

    "Anyways, let¡¯s go inside and see what they have."

    The two of them entered the building a few momentster, and to their surprise, there were food stores on every single floor with at least 6 unique stores and restaurants on each floor.

    "I was just thinking to myself how life will be for us when the nearest city is 3 hours away. I guess this answers it." Yu Rou mumbled in a low voice.

    With this many restaurants and variety of foods, they definitely won¡¯t get bored of the food here anytime soon.

    "If the other ces are anything like this, I wouldn¡¯t mind living here forever," Xia Jingyi said.

    The two of them proceeded to spend a couple of minutes looking for a restaurant to eat at.

    They finished eating in half an hour and used their remaining time to look around the ce.

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    Once it was almost time for training, Yu Rou and Xia Jingyi went separate ways since they were of different ranks, meaning they trained differently.

    Meanwhile, 8,000 miles away inside Yuan¡¯s apartment, Yuan just finished his daily routine and prepared to wash himself.

    "Yuan, are you sure you don¡¯t need any help? How are you washing your back?" Meixiu asked him before he entered the bathroom.

    "Uh... It¡¯s a little difficult, but I can manage," he said.

    "You know you don¡¯t have to do everything yourself. I know you want to rely on yourself now that you can finally move, but you should rely on others as well. At this rate, I will have nothing else to do besides cooking and cleaning the apartment, but who knows when you¡¯ll take that away from me too." Meixiu said in a sighing voice.

    Yuan stopped to ponder for a moment.

    "I am still technically your caretaker, Yuan. Let me assist you like I was trained. You can do everything else yourself. After all, I don¡¯t want to feel like I¡¯d trained for nothing..."

    Hearing her words, Yuan said to her, "Sorry, I haven¡¯t taken your feelings into consideration. Can you please help me wash my back?"

    "Of course." Meixiu quickly responded.

    They entered the bathroom together a few momentster.

    "Take a seat," Meixiu said to him.

    Yuan nodded and sat on a small bathroom chair.

    Meixiu then rinsed his body with water before rubbing his back with her soapy hands.

    Once his back was covered in soap, Meixiu asked him, "Shall I wash the front too?"

    "If you don¡¯t mind," he said.

    "I don¡¯t," she responded and walked to the front before squatting down.

    A momentter, she started rubbing her soft hands on his refined body.

    Starting from the top then moving straight to his legs, Meixiu washed every inch of his body.

    Once there was only a single area left, Meixiu cleared her throat and asked, "D-Do you want me to wash that part too?"

    Meixiu expected Yuan to refuse, but to her surprise, Yuan repeated, "If you don¡¯t mind."

    Meixiu took a deep breath and started washing his cute snake.

    However, that cute snake quickly woke up and turned into a ferocious dragon.

    Seeing this, Meixiu asked him, "H-Have you relieved this part recently?"

    "To tell you the truth, I have tried to do it by myself, even mimicking your movements, but I can¡¯t get it to work. It just doesn¡¯t feel the same," he said in a sighing voice.

    "I understand... Then allow me to do it for you. And don¡¯t you dare use divine sense while I am doing this..." Meixiu said in a bashful voice, and she began relieving him.

    Yuan¡¯s body quickly started trembling with delight from Meixiu¡¯s skillful techniques, feeling a certain sensation that he couldn¡¯t replicate by himself for some reason.

    A few minutester, Yuan released his stress all over the floor.

    "ording to my research, a man should relieve himself at least daily, whiches with certain health benefits. If you want, I can help you every day." Meixiu said to him as she washed the sticky white stuff away with the showerhead.

    "E-Every day...?" Yuan hesitated this time.

    "If that¡¯s too much, we can do it once every other day¡ª or even once a week," she said.

    "Once a week sounds good enough."

    "I understand. Then in addition to washing your body, I will help you relieve your stress once a week." Meixiu said.

    "Okay, but you don¡¯t have to help wash my body every time I want to rinse my body after sweating from my exercise."

    "Then I will help you whenever you take yourst shower for the day."

    "Okay," he nodded in agreement.

    And thus, their life continued in this manner for the next two weeks, with Yuan spending most of his day training his body while Meixiu cultivated normally and did the housework.

    Before they were aware, it has been almost a month since Yuan visited the Cultivators¡¯ Association, meaning that it was about time for him to visit the Spirit Masters he¡¯d met at that time to learn more about cultivation and their history.

 Chapter 526 Taking the Airplane

    "You want to go like this?" Meixiu spoke as she watched Yuan retrieve his wheelchair before sitting on it.

    "Yes, I will disguise myself once I arrive at that ce," he nodded.

    "I guess that makes sense."

    "Will you be able to carry the luggage as well?" Yuan then asked.

    "Yes, I will be fine," Meixiu responded in a calm voice as she carried a massive backpack on her back that looked incredibly heavy.

    Despite its frightening appearance, the backpack mostly had clothes and some other light objects, so it wasn¡¯t actually that heavy¡ª not that it would matter to Meixiu, who could lift a car with her bare hands and without breaking a sweat.

    Since they don¡¯t know when they¡¯ll return, Meixiu packed a little more clothes than usual.

    Of course, if they needed anything, they had plenty of money to buy them.

    Once they were prepared, Meixiu left the apartment with Yuan and took a taxi to the airport.

    Meixiu showed their tickets that had been purchased beforehand to the worker at the airport.

    "F-First-ss..."

    The worker was surprised to see two youngsters riding first-ss that would normally cost tens of thousands of dors.

    Meixiu then handed herrge backpack to the worker so that they could put it on the ne for them.

    After checking in, Meixiu took Yuan to the terminal with their flight.

    "The flight should be here in an hour," she said to Yuan after sitting down.

    "Okay."

    Time passed slower than usual while they waited for the ne, but it eventually arrived, and they were the first onboard due to their first-ss ticket.

    Normally, if one were to ridemercial or even business-ss, they would only get seats, but for Yuan and Meixiu flying first-ss, they got a whole room to themselves. The room didn¡¯t have much space, but it had a bed and a bathroom. Of course, the most important thing was their privacy, as they didn¡¯t have to deal with the other passengers.

    Once they entered their room, Yuan stood up from his wheelchair and stretched his body.

    "It¡¯s been a while since Ist sat in that position for so long... My body is feeling stiff from it." He sighed.

    "How long is the flight again?" Yuan asked Meixiu after taking a seat on the bed.

    "26 hours..."

    "It¡¯s even longer than Yu Rou¡¯s flight? Heavens..."

    "We can go back home now if you want..." Meixiu said in a slightly joking voice.

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    "Aftering all the way here? I¡¯d rather not."

    The ne started moving about half an hour after they boarded it.

    During their flight, Yuan wouldy on the bed and read the magazines provided by the ne.

    Since they were in the air and the ne was quite shaky, it made cultivation very difficult, so they didn¡¯t even bother with it.

    The flight attendants would knock on their door every few hours to provide them with luxurious food that was expected from first-ss.

    If they needed anything to drink, they only needed to call the flight attendants back with the press of a button.

    Obviously, this wasn¡¯t Yuan or Meixiu¡¯s first time flying in an airne, especially Yuan, who was used to flying all around the world to y the instrument for the Yu Family.

    Eventually, it was time to sleep, but they encountered a problem¡ª there was only one bed in their room.

    Although the bed was more than enough to fit the both of them, this would be their first time actually sharing a bed.

    "Are you not going to sleep?" Yuan asked her as heid on one side of the bed in a casual manner.

    "You don¡¯t mind sharing the bed?" Meixiu asked.

    "Why would I? Or did you expect me to tell you to sleep on the floor?"

    "No..."

    Meixiu quickly gave up and got onto the bed with him.

    Yuan quickly fell asleep, but Meixiu was struggling to do so with Yuan being so close to her.

    ¡¯Why am I so nervous? Nothing will happen even if we sleep on the same bed, and we have already done things much worse than sharing a bed...¡¯

    Meixiu eventually managed to convince herself that it wasn¡¯t that much of a deal sharing a bed with Yuan.

    However, when she woke up the next day, she would find one of Yuan¡¯s hands groping her breast.

    Of course, Yuan was still asleep, beingpletely unaware of his actions.

    After her initial shock, Meixiu merely shook her head and gently removed his hands from her chest without making a big deal out of it.

    Yuan woke up shortly afterward.

    "Good morning, Meixiu," he said to her.

    "Good morning," she pretended the ident never happened.

    "How long has it been since we left?" Yuan asked.

    Meixiu looked at the time and said, "We have another 10 hours."

    "I see..."

    And for the remainder of thest 10 hours, Yuan would practice his divine sense by using it to look around the airne until he was exhausted and needed to recover.

    Once he recovered, Yuan would use his divine sense and repeat the next steps.

    "Hmm? What are they doing inside the bathroom?" Yuan identally peeked inside the bathroom and found two passengers¡ª one male and one female¡ª doing some weird stuff in the bathroom that had barely any space.

    "What are you talking about?" Meixiu asked him since he spoke out loud just now.

    Yuan proceeded to exin what he was witnessing with his divine sense.

    Meixiu¡¯s face immediately flushed with redness after hearing the details and realizing what Yuan was watching.

    "S-Stop watching them! It¡¯s rude to intrude on their privacy!" Meixiu quickly said to him.

    "Sorry, but I have never seen anything like that before, so I was kind of distracted by it." Yuan retracted his divine sense the next moment, yet the scene he¡¯d just witnessed was still clear inside his head.

    Meixiu released a profound sigh afterward, silently hoping to herself that Yuan doesn¡¯t ask her for more details about what he¡¯d just witnessed.

 Chapter 527 Helicopter Service

    Ding!

    "We will be arriving at Yang City in two hours."

    An announcer spoke on the speaker shortly after Yuan stopped using his divine sense.

    "Only two hours left, huh? I cannot wait." Yuanid on the bed, feeling like it¡¯s been forever since hest breathed fresh air.

    And for thest two hours, Yuan decided to order the entire menu avable on the airne and indulged himself in their food.

    Two hourster, the ne began descending back to the ground.

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    Once theynded, Yuan took a seat in the wheelchair and waited until Meixiu pushed him outside.

    "Thank you for flying with Royal Airlines." The flight attendants bowed to them as they left the airne and into Yang City¡¯s airport.

    Meixiu then led Yuan outside the airport and into the unknown streets before taking a taxi to the Jaded Garden.

    "We¡¯d like to go to the Jaded Garden," Meixiu said to the driver after entering the taxi with Yuan, who immediately turned to look at them with a baffled look on his face.

    "You want to go to the Jaded Garden?" The man asked her again for confirmation, almost as though he couldn¡¯t believe it.

    "Yes, is there anything wrong with that?"

    The man nodded and said, "You won¡¯t be able to enter the Jaded Garden in any vehicle that doesn¡¯t fly. Despite its name, it¡¯s actually in the middle of a mountain valley 8 hours away from Yang City. I can get you close to that ce, but I cannot enter the mountain range."

    "Is that so... What should we do?" Meixiu asked Yuan.

    Yuan pondered for a moment before speaking, "You said any vehicle that doesn¡¯t fly, which means we can take a ne or helicopter there, right? Are there any services that allow us to travel on helicopters?"

    "There is one three hours away from this ce, but it won¡¯t be cheap."

    "Can you take us there instead?" Yuan said.

    "Sure thing. The fee will be..."

    After paying the driver the fee for the trip, the taxi driver immediately stepped on the pedal and began driving them.

    About three hourster, they arrived at this tall building with multiple agencies working inside.

    "Thanks a bunch."

    Once they left the taxi, Meixiu entered the building with Yuan still in the wheelchair.

    "Hello, how may I help you?" The receptionist waved at them the moment she noticed them.

    Meixiu approached the receptionist and said, "Good morning, I heard there¡¯s a helicopter service here?"

    "Yes, that¡¯s correct. Where are you trying to go?"

    "Jade Garden."

    "Jaded Garden, huh? It¡¯s not that far away, but due to the high terrains and foggy environment in that ce that makes it difficult to traverse even in the air, the price will increase exponentially. If you¡¯re okay with that, please fill out this piece of paper and we¡¯ll get to you."

    Meixiu took the paper and looked at its contents that asked for their basic information.

    "What should I do? Should I use an alias?" Meixiu asked Yuan for advice.

    "I think you can use my real identity since I am basically a nobody here," Yuan said.

    "Okay."

    Meixiu then filled out the paper using Yu Tian¡¯s identity that has long been forgotten. Furthermore, even if they somehow link Yuan to Yu Tian, they won¡¯t be able to find him unless they speak with the Yu Family or those that know his identity.

    "Here you go." Meixiu handed the paper back to the receptionist after filling it out.

    "Thank you. Please give me a minute to calcte the price of the trip. Also, will this be a one-way or a round trip? If you choose a round trip, we willnd and stay at a certain location until you return. However, you¡¯ll have to pay a certain fee for every single day we wait."

    "We¡¯ll do a round trip. If we no longer need the service, can we cancel the round trip?" Meixiu asked.

    "Of course, but you¡¯ll still have to pay the fee depending on how many days you made the pilot wait regardless if you return or not."

    "That sounds good." Meixiu nodded.

    The receptionist then took a couple of minutes to calcte the cost.

    "The total amount will cost 50,000 dors for a round trip, not including the waiting time. The waiting fee will be 1,000 dors for every 24 hours we wait at that location."

    "Here."

    Meixiu ced their debit card on the desk without any hesitation despite the ride costing a whopping 50 thousand dors.

    Clearly, that amount of money wasn¡¯t enough to make her even raise an eyebrow.

    The receptionist dly epted their card and charged them 50,000 dors.

    "I have notified the pilot of your ride. It should be ready within 2 hours. Please wait in the guest room until then. It¡¯s that room over there." The receptionist pointed to the room at the end of the hall.

    Meixiu and Yuan proceeded to wait inside the guest room until their ride was ready.

    A little over two hourster, the receptionist knocked on the door before entering their room with a blonde middle-aged man wearing a uniform.

    "Hello, esteemed guests. Your ride is ready, and he will be your pilot."

    The middle-aged man greeted them with a smile on his face, "My name is Jean. I have over 20 years of experience, and I have traveled to the Jaded Garden over 100 times in my career without a single ident, so you can rely on me."

    Meixiu and Yuan then followed the pilot to the back of the building, where there was arge empty field alongside a couple of helicopters idling inside a hanger.

    The helicopter they were going to ride was already prepared and was waiting for them to board in the middle of the track.

    After boarding the helicopter, the pilot took a few minutes to exin some rules to them.

    "Do you guys have experience with helicopters?" Jean asked them after exining the rules.

    "Yes, we do." Meixiu nodded.

    "I figured. Then let¡¯s go. We should arrive at the Jaded Garden in an hour." Jean said as he operated the helicopter, taking them into the air.

 Chapter 528 Jaded Garden

    "Mister, you mentioned that you¡¯d traveled to the Jaded Garden multiple times, right? Do you know the families that live there such as the Wang Family? Can you tell us a little about that ce as well?" Yuan asked the pilot as they traveled in the air.

    "Of course. The Jaded Garden is a unique ce that¡¯s home to the Six Spiritual Families, and the Wang Family is one of these families. The Six Spirit Families is an alliance of sorts between 6 separate powerful families, but not much is known about them, as they have only revealed themselves recently, quickly bing powerhouses within the cultivation world."

    "In fact, the Jaded Garden used to be a secluded area, but ever since cultivation became known to the world, they began opening their doors to outsiders, even taking some people in as disciples."

    "Is this why you¡¯re traveling to that ce?" Jean asked them.

    "Something like that." Yuan nodded.

    "Well, good luck. It won¡¯t be easy joining their faction. From what I¡¯ve heard, they have many cultivation geniuses that have already reached Spirit Warrior within their background, but I don¡¯t know whether that information is true or fake, and it¡¯s quite hard to believe that there are already people that have reached Spirit Warrior."

    "Many Spirit Warriors..." Yuan mumbled.

    If they¡¯d known about cultivation for hundreds of years now, it wouldn¡¯t be weird if they had Spirit Warriors, and even Spirit Master was possible as they¡¯d already proved to him.

    In fact, it would be weird if they didn¡¯t.

    About half an hourter, they arrived before a mountain valley that was enveloped in thick fog.

    "Can you even navigate inside such a thick fog?" Meixiu asked when she saw the fog in the distance.

    "Yes, it¡¯ll be fine. It¡¯s only foggy at the entrance and high altitudes which we must travel because of the tall mountains. Once we pass the mountain, we can start to descend into the valley where there isn¡¯t as fog."

    "As for the navigating through the fog, we have an autopilot system prepared just for this, allowing the helicopter to autopilot itself through the fog at a predetermined path," Jean exined to them.

    "I see..." Meixiu nodded.

    And just like he¡¯d said, Jean made the helicopter go into autopiloting mode once they reached the fog.

    After another half an hour, they could feel the helicopter descending towards the ground.

    A few momentster, their helicopter emerged from the fog and entered a vast but clear in in the middle of a mountain valley.

    "We have safely entered the Jaded Garden. We will arrive at thending site in 10 minutes." Jean said to them as he regained control over the helicopter.

    Although he could¡¯ve continued to let the helicopter fly on autopilot, he enjoyed controlling the helicopter personally.

    Ten minutester, the helicopternded in a spaciousnd that had a couple of helicopters that belonged to others parked.

    "Here¡¯s my phone number. Call me if you need anything." Jean handed Meixiu a business card that had his name and phone number.

    "Also, I can only stay here for 30 days maximum before I have to return to the agency. If you stay longer than that but still wish to return with me, you¡¯ll have to purchase another ride with the agency including the waiting fee." Jean warned them.

    "As for where I will stay..."

    Jean pointed to a building a few hundred meters in the distance and said, "I will be there if you cannot call me for any reason."

    "I understand." Meixiu nodded.

    Before they left, Yuan asked Jean, "Mister, can I leave my wheelchair here in the helicopter?"

    "Eh? I don¡¯t mind..." Jean nodded his head, but he was definitely taken by surprise by Yuan¡¯s question.

    After all, why would someone who had to travel in a wheelchair leave it behind? Does he intend on letting the youngdy carry him the whole time?

    "Thanks." Yuan then stood up from the wheelchair without any effort before folding it and putting it inside the helicopter, leaving Jean dumbfounded.

    "By the way, which direction do we go?" Meixiu then asked, as she couldn¡¯t see any cities or buildings beside the one Jean pointed to in the area.

    "It¡¯s three miles that way." Jean pointed in a certain direction, and he continued, "Unfortunately, there are no taxi services in this area, so you¡¯ll have to walk there."

    "That¡¯s fine. Let¡¯s go." Yuan said.

    Meixiu and Yuan then quickly left the scene, and since they weren¡¯t in a hurry, they walked very slowly, quietly enjoying the environment and fresh air.

    "I have never smelt such fresh air before," Yuan said after he took a few deep breaths.

    "Yes, this ce has very clean and high-quality air. Every single breath I take makes me feel cleaner inside." Meixiu agreed with him.

    After walking for an hour, Meixiu could finally see some tall buildings in the distance.

    "We¡¯re almost there," she said to Yuan since he couldn¡¯t see that far with his divine sense.

    "Here you go." She then handed Yuan his ck mask before wearing one herself.

    A couple more minutester, they arrived before arge gate where a few guards stood.

    "Hmm?"

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    The guards quickly noticed their presence, and one of them said, "That person is wearing a ck mask. Do you think he¡¯s the person Senior Wang warned us about? What was his name again?"

    "His name is Yuan," said another.

    They were clearly instructed to be on the lookout for a person wearing a mask.

    Sometimeter, Yuan and Meixiu finally arrived before these guards.

    "Hello, is there a ¡¯Yuan¡¯ amongst you two?" One of the guards asked them.

    "That¡¯s right. I am Yuan." Yuan responded in a calm voice.

    "I understand. Please wait for a minute. We have already sent someone to notify Senior Wang. She should be here shortly."

    "Okay." Yuan nodded, and they proceeded to wait some more until the guard that left to find Senior Wang returned to the site with her beside him.

 Chapter 529 Spiritual Elites

    "Thank you for taking your time toe to our Jaded Garden, Yuan." Senior Wang bowed to him in a respectful manner despite their difference in age.

    In the world of cultivation, one¡¯s strength and ability were more valued than one¡¯s age, so one must respect the other if they were stronger regardless of their ages.

    If it weren¡¯t for the fact that they were at the same cultivation level, she would¡¯ve addressed Yuan as ¡¯Senior Yuan¡¯.

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    The guards didn¡¯t know that Yuan was also a Spirit Master like Senior Wang, so her actions left them dumbfounded for a good moment, as they have never seen her act so respectful towards a junior.

    "I am here because I want to know more about cultivation... and your background," Yuan spoke in a calm voice.

    "Of course. That¡¯s why we requested for your presence." Senior Wang nodded.

    "Please, follow me."

    They then followed Senior Wang inside the gates.

    "The others aren¡¯t aware of your presence yet, so allow us some time to prepare." Senior Wang said to them as they walked.

    "What is this ce?" Yuan asked her.

    Although he learned a little about the Jaded Garden from the pilot, he wanted to hear about it from someone who lives here.

    "The Jaded Garden is a special ce created by the Six Spiritual Families where our branches live in harmony as proof of our alliance. However, that isn¡¯t the main reason we created this ce."

    "The Jaded Garden is actually a training spot for the Six Spiritual Families where we send our juniors to learn about cultivation and be cultivators. It used to be a secluded area for many centuries, but now that cultivation is known to the entire world, we decided to open up this ce and use it as the headquarters for our new cultivation faction known as the Spiritual Elites."

    "Spiritual Elites..." Yuan repeated in a muttering voice.

    And he asked, "What are the requirements to join the faction?"

    Senior Wang smiled and said, "Are you interested? If you want to join, we¡¯ll ept you right away."

    "That wasn¡¯t my intention." Yuan quickly responded.

    "Too bad. Maybe we can change your mindter. Anyways, we only have 2 requirements for those who want to join our faction. One, you must be under the age of 21. Andstly, you must be at the very least at the eighth level of Spirit Apprentice."

    "Eighth level Spirit Apprentice below the age of 21? So everyone above the age of 21 will be automatically disqualified regardless of their cultivation levels? That isn¡¯t very fair since the majority of people in this world have only started cultivating a couple of months ago." Meixiu said.

    "That is correct, as we only want young people with potential. Even if you¡¯re extremely talented, if you start cultivating at the age of 21, you will not achieve as much as someone who has inferior talents but started cultivating at a much younger age." Senior Wang responded.

    And she continued, "For example, between two individuals¡ª one who started cultivating at the age of 10 and one who started at the age of 21¡ª the person who started at the age of 10 will have 11 years of experience by the time he¡¯s 21 and will generally achieve more in his life than the person who started at 21 years old."

    "One might argue that the gap doesn¡¯t really matter if the person who started cultivating at the age of 21 had immense talents that allowed him to ignore his setback, but these people are too few and far in-between. However, if someone like that does exist, we could simply make an exception for them."

    Senior Wang¡¯s gaze nced at Yuan for a brief moment when she said that sentence.

    "By the way, this ce has existed for over 500 years."

    "500 years...? Just how long have you guys known about cultivation?" Yuan couldn¡¯t help but ask.

    "I can¡¯t tell you the exact date since we also don¡¯t know, but let¡¯s just say we¡¯ve known about cultivation since we can remember." Senior Wang said.

    "I see... What¡¯s the highest cultivation someone has achieved?" Yuan then asked.

    "Spirit Master," she quickly responded.

    "Even the most talented genius within the Six Spiritual Families has only achieved the 3rd level Spirit Master before he perished. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s possible to reach any higher due to theck of Qi in this world and ack of good techniques."

    "The existence of Cultivation Online might change that since we¡¯ll be able to acquire better cultivation techniques, but that won¡¯t fix the issue with theck of Qi."

    "Anyways, we are here. Please wait a bit for me to gather the others." Senior Wang said as they arrived before arge pond that had a couple of buildings built on top of the water.

    This reminded Yuan of the Dragon Pavilion inside the Dragon Essence Temple.

    Senior Wang then led Yuan and Meixiu to thergest pavilion there.

    Once Yuan and Meixiu sat down around arge round table made of marble, Senior Wang said, "I will now gather the others."

    Senior Wang left the scene shortly after, leaving the two of them alone in this ce.

    "What do you think?" Yuan suddenly asked.

    "What do you mean?"

    "What do you think of this ce and Senior Wang? Can we trust them?"

    Meixiu pondered for a moment before speaking, "I don¡¯t know, that Senior Wang seemed pretty respectful and friendly, but we can never be too careful."

    Yuan nodded and said, "I think so too. Anyways, while I am ¡¯Yuan¡¯, I will be acting a little different than usual to not give away my identity and to make sure they take me seriously, and I kind of gave myself a serious and unfriendly image at the Cultivators¡¯ Association."

    "I kind of figured since you felt a little different than normal since we have arrived at this ce," Meixiu said.

    And she added, "I will also try to act differently."

    About fifteen minutester, Senior Wang returned to theke with five other individuals¡ª all of them with an elderly appearance.

 Chapter 530 Six Spiritual Families

    "That¡¯s yer Yuan? What an unfathomable aura... I can feel it even this far away..." One of the seniors there spoke in a low voice as they approached theke.

    "I didn¡¯t believe when you told me that he was a Spirit Master, but now that I am seeing him personally... heavens..."

    "Do you think he¡¯s from a secluded family? I don¡¯t want to believe that he¡¯d managed to achieve that level after Cultivation Online was introduced..." Another one said.

    "We¡¯ll find out in just a moment."

    A few momentster, Senior Wang and the five seniors stood in front of Yuan and Meixiu on the other side of the table, and they started introducing themselves.

    "Once again, I am surnamed Wang from the Wang Family, from one of the Six Spiritual Families, and I am a Grand Elder."

    "I am surnamed Wu from the Wu Family. I believe we have met at the Cultivators¡¯ Association as well."

    "Surnamed Zhi, and we have also met at the Cultivators¡¯ Association."

    "My surname is Li."

    "Surnamed Xi."

    "And my surname is Hong."

    Yuan stood up and said in a calm voice, "My name is Yuan, and this is my caretaker."

    Meixiu stood up and said, "Surnamed Feng."

    Since Yuan gave himself an alias, Meixiu decided to do the same, especially since her recent incident that made her name public, and she picked Feng Yuxiang¡¯s surname as her alias.

    "Allow us to wee you to the Jaded Garden once again, Yuan. Whether you believe it or not, your presence here means a great deal to us." Senior Wang said to him with a respectful bow by sping her hands together.

    The other elders did the same.

    A momentter, they all sat around the marble table.

    "There¡¯s a lot to talk about, but let us start with our background." Senior Wang said.

    And she continued, "The Six Spiritual Families have existed for thousands of years, but we were not always this peaceful with each other. In fact, we used to be at war with each other until 300 years ago."

    Senior Wu then continued, "However, there was one thing we all agreed upon even during our times of war, and that was to keep the existence of cultivation a secret."

    "Thus, we have managed to keep cultivation a secret from the public while silently cultivating ourselves."

    Senior Zhi then said, "That¡¯s the purpose of this ce¡ª to train our juniors together. It¡¯s like a sect¡ª the same ones you see in Cultivation Online, but we¡¯re much smaller. If you¡¯d like, we can even show you around the ce afterward."

    "I¡¯d like that," Yuan said, as he was curious what a modern-day sect would look like and how itpared to the sects within Cultivation Online.

    The elders continued to spend a couple more minutes talking about their families¡¯ history before one of them asked, "Yuan, can you tell us a little more about yourself? If you want to keep your identity hidden, that¡¯s perfectly fine. What about your cultivation level? When did you start cultivating?"

    He nodded and said, "As you already know, I am a Spirit Master, but I only recently achieved this level. As for how long I have been cultivating... shortly after I began ying Cultivation Online, I guess."

    "Aiya..."

    The elders there suddenly released stressful sighs, and all of them held a defeated expression on their faces for some reason.

    "I was hoping you¡¯d started cultivating many years ago so we don¡¯t look as bad before your talents, but s, you have managed to achieve Spirit Master in less than a year while it took all of us over 100 years to reach Spirit Master. The difference is like heaven and hell... No, it¡¯s iparable..." One of the elders there expressed his distress.

    "Why is there such injustice under this heavens?" Another sighed.

    After a few moments of contemting their lives, the elders eventually gave up and said, "Do you want to take a look around the ce?"

    "Sure," he nodded.

    Although the elders wanted to ask more questions about him, they didn¡¯t dare to ask them, as they were afraid of offending him.

    After all, it was clear to them that Yuan wanted to keep his identity a secret, and as people who have kept cultivation from the world for centuries, they knew very well what Yuan was feeling and his thoughts, so they purposefully avoided asking him questions that could reveal his identity.

    Furthermore, they believed that if they earned his trust, there was a good chance that he would reveal his identity willingly. Until then, they will have to approach him with caution.

    Yuan¡¯s talent that allowed him to reach Spirit Master in less than a year was something iprehensible for these elders that used to be the top genius within their generation.

    "What do you think of the cultivation world this far?" Senior Wang asked him as they walked around him like a group of grandparents and their grandchildren.

    "Although it has its ws, I genuinely enjoy the cultivation world within Cultivation Online, but whether cultivation is a good thing or a bad thing for this world... I still don¡¯t know yet," he calmly responded.

    "I agree. Everything was fine before since there were only very few of us that knew about cultivation if you consider the world¡¯s poption, but now that everyone is aware of cultivation... I fear what might happen in the future."

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    "This is also why we opened up the Jaded Garden to the public to attract talents¡ª because we fear the future and want to prepare ourselves before it¡¯s toote."

    "What do you mean?" Yuan asked her, his interest piqued.

    "You see, inside an ancient scroll left behind by our ancestors, there is a prophecy¡ª that when the world starts cultivation, there will be a cmity."

    "A cmity?" Yuan raised his eyebrows behind the mask, as did Meixiu.

    "Yes, a cmity will befall upon this world, propelling this world into chaos." Senior Wang said in a sighing voice.

    "This is another reason why we decided to keep cultivation a secret from the world. If you want, I can show you the scroll after the tour."

    "Okay," he quickly said.

 Chapter 531 Underrated

    "Hey, look! It¡¯s the Grand Elders! Who are those two masked individuals with them?" The people there quickly took notice of their presence, as the Grand Elders were incredibly influential and powerful people there.

    "I have never seen them before."

    "Me neither."

    "They must be very important if they are being guided by the Grand Elders..."

    While the disciples there tried to guess the identity of these two masked individuals, the Grand Elders led Yuan and Meixiu around the Jaded Garden.

    "This right here is the training hall."

    They first stopped before arge building and exined, "This is where the disciples are lectured and taught how to wield their weapons and cultivate. In other words, it¡¯s where they are taught how to fight."

    "Although we don¡¯t really use ourbat experience in the outside world, we often spar with each other so that we won¡¯t be powerless when we need to fight."

    "It is also one of the most popted ces in the entire Jaded Garden due to its purposes."

    The Grand Elders then led Yuan and Meixiu inside this building that had many floors.

    "The first and second floor is dedicated to disciples who wish to learn the sword."

    Senior Wang said as she opened the door to a spacious gymnasium where hundreds of disciples could be seen practicing their sword techniques.

    "The sword is the most popr weapon for cultivators due to its ease of use and its destructive prowess. That¡¯s why we have two entire floors dedicated to the sword."

    Yuan used his divine sense to watch a few of these disciples practicing their sword techniques.

    Then he noticed something¡ª that their swords were enveloped by a thinyer of spiritual energy.

    "They¡¯re using sword techniques...? Are these techniques from Cultivation Online or something from your families?" Yuan decided to ask them.

    "These sword techniques came from Wu Family since it¡¯s their specialty," said Senior Wang.

    "I see..."

    "If you¡¯d like to learn the technique, you can join our faction and we¡¯ll let you learn as many techniques as you want, and we have over 20 different techniquesbined," she said with a smile on her face.

    "I will consider it," he said.

    Sometimeter, they skipped the second floor since it was the same as the first floor and went straight to the third floor.

    "This floor is dedicated to disciples who wish to learn the spear and polearm¡ª basically long-ranged melee weapons. The Shi family and Xi Family are in charge of this floor since they¡¯re both experts with long-range weapons."

    Yuan silently watched the disciples practice this unfamiliar weapon for the next few minutes, as he has only fought very few opponents who used spears and polearms.

    The most notable fight he had with a long-range weapon was within the Ancient Dragon City when he had to fight many experts.

    Ten minutester, they went to the fourth floor.

    "This floor is dedicated to archery. It¡¯s a unique and underrated weapon in the cultivation world, and in our modern world, they are usually used as a sport."

    "A bow, huh? Now that you mention it... I don¡¯t think I have ever seen a bow wielder inside Cultivation Online. Why do you think they are so underrated?" Yuan asked her.

    "Well, for one, you have to aim using the bow, and people would rather use something more convenient, such as swords since you only need to swing it."

    "Secondly, it requires much more skills and training to fully master the bow."

    "Third, in the cultivation world where most people fight close-quarters, you won¡¯t be able to use the bow efficiently unless you gain distance from your opponent, which is easier said than done."

    "There are more reasons why people don¡¯t use the bow, but these are the main reasons."

    "However, even if the weapon is underrated, it is by no means weak. Once you put the time to master the bow and how to fight with it, it could be an unstoppable weapon, and it would only be even more powerful if you have a partner that can protect you while you fight in the back."

    "The bow can quickly be a nuisance and untouchable in the right situation and the right hands."

    Meixiu silently listened to Senior Wang talk about the bow. Although she¡¯d intended on using her bare hands in Cultivation Online, she was starting to have thought about using the bow, as this will allow her to support Yuan from the rear without getting in his way.

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    And with Yuan in front of her, she was confident that nobody will be able to get to her while she abuses their opponents from a distance.

    However, there was one issue, and that was she didn¡¯t have any experience with the bow.

    Although she has plenty of experience with a gun, she had zero when ites to the bow.

    Twang!

    The sound of strings trembling would constantly resound in the room as a little under one hundred disciples practiced their aiming skills on their targets.

    A couple of minutester, they made their way to the fifth floor.

    "The fifth and sixth floor is thest two floors to this tower, and they are both dedicated to cultivation since the bottom floors are usually the loudest. We also have private cultivation rooms that arepletely soundproof just in case."

    "There isn¡¯t anything fancy like formations in this ce, but this is ce is mostly for ordinary disciples. Elite disciples and us elders usually cultivate at the Immortal Caves, where the spiritual energy is much denser."

    "There are Immortal Caves in this world?" Yuan was truly surprised to hear this.

    "Do you want to see themter?" Senior Wang asked him with a profound glint in her gaze.

    She knew that this could potentially convince him to join their faction.

    "Of course," he quickly nodded.

    "Then let¡¯s make our way to the sparring area. It¡¯s on the way to the Immortal Caves." Senior Wang said, and they left the building shortly after.

 Chapter 532 A Friendly Exchange

    After leaving the training area, the Grand Elders led Yuan and Meixiu to the sparring area that was an open field with multiple stages avable, and there was even a spectators¡¯ area.

    When they arrived at the sparring area, they could see a couple of disciples sparring with each other on the stages, but all of them were fighting without any weapons.

    "Most disciplese here for training and experience, but it¡¯s also verymon for disciples with grievances toe here to release their stress or simply to ¡¯settle things¡¯. Although they get out of hand sometimes, killing or serious injuries that could cripple another are not allowed, or they will be crippled and be forced to work as a servant in one of the Six Spiritual Families." Senior Shi exined to them.

    "Of course, since we risk them revealing the existence of cultivation to the world, we cannot allow them to simply leave the family, so they can either choose to work as a servant or be killed."

    "To be a servant or to be killed..." Yuan mumbled in a low voice.

    Then he asked, "Others can also leak this information, so does this mean that disciples are not allowed tomunicate with the outside world?"

    "You are correct. Most of us live a secluded lifestyle, and when we go outside, we are only allowed tomunicate with the other cultivation families. Though, trusted individuals and high-ranking elders such as ourselves are allowed tomunicate with the mortal world."

    Yuan sighed inwardly after learning about their secluded lifestyle. He couldn¡¯t imagine living such a boring life, where you can onlymunicate with those around you, but fortunately for them, they had other families to keep each otherpanied.

    However,pared to the majority of his life, where he was secluded within his own room for many years with barely any interaction with others, it was still much better.

    After watching the disciples spar for a couple of minutes, one of the grand elders suddenly said, "Fellow Daoist Yuan, if it isn¡¯t too much to ask, can I request for a friendly exchange with you?"

    Yuan turned to look at the old man who just asked this question and said in a calm voice, "You want to spar with me?"

    "Yes." The old man confirmed.

    "You can¡¯t be serious right now, Elder Xi." Senior Wang said with a slight frown on her face.

    "I don¡¯t mind," Yuan suddenly said.

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    He then continued, "However, I will only be dodging your attacks, if you don¡¯t mind."

    "Only dodging?" Elder Xi raised his eyebrows in a puzzled manner.

    "Yes, you can attack me as you like, and if you manage to hit me even once, I will consider it my loss." Yuan nodded.

    There were a few reasons as to why Yuan made this suggestion, but the biggest reason as to why he would only be dodging is simply because he has zero experience in fighting in his current body.

    Although he has plenty of experience in Cultivation Online, things were different in this world, and he didn¡¯t have his sword with him.

    Furthermore, he wanted to test out the movement technique that he¡¯d been practicing for the past month and see how effective it was against the top cultivators of this world.

    "Good luck, Yuan," Meixiu said to him before they entered the stage.

    Elder Xi¡¯s presence quickly attracted everyone¡¯s attention within the sparring area.

    "Look! Elder Xi is going onto the stage! Is he going to spar with that masked person?!"

    "Who is that individual?! Does anyone know?!"

    The people there quickly surrounded the stage with Elder Xi and Yuan.

    "Whenever you¡¯re ready." Elder Xi said to Yuan as they stood a couple of meters away from each other.

    "Attack me whenever you¡¯re ready." Yuan then said.

    "Then here Ie!"

    Elder Xi immediately rushed forward with incredible speed, arriving before Yuan a secondter.

    However, Yuan remained standing there without moving a single muscle.

    The spectators thought that was because he couldn¡¯t react to Elder Xi¡¯s speed, but they quickly realized how wrong they were when Yuan barely dodged Elder Xi¡¯s attack right before the strikended.

    Elder Xi wasn¡¯t too surprised that his attack had been avoided since he was just testing Yuan, so he continued to throw his hands at Yuan, using basic martial arts.

    ¡¯This guy... What a fearsome movement technique!¡¯

    Elder Xi soon realized that Yuan would always barely avoid his attacks, meaning that Yuan was purposefully minimizing his movements to dodge wless while saving himself energy at the same time.

    "Wow! Look at that masked person¡¯s movements! They are so profound! I have never seen anything like that before!"

    "Heavens! Where did he learn such a technique?!"

    This continued for over half an hour with Elder Xi being unable to touch even Yuan¡¯s clothes, much less the person himself.

    Elder Xi eventually stopped moving and said, "I give up... You win this one, fellow Daoist Yuan."

    "What! Did Elder Xi just called him ¡¯Yuan¡¯?!"

    "Could he be that famous yer Yuan?! What¡¯s he doing here?!"

    When the spectators heard Elder Xi addressing Yuan by his name, they all expressed great shock.

    However, if they thought about it, it made sense since only yer Yuan could possibly be powerful enough to defeat their grand elder.

    "You have mepletely beaten without attacking me. I cannot imagine winning if you¡¯re allowed to attack." Elder Xi bowed to him afterward, not feeling bitter despite losing since he was well aware of their disparity.

    "Thank you for the spar as well; it was a good experience." Yuan copied his movements and returned the bow.

    The other grand elders were speechless. Although Elder Xi and Yuan were both Spirit Masters, one had decades more experience than the other, yet Elder Xi couldn¡¯t even touch Yuan¡¯s shadow after 30 minutes of trying? Just what kind of movement technique was he using?

    "Let¡¯s head to the Immortal Caves now, shall we?" Yuan said to the grand elders a momentter, snapping them out of their daze.

    "R-Right! Let¡¯s go!" Senior Wang nodded her head, and they proceeded to leave the area shortly after.

    After they left, the spectators immediately began spreading news of yer Yuan¡¯s presence within the Jaded Garden that spread like wildfire.

 Chapter 533 Trial Disciple

    "What? yer Yuan is currently in the Jaded Garden? How is that possible?"

    "I am serious! I witnessed him spar with Elder Xi and win! He was even wearing his signature ck mask!"

    "But why would yer Yuane here? Maybe he wants to join this faction?"

    "That would be incredible if that was true. Imagine being in the same faction as yer Yuan! We¡¯ll be an unstoppable force!"

    The disciples of Spiritual Elites were both baffled and excited by the news, and all of them wanted to meet yer Yuan for themselves, but that was much easier said than done, as he was currently being escorted by all six grand elders.

    If they bother them, they would risk getting kicked out of the faction.

    "Wee to our Immortal Caves, Daoist Yuan." Senior Xi said to him as they approached this small mountain that had a couple of cave entrances around it.

    Yuan took a deep breath, sucking in the fresh Qi from the ce.

    "You¡¯re right. This ce has an incredible amount of spiritual energy." Yuan said to them.

    "Let me show you inside the Immortal Caves." Senior Wang said as she approached one of the cave entrances.

    Yuan followed her, and the closer they got to the cave, the stronger the spiritual energy became.

    "Wow... This is an immortal cave?"

    Yuan was speechless upon seeing the decoration inside that was the opposite of his expectations.

    He¡¯d expected the ce to be a gloomy cave with nothing but rocks, but to his surprise, there was an entire room filled with furniture inside the immortal cave! And there was even a door!

    "This is a modern-day immortal cave." Senior Wang said with a smile on her face.

    "You probably expected something more boring, but cultivators in our day and age cultivate better in this kind of environment." Senior Wang said with a smile on her face.

    "Look, there is even a bathroom in here."

    After showing Yuan around the ce, Senior Wang said, "If you join us, we can give you one of these immortal caves."

    "Normally, only grand elders and the family heads are allowed to stay inside an immortal cave permanently, but we will make this an exception for you."

    "I will consider it," Yuan said.

    "Hmm..."

    Senior Wang began pondering when she heard his voice that carried a hint of disinterest.

    "How about this Daoist Yuan. You can stay here for a month¡ª or even a week as a disciple. You will gain ess to the Immortal Caves and some of our techniques as if you are an official disciple, but you have no obligations to join us. And once your time as a trial disciple is over, you can decide whether you want to join us or not."

    "A trial disciple?" Yuan raised his eyebrows. He didn¡¯t think they¡¯d go this far just to invite him into their faction.

    "What if I learn all of your techniques and decide not to join?" Yuan then asked.

    "Of course, we have already considered this possibility, and we¡¯re willing to take the risks." Senior Wang said, as the grand elders have spoken about this matter way before Yuan even arrived.

    Furthermore, while she didn¡¯t say it, she didn¡¯t believe that Yuan would be able to learn their techniques so quickly.

    While Yuan¡¯s cultivation speed is, without a doubt, heaven-defying, that didn¡¯t mean he was also as talented when ites toprehension.

    Most of their disciples needed many months to learn a single technique, and even their top geniuses required at least a week to learn a new technique.

    "What do you think?" Yuan turned to ask Meixiu.

    "I don¡¯t really care. Do as you wish," she calmly responded.

    Yuan pondered for a moment before nodding his head, "Alright, we¡¯ll stay here for a week. After all, it would be a shame if I left so quickly after traveling so much."

    "Great! Then starting today, you will be part of our Spiritual Elites! We¡¯ll get your uniformster, but if you don¡¯t want them, just let me know."

    "It¡¯s okay, we have our own clothes," Yuan said.

    Although he agreed to join their faction temporarily, he didn¡¯t want to ept their uniform since that would make him look too much like an official disciple and could even potentially create some misunderstandings.

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    Sometimeter, they left the immortal caves and Senior Wang spoke with the other grand elders regarding Yuan¡¯s decision to join the faction as a trial disciple.

    Of course, the grand elders were very ecstatic to hear this.

    Even if Yuan was only a trial disciple and he decides to leave in a week, they will still have a connection with him at the very least.

    "Daoist Yuan, which immortal cave would you like to use for your time here?" Elder Xi asked him.

    "I don¡¯t really care. Whichever one is avable, I guess."

    "The immortal cave I just showed you isn¡¯t upied by anyone at the moment. You can use that one if you like." Senior Wang said.

    "Okay." Yuan nodded.

    Senior Wang then retrieved a jade medallion from her clothes before offering it to Yuan.

    "Take this. If you run into any trouble within the Jade Garden, you can use this medallion. Only those approved by the grand elders are allowed to carry this, and anyone that dares to challenge the medallion means they¡¯re challenging us, the grand elders."

    Yuan epted the medallion without any hesitation.

    "Then we will leave you alone now. If you need anything from us, you can find us at our family living quarters. Only family members are allowed to approach these living quarters, but you will be fine as long as you have the medallion on you." Senior Wang said.

    "Once again, you may be a trial disciple, but you will have ess to things that even normal disciples cannot reach. I hope you will enjoy your stay here."

    "Thank you." Yuan nodded.

    The grand elders left the scene shortly after, leaving Yuan and Meixiu alone.

    "Why did you agree to stay here?" Meixiu suddenly asked him.

    "During my spar with Elder Xi I realized that I don¡¯t have anybat experience in this body, so I want to acquire some of that experience in this ce. After all, I cannot dodge forever, and there are a lot of interesting things that I want to try out in this ce," he said.

 Chapter 534 Training

    "Experience, huh? I agree." Meixiu nodded.

    "Hm? Are you also interested in something from this ce?" Yuan asked her.

    "Yes, I want to try out archery," she responded.

    "Archery? That¡¯s unexpected."

    "I know, but I think it will be useful one day," she said.

    And she continued, "What about you? It has to be the sword, right?"

    "Yes, but that¡¯s not all I want to do. I also want to try out the other weapons, such as the spear and the rod. After all, the more I understand these weapons, the easier it will be for me when I have to fight opponents using these weapons."

    "That makes sense." Meixiu nodded.

    Sometimeter, they entered the immortal cave and unpacked their luggage.

    Once that was all done, they made their way back to the training area.

    "L-Look at that person wearing the ck mask! Isn¡¯t that yer Yuan?!"

    The disciples around them quickly took notice of their presence due to their unique appearance.

    "Is that really yer Yuan? What if he¡¯s an imposter? There are plenty of people like him out there. In fact, anyone can im to be yer Yuan by wearing a mask!"

    Although some people stared at Yuan in awe, there were also those that doubted his identity.

    After all, yer Yuan was an incredibly mysterious individual whose identity isn¡¯t known by seemingly anyone.

    Furthermore, there have been far too many people faking to be yer Yuan¡ª too many to count, and most of them do it to gain fame, or simply to obtain gifts from others, as everyone was seemingly trying to curry favors with yer Yuan, hoping to learn his identity.

    Of course, due to howmon fake yer Yuans were, it was only logical for people to suspect the current ¡¯yer Yuan¡¯.

    "But didn¡¯t he fight against Elder Xi and win? Who could possibly defeat a grand elder besides yer Yuan?" Another disciple asked.

    "Hmph! As if you can call that spar a fight! Elder Xi wasn¡¯t even using his full strength, and that person had been dodging the entire time! You cannot call that a fight! It was more of a performance than anything!"

    Sometimeter, Yuan and Meixiu arrived at the training building.

    Yuan went straight into one of the sword training rooms and asked the instructor there, "Can I borrow a sword? I¡¯d like to train with it."

    "You want to practice with the sword?" The instructor was baffled by his request.

    After snapping out of his daze, the instructor pointed to the side of the room where a couple of weapon shelves holding swords were located and said, "Go ahead. Most of them are wooden swords with metal as its interior so it feels like a real sword. If you want a real sword... You¡¯ll need permission from the grand elders."

    "I understand." Yuan nodded and proceeded to walk over to the shelves before picking a sword randomly.

    "Wow, this thing does feel pretty heavy. I am not used to feeling this much weight," he said after picking it up and swinging it around a couple of times.

    "But you wield an evenrger sword in Cultivation Online," Meixiu said with her eyebrows raised.

    "The sword may be big, and it may seem heavy, but it actually weighs almost to nothing for me since I am its master," he said.

    After picking up the sword and gettingfortable with it, Yuan said to Meixiu, "Can you bring me to a spacious area that doesn¡¯t have many people?"

    Since he couldn¡¯t see the entire gymnasium even with his divine sense, he asked for her help.

    Meixiu looked around the ce before saying, "Follow me."

    Yuan then followed her.

    The gymnasium was incredibly big¡ª big enough for them to walk a couple of minutes without stopping.

    Once they stopped, Yuan used his divine sense to make sure there wasn¡¯t anyone around them.

    "Stand back a little. I don¡¯t want to hurt you by ident." Yuan said to Meixiu.

    Meixiu nodded and took a couple of steps back until she was many meters away from him.

    Once he was alone, Yuan took a deep breath and recalled his experience in Cultivation Online.

    Although his body wasn¡¯t the same, his memories and experience within Cultivation Online were real.

    After standing there for a few minutes without doing anything, Yuan began moving his body, calmly swinging his sword around.

    Each of his swings was incredibly precise and powerful.

    The other disciples in the gymnasium could see a small arc of wind appearing in front of Yuan every time he swung the sword, causing them to suck in a breath of cold air, as none of them could replicate such a phenomenon.

    "Impressive..." The instructor also watched Yuan practice his sword swings with awe.

    Although there were no sword techniques behind Yuan¡¯s sword swings, his sword still emitted a profound aura, and every swing left a deep impression on the disciples there.

    Yuan proceeded to practice with his sword for the next hour without any disruptions.

    Sometimeter, Yuan stopped swinging the sword and turned to look at Meixiu, who looked a little bored, "Meixiu, you can go practice archery if you¡¯re bored of watching me."

    "Are you sure?" Meixiu asked him.

    "Yes, I will probably be here for a while working up a sweat. I will find you when I am done if you¡¯re not finished by then," he confirmed.

    "Okay. I will see youter." Meixiu nodded and made her way to the fourth floor, where the disciples were practicing archery."

    Once she entered the room, Meixiu looked around until she found someone who looked like the instructor and walked up to her.

    "Hello, I¡¯d like to try archery," Meixiu said to her.

    "Hm?" The middle-aged woman turned to look at Meixiu, who was wearing a ck mask.

    "Are you with...?"

    Meixiu nodded, "Yes, I am."

    "Have you used a bow before?" The bow instructor then asked.

    "No, I have not."

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    "That¡¯s perfectly fine. Follow me to an open aisle. I will teach you the basics." The instructor said with a friendly smile on her face.

    "Thank you." Meixiu then followed her.

 Chapter 535 Archery

    "Here, watch my hands. This is how you properly hold a bow." The instructor showed Meixiu how to hold a bow.

    Meixiu then followed her hand motions and gripped onto the bow.

    "Good, now you bring it up like this and hold it here."

    Meixiu followed her again.

    "Good. Now grab an arrow with your other hand and hold it like this. Then you put it in this position on the bow..."

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    A few minutester, the instructor said, "Good. Now that you know the basics, you need to familiarize yourself with them. Spend a few more minutes repeating the motion of lifting your bow and putting the arrow into the bow. Once you¡¯re ready to head into the next step, we can learn how to draw the bow and then shoot the bow."

    Meixiu proceeded to spend about fifteen minutes repeating what she had learned thus far.

    Once she wasfortable with holding the bow, the instructor taught her how to pull the strings back and her body position while doing so.

    "Now all you have to do is release the string, but make sure you don¡¯t make any random movements. Simply release your fingers and let the bow do the rest of the work."

    Meixiu followed her instructions and released the arrow, sending it flying towards the target that was 50 meters away from them.

    Whoosh!

    The arrow flew straight over the target and went straight into the wall that was reinforced with special material to catch arrows without damaging them.

    "Nice try, but your movements were great. Now you just need to aim and hit the target. Give it a couple more tries."

    Meixiu continued to shoot the bow afterward, and by her third try, she was able to hit the target in the outer areas.

    On her fourth and fifth shots, she got closer and closer to the red circle in the middle of the target.

    On her sixth shot, her arrow barely missed the red.

    Finally, only her seventh shot, Meixiu managed to hit the red circle dead in its center.

    "Not bad." The instructor said, thinking that it was merely luck.

    However, Meixiu continued to shoot, and on her eighth, ninth, and tenth shot, she struck nothing but red, dumbfounding the instructor.

    "Are you sure this is your first time using the bow? You¡¯re very precise..." The instructor eventually said, doubting that this was her first time using the bow.

    Meixiu then said, "Yes, this is definitely my first time. Though this isn¡¯t my first time shooting at targets with a weapon since I have experience with guns."

    "G-Guns...?" The instructor was left speechless by her words.

    She knew that Meixiu was a youngdy by her voice, but what kind of youngdy would have experience shooting guns?

    However, if she thought about it a little more, Meixiu was yer Yuan¡¯s caretaker. It must require extreme skill and talents to take care of someone like yer Yuan, so it sort of made sense.

    Meixiu proceeded to shoot a couple more arrows at the target, and after a dozen shots, she¡¯d managed to hit 11 of them in the red with one barely missing it.

    It was clear to the instructor that Meixiu was very talented when it came to using the bow.

    Meixiu also felt that using the bow was much easier than she¡¯d anticipated. However, she felt that hitting a still target was too boring.

    "Excuse me, do you have any moving targets that I can practice on?" Meixiu suddenly asked the instructor.

    "Yes, we do. Follow me."

    The instructor then led Meixiu into another room that was on the same floor.

    Inside this room that looked a little simr to a firing range, there were a couple of puppets made of straw moving in a set path at the end of the room.

    "How¡¯s this?" The instructor asked her.

    "This is perfect."

    Meixiu then looked for an avable aisle before practicing on the moving targets.

    She missed her first shot, but she immediately fixed it on her second shot, and on her third shot, she¡¯d managed to hit the human-shaped puppet in the head.

    "Who¡¯s that masked figure?" The instructor inside this room asked the instructor that came with Meixiu.

    "That¡¯s yer Yuan¡¯s caretaker. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard of them by now."

    "yer Yuan¡¯s caretaker? No wonder why she¡¯s in that getup. But heavens, she¡¯s very good at the bow."

    "You probably won¡¯t believe me when I say this, but today is her first time using the bow, and she started only an hour ago."

    "What?! How is that possible?!"

    The instructor smiled and said, "I asked her the same thing, and she told me that she was used to hitting targets with guns and that archery was simr."

    "And you believe her?"

    "There¡¯s no reason why she¡¯d lie about such a thing. And the way she handled the bow at first convinced me that she¡¯s definitely new to the bow."

    "So not only yer Yuan is an amazing individual, but even his caretakers are geniuses? Just what kind of household does hee from?"

    "Who knows."

    A few minutester, the instructors approached Meixiu and said to her, "If you¡¯re already ustomed to the moving targets, you can try adjusting it using these buttons. You can not only increase the speed they¡¯re moving but also the distance."

    "Once you¡¯re bored of this ce, I can show you the outdoor training area."

    "There¡¯s an outdoor training area?" Meixiu was interested in this ce.

    "Yes. You¡¯ll have more room to move around there, so you can practice moving and shooting at the same time," said the instructor.

    "Just let this instructor know when you want to go. I will return to the other room for now."

    "Okay."

    The first instructor returned to her room training room shortly after, leaving Meixiu and her new instructor behind.

    Meixiu continued practicing her archery skills that were improving at a tremendous rate, and she would remain in that room for another hour and a half before making her way to the outdoor training area with the instructor.

 Chapter 536 Avoiding and Attacking Simultaneously

    "This is the outdoor training area." The instructor said to Meixiu.

    Meixiu looked around, and she could see disciples practicing things other than archery there, but they were very far in the distance so they don¡¯t disturb each other.

    She then looked at the disciples practicing archery, and they were running around doingplicated maneuvers while shooting their bow at the same time.

    "If you thought archery was as simple as standing still and shooting your targets, you are gravely mistaken." The instructor suddenly said, and she continued, "As an archer, you must not only be precise but also nimble so that you don¡¯t get caught in the enemies¡¯ attacks."

    "Watch this."

    The instructor then called out to one of the disciples practicing and said, "Disciple Jing! We¡¯re going to do a quick practice!"

    "Yes, instructor!"

    The instructor then approached the disciple and stood a few meters away from her, who still had a bow in her hands.

    "Whenever you¡¯re ready." The instructor said to her.

    The disciple then took on an offensive pose and stared at the instructor with an intensive gaze.

    The next second, the instructor leaped forward and attacked the disciple, but the disciple quickly reacted.

    The instructor continued to attack the disciple relentlessly, but the disciple kept on dodging the attacks, and she would even sometimes use her bow to shoot an arrow at the target in the distance!

    The disciple was dodging and attacking at the same time!

    Their disy left a deep impression on Meixiu, who was immediately in awe.

    A few minutester, the instructor stopped attacking the disciple and said to her, "Good job."

    "Thank you, instructor." The disciple bowed to her.

    The instructor then returned to Meixiu¡¯s side and said to her, "Did you see that? That¡¯s what archery looks like once you¡¯re proficient enough."

    "Those who say archers are useless once their opponents close in on them are all worth less than shit. As that disciple had just demonstrated, one can defend themself and attack simultaneously if they¡¯re skilled enough."

    "However, to do that kind of thing requires intensive training and good movement. Your body must react instantaneously, and your body must keep up with your body¡¯s reaction, or you will only stumble and fall."

    "If you intend on learning archery seriously,e here every day and I will drill everything I know into you. I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re yer Yuan¡¯s caretaker. Even if you¡¯re yer Yuan himself, I will not go easy on you." The instructor said to her.

    Meixiu nodded.

    Although the instructor couldn¡¯t see it due to the mask, there was a serious and passionate expression on her face.

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    Fortunately for her, she¡¯d already learned a movement technique inside Cultivation Online. If she could learn this technique in the real world just like Yuan did with his movement technique, perhaps she could integrate it with her archery skills.

    Meanwhile, inside the building on the first floor, Yuan was covered in sweat from head to toe as he swung the wooden sword in his arms thousands of times without stopping.

    A couple of hours have passed since Meixiu left him, but he was too focused to realize this.

    Suddenly, Yuan stopped swinging his sword when he felt a presence approach him.

    He quickly used divine sense to see if it was Meixiu who had returned, but he quickly realized that it was someone else¡ª someone he didn¡¯t recognize, yet he had this feeling that he has met this individual before.

    It was a handsome young man with a somewhat heroic aura around him.

    "Hello, yer Yuan. I apologize if I¡¯d interrupted your training, but I cannot resist my urges, so I came here to see if you wanted to have a friendly exchange. Ah, where are my manners? My surname is Wang¡ª Wang Ming."

    The handsome young man who looked to be around the same age as Yuan introduced himself.

    "Don¡¯t call me yer Yuan. It feels weird, especially since we are not in Cultivation Online." Yuan said to him, and he continued, "You can just call me Yuan."

    "I understand, Yuan. Then what about my proposal?" Wang Ming asked again.

    "You want a fight?" Yuan said in a calm voice.

    "No, not a fight. Just a friendly exchange between two sword users. I have been watching you for a while now, silently admire your sharp sword strikes, and I began wondering what it¡¯ll feel like to be in front of it¡ª receiving such a powerful strike." Wang Ming exined his motives.

    "..."

    After a moment of silence, Yuan said, "Sure. Let¡¯s do it."

    Now that he was used to feeling the sword in his grasp again, he wanted to do something more intensive, and this exchange will satisfy such desires perfectly.

    "We can find an empty area and do our exchange there. Since this is just a friendly exchange, we don¡¯t need to use the arena. Of course, if you want to do that, we can go there." Wang Ming said to him.

    "It¡¯s fine, we can do it here."

    Wang Ming nodded, and then he asked, "Do you need some time to rest? After all, you have been practicing quite intensively for a long time now."

    "I¡¯m perfectly fine," Yuan said, taking Wang Ming by surprise.

    How can someone feel ¡¯perfectly fine¡¯ after swinging such a heavy sword for many hours with barely any rest? Aren¡¯t his arms sore? Or was his body made of metal, so he cannot experience such feelings?

    A few momentster, Yuan and Wang Ming found an empty spot in the gymnasium and decided to use that spot for their spar.

    The disciples inside the gymnasium quickly noticed what they were doing and their blood immediately pumped with excitement.

    "Everybody, look over there! Wang Ming, our number one sword genius, is going to fight yer Yuan!"

    "What?!"

    The disciples quickly gathered and surrounded Yuan and Wang Ming, but they made sure to not get so close that it would disturb their fight. Not only did they not want to disturb such an exciting fight but they also didn¡¯t want to get hit by either Yuan or Wang Ming.

 Chapter 537 Sword of Dominance

    "Whenever you¡¯re ready, Yuan." Wang Ming said as he held his wooden sword in front of him.

    Yuan also held his sword in front of him and tightly grasped the handle and nodded, "I am ready."

    "Then here Ie!"

    Wang Ming immediately kicked his feet and lunged at Yuan before swinging his sword.

    ng!

    Yuan blocked the strike with ease.

    Wang Ming didn¡¯t think too much of it and continued to attack Yuan relentlessly, disying precise and powerful sword techniques.

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    While he blocked every attack, Yuan examined Wang Ming¡¯s cultivation base, and to his surprise, Wang Ming emitted an aura belonging to the 7th level Spirit Warrior!

    Besides the grand elders, Wang Ming has the highest cultivation base out of everyone he has met before.

    Of course, this was only possible since Wang Ming belonged to the Wang Family that has known about cultivation way before the rest of the world, allowing him to start cultivating at a very young age.

    However, even then, he was only at the 7th level Spirit Warrior, still 3 entire levels below Yuan.

    ng! ng! ng!

    As the fight got longer, it also grew more intensive.

    The spectators could hardly blink, as they feared that they might miss the decisive moment the second they decide to blink.

    Furthermore, every time their swords shed, it would make the spectators¡¯ hearts throb with excitement, almost like there was a drum ying.

    ¡¯I can¡¯t break through his defenses! And his strikes are incredibly heavy!¡¯ Wang Ming was at a loss for words.

    Although he¡¯d expected Yuan to be a challenge for him, he didn¡¯t think it would feel so powerless, almost like he was before an immovable mountain.

    ¡¯Since it hase to this, let¡¯s see if you can handle my sword technique!¡¯

    Wang Ming suddenly stopped his attacks for a moment to cover his wooden sword in his spiritual energy.

    Yuan immediately noticed the change in Wang Ming¡¯s sword, but he didn¡¯t panic.

    ¡¯Let¡¯s see how powerful his sword technique is!¡¯ Yuan eagerly anticipated Wang Ming¡¯s sword technique, silently wondering to himself if he would be able to defend against it.

    "Yuan, if you can defend against this sword technique, it¡¯s your win!" Wang Ming announced to him.

    This surprised the spectators.

    "Wang Ming is using his sword technique?! Isn¡¯t that too much in a friendly exchange?"

    "I think he¡¯s doing it because he¡¯s left with no other choice. Meaning that he doesn¡¯t believe that he can defeat yer Yuan without this sword technique. Just how powerful is yer Yuan to push Wang Ming to such a state?"

    "Not only does yer Yuan have his mysterious movement technique that makes it impossible to hit him, but even his sword mastery appears to be very good. If you ask me, I think he belongs to a secluded cultivation family that¡¯s outside the Six Spiritual Families!"

    "Do these secluded families really exist? I mean, there are always rumors about their existence, but we haven¡¯t seen any of them even to this day."

    Meanwhile, after taking a moment to prepare his sword technique, Wang Ming was finally ready.

    "Here ites, Yuan!" Wang Ming warned him before releasing the sword technique.

    Yuan tightened his grasp on the sword and prepared for it.

    ¡¯Sword of Dominance!¡¯

    Wang Ming¡¯s eyes flickered with a golden glow for a moment before he released his sword, sending a semi-transparent golden arc of light at Yuan.

    "!!!"

    Yuan immediately used his sword to block the iing arc of light, but he had a bad feeling about it.

    However, he wasn¡¯t going to dodge it, and he intended on taking it head-on.

    Whoosh!

    The arc of light flew at Yuan at incredible speed and arrived before him almost instantly after it was released, and the moment it touched the wooden sword in Yuan¡¯s grasp, it sliced the wood easily.

    If it were not for the metal core inside the wooden sword, the arc of light would¡¯ve gone straight through.

    However, the metal wasn¡¯t enough to defend against the arc of light and was also being cut.

    "Dodge it!" Wang Ming realized that he¡¯d gone too far with this technique and might actually harm Yuan, perhaps even kill him.

    Of course, Yuan also had a feeling that this arc of light would go through his body once it cuts through the sword.

    And right as before the metal core was cut in half, Yuan sensed the danger and subconsciously reacted.

    Whoosh!

    A profound aura emitted from Yuan¡¯s body, sending chills down everyone¡¯s spine, and the half-broken sword in Yuan¡¯s grasp suddenly gushed with a sharp aura that sliced the arc of light in half and seemingly with ease.

    "W-What kind of sword technique is that?!" Wang Ming eximed in a shocked voice when he witnessed his arc of light destroyed.

    "Huh?"

    Yuan also didn¡¯t know what happened and looked at the sword, and to hisplete surprise, there was a familiar yet otherworldly aura covering the sword¡ª it was Sword Qi!

    He had somehow managed to use Sword Qi!

    However, the moment Yuan lost his focus, the Sword Qi also disappeared.

    The instant the Sword Qi disappeared, the half-broken swordpletely broke in half, leaving everyone there speechless.

    After a long moment of silence, a defeated smile appeared on Wang Ming¡¯s face, and he sped his hands before Yuan.

    "Thank you for the exchange, Yuan. It was an incredible experience for me, especially since I don¡¯t usually have anybody that can fight me equally, much less defeat me. We should spar with each other more often¡ª without using any sword techniques, of course."

    "Likewise, it was also a good experience for me." Yuan sped his hands together while still holding the broken sword.

    "Now that is out of the way... If you don¡¯t mind, can you tell me what kind of sword technique you¡¯d just used? I have never seen anything like that before¡ª not even in Cultivation Online." Wang Ming then asked him, his gaze filled with interest.

 Chapter 538 A Worthy Opponen

    "Of course, if you don¡¯t want to tell me, that¡¯s fine as well." Wang Ming added.

    After a moment of silence, Yuan said, "It¡¯s Sword Qi."

    "Sword Qi? I have never heard of this technique before. Where did you learn such a powerful technique?"

    "Cultivation Online," he responded calmly.

    Wang Ming¡¯s eyes widened with surprise.

    As far as he was aware, there hasn¡¯t been a single person that has sessfully learned a technique from Cultivation Online that wasn¡¯t a cultivation technique.

    "Congrattions, Yuan. You¡¯re the first person I know of that has sessfully learned a martial technique from Cultivation Online." Wang Ming said after his daze.

    "Anyways, it¡¯s gettingte. I will be here again tomorrow if you¡¯d like to spar again." Wang Ming then said.

    Yuan nodded.

    Once Wang Ming left the scene, the crowd around them also dispersed.

    However, they didn¡¯t stop talking about Yuan and Wang Ming¡¯s spar for the rest of the day.

    Shortly after Wang Ming left, Meixiu returned to the first floor.

    "I am finished for the day. Are you ready to leave, or do you want to train more?" Meixiu asked Yuan after returning to him.

    "Let¡¯s go home. I had enough training today." Yuan said.

    Then he noticed the bow and arrows in Meixiu¡¯s grasp.

    "Where¡¯d you get those?"

    "The instructor gave them to me so that I could practice even at home," she said.

    "Looks like you had fun today," Yuan chuckled.

    "Yes, archery was more entertaining than I¡¯d anticipated. I think I will stick with it for a little longer."

    Sometimeter, they returned to the immortal caves.

    Yuan sat down and prepared to remove his mask, but Meixiu quickly said, "Wait a moment. Don¡¯t take your mask off just yet. Let me look around the ce for a little bit."

    Yuan wasn¡¯t sure what she was trying to do but he nodded his head regardless.

    Then he watched as Meixiu searched every nook and cranny of the ce.

    "What are you looking for?" He decided to ask her.

    "If there is any surveince in this ce," she calmly responded.

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    "L-Like hidden cameras? I don¡¯t think they would do something like that..." Yuan said in a somewhat dazed voice.

    "I know, but we can never be too careful."

    Many minutester, once Meixiu was satisfied with the results, she removed her mask and said, "The ce looks clear."

    Yuan also removed his mask afterward.

    "Ah... I am tired... I don¡¯t think I have ever practiced this intensively before, not even in Cultivation Online." Yuan released a long sigh.

    Sometimeter, Meixiu asked, "Do you want to take a shower first?"

    "Yes, I have been sweating all day."

    "You can go inside first. I will follow you after I unpack our clothes."

    "Okay."

    Yuan then went into the bathroom that wasrger than he¡¯d anticipated, and there was even a square bathtub in the corner.

    After removing his clothes and tossing them inside theundry basket, Yuan took a seat and started rinsing his body with warm water.

    "Hmm?" Yuan noticed something different about this water.

    Compared to the water in his apartment, this water actually contained a hint of spiritual energy!

    "The spiritual energy in this ce is so potent that it even affects the water?" He mumbled to himself.

    A few minutester, Meixiu entered the bathroom and started washing his back. Once that was done, she assisted him in the front for a couple of minutes before rinsing him off.

    After drying his body, Yuan left the bathroom to wear some clothes that were neatly folded on the desk.

    Meanwhile, Meixiu stayed in the bathroom to clean herself next.

    Once they were both clean and getting hungry, they realized something.

    "There¡¯s no kitchen in this ce? So we have to eat outside?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    He didn¡¯t mind eating outside, but that would require him to remove his mask.

    "We can get the food there and eat it back here," Meixiu suggested.

    "Let¡¯s do that." Yuan agreed.

    They then wore their masks that had been washed by Meixiu and prepared to leave the immortal caves, but right as they left the ce, they noticed a figure approaching their direction.

    "Senior Wang?" They immediately recognized the identity of this individual.

    "Good evening, Yuan. Where are you heading thiste?" Senior Wang asked them.

    "We are nning on going to the cafeteria for some food since there¡¯s no kitchen in the immortal cave," he said.

    Senior Wang chuckled and said, "That¡¯s exactly why I am here. I forgot to tell you about that, I am sorry."

    "Anyways, the cafeteria is half an hour away from the immortal caves, and it¡¯s mostly for the ordinary disciples, so we don¡¯t normally go there when we¡¯re training in the immortal caves."

    "Then where do you go?" Yuan asked.

    "We either have someone deliver it to us, or we go to a special cafeteria that¡¯s made specifically for people training at the immortal caves."

    Senior Wang pointed to a certain path and said, "Follow this path and you should arrive at a restaurant called ¡¯Silver Restaurant¡¯. It¡¯s only a five-minute walk."

    She then pointed to another path and said, "There¡¯s also an open area where you can do some outdoor grilling if that¡¯s your thing."

    "I understand. Thank you."

    "By the way, I heard you had a spar with my grandson today, and you defeated him spectacrly." Senior Wang suddenly mentioned their exchange today.

    "I knew he was from your family since he had the same surname, but I didn¡¯t think he was your grandson."

    "Yes, you should¡¯ve seen his face when he told me about how he¡¯d lost to you. I have never seen him so happy despite being the loser. I think he¡¯s just happy to have a worthy opponent that can challenge him since he can defeat even the elite disciples quite easily."

    And she continued, "He will surely approach you for more spars in the future. If it ever gets annoying, you can tell me and I will do something about it."

 Chapter 539 A Single Bed

    After their short conversation, Senior Wang left the scene while Yuan and Meixiu made their way to the Silver Restaurant.

    Five minutester, they arrive before a medium-sized building that was painted metallic white, making it appear to be made out of silver.

    They quickly went inside, and to their surprise, it waspletely empty.

    In fact, there were only two tables in the whole building¡ª a small square table with two seats and arge round table with 8 seats.

    "I don¡¯t recognize either of you. Are you new?" The old man standing behind the reception asked them.

    "Yes, today is our first day at the Jaded Garden," said Yuan."

    "Then you probably don¡¯t know this, but we only serve those training at the immortal caves," he said.

    "We are training at the immortal caves," Yuan said, surprising the old man.

    After all, how can someone who¡¯d just joined the faction receive the privilege to train at the immortal caves¡ª on their first day, no less.

    Meixiu could tell that the old man didn¡¯t believe them based on his expression, so she said, "Yuan, show him the medallion you got from Senior Wang."

    Yuan nodded and retrieved the medallion, showing it to the old man.

    The old man waspletely speechless now. Even if he didn¡¯t want to believe it, he had to before the presence of the medallion.

    The old man then straightened his back and bowed to them, "I apologize for doubting you two. Please forgive me."

    Yuan nodded and said, "We¡¯re just here for some food."

    "Of course! Tell me what you¡¯d like to eat and I¡¯ll cook something for you." The old man said.

    "Do you have a menu?" Yuan then asked.

    "Nope! I can cook almost anything as long as I have the ingredients. Even if I don¡¯t have all of the ingredients, I will somehow manage," said the old man in a confident voice.

    "Anything?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    He wasn¡¯t sure what he wanted to eat.

    "Then how about you cook us your best dish¡ª or whatever you rmend?" Yuan said after pondering for a moment.

    "Sure thing! Give me about twenty minutes since everything will be cooked fresh. In the meantime, you can do whatever. Oh, one more thing. Would you like to eat here or would you like the food to go?"

    "To go."

    "I understand."

    The old man then went to the back of the room and proceeded to cook.

    Meanwhile, Yuan and Meixiu went outside to smell the fresh air alongside the old man¡¯s cooking that grew more delicious as time went on.

    About twenty minutester, they went back inside to grab the food.

    "What¡¯s your name? People call me Chef San."

    "You can call me Yuan."

    "Feng," Meixiu said.

    "Yuan and Feng, huh? What unique names. Anyways, I hope you enjoy the food. I¡¯ll see you two tomorrow."

    After getting their food, Yuan and Meixiu returned to their immortal caves, their mouth salivating the entire time as they couldn¡¯t wait to taste whatever Chef San cooked, as the fragrance just smelled too good.

    Once they returned home, they immediately opened the food, and to their surprise, there was a lot of food¡ª more than one would anticipate for two people.

    "Why did he give us so much food? Does he really expect two of us to eat all of this?" Meixiu mumbled, as there were enough to feed four¡ª even five people.

    "Maybe he was feeling generous since it¡¯s our first day here," Yuan said, not thinking too much about it.

    Thus, they began eating the food shortly after.

    "Heavens! The vor is indescribably delicious! I have never tasted food this amazing before outside of Cultivation Online!" Yuan eximed after taking his first bite.

    Meixiu nodded her head in agreement.

    Besides the food at the Dragon Pavilion, nothing couldpare to Chef San¡¯s cooking skills.

    The food was so amazing that Meixiu was wondering if she should ask the old man to teach her how to cook better.

    Of course, Meixiu is a pretty amazing cook herself, butpared to Chef San who has decades of cooking experience within a cultivation family, the disparity was too vast, and it wasn¡¯t fair topare them.

    "I¡¯m definitely going back tomorrow morning for breakfast," Yuan said after they finished eating all of the food.

    "You can really eat..."

    Even though she already knew about his massive appetite, it was still surprising to see him eat so much food.

    Sometimeter, after washing their face and brushing their teeth, they went to the bedroom to sleep.

    However, there was a problem.

    "There¡¯s only one bed...?"

    Yuan and Meixiu stood before the only bed in the entire ce.

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    After all, immortal caves were built with a single person in mind, since they are mostly for training, and most people cultivate alone, so there wasn¡¯t any need for a second bed.

    "At least it¡¯s big enough to fit both of us," Yuan said.

    "I-It¡¯s okay, I can sleep outside," Meixiu said.

    Although she had slept on the same bed with him on the airne, she had the courage to do so only because it was for a single day. Doing so for many days was too much for her at the moment.

    "That¡¯s not good. I don¡¯t mind even if you sleep with me, and where are you going to sleep outside? There are no couches." Yuan said, not minding that he has to sleep with Meixiu, as they have already done it once.

    "..."

    Meixiu didn¡¯t know how to respond to his question since she¡¯d said such words without thinking about it.

    Yuan then got inside the bed and under the nkets before patting the space beside him.

    "Come, sleep with me," he said in a calm voice.

    Meixiu sighed inwardly. Although she had thought him somemon sense, there are some things that cannot be taught through words alone.

    Meixiu eventually gave up and entered the bed with Yuan, spending the rest of the night together in the same bed.

 Chapter 540 Guests at the Yu Family

    "Good night, Meixiu," Yuan said to her as he gotfortable underneath the nkets.

    "Good night," Meixiu responded in a somewhat nervous voice, trying her best to not think too much about their situation.

    ¡¯Nothing will happen... Yuan... He¡¯s not someone who would do such a thing unless I initiate it...¡¯ She eventually convinced herself that nothing will happen and slowly fell asleep.

    They wake up the following morning without any incidents, and they returned to the Silver Restaurant for breakfast.

    "Good morning, youngds. What do you think of yesterdays¡¯ food? Was it to your liking?" Chef San asked them the moment they entered the restaurant.

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    "Yes, it was amazing, and thank you for giving us so much food," Yuan said to him.

    Chef Sanughed out loud and said, "If I didn¡¯t cook so much food, you¡¯d starve the entire night, young man.

    "Eh?" Yuan was surprised to hear this and wondered why he would say such a thing.

    "I can tell just by looking at your body¡ª that you require a lot of energy, so I purposefully made more food for you. You eat a lot, right?"

    "I-I guess..." Yuan said,pletely dumbfounded now.

    How does one tell how much someone can eat just by looking at their body? Is Chef San using a cultivation technique?

    "Thank you for the food."

    Sometimeter, Yuan and Meixiu left the restaurant and returned back to the immortal caves to eat their breakfast that tasted as amazing asst night¡¯s dinner.

    After breakfast, they spent a few hours cultivating, as the spiritual energy in their area was too good to not cultivate.

    Once their bodies were filled with energy, Yuan and Meixiu made their way to the training tower, where they would proceed to spend the rest of the day training.

    "I will see youter. If you need anything, you can find me on the fourth floor. If I am not there, I am at the outdoor training area." Meixiu said to Yuan before separating from him.

    "There¡¯s an outdoor training area?" Yuan asked, as this was his first time hearing about it.

    "Yes, you follow this path behind the building, and it will lead you to arge outdoor training area."

    "Alright, I will check it out when I have the time." Yuan nodded.

    A few minutester, Meixiu arrived at the fourth floor and was immediately weed by the instructor.

    At the same time, Yuan was approached by Wang Ming the moment he noticed Yuan entering the gymnasium.

    "Hey, Yuan! How about another round?" Wang Ming asked with a bright smile on his face.

    "Sure." Yuan calmly nodded, and they went to look for a spacious area to spar again, which quickly attracted the attention of other disciples in the gymnasium.

    Meanwhile, tens of thousands of miles away, back in their hometown, the Yu Family sat before two individuals with a seemingly nervous expression on their faces, which was very unnatural and rare.

    In fact, they weren¡¯t this nervous even when dealing with Chairman Zhao.

    One of these two individuals was sitting on the couch, and she was a graceful youngdy who appeared to be around 18 years old, wearing a luxurious red dress adorned with gems.

    The second guest was an old man wearing a butler suit, and he was standing behind the youngdy, clearly her caretaker.

    "W-What brings you to our humble Yu Family, esteemed guests?" Yu Yong asked them.

    The youngdy calmly sipped on the tea that had been provided by the Yu Family before quickly putting it down.

    "Whoever made this tea should learn how to make tea," she said.

    Yu Yong and Tang Lee¡¯s eyebrows uncontrobly twitched when they heard her words, but they didn¡¯t get angry.

    Yu Yong even put on a forced smile on his face before speaking, "I apologize for the inconvenience, Lady Chu, and I will make sure whoever made this tea will be removed for their ipetence."

    The youngdy didn¡¯t say anything else for a good minute before she looked around and asked, "If I recall correctly, you should have a daughter and a son. Where are they?"

    Although he was taken aback by such a random question, Yu Yong responded, "They are currently busy and away from the family."

    "Hmmm... Is that so?" The youngdy remained calm, acting like she didn¡¯t care about his answer.

    "Then where did they go?"

    "Our daughter Yu Rou is currently in another city after joining a faction." Yu Yong said, purposefully ignoring Yuan.

    The youngdy then said, "Just your daughter? What about your son, Yu Tian?"

    Both Yu Yong and Tang Lee had a bad feeling about this youngdy when the name Yu Tian came out of her mouth.

    "H-He¡¯s also in another city being looked at by the doctors there." Yu Yong said.

    Although he could¡¯ve told her that Yu Tian had left the family, he was afraid that she might ask more questions, so he gave her something less questionable.

    "I see... Do you mind telling me which city? I¡¯d like to meet him¡ª Yu Tian." The youngdy suddenly said.

    "You want to meet him? Why?" Yu Yong was baffled by this sudden turn of events.

    Why would this youngdy who has no connection to the Yu Family suddenly want to meet their son? Could she be another one of his fans in the past?

    "Why not? I heard that he used to be an amazing musician," she calmly said.

    "He may have been an amazing musician, but after he got sick, he had to give up on music. Furthermore, his condition... I am afraid that you will only be disappointed." Yu Yong said.

    "I won¡¯t mind it even if I am disappointed. Let me see him," she insisted.

    "I¡¯m sorry, Lady Chu, but he¡¯s currently in a situation that doesn¡¯t allow visitors. If you want, we can notify you when he returns." Tang Lee said to her, silently pondering to herself what this Lady Chu¡¯s real motives were showing up at their ce.

 Chapter 541 Lady Chu

    "Do you know when he¡¯ll be back? I like marking things down on my calendar," Lady Chu asked them.

    "Unfortunately, we do not know when he¡¯ll return. It all depends on the doctors and his condition." Tang Lee shook her head in a regretful manner.

    "Unfortunate, indeed..." Lady Chu closed her eyes and proceeded to remain silent for the next few minutes.

    When she finally opened her eyes again, she stood up and said to the Yu Family, "Thank you for taking your time to entertain me even though I showed up unannounced. I will return this favor in the future."

    "Don¡¯t even mention it. It was an honor to be of help to the esteemed Chu Family." Yu Yong said to her with a smile on his face.

    "Let¡¯s go." Lady Chu said to the old man before walking towards the exit.

    Once the youngdy and the old man left the scene, Yu Yong sat back on his seat and released a stressful sigh, "Why on earth did she evene here? I was nearly shocked to death when the Chu Family visited unannounced."

    The Chu Family is one of the most influential families in the world with many sessfulpanies all around the world.

    However, despite their worldwide influence, nobody really knows much about the Chu Family besides what they show the public, which is why Yu Family appeared very nervous before them.

    Compared to the Yu Family, the Chu Family was iparably more powerful and influential. In fact, it wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to call the Chu Family one of the top ten most powerful families in the world while the Yu Family hovered around the top 50.

    "I am more worried about why she insists on meeting that trash. What should we do now? If we don¡¯t let them meet, she will definitely return and ask more questions, which wouldn¡¯t be good for our hearts, much less or our reputation."

    "There¡¯s nothing we can do besides hope that she forgets about our conversation today. We already kicked Yu Tian out of the household, not to mention the previous incident. I am willing to bet my everything that he will not return, and I am not going to plead him to return either."

    "Furthermore, even if she returns, we can simply continue to dy it until she gives up. I highly doubt the Chu Family is willing to cause trouble for our family over something so silly."

    Tang Lee nodded her head in agreement, "Even if they cause us trouble, it¡¯s nothing we can¡¯t handle. It¡¯s just going to be troublesome. Anyways, I am going to cultivate to clear my mind. Unless it¡¯s an emergency, don¡¯t bother me."

    Tang Lee left the scene shortly after, but Yu Yong lingered around a little longer, silently staring at the teacup that Lady Chu had drunk from, and he wondered to himself why she wanted to suddenly meet with Yuan, who hasn¡¯t appeared in public for a decade.

    "Whatever. It¡¯s best to not think about this anymore." Yu Yong shook his head before walking out of the room, trying his best to forget about what happened today.

    Meanwhile, after leaving the Yu Family, Lady Chu walked to her limousine with the old man.

    Once they were before the car, the old man opened the door for her, closing it after she went inside.

    He then walked to the front of the car and entered the driver¡¯s seat.

    "Where should we go now, Young Lady?" The old man asked her.

    However, Lady Chu didn¡¯t respond, as she waspletely focused on staring at the Yu Family¡¯s household.

    The old man didn¡¯t rush her and patiently waited for her to respond.

    A few momentster, she spoke in a calm voice, "We¡¯re going to the apartment."

    "Yes, Young Lady."

    The old man immediately started the car and drove her away from the Yu Family.

    Sometimeter, they stopped before a tall apartment.

    "We have arrived at the location, Young Lady." The old man said.

    Lady Chu nodded and got out of the car before turning to look at the apartment that Yuan and Meixiu lived at.

    Once the old man also got out of the car, they made their way inside the apartment, but they were quickly stopped by security, who didn¡¯t recognize them, and after Meixiu¡¯s incident, security has ramped up in the apartment.

    "Excuse me, are you a resident here?" The security asked them.

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    "No, but I am here to visit a resident," said Lady Chu.

    And she quickly added, "His name is Yu Tian, and he lives on the 17th floor."

    ¡¯The 17th floor?¡¯

    The security raised his eyebrows.

    Although he didn¡¯t know which apartment room the incident urred in, he knew it happened on the 17th floor.

    "What¡¯s your rtionship with this person?" He then asked.

    "He¡¯s my friend, and I promised to visit him thest time we spoke, so here I am." Lady Chu spoke with a beautiful smile on her face, causing the middle-aged man to blush.

    The security didn¡¯t think much of her answer, as there was no way that such an elegantly dressed youngdy would cause any trouble.

    "Please sign your name and phone number on this piece of paper and you can be on your way." The security guard said to her.

    "Thank you."

    After writing her name and phone number down, Lady Chu and the old man took the elevator to the 17th floor before approaching the door at the end.

    As they approached apartment number 17F, the youngdy could feel her body shaking uncontrobly.

    "Are you okay, Young Lady?" The old man asked her when he noticed this.

    "Yes, I am just a little nervous... and excited," she nodded.

    The old man no longer said anything and silently followed her from behind.

    Once they were standing in front of 17F, Lady Chu did not immediately knock on the door and proceeded to stand there for many minutes without moving.

    She then closed her eyes to calm down, reopening them after taking a few deep breaths.

    ¡¯After a decade, I have finally found you, Yuan...¡¯

    Once she was ready, Lady Chu lifted her slender arm and knocked on the door,pletely unaware that the residents of 17F were away.

 Chapter 542 Following the Information

    *Knock* *Knock*

    Lady Chu knocked on the door with a resolute expression on her graceful face, but her heart was beating irregrly, almost like she¡¯d just ran a marathon.

    After all, she had waited over a decade for this moment.

    A few moments went by without anyone answering the door, and Lady Chu patiently waited for an entire minute before knocking on the door again.

    However, nobody answered the door.

    "How weird... Where could he be at this time? ording to my information, he rarely leaves home." Lady Chu wondered out loud.

    "Let¡¯s wait here for a bit," she then said to the old man.

    "I understand." He nodded.

    Minutes quickly turned into hours, yet Yuan showed no sign of returning.

    "Perhaps he moved out after that incident?" The old man suddenly suggested.

    "That¡¯s not possible. I checked with the intelligence agency right before we came here. They said that Yu Tian hasn¡¯t moved out." Lady Chu said with a puzzled frown on her face.

    Eventually, she retrieved her cellphone and dialed a certain number.

    "Hey, it¡¯s me. I want to know where Yu Tian went. He¡¯s not home, and I have waited for many hours."

    A few minutester, the person on the other side of the phone said, "Apparently, Meixiu, Yu Tian¡¯s caretaker, brought two ne tickets to Yang City. I assume they went there for some reason."

    "Yang City? What is he doing there?" Lady Chu raised her eyebrows in a puzzled manner.

    "Can you check the system to see when they will return?" She then asked.

    "I have already checked the system for you, Young Lady, but it appears that they didn¡¯t buy a ticket home yet."

    "So either they don¡¯t n on returning or they don¡¯t know when they¡¯ll return, huh? Keep me updated, and try to find out where they went after going to the Yang City."

    "Roger, Young Lady."

    Lady Chu released a deep sigh after hanging up the phone, "I waited 10 years for this moment, and he¡¯s gone off to another city with another woman? How troublesome."

    "Will we be heading to Yang City?" The old man suddenly asked her.

    "Of course, and we¡¯re not going to stop until I find him!"

    "I understand. Allow me to prepare the airne." The old man nodded before taking out his cellphone and making a few calls.

    "I have notified the Masters that we will be going to Yang City. They said to stay away from the Six Spiritual Families¡¯ territory."

    "Okay."

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    The two of them left the apartment shortly after and returned to the car.

    Once they were inside, they drove to the airport, where their private airne was already prepared for them, and they lifted into the air shortly after boarding.

    Meanwhile, in the Jaded Garden, Yuan and Meixiu returned to the immortal caves after another day of intensive training.

    After a quick shower, they went to the Silver Restaurant for dinner.

    At night, they would either go to sleep or cultivate.

    Yuan decided to go to sleep since his cultivation base was barely improving after he entered Spirit Master.

    Meixiu decided to cultivate, as that would mean she didn¡¯t need to share a bed with Yuan, and she also wanted to take advantage of the rich spiritual energy in the area.

    The two of them would repeat their next few days in such a manner.

    By now, Meixiu haspletely familiarized herself with the bow, and she would even spar with some of the instructors.

    "Okay, let¡¯s end it here today." The instructor said to Meixiu after training with her for half an hour.

    "Thank you for the session today, Instructor Li." Meixiu bowed to her afterward.

    "Even though I am supposed to be training you, I am also getting good training out of this. You have improved vastly after just a few days. At this rate, you¡¯ll surpass me after a few more weeks."

    "Anyways, before you leave, I should let you know that there will be a smallpetition amongst the archery disciples tomorrow afternoon. If you want to see how youpare with the others, you should join thepetition. The prize will be a premium bow crafted by Elder Hong himself."

    "Tomorrow, right? I will be there." Meixiu nodded.

    After saying her goodbyes, she went back down to the first floor, where Yuan was training with Wang Ming.

    The two of them have been practicing basically every day. In fact, they fought so much that the other disciples in the gymnasium would no longer stop to watch them, as it was such amon urrence.

    The sound of wood colliding with each other would resound every time Yuan or Wang Ming swings their sword, creating this somewhat rhythmic sound.

    "Hm? Is it already evening?" Yuan stopped sparring with Wang Ming once he noticed Meixiu¡¯s presence, as she would always appear when it was starting to get dark outside.

    After Meixiu nodded, Yuan said to Wang Ming, "Let¡¯s stop here today."

    "Alright. Oh, and before you go, there will be a friendlypetition between the elite disciples next week. This will be a good opportunity for you to see what it¡¯s like fighting the other disciples, as they all wield different weapons."

    "Apetition, huh? That sounds interesting." Yuan nodded, and he continued, "Where will it be held?"

    "I can take you there. I will tell you more about it the day before."

    Sometimeter, Yuan and Meixiu returned to the immortal caves.

    Meanwhile, somewhere in Yang City, Lady Chu picked up her phone that had been ringing.

    "Did you find out where Yu Tian went?" she asked the person on the other side.

    "Yes. ording to our intel, they got a helicopter service that brought them to the Jaded Garden, and they haven¡¯t returned yet, so there¡¯s a good chance that they are still there."

    "Jaded Garden?" Lady Chu immediately frowned when she heard this information, as she knew that was where the Six Spiritual Families were located. In fact, it was the core of their headquarters.

    However, she was advised to stay away from the Six Spiritual Families, putting her in a difficult situation.

 Chapter 543 Archery Competition

    After pondering for a moment, Lady Chu retrieved her phone and dialed a number.

    "Good evening, esteemed father. I am currently in a difficult situation and I need your help," she said.

    Immediately, a frantic voice resounded from the phone, "What happened?! Are you in danger?! Where are you?! I will immediately send support!"

    "Calm down, father. I am fine. Anyways, you told me to stay away from the Six Spiritual Families, but I might have to see them, and I was hoping you¡¯d let me go."

    "..."

    Her father didn¡¯t immediately respond and took a long moment to ponder.

    Sometimeter, he asked her in a solemn voice, "Does this have anything to do with the person you are looking for?"

    "Yes, it does. ording to the intelligence agency, he is inside the Jaded Garden, and I have to go see him."

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    After another moment of silence, her father released a low sigh, "I promised you that if you manage to endure your training thatsted over a decade, I would let you meet this person. Although I would have preferred that you stayed away from the Six Spiritual Families since there¡¯s no other way... Go ahead. Just try to keep your identity hidden."

    "I will have people on standby near that ce just in case you encounter any trouble with them."

    "Thank you, father! I love you! Muah!"

    After kissing her father through the phone, Lady Chu hung up and turned to look at her caretaker with a smile on her face.

    "We are going to Jaded Garden!" She dered.

    "I understand." The old man nodded.

    The following morning, they boarded a private helicopter and made their way to the Jaded Garden.

    Meanwhile, Yuan and Meixiu had just finished eating breakfast.

    "There¡¯s going to be apetition between the archery disciples and I am going to participate in it, so I might be a littleter than usual today," Meixiu said to him as they walked to the training area.

    "Really? Can I watch it? I need a break from training as well," Yuan asked her.

    "I think so. I will ask the instructor."

    "Okay."

    After arriving at the training area, Yuan said, "Give me a minute to speak with Wang Ming since he¡¯s probably expecting to train with me today."

    He then went inside the gymnasium on the first floor, and as he¡¯d expected, Wang Ming approached him with a sword in his grasp.

    "Ya ready?" Wang Ming asked him in a casual manner, feelingpletely familiar with Yuan after sparring with him for the past few days.

    "Sorry, but I am going to take a break today to watch Me¡ª Feng participate in an archery tournament," Yuan said to him.

    "Oh, right, there was something like that going on today. Alright. I guess I will take a break as well. To tell you the truth, my body has been aching for a while now ever since we started sparring, but this means I am getting good training, so I don¡¯t mind it."

    "And since I have nothing else to do, allow me to follow you."

    Thus, Wang Ming tagged alongside Yuan to watch Meixiu¡¯spetition.

    A few minutester, they arrive on the fourth floor, where the instructor was already waiting for them.

    ¡¯That¡¯s yer Yuan, huh... He certainly gives off an unfathomable aura...¡¯

    The archery instructor who was a mid-level Spirit Warrior stared at Yuan for a moment before turning to look at Meixiu, "Thepetition won¡¯t begin until the afternoon, but we can start making our way there now."

    Meixiu nodded, and they followed the instructor to the outdoor training area, but they continued walking a little further down the path, where they arrive before a massive grasnd with many people already setting up the targets for thepetition.

    The moment they arrived, the disciples there turned to look at them.

    "Hey, look. Is that her? That ¡¯genius¡¯ who can spar with an instructor after a few days?" One of the disciples there whispered to another.

    "I think so. My instructor had been talking about her with another instructor and I happened to overhear them."

    "Is she really that good? Has anybody here seen her archery skills?"

    "Nope."

    "Me neither."

    After a disciple reaches a certain skill level, they would rarely visit the training building since they would receive new and more professional instructors that will teach them privately, hence why nobody there recognized Meixiu.

    "Since we have some time, allow me to exin thepetition to you." The instructor said to Meixiu.

    "There will be four different exercises, each testing your archery skills. For the first exercise, you simply need to shoot a still target to earn points, and the further target you hit, the more points you will receive."

    "For the second exercise, you will have to shoot a moving target, but it won¡¯t be any ordinary targets. They change things up every year so I can¡¯t go too deep into this one. You will understand what I mean during thepetition."

    "For the third exercise, you will be standing on a moving tform while trying to shoot your target."

    "And for thest exercise, you will have to hunt some live targets using only your bow and arrow, but there¡¯s a catch¡ª you cannot kill these targets, or that will result in a loss of points."

    Meixiu raised her eyebrows. How is she supposed to hunt something without killing it? It didn¡¯t make any sense to her.

    "You probably have a few questions, but you don¡¯t need to worry, since they will all be answeredter when they give more details about thepetition. Until then, sit back, rx, and clear your mind."

    The instructor left them alone afterward to prepare for thepetition.

    "What do you think? You confident in winning?" Yuan asked her.

    "I can¡¯t really say for sure since I don¡¯t know how good the others are, but I will definitely try my best to win thispetition," she said.

 Chapter 544 The First Even

    By the time the preparations wereplete, all of the participants entering thepetition have arrived at the ce, and one of the instructors there gathered all of the participants there.

    "Thepetition will start earlier than scheduled since everyone is here and the preparations are alreadyplete. Take 10 minutes to prepare yourselves."

    After speaking with the contestants, the instructor went to lead the spectators to the bleachers nearby.

    "Good luck," Yuan said to Meixiu before going to the bleachers with Wang Ming and the others.

    Once the spectators were seated, one of the instructors there began talking about thepetition.

    "For thispetition, you will need to earn points from 4 different events, and at the end of thepetition, the one with the highest score wins. As for the reward, Elder Hong from the Hong Family will personally craft you a bow."

    As the instructor started exining, six figures wearing exquisite robes could be seen approaching the area, instantly attracting the peoples¡¯ attention.

    "Look over there! It¡¯s the grand elders! And they¡¯re all here!"

    "Wow, it¡¯s rare to see them all together besides grand celebrations or during important events. I don¡¯t think they were even here during thestpetition."

    "It must be because of that person..."

    The people there turned to look at the only individual that was wearing a mask sitting in the bleachers.

    And just as the spectators had expected, after the grand elders spoke with the instructors, they began approaching them at the bleachers.

    "Greetings, Grand Elders!"

    Everybody there but Yuan suddenly stood up and bowed to the grand elders in a respectful voice.

    "Don¡¯t mind us." Senior Wang said to them.

    "We¡¯re just here to spectate thepetition just like the rest of you."

    The grand elders then turned to look at Yuan and sped their hands towards him.

    "It¡¯s been a while, Daoist Yuan. How has the Jaded Garden been treating you the past few days?" Senior Xi said to him.

    "It¡¯s been great. I have gained a lot of experience here, yet there is still so much for me to do, so I¡¯m thinking about extending my stay here if you don¡¯t mind."

    The grand elders were ecstatic to hear that Yuan was nning on staying longer than a week. At this rate, he might even decide to join them!

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    "That¡¯s great to hear! If you need anything, just let any of us know!" Senior Wang said to him before they went to take a seat in the bleachers.

    Of course, they sat around Yuan and Wang Ming.

    Meanwhile, the instructors began exining the first part of the event.

    "For the first event, you will be shooting still targets. There will be three difficulties. 150 meters, 300 meters, andstly, 500 meters. You can choose to shoot whichever distance you want, but if you¡¯re looking for the most points, you¡¯ll obviously need to hit the furthest target."

    "You get 1 point if you hit the 150-meter target, 2 points for the 300-meter, and 4 points for the 500-meter target. Furthermore, if you hit the red on the target, you will get double the points."

    "You each will get 5 minutes to practice your shots before you officially begin, and once you start, you will get 3 shots with 1 minute between each shot."

    ¡¯500 meters... That¡¯s really far...¡¯ Meixiu thought to herself as she stared at the small target in the distance.

    The longest shot she has taken thus far was only about 200 meters, so thispetition will definitely test her skills.

    Fortunately for her, she had 5 minutes to practice, and she wasn¡¯t unfamiliar with shooting targets at 500 meters since she used to do it with guns.

    After the exnation, the instructors told the participants to stand in theirne.

    A few minutester, all 20 participants stood in theirne with an identical bow in their grasp alongside a quiver that was filled with arrows, both provided to them, as personal items weren¡¯t allowed.

    Once everyone was prepared, the instructor shouted, "Your 5 minutes of practice starts now!"

    The timer started the moment a whistle was blown.

    The participants immediately began practicing their shots and getting familiarized with the bow.

    Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

    Arrows rained down from the sky as all 20 participants shot their targets.

    The majority of the participants went for the 150-meter target at first with a few going for the 300-meter target. As for the 500-meter target, nobody went for it just yet.

    After spending a minute on the 150-meter target, Meixiu was already used to her new bow, and she immediately began shooting at the 300-meter target.

    Her first shotnded on the target, but it didn¡¯t hit the red, so Meixiu tried again.

    Three shotster, she managed to hit the red.

    After shooting another 3 shots, allnding in the red, Meixiu tried to go for the 500-meter target, but she would miss a dozen of them before finally hitting the target.

    Five minutes passed in the blink of an eye, and the instructor blew on the whistle again, signaling them to stop.

    The spectator looked at the results. Even though it was only a practice round, they could see who had the best results.

    Although everyone had managed to hit the 500-meter target, not everybody had been able to hit the red, and Meixiu was one of the few participants that didn¡¯t manage to hit the red in the 500-meter target.

    However, she wasn¡¯t discouraged. Even if she loses the first event, it was not the end for her, as there were 3 more events after this one.

    Once the practice ended, a couple of people went to clean the arrows off the field and rece the targets.

    When that was done, the instructor gave the participants a moment to prepare themselves before she blew the whistle, officially starting thepetition.

    Meixiu took a deep breath, focusing on the 500-meter target. Even if she doesn¡¯t hit the red, she was confident in hitting the target, and a single 500-meter target was worth as much as a 300-meter target in the red, so it made sense to go for the 500-meter target.

    Once she was ready, Meixiu released her fingers, sending the arrow in the bow flying forward.

 Chapter 545 The Second Even

    Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

    Over a dozen arrows were released almost simultaneously, creating a spectacle scene.

    A secondter, these arrows attached themselves to the 500-meter target without a single one of them missing, and half of these arrows managed to hit the red.

    However, these participants didn¡¯t have any time to look at the results and immediately began preparing for the second shot.

    Three minutes passed in a sh, and the instructor blew the whistle, signaling the end of the first event.

    The instructors then went to look at the targets and tallied the points.

    A few minutester, the results were in.

    "Look! As expected, Jenny got first ce with three perfect shots at the 500-meter target!"

    "There are 6 people at second ce, huh. Not bad."

    "What¡¯s Me¡ª Feng¡¯s position in the ranking?" Yuan asked Wang Ming, as he wasn¡¯t able to see the scoreboard with his divine sense.

    "Feng? Let me see... She¡¯s ranked 15 out of 20. She got three hits on the 500-meter, but none of them had hit the red." Wang Ming answered his question despite thinking that it was a weird question.

    After all, can¡¯t he see the scores himself?

    A few minutester, the instructor gathered the participants in another location where the second event would take ce, and there was a lot of tall grass in that ce.

    "For the second event, you will be shooting moving targets at around 100 meters. Do you see this tall field of grass? There are machines hidden inside that will be throwing apples into the air every single, and you will receive 1 point for every apple you hit in a time limit of 1 minute."

    "These machines will also throw small red marbles into the air, and if you hit these targets, you will receive 3 points instead."

    "There will be no practice for this event."

    Once the instructor exined the rules of the event, she called one of the participants onto the stage and gave her a minute to mentally prepare herself.

    The whistle was blown a minuteter, and the participant immediately raised her bow, shooting arrows at the apples that were being tossed into the air by the machines hidden within the grass.

    It was unknown how many machines were hidden in the grass, but the apples would always be tossed at a different location.

    And there would be a small marble the size of a pebble being thrown into the air after every few apples.

    Although they were hard to hit, it wasn¡¯t impossible, and the participant managed to hit one of them during her minute-long session that exploded into tiny red fragments.

    "31 points!" The instructor announced at the end of her session.

    Once that participant left the stage, another one entered the stage.

    "28 points!" The instructor announced a minuteter.

    "34 points!"

    "33 points!"

    "29 points!"

    "51 points!"

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    "As expected of Xiao Mi, who is renowned for her fast shooting. Although she isn¡¯t good at long-range shooting, she¡¯s probably the best when ites to rapid-firing with the bow, and her uracy is very good as well."

    The spectatorsmented as they watched the participants shoot apples and marbles.

    A dozen namester, it was finally Meixiu¡¯s turn to enter the stage.

    Once she was on the stage, Meixiu took a minute to calm and clear her mind.

    The moment the whistle was blown, she raised her bow and started shooting arrows every second, surprising the crowd.

    "Wow! Looks like Xiao Mi isn¡¯t the only one who¡¯s good a rapid-fire! Who¡¯s that participant?! I don¡¯t recognize that person! And what is with the mask?"

    "You don¡¯t know? That¡¯s yer Yuan¡¯s caretaker, Feng."

    "What? Really? No wonder... I guess it does require some skills to be yer Yuan¡¯s caretaker."

    Although the spectators were surprised at first, once they learned that Meixiu was Yuan¡¯s caretaker, they were no longer as surprised.

    Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

    Meixiu kept shooting her bow almost every second until the whistle was blown.

    "60 points!"

    The instructor announced.

    "Wow, that¡¯s even better than Xiao Mi. How many marbles did she hit? I counted 7."

    "Yeah, she¡¯d hit 7."

    The second event finished half an hourter, and Meixiu had achieved first ce, boosting her total rank to number 7.

    "Wow, your caretaker is very talented. Where did you find someone like her?" Wang Ming asked Yuan.

    "Who knows..." Yuan responded with a smile behind his mask.

    Sometimeter, the instructors gathered the participants again at the third location, which was arge but weirdly made tform, and it sort of resembled a treadmill.

    "This is the movable tform. Watch."

    The instructor pressed a button, and the stage immediately started moving one way like a treadmill.

    "You will need to shoot your targets while standing on this tform. Moreover, your targets will be moving as well."

    The instructor pointed to the field about 150 meters away, and there were human-figured targets moving left and right in a rhythmic manner.

    "There are two targets, one at 150 meters and the other at 300 meters. You get 2 points if you hit the 150-meter target, 3 points if you hit the 300-meter, and like the first event, you will get double points if you hit the red."

    "You will get 5 shots in total for this event with 1 minute for each shot, and the timer will not begin until the whistle blows."

    Once again, every participant got a minute to mentally prepare themselves, and once the event began, the treadmill-like stage started moving, and it would gradually move faster after each shot.

    When the treadmill stage reached a desirable speed, the instructor blew the whistle, signaling the beginning of the event.

    The participant did not immediately shoot and took a moment to familiarize herself with the stage.

    Half a minuteter, she drew her bow and aimed it at the 300-meter target.

    Whoosh!

    The arrow flew straight at the target, hitting it square in the chest, but it missed the red by an inch.

    Five minutester, the instructor blew the whistle and said, "17 points!"

 Chapter 546 The Third Even

    "How much more difficult do you think the third event ispared to the first or second event? Or is it easier?" One of the spectators asked out loud.

    "It should probably be harder than the previous two events, especially since you have to constantly run on that treadmill stage. I cannot imagine trying to do what they¡¯re doing right now. As expected of the best archers in the Spiritual Elites."

    "18 points!"

    "15 points!"

    "21 points!"

    "18 points!"

    Every five minutes a new participant would enter the treadmill stage to shoot the targets.

    About an hourter, Meixiu was called onto the stage, and after spending a minute clearing her mind, she readied her bow and started moving on the stage.

    Meixiu shot her bow 30 seconds after the whistle was blown while in a jogging motion.

    After her first shot was released and the arrow hit the 300-meter target, Meixiu could feel the treadmill stage moving a little quicker, forcing her to jog faster as well.

    Another half a minuteter, she shot her second arrow.

    Then her third.

    And her fourth.

    By the time she was on herst arrow, the treadmill stage was moving so quickly that it looked like Meixiu was sprinting for her life.

    After taking a deep breath, Meixiu pulled the string with her eyes focused on the 300-meter target.

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    She¡¯d managed to hit the 300-meter target all 4 times up to this point, but she has not managed to hit the red yet.

    And on herst second, Meixiu released the arrow half a second before the instructor blew on the whistle.

    Whoosh!

    Thud!

    The arrow hit the 300-meter target inside the red.

    "18 points!"

    After another hour, the third event came to an end, and Meixiu actually managed to increase her rank by 1 despite only hitting the red one time, reaching 6th ce.

    The instructor gathered all of the participants once again, but she didn¡¯t lead them to thest location just yet.

    Instead, she exined to them about the event first.

    "For the final event, you will be hunting rabbits within a certain area with your bow and arrow. However, you are not allowed to kill them! I repeat¡ª you are not to kill them, or you will receive a penalty that is a deduction in points!"

    "The fourth event won¡¯t start right away since we still need to prepare for it. There will be an hour break, but before I let you go on your break, allow me to exin to you the rules of this event."

    "There will be a total of 10 rabbits at once, and they will all have a bell attached to their tail. Your objective for the final event is to shoot the bell off their tail, and every sessful hit without injuring the rabbit will give you 5 points."

    "However, if you injure the rabbit, you will have 10 points deducted, and if you somehow killed the rabbit, you will have 20 points deducted."

    The participants swallowed nervously when they heard the rules, as this final event could potentially make or break their chances of bing first ce.

    If they kill even a single rabbit, that would mean having an entire event¡¯s worth of points being deducted from them, meaning the points they scored in the previous events would be forfeited, and that could instantly drop even the current first ce to thest ce!

    This rule would no doubt put arge amount of burden on the participants, and it made them really nervous for the first time in thispetition.

    The instructor sent the participants away for an hour while they cleaned up the ce and prepare for the final event.

    "You¡¯re doing great, Feng," Yuan said to her when she returned.

    "Thank you, but I am still miles awaypared to the others," Meixiu said.

    "You¡¯re too humble." Senior Hong chuckled, and he continued, "I heard from the instructors that you only started learning archery a few days ago. Compared to the other disciples that have been practicing since they were young, you¡¯re too crazily talented, just like someone else here."

    Senior Wang nodded and said, "The fact that you¡¯re evenpeting against them is already amazing enough."

    "What? She only started archery a few days ago? How is that even possible?" Wang Ming was shocked to hear this information for the first time.

    It was one thing for yer Yuan to be a genius, but even his caretaker is a genius? One can only imagine how talented his family is when the caretaker is already this talented.

    While the participants waited for the final event to be prepared, outside the Jaded Garden where the helicopters are located, a new helicopter arrived at the ce.

    Once the helicopternded, a beautiful youngdy with brown hair flowing down her back and an old man wearing a butler suit stepped outside the helicopter.

    "The spiritual energy in this ce isn¡¯t that bad, but it¡¯s not as goodpared to the spiritual energy at our home." Lady Chu said after checking out the spiritual energy in that ce.

    "Alright, now which way to do go?" Lady Chu looked around, and she quickly noticed the tall building in the distance.

    "Let¡¯s go check out that ce first," she said while pointing to it.

    They proceeded to approach the building, entering it a few minutester.

    "Wee to the Jaded Hotel. How may I help you today?" The receptionist greeted them the moment they entered.

    "Why is there a hotel in this middle of nowhere?" Lady Chu raised her eyebrows.

    The receptionist chuckled a little before replying, "Since most guests visiting this cee in helicopters, the Six Spiritual Families decided to build this hotel here for their convenience."

    "I see... Then can you tell me where the Six Spiritual Families are located? This is our first time to this ce."

    The receptionist nodded and left the desk.

    She then took them outside and pointed them in a certain direction.

    "If you walk straight down that way, you should reach the entrance in about an hour since it¡¯s three miles away."

    "I understand. Thank you." Lady Chu said to the receptionist before following the direction she was given.

 Chapter 547 The Final Even

    An hour after the third event, the participants were gathered by the instructors, who led them to a spacious area with short grass and a massive fence that surrounded the area.

    "This area is exactly 1 mile in diameter, and it is where you will be hunting the bells. There will be a total of 10 rabbits in the field, each scoring you 5 points, granted that you don¡¯t injure the rabbit."

    "Moreover, each of you will have 30 minutes inside the field. However, you will only have 11 arrows in your quiver, and you are not allowed to reuse an arrow once it has been shot. Doing so will be an automatic failure."

    After giving the instructions, the instructor sent in the first participant, who immediately began running towards the first rabbit she noticed.

    Although 30 minutes may seem like a lot for each person, one must consider how many rabbits there were in the field. Since there are 10 rabbits in the field and the participants had 30 minutes, that gave them 3 minutes for each rabbit, not including the time they have to spend running around to find the rabbits.

    The first participant noticed the first rabbit rtively easily due to the low grass and open field.

    She then readied her bow and aimed it at the rabbit.

    However, she didn¡¯t release the arrow and held that position for a good minute before finally releasing the arrow, as she wanted to make sure that the rabbit wouldn¡¯t suddenly move around.

    Whoosh!

    The arrow flew straight at the bell tied to the rabbit¡¯s tail by a single strand of string.

    Ding!

    The arrow struck the bell perfectly, sending it straight off the rabbit¡¯s tail.

    However, the moment the bell rang, the other rabbits in the vicinity became alert and started jumping around, almost like they were trained to do so.

    The participant was immediately overwhelmed by 10 rabbits jumping around, not to mention the obnoxious noises caused by the bells that would ring every time a rabbit moved, and there were 9 of them ringing at once, which easily affected the participants¡¯ focus.

    Whoosh!

    The participant eventually shot another arrow, but it missed the target by arge margin.

    She then took a few moments to calm herself, but it was much more difficult than she¡¯d anticipated.

    Hell, even the spectators were getting irritated by the constant ringing sounds, much less the participant that was in the middle of it.

    "Heavens... Thisst event is freaking annoying. I cannot imagine being in the field right now trying to concentrate with all the noises."

    "Right? And they also have to deal with the pressure of not trying to injure the rabbit."

    A minuteter, someone eximed in a shocked voice, "Ah! She actually hit the rabbit! How unfortunate!"

    Indeed, the participant had identally struck the rabbit with her arrow due to losing her concentration from the constant ringing.

    The participant could feel her heart getting squeezed in pain when she saw the arrow struck the rabbit.

    Fortunately for her, the arrow had only struck the rabbit in the leg, or she would¡¯ve had 20 points deducted instead of 10 points.

    Of course, 10 points was still massive, and this participant immediately dropped many ranks due to her fatal mistake.

    After losing 10 points, the participant no longer had the courage to shoot her bow anymore and decided to end her session early.

    In her mind, she had gained 5 points but lost 10 points, so she only lost 5 points in total. Furthermore, she was no longer in the right state of mind after that one mistake, and if she continued shooting the bow, she would, no doubt, make another mistake, which could be even more fatal than the first.

    Thus, the participant decided to leave early.

    "Instructor, I am done," she raised her hand and said to the instructor outside the field.

    The instructor didn¡¯t say anything and merely nodded her head.

    She then blew her whistle, and the rabbits suddenly stopped jumping around.

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    Once the participant left the field, the instructor went inside to take the injured rabbit and handed it to another disciple, who then took the rabbit to get its injury taken care of.

    A few minutester, another rabbit with a bell tied to its tail was brought into the field, and then another participant.

    Meanwhile, outside the Jaded Garden, Lady Chu and her butler had just arrived at the entrance.

    When the guards saw Lady Chu, they were immediately stunned by her noble appearance, as she was an immensely beautiful youngdy with an unfathomable aura that made it feel like they lived in two different worlds despite being only a few feet away from her.

    "H-H-H-How may we help you?" The guard stuttered like no tomorrow when he snapped out of his daze to speak with them.

    "I am here for my friend. Can you take me to him?" Lady Chu asked them with a beautiful smile on her face that immediately made them all blush even harder.

    "F-Friend? Who may this friend be?"

    "Well, he arrived around a week ago. I believe they came in a pair¡ª a man and a woman." Lady Chu responded, purposefully not revealing their identity, as she wasn¡¯t sure which identity Yuan came to this ce as, and saying their name could potentially ruin his secret.

    "A week ago?"

    "A man and woman?"

    The guards began pondering, as there have been many visitors to the Jaded Garden ever since they opened up to the public.

    Despite that, a couple wearing masks appeared in their minds. They figured that only ¡¯that¡¯ person could possibly have a rtionship with such an esteemed youngdy.

    "Are you talking about yer Yuan and his caretaker, Feng?" The guard asked just in case.

    Lady Chu¡¯s expression immediately brightened after hearing Yuan¡¯s name, and she quickly nodded, "Yes! I havee here to see my friend, Yuan! Can you please take me to him?"

 Chapter 548 Friend

    ¡¯yer Yuan¡¯s friend?¡¯ The guards looked at each other with weird looks on their faces.

    They figured yer Yuan was the type to not have any friends due to how he yed Cultivation Online and how seclusive he appears, so it was quite a surprise to learn that he actually had friends.

    "Umm... I¡¯m sorry, but you¡¯re going to have to wait a while since we don¡¯t know yer Yuan¡¯s location at the moment." The guard said to them.

    "We¡¯ll go ask around to see if anybody knows of his location. In the meantime, you can wait inside the guest room."

    Lady Chu put on a pondering face for a moment before speaking, "I don¡¯t really like sitting around doing nothing, so can I ask to follow you to ask around? I¡¯d like to see the renowned Jaded Garden while I am at it if you don¡¯t mind."

    "O-Of course, you can follow us if you want!" The guard immediately agreed, as he couldn¡¯t resist the temptation of walking around with a beauty by his side.

    "Great! Thank you in advance!"

    However, there was a problem.

    The guards exchanged nces once again.

    The next second, they all turned to look at Lady Chu and shouted simultaneously, "Allow me to take you around!"

    Indeed, the problem was who would be the one to take Lady Chu to find yer Yuan?

    There were four of them, and it would make sense for only one of them to leave.

    While they try to figure out that situation, at thepetition, over ten participants have gone into the field and left in less than half an hour despite everyone getting 30 minutes.

    The reason was simple¡ª nobody there dared to shoot their second arrow after their first that alerted all of the rabbits.

    In their mind, it was better to gain 5 points and call it a day than gain 5 points and potentially lose even more just like the first participant.

    Furthermore, nobody there was really able to focus with all the noise, as it was even giving them a headache.

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    One might think that giving up after the first shot was unsportsmanlike, but nobody really med the participants for their actions¡ª not even the grand elders.

    In fact, the spectators even hoped that the participants would give up, as that meant they would have to listen to the ringing less.

    "I don¡¯t understand why they would give up. Even though it¡¯s a little noisy, they should still try. After all, if they don¡¯t, they will never be able to reach first ce. Even if they might lose some points, if they don¡¯t shoot, they have no chance." Yuan said out loud after seeing so many participants give up.

    In his mind, weren¡¯t they all fighting for first ce for the reward? What was the point of being any other ce but first ce since there was only one prize?

    "I guess they¡¯re all just hoping for the others to shoot and lose points, allowing them to achieve first ce without doing anything."

    "So they¡¯re gambling that others would lose points?" Yuan was speechless, as this was his first time seeing such a thing in apetition.

    As someone who has entered manypetitions throughout his life, he has not once hoped that someone would mess up their performance so that he could win. It was simply an unthinkable strategy.

    Meanwhile, Meixiu was called into the field.

    After handing her a bow and a quiver of 11 arrows, the instructor sent Meixiu inside the still field.

    And just like the other participants, Meixiu quickly took her first shot at a rabbit, shooting the bell off its tail sessfully.

    However, what ensued was chaos with the sound of bells resounding in every direction.

    Ding! Ding! Ding!

    Although it wasn¡¯t bad at first, the sound gradually got worse and more annoying.

    "Do you think she¡¯s going to quit after her first shot as well?" The spectators began guessing whether Meixiu would leave early like the others or not.

    And to their surprise, after her first shot, Meixiu actually pulled a second arrow from her quiver, her intentions clear!

    "Oh! She¡¯s going to shoot!"

    "Let¡¯s see if she hits the bell or..."

    The participants watched with anticipation.

    Whoosh!

    Meixiu released her second arrow.

    "Oh no! She struck the rabbit in the leg just like the first participant! That¡¯s a 10-point deduction!"

    The participants eximed, and they expected her to quit after the second shot.

    However, to their surprise, almost as though she didn¡¯t care about losing points, Meixiu actually retrieved the third arrow from the quiver and aimed it at the rabbit that she¡¯d just failed to hit.

    "What?! She¡¯s still going to shoot after that?!"

    Whoosh!

    The arrow struck the bell this time since the rabbit was injured and couldn¡¯t move properly, and for the first time in this event, Meixiu became the first to shoot a second bell sessfully.

    After hitting the bell, Meixiu lowered her bell and turned to look at the instructor outside.

    "Take the injured rabbit out. I have plenty of time," she said in a calm voice.

    The instructor nodded and quickly retrieved the injured rabbit from the field.

    Once that was done, Meixiu began looking for her next target.

    However, she wouldn¡¯t shoot another arrow for the next 10 minutes, and she would just silently stand there and watch the rabbits.

    "She¡¯s taking her time analyzing the rabbits¡¯ movements, huh? What a smart girl." Senior Wang chuckled when she realized what Meixiu was doing.

    "These rabbits were trained to move in a specific manner so if you learn their movements, you will hit them with ease."

    Twenty minutester, when Meixiu only had 10 minutes left, she began moving for the first time, raising her bow and shooting it the next second with barely any pause.

    Whoosh!

    The arrow struck the rabbit closest to her, hitting the bell for her 3rd bell.

    After that, Meixiu would go on to rapid-fire her bow, hitting bells upon bells with seemingly no effort, shocking the spectators and the other participants.

 Chapter 549 Brother Yuan

    With a little more than 5 minutes left, Meixiu left the field after hitting every single bell off the rabbits, earning her a total of 40 points, and she instantly shot up to first ce in thepetition.

    The spectators exploded with cheering after they witnessed the spectacr disy.

    Meanwhile, the other participants were left speechless.

    Half of them had given up after their first shot, and the other half that hasn¡¯t entered the field had nned on giving up, but after witnessing Meixiu¡¯s disy, they began feeling ashamed of themselves for giving up so easily.

    Therefore, the following participants to enter the field after Meixiu would go on to shoot all of the arrows in her quiver regardless if they¡¯d hit a rabbit or not.

    In the end, most of them would go on to hit at least 7 seven bells.

    However, only two of them had managed to avoid injuring the rabbits.

    Once all of the participants went into the field, the instructor blew the whistle, signaling the end of thepetition.

    At the end of thepetition, the participants were gathered for the results.

    "Congrattions to Disciple Xiao Mi for achieving first ce! You may speak with Grand Elder Hong afterward to discuss your reward!" The instructor announced the winner of thepetition.

    Although Meixiu had taken first ce with her performance, it was only temporary, and she ended up in the 2nd ce with first ce ahead by only 5 points.

    If Meixiu hadn¡¯t struck a rabbit that cost her 10 points, she would¡¯ve won thepetition.

    However, Meixiu was neither upset nor bitter since she never expected to win thepetition, and she was satisfied with the experience she gained throughout thepetition that she considered more of a training of sorts.

    Furthermore, getting second ce was already well above her expectations.

    "Good job getting second ce," Yuan said to Meixiu after she returned.

    "Thank you."

    "I was told that you only recently learned how to use the bow. Is that true?" Wang Ming asked her, as he still couldn¡¯t truly believe it.

    "Yes," Meixiu confirmed, leaving him speechless.

    "Regardless, that was an amazing performance. I would have never known that you were a beginner unless someone told me. Actually, you¡¯re already an expert." Senior Wang said.

    "Hahaha! Miss Feng, even though you didn¡¯t win thepetition, your boldness during thest event was very impressive. I even dare say that without your performance, the other participants wouldn¡¯t have dared to shoot more than one arrow," said Senior Hong.

    And he continued, "Therefore, I am going to craft you a bow as well."

    "Really?" Meixiu was pleasantly surprised by Senior Hong¡¯s words.

    "Yes. Consider this a gift from me for entertaining us." Senior Hongughed.

    The other participants looked at Meixiu with envious gazes. If they didn¡¯t give up and had figured out the rabbits¡¯ movements earlier, they could¡¯ve also gotten a bow from Senior Hong.

    Meanwhile, somewhere in the Jaded Garden, Lady Chu and one of the gate guards walked around asking the people if they knew where Yuan was located, and to their surprise, the first person they encountered knew his location.

    "yer Yuan? He should be at the archerypetition at the moment."

    "Archerypetition? Is he participating?" Lady Chu asked.

    "I don¡¯t know."

    "Where¡¯s thepetition held?" The guard asked the man.

    Once they got the directions, Lady Chu and her butler began following the guard to that location.

    "If you don¡¯t mind me asking, how long have you known yer Yuan?" The guard asked Lady Chu as they walked.

    "I have known him ever since we were young," she said with a gentle smile on her face that caused the guard to swallow nervously when he saw it.

    "So you¡¯re childhood friends, huh? How envious."

    "No, we¡¯re more than just childhood friends. You can even call us a family," she said.

    "Eh?"

    The guard raised his eyebrows, unable toprehend the real meaning behind her words.

    Sometimeter, they arrived at the location of the archerypetition, and when they arrived, thepetition had just ended.

    The moment they arrived, Lady Chu instantly noticed the tall figure wearing a ck mask within the crowd, and she proceeded to stand there and silently stare at him with a dazed look on her face.

    At this moment, it seemed to her as though the world had stopped moving¡ª that everything else but the masked man had disappeared from her sight, almost there was only him and her in this world.

    "Brother Yuan..." She muttered in a low voice.

    However, despite her excitement and desire to jump into his embrace, Lady Chu didn¡¯t immediately run to him.

    Instead, she stood there without moving, almost as though she didn¡¯t know what to do.

    After waiting for over a decade for this moment, Lady Chu figured that she would be prepared to finally see him again, but to her surprise, when it was actually time to see him, her body froze with nervousness.

    ¡¯What if he doesn¡¯t remember me?¡¯

    This thought that hasn¡¯t appeared in her mind for thest decade suddenly appeared for the first time.

    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only

    Indeed, she feared that Yuan had forgotten about her. After all, 10 years was a long time, and people tend to forget about their childhood.

    ¡¯Maybe I should just watch over him from a distance for now...¡¯ Lady Chu suddenly had this thought.

    However, before she could even decide, she noticed the person that she had been staring at suddenly turn to look in her direction.

    Lady Chu¡¯s heart immediately began throbbing like crazy, and her body became so stiff that she couldn¡¯t even move a finger.

    Fortunately for her, Yuan had only nced in her direction because he felt that someone was staring at him from her direction, but his divine sense wasn¡¯t strong enough to see Lady Chu, so he turned back around a momentter.

    Lady Chu released a sigh of relief after seeing this, but then she became even more nervous a few secondster.

    ¡¯What should I do now?¡¯ she wondered inwardly.

 Chapter 550 Do You Remember Me, Brother Yuan?

    <h4>Chapter 550 Do You Remember Me, Brother Yuan?</h4>

    ¡¯Brother Yuan... You¡¯re so close to me, yet you feel so far away...¡¯ Lady Chu continued to stare at Yuan¡¯s figure from a distance for many moments.

    The guard wondered when she was going to approach Yuan, but he noticed her expression and decided to simply wait for her to do something.

    The old man stared at Lady Chu with a profound gaze, as this is his first time seeing her acting this timid and nervous, looking like a lost little girl.

    N?velDrama.Org ? content.

    "Young Lady."

    The old man suddenly called out to her, and he asked, "Shall we go home?"

    "No!"

    Lady Chu subconsciously responded.

    She then took a deep breath to calm herself down, but a single breath wasn¡¯t enough, so she took a few more deep breaths.

    Once she was ready, Lady Chu took her first step forward and slowly approached Yuan.

    The people there quickly noticed Lady Chu¡¯s presence due to her formidable aura that caused them to subconsciously turn and look at her, almost like their senses felt something threateninging from her direction.

    When the grand elders saw Lady Chu, their eyes immediately widened with shock, but it was not because they recognized her. In fact, they didn¡¯t know her.

    "S-Spirit Master!" Senior Wang muttered in a low voice that was filled with disbelief.

    Indeed, Lady Chu was emitting the aura of a Spirit Master just like them, albeit a little weaker.

    However, despite that, it was incredibly shocking to them since Lady Chu only looked to be around 18 years old.

    "Who is that?" One of the grand elders asked as Lady Chu slowly approached them.

    "No idea, but to be a Spirit Master at such a young age... I thought it was only possible for someone like Daoist Yuan..."

    With everybody there suddenly turning to look in the same direction, Yuan subconsciously turned his head and did the same.

    Once Lady Chu entered his divine sense¡¯s range, Yuan was finally able to see the beautiful youngdy that stunned everyone there.

    ¡¯Who is that? She looks so familiar for some reason...¡¯

    Yuan didn¡¯t recognize Lady Chu at first, but he felt a sense of nostalgia when he saw her sparkling hazel eyes.

    However, he was still unable to recall where he¡¯d seen her before.

    Lady Chu walked until she stood a few meters away from Yuan, and she proceeded to stand there in silence.

    "How may we help you?" Senior Wang asked when Lady Chu didn¡¯t say anything for a while.

    Of course, Lady Chu didn¡¯t respond to her, as the only thing in her eyes and mind right now was the masked man that was only standing a couple of meters away from her.

    "Brother Yuan... I have finally fulfilled our promise..." Lady Chu suddenly muttered in a low voice.

    Yuan¡¯s body shivered for some reason when this unknowndy called him ¡¯Brother Yuan¡¯, and his sense of nostalgia grew more intense.

    "Do you remember me, Brother Yuan?" Lady Chu asked him in a slightly louder voice.

    Yuan stared at Lady Chu intensively for many moments before shaking his head, "I am sorry, but I don¡¯t recognize you. Have we met before?"

    Lady Chu closed her eyes and released a deep sigh.

    She then opened her eyes that flickered with resolve, and she spoke in a calm voice, "Well, I won¡¯t me you for not recognizing me since it has been over a decade since ourst meeting, and we were only children back then."

    "Over a decade ago?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    Suddenly, the image of a little girl with brown hair and hazel eyes appeared in his mind, and she somewhat resembled this beautiful youngdy.

    Yuan¡¯s body trembled when he suddenly had an idea of this youngdy¡¯s identity, but before he could open his mouth to speak, Lady Chu retrieved a silver harmonica from her pocket and blew into it, creating a beautiful sound that was filled with harmony.

    Seeing the silver harmonica in Lady Chu¡¯s grasp and hearing this song, Yuan was absolutely certain about her identity.

    "Y-Y-You are... Lulu?" Yuan spoke in a dumbfounded voice.

    A blissful smile appeared on Lady Chu¡¯s beautiful face, and she responded in a clear voice, "It¡¯s not Lulu. It¡¯s Liuxiang. How many times have I told you to stop calling me by that nickname now?"

    Of course, Yuan remembered that her name was Liuxiang, but he was used to calling her Lulu since he wasn¡¯t able to pronounce the name ¡¯Liuxiang¡¯ properly back then, so he gave her a much simpler name to call, and that nickname was Lulu.

    "W-What are you doing here?" Yuan randomly asked her, as he wasn¡¯t able to think properly due to her sudden appearance.

    "What do you think, you idiot? I came here to find you since you didn¡¯te looking for me! Just like we had promised! Or did you forget about that?" Lady Chu said.

    Memories began shing inside Yuan¡¯s head after hearing her words.

    Outside this remote building that had the sign ¡¯Jade Orphanage¡¯ on the doors, he stood before Lady Chu when she was still a little kid.

    "Don¡¯t leave me behind, Brother Yuan!"

    "Don¡¯t be sad, Lulu. Although I have to leave now, we will definitely see each other again in the future. If I cannot look for you for some reason, then you shoulde to look for me. Here¡¯s my harmonica. You can keep it until our next meeting." Yuan handed her a silver harmonica that was too big for his small hands.

    "It¡¯s a promise!"

    "Un."

    After hugging her, Yuan left the orphanage with a beautiful woman that was Meifeng, who hade to take him away from the orphanage after the Yu Family adopted him into their family, and that was thest they saw each other.

    "I remember... I¡¯m sorry that I couldn¡¯t find you... No, I didn¡¯t even try to..." Yuan apologized to her in a sighing voice after recalling some of his memories that he hid deep within his consciousness after entering the Yu Family.

    "You don¡¯t have to apologize since I am well aware of your situation. It was simply impossible for you to do anything. Anyways, why don¡¯t we continue this conversation somewhere more private?" Lady Chu said.

    "Okay." Yuan quickly nodded.

 Chapter 551 Chu Liuxiang

    "Let¡¯s go, Brother Yuan." Lady Chu said as she walked to stand beside Yuan.

    Yuan nodded and said, "We can go back to the immortal caves for now."

    He then turned to look at the grand elders and said to them, "Please excuse us."

    The grand elders didn¡¯t say anything and silently nodded their heads in a dazed manner.

    "Follow me."

    Yuan began walking back to the immortal caves with Lady Chu following closely beside him.

    As for Meixiu, she quietly followed them from behind, silently wondering to herself what kind of rtionship they had and how they knew each other.

    Lady Chu¡¯s butler also followed them from behind Meixiu.

    ¡¯I don¡¯t recall seeing this woman before... Just where did she meet Yuan? They also seem to go way back...¡¯ Meixiu wondered to herself.

    She had been with Yuan ever since he was adopted into the Yu Family, and as Meifeng¡¯s daughter, she got to see a lot of influential people. However, she doesn¡¯t recall this hazel-eyed beauty, who definitely looked very influential just by her graceful appearance alone.

    Their journey back to the immortal caves was a quiet one without anyone starting a conversation.

    Yuan was still in a daze because of his sudden reunion with Lady Chu, who has been by his side even before he could learn how to walk in the orphanage.

    N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.

    As for Lady Chu, she was too nervous to say anything, and she was satisfied with just being by his side again.

    Eventually, they reached the immortal caves, and Yuan brought them inside.

    "Is he with you?" Yuan turned to look at the old man that had been following them but stopped at the door.

    "Yes, he¡¯s my caretaker. You can trust him." Lady Chu nodded.

    "Are youing inside?" Yuan asked him.

    "I don¡¯t want to disturb the Young Lady¡¯s reunion so I will wait out here until you¡¯re done," he said to them in a calm voice.

    Once they entered the immortal caves and sat down, Yuan removed his mask and said, "Before we start our conversation, allow me to introduce you to each other."

    "Meixiu, this is Liuxiang, a very important friend of mine from the orphanage that I used to live at before I was adopted into the Yu Family. And Liuxiang, this is Meixiu, my caretaker, who is also very important to me."

    "Hello," Meixiu said to her in a low voice.

    "Hello..." Lady Chu responded in a simrly low voice.

    Although this is Meixiu¡¯s first time hearing about Lady Chu, it wasn¡¯t the same for Lady Chu, who has known about Meixiu for many years now.

    After the brief introduction, they returned to being silent, as both of them had so many questions but didn¡¯t know where to start.

    Eventually, Yuan said, "Well... Let¡¯s start with you, Liuxiang. What happened to you after I left the orphanage?"

    "I know I told you to stop calling me ¡¯Lulu¡¯, but it doesn¡¯t feel right when you call me anything else, so you can continue calling me ¡¯Lulu¡¯." Lady Chu said.

    And she continued, "Anyways, shortly after you left the orphanage, I was also adopted and entered the Chu Family, so I am currently Chu Liuxiang."

    "I see... I hope you lived a good life after your adoption." Yuan said to her.

    Chu Liuxiang chuckled and said, "Hardly. My life has been repetitive, boring, and even painful at times ever since I joined the Chu Family."

    "What do you mean?" Yuan asked.

    "You can probably tell from my aura that I am a Spirit Master just like you, right? Well, the Chu Family is actually a hidden cultivation family, but unlike the Six Spiritual Families that live in seclusion and away from society, we hide in in sight."

    "The Chu Family is an immensely sessful family in the modern world with many businesses around the world, but at the same time, it¡¯s also a cultivation family that has known about cultivation since ancient times."

    "So you¡¯ve been cultivating ever since you were young?" Yuan asked.

    "Yes. Apparently, I have the perfect body for cultivation, and someone from the Chu Family noticed my talents by chance and decided to take me into their family. In other words, they adopted me for my cultivation talents, and I have been cultivating in seclusion ever since I joined the Chu Family."

    "That means I cannot leave the Chu Family¡¯s territory. Although they have a lot ofnd, and there were a lot of things to do, it was still a boring life, especially since I spend most of my time training and cultivating alone..."

    "Hell, I can even count the number of people I have met during thest 10 years using just my hands. Of course, I am still grateful to the Chu Family for adopting me, and they treat me very well."

    "That does sound like a very boring life..." Yuan agreed with her.

    He can imagine how Chu Liuxiang felt since he also had to spend many years in seclusion inside his room and without the ability to move his body.

    "It was painful at times, but it wasn¡¯t that bad overall, especially whenpared to your life at the Yu Family..." Chu Liuxiang sighed.

    "Huh?"

    Seeing Yuan¡¯s puzzled face, Chu Liuxiang continued, "I know what the Yu Family made you go through, Brother Yuan. I know how they treated you like a tool for their own benefit and how they tossed you away like trash when you suddenly became sick and was no longer useful to them."

    "I am sorry that I wasn¡¯t able toe to you sooner, Brother Yuan, but I wasn¡¯t allowed to do anything until I finished my training, nor was I aware of your situation until the end of my training... If I had known about it earlier... Then maybe you wouldn¡¯t have had to suffer so much... You didn¡¯t deserve any of that..." Chu Liuxiang sighed, even feeling the urge to cry.

    A gentle smile appeared on Yuan¡¯s face after hearing her words, and he said, "It¡¯s okay. Although it was painful at times, there were also joyous moments that made everything worth it in the end¡ª at least that¡¯s what I think."

 Chapter 552 Harmonica

    "After all, I got to meet with people like Meixiu, Yu Rou, and the others... If I hadn¡¯t joined the Yu Family, I wouldn¡¯t be in this position right now, so even if I had to suffer a little, it was all worth it in the end." Yuan said with a gentle smile on his face.

    ¡¯Yuan...¡¯ Meixiu looked at him with an emotional gaze.

    "By the way, how did you manage to find me? Even though I came here as ¡¯Yuan¡¯, there are many Yuans in this world. How did you know I was the one you were looking for?" Yuan asked Chu Liuxiang a few momentster.

    "I knew you would achieve great things in the future, so when I learned about yer Yuan, I was certain that you were the one I was looking for."

    "Of course, I followed ¡¯Yu Tian¡¯, not Yuan."

    "My family owns an intelligence agency so I have a lot of information, and I followed your information to the Jaded Garden."

    "Ah, but you don¡¯t have to worry about your identity as yer Yuan being leaked since only my parents, my caretaker, and myself know about it. Of course, they can all be trusted."

    Yuan nodded. Now that he can move around properly, he wouldn¡¯t care as much even if his identity is leaked.

    After all, he now has the power to protect himself and those around him.

    "Brother Yuan... Here you go."

    Chu Liuxiang retrieved the silver harmonica again and ced it on the table in front of them.

    "Now that I have reunited with you and fulfilled our promise, this harmonica shall return to its rightful owner."

    Yuan looked at the silver harmonica for a moment before picking it up.

    Even though it was much lighter than he remembers, it still brought back the countless memories he had with this harmonica.

    "I still remember how you and the others would ask me to y this harmonica every chance you got, and how you would bug me until I agreed," he said with a gentle smile on his face.

    He then ced the harmonica on his lips and began blowing air into it.

    Music notes filled the room as Yuan yed the song that used to fill the orphanage with joy.

    Hearing and seeing Yuan y the silver harmonica again, tears began flowing from Chu Liuxiang¡¯s eyes, as she had dreamed of this scene nearly every day for over a decade.

    A few minutester, Yuan ced the silver harmonica back on the table and said to Chu Liuxiang, "You can keep this harmonica."

    "Huh? Really? Why don¡¯t you want it?" She asked him in a surprised voice.

    "It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want it, but it has been in your possession for far longer, so you are now the rightful owner. Furthermore, I believe that you value this harmonica more, so I cannot convince myself to take it away from you."

    "Are you sure, Brother Yuan?" Chu Liuxiang asked, feeling a little hesitant.

    "Yes, I am sure."

    N?velDrama.Org ? content.

    "If you say so..." She picked up the harmonica and held it close to her chest.

    Even though she has had this harmonica for over a decade and had only let it go for a few minutes, it gave her apletely different feeling in her hands now, and it actually felt like it belonged to her.

    "Lulu, what are you going to do now that you found me? Are you going to return to the Chu Family anytime soon?" Yuan asked her a momentter.

    "No, I have alreadypleted my training, so I don¡¯t really have to return until my parents summon me for whatever reason, and I nned on staying with you for a while... If you don¡¯t mind."

    "I don¡¯t mind, but there really isn¡¯t anything to do in this ce besides training..." Yuan said.

    "Are you staying in the Jaded Garden permanently?" Chu Liuxiang then asked.

    "No, we¡¯re only here temporary as trial disciples. We were supposed to leave after a week, but we decided to stay here a little longer for more training."

    "I see... Well, I don¡¯t really care where we are or what we are doing as long as I am by your side," she said.

    The two of them proceeded to talk about their own lives after leaving the orphanage until it waste and Yuan was getting hungry.

    "Let¡¯s go get some food to eat before we continue. I know this ce that cooks extremely delicious food." Yuan said to her.

    "Okay."

    After wearing their mask, Yuan and the other two left the immortal caves.

    "Sebastian, we¡¯re going to get some food." Chu Liuxiang said to the old man who had been standing outside the immortal caves like a statue this entire time.

    "I understand," he said, and he began following them to the restaurant.

    "Hm? Who is this youngdy? Your girlfriend?" Chef San asked in a joking tone when he saw Chu Liuxiang with Yuan.

    "Hello, I am Chu Liuxiang, a longtime friend of Yuan," she introduced herself.

    "I see. What would you like to eat today? Or would you prefer I cook something random like usual?" Chef San then asked.

    "Do you have any preferences, Lulu? We don¡¯t really care what we eat since everything Chef San cooks is amazing." Yuan asked her.

    "I¡¯m not a picky eater. I will have whatever they are eating," she said.

    "Alright. Give me some time." Chef San then went to the back to start cooking.

    While they waited, Chu Liuxiang went outside to y the harmonica for Yuan and the others.

    "You have gotten really good at ying the harmonica, Lulu." Yuan chuckled, and he continued, "Especiallypared to back then when you would blow it randomly and call it a ¡¯unique song¡¯."

    Chu Liuxiang smiled and said, "Besides training and cultivation, I would spend all of my spare time ying the harmonica. Of course, I am still nowhere as good as you even if I were topare my current self to you back then."

    "Here. It¡¯s your turn now," she then handed the harmonica to him in a casual manner.

    Yuan epted the harmonica and began blowing into it without cleaning it even though Chu Liuxiang had yed it just moments ago.

    Chu Liuxiang blushed slightly when she saw this, but she didn¡¯t say anything.

 Chapter 553 - A Beauty On Each Side Of The Bed

    <h4>Chapter 553 - A Beauty On Each Side Of The Bed</h4>

    "Thank you for the food, Chef San."

    After waiting for about half an hour, they finally received their food, and they immediately made their way back to the immortal caves.

    Once they were seated, they began eating the food.

    "Wow, you''re right. This food is amazing. I dare say it''s even better than Sebastian''s food, and that''s a hugepliment." Chu Liuxiang''s eyes widened with surprise the moment she tasted the explosive vor.

    And in just a few minutes, Chu Liuxiang consumed all of her food, bing the first to finish.

    "Brother Yuan, I just noticed this, but you sure have a lot of food¡­ Can you really eat all of that?" She asked him when she noticed that his portions were multiple timesrger than theirs.

    .

    "Hm? Yeah, I can eat all of it." He quickly swallowed before nodding his head.

    "So you have a really big appetite, huh? That''s something I should note down for the future¡­" She mumbled in a low voice, but Yuan wasn''t able to understand the meaning behind her words.

    Sometimeter, they finished all of the food.

    Meixiu stood up and prepared to clean the table, but the old man, Sebastian, said to her, "It''s okay, young miss. Allow me, the guest, to clean the table for you."

    "Okay¡­" She nodded.

    While Sebastian cleaned the ce, Chu Liuxiang asked, "How many rooms do you have in this ce?"

    "There''s only one room and one bed." Yuan calmly responded.

    "Eh? So you have been sleeping together?" Chu Liuxiang looked at them with her eyes slightly widened.

    "Yes," he casually responded.

    Chu Liuxiang turned silent for a moment before asking, "Can I see the bed?"

    "Of course. That''s the bedroom." Yuan pointed to their room.

    Chu Liuxiang then opened the door to take a look at the size of the bed, and sure enough, there was plenty of space¡ª enough for three, perhaps even four people.

    "Do you mind if I sleep with you two?" Chu Liuxiang then asked them in a resolute voice.

    "Of course. Where else are you going to sleep?" Yuan said.

    "Young Master Yuan, I will sleep out here in the living room on the couch," Sebastian said to him since he has no intention of sharing a bed with three young people, and one of them was even his master.

    "As long as you''re not sleeping on the floor." Yuan nodded.

    Sometimeter, Chu Liuxiang said, "Brother Yuan, I am going to wash myself. Where is the bathroom?"

    "That door right there. Do you have any extra clothes with you?" Yuan asked her after realizing that they didn''t have any luggage with them.

    "Oh, right. Now that you mention it, we left them inside the helicopter." Chu Liuxiang said.

    "I shall go and retrieve our luggage at this moment," Sebastian said.

    "Are you sure? It''s already really dark outside. This is also your first day here, so you might get lost." Yuan asked him.

    "If you want, I can lend you my pajamas for today since I have an extra pair," Meixiu suddenly said.

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    "If you don''t mind." Chu Liuxiang calmly agreed.

    After Meixiu handed her own pajamas and a towel to Chu Liuxiang, she whispered something in Chu Liuxiang''s ears.

    "No, I don''t need them. Thank you for asking." Chu Liuxiang shook her head before entering the bathroom and locking the door.

    About half an hourter, Chu Liuxiang returned outside while wearing Meixiu''s pajamas that felt oddly fit, almost as though they belonged to her.

    ''So we are equal when ites to our body, huh?'' Chu Liuxiang wondered inwardly.

    After Chu Liuxiang finished, Yuan went to clean himself next.

    Of course, Meixiu didn''t follow him inside like she normally would, as there was no way that she''d do anything to Yuan with guests around.

    Meixiu went inside the bathroom after Yuan, and Sebastian was thest to enter.

    Once they were ready to sleep, Chu Liuxiang followed Yuan and Meixiu inside their bedroom while Sebastian slept on the couch.

    "Where do you want to sleep?" Yuan asked Chu Liuxiang, giving her the choice to pick.

    "Brother Yuan, you can sleep in the middle. I will just sleep beside you," she said.

    "Okay," he nodded.

    A few momentster, Yuanid in the middle of the bed while sandwiched by two beauties, one on each side.

    If any human being that wasn''t Yuan saw this scene, they would definitely vomit blood from envy.

    "Brother Yuan, do you remember how we would always share a bed in the orphanage?" She asked him.

    "Yes, because you were always afraid that something was hiding under your bed," he chuckled.

    "I-I don''t recall such a thing! You must have remembered it wrong!" She quickly refuted with a slightly rosy face.

    The two of them proceeded to spend many minutes reminiscing their time together in the orphanage.

    Meixiu had her eyes closed the entire time, seemingly asleep, but she was actually wide awake and silently listened to their conversation, as she was learning a lot about Yuan and his rtionship with Chu Liuxiang.

    And the more she listened, the more obvious it was to her that they were definitely very intimate with each other.

    Meixiu then recalled what her mother told her not long ago¡ª that someone will take Yuan away from her if she''s too slow, and this caused her heart to tremble.

    "Sorry, Meixiu, I got too caught up in our conversation and almost forgot that we''re trying to sleep." Yuan suddenly said to her.

    However, Meixiu didn''t say anything and pretended to be asleep.

    Seeing that Meixiu didn''t respond, Yuan released a sigh of relief knowing that she managed to fall asleep despite their conversation.

    "Let''s lower our voices so that we don''t wake her up," he said to Chu Liuxiang in a low voice, who was lying on the bed on her sides so that she could stare at Yuan''s face.

    They then continued reminiscing about their past for pretty much the majority of the night.

 Chapter 554 - Do You Desire Revenge?

    <h4>Chapter 554 - Do You Desire Revenge?</h4>

    "Brother Yuan, I have been wondering¡­ Aren''t you angry at the Yu Family for what they have done to you? Don''t you desire revenge? They treated you like an animal, after all. If I speak with my family, they should be able to do something about the Yu Family." Chu Liuxiang suddenly asked him after they finished reminiscing their past.

    "Honestly, I have never really thought about it seriously. When you say revenge, what do you expect me to do? I do not like unnecessary violence, and even though they have done some horrible things that deserve some sort of punishment, I don''t think violence is the right answer."

    "I know, Brother Yuan, that you''re not the violent type. However, there are other methods to cause pain to the Yu Family without actually hurting them. For example, you can ruin theirpany, or you can destroy their family by tearing them apart."

    "How is that any different? They all sound pretty violent." Yuan sighed.

    "The most obvious difference is that you won''t need to physically hurt them since you will be doing it mentally¡­ You can simply start up your ownpany and grow to be an even more sessful business than the Yu Family. That will definitely make them regret throwing you away."

    "Or, you can reveal yourself as yer Yuan, instantly gaining worldwide fame. This will make the Yu Family regret ever treating you wrongly, and they will be kicking themselves for the rest of their life knowing that they''d tossed away the one and only yer Yuan."

    Yuan turned silent to ponder. Can these methods really help him take revenge against the Yu Family for mistreating him and many other things? However, it does sound better than getting violent with the Yu Family.

    "Brother Yuan, if you want, I can help you. Let''s make the Yu Family regret treating you the way they did!" Chu Liuxiang said to him with a resolute look in her gaze.

    Yuan sighed and said, "As much as I want to make the Yu Family suffer for what they have done, I cannot bear to hurt Yu Rou, who is also part of the Yu Family, and I am afraid that hurting her family will also hurt her."

    "I don''t think Yu Rou will be affected, since she has already left the family. While she has the Yu Family''s surname, it doesn''t mean that she will follow in their footstep. If you''re really that worried, you can simply take Yu Rou into your faction."

    "My faction¡­?" Yuan mumbled in a low voice.

    "I don''t have a faction."

    "Then you should start one¡ª at least I think you should start one. You have the capabilities and the resources to create one of the strongest factions in the world. If you create a faction, I will also join you, and with two Spirit Masters, I don''t think we will have anypetitions for a long time¡ª long enough to reach the peak and solidify our foundations."

    Yuan turned silent to ponder, as he has never really thought about starting his own faction since that was akin to starting up his own sect in the cultivation world.

    Does he have what it takes to manage a faction? What if things don''t work out? And what if it brings more trouble than good?

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    "Wouldn''t it be easier if we all just joined an existing faction that already has its own foundation? Take the Spiritual Elites for example. I think they''re a trustworthy bunch."

    Chu Liuxiang shook her head on the pillow and said, "I don''t know much about the Spiritual Elites or the Six Spiritual Families operates, and I believe you when you say that they are trustworthy, but I still think that it would be for the best if you created your own faction."

    "This way, you don''t have to worry about any restrictions in the future, and you can do everything at your own pace. If you join another faction, you will never fully be able to spread your wings¡ª at least that''s what I believe."

    "Alright, give me some time to think about all of this since it''s not something I can rush."

    "Take all the time you need, Brother Yuan, since I will always be by your side now." Chu Liuxiang giggled in a low volume.

    Eventually, Chu Liuxiang started getting sleepy, but before she closed her eyes, she made sure to snuggle herself closer to Yuan.

    Yuan could feel her soft body clinging to him, and he could smell the soothing fragranceing from her silky brown hair, but he didn''t think too much of it and also went to sleep, as he was used to sleeping with her in such a manner back in the orphanage.

    The two of them quickly fell asleep, and once Meixiu could no longer hear them talk, she also decided to finally go to sleep.

    The following morning, Yuan woke up with a somewhat heavy feeling on his body, and it felt like something was restricting his body.

    His heart immediately began beating nervously since his initial thought was that his body had suddenly returned to being crippled.

    However, he quickly realized that was not the case, and the reason for this heavy feeling was Chu Liuxiang, who had somehow managed to climb on top of his body, and she still appeared to be asleep.

    A relieved smile appeared on Yuan''s face when he recalls how Chu Liuxiang has bad sleeping habits and would always toss around in bed.

    ''How am I supposed to get out of this without waking her up?'' Yuan sighed inwardly.

    Chu Liuxiang was not only lying on top of his body, but she was also hugging his body like a ko hugging a tree.

    Then Yuan noticed something soft pressing against his chest, and he realized that it was caused by Chu Liuxiang''s breasts.

    However, they felt softer than when he identally touched Meifeng''s breasts who was wearing her undergarments at that time.

    Indeed, Chu Liuxiang wasn''t wearing any undergarments as of this moment since she didn''t have her luggage, and she would rather not wear anything than reusing her old ones, but it was not as though she wasn''t offered some by Meixiu.

    But for some reason, Chu Liuxiang refused Meixiu''s offer and decided to sleep without any undergarments.

    Yuan eventually got Chu Liuxiang off his body, and to his surprise, it didn''t wake her up.

    ''Oh, right. She''s also quite the heavy sleeper.'' Yuan then recalled this detail.

    He left the bedroom shortly after, and he noticed that Sebastian was already awake and sitting on the floor in the lotus position, seemingly cultivating.

    Yuan decided to not bother him and approach the bathroom, but before he could walk two steps, Sebastian opened his eyes and turned to look at Yuan.

    "Young Master Yuan, if you don''t mind, can you spare me some of your time? After youe out of the bathroom, of course."

    "Sure," he casually nodded, thinking that this probably had something to do with Chu Liuxiang.

    After washing his face and brushing his teeth, Yuan came back outside, and Sebastian was already standing at the door.

    "Let''s talk outside, shall we?"

    Yuan nodded and followed him outside after changing out of his pajamas and wearing his mask.

 Chapter 555 - You Are The Problem

    <h4>Chapter 555 - You Are The Problem</h4>

    Once they were outside, Sebastian tilted his head to look at the clear blue sky for a silent minute before turning to look at Yuan.

    Sensing Yuan''s nervousness, Sebastian showed a friendly smile and said, "There''s no need to be so tense. I just wanted to thank you."

    "Thank me? For what?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    "For epting the Young Lady despite being separated for so long. I don''t know how much she told you about the Chu Family, but she lived a very reclusive and boring life there with barely any interactions."

    "Besides her family, myself, and a few other instructors, the Young Lady doesn''t have any friends, so she was always bored, and she would alwaysin to me."

    "Of course, there isn''t anything I could do for her except listen to herints."

    "This is my first time seeing the Young Lady so excited and blissful, and I am thanking you for that¡­"

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    "You don''t have to thank me for that. I have known Lulu ever since the orphanage, and we were the closest thing to a family back then. No matter how much time has passed, I will always value her as such." Yuan said to him.

    Sebastian nodded, and then he asked, "Do you have any ns for the future?"

    "That''s a very vague question¡­"

    "I kept it vague on purpose since I don''t know anything about you besides the fact that you''re yer Yuan and that you''re the Young Lady''s childhood friend. What do you see yourself doing in the future?"

    "Are you going to continue living like this, doing whatever you please, or do you intend on doing something big like standing at the top of the world? Maybe you will even start a family and settle down somewhere in the world."

    "I can''t tell you anything since I don''t know what I want to do myself. I have only recently regained my ability to move, so not long ago, I didn''t even have the luxury of deciding what I want to do, since there''s literally nothing I can do in that state."

    "Fair enough." Sebastian nodded.

    "Then allow me to ask you this¡­ Where do you see yourself with the Young Lady in the future?"

    "With Lulu? I hope we can continue being close to each other, I guess, but that will also depend on what she wants to do with her life."

    Sebastian remained silent for a moment before speaking, "You see, the Young Lady is a very important individual within the Chu Family, and being one of the most powerful families in the world, the Young Lady will definitely be a grand figure in the world."

    "The Masters¡ª her parents haven''t decided on what they want to do with her after she finished her training, hence why they allowed her to do as she pleases for now. However, once they havee to a conclusion, they will ask her to return to the family."

    "Maybe they will make her take over the family, or maybe they will send her to another family through marriage. We won''t know until that dayes. However, regardless of what her parents want the Young Lady to do, there will be a problem."

    "And that problem is you, Young Master Yuan."

    "Huh? Why would I be a problem?" Yuan asked, as he was truly puzzled.

    "You''re too important to the Young Lady. I dare even say that you''re more important to the Young Lady than the Chu Family is to her, so if she has to pick between you or the family, she will most definitely pick you¡ª that is what I believe after seeing you two together for less than a day."

    Sebastian''s words confused Yuan even further.

    "Why does she have to pick between me and her family?"

    "As I''d said, the Young Lady''s freedom is only temporary. Once she has to return to the family, she will most likely lose that freedom again and return to being alone or live with another family, which means that she will no longer be able to see you again, and the Young Lady won''t ept that, so she might decide to leave the family, which will cause many problems."

    Yuan was speechless. Why must a family be moreplicated the more powerful they be? Why would they take away Chu Liuxiang''s freedom? Why won''t she be able to see him again? He cannot see how this would benefit anyone.

    Sebastian then continued, "Therefore, you must make a decision. If you want to stay with the Young Lady, then you should prepare yourself for the future and be more influential so that you can affect even the Chu Family. You may be a little famous right now, but it''s not nearly enough to truly affect the world and those that stand at the top."

    "However, if you don''t intend on doing that, then I suggest you separate from the Young Lady as soon as possible so that neither of you gets hurt, especially since the longer you''re together, the more difficult it will be for you two when you have to separate."

    "You must also understand that I am not threatening you right now, Young Master Yuan. In fact, I am on the Young Lady''s side, as I have been ever since I was assigned to take care of her. I just want you to be aware of the Young Lady''s situation, and I don''t want her to experience any grievances."

    "I have been with the Chu Family for nearly my entire life, so I know how they operate very well. Although there is no doubt that they care deeply for the Young Lady, it is also a fact that she was adopted, so she isn''t truly part of the Chu Family. Even if they cannot benefit from her, they won''t just throw her away, as they have sacrificed too many resources for her."

    After a moment of silence, Yuan said, "I don''t know what to say or think of this information¡­"

    "Don''t worry, you have plenty of time to think ande to a conclusion, but don''t take too long since the Chu Family is sometimes very unpredictable. Anyways, it was nice talking with you, Young Master Yuan. If you have any questions, I will always be avable." Sebastian said to him.

 Chapter 556 - Chu Liuxiangs Ambitions

    <h4>Chapter 556 - Chu Liuxiang''s Ambitions</h4>

    Shortly after Yuan and Sebastian left the immortal caves to talk, Meixiu woke up from her sleep to find Chu Liuxiang sleeping in a weird position and Yuan gone.

    She didn''t think too much of it and went outside, but neither Yuan nor Sebastian was around.

    She wondered where they went as she entered the bathroom to clean her face.

    And as Meixiu left the bathroom, Chu Liuxiang wasing out of the bedroom with a sleepy expression on her face.

    "Where''s Brother Yuan?" Chu Liuxiang asked.

    "I don''t know. He was gone by the time I woke up."

    "Is that so¡­" Chu Liuxiang then entered the bathroom to clean her face.

    Once she came out of the bathroom, she saw Meixiu sitting at the table alone, and after pondering for a second, she decided to sit with her.

    Meixiu quickly noticed Chu Liuxiang staring at her, mostly because Chu Liuxiang didn''t try to hide the fact.

    "Is there something on my face?" Meixiu asked her.

    "No, I was just thinking that you''re very pretty."

    To her surprise, Chu Liuxiang actually praised her appearance.

    "Thank you¡­" Meixiu felt a little awkward after hearing Chu Liuxiang''s praises.

    "Hey, I have a question. What do you think of Brother Yuan?" Chu Liuxiang suddenly asked her.

    "What do you mean?" Meixiu raised her eyebrows slightly.

    "I am asking what you think of Brother Yuan as a man. Are you interested in him? Or are you already in love with him? I have watched you for an entire day, but I cannot figure it out. Surely, you must have some feelings for him since you have been living with him for so long, and Brother Yuan is a very charming man¡­ in his own way." Chu Liuxiang tantly asked Meixiu if she loved Yuan.

    And sure enough, Meixiu was left speechless by such a question.

    But before she could even respond, Chu Liuxiang continued, "Actually, you don''t have to tell me since it won''t really change my decision."

    "Your decision?" Meixiu asked out of curiosity.

    "My decision to stay with Brother Yuan for the rest of my life as his wife. I wasn''t sure about my feelings at first, but after seeing him again, I am certain that I love him, so I want to be with him¡ª even if I have to leave the Chu Family."

    Meixiu''s eyes visibility widened after hearing Chu Liuxiang''s deration of love for Yuan, but she was more surprised that Chu Liuxiang had the courage to say such words out loud than the words themselves.

    After all, anyone could tell that Chu Liuxiang had intimate feelings for Yuan just by how she acted when around him.

    Seeing Meixiu''s reaction, Chu Liuxiang smiled and said, "Don''t worry, it''s not like I am dering war or anything like that by telling you that I love Brother Yuan. I just wanted to clear your doubts since you seem to question my feelings for him."

    Meixiu opened her mouth, but no words came out, as she wasn''t sure how she should respond to Chu Liuxiang''s words.

    Obviously, she had some feelings for Yuan, but she wasn''t as bold as Chu Liuxiang to announce that out loud.

    "Two¡­ I want two children with Brother Yuan no matter if they are a boy or a girl. That is my dream¡ª or should I say dreams? And I hope to achieve one of these dreams before I have to return to my family."

    Meixiu''s jaw dropped a little after hearing her words. Does Chu Liuxiang n on getting pregnant before she returns to the Chu Family?

    "Aren''t you a little too young for a child?" Meixiu couldn''t help but ask.

    Although she didn''t know Chu Liuxiang''s age, they looked to be around the same age.

    "Too young? Based on what? I am already an adult, so why must I pointlessly wait to conceive when I am already prepared to have children? In fact, I have heard from others that it''s normal for girls at my age to already have their own family in this day and age."

    Meixiu was speechless. While it is true that there are many girls out there that have already started their own family at the age of 18 with some being even younger, she still felt that having a child at such a young age would be too much responsibility.

    "Listen here, Meixiu. Brother Yuan is a very charming young man with unlimited potential, and I have no doubt that there will be a lot ofpetition in the future, so it''s only logical to strike while the iron is hot! Even if he decides to get another wife in the future, at least I already have a spot in his heart!"

    "Wait¡­ You don''t mind sharing him with others?" Meixiu was truly speechless now. Is that why Chu Liuxiang doesn''t care if she loved Yuan or not?

    And if someone asked her, she would definitely prefer having the man she loved all to herself.

    "Well¡­ My father has many wives, so I am used to it, and they all seem pretty happy together. Furthermore, it''s not umon for powerful men to have many wives. Honestly, I don''t care as long as I have a ce in his heart." Chu Liuxiang said in a calm and clear voice.

    By now, Yuan and Sebastian had been away for over an hour.

    Suddenly, the door opened, and both Yuan and Sebastian returned to the immortal caves with suitcases by their side.

    After their talk, Yuan decided to go with Sebastian to get their luggage since he knew his way around the ce much better than Sebastian.

    "Good morning, Brother Yuan! You too, Sebastian!" Chu Liuxiang stood up and left the table after seeing their return.

    "Good morning, Young Lady," Sebastian said to her.

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    "You''re awake already? I thought you would still be asleep since you have never been good with waking up in the morning." Yuan chuckled.

    "That was years ago!" She quickly said.

    Meanwhile, Meixiu silently watched Chu Liuxiang acting very intimately around Yuan, but Chu Lixuiang no longer looked as innocent as before since Meixiu is now aware of Chu Liuxiang''s grand ambitions!

 Chapter 557 - Unable To Focus

    <h4>Chapter 557 - Unable To Focus</h4>

    After putting their luggage away, Chu Liuxiang and Meixiu changed out of their pajamas before making their way to the restaurant for breakfast.

    Once breakfast was done, Chu Liuxiang asked, "Brother Yuan, what are you going to do today?"

    "I am going to practice with my sword at the training building. Honestly, that''s pretty much all we do here. I am sorry if it''s a little boring," he said.

    "It''s fine. I don''t mind it."

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    After they rested a little after breakfast, they began making their way to the training building.

    "I will see youter," Meixiu said to Yuan before making her way to the fourth floor.

    Meanwhile, Yuan entered the gymnasium on the first floor and did some warmup with the sword¡­

    "Can I see that sword?" Chu Liuxiang asked him.

    Yuan handed the wooden sword to her.

    "Oh, it''s much heavier than it looks."

    "There''s metal in the center, so it feels like a real sword."

    Chu Liuxiang began swinging the sword around effortlessly, but her technique wasn''t the best. In fact, one could even call them choppy and amateurish, and anyone watching could tell that she was aplete beginner with the sword.

    "What kind of training do you do?" Yuan asked her out of curiosity.

    "Mostly how to control my spiritual energy. Like this."

    Chu Liuxiang held the sword in front of her for a moment before letting the handle go.

    However, to Yuan''s surprise, the sword didn''t fall to the ground and hovered in the air.

    "T-This is¡­ Qi Maniption?" Yuan could tell that Chu Liuxiang was controlling the sword with her spiritual energy so that it wouldn''t fall, and this technique greatly resembled Qi Maniption that can only be used by Spirit Grandmasters in Cultivation Online.

    "Qi Maniption? It''s a technique from my family, but they call it Spiritual Control." Chu Liuxiang said.

    "Does that mean you also know how to fly?" Yuan couldn''t help but ask.

    "Fly? That''s impossible," she said.

    "Really? In Cultivation Online, if you know Qi Maniption, then you can control the spiritual energy around your body, allowing you to fly."

    "Hmm¡­ I''m not sure, but I cannot control the spiritual energy around me¡ª only my own spiritual energy. I can use it to move things from a distance, and it can even deal significant damage, but that''s pretty much all it can do. Flying is out of the question," she said.

    "Then it''s not Qi Maniption?" Yuan mumbled to himself.

    Of course, there is also the chance that it''s actually Qi Maniption, but Chu Liuxiang hasn''t reached that level yet.

    "Brother Yuan, you''re quite strong, right? Do you want to experience for yourself the technique''s might? Don''t worry, I will hold back."

    "Sure." Yuan eagerly nodded.

    He then stood a few meters away from Chu Liuxiang like she''d instructed him before putting the sword in front of him in a defensive position.

    "Are you ready?" Chu Liuxiang asked him.

    "I am."

    Hearing such words, Chu Liuxiang took a deep breath and gathered the spiritual energy in her body at her fists.

    Once she was ready, she threw a punch at Yuan, but her fist was nowhere near touching Yuan, as they were still a few meters away from each other.

    However, Yuan could feel something powerful and heavy mming into his sword the next second, pushing him back many inches, nearly knocking him off his feet.

    "Wow¡­ And that was ''holding back''?" Yuan asked her afterward.

    "Yes, I can destroy a boulder the size of a car if I used all of my strength¡ª enough to kill someone," she said.

    "Heavens¡­ That''s a terrifying technique¡­" Yuan muttered in a dazed voice.

    "It''s very powerful, but it also consumes a lot of my spiritual energy, so I can only use it a couple of times before I exhaust my energy," she said.

    A few minutester, Wang Ming entered the gymnasium, and the first thing he did was look for Yuan''s figure.

    Once he found Yuan, who was speaking with Chu Liuxiang, he approached them.

    "Hey, Yuan, you ready for another spar today?" Wang Ming asked him.

    "Yes." Yuan nodded.

    Wang Ming then nced at Chu Liuxiang for a moment, almost like he had something to say, but he didn''t say anything to her in the end and returned his focus on Yuan.

    The two of them began their spar shortly after, and Chu Liuxiang would watch them fight each other a few meters away.

    Meanwhile, on the fourth floor, Meixiu was warming up at the still targets.

    "Are you okay, Feng?" The instructor approached her and asked her in a concerned voice.

    "You haven''t hit the red a single time after shooting a dozen arrows, and you even missed a couple of shots. Even if you''re just warming up, this isn''t like you. If you''re not feeling well, you should take the day off, maybe even get checked by a doctor."

    "I am fine, instructor. My mind is just upied by a few things and can''t really focus, that''s all." Meixiu said, as she would keep thinking about her conversation with Chu Liuxiang this morning.

    "If you cannot focus, you should put the bow down and meditate until you can clear your mind." The instructor advised her.

    "I shall do that then. Thank you." Meixiu ced her bow down and began meditating near the wall so that she doesn''t obstruct the others.

    However, when she closed her eyes and tried to clear her mind, Chu Liuxiang''s words would continue to resound inside her head.

    ''What do you think of Brother Yuan?''

    ''I love Brother Yuan, and I wish to stay with him forever as his wife.''

    ''I want two children with Brother Yuan¡ª one of them before I have to return to the family.''

    ''There will be manypetitors in the future.''

    ''I love Brother Yuan¡­ I really love him¡­''

    "Why did you have to show up now?" Meixiu sighed in a low voice when she couldn''t get rid of Chu Liuxiang''s voice inside her head.

 Chapter 558 - Senior Hong

    <h4>Chapter 558 - Senior Hong</h4>

    After spending an hour trying to clear her head, Meixiu finally managed to calm down, and she went to practice the bow to take her mind off everything else.

    At the end of the day, the instructor approached Meixiu and said to her, "Senior Hong said to give him a visit whenever you''re ready for the bow. Oh, and he also wants you to bring along yer Yuan if he''s not busy."

    "I will ask himter." Meixiu nodded.

    Sometimeter, Meixiu returned to the first floor, where Yuan and Wang Ming had just finished their training for the day.

    "Yuan, Senior Hong said that he''d like to see us." Meixiu approached them.

    "Is this about your bow?" Yuan asked.

    .

    "Yes."

    "Alright. Let''s give him a visit after we tidy up our appearances."

    "See you tomorrow." Wang Ming said to Yuan before they left the training building and returned to the immortal caves to take a quick shower.

    Once they were prepared, Meixiu and Yuan went to the Hong Family''s living quarters with Chu Liuxiang and Sebastian following them.

    However, they had to ask for directions since they have never been to the ce before.

    After asking a few people, they finally arrived at the Hong Family''s main living quarters, and there appeared to be smokeing from the back of the massive building.

    "Wee to the Hong Family, esteemed guests. Master Hong is currently in the crafting hall. Allow me to bring you there." The guard there greeted them.

    They then followed the guard to the back of the area, where the smoke wasing from.

    Once they arrived and entered the building, they could see a half-naked old man with the upper part of his body that was very jacked and refinedpletely naked and soaked in sweat.

    It was Senior Hong, and he was hammering away at the anvil.

    Ding! Ding! Ding!

    Every time he struck the hot iron on the anvil, the others would feel their hearts pop out of their chest a little.

    "Oh, wee." Senior Hong stopped whatever he was doing when he noticed Yuan and the others.

    "It''s okay, we can wait until you''re finished," Yuan said to him.

    Senior Hongughed and said, "Don''t worry, I was just exercising. It''s not like I was actually making anything."

    "Exercising?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    "Anyways, give me a few minutes. As you can see, I am covered in sweat."

    Senior Hong then walked outside the building and into this small building that was literally a few steps away from the crafting building.

    After Senior Hong disappeared inside this small building, they could hear water sshing a couple of times before stopping.

    A few minutester, Senior Hong left the small building with a fresh appearance.

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    "Follow me." Senior Hong then led them to another building that was about a minute away from the crafting area.

    "This is the storage area. It''s where I keep all of our equipment." Senior Hong said as he opened the locked doors before bringing them inside.

    "Wow¡­" Yuan muttered in a low voice shortly after stepping foot inside this building.

    Inside the building was a spacious room that was just like the gymnasium, but there were weapons everywhere.

    There were weapons stacked on shelves, weaponsying on the ground, and there were even weapons hanging on the walls.

    "Our Hong Family handles all of the faction''s equipment since crafting is our expertise, and we get to hone our skills while we support the faction, so it''s a win-win for us."

    "Follow me."

    Senior Hong then led them to a secluded section in the building, and he said to Meixiu, "There are over 100 different types of bows here. Get a feel for each of them and let me know which one you like the best, and I will craft you a brand new one with your strength in mind."

    "And judging by your skills at thepetition, I would say that you''re the type to wield a short bow that specializes in rapid-fire, but you should still check out all of the bows before making a conclusion."

    "Okay. Thank you." Meixiu said to him before she went to look at the bows.

    "Fellow Daoist Yuan, since you''re here as well, why don''t you also pick a weapon? You''re mostly a sword user, right? We have plenty of them."

    "Really?" Yuan was delighted to hear this since he has been thinking about getting a sword but didn''t know where.

    "Yes. If you want, I can even craft you a custom sword."

    However, Yuan shook his head and said, "Just an ordinary sword is good enough. Thank you."

    "Alright. The swords are in Section A by the entrance. Let me lead you there."

    Thus, Yuan followed Senior Hong to the area holding the swords.

    ''Wow¡­''

    Yuan was amazed by how many swords there were in this ce. In fact, this is his first time seeing so many swords at once.

    "Youngdy, if you like, you can also pick a sword." Senior Hong didn''t want her to feel left out and said.

    "Thank you, but I don''t use swords¡ª or any weapons for that matter."

    Senior Hong nodded and didn''t say anything else.

    Yuan proceeded to pick up every sword to feel them in his grasp.

    Once he found the perfect sword that felt the best in his grasp, he showed it to Senior Hong.

    "I want this sword."

    Senior Hong nodded without any hesitation, "It may be an ordinary sword, but it''s still a good sword nevertheless."

    Now that Yuan had a sword, they returned to Meixiu''s side.

    "Take your time," Yuan said to her.

    Meixiu nodded.

    Half an hourter, Meixiu said to Senior Hong, "I like the way this bow feels in my hand, but it''s a little too light. Can you make me something heavier?"

    In fact, due to her increased strength, every single bow that she has used up to this point was simply too light, and that isn''t good in archery. In other words, Meixiu has been at a disadvantage this entire time due to this setback and hasn''t shown her real potential.

 Chapter 559 - Too Light

    <h4>Chapter 559 - Too Light</h4>

    "Too light, huh? That''s not good. Although light bows are easier to handle, they won''t be able topare to heavier bows in terms of power and speed, just like how a sword shouldn''t be too light, sacrificing power for control."

    "I will need to conduct some tests to see how strong I should make the bow." Senior Hong said to Meixiu.

    "Okay."

    "Follow me to the workshop."

    Yuan and the others followed him back to the crafting area, where Senior Hong retrieved a couple of dumbbells of different sizes.

    "The lightest dumbbell is 100 kilos while the heaviest dumbbell is 500 kilos. Go ahead and try each of them."

    .

    Meixiu nodded and proceeded to pick up each of the dumbbells, starting with the lightest one.

    A few minutester, Meixiu ced the 500-kilo dumbbell down and said to Senior Hong, "I still think they''re a bit too light."

    "S-Still too light? The heaviest dumbbell weighs over a ton, you know? Even I have trouble picking it up, and you''re only a Spirit Warrior! Just how much innate strength do you possess?" Senior Hong was speechless.

    After a moment of silence, he asked her, "What is your limit?"

    "I don''t know, but I have picked up a car with rtive ease before," she calmly responded.

    "A car¡­? How big was the car?"

    "Just an ordinary sedan-type car."

    "Heavens¡­ These types of cars are usually around 1,500 kilos¡­ And that is still too easy for you? I''m afraid that I won''t be able to craft a bow that could handle your monstrous strength¡­" Senior Hong shook his head in a defeated manner.

    He could''ve never imagined that Meixiu would have such immense strength when her slim figure looked so fragile and weak.

    "Anyways, even though I won''t be able to make a bow that won''t feel ''too light'' in your hands, I will still try to craft you the heaviest bow that I can manage."

    "It''ll take at least a week. I will send someone to notify you when it''s done."

    "Thank you." Meixiu bowed to him.

    Sometimeter, Yuan and the others left the Hong Family''s living quarters and returned to the immortal caves.

    After resting for a little, they went to the Silver Restaurant for dinner.

    Once dinner was finished, they took another quick shower before going to bed.

    However, when Chu Liuxiang came out of the bathroom after her shower, her appearance made both Yuan and Meixiu speechless.

    "What do you think of my pajamas, Brother Yuan?" Chu Liuxiang showed off her one-piece pajamas shaped like a dress, but it was see-through, meaning that they were able to see her skin and her undergarments very clearly underneath.

    ''What kind of pajamas is that? You might as well be naked!'' Meixiu cried inwardly when she saw Chu Liuxiang''s daring and shameless pajamas.

    "They look¡­ very unique¡­" Yuan responded after a moment of silence.

    And he continued, "Do you always sleep in that kind of clothing? You''re basically asking to catch a cold in that."

    Chu Liuxiang giggled a little and said, "Don''t worry, Brother Yuan. These pajamas are actually warmer than it looks, and most importantly, it feels veryfortable."

    "If you say so¡­" Yuan said.

    Yuan and the other two entered the bed a few momentster, and Chu Liuxiang attached herself to Yuan the moment they went under the nkets.

    "Brother Yuan, can I ask you something?" Chu Liuxiang suddenly asked him.

    "What is it?"

    "Do you have anyone that you like?"

    Meixiu''s eyebrows twitched uncontrobly after hearing Chu Liuxiang''s question.

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    And to their surprise, Yuan quickly responded in a calm voice, "Of course."

    "I have a lot of people that I like, and you''re one of them," he continued in an innocent tone.

    "That''s not what I mean, you silly. I am asking if you fancy any girls¡ª to the point where you want to spend the rest of your life with them."

    "Well, I wouldn''t mind spending the rest of my life with you or Meixiu. Does that count?" Yuan asked.

    Chu Liuxiang chuckled and said, "I guess that''s good enough for now."

    And she continued, "Onest thing, Brother Yuan. Can you do ''that'' to me like you used to before we slept?"

    "That?" Yuan had to think for a moment before he realized what she was talking about.

    "Alright."

    Yuan then turned his body until he was facing Chu Liuxiang.

    The next moment, he gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead.

    "Are you happy now?"

    "Very!" Chu Liuxiang said before also giving him a kiss on the forehead.

    "¡­"

    Meixiu looked at Yuan''s back with her eyes wide open.

    Since Yuan was facing the other way, Meixiu wasn''t able to see what they were doing, but she definitely heard them kissing each other, and this made her heart feel like it was being squeezed.

    Yuan and Chu Liuxiang went to sleep shortly after, but Meixiu remained unable to sleep.

    Eventually, she gave up trying to sleep and spent the rest of the night cultivating inside the room since she didn''t want to leave the two of them alone in the room for some reason.

    However, she would quickly realize that it was impossible to focus when her heart was beating so nervously.

    "Haaaa¡­" Meixiu released a deep sigh.

    ''Mother was right¡­ And it didn''t even take long¡­''

    Meixiu stopped trying to cultivate and returned to the bed, and she would spend the next few minutes staring at Yuan''s sleeping face.

    ''If I don''t do anything¡­''

    Meixiu closed her eyes and took a silent but deep breath.

    When she opened her eyes, they were filled with determination.

    ''Yuan¡­''

    She began moving her arms until they wrapped around Yuan''s body under the nket, essentially hugging him, and she would close her eyes again just in case Yuan suddenly wakes up so she could act like she was moving in her sleep.

    And to her surprise, all of her nervousness disappeared very quickly after she hugged Yuan, allowing her to fall asleep very quickly.

    The following morning, Yuan would wake up to find his body restricted again, but to his surprise, it wasn''t Chu Liuxiang that was restricting him. Instead, it was Meixiu who was clinging to his body, and with her immense strength, it was pretty much impossible for Yuan to break free without doing so very forcefully, so he could only wait until Meixiu wakes up.

 Chapter 560 - Polearms

    <h4>Chapter 560 - Polearms</h4>

    An hour has passed since Yuan woke up from his sleep, but he hasn''t been able to move, much less go anywhere because of Meixiu, who was hugging his body with incredible strength.

    Fortunately, Yuan only had to wait a few more minutes before Meixiu woke up and realized the situation.

    "I-I am sorry!" Meixiu quickly jumped out of the bed when she realized that she had been hugging him while in her sleep.

    "It''s okay," Yuan said in a calm voice.

    "How long have you been awake?" Meixiu couldn''t help but ask him.

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    "I don''t know, but I''ve been awake for a bit now," he responded.

    "W-Why didn''t you wake me up if that was the case?"

    "You were sleeping very peacefully, and I couldn''t tell myself to wake you up in that state."

    Meixiu blushed after hearing his words.

    ''Does this mean he has been watching my sleeping face this entire time?'' she wondered inwardly.

    "Anyways, now that you''re awake, I can finally use the bathroom," Yuan said as he got off the bed and went to the bathroom.

    "Not bad, Meixiu. Looks like you''re finally showing your true self." Chu Lixuiang''s voice suddenly resounded, causing Meixiu to look at her.

    "Chu Liuxiang¡­ It''s not like that¡­" Meixiu refuted in a low voice.

    "Who are you trying to fool? As someone who is deeply in love with Brother Yuan, I can tell when another girl is also in love with him. You''re not benefiting anybody by lying to yourself."

    Meixiu remained silent for a moment before releasing a deep sigh.

    "You''re right. I love him." Meixiu said as she looked at Chu Liuxiang with a confronting gaze.

    Chu Liuxiang smiled and said, "I know."

    The two of them proceeded to silently stare at each other without blinking like they were in a staring contest.

    After a long moment of silence, Chu Liuxiang broke the silence and said, "I wish you the best of luck."

    She then left the bed and made her way outside the bedroom.

    ''I really don''t understand her at all¡­'' Meixiu shook her head afterward.

    Sometimeter, once they all washed their faces, they made their way to the silver restaurant for breakfast.

    After their breakfast, they went to the training building for another day of training.

    "Hey, Yuan." Wang Ming approached Yuan with a sword in his hands.

    "Sorry, but I won''t be able to spar with you today," Yuan said to him.

    "Eh? Why not?"

    "I already have enough experience with the sword, and I want to practice with the other weapons while I am still here, so I will be going to the other floors today. I am only here to let you know."

    "I see. That''s fine. I should probably take a few days off too." Wang Ming nodded.

    "Well, let me know when you feel like sparring again."

    "Okay."

    Yuan left the first floor shortly after and went to the third floor since the second floor is also meant for swords.

    Inside the gymnasium on the third floor, Yuan could see many disciples swinging and twirling their spears around like they were performing for a show; it waspletely different from training with a sword.

    "Hmm? Instructor, isn''t that yer Yuan?" One of the disciples there notified the instructor when he noticed the masked man standing at the door.

    The instructor, who was a bulky middle-aged man, turned to look at the door, and sure enough, it was Yuan.

    He then approached Yuan and said, "You''re yer Yuan, right? How may I help you?"

    "I''d like to try wielding a spear¡ª or even a staff," he said.

    "Have you used one before?"

    "No."

    "I can teach you the basics if you want." The instructor offered.

    "Thank you." Yuan nodded.

    "Follow me."

    The instructor brought Yuan to one of the main weapon racks there and said, "Pick whatever you want."

    Yuan looked at the weapon racks that had many different kinds of polearms and was a little overwhelmed.

    "Are they all spears? I don''t know which one to choose."

    "They are called polearms. A spear is only a variety of polearms. This one here is called ance, and this one is called a halberd. They all have their pros and cons, but if you prefer something more bnced, I would rmend the staff."

    "Which of them is the most popr? And which one of them is best for beginners?" Yuan then asked.

    "I''d say the spear since they''re lightweight and very flexible. Thence is basically arger and heavier spear, allowing it to have much more raw power at the cost of speed and control. As for the halberd, they are mostly defensive, and they specialize in disarming your opponents."

    "But since you''re a beginner, I would rmend training with the staff first since it''s basically a spear without the head. Once you''re familiar with the staff, you''ll also be familiar with the other polearms to a certain extent."

    Yuan nodded, "Then I will start with the staff."

    The instructor then showed him two different types of staff with one longer and thinner than the other.

    "The thinner staff is more flexible and has a longer reach. The other one is shorter and thicker, but it''s much easier to control and has more blunt force. If you''re looking to practice with the spear afterward, I would rmend the former one. If you want to use thence or halberd, then I would go for the thicker staff." The instructor said.

    "I will start with the thinner one first," Yuan said.

    "Alright." The instructor ced the other staff back in the weapon sack before taking Yuan to a more spacious area.

    "The first thing you need to learn about the staff¡ª or any polearm for that matter is how to properly hold it. If you don''t know how to hold the weapon, you will never be able to use it at its full potential."

    "I will now show you how to hold the staff properly."

    Yuan nodded and proceeded to focus all of his attention on the instructor.

 Chapter 561 - Polearms(2)

    <h4>Chapter 561 - Polearms(2)</h4>

    Once the instructor showed Yuan how to hold the staff, he swung the staff around in a slow but precise manner, allowing Yuan to see every single one of his movements more clearly.

    A few minutester, the instructor stopped his movements and turned to look at Yuan before handing him the staff.

    "Here. I showed a little more than I was supposed to, but I wanted to give you a grasp of what it means to wield a staff."

    After Yuan epted the staff, the instructor went to grab another one for himself.

    "Am I holding this properly?" Yuan asked.

    "Yes, that''s perfect. Now let''s start with the basic movements."

    The instructor then executed a single strike with the staff before freezing in that position¡­

    Yuan followed his movements and executed the same strike with perfection.

    Of course, it was only a basic movement, so it wasn''t that impressive.

    "Here''s a follow-up."

    The instructor resumed his movements and swung the staff again.

    Yuan followed.

    The two of them would continue in this manner until they executed most of the basic movements.

    "Now try to do it all at once without any long pauses." The instructor said to him.

    Yuan nodded and took a moment to remember all of the movements. Once he was ready, he started swinging the staff around with precise and smooth movements.

    Although the techniques were the basics, they looked like it was performed by an expert.

    ''This guy¡­'' The instructor was amazed by how fast of a learner Yuan was.

    It had only been a few minutes since they started, yet Yuan was already performing like he was an expert.

    "How did I do?" Yuan asked the dazed instructor after performing the basic techniques.

    "N-Not bad. I don''t have anything to say, which is a good thing. Practice like that a few more times and we''ll move to the next step."

    "Okay."

    Yuan began swinging the staff around again.

    About ten minutester, the instructor stopped him and started showing him more advanced techniques.

    This continued for the rest of the day.

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    Meanwhile, on the fourth floor, Meixiu was doing much better than the previous day.

    "Looks like you''re back to normal. I hope you''ve solved whatever was troubling you." The instructor said to her.

    "Thank you for your concern." Meixiu nodded.

    At the end of the day, Meixiu went to the first floor to meet up with Yuan like usual, but when she arrived, Yuan wasn''t there.

    ''Where did he go?'' Meixiu looked around while pondering. She couldn''t imagine Yuan leaving without her.

    When the instructor there noticed Meixiu looking around, he approached her and said, "If you''re looking for yer Yuan, he''s on the third floor."

    "Third floor?" Meixiu tried to recall what was on the third floor, but shepletely forgot.

    After thanking the instructor for his information, Meixiu went back up to two more floors until she arrived at the third floor.

    When she opened the door and entered the gymnasium, she was surprised to see arge crowd gathered at the center of the room.

    This instantly piqued Meixiu''s interest, so she approached the crowd to see what they were all looking at with such intensity.

    Whoosh!

    In the center of the crowd, Yuan was in the middle of sparring with a bulky man, both of them wielding a spear.

    "Ha!"

    The instructor stepped forward to thrust his spear at Yuan, but Yuan perfectly deflected the attack with his own spear and with rtive ease.

    After defending against the attack, Yuan swung his spear in a wide arc, suddenly stopping a few inches away from the man''s body, barely missing him due to how flexible the spear was.

    "You win¡­ Again." The bulky man lowered his spear with a defeated smile on his face, but one could see clear excitement within his eyes.

    "Thank you for the experience." Yuan lowered his spear and sped his hand to the instructor.

    "No, I should be thanking you. It''s been a while since I have experienced such an overwhelming defeat." The instructor returned the bow.

    "Anyways, are you sure today is your first time using polearms? If that''s true¡­ You''re truly a monster amongst monsters¡­" The instructor joked in a serious voice.

    "Yes, today is my first time using this kind of weapon. I usually use the sword or dagger¡­ sort of." Yuan confirmed.

    "Well, either way, you are now even better than me, an instructor. Besides the Grand Elder, I don''t think there is anyone in this ce that can match you."

    It was at this moment Yuan noticed Meixiu standing in the crowd.

    "It''s time I go. Once again, thank you for teaching me how to use polearms."

    The crowd around them made a clear path when they noticed Yuan walking towards them.

    "Let''s go home, shall we?" Yuan said to Meixiu, who nodded.

    Chu Liuxiang and Sebastian followed them from behind.

    "That was an amazing performance today. As expected of you, Brother Yuan." Chu Liuxiang said to him after they left the building, as she''d watched him train for the whole day.

    Yuan smiled behind his mask and said, "To bepletely honest with you, even though I have never held a staff or spear until today, I felt oddlyfortable with it the moment I held it in my hands, almost like I have used them before. It was like that when I first picked up the sword inside Cultivation Online."

    "That''s what you call a true genius, Brother Yuan. No matter what you touch, you master it with ease!" Chu Liuxiang said in a cheerful voice.

    And she continued, "It was like that back at the orphanage, too. You would learn the harmonica and every single new instrument the same day you got it. Is there anything you cannot learn with ease?"

    ''Common sense¡­'' Meixiu said inwardly after hearing Chu Liuxiang''s question.

    Sometimeter, they returned home to take a quick shower before heading to the Silver Restaurant for dinner.

 Chapter 562 - Battlefield

    <h4>Chapter 562 - Battlefield</h4>

    After eating dinner, Yuan retired to his bedroom with the other twodies.

    "Good night, Brother Yuan." Chu Liuxiang said to him after snuggling close to him.

    Meanwhile, Meixiu took a seat a few meters in front of the bed and started cultivating.

    Although she was already a Spirit Warrior and ahead of the majority of people in the world, she didn''t want to lose to Chu Liuxiang, who was a Spirit Master.

    Yuan fell asleep shortly after lying on the bed, as he was incredibly tired from training today¡ª more so than usual since he wasn''t used to training with polearms.

    After falling asleep, Yuan found himself in his dream once again, but he was surrounded by a thick fog that blocked all of his vision.

    "What is it this time?" Yuan''s initial thought was that it was something caused by the handsome man that would often appear in his dreams.

    But there was no response.

    Whoosh!

    Suddenly, Yuan felt something fly past his head, but it was too fast for him to see what that thing was.

    Then he felt something dripping down his face.

    Yuan subconsciously lifted his hand to wipe his face, and to his surprise, he was bleeding.

    Whatever just flew past his head had scratched his face deep enough to bleed.

    And before he could make sense of what happened, the fog began clearing away, revealing to Yuan his surroundings.

    "T-This is¡­" Yuan''s eyes widened when he realized that he was in a in.

    He was also surrounded by people that appeared to be soldiers, and they were all heavily geared with silver armor and a spear.

    Fortunately, they didn''t appear to be hostile.

    However, not far away from his location, there were thousands of individuals fighting each other in what appeared to be a war zone.

    There also appeared to be two different factions. One wearing silver armor like those around him and the other wearing ck armor.

    "General. What is yourmand?"

    Someone there suddenly said, causing Yuan to turn to look in that direction.

    Yuan''s eyes widened when he saw the handsome man standing no far away from him, but there was something different about the handsome man this time.

    His demeanor and the aura he emitted werepletely different from the handsome man he would normally see. In fact, it felt like he was apletely different individual.

    After a moment of silence, the handsome man raised the spear in his grasp and pointed it at the battlefield.

    "y the enemies and leave none of them alive!" The handsome manmanded in a profound voice.

    The people around him began roaring with excitement, and shortly after, they started rushing towards the battlefield with intense bloodlust in their gaze.

    "Kill! Kill them all!"

    The soldiers in silver armor shouted as they rushed into the battlefield and began ughtering the other faction.

    Meanwhile, the handsome man remained standing in his original spot.

    Seeing this, Yuan approached him and asked, "Where are we?"

    The handsome man turned to look at him before responding in a calm voice, "Can''t you tell? We''re at war."

    "I can obviously see that we''re at war, but why are we here? What are you trying to show me today?" Yuan asked, thinking that this was one of the handsome man''s schemes.

    "Today? You''re acting like we have met before." The handsome man said with a mysterious smile on his face.

    "What?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    However, the handsome man didn''t continue speaking after that.

    Instead, he turned to look at the battlefield for a moment before rushing into it himself.

    When the soldiers wearing that ck armor noticed the handsome man entering the battlefield, they immediately focused on him, quickly surrounding him.

    However, despite their general getting surrounded by the enemies, the soldiers in the silver armor didn''t try to help the handsome man. Hell, they weren''t even looking in his direction, almost like they couldn''t care less about his situation.

    Shortly after surrounding the handsome man, the ck-armored soldiers began their assault with all of them lunging at the handsome man from all directions.

    The handsome man sneered in a cold manner before swinging the silver spear in his grasp in a full circle.

    WHOOSH!

    A single swing of his spear created a powerful tornado that instantly consumed the people surrounding him, tearing their armors and bodies apart with ease.

    The tornado quickly turned red with how many people it killed in a short time, and it would make the battlefield rain blood and mutted corpses, creating a gruesome scene.

    When the soldiers wearing the ck armor saw how the handsome man ughtered half of their army with a single strike, they immediately dropped their weapons and began fleeing.

    "There''s no way we can defeat such a monster!"

    "I surrender! Please! Spare me!"

    A few of the soldiers even started begging for mercy after seeing their army crumble.

    However, the silver-armored soldierspletely ignored their enemies'' pleas and used their spears to finish off their enemies without mercy.

    Once the battlefield was cleared of the ck-armored soldiers, the soldiers there gathered around the handsome man and started celebrating their victory.

    "Hahaha! Yet another easy victory for the Silver Dragon Army!"

    "We''d even given them an hour to defeat our weakest squad!"

    "You''re simply too powerful, General! With you by our side, we will never experience a single defeat!"

    However, the handsome man wasn''t celebrating, and he shouted, "It''s still too early to celebrate! Until we destroy their entire army and make their lord surrender, the war is still ongoing! Hurry up and get moving!"

    The soldiers immediately stopped celebrating and saluted.

    "Yes, General!"

    The soldiers got on their horses and began chasing after the ck-armored soldiers that fled the battlefield¡ª all the way back to their own territory.

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    It was at this moment Yuan woke up from his dream.

    ''What was that all about?'' Yuan wondered to himself, as the dream was too different from his usual dreams, and even the handsome man felt like a different person.

 Chapter 563 - The Aura Of A True Master

    <h4>Chapter 563 - The Aura Of A True Master</h4>

    After waking up from his strange dream, Yuan went to wash his face before going outside to get some fresh air, and he wondered if he''d been a general in his past life.

    ''That man in my dreams said that I was his reincarnation, but from what I have seen so far, he appeared to live inside a cultivation world. Does this mean there exists a cultivation world out there somewhere in the universe?''

    Many minutester, Yuan returned inside the immortal caves, and everyone there was already awake and prepared to grab some breakfast.

    "Where did you go, Brother Yuan?" Chu Liuxiang asked him.

    "I was right outside the caves getting some fresh air," he said.

    They left the immortal caves shortly after to get breakfast.

    After eating breakfast, they made their way to the training building, where Yuan would spend another day on the third-floor training with the spear. As for Meixiu, she''d spent most of her time in the outdoor training area.

    "Instructor, can I train with you again today?" Yuan approached the bulky man who showed a bittersweet smile on his face after hearing Yuan''s request.

    After all, he didn''t want to lose again before so many disciples, and he''d already lost plenty of face from yesterday''s loss.

    However, as though the heavens were on the instructor''s side, before he could open his mouth to speak, someone suddenly approached them and said, "I could spar with you if you''d like."

    Yuan turned to look at this individual who''d just spoke, and he was a tall, handsome young man with long hair that was tied into a single ponytail at the back of his head.

    ''Wow, he''s tall¡­'' Yuan subconsciously said to himself when he saw this young man who was definitely an entire head taller than him.

    "My name is Shi Lang, and I am an elite disciple. I don''t usually train here, but I heard that you''d defeated the instructor yesterday, so I came here today to see if I could spar with you. I promise you that I won''t disappoint you." The tall young man continued.

    "Oh! Shi Lang! If it''s you, you will definitely be able to fight with him!" The instructor said with a gleeful look on his face since he no longer has to fight Yuan.

    He then turned to look at Yuan and said, "As you can probably guess from his surname, he''s from the Shi Family. If I have to bepletely honest, he''s even stronger than me, so you''ll definitely have fun sparring with him more than sparring with me."

    Yuan nodded and said, "Okay, let''s spar. By the way, I am Yuan."

    "I know." Shi Lang smiled.

    The instructor then cleared out an area in the gymnasium for the two of them.

    Sometimeter, Yuan and Shi Lang stood a few meters away from each other with a spear in their grasp.

    Of course, the entire spear waspletely made out of bamboo, so they didn''t have to worry about identally inflicting grave injuries on each other.

    With that being said, if struck by the spear, it would definitely hurt, and they could even experience a few broken bones.

    Very quickly, a crowd gathered around the two of them before they even started the fight.

    "Wow, it''s actually Shi Lang. It''s been months since Ist saw him."

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    "Shi Lang is number one when ites to polearms. yer Yuan fought Wang Ming, who is the number one with swords, and won. I wonder if he''ll be able to defeat Shi Lang, too."

    "No matter how talented yer Yuan is, I don''t think he''ll be able to defeat Shi Lang. He only picked up the spear yesterday without any prior experience, right? There''s no way that he''d win against Shi Lang, who is not only extremely talented but also has 20 years'' worth of training."

    "I also don''t think he''ll win, but we won''t know for sure until one of them actually wins."

    "Whenever you are ready." Shi Lang said to Yuan while standing there in a casual manner.

    Yuan readied his spear and got into an offensive position.

    "Hm?" The instructor immediately raised his eyebrows when he felt the profound aura that suddenly started emitting from Yuan''s body.

    Shi Lang also noticed this unfathomable aura, and his calmness was quickly wiped away.

    ''What is going on? Why am I getting this feeling that I would only get when I fight against my grandfather from him?''

    Shi Lang recognized this feelinging from Yuan, as he would often feeling iting from his grandfather¡ª the feeling of a true master.

    Once Shi Lang got into his position, the two of them would remain standing there without moving for a whole minute.

    A minuteter, Yuan suddenly moved forward, thrusting the spear in his grasp at Shi Lang.

    Whoosh!

    Shi Lang quickly dodged this strike that nearly struck him in the chest where his heart was located. However, he''d only managed to narrowly dodge the strike because of how unexpectedly fast Yuan had executed the strike.

    An excited yet nervous smile appeared on Shi Lang''s face without him realizing it, as it has been a very long time since he hasst experienced such thrill and pressure.

    After missing his attack, Yuan immediately retrieved his spear and went for another strike that was actually a little faster than his first strike!

    Shi Lang dodged this strike again and with more ease despite the increased speed since he knew what the expect after experiencing Yuan''s first strike.

    Meanwhile, the instructor was shocked to the core after witnessing Yuan''s lightning-quick spear thrust that was almost impossible to see with the eyes, and he wondered to himself if Yuan had been secretly practicing with the spear for the whole day yesterday after going home.

    ''His movements weren''t this quick and sharp yesterday! It''s almost like I am watching an entirely different person than yesterday! What kind of training did he undergo yesterday? How can someone improve so drastically in less than a day?!'' The instructor cried inwardly.

 Chapter 564 - Spirit Competition

    <h4>Chapter 564 - Spirit Competition</h4>

    "Sebastian, what do you think of Brother Yuan?" Chu Liuxiang asked him as they watched Yuan spar with Shi Lang.

    "I think he''s a very talented young man, perhaps even the most talented person I have ever seen. I dare say that even the top geniuses from the Chu Family wouldn''t be able to match him," he calmly responded.

    "Then do you think my parents would ept someone like him?" Chu Liuxiang asked, her intentions clear with that question.

    Sebastian pondered for a moment before speaking, "Young Lady, you should know very well the Masters'' personality. Talent alone won''t be enough to impress them. He''ll need more than that to receive their recognition."

    "Is that so?" Chu Liuxiang mumbled.

    Sometimeter, the crowd surrounding Yuan and Shi Lang suddenly erupted with cheering and excitement.

    "Ooooh! He won! yer Yuan actually managed to defeat Shi Lang!"

    "Heavens! What was that technique at the end?! I have never seen anything like that before!"

    In the middle of the circle, Shi Lang was sitting on the floor with a look of disbelief on his face.

    "What kind of technique was that just now?" Shi Lang asked Yuan.

    "It doesn''t have a name," he said.

    After all, he''d learned the technique from watching the handsome man his dream.

    "I see¡­ Anyways, it was a great fight. I didn''t actually expect to lose if I am beingpletely honest." Shi Lang extended his hand for a handshake.

    Yuan epted his hand and said, "Likewise, I enjoyed the spar."

    Sometimeter, the instructor approached Yuan and said, "You must have practiced a lot even after you went home."

    ''Training?'' Yuan raised his eyebrows, but he didn''t respond to that, as he figured that it would be for the better.

    "How about another round? I still have a lot of energy." Shi Lang asked Yuan a momentter.

    "Sure." Yuan nodded.

    And for the next few days, Yuan would spend his time on the 3rd floor mastering the spear and trying out the other polearms.

    "Hey, Yuan." Wang Ming appeared on the third floor and called out to him right before he went home.

    "Don''t forget about thepetition; it starts tomorrow."

    "Oh, right. I actually forgot about that." Yuan said.

    "Where is it being held?"

    "Meet me here tomorrow morning about two hours after sunrise. I will take you there."

    "Okay."

    After returning to the immortal caves, Chu Liuxiang asked, "Whatpetition is being held tomorrow?"

    "The top disciples in this faction will be fighting against each other is what I heard," he said.

    "So people like that Shi Lang and Wang Ming guy?"

    "Yes, there will be more people like them at thepetition. I am kind of excited."

    The following morning, after breakfast, Yuan went to the training tower with the others.

    When they arrived, Wang Ming was already there.

    "Good morning, everyone." Wang Ming greeted them.

    "Hey."

    "How are you feeling today?" Wang Ming asked.

    "I am feeling great."

    "Perfect. Then follow me."

    Wang Ming proceeded to lead Yuan and the others to the location of the tournament.

    About half an hourter, they arrive at the ins that had an enormous stage out in the open, and there were bleachers surrounding the tform.

    "Wow, there''s a lot of people here," Yuan mumbled when he saw the sea of people there, almost like everyone in the Jaded Garden was gathered there.

    "Well, it is one of the biggest events of the year, and all of the higher-ups will be here."

    "Wee, Fellow Daoist Yuan." The grand elders approached Yuan the moment they noticed him, and following behind them were a group of middle-aged people.

    "Hello."

    "Daoist Yuan, allow me to introduce you to a few people." Senior Wang said as she looked at the group of people behind her.

    "These are the current heads of the Six Spiritual Family. I believe this is your first time meeting them."

    The middle-aged people there proceeded to introduce themselves.

    After their introduction, one of them asked, "Daoist Yuan, I heard that you will be practicing in thepetition today."

    "I will."

    "I cannot wait to see you in action. I have heard so many things about you, after all."

    N?velDrama.Org ? content.

    "Which weapon do you intend on using?"

    "The sword," he responded.

    After talking for a couple of minutes, they went to the stage.

    "Thepetition will start in half an hour, but since this is your first time, allow me to give you a brief rundown of the rules." Senior Wang said to Yuan once they sat down.

    "There will be a total of 8 contestants including you. Each of you will draw from a box, and those who picked the same number will fight each other. At the end of the first round, the winners will draw again. This will continue until the final round."

    "You are not allowed to bring anything but the weapon we provide you onto the stage. Doing so will be an automatic disqualification."

    "Besides these rules, there isn''t much else to say."

    Yuan then asked, "What kind of weapons will we be using?"

    "You get to choose the type of weapon you wish to wield on the stage, but none of them will be lethal."

    "That makes sense." Yuan nodded.

    Half an hourter, one of the family heads entered the stage and called said, "Wee to our annual Spirit Competition, where our best disciples will face off against each other for the first ce!"

    "First and foremost, let me call the contestants onto the stage!"

    "Wang Ming from the Wang Family!"

    "Wang Bingbing from the Wang Family!"

    "Shi Lang from the Shi Family!"

    "Xi Murong from the Xi Family!"

    "Hong Xiuquan from the Hong Family!"

    "Li Jinxi from the Li Family!"

    "Wu Zao from the Wu Family!"

    "Last but not least, Daoist Yuan who is currently staying in the Jaded Garden as a trial disciple!"

    The thousands of spectators cheered for the contestants afterward.

    "Wow, is that really yer Yuan? This is my first time seeing him."

    "He''s also wearing a mask out here? Damn it. I wanted to see his face at the very least!"

 Chapter 565 - First Round

    <h4>Chapter 565 - First Round</h4>

    After introducing the contestants, a servant approached the stage while carrying a small box.

    "This is what will decide your matchups. Whoever holds the same numbers will be fighting that round. That is all."

    A momentter, the contestants picked their number.

    Yuan looked at the paper in his hands.

    ''Number 1''

    "The matches will be in the order of the number, so whoever has number one will be the first to fight," said the announcer on the stage.

    "I am first," Yuan said.

    The announcer nodded and looked at the other seven. "Who has the other number 1?"

    "Haaa¡­"

    Someone there sighed as he raised his hand into the air.

    "It''s me¡­" Wang Ming said in a defeated voice.

    He turned to look at Yuan and smiled bitterly, "I didn''t expect to lose on the first round. What bad luck."

    "Everyone but the fighters for the first round please leave the stage!" The announcer said.

    Very quickly, everyone but Wang Ming and Yuan left the stage.

    "What about our weapons?" Yuan asked.

    "They areing." The announcer said.

    N?velDrama.Org ? content.

    A few momentster, two people could be seen walking onto the stage with a sword in their grasp.

    "Here you go, Young Master Yuan." One of them approached Yuan and offered him a sword made out of steel, which was out of Yuan''s expectation, as he''d expected to be using a wooden sword from the training hall.

    However, upon closer inspection, Yuan noticed that the de of this sword was very dull¡ª so dull that if used to sh somebody, it wouldn''t even cut their skin, much less their flesh.

    With that being said, that didn''t mean the sword wouldn''t do any damage, as it could break one''s bones if struck hard enough.

    "The match will end when either someone surrenders or faints. Stepping outside the stage will also be considered an automatic loss. Lastly, you are not to inflict serious bodily harm on your opponent purposefully." The announcer quickly went over the rules.

    "The match will begin when you''re both ready."

    Wang Ming bowed to Yuan and said, "Please go easy on me."

    "Likewise." Yuan returned the bow.

    After bowing, they held their swords in front of them.

    Seeing this, the announcer said, "Match begins!"

    The moment the announcer started the match, Yuan took a step forward and used his movement technique, instantly closing their distance and appearing in front of Wang Ming.

    Wang Ming saw thising after dueling with Yuan many times, so he was prepared for it.

    ng!

    The sound of metal colliding echoed in the area as Wang Ming defended Yuan''s sword strike.

    ng! ng! ng!

    The two of them continued to challenge each other without giving themselves any time to rest.

    Wang Ming knew that a prolonged fight against Yuan would immensely lower his chances of winning due to Yuan''s seemingly inexhaustible stamina, so he could only go all out at the beginning and hope that Yuan makes a mistake.

    "Heavens¡­ I have never seen anyone pressure Wang Ming in such a manner! I have heard about yer Yuan''s talents, but I didn''t think he was this skilled!"

    "Look at Wang Ming struggling to defend against yer Yuan''s relentless assault!"

    "The two of them have been going at each other''s throat without taking a second to rest for many minutes now. I don''t think this round willst long."

    And just like many spectators had predicted, the fight between Yuan and Wang Ming didn''tst long,sting only 10 minutes when Wang Ming got tired and Yuan taking advantage of this, instantly seizing the victory.

    "Victor¡ª Daoist Yuan!" The announcer shouted out loud.

    "Good fight." Wang Ming bowed to Yuan after the fight ended.

    "Good fight."

    After the fight, both of them left the stage and went to take a seat at the participants'' area where the other contestants were waiting for their turn.

    "Yuan, I thought you had been practicing the polearms recently. Howe you''re so much stronger than ourst fight? Don''t tell me you practiced in secret." Wang Ming said to him after they sat down.

    "No, I haven''t picked up the sword in thest few days," he said.

    "Then you''ve been going easy on me this entire time?" Wang Ming looked at him with a look of disbelief.

    "That''s not it either. I don''t know how to exin it, but I definitely wasn''t going easy on you before."

    "If you say so¡­" Wang Ming said.

    He didn''t get the feeling that Yuan was going easy on his when they fought previously, so he trusted Yuan. However, that only made him more curious about Yuan''s sudden growth.

    ''Can someone improve by doing nothing?'' Wang Ming wondered to himself.

    Meanwhile, the second round started between Wang Bingbing and Hong Xiuquan.

    Hong Xiuquan was a handsome young man in his mid-twenties. As for Wang Bingbing, she was a very beautiful youngdy also in her mid-twenties.

    "She has the same surname as you. Are you two rted?" Yuan asked Wang Ming out of curiosity.

    "Yes, she''s my elder sister."

    "You never mentioned having a sister."

    "Well, you never asked. Hmm? Are you interested in her? I can introduce you to each other after thepetition." Wang Ming said with a somewhat smug look on his face.

    "I don''t really care, but if you want to." Yuan nodded, misunderstanding Wang Ming''s intentions.

    On the stage, Wang Bingbing and Hong Xiuquan started fighting shortly after greeting each other.

    Wang Bingbing wielded a sword just like Wang Ming, but as for Hong Xiuquan, he had metal gloves around his hands and half of his arm.

    "He''s using gloves to fight?" Yuan raised his eyebrows when he saw Hong Xiuquan''s choice of weapon.

    "They are called gauntlets, and they''re for people who mainly use their fists to fight, turning their hands into even deadlier weapons. Is this your first time seeing someone using gauntlets?" Wang Ming asked him.

    "Yes¡­" Yuan nodded, and he focused on Hong Xiuquan, as he wanted to see how Hong Xiuquan was going to fight someone with a sword using those gauntlets.

 Chapter 566 - Second Round

    <h4>Chapter 566 - Second Round</h4>

    Ding!

    Wang Bingbing swung her sword at Hong Xiuquan, but Hong Xiuquan used his gauntlets to protect himself, using it as a shield.

    After defending the attack, Hong Xiuquan used his other hand to throw a powerful punch at Wang Bingbing, who elegantly twisted her body to dodge it.

    "Wow, it''s like wielding two weapons at once," Yuan mumbled.

    "Although he''s at a disadvantage due to his very limited range, he more than makes up for it since that allows him to defend and attack at the same time." Wang Ming said.

    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only

    "Doesn''t it still hurt when he defends? Even though he has steel gloves, the impact should still hurt him quite a bit." Yuan asked.

    "Yes, but the gauntlets aren''t something you just put on and use like a sword or other weapons. It requires the wielder to train their body if they want to use it efficiently. Hong Xiuquan had to temper his body, mostly his arms, to extreme lengths, so that he wouldn''t have a broken arm every time he defends."

    "He has bathed in treasures since he was young, not to mention the strenuous physical training he does almost every day, allowing his arms and bones to be as durable as steel."

    ''Body tempering, huh? I wonder how they temper their body¡­ Is it any different from what I did in Cultivation Online? However, this would mean that treasures with spiritual energy really exist in this world¡­ I should ask themter.''

    Ding! Ding! Ding!

    Wang Bingbing and Hong Xiuquan fought fiercely for many minutes with Wang Bingbing trying to break Hong Xiuquan''s defenses, while Hong Xiuquan tries to catch Wang Bingbing off-guard with a counterattack, but neither of them was sessful after many minutes of going back and forth.

    "Compared to yer Yuan and Wang Ming''s battle, this is kind of boring, right?"

    The spectators expressed their boredom 15 minutes into the round since the fight was neither as fierce nor exciting as Yuan''s fight with Wang Ming.

    Ding!

    Eventually, Hong Xiuquan managed to knock Wang Bingbing''s sword out of her grasp and outside the stage using his gauntlets.

    When this happened, Wang Bingbing surrendered, as there was simply no way that she could defeat Hong Xiuquan without her weapon.

    "Good fight." Wang Bingbing bowed to him afterward.

    "Good fight, Senior Sister Wang." Hong Xiuquan returned her bow.

    However, even though he won the fight, it was actually a very close fight.

    If Wang Bingbing hadsted a little longer without losing her sword, Hong Xiuquan would have been the one to surrender since his arms were reaching their limit from defending too many of Wang Bingbing''s sword strikes.

    Even with his intensive training, it was simply impossible to endure so many powerful strikes from someone of simr talent and strength.

    After the match ended, Hong Xiuquan removed his gauntlets, and to everyone''s surprise, his arms were swollen and ck.

    The spectators shuddered at the horrifying sight of Hong Xiuquan''s arms, but Hong Xiuquan himself acted like it was ordinary.

    "Young Master Hong, do you need treatment?" The announcer asked him.

    Hong Xiuquan looked at his arms for a moment before shaking his head, "Nah, I''ll be fine. They will recover after some rest, and this is how they usually look after training."

    "I-If you say so¡­" The announcer said in a somewhat baffled voice.

    "Heavens¡­ I cannot imagine the kind of training he must endure if his arms look like that at the end of every session." Yuan mumbled in a low voice.

    "His training includes smashingrge boulders with his bare hands and punching thick steel tes. Bleeding and bruising is a normal routine for him, but the most surprising is his recovery rate. Despite the stress and torture that his body endures every day, he returns a few dayster with all of his bruises and injuries gone, almost like they never existed in the first ce." Wang Ming exined.

    A few minutester, Shi Lang entered the stage with another young man that appeared to be around the same age.

    Shi Lang was handed a spear as Yuan had expected, but the young man named Wu Zao was given a fan.

    "Eh? He''s a fan user?" Yuan was surprised to see Wu Zao using a fan, as he only knows one other person who uses the fan¡ª his sister, Yu Rou.

    "It''s a weird choice, right? The fan is one of the least popr weapons due to its extremely short range and small size, so nobody really uses it. Even if somebody decides to pick it up, they are usually women, so it''s really rare for a man to pick up the fan as their weapon." Wang Ming said.

    And he continued, "If you ask me, the fan has more disadvantages than advantages, and even if someone masters the fan, they will not be on par with someone who masters the sword or any other more efficient weapon."

    "With that being said, Wu Zao has managed to climb to the top ranks with a fan, so he''s not someone you can underestimate solely because of his weapon."

    Yuan then said, "I know someone that uses the fan in Cultivation Online, but I don''t think I have seen her use the fan as a blunt weapon. Instead, she waves it around, sending these destructive and long-ranged attacks at her foes."

    "Yes, that is what the fan specializes in¡ª spiritual techniques that require qi. However, that isn''t something you can rely on in this world due to our limited techniques since spiritual techniques like that are really rare. In fact, he only knows one spiritual technique."

    Once Shi Lang and Wu Zao were ready, the announcer began the fight.

    Immediately, Shi Lang used his spear to attack Wu Zao from a distance since it was the obvious thing to do with his huge advantage in range.

    Wu Zao didn''t panic and used his metal fan to deflect the spear by hitting it at the right spot at the perfect moment, sending the spear to the side.

    Once that happened, Wu Zao actually advanced forward and closed their distance.

    However, before Wu Zao could get too close, Shi Lang retrieved his spear and swung it sideways, sweeping it at Wu Zao.

    Seeing this, Wu Zao held the fan with both his hands to block the strike.

    Although he''d sessfully blocked the strike, Wu Zao was still sent a couple of steps backward from the impact.

    The spectators cheered at their exciting fight even though it had only been a couple of seconds since the match started.

    ''Wow, I kind of want to fight that Wu Zao¡­'' Yuan thought to himself after he witnessed Wu Zao using the fan with such skills.

    "Who do you think will win? Shi Lang or Wu Zao?" Yuan asked Wang Ming.

    Although he knew Shi Lang''s strength very well after sparring with him many times, he knew nothing about Wu Zao.

    "Hmmm¡­" Wang Ming pondered for a moment before speaking, "Honestly, I have no idea. One might favor Shi Lang due to his immense advantage as a spear user, but Wu Zao is actually more talented and powerful than Shi Lang, so it kind of bnces things out¡­ I guess whoever makes a mistake first will lose the entire battle, just like Wang Bingbing and Hong Xiuquan''s fight."

 Chapter 567 - Tyrannical Strength

    <h4>Chapter 567 - Tyrannical Strength</h4>

    Ding! Whoosh! Ding!

    N?velDrama.Org ? content.

    Shi Lang continued his assault on Wu Zao relentlessly, but Wu Zao would always manage to block or deflect the attack.

    However, Wu Zao was also unable to close their distance, much less reach Shi Lang to attack him.

    "Ha!" Shi Lang suddenly took arge step forward while thrusting his spear, taking Wu Zao by surprise.

    "Not bad!"

    Wu Zao twisted his body in an odd manner, barely dodging the strike.

    After dodging, Wu Zao grabbed Shi Lang''s spear with his bare hands, before pulling Shi Lang towards him.

    ''What incredible strength!''

    Shi Lang struggled to retrieve his spear, but he also didn''t want to let go of his spear¡ª he couldn''t, or that would spell the end for him.

    However, that meant Wu Zao could finally reach him.

    Seeing that Shi Lang didn''t let go of his spear, Wu Zao immediately stepped forward and swung his fan at Shi Lang, who used his other hand to block the fan.

    However, Shi Lang didn''t temper his body like Hong Xiuquan had, so his arm was immediately bruised by the strike.

    Shi Lang endured the pain and used this chance to kick Wu Zao in the stomach, breaking his hold on the spear.

    The spectators cheered after realizing what had happened.

    "Looks like it will be Shi Lang''s loss." Wang Ming said after assessing the situation.

    After getting hit in the arm by Wu Zao, Shi Lang could no longer hold his spear properly, and against someone like Wu Zao, that was akin to being crippled.

    And just like Wang Ming had predicted, the fight ended shortly after with Wu Zao bing the victor.

    After the match, Shi Lang had his arm checked out, and the doctors told him that his bones were fractured, which wasn''t too surprising considering that he got hit by Wu Zao''s fan without any protection.

    While the doctors treated Shi Lang for his injuries, the fourth round started between Li Jinxi and Xi Murong.

    Li Jinxi was a cold beauty with short ck hair while Xi Murong was a young man with long ck hair.

    As for their weapons, Li Jinxi wielded a greatsword that was twice her size while Xi Murong had a small dagger in his grasp.

    "Wow, what a matchup." Wang Ming mumbled in a dazed voice.

    "Yuan, who do you think will win?" He suddenly asked.

    "Uhh¡­ I''m not sure, but I can feel an unfathomable auraing from that youngdy." Yuan said after a moment of silence.

    "Well, believe it or not, Li Jinxi is actually the strongest disciple in the entire faction. She has a special body that gives her tyrannical strength. As for Xi Murong¡­ Although he''s very talented, he cannotpare to Li Jinxi. This is going to be a one-sided fight." Wang Ming said.

    "A special body? Like a physique in Cultivation Online?" Yuan asked.

    "Yes, something like that."

    Yuan became silent.

    This is his first time meeting someone in the real world that has a physique.

    Once the contestants were in their position, the announcer started the match.

    However, neither Li Jinxi nor Xi Murong moved a single inch after the battle started, both of them silently staring at each other.

    "Why aren''t they moving?" Yuan asked after waiting for an entire minute.

    "Because the first one to move loses. Xi Murong may be quick on his feet, but he cannot defeat Li Jinxi with speed alone, and a single hit from her will spell the end for him. As for Li Jinxi¡­ I guess she just wants to see what Xi Murong intends on doing." Wang Ming said.

    After many minutes of silence, Li Jinxi spoke in a nonchnt voice, "How boring. I guess you haven''t managed to grow out of your cowardness, Xi Murong."

    "Sh¡ª"

    Right as Xi Murong opened his mouth to speak, Li Jinxi suddenly dashed at him, forcing Xi Murong to close his mouth to focus on her.

    Once she was in range, Li Jinxi swung herrge sword at Xi Murong, who quickly turned his body to dodge the iing attack.

    However, Li Jinxi suddenly changed her sword''s trajectory midway through her attack, hitting Xi Murong in his sides and sending him flying off the stage like a broken ragdoll.

    "Heavens! Did you see how she moved that sword midway?! What kind of movement was that?!" The spectators were shocked by Li Jinxi''s disy of tremendous strength.

    "I can only imagine someone with her physique being able to execute such a ridiculous attack." Senior Wang said with a smile on her face.

    "Her sword isn''t light either. It requires a tremendous amount of raw strength to change the sword''s trajectory after swinging it in such a manner." Senior Li agreed.

    And he continued, "You should see how she trains. It''s almost barbaric."

    After throwing Xi Murong off the stage with a single strike, Li Jinxi casually walked off the stage, and she would look at Yuan while doing so, her gaze seemingly filled with anticipation.

    Meanwhile, the doctors rushed to check Xi Murong''s condition.

    "My lord¡­ Every single bone in his left side is broken." The doctors began sweating profusely after realizing the extent of Xi Murong''s injuries.

    "Li Jinxi went easy on him, as she could''ve easily torn his body in half with her monstrous strength," said another.

    The doctors quickly ced Xi Murong on a stretcher before taking him to a hospital that was located inside the Jaded Garden.

    Meanwhile, the Li Family apologized to the Xi Family for Li Jinxi''s actions.

    "I''m sorry. Li Jinxi isn''t very good at holding back¡­ And she doesn''t learn no matter how many times we tell you to do so¡­" Senior Li sighed.

    "Don''t worry about it. This happens every time she fights someone," said Senior Xi.

    "Well, they say pain is weakness leaving the body. Xi Murong was too reserved today. It was an embarrassment to watch¡­ He also needs to be scolded afterward," said the head of the Xi Family, Xi Murong''s father.

 Chapter 568 - A Worthy Opponent

    <h4>Chapter 568 - A Worthy Opponent</h4>

    "Now that the first round of matches has concluded, there will be a 30-minute break. You may use this time to recover your strength, but you are not allowed to leave the area or consume medicine that speeds up your recovery." The announcer said to them.

    The contestants that won their match started to cultivate to recover as much energy as they can, but Yuan merely sat on the benches with Wang Ming sitting beside him.

    "You''re not going to cultivate?" Wang Ming asked him.

    "I don''t really need to¡­" Yuan said, feelingpletely fine and overflowing with energy.

    "You''re really another breed, aren''t you¡­" Wang Ming shook his head with a bittersweet smile.

    There was another contestant that didn''t bother to rest, and it was Li Jinxi, who barely exerted any strength to defeat her opponent, and she would silently stare in Yuan''s direction.

    Noticing this, Yuan asked Wang Ming, "She''s starring at our direction. What do you think she wants from us?"

    Wang Ming turned to look at Li Jinxi and chuckled, "Us? I think she only has you in her eyes at this moment. She''s probably wondering if you''ll be a challenge for her since she doesn''t really have any rivals in the faction, and even the Grand Elders are no match for her."

    "What? Even the Grand Elders cannot defeat her?" Yuan was surprised to hear this.

    "Li Jinxi may only be at the peak of Spirit Warrior, but her tremendous strength is on another level. In terms of experience and skills, the Grand Elders are definitely above her. However, in a fight, Li Jinxi''s superior strength allows her to dominate everyone."

    "But it''s not like the Grand Elders cannot defeat her. If they fight 10 matches, Li Jinxi would probably win 6 to 7 of them."

    "I see¡­" Yuan nodded.

    "I think she will be a worthy opponent for you, Yuan. You''ll understand it once you stand on the same stage as her." Wang Ming chuckled.

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    30 minutester, the announcer called the four contestants that won back onto the stage for another round of picking numbers.

    Yuan looked at his number after picking it.

    ''2''

    "Who has number one?" The announcer asked after everyone picked a number.

    "I do." Wu Zao raised his arm, showing the paper with the number ''1'' in his hand.

    "Who has the second one?"

    "I do." Li Jinxi said.

    "Aiya¡­" Wu Zao sighed out loud when he realized that Li Jinxi was his opponent.

    Although he could defend against Shi Lang''s spear attacks with his small fan, Li Jinxi''srge sword supported by her immense strength was another story.

    ''Then I am going to fight him?'' Yuan looked at Hong Xiuquan the gauntlet wielder.

    Hong Xiuquan was also looking at Yuan while thinking the same thing.

    ''So he''s my opponent, huh¡­''

    "Young Master Yuan, Young Master Hong, please exit the stage so they can fight." The announcer said to them in a respectful tone.

    Once they left the stage, Li Jinxi and Wu Zao were handed their weapons.

    "This matchup doesn''t look fair even in the slightest."

    "Right? There''s no way Wu Zao can defend against her attacks with that tiny fan."

    "Let''s just see how he''s going to handle this. Hopefully, he doesn''t stand there for a few minutes before attacking."

    The spectators said to each other.

    "Please go easy on me." Wu Zao sped his hands before Li Jinxi, who merely stood there with a nonchnt look on her beautiful yet cold face.

    A few momentster, the announcer shouted, "Fight!"

    Li Jinxi rushed at Wu Zao in an aggressive manner the moment the fight started, actingpletely different from before.

    "Whoa!"

    Wu Zao didn''t dare to block her attack head-on, nor did he dare to try and dodge her attack normally. Instead, he made sure to stay out of Li Jinxi''s range. Every step Li Jinxi took towards him, he would take two steps back. In other words, he was running away.

    However, despite running away, Wu Zao didn''t dare to show his back to Li Jinxi, so he was running backward.

    "C-Calm down, Senior Sister Li! Why do you seem so impatient to finish this match? Let''s enjoy ourselves, shall we?" Wu Zao said to her.

    Li Jinxi coldly snorted in response, "The faster I deal with you, the faster I get to face that person! I don''t want to waste my time with you weaklings!"

    "That person? Are you talking about yer Yuan? So you''re that confident that he will defeat Hong Xiuquan?"

    "Hong Xiuquan cannot beat that person. He''s too weak." Li Jinxi bluntly said.

    "We won''t know that until they finish their fight."

    "Are you trying to say that you have a chance of defeating me?" Li Jinxi frowned.

    "I-I didn''t say that¡ª Whoa!"

    Li Jinxi suddenly picked up her speed, chasing Wu Zao around the stage like they were ying tag.

    "I was wrong, Senior Sister Li! Have mercy!" Wu Zao cried as he continued running away.

    However, the next moment, without waiting for Li Jinxi''s response, Wu Zao suddenly changed directions and actually started running at Li Jinxi!

    This entire time, he was trying to distract Li Jinxi so that he could take her by surprise.

    "Wu Zao, you think I don''t know your tricks? You think you can surprise me with such a sloppy tactic?" Li Jinxi didn''t even flinch when Wu Zao suddenly started rushing at her, as she had anticipated his ns the moment he started running around.

    The next second, Li Jinxi swung her sword horizontally at Wu Zao, giving him no room to dodge.

    "Che!"

    Wu Zao gritted his teeth and held his fan in front of his body to block the iing attack.

    The instant he felt some pressure on his fan, Wu Zao tried to deflect the attack so that he doesn''t need to block all of it.

    However, Li Jinxi''s strength was simply too overwhelming and was not something Wu Zao could withstand, and the moment he tried to deflect her attack, he was sent flying off the stage just like she did to Xi Murong.

    Fortunately for Wu Zao, he didn''t actually get hit, so his injuries were rtively minor with a few broken fingers and wrist¡ª at leastpared to Xi Murong.

    ''Damn gori monster¡­! She grew so much stronger since ourst fight that was only three months ago! Just what is her body made of? Does she even have a limit?'' Wu Zao cursed inwardly as he was brought away in a stretcher by the doctors.

    Wang Ming swallowed nervously after seeing Wu Zao fly off the stage.

    "Is it just me or did she get a lot stronger¡­ again?" He mumbled in a low voice.

    Meanwhile, Yuan held a serious expression on his face behind his mask.

    ''She''s strong¡­ Can I defeat someone like her?'' Yuan wondered inwardly, his confidence wavering after witnessing Li Jinxi''s inhuman strength.

    Sometimeter, the announcer called Yuan and Hong Xiuquan onto the stage.

    "Are your hands okay? If you cannot fight¡­" Yuan asked Hong Xiuquan.

    After all, he wouldn''t feel good about beating someone who can barely use his arms.

    "Thank you for your concerns, but I can fight." Hong Xiuquan said.

    "If you say so¡­" Yuan nodded.

 Chapter 569 - Changing Weapons

    <h4>Chapter 569 - Changing Weapons</h4>

    "Are you two ready?" The announcer asked Yuan and Hong Xiuquan.

    "I am." They both responded simultaneously.

    "Then let the fight begin!"

    Once the fight started, Yuan slowly approached Hong Xiuquan, who was standing still in a defensive position.

    His intentions were clear¡ª he was going to repeat what he did during his fight with Wang Bingbing.

    ''So he''s going to defend and try to counterattack, huh? Let''s see your limits!''

    Yuan epted his challenge and dashed at Hong Xiuquan with his sword raised.

    However, midway through his swing, Hong Xiuquan, who was prepared to block the attack, suddenly shouted with his eyes wide, "I surrender!"

    Yuan immediately halted his movements, stopping his sword an inch away from Hong Xiuquan.

    "Huh?" Yuan doubted what he''d just heard.

    Did Hong Xiuquan just surrender?

    The spectators were also dumbfounded by Hong Xiuquan''s sudden surrender. They didn''t even fight! Why would he suddenly surrender?

    "Young Master Hong, did you just surrender?" The announcer asked Hong Xiuquan for confirmation.

    "Yes, I surrender." Hong Xiuquan said in a nonchnt voice as he removed his gauntlets before leaving the stage and everyone speechless.

    "Why?" Yuan couldn''t help but ask him, as he was looking forward to their fight.

    Hong Xiuquan stopped for a moment and turned to look at Yuan.

    He then said in a low voice, "I lied. My arms are not in the condition to fight."

    After a moment of silence, Yuan said, "Then let''s fight again after you''ve fully recovered."

    Hong Xiuquan merely nodded his head and didn''t say anything else before leaving the stage.

    The announcer snapped out of his daze and said, "Young Master Yuan wins by default since his opponent forfeited the match!"

    He then asked Yuan, "Since the fight ended before it even started, do you wish to immediately continue onto the final fight, or do you need some time to rest? You''re allowed a 30-minute rest period after every match."

    "I don''t need any rest."

    The announcer nodded his head before turning to look at Li Jinxi, who was already approaching the stage.

    "Do you wish to immediately start the fight?"

    Li Jinxi nodded with an eager look on her face.

    Meanwhile, back at the benches, Wang Ming asked Hong Xiuquan, "So, what''s your real reason for surrendering the fight? Your arms look fine."

    Hong Xiuquan looked at him with raised eyebrows and said, "You''re asking me? Didn''t you fight against him during the first round?"

    "Yes, I did. So what of it?"

    Hong Xiuquan frowned and said, "Are you mocking me right now? I didn''t even need to block his attack to know that it has a tremendous amount of strength behind it! My arms will literally break if I block it!"

    Wang Ming''s jaw dropped, and he said, "Surely, you''re over exaggerating. I have fought with him many times. There''s no way that you wouldn''t be able to handle his attacks. Sure, they are powerful, but I can defend against them properly."

    "I don''t believe that he was using all of his strength against you. I dare even say that his strength is on par with Li Jinxi!"

    Wang Mingughed at Hong Xiuquan''s ims, "You''re definitely over exaggerating."

    "Hmph! Screw you. I''m not going to waste my breath on you any longer." Hong Xiuquan proceeded to ignore Wang Ming, who merely shook his head.

    Meanwhile, on the stage, Yuan and Li Jinxi stood a couple of meters away from each other.

    "Are you two ready to fight?" The announcer asked them.

    "Wait. I have a question." Yuan said.

    "What is it?"

    "Can I change my weapon?" He asked.

    "Your weapon?" The announcer raised his eyebrows.

    This is the first time he''s been asked such a question.

    He then turned to look at the Grand Elders and asked, "Grand Elders, are there any rules regarding changing one''s weapon after thepetition started?"

    "Well, there aren''t any rules that forbid the participants from changing their weapons." Senior Wang said.

    The announcer nodded and returned to Yuan, "Since it''s not against the rules to change weapons, that means you are allowed to do so. What kind of weapon do you want?"

    And to everybody''s surprise, Yuan pointed at Li Jinxi and said, "I want a weapon like hers."

    "Huh?" The announcer looked at him with wide eyes.

    "Y-You want a greatsword?" He asked for confirmation.

    "Yes." Yuan nodded calmly.

    After all, Li Jinxi''s sword resembled his Empyrean Overlord more than his current sword that had a thin de inparison, and there was simply no way that he would be able to defend against her attacks with such a sword.

    A few minutester, they handed Yuan a greatsword that was just like the one wielded by Li Jinxi.

    "It''s heavy." The announcer warned him.

    Yuan nodded as he grabbed the handle and waved it around casually.

    ''It''s not that bad.'' Yuan thought to himself.

    The sword itself weighed around 100 kilos, but Yuan was a Spirit Master, not to mention his body that had been strengthened by the golden symbols, so it didn''t feel any different than wielding a normal sword.

    Of course, both Li Jinxi and Yuan could wield much heavier swords, but that would be an unfair advantage since the others could only wield weapons at around 50 kilos.

    "Since when can he use greatswords?" Wang Ming mumbled to himself.

    Although greatswords and long swords are considered as ''swords'', they require different techniques to wield properly.

    "I am ready," Yuan said after gettingfortable with the sword.

    The announcer nodded and started the fight shortly after.

    However, neither Yuan nor Li Jinxi moved from their spots.

    After a moment of silence, Li Jinxi lifted her sword and pointed it at Yuan.

    "Don''t disappoint me," she said in a calm voice.

    "I will try my best not to," Yuan said.

    The next moment, they both moved at the same time, running straight into each other.

    "Ha!"

    Li Jinxi swung her sword at Yuan with half of her strength to test Yuan''s capabilities.

    Yuan also swung his sword, epting Li Jinxi''s attack head-on, something most people wouldn''t dare to attempt.

    ng!

    The air vibrated when their swords collided, causing the spectators'' hearts to tremble.

    However, neither Yuan nor Li Jinxi moved from their spot.

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    A cold grin appeared on Li Jinxi''s smile when she felt the force behind Yuan''s attack, looking like she''d just found her perfect prey.

    "Let''s dance!" She suddenly shouted, her voice filled with excitement.

 Chapter 570 - Fighting Li Jinxi

    <h4>Chapter 570 - Fighting Li Jinxi</h4>

    ng! ng! ng!

    Yuan and Li Jinxi continued to swing theirrge swords at each other for many minutes, but neither of them was using their full strength just yet, as they were gradually increasing their strength to match each other.

    "Heavens¡­ How is he defending against Li Jinxi''s attacks head-on? Does he also have a unique physique that gives him tyrannical strength?"

    The spectators were shocked to witness Yuan fighting Li Jinxi on equal terms, something none of them have seen before.

    "Who do you think will win this fight?" Senior Wang asked the other grand elders.

    "Hmm¡­ It''s hard to tell. While we know Li Jinxi''s full strength, we don''t really know Daoist Yuan''s full potential." Senior Xi said.

    "That is indeed true. For example, I could''ve never predicted that he had the strength to fight Li Jinxi head-on."

    "I wonder if he also has a divine body. Considering how many talents he already has¡­ It''s not that crazy of an idea."

    "Just what is he made out of? He''s the definition of a wless entity created by the heavens just to mess with everyone else."

    Meanwhile, on the stage, Li Jinxi startedughing, "Finally! I have been waiting for someone like you! Someone that I can fight to my heart''s content without worrying that you''d die in a single hit!"

    ng!

    Yuan was pushed back a full meter when Li Jinxi started fighting for real.

    ''What a heavy strike!'' Yuan cried inwardly, his entire arm shaking afterward, feeling like he''d just struck an immovable mountain.

    ''What should I do? I am a little behind in terms of raw strength¡­'' Yuan pondered as he looked at Li Jinxi, who was ring at him like a tiger before its prey.

    "What are you waiting for? Are you too afraid to continue? I can tell that you''re weaker than me in terms of strength." Li Jinxi said to him.

    Yuan remained silent.

    There was a good chance that his movement technique wouldn''t work on her, who has very keen eyes and a fast reaction, not to mention her weird sword technique that allows her to change her sword''s direction at will.

    ''This is¡­ fun!''

    A wide smile appeared on his face, as he has never fought against such an opponent before.

    It was at this moment that Yuan felt a surge of energy bursting from somewhere within his body, making him feel like he was invincible.

    However, this energy gave him more than just strength and confidence¡ª it also gave him an uncontroble urge to destroy everything in his path.

    And unbeknownst to Yuan, his body began emitting a golden aura that chilled the atmosphere there.

    "You¡­" Li Jinxi''s eyes widened when she felt this aura that resembled that of a powerful beast.

    "Am I seeing things or is he currently glowing?" Someone asked out loud.

    "I see it too."

    "What kind of technique is he using?"

    "Heavens¡­ My body is shivering uncontrobly for some reason¡­"

    "You too? My body is also shaking¡­"

    No matter who was there, they were all trembling in fear for some reason.

    "I have a bad feeling about this¡­" Senior Wang mumbled in a low voice as she stared at Yuan''s still figure.

    "¡­"

    Li Jinxi looked at her trembling hands that made it difficult for her to even hold her sword.

    ''What is this feeling?'' she wondered to herself.

    Meanwhile, Yuan tightened his grip on the sword, before slowly walking towards Li Jinxi, snapping her out of her daze.

    Li Jinxi gritted her teeth to stop the trembling, but when that didn''t work, she bit on her lips until it began bleeding, forcibly stopping her trembling with pain.

    "Don''t get too full of yourself!" Li Jinxi shouted before running at Yuan.

    Once she was in range, Li Jinxi swung her huge sword at Yuan.

    ng!

    "W-What!?"

    Li Jinxi''s eyes widened with shock when Yuan defended against her attack with a single hand holding his sword! And he was doing it with seemingly no effort at all!

    Li Jinxi was in disbelief, so she tried to overpower him by pressing her sword down with all of her might.

    However, Yuan''s sword remained as still as a mountain.

    "Che!"

    Li Jinxi suddenly jumped back to distance herself from Yuan.

    "Don''t me me if you get hurt!" Li Jinxi shouted at him before releasing a beastly roar that shook the air around them.

    The next moment, her eyes began glowing red with her body emitting a bloodthirsty aura.

    Senior Li stood from his seat with a worried expression on his face when he saw Li Jinxi use this unknown technique.

    "Aiya! What is that troublemaker doing!? I specifically told her to not use that technique during thispetition!" he sighed out loud.

    The other grand elders looked at him with their eyebrows raised. This is their first time seeing Li Jinxi use such a technique.

    "What technique is she using?"

    Senior Li sighed again before speaking, "It''s an ancient technique from our family that allows one to increase their body''s limits while boosting their overall prowess for a short amount of time. It''s a very overbearing technique that nobody in our family has managed to learn since ancient times because our bodies could not handle the stress¡ª at least until Li Jinxi''s appearance."

    "However, even she cannot control the technique very well. She has gone on a rampage a couple of times after using that technique, and it would take almost every expert in the family to calm her down afterward. We need to prepare ourselves to go down there when she loses control."

    "Good lord¡­" The grand elders were speechless.

    ''Yuan¡­'' Meixiu looked at his figure with a worried look on her face after hearing Senior Li''s words.

    Meanwhile, Yuan remained calm despite Li Jinxi''s threatening aura.

    "Are you ready?" He asked her in a calm voice.

    Li Jinxi responded to his question by running at him with her sword raised.

    "Let''s see if you can handle this!" Li Jinxi swung her sword at him that had enough force to instantly crush a metal ball the size of arge boulder!

    Yuan tightened his grip on his sword before intercepting Li Jinxi''s attack.

    CLANG!

    The entire tform shook from their impact.

    The next second, Li Jinxi''s figure could be seen flying off the tform and into the spectators'' area, shocking everybody there.

    "Impossible¡­" Senior Li muttered in disbelief when he witnessed the results.

    Not only did Yuan manage to defend against Li Jinxi who had her overall prowess boosted by their family''s ancient technique, hepletely overpowered her!

    "Hm?" Yuan looked at his greatsword afterward, which was snapped in half from the impact.

    ''What is this feeling?'' He wondered to himself as the overwhelming energy in his body began disappearing shortly after the fight.

    "W-Winner, Yuan!" The announcer said out loud after realizing that the fight had ended.

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    The spectators began cheering out loud.

    Meanwhile, the doctors went to check on Li Jinxi''s condition, who was only knocked unconscious with a couple of minor injuries.

    "Young Master Yuan, do you have any words to say?" The announcer handed Yuan a microphone.

    Yuan subconsciously epted the microphone, but he had nothing in mind.

 Chapter 571 - Tribulation

    <h4>Chapter 571 - Tribtion</h4>

    "Uhh¡­ Thank you for letting me fight here today. It was a wonderful experience." Yuan said to the microphone before handing it back to the announcer and walking off the stage.

    "Yuan! What kind of technique was that?! I have never seen anyone dominate Li Jinxi in such a manner before!" Wang Ming approached him with a look of disbelief on his face.

    "Technique? That wasn''t a technique¡­ At least I don''t think so." Yuan said.

    In fact, even he doesn''t know what that power was. It came suddenly and disappeared as quickly.

    And even though it gave him incredible strength, Yuan regretted that he wouldn''t be able to fight Li Jinxi properly.

    ''Is there anyone out there that can push me to my limits?'' Yuan sighed inwardly.

    At this rate, he will have to y Cultivation Online if he wants to fight any worthy opponents.

    After the tournament, Yuan regrouped with the others.

    "Congrattions, Brother Yuan! You were very handsome on the stage!" Chu Liuxiang said to him.

    "Thank you." Yuan nodded.

    "Daoist Yuan, what was that golden aura around you? It felt kind of simr to Li Jinxi''s technique at the end." Senior Li asked him.

    "Sorry, but I don''t know." Yuan shook his head.

    The grand elders didn''t say anything else, as they believed that Yuan wanted to keep his secrets to himself, which was a normal thing to do.

    "Regardless, it was refreshing to see Li Jinxi being on the receiving end of the beatdown since she''s usually the one beating her opponents." Senior Liughed out loud despite talking about his own granddaughter.

    "Daoist Yuan, it wasn''t mentioned during thepetition, but the winner is granted a free cultivation technique from either of our Six Spiritual Family." Senior Wang said to him a momentter.

    "Now that you mention it, I have yet to take a look at the techniques," Yuan said, as he''d been too busy training.

    "It''s fine. You have plenty of time."

    After talking for a few minutes, Yuan prepared to return to the immortal caves with the others.

    However, right as they were about to leave, someone shouted, "I demand a rematch!"

    Yuan turned around to see Li Jinxi, who had woken up just recently, standing behind them with an unsatisfied expression on her beautifully cold face, clearly not happy about the results of the match.

    "I didn''t even get the chance to fight you properly! I demand a rematch!" She repeated.

    Yuan then said, "I also wasn''t satisfied with the results, but thepetition is already over. If you''d like, we can have our rematch on another day."

    Li Jinxi remained silent for a moment before nodding her head, "Tomorrow!"

    "How about the day after tomorrow? I n on looking at the techniques tomorrow," he suggested.

    "It''s a promise!" she said.

    "Yes."

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    Afterward, Yuan left the scene with the others, going straight to the Silver Restaurant for some food before returning to the immortal caves.

    After they finished dinner, Yuan tried to activate the golden aura he''d experienced today during his fight with Li Jinxi, but he was unsessful.

    ''Just what was that? How do I activate such a power?'' Yuan wondered to himself as heid on the bed with Chu Liuxiang before falling asleep.

    During his sleep, Yuan had a dream.

    However, he was alone and surrounded by darkness, almost like he was in the middle of a ck hole.

    "Where am I?" He wondered out loud.

    "Do you seek power?"

    A deep voice suddenly resounded, causing Yuan to raise his eyebrows.

    "Who''s there?" He asked loudly.

    "Why else would I be here?" Another voice answered, but it sounded like it was answering to the deep voice, and it sounded like the handsome man from Yuan''s dreams.

    "Are you willing to sacrifice everything¡ª including your own life?" The deep voice continued.

    "I am."

    "Then follow me¡­"

    The voices disappeared shortly after, and lights began flickering in the distance, resembling stars, quickly filling the void and turning it into the starry sky.

    Yuan suddenly felt a presence behind him, causing him to turn around.

    "It''s been a while."

    The handsome man reappeared before Yuan again.

    "You''re really random and confusing, you know that, right?" Yuan said to him.

    "I have no control over my appearance, nor do I control your dreams."

    After a moment of silence, Yuan asked, "Hey, do you know what that golden aura was today?"

    "Of course." To Yuan''s surprise, the handsome man immediately acknowledged it.

    "What is that power? It filled my body with overwhelming strength, but at the same time, it also gave me an uncontroble desire to fight. I was barely able to control myself today when I fought Li Jinxi, and that feeling lingered even after the fight, but the power was no longer there."

    The handsome man smiled and said, "Do you like it? The feeling of power¡ª the feeling of being invincible. You have just experienced true power today, but that is only a small fraction of its full power."

    "That doesn''t answer my question. Just what is that power?" Yuan asked again.

    "That power is the reason for your existence¡ª our existence. You will eventually remember, but that time is not now, so I cannot answer your question, as I do not know the answer."

    "Then do you know how I can use that power again?"

    "You''re too weak to control that power. The fact you managed to use it today without facing any bacsh is already a miracle. Don''t worry, you''ll eventually remember how to use it." The handsome man then turned around and disappeared into the void.

    However, his voice resounded even after he disappeared, "You should prepare yourself. Your first tribtion will arrive soon."

    "Tribtion? What are you talking about?"

    "Everythinges with a price, especially power."

    The dream ended with that sentence, and Yuan woke up the next moment.

    ''Tribtion¡­ How am I supposed to prepare myself for something I know nothing about? That''s impossible¡­'' Yuan sighed to himself.

 Chapter 572 - Curse

    <h4>Chapter 572 - Curse</h4>

    After waking up, Yuan quietly left the bedroom and went outside the immortal caves, but it was stillpletely dark outside. Clearly, he''d woken up earlier than usual.

    He then walked to the small pavilion located right next to the immortal caves and took a seat underneath it.

    "Just who am I¡­?" He mumbled in a low voice.

    Although he has pondered about his purpose in life many times throughout his life, he has never once questioned his identity. However, ever since he started having these dreams, he found himself questioning his identity more and more often.

    ''Who are my parents? Why did they abandon me?''

    ''Am I really the reincarnation of a powerful cultivator? Or am I merely going crazy?''

    Yuan sat underneath this pavilion for an unknown amount of time, silently pondering about his own identity and his reason for existing.

    Eventually, the sun began rising.

    Ding~

    When the sun just peeked over the horizon, Yuan heard a beautiful and familiar-sounding noiseing from somewhere not too far away from him, causing him to snap out of his daze.

    "This sound¡­ Someone is ying the zither?" Yuan subconsciously stood up and began following the direction of the sound.

    After walking for a few minutes, he arrived in a secluded area behind the immortal caves, where a young woman was sitting on top of arge boulder ying with a wooden zither on herp, her eyespletely closed.

    Ding~

    Yuan didn''t immediately approach this young woman, as he was afraid of disturbing her, so he stood there quietly, enjoying the young woman''s zither performance that was incredibly skillful,parable to even Fei Yuyan from the Dragon Essence Temple.

    The songsted for a little over five minutes, and once the young woman stopped her performance, she turned to face Yuan''s direction, but her eyes remained close.

    "Who''s there?" She asked in a gentle and soothing voice.

    "Sorry, did I disturb you? My name is Yuan."

    "Yuan? I am not familiar with your name. Are you new here?"

    "Yes, you can say that."

    "Then how may I help you? You have been standing there for a while now."

    "Your music brought me here. You''re ying the zither, right? This is my first time seeing someone ying the zither, and I doubted my hearing at first, so I came here to confirm my suspicions."

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    "You are familiar with the sound of a zither? How unusual."

    "Yes, somewhat. I also enjoy ying the zither, after all."

    "Eh? You also y the zither?" The young woman expressed surprise after learning this information.

    "Yes." Yuan nodded even though he only touched the zither in Cultivation Online.

    "If that''s true, why don''t you y a song for me, Yuan?" The young woman suddenly offered her zither to him.

    It was obvious that this young woman didn''t believe Yuan when he said that he also yed the zither. After all, the zither is known as a cursed instrument, and she has never met anyone else that would dare to y the zither besides herself.

    "Sure."

    Yuan approached the young woman and epted the zither without caring about the curse.

    He then took a seat on the soft ground and ced the zither on hisp in a calm and smooth manner.

    After taking a deep breath, Yuan began pulling the strings on the zither, ying a song that he''d learned from Fei Yuyan.

    "¡­"

    The young woman remained silent throughout the whole song, but it was not because she wasn''t impressed. Instead, she was shocked speechless by Yuan''s wless performance.

    "What do you think?" Yuan asked the young woman after his performance.

    After a moment of silence, she responded in a dazed voice, "W-Where did you learn how to y the zither?"

    "I learned it from a friend in Cultivation Online," he answered.

    "Cultivation Online¡­?" The young woman tilted her head, looking a little confused, almost like this was her first time hearing about Cultivation Online.

    "You don''t know about Cultivation Online? It''s one of if not the most popr game in the world right now." Yuan said to her with a dumbfounded look on his face.

    He didn''t think that there would still be people in this world that hasn''t heard of Cultivation Online.

    "I''m sorry, but I usually spend most of my time alone practicing the zither, so I don''t know much, and I don''t y video games." She shook her head.

    "Well¡­ Cultivation Online is¡­"

    Yuan proceeded to give this young woman a brief exnation of Cultivation Online and its unique world.

    "Wow, it seems like a wonderful game. So there are many zither yers in Cultivation Online?"

    "I think so. There were a few thousand participants at a zitherpetition that I also participated in."

    "A zitherpetition, huh? I would love to participate in something like that. After all, no matter how much I enjoy ying the zither or how much passion I have for the instrument, it does get boring when nobody around me dares to even touch the zither, much less y it."

    The young woman sighed, and she continued in a bitter voice, "Sometimes it feels like I am the only person in this world ying the zither. However, I am d that''s not the case since you''ve proven to me that there are others out there that also y the zither. Thank you, Yuan, foring here today."

    "No, I should be thanking you for proving to me that the curse isn''t real. I have been told that the zither is cursed in this world, and everyone that ys it will encounter misfortune, but that doesn''t seem to be the case." Yuan said to her.

    However, the young woman remained silent with a perplexed expression on her face.

    After a moment of silence, she said, "About that¡­"

    She pointed at her closed eyes and said, "I don''t want to scare you, but I lost my vision shortly after I started ying the zither, and I was born with perfect vision."

    "What¡­?" Yuan muttered in a dazed manner.

 Chapter 573 - Azure

    <h4>Chapter 573 - Azure</h4>

    "You sound surprised." The young woman said after hearing his dazed mumble.

    And she continued, "Don''t you also y the zither? Did nothing happen to you? As far as I am aware, everyone that ys the zither has encountered misfortune that ruined their lives one way or another."

    After a long moment, Yuan said, "I¡­ I learned to y the zither inside Cultivation Online, where such a curse doesn''t exist. In fact, this is my first time ying with the zither in this world."

    The young woman covered her mouth in a shocked manner.

    "W-Why didn''t you say so before I handed you the zither! And why did you ept it?! Now you''ll also be met with misfortune!" The young woman said to him in a worried voice, as she felt responsible for handing him the zither.

    Yuan chuckled and said, "You don''t have to worry about me. I don''t think ying a single song will affect me."

    Furthermore, he is already afflicted with many powerful curses, so having another one won''t really matter to him.

    "If you don''t mind me asking, why are you still ying the zither despite the curse that took away your vision?" Yuan asked her afterward.

    "It''s simple. I love the zither too much to let it go. It can take away my vision, but as long as I get to continue ying the zither, I don''t mind some sacrifices," she responded in a calm voice.

    Yuan was left speechless by her words.

    He has never seen anyone so dedicated and passionate about an instrument before.

    If he was in her shoes, he would dly give up ying instruments for his vision back.

    After a moment of silence, he asked, "Then can you tell me a little more about the curse? You said that you lost your vision shortly after ying the zither. How did it happen?"

    The young woman shook her head and said, "I don''t know. All I know is that I went to sleep one night like usual, but when I woke up the next day, my vision was gone."

    "I went to get my eyes checked by many professionals, but to my surprise, all of the doctors said that my eyes were normal and that they couldn''t understand why I suddenly lost my vision."

    Yuan''s body trembled when he heard her exnation, as it sounded oddly familiar for some reason.

    ''Her situation¡­ sounds exactly like mine¡­''

    Yuan thought to himself, as he could still remember waking up one day with his vision suddenly gone. And just like the young woman, the Yu Family flew him around the world to get his eyes checked by all of the best doctors in the world, but none of them were able to pinpoint the issue.

    Eventually, his body also stopped functioning, forcing him to be a cripple who can do nothing but breathe and speak, but can one even consider that as living?

    "Have you tried not ying the zither to see if your vision would return?" Yuan suddenly asked.

    "I didn''t y the zither for a whole year after losing my vision, but the damage was already done, so I decided to continue ying the zither. After all, I didn''t sacrifice my vision just to stop ying afterward. I don''t need my vision to y, anyway."

    A bittersweet smile appeared on Yuan''s face. Indeed, one doesn''t need any vision to y an instrument. He knew that very well as someone that was forced to continue ying instruments until he could no longer even lift a finger.

    "Aren''t you worried that the curse might take away your vision as well?" The young woman suddenly asked him.

    "My vision?" Yuanughed a little before continuing, "It can''t take away something that I don''t have."

    "Eh?" The young woman released a surprised noise.

    "You''re also blind?" She subconsciously asked.

    "Yes. I have been blind since I was young."

    "Was it caused by an ident, or¡­?"

    "Nope. Perhaps I was cursed just like you, but I didn''t y the zither back then."

    "What do you mean ''just like me''?" she asked with her head tilted.

    "I also woke up one day to find out that I''d lost my vision."

    "I¡­ I don''t know what to say¡­" The young woman mumbled in a low voice.

    After a moment of silence, the woman suddenly asked, "If you don''t mind, can I touch your face?"

    "You want to touch my face? Why?" Yuan raised his eyebrows at her special request.

    "I want to visualize your appearance. I can''t see, so I have to resort to touching everything to visualize it inside my head," she exined.

    Yuan remained silent for a moment.

    He then used his divine sense to make sure that they were alone. Once he confirmed that they were the only presence there, Yuan removed his mask and approached her.

    "Go ahead."

    "Thank you."

    The young woman jumped off the boulder and proceeded to feel every inch of Yuan''s face with both of her small and soft hands.

    It was a little awkward at first for Yuan, but it wasn''t anything he couldn''t endure, and he quickly got used to it.

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    "Thank you, I have a pretty good visualization of your face now. You''re quite the handsome young man, aren''t you, Yuan?" The young woman chuckled a few minutester.

    She suddenly grabbed his hands and ced them on her face and continued, "Here, you can touch my face in return."

    "Uhh¡­ I don''t really need to do that since I can see your face," he said.

    "Eh? I thought you were blind?" The young woman raised her eyebrows.

    "I am, but I have another method that allows me to see."

    "H-How does that work?" She asked, feeling even more confused.

    "It''s called divine sense. It not only allows me to see everything perfectly, but I can even see things more clearly and with more details¡ª something that isn''t normally possible with the bare eyes," he briefly exined.

    "Wow, that sounds wonderful. Do you think you can teach me such a technique?"

    "Well¡­ It''s not that I don''t want to, but in order to use this technique, you will need a very high cultivation base¡ª preferably Spirit Master."

    "That''s a pity¡­ I am only a Spirit Apprentice."

    "Oh, I almost forgot to introduce myself¡­ My name is Azure, and I am part of the Wang Family," she introduced herself.

 Chapter 574 - Promise

    <h4>Chapter 574 - Promise</h4>

    "Azure? Is that your nickname?" Yuan asked her, as it was a weird name to have for someone part of the Wang Family.

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    Azure chuckled like a fairy before speaking, "No, that''s my real name. I belong to the Wang Family, but I do not share the same blood as them. In other words, I was adopted, and Azure was what the kids at the orphanage would call me, so I stuck to it."

    ''She''s also adopted?'' Yuan''s mouth opened a little from surprise.

    This is the first time that he can rte to someone so well. Not only were they both orphans, but both of them became sick out of the blue and without any logical exnation, not to mention that they also yed the zither.

    It was almost as if Yuan was standing in front of a mirror right now.

    "Anyways, I have to go now. It was nice speaking with you, Yuan. If you are free in the future, let''s y the zither together. I don''t normally y outside, but since you''re here, I wille outside more often."

    "Okay." Yuan immediately nodded.

    "How about tomorrow?" She then asked.

    "Same time?" Yuan asked.

    "Same time."

    "Then it''s a promise. See you tomorrow."

    Azure then picked up her zither and left the ce shortly after, but she didn''t forget to wave at Yuan before she left.

    Once Azure left the scene, Yuan returned to the immortal caves.

    "Where did you go? You''ve been gone all night ording to Sebastian." Chu Liuxiang asked him when he returned.

    "Hm? I woke up early and couldn''t go back to sleep, so I went outside for some fresh air," he said.

    Chu Liuxiang raised her eyebrows slightly, but she didn''t question him any further.

    "What are we going to do today?" She then asked.

    "I am going to take a look at the Six Spiritual Families'' cultivation techniques and see if they have anything interesting," he said.

    Chu Liuxiang shook her head and said, "Brother Yuan, I suggest that you don''t ept any cultivation techniques from them."

    "Eh? Why not?" Yuan immediately asked.

    "Because you''ll owe them if you do. Even though you won thepetition and are entitled to a cultivation technique, I wouldn''t ept anything from them if you do not intend on joining their faction, as that will only make it harder for you to leave them." Chu Liuxiang exined to him.

    "That makes sense¡­" Yuan nodded.

    And he continued, "Well, I am mostly going there to see what they have, but I will keep that in mind. I doubt they''ll have any cultivation technique that I cannot find in Cultivation Online."

    Sometimeter, they went to get some breakfast at the Silver Restaurant before making their way to the building that stored the cultivation techniques after asking around for directions.

    "This ce is smaller than I had anticipated," Yuan mumbled in a low voice as they approached a small pagoda that only had one floor.

    "Hello, I am Yuan, and I am here to look at the cultivation techniques," Yuan said to the guards standing in front of the heavily-guarded pagoda.

    The guard in the front nodded his head and said, "I have already been notified by the grand elders about your situation. Please, follow me."

    However, the guard stopped when he noticed that Meixiu and the others were also following them.

    "I''m sorry for the inconvenience, but only Daoist Yuan has clearance to enter the building. The rest of you are not allowed to follow him inside."

    After all, Meixiu was only his ''caretaker'', and Chu Liuxiang was an uninvited guest at the Jaded Garden. If not for Yuan, Chu Liuxiang would not have been allowed to stay for so long.

    "I understand. We''ll wait for you out here." Meixiu said to Yuan.

    Yuan nodded and said, "I won''t take long."

    He then entered the building with the guard while the others remained outside.

    "What a bummer. I wanted to see how the Six Spiritual Families'' cultivation techniquespare to our Chu Family''s collection." Chu Liuxiang shrugged.

    "Anyway, since we''re alone, why don''t we have a little chat?" She then turned to look at Meixiu.

    "I have nothing interesting to say." Meixiu immediately said.

    Chu Liuxiang chuckled and said, "That''s perfectly fine. We''re going to be talking about Brother Yuan, anyway. Let''s start with what we like the most about him!"

    Meixiu was speechless. Does she really have to participate in such an embarrassing topic?

    Meanwhile, inside the pagoda, Yuan was stunned to see how few cultivation techniques there were in this ce.

    "Is this all of the techniques on this floor?" Yuan asked the guard as he pointed at the bookshelf in the middle of the room that contained about 20 cultivation techniques.

    "Yes." The guard nodded.

    And he continued, "Don''t let the quantity fool you, Daoist Yuan. These cultivation techniques were not taken from Cultivation Online. They have been with the Six Spiritual Families for many generations now, and before Cultivation Online came into existence, cultivation techniques were incredibly rare."

    "That makes sense¡­" Yuan nodded.

    "Hm? Does this mean you guys keep the cultivation techniques acquired from Cultivation Online in a separate ce?"

    "Yes. They are located in the public library for all disciples to ess. Of course, the stronger cultivation techniques are only essible by higher-ranking disciples."

    "As for these cultivation techniques, even if some of them are not as powerful as the cultivation techniques from Cultivation Online, they are greatly valued by the Six Spiritual Families due to their origin and history. Usually, only elite disciples or children directly from one of the Six Spiritual Families are allowed to choose a cultivation technique from this ce."

    "Anyways, take your time. I will be over here if you have any questions."

    "Okay." Yuan then approached the bookshelf located in the center of the room and started looking through all of the cultivation techniques there.

    ''Oh? Is this the sword technique used by Wang Ming during our first fight? So it was called Sword of Dominance, huh. What a domineering name. Very fitting for such a powerful strike¡­'' Yuan looked at the technique while trying his best to not identally learn them as he does in Cultivation Online.

 Chapter 575 - Rematch

    <h4>Chapter 575 - Rematch</h4>

    ''Hmm¡­ Are these techniques toockluster or am I simply too spoiled by the techniques in Cultivation Online?''

    Despite looking through all of the techniques, Yuan didn''t find any interest in them.

    "Have you found a suitable technique, Daoist Yuan?" The guard asked him when Yuan returned to him.

    "No," he shook his head.

    "Is there something wrong with the techniques?" The guard raised his eyebrows.

    "Not really. I am just not interested in them."

    "That''s unfortunate. I guess they are too weakpared to Daoist Yuan''s techniques. If you ever change your mind, you cane back here at any time."

    "Thank you."

    After spending about half an hour inside the pagoda, Yuan left the ce empty-handed.

    "You''re out already? That was quicker than I''d anticipated." Chu Liuxiang said when he returned.

    "Hm? Where''s your cultivation technique?" Meixiu asked him.

    "I didn''t pick a technique, mostly because I already have more powerful techniques," he said.

    "That makes sense¡­ I doubt you''ll be able to find a cultivation technique more powerful than Divine-rank in this world."

    Yuan shook his head and said, "I don''t think the ranks are an issue, since Flying Dagger is only a Mortal-rank technique. I guess I just don''t have any need for them, and there''s no point in me learning them if I am not going to use them."

    "What are we going to do now?" Meixiu then asked.

    "Let''s just go home for today. I have an appointment with Li Jinxi tomorrow," he said.

    "That barbaric girl? Just don''t overdo it, Brother Yuan. You were a little bit scary thest time you fought her." Chu Liuxiang said.

    "Scary? How so?" Yuan asked.

    "Well, you felt like an entirely different person. I was really worried that something might have happened to you."

    "I''m sorry for making you worried, but that probably won''t happen again."

    The next day, they made their way to the Wang Family''s living quarters.

    "Wee, Yuan!" Wang Ming went to greet them when he heard that they have arrived.

    "Hey, Wang Ming. It feels weird to see you anywhere besides the training building." Yuan said.

    "Hahaha¡­ I only go there for you. If you''re not there, I have no reason to be there. I mostly spend my time practicing by myself at home," he said.

    "Anyways, you wanted to watch my rematch against Li Jinxi, right? I am about to head to the Li Family. You stilling?" Yuan then asked him.

    "Of course! Give me a moment. I am going to see if my elder sister would also like toe," he nodded.

    Wang Ming then ran off for a few minutes before returning with his elder sister, Wang Bingbing.

    "Let me introduce you. This is Wang Bingbing, my elder sister."

    "Hello. It''s a pleasure to finally speak with you, Senior Yuan." Wang Bingbing bowed to him in a formal manner.

    "You can just call me Yuan," he said.

    Once they were prepared, they all made their way to the Li Family.

    And to their surprise, Li Jinxi was already standing at the gate and waiting for them.

    "Took you long enough! I thought you had forgotten about our rematch!" Li Jinxi said to them with a slight frown on her face.

    "Li Jinxi, it''s still early in the morning, or did you expect us to show up at sunrise?" Wang Ming shook his head.

    "Well, I have been standing here since sunrise!" She said, dumbfounding them.

    "You''re too eager to fight Yuan again, acting like a child the day before the amusement park." Wang Ming chuckled, as he has never seen Li Jinxi acting in such a manner before.

    "I dare you to repeat that." Li Jinxi stared at him with an angry look on her face.

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    Wang Ming immediately regretted making fun of Li Jinxi and took a step back before speaking with a stiff smile on his face, "I-I was only joking, Senior Sister. Please ignore me."

    "Hmph!"

    Li Jinxi coldly snorted before turning to look at Yuan.

    "Are you ready?"

    "Yes. Where are we going to fight?"

    "Follow me." Li Jinxi proceeded to lead them to a spacious area a few miles behind her living quarters.

    "This ce¡­ What happened here?" Yuan was dumbfounded when he saw the destructive scene there.

    There were crushed boulders and craters on the ground everywhere, looking like multiple natural disasters had urred in this ce.

    "This is my training area, so we don''t have to worry about making a mess," she said in a calm voice.

    Yuan and the others swallowed nervously as they tried to imagine how Li Jinxi trained to make such a mess.

    "Oh. You''re finally here. Wee." A voice suddenly resounded from behind them.

    They turned around to see Senior Li approaching them.

    "I will be present to oversee the rematch just in case the fight gets out of control," he said.

    "Sorry for bothering you," Yuan said.

    "Hahaha¡­ This is no bother at all." Senior Li casually waved his hand at all.

    Sometimeter, Li Jinxi handed Yuan a greatsword while wielding one herself.

    "Before you start, let''s make a few rules. Li Jinxi, you are not allowed to use your berserk technique. As for Daoist Yuan¡­"

    "Don''t worry, I won''t use that golden aura. Although I cannot control it, I will immediately stop fighting when it happens," he said.

    "Alright." Senior Li nodded.

    Once they were prepared, Yuan and Li Jinxi began their rematch, and the ce quickly became filled with loud noises from their swords colliding with each other.

    "Hahaha! This is it! I haven''t had a wink of sleep ever since our fight, Yuan!" Li Jinxiughed as she swung with all of her might.

    Bang!

    The air shook as Yuan blocked the attack head-on.

    "I have also been looking forward to this rematch. Let''s do our best!"

    ng! Bang! ng!

    "Heavens¡­ Is it just me or are they even fiercer than they were during thepetition?" Wang Ming asked the others in a low voice.

    "Now that they are aware of each others'' strength, there is no longer any reason for them to hold back against each other¡­" Senior Li responded with a smile on his face as he looked at the joyous expression on Li Jinxi''s face as she fought Yuan.

 Chapter 576 - You Can Open Your Eyes

    <h4>Chapter 576 - You Can Open Your Eyes</h4>

    "Haaa!"

    Bang!

    The ground shook as Li Jinxi struck the ground with her greatsword, creating arge crack in the earth, but she immediately pulled it back out to defend against Yuan''s attack.

    Dong!

    Li Jinxi was sent flying for a few meters before stabilizing herself.

    Once she stabilized herself, she immediately rushed at Yuan again.

    "How long are they going to keep this up? It''s already been three hours since they started fighting." Wang Ming suddenly muttered.

    "I think the better question is how much stamina do they have to continuously go at each other in such an aggressive fashion for so long without any breaks. I would have copsed from exhaustion long ago." Wang Bingbing said.

    "Ridiculous strength requires a ridiculous amount of stamina to back up that strength, so it''s not unnatural for them to have so much stamina." Senior Li said.

    "It''s no wonder why she wasn''t satisfied after thepetition when their match onlysted for a couple of minutes." Wang Ming said.

    After fighting for another two hours, Yuan dropped his sword and said, "S-Stop! I-I give up! I am too exhausted to continue!"

    He then copsed onto the ground in a simr manner and began gasping for air.

    Li Jinxi stopped moving and stood there with her entire body covered in sweat, looking like someone had poured a few buckets of water on her body recently.

    She then stabbed her sword into the ground before falling onto her buttocks.

    "Wow¡­ Yuan actually lost to Li Jinxi?" Wang Ming mumbled in a dazed voice.

    Besides Meixiu and Chu Liuxiang, nobody there was aware that Yuan had only started moving his body recently after spending many years on the bed as a cripple who couldn''t move even a finger. It was already a miracle that hested this long.

    Meanwhile, Li Jinxi has been training her body ever since she was young, and coupled with her unique physique, it was only natural for her to beat Yuan when it came to endurance.

    However, neither of them cared about the result of their rematch, as they were already more than satisfied from the fight itself.

    As for Li Jinxi, she only wanted the rematch because she wanted to fight with Yuan, not because she wanted to win.

    "Are you both okay?" Senior Li approached them a few momentster.

    "Yes¡­ Just¡­ give me¡­ a few¡­ minutes¡­" Yuan struggled to speak due to exhaustion.

    "Take all the time you need, Daoist Yuan." Senior Li chuckled.

    In the end, it took Yuan almost half an hour to recover enough energy to stand up again. As for Li Jinxi, it only took her half the time.

    "I have never been this exhausted before. You''re really a good opponent." Yuan said to Li Jinxi afterward.

    "Likewise, you''re the only one who can push me this far." Li Jinxi said.

    "If you don''t mind me asking, do you temper your body for training?" Yuan suddenly asked her.

    "Yes, I do."

    "Does that involve bathing in treasures with spiritual energy?"

    "It does, but we mostly use herbs and medicine since actual treasures are too rare."

    "So treasures really exist in this world¡­" Yuan mumbled in a low voice.

    "Haha¡­ Of course, they exist, Daoist Yuan. If you''d like, I can show you a fewter." Senior Li said to him.

    "Really?"

    "Yes, but I must warn you beforehand that they''re not as impressive as the treasures you find in Cultivation Online."

    "That''s perfectly fine."

    Sometimeter, they returned to the Li Family''s living quarters.

    "Daoist Yuan, you can use our bathroom to clean yourself. I will give you some temporary clothes for today." Senior Li said to him.

    "Thank you." He nodded.

    After Li Jinxi showed him the bathroom, Yuan removed his sweat-soaked clothes and quickly washed his body before entering therge bathtub to rx in the warm water that had been prepared beforehand.

    "Ahhh¡­ This feels great, especially after such an intensive workout." Yuan released a deep sigh as he sunk his body deeper into the water

    Suddenly, the door to the bathroom opened, and a figure casually walked inside.

    Yuan immediately panicked, as he''d removed his mask before entering the bathtub since he didn''t expect any visitors.

    "W-Who''s there?!" He shouted as he turned his back to the door so that they wouldn''t be able to see his face.

    "Hm? It''s just me." Li Jinxi''s voice casually responded.

    "L-Li Jinxi?"

    Yuan quickly used his divine sense, and sure enough, Li Jinxi was the intruder, and she appeared to bepletely naked.

    "W-What are you doing in here?"

    "What else? I was also soaked in sweat after our fight, so I came here to wash myself." Li Jinxi rinsed her body as she spoke.

    Yuan was speechless. She couldn''t wait until he was done? And surely, they must have another bathroom within theserge living quarters, so why did she purposefully pick the one that was already upied?

    After rinsing her body, she began washing her body with soap that gave off a sweet fragrance.

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    Unbeknownst to Yuan, this bathroom was Li Jinxi''s personal bathroom, so nobody uses it besides Li Jinxi herself.

    Furthermore, Li Jinxi wasn''t the type to be shy, nor does she care about others seeing her body, hence why she showed up even though it was clearly upied.

    However, that didn''t mean Li Jinxi would be okay with sharing the bathroom with just anyone, as only those she approves of would receive this kind of special treatment, and in the entire Jaded Garden, Yuan was the only man that she approves of.

    After washing herself, Li Jinxi approached the bathtub that had more than enough room to fit 10 people, casually submerging herself in the warm water.

    She turned to look at Yuan, who was facing her with his back and said in a nonchnt voice, "I don''t care about your identity or your background, so you can rx. Even if I see your face, I won''t tell anyone."

    After a moment of silence, Yuan turned around and showed his face to Li Jinxi.

    Seeing his closed eyes, she continued, "You can also open your eyes. I don''t mind if you see my body. I have nothing to be ashamed of, anyway."

    "Uhh¡­ I cannot open my eyes¡­ because I''m actually blind." Yuan revealed to her.

    "What¡­?"

    As expected, Li Jinxi''s eyes widened with shock when she heard this information.

    "Y-You''re blind? H-How is that possible?" Clearly, she was in disbelief.

    After all, how can a blind man move around without any support, much less fight with the powerful cultivators?! That didn''t make any sense!

 Chapter 577 - Sharing The Bathtub

    <h4>Chapter 577 - Sharing The Bathtub</h4>

    "Y-You can''t be blind! You''re definitely joking with me!" Li Jinxi said to him after snapping out of her daze, refusing to believe that she''d been fighting with a blind man this entire time.

    "I am serious," Yuan said.

    He then opened his eyelids with his hands, revealing his nk eyes thatcked any light to her.

    Li Jinxi covered her mouth and mumbled, "T-Then how¡­ How are you moving around like you can see? Nobody would believe that you''re blind with how you move around and fight!"

    "I can use divine sense, allowing me to see things around me, but I can only see a few meters away from me. However, despite the limited range, I can see things clearer than others," he said.

    "Divine sense? I think I have heard of that before in Cultivation Online. To think you can use such a technique in this world as well¡­ You''re really something else."

    ''If word gets out that Yuan is actually blind¡­ Who knows how they will react¡­'' Li Jinxi thought to herself.

    After a moment of silence, Li Jinxi spoke, "Hey, you''re interested in body-tempering, right? Do you want to try it?"

    "Huh?"

    "I''m asking if you want to try tempering your body. I always have some medicine and herbs prepared. We can do it right now if you wish."

    "R-Right now?"

    "Yes. Give me a moment." Li Jinxi then got out of the bathtub and walked to the cab located at the corner of the room, retrieving a handful of medicines.

    She then returned to the bathtub and tossed all of the medicine in the water.

    Once the medicine was floating on the water, Li Jinxi went to press a switch that was at the side of the bathtub.

    "The water will get a little hot in a minute. If you cannot endure it, let me know," she said to him as she climbed back into the bathtub.

    "Once your body starts to feel a little tingly, start cultivating and absorb the medicine. It''s going to be a little painful if this is your first time tempering your body."

    "Okay." Yuan nodded.

    A minuteter, when the water reached almost boiling point, the clear water began turning green, and Yuan could feel a slight tingling sensation all over his body.

    He immediately started cultivating and absorbing the medicine in the bathtub, as did Li Jinxi.

    ''This isn''t that bad¡­ In fact, the pain is nothingpared to the bath Feng Feng prepared for me¡­'' Yuan thought to himself.

    After all, the treasures that Feng Yuxiang had used for his bath were countless times more valuable than the medicine that Li Jinxi used.

    "How are you feeling?" Li Jinxi asked him a few minutester.

    "It''s manageable," he calmly replied.

    "Good. The medicine shouldst us about half an hour since there are two of us absorbing the medicine."

    The next thirty minutes inside the bathroom waspletely silent as Yuan and Li Jinxi tempered their bodies in the same bathtub.

    Thirty minutester, Li Jinxi stood up with her pale skin slightly rosy and said, "The medicine is gone, but if you want to temper yourself more, you can simply put more medicine into the bathtub. I will leave first."

    "I will also leave." Yuan left the bathroom shortly after Li Jinxi left, changing into the Li Family''s clothes that had been provided to him.

    "What do you think?" Li Jinxi asked him afterward.

    "I don''t know¡­ My body doesn''t feel any different once I left the bathtub," he said.

    "Obviously. You''ve only tempered your body for a few minutes. If you want to see some real results, you will need to do that for at least a few hours every day. I''m asking how you feel about tempering your body."

    "I would do it every day, but acquiring the medicine to do that is a different story. I don''t even know where to obtain the medicine," he sighed.

    "If you''re worried about not having enough resources, you can speak with the Hong Family. They''re the ones who provide us with our medicine. They should also have the solution to your problem." Li Jinxi said to him.

    "Okay. I will visit them when I have the chance."

    They reunited with the others a few minutester.

    "Where did you go? It''s been almost an hour since you went to clean yourself!" Senior Li asked Li Jinxi.

    "Yuan seemed interested in tempering his body, so I showed him how to do it, and we ended up tempering our body together." Li Jinxi responded in a casual manner.

    "Huh?" Senior Li raised his eyebrows at his granddaughter.

    "Y-You what?" Wang Ming looked at them with her eyes wide open.

    "D-Does this mean you shared the same bathtub?" He proceeded to ask them.

    "Yes, we did." Li Jinxi responded in a nonchnt manner.

    The room immediately turned dead silent with everyone there too speechless to respond.

    As for Meixiu, although she was surprised to learn that Yuan had shared a bathtub with Li Jinxi, she wasn''t worried that they might have done something naughty, as Yuan wasn''t the type to do something like that, nor does he have the knowledge to do so.

    ''Sharing the same bathtub¡­ Even I haven''t done that with Brother Yuan!'' Chu Liuxiang cried inwardly.

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    "A-Anyways¡­ What are your ns now, Daoist Yuan? We still have a few hours before it gets dark outside. Do you want to look at the treasures now?" Senior Li asked after snapping out of his daze, trying to change the topic to something else.

    Yuan nodded and said, "Of course, and I''d like to visit the Hong Family after looking at the treasures."

    "The Hong Family? May I ask what business you have with them? Perhaps I can help you."

    "It''s about getting medicine to temper my body¡­ Although I would like to start tempering my body, I don''t know where to acquire the medicine to do so, and Li Jinxi told me to visit the Hong Family," he exined.

 Chapter 578 - Real Treasures

    <h4>Chapter 578 - Real Treasures</h4>

    "Medicine, huh? I understand. If that''s the case, there isn''t anything my Li Family can do for you, as the Hong Family handles most of the medicine in the Jaded Garden." Senior Li said.

    "Wow, they must have a lot of medicine if they supply the entire faction¡­" Yuan said in a surprised voice.

    "Haha¡­ After all, they are the ones that require the most medicine because of people like Hong Xiuquan, who tempers his body around the clock almost daily." Senior Liughed.

    "Anyways, follow me. I will show you some of our Li Family''s treasures." Senior Li then led Yuan and every one to another room.

    "Please wait for a minute while I retrieve the treasures." Senior Li said before leaving them alone in the room.

    Even if Senior Li trusted Yuan and greatly valued his presence, there was no way that he''d bring someone that isn''t part of their family to their storage area where they keep all of their treasures.

    Yuan patiently waited for Senior Li''s return, his anticipation high.

    About fifteen minutester, Senior Li returned with three boxes in his grasp.

    He ced them on the table before Yuan and the others.

    "This is the first treasure."

    Senior Li opened the first box, revealing a somewhat dried-up ginseng inside.

    "This is¡­ a treasure?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    "Don''t let its appearance fool you, Daoist Yuan. Try looking deeper." Senior Li said with a profound smile on his face.

    Yuan proceeded to analyze the ginseng with his divine sense, and to his surprise, there was arge amount of spiritual energy within the ginseng.

    "This is a 1,000-year-old ginseng. And yes, just like its name implies, it''s a thousand years old." Senior Li said.

    "The only reason it hasn''t rotted after so long is because of the spiritual energy within. If we wait another 500 years, it will be a 1,500-year-old ginseng, but that will be its limit. If we keep it for any longer, it will be useless, so we have to use it before then."

    "Howe it has spiritual energy? How did it grow?" Yuan asked.

    "All living things in this world¡ª including animals and nts¡ª have the ability to absorb spiritual energy. This means even the meat and vegetable that you eat contain spiritual energy, but the amount is insanely low¡ª too low to affect anyone, so you cannot be a cultivator no matter how much vegetables or meat you eat."

    "The reason is simply that they require a ridiculously amount of time to absorb enough spiritual energy to be qualified as a treasure, and they are usually killed or plucked before they absorb enough spiritual energy."

    "Furthermore, just like how humans are not born with equal talents, nts also have their own limit, so it doesn''t mean they can be treasures if given enough time."

    "Wow¡­ I never knew this¡­" Yuan mumbled in a dazed voice.

    A few momentster, Senior Li opened the second box, revealing a piece of jade slip inside.

    "This jade slip also contains spiritual energy? I thought only living things can absorb spiritual energy." Yuan quickly asked.

    "Yes, but inanimate objects can also gather spiritual energy. Let me ask you this¡­ What exactly is spiritual energy?" Senior Li suddenly asked him.

    "No clue¡­" Yuan shook his head.

    "Spiritual energy is essentially a type of oxygen that you cannot absorb normally, and they grant you more benefit than oxygen if you know how to absorb them. Just like air, they flow through the world, touching everything it passes through."

    "Although rare, spiritual energy can sometimes gather inside an object and stay there. Eventually, enough spiritual energy will gather inside the object, turning it into a treasure, just like this jade slip."

    "Just like that?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    "Yes, just like that. However, they require much more time to be a treasure. Unlike nts that usually take a few hundred years to be treasures, inanimate objects require thousands of years if not tens of thousands of years before they can turn into treasures. This is why most inanimate treasurese from ancient times in the form of antiques and why they''re valued more than medicine."

    "¡­"

    Yuan was speechless. He didn''t think that this world would be so profound and mysterious.

    After giving Yuan some time to digest the information, Senior Li opened the third box, which was also the biggest.

    "This is¡­ a dagger?" Yuan muttered in a surprised voice when he saw the weapon.

    Then he said, "But I don''t sense any spiritual energy from this dagger. How can it be considered a treasure?"

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    "Because it''s not the spiritual energy that makes this dagger a treasure. Go ahead. Try picking it up." Senior Li urged him.

    Yuan nodded and picked up the dagger, and to his surprise, he could feel some sort of energy entering his body, making him feel more confident and powerful.

    "Wow, what is this feeling?"

    "It''s the dagger''s aura that you''re feeling, Daoist Yuan."

    "Aura?"

    Senior Li nodded and retrieved an ordinary dagger before handing it to him.

    "Go ahead. Try holding this."

    Yuan epted the dagger, but he couldn''t feel anything from the dagger.

    "That is the difference between an ordinary weapon and a treasure¡ª it''s aura, which can make its wielder more powerful."

    "As for how theye into existence¡­ I''m sorry, but even I don''t know." Senior Li shrugged.

    "People specte that they gather spiritual energy just like inanimate objects, but they somehow can turn that spiritual energy into a unique aura, turning it into a treasure weapon. Honestly, we might never know the truth."

    Yuan looked at the dagger with the aura in his grasp.

    ''Now that I think about it, the weapons in Cultivation Online also give off this feeling. Whenever I wield a weapon, it would boost my confidence. Perhaps an expert in that world might be able to exin this phenomenon.'' Yuan thought to himself.

    "Thank you for showing me these treasures as well for the lesson. It was very informative and an eye-opener." Yuan said as he ced the dagger back inside the box.

    "It was an honor¡­" Senior Li smiled.

 Chapter 579 - Harvesting Medicine

    <h4>Chapter 579 - Harvesting Medicine</h4>

    "By the way, I forgot to ask, but how do you use the treasures?" Yuan asked Senior Li after he returned from putting away the treasures.

    "Well, you can consume the ginseng or use it to make medicine. As for the jade slip, you simply absorb the spiritual energy within," he said.

    "I see¡­"

    Sometimeter, Yuan and the others left the Li Family''s living quarters.

    "Li Jinxi, show them the way to the Hong Family. We also need to restock our medicine." Senior Li said to her.

    "I understand."

    Thus, Li Jinxi led them to the Hong Family.

    "Hm? Daoist Yuan? What brings you to the Hong Family?" Senior Hong asked him, feeling pleasantly surprised by his presence.

    "Hello. I''d like to temper my body, but I don''t know where to get the medicine required for it, and the Li Family rmended that I speak with your family." Yuan said.

    "I see. You came at the perfect time. Our family is currently harvesting this month''s medicine supply," Senior Hong said.

    "Harvesting?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    "So you grow your own medicine?"

    "Yes. Follow me."

    Senior Hong then led Yuan and the others to a few miles behind their living quarters, where arge medicine farm was located.

    "Wow¡­" Yuan mumbled, feeling awed from the medicine farm that stretched to the horizon.

    "Every month, we harvest around 100 kilos of medicine from this ce." Senior Hong said.

    "How does it work? Farming medicine, that is." Yuan asked.

    "It''s quite simple, actually. We pour a special liquid into the soil and wait until it grows."

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    "A special liquid?"

    "Yes. The liquid is a mixture of other medicine, but that''s not even the most important part. In order to grow these medicine, we need a special kind of soil that can only be found in areas with a dense amount of spiritual energy. Without the soil, the medicine will die before they are ready for harvest."

    "Would you like to try nting some? After harvesting, we obviously need to nt more." Senior Hong suddenly asked him.

    "Of course!" Yuan eagerly nodded.

    After watching the medicine being harvested for a couple of minutes, Yuan asked, "Do we need to do anything special when we harvest them?"

    "No. You simply cut the leaves off the stem before pulling out the stem so that we can nt more."

    "Here, let me show you."

    Senior Hong then harvested a few medicines before Yuan and the others.

    "Want to give it a try?" He then handed Yuan a pair of scissors.

    "Yes."

    Yuan epted the scissor and began harvesting the medicine.

    "You''re right. It''s very easy."

    About an hourter, when the harvesting waspleted, Senior Hong handed Yuan a bottle of green liquid and said to him, "Watch me."

    He then used his own bottle and dripped a single drop of its liquid onto the soil before him.

    "That''s all you need to do. Try it yourself."

    Yuan followed his movements and dropped a single drop of the green liquid onto the soil.

    "Now you just wait for them to grow. It takes about three months for the medicine to be ready for harvest. You''ll know when they are ready when they have a dark green color."

    Once Yuan was satisfied with the information, they returned to the Hong Family''s living quarters.

    "What do you think?" Senior Hong asked him afterward.

    "Well¡­ Even though the process is easy, it won''t be possible for me to grow them. Not only do I not have the liquid required to grow them, but I also don''t have the soil."

    "If you join our family, you can have all the medicine you want to temper your body every day." Senior Hong said with a smile on his face.

    Yuan chuckled and said, "Thank you for the offer, but I am still not sure if I want to stay in the faction."

    "Is there something preventing you from joining us? Or are we simply not good enough for you?" Senior Hong asked him.

    "It''s neither of that. I am just having other thoughts. Recently, I have been thinking about creating my own faction," he exined.

    "Your own¡­ faction?" Senior Hong looked at him with wide eyes.

    If someone like Yuan creates a faction, one can only imagine how powerful it will be in the future.

    Meanwhile, Chu Liuxiang looked at Yuan with a joyous gaze.

    "Although the Spiritual Elites are great, I want something that feels more personal¡ª something I can call home, and creating my own faction is the only thing I can think of."

    Senior Hong nodded and said, "If you actually decide to create your own faction, don''t forget about us. We can start an alliance with each other."

    "Alliance, huh? I will definitely ask you when it happens." Yuan nodded.

    After talking for a little longer, Yuan and the others prepared to leave the ce.

    "Wait a moment, Daoist Yuan." Senior Hong handed him a basket filled with medicine before he left.

    "This shouldst you a few weeks even if you temper your body every day."

    "Thank you, Senior Hong." Yuan happily epted the medicine.

    "And this is for your family." Senior Hong handed Li Jinxi a basket of medicine next.

    "Thank you, Elder Hong."

    After leaving the Hong Family, Yuan parted ways with the Wang Family and Li Jinxi.

    "Yuan, when are you going to return to the training building? I have been itching to fight you." Wang Ming said to him before they left.

    "I can try showing up tomorrow," he said.

    "Great! Then I will see you tomorrow!"

    "I will also be there." Li Jinxi said before leaving.

    Yuan and the others returned to the immortal caves shortly after.

    "So you''re really thinking about creating your own faction?" Chu Liuxiang asked him.

    "Yes. I have been thinking about what you told me, and I think that creating my own faction will be the best choice for someone like me."

    "Great! When do you n on creating your faction?"

    Yuan pondered for a moment before speaking, "I want to stay here for another week or two¡­ After that, I will make my own faction."

 Chapter 580 - Sneaking Inside The Bathroom

    <h4>Chapter 580 - Sneaking Inside The Bathroom</h4>

    After resting for a bit inside the immortal caves, Yuan and the others went to get dinner.

    Once dinner was finished, Yuan went to take a bath, and he decided to try tempering his body with the medicine he''d received from the Hong Family.

    However, during his tempering, someone opened the door and entered the bathroom.

    Knowing that it wasn''t a stranger, Yuan didn''t panic this time.

    However, he was still surprised to see Chu Liuxiang entering the bathroom with nothing but a towel around her body.

    "Can I take a bath with you, Brother Yuan?" She asked him.

    "I don''t really mind, but the water is¡ª" He said.

    Before Yuan could even finish his sentence, Chu Liuxiang removed her towel and tossed it to the side before joining the bathtub with him.

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    Of course, the bathtub in the immortal caves wasn''t anywhere close to the size of the one in Li Jinxi''s bathroom, so it was a little cramped in the bathtub with Chu Liuxiang''s smooth skin rubbing against Yuan''s body.

    Once the both of them werefortable, they would sit there in awkward silence.

    "We should do this more often." Chu Liuxiang suddenly said.

    "I wouldn''t mind that if we had a bigger bathtub¡­" Yuan chuckled.

    After another moment of silence, Chu Liuxiang asked, "Brother Yuan, have you ever considered starting your own family?"

    "No¡­ I can''t say that I have. Why? Do you wish to start a family?"

    "Yes, I do." Chu Liuxiang nodded her head with a gentle smile on her face.

    She then turned to look at him and continued with a serious expression, "I want to start a family with you, Brother Yuan."

    "W-With me¡­?" Yuan''s jaw dropped upon hearing her words.

    "You don''t want to?" Chu Liuxiang mumbled in a low voice.

    "T-That''s not it¡­ I just¡­ I don''t think I am ready for a family now¡­"

    "It''s okay, Brother Yuan. We have plenty of time. You don''t need to give me an official answer now. I just wanted you to know my feelings. That''s all."

    Seeing Yuan''s dazed look, Chu Liuxiang suddenly approached his face and kissed him on the lips.

    The kisssted for only a second before Chu Liuxiang moved back. She then got out of the bathtub and left the bathroom with a slightly rosy face.

    Meanwhile, outside the bathroom, Meixiu noticed Chu Liuxiang, who had suddenly disappeared,ing out of the bathroom.

    "Y-You were inside the bathroom this entire time? But Yuan is¡­"

    Chu Liuxiang, who had snuck inside the bathroom while Meixiu wasn''t looking, smiled and said, "I didn''t want to be left out, so I went to take a quick bath with Brother Yuan."

    "Unbelievable¡­" Meixiu was speechless.

    "I hope you didn''t do anything weird to him¡­"

    Chu Liuxiang chuckled at Meixiu''s question.

    Inside the bathroom, Yuanid in the bathtub with a weird feeling in his body, as it was feeling hotter than usual, and even his heart was beating faster.

    He could also feel a certain area between his legs bing stiff.

    "Starting a family, huh¡­" He mumbled in a pondering voice.

    About ten minutester, Yuan also left the bathroom.

    When it was time to sleep, Chu Liuxiang snuggled close to Yuan¡ª much closer than usual, which made Yuan more conscious of her.

    After falling asleep with difficulty, Yuan encountered the handsome man again.

    "Hey, I have a question for you."

    "What?"

    "Did you¡­ Did I have my own family in the past?"

    The handsome man raised his eyebrows, and he said, "As in a wife and children? What do you think?"

    "I don''t know, that''s why I am asking you."

    A profound smile appeared on the handsome man''s face, and he snapped his fingers, changing the scenery to inside a bedroom.

    Yuan looked at the bed, where two figuresid¡ª the handsome man and a naked woman whose face he cannot see because she had her back facing him.

    "*email protected#^, I want to start a family with you." The woman suddenly said in a low and nervous voice.

    "You should know that''s not possible with my situation¡­" The handsome man sighed.

    "Even if you won''t be there for us in the future, I want your child. Or am I not worthy to bear your child?"

    "It''s not about being worthy. I have a lot of enemies, and they will only continue to increase as I chase after my dream. If they know that I have a child¡­ They will target you even when I am gone. I don''t want you nor our child to bear such a burden."

    The woman snorted, "Burden? I already have plenty of burden as your Dao Companion. A few more won''t matter to me. If you don''t want to start a family with me, just say so. There''s no need to make any excuses."

    "I''m sorry¡­" The handsome man said.

    "Hmph! I finally understand why all of your previous girlfriends left you!" The woman got out of the bed and began wearing her clothes in a rushed manner.

    "Goodbye!" The woman left the scene in a red face, mming the door behind her.

    "Haaa¡­ There goes another one¡­" The handsome man sighed after she left.

    "Why do I continue getting Dao Companions when this kind of situation keeps on repeating itself? Am I hoping to find someone that is willing to wait for me until I achieve my dreams? As if there are any women out there willing to wait that long¡­"

    Yuan was brought back to the mountain peak after that short shback.

    "So you refused to start a family? Because you are afraid of burdening them? I thought you were strong¡ª strong enough to protect them." Yuan said to him.

    "You know nothing, kid. Nobody is born at the peak¡ª not even the ultimate genius. Despite where I ended, I wasn''t always strong."

    "Furthermore, I was too dedicated to cultivation, so even if I started a family, I wouldn''t have any time for them. There''s no point¡­" The handsome man shook his head.

 Chapter 581 - Plain Zither

    <h4>Chapter 581 - in Zither</h4>

    "Mmmm¡­" A gentle moan resounded beside him when Yuan awoke from his sleep, and to his surprise, his hands were grasping onto Chu Liuxiang''s soft breasts.

    He quickly removed his hands, but as he prepared to apologize, he realized that Chu Liuxiang was deep asleep.

    Meanwhile, Meixiu was cultivating beside the bed. Ever since she started cultivating at the immortal caves, she''d gained a level, reaching the second level Spirit Warrior.

    Yuan silently left the bedroom and went to check the time. Once again, he''d woke up early.

    He then went to the bathroom to wash his face before making his way outside, returning to the spot he''d met Azure.

    And to his surprise, there was a figure sitting on the boulder with a zither resting beside her, and she was in the middle of cultivation.

    Yuan didn''t want to bother her and sat down a few meters away from her, silently admiring Azure''s elegant appearance.

    "You''re here early." Azure suddenly spoke a few minutester, surprising Yuan.

    "I woke up early again," he said.

    "What a coincidence. I also woke up earlier than usual today. Maybe it''s because I have been eager to y the zither with you," she chuckled gracefully.

    "Anyways, since we''re both here, why don''t we y together now?" she then said.

    "Sure¡­ Ah, but I don''t have a zither."

    "That''s fine. Follow me. I have a spare one in my room."

    Yuan proceeded to follow Azure back to the immortal caves.

    Ding~

    Every few steps, Azure would pull a string on her zither, creating a single note that would echo in the ce.

    "If you''re wondering why I am doing this, I am using the sound to guide me. Although I cannot see with my eyes, I can see with my zither."

    "How does that work?"

    "Although you cannot see it, every time a sound is created, it would create an invisible sound wave that ripples as far as it can travel before it disappears, and when this ripple is blocked by something, it would bounce back. I can hear these ripples clearly, allowing me to visualize my surrounding with sound."

    "Wow¡­ That''s¡­ Really amazing¡­" Yuan was left speechless by her talents.

    "If it were not for this ability, life would''ve been much more difficult for me."

    A few minutester, they arrived at the immortal caves.

    ''So she lived on the opposite side of my immortal cave¡­ I''m surprised that we didn''t meet until yesterday.'' Yuan thought to himself.

    "Wee to my humble home." Azure weed him into her immortal cave.

    Yuan looked around with his divine sense. The ce looked very emptypared to his own immortal cave.

    Azure went to her room for a few moments before returning with a in-looking zither in her grasp.

    "I know it looks a little boring, but it ys perfectly. Also, I crafted it myself," she said after handing it to him.

    "Eh? You made this yourself? That''s amazing."

    "Well, it''s not easy buying a zither since most of them have been destroyed, and nobody is willing to make them due to the curse, so I could only resort to making my own."

    "Does this mean the one you''ve been using was also made by you?" Yuan asked.

    "Yes, and I finished it very recently¡ª about a month ago."

    "Anyways, now that you have your zither, let''s go y the zither."

    "Okay."

    They returned to the boulder shortly after.

    Once they arrived, they sat down beside each other with a zither on theirp.

    "Do you want to go first? We''ll take turns ying a song, and once we figure out which song we can y together, we''ll do a duet." Azure suggested.

    "Sure."

    After preparing himself, Yuan began ying a song that he''d learned from Fei Yuyan.

    A few minutester, once Yuan ended his song, Azure began pping with excitement.

    "Wow! Where did you learn such a beautiful song?"

    "I learned it from a friend that I met inside Cultivation Online," he said.

    "Your first performance is already so good. Are you trying to bully me?" Azure sighed.

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    "Eh? I''m¡ª"

    "I am joking with you." Azure chuckled, and she continued, "But since your performance was so good, I will have to try hard to not embarrass myself."

    Azure then took a moment to prepare herself.

    Once she was ready, she began ying the zither.

    Ding~

    Yuan silently watched Azure''s performance.

    ''Wow¡­ She''s ying much better than she did yesterday. Besides the Zither Goddess, I don''t think anyone else couldpare to her¡­'' Yuan thought to himself after witnessing Azure''s true potential.

    Azure finished her song two minutester.

    "What do you think?"

    "It was perfect." Yuan smiled.

    "Your turn!"

    Yuan nodded and proceeded to y another song.

    The two of them continued to y the zither even after sunrise.

    "Alright, I think we have yed enough for today," Azure said after her song.

    "See you again tomorrow?" Yuan asked.

    "Of course!" Azure eagerly nodded.

    And she continued, "Oh, you can keep the zither."

    "Really?"

    "Yes. I have no use for it, anyway."

    "Thank you!"

    Yuan returned to the immortal cave shortly after to get breakfast with the others.

    After breakfast, they made their way to the training hall, where Yuan would spend the rest of the day sparring with Wang Ming and Li Jinxi.

    "Heavens¡­ This is my first time seeing Li Jinxi in the training hall." The disciples there were shocked to see their most talented disciple in the regr training area.

    At the end of the day, Yuan and the others returned to the immortal caves.

    "Yuan, when we visited Senior Hong the other day, he told me that my bow will be ready tomorrow, so I will be going there to pick it up."

    "Okay. I will go with you."

    The following morning, Yuan went to meet Azure in the usual spot, and as expected, she was there early again.

    After spending a few hours with Azure, Yuan returned to the immortal caves for breakfast before heading to the Hong Family to pick up Meixiu''s custom bow.

    "Wee back. Have you used the medicine yet? If you did, how was it?" Senior Hong asked Yuan.

    "It was great. Once again, thank you for the medicine." Yuan said.

    "That''s good. Anyways, follow me. The bow is finished."

    A few minutester, they arrived at the crafting area.

 Chapter 582 - Divination

    <h4>Chapter 582 - Divination</h4>

    "Give me a moment." Senior Hong went inside the building for a minute before returning with a cart that had a long wooden box resting on it.

    "Here''s your bow. Check it out."

    Senior Hong opened the box, revealing the beautiful ck short bow inside.

    Meixiu immediately went to pick up the bow, and to her surprise, was it many times heavier than any bow she has wielded before. However, it wasn''t heavy enough to where she couldn''t use it.

    She proceeded to move the bow around trying to get a feel for it.

    "What do you think? If the weight isn''t right, I can adjust it for you, but I can only make it lighter since that''s already the heaviest I can make it."

    "The weight is perfectly fine. Thank you for this bow." Meixiu bowed to him in a respectful manner.

    "Haha¡­ Don''t even mention it. You deserve it. Go ahead, try shooting with it." Senior Hong handed her an arrow.

    Meixiu took the arrow and proceeded to shoot it at a nearby tree.

    ''Even the string feels so different. It''s more durable, and pulling back on it gives me confidence for some reason.'' Meixiu thought to herself.

    Whoosh!

    Meixiu released the string once she got her aim, and the arrow flew in a straight line until it hit her desired location.

    "Your bow is very heavypared to ordinary bows, so it can handle special arrows like this one." Senior Hong retrieved another arrow.

    This time, it was a ck arrow that seemed to be made purely out of metal, and the arrow itself weighed a couple of kilos.

    Meixiu used this arrow to shoot the same tree.

    Whoosh!

    The arrow flew straight at the tree, hitting the first arrow she shot before tearing a hole in the tree.

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    "It went through the tree¡­" Yuan mumbled in a dazed voice.

    However, despite its ridiculous power, Meixiu wasn''t that excited. After all, it wasn''t like she could use the special arrow for other things besides showing off.

    If she had this bow in Cultivation Online, where she could use the special arrow to fight magical beasts, that would be an entirely different story.

    "If you''re satisfied with the bow, it''s yours. I am supposed to have an urgent meeting with the other grand elders and family heads, so I won''t stay here any longer." Senior Hong said to herter.

    "An urgent meeting? I hope it''s nothing bad." Yuan said.

    "Well¡­ Do you remember the cmity that our ancestors had predicted? Apparently, there are signs of it appearing soon," Senior Hong exined.

    "Cmity? What''s going to happen?"

    Senior Hong shook his head and said, "Nobody knows. But if you want to participate in this meeting, you can follow me. If the cmity truly exists, we can definitely use your help."

    "I wille." Yuan nodded, as he was interested in this cmity.

    ''I wonder if this has anything to do with the tribtion¡­'' Yuan wondered inwardly as he followed Senior Hong to another location.

    About half an hourter, they arrived at thisrge building.

    When they entered the building, Senior Hong led Yuan and the others into this spacious room where the other grand elders and family heads were already present.

    "Daoist Yuan? You''re also going to participate in this meeting?" Senior Wang and the others were pleasantly surprised by his presence.

    "Yes. I would like to know more about this cmity. Hopefully, there is something I can do to help."

    "Thank you. Words cannot express how grateful I am to hear such words." Senior Wang nodded.

    Once everyone was seated, Senior Wang spoke, "Since Daoist Yuan is new to the subject, let''s start from the beginning."

    She then retrieved an old-looking scroll and ced it on the round table.

    "This was left behind by our ancestors. It''s a divination that predicts a cmity when the whole world starts to cultivate. Take a look at it."

    Yuan took the scroll and read it in a low voice.

    "When the world begins to cultivate, it will experience a tribtion that will dye the entire world red. When the crystal turns yellow, the tribtion is near. Once the crystal turns red, the tribtion will begin."

    "Crystal? What crystal?" Yuan asked afterward.

    "Take a look at this." Senior Wang then ced a wooden box on the table before opening it, showing Yuan the fist-sized crystal resting inside.

    The crystal was semi-transparent, and it was yellow. However, that wasn''t what Yuan was focused on, as there appeared to be a hint of red in the middle of the crystal.

    "This crystal had remained clear for thousands of years, but around the time Cultivation Online was introduced, the crystal began turning yellow. And just two days ago, the center of the crystal turned red." Senior Wang exined.

    "What kind of crystal is this?" Yuan asked.

    "We''re not sure either. We had it looked at by experts, and everyone said it''s unlike anything else in this world. It''s a one-of-a-kind treasure."

    Senior Li then said, "To bepletely honest with you, none of us here believed in the cmity until the crystal changed colors, not to mention the perfect timing. I hope it''s only a coincidence, but that would be one hell of a coincidence."

    "If we don''t know what''sing, how can we prepare for it?" Yuan then asked.

    "Unfortunately, there isn''t anything we can really do besides being alert. That''s why we created this faction and began recruiting disciples." Senior Wang shook her head.

    "With that being said, we have gathered here today to see if anyone has any suggestions or solutions."

    And for rest of the day, Yuan would stay with the Six Spiritual Families to see if there was anything they can do.

    However, nobody had a good solution in the end, and despite many spections about the tribtion, they won''t really know until it happens.

    "Dying the entire world red¡­ That sounds horrible¡­" Yuan sighed as they returned to the immortal caves.

 Chapter 583 - Stay With Me!

    <h4>Chapter 583 - Stay With Me!</h4>

    "Brother Yuan, do you think the divination is true? Or is this merely a coincidence?" Chu Liuxiang asked him when they returned.

    "I want to believe it''s merely a coincidence, but¡­" A bittersweet smile appeared on his face when he recalled what the handsome man in his dream told him.

    "I don''t know. I just have a bad feeling about the situation."

    Chu Liuxiang shrugged and said, "Well, even if there is a cmity, I''m sure you''ll protect us, Brother Yuan."

    Yuan smiled and said, "Of course. That is my number one priority."

    The following day, Yuan woke up early in the morning again.

    "You''ve been waking up earlytely, Yuan." Meixiu suddenly stopped cultivating and said to him.

    "I''m meeting up with a friend that I made recently," he said.

    "The one who gave you the zither?"

    "Yes."

    "I see¡­ Have fun."

    Meixiu returned to cultivating the next moment.

    After cleaning his face, Yuan grabbed his zither and went to meet up with Azure behind the immortal caves.

    "Have you heard about the approaching cmity?" Yuan suddenly asked Azure at the end of their session.

    "Yes, it''s always a hot topic within the family, especially as of recently. Did something happen?"

    "Well, the crystal is beginning to turn red, which means the cmity is near¡­ really near."

    "Red? That''s not good¡­ I hope it''s nothing too bad and that it goes away quickly."

    "Don''t worry, if anything happens, I will do something about it."

    Azure chuckled and said, "You sound very confident. It''s called a cmity for a reason. If a single person can end it, that would make everyone feel silly for worrying so much about it."

    "But since you said that, I will rely on you to protect me when it happens, okay? I am not very strong when ites to fighting. In fact, you can even call me a weakling."

    "Of course. You''re my friend. I will do my best to protect you and everyone else¡ª that''s why I am trying to be stronger¡ª so that I can protect those dear to me."

    "Then it''s a promise, Yuan. If anything happens to me, I will haunt you for the rest of your life." Azure spoke in a joking tone.

    "I deserve it if that''s the case." Yuanughed.

    Sometimeter, Yuan said his goodbyes to Azure before going to the training hall with the others, where he would spend the rest of the day training with Wang Ming and the others.

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    This routine would continue for the next four days, and during this time, Yuan would grow more friendly with Azure, even spending more time with her.

    Whenever he was with Azure, his mind would feel at ease, almost like she had this magical aura around her.

    "Hey, Yuan," Azure suddenly spoke as sheid on the soft ground beside him.

    "What is it?"

    "Do you have a girlfriend?"

    "A girlfriend¡­ as in a partner? I do not," he calmly responded.

    "Then¡­ do you want me to be your girlfriend?"

    "Eh?"

    Yuan subconsciously turned to look at her with his eyebrows raised.

    "I know we haven''t known each other for long, but I haven''t had this much fun in a long time, nor do I have any friends who can connect with me like you do. We also have a lot of things inmon. If you ask me, I wouldn''t mind spending the rest of my life with someone like you."

    "This is¡­ too sudden. And I won''t be staying in the Jaded Garden forever."

    "Eh? You''re going to leave? When? Why?" Azure sat up in a surprised manner.

    "I only came here to learn more about the cultivation world, but I somehow ended up as a trial disciple for the faction. I had nned on staying here for a week to experience life as a disciple inside a faction, and once again, I ended up staying longer than intended."

    "I have already decided on making my own faction, and I will be doing that once I leave this ce in a few days."

    "You''re going to be leaving in a few days?! That''s too sudden! There are still so many songs we can y together! I want to spend more time with you, Yuan!" Azure said in a dispirited voice.

    "I also want to spend more time with you, Azure, but I am afraid that if I stay here any longer, I will no longer be able to leave¡­" Yuan sighed.

    "Then don''t leave! Stay with me! I love you, Yuan!"

    Yuan was left speechless by Azure''s sudden confession, and he recalled how he would have many partners in his past life, but none of them sailed smoothly¡ª at least ording to his recent dreams.

    "Or is it because you don''t really like me? If that''s the case¡­"

    "What? That''s not it! I like you, I really do, but¡ª"

    However, before Yuan could finish his sentence, the ground suddenly began shaking.

    It started out as a minor earthquake, but it would grow stronger with every moment until it became a full-fledged earthquake.

    "W-What''s going on?!"

    Yuan had a really bad feeling about this sudden earthquake, and the cmity was the first thing that appeared inside his mind.

    "Let''s finish our conversationter, Azure," Yuan said to her.

    However, as though she couldn''t even feel the earthquake, Azure spoke, "Yuan¡­ I love you, I really do."

    After saying such words, Azure turned around and ran back to her immortal cave, even leaving behind her zither.

    Once Azure left the scene, Yuan also returned to his immortal cave, taking with him Azure''s zither.

    When he returned to his immortal cave, he found Meixiu and the others standing outside the immortal caves, silently looking towards the sky with dazed faces.

    "Are you guys okay?!" Yuan asked them.

    "Y-Yes¡­ But the sky¡­" Meixiu mumbled.

    "The sky? What happened to the sky?" Yuan asked, as he wasn''t able to see the sky with his divine sense.

    "The sky is red, Young Master Yuan," Sebastian responded in a serious voice.

    "What? Red? How is that possible?" Yuan eximed.

 Chapter 584 - Crimson Sky

    <h4>Chapter 584 - Crimson Sky</h4>

    "I have never seen anything like this before." Sebastian continued speaking, "Although there were times when the sky looked red, it never looked this red, like the sky is stained with blood."

    "Brother Yuan¡­ Do you think this is caused by the cmity?" Chu Liuxiang asked him in a worried voice.

    "I don''t know, but it''s very possible. Let''s hurry and find the grand elders." Yuan suggested.

    Thus, they began running to the Wang Family''s living quarters since they were the closest to the immortal caves.

    On their way there, they passed through many disciples, and all of them were staring at the sky with dazed looks on their faces.

    "Heavens¡­ It''s almost like doomsday is upon us¡­" One of them muttered out loud.

    "This must be the cmity our ancestors warned us about! The cmity ising!"

    "Ahhhh! I don''t want to die! At least wait until I find a cute girlfriend!"

    Everyone in the Jaded Garden appeared to be panicking, but nobody med them.

    In fact, it was a chaotic scene everywhere around the world at this moment.

    Right as Yuan and the others arrived at the Wang Family, they noticed Senior Wang and the Wang Siblings leaving the gates.

    "Senior Wang!" Yuan called out to her.

    "Daoist Yuan! Perfect timing! Come with me!" Senior Wang said to him.

    "Are we going to meet with the others?" Yuan asked her as they moved.

    "Yes. Everyone is already aware of the situation."

    Senior Wang then led Yuan and the others to where they had a meeting about the cmity just a few days ago.

    As for the audience, it was muchrger this time with other people such as Li Jinxi and Shi Lang being present.

    "Elder Wang! What''s the situation with the crystal?!" Senior Hong asked her the moment they arrived.

    "I don''t know yet. I haven''t had the time to look at it, but we''ll all know the answer soon."

    Senior Wang then retrieved the box that contained the crystal, and she ced it on the table before opening it for everyone there to see.

    "T-That''s¡­"

    The people there immediately frowned the next moment when they saw that the color of the crystal had turnedpletely red.

    "When did this happen?" Senior Li asked.

    "We have been checking the crystal daily every since it turned yellow, but it wasn''t like this yesterday, so I can only assume that it''d turned red very recently." Senior Wang said.

    "Sh*t¡­ Not only is the crystal red, but even the sky had turned red!" Someone there cursed.

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    "Do we know if there are any changes in the world besides the sky changing colors?" Senior Shi asked.

    "I have been looking at the news since I woke up, but only the red sky is being reported on. Even now, there is no other news." Senior Xi said.

    "Fuck! This is so frustrating! The cmity is almost here if not already here, yet we still don''t know anything about it! How can we possibly deal with a situation like this?" The head of the Wang Family cursed out loud.

    "For all we know, the cmity could happen on the other side of the world." The head of the Shi Family sighed.

    "Somebody bring all of the ancient scrolls over here! We''re going to search through all of them and see if there are any clues that we had missed!" Senior Hong suddenly said.

    About an hourter, the empty table became filled with ancient scrolls that had been passed down by their ancestors, and they began reading through the scrolls, hoping to find even a single clue about the cmity.

    However, after spending half of the day reading through all of the scrolls, they were unable to find any new information.

    "It''s no use. We will have to wait for the cmity to actually start before we can even start preparing for it." Senior Wang ced the scroll in her hands down before sighing.

    "Is there really nothing we can do but wait? What if it''s toote by then?" Wang Ming sighed out loud.

    "Then do you have any suggestion?" Li Jinxi said to him.

    "I don''t¡­" He lowered his head.

    Eventually, the gathering was dismissed.

    "There is nothing we can do but remain alert. If there is any news regarding the cmity, let one of the grand elders or family head know about it immediately." Senior Wang said to them before dismissing everyone.

    Yuan and the others returned to the immortal caves shortly after.

    When they returned home, Meixiu received a call from Yu Rou.

    "Meixiu! Are you guys okay?!" Yu Rou''s worried voice resounded the moment she picked up the phone.

    "Yes, we''re fine. What about you?" Meixiu said.

    "We''re also fine, but the red sky is scaring all of us. I cannot help but feel like something bad is about to happen."

    "Well¡­" Meixiu proceeded to give Yu Rou a brief exnation about the situation and the potential cmity that ising.

    "What? A cmity? What''s going to happen?" Yu Rou asked, sounding more worried than before she heard the information, and rightfully so.

    "Unfortunately, that''s all we know. As for the cmity, we won''t know until it happens." Meixiu said.

    "I really hope it''s nothing too bad." Yu Rou sighed.

    After talking with Meixiu and Yuan for a few minutes, Yu Rou hung up, as she and the other disciples had been summoned by White Lotus to talk about the current situation.

    And for the rest of the day, they would remain inside their immortal caves, patiently waiting for the cmity to show itself.

    However, to everyone''s absolute surprise, the crimson sky disappeared the following day.

    "Does this mean that the cmity had passed, or was it simply a warning?" Yuan mumbled in a low voice.

    He also went to the back of the immortal caves to see if Azure would be there like usual, but s, she was nowhere to be seen.

    "How should I respond to her confession?" Yuan sat there and silently pondered to himself until sunrise.

    And just as he prepared to return to the immortal caves, another earthquake appeared, and it wouldst a tad bit longer than thest one, not to mention a little stronger as well.

 Chapter 585 - Ancestors Tomb

    <h4>Chapter 585 - Ancestors'' Tomb</h4>

    "Another earthquake?" Yuan quickly returned to the immortal caves.

    "Is the sky red again?" Yuan asked them when he returned.

    "No, the sky hasn''t changed this time," Meixiu said after looking outside.

    "Is that so¡­"

    Yuan decided to stay at the immortal caves with Meixiu and the others just in case something were to happen, but sometime in the afternoon, Wang Ming showed up at their immortal caves.

    "Wang Ming? What happened?"

    "Yuan,e with me. We have discovered something new," he said.

    "Really? Let''s go!"

    Wang Ming proceeded to bring Yuan and the others to the Wang Family, where Senior Wang was waiting for their arrival.

    "What did you find?" Yuan asked her.

    "You probably don''t know this since we never mentioned it, but we built this ce close to our ancestors'' tomb, and ording to the people who maintain that ce, the spiritual energy there has be chaotic and even somewhat menacing. Perhaps there is a clue in that ce about the approaching cmity." Senior Wang said.

    And she continued, "I will be heading there now with the other grand elders. Do you want toe with us?"

    "Of course." Yuan immediately nodded.

    "Great. Follow me."

    "Hm? You''re noting?" Yuan asked Wang Ming when he noticed that Wang Ming wasn''t following them.

    "Only the grand elders and family heads are allowed to approach the ancestors'' tomb¡ª not including the people that maintain the cleanliness of that ce. Of course, you''re an exception." Wang Ming said.

    "I see¡­"

    "What about us?" Meixiu asked.

    Senior Wang looked at them and said, "You guys cane too."

    After all, she didn''t have the courage to separate them from Yuan, who could potentially be their savior in this unknown cmity.

    The ancestors'' tomb was only a few miles away from the Jaded Garden, and it took Yuan and the others about two and a half hours of walking before they arrived at the location.

    ''That''s the ancestors'' tomb? It looks so familiar to that ce¡­'' Yuan thought to himself when he could finally see the ancestors'' tomb that somewhat resembled the treasure room inside the Dragon Temple within Cultivation Online.

    "The ancestors'' tomb was created thousands of years ago, and it''s where all family heads and grand elders go to rest after they permanently close their eyes." Senior Wang said to them.

    A few more minutester, they arrived at the front of the tomb, where the other grand elders were present.

    "What do you think of this ce, Elder Wang?" Senior Hong asked when they arrived.

    "It''s hard to describe the feeling I am getting, but it definitely feels different than usual," she said.

    Senior Hong nodded and said, "You don''t feel it now because you''re too far away, but if you stand in front of the doors, your body will start to shiver uncontrobly for some reason. That''s why we''re all standing here, far away from the doors."

    "Have you tried entering the ce yet?" Senior Wang asked.

    The others shook their heads.

    "Then let''s do that right now¡ª together." Senior Wang then said.

    "Uhh¡­ Shouldn''t we arm ourselves just in case?" Yuan asked them when they began approaching the tomb.

    Senior Wang chuckled and said, "Arm ourselves? Unless the corpses inside suddenly turned into zombies, there''s nothing inside. Furthermore, the doors remain closed unless we have to put a new body inside."

    "Is that so¡­"

    "Don''t worry. If we suddenly need weapons for whatever reason, there will be plenty inside. When we put our ancestors inside, we also bring their weapons so that they can carry it with them to heaven." Senior Hong said.

    Yuan nodded, and they began approaching the doors.

    And just like the grand elders had said, when they arrived in front of therge doors, their bodies began shivering uncontrobly.

    However, it was not the type of shivering one would get when they were cold¡ª it was the type that only urs when one is fearful of something.

    "I don''t like this feeling one bit." Chu Liuxiang said as she looked at her own hands that were trembling uncontrobly.

    "Young Lady, I think we should stay out here. If anything happens to you¡­" Sebastian said to her with a profound frown on his face.

    "If Brother Yuan is going inside, I will be doing the same," she quickly said.

    "Howe you are fine, Yuan?" Meixiu noticed that Yuan was the only person there that wasn''t shivering.

    "Eh? I don''t know. I don''t really feel anything," he shrugged.

    "In fact, my body feels a little warmer than usual."

    "Warm?" Everyone there raised their eyebrows.

    A momentter, all six grand elders retrieved a golden key before inserting them inside the six keyholes in the center of the door.

    "One, two, three."

    At the count of three, they turned the keys simultaneously, unlocking the doors that hasn''t been opened for at least a hundred years.

    Upon opening the doors, they were immediately greeted by a hallway with the only light source being the dimmed lights on the walls.

    "Let''s go." Senior Wang said to them after retrieving the key.

    Yuan and the others proceeded to follow the grand elders inside the tomb.

    Once inside the tomb, their bodies would miraculously stop shivering.

    However, it was theplete opposite for Yuan, whose body would gradually be warmer the deeper they entered the tomb, almost as if his body was reacting to something within the tomb.

    After walking for a few minutes, they would arrive in this massive room at the end of the hallway.

    Inside this room that was asrge as two football fields, there were hundreds of coffins and disy cases with weapons neatly arranged.

    ''Wow¡­'' Yuan and the others were immediately in awe after seeing the ce that looked like a historic site more than anything.

    "Do you guys see anything out of the ordinary? I don''t." Senior Wang asked the other grand elders after looking around.

    "Nope. I don''t see anything different, either."

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    "Everything looks normal to me."

    They all expressed the same thoughts.

 Chapter 586 - Hidden Staircase

    <h4>Chapter 586 - Hidden Staircase</h4>

    "Brother Yuan, how is your body feeling? Is it still heating up?" Chu Liuxiang asked him.

    He nodded and said, "Yes, it''s still heating up, but it doesn''t hurt, so it''s nothing to be worried about."

    "If you ask me, I think your body is reacting to something within this tomb. Maybe you actually belong to one of the Six Spiritual Families, and your body is telling you so." Chu Liuxiang chuckled as she joked.

    "I belong to one of the Six Spiritual Families?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    As ridiculous as that sounded, it wasn''tpletely impossible. As an orphan, his real background could be anything, and that includes one of the Six Spiritual Families.

    However, they won''t really know for certain until there is solid proof.

    "Anyways, jokes aside, look at these weapons. Many of them are treasures." Chu Liuxiang said as she approached the weapon disy cases.

    "They give off the same aura as Spirit-grade weapons in Cultivation Online¡­" Yuan mumbled.

    While Yuan and the others looked at the weapons, the grand elders scattered around the tomb to make sure there wasn''t anything out of the ordinary.

    About half an hourter, they all gathered again.

    "Anything?"

    "Nope."

    "Nothing."

    Yuan then asked, "Is this the only room in the tomb?"

    "Yes. Although we don''t have theyouts of this tomb, this is the only room that we know of. However, we do have spections of a hidden room somewhere in this tomb. We just don''t know where it is." Senior Wang said.

    Senior Hong then spoke, "We believe there is a hidden room somewhere mostly because our founders'' coffins cannot be found in this main room. They are probably in a hidden room, but we cannot find it no matter where to looked. Besides the entrance that is also an exit, there are no other paths in this tomb, and we don''t dare to tear apart the tomb to find this hidden room without concrete evidence that it exists."

    Yuan pondered for a moment. If what Chu Lixuaing said is true¡ª that his body is reacting to something inside this tomb, maybe he can find it by following his body temperature.

    "Do you mind if I look around for a bit?" Yuan then asked them.

    "Go ahead. We''ll also look around again just in case we missed anything."

    Thus, Yuan and the others began walking around the room.

    "The longer we stay here, the creepier it gets¡­" Meixiu sighed.

    "Are you not good with these kinds of things?" Yuan asked her.

    "So you''re afraid of ghosts and zombies?" Chu Liuxiang chuckled.

    "It''s not that I am afraid of these things, but the eeriness of this ce makes me ufortable," Meixiu said.

    "Don''t worry, we''ll probably leave right after looking around."

    As Yuan walked around, he would feel his body temperature rising and lowering, almost like he was ying the game hot and cold.

    Eventually, Yuan found the direction that would make his body temperature increase the more he walked in that direction.

    "I think this is the spot. My body is burning right now." Yuan said.

    Chu Liuxiang pressed the back of her cold hands on Yuan''s forehead and immediately eximed, "Whoa! Your body is actually burning! Are you sure that you''re not in pain?"

    "Yes, I am perfectly fine."

    Yuan then gathered the grand elders and exined to them the situation.

    "For some reason, my body feels the hottest when I stand in this spot."

    "This spot?"

    The grand elders looked around and realized that they were in the center of the room.

    However, they don''t see anything out of the ordinary.

    It was at this moment Chu Liuxaing suddenly squatted down and extended her hand towards the floor.

    "Hey, there''s air flowing from the floor¡­"

    "What? Let me see." Senior Wang kneeled on the floor and extended her hand, and sure enough, there was air blowing from the tile cracks.

    Upon realizing the situation, she immediately began removing the floor tile while trying her best not to damage anything.

    A few momentster, therge floor tile was removed, and to everyone''s surprise, there was a staircase that led underground!

    "Heavens¡­ To think there was a hidden staircase in this ce." Senior Wang mumbled as she stared at the hole with a dazed face, wondering to herself how they didn''t find this until today.

    "Are we going down?" Yuan asked.

    "Of course." Senior Hong nodded.

    Thus, they began walking this narrow and dark staircase, slowly descending deeper into the ground.

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    However, the chill that had disappeared when they entered the tomb suddenly returned for everyone beside Yuan, and it was much worse than before.

    "Looks like whatever is down there is the cause of this chill." Senior Wang mumbled in a low voice as they descended deeper and deeper.

    Half an hourter.

    "Good lord, how far down does this staircase go? We''ve been walking nonstop for half an hour!" Senior Shi said, feeling more and more impatient.

    And just as he finished his sentence, the others noticed a thin line of light a little further down.

    They immediately quickened their steps, and a few minutester, they arrived before this metal door.

    After opening this door, they entered this small but eerie chamber that had six golden coffins arranged in a circle with what appeared to be a stone statue in the middle.

    "This is it¡­ This must be our founders'' hidden tomb!" Senior Wang began shaking even more after realizing the situation.

    The grand elders began approaching the coffins and the stone statue to take a closer look, but they halted their movements when Yuan suddenly shouted in a panicked voice, "STOP! DON''T GET CLOSE TO THAT THING!"

    Everybody there turned to look at him with surprised expressions, and Senior Wang asked, "What is going on?"

    However, Yuan didn''t say anything and continued to stare at the stone statue in the middle of the room with a deep frown on his face.

    ''Impossible! What is that doing here?!'' Yuan cried inwardly when he recognized the stone statue that had a human figure, but if one looked closely, it had horns on its head and parts on its body that humans shouldn''t have, resembling something Yuan had encountered inside Cultivation Online¡ª a demon!

 Chapter 587 - Demon Statue

    <h4>Chapter 587 - Demon Statue</h4>

    ''I-It''s a demon! Impossible! Why is there a demon in this ce?!'' Yuan was shocked to the core when he saw the demon statue.

    Although he has only seen a couple of them, their unique features were more than enough for Yuan to immediately recognize them at nce.

    ''Wait! Calm down! I am overthinking things! There is no way demons really exist in this world, right? That is only a stone statue¡ª nothing more!''

    Yuan began trying to convince himself that the stone statue was merely just that and not a real demon that had been sealed even though it looked ridiculously realistic.

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    However, that didn''t exin why his body was burning when looking at the demon statue, as his body was clearly reacting to it.

    "Brother Yuan, what do you see?" Chu Liuxiang asked him when he remained silent for too long.

    "S-Sorry, but I think I overreacted to that statue over there." Yuan pointed at the demon statue that was surrounded by the six golden coffins.

    "The stone statue?" Everybody there turned to look at the statue.

    Since it was sort of dark there, they didn''t notice the horns and other features immediately.

    When they eventually noticed these unique features, their eyes widened with shock.

    "What the¡­ Why is there such a thing in the founders'' tomb?"

    "What even is this thing? It looks like a human, but humans don''t have horns."

    "It''s a demon, I think," Yuan answered their questions.

    "A demon? How do you know this?" Chu Liuxiang asked him.

    "Because I have fought with them before inside Cultivation Online¡­" Yuan sighed.

    "Cultivation Online?" Everyone there turned to look at him with raised eyebrows.

    Yuan nodded and proceeded to exin to them his encounter with demons inside the Mystic Realm.

    "Demons are powerful and immortal beings that have existed since ancient times in Cultivation Online. They cannot be killed through normal means. You can crush their body, burn them, and even sever their head, but they will regeneratepletely like it never happened."

    "I have fought a couple of them inside the Mystic Realm, and I was nearly killed by them."

    "Wait¡­ If they can regenerate any injuries no matter how severe, how do you defeat them?" Senior Wang asked.

    "There are two ways to defeat a demon. You can destroy their body to the point where they cannot regenerate anymore, but they can fully regenerate within seconds even if they only have a single finger left, so that''s not the preferred method."

    "The second method is to seal them using a demon sealing technique, but that doesn''t really kill them, and they will break out of that seal after a few hundred or thousand years depending on the strength of the seal."

    "Oh, and I believe they''re weak to techniques with the divine attribute."

    "Heavens¡­ How can such powerful entities exist? If they exist in our world in its current state, I highly doubt we will be able to defeat them." Senior Shi mumbled in a dumbfounded voice.

    "Well, lucky for us, this is only a statue." Senior Xi said.

    "What if it''s not a statue?" Meixiu suddenly said.

    And she continued, "What if that statue is the source of the cmity? If cultivation exists, then demons might also exist."

    She turned to look at Yuan and said, "You''ve sealed them before, right? Can you look at that statue just in case? I have a bad feeling about it when I look at it."

    Yuan nodded and used his divine sense to take a closer look at the demon statue without actually getting close to it.

    "This is¡­" Yuan quickly frowned, but because of the mask blocking his face, the other couldn''t see his expression.

    If one looked at the demon statue with their bare eyes, they wouldn''t notice anything out of the ordinary about it, but Yuan''s divine sense allowed him to see things with more rity, and he could immediately tell that the demon statue was not made out of stone.

    Furthermore, he could sense a familiar feelinging from within the statue¡ª a feeling of carnage and bloodthirst.

    "I¡­ I think it''s a real demon that had been sealed¡­" Yuan muttered in a voice of disbelief after a long moment of silence.

    Nobody there responded for a very long time, as they were as baffled as Yuan.

    "R-Real¡­? Are you sure?" Senior Wang asked for confirmation.

    Yuan nodded and said, "I have sealed a few demons in Cultivation Online, and they all turn into that appearance when sealed. Furthermore¡­ I can sense unusual energy flowing through that statue."

    "Good lord¡­"

    "H-How long did you say demons can be sealed for?" Senior Hong asked him.

    "I don''t know. It all depends on the person who sealed the demon." Yuan shook his head.

    Chu Liuxiang then spoke with a serious expression on her face, "This tomb has been here since ancient times, right? If you ask me, considering the situation with the cmity and the chilling energy from this ce, there''s a good chance that this demon is the cmity that we must face, and it''s going to break out of the seal very soon."

    "If that''s the case, then we''re all doomed! We have no way to defeat this demon if it really cannot be killed normally!"

    The grand elders began panicking.

    They suddenly looked at Yuan and said, "Y-You have experience with sealing demons, right?! Can you somehow reseal this demon before it breaks the seal?!"

    "I''m sorry, but I don''t really know how sealing demons work. I have a technique that allows me to seal demons, but I can only use that technique in Cultivation Online. I can try to learn the technique in this world as well, but I can''t say for certain that it will happen before the demon breaks out of its seal, nor can I guarantee that it will work on the demon."

    Senior Wang then said, "Let''s look around to see if there are any clues for now. I''m sure the founders ced this demon in this ce for a reason. Hell, they might''ve even left behind the method to deal with the demon¡­ We can figure out the other thingster."

 Chapter 588 - Flesh And Blood

    <h4>Chapter 588 - Flesh And Blood</h4>

    Yuan and the other began looking around the room, but there really wasn''t much there to look at besides the sealed demon and the six golden coffins.

    After a few minutes of looking around, the grand elders gathered.

    "Besides the founders'' coffin, there isn''t anything else for us to look at." Senior Hong said.

    "But to disturb the founders'' peace¡­"

    "If we don''t do it, that demon will kill everyone once it breaks out of the seal! I''m sure they''ll understand."

    "You got a point¡­"

    The grand elders then bowed to the golden coffins.

    "We deeply apologize for disturbing your peace, founders."

    After apologizing to their founders, the grand elders went to their family''s coffin.

    Each of the coffins had one of the Six Spiritual Families'' surnames engraved into it, so the grand elders knew which one belonged to their family.

    Once they were prepared, they opened the coffin to take a look inside.

    However, to their surprise, all of the coffins were empty.

    There was nothing¡ª not even signs of a body having ever existed inside these coffins, almost like it was empty since the beginning.

    "Why are these coffins here if they''re empty?" Senior Wang muttered out loud everyone''s question.

    "If our founders are not in here, where are their bodies?" Senior Hong asked afterward.

    "Let''s look around again to make sure that there aren''t any hidden passages."

    Thus, the grand elders began around round of inspection.

    Meanwhile, Yuan continued to analyze the demon statue with his divine sense.

    He was fairly certain that the demon statue was actually a sealed demon, but he wasn''t 100 percent confident.

    "Brother Yuan, if the demon breaks out of its seal now, what are the chances of you defeating it?" Chu Liuxiang asked him.

    After a moment of silence, he spoke in a solemn tone, "None. I have no chance of defeating a demon in my current state."

    And he added, "That''s why I need to quickly learn the demon sealing technique."

    "Are demons really that powerful besides their regenerative abilities?"

    "Yes, they''re incredibly powerful. They can turn their own blood into weapons, and their bodies are incredibly durable by themselves. However, that''s not what I am most worried about."

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    "A single demon at the Spirit Warrior level can defeat an ordinary Spirit Master cultivator. If this sealed demon is above that level, which is very likely, I won''t be able to defeat it even with the demon sealing technique."

    "Wait¡­ If even someone like you cannot defeat the demon, who else can do such a thing?" Meixiu asked.

    Yuan is very likely the strongest cultivator in this world at the moment, and if someone like that cannot defeat the demon, what chances do the others have? Won''t they just be sitting ducks waiting to be ughtered by this demon?

    "Well¡­ Since demons exist¡­ I hope there''s a demon sealing n somewhere out there in this world." Yuan sighed.

    "Demon sealing ns?" Chu Liuxiang asked.

    "Yes, they''re ns that specialize in sealing demons. They also exist in Cultivation Online."

    Sometimeter, the grand elders returned to Yuan with dispirited looks on their faces.

    "I''m sorry, but this ce is empty."

    "Daoist Yuan, do you have any idea when the demon might break the seal?" Senior Wang asked him.

    "Unfortunately, I do not."

    "Hopefully, it won''t happen for a few more years. Hell, I will be happy even with a few months." Senior Shi sighed.

    "Let''s get out of here for now. We won''t gain anything by staying in here."

    However, as they prepared to leave the hidden room, the ground started shaking.

    "Another earthquake? We''re getting them more and more frequently."

    "Let''s hurry upstairs. It would be bad if this ce copses due to the earthquake." Senior Wang suggested to them.

    Everyone there agreed and began making their way towards the exit.

    However, for some reason, Yuan stopped walking when they reached the door.

    "What''s the matter, Brother Yuan?" Chu Liuxiang asked him.

    Yuan didn''t say anything and used his divine sense to look at the sealed demon after feeling this urge to do so.

    "No way¡­" He muttered in a low voice.

    "What did you just say?" Senior Wang turned around to ask him.

    "T-The demon¡­ It''s cracking¡­" Yuan responded in a low voice.

    "What?!"

    Everybody there immediately turned to look at the sealed demon, and sure enough, there were visible cracks on its body.

    Furthermore, these cracks were emitting a red glow that would pulsate like a beating heart.

    "D-Don''t tell me that it''s already breaking the seal! We''re not ready to fight that thing!"

    Senior Wang and the others that had been shivering this entire time started trembling like they were at the brink of freezing to death.

    Meanwhile, the earthquake grew stronger and stronger.

    Crack.

    Crack¡­

    Crack!

    The cracks on the sealed demon began spreading all over the rest of its body at a rapid rate¡ª fast enough for Yuan and the others to follow with their eyes.

    "Run!" Yuan suddenly shouted at them.

    The next second, Senior Wang and the others began running back upstairs at full speed.

    When they were halfway to the surface, the sealed demon that waspletely covered in cracks started trembling.

    BOOM!

    An explosion urred inside the hidden room the next moment.

    When the smoke dissipated, a red-skinned figure could be seen standing in the middle of the room, silently looking at its own hands with a look of disbelief and excitement in its gaze.

    Once the demon realized its situation, it immediately burst withughter.

    "HAHAHAHA! I AM FREE! I AM FINALLY FREE!" The demonughed like a maniac.

    After countless years of being sealed, it had finally managed to break free from its imprisonment.

    The demon proceeded to spend the next few minutes digesting its current situation and pondering what it should do next.

    Then its senses picked up a familiar smell¡ª the smell of humans, and its mouth immediately began salivating, as it''d been starved for thousands of years.

    Once the demon realized that there were humans nearby, like a starved beast, it stopped pondering and began chasing after this smell.

    "This is exactly what I want! Flesh and blood¡ª I want to feast!" The demon roared as it sped up the narrow staircase, quickly chasing after Yuan and the others.

 Chapter 589 - Staying Behind

    <h4>Chapter 589 - Staying Behind</h4>

    "W-What was that sound just now?!"

    "It sounded like an explosion!"

    "Fuck! I really hope the demon didn''t just break out of its seal!"

    The grand elders panicked as they ran upstairs.

    Meanwhile, Yuan tried his best to learn the Demon Sealing Strike even as they moved, as that was essentially his only chance of winning against a demon at his current strength.

    Eventually, they reached the surface and returned to the main tomb.

    "Seniors, I am going to borrow some of the weapons in here!" Yuan said to them, and without waiting for a response, he retrieved a greatsword that resembled the Empyrean Overlord in size from its disy case along with a couple of daggers.

    "Weapons? Don''t tell me you''re nning to fight the demon!" Senior Wang asked him.

    Yuan nodded and said, "I can sense a powerful aura quickly approaching us from the staircase. The demon will be here at any minute. If I don''t stay here to stop it, everyone will die. That''s why I will stay here to stall the demon while you all evacuate the disciples."

    "No!" Chu Liuxiang immediately refused.

    Then she said, "If you''re going to stay here, I will stay here with you!"

    "You must not, Young Lady! It''s my duty to guarantee your safety!" Sebastian eximed.

    "I don''t care! I am not going to leave Brother Yuan here to die!"

    "Then I will stay here with the Young Master in your ce!" Sebastian said.

    "What can you do, Sebastian?! You may be strong, but you''re only a Spirit Warrior!"

    "Lulu, leave!" Yuan suddenly shouted at her.

    "B-But¡­" Chu Liuxiang looked at him with teary eyes.

    Yuan lifted his hands to wipe her tears, and he spoke in a calm voice, "Don''t worry, even if I cannot defeat the demon, I won''t die. I promise."

    He then looked at Meixiu and continued, "You too, Feng¡­ No, Meixiu. Leave this ce with Lulu. If any happens to either of you¡­ I will never be able to forgive myself."

    After a moment of silence, Meixiu nodded her head, but she didn''t say anything, mostly because she''ll reveal the fact that she was crying behind her mask if she spoke now.

    "No! I am not leaving you, Brother Yuan! We have yet to start our family! If you die, I will die with you!" Chu Liuxiang was still reluctant to leave.

    Yuan sighed in an apologetic voice, "I''m sorry, Lulu¡­"

    He then used his movement technique to get close to Chu Lixuiang, before knocking her out cold by hitting her with the sword hilt.

    After catching the unconscious Chu Liuxiang, he handed her to Meixiu, "I''m sorry for the inconvenience¡­"

    Yuan suddenly turned to look at the staircase, as he could feel the demon''s presence getting incredibly close.

    "Leave! Now!" He shouted at them.

    "Follow me!" Senior Wang then said to them.

    Meixiu and the others immediately followed Senior Wang outside.

    However, a few of the grand elders stayed behind with Yuan.

    "Seniors¡­"

    "Daoist Yuan, do not forget that you are currently a guest at our home. Our ancestors will curse us to death from the heavens if we leave you alone now." Senior Hong said to him with a smile on his face.

    "Although we may not be able to defeat the demon, we are not Spirit Masters for nothing." Senior Li spoke next.

    "I know I shouldn''t be excited about our situation, but I cannot wait to see how this demon look." Senior Shiughed.

    "Thank you all," Yuan said to them.

    And for the next minute, the three grand elders that decided to stay behind went to grab a weapon from beside their ancestors'' coffin.

    "This ce is going to be destroyed today, huh?" The grand elders looked around before shaking their heads.

    Although they would rather take the fight outside their ancestors'' tomb, they knew that wasn''t practical, as there would be nothing to block the demon from fleeing.

    However, inside their ancestors'' tomb that only had one entrance that is also an exit, they would be able to stall the demon with more ease.

    "Hahahaha! Humans! I can smell humans!!!"

    A burst of coldughter suddenly resounded, causing Yuan and the others to tremble.

    Boom!

    The next moment, a figure flew out of the hole with the underground staircase beforending many meters away from the others.

    "Heavens¡­ That''s a demon?"

    "What a hideous appearance¡­"

    The grand elders felt the strength in their legs disappear when they saw a demon for the first time.

    Glowing red skin that resembledva, two ck horns on the top of its head, clear red eyes that looked like they had been dyed in blood, and most noticeable, the red crystal embedded in the middle of its chest.

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    "Oh, sh*t¡­" Yuan subconsciously cursed when he sensed the unfathomable auraing from the demon, recognizing its strength that was at the peak of Spirit Master!

    "That demon is a peak Spirit Master¡­ Meaning it has the strength of a peak Spirit Grandmaster!" Yuan revealed this information to the grand elders.

    Of course, their faces sank the moment they learned of this information.

    "Strength of a Spirit Grandmaster?? How are we supposed to deal with that monster with just the four of us?! Even ten of us wouldn''t be enough!" Senior Li eximed.

    Meanwhile, the demon silently stared at them for a good moment before mumbling, "There''s only four of them? I swear I smelled more than four people. Oh well, there should be plenty more humans outside this ce¡­"

    The demon suddenly began approaching Yuan and the others in a slow and calm manner, almost like it wasn''t worried about them escaping from it.

    "Humans, be obedient and offer yourself to me and I will make things as painless as possible. If you dare resist, I will make sure you feel it as I slowly tear your flesh from your body with nothing but my teeth." The demon spoke with a hideous grin on its face, revealing its sharp yellow teeth to them.

    In response to the demon''s words, Yuan tightened his grip on the sword, and without waiting for the grand elders, he rushed at the demon.

 Chapter 590 - Let Me Eat You!

    <h4>Chapter 590 - Let Me Eat You!</h4>

    "HAHAHAHA!"

    The demon startedughing when it saw Yuan running at it in a seemingly reckless manner.

    "A mere early-stage Spirit Master dares to challenge me?! A demon?! Your mother must have never taught you about demons, human!"

    The demon stood there without moving as it continuedughing even though Yuan was already in front of it.

    "Ha!"

    Yuan swung his sword with all of his might, tearing the demon''s body in half.

    "Oh? You''re a little more powerful than you appear. No wonder why you dared to challenge me." The demon remained calm even after getting split in half.

    "However, that won''t be enough to stop me from ripping your flesh and chewing your bones."

    The demonpletely regenerated its body before it even finished its sentence.

    "He wasn''t exaggerating about their regeneration abilities¡­ How are we supposed to defeat a monster like that?!"

    The grand elders lost all will to fight when they witnessed firsthand the demon''s heaven-defying regenerating abilities, and they could only stand there in shock as they watched Yuan fight with the demon.

    Of course, the demon wasn''t taking Yuan seriously, as it was still filled with exhration from breaking free from the seal, so it wanted to y around with its food before eating them as a way of celebrating its freedom.

    However, even as he was fighting the demon, Yuan didn''t stop trying toprehend the Demon Sealing Strike inside his head.

    The demon eventually got tired of just taking Yuan''s attacks and retaliated with its own attack.

    "Bloody ws!"

    The demon used its blood to turn its fingers into a long and sharp weapon before swinging them at Yuan.

    "Flying Daggers!"

    Yuan controlled two separate daggers to attack the demon after backing up.

    However, the demonpletely ignored the daggers, allowing them to pierce its body as many times as it wants.

    Of course, Yuan didn''t care whether his attacks worked or not on the demon, as his only intention was to stall the demon for as long as possible so that Meixiu and the others could escape and evacuate the Jaded Garden.

    Midway through his fight, Yuan suddenly began feeling the mysterious power once again, and his body emitted a golden aura.

    "Hm?" The demon raised its eyebrows when it sensed this mysterious power within Yuan.

    ''What is that power? I want to taste it!''

    The demon suddenly felt an uncontroble urge to consume Yuan, and it no longer had the patience to y around with its food.

    BOOM!

    The demon released its cultivation base, creating a powerful shockwave that tossed the coffins in the room all the way to the wall.

    "Let me eat you¡­ LET ME EAT YOU!"

    The demon drooled with saliva as it pounced at Yuan while emitting an incredibly bloodthirsty aura.

    Yuan was surprised by the demon''s sudden aggression, but he didn''t panic, and the overwhelming power in his body helped calm his mind.

    ng!

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    Yuan took the demon''s strike head-on with his sword, but even with his golden aura, he was pushed back by that strike.

    Furthermore, while he was enveloped by this golden aura, hisprehension of the Demon Sealing Strike would progress a little faster.

    Bang!

    ng!

    Boom!

    The entire room was destroyed as Yuan and the demon fought back and forth with broken coffins and dried-up corpses that had been resting inside these coffins scattered around like trash.

    This was a heartbreaking scene for the grand elders, but they were too terrified of the demon to even do anything about it.

    However, one cannot me the grand elders for being scared out of their minds, as demons have this savage aura that makes humans instinctively fear them.

    Meanwhile, Yuan was on the verge of being suppressed by the demon.

    Even though he has his golden aura that significantly boosts his strength, it wasn''t nearly enough to deal with the demon, who was actually growing more and more powerful as it got used to using its body after being sealed for so many years.

    Bang!

    The demon swung its sharp hands at Yuan, sending him flying across the room.

    Boom!

    Yuan fell onto the floor after hitting the wall.

    "Damn it¡­ Why am I so weak?" Yuan quickly got back up to his feet.

    Unfortunately, by the time he stood back up, the demon was already in front of him.

    Whoosh!

    The demon suddenly extended its w-like hands out, grabbing Yuan by the neck and lifting him into the air with ease.

    "You''re pretty powerful for someone at the first level Spirit Master. Unfortunately, you do not have what it takes to deal with demons. You also have a mysterious power inside you. I cannot wait to taste your blood and acquire this power for myself."

    The demon opened its mouth and prepared to bite a chunk out of Yuan''s body, but it suddenly felt something pierce its body.

    The demon looked down to see a spear piercing its chest. It turned around to see Senior Hong standing behind it with a spear in his grasp.

    However, his expression was still filled with terror.

    "Don''t worry, you will get your turn after I eat this brat."

    The demon sneered and returned to focusing Yuan,pletely ignoring Senior Hong and the spear in its body.

    Yuan, who had been trying to break free from the demon''s hold, identally removed his mask from all the struggling, revealing to everyone there his face for the first time.

    The grand elders weren''t in the mood to care about Yuan''s identity right now, so they didn''t care.

    However, when the demon saw Yuan''s face, its body immediately began trembling with intense fear, almost like an animal right before its prey.

    "YOU! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!"

    The demon suddenly roared in a terrified tone, immediately released its grip on Yuan''s neck, and even jumped back, distancing itself from him.

    "You must be here to seal me again! No! I will not let you seal me for a second time! I will kill as many humans as I can before you take me!"

    Almost like it had gone crazy, the demon began running towards the exit with its tail tucked between its legs,pletely ignoring the fact that it''d just dominated Yuan.

    "Fuck! The demon is leaving the tomb! We have to stop it!"

    The grand elders that had been rooted in their spot this entire time suddenly regained their ability to control their bodies, and they immediately chased after the demon.

    "Daoist Yuan! Are you okay?!" Senior Hong helped him to his feet.

    "I am! Let''s also chase after the demon! Many people will die if that demon leaves this ce!" Yuan quickly stood up and began chasing the demon, not even bothering to ponder why the demon suddenly let him go.

    However, the demon was too fast for any of them to catch, leaving Yuan and the others in the dust.

    "Sh*t! It''s heading towards the Jaded Garden!"

    "How long did we manage to stall the demon for?! Hopefully, it''s enough to let the others evacuate!"

    "Daoist Yuan, you can go ahead of us!"

    Yuan nodded and immediately used his movement technique while pouring all of his spiritual energy into it, reaching a speed that he didn''t know was possible before.

 Chapter 591 - Trail Of Blood

    <h4>Chapter 591 - Trail Of Blood</h4>

    After leaving the ancestors'' tomb, Senior Wang and the others rushed back to the Jaded Garden to warn all of the disciples about the demon.

    Of course, the disciples were in disbelief at first, but they eventually snapped out of their daze and started making their way to the evacuation site, where a private airport and dozens ofrge airnes had been prepared just in case they ever needed to do a mass evacuation.

    "Leave everything behind! The demon is being stalled by Daoist Yuan and the grand elders! Don''t let their efforts go to waste!" Senior Wang shouted at the disciples that were stumbling around in a panic.

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    "Miss Meixiu, we have a helicopter. Let''s leave here in advance." Sebastian said to her, who was still carrying Chu Liuxiang even though he''d offered to carry Chu Liuxiang for her.

    Meixiu nodded.

    Although they will be leaving behind their luggage, they can always return for them in the future when the demon is no longer a threat.

    Thus, Meixiu followed Sebastian to the helicopter.

    Of course, she made sure to warn the people in the hotel and Jean, who brought them to the Jaded Garden.

    "What? There''s a monster? How is that possible?"

    Jean doubted Meixiu''s words at first, but then the hotel he was staying at received news from the Jaded Garden about the situation.

    "I will be leaving this ce with them, so you can return by yourself," Meixiu said to Jean before following Sebastian to their helicopter and leaving the Jaded Garden.

    "What are we going to do now?" Meixiu asked Sebastian once they were in the air.

    "We''ll stay in the Yang City for now, and depending on the situation, we may or may not return to the Chu Family. If the demon is dealt with, we will return to the Jaded Garden, but if things get bad, we will return to the Chu Family," Sebastian said.

    "What about you? If you have no ce to go, you can follow us back to the Chu Family."

    "But Yuan¡­" Meixiu immediately hesitated, as she didn''t want to leave Yuan behind in the Jaded Garden.

    Sebastian remained silent for a moment before speaking, "He''ll be fine. I don''t know him very wellpared to you or the Young Lady, but I have a feeling that he''ll be okay. Furthermore, he wishes for your safety, so I cannot allow you to go back there until the demon is no longer a threat."

    Thus, Sebastian controlled the helicopter, flying it to Yang City.

    Shortly after Meixiu and the others left the Jaded Garden, the demon would enter the Jaded Garden, and it immediately began destroying everything in its sight.

    Unfortunately, not everyone had evacuated from the Jaded Garden, and when the demon spotted them, it would immediately sink its sharp teeth inside their body before ripping out their skin and meat.

    "What the fuck is that thing?!"

    "Run! It''ll kill us all!"

    "Aaaaaaah! Help me! It''s eating me! Help!"

    Chaos immediately ensued from the demon''s rampage, and wherever the demon appeared, there would be carnage.

    Yuan returned to the Jaded Garden about ten minutes after the demon, and by the time he arrived, the demon had already killed hundreds of people.

    "Damn it! I was toote!"

    Yuan could feel his heart beating ufortably loud when he saw the scene, and he couldn''t help but me himself for not being able to stall the demon long enough for them to escape.

    However, he didn''t have the time to me himself, and he immediately began following the trail of blood left behind by the demon.

    After following the trail for a few minutes, Yuan suddenly recognized the direction it was heading, and his face immediately sank.

    "The demon is heading towards the immortal caves¡­? Oh no! Azure!"

    Yuan quickened his steps and rushed towards the immortal caves without looking at the trail anymore, and he silently prayed that Azure had already evacuated from the Jaded Garden.

    ''Please be safe, Azure!'' Yuan''s heart burned with anxiety as he rushed to the immortal caves.

    Meanwhile, a few minutes ahead of Yuan, the demon arrived at the immortal caves that have the most spiritual energy in the entire Jaded Garden.

    "Hahaha! I must have gone crazy from starvation when I ran away from that human! Now that I have satisfied my hunger, I can finally think again! That human! Although he looked like that bastard who sealed me, there''s no way such a weakling could be that person!" The demonughed out loud as it bit on a severed arm, chewing on the meat and bones together without any problem.

    "Once I find that bastard again, I will make sure to consume him properly for embarrassing me like that!"

    After walking for a few more moments, the demon suddenly stopped in its track when it noticed a female human sitting on top of arger boulder, who appeared to be in deep thoughts¡ª so she didn''t notice the demon''s presence.

    The demon licked its lips and approached this unsuspecting individual.

    Once the demon was close enough, the woman snapped out of her daze and turned to face the demon.

    "Yuan?" She subconsciously muttered in a low voice.

    Then she noticed that this presence reeked of blood and bloodlust.

    "Who are you?" She asked, still unaware that she was before a monster that''d killed hundreds of people already.

    The demon realized that this human was blind, so she couldn''t see its hideous appearance.

    However, the demon couldn''t care less whether she could see or not, and it calmly walked up to her with its w-like hands raised into the air before swinging it directly at the woman''s chest.

    It was at this moment a familiar voice frantically resounded, "Azure!"

    "Yuan?" A smile subconsciously appeared on Azure''s face when she heard his voice.

    Then she suddenly felt a burst of pain in her chest.

    Still unaware of the situation, Azure subconsciously touched the part of her chest where the pain wasing from, and to her shock, there was nothing, as a gaping hole had appeared in her chest.

    A momentter, she copsed, falling from the boulder andnding on the ground, but her body didn''t react to the fall.

    When Yuan, who''d arrived at the scene just to witness the demon thrust its bloody ws into Azure''s chest, he roared in a desperate voice, "NO! AZURE!!!"

 Chapter 592 - Intense Killing Intent

    <h4>Chapter 592 - Intense Killing Intent</h4>

    "Oh? What a pleasant surprise. Looks like I no longer have to waste time looking for you. I will make you pay for that embarrassment before." The demon licked its hand that was covered in Azure''s blood when it noticed Yuan standing a few meters away from it.

    "Hm? This blood is fucking delicious!" The demon was surprised when it tasted Azure''s blood.

    "She will make for a good dessert after I finish eating you, human!"

    The demonughed loudly.

    However, there was no response from Yuan, who silently stood there in a daze, almost like he''d turned into a stone statue.

    Two streams of tears began flowing down his face a momentter when he realized the situation.

    "Azure¡­"

    Yuan eventually snapped out of his shock, and when he did, he gritted his teeth so hard that his mouth began bleeding.

    "AAAAAAAAAAHHH!"

    Yuan released a beastly roar that shook the trees around them before rushing at the demon without any movement techniques.

    He was simply rushing at the demon in a reckless manner.

    In fact, he wasn''t even thinking at all, as his mind was filled with anger and desperation.

    Sha!

    The demon shed its w-like hands at Yuan, and because of its recent feast, its power had grown much more than previously, sending Yuan flying many meters into the distance.

    Cough!

    Yuan coughed out a mouthful of blood afterward, but he immediately stood up before rushing at the demon once again.

    The demon quickly noticed Yuan''s sudden change in behavior, and it turned to look at Azure''s body on the ground.

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    "Oh? Did you know her? Perhaps she was your lover? What a pity. If I had known that earlier, I would''ve kept her alive so that I could torture her before you." The demon sighed in a regretful manner.

    When Yuan heard the demon''s words, he felt something snap somewhere inside his body, and intense killing intent would gush from his body.

    At this moment, Yuan could no longer think properly, but his body continued to function purely on instinct.

    Yuan dropped the sword in his hand the next second.

    When the demon saw this, itughed, "Are you giving up already? Aren''t you going to avenge your girlfriend? What a pathetic existence you are even for a lowly human."

    However, the next moment, a beautiful sword would appear out of thin air before falling into Yuan''s grasp, and this sword greatly resembled his Empyrean Overlord from Cultivation Online.

    The second this sword appeared in this world, it released a divine aura that sucked all of the spiritual energy from the immortal caves almost instantly, turning the ce into an ordinary location.

    "Where the hell did you pull that thing from?" The demon could sense an unfathomable power hidden within the sword, but it wasn''t scared.

    After all, no matter how powerful the sword was, its wielder was powerless.

    Once the sword was in Yuan''s grasp, he immediately rushed at the demon again.

    Bang!

    The demon used its ws to block the sword, but the massive sword was countless times heavier than it appeared, and it tore right through its ws before shing the demon''s body in half.

    And before the demon could even have a chance to regenerate, it felt something pierce its face, creating a gaping hole in its head.

    ''Where did that attacke from? I didn''t see anything¡­'' The demon wondered to itself as its body quickly regenerated until all of its injuries were healed.

    Yuan would continue his mindless assault on the demon, but no matter how many times he shed the demon''s body in half or tore a hole in its head, the demon would regenerate until there''s not even a single scratch on its body.

    "Are you done yet?" The demon casually patted its shoulders, clearly unaffected by Yuan''s attacks.

    "Then it''s my turn."

    The demon released its cultivation and started attacking Yuan aggressively, quickly overpowering Yuan.

    "Even though you''d gained more strength, you''re actually weaker than before. What a disappointment. Allow me to end your worthless life right now!"

    The demon suddenly grew a tail made out of blood before using it as a weapon, and because of Yuan''s mindless state, he was unable to defend against this sneak attack.

    The demon''s tail pierced the center of Yuan''s chest the next second.

    Cough!

    Yuan coughed out another mouthful of blood, and because of the intense pain in his chest, he snapped out of his daze, but it was toote, as there was already a hole in his chest.

    The demon swung its tail, sending Yuan flying across the ce once again.

    However, Yuan didn''t stand back up this time and remained lying on the cold ground, as he''dpletely lost his consciousness, falling deep asleep.

    Inside his dream that started the moment he lost consciousness, Yuan stood before Azure''s figure, who was sitting on the boulder with her back facing him.

    "You broke your promise to protect me, Yuan," Azure spoke to him in a gentle voice.

    "I''m sorry¡­ I''m really sorry¡­" Yuan could only mutter these few words as tears flowed from his eyes.

    "Haaa¡­" Azure merely sighed in response.

    "If only I was stronger¡­ If only I gave you a proper answer¡­ If only¡ª!" Yuan kneeled on the ground as he contemted what he could''ve done to prevent this situation.

    After a moment of silence, a voice resounded, but it didn''t belong to Azure.

    "Losing to such a weak demon¡­ Truly pathetic¡­"

    Yuan lifted his head to look at the handsome man standing behind him, but there was something different about this handsome man and his aura, and he was wearing a ck and golden robe that had the words ''Bane of Demons'' on it.

    "Go ahead. Laugh at me for being weak like you always do. I deserve it." Yuan said.

    However, the handsome man didn''tugh, nor did he say anything, merely staring at Yuan with a solemn face.

    After a long moment of silence, the handsome man lifted his hand and pointed it in front of Yuan.

    "Stand up and fight it," he spoke in a calm voice.

    Yuan turned his head to see the demon standing not far away from him, and it was approaching Azure, who was still sitting on the boulder.

    Seeing this, Yuan shook his head, "What''s the point? I won''t defeat it no matter what."

    "I said stand up!"

    The handsome man suddenly roared, and Yuan could feel an invisible force pulling him to his feet.

    Once Yuan was standing, the handsome man suddenly took a step forward, walking straight into Yuan.

    Yuan expected the handsome man to bump into him, but to his surprise, almost as though his body was made out of air, the handsome man walked through his body before disappearing from his sight.

    The next moment, Yuan could feel his body moving, but he was not the one controlling it, and he began approaching the demon in the distance.

    Meanwhile, in the real world, as the demon approached Yuan''s unconscious body, it suddenly stopped moving when it noticed Yuan''s body twitching.

    "Not dead yet?" The demon sneered before aiming its tail at Yuan''s head.

    However, right before the tail reached his head, Yuan''s hand suddenly moved to grab the demon''s tail, stopping it an inch away from his head.

    The demon didn''t think anything of his movements at first, but then its body began trembling for some reason.

    The next moment, it noticed that its tail was beginning to feel stiff, almost as though it was turning solid.

    The demon''s eyes widened with terror when it felt this familiar feeling, and it subconsciously cut off its tail before jumping backward.

    "You fucking bastard¡­" The demon muttered in a low voice as it watched the tail that it''d severed turn into stone a secondter.

    "You can use demon sealing techniques?! Who are you?!" The demon roared at Yuan, who was slowly getting back to his feet.

    Once he was standing, Yuan casually patted his clothes before speaking in a calm voice, "You don''t recognize me? And you call yourself a demon?"

    Yuan lifted his head to face the demon with a slight grin on his face.

    "I cannot remember thest time I snacked on a demon core, nor do I recall their taste. Perhaps you can help me remember, lowly demon¡­" Yuan then licked his lips like a starved man craving food.

 Chapter 593 - Demon Sealing Zone

    <h4>Chapter 593 - Demon Sealing Zone</h4>

    "S-Snack on demon cores¡­? I-Impossible¡­ You can''t be¡­!" The demon quickly realized Yuan''s identity, but it didn''t dare to actually believe it.

    After all, there is only one person in this universe who can consume demon cores, and that individual is the founder of the Demon Sealing n, Divine Paragon!

    The Divine Paragon is the bane of all demons. No matter how powerful a demon is, they will remain as mere ants before the Divine Paragon, who can kill demons as simple as breathing.

    "Y-You cannot be the Divine Paragon! What are you doing here?! Why do you look like that?! Why are you showing your true identity now?!" The demon questioned him.

    "Whether I am real or not¡­ Why don''t we put that to the test?" Yuan spoke in a calm voice as he slowly approached the demon.

    Furthermore, Yuan had activated the golden aura once again, but it was much clearer than previously, and he hadplete control over it.

    The demon took a step back every time Yuan took a step forward, but it didn''t dare to turn around and run, as it was afraid that if it turned its back to Yuan, it would die without realizing what had happened.

    However, after walking a dozen steps, the demon suddenly felt something against its back, preventing it from walking back any further.

    The demon subconsciously turned around to see what was blocking it, as it was certain that there wasn''t anything in that direction, and sure enough, when it looked, there was plenty of empty space behind it.

    However, for some reason, it was unable to move any further, almost like there was an invisible wall there.

    "Where do you think you''re going?" Yuan suddenly spoke to it.

    The demon immediately turned to look at Yuan, who had a malicious grin on his face.

    "You can force your way outside this formation if you''d like, but just know that the moment you leave this field, you will be sealed. This technique is called the Demon Sealing Zone. Once activated, any demons within the zone will no longer be able to leave. If you do¡­ you''ll be sealed."

    "D-Demon Sealing Zone?! Y-You really are¡­!"

    The Demon Sealing Zone is one of the Divine Paragon''s many unique techniques that allow him topletely turn any demon into powerless mortals, and it is also why all demons fear him.

    Once they enter this zone, they will no longer be able to leave for the rest of their lives, and if they force their way out of this imprisonment, they will only be greeted with another form of imprisonment that is getting sealed.

    "Since you''re just a lowly demon, I will give you a chance to escape." Yuan suddenly said.

    "R-Really?!" The demon''s eyes flickered with hope.

    However, when it heard what Yuan said next, its face sank.

    "If you can defeat me, I will let you walk out here without getting sealed."

    "Fuck you! You might as well keep me in here forever!" The demon cursed.

    Yuan shrugged and said, "Since you''ll stay in this ce forever, you might as well try and defeat me."

    The demon gritted its sharp teeth, but it found no fault in Yuan''s words. Indeed, if it doesn''t try to defeat him, it will never be able to escape the Demon Sealing Zone that has tormented countless demons before.

    The demon prepared tounch its attack on Yuan.

    However, right as it was about to strike, Yuan snapped his fingers, forcing the demon onto its knees with a tyrannical pressure that came out of nowhere.

    "W-What is the meaning of this?!" The demon shouted out loud.

    "You actually think you have a chance to defeat me? A lowly demon such as yourself? Know your ce."

    The tyrannical pressure suddenly became countless times more powerful, immediately ttening the demon into meat paste the next second.

    Of course, the demon regenerated a few secondster.

    The demon tried to lift its head to look at Yuan after recovering, but before it could even lift its head halfway, the pressure ttened its body once again.

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    Once the demon regenerated, Yuan ttened it for the third time.

    Then a fourth time.

    A fifth time.

    A dozen times.

    "Why are you wasting your energy on such pointless attacks? Such attacks have no use on me, as demons don''t feel any pain!" The demon managed to speak after regenerating for the 13th time.

    "I am merely ying with you. Don''t worry, the real punishment starts now."

    Yuan snapped his fingers, creating a golden sword made purely out of spiritual energy, before sending it flying at the demon''s hand, pinning it to the ground.

    "AAAAAH!"

    The demon suddenly screamed in pain.

    When the demon realized what had just happened, it looked at Yuan with a terrified face.

    "What did you do to me?!" The demon roared.

    "This must be your first time experiencing real pain, huh? The fact that demons cannot experience pain¡­ is false. Demons also experience pain, but their tolerance to pain is quite admirable¡ª to the point where they don''t feel any pain even when their body is turned to meat paste."

    "All I did was simply remove your pain tolerance, allowing you to experience pain as normal humans would. Don''t worry, you won''t die even if you can feel pain, but you will definitely wish for death after I am done with you."

    The demon began to sweat for the first time in its life when it saw the sadistic smile on Yuan''s face.

    However, right as it opened its mouth to speak, the pressure ttened its body once again.

    This time, the demon felt every ounce of pain that came from having its entire body crushed into meat paste.

    Once it regenerated, the demon shrieked like a pig being slowly ughtered; it was a ghastly sound that would make even the toughest men on earth tremble in fear if heard.

    "Hey, how many humans did you kill today?" Yuan suddenly asked it.

    And he continued, "I will crush you ten times for every human you killed. If you don''t tell me, I will torture you until I feel like stopping."

    The demon stared at Yuan with a terrified gaze.

    "You¡­ monster!" It muttered in a powerless voice.

 Chapter 594 - A Demons Cry

    <h4>Chapter 594 - A Demon''s Cry</h4>

    "Hurry up and tell me how many humans you killed today. I''m not a very patient person." Yuan spoke before crushing the demon into meat paste again.

    Once it regenerated, the demon muttered in a trembling voice, "I-I don''t remember¡­"

    "You don''t remember? Maybe this will jog your memories."

    St!

    The demon mmed into the ground, instantly turning into a pool of blood.

    "Do you remember now?" Yuan asked it again after it regenerated.

    "I¡ª"

    However, before it could even speak, Yuan interrupted it by ttening it again.

    "AAAHHHH!"

    St!

    "AAAAAAAAHHHH!"

    St!

    After ttening the demon a dozen times, Yuan finally stopped ttening it without letting it speak.

    "Do you remember now?"

    "I-I-I remember! I remember! Please! I remember everything!" The demon quickly responded this time, as it feared that Yuan would tten it again before it could even speak.

    "Speak."

    "I-I killed¡ª"

    St!

    The demon was ttened again before it could even give an answer.

    Once the demon regenerated, Yuan said in a calm voice, "Oh, my bad. I instinctively ttened you just now."

    The demon felt like cursing out loud, but it resisted and spoke, "138 humans! I killed 138 humans today!"

    "138 humans, huh? Then I will have to tten you 13,800 times as punishment." Yuan casually said.

    "What?! 13,800?! You said ten times for every human I killed! It should be 1,380 times!" The demon quickly said in a panicked manner.

    "Hm? You can do math? How surprising. Either way, I don''t have the time to torture you so many times, so I will torture you with a different method."

    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    Yuan snapped his fingers, creating three more golden swords before sending them at the demon''s other hand and legs,pletely pinning the demon on the ground.

    Yuan then summoned one more sword, and this golden sword was twice the size of the other swords.

    Once he created the sword, he sent it flying into the demon''s back.

    "AAAAHHHH!"

    The demon roared, feeling indescribable pain that was many times more painful than being ttened into meat paste.

    Once all five golden swords were piercing the demon''s body, Yuan casually waved his hands.

    The next moment¡ª

    "AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

    The demon released its loudest scream yet when a thousand tiny golden swords suddenly burst from within its body, turning the demon''s body into something that looked like it had been attacked by a porcupine.

    Its eyes, mouth, ears¡ª there were tiny golden swords all over its body.

    The pain was so unbearable that the demon lost consciousness.

    Unfortunately, the demon''s regenerative abilities would kick in a momentter, taking away its peace thatsted only a short moment.

    "Please¡­ Stop¡­"

    The demon pleaded with bloody tears flowing down its face.

    "Hm? What did you just say? I couldn''t hear you, so I will assume that you want to experience it again."

    And without waiting for the demon to respond, Yuan created another burst of golden swords inside its body.

    "AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"

    The demon''s cry echoed in the Jaded Garden that was almostpletely evacuated by now.

    Meanwhile, Senior Hong and the other two grand elders that stayed behind with Yuan had finally managed to return to the Jaded Garden.

    They were shocked to see the destruction caused by the demon, but before they had any chance to ponder about the situation, they heard an inhuman screaming from the direction of the immortal caves.

    The grand elders mistook this inhuman cry as a human crying for help, so they immediately rushed to the scene.

    And to their absolute shock, when they arrived at the scene, they could only see Yuan standing in front of a copsed demon that had many golden swords piercing its body.

    The grand elders doubted their eyes for a moment, but they eventually came to the realization that it was actually the demon who was crying for help when they heard the inhuman screams!

    However, they didn''t dare to approach the scene at this moment, as they felt that something was different¡ª odd about Yuan, so they decided to watch them from a distance.

    "Hey, what did you say just now? Can you repeat it for me?" Yuan asked the demon afterward.

    "Please¡­ Stop¡­" The demon pleaded again.

    After a moment of silence, Yuan spoke in a cold voice, "I refuse."

    And another burst of golden swords assaulted the demon.

    However, Yuan didn''t stop this time and continued to create golden swords inside the demon''s body.

    Eventually, the demon''s figure was entirely covered in golden swords, making its appearance unrecognizable.

    Sometimeter, Yuan removed all of the golden swords from the demon''s body.

    Although the demon was on the verge of going insane, it recognized its chance to escape from this hell, and the moment it could move again, it immediately stood up and began running away.

    Yuan could''ve easily prevented the demon from running, but he didn''t do anything and silently watched the demon run.

    The demon quickly reached the invisible wall, but it didn''t care and continued to move forward, slowly forcing itself out of the Demon Sealing Zone.

    "I''d rather be sealed again than let you y with me any further, Divine Paragon!" The demonughed out loud as it exited the Demon Sealing Zone, feeling relieved that it will all be over soon.

    The moment the demon left the formation, its entire body turned into stone, bing sealed again.

    "Yes! He did it! He really defeated the demon!" The grand elders were excited to see the demon sealed again.

    Seeing the demon sealing itself, Yuan burst outughing, and he calmly approached the sealed demon.

    Once he was in range, Yuan gently tapped the sealed demon with his finger.

    A momentter, cracks began appearing on the sealed demon, shocking the grand elders.

    "W-What¡­?"

    The demon, who had lost consciousness after being sealed, was suddenly awake again.

    It silently stood there in a daze, wondering to itself if it was dreaming.

    Seeing the demon''s puzzlement, Yuan spoke with a grin on his face, "Did you really think you could escape my punishment by sealing yourself? If I can seal you¡­ I can also unseal you!"

    When the demon heard Yuan''s words and realized that it wasn''t dreaming, it literally lost its mind from shock and terror, and it also finally understood why even the strongest demons would run away in fear when they hear the name ''Divine Paragon''.

 Chapter 595 - Last Breath

    <h4>Chapter 595 - Last Breath</h4>

    "Once a demon opposes me, whether they die or live, is no longer within their control¡­" Yuan stood before the demon with an overbearing atmosphere around him, looking like an overlord.

    The demon, which had lost its sanity, suddenly released a long and beastly roar.

    Its glowing red eyes turned dark red, and vigorous veins began popping all over its body.

    The demon also grew in size, bing about 30 percentrger.

    Yuan smiled when he saw this, and he muttered in a low voice, "Looks like it''s about time I stop ying with my food."

    "DIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEE!!!"

    The demon swung its w-like hands at Yuan with all of its power.

    Seeing this, Yuan casually blocked the attack with his bare arms,pletely stopping the demon in its tracks despite being an entire realm weaker than it.

    After blocking the attack, Yuan suddenly extended his free arm, aiming it at the red crystal in the demon''s chest.

    Sha!

    Yuan''s hand pierced the demon''s body like how it pierced Azure, before pulling out the red crystal from its chest.

    Normally, even if the red crystal is removed from a demon''s chest, it would simply turn into blood and return to the demon, but in this case, the red crystal didn''t turn into blood and remained as a crystal inside Yuan''s grasp.

    "Disappear from my sight, you lowly demon."

    Yuan then tightened his fist, crushing the red crystal into countless tiny fragments.

    The demon suddenly stopped all movements.

    A momentter, the demon''s body began melting like ice cream under the zing sun until nothing but its demon core was left.

    Once the demon core was revealed, Yuan casually picked it up before putting it inside his mouth without any hesitation, shocking the grand elders.

    The demon core immediately melted inside his mouth.

    ''As expected of a lowly demon, its demon core taste like trash even though it was terrified out of its mind. Looks like no matter how much I scare a lowly demon, it will not enhance the taste by much.'' Yuan thought to himself.

    Perhaps he was the only one in the universe who had such knowledge¡ª that a demon''s core will taste better if the demon was terrified before its death, hence why the Divine Paragon would always y with the demons before killing them.

    If the world learned that the Divine Paragon had been torturing demons just to make their demon core taste better inside his mouth, they would begin to question if he was actually the real demon all along.

    After killing the demon and consuming its core, Yuan''s cultivation base soared from the first level Spirit Master all the way to the peak level Spirit Master!

    However, Yuanpletely ignored his breakthroughs and turned his focus onto Azure, who was lifelessly lying on the ground.

    He approached her before taking a knee beside her.

    "I''m sorry, but I do not have the power to save you," he sighed.

    Meanwhile, inside his consciousness, Yuan had witnessed the entire scene from beginning to end.

    The handsome man wearing the ck and golden robe appeared before him again and spoke, "The woman is not dead yet, but she does not have much time left. I will give you a chance to fulfill her dreams before she is no longer in this world." The handsome man said.

    The handsome man that had been controlling Yuan''s body this entire time began pouring some of his golden aura into Azure''s body, sealing all of her pain and waking her up temporarily.

    Once he was finished, he returned the control to Yuan.

    "Azure!" Yuan called out to her.

    "Yuan¡­? For some reason¡­ I am feeling very tired¡­ and cold¡­"

    Azure slowly opened her eyelids, revealing to Yuan her beautiful blue eyes for the first time and the reason for her name.

    "It''s okay¡­ You just need some rest¡­" Yuan said, trying his best to not cry.

    "You''re right¡­ I haven''t been able to sleep properly for thest few days¡­ ever since I met you¡­" She mumbled in a low voice, still oblivious to her situation.

    "Yuan¡­ I''m sorry¡­"

    "Why are you apologizing? I should be the one apologizing to you¡­"

    "I''m sorry¡­ for making things awkward between us so suddenly¡­ If only I was a little more patient¡­"

    "No, don''t be sorry¡­ I was happy when you told me¡­"

    "Really? Does this mean you''ll ept me as your girlfriend?" Azure asked with a gentle smile on her face.

    "Yes¡­ I will ept you as my girlfriend¡­"

    "Thank the heavens¡­ I was really worried¡­ that you would reject me¡­"

    After a moment of silence, Azure spoke, the strength in her voice bing weaker, "Hey¡­ Yuan¡­ Can you do me a favor before I fall asleep?"

    "Of course. Whatever you want."

    "Can you kiss me? This will make our rtionship official¡­"

    Yuan didn''t hesitate and gently kissed Azure on her soft lips, but it was one that tasted like blood.

    "I love you, Yuan¡­"

    Azure took herst breath after that sentence before falling asleep with a blissful smile on her beautiful face.

    After Azure left this world, Yuan also copsed, as the toll on his body had finally caught up with him, sending him into a deepa.

    Seeing this, the grand elders finally decided to approach them.

    "Are they still alive?" Senior Li asked.

    Senior Hong went to check Yuan''s pulses first and nodded, "He''s still alive."

    "As for Azure¡­ I''m afraid she''s no longer with us¡­" Senior Hong sighed after checking her pulses.

    "What a tragedy¡­" Senior Shi shook his head.

    "Let''s hurry up and get Daoist Yuan out of here and to a hospital. He might be in critical condition." Senior Li then said.

    "I will take care of Daoist Yuan. You guys take care of the rest." Senior Hong then picked up Yuan and quickly disappeared from the scene.

    Meanwhile, Senior Shi and Senior Li contacted Senior Wang and the other grand elders, telling them that the demon had been dealt with and that they were safe to return to the Jaded Garden.

    "What?! The demon has been defeated?! Are you sure about this?!" Senior Wang stood up from her seat as she eximed.

    "Yes, we witnessed Yuan defeating the demon with our own eyes." Senior Li confirmed.

    "We areing back! Tell us everything once we return!"

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    Senior Wang then told the pilots to turn the airne around, returning to the Jaded Garden.

 Chapter 596 - Founder Of The Demon Sealing Clan

    <h4>Chapter 596 - Founder Of The Demon Sealing n</h4>

    After arriving in Yang City, Meixiu and Sebastian rented out a hotel to stay in for the time being, as Chu Liuxiang was still unconscious.

    "Brother Yuan!"

    Chu Liuxiang woke up shouting about half an hour after they arrived at the hotel.

    "W-Where are we?! Where''s Brother Yuan?!" Chu Liuxiang asked Meixiu, who was in the same room.

    "We are currently in Yang City," she replied.

    "What about Brother Yuan?!"

    "He''s¡­ still in the Jaded Garden¡­"

    "Why?! Why did you leave him behind?! I thought you loved him!" Chu Liuxiang cried out loud.

    "Calm down, Young Lady." Sebastian suddenly said.

    "It was the Young Master''s decision. If you truly love him, you would respect his wishes."

    "T-That''s¡­" Chu Liuxiang was immediately left speechless by Sebastian''s words. Clearly, he was used to dealing with her.

    "Believe in the Young Master. He''s destined to achieve great things in the future, so he won''t die there," Sebastian continued.

    "I guess you''re right¡­ But what are we going to do now? I cannot just sit around and do nothing! Call my father! We''re going to request his help to deal with the demon!" Chu Liuxiang then said.

    "I have already notified the Masters of the situation. They are currently pondering on how they should approach this problem as we speak. We can only wait for their response now."

    "This situation is much direr than you probably think, Young Lady. If the demon is allowed to run rampant, it could very well be the end of humanity."

    "Haaa¡­" Chu Liuxiang sighed.

    Sometimeter, Meixiu suddenly received a call from Senior Wang.

    "Feng! You need to return to the Jaded Garden! The demon has been defeated, but Daoist Yuan is currently in a critical condition!"

    "What?!" Meixiu eximed in a shocked voice.

    "I will be there as soon as possible!"

    "What happened?" Chu Liuxiang asked her.

    "It''s Yuan! The demon''s been defeated, but he''s in a critical condition!" She quickly exined.

    "What?! Brother Yuan is in a critical condition?! What happened to him?!" Chu Liuxiangpletely ignored the part where Yuan defeated the demon and focused only on his condition.

    "I don''t know¡ª we won''t know until we return to the Jaded Garden."

    "Sebastian!" Chu Liuxiang turned to look at him.

    "R-Right away!" Sebastian had a dyed response since he was shocked to learn that Yuan had defeated the demon already.

    Thus, they began making their way back to the Jaded Garden.

    Meanwhile, inside the Six Spiritual Families'' private hospital, Yuan was being taken care of by a dozen doctors at once.

    They were preparing to do surgery on Yuan because of the massive injury in the center of his chest, but to their absolute shock, by the time they finished their preparations, the injury had closed on its own!

    It was unlike anything they have ever seen before, and they questioned if Yuan was human or not afterward.

    "Where am I? Am I dead?"

    Yuan wondered to himself as he was surrounded by nothing but darkness somewhere deep within his consciousness.

    "No, you''re still alive." A voice suddenly responded to him.

    Yuan turned around to see two figures standing behind him¡ª both of them being the handsome man, but there were slight differences between them, such as their aura and demeanor.

    One of them appeared to be the usual handsome man¡ª the one who would appear in his dream the most often.

    The second one appeared only recently, and he was the one who dealt with the demon.

    "Why are there two of you? Are you the same person or two different people?" Yuan asked them.

    The two of them looked at each other before smiling.

    "Both." They responded simultaneously.

    "We''re both the same person but different people at the same time. You''re also the same as us, yet you''re a different person. Do you understand?"

    "Reincarnation? But how can there be two of you?" Yuan then asked.

    "Do you think a person can only reincarnate once? One can continue to reincarnate until their soul is broken or worn out, and with every reincarnation, one''s soul bes weaker, so not everyone is equal. Some people can only reincarnate once before their soul is worn out while others can reincarnate two¡­ even three times." The Divine Paragon exined.

    "How many times have I reincarnated by now? There''s two of you right now, and that person who was wielding a spear is most likely one as well, so there''s at least three." Yuan said.

    "Who knows." They both shrugged.

    Yuan then turned to look at the handsome man wearing the ''Bane of Demons'' robe and said, "You''re the Founder of the Demon Sealing n, right? But that only exists in Cultivation Online. Are you telling me that Cultivation Online is actually real¡ª that it exists somewhere in this universe?"

    "It''s good to finally see you using your senses. Did that woman''s death wake you up?" The other handsome manughed.

    Yuan gritted his teeth when the topic suddenly switched to Azure.

    However, before he could say anything, the Founder of the Demon Sealing n spoke in a solemn voice, "It''s not over just yet."

    "What isn''t over?"

    "Both the demon and Azure," he responded.

    "W-What do you mean by that?"

    "You may have defeated one demon today, but do you really think that there is only a single demon in your world? You''ll probably have to fight a few more in the future when they eventually break from their seal."

    "What?! There are more demons out there?!" Yuan eximed.

    "Most likely, so you better prepare yourself before they break from their seal, or what happened to Azure will repeat again, and it could be either Meixiu or Chu Liuxiang who will take theirst breath in your arms next," said the Divine Paragon.

    "As for Azure¡­ You might be able to see her again."

    "Really?! How?!" Yuan no longer cared about the demons that might appear in the future and asked.

    Divine Paragon then said, "Do you remember when I mentioned that a person can reincarnate as long as their soul is unharmed? If you find her soul¡­"

    "Then I can reincarnate her?! Where can I find her soul?!"

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    Divine Paragon shook his head, "I cannot answer all of your questions now, but you might be able to find these answers, as well as your true origin, inside Cultivation Online."

    "Cultivation Online¡­" Yuan mumbled.

 Chapter 597 - Aftermath

    <h4>Chapter 597 - Aftermath</h4>

    "Brother Yuan! Where''s Brother Yuan?!" Chu Liuxiang rushed to the hospital after returning to the Jaded Garden with Meixiu and Sebastian.

    "Daoist Yuan is currently resting in the patient room." Senior Wang said to them.

    "What about his condition?" Meixiu then asked.

    "Don''t worry, he''s no longer in a critical condition."

    "Thank you¡­" Meixiu released a deep and relieved sigh.

    "We don''t deserve your gratitude, as we didn''t really do anything. There was a massive hole in the center of Daoist Yuan''s chest, but it closed up on its own before we could treat it."

    "However, he''s still in aa, and we don''t know when he''ll wake up."

    Senior Wang then led them to the room that Yuan was resting in.

    Inside the room, the other grand elders as well as some of the elite disciples such as Wang Ming and Li Jinxi were there.

    "Brother Yuan!"

    Chu Liuxiang ran to the bed where Yuan was resting.

    "What happened after we left?" Meixiu asked them.

    "Take a seat. It''s a long story." Senior Hong said.

    Once they were seated, he began telling them about what had happened after they were separated.

    "After all of you left, we stayed behind to stall the demon, but it was simply too strong, overpowering Daoist Yuan even though he was using his golden aura that allowed him to defeat Li Jinxi effortlessly."

    "As shameful as this sounds, we didn''t really do anything, as we were all frozen from shock. If you were there to witness the demon that looked like something from hell, you would understand¡­"

    "Daoist Yuan shed the demon in half more times than we can count, tearing holes in its face every few seconds, but no matter what kind of damage he did to the demon, it would regeneratepletely within mere seconds."

    "After fighting for some time, the demon suddenly ran away from the tomb for some reason, and we chased after it."

    "Daoist Yuan was much faster than us, so he went ahead."

    "By the time we returned to the Jaded Garden, the demon had already gone on a rampage, killing many disciples, and we are still figuring out how many people had fallen to the demon."

    "Shortly after we arrived at the Jaded Garden, we heard this inhuman screaming from the immortal caves. We thought it was someone crying for help, so we rushed there as soon as possible."

    "However, to our shock, when we arrived, we could only see Daoist Yuan and the demon¡ª with the demon being pinned on the ground by some glowing swords. We decided to remain distanced to watch the situation, and we quickly realized that it was the demon that had been screaming for help."

    "We don''t know what happened to Daoist Yuan, but he seemed like an entirely different person when he fought the demon for the second time,pletely overwhelming it without giving it any chance to fight back, even torturing and ying with the demon like it was some kind of toy."

    "Yuan¡­?" Meixiu was shocked to hear that Yuan had tortured the demon, as that didn''t sound like him at all.

    "Also¡­ Azure was one of the victims¡­" Senior Hong said to Senior Wang.

    "Aiya! Azure! Why did I forget to warn her?" Senior Wang immediately pped herself after hearing Azure''s name, as she hadpletely forgotten about Azure, who would normally spend most of her time inside the immortal caves, not to mention how overwhelmed she was from the situation.

    "So Junior Sister Azure is gone¡­" Wang Ming shook his head.

    Azure was actually one of their most talented disciple who couldprehend many techniques with ease, but ever since she became blind, she would spend most of her time mastering the zither.

    ''Azure? That new friend Yuan made recently?'' Meixiu thought to herself.

    Although Yuan had mentioned that he made a new friend who can y the zither, they never really met Azure.

    "Anyways, Daoist Yuan defeated the demon and ended the cmity shortly after." Senior Hong said.

    "What should we do now?" Wang Ming asked.

    "We first need to figure out the casualties so that we can notify their family, then we''ll restore the areas destroyed by the demon. Once all of that is finished, we will figure the rest out." Senior Li said.

    And for the next week, the Six Spiritual Families would work on restoring the Jaded Garden. As for Meixiu and Chu Liuxiang, they remained beside Yuan the whole time in the hospital.

    Of course, news of what happened at the Jaded Garden had spread throughout the world, and the existence of demons was revealed to everyone.

    News reporters flooded the Jaded Garden in hopes of getting interviews with the Six Spiritual Families, but they were all turned away.

    Government from around the world also approached the Six Spiritual Families for questioning, and they were much harder to turn away for obvious reasons, so the Six Spiritual Families spoke with them.

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    And for Yuan''s safety, the Six Spiritual Families didn''t mention the person who defeated the demon, only saying that some powerful cultivator appeared out of thin air, defeating the demon in a blink before disappearing as quickly.

    Of course, people knew that Yuan had fought with the demon, as Senior Wang had told everyone when they evacuated, but nobody besides very few people knew the whole story.

    Yuan remained unconscious this entire time with nobody knowing when he''ll wake up again.

    While he was unconscious, Yuan would speak with the Divine Paragon and the handsome man whose identity was still unknown, and he would also regain some of his old memories.

    Two weeks after the demon was defeated, Yuan finally woke up from his deep slumber.

    "Brother Yuan! You''re awake!" Chu Liuxiang was the first to notice his condition, as she would spend most of her time staring at his face.

    Meixiu stopped her cultivation when she heard Chu Liuxiang''s voice, and she quickly went to check on Yuan.

    "Are you okay, Yuan? Can you speak?" Meixiu asked him.

 Chapter 598 - The Calamity Is Not Over Yet

    <h4>Chapter 598 - The Cmity Is Not Over Yet</h4>

    "I am fine¡­ Where am I? And how long have I been asleep?" Yuan asked in a low voice.

    "We are currently inside the Six Spiritual Families'' private hospital, and you have been asleep for about two weeks now," Meixiu said.

    "That long?" Yuan slowly sat up on the bed.

    "I''m sorry if I made you two worried, but I am fine." He said to them a momentter.

    "Wait right here. I will get the doctors to check your condition." Meixiu then went to call for a doctor.

    After checking Yuan''s body, the doctor said, "His body is a little weak right now, but besides that, everything is normal."

    "Thank you, doctor."

    "I need to speak with the grand elders," Yuan said to Meixiu.

    "The cmity¡­ It''s not over yet."

    "W-What¡­?" Meixiu''s eyes widened with shock.

    "What do you mean the cmity isn''t over yet?! Didn''t you defeat the demon already?" Chu Liuxiang quickly asked.

    "Yes, the demon is gone. However, that isn''t the only demon in this world. There are other sealed demons in this world, and they will eventually break from their seal."

    "Unbelievable¡­ So we''ll have to deal with this again?" Meixiu muttered in a voice of disbelief.

    Sometimeter, the grand elders gathered at the hospital inside Yuan''s room.

    "Daoist Yuan! It''s relieving to see you finally awake! I haven''t had a wink of sleep for thest two weeks!" Senior Hongughed when he saw Yuan awake.

    "Senior Wang, did you bring the crystal?" Yuan asked her a momentter.

    "Yes, but why do you need it?" Senior Wang retrieved the wooden box.

    "Can you show me the crystal inside?"

    Hearing Yuan''s words, Senior Wang and the other grand elders could sense an ominous feeling in the air.

    After taking a deep breath, Senior Wang opened the box, revealing the crystal inside.

    "I-I-Impossible! Why is the crystal still yellow?! The cmity should have ended when the demon died!" Senior Hong eximed in a shocked voice.

    "How do you know this, Daoist Yuan?" Senior Wang then asked.

    Yuan took a moment to ponder an excuse before speaking, "The demon told me right before its death¡ª that it wasn''t alone in this world and that itsrades will eventually break out of its seal as well."

    "Heavens¡­"

    Senior Hong fell on his butt after hearing Yuan''s words.

    This means they will have to fight even more demons in the future, and if they are any stronger than the one they have already defeated, it will be a very grim moment for the world.

    "Don''t worry, I will take care of the demons." Yuan suddenly said.

    And he continued in a cold voice, "I will personally eradicate every single demon in this world until there is none left!"

    Everyone in the room swallowed nervously when they saw the cold expression on Yuan''s face as he spoke those words.

    Clearly, defeating demons has be something personal for him after Azure''s death.

    "Although we most likely won''t be of any help to you when ites to fighting demons, if you need anything, please let us know." Senior Li said to him.

    "Yes, we owe you a great amount for defeating the demon. If it wasn''t for you, our entire Jaded Garden would''ve been destroyed, and there would have been far more casualties." Senior Wang added.

    She then handed the crystal to Yuan.

    "This crystal can probably tell when a demon is about to break from its seal, so it will be more useful in your hands than ours. Please, take it."

    Yuan nodded and epted the crystal.

    Sometimeter, Senior Hong asked, "Daoist Yuan, what are you going to do now?"

    "I am going home, then I will create my own faction," he responded.

    "In order to create a faction, you will need more than three people. We can send you some of our own disciples to help you create your faction. If you want them to leave or even stay in your faction afterward, it''s all up to you." Senior Wang said.

    "Thank you." Yuan nodded.

    Sometimeter, Yuan and the others returned to the immortal caves to pick up whatever they left behind in a hurry.

    "Senior Wang, do you mind if I take these two zithers with me?" Yuan asked her permission to take Azure''s zithers.

    "Go ahead." Senior Wang nodded.

    And then she said, "If you wish to visit her grave before you leave¡­"

    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    "Of course." Yuan nodded.

    Senior Wang then brought him to where they buried all of the victims from the demon''s rampage, and there was a total of 138 graves.

    "This one is Azure''s resting spot." Senior Wang showed him the way.

    Yuan took a seat in front of her grave, and he ced Azure''s zither on hisp.

    He then started ying the zither, and it was one of the songs that he''d learned from Azure during their time together.

    After ying the song, Yuan stood up and prayed, "If there''s really a chance for us to y the zither again¡­ I will make it happen¡­ I promise¡­"

    Sometimeter, Yuan turned to Senior Wang and bowed to her, "Thank you for everything. I will ask for an alliance with the Spiritual Elites once I create my faction."

    "Let us know before you create your faction so that we can send our disciples to you." Senior Wang nodded.

    "Of course."

    After saying his goodbyes with the other grand elders, Yuan left the Jaded Garden with Meixiu and the others, using Chu Liuxiang''s helicopter to get out of the ce.

    "We''re going to return to our apartment first. What are you going to do now, Lulu?" Yuan asked her while they were in the air.

    "I am going to follow you, of course. There is no way that I would leave before you create your faction," she said.

    Once they arrived at Yang City, Yuan and Meixiu followed Chu Liuxiang to her private airne, where they begin their journey back home.

 Chapter 599 - Returning Home

    <h4>Chapter 599 - Returning Home</h4>

    "Brother Yuan, you can be pretty cruel at times, you know?" Chu Liuxiang suddenly said to him after they lifted into the air in their private ne.

    "Eh? Why would you say that?" Yuan asked in a dumbfounded voice.

    "You already forgot about hitting me with a sword and knocking me unconscious?" Chu Liuxiang puffed her cheeks in an angry yet cute manner.

    "O-Oh¡­ That¡­ I''m sorry, but if I didn''t do that, you could''ve gotten hurt for real." Yuan apologized.

    "I understand why you did it, and I am thankful that you did, but I cannot help but be upset about it. Therefore, as punishment, you''ll have to hug me while we sleep tonight!" Chu Liuxiang then said.

    Yuan didn''t say anything and merely nodded with a slight smile on his face.

    And for the rest of the flight, Yuan would remain rtively silent, seemingly in deep thoughts the whole time.

    Neither Meixiu nor Chu Liuxiang tried to speak with him when they saw his mood, as they can tell that he was still in pain from what happened at the Jaded Garden, and sometimes, it was the better choice to let them ponder in peace than to try andfort them.

    After the whole incident in the Jaded Garden, Yuan''s view of this world has flipped upside-down, and coupled with the new revtion that Cultivation Online exists somewhere in this universe, Yuan wasn''t sure how he should do next.

    The next day, when they had only two hours left beforending, Yuan gathered Meixiu and Chu Liuxiang for a conversation.

    "Do either of you know how to actually create a faction or how to maintain it?" Yuan asked them.

    "I have looked into it after you said that you wanted to create one, so I know the basics," Meixiu said.

    "I don''t think you have to worry about maintaining the faction if you do not n on mass recruiting people. Even if there''s a dozen of us in the end, we really don''t have to do much, at least whenpared to factions that have to deal with hundreds if not thousands of people." Chu Liuxiang said.

    "Makes sense." Yuan nodded.

    "Then can I trouble you two to help me create and maintain the faction? I will be very busy in Cultivation Online soon," he continued.

    "Cultivation Online? Shouldn''t you be preparing to fight the other demons when they eventually break out of their seal?" Chu Liuxiang looked at him with wide eyes.

    How can one possibly think about ying a game when they still have the cmity to worry about?

    Yuan remained silent for a moment before speaking, "This is going to sound crazy, but I believe that the world of Cultivation Online actually exists somewhere in this universe."

    As he''d expected, both Meixiu and Chu Liuxiang looked at him with dumbfounded looks on their faces.

    "How else do you exin why cultivation techniques from Cultivation Online work in this world? What about how eating treasures in Cultivation Online can affect our real bodies? I think that the device we use to y Cultivation Online somehow allows us to travel to the world of Cultivation Online."

    "Wait¡­ What do you mean eating treasures can affect our real body?" Chu Liuxiang asked, as she wasn''t aware of this knowledge.

    "If you eat a high-grade treasure in Cultivation Online, there''s a chance that its effect could transfer to your real body. We have tested it, and it works." Meixiu exined, and she proceeded to tell Chu Liuxiang about that time she consumed a Berserker''s Gem in Cultivation Online and how it affected her real body, giving her incredible strength.

    "Unbelievable¡­ To think that such things can happen¡­ If that''s the case, then Brother Yuan doesn''t sound as crazy anymore. However, how does any of this work, really? How does the device allow us to travel to the world inside Cultivation Online? What about the NPCs there? They may act like real humans, but they never question the weird things that we do, such as respawning or disappearing and reappearing out of thin air."

    "I cannot answer any of these questions right now, but I believe that we''ll find the answers in Cultivation Online," Yuan said.

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    "As for the sealed demons that will appear in the future, I will be prepared for them when they break out of their seal. What happened at the Jaded Garden will not happen again."

    And for the remainder of their flight, the three of them would talk about their new faction.

    "Do you already have a name in mind for the faction?" Meixiu asked him.

    Yuan nodded and said, "It will be called the Demon Sealing Faction. In the world of Cultivation Online, there is a power called the Demon Sealing n, and their sole purpose is to seal demons. I want to bring their purpose to this world."

    And he continued, "Don''t worry, I don''t intend on letting you guys share the burden of sealing demons. I will do that alone."

    "That''s not right, Brother Yuan. If we''re going to be in the same faction, we''re going to be helping you! We may not have the powers to defeat demons, but that doesn''t mean we cannot help you defeat them!" Chu Liuxiang said.

    Yuan pondered for a moment before nodding, "Alright. Then I will teach you guys some demon sealing techniques so that you won''t bepletely hopeless before a demon."

    Two hourster, theynded the airne and made their way back to the apartment.

    "It feels like it''s been forever since we left this ce." Yuan sighed out loud as he sat on the couch.

    "So this is your home, huh?" Chu Liuxiang began snooping around the ce while Sebastian carried her luggage inside.

    "Young Lady, the Masters said to call them when you get the chance. They want to make sure that you''re okay." Sebastian said to her afterward.

    "Hm? Okay." Chu Liuxiang nodded as she went inside Yuan''s bedroom.

    "This must be your room, Brother Yuan. It smells like you." Chu Liuxiang said with a smile on her face after taking a deep breath.

    She thenid on the bed and continued, "This will also be my room starting today!"

 Chapter 600 - Creating Their Own Faction

    <h4>Chapter 600 - Creating Their Own Faction</h4>

    "Oh, right. Yuan, you should call Yu Rou. Although I''d already exined the situation to her, you should still speak with her." Meixiu said to him after unpacking their luggage.

    "Okay."

    Meixiu then handed her phone to him.

    "Hello? Yu Rou? It''s me, Yuan."

    "Brother! Are you okay?!"

    "Yes, I am fine."

    "I''m sorry that I couldn''t be there for you¡­"

    "I would actually prefer it if you weren''t here. I don''t want you to be in such a dangerous situation." Yuan said.

    After talking for a few minutes, Yu Rou asked, "What are you going to do now that you''re back home?"

    "I am going to create my own faction and focus on Cultivation Online."

    "Eh? You''re going to create your own faction? When?"

    "As soon as we can, I guess."

    "Why did you wait so long to make your faction, brother? If you''d told me earlier, I would''ve joined you! I am too invested in my faction to leave now¡­"

    "Sorry¡­" Yuan had nothing else to say.

    "Well¡­ Make sure you visit me soon."

    "I will when I get the chance."

    After talking for a few more minutes, Yu Rou hung up the phone.

    "Yuan, I have contacted Senior Wang. She said that she''ll send a few people our way as soon as possible. We can create our faction as soon as they arrive." Meixiu said to him.

    "Are you going to return to Cultivation Online now?" Meixiu then asked him.

    "No, I will spend a few more days clearing my mind before I return," he said.

    "Okay."

    And for the remainder of the day, Yuan would cultivate in silence, trying his best to clear his mind. Of course, it was much easier said than done, as what happened at the Jaded Garden really affected his mind.

    Once it was time to sleep, Chu Liuxiang eagerly jumped on Yuan''s bed while wearing her see-through pajamas.

    "We''re going to be alone tonight, Brother Yuan." Chu Liuxiang giggled like a child.

    "Yes, we are." He calmly said as he also entered the bed.

    However, Chu Liuxiang didn''t take advantage of their time alone, as she didn''t want to advance their rtionship while he was still feeling down.

    ''If I am going to start a family with him, it should be done when we''re both happy and eager.'' Chu Liuxiang thought to herself as she slept beside Yuan.

    Meanwhile, on the other side of the room, Meixiu was having a hard time sleeping for obvious reasons, as she couldn''t get her mind off the fact that Yuan was currently alone with a bold woman like Chu Liuxiang, who also has plenty of ambitions.

    The following morning, Meixiu woke up early to cook breakfast, something she hasn''t done in a while.

    "Shall I help you out with breakfast?" Sebastian asked her.

    "It''s fine, you''re the guest here," Meixiu said to him.

    Sebastian nodded and returned to cultivating.

    Shortly after Meixiu began cooking, Chu Liuxiang came outside of Yuan''s room with a sleepy look on her face.

    Meixiu turned to look at her with a questioning gaze.

    Chu Liuxiang smiled and said, "Don''t worry, I won''t do anything for now, but once he''s fully recovered, I will do it."

    "You don''t have to tell me that," Meixiu shook her head.

    Once breakfast was ready, everyone sat around the table to eat.

    "It''s been a while since I tasted this vor," Yuan said.

    "Looks like you can cook a little, butpared to Sebastian, you''re stillcking." Chu Liuxiang said, yet she kept eating without any breaks until she finished.

    After breakfast, Yuan took a seat in his bedroom and began cultivating, but he had no intentions of trying to breakthrough to Spirit Grandmaster. Instead, he was doing it just to clear his mind.

    Meanwhile, Chu Liuxiang wouldy on the bed, silently watching Yuan cultivate.

    "Don''t you get tired doing that all day?" Meixiu asked her at the end of the day.

    "Nope. I can watch him all day," she said.

    Sometime in the afternoon the following day, Meixiu received a text from Senior Wang, stating that the disciples should be arriving at their apartment soon.

    "They are here already? That was faster than I anticipated." Yuan said.

    And sure enough, about ten minutester, they can hear someone knocking on the door.

    Meixiu went to open the door, and to her surprise, all of them were elite disciples from the Spiritual Elite, such as Wang Ming, Wang Bingbing, Shi Lang, Xi Murong, Hong Xiuquan, Wu Zao, and even Li Jinxi.

    Basically, everyone that had participated in the Spirit Competition was there.

    "Hey! We''re here to help you create your faction! Of course, if you want us to leave afterward, we won''t hold any hard feelings!" Wang Ming said to them with a wide smile on his face.

    "Aren''t you all elite disciples of the Spiritual Elites? Are the Six Spiritual Families really fine with sending away all of their most talented disciples to our faction?" Chu Liuxiang asked.

    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    "Of course. Not only do we have our parents'' approval, but even the grand elders urged us to join you guys." Shi Lang replied.

    It was clear what the Six Spiritual Families'' intentions were by sending all of their most talented disciples there.

    If Yuan couldn''t join them, they will simply join him instead! Furthermore, once they form an alliance with each other, it would no longer matter which faction they stay in.

    And even if they stay in Yuan''s faction, they are still affiliated with the Spiritual Elites and the Six Spiritual Families by blood.

    "Thank you all foring here," Yuan said to them.

    "It''s actually a pleasure for us to be here! When do you want to create your faction?" Wang Ming then asked.

    "We can do that right now. Just give us a moment to prepare and we''ll head out."

    "Okay."

    A few minutester, Yuan and Meixiu wore their masks before going outside.

    "In order to create our faction, we''ll need to head to the Cultivators'' Association," Meixiu said.

    "The Cultivators'' Association? I didn''t think we would go back there so soon¡­" Yuan sighed.

 Chapter 601 - Demon Sealing Faction

    <h4>Chapter 601 - Demon Sealing Faction</h4>

    "Yuan, I have been wondering this ever since I learned that you were blind¡­ But how do you see where you''re going? You can move and even fight better than most people who can see¡­ I almost didn''t believe it when I first heard it." Wang Ming said to him as they walked down the street as one big group.

    "Although I am blind¡­ I am not actually blind. I can see using divine sense." Yuan said, and he began exining to them about divine sense.

    "The grand elders are Spirit Masters as well, but they cannot use divine sense." Wang Bingbing shook her head.

    "By the way, what''s the faction going to be called?" Shi Lang then asked.

    "Demon Sealing Faction," Yuan calmly responded.

    "D-Demon Sealing¡­?" They all looked at him with wide eyes.

    "Does this mean¡­"

    "Yes, our purpose is to deal with the demons that will eventually break out of their seal. Of course, I don''t actually expect any of you to fight the demons. I can handle them alone, but if you wish to learn how to seal demons, I can teach you."

    "Really?! You''ll teach us how to defeat demons?!" Wang Ming eximed in an excited voice.

    After what happened at the Jaded Garden, he wished that he had the ability to fight demons.

    "If that''s what you want." Yuan nodded.

    Sometimeter, they arrived at the Cultivators'' Association that was as busy as ever with cultivators mostly at the Spirit Apprentice level walking around.

    Yuan took a deep breath, clearing the bad memories he had in this ce, before walking inside with the others.

    Upon entering the building, Meixiu said, "Follow me."

    She brought them to the faction area, where people go to create or advertise their factions.

    "Hello, how may I help you?" The receptionist sitting behind the desk asked.

    "We''re here to register for a new faction," Meixiu said.

    "A new faction, right? Do you wish to be an official faction or merely a faction in name?" The receptionist then asked.

    "What''s the difference?"

    "In order to be an official faction, you must pay a certain fee to be registered in the official faction list. As an official faction, you will get to advertise at our Cultivators'' Association and receive recognition from the government."

    "If you only want to be a faction in name, you will still be registered in the system, but you won''t be recognized as a real faction." The receptionist exined.

    "So it''s all about the money in the end, huh?" Wang Mingughed.

    And he continued, "I don''t think we need to pay them to be an official faction. Once the people realize who is running the faction, they will have no choice but to consider us official, right, Yuan?"

    ''W-Wait¡­ Did he just say ''Yuan''?'' The receptionist doubted his ears.

    Then he realized that two of them were wearing masks, something yer Yuan was known for.

    "A-Are you perhaps yer Yuan?" The receptionist asked the one that emitted the stronger presence.

    "Yes, I am." Yuan calmly responded.

    "P-Please give me a moment¡­"

    The receptionist then picked up the phone and dialed a number.

    "Yes¡­ yer Yuan is here at desk number 3¡­"

    The receptionist hung up after that sentence and returned to them with a nervous smile on his face.

    "Our chairman will personally take care of you, esteemed guests," he said.

    Two minutester, they could see a middle-aged man with a short but neat beard running in their direction.

    "W-Wee to the Cultivators'' Association, yer Yuan! I am Chairman Lee, Chairman Zhao''s recement following his resignation. First and foremost, allow me to personally apologize for what happened previously. I promise that no such thing will ever happen again as long as I am the Chairman." Chairman Lee respectfully bowed to them.

    This attracted the people there.

    "Hey¡­ Isn''t that person with the ck mask yer Yuan? What''s he doing back at the Cultivators'' Association? Did they offend him again?"

    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    Meanwhile, Yuan remained calm and said, "What happened in the past has nothing to do with you, so I don''t understand why you feel the need to apologize to me. Just let it go."

    "Thank you for your pardon. Now then, how may I help you?"

    "We''re here to start our own faction," Yuan said.

    "Of course. Allow me to help you." Chairman Lee then turned to look at the receptionist with an intensive gaze.

    The receptionist quickly stepped aside to allow Chairman Lee to get behind the desk. This is the first time the receptionist has seen Chairman Lee so eager to work their job.

    "Alright, I am ready. I just need the details now¡ª Oh, right. I nearly forgot. You need at least 10 people to create a faction, or I won''t be able to register it in the system."

    "We have ten people here," Yuan said.

    "Great. Then let''s start with the name of the faction."

    "Demon Sealing Faction," Yuan immediately said.

    "D-Demon¡­?" Chairman Lee looked at Yuan with a dazed face for a good moment before snapping out of it and typing it into theputer.

    "As for the leader of the faction¡­ I am assuming it''s going to be you?" Chairman Lee asked him a momentter.

    "Who else is more qualified to be the leader than him here?" Li Jinxi sneered, almost as though she was mocking his question.

    "I-I understand¡­ What about the vice-leaders? You can have two of them at most."

    Yuan then said, "Meixiu and Chu Liuxiang."

    After typing their name into the system, Chairman Lee spoke, "Can I have the others'' name now?"

    Wang Ming and the others began giving their names one by one.

    Once all of their names were in the system, Chairman Lee created their faction.

    Normally, a newly registered faction would need to be vetted first before they are approved, but with Chairman Lee''s position within the Cultivators'' Association, they easily skipped all of those steps and instantly got approved as an official faction.

    "Congrattions, your faction ''Demon Sealing Faction'' has been created. If you ever need anything or have any questions, you are free to contact me at any time and I will do my best to help you¡­" Chairman Lee said to them afterward.

 Chapter 602 - Qi Device

    <h4>Chapter 602 - Qi Device</h4>

    "Does this mean we are done here?" Yuan asked after their faction was created.

    "Notpletely. Your faction has been created, but we still need some more information, such as the location of your faction headquarters, and if you want, you can register your members'' cultivation base into the system so that we can rank your faction." Chairman Lee said.

    And he continued, "Of course, the higher rank your faction, the more benefit you can receive."

    "The location of our faction?" Yuan mumbled.

    "What if we don''t have a location yet?" He then asked.

    "That''spletely fine. It''s not required to have a headquarter for your faction, but most factions have one, as it makes them look more professional. Also, it would make things more convenient for the members if they can all live in the same area."

    Yuan turned around and asked the others, "Well? What do you guys think?"

    "We don''t have any living quarters at the moment since we weren''t sure if you wanted us to stay afterward, but we can live in hotels or rent out somece near your apartment if it''s too much to get our own headquarters since they''re not cheap." Wang Ming said.

    "If it''s a money issue, we can simply ask our families for help." Li Jinxi said calmly.

    "I think it''s more of a location issue since I don''t have any ideas where we should make our headquarters," Yuan said.

    "If you need help looking for a headquarter, our Cultivators'' Association can help you. We have specialists for this kind of stuff. We will help you scout out areas based on your preferences, and we can give out loans with zero interest if you need help with money." Chairman Lee suddenly said, realizing that this is a perfect opportunity to make things right between the Cultivators'' Association and Yuan, whose faction will surely be a top power in the near future.

    Yuan pondered for a moment before nodding his head, "Okay, we''ll rely on you to scout for a ce."

    "Very well! Just let me know the details and the Cultivators'' Association will do everything in its power to find you a suitable ce! Are there any more questions?"

    "Then can you tell me about the faction ranking and what kind of benefit we can receive?" Yuan then asked.

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    "Of course! Every faction can be ranked depending on its overall prowess and influence. From the lowest rank to the highest, we have Bronze, Silver, Gold, tinum, andstly, Crimson."

    "As for the benefits¡­ You can receive monthly allowances and assistance from the Cultivators'' Association and all of our allies." Chairman Lee then continued.

    "The rank and benefits only matter if you join the Cultivators'' Association. The Spiritual Elites doesn''t have any rank because we didn''t join the Cultivators'' Association, but we would easily qualify for the highest rank." Wang Ming said.

    "I see¡­" Yuan nodded.

    "Actually, you can still receive an official rank and some benefits even if you don''t join the Cultivators'' Association. It just won''tpare to those who join our Cultivators'' Association, and it''ll be harder to get approved." Chairman Lee exined.

    "If we don''t have to join the Cultivators'' Association to receive a rank, we will do it." Yuan then said.

    Even though he couldn''t care less about their rank, he wanted to see how theypared to the other factions.

    "Very well. Please give me a moment."

    Chairman Lee then retrieved something from under the desk.

    "This is a Qi Device, it can analyze spiritual energy and determine one''s cultivation with fairly good uracy. It was only created very recently as well. Try it out."

    Yuan and the others looked at this machine with raised eyebrows.

    "Here, let me show you." Chairman Lee then ced his hand on this machine before pressing a red button.

    A few momentster, the words ''Ninth Level Spirit Apprentice'' appeared on the screen.

    "Let me try next!" Wang Ming was the first one amongst them to try out the machine.

    After putting his hands on the machine, he waited for the results.

    "T-Third Level Spirit Warrior?!" Chairman Lee''s eyes widened with shock when he saw the results.

    "Third level? That''s not right. I''m actually at the seventh level Spirit Warrior." Wang Ming corrected him.

    "What?" Chairman Lee looked at Wang Ming with a look of disbelief on his face.

    "Maybe the machine isn''t ready for cultivators above Spirit Warrior since most people are still Spirit Apprentices." Shi Lang said.

    "That makes sense." Wang Ming nodded.

    "If that''s the case, there''s no point for the rest of us to try it since we''re all above Spirit Warrior and it won''t be able to urately tell our cultivation." Xi Murong said.

    Chairman Lee was left speechless by Xi Murong''s words. They were all above Spirit Warrior? Where on earth did so many geniusese from?

    "I-I am sorry for the inconveniences. It will probably take some more time before these machines can handle Spirit Warriors¡­" Chairman Lee apologized to them.

    "It might even take a few years before they can handle Yuan, who is already a Spirit Master." Wang Mingughed out loud.

    "Anyways, since we cannot urately gauge your cultivation level, let''s just focus on your headquarters for now. What kind of preferences do you have in mind? Such as the scenery, the size of the building, and your budget."

    Yuan pondered for a moment before speaking, "I don''t really care about the scenery or the location as it''s in a convenient area. As for the size of the ce¡­ I would prefer it if it could fit over 10, even 20 peoplefortably. As for our budget¡­ it doesn''t matter either."

    Chairman Lee continued to ask Yuan a few more questions about what he wanted for their headquarters.

    Fifteen minutester, Chairman Lee nodded, "All done. Please give us a week to scout for your headquarters. I will notify you the moment we finish."

    "Okay." Yuan nodded.

    "It was a pleasure helping you. I look forward to the day your faction reaches the top." Chairman Lee said to them before leaving the scene.

    Yuan and the others left the Cultivators'' Association shortly afterward.

 Chapter 603 - Returning To Cultivation Online

    <h4>Chapter 603 - Returning To Cultivation Online</h4>

    "Where will you guys be staying until we have our headquarters?" Yuan asked Wang Ming and the others.

    "We''ll probably rent a hotel somewhere close to your apartment. It''ll only be for around a week, anyway." Wang Ming said.

    "What about you? What are you going to be doing in the meantime?" Li Jinxi asked him, as she was hoping to train with him while they waited.

    "I am going to return to Cultivation Online. It''s been a very long time since Ist stepped foot in that world, after all," he said.

    "Cultivation Online?" The elite disciples raised their eyebrows simultaneously.

    Although they have yed Cultivation Online before, none of them took it seriously.

    ''Maybe he wants to get his mind of that incident by indulging himself in Cultivation Online¡­''

    All of the elite disciples had a simr thought, so they didn''t question him.

    Sometimeter, Yuan and the elite disciples went their separate ways.

    "I didn''t think he''d really allow us to stay." Xi Murong said once they left.

    "Why not? He''s a very nice guy if you get to know him." Wang Ming said.

    "Really? I feel nervous when he''s around. His presence is extraordinary."

    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    "That doesn''t mean he''s a bad person. In fact, he can be quite humble at times."

    "Anyways, let''s hurry up and find a hotel. I need to tell my parents that Yuan has officially created his faction." Shi Lang said.

    Meanwhile, back at the apartment, Yuan said, "Now that I have created my faction, I will leave everything else to you two, Meixiu, Lulu."

    "I promise you that I will make it the best faction in the world!" Chu Liuxiang proudly patted her chest.

    "What will the requirements be like? If we''re even going to ept new members." Meixiu then asked.

    "I don''t think we need any new members, and I don''t like to idea of recruiting people that we don''t know just for the sake of increasing our members," he said.

    "Makes sense. Then what should we do?"

    "I think we can scout for headquarters even though the Cultivators'' Association is already helping us with that." Chu Liuxiang suddenly said.

    "Sebastian, bring myptop."

    "Yes, Young Lady."

    Sebastian then retrieved a thinptop from their luggage before putting it on the desk.

    Chu Liuxiang opened theptop and opened up a browser.

    "We can look for headquarters using this. My Chu Family has an intelligence agency, and I have special ess to the system, so I can look at pretty much anything I want from thisptop."

    While Meixiu and Chu Liuxiang looked at potential buildings they could use as headquarters for their faction, Yuan went inside his room and retrieved the console that allowed people to y Cultivation Online.

    However, he no longer looked at the console in the same light as before, especially now that he knows Cultivation Online is a real world and this console somehow teleports them there.

    Yuanid on the bed, and after taking a deep breath, he wore the console on his head.

    After turning the power on, Yuan could feel his consciousness being sucked away. He could feel himself flying through the void, and this feeling wouldst for a few seconds until he appeared inside Cultivation Online.

    Once he was back inside Cultivation Online, Yuan took a deep breath.

    "It feels like forever since Ist logged on," he mumbled as he looked at the scenery with his eyes.

    "After using nothing but divine sense for thest few weeks, it feels weird using my eyes to see."

    "I wonder what the others have been up to¡­" Yuan tried to contact them using their servant and master connection, but nobody responded to him, meaning they were too far away for the connection to work.

    Yuan looked at the sky and sighed, "Even though I have returned, where am I supposed to start? Where do I go for answers?"

    "The upper heavens¡­ Maybe I can find my answers there, but I cannot go there without Xiao Hua and the others¡­"

    After pondering for a moment, Yuan decided to prepare for the Stairway to Heaven while he waits for Xiao Hua and the others to return.

    However, he wasn''t sure where to start.

    Then he remembered a certain promise he made with somebody.

    "That''s right¡­ I promised Senior Song that I''d visit her sect before I departed the Lower Heavens¡­ Since she''s also a top expert in this world, maybe she knows something about the Stairway to Heaven."

    "Heavenly Melody Academy, huh."

    Yuan then returned to the nearest city to ask around for the location of the Heavenly Melody Academy.

    Once he got the directions, Yuan went to the nearest teleportation device to teleport to the city that was closest to the Heavenly Melody Academy, before flying to the sect on his flying sword.

    While he traveled to the Heavenly Melody Academy alone, Yuan realized that this was his first time traveling a long distance by himself.

    Ever since he met Xiao Hua at the very beginning of his journey, he would always have somebody by his side.

    ''It feels so weird being alone, it''s also a new experience at the same time¡­''

    A few hourster, Yuan arrived at the Heavenly Melody Academy, and even at the sect''s entrance, he could already hear music being yed in the distance.

    "How can we help you?" The disciples guarding the gate asked him when he approached.

    "I''m here to see Senior Song, your Sect Master."

    "Sect Master Song? Who are you? Do you have an appointment with her?" The disciples immediately doubted his identity, as their Sect Master rarely receives any guests, and Yuan looked too young to be of any importance to their Sect Master.

    It was at this moment Yuan recalled that Song Ling''er had given him a jade slip so that he could contact her.

    Thus, Yuan no longer bothered with the disciples and retrieved the jade slip, sending Song Ling''er a message.

    "I am currently outside the Heavenly Melody Academy."

 Chapter 604 - Heavenly Melody Academy

    <h4>Chapter 604 - Heavenly Melody Academy</h4>

    "Sect Master, regarding this year''s disciple recruitment¡­"

    A group of high-ranking sect elders stood before Song Ling''er as they talked about their future ns for the Heavenly Melody Academy.

    However, midway through their meeting, Song Ling''er noticed that one of hermunication jade slips was trembling, and it was the one that she''d been anticipating for the longest.

    Seeing this, Song Ling''er immediately listened to the message from it.

    "I am currently outside the Heavenly Melody Academy." Yuan''s voice resounded.

    "He''s finally here!" Song Ling''er stood up and shouted in an excited voice.

    This startled the sect elders, and they all proceeded to stare at her with puzzled looks.

    "The meeting will end early today. We''ll continue this at another date." Song Ling''er said to them before leaving the scene in a hurry without exining to them the situation.

    The sect elders could only specte that something serious must have happened to cause her to leave with such urgency.

    Little did they know that she was only going to greet a young man at the entrance of their sect.

    Once Song Ling''er left the meeting, she quickly sent Yuan a message stating that she will be there shortly.

    Meanwhile, outside the Heavenly Melody Academy, the disciples guarding the gates said to Yuan, who had been standing outside their sect for a while now, "Excuse me, but you cannot linger outside the sect, so you''ll have to leave."

    "I am waiting for your Sect Master, who should be arriving here now." Yuan said to them in a calm voice.

    The disciples looked at each other beforeughing out loud, "The Sect Master ising here? Who do you think you are? The Sect Master has never greeted anyone at the entrance before!"

    "I don''t know what else to tell you if you''re not going to believe me." Yuan shook his head.

    Now that he understood why the ''NPCs'' act like real humans, he no longer saw them in the same light as before.

    The disciples then approached him and said, "If you''re not going to leave, we''ll make you leave!"

    "Are you sure you want me to leave?" Yuan looked at them with a nonchnt gaze.

    "Do you think we''re joking?!" The disciples then retrieved their weapons, but it wasn''t what one would normally expect, as they were instruments instead of actual weapons.

    Yuan merely shook his head and turned around, before walking away.

    Of course, he didn''t actually leave the ce.

    Once he was out of the disciples'' sight, he stopped and began waiting there, as he was in no mood to deal with the unreasonable disciples.

    After all, the easiest way to deal with these types of people is simply to avoid them, and arguing with them would only escte the situation.

    A few minutes after Yuan left the ce, Song Ling''er showed up at the scene, which shocked the disciples there.

    "S-Sect Master? What are you doing here?" The disciples guarding the gate asked after greeting her.

    They had a clue why she was there, but they didn''t want to believe it, as they would definitely be punished if it was true.

    Song Ling''er didn''t answer their question and instead looked around, but when she couldn''t see Yuan anywhere, she frowned.

    "Hey, was there a young man here just now? He should be around your age. ck hair." Song Ling''er decided to ask the disciples, as she didn''t think Yuan would be the type to y such a cruel trick on her.

    The disciples immediately felt as though they''d been pped in the face when they realized who Song Ling''er was referring to, and they cried inwardly, ''So he was actually telling the truth! And we chased him away! We''re doomed!''

    "S-Sect Master¡­ W-What had happened was¡­"

    The disciples began trying to give excuses, but Song Ling''er didn''t care about any of that, and she asked again, "Did you see him or not?"

    "W-We did¡­"

    "Where is he then?"

    "We thought he was someone suspicious, so we kind of forced him to leave¡­" One of the disciples eventually resigned to his fate and revealed the truth.

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    "You what?!"

    As they''d expected, Song Ling''er immediately fumed with anger.

    "We''re sorry, Sect Master! We really didn''t know he was telling the truth!"

    The disciples quickly got on their knees and begged for forgiveness.

    After a moment of silence, Song Ling''er spoke in a cold voice, "If you''re really sorry, then go bring him back! And you''re all forbidden to return until you do!"

    The disciples felt like crying after hearing her words that low-key expelled them from the sect.

    However, right as tears began forming in the corner of their eyes, Song Ling''er noticed a figure approaching them from a distance.

    When she saw Yuan''s face, her cold face immediately softened.

    "Yuan!" She called out to him, causing the disciples to turn their heads.

    When they saw the young man they''d turned away return, their eyes glistened with hope and joy.

    "I apologize for making you wait even though I messaged you earlier." Yuan said to her.

    "Don''t worry about it, I have heard the situation from these idiots. Please forgive their rudeness just now." Song Ling''er shook her head.

    And she continued, "Follow me, let me show you around the sect before we sit down."

    Yuan nodded and proceeded to follow her.

    The disciples sighed in relief inwardly when they saw them leaving, but s, Song Ling''er suddenly said, "All of you here will spend 1 month in the chamber of repentance starting today."

    "Y-Yes, Sect Master!" They all responded simultaneously.

    Although they were still getting punished, it was much better than getting kicked out of the sect that they worked so hard to enter.

    Once they entered the sect, Song Ling''er began guiding Yuan around the Heavenly Melody Academy.

    "Since you''re here, does it mean you''ll be challenging the Stairway to Heaven soon?" Song Ling''er asked him as they walked around the sect.

    "Yes¡­ I wanted to explore the Lower Heavens a little more before, but s¡­ Looks like I will have to postpone that n for the future."

 Chapter 605 - Two Statues

    <h4>Chapter 605 - Two Statues</h4>

    "Leaving it for the future? You know it''s going to be very difficult for you to return once you ascend, right? Especially the higher you go, the more resources it''ll require for you toe back to the Lower Heavens," Song Ling''er said to him.

    "I know, but it''s not impossible."

    Song Ling''er stared at him in silence for a moment before speaking, "Did something happen? There''s something different about you."

    "Huh? How can you tell?"

    "A woman''s intuition, I guess," she casually shrugged.

    Yuan then sighed, "Something did happen, but it''s all in the past now, and dwelling on it won''t do me any good."

    "While it''s definitely not worth dwelling on some things, some definitely are worth it, as it could be what pushes you further past your limit. If you want to talk to me about it, I am all ears."

    Yuan pondered for a moment before asking, "Senior Song¡­ Do you know anyone close to you that have passed away? Sorry if it''s a sensitive question."

    Song Ling''er looked at him with raised eyebrows, "Death? This is the cultivation world, where death is probably one of if not the mostmon thing regardless of which realm you''re in. I don''t think there is anyone around my age that hasn''t experienced the death of a friend or a loved one."

    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    "In fact, I have lost many friends to magical beasts and even more to other cultivators. I thought it was something more serious, but I guess this is your first time experiencing something like this, which is pretty normal."

    Yuan nodded and said, "Yes, this is the first time someone close to me has passed away, and she was even killed right before my eyes. How did you deal with the loss of a friend?"

    Song Ling''er looked up at the sky and said in a low voice, "You can neverpletely deal with the loss of a friend or family member¡ª at least I don''t think so, since they will always remain in your memories. The best thing one can do is try to prevent it from happening again in the future. Other than that, you''ll just have to live the rest of your life with that burden, especially if you''re the reason that person died."

    "Many people¡ª friends had died because I was too weak to protect them. And as cold-hearted as this may sound, it''s because of their death that pushed me to where I am today, so I am also grateful to them in a way."

    "Be strong enough so that it doesn''t happen again, huh¡­" Yuan mumbled in a low voice.

    "I don''t know what happened, but as a cultivator¡ª especially as a musician, you must learn how to control your emotions."

    "I understand. Thank you for the advice, Senior Song."

    Yuan suddenly stopped walking when he noticed something in the distance¡ª tworge statues standing beside each other with a zither in their grasp.

    "Can I get a closer look at those statues?" Yuan pointed to them and asked.

    "Of course."

    Once they were before the statue, Yuan focused on the female statue to his left first, as it resembled someone that he has seen before.

    "This person¡­ She looks like the Zither Goddess." Yuan mumbled out loud.

    "That is because she is the Zither Goddess," said Song Ling''er.

    And she continued, "Most people that aren''t a disciple of this sect don''t know this, but the Zither Goddess used to be a disciple of our Heavenly Melody Academy. Unfortunately, she didn''t stay for long because she easily surpassed everyone within just a few years."

    "The Zither Goddess was a disciple here? What was she like as a disciple?" Yuan asked, his interest piqued.

    "This is what I heard from the previous Sect Master, who heard it from the previous Sect Master and so on, but the Zither Goddess was a quiet girl who would spend the majority of her time alone in this exact spot ying the zither. If she''s not here, then she would be in her own room ying the zither."

    "Is there a reason why she would spend so much time here? I don''t see anything special here." Yuan looked around, but he could only see an empty area beside the statues.

    Song Ling''er then pointed to the statue standing right beside the Zither Goddess'' statue.

    "It''s because of this statue. She would spend most of her time performing for this statue," she said.

    Yuan turned his focus onto the second statue, which was a statue of a handsome man.

    "Are they perhaps acquainted with each other?" Yuan couldn''t help but ask.

    Song Ling''er chuckled a little before responding, "That''s not possible. That person left the Lower Heavens millions of years ago while the Zither Goddess wasn''t born until around 25,000 years ago."

    "If you ask me, I think it''s because she admires this person, hence why she had spent most of her time here."

    "The Zither Goddess admiring somebody? He must be a fairly influential person."

    "If you consider the God of Music an influential person, then you''re right." Song Ling''er said.

    "Eh? So he''s the God of Music? Does this mean he was also a disciple of the Heavenly Melody Academy?"

    "If only. The Heavenly Melody Academy is only a hundred thousand years old, after all. We made the statue to pay our respects to the God of Music, who is known to haveplete mastery over every instrument in existence."

    "Is that so¡­" Yuan looked at the face of the God of Music.

    Seeing Yuan staring at the God of Music''s face, she said, "By the way, that''s not really the God of Music''s real appearance. The statue was made only based on some descriptions of him from ancient scrolls. I don''t think anyone in the Lower Heavens would know his appearance."

    "Does this mean he still exists somewhere in the upper heavens?" Yuan then asked.

    "I don''t know, but if you ask me¡­ I don''t think anyone can live for millions of years even if they are the God of Music," she calmly responded.

 Chapter 606 - Paying Respects

    <h4>Chapter 606 - Paying Respects</h4>

    "If he''s the God of Music, he should have a very high cultivation base, right? I heard that cultivators who can live forever exist in the upper heavens." Yuan said.

    "You mean true immortals? These people can be counted with one hand¡­ And while he was recognized as the God of Music, that doesn''t automatically make him a powerful cultivator. Perhaps if he was called the God of Cultivation, it would make more sense." Song Ling''er said.

    "The God of Music, huh? I wonder what kind of person he was." Yuan mumbled to himself.

    "Unfortunately, not much is known about the God of Music besides his name¡ª Tian Kai."

    Yuan raised his eyebrows after hearing the surname ''Tian'', as it sounded familiar for some reason.

    ''Their surnames are also ''Tian''¡­'' Yuan thought to himself.

    After a moment of silence, Yuan asked Song Ling''er, "Do you mind if I y a song here?"

    "Right now?" Song Ling''er raised her eyebrows.

    "Yes, I want to pay my respects to both of them the same way the Zither Goddess paid respect to the God of Music."

    "Go ahead."

    Yuan then retrieved the Soul Ensnaring Zither before taking a seat right before the two statues.

    After taking a deep breath, he began ying Zither Goddess''s Ethereal Arts.

    Ding~

    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    A ripple swept the Heavenly Melody Academy every time Yuan yed a music note on the Soul Ensnaring Zither.

    Song Ling''er''s eyes widened with shock as she watched his performance, aspared to the time he yed during the zitherpetition, he has improved by leaps and bounds.

    The song didn''tst long, only a little over a minute, but it was more than long enough to mesmerize those who heard it, and they would all look as though their soul was absorbed out of their body, resembling Yuan when he first witnessed the Zither Goddess'' performance.

    Yuan stood up and returned the zither back inside his storage ring after the song ended.

    "Have you been practicing recently?" Song Ling''er asked him when she eventually snapped out of her daze.

    "Hm? Not really," he said.

    Although he did y for a few days with Azure, it couldn''t really be counted as practice.

    "I really cannot fathom why someone like you would focus on other things when you''re already extremely talented with the zither." Song Ling''er shook her head in a regretful manner, as she truly believed that it was a loss for the world of music that Yuan chose a different path.

    "Anyways, if you are done here, let''s go to my ce, where we can sit down and talk more."

    "Yes, I am done here."

    Thus, Yuan began following Song Ling''er to the Sect Master''s headquarters.

    "I have been wondering for a while now¡­ With so many people ying different instruments out in the open, won''t they just disturb each other?" Yuan asked as they walked.

    "Yes, that''s the point." Song Ling''er nodded.

    "They are trying to disturb others while focusing on their own music, as this cultivates their mind and concentration."

    "I see¡­ That makes sense."

    "Of course, if a disciple wants to y privately, there are plenty of ces they can go for that."

    While Yuan and Song Ling''er approached the Sect Master''s headquarters, the disciples that heard Yuan''s performance began spreading rumors.

    "Hey, did you hear that performance just now? Who was ying?"

    "If you ask me, I think only the Sect Master can y the zither with such perfection."

    "No, I have been to many of the Sect Master''s performances, and I can say with certainty that it''s not her. I dare say whoever yed the zither just now is even better than the Sect Master!"

    "Even better than the Sect Master? How is that possible? The Sect Master is the number one zither expert in the Lower Heavens!"

    "I don''t care who this person is¡ª I just want to listen more to their performance!"

    After arriving at the Sect Master''s headquarters, Song Ling''er brought Yuan to her room, where they sat down with tea in their hands.

    "You''ll be challenging the Stairway to Heaven soon, right? What are you going to do once you ascend to the next realm?" Song Ling''er asked him once they were rxed.

    "I am going to continue climbing until I have answers to my questions," he said.

    "Questions? What kind of questions?"

    Yuan looked at her in silence for a moment before speaking, "Do you know of a ce called Earth?"

    "Earth? No," she immediately responded.

    "What kind of ce is this Earth?"

    "It''s my hometown," he said.

    "What if I told you that I came from another world?" Yuan suddenly asked her.

    "Another world? You mean you came from the upper heavens? I wouldn''t be surprised if that was the case," she said.

    "No¡­ Not the upper heavens. I mean like apletely different world¡­ Another."

    Song Ling''er looked at him with a puzzled expression, seemingly unable toprehend his words.

    "Nevermind¡­ Let me change the question. Can you tell me a little more about the Stairway to Heaven? I know there are challenges that await within the Stairway to Heaven, but what kind of challenges?"

    "The challenge is different for each person challenging the Stairway to Heaven, so I cannot tell you what you might experience. However, I can tell you my experience with the Stairway to Heaven."

    "Eh? You''ve challenged the Stairway to Heaven before?"

    "Yes, I have¡­ And before you think I failed the challenges, I will have you know that I''d intentionally failed thest challenge because I didn''t want to ascend."

    "You don''t want to ascend? But I thought it was every cultivators'' desire to climb higher."

    "For most cultivators, yes, that is the case, but I am content with my current standing. I am the Sect Master of the Heavenly Melody Academy. If I leave the Lower Heavens, I will have to start climbing from the bottom again. Furthermore, I don''t have anybody who can rece my position as Sect Master. If I leave now, the Heavenly Melody Academy will suffer¡­" Song Ling''er exined.

 Chapter 607 - Music Pagoda

    <h4>Chapter 607 - Music Pagoda</h4>

    "Maybe in the future when I have someone who is capable of recing me as Sect Master, I will challenge the Stairway to Heaven again."

    "Anyways, for the Stairway to Heaven, when I challenged it, I had to do 4 trials."

    "For the first trial, I had to fight a stampede of magical beasts that was two levels above my cultivation."

    "For the second trial, I had to traverse a thousand miles while being burdened by a powerful pressure and magical beasts."

    "For the third trial, I had to confront my heart demon."

    "And for the final trial, I had to fight another magical beast, but this time, it was five whole levels above my cultivation."

    "Although the trials are random for everyone, many people have received the same trial before, so there''s a good chance that you''ll experience some of the same trials I went through."

    "I see¡­ This information will definitely be helpful to me. Thank you, Senior Song. If there''s anything I can do in return, don''t hesitate to ask." Yuan said to her.

    "I do have one request for you. Can you do a performance before the disciples for me? I want to broaden their views. Most of them think I am the number one zither expert under heaven, but that is far from the truth, as there are plenty more skillful zither experts in the upper heavens."

    "Okay. I don''t mind if it''s just a performance. When do you want me to do it?"

    "I will need some time to prepare for it. Can you give me four¡ª No, three days? You can even stay here as an esteemed guest if you''d like."

    "Sure." Yuan nodded.

    After all, he doesn''t know where Xiao Hua and the others were or when they''ll return, and there was no way that he''d leave them behind to challenge the Stairway to Heaven. Furthermore, he still has to return to the Dragon Essence Temple to pick Min Li up as he''d promised.

    Sometimeter, Senior Song led Yuan to his living quarters where he''ll be spending the next three days.

    "My house is this one, so if you need anything, just knock on my door. Though I usually spend most of my time at the Sect Master''s headquarters, so you can find me there if I am not home."

    "You are also free to wander the sect, but there are some restricted areas that can only be essed by certain individuals."

    "Do you have a ce where I can learn new songs?" Yuan then asked.

    "Of course. Just go to the Music Pagoda. You''ll find thousands of songs there."

    "Thank you."

    "Also, take this with you. This is proof that you''re a guest at our sect. If you''re caught without it, you might be misunderstood like what happened earlier, so make sure you have it with you at all times when you leave your living quarters." Song Ling''er handed him a medallion before returning to the Sect Master''s headquarters.

    Once she left, Yuan looked around his living quarters before making his way to the Melody Pavilion that Song Ling''er had mentioned.

    "Excuse me, do you know the way to Music Pagoda?" Yuan asked the first disciple he encountered.

    And since he was living beside Song Ling''er''s living quarters, it was only natural that he was located in the center of the sect with the elites.

    "Who are you? I don''t recognize your face. You new here?" The young man asked Yuan.

    "No, I am just here as a guest," he said.

    ''A guest that can enter the inner courts of the sect? Just who is this guy?'' The young man wondered to himself.

    "The Music Pagoda is at the Outer Court. You can get there by following that path over there. As for the ce itself, it''s an eleven-story building. You won''t miss it."

    "Thank you for the information," Yuan said to him before following the path.

    Sometimeter, Yuan arrived at the Outer Court, where disciples could be seen walking around with all kinds of instruments in their grasp.

    The mostmon instrument appeared to be the zither, which was expected since their Sect Master is a zither expert, but it wasn''t to the point where it overwhelmed the other instruments.

    There was a good variety of instruments, and Yuan began thinking of trying all of them before leaving.

    Eventually, he arrived at the Music Pagoda, which was crowded with disciples.

    After looking around the ce, Yuan decided to enter the building, and to his surprise, it was much more spacious than he''d anticipated.

    He approached one of the hundreds of shelves there and picked up a random scroll to read the contents.

    It was a music sheet for the flute.

    He picked up another from the same shelf, and it was also for the flute.

    It was at this moment that Yuan noticed the tag at the side of the shelf that read ''Flute''.

    Yuan then walked around until he found the zither tag.

    Once he did, he began looking through the music sheets one by one until he read everything on the shelf.

    When the disciples around him saw this, they thought that he was looking for the perfect song, but little did they know he was actually memorizing the songs so that he could try them all outter.

    "There are eleven floors in this building and the first floor is already filled with hundreds of songs. It''ll probably take months if I want to learn every song in this ce¡­" Yuan mumbled to himself as he looked for the next shelf of zither music.

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    Meanwhile, Song Ling''er was preparing for Yuan''s concert in three days.

    "You want to gather all of the disciples three days from now? What is the special asion?" One of the sect elders asked her after receiving this sudden order.

    "There will be a performance on that day. I believe that it will greatly benefit the disciples, perhaps even change their lives once they witness the performance," she said.

    "A performance? By whom?"

    "An expert that''s even better than me," she casually responded, leaving them speechless.

 Chapter 608 - Prove It!

    <h4>Chapter 608 - Prove It!</h4>

    "Even better than you, Sect Master? Who is this person?" One of the sect elders asked.

    "You''ll find out in three days," she casually responded.

    Meanwhile, back at the Music Pagoda, Yuan decided to see if the music sheets on the second floor were any different.

    "There are more notes¡­ I guess the higher the floor the more difficult the songs."

    Now that he had this knowledge, he wanted to see what was the most difficult song in this ce, so he began making his way towards the 11th floor.

    Once he reached the 11th floor, he walked straight to the zither section and began looking through the music sheets one by one.

    "Oh? I recognize this song¡­" Yuan was surprised by the first music sheet that he''d randomly picked, and it was the same song that he''d yed during the zitherpetition after learning it from Song Ling''er''s disciples.

    Even though he already knew the song, he still wanted to look at the music sheet properly to get a better understanding of it.

    While Yuan looked at this music sheet, a disciple approached him from behind.

    "Hey, you''re blocking the shelf." This disciple said to him.

    "Oh, I am sorry." Yuan turned around to see a beautiful youngdy standing behind him, and she looked very familiar for some reason.

    ''Isn''t she from the zitherpetition?''

    It took a moment for Yuan to recognize this girl, who was the one that yed the incredible song ''God Descends from Heaven'' during the zitherpetition.

    However, this girl didn''t recognize Yuan, who wasn''t wearing a mask at this moment but did during the zitherpetition.

    As Yuan made way for her, she noticed the music note in his grasp.

    ''God Descends from Heaven? Who is this guy?''

    Besides the top disciples in the sect that want to challenge themselves, most people don''t even dare to pick up the song because of its difficulty.

    "Do you intend on learning that song?" Ai Wan asked him out of curiosity.

    "Eh? No, I already know the song," he subconsciously responded.

    "You can y God Descends from Heaven?" Ai Wan looked at him with a suspicious face.

    Even many sect elders do not dare say that they ''know'' the song, yet this random person dares to make such ims?

    "Yes, I can."

    "Just because you can y a few hundred notes out of a few thousand doesn''t mean you can y the song."

    "No, I can y the entire song."

    "I don''t believe you." Ai Wan quickly said.

    And she continued, "Prove it! If you can really y the whole song, I will call you master!"

    "It''s fine, I don''t really need to prove myself." Yuan calmly said.

    "I knew it! There''s no way a nobody like you can y the most difficult song in the Lower Heavens!" Ai Wan felt insulted by Yuan when he imed to know the song, as she had spent many years learning the song, and iming you can y a song when you actually can''t is a taboo within the sect.

    The other disciples on that floor noticed theirmotion and joined the fun.

    "What''s going on, Senior Sister Ai? Why are you arguing with this guy?"

    "Did he offend Senior Sister? I will immediately take care of him for you!"

    Yuan suddenly found himself surrounded by these disciples, causing him to shake his head.

    "I just need to prove that I can y the song, right? Alright, I will y the song for you."

    Yuan retrieved the Soul Ensnaring Zither on the spot and took a seat while still surrounded by the disciples.

    ''W-Wait a second¡­ That zither¡­ It can''t be?!'' Ai Wan immediately recognized the Soul Ensnaring Zither, as she''d tried to y it before but to no avail.

    But before she could think too much, Yuan started ying the zither, instantly putting them in a daze.

    "Who dares to y their instrument inside the Music Pagoda?!" The sect elders managing the building frowned when they heard musicing from the top, as it was against the rules to y one''s instrument inside the building.

    However, they stopped moving when they realized the song that was being yed.

    "T-This song is God Descends from Heaven!"

    "Who is ying right now?!"

    The disciples there also realized this fact, and everybody began making their way to the 11th floor, quickly overwhelming the ce.

    "Get out of my way!"

    "You get out of my way!"

    The disciples began shoving each other around just to move a single step forward.

    "Make way!"

    The sect elders eventually arrived and forced the disciples to make a clear path for them.

    However, by the time they arrived on the 11th floor, Yuan had already finished the song, ying every single note of God Descends from Heaven wlessly without making a single mistake this time.

    [Your stats has been increased by 50% for 1 hour from the effects of ''God Descending from Heaven'']

    Yuan stored the Soul Ensnaring Zither before standing up and looking at Ai Wan, who was standing there with a dazed look on her face.

    "Are you happy now?" Yuan asked her.

    It was at this moment Ai Wan finally recognized his voice.

    "Wait¡­ You¡­ You''re that masked man during the zitherpetition! What are you doing here?!" She eximed in a shocked voice.

    The sect elders arrived at this moment and said, "Who was ying just now?"

    The disciples there immediately pointed at Yuan.

    "Let me see your disciple identification badge." The sect elder approached Yuan.

    "I am not a disciple here," Yuan said, showing them the medallion that Song Ling''er had given him.

    "Not a disciple?" The sect elders were speechless.

    How can such a talented individual not be a part of their sect? That in itself should be a crime!

    "Although that was an amazing performance just now, it''s against the rules to y your instrument in the Music Pagoda." The sect elder said after snapping out of his daze.

    "Eh? I didn''t know that, sorry." Yuan immediately apologized.

    "This was all my fault, elders. If you''re going to hold anyone responsible, it should be me." Ai Wan suddenly stepped forward and said.

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    "Prime Disciple Ai?" The sect elders looked at her with wide eyes, as Ai Wan is usually a quiet girl who never causes any trouble.

 Chapter 609 - Zither Goddesss Immortal Cave

    <h4>Chapter 609 - Zither Goddess''s Immortal Cave</h4>

    "W-Well¡­ Since Prime Disciple Ai says so¡­ We''ll forget about this incident. However, make sure it doesn''t happen again, or the Sect Master will be very upset with you." The sect elder said to her.

    Because Ai Wan was Song Ling''er''s disciple, the other sect elders didn''t dare to punish her, as they believed that they would be overstepping their boundaries as a sect elder to discipline the Sect Master''s disciple.

    "Thank you, sect elders. This will not happen again." Ai Wan bowed to them.

    She then nced at Yuan for a moment before leaving the Music Pagoda.

    Yuan also decided to leave since it would be impossible to look at the music sheets in peace after that littlemotion.

    Once he left the Music Pagoda, Yuan noticed Ai Wan standing outside, almost like she was waiting for him.

    "I''m sorry for acting up just now," she suddenly said to him.

    "I get agitated when people lie and make bold ims before me. You should know that ''God Descends from Heaven'' isn''t something ordinary people can y, and when someone ims they can y such a song to the end, it''s only natural to doubt their ims."

    "If I had known that you were the same person from thatpetition¡­ I''m sorry." Ai Wan apologized to him again.

    Yuan could tell that she was sincere in her apology, so he didn''t hold any hard feelings for her.

    "Don''t worry about it. It was just a misunderstanding," he said to her.

    "Thank you."

    After a moment of silence, she asked him, "By the way, what are you doing at our sect? Do you intend on bing a disciple?"

    "No, I am only here because of Senior Song. I will be leaving soon."

    "What a pity¡­" Ai Wan sighed.

    "Pity?" Yuan lifted his eyebrows in a questioning manner.

    "I heard from my Master that you are only ying the zither as a hobby and that you don''t intend on bing a zither expert. If I had your talents, I would definitely focus on bing the best zither expert in the world."

    "I mean it''s not like I am not ying the zither at all. I just don''t want it to be my main focus, as there are other things that I find more entertaining," said Yuan.

    "It''s your life, so I won''t tell you how to live it. However, you will definitely disappoint many people with your decisions." Ai Wan shook her head.

    "Anyways, I have onest thing to ask you¡­ The zither you used to y just now¡­ It''s the Soul Ensnaring Zither, right?"

    "Yes, it is."

    Ai Wan went silent for a moment before speaking, "Do you want to try something?"

    "What are you talking about?"

    "The Zither Goddess used to be a disciple of our Heavenly Melody Academy. Did you know this?" Ai Wan then asked him.

    "Yes, I do."

    "Then did you know that her immortal cave hasn''t been opened ever since she left?"

    "Huh?" Yuan was puzzled yet intrigued at the same time.

    "The Zither Goddess had her own immortal cave when she was still here, but it hasn''t been opened since she left, but it''s not because we don''t want to open it¡ª it''s because it refuses to open for some reason."

    "We believe that it''s because the Zither Goddess had ced some sort of protection around her home, but she forgot to take it down when she left, so her immortal cave has remained unopened to this date."

    "I was thinking that maybe you can open it with the Soul Ensnaring Zither."

    "I can try." Yuan nodded.

    "Okay, follow me." Ai Wan turned around and began walking.

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    Yuan quickly followed her.

    "Why do you want to open the immortal cave?" Yuan couldn''t help but ask her.

    "I am curious¡ª everyone is. We want to know what is inside the famous Zither Goddess''s immortal cave. Maybe she has some heaven-defying zither techniques inside."

    "Oh, I should also mention that while we cannot open it normally, we can definitely open it with force, but that would destroy the ce, so nobody is willing to do such a thing."

    "The Zither Goddess'' immortal cave, huh? I would be lying if I say that I am not interested." Yuan said.

    Sometimeter, they arrived at the inner court, where all of the high-ranking sect elders and elite disciples lived.

    "Disciple Ai Wan!"

    A feminine voice suddenly called out to her shortly after they entered the inner court.

    Ai Wan and Yuan turned around to see a pretty youngdy approaching them in an aggressive manner.

    "Disciple You, save your nonsense for another day. I am busy right now." Ai Wan said to her in an annoyed tone.

    This youngdy called Disciple You turned to look at Yuan before showing a grin on her face.

    "Is that your new boyfriend? Wei Kang will be very upset once he learns of this."

    "Why don''t you mind your own business? In fact, shouldn''t you be practicing for the uing prime disciple selection? Or are you so confident in your victory that you don''t need to practice?" Ai Wan coldly sneered.

    "I think we both¡ª as well as every other disciple in the sect, know that I will pass the prime disciple selection and be the Sect Master''s third disciple. And once I start studying under the Sect Master, I will quickly surpass you."

    "I cannot wait." Ai Wan responded in a nonchnt manner.

    "Hmph! Since I am a nobody in your eyes, you wouldn''t mind going to the Lily Pavilion with me, right?"

    "Again with the Lily Pavilion? I don''t have the time to deal with you."

    "Are you worried about embarrassing yourself in front of your boyfriend? If that''s the case, Ipletely understand." Disciple You chuckled.

    Ai Wan sneered, "First of all, he''s not my boyfriend. And secondly, I already told you that I am busy right now. If you are so desperate to lose face in front of me, I will dly meet you at the Lily Pavilion tomorrow."

    "Now you''ve said it! If you don''t show up tomorrow, I will make aughingstock out of you! And you, mister boyfriend! Make sure you''re there to see the look on your girlfriend''s face when Ipletely destroy her tomorrow!" Disciple You said to them before walking away without waiting for any response, leaving Yuan speechless.

 Chapter 610 - Disappeared!

    <h4>Chapter 610 - Disappeared!</h4>

    "I''m sorry about that¡­ That was Disiciple You, a new disciple that had been recruited by Master shortly after the zitherpetition, so she''s a little arrogant. And for some reason, she''s obsessed with surpassing me." Ai Wan said to Yuan afterward.

    "You can also ignore what she said."

    "What''s this Lily Pavilion?" Yuan asked.

    "It''s a ce where disciples go to battle each other with their instruments. The loser must jump into the cold water that surrounds the ce. It''s a very popr area for disciples who want to settle disputes."

    "That does sound like a pretty fun ce." Yuan smiled.

    At least they don''t have to injure each other, which is the biggest reason why people go there instead of the traditional challenge, where disciples fight each other with weapons.

    "Anyways, let''s continue to the Zither Goddess''s immortal cave."

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    About half an hourter, they arrive at this secluded area where many immortal caves existed, and it sort of reminded Yuan of the immortal caves at the Jaded Garden but at a muchrger scale.

    "Which one belongs to the Zither Goddess?" Yuan asked as he looked around.

    "Do you see that one with a closed entrance in the middle? That''s the one." Ai Wan pointed at the immortal cave that had a couple of people standing outside of it.

    "What are they doing?" Yuan asked when he saw the scene.

    "They are all trying to open up the immortal cave without breaking the ce," she said.

    "You see people like that almost every day."

    A few minutester, they climbed the hill and approached the Zither Goddess''s immortal cave.

    "Damn it! This ce really doesn''t want to open up!"

    "If it was so easy to open, it would''ve opened tens of thousands of years ago¡­"

    "There must be some sort of secret to opening this door!"

    "Hey, look over there! That''s Prime Disciple Ai!"

    "What''s she doing here?"

    The disciples stopped their investigation when they noticed Ai Wan''s presence.

    "Greetings, senior apprentice-sister."

    They all greeted her when she was close enough.

    "Hello," she nodded, acknowledging their greetings.

    "What brings you to this ce today, senior sister?" One of them asked her.

    "I''m just looking around," she casually said before turning to look at Yuan, who was intensively staring at the immortal cave.

    "Have you figured something out already?" she couldn''t help but ask him, her voice sounding a little excited.

    If anyone can open the immortal cave, it should be the person who managed to y the Zither Goddess'' Soul Ensnaring Zither!

    "I''m not sure¡­ I don''t see anything out of the ordinary about this ce." Yuan said.

    "Why don''t you try ying a song with the Soul Ensnaring Zither?" Ai Wan suddenly said.

    "What song should I y?"

    "Maybe something the Zither Goddess used to y?"

    Yuan nodded and took a seat in front of the immortal cave before retrieving the Soul Ensnaring Zither.

    "Senior apprentice-sister, who is this guy? I don''t recognize him." One of the disciples there asked her.

    "I don''t know him either." Ai Wan calmly responded.

    "Eh?"

    The disciples looked at her with wide eyes, as they were not expecting such an answer. In fact, they believed that she was only joking with them.

    Once Yuan was seated, he took a deep breath before ying Zither Goddess''s Ethereal Arts before the immortal cave.

    His performance immediately shocked the spectators.

    ''This guy¡­ He''s really in a different world in terms of talent¡­'' Ai Wan sighed inwardly, and her disappointment in Yuan for not taking advantage of such talents grew stronger.

    A few minutester, Yuan stopped ying the zither when the song finished, but there was no response from the Zither Goddess'' immortal cave.

    "I-It''s not opening¡­" Ai Wan mumbled in a dazed voice.

    "Sorry that I couldn''t be of any help," Yuan said to her afterward.

    "No, don''t worry about it. I should be apologizing for wasting your time."

    "What a pity, though. I really wanted to see her immortal cave¡­" Yuan sighed as he ced his hand on therge boulder that hasn''t budged for over 20,000 years.

    It was at this moment the boulder suddenly began trembling.

    "Eh?"

    However, before Yuan could even react, his vision suddenly cked out, almost like someone had turned off all the lights in a room.

    "W-Where am I?" Yuan looked around, but even with his enhanced vision, he was unable to see anything.

    Meanwhile, outside Zither Goddess'' immortal cave, Ai Wan and the other disciples were shocked by what they had just witnessed.

    "H-He disappeared!" One of the disciples there eximed after snapping out of his daze.

    "Where did he go?! He was just standing there a second ago!"

    Ai Wan quickly went to touch the boulder just like Yuan did, but nothing happened.

    "This has never happened before!" She muttered in a voice of disbelief.

    After standing there for a moment, Ai Wan turned around and began running away.

    "W-Where are you going, senior apprentice-sister?!" The other disciples called out to her.

    "I am going to get my Master!" she said.

    And she continued, "You guys stay there just in case he returns!"

    Sometimeter, she arrived at the Sect Master''s headquarters.

    "Master! Are you here?!" Ai Wan rushed into the building while shouting.

    "What happened?" Song Ling''er frowned when she saw how frantic Ai Wan was acting.

    "D-Do you remember Yuan? That person who was at the zitherpetition? He disappeared!" She said, confusing Song Ling''er.

    "What are you talking about? Start from the beginning, and slow down." Song Ling''er said.

    Ai Wan took a few deep breaths before exining to Song Ling''er the situation.

    "He disappeared right in front of you after touching Zither Goddess'' immortal cave? How is that possible?"

    "It''s true, Master! There are other disciples that witnessed it!"

    "Let''s go. We''re going to the immortal caves." Song Ling''er said as she stood up.

    Ai Wan then followed Song Ling''er back to the immortal caves¡­ Ai Wan hoped that Yuan would have returned by then, but s, he was still nowhere to be seen.

 Chapter 611 - Freefall

    <h4>Chapter 611 - Freefall</h4>

    After arriving at the immortal caves, Song Ling''er asked the disciples there for their story.

    "That person touched the immortal cave and disappeared the next second!"

    "It was so sudden! He hasn''t returned since then!"

    Song Ling''er frowned at the situation, and she began looking around the Zither Goddess'' immortal cave, even touching the exact same spot that Yuan had touched, but nothing happened.

    "Oh, I forgot to mention this, but he yed a song with the Soul Ensnaring Zither before touching the immortal cave." Ai Wan suddenly said.

    "Why didn''t you tell me this first?!" Song Ling''er sighed.

    "Do you know what kind of song he yed?"

    "No, I have never heard of such a song before."

    "Can you replicate it?" Song Ling''er then asked.

    Ai Wan didn''t immediately respond. She closed her eyes and recalled Yuan''s performance and tried to y his song inside her mind, but s, she was unable to remember the song for some reason, almost like there was an otherworldly power preventing her from doing so.

    "I cannot remember the song¡­" Ai Wan sighed after trying.

    "What? You should be able to memorize a song after hearing it once. Was the song he yed really that difficult?" Song Ling''er looked at Ai Wan with a surprised face.

    "Not difficult¡ª it wasplex, almost like it was a technique as well as a song. That''s the best I can describe it." Ai Wan said.

    "A song that is also a technique¡­? To think he''s already reached that level¡­" Song Ling''er mumbled to herself.

    And she continued a momentter, "Anyways, I don''t think there is anything we can do but wait for him to return on his own."

    "No way¡­" Ai Wan mumbled.

    She couldn''t help but me herself for this situation, as she was the one who asked Yuan to open the Zither Goddess'' immortal cave.

    If she hadn''t done such a thing, Yuan wouldn''t have disappeared.

    ''If a heavenly genius like him is forever gone because of me¡­'' Ai Wan could not imagine being responsible for the death of such a genius, so she silently prayed for his safety.

    Meanwhile, somewhere in this universe, Yuan was surrounded by nothing but pure darkness.

    "Hello?! Anyone there?!"

    Yuan walked around in this darkness while shouting for the past few minutes but to no avail.

    ''I really hope this is the Zither Goddess'' immortal cave and the reason it''s so dark is because the lights are off¡­'' Yuan sighed inwardly.

    After walking aimlessly for about ten minutes, Yuan suddenly stopped, as he could see a thin line of light very far in the distance.

    The moment he saw this, Yuan immediately began running towards this light.

    However, this light was actually much further than it appeared.

    Even though he had been running for many minutes, he doesn''t seem to be getting any closer to the light.

    About an hourter, he finally arrived before the light that was literally a bright pir of light.

    Yuan swallowed nervously, as he felt an incredibly strong beckoninging from the pir of light, almost as though it was daring him to approach it.

    "As much as I don''t want to get close to this light¡­ It''s probably my only way out of this void. As for where it will lead me¡ª if it even leads to anywhere, I will have to find out myself."

    Yuan closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

    Once he was prepared, he began stepping towards this pir of light, disappearing into it.

    Yuan immediately began feeling dizzy after entering the pir of light, but it wasn''t an unfamiliar feeling, as he would often feel the same thing when he was being transported to somece through teleportation.

    ''I am being teleported¡­ but the question is where?'' Yuan braced himself as he watched his surroundings blur.

    The next moment, Yuan found himself in a very familiar scenery.

    It was mostly blue, and it was surrounded by these fluffy white objects that would drift at a slow and smooth pace.

    "Why am I in the sky again?!" Yuan eximed as his body began falling.

    Fortunately, he was a Spirit Grandmaster, and he could fly.

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    Except that wasn''t the case, as when he tried to fly, it didn''t work at all, almost like the spiritual energy in the air didn''t want to listen to him for some reason.

    "Is this how I will experience my first death in Cultivation Online?! This is so unfair!" Yuan cried out loud as he continued to freefall this seemingly endless sky.

    A few more momentster, he could finally start seeing the ground.

    It was at this moment that Yuan noticed the bluend that was directly beneath him, and he immediately released a sigh of relief.

    ''Thank the heavens that I am falling in water¡­''

    However, before he even reached the water, he could see that there were a couple of people floating in this water.

    And not wanting tond on them, he quickly shouted at them, "Get out of the way!"

    These people were puzzled at first when they heard Yuan''s voice, and they quickly began looking around in a frantic manner.

    "I am above you!"

    Yuan shouted again.

    These people finally looked up, allowing Yuan to see their faces, and they were all extremely beautiful women.

    However, before he could say anything else, his freefall had ended, and he fell into this somewhat deep pond.

    "Phua!"

    Yuan quickly tried to swim out of this pond, but since he has never learned how to swim before, he ended up struggling a bit.

    If it were not for his superior strength that allowed him to move in the water without knowing how to swim, he would''ve never gotten out of the pond and would''ve drowned to death sooner orter.

    After getting out of the water, Yuan turned to face the six beautiful women that were still bathing inside the water, and all of them had a baffled look on their faces, looking like they were witnessing something that shouldn''t be possible.

 Chapter 612 - Chased By Six Beauties

    <h4>Chapter 612 - Chased By Six Beauties</h4>

    "H-Hello¡­ Sorry for interrupting you all, but can you tell me where we are right now?" Yuan asked them in a somewhat dazed voice, as these women were truly breathtakingly beautiful.

    However, these beautiful fairies remained silent as they continued to re at him.

    At first, they were dazed, then they slowly began to realize their situation.

    Once they fullyprehended the situation, their dazed faces turned into frowns, and their gaze turned bloodthirsty.

    Yuan swallowed nervously when he saw their unfriendly, even threatening gaze.

    "Um¡­"

    Unfortunately, before he could speak, one of them shouted, "It''s a man! A man has defiled our paradise! Get him!"

    Hearing their words, Yuan subconsciously turned around and began running for some reason.

    Although he regretted this decision at first, he would quickly realize that it was actually the right choice.

    "He''s running! Chase after him!"

    The six beauties immediately jumped out of the water, revealing theirpletely naked bodies, but Yuan was too upied with running to care.

    Once they were out of the water, these beauties quickly retrieved their robes to cover their bodies, but they didn''t even bother dressing up properly before chasing after Yuan, looking like a group ofdies who just woke upte for work and are currently scrambling to get prepared.

    ''Heavens! They are fast!'' Yuan cried inwardly when he saw them quickly closing in on him even though he started running many seconds ahead of them.

    ''And why can''t I use Qi Maniption in this ce?!''

    Since he couldn''t fly for some reason, he had to resort to using his movement technique.

    After running for a few more moments, Yuan shouted, "Seniors! There must have been a misunderstanding! Why don''t we all stop and talk about this like civil people?!"

    As much as he wanted to stop and speak with them, he feared that these beauties might tear him to pieces the second he stopped.

    "Civil?! Don''t you dare talk about being civil when you are the one who invaded our territory! You''re also the one who made a mistake by breaking thews of this ce!" One of the six beauties shouted back a secondter.

    "The punishment for breaking thisw is the death sentence with no exceptions!"

    Yuan was baffled by thesedies'' words.

    He''d broken thew? What kind ofw did he break to deserve a death sentence?

    "I swear! Whateverw I broke, it wasn''t intentional!"

    "Bullsh*t! You knew very well what you are doing!"

    "Then can you at least tell me what kind ofw I broke?!"

    "How dare you still mess with us?! There''s no way you don''t know about the Fairy Paradise and its strictws!"

    Almost as though Yuan had angered them even further with his question, these beautifuldies began chasing after him a little faster.

    "Why is everyone in this world so unreasonable?! I just wanted to know what I did wrong!" Yuan cried out loud as he also quickened his steps with the movement technique.

    "What kind of movement technique is this pervert using?! He''s only a Spirit Grandmaster, yet we cannot catch him even after chasing him for so long!" One of the beauties said, admiring his movement technique a little.

    "That''s probably why he dared to enter the Fairy Paradise! If he thinks he can run forever, he''s a fool!"

    The six beauties then exchanged nces with each other before nodding their heads.

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    The next moment, Yuan could feel an obnoxious feelinging from behind him, forcing him to turn around to see what was making him feel so ufortable, and to his shock, the six beauties had retrieved their weapons!

    "Die, you pervert!"

    The six beauties began unleashing a torrent of attacks on Yuan from behind.

    Whoosh!

    Bang!

    Boom!

    Yuan could feel his heart racing as he sensed the powerful spiritual energy within their attacks.

    ''This destructive power! They''re all Spirit Kings?!'' Yuan eximed inwardly when he realized their cultivation bases.

    Why are there suddenly so many Spirit Kings in one ce? Did he get transported to somewhere in the upper heavens again? But why would the Zither Goddess'' immortal cave teleport him to this ce?

    "Dang it! Why are our attacks not hitting?! I really want to know what kind of movement technique he''s using now!"

    "Let''s stop going easy on him and take him out for real!" One of them suddenly suggested.

    "But won''t that cause amotion? We might get in trouble if we destroy the paradise anymore¡­"

    "I''m sure the elders will understand! After all, we''re trying to punish a man for entering our paradise! In fact, we''ll probably get in more trouble if we let him escape!"

    "Fine! Let''s do it!"

    However, before these beauties could release even more powerful attacks at Yuan, a cold voice suddenly resounded, "Halt!"

    The beauties immediately stopped moving when they heard this voice, even giving up on chasing after Yuan.

    Yuan, of course, didn''t stop and continued to run away.

    However, before he could move very far, a figure suddenly appeared before him like a ghost to block his path.

    "I told you to halt, didn''t I? Not only are you causing amotion here, but you even dare to disobey me? You''re a bold one even for men''s standard."

    This figure turned out to be another extremely beautiful woman, but her face was too cold.

    "I¡ª"

    Yuan tried to open his mouth to speak, but before he could get any words out, the beautifuldy released a tyrannical pressure that instantly shut his mouth and even brought him to his knees.

    ''W-What cultivation is this?!''

    Yuan was shocked by this intense pressure that surpassed all of his prior experiences.

    If he had to take a guess, this woman was either a Spirit Emperor or even a Spirit Sovereign! She was not an existence he could defend against even with his heaven-defying talents!

    "Oh? You''re still conscious? Not bad for a mere Spirit Grandmaster." The cold woman spoke in a nonchnt voice after seeing that Yuan was still awake.

    However, that didn''tst long, as the cold woman increased the pressure a secondter, instantly knocking Yuan unconscious.

 Chapter 613 - Imprisoned And Interrogated

    <h4>Chapter 613 - Imprisoned And Interrogated</h4>

    After knocking Yuan unconscious, the cold woman turned to look at the other six beauties and said, "Six Spirit Kings cannot handle a mere Spirit Grandmaster¡ª a little boy? You should all be ashamed of yourselves."

    The six beauties lowered their heads in a shameful manner, their faces flushed with redness.

    "We''re sorry for being useless, Elder Xue."

    "Quickly return to the sect and tell me everything that urred just now." The cold woman called Elder Xue used her spiritual energy to pick up Yuan before flying away, disappearing into the distance in just a few moments.

    The six beauties quickly followed Elder Xue''s words and returned to the sect that was a hundred miles away from their location.

    When Elder Xue returned to the sect first, she handed the still unconscious Yuan to one of the disciples there and said to her, "Lock him up and interrogate him for his identity when he wakes up."

    "Yes, Elder Xue."

    After Yuan was carried away, Elder Xue returned to her living quarters to wait for the six beauties to return.

    Once they finally arrived, she said to them, "Tell me everything."

    The six beauties that were standing beside each other began exining the situation to Elder Xue.

    "We went to the Bamboo Pond to wash ourselves, but shortly after we entered the water, we heard someone screaming, and it sounded like a man''s voice."

    "Once we realize where the sound wasing from, we all looked up, and to our surprise, a person was falling from the sky."

    "We didn''t know who this person was until we got a good look at him after he got out of the water, and he turned out to be an unknown man¡­"

    "That''s when we started chasing after him, but he had this weird movement technique that made it incredibly hard to catch him."

    "So we started throwing weak attacks at him, hoping to dy him or stop him from running, but he was not only fast¡ª he also disyed incredible agility by dodging all of our attacks with ease."

    "Seeing that it had no effect on him, we decided to increase our strength¡­"

    "¡­And that''s when you arrived, Elder Xue."

    "Hmmm¡­" Elder Xue listened to their whole story with her eyes closed, and they remained closed even after they finished.

    The six beauties didn''t dare to move until Elder Xue spoke to them, so they stood there in silence for many minutes until Elder Xue finally opened her eyes and spoke in a calm voice, "You can all leave. I will contact you if I need you."

    "Excuse us, Elder Xue."

    The beauties bowed to her before leaving the scene.

    ''Just where did this little boye from? Falling from the sky? We''re in the middle of Fairy Paradise! There''s no way that a man could enter the Fairy Paradise and travel such a long distance without alerting anybody!'' Elder Xue pondered to herself.

    Meanwhile, somewhere inside a small prison cell, Yuan slowly opened his eyes after waking up.

    "Ugh¡­ Where am I¡­?" Yuan looked around, quickly realizing that he was inside a prison cell, and he was currently suspended in midair with chains restricting his movements.

    "So you''re finally awake?"

    The disciple in charge of interrogating him said when she noticed that he was awake.

    "Tell me who you are and how you managed to get inside the Fairy Paradise. Although that won''t spare you from a death sentence, you won''t feel any pain if you make it easy for the both of us."

    Yuan frowned and said, "I don''t know how I got to this ce. I seem to have been teleported here by ident."

    "Hah? And you expect me to believe such a tant lie?" The disciple shook her head.

    "You know what? Since I am a very generous individual, I will give you a second chance. If not¡­"

    The disciple suddenly retrieved a whip that appeared to be made out of steel and cracked it beside her.

    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    Pap!

    The stone floor broke into many pieces when it was struck by the whip.

    Yuan swallowed nervously when he saw the steel whip.

    ''I don''t want to hurt her, but I can''t just let her torture me¡­'' Yuan sighed inwardly.

    It was at this moment that he noticed the shiny ring sitting on a table beside the disciple.

    "T-That''s my storage ring!" He subconsciously eximed out loud.

    The disciple turned to look at the Dragon Spatial Ring and smiled, "Oh? So the answer to your identity is inside this spatial ring, huh? Unfortunately, I do not have the power to open it, but once I hand it to an elder¡­"

    Of course, there was nothing about his identity inside the spatial ring. However, there was something even more important¡ª the Dragon Ancestor''s Blood Essence! If these people learn of the blood essence, they will definitely steal it from him!

    ''Damn it! I knew I should have given it to Xiao Hua for safekeeping!'' Yuan cursed inwardly.

    ''Should I just break out of this ce? They don''t know about my Soul Weapons¡­ However, I won''t be able to run away from that cold woman if she shows up again¡­ What can I do in this situation?''

    While Yuan pondered, the disciple contacted Elder Xue using amunication jade slip, "Elder Xue, I have not managed to get his identity, but I think the answer lies within his storage ring. I believe it would be quicker to just break open his storage ring and find the answers ourselves."

    "Okay, I will be there. Give me a few minutes."

    After putting away themunication jade slip, the woman looked at Yuan and said, "Good news. We''ll know your identity really soon."

    Yuan ignored her and continued to ponder for a way out of this predicament.

    Sometimeter, Elder Xue arrived at the prison cell to look at Yuan''s storage ring.

    "T-This is¡­"

    However, to the disciple''s surprise, Elder Xue appeared to be spooked by the spatial ring.

    After a long moment of silence, Elder Xue turned to look at Yuan with aplicated expression on her face.

    "I will be backter! Don''t touch him or this spatial ring until I return!" Elder Xue said to the disciple before disappearing from the ce without even touching the spatial ring once, leaving her speechless.

 Chapter 614 - Dragon Spatial Ring

    <h4>Chapter 614 - Dragon Spatial Ring</h4>

    ''What happened?'' Yuan wondered to himself as he watched Elder Xue leave the scene in a hurry.

    The disciple was also dumbfounded by the turn of events, and she turned to look at Yuan with a profound expression on her face.

    ''Just who is this guy?'' she wondered to herself.

    Meanwhile, after leaving the prison area, Elder Xue went to summon other sect elders.

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    About half an hourter, Elder Xue sat in a medium-sized room with a dozen other figures, all females.

    "What happened, Sister Xue?" One of them asked after everyone was seated.

    "We have a problem," she responded with a deep frown on her face.

    The atmosphere there immediately became serious when the others saw Elder Xue''s expression, as she''s rarely this solemn.

    "First of all, a man had entered the Fairy Paradise," she continued after a moment of silence.

    "What?! A man?! How dare this savage beast invade our sacred territory! Doesn''t he know that men are not allowed in the Fairy Paradise, and breaking this rule is punishable with the death sentence?!"

    "There are always people who want to try their luck. This is the 3rd man to invade our territory in thest 10 years."

    "It''s only a man, right? Why are you so serious about it, Sister Xue? Just kill him and toss his body back where it belongs like we always do." Another one said.

    Elder Xue shook her head and said, "That''s the problem. This person isn''t just an ordinary man. He has a Dragon Spatial Ring with him¡­"

    "Wait¡­ What? A Dragon Spatial Ring?"

    Elder Xue watched as everyone in the room widened their eyes after they realized the situation.

    "Dragon Spatial Ring¡­ You''re telling me this man that invaded our territory is from the Royal Dragon Family?"

    "Why would someone from the Royal Dragon Family invade our territory? They should know very well to not do such a thing, as that could potentially start a war."

    "How do we know if he''s true royalty? He could have stolen that ring for all we know."

    "If he''s really from the Royal Dragon Family, we cannot kill him so easily."

    "Should we speak with the Sect Master about this?"

    "Did you forget? The Sect Master is currently away to help the Fairy Empress."

    "How troublesome¡­"

    "Sister Xue, what do you think we should do in this situation?"

    The people there all turned to look at Elder Xue, who was the most senior in the room.

    Elder Xue closed her eyes to ponder.

    After a moment of silence, she spoke, "We should verify his identity first."

    "How are we going to do that? What if he lies? We will have no way to verify it unless we go to the Royal Dragon Family."

    "Then bring someone from the Royal Dragon Family here to verify his identity just in case. Tell them about the situation. I''m sure they''ll understand and cooperate. After all, this could potentially lead to another war."

    "I will go to the Royal Dragon Family." Someone there immediately volunteered.

    "Okay."

    "I will handle interrogating that man." Elder Xue said.

    Sometimeter, Elder Xue ended the meeting and returned to the prison cell.

    "Bring him down." Elder Xue said to the disciple there.

    "Y-Yes!"

    While the disciple worked on bringing Yuan back down, Elder Xue spoke to him, "This does not mean you''re free. If you do anything funny, I will kill you. If you try to run, I will kill you. Do you understand?"

    Yuan silently nodded his head.

    Once he was released from the chains, Elder Xue pointed to the Dragon Spatial Ring and said, "Open it and dump everything out."

    Yuan immediately hesitated for obvious reasons.

    "Either you do it by yourself or I kill you and open it myself. Don''t be mistaken. I can easily force open the Spatial Ring with my cultivation base. I am merely giving you a chance to show your sincerity." Elder Xue said to him.

    Of course, she lied about killing him to scare him. However, she was telling the truth about opening the spatial ring by herself.

    Although only the owners can open their spatial rings in normal circumstances, a cultivator with a strong enough cultivation base can forcefully open spatial rings and pouches at the cost of destroying the spatial ring.

    "Alright, I will open it," Yuan said, as he was left with no other choice.

    Elder Xue grabbed the Dragon Spatial Ring and tossed it to Yuan.

    The moment Yuan had the Dragon Spatial Ring in his grasp, he immediately tried to log off the game.

    Even if he doesn''t really go anywhere and has to return to this ce when he logs back into the game, at least he can dy this situation to a certain extent. Furthermore, it could confuse these people.

    However, a notification popped up when Yuan tried to log off, leaving him speechless.

    [You cannot log off during a hostile situation]

    ''I cannot log off?!''

    This is the second time that he has encountered this kind of situation. The first time was when he tried to log off right before the Demon Lord denoted itself, but since he was inbat, it didn''t let him log off, forcing him to take the explosion head-on.

    "Wait are you waiting for? If you''re nning something¡­" Elder Xue narrowed her gaze at Yuan when he stood there without moving for longer than she wasfortable with.

    ''Haaa¡­ Looks like I really cannot escape this situation¡­'' Yuan sighed inwardly.

    He then opened the Dragon Spatial Ring and dumped everything out, feeling as though he was being robbed at gunpoint.

    The next moment, a couple of items fell out.

    The Soul Ensnaring Zither, Golden Dragon Robe, the Demon Lord''s Demon Core, cultivation techniques, live-saving treasures, the Seven Colored Herb, andst but not least, the Dragon Ancestor''s Blood Essence.

    Elder Xue and the disciple stared with wide eyes as all of these treasuresy on the floor before them. Even though they didn''t recognize half of these treasures, they could tell their value by its unfathomable aura.

    ''This guy¡­ Just who is this man?!'' Elder Xue cried inwardly.

 Chapter 615 - Royal Dragon Family

    <h4>Chapter 615 - Royal Dragon Family</h4>

    ''A bottle that seems to contain some sort of blood essence, life-saving treasures, a demon core, and even the Seven Colored Herb?! This man is loaded with treasures!'' The disciple cried inwardly when she saw the treasures on the floor, feeling a strong urge to take them for herself.

    Of course, with Elder Xue standing right beside her, she didn''t dare to actually act upon her desires.

    As for Elder Xue, she couldn''t care less about the treasures, and the only thing in her sights right now was the Golden Dragon Robe.

    ''He not only has a Dragon Spatial Ring, but he also has a Golden Dragon Robe¡­ I will be damned if he''s not part of the Royal Dragon Family!'' Elder Xue sighed inwardly.

    After seeing the Golden Dragon Robe, Elder Xue was almost convinced that Yuan belonged to the Royal Dragon Family. The only thing that didn''t make sense was Yuan''s behavior, as he was being oddly quiet and obedient even in such a situation.

    If he was actually from the Royal Dragon Family, he would''ve long revealed his identity so that they couldn''t just kill him.

    ''Maybe he has a reason that forbids him from revealing his identity?'' Elder Xue wondered to herself.

    "You can put your stuff back inside the storage ring." Elder Xue said to him a momentter.

    ''Eh?''

    Although Yuan was surprised by her words, he didn''t question it and immediately stored his treasures back into the Dragon Spatial Ring.

    Elder Xue then asked him, "Who are you? Why did youe to the Fairy Paradise? Men are forbidden from stepping inside thisnd regardless of your status and reason."

    ''Men are not allowed here? This exins why I am being treated like this¡­'' Yuan sighed inwardly as he finally realized the situation.

    "My name is Yuan, and like I''d said multiple times by now¡ª I didn''te here by choice. I was teleported here by ident after touching the Zither Goddess'' immortal cave, and I have never even heard of a Fairy Paradise until today."

    "Zither Goddess?" Elder Xue raised her eyebrows upon hearing this name, but it didn''t seem like she knew of the Zither Goddess.

    "Anyways, you''ll be staying here until we can verify your identity. If you try to escape¡­ You''ll know what will happen to you, right?" Elder Xue then said to him.

    "Yes, I know¡­" Yuan nodded.

    Elder Xue turned to look at the disciple and said, "Continue watching over him. If he tries to leave or does anything funny, put him back in the chains."

    "I-I understand." The disciple nodded, and she noticed that Elder Xue didn''t specifically tell her to ''kill him'', which would be the normalmand.

    ''This man must have a special status¡­ This is the first time that a man has been allowed to enter the Fairy Paradise without getting executed immediately¡­'' The disciple thought to herself.

    After Elder Xue left the scene, Yuan tried to log off the game, but to his surprise, he was still unable to leave due to still being in a hostile situation.

    ''Does this mean I am stuck inside this game until they no longer see me as a threat? How long is that going to take?'' Yuan sighed inwardly.

    Meanwhile, somewhere in this world, an hour after leaving, one of the sect elders from the Fairy Paradise arrived at the Royal Dragon Family''s residence with the help of a powerful flying treasure.

    "Halt! State your identity and your purpose for visiting the Royal Family!"

    The guards at the residence stopped this sect elder, and they were all emitting a unique aura that only belonged to dragons.

    "I am Elder Zou from the Fairy Paradise, and we believe that a man from the Royal Dragon Family has broken ourw by entering our territory, so I am here to seek for an exnation from the Royal Family!"

    "What? Someone from our family entered the Fairy Paradise? That''s impossible! Everybody is aware of thew! And we have no reason to enter the Fairy Paradise!" The guards immediately refused to believe that someone from their family would do such a thing.

    "I don''t care what you have to say! That man who intruded our ce had a Dragon Spatial Ring with him, and only the Royal Dragon Family would have such a thing! Even if he''s not part of the Royal Family, he''s definitely connected to you guys one way or another!" Elder Zou said.

    And she continued, "If you''re telling me that he doesn''t belong to the Royal Dragon Family then we will execute him right now!"

    The guards immediately began sweating after hearing such words.

    What if someone from the Royal Dragon Family had really snuck inside the Fairy Paradise? That would be disastrous if true!

    "P-Please wait a moment. I will notify the Dragon King of the situation right now." One of the guards said to her before entering the massive pce behind them.

    "Your Majesty! We have an emergency!" The guard rushed to the Dragon King''s room and knocked on it.

    "What happened?" The door opened a momentter, and a handsome middle-aged man with two bright golden horns on his head appeared before the guard.

    "Elder Zou from the Fairy Paradise is here, and she ims that someone from the Royal Family had intruded their territory." The guard exined the situation to the Dragon King.

    "What? Someone from my family snuck inside the Fairy Paradise? How is that possible? Who did it?!" The Dragon King was immediately enraged to hear this news, but he was also in disbelief, as he couldn''t imagine somebody from his family would do such an idiotic thing.

    "She didn''t give us any names. In fact, she only ''believes'' it was someone from our family because that person has a Dragon Spatial Ring," said the guard.

    "Bring her inside! I want to speak with her personally!" The Dragon Kingmanded.

    "Yes! Please excuse this subject!" The guard bowed to the Dragon King before returning to Elder Zou and the others.

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    "The Dragon King wishes to speak with you¡­ Please follow me."

 Chapter 616 - Dragon Emperor

    <h4>Chapter 616 - Dragon Emperor</h4>

    "Wee, Elder Zou, to my royal estate. You im that someone from my Royal Family had entered the Fairy Paradise, is that correct?" The Dragon King asked Elder Zou when she arrived before him.

    "And before you answer my question, you should know that I don''t respond to false ims nicely."

    Elder Zou coldly sneered and said, "And you should know that the Fairy Paradise doesn''t respond well to rule breakers! A man with a Dragon Spatial Ring had invaded our territory, and I am here to verify whether he belongs to your family or not!"

    "If he doesn''t belong to your family, we will immediately execute him! However, if he does turn out to belong to the royal family, our Fairy Paradise will demand an exnation andpensation!"

    The Dragon King then spoke, "While it is true that only the Royal Family should have a Dragon Spatial Ring, it is also possible for others to obtain the ring through other means. It''s rare for this to happen, but it''s not impossible."

    The Dragon King then turned to look at the guard standing beside him and said, "What''s the result?"

    "I have managed to contact all of the men in the Royal Dragon Family and confirm that none of them have entered the Fairy Paradise," said the guard.

    Elder Zou frowned upon hearing the guard''s words. If that was true, that would mean the man with the Dragon Spatial Ring doesn''t belong to the Royal Dragon Family.

    "As you heard just now, Elder Zou, we have ountability for all men in the family, so it is not possible for that intruder to belong to our royal family!"

    "That''s all I need to hear. Then I will let the others know so that they can go ahead and continue with the execution," said Elder Zou as she retrieved amunication jade slip.

    The Dragon King then added, "After you take care of that man, if you don''t mind, can you return the Dragon Spatial Ring to us to prevent future misunderstandings? We''llpensate you for the effort."

    "Of course." Elder Zou nodded.

    A momentter, Elder Xue picked up themunication.

    "Sister Xue, I have just spoken with the Dragon King. The man who invaded our territory doesn''t belong to the Royal Dragon Family, so we can go ahead and kill him."

    However, to Elder Zou''s surprise, Elder Xue requested to speak with the Dragon King.

    "Let me speak with the Dragon King."

    Elder Zou then handed themunicated jade slip to the Dragon King, "Elder Xue would like to speak with you."

    The Dragon King didn''t think much of it and epted themunicated jade slip.

    "What do you want, Elder Xue?"

    "Dragon King, are you absolutely certain that the intruder doesn''t belong to the Royal Dragon Family?" Elder Xue asked him in a solemn voice.

    "I have already gotten ountability for all men in my family and none of them is even near the Fairy Paradise! I am one hundred percent certain that the intruder does not belong to my royal family! Or are you trying to tell me that I am wrong?"

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    After a moment of silence, Elder Xue spoke, "Then can you exin to me why this person has a Golden Dragon Robe?"

    "WHAT?!"

    The Dragon King immediately stood up and eximed in a shocked voice, dumbfounding the guard and Elder Zou there.

    "Impossible! That is not possible! Although a Dragon Spatial Ring could''ve identally gotten into the hands of a stranger, as it has happened a couple of times before, the Golden Dragon Robe is an entirely different story with no such incidents!" The Dragon King quickly refuted.

    And he continued, "The Golden Dragon Robe can only be given to someone that will be a future Dragon Emperor! Our family doesn''t even have a Dragon Emperor! How can we possibly lose a Golden Dragon Robe when we don''t even have one?!"

    In the world of dragon royalty, there are different ranks of authority and power.

    From the lowest to the highest¡ª Dragon Prince/Princess, Dragon Lord, Dragon King, Dragon Emperor, Dragon God, andst but not least, Dragon Ancestor.

    The Royal Dragon Family Yuan met in the Ancient Dragon City had Dragon Emperors, but in this world, Dragon King was the highest rank.

    "I don''t believe it! I will send someone there to verify his identity!" The Dragon King spoke after a long moment of silence.

    He then turned to look at the guard and said, "Bring Shen Shi here as soon as possible!"

    "Yes!"

    "What is happening?" Elder Zou asked him.

    The Dragon King looked at her and said, "That''s what I would like to know. If this intruder truly has a Golden Dragon Robe, you must not harm him under any circumstances!"

    "Why? What''s so special about this Golden Dragon Robe?" Elder Zou frowned.

    "The Golden Dragon Robe represents a Dragon Emperor. There are many ranks in the Royal Dragon Family, and a Dragon Emperor is up there. If you kill a Dragon Emperor, you won''t just offend the Royal Dragon Family¡ª you''ll be hunted by them."

    "The Fairy Paradise might have the Fairy Empress and that person, but you won''t be able to defend against the whole Royal Dragon Family all over the Nine Heavens. Furthermore, you''ll only see Dragon Emperors above the Sixth Heaven, and we''re currently in the Fifth Heaven."

    Elder Zou frowned and said, "So you''re telling me this invader came from the upper heavens?"

    "No, this is only a spection. However, if it turns out that he really has a Golden Dragon Robe¡­ Things will get a littleplicated for the Fairy Paradise and my royal family." The Dragon King sighed.

    Sometimeter, a beautiful youngdy with a single golden horn on the side of her head appeared before the Dragon King.

    "I have arrived, father. Why have you summoned me?"

    "Shen Shi, you are to follow Elder Zou here to the Fairy Paradise¡­ There is a person there with the Golden Dragon Robe, and I want you to verify his identity," said the Dragon King, instantly dumbfounding her.

 Chapter 617 - Release Him Immediately!

    <h4>Chapter 617 - Release Him Immediately!</h4>

    "D-Did you just say the Golden Dragon Robe, father?" Shen Shi asked him with a dumbfounded look on her face.

    "Yes, I did." The Dragon King nodded with a solemn face.

    "We don''t have any Dragon Emperors in this world, so does this mean that someone from the upper heavens came down here? But why the Fairy Paradise?" Shen Shi then asked.

    "I am sending you there to answer that question. Hurry up and get moving. If he''s really a Dragon Emperor, we don''t want anything to happen to him. If he''s real, you should know what to do."

    "I understand."

    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    Shen Shi then followed Elder Zou back to the Fairy Paradise using some sort of special talisman that teleported them there within seconds.

    Meanwhile, back at the Fairy Paradise, Yuan was sitting in the corner of the prison cell while silently pondering to himself if there was anything else he could do to get out of this situation.

    ''I just wanted to look at the Zither Goddess''s immortal cave¡­'' He sighed inwardly.

    Eventually, Elder Xue returned to the prison and said to him, "Take out your Golden Dragon Robe. I need to verify something."

    Yuan had no choice but to hand over his Golden Dragon Robe to her.

    ''At least she didn''t ask for the blood essence¡­'' He thought to himself as he handed her the Golden Dragon Robe.

    Once she had the robe, Elder Xue left the scene and went to another ce, where Shen Shi and the other sect elders were waiting.

    "Here is the Golden Dragon Robe. Please verify it." Elder Xue handed the robe to Shen Shi.

    "T-This is¡­"

    Shen Shi was visibly shaken when she touched the Golden Dragon Robe.

    "This is real¡­ My blood is reacting to it¡­"

    She then looked at Elder Xue and spoke with a frown on her face, "You need to release that person immediately!"

    "Unfortunately, that is not possible, as he''d vited our Fairy Paradise''sw, and without the Fairy Empress''s approval, we cannot let him go." One of the elders there said.

    "Screw the rules! This is a Dragon Emperor we''re talking about! Even if he''s not from our Royal Dragon Family, we have a responsibility to protect him! If anything happens to him, we''ll be the least of your worries!"

    "You do not belong to a royal family, so I don''t me you for being ignorant, but a Dragon Emperor is not someone you can offend! A single Dragon Emperor can remove my entire family with a singlemand, much less your Fairy Paradise!"

    The elders there were left speechless by Shen Shi''s words. They have never encountered a Dragon Emperor before, so they didn''t know the severity of their situation.

    "We''ll release the man, but this doesn''t mean he can leave." Elder Xue suddenly said.

    And she continued, "Before we can fully release him, we''ll need to speak with the Fairy Empress."

    "Hmph! I doubt the Fairy Empress will be willing to go to war with the Royal Dragon Family for a single man! And I will be staying here until he is free!" Shen Shi said.

    "Do as you please." Elder Xue said before leaving the ce and returning to the prison cell that held Yuan.

    Of course, Shen Shi followed her, as she wanted to meet this mysterious Dragon Emperor for herself.

    ''H-He''s the Dragon Emperor? He''s so young! Not to mention hiscking cultivation base! Is he really a Dragon Emperor?''

    Shen Shi''s eyes widened with surprise when she saw Yuan. This is her first time meeting a Dragon Emperor, so she wasn''t sure what to expect, but she definitely wasn''t expecting to see a handsome young man like Yuan.

    "Here''s your robe. We''ll be releasing you for now, but that doesn''t mean you''repletely free to go, as we still have to speak with the Fairy Empress. In the meantime, you''ll be staying in a designated area." Elder Xue said to Yuan as she returned the Golden Dragon Robe to him.

    When Yuan left the prison cell, Shen Shi approached him with a friendly smile on her face.

    "Hello, senior. I am Shen Shi of the Royal Dragon Family, and I will do my best to sort things out for you. Until then, I will be staying with you. If you need anything, just let me know."

    ''The Royal Dragon Family¡­?'' Yuan immediately recalled the royal family from the Ancient Dragon City.

    "My name is Yuan," he then said.

    "Follow me, I will lead you to your living quarters for now." Elder Xue said to them.

    Sometimeter, they arrived in this secluded area that had a single house but arge courtyard.

    "You are not allowed to this leave area until we give you the permission. If you try to escape, we will kill you even if you''re a Dragon Emperor." Elder Xue said to him.

    ''What? Dragon Emperor?'' Yuan raised his eyebrows when he heard her words.

    Since when did he be a Dragon Emperor? This made him recall how the dragons in the Ancient Dragon City mistook him as someone from the royal family.

    ''Now that I think about it, this situation is really simr to when I first arrived in the Ancient Dragon City.'' Yuan smiled bitterly when he realized this.

    Elder Xue left the scene shortly after, but there were many guards that surrounded this area.

    "Let''s go inside to talk, shall we?" Shen Shi said to him.

    "Okay."

    Once they entered the building, they both sat down in front of each other.

    "I''m sure you have many questions, but allow me to ask you a few questions first." Shen Shi started the conversation.

    And she continued, "First and foremost¡­ Are you really a Dragon Emperor¡ª or from the Royal Dragon Family for that matter? Although you have the Dragon Spatial Ring and even the Golden Dragon Robe, I am still not entirely convinced that you''re one."

    Yuan didn''t immediately respond to her question and took his time pondering how he should respond.

 Chapter 618 - Can I See Your Horns?

    <h4>Chapter 618 - Can I See Your Horns?</h4>

    ''Should I tell her the truth? But if they learn that I am not from the royal family¡­ No, I should pretend to be a Dragon Emperor for my own safety¡­''

    After pondering for a moment, Yuan has decided to act as though he was from the Royal Dragon Family, as he would be killed if he wasn''t.

    "That''s right, I am indeed from the Royal Dragon Family," he said to Shen Shi in a calm voice.

    Of course, Shen Shi wasn''tpletely convinced by his words, as there are several questionable points about his ims.

    First, why has he kept his identity a secret until now? If he''d revealed his identity earlier, he wouldn''t have been treated so roughly.

    Secondly, he didn''t have concrete proof that he was from a royal family, and they won''t be able to verify his identity until they bring him back to their family, where the tools to verify his identity is avable.

    The Dragon Spatial Ring and the Golden Dragon Robe may convince a lot of people, but it won''t fool the real royal family.

    "Can you prove it?" Shen Shi suddenly asked him, still with a smile on her face.

    And she continued, "Don''t misunderstand my intentions, Senior Yuan, but I have never seen a Dragon Emperor before, and I want to know for sure so that you can receive my family''s full support."

    "I don''t me you for being skeptical. Alright, I will prove it." Yuan said to her before closing his eyes.

    After a moment of silence, he opened his eyes and activated Dragon Gaze, causing his eyes to glow golden and emit an intimidating aura.

    "?!?!"

    When Shen Shi experienced Yuan''s Dragon Gaze, her body trembled from excitement and fear at the same time even though her cultivation base was far higher than Yuan''s.

    ''It''s really the Dragon''s Gaze! And it''s so much more powerful than mine! He''s the real deal! A real Dragon Emperor!'' Shen Shi clenched her fists and jaws just to keep her emotions in control, but her heart was pounding with excitement.

    After experiencing Yuan''s powerful Dragon''s Gaze, Shen Shi stood up before kneeling in front of him, "Please forgive this Junior for doubting the Senior''s identity. Our Shen Royal Family will do everything in our power to protect Senior even if it means war against the Fairy Paradise."

    "War? Calm down. I do not wish for any wars because of me." Yuan quickly shook his head.

    "Then if there''s anything this Junior can do to help you¡­"

    Yuan nodded and said, "I''d like some information about this ce. You see, I identally got transported to this ce, so I am a little clueless at this moment."

    "S-So that''s what happened¡­" Shen Shi mumbled in a low voice. This exined why he was a Dragon Emperor and they didn''t recognize him! To think that he''d been transported here by ident!

    "Although such incidents are rare, it''s not unprecedented. Since you''re a Dragon Emperor, I assume that you came from the upper heavens?"

    "S-Something like that." Yuan quickly nodded.

    If she knew that he came from the Lower Heavens, that would instantly give away his identity.

    "Anyway, allow me to tell you about our humble world, Senior."

    "You can sit down." Yuan suddenly said to her, who was still kneeling on the floor.

    "Thank you, Senior."

    After clearing her throat, she began to speak, "We are currently inside the Fairy Paradise within the Fifth Heaven."

    "Fifth Heaven?!" Yuan was shocked to learn this information.

    To think he''d traveled four entire realms! Just what kind of secret is the Zither Goddess hiding? Why would her immortal caves do something like this?

    "The Fairy Paradise is a unique ce in the Fifth Heaven that forbids men from entering thisnd regardless of their status. There are many sects and families within the Fairy Paradise, and this particr sect is called the Fleeting Fairy Sect."

    "Looks like I have fallen into a troublesome ce¡­" Yuan sighed.

    "Don''t worry, Senior Yuan. Our Royal Dragon Family will guarantee your safety. Although I said that there is no exception, I highly doubt the Fairy Empress is willing to go to war with the Royal Dragon Family over an ident like this. Furthermore, it was not as though you came to this ce with malicious intentions."

    "Fairy Empress¡­ Is she like the ruler of the Fairy Paradise?" Yuan asked.

    "Yes, that''s right. She''s the number one expert in this world, hence why not many people dare to intrude on thisnd."

    "You''ll most likely have to meet herter to deal with the situation."

    "I look forward to it." Yuan said with a bittersweet smile.

    After talking for some time, Yuan noticed that Shen Shi was actually a little bit fidgety for some reason, so he decided to ask her, "Are you okay?"

    "Y-Yes!" Shen Shi responded in a nervous tone.

    "If you have something to say, go ahead and say it." Yuan urged.

    Shen Shi stared at him for a moment before nodding, "T-Then if you don''t mind¡­ Senior Yuan, can I see your horns? I want to see what a Dragon Emperor''s horn looks like¡­"

    "My¡­ horns?" Yuan was left speechless by her innocent question that was sparked by her curiosity.

    After all, a dragon''s horn is incredibly important to them.

    "S-Sorry, but due to circumstances, I cannot show you my horns." Yuan politely declined.

    "Is that so¡­ It''s fine, Senior Yuan. You don''t need to apologize. It was rude of me to ask you in the first ce." Shen Shi said with a smile on her face, but the disappointment in her eyes wasn''t hidden well enough.

    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    Although some dragons prefer having their horns out all the time like Shen Shi and her family, some dragons don''t want to show their horns for many different reasons.

    ''Now that I think about it, the dragons at the Ancient Dragon City didn''t show their horns. I wonder if there''s a specific reason¡­'' Yuan wondered to himself.

 Chapter 619 - Dont Resist

    <h4>Chapter 619 - Don''t Resist</h4>

    After talking to each other for a few minutes, Shen Shi stood up and said, "Please excuse me for a bit, Senior Yuan. I still need to notify my father of the circumstances so that he can prepare ordingly. He''s probably shaking in anxiety right now from waiting."

    "Go ahead. Take your time." Yuan nodded.

    Shen Shi then left the scene and went outside to contact her father using amunication jade slip.

    "Shen Shi?! What is the news?! Is this person really a Dragon Emperor?!" Her father immediately began questioning her in an anxious manner.

    "Calm down, father. You''ll need all of your breath for this¡­" Shen Shi said to him.

    And she continued, "It''s true, this person is the real deal¡ª a real Dragon Emperor!"

    The Dragon King stared at themunication jade slip with a look of disbelief on his face.

    A real Dragon Emperor? If this is true, they must protect him at all cost!

    "Tell me everything!" The Dragon King said.

    "Yes!"

    Shen Shi proceeded to exin everything she heard from Yuan to her father.

    "He identally arrived in the Fairy Paradise and actually belongs to the upper heaven? No wonder why he''s already a Dragon Emperor despite being only a Spirit Grandmaster!"

    Shen Shi''s voice then resounded, "Father, we must protect him at all cost! Now that we are aware of his presence, if anything happens to him, our family will be held responsible!"

    "You don''t have to tell me the obvious! We''ll protect him even if we have to go to war with the Fairy Paradise!" The Dragon King dered.

    "Anyways, I will leave the Dragon Emperor in your care while I speak with the Fairy Empress, Shen Shi. If he takes a liking to you, it will greatly benefit our family!"

    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    "E-Eh? Does this mean you want me to¡­"

    "No! Do not try to seduce him, as that could have the opposite effect! However, if he makes any advances on you, don''t resist or refuse him! If you join a Dragon Emperor''s family, our future bloodline will be purer and more powerful!"

    "I understand, father." Shen Shi acknowledged before putting away themunication jade slip.

    "Haaaa¡­" She released a deep sigh before returning to the building.

    However, to her surprise, Yuan hadpletely disappeared from the ce like a ghost.

    But when she started questioning it, something altered her thoughts, making her forget about Yuan temporarily.

    As for Yuan, he''d tried logging off the game after she left, and it was a sess.

    "Are you done ying already, Brother Yuan?" Chu Liuxiang, who had been lying beside him the entire time, asked him when he logged off.

    "Yes. Too much has happened today, and I need some time to rest."

    "What happened? I will listen if you tell me," she said.

    Yuan nodded and proceeded to recall his experience.

    Meanwhile, somewhere in the Fairy Paradise.

    "Fairy Empress, something big has urred in ournd." An extraordinarily beautiful woman spoke as she approached the Fairy Empress, who was sitting on arge throne, silently cultivating.

    "What happened?" The Fairy Empress opened her eyes, revealing her exquisite emerald eyes.

    "A man had entered our Fairy Paradise¡ª"

    "A man? And here I thought it was something serious. Just execute him like we always do," said the Fairy Empress, interrupting the other woman.

    "Unfortunately, this man is a little special, so we cannot just kill him¡­"

    "Special? I don''t care if he''s the king of multiple continents. If they disrespect my rules, they will pay the price¡ª"

    "Fairy Empress, this man is a Dragon Emperor from the Royal Dragon Family." The woman interrupted.

    "What did you just say?" The Fairy Empress'' eyes widened with disbelief.

    "ording to my disciples at the sect, a man had suddenly appeared in the Fairy Paradise, and this man turned out to be a Dragon Emperor," said the woman who was the sect master of the Fleeting Fairy Sect.

    However, the Fairy Empress doubted this information, "A Dragon Emperor, you say? That is not possible. They should only exist in the Six Heaven and above. Why would a Dragon Emperor appear here?"

    "It''s true, Fairy Empress. My disciples even went to the Royal Dragon Family to get someone to verify his identity. The Dragon King is now demanding we release this man."

    The Fairy Empress turned silent after hearing such news.

    ''If this man is really a Dragon Emperor, we cannot kill him, or we will risk offending the entire Royal Family Dragon. Although I can handle the royal families in this world, if the other royal families from the upper heaven start causing trouble as well, it would be disastrous for us¡­''

    ''Unlike a Dragon King, a Dragon Emperor is highly regarded in the Royal Dragon Family, so they will definitely protect him even if it will start a war.''

    After many moments of silence, the Fairy Empress spoke, "What else do we know about this Dragon Emperor?"

    The sect master then recalled everything her disciples told her to the Fairy Empress.

    "Interesting¡­ I want to speak with this mysterious Dragon Emperor who appeared out of thin air."

    "When do you wish to see him? I will let my disciples arrange it."

    "I am a little busy now so I will see him in three days. He may be a Dragon Emperor, but he still vited my rules, so he''ll have to wait a little."

    "I understand. Please excuse me while I ry this information to my disciples."

    The following day, Yuan returned to Cultivation Online to find Shen Shi quietly sitting on the couch.

    "I apologize for disappearing so suddenly yesterday without telling you." Yuan said to her.

    However, to his surprise, Shen Shi didn''t appear to care about it. In fact, she was oddly dismissive about it, not even bothering to ask any questions.

    ''If Cultivation Online is real and these people are not actual NPCs, why don''t they question us, yers, when we suddenly disappear? Is something preventing her from caring?'' Yuan wondered to himself as he silently stared at Shen Shi.

 Chapter 620 - Meeting The Fairy Empress

    <h4>Chapter 620 - Meeting The Fairy Empress</h4>

    ''Let''s test this out¡­'' Yuan thought to himself.

    The next second, he logged off the game right in front of Shen Shi.

    "Eh? Where did he go¡­?" Shen Shi was baffled by Yuan''s sudden disappearance.

    However, when she tried to think any further about the situation, she suddenly stopped caring for some reason.

    A momentter, Yuan reappeared before her.

    "Senior?" Shen Shi looked at him weirdly.

    "What do you think of that?" Yuan suddenly asked her.

    "Think of what, Senior?" Shen Shi tilted her head in a puzzled manner.

    "The way I disappeared and reappeared like a ghost. What do you think about it?"

    "You disappeared? When?" Shen Shi asked, dumbfounding Yuan.

    "Just now? Look, I will even do it again."

    Yuan proceeded to log off and back in for a second time in front of her.

    However, Shen Shi remained nonchnt about it.

    "You really don''t see anything wrong with me disappearing and reappearing so randomly?" Yuan asked her.

    "But Senior, you have been standing there this entire time¡­ Are you ying a joke on me? I''m sorry, but I don''t understand it¡­" Shen Shi shook her head.

    "Sorry, forget about it." Yuan gave up on asking Shen Shi.

    Sometimeter, Yuan went outside to the backyard to cultivate.

    ''I didn''t notice this before because of my situation, but the spiritual energy in this ce is very thick¡­ I should take advantage of this and cultivate.''

    Yuan then started his cultivation, quickly absorbing the spiritual energy around him.

    Shen Shi watched him cultivate out of curiosity, and to her absolute shock, Yuan was cultivating so fast that a small vortex was created around him, and it swallowed the surrounding spiritual energy like a beast!

    ''What ridiculous cultivation talents! As expected of a Dragon Emperor from the upper heavens!'' Shen Shi cried inwardly as she continued to watch over him.

    Sometimeter, Elder Xue showed up at their ce to let them know the Fairy Empress''s response.

    "I will take you to meet with the Fairy Empress in three days." Elder Xue said to them.

    "I understand." Yuan nodded.

    Once Elder Xue left the scene, Yuan returned to cultivating for the remainder of the day.

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    "I will see you tomorrow." Yuan said to her before logging off.

    "Please wait a moment, Senior Yuan." Shen Shi suddenly said.

    "What''s the matter?"

    "If you need anything at night, just let me know," she said.

    "Okay." Yuan nodded and logged off without thinking too much about her words.

    Three dayster.

    "I havee to take you to the Fairy Empress." Elder Xue arrived at their door early in the morning.

    "Are you ready to leave, Senior Yuan?" Shen Shi asked him.

    "Yes."

    Shen Shi then asked him, "Senior, are you not going to wear your Golden Dragon Robe? I think you should wear it when meeting the Fairy Empress."

    Yuan looked down and realized that he was still wearing his casual robes.

    "Give me a minute to change," he said and went to change into the Golden Dragon Robe.

    "Let''s go." Yuan appeared before them a few minutester.

    However, Shen Shi didn''t respond, and she even looked a bit dazed when she saw him, almost like a girl experiencing love at first sight.

    "Are you okay?" Yuan asked her.

    "Eh? Y-Yes!" She snapped out of her daze and immediately began blushing.

    ''He lookspletely different when wearing the Golden Dragon Robe! Even his aura changed! This must be a true Dragon Emperor!''

    Although Yuan looked like an ordinary person in his casual robes, he truly looked like he belonged to royalty in the Golden Dragon Robe, which caught Shen Shi by surprise.

    "Get on." Elder Xue said to them after taking out her flying treasure.

    However, Shen Shi declined and said, "It''s okay, I have my own."

    Then she turned to Yuan and asked him, "Would you like to ride on mine, Senior Yuan?"

    "Sure." He nodded, as he didn''t have his own flying treasure yet.

    Shen Shi then retrieved her flying treasure that was a dragon. It looked very simr to the one used by the Sect Master of the Dragon Essence Temple, but it also looked more majestic and refined.

    After jumping onto its head, Shen Shimanded the flying treasure to follow Elder Xue, who was riding on arge swan.

    About three hourster, Yuan could see a massive and majestic castle in the distance.

    "Is that where the Fairy Empress lives? What a huge ce¡­" Yuan muttered out loud.

    Shen Shi, who heard his mumble, nodded and said, "That''s right. It is also home to many powerful experts."

    A few more minutester, they began descending towards the ground.

    The moment theynded, Yuan could instantly feel many gazes staring directly at him, and they weren''t friendly looks.

    Yuan looked around, and sure enough, there were many prettydies there looking at him with a look of contempt on their faces.

    "Don''t worry about them, Senior Yuan. It''smon for women in the Fairy Paradise to hate men." Shen Shiforted him.

    "Is there a reason why they harbor such feelings?" Yuan asked out of curiosity.

    "A lot of them had been wronged by men in the past, which is the main reason," she said.

    "What are you waiting for? Let''s hurry up and meet the Fairy Empress." Elder Xue said to them.

    While they walked, Shen Shi whispered to Yuan, "Senior, I can tell that you''re a calm and humble person after spending thest few days with you, but you should act a little more authoritative when speaking with the Fairy Empress so that she doesn''t look down on you."

    "Authoritative, huh? I will try." He nodded.

    After walking through many hallways andrge room, they finally arrived at the main room.

    "The Fairy Empress is right behind these doors. If you do anything inappropriate¡­" Elder Xue narrowed her eyes at them.

    "I can say the same to you. If you disrespect the Dragon Emperor¡­" Shen Shi said.

    Elder Xue opened the door and entered the room with Yuan and Shen Shi.

 Chapter 621 - Why Dont You Take A Guess?

    <h4>Chapter 621 - Why Don''t You Take A Guess?</h4>

    ''That''s the Fairy Empress?'' Yuan thought to himself as they approached the figure sitting all the way at the end of the room, and there was another figure standing beside her, who was wearing a uniform that looked simr to Elder Xue''s robes.

    As for the woman sitting on the throne, she was an extremely beautiful woman with long golden hair and emerald-colored eyes.

    "This Junior greets the Fairy Empress." Elder Xue bowed to her.

    She then turned to bow to the woman standing beside the Fairy Empress, "This disciple greets the Sect Master."

    Seeing Elder Xue greet them, Yuan also prepared to greet them.

    However, Shen Shi stopped him from greeting them before stepping forward.

    "Fairy Empress! The Royal Dragon Family demands you release the Dragon Emperor as soon as possible! If you keep him detained any longer, we will have no choice but to escte the situation!"

    Yuan stared at Shen Shi with wide eyes.

    The Fairy Empress should be the most powerful person in this world, yet Shen Shi dared to speak to her in such a tone.

    Either the Dragon Royal Family is as powerful as the Fairy Empress, or she''s incredibly daring.

    After hearing Shen Shi''s words, the Fairy Empress coldly snorted, "Are you threatening me? You have gotten quite daring since ourst meeting, Shen Shi. Have you forgotten about where you are standing right now? That man''s life is now in my hands¡ª whether he''s the Dragon Emperor or not, so you should watch your mouth and attitude when around me, little girl."

    "You can also save your scare tactics for another time, Fairy Empress. You should know very well what will happen to the Fairy Paradise if you harm even a single hair on his body." Shen Shi snorted back.

    "Are you sure you want to start a war with the Royal Dragon Family? And it won''t just be against my family¡ª but against every Royal Dragon Family in the Nine Heavens."

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    The Fairy Emperor suddenly burst outughing that echoed loudly in therge room.

    When she eventually stoppedughing, the Fairy Empress suddenly released her cultivation base, instantly pressuring Shen Shi that also affected Yuan even though he was not targeted.

    ''What powerful pressure! I have never felt anything like this before! What cultivation base is this Fairy Empress at?!'' Yuan cried inwardly.

    "I will not repeat myself. This is my house, not the Royal Dragon Family, Shen Shi. You will get hurt if you continue barking so loud."

    Shen Shi gritted her teeth and also released her cultivation base to retaliate.

    However, Yuan suddenly shouted, "Fairy Empress!"

    The Fairy Empress immediately stopped her pressure and turned to look at him with interest.

    "Did you call me here to fight with her, or do you want to speak with me?" He asked her with a calm face.

    "Dragon Emperor, huh? Are you really a Dragon Emperor? How can a Dragon Emperor have such a pathetic cultivation base?" The Fairy Empress spoke after a moment of silence.

    "Our ranks are not determined by one''s cultivation base but by our bloodline''s purity and raw talents." Shen Shi responded.

    The Fairy Empress turned to look at Shen Shi with an annoyed look on her face, and she spoke, "Shen Shi, can you let the little emperor speak for himself? You really think I don''t know how the Dragon Royal Family works? If you speak any more, I will have you removed until we are done."

    "Fairy Empress, I can speak for myself just fine. The only reason I am not being aggressive is because I am in the wrong for entering the Fairy Paradise without permission." Yuan suddenly said.

    "However, it appears that I am being treated as a pushover by staying silent, so I will be the one talking now."

    "Oh? Then what do you have to say for yourself?" The Fairy Empress no longer bothered with Shen Shi and returned her focus to Yuan.

    "Like I''d already mentioned, I acknowledge that I am in the wrong for breaking the rules of this ce, but it was not as though I came here on purpose."

    "I was identally teleported here from another heaven, and I had no control over that whatsoever."

    "If you''re going to kill me over something like this¡­ then you should be prepared to face the consequences for killing a Dragon Emperor."

    "Can you tell me which of the Nine Heavens did youe from?" The Fairy Empress asked him with a calm face.

    "That has nothing to do with my situation, so I will not entertain you," Yuan calmly responded.

    And he continued, "The real question here is whether you''ll kill me or let me go."

    After a moment of silence, the Fairy Emperor spoke with a cold grin on her face, "What if I don''t kill you¡­ but I will also not let you go? What if I feel like keeping you imprisoned here forever?"

    "You dare?!" Shen Shi eximed in an angry voice.

    "Of course I dare. Even if the Royal Dragon Family from the upper heavens were to cause trouble here, I also have connections to people in the upper heaven. Don''t think you can intimidate me with the royal family."

    "And I highly doubt the royal family would want to offend these people for a mere Dragon Emperor. Now if he was a Dragon God, that might be able to save him."

    Hearing her words, Yuan suddenly startedughing.

    He then said, "Go ahead and imprison me if you want. But before you make that decision, you should know that I have someone waiting for me, and if I don''t show up¡­ Let''s just say that he''ll be very angry."

    After saying these words, Yuan retrieved a ss bottle from his Dragon Spatial Ring before tossing it to the Fairy Empress.

    "What is this? If you think a drop of blood will save you¡ª" The Fairy Empress suddenly stopped speaking when she took a closer look at the drop of blood in the bottle.

    "W-Whose blood essence does this belong to?!" She suddenly shouted in a grim voice, startling everyone there.

    "Why don''t you take a guess? I will give you a hint¡­ He''s the one who created the Royal Dragon Family¡­" Yuan said with a smile on his face.

 Chapter 622 - Blood Essence Of A God-Like Entity

    <h4>Chapter 622 - Blood Essence Of A God-Like Entity</h4>

    "Y-You don''t mean¡­" Shen Shi covered her mouth in shock after hearing Yuan''s words.

    "Bullsh*t!" The Fairy Empress suddenly stood up and eximed in a somewhat angry manner.

    "There''s no way this blood essence belongs to the Dragon Ancestor!" She denied his ims.

    "I don''t me you for not believing me. I mean, this is the Dragon Ancestor that we''re talking about. However, I am not lying to you. If you don''t believe me, you can imprison me and wait to find out the truth¡ª though it might be toote then."

    The Fairy Empress gritted her teeth after hearing Yuan''s words.

    Although she cannot tell whether this blood essence truly belonged to the Dragon Ancestor or not, she could tell that the blood essence hade from a god-like being due to the unique spiritual energy the blood essence contained.

    While ordinary cultivators all cultivate the same spiritual energy in the air, once they reach a certain cultivation level, they will need to absorb different types of spiritual energy.

    For example, a cultivator that has achieved immortality will need to absorb Immortal Qi in order to continue their progress, and the ordinary spiritual energy in their body will eventually be reced by Immortal Qi.

    Above Immortals are god-like beings that can create stars and life with the snap of their finger, and these apex entities will cultivate Celestial Qi, something that the Fairy Empress could sense within the blood essence.

    Therefore, even if this blood essence in her grasp doesn''t belong to the Dragon Ancestor, it doesn''t take away from the fact that it came from a god-like being¡ª someone who has reached the peak of cultivation.

    And if it''s true that Yuan has connections to a god-like being, nobody in the Fifth Heaven can touch him unless they want to die a horrible death.

    After standing there with a perplexed look on her face, the Fairy Empress suddenly startedughing like a maniac.

    "You''re good¡ª really good, Dragon Emperor! I would''ve never expected for you to use this kind of method to convince me!"

    When she eventually stoppedughing, the Fairy Empress started approaching Yuan with a profound smile on her face.

    Shen Shi stood between them when she saw this.

    "Get out of my way, Shen Shi." The Fairy Empress said to her in a cold tone.

    "I refuse," she instantly responded.

    However, Yuan tapped her from behind and said, "It''s okay."

    Shen Shi gritted her teeth. As much as she wanted to keep him safe from the Fairy Empress, she couldn''t disobey a Dragon Emperor who has connections to the Dragon Ancestor himself!

    Therefore, she could only reluctantly move out of Fairy Empress'' way, allowing her to approach Yuan.

    Once the Fairy Empress was in front of Yuan, she returned the Dragon Ancestor''s blood essence back to him and said, "I was only teasing you. I have no intentions of harming you, nor do I wish to start a war with the Royal Dragon Family over something like this. However, since you did break my rules, I had to punish you one way or another."

    Yuan was left speechless by the Fairy Empress'' words. She had been teasing him this entire time? So it was all an act? He really thought she wanted to keep him imprisoned!

    "I-I don''t believe you!" Shen Shi eximed shortly after hearing the Fairy Empress'' words.

    "You definitely weren''t joking!"

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    "I don''t care if you believe me or not." The Fairy Empress shrugged.

    "Though I won''t deny that I teased you more than nned because of your big mouth, Shen Shi."

    "Does this mean I am free to go?" Yuan asked her.

    "Yes. Congrattions on bing the first man to enter the Fairy Paradise without dying, little emperor."

    "Thank you. Now I just need to figure out how I am supposed to return to where I came from¡­" He sighed.

    "Senior, why don''t you follow me back to the Royal Dragon Family? Perhaps we can help you figure something out."

    Yuan hesitated for a brief moment since they might learn that he was disguising as Dragon Emperor if he followed her back to her family.

    "Why don''t you just go back through the Stairway to Heaven? If you came from the upper heavens, you don''t need to do any trials to go back up there." The Fairy Empress said.

    "Unfortunately, my situation is a little special, so I cannot take the Stairway to Heaven." Yuan shook his head.

    "Do as you please. Anyways, you are free now, so hurry up and leave this ce. If you continue lingering around, I might change my mind and keep you here forever." The Fairy Empress then said.

    Yuan nodded and turned to look at Shen Shi, "I''ll have to inconvenience your family for a bit."

    "It''s not an inconvenience! In fact, it''s an honor for our royal family to have you, Senior Yuan!" Shen Shi bowed to him.

    Sometimeter, Yuan left the ce with Shen Shi on her flying treasure.

    "Is it really okay to let him go?" Elder Xue asked the Fairy Empress after they left.

    "We have no choice. The fact that a god-like being has given him their blood essence means he''s very important to that person. We cannot afford to offend such a person." The Fairy Empress shook her head.

    "What if he''d obtained that blood essence through other means?"

    "Even if that might be the case, we cannot risk it. You have no idea how horrifying a god-like entity is. A single one of them could easily wipe out an entire world without sweating."

    "Is that so¡­"

    "Anyways, just forget about this incident. If the others ask about it, just say we already took care of him."

    "I understand."

    Meanwhile, back in the Lower Heavens at the Heavenly Melody Academy.

    "Has he not returned yet?" Song Ling''er asked Ai Wan, who has been waiting in front of the Zither Fairy''s immortal cave for thest three days.

    "No, he hasn''t." Ai Wan shook her head.

    "Looks like we will have to dy his performance indefinitely until he returns¡­ What a headache."

 Chapter 623 - Visiting The Royal Dragon Family

    <h4>Chapter 623 - Visiting The Royal Dragon Family</h4>

    Somewhere in the Lower Heavens, three figures could be seen soaring through the sky at high speed without the assistance of flying treasures.

    "Can either of you feel the Young Master''s presence? It suddenly appeared three days ago, but then it disappeared shortly after." A beautiful woman with avish figure asked the other two figures, who were a little girl and a graceful youngdy.

    Of course, these three were Yuan''spanions that had gone on a journey without him for thest few months.

    "I cannot feel Brother Yuan''s presence." Xiao Hua said.

    "Me neither." Lan Yingying shook her head.

    "And here I thought the Young Master has finally returned to us¡­" Feng Yuxiang released a deep sigh.

    "Anyways, this is where the Young Master''s presence disappeared from. It turned out to be the Heavenly Melody Academy." Feng Yuxiang said as they hovered above the Heavenly Melody Academy.

    "What should we do now?" Lan Yingying asked.

    In response to Lan Yingying''s question, Xiao Hua began flying towards the Heavenly Melody Academy, before descending into the inner court.

    Xiao Hua''s sudden appearance shocked the disciples there, as only Spirit Grandmasters have the capability to fly without the assistance of flying treasures or flying swords.

    And when Feng Yuxiang and Lan Yingying also descended onto the ground from the sky, the disciples'' shock turned into fear.

    Why did three experts suddenly appear in the middle of their sect?

    However, before any disciple could approach them, Song Ling''er noticed their presence and appeared before them.

    "I am Song Ling''er, Sect Master of the Heavenly Melody Academy. How can my sect help you?"

    "Sect Master Song, we are looking for someone." Feng Yuxiang stepped forward.

    "Y-You''re¡­ Madam Feng¡­"

    After taking a closer look at their appearances, Song Ling''er recognized them, and they recalled seeing them with the Dragon Essence Temple at the Mystic Realm.

    "This person you''re looking for¡­ is it Yuan?" Song Ling''er had this gut feeling and asked them.

    "Yes, we are. Have you seen him? We stopped whatever we were doing toe here after sensing his presence, but it disappeared shortly after, and we haven''t sensed it again since then." Feng Yuxiang nodded.

    "Well¡­ You see¡­ What had happened was¡­" Song Ling''er proceeded to exin to them how Yuan had disappeared after touching the Zither Goddess'' immortal cave and has been missing since then.

    "What?! He disappeared!? Do you have any idea where he could''ve went?" Feng Yuxiang asked.

    "No, but you can take a look at the ce if you wish." Song Ling''er said.

    "Take us there!" Xiao Hua immediately said.

    "Okay."

    Song Ling''er then led the threedies to the Zither Goddess'' immortal cave.

    Of course, Ai Wan was still waiting there.

    "He disappeared after touching this boulder that seals the entrance." Song Ling''er pointed to therge boulder blocking the entrance.

    Feng Yuxiang narrowed her eyes at the boulder for a moment before speaking, "There''s a powerful teleport formation within this immortal cave."

    "R-Really? Can you do something about this situation?" Song Ling''er asked, feeling a little hopeful.

    "I can''t say for certain, but we need to go inside to take a closer look at the formation. Can you open it?" Feng Yuxiang said.

    "Unfortunately, that''s not possible. This immortal cave hasn''t been opened since the Zither Goddess left. The only way to open the immortal cave is by forcing it open, but that would destroy the other immortal caves if we''re not careful¡ª"

    Before Song Ling''er could even finish her sentence, Xiao Hua released her cultivation base and used Qi Manifestation to grab the boulder.

    The next second, Xiao Hua yanked the entire boulder away from the entrance, forcefully opening the immortal cave without damaging the other immortal caves.

    This left Song Ling''er and Ai Wanpletely speechless, as they have never seen an immortal cave being opened in such a forceful manner.

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    ''What cultivation base does she have to achieve such a feat?!'' Song Ling''er cried inwardly.

    Although she could tell that Feng Yuxiang and Lan Yingying were both at the peak of Spirit Grandmaster, she was unable to see Xiao Hua''s cultivation base.

    Then she recalled what happened at the Mystic Realm.

    ''If I remember correctly, that Senior from the upper heavens called her a Spirit King!''

    "Let''s go inside." Xiao Hua said as she began walking into the immortal cave without waiting for the others.

    Clearly, she was the most anxious one there.

    Feng Yuxiang and Lan Yingying followed her inside without hesitation.

    Meanwhile, at the Fifth Heaven, after leaving the Fairy Paradise, Shen Shi led Yuan back to her Royal Dragon Family using a teleport treasure, so it only took them a few minutes at most.

    After being teleported to right outside her family''s living quarters, Shen Shi approached the gates with Yuan behind him.

    "Wee to the Shen Family, Senior Dragon Emperor!" The guards got onto their knees and greeted Yuan the moment they got close enough.

    "Wee back, Young Lady!" They greeted Shen Shi afterward.

    Once the guards opened the gates, Shen Shi led Yuan into their living quarters.

    However, before they even reached the building in the distance, Yuan could see many figures standing outside the building.

    These figures were obviously the Royal Dragon Family that lived in this ce.

    The Dragon King and his entire family had gathered outside to greet Yuan. It was a privilege that only Dragon Emperors and above could experience.

    Once Yuan got close enough, everyone besides the Dragon King and his wife got onto their knees to greet him.

    "Greetings, Senior Dragon Emperor!" They all shouted in a loud voice, clearly exhrated to have a Dragon Emperor visit their home.

    As for Yuan, he felt a little guilty for disguising himself as a Dragon Emperor. If these people learn that he''s not even a dragon, much less the Dragon Emperor, he could only imagine what they might do to him.

    ''If they learn the truth, I might as well return to the Fairy Paradise since it would be safer there!'' Yuan cried inwardly as he greeted the Shen Family.

 Chapter 624 - Dragon Paradise

    <h4>Chapter 624 - Dragon Paradise</h4>

    "Hello, everyone. Thank you for the warm wee, but I''d prefer it if you guys acted more casual and informal when around me." Yuan said to them after seeing them treat him as though he was some kind of emperor.

    "My name is Yuan, and you can call me as such."

    The people there looked at each other with doubtful gazes. Can they really address a Dragon Emperor so casually? They won''t receive divine punishment from their ancestor for doing so?

    "If you say so¡ª Yuan." The Dragon King said.

    "Anyways, let us introduce ourselves."

    The royal family then began introducing themselves starting from the Dragon King.

    Once everyone there was done, the Dragon King invited Yuan inside the building.

    "By any chance, are you hungry? We are preparing for a feast right now." The Dragon King asked him sometimeter after they were all sitting down.

    "I am a little hungry." Yuan nodded.

    "In the meantime, if there''s anything we can help you with¡­"

    "I am trying to find a way back to my own world, but I''m not sure how I even got to this ce in the first ce."

    "Can you describe to me what had happened before you came here?" The Dragon King asked.

    Yuan proceeded to recall everything that had happened.

    "So you touched the entrance of an immortal cave and got teleported here¡­ By the way you described it, I believe it was a teleport formation that specializes in long-distance transportation." The Dragon King said.

    "Do you think I was teleported to the Fairy Paradise by ident?" Yuan then asked.

    "No, I don''t think so. Long-distance transportations usually have a set destination, and they are very precise. If the teleport formation took you to the Fairy Paradise, that means whoever created the teleport formation meant for it to happen."

    "Then is there a way to return to my own world? Maybe if I find the teleport formation again¡­" Yuan then asked.

    Back when he was teleported to the Ancient Dragon City, he was able to teleport back using the same teleport, so maybe he could do the same if he can find the Zither Goddess'' teleport formation.

    However, the Dragon King shook his head and said, "When you appeared in this world, you weren''t on top of a teleport formation but high up in the sky, right? This means that the teleport formation that transported you here was a one-way teleport formation."

    "So I cannot return to my world?" Yuan mumbled in a low voice.

    "If you came from the upper heavens, you can use the Stairway to Heaven to return, but it will be a little tedious." The Dragon King said.

    "What if I want to go to the lower heaven?" Yuan suddenly asked.

    "The lower heaven?"

    The Dragon King raised his eyebrows in a puzzled manner, but he didn''t question it and answered, "That would be a little tricky. If you want to go to the lower heaven, you''ll need to speak with the lord of this realm to get permission to go to the lower heaven, and the lower you go, the more resources you''ll need to expend."

    "The lord of this realm? Who is this lord?" Yuan asked.

    "That would be the Fairy Empress¡­"

    "She was the lord of this realm?!" Yuan was surprised to learn this information.

    ''I just left that ce too¡­'' He sighed inwardly.

    "Are you really trying to go to the lower heaven, Senior Yuan?" Shen Shi asked him.

    "Well¡­ I have some business there, so yes¡­"

    The Dragon King pondered for a moment before speaking, "Fortunately, you''re only a Spirit Grandmaster, so it will be easier for you to descend¡ª but not by too much, since you''ll still need to speak with the Fairy Empress and have the resources to activate the formation."

    "I will speak with the Fairy Empresster."

    "Thank you." Yuan nodded.

    "Is there anything else you want to ask?"

    Yuan pondered for a bit before speaking, "Do you know of a ce called the Ancient Dragon City?"

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    He wanted to know how the royal families outside that ce view the city.

    "The Ancient Dragon City?" The Dragon King seemed to be puzzled by Yuan''s question for some reason.

    "Yes¡­ Is there something wrong with that ce?" Yuan tilted his head in a questioning manner.

    "The Ancient Dragon City? Isn''t that a mythical world where only dragons live? It''s a very popr legend." Shen Shi suddenly said.

    "Eh? What do you mean a legend?" Yuan''s eyes widened with surprise upon hearing her words.

    "You don''t know? The Ancient Dragon City is a legendary world that was created during the Primordial Era by the Dragon Ancestor because dragons were hunted for their precious blood, but nobody has ever been to that ce¡ª at least nobody in this world." Shen Shi exined.

    "A legend¡­" Yuan mumbled to himself.

    "It is also called the Dragon Paradise by some people." Shen Shi added.

    "Why are you interested in the Ancient Dragon City?" The Dragon King asked him.

    "Don''t tell me that you''d actually came from that ce?"

    Although the Dragon King spoke as though it was a joke, nobody there wasughing, and they just silently stared at Yuan for a response.

    "Of course not." Yuan quickly denieding from the ce, which was the truth.

    "Then do you think the Ancient Dragon City exists somewhere out there?" Shen Shi asked a momentter.

    "I do." Yuan nodded with a profound smile on his face.

    Sometimeter, the Dragon King was notified that the feast had been prepared, so everyone there began making their way towards the area.

    "This feast is to honor the Dragon Emperor''s presence!" The Dragon King announced.

    Once the cheering stopped, they began feasting on the food, allowing Yuan to show off his eating talents.

    "As expected of a Dragon Emperor! Even his food consumption is top-tier!"

    "Look at how quickly he''s cleaning up the tes! He''s treating the food as though they are air!"

 Chapter 625 - Dragon Marble

    <h4>Chapter 625 - Dragon Marble</h4>

    After entering the Zither Goddess'' immortal cave, Xiao Hua and the others immediately began looking around.

    However, they quickly realized that besides the teleport formation, there was essentially nothing else inside the immortal cave.

    "There''s nothing in here¡­" Song Ling''er was left speechless by this discovery, as she has always believed that there were treasures inside the immortal cave.

    Meanwhile, Feng Yuxiang took her time analyzing the formation on the ground despite not being an expert.

    "I''m no formation expert, but by the looks of it, this formation is a one-way teleport formation, and judging by theplexity of the design, it''s a fairly powerful one."

    "Can you tell where it took Brother Yuan?" Xiao Hua asked her.

    "Unfortunately, only the creator of this formation would have this information." Feng Yuxiang shook her head.

    "Then is there any way to activate it?" Lan Yingying asked.

    "You can normally activate a teleport formation by pouring enough spiritual energy inside it, but there are also formations that only activate under certain circumstances. We can try injecting our spiritual energy into this formation, but I don''t have any hopes it''ll do anything."

    "Stand back." Xiao Hua said as she began pouring her spiritual energy into the formation.

    However, no matter how much spiritual energy she fed the formation, it remained inactive.

    "You said the Young Master yed some sort of song with the zither before he was teleported away?" Feng Yuxiang turned to ask Song Ling''er, who nodded.

    "Yes, that''s what my disciples who were with him at that time said."

    Feng Yuxiang sighed and said, "Unless we have a formation master to analyze this formation, we won''t be able to tell where it took him, but I doubt there are any formation masters in the Lower Heaven that is skilled enough to handle this formation."

    "Is there really nothing we can do?" Lan Yingying asked.

    "Unfortunately." Feng Yuxiang shook her head.

    "But this is the Young Master that we''re talking about. He will be fine no matter where he went. I just hope that he''ll return soon."

    Meanwhile, in the Fifth Heaven, Yuan was sent to his personal room after the feast.

    "If you need anything, just let us know. We''ll have someone guarding outside around the clock for you." The Dragon King said to him before leaving.

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    "Wait a minute." Yuan stopped him before he left.

    "Do you know of a Zither Goddess?" He then asked.

    "Zither Goddess? I do not, but I can try asking around."

    "Is that so¡­ Thank you." Yuan nodded.

    Once he was alone, Yuanid on the bed with a pondering face.

    ''What should I do now? Even though this is a great chance for me to climb the Nine Heavens, I cannot just leave everyone behind.''

    Although he was given this rare chance of skipping four entire realms, allowing him to ascend much faster than other people, he didn''t want to leave Xiao Hua and the others behind¡ª he couldn''t.

    "If only there''s something that can help me return¡­" Yuan sighed out loud as he closed his eyes.

    After a few minutes of silence, Yuan suddenly opened his eyes in a snapping manner, almost like he''d realized something.

    He then jumped off the bed and began searching inside his Dragon Spatial Ring.

    A few momentster, Yuan retrieved a small round object from the Dragon Spatial Ring, and it resembled a marble.

    ''This is the life-saving treasure that Elder Xuan gave me when I was still a disciple at the Dragon Essence Temple. He said that it could teleport me back to the sect no matter where I am¡­'' Yuan recalled the Dragon Marble that Elder Xuan had given him.

    However, he then recalled something else¡ª that it would only work within the Lower Heavens.

    ''Ah! I forgot! He also mentioned that it would only work if I am within the Lower Heavens¡­''

    After staring at the Dragon Marble for a good moment, Yuan decided to still give it a try without having much hope that it will work.

    Yuan took a deep breath and began pouring his spiritual energy into the Dragon Marble.

    The Dragon Marble immediately began emitting a bright and golden light that reached every corner inside the room Yuan was in.

    Crack!

    Yuan could feel the Dragon Marble in his hands quickly heating up, and before he could react, it suddenly exploded into countless fragments, causing the light to intensify many times.

    It got so bright that it blinded Yuan, who felt like he was being pointed in every direction by powerful shlights.

    The light began diminishing a few momentster, allowing Yuan to see again.

    When Yuan finally opened his eyes and could see his surroundings again, he was surprised to find himself surrounded by people wearing familiar-looking clothes.

    "T-They are¡­ Disciples of the Dragon Essence Temple? Did the treasure really bring me back to the sect? I thought it only worked if I was within the Lower Heavens?" Yuan mumbled to himself in a daze.

    Indeed, Yuan had been teleported back to the Dragon Essence Temple after using the Dragon Marble.

    As for why Elder Xuan said that the Dragon Marble could only be used within the Lower Heavens, it was simply because he didn''t know that it could be used even outside the Lower Heaven, as nobody has tried it before until Yuan.

    "W-Who are you?! Where did youe from?!" The disciples around Yuan began shouting at him when they snapped out of their daze.

    ''Judging by their uniform, they should be Outer Court disciples¡­ Anyways, I should hurry up and return to the Heavenly Melody Academy.'' Yuan decided to ignore these disciples and return to the Heavenly Melody Academy, shocking the disciples when he suddenly started flying without any flying treasures.

    Meanwhile, at the Heavenly Melody Academy, Feng Yuxiang and the others were just about to leave the sect when they suddenly stopped their movements.

    "I can sense the Young Master''s presence again! The Young Master has returned!" Feng Yuxiang eximed in an excited voice.

    "What?!" Song Ling''er''s eyes widened with shock by this unexpected news.

 Chapter 626 - Something Must Have Happened To Him!

    <h4>Chapter 626 - Something Must Have Happened To Him!</h4>

    After returning to the Lower Heavens, Yuan immediately began making his way back to the Heavenly Melody Academy.

    When he got close enough, Feng Yuxiang''s voice suddenly resounded in his head.

    "Young Master! Are you okay?!"

    "Feng Feng?" Yuan was delighted to hear her voice after so long.

    "Where are you right now?" Feng Yuxiang then asked.

    "I am currently heading to the Heavenly Melody Academy."

    "Is that so¡­ Then we will wait for you here."

    "You''re at the Heavenly Melody Academy right now? Why?" Yuan asked.

    "We sensed your presence here, but it disappeared before we could arrive."

    "Ah¡­ I will exin everything to youter once I return."

    "Okay. See youter, Young Master."

    Feng Yuxiang then exined to Xiao Hua and the others that Yuan was heading back to the Heavenly Melody Academy.

    "Is everything okay with Yuan?" Song Ling''er asked.

    "Yes, he sounded fine." Feng Yuxiang nodded.

    "Thank the heavens¡­ If anything had happened to him¡­" Song Ling''er released a long sigh of relief after learning that Yuan was not harmed.

    Eventually, Yuan managed to return to the Heavenly Melody Academy without any problems.

    "Young Master!"

    "Brother Yuan!"

    "My Lord!"

    Xiao Hua and the others immediately rushed to his side, feeling like an eternity since theyst met.

    "Hello, everyone. It''s been a while." Yuan said to them with a gentle smile on his face.

    "Yuan, I''m d that you''re fine, but where did you go for the past few days?" Song Ling''er asked him a momentter.

    "It''s a long story, so let''s go back to my living quarter first," Yuan said to them.

    As they began making their way to Yuan''s temporary living quarters in the sect, Feng Yuxiang would stare at Yuan with a pondering gaze.

    "Young Master, did something happen recently?" She decided to ask him.

    "Huh? What do you mean?"

    "I feel like you had changed a lot since ourst meeting."

    Yuan couldn''t help but smile after hearing her words that Song Ling''er also asked.

    "Yes, something did happen. How can you tell?"

    "A woman''s¡ª"

    "Intuition?" Yuan couldn''t help but interrupt her.

    Feng Yuxiang nodded with a dazed look on her face.

    "If you need any help¡­" Feng Yuxiang then mumbled.

    "It was an unfortunate event, but don''t worry, I have already taken care of it," he said.

    "If you say so¡­"

    Once they arrived at his living quarters and were seated, Yuan began recalling his experience in the Fifth Heaven.

    "So I was teleported to a ce called Fairy Paradise in the Fifth Heaven¡­"

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    "Fifth Heaven?!" Song Ling''er eximed in a shocked voice before he could even finish his sentence.

    "Yes, and I was imprisoned there for a few days because only females are allowed in the Fairy Paradise. In order to leave, I had to speak with the Fairy Empress and even had the help of the Royal Dragon Family there¡­ "

    "Sounds like you had it rough, Young Master." Feng Yuxiang said.

    "Brother Yuan, how did you get back? The teleport formation that transported you was a one-way teleport." Xiao Hua asked him.

    "I used a treasure called the Dragon Marble. It was given to me by Elder Xuan at the Dragon Essence Temple. It was supposed to be a life-saving treasure, but I ended up using it to get back here."

    "A life-saving treasure that can teleport you from the Fifth Heaven to the Lower Heavens¡­ It must have been an incredibly powerful treasure¡­" Feng Yuxiang mumbled.

    "To be honest with you, I didn''t think it''d work. My sudden disappearance will definitely cause some trouble for the Royal Dragon Family since I was staying there as a guest. I only hope that nothing too dramatic happens¡­" Yuan sighed, as he could only imagine what will happen to the royal family once they realize that he was gone.

    "I doubt anything will happen. After all, they''re the royal family. Why would they freak out over your disappearance?" Feng Yuxiang said, unaware that Yuan had temporarily taken the identity of a Dragon Emperor while he was there, which will definitely cause some mayhem.

    Meanwhile, at the Royal Dragon Family, a few hours after Yuan disappeared, the Dragon King returned to his room.

    "I have asked around about ''Zither Goddess'' just like you requested and received some information! Are you avable now?" The Dragon King knocked on Yuan''s room.

    When nobody responded, the Dragon King knocked on the door again.

    After waiting for a few more moments, the Dragon King turned to look at the guards and asked them, "Did he leave while I was away?"

    "No, the Dragon Emperor hasn''t left his room."

    "Then why isn''t he responding?" The Dragon King mumbled to himself.

    "Yuan! Are you okay?!" The Dragon King knocked on the door again, feeling a little anxious for some reason.

    Eventually, the Dragon King decided to enter the room.

    "Excuse me!"

    However, to the Dragon King''s surprise, the room was empty.

    "Are you sure he didn''t leave the room? What if he left but you missed it?" The Dragon King returned to the guards with a frown on his face.

    "What? That''s impossible! We have been watching the entrance since the Dragon Emperor went inside! Unless he left through the windows, we would''ve definitely noticed him leaving!" The guards eximed.

    "The windows are still locked, and they can only be locked from the inside! Furthermore, why would the Dragon Emperor leave through the windows? That doesn''t make any sense!" The Dragon King said.

    "Actually! Now that I think about it, I sensed a slight disturbanceing from the Dragon Emperor''s room a while ago, but it disappeared almost as soon as it appeared, so I didn''t think too much of it." One of the guards said, unaware that he''d sensed the Dragon Marble''s activation.

    "Sh*t! I had even scheduled a meeting with the Fairy Empress for the Dragon Emperor! How could he suddenly disappear?!" The Dragon King cursed.

    He then turned to look at the guards andmanded, "Find out what happened to the Dragon Emperor! I don''t believe that he''d leave without telling us! Something must have happened to him and I want to know what!"

 Chapter 627 - Kidnapped!

    <h4>Chapter 627 - Kidnapped!</h4>

    Aftermanding the guards to look for Yuan, the Dragon King gathered his family to notify them of the situation.

    "What?! Senior Yuan disappeared from his room?!" Shen Shi eximed in a shocked voice.

    And she continued, "Are you sure he didn''t leave his room to go somewhere?"

    "I have confirmed this with the guards¡ª he hasn''t left his room since he entered it, and the windows were still locked when I went to check on him." The Dragon King shook his head.

    "Furthermore, the guards had sensed a disturbance inside his room before he disappeared, so there''s a good chance that something had forced him to disappear."

    "Why would anyone want to kidnap the Dragon Emperor?" Someone there asked.

    "Maybe it''s the Fairy Paradise! What if they released him so that they cannot be held ountable if anything happens to him afterward?!" Another person there spected.

    "That makes sense! How despicable!"

    "It must be the Fairy Paradise! I found it suspicious how they allowed the Dragon Emperor to leave so easily!"

    The majority of the royal family believed that the Fairy Paradise was responsible for Yuan''s disappearance at this point.

    "Calm down, everyone." The Dragon King eventually spoke.

    "Although we are not always on good terms, I know the Fairy Empress very well. She is not the type to do something like this¡ª at least I hope that''s the case. Anyways, I will speak with the Fairy Empresster. Until then, you guys try to look for the Dragon Emperor."

    "If he doesn''t show up and the people from the upper heaven begins looking for him, we''ll be responsible for his disappearance, as he''d disappeared while inside our territory! This will look incredibly bad for our royal family!"

    The others began mumbling to each other.

    Indeed, if someone had to take the me for Yuan''s disappearance, their royal family would be first on the list since Yuan had disappeared while staying in their family, and that could be disastrous for their family, especially since Yuan had connections to the one and only Dragon Ancestor!

    "Uses whatever resources we have to find the Dragon Emperor! We will not rest until we find him or find whoever is responsible for his disappearance!"

    Thus began the royal family''s investigation on Yuan''s disappearance that would lead them across the entire Fifth Heaven.

    Meanwhile, the Dragon King went to meet the Fairy Empress outside the Fairy Paradise.

    "Dragon King, why did you summon me? What is so urgent that you cannot wait for a few more days until my meeting with the Dragon Emperor?" The Fairy Empress asked him.

    The Dragon King didn''t want to waste any time and went straight into the topic, "The Dragon Emperor is missing. He''d suddenly disappeared from his room."

    "What?" The Fairy Empress frowned upon hearing this information.

    And then she spoke in a grim voice, "I hope you didn''t call me here just to use me of kidnapping him or something like that, right?"

    "To bepletely honest with you, many people in my family believe the Fairy Paradise had something to do with his disappearance¡ª"

    Before the Dragon King could even finish his sentence, the Fairy Empress shouted in a loud voice, "You dare?!"

    Her cultivation base exploded from her body, causing the surroundings to tremble.

    However, the Dragon King remained calm and continued to speak, "Calm down, Fairy Empress. If I am going to me you for his disappearance, would I even be here?"

    The Fairy Empress retrieved her cultivation base after hearing his words, but the frown remained on her face.

    "It''s fact that the Dragon Emperor had disappeared, and he''s only a Spirit Grandmaster, so it wouldn''t take much effort for anybody above Spirit King to kidnap him. However, the question is who would kidnap him."

    "I will tell you right now that the Fairy Paradise had nothing to do with his disappearance! If you dare me us for it, we will not sit still and let you use us!" The Fairy Empress said.

    If their Fairy Paradise takes me for Yuan''s disappearance and the god-like entity shows up, it would be disastrous for the Fairy Paradise.

    In other words, unless they find Yuan, both the Fairy Paradise or the Royal Dragon Family could face severe consequences.

    "I believe you, so why don''t we cooperate to find out the real culprit behind his disappearance? If we don''t find him and the people from the upper heavens show up, we''ll both get in trouble."

    The Fairy Empress didn''t immediately respond and took a moment to ponder.

    "Do you even have to think about this? If you don''t help me, it will only make the Fairy Paradise look guilty! Furthermore, you imprisoned him for three days and even threatened to kill him!"

    "Che!" The Fairy Empress coldly snorted.

    "Fine, we will help you search for the Dragon Emperor."

    "Thank you."

    The Dragon King remained with the Fairy Empress for a little longer to exin the situation in more detail.

    Meanwhile, in the Lower Heaven, Yuan waspletely oblivious to the chaos that he''d caused by disappearing.

    "Anyways, that''s my story. What about you guys? What have you been doing for the past few months? Did you get a good look at the Lower Heavens, Yingying?" Yuan asked them after exining his situation.

    "Yes, I got to visit many ces from all four continents. It was a great experience, and I even managed to increase my cultivation to the peak of Spirit Grandmaster from all the treasures we found." Lan Yingying said.

    "Sounds like you guys had a great time," Yuan said with a smile on his face.

    "What are your ns now, Young Master?" Feng Yuxiang suddenly asked him.

    "Once I am done here, I will be challenging the Stairway to Heaven," he calmly responded.

    "Eh? Really? I thought you wanted to explore the Lower Heavens a little more before leaving."

    "That was my original n, but I have more important priorities now."

    He then turned to look at Song Ling''er and continued, "I missed the performance, right?"

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    "Don''t worry about it."

    "Do you still want me to do it?" Yuan asked.

    "Of course! I will gather the disciples again! We will be ready for your performance tomorrow!" Song Ling''er eagerly nodded.

    "Great," Yuan said.

 Chapter 628 - Fourth Level Spirit Grandmaster

    <h4>Chapter 628 - Fourth Level Spirit Grandmaster</h4>

    After letting Yuan know that she will gather the disciples tomorrow for his performance, Song Ling''er left the ce.

    "We have some time until tomorrow, so why don''t you tell me a little about your adventure?" Yuan then asked the threedies in the room.

    "It honestly wasn''t that exciting, as we''d spent most of our time wandering and killing magical beasts so that Lan Yingying could consume them." Feng Yuxiang said.

    "That''s fine. Even if it''s boring, I want to hear all of it." Yuan said with a calm smile on his face.

    Lan Yingying nodded, and she proceeded to recall their adventure with Yuan, which took up the rest of the day.

    "I''m d that nobody was hurt," Yuan said to them after hearing their story, as they''d encountered a few dangerous-sounding situations.

    Of course, even though it sounded like they were in danger, the truth was anything but that, as they were all peak experts of this world, and with a Spirit King like Xiao Hua with them, it was impossible to get hurt even if they want to get hurt.

    "What about you, Young Master? That is if you don''t mind sharing." Feng Yuxiang asked him out of curiosity.

    "Well, I had to fight a demon and was nearly killed," Yuan said with a bittersweet smile on his face.

    "WHAT?!" Feng Yuxiang eximed in a shocked voice.

    "D-Demon?! A real demon?!" Even Lan Yingying was startled by the news.

    "Yes, a real demon."

    "But how is that possible? I thought they only existed in the Mystic Realm¡­" Feng Yuxiang mumbled in a low voice.

    "It was a sealed demon that had broken out of its seal after being sealed for many years," he sighed.

    "Is this demon the reason why you''re sad, Brother Yuan?" Xiao Hua suddenly asked him.

    Even though he appears to be fine, Xiao Hua could tell that he was experiencing sorrow from his aura after staying with him for so long.

    "Yes, this demon killed a precious friend of mine because I was too weak to defeat it."

    "Too weak¡­?" Lan Yingying was in disbelief.

    She had personally witnessed him fighting and defeating the Demon Lord that is at the Spirit Lord realm. If even he cannot defeat this demon, it must have been at least Spirit King!

    Unbeknownst to Lan Yingying, the demon was only a peak Spirit Master. However, due to Yuan''s situation and lower cultivation base, it was not something he could defeat at that moment. If it weren''t for the Divine Paragon, Yuan would''ve definitely died on that day.

    "I''m sorry you had to go through that, Young Master¡­" Feng Yuxiang said to him.

    "Why are you apologizing?" Yuan smiled, and he continued, "I can only me myself for being too weak, and I made a promise to myself that I will never make the same mistake again."

    "If you need any help, just let us know, Young Master! I have plenty of treasures that can assist your cultivation!"

    "Then I would like to temper my body whenever I am free. Just make sure you don''t put that weird stuff inside this time¡­" Yuan said, as he could still recall what happenedst time very clearly.

    "I-I understand." Feng Yuxiang nodded with a bashful smile.

    Sometimeter, Yuan logged off the game to eat dinner with the others.

    "I have managed to reunite with Feng Feng and the others," Yuan told Meixiu during dinner.

    "How are they doing?"

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    "They''re doing great."

    "Who''s Feng Feng?" Chu Liuxiang asked them afterward.

    "They are ourpanions in Cultivation Online. We travel together as a group." Yuan exined.

    "I see¡­"

    "Speaking of Cultivation Online, do you want to y with us?" Yuan asked Chu Liuxiang.

    "Honestly, I am not a big fan of that game. Although I admire their amazing world, it''s too much work. I don''t want to cultivate again from scratch, especially since I am already a Spirit Master in real life." Chu Liuxiang shrugged.

    "However, if you want me to y with you, I won''t refuse."

    "Well, I am nning on challenging the Stairway to Heaven very soon so that I can ascend to the next world. I can take a few people with me, but once I leave the Lower Heavens, it will be very hard for me to return."

    Chu Liuxiang pondered for a moment before nodding her head, "Okay, I wille with you."

    "What about you, Meixiu? You''re alsoing, right?"

    "Yes." She quickly nodded.

    There was no way that she''d ept getting left behind while Chu Lixuiang follows him to the upper heavens.

    After dinner, instead of going to sleep or cultivating like usual, Yuan returned to Cultivation Online.

    "Feng Feng, I''d like to start tempering my body now if you don''t mind," Yuan said.

    "Of course! I have already prepared all the necessary treasures for you."

    "Great."

    Yuan then entered the bathroom with Feng Yuxiang.

    After filling therge bathtub with hot water, Feng Yuxiang tossed a few treasures into the water, and it appeared to be less than what she usedst time.

    "Although there is less medicine this time, the effects are actually a little stronger than previously, so you''ll experience a little more pain."

    "That''s perfectly fine." Yuan nodded.

    "I will be waiting for you outside, Young Master." Feng Yuxiang then took a moment to make sure everything was done properly before leaving the bathroom to Yuan.

    Once he was alone, Yuan removed his clothes and entered the bathtub.

    He began absorbing the medicine shortly after.

    "Ah! This is pain is a hundred times worse than the medicine bath I got at the Jaded Garden!" Yuan eximed, feeling intense pain all over his body.

    While the pain wasn''t that much higher than hisst tempering in Cultivation Online, because it has been a while since he did it, he was no longer adapted to the pain.

    After spending a few gruesome hours absorbing the medicine and enduring the pain that came from it, Yuan managed to breakthrough to the fourth level Spirit Grandmaster.

    [You have absorbed enough Qi for a breakthrough]

    [You have reached fourth level Spirit Grandmaster]

    [+28,000 Stats]

 Chapter 629 - Performing For The Heavenly Melody Academy

    <h4>Chapter 629 - Performing For The Heavenly Melody Academy</h4>

    Yuan emerged from the bathtub after absorbing all of the medicine, which helped him breakthrough to the next level of Spirit Grandmaster.

    "Congrattions on your breakthrough, Young Master." Feng Yuxiang said to him when she noticed himing out of the bathroom.

    "It''s all thanks to your treasures." Yuan smiled.

    And he continued, "I don''t really know how to repay you."

    "You don''t have to repay me, Young Master. I am your servant, thus everything that belongs to me also belongs to you."

    "I am not that shameless to ept free things without returning a favor. Furthermore, it''s all precious treasures that would definitely cost a fortune if you were to sell them. I cannot ept that much for free."

    "However, the only thing I can really give you right now is my blood." Yuan sighed.

    "Speaking of my blood¡­ I haven''t given you any of my blood for some time now. Do you want to drink some right now?" Yuan then asked her after realizing this.

    Feng Yuxiang shook her head with a bittersweet smile.

    "Is there something wrong? You are normally very excited for my blood." Yuan asked her.

    "There''s nothing wrong, Young Master. It''s just that¡­ I am afraid that you might cure my curse too quickly, forcing me to return to the upper heavens," she finally decided to reveal her reason for her hesitation.

    "Isn''t that what you wanted? To cure the curse as soon as possible?" Yuan raised his eyebrows in a confused manner.

    "Indeed, that''s what I wanted at first, but after spending some time with you, I realized that I wanted to stay by your side for a little longer. If I consume your blood and the curse breaks, my cultivation will no longer be suppressed, so I will have to return to the upper heavens, and I don''t want that to happen."

    Yuan remained silent for a moment before speaking, "If that''s your choice, I will support it. Of course, if you ever change your mind or want to drink my blood, just let me know."

    "I will. Thank you, Young Master." Feng Yuxiang nodded with a gentle smile.

    "Anyways, I will be backter," Yuan said before logging off for breakfast.

    During breakfast, Yuan asked Meixiu and Chu Liuxiang, "What do you two usually do now?"

    "I spend most of my time cultivating," Meixiu said.

    "I spend all of my time staring at your face." Chu Liuxiang responded with a calm face.

    "¡­"

    Although he wanted to say something about Chu Liuxiang''s response, he didn''t know what to say, as he was baffled speechless by her response.

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    Chu Liuxiang chuckled at his reaction and said, "I am joking, Brother Yuan. I only spend a few hours staring at your face. As for the other hours, I either cultivate or surf the inte for a headquarter for our faction."

    "A few hours still sounds like a lot¡­" Yuan shook his head.

    After breakfast, Yuan returned to his room and entered Cultivation Online.

    Song Ling''er showed up to his living quarters shortly after, and Ai Wan was there with her.

    "Yuan! I''m so d that you''re okay!" Ai Wan could finally feel relief after seeing his face.

    Even though Song Ling''er had told her about Yuan''s return yesterday, she still felt anxious for some reason. However, that feelingpletely disappeared the moment she saw Yuan''s face.

    "I''m sorry for making you worried," Yuan said to her.

    "No, I should be apologizing to you. If I didn''t bring you there¡­"

    "It''s fine. It was a unique experience, so I don''t mind it."

    He then turned to look at Song Ling''er and asked her, "I forgot to ask you this yesterday, but what''s going to happen to the Zither Goddess'' immortal cave?"

    "I have sealed it back up since there''s nothing besides the teleport formation inside, and I don''t want another person to fall victim and identally teleport to the Fifth Heaven. Although you were lucky enough to return with the Dragon Marble, I doubt the others will be as lucky."

    "I understand. Thank you." Yuan said to her.

    "Anyways, are you ready for the performance? The disciples will be gathered two hours from now." Song Ling''er asked him.

    "Two hours, huh? I will use this time to warm up."

    Thus, Yuan proceeded to spend the next two hours ying random songs on the zither to warm his fingers up even though it was unnecessary for someone at his level to do such a thing.

    Once it was time for the performance, Yuan followed Song Ling''er outside the sect until they arrived at this spacious area that was a couple of miles behind the Heavenly Melody Academy.

    "Wow, there''s a lot of people here¡­" Lan Yingying mumbled to herself as they flew over tens of thousands of disciples from the Heavenly Melody Academy.

    The disciples on the ground also noticed them.

    "Look! It''s the Sect Master!"

    "Who are those following behind her?! I have never seen so many Spirit Grandmasters together at once until today!"

    "I wonder what this gathering is about¡­"

    A few momentster, Song Ling''er brought Yuan to this tall tform in the center of the sea of disciples.

    She then turned to look at the disciples before announcing in a loud and clear voice, "I have gathered all of you here today to witness a zither performance performed by Daoist Yuan, who is a musical genius."

    "What? The Sect Master gathered us for a mere zither performance?"

    "The Sect Master wouldn''t gather us for something ordinary."

    "Hey! I recognize that man standing behind her! That''s the person who yed ''God Descends from Heaven'' wlessly at the Music Pagoda!"

    "What? He''s that rumored mysterious genius that everyone has been talking abouttely?"

    "Does this mean he''ll be performing for us? Hell yeah! I have been dreaming of this moment since I witnessed his performance at the Music Pagoda!"

    The atmosphere there quickly became rowdy.

    "Whenever you''re ready, Yuan." Song Ling''er said to him.

    "What song should I y?" He asked.

    "It doesn''t matter¡­ After all, whatever you y will turn out to be wless," she smiled.

 Chapter 630 - Seven Songs

    <h4>Chapter 630 - Seven Songs</h4>

    Yuan took a moment to ponder what songs he wanted to y.

    "Senior Song, I can y multiple songs, right?"

    "Of course! You can y as many songs as you''d like," she immediately responded.

    Yuan nodded and took a seat on the tform before retrieving his Soul Ensnaring Zither.

    A couple of disciples there recognized the Soul Ensnaring Zither, as they''d tried to y it before.

    "Is that the real Soul Ensnaring Zither?"

    "The one that used to be owned by the Zither Goddess?"

    "It''s probably just a replica, right?"

    "No, I heard that someone had managed to obtain it after sessfully ying it."

    As the disciples murmured to each other, Yuan pulled on the string of the zither and began his first of many songs that would be yed on that day.

    When the disciples heard the music note, they immediately closed their mouths and focused on Yuan, who was calmly sitting on the tform.

    The first song that Yuan decided to y was something Fei Yuyan had taught him.

    The second song was something from his own world.

    The third and fourth song was something he learned from the ninth floor of the Music Pagoda.

    The fifth and sixth song was also from the Music Pagoda, and it was on the tenth floor.

    Andstly, Yuan decided to y God Descends from Heaven for his seventh and final song.

    Yuan''s performance that was yed with barely any breaks in-between left the disciples there breathless. If he didn''t take a few moments between each song, the audience would have copsed from forgetting how to breathe.

    Furthermore, if one looked at the crowd closely, one would notice many disciples sitting down in the lotus position, appearing to be cultivating, as they had received slight enlightenment from Yuan''s performance.

    "Is this good enough?" Yuan asked Song Ling''er after ying hisst song, snapping her out of her daze.

    "Y-Yes. That was more than good enough," she said.

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    "That''s great." Yuan stood up and stored the Soul Ensnaring Zither back into his storage ring.

    "Are you leaving now?" Song Ling''er asked him.

    "Yes," he nodded.

    As much as he wanted to look around the Heavenly Melody Academy a little longer, he didn''t want to dy his ascension to the next heaven any longer.

    "If you ever get the chance to visit again, our doors will always be open for you." Song Ling''er said to him.

    "Thank you. I will definitely visit if I ever return to the Lower Heavens."

    "Where to now, Young Master?" Feng Yuxiang asked him.

    "Let''s give the Dragon Essence Temple a visit before we leave, not to mention I have someone to pick up from that ce," Yuan said.

    After saying their goodbyes to Song Ling''er, Yuan and the others began making their way to the Dragon Essence Temple.

    "S-Sect Master! Who was that young man?!"

    The sect elders swarmed Song Ling''er after Yuan left the scene.

    "A friend I made not long ago," she said with a profound smile on her face.

    Meanwhile, at the Dragon Essence Temple, Sect Master Long Yijun sat before the high-ranking sect elders with a solemn expression on his face.

    "Have we gotten any new information regarding the Spirit Grandmaster that suddenly appeared in our sect before flying away?" He asked the sect elders.

    After Yuan returned to the sect using the Dragon Marble, the disciples that witnessed the scene had reported it to them, hence the current situation.

    "They said it was a young man wearing ck and golden robes¡­ I can only think of one person with that description¡­" Elder Xuan said.

    "You think it''s Yuan? But why would he suddenly show up in the sect and leave without saying anything?" Elder Shan said.

    "That''s what I am trying to figure out as well. However, besides him, I cannot think of another young Spirit Grandmaster." Elder Xuan shrugged.

    "I just hope his appearance isn''t something ominous. We''ve been targeted a lot recently because of what happened at the Mystic Realm." Long Yijun sighed.

    It was at this moment Elder Xuan noticed hismunication jade slip trembling.

    Upon answering it, Elder Xuan could hear Yuan''s voice resound inside his head.

    "Senior Xuan, I am heading to the Dragon Essence Temple right now."

    "Y-Yuan? Did something happen?" Elder Xuan asked him in a slightly dazed voice.

    "Did you just say Yuan?" Everybody there turned to look at Elder Xuan with wide eyes.

    "Yes, and he said that he''s currently on his way here."

    "Really? Did he say why?" Long Yijun asked.

    "No, but I will ask him right now."

    "Is there a specific reason why you''re returning now?" Elder Xuan asked Yuan.

    "Not really. I will be challenging the Stairway to Heaven soon, and I wanted to visit the Dragon Essence Temple onest time and personally say goodbye."

    "The Stairway to Heaven?!" Elder Xuan eximed in a shocked voice.

    After all, it hasn''t been long since Yuan left their sect! A few months at most!

    "Anyways, I am almost there, so I will talk to you again when I am there," Yuan said before hanging up.

    Elder Xuan then told the others what Yuan had said to him.

    "What? He''s climbing the Stairway to Heaven already?" Elder Shan mumbled in a dumbfounded voice.

    "He''s truly in a league of his own." Long Yijun said.

    "He''s a Spirit Grandmaster, right? That''s when people usually challenge the Stairway to Heaven, so I guess it''s not that surprising."

    "Cancel all of my ns and appointment today. I have an important guest that requirespany." Long Yijun said a momentter.

    Sometimeter, Yuan and the others arrived at the Dragon Essence Temple.

    "I missed this ce¡­" Yuan mumbled to himself as he gazed upon the entire sect from the sky.

    Once he had enough of the view, Yuan proceeded to make his way towards the Sect Master''s headquarters.

    "Wee back, Yuan¡­" Long Yijun and the other sect elders greeted him with broad smiles on their faces.

 Chapter 631 - Fei Yuyans Decision

    <h4>Chapter 631 - Fei Yuyan''s Decision</h4>

    "Hello, everyone. It''s been a while." Yuan greeted Long Yijun and the other sect elders.

    "It''s only been a few months. This amount of time is nothing in the cultivation world." Elder Xuan said with a smile on his face.

    "Madam Feng¡­ Seniors¡­ Wee to the Dragon Essence Temple." Long Yijun then greeted Feng Yuxiang and the others.

    "I heard you''re going to challenge the Stairway to Heaven soon, is that right? You grow up so quickly." Elder Shan approached him until she was standing directly behind him.

    She then wrapped her arms around him and embraced him in a yful manner.

    "I swear it wasn''t long ago that you were a Spirit Warrior. Your talents are screwing with my sense of time," she sighed.

    Although the others would normally call out her shamelessness, the sect elders remained silent this time.

    Once she had enough, Elder Shan released Yuan and asked him, "Are you going to challenge the Stairway to Heaven right after leaving this ce?"

    "I still have one ce to visit after this, but once that is done, I will challenge the stairway," he said.

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    "How long do you n on staying here?" Elder Xuan asked him.

    "I probably won''t stay too long since I only have to pick up someone before I am ready to leave."

    "Who are you picking up?" Long Yijun raised his brows.

    "Min Li," he calmly said.

    "Eh? Min Li from the Min Family? Why are you picking her up?" Long Yijun continued to ask.

    "I am going to bring her with me to the Stairway to Heaven," he responded.

    "What?! She''s also going to challenge the Stairway to Heaven?!" The people there were surprised to learn this information.

    "But she''s only a Spirit Warrior! There''s no way she''ll seed!"

    Yuan waved his hand and said, "That''s not it. I will be helping her climb the stairway, so she doesn''t actually have to climb it herself."

    Everyone there stared at him with wide eyes.

    Long Yijun then spoke with a frown on his face, "Yuan¡­ You are aware that by helping her, it will make your climb much more difficult, right?"

    "Yes, I am well aware of it."

    "And you''re still willing to help her? You''re really too kind, Yuan¡­" Elder Xuan said with a warm smile on his face.

    "Hm? But wait a moment¡­ Min Li from the Min Family had to return to her family''s headquarters for some reason, so she''s not in the sect at this moment." Elder Bai suddenly said.

    "What? When did this happen?" Long Yijun asked, as he was not aware of this information.

    "Last week. I saw it in the reports, but I didn''t think it was worth mentioning to you, so I didn''t say anything. After all, people from the Legacy Families are always going back and forth, so this isn''t anything unusual."

    "Min Li is not at the sect? Do you know when she will return?" Yuan then asked.

    "Unfortunately, she didn''t leave behind any additional notes, so we don''t know when she''ll return."

    "Hmm¡­ How far away is the Min Family? I think it would be quicker if I go there instead."

    "The Min Family isn''t that far away. In fact, you can get to that ce in just a few hours if you use teleport formations." Elder Xuan said.

    "Sounds good. I will visit her after I say goodbye to a few disciples." Yuan nodded.

    "By disciples, do you mean my disciple, Fei Yuyan?" Elder Shan asked.

    "Yes. I hope she''s not busy."

    "She''s usually training at this time, but I''m sure that she wouldn''t mind your presence for a bit. I will take you to her right now if you want."

    "Sure."

    After talking with the others for a bit longer, Yuan followed Elder Shan to the Blossom Peak, where Fei Yuyan was training with the other disciples.

    "Yuyan! You have a visitor!"

    "A visitor?" Fei Yuyan turned around after hearing Elder Shan''s voice.

    "Eh¡­? Y-Yuan¡­? Is that really you?" Fei Yuyan doubted her eyes for a moment when she saw him.

    "Yes, it''s me. I havee to visit you¡­ and to say goodbye." Yuan said as he approached her.

    "Goodbye?" Fei Yuyan frowned slightly.

    "I will be challenging the Stairway to Heaven soon. If I seed, I will no longer be in the Lower Heavens," he said.

    "Oh, right¡­ You did say that before you left the sect. Well¡­ Good luck. Though I''m sure you''ll seed with ease."

    Although she wanted to say more to him, she wasn''t sure what else to say to him, as his sudden appearance had baffled her speechless.

    "Disciple Fei, do you remember what we talked about before I left?" Yuan suddenly asked her.

    "What we talked about?" Fei Yuyan began pondering.

    "Are you going to ask me if I want to follow you to the upper heavens?" Fei Yuyan said after a long moment of silence.

    "That''s right. If you want to go to the upper heavens, I can help you. Have you thought about it after I left?" Yuan nodded.

    "Of course, I have thought about it." Fei Yuyan nodded.

    "Then can you tell me your decision?"

    Fei Yuyan looked at Yuan straight in the eyes for a few seconds before speaking, "Unlike Disciple Min, I do not have any big ambitions. I am satisfied with what I have right now, and even if I receive your help to reach the upper heavens, I won''t truly feel like I belong there."

    She paused for a moment to take a deep breath before continuing, "Therefore, I will have to decline your offer."

    "I understand." Yuan nodded.

    "Wait¡­" Fei Yuyan suddenly began blushing, and she spoke a momentter, "It''s not that I don''t want to follow you. In fact, I want to follow you to the upper heavens and spend more time with you, but I don''t want to be a burden."

    "Burden? You are not¡ª"

    "Don''t." Fei Yuyan suddenly interrupted.

    "Don''t tell me that I am not a burden. It will only make me feel worse. Please¡­"

    "¡­"

    Seeing the painful smile on Fei Yuyan''s face, Yuan decided to not continue his sentence and merely nodded in silence.

 Chapter 632 - Going To The Min Family

    <h4>Chapter 632 - Going To The Min Family</h4>

    "Hey, Yuan, before you leave, can we y the zither again for a bit?" Fei Yuyan suddenly asked him after a moment of awkward silence.

    "Of course." He immediately agreed.

    "Let''s do it at my backyard like we used to."

    "Okay."

    Fei Yuyan turned to look at Elder Shan and said, "I''m sorry, Master, but I will end my training early today."

    "Do as you please." Elder Shan nodded.

    Yuan then followed Fei Yuyan back to her living quarters.

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    Once they were in the backyard, they sat down beside each other with their zither out.

    "The Soul Ensnaring Zither? What happened to the Divine-grade zither you obtained at thepetition?" Fei Yuyan asked him.

    "Oh, that thing? I sold it." Yuan casually said.

    "Y-You sold a Divine-grade treasure¡­?" Fei Yuyan''s eyes widened with disbelief.

    "I didn''t need it since I already have the Soul Ensnaring Zither, and I needed the money back then." Yuan shrugged.

    "But the Soul Ensnaring Zither isn''t really a treasure¡­"

    "While that is true, it still performs the same if not a little better than the Divine-grade zither."

    "In the end, it''s not like I will be using it as a weapon, so it really doesn''t matter to me."

    "I guess so¡­"

    "Anyways, which song should we y first?" Yuan then asked.

    "I am fine with any song."

    "Then why don''t we y the songs that we yed during our practice session before the zitherpetition?" Yuan suggested.

    "Sure." Fei Yuyan nodded.

    A few momentster, they began ying the zither together, and they would spend the next few hours ying without any breaks.

    At the end of their duet, Fei Yuyan stood up and bowed to him, "Thank you for ying with me."

    "There''s no need to thank me. We''re partners, remember?" Yuan said with a smile on his face.

    "Partners¡­" Although Fei Yuyan knew that Yuan was only talking about their partnership for the zitherpetition, it still made her incredibly happy to hear such wordsing from him.

    "Are you going to leave now?" She then asked him.

    "Not yet. I still have to visit Xuan Wuhan before I can leave."

    "I understand. Once again, good luck with the Stairway to Heaven, Yuan."

    "Thank you."

    After saying their goodbyes to each other, Yuan made his way to Xuan Wuhan''s living quarters.

    "Hm?" Yuan noticed a figure standing outside Xuan Wuhan''s living quarter when he approached it, and it turned out to be Xuan Wuhan herself.

    "Yuan!" Xuan Wuhan immediately called out to him when she noticed his figure.

    "Hello. Are you waiting for somebody?"

    "Yes¡ª you! I heard from my grandfather that you have returned to the sect, and I figured that you might visit me, so I have been waiting for you since then." Xuan Wuhan said with a bright smile on her face.

    "Waiting for me? What if I didn''t show up?" Yuan chuckled.

    "Then I would have chased you down!"

    Afterughing a bit, Xuan Wuhan said, "Even though I have known you for less than a year, it feels like we''ve been friends forever."

    "Good luck with the Stairway to Heaven, Yuan. With your talents, I''m sure you''ll be able to pass it without any issues."

    And she continued, "Hey, Yuan, this may be a bit sudden, but do you want to grab something to eat at the Dragon Pavilion before you leave?"

    "Of course! I was actually thinking about returning to that ce too."

    "Then let''s go!"

    Xuan Wuhan and Yuan proceeded to head to the Dragon Pavilion for a feast.

    As usual, Yuan ordered the entire menu without hesitation.

    After they finished eating, Yuan said his goodbyes to Xuan Wuhan.

    "Yuan¡­ I will definitely try to ascend the Stairway to Heaven in the future¡ª with my own strength. Although I already know that it''s not likely to happen, I will still try to catch up with you."

    "Good luck to you. I really hope to see you again." Yuan nodded.

    "Of course."

    After talking for a little longer, Yuan returned to Long Yijun and the other sect elders to say his final goodbyes with them.

    "Goodbye, everyone. I will never forget my experience as a disciple in the sect." Yuan bowed to them.

    "And we''ll never forget having a disciple like you, Yuan." Long Yijun and the others returned his bow.

    Yuan left the Dragon Essence Temple shortly after.

    "Where to now, Young Master?"

    "The Min Family to pick up Min Li," he calmly replied.

    Then he realized that he didn''t have their location.

    "I should have asked them about the Min Family''s location before I left¡­" Yuan sighed.

    "The Min Family, right? I know where they are located. In fact, they used to be frequent customers of mine." Feng Yuxiang suddenly said.

    "That''s great."

    "Follow me."

    Feng Yuxiang then led Yuan and the others to a nearby city to use their teleport formation.

    A couple of hourster, they arrived in Min City, and just by the name itself, anyone could tell that it was the Min Family who governs thisnd.

    After entering the city, Feng Yuxiang led Yuan straight to the Min Family''s headquarters, which was located at the center of the city.

    "Thatrge and red building over there is the Min Family, Young Master." Feng Yuxiang pointed to the obvious building in the distance that stuck out like a sore thumb.

    "Alright. Let''s go."

    Yuan approached the guards standing by the gates, and as expected of one of the Seven Legacy Families, they don''t y around with security, as there were dozens of guards surrounding the ce, and they were only the ones working at the gates.

    "W-What business do you have with the Min Family?" The guards there asked him when they got close enough, but they appeared to be a little bit flustered for some reason.

    However, if one looked at the direction of their gazes, that reason would be obvious.

    Of course, they were flustered after seeing the beauties with Yuan.

 Chapter 633 - Not Accepting Any Visitors

    <h4>Chapter 633 - Not epting Any Visitors</h4>

    "Hello, I am here to see Min Li. I was told by the Dragon Essence Temple that she had returned home not long ago." Yuan said to the guards while they were stilled dazed by the beauties around him.

    "Y-Young Lady Min? What business do you have with her?"

    "I am here to fulfill a promise I made to her."

    "I''m sorry, but the Min Family is not epting any visitors at this moment, as they are currently preparing for the Young Lady''s marriage." The guard then said, taking Yuan by surprise.

    "What? Marriage? Min Li is getting married?"

    "Yes, the Min Family suddenly announced her marriage with Gu Tao from the Gu Family, their third eldest song."

    "The Gu Family¡­" Yuan recalled when someone from the Gu Family tried to recruit him to their family when he was still a disciple of the Dragon Essence Temple, and he mentioned that the Gu Family was one of the Seven Legacy Families.

    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    As for Min Li marrying this Gu Tao, it was obviously something that her family decided for her.

    Yuan could still remember Min Li pleading with him to join her family so that they wouldn''t do something like this to her.

    ''Looks like I had made her wait too long¡­'' Yuan sighed inwardly.

    However, knowing that Min Li was most likely forced into this marriage by her family, Yuan was more inclined to meet with her.

    "Hey, my Young Master said he wants to meet with Min Li. I don''t care if the Min Family is epting visitors or not, he will meet her today!" Feng Yuxiang suddenly said with a cold expression on her pretty face.

    "Who do you think you are? If you think you can say whatever you want just because you are a little pretty, then¡ª"

    Before the guard could even finish his sentence, Feng Yuxiang retrieved a medallion from her storage ring and shoved it right in his face.

    The guard was startled at first, but when he realized what Feng Yuxiang was holding, it turned into shock and fear.

    "T-The Min Family''s Royal Guest Medallion! Why do you have something like that?!" The guard eximed in a shocked voice.

    "Does it matter why I have it? The question here is whether you will let my Young Master meet Min Li or not."

    The guards gritted their teeth as they were in a predicament.

    On one hand, the Min Family said no guests are allowed, but on the other, the Royal Guest Medallion is the highest honor one could receive from the Min Family, and those with the medallion must be treated as though they are part of the family!

    This rule was set by the founder of the Min Family, so it wasn''t something they could simply ignore!

    "M-May I ask for your name, Senior?" One of the guards asked her.

    "Feng Yuxiang," she calmly responded.

    "Wait! Aren''t you Madam Feng from the Golden Phoenix Bazaar?!" Someone there recognized her name.

    "Yes, I used to work at the Golden Phoenix Bazaar," Feng Yuxiang nodded, not denying her identity.

    "O-Open the gates for them!" The guard then said.

    "Are you sure?" The others asked him.

    "Yes! Just open it!"

    The guards nodded their heads and opened the gates for them.

    "Please excuse us for the inconvenience just now, Madam Feng. Please, follow me. I will bring you to the Young Lady." The guard said to her.

    Once Yuan and the others disappeared with the guard, the other guards began mumbling to each other.

    "Who is Madam Feng?"

    "You don''t know? She used to own the most popr and valuable stores in the Golden Phoenix Bazaar. The Min Family also used to be a frequent customer there, so they highly respect her." One of the more senior guards there exined to the others.

    Meanwhile, inside the Min Family''s living quarters, Min Li sat inside her room with a tranquil expression on her face as she stared outside her window.

    "I knew I shouldn''t have returned¡­ I knew it was a trap, yet I still returned¡­ I am such an idiot¡­" Min Li sighed.

    It was mostly due to how she was raised to listen to her parents regardless of the situation, hence why she returned to the family after being summoned by them.

    After many weeks of silence from her family, they suddenly called her back to the family without giving her any exnations.

    Min Li knew that this was about her failure to recruit Yuan to their family, as news of Yuan''s departure from the sect had spread shortly after he left, so it was clear to the Min Family that she had failed to secure him.

    "But to think they''d immediately give me to another family¡­ I didn''t think they''d move so fast¡ª be willing to toss me away so easily. They must be really upset about my failure¡­" Min Li sighed again after realizing just how little her family valued her.

    While it is true that shecked in talents and achievements whenpared to her siblings, she is still a cultivation genius with a rare talent. How can the Min Family throw her away this easily? She couldn''t understand it.

    "I don''t know when Disciple Yuan wille, so I cannot wait for him to rescue me. Therefore, I will have to deal with this situation by myself. If worstes to worst, I will climb the Stairway to Heaven by myself! Even if I die in the process, it will be a much better fate than marrying into the Gu Family!"

    While Min Li nned her escape from the Min Family and her marriage, Yuan and the others approached their living quarters.

    "I''m not sure where the Young Lady is located, but she should be here. Let me go speak with someone for more information." The guard said to them after they arrived.

    "Thank you." Yuan nodded.

    "Please wait here for a few minutes." The guard then left the ce.

    Once the guard left, he immediately ran to the Min Family to notify them of the situation.

    "What? Madam Feng from the Golden Phoenix Bazaar is here? Why?" The head of the Min Family, Min Yide asked the guard.

 Chapter 634 - The Real Madam Feng

    <h4>Chapter 634 - The Real Madam Feng</h4>

    "Apparently, her ''Young Master'' is here to meet with Young Lady Min Li." The guard responded to Min Yide''s question.

    "Young Master?" Min Yide suddenly burst outughing after hearing the guard''s words.

    "Are you sure she''s the real Madam Feng? First of all, Madam Feng left the Golden Phoenix Bazaar a while ago and hasn''t been seen since then. Why would she suddenly show up here for Min Li?"

    "And her ''Young Master''? I know Madam Feng very well! There''s no way that she''d lower herself for another individual! She''s a fake! A fake, I tell you!" Min Yide continuedughing.

    "Then what about the Royal Guest Medallion?" The guard asked.

    "Did anyone verify if it was real or fake?"

    "N-No¡­ It would''ve been disrespectful to Madam Feng, as verifying the medallion is akin to doubting her credibility¡­ " The guard shook his head.

    "Just kick them out."

    Although he had a bad feeling about Min Yide''s orders, the guard didn''t dare to disobey him.

    "As youmand! Please excuse this subordinate!"

    The guard quickly returned to Yuan and the others to notify them of Min Yide''s response.

    "I''m sorry, but you''ll have to leave this ce now."

    "What?" Yuan looked at him with wide eyes.

    Didn''t he leave to get information on Min Li''s location? How did it end up getting them kicked out?"Is this a joke?" Feng Yuxiang stared at the guard with a deep frown on her face, looking like she was on the verge of attacking him for making such a joke.

    "I am not joking. The head of the family, Min Yide, has ordered you all to leave this ce as soon as possible." The guard repeated.

    "Min Yide, huh? When did this bastard be so daring? Let me speak with him!"

    "That won''t be possible¡­"

    "I am not asking you. I am telling you." Feng Yuxiang suddenly released her Spirit Grandmaster cultivation base, instantly terrifying the guard who was a mere Spirit Warrior.

    "S-Spirit Grandmaster! You''re the real Madam Feng?!" The guard fell to his buttocks from shock.

    "Huh? What nonsense are you talking about? Of course I am real!"

    The guard immediately got onto his knees and began kowtowing to her.

    "Please forgive this disrespectful junior for mistaking Madam Feng as a fake!"

    And in order to save himself a little face, the guard exined to them that Min Yide was the one who told him that she was fake.

    "Hmph! Bring me to him!" Feng Yuxiang coldly snorted afterward.

    "R-Right away!"

    The guard no longer dared to dy things and immediately brought Feng Yuxiang and the others to meet Min Yide.

    "Family Head! M-Madam Feng¡ª she''s here to see you!" The guard knocked on his door and shouted from the outside.

    "I told you to kick out that fake! How dare youe back here with her?! Are you begging to get fired?!" Min Yide''s angry voice quickly resounded.

    Bang!

    Feng Yuxiang suddenly kicked down the door before walking inside the room with a domineering aura around her.

    "I dare you to call me a fake again, Min Yide!" Feng Yuxiang stared at Min Yide, who was sitting behind his desk with a gawking face.

    "Y-Y-You?! Impossible!"

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    "Impossible, your mother! Look at my face and tell me I am a fake again!" Feng Yuxiang then retrieved the Royal Guest Medallion and tossed it at Min Yide.

    "Look at that medallion and tell me it''s fake! I dare you!"

    Min Yide held the medallion with trembling hands.

    ''I-It''s real! She''s the real Madam Feng!'' Min Yide felt his heart drop all the way to his stomach when he realized this fact.

    "You know, with the amount of discount I gave your family, I expected to be treated with some respect at the very least. I have done business with your Min Family for thousands of years, giving you billions of gold coins in discounts, yet I am treated like trash when I visit your family. If your ancestors were here, I wonder what they''ll say¡­" Feng Yuxiang sighed out loud.

    "P-Please forgive me, Madam Feng! I really thought you were a fake!" Min Yide quickly got onto his knees without caring for his image as the head of the Min Family.

    And he continued, "I will ept any punishment from you! Please! Let me apologize to you properly!"

    "Then tell me where Min Li is located so that my Young Master can speak with her." Feng Yuxiang said.

    "Right away! Please, follow me! I will take you to her!" Min Yide quickly stood up and began walking towards the door.

    "Let''s go, Young Master." Feng Yuxiang then said to him.

    Yuan nodded and followed Min Yide to where they were keeping Min Li.

    When they arrived, Feng Yuxiang sneered in a cold voice, "A confinement formation? Are you keeping a prisoner inside this room or something?"

    "A-Actually, Min Li is currently grounded and being disciplined for failing an important mission, and in order to prevent her from running away, we ced her inside." Min Yide made up a random excuse.

    "Mission? What kind of mission?" Feng Yuxiang asked, acting ignorant about the situation.

    "W-Well¡­ It''s a very sensitive subject¡­" Min Yide said, trying to tell her that he doesn''t want to talk about it in the vaguest way possible.

    "Whatever." Feng Yuxiang shrugged, as she was already aware of the situation.

    Min Yide knocked on the door a momentter and said, "Min Li! You have a visitor!"

    Min Li, who has been staring outside the window with a dazed face, turned to look at the door after hearing her father''s voice.

    ''Visitor? The Gu Family?'' Min Li''s initial thought was that the Gu Family hade to visit her. After all, who else could possibly visit her during such a time?

    The door opened a momentter without Min Li doing anything, and Yuan calmly entered the room the next second.

    "E-Eh¡­? D-Disciple Yuan? Is that really you?" Min Li''s eyes widened with shock the instant she saw his handsome face, and she immediately wondered if she had identally dozed off into dreand, hence the current situation that shouldn''t be possible.

 Chapter 635 - Leaving The Min Family

    <h4>Chapter 635 - Leaving The Min Family</h4>

    "Haha¡­ I must be dreaming. There''s no way he''d be here." Min Li released a lowugh before shaking her head and returning to staring outside the window.

    "Who''s dreaming?" Yuan asked her.

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    "¡­"

    After a moment of silence, Min Li turned to look at him again, her eyes wider than before.

    "A-Are you real? Am I not asleep? Are you really Disciple Yuan?" Min Li asked for confirmation.

    "Why are you still calling me Disciple Yuan? I am no longer a disciple of the Dragon Essence Temple. Just call me Yuan, Disciple Min." Yuan said with a gentle smile on his face.

    And he continued, "Also, I am here to fulfill my promise."

    Min Li''s body visibly trembled when she heard his words.

    Meanwhile, Min Yide stared at Yuan from the side with a look of disbelief on his face.

    ''Y-Yuan? He can''t be! Impossible!'' Min Yide refused to believe that he was the same ''Yuan'' who dominated the Mystic Realm¡ª the same Yuan that they have been desperately trying to recruit.

    ''Why is he here?! I thought Min Li failed to recruit him!'' Min Yide cried inwardly.

    "Dis¡ª Yuan!" Min Li jumped out of her seat and pounced at him with her arms wide open, embracing him tightly when she was close enough.

    "You really returned for me! I thought you wouldn''t make it!"

    "I made a promise to you, after all."

    "¡­" Min Yide watched as his youngest child embrace the current number one genius in the Lower Heavens with intimacy, his eyes and mouth as wide as saucers.

    "W-What is going on here¡­?" Min Yide mumbled in a low voice after snapping out of his daze.

    Yuan turned to look at him and spoke in a calm voice, "I promised Min Li that I''d climb the Stairway to Heaven for her, so she might not be able to attend the marriage. Do you have any problems with it?"

    "Hmph! I never even agreed to this marriage in the first ce! They tricked me into returning home and locked me in this room for the past week! All because I failed to recruit you into the family!" Min Li coldly snorted.

    "I kind of figured that was the case." Yuan sighed.

    He then turned to look at Min Yide and said, "Forcing your children to do something so ridiculous and then punishing her with even more ridiculousness¡­ If this is how the Min Family operates, I do not wish to join it."

    Min Yide subconsciously opened his mouth to make some kind of excuse, but he ultimately decided to remain silent, as he was certain that they''d lost all hope in recruiting Yuan to their family.

    ''If only we treated Min Li better¡­ If only we waited just a little longer¡­'' Min Yide sighed inwardly.

    He then said, "What about the Gu Family? They have long been spreading news of your marriage with Gu Tao. If you don''t show up for the wedding, it will not only ruin our reputation, but we''ll also be aughing stock for years toe."

    "Hell, the Gu Family, our closest ally, will most likely cut all connection with us afterward."

    Feng Yuxiang suddenly sneered and said, "That is not our problem to solve but your Min Family''s problem, as you were the ones that dug this hole."

    Once again Min Yide opened his mouth only to close it a few secondster without actually uttering a single word.

    However, before he could even ponder about the situation, a guard suddenly showed up and announced, "Family Head, the Gu Family is here to visit. Gu Tao is also with them."

    "Aiya! Why do they have to show up now of all times?! They didn''t even notify us before visiting!" Min Yide sighed out loud.

    Although Min Yide found the Gu Family''s presence to be nothing but an annoyance, Yuan actually thought this was a good chance for them to break off the marriage.

    "Why don''t we use this chance to call off the marriage?" Yuan decided to share his idea.

    "What?! We can''t!" Min Yide subconsciously responded without thinking.

    "The marriage won''t happen regardless if you tell them today or a week from now, so you might as well get it out of the way now before they continue spreading news of a marriage that won''t happen." Feng Yuxiang said.

    Min Yide gritted his teeth.

    He turned to look at Min Li and spoke in a solemn voice, "Are you sure you want to do this? If you call off this engagement, you''ll no longer be part of the Min Family."

    "Yes, I am sure." Min Li answered without hesitation.

    Min Yide closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths.

    "Get out of my face. You''re officially disowned from the Min Family, Min Li."

    After saying that, Min Yide left the scene with the guard to meet with the unsuspecting Gu Family.

    Once Min Yide left, Min Li fell onto her knees as her legs suddenly lost all of their strength. This was her first time standing up to her own family.

    Yuan wiped the tears that were forming on the edge of her eyes and said, "Let''s go to the Stairway to Heaven, shall we?"

    "Un!" Min Li nodded, trying her best to resist from crying.

    While Yuan and Min Li began making their way out of the Min Family, Min Yide met up with the Gu Family in the living room.

    "Is that a face you should be greeting your guests with, Min Yide? You look like you just swallowed a bug! Hahaha!" The Family Head of the Gu Familyughed out loud when he saw Min Yide''s face,pletely oblivious of the situation.

    "Senior Min! Where is Min Li? I''d like to meet her!" The handsome young man standing behind the family head asked.

    He was clearly Gu Tao, Min Li''s fiance.

    Min Yide took a deep breath before responding in a solemn voice, "Min Li is not here¡ª she has abandoned the Min Family."

    "W-What?" The Gu Family stared at him with baffled expressions, seemingly unable toprehend the situation at first, and the ce turned dead silent very quickly.

 Chapter 636 - Golden Dragon Realm

    <h4>Chapter 636 - Golden Dragon Realm</h4>

    "Let me repeat myself just in case you missed it¡­" Min Yide cleared his throat and continued.

    "Min Li has left the Min Family, so she is no longer part of our family. I''m sorry, but we will have to cancel the wedding between Min Li and Gu Tao," he said, speaking in a clearer tone this time.

    Once they snapped out of their daze, Gu Tao screamed loudly, "Bullsh*t! I am not going to cancel the wedding! Where did she go?! I will bring her back myself if I have to!"

    "My son is right, Min Yide. We have already expended too many resources on this wedding, and news of the wedding has already spread everywhere. If we cancel it now, both of our families beughingstocks for the rest of the century! Do you really want that to happen?!"

    Min Yide merely sighed at their words and said, "I understand your feelings and anger, but there is truly nothing I can do in this situation. As for bringing her back¡­ That''s also not possible."

    "Nonsense! Tell me where she is and I will bring her back even if it''s by force!" Gu Tao shouted.

    Min Yide red at Gu Tao for a moment before responding in a low voice, "Stairway to Heaven¡­ If you really want to bring her back, you can find her at the Stairway to Heaven. However, don''t say I didn''t warn you. You really don''t want to offend them."

    "Them? Who are you talking about? And why on earth would she be going to the Stairway to Heaven? She''s only a Spirit Warrior!" The head of the Gu Family frowned.

    However, Min Yide turned around and began walking away, "I wish you the best of luck. Once again, I apologize for this inconvenience."

    "This isn''t over yet, Min Yide!"

    The Gu Family left the ce shortly after, and they were still fuming in anger after they left.

    "Are we going to go to the Stairway to Heaven now?" Gu Tao asked his father.

    "Obviously! We cannot let this marriage end in such a ridiculous manner! We are bringing her back even if we have to drag her back!"

    Thus, the Gu Family began making their way to the Stairway to Heaven instead of going home, still unaware of the full situation.

    Meanwhile, after leaving the Min Family, Min Li asked Yuan, "Are we heading straight to the Stairway to Heaven right now?"

    "Actually, there''s still one more ce I want to visit before leaving the Lower Heavens," he said.

    "The Pang City."

    "Eh? Why that ce? If I remember correctly, that is just a small city with no significance." Min Li said.

    Hearing her question, Yuan retrieved the Starry Abyss and said, "This Starry Abyss was given to me by them, and it has been very useful to me, so I want to thank them before leaving. Also, I promised to eat with them again."

    "I-Is that so¡­"

    Thus, Yuan and the others began making their way towards Pang City.

    On their way there, Yuan received a couple of sudden notifications.

    Ding!

    [Xuan Wuhan has been added to your Bond!]

    [Xuan Wuhan''s Bond level has increased to Acquaintance!]

    [Xuan Wuhan''s Bond level has increased to Friend!]

    [Xuan Wuhan''s Bond level has increased to Intimate!]

    [Congrattions! Your Bond level with Xuan Wuhan has reached Intimate!]

    [You have gained the following effect from Xuan Wuhan''s Bond level: ''Xuan Wuhan''s Adoration'']

    [Xuan Wuhan''s Adoration: Increases your Overall Damage by 30%]

    [Fei Yuyan has been added to your Bond!]

    [Fei Yuyan''s Bond level has increased to Acquaintance!]

    [Fei Yuyan''s Bond level has increased to Friend!]

    [Fei Yuyan''s Bond level has increased to Intimate!]

    [Congrattions! Your Bond level with Fei Yuyan has reached Intimate!]

    [You have gained the following effect from Fei Yuyan''s Bond level: ''Fei Yuyan''s Adoration'']

    [Fei Yuyan''s Adoration: Increases your Charm by 20 and Zither Mastery by 50%]

    [''Dragon Essence Temple'' has been added to your Associations!]

    [Because of your aplishments, the Dragon Essence Temple has managed to return to its former glory! Your rtionship with ''Dragon Essence Temple'' has increased tremendously!]

    [Due to your aplishments in the ''Dragon Essence Temple'', your Fame has increased by 200!]

    [Your rtionship with Dragon Essence Temple has reached the maximum level!]

    [Due to your rtionship with the Dragon Essence Temple, you have gained ess to the Golden Dragon Realm!]

    ''Golden Dragon Realm? What kind of ce is that and how do I ess it?'' Yuan pondered to himself as they moved closer and closer to the Pang City.

    A few hourster, they arrived at Pang City.

    ''I wonder if anything has changed since I left¡­'' Yuan wondered to himself as they approached the guards at the city entrance.

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    "Hm?" The guards quickly noticed Yuan because of his exquisite Golden Dragon Robe and the beauties by his side.

    "What a lucky bastard, surrounded by beauties on all sides¡­"

    "Right? Hm? Wait a second¡­ He looks familiar¡­"

    "W-Wait! That''s¡ª!"

    It took a couple of moments, but the guards recognized Yuan.

    "It''s the hero! Our Pang City''s hero is back!" The guards began celebrating for some reason.

    Yuan raised his eyebrows when he saw the guards that had been guarding the gates suddenly leave their post to run in their direction.

    "Hero! Wee back to Pang City, Hero!" The guards began waving and shouting at him once they were in range.

    "What the?" Yuan was baffled by their weird behavior.

    Once they were in front of Yuan, the guards suddenly kneeled on the ground, which baffled him even further.

    "What are you guys doing?" Yuan asked them.

    "Hero! Please! We¡ª the Pang City requires your help again!"

    "Please save us, Hero!"

    The guards cried out loud in a pleading manner.

    "What?"

    Although Yuan was still confused about the situation, he could feel an ominous aura in the air.

    "What happened?" He asked them with a deep frown on his face.

    "It would be for the best if the Luo Family exins it to you. Please, follow me."

    Yuan nodded, "Take me to the Luo Family immediately."

 Chapter 637 - The Hero Has Returned!

    <h4>Chapter 637 - The Hero Has Returned!</h4>

    "Lord Luo! The Hero has returned! I repeat, the Hero has returned!"

    A guard came rushing into Lord Luo''s room without knocking.

    "Hero? What nonsense are you talking about? We are having an important discussion right now! Scram!" Lord Luo got angry when his important meeting was interrupted, not to mention the grave situation that has been stressing himtely.

    "Sorry for interrupting your meeting, but I heard you need some help, so I came."

    Yuan entered the room a few momentster.

    However, because of how drastically different his appearance waspared to hisst visit, especially his longer hair, Lord Luo didn''t recognize Yuan at first.

    "Y-You are¡ª!"

    Once Lord Luo got a good look at Yuan''s handsome face, his body immediately began shivering from sheer excitement, and he even began crying.

    "D-Daoist Yuan! Is that really you, Daoist Yuan?!" Lord Luo couldn''t control his emotions and spoke as though he was before his savior.

    "You have changed¡ª grown so much in just a few months! I almost didn''t recognize you!"

    "It''s really me," Yuan confirmed with a gentle nod.

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    Then he continued, "Can you tell me what''s troubling you and the city? If there''s anything I can do to help¡­"

    "Please take a seat first¡ª" Lord Luo suddenly stopped talking when he finally noticed the four beauties standing behind Yuan.

    He turned to look at the table only to realize that there was not enough room for everyone.

    However, he promptly made a decision and said to the people sitting down, "Stand up and let these esteemed guests sit!"

    "It''s okay, we can stand." Yuan shook his head.

    The people that had already begun leaving their seats froze, and they turned to look at Lord Luo.

    "If you say so, Daoist Yuan." Lord Luo nodded before telling the others to get back in their seats.

    After sitting down and taking a deep breath, Lord Luo spoke, "Daoist Yuan, have you heard of the Blood Sect?"

    "The Blood Sect?" Yuan found this name very familiar for some reason, but he couldn''t instantly recall where he''d heard it.

    "Young Master, the Blood Sect is one of the top evil sects in this world. Their disciples practice dangerous and forbidden cultivation techniques that people don''t practice for obvious reasons, which more often than not causes their disciples to go crazy or be bloodthirsty, and when that happens, they cause havoc in the cultivation world." Feng Yuxiang gave him a brief exnation.

    ''Ah, I remember now¡­ The Sect Master of the Flying Sword Sect mistook me as a disciple from that ce¡­'' Yuan finally recalled what urred really early on in his journey in this world.

    "What about the Blood Sect? Are they causing trouble in this city?" Yuan then asked.

    "No, they''re not¡ª at least not yet." Lord Luo sighed.

    "Not yet? What do you mean by that? Are you expecting trouble?"

    Lord Luo nodded and said, "Ever since the Blood Sect''s most talented disciple¡ª who is also their Sect Master''s only son disappeared mysteriously, they have been doing all sorts of crazy things, such as attacking people randomly."

    "And after many months of investigation, they announced his son dead. I heard the Blood Sect''s Sect Master had grieved over his son''s death so much that he went insane."

    Yuan raised his eyebrow when he heard this information, and he proceeded to ask, "What''s the name of this person who suddenly went missing?"

    "Meng Li¡ª also known as Devil Meng Li." Lord Luo replied.

    Yuan subconsciously turned to look at Xiao Hua, who was calmly standing beside him.

    He recalled this name very clearly, as he''d learned the Bloody Sword Strike from this person after watching him fight another expert!

    However, these two experts had perished under the hands of Xiao Hua! In other words, Xiao Hua holds some responsibility for this mess!

    Knowing this information, Yuan felt a little obligated to deal with the situation.

    "The Blood Sect had been attacking cities and even sects at random for the past month. Many people have suffered¡ª died because of them. Their most recent victim was the Flying Sword Sect, who theypletely destroyed, and judging by their movement patterns, they will most likely attack this city soon."

    "W-Wait a second¡­ Did you just say the Flying Sword Sect?" Yuan''s eyes widened with shock and disbelief after hearing their name.

    This was the first sect that he''d visited in this world! And his friend, Mo Zhou, was a disciple there!

    "What happened to the Flying Sword Sect?!" Yuan asked with a deep frown on his face.

    "They are gone. Completely vanquished. It was a brutal ughter. Over half of their disciples were killed, and even their Sect Master died trying to defend his sect. However, what can a single Spirit Master do against the Blood Sect that has multiple Spirit Masters?"

    Yuan gritted his teeth and tightened his hands into a fist after learning the situation.

    ''I lost another friend¡­''

    "Brother Yuan¡­? Are you okay?" Xiao Hua asked him when she noticed killing intenting from his aura.

    "Why¡­?" Yuan suddenly mumbled.

    "Why must they kill innocent people¡­?"

    "They are humans too, right? They aren''t demons, so why are they doing this¡­? Or maybe they are demons disguised as humans¡­"

    Yuan closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

    "Feng Feng, where can I find the Blood Sect?" He suddenly asked her.

    "Unfortunately, you won''t be able to find them, Young Master."

    "Why not?"

    "Because the Blood Sect is not a traditional sect where they have a set location for their sect. They operate and recruit without any headquarters. In other words, we cannot find something that doesn''t exist."

    "Then how do theymunicate with each other?"

    "They mostly operate with letters and by mouth. This is how they still exist despite having almost the entire world as their enemies. In fact, that''s how most evil sects operate in order to stay alive."

    "So there is nothing we can do in this situation besides watch them kill innocent people?" Yuan clenched his jaws even tighter.

 Chapter 638 - Visiting The Flying Sword Sect

    <h4>Chapter 638 - Visiting The Flying Sword Sect</h4>

    "Unfortunately, there really isn''t much you can do against the Blood Sect. Even if you kill their Sect Master, another one will eventually rise to that spot. You can maybe try killing all of the higher-ups in the Blood Sect, but that is easier said than done. There''s a reason they have existed for thousands of years despite countless experts trying to wipe them out." Feng Yuxiang said to him.

    Yuan pondered about Feng Yuxiangs words. If he cannot do anything against the Blood Sect, what should he do about Pang City''s situation? It was not as though he could give up and abandon them.

    After thinking for a moment, Yuan turned to look at Lord Luo and said, "Do you mind if I stay here for a few days? I will try toe up with a solution, and just in case they attack."

    "Of course! You can stay here for as long as you want!" Lord Luo immediately said.

    Suddenly, one of the people there said, "I''m sorry, but what can you do against the Blood Sect?"

    "The Blood Sect has multiple Spirit Masters, and their Sect Master is also a Spirit Grandmaster. Not even an entire sect can stop them, much less a couple of young people. I say we evacuate the city and seek protection from one of the bigger sects such as the Heaven and Earth Pce or the Grand Sword Mountain."

    Everyone there turned to look at Yuan for a response, even Lord Luo, who had immense faith in him, cannot imagine a Spirit Warrior defending against the Blood Sect.

    Of course, he was not aware that Yuan had be a Spirit Grandmaster during the few months he was gone.

    "It''s just a few Spirit Masters. My Young Master can handle even a Spirit Lord, much less a Spirit Grandmaster." Feng Yuxiang suddenly sneered.

    "W-What? A Spirit Lord?"

    Yuan then released his Spirit Grandmaster aura and said, "I alone can defend the city from the Blood Sect."

    "S-S-Spirit Grandmaster?! How is that possible?! You were only a Spirit Warrior before you left a few months ago!" Lord Luo eximed.

    "What?! A Spirit Warrior?!" The others were also shocked.

    "Don''t even bother thinking about it. My Young Master''s talents are iprehensible." Feng Yuxiang said to them.

    Yuan continued, "I am not the only Spirit Grandmaster. These two are also Spirit Grandmasters."

    He pointed to Feng Yuxiang and Lan Yingying.

    "Three Spirit Grandmasters!"

    Lord Luo immediately got onto his knees and said, "This junior apologizes for not greeting these seniors earlier!"

    The others also followed suit and bowed to them.

    In their eyes, Spirit Grandmasters were akin to gods¡ª immortal cultivators that live in a different world.

    Yuan raised his eyebrows and said, "What are you guys doing? Hurry up and stand up. We''re already far past the greeting stage."

    "Anyways, as long as we''re here, I promise you that the Blood Sect won''t cause any trouble."

    "Thank you, Daoist Yuan!" Lord Luo said.

    Sometimeter, Yuan said, "I am going to the Flying Sword Sect. Feng Feng, Yingying, can you two stay in the city just in case the Blood Sect attacks? I won''t be gone for long."

    "Why are you going there, Young Master?" Feng Yuxiang couldn''t help but ask.

    "I am going there to pray for them," he calmly said.

    "Don''t worry, we''ll keep the ce safe." Lan Yingying said.

    "Thank you."

    He turned to look at Min Li and continued, "Sorry, but we''ll have to dy our journey for a few days."

    Min Li shook her head and said, "You don''t have to say anything to me. Even if you dy it for a year, I do not have any rights toin."

    Yuan left the ce shortly after with Xiao Hua by his side.

    With Yuan gone, Lord Luo felt incredibly anxious with two Spirit Grandmasters that he wasn''t familiar with acting as guards there.

    "Hey." Feng Yuxiang suddenly looked at Lord Luo, who trembled upon feeling her gaze.

    "Y-Yes!" He stood up and responded in a stiff manner.

    "Calm down, I won''t eat you or anything. Anyways, can you tell me about the Young Master''s rtionship with this city? I would like to know more about him."

    "I''d also like that as well." Lan Yingying agreed.

    Lord Luo nodded, and he proceeded to recall how Yuan protected their city from the Mountain Lord''s invasion.

    After he finished telling them the story, two more people showed up in the room, and they were Luo Li and Luo Ling, Lord Luo''s daughters.

    "Father! I heard that Brother Yuan had returned to the city! Where is he?!" They immediately began inquiring about Yuan.

    Seeing these two prettydies, Feng Yuxiang raised her eyebrows and asked, "Who are you?"

    "They are my daughters, Esteemed Senior." Lord Luo said.

    "Luo Li! Luo Ling! Hurry up and greet the Seniors!" He then said to the two.

    "But what about Brother Yuan? We didn''te here for them!" Luo Ling said, unaware that they were Spirit Grandmasters.

    "Insolence!" Lord Luo immediately became angry.

    Feng Yuxiang raised her hand to stop Lord Luo, and she said to the sisters, "Tell me about your rtionship with the Young Master and I will tell you his location."

    The sisters exchanged looks with each other. Young Master? When did Yuan obtain such a beautiful woman as his servant?

    Luo Ling, the older sister, stepped forward and said in a proud voice, "We''re his future concubines!"

    And she added a secondter, "¡­Hopefully!"

    Although Yuan never officially epted them as his concubines, Luo Ling didn''t think too much about her response since she was only responding to a mere ''servant''.

    "What?!" Feng Yuxiang''s eyes widened with shock.

    "T-They are only joking with you, Esteemed Seniors¡­" Lord Luo quickly said.

    He then turned to look at his daughters and frowned, "They are Spirit Grandmasters! Watch yournguage!"

    "What?!" The sisters'' eyes widened with shock after learning this information.

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    They then got on their knees and apologized for their behavior.

    Meanwhile, Yuan and Xiao Hua arrived at the Flying Sword Sect¡ª at least what it once used to be.

 Chapter 639 - Insanity

    <h4>Chapter 639 - Insanity</h4>

    "T-This is the Flying Sword Sect¡­?" Yuan stood before where the sect should have been located with a clear look of disbelief on his face.

    However, the Flying Sword Sect was nowhere to be seen. Instead, destroyed buildings and dried blood scattered the ce.

    "The scenery is what it would look like after a long and brutal war had just finished¡­" Yuan mumbled in a low voice.

    "Thousands of lives perished here for what? What does the Blood Sect achieve by doing this horrible thing? It won''t bring back their Sect Master''s dead son."

    "Unfortunately, this is the harsh reality of the cultivation world¡ª the real cultivation world, where people do unreasonable things, and there''s nothing we can do about it." Xiao Hua sighed.

    "¡­"

    After a moment of silence, Yuan said, "Let''s take a look around this ce."

    "Are you sure, Brother Yuan? There will be a lot of blood and corpses. It won''t be a pretty sight."

    Yuan nodded, "Even so, I want to see it."

    They proceeded to walk around the unrecognizable and destroyed Flying Sword Sect, passing by many corpses and separated body parts.

    Yuan stopped walking in front of threerge stone tablets, which were the only things notpletely destroyed there.

    He looked at the stone tablet in the middle, and on the very top, there was a name he was familiar with.

    "Mo Zhou¡­ So you have managed to be rank one, huh? Congrattions¡­" Yuan congratted him in a dispirited voice.

    He then sped his hands together and bowed to the stone tablet, paying his respects.

    "Brother Yuan, there are people around us." Xiao Hua suddenly said.

    "The Blood Sect?" Yuan asked.

    "Probably not. They are all Spirit Apprentices," she said.

    "Why would they be here?"

    "When a sect is destroyed, it ismon for people to try and salvage everything they can find. These people hope to be lucky and find valuable things such as cultivation techniques and treasures."

    Yuan frowned, "An entire sect is destroyed and these people are in the mood to look for treasures? Do they have no respect at all?"

    "Most people doing this have nothing to lose, and finding even a single cultivation technique could change their lives forever. There would usually be more people. It''s probably because of the Blood Sect''s presence. Nobody wants to run into them, after all."

    Hearing Xiao Hua''s exnation, Yuan merely shook his head in silence. Although he cannot me these people for wanting a better life, it still leaves a bad taste in his mouth.

    Suddenly, a loud scream resounded.

    "AHHHH! HELP! THE BLOOD SECT IS HERE!"

    Yuan immediately turned to look in the direction of the voice, and without hesitation, started running towards the voice.

    A few momentster, Yuan arrived before a group of individuals being surrounded by these people that were fully cloaked in ck robes with ck masks covering their faces.

    "Please! Spare us!"

    The individuals being surrounded got onto their knees and began begging for their lives.

    However, the masked cultivators responded by drawing their weapons.

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    When Yuan saw this, he shouted, "Stop!"

    Whoosh!

    Yuan''s Spirit Grandmaster cultivation base exploded, instantly halting the masked cultivators and forcing them onto their knees just like those surrounded.

    "W-Who are you?! Do you have any idea who we are?!" One of the masked figures shouted at Yuan, but he was clearly terrified.

    "The Blood Sect, right?" Yuan responded in a calm voice.

    "Hmph! If you already know, then let us go! Unless you want the entire Blood Sect to hunt you down!" The masked figure sneered.

    "Let you go¡­? So you can kill more innocent people? I''d rather be hunted than let you kill more innocent people!" Yuan looked at them with an angry frown on his face.

    "Tell me! Why did you destroy the Flying Sword Sect?! Why did you kill all these innocent disciples?!"

    "Why? Why not? They were weak and unfortunate, so they were targeted by Lord Blood. We''re only following our orders," said one of them in an indifferent voice.

    "And you followed such ridiculous orders?! What do you achieve from it besides guilt and blood on your hands?!"

    "Hah! Guilt? What kind of nonsense is that? We don''t regret our actions! In fact, we enjoyed every moment of it! Killing these weak disciples and being covered in their blood¡ª it makes my body shiver just thinking about it! This is why we joined the Blood Sect!"

    "You''re all insane¡­" Yuan was left speechless by this individual''sck of humanity.

    "Brother Yuan, you should save your breath and just kill them all already. Everyone in evil sects is like this¡ª bloodthirsty and insane." Xiao Hua said to him.

    Yuan gritted his teeth and clenched his hands into fists.

    Despite all the horrible things they have done, he still hesitates on killing them. After all, they are not just mere NPCs but real people. If he kills them, that would be akin to killing a real human, and he has never even thought about killing another human before!

    Seeing his hesitation, Xiao Hua continued to speak, "Brother Yuan, it''s okay to kill these kinds of people. The world will be better off without them, too. If you don''t kill them, they will just go on and kill other innocent people."

    "When that happens¡­ You''ll also bear the guilt of their death since you allowed it to happen by not killing these evil cultivators¡­"

    Hearing Xiao Hua''s words, Yuan felt less hesitant on killing them.

    However, before he could make up his mind, a familiar voice suddenly resounded inside his head.

    "Why are you hesitating? They are just a couple of useless ants. You can kill them as easily as breathing. I know you want to kill them. Let me show you¡­"

    Yuan suddenly closed his eyes.

    Once he reopened them, his eyes were resolute and filled with killing intent, and they were even slightly glowing red.

    The Empyrean Overlord appeared in his hand the next moment.

    "W-What do you think you''re doing?! Our Sect Master is a Spirit Grandmaster! He''ll kill you as easy as breathing!" The Blood Sect disciples began shivering uncontrobly as they watched Yuan slowly approach them with a sadistic grin on his face.

    "As a killer, you should know very well what I am about to do, right?" Yuan responded, his aura gushing with killing intent.

 Chapter 640 - Killing Each Other

    <h4>Chapter 640 - Killing Each Other</h4>

    "S-Stop! Let us go! Our Blood Sect will hunt you and your nine generations down if you harm us!" The Blood Sect disciples shouted.

    Yuan stopped walking once he was in front of these people, and he took a long and deep breath.

    A strong smell of blood and corpses immediately assaulted his nose.

    "Haaaa¡­"

    He released a long sigh before speaking, "You know, I don''t me you for killing people. It''s the nature of cultivators, after all. However, if you''re going to kill someone, you better have a damn good reason."

    After this sentence, Yuan suddenly lifted the Empyrean Overlord and pointed it at one of the Blood Sect disciples.

    "And killing these disciples for your own entertainment is not a good reason¡­ This is why I despise evil sects. You guys are a bunch of boring individuals."

    The Blood Sect disciple being pointed at suddenly felt a sharp paining from his throat, but he was too scared of Yuan''s cold gaze to move, not to mention the pressure restricting his body, so he wasn''t sure what was causing this pain.

    However, the other Blood Sect disciples saw it clearly. Yuan was slowly pushing the tip of his sword into their fellow disciple''s throat, prating the skin on his neck with no resistance like it was tofu.

    "Stop! Are you really not afraid of the Blood Sect?! Our fellow disciples will definitely avenge us and hunt you down!" They began shouting.

    "Hunt me? Hahaha!" Yuan moved the sword an inch forward, causing blood to flow from the disciple''s neck.

    He then spoke while continuing to push the sword deeper into the disciple''s throat, "How will the Blood Sect learn of this if I kill all of you? How will you tell them? As a ghost?"

    By the time Yuan finished his sentence, the sword was already halfway through the disciple''s neck.

    Of course, the disciple was already dead at this stage, but Yuan didn''t retrieve his sword and continued to push his sword forward until the disciple''s head waspletely separated from his body.

    After decapitating the disciple, Yuan swung his leg, kicking the decapitating head as though it was a ball, shocking everyone there.

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    The head flew so far that it disappeared into the horizon.

    Yuan then turned to look at the rest of the disciples and said with a grin, "Maybe I should let one of you live so that you can avenge your friends."

    "The question is¡­ which of you will live?"

    "Y-You''re insane¡­!" The disciples were in disbelief.

    Yuan suddenly lifted the pressure restricting them and said, "I have an idea. Why don''t you fight each other to death? Thest one to remain standing will get to live for another day."

    "Fuck you! As if we''d listen to you!"

    When the disciples felt the pressure disappear, one of them immediately tried running away.

    However, before he could go very far, his body would suddenly stop moving when a hole suddenly appeared in the center of his face.

    "W-What happened?!"

    The others were shocked to see this. No, it was because they couldn''t see what had killed him that shocked them.

    When they returned to looking at Yuan, they noticed something new.

    There was a beautiful ck dagger flying beside him.

    "You can try to run, but I highly doubt you''ll be faster than my flying dagger," Yuan said to them in a nonchnt voice.

    "If we can''t run, we''ll just kill you!"

    "Brothers! Let''s fight him together!"

    Yuanughed upon hearing their words, "What can you ants do against me?"

    The disciples then watched as Yuan start flying towards the sky.

    "H-He''s a Spirit Grandmaster?!"

    The disciples were shocked to see him fly. They were only Spirit Warriors, so they didn''t know his real cultivation base until now. Furthermore, they assumed that he was a Spirit Master at most because of his young appearance.

    Now that they were aware of Yuan''s cultivation, all of the hope and viciousness in their eyes disappeared.

    "I will give you all onest chance. Either you fight each other to death and have a chance to survive, or I kill you all right here and now." Yuan spoke as he gazed down on them from the sky like a god.

    The Blood Sect disciples gritted their teeth.

    They then silently looked at each other with resolute faces.

    "Don''t me me for this!"

    "Die for me!"

    The Blood Sect disciples began fighting each other the next moment.

    If they were ordinary cultivators, they might have resisted a little more, but these people were evil cultivators.

    They were selfish and bloodthirsty people. Even though they were part of the same sect, it wasmon for them to kill each other, as the saying ''the strong rules the weak'' is even more prominent in evil sects, and there was no rule that prevented them from killing each other.

    "Hahaha! That''s it! Kill each other!" Yuanughed out loud in the sky.

    "Brother Yuan¡­" Xiao Hua looked at Yuan with a worried look on her face, feeling as though she was looking at an entirely different individual.

    "Hm?" Yuan turned to look at Xiao Hua when he noticed her gaze.

    "!!!"

    When Xiao Hua saw Yuan''s cold and sinister gaze, she began trembling in fear, as he reminded her of someone.

    ''Father¡­''

    Yuan noticed the fear in Xiao Hua''s eyes, so he turned back around a momentter and returned to watching the Blood Sect disciples killing each other.

    Itsted a few minutes, but eventually, only one of them remained.

    "I have won! Are you going to let me go now, or will you go back on your words and kill me too?!" The Blood Sect disciple shouted at Yuan.

    "I won''t go back on my own words. You''re free to go. However, before you leave¡­"

    After a moment of silence, Yuan continued, "Tell your Sect Master that if he wants to avenge his dead son Meng Li toe here in three days. I will be waiting for him."

    "W-What¡­?" The Blood Sect disciple''s eyes widened with shock after hearing Yuan''s words.

    "Y-You''re responsible for Meng Li''s death?!"

    "I guess you can say that¡­" Yuan smiled calmly.

 Chapter 641 - Hunted By The Blood Sect

    <h4>Chapter 641 - Hunted By The Blood Sect</h4>

    "Y-You will regret this!!! You will now be hunted by the entire Blood Sect!" The Blood Sect disciple disappeared from the scene quickly afterward.

    Yuan turned to look at the people that had been treasure hunting before getting caught by the Blood Sect and said to them, "If you don''t want to die like them, get out of this ce."

    "Y-Yes! Thank you, Senior!"

    They quickly left the scene as well.

    Once Yuan was alone with Xiao Hua, the ce became dead silent.

    Yuan closed his eyes for a moment.

    When he opened them again, his eyes were no longer vicious but innocent, and his entire demeanor changed.

    Yuan looked at the corpses in front of him, as well as the decapitated body with a perplexing emotion in his heart.

    After standing there in silence for a few moments, he turned around and said to Xiao Hua, "Let''s go back for now¡­"

    Xiao Hua quietly nodded and followed him.

    The entire journey back to Pang City was a quiet one with neither of them starting a conversation.

    While they walked, Yuan pondered inwardly, ''That person was neither the Demon Sealing n''s Founder nor the other two, so who was he? Could it be another one of my reincarnations?''

    ''No¡­ I have seen him before¡­''

    Yuan suddenly recalled the bloody dream he had when he got his faction symbol after joining the Celestial Overlords.

    ''Could it be him? His demeanor and aura felt just like that person¡­ Just who is he?''

    Now he wondered if he was a murderer in one of his past life, as he waspletely tranquil when killing the Blood Sect disciples, almost like it was natural for him to have blood on his hands.

    Once they returned to Pang City, Yuan looked at Xiao Hua and said to her in a low voice, "I''m sorry if I scared you¡­"

    Even though he wasn''t in control of his body at that time, just like when the Divine Paragon took control of his body to deal with the demon, it was still his body that did all those things.

    "It''s okay, Brother Yuan. As long as you''re fine," she said with a gentle smile on her face.

    Now that Yuan no longer had that terrifying aura around him, she was no longer scared of him.

    Of course, she was still curious about why Yuan suddenly had a change of character. It was almost as though he was possessed by a ghost. However, she could tell that he wasn''t possessed, which only made it more puzzling.

    "Wee back, Young Master!" Feng Yuxiang greeted Yuan when he returned.

    "I''m back."

    "D-Daoist Yuan! W-Wee back!"

    "Hmm?"

    Yuan turned to look at the two prettydies standing behind Lord Luo.

    It was Luo Ling and Luo Li.

    "Hey, you two. It''s been a while." Yuan smiled at them, causing them to blush.

    "You have changed a lot¡­" Luo Li was dazed by his new appearance.

    "Just a little."

    "No, you''re almost unrecognizable, Daoist Yuan!" Luo Ling said.

    "Why are you still addressing me as Daoist Yuan? There''s no need to be so formal." Yuan quickly noticed their formality towards him.

    "W-Well¡­"

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    After learning that Yuan had be a Spirit Grandmaster, these sisters no longer dared to treat him so casually.

    "Just call me Yuan. I insist."

    "Alright, Yuan." Luo Li nodded.

    "Wee back, Yuan. You''ve returned earlier than I expected."

    "I intend on challenging the Stairway to Heaven soon, so I decided to visit you guys before I leave."

    "I see¡­ So you''ll be leaving the Lower Heavens soon¡­"

    The sisters were sad to hear this, but there wasn''t anything they could do about it.

    "How was your visit to the Flying Sword Sect, Young Master?" Feng Feng suddenly asked him.

    "¡­"

    After a moment of silence, he sighed, "We encountered the Blood Sect."

    "You what?! Are you okay?!" Lord Luo immediately asked him in a worried voice.

    "I''m fine."

    "What happened to the Blood Sect?" Feng Feng then asked.

    "Well¡­" Yuan hesitated to tell them the story, as he was afraid that they might look at him differently afterward.

    Seeing Yuan''s reaction, Xiao Hua said, "They killed each other."

    "What? Why would they do that?" Feng Yuxiang''s eyes widened with surprise.

    "Because I told them to." Yuan sighed.

    "Eh?" Feng Yuxiang looked at him with disbelief on her face.

    She cannot imagine Yuan ordering people to kill each other even if they are from the Blood Sect, so what exactly happened at the Flying Sword Sect?

    Yuan proceeded to exin the situation to them¡ª how he left one alive so that he could make himself a target and reveal the Sect Master of the Blood Sect, Lord Blood.

    "Unbelievable¡­" Feng Yuxiang mumbled in a low voice, yet she admired his boldness.

    ''The Young Master is usually really reserved¡­ The Blood Sect must have really angered him to make him do such things,'' she thought to herself.

    "So you''re going to fight the Blood Sect''s Sect Master in three days? Do you need our help?" Lan Yingying asked him.

    "I should be able to defeat him by myself, and I don''t want dirty your hands with their blood," Yuan said.

    "Anyways, we can talk more about thister. Right now, I want to clear my mind of the Blood Sect."

    Yuan then turned to look at the Luo Sisters and asked them, "Do you want to eat something right now? This is one of the reasons why I returned, too."

    The sisters were speechless. How can he still be in the mood to eat while knowing that he''s going to be hunted by the Blood Sect?

    However, they didn''t refuse and nodded their heads, as they have been waiting for this moment ever since he left.

    And for the rest of the day, they all went outside to get food, returning to all of the restaurants they have already gone to before, allowing Yuan to temporarily forget about the Blood Sect and the Flying Sword Sect.

    Meanwhile, the Blood Sect''s Sect Master had just received news of what happened at the Flying Sword Sect, and as one could expect, he was fuming in anger afterward.

    "Atst! The bastard who killed my son! I have finally found you! If I don''t skin him alive and feed his bones to the pigs, I am not surnamed Meng!"

 Chapter 642: Half a Year of Supplies

    <h4>Chapter 642: Half a Year of Supplies</h4>

    After eating to their full, Yuan and the others returned to the Luo Family¡¯s manor.

    ¡°Young Master, do you want to temper your body tonight as well?¡± Feng Yuxiang asked him after they returned.

    ¡°That would be ideal.¡± Yuan nodded.

    ¡°Just let me know whenever you¡¯re ready.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Yuan logged off shortly after to eat dinner, and he would exin to them the situation at the table.

    ¡°Because of this evil sect called the Blood Sect that might attack this city, I will be staying in this city for a few more days before we challenge the Stairway to Heaven.¡±

    ¡°Sounds troublesome. What do evil sects even do, anyway?¡± Chu Liuxiang asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know the purpose of their existence. All I know is that they¡¯re filled with unreasonable people who kill innocent people for their own entertainment, and they cultivate forbidden techniques that make them go crazy.¡±

    Once dinner was finished, Meixiu said, ¡°Yuan, the Cultivators¡¯ Association contacted me this afternoon. They said we can visit them whenever because they have finished scouting for our faction¡¯s headquarters.¡±

    ¡°Really? We can visit them tomorrow since I have three days before I fight the Blood Sect.¡±

    ¡°Alright, I will let them know tomorrow morning.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t forget to tell the other members.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t.¡±

    Yuan returned to Cultivation Online for the rest of the night to temper his body with the treasures provided by Feng Yuxiang, who was literally a walking treasure trove just like Xiao Hua but with more variety since Xiao Hua only has weapons.

    Before getting into the bathtub, Yuan asked the others, ¡°I feel kind of bad tempering my body alone. Do any of you want to join me? Feng Feng, it¡¯s your treasure, so you should¡­¡±

    ¡°I am fine, Young Master. Don¡¯t forget that I have the body of a phoenix, so these treasures won¡¯t affect me.¡±

    Yuan then looked at Xiao Hua and Lan Yingying.

    ¡°Xiao Hua doesn¡¯t require body tempering because of her physique,¡± she said to him.

    This leaves Lan Yingying, who was silently pondering whether she wants to temper her body or not.

    Although she is also a divine beast like Feng Yuxiang, she doesn¡¯t have a naturally strong body, so tempering her body would actually benefit her.

    ¡°What about you, Yingying? Want to try tempering your body? It¡¯ll make your body stronger.¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind sharing your treasures with me¡­¡±

    ¡°Of course I don¡¯t mind sharing. I¡¯m not that selfish, and I don¡¯t even own the treasures.¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll join you.¡± Lan Yingying nodded her head a momentter.

    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    Sometimeter, Yuan entered the bathtub with Lan Yingying, which had just enough room for the two of them.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Yuan asked her, feeling Lan Yingying¡¯s smooth back touching his back.

    ¡°Yes. Thank you for giving me this opportunity, Lord.¡± She said.

    A bittersweet smile appeared on Yuan¡¯s face, and he said, ¡°I really cannot get used to being called ¡®Lord¡¯. Can¡¯t you just call me Yuan like you used to? Please?¡±

    After a moment of silence, Lan Yingying responded, ¡°I understand, Yuan.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    The two of them began absorbing the medicine in the bathtub shortly after.

    Lan Yingying immediately began sweating when she felt the pain from the medicine, as she has never experienced such intense pain before¡ª not even when she trained with her grandparents.

    However, as a divine beast, Lan Yingying¡¯s endurance is naturally higher than humans, so it wasn¡¯t as bad as when Yuan first experienced it.

    Two hourster, all of the medicine had been absorbed from the bathtub. There was enough medicine tost four hours, but since there were two of them, it was absorbed twice as fast.

    ¡°How do you feel?¡± Yuan asked Lan Yingying afterward, who was breathing heavily.

    ¡°My body hurts all over like I am constantly being pricked by needles, but it¡¯s not unendurable. My skin also feels a lot smoother,¡± she said.

    After getting out of the bathtub, they rinsed their body with clean water before leaving the bathroom fully dressed.

    Since they have seen each other naked before, even bathing in a river together, neither of them felt awkward, almost like it was natural.

    ¡°Hm? That ended quicker than I anticipated. Looks like I will have to increase the treasures next time.¡± Feng Yuxiang after seeing them leave the bathroom.

    Yuan then said, ¡°Doesn¡¯t it require a lot of treasure to temper one person? Now that you have to deal with two people, you¡¯ll run out of treasures much quicker¡­ Looks like I also need to start gathering my own treasures.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that bad. I have enough treasures to help the Young Master for an entire year. However, now that Yingying will also be tempering her body, that supply will onlyst half as long, so we still have half a year before I run out of treasures.¡±

    ¡°Half a year¡­¡± Yuan nodded and said, ¡°I will figure a way to obtain treasures to temper Yingying and myself before then so that you don¡¯t have to use your treasures on us anymore. I have said this before, but I really feel guilty using your treasures for my own benefit¡­¡±

    Feng Yuxiang smiled and said, ¡°I have also said this before, but it¡¯s my pleasure to assist you in any way possible. Although these treasures are valuable in the Lower Heavens, they¡¯re not worth much in the upper heavens.¡±

    ¡°Furthermore, I only have them because I had a business to run before. Now that I no longer have a store, nor do I need to sell them, I really have no use for the treasures, so instead of letting them sit in my storage ring forever, I would rather use them to help the Young Master.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Feng Feng¡­¡± Yuan nodded.

    And for the remainder of the night, Yuan would cultivate the spiritual energy he¡¯d absorbed from the bath, quickly rising his cultivation base.

    The following morning, Yuan logged off and prepared to head to the Cultivators¡¯ Association with Meixiu and the others, leaving Pang City¡¯s protection to Feng Yuxiang and the other two.

 Chapter 643: Dragon Spiral Mountain

    <h4>Chapter 643: Dragon Spiral Mountain</h4>

    ¡°Hey, Yuan! It¡¯s been a while! How have y¡¯all been?¡± Wang Ming greeted them with the others behind him.

    ¡°Hello, everyone. Everything¡¯s been great on our side. What about you guys?¡±

    ¡°It was very boring since we couldn¡¯t really train in the hotel we were staying at. We¡¯ve been waiting for our own headquarters so that we can train all we want!¡±

    Yuan smiled and said, ¡°Then let¡¯s see what the Cultivators¡¯ Association has in store for us.¡±

    Upon arriving at the Cultivators¡¯ Association, they could see Chairman Lee standing by the entrance, clearly waiting for their arrival.

    ¡°Good morning, everyone. Our Cultivators¡¯ Association has managed to find 5 headquarters that fit your requirements, and they¡¯re all in this city. We¡¯ll go look at each of them whenever you¡¯re ready.¡±

    ¡°We can go look at them right now,¡± Yuan said.

    ¡°Very well. Please follow me. We have prepared transportation for you all.¡±

    Yuan and the others followed Chairman Lee to the parking lot, where a long limousine was waiting, and it had more than enough room to fit all 10 of them.

    Once they were seated, Chairman Lee got into the driver¡¯s seat and personally managed the car, acting as their personal chauffeur despite his status within the Cultivators¡¯ Association.

    As they began moving, Chairman Lee said, ¡°There should a yellow envelope on the table. You can find information and images of the headquarters we¡¯ve scouted. Take a look at it if you¡¯d like.¡±

    Yuan opened the yellow envelope and took out the papers inside.

    ¡°There¡¯s only information on four headquarters here. I thought we had 5?¡± Yuan asked after realizing this.

    Chairman Leeughed and said, ¡°One of them is located in a very special ce, so I want to keep it a surprise. However, it¡¯s also the most expensive, so we¡¯ll look at itst.¡±

    About half an hourter, they arrived at the first location, which was arge mansion in the middle of a rich neighborhood.

    ¡°There are a few other factions located in this neighborhood if you care about that.¡± Chairman Lee said as he led them to the mansion, which had over 50 rooms avable, with half of them being bedrooms.

    Yuan was a little impressed by the size of the ce, butpared to the Yu Family¡¯s main living quarters, it could still be considered ¡®small¡¯.

    ¡°Take your time looking around the ce, Daoist Yuan and his friends. I will be here if you need me. By the way, this ce costs 50 million.¡± Chairman Lee said to them.

    Thus, Yuan and the others began exploring the ce as a group.

    ¡°There¡¯s even arge pool in here.¡±

    ¡°This gym is kind of small¡­¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s check out the backyard next¡­¡±

    About half an hourter, they finished their exploration.

    ¡°What do you guys think of this ce?¡± Yuan asked them afterward.

    ¡°It¡¯s a nice ce, but I don¡¯t think the atmosphere in this ce is fitting for a headquarter. It¡¯s more like a living quarter.¡± Wang Ming said, and the others agreed.

    ¡°There are still four other ces to look at.¡±

    They returned to Chairman Lee shortly afterward.

    ¡°What do you think of the ce?¡± Chairman Lee asked them.

    Yuan gave his feedback.

    ¡°I see¡­ No worries if you don¡¯t like it. Let¡¯s head to the next ce and hope it¡¯s better.¡±

    Thus, Chairman Lee drove them to the next ce, and this would continue for the entire day until they have seen all of the buildings.

    ¡°Thest ce was the best so far, but it¡¯s stillcking something¡­¡± Wang Ming said.

    ¡°I think so too¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright. We still have one more ce to look at, and I can guarantee that it¡¯ll be many times better than thest four.¡± Chairman Lee said.

    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    ¡°What¡¯s so special about this ce?¡± Shi Lang asked.

    Chairman Lee retrieved another envelope and handed it to them before starting the car.

    ¡°Dragon Spiral Mountain?¡± Yuan raised his eyebrows when he saw the name on the envelope.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Your next headquarter will be located in the one and only Dragon Spiral Mountain!¡± Chairman Lee said.

    And he continued, ¡°It wasn¡¯t easy getting this ce, you know. Many factions want to go there, but they have all been rejected.¡±

    ¡°I have never heard of this ce before,¡± Yuan said.

    ¡°It¡¯s a little bit far, but it¡¯s still within the city. The Dragon Spiral Mountain is a famous ce where¡ª¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s where the most powerful families in the world live.¡± Chu Liuxiang suddenly interrupted Chairman Lee.

    ¡°Eh? You know of this ce?¡± Yuan looked at her.

    Chu Liuxiang nodded and said, ¡°Of course. My family lives there, after all.¡±

    ¡°What? Your family lives there?¡± Chairman Lee was shocked to learn this, and he was immediately intrigued about her identity.

    The disciples from the Jaded Garden also looked at Chu Liuxiang with pondering gazes. They knew she wasn¡¯t from an ordinary family, but to think she belongs to a family that resides in the Dragon Spiral Mountain.

    ¡°Brother Yuan, if you live in the Dragon Spiral Mountain, I will get to visit you whenever I want even if I have to return home.¡± She said with a smile on her face.

    ¡°I would like to meet your family as well.¡± Yuan nodded.

    Chairman Lee then said, ¡°Daoist Yuan, the Dragon Spiral Mountain is also rich with spiritual energy. In fact, it probably has the most spiritual energy in this country.¡±

    ¡°Oh? So something like the immortal caves?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Chu Liuxiang nodded, and she continued, ¡°However, it¡¯s even better than the immortal caves, and it¡¯s not restricted to a small area like the Jaded Garden. Furthermore, the higher you live in the mountain, the richer the spiritual energy will be.¡±

    ¡°Now my anticipation for this Dragon Spiral Mountain is very high. I cannot wait to see this ce.¡± Yuan said with a smile.

    Three hourster, the car stopped in front of a small but tall mountain that was surrounded by a thick wall. As for the location of the mountain itself, they were in a very secluded area with no other buildings around, almost like they were in the wilderness.

    ¡°We have arrived,¡± Chairman Lee said to them.

 Chapter 644: Four Billion Dollars

    <h4>Chapter 644: Four Billion Dors</h4>

    ¡°Wow, the dragon in its name is really fitting.¡± Wang Ming mumbled to himself as he looked through the car window.

    The mountain itself wasn¡¯t anything too special, but the road that spirals around the mountain had the appearance of a dragon, making it seem as though there was a dragon coiling around the mountain.

    While they admired the mountain, Chairman Lee pulled up to the gates and spoke to the guards there.

    ¡°I¡¯m Chairman Lee from the Cultivators¡¯ Association, and I have with me the Demon Sealing Faction. We¡¯re here as scheduled.¡±

    Once the guards verified his identity, they opened the gates to allow them inside.

    ¡°Take your time.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    The moment they entered the gates, it felt as though they had entered another world, as the spiritual energy suddenly spiked up.

    Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    Yuan was pleasantly surprised by this. Although it wasn¡¯t as powerful as the spiritual energy in the immortal caves, they were only at the entrance of the mountain¡ª the lowest level. He can only imagine how much stronger the spiritual energy gets as they go higher into the mountain.

    ¡°Where will our headquarters be located?¡± Shi Lang asked.

    ¡°The middle levels. I tried getting you guys a headquarters at the upper levels, but you don¡¯t have even credibility. Don¡¯t be discouraged, though, as you can always move to the upper levels once you¡¯re ready.¡±

    ¡°Furthermore, getting a building in the middle level is already an amazing feat for a new faction with only 10 members.¡± Chairman Lee said.

    Everyone there turned to look at Yuan. Surely, he¡¯s the reason they were allowed to even step foot inside the Dragon Spiral Mountain.

    Sometimeter, Chairman Lee stopped the car somewhere in the middle level of the Dragon Spiral Mountain.

    ¡°Go ahead. Take a look around and tell me what you think.¡±

    Yuan and the others wasted no time and immediately went to look around the ce.

    ¡°Wow, there are two separate buildings in this ce. Is the second one included if we buy the first one?¡± Wang Ming asked.

    ¡°Yes, everything here is included.¡± Chairman Lee nodded.

    The first building, which was also the most spacious, had all sorts of training facilities, indoor sports fields, and offices. As for the second building, it was more of a living quarter than anything, as most of its rooms were bedrooms.

    Besides the buildings, there were also a lot of emptynds, outdoor sports fields, an outdoor training area, and even a pond, almost like a miniature Jaded Garden.

    ¡°The spiritual energy in this area is slightly above the immortal caves¡­ Unbelievable¡­¡± Wang Ming mumbled to himself.

    And he continued, ¡°I like this ce.¡±

    ¡°I also think we should take this ce. It has pretty much everything we need.¡± Shi Lang agreed.

    The others also shared the same sentiment.

    Yuan nodded.

    ¡°How much is this ce?¡± Yuan then asked Chairman Lee.

    ¡°Since this is the Dragon Spiral Mountain, it¡¯s going to be a lot more expensive than your typical house. The total will be 4 billion dors, and you¡¯ll have to pay 100 million every year for property tax.¡±

    ¡°F-Four billion?!¡± Yuan was left speechless by this enormous price tag.

    Even after selling his Divine-grade treasure, he cannot even afford half of it!

    ¡°I only have half a billion¡­¡± Yuan sighed.

    Chairman Lee then spoke, ¡°You can pay monthly installments if you cannot pay all of it right now. If you need money, our Cultivators¡¯ Association will dly help¡ª¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, we can pay for it.¡± Li Jinxi suddenly said, interrupting Chairman Lee.

    ¡°You mean our families? Cause we don¡¯t have that kind of money.¡± Wang Ming said.

    Shi Lang nodded and said, ¡°Yuan, you can pay as much as you can afford. Our families will fill in the gap.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure? 3.5 billion is a lot of money.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not buying this ce for yourself, are you? Since we¡¯re also going to live here, we are obligated to pay our share. It¡¯s only fair that way. And although 3.5 billion is a lot of money, it¡¯s nothing worth mentioning before the Six Spiritual Families.¡± Wang Ming smiled.

    ¡°Then it¡¯s decided. We¡¯ll take this ce.¡± Li Jinxi said to Chairman Lee.

    ¡°I-I will let the owner of the mountain know your decision!¡± Chairman Lee quickly said.

    ¡°Hey, Chairman, I¡¯m curious. If the middle-level houses are already this expensive, how much would it cost to live up there?¡± Hong Xiuquan asked.

    Chairman Lee smiled and said, ¡°The houses up there will cost 20 billion at minimum.¡±

    ¡°20 billion?!¡± They were shocked.

    ¡°As expected, only the wealthiest could possibly live in this ce.¡± Shi Lang sighed.

    ¡°That¡¯s not true. Even if you are rich, you¡¯re not guaranteed to live in the Dragon Spiral Mountain. Only those approved by the lord of this mountain can live here.¡± Chairman Lee said.

    ¡°Who is the lord?¡± Yuan asked.

    ¡°He¡¯s a very seclusive individual. Even I don¡¯t know his identity.¡± Chairman Lee shrugged.

    ¡°Then how are you going to contact him?¡±

    ¡°He has a manager who does everything for him, and that¡¯s who I speak with.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­¡±

    ¡°Maybe you¡¯ll get to meet the lord in the future since you¡¯ll be living in his property.¡±

    ¡°To own the entire Dragon Spiral Mountain, I cannot imagine how powerful this person must be.¡± Wang Ming mumbled.

    Sometimeter, Chairman Lee said, ¡°Daoist Yuan, I will have the paperwork ready by the time we return to the Cultivators¡¯ Association. You don¡¯t have to pay immediately, but you can start moving in starting today if you¡¯d like.¡±

    ¡°Alright. Thank you.¡± Yuan nodded.

    He then turned to Chu Liuxiang and asked her, ¡°Lulu, do you want to visit your family since we¡¯re already here?¡±

    She shook her head, ¡°No. If I visit them, they might make me return home sooner. And it¡¯s not like I miss them or anything.¡±

    ¡°Then let¡¯s return back to my apartment for now.¡± Yuan nodded.

    They returned to the car shortly after and began making their way back to the Cultivators¡¯ Association.

 Chapter 645: Moving Out of the Apartment

    <h4>Chapter 645: Moving Out of the Apartment</h4>

    ¡°So yeah, we need 3.5 billion dors for our faction¡¯s headquarters.¡± Wang Ming called his parents to let them know of the situation.

    ¡°3.5 billion? Are you buying a house on the moon or something? Why the heck is it so expensive?!¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s a house in the Dragon Spiral Mountain.¡±

    ¡°What! The Dragon Spiral Mountain?!¡±

    ¡°Hm? You know of it?¡±

    ¡°Of course! It¡¯s one of the most suitable ces in this world for cultivators! If it were not for our family size that consists of six different families, we would¡¯ve moved there!¡±

    ¡°I see¡­ Anyways, I will give you Yuan¡¯s bank information. You can send it to him whenever you¡¯re ready.¡±

    ¡°You sound very confident that we¡¯ll give you the money¡­¡± Wang Ming¡¯s father said.

    ¡°You¡¯re not? I will let Yuan know right now if that¡¯s the case.¡±

    ¡°W-Wait¡­ I was only joking. Let me speak with the others first, but I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll be able to help him. Even if he needs twice that amount, we¡¯ll be willing to help our savior!¡± His father said.

    After what happened at the Jaded Garden, the people there now address Yuan as their ¡®Savior¡¯.

    Wang Ming hung up the phone shortly after and said to Yuan, ¡°Our families should be sending the money to you as soon as possible.¡±

    ¡°Thank you¡­¡± He nodded.

    Sometimeter, they returned to the Cultivators¡¯ Association.

    ¡°Please follow me to fill out the documents.¡± Chairman Lee said to Yuan.

    Yuan followed him to his room, where he had to fill out a whole stack of documents.

    ¡°Here are the rules and regtions that you must follow when living inside the Dragon Spiral Mountain. If you break any of these rules, you could be removed from the ce. If that happens, even I cannot help you.¡± Chairman Lee handed him a small stack of papers

    ¡°Please read all of them and make sure you¡¯re okay with them.¡±

    Yuan proceeded to spend many minutes carefully reading through the rules.

    In short, they are not allowed to destroy thend there, nor are they allowed to bother their neighbors.

    If they want to renovate their own property, they¡¯ll need approval from the lord of the mountain.

    Most of the rules are quite simple, so Yuan didn¡¯t spend too much time on them.

    Once he finished reading the rules, Yuan signed the paper stating that he understood and is willing to follow the rules.

    After all of the documents were signed, Chairman Lee said, ¡°I will handle everything else from here. You can begin your moving as soon as possible.¡±

    ¡°What about the payment?¡± Yuan asked.

    ¡°Once you move into the mountain, you¡¯ll be approached by the manager, who will ask for the payment then. You can pay monthly installments or all at once. It¡¯s all up to you.¡±

    ¡°I understand. Thank you for helping us.¡± Yuan said to him afterward.

    ¡°It was a pleasure to help you and your faction, Daoist Yuan. If you ever need anything, you know where to find me.¡±

    N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

    After shaking hands, Yuan left the Cultivators¡¯ Association with the others.

    ¡°When are you going to move into our new home?¡± Wang Ming asked him as they walked home.

    ¡°As soon as possible,¡± he said.

    ¡°We¡¯ll also be doing the same since we don¡¯t want to live in hotels any longer.¡±

    And before they separated, Yuan handed them some papers.

    ¡°Read this when you have the time. They are rules we must follow when living inside the mountain. If we break any of them, we could be removed.¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    Once they returned home, Chu Liuxiang said to Sebastian, who had stayed behind to watch the ce, ¡°Guess what, Sebastian.¡±

    ¡°I have no clue.¡± He shook his head with a smile.

    ¡°We¡¯re returning to the Dragon Spiral Mountain,¡± she said.

    ¡°What? Why do you suddenly want to go home?¡± Sebastian expressed surprise.

    ¡°Who said anything about going home? Our new home is also in the Dragon Spiral Mountain, and we¡¯re moving there now.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Sebastian looked at Yuan with a surprised look on his face.

    He knew very well how difficult it is to be allowed inside the Dragon Spiral Mountain. Although Yuan is a very talented individual with some fame because of Cultivation Online, that much wouldn¡¯t be nearly enough to let him live inside the mountain, so there must be another reason why they were allowed to live there.

    However, he cannot imagine why the lord of the mountain would allow them to move there.

    ¡®Maybe the Chu Family had something to do with it? No¡­ That¡¯s not possible¡­ The masters wouldn¡¯t do something like this¡­¡¯ Sebastian pondered.

    ¡°Why are you standing there, Sebastian? Let¡¯s help them pack so that we can leave this ce as soon as possible.¡±

    ¡°My apologies, Young Lady.¡±

    Of course, it didn¡¯t take long for them to pack everything since neither Yuan nor Meixiu had much luggage. Other than their clothes, some misceneous things, and Yuan¡¯s piano, there really wasn¡¯t anything else that needed to be moved.

    ¡°Oh, right. We should let Xia Jingyi know that we¡¯re moving out of the apartment.¡± Yuan suddenly remembered.

    ¡°I have already texted Yu Rou. She¡¯ll let Xia Jingyi know once they finish training.¡±

    ¡°Perfect. Now we just need to move everything here to our new home.¡±

    Sebastian then said, ¡°We can fit the small luggage inside the car, but the piano will require arger car.¡±

    ¡°Miss Meixiu, do you know how to drive a limousine? You can drive the limousine while I rent out a truck to take care of the piano.¡± Sebastian said to her next.

    ¡°I can do that.¡± Meixiu nodded.

    ¡°It¡¯s getting dark, so let¡¯s do it tomorrow morning,¡± Yuan said.

    ¡°I understand.¡±

    After eating dinner, everyone went to sleep early.

    As for Yuan, he went into Cultivation Online to temper his body again with Lan Yingying.

    The following morning, they loaded the small luggage into the limousine while Meixiu effortlessly carried the piano into the truck rented by Sebastian, shocking the pedestrians with her absurd strength.

    Once they were ready to move, they began making their way to the Dragon Spiral Mountain.

 Chapter 646: Manager of the Dragon Spiral Mountain

    <h4>Chapter 646: Manager of the Dragon Spiral Mountain</h4>

    A few hours after leaving their apartment, Yuan and the others arrived at the gates of the Dragon Spiral Mountain, and to their surprise, Wang Ming and the others were all waiting outside with their luggage.

    ¡°Why are you all waiting out here?¡± Yuan asked them.

    ¡°We couldn¡¯t get inside because we don¡¯t have any identification even though we were here yesterday¡­¡± Wang Ming sighed.

    ¡°Oh, right¡­ Chairman Lee only gave me one identification for now¡­ I really hope you guys didn¡¯t stay here overnight.¡±

    ¡°No, we only got here about an hour ago, so it wasn¡¯t that bad.¡±

    Yuan nodded, and he went to the guards to show them his identification.

    ¡°Wee to the Dragon Spiral Mountain, Young Master Yuan.¡± The guards greeted him.

    ¡°Where can I get identifications for mypanions so they can enter the ce without me?¡± Yuan asked them.

    ¡°The Manager will handle all of that once she visits youter today,¡± said the guards.

    ¡°I understand.¡±

    Once the gates were opened, Yuan and the others made their way to their new home in the middle of the mountain.

    ¡°Yuan, you can go ahead and pick your room first. We¡¯ll decide afterward.¡± Wang Ming said to him.

    ¡°Well, they¡¯re all pretty much the same, so it doesn¡¯t really matter to me.¡±

    ¡°How about this one? It¡¯s thergest room in this building, and it¡¯s also the closest to the staircase.¡± Shi Lang suggested.

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    ¡°What about you two?¡± Yuan asked Meixiu and Chu Liuxiang.

    ¡°I will live in the room next to yours,¡± Meixiu said.

    ¡°Can I live in the same room as you, Brother Yuan?¡± Chu Liuxiang asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t really mind, but are you sure? Don¡¯t you want your own room?¡±

    ¡°I already have my own room at the Chu Family¡¯s living quarters. I want to spend as much time as I can with you while I am here,¡± she said.

    ¡°If that¡¯s what you want.¡± Yuan nodded. He really didn¡¯t mind sharing the room with Chu Liuxiang, as there was more than enough space for two¡ª even three people.

    Once Yuan picked his room, the others also went to find their own rooms.

    Sometimeter, after everyone unpacked their luggage, Li Jinxi approached Yuan with her training sword in her grasp.

    ¡°Yuan, let¡¯s spar.¡±

    ¡°Right now¡­?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± She nodded with a serious face.

    She has been waiting for this opportunity ever since she left the Jaded Garden, and not being able to train at her previous hotel only made her desire to train stronger.

    ¡°I¡¯m expecting the Manager of the mountain to visit us today, so let¡¯s do it tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Promise?¡±

    ¡°I promise.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Li Jinxi then walked away and went to look for someone else to spar with.

    Yuan returned to his room and sat on therge bed.

    ¡°I¡¯m not used to living in such arge room.¡± He sighed out loud.

    Chu Liuxiang, who was organizing her clothes, said, ¡°Aren¡¯t you d I¡¯m living in here with you then? It¡¯ll feel less spacious, after all.¡±

    Yuan nodded with a slight smile on his face.

    He then asked, ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to visit your family? You should at least let them know that you¡¯re back.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Sebastian is already there right now. He¡¯ll let them know,¡± she said.

    ¡°Sebastian? I¡¯ve been wondering why he suddenly disappeared after unloading our luggage.¡±

    ¡°Brother Yuan¡­ You should prepare yourself.¡± Chu Liuxiang suddenly said.

    ¡°Huh? Prepare myself for what?¡± Yuan raised his eyebrow.

    ¡°My family will definitely approach you in the near future, especially now that you¡¯re living in the Dragon Spiral Mountain. I just want you to prepare yourself because they can be a little overbearing at times.¡±

    ¡°I-I will keep that in mind.¡± Yuan nodded.

    Sometimeter, Meixiu knocked on his door and said, ¡°Yuan! Someone calling herself ¡®Manager¡¯ is here to see you!¡±

    ¡°Thank you! I¡¯ming!¡±

    Yuan left his room shortly after and followed Meixiu outside, where a beautiful young woman in a business suit was waiting. She had long red hair that was tied into a ponytail, and she held a serious expression on her face that almost looked natural.

    ¡°Are you Yuan?¡± She asked him when he arrived.

    ¡°Yes, I am.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm¡­¡±

    The Manager then took a moment to stare at Yuan¡¯s face, as he wasn¡¯t wearing his mask at this moment.

    After a moment of silence, she spoke, ¡°I¡¯m the Manager of the Dragon Spiral Mountain, and I¡¯m here to collect your payment. This is my identification. Will you be doing monthly installments or full payment? If you¡¯re doing monthly installments, we¡¯ll need 500 million as a downpayment.¡±

    ¡°I will do the full payment,¡± Yuan said.

    ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s sit down before we proceed.¡±

    Yuan then led her to the living room.

    Once they were seated, the Manager retrieved aptop and prepared the payment process.

    ¡°Please read these documents and sign them while I set up the payment,¡± she said to him.

    A few minutester, Yuan signed the documents after reading them with Meixiu.

    ¡°Here¡¯s the bank information. Please send the money here.¡± The Manager then showed them the information on herptop.

    Meixiu then used her phone to transfer the money.

    A few minutester, once she confirmed the payment, the Manager said to them, ¡°Congrattions. You¡¯re now officially part of the Dragon Spiral Mountain. You don¡¯t have to pay for the yearly property tax until you have lived here for a whole year. Do you have any questions?¡±

    ¡°How do I get identifications for my friends living here with me?¡±

    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    ¡°How many people are currently living here with you?¡±

    ¡°Nine people so far.¡±

    The Manager then retrieved 9 badges from herptop carrying pack and ced them on the table.

    ¡°They will be able to enter the mountain as long as they have these badges. Please don¡¯t lose them, or you¡¯ll have to pay a hefty fine of 1 billion dors for each one you lose. And if you¡¯re caught selling them, you¡¯ll be removed from the mountain.¡±

    ¡°I understand. Thank you.¡± Yuan said as he epted the badges.

    ¡°Any more questions for me before I leave?¡±

 Chapter 647: Meixiuâ€™s New Role

    <h4>Chapter 647: Meixiu¡¯s New Role</h4>

    ¡°I actually do have one. What kind of person is the lord of the Dragon Spiral Mountain?¡± Yuan asked her.

    ¡°The lord, huh? Why do you want to know about him?¡± The Manager held a mysterious smile on her face.

    ¡°Out of curiosity, I guess,¡± Yuan said.

    ¡°Unfortunately, I cannot tell you anything about the lord. However, if you live here for long enough, you might get to see him.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    ¡°Anyways, if you have questions about the mountain, you can contact me at any time of the day. Here¡¯s my business card.¡± The Manager handed her card to them.

    ¡°Jenny Zhang¡­¡± Yuan read the name on the business card.

    ¡°You can just call me Jenny.¡±

    After shaking hands with each other, Manager Jenny left the scene.

    ¡°Since this finished earlier than expected, I¡¯ll go spar with Li Jinxgi now,¡± Yuan said as he stood up.

    ¡°What are you going to do now?¡±

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    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, honestly¡­ In fact, I¡¯m wondering what my role¡ª my purpose is now. Am I still your caretaker? It really doesn¡¯t feel like it since I have been spending most of my time cultivating¡­¡± Meixiu asked him.

    Yuan pondered for a moment before speaking, ¡°We¡¯re no longer in a small home with just the two of us. There¡¯s Lulu and the others, not to mention the faction. Furthermore, I will be spending most of my time in Cultivation Online now, so I won¡¯t need any attention. Instead of remaining as my caretaker, why don¡¯t you do something different? Like being the manager of the faction?¡±

    ¡°So basically what my mother is doing?¡± Meixiu asked.

    Even though Meifeng is still the Yu Family¡¯s caretaker, she doesn¡¯t actually do any caretaking at all, leaving all of the chores for the other servants under her. Instead, she manages the Yu Family¡¯spany, such as doing their finances and scheduling their appointments, which has nothing to do with being a caretaker¡ª at least not a normal one.

    ¡°If you put it that way, I guess so. After all, you¡¯re Miss Meifeng¡¯s daughter, and I trust you the most when ites to these kinds of things. You¡¯re smart, responsible, and hardworking. I cannot think of anyone else more fitting than you to manage my¡ª our faction.¡± Yuan said with a smile.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Meixiu was left speechless by Yuan¡¯s trust in her, even blushing a bit from hispliments.

    ¡°Okay. I will see what I can do.¡± Meixiu nodded with a resolute face.

    Then she realized something.

    ¡°What about the actual chores? Who will do them now?¡± Meixiu asked a momentter.

    ¡°That¡¯s a good question¡­¡± Yuan pondered for a bit before speaking, ¡°Maybe we should do it ourselves.¡±

    ¡°I would hire people to do the chores, but we¡¯re kind of short on money after moving to this ce, and it¡¯ll be a good way to discipline ourselves.¡±

    ¡°Discipline¡­?¡± Meixiu raised her eyebrows.

    She cannot imagine Wang Ming and the others doing chores, as they¡¯re all from powerful and wealthy families, so they¡¯re probably used to having other people handling their chores.

    ¡°Let¡¯s gather everyone first,¡± Yuan said.

    Sometimeter, everyone gathered in the main lobby.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Why did you gather everyone, Yuan?¡± Wang Ming asked him, as they were in the middle of training when they were called.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve been talking to Meixiu about our future and how we should take care of this ce. I have decided to make Meixiu the manager of the faction, so she will no longer have time to be my caretaker. This means we have nobody to do the chores such as cleaning and cooking, and I¡¯m wondering what we should do.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we just hire some people to do it instead? That¡¯s what most big families do.¡± Shi Lang suggested.

    ¡°I also thought about that, but we¡¯re short on money right now, and I don¡¯t know how we¡¯ll get permission to let these people inside the Dragon Spiral Mountain.¡±

    Chu Liuxiang then raised her hand and said, ¡°Actually, the Dragon Spiral Mountain provides free servants if you need people to do chores.¡±

    ¡°Huh? Really?¡±

    She nodded and continued, ¡°On the first of every month, the Dragon Spiral Mountain will provide free cleaning services to everyone living in the mountain. However, the downside is that they¡¯ll only be avable on the first of every month, meaning they won¡¯t be there whenever you need something to be cleaned. But unless we¡¯re making a mess, we don¡¯t need to clean that often.¡±

    ¡°If someone makes a mess, they should just clean up after themselves.¡±

    Yuan nodded, ¡°That will work. Is everybody okay with this?¡±

    Everyone there nodded.

    ¡°What about food? Does this ce offer chefs?¡± Li Jinxi asked.

    Chu Liuxiang shook her head and said, ¡°No, we¡¯ll have to either hire them or cook for ourselves.¡±

    Meixiu then said, ¡°If it¡¯s just cooking breakfast and dinner, I can handle that by myself.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure? Won¡¯t you be busy with the faction?¡± Yuan asked her.

    ¡°Even if you tell me to manage the faction, I don¡¯t think there is that much for me to do, especially since we¡¯re new, and we only have 10 people in the faction.¡±

    ¡°If you say so.¡± Yuan nodded, and he continued, ¡°But if you don¡¯t have time to cook in the future, let me know so we can do something about it.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Once everything was settled, Yuan went to spar with Li Jinxi and the others in their backyard, which was just an empty field at the moment.

    As for Meixiu, she went to research more about factions and what managers should be doing for their factions.

    ¡°Hey, Jinxi, don¡¯t use too much strength when you spar with Yuan. If you damage thend too much¡­¡± Wang Ming warned her.

    ¡°I know¡­¡± she said.

    While Yuan sparred with the others, somewhere in the upper level of the Dragon Spiral Mountain, Sebastian greeted Chu Liuxiang¡¯s foster parents.

    ¡°I have returned, Master Chu, Madam Chu.¡± Sebastian bowed to them.

    ¡°Sebastian? Why did you suddenly return alone? Where¡¯s my daughter?¡± Chu Liuxiang¡¯s father asked him.

    ¡°The Young Lady is still with Yuan. They are also currently in the Dragon Spiral Mountain, so I decided to return alone and let the Masters know of the situation.¡±

 Chapter 648: Obsessed

    <h4>Chapter 648: Obsessed</h4>

    ¡°What? Yuan? What is he doing in the mountain? Even if Chu Liuxiang is with him, he shouldn¡¯t be able to enter the mountain without the lord¡¯s permission.¡± Chu Shijian, Chu Liuxiang¡¯s foster father, said in a surprised voice.

    ¡°He actually moved into the mountain, and he¡¯s currently living in the middle level of the Dragon Spiral Mountain,¡± Sebastian exined to him.

    ¡°He moved into the mountain?! How is that even possible? Although I have no doubt that he¡¯ll be able to live here in the future, he shouldn¡¯t have the qualifications to enter this ce yet!¡±

    ¡°I was also surprised when I heard it, but the lord approved it, and he moved in just today.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm¡­¡±

    Chu Shijian closed his eyes to ponder.

    ¡°What do you think of him? This Yuan.¡± The woman sitting beside Chu Shijian suddenly asked.

    ¡°He¡¯s a very talented individual. Perhaps even more talented than our top geniuses. Although I haven¡¯t spent much time with him or seen his full potential, I believe he¡¯s someone worthy of our attention.¡± Sebastian said.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you praise someone like this before, Sebastian. He must have really impressed you.¡± The woman smiled.

    He nodded and said, ¡°While I didn¡¯t witness it for myself, it is true that he¡¯d defeated the demon that was supposedly as strong as a cultivator at the peak Spirit Grandmaster. I have also watched him practice with the Six Spiritual Families¡¯ geniuses. He¡¯s the real deal.¡±

    ¡°If you never fought one yourself, how do you know that demons are really that powerful? If you ask me, I think they exaggerated the demon¡¯s power.¡±

    ¡°Exaggerated, huh? I really can¡¯t tell you since I wasn¡¯t there to witness it¡­¡± Sebastian shook his head.

    Chu Shijian then spoke, ¡°What about Chu Liuxiang? How would you describe their rtionship?¡±

    After a moment of silence, Sebastian spoke, ¡°From what I have witnessed, the Young Lady truly cares about Yuan. In fact, I would even say she¡¯s obsessed with him.¡±

    ¡°Obsessed?¡± Madam Chu frowned slightly when she heard this, and she said, ¡°I don¡¯t like the sound of this word, especially when it¡¯s about one of our members. Although Liuxiang is not blood-rted, she still has our surname, so she has the obligation to behave like one.¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, I don¡¯t know how else to describe her feelings for him besides ¡®obsessed. If he asks her to die for him, she most likely wouldn¡¯t refuse.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s that serious?¡± The parents looked at each other with perplexed emotions in their eyes. They knew Chu Liuxiang valued Yuan, but they didn¡¯t anticipate her feelings would be this intense.

    ¡°From what I am hearing¡­ This Yuan doesn¡¯t appear to be a good influence on Liuxiang. I think we should separate them as soon as possible before it¡¯s toote.¡± Madam Chu suddenly suggested.

    Hearing this, Sebastian quickly said, ¡°With all due respect, I don¡¯t think that would be a wise decision, Madam Chu.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Why not?¡± She stared at him with narrowed eyes.

    ¡°Although Yuan may not have many achievements now, his potential is enormous and we cannot ignore that. If we separate them and offend him¡­ I fear he might retaliate against us in the future.¡±

    ¡°Retaliate¡­ Against us? The Chu Family?¡± Madam Chu chuckled in a manner that looked down on Sebastian¡¯s ims.

    After all, the Chu Family is one of thergest and most influential families in this world. How can a single person possibly affect them, much less threaten them?

    ¡°Whether he is worthy or not¡­ I will be the judge of that. Sebastian, continue observing Yuan and my daughter.¡± Chu Shijianmanded.

    ¡°As you wish.¡±

    After speaking with the Chu Family, Sebastian returned to Yuan¡¯s faction.

    ¡®Thank the lord I didn¡¯t mention the Young Lady¡¯s desire to bear Yuan¡¯s child, or the masters would¡¯ve acted immediately¡­ I have done everything I could to support you. It¡¯s all up to you two now¡­¡¯ Sebastian sighed inwardly.

    The following morning, Yuan woke up before sunrise and went to his closet, where he had two zithers stored.

    He retrieved the in-looking zither and went outside with it.

    After taking a seat in the middle of the field, he began ying the zither.

    A few songster, Yuan took a deep breath and sighed in a low voice, ¡°I will be fighting the Sect Master of the Blood Sect today¡­ And I might have to kill him in order to protect the others¡­ But I hope things don¡¯t go that far¡­¡±

    Once he cleared his mind, Yuan returned to his room and wore the console on his head, entering Cultivation Online.

    ¡°Young Master, where are you going?¡± Feng Yuxiang and the others asked him when he noticed him trying to leave the Luo Family by himself.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to fight the Blood Sect,¡± he calmly responded.

    ¡°Then we¡¯reing¡ª¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Yuan quickly interrupted.

    And he continued, ¡°You stay here¡ª all of you. I can handle them by myself.¡±

    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    ¡°Young Master, while we don¡¯t doubt that you can deal with the Blood Sect by yourself, I think we should still be there just in case anything happens.¡± Feng Yuxiang said.

    ¡°Please, let me fight them alone,¡± Yuan said to them in a slightly nervous tone.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want any of you to see me covered in blood.¡±

    ¡°Are you worried that we might see you differently because you killed a few people?¡± Feng Yuxiang suddenly asked him.

    Yuan silently nodded.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Young Master. We won¡¯t see you in a different light just because you killed a few trash. This is the cultivation world, after all. Cultivators killing other Cultivators is as natural as breathing in this world, and you¡¯re doing it for a good cause. In fact, you¡¯ll even be seen as a hero for your actions.¡±

    Yuan then sighed, ¡°While what you say might be true, I won¡¯t be able to concentrate with you guys there. Furthermore, I want you to stay here just in case the Blood Sect attacks this city when I am gone.¡±

    ¡°Young Master¡ª¡±

    ¡°Good luck and stay safe, Brother Yuan.¡± Xiao Hua suddenly interrupted.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Yuan left the ce shortly after.

    ¡°Why did you let him go alone? What if something happens to him?¡± Feng Yuxiang asked Xiao Hua afterward.

    ¡°This is Brother Yuan¡¯s decision. We can only believe in him,¡± she calmly responded.

 Chapter 649: Fighting the Blood Sect

    <h4>Chapter 649: Fighting the Blood Sect</h4>

    ¡°Where is Daoist Yuan?¡± Lord Luo asked Xiao Hua and the others after he left, unaware of the situation.

    ¡°The Young Master left not long ago to deal with the Blood Sect,¡± said Feng Yuxiang.

    ¡°Eh?¡± Lord Luo looked at the three of them. If they¡¯re all here, this meant that Yuan had gone to deal with the Blood Sect by himself.

    Seeing Lord Luo¡¯s expression, Lan Yingying said, ¡°Yuan will be fine. Don¡¯t underestimate him.¡±

    ¡°I-I understand¡­¡±

    Meanwhile, at the Flying Sword Sect, Yuan stood before the three stone tablets with a tranquil expression on his face.

    However, inside his mind, he was trying tomunicate with somebody.

    ¡®Are you going to show up today and take control of my body likest time? You like killing people, right?¡¯

    He would rather let the handsome man take control of his body so that he doesn¡¯t have to personally kill the Blood Sect, and he would feel less guilt that way.

    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    Unfortunately, the handsome man would not respond no matter how much Yuan tried to summon him.

    Yuan sighed.

    And for the next two hours, he would patiently wait for the Blood Sect to show up at the three stone tablets.

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    Yuan snapped out of his daze when he could suddenly sense many presences appearing around him, and these presences would reek of bloodlust.

    Furthermore, these presences would continue to appear without stopping for many minutes.

    Tens, hundreds, thousands¡ª Yuan was suddenly surrounded in all directions by thousands of Cultivators ranging from Spirit Apprentice to Spirit Master, and there was even a single Spirit Grandmaster amongst them.

    ¡°They brought the whole sect here even though I only called for their Sect Master¡­?¡± A bittersweet smile appeared on Yuan¡¯s face, as he was only hoping to fight their Sect Master and a few other people, not their entire sect.

    Eventually, Yuan no longer needed to sense them, as he could see these people with his eyes, and as expected, it was as though he was being surrounded by a ck sea made out of people.

    However, Yuan tried to remain calm and waited for their Sect Master to appear.

    A few minutester, once the people there stopped moving, Yuan could see a figure hovering in the sky, and this person was slowly approaching him.

    This person had long white hair that reached his feet, a short white beard, and two bloodshot eyes that made it seem as though he hasn¡¯t slept for weeks.

    ¡°Are you the bastard that killed my son?¡± The Blood Sect¡¯s Sect Master, Lord Blood, asked once he stopped moving a few meters in front of Yuan.

    Yuan closed his eyes and took a deep breath before speaking in a clear voice, ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°Why did you kill him?¡± Lord Blood continued to ask.

    Yuan opened his eyes, revealing the coldness within, and he responded, ¡°Because he was an eyesore.¡±

    Lord Blood visibly trembled when he heard Yuan¡¯s words, but he managed to barely control his emotions.

    ¡°Are you mad? Even though you guys from the Blood Sect had killed so many innocent people? Have you heard of ¡®Karma¡¯?¡± Yuan looked at Lord Blood straight into his red eyes, ignoring everyone else.

    After a moment of silence, Lord Blood spoke, ¡°I don¡¯t believe you.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t believe me¡­?¡± Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    ¡°You can bullsh*t all you want, but I can tell whether someone is a killer or not just by looking at bloodlust in their aura, and I have a strong sense of smell for blood. Forget bloodlust, you smell like you have never touched blood before. There¡¯s no way someone like you killed my son.¡± Lord Blood coldly sneered.

    Yuan didn¡¯t say anything else and retrieved the Empyrean Overlord, and that immediately alerted everyone there, causing them to draw their weapons and enter a defensive position.

    However, Yuan didn¡¯t attack anyone and merely used the technique Bloody Sword Strike in front of everyone there.

    Lord Blood¡¯s face immediately paled after seeing this technique.

    ¡°Y-Y-You¡­¡±

    He was at a loss for words, as only core disciples and above from their Blood Sect could learn the Bloody Sword Strike.

    ¡°Where did you obtain that technique?¡± Lord Blood asked him in a grim voice.

    ¡°Where do you think I obtained it?¡± Yuan responded with a mocking smile on his face.

    ¡°YOU BASTARD!¡± Lord Blood could no longer control his emotions and roared.

    ¡°GET HIM! I WANT HIM ALIVE SO THAT I CAN TORTURE HIM LATER!¡± Hemanded the thousands of disciples there.

    Upon hearing their Sect Master¡¯smand, the Blood Sect disciples did not hesitate to challenge a Spirit Grandmaster and rushed at Yuan.

    Seeing this, Yuan took a deep breath and mumbled to himself, ¡°It¡¯s okay. The world is better off without them. They will kill countless innocent people if I don¡¯t stop them today. They may have the appearance of a human, but their hearts are no different than a demon¡ª cruel, bloodthirsty, and inhumane.¡±

    ¡°In order to protect Pang City¡­ The Luo Family¡­ and everyone else¡­ I must stop them here¡­¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re just ants¡­ beasts¡­ demons¡­¡±

    After taking a moment to convince himself to act, Yuan tightened his grasp on the Empyrean Overlord before swinging it like a madman.

    ¡°HAAAAAA!¡±

    Yuan used Bloody Sword Strike, sending a massive red arc of sword light at the Blood Sect disciples that were charging at him.

    Whoosh!

    The arc of sword light swept the crowd and shredded their bodies in halves instantly and effortlessly.

    With a single strike, Yuan had killed dozens of people from the Blood Sect, but the others didn¡¯t even bat an eyelid and continued to run at him like a bunch of mindless beasts.

    Seeing their unnatural reaction, Yuan felt relieved, as this made them seem less human and more like beasts in his eyes.

    Very quickly, rivers of blood were created and washed over the dried blood in the Flying Sword Sect, and corpses piled up like mountains.

    Although Yuan was too upied to realize it, the scenery there was quickly bing the bloody dream he had a while ago, and somewhere deep within his consciousness, a familiar voice praised his actions as he continued to ughter the Blood Sect.

 Chapter 650: Destroying the Blood Sect

    <h4>Chapter 650: Destroying the Blood Sect</h4>

    Whoosh!

    ¡°Ahhhh!¡±

    Bang!

    ¡°Aaaaaggghhh!¡±

    Blood and body parts scattered all over the ce as Yuan continued to swing the Empyrean Overlord without mercy.

    Tens¡ª hundreds of disciples from the Blood Sect were ughtered at the hands of Yuans, yet their Sect Master, Lord Blood, remained hovering in the sky without moving a single finger, silently watching his disciples getting ughtered in the bulk with a cold gaze.

    Of course, he never really expected the disciples that were mostly Spirit Apprentices and Spirit Warriors to capture Yuan, who was a Spirit Grandmaster.

    Even if he had tens of thousands of disciples, it would not be enough for a Spirit Grandmaster.

    His only motive was to tire out Yuan with his disciples so that he would have a better time taking him downter. In other words, he was sacrificing his own disciples for himself.

    As for the disciples, they had no choice but to fight Yuan, even if they might die. After all, if they don¡¯t listen to Lord Blood, they will definitely die at the hands of their own Sect Master.

    ¡°Get him! He won¡¯t be able to defeat all of us!¡±

    ¡°For Lord Blood!¡±

    The disciples continued to rush at Yuan despite his overwhelming presence.

    ¡°Heavenly Domain!¡±

    A profound aura suddenly appeared around Yuan, instantly pressuring before ttening the disciples there into meat paste.

    Blood sttered all over Yuan¡¯s body and face, but when the blood touched his Golden Dragon Robes, they would slide right off, almost as though it was coated in a thickyer of liquid-resistance substance.

    However, the blood on his face remained, and some of it even got into his eyes, making it seem as though he was crying blood.

    ¡°Haaaa!¡±

    Yuan swung again, and another dozen people died.

    ¡®Ah¡­ What exactly am I doing¡­? I can¡¯t feel anything¡­¡¯ Yuan wondered inwardly he as subconsciously swung the Empyrean Overlord in every direction.

    ¡®There¡¯s something hitting my face¡­ Is it raining?¡¯

    ¡®Why am I doing this again?¡¯

    ¡®You¡¯re doing this to protect the innocent¡­ Just like you always have¡­¡¯ Another voice suddenly resounded in his head.

    ¡®Who are you?¡¯

    ¡®Me? You should already know the answer to that question.¡¯ The voice responded.

    And it continued, ¡®The sensation of their flesh tearing apart¡­ The smell of blood¡­ The profound atmosphere¡­ Their blood-curdling screams¡­ Remember it¡­ Remember it all¡­¡¯

    shbacks began urring inside Yuan¡¯s head, but he still managed to fight the Blood Sect.

    After an unknown amount of time have passed, Yuan snapped out of his shbacks, finding himself in the middle of a bloodbath.

    All of the Blood Sect disciples beside the Sect Master had been wiped out before he realized.

    Yuan lifted his hands to see that both his hands were covered in blood. His clothes were fine without a drop of blood on them for some reason, but his long hair was dripping in blood.

    The stench of blood and spilled organs assaulted Yuan¡¯s nose, causing his body to tremble, but it was not fear or shock that he was feeling¡ª it was the feeling of nostalgia.

    ¡°What are you going to do now that all of your disciples are dead?¡± Yuan slowly lifted his head to look at Lord Blood with a profound gaze.

    ¡°I am going to kill you now for taking away my son from me, of course.¡±

    Lord Blood descended from the sky with a red sword in his grasp that pulsated as though it had veins hidden within.

    He pointed the sword at Yuan as dozens of veins appeared on his head, all looking as though it could pop at any second.

    ¡°YOU. WILL. PAY. FOR. KILLING. MY. SON!¡± He growled in a slow and cold voice.

    Yuan momentarily ignored Lord Blood and turned to look at the three stone tablets not far away.

    ¡°You will also pay¡­ for killing my friend.¡±

    Yuan tightened his grasp on the Empyrean Overlord.

    Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    ¡°DIE FOR ME!¡±

    Lord Blood rushed at Yuan a momentter.

    Yuan weed his de with a grim smile.

    ng!

    ng!

    ng!

    They fought back and forth for many minutes with neither of them getting a lead on the other.

    Of course, Yuan was going easy on Lord Blood, as he could easily kill someone at Lord Blood¡¯s level with ease.

    ¡®Why?! Why isn¡¯t he tired after fighting thousands of Cultivators?! Does he have unlimited stamina or something?!¡¯ Lord Blood was shocked inwardly when he cannot gain an advantage over Yuan.

    ¡®I am one level above him, and he¡¯s fought thousands of Cultivators! Why is he still able to fight me?!¡¯

    ¡°Thousands of people died because of you.¡± Yuan suddenly spoke.

    ¡°And no, I am not talking about the ¡®people¡¯ around us. They don¡¯t deserve to be called people. They¡¯re animals¡ª beasts.¡±

    ¡°Shut up! I kill whoever I want to kill! I am the Sect Master of the Blood Sect! Whoever lives or dies is within my discretion!¡± Lord Bloodughed.

    Yuan released a deep sigh after hearing his words.

    ¡°You¡¯re really just a beast¡ª nothing more¡­¡±

    Yuan suddenly distanced himself from Lord Blood and stopped moving.

    ¡°Do you want to know how your son died?¡± He asked after a moment of silence.

    Lord Blood narrowed his eyes that were filled with hatred.

    ¡°This is what killed him.¡±

    Yuan raised his sword into the air for a moment before sending it downwards.

    ¡°Heaven Splitting Sword Strike!¡±

    ¡°This is¡­¡±

    Lord Blood was too shocked to react, allowing the beam of light to consume his body, and almost instantaneously, his body disappeared with the light.

    Yuan released a deep and profound sigh of relief after killing Lord Blood.

    Suddenly¡ª

    Ding!

    [Congratuations! You have exterminated the Blood Sect!]

    [You havepleted a Hidden Quest!]

    [Fame +1,000!]

    [Congrattions! You have obtained the title ¡®Sect Destroyer¡¯!]

    Ding!

    [Due to your actions that vanquished thousands of evil souls, your reputation within the faction has increased significantly!]

    [Your faction rank has ranked up!]

    [Faction Rank: Warrior]

    Ding!

    [Congrattions! Your Soul Weapon Empyrean Overlord has absorbed enough spiritual energy and leveled up!]

    [Your Empyrean Overlord¡¯s Unique Ability has leveled up!]

    [Empyrean Overlord]

    [Level: 2]

    [Rank: Soul Weapon]

    [Growth Rate: Very Slow]

    [Unique Ability: (Emperor¡¯s Domination) Amplify the power of all sword techniques by 300% when wielding this sword]

    After all of the notifications came and went, Yuan looked around the ce and pondered for a moment.

    Sometimeter, he began walking around the ce, picking up the spatial rings and pouches that no longer had an owner.

    ¡®I am currently short on money, and I cannot rely on Feng Feng forever¡­¡¯

    Of course, Yuan hoped to sell these spatial rings and the treasures inside for some goldter.

    After gathering all of the spatial rings he could find, including Lord Blood¡¯s spatial ring, Yuan quietly left the scene and made his way back to Pang City.

    ¡°I-It¡¯s the Blood Sect!¡±

    When the guards saw Yuan¡¯s bloody appearance, they immediately mistook him for someone in the Blood Sect and drew their weapons at him, yet their legs couldn¡¯t help but shake uncontrobly.

    ¡°Calm down. It¡¯s me, Yuan.¡± He said to them.

    ¡°T-The Hero? W-Why is your appearance like that? What happened to you?¡± They asked him in a trembling voice.

    ¡°I had some business to settle with the Blood Sect. That¡¯s all,¡± he said in a calm voice.

    ¡°T-That¡¯s all?¡± The guards exchanged dumbfounded nces with each other.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to return to the Luo Family and quickly wash myself if you don¡¯t mind.¡±

    ¡°R-Right away!¡± The guards immediately allowed him into the city.

    Yuan didn¡¯t say anything else and made his way back to the Luo Family, where Xiao Hua and the others were waiting.

    ¡°Brother Yuan¡­¡±

    ¡°Young Master¡­¡±

    ¡°Yuan¡­¡±

    Hispanions were clearly shocked speechless by Yuan¡¯s bloody appearance.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, this isn¡¯t my blood. I will exin everythingter, but right now, I need to use the bathroom.¡±

    The three of them could only nod their heads in silence.

    After entering the bathroom, Yuan would proceed to spend almost two hours washing the blood off his body and hair.

    Once he was done, he sat before the Luo Family and the others in another room.

    ¡°D-Daoist Yuan¡­ What happened?¡± Lord Luo asked him.

    Yuan didn¡¯t immediately respond. Instead, he retrieved Lord Blood¡¯s spatial ring and a bloodied medallion, which read ¡®Blood Sect Authority¡¯.

    ¡°T-That¡¯s something only the Sect Master of the Blood Sect should have! Why do you have that?!¡± Lord Luo eximed in a terrified voice when he saw the medallion.

    ¡°I killed him and took it from him,¡± Yuan responded in a calm voice.

    ¡°Y-You killed Lord Blood? But his disciples¡ª the Blood Sect will¡­¡±

    ¡°The Blood Sect won¡¯t do anything to me¡­ Since I killed most of if not all of their disciples as well.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The room turned silent after Yuan finished his sentence, and everyone there could only stare at him with clear disbelief on their faces.

    ¡°This is what happened¡­¡±

    Yuan then exined the situation to them and how he fought against the entire Blood Sect by himself.

 Chapter 651: Heart Demon

    <h4>Chapter 651: Heart Demon</h4>

    ¡°Young Master¡­ Don¡¯t me yourself¡­ You did nothing wrong by killing those evil Cultivators.¡± Feng Yuxiang spoke a moment after Yuan exined his battle with the Blood Sect, as there was a clear sense of guilt within his eyes as he exined how he killed thousands of disciples from the Blood Sect.

    However, Yuan shook his head and sighed in a low voice, ¡°You¡¯re wrong. I am neither feeling guilt nor self-me because I killed those evil Cultivators. I am worried because I don¡¯t feel any sympathy even after killing so many people¡­¡±

    ¡°Even now, I cannot feel anything. Is there something wrong with me?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯spletely normal, Young Master. It just means your consciousness doesn¡¯t find anything wrong with killing some evildoers. I can assure you that there¡¯s nothing wrong with you. You¡¯re just growing up¡ª as a Cultivator. That¡¯s it.¡±

    ¡°Growing up, huh?¡± Yuan sighed.

    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    Sometimeter, Yuan said to Lord Luo, ¡°Pang City should be safe now that the Blood Sect is gone.¡±

    ¡°T-Thank you, Daoist Yuan! Once again, you have saved our city!¡± Lord Luo stood up and bowed to him.

    ¡°Unfortunately, our family doesn¡¯t have anything else to give you, as I had already given you our most valuable treasure.¡±

    ¡°The Starry Abyss, huh?¡± Yuan suddenly retrieved the Starry Abyss.

    ¡°I still haven¡¯t thanked you for giving me this treasure. It has been really useful to me ever since then. This treasure is more than enough topensate for everything I have done for the city¡­ as well as what I will do for it in the future. Of course, I hope nothing bad happens to this ce ever again.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Daoist Yuan.¡±

    After talking with each other for a little more, Yuan returned to his own room.

    ¡°I am going to spend some time clearing my mind,¡± Yuan said to them.

    He then turned to look at Feng Yuxiang and said, ¡°Feng Feng, can you do me a favor?¡±

    ¡°Anything for the Young Master!¡±

    ¡°I will be taking Meixiu and another friend with me to climb the Stairway to Heaven, but they¡¯re not here. Can you bring them here for me?¡±

    ¡°Another friend?¡± Feng Yuxiang raised her eyebrow.

    Yuan proceeded to give her Meixiu and Chu Liuxiang¡¯s location.

    ¡°I should return in two days,¡± she said after calcting how long it would take to bring them back.

    She then handed him a bunch of treasures and said, ¡°If you want to temper your body while I am gone, you can use this. Ah, here, let me separate it for you.¡±

    After separating the treasures, Feng Yuxiang left Pang City to pick up Meixiu and Chu Liuxiang.

    Meanwhile, Yuan went to the courtyard and sat under a tree with his eyes closed, seemingly cultivating.

    ¡°Yuan¡­ He¡¯s changed.¡± Lan Yingying, who was watching him from a distance with Xiao Hua, mumbled in a low voice.

    ¡°This change will only benefit Brother Yuan, who intends on climbing the Stairway to Heaven.¡± Xiao Hua said.

    Sometimeter, a figure approached Yuan and asked him, ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    Yuan opened his eyes and turned around to see Min Li standing behind him with a slightly worried face.

    ¡°Have you ever killed people before?¡± Yuan suddenly asked her.

    Min Li shook her head and said, ¡°No, but I havee close to killing someone a few times in my life.¡±

    ¡°I heard you destroyed the Blood Sect by yourself. I didn¡¯t think such a thing was possible, but knowing you¡­ I guess nothing is impossible.¡±

    ¡°Hopefully, I didn¡¯t destroy myself in the process.¡± Yuan sighed.

    ¡°Why would you say something like that?¡± Min Li looked at him with raised eyebrows.

    ¡°I can tell that I am changing. I am feeling emotions I have never felt before, and I am doing things that I could¡¯ve never imagined doing. I¡¯m afraid that it¡¯ll change mepletely sooner orter.¡±

    ¡°Is it really that bad? People change. We¡¯re both still young, so we have a lot of room and time to change.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that you could be someone you don¡¯t want to be? What if I suddenly be a cold-blooded killer?¡± Yuan asked.

    Min Li chuckled and said, ¡°Trust me, you could be anything, but a cold-blooded killer isn¡¯t one of these things.¡±

    ¡°How can you tell?¡±

    Min Li shrugged, ¡°Who knows. Just a hunch, I guess.¡±

    ¡°Anyways, although some may say that one has no control over what kind of person they may be¡­ I believe theplete opposite¡ª that it¡¯s all in your hands who you want to be.¡±

    Yuan showed a slight smile on his face after her words that sounded oddly familiar, as Xiao Hua had said simr words before.

    ¡°Don¡¯t think too much about it, Yuan. You had to do what was necessary. If you let this consume you, it could grow into a real heart demon in the future, and you really don¡¯t want that.¡± Min Li then said.

    ¡°A heart demon? What¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s something that manifests in your heart¡ª your greatest fears or anything traumatic, really. Once you have a heart demon, it will be incredibly hard to get rid of it, and it will hinder your cultivation until you get rid of it, which requires you to face your fear or trauma.¡±

    ¡°Is itmon for someone to have a heart demon?¡± Yuan asked.

    ¡°Of course. In fact, it¡¯s reallymon. Although most people are not aware that they have a heart demon since it lingers within the deepest parts of their consciousness, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if out of 10 Cultivators, 8 or 9 of them have some sort of heart demon lying dormant within their consciousness.¡±

    ¡°In my case, even though I have already left them behind, my family will probably be my heart demon in the future.¡± Min Li sighed with a bittersweet smile.

    ¡°I see¡­ Thank you, Disciple Min. You¡¯ve helped me calm down a lot.¡±

    ¡°Just call me Min Li¡ª or even Min.¡±

    ¡°I understand, Min.¡±

    Sometimeter, Yuan stood up and said to her, ¡°Anyways, you should get ready if you aren¡¯t already. We¡¯ll be challenging the Stairway to Heaven in a few days.¡±

 Chapter 652: Revealing His True Background

    <h4>Chapter 652: Revealing His True Background</h4>

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Meixiu.¡± Feng Yuxiang greeted her with a calm smile on her face.

    ¡°Hello, Feng Feng. How have you been?¡±

    ¡°The same as usual. What about you? Anything new since ourst meeting?¡±

    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    ¡°A lot has happened since then¡­¡± Meixiu sighed.

    ¡°Want to talk to me about it while we go pick up the Young Master¡¯s other friend?¡± Feng Yuxiang asked as she picked up Meixiu with Qi Manifestation.

    ¡°Just a little.¡± Meixiu nodded.

    Meanwhile, news of what happened to the Blood Sect spread like wildfire throughout the entire Lower Heavens, and within a single day, nearly everybody has heard about it.

    ¡°Have you heard?! Someone named ¡®Yuan¡¯ has managed to destroy the Blood Sect!¡±

    ¡°I have heard about it, but is it even possible topletely destroy an evil sect? Even if you killed a few hundred disciples from the Blood Sect, they won¡¯t be destroyed unless you exterminate all of their disciples. They¡¯re like cockroaches.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the thing. He didn¡¯t just kill a few hundred disciples¡ª he killed thousands of them! Of course, this includes their Sect Master and all of the high-ranking disciples that Lord Blood brought with him. It¡¯ll be hard for them to rebuild after this even if they¡¯re the Blood Sect.¡±

    ¡°And they still lost to a single man? Heavens, how powerful is this Yuan person? And howe I haven¡¯t heard of him until today?¡±

    ¡°I believe there was also a disciple with the same name in the Dragon Essence Temple.¡±

    ¡°Oh! I heard about him! He¡¯s the one who carried their sect to first ce in the Mystic Realm, right?¡±

    The Dragon Essence Temple¡¯s reputation also rose because of Yuan¡¯s achievements.

    Eventually, the news reached the ears of the yers, which caused quite amotion in the real world.

    ¡°Rumor has it yer Yuan destroyed an entire sect by himself!¡±

    ¡°How do we know it¡¯s the real yer Yuan and not some phony?¡±

    ¡°Who else but the real yer Yuan can erase an entire sect by himself?!¡±

    ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s not some exaggerated story created by his fans? They do that quite often.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s real this time! NPCs around the world are talking about it, and I even went to the Flying Sword Sect to look at the battlefield! The ce was still covered in blood and corpses when I got there! I have never seen anything that brutal and gruesome before! And he did it all by himself!¡±

    ¡°By himself? Just how powerful is yer Yuan now? After being silent for some time, he suddenly appears again and destroys an entire sect? I¡¯m telling you, he¡¯s a damn cheater!¡±

    At the Eternal Lotuses¡¯ headquarters, Xia Jingyi shared the news to Yu Rou, who wasn¡¯t impressed by it as she would normally be.

    In fact, she became worried after learning that Yuan had destroyed an entire sect and killed thousands of people.

    ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s Brother Yuan? I don¡¯t believe it! There¡¯s no way that he could kill so many people even if it¡¯s just a game!¡± Yu Rou denied it.

    ¡°I know! It must be one of these fake news created by his fandom to boost his reputation! It has been happening more and more frequently!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s true, Sister Rou. It¡¯s all over the forums right now.¡± Xia Jingyi sighed.

    Yu Rou turned silent for a good moment.

    ¡°It must be because of what happened at the Jaded Garden¡­ Meixiu said Brother Yuan had lost a dear friend to the demon. That tragedy must have changed him.¡± Yu Rou sighed.

    ¡°Brother Yuan is in pain, yet I am not there for him¡­¡±

    After pondering for a bit, Yu Rou looked at Xia Jingyi and said in a resolute voice, ¡°I am going to meet with Brother Yuan in Cultivation Online tomorrow.¡±

    She then called Meixiu.

    However, nobody picked up since Meixiu was busy in Cultivation Online, so she sent a text message instead.

    The following morning, Meixiu returned Yu Rou¡¯s call.

    ¡°Sorry, Yu Rou. I was inside Cultivation Online the whole night yesterday, so I couldn¡¯t answer your call. Did you need something?¡± Meixiu asked.

    ¡°Can you tell my brother that I want to meet him in Cultivation Online tonight if it¡¯s possible?¡±

    ¡°Of course. I will let him know. Oh, where are you located right now? I will ask Feng Feng to pick you up.¡±

    After giving Meixiu the location and time, Yu Rou closed the call and went to morning practice.

    Meanwhile, Meixiu told Yuan about Yu Rou¡¯s meeting request during breakfast.

    ¡°Brother Yuan¡¯s little sister, huh? I have been wanting to meet her for a while now.¡± Chu Liuxiang mumbled with a profound smile after hearing the news.

    ¡°Yuan, you have a little sister? Since when?¡± Wang Ming and the others were also intrigued, as this was their first time hearing about it.

    ¡°Since I was adopted into the Yu Family,¡± he said with a smile, not even bothering to hide it.

    ¡°Huh? Yu Family?¡± They looked at each other, wondering why it sounded so familiar.

    ¡°My other name is Yu Tian, and I used to be in the Yu Family¡ª the one that owns a music and entertainmentpany in this city.¡± Yuan suddenly revealed his real identity to them.

    Not only did he trust these people, but he also no longer had any reasons to hide his identity.

    ¡°Wait? That Yu Family? Heavens¡­ I would have never imagined that you had such an¡­ ordinary background¡­ I thought you came from an Immortal family or something simr!¡± Wang Ming eximed.

    The people there were shocked. Although the Yu Family is quite influential and big, they were nothing in the eyes of the Six Spiritual Family.

    ¡°Why did you use past tense when speaking about the Yu Family? Are you no longer with them?¡± Li Jinxi noticed this detail and asked him.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. I am not part of that family anymore. They kicked me out, after all.¡±

    ¡°WHAT?!¡±

    Li Jinxi and the others were even more shocked to hear this piece of information. Why on earth would the Yu Family abandon such a heaven-defying genius that makes even their Six Spiritual Family jealous?

    ¡°Are they insane?¡± Wang Ming blurted out his thoughts that were shared by everyone there.

    Yuan smiled and said, ¡°Let me tell you a little bit about my background.¡±

    Thus, Yuan would go on and tell them about his history with the Yu Family and how they abandoned him when he became crippled, leaving them speechless.

 Chapter 653: Picking Up Chu Liuxiang

    <h4>Chapter 653: Picking Up Chu Liuxiang</h4>

    ¡°Hahahaha! I-I¡¯m sorry forughing, but I really cannot help it after listening to your story! How stupid can the Yu Family be?!¡± Wang Mingughed out loud.

    ¡°Abandoning their own son because he became a cripple? It¡¯s so ridiculous it¡¯s funny!¡±

    ¡°The fact that they abandoned the one and only yer Yuan without even being aware of it!¡±

    ¡°Ahem!¡± Li Jinxi suddenly cleared her throat, causing Wang Ming to stopughing.

    She then turned to look at Yuan with a serious face, ¡°Yuan, do you want to get revenge on the Yu Family? Our families can destroy them with ease, after all.¡±

    ¡°Revenge? It¡¯s fine.¡±

    ¡°Why? Don¡¯t you feel angry? Any normal person would detest their family if they were abandoned.¡±

    ¡°I never said I wasn¡¯t angry at them. In fact, my anger grows every time I am reminded of them,¡± he spoke in a calm voice.

    ¡°Then why don¡¯t you want revenge?¡±

    ¡°I want revenge, but I want to do it my own way¡ª by myself.¡±

    ¡°I understand. That¡¯s even better.¡± Li Jinxi nodded with a smile.

    After breakfast, Yuan returned to his own room with Chu Liuxiang.

    ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t want revenge against your family for abandoning you, Brother Yuan.¡± Chu Liuxiang said with a cheeky smile on her face.

    ¡°Well¡­ Things change¡­¡± Yuan smiled back.

    ¡°Anyways, have you met Feng Feng yet?¡± He asked a momentter.

    ¡°No, not yet, but I should meet her soon, and my anticipation is very high.¡±

    ¡°High? Why?¡±

    ¡°Who knows.¡± Chu Liuxiang shrugged before lying on the bed and putting on the console.

    As for Yuan, he went to y the zither for some time before going to the field to spar with the others since he had nothing else to do in Cultivation Online until Feng Yuxiang brings Meixiu and the others to the city.

    Meanwhile, Chu Liuxiang was casually standing underneath a tree outside this small city somewhere in the Northern Continent, silently staring at the sky.

    ¡°Hello, beautiful youngdy. I cannot help but notice you standing there in a daze from the corner of my eyes, as you were just so dazzling¡ª¡±

    ¡°You can leave me alone.¡± Chu Liuxiang turned to look at the handsome young man standing in front of her.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be like that. There seems to be a lot in your mind. If you want, I¡¯d be happy to hear you¡ª¡±

    ¡°I am thinking about the love of my life, so I would like it for you to leave me alone,¡± she interrupted again.

    ¡°T-That¡­ I¡­¡±

    The young man became speechless after hearing her words.

    However, Chu Liuxiang was simply too beautiful for him to give her up so easily. It was a once-in-a-lifetime chance for him.

    Unfortunately, before he could open his mouth again, he noticed another figure at the corner of his eyes, and this figure had descended from the sky, causing him to turn his focus.

    ¡°Are you the Young Master¡¯s friend?¡± Feng Yuxiang asked her.

    ¡°Young Master?¡± Chu Liuxiang raised her eyebrows.

    ¡°That¡¯s her, Feng Feng,¡± Meixiu said in a calm voice.

    The young man was stunned by the sudden appearance of Feng Yuxiang and Meixiu. He has never seen so many top beauties at once before.

    ¡°Well then, what are we waiting for?¡±

    Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    And before the Young Man or Chu Liuxiang could even react, Feng Yuxiang lifted Chu Liuxiang into the air before flying away.

    ¡°Y-You¡¯re certainly in a rush, Feng Feng¡­¡± Meixiu said to her as they soared in the sky.

    ¡°I promised the Young Master that I¡¯d return to his side in two days, and I didn¡¯t add into ount that I¡¯d have to pick up Yu Rou as well! Even if she wasn¡¯t part of the n, I intend on keeping my promise!¡±

    ¡°Are you okay, Chu Liuxiang?¡± Meixiu turned to look at her, who had a bewildered expression on her face.

    ¡°W-We¡¯re flying?!¡± She eximed in a shocked voice.

    ¡°First time?¡± Feng Yuxiang smiled.

    ¡°Obviously! You could¡¯ve at least warned me before lifting me into the air! My heart skipped a beat back there!¡± Chu Liuxiang cried out loud.

    Once Chu Liuxiang calmed down and was morefortable being in the sky, Feng Yuxiang introduced herself, ¡°My name is Feng Yuxiang, but my friends call me Feng Feng. I am the Young Master¡¯s most loyal servant. Nice to meet you.¡±

    ¡°I am called Chu Liuxiang.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s all? Tell me more about your rtionship with the Young Master! How did you meet each other?¡± Feng Yuxiang then asked.

    ¡°I am his childhood friend. We met in an orphanage.¡± Chu Liuxiang said.

    ¡°W-Wait¡­¡±

    Feng Yuxiang suddenly stopped moving and looked at Chu Liuxiang with wide eyes.

    ¡°T-The Young Master¡­ He¡¯s an orphan?¡±

    Although she had many theories on Yuan¡¯s mysterious background, being an orphan was definitely not one of them.

    ¡°He never told you?¡± Chu Liuxiang nodded her head.

    Feng Yuxiang quickly shook hers.

    ¡°I understand why the Young Master never speaks of his family now¡­ It¡¯s because he never really had one¡­¡± Feng Yuxiang sighed upon this realization.

    Sometimeter, they continued their journey to pick up Yu Rou.

    ¡°Why are you staring at me?¡± Chu Liuxiang asked Meixiu when she noticed her gaze.

    ¡°You¡­ Your cultivation¡­ I¡¯m speechless¡­¡± Meixiu responded in a dazed voice.

    ¡°Hm? What about it?¡± Chu Liuxiang tilted her head in a questioning manner.

    ¡°Well¡­ It¡¯s a lot lower than I¡¯d anticipated¡­¡±

    ¡°What did you expect? I already mentioned that I didn¡¯t spend much time in this world.¡±

    ¡°I know¡­ but¡­ Second Level Spirit Apprentice¡­ Wow¡­¡±

    Chu Liuxiang, who was a Spirit Master in the real world, turned out to be only at the second level of Spirit Apprentice in Cultivation Online, something most people can achieve within a few hours of creating their character!

    ¡°I mean¡­ I never really intended on ying this game seriously, and I am already cultivating in the real world, so there¡¯s no reason why I need to waste my time increasing my cultivation in this world.¡± Chu Liuxiang shrugged casually.

    ¡°That makes sense¡­ I guess¡­¡±

 Chapter 654: Confession

    <h4>Chapter 654: Confession</h4>

    A few hourster, Feng Yuxiang stopped moving above a city in the Eastern Continent.

    ¡°We have arrived,¡± she said to the other two girls.

    ¡°I see Yu Rou. She¡¯s over there.¡± Meixiu pointed at the small figure standing outside the city gates.

    Of course, she was surrounded by young men, just like when Yuan first found her.

    ¡°Young fairy, why are you standing out here alone? Why don¡¯t youe with me and I will show you all around the city and some more?¡±

    ¡°No, you should follow me! My father is the¡ª¡±

    ¡°Eh? Y-You¡¯re floating?!¡±

    The people there were shocked when Yu Rou suddenly started levitating off the ground.

    ¡°S-She¡¯s not floating! She¡¯s flying! A Spirit Grandmaster!¡±

    They then watched as Yu Rou flew towards Feng Yuxiang and the others in the sky.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Yu Rou. I hope I didn¡¯t interrupt your fun down there.¡± Feng Yuxiang said to her with a smile.

    ¡°You came just at the right time, Feng Feng.¡±

    ¡°Then let¡¯s return to the Young Master¡¯s side, shall we? We¡¯re already behind schedule.¡±

    Feng Yuxiang then carried all three of them back to Pang City.

    Shortly after they began their journey, Yu Rou noticed someone there that she didn¡¯t recognize at all¡ª Chu Liuxiang.

    ¡°Hello, I am called Yu Rou. Are you also one of Brother Yuan¡¯s friends? I¡¯m his sister¡ª little sister.¡± Yu Rou asked her.

    Chu Liuxiang narrowed her eyes on Yu Rou with a profound smile on her face, ¡°So you¡¯re Yu Rou, huh? How surprising. You¡¯re nothing like I¡¯d anticipated¡ªpletely different from your parents. The pr opposite, even.¡±

    ¡°M-My parents?¡± Yu Rou¡¯s eyes slightly widened.

    ¡°You¡¯re from the Yu Family, no?¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ So you¡¯re also a yer¡­ I assumed you were an NPC since Brother Yuan doesn¡¯t really have any acquaintances out there. This makes more sense.¡± Yu Rou mumbled after realizing this fact.

    ¡°Name¡¯s Chu Liuxiang.¡±

    ¡°How did you and my brother meet? What is your rtionship with him? And for how long have you known him?¡± Yu Rou quickly began interrogating her.

    ¡°Brother Yuan and I go back¡­ way back. I have known him for many years now. As for our rtionship together, we¡¯re friends¡­ For now, at least.¡± Chu Liuxiang said, still with a smile.

    ¡°B-Brother Yuan¡­?¡± Yu Rou frowned slightly.

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    While Xiao Hua also addresses Yuan as ¡®brother¡¯, Yu Rou didn¡¯t mind it as much since Xiao Hua was an NPC, and she also has the appearance of a little kid. Chu Liuxiang, however, is a youngdy around Yuan¡¯s age, so Yu Rou wasn¡¯t as epting this time.

    Yu Rou turned to look at Meixiu for answers.

    However, Meixiu acted as though she didn¡¯t notice Yu Rou¡¯s intensive gaze, leaving her alone to deal with Chu Liuxiang.

    ¡®I¡¯m sorry, Yu Rou, but I¡¯ll let you experience¡ª handle her¡­¡¯ Meixiu sighed inwardly.

    ¡°C-Calling your friend ¡®brother¡¯ is a little bit weird, don¡¯t you think?¡± Yu Rou asked a momentter.

    ¡°Weird? Why? Even if it¡¯s a little weird, I cannot help it, as I¡¯d gotten used to calling him that ever since we were young.¡±

    ¡°Young?¡± Yu Rou grew even more puzzled after hearing such words.

    How could Chu Liuxiang possibly know Yuan when they were young when her family doesn¡¯t allow Yuan to associate with the outside world, much less have friends?

    ¡°Are you a fan of my brother? From when he was still performing on the stage?¡± Yu Rou could onlye to this conclusion after a quick pondering.

    ¡°Hm? No, we go even further back.¡± Chu Liuxiang shook her head.

    ¡°Even further back? That¡¯s not possible¡ª¡±

    Yu Rou suddenly halted her mouth movements when she realized something.

    ¡°D-Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right! We were at the same orphanage! I have known him before he was taken away from me by your Yu Family!¡± Chu Liuxiang said with a smile on her face, unaware that Yu Rou wasn¡¯t supposed to know this information.

    Although Meixiu didn¡¯t realize it at first, she realized the problem afterward, but it was already toote, as Chu Liuxiang had already revealed the secret that Yuan was adopted into the Yu Family¡ª that he wasn¡¯t really Yu Rou¡¯s real brother.

    ¡°Hm?¡± Seeing Meixiu facepalm herself, Chu Liuxiang raised her eyebrows, still unaware that she had identally revealed a secret that Meixiu and Yuan had been hiding for many years now.

    Even with her Chu Family¡¯s intelligence agency, there was no way that they could¡¯ve known that Yu Rou didn¡¯t know Yuan was adopted.

    Seeing Yu Rou¡¯s nk face, Meixiu opened her mouth to try and salvage the impossible situation.

    ¡°Y-Yu Rou¡­ I can exin¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, Meixiu. You don¡¯t have to exin anything to me.¡± Yu Rou suddenly interrupted.

    ¡°Actually, I have a confession to make.¡±

    ¡°I have known about Brother Yuan¡¯s adoption¡ª that he is not really my brother for a long time now.¡±

    It was now Yu Rou¡¯s turn to reveal this shocking information.

    ¡°H-How did you¡­¡± Meixiu stared at Yu Rou with a dazed face.

    ¡°How did I find out? It was actually by pure coincidence that I found out. I snuck inside my father¡¯s room one time when I was ying hide-and-seek with you since I knew you couldn¡¯t go there, and I stumbled upon it inside the closet. After learning about it, I began investigating it to confirm the information, and sure enough, it was true.¡±

    ¡°How long have you known about it?¡± Meixiu then asked.

    ¡°Shortly after Brother Yuan became unable to move his body¡­¡± Yu Rou sighed.

    ¡°For that long?!¡± Meixiu was truly shocked speechless now.

    To think Yu Rou had managed to hide this fact for so many years. It was truly a shock to Meixiu.

    ¡°Wait¡­ So you¡¯re telling me that you didn¡¯t always know about Brother Yuan¡¯s adoption?¡± Chu Liuxiang finally spoke afterprehending the situation.

    Yu Rou shook her head, ¡°No¡­ Actually¡­ Perhaps I knew¡ª but forgot about it since Brother Yuan always treated me like a real sister, and I was very young back then. Maybe I didn¡¯t want to believe it and tricked myself into thinking that he was my real brother. Even I don¡¯t know anymore.¡±

 Chapter 655: Yu Rouâ€™s Decision

    <h4>Chapter 655: Yu Rou¡¯s Decision</h4>

    ¡°Sorry for keeping this a secret from you two, Meixiu¡­¡± Yu Rou sighed a momentter.

    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    ¡°No, I should be the one apologizing. There have been many moments where I pondered about telling you. But seeing you so happy to be his ¡®little sister¡¯, I didn¡¯t want to ruin it for you or him by tearing apart your status as brother and sister.¡± Meixiu shook her head.

    ¡°I understand. After all, that¡¯s also why I didn¡¯t reveal the fact that I knew about it. I didn¡¯t want to ruin our rtionship as siblings.¡± Yu Rou smiled.

    She then turned to look at Chu Liuxiang and continued, ¡°Can you tell me about Brother Yuan¡¯s life in the orphanage? I have always been curious, but I was also too scared to ask about it since that would give everything away.¡±

    ¡°Of course! It would be my pleasure!¡±

    To Yu Rou¡¯s surprise, Chu Liuxiang didn¡¯t object to her request, as she was certain that Chu Liuxiang would rather keep everything a secret just to tease her.

    ¡°But in return, you¡¯ll tell me about Brother Yuan¡¯s life in the Yu Family. The good memories. I already know all of the bad ones, after all.¡± Chu Liuxiang added.

    And for the rest of the journey, Chu Liuxiang and Yu Rou would share their memories with Yuan to each other, quickly bing friends.

    ¡®What a surprise¡­¡±

    This left Meixiu profoundly surprised, as she did not expect the two of them would suddenly be friends. In fact, she had expected some sort of rivalry between them, especially since Yu Rou is very protective when ites to Yuan being with other women.

    A few hourster, they arrived at Pang City, and Feng Yuxiang descended directly in front of the Luo Family¡¯s manor.

    ¡°W-Wee back, Seniors!¡± The guards bowed to them.

    A couple of minutester, they went to Yuan¡¯s room.

    ¡°Young Master, I have returned from the trip.¡± Feng Yuxiang knocked on the door.

    ¡°Brother Yuan! I am here!¡± Yu Rou shouted in an excited voice.

    Yuan appeared before them shortly after hearing their voices.

    ¡°Hello, Yu Rou. It¡¯s been a while¡ª¡±

    Yu Rou pounced on Yuan and hugged him tightly before he could even finish his sentence.

    ¡°I have missed you very much, brother!¡±

    Yuan returned her hug, ¡°I missed you too.¡±

    ¡°Anyways, why did you want to meet with us so suddenly?¡± Yuan asked her once they entered his room.

    ¡°Well, I was worried about you.¡±

    ¡°Worried about me?¡± Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    ¡°Of course! I heard that you¡¯d killed thousands of people and exterminated an entire sect! Is that true?! I couldn¡¯t believe it when I heard it! After all, there¡¯s no way that you could do such a thing!¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ So it¡¯s about the Blood Sect, huh?¡± Yuan sighed.

    ¡°Brother¡­ You¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s true. I destroyed the Blood Sect and killed thousands of their disciples,¡± he said with a serious expression.

    Yu Rou¡¯s eyes widened.

    Although she already knew in her heart that it was true, she had to hear it from Yuan¡¯s mouth topletely believe it.

    ¡°Are¡­ Are you okay¡­?¡± Yu Rou asked him after snapping out of her daze.

    ¡°Yes, I am fine.¡± He nodded.

    ¡°Why¡­? Why would you do such a thing? It¡¯s not like you¡­¡± Yu Rou stared at him in the eyes with a worried gaze.

    ¡°The Blood Sect is an evil sect. They have killed many innocent people, and they would have continued to do so if someone didn¡¯t stop them. They also killed one of my first friends in this world, so I took it upon myself to stop them. I guess you can even call it revenge.¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting to destroy their sect, but fortunately for me, their Sect Leader had gathered all of his disciples, allowing me to wipe them out in one go.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t expect you to understand my feelings, but if you¡¯d met the Blood Sect¡ª these insane beasts, you would also want to destroy them.¡±

    ¡°Brother¡­¡±

    Yu Rou was speechless, but she could tell that her brother had changed drastically since thest time she saw him.

    He no longer looked as immature and innocent as before, and there was even a hint of coldness deep within his eyes that she almost didn¡¯t notice.

    ¡°If my actions had disappointed you, I am sorry, but I had to do what was necessary to save this city and other innocent people.¡±

    Yu Rou closed her eyes and took a deep breath, silently digesting all of this information.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that I am disappointed, brother. I am just surprised¡ª bbergasted that you had the capabilities to do such a thing. In the end, this is just a game, and it¡¯s not illegal to kill others in this world, so Ipletely understand.¡±

    Hearing Yu Rou¡¯s words, Yuan wanted to tell her that Cultivation Online might exist somewhere in their universe, but he decided to tell her about itter since he didn¡¯t want to overwhelm her with so much information so quickly.

    ¡°Thank you for understanding, Yu Rou.¡±

    ¡°What are your ns now?¡± Yu Rou asked somethingter.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to climb the Stairway to Heaven and transcend to the next realm. Do you want toe with us? We have more room if you want to follow us.¡± Yuan said.

    Yu Rou pondered for a moment before shaking her head, ¡°I wanted to follow you before, but I think it would be better to stay down here for now.¡±

    ¡°Eh? Why?¡± Yuan asked in a slightly dumbfounded voice.

    ¡°First of all, most of my time is now spent on training myself, and when I do have the time to y, I¡¯d rather just rest. In other words, I have no time to be in this world.¡± Yu Rou sighed.

    ¡°You sound like an old man who¡¯s devoted all his time to work.¡± Chu Liuxiang suddenly said.

    ¡°Well, I cannot deny that.¡± Yu Rou shrugged.

    ¡°But that¡¯s not the only reason why I want to stay down here. Let me exin.¡± Yu Rou continued.

 Chapter 656: Just Joking

    <h4>Chapter 656: Just Joking</h4>

    ¡°The other reason why I don¡¯t want to ascend has connections to the first reason. Since I don¡¯t have time to y, my progression will barely move, so even if I ascend, I will only be a hindrance to you all. Do you understand?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s like sending a low-level yer to a ce filled with high-level monsters. I won¡¯t be able to do anything by myself if you leave my side even for a moment, brother. And I do not expect you to wait for me, as that would be a waste of time.¡± Yu Rou sighed.

    ¡°But I can help you progress faster with treasures! You won¡¯t be a burden to me!¡± Yuan said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t even bother trying to convince me, brother. I have already decided to stay down here. Furthermore, I won¡¯t be alone since I will have Xia Jingyi by my side.¡±

    After a moment of silence, Yuan sighed, ¡°Alright. Fine. I won¡¯t try to convince you anymore. However, just know that once I leave, it will be incredibly hard for us to meet in this world again since I cannote down to the Lower Heavens whenever I please.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like we cannot see each other in the other world.¡± Yu Rou smiled.

    ¡°Anyways, I have to wake up early tomorrow for training, so I won¡¯t be able to stay here for much longer. Let¡¯s talk to each other until I have to leave, okay?¡±

    Yuan nodded, ¡°I want to hear more about your faction.¡±

    ¡°Of course! It¡¯s a really great ce. Everyone there is very nice to each other, and it feels like I¡¯d suddenly gained a new family. Although training is hard at times, my cultivation has improved by leaps and bounds since I started training there.¡±

    Yu Rou proceeded to recall herst couple of weeks as a member of the Eternal Lotuses.

    She told Yuan her daily routines, her training schedules, and even some of Xia Jingyi¡¯s experiences there.

    ¡°It sounds like a great ce. I should visit there one day.¡± Yuan smiled.

    ¡°How about your faction, brother? You created one, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. It¡¯s called the Demon Sealing Faction.¡±

    ¡°W-Wait¡­ Demon Sealing Faction?¡± Yu Rou looked at him with wide eyes, as the name of his faction implies their purpose.

    ¡°Yes. There are still demons left in our world, and our purpose is to exterminate all of them.¡± Yuan exined to her.

    ¡°T-That¡¯s too dangerous! I won¡¯t let you endanger your life like this!¡± Yu Rou eximed.

    ¡°I know it¡¯s dangerous, but I am the only person in the world who can fight these demons¡ª at least for now. If I don¡¯t fight them, they will wreak havoc around the world and kill many innocent people.¡±

    ¡°T-That¡¯s¡­¡± Yu Rou was left speechless by his selfless words.

    ¡°And when I imagine one of these innocent people being you¡ª or any of my friends¡­ I don¡¯t want another friend to die again, much less my own sister¡­¡±

    Yu Rou closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths.

    ¡°I understand, brother. However, you must be careful.¡±

    ¡°Definitely.¡± Yuan nodded with a gentle smile.

    After talking to each other for a few hours, Yu Rou hugged Yuan before logging off the game.

    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    Yuan went to speak with Lord Luo and his family afterward, ¡°I will be leaving this ce tomorrow. Thank you for everything.¡±

    ¡°We should be the one thanking you, Daoist Yuan.¡± Lord Luo bowed to him.

    ¡°Yuan¡­ Will we be able to see each other again in the future?¡± Luo Li asked him.

    ¡°I will try my best to make it happen.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a promise.¡±

    Yuan looked around and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s your brother? I haven¡¯t seen him since I got here.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s at his sect right now, but I will let him know that you¡¯d visited us.¡± Luo Ling said.

    Yuan nodded and logged off shortly after to have dinner.

    ¡°Your sister is a special one. Nothing like I had anticipated.¡± Chu Liuxiang said to Yuan after dinner.

    ¡°Really? Were you able to get along with her?¡±

    ¡°I was. We had a lot of interesting conversations on our way to you. Hell, we can even be considered friends at this point!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡± Yuan smiled.

    ¡°If we¡¯re going to start a family together, it¡¯s essential for me to have a good rtionship with your family, after all.¡± Chu Liuxiang chuckled.

    Wang Ming and the others looked at Chu Liuxiang with wide eyes.

    Although they were already aware of Chu Liuxiang¡¯s feelings for Yuan, they didn¡¯t expect her to be so open about it.

    After dinner, everyone returned to their rooms.

    ¡°What a lucky bastard¡­ But it¡¯s not shocking for a genius like him to have so many beauties by his side¡­¡± Wang Ming sighed out loud as he walked back to his room.

    ¡°If you¡¯re jealous, why don¡¯t you find your own girlfriends? It¡¯s not like you have no hope.¡± Wang Bingbing said to him.

    ¡°Nah. Too much work. And I don¡¯t have the time to pamper them.¡± Wang Ming shrugged.

    ¡°What about you, sister? Why don¡¯t you be Yuan¡¯s woman as well?¡±

    ¡°Now why on earth would I do that?¡± Wang Bingbing frowned.

    ¡°For starters, it¡¯ll benefit our family greatly. He¡¯s also very talented and a good fellow in general. If I were in your shoes, I would already be trying to acquire a slot beside him before all of the slots are taken.¡±

    ¡°What? You don¡¯t like him or something?¡± Wang Ming then asked.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Wang Bingbing sighed after a moment of silence, ¡°That¡¯s not the issue. He already has two women¡ª Meixiu and Chu Liuxiang by his side, one for each arm. They are also extremely pretty and talented if you haven¡¯t noticed already. I won¡¯t stand a chance against them.¡±

    Wang Ming stared at his elder sister with a look of disbelief on his face.

    ¡°Y-You actually thought about bing his woman? I was just joking with you! Hahaha!¡± He burst outughing, causing Wang Bingbing¡¯s face to flush with redness.

    ¡°G-Grab your sword and meet me outside! I¡¯m going to kill you!¡± Wang Bingbing pointed at him with her hand trembling.

    Wang Ming casually shrugged, ¡°Are you kidding me? We just ate, so I am a little sleepy. If you want to fight, we can do it tomorrow.¡±

    After saying that, he went into his room and locked it, leaving Wang Bingbing speechless.

 Chapter 657: Nightmare

    <h4>Chapter 657: Nightmare</h4>

    After returning to his room, Yuan went to his closet and retrieved a basket of medicine.

    ¡°Are those the medicine you¡¯d acquired from the Jaded Garden? Do you n on tempering your body tonight?¡± Chu Liuxiang asked him when she saw the basket.

    ¡°Yes. Do you want to join me?¡± Yuan asked her.

    ¡°Is that even a question? Of course, I want to join you!¡± Chu Liuxiang wasted no time removing her clothes, stripping herself naked before Yuan could even prepare the bath.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t even prepared the bath. You should put your clothes back on unless you want to catch a cold.¡± Yuan said to her.

    Chu Liuxiang chuckled, ¡°I haven¡¯t caught a cold ever since I became a Cultivator. I don¡¯t think Cultivators can even catch colds.¡±

    ¡°Anyways, I already took my clothes off. I will just wait under the nkets until you¡¯re done. You can join me at any time.¡± Chu Liuxiang said as she entered the bed.

    Yuan couldn¡¯t help but smile at Chu Liuxiang¡¯s behavior that reminded him of Elder Shan from the Dragon Essence Temple, and they both give off simr vibes.

    Half an hourter, once the bathtub was prepared, Yuan entered the green water with Chu Liuxiang.

    ¡°Have you ever tempered your body before?¡± Yuan asked her.

    ¡°I have,¡± she calmly replied.

    ¡°Really? Where does the Chu Family obtain their medicine?¡±

    ¡°They grow them just like the Six Spiritual Families, but they use a different method. It¡¯s even a little stronger than the medicine we¡¯re currently using. I will ask Sebastian to bring some over tomorrow if you¡¯re interested.¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind.¡±

    ¡°Anything for you, Brother Yuan¡­¡±

    ¡°Actually, can I just call you Yuan from now on?¡± Chu Liuxiang suddenly said.

    ¡°Eh? Of course, you can. But why the sudden change?¡± Yuan asked.

    ¡°Calling you ¡®brother¡¯ is obviously something very special for Yu Rou, so I decided to not take that away from her. She was the only one in the Yu Family who cared enough to take care of you, after all.¡±

    Chu Liuxiang exined, and she continued, ¡°Furthermore, it feels weird trying to start a family with my ¡®brother¡¯.¡±

    ¡°You can call me whatever you want.¡± Yuan smiled.

    ¡°Really? Then can I call you darling? I find that more fitting than just Yuan! It¡¯s more unique as well!¡±

    ¡°D-Darling? I think that¡¯s a little bit too much¡­¡±

    ¡°Eh?! Please! Everybody already calls you ¡®Yuan¡¯, and I want you to feel special when we¡¯re together!¡±

    Yuan sighed.

    After pondering for a moment, he gave up and said, ¡°Fine, but you can only call me that when we¡¯re alone. It will feel awkward if you call me that in front of everyone.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will wait until we¡¯re officially a family before I start doing that.¡± Chu Liuxiang smiled.

    The two of them casually spoke to each other while absorbing the medicine. Because both of them were used to tempering their body in stronger medicine, they were both felt rxed enough to chat while tempering their body at the same time.

    ¡°You spoke with my sister today, right? What did you talk about?¡± Yuan suddenly asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s a secret.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t even tell me a little?¡±

    ¡°I cannot. We promised Yu Rou that we would keep it a secret, after all.¡±

    ¡°Since you made a promise, I won¡¯t ask anymore. Let¡¯s change the topic. Your cultivation base in Cultivation Online¡­ I was surprised when I saw it.¡±

    ¡°Second Level Spirit Apprentice? I didn¡¯t think it would be that low¡­¡±

    ¡°Meixiu also said the same thing, you know?¡± Chu Liuxiang smiled.

    And she continued, ¡°Is it really that bad? I am already a Spirit Master in this world. Why do I need to cultivate in that world as well? I don¡¯t have enough time in this life to cultivate two bodies at once.¡±

    ¡°Like you¡¯d said, you¡¯re already a Spirit Master in this world, which is the limit of this world. Your progress will now be incredibly slow, and it could take years to increase even a single level. However, that¡¯s not the case for Cultivation Online. In that world, you can surpass Spirit Master and be a Spirit Grandmaster and so much more.¡±

    ¡°Furthermore, some of the things you do in Cultivation Online, such as consuming treasures, will somehow affect you in this world. What if increasing your cultivation base there also affects us but we just don¡¯t know how¡­ yet?¡±

    ¡°D-Darling¡­ That¡­ That actually makes a lot of sense! You¡¯re a genius! I never thought about it like that until you mentioned it! You have opened my eyes! I will focus on my cultivation in Cultivation Online now!¡±

    ¡°R-Really?¡±

    ¡°Yes. As you¡¯d mentioned, I have already reached the limits of this world, so there¡¯s almost no point for me to continue cultivating this body. Instead, I should cultivate my second body! It might even help us break through the limits of this world and reach an unprecedented level!¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, it¡¯ll require a lot of resources if I want to catch up to Meixiu, much less you.¡±

    ¡°I could ask my family for help, but that would require me to return home and I don¡¯t want to do that.¡± Chu Liuxiang sighed.

    ¡°I can help you if you want. After eliminating the Blood Sect, I managed to acquire a bunch of treasures and spirit stones, especially their Sect Master¡¯s spatial ring. He was loaded with treasures!¡±

    Chu Liuxiang nodded, ¡°Since you offered, I won¡¯t be humble, Yua¡ª darling! In return, you can do whatever you want to me tonight¡ª and every night after that!¡±

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    The two of them left the bathroom about three hourster after they cleaned out the medicine bath.

    Yuan went to sleep shortly after without taking up Chu Liuxiang¡¯s offer, but it wasn¡¯t like she didn¡¯t anticipate it. In fact, it would be shocking if he actually did anything to her.

    In his sleep, Yuan had a dream¡ª a nightmare. He was underneath a crimson sky, there were mountains upon mountains of corpses around him, and he stood in a sea of blood that nearly reached his knees.

    Yuan felt a presence behind him, so he turned to take a look, and as he¡¯d expected, the handsome man was there, casually sitting on one of the corpse mountains while staring at the red sky with a dazed face.

 Chapter 658: Evil God

    <h4>Chapter 658: Evil God</h4>

    ¡°How do you like the scenery? Does it make your heart pound with excitement?¡± The handsome man suddenly asked him without looking away from the red sky.

    Yuan coldly snorted, ¡°Why are you showing up now? You didn¡¯t show up when I asked you to fight the Blood Sect.¡±

    The handsome man turned to look at him with red eyes and showed a grim smile, ¡°Are you still angry that I killed those ants for you? You must have wanted to kill them yourself, but you didn¡¯t have the courage, so I had to give you a slight push.¡±

    Yuan frowned at his words.

    ¡°Angry? Of course, I am angry! However, it¡¯s not because you killed those people! I am angry because you possessed my body without my permission!¡±

    ¡°First it was the Divine Paragon, now it¡¯s you!¡±

    Yuan expressed his concerns regarding their possession.

    And to his surprise, the handsome man actually beganughing.

    ¡°Possessed? You think we possessed you? That is incorrect. We¡¯re not ghosts.¡±

    ¡°Then how do you exin what happened?!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s simple. You awakened your memories and began acting as though you were that person. You were the one who called upon us¡ª not the other way around. The Divine Paragon took over your body because you wanted to defeat the demon. I took over your body because you wanted to kill those ants. It¡¯s as simple as that.¡±

    ¡°N-No way¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the truth. We may have lived different lives, but in the end, we¡¯re all the same person. Don¡¯t be angry at me¡ª us. It just means you¡¯re angry at yourself.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    After a moment of silence, Yuan spoke in a questioning tone, ¡°And who are you supposed to be?¡±

    The handsome man suddenly stood up and turned to face him.

    ¡°People used to call me the Evil God. You can call me that as well. It has a nice ring to it.¡±

    ¡°E-Evil God¡­?¡± Yuan was speechless.

    ¡°What did you do to acquire such an obnoxious title?¡±

    ¡°I killed people¡ª a lot of people. If you piled all of the people I killed in one spot, it could easily reach the heavens. Don¡¯t you remember?¡± The handsome man showed a cold smug.

    ¡°Why? Why did you kill these people?¡±

    ¡°Why not? They were an eyesore, so I killed them, just like how you killed those disciples from the Blood Sect.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯spletely different!¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not, but you already know that. Good luck trying to convince yourself, little Evil God.¡±

    The Evil God disappeared after that sentence, and the scenery changed, showing Yuan some of the Evil God¡¯s memories.

    However, none of these memories were pleasant, as they were all scenes of the Evil God ying people. There was not a single memory that did not end up in someone dying to his hands.

    Yuan looked at his own hands that were trembling in disbelief.

    ¡®I used to be the Evil God¡­? What an unfunny joke¡­¡¯ He sighed inwardly.

    Eventually, the bloody memories ended, and the handsome man reappeared before him again.

    However, it was not the Evil God.

    ¡°What do you think about yourtest incarnation?¡± He asked with a mysterious smile hanging on his face.

    ¡°An unpleasant fellow that has no morals. He¡¯spletely differentpared to you and the Divine Paragon.¡±

    The handsome manughed out loud before speaking, ¡°That¡¯s not entirely correct. In fact, we¡¯re not that different from each other. The Divine Paragon, the Evil God, me¡ª and even you.¡±

    ¡°What? That¡¯s not possible! I would never be an Evil God! He killed people because they were an eyesore!¡± Yuan frowned.

    ¡°You¡¯re only saying that because you don¡¯t remember everything. And if I recall correctly, didn¡¯t you kill a few thousand people without batting an eye not long ago? Why did you kill them? Because they threatened the safety of your friends?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right! If I didn¡¯t kill them, the Pang City would¡¯ve been in danger!¡±

    ¡°Once again you¡¯re lying to me¡ª to yourself. You killed them because they were an eyesore¡ª because they were an inconvenience. Everything else is just an excuse.¡±

    The handsome man turned around and began walking away.

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    ¡°If you want to learn more about yourself¡ª about the reason for your existence, follow your bloodline.

    ¡°My bloodline¡­? You mean the Immortal Monarch Bloodline? What is so special about it?¡±

    The handsome man shrugged at his question before disappearing from his sight.

    Yuan woke up the next moment to find his body soaked in cold sweats.

    ¡°My bloodline, huh¡­¡±

    ¡°Are you okay, darling?¡± Chu Liuxiang¡¯s voice suddenly resounded beside him.

    ¡°Eh? Sorry, did I wake you up?¡±

    ¡°Well, you were just squirming around in your sleep, and it also looked like you were in pain.¡±

    ¡°I had a nightmare¡­¡± He sighed.

    ¡°Do you want to talk about it?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious. I saw many people getting killed. That¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­¡±

    ¡°Anyways, I am going to clear my mind. You can go back to sleep.¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    Yuan left the bed and went to the bathroom to rinse the sweat off his body.

    Once he came back out, he went onto the balcony and proceeded to sit there until it was time for breakfast.

    After breakfast, Yuan went inside Cultivation Online and waited for Meixiu and Chu Liuxiang to show up.

    When everyone was gathered, Yuan said his goodbyes to the Luo Family.

    ¡°Yuan! Do you mind if we repeat what we didst time?¡± Luo Li suddenly asked him.

    ¡°Last time?¡± Yuan raised his eyebrows in a puzzled manner.

    ¡°You know¡­ The kiss¡­¡± Luo Li reminded him in a bashful manner.

    ¡°Oh, that. I don¡¯t mind.¡± He casually nodded.

    Luo Li and Luo Ling wasted no time and gave him a kiss on his cheeks.

    ¡°Goodbye, Yuan! We hope to see you again in the future!¡±

    Yuan left Pang City with the others shortly after.

    After leaving the city, Yuan turned to look at Xiao Hua and asked, ¡°Where is the Stairway to Heaven?¡±

    ¡°Follow me, Brother Yuan. Xiao Hua will take you there,¡± she said with an eager smile.

 Chapter 659: Encountering the Gu Family

    <h4>Chapter 659: Encountering the Gu Family</h4>

    ¡°Where the fuck is that bitch, Min Li?! We have been waiting here for almost a week! She should be here by now!¡± Gu Tao shouted in an angry voice when he lost his patience.

    ¡°Do you think we were fooled by the Min Family?¡± He then asked his father, who was sitting beside him inside the carriage.

    ¡°That¡¯s not possible. He wouldn¡¯t lie about something like this. It would only damage his family¡¯s reputation, and you know how much we value our face. Furthermore, this is Min Li that we¡¯re talking about. They wouldn¡¯t sacrifice their family¡¯s reputation for her. Why do you think they sold her to us in the first ce?¡±

    ¡°That makes sense¡­ However, that doesn¡¯t change the fact that Min Li isn¡¯t here. We came here immediately after leaving the Min Family, so there¡¯s no way that we¡¯d missed her.¡± Gu Tao said.

    ¡°That¡¯s also not possible. I had spoken to the people here. None of them have seen Min Li, and she¡¯s one eye-catching girl.¡±

    ¡°Then how long are we going to wait? We cannot stay here forever, not to mention that wedding that is supposed to be in three days!¡± Gu Tao sighed out loud.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do but wait.¡±

    It was at this moment the Gu Family noticed a group of individuals approaching their direction, and all but one of them were kingdom-toppling beauties.

    However, Gu Tao only had one person in his eyes¡ª a youngdy with a familiar face!

    ¡°Wow, so that is the Stairway to Heaven, huh? It¡¯s much grander than I¡¯d anticipated.¡± Yuan mumbled in awe as he gazed upon the massive staircase that hovered in the air not far in the distance.

    There were only a total of 9 steps on this staircase, but it was so massive that it filled the sky and seemed like it was created for giants, and there was a beautiful golden door at the end of the ninth step.

    ¡°I have never seen such a big staircase before. It¡¯s almost as though it was created for giants.¡± Chu Liuxiang mumbled in a dazed voice.

    ¡°Speaking of giants¡­ Do they exist in the cultivation world?¡± Yuan asked.

    ¡°They do.¡± Feng Yuxiang nodded.

    ¡°However, they only exist in the upper heavens now.¡±

    ¡°Have you seen one before?¡± Meixiu asked her.

    ¡°I have met a few when I was still living up there. They¡¯re all incredibly powerful beings with unrivaled strength. They are also born with near-indestructible bodies.¡±

    ¡°I want to meet one now.¡± Yuan smiled.

    ¡°By the way, that¡¯s not the real Stairway to Heaven.¡± Feng Yuxiang suddenly said.

    ¡°Then where is the real one?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s inside that golden door,¡± she said.

    ¡°Is that so¡­¡±

    ¡°Yuan¡­¡± Min Li suddenly tucked his robes.

    ¡°Hm? What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    ¡°Do you see thatrge carriage in front of us? It¡¯s the Gu Family,¡± she said with a worried frown.

    ¡°Gu Family? The family you were supposed to marry into?¡± Yuan asked for confirmation.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Min Li nodded.

    ¡°What are they doing here? Do you think they¡¯re here to find you?¡±

    ¡°I cannot think of any other reason for them to be here. It¡¯s too much of a coincidence.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about them. I will protect you if they try anything funny.¡± Yuan said.

    And right as they were about to pass the carriage, someone suddenly shouted, ¡°Halt!¡±

    The next moment, Gu Tao and his father, alongside many guards surrounded them.

    ¡°Min Li! How dare you run away from our marriage! Hurry up ande back to the family with me and I will make you the happiest woman in this world!¡± Gu Tao stepped forward and patted his chest.

    ¡°I refuse. I left the Min Family for a reason, Gu Tao. I¡¯d rather kill myself than join your family.¡± Min Li sneered.

    ¡°Let¡¯s not make things difficult, Min Li.¡± The middle-aged man standing behind Gu Tao suddenly spoke.

    ¡°Even if you run away from the Min Family, where can you go?¡±

    ¡°Where I go is none of your business!¡±

    The middle-aged man turned to look at the Stairway to Heaven behind him andughed.

    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    ¡°Do you really think you have the capabilities to ascend through the stairway as a Spirit Warrior? Have you lost your damn mind?¡±

    ¡°Who said that she¡¯ll be climbing by herself?¡± Yuan suddenly stepped forward, standing between Min Li and the Gu Family.

    ¡°And who the hell are you? Do you know who we are?¡± Gu Tao immediately frowned at Yuan¡¯s presence that felt threatening for some reason.

    ¡°My name is Yuan. And you¡¯re one of the Seven Legacy Families, right?¡±

    ¡°If you know, get the fuck out of the way before you lose your life. I am trying to speak with my woman here.¡± Gu Tao narrowed his eyes.

    Because they have been waiting at the Stairway to Heaven for the past week, they have not heard about Yuan¡¯s most recent achievement yet. If they knew Yuan had eliminated the Blood Sect by himself, they wouldn¡¯t dare to disrespect him in such a manner.

    ¡°And you must have a death wish, speaking to my Young Master in such a foul manner.¡± Feng Yuxiang tried to step forward but was blocked by Yuan.

    ¡°So what if you¡¯re one of the Seven Legacy Families? Min Li has already stated that she won¡¯t marry into your family. Furthermore, she will be ascending the Stairway to Heaven with me.¡±

    Veins began popping up on Gu Tao¡¯s forehead.

    ¡°Min Li, don¡¯t tell me that you¡¯d abandoned your family and risk offending mine just to be together with this nobody? Have you gone insane?!¡± Gu Tao growled in a cold voice.

    ¡°If he¡¯s a nobody, then you¡¯re less than trash, Gu Tao. You have no idea who you¡¯re messing with.¡± Min Li shook her head.

    The middle-aged man then said, ¡°I have had enough of this nonsense. If you don¡¯t want to follow us back willingly, we¡¯ll force you! Get her!¡±

    The guards immediately pointed their weapons at Yuan and the others.

    ¡°I have also had enough with your Gu Family!¡± Feng Yuxiang suddenly shouted, releasing her Spirit Grandmaster cultivation base.

 Chapter 660: Take His Cultivation Away!

    <h4>Chapter 660: Take His Cultivation Away!</h4>

    ¡®S-Spirit Grandmaster! She¡¯s a Spirit Grandmaster!¡¯ The middle-aged man cried inwardly, shocked by Feng Yuxiang¡¯s cultivation base.

    ¡°If you dare move, I will kill you.¡± Feng Yuxiang said to them with an overbearing aura around her.

    However, Gu Tao¡¯s father was also a Spirit Grandmaster, so he didn¡¯t immediately back down.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± He asked her with a slight frown.

    ¡°Feng Yuxiang.¡±

    ¡°What?! Madam Feng from the Golden Phoenix Bazaar?!¡±

    Although he has never personally gone to her store before, his Gu Family has purchased many treasures from her ce before.

    ¡°Impossible! What are you doing in this ce?!¡±

    ¡°My business is none of your business. However, your business on the other hand¡­¡± Feng Yuxiang narrowed her eyes.

    ¡°How dare you treat my Young Master in such a manner?! Courting death!¡±

    Feng Yuxiang began approaching Gu Tao while emitting strong killing intent.

    ¡°F-Father! Help me! Kill this bitch for me!¡± Gu Tao immediately hid behind his father¡¯s back.

    Although he could sense Feng Yuxiang¡¯s threatening aura, he doesn¡¯t actually know Feng Yuxiang¡¯s identity, nor was he aware of her cultivation base.

    ¡°Oh? It¡¯s been a while since someone cursed at me.¡± A malicious grin appeared on Feng Yuxiang¡¯s face.

    ¡°M-Madam Feng, please excuse this foolish son of mine!¡±

    ¡°Father? What are you doing?¡± Gu Tao looked at him with a confused face, as his father was a Spirit Grandmaster.

    ¡°Shut up! You have no idea who you¡¯re standing before right now!¡± His father suddenly pped him in the face, sending his body flying.

    This shocked the guards from the Gu Family. This is their first time seeing Gu Tao being struck by his own father, something that doesn¡¯t happen even during training.

    ¡°You think that¡¯s enough to seek forgiveness? I won¡¯t be satisfied until he stops breathing!¡±

    ¡°Madam Feng, please have mercy! We¡¯ll forget about the wedding and leave immediately!¡±

    The father knew that offending Feng Yuxiang was akin to death in the Lower Heavens, especially with her vast connections around the world. Unless they called for help from the Gu Family in the upper heavens, there was nothing they could do to stop her.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Feng Yuxiang didn¡¯t say anything, and she turned to look at Yuan for his opinions on the matter. As much as she wanted to kill Gu Tao right there and then, she didn¡¯t want to upset Yuan, who didn¡¯t like violence.

    ¡°Young Master, it¡¯s your call.¡± She said to him.

    Yuan turned to look at Gu Tao, who was still struggling on the floor, for a good moment before closing his eyes and speaking in a low voice, ¡°Feng Feng, doesn¡¯t this situation remind you of another situation that yed out very simrly?¡±

    Feng Yuxiang pondered for a moment before speaking, ¡°Are you talking about the Du Brothers from before?¡±

    Yuan nodded and continued, ¡°He doesn¡¯t deserve to die, but he needs to be taught a lesson. Take his cultivation away.¡±

    Yuan¡¯s words stunned everyone there including his own people.

    After snapping out of her daze, Feng Yuxiang responded with a beaming smile on her face, ¡°With pleasure, Young Master!¡±

    She turned to face Gu Tao and began approaching him.

    ¡°Madam Feng! Please! If you take away his cultivation, you might as well kill him!¡± Gu Tao¡¯s father subconsciously blocked her path.

    ¡°Get out of my way, Patriarch Gu, unless you want to lose your cultivation too.¡± Feng Yuxiang narrowed her eyes that had turned golden at him, sending shivers down his back.

    Patriarch Gu knew in his heart that it was impossible to stop Feng Yuxiang. However, he had another option.

    He turned to look at Yuan and said, ¡°Please! Stop her! Have mercy, Daoist Yuan¡ª¡±

    It was at this moment Patriarch Gu realized something.

    ¡®Wait¡­ Yuan? He¡¯s that genius from the Dragon Essence Temple?!¡¯

    Patriarch Gu could recall ordering his family to recruit Yuan into their family at all cost, yet he¡¯d managed to offend Yuan.

    ¡°Young Master Yuan! It was our fault for not recognizing you! We shouldn¡¯t have tried to force Min Li to marry into our family! Please! If you cripple Gu Tao, he will bepletely useless and might as well be dead!¡±

    Yuan scoffed at his words and said, ¡°Cripple? Now that¡¯s an exaggeration. He may lose his ability to cultivate, but he¡¯ll still be able to function as a normal human.¡±

    ¡°Please! Young Master Yuan! I beg of you!¡± Patriarch Gu suddenly lowered his body and kneeled on the ground in front of Yuan.

    Seeing this, Yuan said, ¡°Feng Feng, wait a second.¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡± Feng Yuxiang stopped two steps away from the terrified Gu Tao.

    After a moment of silence, Yuan extended his hand and spoke, ¡°I am willing to forgive you and your son, but you¡¯ll have to do me a favor in return.¡±

    ¡°Really?! Whatever you need!¡± Patriarch Gu¡¯s eyes flickered with hope.

    ¡°You see, I have purchased a house very recently, so I have no money now. If you donate me some of your wealth, I will forgive you. I¡¯m a generous man, so I will only ask for all of your spatial rings and storage pouches.¡±

    Patriarch Gu¡¯s jaw dropped when he heard Yuan¡¯s words. It was something he least expected!

    As the patriarch of the Gu Family, Patriarch Gu naturally has plenty of wealth on him. In fact, he normally carries the family¡¯s most valuable treasures on his body since he believes that it would be safer than keeping it at home and that nobody would be able to rob him, the patriarch of a Legacy Family!

    Seeing Patriarch Gu¡¯s hesitation, Yuan sighed, ¡°I gave you a chance since you begged, and you even said whatever I want, but s¡­¡±

    And he continued, ¡°Feng Feng, go ahead and continue whatever you were doing.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

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    Feng Yuxiang took thest two steps and arrived in front of Gu Tao.

    ¡°W-W-Wait! Why don¡¯t we talk about this?¡± Patriarch Gu felt like crying, yet he was unable to produce any tears.

    ¡°There is nothing to talk about. You lost that chance when you threatened to take Min Li away by force.¡±

    Patriarch Gu gritted his teeth in anger, but he eventually gave up and said, ¡°Fine! I will give them to you!¡±

 Chapter 661: A Generous Donation From the Gu Family

    <h4>Chapter 661: A Generous Donation From the Gu Family</h4>

    ¡°Here are my spatial rings and storage pouches! Let my son go now!¡± Patriarch Gu gritted his teeth and handed over his treasures to Yuan.

    Meanwhile, Feng Yuxiang also collected Gu Tao¡¯s spatial rings and storage pouches.

    ¡°H-Here you go, Senior Fairy!¡±

    Gu Tao handed all of his possession to Feng Yuxiang without any hesitation. In his mind, nothing in this world was more valuable than his cultivation that took years of effort to build.

    After taking his treasures, Feng Yuxiang returned to Yuan¡¯s side and gave them to him.

    ¡°Thank you, Feng Feng.¡±

    ¡°C-Can we leave now?¡± Patriarch Gu asked him, seemingly in a hurry to leave.

    ¡°Yes, you can¡ª¡±

    However, before Yuan could finish his sentence, Xiao Hua stepped forward and said, ¡°Wait.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Yuan looked at her.

    She pointed at Patriarch Gu and spoke in a calm voice, ¡°He still has a spatial ring hidden on his body.¡±

    Patriarch Gu¡¯s entire body trembled when he heard Xiao Hua¡¯s ims.

    ¡°T-That¡¯s outrageous! I have already given you everything I own! I don¡¯t have anything else on me!¡± He eximed in a furious tone.

    Yuan frowned and said, ¡°Xiao Hua wouldn¡¯t lie to me. If she says you¡¯re hiding something, then you¡¯re hiding something! I will give you onest chance!¡±

    Patriarch Gu stared at Xiao Hua with killing intent in his gaze.

    Feng Yuxiang chuckled and said, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do anything silly if I were you, Patriarch Gu. She¡¯s even stronger than me. In fact, she¡¯s a Spirit King who came from the upper heavens.¡±

    ¡°W-What?! Impossible!¡±

    Xiao Hua didn¡¯t say anything and released some of her cultivation base.

    ¡®It¡¯s real! She¡¯s actually a Spirit King! What is a Spirt King doing here?!¡¯ Patriarch Gu could feel the blood in his body getting drained when he realized this fact, making hisplexion as pale as ghosts.

    ¡®Damn! Damn it all! This is all because of the Min Family!¡¯

    Patriarch Gu reluctantly retrieved his hidden spatial ring that had all of his most valuable treasures and handed it over to Yuan.

    ¡°If you take this from me¡ª from my family, you will definitely regret it! The Gu Family will be your eternal enemy! Think about this carefully one more time!¡± Patriarch Gu red at Yuan with red eyes.

    Under normal circumstances, he would not surrender this spatial ring even if he had to sacrifice his own son. However, he was before a Spirit King. If he doesn¡¯t obey theirmands, he could lose his own life, as well as his treasures.

    Yuan didn¡¯t hesitate to take the spatial ring from his hand and said in a cold voice, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have tried to force Min Li. You deserve this punishment.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Yuan began walking away after epting the Gu Family¡¯s generous donation.

    The Gu Family could only stand there and watch as they disappear from the scene.

    ¡°Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!¡± Patriarch Gu began destroying whatever was around him in an outburst of anger.

    ¡°Father¡­ It¡¯s just a few spatial rings. We have plenty of treasure at home¡­¡± Gu Tao tried to calm him down, unaware of what Yuan had really taken away from them.

    However, Patriarch Gu pped him and shouted, ¡°Just a few spatial rings?! Do you have any idea what was inside those spatial rings?! All of our family heritage and secret cultivation techniques are inside that spatial ring!¡±

    ¡°WHAT?!¡± Gu Tao eximed in a shocked voice when he realized the severity of the situation.

    ¡°W-Why would you even carry them around with you?! Father! We need to take them back even if we have to risk our lives!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re dumber than I thought, Gu Tao! They had a Spirit King with them! She¡¯ll kill us before we can even touch them, much less take back our treasures!¡±

    ¡°Then what can we do? We can¡¯t just let them get away with this!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re going back home! I will contact our Seniors from Spirit Heaven and ask them to avenge us and take back our treasures! We cannot allow them to steal from our Gu Family at all cost!¡± Patriarch Gu said.

    ¡°Thank you for protecting me, Yuan¡­¡± Min Li said to him afterward with a rosy face.

    ¡°I made a promise, after all.¡± Yuan smiled.

    ¡°Young Master, you were very cool back there. I cannot believe you actually dared to steal from the Gu Family.¡± Feng Yuxiang chuckled.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t steal anything from them. They offered it to me as a donation.¡± He casually shrugged.

    ¡°Anyways, even though I have their spatial rings and storage pouches, I cannot open them since their owners are not dead. What should I do?¡±

    ¡°You can forcefully remove the previous owner¡¯s mark on them, but you¡¯ll need an Array Master to do so. If someone without experience does it and screws up, they risk destroying the spatial ring and the contents inside.¡±

    ¡°I definitely don¡¯t want that to happen. And what¡¯s an Array Master?¡±

    ¡°An Array Master is something like a Formation Expert. They specialize in arrays while Formation Experts specialize in formations.¡± Feng Yuxiang said.

    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    And she continued, ¡°As for the difference between them¡­ Arrays are small formations that require very little time to cast, allowing Array Masters to use them efficiently and quickly, and creating arrays only require spiritual energy.¡±

    ¡°As for formations, they are muchrger in scale that requires preparation and arge number of resources, and they usually require more than one person to activate.¡±

    ¡°In other words, arrays are simple and small formations that can be created and used during a fight while formations are moreplex and require preparation before they can be activated.¡±

    The Thousand Swords Formation that was once used by the Flying Sword Sect is considered a formation since it covers the entire sect and requires many people to activate. Arrays, on the other hand, are fundamentally like formations, but they function more like techniques.

    ¡°You won¡¯t find any Array Masters in the Lower Heaven, Young Master. Even in the Spirit Heaven, they can be quite rare.¡± Feng Yuxiang said to him.

    ¡°That¡¯s fine. I am not in a hurry to open these spatial rings.¡± Yuan said.

 Chapter 662: Climbing the Stairway to Heaven

    <h4>Chapter 662: Climbing the Stairway to Heaven</h4>

    ¡°We have arrived at the Stairway to Heaven.¡± Feng Yuxiang said as they approached the massive staircase not far away from them.

    ¡°It¡¯s quite empty here¡­¡±

    Yuan had expected there to be more people in this ce for some reason, but that didn¡¯t seem to be the case, as there were only a dozen people there including an old man sitting behind a desk right beside the staircase.

    ¡°Young Master, speak with that old man whenever you¡¯re ready to challenge the Stairway to Heaven. I will be cheering for you from inside your body since I don¡¯t need to participate in the trials.¡± Feng Yuxiang said to him before transforming into a glowing orb and entering his body.

    ¡°Xiao Hua is confident that Brother Yuan will seed.¡± Xiao Hua also entered his body a momentter.

    Only Lan Yingying remained, as she didn¡¯te from the upper heavens like the other two.

    ¡°W-Where did they go?¡± Chu Liuxiang asked in a baffled voice, as this was her first time witnessing such a thing.

    ¡°They¡¯re resting inside my body right now,¡± Yuan said.

    ¡°What? How does that even work? Can I enter your body too?¡± She then asked.

    ¡°They can do that because they are my servants.¡± Yuan smiled.

    ¡°Anyways, let¡¯s go speak with that old man.¡±

    The old man sitting behind the desk looked at them and said, ¡°Are you going to challenge the Stairway to Heaven?¡±

    ¡°I am.¡± Yuan nodded.

    ¡°First time?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Take this medallion and enter the door whenever you¡¯re ready. However, you should be aware that not everyone can climb the first nine steps on the staircase.¡± The old man said.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Every step on the staircase before the door will emit a certain amount of pressure. If you cannot withstand the pressure, you¡¯ll be kicked off the staircase before you can even challenge it.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡±

    Yuan then pointed at Meixiu and the others standing behind him, ¡°They are with me. Do they also need a medallion?¡±

    The old man raised his eyebrows and said, ¡°Only one person can challenge the Stairway to Heaven at a time. There is no teaming up.¡±

    ¡°I know. I am helping them ascend.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re what?!¡± The old man eximed in a shocked voice.

    He turned to look at the beautifuldies standing behind Yuan.

    Meixiu, Chu Liuxiang, Lan Yingying, and Min Li. Four people in total. Helping a single person will increase the difficulty of his trials, yet he intends on helping four people ascend? The old man has never encountered such a bold and arrogant person before!

    ¡°Are you sure about this, young man? Even if they are your partners and you love them greatly, bringing a single person with you will increase the difficulty of the trials as well as your burden significantly. In thest thousand years, not a single person has managed to ascend while bringing someone else along, and you¡¯re doing four at once.¡±

    Yuan smiled and said, ¡°I am well aware of the risks and increased difficulty. However, even then, I still wish to try.¡±

    The old man sighed after a moment of silence.

    He then retrieved four more medallions, but they were in a different color.

    ¡°Give these to those that you wish to help ascend,¡± said the old man as he handed them to Yuan. Even if he wished to decline, he did not have the authority to refuse anyone challenging the Stairway to Heaven. The only thing he can do is try to persuade Yuan to not make any foolish decisions, which failed spectacrly.

    After epting the medallions, Yuan handed them to Meixiu and the others.

    ¡°You can start climbing the staircase whenever you¡¯re ready.¡± The old man said to Yuan a momentter.

    In his mind, he was already expecting Yuan to fail the challenge.

    ¡®He¡¯ll regret this decision once he realizes how much wasting four years could hurt one¡¯s cultivation career. Unfortunately, there¡¯s no medicine for regret.¡¯ The old man sighed inwardly.

    Sometimeter, Yuan approached the staircase with Meixiu and the others, and the spectators there watched with interest.

    ¡°Another challenger, huh? How long do you think he¡¯llst inside?¡±

    ¡°Probably an hour at most.¡±

    Meanwhile, Yuan and the others looked at the staircase with their heads tilted up.

    A single step of the staircase was sorge that it was as tall as a three-story building, and there were 9 steps in total.

    ¡°Do you need some help getting up there?¡± Yuan looked at Chu Liuxiang, who was only a Spirit Apprentice.

    ¡°I do.¡± She nodded.

    ¡°Okay, I will carry you.¡±

    He turned to look at Meixiu next, ¡°What about you?¡±

    ¡°I also need help.¡±

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    ¡°Fortunately, I have two arms.¡± Yuan chuckled.

    ¡°Yingying, can you help Min Li?¡± He asked her.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, I can reach it myself.¡± Min Li quickly said.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s go up.¡±

    Yuan proceeded to hug Meixiu and Chu Liuxiang¡¯s waist in each of his arms before flying onto the first step.

    Lan Yingying also flew.

    As for Min Li, she was able to jump the height with rtive ease.

    However, the moment Yuan entered the first step that was a few hundred meters away from the second step, he could feel an intense pressure suddenly appear, making it more difficult for him to move forward.

    Although he was able to endure the pressure without any issues, he was worried about the others.

    ¡°Are you guys okay?!¡±

    ¡°Huh? I don¡¯t feel anything.¡± Chu Liuxiang said.

    ¡°Eh? Really? You don¡¯t feel the pressure?¡± Yuan looked at them with wide eyes.

    They shook their heads.

    ¡°So I am the only one feeling this pressure?¡± He mumbled in a dumbfounded voice.

    Feng Yuxiang¡¯s voice then resounded, ¡°Young Master, don¡¯t forget, you¡¯re essentially climbing the Stairway to Heaven for them, so you will be bearing everything while they don¡¯t experience anything.¡±

    ¡°That makes sense¡­¡± Yuan nodded.

    ¡°Yuan, I will help them climb the staircase. You need to focus on yourself.¡± Lan Yingying said to him.

    ¡°Okay. Thank you.¡±

    After putting down Meixiu and Chu Liuxiang, Yuan proceeded to make his way towards the second step that was about 200 meters away.

 Chapter 663: Entering the Stairway to Heaven

    <h4>Chapter 663: Entering the Stairway to Heaven</h4>

    ¡°L-Look at that! There¡¯s more than one person climbing the stairway right now!¡±

    ¡°What?! Is that even possible?! I thought only one person could go at a time!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s only allowed because one of them is assisting them through the Stairway to Heaven¡ª most likely that young man in the front.¡±

    ¡°Wait¡­ That¡¯s actually a thing? Since when? I have spectated this ce for many years but I have never seen such a thing before.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because nobody does it. One can help 9 other individuals climb the Stairway to Heaven, but the person doing the climbing will have the burden of the other nine, increasing the difficulty of their climb significantly.¡±

    ¡°Heavens¡­ Climbing alone is already hard enough, yet that person is willing to take 4 other people with him.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t me him. Look at the people he¡¯s helping. All of them are breathtaking beauties that can topple kingdoms with a mere smile! I wouldn¡¯t leave them behind either.¡±

    ¡°If you had to choose between those beauties or ascending, and you can only pick one, which would you pick?¡±

    ¡°The beauties, of course! I¡¯d be willing to stay down here forever just for one of them, much less four!¡±

    While the spectators focused on Meixiu and the others, Yuan reached the second step with barely any effort made.

    However, the moment he stepped onto the second step, he felt the pressure bearing down his body suddenly double in strength.

    Even though it still wasn¡¯t enough to make him sweat, he was worried about theter steps.

    About a minuteter, he reached the third step, and once again, the pressure on him doubled in strength.

    ¡°It¡¯s still endurable¡­¡± Yuan mumbled to himself as he quickly made his way towards the fourth step.

    However, the moment he stepped on the fourth step, Yuan felt the pressure on him triple in strength.

    Whoosh!

    Yuan lost control over his Qi Maniption for a moment and nearly lost his ability to fly.

    ¡°Are you okay, Yuan?¡± Lan Yingying asked him.

    ¡°Yes, I am fine. I was just a little surprised by how much the pressure increased.¡± He nodded.

    A few more momentster, Yuan arrived at the fifth step.

    Once again, the pressure tripled in strength.

    The pressure on the fifth step was so intense that even ordinary Spirit Grandmasters would have trouble walking, yet Yuan still somehow manages to remain in the air even with all this pressure bearing down on him.

    Unfortunately, after reaching the seventh floor, the intensity of the pressure had gotten so powerful that even Yuan was forced to walk the staircase with his legs.

    Once he¡¯d reached the end of the seventh step, he used some of his spiritual energy to boost his legs, allowing him to jump onto the eighth floor.

    The pressure¡¯s strength on the eighth floor increased by another 3 fold.

    Yuan could feel his legs shaking slightly from the pressure that made it felt like he was carrying arge block of metal on his back. However, even with such pressure, it¡¯d only managed to make Yuan break a couple droplets of sweat.

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    A few minutester, Yuan conquered the eighth step and stepped foot on the ninth and final step, where the golden door was located at the end.

    ¡°You got this, Yuan!¡± Min Li cheered him from only a few steps behind him, feeling a little guilty for making Yuan take her burden.

    Yuan closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

    Once his eyes opened again, he began running for the golden door, shockling the spectators.

    ¡°He still has this much strength left?!¡±

    ¡°Is it that surprising? The real trials are behind that golden door. These nine steps cannot even be considered the real Stairway to Heaven.¡±

    ¡°Even though the staircase isn¡¯t the real challenge, you cannot underestimate it, as it still eliminates about ny percent of challengers that wish to enter the Stairway to Heaven.¡±

    A few momentster, Yuan arrived before the golden door, and he could feel the pressure on his body suddenly disappear like smoke.

    ¡°Phew, that was a little challenging.¡± He wiped the sweat off his forehead and took a moment to breathe.

    ¡°Young Master, the real challenges are behind the door.¡± Feng Yuxiang¡¯s voice resounded in his mind.

    ¡°I know¡­¡± He sighed.

    ¡°Is everyone here?¡± Yuan turned around to see Meixiu and the others standing right behind him.

    Seeing them nod, Yuan returned to looking at the massive golden doors that didn¡¯t seem like it would budge even if he used all of his strength.

    ¡°How do I open this door?¡± Yuan asked.

    ¡°There should be a slot for the medallion.¡± Xiao Hua said.

    Yuan looked around, and sure enough, there was a hole in the middle of the door that seemed to fit his medallion perfectly.

    Furthermore, there were 9 other holes that circled around it.

    ¡°These are probably for your medallions.¡± Yuan looked at Meixiu and the others after inserting his medallion into the hole.

    Once everyone there had inserted their medallion into a slot, the golden doors suddenly began to open.

    Although it didn¡¯t move by much, it had more than enough room for a single person to enter.

    However, it was pitch ck inside the doors.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go! To Spirit Heaven!¡± Yuan was the first to move, entering the golden doors a momentter.

    Lan Yingying immediately followed behind Yuan and became the second person to enter the Stairway to Heaven followed by Min Li, Chu Liuxiang, andst but not least, Meixiu.

    Once everyone was inside, the golden doors closed behind them.

    After entering the Stairway to Heaven, Yuan looked around with his divine sense since he couldn¡¯t see anything in the dark with his eyes, but that also turned out to be useless.

    ¡°I cannot see anything. What about you guys?¡± Yuan asked the others behind him.

    However, nobody responded to him.

    ¡°Meixiu? Lulu? Yingying? Hello?¡± Yuan turned around, but there was nobody there.

    ¡°Guys? Feng Feng? Xiao Hua?¡±

    He tried calling them again since he was certain that they¡¯d entered the Stairway to Heaven with him, but there was still no response, almost as though they¡¯d disappeared and he waspletely alone.

    It was at this moment a voice suddenly resounded in this void.

    ¡°Master?¡±

    It was a clear and childish voice that he¡¯d never heard before, yet it sounded oddly nostalgic for some reason.

    ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± He called back.

    ¡°Master? Is that really you?¡±

    The voice responded, and Yuan could see a faint light suddenly appear in the distance.

 Chapter 664: Master of the Stairway to Heaven

    <h4>Chapter 664: Master of the Stairway to Heaven</h4>

    Yuan swallowed nervously as he watched the faint light gradually approach his direction.

    ¡°Master¡­ Is it really you?¡± The childish voice continued to resound in the darkness.

    ¡°I think you¡¯re mistaking me for someone else. This is my first time in this ce.¡± Yuan said.

    ¡°No¡­¡±

    Once the light was right in front of him, it started transforming until it took the shape of a human with a child-like figure.

    A few momentster, a cute little girl with long, glistening ck hair that dragged on the floor stood before him.

    She stared at him intensely with her sharp golden eyes and continued to speak, ¡°While you have a different appearance, your soul is the same. You are definitely my Master. I will never mistake my Master for someone else.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t remember me, Master?¡± She asked him after a moment of silence.

    Yuan narrowed his eyes at this little girl and sighed inwardly, ¡®She¡¯s definitely talking about one of my past lives, right?¡¯

    After another moment of silence, Yuan asked, ¡°Who or what are you?¡±

    ¡°Tian¡¯er is the guardian of Stairway to Heaven.¡±

    ¡°Guardian? Like its Master?¡±

    ¡°No, Tian¡¯er is merely a guardian. I protect this ce and uphold its integrity. Master¡­ You are the real Master of the Stairway to Heaven. You really don¡¯t remember?¡±

    ¡°What? I am the Master of this ce?¡± Yuan was left baffled by this information.

    Just what kind of person was he in his past life? How did he be the Master of the Stairway to Heaven that connects the Nine Heavens?

    ¡°Alright¡­ Before we continue this conversation, where did my friends go? They entered this ce with me.¡± Yuan asked about Meixiu and the others.

    ¡°They were transported to another ce as spectators because they are not participating in the ascension. They will be able to watch you clear the trials once it begins,¡± she said.

    ¡°I see¡­ That¡¯s relieving to hear.¡± Yuan released a sigh of relief after learning that they were safe and sound.

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s get back to our conversation¡ª Can they also hear me right now?¡± He suddenly asked.

    ¡°No, they cannot hear us right now.¡±

    Yuan nodded and continued, ¡°Can you tell me the name of your Master?¡±

    ¡°Tian Yang,¡± she quickly responded.

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    ¡°I knew it¡­¡± Yuan sighed again.

    Tian Yang was the name of the handsome man in his dream¡ª the first one he ever met.

    ¡°You probably won¡¯t believe me when I say this, but I am actually a reincarnation of Tian Yang, hence why I have the same soul as him¡­¡±

    Tian¡¯er didn¡¯t react to his words and spoke in a calm voice, ¡°I believe the Master.¡±

    ¡°Wait¡­ Since you knew my past self, can you tell me about him? I am missing some¡ª a lot of my memories because of my reincarnation, so it¡¯ll be great if you can refresh some of my memories.¡±

    Tian¡¯er shook her head and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know much about Master¡ª perhaps even less than you since the Master never spoke of his life outside this world.¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, can you tell me what you know? Anything will do¡ª even your rtionship with him.¡±

    Tian¡¯er nodded, ¡°The Master created me after bing the Master of the Stairway to Heaven, and I have been tasked with guarding this ce ever since then. He also gave me the name Tian¡¯er, his surname, as a way to symbolize his creation.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean you were created?¡± Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    However, she merely tilted her head in a puzzled manner, seemingly unable to exin it.

    ¡°How were you created?¡± Yuan changed his wording.

    ¡°The Master snapped his fingers and created me,¡± she replied.

    ¡°Uhh¡­ So you¡¯re not really human?¡±

    She shook her head, ¡°My form consists mostly of the Master¡¯s spiritual energy, so I am neither human nor living.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­ That¡¯s very interesting¡­¡±

    Yuan suddenly realized something.

    ¡°Wait a second¡­ If I am the Master of the Stairway to Heaven, does this mean I don¡¯t need to take the trial to ascend?¡±

    Tian¡¯er nodded, ¡°That is correct. As the Master of the Stairway to Heaven, you can use the treasure as you will.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s great¡ª¡±

    However, Tian¡¯er continued, ¡°But Master¡ª Tian Yang also said that I cannot allow anyone to ascend if they have neverpleted the trial before¡ª even if it¡¯s the Master himself.¡±

    Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    Why would his past self make this rule that also affects himself? Did his past self predict that he would reincarnation and challenge the Stairway to Heaven in the future?

    ¡°It¡¯s unfortunate, but I¡¯m also relieved that I cannot just skip the trials. I have been anticipating doing them for a while now, and skipping them would ruin my fun.¡± Yuan smiled.

    ¡°Anyways, what else can I do in this ce as its Master? Can I adjust the difficulty of my trials? What about the rules? Can I change that as well?¡±

    ¡°You can do all of that, but you can only do it when you are not actively challenging the Stairway to Heaven.¡±

    ¡°I understand. Anyways, I have been standing around for long enough. Let¡¯s get the trials started. We can talk moreter.¡± Yuan said a momentter.

    Tian¡¯er nodded before disappearing into the void.

    A few momentster, Yuan could see a staircase slowly being revealed before him.

    The staircase was semi-transparent and was glistening like the sea when being struck by sunlight, and unlike the one outside, this staircase was definitely made for humans.

    Yuan began climbing this staircase without hesitation, and with every step he took, another step would appear at the end of the staircase.

    It was unknown how long he walked this staircase for, but he gave up counting after walking 500 steps.

    The staircase eventually stopped extending diagonally and began extending horizontally, creating a smooth path for him to walk on.

    After walking for a minute, Yuan could see a massive arena in the distance, and the path would lead him to this arena.

    Once he stepped foot on this arena, the staircase behind him disappeared, and a semi-transparent wall would cover the whole arena like a closed stadium.

    Tian¡¯er¡¯s voice resounded a momentter.

    ¡°Wee to the first trial in the Stairway to Heaven, Master.¡±

 Chapter 665: Stairway to Heavenâ€™s First Trial

    <h4>Chapter 665: Stairway to Heaven¡¯s First Trial</h4>

    After entering the Stairway to Heaven, Meixiu and the others found themselves transported to this empty room that somehow had a small pond resting in the center.

    ¡°W-Where are we? Where¡¯s Yuan?!¡± Chu Liuxiang asked in a slightly panicked manner.

    ¡°Calm down, we¡¯re currently in the spectators¡¯ area.¡± Feng Yuxiang said.

    ¡°Since we¡¯re not participating in the trial, we were transported somewhere where we cannot disturb the Young Master.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­¡±

    Meixiu and Min Li looked around with a bewildered face, as they had never seen such scenery before.

    Although they were inside a ¡®room¡¯, the walls were almost transparent, and the background was a starry sky with tiny lights flickering in the distance. The floor seemed to be made of a smooth material, almost like jade, and there was a pond in the middle of the room.

    Xiao Hua didn¡¯t say anything and approached the pond in the center of the room before sitting beside it and staring at it.

    Feng Yuxiang also did the same thing.

    ¡°Come. We¡¯ll be able to see the Young Master here.¡±

    Everyone there sat around this pond a momentter, silently staring at the clear liquid.

    A few minutester, they could see an image appearing on the surface of the water.

    ¡°Look! It¡¯s Yuan!¡± Chu Liuxiang eximed when she realized it was Yuan, and he just entered this arena.

    ¡°Looks like he¡¯s about to start his first trial.¡± Feng Yuxiang smiled.

    Meanwhile, somewhere in the Stairway to Heaven, Yuan was waiting for his first trial to begin.

    After waiting around for a few moments, he noticed the scenery changing from the void to a bustling city where people could be seen walking around.

    The scenery looked so realistic to Yuan that he thought he¡¯d been transported to a real city.

    ¡°For the first trial, you must find the city lord and kill him within 12 hours or you will fail the trial.¡± Tian¡¯er¡¯s voice resounded loudly in Yuan¡¯s ears, but the people there didn¡¯t react to her voice.

    ¡°Wait¡­ You want me to kill someone?¡± Yuan frowned at this trial.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, everyone and everything in this world is created purely from spiritual energy, just like Tian¡¯er, so they¡¯re not real.¡±

    Yuan felt more relieved after hearing that.

    ¡°What about the rules? Are there any rules?¡± He then asked.

    ¡°There are no rules in this trial. You may aplish your mission through any means.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡±

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    ¡°Then the trial shall begin.¡±

    Ding!

    [You have started your first trial in the Stairway to Heaven]

    [You have 12 hours to finish the trial]

    [Finish the trial in less than 6 hours to receive a reward]

    ¡®Huh? I can obtain rewards in the Stairway to Heaven?¡¯ Yuan wasn¡¯t expecting to earn anything since he was doing it to ascend to the next realm, not earn treasures.

    However, he didn¡¯tin about it and began his journey.

    The first and most logical thing he did was to ask around for information.

    ¡°Excuse me, I am new here, and I have some business with the lord of this city. Can you tell me where I can find him?¡± Yuan asked an olddy who was the closest to him.

    The olddy stared at him for a moment before pointing in a certain direction.

    Yuan turned to look at where the olddy was pointing, and to his surprise, there was a majestic pagoda in that direction.

    The pagoda was so tall that it pierced the clouds; it was unlike anything Yuan has seen before.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Yuan immediately made his way towards the pagoda.

    However, not even a few minutester, a suddenmotion urred in the street, and it forced him to stop his movements.

    ¡°You bastard! How dare you sleep with my wife! I am going to fucking kill you!¡±

    A strange man that he¡¯d never seen before suddenly appeared in front of him and began threatening to kill him.

    ¡°What gibberish are you talking about? I didn¡¯t¡ª¡± Yuan frowned.

    However, the strange man didn¡¯t care about what Yuan had to say and drew his weapon.

    ¡°Die for me!¡±

    The strange man released his cultivation base and began running at Yuan.

    ¡®A peak Spirit Grandmaster?!¡¯ Yuan immediately withdrew the Empyrean Overlord to defend against this strange man.

    Bang!

    Yuan could feel himself getting pushed back a few steps from the confrontation.

    ¡°W-Wait a moment! There must have been a misunderstanding! I didn¡¯t sleep with your wife!¡± Yuan tried to calm the man down, but s, his attempt only seemed to have intensified the man¡¯s anger.

    ¡°Fuck you! I was there when it happened and saw you lying naked in bed with my wife! Die!¡±

    The strange man continued his assault on Yuan.

    ¡®This must be part of the trial! I thought I only had to fight the city lord! I underestimated the trial!¡¯ Yuan eventually realized the situation and began fighting the man for real.

    After exchanging a few blows, Yuan withdrew the Starry Abyss in its invisible form and used it to finish off the unsuspecting man.

    The strange man copsed after a hole appeared in his head, and the pedestrians there began freaking out as though they were real people.

    Yuan ignored them and continued making his way towards the pagoda.

    After Yuan left the scene, the strange man¡¯s corpse scattered into countless glowing fragments before disappearing like smoke.

    A few minutester, even more people showed up to block his path.

    ¡°Halt, you murderer!¡±

    Two people wearing guard uniforms showed up.

    Yuan didn¡¯t even bother to stop this time and just used the Starry Abyss to kill them before they realized what was happening.

    This continued for an entire hour until Yuan finally reached the pagoda, and by then, he¡¯d killed over 50 people at the peak Spirit Grandmaster realm.

    Yuan stood before the pagoda¡¯s golden doors, but he didn¡¯t immediately go inside.

    Instead, he sat down to recover his spiritual energy.

    ¡®It¡¯s already this bothersome when it¡¯s only the first trial. I cannot imagine what the Stairway to Heaven has in store for meter¡­¡¯ He sighed inwardly.

 Chapter 666: Vanishing Ghostâ€™s Soundless Blade

    <h4>Chapter 666: Vanishing Ghost¡¯s Soundless de</h4>

    After spending an hour recovering his spiritual energy, Yuan was prepared to enter the pagoda that had over a hundred floors.

    ¡®Will I be able to reach the peak and defeat the city lord in less than three hours?¡¯ He wondered to himself as he opened the door and entered the pagoda.

    Inside of the pagoda wasn¡¯t as big as Yuan expected, but there was more than enough space for two cultivators to fight without restrictions.

    Yuan looked around the first floor that appeared to be a dojo, and it reminded him of another ce he¡¯d challenged before¡ª the Carp Leaping Over Dragon¡¯s Gate Tower within the Dragon Essence Temple.

    However, instead of fighting magical beasts, humans were his opponents this time.

    ¡°Who are you? And what are you doing in my lord¡¯s pagoda?¡± A figure suddenly appeared before Yuan without him noticing until this person spoke.

    Yuan looked at the middle-aged man and said, ¡°I am here to speak with your lord.¡±

    ¡°Do you have an appointment?¡± The middle-aged man asked.

    ¡°I do not.¡±

    ¡°Then you may scram out of here.¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, that¡¯s not possible either.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    The middle-aged man retrieved his weapon that was a spear the next moment and pointed it at Yuan.

    ¡°Then you can stay here forever.¡±

    Yuan didn¡¯t say anything and retrieved the Empyrean Overlord.

    ¡°Scram!¡±

    The middle-aged man rushed at Yuan, releasing his first level Spirit Lord cultivation base.

    Yuan decided to pretend to struggle against him until the time was right.

    A dozen exchangester, Yuan retrieved the Starry Abyss and aimed it directly at the middle-aged man¡¯s head before sending it flying towards it.

    However, the middle-aged man tilted his head when the dagger was an inch away from his face, narrowly dodging the sneak attack.

    ¡®What?!¡¯ Yuan was shocked when the middle-aged man dodged his Starry Abyss.

    This is his first time missing his target, and he even doubted whether the Starry Abyss was actually invisible or not.

    ¡°Hmph! Using such cowardly tactics! Your invisible attack might work on weaker opponents, but it¡¯s useless before me!¡±

    Yuan frowned when he realized it wasn¡¯t by chance that the middle-aged man had dodged his invisible dagger.

    ¡®Does he have a technique that allows him to detect invisible objects?¡¯ He wondered inwardly.

    However, even if his opponent can detect the Starry Abyss, he could still use it as a distraction.

    ¡°Enough standing around! Let¡¯s finish this!¡±

    The middle-aged man continued to attack Yuan the next moment.

    [Heavenly Domain!]

    Yuan decided to use Heavenly Domain to restrict his movements.

    ¡°What the heck is this?!¡±

    Although the man was surprised, it was not enough topletely seal his movements, but that was to be expected, as he was a genuine Spirit Lord.

    When the man was taken by surprise, Yuan used this chance to go for the killing blow.

    ¡°Bloody¡ª¡±

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    However, Yuan stopped his technique midway when he realized something.

    ¡®Even though this technique has served me well, and it is also one of the first techniques that I¡¯ve learned in this world, I should stop using this technique that belongs to the Blood Sect.¡¯

    There were many reasons as to why Yuan no longer wanted to use the Bloody Sword Strike any longer, but the most obvious reason was its affiliation with the Blood Sect, and he didn¡¯t want to be mistaken as someone from the Blood Sect like previously.

    Unfortunately, besides the Bloody Sword Strike, he didn¡¯t really have any other techniques that weren¡¯t over-the-top like the Heaven Splitting Sword Strike and the Relentless Dragon Overwhelms the Nine Heavens.

    As for the Demon Sealing Strike¡­ It most likely wouldn¡¯t work on humans.

    ¡®Although I have never used that technique before, I have seen it used many times in my dreams¡­ Let¡¯s see if I can pull it off¡­¡¯

    After exchanging a few more strikes with the man, Yuan distanced himself until he was all the way at the doors.

    ¡°Now you feel like leaving? Too bad. You lost that chance when you withdrew your sword.¡± The man sneered in disdain when he saw Yuan running away.

    Yuan ignored the man¡¯s provoking words and focused on the technique inside his head.

    Once he was confident that he could execute it, he took a deep breath and changed the way he held the sword.

    The man raised his eyebrows at Yuan¡¯s weird stance that made it look like he was about to sprint with the sword by his waist.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re thinking, but if you think you can defeat me while being a whole realm below me, you¡¯re too arrogant. Allow me to show you the difference between heaven and earth.¡±

    However, right as the man finished his sentence, he suddenly felt a cold chill going down his spine.

    The man was in disbelief.

    ¡®T-This feeling is¡­ fear?! Impossible! Why would I fear a mere Spirit Grandmaster?!¡¯ He cried inwardly.

    It was at this moment Yuan finished his preparations andunched his attack.

    ¡°Vanishing Ghost¡¯s Soundless de¡­¡±

    The Empyrean Overlord in Yuan¡¯s hand disappeared for a split second in the man¡¯s eyes even though he had been staring at it this entire time without blinking. There was no movement, no sound¡ª nothing.

    ¡°Hah! What the heck? How dare you try to scare¡ª¡±

    The man suddenly stopped speaking when he felt something off about his neck, but before he could figure out what was wrong with it, the light in his eyes darkened, and his body copsed the next second.

    The second his body hit the floor, his head that had been cleanly severed began rolling like a bowling ball.

    Yuan released a sigh of relief after seeing that he¡¯d sessfully managed to execute the technique properly.

    Ding!

    [You have learned Vanishing Ghost¡¯s Soundless de]

    [Vanishing Ghost¡¯s Soundless de]

    [Rank: Ancient]

    [Mastery Level: 1]

    [Description: An extremely fast and deadly technique that can kill a thousand people without making the slightest sound. Created by the famous Cultivator known as Vanishing Ghost, who was once regarded as the Nine Heaven¡¯s deadliest assassin.]

 Chapter 667: Fighting the City Lord

    <h4>Chapter 667: Fighting the City Lord</h4>

    After killing the man, Yuan proceeded to the next floor.

    ¡®His sword technique is really powerful¡­ And it doesn¡¯t consume as much spiritual energy as the Heaven Splitting Sword Strike.¡¯ Yuan thought to himself as he climbed the staircase.

    Upon reaching the second floor, Yuan encountered another man with the cultivation of a Spirit Lord.

    ¡°Who are you? What happened to the guard downstairs?¡± The man asked him with an unfriendly look.

    Yuan didn¡¯t bother responding to the man and withdrew his sword, as he was already expecting to fight anyone that gets in his way.

    ¡°Hmph. A mere Spirit Grandmaster.¡± The man didn¡¯t say anything else and withdrew his weapon.

    Their weapons collided a momentter.

    Yuan decided to try using the Starry Abyss again just to make sure it still works.

    However, just like the man downstairs, this one could also somehow track his invisible flying dagger.

    ¡®Just how are they tracking my Starry Abyss? It¡¯s invisible, and its presence should be concealed. How else can they track it?¡¯

    A few minutester, Yuan managed to defeat the man without using the soundless de technique.

    And for the next hour, he would repeat the same thing.

    However, his streak was stopped by an unexpected situation.

    When he arrived on the ninth floor, the guard there didn¡¯t attack him.

    ¡°The Lord wishes to meet you. You may go up.¡±

    Yuan was skeptical at first, thinking that it was a trap, but the guard really allowed him to go upstairs without causing any trouble.

    Now without anyone blocking his path, Yuan managed to climb to the highest floor in less than ten minutes.

    Upon reaching the top floor, Yuan could see a figure sitting in the back of the room, and this person was wearing a ck mask.

    ¡°Are you the city lord?¡± Yuan asked him for confirmation.

    ¡°Indeed.¡± He nodded.

    And he continued, ¡°Now that I have answered your question, allow me to ask you one of mine.¡±

    ¡°Who are you and why are you killing my people who have done no wrong?¡±

    Yuan¡¯s body trembled slightly after hearing such words.

    ¡®Calm down¡­ They are not real people. This is simply a trial by the Stairway to Heaven¡­¡¯

    He quickly calmed himself down.

    ¡°Because I have no other choice,¡± he responded a momentter.

    ¡°That¡¯s nonsense and you know it!¡± The City Lord shouted in an angry voice.

    ¡°Enough talking and let¡¯s get this over with.¡± Yuan pointed the Empyrean Overlord at him.

    ¡°Very well. If you wish to die, allow me to end your miserable life for you.¡±

    The City Lord released his cultivation base, which shocked Yuan.

    ¡®This feeling is¡­ He¡¯s a Spirit King?!?!¡¯ He cried inwardly after recognizing this overbearing aura.

    Does the Stairway to Heaven really intend on making him fight someone two whole realms above him?

    Why is it this difficult to ascend to the next realm?

    Even if he¡¯s helping four other people, it shouldn¡¯t be this hard!

    ¡°Are you scared?¡± The City Lord suddenly said as he approached Yuan.

    ¡°I can sense your fear crawling all over my skin.¡±

    Yuan tightened his grasp on his sword and patiently waited for the City Lord to attack him first.

    ¡°Why are you just standing there? Come and attack me like you did to those guards you killed not long ago.¡±

    Although Yuan couldn¡¯t see the City Lord¡¯s face, he had a good feeling that there was a grin behind that mask at this moment.

    ¡°If you¡¯re not going to attack me first, I won¡¯t be humble!¡±

    The City Lord used a movement skill to instantly close their distance.

    ¡°?!¡±

    Yuan quickly reacted by lifting his sword in front of his face.

    ng!

    Bang!

    Although he¡¯d blocked the attack, his body was still sent flying by the overwhelming power from the strike.

    After hitting the wall with his back, Yuan tried to rebnce himself, but before he could even stand still, the City Lord had arrived in front of him again.

    The City Lord then gave Yuan a good kick in his side, sending him flying for a second time in just a few seconds.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? You¡¯re a lot weaker than I¡¯d anticipated. If I didn¡¯t let you through, you would¡¯ve probably fallen to one of my guards sooner orter, and you would¡¯ve never made it up here.¡±

    This time, the City Lord allowed Yuan to get back onto his feet.

    Ding!

    The City Lord suddenly lifted his sword and ced it right behind his head, and the sound of metal colliding resounded half a secondter.

    ¡°An invisible dagger? You really think such pathetic tricks would work on Cultivators at my level? Although it¡¯s invisible and it hides its presence pretty decently, those at Spirit Lord and above can easily see it with their enhanced divine sense. You¡¯re wasting your time using this kind of tactic on us.¡±

    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    ¡®So that¡¯s why everyone I have fought in this pagoda could track my invisible flying dagger perfectly¡­ Their divine sense is powerful enough to bypass the Starry Abyss¡¯ ability¡­¡¯ Yuan sighed inwardly.

    After taking a deep breath, Yuan spoke with a frown on his face, ¡°Can you shut up for a minute? The way you talk reminds me of a certain someone, and it¡¯s ruining the mood for me.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Now that¡¯s interesting. Who do I remind you of?¡± The City Lord became interested for some reason.

    ¡°That¡¯s none of your business.¡±

    ¡°Maybe it is. You never know.¡±

    The City Lord then moved his hand to remove the mask covering his face, revealing to Yuan a very familiar face.

    ¡°Y-You are¡ª!¡±

    Yuan was shocked when he saw the City Lord¡¯s face that looked exactly like the handsome man in his dream.

    The only reason he didn¡¯t realize it until now was simply because the City Lord had changed his voice to something unrecognizable.

    ¡°Since you¡¯re here, it must mean that another reincarnation has urred. How many times have you reincarnated by now? Have you achieved the goal yet?¡± The handsome man asked him with a profound smile.

 Chapter 668: Frustration

    <h4>Chapter 668: Frustration</h4>

    After snapping out of his daze from the handsome man¡¯s question, Yuanughed a little before speaking, ¡°What a coincidence. I also have a simr question. What the heck is up with all of this reincarnation stuff?¡±

    ¡°Tell me everything you know about it! How else am I supposed to achieve this goal you speak of when I don¡¯t even remember it?!¡±

    The handsome man silently stared at Yuan for a good moment.

    ¡°I see¡­ So you don¡¯t remember anything yet. That¡¯s fine. It¡¯s not the first time that you have forgotten about your past, but you will eventually remember everything.¡±

    ¡°However, don¡¯t expect me to spoon feed you everything just because we belong to the same soul. If you want to remember your memories, you will have to defeat me. Why else would I force myself to do the trials in this ce?¡±

    ¡°Good! I have always wanted to give you a good beating but never got the chance since you¡¯re always much stronger than me in my dreams!¡± Yuan said.

    The two of them continued fighting again shortly after.

    Meanwhile, in the spectators¡¯ room.

    ¡°What happened?! Why did it stop working?!¡± Chu Liuxiang eximed when the water suddenly stopped reflecting Yuan and the City Lord right when the City Lord was about to remove his mask.

    Unfortunately, nobody there could answer her question.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened, but we can only wait until it returns.¡± Feng Yuxiang said.

    Back in the pagoda, Yuan and the handsome man fought each other so viciously that they¡¯d copsed some of the floors there.

    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    ¡°Hmmm¡­ You¡¯re stillcking. When I was at your level, Spirit Kings were no match for me. However, that shouldn¡¯t be possible. You should be far stronger than me since you¡¯re reincarnated.¡± The handsome man spoke as he fought.

    After pondering for a moment, he continued, ¡°Perhaps you didn¡¯t fully awaken your bloodline? Or maybe you don¡¯t know how to use it? You don¡¯t know anything, do you?¡±

    Yuan frowned when he heard this, and he said, ¡°Why would I know? I don¡¯t know about the reincarnation. I don¡¯t know about my past. I don¡¯t even know my purpose. And you expect me to know about my bloodline? You¡¯re right¡ª I don¡¯t know anything!¡±

    Yuan felt frustrated that he knew nothing about himself even though there¡¯s clearly a lot he should be aware about.

    The handsome man smiled when he noticed Yuan¡¯s attack getting fiercer and more powerful due to his frustration.

    ¡°Sometimes it¡¯s better to not know anything, because once you learn everything, you will not be the same person.¡±

    ¡°I will decide what kind of person I will be no matter what happened in the past!¡± Yuan shouted.

    ¡°You¡¯re not the first one to say such words, and these people all ended up changing after they recalled their past and purpose.¡± The handsome man chuckled.

    ¡°You¡¯re confused because you don¡¯t know anything. However, once you remember everything, you will understand.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know that!¡±

    ng!

    Yuan swung the Empyrean Overlord with all of his strength.

    However, the handsome man blocked it with ease.

    ¡°I do¡ª because we are the same person.¡± He smiled.

    ¡°You see, we¡¯re not like the others. When others go through the cycle of reincarnation, they will lose their memories and live a new life with a new identity¡ª they will be someone unrecognizable and walk a unique path that¡¯s different from their past self.¡±

    ¡°However, we¡¯re not like that. Although we sometimes lose our memories and take on a new identity, we will eventually return to our original identity and walk the same path we once walked. This is our destiny¡ª our heavenly fate that I¡ª you started.¡±

    ¡°Heavenly Domain!¡±

    Yuan suddenly released the Heavenly Domain, slowing down the handsome man¡¯s movements.

    He then activated Dragon¡¯s Gaze, freezing his movement for a brief moment.

    ¡°Heaven Splitting Sword Strike!¡±

    Yuan used this brief moment to gather as much spiritual energy as he could before releasing it, and thanks to his Empyrean Overlord that recently upgraded its unique ability, the Heaven Splitting Sword Strike was more powerful than ever.

    BOOM!

    The golden light enveloped the handsome man¡¯s figure before blowing a massive hole in the pagoda.

    However, once the golden light disappeared, the handsome man was still standing in the same spot, and he didn¡¯t even have a single scratch on his body.

    ¡°I-Impossible¡­¡± Yuan was left speechless by the results.

    The handsome man had eaten his Heaven Splitting Sword Strike head-on and managed to remain unscatched? How is he supposed to defeat such a monster?

    ¡°Hahaha!¡±

    The handsome man suddenly burst outughing.

    ¡°You should see the expression on your face right now! You look like someone who just saw a ghost!¡±

    Afterughing for a bit, the handsome man looked at Yuan with a calm smile on his face and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you have already passed this trial.¡±

    ¡°W-What?¡± Yuan¡¯s eyes widened at his words.

    ¡°Although I may look unharmed, I had actually died in that attack just now. I merely reconstructed myself. After all, I am made out of spiritual energy.¡±

    And sure enough, a notification that announced the end of his trial appeared the next moment.

    [You have killed the City Lord and sessfully cleared the first trial]

    [You have cleared the trial in less than 6 hours]

    ¡°Here¡¯s your reward.¡± The handsome man suddenly extended his hand that was holding a glowing orb of light.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°You were just asking for it not long ago.¡±

    ¡°Y-You don¡¯t mean¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s your memories¡ª your answer. However, it¡¯s only a small fragment of it. If you want the rest, you¡¯ll have to continue challenging the Stairway to Heaven.¡±

    Yuan sighed, ¡°Why are you making things difficult for me¡ª for yourself?¡±

    The handsome man smiled and said, ¡°This is for your own good. And it¡¯s not just you. Everyone that came here before you had to go through the same thing.¡±

    Yuan silently stared at the orb floating above the handsome man¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Here. Take it.¡±

    The handsome man suddenly flicked his finger, sending the orb of light straight into Yuan¡¯s forehead, and Yuan¡¯s vision ckened the next moment.

 Chapter 669: Tian Yangâ€™s Memories

    <h4>Chapter 669: Tian Yang¡¯s Memories</h4>

    ¡®Ugh¡­ Where am I¡­?¡¯ Yuan slowly opened his eyes to the sound of water sshing beside him.

    He looked around once his eyes adjusted to the bright sunlight, and to his surprise, there was arge river beside him.

    ¡®What the¡­ How did I get here? I was just at the pagoda¡­¡¯

    Yuan stood up a momentter, but he immediately noticed something different about his body.

    ¡°My cultivation base is gone!¡± He eximed in a shocked voice.

    Suddenly, another voice resounded, responding to his words, ¡°Are you still dreaming, Tian Yang? You¡¯re not even a cultivator yet, how can you possibly have a cultivation base?¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    Yuan turned to the sound of the voice to see a pretty young girl sitting underneath a tree with a scroll in her hands.

    ¡°Meng Lili?¡± Yuan subconsciously muttered her name even though he had never met her before.

    ¡®Wait¡­ Did she just call me Tian Yang? So I am seeing his memories right now?¡¯

    Now that he had an idea of his situation, Yuan decided to y along.

    However, it was not as though he could actually control his body freely.

    Yuan suddenly began walking towards this youngdy named Meng Lili.

    ¡°How are you feeling, Meng Lili? Are you excited about tomorrow? Nervous?¡± Yuan asked her.

    ¡°Neither. I am actually feeling afraid,¡± she responded.

    ¡°Why would you feel afraid? We¡¯re going to be disciples of a cultivation sect! You should be excited!¡±

    ¡°Tian Yang, the cultivation world isn¡¯t all fun and games. It¡¯s a vicious path that could easily lead to your death even when you¡¯re not at fault, and it¡¯s a world that we¡¯ll be stepping into soon.¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re afraid, then why did you agree to join the sect? You could have stayed here in the vige with the others.¡±

    ¡°Although I am afraid of the cultivation world, there is something I am even more afraid of¡ª the feeling of being powerless,¡± she responded with a solemn look on her face.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Yuan didn¡¯t say anything else for the next few moments.

    ¡°Enough about me. What about you? You¡¯ve always wanted to be a Cultivator, right?¡± Meng Lili suddenly asked him.

    A bittersweet smile appeared on Yuan¡¯s face as he spoke, ¡°No, not always. I never even thought about bing a Cultivator until my mother and sister died at the hands of one.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ I am sorry for bringing it up¡­¡± Meng Lili said in a dispirited voice.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to apologize. It¡¯s the person who killed them that should apologize. Once I be a Cultivator, I will find this bastard and kill him myself if he¡¯s still alive by then.¡±

    ¡°Cultivators are not allowed to kill mortals, so that person must have already been executed by now.¡± Meng Lili said.

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, he¡¯s really fortunate.¡± Yuan sneered.

    ¡°Anyways, I am going back to the vige. I¡¯ll see you tomorrow when the Senior picks us up.¡±

    After leaving the scene, Yuan walked about a mile until he arrived in this small vige that had a poption of a few thousand residents.

    ¡°I¡¯m home.¡± Yuan said out loud after returning to his residence, but there was no response.

    He then walked to the living room, where a home altar for his family was built in the corner of the room.

    He kneeled in front of it and stared at the altar for many minutes before speaking in a solemn voice, ¡°I will be leaving this ce tomorrow to start my journey as a Cultivator. I know the world of cultivation is a dangerous one with countless victims. However, I rather risk my life to have a chance of bing someone powerful than doing nothing and bing a victim to the powerful.¡±

    ¡°Meng Lili said something that really resonated with me today, and Ipletely agree with her. She said that she fears being powerless more than she fears death. However, while I do fear being powerless, I don¡¯t fear death. If I die, I will just reunite with the rest of you, so I look forward to that.¡±

    ¡°If I don¡¯t die and be powerful enough, I¡­ I¡¯m not sure what I want to do at that time yet, but I hope to find the answer soon.¡±

    Once he finished praying, Yuan went to tend the chickens he raised in his backyard.

    Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    ¡°After today, you¡¯ll be Uncle Lee¡¯s chickens. It¡¯s unfortunate that I have to give you away before I can eat you, but s, cultivation is more important, and the sect does not allow animals.¡±

    After feeding the chickens, Yuan went inside his room and proceeded to spend the rest of the day meditating.

    The following morning, Yuan left his house and went to the entrance of the vige, where a group of people around his age were gathered.

    ¡°Did you sleep well?¡± Meng Lili approached him shortly after he arrived.

    ¡°I spent the whole night meditating,¡± he said.

    ¡°What¡¯s the point of that when you¡¯re not even a Cultivator?¡±

    ¡°To prepare myself for the real thing, of course.¡±

    ¡°Whatever.¡±

    About an hourter, an old man with an unfathomable aura descended from the sky andnded in front of the group.

    He withdrew his flying treasure that took the shape of a massive leaf and said, ¡°This is yourst chance to turn back. Once you step on this flying treasure, you will either spend the rest of your life as a Cultivator or die as a mortal in the sect. I will give you all 30 seconds to decide.¡±

    30 secondster, everyone was standing on the flying treasure.

    ¡°Good.¡±

    The old man flew away with the flying treasure a momentter.

    It was also at this moment that Yuan returned to the pagoda, and the first thing he noticed was the handsome man standing in front of him with a profound smile.

    ¡°What do you think?¡± The handsome man asked him.

    Yuan frowned and said, ¡°That¡¯s it? I didn¡¯t even learn anything about my reincarnation or bloodline!¡±

    The handsome man chuckled and said, ¡°Like I¡¯d said, you¡¯ll only get a fragment of your memories. And don¡¯t worry, I gave you a lot more memories than what you just saw, but it¡¯ll take time for them to surface. Give it a few days.¡±

    ¡°In the meantime, you can continue climbing the Stairway to Heaven to regain even more of your memories. You still have a few more trials ahead of you, after all.¡±

 Chapter 670: Stairway to Heavenâ€™s Second Trial

    <h4>Chapter 670: Stairway to Heaven¡¯s Second Trial</h4>

    ¡°Don¡¯t screw with me! You¡¯re just wasting time! Why can¡¯t you tell me what really matters? I don¡¯t care about the other memories!¡± Yuan frowned at the handsome man¡¯s words.

    ¡°Now that wouldn¡¯t be fun at all, would it? Furthermore, who tells a story that starts from the middle¡ª the most exciting part? That makes no sense and will only take away the excitement.¡± The handsome man casually shrugged.

    ¡°Anyways, I won¡¯t keep you here any longer. Have fun with the rest of the trial.¡±

    The handsome man disappeared the next moment, and the scenery began to disappear shortly after.

    In just a few breaths of time, Yuan returned back to the arena with a starry background.

    ¡°Congrattions on passing your first trial, Master.¡± Tian¡¯er¡¯s voice resounded.

    Yuan looked up into the darkness and asked, ¡°How many more trials do I need toplete before I arrive at the next realm?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    After a moment of silence, Tian¡¯er said, ¡°I cannot answer that question, Master, as it¡¯s different for everyone. Some require four trials while some only require one trial to ascend.¡±

    ¡°What? How is that even fair? And how are the trials decided?¡±

    ¡°They are decided by the participants¡¯ talent, destiny, and if they are helping others ascend. The more talented you are, the more difficult the trials will be.¡±

    ¡°Destiny? You¡¯re telling me that the Stairway to Heaven can tell someone¡¯s destiny?¡±

    ¡°That is correct.¡±

    ¡°Then can you tell me my destiny?¡±

    ¡°That is not how this works, Master.¡±

    ¡°Whatever. Let me continue my trial then.¡±

    ¡°You are allowed an hour to recover your spiritual energy after every trial. If you wish to advance without resting, just say so.¡±

    Yuan nodded and said, ¡°I will need every ounce of spiritual energy I can get.¡±

    He sat down the next moment and began recovering his spiritual energy.

    ¡®Wow! I should¡¯ve noticed this sooner! The spiritual energy in this ce is so pure! I can feel my cultivation base soaring towards the next level as it recovers!¡¯ Yuan was shocked when he absorbed the spiritual energy in the Stairway to Heaven.

    And sure enough, right before his one hour was up, he¡¯d managed to breakthrough to the next level, reaching the fifth level of Spirit Grandmaster.

    ¡°Congrattions on your breakthrough, Master.¡± Tian¡¯er said to him.

    ¡°Thank you. I am ready for the next trial.¡± Yuan then said.

    ¡°Please climb that staircase for your next trial.¡±

    Yuan looked around until he saw the staircase Tian¡¯er was talking about, and he began climbing it shortly after.

    Meanwhile, in the spectators¡¯ room.

    ¡°It¡¯s back!¡± Min Li eximed in an excited voice when the pond started working again.

    ¡°Hm? What happened? Why did he return to that ce? What happened to the trial? Did he pass or fail?¡± Chu Liuxiang asked.

    ¡°Seeing that he¡¯s climbing the staircase, he most likely passed the first trial and is heading to his second one.¡± Feng Yuxiang said.

    Sometimeter, Yuan arrived at the second arena.

    ¡°The second trial will now begin.¡± Tian¡¯er¡¯s calm voice resounded.

    The scenery changed a few momentster.

    Yuan looked around to find himself at some kind of dock with manyrge wooden ships stationed there.

    ¡°What¡¯s my trial this time?¡± Yuan asked.

    ¡°For the second trial, you must escort the Huang Family 100,000 miles until they reach the Giant¡¯s Continent. Your trial will fail if anyone from the Huang Family dies.¡±

    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    ¡°100,000 miles?! How long will that take?!¡± Yuan eximed out loud when he heard the distance he had to travel.

    ¡°The ships are quite fast, so it shouldn¡¯t take too long.¡± Tian¡¯er responded.

    ¡°Even if they move 1,000 miles an hour, it would still take 100 hours toplete the trial!¡± Yuan sighed out loud.

    ¡°I have no control over what trial the Master undergoes,¡± she calmly responded.

    Ding!

    [You have started your second trial in the Stairway to Heaven!]

    [You must escort the Huang Family 100,000 miles until they reach the Giant¡¯s Continent with all of them alive to finish the trial]

    [Finish the trial with all of the Huang Family¡¯s bodyguards alive to receive a reward]

    Yuan released a deep sigh before looking around the dock for the Huang Family.

    ¡°Excuse me, do you know of the Huang Family?¡± Yuan asked the people there.

    However, it took a couple of tries this time since not everybody knew of this Huang Family.

    ¡°Oh, the Huang Family? You can find them at the Silver Peak Restaurant. They are currently recruiting bodyguards.¡±

    ¡°Can you tell me which direction is this restaurant?¡±

    Once he received the directions, Yuan thanked the man before making his way towards this restaurant.

    He arrived at his destination about ten minutester, and sure enough, there was arge carriage stationed in front of the restaurant with a sign that read ¡®Hiring bodyguards! 10,000,000 gold coins with bonuses! Must be at least Spirit Lord!¡¯.

    ¡®I¡¯m only a Spirit Grandmaster, but I can defeat a Spirit Lord¡­ Hopefully, they won¡¯t mind it¡­¡¯

    There was already a long line of people waiting to be recruited, so Yuan entered the line and began waiting, silently observing the situation there while he waited.

    ¡°If you want to be a bodyguard, you must prove to me that you can protect my family! This man beside me is a peak Spirit Lord, and he will be testing your capabilities! Whether you can be a bodyguard or not will be at his discretion!¡± A middle-aged man with sharp facial features said to the crowd of people there.

    ¡®He must be the head of the Huang Family¡­¡¯ Yuan thought to himself.

    A few momentster, someone from the front of the line approached the peak Spirit Lord bodyguard.

    ¡°You have three chances. Give me your best strike.¡± The peak Spirit Lord said to the recruit.

    The recruit nodded, and without hesitation, attacked the peak Spirit Lord with his strongest attack that was backed by the power of a fourth level Spirit Lord.

    However, the peak Spirit Lord didn¡¯t even bother moving, almost like he had no intention of blocking it.

    Bang!

    The attacknded on the peak Spirit Lord the next second, but to everybody¡¯s surprise, he came out unscathed by the attack.

    ¡°He¡¯s an Array Master!¡± Someone there eximed after realizing what had blocked the attack.

 Chapter 671: Bodyguard

    <h4>Chapter 671: Bodyguard</h4>

    ¡®An Array Master? Feng Feng mentioned them not long ago¡­¡¯ Yuan looked at the peak Spirit Lord with an interested gaze.

    Although it was faint, he could see a semi-transparent barrier around the peak Spirit Lord, and if he looked at the barrier with his divine sense, he would be able to see the symbols that supported the barrier together.

    ¡®Those symbols contain most of the spiritual energy¡­ Is that the barrier¡¯s true form? A bunch of symbolsbined together?¡¯ He thought to himself.

    ¡°You have two more attacks. If you can crack my array, I will consider you hired.¡± The peak Spirit Lord said to the recruit.

    However, even after using hisst two chances, the recruit had failed to make even the slightest crack on the barrier.

    ¡°Next!¡± The middle-aged man said.

    The next recruit stepped forward and tried to crack the array created by the peak Spirit Lord but to no avail.

    After going through five people without any sess, they finally managed to find someone who could crack the array on his third strike, but the crack was very miniscule and less than an inch long.

    The peak Spirit Lord silently stared at the crack for a moment before speaking, ¡°Fail!¡±

    ¡°What?! But I managed to crack your array!¡± The recruit eximed, unwilling to ept the results.

    ¡°So what if you barely managed to crack it? It¡¯s still not convincing enough. If you want to me someone, me yourself for being weak.¡±

    Meanwhile, a smallmotion broke out somewhere in the line.

    ¡°Hey! Can¡¯t you read? Only Spirit Lords and above can qualify to be their bodyguard! You, who is a mere Spirit Grandmaster, should get out of the line and stop wasting our time! Hell, you¡¯re not even a peak Spirit Grandmaster!¡±

    Upon hearing these words that were spoken right behind him, Yuan turned around, and sure enough, there was someone with a displeased face staring at him.

    ¡°So what if I am not a Spirit Lord? I can handle Spirit Lords like you any time of the day.¡± Yuan was feeling annoyed that he was being bothered even though he had been minding his own business.

    ¡°What did you just say, you little bastard?!¡± The man immediately fumed with anger.

    ¡°How dare a little Spirit Grandmaster like you act so arrogantly before me?! Know your ce!¡±

    The man released his cultivation base that was at the 8th level Spirit Lord.

    He then raised his fist and prepared to strike Yuan.

    However, he was a second toote, as Yuan¡¯s fists were already in motion.

    ¡°Relentless Dragon Overwhelms the Nine Heavens!¡±

    Yuan used his fist technique for the first time inbat on an opponent after obtaining it from the Dragon Temple.

    Since these people are not actually living and are only made out of spiritual energy, Yuan did not bother holding back and was acting even a little daring.

    BOOM!

    The man was sent flying into the distance like a rag doll until he crashed into a building a street away and copsed on the floor.

    However, the man did not stand back up even many momentster, as he¡¯d died on impact by Yuan¡¯s ancient-rank skill.

    ¡°Hmph.¡±

    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    Yuan didn¡¯t even bother to check the man¡¯s condition and treated the whole situation as though he was getting rid of an annoying insect.

    The people that witnessed their quick exchange that ended in the blink of an eye were shocked speechless.

    They couldn¡¯t believe their eyes¡ª did a Spirit Grandmaster just defeat a Spirit Lord, someone an entire realm above his own cultivation?

    Why would this kind of genius be willing to be a bodyguard for someone else?

    ¡°What¡¯s with themotion back there?!¡± The peak Spirit Lord left his position and approached Yuan due to their little fight.

    ¡°Who was just fighting back here?!¡± He asked them, as he didn¡¯t witness the fight for himself.

    Those who saw the fight immediately pointed at Yuan with their fingers.

    The peak Spirit Lord frowned when he saw Yuan¡¯s cultivation base.

    ¡°Why are you even in line? The sign states very clearly that only Spirit Lords and above will be epted! And thest time I checked, Spirit Grandmaster is not above Spirit Lord!¡±

    Yuan looked at him in the eyes and responded in a calm voice, ¡°While my cultivation isn¡¯t at the level of a Spirit Lord, I am not any weaker than one.¡±

    The peak Spirit Lord narrowed his eyes at Yuan.

    He then said, ¡°I will be the judge of that. Hit me with all you¡¯ve got.¡±

    Yuan nodded and withdrew his Empyrean Overlord.

    ¡®A Soul Weapon¡­ This guy is not an ordinary one¡­¡¯

    The middle-aged man standing beside the carriage immediately recognized the Empyrean Overlord¡¯s unique aura to be a Soul Weapon.

    After taking a deep breath, Yuan began gathering as much spiritual energy as he could for the Heaven Splitting Sword Strike.

    ¡°T-This is¡­¡±

    The peak Spirit Lord began sweating profusely when he realized just how much spiritual energy Yuan was gathering in his sword.

    He knew very well that even if he was a Spirit King, neither he nor his array would be able to survive such a powerful attack.

    ¡°W-W-Wait a moment!¡± The peak Spirit Lord suddenly stopped him.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to continue. I am convinced by your strength.¡±

    ¡°Eh? Really? Does this mean you¡¯ll recruit me as a bodyguard?¡± Yuan was pleasantly surprised.

    ¡°Y-Yes¡­ That¡¯s right. You can be a bodyguard for the Huang Family.¡± The peak Spirit Lord nodded with a somewhat flushed face, feeling a little heat on his cheeks, almost like someone had pped it.

    ¡°I understand.¡± Yuan stowed away the Empyrean Overlord the next moment.

    ¡°My name is Dong Zhou, head of security for the Huang Family. What is your name?¡± The peak Spirit Lord sped his hand and bowed in a respectful manner.

    ¡°You can call me Yuan.¡±

    ¡°Then, Yuan, you can wait inside the restaurant for now. We¡¯re going to recruit a couple more bodyguards before we leave. You can order whatever you want in the meantime. The Huang Family will pay for everything,¡± said Dong Zhou.

 Chapter 672: Giantâ€™s Continent

    <h4>Chapter 672: Giant¡¯s Continent</h4>

    Yuan proceeded to make his way into the restaurant after being epted as a bodyguard for the Huang Family.

    ¡°Please wait a second, Yuan.¡±

    A soothing voice suddenly called out to him just as he was able to enter the restaurant.

    He halted his movements and turned around to see a pretty youngdy walking out of the carriage.

    Yuan¡¯s eyes widened with surprise when he saw this youngdy.

    ¡°Lulu? What are you doing here?¡± Yuan subconsciously blurted out loud, as this youngdy greatly resembled Chu Liuxiang.

    From her brown hair to hazel eyes, it was almost as though Chu Liuxiang herself was there.

    However, after closer inspection, although very minor, there were some differences.

    ¡°Lulu?¡± The youngdy raised her eyebrows.

    ¡°S-Sorry, I mistook you for someone else. You look very simr to one of my friends,¡± he corrected himself.

    The youngdy chuckled at his words and said, ¡°My name is Huang Xiao Li. If you don¡¯t mind, may I apany you in the restaurant? I¡¯m feeling a little hungry, too.¡±

    ¡°Uhh¡­¡±

    Yuan looked at the middle-aged man standing beside Huang Xiao Li.

    ¡°Entertaining my family is also part of your job as a bodyguard,¡± he said.

    Yuan nodded.

    ¡°You can just call me Xiao Li,¡± she said as she followed him into the restaurant.

    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    Meanwhile, in the spectators¡¯ area.

    ¡°W-Why does she look exactly like me?!¡± Chu Liuxiang eximed in a voice filled with disbelief when she saw Huang Xiao Li¡¯s face.

    It felt like she was looking in the mirror when she looked at Huang Xiao Li.

    ¡°Maybe the Stairway to Heaven is using our faces for whatever reason.¡± Feng Yuxiang said.

    ¡°And it decided to use my face? I hope she doesn¡¯t do anything weird¡­¡± Chu Liuxiang sighed.

    Once they were inside the restaurant, Yuan and Huang Xiao Li sat down at a small round table.

    ¡°Go ahead and order whatever you like. I will pay for it.¡± Huang Xiao Li said to him.

    The server arrived at their table a few momentster to take their order.

    ¡°I will have this¡­ this¡­ this¡­ and this¡­ oh, this as well¡­¡±

    Yuan stared at Huang Xiao Li with wide eyes as she ordered over a dozen dishes without hesitation.

    Normally, he would be the one to surprise the others with his big appetite, but Huang Xiao Li had beat him to the punch this time.

    ¡°Okay, your turn, Yuan.¡± Huang Xiao Li said to him after she finished.

    He nodded and began ordering a long list of dishes, dumbfounding Huang Xiao Li.

    The server taking their orders cried inwardly, ¡®Are you twopeting to see who can eat more or what?¡¯

    ¡°Esteemed guests, let¡¯s move to a bigger table¡­ This ce won¡¯t be able to hold all of your food¡­¡± The server said to them afterward.

    They agreed and moved to a private room that had a muchrger table.

    ¡°Now then¡­ While we wait for our food, why don¡¯t you tell me a little about yourself, Yuan? Why did you want to be a bodyguard for my family? You seem like a very talented young man. I cannot imagine someone like you willingly bing a bodyguard for others. There must be some kind of catch.¡±

    Yuan smiled, ¡°You¡¯re right. I am actually trying to travel to the Giant¡¯s Continent, but I don¡¯t have any money. Fortunately for me, I get to travel there and obtain some money because of your Huang Family.¡±

    Huang Xiao Li narrowed her eyes at him for a moment before rxing herself.

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t really care why you¡¯re helping us as long as you protect my family and I.¡±

    ¡°I will try my best to make sure that no harm wille to your family.¡± Yuan nodded.

    The food began arriving a few minutester, and the two of them began cleaning their tes at a fast pace, almost like they were in a race to beat the other.

    ¡°You¡¯re pretty good.¡± Huang Xiao Li said to him after they finished eating.

    ¡°Do you always eat this much?¡±

    ¡°Only when I can¡­¡± He said.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me a little about yourself, Yuan. I like to know about those working for us. Do you belong to a cultivation sect?¡±

    ¡°I used to, but I am no longer affiliated with them. I am currently a rogue Cultivator,¡± he said.

    ¡°Hoh? Why did you leave? Disciples don¡¯t normally leave their sect. Perhaps you were forced out?¡±

    ¡°No, nothing of that sort. I left simply because I wanted to explore the world by myself.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­ That¡¯s a respectable decision.¡±

    ¡°What about you? Why are you¡ª your family heading to the Giant¡¯s Continent?¡±

    Huang Xiao Li raised her eyebrows at his question before speaking, ¡°There¡¯s only one reason why people go to the Giant¡¯s Continent¡ª to trade treasures with the Giants living there, of course! Aren¡¯t you also going there to trade treasures? Why else would you go there?¡±

    ¡°G-Giants¡­? You mean there are real giants living there?¡± Yuan was speechless.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t know that¡­? And you¡¯re trying to go there?¡± Huang Xiao Li looked at him with a suspicious gaze.

    Yuan quickly said, ¡°Actually, it was a friend who told me about the Giant¡¯s Continent, but he never mentioned anything about giants. He also told me to go there if I want to acquire rare treasures, but that¡¯s all. I guess he wanted to keep it a surprise.¡±

    ¡°Is that so¡­ Anyways, that¡¯s why we¡¯re going there¡ª to exchange treasures. However, in order to do so, we must also have a lot of treasures, hence why we¡¯re recruiting bodyguards, just in case someone decides to steal from us. It¡¯s also quite dangerous going there, so we¡¯ll need all the help we can get.¡±

    A few minutester, Huang Xiao Li¡¯s father came to get them.

    ¡°We just finished recruiting our bodyguards. We¡¯ll be leaving now.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Huang Xiao Li nodded.

    ¡°See youter, Yuan.¡±

    Once outside, Huang Xiao Li returned to the carriage while Yuan gathered with the other bodyguards.

 Chapter 673: Huang Family

    <h4>Chapter 673: Huang Family</h4>

    ¡°My name is Huang Chen, head of the Huang Family. Inside the carriage is my wife, son, and daughter. Your mission is simple¡ª to make sure no harmes into their way until we arrive at our destination, the Giant¡¯s Continent.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s about 100,000 miles from here to the Giant¡¯s Continent, but with the ship we¡¯re riding, it will only take a little over a week to get there, and as mentioned, you will receive ten million gold coins for your service.¡±

    ¡°We will give you one million gold in advance and the rest once we arrive at our destination. Of course, you can get more than ten million gold in total with bonuses depending on your performances.¡±

    ¡°If any of you die while protecting my family, I will make sure to pass your money to your family for you.¡±

    ¡°Do any of you have any questions?¡±

    None of the guards said anything.

    ¡°Good, then we¡¯ll make our departure in an hour. We¡¯ll be waiting for you at dock number 9. If you¡¯re all ready before then, we can leave early.¡±

    Huang Chen entered the carriage afterward and left the scene without waiting for them.

    And since Yuan had nothing else to do, he immediately followed them to the docks.

    There were five other bodyguards besides Yuan that had passed the test, four men and one woman, and they were all between the seventh level and eighth level Spirit Lord.

    An hourter, everyone gathered at dock number 9.

    The carriage was nowhere to be seen and the Huang Family was revealed in full.

    There was Huang Chen, a middle-aged man with a slightly handsome appearance. Then there was Huang Xiao Li, a pretty youngdy around Yuan¡¯s age. Thest two were a beautiful middle-aged woman and a little boy around seven years old.

    They began lining up to board the ship shortly after everyone gathered.

    Yuan looked at the front of the ship with interest as they waited to board, as there was arge serpent wrapped around the front of the ship as decoration.

    ¡°This ship is called the Raging Serpent. It¡¯s the fastest ship avable here.¡± Huang Xiao Li said when she noticed Yuan staring at the ship.

    ¡°Is this your first time riding on a ship?¡±

    Yuan nodded, ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­ Let¡¯s hope it won¡¯t be ourst,¡± she said, surprising him with such dark words.

    After waiting around for about ten minutes, Yuan and the Huang Family were finally allowed onboard the massive ship.

    The Huang Family then led them to their living quarters.

    ¡°My family and I will be living in this room¡ª room 112. As for you guys, I have managed to arrange two rooms¡ª room 240 and 241. I would have given each of you your own room if I could, but there wasn¡¯t enough room avable, so you¡¯ll have to share. Anyways, each room can fit four people. You guys can decide the rest for yourselves.¡±

    ¡°Now for your job as our bodyguard. As long as there¡¯s someone in this room, two of you will guard the entrance at all times. If one of us decides to leave the room for whatever reason, there will be two guards for one person at all times. Any questions?¡±

    They all shook their heads.

    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    ¡°Good.¡± Huang Chen and his family entered their room shortly after.

    ¡°So how should we share the room?¡± One of the bodyguards there asked.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? I will take one room and the rest of you will share the other one,¡± said the female bodyguard.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear what Senior Huang said? We can only fit four in a room!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll make it work,¡± she shrugged in an uncaring manner.

    ¡°This is why women are¡ª¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I don¡¯t need to stay in the room.¡± Yuan suddenly interrupted.

    ¡°Then where are you going to rest?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t intend on resting. I will be guarding this room until we arrive at our destination,¡± he said.

    After all, he couldn¡¯t risk the Huang Family getting harmed while he was resting in another room.

    ¡°You really want that bonus, huh? I admire your dedication. Alright, I will guard this room with you,¡± said a bulky man with muscles that looked like they were fortified with steel.

    The other bodyguards didn¡¯t try to fight for their position since they rather do less work.

    Once the other guard left the scene, Yuan and the bulky man sat in front of room 112 like guard dogs.

    ¡°What¡¯s your name, young man?¡± The bulky man asked him.

    ¡°Yuan.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Qin Kai. How did you manage to get the Huang Family to ept you as their bodyguard as a Spirit Grandmaster? I thought they were only epting Spirit Lords.¡±

    Qin Kai was thest person to be recruited by the Huang Family, so he didn¡¯t witness Yuan¡¯smotion or how he was epted.

    Yuan smiled and said, ¡°I convinced them with my sword.¡±

    Qin Kai stared at Yuan with a somewhat gawking look for a moment beforeughing out loud, ¡°With your sword, huh? I like you!¡±

    After chatting with each other for a few minutes, they stopped talking to cultivate.

    The ship departed from the docks about half an hour after everyone boarded, but Yuan didn¡¯t notice it due to how still the ce was.

    ¡®I have an entire week¡­ My cultivation should go up a few levels while I am here¡­¡¯ Yuan thought to himself as he started absorbing the rich spiritual energy in the air.

    However, he found it incredibly difficult to concentrate because memories of his past life would flow into his head while he tried to cultivate.

    He eventually gave up trying to cultivate and focused on these memories.

    ¡°Wee to the Immortal Monastery, where we make immortals out of mortals like you. However, you will not be disciples immediately. All of you will start out as servants, and if you can learn our cultivation technique that we provide to you in less than four years, you will be promoted to being an Outer Court disciple.¡± The old man that picked them up from their vige said as they approached the mountain range.

 Chapter 674: Sea Demons

    <h4>Chapter 674: Sea Demons</h4>

    Once they entered the sect, the Cultivator left them in a secluded area before flying away without saying another word.

    While Yuan and the others looked around, a chubby old man approached them and said, ¡°Wee to the Bamboo Garden. This is where you will all be spending your next four years. While you are here, you are required to dobor for the sect, such as cutting wood and gathering water. Of course, if you manage to learn the cultivation technique before then, you¡¯ll get to leave earlier.¡±

    ¡°Your schedule will be very simple. There will be a quota for each of you every week that must bepleted, or you will be punished. I don¡¯t care when you finish it. You can finish it on the first day of the week or even thest day of the week. As long as you meet your quota, you can spend the rest of your time cultivating. Any questions? Oh, you can call me Senior Kou.¡±

    ¡°Good. Follow me, I will show you the important facilities before I take you all to receive your uniforms and cultivation technique.¡±

    Yuan and the others began following this fat old man through the Bamboo Garden.

    ¡°This area right here is the cafeteria. It will only be open two times a day for breakfast and dinner. If you fail toplete your quota, you will lose ess to the cafeteria until you finish it.¡±

    ¡°This is the Bamboo Stream. You can wash your clothes here. If you go a little further down, you can even catch fishes. Do not gather your water here for your quotas. There is a separate area for that.¡±

    ¡°That building over there is the training hall. You can go there to train your body, but there won¡¯t be any instructors to give you guidance. That is a privilege only for official disciples.¡±

    ¡°This entire area is the Bamboo Field. It¡¯s where you¡¯ll gather most of your supplies when you receive a quota that requires you to cut down bamboo.¡±

    After spending almost the entire day walking around the Bamboo Garden, Senior Kou led them to their final stop for the day.

    ¡°This is the administration building. If you have any problems, you cane here to get it resolved. It¡¯s also where you obtain uniforms if you somehow destroy your old ones. Of course, it won¡¯t be free.¡±

    ¡°As for how you acquire money in this ce¡ª you will receive some money every time youplete your quota, and if you do more than you were requested, you will receive a bonus.¡±

    ¡°Senior Kou, I have a question.¡± Someone there suddenly raised his hand.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°What else requires money in this ce? Do we also have to pay for our food?¡±

    ¡°Food and rent will be for free. However, you will have to pay for everything else. If you get hurt and require medicine, you will need money. If your uniforms be unusable, you will need money to buy new ones.¡±

    ¡°Hell, if you somehow manage to collect enough money, you can even request to buy some cultivation treasures to increase your chances of bing a Cultivator. However, that will take years if not decades of saving, and if you are still a mortal by then, you might as well give up.¡±

    Sometimeter, Yuan and the others were each given 2 sets of uniforms and a single cultivation technique.

    ¡°Basic Qi Gathering Technique¡­¡± Yuan read the name of the scroll in his grasp.

    ¡°Does anyone here not have two sets of uniforms and a cultivation technique?¡± Senior Kou asked them.

    When nobody responded, he nodded and said, ¡°Good, then let¡¯s get you all settled in your new home.¡±

    About an hourter, Senior Kou stopped before a split path with two different paths.

    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    ¡°The female¡¯s living quarters will be on the left and the men¡¯s living quarters will be on the right. Neither will be allowed to go to the other¡¯s living quarters without permission. If you¡¯re caught doing so, you will be punished severely. Keep this in mind.¡±

    ¡°You may now leave. There will be someone to assign your rooms when you arrive.¡±

    The people there thanked Senior Kou for his time before going to their respective paths.

    ¡°Good luck, Tian Yang.¡± Meng Lili said to Yuan before she went to the left path.

    ¡°I will see youter.¡± Yuan nodded.

    Dong!

    A sudden earthquake stopped Yuan from looking through his memories.

    ¡®What the? Why is there an earthquake? We should be on water!¡¯ Yuan cried inwardly as he looked around with a puzzled face.

    It was at this moment a voice resounded everywhere in the ship.

    ¡°We have encountered a Sea Demon, but there is no need to panic, as our experts are currently taking care of it as we speak.¡±

    ¡°What is a Sea Demon?¡± Yuan turned to ask Qin Kai.

    ¡°Oh, they¡¯re basically magical beasts that live in the water. They are verymon in this part of the ocean, and they can be quite dangerous if not dealt with quickly. We¡¯ll definitely encounter many more of those until we reach our destination.¡±

    ¡°How powerful are they?¡± Yuan asked with an intrigued look on his face, as he has never heard of monsters existing in the sea before.

    ¡°The ones dwelling on the surface of the ocean aren¡¯t much of an issue. A single Spirit Lord can deal with them. However, it¡¯s those that usually dwell in the deeper parts of the ocean that we should be worried about, as they sometimes wander to the surface for whatever reason, and those will require a Spirit King if not multiple Spirit Kings to handle.¡±

    ¡°Furthermore, the closer we get to the Giant¡¯s Continent, the more dangerous the sea creatures be, especially the Leviathans. Let¡¯s pray to the heavens that we don¡¯t encounter those monsters. They¡¯re known as the lord of the seas, and meeting even a single one of them could mean disaster if not certain death for us.¡±

 Chapter 675: Three Years

    <h4>Chapter 675: Three Years</h4>

    The ship stopped shaking shortly after the voice disappeared.

    ¡°Looks like they have managed to deal with the Sea Demon.¡± Qin Kai said before going back to his cultivation.

    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    Yuan also closed his eyes and returned to looking through his memories.

    A few weeks have passed since he became a servant of the Immortal Monastery, yet he hasn¡¯t been able to learn the cultivation technique, which is a far cry from Yuan¡¯s ability to learn even Heaven-rank techniques within minutes.

    ¡°Haaaa¡­ Bing a Cultivator is much more tedious than I¡¯d anticipated¡­ I have read through the manual over a thousand times by now, and I can even recall every single word in the manual backwards with my eyes closed, yet I still cannot sense any spiritual energy.¡±

    Yuan ced the scroll down and tried to sense the spiritual energy in the air again but to no avail.

    After failing to sense spiritual energy for half of the day, Yuan decided to go outside to do his quota, which required him to cut down 200 bamboo in a week.

    ¡°How are you feeling, Tian Yang? Still can¡¯t sense spiritual energy?¡±

    Someone called out to him as he was working.

    Yuan turned around to see a skinny young man who looked incredibly fragile approaching him from behind.

    This fragile-looking young man was Ning Zixun, a friend he¡¯d made the same day he came to this ce.

    ¡°I should be asking you that question. Do you feel like dying yet?¡±

    Ning Zixunughed at his words and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be discouraged. It normally takes at least a year or two for most people before they can sense spiritual energy. We just got here less than a month ago. How can we possibly already sense spiritual energy? We¡¯re not geniuses.¡±

    ¡°At least a year? Hmph! I am not like ¡®most people¡¯! I will sense spiritual energy in less than a year and be a Cultivator so that I can leave this ce!¡± Yuan dered.

    ¡°Why are you in such a hurry to leave? This ce isn¡¯t even that bad. Although thebor can sometimes get tiring, everything else is great. The food is amazing. The bed is warm, albeit a little small and firm. We even get to practice a cultivation technique for free! Do you have any idea how expensive they are outside?¡±

    ¡°We can work for the rest of our lives and still won¡¯t be able to afford the lowest rank cultivation techniques!¡± Ning Zixun said.

    Yuan shook his head and said, ¡°Ning Zixun, if you wish to remain here forever as a servant, you can be my guest. However, I want to be a Cultivator as soon as possible and start growing stronger. Every day I cannot sense spiritual energy is another day that I am powerless!¡±

    Ning Zixun shrugged, ¡°Even if you say that, it¡¯s not like we can force our progress to move faster just because we want it to. I wish the world worked that way, but s, reality is harsh.¡±

    Time passed very quickly in the Bamboo Garden, and in the blink of an eye, half a year passed.

    ¡°Hey! Tian Yang! Did you hear? One of the girls managed to sense spiritual energy and became a Cultivator! She¡¯s now epted as an official disciple and will be moved to the outer court with the other official disciples!¡± Ning Zixun revealed this news to him.

    ¡°Really? Who is this genius?¡± Yuan asked.

    ¡°I believe her name was Meng¡­ Meng Li?¡±

    ¡°Meng Lili¡­¡± Yuan muttered in a low voice.

    ¡°That¡¯s right! Meng Lili! You know her?¡±

    Yuan sighed and nodded with a bittersweet smile on his face.

    ¡°We came from the same vige, and we were friends back there.¡±

    ¡°How lucky. You¡¯re now friends with an outer court disciple. Maybe she¡¯ll even help you in the near future.¡±

    ¡°I doubt it.¡±

    ¡°Anyways, can you leave me alone for a while. I have a feeling that I am close to sensing spiritual energy.¡± Yuan then said.

    Ning Zixun nodded, ¡°Good luck.¡±

    ¡°You as well.¡±

    After Ning Zixun left the scene, Yuan proceeded to stare at the space in front of him for many minutes in a dazed manner.

    ¡°Congrattions, Meng Lili. You¡¯re no longer powerless. However, don¡¯t be so proud of yourself just because you managed to be a Cultivator before me! The cultivation path is not a short race but a long marathon! I will follow in your steps soon and even surpass you! Just watch!¡±

    Yuan began studying the cultivation technique with even more intensity starting that day, almost obsessively so.

    However, despite his efforts, it took him until his third year in the Bamboo Garden before he could start sensing spiritual energy and bing an official disciple.

    During this time, his friend Ning Zixun had passed away due to natural causes. Ning Zixun was born with a weak body, yet he endured many years of hardbor just for a chance to be a Cultivator.

    It was also shortly after Ning Zixun¡¯s death that Yuan managed to sessfully sense spiritual energy.

    ¡°It¡¯s truly a pity that you can¡¯t be here to see me in this uniform, Ning Zixun¡­¡± Yuan sighed as he stood in front of Ning Zixun¡¯s empty residence while wearing the outer court¡¯s uniform.

    ¡°However, even though I have finally managed to be an official disciple, I don¡¯t feel any happiness. Is it because of how long it took me to reach this point? I was so confident that I would seed in less than a year, but here I am, three yearster¡­¡±

    ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be toote to catch up to Meng Lili even now, right? I wonder how far she¡¯s progressed in these three years. With her talents, she might even be an inner court disciple now. Guess I will find out once I move to the outer court.¡±

    After saying his goodbyes to Ning Zixun and the ce, Yuan left the Bamboo Garden and was taken to the outer court by the same person who brought him to this sect, unaware of the countless challenges that were waiting for him there.

 Chapter 676: Too Easy

    <h4>Chapter 676: Too Easy</h4>

    BOOM!

    The ship suddenly began shaking violently for a second time, snapping Yuan out of his daze.

    ¡°Wow, this one is quite powerful. Did we encounter a powerful Sea Demon already? We¡¯ve only been out in the sea for half a day.¡± Qin Kai muttered in a low voice.

    The shakingsted a few more moments more than the previous time.

    ¡°Half a day¡­?¡± Yuan suddenly realized something, and he tilted his head to look up into the ceiling of the ship.

    ¡°Meixiu, Lulu, I won¡¯t be logging off until I finish this trial. Please take care of everything until I am done.¡± He spoke to them in the spectators¡¯ room.

    ¡°Who are you talking to?¡± Qin Kai also looked at the ceiling with raised eyebrows.

    ¡°Oh, I was just talking to myself.¡±

    ¡°What a weirdo.¡± Qin Kai chuckled.

    Meanwhile, in the spectators¡¯ room, Meixiu said to Chu Liuxiang, ¡°I am going to log off. What about you?¡±

    ¡°I will stay here and continue watching Yuan in case anything happens.¡±

    Meixiu¡¯s eyebrows twitched slightly when she realized something.

    ¡®She¡¯s no longer addressing him as ¡®Brother Yuan¡¯¡­ Did something happen between them?¡¯

    ¡°Okay, then I will check up on you once in a while.¡±

    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    Meixiu logged off shortly after to notify the other members that Yuan will be busy for a week.

    ¡°A week? What¡¯s he doing inside Cultivation Online that requires so much time?¡± Wang Ming asked out of curiosity.

    ¡°He¡¯s challenging the Stairway to Heaven right now.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I have heard of that ce. It¡¯s where Cultivators go to ascend to the next world, right?¡±

    Meixiu nodded.

    ¡°Alright. Training is going to be a bit boring without him, but it¡¯s only a week. Thank you for letting us know.¡±

    Everybody epted the news without much problem.

    Two days passed in the blink of an eye for Yuan, who was constantly cultivating and looking through his memories.

    The ship shook over a dozen times over thest two days, but the warriors hired by the ship had managed to deal with the Sea Demons without any problem.

    Besides the shaking from time to time, Yuan¡¯s trial has been very rxing¡ª suspiciously so.

    This made him wonder if the real trial was at the Giant¡¯s Continent.

    However, that peace would end soon.

    ¡°We havepany. Be alert.¡± Qin Kai suddenly said to him in a low voice.

    Yuan opened his eyes to see a group of people that had the appearance of mercenaries slowly approaching their direction.

    One look and anybody can tell that they were trouble.

    Both Yuan and Qin Kai stood up.

    ¡°What do you want?¡± Qin Kai asked them with his massive arms crossed over his chest, looking very threatening and defensive.

    The man leading the group smiled and said, ¡°Is this the Huang Family¡¯s room? We¡¯re actually here for a business appointment.¡±

    ¡°Business appointment? Howe I didn¡¯t hear anything about such a thing?¡±

    ¡°This is a very important and exclusive business opportunity for the Huang Family. Why would they let some bodyguards know about it?¡± The man scoffed.

    Qin Kai looked at them up and down and smiled, ¡°If you wear that kind of getup to a business meeting, I doubt it¡¯ll work out for you. Let me save you all from embarrassment. Get out of my face.¡±

    ¡°Imprudent bastard. I gave you a chance to live, yet you willingly choose death.¡± The man and his group withdrew their weapons the next moment.

    Qin Kaiughed and said, ¡°Even if you manage to kill us and steal from the Huang Family, where are you guys going to hide? We¡¯re in the middle of the sea. You¡¯ll die way before you can return to the docks even if you fly.¡±

    ¡°Who said anything about hiding or running away? Once we deal with the Huang Family, we¡¯ll seize control of the ship and take our time robbing the other passengers. Ships heading to the Giant¡¯s Continent are always filled with wealthy people and loaded with treasures.¡±

    ¡°Do you idiots think you¡¯re the first to rob the Raging Serpent? There have been countless attempts to rob this ce, and all of them never managed to return to thend.¡±

    ¡°Hmph! Enough talking! Get rid of them!¡± The man pointed at Yuan and Qin Kai as he ordered his group.

    ¡°Heavenly Domain!¡±

    Yuan immediately used his domain to restrict their movements, but since they were all Spirit Lords, it couldn¡¯tpletely seal their movements.

    ¡°This guy can use a domain! Let¡¯s get him first!¡± The man shouted.

    ¡°If you want to get to him, you¡¯ll have to get past me first!¡±

    Qin Kai stood before the robbers and Yuan.

    While Qin Kai distracted them, Yuan used the soundless de to kill them from a distance, killing many of the robbers before they even realized what was happening.

    The battle was a one-sided ughter, and in just a couple of minutes, Yuan had managed to kill all of the robbers.

    Qin Kai stared at him with wide eyes afterward.

    ¡°Ipletely understand why the Huang Family hired you now¡­¡± He mumbled in a dumbfounded voice.

    ¡°What are we going to do with these bodies?¡± Yuan asked a momentter.

    ¡°The cleaning crew will take care of them.¡± Qin Kai shrugged.

    Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    ¡°It¡¯smon for robbers to sneak onto this ship, and it¡¯s alsomon for them to die.¡±

    And sure enough, the cleaning crew arrived a few minutester to pick up the corpses and clean the blood, almost like they were used to it.

    As for what they did with the corpses, they simply tossed them into the ocean for the Sea Demons to feast on.

    After themotion, Huang Chen opened the door and asked them about the situation.

    Qin Kai recalled everything that happened to him.

    Huang Chen nodded with a satisfied face.

    ¡°Good job,¡± he said to them, but he was mostly looking at Yuan.

    However, Yuan was feeling uneasy about how easy his trial has been so far. These robbers were just like the guards from the previous trial. They were only there to exhaust his spiritual energy before the real fight.

    He can only imagine what the second trial has in store for him.

 Chapter 677: Array Master

    <h4>Chapter 677: Array Master</h4>

    On the third day of their journey to the Giant¡¯s Continent, Huang Xiao Li came out of her room and pointed at Yuan, who was casually sitting in front of the door and said to him, ¡°I am going to look around the ship, and you¡¯ll being with me, Yuan.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Yuan was dumbfounded by her request.

    ¡°You encountered robbers just yesterday and you already want to leave your room? That¡¯s a little dangerous if I have to be honest,¡± he said to her.

    Furthermore, he didn¡¯t want to be separated from the rest of the family. What if they¡¯re attacked when he¡¯s away and dies? That would mean the end of the trial for him!

    ¡°I will be fine. After all, you will be there to protect me if anything were to happen, right?¡± Huang Xiao Li said with a smile on her face.

    ¡°What about the rest of your family? I have to protect them as well.¡±

    ¡°Have you already forgotten that we have other bodyguards beside you? They will take your spot. Or are you making this difficult because you don¡¯t want to be with me? Do you find me bothersome?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not it¡­¡± Yuan sighed.

    ¡°Then it¡¯s decided! You¡¯reing with me to explore the ship!¡±

    Yuan gave up and nodded his head, ¡°But we still need another bodyguard.¡±

    Qin Kai raised his hand and said, ¡°I can¡ª¡±

    However, he was quickly interrupted by Huang Xiao Li, ¡°I have already spoken to my father. I can take just one bodyguard with me. You can go confirm with him if you¡¯d like.¡±

    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary. We trust your words.¡± Qin Kai said.

    He then turned to look at Yuan and said, ¡°Go ahead and protect the youngdy. I will call one of the other guards to take your ce until you return.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Yuan nodded.

    After waiting for his recement to show up, Yuan followed Huang Xiao Li around the ship.

    ¡°I heard that you took care of the robbers yesterday.¡± Huang Xiao Li spoke as they walked.

    ¡°Yes, but I wasn¡¯t the only person who took care of them. Qin Kai was also there,¡± he said.

    ¡°The bodyguard that was with you, right? But you killed the most. Even though you¡¯re only a Spirit Master. I¡¯m impressed.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t belong to a sect, right?¡±

    ¡°Not at this moment.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you join my sect after this journey? I think you¡¯ll do very well there with your talents.¡±

    ¡°I will consider it.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Huang Xiao Li appeared to be surprised by Yuan¡¯s response, as she didn¡¯t think he would even consider her random request.

    Little did she know that he¡¯d only agreed because he knew that she would disappear after he finishes this trial and that none of them were real.

    ¡°Anyways, we can talk about my sect after we finish our business at the Giant¡¯s Continent. I don¡¯t want to burst your bubbles, but the robbers yesterday are not the reason we hired you guys, as we could¡¯ve dealt with them by ourselves.¡±

    ¡°I figured as much.¡± Yuan showed a bittersweet smile.

    ¡°Then why did you hire us? And where did that peak Spirit Lord bodyguard go?¡±

    ¡°Are you talking about Dong Zhou? He¡¯s currently part of the ship¡¯s protection squad, so he¡¯s dealing with the Sea Demons.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­¡±

    ¡°We hired extra bodyguards not because of robbers. We did so because we need as many hands as we can get once we arrive at the Giant¡¯s Continent,¡± she said.

    ¡°The Giant¡¯s Continent? Is it that dangerous there?¡± Yuan asked.

    ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s not the giants that are dangerous. It¡¯s the magical beasts that dwell there that are the most threatening.¡±

    ¡°By the way, why are you asking about Dong Zhou? Do you wish to speak with him?¡±

    Yuan nodded and said, ¡°I wanted to learn a little more about arrays and formations and I thought that he could help me. That¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°Arrays? If that¡¯s the only reason why you¡¯re seeking for him, then you can just ask me. I may not look like it, but I am also an Array Master! In fact, our entire family specializes in arrays and formations!¡± Huang Xiao Li revealed this fact.

    ¡°Really?¡± Yuan looked at her with a surprised face.

    ¡°Does it look like I am joking?¡± Huang Xiao Li suddenly lifted her hand to show Yuan the beautiful symbol floating on the top of her palm.

    ¡°That¡¯s an array?¡± Yuan asked as he stared at the symbol with interest.

    ¡°Not exactly. This is an array symbol. You¡¯ll need multiple symbols to create an array. Like this.¡±

    Huang Xiao Li created a few more symbols afterward, ovepping them with each other until they formed onerge symbol.

    Once her array waspleted, Huang Xiao Li tossed it at Yuan.

    ¡°What did you just do to me?¡± Yuan searched his body but didn¡¯t feel any different.

    Huang Xiao Li didn¡¯t say anything and withdrew a small dagger before shing it at him.

    Yuan subconsciously used his bare arm to block it since he was surprised by her sudden actions.

    However, the dagger didn¡¯t manage to cut his skin even though the de slid across his skin.

    ¡°I just cast a protective array on your body. You¡¯re pretty much untouchable by normal weapons and treasures to a certain extent now.¡±

    ¡°Wow¡­ You surprised me for a moment there¡­¡± Yuan sighed.

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    ¡°Anyways, that was amazing.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, but that was just the very basics. If you have any questions, I will be happy to answer them.¡± Huang Xiao Li said as they approached the bow of the ship.

    ¡°Was it difficult learning arrays? How would youpare it to learning a cultivation technique?¡±

    Huang Xiao Li smiled and said, ¡°Learning arrays is much more difficult than learning cultivation techniques, almost iparably so. If it takes the average mortal a year to be a Cultivator, then it would take the average Cultivator ten years to be an Array Master.¡±

    ¡°Do you want to try?¡± She suddenly asked.

    ¡°Eh? Try what?¡±

    ¡°Try learning arrays. Of course, you won¡¯t actually learn it in such a short time, but you¡¯ll get a feel for it.¡±

    After pondering for a moment, Yuan nodded, ¡°Let¡¯s do it.¡±

 Chapter 678: Learning About Arrays

    <h4>Chapter 678: Learning About Arrays</h4>

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s start with the array I just used on you.¡± Huang Xiao Li retrieved a manual and showed it to him.

    ¡°Body Shielding Array¡­¡± Yuan read the title of the manual.

    ¡°How does one learn arrays? Is it any different from learning cultivation techniques?¡± He then asked.

    ¡°Well, they¡¯re quite simr in some ways, but they are also very different. You will understand it once we begin.¡±

    ¡°Anyways, let¡¯s start.¡±

    ¡°First and foremost, you must learn how to create symbols with your hands. Allow me to demonstrate it.¡±

    Huang Xiao Li then raised her hand and began writing in the air with her index finger.

    There was a warm-looking light on the tip of her fingers, and everywhere it went, it would draw a line in the air, eventually creating a symbol that floated in the air.

    ¡°I don¡¯t expect you to draw a symbol on your first try, so you should just try drawing lines in the air like this.¡±

    She then waved her finger around, creating a long, glowing line in the air.

    ¡°In order to do this, you must collect your spiritual energy on your finger tip and imagine drawing in the air. Trust me, it¡¯s actually much harder than it sounds. Just mastering this technique alone requires months of practice.¡±

    ¡°Okay, let me try.¡±

    Yuan closed his eyes and gathered some of his spiritual energy onto his finger tip.

    He could immediately feel a subtle but warm feeling on his finger tip, and without opening his eyes, he waved his hand around like a music conductor while imagining lines would appear wherever his fingers moved.

    Huang Xiao Li¡¯s eyes widened with shock when she saw the glowing line that followed Yuan¡¯s finger in the air.

    The line was incredibly smooth and consistent, almost like it was created by an expert with countless years of experience.

    ¡®H-He actually managed to seed on his first try?!¡¯ She cried inwardly.

    Huang Xiao Li herself was considered to be a rare genius that hasn¡¯t been seen in over a thousand years, and it took her an entire month to draw in the air so perfectly.

    ¡°A-Are you sure this is your first time? I¡¯m having a hard time believing that you¡¯re a beginner with no experience,¡± she said to him.

    ¡°Eh? Yes, this is my first time. I didn¡¯t even know about Array Masters until very recently,¡± he nodded his head.

    ¡®He¡¯s not lying¡­¡¯ Huang Xiao Li thought to herself as she stared at Yuan in the eyes.

    Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    ¡®So a prodigy like him can exist in this world, huh¡­¡¯

    A slight smile appeared on her face.

    ¡°Anyways, let¡¯s move onto the second step since you can already draw perfectly.¡±

    ¡°Now for the hard part, you must learn to draw symbols andbine them into a single array. It¡¯s a process that cannot be exined due to itsplexity, but this should help you.¡±

    Huang Xiao Li retrieved two more manuals and handed them to Yuan.

    ¡°10,000 Array Symbols¡­ Guide to Combining Array Symbols¡­¡±

    Yuan read the title of these manuals out loud.

    ¡°There are actually more than 10,000 array symbols in existence, but these 10,000 symbols are the most basic and what beginners must remember first.¡±

    ¡°If you think about it, arrays resemble alchemy more than it does cultivation. In alchemy, you must remember the ingredients and learn the recipes to create pills. As an Array Master, you must memorize the array symbols and the arraybinations to create an array.¡±

    ¡°Most of the basic arrays require between fifty to one hundred symbols. Although that may seem like a lot, even amateur Array Masters can make over ten symbols in less than a second. After all, once you¡¯re experienced enough, you can create symbols without needing to draw it with your fingers, and you can just create them almost instantaneously like this.¡±

    Huang Xiao Li showed her palms and symbols quickly began appearing on it, almost as though they wereing out of thin air.

    ¡°At my level, I can create around four hundred symbols in a second. It¡¯s pretty good for someone my age, but I cannotpare to some of the true experts out there that can create thousands of symbols almost instantaneously.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­ Thank you for teaching me about arrays.¡± Yuan said.

    She smiled and said, ¡°Since I taught you about arrays, I am technically your Master now.¡±

    Yuan chuckled and bowed to her before speaking in a joking manner, ¡°This disciple greets Master.¡±

    ¡°Alright, I have seen enough of this side. Let¡¯s go check out the other side of the ship before we go back.¡± Huang Xiao Li said a momentter.

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    The two of them proceeded walking to the other side of the ship.

    Bang!

    The ship suddenly began shaking.

    ¡°It¡¯s a Sea Demon! Let¡¯s take a closer look!¡± Huang Xiao Li said with an excited face.

    ¡°Are you sure? That sounds dangerous¡­¡± Yuan said with a slightly worried frown on his face.

    She smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, there¡¯s a powerful formation protecting this ship, and Sea Demons cannot get within 250 meters of the ship, so even though the ship is shaking, it¡¯s not as though the ship is being physically attacked.¡±

    ¡°Follow me!¡±

    Huang Xiao Li began running through the ship, stopping a few momentster.

    ¡°Look out there!¡± She pointed to the sea.

    Yuan looked at where she was pointing, and sure enough, there was a battle urring about 250 meters away from the ship.

    There were seven Cultivators with a Spirit Lord cultivation out there currently battling against theserge and thick tentacles that were sticking out of the water.

    ¡°Judging by the size of those tentacles¡­ A medium-size Sea Demon, huh?¡± Huang Xiao Li mumbled.

    ¡°Oh! Look! There¡¯s Dong Zhou!¡± She pointed at the person hovering above the battle.

    Even though it looked like he wasn¡¯t part of the battle, he was actually supporting the others with his arrays by enhancing their defenses and boosting their strength, and from time to time, he would try to restrict the movements of the tentacles.

    ¡°So that¡¯s how an Array Master fights, huh?¡± Yuan mumbled as he watched their battle from afar.

 Chapter 679: Incoming Sea Demon

    <h4>Chapter 679: Iing Sea Demon</h4>

    ¡°There are many ways an Array Master can fight. They can support the others like Dong Zhou is doing right now, or they can fight in the frontline by themselves. It all depends on what they prefer and how confident they are in their own arrays.¡±

    ¡°Some Array Masters may prefer supporting because they are not confident in their ability to fight, but that is not to say they don¡¯t have the capabilities to do so.¡± Huang Xiao Li exined to him.

    Bang!

    The ship shook again when one of the tentacles struck the barrier protecting the ship.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t notice the formation until you told me. How can you tell there¡¯s one?¡± Yuan then asked.

    ¡°Formations can be spotted quite easily if you know what you¡¯re looking for. Unless the formation is concealed with another formation, you should be able to see it with your divine sense.¡±

    ¡°With my divine sense?¡± Yuan immediately tried looking with his divine sense, and sure enough, there was a massive barrier around the ship that seems to be made of symbols¡ª tens of thousands of symbols that connect with each other.

    ¡°You probably think there¡¯s only a few thousand symbols in this formation, right? Look at the symbols individually again. Each of these symbols are actuallybinations of smaller symbols, so there are millions if not billions of symbols that make up this formation.¡±

    ¡°Heavens¡­ How long would it take to create this formation?¡± Yuan asked after a moment of silence.

    ¡°Hmmm¡­ It really depends on theplexity of the formation and the ability of those Formation Experts that worked on it. A formation of this size andplexity probably took years if not decades of efforts from hundreds of Formation Experts toplete.¡±

    ¡°That long?!¡± Yuan was shocked.

    ¡°Of course. Formations often require millions of symbols, and a single mistake can cause the whole formation to crumble. Unlike arrays that don¡¯t need as much attention since they require much fewer symbols, so even if you make a mistake, you can quickly fix it.¡±

    ¡°Furthermore, arrays are meant to be used very quickly and do not havesting effects. Formations, on the other hand, are often made tost for as long as possible. There are plenty of formations out there that havested for even millions of years.¡±

    ¡°How does one be a Formation Expert? Is it the same as bing an Array Master?¡± Yuan asked.

    ¡°In a way, yes. However, most people be Array Masters before they be Formation Experts. Although formation requires symbols, formations have their own unique symbols while arrays have their own distinctive symbols. That¡¯s what really separates us apart from beingpletely the same thing. The basics are the same, but everything else is different.¡±

    ¡°I understand now. Thank you for the lecture.¡± Yuan said.

    The Sea Demon was subdued shortly after their conversation ended.

    ¡°Hm? Young Lady, what are you doing out here?¡± Dong Zhou noticed them when he made his way back to the ship.

    ¡°It¡¯s suffocating to stay in the same room for many days, so I came out for some fresh air,¡± she said.

    Dong Zhou nodded and said, ¡°Anyways, you should return to your room soon. The captain said we might encounter arge-size Sea Demon soon since we¡¯re getting closer to the Giant¡¯s Continent.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just arge-size Sea Demon. It won¡¯t be the first time we encounter them.¡±

    ¡°No, this time is different. I¡¯m not sure what to expect since we¡¯ve never had a reading like this one before, but the captain said to expect the worst.¡±

    ¡°Reading?¡± Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    ¡°Yes, we have a treasure that allows us to detect nearby Sea Demons and those that show aggression towards us. The radar picked up the aura of arge Sea Demon that¡¯s currently approaching our direction, but we¡¯ve never seen such a reading of spiritual energy before.¡±

    ¡°How long before this Sea Demon reaches us?¡± Yuan asked with a worried frown, as he was certain that this Sea Demon was the real trial.

    ¡°At the speed it¡¯s moving, it should collide with us in two days.¡± Dong Zhou said.

    ¡°Two days¡­¡± Yuan mumbled to himself.

    Dong Zhou left the scene shortly after.

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    ¡°Are you worried about this Sea Demon?¡± Huang Xiao Li could see it very clearly on Yuan¡¯s face.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°No matter what we encounter, I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll be able to ovee it,¡± she smiled.

    ¡°I sure hope so.¡±

    They returned to the room after finishing up their tour around the ship.

    ¡°Wee back.¡± Qin Kai said to them when they returned.

    Yuan looked at his recement and said, ¡°Thank you for taking over. I will take care of the rest.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    The bodyguard didn¡¯t say anything else and returned to his room.

    ¡°I feel safe knowing that you¡¯re here, Yuan.¡± Huang Xiao Li said to him with a gentle smile before entering the room.

    ¡°I think she has a thing for you.¡± Qin Kai said to him afterward.

    Yuan merely shook his head and ignored it.

    He then sat down and retrieved the manuals that Huang Xiao Li had given him and started studying them.

    He started with reading through ¡®Guide to Combining Array Symbols¡¯ to memorizing all of the symbols in ¡®10,000 Array Symbols¡¯.

    Meanwhile, in the spectators¡¯ room.

    ¡°The Young Master is learning arrays now? How many cultivation paths does he n on walking? Isn¡¯t it bad to spread your focus to so many different things at once?¡± Feng Yuxiang mumbled in a dumbfounded voice.

    ¡°Brother Yuan is not your average genius.¡± Xiao Hua said.

    ¡°I am well aware of that, but he¡¯ll grow much faster if he focuses on one thing.¡±

    Chu Liuxiang then said, ¡°Well, there¡¯s no harm in picking up different hobbies. It¡¯s easy to get bored of doing the same thing over and over again. The real question is whether he truly invests himself into this new hobby or not. He might even get bored of it after a while.¡±

    ¡°Brother Yuan will probably master whatever he¡¯s interested in very quickly and move onto the next path.¡± Xiao Hua said.

    ¡°Honestly, whenever the Young Master does something new, it feels more like he already has experience doing them but just forgot about it. I know that sounds impossible, but it¡¯s how it feels sometimes.¡± Feng Yuxiang shrugged.

    After a moment of silence, Xiao Hua mumbled in a low voice, ¡°If reincarnation is real, that won¡¯t sound as impossible¡­¡±

 Chapter 680: Sea Demon Identified

    <h4>Chapter 680: Sea Demon Identified</h4>

    ¡°Reincarnation? Do you believe the Young Master is the reincarnation of a powerful immortal in the past? Do you even believe in the concept of reincarnation at all?¡± Feng Yuxiang looked at Xiao Hua with raised eyebrows.

    Xiao Hua didn¡¯t appear to be the type to believe in these kinds of things.

    After a moment of silence, Xiao Hua spoke, ¡°Although Xiao Hua doesn¡¯t necessarily believe in reincarnation, her family believes in it.¡±

    ¡°Your family? I have been wondering for a while now, but what kind of family do you have?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    As Feng Yuxiang expected, Xiao Hua refused to say anything about her family.

    ¡°Whatever. Not that I really care. Anyways, if the Young Master is really the reincarnation of a powerful expert, I believe it. After all, I am a phoenix¡ª I symbolize reincarnation itself.¡±

    Chu Liuxiang listened to their conversation with raised eyebrows.

    Although she doesn¡¯t believe in reincarnation, she found the topic to be quite interesting.

    This was also the case for Min Li.

    ¡°Let¡¯s say Yuan is the reincarnation of someone else¡­ Is there a way to test that?¡± Chu Liuxiang suddenly asked.

    ¡°There are many mythical treasures in the world of cultivation, right? Surely, there must be a treasure that can tell whether someone is reincarnated or not.¡±

    Feng Yuxiang pondered for a moment before speaking, ¡°Actually, there¡¯s one. However, it¡¯s only a legend.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s called the Mirror of Samsara. Legend has it that anyone that stands in front of this mirror will have their past lives revealed by the mirror.¡±

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    ¡°It¡¯s only a legend? From my experience, all legends turn out to be just that¡ª legends¡­¡± Chu Liuxiang sighed.

    ¡°Actually, the Mirror of Samsara really exists. The legend is that it can tell one¡¯s past lives.¡± Feng Yuxiang said.

    ¡°If the treasure exists, why does this legend still exist?¡±

    ¡°Probably because nobody can confirm it. The Mirror of Samsara is being kept by a powerful collector who doesn¡¯t allow anyone near his treasures, so even though the treasure exists, it¡¯s not essible, hence the legend.¡±

    ¡°The collector is probably doing it on purpose to keep the treasure rarer than its actual value, so when it¡¯s time to sell the treasure, it¡¯ll earn much more money. It¡¯s a prettymon tactic for collectors.¡± Chu Liuxiang shrugged.

    ¡°You seem to know a lot about this topic. Are you also a collector?¡± Feng Yuxiang asked.

    ¡°No, but my family is.¡±

    After a moment of silence, Chu Liuxiang asked, ¡°Let¡¯s hypothetically say that Yuan is reincarnated. What will you all do?¡±

    Feng Yuxiang smiled and said, ¡°Nothing. Once someone dies, their identity and everything else dies with them, so even if the Young Master is reincarnated, it won¡¯t affect him or change who he currently is.¡±

    Xiao Hua nodded, ¡°Brother Yuan is Brother Yuan no matter who he was in his previous life.¡±

    ¡°Is that so¡­¡±

    They returned to watching the pond shortly after.

    The following day, Yuan opened his eyes when there was another announcement in the ship.

    ¡°This is an emergency! I repeat, this is an emergency! There is currently arge-size Sea Demon heading towards our direction, and it is very likely that it¡¯s a Leviathan! We will need the cooperation of everyone on the ship if it really turns out to be a Leviathan! Please prepare yourselves!¡±

    Everybody on the ship began to freak out after they heard the announcement.

    ¡°A Leviathan ising?! How can we possibly fight that monster?!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re dead! We¡¯re all dead!¡±

    ¡°Fuck¡­ I think I jinxed it for us¡­¡± Qin Kai rubbed his temples in a stressful manner.

    ¡°They said it might be a Leviathan. It¡¯s not confirmed yet.¡± Yuan said.

    ¡°I know, but there¡¯s a good chance that it¡¯s a Leviathan.¡±

    ¡°How powerful is a Leviathan?¡±

    ¡°Most of them are as powerful as a mid-level to peak-level Spirit King. Some of them even have the prowess of a low-level Spirit Emperor. We might barely survive an ordinary Spirit King, but if it has the strength of a Spirit Emperor, we¡¯re all guaranteed to die.¡± Qin Kai sighed.

    ¡°Do we have any Spirit Kings onboard?¡±

    ¡°There is always one or two of them aboard, but even then, we might not defeat a Leviathan. Sea Demons are just like magical beasts in the sense that they¡¯re much more powerful than humans that are at the same level.¡±

    ¡°Strength of a Spirit Emperor¡­¡± Yuan muttered in a low voice.

    Compared to hisst trial, this second trial is definitely more difficult.

    Unfortunately, the only thing they can do now is wait and see what thisrge-size Sea Demon really is.

    After another day of anxious waiting and without anyone getting a good sleep, if any at all, the announcement returned, ¡°We have identified the Sea Demon approaching us! It¡¯s¡ª It¡¯s a Leviathan!¡±

    This announcement brought many people on the ship to tears, as their worst nightmares havee true.

    However, there was still more to be announced, and it only made people feel more despair.

    ¡°Furthermore, it¡¯s not an ordinary Leviathan! It¡¯s a mutated Leviathan¡ª a Flying Leviathan!¡±

    ¡°WHAT?! A FLYING LEVIATHAN?!¡± Qin Kai eximed in a shocked voice.

    Seeing Qin Kai¡¯s reaction, Yuan could only swallow nervously.

    ¡°The Flying Leviathan will arrive in two hours! We need all Cultivators on the deck now!¡±

    The announcement ended there.

    A moment of silence filled the ship, but when that silence ended, chaos erupted, and Yuan could hear screaming and cryinging from every room there.

    ¡°Let me guess¡­ a Flying Leviathan has the strength of a low-level Spirit Emperor.¡± Yuan asked Qin Kai, who slowly nodded his head.

    ¡°Unfortunately, that¡¯s not all there is to it. There are many different species when ites to Leviathans, and the Flying Leviathan is one of the most dangerous types, as they can leave the water and fly around in the sky like a dragon¡­¡± Qin Kai continued.

    Yuan closed his eyes and released a deep sigh.

    ¡°Flying or not¡­ I will not let it stop us from reaching the Giant¡¯s Continent.¡±

 Chapter 681: I Wonâ€™t Let You Die

    <h4>Chapter 681: I Won¡¯t Let You Die</h4>

    The Huang Family gathered Yuan and the other bodyguards shortly after the announcement regarding the Flying Leviathan.

    ¡°As you should all know by now, there is a Flying Leviathan heading our way. This is a life-or-death situation for everyone on the ship, so we¡¯ll need to give it our all to defeat the Flying Leviathan together.¡± Huang Chen said to them.

    Everyone there nodded their heads with serious expressions on their faces.

    ¡°Anyways, let¡¯s all head to the deck and see what the captain of this ship has to say to us.¡±

    ¡°Wait.¡± Yuan suddenly stopped them.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I need to prepare myself for the Flying Leviathan, so if you don¡¯t mind, I will stay behind.¡± Yuan said to them.

    Huang Chen nodded, ¡°You¡¯ll have two hours to prepare until the Flying Leviathan arrives. Do your best.¡±

    ¡°Father, I will stay here with him.¡± Huang Xiao Li suddenly said.

    Huang Chen raised his eyebrows and pondered for a moment before looking at Yuan. ¡°Do you mind?¡±

    Although he wasn¡¯t sure why his daughter wanted to stay here with Yuan, he didn¡¯t object to it either.

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡± Yuan shook his head.

    Everyone but Yuan and Huang Xiao Li gathered at the deck of the ship shortly after.

    ¡°Do you mind if I use your room?¡± Yuan asked Huang Xiao Li when they were alone.

    ¡°No, go ahead. I was going to ask you toe with me, anyway.¡±

    ¡°Are you trying to go somewhere?¡±

    ¡°Not exactly.¡±

    Once they entered the room, Huang Xiao Li locked the door behind her.

    ¡°I am going to cultivate now.¡± Yuan said as he looked around for a ce to sit.

    However, he suddenly heard something falling onto the ground.

    It was a gentle sound, so whatever dropped just now was light and soft.

    Yuan turned around to make sure everything was okay, and his eyes widened with shock when he saw the scene.

    ¡°X-Xiao Li¡­? What are you doing?¡± Yuan asked her, who had suddenly stripped naked.

    Indeed, what had just dropped onto the floor just now were Huang Xiao Li¡¯s clothes.

    ¡°Yuan¡­¡± Tears began flowing down Huang Xiao Li¡¯s face as she spoke, ¡°I don¡¯t want to die alone¡­ Before we die¡­ can you make love to me?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Yuan didn¡¯t know how to respond and silently stared at her crying face.

    ¡°T-That vixen! What is she trying to do to my darling with my face?!¡± Inside the spectators¡¯ room, Chu Liuxiang became livid when she saw what was happening through the pond.

    Even Feng Yuxiang and Min Li were dumbfounded by the situation, as they could¡¯ve never imagined that such a thing would happen during the trial.

    As for Xiao Hua, she couldn¡¯tprehend the situation, hence why she was still rtively calm, only feeling mildly puzzled.

    Meanwhile, back in the room, Huang Xiao Li continued with her advances on Yuan.

    ¡°Please, Yuan¡­ Even though I am a little desperate, I won¡¯t do this just with anyone¡­ In fact, my body is still pure¡­¡±

    Huang Xiao Li slowly approached Yuan before spreading her slender arms and embracing him.

    ¡°Let¡¯s make love to each other while we still can, until we die, okay¡­?¡± She whispered to his ears in a painful voice.

    Yuan closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

    He opened his arms and hugged Huang Xiao Li back.

    ¡°Is he really going to do it with her?! But she has my face!¡± Chu Liuxiang felt the urge to cry when she imagined Yuan sleeping with Huang Xiao Li.

    However, it was not because he¡¯s sleeping with another woman. It was the fact that Huang Xiao Li had her face that devastated Chu Liuxiang.

    ¡°Thank you¡­ Yuan¡­¡± Huang Xiao Li said to him.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I cannot fulfill your request.¡± Yuan suddenly said, dumbfounding her.

    ¡°Eh?¡± She looked at him with her eyes as wide as saucers.

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    Yuan stared at her in the eyes and said, ¡°You won¡¯t die alone¡­ because I won¡¯t let you die today.¡±

    ¡°B-B-But it¡¯s a Flying Leviathan! There¡¯s no way we could defeat that monster! Nobody has survived a Leviathan¡¯s attack before, much less a Flying Leviathan! It¡¯s impossible!¡±

    ¡°Trust me, I will defeat it.¡± Yuan said before picking up Huang Xiao Li¡¯s clothes and handing them back to her.

    Huang Xiao Li silently looked at her clothes for a long moment before lifting her head to look at Yuan.

    She eventually nodded and said, ¡°If I die alone, I will haunt you in your next life so that you will never be able to find a partner, Yuan.¡±

    Yuan¡¯s body trembled when he heard her words that reminded him of Azure.

    ¡°I promise.¡± He smiled.

    He then took a seat on the ground before retrieving a small box from his spatial ring.

    After putting her clothes back on, Huang Xiao Li asked him, ¡°What is that? How is that going to prepare you for the battle?¡±

    Yuan opened the box, revealing a crystal inside.

    ¡°Is that a monster core? You¡¯re going to cultivate that right now? It¡¯s going to take days depending on what kind of monster core it is! We only have two hours before the Flying Leviathan arrives¡ª less than that, actually!¡±

    Yuan smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s not a monster core, and it won¡¯t take days.¡±

    He opened his mouth and tossed the crystal inside the next moment.

    ¡°Wha¡ª?!¡± Huang Xiao Li was shocked by Yuan¡¯s actions.

    ¡®Wait¡­ Since it¡¯s not a monster core, it should be fine¡­¡¯ She quickly calmed down.

    Yuan could immediately feel the crystal melting in his mouth, and a bitter and somewhat spicy taste quickly followed.

    [??? Qi has been absorbed from the Demon Core!]

    [You have absorbed enough Qi for a breakthrough!]

    [You have reached the sixth level Spirit Grandmaster!]

    [+30,000 Stats]

    ¡®An immediate breakthrough?!¡¯ Huang Xiao Li cried inwardly when she sensed his breakthrough.

    However, that was not the end of her shock, as Yuan¡¯s cultivation base continued to quickly soar towards Spirit Lord!

    ¡°What did he just swallow?¡± Chu Liuxiang asked out of curiosity.

    ¡°That¡¯s the Demon Lord¡¯s Demon Core¡­¡± Lan Yingying responded to her question in a dazed voice.

 Chapter 682: Spirit Lord

    <h4>Chapter 682: Spirit Lord</h4>

    ¡°D-Did you just say ¡®demon core¡¯¡­?¡± Min Li snapped her head to look at Lan Yingying with a shocked face.

    Demons should be extinct, so demon cores should no longer exist. However, if some of them have managed to survive this long, then it would be an incredibly valuable¡ª even priceless treasure!

    However, that wasn¡¯t even the most shocking part! Why would Yuan consume something like that? Although she doesn¡¯t know the difference between demon cores and monster cores, they should function the same way, meaning it would be reckless if not suicidal to swallow them!

    ¡°Wait¡­ Are people allowed to use treasures while they are challenging the Stairway to Heaven? Isn¡¯t that cheating?¡± Chu Liuxiang had a different question in mind.

    Feng Yuxiang shook her head and said, ¡°As far as I¡¯m aware, it¡¯s not against the rules, or the Young Master would¡¯ve failed already. I guess it¡¯s allowed because the Stairway to Heaven didn¡¯t take into consideration that someone might be able to consume treasures like the Young Master.¡±

    It was at this moment that Meixiu logged into the game.

    ¡°Did something happen?¡± She asked them when she saw their faces.

    Chu Liuxiang proceeded to exin to her the situation.

    Meanwhile, Yuan had just reached the ninth level of Spirit Grandmaster and was only a single level away from bing a Spirit Lord!

    ¡°Heavens¡­¡± Huang Xiao Li was sitting on the floor because her legs had given up on her after she witnessed Yuan¡¯s heaven-defying talents.

    After stopping at the peak of Spirit Grandmaster for a few minutes, Yuan suddenly took a deep breath, and when he released it, a cloud of glistening mist woulde out of his mouth, almost like he was smoking.

    Whoosh!

    A sudden gust appeared in the room despite the windows being closed.

    [You have absorbed enough Qi for a breakthrough!]

    [Because your Qi Experience is already full, you will not be able to receive anymore Qi until you reach the next realm]

    [You have met the requirements for a breakthrough]

    [You have reached first level Spirit Lord]

    [+??? Stats]

    [Your ¡®Superior Senses¡¯ has developed into ¡®Spiritual Senses¡¯]

    [You have absorbed enough Qi for a breakthrough!]

    [You have reached second level Spirit Lord!]

    [+??? Stats!]

    Yuan opened his eyes after he reached the second level Spirit Lord, as he¡¯dpletely absorbed the demon core at that point.

    He stood up and stretched his body, feeling incredibly refreshed and filled with energy.

    ¡°A-Are you okay¡­?¡± Huang Xiao Li asked him in a nervous voice.

    Normally, one would experience bacshes if their cultivation base expands so quickly.

    ¡°I am perfectly fine,¡± he said with a calm smile on his face.

    ¡°And I am also ready to fight the Flying Leviathan.¡±

    ¡°B-But the Flying Leviathan has the strength of a low-level Spirit Emperor¡­ You¡¯re still two entire realms below that¡­¡± Huang Xiao Li said in a low voice.

    ¡°I will manage it somehow. Let¡¯s go meet up with the others now, shall we?¡±

    She nodded.

    The two of them proceeded to make their way to the deck of the ship, where every single cultivator onboard was gathered.

    ¡°Y-You¡­ You have been suppressing your cultivation base this entire time? I thought it was insane how a Spirit Grandmaster could defeat Spirit Lords with ease! It turns out you¡¯d been a Spirit Lord yourself this entire time!¡± Qin Kai was dumbfounded to see Yuan suddenly emitting the aura of a Spirit Lord.

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    Yuan didn¡¯t say anything and merely smiled at his words.

    Seeing that he wasn¡¯t saying anything, Huang Xiao Li also decided to keep her mouth shut. They wouldn¡¯t believe her even if she told them the truth, anyway.

    ¡°How long until the Flying Leviathan arrives?¡± Yuan asked them.

    ¡°It will arrive in about fifteen minutes,¡± said Huang Chen.

    ¡°I see¡­¡±

    While they waited, Yuan decided to check his stats since it has been awhile.

    However, what he saw immediately left him dumbfounded.

    ¡ª

    Cultivation: Second Level Spirit Lord

    Legacy: Great One¡¯s Legacy

    Bloodline: Immortal Monarch Bloodline

    Physique: Heaven Refining Physique

    Physical Strength: ???

    Mental Strength: ???

    Soul Strength: ???

    Physical Defense: ???

    Mental Defense: ???

    Qi Experience: ???/???

    ¡°I can¡¯t see my stats? Are they too high? Maybe I am advancing much faster than the game anticipated¡­¡±

    It wasn¡¯t his first time seeing these question marks since his Qi Experience has been bugged out after bing a Spirit Grandmaster. Now that he has be a Spirit Lord, even his character stats have been bugged out.

    However, Yuan wasn¡¯t worried at all. After all, it wasn¡¯t as if his stats were gone. It¡¯s just so high that even the system cannot keep up with it.

    After waiting anxiously for the Flying Leviathan, the captain¡¯s voice suddenly returned.

    ¡°The Flying Leviathan is here! Prepare for battle!¡±

    Right after the captain¡¯s voice disappeared, Yuan and everyone on the ship could feel a powerful aura suddenly appear in the distance.

    This aura was so intense that it instantly knocked those with a weak mental defense unconscious.

    Yuan could feel his entire body shivering from fear, but his blood was boiling with excitement for some reason.

    ¡°Are we all ready?¡± Huang Chen asked them.

    Everybody there nodded.

    ¡°Please wait a moment.¡± Yuan suddenly said.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    They looked at him.

    ¡°I would like to apologize,¡± he said.

    ¡°Why are you apologizing?¡± Huang Xiao Li raised her eyebrows in a puzzled manner.

    Yuan didn¡¯t say anything else and began drawing array symbols with his hand, and before anybody there could react, he activated the array he¡¯d created in less than a second, confining the Huang Family and the bodyguards they hired in a powerful barrier.

    ¡°W-What is the meaning of this?!¡± Huang Chen roared in a furious voice when he thought that Yuan had betrayed them.

    ¡°Yuan! Why are you doing this?!¡± Huang Xiao Li also questioned him.

    Yuan took a deep breath before speaking, ¡°You hired me to keep your family safe, and that is what I intend on doing.¡±

    ¡°What about us?! We¡¯re also hired to protect them! We should be fighting alongside you!¡± Qin Kai said to him.

    Yuan shook his head and said in a calm voice, ¡°Because this isn¡¯t your trial¡ª it¡¯s my trial.¡±

 Chapter 683: Flying Leviathan

    <h4>Chapter 683: Flying Leviathan</h4>

    ¡°Please! Yuan! You don¡¯t have to do this alone!¡± Huang Xiao Li banged on the barrier with her fists.

    However, Yuan merely shook his head at her before flying off the ship and towards the Flying Leviathan¡¯s aura with the other cultivators, leaving pretty much just the Huang Family and their bodyguards onboard.

    Of course, the mortals and those that cannot fight also remained on the ship while everyone else went to greet the Flying Leviathan far away from the ship so their fight won¡¯t affect the ship and those onboard.

    After Yuan left, Huang Xiao Li immediately began trying to destroy the array created by Yuan, but to her absolute shock, she was unable to find any weaknesses in the array, making it incredibly difficult to break!

    ¡®How is he already this proficient with arrays?! He only learned the basics a few days ago! I have studied arrays under my father for over 20 years, yet I cannot defeat an array created by aplete newbie that learned arrays just a few days ago?! Impossible!¡¯

    ¡°Father! Why are you just standing there? Hurry up and break this array so that we can help him!¡± Huang Xiao Li turned to her father for help, as she was confident that he had the ability to break the array.

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    However, Huang Chen remained standing there without moving a muscle, his gaze silently staring in the direction that Yuan went.

    He closed his eyes and sighed, ¡°The young man has already made his decision. I cannot go against it.¡±

    ¡°What?! That¡¯s nonsense! He¡¯s going to die if we leave him alone!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯s already prepared himself for that. Let¡¯s not disrespect his resolution.¡±

    He then looked at the array surrounding them and smiled, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that he would also be an Array Master. He¡¯s very good at it, too. Perhaps even better than you, Xiao Li. He must have trained very hard for many years to achieve this result.¡±

    Huang Xiao Li frowned and said, ¡°He only learned about arrays two days ago.¡±

    ¡°What did you just say?¡± Huang Chen turned to look at her with his eyes as wide as saucers.

    ¡°He didn¡¯t even know about arrays until two days ago. That was also when I taught him the basics of arrays. And in that short amount of time, he¡¯s managed to surpass me when ites to low-level arrays.¡± She recalled.

    ¡°T-That¡¯s absurd! How can someone be an Array Master from aplete beginner in just two short days? I don¡¯t believe it!¡± Huang Chen eximed.

    Huang Xiao Li shrugged and said, ¡°You also wouldn¡¯t believe what I witnessed in the room before we came here. Yuan¡­ He¡¯s a cultivation genius¡ª monster¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why I cannot bear to see him die. It would be a major loss to the cultivation world,¡± she sighed.

    After a moment of silence, Huang Chen also sighed, ¡°Even then, the young man has made a decision, and I will respect it.¡±

    Meanwhile, a few hundred meters away from the ship, Yuan and about a hundred other cultivators anxiously waited for the Flying Leviathan to show up.

    After waiting for a few minutes, they could finally see a figure in the distance that was quickly approaching them.

    This figure started out as a small dot, but it grew very quickly until the cultivators could see very clearly what they were up against.

    The Flying Leviathan¡¯s massive body was around 50 meters in diameter and hundreds of meters in length. Its long body was covered in blue scales that looked slightly green when shone by the sunlight.

    However, its most distinctive feature was the massive wings on its back that created powerful waves with every p.

    The cultivators could feel themselves getting pushed back by the wind created by the Flying Leviathan despite being miles away.

    *ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAR*

    The Flying Leviathan released a deafening roar filled with excitement when it saw the cultivators, sending shivers down their backs.

    ¡°Fuck! We¡¯re going to fight that monster?! There¡¯s no way we can defeat that!¡±

    ¡°Stay focused! We won¡¯t defeat it if you give up before the fight even starts!¡±

    ¡°If you give up without a fight, you¡¯ll definitely die! If you fight, there¡¯s still a chance that you¡¯ll survive!¡±

    Many of the cultivators there have already lost their will to fight just by looking at the Flying Leviathan and feeling its immense aura that only got stronger as it got closer.

    Yuan withdrew the Empyrean Overlord and the Starry Abyss and tried his best to clear his mind, but it wasn¡¯t easy with all of the screaming and loud noises there.

    Once the Flying Leviathan was close enough, Yuan created a few more arrays that he¡¯d learned from the book Huang Xiao Li had given him and applied them to himself.

    These arrays boosted his defense, strength, and all of his other senses.

    With the help of these arrays, his actual prowess rose to another level if not a few levels.

    ¡°The Flying Leviathan is here!¡±

    The cultivators there began rushing at the Flying Leviathan when it got close enough, and all of them began using all of their treasures to suppress it.

    However, the Flying Leviathan¡¯s scales were incredibly durable, allowing it to defend and even deflect most of the cultivators¡¯ attack.

    As for Yuan¡¯s attacks¡­

    *ROOOOOOOOOOOAR*

    The Flying Leviathan suddenly released a painful cry when it felt something sharp pierce the scales it was very proud and confident in.

    It immediately began looking for the cause of such pain, and it quickly spotted Yuan, who was near the end of its tail and swinging hisrge sword that was prating all of its defenses as though they didn¡¯t exist.

    Enraged, the Flying Leviathan ignored the other cultivators and began focusing on Yuan.

    It suddenly opened itsrge mouth and spat out a jet stream of water that flew at Yuan like a bullet¡ª a veryrge bullet that could easily copse an entire skyscraper.

    ¡°Watch out!¡±

    The cultivators there called out to Yuan, who immediately ced his sword in front of him to block it, as the ball of water was toorge for him to dodge properly.

 Chapter 684: Fighting the Flying Leviathan

    <h4>Chapter 684: Fighting the Flying Leviathan</h4>

    Bang!

    Yuan was sent flying after he tried to block the Flying Leviathan¡¯s attack.

    ¡°Fuck! He¡¯s a goner!¡± The cultivators there immediately thought Yuan had died from that attack and returned to fighting the Flying Leviathan without checking his condition.

    After all, there was no way that a low-level Spirit Lord like him could survive a low-level Spirit Emperor¡¯s attack head-on and survive.

    After flying for almost three miles from the impact, Yuan finally managed to stop himself.

    ¡°Whoa¡­¡± He released a sigh of relief when he realized that he was still alive.

    In fact, besides feeling a little numb in his arms, he didn¡¯t really feel any pain from the attack just now.

    ¡°With the Invisible Dragon Cloak that doubles my defenses alongside my defensive arrays, I can survive even a Spirit Emperor¡¯s attack as long as I don¡¯t tank it with my bare body¡­ Furthermore, I can injure the Flying Leviathan with my Sword Aura¡­ I can do it! I can defeat this Flying Leviathan!¡±

    A bright smile appeared on Yuan¡¯s face when he realized that he could win this fight, and he immediately began flying back to the battlefield.

    However, he stopped moving when he suddenly thought of something.

    ¡®Wait a moment¡­ The Flying Leviathan should be upied and distracted by the other cultivators right now. I can probably use this chance to deal some serious damage to the Flying Leviathan¡­¡¯

    Unfortunately, he was distracted by a powerful pressure before he coulde up with a n.

    ¡°What the?!¡±

    A massive fish suddenly leaped out of the water and at Yuan with its mouth wide open.

    He quickly reacted by controlling the Starry Abyss, boring a hole in the fish before it could reach him.

    ¡®I was so distracted by the Flying Leviathan that I forgot other Sea Demons exist in this water¡­¡¯ He sighed.

    However, shortly after Yuan killed the Sea Demon, another random Sea Demon leaped out of the water to attack him.

    ¡°Just how many Sea Demons are there?!¡±

    He decided to use his divine sense to look under the water, but he immediately regretted that action.

    What he saw inside the water was true horror, where hundreds of powerful Sea Demons were swimming around, and he was only able to see about 50 meters deep due to some mysterious force that prevented him from looking any deeper than that.

    After shivering away his fear, Yuan quickly flew higher towards the sky.

    However, no matter how high he flew, the Sea Demons were somehow able to barely reach him just by leaping out of the water.

    Yuan eventually gave up trying to linger around and continued flying back to the Flying Leviathan.

    Once he could see the Flying Leviathan again, Yuan began gathering spiritual energy inside the Empyrean Overlord.

    The Flying Leviathan that had been fighting the other cultivators suddenly stopped moving when it noticed the reappearance of Yuan¡¯s aura when he was about half a mile away from it, and it immediately began flying towards him again.

    Seeing that the Flying Leviathan had noticed him, Yuan gathered as much spiritual energy as he could before releasing the Heaven Splitting Sword Strike at it.

    The Flying Leviathan opened its mouth and shot out another water bullet at Yuan.

    Bang!

    The Heaven Splitting Sword Strike and the water bullet collided, creating a powerful st that swept the ce with spiritual energy, creating a massive wave that nearly consumed the cultivators there.

    ¡°Holy sh*t, he¡¯s still alive!¡±

    ¡°And he nearly killed us just now!¡±

    ¡°Hey! It appears that the young man can fight the Flying Leviathan by himself! If that¡¯s the case, there¡¯s no point for us to stay here! We¡¯ll only get caught up in their fight like we almost did just now!¡±

    The cultivators there began flying back to the ship when they realized that Yuan was powerful enough to fight the Flying Leviathan by himself.

    Of course, their decision was influenced by the Stairway to Heaven, as they weren¡¯t truly meant to fight the Flying Leviathan.

    After all, this was Yuan¡¯s trial. The others are only there to set the atmosphere for him.

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    ¡°What the?! They¡¯re leaving me alone to fight the Flying Leviathan by myself?!¡±

    However, Yuan was left dumbfounded when he saw the cultivators returning to the ship, leaving him out here alone with a low-level Spirit Emperor Sea Demon.

    Even though he knew he shouldn¡¯t me them, it was still a bitter feeling to see them abandon him.

    ¡°Whatever! This is my trial! I shouldn¡¯t have expected any help in the first ce!¡±

    Yuan quickly cleared his mind and focused on the Flying Leviathan again.

    ¡°Come at me, you stupid flying snake! Let¡¯s get this over with so that I can move onto my next trial!¡± Yuan tightened his grip on the Empyrean Overlord before flying at the monster.

    ¡°Heavenly Domain!¡±

    Yuan tried to use the Heavenly Domain on the Flying Leviathan, but its body was too big for it to be effective, so he quickly gave up on that and decided to just attack it until he defeated it.

    Despite itsrge frame and threatening presence, the Flying Leviathan didn¡¯t have any crazy attacks that could threaten Yuan¡¯s life, and Yuan realized this after flying around for a few minutes to see if it had any special attacks that he hasn¡¯t seen yet.

    Furthermore, because of its massive size, it was not very agile when attacking, allowing Yuan to easily dodge most of its attacks as long as he paid attention.

    The only thing he really had to worry about was the water bullet, but even that attack is easily recognizable.

    And for the next few minutes, Yuan would fly around the Flying Leviathan in a way that made it hard for the Flying Leviathan to attack him while sending his own attacks at it whenever he could.

    In just a couple of minutes, the Flying Leviathan¡¯s body was covered in small andrge wounds created by Yuan¡¯s sword and dagger.

    Therger and deeper wounds were done by his sword that was strengthened by Sword Aura while the shallower wounds were created by the Starry Abyss.

    Although his dagger didn¡¯t cause the Flying Leviathan as much pain as his sword, it actually created more wounds on its body due to its invisibility and the fact that it could be controlled by just Yuan¡¯s thoughts.

    Eventually, the Flying Leviathan began slowing down due to losing too much blood.

    Yuan took advantage of this by bing more aggressive towards it.

    Half an hourter, the Flying Leviathan¡¯s movements had slowed down by so much that Yuan could no longer feel any threat from it.

    However, he didn¡¯t let his guard down and continued to wear down the Flying Leviathan until it was on the verge of death.

    The Flying Leviathan eventually realized the fact that it was slowly being defeated by a human cultivator that was two realms below it, and it released its loudest roar yet.

    Yuan prepared himself for the unknown, but to his surprise, the Flying Leviathan began moving towards the water.

    ¡°It wants to escape?!¡±

    He immediately began chasing after it.

    He didn¡¯t want the Flying Leviathan to return for revenge after it recovered its strength, so he has to defeat it now.

    Yuan¡¯s body suddenly erupted with a domineering aura that was so sharp that it split the water around him.

    ¡°Vanishing Ghost¡¯s Soundless de!¡±

    A powerful sword light flew towards the escaping Flying Leviathan without making even the slightest noise until it reached the Flying Leviathan, slicing its steel-like scales as though it was butter before cutting into its skin and meat.

    Sha!

    The Flying Leviathan was cut in half, but the sword strike didn¡¯t stop and continued until it reached the water, also splitting the sea in half.

    The people watching from the ship were shocked speechless after witnessing the whole act.

    They have never seen someone single-handedly defeat a Flying Leviathan before, much less force it to run for its life.

    From the beginning to end, Yuan was pretty much bullying the Flying Leviathan to its slow but inevitable death.

    Yuan did not immediately celebrate his victory and silently watched the Flying Leviathan¡¯s body sink deeper and deeper into the sea until he could no longer see it with his divine sense.

    There was also arge area of the sea that had turned red due to the Flying Leviathan¡¯s blood.

    Once he was certain that the Flying Leviathan would not return, Yuan closed his eyes and released a sigh of relief before making his way back to the ship.

 Chapter 685: Stairway to Heavenâ€™s Third Trial

    <h4>Chapter 685: Stairway to Heaven¡¯s Third Trial</h4>

    After killing the Flying Leviathan, Yuan returned to the ship, but it waspletely silent upon his arrival.

    There was no celebration, and everybody there merely stared at him with dazed looks. Some of them even had a hint of fear within their gaze.

    In their eyes, someone who could defeat the Flying Leviathan that they find terrifying is obviously even more terrifying, and their minds could not help but transfer their fear for the Flying Leviathan to Yuan.

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    ¡°Thank you for letting me protect you all.¡± Yuan removed the array that confined the Huang Family and the bodyguards.

    He knew very well that Huang Chen could¡¯ve broken the array very easily, but Huang Chen didn¡¯t do that and instead allowed him to protect them.

    Huang Chen casually snorted, ¡°You¡¯re not done protecting us just yet. We still have to arrive at the Giant¡¯s Continent.¡±

    Huang Xiao Li suddenly stepped forward and swung her arm, giving Yuan a loud and crisp p on the face.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you left me behind like that.¡±

    However, before Yuan could even react, she opened her arms and gave him a tight embrace.

    ¡°I¡¯m a little tired so I will return to the room now.¡± She then said.

    Yuan nodded, ¡°I will protect you while you rest.¡±

    Everyone there eventually returned to their rooms with nobody really leaving their rooms afterward.

    Sea Demons still attacked the ship, but that wasn¡¯t a problem for the ship since most of the guards had survived the Flying Leviathan¡¯s attack, allowing them to continue protecting the ship.

    The Raging Serpent encountered three morerge-size Sea Demons before they arrived at the Giant¡¯s Continent two dayster, butpared to the Flying Leviathan, they were easily taken care of.

    ¡°We have arrived at the Giant¡¯s Continent! The Raging Serpent will remain docked here for 14 days before we must return home. Please finish your business and return here by then, or you will have to wait for the next ship.¡±

    As the ship approached thend of Giant¡¯s Continent, Yuan received a notification.

    [You have sessfully escorted the Huang Family to the Giant¡¯s Continent without any casualties]

    After the notification disappeared, the door behind Yuan opened, and the Huang Family came out of their room.

    ¡°Yuan, here is your reward for your contributions¡ª for protecting my family.¡± Huang Xiao Li extended her hands that were holding an opened box to him.

    Sitting inside this box was a glowing orb of light that gave Yuan a nostalgic feeling.

    ¡®It¡¯s my memories¡­¡¯ He thought to himself.

    And without needing him to move a muscle, the glowing orb of light flew out of the box and into Yuan¡¯s forehead.

    Memories immediately began flowing inside his head, but he didn¡¯t have the time to see them.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± He said to them afterward.

    The Huang Family didn¡¯t say anything and merely smiled at him.

    When Yuan blinked his eyes a secondter, the Huang Family and the ship had disappeared.

    He looked around, and sure enough, he had returned to the Stairway to Heaven.

    ¡°That¡¯s the end of the second trial? Why does it feel iplete? I wanted to see some giants, too.¡± Yuan said out loud.

    He was expecting to escort the Huang Family until they traded their treasures with the giants beforepleting the second trial, but that didn¡¯t seem to be the case.

    Tian¡¯er¡¯s voice then resounded, ¡°I have no control over your trial. That is for the Stairway to Heaven to decide.¡±

    Yuan sighed at her words.

    ¡°Alright. Take me to the next trial.¡±

    ¡°You have one hour to rest. Do you wish to continue without resting?¡±

    He nodded, ¡°I had plenty of rest during the end of the trial.¡±

    Although he could still cultivate the spiritual energy in the Stairway to Heaven, it would no longer benefit his cultivation as much as before now that he¡¯s a Spirit Lord.

    Therefore, he decided to just head on to the third trial.

    Another set of stairs appeared at the end of the stage for him to climb.

    After taking a deep breath, he began climbing the staircase.

    ¡°What do you think his next trial will be?¡± Min Li asked the others in the spectators¡¯ room.

    ¡°Well, the Stairway to Heaven isn¡¯t all about fighting, and he¡¯s already had to fight two incredibly powerful opponents. His third trial might be entirely different.¡± Feng Yuxiang said.

    Many minutester, Yuan arrived at the third floor.

    ¡°For your third trial, you must prevent the mortals from being squashed into meat paste.¡± Tian¡¯er¡¯s voice resounded.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Yuan raised his eyebrows, as he was unable toprehend the trial at first.

    The scenery began to change, and Yuan found himself standing on an invisible tform about 100 meters off the ground.

    It looked like he was in the middle of an ordinary vige, but when he looked down, he could see a bunch of people kneeling on the ground and cowering in fear.

    Amongst this group were the elderly, young men and women, and even children. In fact, half of these people were children. However, they were all kneeling on the ground with their hands covering their head, almost like they were afraid of something falling on their heads.

    ¡°What kind of trial is this?¡± Yuan couldn¡¯t help but mumble to himself

    Suddenly, a notification appeared.

    [You have started your third trial in the Stairway to Heaven!]

    [You must protect the mortals from being squashed for 12 hours!]

    [Protect them for 24 hours to receive a reward!]

    Right as the notification disappeared, arge shadow suddenly enveloped Yuan and the mortals below, causing him to look up, and to his absolute shock, there appeared to be a massive temple that was made out of pure gold falling from the sky.

    Yuan¡¯s immediate response was to dodge this falling temple, but then he recalled the people below him and the trial.

    It was at this moment that he realized the true nature of this trial.

    ¡®If I dodge this falling temple, the people below me will die, and I will fail the trial!¡¯ He cried inwardly.

 Chapter 686: Golden Temple

    <h4>Chapter 686: Golden Temple</h4>

    After realizing what he has to do, Yuan quickly retrieves the Empyrean Overlord before releasing the Heaven Splitting Sword Strike at the falling temple.

    The Heaven Splitting Sword Strike collided with the base of the golden temple in the air, but the templepletely shrugged off the attack as though it was nothing.

    Yuan¡¯s eyes widened with shock when there wasn¡¯t even a single scratch on the temple despite being struck by his most powerful attack.

    However, he didn¡¯t give up and tried it again, resulting in the same conclusion.

    ¡°The temple is indestructible, Master.¡± Tian¡¯er¡¯s voice suddenly resounded.

    ¡°How am I supposed to protect those people at the bottom if I cannot destroy that temple?!¡± He cried out loud.

    ¡°You must use¡ª sacrifice your body to protect the mortals.¡±

    ¡°U-Use my body¡­?¡± Yuan swallowed nervously when he realized what Tian¡¯er wanted him to do.

    ¡°Why is he just standing there?! He¡¯ll get squashed by the temple if he doesn¡¯t do anything!¡± Min Li eximed in a worried voice.

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    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because that is his trial.¡± Feng Yuxiang said.

    ¡°Amon trial in the Stairway to Heaven is endurance, which normally requires the challenger to endure a powerful pressure for a certain amount of time. In the Young Master¡¯s case, that golden temple is the ¡®pressure¡¯,¡± she exined.

    ¡°That golden temple looks really heavy, though¡­ Is it even possible to endure that?¡± Chu Liuxiang asked.

    ¡°The Young Master has no choice but to endure it, or he will fail the trial¡­¡±

    Once the golden temple arrived on top of Yuan, he decided to use his body to catch it.

    Dong!

    Yuan could feel his entire body being pressed towards the ground, and every bone in his muscle was screaming in pain, especially his legs, which were shaking as though there was an earthquake.

    ¡°Aaaaah!¡±

    Yuan released a painful scream after catching the golden temple that weighed tens of thousands of tons.

    And in just a few moments, Yuan was forced to kneel on the invisible tform.

    ¡°Master¡­¡±

    Tian¡¯er was surprised when she saw Yuan catching the golden temple with nothing but his raw body.

    This trial was designed to limit test a cultivator¡¯s spiritual energy. In other words, Yuan was supposed to cover his body in spiritual energy before catching the temple.

    However, Yuan had caught the temple without using his spiritual energy, meaning that he¡¯d caught it with his raw strength, which was an amazing feat considering that the temple could easily crush even a peak Spirit King with ease if they didn¡¯t use spiritual energy.

    ¡°Master, use your spiritual energy. You will never survive this trial like that.¡± Tian¡¯er decided to point him in the right direction even though she wasn¡¯t really supposed to do that.

    After hearing her words, Yuan promptly activated the spiritual energy in his Dantian.

    Spiritual energy quickly began flowing through every vein in Yuan¡¯s body, boosting his strength immensely.

    Once his entire body was covered in spiritual energy, Yuan immediately felt the weight on his body lessen by arge amount, allowing him to breath properly.

    After catching his breath and gettingfortable with having a huge temple on his back, Yuan stood back up and proceeded to focus on his spiritual energy.

    If he doesn¡¯t circte his spiritual energy wisely, he will run out of spiritual energy before the trial ends, which would be disastrous for him.

    Therefore, he must use just enough spiritual energy to make carrying the temple barely endurable for him.

    ¡®I will have to stay like this for 24 hours? I should have taken that one hour break when I had the chance!¡¯ Yuan sighed inwardly, regretting his decision to give up his one hour of peace.

    If he knew what he was walking into, he would¡¯ve definitely taken that break to prepare himself.

    Not only is the third trial the most tedious trial thus far, it was also the most boring. After all, he could only stand still and do nothing but carry this immensely heavy temple.

    About two hourster, Yuan adapted to his situation and could control the flow of his spiritual energy as easily as breathing, allowing him to focus less on himself and more on other things, such as his memories.

    He looked at the time.

    [Time: 2:10:12]

    [Time: 2:10:13]

    [Time: 2:10:14]

    ¡°It¡¯s only been two hours? I swear it feels much longer than that¡­¡± He sighed.

    He closed his eyes a momentter and began delving into his memories.

    Meanwhile, in the spectators¡¯ room.

    ¡°Meixiu, do you have any knowledge on Greek mythology?¡± Chu Liuxiang suddenly asked her.

    ¡°Not really,¡± she said.

    ¡°Well, Yuan¡¯s situation reminds me of a very famous mythology about a titan that was condemned to hold up the heavens for eternity.¡±

    ¡°Holding the heavens¡­ You mean As?¡± Meixiu remembered hearing about it in school before.

    ¡°So you do have some knowledge. That¡¯s right. However, he wasn¡¯t doing it for righteousness or anything like that. He was doing it as a punishment.¡±

    ¡°And seeing Yuan like that¡­ It makes me wonder if he¡¯s being punished.¡±

    Meixiu lifted her brows in a questioning manner, ¡°Why would he be punished? This is just a trial.¡±

    ¡°I know, but I cannot help but have the feeling that the Stairway to Heaven is punishing him. This might even be the hardest trial yet.¡± Chu Liuxiang sighed.

    ¡°How long does he have to carry that golden temple? He¡¯s already been at it for 2 hours.¡± Min Li suddenly asked.

    ¡°It varies from person to person.¡± Feng Yuxiang said.

    Meanwhile, Yuan recalled his memories as an outer court disciple at Immortal¡¯s Monastery.

    For every hour he spends in real-time, he has experienced many months, even years in his memories.

    And after watching his memories for some time, Yuan eventually came to the conclusion that his previous life as Tian Yang had an ordinary if not less-than-ordinary life as a cultivator.

    He was neither talented nor hopeless. He was just an ordinary cultivator that one could find anywhere in the cultivation world.

    However, this only made Yuan more puzzled, as the Tian Yang inside his dreams was incredibly powerful.

    How did someone who started out so ordinary be so extraordinary? Yuan¡¯s anticipation grew the more he recalled his memories.

 Chapter 687: Hunting Grounds

    <h4>Chapter 687: Hunting Grounds</h4>

    ¡°I have been an outer court disciple for an entire year now, yet I am still a fourth level Spirit Apprentice. At this rate, it will take another 3 years before I reach Spirit Warrior¡­¡± Tian Yang sighed as he sat inside his living quarters within the outer court of the Immortal Monastery.

    ¡°I thought that by bing an official disciple, I would receive the sect¡¯s support by receiving plentiful resources to help my cultivation, but s, how naive was I back then to believe such a thing¡­¡±

    ¡°As an outer court disciple, I am given a single spirit stone every three months to assist with my cultivation, but that spirit stone will onlyst us about a week if we cultivate sparingly. In order to acquire more resources, we must go into the hunting grounds or be an inner court disciple.¡±

    ¡°However, I must enter the Spirit Master realm in order to apply for the inner court examination, and who knows how many years that will take me¡­¡±

    ¡°If I want to grow stronger, I must enter the hunting grounds and find my own resources.¡±

    With that in mind, Tian Yang decided to enter the hunting grounds for the first time since he became an outer court disciple.

    The hunting grounds is a special area within the sect¡¯s territory where disciples go to hunt magical beasts and acquire treasures.

    Of course, all of this is within the sect¡¯s control, meaning that every magical beast and treasure found inside the hunting ground was put there by the sect to help their disciples.

    However, while the territory is under the sect¡¯s control, that didn¡¯t mean it wasn¡¯t a dangerous ce.

    In fact, disciples can still lose their lives there, and it happens quite often.

    And with a single sword in hand, Tian Yang left his living quarters to enter the hunting grounds.

    ¡°I would like to enter the hunting grounds.¡± Tian Yang said to the sect elder sitting outside the entrance.

    The sect elder nced at him before scoffing, ¡°You¡¯re only a fourth level Spirit Apprentice. Even the weakest magical beasts inside are at the fifth level. Although there are sect elders inside to keep the casualties as low as possible, there is still a good chance that you could die. Do you still want to enter?¡±

    ¡°I still want to enter.¡± Tian Yang nodded with a serious face.

    ¡°Show me your disciple identification badge.¡±

    After handing the sect elder his badge, the sect elder recorded his name, badge number, and the day he entered the hunting grounds into the log book. This way, they will know that he died inside the hunting grounds if he doesn¡¯t return.

    ¡°You may enter the hunting grounds. If you don¡¯t return within three days, the sect will consider you dead.¡± The sect elder said to him.

    ¡°Thank you, sect elder.¡±

    Tian Yang didn¡¯t say anything else and entered the hunting grounds with an ordinary sword already in his grasp.

    Once he was inside the hunting grounds, Tian Yang moved with caution, and his eyes would continuously look around with wariness.

    Although he has hunted animals before, he has never encountered a magical beast, so he was very nervous.

    After walking around for about half an hour, Tian Yang encountered his first magical beast.

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    It had the appearance of a wolf, and it was emitting a powerful aura at the fifth level Spirit Apprentice.

    Tian Yang swallowed his nervousness and slowly approached the magical beast.

    The magical beast noticed the killing intent in Tian Yang¡¯s eyes, so it pounced at him in retaliation.

    ¡°Ha!¡±

    Tian Yang subconsciously swung his sword at the magical beast, and the magical beast swung its powerful paws in return.

    ng!

    The sword flew right out of Tian Yang¡¯s grasp andnded many meters away when he underestimated the magical beast¡¯s strength.

    ¡°Oh, fuck¡­¡±

    Tian Yang realized that without his sword, he was pretty much defenseless in front of the magical beast.

    He could turn around and run away, but something inside his heart told him to stay and fight the magical beast, and that¡¯s exactly what he did.

    However, because of his reckless decision, Tian Yang ended up lying on the floor with blood all over his clothes, and they were his own blood.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you run away when you lost your sword?¡± A calm voice resounded beside him.

    Tian Yang turned his head to look at the beautiful woman standing beside him.

    She was wearing the sect elder¡¯s uniform, and she was also the one who saved his life when he was about to be killed by the magical beast.

    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know¡­¡± He responded in a low voice while staring at the sect elder¡¯s confused face.

    ¡°What you did today was very reckless. Don¡¯t do it again if you value your life.¡± The sect elder said to him before taking out a medicine pill and stuffing it inside his mouth.

    ¡°Go home. You¡¯re not ready for this ce yet.¡± She said to him.

    Tian Yang silently nodded his head and returned home when he could walk again.

    However, three dayster, after recovering from his injuries, Tian Yang returned to the hunting grounds.

    And once again, he was nearly killed by a magical beast before being saved by a sect elder.

    ¡°Thank you for saving me again, elder.¡±

    The sect elder¡¯s eyes widened with surprise after recognizing him.

    ¡°You¡­ Why are you here again? I thought I told you that you aren¡¯t ready for the hunting grounds,¡± said the sect elder who happened to be the same person who saved him three days ago.

    ¡°That¡¯s why I returned, and I will continueing here until I am ready or I am dead,¡± he said in a calm voice.

    ¡°You¡¯re not afraid of dying?¡±

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t fear death. I only fear being powerless in a world where the strong rule the weak.¡±

    The sect elder became speechless after hearing his words.

    ¡°You¡¯re reckless¡­ and crazy.¡± She left him alone after saying those words, but for some reason, she continued to watch over him from a distance.

 Chapter 688: Hunting Grounds(2)

    <h4>Chapter 688: Hunting Grounds(2)</h4>

    Another year has passed since Yuan¡ª Tian Yang became an outer court disciple in the Immortal Monastery, and he has been going to the hunting grounds almost every single day without fail.

    Only during the days that he¡¯s too injured to move and the days that he has to cultivate that he doesn¡¯t enter the hunting grounds.

    However, despite his recklessness, he has managed to survive up to this point, and his cultivation saw a significant boost, reaching the ninth level Spirit Apprentice only a yearter.

    ¡°Good morning, Elder Lee.¡± Tian Yang greeted the sect elder sitting outside the hunting grounds.

    ¡°Try not to die again today.¡± Elder Lee said to him, not even bothering to write his name down in the log book.

    Even if Tian Yang dies inside the hunting grounds, Elder Lee has already memorized Tian Yang¡¯s face and voice after seeing him so often, so he could tell if something had happened to Tian Yang if he doesn¡¯t show up after a few days.

    After entering the hunting grounds, Tian Yang went deeper into the ce without hesitation, and if he encountered a magical beast, he would always fight it, regardless of its cultivation.

    ¡°Nice. First kill of the day and I already have a monster core.¡± Tian Yang picked up the crystal after killing the magical beast with a single strike.

    ¡°Aaaaah! Somebody, help!¡±

    Tian Yang suddenly heard screaming, and the sound didn¡¯t seem very far away.

    Without thinking, he immediately began running towards the screaming.

    A minuteter, he arrived before two disciples, one male and one female, and a magical beast.

    However, one of these disciplines¡ª the male disciple was lying on the ground with a puddle of blood beneath him.

    As for the female disciple, she was standing a couple of meters away, trying her best to defend against the magical beast.

    Tian Yang didn¡¯t hesitate to jump into the battle after seeing the situation.

    A few minutester, Tian Yang gasped for air as he stared at the dead magical beast before him.

    ¡°Are you okay¡­?¡± He turned to ask the female disciple, who was shaking in fear not far away from him.

    She nodded in a dazed manner, ¡°I-I am fine¡­ B-But what about him? Is he dead?¡±

    Tian Yang approached the disciple and checked for his pulses, but there was nothing.

    He shook his head, ¡°He¡¯s dead.¡±

    The female disciple immediately began crying.

    ¡°Go home, and tell the elder outside about what happened. I will escort you outside.¡± Tian Yang said to the disciple a momentter.

    The female disciple nodded, and Tian Yang made sure that she left the hunting grounds safely before returning back to the depths of the hunting grounds, where magical beasts around his level roamned.

    After spending an entire day at the hunting grounds, Tian Yang went to a specific area there and shouted, ¡°Elder Sun! Are you there?!¡±

    A figure answered his call and appeared before him a few momentster.

    ¡°What do you want? Did you miss me since we haven¡¯t seen each other for two months now?¡±

    Elder Sun was the sect elder who had saved his life on his first day in the hunting ground¡ª as well as many more times in the future.

    She had gotten so used to saving his life that it almost became her job to watch Tian Yang while he¡¯s inside the hunting grounds, almost like an exclusive guard for Tian Yang.

    However, it was not as though she was obligated to protect him. She just couldn¡¯t help but watch over him like a guardian of sorts.

    Elder Sun had gotten so used to seeing his face that she could see him very clearly even with her eyes closed, almost as though Tian Yang¡¯s appearance was imprinted in her mind.

    ¡°I won¡¯t lie, I do miss you a little, especially since I am no longer training in your area, where I don¡¯t have to worry about losing my life. However, that¡¯s not why I called you here today.¡±

    ¡°This may seem very random and out of the blue, but I was hoping if you could find a disciple for me. Her name is Meng Lili, and we joined the sect together, but I haven¡¯t seen her for two years, nor have I been able to find her, and I have asked many people.¡±

    Elder Sun frowned upon hearing his request, and she spoke, ¡°You called me here¡­ in the middle of the night¡­ just to ask about another woman? I feel sorry for your future daopanion.¡±

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    ¡°Or is this Meng Lili your girlfriend?¡±

    ¡°No, we¡¯re nothing of that sort. She¡¯s just a friend that came from the same background.¡±

    ¡°Then why do you care about her?¡±

    ¡°I want to see how she¡¯s doing in the sect. It¡¯s just pure curiosity,¡± he replied with a calm face.

    Elder Sun narrowed her eyes at him.

    After a moment of silence, she spoke, ¡°What do I get out of this? I may have saved your life multiple times in the past, but that is my job. Looking for your girlfriend isn¡¯t my job.¡±

    ¡°Like I¡¯d already said, she¡¯s not my girlfriend¡­ And what do you want from me? If it¡¯s money you want, I am afraid that is not possible since I ampletely broke.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t need your money,¡± she quickly said.

    ¡°Then what do you want? As long as it¡¯s reasonable.¡±

    She lifted her hand and pointed a finger at him.

    Tian Yang raised his eyebrows, as he was unable toprehend her actions.

    ¡°I want your body in exchange for this information,¡± she said, making things clear for him.

    ¡°M-My body?¡± Tian Yang took a step back from shock.

    ¡°B-But you¡¯re a sect elder and I am a disciple¡­ You¡¯re no doubt a very beautiful woman that can have any men that you set your eyes on, but I don¡¯t think we should¡­ Actually, if we keep it a secret, perhaps we can¡­¡±

    Pap!

    Elder Sun suddenly pped him in the back of the head and eximed with a flushed face, ¡°Who said I want your body for that kind of stuff?! I want your body forbor! You¡¯re going to help me with something! As if I¡¯d have that kind of thoughts for an outer court disciple!¡±

    Even though it was quite dark, Tian Yang could still see the redness on her face.

    ¡°Oh¡­ but if you ever have such thoughts, I wouldn¡¯t mind¡­¡± Tian Yang said with a shameless smile on his face.

    ¡°Shut your mouth before I feed you a magical beast!¡± She pped him again.

 Chapter 689: Hunting Grounds(3)

    <h4>Chapter 689: Hunting Grounds(3)</h4>

    ¡°Fine, if you can help me, my body will be yours.¡± Tian Yang said to Elder Sun.

    Elder Sun nodded, ¡°It¡¯s a promise. Come here at the same time a week from now.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Tian Yang left the hunting grounds and returned to his living quarters to spend the next week absorbing the monster cores that he¡¯d acquired from the magical beasts within the hunting grounds.

    Even though he killed at least a dozen magical beasts every week for thest year, he would only get a single monster core for every 10 magical beasts he killed, and that¡¯s if he was lucky, so it was not as if he has a lot of monster cores to support his cultivation base.

    Furthermore, cultivating with monster cores isn¡¯t very healthy for cultivators due to how much impurities monster cores contain.

    However, unlike Yuan, Tian Yang did not have the ability to swallow monster cores and instantly absorb all of its spiritual energies, so it would take him at least a week to finish absorbing a monster core.

    A weekter, Tian Yang left his living quarters and made his way towards the hunting grounds.

    After arriving at the area that Elder Sun oversees, he waited for her to show up.

    About ten minutester, Tian Yang felt a presence suddenly appear behind him.

    He turned around to see Elder Sun standing there, but she had a solemn expression on her face.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I saw you with such a serious face.¡± Tian Yang said when he saw her face that was basked in moonlight, making her look more beautiful than usual, especially her eyes that glistened like a clearke.

    ¡°I have asked around about your girlfriend, Meng Lili.¡± Elder Sun said.

    ¡°Oh? Let¡¯s hear it. Has she be an inner court disciple by now? Maybe she was even epted by a powerful master within the sect. Given her talents, I doubt she will be anything other than extraordinary¡ª.¡±

    Before Tian Yang could even finish his sentence, Elder Sun interrupted him, ¡°She¡¯s dead.¡±

    ¡°W-What?¡± Tian Yang¡¯s eyes widened with shock.

    ¡°What did you just say? That she¡¯s dead? How is that possible?¡±

    Elder Sun sighed, ¡°This Meng Lili was epted as an outer court disciple about five years ago after spending 6 months in the Bamboo Garden, am I correct? Or did I investigate the wrong person?¡±

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    ¡°No¡­ It sounds about right¡­¡± Tian Yang recalled very clearly that Meng Lili had be the first person to leave the Bamboo Garden, bing an outer court disciple in just half a year.

    ¡°B-But that doesn¡¯t make sense¡­ How can someone so talented die? How did she even die? When did she die?¡±

    ¡°She died shortly after bing an outer court disciple. As for her cause of death¡­ she was most likely murdered by someone ording to the evidences. Another disciple had found her body in the outer court, and she was already deceased by then.¡±

    ¡°Shortly after she became an outer court disciple? Is that why nobody seemed to know her? I thought it was weird that someone talented like Meng Lili would be a nobody¡­¡±

    ¡°You have my condolences¡­¡± Elder Sun sighed.

    ¡°Does the sect know who killed her? Did they investigate her death?¡± Tian Yang asked after a moment of silence.

    ¡°No, the sect did not investigate the incident. She was only an outer court disciple, and it¡¯smon for disciples to die in the sect due to ourpetitive nature.¡±

    ¡°Is that so¡­¡±

    Tian Yang looked at the moon and stood there in silence for many moments.

    He then looked at Elder Sun with a painful expression, ¡°Thank you for everything, Elder Sun. As promised, you can do whatever you want with my body, but give me a few days to clear my head. I won¡¯t be able to focus on whatever you task me with in my current state.¡±

    Seeing Tian Yang¡¯s expression, Elder Sun also felt a prickling sensation in her heart. She suddenly extended her arms and embraced him.

    ¡°Take all the time you need, Disciple Tian¡­¡±

    Although she couldn¡¯t hear any noisesing from Tian Yang, she could feel her shoulders getting wet, presumably from Tian Yang¡¯s tears.

    Tian Yang returned to his room shortly after, where he would spend the next couple of days contemting Meng Lili¡¯s mysterious death.

    ¡°When one dies, are they considered powerless because they cannot do anything, or are they invincible because they are no longer bound by thews of this cruel world, nor do they have to worry about being weak?¡±

    ¡°It appears that my goal to surpass you has already been met without my awareness, and when one achieves their goal, they will find another one. Therefore, my next goal will be to find the truth behind your death and deal with it ordingly.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Why is Brother Yuan suddenly crying?¡± Xiao Hua mumbled in a low voice when she noticed the tears on Yuan¡¯s face.

    ¡°I would be crying too if I was in his shoes right now,¡± said Chu Liuxiang.

    ¡°How long has it been since the trial started?¡± Min Li asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s been almost an entire day,¡± said Feng Yuxiang.

    ¡°Do you think it¡¯ll end soon?¡±

    Feng Yuxiang shrugged.

    Inside the trial, Yuan slowly opened his eyes after he finished looking through his memories, and the first thing he did was look at the timer.

    [23:14:20]

    [23:14:21]

    [23:14:22]

    ¡®Less than an hour left¡­¡¯ He sighed inwardly.

    He then looked up at the golden temple that he had been carrying this entire time.

    ¡®If it were not for my breakthrough to Spirit Lord, I probably wouldn¡¯t have survived 24 hours in this trial¡­¡¯

    This made Yuan wonder what would happen if he didn¡¯t finish the bonus challenge and receive his reward. Would he lose the chance to regain a part of his memories forever? Or would it simply dy his process?

    Whatever is supposed to happen, he doesn¡¯t intend on finding out.

    Forty-five minutester, Yuan has sessfully endured 24 hours of this gruesome trial, putting an end to the third trial.

 Chapter 690: Stairway to Heavenâ€™s Fourth Trial

    <h4>Chapter 690: Stairway to Heaven¡¯s Fourth Trial</h4>

    Ding!

    [You have sessfully protected the mortals for 24 hours]

    After receiving this notification, Yuan felt the weight on his body disappear, causing him to look up.

    The golden temple that had suddenly disappeared, reced by a glowing orb of light that slowly approached Yuan¡¯s forehead.

    Yuan didn¡¯t reject the light and allowed it to enter him, and more memories began flowing inside his mind like a gush of water at a broken dam.

    However, he didn¡¯t have the time to indulge in these memories, as the scenery had changed back to its original background.

    ¡°Congrattions on passing your third trial, Master. You have an hour to rest before we start the next trial. Do you wish to rest or continue?¡± Tian¡¯er¡¯s calm voice resounded after the trial ended.

    ¡°Yes, I want to rest. I will need all the time I can get after that trial¡­¡± Yuan immediately sat down and began cultivating with his body still soaked in sweat.

    While he cultivated, a gentle breeze would blow around Yuan, magically cleaning his sweat from his body and his clothes.

    An hourter, Yuan stood up and began making his way towards the next trial.

    ¡°Wee to your fourth and final trial, Master.¡±

    ¡°Did I just hear ¡®final¡¯ trial?¡± Yuan asked for confirmation.

    ¡°That¡¯s correct. If you pass this one, you will get to ascend to the next realm.¡± Tian¡¯er responded.

    ¡°Then what are you waiting for? Let¡¯s get this trial started!¡±

    The scenery changed a momentter.

    Yuan looked around after the scenery finished changing, and he appeared to be in some sort of empty field.

    However, this empty field felt very familiar for some reason, almost as though he¡¯d been there before.

    ¡°That ce is¡­¡±

    Inside the spectators¡¯ room, both Meixiu and Chu Liuxiang covered their mouth in shock when they saw the scenery, especially when they saw the building standing right behind Yuan.

    ¡°What is my trial this time?¡± Yuan asked as he looked around.

    It was at this moment he realized that there was a building behind him, but his face and body froze like a stone statue when he saw this building¡ª this temple.

    ¡°This ce is¡­ impossible¡­¡±

    He stared at the temple in a daze.

    The temple he was staring at resembled the Six Spiritual Families¡¯ Ancestor¡¯ Tomb in the Jaded Garden. No, it was exactly the same.

    ¡°For the fourth trial, you will need to defeat ¡®your¡¯ demon, Master.¡±

    Ding!

    [You have started your fourth trial in the Stairway to Heaven!]

    [You must defeat the demon within your body!]

    [Pass the fourth trial to receive a reward!]

    ¡°I have to defeat a demon for this trial¡­?¡± Yuan frowned, feeling obnoxious about the situation.

    ¡°Aaaaaaah! Help! Yuan! Help me!¡±

    A voice that Yuan immediately recognized suddenly resounded, and his body trembled when he heard it.

    ¡°Azure?!¡±

    And without hesitation, he began running towards the voice.

    He ran and ran¡­ Just like when he was chasing after the demon at the Jaded Garden.

    As he traveled, Yuan noticed the buildings and sceneries there resembled the Jaded Garden.

    ¡°No¡­ This is the Jaded Garden! But how?! Did the Stairway to Heaven take this ce out of my memories just for this trial?!¡±

    After running for about half an hour, Yuan arrived at the Immortal Caves, feeling as though he was reenacting his past.

    And sure enough, when he arrived at the scene, he could see a red-skinned human figure standing right in front of a beautiful youngdy who had her eyes closed.

    However, this beautiful youngdy looked very pale, and there was a hole in her chest.

    ¡°Yuan¡­ Are you there¡­? My body feels cold¡­ Help me¡­¡±

    The demon turned to look at Yuan and smiled, ¡°Once again, you have failed to protect her.¡±

    Hearing the demon¡¯s mockery, Yuan immediately erupted with anger and killing intent.

    ¡°I did not have the power to personally deal with you before, but things are different now!¡± Yuan withdrew the Empyrean Overlord and rushed at the demon.

    Whoosh!

    Yuan quickly defeated the demon in a single strike¡ª with the Demon Sealing Strike. It had ended so quickly that even Yuan was surprised by how easy it was to defeat the demon.

    ¡°Different? There¡¯s nothing different about this. You managed to kill me, so what? Your little girlfriend is still dead. It¡¯s the same asst time¡ª exactly the same. Hahaha!¡± The demonughed as its body disintegrated until nothing of it was left.

    Yuan turned his focus onto Azure after killing the demon, but her body was nowhere to be seen.

    ¡°Azure?¡±

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    Yuan blinked his eyes in a dazed manner. However, when he reopened his eyes, his scenery had changed.

    He was no longer in the Immortal Caves. Instead, he had returned to the empty field right outside the Ancestors¡¯ Tomb.

    ¡°W-What happened? Why am I¡ª¡±

    ¡°Aaaaah! Yuan! Please help me! There¡¯s a demon here!¡±

    Before he could collect his thoughts, Yuan heard Azure¡¯s voice screaming for his help, and once again, he began running towards the voice, returning to the Immortal Caves half an hourter.

    And sure enough, the demon was there, as well as Azure, who had a hole in her chest.

    ¡°Yuan¡­ You broke your promise to me again for the third time¡­¡± Azure mumbled those words before copsing onto the ground.

    ¡°Aaaaah!¡±

    Yuan released his anger out on the demon, killing it a momentter.

    However, after defeating the demon, Yuan found himself back at the Ancestors¡¯ Tomb, almost as though he¡¯d traveled back in time, repeating his most traumatic event over and over again.

    And no matter how many times he was sent back to the Ancestors¡¯ Tomb, Yuan would return to the Immortal Caves to witness the demon killing Azure.

    Ten¡­ twenty¡­ fifty times¡­

    Yuan had lost count of how many times he¡¯d repeated this tragedy, but he did not stop, and he continued to return to the Immortal Caves, hoping that he¡¯d be able to save her in time even once.

    Unfortunately, the Stairway to Heaven did not grant him that wish, and it continued to torture Yuan¡¯s soul in an never-ending cycle where he¡¯s forced to watch Azure die by the demon¡¯s hands while he was only a few moments away from being able to save her.

 Chapter 691: Yuanâ€™s Heart Demon

    <h4>Chapter 691: Yuan¡¯s Heart Demon</h4>

    ¡°What kind of trial is this?¡± Meixiu mumbled in a dazed voice as she watched Yuan defeat the demon multiple times.

    ¡°By the looks of it, this trial appears to be some sort of heart demon trial.¡± Feng Yuxiang said.

    ¡°What is that?¡±

    ¡°In essence, heart demons are stress¡ª a negative emotion that looms in the deepest part of one¡¯s heart. When someone experiences a traumatic event or something terrifying, there is a very high chance that whatever happened bes their heart demon, and these negative emotions be a mental barrier which hinders their cultivation from advancing.¡±

    ¡°Heart demons are verymon, and they exist in almost everyone, including mortals, but they affect cultivators the most. Heart demons can be formed by any kind of stress if it¡¯s strong enough. Fearing that you¡¯ll never find love¡­ Being insecure about your appearances¡­ Worrying about not being able to return your debt¡­ Even one¡¯s obsessions can also be one¡¯s heart demon.¡±

    ¡°As for the Young Master¡¯s trial¡­ He will most likely have to defeat his heart demon in order to pass this trial.¡± Feng Yuxiang sighed.

    ¡°So¡­ Basically anything emotional can be a heart demon? How does one even defeat their heart demon?¡± Chu Liuxiang asked.

    ¡°It depends on their heart demon. If someone is insecure about their appearances, they need to stop being insecure. If one fears they cannot find love, they must stop fearing. In the Young Master¡¯s case¡­ He must stop ming himself for the death of that youngdy.¡±

    ¡°That¡­ sounds easier said than done.¡± Chu Liuxiang shook her head.

    ¡°Of course. It¡¯s not easy to defeat one¡¯s heart demon, and even powerful Immortals that can change another¡¯s fate can fall victim to their own heart demon. Furthermore, even if one manages to defeat their current heart demon, another one could show up in the future when they experience something emotional again. This is something all cultivators must confront at one point in their lives, and they either sumb to their heart demon or they defeat it.¡± Feng Yuxiang sighed.

    Meanwhile, Yuan continued to repeat his nightmares.

    ¡°Damn it! Why hasn¡¯t the trial ended already?! I have defeated the demon countless times by now!¡± Yuan cried out loud after being sent back to the Ancestors¡¯ Tomb.

    Clearly, he¡¯s misunderstanding the true nature and purpose of the trial, thinking that his trial was to defeat the demon, unaware that it was actually mentioning another demon¡ª the one dwelling inside his heart.

    Thus, for the next few hours, he would repeat the same scenario over and over again, falling deeper into this rabbit hole that¡¯s his demon heart until he could no longer move.

    ¡°Haaaa¡­ haaa¡­ haaaa¡­¡±

    Yuan copsed onto the ground after killing the demon and returning to the Ancestors¡¯ Tomb countless times.

    ¡°Why¡­? What kind of trial is this¡­?¡±

    He looked at the trial requirements again.

    [You must defeat the demon within your body to pass the fourth trial!]

    ¡°The demon within my body¡­ If it¡¯s not talking about the demon that I have been ying, what else is it talking about? Is there another demon in this ce?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re still hung up on that woman¡¯s death?¡±

    A voice suddenly resounded inside Yuan¡¯s head, but it was not Tian¡¯er¡¯s voice.

    ¡°You need to stop ming yourself for what happened to Azure.¡± Tian Yang¡¯s voice resounded.

    ¡°But it¡¯s the truth. If I had defeated the demon before it escaped the Ancestors¡¯ Tomb, Azure would have never died.¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­ but that¡¯s not what happened. You can specte all you want, but what¡¯s happened has happened. You cannot go back in time to fix your mistakes¡ª only forward.¡±

    ¡°If it was a mistake, then it¡¯s obviously my fault.¡± Yuan sighed.

    ¡°Or maybe it was her fate to die there. If that was the case, she would have died regardless of what you did¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s nonsense¡­¡±

    ¡°Is it really, though?¡± Tian Yang chuckled.

    ¡°Do you believe it¡¯s a coincidence that you¡¯re in your position? Perhaps fate brought you there.¡±

    ¡°If fate brought me here, I will deny it¡ª I will alter my own fate.¡±

    ¡°Fate cannot be easily denied. It requires tremendous power¡ª power that you do not possess right now.¡±

    ¡°Then help me achieve that power. We¡¯re the same person, right?¡±

    After a moment of silence, Tian Yang¡¯s figure appeared before Yuan like a ghost.

    He pointed at Yuan with a profound smile on his face.

    ¡°What did you think I have been doing for the past millenniums¡ª past eons? I have been trying to acquire that power ever since the dawn of time¡ª even before the first known era that you all call ¡®Primordial Era¡¯¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡­ We already have that power¡ª the power to deny our fate. You just need to awaken that power.¡±

    ¡°How¡­ How do I do that?¡±

    Tian Yang looked at the direction of the Immortal Caves and said, ¡°You can start by passing this trial.¡±

    After saying those words, Tian Yang¡¯s figure disappeared.

    ¡°Is he talking to himself? Has he gone crazy from this trial?¡± Chu Liuxiang asked with a worried face after seeing Yuan speaking to the empty air there, as she was unable to see Tian Yang through the pond.

    ¡°Dealing with one¡¯s heart demon can indeed make someone go crazy, but I don¡¯t think that¡¯s what happened to the Young Master.¡± Feng Yuxiang shook her head.

    ¡°Look! He¡¯s moving again!¡± Min Li suddenly pointed at the pond.

    Chu Liuxiang immediately turned to look, and sure enough, Yuan was running towards the Immortal Caves again, but there was something different about him this time.

    ¡°His face¡­ It¡¯s filled with resolve¡­¡± Meixiu mumbled to herself after seeing the expression on Yuan¡¯s face.

    Half an hourter, Yuan arrived at the Immortal Caves, right when the demon struck Azure in the chest with its sharp ws.

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    However, Yuan didn¡¯t immediately rush at the demon to release his anger this time.

    He merely stood there in silence, staring at Azure¡¯s bloodied body with a profound gaze, his thoughts unknown to the spectators.

 Chapter 692: Leaving the Lower Heavens

    <h4>Chapter 692: Leaving the Lower Heavens</h4>

    ¡°Once again, you¡¯rete to the party, killing her.¡± The demon looked at Yuan with a smirk on its face.

    Yuan closed his eyes and took a deep breath before releasing it slowly.

    ¡°You¡¯re right. I killed her by being too slow. She died because I was too weak.¡±

    He opened his eyes, and the demon was no longer there. Instead, Yuan could see himself standing where the demon stood, almost as though the demon had transformed into his appearance.

    ¡°Finally, you¡¯re epting the fact that you¡¯re responsible for her death.¡± The demon¡¯s voice resounded while wearing his appearance.

    ¡°That¡¯s not right. I have epted the fact that I couldn¡¯t protect her even before I left the Jaded Garden. I med myself for her death, and I still do.¡±

    ¡°I just didn¡¯t want to deal with the guilt of killing her, and I even tried to forget about it. However, I now know that¡¯s not possible. I understand now that I will have to live with this guilt for the rest of my life.¡±

    ¡°I need to stop dwelling on the past and start moving forward. Therefore¡­¡±

    Yuan turned to look at Azure, who was no longer lying on the ground but standing a few meters away with a calm expression on her face.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I couldn¡¯t save you in time, Azure. I¡¯m sorry that I couldn¡¯t defeat the demon fast enough. I broke myst promise to protect you, so let me make another promise to you. I promise that I will never forget you, regardless of how much pain I feel every time I think of you, and I promise you that I will never let something like this happen again.¡±

    After taking a deep breath, Yuan turned around and began walking away from the Immortal Caves.

    ¡°Yuan¡­ Please¡­ Don¡¯t leave me here¡­ Didn¡¯t you promise to protect me?¡± Azure¡¯s voice resounded from behind him, but Yuan didn¡¯t look back and continued walking away.

    ¡°Goodbye, Azure.¡±

    Although he couldn¡¯t see it with his back turned, the scenery behind him was slowly crumbling away into the darkness.

    Eventually, Yuan returned to the Stairway to Heaven.

    Ding!

    [You have passed the fourth trial!]

    [Congrattions, you have sessfully passed all trials in the Stairway to Heaven!]

    [You have gained ess to the Second Heaven, Spirit Heaven!]

    Tian¡¯er appeared before him a momentter while holding a glowing orb of light with her small hands.

    ¡°Congrattions on passing all of the trials, Master. Here is your reward.¡±

    The orb of light flew straight into Yuan¡¯s forehead, and memories immediately began flowing into his head.

    Tian¡¯er then pointed at the staircase at the end and said, ¡°Once you climb that staircase with your friends, you will all arrive at Spirit Heaven.¡±

    ¡°But before you go, there is something you must see.¡±

    Tian¡¯er suddenly waved her sleeves, creating a golden door in the middle of the room, which emitted an ancient aura.

    ¡°Please.¡±

    Yuan nodded and began walking towards the door.

    When he opened the door, Yuan could feel a powerful pressureing from the other side, but he could not physically see the other side of the door due to the bright light gushing through the door.

    After taking a deep breath, Yuan walked through the door and disappeared from the Stairway to Heaven.

    Meanwhile, Tian¡¯er teleported those in the spectators¡¯ room to her.

    ¡°Huh? Where are we?¡± Chu Liuxiang looked around with a surprised face after the sudden teleportation.

    ¡°You¡¯re still inside the Stairway to Heaven.¡± Tian¡¯er said to them.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± Xiao Hua asked her with a slight frown.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to be cautious. I am the will of the Stairway to Heaven.¡±

    ¡°Stairway to Heaven¡¯s will? I have never heard of such a thing.¡± Feng Yuxiang said.

    ¡°There¡¯s a lot that you don¡¯t know about the Stairway to Heaven, Vermillion Phoenix.¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡± Feng Yuxiang¡¯s eyes widened with surprise.

    ¡°Where is Brother Yuan?¡± Xiao Hua then asked.

    Tian¡¯er pointed to the golden door behind them, ¡°He¡¯s currently in there. He should return shortly.¡±

    ¡°What is behind that door? Can we see?¡± Chu Liuxiang asked out of curiosity.

    Tian¡¯er shook her head and said, ¡°Only he can go inside.¡±

    And sure enough, the door opened a few minutester with Yuaning out of the door.

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    However, there was something strange about him, and he looked a little traumatized.

    ¡°Young Master, are you okay?¡± Feng Yuxiang asked him after seeing his shocked face.

    Yuan didn¡¯t respond, almost as though he couldn¡¯t see or hear them.

    ¡°What¡­ What was that? Why did you show me such a thing?¡± Yuan looked at Tian¡¯er and asked after a moment of silence.

    ¡°I cannot answer that question. If you want the answers, you must continue climbing,¡± she calmly responded.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Yuan closed his eyes and took a moment to calm himself.

    When he opened them again, he noticed Xiao Hua and the others.

    ¡°Oh? When did you guys appear?¡± He finally noticed their presence.

    ¡°We have been here for a while now¡­ Are you okay, Young Master? What was on the other side of that door?¡± Feng Yuxiang asked him again.

    ¡°I¡­ I really don¡¯t know how to exin it since I also don¡¯t know what I was looking at¡­¡± He sighed.

    ¡°Anyways, let¡¯s leave this ce. I really need some fresh air after what I saw¡­¡±

    Feng Yuxiang and the others could only nod their heads.

    Before they left, Yuan turned to look at Tian¡¯er and asked her, ¡°Will I see you again?¡±

    She nodded, ¡°We will definitely see each other again.¡±

    ¡°Then until next time. Goodbye, Tian¡¯er.¡± Yuan smiled at her before walking towards the exit.

    ¡°See youter, Master¡­¡± Tian¡¯er mumbled in a low voice as she disappeared like a ghost.

    As Yuan climbed the final staircase with the others, he wondered out loud, ¡°Once we leave this ce, we will leave the Lower Heavens. Where will we appear once we leave this ce?¡±

    ¡°There is a designated area for people who sessfully climbed the Stairway to Heaven. However, this means that there will be people waiting for us there once we leave this ce, and they will be trying to recruit us to their families and sects, so we should prepare ourselves.¡± Feng Yuxiang said.

 Chapter 693 - Spirit Heaven

    <h4>Chapter 693 - Spirit Heaven</h4>

    After spending about ten minutes climbing, Yuan and the others finally reached the end of the staircase, where a single door stood.

    "I guess we''re here." Yuan said as he approached the door and opened it without hesitation.

    "Are we ready?" He turned around and asked thedies following right behind him.

    Once they all nodded, Yuan walked through the door, disappearing from the Stairway to Heaven.

    Ding!

    <You have earned the title ''Carry'' from assisting at least one person through the Stairway to Heaven!>

    <You have earned the title ''Stairway to Heaven Novice Climber'' from sessfully climbing the Stairway to Heaven one time!>

    Furthermore, an announcement was made for all yers within the Lower Heavens to witness.

    <Congrattions! yer Yuan has be the first yer to ascend to ''Spirit Heaven'' through the Stairway to Heaven!>

    <Because of yer Yuan''s efforts, the ''Lower Heavens'' has re-established its connection with the ''Spirit Heaven'', allowing ess for all yers!>

    <All yers may now enter the Stairway to Heaven and ascend to Spirit Heaven without any restrictions!>

    This announcement shocked all yers currently inside Cultivation Online except for Yuan and his group, as they were no longer in the Lower Heavens, thus unable to see the announcement.

    And unbeknownst to Yuan, countless yers began making their way towards the Stairway to Heaven to see for themselves if they could really ascend to the next realm for free.

    <You have entered ''Spirit Heaven''>

    After entering the door, Yuan found himself in the middle of a spacious square.

    He looked around and noticed a few stalls set up not far from him with people idling behind them in a bored manner.

    However, when these people noticed Yuan''s presence and sudden appearance, their bored faces immediately lit up with excitement, and they all began approaching him like a bunch of hungry pigeons.

    However, they stopped moving when they noticed more people appearing out of thin air.

    Xiao Hua, Feng Yuxiang, Meixiu, Lan Yingying, Chu Liuxiang, andst but not least, Min Li¡ª six more people appeared after Yuan, which shouldn''t be possible.

    "E-Excuse me¡­ D-Did you just challenge the Stairway to Heaven?" One of the people there asked Yuan in a trembling voice.

    Yuan shifted his head to look at the man before nodding his head, "That''s right."

    "W-What about the other six behind you¡­?" The man continued to ask him.

    "Yes, they were with me in the Stairway to Heaven." Yuan confirmed.

    "I-Impossible!"

    "Does this mean he''d helped six other people ascend by carrying them through the Stairway to Heaven? I have never heard of anyone seeding in such a feat in my life!"

    "Heavens! If that''s true, then we have an unrivaled genius here!"

    Some of these people fell onto their buttocks from shock after hearing Yuan''s words.

    "Young Master, where should we go now?" Feng Yuxiang ignored the people around them and asked.

    "Let''s find a ce to rest for now," he said.

    "Okay."

    "P-Please wait a moment, young man! Would you be interested in joining our Silver de Academy? We''re one of seven Spirit Academies, a top sect in this world. If you join us, we can guarantee you prestige and power!" One of the people there suddenly shouted.

    When the others heard this man''s recruitment, they also started shouting their own recruitment, as they didn''t want to miss this opportunity to recruit a monster like Yuan into their family or sect.

    "Join the Wu Family! We''re a top ten family within Spirit Heaven! We can promise you unlimited resources as long as we can afford them!"

    "Our Chaotic Force Academy is also one of seven Spirit Academies! We can offer you benefits that others cannot!"

    The usually calm and quiet area suddenly became chaotic with everyone trying to recruit Yuan.

    "Everybody, please listen to me for a moment!" Yuan suddenly shouted, silencing the ce.

    "I have no interest in joining any family or sect as of this moment, so if you''ll excuse me, I have other businesses to attend to!"

    And when nobody there moved out of the way so that he could leave, Yuan released his Spirit Lord cultivation base, forcing everyone there to back up.

    "He''s also a Spirit Lord?! But he''s so young!"

    However, everybody there was more impressed than scared by Yuan''s powerful aura.

    Although they were reluctant, the people there made an open path for Yuan to walk.

    Once Yuan walked far enough, the people there began following him while contacting their respective families and sects to let them know that an unrivaled genius had arrived in the Spirit Heaven.

    As for Yuan and his group, they walked around aimlessly until they found a hotel.

    "Min Li, what are you going to do now that we have arrived at Spirit Heaven?" Yuan asked her after they found a room.

    "I¡­ I don''t really know. I haven''t nned this far." She shook her head.

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    "Take your time. I am going to leave for a few days. You can stay here in the meantime."

    "Thank you, Yuan. I will forever be indebted to you."

    "Don''t even mention it. I helped you because I wanted to, not because I needed something from you. Anyways, I will see youter." Yuan logged off the game shortly after.

    Meixiu and Chu Liuxiang also logged off.

    After removing the console from his head, Yuan got off the bed and immediately started stretching his body while taking deep breaths.

    "It''s only been a week, but it feels like I haven''t seen this room for much longer." Chu Liuxiang stretched her body on the bed after logging off.

    "Huh? You also haven''t logged off this entire time?" Yuan was surprised to hear that.

    "Nope. I made sure to watch your entire trial from beginning to end, and I must say, it was a fascinating experience. You''re almost like a different person in Cultivation Online."

    "Really?"

    "I think so," she nodded.

    "Mostly your demeanor, and I think it makes you cooler."

    "Thank you, I guess¡­"

    "Anyways, I am going to take a bath before going to bed since it''s night time right now. You can join me if you want.." Chu Liuxiang said to him before entering the bathroom that was in the same room as their bedroom.

 Chapter 694 - Opened To All Players

    <h4>Chapter 694 - Opened To All yers</h4>

    "Darling, you can use the bathroom now." Chu Liuxiang left the bathroom with nothing but her towel that was loosely wrapped around her slim body.

    "I also changed the water in the bathtub for you."

    "Thank you."

    Yuan calmly entered the bathroom shortly after.

    Inside the bathroom, Yuan tossed a handful of medicine leaves into the bathtub.

    And while he waited for the water to soak the medicine, he went to take a quick shower.

    Once the bathtub was ready, Yuan entered it and began absorbing the medicine, tempering his body for the next hour.

    By the time he left the bathroom, Chu Liuxiang was already deep asleep while wearing her see-through pajamas.

    Yuan focused on her sleeping face for a moment before going to sleep himself.

    ''I wonder if they managed to trade treasures with the giants safely¡­'' He wondered about the Huang Family as he fell asleep.

    Of course, he knew that it was only a trial, but everything felt so real that he couldn''t help but think about it.

    The following morning, right as the sun peeked over the horizon, Yuan was woken up by the sound of his door being knocked on.

    Fortunately for Chu Liuxiang, she was a heavy sleeper, so it didn''t wake her up.

    "Did something happen, Jinxi?"

    Yuan already knew who was knocking on the door before even opening the door because of his Divine Sense.

    "Let''s spar," she said to him with a calm face.

    "You''re really eager today¡­" A bittersweet smile appeared on Yuan''s face.

    "Sorry, but can you give me a few more days? I don''t think I will have the energy to spar with you properly in my current state."

    He would normally be willing to train with Li Jinxi and the others, but he was just too exhausted after what he experienced in the Stairway to Heaven.

    Although she was reluctant, Li Jinxi nodded her head and said, "Fine, I will give you a few more days. I haven''t had a good training session for the past week because you had holed up in your room."

    "What about the others?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    "They''re too weak to satisfy me. Only you can satisfy me, Yuan."

    "I see¡­ Anyways, I will spar with you again in a few days after I rest up."

    "Okay. See youter." Li Jinxi left without making anymotions shortly after.

    Yuan immediately went back to his bed and fell asleep mere secondster.

    A few hourster, Yuan woke up to the smell of Meixiu''s cooking even though the kitchen was very far from his room.

    He nudged Chu Liuxiang awake and said to her once she was conscious, "Meixiu made breakfast."

    "You can go ahead without me. I''m going to skip breakfast to sleep a little longer," she said in a tired voice.

    "Okay." Yuan didn''t say anything else and went downstairs after washing his face.

    "Where''s Chu Liuxiang?" Meixiu asked him.

    "She''s sleeping in."

    "Oh! Yuan! You''re back! Congrattions on defeating the Stairway to Heaven! It''s all over the news and the forums." Wang Ming said as he sat down at the dining table.

    The other members showed up around the same time and all sat around the table.

    "How difficult were the trials?" Wang Ming asked a momentter.

    "They were pretty difficult." Yuan said, and he began recalling his experience in the Stairway to Heaven to the people at the table.

    "Wow¡­ I don''t think I would be able to do what you did if I were in your shoes. Those are some incredible feats." Shi Lang said.

    "Anyways, because you defeated the Stairway to Heaven, we can ascend without needing to wait until we''re all Spirit Grandmasters. Thank you for that, Yuan." Wang Ming said afterward.

    "Wait¡­ What did you just say?" Yuan raised his eyebrows after hearing Wang Ming''s words.

    "Hmm? Ever since your ascension, countless yers have stormed the Stairway to Heaven so that they can also ascend." Wang Ming said.

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    "What? Why would they do such a thing? One should be at least a Spirit Grandmaster before they challenge the Stairway to Heaven. These people are only wasting their time." Yuan said,pletely unaware of the situation.

    "Huh? You didn''t see the announcement?" Wang Ming looked at him with a questioning face.

    "What announcement?"

    "The one after you ascended. There were multiple announcements on that day, and one of them mentioned that the Lower Heavens and Spirit Heavens have established a connection because of your ascension, allowing all yers to ascend without restrictions."

    "Wait a second¡­ Without restrictions? Does this mean they can ascend the Stairway to Heaven without needing to do the trials?" Yuan asked with a dumbfounded look on his face.

    "That''s right. Thousands of yers have already arrived at Spirit Heaven through the Stairway to Heaven, and none of them needed to do any trials. However, the yers can only ascend. They cannot return to the Lower Heavens afterward, which is the only downside."

    Yuan was speechless after learning this information.

    Why did the Stairway to Heaven suddenly open its doors for everyone and allow all yers to ascend for free after he''s done all of the hard work? If he waited a little longer to challenge the Stairway to Heaven, would he have also been able to ascend without taking the trials? Could this be Tian''er''s doing?

    "Unbelievable¡­ I had to endure so much bullshit to ascend, but everyone could suddenly ascend without such hassles immediately afterward? There''s no way this could be a coincidence..." Yuan cursed in a low voice.

    "Wow, I think this is the first time I''ve heard you curse, Yuan. Although I understand your feelings, I also believe this to be a good thing, as it allows the yers more chances to catch up. You''re too far ahead, after all."

    "Haaaa¡­ Whatever¡­" Yuan sighed a momentter, "What''s done is already done, and it''s not like I have any control over it. Anyways, the food is getting cold. Let''s continue after breakfast."

    Thus, they stopped talking and began eating.

 Chapter 695 - Hypothetically

    <h4>Chapter 695 - Hypothetically</h4>

    After breakfast, Wang Ming asked Yuan, "What are you going to do now that you''ve ascended to the next world?"

    "I''m not sure yet. There''s so much that I could do that I don''t know where to start." Yuan shook his head.

    "Do you n on ascending again?"

    "Of course. I want to reach the highest realm there is in Cultivation Online."

    "That will probably take a few years."

    "Even then, I want to do it¡ª I have to¡­"

    Yuan then asked the others, "What about you guys? Are you still in the Lower Heavens? Do you n on ascending?"

    "I don''t know about them, but I also intend on ascending soon." Wang Ming said, and he continued, "However, I need to prepare myself before I ascend. A lot of people ascended without any preparations, and many of these yers have died shortly after arriving because they were not prepared for that ce. The monsters there are simply too powerful for them. The worst part is that they''re now stuck there without any way of returning to the Lower Heavens."

    "That makes sense, since the Spirit Heaven''s overall difficulty is higher than the Lower Heavens." Yuan said.

    "Despite that fact, there are still a lot of yers ascending." Shi Lang sighed.

    "These yers are so greedy for resources that they are blinded by the reality that most of them won''t even be able to leave the city without getting killed by monsters that are far above their level."

    "Anyways, I will also ascend once I finish preparing myself. Ever since I joined the faction and started living here, I have been spending more time in Cultivation Online."

    "I''ve also started ying more. After morning training and breakfast, I spend the rest of the day in Cultivation Online." Wang Bingbing nodded.

    Everyone there shared the same sentiment.

    Hearing their words, Yuan then said, "If any of you need cultivation techniques, I can help you out. There''s this ce called Myriad of Techniques, and because of my connection with them, I can acquire a number of free cultivation techniques every year. Just let me know whenever you arrive in Spirit Heaven. I don''t think I will be ascending anytime soon."

    "Really? That''s great¡ª No, that''s amazing! If you can sell some of these techniques, you''ll be rich in no time!" Wang Ming eximed.

    "Sell them?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    He recalled the person working at the Myriad of Techniques telling him that he could sell the techniques if he wishes, and since he''s low on money, this could easily be a great money maker.

    Furthermore, he managed to rank up his faction recently after ying the Blood Sect.

    "I will give the Myriad of Techniques a visitter." Yuan decided a momentter.

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    Everyone went back to their own rooms shortly after.

    "Meixiu, what are you going to do now?" Yuan asked her as they walked to their rooms, as their rooms are located right next to each other.

    "I am very close to reaching the third level of Spirit Warrior, so I am going to try and breakthrough by this week," she said.

    "I see¡­ Good luck. If you need anything, let me know." Yuan nodded.

    "I will see youter." He said to her once they arrived at their rooms.

    "Wait a moment, Yuan." Meixiu suddenly stopped him.

    "Umm¡­ It''s been a while since I¡­ you know¡­ ''relieved'' you¡­ How are you feeling?" She asked him with a slightly bashful face.

    "Now that you mention it, we haven''t had any chance to be alone since Lulu showed up." Yuan realized this just now.

    "Well¡­ She''s still asleep, right? We have some time right now if you want to do it¡­"

    After a moment of silence, Meixiu eventually realized how eager she was¡ª even a little desperate to help relieve Yuan, so she took a step back and said, "A-Actually, forget it¡­"

    She quickly opened the door to her room and tried to run away, but Yuan suddenly grabbed her hand and stopped her from escaping.

    "Let''s do it. I don''t have anything else to do now, anyway," he said in a calm voice.

    Yuan entered the room with Meixiu a momentter.

    After locking the door, Meixiu said, "I will wash your back first."

    "Okay." He nodded.

    Sometimeter, Yuan sat on a small chair in the bathroom while Meixiu rinsed his body with warm water.

    Once she began washing his back, Meixiu spoke in a gentle voice, "Yuan, how do you feel about Lulu?"

    "What do you mean?"

    "She wants to start a family with you, you know?"

    "Yes, I know. She seems very eager to do so."

    "How do you feel about that? Will you start a family with her?"

    Yuan smiled and said, "You know, even back at the orphanage, she loved to y ''pretend family'' with me. She would be the mother, and I was the father. We mostly yed alone, but there were times when other kids joined, and Lulu would always make them our children, regardless if they were younger or older than us."

    "I never really thought about it back then since we were still too young, but I knew that she really wanted her own family in the future."

    "Although we haven''t seen each other for over a decade, she''s still the same Lulu that I knew from the orphanage. If she really wants to start a family with me¡­ I probably wouldn''t mind it." Yuan said in a calm voice.

    Meixiu subconsciously bit her lips, and she could feel a sharp pain in her heart after hearing his answer.

    "I-I see¡­" She mumbled in a low voice and wouldn''t say another word for the next minute.

    After a long minute of awkward silence, Meixiu eventually opened her mouth again.

    "Yuan¡­ Hypothetically, if I also wanted to start a family with you, what would you do?"

    Meixiu could feel her heart trying to burst out of her chest after muttering these words that required all of her courage.

    "Eh¡­?"

    Yuan was left speechless by her sudden question, and his mind immediately began scrambling for an answer.

 Chapter 696 - Meixius Commitment

    <h4>Chapter 696 - Meixiu''s Commitment</h4>

    After a long moment of silence, Yuan sighed with a bittersweet smile on his face, "Asking me to choose between you or Lulu isn''t fair, Meixiu. You''re both equally important to me, so I don''t know what to say."

    Yuan chose his words wisely so that he doesn''t have to pick one and upset the other.

    However, Meixiu wasn''t satisfied with such an answer and continued to push him, "That doesn''t answer my question. You can either pick one of us¡­ or decide to not pick either of us¡­"

    "..."

    Yuan retreated into silence once again.

    Seeing this, Meixiu mustered her courage again before speaking, "Yuan¡­ After separating with you because of what was happening at the Jaded Garden, I realized how much I hated it¡ª being separated from you, that is."

    "I was also worried that I would lose you to the demon, and the thought of losing you forever nearly drove me crazy¡­"

    She took a deep breath and continued, "I''m not asking you to abandon Lulu and choose only me, but I don''t want you to leave me. You know, Lulu told me that she wouldn''t mind sharing you with others as long as she could remain by your side."

    "I didn''t understand her feelings back then, and I even found it quite abnormal. However, I am starting to understand her feelings now. As long as I get to stay by your side, I don''t care if you choose to start a family with Lulu or whoever."

    "You want me to start a family with you and Lulu? Can I do something like that? How does it even work?" Yuan asked after hearing her words.

    "It''s definitely umon, but it''s not impossible. I think the most important thing is that we alle to an agreement. As long as we are all okay with it, it should work out." Meixiu said.

    And she continued in a low voice, "Lulu has already given her approval, and I am now giving you my approval, so it''s all up to you now, Yuan."

    Yuan began pondering Meixiu''s words in silence.

    Meanwhile, Meixiu started working on the front of his body.

    However, since Yuan was busy pondering for an answer, there was no response between his legs.

    After a moment of silence, Yuan spoke in a sincere voice, "If I can really start a family with you and Lulu and make the both of you happy at the same time, there''s no way that I could refuse."

    "Eh¡­?"

    Meixiu stopped washing his body to stare at him with a dazed face.

    "D-Does that mean¡­"

    "Yes, I would love to start a family with you and Lulu," he gave her a clear answer with a smile on his face.

    Meixiu''s body trembled upon hearing his words, and an uncontroble urge to embrace Yuan rushed into her head.

    She then held onto Yuan''s face with her soapy hands and gave him a sudden kiss on the lips.

    "Meixiu¡­?" Yuan mumbled her name in a low and surprised tone.

    "Yuan¡­ Can you wait for me outside after I rinse your body?" She suddenly said in a bashful voice.

    And before Yuan could even respond, she continued, "You don''t have to put on your clothes."

    Although Yuan was puzzled by her request, he didn''t refuse and nodded his head.

    Meixiu proceeded to rinse his body with warm water inplete silence before sending him outside.

    Yuan began waiting outside with nothing but a towel around his body while Meixiu started washing her body in the bathroom, and she was incredibly thorough when cleaning, making sure that her body was sparkling clean.

    ''Am I really going to go through with this¡­?'' Meixiu asked herself while she was still inside the bathroom.

    ''This uncontroble urge that I am feeling now¡­ Did I get it from my mother?''

    ''If I do this today, we can never go back¡­''

    ''Despite my seemingly rash and bold decision, my mind is clearer than it has ever been at this moment¡­''

    ''I¡­ want to be with him. I want to stay by his side¡­ forever.''

    After spending a little over five minutes inside the bathroom, Meixiu walked out of the bathroom with nothing but a towel wrapped around her body just like Yuan.

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    "Sorry for the wait, Yuan," she said aftering out.

    "Don''t mind it, but what are we doing?"

    "..."

    After a moment of silence, Meixiu spoke, "I''m going to relieve you now, but it''s going to be a little different than usual."

    "Different? How?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    "You said you''d start a family with me, right?"

    "Yes." Yuan confirmed.

    "Well¡­ I am going to teach you how to start a family¡­" Meixiu said with a flushed face.

    "Now?"Yuan asked.

    "Y-You don''t want to? W-We can do this another time if you want¡­"

    Yuan could hear a hint of fear within Meixiu''s trembling voice, almost as though she was afraid that he''d refuse.

    "No, we can do it now," he suddenly said in a clear voice.

    Although he wasn''t sure what he was getting himself into, he knew very clearly that Meixiu was anxious about it and that he would hurt her if he refused.

    "Are you sure¡­?"

    Yuan nodded with a gentle smile on his face, "If you''re sure, then I am also sure."

    Thud.

    A soft noise suddenly resounded.

    Yuan immediately realized what caused that noise just now because he''d heard a simr sound when he was alone with Haung Xiao Li during the second trial.

    And sure enough, when he used his divine sense to look at Meixiu, she waspletely naked with her towel on the floor.

    ''Oh¡­''

    It was at this moment Yuan finally realized what they were about to do¡ª that they were going to make love to each other.

    Even with his innocent mind, he knew what it meant to make love, especially after regaining some of his past memories.

    However, oddly enough, he couldn''t feel what he felt with Huang Xiao Li. He didn''t reject the idea of making love with Meixiu.

    In fact, his body immediately began reacting to the sight of Meixiu''s naked body, and a bulge appeared in the middle of his towel.

    "Yuan¡­"

    Seeing his body''s reaction, Meixiu released a sigh of relief inwardly, and she began approaching him.

    She opened her arms and embraced him a momentter, and they both fell onto the bed.

    "Yuan¡­ This¡­ This is mymitment to you¡­ My love for you¡­" Meixiu whispered in a low voice before she kissed him on the bed.

 Chapter 697 - Making Love (18+)

    <h4>Chapter 697 - Making Love (18+)</h4>

    Reader''s discretion is advised. Mature content ahead.

    ¡ª

    Meixiu''s locked bedroom was dimly lit with the only light source being the sunlight that peeked through the closed curtains, and currently inside this room, Yuan was lying on the bed with Meixiu lying on his bare chest.

    The two of them had been kissing each other for a while now, albeit amateurish, it was more than enough for them to express their feelings for each other.

    "What should I do now?" Yuan asked in a low voice after they stopped kissing.

    "You don''t need to do anything, just lie down and let me do everything. This is also a lesson, after all," she responded in a simrly low voice.

    However, Meixiu was no longer feeling nervous and bashful, and it was Yuan who was feeling such emotions, almost as though she''d transferred all of these feelings to Yuan through kissing.

    Meixiu suddenly began to kiss his body, slowly moving down with every kiss. And while she was doing that, she was also recalling what her mother taught her.

    Even though she had no experience in this sort of thing, Meifeng had made sure to drill enough information into her head through videos and books to make sure that she would satisfy Yuan properly when the time came, and that time is now.

    Once Meixiu reached the lower parts of Yuan''s body, she used her hand to slow stroke the throbbing rod between Yuan''s legs, and it felt hotter than usual, most likely because it has been a while since he wasst relieved.

    Meanwhile, Yuan watched Meixiu''s every movement through his divine sense while being absorbed in this tingling sensation that was making his body filled with excitement, and it was a type of excitement that was different from what he was used to.

    And since he was using divine sense, he was able to see every inch of Meixiu''s perfect body.

    Suddenly, Meixiu changed her movements, and both of Yuan''s eyebrows lifted with surprise when Meixiu unexpectedly opened her mouth and ced his rod inside.

    This was a revtion for Yuan, who could''ve never expected that Meixiu would do such a thing.

    However, he didn''t utter a single word, as the sensation of Meixiu''s mouth was heavenly, especially when she started moving her head in a graceful manner, leaving him speechless.

    Yuan quickly reached his limit within minutes.

    "M-Meixiu¡­ I-I am about to¡­" He quickly warned her.

    She stopped for a moment to speak, "It''s okay, you can release it inside my mouth. It''s not going to be easy cleaning it if it gets onto the bed sheets."

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    Yuan wanted to ask her if it was really okay, but he could no longer hold it anymore and climaxed inside her mouth the next moment.

    Meixiu could feel a load of hot liquid gush inside her mouth, quickly filling it, but she managed to keep it from overflowing.

    Once she was certain that Yuan had emptied himself, she removed her mouth from his rod and swallowed it like a champion.

    "Y-You swallowed it?" Yuan asked her in a dazed voice.

    Meixiu nodded with a slight blush, and she said, "It''s a little sweet¡­"

    Her response left Yuan speechless once again, and he wasn''t sure if he really needed to learn such information about himself.

    "Looks like you can still continue." Meixiu pointed at his rod that remained standing tall even after his climax.

    "Let''s move onto the main part of starting a family then, shall we."

    Yuan silently nodded his head, and he could only imagine what would happen next.

    Seeing his response, Meixiu climbed on Yuan''s body and positioned herself directly on top of his rod.

    "Are you ready? This is how people make babies and start a family," she said to him.

    "Eh? Are we really going to make babies right now?" Yuan asked.

    "I-I think it''s still too early for us to actually start a family¡­" She said.

    "Then do we really have to do this?"

    "People do this not only to make babies, Yuan. There are many reasons why people do this, and making babies is merely one of them. Another reason people do this is to show their love for each other. I love you, Yuan, hence why I want to do this with you¡­"

    "But if you don''t want to do this, then¡ª"

    "No, let''s do it." Yuan quickly responded.

    Meixiu didn''t say anything else and nodded her head.

    She began lowering her body the next moment, slowly inserting Yuan''s rod inside her body.

    "Y-You''re bleeding! Are you okay?!" Yuan eximed in a low voice when he noticed blood flowing from where Meixiu was inserting his rod, and she even had a painful expression on her face.

    "Y-Yes, I am fine. This will happen when a woman does it for the first time, so this will only happen once in my life¡­"

    Meixiu eventually epted all of Yuan inside her body. Although it was incredibly painful for her, she couldn''t be any happier at this moment, as she''d dreamed of this exact moment for many years.

    "I am going to move now."

    Once she wasfortable, Meixiu began moving her body slowly.

    The moment Meixiu started moving her body, Yuan felt as though someone had dumped a bucket of cold water inside his head, making his mind go nk, and the only thing he could feel was the warmth of Meixiu''s body rubbing against him.

    Just moments ago, he believed that nothing could beat the sensation of Meixiu''s mouth, but she''d proved him wrong.

    If Meixiu''s mouth felt heavenly, then her body could only be described as otherworldly. It was unlike anything Yuan had experienced before.

    Eventually, Yuan could no longer just lie still on the bed, and he also began moving his body.

    "That''s right¡­ Yuan¡­ T-This is¡­ what it¡­ means to¡­ make love¡­" Meixiu could barely speak properly, as she was trying her best to not make too much noises, fearing that they could be overheard by someone outside.

    Thus, the two of them continued to make love to each other until Yuan had to climax again many minutester.

    "Meixiu, I am going to release it again!" Yuan said to her.

    "W-Wait! Don''t release it inside¡ª"

    However, Yuan had already begun his climax before Meixiu even uttered her first word.

    "¡ªme¡­" Meixiu finished her sentence in a dazed voice as Yuan''s hot stuff gushed inside her body.

    "Eh? I wasn''t supposed to do that?" Yuan asked in an innocent voice after he released everything into her, leaving Meixiu speechless.

 Chapter 698 - Convenience Store

    <h4>Chapter 698 - Convenience Store</h4>

    "Yuan¡­ For further references, if you do not n on impregnating the person you''re making love to, you shouldn''t release your stuff inside them because that''s how you actually make babies¡­ And idents like that can cause a lot of trouble for you and your partner..." Meixiu didn''t know whether tough or cry at her predicament.

    "D-Does that mean we''re going to have a baby soon¡­? I''m sorry¡­" Yuan immediately felt bad about his actions, especially since Meixiu had specifically said that she didn''t want a baby now.

    "Well, it is also my fault for not exining things to you before we did it. I guess I was also a little impatient¡­"

    "You''re not angry?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    "No, I''m not." Meixiu shook her head.

    And she continued, "Furthermore, it''s not like I am guaranteed to have a baby just because you released it inside once. There are also things I can do to prevent it, such as taking birth control pills. They''re incredibly effective ording to my mother."

    "I-If you say so¡­"

    Meixiu looked at Yuan''s body a momentter and couldn''t help but smile.

    "You still have energy to continue? Is it because you''re a cultivator, or is it just your body that''s vigorous?" She wondered out loud.

    "I don''t know¡­" Yuan responded honestly.

    "Do you want to continue?" Meixiu suddenly asked.

    "I-I do!" He eagerly nodded.

    And the two of them continued making love to each other for 3 more hours.

    Once they were fully satisfied, Meixiu took Yuan into the bathroom to wash his body again.

    "Yuan¡­ Please keep what happened today a secret from the others, especially Yu Rou¡­ Who knows how she''ll react if she finds out what we did¡­" Meixiu said to him as she washed his body.

    "Don''t worry, my lips are sealed." Yuan said with a smile.

    In fact, he''s had a smile on his face for the past three hours.

    "Okay, you''re clean. You can leave after putting your clothes on. I will clean everything up." Meixiu said after rinsing his body.

    Yuan nodded, and as he dried his body with a towel, he asked her, "Meixiu¡­ Do you think we can do this again in the future?"

    Meixiu was left speechless for a good moment by his question.

    "I-If we get the chance¡­" She nodded in a bashful manner.

    Now that she''s released all of her passion in bed and is no longer hot-headed, Meixiu remembered what embarrassment is and returns to her quiet nature.

    Yuan left Meixiu''s room after putting his clothes back on and returned to his own room shortly after.

    "She''s still asleep? It is almost noon¡­" Yuan was amazed by Chu Liuxiang''s ability to sleep for so long.

    He didn''t want to disturb Chu Liuxiang, so he went to the balcony to cultivate.

    And to his absolute surprise, it suddenly became much easier to cultivate for some reason. He was absorbing an abundant amount of spiritual energy with barely any effort, and the spiritual energy flowing through his spiritual veins was traveling at a much quicker speed.

    It was almost as though he''d consumed a priceless treasure, but he doesn''t recall using any recently.

    Yuan didn''t know this at the time, but his talents had actually increased after making love with Meixiu, who had a divine body and was also a maiden.

    Meanwhile, Meixiu also left her room after cleaning her body.

    In fact, she left the house altogether, and in her hand was a piece of paper that had a map of the Dragon Spiral Mountain.

    After looking at the map for a bit, she found the convenience store which was only a few minutes away from their residence.

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    In order to make things convenient for its residents, the Dragon Spiral Mountain has multiple convenience stores around the mountain so the residents could purchase fresh groceries without needing to leave the mountain and travel to a city.

    Meixiu expected the convenience store to be a small building, but to her surprise, it was actually the size of a small mall that had multiple floors and stores inside.

    The only difference between this mall and the malls in the cities is that this mall waspletely empty, and Meixiu felt like she was alone in her own world.

    After looking around on the first floor, Meixiu found the store she was looking for and went inside.

    "Wee¡ª! Oh? I haven''t seen you before. Are you new here?"

    There was a beautiful woman at the register that greeted Meixiu the moment she walked inside.

    "Yes." Meixiu nodded.

    "How long have you been living here?"

    "About a week."

    "I see, I see. And what are you looking for today?"

    Meixiu looked around to make sure nobody else was there.

    "It''s okay, we are alone here." The woman smiled at her actions, finding it cute.

    "T-Then can I get some birth control pills?" Meixiu said in a low voice.

    The woman''s eyes widened with surprise after hearing Meixiu''s needs. It was truly way out of her expectations.

    She suddenly chuckled and said, "Your boyfriend is a very lucky man to have a beautiful youngdy like you. How many pills do you want? A single box canst you a month."

    "Just a box is fine," Meixiu quickly replied.

    "I understand. What about some rubber? You want those for your boyfriend as well?"

    "Rubber?" Meixiu raised her eyebrows.

    "Condoms. This way, you won''t need to continuously take pills. However, your boyfriend might not like using them, and it won''t feel as good when you do it." The woman gave her a detailed exnation.

    "Oh¡­" Meixiu went silent for a moment before speaking, "It''s okay¡­ I will just take the pills."

    "You got it! Don''t worry, I also prefer it without the rubber." The woman chuckled again.

    She reached under her counter and retrieved a box.

    "Take one pill a day for the next four weeks until you run out, and make sure you don''t miss any days, or the pills won''t be as effective. Trust me, you don''t want that. Once you only have a week of supplies left, you shoulde back for more just in case you cannot buy more for whatever reason."

    "Okay. How much for it?"

    "Hmm? It''s free. In fact, everything in this mall is free. You didn''t know that?" The woman said.

    Meixiu shook her head and she asked, "Then why are you working here?"

    "I''m just here for customer service."

    "I see¡­"

    "Here, let me bag it up for you."

    The woman then wrapped the birth control pills with ck wrappings so that nobody can tell what is inside without opening it.

    "Thank you."

    "See you next month!" The woman waved goodbye at Meixiu with a bright smile on her face.

    After leaving the store, Meixiu decided to stock up on groceries since she was already there.

    Once Meixiu returned to her own room, she took her first birth control pill before hiding the rest under her mattress on the bed.

    "I can''t believe I am actually taking birth control pills¡­" Meixiu mumbled to herself.

    Sheid on her bed that still lingered with Yuan''s fragrance a momentter, making it feel like he was still in the room.

    "Yuan¡­" Meixiu closed her eyes and spent the rest of the day recalling their intimate experience.

 Chapter 699 - Until The End Of The Month

    <h4>Chapter 699 - Until The End Of The Month</h4>

    "Mmm¡­" Chu Liuxiang woke up from her long slumber when it was almost evening.

    After stretching her body on the bed, she sat up and looked around the dark room with a dazed face.

    She quickly noticed Yuan, who was still cultivating in the balcony.

    After staring at Yuan''s figure for a couple of moments, she got off the bed and went inside the bathroom to wash her face.

    As she walked out of the bathroom, she noticed her cell phone ringing.

    "Father? I wonder what he wants¡­"

    Chu Liuxiang answered the call after realizing who the caller was.

    "Hello? Father? Did something happen?"

    "My dear daughter¡­ When do you n on letting us know that you have returned to the mountain?" Chu Shijian''s sighing voice resounded through the phone.

    "Oh, Ipletely forgot. Sorry, father. I nned on calling you once I settled in this ce, but I had spent the past week inside Cultivation Online." Chu Liuxiang said.

    "Cultivation Online? You never showed interest in that game before. In fact, you even refused to y it after trying it out for a few days." Her father said in a surprised voice.

    "Well, I didn''t have Yuan by my side before, and I had no reason to y. Things are different now that we''re ying together. The game seems so much more intriguing when I follow himpared to ying with the family."

    "Yuan¡­ I heard about his most recent achievement. He''d opened a floodgate to the next realm for all yers."

    "And I was there to witness everything from the beginning to end! If you were there to witness his trials and what he had to endure, you would admire him even more!" Chu Liuxiang said in a somewhat proud voice.

    "..."

    After a moment of silence, Chu Shijian asked her, "When do you n oning back to the family? You''re already back in the Dragon Spiral Mountain, so you might as welle back to us now."

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    Chu Liuxiang quickly responded, "On the contrary, father, now that I have returned to the mountain, I can stay with Yuan as long as I want since I am, technically, already home."

    "You¡­ Aiya¡­ Forget it. I will give you until the end of the month with him."

    "W-Wait¡ª!"

    However, Chu Shijian hung up the phone before she could even respond.

    Chu Liuxiang stared at her phone in a dazed manner.

    "Until the end of the month¡­" she mumbled to herself.

    She looked at the calendar a momentter only to realize that she has less than three weeks left before the Chu Family starts making things difficult for her and Yuan if she doesn''t return.

    "Were you talking to someone just now?" Yuan''s voice suddenly resounded as he returned to the room after he ended his cultivation.

    "I was just speaking to my father on the phone¡­" She sighed.

    "I see¡­ Did something happen to your father? You seem down¡­"

    "That''s because he wants me to return to the family, and he has given me until the end of the month to return¡­" She said with a bittersweet smile.

    "Oh¡­ But your family also lives on the mountain, right? I don''t think it''s going to be that bad, since we''re basically neighbors."

    Chu Liuxiang shook her head, "It''s not that simple. Once I return to the family, they will most likely start arranging my future and forbid me from leaving the house. By the time I am allowed to leave, I would already be married to someone chosen by my family, and I would most likely have to leave this ce."

    Yuan frowned when he heard this even though he''s already heard simr words from Sebastian back at the Jaded Garden.

    "Are you okay with that?" Yuan asked her after a moment of silence.

    "Of course not! My desire is to start a family with you! You should already know that!" She quickly refuted.

    "But does your family know that?"

    "..."

    Chu Liuxiang didn''t immediately respond this time because she has never mentioned it to her family.

    "No¡­" She eventually muttered in a low voice.

    "Then you should let them know your feelings."

    "That won''t do anything. They will simply refuse and do as they please, anyway. That''s just how the Chu Family operates."

    "You won''t know for certain until you do it. Don''t worry, even if they refuse, they can''t force you to do something that you don''t want, because I will be there for you." Yuan smiled.

    "Really?"

    He nodded and said, "One thing that I cannot stand is when a family forces their own children, adopted or not, to do things against their will, as I have experienced first-hand how horrible that feels."

    "If the Chu Family still refuses to listen, then I will forcefully take you away from them just like how I took Min Li from her family."

    "You promise?"

    "Yes, I promise."

    Sometimeter, Yuan and Chu Liuxiang went downstairs for dinner, but to their surprise, dinner wasn''t prepared, and Meixiu was nowhere to be seen.

    "Did Meixiu forget to cook dinner? How rare¡­" Wang Ming said when he arrived at the dining room and saw the empty table.

    "It''s only been a week since we''ve started living together and it already feels off when she misses a single meal. I think we''re relying on her too much." Wang Bingbing said.

    "I will go check up on her just in case." Yuan said to them.

    He arrived at her room a few minutester and knocked on her door.

    "Meixiu, are you in there?"

    The door opened a momentter and Meixiu came outside while wearing her pajamas.

    "Did something happen?" she asked him.

    "I was about to ask you the same¡­ Everyone is wondering about dinner."

    It was at this moment that Meixiu realized she''d forgotten about dinner.

    "I forgot about dinner¡­ Sorry."

    "It''s okay, you don''t need to apologize. But what should we do about dinner now?"

    Meixiu pondered for a moment before speaking, "Well, there''s this convenience store a few minutes away, and they have a couple of restaurants there. Maybe we can eat out today."

    "That sounds great. I will tell the others, you can take your time.." Yuan said before returning to the dining room to let the others know of the situation.

 Chapter 700 - Plans For Tomorrow

    <h4>Chapter 700 - ns For Tomorrow</h4>

    After she fixed her appearance and dressed appropriately, Meixiu went outside to find Yuan and the others.

    "Sorry for this¡­ I lost track of time and forgot about dinner." Meixiu apologized to the others.

    "Don''t worry about it. It''s not even your obligation to cook for us, so we cannotin even if you decide to stop cooking for us." Wang Bingbing said to her.

    "My sister''s right. If you need a break, just let us know. We can take care of our own dinner," said Wang Ming.

    "By the way, who knew there were restaurants on this mountain? I wasn''t aware of their existence until Meixiu mentioned it and I looked it up." Shi Lang said.

    "I was also surprised by this information." Xi Murong agreed.

    "I saw a tall building on our way to the mansion. Perhaps that''s where they are located," Wu Zao recalled seeing a mall.

    "Yes, that''s the ce." Meixiu confirmed.

    "There are other stores besides restaurants there, such as a convenience store, and even clothing stores, just like a real mall."

    "I was also told by a worker there that everything inside the mall is free."

    "What? Really? That sounds too good to be true." Wang Ming said.

    "Does it? If you think about it, we paid four billion dors for a house here. That''s more than enough to buy multiple malls, not to mention our ridiculous property tax." Wang Bingbing said.

    "That doesn''t sound like a good idea, though. What if someone decides to take everything in the store? They can make decent money from doing that if they wished." Hong Xiuquan asked.

    "That won''t happen." Chu Liuxiang said.

    "I have lived here for over a decade, and there has been no such case. First of all, everybody living in this ce is so rich that they don''t really need any more money, so they wouldn''t go through the hassle of selling things from the mall. Secondly, it would ruin their dignity and face if word gets out, and nothing is more important than face in a society like this."

    "Lastly, if you abuse the mountain''s generosity, they can easily take it away from you. Nobody dares to offend the Lord of this mountain, who can evict anybody living in this mountain even if they''re permanent residents."

    "I have heard of this Lord a couple of times now, but I couldn''t find any information about him. Have you seen the lord before, Miss Chu?" Wang Ming asked her.

    She shook her head, "No, I have not. In fact, I don''t think my parents have seen him before either. He''s just that mysterious and seclusive."

    "Rumor is that he''s a powerful cultivator who has surpassed the limits of what a human can achieve, but we probably won''t ever learn the legitimacy of such rumors," Chu Liuxiang shrugged.

    "Surpassed human limits¡­" Yuan mumbled to himself, and his interest¡ª curiosity for this Lord reached a new level.

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    After arriving at the mall, they all agreed on a restaurant and went inside for dinner.

    Sometimeter, Yuan and the others left the restaurant after dinner, but they didn''t immediately go back home.

    Instead, they hung around the mall for another hour like a group of friends after a long day at school.

    "Wow, these clothes are all brand names. The Lord of the mountain is truly a generous fellow to be giving out these expensive clothes for free!" Wang Bingbing was surprised by what she saw in the mall.

    Most of the clothes found inside the mall were designer clothes that can cost thousands of dors each.

    Purses, shoes, perfumes, sport equipment, fishing gear, weapons, armor¡ª they could find almost anything inside this mall with most of the items being luxury goods.

    After their tour around the mall ended, Yuan and the others returned home.

    "I am definitely going to return to that mall tomorrow, and I am going to take my time." Wang Bingbing dered as they approached the entrance to their home.

    "I''m also going to go backter. I saw a few things that attracted my interest, and I want to take a closer look at them." Wang Ming agreed.

    "They had a pretty nice collection of fans in one of the stores there." Wu Zao said.

    Almost everyone there wanted to return to the mall after seeing what it had to offer.

    "Goodnight, everyone."

    "Goodnight."

    They returned to their own rooms shortly after.

    "You look like you had fun tonight." Chu Liuxiang said to Yuan as they walked back to their room.

    "Of course. I did not have any friends back then¡ªnot that I would have the time or opportunity to hang out like we did today even if I had friends."

    "I can rte to that." Chu Liuxiang said.

    And she continued, "We should go back as well¡ª just the two of us. It''ll be like a date!"

    Yuan nodded.

    "Goodnight, Meixiu." Yuan said to her, who was following behind them because her room was in the same direction.

    "Goodnight." Meixiu nodded before going inside her room.

    "What are you going to do tomorrow?" Chu Liuxiang asked him in bed as they prepared to sleep.

    "A few things, actually. After morning training with Li Jinxi and the others, I am going to enter Cultivation Online and visit the Myriad of Techniques to see if my new faction rank changed anything. Then I am going to look for an auction house to sell all of the treasures I picked up from the Blood Sect and the Gu Family¡­ Oh, right, I have to find an Array Master to remove the seals of their previous owners before I can take out the treasures to sell."

    "I see¡­ Well, wake me up when you do so I don''t sleep through it! I also want to be there with you tomorrow!"

    "You can still sleep that much after sleeping for the entire day?" Yuan was baffled by her ability to sleep.

    If Yuan''s talent is to eat a lot of food, Chu Liuxiang''s talent is to sleep a lot. Fortunately for them, their talents are separated in two different bodies, or it would be quite disastrous for their health and future if all they do is eat and sleep all day.

    "Goodnight, darling." Chu Liuxiang gave him a quick kiss on the cheeks before submerging herself under the nkets.

    "Goodnight, Lulu¡­"

 Chapter 701 - Spirit Heavens Sudden Increase In Population

    <h4>Chapter 701 - Spirit Heaven''s Sudden Increase In Poption</h4>

    The following morning, Yuan woke up earlier than anticipated and decided to let Chu Liuxiang sleep a little longer while he went to train with the others.

    "I thought you needed a few days to rest." Li Jinxi said to him when he arrived.

    "I guess I didn''t need that much time to rest, after all."

    Li Jinxi had noints, and the two of them began sparring with each other until it was time for breakfast.

    Yuan returned to his room to wake Chu Liuxiang up before entering the bathroom for a quick shower.

    Once they were prepared, they went downstairs and into the dining room together.

    Of course, breakfast was already prepared by Meixiu by the time they arrived.

    "Meixiu, we can hire someone to cook for us instead if you want. I feel bad for letting you spoil us." Wang Bingbing said to her.

    "I don''t mind it, really. I consider cooking as a hobby, and I really do enjoy cooking for everyone," she said.

    Wang Bingbing smiled and said, "You''re not only pretty but also hard working and great with housework. You''ll be a great wife in the future, and your future husband is definitely one lucky man."

    "Thank you¡­" Meixiu responded with a slight blush on her face.

    When Wang Bingbing mentioned her future husband, all of the men in the room nced at Yuan, who already had his mouth full of food.

    If it wasn''t so painfully obvious that Meixiu and Yuan shared a special connection, they would have definitely tried to approach her as a potential partner.

    After all, Meixiu is an incredibly charming youngdy. It would only be natural for the others to be attracted to her.

    The same could be said for Chu Liuxiang, but it was clear to the others that she only has Yuan in her eyes.

    Thus, these young men could only try their luck elsewhere.

    After breakfast, everyone returned to their room.

    "We''re going to visit the Myriad of Techniques today. Do you want toe with us?" Yuan asked Meixiu as they walked to their rooms.

    "I couldn''t cultivate yesterday, so I n on doing that today," she shook her head.

    "Okay."

    "Good luck."

    "You too."

    Once Yuan entered his room, he and Chu Liuxiang logged into Cultivation Online.

    "Good morning, Brother Yuan." Xiao Hua and the others greeted them.

    "Morning."

    "Have you figured out what you want to do now, Young Master?" Feng Yuxiang asked him.

    "Yes, I am going to give the Myriad of Techniques a visit today."

    He then turned to look at Min Li and asked her, "What about you? Have you figured out your ns yet?"

    She shook her head and sighed, "I''m actually still trying to ept the reality that I am really in Spirit Heaven. However, I am probably going to join a sect and start from there."

    "Speaking of sect¡­ Did you tell the Dragon Essence Temple that you were leaving?" Yuan suddenly asked.

    "Uhh¡­" Min Li stared at him with a dumbfounded face.

    Clearly, she didn''t tell the sect.

    "Actually, I am still a disciple at the Dragon Essence Temple since I didn''t expect to ascend when I was called back home, but there''s nothing I can do now that I am here. They will most likely visit the Min Family when I don''t return to the sect after some time and learn the truth¡­ hopefully."

    "Until I am ready to move on, I hope you don''t mind if I continue following you, Yuan."

    He nodded, "I understand. You can follow me for as long as you need."

    "Thank you."

    Yuan and the others left the hotel shortly after to look for the Myriad of Techniques.

    "Wow, there''s a lot of people in the city today." Feng Yuxiang immediately noticed the sudden increase in poption within the city.

    "They must be the yers that rushed to the Stairway to Heaven¡­" Chu Liuxiang said to Yuan.

    "Most likely." He agreed with her.

    A lot of the yers there stuck out like a sore thumb because of their unnatural demeanor and otherworldly aura that was a stark contrast to the natives in the cultivation world.

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    However, as yers slowly get used to the cultivation world and its nature in the future, they will definitely be harder to identify.

    As for Yuan, he haspletely adapted to the cultivation world. From his appearance to his aura¡ª it was almost as though he has belonged in this world since the beginning.

    "Hey, Yuan. I wonder if this world is in shock right now because of the rush. If you think about it, there''s nothing natural about thousands of yers suddenly ascending from the Lower Heavens." Chu Liuxiang suddenly said.

    Yuan immediately began pondering, "Now that you mention it¡­ I wonder how this world is reacting and dealing with the current situation."

    Of course, the Spirit Heaven is inplete chaos at this moment.

    The people that were there when Yuan ascended to this world believed that he was a peerless genius when he showed up with Chu Liuxiang and the others, but when more yers suddenly started showing up in groups, they began to doubt their own judgement.

    When news spread that thousands of people had ascended on the same day, the people of this world wondered if something had happened to the Stairway to Heaven.

    After all, most of these people that came out of the Stairway to Heaven and entered their world from the Lower Heavens were only Spirit Apprentices, and nobody believed for a second that a Spirit Apprentice could possibly climb the Stairway to Heaven, much less thousands of them at once.

    Therefore, they could onlye to the conclusion that the Stairway to Heaven is broken, hence their current situation.

    However, there was nothing the natives of this world could do but let the yers swarm their world.. At the end of the day, the yers have already ascended, and it was not as though they could force the yers to go back to the Lower Heavens.

 Chapter 702 - Free Divine-Rank Technique

    <h4>Chapter 702 - Free Divine-Rank Technique</h4>

    After leaving the hotel, Yuan and the others wandered around the city asking the pedestrians if there was a Myriad of Techniques in the city while trying their best to avoid the yers.

    After half an hour of speaking to random people, they eventually found the right person to speak with.

    "Yes, the Myriad of Techniques should be five blocks down that direction."

    "Thank you!"

    Once Yuan had the directions, they immediately made their way to the store.

    "Wee to the Myriad of Techniques. If this is your first time at our store, please put your hand on this crystal ball." A woman that Yuan didn''t recognize greeted them at the entrance.

    ''It''s a different person again¡­ How often do they change out the workers here?'' Yuan wondered to himself.

    Chu Liuxiang ced her hands on the crystal ball since this is her first time at the store.

    And sure enough, just like everyone that follows Yuan, she had a heavenly destiny.

    "A heavenly destiny!" The woman was surprised to see the results.

    "Congrattions! You can ess the first and second floor of the store!"

    Min Li touched the crystal ball next.

    "You have a minor destiny. You may ess the first floor." The woman said after looking at her results.

    ''A minor destiny?'' Yuan raised his eyebrows, as he''d expected Min Li to have a heavenly destiny just like everyone else.

    However, unbeknownst to Yuan, Min Li was born without even a minor destiny. It was only after she met him that her destiny had changed from having no destiny to a minor destiny, which is an extremely rare urrence.

    After they entered the store, Yuan said to the others, "I am going to speak with the person working at the front desk. If you guys want to look at techniques while I am away, go ahead."

    "I don''t really care about the techniques, so I am going to continue follow you." Chu Liuxiang said.

    "I will do the same as well." Min Li said.

    Yuan already knew Feng Yuxiang and the others'' response, so he didn''t ask them.

    Sometimeter, he arrived at the front desk, where a familiar face was working.

    "You''re still working here?" Yuan was surprised to see the same young man from all of his previous visits.

    "Hmm? Oh! Esteemed guest! It''s good to see you again!" The young man also recognized Yuan.

    "Why are you surprised that I am still working here? Would you rather that I get fired?" He continued with a bittersweet smile on his face.

    "No, that''s not why I asked. Thedy working at the front door changed again since myst visit, so I was wondering if everyone here can only work in this ce for a certain amount of time." Yuan said.

    "Ah, I see. Only the those working at the front door and the guards here get changed every few weeks. I am a permanent worker in this ce, so unless I am fired, I won''t go anywhere anytime soon."

    "I see¡­"

    "Anyways, why have you returned this time? Are you looking for more techniques?" The young man then asked.

    "Not exactly. My faction rank increased to Warrior not long ago, and I was wondering if there are any changes to my benefits."

    "What? Your rank increased? But it hasn''t even been a full year since you joined the faction! I have never seen anyone progress so quickly before! How did you do it?" The young man was surprised to hear that Yuan had be a Warrior within the faction already.

    "I kind of destroyed an entire evil sect¡­" Yuan said with a slight smile.

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    "Amazing! No wonder your rank rose so quickly! One already gets a lot of points by killing an evil cultivator, and you destroyed an entire evil sect!" The young man''s admiration for Yuan was as clear as day.

    And he continued, "As for your benefits, indeed you get to receive more benefits now that your rank has improved."

    "Instead of 10 free techniques a year, you now get to choose 20 free techniques every year. However, that''s not all. Although it''s only a one-time thing, you also get to receive a Divine-rank technique for free that doesn''t count towards the 20 techniques."

    "20 free techniques and a free Divine-rank technique?" Yuan''s jaw dropped upon hearing his upgraded benefits.

    Chu Liuxiang and Min Li were also dumbfounded after learning about his benefits for the first time, and they wondered how he got these benefits in the first ce.

    "Since you still have 4 free techniques from before, you now have 14 free techniques for this year." The young man said, and he continued, "If you wish to pick your Divine-rank technique, you''ll need to head to the fourth floor, which you should have ess to if you came here from the Spirit Heaven."

    "Fourth floor? But my friends can only ess up to the second floor. Is there any way for them toe with me?" Yuan asked.

    "Normally, they would need permission from someone with authority, but since you''re part of the Celestial Overlords, and a Warrior-rank at that, you can bring them with you, but they cannot wander."

    "I understand. That''s good enough."

    "If you need anything else, you know where to find me."

    Yuan and the others began making their way to the 4th floor, where all of the Heaven-rank and Divine-rank cultivation techniques could be found.

    "Is it just me or are there too few people in this ce?" Yuan noticed this as they walked through each floor. "The Myriad of Techniques is connected to every store in the Nine Heavens, right? This ce should be crowded if that was the case."

    "Who knows. The Myriad of Techniques is more mysterious and profound than we can fathom. Perhaps you can ask one of the workers here if you''re really curious." Feng Yuxiang said.

    He nodded, "I will do just that after we''re done looking at the techniques."

    Sometimeter, they arrived on the fourth floor, and to their surprise, it was multiple timesrger than the previous three floorsbined.

 Chapter 703 - The Real Myriad Of Techniques

    <h4>Chapter 703 - The Real Myriad Of Techniques</h4>

    "Wow¡­ Just how massive is this ce? I cannot even see the end of the room from here!" Yuan mumbled in a dazed voice.

    "Can you even call this a ''room''? There''s a clear sky as the ceiling!" Chu Liuxiang said as she stared at the sky above them.

    "That''s not a real sky. It''s only an illusion created by the formation." Feng Yuxiang said.

    "What''s the point of that?"

    "For the atmosphere, I guess."

    "There''s also a lot more people on this floor." Yuan said.

    "How does one find the cultivation techniques they are looking for in this vast ce? It would take days if not longer to check every shelf in here."

    Just as Yuan asked that question, he noticed that not far away from them, there was a stall with the sign ''Customer Support'' written on it.

    "Nevermind. Let''s go over there."

    "Hello, how may I help you?" The woman working the desk greeted them when they got close.

    "Hello, I am wondering if there''s a map or something that could help us navigate this ce." Yuan asked her.

    "This must be your first time here. Give me a second."

    The woman reached under her desk and retrieved a jade slip before handing it to him.

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    "You will have all the information you need inside. If you''re looking for a certain cultivation technique or a certain category, it''s all there."

    "Thank you." Yuan epted the jade slip.

    "There''s something else you should know about this ce." The woman continued.

    "Looking at the ce now, you might be thinking that this ce is massive, but that''s not entirely correct."

    "What do you mean?"

    "The Myriad of Techniques itself is actually a formation, so what you''re seeing isn''t always the truth. Look in that direction." The woman pointed north.

    "Do you see that stall all the way in the distance?"

    "Yes, I see it."

    "Well, all the cultivation techniques from here to there are unique, but once you reach that stall, the cultivation techniques will be the same."

    "Huh?" Yuan raised his eyebrows in a puzzled manner.

    "Although you cannot see it, there''s actually a wall that separates us. We''re essentially inside a giant invisible box, and this invisible box is separated by hundreds of smaller invisible boxes, and inside each box is technically a store of its own, but it contains the same cultivation techniques as every other box."

    "That''s¡­" Yuan was speechless by thisplex information.

    "I know it''s a lot to take in and understand. In simpler terms, we''re currently inside a massive store that has many smaller stores in it, and each of these stores contain the same content. It''s so the store doesn''t be too crowded."

    "Wow, that sounds like how parallel universes would work. We''re currently in one store, but there are many other stores exactly like this one, and it''s all in the same ce. Can we go to the other stores from here?" Chu Liuxiang suddenly asked.

    "Yes, but there''s really no point, since you won''t find anything new there." The woman nodded.

    "How do you decide which room the customer goes to? Is it random?" Yuan then asked.

    "Not exactly. It will depend on your destiny and where you entered the store from," she said.

    "Is this how the previous three floors function?"

    "Yes."

    "No wonder why there were barely any people on those floors¡­ Turns out there were other stores and we just couldn''t see them." Yuan mumbled in a dazed voice.

    "I cannot imagine how many stores there are in this ce¡­" Chu Liuxiang shook her head.

    "It''s actually not as bad as you expect. Not everyone in the Nine Heavens is allowed to use the Myriad of Techniques, after all. In fact, out of a hundred thousand people, perhaps around ten of them would be allowed to enter this ce."

    "There are 2,000 stores on this floor, and we''re currently at floor number 9."

    "Eh? Really? I didn''t know that, since everyone I know was allowed entrance." Yuan said.

    "It''s either a coincidence or they know someone who has a strong enough destiny to alter their fate, allowing them to enter." The woman smiled.

    And she continued, "There are some really powerful people out there who can alter others'' destiny just by being with them."

    "I see¡­"

    "Anyways, if you need help with anything else, you know where to find me."

    "Thank you for all the information." Yuan said to the woman before leaving her alone.

    He looked into the jade slip a momentter, and sure enough, information about the fourth floor began flooding into his head.

    "Do you guys want any techniques? If you have something in mind, just let me know and I will see if it''s avable." Yuan said to the others afterward.

    Feng Yuxiang and Xiao Hua shook their heads.

    Lan Yingying said, "I am still trying to fully master the one fromst time."

    " Thank you for the offer, but I have already received more than enough from you. I cannot rely on you for everything." Min Li said.

    "Since nobody else wants one, I will take one! I don''t have any cultivation techniques, anyway." Chu Liuxiang said.

    Yuan nodded and asked her, "What kind of techniques are you looking for?"

    "I''m not sure."

    Yuan began pondering.

    "What style do you prefer? For example, I use the sword and dagger, so I would prefer using sword and dagger techniques."

    "I don''t really specialize in any weapons," she said.

    Yuan then looked at the experts for help.

    "Are there any suitable techniques for cultivators that don''t use weapons?"

    Feng Yuxiang nodded, "Yes, there''s a lot. Most cultivators who don''t use weapons can only rely on their internal energy to fight, and most cultivation techniques out there use internal energy."

    "What''s the difference between internal energy and spiritual energy?" Yuan asked.

    "Well, spiritual energy is what we absorb, and internal energy is what spiritual energy bes after being absorbed and refined. In essence, it''s our cultivation." Feng Yuxiang exined.

    "But to be honest, they''re pretty much the same thing. Some people prefer calling it spiritual energy while others call it internal energy.. In the end, it''s all about preferences."

 Chapter 704 - Spiritual Veins

    <h4>Chapter 704 - Spiritual Veins</h4>

    "If most techniques are for people who use internal energy, how does that help me find one that''s suitable?" Chu Liuxiang asked.

    "If you''re looking for a suitable technique, then you should pick a technique thatpliments the attribute of your Spiritual Veins." Feng Yuxiang said.

    "Spiritual Veins? What is that, and how do I find my attribute?"

    "Spiritual Veins are organs that cultivators produce alongside their Dantian when they first be cultivators, and they are actually what absorbs the spiritual energy in the air. The higher the quality of one''s Spiritual Veins, the easier and faster their cultivation will be." Feng Yuxiang exined.

    And she continued, "For example, if two cultivators start cultivating from the same starting point, the one with ordinary Spiritual Veins might reach Spirit Warrior in four years, but the one with better quality Spiritual Veins will be able to reach that same level within half the time."

    "Spiritual Veins can also possess certain attributes, making the cultivation of certain techniques easier and faster. If someone has fire attribute Spiritual Veins, they would be able to learn fire techniques twice as fast if not even faster than someone that does not have fire attribute Spiritual Veins. Of course, not all Spiritual Veins possess an attribute."

    "As for how one can tell if their Spiritual Veins possess an attribute, there are treasures out there that do the job. Do you want to see if your Spiritual Veins possess an element?" Feng Yuxiang asked Chu Liuxiang afterward.

    "Yes, I would like to know my element¡ª if I have one." Chu Liuxiang nodded.

    "Okay, but since I don''t have such treasures right now, we will have to do this another way. I will require a drop of your blood." Feng Yuxiang said.

    "My blood?"

    "Yes, I can identify if your Spiritual Veins possess an element through your blood by tasting it."

    "You''re going to drink my blood¡­?" Chu Liuxiang raised her eyebrows, feeling a little uneasy about letting someone drink her blood.

    Feng Yuxiang smiled and said, "In case you forgot, I am not human. I am a Divine Beast."

    "You''re a what?!" Min Li eximed in a shocked voice after hearing Feng Yuxiang''s words, as she wasn''t aware of such facts until now.

    "Indeed, I am not human. I am actually a Vermillion Phoenix," she confirmed.

    "A real phoenix¡­?" Min Li felt her strength being sucked out of her body after learning that she had been traveling with a Divine Beast this entire time¡ª a Phoenix, at that.

    "If you don''t want to do it now, we can do itter when we have the treasure." Feng Yuxiang said a momentter.

    "It''s fine, we can do it now. It''s just a drop of blood, right?" Chu Liuxiang said.

    "Yes."

    Chu Liuxiang poked a small hole on her finger before letting Feng Yuxiang lick the blood being squeezed out.

    "Hmm¡­" Feng Yuxiang closed her eyes and focused on appraising her element.

    "Congrattions, you possess a rare attribute for your Spiritual Veins, and that element is ice."

    "Is that any good? I can''t tell." Chu Liuxiang asked.

    "Of course. Any rare attribute is good. Your ice element is basically a superior version of the water element. They say only one in one million cultivators have a rare attribute."

    "That''s great to hear. Congrattions, Lulu." Yuan said to her.

    And he continued, "Feng Feng, can you also see if my Spiritual Veins possess any element?"

    Feng Yuxiang smiled and said, "Young Master, I have already tried looking at your Spiritual Veins many times, but I couldn''t taste anything."

    "Eh? Does that mean I don''t possess elemental Spiritual Veins?" Yuan felt a little disappointed by the results.

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    However, Feng Yuxiang quickly said, "That''s not entirely correct, Young Master. I should''ve worded it better. It''s more like I couldn''t tell. In other words, I don''t know if you have an attribute or not."

    "How is that any better?" Yuan asked.

    "Because that means you might possess elemental Spiritual Veins, but they are too high quality for me to tell."

    "If you really want to learn about your attribute, we will need the proper treasure."

    "I understand¡­" Yuan nodded.

    "Then we''ll start looking for techniques with Water and Ice elements."

    After looking through the jade slip for a few moments, Yuan began walking around the fourth floor, picking out all of the techniques thatplimented Chu Liuxiang''s Spiritual Veins.

    "That''s a lot of techniques¡­" Chu Liuxiang mumbled in a dazed voice before the mountain of scrolls before her.

    "There''s around 60 techniques for you to choose from." Yuan said with a smile.

    "This is going to take a while¡­"

    "Take your time. I''m also going to look around."

    After helping Chu Liuxiang carry the techniques to a nearby table, Yuan left to look for his own technique.

    Feng Yuxiang and Min Li stayed with Chu Liuxiang to make sure she wasn''t bothered and to give advice if needed.

    Meanwhile, Yuan pondered about what kind of technique he wanted.

    ''I already have plenty of sword techniques but only one dagger technique. I should look for a new dagger technique.''

    With that in mind, Yuan began searching for dagger techniques in the jade slip.

    Once he found where the techniques'' were located in the store, he went to look at them on the shelves.

    ''Phantom de Dance¡­ Earth-rank¡­ ''

    ''Poison de Barrage¡­ Heaven-rank¡­''

    ''de of a Thousand Cuts¡­ Heaven-rank''

    "Oh? This Ten Thousand Ghost des technique seems very powerful¡­" Yuan immediately took a liking to the technique after looking at its description.

    <Ten Thousand Ghost des>

    <Rank: Divine>

    <Description: Creates up to 10,000 ghost weapons of the user''s weapon and control each of them as though they are a separate weapon. Must wield a dagger to activate. Requires 10,000 Qi per second for each ghost weapon created.>

    ''Does this mean I can basically have up to 10,000 Starry Abyss fighting for me at once? Will I even be able to control that many at once?'' Yuan closed his eyes and imagined ten thousand flying daggers surrounding him.

    ''The only downside is its enormous Qi requirements¡­ If I activate 10,000 ghost weapons at once, that means it will consume 100 million Qi every second. How much Qi do I even have at the moment? I can''t tell because of the bugged system¡­''

 Chapter 705 - South Wing City

    <h4>Chapter 705 - South Wing City</h4>

    ''Even though it will cost a lot of Qi to use this technique to its full potential, I don''t think I will really need all 10,000 ghost weapons. 100 is already more than enough, much less 10,000.'' After pondering for some time, Yuan decided to pick up the Ten Thousand Ghost des technique.

    Of course, there were still many more techniques that he could choose from, so he continued looking through all avable techniques.

    In the end, Yuan couldn''t find another technique that was more interesting than the Ten Thousand Ghost des, so he decided to just save his free techniques for another time.

    "Have you found any suitable techniques yet?" Yuan asked Chu Liuxiang after returning to them.

    "I have about ten more techniques to go through, but I found two that I am interested in. I''ll see which one I like betterter," she said.

    Yuan nodded his head and waited for her to finish.

    Sometimeter, Chu Liuxiang ced all of the techniques that she wasn''t interested in aside to look at the two techniques that she found interesting.

    "I need some advice on which technique I should get." Chu Liuxiang said to them.

    "The first technique is called Evesting Ice Field. It is an area of effect technique that can slow and even immobilize my opponents."

    "The second technique is called cial Ice Dragon. I can create an ice dragon using my internal energy and attack my enemies with it. They''re both Heaven-rank techniques, too. I really like both of them, making it difficult for me to decide¡­"

    Yuan smiled and said, "Do you even need to decide? If you like both of them, just take both."

    "Really? You don''t mind?"

    "I still have 14 free techniques, 12 if we count yours. That''s more than enough even if I give a free technique to everyone within the faction." Yuan nodded.

    "Thank you, Yuan!" Chu Liuxiang was all smiles at this moment.

    "The most important thing is that you have something to protect yourself. Anyways, now that we have our techniques, are we ready to leave?"

    Everyone there nodded.

    After returning to the first floor, Yuan handed the young man the three techniques.

    "One Divine-rank and two Heaven-rank techniques. Give me a moment to log it down."

    The young man handed the techniques back to them a few momentster.

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    "You''re all set. If you need anything else, just ask."

    "That''s it?" Chu Liuxiang was dumbfounded by how easy it was to acquire such powerful techniques.

    Min Li was also speechless. The Min Family would''ve needed to shell out tens of thousands of spirit stones for a single Heaven-rank technique, yet Yuan received 2 for free, not even mentioning the Divine-rank technique.

    ''Just what kind of background does he really have?'' Min Li thought to herself.

    Yuan and the others left the Myriad of Techniques shortly after receiving their new techniques.

    "What now?" Chu Liuxiang asked.

    "I am going to find an Array Master who can help me unseal the spatial rings and storage pouches that I picked up from the Gu Family," said Yuan.

    "Young Master, why don''t you do it yourself? You learned how to use arrays during one of the trials in the Stairway to Heaven, right? It will not only be much cheaper, it will also be much more convenient for you." Feng Yuxiang suggested.

    "You''re right¡­ But where do I learn how to do something like that? I only know a few basic arrays from the book Huang Xiao Li gave me."

    "There should be an Array Masters'' Association somewhere in this city or another city. You can pay them to teach you arrays, or you can simply buy array techniques from them."

    "Alright, let''s ask around."

    Thus, they began asking the pedestrians there.

    Luckily for them, they found someone who had the information they wanted within minutes.

    "The Array Masters'' Association cannot be found in this city, but if you go to South Wing City, you will find them."

    "Thank you for this information."

    Now that they have this information, they need to head to this South Wing City.

    Unfortunately, neither of them knew where to go, so they went to a nearby general store to buy a map of Spirit Heaven.

    "This is a map? People really like putting information inside jade slips, huh." Yuan looked at the jade slip in his hand and realized this fact.

    "Well, they''re convenient since you can fit a lot of information inside a jade slip, kind of like spatial rings." Feng Yuxiang said.

    "How does it even work? Putting information inside this small thing." Yuan asked.

    "I''m not exactly sure, but the inside of that jade slip has its own dimension, sort of like a spatial ring, but you cannot put anything physical inside, so they put information that can only be seen if you are cultivators."

    Yuan nodded, "I think I understand. Anyway, I don''t really know how to read maps, so here you go."

    He handed the map to Feng Yuxiang.

    After taking a moment to study the map, Feng Yuxiang said, "Okay, I know where to go."

    They left the city shortly after.

    Since neither Min Li nor Chu Liuxiang could fly, Yuan carried them using his Qi Maniption.

    "Are flying treasures expensive? I am thinking about buying a few so that Meixiu, Lulu, and the others can also fly by themselves." Yuan asked as they traveled.

    "It really depends on what type of flying treasures you want. But if you ask me, while they are definitely not cheap, they should be affordable for you, Young Master." Feng Yuxiang said.

    "Alright. I am going to look at them after I sell the Blood Sect''s treasures." Yuan nodded.

    About four hourster, Feng Yuxiang stopped moving.

    "We have arrived at South Wing City, Young Master."

    "That tall building must be the Array Masters'' Association. I can see their array symbols all the way from here." Yuan mumbled.

    Even though the building itself didn''t look that conspicuous, it was more than obvious to someone like Yuan, who can see array symbols.

 Chapter 706 - Array Masters Association

    <h4>Chapter 706 - Array Masters'' Association</h4>

    "So this is the Array Masters'' Association¡­ The building is a lot more ordinary than it looks from afar." Yuan was used to seeing extravagant and luxurious buildings, so he was a little surprised to see the Array Masters'' Association looking so in.

    "Let''s go inside, shall we?"

    Upon entering the building, Yuan could see a long line that snaked around the first floor, taking up half of the floor''s space. At nce, these people appeared to be waiting to buy something from the front desk, but they were all given a piece of paper before getting sent to the second floor.

    Yuan looked around to find someone that appeared to work there and approached him.

    "Hello, where can I buy array techniques?"

    "You mean arraybinations? Are you an Array Master?" The man asked him.

    "Yes, I know a few arrays." Yuan nodded.

    "Just because you know a few arrays doesn''t make you an Array Master, kid." The man sneered, and he continued, "In order to be officially considered an Array Master, you must pass the Array Master Assessment. Only when you have the badge of an official Array Master can you buy arraybinations from our Array Masters'' Association."

    "So I have to join the association before I can purchase arraybinations?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    "What''s the difference between this and joining a sect for their techniques?"

    "I think you''re misunderstanding something. We''re not recruiting you to join us. The Array Masters'' Association has the authority to give others the identification of an Array Master. You can sign up to join us if you wish, but it''s not a requirement. There are many Array Masters out there that aren''t part of our association, and there is no punishment for not wanting to join us."

    "However, if you don''t take the assessment and be an official Array Master, you''re not considered a real Array Master, and most ces that sell arraybinations require you to be an official Array Master."

    "Is that so¡­ Then where do I sign up for this Array Master Assessment?" Yuan then asked.

    The man pointed at the long queue in the store.

    "I figured¡­" Yuan sighed.

    "Well, I am going to take this assessment. You guys don''t have to wait with me if you don''t want to." He said to Chu Liuxiang and the others.

    "Where are we going to go? We have nowhere else to go. But even if I do, I''d rather stay here with you." Chu Liuxiang shrugged.

    "Then I am going to rest for a bit. Call me if you need me, Young Master." Feng Yuxiang said before turning into a ball of me and entering his body.

    "It''s a little bit crowded here, so I will also rest for now." Lan Yingying said as she turned into a bracelet.

    Only Xiao Hua, Chu Liuxiang, and Min Li remained.

    Thus, they began waiting in the queue.

    As they waited, Yuan would notice the peopleing back down from the upper floors, and most of them had disappointed looks on their faces.

    Clearly, they went upstairs to take the assessment.

    And within the hour they waited, Yuan counted 22 people, but only 2 of them appeared to be happy with their result.

    ''The assessment is probably going to be difficult, especially for someone like me, who learned about arrays only a week ago¡­'' Yuan sighed inwardly.

    Once they reached the front, the middle-aged man sitting behind the desk asked him, "What''s your name? And how old are you?"

    "Yuan, 18 years old."

    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.

    "Cultivation?"

    "Second Level Spirit Lord."

    "..."

    The middle-aged man looked up and stared at Yuan with a look of disbelief on his face.

    However, he didn''t immediately believe Yuan''s words, so he had to check himself using his divine sense to probe Yuan''s aura.

    ''What the fuck!? He''s really a Spirit Lord! And he''s only 18 years old? Who is this monster?!'' The middle-aged man cried inwardly after confirming Yuan''s ims as a Spirit Lord.

    "A-And how long have you studied arrays?" He asked after a moment of silence.

    "Not long. It''s probably been a week since I learned about arrays," said Yuan.

    "A week¡­?"

    If it were not for Yuan''s cultivation base being higher than his own, the middle-aged man would''ve cursed him out loud before kicking him out of the building.

    After all, there was simply no way for someone to be an Array Master after studying arrays for a week. If that was possible, everybody would be an Array Master by now.

    "Anyways¡­ Take this paper and go to the second floor for your assessment."

    "Thank you."

    Yuan epted the paper and began making his way upstairs.

    The middle-aged man shook his head after Yuan left. If it weren''t so risky to kick Yuan out because of his talents and mysterious background, he would''ve done so without a heartbeat.

    ''Whatever. He''s no longer my problem.''

    Meanwhile, Yuan had to stand in line again because there was another line for assessments.

    Moreover, the line seemed to be moving at a much slower pace.

    After two hours of painful waiting, they finally reached the front of the line.

    Five more minutester, the door in front of them opened, and a young woman came running out, her eyes pouring with tears.

    "Next."

    An aloof voice resounded the next moment, and Yuan entered the door with the others following behind him.

    Inside the room was a long table with three people sitting behind¡ª a stubborn-looking old man, a handsome man, and a beautiful but bored-looking woman.

    "Boy, where do you think you are? This isn''t the ce for you to show off your girlfriends." The handsome man said to him when he saw the beauties following him.

    "We''ll wait for you outside¡­" Chu Liuxiang said to him before leaving the room, followed by Min Li and Xiao Hua.

    "Now then, let us see your paper."

    Yuan approached the table and handed them his paper.

    The three judges'' eyes widened with shock when they saw Yuan''s cultivation base.

    ''Spirit Lord at 18 years old? No wonder why he''s surrounded by beauties!'' The handsome man cried inwardly.

 Chapter 707 - Array Master Assessment

    <h4>Chapter 707 - Array Master Assessment</h4>

    The three judges were no doubt shocked about Yuan''s cultivation base at his age. However, when they continued to read the paper and saw that he only has a week of experience in arrays, they raised their eyebrows.

    "Is this correct? You''ve only been studying arrays for about a week?" The beautiful woman asked him, no longer looking so bored.

    "That''s correct." Yuan confirmed in a calm manner.

    The three judges looked at him with dumbfounded faces.

    Just who is this kid? How dare hee to the Array Masters'' Association when he''s just a beginner? Is he mocking them?

    "You know, even the most talented Array Master in the Spirit Heaven in thest 500 years had to study for nine full months before he could be an official Array Master, and you''re already trying to be one a week after you started studying? Although I like ambitious men, you''re way over your head with this one." The beautiful woman said.

    "As a fellow Spirit Lord, I don''t want to be too harsh on you, but you''re mocking us¡ª all of the Array Masters bying here today." The handsome man said.

    After a moment of silence, the old manughed, "What''s the harm in letting him try? I''m sure it''ll be more entertaining than thest couple hundred entries."

    "Are you sure, Senior Huang? It will definitely be a waste of time." The handsome man said.

    ''Huang¡­?'' Yuan raised his eyebrows upon hearing this familiar surname. Surely, it must be a coincidence, right?

    "It''s fine. We have nothing but time. Let''s see¡­ Yuan. The Array Master assessment will consist of three separate tests. The first one will test your ability to memorize and draw array symbols. The second test will test the speed you canbine the array symbols and activate it. As for thest test, we will test the strength of your array."

    "Do you have any questions?"

    Seeing Yuan shake his head, Senior Huang nodded and said, "Good. Then let''s start the assessment. For the first test, I want you to create as much of the 10,000 basic array symbols as you can in 5 minutes. Every symbol you create must be unique and cannot be repeated."

    "You will need at least 3,000 proper array symbols to be considered passing."

    Yuan nodded and closed his eyes to recall all 10,000 basic symbols inside his head.

    Once he was ready, he began creating the array symbols at a ludicrous speed.

    Dozens of array symbols flew out of his palm every second, quickly filling the room with perfectly drawn array symbols.

    "This motherfucker¡­" The handsome man subconsciously cursed out loud when he saw how perfect the array symbols were, not to mention how quickly they were being created.

    Although many Array Masters, even amateur Array Masters, can create array symbols at the speed Yuan was making them, they would not be able to create array symbols with quality that can match the ones Yuan was creating even if they were given all the time in the world.

    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    Five minutes passed in the blink of an eye for the judges when they were absorbed by Yuan''s beautiful array symbols, which is an incredible feat, considering that most examinees are disqualified before they can even use up all 5 minutes.

    In the end, Yuan had only managed to create 9,000 array symbols before the time was up, meaning that he created around 30 array symbols every second, which is already faster than what most Array Masters can achieve after many years of practice.

    And out of 9,000 of these array symbols, all of them have passed the quality check. In fact, they were the most beautiful array symbols that these judges have seen in a very long time.

    "Did I pass the first test?" Yuan asked them when none of them spoke even after 5 minutes had passed.

    ''T-This bastard is definitely mocking us! There''s no way that he''d only been studying arrays for a week!'' The handsome man gritted his teeth in anger.

    The other two judges also doubted Yuan''s ims since it would be ludicrous that he can create such wless array symbols after studying arrays for a week.

    However, none of them said anything to Yuan, and they continued the test.

    "You passed the first test¡­" Senior Huang said in a stiff voice, and he continued, "For the second test, we will give you three arraybinations for you to do for yourself. In order to pass this test, two of your three arraybinations must activate properly. Even if you can create array symbols wlessly,bining them is a different story."

    "Let us know when you''re ready to begin."

    "I am ready." Yuan immediately said.

    "Good, then I will start first."

    Senior Huang proceeded to create an arraybination that consisted of a little over 150 symbols.

    The beautiful woman went next, and her arraybination consisted of around 120 array symbols.

    The handsome man wasst.

    ''If you think you can mock us and get away with it, then you''re gravely mistaken!'' He sneered inwardly.

    The handsome man proceeded to create his arraybination with around 30 array symbols, which is much lower than the others, but the other two judges frowned when they saw his arraybination.

    ''This idiot is using level 3 array symbols in an assessment meant for entry-level Array Masters¡­'' Senior Huang sighed inwardly.

    Just like every other profession in the cultivation world, Array Masters also have a hierarchy system to separate the inexperienced from the experienced.

    Array Masters are separated into 9 different levels with level 1 Array Masters being the lowest in the hierarchy, and the higher level the array symbol, the more difficult they are to create andbine.

    The judges are supposed to use only level 1 array symbols for the Array Master assessment, but after feeling ridiculed by Yuan''s results in the first test, the handsome man decided to take matters into his own hand by upping the difficulty, as he believed that Yuan wasn''t the beginner that he ims to be.

 Chapter 708 - Level 3 Array Symbols

    <h4>Chapter 708 - Level 3 Array Symbols</h4>

    The other two judges realized what the handsome man was trying to do, but they didn''t say anything, as they also wanted to see how Yuan would handle this situation.

    ''Will he be able to create a level 3 formation?'' Senior Huang wondered inwardly as Yuan took his time analyzing the arraybinations.

    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.

    ''I don''t recognize any of those array symbols¡­'' Yuan stared at the handsome man''s arraybination with a pondering expression.

    He was certain that he didn''t miss any of the basic array symbols from Huang Xiao Li''s manuals.

    However, the handsome man had created array symbols that he didn''t recognize, and they appear moreplex than the basic symbols.

    ''They must be more advanced array symbols that I haven''t learned yet¡­ How troublesome¡­'' Yuan did not even think for a second that the handsome man was trying to ridicule him by increasing the assessment''s difficulty. He just thought it was part of the assessment and didn''t think much about it.

    ''Let''s just deal with the other two first before I try the difficult one. I only need two out of three to pass this test, anyway.''

    With that in mind, Yuan ignored the handsome man''s arraybination and focused on the other two.

    And within minutes, he figured how they werebined and what array symbols were used.

    Yuan started with the beautiful woman''s arraybination. He first created the array symbols beforebining them into a fully functional array.

    "Pass." The beautiful woman gave her judgement after seeing the results.

    He moved onto Senior Huang''s arraybination next, and although it was harder than thest arraybination, he still managed to crack it and understand everything about it in just a few minutes.

    A few momentster, Yuan replicated Senior Huang''s arraybination and showed it to him.

    "It''s also a pass from me." Senior Huang said, and he continued, "You have already passed the second test, but if you wish to try and replicate the third one, you may go ahead and do so. Personally, I want to see you try."

    Yuan nodded and turned to look at thest arraybination. Even if Senior Huang hadn''t mentioned it, he would''ve still tried to solve it.

    ''Arrays are just like puzzles. Once assembled, you have to figure out what array symbols they used and how theybined it. 30 array symbols can have over a billion possiblebinations, and each of these billionbinations can be considered a unique array.'' Yuan recalled the manuals he read about arrays.

    ''Although I don''t know any of these array symbols, as long as I can figure out theirbination pattern, I should be able to replicate the array.''

    And for the next ten minutes, Yuan would stare intensely at the handsome man''s arraybination, almost like he was trying to stare a hole into it.

    If it was an ordinary test, the judges would''ve disqualified him for taking so much time, but since the handsome man used level 3 array symbols, it was only fair that they be patient while Yuan tried to solve the arraybination.

    The judges were prepared to sit there for an entire hour to see if Yuan could solve it, but after waiting for 15 minutes, Yuan began moving his fingers.

    Since he has never seen these array symbols before, he could not create them as fast as the basic symbols.

    It took almost two whole seconds for Yuan to create a single array symbol, but when he finished, it woulde out as wlessly as the basic array symbols.

    ''Impossible¡­'' The judges'' eyes widened with surprise when Yuanpleted his first array symbol.

    Even if Yuan lied about his experiences, it was almost certain to the judges that Yuan''s age was as he imed, and regardless of his situation, any 18-year-old that can create level 3 array symbols is considered a top array prodigy.

    After another two seconds, Yuan created his second array symbol¡­ then his third¡­ fourth¡­ and so on.

    Senior Huang and the beautiful woman''s excitement grew with each array symbol, but it was theplete opposite for the handsome man.

    If word gets out that he tried to mock a junior with level 3 array symbols but backfired in the end, he would be aughing stock in the Array Masters'' Association.

    And to make matters worse for him, Yuan''s level 3 array symbols were also much more precise and refined than his own.

    ''I cannot let him finish the arraybination!'' The handsome man cried inwardly.

    Right as Yuan finished making the 27th array symbol, the handsome man suddenly mmed the table while shouting, "Stop!"

    Yuan was startled by the sudden outburst and immediately lost his concentration.

    All 27 array symbols that he''d created disappeared the moment his concentration was disturbed.

    When Senior Huang and the beautiful woman saw the wless array symbols disappear before their very eyes, they felt some pain in their heart. As Array Masters, they respected and admired the art of array symbols, and when such perfect array symbols disappear like that, it was akin to an artist watching a masterpiece being destroyed before their very eyes.

    Bang!

    The door suddenly flew open, and a small figure appeared in front of Yuan the next moment.

    "Brother Yuan, are you okay?" Xiao Hua asked him.

    "Y-Yes, I am fine." He nodded in a dazed manner.

    The guards outside also entered the room shortly after.

    "Master Zeng! What was that about?!" The beautiful woman quickly shifted her angry gaze at the handsome man for ruining such a spectacr show.

    The handsome man immediately responded, "I-I thought I saw something wrong with the 28th array symbol, and I was worried that it might explode on us, so I subconsciously shouted for him to stop."

    Senior Huang silently shook his head, as he was fully aware of the handsome man''s lies.

    He then turned to the guards and said, "It was just a misunderstanding. You can leave us alone now."

    The guards bowed to them before leaving the room.

    "Let''s just continue to the final test, shall we?" Senior Huang asked Yuan a momentter.

    "Okay." He nodded.

    "Xiao Hua, I am fine. You can go back outside."

    However, Xiao Hua seemed reluctant to leave, and she was staring at the handsome man with narrowed eyes, seemingly in deep thoughts.

    "It''s okay. Your friend can stay here." Senior Huang suddenly said.

    "I understand. Thank you, Senior.." Yuan bowed to him.

 Chapter 709 - Officially Becoming An Array Master

    <h4>Chapter 709 - Officially Bing An Array Master</h4>

    "Then let us continue to the third and final test. For the third test, we simply need you to create an array¡ª the stronger the better, and we will test its strength." Senior Huang said to him.

    Yuan nodded and created a confinement array a few secondster.

    "Impressive¡­" Senior Huang muttered in a dazed voice, as he has never seen such a powerful basic array before.

    "Is this really a level 1 array? Even level 2 arrays would not be able to contest against this¡­" The beautiful woman mumbled to herself as she inspected the array with great focus.

    The handsome man, however, remained seated in his chair behind the table, almost like he had no intention of even looking at the array.

    Yuan figured that it was because he could see the array from that distance, so he didn''t need to look at it closely.

    Sometimeter, the other judges returned to their seat with a look of fascination on their faces, looking like their views on this world had been broadened.

    "Ahem!" Senior Huang cleared his throat before speaking, "Yuan¡­ You have passed the assessment. I don''t think any of us would deny someone of your talents as an Array Master. In fact, it would be disingenuous if we made you a level 1 Array Master."

    "Therefore, I suggest that we give you an advance promotion to a level 2 Array Master. Normally, if you want to raise your level, you would need another assessment, but you have proven yourself more than worthy of being a level 1 Array Master today."

    "If you don''t agree with my decision, let me hear your reasons, fellow Masters." Senior Huang turned to look at the other two judges.

    "No, I totally agree with you, Master Huang. If he doesn''t deserve being a level 2 Array Master, then nobody should be qualified to be one. I would even argue that you qualify as a level 3 Array Master based on your mastery over creating array symbols alone, but your speed is a little too slow even for an average level 3 Array Master, and we need more than just the three of us to promote you to a level 3 Array Master."

    They turned to look at Master Zeng, who had been silent this entire time, and he continued to remain silent.

    "Silence often means you have no objections, so I will go ahead and say congrattions, Array Master Yuan, you have passed the assessment and be a level 2 Array Master." Senior Huang said to him.

    "Congrattions, Yuan." The beautiful woman also congratted him.

    And she continued, "I have been wondering for a while now, but exactly how long have you been studying arrays? Surely, you didn''t study arrays for only a week to have such results. Now that we''re aware of your capabilities, you can stop joking with us and just tell us the truth."

    Senior Huang nodded his head, "I would also like to know the truth. Even if you started learning when you were 10, it is still an incredible achievement to be a level 2 Array Master at the age of 18."

    A weird smile appeared on Yuan''s face as he said, "But I''m not joking¡­ I really only started learning arrays around a week ago. I only know of the 10,000 basic symbols and the basics tobining array symbols."

    The entire room turned dead silent.

    "Are you telling me that you don''t know any level 2 or level 3 array symbols? T-Then how did you create those level 3 array symbols? There''s no way someone with only one week of experience can do such a thing!" The beautiful woman eximed.

    "Level 3 array symbols? Sorry, but I don''t know what those are." Yuan shook his head.

    "Arrays are separated into 9 different levels depending on their difficulty, and the 10,000 basic array symbols are level 1 array symbols¡ª the leastplex array symbols and also the easiest to learn. Intermediate array symbols are level 2, advanced symbols are level 3, and so on... What Master Zeng created during the 2nd test are level 3 array symbols." Senior Huang exined to him.

    "Is that so¡­ No wonder why I didn''t know any of those array symbols. Turns out that they were not part of the 10,000 basic array symbols. Anyways, I merely copied the array symbols. Although they''re definitely much moreplex than level 1 array symbols, they still function the same, so as long as I can trace the symbols, I can create them." Yuan said.

    "Y-You traced them?" Senior Huang stared at him with a shocked face.

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    How can someone treat array symbols as though they are merely words on a paper? Even if one can trace level 3 symbols, activating them is a different story!

    If arrays were as simple as words on a paper, everybody would be a level 3 Array Master and above!

    "So you''re telling me that you really have only one week of experience as an Array Master?" The beautiful woman asked him in a dumbfounded voice.

    Yuan nodded his head calmly.

    "W-Who is your Master? Where did you learn about arrays?" She continued to ask.

    "A friend of mine exined the basics to me, but I learned arrays mostly through the manuals that she gave me. The Body Shielding Array, 10,000 Array Symbols, and Guide to Combining Array Symbols. Those were the manuals she gave me to study."

    Senior Huang nearly fell out of his chair from shock when he heard the names of the manuals.

    ''These are all basic manuals forplete beginners who have no experience in arrays! Even the Body Shielding Array is one of the mostmon arraybinations out there! He''s definitely screwing with us!'' Senior Huang cried inwardly.

    Neither Senior Huang or the beautiful woman believed Yuan''s words for a second.. They spected that he was probably from a hidden family of renowned Array Masters, hence why he was reluctant to tell them the truth.

 Chapter 710 - Level 2 Array Master

    Chapter 710: Level 2 Array Master

    ¡°Here, this is your badge. As long as you have this, you can purchase arraybinations from any store and treat any Array Masters¡¯ Association as though it¡¯s your second home.¡±

    Senior Huang handed Yuan a green badge.

    Ding!

    <you 1="" have="" acquired="" the="" title="" ¡®level="" array="" master¡¯=""></you>

    <you 2="" have="" acquired="" the="" title="" ¡®level="" array="" master¡¯=""></you>

    ¡°There¡¯s an array inside this badge?¡± Yuan could immediately tell upon touching it.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Without the array, the badge is just a useless piece of metal, and it makes it harder to be replicated by others who want to profit from it.¡± Senior Huang nodded.

    The beautiful woman added, ¡°Being an Array Master is more prestigious than one might think since it¡¯s not an easy profession. Some might argue that it¡¯s even more difficult than being an Alchemist, so there are many people who pretend to be an Array Master to receive benefits that they don¡¯t deserve.¡±

    ¡°Therefore, you need to make sure that you don¡¯t lose that badge. If you happen to lose that badge, you will need to partake in another assessment because we have no proof that you¡¯re an Array Master.¡±

    Yuan nodded, ¡°I will keep the badge safe.¡±

    ¡°Before you leave, Yuan.¡± Senior Huang suddenly said, ¡°Do you have any intentions of joining the Array Masters¡¯ Association? There are many benefits in joining us, such as free arraybinations and being taught by the best of the best Array Masters from around the Nine Heavens.¡±

    ¡°The Nine Heavens?¡± Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    ¡°Yes. Did you think the Array Masters¡¯ Association only existed in this world? The Array Masters¡¯ Association is one of the biggest factions in the Nine Heavens, and we can be found in every single realm.¡±

    ¡°I will keep that in mind. As for joining the Array Masters¡¯ Association, give me some time to think about it.¡±

    ¡°Very well. If you ever decide to join us, just give us a visit¡ª or any Array Masters¡¯ Association for that matter.¡± Elder Huang nodded.

    ¡°Goodbye. Thank you for everything today.¡± Yuan bowed to them before leaving the room with Xiao Hua.

    Once they left, Senior Huang turned to look at Master Zeng and said, ¡°You¡¯ve been awfully quiet since the end of the 2nd test, and the way you acted today is not eptable for someone of your stature. If that talented young man holds a grudge against the Array Masters¡¯ Association, it will be your fault, and that is what I will be telling the higher-ups if they ask.¡±

    However, Master Zeng remained silent.

    ¡°Master Zeng¡­? Are you okay? You¡¯re sweating awfully a lot¡­¡± It was at this moment Senior Huang and the other judge noticed that he was covered in sweat.

    The chair he sat on was also starting to creek as his body began trembling.

    ¡°M-Master Zeng? What is happening to you? Do you need medical assistance?¡± They stared at him with frowns on their faces.

    ¡°N-No¡­ I-I am fine¡­¡± He suddenly muttered in a low voice.

    ¡°What happened to you?¡± Senior Huang asked again.

    Master Zeng closed his eyes and took a couple of deep breaths before speaking, ¡°Someone was threatening me¡­ No, multiple people threatened my life just now.¡±

    ¡°Huh? What are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°You couldn¡¯t sense it probably because it was directly at me, but I felt intense killing intent directed at me, and from multiple people as well. If I dared to move, I would¡¯ve probably been killed on the spot.¡±

    Senior Huang and the beautiful woman exchanged puzzled nces with each other. They couldn¡¯t understand why someone would want to kill him.

    The beautiful woman decided to ask, ¡°Why would anybody want to kill you? And we were alone in this room except for Yuan. If he was threatening you with killing intent, we would¡¯ve definitely noticed it.¡±N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t him.¡± Master Zeng quickly shook his head.

    ¡°It was that person standing behind him¡ª that little devil¡­¡±

    ¡°You mean that little girl? Master Zeng¡­ I think you¡¯re just exhausted. Go home and get some rest. We¡¯ll handle the assessment.¡± The beautiful woman shook her head.

    ¡°You don¡¯t understand! I can¡¯t leave! They are still inside the building! I cannot leave until they leave!¡± Master Zeng shouted.

    Senior Huang was stumped by his reaction. They have never seen him this afraid before. Furthermore, he was a Spirit Lord. Even if the little girl was staring at him with killing intent, it shouldn¡¯t affect him.

    ¡°Do whatever you want, but we still have many people waiting to be assessed.¡± Senior Huang said, and he called in the next examinee a momentter.

    Meanwhile, as they walked back downstairs, Xiao Hua said, ¡°Brother Yuan, that man in the room showed a hint of killing intent towards you.¡±

    ¡°Eh? Really? I didn¡¯t notice it, probably because I was so focused on the tests.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Xiao Hua made sure that he couldn¡¯t do anything funny.¡±

    ¡°Is that why you refused to leave the room? Thank you, Xiao Hua.¡±

    ¡°Un.¡± She nodded with a satisfied face.

    Back on the first floor, Yuan returned to the man that he first spoke to when he came to this ce.

    ¡°I am now an official Array Master. Where can I buy arraybinations?¡±

    ¡°Huh¡­?¡± The man stared at him with widened eyes.

    Yuan retrieved the green badge and showed it to the man.

    ¡°L-Level 2 Array Master?! I thought you said you weren¡¯t one!¡± The man eximed.

    He has never seen someone skip level 1 and be a level 2 Array Master right after the Array Masters¡¯ Association, so he thought that Yuan was already an Array Master, and he just finished his promotion examination.

    Yuan merely shrugged his shoulders.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    After a moment of silence, the man pointed to the ceiling and said, ¡°You can buy arraybinations on the third floor.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Yuan and the others began making their way back up the staircase.

    A few minutester, they arrived on the third floor.

    ¡°Wee to the Array Masters¡¯ Association. Are you an Array Master?¡± A middle-aged woman greeted them.

 Chapter 711 - Unsealing Spatial Rings

    Chapter 711: Unsealing Spatial Rings

    ¡°Yes, I am. Here¡¯s my badge.¡± Yuan showed her the Array Master¡¯s badge.

    ¡°Thank you very much, Senior Array Master. If you¡¯re looking for a specific arraybination or anything specific, just let me know.¡±

    Yuan then said, ¡°Then I would like an arraybination for sealed spatial rings and storage pouches.¡±

    ¡°Just for confirmation, arrays that remove sealed spatial rings and storage pouches, is that correct?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°I understand. Please follow me.¡±

    Yuan and the others followed this woman to a counter. She picked out a couple of manuals from under the desk andid them out before him.

    ¡°Are all of these¡­?¡± Yuan raised his eyebrows, as he didn¡¯t expect there to be so many arraybinations for the same purpose.

    ¡°All of these arraybinations are for unsealing spatial rings and storage pouches, but they all have different strengths. One can have a higher chance of sess while another one can be easier to use. It all depends on the arraybination.¡±

    ¡°Which of these have the highest sess rate?¡± Yuan asked.

    ¡°That would be this one¡ª the Absolute Unsealing Array, but it¡¯s a level 3 arraybination.¡±

    Since Yuan is only a level 2 Array Master, he would not be able to use the level 3 arraybination, so it wouldn¡¯t make sense for him to buy it.

    ¡°Okay, I will take that. And do you also have manuals for level 2 and level 3 array symbols?¡±

    ¡°Of course. Give me a moment¡­¡±

    The woman reached under the desk for two more manuals.

    ¡°7,000 Intermediate Array Symbols and 5,000 Advanced Array Symbols.¡± Yuan read the titles, which surprised him a little, as he¡¯d expected the number of array symbols to go up the more difficult they got.

    ¡°How much for these three manuals?¡± Yuan asked the woman a momentter.

    ¡°That would be Fifteen million gold, but since you¡¯re a Level 2 Array Master, you have a 25 percent discount when buying from the Array Masters¡¯ Association. The new total will be 11,250,000 gold coins.¡±

    ¡°E-Eleven million gold coins even with a discount¡­?¡± Yuan was speechless. He didn¡¯t think arraybinations were this expensive.

    ¡°Brother Yuan, here.¡± Xiao Hua suddenly handed him a storage pouch.

    ¡°What is this?¡± He asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s the money that we¡¯ve saved from the auction house. There should be more than enough money to buy the manuals,¡± she said.

    Yuan¡¯s eyes flickered with excitement.

    ¡°I almost forgot about this money! Are you sure, Xiao Hua? The money is still technically yours.¡±

    She nodded, ¡°Anything that helps Brother Yuan is worth it.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Xiao Hua.¡±

    Yuan proceeded to pay for the three manuals using the money they¡¯d earned from selling Xiao Hua¡¯s Heaven-grade treasure at some auction house.

    ¡°Here is your purchase. Thank you for doing business with us, Senior Array Master.¡± The woman offered the manuals to him with her head lowered.

    After epting the manuals, Yuan left the Array Masters¡¯ Association and went to rent out a new hotel room in the city.

    ¡°I am going to spend a few days studying these manuals. You guys can do whatever until then.¡± Yuan said to the others.

    ¡°Okay. I am also going to study the techniques I just got.¡± Chu Liuxiang said.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to cultivate. If you need me, don¡¯t hesitate to call for me.¡± Min Li said before entering one of the four rooms in that hotel room.

    Chu Liuxiang also went into her own room.

    Yuan remained in the living room, and he ced the three manuals on the table before him.

    ¡°I should probably start with the level 2 array symbols¡­¡±

    Thus, Yuan began flipping through the manual, spending the rest of today and tomorrow memorizing all 7,000 level 2 array symbols.

    Two dayster, Yuan ced the level 2 array symbols to the side and began studying level 3 array symbols.

    Even though there were less array symbols in totalpared to the other 2, it took Yuan almost four days topletely memorize all 5,000 level 3 array symbols.

    Of course, four days may seem like a lot of time, but for ordinary Array Masters, it would take them years if not decades to achieve the same results.

    After memorizing all array symbols up to level 3, Yuan moved onto the Absolute Unsealing Array.

    A couple of minutester, he understood everything.

    ¡°Before I use this array on the Gu Family¡¯s spatial rings, I want to experiment it on other spatial rings just in case I mess up. Do any of you have any unused spatial rings or storage pouches?¡± Yuan asked them.

    ¡°I have a couple, Young Master.¡±

    Feng Yuxiang appeared beside him with a dozen storage pouches and six spatial rings.

    ¡°They should all have my seal on it. They are also empty, so you don¡¯t have to worry about destroying them,¡± she said.

    ¡°Thank you¡­ but why do you have so many of these? People normally only carry one or two, right?¡±

    ¡°I have a lot of treasures to store because of my business. That¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­¡±

    Yuan began inspecting the spatial rings and storage pouches the next moment.

    Half a minuteter, Yuan began creating level 3 array symbols in the air.

    He created exactly 50 level 3 array symbols, which hebined into aplete array, before sending it directly inside Feng Yuxiang¡¯s spatial ring.

    Yuan inspected the spatial ring again afterward, and sure enough, Feng Yuxiang¡¯s aura that was present just moments ago was no longer there, almost as though it¡¯d vanished.N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.

    ¡°I think I seeded. Can you take a look at it for me?¡± Yuan handed the spatial ring back to Feng Yuxiang.

    She nodded with a smile, ¡°Yes, good job, Young Master. You have erased my seal perfectly.¡±

    ¡°Great. Then can you reseal it again so that I can continue practicing until I am confident? I want to be absolutely certain that I can open them perfectly.¡±

    ¡°Most certainly, Young Master.¡± Feng Yuxiang said as she sealed the spatial ring with her spiritual energy.

 Chapter 712 - Suddenly Wealthy

    Chapter 712: Suddenly Wealthy

    After spending an entire day unsealing Feng Yuxiang¡¯s spatial rings and storage pouches, Yuan was finally confident enough to work on the Gu Family¡¯s spatial rings.

    ¡°You can do it, Young Master.¡± Feng Yuxiang cheered him from the side.

    Yuan nodded and retrieved Gu Tao¡¯s spatial ring. He has decided to unseal this one first, leaving Patriarch Gu¡¯s spatial rings forst.

    ¡°Gu Tao was only a Spirit Warrior, so his seal isn¡¯t particrly strong¡­¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    In just a couple of minutes, Yuan had managed to unsealed Gu Tao¡¯s spatial ring.

    ¡°Wow, there¡¯s a bunch of spirit stones and monster cores inside this spatial ring.¡±

    Yuan was immediately impressed by Gu Tao¡¯s rich spatial ring.

    ¡°There¡¯s about 1,000 spirit stones in here that are worth 10 million gold, a couple dozen Spirit Warrior monster cores, an Earth-grade treasure, and some pills¡­¡±

    Besides the spirit stones, pretty much everything inside Gu Tao¡¯s spatial ring was worthless to him, who was already a Spirit Lord.

    ¡¯10 million gold¡­ This is more than I¡¯d anticipated, so I am satisfied with the results. As for the other stuff¡­ I don¡¯t think they will sell for much, so I will just save it for now. Maybe I can even give it to Wang Ming and the others.¡¯

    ¡°Let¡¯s move onto Patriarch Gu¡¯s spatial ring now.¡±

    Patriarch Gu had two spatial rings and one storage pouch.

    ¡°Seeing how he acted when I took this from him, this spatial ring should have a fortune inside.¡± Yuan mumbled to himself before cing the spatial ring to the side, saving the best forst.

    ¡®Hmm¡­ This is definitely going to be a lot harder than unsealing Gu Tao¡¯s spatial ring since he was a Spirit Grandmaster. However, Feng Feng is also a Spirit Grandmaster, and she¡¯s stronger than him, so I shouldn¡¯t have any problems with it.¡¯

    While Yuan focused on unsealing the spatial rings, Feng Yuxiang and Xiao Hua watched from the side.

    ¡°No matter what he does, the Young Master is always talented at it. This makes me want to find something that he¡¯s not good at. Do you have any idea what he might be bad at, Xiao Hua?¡± Feng Yuxiang asked her.

    Xiao Hua silently shook her head.

    ¡°Then let me think¡­ He¡¯s good with weapons and instruments¡­ He became a level 2 Array Master after a week of studying¡­ He can learn techniques as natural as breathing¡­ His cultivation talents¡­ let¡¯s not even mention it¡­¡±

    ¡°I cannot think of anything¡ª Actually¡­ What about Alchemy? I have never seen the Young Master do alchemy before. What about you?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Even though it¡¯s not really good to walk multiple paths at the same time, I kind of want to see how the Young Master will perform in the field of Alchemy. In terms of reputation, I¡¯d say they¡¯re even more important and useful than arrays.¡±

    ¡°Got it!¡± Yuan suddenly released a shout of excitement.

    Feng Yuxiang and Xiao Hua turned to look at Yuan, who was already looking inside the spatial ring.

    ¡°Wow! As expected of the Patriarch of a Legacy Family! His personal spatial ring has a ton of treasures! There are around 5,000 spirit stones, a Heaven-grade treasure, many Spirit Master monster cores, pills, and some other stuff!¡±

    ¡°Feng Feng, what kind of treasures are these?¡± Yuan retrieved a couple of objects and showed it to her.

    ¡°This one over here is a live-saving treasure. This one as well. As for this one, it¡¯s a flying treasure.¡± Feng Yuxiang exined as she pointed at each of the treasures.

    ¡°I see¡­ How much could I earn if I sell all of these treasures? Oh, except the flying treasure. I am going to keep that.¡±

    Feng Yuxiang pondered for a moment before speaking, ¡°Well, not including the spirit stones, you can sell these treasures at a minimum of 50 million gold, but if we take it to an auction house, we can potentially double that amount.¡±

    Yuan¡¯s eyes immediately flickered with excitement.

    ¡°Great! Then we¡¯ll sell these!¡±

    Feng Yuxiang then said, ¡°If you¡¯d like, I would be more than happy to help you sell the treasures in an auction house. Not only can I tell the value of these treasures but I also know how to deal with auction houses.¡±

    Yuan nodded without hesitation and handed her the spatial ring, ¡°I will leave the treasures to you then.¡±

    ¡°I will immediately go and sell these now¡ª¡±

    ¡°Wait a second, Feng Feng. Before you go, let me unseal the rest of this stuff.¡± Yuan quickly stopped her.

    ¡°I understand. Please take your time.¡±

    Yuan immediately began working on the storage pouch, unsealing it a couple of minutester.

    ¡°Heavens, there¡¯s nothing but spirit stones in here! One thousand, two thousand¡­ There¡¯s a total of 10,000 spirit stones in here! That¡¯s worth 100 million gold! I am rich! Ahahaha!¡±

    Yuan startedughing out loud after realizing that he was suddenly rich.

    Of course, that amount of gold really isn¡¯t much, especially if they consider how much his own treasures were worth, but Xiao Hua and Feng Yuxiang remained silent so that Yuan could enjoy the moment.

    After he calmed down, Yuan turned to look at Patriatch Gu¡¯sst spatial ring.

    ¡°Nah, let¡¯s take a look at what I obtained from the Blood Sect first since I don¡¯t have to unseal those.¡±

    Thus, Yuan began looking through the spatial rings and storage pouches he¡¯d obtained from looting the Blood Sect.

    There were around 120 spatial rings and storage pouchesbined, and it took Yuan almost two hours sorting through everything.

    He took the spirit stones for himself and handed the treasures worth over 100,000 gold to Feng Yuxiang to sell in an auctionter.

    As for the treasures worth less than 100,000 golds and the useful ones, he decided to keep them so that he could give them to the members of his factionter.

    ¡°What should we do with these techniques? Should we also sell them?¡± Yuan asked Feng Yuxiang.

    ¡°If it¡¯s not a taboo technique, then it should be safe.¡± She nodded.

 Chapter 713 - Destiny Seal

    Chapter 713: Destiny Seal

    ¡°Taboo techniques? What is that? And how can I tell if a technique is taboo or not?¡± Yuan asked.

    ¡°Can I see the techniques?¡± Feng Yuxiang then asked.

    ¡°Here you go.¡± Yuan handed all of the Blood Sect¡¯s techniques to her.

    Feng Yuxiang looked at each of them and separated them into two different piles.

    ¡°The techniques on the right are normal techniques while the ones on the left are taboo techniques. You can tell the difference based on their aura. Taboo techniques all have a sinister aura.¡± Feng Yuxiang said.

    ¡°All techniques considered taboo by the heavens will automatically have this sinister aura, so even if you copy it on a new piece of paper, it would still have a sinister aura. As for how the heavens decide which technique is taboo¡­ I have no idea.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­ So we cannot sell the taboo techniques, right?¡±

    ¡°Well, that is not entirely correct. There is nothing stopping you from selling taboo techniques, but most ces will refuse to buy them, so you can only sell them in the ck market, but that is not rmended, and you could offend the heavens by selling them.¡±

    ¡°If we can¡¯t sell them, what can we do with them?¡±

    Feng Yuxiang pondered for a moment and said, ¡°The most logical thing is to destroy them so that they don¡¯t spread around, as it could cause chaos if someone evil acquires them. All taboo techniques have a high chance of making those that cultivate them crazy, after all.¡±

    ¡°Okay, I will destroy them.¡±

    And without hesitation, Yuan ripped the techniques into many pieces.

    Ding!

    <you have="" earned="" the="" title="" ¡®taboo="" technique="" destroyer¡¯!=""></you>

    ¡°You can sell those techniques, Feng Feng. I would keep them since they¡¯re useful, especially the Bloody Sword Strike, but I don¡¯t want my friends to use a technique that has taken away so many innocent lives.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Young Master. Most of these techniques are pretty trash. Even an Earth-rank technique is nothing for you, who can acquire Heaven-rank techniques as easy as candy.¡±

    After handing Feng Yuxiang everything from the Blood Sect, Yuan continued to examine Lord Blood¡¯s spatial ring.

    ¡°1,000 spirit stones and some pills¡­ How can the sect master of the Blood Sect be so poor?¡± Yuan shook his head after looking inside.

    ¡°He probably hid his treasures away, unlike the Gu Family that likes to walk around with their wealth.¡± Feng Yuxiang shrugged.

    ¡°Whatever. Let¡¯s open up thest spatial ring and see what¡¯s inside.¡±

    Yuan proceeded to take a moment to clear his mind.

    Once he was prepared, he started making the array.

    A few minutester, Yuan unsealed Patriarch Gu¡¯s spatial ring and took a look inside.

    ¡°Whoa!¡±

    Yuan¡¯s eyes immediately began glistening.

    ¡°What is inside, Young Master?¡± Feng Yuxiang was also interested in Patriarch Gu¡¯s spatial ring.

    ¡°Here, let me dump it out.¡±

    He proceeded to dump out everything inside the spatial ring onto the table before them.

    Very quickly, a mountain of treasures with a profound aura was created.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ Not bad.¡± Feng Yuxiang nodded with approval after seeing the treasures.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°How much would I get from selling these?¡± Yuan quickly asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to tell, but you should get a few billion gold coins at the very least.¡±

    ¡°A few billion?!¡± Yuan¡¯s eyes widened with shock.

    With this much gold, he should be set for a very long time!

    ¡°Let¡¯s sell them all!¡± Yuan then said.

    ¡°Wait a moment, Young Master. Let me see the treasures closely¡­¡±

    Feng Yuxiang picked up a random treasure and inspected it.

    A few momentster, she ced it down and said, ¡°Young Master, that treasure contains the Gu Family¡¯s destiny seal. We won¡¯t be able to sell it until we remove it.¡±

    ¡°Huh? Destiny seal? What is that? Is it any different from the seals on spatial rings?¡±

    Feng Yuxiang shook her head, ¡°They arepletely different. Although they function somewhat simrly, destiny seals are much more powerful, and they have a lot more restrictions.¡±

    ¡°Destiny seals can only be created by powerful families in the Nine Heavens, and if they put one inside a treasure, that would restrict anyone that is not part of their family bloodline from using it. They are not only impossible to sell even in ck markets, but the buyer will most likely report you to the Gu Family for a reward.¡±

    After hearing Feng Yuxiang¡¯s exnation, Yuan pondered for a moment before asking, ¡°Since it¡¯s a seal, I should be able to remove it using arrays, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, you can, but arrays that can remove destiny seals are incredibly rare and expensive. Even if you sell all of the treasures here, you probably won¡¯t be able to purchase one. However, that¡¯s not even the most difficult part, as it¡¯s even more difficult to find a seller.¡±

    ¡°Now let¡¯s say you somehow managed to buy one¡­ You will probably need to be a level 4 or 5 Array Master before you can use the array.¡±

    ¡°Then what should I do with these treasures?¡± Yuan pointed at the mountain of treasures on the table.

    ¡°We can only wait until you are able to break the destiny seal, or we can find someone who knows how to remove them¡­¡± Feng Yuxiang said.

    ¡°Do you know anyone like that?¡±

    Feng Yuxiang began pondering.

    ¡°When I escaped from the upper heavens, I had spent a few years in each realm to prepare myself. During my time here, I learned of a guy named Jia Chong, who was rumored to know how to remove destiny seals.¡±

    ¡°Do you know where we can find him?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t, but I know someone who does.¡± Feng Yuxiang smiled.

    And she continued, ¡°A famous information broker who knows pretty much everything within the Spirit Heaven. However, he¡¯ll charge you a lot of money, so you need to prepare for it.¡±

    Yuan nodded, ¡°Okay. Can you help me sell the treasures that we can sell?¡±

    ¡°It would be my pleasure.¡± Feng Yuxiang nodded with an eager smile.

 Chapter 714 - Bright Night City

    After organizing all of the treasures that she was going to sell, Feng Yuxiang prepared to leave to find an auction house.

    ¡°Young Master, I don¡¯t know when I will be back, but I will do my best to return as swiftly as possible.¡±

    ¡°Wait, Feng Feng. Take Xiao Hua with you.¡± Yuan suddenly said to her.

    ¡°Brother Yuan?¡± Xiao Hua looked at him with a questioning gaze.

    ¡°Although Feng Feng is a peak Spirit Grandmaster, we¡¯re no longer in the Lower Heavens where Spirit Grandmaster is the peak. There are many Spirit Lords and even Spirit Kings in this world, and I want to make sure that nothing happens to her when she¡¯s out there. After all, she¡¯s carrying a lot of treasure, which could attract bandits.¡±

    ¡°¡­Okay.¡± Xiao Hua nodded her head despite knowing very well that nobody could harm Feng Yuxiang, who is a Divine Beast, as she wanted Yuan to be free of worries.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about me. I won¡¯t be going anywhere until you return.¡± Yuan said to them.N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.

    ¡°See youter, Brother Yuan.¡±

    ¡°Stay safe, Young Master!¡±

    ¡°I should be saying that to you.¡± Yuan smiled as he watched them leave the hotel.

    After they left, Yuan retrieved the Ten Thousand Ghost des technique and started studying it.

    Meanwhile, Feng Yuxiang and Xiao Hua left the city.

    ¡°The Young Master is very caring, don¡¯t you think so too, Xiao Hua?¡± Feng Yuxiang said to her as they traveled in the sky.

    ¡°Even if I am a Spirit Grandmaster, I won¡¯t die to any Spirit Lord or Spirit King because I am not an ordinary cultivator, but a Divine Beast.¡±

    ¡°That is just Brother Yuan¡¯s nature. Even if you can¡¯t die, he still wouldn¡¯t like to see you hurt.¡±

    ¡°If only I¡¯d met him sooner in the upper heavens, maybe I wouldn¡¯t need to be cursed like this¡­¡± Feng Yuxiang sighed.

    ¡°Enough talking, phoenix. Let¡¯s hurry up and sell these treasures so that I can return to Brother Yuan as soon as possible.¡± Xiao Hua said in a nonchnt voice.

    ¡°Yeah, yeah. We¡¯ll have to take the teleportation device in the next city that we¡¯ll arrive in if we continue traveling this direction.¡±

    Xiao Hua didn¡¯t say anything else and suddenly increased her flying speed.

    Feng Yuxiang silently smiled and followed her without losing in speed. In fact, she was still casually following behind Xiao Hua.

    As a phoenix, she is naturally superior when ites to flying, even if she¡¯s in her human form.

    Many hourster, they arrived at this massive city that was still bustling with people despite it being past midnight.

    ¡°Xiao Hua, stop at that city. We¡¯ve arrived.¡± Feng Yuxiang warned her as they approached this city.

    They descended shortly after and began walking towards the city entrance.

    ¡°Wee to the city that never sleeps¡ª Bright Night City. This is one of the busiest and wealthiest cities in the Second Heaven. Money never stops flowing in this ce, and it¡¯s where most merchants and cultivators go to find rare or unique treasures. Of course, it is also home to one of the biggest auction house names in the Nine Heavens, the House of Riches.¡± Feng Yuxiang introduced the city to Xiao Hua, who wasn¡¯t really interested.

    ¡°They have an auction at least once a week, so we should be able to sell our stuff quickly.¡±

    After paying a fee at the entrance and doing a quick background check to make sure they weren¡¯t criminals, they were allowed inside the city.

    Once they were inside, Feng Yuxiang led Xiao Hua to the House of Riches, which was located in one of the wealthiest streets in the city and also had thergest building there.

    Feng Yuxiang adjusted her clothes before walking into the building with a morous air around her that made people turn their heads and shift their gazes the moment she entered their view.

    One nce at Feng Yuxiang and everybody there could tell that she was someone of importance¡ª someone worth their attention and respect.

    In less than a minute after entering the building and without needing to say a single word, Feng Yuxiang managed to capture the attention of the guests and workers in the House of Riches with her aura alone.

    ¡°Wee to the House of Riches, Esteemed Guests. How can we assist you today?¡± A beautiful woman approached them shortly after.

    Feng Yuxiang nced at her and said in a calm and clear voice, ¡°I am here to sell my treasures.¡±

    ¡°I understand. Please, follow me to the VIP room, where you can arrange an auction with one of our supervisors.¡±

    Feng Yuxiang nodded and followed this woman to another room on the second floor.

    ¡°Our supervisor will be with you shortly. Please satisfy yourselves with our spiritual tea and snacks for the time being on that table there.¡±

    Once the woman left, Feng Yuxiang and Xiao Hua sat on the soft couch and waited for this supervisor to show up.

    Three minutester, a middle-aged woman who emitted a profound aura entered the room.

    Xiao Hua nced at this woman, who was clearly a peak Spirit Lord.

    ¡°Hello, Esteemed Guests. I am Gu Xin, the manager of this House of Riches. I heard from one of my assistants that you would like to sell at our auction house. Rest assured, our House of Riches will not only guarantee you the lowestmission rates, but your treasure will also sell for the highest in our auction house out of all auction houses within this city and nearby cities.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. The more money I get out of the treasures, the more pleased my Young Master will be.¡± Feng Yuxiang nodded calmly.

    ¡®Y-Young Master? Someone of her quality is actually serving another person?¡¯ Gu Xin was shocked to learn that Feng Yuxiang wasn¡¯t actually in charge and that she was only a servant.

    However, this information did not make Gu Xin look down on her. In fact, she became even more fearful as she imagined the kind of person that could tame a woman like Feng Yuxiang.

    Even though this is their first meeting, Gu Xin could tell by her aura and demeanor alone that Feng Yuxiang was someone of high status and not someone to be trifled with, not to mention the little girl that was sitting beside her, who appeared to be even more dangerous.

 Chapter 715 - House of Riches

    Chapter 715: House of Riches

    ¡°Can you show me what you¡¯re trying to sell?¡± Gu Xin asked them after a moment of silence.

    Feng Yuxiang nodded and retrieved a treasure from her storage ring before cing it on the round table before them.

    ¡°T-This is¡­¡±

    Gu Xin¡¯s body trembled with shock upon seeing the treasure, and her eyes were wide with disbelief.

    ¡°This¡­ Is this what I think it is¡­?¡± Gu Xin had to swallow her nervousness a couple of times before she could utter any words.

    The House of Riches has existed for thousands of years, and being one of the most famous auction houses in this world, they have dealt with countless valuable and priceless treasures.

    Gu Xin, while having worked at the House of Riches for only fifty years, has seen her fair share of valuable treasures, so there were not many treasures out that could excite her, much less shock her to such an extent.

    However, seeing Feng Yuxiang¡¯s treasure had shocked her so much that she forgot her position as the manager of the auction house.

    ¡°If you think this is the scale belonging to a Flood Dragon, then you are correct.¡± Feng Yuxiang smiled.

    ¡°How in heaven¡¯s name did you acquire such a treasure? Flood Dragons are extremely rare, and they can only be found in the Fourth Heaven and above! Although I have never personally seen a Flood Dragon¡¯s scale before, I have read about them, and ording to its wless surface that has no visible damages, this is a perfect scale!¡±

    Flood Dragons are incredibly scarce and powerful magical beasts that belong to the dragon race, and they border between being a magical beast and a Divine Beast. Furthermore, most of them are born with a cultivation at Spirit Emperor, so many cultivators fear them.

    ¡°How I acquired it is none of your business. The question here is whether you want to sell this or not.¡±

    ¡°O-Of course!¡± Gu Xin immediately nodded her head. Even an idiot would not refuse to sell such a priceless treasure at their auction house.

    ¡°Good, but I have a few conditions. If you don¡¯t ept these conditions, I will have to visit the next auction house.¡± Feng Yuxiang calmly said, as she was not worried about not being able to sell the Flood Dragon¡¯s scale.

    After all, any auction house that manages to sell such a priceless treasure would instantly be the most popr auction house for the next decade, even century, regardless of their status before.

    ¡°Anything! No matter your condition, I will make sure that it will happen!¡± Gu Xin said.

    ¡°It¡¯s quite simple, actually. If you want me to sell the Flood Dragon¡¯s scale in your auction house, you¡¯ll have to sell these treasures alongside it.¡±

    Feng Yuxiang ced another spatial ring on the table.

    ¡°May I look at it?¡± Gu Xin asked.

    ¡°Go ahead.¡± Feng Yuxiang opened the spatial ring to let her peek inside.

    Gu Xin¡¯s jaw dropped when she saw the sheer amount of treasures in the spatial ring. Although they were not as valuable as the Flood Dragon¡¯s scale even whenbined, it was the number that terrified her.

    ¡°This¡­ Although I don¡¯t mind selling them, it will take some time to sell all of them¡­¡±

    ¡°One week. I want you to sell all of them in one week. I don¡¯t care how you do it. You can sell them across different auction houses, or you can open the auction house everyday. I will let you decide.¡± Feng Yuxiang said.

    ¡°Rest assured. I will make sure that all of the treasures in this spatial ring are turned to spirit stones within a week or less. I will put my name and reputation on the line.¡± Gu Xin said with a serious face.

    ¡°And in case you want to steal from my Young Master, just know that I have calcted approximately how much I can get for selling all of the treasures at its lowest price. I will also be watching the sales.¡±

    ¡°T-That will never happen! I am willing to put my life on the line! The House of Riches has existed for thousands of years, but we have never once stolen even a single copper coin from our dear customers! You can rest assured that you will receive every coin that it was sold for, not including themission rates.¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°And speaking ofmission rates, the House of Riches has a 10 percentmission fee, but I will make an exception for you by lowering it to 5 percent.¡±

    However, Feng Yuxiang shook her head and said, ¡°That won¡¯t do.¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    Feng Yuxiang pointed at the Flood Dragon¡¯s scale and said with a gentle smile on her face, ¡°Make it one percent. Even with one percent, you¡¯ll earn more than a month¡¯s worth of fee just from the scale alone. If I give it to another auction house¡ª one that is less prestigious, they might even sell it for free. It¡¯s honor and reputation that¡¯s the most important to an auction house that¡¯s already as wealthy as the House of Riches, right?¡±

    A bittersweet smile appeared on Gu Xin¡¯s face as she spoke, ¡°I cannot argue with that. Very well, I shall lower themission fee to 1 percent.¡±

    Even if Feng Yuxiang asked her to remove themission feepletely, she would have still agreed. That¡¯s just how rare and precious the Flood Dragon¡¯s scale is. However, Feng Yuxiang had no reason to bully the House of Riches, so she spared them one percent of the sales.

    As for the Flood Dragon¡¯s scale itself, of course, it wasn¡¯t part of what Yuan gave her to sell. It was something from her own collection that she¡¯d acquired from the upper heavens, but in order to help Yuan sell his treasures as quickly and efficiently as possible, she decided to part ways with the treasure.

    ¡°Esteemed Guests, onest thing before we sell the treasures. Would you like to remain anonymous for the treasures? Most specifically, the Flood Dragon¡¯s scale.¡± Gu Xin asked a momentter.

    ¡°Yes, sell them anonymously,¡± she quickly responded.

    ¡°I understand.¡±

 Chapter 716 - Flood Dragonâ€™s Scale

    Chapter 716: Flood Dragon¡¯s Scale

    ¡°I will go ahead and put all of these treasures on the priority sales list if you don¡¯t have anything else for me. If you wish to receive updates regarding the sales or have any other questions, you may visit our auction house at any time of the day and we¡¯ll assist you.¡± Gu Xin said.

    ¡°I look forward to the results.¡± Feng Yuxiang stood up and left the ce shortly after, leaving behind her treasures for the auction house to sell.

    ¡°That woman¡­ Do you think she¡¯s part of the Gu Family?¡± Xiao Hua asked after they left.

    ¡°Who knows. Gu is a verymon surname, but the fact that she¡¯s working as the manager for a ce like House of Riches suggests that shees from a prestigious background.¡± Feng Yuxiang said.

    ¡°Anyways, we have a week to spare. Do you have anything you want to do?¡±

    Xiao Hua shook her head.

    ¡°Then I will go shopping. I need to restock medicine so the Young Master can continue to temper his body. You don¡¯t have to follow me if you don¡¯t want to. I will be fine by myself.¡±

    ¡°Brother Yuan told me to protect you, so that is what I will do.¡±

    Feng Yuxiang shrugged nonchntly, ¡°As you wish.¡±

    After Feng Yuxiang and Xiao Hua left the auction house, Gu Xin immediately began preparing for the Flood Dragon¡¯s scale¡¯s auction, spreading its name far and wide until it reached even the most secluded areas in the Spirit Heaven, which was achieved in just three short days.

    The news of House of Riches auctioning a Flood Dragon¡¯s scale spread like wildfire and caught the interest of almost all powerful families and backgrounds in the Spirit Heaven.

    Not only has a Flood Dragon¡¯s scale never been sold in the Spirit Heaven before, but it was even a wless scale.

    However, if the Flood Dragon¡¯s scale was just rare, then it wouldn¡¯t create such hype.

    A Flood Dragon¡¯s scale has many uses, and one of them is to increase the innate talent of cultivators that have water attribute spiritual veins. This effect alone is more than enough to make cultivators with water spirit veins go crazy, but they can also be used to craft high and peak quality Divine-grade treasures.

    Any treasure that can increase a cultivator¡¯s talent, no matter how minimal its effect, would make any cultivators go crazy for it. After all, even if it increases someone¡¯s talent by one percent, some people only need just that much to break through their bottleneck and reach a new realm that wouldn¡¯t have been possible.

    Thergest families in the Spirit Heaven, the Seven Spirit Academies, and even hidden backgrounds began preparing for the auction that will definitely be unprecedented.

    Meanwhile, somewhere in the Spirit Heaven, a group of high-ranking sect elders and the sect master gathered for a meeting.

    The topic was, obviously, the Flood Dragon¡¯s scale.

    ¡°Should we participate in the auction and try to fight for the Flood Dragon¡¯s scale?¡± The Sect Master asked the elders.

    ¡°As much as I want our sect to obtain it¡­ It¡¯s going to be a bloody battle.¡±

    ¡°We can expect the other sects and even the Legacy Families to show up for this auction.¡±

    ¡°An auction of this scale¡­ It¡¯s going to be brutal for our finances. Hell, I¡¯m not even sure that we¡¯ll be able to win the auction.¡±

    After listening to the elders¡¯ feedback, the Sect Master nodded, ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll show up to the auction and set a maximum budget for the treasure. I also highly doubt we¡¯ll be able to secure the Flood Dragon¡¯s scale, but we have to try.¡±

    Simr scenes happened throughout the Spirit Heaven within many families and sects.

    While Gu Xin waited for the news to spread, she received a summoning call from her family.

    ¡°I assume the reason you called me back here is because of the Flood Dragon¡¯s scale?¡± Gu Xin stood before the patriarch of the family.

    ¡°Yes, but that is not the only reason. We¡¯ve just received a message from the Gu Family within the Lower Heavens. Those ipetent idiots had been robbed by someone that climbed the Stairway to Heaven shortly after, and they want us to kill the bandit and retrieve their treasures since these bandits are no longer in the Lower Heavens.¡±

    Gu Xin raised her eyebrows.

    ¡°First of all¡­ Why is it any of our business that they had been robbed? Should we also wipe their ass when they finish using the bathroom?¡± She asked.

    The patriarch rubbed his temples in a stressed manner and sighed, ¡°You see¡­ This is not a simple robbery. They had been robbed of their family heirloom and amongst other valuable stuff.¡±

    ¡°What? Their heirloom had been robbed? Does that include the Gu Family¡¯s legacy techniques?¡± Gu Xin was stunned to hear this.

    ¡°Unfortunately¡­¡±

    ¡°What a bunch of useless idiots! Even if they¡¯re asking for our help, how can we possibly find the bandits in this vast world? It¡¯ll be like looking for a needle in a haystack! If the Stairway to Heaven didn¡¯t break, we could¡¯ve found them easily because people rarely ascend nowadays. However, because the stairway is broken, we¡¯ve had tens of thousands of neers in thest couple of days!¡±N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.

    The patriarch then said, ¡°Since the bandits stole their treasure, there is a very good chance that they¡¯ll be trying to sell the treasures. You work in the Houses of Riches, so you should have connections to many auction houses around Spirit Heaven. I will give you a list of the items that were stolen¡ª at least the most notable ones. If they try to sell it at an auction, we will know.¡±

    ¡°Furthermore, we have their names and descriptions of their appearances. Min Li, Yuan, and Feng Yuxiang. As for their description¡­¡±

    The patriarch began recalling all of the information given to him by the Gu Family in the Lower Heaven.

    ¡°Alright, I will spread this information to my associates.¡± Gu Xin nodded.

 Chapter 717 - Helping Yuan

    Chapter 717: Helping Yuan

    ¡®A beautiful woman who wears seductive red robes and a little girl? They sound just like the esteemed guests with the Flood Dragon¡¯s scale¡­¡¯ Gu Xin thought about Feng Yuxiang and Xiao Hua after hearing their description.

    However, she didn¡¯t think for a second that it could actually be them. After all, how could someone that can sell a Flood Dragon¡¯s scale be bandits? A single Flood Dragon¡¯s scale is already worth more than what the entire Gu Family in the Lower Heavens own. There was simply no reason why they would rob the Gu Family.

    Furthermore, neither Feng Yuxiang or Xiao Hua look like bandits. They were simply too high-ss and noble to do something so lowly.

    ¡°Now let¡¯s move onto the Flood Dragon¡¯s scale. Do you know the identity of the seller? If our Gu Family can start a connection with them, that would be great.¡± The patriarch said.

    Gu Xin shook her head, ¡°Unfortunately, they didn¡¯t provide me with their identity, and I didn¡¯t dare to ask them since they seem to prefer staying anonymous.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s really unfortunate, indeed. Then can you tell me a little more about your encounter with them?¡±

    Gu Xin nodded and proceeded to recall her conversation with them at the auction house.

    ¡°If this woman is really as you describe, her master must be an extraordinary individual.¡±

    ¡°The woman who did most of the talking should be a peak Spirit Grandmaster. The little girl beside her was at least Spirit Lord, but I am not certain since she hid her aura. It was a really weird encounter.¡± Gu Xin said.

    ¡°If you cannot see her aura, how are you so sure that she¡¯s at least Spirit Lord?¡±

    ¡°You would understand it if you were there. I couldn¡¯t sense her cultivation aura, but she had this cold aura around her that only killers would have. I was barely able to keep my focus with her staring at me the entire time.¡±

    ¡°She could be that woman¡¯s bodyguard.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I thought too at first, but she just didn¡¯t seem like a bodyguard. If you ask me, she felt more like a spectator¡­ a bored one¡­¡±

    ¡°Forget it. The next time you meet, try to form a connection with them. If unsessful, just learn as much as you can about their identity. If they¡¯re unwilling to be our allies, they could potentially be our enemies.¡±

    Sometimeter, Gu Xin said, ¡°Is this all you have for me? I would like to return to the auction house since I still have a lot of treasures that I need to sell.¡±

    ¡°You may leave.¡±

    Thus, Gu Xin left the ce.

    Although Gu Xin belongs to the Gu Family, she isn¡¯t really a direct descendant of the Gu Family. In fact, while many people from the Gu Family may have their surname, it doesn¡¯t mean that they share the same blood.

    Therefore, she couldn¡¯t really care less about the Gu Family¡¯s problems, especially if they are not in the same realm. However, since she was asked by the patriarch, she has to try looking for the bandits at the very least.

    Meanwhile, Feng Yuxiang went on a shopping spree in the Spirit Heaven, traveling from city to city with Xiao Hua to stock up on her treasures.

    However, since she nned on using the treasures on Yuan, they can also be considered Yuan¡¯s treasures.

    In fact, Feng Yuxiang had spent so much money that it made even Xiao Hua raise her eyebrows.

    ¡°Why are you buying so many treasures when Brother Yuan mentioned multiple times that he doesn¡¯t want to rely on you for everything? Once you sell all the treasures, he won¡¯t need to rely on you for a while.¡± She eventually asked out of curiosity.

    Feng Yuxiang smiled and said, ¡°While that may be true, with his talents, he will eventually run out of money again. You know the saying ¡®the more talented, the more expenses¡¯? With the Young Master¡¯s ridiculous talents, he will need an immense amount of wealth to properly train himself in the future, and that is where Ie in.¡±

    ¡°Although he doesn¡¯t like to rely on others for now, I believe that he will eventually rely more on us.¡±

    ¡°What if Brother Yuan refuses to rely on us even in the future?¡± Xiao Hua then asked.

    ¡°Then I will help him from the shadows! If he doesn¡¯t know that we¡¯re helping him, it won¡¯t count as helping him!¡± Feng Yuxiang chuckled.

    Xiao Hua was speechless.

    ¡°Brother Yuan will be angry if he finds out.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the harm? It¡¯s not like I intend to spoon-feed him. I am just going to assist him ever so slightly whenever I can. For example, after we finish selling the treasure, I am going to give the Young Master a little more than what the treasures sold for, and there will be no way for him to know about it unless one of us tells him.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Xiao Hua looked at her with a dumbfounded face.

    ¡°Why are you looking at me like that? You also want to help him, don¡¯t you? Unfortunately, the Young Master is still very naive, inexperienced, and very stubborn, so this is the only way we can help him.¡±

    ¡°If we don¡¯t do this, we¡¯ll never feel useful to him, and he will eventually reach that point where he¡¯ll no longer need us. We need to take advantage of our current situation while we still can.¡±

    Feng Yuxiang suddenly extended her hand that was holding a storage pouch, offering it to Xiao Hua.

    ¡°This is no different from that time when you went to the upper heavens to acquire Celestial Water for him. The only downside is that we won¡¯t be praised for our efforts since he won¡¯t know we helped him, but I will be satisfied just knowing that I had helped him.¡±

    ¡°What do you say, Xiao Hua? Let¡¯s help the Young Master together.¡±All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.

    Seeing Feng Yuxiang¡¯s serious face, Xiao Hua returned her gaze while pondering in silence.

    After a moment of silence, Xiao Hua eventually epted the storage pouch from Feng Yuxiang.

    Feng Yuxiang immediately smiled, and she said, ¡°Then it¡¯s official! Let¡¯s call this Operation Help the Young Master in Secret!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be mistaken, phoenix. I am only doing this for Brother Yuan.¡± Xiao Hua quickly said.

    She added a secondter, ¡°And I prefer Operation Help Brother Yuan.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit!¡± Feng Yuxiang chuckled.

 Chapter 718 - Rematch

    Chapter 718: Rematch

    ¡°What do you want me to do with this?¡± Xiao Hua lifted the storage pouch Feng Yuxiang gave her.

    ¡°Oh, there¡¯s nothing but spirit stones inside. You can help me¡ª the Young Master buy medicine for his body temperament.¡± Feng Yuxiang replied.

    ¡°You want me to go shopping with you¡­?¡± Xiao Hua mumbled.

    Feng Yuxiang pondered for a moment before speaking, ¡°How about this? Let¡¯s have a rematch. I lost the previous one because you technically cheated by going to the upper heavens. This time, whoever purchases the most treasures will win.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not fair.¡± Xiao Hua immediately frowned. ¡°You have already spent 3 days buying many treasures.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t count those. I will also start from scratch, and I will limit my budget to your budget as well. How does that sound? That¡¯s fair, right?¡±

    ¡°I guess¡­¡±

    ¡°But let me be really clear this time! You are not allowed to go to the upper heavens to purchase treasures! And the treasures purchased must be for body tempering!¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Good! Then I will meet you at the House of Riches in four days, when the Flood Dragon¡¯s scale is going to be auctioned off. May the best shopper win!¡±

    After that, Feng Yuxiang and Xiao Hua went their separate ways, but they both had the same objective¡ª to acquire as many treasures as possible.

    Meanwhile, back at the hotel, Chu Liuxiang came out of her room after a week of studying her techniques.

    ¡°How¡¯s your progress?¡± Yuan asked her.

    ¡°I managed to learn one of the techniques, but the other one might take a little bit longer. Despite both being Heaven-rank techniques, the cial Ice Dragon is much moreplex. However, even if I learn both skills, I won¡¯t be able to use either of them at my cultivation. I simply don¡¯t have enough Qi.¡±

    ¡°I should really start cultivating properly. I am already behind as it is.¡± Chu Liuxiang sighed.N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.

    ¡°Once Feng Feng finishes selling the treasures, I will be able to buy resources to boost your cultivation level.¡± Yuan said.

    ¡°As much as I like the feeling of being spoiled by you, I don¡¯t like the feeling of taking advantage of you. Is there anything you want in return?¡±

    ¡°Not really. I don¡¯t need anypensation for helping you, or it won¡¯t feel like I am helping you.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not apensation. If you do me a favor, it¡¯s only natural that I return the favor. It¡¯s called expressing one¡¯s gratitude, and that is being polite.¡±

    ¡°Even if I say that, there¡¯s nothing that I want¡ª at least I can¡¯t think of anything right now.¡± Yuan shook his head.

    ¡°That¡¯s okay. You can let me know once you think of something. Until then, I will be indebted to you.¡± Chu Liuxiang smiled.

    ¡°By the way, how¡¯s your situation with your family? It¡¯s almost the end of the month, you know?¡± Yuan suddenly asked.

    A bittersweet smile appeared on her face as she spoke, ¡°Their calls are bing more frequent, and of course, my family is getting angrier.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright though. I will visit them at the end of this week to let them know my feelings,¡± she added.

    ¡°Okay.¡± Yuan nodded.

    Sometimeter, Yuan ced the level 3 array symbol manual down and asked Chu Liuxiang, ¡°Do you want to get some food? I have watched thousands of people enter and leave this restaurant that¡¯s directly across from us.¡±

    ¡°Sure. I need some fresh air, anyway.¡±

    ¡°What about you, Yingying?¡±

    Lan Yingying transformed back to her human form and nodded, ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Let me ask Min as well.¡±

    Yuan went to her room and knocked on her door.

    ¡°Min, we¡¯re going to get some food. Would you like toe with us?¡±

    Min Li¡¯s voice responded a momentter, ¡°Thank you for the invitation, but I am very close to a breakthrough.¡±

    ¡°Oh, sorry if I bothered you. And good luck with your breakthrough.¡±

    Yuan left the hotel with Chu Liuxiang and Lan Yingying shortly after.

    After walking a few steps, they arrived at the restaurant that was across from their hotel.

    ¡°Wee to our humble restaurant. How many guests today?¡±

    ¡°Just the three of us.¡±

    ¡°Very well. Please, follow me to your table.¡±

    Once they sat down, the waitress gave them a menu.

    However, without even epting the menu, Yuan said, ¡°Just give us one of everything on the menu.¡±

    ¡°Eh? Are you sure?¡± The waitress looked at him with a baffled face.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°I-I understand. Please wait a moment.¡±

    The waitress went away and returned a couple of minutester.

    ¡°This will be total. Are you okay with it?¡±

    Yuan nced at the bill and nodded, ¡°Here, I will pay upfront. You can keep the change as well.¡±

    ¡°T-Thank you very much! The food will be here shortly!¡± The waitress quickly epted Yuan¡¯s gold coins without hesitation.

    Once the waitress left, Chu Liuxiang smiled, ¡°You sure are spendingvishly now that you¡¯re rich.¡±

    Yuan chuckled, ¡°That¡¯s not it. The higher my cultivation, the higher my appetite seems. If I don¡¯t eat that much, I won¡¯t feel satisfied.¡±

    ¡°Really? Howe my appetite doesn¡¯t increase?¡± Chu Liuxiang raised her eyebrows.

    ¡°Perhaps it has something to do with your physique.¡± Lan Yingying said.

    ¡°My physique also increases my appetite as my cultivation increases,¡± she added.

    ¡°That makes more sense. By the way, are you okay with not eating? I haven¡¯t seen you consume magical beasts in a while.¡± Yuan asked.

    She nodded, ¡°Yes, I am fine. It¡¯s not like I feel hunger if I don¡¯t eat, and I don¡¯t consume magical beasts to satisfy my hunger. It¡¯s only to increase my cultivation. Also, I can not eat for months and remain perfectly fine. My increased appetite simply means that I can eat more if I decide to eat. Furthermore, I have already feasted enough when I traveled with Feng Yuxiang and Xiao Hua.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. If you ever feel like eating, just let me know and I will go hunt some magical beasts with you.¡± Yuan said.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    The food appeared shortly after, and they began eating.

    While they ate, Yuan overheard the conversation of a few customers regarding an uing and unprecedented auction for a priceless treasure, which piqued his interest.

 Chapter 719 - Powerhouses Gathering

    Chapter 719: Powerhouses Gathering

    ¡°I heard the House of Riches in Bright Night City is preparing for their biggest auction since their creation!¡±

    ¡°Really? What are they selling this time?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a treasure called Flood Dragon¡¯s scale!¡±

    ¡°What the heck is that? But since it has the word dragon in its name, it must be very valuable¡­¡±

    ¡°ording to the rumors, the Flood Dragon¡¯s scale can increase a cultivator¡¯s innate talent if they have water spirit veins.¡±

    ¡°What?! Increasing one¡¯s innate talent?! That¡¯s a priceless treasure!¡±

    ¡°Indeed. Pretty much every powerhouse is going to participate in the auction.¡±

    ¡°Good heavens. It¡¯s going to be a bloodbath! I can¡¯t even imagine how much money it will sell for.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s definitely going to be an amount that we can not even dream to have.¡±

    After hearing this conversation, Yuan turned to look at Chu Liuxiang and said, ¡°Lulu, this Flood Dragon¡¯s scale is perfect for you. Even though you have ice spiritual veins, it should still work on you since your ice element is just a superior version of the water element.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re going to participate in this auction? It sounds very expensive¡­¡± Chu Liuxiang said.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    Yuan showed his spatial ring with a smile on his face, ¡°I have plenty of money!¡±

    Neither Yuan nor Chu Liuxiang was aware of the Flood Dragon¡¯s scale¡¯s true value. If they did, they wouldn¡¯t even think about trying to participate in the auction.

    ¡°I have almost 20,000 spirit stones. That¡¯s worth 200 million gold coins. Surely, that¡¯s more than enough to buy this treasure, right? Even a Heaven-grade treasure is only worth at most 50 million.¡± Yuan said.

    ¡°We¡¯ll find out when we get there, I guess.¡± Chu Liuxiang shrugged.

    ¡°What about the others?¡± Lan Yingying said. ¡°You told them that you wouldn¡¯t leave the hotel¡­¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ We don¡¯t know when they¡¯ll return, and we might miss the auction if we wait for them. I will leave a note behind if they return while we are away so that they don¡¯t panic about our disappearance.¡±

    Chu Liuxiang then said, ¡°There¡¯s actually a good chance that we¡¯ll run into them since they will also be selling their treasures in an auction house.¡±

    ¡°Now that you mention it, that could also happen.¡± Yuan said.

    Once they finished eating, they returned to the hotel.

    Yuan immediately began writing his note for the others.

    ¡°Since Min is busy with her cultivation, I won¡¯t bother her. Are you guys ready to leave?¡± Yuan asked them afterward.

    ¡°Do you even know where to go?¡± Chu Liuxiang then asked.

    ¡°Oh, I nearly forgot. It¡¯s a city called Bright Night City. Can either of you read maps?¡± Yuan handed them the jade slip containing a map.

    ¡°I can try.¡± Lan Yingying said as she took the jade slip.

    A few momentster, she spoke, ¡°It¡¯s a little far from this ce, but we should arrive there by the end of the day if we use teleportation devices.¡±

    ¡°Alright, you¡¯ll lead the way.¡± Yuan said.

    Before they left, Yuan ced the note on the table and used a cup to hold it down to ensure that it wouldn¡¯t move anywhere.

    Thus, Yuan began making his way towards Bright Night City with Lan Yingying and Chu Liuxiang.

    Meanwhile, somewhere in the Spirit Healing Academy, Wang Xiuying went to look for her Master after being summoned.

    ¡°Disciple Wang greets Master.¡± Wang Xiuying bowed to her Master at the sect, who was a beautiful middle-aged woman with a naturally cold face.

    ¡°Xiuying, I will be leaving the sect for a couple of days to participate in the Flood Dragon¡¯s scale¡¯s auction with the sect master.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I heard about that! It¡¯s a priceless treasure that can improve one¡¯s innate talent, is that correct?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but it has many other purposes as well, such as being used to create the Flood Dragon Pill that can directly boost a peak Spirit Lord to a Spirit King with 90 percent efficiency! However, since it¡¯s a wless scale, it should have more than 95 percent efficiency!¡±

    ¡°I-Is that so¡­¡± Wang Xiuying mumbled in a dazed voice. She has never seen her Master so excited before.

    ¡°Want toe with us? It will be a unique experience for you since all of the powerhouses will be present for the auction, and they are some of the most powerful people in this world.¡±

    ¡°I want to go!¡± Wang Xiuying immediately nodded her head.

    ¡°Alright. Get ready. We¡¯re leaving in an hour.¡±

    Ten hourster, Yuan arrived at the Bright Night City.

    ¡°Wow, there¡¯s a lot of people here¡­¡± Yuan cannot recall thest time he saw this many people gathered in one ce.

    However, the most impressive part was that they were mostly flying in the air and the profound atmosphere there.

    ¡°Most of them are emitting a powerful aura as well¡­ They must all be cultivation experts.¡± Chu Liuxiang couldn¡¯t stop shivering, as the atmosphere caused by these experts was too intense for a Spirit Apprentice like her.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Yuan asked her.

    ¡°Yes¡­ It just feels a little harder to breathe than usual¡­¡±

    Hearing her words, Yuan used his spiritual energy to cover her body.

    Chu Liuxiang immediately felt better.

    ¡°Do you feel any better?¡± Yuan asked.

    ¡°Yes, I feel much better. Thank you.¡±

    ¡°What about you, Yingying?¡±

    ¡°I am fine. The pressure doesn¡¯t affect me.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡± Yuan said, and he continued, ¡°Now that we¡¯re here, let¡¯s figure out where and when the auction will take ce.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Thedies nodded.

    After entering the city, they began asking around.

    ¡°Hello, do you know where the Flood Dragon¡¯s scale¡¯s auction will take ce? Or where I can find more information on it?¡± Yuan asked a couple of pedestrians the same question.

    One of them replied, ¡°You can learn more about the auction at the House of Riches. Besides that, I don¡¯t really know anything, since this auction is not going to be public.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean it¡¯s not going to be public?¡± Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    ¡°It means that only those invited and influential enough are allowed to participate in the auction. After all, an auction of this significance will attract too many people, so they are only limiting it to people that are actually wealthy enough to participate.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­ That makes sense. Thank you.¡±

 Chapter 720 - Invitation to the Auction

    Chapter 720: Invitation to the Auction

    Now that he knew where to go, Yuan and the others made their way to the House of Riches.

    However, there were so many pedestrians out in the street that it made walking extremely difficult and bothersome.

    ¡°Why are there so many people? Since the auction is exclusive, they have no business crowding up the streets!¡± Chu Liuxiang sighed.

    ¡°They probably want to meet some of the powerhouses that came here for the auction. It¡¯s really rare for them to appear in public like this, much less this many at once, so they want to use this chance to change their fate. They might never get another chance, after all.¡± Lan Yingying said.

    ¡°That makes a lot of sense.¡± Chu Liuxiang mumbled.

    ¡°Let¡¯s fly since we won¡¯t be able to go anywhere like it.¡± Yuan suggested.

    A few momentster, Yuan carried Chu Liuxiang into the air while Lan Yingying followed him.

    ¡°Wow! What young experts!¡±

    The pedestrians were awed when they saw Yuan and Lan Yingying flying without any flying treasures, meaning they were Spirit Grandmasters and above.

    Sometimeter, Yuan arrived at the House of Riches, which was incredibly easy to spot due to how many experts were gathered there.

    ¡°Hmm? Who is that? Do you recognize him, Sect Master Jing?¡±

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡±

    The experts there began mumbling to each other when Yuan and Lan Yingying showed up, as they had never seen either of them before.

    ¡°Excuse me, is this where we get our invitation to the auction?¡± Yuan asked one of the experts there.

    ¡°Hm? Yeah. Someone from the auction house should be giving us more information in a bit.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°By the way, who are you with? I know most Spirit Lords, but I don¡¯t recognize you.¡± The man then asked him.

    ¡°I¡¯m a rogue cultivator.¡± Yuan said with a smile.

    ¡°A rogue cultivator¡­?¡± The man raised his eyebrows.

    How can a Spirit Lord at his age possibly be a rogue cultivator? Even a blind man could tell that he was lying. However, the man didn¡¯t continue to question him and epted it as it is. After all, if a cultivator wants to remain anonymous, their wish should be respected.

    A few minutester, someone from the House of Riches appeared before them and said out loud, ¡°Thank you all for showing interest in our uing auction for the Flood Dragon¡¯s scale. However, in order to not overwhelm the auction, we have decided to limit the number of participants. In order to receive an invite, you must show us proof of your identity and that you belong to a prominent background. If you wish to remain anonymous, you must prove to us that you have the qualifications to participate in the auction. Therefore, we will ask that you show us at least 500,000 spirit stones or treasures of that value.¡±

    ¡®F-Five hundred thousand spirit stones?!?!?!¡¯ Yuan cried inwardly when he heard this astronomical number.

    ¡°Yuan¡­¡± Chu Liuxiang looked at him with a worried face. ¡°How much did you say you brought again? 20,000¡­?¡±

    A bittersweet smile appeared on Yuan¡¯s face when he realized that he¡¯d severely underestimated the Flood Dragon¡¯s scale¡¯s worth.

    Unless he sold all of the Gu Family¡¯s treasures, he wouldn¡¯t even be able to participate in the auction. Of course, he could just show them the Gu Family¡¯s treasures that should be worth a few billion gold, but it was incredibly risky because of the destiny seals in the treasures.

    However, since he was already here, he didn¡¯t want to go back empty handed.

    Yuan decided that he will at the very least witness this auction even if he doesn¡¯t manage to win the Flood Dragon¡¯s scale.

    Thus, Yuan began pondering about what he had on him that was worth 500,000 spirit stones, excluding the Gu Family¡¯s treasures.

    ¡®Actually¡­ Now that I think about it, I should have a few valuable treasures. Although I don¡¯t know their full value, let¡¯s hope they are worth more than 500,000 spirit stones¡­ If not, I still have onest trick up my sleeve¡­¡¯

    Yuan looked at Chu Liuxiang and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we should be able to participate.¡±

    While the House of Riches verified the experts there one by one, Yuan waited anxiously for his turn.

    Half an hourter, it was finally their turn.

    ¡°Hello. Would you like to show us your identity or your qualifications?¡± The pretty woman asked Yuan with a calm smile.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to show my qualifications.¡± Yuan said as he retrieved a colorful nt from his spatial ring.

    ¡°T-This is¡­¡± The woman¡¯s eyes widened with surprise when she saw the nt in Yuan¡¯s hands.

    ¡°Correct me if I am wrong, but is this the Seven Colored Herb?¡± She asked him for confirmation in a shaky voice.

    ¡°Yes, it is. Can I get an invitation with this, or do I need to show more?¡± Yuan asked, silently hoping that it was enough.

    ¡°O-Of course!¡±

    To their surprise, the woman quickly approved.

    ¡°Really?¡±

    It was so easy that Yuan was in disbelief.

    ¡°Yes. Here¡¯s your invitation letter. The auction will begin in two days. The location and time of the auction is already written inside the letter. Good luck at the auction, esteemed guest.¡± The woman bowed to him in a respectful manner.

    Yuan epted the letter and quickly stored it back into his spatial ring alongside the Seven Colored Herb.

    They left the scene shortly after to find a hotel, where they can stay for the next two days.

    ¡°Wow, you surprised me back there, Yuan. What did you show her?¡± Chu Liuxiang asked him out of curiosity after they sat down in the hotel.

    ¡°This.¡± Yuan showed her the Seven Colored Herb.

    ¡°This little nt is worth more than 500,00 spirit stones? That¡¯s 5 billion gold coins! I don¡¯t believe it!¡± She expressed her disbelief.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to tell you since I also didn¡¯t expect it to be worth so much money. However, Xiao Hua was very excited when we first acquired it, and she doesn¡¯t get excited easily.¡± Yuan shrugged.

 Chapter 721 - Royal Hall

    Chapter 721: Royal Hall

    ¡°How did you acquire it?¡± Chu Liuxiang asked out of curiosity.

    ¡°Well, it started when we met this man in front of a cave¡­¡± Yuan proceeded to recall his experience with the Demonic Spider.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ very tragic¡­¡± Chu Liuxiang sighed in a dispirited voice after hearing the story.

    ¡°Hearing your story makes me wonder¡­ Does it hurt more for the parents to lose their children, or does it hurt more for the children when they lose their parents?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think we can gauge pain¡­¡± Yuan shook his head.

    ¡°Yuan, have you ever thought about meeting your parents? Your biological parents, I mean.¡±

    ¡°Not really. I never had the time to worry about such things, either. They abandoned me for a reason, and there¡¯s no point thinking about it since it¡¯s already happened.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not even slightest curious why they abandoned you? I sometimes wonder why they really abandoned me.¡± Chu Liuxiang sighed again, and she continued, ¡°Unfortunately, we might never be able to find the answer even if we wanted to ask them. For all we know, they could be dead right now. Even if they¡¯re not, it¡¯s almost impossible to look for them.¡±

    Yuan smiled bitterly and said, ¡°Let¡¯s stop thinking about such depressing things. Your hair will turn white from stress.¡±

    ¡°Alright, I am going to study my techniques. Call me when it¡¯s time to go.¡± Chu Liuxiang said as she retrieved her techniques and began reading them.

    ¡°I also need to finish absorbing the magical beasts I consumed before.¡± Lan Yingying said as she turned into a bracelet around his wrist.

    Yuan didn¡¯t say anything else and returned to studying his arrays.

    Two days passed in the blink of an eye.

    ¡°Lulu, it¡¯s almost time for the auction.¡± Yuan called out to her.N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±

    Thus, they began making their way towards the auction, which will be held in another location that will have a higher capacity for the guests.

    Meanwhile, Feng Yuxiang and Xiao Hua met up with each other in front of the House of Riches around the same time.

    ¡°How did your shopping go?¡± Feng Yuxiang asked her with a confident face.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Xiao Hua didn¡¯t say anything and handed the spatial ring with the treasures she bought inside to Feng Yuxiang.

    Feng Yuxiang quickly checked the contents, and it wascking in terms of quantity. However, in terms of quality, the treasures Xiao Hua bought were much better in general.

    ¡°I see¡­ So you picked quality over quantity, huh? Unfortunately, I have won this rematch!¡± Feng Yuxiang said in a proud voice as she handed her spatial ring to Xiao Hua.

    Xiao Hua frowned slightly and looked at the spatial ring, and to her surprise, Feng Yuxiang had a lot more treasures than her while keeping its quality about the same.

    ¡°You must be thinking that I had cheated, right? After all, how can I possibly acquire so much more treasures with the same quality while having the same budget?¡±

    Although Xiao Hua didn¡¯t say anything, she indeed doubted if Feng Yuxiang had cheated for a moment.

    ¡°Xiao Hua, it¡¯s simply a difference in experience. You most likely bought those treasures at their full price, right? Well, I convinced the merchants to sell the treasures at a lower price, allowing me to buy more with the same budget. Furthermore, I didn¡¯t buy them in regr stores, since you can usually get treasures of the same quality with a merchant that works alone, and they¡¯re easier to haggle with.¡± Feng Yuxiang exined, disying her years of experience as a merchant in full, even bragging about it a little.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    After hearing Feng Yuxiang¡¯s exnation, Xiao Hua had no choice but to ept her defeat this time. She wasn¡¯t the type to haggle with others, nor has she done so before, so she was at a severe disadvantage for this match.

    ¡°Now that we both have a win and loss, we¡¯re tied. I look forward to our next match¡± Feng Yuxiang then said.

    ¡°I won¡¯t lose next time.¡± Xiao Hua said in a calm voice, yet her fierce expression was dead serious.

    ¡°Neither will I.¡± Feng Yuxiang said with a smile.

    Thus, the rivalry between Feng Yuxiang and Xiao Hua to be Yuan¡¯s number one servant officially began.

    ¡°Esteemed guests! You came just at the right time! I was just about to head to the auction. Do you want to join me?¡± Gu Xin was pleasantly surprised to see them standing in front of the auction house.

    ¡°Sure.¡± Feng Yuxiang nodded.

    While they journeyed, Gu Xin said to them, ¡°Regarding the sales of the treasures, we have managed to sell all of them besides the Flood Dragon¡¯s scale, which will be sold by today. In total, the treasures managed to sell for a little over 60,000 spirit stones.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± Feng Yuxiang replied in a nonchnt manner.

    Although Gu Xin didn¡¯t mention it, nor would she, most of the treasures were actually bought by the auction house itself.

    After all, with the Flood Dragon¡¯s scale¡¯s uing auction, most of the wealthy families have decided to save as much money as they can for the auction, making it pretty hard to sell the lesser valued treasures even for a renowned auction house like the House of Riches.

    In fact, the House of Riches even bought most of the treasures at a higher price than usual just to satisfy Feng Yuxiang.

    And although the House of Riches will be losing some money even if they manage to sell all of the treasures in the future when everything has calmed down, they do not regret their actions as long as it satisfies Feng Yuxiang.

    About an hourter, they arrive at the location of the auction. It was in a nearby city, where there was a massive building that could hold thousands of guests with ease.

    This building was built for important meetings for the Seven Legacy Families, the Seven Spirit Academies, among other powerful backgrounds, but it will be used as an auction house just for the Flood Dragon¡¯s scale.

    ¡°Wee to the Royal Hall, Esteemed Guests.¡± Gu Xin said to them when they arrived.

 Chapter 722 - Flood Dragonâ€™s Scale Auction

    Chapter 722: Flood Dragon¡¯s Scale Auction

    ¡°Here are the VIP seats, Esteemed Guests. I have to prepare for the auction, so I will excuse myself now.¡± Gu Xin said to Feng Yuxiang after showing her the best seats in the house.

    Feng Yuxiang and Xiao Hua took a seat shortly after, and their presence immediately attracted the gazes of the people that were already there, all of whom were considered VIP, such as the Seven Legacy Families and the Seven Spirit Academies.

    ¡°Excuse me, beautiful fairy. I know this is audacious of me, but I do not recognize you. Please spare me of this guilt by telling me your name.¡± A handsome man sitting two seats away from them suddenly asked Feng Yuxiang with this charming smile.

    But before Feng Yuxiang could respond, he continued to speak, ¡°Oh, how disrespectful of me. I am the sect master of the Universal Music Academy, Sun Hao.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Unfortunately, Feng Yuxiang didn¡¯t even bother to spare him a single word, much less her name.

    Some of the people there beganughing in a suppressed manner when they saw Sun Hao¡¯s flushed face and embarrassed expression.

    To dare disrespect one of Seven Spirit Academies¡¯ Sect Masters in such a manner, the people there became even more interested in Feng Yuxiang¡¯s identity.

    ¡®Huh? Aren¡¯t those two¡­?¡¯ Wang Xiuying recognized Feng Yuxiang and Xiao Hua.

    She remembered seeing them with Yuan at the Mystic Realm. And while it was only for a brief moment, their attractive appearances made it easy for her to remember.

    ¡®What are they doing here? Wait¡­ Does this mean Yuan is also here? He ascended to Spirit Heaven recently, too.¡¯ Wang Xiuying immediately became excited at the possibility that Yuan was nearby, as it has been a long time since they have seen each other.

    She began looking around for Yuan, but sadly, the VIP section was separated from the others, making it very difficult to look for him.

    As for Yuan, he sat down with Lan Yingying and Chu Liuxiang the moment they found three avable seats so they could sit together, and their seats were all the way at the end of the conference room, where the auction is being held.

    ¡°Wow, this feels like we¡¯re at an important meeting.¡± Chu Liuxiang mumbled in a low voice.

    ¡°The atmosphere and the building¡¯s interior does give off that feeling.¡± Yuan agreed with her.

    Half an hourter, Gu Xin appeared before everyone in the center of the building, where arge circr tform existed.

    ¡°Wee, everyone! Thank you all foring to our auction today on such short notice! My name is Gu Xin, and I have been a manager at the House of Riches for over 5 decades. It is with great honor that I bring to you today a priceless treasure that can only be found in the Fourth Heaven and above¡ª the scale of a Flood Dragon!¡±

    The audience immediately became dead silent when Gu Xin started talking.

    ¡®Gu Xin¡­? Is she part of the Gu Family or am I just being paranoid? Gu is amon surname, after all¡­¡¯ Yuan thought to himself when he heard her name.

    ¡°Before I continue, allow me to show you all the Flood Dragon¡¯s scale.¡±

    Everyone there focused their gazes on Gu Xin and watched as she retrieved a beautiful box before cing it on the disy stand beside her.

    ¡°Make sure you engrave this moment into your soul because there¡¯s a good chance that you will never see something like this ever again after today!¡±

    Gu Xin opened up the box, revealing the glistening blue scale inside the box that was also emitting an overwhelming aura.

    Many gasps of awe could be heard from the audience as they witnessed the Flood Dragon¡¯s scale for the first time in their lives.

    ¡°As you can all see, this is the Flood Dragon¡¯s scale¡ª one of wless quality, as well. There are many benefits this scale can bring to you. Here¡¯s just a few of many benefits. It can increase the innate talent of a cultivator with water spiritual veins. It can be used to concoct the Flood Dragon Pill that can help a peak Spirit Lord achieve Spirit King with great sess. It can also be used to craft high-quality Divine-grade treasures.¡±

    The cultivators there salivated with desire as Gu Xin introduced the Flood Dragon¡¯s scale.

    ¡°I will now give everyone three minutes to prepare before I officially begin the auction.¡± Gu Xin said.

    Immediately, the entire ce erupted with murmurs, but with so many people speaking at once, it sounded quite loud even if they were all whispering to each other.

    ¡°This Flood Dragon¡¯s scale is exactly what I need to breakthrough to Spirit King! We must get it at all costs!¡± Said a certain cultivator that had been stuck as a Spirit Lord for over three decades.

    ¡°I have water spiritual veins! This Flood Dragon¡¯s scale will boost my talents to a new level! We cannot miss this chance!¡± Said a certain Sect Master of a prominent sect.

    ¡°With this Flood Dragon¡¯s scale, I will finally be able to concoct the pill of my dream¡ª a tier 6 pill!¡±

    ¡°This is going to be one brutal auction¡­¡± Chu Liuxiang sighed at the atmosphere that suddenly became tense.

    ¡°I don¡¯t me them for wanting such a priceless treasure. If I had the funds, I would also want to bid for it.¡± Yuan said.

    Three minutes passed in the blink of an eye.

    Gu Xin cleared her throat before speaking.

    ¡°I hope you¡¯re all prepared, because the auction for the Flood Dragon¡¯s scale starts now! To start off the bid, 100,000 spirit stones with increments of at least 10,000 spirit stones!¡±

    ¡°She started the auction at a billion gold?! I definitely underestimate this auction! Severely, at that!¡± Yuan cried inwardly, and he realized that he never had a ce in this auction since the very beginning.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    As for the others, they did not hesitate to bid.

    ¡°110,000 spirit stones!¡±

    ¡°150,000 spirit stones!¡±

    ¡°200,000 spirit stones!¡±

    In just a few minutes, the highest bid reached 400,000 spirit stones, which was a record in the history of all auction houses in the Spirit Heaven, shattering the previous record by over 100,000 spirit stones!

 Chapter 723 - Winner of the Auction

    Chapter 723: Winner of the Auction

    ¡°400,000 spirit stones!¡±

    ¡°410,000 spirit stones!¡±

    ¡°420,000 spirit stones!¡±

    Even though the auction is already at 400,000 spirit stones, which is worth 4 billion gold, the atmosphere there did not quiet down and remained as tense as ever. In fact, it was only getting more tense.

    ¡°450,000 spirit stones!¡±

    ¡°470,000 spirit stones!¡±

    ¡°500,000 spirit stones!¡±

    When the spirit stones reached 500,000 spirit stones, someone there suddenly increased the bid significantly.

    ¡°One million spirit stones!¡±

    Many bidders there turned to look at the person who just spoke with raised eyebrows.

    While nobody there doubted for a second that the bid wouldn¡¯t reach that price point, they didn¡¯t want such an exciting auction to end so early. After all, they could simply bid their maximum budget at one go and call it a day.

    However, that would be boring, and such actions are frowned upon in auctions, sort of like an unspoken rule.

    ¡°Slow down, Bai Ning. I know you want the Flood Dragon¡¯s scale very badly, but let¡¯s enjoy ourselves in this unprecedented event that might never happen again. Furthermore, you wouldn¡¯t want the auction to end in an instant, do you? This might be yourst chance looking at the Flood Dragon¡¯s scale so closely, after all.¡± Someone there called out the individual, publicly shaming him.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t shut up, I will increase it by another million,¡± said the man in a sneering manner.

    ¡°1,010,000 spirit stones!¡±

    The people there continued to bid shortly after.

    Inside the VIP room, Xiao Hua suddenly raised her eyebrows.

    She turned to look at Feng Yuxiang and said, ¡°Phoenix, I can sense Brother Yuan¡¯s presence in this ce¡­¡±

    Feng Yuxiang immediately snapped her head at her and eximed in a low voice, ¡°What?! Impossible! What¡¯s he doing here?!¡±

    She quickly tried to sense Yuan¡¯s presence through their servant and master connection, and sure enough, she was able to sense his presence as well, albeit a little faint.

    ¡°W-What is the Young Master doing here?! If he finds out that we¡¯re selling the Flood Dragon¡¯s scale to help him, he might be a little upset¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think Brother Yuan will be upset.¡± Xiao Hua said.

    ¡°But just to be safe, we should keep this a secret from him until we know how he feels about the auction.¡± Feng Yuxiang sighed.

    The auction continued for another thirty minutes, reaching two million spirit stones.

    ¡°Heavens, it¡¯s already 20 billion gold¡­ Just how much wealth do these cultivators have?¡± Yuan mumbled in a dazed voice.

    He thought having a couple billion of gold was already wealthy, butpared to these powerhouses, it was like a drop of water in the ocean.

    ¡°If you think about it, they had thousands of years to save up this much money.¡± Chu Liuxiang said.

    ¡°Gold coins are still considered mortal currency, so it¡¯s not abnormal that they have so many. Spirit stones are the true currency for cultivators. One million spirit stones may be an astronomical amount for mortals since they automatically convert it to gold, but for cultivators, a million spirit stones is just one million spirit stones. And with cultivators monopolizing spirit stone caves, it should be easier for them to acquire spirit stones.¡± Lan Yingying said.

    ¡°Oh, right. Spirit Stone Caves. I nearly forgot about their existence, but that makes a lot more sense.¡± Yuan said.

    ¡°Three million spirit stones!¡±

    The Flood Dragon¡¯s scale reached a new milestone very quickly.

    After another hour, the highest bid reached 5 million spirit stones.

    ¡°Five million spirit stones! The Healing Spirit Academy has bid 5 million spirit stones! Do we have any more bids?!¡± Gu Xin announced.

    ¡°5,500,000 spirit stones!¡± The Sect Master of the Lonely River Academy raised the bid from the VIP section.

    ¡°6,000,000!¡± The patriarch of the Gu Family shouted.

    ¡°7 million!¡± A man that most did not recognize increased the bid by another million.

    By now the bids were increasing byrge increments of over 500,000 spirit stones. In other words, it was time for the real auction to begin.

    And in just a couple of minutes, the highest bid went from 7 million all the way to 12 million spirit stones!

    ¡°Whoever this Flood Dragon¡¯s scale belongs to¡­ They are going to be rich after this auction¡­¡± Yuan mumbled as he watched the bid increase by another 3 million, reaching 15 million spirit stones within a matter of moments.

    ¡°15 million! Does anyone have better than 15 million?!¡± Gu Xin eximed with excitement.

    ¡°20 million!¡± A familiar voice suddenly resounded in the building.

    ¡®This voice¡­ Senior Nie?¡¯ Yuan recognized this voice as Senior Nie, the Spirit King who descended to the Lower Heavens to oversee the Mystic Realm.

    ¡°Oh! Senior Nie of the Heavenly Academy has bid 20 million spirit stones!¡±

    The auction came to a halt for the first time after reaching 20 million.

    20 million spirit stones could support an entire sect the size of the Seven Spirit Academies for many years, and to use it to buy a single treasure, it made even the richest people there hesitant.

    Furthermore, the Heavenly Academy is the strongest and most influential out of the Seven Spirit Academies. It would be unwise to fight them even though it was an auction.

    ¡°20 million spirit stones going once!¡±

    ¡°Going twice!¡±

    ¡°And sold! Congrattions to Senior Nie of the Heavenly Academy for acquiring the Flood Dragon¡¯s scale for 20 million spirit stones!¡± Gu Xin announced the winner of the auction.

    ¡°So it¡¯s finally done, huh. It¡¯s unfortunate that we couldn¡¯t get the Flood Dragon¡¯s scale now, but once we reach the fourth heaven, I will hunt some Flood Dragon for you. Surely, they must drop more than one scale, right?¡± Yuan said to Chu Liuxiang.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, Yuan. It¡¯s your thoughts that really count.¡± Chu Liuxiang showed a heartwarming smile.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Now that the auction is over, let¡¯s return to the hotel,¡± she continued.

    ¡°Yes¡­ Hm? Wait a second. I can sense Feng Feng and Xiao Hua¡¯s presence nearby. I think they¡¯re closeby.¡± Yuan suddenly said.

 Chapter 724 - Their Young Master

    Chapter 724: Their Young Master

    ¡°Really? Then do you know where they are?¡± Chu Liuxiang asked.

    ¡°Not exactly. I know they¡¯re nearby, but I don¡¯t know where they are. Hold on, let me ask them.¡±

    ¡°Feng Feng? Xiao Hua? Are you two also at the Flood Dragon¡¯s scale auction?¡± Yuan asked them through their connection.

    ¡°Y-Young Master? Are you also at the auction?¡± Feng Yuxiang¡¯s surprised voice resounded, almost as though she wasn¡¯t aware until he spoke to her.

    ¡°Yes, I decided to participate in the auction when I heard about it, but s, I had no chance against these powerful families and sects. And before you tell me that I wasn¡¯t supposed to leave the hotel, I left a note behind before we left.¡± Yuan said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I am not mad at you for leaving.¡± Feng Yuxiang chuckled.

    ¡°Anyways, now that the auction has ended, let¡¯s meet up.¡±

    ¡°W-Wait a minute, Young Master. I still have a few treasures to sell, so we cannot meet up just yet. If you want, you can return to the hotel first¡­¡± Feng Yuxiang quickly made up an excuse so that she wouldn¡¯t expose herself for selling the Flood Dragon¡¯s scale.

    ¡°Is that so? Do you know how long it will take? If it¡¯s not too long, we can wait for you in our hotel at Bright Night City.¡± Yuan then said.

    ¡°It shouldn¡¯t take too long. We should be finished by the end of today or tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°I understand. Then we¡¯ll wait for you at Bright Night City.¡± Yuan proceeded to give her the name of their hotel.

    ¡°They¡¯re almost finished selling the treasures, so we¡¯re going to wait for them in our hotel at Bright Night City.¡± Yuan exined the situation to Chu Liuxiang and Lan Yingying.

    ¡°Thank you all foring to our action today! If you have any questions, you may visit the House of Riches located in Bright Night City at any time!¡± Gu Xin said to everyone there before leaving the stage.

    Many people at the auction wanted to ask about the owner of the Flood Dragon¡¯s scale, but they figured that if this person wanted their identity to be known, Gu Xin would¡¯ve already mentioned it.

    The fact that they were not mentioned must either mean Gu Xin doesn¡¯t know, or the seller doesn¡¯t want their identity to be known. It was that simple.

    After leaving the Royal Hall, Yuan¡¯s group returned to Bright Night City while Feng Yuxiang and Xiao Hua waited to collect their money.

    As for Senior Nie, he went to a private room with Gu Xin, where he paid her the 20 million spirit stones for the Flood Dragon¡¯s scale.

    ¡°I know you probably don¡¯t want to tell me their identity, but I still wish to ask.¡± Senior Nie asked Gu Xin as he handed her the spirit stones.

    Gu Xin shook her head with a bittersweet smile, ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to tell you. I simply don¡¯t know their identity.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s unfortunate.¡± Senior Nie said.

    However, just as Gu Xin handed Senior Nie the Flood Dragon¡¯s scale, the door to the VIP room opened, and Feng Yuxiang and Xiao Hua casually walked inside the room.

    ¡°Y-You are¡­¡± Senior Nie¡¯s eyes widened with surprise when he saw Xiao Hua and recognized her.

    ¡°Hey, do you have the money yet? I don¡¯t like the feeling of making the Young Master wait. And the more I think about it, the more anxious I get.¡± Feng Yuxiang ignored Senior Nie and directly asked for the money.

    Gu Xin was speechless. She thought they wanted to remain anonymous, so what are they doing here?

    ¡°You were in the Lower Heavens at the Mystic Realm! What are you doing here?¡± Senior Nie eventually snapped out of his shock and asked Xiao Hua.

    ¡°That¡¯s none of your business.¡± Xiao Hua nonchntly responded.

    ¡°Uhh¡­ Here¡¯s the spirit stones for the other treasures you asked us to sell. Themission fee has already been deducted. As for the 20 million spirit stones, give me a moment to separate them.¡±

    Gu Xin quickly subtracted 200,000 spirit stones from the 20 million as part of their 1 percentmission fee. After that, she handed the rest to Feng Yuxiang.

    ¡°19,861,000 spirit stones, huh? Not bad.¡± Feng Yuxiang said after a quick count using her divine sense.

    She then retrieved another spatial ring that was empty before putting in 120,000 spirit stones from the 19 million.

    Yuan¡¯s treasure had sold for a little over 60,000 spirit stones, but Feng Yuxiang decided to add a tiny percentage of her own earnings into it to help him.

    Of course, this ¡®tiny amount¡¯ was already enough to double his earnings, but Yuan won¡¯t know that unless she tells him.

    ¡°Thanks for the work.¡± Feng Yuxiang said to Gu Xin as she turned around and began walking for the exit.

    ¡°P-Please wait a moment!¡± Gu Xin suddenly stopped them.

    However, she didn¡¯t know exactly why she stopped them, and she did it mostly subconsciously.

    ¡°Is there something else?¡± Feng Yuxiang asked her.N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.

    ¡°Uhhh¡­ N-No. Sorry.¡± Gu Xin gave up trying to learn more about them.

    In fact, Senior Nie appears to recognize one of them, so she could simply ask himter.

    Feng Yuxiang and Xiao Hua left the scene shortly after.

    ¡°They¡¯re the owners of the Flood Dragon¡¯s scale¡­? Unbelievable¡­¡± Senior Nie mumbled in a dazed voice after they left.

    ¡°You know them?¡± Gu Xin asked him.

    ¡°Well¡­ I wouldn¡¯t say that I ¡®know¡¯ them, but I have met them before¡­ In the Lower Heavens.¡± He said.

    ¡°What?! The Lower Heavens?!¡±

    Senior Nie nodded, and he proceeded to recall their brief encounter at the Mystic Realm to Gu Xin.

    ¡°That little girl was a Spirit King?!¡± Gu Xin¡¯s jaw dropped after learning this information.

    After a moment of silence, she asked, ¡°Wait. Did you also see their ¡®Young Master¡¯ by any chance?¡±

    ¡°Young Master? Oh, you must mean that genius who conquered the Mystic Realm. If I recall correctly, his name was ¡®Yuan¡¯.¡±

    Gu Xin¡¯s eyes widened with shock when she heard this familiar name.

    ¡°Wait a second¡­ Did you just say¡­ Yuan?¡± She asked for confirmation.

    ¡°Yes. Do you know him?¡± Senior Nie nodded.

 Chapter 725 - Mysterious Box

    Chapter 725: Mysterious Box

    ¡°I¡­ No, I don¡¯t know him. I only heard about his name from someone else, that¡¯s all.¡± Gu Xin denied knowing about Yuan after snapping out of her daze.

    ¡°Anyways, here¡¯s your Flood Dragon¡¯s scale. Please enjoy. I have another business to attend to, so if you¡¯ll excuse me. Ah, if you have any questions, you can alwayse back here to find me.¡±

    After taking onest look at the Flood Dragon¡¯s scale, Gu Xin handed it to Senior Nie.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Senior Nie epted the treasure with trembling hands, feeling like a child on his birthday.

    Once Senior Nie left the ce, Gu Xin took a seat on the couch and began pondering profusely.

    ¡°A beautiful woman who likes to wear revealing red clothes¡­ A little girl with a profound aura¡­ The mastermind, Yuan¡­ Andst but not least, they were in the Lower Heavens not long ago¡­ There is too much evidence for it to be just a coincidence.¡±

    ¡°But I don¡¯t get it. Why would she rob the Gu Family? Clearly, they have a lot of money, so they didn¡¯t steal because they needed the money. Perhaps they have a grudge with the Gu Family? Did those idiots offend them somehow?¡±

    Gu Xin had no doubt that the Gu Family in the Lower Heavens were capable of offending someone like Feng Yuxiang and her group.

    ¡°What should I do now that I have this information? Should I just tell the patriarch? He might forgive them if I tell him about the Flood Dragon¡¯s scale, but I also don¡¯t have any evidence.¡±

    ¡°However, if I tell him and he still wants to hunt them, that would also be problematic. The fact that they were just in the Lower Heaven alongside the Flood Dragon¡¯s scale, there¡¯s a good chance that they are actually from the upper heavens. As for why they decided toe down¡­ heaven knows. ¡°

    Gu Xin proceeded to spend the rest of the day pondering.

    Eventually, she had enough.

    ¡°Ahhhh! Why the hell am I stressing myself over those idiot¡¯s¡¯ situation?¡± She scratched her head furiously.

    ¡°Whether they are at fault or not, I don¡¯t care! They clearly dug themselves this hole, so why should I help them refill the hole?! Screw it! I don¡¯t care anymore! I will just act like I never heard anything today!¡±

    ¡°I just held an unprecedented auction! I should be celebrating right now!¡±

    Thus, Gu Xin decided to take herself out of their problem and act like she wasn¡¯t involved.

    Meanwhile, at Bright Night City, Feng Yuxiang and Xiao Hua arrived at the location of Yuan¡¯s hotel.

    ¡°Alright, Xiao Hua. Just as we nned.¡± Feng Yuxiang took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

    ¡°Young Master. We¡¯re back.¡±

    Yuan opened the door a few momentster with a surprised look on his face.

    ¡°You¡¯re back already?¡±

    ¡°Yes, we managed to sell the treasures quicker than expected. Here¡¯s all of the money from the sale.¡± Feng Yuxiang handed him the spatial ring with 120,000 spirit stones.

    Yuan epted the spatial ring and immediately looked inside.

    ¡°120,000 spirit stones? That¡¯s pretty good.¡± He said in a calm voice.

    ¡°Are you not satisfied with the result, Young Master?¡± Feng Yuxiang was greatly surprised by his nonchnt reaction.

    They even doubled the actual earnings to please him! Would he have reacted angrily if they didn¡¯t and the earning was much less?

    ¡°Huh? It¡¯s not that I¡¯m not satisfied. But after participating¡­ No, witnessing the auction for the Flood Dragon¡¯s scale, my perspective has changed a little. I have realized just how little this amount of money really is, and I am having a hard time getting excited about it.¡± He sighed, exining to them hisckluster reaction.

    ¡°I see¡­ So that¡¯s the reason¡­¡± Feng Yuxiang sighed in relief inwardly after learning the truth.N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.

    ¡°Oh, but don¡¯t misunderstand. Even though my perspective has changed a little, I am still very grateful to you for helping me sell it! Thank you, Feng Feng. And thank you, Xiao Hua, for keeping her safe.¡± Yuan said with a bright smile on his face.

    When Feng Yuxiang saw his smile, she felt something re up within her phoenix heart.

    ¡°Y-Young Master! You went to the auction because you were interested in the Flood Dragon¡¯s scale, right?¡± She suddenly asked him.

    ¡°Yes. I wanted to get it for Lulu, who has ice element spiritual veins. It should work on her since it¡¯s technically still water element, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it would work on her since ice element is just an upgraded version of water element.¡± Feng Yuxiang nodded.

    She then reached into her spatial ring and retrieved a wooden box.

    ¡°Here, Young Master. It¡¯s for you.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Yuan raised his eyebrows at this mysterious box.

    ¡°Just a little gift from me.¡± She chuckled.

    ¡°Go ahead. Open it.¡±

    Yuan nodded, but he didn¡¯t immediately open the box. Instead, he picked it up and inspected the exterior of the box while trying to guess what was inside.

    He eventually gave up, as his anticipation was too high, so he opened it.

    ¡°T-This is¡­¡±

    To Yuan¡¯s absolute surprise and shock, there was a beautiful blue scale sitting inside this box!

    ¡°U-Unless my eyes are fooling me, this is the Flood Dragon¡¯s scale! But how?! I thought Senior Nie was the one who won the auction!¡± He eximed the following moment.

    Feng Yuxiang smiled, ¡°There exists more than one Flood Dragon in this universe, you know? Also, a Flood Dragon has thousands of scales on its body. That means you can acquire thousands of scales for each Flood Dragon. Although they are rare, they aren¡¯t that rare in the upper heavens¡ª at least not in the way you are probably thinking.¡±

    ¡°A-Are you sure you want to give this to me¡ª to Lulu? It¡¯s worth at least 15 million spirit stones¡­¡± Yuan hesitated to ept the treasure due to its immense value.

    ¡°Of course. I have no use for it, anyway.¡± Feng Yuxiang nodded.

 Chapter 726 - Using The Flood Dragonâ€™s Scale

    "Hmm?" Seeing the Flood Dragon''s scale, Yuan suddenly realized something.

    "Wait a minute. Since a Flood Dragon has multiple scales, does this mean you were the one who sold that scale at the auction today? Feng Feng?"

    "Eh?" Feng Yuxiang''s face immediately turned stiff after hearing his words.

    "N-No! I wasn''t involved in the auction today!" She subconsciously responded.

    "It was just a coincidence that they were selling a Flood Dragon''s scale!"

    Yuan nodded, "If you say so."

    "Anyways, I am going to give this to Lulu."

    Yuan went to knock on Chu Liuxiang''s door and Feng Yuxiang sighed in relief when he didn''t continue questioning her.

    "What''s up?" Chu Liuxiang stopped her cultivation to open the door.

    "I have a surprise for you." Yuan said with a mysterious smile.

    "A surprise for me? What is it?" Her eyes flickered with anticipation.

    "Here." Yuan showed her the small box.

    Chu Liuxiang raised her eyebrows when she saw this box, and she became speechless for a good moment.

    "Did you get me an engagement ring?" She suddenly asked.

    "Eh? N-Not exactly¡­?" Yuan said, dumbfounded by her response.

    She chuckled, "I''m just joking with you. What''s inside? Let me see¡­"

    Chu Liuxiang opened the box a momentter, and her eyes widened with surprise when she saw what was in it.

    "This is¡­ Is this what I think it is?" she mumbled in a low voice.

    "Yes, it''s a Flood Dragon''s scale."

    "How on earth did you¡­?" Chu Liuxiang looked at him with her eyes wide as saucers.

    "Actually, I wasn''t the one who acquired it. You''ll have to thank Feng Feng for that." Yuan said, and exined everything to her.

    "Unbelievable¡­ To think she also had one on her."

    "It''s not really that surprising now that I think about it. She used to own a very prestigious treasure store, and she came from the upper heavens." Yuan said.

    "Where is she right now? I''d like to thank her."

    "She''s in the living room."

    Chu Liuxiang approached Feng Yuxiang and bowed to her, "Thank you very much for this gift, Feng Feng."

    "You''re wee."

    "By the way, how do I use this scale?" Chu Liuxiang then asked.

    "Well, it depends on what you want to use it for since there are multiple ways to prepare it."

    "I''d like to use it to increase my innate talent," said Chu Liuxiang.

    "I understand. Then allow me to help you."

    "Please." Chu Liuxiang handed the Flood Dragon''s scale back to her.

    "Before we begin, I must warn you about something. The Flood Dragon is almost a divine beast with a powerful bloodline. Although you can still use the scale at your cultivation, it''s going to be very painful. Do you wish to continue?"

    "Yes, I don''t care even if I have to endure a little pain." Chu Liuxiang nodded with a resolute face.

    "Okay."

    Feng Yuxiang left to prepare shortly after.

    Sometimeter, Feng Yuxiang returned to them and said, "Alright, the water is ready."

    "Water?" Chu Liuxiang raised her eyebrows.

    "Follow me."

    Chu Liuxiang nodded and followed her. Yuan also followed because he was curious.

    Feng Yuxiang led them to the bathroom a momentter.

    "This is¡­ Isn''t this just body tempering?" Yuan asked when he saw the tub filled with boiling hot water.

    "Not really." Feng Yuxiang shook her head, and she continued, "Although that''s what it may seem like right now, it will bepletely different once the real thing begins."

    "Also, since the effect of the scale will only work once, do you want to improve the effects at the cost of it bing more painful?"

    "Huh?" Chu Liuxiang raised her eyebrows.

    "Did you think you can continue using the Flood Dragon''s scale to increase your talent without limit? It''s already heaven-defying enough that you can improve your talent. With that being said, it''ll only affect the Flood Dragon''s scale. If you find another treasure that increases your talent, it will still work, but only one time."

    Chu Liuxiang pondered for a moment before asking, "How much more painful¡­?"

    "A lot."

    Chu Liuxiang swallowed loudly. If she wasn''t nervous before, she is now.

    "I¡­ I will do it!" She said after a moment of silence.

    "Good. You can enter the bathtub whenever you''re ready." Feng Yuxiang then said.

    Chu Liuxiang quickly removed her clothes and approached the hot bath.

    After taking a deep breath, she entered the bathtub.

    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.

    "Hm? It''s not that bad." Chu Liuxiang suddenly said in a surprised tone.

    Feng Yuxiang smiled, "I didn''t even put the Flood Dragon''s scale into the water yet."

    "Eh?" Chu Liuxiang''s face flushed a little after hearing her words.

    "Here, eat this pill. It''ll increase the effects of the scale." Feng Yuxiang handed her a ck pill the size of a tiny pebble.

    Chu Liuxiang silently ate the pill after taking it.

    The pill was a little bitter at first, but the aftertaste was quite minty.

    "Are you ready?" Feng Yuxiang asked.

    "I am."

    Feng Yuxiang didn''t say anything else and dropped the Flood Dragon''s scale into the bathtub.

    Immediately, the boiling water began cooling down at a rapid rate, and in just seconds, the water was filled withrge chunks of ice.

    "Aaaaah!" Chu Liuxiang suddenly screamed out loud, her voice filled with intense pain.

    Yuan swallowed nervously when her scream caused his eardrums to tremble, and it made him recall his first time doing body temperament.

    And after just a few seconds of being in the water, Chu Liuxiang jumped out before copsing on the ground.

    "Lulu?!" Yuan immediately went to check on her, and when he touched her body, it felt like he was touching a block of ice.

    "It''s too painful¡­ I can''t bear it¡­" Chu Liuxiang mumbled in a low voice as tears flowed from her face.

    Chu Liuxiang isn''t someone who has weak endurance. One can even say she has above-average endurance. However, the pain she felt when trying to absorb the treasure nearly made her insane.

    "Of course it''s painful. You''re trying to improve your innate talents. In fact, it''s much worse than body tempering." Feng Yuxiang said.

    "Is there anything we can do to relieve her pain even slightly?" Yuan then asked.

    Feng Yuxiang pondered for a moment before nodding her head, "There is a way, but you will be the one helping her, and it''s going to be as painful for you, Young Master."

    "Me¡­?" Yuan swallowed nervously.

 Chapter 727 - Yin And Yang

    "What do I need to do?" Yuan resolved himself after hearing that he could help Chu Liuxiang.

    Feng Yuxiang retrieved another box from her spatial ring and handed it to him.

    "Open it."

    Yuan nodded and opened the box, and to his surprise, there was a scale inside. However, it was not the Flood Dragon''s scale. This scale was bright red and emitting a fiery aura that made Yuan feel like his face was before an open oven that had its temperature maxed.

    "What is this¡­?" Yuan looked at Feng Yuxiang as the hot air continued blowing into his face.

    "That''s an Inferno Dragon''s scale. They''re just like the Flood Dragon, but with a fire element. The Flood Dragon and the Inferno Dragon are like Yin and Yang with the Flood Dragon being Yin and the Inferno Dragon being Yang."

    "Despite their different element that normally opposes each other, you can actually cultivate them together."

    "If you cultivate the Inferno Dragon''s scale while she cultivates the Flood Dragon''s scale, you can ease each other''s pain."

    "However, since she has already absorbed a pill that enhances her effects, you will also have to do the same in order for this to work."

    "It''s going to be incredibly painful, Young Master. Do you still want to do it?"

    "I will do it." He immediately nodded.

    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.

    Not only will this benefit Chu Liuxiang, but it will also benefit him.

    "Also you should know that the Inferno Dragon''s scale will only affect those with fire spiritual veins. If you do not have such veins, you won''t benefit from it." Feng Yuxiang suddenly said, leaving Yuan speechless.

    He doesn''t know his spiritual veins'' element, and if this doesn''t affect him, it would definitely suck for him. However, if it works on him, he will know that he has fire element spiritual veins.

    "Regardless, I am doing this for Lulu. Even if I don''t benefit from it, I am fine with it." Yuan eventually said.

    "Okay. What about you? Do you want to continue? If you don''t, there''s no point in all of this." Feng Yuxiang asked Chu Liuxiang next.

    "I¡­ I want to continue." She said as she slowly stood back up.

    "Good."

    "Whenever you''re ready, Young Master."

    Yuan removed his clothes and entered the bathtub with Chu Liuxiang.

    Feng Yuxiang then dropped the Inferno Dragon''s scale inside the bathtub, and the icy water immediately began to melt, quickly bing lukewarm.

    "You can go ahead and start cultivating now," she said to them a momentter.

    Yuan took a deep breath and started absorbing the treasure.

    "Ah! It really freaking hurts!" Yuan eximed in a shocked voice.

    He had underestimated the pain Chu Liuxiang felt before, but after experiencing it himself, he did not me her for wanting to quit.

    ''And this is how it feels with the pain lowered? I cannot imagine it being any more painful than this!'' Yuan cried inwardly.

    Seeing Yuan''s painful face, Chu Liuxiang took a moment to brace herself before she started absorbing the treasure again.

    Intense pain immediately permeated throughout her body. Even though it wasn''t as unbearably painful as before, it was still painful enough to knock most people unconscious if they experienced it.

    However, she wasn''t the only one suffering this time, and Yuan was enduring the same pain just for her, so she couldn''t give up no matter how painful it was.

    "Young Master, slow down on your side. If you absorb the treasure too quickly, the Yin and Yang will be unbnced, and it will only get more painful from there." Feng Yuxiang warned him.

    Yuan silently nodded and controlled his pace until it matched Chu Liuxiang''s pace.

    "I know it''s very painful, but at least it''ll be done within an hour if you continue at your pace." Feng Yuxiang said a momentter.

    An hour would usually disappear very quickly, especially when they''re focused, but this time it was different.

    The sensation of pain made them count every second even if they didn''t want to, making it feel longer than reality.

    However, despite feeling simr levels of pain, both Yuan and Chu Liuxiang were having pr opposite experiences.

    Chu Liuxiang was assaulted by an extremely cold sensation while feeling like her spiritual veins were being stabbed all over by sharp icicles. Meanwhile, Yuan felt like he was being baked inside an oven, and his internal organs and blood felt like it was engulfed in mes.

    It felt like they were living in separate versions of hell.

    "It''s almost been an hour¡­ I wonder if the Inferno Dragon''s scale will affect the Young Master, and if it does, how much will it increase his talents." Feng Yuxiang mumbled to herself.

    "A tiny percentage of Brother Yuan''s talent is enough to make even a once-in-a-century genius look like an ordinary cultivator¡­" Xiao Hua said.

    "Yes, that''s why I am excited. What will happen if he happens to have fire element spiritual veins?"

    A couple more minutester, Yuan slowly opened his eyes and took a long and deep breath.

    Ding!

    <Your resistance to pain has increased significantly>

    "Lulu, are you okay?" Yuan asked her.

    "Yes, I am fine. Just a little exhausted, that''s all."

    They left the bathtub shortly after.

    After they got dressed, Feng Yuxiang asked them, "How do you feel?"

    "Umm¡­ I can''t really tell¡­ Are we supposed to feel any different?" Yuan asked.

    "Not really. As long as you don''t feel any post-pain or sickness, it means you''d sessfully managed to absorb the treasure."

    "I thought body tempering was the most painful thing in the world, but my experience today proved me wrong¡­" Yuan sighed.

    Feng Yuxiang smiled and said, "If you think this is painful, just wait until you experience treasures that are far more potent than the scales. Although they are considered as heavenly treasures in this world, they are only low-grade treasures in the upper heavens."

    Yuan swallowed nervously after hearing her words.

    "Anyways, let''s rest here for today. We''ll return to Min tomorrow.." He then said.

 Chapter 728 - Ascending Together

    Yuan and Chu Liuxiang logged off the game shortly after they finished absorbing the dragon scales.

    "What the? The bed is wet?!" Chu Liuxiang sat up in a surprised manner after feeling a wet sensation on her back, wondering if they''d pissed themselves by ident.

    However, she quickly realized that it wasn''t the bed that was wet¡ª it was her pajamas, and her body was also soaked in sweat as well.

    "Did absorbing the treasure in cultivation online make us sweat?" Yuan wondered out loud.

    "It''s possible, since the sensation of pain we felt was so incredibly real that it''d affected our real body." Chu Liuxiang said.

    "I''m going to wash up."

    Chu Liuxiang said, and she continued, "You can join me whenever."

    "I am going to change the bed sheets before I go." Yuan said.

    Chu Liuxiang entered the bathroom a momentter while Yuan reced the bedsheets with new ones before joining Chu Liuxiang in the bathroom.

    "Let me wash your back." Chu Liuxiang said to him.

    "Thank you."

    "No, I should be thanking you. If you didn''t help me with the Flood Dragon''s scale today, I would have not been able to absorb it, and I would''ve wasted a very precious treasure." She sighed.

    "I''d dly do it again if it''s for you." Yuan smiled.

    "..."

    Chu Liuxiang suddenly turned silent.

    "You know, if you say stuff like that, it makes me want to embrace you," she suddenly said.

    Yuan began blushing when he heard words, which reminded his experience with Meixiu.

    After a moment of silence, Chu Liuxiang said, "By the way, I have decided to visit my parents tomorrow. I want to tell them my feelings as soon as possible and get it out of my chest."

    "Do you want me toe with you?" Yuan then asked.

    "No, I will go alone. However, if I don''t return¡­"

    "You think they''ll force you to stay?"

    "I don''t need to think about it. There''s a very good chance that they won''t let me return after I tell them my feelings, but who knows, a miracle could happen."

    "Don''t worry, if they don''t let you leave, I will take you back myself as long as you want me to."

    "I want to return to your side." Chu Liuxiang said.

    "That''s all I need to know." Yuan smiled.

    After they finished washing, they went downstairs to see if Meixiu needed help with preparing dinner.

    "Looks like you had a breakthrough. Congrattions." Yuan said to her when he noticed a chance in her aura.

    "Thank you."

    "We participated in an auction today. I wanted to invite you, but I didn''t want to disturb your cultivation."

    "What did you buy?" She then asked.

    "Nothing. The treasure being sold was too expensive for us. It sold for twenty million spirit stones, which is about 200 billion gold coins!"

    Meixiu''s eyes widened with surprise.

    "200 billion? That''s a lot of money¡­ What was sold?"

    "A treasure called Flood Dragon''s scale. It belongs to a powerful magical beast from the upper heavens." Yuan recalled the auction for Meixiu.

    "By the way, Feng Feng also happened to have a Flood Dragon''s scale, and she gave it to Lulu, who has water spiritual veins, allowing her to improve her innate talent."

    Sometimeter, Meixiu said, "Since I won''t breakthrough for a while, I can start ying with you again."

    "That sounds good." Yuan nodded.

    Once dinner was ready, everybody sat around the dinner table.

    "Yuan, I am going to ascend to Spirit Heaven tomorrow. Where should I meet you?" Wang Ming asked him as they ate.

    "Once you ascend the Stairway to Heaven, you will be transported to this square. You can just wait for me there and I wille pick you up. We can visit the Myriad of Techniques afterward to get you some new techniques." Yuan said.

    "Okay."

    "Anyone else also ascending tomorrow?" Yuan then asked the others.

    Four other people raised their hands, and they were Wang Bingbing, Shi Lang, Hong Xiuquan, and Li Jinxi.

    "What about the two of you?" Yuan asked Xi Murong and Wu Zao.

    "I will go next week," said Xi Murong.

    "Me too."

    "Alright." Yuan nodded.

    "Since we''re all going, we might as well ascend together." Wang Wang suggested a momentter, and they all agreed.

    "Then we''ll all meet up after morning practice."

    "I will meet you guys sometime at noon since we''re a couple of hours away from that ce." Yuan said.

    "Take your time." Wang Ming nodded.

    After cleaning up, everyone returned to their room.

    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.

    The following morning, Yuan and Chu Liuxiang made their journey back to Min Li with everyone else.

    "Aren''t you going to visit your parents today?" Yuan asked Chu Liuxiang before they left.

    "I will do that after we meet up with Meixiu in the other city," she said.

    Many hourster, they arrived at the hotel, and Min Li was casually sipping tea in the living room.

    "Wee back. How was the auction?" Min Li said to them.

    "It was crazy. We didn''t manage to buy the treasure, by the way." Yuan said with a smile.

    "That''s unfortunate."

    "Congrattions on the breakthrough, though."

    "Thank you. It happened only an hour ago, so you returned at the perfect time. What are our ns now?" Min Li then asked.

    "I am going to meet with a few friends back at the city before this one. We still have to pick up Meixiu there before we can go anywhere."

    "When do we leave?"

    "We''ll leave now if you''re ready."

    "I am." Min Li nodded.

    "Great. Then let''s go."

    After checking out of the hotel, they left the city.

    Half an hourter, they returned to their original location and met up with Meixiu, who was still living inside their old hotel.

    "I am going to meet up with a few of my friends now. You guys can wait here since I won''t be gone for long." Yuan said to them.

    "I am going to visit my parents now." Chu Liuxiang said.

    "Okay. If you don''t return by tomorrow, I will be giving the Chu Family a visit." Yuan nodded.

    Chu Liuxiang logged off the game and began making her way to the upper levels of the Dragon Spiral Mountain, where her Chu Family was located.

 Chapter 729 - Come Meet Me As Soon As Possible

    After Chu Liuxiang logged off, Yuan prepared to meet with Wang Ming and the others.

    "Young Master, what about us?" Feng Yuxiang asked him.

    "It''s going to be crowded, so it would be better if you stayed here as well." Yuan said.

    "I can just enter your body if it''s crowded." She said.

    "Oh, right, you can do that¡­ Well, it''s up to you."

    Feng Yuxiang didn''t say anything else and entered his body.

    Xiao Hua also did the same since she''d rather not stay behind while Feng Yuxiang went with him.

    "Do you want toe as well?" Yuan asked Meixiu.

    "Yes."

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    "Alright. We should be back by tonight." Yuan said to Min Li.

    "You don''t need to worry about me. Even though I just had a breakthrough, cultivation never ends," she said with a smile.

    Yuan nodded, and he left the hotel with Meixiu shortly after to meet up with Wang Ming and the others.

    Sometimeter, they arrived at the square where people that leave the Stairway to Heaven gather, and sure enough, there were still new yers that had decided to ascend from the Lower Heavens appearing in the square every few minutes.

    "Do you see them?" Yuan asked Meixiu as they walked around the massive square that was also crowded with people.

    "No¡­ Oh? I think that''s them over there." Meixiu pointed at a certain group of individuals, and these people appeared to be in a fight.

    "Are they fighting?!" Yuan was shocked to see this.

    He immediately rushed to them, but he quickly realized that it was a misunderstanding and that they were just sparring with each other.

    "What are you guys doing, sparring with each other in the middle of a city?" Yuan asked them with a helpless look on his face.

    Just how much do they love training? They were like a bunch of addicts that cannot stop training or they''ll die.

    "Hm? Oh, you''re finally here. We got bored of waiting, so we started sparring with each other." Wang Ming said with a smile on his face.

    "I told you that I woulde at noon, right? Why didn''t you just do something else till then? Hell, you could''ve trained in the field at home."

    "That won''t do. We won''tst a minute sparring with Li Jinxi outside. However, we can defeat her with ease in Cultivation Online." Wang Mingughed out loud.

    Yuan raised his eyebrows and turned to look at Li Jinxi, who was sitting on the ground not far away, seemingly exhausted.

    "You don''t get to see such a sight often, right?" Wang Ming chuckled.

    "I guess so¡­" Yuan nodded in a dazed manner.

    "Anyways, now that I am here, let''s head to the Myriad of Techniques." Yuan said to them a momentter.

    Once they were prepared, the group began following Yuan.

    "So you''re all Spirit Warriors, huh?" Yuan noticed their aura.

    "We were only Spirit Apprentices not long ago. Most of us were below fourth level since we didn''t y much then." Shi Lang said.

    "Huh? How did you all level up this fast?" Yuan was curious.

    "We purchased a lot of treasures with real money." Wang Ming said without a shred of shame on his face.

    "It was quite expensive, you know? It took us almost 100 million each to reach Spirit Warrior."

    Yuan shook his head with a smile and said, "Spirit Warrior is just the beginning. Although there is nothing wrong with paying for your levels since everybody does it in this world as well, in the form of buying treasures to assist their cultivation, don''t expect that it will be as effective in the future. It will be super expensive really quickly."

    "We know. We just needed to boost ourselves so that we''re notpletely behind." Wang Bingbing said.

    Sometimeter, they arrived at the Myriad of Techniques.

    Once they entered the store, someone checked their destiny, and the Divine Crystal of Heavenly Fortune deemed them all to have a minor destiny.

    "Do you guys have any techniques that you want in mind? If not, we can head to the fourth floor, where all of the Heaven-rank techniques are located."

    "Heaven-rank techniques? Aren''t they going to be really expensive?" Wang Bingbing asked.

    "Normally, but I can get them for free since I am part of the faction that runs this ce." Yuan said.

    "What? If that''s the case, let us join too! Where do we go to sign up?" Wang Ming said in an excited voice.

    "You don''t exactly sign up for it¡­ And I was offered to join by someone in the upper heavens. I don''t think they exist in this world." Yuan shook his head.

    "So you''ve been to the upper heavens already?" Shi Lang looked at him with a surprised face.

    "Not exactly. The ce we met was in a different dimension that didn''t exist within the Nine Heavens, so it wasn''t like I went up there to speak with them."

    "Though I will speak with them the next chance I get and see if you guys can join as well." Yuan said.

    "That''s good enough for me." Wang Ming nodded.

    After arriving at the fourth floor, Wang Ming and the others scattered to look for a technique of their suiting.

    "What about you, Meixiu?" Yuan asked her, who stayed behind with him.

    "You only have a movement technique, right? Why don''t you find a new technique¡ª one that you can use to protect yourself?"

    "I will go look around." Meixiu nodded and went to look for a technique as well.

    While Yuan waited, he suddenly heard a voice resound in his head.

    "Yuan,e meet me as soon as possible."

    "Senior Bai?" Yuan immediately recognized his calming voice, but it sounded urgent.

    After looking for Meixiu and letting her know that he will be gone for a bit, Yuan went to seek Senior Bai in his dimension.

    A few minutester, he entered Senior Bai''s dimension and flew towards the tform they usually met at, and sure enough, Senior Bai was standing there with a pondering expression on his face as he stared at the horizon.

 Chapter 730 - Returning To The Chu Family

    "Senior Bai, it''s been a while." Yuan greeted him with a bow once thended on the tform.

    Senior Bai turned around to face him with a smile that looked slightly forced.

    "The passage of time is different for someone like me, and time feels slower than in reality. One day might feel like one day to you, but for someone like me, one day feels like a few minutes."

    "Did something happen? You seem worried." Yuan decided to ask him.

    "Take a seat." Senior Bai pointed at the chair.

    Yuan nodded, and they sat down a momentter.

    Meanwhile, Chu Liuxiang had just arrived at the Chu Family''s household.

    ''This ce looks gloomier than it does in my memories¡­'' Chu Liuxiang sighed inwardly as she approached the massive steel gate that surrounded the Chu Family''s territory.

    After pressing the call button on the device at the gates, she waited for someone from the inside to answer it.

    "Hello, this is the Chu Family. Who am I speaking with?" A feminine voice resounded a momentter.

    "It''s me. Hurry up and open the doors so I can speak with my parents." Chu Liuxiang said out loud.

    "Y-Young Lady?! Please wait a minute while I call a ride for you!" The person on the other side immediately recognized her just by her voice alone.

    The gates immediately opened, and Chu Liuxiang entered into their territory without saying anything else, but she didn''t go any further, as the actual building was a couple of miles away from the gates.

    After two minutes of waiting, a limousine pulled up beside her, and an old woman came out of the car to open the door for her.

    "Wee back, Young Lady." The old woman bowed to her.

    "I''m not back." Chu Liuxiang casually responded.

    "..."

    The old woman didn''t have any response for such words, so she decided to remain silent.

    Sometimeter, they arrived in front of this massive mansion that looked more like a castle than a house a couple of miles away from the gates.

    "Wee home, Young Lady."

    Two rows of servants were already prepared to wee her back at the front door.

    Once they entered the building, Chu Liuxiang could see Sebastian standing not far away.

    "Young Lady, the Masters are waiting for you in the family hall," he said to her.

    Chu Liuxiang nodded silently and made her way to this family hall with Sebastian and the old woman following her from behind.

    "We will be waiting outside." Sebastian said to her once they arrived outside the room.

    Chu Liuxiang opened the door and entered the room with a resolute expression on her face.

    The moment she entered the room, she could see two individuals¡ª a handsome middle-aged man and a beautiful woman who didn''t look any older than her twenties.

    These two individuals were clearly her parents. Her father, Chu Shijian, and her mother, Chu Shufen.

    "Looks like you have finally decided to listen to your parents and return to the family. I''m relieved." Chu Shijian said to her, assuming that she had agreed to return to the family.

    Unfortunately, they are only moments away from immense disappointment.

    "I''m sorry to tell you this, father, but I did note back here because I want to return to the family," Chu Liuxiang said with a stern expression on her face.

    "Then why are you here?" As expected, Chu Shijian immediately became displeased after hearing her words.

    "I am here to tell you my feelings and n."

    Chu Liuxiang proceeded to take a long and deep breath before continuing, "I want to start a family with Yuan, so I cannot return to this family."

    "You what?!" Both of her parents eximed in a shocked voice at the same time.

    "That''s outrageous!" Chu Shijian said.

    And he continued, "You only knew that man for a few years in an orphanage when you were still a child! There''s no way that you actually like him! You''re confused right now, my dear!"

    "Your father is right, Liuxiang. You might think that you''re feeling love, but that is not the case. I know because I was once in your shoes. However, once I grew up and understood the world more, I realized that ''love'' I felt was merely an illusion that will quickly go away once you understand your own feelings more." Her mother also gave her options on the matter.

    "You''re wrong, father, mother. I know my feelings very well. I love him, and I want to be with him for the rest of my life. Nobody in this world makes me feel the way he does. I feel safe when I am with him, and I am never bored when I am with him no matter what mundane things we do." Chu Liuxiang refuted their ims.

    "Why are you not happy for me? Yuan is not only very talented, he''s also destined for great things! I know you want me to marry into an influential family, but Yuan will surpass every single one of these families that you''re nning to match with me!"

    "Hell, he even has the Six Spiritual Families'' approval and backing! That alone should qualify him as my husband!"

    Chu Shijian shook his head and said, "This world is not just about one''s backing, dear. Even if it is, he only has the Six Spiritual Families'' backing. While the Six Spiritual Families are, without a doubt, a force to be reckoned with, they are nothing more than cowards that lived thest few thousands of years in hiding¡ª in fear."

    "Furthermore, there is nothing to gain from befriending them."

    Chu Liuxiang closed her eyes and sighed in a dispirited voice, "In the end, it''s all about profits, huh? Yuan¡­ He had to endure a decade of abuse in the Yu Family because they wanted to profit off him. I thought my family was better than that, but s, it appears that you''re not that different from the Yu Family after all¡­"All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 731 - Senior Qi

    Bang!

    Chu Shijian suddenly mmed his fist into his chair rest after hearing Chu Liuxiang''s words thatpared them to the Yu Family, his face fuming with anger.

    "How dare youpare us to that disgraceful ce! We''re nothing like the Yu Family! Not only did we treat you like a princess, but we also exhausted countless resources into you just so that you can be at where you are today! If we didn''t save you from that orphanage, god knows where you would be right now!"

    "And I am supposed to be grateful for that? Did you forget why you adopted me in the first ce? If it were not for my cultivation talents, you wouldn''t even have batted an eye at me! If you did not n on profiting off me by selling me to some family that I don''t want to be with, you wouldn''t have treated me so nicely! Tell me that I am wrong, father!" Chu Liuxiang argued back.

    Although Chu Liuxiang and her father often argued with each other, it never became this serious, and they would end up joking with each other at the end.

    By now, Chu Shijian''s entire body was trembling from anger. If his eyes could produce fire, it would be spewing them by now.

    "Calm down." Chu Shufen said in a soothing voice as she ced her hand onto his fist.

    Although she''d managed to stop his shaking, his face was still twisted in anger.

    She then looked at Chu Liuxiang and spoke, "Liuxiang, you im that you love him, but that is just your words and not your actual feelings¡ª"

    "That is my actual feelings!" Chu Liuxiang interrupted.

    And she continued, "I also doubted my feelings for him at first, but that''s why I went to find him! The moment I saw his face, even though it has been over 10 years since Ist saw him, I knew at that very moment that I really loved him!"

    "However, I continued to follow him to verify my feelings for him, and every single day I spent with him, my conviction grew stronger and stronger!"

    Chu Shufen shook her head and sighed, "You don''t have to say anything else, Liuxiang. You''re going to forget about him once you join a real family¡ª one that we are sure will perfectly suit you."

    "I refuse!" Chu Liuxiang stood her ground.

    "Unfortunately, this isn''t a matter where you have a choice. Until we find you a family, we forbid you from leaving the garden¡ª your home."

    Hearing her mother''s words, Chu Liuxiang released her Spirit Master cultivation base.

    "What do you think you''re doing? Are you threatening us? Did you already forget that you''re not the only Spirit Master in this household?" Chu Shufen said as she released her aura, which was even more powerful than Chu Liuxiang''s aura.

    Chu Liuxiang gritted her teeth, as she was aware that she wouldn''t be able to defeat her parents in her current state.

    However, Chu Shufen suddenly withdrew her aura and said in a loud voice, "Senior Qi, please take her back to the garden for us."

    "W-What did you just say?" Chu Liuxiang''s eyes widened with shock when she heard the name ''Senior Qi''.

    A figure appeared before Chu Liuxiang the next moment, and she was an extremely beautiful woman that looked only slightly older than Chu Liuxiang.

    She had long ck hair that flowed down her back until it reached her round buttocks. Her cleavage was also quite impressive in the way that it lookedpletely wless no matter which angle one looked from. She was also wearing traditional robes that made her look like a cultivator at nce, and if she were to stand beside the cultivators inside Cultivation Online, one would not be able to tell any difference between them whether it was their demeanor or aura.

    "Master¡­ What are you doing here? I thought you had some important matters and could not return for many years¡­" Chu Liuxiang muttered in a low voice.

    This woman Chu Liuxiang called ''Master'' was actually her teacher, who taught her everything about cultivation.

    "I heard that you were causing trouble again, so I decided toe back. Come with me. Let''s talk about it." Senior Qi said to her, and she began walking towards the door without looking back to see if Chu Liuxiang would follow her.

    Chu Liuxiang red at her parents for a moment before following Senior Qi, leaving the scene shortly after.

    Sometimeter, Chu Liuxiang followed Senior Qi to thisrge garden behind the Chu Family''s household, and there was even an immortal cave beside a clear pond.

    "Sit down." Senior Qi suddenly stopped walking in front of the pond and said without turning back.

    Chu Liuxiang didn''t say anything and obediently took a seat seiza-style on the soft ground.

    "Tell me everything that has happened. Start from when you left the family." Senior Qi then said as she continued to stare into the pond.

    Chu Liuxiang nodded and began recalling her experience to Senior Qi.

    Meanwhile, inside Cultivation Online, Yuan and Senior Bai just sat down.

    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.

    "Do you know of a ce called the Nine Heavens Eternal Grotto?" Senior Bai suddenly asked him after a moment of awkward silence.

    "No, I do not." Yuan quickly shook his head.

    "It''s one of the most dangerous ces in the Nine Heavens that has existed even before the Primordial Era. However, it''s not dangerous in the way you''re probably thinking. The reason it''s so dangerous is because of the criminals that are imprisoned there."

    "Criminals?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    "Yes, incredibly dangerous criminals that are also Immortals that cannot be destroyed through normal means, hence why they were tossed inside the Nine Heavens Eternal Grotto for all eternity. The Nine Heavens Eternal Grotto is a ce where once someone enters, they will not be able to escape no matter if they are Immortal or God. However, that is only from the inside, meaning it can still be opened from the outside."

    "I¡­ I don''t like where this is going¡­" Yuan said with a frown on his face.

 Chapter 732 - Escaped Immortals

    "If you''re thinking that someone had opened the Nine Heavens Eternal Grotto, then you''re right, unfortunately." Senior Bai sighed.

    "Shouldn''t there be someone to guard that ce? It would be disastrous if the criminals inside escaped, or am I wrong?" Yuan asked.

    "No, you''re right. However, there are people guarding the grotto. In fact, there are at least a dozen Immortals guarding that ce around the clock, and there hasn''t been a single moment when the grotto isn''t guarded since the Primordial Era."

    "Then how did someone open the grotto?"

    "Simple. Someone managed to kill the guards and open the grotto."

    "So all of the criminals inside are free now?" Yuan then asked.

    "No, not all, which is the most fortunate part in all of this. Although the perpetrator managed to open the grotto, it was only for a brief moment, as the guards were able to call for backup before they died."

    "However, that brief moment had allowed 4 incredibly dangerous criminals to escape."

    "The entire upper heavens are on the lookout for these criminals right now, but none of the criminals have been caught yet."

    Hearing his words, Yuan sighed, "Since you called me here¡­ Do you want me to capture these criminals or something?"

    Senior Bai looked at him with wide eyes.

    After a moment of silence, he burst outughing.

    "Of course not! You''re only a Spirit Lord while these criminals are all Immortals that have existed since the Primordial Era. You will die before you can even touch them."

    "Then why did you call me here?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    "I just wanted to warn you about the current situation in the upper heavens, and although very unlikely, these criminals could escape to the lower heavens." Senior Bai said.

    "Even if they escape to the lower heavens, how will I be able to identify them when I don''t even know them?" Yuan then asked.

    Senior Bai retrieved a red crystal and handed it to him.

    "All criminals in the grotto have a seal in their soul that cannot be removed, and as long as they''re within 1 mile of this crystal, it will begin reacting to its seal. That''s how you know there''s a criminal nearby." Senior Bai said.

    "If that happens, I want you to report it to me so that we cane to you. Don''t even think about confronting these people by yourself. You''ll, without a doubt, die."

    Yuan nodded, "I won''t. I am not that reckless."

    "Here''s a jade slip that you can use to contact me. The moment you activate it using your spiritual energy, it will notify me, and I wille to you. However, since I am in the upper heavens, it will take some time for me to get there."

    Senior Bai handed him a jade slip.

    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.

    Ding!

    <You have been given a Faction Quest by an Overlord!>

    [Faction Quest: Escaped Immortals]

    [Difficulty: Impossible]

    [Description: Report, catch, or kill all four criminals that escaped from the Nine Heavens Eternal Grotto]

    [Reward: ???]

    "Also, here''s a life-saving treasure for you just in case. As long as you have it in your body, it will be able to protect you from any grievous injuries once¡ª even if it was given to you by an immortal."

    "Thank you." Yuan epted the life-saving treasure which was a small crystal ball that contained some sort of red liquid within.

    "Eat it." Senior Bai said to him afterward.

    "Eh?" Yuan raised his eyebrows. This is his first time seeing a life-saving treasure that required consumption.

    "This life-saving treasure is a little differentpared to your ordinary life-saving treasure in the way it functions. Normal life-saving treasures will protect you from harm. However, this life-saving treasure will basically give you a second life, but it will not protect you from harm."

    "I understand." Yuan nodded his head before tossing the treasure inside his mouth like it was a monster core.

    Ding!

    <You have consumed a ''Phoenix Rebirth Pill''>

    "Phoenix Rebirth Pill?" Yuan mumbled in a low voice.

    "Indeed. It was crafted with phoenix blood and many other priceless treasures. There are not many of them out there."

    "T-Thank you for giving me such a priceless treasure!" Yuan immediately bowed to him.

    Senior Bai smiled and said, "Consider it a gift for ranking up in the faction."

    "Eh? How did you know?" Yuan was surprised that he knew about it.

    "Did you forget my identity? I can tell your faction rank the moment I look at you."

    "By the way, speaking about the faction, my friends would like to join the faction as well. Is that possible?"

    "Your friends, huh? In order to join the faction, they must pass our test, but this test can only be done in the Fifth Heaven and above. Therefore, they must climb to the Fifth Heaven in order to join. This is a rule that even I cannot do anything about. The reason you were able to join is because of Xu Jiaqi, who is a Celestial Overlord, allowing her to bend the rules to some extent."

    "I see¡­ I will let them know." Yuan said.

    "Good. Now, before I let you go, may I speak with a certain someone in your body? More specifically, thess from the Primordial Realm." Senior Bai suddenly narrowed his eyes.

    Yuan''s eyes widened with surprise, and he asked in a nervous voice, "Senior Bai¡­ Why do you want to speak with Xiao Hua?"

    "Calm down, I am not going to harm her." Senior Bai smiled.

    "It''s okay, Brother Yuan."

    Xiao Hua''s voice resounded as she materialized beside him.

    "What do you want from Xiao Hua?" She asked him with a calm face, yet her heart was beating nervously.

    After all, Senior Bai could easily kill her if he wished, and she would have no way to defend herself.

    "So you''re the exile that has been following my little friend here, huh? Since your surname is ''Xiao'', are you perhaps from the Asura n?" Senior Bai asked her.

 Chapter 733 - Asura Clan

    Xiao Hua''s body trembled when she heard the name ''Asura n''e out of Senior Bai''s mouth.

    "You know Xiao Hua''s family?" She asked him.

    Senior Bai chuckled for a moment before shaking his head, "No, I don''t personally know them, but who in the Nine Heavens hasn''t heard of the infamous Asura n? Everyone born within that family is exceptionally talented, not to mention their heaven-defying physiques that give them an indestructible body."

    "The Nine Heavens respected¡­ feared the Asura n."

    "Youngdy, your family was banished to the Primordial Realm for a reason. Why do you want to set them free? What does your family n on doing once they return?" Senior Bai was well aware of her Legacy and its purpose.

    However, he does not know of Xiao Hua or her family''s purpose.

    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.

    "Xiao Hua does not know," she responded to him in a clear voice, indicating that she truly doesn''t know her family''s n, nor why she''s helping them.

    Senior Bai narrowed his eyes at Xiao Hua before shifting his gaze to Yuan.

    "The Primordial Realm isn''t any better than the Nine Heavens Grotto, as they both serve the same purpose. However, there is a slight difference between the two. The Primordial Realm was created to punish those that have wronged, but they are not hopeless. As long as they fulfill the Supreme Heaven''s Legacy, they may roam thend freely."

    "As for the Nine Heavens Eternal Grotto, once you''re inside, it is impossible toe back out unless someone is daring enough to break you out."

    "If the heavens are willing to give your family a second chance, I have no right to interfere with your legacy. However, not everyone shares the same sentiment as me."

    "Some people out there have made it their lifelong mission to prevent those from the Primordial Realm from regaining their freedom, so it won''t be easy. Although you won''t meet any of these people right now, once you climb higher, where more people recognize her aura¡­"

    "Her aura?" Yuan looked at Xiao Hua with raised eyebrows.

    "I don''t sense anything unnatural about her aura."

    "Of course you don''t. You have never met another exile in your life. Exiles have this unique aura that can be sensed by those with a superior divine sense, which you''ll get once you reach Spirit Sovereign. However, knowing you, you''ll probably learn it at a much earlier stage, perhaps as a Spirit Emperor." Senior Bai exined.

    "Spirit Sovereigns can only be found in the Fifth Heaven and above. I hope you''ll be ready then, because that is where her legacy truly makes it impossible. Of course, you can still choose to leave her. That''s what Xu Jiaqi would suggest you do."

    "That will never happen. Even if I have to fight the entire world, I won''t abandon her." Yuan said with a stern face.

    "Suit yourself." Senior Bai shrugged.

    "Anyways, I have kept you here for long enough. Just remember to keep a lookout for the escaped immortals. If they''re not caught soon, they will terrorize the world, and many innocent lives will be lost."

    "I will let you know if I encounter them." Yuan nodded.

    "Good. Then I will see youter."

    Yuan and Xiao Hua left the ce shortly after.

    Senior Bai sighed to himself after they left, "The Asura n¡­ They were once respected and admired by the entire Nine Heavens. But after their sudden rampage and their affiliation with ''that person'' was exposed, they became the most feared family in the Nine Heavens."

    "In the entire Nine Heavens, there are only a handful of people who wouldn''t mind the Asura n regaining their freedom. Good luck, Yuan."

    After returning to the Myriad of Techniques, Yuan sat down with Xiao Hua at an empty table.

    "If you don''t want to talk about it, you don''t need to." Yuan said to her after a moment of silence.

    Xiao Hua bit her lips and said, "Xiao Hua doesn''t know why her family was banished to the Primordial Realm, and no matter how many times I ask my family, they would not tell me."

    "However, they would always say that they weren''t wrong for what they did and that they did not regret their actions even slightly."

    Yuan smiled and said, "If they managed to raise someone like you, I don''t doubt that whatever they did, they truly believed in their purpose. They are probably good people that made a mistake. Everyone makes mistakes no matter how perfect they may seem."

    Xiao Hua shook her head and said, "Xiao Hua''s family are not good people. They have killed a lot of people, and they never smile."

    "I will be the judge of that when we meet them." Yuan said.

    "Un." Xiao Hua nodded her head before returning inside his body.

    Sometimeter, Meixiu and the others began returning one by one with a technique in their grasp.

    Both Wang Ming and Wang Bingbing decided to pick a sword technique while Shi Lang picked a spear technique. As for Hong Xiuquan and Li Jinxi, they also picked a technique that benefited their weapon of choice. Of course, they were all Heaven-rank techniques.

    "What did you get?" Yuan asked Meixiu, who was thest to return.

    "It''s a bow technique that was once used by a famous archer, who managed to pierce a star with this very technique¡ª at least that''s what the description said."

    "Alright. Since everyone has their techniques now, let''s check out."

    Thus, they returned back to the first floor to ''pay'' for the techniques.

    "All done. You still have 6 free techniques for this year." The young man said after logging in their techniques into the logbook.

    "Thank you."

    Once everyone had their technique, Yuan and the others left the Myriad of Techniques.

    "Thanks for the technique, Yuan. I am going to study the hell out of it to show my gratitude!" Wang Ming said to him after they left.

    "Don''t train too hard. I''m afraid that you''ll break something if you train any more than you already are.." Yuan smiled.

 Chapter 734 - Waited All Night

    "We''re going to practice our techniques at the Cultivators'' Haven if they have one here. What are you going to do, Yuan? Want toe with us?" Wang Ming asked him sometimeter.

    "Sorry but I have other ns. But if you ever need me, just let me know." Yuan shook his head.

    "Alright. Once again, thank you for these techniques."

    "Wait. Before you go, I have onest thing for you." Yuan retrieved another technique and handed it to Wang Ming.

    "This is a Heaven-rank technique called ''Demon Sealing Strike''. It can only be used with a sword, but it will allow you to seal demons if you hit them with this technique. After you learn it, hand it to Wang Bingbing and Li Jinxi so that they can also learn it."

    Yuan then looked at Hong Xiuquan and continued, "I don''t have any other demon sealing technique at this moment that works for your type of weapon, but once I find something, I will let you learn it as well."

    "No problem." Hong Xiuquan nodded.

    "Guess I will have to put my own technique on hold for now until I finish learning this Demon Sealing Technique." Wang Ming said.

    Sometimeter, Yuan and Meixiu returned to the hotel while the others went to study their new techniques.

    "s, the situation with the escaped immortals sound like a pain in the ass. I hope they catch them soon." Yuan sighed once they returned.

    "Escaped immortals?" Meixiu raised her eyebrows.

    "Well¡­" Yuan proceeded to exin the situation to her.

    "That does sound troublesome¡­" Meixiu sighed.

    "Fortunately, it is very unlikely that we will meet them since they''re mostly in the upper heavens." Yuan said.

    Sometimeter, Meixiu asked, "What are we going to do now, Yuan? More specifically what are your ns?"

    "I will figure something out tomorrow once Lulu returns."

    "Speaking of Chu Liuxiang¡­ She mentioned something about returning home?" Meixiu said.

    "Yes, she went back home to speak with her parents. She should return by tonight."

    "Okay."

    "Since there isn''t anything else to do, I''ll log off for today."

    "Wait, Young Master." Feng Yuxiang suddenly appeared before him right as he prepared to log off.

    "Feng Feng?"

    "Young Master, I''d like to request for some of your blood," she said with a solemn expression on her face.

    "Oh? You finally cannot resist your urges? I thought you''d forgotten about it." Yuan smiled at her request.

    "It''s not that, Young Master. After hearing about the escaped immortals, I figured that it would be for the best if I release my curse even if it''s just a little. I don''t want to be powerless when you need me."

    "Regardless of your reason, if you want my blood, you just need to ask me. I promised to help you remove that curse, after all."

    Yuan extended his hand to her and said, "Go ahead. Drink as much as you want."

    "Thank you, Young Master."

    Feng Yuxiang grabbed his hand before opening her mouth and putting his finger inside.

    She then bit a hole in his finger to release blood, but Yuan didn''t feel any pain, and it felt more like a nibble.

    Yuan swallowed nervously after watching Feng Yuxiang suck on his finger. This wasn''t Feng Yuxiang''s first time sucking his blood, and he never had such a reaction before, so why is his body suddenly heating up now?

    He eventually realized that it was because of Feng Yuxiang''s mouth, as the sensation from it reminded him of something else.

    In order to calm his mind, Yuan began reciting all the array symbols inside his head.

    About a minuteter, Feng Yuxiang opened her mouth and released a satisfied sigh, sounding like someone who just finished chugging down an amazing drink.

    Her hair began changing colors, bing fiery red. Her eyes also turned golden, and she stared at Yuan''s finger with an allured expression, seemingly not satisfied despite drinking a mouthful of his blood already.

    She quickly shook her head and pped her own cheeks to snap herself out of her temptation.

    "You can drink more if you want." Yuan noticed that she wasn''t satisfied.

    "No, if I continue, I will surpass Spirit King and be forced to ascend." Feng Yuxiang said.

    "Spirit King¡­?" It was at this moment Yuan realized that Feng Yuxiang''s aura had skyrocketed from peak Spirit Grandmaster to Spirit King!

    In fact, her aura is even stronger than Xiao Hua''s at this moment!

    "Although I am still nowhere near strong enough to fight Immortals, we should be fine for a while." Feng Yuxiang said with a smile.

    "If you need more blood, just let me know." Yuan nodded.

    "I will. Thank you, Young Master. My shoulders feel a lot lighter now that my curse has been weakened even more."

    "I''m d to hear that."

    Yuan and Meixiu logged off the game shortly after.

    Meixiu went to cook dinner immediately afterward, as it was already evening by the time they logged off.

    "She''s not back yet¡­" Yuan mumbled in a low voice when he woke up in an empty room.

    He had gotten so used to waking up with Chu Liuxiang right beside him that it now feels awkward waking up alone.

    Sometimeter, he went downstairs for dinner.

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    "Hmm? Where is Miss Chu?" Wang Ming asked Yuan since they would always show up together.

    "She returned to her family temporarily to speak with her parents." Yuan said.

    "She should returnter tonight."

    "I see."

    After dinner, Yuan returned to his room, but he didn''t sleep and patiently waited all night for Chu Liuxiang to return.

    However, Chu Liuxiang never returned from her family.

    When the sun began rising, Yuan released a low sigh,? "I really wanted things to be different this time. Why can''t parents just let their children decide on their own future? Why must they make things difficult for us?"

    Yuan stood up and left the house without letting anyone know, as he didn''t want to worry them, and he began making his way to the upper levels in the Dragon Spiral Mountain with a slight frown on his face.

 Chapter 735 - Visiting The Chu Family

    Although Yuan wasn''t sure where he was going, nor where the Chu Family was located, he knew that they were in the upper levels of the mountain.

    After walking for about half an hour, Yuan came across his first building to the Chu Family, and he decided to ask the people living there if they knew where the Chu Family lived.

    A maid answered the door a few moments after Yuan knocked on their doors.

    "Hello? How can we help you, young man?"

    Yuan greeted the old woman with a charming smile, "Good morning, madam. I''m sorry for disturbing your family so early in the morning. I am supposed to meet a friend in the Chu Family''s household, but she never told me their location, and I am afraid that I might bete."

    "You want to know where the Chu Family is located, is that correct?"

    "Yes, if you don''t mind telling me."

    "It would be my pleasure to help such a polite and handsome young man. Good news is you''re going in the right direction. If you continue following this path, you will reach the Chu Family''s household four buildings down. So if you see the next building, that would be the first building, and the Chu Family will be on the fourth."

    "I understand. Thank you very much, and have a nice day!" Yuan bowed to the old woman before continuing his journey.

    "Despite his innocent appearance, he sure has a formidable aura. He must be a powerful cultivator, and he is still so young. The Chu Family is very lucky to have a friend like him." The old woman mumbled to herself as she returned to cleaning her house.

    Sometimeter, Yuan arrived before a massive gate.

    "This should be the Chu Family''s household, but I don''t see any buildings¡­" Yuan mumbled to himself.

    After pondering for a moment, Yuan decided to jump the gate and follow the only path avable.

    He normally wouldn''t do something like trespassing, but he didn''t think the Chu Family deserves any respect for what they are doing to Chu Liuxiang.

    After walking for about an hour, Yuan can finally see a building with his divine sense. Although his divine sense is still limited, he was able to see around 500 meters away, and he could keep it active for almost two hours without any rest.

    Once he noticed the building, Yuan approached it without any hesitation.

    ''I am here now¡­ But what should I do now?'' Yuan began pondering, as he came to this ce without much of a n.

    ''Should I just bust the door down and let myself in?'' He wondered.

    However, he didn''t need to spend much time pondering, because after standing in front of the Chu Family''s house for less than a minute, someone opened the door and greeted him outside.

    A handsome young man walked out of the building and stood a couple of meters away from Yuan.

    "Wow, you really came. You''re ''Yuan'', right?" The handsome young man asked him.

    "You were expecting me?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    "No, not exactly. We had a feeling that you mighte, but we weren''t certain. As for my identity, I am Chu Wuyang, Chu Lixuiang''s elder brother," said the handsome young man.

    And before Yuan could say anything, Chu Wuyang continued, "You''re here for my little sister, right?"

    "Since you already know, let''s not make things difficult."

    Chu Wuyang shook his head and said, "Unfortunately, that''s not how things work around here. You may be the famous yer Yuan, but your identity has no influence here."

    "My parents have already decided that Chu Liuxiang will be marrying into the Qin Family, a rival of ours that we have been fighting for hundreds of years. They figured that it was about time for them to end their hostile rtionship with each other with marriage."

    "Luckly, the eldest son of the Qin Family has feelings for my little sister, or none of this would''ve been possible. And if you think my parents are going to give up the chance to befriend the Qin Family that has been a pain in our butt for thest few centuries, then you know nothing about our Chu Family."

    Yuan coldly snorted after hearing Chu Wuyang''s words, "So what if I don''t know the Chu Family? That doesn''t matter to me. I didn''te here for the Chu Family. I came here for my friend, Chu Liuxiang."

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    "I also don''t give a damn about what the Chu Family wants. They have no right to decide who Chu Liuxiang spends her life with. Only Chu Liuxiang can make that decision alone."

    However, instead of being angry, Chu Wuyang startedughing at Yuan''s words.

    "You sure bark loud for a nobody. Chu Liuxiang is not even truly part of the Chu Family. She should be grateful for being allowed to live with us. The Chu Family gave her everything when she had nothing. We gave her a home, a family, servants, treasures¡ª many things that will make most people on earth jealous. However, when the Chu Family asks her for one thing in return, she has the audacity to refuse. Talk about being ungrateful."

    Yuan frowned at his words and said, "I have met a lot of unreasonable people, but none of them were like you. You''re special¡ª a special type of unreasonable."

    "If you ''help'' someone with the intention of asking for something in return, are you really helping that person? Sounds like to me you''re merely taking advantage of someone who needs help."

    This is exactly why he doesn''t ask forpensation when he gives away free stuff, and he most certainly does not expect anyone to return the favor, as it was his decision to help them in the first ce.

    "You know what? I have heard enough of your nonsense. If you''re not going to give Chu Liuxiang back, I will take her back myself." Yuan said a moment before releasing some of his aura.

    Chu Wuyang did not have much of a reaction and even smiled, "Do you think you''re the only Spirit Master in this world?"

    "Hah!"

    Chu Wuyang released his aura, revealing that he was also a Spirit Master.

 Chapter 736 - Are You Really A Spirit Master?

    Yuan''s expression remained nonchnt even after Chu Wuyang released his cultivation aura.

    Although they were both Spirit Masters, Yuan was almost an entire realm above Chu Wuyang, who was only a second level Spirit Master.

    Furthermore, with Yuan''s godlike talents that allow him to fight those above his own realm, Chu Wuyang was no different than a Spirit Warrior¡ª even a Spirit Apprentice in Yuan''s eyes.

    "I will give you onest chance to leave this ce and forget about Chu Liuxiang. Regardless of your reason, if you cause trouble in our territory, we have the right to kill you! And if you didn''t know, allow me to tell you that what you''re doing right now has already vited the mountain''s rules. You''ll be evicted from the mountain the moment we report your intrusion today!"

    "Kill me? Unfortunately, I don''t think you are capable of doing that, and it''s not because you''re a reasonable human with morals. As for being evicted from the mountain, who cares, really? Although this ce is nice and all, it''s only a piece ofnd. There are countless other ces that we can live at. Of course, Chu Liuxiang will also be there with us."

    Yuan''s words wiped the smile off Chu Wuyang''s face really quickly.

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    "Whether I can kill you or not¡­ Let''s put that to the test!"

    Chu Wuyang retrieved a dagger that he had hidden underneath his clothes and got into an offensive stance.

    "Where''s your weapon?" He asked Yuan, who stood there casually.

    "I don''t need one."

    "Hmph! I better not hear any excuses when you lose¡ª that is if you''re still alive by then!" Chu Wuyang pounced at Yuan after saying his sentence.

    Yuan immediately used his movement technique to dodge Chu Wuyang''s strikes, and he was doing so effortlessly.

    ''What the? I was told that he''s blind! There''s no way a blind man could move like this, much less dodge my attacks!'' Chu Wuyang was someone who took great pride in his fast movement speed, and he hasn''t met anyone around his age that could move faster than him.

    However, when he looked at Yuan''s face, his eyes were definitely closed.

    "Is this all you''ve got? I''ve fought Spirit Warriors that were stronger than you in Cultivation Online. Are you really a Spirit Master?" Yuan said in a bored voice as he continued dodging Chu Wuyan''s strikes.

    "Shut the fuck up and fight me properly!" Chu Wuyang shouted at him out of frustration.

    "I will¡­ After I decide how I should deal with you." Yuan said.

    "You arrogant little fuck¡ª"

    Yuan suddenly swung his fist, hitting Chu Wuyang, who was caught off guard, square in the face.

    Bang!

    Chu Wuyang flew backward until he hit the door to the house, destroying it.

    However, he didn''t stop at the door and continued flying until he was inside the house, which shocked a few of the servants that were working at the entrance.

    "This motherfucker¡­" Chu Wuyang struggled to get up after being hit, feeling as though he''d been struck in the face by a battering ram, something used to forcefully open doors.

    And just as he regained his bnce, Yuan appeared before him to give him another punch, knocking him back down to the floor.

    Once Chu Wuyang fell onto the floor for the second time, Yuan mounted on top of him and began sending a seemingly endless stream of powerful punches to his face.

    "How dare you call yourself her ''brother''?! A brother should protect his sister, not harm her! You''re a disgrace!" Yuan shouted at Chu Wuyang in an angry voice as he continued to plummet Chu Wuyang, who could physically feel his own face being ttened, yet his face was so swollen that he was numb to the pain.

    "AHHHH! THE YOUNG MASTER! SOMEBODY! HELP!"

    The servants there began screaming in a terrified voice as they watched some unknown figure attacking their Young Master.

    "Stop!"

    A clear voice suddenly resounded right before a leg appeared in front of Yuan, and supporting the leg was a powerful force.

    However, Yuan did not even flinch at the iing leg, and he used one of his hands to catch the leg with seemingly no effort.

    "What?!"

    Yuan stopped hitting Chu Wuyang and looked at the person who just intervened to see a handsome man standing there with a surprised look on his face.

    "Who are you?! And why are you attacking my little brother?!" This handsome man asked Yuan with his leg still raised, as he was unable to free himself from Yuan''s grasp.

    "So you''re his elder brother, huh?" Yuan didn''t say anything else and swung his arm like a whip, throwing the handsome man across the room.

    After that, he stood up and looked at Chu Wuyang''s bloodied face.

    "You''re lucky. If we were in Cultivation Online, I wouldn''t need to worry about killing you by ident."

    Yuan no longer bothered with Chu Wuyang, who lost his consciousness shortly after. Instead, he turned his attention to the neer.

    "Take me to Chu Liuxiang or you will end up like your little brother." Yuan said to him in a cold voice.

    "I see¡­ So you''re Yuan¡­" The handsome man said as he stood back up and patted his clothes.

    "You''re much more terrifying than they give you credit for, Yuan." The handsome man said with a smile.

    "However, if you expect me to bow down to you after what you did to my little bro, then you''re¡ª"

    Before Chu Wuyang''s brother could even finish his sentence, Yuan used his movement technique to close their distance.

    Yuan then extended his arm out and clutched the elder brother''s neck with a w-like hand.

    "I''m not very good at controlling my own strength in this body, especially when I am upset, so you should tell me what I want to know before I identally snap your neck." Yuan said to him in a cold voice, and he slowly tightened his grasp on the brother''s neck.

    "W-Where do you¡­ think you¡­ are?! If you¡­ dare harm¡­ even a single hair¡­ Agh!"

    Yuan sighed as he continued to tighten his grasp, "Is everybody in the Chu Family like this? I must say, you guys are very much like Chu Liuxiang in this aspect¡ª your stubbornness, that is."

    The brother could feel his windpipe slowly being crushed by Yuan, and he quickly began panicking.

    What if Yuan really kills him by ident?

    "P-Please¡­ Wait¡­"

    The brother opened his mouth, but just as he was about to speak, another voice resounded.

    "Please release him, Young Master Yuan."

    Upon hearing this familiar voice, Yuan looked at the tall figure standing not far away from them with his divine sense, and he immediately recognized this person to be Sebastian, Chu Liuxiang''s butler.

    "That will depend on which side you''re on, Sebastian." Yuan said after a moment of silence.

    Sebastian released a low sigh before speaking, "I have always been on the Young Lady''s side since I was assigned as her butler. I also believe that the Young Lady should be able to decide her own future. However, neither my feelings or beliefs mean a thing, as I am merely a servant for the Chu Family, and my job is to obey their orders. That has been my sole purpose since I was born, not to mention my ancestors that have worked for the Chu Family since ancient times."

    Sebastian suddenly changed from a standing position to an aggressive stance, and he continued, "Do you recall our conversation at the Jaded Garden? I know it hasn''t been long since then, but I hope you''re ready to face the Chu Family."

 Chapter 737 - Fighting Sebastian

    "..." Yuan silently stood there even after Sebastian showed his will to fight.

    "Do you really intend on fighting me? You''re a Spirit Warrior, even weaker than these two. You won''t win, and I don''t want to hurt you since you''re Chu Liuxiang''s butler, but that might not be possible if we fight." Yuan said to him.

    "I also don''t want to fight you, but I have been ordered to keep you away from the Young Lady. If you leave now, we won''t need to fight." Sebastian said.

    And he continued, "I am also well aware that I cannot beat you, but at least I can say that I''d tried to fulfill my mission."

    Yuan shook his head before tossing the individual in his grasp to the end of the room before facing Sebastian.

    "Chu Liuxiang¡­ No, Lulu won''t be happy if she learns that we''d fought each other. Are you sure you want to continue?" Yuan slowly approached Sebastian.

    In response to Yuan''s question, Sebastian suddenly rushed forward beforeunching a fist attack at Yuan.

    "Hah!"

    Yuan watched as Sebastian''s fist slowly approached his face.

    Of course, Sebastian''s movement was by no means slow, but in Yuan''s view, it was barely moving.

    Right as Sebastian''s fist reached his face, Yuan used one of his hands to block it.

    After blocking the attack with ease, Yuan tightened his grasp so that Sebastian couldn''t run away.

    "I''m sorry¡­"

    Yuan suddenly opened his eyelids, revealing his beautiful eyes and its silver iris.

    Sebastian couldn''t help but stare at Yuan''s colorless eyes with a dazed face.

    However, Yuan''s eyes suddenly changed colors, turning bright golden.

    The next moment, Sebastian suddenly realized that his vision had gone dark, yet his consciousness was clearly still awake.

    *ROOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAARRRR*

    Sebastian started hearing a subtle yet domineering roar echoing within his head, and this noise gradually grew louder and louder.

    Once the noise reached its peak, a massive slit suddenly appeared before Sebastian, almost as though someone had cut the void with a sword.

    When this slit in the void opened, it revealed the sharp eye of a beast that reminded Sebastian of reptile eyes, but this eye was countless times bigger than himself, making him feel incredibly insignificant, almost like a mortal before a god.

    After seeing this beastly eye, Sebastian began to tremble uncontrobly while an intense sense of fear filled his mind.

    Sebastian''s real body suddenly went limp after being exposed to Yuan''s Dragon''s Gaze for only a few seconds.

    Yuan closed his eyes when this happened, and he gentlyid Sebastian''s body onto the floor afterward.

    ''So I can use Dragon''s Gaze even though I am still blind¡­'' Yuan thought to himself as he left the scene after making sure Sebastian was still alive and wasn''t harmed too badly by the Dragon''s Gaze.

    After what happened at the Jaded Garden, Yuan realized that he needed to learn more powerful techniques, so he tried to learn all of the techniques he knew from Cultivation Online.

    However, he''s already learned most of the weaker techniques from Cultivation Online, leaving him with mostly extremely strong attacks.

    The Heavenly Splitting Sword Strike was simply too powerful for him to use in this world, and a single mistake could easily change thendscape. This left him with either Heavenly Domain or Dragon''s Gaze, and he ended up trying to learn Dragon''s Gaze because he was curious if he could use it despite being blind.

    As for the technique Relentless Dragon Overwhelms the Nine Heavens, he couldn''t learn it at that time because he still hasn''t learned the technique in Cultivation Online, but he already nned on learning it next.

    After trying for about two weeks, he''d managed to activate Dragon''s Gaze¡ª at least that''s what he believed because his eyes had the same burning sensation that he felt whenever he used Dragon''s Gaze in Cultivation Online.

    However, he couldn''t test whether it truly works or not because he didn''t want to use Dragon''s Gaze on Meixiu or the others, so he waited for the perfect moment to test out the Dragon''s Gaze, and he found that moment with Sebastian, who he didn''t want to physically harm, so he could only try using Dragon''s Gaze on him to take him out of the fight mentally.

    Yuan wandered the Chu Family''s residence for the next couple of minutes until he ran into someone, as he had no idea where to go in such a massive ce.

    He eventually encountered a young maid, who was quietly dusting furniture in the hallway while humming to herself in a cheerful manner, seemingly in her own world and unaware of the chaos.

    "Excuse me, do you know where I can find Chu Liuxiang?" Yuan asked her.

    "Hm? Are you perhaps Young Master Qin? I thought your visit was scheduled for next week." The young maid mistook Yuan as someone from the Qin Family.

    "Uh¡­ The schedule changed." Yuan decided to y along with her.

    "Is that so¡­ Anyways, you should be able to find the Young Lady in her garden," she then said.

    "The garden?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    "Oh, I''m sorry. This is your first time here, right? Please, follow me. I will take you there."

    "Thank you." Yuan nodded and began following this young maid.

    Meanwhile, inside the garden, Chu Liuxiang sat before the pond that was beside her immortal cave with a dispirited expression on her face.

    "Yuan¡­ He should being soon to take me away from this ce just like he''d promised, right? I only hope that nobody gets hurt over this¡­" She sighed.

    She turned to look at the beautiful woman that was silently cultivating on top of her immortal cave.

    "Master, did my parents ask you to babysit me?"

    Senior Qi responded without opening her eyes, "No, I am here to deal with your little lover because your parents are expecting his presence soon."

    "What?! You''re going to fight Yuan?! You can''t do that, Master!" Chu Liuxiang eximed.

    "Why not?" Senior Qi asked in a calm voice.

    "I-It''s for your own good¡­" Chu Liuxiang responded in a low voice.

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    Senior Qi finally opened her eyes, and she turned to look at Chu Liuxiang with a narrowed gaze.

    "You think I won''t be able to defeat him?" She asked in a cold voice.

 Chapter 738 - Chu Liuxiangâ€™s Master

    "It hasn''t even been a year since I stopped beating you and you have already forgotten what I am capable of? Want me to remind you?" Senior Qi said as she stared daggers at Chu Liuxiang.

    "That''s not it, Master. I am well aware of your capabilities, butpared to Yuan¡­ I don''t want to call him a monster, but¡­ If you have seen what he''s capable of, you''ll understand my feelings."

    "Hmph! As if I''d lose to some 18-year-old who only recently regained his ability to move!" Senior Qi coldly snorted.

    "But Master, you''re not that much older than him yourself¡­ And Yuan, he defeated a demon by himself." Chu Liuxiang said with a bittersweet smile.

    "Wait¡­ What did you just say?" Senior Qi''s face suddenly became serious.

    "Y-You''re only 25 years old, which isn''t that much older than Yuan. Or am I wrong?" Chu Liuxiang swallowed nervously when she saw how Senior Qi''s expression changed, and she wondered if it was because she had mentioned her age.

    "Not that! You said that he''d defeated a demon by himself? I thought he merely assisted the Six Spiritual Families? That''s what they said." Senior Qi said.

    In order to keep Yuan away from the spotlight, the Six Spiritual Families told the world that Yuan had only assisted them in defeating the demon. In truth, Yuan had defeated the demon by himself, but only very few individuals are aware of this fact.

    "Oh, right. The Six Spiritual Families changed the story a bit to help Yuan since they knew he didn''t like to be in the spotlight. But it''s true. Yuan fought the demon from beginning to end by himself without any help." Chu Liuxiang revealed the truth.

    "...Are you okay, Master?"

    Chu Liuxiang asked her when she noticed that Senior Qi looked a little nervous afterward.

    "I am¡­"

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    Just as Senior Qi opened her mouth, a loud voice suddenly resounded.

    "Lulu! Are you here?! I am here to take you back as promised!" Yuan''s voice echoed in the garden.

    "Yuan?!"

    Chu Liuxiang immediately stood up and looked around with an excited expression on her face.

    "Yuan! I am here!" She shouted back.

    And hearing Chu Liuxiang''s voice respond, Yuan immediately rushed in the direction her voice came from.

    "Huh? Yuan? He''s not Young Master Qin?" The young maid stood there with a dazed look on her face when she realized that she''d screwed up.

    After standing there for a few moments, she turned around and ran away from the scene while silently praying to herself, hoping that nobody saw her together with Yuan.

    A few minutester, Yuan arrived at the pond and the immortal cave to see Chu Liuxiang standing behind a beautiful young woman.

    "Lulu! Are you okay? Are you hurt?" Yuan immediately asked her.

    Chu Liuxiang vigorously shook her head out of excitement, "No, I am okay. What about you? Are you hurt? What happened to my family?"

    "Well¡­ I encountered your brother Chu Wuyang as well as his elder brother¡­ And Sebastian¡­"

    "My brothers and Sebastian? Did something happen to them?" Chu Liuxiang could sense Yuan''s nervousness even though they were standing so far away from each other.

    "They stood in my way, so I took them down." Yuan sighed.

    "T-Took them down? You killed them?" Chu Liuxiang''s eyes widened with shock.

    "Eh? N-No! I merely knocked them unconscious!" Yuan said, skipping some details, such as turning Chu Wuyang''s face into a bloody mess and nearly breaking the elder brother''s neck.

    "I see¡­ As long as Sebastian is alive, I won''tin. He might have tried to stop you, but it''s not because he wanted to. I hope you''ll forgive him. I don''t care about the other two. They have always been a pain to deal with. I couldn''t care less even if they died." Chu Liuxiang said.

    "I know. Sebastian is only doing his job." Yuan nodded.

    "Ahem! Are you ignoring me on purpose?" Senior Qi suddenly cleared her throat, interrupting their ''reunion''.

    "Who are you?" Yuan quickly asked.

    "My surname is Qi. Do you recognize it?" Senior Qi suddenly asked him, almost as though she was expecting him to recognize her surname for some reason.

    "No, I don''t. Should I?" Yuan said.

    "..."

    Senior Qi turned silent for a moment.

    "I heard from my disciple that you had defeated the demon from the Jaded Garden all by yourself. Is that true?" She asked him a momentter.

    "Disciple? So you''re Lulu''s master?" Yuan was surprised to hear this.

    "Answer my question! Did you defeat the demon by yourself?!" Senior Qi asked again, clearly anxious for an answer.

    "So what if I did?"

    "How did you do it?"

    "Huh? Why do you care?" Yuan found this Senior Qi''s behavior to be very suspicious.

    "Because I don''t believe you. There''s no way a nobody like you can defeat a demon! After all, they''re indestructible! They are supreme beings that can only be sealed!" Senior Qi eximed.

    "You¡­" Yuan was surprised by Senior Qi''s knowledge regarding demons. It was almost as though she knew of their existence even before the incident at the Jaded Garden.

    "You¡­ Who are you? Why do you know so much about demons?" It was now Yuan''s turn to ask such questions.

    "..."

    Senior Qi did not respond to his question. Instead, she lifted her hand and pointed her palm towards the immortal cave.

    The next moment, a sword flew out of the immortal cave and into her hands.

    ''Qi Maniption? She''s a Spirit Grandmaster?'' Yuan was inwardly shocked when Senior Qi used Qi Maniption.

    "If you defeat me, I will tell you what you want to know. But if I defeat you, you''ll tell me everything you know," she said to him while pointing the sword at him in a provocative manner.

    "Very well¡­" Yuan nodded in agreement.

    "Where''s your weapon? I don''t want to hear any excuses when you lose." Senior Qi then asked.

    Yuan didn''t say anything and raised his arm until it was parallel to the ground.

    Senior Qi and Chu Liuxiang watched his movements with interest.

    Arge sword that was as tall as Yuan himself suddenly appeared out of thin air the next moment and entered his grasp.

    The second Yuan tightened his grasp on the sword, his aura skyrocketed, and the sword began vibrating with excitement.

    "T-That''s his sword in Cultivation Online¡­ How did he¡­" Chu Liuxiang mumbled in a dazed voice when she recognized Yuan''s sword¡ª the Empyrean Overlord!

 Chapter 739 - Sealed

    <h4>Chapter 739 - Sealed</h4>

    "Get back, Liuxiang. You''ll get in the way." Senior Qi said to Chu Liuxiang, who quickly retreated to the immortal cave.

    "Are you ready?" She asked Yuan.

    "Whenever you are." He nodded.

    And without saying another word, Senior Qi rushed towards him, closing their distance almost immediately.

    "Hah!"

    Senior Qi swung her sword without using any techniques, only relying on her strength and powerful spiritual energy.

    ng!

    However, Yuan blocked her attack with ease, and he only had one arm on the sword.

    Senior Qi raised one of her eyebrows in surprise before swinging her sword again with even more strength.

    Yuan was pushed back a little this time, but he still only needed one arm to defend against the attack.

    "At least you''re much stronger than the Chu brothers." Yuan said with a smile on his face.

    "Don''t get cocky! The fight is just beginning!"

    The two of them began exchanging blows back and forth for the next few minutes.

    "Let''s see how you''ll deal with this!"

    Sometimeter, Senior Qi distanced herself from Yuan, and once she was at a safe distance, she began making symbols with her hand.

    "!!!"

    The way Senior Qi moved her hands resembled how Array Masters create arrays, and Yuan wondered if she was going to use arrays.

    "Seal!"

    Senior Qi suddenly shouted.

    "What the?"

    Yuan blurted out when his body suddenly stopped moving.

    ''I cannot move? No¡­ It feels more like I am being restricted by invisible chains¡­ What kind of technique is this?'' Yuan wondered to himself, even admiring the technique a little.

    "How do you like my family''s secret technique? It''s not really effective on humans since it was never meant to be used on them, but this much strength is more than enough to restrict anyone, even a talented Spirit Master like you."

    "Y-Yuan! Your legs! They''re turning into stone!" Chu Liuxiang''s voice suddenly resounded, and it was filled with distress.

    "What?" Yuan looked at his legs after hearing Chu Liuxiang''s words, and sure enough, his legs had turned into stone!

    "This technique¡­" Yuan was baffled when he saw the petrifying effects, as it was almost the same as his demon sealing techniques.

    "You¡­ You know demon sealing techniques?" Wanting to confirm his suspicions, he decided to ask her.

    "You want me to answer your questions? You''ll have to defeat me. However, it doesn''t appear that you have defeated me, so I won''t tell you anything." Senior Qi said with a smirk on her face.

    Clearly, she wanted to get back at him for refusing to answer her questions before.

    "Don''t think you have already won just because I cannot move. Despite my situation, I can still defeat you whenever I want." Yuan said to her.

    "Is that so?" Senior Qi casually walked up to his face and said, "And how are you going to do that when half of your body has turned into stone?"

    By now, the petrifying effect had spread all the way to his chest.

    "If you don''t hurry up and surrender, your entire body will turn into stone, and when that happens, even I cannot revert the damages. That means you''ll turn into a stone statue forever."

    "What?! That''s dangerous, Master! Hurry up and release him!" Chu Liuxiang eximed after hearing Senior Qi''s words.

    However, Yuan remained calm and said, "I will win this fight."

    "I don''t know where you''re getting your confidence, but do you even understand your situation right now? You cannot even lift a finger, much less defeat me."

    In response to her words, Yuan merely stood there with a calm smile on his face, allowing the petrifying effect to slowly consume his body¡ª not that he could move his body.

    When the effect reached his neck, Senior Qi frowned and said to him, "Do you really intend on dying in such a manner? Is your pride really so valuable that you''d give your life away for it? Being sealed is a fate that''s worse than death, you know? Even after your body haspletely turned into stone, your body won''t immediately die, which means that you''ll still be alive until you die of natural causes."N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.

    "When you''re sealed, you won''t feel hunger or thirst, and your internal organs will be supported by the spiritual energy your body naturally gathers, allowing you to live for many months, even years without any problems."

    "Do you really want to spend the rest of your life in such a miserable state? Hurry up and surrender." Senior Qi tried to convince him to give up.

    However, Yuan remained silent.

    "If you think I am going to free you at thest second so that I won''t kill you, then you''re overestimating me. I will really let your entire body turn into stone. Don''t test me." Senior Qi added.

    "Don''t worry, I don''t have such thoughts." Yuan said, still with a calm smile on his face.

    "Yuan! What are you doing?! What am I going to do if you''re sealed forever?! Life isn''t worth living if you''re not here with me!" Chu Liuxiang shouted at him with tears flowing down her face.

    "Believe me, Lulu. I won''t lose. I promise you that I will defeat her and take you back to the family with me." Yuan said.

    "You better!"

    A few more momentster, Yuan''s entire body became stone, turning into a stone statue and looking exactly like the sealed demon in the Jaded Garden.

    However, even after being sealed, Yuan still had a smile on his face.

    "This crazy bastard¡­ He really allowed himself to be sealed. I have never met a madman like him before¡­" Senior Qi stared at Yuan''s stone face with a dazed expression on her face.

    "Master, if anything happens to him, I will never forgive you!" Chu Liuxiang said to her with a deep frown.

    Senior Qi looked at her and sighed, "Calm down. I can make him normal again even though he''s fully sealed. I only said that I couldn''t just to scare him. In fact, since this technique isn''t meant for humans, he will automatically break out of that state in a few days. However, since he dared to defy me, I am going to let him suffer for a few days."

    "R-Really?" Chu Liuxiang mumbled with a dumbfounded look on her face.

    "You really think I am that cruel of a person? I¡ª"

    "Not that, Master. I meant the ''few days'' part. It''s only been a few moments and there are already cracks on him." Chu Liuxiang pointed at Yuan.

    "What? That''s impossible!"

    Senior Qi frowned before turning to look at Yuan.

    "I-Impossible¡­"

    Senior Qi muttered in a shocked voice when she saw that Yuan''s seal was really weakening with cracks already.

    However, she couldn''tprehend how that was possible.

    ''Even if he''s a Spirit Master, he shouldn''t be able to break out of my seal this quickly. The only way this is possible is if he knows how the technique works¡­ Did he really defeat the demon by himself? But that''s even more absurd!''

    The stone on Yuan''s face suddenly began falling off, revealing his soft skin once again.

    "When I first encountered the demon at the Jaded Garden, I wondered if there would be any families in this world that could deal with them like the Demon Sealing n inside Cultivation Online."

    "Since you can also use demon sealing techniques, I can only assume that you guys actually exist.. Or am I wrong?" Yuan turned to look at Senior Qi, who stood there with a baffled face.

 Chapter 740 - Qi Family

    "Who are you, really? If you belong to one of us, I should recognize you. However, I don''t know you." Senior Qi narrowed her eyes on him.

    "I''m afraid that I cannot answer your question since you haven''t defeated me yet." Yuan suddenly pointed his sword at Senior Qi before mumbling in a low voice.

    "Seal."

    "What?!"

    Senior Qi''s eyes widened with shock when she suddenly lost control over her body''s movements.

    ''I-Impossible! He also knows our technique?!''

    Not only did Yuan know her technique, it also appeared to be much stronger than her own judging by how much quicker the petrifying effect was affecting her body.

    In just a few seconds, half of Senior Qi''s body had turned into stone.

    However, Senior Qi wasn''t panicking.

    She even showed a confident smile and said, "I''m surprised. To think you knew so much about demon sealing ns and even our techniques. However, you should know that demon sealing techniques do not have any effect on humans. Even if I don''t do anything, I will be able to break free from the seal after a few days. If I try, I can break out of it within seconds just like you did."

    "Then let''s make a bet. I will give you ten minutes to break out of the seal. If you cannot do it, then it''s my victory, and you will have to admit defeat." Yuan suddenly suggested.

    "Ten minutes? Hahaha! I only need one minute to break your seal!" Senior Qiughed out loud.

    "I will see you in a minute." Senior Qi red at Yuan until her entire body turned into stone.

    Chu Liuxiang approached Yuan and asked, "Do you think she will break out of the seal in a minute? You managed to break out of her seal in just a few seconds, after all."

    "Who knows." Yuan shrugged.

    "Eh? You don''t know? Then why did you make a bet with her, even giving her ten whole minutes? That''s not something you do if you''re not confident in your own abilities." Chu Liuxiang stared at him with a slightly dumbfounded face.

    "I am confident, but that doesn''t really mean anything."

    "Let''s just wait and see then." Chu Liuxiang said, and they proceeded to wait for Senior Qi to break the seal.

    One minuteter.

    "She''ste. It''s been longer than a minute. Does this mean you win?" Chu Liuxiang said.

    "I guess so, but let''s give her the full ten minutes."

    Chu Liuxiang nodded, and they continued to wait.

    Ten minutester.

    "I really hope she''s still alive¡­" Chu Liuxiang said in a low voice.

    "She''s definitely still alive. I can sense her spiritual energy, and she is still trying to break through the seal even as we speak." Yuan said.

    "What now? Are you going to release the seal?"

    To Chu Liuxiang''s surprise, Yuan shook his head, "No, I will let her suffer a little more. This is what she gets for being so arrogant, and she also wanted to stop me from taking you home."

    "Master does have the tendency to act arrogantly from time to time, but she''s not a bad person. She taught me many things ever since I came to the Chu Family. I even think of her as an elder sister."

    "Alright, I will reduce a few hours from her punishment." Yuan said with a smile.

    Chu Liuxiang also chuckled.

    "Chu Liuxiang!"

    A cold voice suddenly resounded behind them.

    When Chu Liuxiang turned around, she could see her parents standing in the distance with many of their guards following behind them.

    "Stay behind me." Yuan said as he stood in between her and the Chu Family.

    "Where is Senior Qi?! I asked her to deal with that bastard!" Chu Shijian shouted in an angry voice.

    "Dear! Look behind them!" Chu Shufen pointed at the stone statue behind Yuan and Chu Liuxiang.

    "Y-You bastard! What have you done to her?! Do you have any idea who she is?! If you harmed even a single hair on her body, you''re a dead man!" Chu Shijian roared in a deafening tone.

    "I don''t know her, but as you can see for yourself, it''s a little toote for that kind of talk. However, you can''t me me. You can only me yourself¡ª your Chu Family for making mee here." Yuan said with a cold expression on his face.

    "It''s over¡­ You have no idea what you''ve just done! The Qi Family will kill all of us once they learn that she had died while within our territory!" Chu Shijian mumbled in a fearful voice.

    The Chu Family is one of the biggest families in the world, but that doesn''t mean they are fearless. The Qi Family is a secret powerhouse that has lived in seclusion for even longer than the Six Spiritual Families, and they are one of very few powers that can make the Chu Family tremble in fear.

    Yuan raised his eyebrows. Is the Qi Family really that powerful?

    ''I guess it makes sense for them to be so powerful since they have to fight demons and all¡­'' Yuan thought to himself.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.

    "The rtionship between our families was reaching its peak! They even sent over the most talented genius in their family to our family as a sign of their trust, but you had to ruin everything!" Chu Shijian''s eyes were bloodshot as of this moment.

    "I didn''t n on killing you even after learning about what you have done to my two sons, but I must avenge Senior Qi by taking your life. Hopefully, the Qi Family won''t kill all of us with your sacrifice."

    Chu Shijian pointed at Yuan and shouted, "Bring me his head!"

    The guards behind him immediately rushed forward and surrounded Yuan and Chu Liuxiang.

    "F-Father! Please wait! There is something¡ª"

    "Shut up! If you don''t want to die with him, get away from him!" Chu Shijian shouted.

    "Senior Qi came here and took you in as her disciple, yet you allowed her to be killed just like that?! Even if I don''t punish youter, the Qi Family will definitely do so!"

    "It''s alright, Lulu. Stand back. I will handle this." Yuan said to her with a smile.

 Chapter 741 - Fighting The Chu Family

    <h4>Chapter 741 - Fighting The Chu Family</h4>

    "B-But this is all just a misunderstanding! If we let my father know that Senior Qi is actually¡­"

    "No, don''t tell him. I have been wondering how I should deal with your parents. This shall be their punishment." Yuan said.

    Chu Liuxiang looked at him with wide eyes, but she couldn''t refute him for some reason.

    "Okay¡­ Try not to get hurt." Chu Liuxiang said to him before leaving his side.

    The guards there allowed Chu Liuxiang to leave their encirclement without any trouble.

    Yuan scanned the guards there with his divine sense.

    ''Mostly Spirit Warriors with only two Spirit Masters, huh¡­ I don''t need my weapon for this.''

    Not wanting to identally kill these people, Yuan stowed the Empyrean Overlord.

    "This bastard is underestimating us¡­"

    The guards there were provoked by Yuan''s action even though that wasn''t his intention.

    "Get him! There''s no need to hold back since the Patriarch has asked for his head!"

    The guards began rushing at Yuan the next moment.

    Seeing this, Yuan used his movement technique to maneuver around them, and because there were so many of them, it actually gave Yuan an advantage, allowing him to confuse them easier.

    "W-Where did he go?!"

    "He''s right behind you!"

    "No, he''s over here!"

    "Hey¡ª"

    "What the¡ª?!"

    "How is he moving this fast?! He''s not human!"

    The guards were shocked when they realized that they couldn''t even follow his movements, much less touch him.N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.

    "Ah!"

    "Gak!"

    "Fuc¡ª!"

    Yuan began knocking out these guards one by one, rendering over half of the guards unconscious in mere minutes.

    Sometimeter, after defeating all of the guards, Yuan turned to face Chu Shijian, who was trembling with anger.

    "Are you going to try and kill me next?" Yuan asked him in a calm voice.

    Chu Shijian gritted his teeth.

    If someone like Senior Qi lost to Yuan, there was no way for him to defeat Yuan.

    Chu Shufen suddenly tapped his shoulders and said, "Let''s get him together."

    "Alright. Watch my back." Chu Shijian nodded.

    Once they were prepared, Chu Shijian and his wife began their attack on Yuan.

    "Taste my Force of Hell!"

    Chu Shijian''s fists suddenly became engulfed in red mes as they flew toward Yuan''s face.

    ''What a powerful technique!''

    Yuan thought to himself as he used his movement technique to dodge the attack.

    Boom!

    Chu Shijian''s fist exploded with fire right after Yuan dodged it.

    However, right as Yuan dodged the attack, he noticed that Chu Shufen was already behind him, almost as though she had predicted his movements.

    Chu Shufen was also in a kicking motion, and before Yuan could react, he was sent flying by Chu Shufen''s powerful kick.

    "Yuan!"

    Chu Liuxiang immediately grew nervous.

    "I''m fine. I didn''t expect her to read my movement technique." Yuan said as he stood back up without any injuries.

    "How the hell is he still standing after eating my kick like that? That kick had enough force to shatter boulders and bend thick steel! Even if it couldn''t kill him, it should''ve rendered him immobilized, yet he stood up so casually!" Chu Shufen appeared to be even more surprised than Yuan from that exchange.

    "If one isn''t enough to take him down, give him a few more! Let''s do it!" Chu Shijian said, and they went for another attack.

    While Chu Shijian rushed forward, Chu Shufen stayed behind to watch Yuan so that she could read his movement again.

    However, Yuan directly ignored Chu Shijian this time and went straight for Chu Shufen after avoiding him.

    "If you think I am vulnerable, then you''ve just made a poor judgement!" Chu Shufen didn''t even try to run away and decided to face Yuan head-on.

    Chu Shufen''s aura suddenly skyrocketed right before she threw a punch at Yuan.

    However, Yuan wasn''t even close enough to be hit by her fist.

    Despite that, Yuan suddenly stopped running at her and dodged to the side.

    Whoosh!

    An invisible force flew right past Yuan after he dodged.

    ''Qi Maniption?'' Yuan frowned when he saw how simr it felt to Qi Maniption.

    ''No, Lulu also did the same thing before. If I recall correctly, it''s called Spiritual Control¡­''

    "How dare you ignore me!"

    Chu Shijian suddenly appeared behind Yuan while he stopped for a moment to ponder.

    "Your head is mine!"

    Chu Shijian had a hidden dagger in his grasp as he went for Yuan''s neck.

    "As if I''d fall for the same trick twice!"

    Yuan saw Chu Shijianing from a mile away because of his divine sense, and he used his movement technique to dodge the strike.

    "Che! What a fucking annoying movement technique!" Chu Shijian cursed out loud after failing for the second time to kill Yuan.

    "So you''re seriously trying to kill me, huh?" Yuan sighed out loud.

    If he didn''t dodge the attack just now, Chu Shijian would''ve definitely taken his head.

    As for Chu Shufen, her attack would''ve also killed him if his body wasn''t so strong.

    "Since you''re trying to kill me, don''t me me for doing the same."

    Yuan suddenly opened his eyes and activated Dragon''s Gaze, stunning both Chu Shijian and Chu Shufen at the same time.

    And while they were stunned, he slowly approached them.

    Since they were no longer capable of fighting, Yuan could do as he pleased with them.

    "Are you really going to kill them?" Chu Liuxiang asked him with a nervous look on her face.

    "Do you want me to?" Yuan asked her in return.

    "Of course not. Although they may have wronged me this time, it is also true that they have cared for me for thest decade. And I don''t want to see you killing people¡­ At least not in the real world." Chu Liuxiang sighed.

    Yuan smiled, "Don''t worry, I never nned on killing them. I gain nothing by bing a murderer."

    "Then what are you going to do to them?"

    "Although I won''t kill them, I won''t forgive them so easily either.." Yuan said as he continued to approach Chu Shijian, who was kneeling on the ground with a soulless look on his face.

 Chapter 742 - Punishment

    <h4>Chapter 742 - Punishment</h4>

    Once Yuan was standing in front of Chu Shijian, he took a deep breath before speaking in a slow but clear voice, "Despite all the things you have done¡ª despite my urges, I won''t kill you. However, it is a fact that you tried to kill me today, and to make sure that you won''t attack me again in the future, I will end your life¡­ as a Cultivator."

    Chu Shijian snapped out of his daze when he heard Yuan''s words, but before he could open his mouth and utter a single word, Yuan swung his arm and punched Chu Shijian square in the stomach, shattering his Dantian.

    Cough!

    Chu Shijian coughed up a mouthful of blood afterward.

    "Ahh¡­ Ahh¡­ No¡­ Not my cultivation!" A horrified look appeared on Chu Shijian''s face when he could feel his spiritual energy leaving his Dantian before leaving from the pores on his body.

    "What¡­ What have you done?!" Chu Shijian snapped at Yuan with a furious face.

    "How dare you cripple my cultivation! Do you have any idea how much time, effort, and money I have sacrificed to reach that point?! Without my cultivation, the Chu Family will be doomed! And this is all your fault!"

    "You were prepared to take my life, so I took away your cultivation in return. It''s a fair trade if you ask me. At least you get to keep your life." Yuan said.

    "Don''t fuck with me! I''d rather you kill me now than live the life of a mortal!"

    Yuan shook his head and said, "If you want to die, that''s your decision. I already made my decision."

    Tears began flowing from Chu Shijian''s face.

    Chu Liuxiang swallowed nervously when she saw this scene, as this is her first time seeing Chu Shijian shed such sorrowful tears.

    Yuan ignored Chu Shijian and turned his focus to Chu Shufen next.

    When Chu Shijian realized what Yuan was about to do, he stood up and shouted, "Y-You bastard! You''re not satisfied with ruining my life so you''re going to ruin my wife''s life as well?!"

    Hearing his words, Yuan calmly responded, "It wouldn''t be fair if I only took your cultivation and not hers. Furthermore, she also tried to kill me. It only makes sense for me to take her cultivation as well."

    "I swear to god, if you dare hurt even a single hair on her body, I will do whatever it takes to make your life miserable before taking your life! You might think that you have defeated the Chu Family because you took away my cultivation, but we still have many resources at our disposal, and it will all be used to dispose of you!"

    "..."

    The ce turned dead silent for a good moment until Chu Liuxiang spoke.

    "Yuan, I think you have already punished them enough. Although I wouldn''t mind fighting the entire world with you, I cannot say the same about the others. Think about Meixiu and the others that will be dragged into this mess if you continue."

    "Father, I will leave the Chu Family after today. I wish that I could''ve left the family in a better manner, but what''s done is already done. And despite what happened between us, I don''t hate you or the Chu Family. In fact, I am feeling grateful to you and the family. After all, you gave me a chance to experience what it feels like to have a family even if it is not an ordinary family."

    "Now that I am old enough to have my own family, I am going to start one with the person I love¡ª Yuan."

    After a moment of silence, Chu Liuxiang looked at Senior Qi, who was still sealed, and said, "As for Master¡ª Senior Qi is still alive. You can ask her to exin everything to you once she breaks out of that seal in a few days."N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.

    Chu Liuxiang suddenly went to Yuan and grabbed his hand before mumbling to him, "Let''s go home now, shall we? I don''t want us to miss Meixiu''s breakfast."

    Hearing her words, Yuan could only nod his head.

    "Okay."

    Chu Liuxiang and Yuan left the scene shortly after, leaving the Chu Family in havoc.

    "Are you okay?" Chu Liuxiang asked Yuan as they walked home together.

    "Yes, I am not hurt."

    "I am not talking about your body, you silly. You did some incredible things today¡ª things that I didn''t know you were capable of. If you want to talk about it, I will always be here to listen."

    "I guess I was acting a little different today. I don''t know why, but I felt incredibly angry today, yet it wasn''t the type of anger that I am used to. Maybe I had released some of my built-up anger for my own family on the Chu Family."

    And he continued, "But it''s okay. I will be fine since everything has ended now."

    However, Chu Liuxiang shook her head with a bitter smile, and she sighed, "Unfortunately, things are not over yet, as much as I want it to be."

    "Huh? What do you mean? Do you think the Chu Family will take revenge in the future?" Yuan asked her.

    "Yes, but I am not talking about my parents¡ª about Chu Shijian and Chu Shufen. I don''t know if I told you this before or not, but my father has multiple wives, and they all control a small portion of the Chu Family in other ces. The Chu Family is simply too big for my father to manage alone, so he made his other wives assist him in managing the family."

    "Although we didn''t see any of them today beside my father''s main wife, things would''ve yed out very differently if they were there. With that being said, there''s a good chance that they''ll retaliate because of what you did today."

    "Also¡­"

    "There''s more?" Yuan was speechless.

    "Of course. Have you forgotten about the Dragon Spiral Mountain? We should start looking for a new ce to stay when we get back because we will most likely be evicted for our actions today."

    "Aiya¡­" Yuan sighed out loud.

    "Even though I don''t mind moving, it kind of hurts that we have to move so soon after moving to this ce, not to mention the amount of money we had spent to live here. I will have to apologize to the others once we get back. They also paid for the house, after all."

    "I''m sure they''ll understand.." Chu Liuxiang smiled.

 Chapter 743 - Preparing To Move Again

    <h4>Chapter 743 - Preparing To Move Again</h4>

    By the time Yuan and Chu Liuxiang returned home, everyone except Meixiu was already seated at the dining table.

    "Huh? Yuan? Where have you been? Meixiu went to look for you in your room just now." Wang Ming said to him when they returned.

    "Sorry, I had some business at the Chu Family." Yuan said to them.

    "I''ll go find Meixiu. You guys can eat first."

    Yuan and Chu Liuxiang went back to his room to find Meixiu knocking on their door.

    "There''s no need to knock. We''re here." Yuan said to her.

    "Huh?" Meixiu turned around to see them standing behind her, and Yuan looked a little messy, almost as though he''d been in a fight recently.

    "What happened to you?" She asked.

    "I went to the Chu Family to bring her back." Yuan pointed at Chu Liuxiang, who had a bashful smile on her face.

    "It''s a little embarrassing, but I had some trouble at home, and Yuan came to save me," she said.

    "Well¡­ Breakfast is prepared¡­" Meixiu didn''t know what else to say.

    Yuan nodded, "I will tell you guys about it at the dining table. Let me change my clothes first."

    "Me too."

    "Okay."

    While Meixiu returned to the others, Yuan and Chu Liuxiang changed their clothes before making their way back to the dining room.

    Everybody there could tell that something was on Yuan''s mind when they saw his expression, but nobody said a word until after breakfast was finished.

    "If you have something to say, say it already." Li Jinxi was the first to speak out.

    Yuan sighed before nodding his head, "Alright. This might be a lot, but it''s important. Today, I went to the Chu Family and kind of fought them."

    "You what?!" Wang Ming eximed.

    "They were going to take Lulu away from us and force her to marry some family she doesn''t want to be with, so I went there to take her back by force. I fought her parents and crippled her father''s cultivation before bringing her back, and because of my actions, there''s a good chance that we''re going to get evicted from the mountain soon¡­"

    The entire ce turned dead silent as everyone in the room stared at him with gawking faces.

    "W-W-Wait¡­ Why don''t you start from the beginning and slow down?" Shi Lang said.

    Yuan nodded and recalled the whole incident from the beginning.

    Of course, everyone there was shocked by what they heard. None of them could''ve expected Yuan to invade the Chu Family by himself while they were all sleeping.

    "Yuan¡­ Although I am confident in your abilities, nor am I upset that we might be evicted, you should''ve at least told us that you were going to raid one of the biggest cultivation families in this world." Wang Ming rubbed his temples.

    "The Chu Family and the Six Spiritual Families have always been on bad terms since forever. They like to live in the spotlight while we prefer living in the shadows. I was really surprised when I found out that Miss Chu was actually from the Chu Family. However, now that we belong to the same faction, we have a responsibility to protect each other, so I would''ve helped you fight the Chu Family if you asked."

    "I have to agree with Wang Ming on this one, Yuan. You should''ve at least told us before doing something so dangerous by yourself." Meixiu sighed.

    "I know, but I didn''t want to worry you guys."

    "That''s not good enough, Yuan. As fellow members of the same faction, we need to share the burden together. That''s what separates the good factions from the ordinary ones." Wang Ming said.

    "Although it''s already in the past, you need to tell us in advance if you do something crazy again in the future." Wang Bingbing said.

    "Alright, I will let you all know next time."

    "Good. Now what? Should we begin packing since we''re going to be moving soon?" Wang Ming asked a momentter.

    "I mean¡­ We don''t know if we''re really going to be evicted or not¡­" Shi Lang said.

    "Are you kidding me? Yuan invaded the Chu Family that lives in the upper levels of the mountain! He vited many rules today, it would be a miracle if we don''t get kicked out of the mountain! Hell, I am expecting a very expensivepensation fee as well!"

    "Wang Ming''s right. I vited multiple rules today. The Manager will probably visit us by the end of the day to kick us out. Let''s pack our stuff and prepare to move out." Yuan said.

    "As for our next home¡­ We''ll figure that out afterward. Once again, I am sorry for the trouble. I know we have spent a lot of money to buy this ce, so I am going to pay you all back."

    "Nah, you don''t have to worry about it. The money was our parents'' anyway. Also, it''s not like we disapprove of your actions today. We would''ve even supported you if we knew about it earlier." Wang Ming said.

    "Let''s not forget about the Heaven-rank techniques we received from you. Those are already worth more than this ce." Shi Lang smiled.

    "What Heaven-rank techniques?" Wu Zao asked, as he wasn''t at the Myriad of Techniques with them.

    "We all got a Heaven-rank technique from Yuan when we ascended." Wang Ming said.

    "What! You should''ve told me! I would''ve ascended sooner if that was the case!" Wu Zao eximed.

    "Yuan! I am going to ascend right after we find a new home!"

    "Me too!" Xi Murong said.

    "Okay." Yuan nodded.

    Everybody returned to their own rooms shortly after and began packing their luggage.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.

    "Y-Yuan! She''s here! The Manager!" Wang Ming went to alert him of the Manager''s presence.

    "Let''s go." Yuan quickly followed Wang Ming to the front of the house.

    Yuan swallowed nervously when he saw the cold expression on the Manager''s beautiful face.

    "G-Good evening, Manager¡­" Yuan greeted her with a stiff smile.

 Chapter 744 - Did You Or Did You Not?

    <h4>Chapter 744 - Did You Or Did You Not?</h4>

    "Let''s sit down before we have our conversation." The Manager ignored his greetings and spoke in a cold voice.

    Yuan sighed inwardly. He expected this would happen, and he didn''t me the Manager for being mad at him for the mess he''d caused.

    Yuan led the Manager to another room shortly after.

    However, when the others tried to enter the room with them, the Manager stopped them and said, "I only need to speak with him."

    "..."

    "Can you guys wait for me outside?" Yuan said to them with a bittersweet smile.

    "G-Good luck¡­" Wang Ming said to him before leaving them alone.

    Wang Ming then went to notify the other members of the Manager''s arrival.

    "She''s really here, huh? Do you think she''s going to evict us?"

    "Who knows. Maybe Yuan will be able to persuade her somehow."

    "Let''s y a game and guess the result."

    While the others yed their guessing game, Yuan sat in front of the Manager with a nervous look on his face.

    He didn''t feel this nervous even when facing the Chu Family, but before this Manager, he waspletely different.

    "I will be asking you a few questions now. You will answer them with either ''did'' or ''did not''. I don''t want to hear anything else¡ª not even your exnation. Do you understand?"

    "I understand."

    The Manager retrieved a long piece of paper and proceeded to ask, "Did you or did you not enter the Chu Family''s territory without permission today?"

    "I did¡­"

    "Did you or did you not force your way into their residence today?"

    "I did¡­"

    "Did you or did you not beat up Chu Wuyang today?"

    "I did¡­"

    "Did you or did you not¡­"

    The Manager continued to confirm everything that he''s done today.

    "Did you or did you not cripple Chu Shijian''s cultivation today?"

    "I did¡­"

    Yuan could only repeat these two words for the past few minutes, as there was not a single thing that he ''did not'' do.

    Once the questioning ended, the Manager neatly folded her paper and proceeded to stare at him with a cold gaze.

    "How long has it been since you moved into the mountain?" She asked him.

    "A few weeks now, I guess."

    "So in just a few weeks, you have managed to break almost every rule in the mountain, and it was all done in the same day. This is an unprecedented case. I have never seen someone cause so much trouble in a single day, nor have I seen anyone cause as much trouble as you in the Dragon Spiral Mountain."

    "Sorry¡­ But are you not going to ask me why I did what I did?" Yuan asked her.

    "I don''t care about that. Regardless of who''s right or wrong, if you have any problems with another resident in the Dragon Spiral Mountain, you contact me."

    "Now, what do you think I should do with you?"

    "Since I broke the rules¡­ I won''tin even if you decide to evict us." Yuan said with a resolved face, almost as though he''d epted his fate.

    "Indeed, you would be evicted under normal circumstances." The Manager quickly said.

    "Under normal circumstances?" Yuan raised his eyebrows at her odd choice of words.

    "Is this not a normal circumstance?"

    The Manager narrowed her eyes and said, "First of all, I would evict you without hesitation if I could. Second, I am only a Manager. Lastly, the one who makes the final decisions is the Lord of the mountain."

    "So the Lord has decided not to evict us?" Yuan couldn''t help but feel a little hopeful for his situation.

    "That is not entirely correct. The Lord has decided to not evict you guys, but it is only temporary. He has a request for you¡ª and your faction. If you help him with this request, he will not only allow you to continue living on his mountain, he will even forgive you for today."

    "Really? That''s great! What does he need from us?"

    "I don''t know. You''ll have to speak with him yourself and find out," she said.

    "Speak with him? So I get to meet with the Lord?" Yuan did not expect this development at all.

    "Yes, I will meet you in the front tomorrow morning after sunrise. Don''t bete, or I will evict you guys even if I get punished by the Lord."

    "I won''t bete! I promise!" Yuan eximed.

    "Then I will see you tomorrow."

    The Manager stood up and left the ce shortly after without saying anything else.

    "What happened? Are we evicted?" Wang Ming and the others asked him after she left.

    "No, we''re not evicted yet¡ª"

    "Yes! I won this bet!" Shi Lang eximed before Yuan could even finish his sentence.

    "Really? We''re not evicted? Even though you broke all those rules?" Wang Ming was in disbelief. He was sure that they would get evicted.

    "Let me finish. Although we''re not evicted for now, we can still be evicted. However, the Lord has a request for us, and if we help him fulfill it, he will allow us to continue living here."

    "The Lord of the mountain? He''s a very powerful man since he owns this ce, right? If there''s something even he cannot do, this request might be very troublesome." Wang Bingbing said.

    "What does he need us to do?" Wang Ming then asked.

    "I don''t know yet. I will be meeting with the Lord tomorrow for more information."

    "You''re going to meet with the Lord?!" Chu Liuxiang was shocked to hear this.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.

    The Lord of the Dragon Spiral Mountain is so mysterious that nobody besides the Manager knows his appearance. Although there have been people that met with him before, they were still unable to see his appearance and have only heard his voice.

    "I can''t believe you''re already getting to meet the Lord when most people that have lived here for decades don''t¡­" Chu Liuxiang said in a dumbfounded voice.

    "Well, whatever the Lord wants from us, keep us updated." Wang Ming said.

    "I will.." Yuan nodded.

 Chapter 745 - Indecent Thoughts

    <h4>Chapter 745: Indecent Thoughts</h4>

    "Good night, darling." Chu Liuxiang snuggled beside Yuan when it was time to sleep.

    "Night."

    After a moment of silence, Chu Liuxiang spoke again, "Can I embrace you while I sleep tonight?"

    "Of course."

    "Thank you."

    Chu Liuxiang wrapped her arms around him and closed her eyes.

    Despite her urges to strip naked and procreate with Yuan, she did not want to ruin the peaceful moment right now. Furthermore, now that she is no longer with the Chu Family, she does not have to rush to make a family with him. 6

    Of course, that is not to say her desire to make a family has lowered. In fact, her desire to make a family with Yuan is now more intense than ever after what he''d done for her today.

    However, now that she has the time to build a rtionship with him properly, she wants to take things slowly and more naturally, which wasn''t possible before when she was restricted by the Chu Family. 3

    Chu Liuxiang quickly fell asleep while hugging Yuan, but Yuan himself was having trouble sleeping.

    ''Why is my body reacting like this now?'' Yuan sighed inwardly as he could feel the area between his legs getting hotter and hotter.

    ''Is it because of Lulu? But this hasn''t happened before¡­''

    In this dead silent room, Yuan''s sense of smell and touch increased, and with Chu Liuxiang so close to him, he could only focus on her soft body and sweet body aroma. 1

    Due to circumstances in the Yu Family that forced him to live like a ve, he never had the proper chance to grow up, nor did they teach him anything about puberty.

    However, now that he''s away from the Yu Family and is living life normally, his halted growth is finally showing signs of progression. 1

    One can say that Yuan is currently going through puberty, and it is progressing faster than normal due to his incarnations'' memories, not to mention the fact that he is always surrounded by beautiful women that could easily trigger mens'' beastly nature. 1

    Of course, the biggest factor to his growth has to be his experience with Meixiu.

    ''After doing that thing with Meixiu, my mind cannot help but have weird thoughts that I never had before. Am I going crazy?''

    Even now, Yuan has this strong desire to touch Chu Liuxiang''s body for some reason, as well as wanting to ''do it'' with her, but he cannotprehend why he was having such inappropriate thoughts.

    The sensation of Chu Liuxiang''s soft skin, the sweet smell her body was emitting¡ª Yuan''s urge to touch Chu Liuxiang grew with every second.

    Fortunately, he has mastered self-control after enduring so much bullshit from the Yu Family, allowing him to resist his urges. If it was anybody else in his shoes right now, they would''ve long submitted to their urges and acted upon his desires. 3

    He also tried to cultivate to calm down, but he was unable to clear his mind, so he had to stop.

    Eventually, Yuan gave up and had to spend the entire night controlling his urges.

    And just when he was beginning to fall asleep, the digital clock''s rm began beeping, signaling that it was almost sunrise.

    "Is it already morning? I had such a good sleep that it felt so short. How was your sleep?" Chu Liuxiang woke up shortly after the rm, but it was not the noise that woke her up¡ª it was because Yuan had to get out of her embrace to leave the bed.

    "I couldn''t sleep." Yuan said with a bittersweet smile.

    "Is it because of what happened yesterday? Don''t think too much about it. You did nothing wrong," she said.

    "Although I had a lot of things on my mind that prevented me from sleeping, it wasn''t because of what happened yesterday." He shook his head.

    "Oh? Then what was on your mind?" Chu Liuxiang looked at him with her interest piqued.

    "D-Don''t worry about it. It was mostly random stuff about Cultivation Online." Yuan did not hesitate to lie. 1

    After all, he couldn''t tell her that he''d spent all night trying to resist his urges to touch her. That would definitely weird her out and make him sound like a weirdo.

    "Even if it''s insignificant, I want to hear about it." Chu Liuxiang insisted.

    "..." 14

    Yuans silently faced Chu Liuxiang for a moment before suddenly speaking in a surprised voice, "Oh! Look at the time! I need to hurry up or I will bete to meet the Lord! See youter, Lulu!" 5

    Yuan quickly changed out of his pajamas before rushing out of the room, leaving Chu Liuxiang speechless.

    "Why is he acting so weird?" She mumbled to herself before going back to sleep.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    After leaving his room, Yuan proceeded to wait outside the house for the Manager.

    Many minutester, Yuan noticed the Manager''s presence and immediately used divine sense for confirmation.

    "Good morning, Manager." Yuan greeted her with a respectful bow.

    "Let''s go. The Lord is waiting for you." She said to him before turning around and walking back without stopping.

    Yuan immediately followed behind her.

    As they walked to the upper levels, they walked past the Chu Family''s gates, which gave off a different feeling than yesterday.

    About an hourter, they arrived at the peak of the mountain, and to Yuan''s surprise, there was a thick fog before him that could not be seen even at the upper levels, almost as though this fog had mysteriously appeared the moment they reached the peak.

    "We''re almost there. Follow closely behind me or you''ll get lost in the clouds." The Manager said before walking into the fog that turned out to be clouds.

    ''Clouds? Is the mountain even tall enough to reach the clouds?'' Yuan wondered to himself since he didn''t recall the mountain being this tall, and he followed right behind the Manager.

    Upon entering the fog, Yuan sensed a sudden change in the atmosphere, and this sensation gave him a nostalgic feeling for some reason.

    ''What is this feeling¡­? It''s like I have been here before¡­'' Yuan thought to himself as he continued to follow the Manager. 14

 Chapter 746 - Lord of the Dragon Spiral Mountain

    <h4>Chapter 746: Lord of the Dragon Spiral Mountain</h4>

    "Why are you just standing there and looking around? There''s nothing to see here. How dare you make the Lord wait for you¡­" The Manager said to him with a frown on her face. 2

    "Coming¡­" Yuan stopped looking around and picked up his pace.

    After walking on this cloudy path for about ten more minutes, they arrived at the peak of the mountain.

    The peak of the mountain was surprisingly t, almost as though someone had cut it with a sword.

    However, there was a small hill with a cave located in the middle of the mountain, which looked very awkward and out of ce, almost like it didn''t originally belong there and that someone had moved it there.

    "Where''s the Lord? I don''t see him here." Yuan said after realizing that the peak of the mountain was empty.

    "He''s resting inside the cave over there. Stand in front of it, but do not go inside, unless you don''t care about your insignificant life," she said. 3This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    Yuan swallowed nervously before approaching the mountain and standing right before it.

    Since he cannot go inside, he decided to use his divine sense to look inside the cave.

    However, he was unable to see anything, almost as though there was something interfering with his divine sense.

    "Save your energy. You won''t be able to prate this cave with your divine sense." A deep voice suddenly resounded from within the cave.

    Yuan''s body shook when he heard this voice that was filled with spiritual energy.

    ''This Lord is definitely an expert! His voice alone carries an abundant amount of spiritual energy! Even Xiao Hua does not have such powerful spiritual energy! But how is that possible? Spirit Master is already considered the peak for this world, but there could be a couple of hidden Spirit Grandmasters in this world such as Lulu''s master. However, Xiao Hua is a Spirit King! There''s no way someone in our world could surpass that realm!'' Yuan was greatly shocked and interested at the same time, and his curiosity for this Lord has reached its peak.

    "Anyways¡­ I heard you attacked the Chu Family. You''re very daring for a mere Spirit Master." The Lord''s voice continued.

    "I had good reasons," said Yuan.

    "I don''t care about your reasons, nor do I care that you''d attacked the Chu Family. I only care about one thing¡ª obeying the rules of the mountain. However, you have ignored my rules and acted on your own ord. What do you have to say for yourself?"

    "I have no excuses." Yuan said with a straight face.

    "Hmph. Not even going to put up a fight? How boring."

    "I know what I did was wrong, but I have no regrets. If I had to do it all over again to help my friend, I would not hesitate, even if it means getting evicted from the mountain. There are plenty of other ces we can live in this world, after all."

    "..." 10

    The Lord remained silent for a good minute before speaking again, "Do you know why I called you here today?"

    "You have a request for us, right? If we do it, you''ll forgive me for invading the Chu Family." Yuan said.

    "Yes, that''s right. However, that''s an easy question. Let''s make the next one a little harder. Now try answering this. Do you know why I allowed you to live on my mountain in the first ce?"

    "Huh?" Yuan raised his eyebrows at such a question.

    "You''re aware that only those that have received my approval can enter this mountain, right? In other words, I picked you. Do you know why I picked you?"

    After pondering for a moment, Yuan responded, "Because¡­ I am yer Yuan?"

    He could only think of his identity as yer Yuan, which has the most influence and significance.

    "Hahaha!"

    The Lord suddenly beganughing.

    "yer Yuan? I don''t give a fuck about such a pointless alias! There''s only one reason why I allowed you on my mountain! You, who has seemingly zero connections to the Demon Sealing n, have managed to kill a demon! Do you understand the significance behind that achievement?"

    "This is about the demon?" Yuan was dumbfounded by the situation. He truly didn''t expect the demon that he''d killed would be involved in this conversation.

    "The Qi Family is one of three ancient families that have served the Demon Sealing n since ancient times with both experience and profound knowledge about demons, yet the best they can do is seal demons. You, on the other hand, can kill them! You, alone, are worth more than the entire Qi Family!"

    "..." 13

    Yuan was left speechless by the Lord''s words, and he wasn''t sure where to begin with so much information.

    "Manager! Get us the crystal!" The Lord suddenly shouted, causing the air to tremble. 1

    "Yes!"

    The Manager left the ce for a few minutes before returning while carrying something in her grasp.

    "T-That thing is?!"

    Yuan''s jaw dropped from shock when he saw what the Manager was carrying.

    It was a chunk of crystal that was yellow in color, and there was a hint of red in the center of the crystal.

    "Is that what I think it is¡­?" Yuan asked the Lord while silently praying that he would be wrong.

    "Yes, this is a Red Cmity Crystal. It can predict cmities¡ª but it only works when the cmity is influenced by demons. As you can see, this crystal is already yellow with a hint of red. There''s going to be another cmity soon, meaning that another demon will be unleashed into this world."

    "There are demons sealed within the Dragon Spiral Mountain, and I want you¡ª and your Demon Sealing Faction to deal with the demons. You can either seal them or dispose of them. I personally prefer extermination."

    "..." 13

    Yuan was speechless once again. Who could''ve expected that the Lord''s request for him would be to kill demons?

    "If you ept my request and take care of the demons, I will not only forgive you for breaking the rules, but I will even tell you a little secret regarding this world and my identity. If that''s not enough, I can tell you the true purpose of Cultivation Online and why it was created." 9

    "Cultivation Online''s true purpose¡­?" Yuan mumbled in a dazed voice. 2

 Chapter 747 - Inside The Dragon Spiral Mountain

    "So your request for us is to deal with these demons, is that correct?" Yuan asked for confirmation.

    "Indeed."

    "Okay, I will take care of them." Yuan nodded his head and agreed to the Lord''s request.

    "Eh?"

    A dumbfounded noise echoed from the cave, almost as though the Lord was surprised by his response.

    "Is there a problem?" Yuan asked.

    "No¡­ I just didn''t expect you to agree so easily. This is a demon¡ª demons that we''re talking about. Even the Qi Family is reluctant to fight with demons unless they absolutely have to." The Lord said.

    "Well, what else am I supposed to say? No, I won''t help you deal with these demons that could potentially destroy this world? You know, I created the Demon Sealing Faction for a reason. I n on eradicating everyst demon in this world, even if I don''t get anything out of it."

    After a moment of silence, the Lord spoke again, "Before you make your decision, I would like you to see something."

    "Manager. Take him ''inside'' the mountain."

    "Inside the mountain!? Are you sure?" The Manager appeared to be shaken by his request.

    "He will have to see it eventually since he will be fighting the demons for us, so we might as well let him see the scene and fully understand our situation now. There''s no point in dying this issue. The demons are going toe out of their seal, and I don''t trust the Qi Family will be able to handle this cmity by themselves." The Lord sighed.

    "I understand."

    The Manager turned to look at Yuan and said, "Follow me."

    Yuan nodded and proceeded to follow the Manager, but they did not go the way he had expected. Instead of going back to where they came from, they went to the other side of the mountain, where a hidden path was located.

    After walking for about half an hour, they arrived before this cave entrance that was emitting an ominous atmosphere.

    "Before we go inside, I must warn you not to touch anything." The Manager said to him.

    "I won''t." He promised.

    "Let''s go."

    They entered the cave a momentter, and after walking for some more, they encountered another entrance, but this one was emitting a menacing aura that would make people reluctant to move forward.

    When Yuan felt this forbidding aura, his body got the chills, almost as though it was reacting to it.

    After taking a deep breath and swallowing down his nervousness, he followed the Manager into the enclosed area on the other side of the entrance.

    "T-This is¡­" Yuan''s body shook violently when he realized what he was seeing in this ce, and it left himpletely speechless.

    He could feel multiple emotions ring up.

    Shock, worry, fear, distress, dismay, and above all, powerless.

    Meanwhile, in the Chu Family, Senior Qi, who had been sealed for almost an entire day, finally manages to break out of Yuan''s seal.

    She gasped for air after breaking out of her seal, and her body was soaked in cold sweat.

    "That little bastard! How could he humiliate me in such a manner?! He actually kept me sealed for so long! Does he not have even a shred of mercy in him?!" She cried in a low voice.

    Even though she was sealed, she was fully conscious and awake. It felt like she was in a prolonged sleep paralysis, and no matter what she did, she could not break free from the seal.

    She became more and more worried as time went on that she would remain sealed forever.

    "S-Senior Qi! Are you okay?!"

    Someone from the Chu Family had been stationed there to monitor her condition, and he immediately approached her when he noticed the situation.

    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.

    "What is the situation now?! Where''s Yuan and Liuxiang?!" She shouted in an angry voice.

    "T-They left yesterday after causing havoc in the family. Yuan even crippled the Master''s cultivation." The man exined the situation to her.

    "What?! He crippled Chu Shijian?! How ruthless!" Senior Qi trembled in fear after learning of this information, and her thoughts of revenge came to a quick halt.

    ''This man is ruthless and dangerous! If I mess with him anymore, he might kill me!'' Senior Qi believed that if Yuan was capable of leaving her sealed¡ª capable of crippling Chu Shijian, then he was also capable of killing her!

    "Where is Chu Shijian right now? Take me to him." Senior Qi said to the man.

    "Right away!"

    Sometimeter, they arrived at Chu Shijian''s room, where the owner of the room could be seen lying in bed with a sick and frail appearance, and his wife and children were around him, almost like they were at his deathbed.

    "Senior Qi¡­ Thank the heavens that you''re fine." Chu Shijian said in a relieved voice after seeing her face.

    "I was worried that you had died, and I have spent all night thinking about how I should ry this news to your family."

    "What about you? You look like you''re on your deathbed." Senior Qi said to him.

    "I am fine¡­ Because I suddenly lost all of my cultivation, my body has be frail and pathetic. However, I am not going to die. I should fully recover in a few months." Chu Shijian said.

    "That''s good to hear. But what are you going to do now? Are you going to take revenge?" Senior Qi asked him.

    "Haha¡­ Revenge?" Chu Shijianughed in a low and dispirited voice.

    "After losing my cultivation, I stopped caring about many things, and I realized that I could no longer feel some emotions, almost like I''d lost them as well. What will I achieve with revenge? Am I going to get my cultivation back if I avenge myself? I don''t care anymore."

    Senior Qi was speechless. Is Chu Shijian really going to take this massive p in the face and do nothing about it? However, she understood his feeling a little. After all, she is also feeling hesitant about taking revenge.

    "I understand. Anyways, I will be returning to my family now. My family has been unable to calm down since the Jade Garden''s incident, and they believe that more demons will soon break out of their seal. If you need me, send me a message, but I may not be avable anytime soon.." Senior Qi said.

 Chapter 748 - Demons Within The Mountain

    "I understand. I apologize for getting you mixed up in my family''s mess, Senior Qi." Chu Shijian said to her.

    "Also, before you leave, please keep the fact that I had lost my cultivation a secret. There are many people out there who wish to see my Chu Family fall, and if they learn that I am no longer a cultivator, they will definitely try to destroy my family."

    "You don''t have to worry. My lips are sealed." Senior Qi said.

    "Thank you very much."

    Senior Qi left the ce shortly after.

    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.

    Meanwhile, back at Yuan''s side, he had been staring at the scene before him for the past few minutes without moving a single muscle.

    "Why¡­ Why are there so many demons here?!" Yuan eventually snapped out of his daze to ask the Manager, who was standing beside him with a calm face, as she was clearly used to seeing this scene.

    After a quick count, Yuan counted 11 sealed demons in this ce!

    When the Lord mentioned ''demons'', Yuan had expected to see two or three demons, but to think there are almost a dozen demons sealed within the mountain! It was too much for him to take in at once.

    "Why are there so many demons here?" Yuan asked.

    "Try guessing. Your guess will be as good as mine."

    "..."

    Yuan began to walk around the area, silently inspecting the sealed demons.

    ''They don''t have any cracks, which is good, andpared to the demon at the Jaded Garden, their pulses are much calmer.''

    "Are you done yet? I don''t like this ce, so I''d prefer it if we can leave quickly."The Manager said to him.

    "Yes, we can leave." Yuan nodded.

    They left the cave and returned to the peak of the mountain.

    "What do you think? How''d you like the scenery?" The Lord asked Yuan about his experience inside the cave.

    "Why are there so many demons sealed there?" Yuan asked.

    "Who knows. They were already there when I arrived at this mountain."

    "Anyways, after seeing the demons inside the mountain, do you still wish to help us defeat the demons?" The Lord asked him again.

    And without hesitation, Yuan nodded, "I do."

    "That''s good to hear."

    "Is there anything else you have for me?"

    "Onest thing. I want you to meet the Qi Family and cooperate with them to resolve the situation."

    "The Qi Family¡­?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    "As I mentioned before, they have been dealing with demons since ancient times. I think they will be of help to you."

    Yuan pondered for a moment.

    He has been interested in the Qi Family ever since he met Senior Qi, and he wondered if they were rted to the Demon Sealing n in Cultivation Online.

    "Where can I meet the Qi Family?"

    "They live on a remote ind somewhere in the middle of the vast sea, away from society."

    "What¡­?" Yuan was surprised to hear this information.

    "If you wish to visit them, I can have the Manager take you there. However, the Qi Family is very strict when ites to guests, so you should go there alone."

    "I understand. When can we go there?" Yuan then asked.

    "I will have to contact the Qi Family first, but it should take a week." The Lord said.

    "Okay."

    "I will contact youter."

    The Manager led Yuan back down the mountain shortly after.

    "Why do you wish to kill the demons so badly?" The Manager suddenly asked him as they descended the mountain.

    "Because if demons exist, innocent people will suffer. I lost a friend to the demon in the Jaded Garden. I will not let that happen again, and in order for me to achieve that, I must exterminate all demons from this world," he said.

    "You know¡­ What you saw today inside the mountain¡­ They might only be a small faction of the real numbers in this world. There could be hundreds, even thousands of demons sealed around the world."

    "I don''t care if there''s a hundred or even a thousand of them. I will not stop hunting them until all of them are removed."

    "I see¡­"

    Once they returned to Yuan''s residence, the Manager returned back to the mountain.

    "Can we trust him?" The Manager asked the Lord.

    "I believe so. He has a pure aura."

    "Him? A pure aura? I don''t believe it. How can someone who had done what he did to the Chu Family have a pure aura?"

    "I''m sure he has his reasons."

    Meanwhile, after returning home, Yuan gathered everyone in the living room.

    "Wee back, Yuan. How did things go with the Lord? Did you figure out what he wants from us?" Wang Ming asked him.

    "I will tell you all about it once everyone is here."

    Once everyone was present, Yuan began recalling his conversation with the Lord.

    "This might sound shocking, but there are demons sealed within this mountain, and the Lord wants us to take care of them. That is the request."

    "W-What¡­? There are demons on this mountain?" Everyone there stared at him with wide eyes.

    "Yes, I saw them with my own eyes¡ª divine sense. There was not one, not two, not three, but 11 demons currently sealed somewhere within the mountain."

    "11 demons?!" They eximed in a terrified voice.

    A single demon was already enough to wreak havoc in the Jaded Garden. They cannot imagine 11 of them running havoc at the same time.

    "If that happens, the damages will be catastrophic! Humanity might even be in danger!" Shi Lang said.

    "Indeed, there''s a good chance the world will end if we let these demons roam freely. However, that is not going to happen because we are going to take care of them."

    "This is why I created the Demon Sealing Faction. This is our purpose¡ª to eradicate demons, as I am simply not satisfied with just sealing them."

    "But none of us besides you know any demon sealing techniques, and I am still trying to learn the one you gave me. How long do we have until they break out of their seal?" Wang Ming asked.

    "I don''t know.." Yuan shook his head.

 Chapter 749 - Technique Transmission

    "And I know not everyone here has a demon sealing technique, but I am working on that. I will be heading to the Qi Family next week to speak with them," said Yuan.

    "What! The Qi Family?! Why are you going there?!" Chu Liuxiang was shocked to hear this.

    "The Qi Family is an ancient family that has vast knowledge on demons, and they could help us deal with them. They are like the Demon Sealing n in Cultivation Online."

    "I don''t think they will be willing to help us, especially not after what you did to the Chu Family and Senior Qi. They probably hold a grudge against you now."

    "If they''re willing to let the demons run wild because of some petty grudge, then we don''t need help from them. However, we won''t know that until I meet them." Yuan said.

    He turned to look at Xi Murong and Wu Zao and continued, "Can you two ascend as soon as possible so that we can head to the Myriad of Techniques? I want to see if they have any demon sealing techniques since that''s where I got my Demon Sealing Strike."

    "I will ascend today." Xi Murong nodded.

    "I will as well." Wu Zao said.

    "Good. Then I will see you two at the squareter today."

    "I am going to study the Demon Sealing Strike some more¡­" Wang Ming said.

    "Hurry up and learn it already so that I can also study it." Wang Bingbing said to him, as she also uses swords.

    "Yeah, yeah."

    "Anyways, that''s all I have for you guys. We''re going to be busy until these demons are dealt with." Yuan said to them.

    Sometimeter, everyone returned to their own rooms to cultivate.

    "By the way, if you want us to learn demon sealing techniques, what about that one technique you used on Senior Qi? You didn''t need a weapon to use it, so maybe we can learn it as well." Chu Liuxiang suddenly asked him.

    "I have thought about that as well, but I don''t think that''s possible. Although I know the technique, I didn''t learn it from a technique manual, so I don''t know how I can teach it to you guys."

    "Eh? Then how did you learn the technique?" Chu Liuxiang raised her eyebrows.

    "Well¡­ It''splicated¡­" Yuan sighed.

    After all, it wasn''t as though he could say that he''d learned the technique from memories of his past life.

    "Maybe there is a technique that will allow you to write down techniques you already know. How else do you exin why there are so many duplicate techniques out there?"

    "You''re right¡­ I will ask the expertster." Yuan said.

    "Then I am going to cultivate inside Cultivation Online. I still have a lot of catching up to do." Chu Liuxiang said.

    "I wille with you." Yuan nodded.

    They logged into Cultivation Online a littleter. As for Meixiu, she decided to continue cultivating in the real world.

    "Feng Feng, Xiao Hua, I have a question." Yuan called the experts out when he logged on.

    "What do you need help with?" Feng Yuxiang asked.

    "Are there any methods to teach techniques you know to someone else?" He asked them.

    "You want to teach someone your techniques?" They looked at him with raised eyebrows.

    "Yes, but I don''t know how."

    "Well, there are two ways you can teach someone your technique. One, you can write down your technique and give it to them, or you can directly send the technique into their head. Of course, they are both techniques that you need to learn yourself."

    "I figured¡­ Hopefully, the Myriad of Techniques have these tech¡ª"

    Before Yuan could even finish his sentence, Xiao Hua extended her arm at him, and she was holding onto a manual.

    "Here you go, Brother Yuan. This technique will allow you to give techniques to others directly."

    Yuan immediately smiled, "Thank you, Xiao Hua!"

    "..."

    Feng Yuxiang silently stared at Yuan for a few moments before opening her mouth to speak, "Young Master, can I say a few things?"

    "Huh? Go ahead."

    "I don''t know why you want to give your techniques to someone, or who you n on giving them to, but I highly discourage such actions. Your techniques are all incredibly valuable, and they should not be taught to others."

    Yuan smiled and said, "I know, Feng Feng. I am not giving away my techniques to just anyone. They are my friends, and I am only teaching them demon sealing techniques."

    "Oh¡­ If that''s the case, then you don''t have to mind me."

    Yuan began studying the technique Xiao Hua gave him.

    ''Technique Transmission¡­ This is actually a Divine-rank technique?'' Yuan was surprised to see this sort of technique having such a high rank.

    After spending a couple of hours studying the technique, Yuan managed to learn it.

    <You have learned Technique Transmission>

    [Technique Transmission]

    [Rank: Divine]

    [Mastery Level: 1]

    [Description: Allows you to transmit any learned techniques below Divine-rank to others]

    After learning the technique, Yuan went to seek for Chu Liuxiang.

    "Lulu, I want to try transferring this technique to you."

    "Okay."

    Yuan proceeded to activate the technique and tapped on Chu Liuxiang''s forehead with his finger that was glowing a subtle light.

    The next moment, Chu Liuxiang could feel information entering her head.

    "Wow, there''s a lot of information flowing inside my head. Is this the technique you used on Senior Qi?" Chu Liuxiang asked after receiving the technique.

    "Yes, how is it?"

    "I''m, surprised it''s only an Earth-rank technique. It looked so powerful."

    "Not really. They can be used to seal demons, but it''s not as effective as the Demon Sealing Strike. I guess it''s like a basic demon sealing technique for beginners."

    "I see... That makes more sense."

    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.

    And she continued, "I guess I will have to put my other techniques on hold for now so that I can learn this one first."

    "Okay. Good luck. I will go meet up with the other two and head to the Myriad of Techniques. I should be back by tonight.." Yuan nodded.

 Chapter 750 - Demon Sealing Clanâ€™s Grand Library

    After transferring the demon sealing technique to Chu Liuxiang, Yuan went to the square to meet up with Xi Murong and Wu Zao so they could also receive a Heaven-rank technique.

    "Are you guys ready?" Yuan asked them.

    "Yes."

    While they walked, Yuan said to Xi Murong, "You have the same name as someone I know in Cultivation Online."

    "Eh? Who?"

    "A dragon." Yuan said with a smile.

    "I mean, it isn''t that weird for people to share the same name." Wu Zao said.

    "I guess so."

    Sometimeter, they arrived at the Myriad of Techniques.

    Yuan brought them to the fourth floor after they had their destiny examination.

    "You guys can go ahead and look for your desired technique. I will meet you all here in a few hours." Yuan said to them before going off on his own.

    ''There aren''t any demon sealing techniques on this floor, but maybe I can seek Senior Bai''s help. Hopefully, he''s not busy.''

    However, there was one problem. He didn''t know how to contact Senior Bai.

    Although Senior Bai gave him a jade slip, it was only meant for alerting him about the escaped immortals.

    "Guess I should ask the workers here¡­"

    Yuan approached the woman working at the desk on the fourth floor and asked her, "Hello, do you know how I can contact Senior Bai?"

    The woman looked at him with a dumbfounded face.

    "Senior Bai? He''s not someone you can just ''contact''..."

    "I know, that''s why I am asking you if you know any way to contact him." Yuan said, misunderstanding the woman''s words.

    "Look here. Senior Bai is someone with a very distinguished background. I don''t know who you are, but you do not qualify to speak with him."

    Yuan sighed and showed this woman his faction symbol.

    "We''re from the same faction, and he''s like a mentor to me."

    "Y-You''re in the Celestial Overlords?! How is that possible? You should be in Spirit Heaven!" The woman eximed in a shocked voice.

    Yuan shrugged, "It just happened. Can I speak with Senior Bai now?"

    "J-Just a moment¡­"

    The woman looked for a jade slip underneath her desk before asking him, "Your name?"

    "Yuan."

    "Why do you want to speak with him?"

    "I would like to ask him about demon sealing techniques."

    "..."

    The woman had many questions, but she didn''t dare to ask them.

    "Give me a moment."

    The woman then ryed all of Yuan''s information to the jade slip.

    "Senior Bai, there is a person named Yuan who would like to ask you about demon sealing techniques."

    "Now we wait." She said to Yuan afterward.

    A few minutester, the jade slip began trembling, and the woman immediately picked it up.

    "Let me speak with him." Senior Bai''s voice resounded a momentter.

    "I understand."

    The woman handed the jade slip to Yuan.

    "Did something happen?" Senior Bai asked him.

    "Yes, unfortunately¡­" Yuan sighed.

    "I am currently looking for demon sealing techniques, but I don''t know where to acquire them."

    "So your problem is rted to demons¡­" Senior Bai mumbled to himself.

    After a moment of silence, Senior Bai said, "Alright, I will let you go to ''that'' ce. You have already learned the Demon Sealing Strike, so there should be no problem if I send you ''there''."

    Yuan raised his eyebrows at the way Senior Bai mentioned this ce, making it sound quite ominous.

    "Where is this ce?" Yuan asked him.

    "It''s a special ce within the Myriad of Techniques that can only be essed by certain people. The Demon Sealing n¡ª you should be familiar with them since you learned their technique, right?"

    "Yes, I know the Demon Sealing n." Yuan confirmed. In fact, he is technically their founder.

    "This ce is located within the Myriad of Techniques, but it''s actually owned by the Demon Sealing n, so there are a lot of demon sealing techniques there."

    "That sounds like the ce I need to go. How do I get there?"

    "I will need to create a portal for you, but that will take some time, and I am a little busy right now. Come back tomorrow. I will have it ready by then."

    "I understand. Thank you, Senior Bai."

    Yuan returned the jade slip to the woman afterward.

    "Thank you for the help." Yuan said to her before turning around and walking away, leaving her speechless.

    Sometimeter, Xi Murong and Wu Zao returned with a technique of their choice.

    They went to ''pay'' for the techniques shortly after.

    "Thank you for the technique, Yuan."

    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    They bowed to him afterward.

    "No need to thank me."

    Yuan returned to the hotel after Xi Murong and Wu Zao left to study their techniques.

    "I''m going to return to the Myriad of Techniques tomorrow to acquire some demon sealing techniques." Yuan said to Chu Liuxiang.

    "Do you need me toe with you?"

    "It''s okay, you can focus on your cultivation."

    "I understand."

    The following morning, Yuan returned to the Myriad of Techniques.

    "Wee back, esteemed guest." The woman on the fourth floor immediately recognized Yuan and greeted him.

    "Good morning."

    "Senior Bai''s preparations are ready. Can you leave now?" She then asked him.

    "Yes, I am ready to leave." Yuan nodded.

    "Please follow me."

    The woman stood up and brought Yuan to another room.

    "There''s nothing here¡­" Yuan said when he saw the empty room.

    "Please wait a moment while I contact Senior Bai."

    A few minutester, a golden portal suddenly appeared in the center of the room.

    "Try not to cause any trouble there, my little friend." Senior Bai''s voice resounded in the room afterward.

    "I won''t." Yuan said with a smile.

    "When you''re ready to leave, just go back into the portal you appeared from."

    "I understand."

    "Good luck."

    After taking a deep breath, Yuan entered this portal and disappeared from the Myriad of Techniques.

    Ding!

    <You have discovered ''Demon Sealing n''s Grand Library>

    "This ce is¡­ amazing¡­"

    Yuan mumbled in a dazed voice after seeing the scenery before him.

 Chapter 751 - Demon Sealing Aura

    After being transported to the Demon Sealing n''s Grand Library, Yuan looked around with a look of awe on his face.

    Despite the ce being titled a ''library'', the atmosphere and scenery looked nothing like a library.

    The floor was made out of clouds, and the sky was pure golden, giving the ce a heavenly and divine atmosphere, almost as though the ce was created for celestial beings.

    There was a massive building a few hundred meters away from him, and it gave off an exquisite feeling, just like an emperor''s royal residence.

    It was also quite popted in this ce with numerous people of all ages walking in and out of the building, and most of them were wearing simr outfits.

    However, when Yuan tried to look at their cultivation, he was shocked to realize that he was unable to see the majority of their cultivation.

    These people were clearly cultivators, but if he couldn''t see their cultivation, it simply meant that they were all at a level that far exceeded Yuan''s own cultivation, hence why he could not see them.

    ''Although these cultivators are probably not at Miss Xu or Senior Bai''s level, they are definitely some of the most powerful cultivators that I have encountered yet.'' Yuan thought to himself.

    Once he had enough of the scenery, Yuan began approaching the building in the distance.

    However, he was stopped at the entrance by a middle-aged man.

    "Hey, you, stop right there."

    Yuan halted his movements and turned to look at the man.

    "I don''t sense a badge on you. How''d you get in here?" The man asked him.

    "Uh¡­ Senior Bai sent me here." Yuan quickly responded.

    "Senior Bai?" The man appeared to be surprised by his response.

    "Well, even if Senior Bai sent you here, I cannot allow you to enter the building without a badge." The man said after a moment of silence.

    And he continued, "However, you can receive a badge by proving that you are associated with the Demon Sealing n."

    "How do I prove myself?" Yuan asked.

    "You must prove to me that you know at least one demon sealing technique," he said.

    "Okay."

    Yuan summoned his Empyrean Overlord and proceeded to execute the Demon Sealing Strike on the spot.

    The man''s jaw dropped wide open afterward, and he cried inwardly, ''He not only has a Soul Weapon, but I have never seen someone execute the Demon Sealing Strike and emit such a powerful demon sealing aura before!''

    While Yuan isn''t aware, all demon sealing strikes emit this unique aura, and it is exactly this aura that demons are weak against. If a demon is struck by this demon sealing aura, they will be sealed.

    With that being said, the demon sealing aura must be strong enough to actually seal the demon. If the aura isn''t strong enough, it would only annoy the demon at most without sealing them.

    As for Yuan''s demon sealing aura, it was so powerful that it attracted the people in the surrounding area, and they became even more interested in him after seeing his low cultivation base.

    "How was that? Do I get a badge now?" Yuan asked the man.

    "S-Sure¡­" The man nodded his head with a dumbfounded look on his face. Only an idiot would refuse to give a badge to someone that''s brimming with talent as a demon sealer.

    The man then handed Yuan a ck and gold badge that had the words ''Demon Sealing'' wlessly engraved on it.

    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    "Make sure you bring this the next time youe here." The man said to him.

    "I understand. Thank you."

    Once he had the badge, Yuan proceeded to make his way into the building.

    However, shortly after entering the building, he was stopped again, and it was by a handsome tall young man this time.

    "Hey, junior brother, what''s your name?" The man asked him.

    "Me? Yuan."

    "My name''s Wan Yu, and I just had to approach you after seeing your disy just now. I almost couldn''t believe my eyes when I saw your cultivation. You really impressed me. If you''re new here, why don''t I show you around?"

    Yuan looked at this handsome man with a suspicious gaze.

    Wan Yuughed and said, "Don''t worry, I am nobody suspicious. Here, look at this."

    He showed Yuan a badge and continued, "I am an official lecturer in this ce, and it is my job to guide promising demon sealers such as yourself, hence why I approached you."

    Seeing the badge, Yuan decided to trust him for now.

    "Okay. Thank you." Yuan nodded.

    "Before we start, I must ask you. How long have you been with the Demon Sealing n?"

    "Well¡­"

    Yuan began pondering for an appropriate answer.

    Despite knowing the Demon Sealing Strike, he isn''t officially part of the Demon Sealing n.

    "I''m quite new, I guess¡­" He eventually said.

    "I see, so you''re newer than I thought. Of course, that is perfectly fine." Wan Yu said.

    And he continued, "How about your knowledge regarding the Demon Sealing n?"

    "Not much, to be honest."

    Yuan didn''t want to lie about this since he saw this as a chance to learn more about the Demon Sealing n.

    "I understand, then I will guide you as though you just entered the n."

    "Let''s start with¡­ Why did youe to the Grand Library today? Did youe to learn demon sealing techniques, or are you here to practice with demons?" Wan Yu asked him.

    "E-Excuse me? Practice with demons?" Yuan thought he misheard and asked.

    "You didn''t know? You can practice fighting against demons here. Of course, they are not real demons but artificial demons, but they have the same abilities and weaknesses as demons, so you will have to seal them in order to defeat them. Do you want to try fighting an artificial demon?" Wan Yu said to him.

    "I do!" Yuan immediately replied.

    This was a great chance for him to practice fighting against demons before the demons in his world break out of their seals.

 Chapter 752 - Artificial Demon

    "Alright. Follow me." Wan Yu said to Yuan before taking him to this open area somewhere within the building.

    In this open area, there were many groups of people standing in different spots watching cultivators attempt to fight the artificial demons.

    ''These are artificial demons¡­?'' Yuan''s eyes widened when he saw one of these artificial demons for the first time.

    They resembled the demons greatly with red skin, horns, a bloodthirsty face, and even a red crystal embedded in their chest.

    However, there was one big difference between these artificial demons and real demons¡ª theycked the bloodthirsty aura that real demons possessed.

    Instead, they had this overwhelming aura created from spiritual energy to pressure the cultivator fighting it.

    "It appears that all of the artificial demons are upied. Let''s watch them for now. You can also learn something from them." Wan Yu said.

    "Okay." Yuan nodded, and he watched these cultivators fight the demons.

    After watching these cultivators for about half an hour, Yuan realized something about these cultivators¡ª that they really sucked at sealing these demons.

    Despite these cultivators hitting the artificial demons many times with their demon sealing strike, the demons were still able to move and fight back.

    "Why aren''t the demons being sealed despite getting struck by demon sealing techniques?" Yuan asked Wan Yu.

    Wan Yu looked at him with raised eyebrows and said, "If a demon can be sealed with a single strike, the cultivator fighting that demon would be many levels above the demon. Even the most talented demon sealers of our generation require a couple of strikes before they can seal a demon entirely."

    "Once you strike a demon with a demon sealing strike, the demon sealing aura will slowly build up inside their body, and once there is enough built up, it seals the demon."

    Yuan didn''t know what to make of Wan Yu''s words, as he''d sealed multiple demons stronger than him with a single strike, and even the Demon Lord that was far stronger than him had sumbed to his demon sealing technique in a single strike, albeit it took a bit for it to take effect.

    "However, there was someone who could seal demons with a single strike. In fact, he could seal a thousand demons with a single move. Can you guess who it is?" Wan Yu suddenly said.

    "Divine Paragon?" Yuan answered.

    "That''s right. The founder of the Demon Sealing n¡ª Divine Paragon! He was not only the most powerful demon sealer during his era, nobody has been able to get close to his power since then even though millions of years have passed."

    "People say he was created by the heavens to deal with the demons, and that''s exactly what he did. The cultivation world used to be terrorized and ruled by demons, but when the Divine Paragon showed up, the demons ran in all direction."

    "Of course, no matter where they ran, the Divine Paragon would chase them until they pretty much became extinct."

    "It''s truly unfortunate that the Divine Paragon disappeared without saying a word. Some people still believe that he''s still alive somewhere in this boundless universe."

    "..."

    Yuan remained silent. If they knew that the Divine Paragon had died and reincarnated, not even the heavens would know how they would react.

    Sometimeter, one of the cultivators there has finally managed to seal the artificial demon.

    Once that happened, a figure approached the demon to inspect it.

    "Not bad. Your demon sealing aura is quite powerful, this demon will remain sealed for about 500 years." The person said to the cultivator, who appeared to be very happy about his results.

    "Who is that?" Yuan asked.

    "He''s a fellow lecturer like me. We asionallye here to watch these junior demon sealers and give them pointers." Wan Yu said.

    "I see¡­"

    "Who wants to go next?" The lecturer asked.

    "Here''s your chance." Wan Yu said to Yuan, who nodded and stepped forward.

    "I would like to go."

    The lecturer turned to look at Yuan, and to his surprise, there was a Spirit Lord in this ce.

    "Uhh¡­ Give me a minute to adjust the difficulty. Do you want to fight a demon at the Spirit Lord level, or should I make it Spirit Grandmaster?" The lecturer asked him.

    "Can you make it Spirit King?" Yuan asked him.

    "S-Spirit King?"

    Everyone there looked at him with wide eyes.

    "Who''s this kid? He wants to fight a Spirit King demon as a Spirit Lord? How reckless!"

    "He''s probably just seeking attention. He won''tst a minute."

    ''As expected¡­ He''s an interesting one.'' Wan Yu was the only person there that had a smile on his face that didn''t give off the feeling of ridicule.

    Once the lecturer adjusted the artificial demon''s cultivation to that of a first level Spirit King, Yuan stepped into the arena to face the demon.

    "Good luck, kiddo!" Wan Yu cheered him on.

    It was at this moment the people there noticed Wan Yu''s presence.

    "Greetings, Senior Wan!" Everybody there greeted him in a respectful manner.

    "Don''t mind me, I am just here to watch my new friend." Wan Yu said.

    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.

    "Friend? That Spirit Lord?" The people there were in disbelief.

    Meanwhile, Yuan started his fight with the artificial demon.

    After summoning his Empyrean Overlord, Yuan attacked the demon without hesitation.

    The demon tried to defend itself against Yuan''s fierce assault, but it was having trouble doing so, leaving the spectators dazed.

    They couldn''t believe their eyes¡ª that a Spirit Lord was putting so much pressure on a demon that was an entire realm above him. Even though it was only an artificial demon, it still has the same prowess as a real demon, so realistically speaking, a Spirit Lord shouldn''t be able to push this demon back so far!

    "E-Even if he can overpower a demon with pure strength, all of his efforts will be pointless if he cannot seal the demon, as they will simply regenerate all of its injuries." One of the spectators there said, which is 100 percent true.

    However, Yuan has only been hitting the demon with normal attacks without using any demon sealing techniques, which puzzled the spectators, Wan Yu included.

    While they didn''t expect Yuan to use demon sealing techniques with every strike, it also didn''t make any sense for him to not use them at all, and this made the spectators'' ponder Yuan''s thoughts.

 Chapter 753 - Destroying The Artificial Demon

    Many minutes have passed since Yuan began fighting the artificial demon, yet he continued to use nothing more than basic sword techniques on the demon.

    This puzzled the spectators, as it seemed like Yuan had no intention of sealing the demon for whatever reason.

    "What in heavens'' name is he doing? It''s been almost 15 minutes, yet he hasn''t used a single demon sealing technique."

    "If you''re here to y around, then get out! There are others here waiting to practice!"

    "Yeah! Get out! This isn''t the ce for you to y around!"

    The cultivators there began getting frustrated at Yuan for purposefully not sealing the demon.

    They have never seen a demon sealer as obnoxious as him until today.

    "Calm down, everyone." Wan Yu suddenly said to them in a soothing voice, and he continued, "As far as I can tell, he''s doing exactly what this ce is meant to do¡ª to allow you to practice fighting against demons without needing to worry about getting killed. Just because he''s not using his demon sealing techniques does not mean he''s not practicing."

    The cultivators there no longerined about Yuan not using his demon sealing technique, and they decided to watch him for a few minutes before losing interest and going to watch someone else.

    Half an hourter, pretty much everyone had lost interest in Yuan''s practice session besides 2 people, and they were both lecturers.

    "Fellow Daoist Wan, can you tell me why you''re so interested in this young man? Besides his impressive raw strength, I don''t see anything else from him that''s worthy of your attention."

    Wan Yu smiled and said, "If you''d seen his demon sealing aura, you would understand. Just be patient. It''ll be worth the wait."

    "If you say so." The other lecturer nodded.

    While Yuan was focused on gettingbat experience with a demon, a cold voice suddenly resounded, snapping him out of his focus, "Are you really even a Demon Sealer? You''re so pathetic. Hahaha!"

    To Yuan''s surprise, the artificial demon had suddenly started speaking when it had been silent since the beginning!

    Unbeknownst to Yuan, these artificial demons have a function where it will mock the fighter when they cannot seal the demon after a specific amount of time has passed.

    They do so in order to put more pressure on the fighter by publicly humiliating them in front of others.

    "If you don''t hurry up and seal me, I will eat all of your loved ones¡­ Hahaha!"

    "Too bad someone as weak as you won''t be able to stop me! You''re doomed to watch your loved ones die before me!"

    When Yuan heard the artificial demon''s mockery, something had snapped inside him.

    "Shut the hell up!"

    Yuan suddenly jumped forward while his aura exploded with fierceness.

    This sudden change surprised Wan Yu and the other lecturer.

    [Demon Sealing Strike!]

    Yuan swung the Empyrean Overlord directly at the artificial demon.

    The artificial demon could feel a powerful demon sealing auraing from the sword, so it reacted by dodging the strike.

    However, Yuan''s sword suddenly changed direction mid-motion, cleaving the demon''s body cleanly in half.

    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.

    "Hahah! Not bad! But you won''t be able to defeat me like¡ª" The artificial demon suddenly stopped speaking when it realized that its body was already beginning to feel stiff, and this feeling expanded through its body within seconds.

    When it looked down at its own body, it realized that its regenerative abilities had stopped, and the lower half of its body had already turned into stonepletely.

    The demon slowly lifted its head to look at Yuan, who held a cold expression on his face, and for the next few seconds, they would quietly stare at each other until the rest of the artificial demon was sealed.

    "Heavens¡­"

    Both Wan Yu and the other lecturer uttered in a dazed voice after witnessing this scene.

    The other cultivators there had also turned to look at Yuan''s area, but nobody there saw the entire thing.

    When they looked, the demon was already lying on the ground with its body separated in half and the lower half already petrified. However, they were able to watch the rest of the demon being sealed within seconds.

    "W-What the fuck just happened? What did he do to the artificial demon? Did anyone see it?"

    "No, I didn''t see it. When I looked, the demon was already sealed."

    Even though the cultivators there didn''t know what happened, they knew that something incredible had happened, as the instructors'' faces were filled with awe, not to mention the powerful demon sealing aura that suddenly erupted moments ago, and these cultivators all wished that they''d continued watching Yuan''s practice.

    "Such a powerful demon sealing aura¡­ Just who is this young man? And where did you find him?" The lecturer beside Wan Yu asked him.

    "I found him at the front of the Grand Library when he disyed the Demon Sealing Strike to get a badge to enter this ce, and when I asked him, he said that he was new."

    The lecturer swallowed nervously, and he approached the sealed demon a momentter.

    After inspecting the artificial demon for a few seconds, he shook his head and said, "This artificial demon can no longer be used. It''s beenpletely destroyed. The seal was too powerful."

    "What?!"

    The cultivators there were shocked to hear this information. They have never heard of an artificial demon being sealed to the point where they could no longer function.

    "I-I''m so sorry!" Yuan quickly apologized after realizing the situation.

    ''I broke another piece of training equipment!'' He cried inwardly.

    It feels like every time he practices on training equipment, it would inevitably break.

    "I will pay for the damages¡­" Yuan said a momentter while inwardly bracing himself to sacrifice an arm and leg.

    However, the lecturer merelyughed at his words and said while waving his hand, "Don''t worry about it, youngd. These things are quite old, so I was already thinking about recing them."

    Of course, these artificial demons are maintained every day to make sure they are like new, but the lecturer didn''t tell Yuan so that he doesn''t feel bad about it.

 Chapter 754 - Demon Sealing Grotto

    After Yuan destroyed the artificial demon, the lecturer had someone take away the demon, and since they didn''t expect someone to destroy an artificial demon in such a manner, a recement would not be ready for a few days.

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    "Umm¡­ Do you mind if I continue practicing with the artificial demons?" Yuan suddenly asked the lecturer, leaving him speechless.

    When Yuan saw the lecturer''s perplexed face, he quickly continued, "I-I won''t break any more artificial demons, I promise! I won''t even use my demon sealing techniques! I just want to be morefortable when fighting demons!"

    "If you say it like that, I cannot refuse." The lecturer nodded.

    "Thank you, Senior!" Yuan bowed to him before waiting for the next avable artificial demon.

    While he waited, Wan Yu approached him and started a conversation with him.

    "How old are you this year? You look very young."

    "I''m 18 years old."

    "What? You''re that young? I truly wasn''t expecting that." Wan Yu thought Yuan was older than he appeared, as that is usually the case in the cultivation world, especially in their realm.

    "If you don''t mind me asking, which family are you from?" Wan Yu then asked.

    "I don''t belong to a family." Yuan shook his head.

    "Oh? What about a sect?"

    "I used to be in a sect, but I am now wandering the Nine Heavens with my friends."

    "So you''re a rogue cultivator, huh? That''s very surprising as well. I thought you would be from some big family or prominent sect."

    "With that being said, if you wish to join the Demon Sealing Grotto, you''re more than weed."

    "Demon Sealing Grotto?" Yuan looked at Wan Yu and asked, "What''s their rtionship with the Demon Sealing n?"

    "The Demon Sealing n came first and was created by the Divine Paragon himself. The Demon Sealing Grotto, however, was created after the founder''s disappearance."

    "The two of them basically exist for the same purpose¡ª to deal with the remaining demons in the Nine Heavens. However, despite their simr purposes and existence, the two of them are not really that close to each other. In fact, they can even be considered rivals."

    "After the founder''s disappearance and the fact that demons are no longer a threat to the Nine Heavens and humanity, the Demon Sealing n began to decline and grow weaker, yet the n refused to change and continued their tradition despite the change happening across the world."

    "A few higher-ups were fed up with the Demon Sealing n''s stubbornness, so they left the Demon Sealing n to create their own powerhouse, which is the Demon Sealing Grotto that functions more like a sect than a family, and they brought with them many prominent figures from the Demon Sealing n, hurting them even further."

    "However, despite our rivalry, both the Demon Sealing n and the Demon Sealing Grotto share the Grand Library. You can tell us apart from our uniforms."

    "Those wearing ck and gold are from the Demon Sealing n while those wearing ck and red are from the Demon Sealing Grotto. As you can see, I am wearing ck and red, so I am from the Demon Sealing Grotto."

    "Uhhh¡­ I''m not sure. Can you give me some time to think about it since all of this is very new to me?" Yuan said after a moment of silence.

    "Of course. Take all the time you need. And I am not saying this to blow our own bubbles, but the Demon Sealing Grotto is currently far stronger than the Demon Sealing n. If you join us, we will forge you into a top-tier demon sealer."

    Sometimeter, Yuan returned to the stage when there was an opening to fight with an artificial demon.

    When the spectators saw this, they quickly went to watch Yuan fight the demon, but they became frustrated when Yuan did not use any demon sealing techniques for an entire hour even while being constantly mocked by the artificial demon.

    However, they did not want to leave, fearing that they might miss the action again.

    Unfortunately for them, Yuan fought until the end without using a single demon sealing technique.

    "Fuck! He''s definitely doing this on purpose!" The spectators were fuming by the end.

    If it weren''t for Wan Yu and the other lecturer''s presence, these people would''ve fought Yuan with nothing but their fists.

    Meanwhile, after he was satisfied with his practice, Yuan returned to Wan Yu and said to him, "I would like to learn some demon sealing techniques now. I came to this ce for this very reason, as well."

    "I understand. Follow me." Wan Yu nodded.

    As they walked, Wan Yu spoke, "Since you''re new here, you are only allowed ess to very limited techniques. If you want to learn more techniques, you will need to raise your demon sealer rank."

    "You can raise your rank by taking an examination that tests your demon sealing aura and your knowledge of demons. Since you have managed to sessfully seal an artificial demon, you''re considered an Apprentice Demon Sealer."

    "However, if I take into ount your demon sealing aura and your performance today, I would rank you as high as an Elite Demon Sealer, which is two ranks above apprentice. Unfortunately, you must take the exam before you can officially be considered as one."

    Yuan nodded and said, "I will think about the examter. For now, I will just look at the avable techniques."

    Sometimeter, Wan Yu led Yuan inside arge room that had multiple jade tablets ced around the room in an orderly fashion.

    "What is this ce?" Yuan asked.

    "You will understand once you take a look at the jade tablets," said Wan Yu.

    Yuan nodded and approached one of the jade tablets.

    "This technique¡­ Demon Sealing Strike?"

    To Yuan''s surprise, the jade tablet had the Demon Sealing Strike engraved onto it.

    "That''s right. These jade tablets are the techniques, and anyone can learn them as long as they have ess to the rooms." Wan Yu said.

    Yuan didn''t say anything else and began looking at all of the jade tablets.

 Chapter 755 - Demon Sealing Clans Decline

    "Hmm? This is also the Demon Sealing Strike?" Yuan raised his eyebrows when he saw the second jade tablet.

    However, when he read the contents, he realized that it was apletely different technique. Although it functions simrly to his Demon Sealing Strike, this technique was meant for daggers instead of the sword.

    When he realized this, Yuan immediately began studying the technique, as this technique would allow him to seal demons with the Starry Abyss so that he no longer needed to rely just on swords.

    A few minutester, Yuan closed his eyes and digested all of the information from the jade tablet.

    Ding!

    <You have learned Demon Sealing Strike(Dagger)>

    <Rank: Heaven>

    <Mastery Level: 1>

    <Description: Consumes 1,000,000 Qi. Must wield a dagger to activate. An ancient dagger technique used to seal demons>

    "Uhh¡­ Did you just learn that technique?" When Wan Yu saw a profound aura suddenly emit from Yuan''s body, he realized that Yuan had justprehended a new technique, but he still asked for confirmation.

    "Eh? I thought you said anyone could learn these techniques." Yuan looked at him with a surprised face, misunderstanding Wan Yu''s words.

    "Yes, you can. I was just surprised at how quickly you learned the technique. You''re full of surprises." Wan Yu chuckled.

    "Oh, I see. Then can I ask you a few more questions?"

    "Of course. Let me hear them." Wan Yu nodded.

    "Are there any limitations to how many techniques I can learn from this ce?"

    "Nope. You can learn as many techniques you want. There are no limitations."

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    "Great, then my second question is¡­ Are there any rules about this ce that I should know about?"

    "Yes, there''s a few of them, actually." Wan Yu nodded, and he continued, "First, you are not allowed to share these techniques with outsiders."

    "Two, you are forbidden from selling or trading these techniques even to fellow demon sealers. You must receive permission to teach other demon sealers. As an official lecturer, I am allowed to teach other demon sealers, but I am limited to what I can teach."

    "Onest rule you should keep in mind is that these techniques, while they were created to seal demons, they can also seal humans to a certain extent, and if you''re caught sealing humans, you will be killed or crippled by the Demon Sealing n or the Demon Sealing Grotto."

    "I-I understand." Yuan nodded.

    Thankfully, he sealed Senior Qi in his own world, not this world.

    As for the rule that forbids him from sharing these techniques, Yuan will obviously have to ignore this rule in order to teach the others demon sealing techniques.

    Furthermore, he has already broken the rule more than once.

    Yuan returned to studying the techniques shortly after, and he wouldn''t stop until he learned enough techniques for everyone.

    Wan Yu was shocked when he saw this.

    ''Why in heavens'' name does he need to learn this many demon sealing techniques? It''s almost like he''s learning a technique for every weapon out there!'' Wan Yu cried inwardly.

    An hourter, Yuan returned to Wan Yu and said to him, "I will be leaving now. Thank you for helping me today. I learned a lot."

    "You''re leaving already?"

    "I will be back tomorrow to practice some more with the artificial demons." Yuan said.

    "Alright. If you ever need anymore help and I am here, you can alwayse to me." Wan Yu nodded.

    "I will."

    Yuan left the Grand Library shortly after and returned to the hotel.

    "Lulu, I am going to try and cultivate Technique Transmission in the real world so that I can transfer the techniques to everyer." Yuan said to her.

    "Okay, I will stay here until dinner then."

    Thus, Yuan logged off by himself and began trying to learn Technique Transmission in that world as well.

    Once it was time for dinner and everyone gathered in the dining room, Yuan told them the news.

    "I have acquired a demon sealing technique for everyone here, but I will need a few days to learn a technique that will allow me to transfer the techniques directly into your mind."

    "Although we can do this in Cultivation Online, I am not really supposed to share these techniques, so I''d rather do it in this world. It might also be a little quicker if we do it this way."

    "That''s fine. Take all the time you need." They said to him.

    The following day, Yuan returned to the Demon Sealing n''s Grand Library, and he went straight to the area with the artificial demons.

    ''There''s already people here?''

    Despite arriving shortly after sunrise, all of the artificial demons were already upied, so Yuan could only wait.

    While he waited there and watched the others practice, the lecturer from yesterday noticed Yuan and approached him.

    "Young man, I never got your name yesterday."

    Yuan turned to look at the middle-aged man standing beside him and said, "My name''s Yuan."

    "Yuan, huh? I am Tang Zheng, an official lecturer here for the past ten years. I haven''t seen you here before until yesterday. How long have you been a demon sealer?"

    "Not long."

    "That''s perfectly fine. Despite being new, you have a very impressive demon sealing aura, especially for someone at your cultivation base. Do you belong to the Demon Sealing n or the Demon Sealing Grotto?" Tang Zheng asked.

    "I''m not actually officially affiliated with either." Yuan said.

    "I see, so you''re from one of the branch families. If you want, I can recruit you into the Demon Sealing n right now, unless you''ve already been recruited by Wan Yu. It would be a pity if that was the case."

    "Pity? Why would it be a pity?" Yuan asked with a questioning gaze.

    "As everyone is aware by now, the Demon Sealing n is declining. We''re currently in our weakest state ever since the n''s creation. At this rate, the Demon Sealing n will continue to decline until it''s inevitable end, hence why we''re recruiting any talent we can find."

    "If you join the Demon Sealing Grotto, that''s one less talent we have and one more step towards our doom, which is an immense pity since the Demon Sealing n is the reason the cultivation world is so peaceful today."

 Chapter 756 - Legend Of The Divine Paragon

    "Well¡­ Although Senior Wan has indeed offered me to join the Demon Sealing Grotto, I have not decided to join them yet. As for the Demon Sealing n, I would also like to think about it some more." Yuan responded to Tang Zheng''s offer.

    "Of course. Take all the time you need." Tang Zheng nodded with a relieved smile on his face.

    As long as Yuan doesn''t ept Wan Yu''s offer, he still has a chance to recruit Yuan into the Demon Sealing n.

    And while some might think Tang Zheng was exaggerating the Demon Sealing n''s situation to trick Yuan into joining them, it is a fact that the n has been in a straight decline ever since their founder disappeared.

    As for their reason for decline, it is actually much simpler than one would expect.

    The Demon Sealing n was created for the sole purpose of fighting demons, and after killing or sealing most demons and chasing the rest into hiding, the Demon Sealing n became less relevant as they were no longer needed due to theck of demons.

    In the end, the downfall of demons was also the downfall of the Demon Sealing n.

    ''I am the reincarnation of the founder of the Demon Sealing n, so I should join them and save them from their ruin. However, I am no longer the Divine Paragon, and I shouldn''t let my past affect my current life¡­''

    Yuan was in a predicament. On one hand, he wants to help the Demon Sealing n that he''d created in his past life. However, on the other hand, he didn''t want to let his past lives to continue affecting his current life, as he fears that he might lose his personality and be someone unrecognizable.

    After pondering for some time, Yuan temporarily stopped thinking about it to step onto the stage to fight the artificial demon.

    "What''s that kid doing? He''s not using any demon sealing techniques."

    Since it was a new day, there would naturally be new people in the area that didn''t know about Yuan.

    "Who? Oh, him? He was also here yesterday doing the exact same thing as he is doing right now. I guess he just wants to experience fighting demons without actually sealing them. A waste of our time if you ask me. After all, what''s the point of fighting demons if you don''t seal them?"

    Someone there recognized Yuan and exined to those asking.

    Eventually, the artificial demon began mocking Yuan for not being able to seal it.

    "Haha! What''s wrong, demon sealer? You can''t even seal a fake demon? How will you survive if you encounter a real demon that is far more powerful than a fake? You should give up and just return to being a normal cultivator!"

    Of course, Yuan ignored the artificial demon''s taunting and continued to slice its body with the Empyrean Overlord.

    Once Yuan was satisfied with his workout a few hourster, he stopped fighting the artificial demon.

    "Finally! I thought he was going to stay up there for the entire day!" The people there sighed in relief when they noticed that Yuan was finally leaving, allowing them to fight the artificial demon.

    Tang Zheng, who''d juste back to the area from eating lunch, noticed Yuan and quickly approached him.

    "Yuan, are you free right now?"

    "Sort of. Why?" Yuan asked.

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    "I''d like to show you something."

    "Okay."

    Yuan didn''t question Tang Zheng and followed him to another area within the Grand Library, arriving at another empty square shortly after.

    However, the ce was empty in the sense that there was a lot of space in this area, since there were actually a lot of cultivators scattered around this ce with most of them seated around this domineering statue.

    Yuan''s eyes widened with surprise when he saw this statue that was located at the center of this empty square, as he''d seen the face of this statue before, mostly in his dreams.

    "That''s¡­ the Divine Paragon?" Yuan mumbled in a low voice.

    When Tang Zheng heard it, he smiled and said, "That''s right. He is the founder of the Demon Sealing n and the idol of every demon sealer in existence¡ª Divine Paragon, also known as the Bane of Demons."

    "When I was a young cultivator, I happened to overhear a legend about him, and because of this legend, I decided to be a demon sealer. I never looked back nor have I ever regretted my decision. Do you want to hear it?"

    "Sure." Yuan nodded.

    "When demons were still rampaging in the Nine Heavens, millions of demons dwelled within this imprable stronghold in the Demonic Realm that was deemed impossible to conquer by all cultivators."

    "However, the Divine Paragon, all by himself, entered the Demonic Realm for a total of 66 days. The world thought the Divine Paragon had died inside the Demonic Realm, but to everyone''s shock, the Divine Paragon returned from the Demonic Realm, and that''s when everyone learned the truth¡ª that the Divine Paragon had been killing demons nonstop since he entered the hellhole."

    "In just two short months, he''d conquered the Demonic Realm and killed every single demon inside, something everybody had deemed impossible. Nobody has entered the Demonic Realm since then, as the Divine Paragon had sealed the Demonic Realm just in case he missed a few demons."

    "Demon sealers nowadays would have trouble fighting a single demon even in a group, yet the Divine Paragon had killed millions of demons all by himself in two short months. If you ask me what a real demon is, I would, without hesitation, say it''s the Divine Paragon¡­ in a good sense."

    Yuan was speechless after hearing this legend.

    ''No wonder why demons are terrified of him¡­ He''s actually more devious than demons!'' He sighed inwardly.

    "Hmm?" Tang Zheng suddenly raised his eyebrows at Yuan, almost as though he''d realized something.

    "Yuan¡­ Now that I look at you closely, you look awfully simr to the Divine Paragon''s statue over there, almost like you''re a younger version of the Founder himself."

    "Eh?"

    When Yuan heard Tang Zheng''s outrageous yet urate ims, Yuan''s body froze, almost as though he''d been sealed.

 Chapter 757 - Advanced Demon Sealer Examination

    "Good heavens, the longer I look at you, the more I get the feeling that you look like the founder." Tang Zheng subconsciously moved his face closer to Yuan''s face to get a closer look.

    Yuan took a few steps back and said in a stiff voice, "You''re probably just seeing things¡­"

    "No! I am certain! You have such an eerie resemnce to the Divine Paragon! If I didn''t know any better, I would say that you''re a reincarnation of him!" Tang Zheng said, unaware that he was 100 percent correct.

    "You know what? This could be a sign the heavens have sent us¡ª that you could potentially be the next founder of the Demon Sealing n! With your talents, it''s definitely doable! Yuan! You must join the Demon Sealing n! You, who bears the founder''s face, cannot allow the Demon Sealing n to disappear!" Tang Zheng stared at Yuan with eyes full of emotions.

    He was someone easily influenced when ites to the Divine Paragon, and with Yuan having so much resemnce to the Divine Paragon, Tang Zheng truly believed that Yuan was sent by the heavens to save the declining Demon Sealing n.

    "Even if you tell me that¡­"

    Yuan had intentions to join either the Demon Sealing n or the Demon Sealing Grotto, but he wasn''t sure which one he should join.

    On one hand, the Demon Sealing Grotto is much more powerful than the other option, but on the other hand, he had technically created the Demon Sealing n, so it wouldn''t be right to let them disappear.

    While Yuan pondered, a familiar voice suddenly resounded inside his head, "Join the Demon Sealing n."

    Yuan recognized this voice to be the Divine Paragon''s voice, and he turned to look at the Divine Paragon''s statue.

    In Yuan''s eyes, the Divine Paragon''s statue had turned into a real person and was no longer a statue.

    "There are secrets within the Demon Sealing n that only I know of. If you let it disappear, these secrets will also disappear, and there''s a good chance that the Nine Heavens will return to chaos if you do not return to the Demonic Realm."

    ''Demonic Realm? What does that have anything to do with joining the Demon Sealing n?'' Yuan frowned.

    "If you wish to learn the truth, you must enter the Demonic Realm."

    ''The Demonic Realm that you sealed?''

    The Divine Paragon did not respond and returned to being a statue.

    Yuan sighed out loud and turned to look at Tang Zheng.

    "Will it be problematic if I join the Demon Sealing n while already being in a faction?" Yuan asked.

    "Faction? No, there won''t. The Demon Sealing n is not considered to be a family, a sect, nor a faction, so there shouldn''t be any problems."

    Yuan raised his brows and asked, "If the Demon Sealing n is not any of these things, what is it?"

    "Honestly, I am not too sure either, but the Divine Paragon never considered the Demon Sealing n to be any of these things. It used to be a ce where anyone could join as long as they wanted to fight demons. Things have obviously changed since then, so it resembles a faction more than anything. With that being said, we''re not considered a faction, and even if we are considered a faction, there shouldn''t be any problem since most factions allow their members to join multiple factions as long as that faction is not an enemy."

    "As for the Demon Sealing Grotto, they are a faction, and they have a sect as well."

    Yuan nodded and said, "Then I will join the Demon Sealing n¡ª temporarily, if you don''t mind."

    "May I ask why only temporarily?"

    "Just in case I change my mind."

    "I can assure you that you will not regret your decision, but if you insist, that is fine. You can join us temporarily. We don''t have any rules that forbid our members from leaving once they join, anyway."

    "Okay."

    "Now that you are part of our Demon Sealing n, let''s get you your uniforms and badge."

    Yuan followed Tang Zheng to another ce, where he would receive three sets of uniform and a badge.

    "There''s no rule about wearing the uniforms, so you don''t have to wear them if you don''t want to. As for the badge, it is proof that you are part of the Demon Sealing n. You will need it if you want to enter any of our establishments."

    "How is this badge any different from the one I received in front of the Grand Library?" Yuan asked.

    "The Grand Library''s badge will only allow you to enter this ce, and it just means you''re affiliated with the Demon Sealing n."

    "I see¡­"

    "Anyways, you''re currently an Apprentice Demon Sealer, but I have seen you defeat an artificial demon, so you qualify for the next rank. Would you like to take the examination now and be an Advanced Demon Sealer?" Tang Zheng then asked him.

    "If I be an Advanced Demon Sealer, I will get to learn more demon sealing techniques, right?" Yuan asked.

    "That''s right. You''ll get to learn Divine-rank demon sealing techniques."

    "Then I will take the examination." Yuan nodded.

    "Great. Follow me."

    Tang Zheng led Yuan back to the area with the artificial demons and said to him, "Wait here while I grab two more official lecturers to witness in the examination. We need at least three lecturers."

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    After Tang Zheng left, Yuan spectated the other cultivators while he waited.

    About fifteen minutester, Tang Zheng returned to him with two other individuals, an olddy and a beautiful young woman.

    "Tang Zheng, you dragged me here for an Advanced Demon Sealer examination during my lunchtime. I really hope it''s worth it, or you''ll regret wasting my time." The beautiful woman said to him as they entered the area.

    "Don''t worry, it will definitely be worth it. I dragged you here because I knew how much you both admire the founder. Once you see this young¡ª"

    Before Tang Zheng could even finish his sentence, the old woman suddenly eximed in a shocked voice, "Divine Paragon?!"

    Sure enough, the olddy noticed Yuan standing in the crowd and mistook him for the Divine Paragon.

 Chapter 758 - Little Founder

    "What the? Did you just say Divine Paragon? Have you finally gone senile from old age?" The beautiful woman raised her eyebrows when she heard the olddy''s words.

    After all, how could the Divine Paragon suddenly appear in the Grand Library?

    The woman subconsciously turned to look at the direction the olddy was looking at, and to her absolute shock, someone who looked exactly like the Divine Paragon stood in the crowd!

    As fanatics and admirers of the Divine Paragon, they have engraved every detail of the Divine Paragon into their souls, so they knew right away when they saw Yuan''s face that he looked exactly like the Divine Paragon.

    "Wait¡­" Before Tang Zheng could even open his mouth properly, the two women rushed through the crowd and directly at the unaware Yuan.

    Yuan, who was minding his own business, suddenly felt two aggressive presence behind him, causing him to turn around.

    When he did, he could see two women with glowing eyes running in his direction.

    Naturally, this startled Yuan, who could only wonder who these women were and why they were running at him.

    However, before he could even react, the olddy suddenly disappeared from her spot and appeared right beside him like a ghost.

    "What the?!"

    Right as Yuan turned to look at the olddy, he suddenly felt someone touch his cheeks, who also turned his head.

    "Wow! You really look like the Divine Paragon! What''s your name? And where did youe from, handsome?" The beautiful woman asked Yuan as she held his cheeks with her smooth hands, looking like an owner and her dog.

    "Uhh¡­ My name''s Yuan¡­" He responded in a dazed manner.

    "What in heavens'' name do you two think you are doing to my new recruit?!" Tang Zheng suddenly appeared to drag them away from Yuan.

    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.

    He then said, "I apologize for this, Yuan. They''ve been long-time admirers of the Divine Paragon, and since you look so simr to him, they went crazy."

    "What do you mean he ''looks simr''? He looks exactly like the Divine Paragon, albeit a lot younger!" The beautiful woman said.

    "I know that, hence why I brought you two here. However, if you''re going to bother him, I will find new instructors for his examination!" Tang Zheng sighed out loud.

    "Why are you being so annoying, Tang Zheng? We''re not bothering him at all." The olddy cleared her throat before speaking.

    "As for the examination, do we really need to do it? I can tell by his appearance alone that he will easily pass the examination."

    "Senior Fu is right. There''s no way that someone with the Divine Paragon''s face could fail such an easy exam." The beautiful woman said.

    Tang Zheng rubbed his temples and said, "I also know he can pass the examination since I have already seen him seal an artificial demon, but we still need to do an official examination. It will look bad on us if we don''t do this."

    "Whatever." The beautiful said before turning to look at Yuan with a friendly smile, "My name is Yan Hara. Let''s talk more after your examination, handsome."

    "Sure¡­"

    After winking at Yuan, Yan Hara turned to look at the cultivators that were currently fighting an artificial demon.

    "Hurry up and seal the demon already! If you make the little founder wait too long, I will go up there and seal the demon for you!"

    When the cultivators and the spectators heard Yan Hara''s words, they turned to look at them.

    "Little founder?"

    They all focused on Yuan, and sure enough, they could see a strong resemnce of the Divine Paragon from him.

    "Heavens¡­ Why didn''t I notice this earlier? He really looks like the Divine Paragon''s statue."

    "He looks so much like the founder that I wouldn''t doubt it if you told me he was a direct descendant of the founder¡­"

    "What if he is a descendant?"

    "That''s not possible. They said the founder had no Dao Companion."

    "That doesn''t mean anything! For all we know, the founder could''ve found a Dao Companion after his disappearance!"

    "Fuck¡­ If you say it like that¡­"

    Soon enough, pretty much everybody in the area was talking about Yuan''s resemnce to the Divine Paragon.

    A few minutester, one of the cultivators there finally sealed the artificial demon and stepped off the stage.

    He turned to look at Yuan and smiled, "The stage is all yours, little founder."

    "Thank you¡­" Yuan didn''t know how he felt about being called ''little founder''.

    Ignoring their uracy, it just felt weird.

    Sometimeter, Yuan stepped onto the stage, and all of the spectators in the area gathered around him to watch his examination.

    "Before we begin, allow me to give you the rules." Tang Zheng said.

    And he continued, "In order to pass the examination and be an Advanced Demon Sealer, you must seal an artificial demon that is two realms below your cultivation base within the time limit, which is thirty minutes."

    "What¡­?" Yuan was dumbfounded to hear the passing condition, as it sounded way too easy.

    "Two realms below my cultivation base within 30 minutes? Why is it so easy?"

    Since he is a Spirit Lord, his artificial demon, which will be two realms lower, will only have the strength of a Spirit Master! He could seal a demon at this level even in his sleep!

    Of course, while this examination might be incredibly easy for someone like Yuan, not all demon sealers are as talented as him.

    While Yuan wouldn''t have any trouble fighting demons above his cultivation base, he is an abnormal existence. Meanwhile, normal demon sealers would have trouble with demons even one realm below their own cultivation base.

    Therefore, if they made the examination too hard, nobody would be able to rank up. With that being said, even with an artificial demon two realms below the examinee''s cultivation base, there are still many cultivators out there that would struggle against it.

    However, even though the examination was incredibly easy for Yuan, it wasn''t as though he waspletely free of worries.

    In fact, he had one major problem regarding this examination.

    ''If I hit it with my demon sealing techniques, I will definitely break another artificial demon¡­ What should I do?'' He sighed inwardly.

 Chapter 759 - Advanced Demon Sealer

    "That''s all you need to know for the examination. You may begin now." Tang Zheng said to Yuan a momentter.

    Yuan nodded, but he didn''t immediately attack the artificial demon. As for the demon, it also won''t attack Yuan until he makes the first move.

    "What are you waiting for, little founder? The examination has already started." Yan Hara said to him.

    "Umm¡­ There''s a good chance that I will break the artificial demon." Yuan said.

    It was at this moment that Tang Zheng recalled Yuan''s prowess yesterday thatpletely destroyed an artificial demon.

    Although losing one artificial demon isn''t a huge loss, they are not cheap either, and if they lose two artificial demons back to back in two days, the maker of these artificial demons will be annoyed at them.

    However, before Tang Zheng could even say anything, Yan Hara spoke out loud, "Don''t worry about breaking them! They''re very durable and have the same regenerative ability as real demons, so no matter how you slice or dice it, you won''t break it."

    Of course, Yan Hara has no idea that Yuan had already destroyed an artificial demon just yesterday.

    And she continued, "Even if you somehow manage to break it, we can easily get a recement, so go ahead and break it!"

    Yuan nodded his head and didn''t say anything else.

    He turned to look at the artificial demon with a calm gaze.

    ''I should try out the Demon Sealing Strike for the dagger.''

    With this thought in his mind, Yuan summoned the Starry Abyss in its invisible mode and used it to attack the demon.

    ''An invisible dagger? It is also emitting the aura of a Soul Weapon¡­ He can actually control two Soul Weapons at once?'' Tang Zheng was greatly shocked by this new information.

    He witnessed Yuan''s Empyrean Overlord yesterday, and the fact that Yuan is using a different Soul Weapon today could only mean that he has multiple Soul Weapons, which is incredibly rare even in the upper heavens.

    Whoosh!

    The invisible Starry Abyss flew at the artificial demon and struck it directly between its eyes a split secondter.

    The artificial demon fell to its knees the next second and remained there, which puzzled the spectators, as they wondered why the artificial demon wasn''t standing back up.

    However, they would soon get their answer when the artificial demon began turning into stone at a rapid rate.

    A few secondster, the artificial demon waspletely sealed.

    "What in heavens'' name¡­"

    Everyone there except Tang Zheng was shocked to witness Yuan sealing a demon with a single demon sealing strike.

    "As expected of our little founder¡­ His demon sealing aura is quite ridiculous for someone at his level! Maybe he''s really the reincarnation of the Divine Paragon¡­" Yan Hara mumbled to herself in a low voice.

    Once Yuan sealed the demon, Senior Fu went to inspect the demon, and to her shock, the artificial demon waspletely sealed, including its core, which renders the entire thing useless.

    All artificial demons have a core that allows it to function and gives them their regenerative ability, and this core was specifically made to resist demon sealing aura so that it doesn''t break everytime someone seals the demon.

    However, Yuan''s demon sealing aura had somehow managed to prate the core''s defenses and sealed it alongside the demon.

    "This artificial demon is no longer usable." Senior Fu announced the results to Yan Hara and Tang Zheng, who wasn''t surprised at all.

    As for Yan Hara, she was dumbfounded and amazed at the same time.

    She has witnessed thousands of examinations, yet this is her first time encountering someone that has managed to destroy an artificial demon so thoroughly.

    "Congrattions on passing your examination, Yuan. You''re now officially an Advanced Demon Sealer!" Tang Zheng said to him a momentter, breaking the awkward silence.

    "Thank you." Yuan said.

    Even though the examination was a little too easy, at least he gets to learn more demon sealing techniques.

    "Come with me, little founder. We''re going to get you your new badge." Yan Hara suddenly grabbed Yuan and began pulling him away.

    "W-Wait for me!" Senior Fu quickly followed.

    Tang Zheng shook his head with a bittersweet smile on his face, and he also followed them.

    Meanwhile, a new rumor began spreading around the Grand Library.

    "Have you heard? There''s a demon sealer who looks exactly like the founder of the Demon Sealing n, and he managed to destroy an artificial demon."

    "Huh? The Divine Paragon? It must be an exaggeration."

    "It''s not. A lot of people have seen him, and they all agreed that he looks just like Divine Paragon, albeit a lot younger. They even gave him the nickname ''little founder''."

    "I won''t believe it until I see him with my own eyes. As for destroying an artificial demon, it''s not really that impressive if you think about it. The artificial demons in the Grand Library are merely low-quality puppets. Most Elite Demon Sealers can destroy them if they try hard enough."

    "It may not seem impressive because I didn''t mention his cultivation. The little founder is only a Spirit Lord, and he just became a demon sealer not long ago. Hell, he just passed his examination and became an Advanced Demon Sealer."

    "What? What is a Spirit Lord doing in the Grand Library? And he destroyed an artificial demon as an Apprentice Demon Sealer? Now I definitely don''t believe you."

    "Suit yourself. This information is already spreading throughout the Demon Sealing n and even the Demon Sealing Grotto. It will only be a matter of time before the higher ups set their eyes on him. Even though he''s already joined the Demon Sealing n, it won''t stop the Demon Sealing Grotto from trying to snatch him from them, as it has happened multiple times before already. I cannot wait to see where this goes."

    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.

    While news of the ''little founder'' spread, Yuan received his Advanced Demon Sealer badge.

    "Little founder, why are you not wearing your uniform? I want to see you in the Demon Sealing n''s uniform! Hurry up and change!" Yan Hara urged him afterward, sounding a little impatient for some reason.

 Chapter 760 - The Next Divine Paragon

    "Hurry up, little founder! I want to see you standing beside the Founder''s statue while in your uniform!" Yan Hara continued to urge him despite the weird looks he was giving her.

    "Yuan, I suggest you give up and fulfill her wishes. She''s one of the most stubborn people in this ce, and she will bother you until you do it." Tang Zheng patted him in the back and said.

    Of course, he also wanted to see Yuan standing beside the Founder''s statue so that they can get a side-by-sideparison.

    "I just need to wear the uniform, right? I will do it under one condition." Yuan suddenly said.

    "What condition?"

    "You will answer my question."

    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.

    "That''s easy! You can even ask for my three sizes and I won''t refuse!" Yan Hara said in a prideful voice.

    "Your what?" Yuan raised his eyebrows, as this is his first time hearing such a term.

    Tang Zheng loudly cleared his throat and said, "Ignore her teasing. Anyways, if you have any questions, I will be happy to answer them even if you don''t fulfill her request."

    "Please! I am begging you! Look! I will even get on my knees and beg¡ª" Yan Hara began lowering her body.

    When Yuan saw this, his eyes widened, and he quickly said, "Fine, I will do it."

    "Don''t you have any sense of shame, Yan Hara? How can you beg in such a manner? To a junior, no less." Tang Zheng shook his head.

    "I won''t do this just for anyone! You have no idea how I feel!" She coldly snorted.

    Sometimeter, Yuan left to change his clothes.

    When he returned, the three seniors were so surprised by his appearance that they had be speechless.

    After wearing the Demon Sealing n''s uniform, Yuan''s aura changed significantly, and he looked even more like the Divine Paragon.

    "I cannot wait!"

    Yan Hara suddenly grabbed Yuan and flew directly to the area with the Divine Paragon''s statue.

    Tang Zheng and Senior Fu quickly followed.

    Once they arrived, Yan Hara ced Yuan right beside the statue and said to him, "Stand right here for a minute."

    "Okay¡­" Yuan nodded in a dazed manner, feeling like he was being treated as some sort of toy.

    "Aaaaaah!" A sharp noise suddenly resounded in the area, causing everyone there to look at Yan Hara, who had just screamed.

    They all wondered why she was screaming, but when they looked at Yuan, who she was staring at, they all understood why she''d just screamed.

    Yan Hara is a renowned Divine Paragon fanatic in the Grand Library, and seeing someone who looks so identical to the Divine Paragon while also standing right next to his statue, it was only natural that she would go crazy.

    In fact, when other fanatics saw Yuan standing right beside the Divine Paragon''s statue, they also screamed like fangirls.

    "Aaaah! It''s the Divine Paragon!"

    "What?! No way! He''s really here!"

    "Are you really the Divine Paragon?!"

    "You look a little too young to be the Founder. Are you, by any chance, his descendant?!"

    A crowd quickly gathered around Yuan and the statue, blocking Yan Hara''s view.

    Yan Hara began fuming when these random people blocked her view, causing her to release a powerful pressure that also carried a hint of killing intent.

    "Get away from him! If you''re going to watch, do it where you''re not blocking others'' view!"

    The people there quickly scattered away from Yuan when they heard Yan Hara''s angry voice and felt the threatening aura.

    However, they didn''tpletely leave the area and decided to watch from a distance.

    "Is he a gift from the heavens, or are they simply mocking us?" Senior Fu mumbled in a dazed voice as she looked at Yuan''s face and the Divine Paragon''s statue back and forth, and the longer she stared, the more she believed that they were the same person.

    "I have heard of many rumors about doppelgangers, but I have never witnessed anything like that in my life until today." Tang Zheng sighed.

    "Although he''s a little young right now, in a few years, he will look even more like the Founder. When that happens, it will be as though the Founder has returned to us¡­" Yan Hara spoke as tears flowed down her cheeks.

    The ce quickly filled with murmurs.

    Meanwhile, Yuan felt incredibly awkward. This situation made him recall his days in the Yu Family, when he was admired by countless people. The way these people looked at him like he was their savior, it brought back bad memories.

    However, he didn''t me them, nor does he find any fault in their reaction, mostly because he was actually their ''Founder''.

    "I have decided." Yan Hara suddenly said.

    And she continued in a loud voice, "I, Yan Hara, will make it my life''s mission to make you the next Founder of the Demon Sealing n!"

    "What?!"

    Tang Zheng and the others looked at her with wide eyes after her bold deration.

    "Yan Hara, I know you''re excited and all because he looks like the Founder, but you''re going a little too far here¡­ You should calm down and rethink this." Tang Zheng said to her.

    "I am perfectly calm! In fact, I have never been any clearer! He has not only the looks but also the talents to be the next Divine Paragon! I am sure of that after witnessing everything today!" Yan Hara said.

    Tang Zheng could only shake his head at her words, as he knew that it was impossible to change her mind once she''s in this kind of mood.

    "Yan Hara, I know your feelings, but it''s not going to be an easy task." Senior Fu said to her.

    "I know, but it''s not like I have anything else better to do. I have been getting bored as a lecturer, anyway." She shrugged.

    "Bored¡­? You''ve only been a lecturer for four years¡­" Senior Fu said.

    "Who cares about such minor details?" Yan Haraughed as she approached Yuan.

    "Little founder! I have some good news for you! I, Yan Hara, the most talented demon sealer in my generation, have decided to train you to be the next Divine Paragon!" She stood before him while surrounded by a prideful aura.

    After hearing her words, Yuan only had one question for her¡ª "Why?"

 Chapter 761 - Red Tyrant

    "Why? What do you mean ''why''? Don''t you want to be the best demon sealer in the Nine Heavens?" Yan Hara looked at Yuan with wide eyes, almost as though she couldn''t believe he''d even ask such a thing.

    And she continued, "Although I may not be the best demon sealer or the best teacher out there, I am definitely a renowned demon sealer with vast experience. I even killed 3 real demons before. If you study under me, I can guarantee you that you will be a great demon sealer."

    "Only three demons?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    "A-Are you looking down on me?! Three demons may sound very little, but you must consider how demons are almost extinct! Most demon sealers nowadays have not even encountered one real demon, much less kill three!" Yan Hara could see a hint of disappointment in Yuan''s gaze and quickly defended herself.

    "S-Sorry, I didn''t mean it¡­" Yuan quickly apologized when he realized that he''d just been disrespectful to her.

    Yuan was someone who had killed multiple demons, and his kill count was even higher than Yan Hara, which he didn''t expect as a newbie.

    However, just because he killed more demons than Yan Hara did not mean he had more experience than her, and upon realizing this, he gave it some serious thoughts.

    ''I will have to face 11 demons in the near future, so I should acquire as much experience as I can before then¡­''

    After thinking about it for a moment, Yuan eventually nodded his head and said, "Okay, I will better myself as a demon sealer. However, I am not doing this because I want to be the next founder. I just want to be able to defeat demons if I evere across them."

    Yan Hara, who had been a little dejected suddenly became elevated after hearing Yuan''s words.

    Even though he doesn''t have the aspiration to be the next Divine Paragon, it was more than enough for her that he wanted to study under her since he might change his mind in the future.

    "Great! Starting today, you are my disciple! Of course, it won''t be anything formal." Yan Hara said with a bright smile on her face.

    "I understand, Senior Yan."

    "Anyways, you had some questions, right? I can answer them now if you want." Yan Hara said to him, not forgetting about his matters.

    "Yes, I wanted to learn more about the Demonic Realm." Yuan said.

    "The Demonic Realm?" Yan Hara looked at him with a questioning gaze.

    "Although that ce hasn''t been relevant ever since the Divine Paragon sealed it, I guess it''s good to learn about its history."

    "Follow me, I will teach you everything you want to know about the Demonic Realm."

    Yuan nodded and followed Yan Hara to this room that gave off the atmosphere of a library.

    "Go wait over there for me. I will grab some ancient scrolls about the Demonic Realm." Yan Hara pointed at an empty table in the room.

    Yuan walked to the table and proceeded to wait for her.

    A couple of minutester, Yan Hara returned and ced a couple of scrolls on the desk.

    "Alright, let''s begin, shall we?"

    "Yes." Yuan nodded.

    "Let''s start with the beginning."

    Yan Hara ced a scroll before him and opened it.

    "The Demonic Realm was created by a demon known as the Red Tyrant, who was one of the most powerful demons back in the Primordial Era."

    "After creating this Demonic Realm, the Red Tyrant made it his base, and it would quickly grow into a home for millions of demons."

    "Eventually, this Red Tyrant would be known as the Demon God, who ruled over all demons and even humans to a certain extent for thousands of years."

    After learning about the Demonic Realm and the Red Tyrant, Yuan asked, "I heard multiple times that demons used to rule the Nine Heavens. What happened back then? How did demons evene into existence?"

    "Nobody really knows how demons came into existence, but there is a legend about the first demon appearing from a massive void that suddenly opened up in the starry sky."

    "A void in the starry sky¡­?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    "There are also rumors that this demon was the Red Tyrant, hence why he was so powerful, as he is the first demon. Once this demon showed up, almost like ghosts, demons began appearing around the Nine Heavens, terrorizing the people there."

    "Since nobody knew about demons and how to defeat them, these demons quickly conquered the Nine Heavens with ease. Once that happened, humans were enved and became nothing more than ythings and food for these demons."

    "The demons drank their blood, consumed their meat, chewed their bones¡ª all sorts of horrifying things. Fortunately, almost as though the heavens sent him during the Nine Heavens'' darkest times, a certain individual created techniques that allow cultivators to finally fight back the demons, and that person was the Divine Paragon, Founder of the Demon Sealing n."

    "Although times have changed and it may not seem like it anymore, the Divine Paragon was more than just a hero to many people¡ª he was a savior and god that saved the Nine Heavens."

    "I see¡­" Yuan mumbled in a dazed voice.

    ''I have underestimated the Divine Paragon¡­ He''s much more important and exalted than I''d expected¡­'' He sighed inwardly.

    He knew the Divine Paragon was someone important, but he didn''t think the Divine Paragon was such a bigshot in the Divine Heavens.

    Meanwhile, somewhere in the Fifth Heaven, the sky turned ck, and a gaping hole appeared in the sky above the Fairy Paradise, shocking everybody there.

    Eventually, the people in the Fairy Paradise noticed a figure had appeared from the hole, and they watched as this figure slowly descended.

    Once this person had descended enough, the people in the Fairy Paradise could finally see this figure''s appearance, and he was an old man with this unfathomable aura surrounding him.

    "The Master''s presence lingers in this ce¡­" The old man mumbled in a profound voice as he stared at the Fairy Paradise beneath him.N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.

 Chapter 762 - Immortal

    <h4>Chapter 762 - Immortal</h4>

    "Fairy Empress! We have an emergency!" A woman came running into the Fairy Empress'' room shortly after the gaping hole appeared above the Fairy Paradise.

    "Calm down, I am aware." Fairy Empress said.

    However, despite her calm voice, her face had a huge frown on it, and she was anything but calm.

    ''What is this feeling? I feel an overwhelming presenceing from the hole¡­ I have never experienced anything like this before¡­''

    The Fairy Empress could feel her entire body shivering from fear when she felt this divine presence.

    "All of you stay alert. I am going to see what''s happening."

    "That''s too dangerous! You must stay here, Fairy Empress!"

    "Then do you want to go out there and investigate the hole for me?" The Fairy Empress narrowed her eyes at the woman, who immediately closed her mouth and lowered her head, her answer clear.

    "I thought so." Fairy Empress coldly sneered before flying out the window to approach the hole.

    However, just as she got close to the sky, she noticed a figure descending from this hole, and she immediately recognized that the divine presence she had been feeling this entire time was caused by this figure.

    ''An Immortal! He''s a true Immortal!'' Fairy Empress cried inwardly as she realized his identity.

    Even though it was a guess, she had no doubt that this old man was an Immortal that had reached an unfathomable level in the cultivation path.

    The Fairy Empress wanted to go up to the Immortal and greet him, but she was also afraid to disturb him at the same time.

    Therefore, she could only hover in the sky and silently ponder whether she should approach him or not.

    While the Fairy Empress pondered, she suddenly felt a presence behind her, causing her to turn around.

    "Fuck!"

    The Fairy Empress cursed out loud when she was startled by the old man hovering behind her.

    ''When did he appear behind me?! I didn''t see him move at all, nor did I feel his presence until he allowed me to sense it!'' The Fairy Empress cried inwardly, as she has never been snuck up on like this before.

    Despite her shock, the Fairy Empress straightened her back before bowing to the old man.

    "This Junior greets Senior."

    The old man looked at her with a nonchnt gaze as he spoke, "I am looking for a certain individual."This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    "Do you have any descriptions of this person?" Fairy Empress asked.

    "I do not."

    Although she was a little baffled, the Fairy Empress didn''t change her expression and continued to ask, "Then do you know how we can find this person?"

    "I do not." The old man repeated.

    This left the Fairy Empress speechless. How are they supposed to find someone without any information?

    ''Is he messing with me?'' The Fairy Empress wondered inwardly.

    "No, I am not messing with you." The old man suddenly said.

    "Eh?"

    The Fairy Empress was dumbfounded when he heard the old man''s response, and she thought for a second that she had identally spoken out loud just now.

    "P-Please forgive this Junior!" She quickly apologized to him while thinking to herself, ''Did he just read my mind¡­?''

    And to her absolute surprise, the old man responded once again, "No, I did not read your mind."

    ''He''s definitely reading my mind!''

    Once she realized this, Fairy Empress immediately cleared her mind and tried her best to not think about anything.

    "Anyways, while I do not have any description about this person, he should be very easy to find." The old man said.

    Fairy Empress nodded and paid close attention to his next words.

    "This person¡­ He''s very talented."

    ''He''s definitely messing with me!'' The Fairy Empress cried inwardly.

    However, the old man said, "I know you think I am messing with you, but I am not. This person, he''s not your average genius. He''s a once-in-a-lifetime genius."

    "Also, he was only in this ce for a brief moment not long ago. His surname should also be ''Tian''."

    "Not long ago?" Fairy Empress raised her eyebrows, and a certain individual appeared in her head.

    ''D-Don''t tell me he''s looking for the missing Dragon Emperor¡­?''

    Fairy Empress swallowed nervously when she recalled that the old man could read her mind.

    But to her surprise, he didn''t say anything this time.

    "Do you have someone in mind?" The old man noticed her expression and asked her.

    "Are you talking about the Dragon Emperor, by any chance? He appeared out of the blue a while ago and vanished just as suddenly. We''re also looking for him."

    "Dragon Emperor? Tell me more about him." The old man quickly said.

    The Fairy Empress nodded and began telling the old man about the Dragon Emperor without giving him all of the details, such as detaining him like a prisoner, as she was afraid that might offend this old man.

    "He called himself ''Yuan'', and he told us that he''de to the Fifth Heaven by ident through a teleport formation. The Royal Dragon Family took him to their household, but he disappeared shortly after."

    "The Royal Dragon Family¡­" The old man suddenly turned to look in a certain direction.

    The next moment, the Fairy Empress watched as the old man disappeared in front of her like a ghost. She looked around, and once she was certain that he was gone, she released a relieved sigh before flying back to her pce.

    As for the old man, he went to give the Royal Dragon Family a visit.

    "I can sense his presence here as well¡­ Did he really reincarnate into a Dragon Emperor? No¡­ That shouldn''t be possible¡­" The old man mumbled to himself in a puzzled manner.

    The old man stopped pondering to himself and went inside the Dragon Royal Family''s household without knocking on the door.

    A momentter, he appeared inside the Dragon King''s room.

    Once inside the room, the old man walked to the bed, where the Dragon King was resting.

    The old man stared at the Dragon King''s sleeping face for a moment before releasing a hint of killing intent.

    "Motherfucker!" The Dragon King jumped out of his bed the instant he sensed the killing intent that nearly gave him a heart attack.

    Of course, a hint of killing intenting from an Immortal would be more than enough to startle even a Spirit Emperor to death.

 Chapter 763 - Heavens Mandate

    After springing up from his bed, the Dragon King looked around in a confused look.

    "W-What in the heavens'' name was that killing intent just now?"

    The Dragon King was left puzzled when there was nobody in his room.

    "Did I have a nightmare because of my stress? I haven''t been able to sleep properly since the Dragon Emperor disappeared, after all¡­" The Dragon King released a deep sigh.

    However, just as the Dragon Kingid back down on the bed, he heard a voice resound inside his room, and the voice sounded like it was responding to him.

    "No, you''re not dreaming."

    The Dragon King''s eyes snapped wide open, and that''s when he saw the old man standing beside his bed.

    "Fuck! It''s a ghost!" The Dragon King screamed for his life.

    "Ghost? Can a ghost do this?" The old man suddenly released this divine aura that even though the Dragon King has never experienced before, he instinctively as a cultivator knew that this aura belonged to an immortal.

    "I-I-Immortal?!"

    The Dragon King was even more shocked to learn that he had been woken up by an Immortal than a ghost!

    "I am looking for someone. Can you tell me more about this Dragon Emperor that you took to your household not long ago?"

    "T-The Dragon Emperor?"

    It took awhile for the Dragon King to process the situation, but when he eventually did, he immediately kowtowed on the bed and apologized, "I''m sorry! The Dragon Emperor had disappeared in my home! We have been searching for him nonstop since his disappearance, but we haven''t had any luck!"

    The Dragon King mistook the old man as someone the Royal Dragon Family had sent because the Dragon Emperor hasn''t returned to his original home.

    "Tell me, why do you call him the ''Dragon Emperor''? And what does he look like?" The old man asked the Dragon King even though he already asked the Fairy Empress, as he wanted to confirm the information.

    "Why? He was wearing an authentic pair of Golden Dragon Robes, he had a Dragon Spatial Ring, and he can even use Dragon''s Gaze!" The Dragon King responded.

    And he continued, "As for his appearance, he was a young man with long ck hair and brown eyes. His face also looked pure and kind."

    The old man silently pondered, ''They say he''s a Dragon Emperor, but that''s only because of his treasures. It doesn''t really prove that he''s a Dragon Emperor. Anybody can acquire the Golden Dragon Robe and the Dragon Spatial Ring in the upper heavens if they really try. As for his Dragon''s Gaze¡­ The Master and the Dragon Ancestor were like brothers, it wouldn''t be weird at all if the Dragon Ancestor taught him Dragon''s Gaze.''

    "You said this Dragon Emperor suddenly disappeared, is that correct?"

    "Yes, that is correct. I left him in one of our guest rooms to rest, and when I went to check on himter, he was already gone."

    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.

    "And you have no idea where he could have gone?"

    "Unfortunately. We have searched everywhere, but we couldn''t find him, almost as though he never existed in the first ce¡ª"

    The Dragon King stopped talking when he suddenly realized the old man had disappeared.

    "Eh?"

    The Dragon King looked around the room, and to make sure the old man wasn''t hiding somewhere to startle him again, he walked around the room, even checking his closets.

    "He''s really gone¡­ Or maybe he was never here in the first ce? Was I hallucinating this entire time? Fuck. I really need some rest¡­" The Dragon King shook his head and went back to bed, quickly falling asleep.

    Meanwhile, the old man hovered above the Dragon Royal Family without alerting a single soul there.

    "As expected of the Master, you''re a hard one to find. I thought it would be easier this time, but s¡­"

    "I would like to investigate a little more, but I am out of time. It won''t be long before they arrive."

    The old man shook his head and disappeared from the Fifth Heavens the next moment, almost as though he''d never existed.

    An hour after the old man disappeared from the Fifth Heaven, the sky suddenly turned golden, and the world became illuminated by this holy light.

    A massive hole appeared in the sky once again, but it was muchrger than the previous.

    The people of the Fifth Heaven were shocked by this scene, but what they witnessed next waspletely out of their expectations.

    "F-Fairy Empress! Look! There''s so many people descending from the hole in the sky!"

    "My eyes are working just fine!" The Fairy Empress frowned at the scene.

    In the sky, a thousand figures wearing silver armor and standing in a formation appeared from the gaping hole, and they all emitted a heavenly aura that made people subconsciously revere them.

    There was also a person in front of these soldiers, who was clearly leading this thousand-strong army.

    This person was holding onto arge g that had the words ''Heaven''s Mandate'' on it, and when people saw this g, they all got onto their knees and lowered their heads, almost as though they were afraid to confront this g.

    "Heaven''s Mandate¡­? What in heavens'' name is the Celestial Emperor''s army doing in the Fifth Heaven¡­?" The Fairy Empress muttered to herself in a low voice after she recognized the g.

    Even though this is her first time seeing these people, she knew who they were and what they represented at nce. In fact, this was the case for everyone in the Fifth Heaven.

    And as the Lord of the Fifth Heaven, the Fairy Empress was obligated to greet them, and that''s exactly what she did after preparing herself.

    "Greetings, Heaven''s Mandate. I am the Lord of the Fifth Heaven, Fairy Empress." She bowed to them in a respectful manner.

    The man leading the army approached her and spoke in a cold voice, "I am General Li, and I am in charge of the 3rd squad of the Heaven''s Mandate. We have been tasked with capturing a dangerous criminal by the Celestial Emperor himself, and we have sensed his presence in this world not long ago."

    "Dangerous criminal?" The Fairy Empress raised her eyebrows, and for whatever reason, the old man appeared in her mind.

 Chapter 764 - Stolen Memories

    "You seem to know something." General Li said when he noticed the Fairy Empress'' expression.

    "You see, a gaping hole appeared in the sky above the Fairy Paradise that''s right beneath us about an hour before your arrival, and an old man with an unfathomable aura descended from it¡ª"

    Before the Fairy Empress could even finish her sentence, General Li eximed, "That''s him! What did you two speak about?!"

    "N-Nothing much. He was looking for a certain individual, but he couldn''t give any description or information about this individual. However, he did give me a surname¡ª Tian."

    The Fairy Empress noticed General Li''s face twisting with fear after hearing her words, and she wondered what this was all about.

    "T-T-This ''Tian'' individual¡­ Have you seen him?" General Li asked her after a moment of silence.

    "I don''t know. I did tell the old man about a certain individual I came across not long ago, and the old man appeared to be interested in him." Fairy Empress said.

    "Who?! Tell me everything you know about this person! There is only one person in the Nine Heavens that would make that old mane out of his hiding so tantly! He must have sensed this person''s presence here!"

    The Fairy Empress quickly opened her mouth to respond, but she didn''t utter a single word even many momentster.

    General Li raised his eyebrows in a puzzled manner, "What''s the matter, Fairy Empress?"

    However, the Fairy Empress was just as puzzled as General Li.

    "I-I don''t know¡­ I can''t remember for some reason¡­" Fairy Empress responded in a dumbfounded voice.

    "I know I have met this person before, but I cannot remember his face or our conversations¡­ It''s almost as though it had been wiped from my memories¡­" Fairy Empress continued to exin her phenomenon.

    "..."

    Despite Fairy Empress'' crazy talk, General Li did not seem to be angry at her. In fact, he had a look of understanding on his face.

    "You just had your memories stolen by the old man." General Li said, shocking the Fairy Empress.

    "W-What do you mean I had my memories ''stolen''?" She asked.

    "The old man has a forbidden technique that can steal one''s memories. He usually surprises his victims before taking away their memories, as that makes it easier for him to steal your memories." General Li exined to him.

    Fairy Empress'' eyes widened with surprise upon learning about this information. Is this why the old man scared her by appearing behind her like a ghost?

    ''He did that to steal my memories? But I didn''t even realize my memories had been stolen, and I probably would''ve never realized it if General Li never told me¡­''

    "Why did he not steal my memories of him? Wouldn''t that be more logical?" Fairy Empress asked a momentter.

    "Because he''s arrogant like that. He is aware that we''ve been chasing him, and he purposefully allowed us to chase him. The reason he left your memories of him is so that we could confirm his presence had been here."

    After pondering for a bit, Fairy Empress spoke, "Even though he''d stolen my memories, there are other people that have seen this person he''s looking for!"

    However, General Li shook his head and said, "That won''t work. The moment the old man stole your memories, he would know everyone that''s involved and steal their memories as well. Although I am confident that''s the case, we will still investigate just in case he''d slip up. After all, it''s been thousands of years since hest showed up."

    Fairy Empress swallowed nervously.

    She then led General Li and his people to see those who had met with Yuan before. Even though her memories had been stolen, it was only her memories of meeting and speaking with Yuan.

    Sometimeter, General Li met with Elder Xue and the disciples that had met with Yuan before.

    Of course, thedies were surprised to see so many men inside the Fairy Paradise. However, it was not as though the Fairy Empress could do anything about the situation, as these people were working directly for the Celestial Emperor, the most powerful individual in the Nine Heavens.

    "Have you seen an old man recently?" Fairy Empress asked them.

    And to her surprise, all of them nodded their heads.

    "I thought I was only seeing things. The old man appeared behind me like a ghost while I was working inside my room, but when I blinked, he was gone." Elder Xue said.

    "That happened to me as well! I was taking a bath in theke when I noticed an old man staring at me from behind the trees. I was terrified at that time, but when I looked again, he had vanished like a ghost!"

    Everybody there recalled their experience with the creepy old man who was appearing and vanishing like a real ghost.

    General Li wasn''t surprised, but just in case, he asked them about their encounter with Yuan.

    In the end, none of them could remember Yuan''s face or their conversations with him, but they could remember their encounter with him.

    Sometimeter, General Li said to the Fairy Empress, "If he ever shows up again or you remember something about this ''Tian'', use this jade slip to contact me."

    General Li and his thousand-strong army departed the Fairy Paradise and went to the Royal Dragon Family.

    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.

    Inside the royal guest room, the Dragon King sat before General Li with a profound frown on his face.

    "I cannot remember this person''s face or name, but I do recall his identity as a Dragon Emperor." The Dragon King said.

    "Dragon Emperor?" General Li raised his eyebrows.

    "Yes, the old man asked me about the Dragon Emperor. I remember taking the Dragon Emperor to our home, but he disappeared shortly after. That''s the extent of my memories." The Dragon King sighed.

    And he asked General Li, "If you don''t mind me asking, why are you looking for this old man? I thought he was only a hallucination of mine because of myck of sleep."

    After a moment of silence, General Li spoke in a solemn voice, "The day the old man reunites with ''Tian'', the Nine Heavens will erupt with chaos.. That''s all I can say since that''s all I know."

 Chapter 765 - Within The Seventh Heaven

    "The Nine Heavens will erupt with chaos¡­? That sounds like a cmity I don''t want to experience¡­" The Dragon King muttered in a dazed voice.

    He could''ve never imagined how serious the situation was, and he couldn''t fathom how an old man meeting with someone could possibly start a cmity in the Nine Heavens.

    "Anyways, I will speak with everyone that has encountered this person the old man wiped from their memories just in case they remember." General Li said to the Dragon King.

    The Dragon King nodded his head and proceeded to send everyone that had encountered Yuan to speak with General Li.

    In the end, all of them had their memories stolen from them.

    "That old man stole our memories? How is that even possible? He never even got close to me!"

    The victims were in disbelief after learning about it.

    "The old man possesses an ancient technique that allows him to steal your memories. Although it loses its effects in the upper heavens, this technique works wlessly against cultivators with inferior cultivation."

    "Anyways, I have spent enough time here. I must return and report my findings to the Celestial Emperor."

    General Li left the Royal Dragon Family''s household shortly after and returned to the upper heavens with the rest of the Heaven''s Mandate.

    Meanwhile, somewhere in the upper heavens, the old man returned to the jade tablet and sighed, "After looking at their memories of you, I am reminded of your brilliance during your prime days."

    "Oh, how I wish I could watch you grow this time as well¡­"

    "But s, it seems like fate is trying its hardest to keep me away from you. This must be those bastards'' doing."

    "Unfortunately for them, not even fate can hold you down now. It will only be a matter of time before you return to us and seize the heaven that you rightfully own."

    The old man lowered his body until he was on his knees, and he kowtowed to the jade tablet in a revering manner, almost as though he was praying to his god.

    While all of this was happening, Yuan was listening to Yan Hara talk about the Demonic Realm.

    "And soon after the Divine Paragon sealed off the Demonic Realm, pretty much everyone had forgotten about it, as it was no longer of their concern. Any questions?" Yan Hara asked him.

    "Just one." Yuan nodded, and he continued to ask, "Where is the Demonic Realm right now?"

    "Where?" Yan Hara raised her eyebrows, wondering to herself why he wanted to know such information, as it sounded like he wanted to go there.

    "It''s located in the Seventh Heaven, and it''s heavily guarded by the Demon Sealing n and the Demon Sealing Grotto to make sure nobody messes with the seal. Why do you want to know? Do you want to visit the ce?" Yan Hara had to ask him.

    Yuan didn''t lie and confirmed her suspicions, "Yes, I am a little interested in the Demonic Realm, and I was wondering if I could take a look at it."

    "Unfortunately, only those at the top of the Demon Sealing n are allowed to get close to the Demonic Realm. Anybody that tries to get close without permission, regardless of their identity, will be in. The Demon Sealing n takes the safety of the seal extremely seriously, after all."

    "If you really want to visit the ce, you will need to increase your influence within the Demon Sealing n. If you be the founder, you can go anywhere you want." Yan Hara said with a suggestive smile on her face.

    "You really want me to be the founder, huh?" Yuan couldn''t help but smile at her stubbornness.

    "If you be the founder, it will almost be like the Divine Paragon has returned¡ª like living a historical event."

    "I will think about it." Yuan sighed.

    "Please do." Yan Hara chuckled.

    Sometimeter, Yuan asked Yan Hara, "Now that I am an Advanced Demon Sealer, can I take a look at the demon sealing techniques?"

    "Sure thing. Follow me." Yan Hara stood up and brought Yuan to another room, where twelve jade tablets existed.

    Yuan immediately began looking through the tablets, and he realized that he recognized a couple of these techniques from his memories.

    As the creator of these techniques, he should recognize all of these techniques, but he only recovered a small portion of his memories, hence his situation.

    "I''m going to spend a few days here if you don''t mind." Yuan turned to look at Yan Hara.

    "You can stay here for as long as you''d like. If you have any questions, I will always be here." Yan Hara said.

    She then retrieved a jade slip from her spatial ring before handing it to him.

    "This is mymunication jade slip. Use this to contact me whenever you''re in the Grand Library and have any questions."

    "Thank you." Yuan epted the jade slip.

    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.

    "Then I will leave you alone for now." Yan Hara said to him before leaving the ce.

    Once he was left alone, Yuan sat before one of the jade tablets and began trying toprehend the technique.

    While Yuan focused on the jade tablets, the other cultivators there would watch him from a distance.

    "Isn''t he the rumored ''little founder''?"

    "I think so. He looks so much like the Divine Paragon''s statue."

    "I thought it was a hoax, but now that I am seeing him with my own eyes, I feel a little foolish."

    The people in the room wanted to approach Yuan out of curiosity, but seeing how he was focused on the jade tablet, nobody bothered him.

    "I heard he epted Senior Yan as his lecturer? What a lucky one. Many people want to be taught by her, but she always refuses them. I think he is her first student."

    "I would be surprised if she didn''t ept him.. Didn''t you know that she''s a huge Divine Paragon fanatic? Rumor has it that she''s even part of some cult that treats the Divine Paragon as their god."

 Chapter 766 - Divine Paragon Fanatics

    A couple of days have passed since Yuan started studying the Divine-rank demon sealing techniques, and he has managed to learn all 12 techniques in this short time.

    ''It''s almost time for me to visit the Qi Family. Thankfully, I managed to learn all of these techniques before then.'' Yuan thought to himself as he prepared to leave.

    However, right as he prepared to log off, Yan Hara showed up in the room and said to him, "Little founder! I want you to meet a few of my friends!"

    "Huh?"

    Yuan turned to look at the entrance, and to his surprise, there was a small group of beautiful women being led by Yan Hara.

    The moment these beautiful womenid their eyes on Yuan, they began screaming¡ª the excitement type of scream.

    "Whaaa! It''s really him! I am having a hard time believing it even though he''s standing right there!"

    "Heavens! He really looks like the Divine Paragon!"

    "I thought you were exaggerating, but s! I''m sorry for doubting you, Senior Sister!"

    The group of women quickly surrounded Yuan and even started touching him as though he was a doll.

    "H-Hey! I told you girls that you cannot touch him!" Yan Hara quickly intervened.

    "Sorry, little founder. These girls are all big fans of the Divine Paragon, and they begged me to take them to you after they heard the rumors."

    "It''s alright." Yuan said with a stiff smile on his face. He wasn''t unfamiliar with being idolized. In fact, he has been in even more crowded situations.

    "Excuse me, little founder! Can I take a picture of you?" One of thedies there suddenly asked him.

    "Huh? A picture?" Yuan raised his eyebrows. He wondered how taking pictures work in this world.

    "I will give you this treasure as apensation!" The woman then showed him a beautiful ne that radiated with a profound aura.

    "Whoa! Are you seriously going to trade that treasure for a picture, Junior Sister?"

    Yuan silently stared at the ne for a moment before shaking his head.

    "It''s fine, I don''t need the treasure. It''s just a picture, right? I will do it for free." Yuan said to her.

    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    "Really?! Thank you! Really! Thank you, little founder!" The woman was ecstatic by the results.

    "Please, follow me!" The woman said to him.

    Yuan nodded and followed her to the area with the Divine Paragon''s statue.

    "Can you stand beside the statue and look in my direction?"

    "Sure."

    Once Yuan was standing beside the statue, the woman said, "Now can you do this pose?"

    Seeing her pose, Yuan ced his arms behind his back like a schr.

    "Great! Now give me the best smile you''ve got!"

    Yuan pondered for a moment before putting a gentle smile on his face.

    "T-That''s perfect! Now stay like that for a few minutes!"

    The woman suddenly retrieved arge piece of nk paper and a brush, and she quickly began drawing on the piece of paper while staring at Yuan the entire time.

    ''This is what she meant by ''taking a picture''?'' Yuan was dumbfounded by the results. He could''ve never predicted that she would start drawing him on the spot with a brush.

    About fifteen minutester, the woman finally stopped looking at Yuan to look at the result of her art.

    "Perfect!" The woman eximed in a trembling voice.

    She then turned the paper around to show Yuan her work, and to his absolute surprise, the art looked incredibly surreal, almost as though he was actually living inside the painting!

    "What do you think?" She asked him.

    "I-I''m speechless. I have never seen such a beautiful painting before, and it only took you a few minutes to draw such a masterpiece!" Yuan couldn''t fathom it.

    The woman didn''t change her brush during the entire process, so he expected the painting to be ck and white, but when he saw the painting, it was vivid with colors!

    "You may not believe it, but she''s actually a really famous painter within the Nine Heavens." Yan Hara said to him.

    "There are many people out there that wish to be painted by her, and it would usually cost them an arm and leg." Yan Hara chuckled. This is actually her first time seeing this woman willing to draw someone for free! In fact, she even wanted to pay to paint him!

    "Anyways, I demand a copy of that painting, Sister Sun. I am the reason you got that painting today, after all."

    Sister Sun nodded and said, "Don''t worry, I will make a copy for everyone in the family."

    "Family? You''re siblings?" Yuan asked.

    "Not that kind of family." Yan Hara showed him a mysterious smile.

    Seeing her weird smile, Yuan figured that it would be for the best if he didn''t ask about it.

    "Little founder, here." Sister Sun suddenly extended her hand to him.

    Yuan looked at the ne in her hand and shook his head, "I already said I don''t need any payment."

    "I know. This is not a payment. This is a gift to celebrate our encounter. That''s all."

    Although Yuan was still reluctant to ept such a precious-looking treasure, he had to ept it when Sister Sun basically forced it into his hands.

    "Thank you¡­" Yuan said to her afterward.

    Sometimeter, Yuan said to Yan Hara, "Senior, I will be away for a while. I don''t know when I will return to this ce."

    "That''spletely fine, but try to show up a month from now. There will be apetition amongst demon sealers. I will tell you more about it when the timees."

    "Okay. A month, right? I will be here."

    After speaking with thedies for a couple more minutes, Yuan logged off Cultivation Online and began his preparations for his trip to the Qi Family.

    Near the end of the day, the Manager showed up to his house to notify him that they will be leaving tomorrow.

    "Meet me in the front at sunrise." She said to him.

    "I understand.." Yuan acknowledged.

 Chapter 767 - Fearing For His Life

    "By the way, how long will I be staying with the Qi Family?" Yuan asked the Manager before she left.

    "You can leave whenever you want," she said to him as she walked away.

    That night, Chu Liuxiang asked him, "You''ll be visiting my Master''s family tomorrow, right? Can Ie with you?"

    "The Mountain Lord said that I should go alone since the Qi Family doesn''t like guests." Yuan said.

    "I see¡­ How long will you be gone for?"This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    "I''m not sure, but I will try toe back as soon as possible."

    "Stay safe out there."

    "The only one I need to be wary of is your master. I hope she doesn''t hold a grudge after because I left her sealed." Yuan sighed.

    "Master may be arrogant and a little hot-headed, she''s not an unreasonable person. If you speak with her, I''m sure she''ll forgive you."

    "I hope so."

    "Good night, darling."

    "Good night."

    The following morning, Yuan met up with the Manager, who was waiting at the front of his building in a luxurious red car.

    "Get in the back," she said to him.

    Once Yuan was in the car, the Manager took off and began driving down the mountain.

    However, the speed she was descending the mountain at was a little unnatural¡ª unnaturally fast.

    Yuan quickly realized that the Manager was a reckless driver who would drift at even the slightest curve in the road, and she was basically speeding down the mountain at a ridiculous speed.

    Yuan has never really feared for his life outside of Cultivation Online, but riding in the same car as the Manager made him feel insecure about his safety, and he worried that they might die at any moment.

    Once they left the Dragon Spiral Mountain, Yuan expected the Manager to slow down, but s, she only sped up.

    "S-Shouldn''t you slow down a little?" Yuan could no longer stay silent and said to her.

    "Why?" The Manager said, dumbfounding him.

    "Why¡­? It''s dangerous to be going this fast, not to mention illegal¡­"

    "We''ll be fine." The Manager said in a nonchnt manner before increasing the speed by ten more miles.

    By now, they were going at least 140 miles per hour, and Yuan was prepared to jump out of the car at any moment.

    After a few minutes of this madness, Yuan could hear the sound of police sirens ring from behind them.

    However, instead of stopping for the police, the Manager actually increased the speed!

    ''She''s crazy!'' Yuan cried inwardly. He never expected the Manager to be such a lunatic, and he swore to himself that he would never sit in a car with her ever again as long as she was behind the wheels.

    The police sirens only got louder as more and more police cars appeared behind them, yet the car continued to zoom forward.

    Eventually, they arrived at a spacious lot that had a dozen airnes and even private jets stationed.

    Once they arrived before a specific red jet, the Manager finally stopped the car.

    The moment their car stopped, the police cars that had been chasing them immediately surrounded the car.

    "Get out of the vehicle with your hands up!" One of the policemen shouted with a megaphone right in front of his mouth.

    "What now?" Yuan asked.

    The Manager didn''t respond to him and took out her own megaphone before speaking into it with a tranquil voice, "Why don''t you idiots run the license already and get out of my way?"

    When the police heard her words, they immediately ran her car''s license te through their system.

    Once the results came in, the entire ce turned dead silent.

    Yuan could see the police mumbling to each other, but he couldn''t hear their words.

    A few minutester, the policeman with the megaphone spoke again, but he sounded more respectful this time, "There has been a misunderstanding. Please forgive us. We''ll leave you alone right now."

    "W-What?" Yuan was baffled by the polices'' confusing response.

    He thought they were only ying along for the heck of it, but sure enough, the police returned to their cars before driving away as though nothing had happened.

    "This is the influence of the Dragon Spiral Mountain, and as long as you live within the mountain, you represent us. Never forget this." The Manager suddenly said to him.

    "You caused all of this chaos just to prove this point?" Yuan was utterly speechless.

    "No, this is how I normally drive."

    The Manager then got out of the car and said to him, "Let''s go."

    Yuan immediately frowned when he saw the Manager walking towards the jet before them.

    "Don''t tell me you''re going to drive this ne as well?" He asked her while silently hoping that was not the case.

    "No, I am not."

    Yuan sighed a breath of relief after hearing her words, but he almost choked on air after hearing her next sentence.

    "You''re going to be the one driving it."

    "You want a blind man with no experience to drive a ne? Is this some kind of punishment you''re giving me because of what I did to the Chu Family?" Yuan had a feeling that she was making things difficult for him on purpose as a way to punish him.

    "I have no idea what you''re talking about. As for driving the ne, even a 10-year-old can do it. Hurry up and get on the ne already. We''re going to bete at this rate." The Manager said as she entered the ne.

    "What about your car?"

    "Just leave it there. Somebody will take care of itter," she said.

    Once they were both inside the ne, the Manager shut the door and led him to the cockpit.

    She pointed at the obvious red button and said, "Just press that button and the ne will enter auto-pilot. I am going to sleep, so you''re going to watch the ne. Don''t press anything else unless you want to crash the ne."

    And without exining anything else, the Manager went to one of the rooms in the back to sleep, leaving Yuan alone and dumbfounded in the cockpit.

 Chapter 768 - Qi Family

    After staring at the red button for a few minutes, Yuan eventually gave up and pressed it, his fingers trembling while doing so.

    Immediately after pressing the button, the ne began to move, and Yuan watched as the ne turned towards the flight path and started moving without needing him to do anything.

    A few momentster, they were in the air.

    Seeing that they were flying without any problems, Yuan released a sigh of relief, but even then, he could not leave the cockpit unattended, so he sat in one of the two chairs and proceeded to just enjoy the scenery with his divine sense.

    Of course, since he was using divine sense, he was able to see the Manager sleeping peacefully inside her room.

    "She really went to sleep¡­" He thought she was only saying that to mess with him, but turns out she was telling the truth.

    And while he sat in the cockpit, Yuan would use this time to continue trying to learn Technique Transmission.

    Eight hourster, Yuan noticed the ne tilting downwards.

    "It''s descending? This should mean we''re close to the Qi Family."

    Half an hourter, the nended itself on a medium-sized ind surrounded by water.

    "The Qi Family really lives on an ind..."

    Sometimeter, Yuan left the cockpit and went to knock on the Manager''s door.

    "Manager, we have arrived."

    However, the Manager remained sleeping inside.

    Yuan knocked on the door a couple more times before going into her room and shaking her awake.

    "Manager! Wake up! We havended!"

    "Huh?"

    The Manager sat up on the bed with a drowsy expression and saliva drooling from her mouth.

    She stared at Yuan for a moment before snapping out of her daze and shouting with a flushed face, "G-Get out! I will be with youter!"

    "Alright." Yuan said with a smile on his face, which only made the Manager''s face flush even more.

    After leaving the ne, Yuan waited for the Manager, who showed up five minutester with a cold expression on her face, and she looked more angry than normal.

    "Follow me," she said as she walked ahead.

    Meanwhile, a few miles ahead, the Qi Family was preparing for the meeting.

    "Qi Fang,e with us. There''s going to be a meeting with the Manager of the Dragon Spiral Mountain soon. Apparently, the Lord wants us to work with someone to deal with the demons in the mountain." An old man said to a beautiful woman when he encountered her in the hallways.

    "Okay." Qi Fang nodded, and she followed him into the meeting room.

    Once they were seated, Qi Fang said, "I know the 11 demons within the Dragon Spiral Mountain is a cmity waiting to happen, but we should deal with our own problem before we help others."

    "I know what you''re thinking, but we''re also receiving help from him. This person they''re sending here¡ª he will assist us with our problem."

    "Who is this person, anyway?"

    "The Lord didn''t give any specifics, but he did guarantee us that he''s very experienced with demons."

    "Experienced with demons?" Qi Fang frowned upon hearing this.

    ''I swear to god, if it''s that bastard¡­''

    Meanwhile, after walking for about half an hour, Yuan and the Manager arrived before the Qi Family''s household.

    Once they were at the front gate, the Manager rang the bell and waited for a response.

    A few momentster, a middle-aged woman wearing traditional clothing showed up to open the gate.

    "Wee to the Qi Family, Manager. The elders are expecting your presence in the meeting room."

    The Manager and Yuan entered the estate and followed the middle-aged woman to a medium-sized building shaped like a pavilion beside the main household.

    The middle-aged woman knocked on the door and said out loud, "Elders, the Manager and her friend have arrived."

    "Let them in!" A voice quickly responded.

    The middle-aged woman opened the door and gestured for them to enter.

    Once they entered the building, Yuan immediately felt an unpleasant gaze directed at him, and when he looked at this person giving him the res, it was a familiar face.

    Sure enough, it was Senior Qi, who was also known as Qi Fang.

    "Wee, Manager and little friend." An old man stood up and greeted them with sped hands.

    Yuan returned his greetings and said, "Good morning, my name is Yuan."

    "Yuan? The one who assisted the Six Spiritual Families in subjugating the demon? I heard about you. I didn''t think you would be the oneing here today." The old woman sitting beside the old man said.

    "By the way, I am Qi Huan," she added.

    "I''m Qi Man, retired patriarch of the Qi Family." The old man said.

    "Qi Fang¡­" Senior Qi said in a low voice.

    "Hm? What''s the matter, Qi''er? Why do you have a frown on your face?" Qi Man asked her.

    "It''s nothing." Qi Fang stopped frowning the next moment.

    Nobody in the Qi Family was aware of her fight with Yuan, as it was too embarrassing for her to admit that she''d lost to a junior like him.

    "Anyways, have a seat." Qi Huan pointed at the chairs.

    Once they sat down, the Manager said, "As the Lord has promised, Yuan will help you with your problem. In return, you will help us with our problem."This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    "Of course. If he can really assist us, we will spare no effort dealing with your demons."

    "Huh? You never told me anything about helping them." Yuan suddenly said.

    "You didn''t?" The Qi Family turned to look at the Manager with raised eyebrows.

    "I forgot," said the Manager in a calm voice.

    She then turned to look at Yuan and continued, "You will be helping them kill a demon."

    "What?!" Yuan eximed.

    He thought he came here to make friends with the Qi Family, not kill demons for them! Furthermore, why would they need his help when they are all demon sealers themselves? It made no sense!

 Chapter 769 - Entering Seclusion

    <h4>Chapter 769 - Entering Seclusion</h4>

    "W-Wait a second! Why do you need my help killing a demon? Aren''t you guys a demon sealing n? If you need my help killing your demon, how will you help us with our 11 demons?!" Yuan asked them what was on his mind.

    "I understand your confusion, so allow me to exin it to you." Qi Man said.

    And he continued, "Although we are indeed a family that has dedicated itself to dealing with demons since ancient times, we do not actually have the capability to kill demons, only prolong their seal."

    "There is a powerful demon that is currently sealed on this ind, but it''s seal is getting weaker. We have been resealing this demon since ancient times, and it has gotten to the point where our techniques are no longer effective on it, so it will eventually break out of its seal and kill us all, and it is only a matter of time before it happens."

    "We heard rumors that the Six Spiritual Families had managed to kill a demon, but we do not entirely believe such a rumor. After all, the Six Spiritual Families do not have the capability to seal demons, much less kill them."

    "Since you were there, can you enlighten us on how such a thing happened? We tried asking them about it, but they refused to tell us the truth."

    After a moment of silence, Yuan said, "Because I was the one who killed the demon, and they hid the fact to protect me."

    The room immediately fell silent.

    Qi Fang already knew this fact, but her grandparents were hearing this information for the first time, so they wore shocked expressions on their faces afterward.

    "Y-You killed the demon? H-How?" Qi Man eventually snapped out of his daze to ask.

    "Sorry, it''s not that I don''t want to tell you, I just don''t know how to exin it." Yuan shook his head.

    The old couples exchanged looks with each other.

    After a moment of silence, Qi Man stood up and said, "Follow me. I will show you the demon."

    Yuan nodded and followed them outside.

    After following this narrow path to an open area, Yuan could see over a dozen people guarding thisrge tree on a small hill.

    When they got close, the guards greeted the old couple.

    "Let us through. My friend here would like to see the demon." Qi Man said.

    The guards turned to look at Yuan and nodded silently, not that they had any choice.

    Once they were on the hill, Qi Man pointed at the tree and said, "There is a demon sealed within this tree. Go around it and you should see it."

    Yuan nodded and walked around this tree, and sure enough, he could see a hideous-looking demon with a bulky body coexisting with this tree.

    Dong!

    The moment Yuan approached this demon, the entire ind began shaking.

    "It won''t be long before this demon breaks out of its seal. This is already the 4th earthquake this month." Qi Huan sighed.

    "Do you think you can kill it without breaking it out of its seal?" Qi Man asked him.

    "In order to kill a demon, you must separate its core with the body or destroy the demon faster than it can regenerate." Yuan said.

    "Since it''s sealed, I won''t be able to extract its core without breaking it out of the seal. As for the second method¡­ I''m not sure I am capable of killing a demon, but I can try."

    "Really? Does this mean you''ll help us?" Qi Huan asked him.

    "I will help you if you ept one of my conditions."

    "What condition?"

    "I get to keep its demon core after killing it."

    "Demon core?" Qi Man raised his eyebrows.

    This is his first time hearing about such a thing.

    "If you kill the demon, it''s only natural that you get whatever it leaves behind."

    "Okay. I will need to prepare first." Yuan said.

    "Whatever you need, my Qi Family will supply it."

    "I don''t need anything, only time and a ce where I cannot be disturbed."

    After all, he only needed to learn the Heaven Splitting Sword Strike to kill the demon.

    "I know the perfect ce. Follow me."

    Yuan then followed Qi Man back down the hill and onto another path, which led him to arge cave.

    "Immortal Caves?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    "That''s right. This is our Qi Family''s immortal caves. The spiritual energy here is the best, and you won''t be disturbed by anybody."

    "How long do you think you will need to prepare?" Qi Man then asked.

    "A week to be safe."

    "I understand." Qi Man nodded.

    Yuan then turned to the Manager and asked her, "Can you let my friends back at home know about the situation? I don''t want them to worry when I don''t return even after a week."This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    The Manager silently nodded.

    "Thank you."

    Yuan entered one of the avable Immortal Caves shortly after and went into seclusion to learn the Heaven Splitting Sword Strike.

    Once Yuan went into seclusion, the Qi Family and the Manager returned to the household.

    "Do you really think he is capable of killing the demon? He looks too young¡­" Qi Huan expressed her worries to the Manager.

    "..."

    After a moment of silence, the Manager said, "I don''t know, but the Lord seems to believe in his abilities."

    "Well, I think he''s a lot more capable than he appears." Qi Fang suddenly said.

    The old couple turned to look at her and said, "You have been acting weird all day long. Do you, by any chance, know that boy?"

    Qi Fang''s eyebrows twitched after hearing their words, and after releasing a deep sigh, she decided to tell them the truth¡ª at least some of it.

    "Yes, I know him. We met very briefly at the Chu Family, and we had an exchange with each other.. It was during that time that I experienced for myself a little of what he''s capable of, and he''s a lot stronger than he looks."

 Chapter 770 - I Will Handle It

    After speaking with the Qi Family, the Manager called Meixiu''s phone to let her know about the situation.

    "Hello?"

    "This is the Manager of the Dragon Spiral Mountain. Is this Meixiu''s phone number?"

    "Yes, this is Meixiu speaking. Did something happen to Yuan?" Meixiu quickly asked about Yuan.

    "No, I am just calling to let you know that he will be staying at the Qi Family for a little longer than anticipated."

    "..."

    "I understand¡­ Can I speak to him?" Meixiu asked after a moment of silence.

    "Unfortunately, he''s currently in seclusion, so he will not be able to speak with you."

    "W-Wait¡­ What do you mean by that? Why is he in seclusion?"

    The Manager proceeded to exin the whole situation to Meixiu.

    "He''s going to fight a demon?!" Meixiu''s anxious voice resounded after hearing everything.

    "Not exactly. He''s going to exterminate a sealed demon."

    "How is that any different?" Meixiu frowned.

    "Does it really matter? In the end, he agreed to it."

    "How long will this take?"

    "About a week," said the Manager.

    "I understand¡­ I will tell the others. Just make sure he''s safe¡­"

    "As much as I hate that idea, it is my job as the Manager of the Dragon Spiral Mountain to keep its residents safe¡­ No matter how much I dislike that resident."

    Once the connection stopped, Meixiu went to notify the others about the situation while the Manager and the Qi Family waited for Yuan to emerge from his seclusion.

    A week passed by in a sh, and during this time, the ind shook three more times.

    "Is heing out of his seclusion anytime soon? It''s already been a week, and the demon is showing signs of unsealing." Qi Fangined as she stood in front of Yuan''s immortal cave with the others.

    "You know what? I think we should go inside and see what the hell is taking him so long! We don''t have any more time!"

    Just as Qi Fang began approaching the immortal cave, a figure emerged from the cave entrance.

    "Took you long enough! I sincerely hope that you''re fully prepared! It''s been a week!" Qi Fang said to Yuan, who just finished his seclusion.

    "Sorry, it took longer than expected." Yuan said.

    Since the Heaven Splitting Sword Strike is actually part of another Divine-rank technique, he had to improve his Heaven''s Secret Art first, which is harder than learning even an Ancient-rank technique.

    "I am ready to kill the demon. Let''s go." Yuan then said.

    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    Sometimeter, they arrived at the tree on the hill.

    "So¡­ How are you going to exterminate it?" Qi Man asked once they were standing in front of the sealed demon that had cracks appearing all over its body.

    "I am going to destroy it using my technique."

    "Technique? A demon sealing technique?"

    "No, it''s a powerful technique that can obliterate everything in its path. I have killed a demon before using this technique." Yuan said.

    "Stay back. I don''t want anybody to be caught up in the st."

    Once everybody was at a safe distance, Yuan summoned the Empyrean Overlord and started gathering all of the spiritual energy in the air.

    "What the heck is he doing¡­?" Qi Fang mumbled in a low voice.

    "I don''t know, but whatever he''s doing, it''s going to be big and powerful¡­" The Manager said in a dazed voice.

    She has never seen such a massive amount of spiritual energy gathered in one spot before.

    Yuan took his time gathering as much spiritual energy as he could since he didn''t want to take any chances with this bulky demon.

    While Yuan gathered his strength, the ind began shaking again.

    "The demon¡­ It''s pulsating with light¡­" Qi Huan pointed at the demon in the tree that was glowing red in a heartbeat rhythm.

    This is the closest they have seen a demon being unsealed, and they were getting goosebumps all over their bodies.

    A few minutester, Yuan was finally finished with charging his strike.

    After taking a deep breath, Yuan swung his sword and released all of the spiritual energies that he had gathered, shooting a bright beam of light at the sealed demon.

    BOOM!

    The beam consumed the entire tree and most of the hill, instantly evaporating it.

    This shocked the Qi Family and the Manager, as they have never seen anything this destructive before.

    "It''s just like a nuclear weapon¡­" Qi Man mumbled in a dazed voice.

    Yuan fell to his knees and began gasping for air after releasing the Heaven Splitting Sword Strike, feeling as though half of his energy had been drained from that one attack.

    However, before he could even catch his breath, he suddenly heard Qi Fang''s screaming voice, "Yuan! In front of you!"

    Yuan immediately used his divine sense to look at the scene before him, and to his absolute shock and horror, there was a glob of red slimy substance on the ground that was moving around as though it was alive.

    ''I-I didn''t manage to kill it? Did I not use enough spiritual energy? No¡­ I used even more than thest time! This demon must be far stronger than the one in the Mystic Realm!''

    Yuan turned to look at the Qi Family and shouted at them, "Leave this ce immediately! I will handle the demon!"

    "A-Are you sure?! We can assist you!" Qi Fang said out loud.

    "I am sure! Just leave! I will handle it! Trust me!"

    Qi Fang looked at the others and they all nodded at each other before leaving the ce to alert the others.

    Shortly after the others left, the red substance started forming into arge, bulky figure, and in just a few moments, it''d managed topletely recover, bing a full demon again.

    It silently stared at Yuan with a calm expression for a moment before showing an ugly smile on its face, "That hurt like hell, human.. You''re going to pay for waking this Supreme One up in such a rude fashion."

 Chapter 771 - Toying With The Demon

    "I thought you demons couldn''t feel pain." Yuan said to the demon in a calm voice after hearing its words.

    "And calling yourself the ''Supreme One'' when you''re just a lowly demon that had been sealed for heaven-knows-how-long¡­ You''re full of it."

    "Oh? You not only dare to speak back to me but also mock me? Since when have humans be so brave?" The grin on the demon''s face grew wider, and its bloodlust and aura continued to rise.

    ''It only has the strength of a Spirit Grandmaster¡­ How did it survive my Heaven Splitting Sword Strike? And it looks slightly differentpared to the other demons I have encountered so far.'' Yuan wondered to himself.

    Furthermore, demons would normally get angry at the slightest provocation, yet this demon managed to remain calm despite Yuan''s mockery.

    There was just something different about this demon.

    The demon looked at its surroundings and asked, "How long have I been sealed? And where am I?"

    "You''re asking the wrong person. And even if I knew, I wouldn''t tell you."

    "Is that so? Then I have no reason to keep you alive any longer. I will kill you and find someone else to entertain me, and then I will replenish my strength by eating everyone in this ce." The demon stretched its thick neck left and right as it slowly approached Yuan in a menacing manner.

    Once it was halfway to Yuan, it suddenly disappeared from its spot.

    Yuan quickly raised the Empyrean Overlord in front of him in a defensive manner, and the next second, he was sent flying backward by a powerful strike from the demon.

    "You managed to block my strike? Even though my strength has diminished greatly after being sealed for so long, it''s still very impressive. This is going to be fun." The bulky demonughed out loud.

    ''This demon is strong¡­'' Yuan quickly stabilized himself after being sent flying.

    However, he wasn''t feeling worried even in the slightest. In fact, he was even a little excited.

    ''Even though the artificial demons are very useful, they cannotpare to real demons. I''m going to take this chance to practice with a real demon!''

    Yuan could''ve sealed the demon while it was still recovering. However, he purposefully allowed the demon to fully recover just so he could use it as a training puppet.

    It was an incredibly selfish and risky thing to do, as it could backfire on him and the Qi Family, but Yuan went ahead and risked it anyway for some reason.

    Yuan began approaching the demon and said, "If you don''t hurry up and kill me, I will seal you again, and this time, you won''t be able to escape ever again."

    The bulky demon''s muscles began moving around like there were live worms in its body after hearing Yuan''s words that had clearly affected it.

    "You just gave me another reason to kill you."

    The demon suddenly disappeared from its spot again, but it did not escape from Yuan''s divine sense.

    "Ha!"

    Yuan turned around and swung the Empyrean Overlord with incredible force.

    The demon that had just appeared behind him subconsciously blocked the strike with its bare arms.

    The Empyrean Overlord tore right through the demon''s arms and severed them before sending the demon''s body flying into the distance.

    "Hahaha! Not bad! Not bad at all!" The demonughed as its body shed into dozens of trees.

    Once it regained its footing, the demon leaped into the air and began throwing spears made out of its blood at Yuan.

    "Seal!"

    Yuan roared, and a powerful ripple of demon sealing aura swept the scene, instantly halting the blood spears midair and turning them into stone.

    Feeling slight stiffness in its body, the demon frowned, and it stopped taking the situation lighty and saw Yuan as a real threat.

    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.

    Meanwhile, Qi Fang stopped running after a few minutes.

    "Why are you stopping?!" Qi Huan asked her.

    Qi Fang frowned and said, "This doesn''t feel right at all! Why do we have to run like some coward?! We are the Qi Family! I am not going to let him fight the demon alone! I have been training for this day even before I could start walking!"

    "You guys can go ahead and go back to the Qi Family, I am going to go help him!"

    And without waiting for a response, Qi Fang began running back the way she came from.

    "I will go after her." The Manager said to the old couple before chasing after Qi Fang.

    "Shit!" Qi Man cursed out loud before turning to look at the guards that guarded the sealed demons before and continued, "Go back and warn the family! We cannot let a guest do our jobs for us!"

    "Yes!"

    "I wille with you." Qi Huan said to him, and they also started running back to the hill.

    However, when they returned to the hill, they were shocked to see the destruction that had ravaged the ce.

    Most of the trees there were either destroyed or burned, and there were many holes and even ground fissures as far as their eyes could see.

    "H-How the hell did they manage to cause such destruction in just a few minutes?!" Qi Fang cried out loud when she saw the scenery.

    BOOM!

    The earth shook with loud noises that sounded like thunder every few seconds, but it was not an earthquake, and the sky was as clear as it could be.

    "They''re over there!" Qi Man suddenly pointed to two figures fighting in the distance.

    However, when they looked closely, they realized that it was not even a fight at all, but a one-sided beatdown.

    "Heavens¡­ He really didn''t need our help¡­" Qi Huan mumbled in a dazed voice as she watched Yuan toss the demon around with his giant sword.

    Yuan''s attacks were so relentless and fierce that the demon could barely react to them, and when the demon would try to retaliate, he would seal the demon''s body just enough so that it could not move withoutpletely sealing it.

    "This bastard¡­ He''s toying with the demon!" Qi Fang was in disbelief.

 Chapter 772 - How Will It Taste?

    "What in god''s name is going on? How is he doing that?" Qi Man mumbled in a voice of disbelief as he watched Yuan throw the demon left and right like some kind of stress toy.

    "Do you think he still needs our help?" Qi Huan asked in a sarcastic tone.

    Suddenly¡ª

    "AAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!"

    The demon released a deafening roar that shook the world.

    "How dare a puny human y with me?! I will make you pay! I WILL MAKE YOU PAY!"

    The demon''s body began growingrger andrger until it was nearly twice its original size, bing a mini giant.

    Yuan had seen this kind of transformation before from the demon at the Jaded Garden, so he knew that he should stop ying around and actually take care of the demon once and for all before he makes a mistake and gets himself and everyone killed.

    The demon released another loud roar before summoning tworge greatswords with its own blood and wielding it.

    It then leaped at Yuan with intense bloodlust radiating from its body.

    However, before it could even begin falling back down, the demon felt something pierce its face.

    It wasn''t painful, but its vision cked out for a second, and when its vision recovered after the gaping hole in its face was healed, the demon could see that Yuan had suddenly appeared in front of it.

    "In the end, you weren''t anything too special besides being a decent punching bag." Yuan said to the demon right before extending his empty hand towards the demon''s chest and grabbing the red crystal embedded within, tearing it right out of its body.

    The demon fell directly to the ground afterward, but it wasn''t dead yet.

    It slowly got back to its feet and looked at Yuan with a puzzled face.

    "What the fuck are you doing? Did you really think that by removing my crystal that it''d kill me?" The demon asked Yuan.

    "You can beat me up as much as you want, but you won''t kill me, and you will eventually run out of spiritual energy. You can try to seal me, but that also will only prolong your life by a little longer. You don''t have the capabilities to kill me¡ª"

    The demon suddenly halted its speech when it realized that its crystal was not returning to its body.

    Normally, when their crystal is removed, it would return to their body just like the rest of their body, hence the demon''s confusion at this moment.

    "You said that you wouldn''t die even if I destroyed this crystal, right? Let''s test that theory." Yuan showed the demon his hand, where its crystal was resting.

    The demon immediately began sweating profusely.

    The reason the demon said that it wouldn''t die even if Yuan destroyed the crystal was simply because it didn''t think that Yuan had the capabilities to truly destroy the crystal since it would simply recover just like the rest of its body.

    "T-That''s not possible! Y-You! Who are you?!" The demon roared at Yuan.

    "You don''t recognize me? I thought all demons would recognize my face." Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    "Why the fuck would I recognize a nobody like¡ª" The demon suddenly halted mid-sentence again, and it narrowed its eyes to focus on Yuan''s face.

    Perhaps its memories haven''t fully resurfaced after being sealed for so long, but as it stared at Yuan''s face, the more it got the feeling that it''d seen him somewhere before.

    After digging through its memories, the demon finally realized why Yuan looked so familiar.

    "Y-Y-You¡­ It can''t be!" The demon began shaking from top to bottom, and its prideful face became filled with fear.

    "Hmm¡­ What did I use to say¡­?" Yuan suddenly began pondering for some reason.

    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    "Oh, right."

    When he remembered, he slowly approached the demon with a mysterious smile on his face.

    This was the perfect chance for the demon to strike, but it was so stricken by fear that it couldn''t even move properly.

    Once Yuan was standing right in front of the demon, he mumbled in a low but clear voice, "I wonder how your demon core will taste?"

    Almost as though something had triggered inside the demon, it suddenly turned around and began running away like its life depended on it.

    The scene of the demon running away in fear shocked Qi Fang and the others. They couldn''tprehend the situation, nor could they imagine what Yuan said to the demon that would make it react in such a manner.

    However, before the demon could run very far, Yuan crushed the red crystal in his grasp, and the moment the crystal shattered, the demon also froze its movements.

    The next moment, almost like it''d suddenly turned water, the demon melted into a pool of red blood, leaving behind its demon core.

    Yuan quickly went to pick up the demon core before putting it inside his pocket, saving it forter.

    It was also at this moment that backup from the Qi Family arrived at the scene.

    "Father! Mother! Qi''er! Are you guys hurt?! Where is the demon?!" The middle-aged man leading the reinforcements asked them.

    Qi Man didn''t say anything and merely lifted his hand to point at Yuan.

    The middle-aged man turned to look in the direction, but he couldn''t see any demons, only a young man.

    "I am going to him!" Qi Fang suddenly said as she began running towards Yuan.

    "W-Wait! Where do you think you''re going?!" The middle-aged man shouted at her.

    "The demon is already gone. That young man defeated it." Qi Huan said, which immediately sent shockwaves through their minds.

    "What?! Who even is that kid?! I have never seen him before!" The middle-aged man eximed.

    "A friend sent by the Lord of the Dragon Spiral Mountain." Qi Man said before following Qi Fang.

    "Let''s go." Qi Huan said to the middle-aged man, who was still puzzled about the situation and had no choice but to follow them.

    A few momentster, everyone there gathered around Yuan and the puddle of blood.

 Chapter 773 - As Their Lecturer

    "Yuan, is the demon really dead? It won''t regenerate from this puddle of blood?" Qi Fang asked him once they got to him.

    "I''m pretty sure that it''s dead¡­" Yuan replied in a slightly dazed voice.

    He didn''t think he would be able to defeat such a powerful demon with seemingly no effort at all. Not only did his practice at the Demon Sealing n''s Grand Library help him, but his memories as the Divine Paragon also greatly assisted him today.

    ''I still only have fragments of the Divine Paragon''s memories. If I recover all of it, demons will no longer be a threat and will be no different than any other magical beasts¡­'' Yuan smiled inwardly.

    "Let''s go back to the household now. You can tell us everything once you get yourself cleaned up." Qi Man said to Yuan.

    He nodded and followed them back to the household.

    Sometimeter, after washing himself, Yuan met up with the Qi Family in the meeting room, and there were two more people there this time¡ª the middle-aged man that came with the backup and a beautiful woman who looked almost like Qi Fang.

    They were the current leaders of the Qi Family and Qi Fang''s parents.

    Once Yuan sat down, Qi Man immediately opened his mouth to speak, "After witnessing your fight today, I doubt you''ll need our help with the demons at the Dragon Spiral Mountain, but since this is what we agreed on, we will help you."

    Yuan then said, "You guys can prolong the seals on demons, right? I would like you to prolong the seals on the 11 demons to give us more time to prepare. The demon I fought today was much stronger than the one in the Jaded Garden, but the demons within the Dragon Spiral Mountain are even stronger than this one."

    "I understand." Qi Man nodded.

    The Qi Family has already been prolonging the seals on the 11 demons since ancient times, so even if Yuan didn''t ask them, they would''ve done it anyway. Since they cannot kill the demons, their only option was to prolong their seals.

    "If there''s nothing else, I would like to return back home now." Yuan said a momentter.

    "A-Actually, there is one thing¡­" Qi Man turned to look at the Manager, who nodded her head silently.

    He then continued, "Yuan, I¡ª the Qi Family has onest request for you. We''d like you to stay here a little longer as a lecturer."

    "A what?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    "A lecturer." Qi Man repeated.

    "We''d like you to teach our demon sealers how to kill demons. As you probably already know by now, there are still more demons out there."

    "Our Qi Family has tracked dozens of sealed demons across the world, but the only thing we can do is prolong their seal until their inevitable release. We want to be able to kill them just like you did today."

    "W-Wait¡­ Did you just say DOZENS of sealed demons?" Yuan had a look of disbelief on his face at this moment.

    "Yes, and there could be even more that we don''t know about, such as the one sealed in the Jaded Garden." Qi Man sighed.

    "And you want me to teach the demon sealers in your family¡­ I don''t think I qualify¡­" Yuan shook his head.

    "I-If you, who killed a demon, don''t qualify to teach, then nobody in our family qualifies! Please! You''re our only hope!"

    "..."

    Yuan took a moment to ponder.

    After a few minutes of silence, Yuan asked him, "How long? I have to return home in three weeks."

    "T-Then three¡ª No! Two weeks is more than enough!" Qi Man raised three fingers before making it two.

    Yuan nodded, "Okay, I will stay here for two more weeks to teach your Qi Family, but after that, I really have to return home."

    "Thank you, Yuan!" Qi Man said with an ecstatic expression on his face.

    "Then we will start tomorrow morning. I want to rest for the rest of today."

    "Of course! Qi''er, bring him to his room!" Qi Man said to her.

    "What? Why do I have to do that? We have servants for that¡­" Qi Fang frowned.

    However, when she saw her grandparents and even parents'' cold res, she swallowed nervously and stood up.

    "Let''s go¡­" She said to Yuan without even looking at him.

    "Did something happen between them?" Her mother asked the grandparents after they left.

    "Not that I am aware of, but there''s clearly something between them." Qi Man shook his head.

    Meanwhile, Qi Fang brought Yuan to a small shed behind their main building, but it looked more like a ce for tools than guests.

    "This is my room?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    "If you''ve got a problem with it, you can sleep outside." She coldly responded.

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    "Are you still mad at me for sealing you? I just wanted you to have a taste of your own medicine, that''s all. Not to mention that you sealed me first."

    "F-For a minute! You left me there for an entire day! Do you have any idea how terrifying it feels to be sealed for so long?! I really thought I was sealed for good!"

    "In my defense, if the Chu Family didn''t interrupt, I would''ve let you out sooner. Anyways, I helped your family defeat the demon, so let''s call it even."

    Qi Fang gritted her teeth in anger, but she did not release it.

    After a moment of silence, she pointed at therge building not far away from the shed and said, "This doesn''t mean I forgive you for what you did to me. If I let you live in this shed, my family would kill me, that''s all."

    She left Yuan alone immediately afterward.

    Once Yuan entered the room and locked it, he sat down on the floor and retrieved the demon core.

    After staring at it for a moment, he tossed it inside his mouth and swallowed it.

    Immediately, he could feel a sudden surge of chaotic spiritual energy rushing into his body.

    However, this demon core tasted and felt different than usual, and it was painful.

    "AAAAAHH!" Yuan suddenly released a loud roar that shook the building.

 Chapter 774 - Chaotic Energy

    Shortly after consuming the demon core, Yuan began feeling pain all over his body, and his skin even began turning red, almost as though he was turning into a demon himself.

    When Qi Fang, who was still in range, heard Yuan''s screaming, she immediately turned around and ran to his building.

    "Hey! What''s going on?! Why are you screaming like that?! Open the door!" Qi Fang banged on the door as she shouted, but Yuan was obviously too busy to answer the door, and he was in too much pain to even hear her voice.

    "Answer me when I speak to you!" Qi Fang did not have the patience and decided to kick the door down.

    "Hey! What''s wrong with you?! What did you do?!" Qi Fang was shocked to see Yuan writhing in pain on the floor, and his body was burning red.

    Qi Fang went to pick him up, but she didn''t know what to do from there, so she decided to put him back down and went to call for a doctor.

    "W-Wait right here! I am going to get a doctor! Don''t you dare die on me!" Qi Fang said to him before running for help.

    Meanwhile, Yuan was busy trying to suppress whatever was acting up inside his body.

    "You silly thing, how could you swallow a demon core belonging to an Elite Demon in your current state? You''re like a child that puts anything you find into your mouth. You''re courting death." The Divine Paragon''s voice resounded inside Yuan''s head.

    "Elite Demon? What''s the difference?!" Yuan cried inwardly.

    "Just like how dragons have their own ranks that are based on the purity of their dragon blood, demons have their own ranks based on their demonic blood. All of the demons that you have been fighting before this one were just ordinary demons with ordinary demonic blood. This one, however, is an Elite Demon with purer demonic blood, and the purer the demonic blood, the stronger their chaotic energy."

    "W-What happens if I consume something like that?!"

    "If you were strong enough, nothing would happen, but you''re not, so the chaotic energy is trying to destroy your body right now."

    "Listen, if you don''t quickly control the chaotic energy, your body will explode into a bloody mess."

    "And how the hell am I supposed to do that?!" Yuan shouted out loud, feeling as though something was growing within his body.

    "Haaa¡­" The Divine Paragon sighed.

    "I will help you control the chaotic energy this time, but if this happens again, you will have to deal with it yourself."

    After a moment of silence, Yuan suddenly stopped moving and returned to sitting in the lotus position.

    He took a deep breath and began controlling the chaotic energy inside his body.

    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.

    Very quickly, Yuan could feel his body returning to normal, and his spiritual energy was under control again. However, he could still feel something chaotic inside his body.

    By the time Qi Fang returned with the doctor, Yuan had already controlled most of the chaotic energy, but it took him all of his energy to do so, causing him to pass out shortly after.

    The doctor checked Yuan''s condition afterward.

    "How is he?" Qi Fang asked in a worried voice.

    Despite her cold attitude towards Yuan, she actually cared about his safety, as he was their only hope in defeating demons for good.

    "He seems fine for now, and his body is stable, but I will need to inspect his body further for a more urate assessment." The doctor said.

    "I understand."

    Qi Fang went to notify her family and the Manager of the situation once she knew that Yuan was fine for the moment.

    When her family heard this, they immediately panicked for the same reason Qi Fang had. If Yuan dies, their world and everyone living in it will all die to the demons.

    "What happened? Why did he suddenly copse?" Qi Man asked her.

    "I have no idea. I sent him to his room, and after leaving him alone for a moment, I suddenly heard him screaming. When I arrived, he was on the ground and his skin was burning red. However, by the time I returned with a doctor, he was already back to normal."

    "Looks like we can only ask him after he wakes up." Qi Huan sighed.

    Sometimeter, the Manager called Meixiu to let her know of the situation.

    "What?! Yuan copsed and is unconscious right now?! What happened to him?!"

    "I was hoping you could tell me. Does he have any medical conditions that cause him to do this?" The Manager asked.

    "No, not that I am aware of."

    "So he''s never done this before?"

    "No."

    "Can I go see him? I want to see his condition with my own eyes."

    "I will have to ask the Qi Family for permission first. Give me a minute." The Manager then asked the old couple since they were still together.

    "Yuan''s friend? Of course. Any friend of Yuan is also our friend." Qi Man quickly agreed.

    "Alright, I wille pick you up. I should be there by midnight. Be ready by then." The Manager said to Meixiu before hanging up.

    ''What a pain in the ass¡­'' The Manager sighed inwardly.

    She didn''t think she''d have to travel back and forth more than once, but s.

    While the Manager made her way back to the Dragon Spiral Mountain to pick up Meixiu, the Qi Family watched over Yuan, who would remain unconscious for the rest of the day.

    After returning to the Dragon Spiral Mountain, the Manager reported the situation to the Lord before she went to pick up Meixiu.

    "So that''s what happened, huh¡­ If you ask me, I think he tried to cultivate the demon core, since his symptoms sound exactly like what happens when someone tries to absorb a demon core like it''s a monster core." The Lord said.

    "If someone tries to cultivate a demon core, what will happen to them?" The Manager asked out of curiosity.

    "Well, to put things simply¡ª they will die a horrible death.. However, from what you told me, it appears that he''s alive, so I doubt that''s what happened."

 Chapter 775 - Losing His Mind

    "Anyways, as long as he didn''t cultivate a demon core and he isn''t dead, do whatever you can to keep him safe. Now that he''s proven himself to be valuable, we cannot let him die. Use that treasure even if you have to." The Lord continued to speak.

    "W-What?! You want to waste that precious treasure on him?!" The Manager was shocked.

    "If it can keep him alive, yes. He''s too precious for this world to die."

    "B-B-But¡ª"

    "No buts! You may return to the Qi Family now."

    "I understand¡­" The Manager sighed before going to Yuan''s home to pick up Meixiu.

    However, there was an additional person there.

    "What''s this? I only got permission for one person, not two." The Manager said as she red at Chu Liuxiang, who decided to follow along after hearing about the situation.

    "I am not going to stay here while Yuan is suffering! I am going to follow you even if it''s thest thing I do!" Chu Liuxiang said stubbornly.

    And she continued, "And my Master is from the Qi Family! They wouldn''t refuse me!"

    "Whatever. Just get in the car." The Manager said to them.

    Once they were all in the car, the Manager began speeding down the mountain like she did with Yuan, but it wasn''t as fast.

    However, unlike Yuan, neither Chu Liuxiang or Meixiu said a word regarding her speed, and they would only ask her about Yuan''s condition.

    "Like I already said on the phone, I don''t know what happened to him. If you want to know, you''ll have to ask him after he wakes up."

    Once they arrived at the airport, the Manager told the two of them to press the red button and watch the ne before going off to sleep, leaving them speechless.

    Meanwhile, Qi Fang was ordered by her family to stay with Yuan until he wakes up.

    "What?! Why do I have to babysit him all night?! I am not his nanny! Why are you guys treating me like this? Did I do something wrong?!"

    "That''s a great question. Did you do something wrong?" Qi Huan narrowed her eyes at Qi Fang.

    Qi Man then said, "Although we don''t know what happened between the two of you, whether you are in the right or wrong, you need to put all of that behind you. Yuan is a valuable friend that we cannot afford to offend. If you offended him in any way, apologize to him when he wakes up."

    Qi Fang gritted her teeth, but she couldn''t me her grandparents for their decision, as she was mostly responsible for what happened on that day.

    "I understand¡­" Qi Fang sighed.

    "Good, then we''ll leave Yuan in your hands." They left her alone with Yuan afterward.

    Once her family left, Qi Fang went to one of the drawers and pulled out a tall bottle of alcohol and sat down at the table.

    "How could they treat their most talented demon sealer like a babysitter? Damn it!" Qi Fang began chugging down the alcohol andined after every swallow.

    "Why am I being punished when they don''t even know what happened?!"

    "It''s almost like they wanted someone to me for his current situation!"

    "I can''t believe this!"

    "Damn it all!"

    While Qi Fang was chugging down her alcohol, Yuan was somewhere deep within his consciousness.

    "Although I have managed to control and convert most of the chaotic energy inside your body, there is still some left, and while it won''t kill you, you should still remove them as soon as possible, as it could not only affect your cultivation but also your mind." The Divine Paragon appeared inside Yuan''s head to warn him.

    "How do I do that?"

    "Fortunately for you, who has the Heaven Refining Physique, you can just cultivate normally and push out the remaining chaotic energy with fresh spiritual energy. If it was anybody else, they would need a new technique and a lot of treasures." The Divine Paragon smiled.

    "How long do I have before it starts affecting me?" Yuan then asked.

    "This is your first time experiencing such a thing, so the bacsh will be quick and fierce. You can expect a reaction as soon as you wake up."

    "I-It''s that bad?" Yuan swallowed nervously.

    "What will happen to me?"

    "Who knows. You''ll probably lose your mind every once in a while, be quick to lose your tempers, and other nasty nature that demons have, almost like you''d turned into a demon yourself."

    Yuan was terrified when he heard such words.

    "I-I am going to turn into a demon?! Does this mean I will crave human meat or kill humans?! I hope to god that doesn''t happen!"

    "Although that''s possible, it won''t happen with the amount of chaotic energy inside your body. However, it would be a good idea to limit your contact with others for the time being."

    "Okay¡­ I will have to dy the lecturers until I fix this situation¡­" Yuan sighed.

    While Yuan slept peacefully, Qi Fang approached him with a drunk look on her face, still with a bottle of alcohol in her hands.

    "You stupid little brat¡ª Hic! This is all your fault¡­ Hic!"

    Once she was standing right beside the bed, Qi Fang would stare at Yuan''s sleeping face in silence.

    "Now that I look at you closely¡­ Hic! You''re quite handsome¡­"

    "What you did today was also very handsome and admirable¡­ Hic!"

    "When I watched you fight the demon, my heart was beating like crazy, almost like I was having a heart attack... I have never felt anything like that before..."

    After a moment of silence, Qi Fang suddenly lowered her face towards Yuan''s sleeping face, kissing him on the lips.

    She removed her lips a momentter and muttered in a low voice, "How can you sleep so soundly with a beauty like me in the same room? Hic!"

    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    "Hey¡­ Wake up and fight me¡­ I''m going to avenge myself¡­ Hic!"

    Qi Fang began to p Yuan''s face lightly for a response.

    "..."

    When Yuan didn''t respond, Qi Fang turned around and began walking away.

    "How boring¡­ Hic!"

    After walking two steps, Qi Fang suddenly stopped walking when she felt someone grab her hand.

    She turned around to see Yuan sitting up on his bed, and his eyes were open, but he didn''t seem conscious.

    However, Qi Fang was too drunk to notice that and continued to probe him.

    "Hehe, so you wanna fight¡ª"

    Yuan suddenly yanked Qi Fang onto the bed.

    "Hey! What are you doing? That hurts!" Qi Fangined as sheid on the bed with Yuan.

    She also felt a little wet for some reason, so she looked down, and to her surprise, the bottle of alcohol in her hands had spilled all over her body.

    "Look at what you''ve done¡­ Hic! Now I have to clean myself¡­"

    Qi Fang began loosening the wet areas on her clothes, and when Yuan saw that, almost as though something had ignited inside him, he suddenly pounced on top of her and ripped her loosened clothes right off her body.

    "..."

    Qi Fang stared at Yuan''s face with a dazed expression.

    "You¡­ have very beautiful eyes¡­" She muttered in a low voice, not sounding a bit concerned about being naked nor the situation they were in, even cing her hands on his cheeks and caressing them.

    When she noticed Yuan staring at her bare chest, Qi Fang smiled and said, "Go ahead, you can touch them. It''s your reward for dealing with the demon."

    Despite his weird state, it was almost as though Yuan had been waiting for Qi Fang''s approval, so when he got her approval, he immediately buried his face into her chest like a child?embracing their mother.

 Chapter 776 - A Grave Mistake

    "Yes¡­ That''s right¡­ You can touch them all you want¡­ Hic!"

    "It''s your reward for killing the demon¡­ Hic!" Qi Fang spoke in a dazed voice as Yuan''s face buried deeper and deeper into her bosoms.

    This went on for a few moments until Yuan all of Yuan''s movements suddenly halted.

    "Hey¡­ What''s wrong? Hic!"

    Yuan suddenly stood up and looked at Qi Fang with a tranquil expression on his face.

    "You¡­ should probably leave before we both make a grave mistake," he said in a calm voice.

    "W-What?" Qi Fang''s eyes widened with shock.

    This shock snapped her out of her drunken state for a brief moment, but this brief moment of rity was all that was needed for Qi Fang to realize what was happening and made a decision.

    She quickly got out of the bed and put on her clothes before running out of his room with a flushed face.

    Once she was gone, Yuan sat on the bed and smiled, "What a troublesome child. I hope this will teach you to not put everything in your mouth and that all actions will have consequences."

    He closed his eyes and began to cultivate.

    Meanwhile, inside his consciousness, Yuan sighed in relief.

    "Thank you¡­" He bowed to the Divine Paragon, who''d just taken over his body.

    "Why are you thanking me?"

    "For taking over my body and stopping me, who cannot control myself right now."

    The Divine Paragon startedughing.

    He then said, "I told you, I cannot take over your body. I am merely a fragment of your memories. You acted on your own just now, just like when you fought and killed the demon. Perhaps your instincts kicked in or something."

    "How is that even possible when I am not conscious?" Yuan frowned.

    "Reincarnation is a wonderful thing, but it is also something that we do not fullyprehend, and you''re no ordinary human."

    "..."

    After a moment of silence, Yuan spoke, "Since you''re here, can you tell me about the Demonic Realm? You kind of left me hangingst time."

    "I don''t have the answers to your questions. If you want them, go to the Demonic Realm."

    "That''s clearly bullshit. Why else would you say that something bad will happen if I don''t return?"

    "Like I''d already said¡ª it''s probably your instincts that''s telling you."

    "Anyways, it''s about time I go. I won''t be able to save you a second time, so if you end up in that state again, you''re going to have to take full responsibility."

    "I know¡­" Yuan sighed.

    "Do you really?" A mysterious smile appeared on the Divine Paragon''s face as he disappeared.

    The following morning, Qi Fang woke up in her bed to a head-splitting headache.

    "Shit¡­ I drank too much yesterday¡­"

    She sat up with a painful expression on her face.

    Once her head cleared a little bit, memories of what happenedst night began flowing inside her head.

    "S-Shit¡­"

    "Fuck¡­ Did I really do such a thing?! No way!"

    Qi Fang quickly got dressed and rushed to Yuan''s ce.

    "H-Hey! Wake up! Yuan! We need to talk!" Qi Fang banged on the door as she shouted in an urgent manner.

    "Senior Qi, I am sorry, but can you leave me alone for a while? We can talkter¡­ Once I fix myself¡­"

    "L-Last night! Nothing happenedst night, do you hear me?! I was not in the right state of mind! It was a mistake!"

    "What mistake?" Qi Man''s voice suddenly resounded behind Qi Fang, giving her the scare of her life.

    "G-Grandfather! Nothing!" Qi Fang turned around with a nervous look on her face, but when she saw Chu Liuxiang behind him, she became even more nervous.

    "L-Liuxiang?! W-What are you doing here?!" She stuttered nervously.

    "I am here to see Yuan, of course," she said in a calm voice.

    "Speaking of Yuan, why are you standing out here? I thought we told you to watch over him. How can you do that when you''re out here and he''s in there?" Qi Huan said to her.

    "I-I left for just a minute, okay?! I made sure to watch him properly! I swear!"

    "Whatever¡­" The grandparents were suspicious of her weird behavior, but they didn''t think too much of it.

    Meixiu went to the door and knocked on it, "Yuan? Are you awake?"

    "M-Meixiu?! Is that you, Meixiu?! What are you doing here?!" Yuan''s panicked voice resounded inside the building.

    "I am also here as well!" Chu Liuxiang said loudly.

    "L-Lulu as well¡­?"

    "Can you open the door and let us in? We want to see if you''re okay." Meixiu continued.

    "..."

    After a moment of silence, Yuan sighed, "Sorry, but I am a little sick right now. Can you all leave me alone for a few days?"

    "You''re sick? How so?"

    "..."

    Meixiu turned to look at Qi Man and the others and said to them, "Can you leave us alone for a moment?"

    "Alright. If you need anything, let us know."

    "Thank you." Meixiu nodded.

    Once they left, Meixiu continued, "Yuan, it''s just me and Chu Liuxiang now. You can tell us what happened."

    Yuan sighed again before speaking, "I consumed a demon core, but this demon core was a little special, so I am now experiencing a little bacsh. My mind is not in the right state right now, and I am afraid of hurting you and the others, so until I take care of this condition, I should not get close to anyone."

    "I see¡­ So that''s what happened¡­ Are you in pain right now?" Meixiu then asked.

    "No, I am fine. I should be healthy again in a few days."

    "I understand. If you need anything, we will be right out here."

    "Thank you, Meixiu, and Lulu, foring all the way out here."

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    "Anything for you, Yuan." Chu Liuxiang smiled.

    "Anyways, what should we tell the others? I don''t think we should let them know that he consumed a demon core¡­"

    "Yes, you''re right. Let''s think of something.." Meixiu agreed with Chu Liuxiang, and the two of them began thinking of an excuse for Yuan''s condition.

 Chapter 777 - Destructive Urges

    "Why don''t we just tell them that it''s a medical condition he has?" Chu Liuxiang asked.

    "No, that won''t work. I already told the Manager that there was no such thing."

    "Oh! I know! We can tell them that it was caused by one of the techniques he''s currently cultivating!"

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    Meixiu stared at her in silence for a few moments before nodding, "That will work."

    "Okay, let''s tell them that then."

    Sometimeter, the Qi Family returned.

    "How is he doing?" Qi Man asked.

    "He''s doing fine. It''s just the bacsh of one of his techniques that he''s currently trying to master, that''s all. His episode should be cleared in a few days."

    "It was caused by a technique? I have never heard of a technique that has made people sick before¡­" Qi Huan said in a worried tone.

    "But as long as he''s fine, I am relieved."

    "If you need anything, just let us know. We''ve also prepared a room for you two." Qi Man said to them.

    "It''s alright, we will stay here with him." Chu Liuxiang said.

    "Out here? In the cold? You know we cannot have our guests live in such conditions." They raised their eyebrows.

    "Why don''t the two of you take turns watching over him?"

    The two of them exchanged looks with each other before nodding their heads.

    "I can watch over him first." Chu Liuxiang said.

    "We switch out every 8 hours?" Meixiu asked.

    "Okay."

    Meixiu then turned to look at Qi Man and asked him, "While she stays here, I would like to join your Qi Family''s training sessions. You guys are taught to fight demons, right? I would like to learn."

    A bittersweet smile appeared on Qi Man''s face as he spoke, "If you want to learn, you already have the very best. I don''t think we will be very helpful to you. In fact, I am now doubting if our training is even useful at all."

    "Even then, I would still like to learn¡ª at least until he recovers." Meixiu said.

    "Alright. Training should be starting soon. Follow me."

    Meixiu left the Qi Man and the others while Chu Liuxiang stayed behind.

    "I will be right outside if you need me, Yuan."

    She sat down in front of the door and began cultivating.

    Meanwhile, Meixiu followed Qi Man to this area with arge building and a massive field in the front.

    "There''s a lot of people here¡­" She mumbled when she saw hundreds of people gathered outside the training field.

    "My Qi Family has almost 2,000 people. Of course, they are not all family by blood. We take disciples from around the world and teach them how to seal demons. As for our fighting experience¡­ We really have none."

    "Have you ever fought a demon before?" Qi Man turned to ask Meixiu.

    "No, I have not." She shook her head.

    "I have seen dozens of demons throughout my life, but they were all already sealed, so I have never seen their prowess¡­ at least until yesterday."

    "When I first saw the demon unsealed for the first time, my entire body froze from shock, and my instinct was to run away as quickly as possible."

    "Even though I didn''t personally face the demon¡­ Even though Yuanpletely dominated the demon and made it look weak¡­ I can tell that I am no match for the demon."

    "And if someone like me is scared of demons, I cannot imagine how these young demon sealers will react before an unsealed demon¡ª at least not with their current training."

    "That''s why I asked Yuan to be our lecturer. I''m certain that we can all learn something from him."

    Sometimeter, Qi Man brought Meixiu to the field.

    When the instructors and the disciples saw Qi Man, they all stopped whatever they were doing and bowed to him.

    "Greetings, Ancestor!"

    "Listen up!" Qi Man spoke out loud.

    "Due to someplications, our new instructor will not be here for a few more days. Therefore, you will train normally for now. My friend here will be joining your training today. Treat her well."

    Everybody there turned to look at Meixiu. Many nervous gulps resounded from people that were taken aback by her beauty, and there were so many that it sounded really weird.

    Meanwhile, inside his room, Yuan was trying to suppress his urges to destroy everything in the room.

    If he so much as looks at anything, his destructive urges would re up, so he locked his divine sense.

    ''Is this what causes demons'' destructive nature? I only have some chaotic energy left in my body, yet the urges are still this strong. I cannot imagine what it must be like to be a demon that has to endure this for their entire life.''

    If he had to endure this urge for the rest of his life, there was no doubt that he would eventually stop suppressing his urges and go wild.

    When he realized this, Yuan stopped ming demons as much, and he even pitied their tragic life.

    However, there was another feeling in Yuan that was very worrisome for him, and that was the feeling fromst night that hasn''t been satisfied.

    ''Damn it, I am already trying my best to deal with my destructive urges. If I also have to control my sexual urges, I won''t be able to cultivate at all!'' He cried inwardly.

    After pondering for a moment, Yuan cleared his throat and spoke out loud, "L-Lulu¡­ Is Meixiu out there?"

    "No, she went to train with the Qi Family. Do you need help?"

    "Kind of¡­ When will shee back?"

    "Well, it''s been two hours since she left, so she won''t return for another six hours."

    "Six hours¡­" Yuan''s sighing voice could be heard from inside the building.

    "If you need help, I can help you!"

    "I-It''s a littleplicated. It''s okay, I can just wait."

    After a moment of silence, Chu Liuxiang''s voice resounded, "Yuan¡­ No matter howplicated it is, I want to help you! You have helped me so many times now, yet I have not been able to return the favor. Please, let me help you!"

    The ce turned dead silent after that.

    Chu Liuxiang sighed in a dispirited manner, but just as she was able to give up, she heard the door behind her being unlocked.

    "Come inside¡­" Yuan said to her.

    "Coming!" Chu Liuxiang eagerly entered the building.

 Chapter 778: Starved Beast

    <h4>Chapter 778: Starved Beast</h4>

    "Yuan? What are you doing, standing so far away?" Chu Liuxiang asked him after entering the building and noticing that he was standing all the way on the other side of the room.

    "I wanted to make sure that I don''t identally hurt you." Yuan sighed.

    "Ever since I consumed the demon core, I have been getting these unhealthy thoughts and the urge to destroy everything around me, and I am having a hard time controlling these emotions. I am worried that I might hurt you if you get too close."

    Hearing Yuan''s words, Chu Liuxiang smiled. She closed the door behind her and started approaching him in a calm manner.

    "As long as I can help you, I don''t care even if you hurt me."

    Once she was close enough, she opened her arms and embraced Yuan.

    "See? Everything is fine. Now, tell me what you need help with."

    However, before Yuan could even respond, Chu Liuxiang felt something hard poking her legs.

    She looked down, and to her absolute shock, there was a massive bulge in his pants.

    Chu Liuxiang''s mind nked out for a moment while she processed the situation.

    "In order for me to release the chaotic energy in my body, I must cultivate, but I cannot cultivate properly when I have to control so many emotions and urges¡­" Yuan sighed.

    Chu Liuxiang snapped out of her daze and looked at his handsome face.

    "W-When you say you need help, do you mean¡­ down there?" She asked him in a nervous voice.

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    "I tried doing it myself before, but that didn''t work. If you don''t want to help, I fully understand and won''t me you for not wanting to do something so¡­ weird¡­"

    After a moment of silence, Chu Liuxiang asked in a low voice, "Does Meixiu usually help you? You did ask for her just now¡­"

    "T-That''s¡­"

    Yuan promised Meixiu that he would not tell anybody, but even an idiot could tell the truth after seeing his reaction.

    A bittersweet smile appeared on Chu Liuxiang''s face, and she said, "Believe it or not, I am not that surprised. It''s amon thing amongst wealthy households such as the Yu Family. Meixiu, she was probably trained to do such things."

    She took a deep breath and continued, "Since Meixiu is not here, I will help you out. Take off your pants and sit on the bed."

    Yuan nodded, and while he took off his pants, Chu Liuxiang went to lock the doors.

    When she turned around and saw Yuan sitting on the bed with his lower halfpletely naked, her entire body froze.

    Even though this wasn''t her first time seeing his lower half, and they have even taken baths together, the atmosphere waspletely different, and Yuan''s body didn''t have this sort of reaction.

    ''Why are you getting nervous now, you idiot? You have been wanting to do this kind of stuff to him for a long time!'' Chu Liuxiang cried inwardly to calm herself.

    Sure enough, it worked perfectly, allowing her to move her body again.

    She walked in front of Yuan and kneeled before him.

    Once she prepared herself, she extended her fair hands and grabbed the stiff rod between Yuan''s legs and began stroking it.

    "Ah! It hurts!" Yuan suddenly eximed, sucking in a breath of cold air.

    "S-Sorry!"

    Chu Liuxiang was surprised by his painful sound and immediately removed her hands.

    ''Am I doing something wrong? But I am doing exactly what the magazines instruct!'' She wondered inwardly.

    She looked at him and asked, "How does Meixiu usually do this?"

    "Uh¡­ I don''t know how to exin it¡­"

    The room turned dead silent as Chu Liuxiang began pondering.

    "Okay, I know what to do."

    She started moving closer to Yuan, and once she was close enough, she opened her mouth and sucked on his thing.

    Yuan suddenly felt an incredible feeling around his thing, but since he didn''t dare to use his divine sense, he could only imagine what Chu Liuxiang was doing to him.

    "How is this? Does this hurt?" Chu Liuxiang asked him a momentter.

    "No¡­ It feels good."

    Chu Liuxiang didn''t say anything longer and continued to relieve him of his stress.

    A few minutester, Yuan said, "I-I cannot hold it any longer!"

    Chu Liuxiang suddenly felt something warm gush inside her mouth. She subconsciously removed her mouth, and Yuan''s white stuff shot all over her clothes and face.

    "Wow¡­" Chu Liuxiang mumbled in an amazed voice afterward.

    "Let me go wash myself first¡­ Is there a bathroom in here?"

    Chu Liuxiang stood up and looked around for a bathroom.

    However, Yuan didn''t respond.

    "Yuan?" She turned to look at him, who was sitting on the bed with a dazed face.

    "Yuan? Are you okay?" She approached him.

    "Ah!"

    Yuan suddenly grabbed her, tossed her onto the bed, and pinned her down.

    Although his actions surprised her, she wasn''t too worried since she knew that he wouldn''t harm her.

    "Yuan? What''s happening?" She asked him.

    Yuan opened his mouth slightly and uttered in a low voice while gnashing his teeth, almost as though he was trying to resist something. "I¡­ cannot¡­ resist¡­ anymore¡­!"

    Chu Liuxiang stared at Yuan''s painful face with a nk expression.

    Yuan suddenly shouted, "Leave! Leave this ce immediately before I hurt you!"

    However, Chu Liuxiang didn''t move, and she even caressed his cheeks with her hand.

    "Yuan¡­ How can I leave you alone when you''re suffering? When I absorbed the Flood Dragon''s scale, you stayed with me, even suffering with me. Therefore, I am going to do the same. Let me help you¡­ Let me suffer with you."

    Yuan''s body trembled when he heard her words.

    "It''s okay. I will be fine. I promise. Let it out¡ª let it all out."

    "I''m sorry¡­" Yuan muttered in a low voice right before he stripped Chu Liuxiang naked.

    And for the next few minutes, like a starved beast that hasn''t eaten in days, he tasted every inch of Chu Liuxiang''s luscious body, leaving his saliva all over her body.

 Chapter 779: Bruises

    <h4>Chapter 779: Bruises</h4>

    "Mmm¡­ Ahhh¡­"

    Chu Liuxiang moaned softly as Yuan licked and kissed her body from the top to bottom.

    When Yuan reached the area between her legs, he grabbed her legs and opened it wide before pushing his face towards her bottom lips.

    "Mmm!"

    Chu Liuxiang''s eyes widened with shock and her body twitched. She wanted to moan louder, but she didn''t dare to do so, fearing that someone might overhear them.

    She suddenly felt something small invading her cave and wriggling around like a worm.

    ''So¡­ fierce!'' She cried inwardly.

    Once Yuan was satisfied, he removed his wet mouth from Chu Liuxiang''s body and aimed his sword at the slit between her legs.

    "W-Wait a second, Yuan. Give me a moment to pre¡ª"

    However, before Chu Liuxiang could even finish her sentence, Yuan suddenly moved, shoving his rod into her bodypletely.

    "Mmmmh?!"

    Chu Liuxiang nearly screamed from the pain, and it felt like her lower body had been ripped apart and torn in half. The pain was so excruciating that it immediately made her eyes tear up and almost knocked her unconscious.

    However, before she could even recover from her pain or adapt to it, Yuan started moving again, pounding his hips violently at her like a dog during mating season.

    ''It hurts! It really hurts!''

    Tears flowed from Chu Liuxiang''s eyes like a river, yet she remained still and allowed Yuan to ravage her body as he wished.

    The pain was on par with the pain she felt when she absorbed the Flood Dragon''s scale, but unlike then, this pain felt more realistic and apletely different kind of pain, not to mention how tightly Yuan was holding onto her arms and legs.

    Arge amount of blood flowed from Chu Liuxiang''s body and tainted the clean bed sheets, but Yuan ignored all of that and continued to thrust his hips like a machine with only one purpose.

    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    Chu Liuxiang could''ve never expected that her first time with Yuan would be so brutal and so rough. She thought it was going to be a great time¡ª one that could be enjoyed by the two of them, but it was more of a torture than anything.

    Many minutes into their action, Yuan suddenly extended his arm and wrapped his hands around Chu Liuxiang''s neck and tightened it, choking her neck.

    Despite this, Chu Liuxiang epted everything Yuan threw at her. She endured the pain, she resisted the thought of running away, and she tried her best to not me Yuan for his actions.

    "Yuan¡­" Chu Liuxiang muttered in a low voice as Yuan continued to seal away her air.

    Yuan''s body jolted the moment he heard Chu Liuxiang calling his name, and he slowly released his grasp on her neck, which left behind a slight bruise.

    "L-Lulu¡­ What have I done¡­?" Yuan, who''d just regained control over his body, mumbled in disbelief.

    He looked at her condition with his divine sense, and he could see bruise marks all over her body that had been caused by his rough handling, and the bed sheets were soaked in her blood.

    However, despite the abuse she just experienced, Chu Liuxiang had a gentle smile on her face.

    "Don''t me yourself, Yuan. You''re not in the right state of mind, and I agreed to this."

    "T-That doesn''t make the situation any better, nor does it excuse my actions¡­ I hurt you¡­ even though I promised to protect you¡­"

    "W-We need to stop here and get you a doctor¡ª"

    When Yuan tried to stand up, Chu Liuxiang suddenly grabbed his arm and pulled him back down.

    "No! We cannot stop here! We need to finish this properly! I have always wanted to do this with you, too!"

    "But your condition¡­"

    "Don''t underestimate me, Yuan. I got worse injuries when I trained with my Master, and it was much more painful when I absorbed the Flood Dragon''s scale. I can handle this," she said with a resolute face.

    And she continued, "Furthermore, you''re back to normal now. Things will only get better from here."

    "What if I lose my mind again?"

    "Then I will wake you up again."

    Chu Liuxiang grabbed his cheeks and pulled his face towards her own, kissing him on the lips.

    "I love you, Yuan," she said to him afterward.

    "Let''s finish this so that you can get better."

    Yuan nodded, and he inserted his rod into her body again.

    Now that Yuan regained his senses, he no longer moved like a beast, allowing the both of them to enjoy the moment.

    Eventually, Yuan reached his limits, and when that happened, he remembered Meixiu''s words and pulled out of Chu Liuxiang before releasing his fluids all over her body.

    Yuan proceeded toy on the bed beside Chu Liuxiang, and the both of them rested for many minutes before they went to wash each other.

    "Yuan, that was amazing. I never expected that embracing your loved ones could be so much fun and enjoyable¡ª even if you were a little rough at the beginning." Chu Liuxiang suddenly said.

    "Sorry¡­"

    "Why are you apologizing? Some people like it rough, you know? It''s like a hobby for them, and after experiencing it for myself, I can understand where they areing from."

    Yuan didn''t know how to respond to such information, so he remained quiet.

    "I am going to cultivate now and get rid of the chaotic energy within my body." Yuan said to Chu Liuxiang afterward.

    "Good luck. If you ever need to ''relieve'' yourself again, I will always be there for you."

    "Thank you." Yuan nodded.

    Chu Liuxiang left Yuan alone and proceeded to stare at the cloud in the sky with a dazed face until Meixiu returned.

    "Is everything okay?" Meixiu asked Chu Liuxiang when she noticed the odd atmosphere around her, like something about her had changed.

    "Never been better." Chu Liuxiang nodded with a smile.

    "It''s my turn to watch Yuan now."

    "Okay."

    Just as Chu Liuxiang began walking away, Meixiu suddenly spoke, "Wait."

    "What''s the matter?" Chu Liuxiang stopped and looked at her.

    Meixiu raised her arm and pointed at her neck, "You''re bruised¡­ Something did happen, right? Are you okay?"

    Chu Liuxiang subconsciously covered her neck. She hadpletely forgotten about it.

    "Don''t worry, it''s really nothing serious."

    "Yuan¡­ Is he okay?"

    "Yes, I promise.." Chu Liuxiang smiled at Meixiu before leaving the scene.

 Chapter 780: Full Recovery

    <h4>Chapter 780: Full Recovery</h4>

    After Chu Liuxiang left, Meixiu turned to look at Yuan''s building with a worried look on her face.

    "Yuan¡­ Are you there?"

    "Yes."

    "Are you okay?"

    "¡­"

    After a moment of silence, Yuan responded, "I lost control for a bit, but Lulu helped me, so I am fine now."

    ''Lost control? That exins the bruises on her neck¡­ They probably fought.'' Meixiu sighed inwardly, misunderstanding the situation entirely.

    "Yuan, if you feel like losing control again, let me know and I will immediately get help." Meixiu said to him.

    As much as she wanted to help him, she knew that she was no match for Yuan if they fought, so she could only rely on others for now.

    ''I am still too weakpared to them¡­'' Meixiu bit her lips in frustration before sitting down and cultivating.

    Eight hours passed in a sh while Meixiu focused on cultivation, and before she was aware, Chu Liuxiang was already back for her shift.

    "I can continue. You should rest a little more." Meixiu said to her.

    "Thank you for worrying about me, but I am really fine. Look, the bruises are already gone." Chu Liuxiang showed Meixiu her neck, and sure enough, all of her bruises were gone.

    Meixiu silently stared at her for a moment before speaking, "If anything happens, you need to get help."

    "I will." Chu Liuxiang nodded with a smile on her face.

    Once Meixiu left, Chu Liuxiang sat before the building and said, "I am back, Yuan. If you need me, I will be out here."

    There was no response from Yuan, but Chu Liuxiang didn''t panic.

    ''He''s probably focused on his recovery,'' she thought to herself.

    An hour into her shift, Chu Liuxiang noticed a figure in the distance, and they appeared to be watching her from the shadows.

    It was already dark outside, so Chu Liuxiang couldn''t see this figure''s face.

    "Who''s there?" She called out to the figure.

    A few secondster, this figure stepped out of the shadows and into the light.

    It was Qi Fang.

    "Master? Do you need something?"

    "How is he doing?"

    "Yuan? He''s recovering."

    "Is that so." Qi Fang didn''t say anything else and turned around and began walking away.

    "Master! Wait a moment!" Chu Liuxiang stopped her.

    "What?"

    "A-Are you still angry at Yuan for what happenedst time? If you are, please ept my apologies for him¡­"

    "¡­"

    Qi Fang spoke after a moment of silence, "I am more angry at myself than I am with him."

    "Eh?" Chu Liuxiang''s eyes widened.

    "I thought I was strong. Strong enough to defeat him¡ª strong enough to defeat a demon. Turns out that I''ve been wrong this entire time."

    "You don''t have to worry. What happened at the Chu Family is already behind me. I may be stupid and arrogant, but I am not foolish."

    And without exining any further, Qi Fang disappeared back into the shadows, leaving Chu Liuxiang speechless.

    Two dayster, Yuan opened his eyes and stood up to stretch.

    "The urges arepletely gone now, which means I have fully recovered. What a horrible experience. I swear I will never carelessly swallow demon cores ever again."

    He opened the door and walked outside to see Chu Liuxiang sitting in front of him.

    And when Chu Liuxiang heard the door open behind her, she stopped cultivating and turned around.

    "Yuan! Have you finally recovered?" She quickly stood up and asked him.

    "Yes, and it''s all thanks to you."

    Yuan suddenly opened his arms and embraced Chu Liuxiang tightly.

    "Lulu¡­ I am truly sorry about what happenedst time. I asked you for your help, but that caused you a lot of pain. Even if I wasn''t in the right state of mind, I am still responsible for my actions. I hope that you''ll forgive me."

    "I will forgive you¡­ If you do it properly next time." Chu Liuxiang hugged him back and said.

    "Let''s wait until we go back home?"

    "I think I prefer that as well." Chu Liuxiang chuckled.

    "Let''s go tell the others that you''re fine." She then said.

    "Okay."

    Yuan and Chu Liuxiang went to meet up with Meixiu.

    "Meixiu, are you awake?"

    "Yuan!" Meixiu stopped cultivating when she heard Yuan''s voice outside her room.

    "Are you okay?" She asked him after opening the door.

    "Yes, I have fully recovered. Thank you for watching over me."

    "Where is the Qi Family? I''d like to speak with them."

    "Senior Qi should be at the training area with the disciples. We can ask her." Meixiu said.

    "Where is this ce?"

    "Follow me. I have been there before."

    They made their way to the training area next, and sure enough, Qi Fang was training the disciple with an iron fist.

    "Your demon sealing aura is too weak! Are you trying to seal the demon or unseal it?!"

    "Senior Qi, I think they are looking for you." One of the disciples noticed Yuan''s group and notified her.

    When Qi Fang saw Yuan''s face, she immediately recalled the incident they had not long ago and started blushing.

    Sometimeter, she approached them and asked, "Need something?"

    Yuan smiled and said, "I have fully recovered, and I am prepared to train the Qi Family."

    Qi Fang narrowed her eyes at him, "Are you sure?"

    "I am." He nodded.

    "Wait right here. I am going to notify my grandparents." Qi Fang then walked away for a few minutes before returning.

    "They will be here shortly."

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    "While we wait¡­ I need to speak with you¡­ In private." Qi Fang looked at Yuan.

    Qi Fang then dragged Yuan to a secluded area where they were alone.

    Once Qi Fang was certain that nobody was around, she pointed at Yuan and spoke in a low but aggressive voice, "What happened that night never happened, okay?! I was drunk, and you were sick! Forget about it! If you dare tell anyone about it, I will kill you even if it''s thest thing I do, and then I will kill myself! Do you hear me?!"

    Yuan smiled and said, "What happened that night? I don''t remember very clearly since I was sick."

    "That''s a good response. Now keep it that way¡ª forever.." Qi Fang coldly snorted before walking away like nothing ever happened.

 Chapter 781: Lecturing The Qi Family

    <h4>Chapter 781: Lecturing The Qi Family</h4>

    By the time Yuan returns to the others after his brief conversation with Qi Fang, Qi Man and the others have already arrived.

    "Yuan! Are you sure you want to start the training already? You can rest a few more days if you want." Qi Man said to him.

    "I am certain." Yuan nodded with a confident smile.

    "Okay. Follow me, I will introduce you to the family." Qi Man said.

    Qi Man brought Yuan before the disciples.

    He cleared his throat and spoke, "Listen up! This person right here is Senior Yuan, and he will be your instructor for the next few days!"

    The disciples immediately began mumbling to each other.

    "He''s our instructor? He looks even younger than me!"

    "I don''t believe it¡­ This must be a prank."

    "Shut up!" Qi Man suddenly shouted, instantly silencing the murmurs.

    "He may be younger than most of you, but I can guarantee his skills and knowledge. As you already know, the demon on this ind had escaped from its seal a few days ago. It was Senior Yuan who subjugated and killed the demon, saving us from a ughter. If you dare disrespect him, you will answer to me!"

    "In fact, all of the elders in the family will also participate in the lectures, as I firmly believe that we all have a lot to learn from him."

    The disciples were shocked to learn that Yuan was the one who killed the demon, and they all wondered where he came from.

    However, a few disciples there recognized his name.

    "Wait¡­ Yuan¡­ He can''t be yer Yuan, right? The mysterious yer who seems to always be a thousand light years ahead of everyone?"

    "Fuck¡­ Now that you mention it, it would make perfect sense if it''s yer Yuan. He always seems to achieve the impossible."

    "So that''s what yer Yuan looks like behind his mask, huh? Why does he have his eyes closed?"

    "Who knows."

    Yuan suddenly stepped forward and said, "Hello, everyone. I''m Yuan, and I will be teaching you all I know about demons. Before I teach you about how to fight demons, you should all know about demons'' strengths and weaknesses."

    He looked around before turning to look at Qi Man and asking him, "Is there a more suitable ce for lectures?"

    "Of course. We have a lecture hall not far from here. We can go there."

    "Great."

    Yuan and everyone there proceeded to follow Qi Man to the lecturer hall.

    Once everyone was seated, Yuan began speaking, "Before I talk about demons'' weakness, I want to talk about what makes them so strong and unkible."

    "First of all, demons have an incredible level of pain endurance. You can tear their limbs and smash their heads into meat paste, but they will not feel a thing."

    "Second, they all have powerful innate strength. If you try to fight them head-on, you will most likely lose."

    "Demons are naturally stronger than humans, meaning if there is a demon and a cultivator with the same cultivation, the demon will always beat the human."

    "Last but not least, demons have super regeneration, which allows them to recover from any damage as long as there is a tiny piece of their body left. You can decapitate them or grind them into a million pieces, they will still recover as though nothing had happened. This is demons'' strongest ability and what makes them relentless and unkible."

    The disciples immediately began mumbling to each other.

    "Fuck¡­ I thought their regenerating abilities were exaggerated! To think it was true!"

    The disciples despaired upon learning this information.

    They learned about demons'' regenerative abilities through ancient texts from their ancestors, but since they have never fought a demon before, they could never confirm the information.

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    "If we cannot kill them, then how did you kill the demon?" Someone there stood up and asked Yuan.

    Yuan turned to look at the young man who just spoke and said, "They may be unkible, but that is only for your average cultivator. We, demon sealers, have what it takes to kill demons as long as you know the right techniques."

    "Now let me tell you about their weaknesses and how you can kill demons."

    "There are two ways that I know of."

    "One, you must destroy the demon faster than it can regenerate, meaning you can kill a demon as long as you can erase a demonpletely before they can regenerate, but that will require a massive amount of spiritual energy and a technique that is powerful enough to do such a thing."

    "As for the second method, you must destroy their core. All demons have a core in their body¡ª it''s the red crystal that can usually be found on their chest. If you can destroy their core, the demon will lose their regenerative ability and die, which is what I did to the demon."

    "However, in order to do that, you must have the right technique and demon sealing aura strong enough to prevent the crystal from returning to the demon."

    "I will now answer any questions that you may have."

    Dozens of hands immediately raised into the air.

    "How many demons have you fought¡ª killed?!" A youngdy asked him with her eyes flickering with admiration.

    "A couple."

    "Are you really yer Yuan?! The number one yer in Cultivation Online?!"

    "Yes, I am."

    "D-Do you have a girlfriend?!"

    "¡­"

    "Let''s try to stay on topic¡­" Yuan said with a bittersweet smile on his face.

    Qi Fang suddenly stood up and asked, "The two methods to kill a demon¡ª they all require a specific technique, but we don''t have such techniques. Are you telling us that we will never be able to kill demons?"

    Yuan smiled upon hearing her question, and he responded in a clear voice, "That''s not true. You may not have such techniques, but I do. If you want, I can teach you these techniques."

    "What? Are you serious?" Qi Fang''s eyes widened with shock.

    Qi Man and the other elders were also pleasantly surprised to hear Yuan''s words.

 Chapter 782: Lecturing The Qi Family(2)

    <h4>Chapter 782: Lecturing The Qi Family(2)</h4>

    "Y-You''re willing to share with us your demon sealing techniques? What do you want in return? I doubt you''ll be willing to give them for free." Qi Fang narrowed her eyes at Yuan.

    The situation sounded too good to be true.

    "I don''t need or want anything from you. I believe that the more capable demon sealers there are in this world, the safer it is from demons. It makes no sense for me to keep demon sealing techniques to myself when the world is in danger, as that would be akin to asking you to dig a hole with your bare hands while I keep all of the tools necessary to dig the hole to myself."

    "However, these techniques require a certain amount of demon sealing aura to use. If your demon sealing aura is too weak, you will not be able to learn it."

    Qi Man suddenly stood up and spoke in a loud and excited voice, "As you all have just heard, Senior Yuan has agreed to teach us his valuable demon sealing techniques! However, if you want to learn them, you must qualify first! If you wish to learn from him, you must speak to an elder first so that you don''t waste Senior Yuan''s time!"

    "Thank you, Senior Yuan!"

    The disciples all expressed their gratitude to him.

    Yuan nodded, and he continued to lecture the Qi Family about demons for an hour before they all returned to the training area.

    "Now that you all know about demons, you should learn to fight them. Starting today, I will be acting as a demon, and your goal is to ''seal'' me."

    "Seal you? How do we do that?" One of the disciples asked.

    "Just treat me like a demon and try your best to seal me."

    "Are you sure? That sounds a little dangerous."

    Yuan smiled and said, "Yes, it''s going to be a little risky, but not for me."

    He pointed at them and said, "If anyone here can defeat me, I will teach you a demon sealing technique of your choosing. I happen to know a couple of Divine-rank demon sealing techniques, after all."

    When the disciples heard Yuan''s words, they immediately felt a rush of excitement and passion in their body.

    "Who wants to try first?" Yuan asked them a momentter.

    And before anybody could even move, a figurended before him.

    "I will go first." Qi Fang said with a serious look on her face.

    She had multiple reasons to fight Yuan, but she never had the right excuse until now.

    "Sure." Yuan nodded with a smile.

    Qi Fang retrieved a sword.

    "Where''s your sword. Take it out."

    "It won''t be fair if I use it." Yuan said.

    "How arrogant!"

    Qi Fang didn''t say anything else and kicked her feet.

    However, a burst of intense killing intent suddenly exploded from Yuan, halting Qi Fang instantly.

    "Demons will have much more killing intent than I am releasing now! You must ovee your fear, or you will never defeat the demon!" Yuan said to her in a loud voice so that everyone else could hear him.

    Qi Fang''s body trembled in fear, but she gritted her teeth and forced her own body to move.

    "Haaaa!"

    She swung her sword at Yuan with all of her might, but Yuan dodged it effortlessly.

    "I can tell that you''re still scared! Get rid of your fear if you want to win!"

    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.

    "Shut up! That''s easier said than done!" Qi Fang continued to swing her sword at Yuan, but with her body still trembling, she could barely control her movements.

    "If I was a real demon, you''d been dead a dozen times by now." Yuan suddenly appeared behind Qi Fang, kicking her on the side and sending her flying.

    He turned to look at the dazed spectators and shouted, "If you do not ovee your fear, you will never defeat the demon! There is nothing to fear as long as you have your demon sealing technique! Demons should fear you, not the other way!"

    "Who wants to try next?!"

    After a moment of silence, over a dozen disciples raised their hands.

    Seeing this, Yuan pointed at 5 different people and said, "You can alle at me together."

    The five disciples exchanged looks with each other before nodding their heads.

    Once they were prepared, they surrounded Yuan and attacked him at once.

    However, Yuan released his killing intent again.

    The disciples suddenly felt as though the grim reaper had appeared to take their lives, and their legs began shivering nonstop.

    While the disciples were dazed, Yuan used this chance to attack them, quickly defeating all five disciples.

    "Give me ten disciples next!" Yuan turned to look at the spectators.

    And for the rest of the day, Yuan would fight every disciple in the Qi Family without a single loss, even increasing the number of people he fought at once after every victory.

    "Fuck! He''s too powerful!"

    "So this is what it feels like to fight yer Yuan, huh? As expected, he''s on a whole other level."

    Sometimeter, Yuan gathered everybody and said to them, "Although nobody has managed to resist my killing intent today, I have confidence in you all. Therefore, we will spend all day tomorrow increasing your endurance to my killing intent."

    Once the disciples were dismissed, Qi Man and the other elders approached Yuan.

    "Yuan, do you think we have enough demon sealing aura to learn the techniques?" Qi Huan asked him.

    "I don''t know. Do you guys have anything that measures one''s demon sealing aura?" He asked them.

    Qi Man then said, "We do. It''s also what we use to determine if someone has the capabilities to be a demon sealer. Follow us."

    They brought Yuan to an open area where a stone tablet surrounded by seven stone totems existed.

    "If we pour our demon sealing aura in the stone tablet, it will tell us the strength of our aura, but we''re not exactly sure how it scales." Qi Man said to him.

    "We''ll find out in a bit, I guess.." Yuan said.

 Chapter 783: Testing Their Demon Sealing Aura

    <h4>Chapter 783: Testing Their Demon Sealing Aura</h4>

    "I will go first." Qi Man said as he approached the stone tablet.

    He ced his hands onto the tablet and poured his demon sealing aura into it.

    One of the seven stone totems began emitting a dim light, then two totems, then three, stopping at four totems.

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    "Four totems¡­ I think it should be good enough. I will transfer the technique to you. See if you canprehend it." Yuan said to him afterward.

    "How will you¡­?" Qi Man raised his eyebrows.

    Yuan approached Qi Man and lifted his hand before poking Qi Man''s forehead with his finger that had a subtle light emitting from the tip.

    The next moment, Qi Man could feel something being forced into his head, and the demon sealing technique appeared inside his mind like some sort of magic trick.

    "Heavens! You can even do something like this?" Qi Man was shocked and speechless.

    "I only learned this technique very recently, but it allows me to transfer any technique I know to others. It''s very convenient."

    Qi Man wasted no time and took a seat not far away before he started trying toprehend the demon sealing technique.

    "Who''s next?"

    "I will go next!" Qi Huan stepped forward and ced her hands onto the stone tablet.

    A few momentster, three stone totems emitted light.

    Yuan transferred the demon sealing technique that will allow them to destroy a demon''s core to Qi Huan afterward.

    Up next was Qi Fang''s father, followed by her mother.

    Her father managed to light up four totems while her mother only managed to light up three totems, just like Qi Man and Qi Huan.

    The other elders went next, but most of them only managed to light up two totems with a few lighting three.

    Once all of the elders were finished, Qi Fang went to check her results, but she already knew the results before even putting her hands on the stone tablet since it was mandatory to check their demon sealing aura once a year, and she''d checked her demon sealing aura two months ago.

    One totem¡­ two totems¡­ three totems¡­

    In the end, Qi Fang managed to light up five totems, which is the highest out of the entire Qi Family.

    "As expected of our family''s number one genius¡­" The other elders were not surprised by the results.

    After getting her demon sealing aura tested, Qi Fang approached Yuan and waited for him to transfer the techniques to her.

    "Senior Qi, what weapon do you mainly use? The sword?"

    "Yes." Qi Fang nodded, silently wondering to herself why he was asking this question.

    "Then I will give you a demon sealing technique for the sword as well as the technique that will allow you to destroy their cores."

    "Really?" Qi Fang''s eyes began flickering with excitement.

    "Why would I lie to you?" Yuan smiled as he transferred the Demon Sealing Strike and the other technique that he gave everyone else to Qi Fang.

    "This is¡­ What a profound technique¡­" Qi Fang mumbled in awe as she closed her eyes to look at the information flowing inside her head.

    "What about you two? Do you want to test your demon sealing aura?" Yuan asked Meixiu and Chu Liuxiang.

    "Sure." They nodded.

    Chu Liuxiang went first, followed by Meixiu.

    However, to their surprise, they were only able to light up a single totem.

    "Does this mean we''re not suitable to be demon sealers?" Chu Liuxiang asked him in a worried tone.

    "No, your results are normal for people that have never trained their demon sealing aura before." Qi Man said to them.

    "As long as you continue strengthening your demon sealing aura, you will be able to light up more totems. In fact, most of us started out with only one totem as well."

    Chu Liuxiang and Meixiu felt more reassured after hearing Qi Man''s exnation.

    "How does one even train their demon sealing aura?" Chu Liuxiang then asked.

    "We''re not entirely sure either, but we found that the more weprehend demon sealing techniques, the stronger our demon sealing aura bes." Qi Man responded.

    "Does this mean one should study as many demon sealing techniques as they can even if they cannot use some of them?"

    "Yes." Qi Man nodded.

    "Anyways, this technique is very profound. It will take us a few weeks if not months before we get any results."

    "However, I think we can teach everyone that has at least level 2 demon sealing aura the technique, but it''s all up to you, Yuan." Qi Man looked at him.

    "Level 2 demon sealing aura? So only those who can emit light from two totems should learn the technique?" Yuan asked for confirmation.

    "Yes." Qi Man nodded.

    "Sure, I don''t mind."

    "Thank you. This debt we owe you is so huge that I don''t even know where to begin, much less how to repay you. Please give us some time to think of a proper response." Qi Man lowered his head and said.

    Yuan pondered for a moment before speaking, "I don''t really need any payments, but I would appreciate it if you can let me look at the Qi Family''s demon sealing techniques."

    "Of course! We don''t have much, and they are worthlesspared to your demon sealing techniques, but since you asked, you may look at them as you please. Just let me know when you want to look at them."

    "I will look at them before I return home." Yuan said.

    Sometimeter, Qi Fang stopped trying to learn the technique and said to Yuan, "Hey, why don''t you take the test as well? I want to see how strong your demon sealing aura is."

    When the others heard Qi Fang''s suggestion, they also stopped cultivating and stared at Yuan. It was clear as day that Qi Fang isn''t the only one curious.

    "Sure." Yuan simply couldn''t refuse after seeing their anticipating gazes.

    He approached the stone tablet and ced his hands on it.

    After taking a slow and deep breath, Yuan released his demon sealing aura.

    The second the stone tablet sensed his demon sealing aura, it immediately responded by trembling violently.

 Chapter 784: Killing Intent

    <h4>Chapter 784: Killing Intent</h4>

    When Yuan felt the stone tablet shake, he subconsciously removed his hand from it, fearing that he might destroy it.

    However, it was toote, as he''d already injected his demon sealing aura into the stone tablet.

    The stone tablet began trembling until cracks appeared on it.

    When Qi Fang and the others saw this, they were terrified out of their minds. If the stone tablet really breaks, they would have no way to fix it!

    Suddenly, all seven totems shone brightly, basking the whole area with a golden light.

    Boom!

    One of the seven totems¡ª the veryst one¡ª exploded into countless pieces.

    When that happened, the other six totems lost their light, and the stone tablet stopped working.

    "W-What the hell did you do¡­?" Qi Fang approached the totems in a dazed manner, and she inspected the conditions of the remaining six totems.

    Although they were notpletely destroyed, they were on the verge of destruction, and they were all covered in cracks.

    "S-Sorry! I think my demon sealing aura was too strong!" Yuan quickly apologized.

    "You think an apology will fix this? If this stone tablet stops working, we will no longer be able to evaluate the strength of our demon sealing aura!" Qi Fang said with a frown.

    "I only did as you told me." Yuan shrugged.

    "Calm down." Qi Man suddenly said.

    "Even if the stone tablet is broken, not all hope is lost. The other two families also have one."

    "Other two families?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    "There are three ancient families in this world that seal demons, and the Qi Family is only one of them. The other two would be the Luan Family and the Sang Family. We don''t normally speak with each other, but if we really need to, we can ask to use their stone tablet."

    "Don''t worry about this, Yuan. We will deal with the stone tablet. You can focus on your lectures."

    "I understand. Once again, sorry about the whole situation."

    While Yuan returned to his living quarters, the Qi Family examined the damages done to the stone tablet much deeper.

    "I have never seen anything like this before. Just how powerful is his demon sealing aura to wreck the ce like this?"

    "He''s strong enough to kill a demon, so I''m not really that surprised¡­"

    Sometimeter, the people that inspected the stone tablet reported the results to the elders.

    "Despite its rough state and appearance, the stone tablet is still working properly¡ª except the seventh totem, which is no longer functional."

    Qi Huan released a long sigh after hearing the results, "Looks like we won''t have to beg the other two families for their help."

    "Indeed." Qi Man sighed.

    Meanwhile¡­

    "Okay, I am going to transfer to you the demon sealing techniques now." Yuan said to Meixiu and Chu Liuxiang.

    He started with Meixiu.

    After touching her forehead with his finger, Yuan transferred two different techniques to her, both demon sealing techniques that required the bow.

    "A Heaven-rank and Divine-rank technique¡­" Meixiu mumbled in a low voice.

    "Thank you, Yuan."

    Yuan turned to look at Chu Liuxiang next.

    "I have three demon sealing techniques for you, and they don''t require the usage of any weapons." Yuan said to her before transferring the techniques to her.

    "Thank you!" She said to him afterward.

    "Good luck learning the techniques."

    The following morning, Yuan went to the training area.

    "Yuan, I also want to participate in the training today." Meixiu suddenly said to him.

    "Sure."

    "I also want to join!" Chu Liuxiang said.

    And she continued, "Make sure that you don''t go easy on us."

    "I won''t." He smiled.

    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.

    Sometimeter, they arrived at the training area.

    While they waited for everyone to arrive, Qi Man approached Yuan and told him about the stone tablets.

    "So they still work? Thank god." Yuan sighed in relief.

    "Only six of the seven totems work, but I doubt any of us will reach that level."

    "Nothing is impossible." Yuan smiled.

    Once everyone from the Qi Family gathered at the training area, Yuan had them surrounded him in a circle.

    The strongest cultivators there like Qi Fang and Chu Liuxiang sat closest to Yuan while the weaker cultivators sat further away.

    "I will now release my killing intent. It will feel ufortable. Some of you might even feel pain, but do your best to endure it. This will not only help you fight against demons, it can also help you when you face other cultivators." Yuan said to them before taking a seat on the floor.

    "Any questions before we start?"

    One of the disciples raised her hands and asked, "Senior Yuan, how long do we have to endure your killing intent?"

    "As long as you can. I will be doing this all day. If you must retire, leave. But if you want toe back afterward, you can do so."

    Once there were no more questions, Yuan took a deep breath and turned dead silent.

    After a moment of silence, an overwhelming amount of killing intent suddenly burst from Yuan''s body like a volcano, shocking everybody there.

    "Aaaah!"

    Many disciples screamed in terror the moment they felt his killing intent, and some of them even fell unconscious.

    Despite the chaos, Yuan continued to release his killing intent, filling the entire training area with it.

    "T-This guy¡­" Qi Fang couldn''t stop her body shaking from fear, and her body quickly became soaked in sweat.

    Even the elders like Qi Man and Qi Huan couldn''t sit still.

    Eventually, Yuan had to lower the amount of killing intent he was releasing, as too many disciples were falling out too quickly, which would make his training less effective.

    As for his killing intent, most of them were from his memories as the Evil God.

    Killing intent can only be formed through one''s experience as a killer, and with his memories as the Evil God, someone who has killed countless people, even a tiny amount of his killing intent was enough to render everyone in the Qi Family useless.

 Chapter 785: Hovering In The Air

    <h4>Chapter 785: Hovering In The Air</h4>

    It did not matter if it was Meixiu, Chu Liuxiang, Qi Fang, or even the elders¡ª none of them were able to endure Yuan''s killing intent for more than 10 minutes continuously, or they would risk pissing their pants from fear.

    The weaker disciples were even worse, giving up every two to three minutes before returning after a 15 minute break.

    "How does he emit such strong killing intent? Do you think he''s killed a lot of people before? After all, you can only acquire killing intent from killing things." The disciples mumbled to each other while they took a break.

    "Honestly, I wouldn''t be too surprised if that was the case. He''s so damn powerful, who can stop him?"

    "He can probably kill everyone on this ind and get away with it¡­"

    "I don''t think he''s a killer. He just doesn''t give me that feeling. As for his killing intent, it could be acquired from Cultivation Online for all we know."

    "If you have the time to talk, you have time to go back to training!"

    "Y-Yes, Elder!"

    And for pretty much the entire day, Yuan would remain seated at the center of these disciples, keeping his killing intent going.

    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    Every hour, he would increase the killing intent slightly, so the disciples would never feel fortable'' with his killing intent, allowing them to improve at a steady and quick rate.

    "I know I told you not to go easy on us, but heavens¡­ I''ve never had such intensive training before¡­" Chu Liuxiang sighed out loud after the training ended, feeling sticky all over her body because of her sweat.

    "Are you okay, Meixiu?" Yuan noticed that she was a little pale after the training.

    "Yes, I am fine." She nodded in a dazed manner.

    Yuan frowned and said, "You shouldn''t push yourself so hard. You could hurt yourself."

    "Don''t worry, I will be fine after some rest." She smiled.

    Even if Meixiu is a lot stronger than most people due to the treasure she consumed, not to mention her cultivation technique that trains the soul, she is still only a Spirit Warrior.

    Yuan could tell that Meixiu was pushing herself to get stronger, most likely because she felt that she was too behind whenpared to Chu Liuxiang and the others, but he wasn''t sure how to convince her to slow down.

    Sometimeter, everyone returned to their room to rest.

    They were so exhausted that most of them were knocked out before they could even change out of their clothes.

    In fact, the entire ind appeared to be deserted for the rest of the day, and the only ones walking around were the servants that did not participate in Yuan''s training.

    As for Yuan, even though it was also exhausting for him to keep releasing his killing intent, he would fully recover within an hour.

    Once he fully recovered his energy, Yuan sat on his bed and began trying to use Qi Manifestation.

    After consuming the demon core, his cultivation had a huge breakthrough, surpassing Spirit Master and soaring all the way to the 5th level of Spirit Grandmaster.

    Now that he was a Spirit Grandmaster, he wondered if he could learn Qi Manifestation and start flying in the sky like he does in Cultivation Online.

    However, just like everything else, it was much more difficult to learn techniques in the real world than in Cultivation Online.

    ''I can release my spiritual energy outside my body, but I am having a hard time controlling it. This doesn''t make any sense. Howe I can learn everything with ease in Cultivation Online, yet everything feels more difficult in this world?''

    ''Does Cultivation Online somehow increase ourprehension level? It would make sense why things feel easier over there.`

    After practicing his Qi Manifestation for pretty much the entire night, Yuan finally gained the ability to control his Qi Manifestation.

    However, he does not seem to be able to fly just yet.

    ''I may not be able to fly without support, but what if I use a flying sword?''

    Yuan summoned his Empyrean Overlord and proceeded to make it hover using Qi Manifestation.

    Once he wasfortable with controlling the sword, he jumped onto the sword.

    "Hahaha! It''s working! I am hovering in the air!" Yuanughed out loud as he hovered in the middle of the room while standing on his sword.

    He immediately began working on his bnce in the air, and once he wasfortable with that, he started controlling the sword to make it fly around the room.

    This training made Yuan recall when he first learned how to bnce on a flying sword after being taught by Xiao Hua.

    After recalling Xiao Hua, Yuan suddenly had a realization.

    ''Wait a minute¡­ If I can summon my Soul Weapons in this world, perhaps I can somehow summon Xiao Hua and the others into this world as well?''

    The thought of summoning Xiao Hua and the others to this world was so outrageous that it never even appeared inside Yuan''s mind, but now that he thought about it, he really wanted to see it happen.

    Yuan quickly stopped his training and took a deep breath.

    Once he cleared his mind, he tried to call for Xiao Hua and the others like he normally would in Cultivation Online.

    ''Xiao Hua? Can you hear me? Feng Feng? Yingying? If you can hear me,e out.''

    Yuan tried calling them for five minutes straight, but he did not get any response from them.

    "Fortunately, I kept my expectations down¡­ But this begs the question¡ª Howe I can summon my Soul Weapons but not my servants? Is it because they are tools and not living beings? Or maybe Xiao Hua and the others are too far away to hear my summoning?"

    He began pondering for a solution, but in the end, he returned to practicing flying around on his flying sword.

    ''Guess I will have to ask them about it when I return home.''

 Chapter 786: Exhaustion

    <h4>Chapter 786: Exhaustion</h4>

    The following morning, Yuan went to meet up with Chu Liuxiang and Meixiu before going to the training area.

    "How do you feel?" Yuan asked Meixiu as they walked to the training area.

    "Much better." She nodded with a confident smile.

    However, she still looked as pale as yesterday, which made Yuan worry a little.

    "Are you sure? You should probably stay back and rest today." Chu Liuxiang said to her.

    "Really, I am fine. I have experienced much worse before." Meixiu said.

    "If you say so."

    Once they reached the training area, Yuan would take a seat in the middle of the ce and said to those that were already there, "I will begin now. Those that are not here right now can jointer."

    He waited until everyone there was sitting around him before he started to release his killing intent.

    This time, he started out with weak killing intent and gradually increased it.

    Even though the disciples had spent all day enduring the same killing intent yesterday, they did not feel any better today when being pressured by the killing intent.

    In fact, it felt even worse for them, who were exhausted yesterday and haven''t fully recovered.

    Regardless, almost everyone that was there yesterday was also there today with a few exceptions, such as those that got sick or were too traumatized by yesterday.

    However, about an hour into their training, Yuan suddenly stopped his killing intent and stood up in a panicked manner.

    "Meixiu!"

    He jumped over the crowd of disciples andnded in front of Meixiu, who''d just copsed onto the ground.

    His reaction was instantaneous, as he''d been keeping his divine sense on her the entire time.

    "Haaa¡­ haaa¡­"

    Yuan could hear Meixiu breathing heavily, almost as though she was having trouble breathing.

    "Is there a doctor here?!" He shouted out loud.

    "Here!"

    Because of their dangerous training method, the Qi Family made sure there were plenty of doctors on standby just in case anything were to happen.

    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    Over a dozen doctors quickly surrounded Yuan and checked Meixiu''s condition.

    "She copsed from exhaustion, and she has a fever. It''s nothing life-threatening." The doctors exined to Yuan after their assessment.

    "I see¡­ Thank you."

    Yuan picked up Meixiu before speaking out loud, "Sorry, but I am going to have to end today''s training earlier than usual."

    "Don''t worry about it. If you need anything, let us know. There will be a doctor avable for you around the clock until she is recovered." Qi Man said to him.

    Sometimeter, Yuan carried Meixiu back to her room and ced her on the bed.

    "I knew something like this was going to happen when I saw her condition¡­" Chu Liuxiang sighed as she stood beside Yuan.

    "I don''t understand. Why is she working herself to such an extent?" Yuan shook his head.

    If anything, Meixiu''s workload has dramatically decreased since they left the Yu Family, so it didn''t make sense for her to copse from exhaustion. Just what on earth is she doing that''s causing this?

    "I''m sorry¡­" Meixiu suddenly mumbled in a low voice.

    And she continued, "I didn''t want to fall behind you and everyone else, so I worked extra hard to improve my cultivation."

    "¡­" Yuan was speechless. He didn''t think Meixiu would be worried about such a thing.

    "How silly." Chu Liuxiang suddenly said, and she continued, "If you want to catch up to Yuan, you''ll be chasing for the rest of your life, and even then, you won''t catch up. If you''re talking about everyone else, you''ve already caught up."

    "You''re a Spirit Warrior, right? There aren''t many Spirit Warriors in this world even today. The Six Spiritual Families, the Chu Family, and the Qi Family¡ª they''re all abnormal families that have a huge advantage over everyone else because of their prior knowledge on cultivation. If you take them out of the conclusion, you''re one of the top cultivators in the world, so you shouldn''t worry about catching up."

    Yuan then said, "I don''t want to sound arrogant, but Lulu is right, Meixiu. I can consume demon cores, and a single one of them increases my cultivation by leaps and bounds. Unless someone has the same physique, I cannot imagine how they''ll achieve the same results without consuming a massive amount of treasures, and such treasures are not easily attainable in this world."

    Meixiu had no response, as everything Yuan and Chu Liuxiang said was the truth. It was simply foolish of her to try and catch up to Yuan, who has heaven-defying talents that allowed him to achieve Spirit Grandmaster within a couple of months after he started cultivation.

    "Anyways, get some rest. Seeing you like this, I also feel like resting some more. Yesterday''s training was too stressful." Chu Liuxiang said a momentter.

    "Sorry¡­" Yuan felt the need to apologize for some reason.

    "Don''t you dare make the training easier just because of this, though."

    "I won''t." Yuan smiled.

    "If you need me, I will be right next door." Chu Liuxiang returned to her own room shortly after.

    Once they were alone, Meixiu spoke in a low voice, "Yuan¡­"

    "What''s the matter? Are you in pain? I will immediately get the doctor¡ª"

    "No, that''s not it." She quickly stopped him.

    "My body is still soaked in sweat. I cannot go to sleep like this, and it''ll dirty the bed¡­"

    "Oh, sorry."

    "Can you turn on the water for me so I can take a quick shower? I will be there in a bit."

    "Of course."

    Yuan went to the bathroom and turned on the shower for her.

    Sometimeter, Yuan returned to the room to see that Meixiu had just stripped naked.

    "Can you help me to the bathroom? I cannot exert any strength for some reason¡­" Meixiu suddenly asked him.

    Yuan nodded, and he asked, "Do you want me to wash your back as well?"

    Meixiu''s face flushed slightly redder after hearing his question, but she didn''t refuse.

    "If you don''t mind," she nodded.

 Chapter 787: Taking Care Of Meixiu

    <h4>Chapter 787: Taking Care Of Meixiu</h4>

    "Why would I mind?" Yuan said as he walked next to Meixiu so that he could support her.

    Meixiu wrapped her arm around his neck while Yuan held her by the waist, walking her to the bathroom.

    Once they were inside the bathroom, Meixiu removed her bath towel and sat down on a small wooden chair.

    "Can you hold the shower head for me?"

    "Sure."

    Yuan took the shower head and started rinsing her body.

    "Okay, that''s enough." She said a momentter.

    "Should I wash your back now?" Yuan asked.

    Seeing Meixiu nod her head, Yuan squeezed some body wash onto his palms before he started washing Meixiu''s back with his bare hands.

    ''Her skin is so smooth¡­'' Yuan thought to himself, and he couldn''t help but recall the time when their naked bodies embraced each other.

    Once Meixiu''s whole back was covered in soap, Yuan said, "Okay, I am done."

    However, Meixiu remained silent.

    "Meixiu? Are you okay?" Yuan quickly asked her in a worried voice.

    "Y-Yes. Sorry, I dazed out just now." She responded in a low voice.

    Then she said, "Yuan¡­ Can I ask you to wash my front as well?"

    Perhaps it was because of her fever, or maybe it was because of the sensation of Yuan''s hands on her back just now, but she felt hotter than usual, and that made her bolder than usual.

    "T-The front? Of course¡­" Yuan was a little surprised to hear such a request, but he didn''t refuse.

    "Thank you¡­"

    Yuan squeezed more body wash onto his palms before moving to the front, where he could see the best features on Meixiu''s naked body.

    After swallowing nervously, Yuan began washing Meixiu''s front.

    He started with her neck before going down to her breasts, then stomach.

    Once he reached her legs, Meixiu willingly spread her legs for him.

    Yuan took another deep breath before washing her legs, slowly moving towards the slit between her legs.

    "Mmm¡­" Meixiu suddenly released a gentle moan when Yuan''s fingers began rubbing against her sensitive spot.

    When he heard this beautiful sound that tickled his ears and heart, Yuan''s movement sped up a little, almost as though it was trying to match the pace of his heart that was also speeding up.

    Meixiu''s moans also got more constant and louder as the sensation of Yuan rubbing her slit became more intense.

    A few momentster, when Yuan realized what he was doing, he quickly stopped and pulled his hand back.

    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.

    "S-Sorry, my body acted on its own just now¡­" He apologized.

    "It''s okay. I didn''t dislike it either." She said with a gentle smile on her face.

    Yuan swallowed hard after hearing her words.

    "A-Anyways, let me rinse you off before you catch a cold."

    Thus, he quickly began rinsing her body until there was no more soap left.

    After helping her dry her body, Yuan carried Meixiu back to her bed, where he also helped her change into her pajamas.

    "After helping you today, I understand the efforts it requires to take care of someone. I won''t say that I understand the efforts you and Yu Rou put to take care of me, but I understand that it''s not an easy thing to do, yet the both of you make it look so easy."

    "Anyways, get some rest, Meixiu. I will be here if you need me." Yuan said to her.

    However, when he tried to leave, Meixiu suddenly grabbed his hand.

    "What''s the matter?" He asked her.

    "My body¡­ It''s very hot¡­ Help me¡­ Calm it down¡­" Meixiu said as she stared at him with a charming gaze.

    "Calm you down? How do I¡ª"

    Meixiu suddenly regained some of her strength and pulled Yuan onto her.

    "Yuan¡­ Let''s have sex¡­" she whispered to him.

    Yuan''s jaw dropped open after hearing her bbergasting words, and he quickly said, "W-We can''t. You have a fever, and you need to rest now."

    "I can''t rest with a restless body¡­ Just for a while, okay?" Meixiu looked at him with these pleading eyes that could instantly melt even the coldest men out there.

    However, Yuan remained unfazed and sighed, "Just endure it for now. Your body is too weak to do anything right now. Once you have fully recovered, if you still want to, uh¡­ have sex¡­ we can do it for as long as you want¡­"

    "You promise?"

    "I promise." He nodded vigorously.

    Meixiu didn''t say anything else and closed her eyes, quickly falling asleep.

    Yuan released a sigh of relief afterward.

    He then sat a few meters away from the bed and started to cultivate in silence.

    Meixiu woke up a few hourster and said, "Yuan¡­ I''m hungry¡­"

    "I will tell the Qi Family to cook something for you." Yuan said before going outside, where a servant was on standby, and he exined the situation to her.

    "I understand. We will have something cooked as soon as possible." The servant bowed to him before running off to find a chief.

    Half an hourter, the servant returned with a bowl of rice porridge and handed it to Yuan.

    "Can you feed me?" Meixiu asked him.

    "Of course." Yuan agreed, and he started spoon feeding her the rice porridge.

    Once Meixiu cleared the bowl of rice porridge, sheid back down on the bed and said, "Yuan, can you give me a kiss?"

    "¡­Sure."

    He gave her a gentle kiss on the lips.

    Despite Meixiu acting a little weird and more demanding than usual, Yuan didn''t mind it at all, and he even found it a little bit refreshing. After all, Meixiu was raised to keep everything to herself, and that included her desires, so she rarely asks for anything.

    Once Meixiu fell asleep again, Yuan returned to his cultivation.

    However, Meixiu wouldn''t fully recover until two dayster, and during this time, Yuan was the one who took care of her every need, just like how she took care of him when he couldn''t move his body.

    No matter her request¡ª with a few shameless exceptions that her body wouldn''t be able to handle at its condition, Yuan did everything Meixiu wanted with no questions asked.

    With this new experience, Yuan learned that he really enjoyed taking care of others, as it made him feel useful in another sense, and he felt that he was finally returning favors to Meixiu, who took care of him when he needed it the most.

 Chapter 788 - Do You Want To Do It Now?

    <h4>Chapter 788 - Do You Want To Do It Now?</h4>

    "How do you feel?" Yuan asked Meixiu when she woke up on the third day after she copsed from exhaustion.

    "I''mpletely fine now. Thank you for taking care of me, and I''m sorry that I kept you from your training sessions. I must have been a burden." Meixiu lowered her head in a shameful manner.

    Thest time she was even slightly sick was over a decade ago, after all.

    "There''s no need to apologize. I only took care of you for three short days while you took care of me and my sister for years. If you ask me to continue taking care of you, I would agree, and I wouldn''t utter a singleint."

    "What are you going to do now that you''ve recovered? Continue training?" Chu Liuxiang asked her.

    N?velDrama.Org (C) content.

    Meixiu looked at Chu Liuxiang and shook her head.

    "No, I am going to stay in today. Even though I have recovered, I would like to rest some more."

    "That''s a good idea. However, I am ready to go back to training. What about you, Yuan? Are you going to resume training?"

    Yuan nodded, "Even though I promised the Qi Family that I''d stay for two weeks, things just keeping up, shortening that time to one week."

    Sometimeter, Yuan and Chu Liuxiang went to the training area.

    "If you need anything, there will be a servant on standby outside." Yuan said to Meixiu before leaving.

    Once she was alone, Meixiu returned to her bed, but she didn''t go to sleep.

    Instead, she got under the nkets and removed her pants and underwear.

    "Yuan¡­ You idiot¡­" Meixiu sighed in a low voice before she started relieving herself.

    Meanwhile, when they arrived at the training area, Yuan said to the disciples there, "I apologize for the dy, but I will be resuming my training sessions today."

    "For the next two days, we will continue practicing with my killing intent. And for the final few days, we will be sparring with each other just like the first day, but you will also have to endure my killing intent while trying to seal me."

    Yuan gave the Qi Family some time to prepare themselves before he took a seat and released his killing intent.

    When Qi Man and the other elders heard that Yuan had returned to the training area, they quickly stopped whatever they were doing to participate in the training, as they also benefited greatly from his training.

    After three days of break, the Qi Family fully recovered from their fatigue. However, that did not make it any morefortable for them, as they were still struggling to endure Yuan''s killing intent.

    At the end of the day, Qi Man approached Yuan and asked him, "How is yourdy friend doing?"

    "She''s recovered, but she didn''t join us just in case."

    "Well, unlike us, she''s in no rush to train." Qi Man said with a smile.

    "What do you mean?" Yuan tilted his head in a questioning manner.

    "We only have a limited amount of time to train with you, but your friend, on the other hand, will have her entire life to train with you."

    Qi Huan suddenly appeared and said, "Why don''t you take Qi Fang with you? She may have a problematic personality, but I can guarantee you that she''s worth it if you can tame her."

    "Tame me? Why are you treating me like I am some sort of animal? I don''t need to be ''tamed''!" Qi Fang overheard their conversation and quickly refuted.

    "Also, there''s no way that I''d ever follow him."

    Qi Man turned to look at her and said, "Really? Because I recall how you always mention how you will only follow someone who is stronger than you. If you ask me, I think he''s much stronger than you."

    Qi Fang opened her mouth, but she couldn''t refute his usations, so she could only close it back up a momentter and feel embarrassed about the whole thing.

    "Anyways, I am going to check up on Meixiu. I will see you all tomorrow."

    After Yuan and Chu Liuxiang left, Qi Man turned to look at Qi Fang and sighed, "What are you thinking, you silly girl? We were trying to get you a worthy partner."

    Qi Fang frowned, "You think I don''t know that? It''s precisely because I don''t want to be his partner that I intervened."

    "Why not? He''s not only talented but also very young. If you ask me, there''s probably nobody out there that''s more worthy than him as a partner, especially for families like our Qi Family." Qi Huan said.

    "You want me to partner up with my disciples'' partner? Just how desperate do you think I am? And even if I was that desperate, I wouldn''t do such a thing."

    "The youngdy from the Chu Family? What makes you think that they''re partners? They seem close, but I think he seems closer to Meixiu." Qi Man asked out of curiosity.

    "Hmph. He wouldn''t fight the entire Chu Family over her if they didn''t share a special rtionship." Qi Fang snorted.

    "Wait¡­ He fought the Chu Family?" They looked baffled by this information.

    "Why are you telling us this just now? What happened between Yuan and the Chu Family?"

    "It''s a long story, and I am tired."

    "We have plenty of time."

    Qi Fang sighed, "Fine, I will tell you about it, but let me shower real quick first."

    Meanwhile, inside Meixiu''s room.

    "How are you feeling now?" Yuan asked her.

    "Bored," she sighed.

    "And frustrated."

    "What''s causing your frustration?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    "A lot of things."

    "Is there anything I can do to help?"

    After a moment of silence, Meixiu responded while staring at him from the bed, "Do you remember your promise?"

    "My promise¡­?" Yuan pondered for a moment beforeing to a realization and blushing.

    "Y-You mean¡­ I thought that was something you said due to your fever¡­"

    The two of them proceeded to stare at each other in awkward silence.

    Eventually, Yuan broke the silence and said, "Do you want to do it now?"

 Chapter 789 - To Make Things Even

    "Chu Liuxiang¡­ Where is she?" Meixiu suddenly asked about her whereabouts.

    "She returned to her room to shower after training."

    Meixiu nodded and continued, "Lock the door first."

    After locking the door, Yuan returned to bed.

    "What are you waiting for? Take off your clothes." Meixiu said to him as she removed her own clothes.

    Yuan swallowed nervously and also removed his clothes.

    Even though this isn''t their first time doing such a thing, he still couldn''t help but feel nervous about it.

    Once they were both naked, Meixiu said to him, "Sit over here."

    Yuan nodded and got onto the bed.

    The next moment, Meixiu moved beside him and rested her head on his shoulders.

    "Yuan¡­ Do you hate it when I am like this?" She suddenly asked him.

    "Why would I hate you? There''s no way that would happen." He quickly replied.

    "Even though I am such a pervert? Ever since we did it for the first time, I have been thinking about it nonstop, and every time I look at you, my body gets hotter and would crave for your warmth. I never had such feelings before."Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    Yuan smiled and said, "To tell you the truth, I have been thinking about it as well."

    "Yuan¡­"

    Meixiu tilted her head slightly and kissed him on the lips before adjusting her position.

    Once she was ready, she opened her mouth and began sucking Yuan''s sword.

    A few minutester, they embraced each other, and their bodies intertwined.

    Meixiu moaned softly as she indulged herself with the sensation of Yuan''s rod rubbing inside her.

    "More¡­ More¡­"

    When Yuan heard Meixiu''s charming voice, he felt a rush of adrenaline flow through his body, causing his hips to move faster.

    However, after a few minutes of intense thrusting, Yuan suddenly halted his movements when he heard someone trying to open the door.

    Yuan immediately used his divine sense to see who it was, and to his surprise, Chu Liuxiang was standing outside of the room with her hand on the doorknob.

    "It''s Lulu¡­" He said to Meixiu in a whispering voice.

    "I will handle it¡­" Meixiu nodded.

    "Who is it?" She then spoke out loud?

    "It''s me. I''m here to check up on your condition." Chu Liuxiang said.

    "Can you open the door? It''s locked."

    "Sorry, but can youe backter? I am about to take a bath. Also, I am fine." Meixiu said.

    After a moment of silence, Chu Liuxiang continued, "What about Yuan? Do you know where he''s gone? I went to look for him at his building, but he didn''t appear to be there."

    "I''m not sure. Maybe he went to speak with the Elders."

    "Okay. Since you''re okay, I won''t bother you any longer. Enjoy your bath." Chu Liuxiang left right afterward.

    Meixiu released a sigh of relief.

    "I don''t know why, but it feels like we''re doing something we''re not supposed to¡­ The feeling of not wanting to get caught¡­" Yuan sighed.

    "That''s a normal response, especially since we''re doing something like this."

    "It makes me feel like I am betraying Chu Liuxiang for some reason, and I don''t really like this feeling¡­" Yuan shook his head.

    Meixiu stared at Yuan''s face that showed genuine concern, and she smiled, "We don''t have to hide like this if you don''t want to. I will talk to herter."

    "Really? That also feels wrong for some reason." Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    Meixiu smiled and said, "Well, our rtionship is a little special, but we''ll get used to it."

    "Okay. I will leave it to you." Yuan nodded.

    They continued to embrace each other shortly after, and they would not stop until it was almost midnight.

    "I''m going to speak with Chu Liuxiang now." Meixiu said to Yuan, who was drying his body with a towel.

    "Do you want me toe with you?" He asked.

    "No, I think it would be better if I speak to her by myself." Meixiu showed him a beautiful smile before leaving the room.

    A few momentster, Meixiu knocked on Chu Liuxiang''s door.

    "Who is it?"

    "It''s me. Are you busy right now?"

    "No, you cane in. The door''s unlocked."

    Meixiu entered Chu Liuxiang''s room the next moment.

    Inside the room, Chu Liuxiang was sitting on her bed in the lotus position. She had been cultivating this entire time.

    "Can we talk? There''s something that I need to tell you." Meixiu said to her.

    Chu Liuxiang smiled and pointed at the chair beside the bed, "Sit down."

    Once Meixiu was sitting, Chu Liuxiang spoke, "So, what do you want to talk to me about?"

    "It''s about Yuan¡­"

    "Yuan? You mean how you''re sleeping with him?" Chu Liuxiang said, dropping this massive bomb out of the blue.

    Meixiu''s eyes widened with shock, and she had this look of total bbergast on her face.

    "H-How did you¡­"

    Chu Liuxiangughed at Meixiu''s response and calmly said, "You know Spirit Masters such as myself have much sharper senses than most people. I could hear you moaning the moment I walked near your room, and I could sense Yuan''s presence inside the room with you."

    "I pretended that I didn''t know anything so that you could enjoy yourselves."

    "I''m sorry¡­" Meixiu sighed.

    "Why are you apologizing?" Chu Liuxiang raised her eyebrows.

    "You''re not angry? I know how much you want to start a family with Yuan, yet I still went ahead and¡­"

    "Angry? Why would I be angry?" Chu Liuxiang became bewildered.

    And she continued, "Do you remember the talk we had in the Immortal Caves?"

    "I do¡­" Meixiu nodded.

    "Even though I am no longer with the Chu Family, my feelings haven''t changed. As long as Yuan is happy and I have a spot in his heart, I don''t care how many partners he epts."

    "And to make things even, I have also slept with him, so you don''t need to feel guilty." Chu Liuxiang revealed, leaving Meixiu utterly speechless.

    "Y-You slept with him? Since when?" Meixiu asked in a dazed voice.

    "Just a few days ago.. It was our first time."

 Chapter 790 - Sleeping Together

    <h4>Chapter 790 - Sleeping Together</h4>

    "A few days ago? When he was sick?" Meixiu raised her eyebrows in a puzzling manner.

    Chu Liuxiang nodded, "That''s right. He was actually looking for you at that time, but you were away, so I stepped in to help. One thing led to another, and our bodies ended up intertwined with each other."

    "I had my suspicions already at that time, but I confirmed it today. Anyways, now that we both know the truth, what are you going to do? I don''t mind sharing him."

    "..."

    Meixiu didn''t immediately respond, and the hesitation in her eyes were quite clear. Of course, she didn''t have any problem with Chu Liuxiang being with Yuan, but she never thought that she would be ''sharing'' a man with another woman.

    "It''s okay if you say no, but just so you know, I won''t back down." Chu Liuxiang suddenly said.

    "Just think about it. Someone like Yuan, he will never have an ordinary life, and I think that he will only have more partners in the future."

    Meixiu sighed, "I know."

    "I was trained to be nothing more than a bed warmer for Yuan. Even if I had feelings for him, I would not have a ce beside him as an official partner¡ª that''s what I had prepared myself for."

    "However, all of that changed when we left the Yu Family. I am no longer just a bed warmer, and I can stand beside him not as a mere servant, but as his partner."

    She took a deep breath and continued, "If you truly do not mind sharing him, then I also have no problem sharing him. That is my decision."

    Chu Liuxiang smiled and extended her hand to Meixiu.

    "Then we''ll be something like sisters after today."

    "Sisters?" Meixiu raised her eyebrow.

    "Yes. Since we''re both going to be his wife in the future, we might as well treat each other like sisters. That''s how my fathers'' wives treat each other."

    "So, nice to meet you, Sister Meixiu."

    Seeing the wide smile on Chu Liuxiang''s face, Meixiu couldn''t help but smile as well, and she epted the handshake.

    "Let''s go see Yuan together." Chu Liuxiang suddenly said.

    "Okay."

    They went to see Yuan in Meixiu''s room shortly after.

    "Yuan, we have an announcement to make." Chu Liuxiang said to him.

    Yuan swallowed nervously and nodded, "I''m listening."

    Chu Liuxiang suddenly grabbed Meixiu''s hand and lifted their hands into the air.

    "We havee to an agreement that we will both be your partner! Are you okay with that?"

    "Both of you as my partners?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    And then he said, "I thought you were already my partners. Why do you need toe to an agreement?"

    Chu Liuxiang and Meixiu were left speechless by Yuan''s reaction.

    "O-Of course we have toe to an agreement! It''s not really normal for one person to have multiple wives! If there''s no agreement between the wives, it would be a chaotic and toxic family!" Chu Liuxiang exined.

    "S-Sorry, I didn''t know, and I just assumed everything would be fine¡­" Yuan sighed.

    Due to his inexperience with rtionships, he didn''t know what was the norm and what was abnormal, not to mention his previous lives'' memories, where it''s verymon for a person to have multiple partners.

    Furthermore, everything flowed so naturally that he subconsciously thought everything was fine.

    "Well, now you know." Chu Liuxiang said, and she continued, "And if you ever decide to ept more partners, you should consult us first. We need to make sure that she''s worthy and won''t bring disorder to the family¡ª that''s our responsibility as your current partner!"

    Yuan nodded, "Okay."

    "Good! Then to celebrate this moment, let''s all sleep together tonight!" Chu Liuxiang suddenly suggested.

    "What?!" Meixiu turned to look at her with wide eyes.

    Chu Liuxiang realized what she''d just said and chuckled, "You misunderstood me. I mean we should just sleep on the same bed¡­ normally. I may be okay with sharing him, I don''t think I am ready to do that kind of stuff just yet."

    "Oh¡­" Meixiu blushed when she realized her mistake.

    "I don''t mind." Yuan nodded.

    "Then it''s decided! We can sleep in this room since we''re already here." Chu Liuxiang said.

    Sometimeter, they got onto the same bed and went to sleep.

    Yuan slept in the middle of the bed while Chu Liuxiang and Meixiu slept right beside him on both sides.

    "Good night." Yuan said to them.

    "Good night." They both said.

    The three of them quickly fell asleep.

    The following morning, Qi Man looked around the training area but could not see Yuan or the other two.

    "Have you seen Yuan? It''s already time for training, but he''s not here, and thedies are missing too." He asked Qi Fang and the others, but they all shook their heads.

    Of course, Yuan and the others had overslept due to feeling toofortable from sleeping together.

    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    "Qi Fang, can you go check up on them?" Qi Huan asked her.

    "Why me?" She sighed, but she still went to check on their situation.

    Qi Fang went to Yuan''s living quarter first, but when she saw that his ce was empty, she went to Chu Liuxiang''s room.

    "It''s also empty? Where did they go?" Qi Fang frowned, feeling something was off.

    She went to Meixiu''s roomst and subconsciously opened the door without knocking since thest two rooms were empty.

    The door wasn''t locked, allowing Qi Fang to walk right into Meixiu''s room.

    And to her absolute shock, Yuan and the other two were sleeping peacefully on the bed. When she witnessed this and realized the situation, her eyes widened and her jaw dropped.

    ''T-This brat¡­ I am speechless! Turns out that we were both right! He''s actually in a rtionship with both Meixiu and Chu Liuxiang!'' Qi Fang cried inwardly.

    ''He''s so young, yet he''s already like this¡­ I cannot imagine what he''ll be like in the future when he''s all grown up and mature¡­'' She swallowed nervously.

 Chapter 791 - Overslept

    <h4>Chapter 791 - Overslept</h4>

    Shortly after Qi Fang entered their room, Yuan subconsciously woke up when he sensed a foreign presence within the room.

    He immediately used his divine sense, and when he saw Qi Fang standing by the door with a bbergasted expression, he calmed down.

    "S-Senior Qi? What are you doing here?" Yuan sat up on the bed and asked her in an oddly calm voice.

    "Do you know what time it is? Everyone is already waiting for you at the training area." Qi Fang said with a frown on her face.

    "What? It''s already morning? Sorry! I overslept!" Yuan quickly woke up Meixiu and Chu Liuxiang.

    "Five more minutes¡­" Chu Liuxiang mumbled in a low voice.

    Meixiu immediately sat up after being woken up, and when she saw Qi Fang standing at the door with her arms crossed, Meixiu''s face flushed with redness, and she felt like she had been caught red-handed.

    "Lulu, it''s Senior Qi! We''rete for training!" Yuan tried to wake her up again.

    "What?!"

    When she heard his words, Chu Liuxiang quickly sat up and turned to look at the door, and sure enough, she could see Qi Fang standing there.

    "M-Master!" Chu Liuxiang jumped out of the bed like a startled cat.

    "I don''t want to hear anything. Just get dressed and head to the training area if you n on training today." Qi Fang said to them before turning around and walking out of the ce.

    When she returned to the training area, Qi Man asked her, "What happened? Where''s Yuan?"

    "Don''t worry, he''s perfectly fine. He just overslept."

    "Overslept? I guess it happens to even the best of us¡­" Qi Man chuckled.

    "By the way, do you remember our talk the other day? About who his partner is?" Qi Fang suddenly asked.

    "Yes, what about it?"

    "Turns out they were both his partners. They were sleeping together when I found them."

    Qi Man and Qi Huan''s jaw dropped slightly after hearing this information.

    After a moment of silence, Qi Man suddenly startedughing, "What an impressived! I should be surprised, but I am actually more impressed! He''s earned my admiration! Hahaha!"

    Qi Huan shook her head with a smile, "Young people nowadays are sure active. However, a man of his caliber, I am really not surprised."

    "What are you going to do now, Qi Fang? This proves that Yuan is willing to ept multiple partners. You can be one of them."

    "No way in hell." Qi Fang frowned.

    "Don''teining to us when it''s toote. We''re saying this for your own good." Qi Man sighed.

    "I won''t regret anything. This is my decision."

    A few minutester, Yuan and the other two showed up at the training area.

    "Sorry for the dy. I overslept." Yuan apologized to the disciples there.

    All of the disciples there were already seated in a circle, so Yuan only needed to get to the center and release his killing intent to begin the training.

    A few momentster, Yuan began their training.

    His killing intent swept the area and instantly terrorized the people there, and those that were not prepared were immediately eliminated, losing consciousness.

    When that happened, the doctors on standby rushed to the scene and grabbed the unconscious disciples out of the zone.

    Of course, Yuan purposefully avoided the doctors with his killing intent so that they could assist the disciples. However, even without directly feeling Yuan''s killing intent, they could still feel the pressure.

    After many hours of training, Yuan retrieved his killing intent and called it a day.

    That night, Yuan slept together with Chu Liuxiang and Meixiu again.

    The following morning, they made sure to wake up properly, and they made their way to the training area after eating breakfast.

    "Today will be thest day of your endurance training. Starting tomorrow, you will be fighting me." Yuan said to the disciples before he started the training.

    "Finally, this hellish training is over."

    Many of the disciples released a sigh of relief at the end of the day when they realized that they no longer needed to experience Yuan''s killing intent ever again.

    However, then they realized that they will be fighting against the same monster who releases the killing intent, and that made them nervous again.

    The next day, Yuan showed up at the training area with a new appearance that left the disciples dumbfounded.

    In order to make the training feel more realistic, Yuan had decided to paint his skin red so that he would look more like a real demon.

    "W-What the heck is that? You look ridiculous!" Qi Fang couldn''t help butugh when she saw Yuan''s appearance.

    Yuan smiled and said, "I know, but I still wanted to try it."

    Sometimeter, Yuan picked ten disciples to fight him.

    "You can use any weapon or technique. You also don''t need to worry about hurting me, so give me all you''ve got."

    Once they were prepared, the ten disciplesunched their assault on Yuan.

    However, when Yuan released his killing intent, the disciples halted their movements and froze on the spot.

    "Why are you all just standing there? I had you all endure my killing intent for a reason! Hurry up and attack me! If I was a real demon, you''d all have died the moment you showed even the slightest sign of weakness!" Yuan shouted at the disciples, snapping them out of their daze.

    The disciples proceeded to endure Yuan''s killing intent and continued their assault on him, but their movements were quite slow and sluggish.

    Eventually, Yuan defeated all of the disciples.

    "Don''t worry, you''ll all improve. This is why we''re training." Yuan said a few words of encouragement to them before picking ten more disciples to fight.

    At the end of the day, only the elders, Chu Liuxiang, Meixiu, and Qi Fang were left.

    "All of you cane at me." Yuan said to them.

    "A-Are you sure?" Qi Man swallowed nervously.

    "I am.." Yuan nodded with a smile.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.

 Chapter 792 - Magic Trick

    <h4>Chapter 792: Magic Trick</h4>

    Once they were ready, all of the elders within the Qi Family along with Meixiu and Chu Liuxiang surrounded Yuan.

    In total, there were 25 people that will be participating in this spar, and most of them were Spirit Masters with Meixiu being the only Spirit Warrior.

    "Whenever you''re ready." Qi Man said to Yuan.

    Yuan suddenly lifted his hand, and arge sword appeared out of thin air before falling into his grasp.

    This scene shocked everybody there, as they have never seen such a scene before.

    "What kind of magic trick did he just do? How did he summon that huge ass sword out of thin air?"

    "Is it really a magic trick? I don''t know how he did it, but it doesn''t look like magic."

    The disciples there mumbled to each other Yuan''s ''magic trick''.

    Of course, the elders were also bewildered by it.

    "I wanted to ask you thisst time, but how are you doing that?" Qi Fang asked him with a slight frown.

    Yuan showed a yful smile and said, "If you defeat me, I will tell you."

    "Watch me!"

    Qi Fang immediately pounced at Yuan with her sword already swinging towards him.

    Ding!

    Yuan casually blocked the attack with his Empyrean Overlord, and it felt as though she just struck a block of steel for Qi Fang.

    "Don''t forget about us!" Qi Man and the other elders suddenly appeared around Yuan to strike him.

    Of course, Yuan saw theming with his divine sense, and he dodged all of their strikes with his movement technique.

    Once he dodged the attacks, Yuan released his killing intent, which affected their movements¡ª but not by much.

    And for the next few minutes, Yuan would defend and dodge all iing attacks, and he made it seem so effortlessly.

    "Corrupting Blow!" Qi Man suddenly released a devastating strike at Yuan with his sword.

    Yuan had no doubt that Qi Man''s skill could easily cut through metal like a hot knife in butter just by its sharp aura, but he didn''t run away and confronted the attack head-on.

    ng!

    A minor shockwave swept the training area when their swords collided, and Qi Man was sent flying back many meters from the bacsh.

    However, Yuan only moved back a single step, shocking the spectators.

    "The disparity in their strength is too huge!"

    Suddenly, without even turning his head, Yuan moved his sword beside his head, almost like he was trying to hide behind it.

    The next moment, an arrow struck the de of his sword, and Yuan could feel an immense force behind this seemingly ordinary arrow¡ª one that was even stronger than Qi Man''s strike.

    After being pushed back a couple of steps, Yuan turned his head towards Meixiu, who was standing many meters away with a bow in her hands, and he smiled.

    "No bad! This must be the technique you recently got!" Yuan said as he began moving towards Meixiu.

    But before he could get close to Meixiu, Yuan felt an overwhelming force flying towards his direction, causing him to halt and turn around.

    Bang!

    A massive amount of spiritual energy collided with Yuan''s sword, nearly sending him flying.

    After stabilizing his body, Yuan turned to look at Chu Liuxiang, who''d just released that powerful attack.

    "Are you okay?" Chu Liuxiang asked him afterward.

    "Yes, I am." Yuan nodded with a smile.

    Out of all of his opponents, Yuan found that Meixiu and Chu Liuxiang were the most annoying with their long range attacks, and when he tried to defeat them first, the other would interfere.

    Obviously, he wasn''t truly trying to defeat them, or he would have defeated everybody there with a single strike, and that would defeat the purpose of their training.

    "I am not done yet!" Qi Fang suddenly appeared behind Yuan and thrust her sword at his back.

    However, Yuan had already anticipated her movements and attack, so he shifted his body just enough to dodge Qi Fang''s attack before countering with his empty hand.

    "Ah!"

    Qi Fang cried out loud when Yuan''s fist met her stomach.

    An intense pain filled her stomach that quickly spread throughout her body, causing her to kneel on the ground.

    "Shit! That freaking hurts! What are you going to do if I cannot have a baby in the future because you punched so damn hard?!" Qi Fangined.

    "Eh?" Yuan''s body froze when he heard Qi Fang''s words, and he said in an apologetic voice, "S-Sorry, but I didn''t use that much strength¡­"N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.

    "No that much strength?! Then you clearly don''t know your own strength! You nearly blew a hole in my stomach!" Qi Fang cried.

    "Do you need a doctor?" Yuan approached her.

    However, when he got close enough, Qi Fang suddenly stood up and attacked him.

    "I got you now!"

    "Wha¡ª?!"

    Because Yuan had lowered his guard, Qi Fang managed to send him flying with a direct hit.

    "Damn, that felt great. I have been wanting to hit you for a while now." Qi Fang said with a satisfied look on her face.

    When the elders saw Qi Fang''s shameless action, they couldn''t help but shake their heads.

    "Pretending to be hurt and striking when he lowered his guard? That was very shameless and childish of you¡­" Qi Man sighed, feeling second-hand embarrassment from her act.

    Qi Fang coldly snorted, "What are you talking about? He said to defeat him using any means possible. And who said I was pretending? That really hurt! My stomach is in pain even now!"

    "She''s right, Senior. I had lowered my guard, and she got me. In a fight against demons, you must use any means necessary to win." Yuan said with a calm smile on his face after getting back up and seemingly unscathed. ''

    "Are you okay? That looked like it hurt." Qi Huan asked him.

    "Yes, I am perfectly fine." Yuan nodded.

    "Anyways, let''s continue."

    "Okay."

    They continued to spar with each other for another hour until most of the elders were too exhausted to continue.

 Chapter 793 - Their Last Day

    <h4>Chapter 793 - Their Last Day</h4>

    "I haven''t sweat like this in many years. You have my gratitude, Yuan." Qi Man said to him after the training ended.

    "I will see you all back here tomorrow. We''ll be doing this until it is time for me to leave." Yuan said.

    "Of course. We''ll all be here until thest minute."

    Once they returned to their room, Meixiu said, "I have rested enough. I need to continue to improve my cultivation."

    Yuan nodded, "I also need to practice my Qi Maniption so that I can fly."

    "W-Wait¡­ What? Fly?" Chu Liuxiang looked at him with wide eyes.

    Yuan smiled and summoned his Empyrean Overlord, showing them that he could fly with it.

    "My god¡­" Thedies stared at him with shocked expressions on their faces.

    "Once you reach Spirit Grandmaster, you''ll be able to manipte your spiritual energy outside your body, allowing you to do things like this." Yuan exined to them.

    "Spirit Grandmaster¡­ Wait¡­ You''re a Spirit Grandmaster now? Since when?" Chu Liuxiang asked.

    "Since I swallowed the demon core."

    "Oh, right¡­"

    "Too bad that I will probably never reach Spirit Grandmaster in this world. I don''t have your talents, nor do I have the resources."

    "Don''t lose hope. I''m sure we''ll work something out." Yuan said.

    "There may not be enough resources in this world, but there are plenty in Cultivation Online. We know that treasures in Cultivation Online also affect us in this world as long as they are strong enough. We''ve tested this before."

    "Once we return home, we''ll use the money from Feng Feng to buy treasures to boost our cultivation."

    "Okay." Chu Liuxiang nodded.

    The following morning, Yuan returned to the training area for another day of training.

    This would continue for a few more days until it was time for them to return to the Dragon Spiral Mountain.

    "Today will be myst day here, and this is ourst training session, so I want you all to give it your all today." Yuan said to the disciples there before starting the training.

    At the end of the day, the Qi Family gathered before Yuan.

    "Thank you for everything, Yuan." Qi Man bowed to him with sped hands.

    The disciples behind him followed his actions and bowed to Yuan.

    "Don''t even mention it. The more people that can fight demons out there, the better it is for us." Yuan said with a smile.

    "By the way, before we leave, can I take a look at your techniques?" Yuan then asked.

    "Of course. I will take you there." Qi Man nodded.

    "You guys can go back and pack up. I will be with youter." Yuan said to Meixiu and Chu Liuxiang.

    "Okay." They nodded.

    Sometimeter, Qi Man and Qi Huan brought Yuan to the building where they stored all of their demon sealing techniques.

    "It''s not much, but¡­" Qi Man pointed to the small stack of scrolls sitting on top of a desk.

    Yuan approached the desk and began reading through the scrolls.

    ''I already know these techniques from the Demon Sealing n''s Grand Library¡­''

    Yuan wasn''t too surprised by the results since the Demon Sealing n created all of these techniques.

    "You''re done already?" Qi Man asked when he noticed Yuan putting the scrolls back down after ncing at them.

    "Yes, I am." Yuan smiled.

    "I guess they''re really worthless in your eyes, huh?" Qi Huan couldn''t help but sigh.

    "T-That''s not it. I already know these techniques, so there''s no point for me to learn them again."

    "What? How is that possible? Where did you learn these techniques?"

    "Cultivation Online."

    Qi Man''s eyes widened with shock.

    "You mean to tell me that our families'' demon sealing technique exists inside a video game?"

    "It''s more than just a video game¡ª it''s what revealed the existence of cultivation to the world."

    "It really makes one wonder who on earth created this game and why¡­" Qi Man mumbled.

    "I am trying to search for answers myself. Hopefully, I will get them soon." Yuan said.

    As they left the building, Qi Man said, "Anyways, if you need anything else from our Qi Family, we will do our best to assist you. As for the demons in the Dragon Spiral Mountain, we will continue to prolong their seal until we cannot."

    "Actually, there is one thing I would like¡­" Yuan said, and he continued, "Can you give me the locations of all of the demons that your family has found? You said there are dozens out there, right?"

    "Do you n on going to these ces and dealing with the demons yourself?" Qi Huan couldn''t help but ask.

    "No, but it''s better to have knowledge than not having any."

    Qi Man nodded, "Alright, I will give you a map of their locations. It''ll be ready before you leave."

    "Thank you."

    Sometimeter, Yuan returned to Meixiu and Chu Liuxiang.

    "We''re fully packed. We can leave whenever."

    Yuan nodded, and he asked, "Where''s the Manager? I haven''t seen her since you arrived."

    "Now that you mention it, I also haven''t seen her." Chu Liuxiang puts on a pondering face.

    "The Qi Family should know. I will go ask them."

    Yuan left the room shortly after to look for the Qi Family, and he ran into Qi Fang.

    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    "Senior Qi, do you know where the Manager went? I haven''t seen her for almost two weeks now." Yuan asked her.

    "She''s not in any of our guest rooms, so she can only be on the ne," she said.

    "The ne? For thest two weeks?" Yuan was speechless.

    Qi Fang smiled and said, "You really know nothing about the Manager, huh? She may not look like it, but she''s someone who would rathery around all day and do nothing. Whenever she gets the chance, she will turn into a sloth. She''s probably in her room watching television and drinking alcohol from her bed even as we speak."

    "I-I understand.. Thank you for the information¡­" Yuan said.

 Chapter 794 - Leaving The Qi Family

    <h4>Chapter 794 ¨C Leaving The Qi Family</h4>

    "By the way, when do you guys n on leaving?" Qi Fang suddenly asked him.

    "We n on leaving before midnight so that we¡¯d make it home by morning tomorrow."

    "Good. The family¡¯s preparing a feast for you, so make sure you attend it before you leave. That¡¯s all." Qi Fang notified him of a feast before leaving.

    Yuan returned to Meixiu and Chu Liuxiang shortly after.

    "They¡¯re throwing a feast for us, so we¡¯ll leave after that." He said to them.

    "Un." They nodded.

    About two hourster, Qi Fang returned to tell them that the feast was ready.

    Yuan and the others followed Qi Fang to thisrge banquet hall where one side was stacked with tables and chairs and the other side with food.

    "What do you think? This is the least we can do for you before you leave." Qi Man approached him with a smile.

    "The food looks terrific. I can smell them all the way from here." Yuan smiled.

    "You can eat all the food you want. After all, this is your feast." Qi Manughed.

    Yuan wasted no time and immediately grabbed a te¡ª multiple tes.

    Since he could use Qi Manifestation, he used it to carry over a dozen tes of food without lifting a single finger, which shocked everyone that saw it.

    "H-How the hell are you doing that?" Qi Fang asked him in a shocked voice.

    "Huh? It¡¯s Qi Manifestation. You can use it too." Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    "What? No I can¡¯t."

    "But I saw you use it... When we first fought? You used Qi Manifestation to move the sword..."

    "Uhh... That sword is a treasure, and it has this unique ability that allows it to fly to me when I call for it. I won¡¯t be able to do that with other things, such as tes..." Qi Fang said, leaving Yuan speechless.

    "You can¡¯t use Qi Manifestation even though you¡¯re a Spirit Grandmaster?"

    "I have never even heard of Qi Manifestation until today. And even though I am a Spirit Grandmaster, I¡¯d only recently reached this level. It wasn¡¯t easy, and it required almost all of our family¡¯s resources." Qi Fang exined.

    "I see... If you want, I can teach you Qi Manifestation... But at another time." Yuan then said.

    "It essentially allows you to manifest and control your spiritual energy outside your body, and you can treat it as though it¡¯s another part of your body. It¡¯s a really convenient skill. You should learn it."

    Qi Fang swallowed nervously after hearing Yuan¡¯s words. No doubt, she really wanted to learn Qi Manifestation, especially after seeing what Yuan could achieve with it. There are unlimited possibilities with this ability!

    "You promise?"

    "Yes, it¡¯s a promise."

    "Alright. I will be waiting."

    Once they were seated, Yuan proceeded to consume all of the food on his tes in a speed that left everyone around him baffled.

    "Fuck, is there something that he¡¯s not good at? He¡¯s even talented in eating!"

    "He reminds me of a certain pink and round character in a certain game."

    The disciples mumbled to each other as they ate.

    A few rowdy hourster, Yuan and the twodies by his side made their way outside the Qi Family¡¯s headquarters, and the entire Qi Family was there to see them off.

    "Yuan, here¡¯s the map that you requested. It has the location of the demons on it¡ª at least the ones that we¡ª the three families know of."

    Yuan nodded and said, "If any of these demons are close to breaking their seal... I want you to let me know immediately."

    "Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll be the first one I call when that happens."

    "Thank you."

    "No, thank you." Qi Man smiled.

    "I will escort them to the ne." Qi Fang suddenly said, willingly volunteering to help.

    "Oh?" Her grandparents looked at her with funny expressions on their faces.

    "You would¡¯ve told me to do it anyway, right?"

    "Who knows." Theyughed.

    "Let¡¯s go." Qi Fang ignored them and said to Yuan¡¯s group.

    Once they arrived at the ne, Qi Fang said, "Liuxiang, stay behind for a moment."

    After Yuan and Meixiu entered the ne to wait for her, Qi Fang spoke, "I have been your master for how long now? Almost 10 years? I was only 16 years old when I started teaching you. At first, I treated you like a little sister, and even as you grew up, my views did not change. I may be strict at times, but they were for your own good."

    "You¡¯re sounding like we¡¯ll never meet again..." Chu Liuxiang looked at her with a questioning gaze.

    Qi Fang smiled and said, "You¡¯re no longer the immature little girl that I used to know, and you¡¯re already a Spirit Master. I don¡¯t think I have anything else to teach you¡ª not to mention that you have an even better teacher than me already by your side."

    "Y-Yuan? He¡¯s not my teacher..."

    "I know, he¡¯s your partner."

    Chu Liuxiang nodded with a slightly rosy face.

    Qi Fang¡¯s eyebrows twitched upon seeing her reaction.

    Then she asked, "H-Have the two of you... already.. you know.. done it?"N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.

    Chu Liuxiang¡¯s face grew even redder as she nodded her head.

    "Looks like you¡¯ve also surpassed me in some aspects of life..." A bittersweet smile appeared on Qi Fang¡¯s face.

    "Huh?" Chu Liuxiang looked at her with wide eyes.

    "Master, you¡¯re still a virgin? How unexpected."

    "I-I have a very particr taste in men, and I haven¡¯t met the right person yet, okay?! Do you have a problem with that? And don¡¯t call me Master anymore! I am letting you go as my disciple!"

    Chu Liuxiang smiled and suddenly lowered her head, bowing to Qi Fang, "Thank you for everything, Senior Qi. I also saw you as an elder sister before¡ª I still do even now."

    "Take good care of yourself, okay? And you can just call me Sister Fang." Qi Fang smiled.

    "You too, Sister Fang. Take care of yourself, and I hope to see you again soon."

    The two of them exchanged a quick hug before Chu Liuxiang boarded the ne.

 Chapter 795 - Soon

    <h4>Chapter 795 ¨C Soon</h4>

    After entering the ne, Yuan used his divine sense to look for the Manager, and sure enough, just like Qi Fang had said, she was lying on her bed with alcohol in one hand and food in another, and she was watching the television.

    Compared to her image at the Dragon Spiral Mountain, she was like a different person.

    After snapping out of his surprise, Yuan knocked on her door, which startled her, who was distracted by the television.

    "Manager, we¡¯re ready to return to the mountain." Yuan said to her.

    "I-If you¡¯re ready, press the button and fly back already. The ne is fueled up and ready to go." She said to him, not even bothering to leave the bed.

    "Okay..."

    Once Chu Liuxiang entered the ne, Yuan pressed the red button in the cockpit and started the ne.

    "Where¡¯s the Manager?" Chu Liuxiang asked once they were in the air.

    "She¡¯s in her room." Yuan said.

    And he continued, "Anyways, we have a couple of hours before we return home. Let¡¯s cultivate while we are still in the air. For some reason, the spiritual energy up here is far superior."

    "Maybe because it¡¯s much purer up here than down there." Chu Liuxiang said.

    They began cultivating shortly after until morning came and the nended.

    "Manager, we¡¯ve returned home." Yuan knocked on her door when theynded.

    A few momentster, she came out of the room looking like a professional businesswoman, and nothing about her could suggest that she was azy person.

    They all exited the ne, but when Yuan saw the Manager getting into her car, he began having shbacks of his traumatic experience with her.

    "What are you waiting for? Hurry up and get into the car." The Manager said to him when he was the only one standing outside.

    Yuan swallowed nervously and entered the front seat.

    The moment Yuan felt the car wheels turning, his heartbeat quickened.

    However, to his surprise, the car didn¡¯t move at the speed of light, and the Manager was actually driving responsibly!

    "Are you okay?" Yuan asked the Manager in a worried voice.

    She turned to look at him and frowned, "You think there¡¯s something wrong with me?"

    "Well... You¡¯re acting... Weird..." He said.

    "Is that so? Then I should probably act normal again, huh?"

    "Huh? I don¡¯t mean¡ª"

    Before Yuan could even finish his sentence, the Manager stepped onto the elerator all the way, and the car immediately sped up.

    "I-I¡¯m sorry if I offended you, Manager! Just slow down!" Yuan eximed.

    "Toote for that."

    And for the remainder of their journey back to the Dragon Spiral Mountain, they continued at maximum speed, which was over 150mph.

    Once they reached the mountain, the Manager finally slowed down.

    "We¡¯re here. You can get out now¡ª except you." The Manager looked at Yuan.

    "You guys can go back first and let the others know that we have returned." Yuan said to Meixiu and Chu Liuxiang.

    "Okay."

    Once they left, the Manager drove Yuan to the peak of the mountain.

    "We¡¯re going to see the Lord?" Yuan asked.

    "What else are we going to do? Watch the scenery?"

    Sometimeter, they entered the fog on foot until they reached the peak of the mountain.

    Yuan approached the cave at the center while the Manager stayed behind and watched from a distance.

    "How was the Qi Family? Did you make any new friends?" The Lord¡¯s voice resounded from within the cave.

    "Yes, I made a lot." Yuan said.

    And he continued, "You know... You could¡¯ve at least told me that I was going to kill a demon for them before sending me there."

    "Oh? Did I not tell you? I must have forgotten."

    "..." Yuan frowned, and he said, "If I cannot trust you now, why would I trust you in the future¡ª when you tell me about Cultivation Online?"

    The Lord remained silent after hearing Yuan¡¯s words.

    "It was just a test¡ª and you passed it wlessly."

    "Test? What kind of test is that?"

    "To see whether you can really kill demons or not, and I wanted to see if you would deal with the demon even though it was not part of our agreement. This shows that you really care about dealing with demons."

    "Anyways, now that you have returned... safely. Can you tell me about what happened at the Qi Family?"

    Yuan took a deep breath and recalled his experience there.

    He spoke about defeating the demon, and he spoke about training the Qi Family.

    "Hmm... Interesting..."N?velDrama.Org (C) content.

    "This may seem sudden, but when do you n on dealing with the demons on the mountain?"

    "When...? How am I supposed to know? We don¡¯t even know when the demons are breaking out of their seal¡ª"

    "It shook." The Lord suddenly interrupted.

    "Excuse me?" Yuan raised his eyebrow in a questioning manner.

    "The Dragon Spiral Mountain shook three days ago, and the crystal is a lot redder. The demons... They¡¯re breaking out of their seals soon."

    "Soon...?" Yuan swallowed nervously.

    He was confident in handling one demon, but if he had to fight 11 demons at once...

    "I really hope you¡¯re ready by then." The Lord said.

    After a moment of silence, Yuan said, "I will."

    "Anyways, if there isn¡¯t anything else, I¡¯d like to return home and prepare."

    "You may go."

    Sometimeter, Yuan returned home to find everyone sitting around the diner table.

    "Wee back, Yuan. We¡¯ve heard everything already from Meixiu." Wang Ming said.

    "Not everything." Yuan shook his head.

    "What do you mean?"

    "The mountain shook three days ago, right? The demons are close to breaking out of their seal, and I will be transferring the demon sealing techniques to you now so that we can prepare."

    "Oh? We can finally learn the demon sealing techniques? Nice!"

    "Yes. Get in line, I am going to transfer the techniques to you guys now."

    Wang Ming and the others quickly got in line to receive their demon sealing techniques.

 Chapter 796 - A World Outside The Nine Heavens

    <h4>Chapter 796 ¨C A World Outside The Nine Heavens</h4>

    After giving everyone their demon sealing technique, Yuan said to them, "We don¡¯t have much time before the demons break out of their seal, so we¡¯ll need to prepare ourselves."

    "I will begin learning this technique immediately." Wang Ming said.

    Everyone returned to their rooms shortly after and began training their demon sealing techniques.

    "What are we going to do now, Yuan?" Chu Liuxiang asked him.

    "Prepare. I am going to return to the Demon Sealing n¡¯s Grand Library and learn as much about demons as I can. You two should also prepare."

    "Okay." They both nodded.

    Yuan entered Cultivation Online while everyone else practiced their demon sealing techniques.

    After arriving at the Demon Sealing n¡¯s Grand Library, Yuan immediately began looking through manuals about demons to see if he could learn any more weaknesses on demons.

    However, there wasn¡¯t any information that he didn¡¯t already know.

    "Why are you studying so hard? You¡¯re going to stare a hole in that manual at this rate." A voice suddenly resounded behind Yuan as he waspletely absorbed in the manual before him.

    He turned around to see Yan Hara standing behind him with a smile on her face.

    "You could¡¯ve at least let me know that you were back," she said.

    "Sorry, I just got back today, and I am in a bit of a hurry."

    "Hurry? What¡¯s the rush?"

    She nced at the manual in his hands and mumbled, "Demons?"

    "Little founder, are you in trouble... with demons?" She asked him with a frown on her face.

    "Well..."

    "Where?" Yan Hara¡¯s voice suddenly became serious.

    "I¡¯m sorry, Senior, but even if I told you, you wouldn¡¯t be able to get there. This is a problem that only I can solve."

    After a moment of silence, Yan Hara spoke, "Follow me."

    "Eh? But¡ª"

    "Follow me!" She suddenly shouted, causing everyone there to turn and look at them with intrigued gazes.

    "O-Okay..." Yuan ced the manual down and followed Yan Hara to a private room.

    After shutting the door, Yan Hara pointed at a chair and said, "Sit down."

    "Now, tell me about your demon trouble. I don¡¯t understand why you¡¯d want to hide this from me, but I want to help you," she said to him.

    "I am telling you, Senior, even if I told you the truth, you wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything about it because you won¡¯t be able to reach that ce with the demons." Yuan sighed.

    "Whether I can help or not, I will decide after I hear your exnation."

    Yuan sighed, and after a moment of silence, he spoke, "There are some demons that will be breaking out of their seal soon, and I am preparing so that I can deal with them."

    "Are you insane?!" Yan Hara suddenly eximed, and she looked at him withplete disbelief.

    "Little founder! Real demons are nothing like the low-grade artificial demons that you have been fighting! They are a real threat and incredibly dangerous! You cannot try to deal with them by yourself, especially when you¡¯re just a Spirit Lord!"

    "Tell me the location of these demons and I will alert the Demon Sealing n."

    "They¡¯re in a ce called ¡¯Earth¡¯." Yuan calmly responded.

    "..."

    Yan Hara silently stared at him for a good minute before speaking, "This is not a joking matter, little founder. If we don¡¯t deal with these demons soon, it could spell disaster for the Nine Heavens!"

    "I am not joking, and the demons are not located in the Nine Heavens." Yuan stared back at her with a serious face.

    "W-What the hell do you mean they¡¯re not in the Nine Heavens?" Yan Hara frowned.Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    "Like I¡¯d said, they¡¯re on a ce called Earth, and this ce doesn¡¯t belong in the Nine Heavens."

    "And I am well aware of how dangerous demons can be. After all, I have already encountered a few of them."

    Yan Hara¡¯s eyes widened with shock after hearing Yuan¡¯s confession.

    "You... Just who are you, little founder?" She asked him in a low voice.

    "You wouldn¡¯t believe me even if I told you..." He sighed.

    "This ce... If it¡¯s not within the Nine Heavens, then it can only be a realm that exists outside of the Nine Heavens. I have always heard rumors that such ces exist, but there has never been concrete proof. You... You came from outside the Nine Heavens?"

    Yuan smiled upon hearing her somewhat urate deduction.

    "Something like that," he shrugged.

    "Unbelievable..." Yan Hara muttered in a bbergasted voice.

    "Now you understand why you¡ª nor the Demon Sealing n could help me, right? I know you¡¯re worried, but it¡¯s okay, it¡¯s not my first time fighting¡ª even killing a demon."

    "..."

    After another long moment of silence, Yan Hara asked, "How... How many demons have you encountered...and killed so far?"

    Yuan pondered for a moment to count.

    "Uhhh... Six demons?"

    He¡¯d killed four in the Mystic Realm, one in the Jaded Garden, and one in the Qi Family.

    "S-Six... demons...?" Yan Hara repeated in a dazed voice.

    ¡¯He¡¯s killed even more demons than me?! How is that possible?! He¡¯s only a Spirit Lord!¡¯ She cried inwardly.

    She did not want to believe Yuan, but she couldn¡¯t see any lies within his clear eyes.

    "I know six sounds like a lot, but it¡¯s really not, considering how there are dozens of sealed demons that are about to break out of their seals in that world..." Yuan sighed.

    "Dozens of sealed demons? Just what kind of world is that? It sounds so ridiculous..." Yan Hara sighed.

    "And six demons is a lot! Do you know how many demons the average demon sealers kill?! Zero! Freaking zero! I am one of the top demon sealers in my generation, and I have only killed three demons, which is already considered a freaking miracle! Of course, this is mostly because demons are pretty much extinct... If not for that fact, I would have killed many more demons..." Yuan Hara sighed, trying to justify her low kill countpared to his.

 Chapter 797 - Demonsâ€™ Ranking

    <h4>Chapter 797 ¨C Demons¡¯ Ranking</h4>

    "Anyways, since the Demon Sealing n cannot help you with your demon problem, you¡¯ll have to deal with it yourself. Since you¡¯re already an expert at killing demons and the future Divine Paragon, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll do fine..." Yan Hara said.

    Yuan raised his eyebrows. Just a moment ago, she was telling him how dangerous demons are and that he won¡¯t be able to handle them by himself, yet after learning that he¡¯d killed twice as many demons as her, she has suddenly be supportive and even confident in his abilities.

    "How confident are you?" She suddenly asked him.

    "Not that confident. I won¡¯t know the demons¡¯ strength until they break out of their seal, and that is my biggest worry. What if I cannot handle the demon? What if the demon is much stronger than me?" Yuan sighed.

    "Well... Fortunately, most demons that just break out of their seal are at their weakest state, and it would take them days to weeks to recover their strength." Yan Hara said.

    "Do you have any suggestions on how I should prepare?" Yuan then asked.

    "Since you¡¯ve already killed 6 demons, you can continue doing whatever you were doing, as it clearly works. Also, I know of a way for you to check a demons¡¯ strength even if they are sealed."

    "Really? How?" Yuan¡¯s eyes immediately began flickering with excitement.

    "Come with me."

    Yan Hara opened the door and walked him to the open area with the artificial demons.

    Once there was an avable spot, Yan Hara took it and sealed the artificial demon before it could even move.

    "Put your hand on this sealed demon and use your spiritual energy to prate the seal to analyze the demon¡¯s strength."

    "But won¡¯t that risk unsealing the demon?"

    "It¡¯ll be fine. If you could unseal a demon so easily, the Demon Sealing n would be aughing stock. Only demon sealing aura could unseal a demon," she said.

    Yuan nodded and approached the demon before putting his hands on it, feeling its stone-like texture.

    He closed his eyes next and used his spiritual energy to prate through the seal to check the artificial demon, and sure enough, he could not only sense the demons¡¯ cultivation, he could also sense its heartbeat and blood flow.

    "It works! I can sense their strength! This is great! Thank you, Senior!" Yuan said to her with a bright smile.

    She nodded with a slightly rosy face, and she spoke, "Do you have any other questions?"

    Yuan pondered for a minute before nodding, "How can I tell the difference between a low-rank demon and a superior demon? And I would like to learn more about demon ranking in general."

    Yan Hara nodded, "Alright. Let¡¯s go to the library then."Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    Sometimeter, Yuan sat down in the library while Yan Hara went to fetch a couple of manuals.

    When Yan Hara returned, she ced the manuals on the table and began lecturing him about demons.

    "There are six ranks of demons. From the lowest¡ª Lower Demon, Elite Demon, Superior Demon, Demon General, Demon Emperor, and Ancient Demon. You can judge a demon¡¯s rank by their appearance. Higher ranking demons will have more unique features and abilities. Their crystals will also be slightly different from each other."

    "Lower Demons and Elite Demons will have a red crystal somewhere on their body while Superior Demons will have a ck crystal. However, Demon Generals and above do not reveal their crystal so openly, so if you see a demon without their crystal on the outside, there¡¯s a very good chance that they are a Demon Emperor¡ª or even stronger."

    "Something else that differentiates them is their control. A higher ranking demon can control their emotions and rage much better than those inferior, so they are usually calmer and not as easy to provoke. However, once provoked, they will be multiple times stronger than usual. If you¡¯re fighting against a Demon General or above, your best chance is to defeat them without provoking them, and you should never openly provoke a demon, as that would only fuel their powers even further."

    Yuan began sweating cold sweat after hearing Yan Hara¡¯s advice to not provoke them, as that¡¯s what he has been doing to the demons that he fought. He never thought that he was actually making them harder to fight by provoking them.

    "Instead of provoking demons, you should make them scared of you. That is your number one priority. Once a demon fears you, they will no longer be a threat. That¡¯s why the Divine Paragon was undefeated, as all demons feared him to some extent."

    "Make them fear me, huh..." Yuan nodded with a serious expression.

    "Here are a few examples of demons at each rank." Yan Hara gave him another manual, but there were mostly pictures on this manual.

    "Lower Demons look pretty ordinary. Red skin and horns, and they are usually the size of an adult human. Elite Demons to Demon Generals would have special features, such as beingrger than normal, having a third eye, having wings, and much more. However, Demon Emperors and above¡ª they can actuallyck demon characteristics."

    "Huh? What do you mean by that?" Yuan asked.

    "It means that they can appear more like humans than actual demons. There have been demons that did not have their signature red skin and horns. Some demons in the past even looked exactly like humans. Rumor has it that these demons still live amongst us humans even today."

    Yuan was left speechless by this information. Demons that look exactly like humans? Then how are they supposed to tell the difference?

    Yan Hara smiled and said, "I know what you¡¯re thinking, but the chance of that actually happening is very slim. Even if there are demons living amongst us, they won¡¯t do anything stupid to reveal themselves, and with the Demonic Realm sealed, they are powerless."

    "Although humans were dominated by demons back then, things have changed. We¡¯re no longer as weak and vulnerable as our ancestors.. We have the knowledge and techniques to fight back against them if they ever dare to return."

 Chapter 798 - Demon Sealing Pagoda

    <h4>Chapter 798 ¨C Demon Sealing Pagoda</h4>

    "Thank you for the lecture, Senior. I learned a lot about demons today." Yuan bowed to her at the end of their lecture.

    "We¡¯re not done yet." Yan Hara suddenly said.

    "Huh?" Yuan tilted his head in a questioning manner.

    "Come with me. I¡¯m going to make sure that you¡¯re fully prepared to fight the demons."

    Yan Hara then brought Yuan to this tall pagoda.

    "What is this ce?" He asked her.

    "Demon Sealing Pagoda. You will get to fight real demons inside... Well, sort of."

    "What do you mean by that? They¡¯re either real demons or not..."

    "They are demons created with spiritual energy, so they¡¯re not really real, but they act exactly like real demons, and even their power level is the same, so it¡¯ll be like fighting against real demons inside."

    "This treasure was created by the Divine Paragon, and it was used to train the Demon Sealing n back in the days, but it requires a massive amount of spiritual energy to use, so we eventually stopped using it and started training with artificial demons, which is cheaper."

    "Another reason we stopped using the treasure is because of its difficulty. Most demon sealers nowadays won¡¯t be able to pass the first floor, and there are nine total floors. For the record, I got all the way up to the fourth floor."

    "And you want me to train in this pagoda? Are you sure? It¡¯s expensive to use, right?" Yuan looked at her.

    "One of many perks of being a lecturer in this ce is that we get to use the pagoda for free once every 10 years. Of course, it¡¯s not really free, since it¡¯ll be at the library¡¯s expense." Yan Hara smiled.

    "What do you think? You wanna give it a go? Rumor has it that if you manage to defeat the tower, you¡¯ll get to acquire a legendary demon sealing technique that only the Divine Paragon knows."

    "A legendary demon sealing technique?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    If that is true, he will be able to acquire this technique even without challenging the pagoda. After all, he was the Divine Paragon!

    However, he still nodded his head, "Yes, I would like to challenge the tower."

    In the end, he still needed practice. Even if he¡¯s the reincarnation of the Divine Paragon, it was not as though he has all of his previous memories and experiences.

    "Alright, give me some time to prepare. I also need to let the library know that I will be using the pagoda."

    "Okay."

    About half an hourter, Yan Hara returned to the pagoda and said, "Whenever you¡¯re ready."

    "I am ready."

    Yan Hara then retrieved a golden key and used it to unlock the doors to the pagoda.

    "You will get the rules once you are inside. The demons inside will be adjusted to match your power level, so you don¡¯t need to worry about being overwhelmed by a demon that you cannot defeat. However, this also means that you won¡¯t be able to dominate the demons like you normally do."

    "I understand." Yuan nodded, and he opened the door.

    The moment Yuan entered the pagoda, the door mmed shut, and the pagoda suddenly started trembling with excitement.

    "W-What is going on? This has never happened before..." Yan Hara muttered in a dazed voice.

    Suddenly, an outburst of demon sealing aura exploded from the Demon Sealing Pagoda, sweeping the Grand Library with a massive amount of demon sealing aura.

    When the demon sealers within the Grand Library felt this ancient and unfathomable demon sealing aura, their bodies began trembling nonstop, almost as though it was reacting to the demon sealing aura.

    "W-Whose demon sealing aura does this belong to?! I have never felt such a powerful demon sealing aura in my life!" The lecturers within the Grand Library were shocked speechless by this phenomenon.N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.

    The entire Grand Library became nervous when this unknown demon sealing aura filled the ce. Their initial thought was that a peak demon sealer had appeared within the Grand Library, so they immediately began looking around for the source of this demon sealing aura.

    Meanwhile, back at the Demon Sealing Pagoda, Yan Hara was staring at the top of the pagoda with a dazed look on her face for some reason.

    "D-Divine Paragon...?" She muttered in a low voice.

    After the powerful demon sealing aura exploded from the pagoda, she noticed a figure had suddenly appeared on top of the pagoda, causing her to look.

    And to her absolute shock, there was a person hovering directly above the pagoda, and he looked awfully like Yuan, but he was much older and had this irresistible charm around him.

    "I-Impossible... This must be an illusion caused by the Demon Sealing Pagoda, but why...?"

    "D-Divine Paragon?! Is that really you?!" Yan Hara spoke to him after snapping out of her daze.

    The Divine Paragon suddenly looked down at Yan Hara and showed her a gentle smile before looking down at the pagoda that was right beneath him with a profound expression on his face.

    Yan Hara¡¯s heart nearly exploded into countless pieces from excitement when she saw the Divine Paragon¡¯s smile that was directed at her, and it felt like a dream.

    Eventually, more people began appearing at the Demon Sealing Pagoda after tracking the demon sealing aura.

    Of course, everyone that saw the Divine Paragon was shocked speechless at first.

    "Y-Yan Hara! What¡¯s going on here?! Why is... Why is the Divine Paragon here?!" Tang Zheng asked her after he arrived.

    "I-I have no idea. He suddenly showed up after Yuan entered the Demon Sealing Pagoda..." Yan Hara exined.

    "Yuan?" Tang Zheng turned to look at the pagoda.

    "What in heavens¡¯ name is happening?"

    Meanwhile, inside the pagoda, Yuan was currently being told the rules of the pagoda.

    Of course, the voice belonged to the Divine Paragon.

    "Wee to the Demon Sealing Pagoda, young demon sealer. I will now tell you the rules of this ce.. If you break any of them, you¡¯ll automatically be casted out of this ce."

 Chapter 799 - Superior Demon

    <h4>Chapter 799 ¨C Superior Demon</h4>

    "First rule, you must defeat the demon before you to challenge the next floor."Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    A demon suddenly appeared on the opposite side of the room.

    Yuan¡¯s eyes widened with shock when he saw that it had a ck crystal embedded within chest.

    "A Superior Demon? Are you kidding me?" He muttered in a voice of disbelief.

    "Second rule, you will have an hour to seal or kill the demon. Failure to do so will result in getting kicked out."

    "Third rule, you cannot die while inside the Demon Sealing Pagoda. If you ¡¯die¡¯ inside, you will be transported outside safely, but you will not be able to use the Demon Sealing Pagoda for 30 days."

    "When you¡¯re prepared to start the challenge, say ¡¯Ready¡¯ out loud."

    Yuan closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

    He then summoned the Empyrean Overlord and the Starry Abyss.

    "Ready."

    Whoosh!

    The scenery suddenly changes, turning the ce into an empty and spacious field.

    Yuan looked around with a surprised face. Did he get teleported, or was this simply an illusion?

    However, he didn¡¯t have much time to think, as the demon started attacking him the moment the scenery changed.

    Yuanmanded the Starry Abyss to distract the demon, but to his surprise, the demon could sense the invisible Starry Abyss and dodge it perfectly.

    ¡¯It¡¯s not only a Superior Demon, but it¡¯s also a Spirit King?! Is this demon really ¡¯equal¡¯ to my strength?!¡¯ Yuan cried inwardly.

    "Bloody Daggers!"

    The demon suddenly summoned two crimson daggers using its blood, wielding it like some sort of edgy assassin.

    Whoosh!

    The demon kicked its legs and propelled forward like a bullet, shooting straight at Yuan at a ridiculous speed.

    The demon closed their distance almost instantly, but Yuan was able to barely react and block the strike.

    Boom!

    Yuan was sent flying from the impact.

    After quickly stabilizing himself, Yuan looked at his arms that were still shaking, and it felt like he¡¯d been struck by a truck¡ª as an ordinary human.

    ¡¯This is freaking ridiculous... I need to focus on the fight, or I will not pass the first floor!¡¯

    Yuan quickly cleared his mind and focused on the demon with the obnoxious ck crystal on its body.

    "Haaa!"

    The two of them shed with each other shortly after, and every time their weapons collided, the world there would seemingly shake a little.

    Boom! Bang! ng!

    They went at each other¡¯s throat like animals that have been starving for days, and Yuan used all of his techniques against the demon.

    [Heavenly Domain!]

    Holy pressure suddenly bore down on the demon, but it barely affected its movements if any at all.

    Seeing that his Heavenly Domain didn¡¯t work on the demon, Yuan used Dragon¡¯s Gaze when the time was right.

    [Dragon¡¯s Gaze!]

    His eyes began emitting a golden glow that instantly stunned the demon.

    However, he knew that it wouldn¡¯t keep the demon stunned for long, so he quickly used this moment to attack the demon with the Demon Sealing Strike.

    Normally, he only needed to hit the demon once for it to be sealed, but Yuan didn¡¯t want to take any chances, so he continued to swing his sword until he could no longer swing it.

    Yuan had managed to strike the demon 12 times with the Demon Sealing Strike before the demon snapped out of its daze, but by that time, half of its body was already petrified.

    ¡¯Looks like I made the right decision by not stopping...¡¯ Yuan sighed inwardly when he saw that the demon was still only half sealed despite getting struck 12 times by his powerful demon sealing technique.

    Compared to the Elite Demon, this Superior Demon was far stronger¡ª it was simply in a league of its own, and it took Yuan all of his efforts just to defeat it.

    "Congrattions, you have managed to pass the first floor in... 6 minutes. It¡¯s a new record." The Divine Paragon¡¯s voice resounded shortly after he sealed the demon, and Yuan was sent back to the pagoda.

    "Here is your reward for clearing the first floor."

    A golden orb of light suddenly emerged from the wall of the pagoda and floated towards Yuan.

    Yuan extended his hands and epted the golden orb of light.

    The moment the light touched his palms, it entered his body and disappeared.

    Yuan suddenly felt an outburst of spiritual energy within his Dantian, instantly raising his cultivation by two levels, reaching Fourth Level Spirit Lord.

    Furthermore, all of his fatigue disappeared, and he feltpletely refreshed.

    "You may proceed onto the next floor whenever you¡¯re ready."

    Yuan proceeded onto the second floor through the staircase at the corner of the room.

    "Wee to the second floor. You have one hour and thirty minutes to defeat the demon."

    Another demon materialized in the pagoda, but there was something different about this demon.

    The demon did not emit the power of a Spirit King. In fact, its cultivation had been lowered to Spirit Lord.

    However, that was not the only change.

    "This demon... It doesn¡¯t have a crystal on its body... This could only mean... Demon General..."

    "The pagoda reduced its cultivation but increased its rank? It will most likely be as strong as the Superior Demon in terms of raw strength, but it will also have more techniques and tricks up its sleeves."

    "When you¡¯re prepared to start the challenge, say ¡¯Ready¡¯ out loud." The Divine Paragon¡¯s voice resounded.

    "Ready!" Yuan shouted out loud once he prepared himself.

    The scenery changed again. However, they were no longer in an empty field. Instead, they appeared to be on a tform inside a coliseum, and there were even spectators.

    "Kill that demon!"

    "Kill it!"

    The crowd cheered with excitement, their voices filled with passion and anger, causing Yuan¡¯s heart to tremble.

 Chapter 800 - Demon General

    <h4>Chapter 800 ¨C Demon General</h4>

    "Kill it! Kill it! Kill it!"

    The crowds¡¯ cheering was so loud that it shook the tform Yuan was standing on, and he swallowed nervously.

    "What a rowdy bunch... Don¡¯t you agree, human?" A cold voice suddenly resounded.

    Yuan turned to look at the demon that¡¯d just spoken.

    ¡¯They can speak? Thest one remained silent for the whole fight...¡¯ Yuan thought to himself.

    "Are you a mute or something?" The demon raised its eyebrows at Yuan when he didn¡¯t respond.

    "If I wanted to have a conversation with a demon, I wouldn¡¯t be here."

    "Fair enough." The demon smiled at Yuan¡¯s words.

    Yuan suddenly felt a chill run down his spine, and he instinctively raised the Empyrean Overlord over his head.

    The very next second, Yuan could feel something heavy mming into his sword. It was so sudden that it actually brought Yuan to his knees.

    "W-What the hell is going on?" Yuan was baffled by the situation.

    He could still see the demon standing on the other side of the tform, and there was nothing in front or around him, so what is the demon using to attack him?

    ¡¯If I cannot see it with my bare eyes, then I have to use my divine sense!¡¯

    Yuan quickly activated his divine sense, and sure enough, he could see a translucent w on top of him.

    ¡¯This is... Qi Manifestation!¡¯

    He immediately recognized what the demon was doing, but he was still surprised by it.

    The demon was only a Spirit Lord just like him, but its Qi Manifestation was multiple times stronger than his own.

    "Ha!"

    Yuan eventually stood back up and swung his sword, destroying the demon¡¯s Qi Manifestation.

    However, the moment Yuan destroyed the invisible w, the demon summoned another one¡ª then another.

    Boom!

    Yuan used his movement technique to dodge the ws.

    ¡¯Demons basically have unlimited spiritual energy, so it will be able to continue attacking me until I run out of spiritual energy. I need to think of something...¡¯

    Yuan pondered for a strategy as he continued to dodge the demon¡¯s invisible attacks.

    As for the Demon General, it was just standing at the edge of the tform with a calm smile on its face, clearly not nning on dirtying its own hand.

    Suddenly, an outburst of demon sealing aura exploded from Yuan¡¯s body, creating a profound ripple that swept the tform.

    When the ripple touched the Demon General¡¯s spiritual energy, it immediately dispersed like smoke.

    "Not bad." The Demon General said.

    "I am not finished!"

    Yuan quickly gathered as much spiritual energy as he could within a second before releasing the Heaven Splitting Sword Strike at the demon.

    When the Demon General saw the Heaven Splitting Sword Strike, its initial thought was to just block it with its body, since it could just recover.

    However, it suddenly sensed a dreadful feelinging from the Heaven Splitting Sword Strike, forcing it to move from its spot to dodge the strike.

    The Heaven Splitting Sword Strike barely missed the Demon General and crashed into the spectators¡¯ area, killing thousands of spectators.

    Of course, since this was just an illusion, the destroyed areas would restore itself, and the dead spectators woulde back to life a few momentster.

    After dodging the Heaven Spitting Sword Strike, the Demon General looked at Yuan with a look of surprise on its face.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.

    "You... imbued your demon sealing aura into another technique? Are you really just a Spirit Lord?"

    Right before he released the Heaven Splitting Sword Strike, Yuan infused some of his demon sealing aura into the technique, which essentially turned the Heaven Splitting Sword Strike into a demon sealing technique!

    However, this is a technique that only high-ranking demon sealers learn and not something a mere Advance Demon Sealer could achieve.

    ¡¯I-It actually worked?¡¯ Yuan was as surprised as the Demon General, as he was only testing his theory.

    He figured that if demon sealing aura is what really harms demons, he could probably enhance his regr techniques with his demon sealing aura, making them demon sealing techniques. This could essentially turn any technique out there into a demon sealing technique.

    However, Yuan was unaware that in order to achieve such a feat, one would normally have to train for hundreds of years and the reason he was able to do it was due to his past experience.

    "Hahaha! Things are finally starting to get interesting! Entertain me some more, human!" The Demon Generalughed in a chilling manner.

    [Heavenly Domain!]

    Yuan activated Heavenly Domain when the demon started running at him.

    The Demon General¡¯s movement suddenly became sluggish, as Yuan had enhanced the Heavenly Domain with his demon sealing aura.

    "Not bad! Not bad at all! However, you¡¯ll need much more than that if you want to defeat me, a Demon General!"

    [Ten Thousand Ghost des!]

    Yuan activated his newfound technique, cloning the Starry Abyss until there were a thousand of them.

    The Demon General was at a loss for words when it was suddenly surrounded by a thousand daggers that looked identical to each other.

    "Go!"

    Yuan flicked his sleeves,manding the thousand-strong army of Starry Abyss to rain down upon the Demon General.

    Of course, these Starry Abyss had all been imbued with his demon sealing aura, so each of these daggers was akin to a demon sealing technique.

    The Demon General wanted to run, but there was nowhere to run, so it could only defend the attack head-on.

    The Demon General used its Qi Manifestation and body to deflect the Starry Abyss.

    Although it managed to destroy a few dozen Starry Abyss, the Demon General eventually became overwhelmed, especially since Yuan could always make more.

    "AAAAAH!"

    The Demon General released a deafening roar when it realized that it could not defeat Yuan¡¯s thousand Starry Abyss, and the very next moment, a thousand holes opened up in the Demon General¡¯s body, looking like a porcupine with a thousand daggers stabbed into its body.

    "Congrattions, you have managed to pass the second floor in... 13 minutes. It¡¯s a new record.." The Divine Paragon¡¯s voice resounded a momentter.

 Chapter 801

    <h4>Chapter 801 ¨C Quick Breakthroughs</h4>

    "Here is your reward for clearing the second stage."

    The golden orb of light returned, and Yuan quickly absorbed the spiritual energy from it.

    His cultivation immediately had a breakthrough, reaching the Seventh Level Spirit Lord from the Fourth Level Spirit Lord.

    ¡¯I¡¯m already at the Seventh Level of Spirit Lord after passing two floors, and there are still 7 more floors to go... This ce is extremely good for raising one¡¯s cultivation base very quickly.¡¯ Yuan wondered what his cultivation level would be at the end of all this.

    Sometimeter, Yuan climbed to the third floor.

    "Wee to the third floor. You have one hour to defeat the demons." The Divine Paragon¡¯s voice resounded.

    "Wait... Demons?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    Suddenly, two figures appeared before him. Of course, they were demons, and they were both Demon Generals with a cultivation of Spirit Lord.

    "Heavens... I have to fight two of them at once now?" Yuan swallowed nervously.

    "When you¡¯re prepared to start the challenge, say ¡¯Ready¡¯ out loud." The Divine Paragon¡¯s voice resounded again.

    Yuan didn¡¯t immediately start the challenge and took a moment to mentally prepare himself.

    This will be his first time fighting two demons at once by himself.

    After taking a deep breath, he spoke, "Ready!"

    The very next moment, the two Demon Generals rushed at Yuan, attacking him from two different directions.

    [Ten Thousand Ghost des!]

    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.

    Yuan summoned one thousand copies of his Starry Abyss and used those to deal with one of the demons while he personally fought the other demon with the Empyrean Overlord.

    One would expect Yuan to dominate these demons because of his increased cultivation, but the pagoda increased the strength of the demon to match his strength, so it was just as difficult.

    Fortunately, Yuan had learned how to infuse his demon sealing aura with his ordinary techniques, allowing him to fight the demons with more ease.

    Even though the demons match his strength, that doesn¡¯t necessarily mean they¡¯re equal, as one¡¯s technique and treasures can easily affect the bnce.

    Of course, the Demon Sealing Pagoda also took into ount his treasures and techniques, but there is only so much it can gauge, and when ites to an unfathomable genius like Yuan, not even it could fully measure his full potential.

    [Demon Sealing Sword Strike!]

    Yuan swung the Empyrean Overlord at the demon, but it easily blocked it with its weapon made out of blood.

    After blocking the attack, the demon tossed the weapon away since it would be sealed by the demon sealing aura.

    As for the other demon, it was slowly getting sealed by the Starry Abyss.

    Although each of the Starry Abysscked the demon sealing aura to seal a demon with one strike, they could easily strike the demon multiple times before it could even react, slowly sealing it.

    After thirty minutes of fighting back and forth, Yuan eventually managed to seal one of the demons.

    "A mere human! How dare you!"

    The demon roared, and its body began burning red, almost as though its blood had turned tova. Its body also grewrger, but not by much.

    BOOM!

    The demon suddenly disappeared from its position, appearing in front of Yuan before throwing a powerful punch at him.

    This time, Yuan was unable to react fast enough, and he was hit square in the chest by the demon.

    Whoosh!

    Yuan¡¯s body flew backward like a broken ragdoll,nding many meters away.

    ¡¯Shit... Even with all of my defenses, it still hurts like hell!¡¯ He cried inwardly as he quickly stood back up.

    If it weren¡¯t for the Invisible Dragon Cloak that doubled his defense stats, his body would¡¯ve probably exploded into a bloody mess.

    Furthermore, even though the demon was only a Spirit Lord, it¡¯d managed to prate the Invisible Dragon Cloak¡¯s defense that blocks all damage from those below Spirit King. Though, this is most likely because the Demon General¡¯s true strength far surpasses a Spirit King, allowing it to bypass the armor¡¯s effects.

    "I am impressed that you survived, human. What is your body made out of? Treasures?" The Demon General slowly approached him with a malicious grin on its face.

    After standing back up, Yuan spat out some blood, but his expression remained unfazed.

    [Ten Thousand Ghost des!]

    Yuan activated his most powerful technique again, sending 1,000 Starry Abyss at the Demon General.

    However, the Demon General merely stood there and allowed the daggers to hit its body.

    ¡¯What?!¡¯ Yuan eximed inwardly when the daggers shattered on impact while the Demon General appeared to bepletely fine.

    The Demon General, without even looking at its body, smiled and said, "You¡¯ll need to do better than that if you want to prate my defense."

    Yuan frowned as he could feel a sense of dread from this Demon General that was clearly stronger than the other Demon General.

    "Come, entertain me some more, human!"

    The Demon General continued to approach Yuan.

    Seeing this, Yuanmanded the rest of the Starry Abyss to attack the Demon General even if it might seem pointless.

    "It¡¯s useless! Hahaha!" The Demon General roared withughter.

    Yuan tried to focus all of the Starry Abyss on a single location, hoping that he¡¯d slowly break through the Demon General¡¯s defense, but it was useless.

    The Demon General suddenly leaped forward and swung its blood weapon, shing with Yuan¡¯s Empyrean Overlord.

    "Give up! You¡¯re just a mere human! Humans are born to serve demons! There is no way humans can ever defeat demons!" The Demon General provoked Yuan as they swung their weapons at each other, causing the surrounding space to shake with every swing.

    "If that was true, you demons wouldn¡¯t be facing extinction right now!" Yuan pped back at the demon, leaving it speechless for a moment.

 Chapter 802

    <h4>Chapter 802 ¨C Assistance</h4>

    "Thirty minutes left." The Divine Paragon¡¯s voice resounded once Yuan used up half of his time on the third floor.

    "Haaa... haaa..." Yuan breathed heavily, his body covered in sweat.

    This is the first time that anyone has been able topete against him so perfectly.

    No matter what he did, the Demon General would always have a response to it.

    It was at this moment Feng Yuxiang¡¯s voice resounded, "Young Master, would you like some assistance?"

    "Huh?" Yuan responded in a dumbfounded voice as he continued to block the Demon General¡¯s attacks.

    He was so absorbed in his situation that he¡¯dpletely forgotten about their existence!

    "What do you mean by help?"

    "Well... I am your servant... If you wish, I can help you fight this demon. Of course, I won¡¯t be able to defeat it for you since I do not have the capability, but I can definitely stall it for you."

    "Can you even do that? Won¡¯t that be cheating?" Yuan asked.

    "Young Master, do you truly know the rtionship between a servant and master? You, Young Master, own our body and soul the moment we sign the servant contract. In other words, we are your possession. Therefore, we are no different than the Soul Weapons that you have been using this entire time."

    "What?!" Yuan was left speechless by this information.

    This entire time, he could¡¯ve had his servants help him?

    "I-If that¡¯s the case, why couldn¡¯t you help me during the Stairway to Heaven?"

    "The Stairway to Heaven is a special ce with special rules. This pagoda, however, doesn¡¯t appear to have such rules. There are no forces that prevents me from helping you¡ª at least I don¡¯t feel them. And the fact that we were allowed to enter this ce with you only further confirms it."

    After pondering for a moment, Yuan said, "Please help me distract the demon while I prepare for my attack!"

    The next second, Feng Yuxiang came out of his body and flicked her sleeves, instantly engulfing the Demon General in mes.

    However, she was not the only one who appeared, as Xiao Hua also decided to show up. She clearly didn¡¯t want Feng Yuxiang to get all of the spotlight.

    "Xiao Hua will help Brother Yuan as well," she said.

    "O-Okay..." Yuan nodded.

    "Sorry, Yuan, but I most likely won¡¯t be of any help even if Ie out." Lan Yingying said to him.

    She was only a Spirit Grandmaster, so she will most likely only hinder them instead of helping.

    "It¡¯s okay, Yingying. We got this."

    "Hahaha! What a surprise! This me¡ª Phoenix¡¯s me! I have never tasted Phoenix blood before!" The Demon Generalughed out loud even as its body was still engulfed in mes.

    "Distract it for me, I will prepare the Heaven Splitting Sword Strike." Yuan said to them.

    "Understood!"

    Feng Yuxiang¡¯s ck hair suddenly turned red, and her eyes glowed golden.

    Meanwhile, Xiao Hua¡¯s cultivation base exploded forward.

    ¡¯This is my first time seeing Xiao Hua use all of her strength...¡¯ Yuan thought to himself as Xiao Hua summoned a huge sword.

    Even though she couldn¡¯t use Sword Qi, she could still wield the sword better than many Swordmasters.

    While the Demon General was still covered in mes, Xiao Hua kicked her small feet and flew towards the demon without hesitation before swinging her sword, sending a massive sword light made out of spiritual energy at the demon.

    Whoosh!

    The sword light shattered the moment it struck the demon, but the demon wasn¡¯t unscathed either, as it clearly sustained some damage.

    However, Xiao Hua didn¡¯t stop there and released a quick Heaven Splitting Sword Strike at the demon.

    The ground shook as a massive beam of light swallowed the demon.

    Although Yuan is stronger than Xiao Hua overall, he actuallygged behind Xiao Hua in terms of techniques, especially when it came to the Heaven Splitting Sword Strike.

    The Heaven Splitting Sword Strike managed to destroy half of the Demon General, but it quickly began recovering.

    It was at this moment that Feng Yuxiang released her technique.

    "Burn in hell!"

    With the flick of her sleeves, Feng Yuxiang summoned arge Phoenix created from her mes, sending it flying at the demon.

    The heat from the mes were so intense that it slowed the demon¡¯s recovery, as the mes would quickly destroy the demon almost as quickly as it healed.

    "I am ready!"

    It was at this moment that Yuan started swinging the Empyrean Overlord.

    When Xiao Hua and Feng Yuxiang heard his voice, they returned to his body.

    N?velDrama.Org (C) content.

    The following second, Yuan released his Heavenly Splitting Sword Strike.

    Whoosh!

    Everything in front of Yuan was immediately erased from existence¡ª including the Demon General.

    "Congrattions, you have passed the third floor... in 38 minutes." The Divine Paragon¡¯s voice resounded shortly after.

    "Thank you, Feng Feng and Xiao Hua. I might not have defeated the Demon General by myself if you didn¡¯t help." Yuan said to them afterward.

    "Young Master, we are your weapons and shield. You don¡¯t thank your weapons every time you use them, right?"

    Yuan smiled, "Maybe I should. And don¡¯t lower yourself like that. You may be my servants, but you¡¯re also my valuablepanions. I would never treat you like a tool."

    Sometimeter, the golden orb appeared before Yuan, allowing him to absorb all of its spiritual energy.

    Ding!

    "Ninth Level... I will be able to enter Spirit King once I pass the next floor..." Yuan mumbled to himself.

    It¡¯s only been an hour since he entered the Demon Sealing Pagoda and he¡¯s already increased his cultivation by almost an entire realm.

    He could only imagine how far his cultivation base will go after he finishes all nine floors!

    However, with the increase in difficulty after every floor, he was a little worried about the future floors.

 Chapter 803 - Experiencing Death

    <h4>Chapter 803 - Experiencing Death</h4>

    After clearing the third floor, Yuan proceeded to make his way to the fourth floor of the Demon Sealing Pagoda.

    ''I had to fight two demons at once on thest floor. Will I need to fight three at once this time?'' He wondered to himself as he walked the staircase.

    N?velDrama.Org (C) content.

    Upon entering the fourth floor, Yuan waited for the Divine Paragon''s voice to resound.

    "Wee to the fourth floor. You have fifteen minutes to defeat the demon." The Divine Paragon''s voice resounded a momentter.

    "Only fifteen minutes?" Yuan eximed. He did not expect such drastic changes, going from having an hour to defeat the demon to just fifteen minutes.

    However, he wasn''t that worried, especially since he knows that he can rely on Xiao Hua and Feng Yuxiang.

    The scenery suddenly changed from inside the pagoda to this hell-like scenery, where he was surrounded byva. It looked like he was inside some kind of volcano, but he''s never been to such a ce before, so he wasn''t certain.

    One thing that he is certain about is that it was immensely hot in that ce with hot air blowing in his face constantly, almost like he was inside an oven.

    While Yuan looked around for the demon, he suddenly noticed a figure emerging from theva.

    This demon had an appearance that Yuan hadn''t seen before. Instead of its usual red skin, it had grayish skin this time, and it had a broken horn in its forehead that looked as though it''d been cleanly sliced by a sword.

    As for its crystal¡­ Of course, it didn''t have one.

    "When you''re prepared to start the challenge, say ''Ready'' out loud." The Divine Paragon''s voice resounded when the demon stepped onto the tform.

    However, before Yuan could even speak, the demon opened its mouth and spoke in a calm but indifferent voice, "You''re not worthy."

    Yuan frowned, but not because of the demon''s arrogance. There was something about this demon that sent shivers down his back, and his instincts were telling him to avoid it at all cost.

    But he couldn''t just give up without fighting it. He had to at least try.

    ''I will be fine with Xiao Hua and Feng Feng by my side.'' Yuan calmed himself down with such words.

    The next moment, he summoned both of them before him.

    "Young Master, I am getting a dangerous feeling from that demon." Feng Yuxiang said to him the moment she appeared.

    Xiao Hua agreed with Feng Yuxiang by nodding her head.

    "We got this." Yuan said.

    Once they were prepared, Yuan spoke out loud, "Ready!"

    The instant he uttered that word, the demon disappeared from its location before any of them could even make their move.

    "YOUNG MASTER!"

    "BROTHER YUAN! WATCH OUT!"

    Both Feng Yuxiang and Xiao Hua suddenly shouted out loud at the same time, their voices filled with despair.

    However, Yuan couldn''t understand why they screamed¡ª at least not until he felt pain in his body.

    Yuan looked down at his body, and to his absolute surprise, there was an arm sticking out of his body.

    He turned around to see the demon standing behind him with its arm extended through his body.

    ''How the¡­''

    "I told you. You''re not worthy."

    The demon mumbled in a low voice before releasing a massive amount of spiritual energy into Yuan''s body, causing his body to explode into countless pieces.

    When Xiao Hua and Feng Yuxiang witnessed this scene¡ª the scene of Yuan''s death, their eyes widened with shock.

    "How dare you kill Brother Yuan!"

    Xiao Hua suddenly roared, and an outburst of spiritual energy that surpassed the demon''s aura erupted from her petite body. Her figure also grew a little taller¡ª at least that was what Feng Yuxiang thought she saw before everything went ck for both Xiao Hua and Feng Yuxiang.

    Their vision returned almost instantly, and when it did, they realized that they were no longer inside the pagoda but outside, and Yuan was standing before them with a dazed expression on his face, almost as though his death never happened.

    "B-Brother Yuan!" Xiao Hua immediately went to embrace him.

    "Xiao Hua? What happened? I thought I died just now¡­" Yuan snapped out of his daze when he felt Xiao Hua arms wrapped around his waist.

    "That''s because you didn''t actually die." Yan Hara''s voice suddenly resounded.

    Yuan turned to look at her, and to his surprise, a crowd of people that wasn''t there before he entered the pagoda was there now.

    "When you die inside the Demon Sealing Pagoda, you will simply be transported out of the pagoda." She continued.

    After hearing her words, Yuan recalled one of the rules that mentioned it.

    "I see¡­ So I lost¡ª died to that demon¡­" Yuan mumbled in a dispirited voice.

    "What floor did you die on?" Yan Hara then asked.

    "I died on the fourth floor by the hands of that weird-looking demon with gray skin." Yuan exined to her.

    "It was so sudden. I couldn''t even see its movements, and when I was aware of the situation, I was already dead."

    "T-The fourth floor?" Yan Hara mumbled in a voice of disbelief.

    Yuan had only been in the Demon Sealing Pagoda for an hour, and he''d managed to reach the fourth floor? Even more unbelievable was that he''d actually reached the fourth floor on his first attempt, something that hasn''t been done since ancient times.

    In fact, it took Yan Hara multiple attempts throughout the span of 1,000 years to reach the fourth floor!

    "Just what in heaven''s name was that gray demon? I have never encountered a demon like that one before." Yuan suddenly asked.

    Yan Hara sighed, "That demon is a Demon Emperor¡ª sort of."

    "What do you mean ''sort of''?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    "I will tell youter. For now, let''s leave this ce and go somewhere more private. As you can see, it''s a little crowded here."

    Yuan nodded.

    "By the way, who are those two? They appeared at the same time you left the pagoda, but I didn''t see them enter with you." Yan Hara pointed at Feng Yuxiang and Xiao Hua, who was still hugging Yuan.

    "They are mypanions¡­ I will exinter.." Yuan said with a smile.

 Chapter 804 - Demon On The Fourth Floor

    <h4>Chapter 804 - Demon On The Fourth Floor</h4>

    "W-Wait!" Someone there stopped Yuan from leaving with Yan Hara.

    Yuan turned around to see a middle-aged man that he did not recognize, and he asked, "What is it?"

    "Did anything unusual happen in the Demon Sealing Pagoda while you were inside?" The middle-aged man asked.

    "Unusual?" Yuan raised his eyebrows. "How unusual? That was my first time entering the Demon Sealing Pagoda, so I can''t tell you if anything is out of the ordinary even if it happened."

    "If you don''t mind, can you give us a brief exnation on your experience inside the pagoda?" The middle-aged man continued to ask.

    "Can I ask why you want to know?"

    The middle-aged man then said, "Because the Divine Paragon showed up when you entered the Demon Sealing Pagoda! That has never happened before!"

    "What? The Divine Paragon showed up?" Yuan was shocked to hear this.

    He should be the Divine Paragon, so how did someone who is supposed to be dead and reincarnated show up?

    "W-Well¡­ Not the real Divine Paragon, but an illusion of him¡­ He showed up after you entered the pagoda, even releasing this unfathomable demon sealing aura. However, he disappeared after a few minutes, and only a handful of people were able to witness it."

    "I see¡­ So that''s what happened. Unfortunately, I didn''t see the Divine Paragon inside, but I did hear his voice. This is what happened inside¡ª"

    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    Yuan proceeded to give a brief recollection of his experience within the pagoda to the people there.

    After hearing Yuan''s story, the people there no longer questioned him, as they did not find anything unusual with his experience inside the Demon Sealing Pagoda.

    "Can I go now?" Yuan asked.

    "Y-Yes. Sorry for bothering you, little founder." The middle-aged man bowed to him in a respectful manner.

    Although slowly, the people within the Demon Sealing n''s Grand Library were beginning to treat Yuan differently.

    Perhaps it was due to his uncanny resemnce to the Divine Paragon, or maybe they were just convinced by his overwhelming talents, these people were beginning to see Yuan as a potential leader of the Demon Sealing n in the future.

    Sometimeter, Yuan followed Yan Hara to her personal living quarters. All official lecturers are granted residency within the Grand Library.

    "Are you okay? You seem off." Yan Hara asked him once they sat down.

    Yuan showed a bittersweet smile before speaking, "I experienced my first death today. Even though it wasn''t real, it felt real, and the fact that I had been killed by a demon is also real. I¡­ I have overestimated myself today and put mypanions'' lives at risk."

    "Fortunately, the demon wasn''t real. If we had been facing a real demon outside the pagoda, I would''ve not only gotten myself killed but mypanions as well, and the thought of this really bothers me¡­"

    "Brother Yuan¡­" Xiao Hua, who was still sticking to his body like a slug, mumbled in a low voice.

    Clearly, she was also affected by Yuan''s death. Not only did she fail to protect him, but he also died right before her eyes.

    "Xiao Hua promised to protect Brother Yuan, but¡­" She sighed with teary eyes.

    This is the first time that Yuan has seen Xiao Hua cry with such emotions, and it made his heart sting.

    "If we''re all going to me ourselves, then I me myself for not being able to protect you, Young Master." Feng Yuxiang sighed as well.

    Seeing their depressed state and sensing the gloomy atmosphere, Yan Hara spoke out loud, "There''s no need to me yourself¡ª all of you. You were up against a Demon Emperor, after all. Let me tell you something. Ever since the disappearance of the Divine Paragon and the decline of the Demon Sealing n, nobody has been able to pass the fourth floor of the Demon Sealing Pagoda, and only a handful of demon sealers were able to pass the third floor."

    Yuan looked at her and asked, "You said that it was ''sort of'' a Demon Emperor before."

    "Ah, that''s because the gray-skin demon isn''t truly a Demon Emperor, but it''s so much more powerful than a Demon General that we cannot call it a mere Demon General. However, a real Demon Emperor is even more fearsome than the demon on the fourth floor."

    "It''s something like a Cultivator who is half a step away from entering the next realm. It''s at a level that far surpasses anything at the same rank, yet it''s not truly at the next rank." Yan Hara exined.

    "I see¡­ That makes a lot of sense. But for it to be that powerful when it''s not even a true Demon Emperor¡­ It makes me wonder about the real strength of a true Demon Emperor." Yuan sighed.

    "Trust me, you don''t want to find out." Yan Hara smiled.

    Sometimeter, Yan Hara focused her gaze on Xiao Hua and Feng Yuxiang, "By the way¡­ Can you exin who they are¡­ and why the little one is emitting the aura of an Exile?"

    Yuan''s body shook when he heard Yan Hara''s words. It was also at this moment that he recalled Senior Bai''s words¡ª that those from the upper heavens would recognize Xiao Hua to be an exile and that Exiles are hunted in the upper heavens.

    "W-Wait! I can exin! Xiao Hua isn''t a bad exile!" Yuan immediately became defensive.

    Yan Hara smiled when she saw this, and she said, "Calm down. Although I am not someone who favors exiles, I am also not someone who would hunt them on sight. Honestly, I couldn''t care less."

    "W-While that may be true, what about all those people at the Demon Sealing Pagoda? If you can tell that she''s an exile, they should also know!" Yuan said.

    "Trust me, if they noticed, you wouldn''t have been able to leave in one piece. Her exile aura is really weak right now for some reason, and I didn''t notice it until we sat down," she exined.

    Yuan finally calmed down a little after hearing such words.

    ''Thankfully, Senior Yan isn''t an unreasonable person¡­'' He sighed inwardly.

 Chapter 805 - Not Human

    <h4>Chapter 805 - Not Human</h4>

    "She is Xiao Hua, and this one over here is Feng Yuxiang." Yuan pointed at them and introduced them to Yan Hara.

    "Although they''re my servants, I prefer to call them mypanions."

    Yan Hara raised her eyebrows and asked, "Normal servants wouldn''t be able to enter the Demon Sealing Pagoda with you, so they must have signed a contract that binds their soul with your soul. In other words, they are no different than the Soul Weapons that you carry around with you in your body."

    "That is correct. We are more than just ''servants''. We are his most loyal servants¡ª his weapon and shield." Feng Yuxiang said in a prideful voice.

    "I see¡­ And since she''s an exile, you must be participating in the Supreme Heaven''s Legacy. How troublesome¡­" Yan Hara sighed.

    And she continued, "You do know what it means to ept the Supreme Heaven''s Legacy or the consequences of siding with an exile, right?"

    "I do." Yuan immediately nodded with a serious face.

    "If others from the Demon Sealing n or the Demon Sealing Grotto learn that you''re helping an exile, it will be immensely more difficult for you to be the next leader, and there''s a good chance that you could even get kicked out of the n¡­" Yan Hara sighed.

    "If you''re asking me to choose between the Demon Sealing n or Xiao Hua, I would choose thetter without any hesitation." Yuan quickly said with a resolute face.

    "Let''s not get ahead of yourself¡­" A bittersweet smile appeared on Yan Hara''s face.

    "You might not care about the Demon Sealing n, but as your lecturer, I truly want you to be the next leader of the Demon Sealing n, and after what happened at the Demon Sealing Pagoda today, I believe that the Divine Paragon also saw something special within you, hence why he appeared when you entered the pagoda."

    "Once the higher ups learn of what happened today, they will definitely start paying more attention to you, and they might even outright approach you, so I suggest you keep your little friend hidden for as long as you''re inside the Grand Library."

    "I will keep that in mind." Yuan nodded.

    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    "You should also keep in mind that even if she is hidden in your body, there are people out there that can still see her. If you truly want to keep her safe, you''ll need a treasure that blocks all probing, but in order to acquire a treasure powerful enough to block even the most powerful cultivators¡­ it won''t be easy."

    "I would help you, but I do not have the capabilities to acquire such a powerful treasure."

    "It''s okay, I will figure something out. Thank you, Senior, for your help." Yuan said to her.

    "I am your lecturer¡ª I am supposed to help you, even if the subject is a little¡­ hical¡­" Yan Hara smiled.

    And she continued while looking directly at Xiao Hua, "By the way, you should probably go back. Your exile aura¡­ It''s getting stronger."

    However, Xiao Hua immediately refused by shaking her head, and her grasp on Yuan tightened.

    Seeing this, Yuan patted her head and said, "It''s okay, Xiao Hua. I am safe in this ce. What happened in the Demon Sealing Pagoda was due to my carelessness. It won''t happen again."

    "Damn right you are safe in this ce! Who would dare to touch you, who has the face of the Divine Paragon, in this ce filled with his admirers and fanatics? That would be a crime punishable by death!" Yan Hara added.

    After a moment of silence, Xiao Hua nodded her head and reluctantly returned inside Yuan''s body.

    As for Feng Yuxiang, she decided to stay outside for a little longer since she wasn''t worried about getting hunted.

    Yan Hara''s attention turned to look at Feng Yuxiang now that Xiao Hua''s presence was gone, and she asked, "You have a unique aura around you. It''s like you''re human but also not at the same time. What are you?"

    In response to Yan Hara''s question, Feng Yuxiang changed her hair to red and her eyes to golden.

    Yan Hara''s eyes widened with shock when she realized what she was looking at.

    "Y-You''re a phoenix?" Yan Hara muttered in a voice of disbelief.

    "Is there a problem with that?" Feng Yuxiang said.

    Yan Hara swallowed nervously and said, "Phoenixes are some of the most prideful creatures roaming in the Nine Heavens alongside dragons. I cannot imagine a creature like that would be willing to be a human''s servant¡ª binded through your souls, much less."

    Feng Yuxiang coldly snorted and said, "I am not just the servant of any ''human''. The Young Master is special. I wouldn''t even categorize him as human. He''s different from the rest of you humans."

    Yuan raised his eyebrows and said, "You don''t see me as human?"

    "I-I don''t mean it like that¡­ You''re human¡­ but above a human at the same time¡ª like a celestial being." Feng Yuxiang tried to exin herself.

    Yan Hara couldn''t help but let out a chuckle after hearing Feng Yuxiang''s words, and she said, "You know, ording to some ancient document, after the Divine Paragon conquered the Demonic Realm, there were countless Divine Beasts that would offer themselves to serve him. And yes, this included phoenixes and even dragons. You''re truly resembling the Divine Paragon more and more now, Yuan."

    "The Divine Paragon was truly someone special. He was a human like the rest of us, but there was something about him that made him stand out from the rest of us¡ª at least this is what some people during his era said."

    Sometimeter, Yan Hara asked Yuan, "Do you have any questions for me?"

    He nodded and spoke, "I want to challenge the demon on the fourth floor again, and I want to defeat it. Can you help me?"

    Yan Hara then said, "If you want to challenge the pagoda again, you''ll have to wait 30 days, and we''ll have to pay for the resources by ourselves this time."

    "I am fine with that." Yuan said.

    "Then let me ask you another question¡ª what do you think you need to defeat the demon?" She asked him.

 Chapter 806 - Demon Sealing Groups

    <h4>Chapter 806 - Demon Sealing Groups</h4>

    "Well¡­ I''m one level away from reaching Spirit King. If I reach Spirit King, perhaps I can¡­"

    However, Yan Hara immediately scoffed at his response, "Increasing your cultivation will only help you slightly. In fact, it''s thest thing you should worry about in the Demon Sealing Pagoda."

    "Did you already forget? The Demon Sealing Pagoda scales to your cultivation strength, so if you grow stronger, so do the demons."

    After being reminded of this fact, Yuan frowned and asked, "Then what am I supposed to do?"

    Yan Hara smiled and said, "Everything else."

    "The Demon Sealing Pagoda takes into ount your cultivation and your talents to a certain extent. However, your experience and techniques do not affect the pagoda. If you want to defeat the demon on the fourth floor and beyond, you''ll need to increase your experience and improve on your techniques. Oh, your demon sealing aura will y a huge role as well."

    "Experience¡­ So I just need to fight more demons?"

    "Not just fight demons. You need to fight demons much stronger than yourself. I''m sure you can kill a thousand Lower Demons at your level with ease, but that won''t help you defeat a Demon Emperor. If you want to improve, you need to push yourself to your limits."

    "Pushing the Young Master to his limits¡­ It won''t be easy." Feng Yuxiang said.

    Yan Hara smiled and said, "I know, that''s why I will personally train you. I may not be the strongest cultivator out there, but I am more than enough to show you true despair. Meet me at the Grand Library next week after the tournament."

    "Tournament?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    "Oh, right. I was going to tell you about it, but the situation with the Demon Sealing Pagoda had distracted me."

    Yan Hara then continued, "In three days, there will be a tournament for Master Demon Sealers such as myself, and I want you to be there to witness it. You might learn a thing or two about fighting demons."

    Yuan nodded, "I will be there. Where is it?"

    "It will be located at the Demon Sealing n''s Grand Coliseum. You won''t be able to get there by yourself, so you''ll need to be invited."

    Yan Hara retrieved a red medallion and handed it to him afterward.

    "This will take you to the location. Activate it with your spiritual energy. However, I should warn you that it would be for the best if you don''t bring the exile with you, as there will be many powerful cultivators in that ce."

    "I understand¡­"

    "Anyways, do you have any more questions for me?"

    Yuan pondered for a moment before asking, "You told me to strengthen my demon sealing aura, but how does that work? Do I just need to learn as many demon sealing techniques as possible?"

    Yan Hara nodded, and she spoke, "Not just learn them¡ª you need to understand and fully master them."

    "But how can Iprehend a technique that I cannot use? For example, I use the sword mostly, but there are demon sealing techniques for the bow and many other weapons that I have never used before."

    "You don''t need to use a technique to master it. The most important thing when ites to mastering a technique isprehension. Of course, it would be much easier toprehend something you understand, but it''s not impossible toprehend something you don''t understand at first. It''ll just take you much longer."

    "As for using the technique¡­ It would also help you to master a technique much quicker if you practice with it everyday than someone who only reads the technique."

    Yuan then asked, "The fastest method to master a technique is to use it constantly, right?"

    "Yes." Yan Hara nodded.

    And she continued, "In the Grand Library, there is an area that will let you practice your techniques as many times as you want, and there is even a formation in that ce that increases your spiritual energy regeneration, allowing you to recover faster and practice more. However, that ce is only essible by Elite Demon Sealers and above."

    "Elite Demon Sealer¡­ How far away is it from an Advanced Demon Sealer?"

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    "It''s literally your next rank." Yan Hara chuckled.

    "Oh¡­ Then can I take the examination right away?"

    "Well¡­ You''ll need at least three Master Demon Sealers to witness the examination, but most of them are busy preparing for the tournament, so you''ll have to wait until the tournament is over."

    "If you want to start practicing now, there is an open area that is essible by all demon sealers. You can practice there, but you are limited to what techniques you can use¡ª mostly the destructive ones."

    "What about the Demon Sealing Strike?"

    "That is fine."

    "Okay, then I want to start my training as soon as possible."

    "Alright, follow me."

    Before Yuan followed Yan Hara outside, Feng Yuxiang turned into a ball of me and entered Yuan''s body.

    Sometimeter, they arrived at this spacious area where it was simply an open area where people could be seen practicing their techniques out in the open.

    "Although this ce is meant for demon sealers to practice their demon sealing techniques, it is also a ce where demon sealers show off their talents and hope to be recruited into a group."

    "What kind of group?" Yuan asked.

    "There are many small groups within the Demon Sealing n and the Demon Sealing Grotto. Most of these groups consist of four to five demon sealers, and they operate as a team to hunt demons. This is great for neers and even veteran demon sealers, as popr groups receive more attention and support by the upper echelons."

    "And just for the record, I do not belong to any group, mostly because I like to operate alone." Yan Hara said.

    "I see¡­"

    "Anyways, you can practice here for as long as you like. Just make sure you don''t forget about the tournament. If you don''t show up and I lose, I will me it on you." Yan Hara said to him a momentter.

    "Don''t worry, I will definitely be there." Yuan said.

    Yan Hara left the scene shortly after while Yuan found an empty spot in the area and began practicing the Demon Sealing Strike by using it repeatedly, almost as though he''d be a robot with a single purpose.

 Chapter 807 - Wrong Decision

    <h4>Chapter 807 - Wrong Decision</h4>

    [Demon Sealing Strike!]

    Yuan swung the Empyrean Overlord with all of his might in the empty air before him, sweeping the area in front with an invisible ripple of demon sealing aura.

    After that, he pulled the sword back and went for another strike, and he would continue this for two whole hours until someone approached him.

    "You''re not doing it right."

    Yuan stopped swinging the sword and turned to look at the handsome man standing beside him.

    "Senior Wan¡­"

    It was Wan Yu, the lecturer that guided him around the Grand Library on his first day.

    "Something came up, so I had to leave this ce for a bit. Looks like a lot has happened since then." Wan Yu said with a smile on his face.

    "I cannot believe that I didn''t notice it when I first met you, but you truly look like the founder. I also heard that you''d decided to join the Demon Sealing n. Can I ask why you chose them instead of the Demon Sealing Grotto?"

    "Sorry, but there is just something about the Demon Sealing n that makes me feel¡­ at home¡­ And it feels like it was only natural for me to join them."

    "I see¡­ You don''t have to apologize. You''re not wrong for choosing one over the other¡­ I mean, it might have been the wrong decision, but you did nothing wrong. I understand why you feel the need to join the Demon Sealing n. I was once in your shoes, but as I spent more time with them, I realized that the Demon Sealing n is no longer the brilliance it once was."

    "Without the Divine Paragon, the Demon Sealing n is just another power¡ª one of countless powers out there. You will realize that soon, and when you do, you know where to find me. I won''t give up on you just because you joined them."

    Wan Yu then pointed at the Empyrean Overlord and said, "If your technique doesn''t improve after every swing, you''re doing something wrong. Don''t just swing the sword. You need to understand andprehend the technique, or your technique will remain the same even a thousand swingster."

    "T-Thank you for the advice, Senior." Yuan said to him.

    "We may belong to different powers, but I am still an official lecturer here. Regardless if you are from the Demon Sealing n or the Demon Sealing Grotto, I have a responsibility to guide you properly."

    "Anyways, good luck. Ah, good work at the Demon Sealing Pagoda. I heard you managed to reach the fourth floor on your first attempt." Wan Yu said to Yuan before leaving the ce.

    After Yuan was alone again, Feng Yuxiang''s voice resounded, "That man is right, Young Master. You shouldn''t swing your sword just for the sake of swinging it. You must try to understand the technique and improve it as you swing it."

    "Close your eyes and swing the sword. Try to feel it. Once you can feel it, you can start understanding it."

    Yuan nodded and closed his eyes.

    After taking a deep but calm breath, he released the Demon Sealing Strike.

    ''I see¡­ It really feels different than swinging it casually.'' Yuan thought to himself.

    "Now try to see if you can improve the technique before you swing it again." Feng Yuxiang said.

    Yuan nodded.

    A few minutester, Yuan moved again, swinging the Empyrean Overlord.

    Although it was only slightly, Feng Yuxiang noticed slight improvement in his movements.

    "That''s perfect, Young Master. You''re improving."

    "Thank you, Feng Feng. I think I know what to do now."

    Yuan said to her, and he continued to practice the Demon Sealing Strike.

    While Yuan practiced his technique, Feng Yuxiang spoke to Xiao Hua using spiritual sense.

    "Hey, Xiao Hua, I have been dying to ask you¡­ When we were inside the Demon Sealing Pagoda, I thought I saw you growing taller¡­ What was that about?"

    "What are you talking about, Phoenix?" Xiao Hua responded in a puzzled voice.

    "You know¡­ When the Young Master died before us¡­ You got angry, and I swear I noticed you growing taller¡­"

    "You must have been seeing things. Xiao Hua has no idea what you''re talking about." Xiao Hua responded in a genuinely puzzled voice.

    "Probably¡­" Feng Yuxiang also began to believe that she was just seeing things because of her shock at the time.

    A few hourster, Yuan manages to increase the Demon Sealing Strike''s Master Level to 2.

    <Yourprehension for Demon Sealing Strike has improved significantly through training>

    <Yourprehension for Demon Sealing Strike has reached a new level>

    <Demon Sealing Strike Master Level (1) ¡ú (2)>

    [Demon Sealing Strike]

    [Rank: Heaven]

    [Mastery Level: 2]

    However, Yuan didn''t stop his training even after his Demon Sealing Strike reached a new level. In fact, he continued training even harder.

    He would swing the Empyrean Overlord for the entire day until his arms were sore and his body was soaked in sweat.

    When the other demon sealers at the scene saw how hard he was training, their motivation also grew, allowing them to train harder.

    At the end of the day, Yuan''s Demon Sealing Strike reached Master Level 3, and his demon sealing aura also saw significant growth.

    "I will see you guys tomorrow." Yuan said goodbye to hispanions before logging off the game.

    After logging off, Yuan got off the bed and made his way to the training field behind the mansion to continue his training.

    Of course, there were already people training in the field way before his arrival.

    "Hey, Yuan. How was your day?" Wang Ming asked him.

    "It was a difficult day for me. One filled with disappointment." Yuan responded with a bittersweet smile.

    "You want to talk about it?" Wang Ming did not expect such a response from him and asked.

    Yuan chuckled, "Don''t worry, I already have it all sorted out with my lecturer."

    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    "Lecturer?"

    "I will introduce you guys to her in the future. She''s an experienced demon sealer in Cultivation Online."

    "By the way, how''s your progress with the demon sealing technique?" Yuan asked.

 Chapter 808 - Killing Two Birds With One Stone

    <h4>Chapter 808 - Killing Two Birds With One Stone</h4>

    "My progress with the Demon Sealing Strike has been great. I should be able to use it by the end of this week." Wang Ming said.

    He then pointed in a certain direction and said, "Li Jinxi, on the other hand, has been using the technique since yesterday. It won''t be long before she masters it."

    Yuan used his divine sense to watch Li Jinxi, and sure enough, her sword would release demon sealing aura with every swing. However, the demon sealing aura is still very weak¡ª too weak to actually seal any demons.

    "Good luck with your training." Yuan said to Wang Ming before walking over to Li Jinxi.

    "Can I help you a bit?" Yuan asked her.

    Li Jinxi stopped swinging the sword and nodded.

    Yuan walked beside her and gently grabbed her arms before adjusting their position.

    Once her arms were in the correct position, Yuan moved to adjust her hips, then her legs, andstly, her feet.

    "Try swinging your sword now," he said to her.

    Li Jinxi nodded and swung therge sword in her hand.

    Whoosh!

    A strong gust of wind appeared from the swing, and it felt much easier andfortable for Li Jinxi.

    "Thank you." She said to him afterward.

    "When you practice the technique, you should try to feel and understand it. Someone told me that your technique should improve with every strike¡ª even if it''s slightly." Yuan said.

    "I will keep that in mind."

    Yuan walked to the others and also gave them advice.

    Eventually, he reached Meixiu, who was practicing with her bow.

    Whoosh!

    Using her ck bow that she acquired from the Six Spiritual Families, Meixiu was able to hit her target a thousand meters away, and the arrow even managed to hit the tiny red dot in the center.

    Meixiu gracefully lowered her arms after releasing the arrow, and she turned to look at him, "Hey."

    "Hey, that was quite impressive." Yuan said with a smile.

    "I don''t think I have any advice for you, nor am I qualified to lecture you."

    "What do you think of my form?" Meixiu then asked.

    "I think it was beautiful."

    "What about the demon sealing aura? Is it strong enough to seal a demon?"

    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    "Unfortunately, you would need to shoot the demon a hundred times if you want to seal it." Yuan said.

    "I see¡­" Meixiu looked slightly disappointed by the results.

    "Don''t look so down. You''re doing great for someone who just started learning demon sealing techniques." Yuan gave her some encouragement.

    "Thank you." Meixiu said to him before returning to her training.

    Yuan decided to let her train in peace and check on Chu Liuxiang next.

    "Ha!"

    As he got close to her, Chu Liuxiang shot her palm forward, sending a wave of demon sealing aura into the air.

    "What do you think of my Demon Sealing Pulse?" Chu Liuxiang turned to look at him afterward.

    "Your demon sealing aura is the strongest out of everyone at the moment. This means you have the deepestprehension of your demon sealing technique. Good job."

    "Thanks, but I still feel a littlecking with one demon sealing technique." She sighed.

    "Don''t worry, I will acquire more demon sealing techniques in a few days."

    "Okay."

    Sometimeter, Yuan walked to an empty spot on the field and started his own training.

    Everyone would train without rest until it was time for dinner.

    Meixiu left an hour earlier than everyone else to prepare for dinner.

    During dinner, they would talk about their progress with their techniques and things they did in Cultivation Online.

    "What about you, Yuan?" Shi Lang suddenly asked him.

    Yuan swallowed before responding with a bittersweet smile, "I died today."

    *ng*

    Everybody there dropped their utensils when they heard his words, and they turned to look at him with wide eyes.

    "E-Excuse me? Can you repeat that? I think I misheard you just now." Wang Ming stuttered in a voice of disbelief.

    "I experienced death today. Don''t worry, it wasn''t real death, so it didn''t affect me in the slightest¡ª at least not physically." Yuan exined to them in more detail about his situation.

    "I fought a very powerful demon in the Demon Sealing Pagoda, where demon sealers go to train in the Grand Library. If you die inside the pagoda, you won''t actually die, and you will simply be teleported outside. I managed to reach the peak of Spirit Lord after passing three out of nine floors."

    "Good lord, you''re already almost a Spirit King? That''s ridiculous¡­"

    The others were simply speechless. While everyone else was still trying to climb Spirit Warrior, Yuan was already one level away from Spirit King. Will they ever close their distance?

    "I-I''m going to train some more tonight after dinner¡­" Wang Bingbing muttered in a low voice.

    "M-Me too." Shi Lang agreed.

    Half of the room decided to continue their training after dinner within moments.

    Sometime after dinner, Yuan returned to his room with Chu Liuxiang.

    "Yuan¡ª Darling, now that we''ve returned home, let''s¡­ you know¡­ ''do it''." Chu Liuxiang said as she stared at him with an eager look on her pretty face.

    "N-Now? You still have energy after training for an entire day?" Yuan said in a dumbfounded voice.

    "No matter how exhausted I am, I will always have energy to embrace my love!" She chuckled.

    Yuan showed a slight smile before nodding, "But let me clean myself first. My body is still sticky from training."

    "Oka¡ª Wait! We can do this inside the bathroom! We can clean ourselves and embrace each other at the same time! That would be killing two birds with one stone!" Chu Liuxiang suddenly suggested.

    Yuan was truly speechless this time.

    However, he didn''t refuse and nodded in silence.

    "Great!"

    They removed their clothes and entered the bathroom together shortly after, spending much more time than usual inside.

    "That was amazing, darling¡­" Chu Liuxiang said to him on the bed about three hourster.

    "Good night, Lulu." Yuan said to her with a smile before he walked to the balcony.

    "You''re not going to sleep tonight?"

    Yuan summoned the Empyrean Overlord before responding, "I''m going to practice a little more tonight. You don''t need to wait for me. Get some rest."

    He jumped onto the sword and flew away from their balcony.

 Chapter 809 - Max Mastery Level

    <h4>Chapter 809 - Max Mastery Level</h4>

    "Good night, darling¡­" Chu Liuxiang mumbled in a low voice after Yuan flew away.

    Sheid on the bed a momentter and quickly fell asleep with a peaceful and satisfied smile on her face.

    Meanwhile, Yuan flew circles around the Dragon Spiral Mountain on his flying sword in order to practice his Qi Manifestation.

    Of course, he would need to rest after everyp around the Dragon Spiral Mountain.

    After his ninthp around the Dragon Spiral Mountain, Yuan noticed Meixiu''s figure from above, and she appeared to be training her movement technique.

    Yuan decided to stay in the air and watch Meixiu dance around with elegance yet precision.

    A few minutester, he descended in front of her and said, "Don''t overwork yourself again, Meixiu."

    She smiled and said, "Don''t worry, I won''t embarrass myself like that again."

    "You know, I have never copsed like that before¡ª not even when I was worked to the bone by my mother."

    "..."

    After a moment of silence, Yuan said, "Let''s take a break."

    "Huh?"

    Meixiu raised her eyebrows.

    Yuan suddenly lowered his body, picked Meixiu up and carried her like a princess.

    He then hopped onto the Empyrean Overlord and flew into the air with Meixiu still in his arms.

    Meixiu subconsciously hugged Yuan''s neck when they flew into the air, which reminded her of their first time flying together.

    "What do you think?" Yuan asked her as they hovered above the Dragon Spiral Mountain.

    "It''s¡­ beautiful." She mumbled in a dazed voice.

    "Meixiu¡­ Even if you''re behind everyone, it''s okay. In fact, you could be the weakest person in this world, I would still want you to be by my side, and that will never change no matter what happens."

    Meixiu was in a daze after hearing Yuan''s words, and after a moment of silence, she showed a bashful smile on her beautiful face.

    "Yuan¡­ You''re bing more cheeky. I fear what might happen in the future¡­"

    "C-Cheeky?" Yuan was speechless.

    "But I¡ª"

    "Kiss me." Meixiu suddenly interrupted.

    Yuan halted whatever he wanted to say and immediately kissed her on the lips.

    After their kiss, Meixiu mumbled in a low voice, "Yuan¡­ Tonight¡­ Can you stay with me?"

    "Okay." Yuan nodded without hesitation.

    He quickly finished his finalp around the Dragon Spiral Mountain before flying Meixiu back to her room.

    They entered her room through the balcony, and once inside, Meixiu started kissing him again.

    After a few minutes of passionate kissing, Meixiu removed her clothes and dragged Yuan to the bed, where they started to embrace each other shortly after.

    Sometimeter, Meixiu fell asleep in her bed without even bothering to clean up or wear her clothes.

    Yuan wanted to continue his training after embracing Meixiu, but he was simply too tired after being squeezed dry by two beautiful women in the same night, so he just fell asleep in the same bed as Meixiu.

    The following morning, Meixiu woke up with her body feeling a little sore.

    She turned to look at Yuan, who was still sleeping peacefully beside her.

    After staring at his face for a few moments, she left the bed without waking him up and went to take a shower.

    Once she was fully dressed, she woke Yuan up.

    "It''s morning."

    Once Yuan was awake and dressed, Meixiu said, "I will go prepare breakfast."

    "Okay."

    Yuan returned to his room, where Chu Liuxiang was still sound asleep.

    "Lulu, it''s morning." Yuan decided to wake her up.

    "Five¡­ more minutes¡­" Chu Liuxiang said in a drowsy voice.

    Sometimeter, once breakfast was finished and served, Yuan logged back into Cultivation Online for another day of training.

    At the end of the day, his Demon Sealing Strike rose another two levels, reaching Mastery Level 5, bing his highest level technique.

    Near the end of the third day, Yuan suddenly stopped training and took a seat on the ground and closed his eyes.

    The demon sealers around him quickly noticed the odd aura he was giving off, and when they recognized what was happening, they all stopped their training.

    "The little founder is experiencing enlightenment¡­"

    When someone is experiencing enlightenment, it wasmon courtesy for those around that person to stop whatever they were doing so that they wouldn''t distract the person having the enlightenment.

    Furthermore, it was the famous little founder who was experiencing enlightenment. Nobody there wanted to be responsible for distracting Yuan and invoking Yan Hara''s fury.

    And for the next few hours, the entire training area was sealed off by the demon sealers so that Yuan couldplete his enlightenment in peace.

    <Yourprehension for Demon Sealing Strike has improved tremendously through enlightenment>

    <Yourprehension for Demon Sealing Strike has reached a new level>

    <Demon Sealing Strike Master Level (9)¡ú (Max)>

    [Demon Sealing Strike]

    [Rank: Heaven]

    [Mastery Level: Max]

    <Demon Sealing Strike has reached max mastery>

    <Demon Sealing Strike''s Rank has increased to Divine!>

    [Demon Sealing Strike]

    [Rank: Divine]

    [Mastery Rank: Max]

    Right before Yuan came out of his enlightenment and opened his eyes, his body suddenly radiated with immense demon sealing aura that rippled throughout the Demon Sealing n''s Grand Library.

    N?velDrama.Org (C) content.

    Yuan opened his eyes a few momentster and stood up, feeling as though something within him had changed.

    The demon sealers waiting outside the training area stormed inside when they realized that Yuan had finished his enlightenment.

    They surrounded him and began throwing him praises.

    "Congrattions, Little Founder, on your sessful enlightenment!"

    "T-Thank you¡­"

    Feeling overwhelmed by the people there, Yuan decided to run away, disappearing somewhere in the Grand Library.

    Of course, even if Yuan ran away, it did not stop the people there from spreading news of his enlightenment.

    Eventually, news of Yuan''s enlightenment reached Yan Hara''s ears.

    "The Little Founder experienced enlightenment and finished it?" A wide smile appeared on her face after hearing the news, and she couldn''t stop smiling even many minutester.

    "My student is so amazing.. As his lecturer, I cannot disgrace myself in tomorrow''s tournament. I must prove to the others that I am worthy to be his lecturer!"

 Chapter 810 - Min Lis Plans

    <h4>Chapter 810 - Min Li''s ns</h4>

    The following morning, Yuan woke up earlier than usual and left a note for Chu Liuxiang, telling her that he would not be able to eat breakfast with them today because he had important business within Cultivation Online.

    After putting the note on the table beside the bed, Yuan ced the helmet on his head and appeared inside Cultivation Online.

    When he logged on, he could see Min Li sitting at the table by the window inside their hotel.

    "Good morning," she turned to look at him and said.

    "Good morning."

    And she continued, "Yuan, I have finally decided on what I want to do."

    "Oh? What are your ns?"

    "The Seven Spirit Academies will be starting their disciple examination earlier this year because of the sudden influence of peopleing from the Lower Heavens, and I n on taking it."

    "That sounds like a great idea. Do you know which sect you want to join yet?"

    N?velDrama.Org (C) content.

    "My number one option would definitely be the Heavenly Academy. They have been ranked one for the past ten thousand years, and they have produced over 10 Spirit Kings throughout those years."

    "However, I would be satisfied with joining any of the Seven Spiritual Academies since they''re the best of the best in the Spirit Heaven, and it''s incredibly hard to get epted into any of these ces. Even the Universal Music Academy that focuses on Music Cultivation is better than many top cultivation sects out there."

    "Do you know when the examinations will take ce? I would like to be there for you till the end. It might be a very long time until we see each other again, after all."

    "Yes, it will begin in two weeks."

    "I see¡­ I will definitely be there. What do you n on doing until then?"

    "I am going to train near the examination area until then."

    Yuan pondered for a moment before speaking, "I will leave one of mypanions with you just in case anything goes south during your training. Are you okay with that?"

    "R-Really? You don''t have to do that for me¡­" Min Li said.

    "Yes, I am sure. Xiao Hua, can you stay with Min Li for the time being since it will be dangerous to take you with me to the tournament?" Yuan said to her.

    Xiao Hua appeared beside him the next second with a reluctant look on her face.

    "Xiao Hua doesn''t want to leave Brother Yuan alone¡­" She said in a worried voice.

    "He won''t be alone. Did you forget about Lan Yingying and myself already?" Feng Yuxiang appeared and said.

    "We''ll take care of the Young Master while you''re away."

    "But¡­" Xiao Hua was still reluctant to leave Yuan''s side.

    "Listen here, Xiao Hua. If you stay with the Young Master, you''ll put him at risk just with your presence alone. Do you want to cause trouble for the Young Master?" Feng Yuxiang asked with a frown on her face.

    "No¡­" Xiao Hua lowered her head in a dejected manner.

    "Then you should stop being so selfish and go with Min Li for now. We''ll see you again as soon as possible."

    "..."

    Seeing Xiao Hua''s dejected mood, Yuan lowered his body and embraced her small body.

    "I will be fine, Xiao Hua. Not only will Feng Feng and Yingying be there with me, Senior Yan and many powerful demon sealers will be there with me as well."

    "I also want to take you with me, but as Senior Yan mentioned, there will be many powerful figures there that could expose you, and I don''t want you to be in danger. In fact, I would even put your safety above my own, so can you stay with Min Li for the time being? When I return¡­ We can y catch again like we used to."

    Xiao Hua immediately lifted her head and stared at him with her big round eyes that were filled with emotion¡ª mostly excitement.

    "Really?"

    Yuan nodded, "I promise."

    "Okay, Xiao Hua will go with her."

    "Great! Then we''ll see you twoter."

    After saying their goodbyes, Yuan left the hotel with Feng Yuxiang and Lan Yingying. They flew until they were a few miles away from the city.

    "Senior Yan said I only need my spiritual energy to activate it¡­" Yuan retrieved the red medallion Yan Hara had given him and started pouring his spiritual energy into it.

    Immediately, the red medallion began emitting a bright crimson light.

    A few secondster, the red medallion shattered into countless pieces, dumbfounding Yuan.

    "D-Did I break it?" He swallowed nervously.

    "No, it''s activating right now, Young Master." Feng Yuxiang said to him.

    The very next moment, a beautiful red portal would appear before Yuan.

    Once the portal was fully activated, Feng Yuxiang said, "You can go inside now, Young Master. I don''t sense anything malicious from it, so it should be okay."

    "Okay."

    Yuan nodded, but before he entered the portal, he retrieved a mask and wore it.

    Since he looked exactly like the Divine Paragon, there would be no doubt that someone there would recognize him, and he didn''t want such a spotlight on him when he''s surrounded by so many cultivators that were countless times stronger than him.

    After all, he didn''t know if the Divine Paragon had any enemies before, nor did he want to find out, so he decided to y it safe.

    When he exited the portal, Yuan was greeted by a starry sky and a massive circr building a few miles in the distance.

    "Just where are we?" Yuan mumbled in a dazed voice as he looked around with great interest.

    "It feels like we''re in someone''s dimension." Feng Yuxiang said.

    "Like Senior Bai''s own world?" Yuan asked.

    "Yes, just like that."

    While Yuan admired the scenery that made him feel like he was in space, other people would appear around him.

    These people would nce at Yuan for a brief moment before scoffing and flying away, treating his existence as though it was insignificant.

    "Young Master¡­ You should definitely keep your head down here¡­ Even Spirit Sovereigns would look like an ant before these people¡­" Feng Yuxiang warned him afterward.

    "Un.." He nodded silently.

 Chapter 811 - Grand Coliseum

    <h4>Chapter 811 - Grand Coliseum</h4>

    Once he had enough of the scenery, Yuan began making his way towards therge circr building in the distance.

    While everyone else flew, Yuan used his legs and walked toward his destination.

    "Feng Feng, is there a reason why my spiritual energy isn''t stable in this ce? This happened when I was teleported to the Fifth Heaven, as well." Yuan decided to ask Feng Yuxiang.

    "That''s because you''re not used to the atmosphere of this ce, Young Master. The spiritual energy in this ce far surpasses anything you''ve experienced before, and your body needs time to adjust to it, hence why you cannot use your spiritual energy, not to mention your low cultivation base."

    "Low cultivation base? But I am almost a Spirit King." Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    How can a Spirit King be considered having a ''low cultivation''?

    "Being Spirit King may be an impressive feat in the lower heavens, but in the upper heavens, it is worthless, and you''re no different than a Spirit Warrior in the Lower Heaven as a Spirit King in the upper heavens."

    "Heavens¡­ Why is the cultivation path so long?"

    "It''s not just long, Young Master¡ª it''s never-ending. Even if you reach the highest known cultivation level, there will always be more levels above that. It is only a matter of who would discover it."

    "Is that so¡­ I¡ª"

    Just as Yuan was about to ask a question, he was interrupted by a gust of wind.

    Yuan looked up to see a beautiful woman floating right above him.

    "Looks like you really came." Yan Hara said to him with a smile.

    "Of course." Yuan nodded.

    "I hope you''ll enjoy the show. Ah, I should probably warn you before it starts¡ª you should brace yourself. I wanted you toe here not only to watch the tournament but also to train you."

    "Train me?" Yuan asked.

    "You''ll understand soon. Don''t lose consciousness, or you''ll miss the whole thing." Yan Hara winked at him before flying towards the building in front of them.

    Yuan swallowed nervously after hearing Yan Hara''s words, and he wondered what she was talking about as he approached the building.

    Once he reached the entrance, he was stopped by a middle-aged man casually sitting by the entrance, who asked him, "Do you have a pass to get in?"

    "Huh?" Yuan showed a puzzled face behind his mask.

    "You know, the red medallion you used toe to this ce." The middle-aged man exined.

    Yuan''s eyes widened, and he quickly said, "T-That was also a pass?! But mine broke the moment I activated it!"

    "That''s unfortunate. Looks like you cannot enter without a pass." The middle-aged man shook his head.

    Yuan was speechless.

    However, before he could say anything else, the middle-aged man suddenly burst outughing and said, "I am only joking with you, kiddo. Who brought you here? It''s really umon for cultivators of your level to show up for this event."

    "Really? Is there a reason why?" Yuan then asked.

    "Why? Obviously, because they cannot handle it."

    "It?"

    "The demon''s killing intent, of course. What else?"

    "I see¡­"

    "So? Who brought you here. That person must be a sadist, or confident in your abilities to bring you here."

    "Senior Yan." Yuan said.

    "Yan? Yan Hara? She actually brought you here?" The middle-aged man expressed surprise after hearing her name.

    "That woman is definitely a sadist. You should watch out, kiddo." He said after a moment of silence.

    "I-I will¡­" Yuan nodded in a dazed manner.

    "Anyway, you can go take a seat. Since you''re only a Spirit King, you should take the seat that''s the furthest away from the arena, which would be the seats at the end of the coliseum."

    "I understand. Thank you for the advice." Yuan bowed to the middle-aged man before walking into the Grand Coliseum.

    "His demon sealing aura is quite ridiculous for someone at his cultivation¡­ Where did Yan Hara pick up this monster? He would''ve been a valuable presence for the Demon Sealing n during the dark day, but s, he was born in the wrong era." The middle-aged man mumbled to himself as he watched Yuan''s figure disappear into the coliseum.

    "Grand Elder Suo, all of the participants have arrived."

    Someone appeared before the middle-aged man shortly after Yuan left.

    "Alright." The middle-aged man surnamed Suo stood up and disappeared with the other person.

    Meanwhile, Yuan followed the other demon sealers to the spectators'' area.

    Once he arrived, he took a seat all the way towards the end of the coliseum.

    ''This should be good enough¡­ hopefully. I wouldn''t be able to move any further back even if I need to¡­'' Yuan sighed inwardly.

    Sometimeter, Yuan noticed three figures approaching him from his right.

    N?velDrama.Org (C) content.

    "Excuse me, do you mind if we sit here?" One of them asked Yuan in a polite voice.

    "No, go ahead."

    "Thank you."

    Yuan then watched as these three individuals sat down, and he couldn''t take his eyes off them for some reason.

    One of them noticed Yuan staring at them and smiled at him in a friendly manner.

    "S-Sorry¡­ That was rude of me." Yuan quickly apologized once he realized that he''d been staring at them.

    "Don''t worry, we''re used to it as triplets."

    "Triplets¡­" Yuan muttered in a low voice.

    Two of these three people were beautiful youngdies while the third person was a handsome young man, and while the twodies looked almost identical to each other with the only difference being their hairstyle, the young man also looked very simr to thedies.

    "Is this your first time to the Grand Coliseum?" Thedy sitting beside Yuan suddenly asked him.

    "Yes, it is. What about you guys?"

    "This is also our first time. We wanted toest time, but we were only Spirit Kings at that time, so our family did not allow us toe here. Seeing you here as a Spirit King really makes me envious." Thedy said.

    And she continued, "Oh, I am Lian Er."

    "I''m Lian Li." Thedy sitting beside her sister, Lian Er, said.

    "Lian San," said the young man.

    "Hello, I''m Yuan.." Yuan introduced himselfst.

 Chapter 812 - Leader Of The Demon Sealing Clan

    <h4>Chapter 812 - Leader Of The Demon Sealing n</h4>

    "Yuan, huh? Hey, Yuan, can I ask you a question?" Lian Er suddenly asked.

    "Go ahead." He nodded.

    "Then¡­ Why are you wearing a mask?"

    Yuan smiled behind his mask and said, "I just enjoy wearing masks. It makes me feel safe for some reason."

    "I see¡­"

    "Anyways, who are you cheering for this tournament? There will be five Master Demon Sealers participating today."

    "I''m cheering for Senior Yan," he responded without hesitation.

    "Senior Yan? She''s a very powerful demon sealer¡ª best of her generation, so I can see why you would cheer for her. However, I would cheer for Senior Suo, who is the grandson of Grand Elder Suo. Not only was he trained by one of the best demon sealers in the entire Demon Sealing n, but rumor has it that he''s been trained by the current leader as well."

    "Grand Elder Suo? Who is that?" Yuan asked.

    "Y-You don''t know of the Grand Elders? They''re the backbones of the Demon Sealing n!" Lian Li eximed in a shocked voice after hearing his words.

    "Well¡­ I am rtively new to the Demon Sealing n, so I am not aware of this stuff yet. I''d appreciate it if you could broaden my views." Yuan exined.

    "How''d you get in here if you''re new?" The triplets looked at him with raised eyebrows.

    "I was invited by Senior Yan."

    "Ah¡­ Is that the real reason you''re cheering for her?"

    Yuan nodded, "Yes, but that''s not the only reason. I don''t know any of the other participants, so I can only cheer for her."

    "Don''t worry, you''ll learn about the other participants very soon." Lian Er said.

    About five minutester, the rowdy atmosphere suddenly came to a halt even though nothing seemed to have happened.

    However, a few momentster, Yuan could see three individuals appearing out of thin air, and they hovered above the coliseum.

    When the spectators there saw these figures, they all stood up and bowed to them.

    "Greetings, Leader Qian and Grand Elders!"

    ''Leader?'' Yuan raised his eyebrows. He wondered if the current leader of the Demon Sealing n was amongst these three individuals.

    ''That middle-aged man¡­''

    Yuan also recognized the middle-aged man that teased him at the entrance.

    The handsome young man standing in the center of the group raised his hand and calmly waved it.

    "Sit."

    Almost as though his words were backed by a magic force, everyone in the coliseum sat down the next second.

    ''That''s probably the leader of the Demon Sealing n¡­'' Yuan thought to himself as he sat down.

    Once everyone was seated, these three people took a seat in a special area within the spectators'' area.

    The handsome young man sat in the middle on a beautiful throne made out of some kind of red jade while the other two sat beside him.

    A few momentster, five more figures appeared on the tform in the middle of the coliseum. Yan Hara was amongst them.

    "Greetings, Leader Qian and Grand Elders." The five participants bowed to them in a respectful manner.

    The handsome man, who looked only to be in his mid-twenties, stood up from his throne and spoke in a calm voice, "Wee or wee back to the Demon Sealing Tournament. I, the 8th leader of the Demon Sealing n, Qian Chu, shall oversee this year''s tournament alongside Grand Elder Suo of the Demon Sealing n, and Grand Elder Cen of the Demon Sealing Grotto."

    "Our participants this year will be¡ª"

    Qian Chu purposefully did not finish his sentence to allow the participants to introduce themselves.

    "Suo Rengan of the Demon Sealing n." A handsome young man stepped forward and introduced himself in a clear and confident voice.

    "Jiang Ziya of the Demon Sealing Grotto." A middle-aged man introduced himself next.

    "Yan Hara of the Demon Sealing n." Yan Hara stepped forward and gracefully bowed towards Qian Chu''s direction.

    "Zu Ti of the Demon Sealing Grotto." An old man with a mixture of ck and white hair said next.

    "Shen Yue of the Demon Sealing Grotto." A beautiful woman with looks that almost rivaled Yan Hara''s appearance was thest to introduce herself.

    Once all participants introduced themselves, Qian Chu continued to speak, "Today, these five Master Demon Sealers will participate in the Demon Sealing Tournament andpete against each other to be the next Supreme Demon Sealer!"

    "Within the Demon Sealing n and the Demon Sealing Grotto that has over 500,000 members, there are less than 20 Supreme Demon Sealersbined, so you can imagine the prestige this title carries."

    "However, only one of you will be able to be a Supreme Demon Sealer at the end of this tournament. Are you guys ready?" Qian Chu asked the five participants as his sharp gaze stared at them.

    "Yes!" They all responded simultaneously.

    "Then let''s get this event started." Qian Chu said before sitting back on his throne.

    The moment Qian Chu sat down, Grand Elder Suo stood up and shouted, "Activate the formations!"

    Once the Formation Experts heard Grand Elder Suo''s voice, they immediately activated the formation, creating a powerful barrier around the tform, protecting the spectators and preventing the participants from leaving at the same time.

    "The formations are activated!" A voice resounded a few momentster.

    Upon hearing this, Qian Chu suddenly flicked his sleeves, and a ck g with a red symbol on a golden pole flew out of his sleeves andnded in the middle of the tform.

    This g was wrapped, and there appeared to be something restrained by the g.

    When Yuan saw this g, he felt a chill run down his spine, and his blood began boiling, almost as though it was reacting to the g.

    The g slowly unwrapped itself afternding, revealing to the spectators what it had been restricting¡ª a demon.

    Yuan''s eyes widened with shock when he saw the demon, as it did not give him the feeling of an artificial demon.

    ''The demon¡­ It''s a real demon!? They''re going to use a real demon for this event?! This is insane!'' Yuan cried inwardly when he realized that they would be using a real demon for the tournament.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

 Chapter 813 - Real Demon Emperor

    <h4>Chapter 813 - Real Demon Emperor</h4>

    Yuan nearly jumped out of his seat when he realized that they were going to use a real demon instead of an artificial demon during this event.

    ''This is pure insanity! What if something goes wrong and the demon escapes? That would be catastrophic!'' He cried inwardly.

    However, the other people there had a different response.

    "Wow, what a strong-looking demon. What rank do you think it is?" Lian Er mumbled to herself, clearly more intrigued than terrified of its existence.

    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.

    "It should be at least a Demon General, right?" Lian Li said.

    "It''s hard to tell since the demon has its aura restrained by those red chains, but I doubt it would be anything lesser than a Demon General. After all, this is also an exam for these Master Demon Sealers." Lian San responded.

    Once the demon was revealed, Qian Chu spoke in a clear voice, "The first one to seal or kill this demon will be the next Supreme Demon Sealer. I will remove the final seals on the demon in ten seconds."

    The five participants quickly spread out and surrounded the demon.

    Even though they werepeting against each other, they also knew how risky it was to try and fight the demon alone.

    Their best option at the moment would be to fight the demon together and slowly seal the demon, saving their energy before trying to get thest hit.

    While everyone waited for the ten seconds to pass, the demon used this time to analyze its surroundings and situation.

    "A bunch of lowly humans dare to use this one for entertainment? I will tear all of your limbs and drink your blood for this offense." The demon showed a malicious smile on its face, and it did not seem worried even in the slightest despite its seemingly hopeless situation.

    Ten seconds passed in the blink of an eye, and Qian Chu waved his sleeves when the ten seconds were up, removing the red chains that had been suppressing the demon''s power this entire time.

    The second the red chains disappeared, the demon released a deafening roar, and an immensely powerful aura erupted from its body, sweeping the ce with intense killing intent that immediately shocked the spectators.

    When Yuan felt the killing intent for the first time, his body froze from shock, and he even lost his ability to breathe.

    ''W-What is this killing intent?! What is this bloodthirsty aura?! I have never experienced anything like this before!'' Yuan cried inwardly, and he could feel his instincts screaming at him to run away from the scene as soon as possible.

    It felt like he was before the grim reaper itself, and that death was right in front of him.

    However, he resisted such urges and even bit on his lips until it began bleeding, using pain to keep himself sane.

    "A-Are you okay?" Lian Er noticed Yuan''s condition and asked him despite being affected by the demon''s killing intent herself, as her whole body was shivering nonstop.

    "Y-Yes¡­" He responded in a mosquito-like voice.

    While under this intense stress that challenged him mentally and physically, pushing him to his limits, something began changing within Yuan.

    Meanwhile, the five participants immediately began their assault on the demon the second it was released from its bindings.

    They all released their demon sealing technique simultaneously at the demon, but the demon quickly reacted and used a movement technique to dodge it.

    However, it was unable to dodge all of the demon sealers'' attack, only sessfully dodging three of them.

    [Demon Sealing Pulse!]

    Yan Hara pushed her palm forward, sending a powerful wave of demon sealing aura at the demon, hitting it directly in its chest and blowing a hole in its body.

    The demon, of course, healed its wound almost immediately, and it didn''t seem to be affected by the demon sealing aura.

    Yan Hara did not panic at the result and continued her assault on the demon with the other demon sealers.

    Before a minute has even passed, the five demon sealers managed to hit the demon with over a dozen demon sealing techniques, yet the demon continued to move around as though it was unaffected by demon sealing aura.

    "This demon is definitely a Demon Emperor¡­" Lian Er sighed.

    And she continued, "If not for the Leader''s presence, I would be too scared to even stay here and watch this¡­"

    ''This is the prowess of a real Demon Emperor?'' Yuan thought to himself, still struggling to keep calm while enduring the demon''s intense aura.

    Although the demon''s killing intent was very powerful, it was actually not something Yuan couldn''t handle. Instead, it was the demon''s cultivation aura that Yuan couldn''t endure.

    He was only a Spirit Lord while the demon was most likely above Spirit Sovereign¡ª it was at a level that he didn''t even have knowledge of, and it could be considered a miracle that he was remaining conscious even under such intense pressure.

    "AHAHAHAHA! I am not the one entertaining you humans, it''s the other way around! Continue to entertain me, and I will allow you to live a little longer!" The Demon Emperorughed out loud as it continued to eat up demon sealing techniques without any fear in its eyes.

    A few minutester, the Demon Emperor eventually got bored of being attacked, so it started attacking the demon sealers.

    "Bloody Impalement!"

    The Demon Emperor''s body suddenly shot out hundreds of arm-sized needles made out of its own blood like a grenade, sending these needles all over the ce.

    The five demon sealers immediately halted their offense and went into defense, trying their best to deflect these needles, but they were not able to remain unscathed at the end, suffering above minor injuries.

    "Is that all you''ve got?! It appears to me that demon sealers have gotten much weaker since that bastard''s death!" The Demon Emperorughed out loud.

    "Shut up! The Divine Paragon was never confirmed dead! He''s still missing!" Yan Hara rebuked.

    "Whatever makes you sleep at night, human." The Demon Emperor turned to look at her with a mocking grin on its face.

    "The stench of demons, it never changes¡­"

    Lian Er turned to look at Yuan when she heard him mumbling something, "Huh? What did you just say?"

    Although it might just be her, she felt that something was off about Yuan¡ª like something about him had suddenly changed.

 Chapter 814 - Demon Sealing Flag

    <h4>Chapter 814 - Demon Sealing g</h4>

    Yuan turned to look at Lian Er and responded in a calm voice, "It''s nothing. Oh, can you tell me about the current leader of the Demon Sealing n?"

    "T-The leader?" Lian Er was slightly taken aback by his weird question that had nothing to do with the current event.

    "Well¡­ What do you want to know about him?" Despite shivering all over her body, Lian Er wanted to remain respectful and decided to entertain him.

    "Any information is fine. Just tell me everything you know about him." Yuan said.

    ''He''s no longer trembling? Did he already adapt to the Demon Emperor''s aura? No¡­ that''s not possible. He''s only a Spirit Lord, and it has only been a few minutes since the event started. Just how is he doing it?'' Lian Li wondered to herself as she watched their conversation.

    Yuan, who had been terrified out of his mind just moments ago, suddenly appeared to bepletely fine under the Demon Emperor''s aura.

    Lian Li looked around her at the other spectators, and sure enough, most of them were still trying to adapt to the Demon Emperor''s ridiculous aura, so how is a Spirit Lord like Yuanpletely fine?

    Lian San also noticed Yuan''s odd state and thought to himself, ''He''s not an ordinary demon sealer. No wonder why a Spirit Lord like him dared toe to this ce¡­''

    While her siblings wondered about Yuan''s identity, Lian Er spoke, "I don''t actually know that much about the leader, so sorry in advance if I wasn''t of any help."

    "Anyways, the current leader is, as you already know, the 8th leader of the Demon Sealing n. He''s been with the Demon Sealing n for over 100,000 years, and he took over the n after the previous leader died in an ident."

    "As for his qualifications, he has sealed over 20 demons and killed 7 demons, making him the most experienced demon sealer in the n."

    "He became a Master Demon Sealer after spending just a little over 1,000 years in the Demon Sealing n, a Supreme Demon Sealer 5,000 yearster, and he went on to be the leader of the n about 10,000 yearster, bing the youngest leader of the Demon Sealing n in history."

    "Because of him, the declining Demon Sealing n also regained some of its strength, so the Grand Elders rewarded him with the Demon Sealing g, one of the most powerful demon sealing treasures out there that was once used by the Divine Paragon himself."

    "Do you see that ck and red g by his side? That''s the Demon Sealing g, one of three demon sealing treasures that was once owned by the Divine Paragon. Rumor has it that the Divine Paragon has sealed over 1,000 demons with it."

    "The Demon Sealing g, huh?" A mysterious smile appeared on Yuan''s face as he looked at the majestic g standing proudly beside Qian Chu.

    "Where are the other two treasures?" Yuan asked next.

    "I''m not really sure since they always keep its whereabouts a secret, but rumor has it that the Demon Sealing Grotto has them." Lian Er said.

    "The Demon Sealing Grotto?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    Lian Er nodded, "When some of the most trusted demon sealers left the Demon Sealing n and created the Demon Sealing Grotto, they took with them one of the Divine Paragon''s treasures. As for the second one, I was told that the Demon Sealing n had to surrender it to the Demon Sealing Grotto during its lowest point when it was on the brink of destruction in order to save the n. However, these are just rumors without any solid evidence to support it, so you shouldn''t consider them to be true."

    Yuan released a low sigh after hearing such information, "How the Demon Sealing n has fallen¡­"

    ''Although I didn''t really care about the Demon Sealing n even up to my death, it still leaves a bitter taste in my mouth knowing that something I personally built is slowly being destroyed.'' Yuan sighed inwardly.

    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    After being pressured past his limits by the Demon Emperor''s aura, Yuan''s memories as the Divine Paragon resurfaced, as did his personality as the Divine Paragon, so one can say that it was the Divine Paragon''s consciousness that is currently awake in Yuan''s body.

    "The Demon Sealing n is no longer what it once was, so why did you decide to join the n? You would''ve been better off joining the Demon Sealing Grotto that is much stronger nowadays." Yuan suddenly asked her.

    Lian Er smiled and quickly responded without hesitation, "That''s simple. Like most demon sealers nowadays, I joined the Demon Sealing n not for its strength but for its legacy and history."

    "The Demon Sealing n is neither a faction nor a sect, so its prowess really doesn''t matter to me. I am satisfied with being part of something that made a difference in the world. Without the Demon Sealing n and the Divine Paragon, I doubt we would be living so peacefully right now, much less using a Demon Emperor for entertainment."

    A gentle smile appeared behind his mask after hearing Lian Er''s words, and he no longer asked her any more questions.

    Instead, he turned his attention to the Demon Emperor that appeared to be toying with the five Master Demon Sealers.

    "They won''t win against this Demon Emperor." Yuan suddenly mumbled in a low voice that could only be heard by the triplets.

    "Huh? What do you mean?" They all turned to look at him with raised eyebrows.

    "If they continue like this, they''re all going to die¡ª all five of them." Yuan said.

    "How is that possible? All of the demon sealers in the arena are Master Demon Sealers¡ª they''re the best of the best within their rank. There''s no way they''d all lose to a single demon, right?" Lian Li asked.

    "You guys are underestimating the prowess of a Demon Emperor. That thing¡­ It''s just toying with them right now. Once it gets serious, only the Grand Elders and the 8th Leader can handle it.." Yuan said to them.

 Chapter 815 - Blood Sphere

    <h4>Chapter 815 - Blood Sphere</h4>

    "We''re underestimating the Demon Emperor? You sound like you have encountered one before." They looked at Yuan with raised eyebrows.

    "I guess you can say that." A smile appeared behind his mask.

    "Well, I believe in them. They will definitely defeat the demon!" Lian Er said.

    However, just as she said those words, the Demon Emperor suddenly released a deafening roar that shook the entire coliseum.

    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    Yuan and the triplets immediately turned to look at the scene, and the Demon Emperor had suddenly grown a pair of bloody wings. Furthermore, the Demon Emperor grew in size, bing twice asrgepared to just mere moments ago.

    Of course, its size was not the only thing that grew, as its killing intent and bloodthirsty aura also increased exponentially.

    This shocked not only the spectators but the fighters as well.

    None of them had expected the Demon Emperor to hide this much strength for so long.

    "What''s wrong, humans? Cold feet? How about I warm them up for you?!"

    The Demon Emperor suddenly flew into the sky and began channeling its energy at a rapid rate.

    When the fighters saw how much energy it was gathering, they immediately began preparing their defenses, as there was no way that they''d be able to stop the Demon Emperor in time.

    "Hell Rain!"

    The Demon Emperorughed out loud as it created countless weapons in the sky before sending them at the fighters.

    The five demon sealers in the arena immediately used their treasures to defend against the strike, and some of them even prepared their life-saving treasures just in case their defenses failed.

    The spectators gasped in shock as they watched countless weapons rain upon the five fighters, enveloping their entire figures.

    They all turned to look at Qian Chu, who had a calm expression on his face, and when they saw his expression, the spectators also calmed down.

    Sure enough, the fighters broke through the sea of weapons and flew into the air shortly after, but they appeared to be heavily injured, and their bodies were filled with holes and cuts.

    However, despite their seemingly awful conditions, these injuries were not even close to life-threatening for these powerful cultivators.

    Although they didn''t have the demon''s ridiculous ability to regenerate a whole body in seconds, they could easily heal these minor injuries with their spiritual energy.

    After recovering from the Demon Emperor''s assault, the five fighters continued their assault on the demon.

    This time, the five Master Demon Sealers stopped trying to be selfish and started using all of their tricks and resources to deal with the Demon Emperor, allowing them to push it back.

    "See? They are fine." Lian Er said after witnessing this.

    Yuan didn''t respond and continued to watch them.

    However, he lost interest after a while and turned to look at Qian Chu, who was still sitting on his throne with a calm expression.

    There was just something about Qian Chu that didn''t feel right to him, but he couldn''t pinpoint the reason, mostly because he doesn''t know Qian Chu very well.

    A few minutester, when it seemed like the Master Demon Sealers were on the verge of sealing the Demon Emperor, the Demon Emperor beganughing.

    "Truly pathetic. I gave you ten whole minutes, yet this is the best you can do?" The Demon Emperor mocked the fighters with a look of disdain on its face.

    Afterward, it raised its right hand into the air.

    ''What is it trying to do now?'' Yan Hara wondered to herself as she watched the Demon Emperor. This is her first time seeing such an ability, and it was giving her an ominous feeling.

    The other Master Demon Sealers felt the same way.

    "We cannot let it finish whatever it is trying to do! Let''s forget about the tournament and just kill it!" Suo Rengan said to the other four fighters, who agreed with him.

    Once they were prepared, all five fighters surrounded the Demon Emperor before unleashing their strongest demon sealing technique.

    "Too slow!"

    The Demon Emperor suddenly shouted, and what appeared to be a ball of blood appeared on its palm.

    "Blood Sphere."

    The Demon Emperor muttered in a low voice, and before any of the demon sealers could even react, the ball of blood expanded in size countless times until it swallowed the entire arena and all of the fighters inside, blocking the spectators from seeing the situation.

    "W-What the hell did it just do?!" Lian Li eximed in a puzzled voice.

    "Blood Sphere. It''s a containment technique that essentially creates an area that restricts anyone inside from leaving, and while inside this sphere, the demon''s strength is increased several folds. This is a technique that can only be used by Demon Emperors, and they only use it when they are going to fight seriously." Yuan exined to them.

    And he continued, "It''s over for the demon sealers. They won''t survive even a few minutes inside the Blood Sphere."

    "N-No way¡­ What about the Leader?! Shouldn''t he stop the tournament and seal the demon before things get out of hand?" Lian Er quickly became nervous for the five demon sealers.

    "Who knows." Yuan shrugged.

    He then turned to look at the Demon Sealing g that was still fluttering beside Qian Chu and narrowed his eyes.

    ''I will only be able to save one of you with this¡­''

    The very next moment, the Demon Sealing g that had been standing still this entire time suddenly began trembling.

    When Qian Chu noticed this anomaly, he turned to look at it with a puzzled gaze.

    However, before he could even do anything, the Demon Sealing g suddenly flew out of his hands and towards the arena.

    It easily pierced a hole in the Blood Sphere and entered the Demon Emperor''s territory.

    Qian Chu stood up with a look of surprise on his face after seeing this, and he immediately began looking around with a deep frown on his face.

    ''Who?! Who ismanding my Demon Sealing g without my permission?!'' He roared inwardly.

 Chapter 816 - Eventually

    <h4>Chapter 816 - Eventually</h4>

    After realizing that someone was using his Demon Sealing g without permission, Qian Chu immediately began looking for the culprit.

    Qian Chu quickly noticed a particr figure amongst the spectators, as he was the only person in the entire coliseum to be wearing a mask.

    However, when Qian Chu realized that Yuan was only a peak Spirit Lord, he immediately ruled Yuan out as the culprit.

    After all, there was no way that some random Spirit Lord would be able tomand the Demon Sealing g, much less control it so wlessly.

    After he received the Demon Sealing g, the time it took him to control the treasure was longer than the time it took him to be the 8th leader of the Demon Sealing n since the moment he joined the n.

    It took him almost 30,000 years of sweat and effort to control the Demon Sealing g, which is twice as long as it took him to be the 8th leader, so it would only be natural for him to rule Yuan out as the culprit.

    If a mere Spirit Lord could control the Demon Sealing g, it would make a mockery out of his 30,000 years of effort.

    Once Qian Chu ruled out Yuan as the culprit, he immediately returned to looking for the culprit,pletely ignoring the situation between the Demon Emperor and the fighters.

    Meanwhile, inside the Blood Sphere, right after being trapped inside, Yan Hara and the others tried to break the blood barrier but quickly realized that was impossible.

    "None of you will be leaving my Blood Sphere alive today." The Demon Emperorughed at their attempts to escape.

    "Don''t panic! The Grand Elders and the Demon Sealing n''s Leader are still watching us! They won''t let us die!" Yan Hara said to the others when she noticed the worried looks on their faces.

    Yan Hara''s words worked perfectly, as the others immediately calmed down after being reminded that they were not alone.

    "You foolish demon. If we dared to release you, it means we are confident in sealing you away whenever we want! You demons might have ruled the Nine Heavens before, but time has changed! Demons are no longer a threat, and cultivators nowadays are far stronger than before! You demons wouldn''t survive this era even if the Divine Paragon isn''t here!" Suo Rengan said out loud.

    However, instead of being provoked, the Demon Emperorughed out loud and said, "The world may be different nowadays, but you demon sealers are definitely much weaker than before."

    "Also, you should stop taking others'' credit."

    Suo Rengan frowned and said, "Huh? The fuck are you talking about? How am I stealing others'' credit?"

    "Do you really think humans defeated us, demons, back then? Negative. We didn''t lose to humanity. We lost to a monster¡ª the Bane of Demons, Divine Paragon! Although his demon sealing techniques are annoying and have the ability to seal us, the techniques alone would not be enough to defeat us!"

    "Sure, there were a few prominent human cultivators that managed to kill a couple of demons back then, but they were all insignificant whenpared to the Divine Paragon''s achievement. Alone, he ughtered more demons than all of humanitybined. Therefore, you should stop acting like demons were defeated by humans. It was a monster that defeated us¡ª a single one." The Demon Emperor''s voice sounded a little shaky when speaking about the Divine Paragon.

    The demon sealers were left speechless by the Demon Emperor''s words.

    And before they could respond, the Demon Emperor continued to speak with a mysterious smile on its face, "However, now that the Divine Paragon is dead, it will only be a matter of time before demons rule the Nine Heavens again."

    "That will never happen! Demons are almost extinct! Even if you gathered all of the demons that are still alive in this world, the best you would be able to do is run!" Jiang Ziya eximed.

    The Demon Emperor startedughing again, "Sure, there may only be a few demons left in this world, but let me ask you this¡­"

    "Where do we, demons,e from?"

    None of the demon sealers were able to answer the Demon Emperor''s question, so they remained silent.

    "I will give you a hint. The Demonic Realm."

    N?velDrama.Org (C) content.

    "Are you saying that more demons wille from the Demonic Realm? That''s impossible! The Divine Paragon sealed it!" Yan Hara eximed.

    "The keyword is ''sealed''." The Demon Emperor smiled.

    "Once a demon is sealed, do they remain sealed forever? No, they will eventually break out of their seal. Even if it might take them 10 million years to do so, the seal is not permanent. If you truly want to get rid of a demon, you must destroy us."

    "As for the Demonic Realm, it was only sealed, not destroyed, and even the Divine Paragon was not able to destroy it, so there will be a day when that seal goes away, and when that happens, the Nine Heavens will be ruled by demons once again!"

    Upon hearing the Demon Emperor''s words, Yan Hara refuted, "Even if the Demonic Realm is unsealed one day, it won''t matter! The Divine Paragon killed most of the demons within the Demonic Realm before sealing it, and as far as I''m aware, you demons cannot procreate, so there won''t be more demons as time passes!"

    "Were you inside the Demonic Realm with the Divine Paragon? Did you witness him killing the demons inside? I don''t think so."

    "And while it''s true that we cannot reproduce¡­"

    The Demon Emperor suddenly showed them a chilling smile.

    "There are actually ways for us to increase our numbers."

    "What?!" Yan Hara and the others were terrified to hear such information. If what the Demon Emperor said was true, it would be catastrophic for the Nine Heavens once the Demonic Realm is unsealed!

    The Divine Paragon sealed the Demonic Realm many millions years ago, so the demons would have plenty of time to increase their numbers!

    "Don''t think too much about it. You''ll all be dead very shortly, after all.." The Demon Emperor began approaching the five demon sealers with a bloodthirsty smile on its face.

 Chapter 817 - Bloody Carnage

    <h4>Chapter 817 - Bloody Carnage</h4>

    When the Demon Emperor began approaching them, Yan Hara and the other four demon sealings immediately readied their treasures to fight it.

    However, the Demon Emperor sealed their movements before they could even move with a sudden outburst of killing intent that surpassed anything it had released before.

    While killing intent normally paralyzes those affected by it most of the time, if strong enough, one could even kill another using purely just killing intent, as there''s only so much stress and pressure one''s heart could endure before something goes horribly wrong.

    When the five demon sealers experienced the Demon Emperor''s intense killing intent, they all coughed up a mouthful of blood, and their instincts screamed for them to run away, but their bodies did not listen to theirmands, almost as though their connections had been severed by their fear of the Demon Emperor.

    "Today, I shall let you experience despair and death."

    The Demon Emperor said to them before taking a deep breath.

    "Bloody Carnage."

    After uttering these chilling words, the Demon Emperor suddenly exploded into a bloody mess, shocking the demon sealers.

    However, the Demon Emperor did not regenerate like it normally would. Instead, it would form into a ball of blood that hovered in the air.

    Although the demon sealers had no idea what the Demon Emperor was trying to do, they had a very bad feeling about it.

    It was at this moment a hole opened up in the Blood Sphere, and a red and ck g flew inside,nding right beside Yan Hara.

    "Wha¡ª"

    Before she could even wonder what the Demon Sealing g was doing there, the Demon Sealing g wrapped its g around her body.

    "W-What''s going on?! Hey!"

    Yan Hara subconsciously began struggling to break free, but it was no use, as the Demon Sealing g hadpletely restrained her.

    The other four demon sealers were left dumbfounded by this sudden event, but they had no time to ponder about it, as the Demon Emperor would strike a momentter.

    The ball of blood that had been hovering about 25 meters away from the demon sealers suddenly began expanding exponentially.

    In just mere seconds, the ball of blood had expanded over 10 times until it covered almost the entire arena.

    The demon sealers beside Yan Hara immediately rushed to the end of the Blood Sphere and tried to break out. Whatever the Demon Emperor was up to, they did not want to be part of it, but the Blood Sphere was incredibly durable, and not even their strongest treasures could create a hole in the wall of blood that confined them.

    "Leader! Help us! Leader Qian!" Jiang Ziya, who belonged to the Demon Sealing Grotto, screamed out loud for help.

    "I quit! Get me out of here! If any of us dies here today, the Demon Sealing Grotto will not let this go!" Zu Ti, who was also part of the Demon Sealing Grotto also screamed for Qian Chu''s help.

    However, there was no response from the Grand Elders or Qian Chu.

    Outside the Blood Sphere, Elder Cen looked at Qian Chu with a frown and spoke, "There''s something wrong. We should stop this event and restrain the Demon Emperor before someone gets hurt or worse¡ª die."

    Qian Chu, who was still looking for the person who used the Demon Sealing g, stopped and looked at Elder Cen with a calm yet sharp gaze.

    "Of course, we can stop the event. However, that would mean the Demon Sealing Grotto is not confident in their own demon sealers."

    The frown on Elder Cen''s face grew deeper, and he responded, "And you believe that the Demon Sealing n''s demon sealer would be able to defeat that Demon Emperor?"

    Qian Chu smiled, "I wouldn''t have allowed them to participate if I wasn''t confident in their abilities."

    Elder Cen continued to stare at Qian Chu for a few more seconds before turning to look at the Blood Sphere with a contemting face.

    "I will stop the event." Qian Chu suddenly said.

    But as he began moving towards the Blood Sphere, Elder Cen spoke, "Wait."

    And he continued, "Let''s wait a little longer before we make any move. They have plenty of life-saving treasures, so they won''t die even against a Demon Emperor."

    Qian Chu didn''t say anything else and returned to his seat.

    Meanwhile, inside the Blood Sphere, the demon sealers were desperately crying for help.

    "Damn it! Why are none of my teleport talismans working?!" Shen Yue of the Demon Sealing Grotto eximed in a stressed tone when her talismans failed to activate no matter how much spiritual energy she poured into them.

    "It must be due to this damn thing containing us! We need to get out of here as soon as possible!" Jiang Ziya said.

    "Continue attacking the wall! I don''t believe that we cannot break through!" Suo Rengan shouted.

    "Fuck! Qian Chu! What the fuck are you doing?! Hurry up and save us!" Zu Ti cursed out loud.

    "This must be a trap the Demon Sealing n has set for us! I knew we couldn''t trust these bastards!" Shen Yue began shedding tears due to their situation.

    "That''s bullshit! If this is a trap, then what am I doing here?! There''s also Yan Hara! And the Leader wouldn''t do such a thing!" Suo Rengan refuted her ims and defended Qian Chu''s honor.

    After all, why would the Demon Sealing n sacrifice two of their most talented Master Demon Sealers just to kill three people from the Demon Sealing Grotto?

    Although the Demon Sealing n and the Demon Sealing Grotto''s rtionship has worsenedtely, it wasn''t at the point where the leader of the Demon Sealing n would sacrifice his own people to get back at the Demon Sealing Grotto¡ª at least it shouldn''t!

    "I don''t care what you say! The Demon Sealing Grotto will¡ª" Before Shen Yue could even finish her sentence, the ball of blood that was now the size of a small mountain suddenly exploded, sending millions of small but deadly projectiles all over the arena with each of these projectiles deadly enough to kill a Spirit King instantly.N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.

 Chapter 818 - Final Nail In The Coffin

    <h4>Chapter 818 - Final Nail In The Coffin</h4>

    When the Demon Emperor suddenly exploded with countless deadly projectiles, the four demon sealers could only rely on their life-saving treasures to save their lives.

    Fortunately for them, their life-saving treasures did not require manual activation, and it would activate automatically when it senses danger for the holder.

    Right before the projectiles would hit the demon sealers, their life-saving treasures activated, shielding them from the projectiles.

    Tens of thousands of tiny yet sharp needle-shaped projectiles shed with the demon sealers'' life-saving treasures.

    The demon sealers released a sigh of relief when they realized that their life-saving treasures had activated just in time, but when they noticed cracks appearing on their life-saving treasures, they would suck in a breath of cold air, and they prayed inwardly that the life-saving treasures would endure the abuse.

    "Ah!"

    A painful cry suddenly resounded, causing the demon sealers to subconsciously look at the direction.

    To their shock, Zu Ti''s life-saving treasure had shattered, and his body was riddled with tiny holes.

    However, despite sustaining such a grievous injury, Zu Ti''s second life-saving treasure activated just in time, preventing him from instant death.

    Unfortunately, his second life-saving treasure would notst long, and the other demon sealers were too busy defending themselves to help him.

    In the end, Zu Ti of the Demon Sealing Grotto falls lifelessly onto the ground.

    "Qian Chu! I swear to god! You will pay for this!" Jiang Ziya released a deafening roar after witnessing his friend''s death.

    As for Yan Hara, she waspletely unharmed due to the Demon Sealing g protecting her.

    In fact, the Demon Emperor''s attacks ignored herpletely. Because of the Demon Sealing g''s presence and divine aura, the Demon Emperor feared that it would only harm itself by touching it, as the projectiles were essentially its own body.

    Once the Demon Emperor''s assault ended and there were no more projectiles to shoot, the projectiles that had been released began gathering again, quickly returning to being a ball of blood.

    Soon, the Demon Emperorunched a second wave of Bloody Carnage, destroying the demon sealers'' exhausted life-saving treasures.

    Though, just like Zu Ti, they had more than one life-saving treasure, allowing them to survive once again.

    However, the Demon Emperor did not stop and continued tounch attacks on the demon sealers.

    The demon sealers were frustrated and filled with despair, but there was nothing they could do in this situation.

    They could barely protect their own lives, so it was impossible to try and stop the Demon Emperor. Even if they could attack the Demon Emperor, they were clearly not capable of defeating it.

    Therefore, these demon sealers could only wait for rescue while their life-saving treasures quickly disappear one after another.

    A minuteter, Shen Yue ran out of life-saving treasures after her fourth one broke.

    She turned to look at the other two with a pleading gaze, "Please! Help me! That was myst life-saving treasure!"

    "S-Sorry, but this is also myst one¡­"Jiang Ziya turned his head to avoid eye contact.

    Suo Rengan didn''t even say anything and acted like he didn''t hear her.

    Seeing this, Shen Yue turned around and began banging on the bloody wall with all of her strength.

    "Help me! Elder Cen! Please! I don''t want to die here¡ª"

    N?velDrama.Org (C) content.

    Unfortunately, before she could even finish her sentence, the Demon Emperorunched its fifth attack.

    Shen Yue''s body would fall onto the ground the next moment, her body filled with holes.

    "Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Why is this happening?!" Jiang Ziya began cursing and crying at the same time.

    He could''ve never expected such a dreadful situation would ur when he signed up for this tournament! In fact, he didn''t even know that he would be fighting a Demon Emperor until the moment it was revealed to him!

    Thest tournament only required the previous participants to fight a Demon General, so why did they have to fight a Demon Emperor?! It didn''t make any sense!

    "..."

    When Jiang Ziya saw that the Demon Emperor was preparing for its next attack, he released a low sigh, as hisst life-saving treasure was on the verge of being destroyed. His hope for survival quickly diminished until there was none left, and he turned to look at Suo Rengan with a calm expression.

    "Congrattions. The Demon Sealing n has just secured the final nail in its own coffin. Once the Demon Sealing Grotto learns of our death, they will finally have a reason to remove the Demon Sealing n once and for all."

    Suo Rengan did not respond to Jiang Ziya''s words, mostly because he was too focused on the Demon Emperor to actually hear Jiang Ziya''s words properly.

    The next moment, Jiang Ziya would also fall to the Demon Emperor''s attack when his final life-saving treasure was destroyed.

    Meanwhile, outside the Blood Sphere, Grand Elder Cen could no longer ignore the unpleasant feeling in his guts and said, "That''s it! Stop the event! Something is clearly wrong here!"

    "Alright." Qian Chu did not refuse.

    They stood up the next moment and flew into the arena together. When Grand Elder saw this, he followed them.

    The spectators then watched as Qian Chu and the Grand Elders worked together to tear a hole in the Blood Sphere.

    While they worked on destroying the Blood Sphere, Qian Chu would try tomand the Demon Sealing g to return to him, but s, it would not listen to him for some reason.

    Although he did not show it on his face, Qian Chu was incredibly frustrated by this.

    "Scatter!"

    Qian Chu used his anger to strike the Blood Sphere, instantly tearing it wide open, allowing everyone to see the situation inside again.

    However, when the spectators saw the scene and the corpses inside the arena, they all gasped in shock, clearly filled with disbelief.

    Grand Elder Cen immediately fumed with anger when he realized that all three members of the Demon Sealing Grotto were dead, but he didn''t start pointing fingers just yet, as there was a bigger problem at hand¡ª the Demon Emperor.

    "Once this is over, I demand an exnation, Qian Chu!" Grand Elder Cen roared at him before flying straight at the Demon Emperor that was preparing its sixth strike.

 Chapter 819 - Blood Separation

    <h4>Chapter 819 - Blood Separation</h4>

    Qian Chu didn''t show any reactions to Grand Elder Cen''s words, and he focused on the Demon Emperor that was ready to release its next attack.

    "Demon Sealing Formation!"

    Grand Elder Suo suddenly created a massive formation around the arena just in time, halting the Demon Emperor''s attack for a brief moment.

    During this moment, Grand Elder Cen retrieved his treasure that radiated with demon sealing aura.

    "Bastard! How dare you kill my people!" He shouted in anger as he unleashed a devastating attack that sliced the ball of blood in half.

    The next second, the Demon Emperor regenerated until it returned to its original state, and it lifted its head to look at Grand Elder Cen and the others.

    "I don''t know what went through your heads that made you believe it would be a good idea to set me free, but I must thank you for releasing me." The Demon Emperor said to them with a calm smile on its face.

    "If I restrained you once, I can do it again." Qian Chu responded.

    "I''d like to see you try."

    The Demon Emperor released a powerful roar that shook the entire coliseum, and its body began burning red, almost like it had just came out of a forge. Furthermore, its bloody wings made aplete transformation, turning into tworge and long crystal shards.

    The Demon Emperor''s bizarre transformation baffled the spectators, as they have never seen such a sight before.

    "W-What in heaven''s name is that appearance? I didn''t know demons can do that¡­" Lian Er muttered in a dazed voice, and her body that had recently calmed down started trembling in fear again.

    N?velDrama.Org (C) content.

    Yuan responded almost instantly, "Those two red shards in its back are its demon crystal."

    "What?! Why are they so huge? They are usually only the size of a fist-sized rock!" Lian Li eximed.

    "Demon Emperors are almost an entirely different entity even whenpared to other demons. I''m actually surprised that the 8th Leader managed to restrain this demon with his power." Yuan said.

    In his mind, he was wondering if the Demon Emperor had allowed Qian Chu to restrain it on purpose for some reason.

    "Pointless." Qian Chu spoke in a low voice before retrieving a ck sword with red engravings on its de.

    "Demon Sealing Strike."

    Qian Chu''s movements were so quick that nobody in the spectators had managed to see it with their eyes, and before anyone could even realize what had happened, the Demon Emperor''s body disintegrated into countless pieces until there was nothing left.

    The people there were left speechless by how easily Qian Chu had managed to dispose of the Demon Emperor.

    "As expected of the Demon Sealing n''s number one genius¡­ He killed the Demon Emperor so easily¡­"

    The spectators began praising Qian Chu afterward.

    "That was my first time seeing someonebine demon sealing aura with Sword Qi so efficiently! It''s so powerful!" Lian Er''s face showed admiration for Qian Chu after witnessing his prowess.

    However, while everyone celebrated, Yuan shook his head inwardly.

    ''What an idiot.''

    He then stood up and began leaving the coliseum.

    "H-Hey, where are you going?" Lian Er asked him when she noticed him leaving.

    "The event is done, so I have no reason to stay, and I am a little hungry." Yuan said to her before disappearing from their sights.

    Grand Elder Cen descended in front of the deceased demon sealer from the Demon Sealing Grotto after Qian Chu dealt with the Demon Emperor, and he would stare at their lifeless bodies and their destroyed life-saving treasures with a dazed face.

    ''If I had intervened sooner, perhaps you might still be alive¡­ I should have listened to my guts earlier.''

    It was at this moment the Demon Sealing g released Yan Hara, who immediately began panicking.

    However, when she couldn''t see the Demon Emperor anywhere and saw the situation, she sighed in relief.

    "T-Thank you, Leader, for saving my life." Yan Hara said to him, as she was shocked to see three corpses right beside her, mistaking Qian Chu to be her savior, which was a logical thought, since he owned the Demon Sealing g that protected her.

    As for Suo Rengan, he''d also managed to survive because of the superior life-saving treasures his family and Grand Elder Suo gave him.

    Although the other fighters had no idea that they would be fighting a Demon Emperor, Suo Rengan, who was Grand Elder Suo''s grandson, had such information, allowing him to prepare in advance.

    Qian Chu didn''t say anything and merely nodded his head. He suspected Yan Hara to be the culprit at first, but after seeing her condition, he ruled her out.

    ''Who would dare steal my Demon Sealing g just to save her?'' Qian Chu wondered to himself afterward.

    Once the ce calmed down, Grand Elder Cen turned to look at Qian Chu and said, "You will be hearing from the Demon Sealing Grotto soon!"

    He disappeared from the coliseum shortly after, taking with him the three demon sealers'' corpses.

    Meanwhile, a couple of miles away from the Grand Coliseum, Yuan stopped walking when he sensed something.

    "Come out. You may be able to fool those idiots, but I can smell your stench from miles away." Yuan said out loud despite it being empty there.

    "..."

    There was no response.

    Yuan sighed and tried again, "I know that you''re extremely vulnerable right now because you just used ''Blood Separation'', but as you can see, I am only a Spirit Lord. You can easily kill me if you want to. I just want to talk."

    After a moment of silence, Yuan shook his head, "Guess I''ll just go ahead and let the others know that you''re still alive."

    He turned around and began walking back to the coliseum.

    But before he could even take three steps, Yuan suddenly tilted his head to the right, avoiding a red projectile that shot right through where his head had just been.

    He turned around to see a blob of blood sitting not far away from him, and he smiled, "Let''s talk, shall we?"

 Chapter 820 - Do You Still Think I Am Dead?

    <h4>Chapter 820 - Do You Still Think I Am Dead?</h4>

    "Talk? I have nothing to say to a human." The Demon Emperor''s voice suddenly resounded inside Yuan''s head.

    "That''s odd. You had plenty to say before when you were fighting the demon sealers."

    "..."

    After a moment of silence, the Demon Emperor asked him in a puzzled voice, "You''re not scared of me? You''re just a mere Spirit Lord. I have killed tens of thousands of cultivators like you without breaking a sweat before. What are you thinking, approaching me? I may be weakened right now due to Blood Separation, but I still have more than enough strength to kill you even in my current state."

    The Demon Emperor was intrigued by Yuan''s actions that did not make sense.

    "Like I said, I only wanted to talk. It''s been a while since Ist had a proper conversation with a demon like you." Yuan said.

    And he continued, "You know, when I first saw you in the arena, I had a feeling that I had seen you before. Now that I think about it, there was one demon back then that had the same characteristic as you. What was his name again? Demon Emperor ''Carnage''?"

    The blob of blood visibly trembled after hearing its namee from Yuan''s mouth.

    "Y-You¡­ Who are you? Why do you know my demon name?" The Demon Emperor eximed in a dazed voice.

    It has been countless years since itst heard of its own demon name.

    Yuan didn''t answer the Demon Emperor''s question and continued to speak, "There were nine of you in the beginning, but most of the Demon Emperors perished during that big fight between the Demon Sealing n and the Demon n. Near the end of that fight, three of you fled from the battlefield."

    "The Demon Sealing n searched for you demons for thousands of years, but their efforts were unfruitful, and even the Divine Paragon was unable to find you. However, after millions of years, you suddenly show up in the most awkward fashion."

    "I know you''re stronger than the current Leader of the Demon Sealing n, so I can only assume that you''d allowed yourself to be restrained for some reason. You even went through the efforts of faking your own death¡­ Why?"

    "A pretty good topic, right? Let''s begin with where you demons had hid after fleeing from the fight."

    "..."

    The Demon Emperor was left speechless by Yuan''s story, and it could notprehend where Yuan could''ve heard such a thing from, as such information should''ve disappeared with the passage of time.

    After all, millions of years have passed since the fight. Even if the Demon Sealing n had recorded the information somewhere, it would require a miracle for that record tost for so long.

    "Where did you hear such a thing? It''s clearly bullshit." The Demon Emperor decided to deny Yuan''s ims.

    "There''s no point denying it, Demon Emperor Carnage. If you tell me where you hid, I will tell you how I learned such information." Yuan said.

    However, the Demon Emperor remained silent.

    "Fine, if you don''t want to answer this question, we can try another question." Yuan said, treating it almost like an interview of sorts.

    "Are the other two Demon Emperors still alive? I know demons are truly immortal in the sense that they can live until the end of time if nobody tries to kill them, but nothing willst forever."

    Once again, the Demon Emperor remained quiet.

    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.

    Yuan didn''t mind it and continued to ask the Demon Emperor questions.

    In the end, the Demon Emperor refused to answer any of his questions.

    "Quite the uncooperative one, aren''t you?" Yuan chuckled casually, actingpletely calm before the Demon Emperor that could attack him at any moment.

    "Since you don''t want to answer any of my questions, I will have to try and answer them by myself."

    After taking a deep breath, Yuan continued, "After fleeing from that fight, you and the other two Demon Emperors probably fled to one of the forbidden zones since most cultivators avoid those ces like it''s a gue, and even peak cultivators don''t dare to approach these zones due to its dangerous environment that can instantly kill even an Immortal, but since you''re demons, you don''t have to worry about dying, making the forbidden zones the best sanctuary for demons."

    "If I have to make a gamble on whether there are currently more demons in these forbidden zones or not, I would bet all of my money on the former."

    "In fact, I would even dare to say that most of the demons that still exist can be found in these forbidden zones. If the Demon Sealing n, or any family with sufficient powers find out, they will surely do whatever it takes to get rid of demons once and for all."

    "Now, let''s talk about¡ª"

    Yuan suddenly halted his words and activated his movement technique, dodging a sudden sneak attack from the Demon Emperor.

    The blob of blood also started transforming, and the Demon Emperor returned to its original appearance the next moment.

    "I don''t know who you are or what you want, but I cannot allow you to live for another minute." The Demon Emperor red at Yuan with serious killing intent in its gaze.

    "Are you sure you want to do that? What will you do if the others notice your presence and find you? You''ll definitely die this time, especially since you''re in that pathetic state." Yuan asked.

    "Even if I die today, I will make sure to take your life first."

    The Demon Emperor used Blood Sphere to contain Yuan the next moment. It was clearly prepared to sacrifice its life to make sure that Yuan wouldn''t reveal the demon''s sanctuary.

    Seeing the Blood Sphere around him, Yuan smiled behind his mask and spoke in a calm voice, "To tell you the truth, I already knew that you demons were hiding within the forbidden zones. I was just toozy to do anything about it, and my supply of demon cores was filled to the brim after that battle, so I didn''t chase you lots."

    "What¡­?" The Demon Emperor''s eyes widened with shock after hearing Yuan''s words, as he sounded like someone it knew¡­ and feared.

    Yuan removed his mask a momentter, revealing his handsome face and the cold smile on it.

    "Do you still think I am dead?" Yuan suddenly asked the Demon Emperor, who waspletely frozen from shock after the reveal.

 Chapter 821 - What Is The Meaning Of This?

    <h4>Chapter 821 - What Is The Meaning Of This?</h4>

    "Y-You¡­ I-Impossible!" Demon Emperor Carnage immediately recognized Yuan''s face, as it saw the same face during the war between demons and the Demon Sealing n, and after almost dying to him, it fled to one of the forbiddennds within the Nine Heavens.

    It was also confident that the Divine Paragon had long perished, hence why it finally decided toe out of hiding. However, to think that it''d encounter the Divine Paragon once again.

    The Demon Emperor eventually snapped out of its daze when it realized that the Divine Paragon looked slightly different than before.

    "You may look like him, but you''re not the Divine Paragon! I must say, you nearly gave me a heart attack. It has been tens of millions of years and many eras since the Divine Paragon''s disappearance. No humans can live for that long!"

    "Even though cultivators can technically be immortal, they are not truly immortal! Only we, demons, are truly immortal!"

    Yuan smiled at the Demon Emperor''s words and said, "You''re right. I perished. However, it was my own decision to ''disappear'', and now, I have returned."

    "That''s fucking bullshit! As if I''d believe that!" The Demon Emperor refused to believe that Yuan was really the Divine Paragon.

    "Valley of Blood¡­" Yuan suddenly muttered in a low voice.

    "What?" The Demon Emperor froze again.

    "Corpse Mountain¡­ Blood Monastery¡­ Tomb of the Ancients¡­"

    Yuan ignored the Demon Emperor and continued to name these weird titles one by one.

    "H-How do you know these names?!" The Demon Emperor suddenly roared in a confused tone.

    After all, these names were all ces within the Demonic Realm! No humans should know of these ces since no human has ever entered that ce and managed to make it back out alive¡ª except for one exception¡ª the Divine Paragon!

    "Isn''t it obvious? I learned of these ces when I went inside the Demonic Realm. It was a surprise when I first went there. If the rest of the world knew what I saw inside, they would be shocked."

    "I-I still don''t believe it! For all I know, the Divine Paragon could''ve revealed information about the Demonic Realm to the world after he sealed it!"

    "It''s unfortunate that you don''t believe me. If I could use my signature demon sealing technique to prove my identity, I would do it. However, my body and its cultivation would not be able to handle such a technique."

    "Anyways, since you revealed yourself by using such a powerful technique, the others are alerted of your presence, and it will only be a matter of time before they arrive and dispose of you."

    "While you are most certainly strong enough to handle the Demon Sealing n in their current state, you''re in no condition to do anything right now because of Blood Separation. Therefore, I shall give you a proposal."

    "You can either let the Demon Sealing n deal with you, or you can die in my hands. Which do you prefer? I promise that it will be a swift death if you choose thetter."

    "Or I can kill you and leave this ce before they arrive!" The Demon Emperor instantly jumped into action and flew towards Yuan.

    Without even trying to dodge, Yuan casually pointed at the Demon Emperor and muttered in a low voice, "Demon Sealing Zone."

    Bang!

    The Demon Emperor mmed into the barrier that suddenly restrained it.

    "To tell you the truth, in my current condition, I would have no chance to defeat you before you used Blood Separation, so I must thank you for giving me this chance. Once I take care of you, I will find the rest of the stray demons and take care of them as well¡­ eventually."

    "Damn you, Divine Paragon! Just like before, you appear out of the blue to threaten our existence! Unfortunately for you, things will be different this time! You may have defeated me today, but you will not defeat the Demon n! Soon, you will know the true power of demons, when a real Ancient steps foot into this pathetic world!" The Demon Emperor beganughing in a crazed manner.

    Yuan frowned slightly after hearing the Demon Emperor''s words. He isn''t normally bothered by demons'' provocation, but it was different this time.

    "An Ancient, huh¡­ I have never tasted a demon core belonging to an Ancient before, so this will be my first."

    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    "Hahaha! That''s right! You will tremble before the Ancient!" The Demon Emperor continued tough even though it knew it was moments away from being killed by the Divine Paragon.

    However, to the Demon Emperor''s absolute surprise, Yuan suddenly removed the Demon Sealing Zone.

    "W-What is the meaning of this?" It looked at him with a look of disbelief.

    "Hm? Nothing much. I have always wanted to fight an Ancient, so I am going to let you go, as that would ensure I get to fight one in the future."

    "Are you serious? You''re willing to put the entire Nine Heavens and every human in it at risk because of such a selfish reason? You''re definitely not the Divine Paragon I know."

    Yuan showed a mysterious smile and said, "Then you don''t really know me, but this is a statement that can be said for pretty much everyone."

    He then ced the mask back on his face, turned around, and walked out of the Blood Sphere, almost as though the blood wall didn''t exist.

    Once Yuan was gone, the Demon Emperor no longer lingered and deactivated the Blood Sphere and used what little power it had left to run away from the scene right before the demon sealers arrived.

    "Where''s the demon?! I swear I felt its presenceing from this location!"

    A bunch of demon sealers including Grand Elder Suo showed up to the scene mere moments after the Demon Emperor''s departure. As for Qian Chu, he''d long left the ce, so he did not sense the Demon Emperor''s presence.

    Meanwhile, Yuan returned to the Demon Sealing Grand Library, where he would remove his mask and stand before his statue, quietly staring at it for a long period of time, which puzzled the other demon sealers there that were wondering what he was doing.

 Chapter 822 - A Nasty Individual

    <h4>Chapter 822 - A Nasty Individual</h4>

    "Because you allowed the Demon Emperor to get away, who knows how many innocent lives would be lost now. And you did this all for what¡­? To fight this ''Ancient'' thing?" Yuan muttered in a low voice as he stared at the Divine Paragon''s statue.

    In his eyes, the statue suddenly turned into the real Divine Paragon, and he spoke, "Ancients are the peak of the demon race. Above Demon Emperors are Ancient Demons, but they are not true ''Ancients''. Ancients are the first demons to have ever existed, and they all possess something all lower demons desire¡ªplete control over their emotions."

    "In other words, they don''t have these random destructive urges that force them to go crazy, just like us humans. A demon that can control their emotions and thoughts¡ª they are so powerful that a single one of them could probably destroy the entire Nine Heavens."

    Yuan frowned and said, "And you purposefully allowed the Demon Emperor to get away because you want to fight one of these Ancients? This is insanity and incredibly selfish! I didn''t know you were such a selfish individual until now!"

    The Divine Paragon smiled, "What''s wrong with being selfish? Everyone is selfish in their own ways, and my selfishness is also yours. Don''t forget that we are one and the same."

    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.

    "I don''t get it. You were the first person to start hunting demons, yet you allowed a dangerous demon like the Demon Emperor to get away today. What is your motive? Why did you start the Demon Sealing n and start hunting demons in the first ce?"

    The Divine Paragon smiled at Yuan''s question and said, "If you want the answers, search for them in your memories. Defeat the fourth floor of the Demon Sealing Pagoda and you will have your answers."

    "One more thing¡­ The 8th Leader of the Demon Sealing n¡ª he''s a nasty individual. He intended on letting everyone at the tournament die today. I highly rmend that you stay away from him until you''re strong enough to confront him, and no matter what you do, do not reveal your true identity. I have a good feeling that he will do whatever it takes to remain as the leader of the Demon Sealing n, so anything that threatens his position will be disposed of¡­"

    The Divine Paragon returned to being a statue the next moment.

    Yuan sighed.

    There was nothing he could do right now besides to continue his training. Now that there is a Demon Emperor and two more potential Demon Emperors on the loose somewhere in the Nine Heavens, he wants to be prepared before encountering them.

    Yuan went to the training area shortly after and began training his demon sealing techniques.

    Now that he''spletely mastered the Demon Sealing Strike, he will be moving onto other demon sealing techniques.

    The following day, Yan Hara showed up at the training area to look for Yuan.

    Once she found him training alone, she approached him with a smile on her face.

    "Hey."

    Yuan stopped training and turned to look at her.

    "Senior Yan. How are you feeling?" Yuan bowed to her before asking.

    "Alive," she said.

    And she continued, "I''m sorry that you had to witness such a pathetic fight. I waspletely useless in that fight. If not for the Leader, I would''ve also died to the Demon Emperor."

    Yuan shook his head, "Don''t feel bad, Senior. You went up against a Demon Emperor and survived. Not many people could say the same."

    "I''m not sure if that makes me feel any better since I am only alive because of Leader Qian, but thank you." Yan Hara showed a bittersweet smile.

    "Anyways, I have scheduled your next examination. It will be in five days. If you cannot make it, I can reschedule it for you."

    "I will make it." Yuan nodded.

    "By the way, who became the next Supreme Demon Sealer?" He then asked her.

    Yan Hara showed a bittersweet smile before responding, "Although nobody managed to kill or seal the Demon Emperor, they decided to give it to Suo Rengan because his overall performance was better. Some people also say it''s because of his background as Grand Elder Suo''s grandson that gave him an advantage, but if he doesn''t qualify to be a Supreme Demon Sealer, I also don''t qualify."

    "However, I won''t let this defeat discourage me. I will definitely win the next tournament and be a Supreme Demon Sealer!" Yan Hara spoke with her fist held tightly.

    "I have faith in you." Yuan said.

    "You cheeky little thing. I should be the one saying such words to you! Anyways, I won''t stay here for long since I still have some important business to attend to. Before I leave, I should warn you that things might get a little crazy for a bit, so you should watch out."

    "What do you mean?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    Yan Hara looked around to make sure nobody was near them, and then she said in a low voice, "Because of what happened to the Demon Sealing Grotto''s three demon sealers, the Demon Sealing n is anticipating some kind of altercation with them soon, which might lead to some fights between the demon sealers from each party, so you should be careful."

    "What makes the situation even worse is that only the demon sealers from the Demon Sealing Grotto had died during the tournament, so there are people specting that it was a trap set up by the Demon Sealing n to lower the Demon Sealing Grotto''s power. After all, losing three Master Demon Sealers in one day is very damaging even to a powerful ce like the Demon Sealing Grotto."

    "If any demon sealers from the Demon Sealing Grotto try to provoke you, ignore them. If they try to start a fight, try your best to ignore them. We don''t need any more drama now."

    Yuan nodded, "I understand."

    "Good. If anything happens within the Grand Library, you can contact me through mymunication jade slip. If you are outside¡­ Well¡­ Good luck¡­"

    Yan Hara left the scene shortly after warning Yuan about potential disputes between the Demon Sealing n and the Demon Sealing Grotto in the future.. Although everything appeared to be normal now, it was only because not everybody had heard of the situation yet, which would undoubtedly change within the next few days.

 Chapter 823 - A Second Personality

    <h4>Chapter 823 - A Second Personality</h4>

    After Yan Hara left, Yuan returned to training his demon sealing techniques, increasing many mastery levels for a couple of the weaker techniques, but he could not stop thinking about the Demon Emperor and the Divine Paragon''s reason for letting it escape.

    Even though he knew it was because the Divine Paragon wanted to fight the Ancient, he still couldn''t fathom such a reasoning.

    Why would the Divine Paragon risk having the demons rule the Nine Heavens again just so he could have a fight with an Ancient? Just because he is a selfish person who doesn''t care about the lives of others? But the Divine Paragon wouldn''t have started hunting demons in the first ce if that was the case. It didn''t make sense to Yuan no matter how much he pondered about it.

    ''I will have my answers once I defeat the fourth floor of the Demon Sealing Pagoda, but that is easier said than done¡­'' Yuan sighed inwardly.

    Even with his ridiculous talent, such a goal seemed unfathomably distant.

    Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do for now except to practice.

    Yuan would increase the mastery level of multiple demon sealing techniques on that day, but they were all low-ranking techniques. He wanted topletely master all the weaker techniques before focusing on the stronger ones.

    At the end of the day, Yuan began making his way outside the Grand Library, but he stopped right before the exit, mostly because he was forced to stop, as there was a crowd of people that blocked the path there.

    "What''s going on?" Yuan asked one of the people closest to him.

    "I''m not exactly sure what happened, but there are people fighting at the entrance, blocking everyone."

    Yuan raised his eyebrows. Since he couldn''t see the situation with his bare eyes, he decided to use his divine sense to look at the situation, and sure enough, he could see arge group of people blocking the path.

    There appeared to be two sides in thisrge group. One of them belonged to the Demon Sealing n while the other group was from the Demon Sealing Grotto.

    "Because of your Demon Sealing n''s Leader''s ipetence, three of our Master Demon Sealers are dead!"

    "Your Grand Elder was there as well! You cannot put all the me on us!"

    "Screw you! We all know the tournament was a malicious plot by the Demon Sealing n to hurt our n! Why else would they suddenly use a Demon Emperor when all previous tournaments used Demon Generals and lower ranking demons?!"

    Once Yuan overheard these people arguing with each other, he immediately understood the context and why they were fighting.

    Soon, the verbal argument between these two groups escted, turning into a full fight.

    The spectators there quickly scattered to give them room.

    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    Unfortunately, most of the lecturers in the Grand Library were absent due to the same important meeting Yan Hara was attending, so there was basically nobody to stop the fighting between these two groups.

    Furthermore, the fight grew bigger because the other demon sealers would join in to assist their ownpanions.

    Very soon, half of the people within the Grand Library were fighting.

    Not wanting to participate in the fight, mostly because he was the weakest cultivator in this ce, Yuan went to Yan Hara''s room and locked himself inside.

    Of course, he had the option to log off¡ª or so he thought.

    <You cannot log off while inside an active battlefield!>

    "Hopefully, the fighting doesn''tst for too long." Yuan sighed as he took a seat in the empty room.

    After many minutes of pure silence, a voice suddenly resounded.

    "Young Master."

    Feng Yuxiang appeared before him a momentter with a perplexed look on her face.

    "Feng Feng? What''s up?" Yuan raised his eyebrows in a puzzling manner when he saw her expression.

    "Young Master¡­ I wanted to wait until you are willing to tell us by yourself, but I simply cannot endure my curiosity any longer, and I was hoping you could answer a few of my questions¡­ Of course, you can refuse."

    "What questions?" Yuan asked.

    "Well¡­ There are times when you feel like an entirely different person. At first, I thought it was only my imagination, but after witnessing what happened today, it appears to me that you have a second personality in you¡­" Feng Yuxiang expressed her worries.

    "Oh¡­" Yuan immediately realized what Feng Yuxiang was talking about.

    In fact, he''dpletely forgotten that Feng Yuxiang and Lan Yingying were with him this entire time, so they saw everything when he turned into the Divine Paragon.

    Yuan quickly began trying to think of an excuse, but when nothing came up, he decided to tell them the truth.

    "This is going to make me sound crazy, but it appears that I am the reincarnation of the Divine Paragon¡­" Yuan revealed the truth to them for the first time.

    Feng Yuxiang''s eyes widened, and she remained silent for the next few minutes, seemingly unable to find the proper words to respond to Yuan''s ims.

    Seeing Feng Yuxiang''s reaction, Yuan quickly said, "J-Just kidding! You see, I actually¡ª"

    "It''s okay, Young Master. I believe you." Feng Yuxiang suddenly interrupted.

    And she continued, "I am just surprised, that''s all. In case you forgot, I am a phoenix, and we symbolize immortality and resurrection, which is just another word for reincarnation. If I do not believe in reincarnation, I might as well stop being a phoenix."

    "However, I must admit, I have never actually witnessed or experienced reincarnation for myself¡­ Can you tell me why you believe that you are the reincarnation of the Divine Paragon, Young Master? You may look exactly like him, but that''s not really concrete proof¡­"

    Yuan nodded, and he said, "Sit down. This might be a long story."

    Once Feng Yuxiang sat beside him, Yuan began exining about his situation to her.

    "It all started with this weird dream, where I met someone who looked exactly like me, but he was much older¡­"

 Chapter 824 - Closed Until Further Notice

    <h4>Chapter 824 - Closed Until Further Notice</h4>

    After spending many minutes exining his situation to Feng Yuxiang, Yuan patiently waited for her response.

    N?velDrama.Org (C) content.

    Feng Yuxiang spoke after digesting all of the information, "I understand why you think you are the reincarnation of the Divine Paragon now, but there''s something I don''t understand. You said there is someone besides the Divine Paragon who appears in your dreams?"

    Yuan nodded, "Yes, and he said that I had reincarnated more than once. That is possible, right?"

    "As long as one''s soul isn''t destroyed, they should be able to reincarnate continuously, but like I''d already said, I am not really experienced in this matter."

    "Also, while there have been many people in the past that imed to have memories of their past lives, they have never been able to prove it properly."

    "Of course, that is not to say I don''t believe you, but I think we should investigate your situation further before wee to any conclusions." Feng Yuxiang said.

    "What do you suggest I do?"

    "First of all, we need to make sure that the memories in your head are real. After all, there are techniques out there that can feed into or alter one''s memories, so there is a chance that something like that happened to you."

    "How can I tell if my memories are real or fake?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    "There are treasures out there that can help you, but it''s not going to be cheap, and even if we have enough money, I doubt we''ll be able to find it in this world."

    "So we just need to go to a higher heaven, right? I have been thinking about challenging the Stairway to Heaven again since I am already reaching the limits of this world." Yuan said.

    "When do you intend on leaving?"

    "I want to leave after Min Li finishes her disciple examination," he said.

    "That quickly? You don''t want to explore this world anymore?" Feng Yuxiang raised her eyebrows.

    "Well, I have a lot of questions that I want to be answered, but I won''t find the answers in the Spirit Heaven, so there''s really no reason for me to stay there any longer."

    "Fair enough." Feng Yuxiang didn''t say anything else.

    However, after a moment of silence, she spoke again, "By the way, Young Master, if your memories turn out to be true¡ª that you''re truly the reincarnation of the Divine Paragon, what are you going to do?"

    "Nothing. I am going to continue living my life as it is. The Divine Paragon''s life ended with him. I have no reason to continue his legacy, nor do I want to."

    "And even if I wanted to continue his legacy, I don''t even know anything about him."

    "I see¡­"

    After another moment of silence, Feng Yuxiang said, "Young Master, once we return to Spirit Heaven, let''s go visit the House of Riches to see if they have the treasure required for your memories."

    "Sure." Yuan nodded.

    They still have two weeks until Min Li''s disciple examination, anyway.

    About three hourster, Yuan was finally able to log off the game.

    "You''rete today. Dinner just ended." Chu Liuxiang said to him after he returned to the real world.

    "Sorry, but I wasn''t able to log off due to some unexpected circumstances."

    "Oh? Tell me about it if you want to."

    Yuan nodded and told her about the situation between the Demon Sealing n and the Demon Sealing Grotto before they went to sleep.

    Meanwhile, somewhere in Spirit Heaven, Min Li was wandering the wilderness in search of magical beasts to hunt.

    After spending many minutes searching, Min Li finally encountered a first level Spirit Warrior magical beast.

    However, before she could even get close to the magical beast, a powerful pressure appeared, instantly ttening the magical beast.

    The excitement on Min Li''s face immediately disappeared when she saw this, and she turned around to look at the small figure following her.

    "How am I supposed to train if you keep killing them before I can even do anything? This is the 3rd time already! Do you hold some kind of grudge against me?" Min Li asked Xiao Hua.

    "Brother Yuan told me to keep you safe." Xiao Hua said in a calm voice.

    "I know he told you that, but I don''t think he said anything about preventing me from training! I can handle myself, so can you just let me train properly, please? I will let you know when I need help."

    After a moment of silence, Xiao Hua quietly nodded her head.

    "Thank you¡­" Min Li returned to looking for magical beasts shortly after.

    Once she found one, she turned to re at Xiao Hua to make sure she didn''t forget about their agreement.

    Sometimeter, she approached the magical beast and started fighting it while Xiao Hua watched from a distance.

    Seeing that she could finally have some practice, Min Li fought the magical beast to the best of her abilities, and after many minutes of going back and forth, the magical beast was in by her.

    After her first kill, Min Li would spend the rest of the night hunting magical beasts, acquiring two monster cores that she would use for her cultivation once she went to the Cultivators'' Haven in the nearest city.

    The following day, Yuan logged into Cultivation Online after breakfast.

    "Who''s there?!"

    The moment Yuan appeared in Cultivation Online, he was greeted by a sword that was only inches away from his neck.

    "I-It''s me¡­" Yuan responded in a nervous voice.

    "Little founder? You scared me just now. How did youe inside without making a sound?" Yan Hara retrieved her sword after realizing that it was him.

    "Well¡­"

    But before Yuan could even exin, Yan Hara continued, "Anyways, are you okay? I hope you didn''t participate in yesterday''s fight."

    "Yes, I am fine. I hid in here while everyone else fought." He nodded.

    "What happened after the fight?" He then asked.

    Yan Hara sighed, "Many demon sealers from both sides were injured, and someone from our side even died. In fact, the higher ups have decided to close the Grand Library for all demon sealers until further notice."

 Chapter 825 - Pill Of Truth

    <h4>Chapter 825 - Pill Of Truth</h4>

    "What?! The Grand Library will be closed?! What about the examination? Will it be canceled as well?" Yuan asked after learning about the situation.

    "No, the examination will continue as scheduled. Although the Grand Library is closed, as official lecturers, we can still enter, and we can bring other demon sealers into the Grand Library as long as you''re not alone."

    "So I can still learn demon sealing techniques as long as I am with you?"

    "Yes."

    Seeing Yan Hara nod, Yuan sighed in relief.

    "However, I will be very busy for a while, so my time in the Grand Library will be very limited." Yan Hara warned him a momentter.

    "I understand."

    After speaking with Yan Hara, Yuan decided to leave the Grand Library and return to Spirit Heaven.

    But before he left, Yan Hara asked him, "By the way, where are youing to the Grand Library from?"

    "Myriad of Techniques?" Yuan responded in a questioning tone.

    "I mean where in the Nine Heavens."

    "Oh, I am currently in Spirit Heaven."

    "What? Spirit Heaven?" Yan Hara''s eyes widened with surprise.

    It was quite shocking for someone of Yuan''s talent to be in Spirit Heaven. In fact, Yan Hara expected Yuan toe from no lower than the Fifth Heaven, so one can imagine her surprise after learning the truth. If only she knew that he''d actually originated from the Lower Heavens.

    "What about you, Senior? Where are you from?" Yuan broke the silence and asked her.

    "I''m currently in the Seventh Heaven¡­" She responded in a dazed voice.

    "Seventh Heaven¡­ It''ll be a while before we can see each other outside of this ce. Fortunately, we can see each other in this ce."

    "You don''t need to reach the Seventh Heaven. As long as you reach the Sixth Heaven, I will be able toe to you." Yan Hara said.

    "Are you sure? Won''t it be expensive to go to a lower world?"

    "That is only the case if I want to go below the Sixth Heaven. Things work differently once you enter the Sixth Heaven. The Lower Heaven and Spirit Heaven are rtively the same. We call these two worlds the Mortal Realm."

    "The Third, Fourth, and Fifth Heaven aren''t that much different from each other since their cultivators are all between Spirit King and Spirit Sovereigns with the limit being Spirit Sovereigns. Once you reach the Sixth Heaven, that is where things change drastically, as there is no longer a limit to one''s cultivation level, so it won''t require as many resources for me to go down there."

    "I see¡­ Thank you for the exnation. I will let you know when I reach the Sixth Heaven." Yuan said to her afterward.

    "Good luck." Yan Hara nodded.

    Once Yuan left the Grand Library, Yan Hara mumbled to herself, "Even with his talents, it''ll probably take him a couple hundred years before he can reach the Sixth Heaven¡­"

    Fortunately for her, who still has tens of thousands of years of longevity, a few hundred years won''t mean too much to her, and if she enters seclusion, that amount of time might pass in a sh.

    After leaving the Grand Library, Yuan left the Myriad of Techniques and started making his way towards the House of Riches.

    A few hourster, he was standing before the auction house once again.

    "I think it would make things smoother if I enter with you, Young Master." Feng Yuxiang said before appearing beside him.

    Yuan nodded without saying anything since he knew that she was an expert in these situations.

    The two of them approached the front door shortly after.

    "Wee to the House of Riches. How may I assist you two?"

    A worker asked them when they entered the building.

    Since the auction house wasn''t open for business, there was nobody outside, but guests could still go there to sell their treasures there.

    "We''re looking for a specific treasure, and we want the auction house to help us find it." Feng Yuxiang said.

    The worker looked a little dazed after hearing Feng Yuxiang''s request. After snapping out of it, he spoke, "I-I''m sorry, but we don''t offer that kind of service here. Right now, we''re only buying treasures and epting reservations for future auctions¡ª"

    Before the worker could even finish his sentence, a figure suddenly appeared behind him and pushed him to the side.

    "W-Wee back to our humble ce, Esteemed Guest! Please ignore what this neer just said, he doesn''t know what he''s talking about. We''ll be more than happy to assist you in finding your treasure." The person who just showed up said to them.

    Of course, this person recognized Feng Yuxiang from the Flood Dragon''s Scale auction.

    The male worker that had been interrupted suddenly said with a baffled look on his face, "Cut the crap. You''re the one who doesn''t know what you''re talking about! I have worked here way before you started!"

    The female worker frowned and said, "And today will be yourst day here if you continue to interrupt us. They are esteemed guests of the House of Riches, and they''re friends of Senior Gu!"

    The male worker''s face immediately paled, and he turned to look at Feng Yuxiang and Yuan before lowering his head.

    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    "I-I''m sorry¡­"

    "Can we just get this over with?" Feng Yuxiang said with a nonchnt expression.

    "Of course! Please, follow me. Senior Gu is absent today, so I will take care of you two." The female worker then said.

    "Prepare the best tea for our guests." The female worker said to the male worker.

    "Right away."

    Feng Yuxiang and Yuan proceeded to follow the female worker to the best guest room in the building.

    Once they sat down, the female worker asked them, "What kind of treasure are you looking for, esteemed guests?"

    "We''re looking for the Pill of Truth.. Do you know of it?" Feng Yuxiang asked the worker, but she didn''t need a response to know the answer, as the worker had a puzzled face after hearing the pill.

 Chapter 826 - Moonlight City

    <h4>Chapter 826 - Moonlight City</h4>

    Indeed, the worker would shake her head the next moment and spoke, "I''m sorry, but I have never heard of the Pill of Truth before."

    "You don''t need to be knowledgeable about it to search for it. Honestly, I don''t expect it to appear in Spirit Heaven, but I want to try." Feng Yuxiang said.

    The worker nodded, "Okay, I will let Senior Gu know as soon as she returns. Oh, do you have a time limit?"

    "Yes. Two weeks. If you cannot find it by then, you can forget about it."

    "I understand."

    Feng Yuxiang retrieved a small wooden box and ced it before the female worker.

    "If you can find the Pill of Truth, I will give this to the House of Riches to show my appreciation."

    "May I?"

    "Go ahead."

    The female worker picked up the box and opened it.

    Her eyes widened with shock when she saw what was inside.

    "T-This is Royal-grade Spirit Jade? Are you sure? A Spirit Jade of this size is worth over 100 million spirit stones¡­"

    "Only if you can find the Pill of Truth." Feng Yuxiang said before taking the Spirit Jade back.

    "W-We won''t let you down!" The worker said with a serious face.

    "Good luck." Feng Yuxiang said to her.

    "Young Master, shall we leave now?" She asked him a momentter.

    "Yes."

    As they prepared to leave, the female worker bowed to them and said, "Once again, thank you for the Fl¡ª"

    "Ahem!"

    Feng Yuxiang cleared her throat in a loud and unnatural manner, interrupting the worker.

    When she looked up, she could see Feng Yuxiang staring at her with hidden killing intent in her gaze.

    The female worker swallowed nervously and didn''t dare to finish her sentence after seeing this.

    "Feng Feng? What are you doing?" Yuan looked at her with raised eyebrows.

    "N-Nothing¡­ Let''s go¡­" Feng Yuxiang quickly said.

    Once they left the House of Riches, Feng Yuxiang asked, "What should we do now, Young Master?"

    "I don''t know, but we have plenty of time before the disciple examination." He shrugged.

    Feng Yuxiang pondered for a moment before speaking, "Then how about I take you to the person who can remove Destiny Seals? It might be a while before you can acquire techniques that allow you to destroy Destiny Seals, as they''re quite rare."

    "Let''s do that." Yuan nodded.

    "I don''t actually know where this person is, but I know someone who does. Follow me."

    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    Feng Yuxiang took Yuan to the teleportation device.

    After traveling to a couple of different cities with the teleportation device, they arrived at Moonlight City.

    "The Moonlight City is one of the smaller cities within Spirit Heaven, but they''re one of the most popr ones due to their purpose. The Moonlight Brokers operate this entire city, and they''re a group of people that sell or buy information for money or treasures. If you ever need information about something, you can juste here. Also, they exist in the other realms as well." Feng Yuxiang introduced the ce to Yuan.

    Once they were inside the city, Yuan could see why Feng Yuxiang called this city ''small'', as there were many stores cramped beside each other with barely any space between each other.

    "Are all of these stores brokers?" Yuan asked Feng Yuxiang as they walked the crowded street.

    "Not all of them. Some of them are just regr businesses. Look at that store over there. Do you see that crescent symbol hanging on the door? That indicates the store is part of the Moonlight Brokers. All brokers in this city must have the symbol to operate, or they are selling information illegally and aren''t as credible."

    "I see¡­ Hm? Why did we go to the auction house if we can just ask the people here about the Pill of Truth?" Yuan suddenly realized this.

    "Although the information brokers in this ce know almost everything about this world, they don''t know everything, and there are resources the House of Riches have that this city may not and vice versa. That''s why it''s better to visit multiple sources."

    "Anyways, do you see that tall building in the distance? That is Moonlight Brokers'' main building, as well as our destination."

    Many minutester, they arrived at the front of the tall building.

    "That''s a lot of people¡­" Yuan sighed when he saw the massive queue outside the ce.

    At this rate, it might be hours before they can even enter the building.

    "Don''t worry, Young Master. I have a way for us to skip the line. Stay here for a moment." Feng Yuxiang said before she started walking towards the entrance, ignoring the entire queue.

    "The line is back there." The guard at the entrance said to Feng Yuxiang.

    Feng Yuxiang didn''t say anything and retrieved a piece of paper from her spatial ring before shoving it in the guard''s face.

    The guard didn''t know what he was looking at, but he recognized the crescent symbol on it.

    "Please wait a moment." The guard went inside the building for a minute, returning with a middle-aged man.

    "Can you show what you just showed me to him?" The guard asked Feng Yuxiang.

    "T-This is¡­"

    The moment the middle-aged man saw the papers, his eyes widened with shock.

    "W-Wee back to Moonlight City, Benefactor Feng!" The middle-aged man lowered his head and bowed to her, dumbfounding the guards there, as they have never seen the middle-aged man acting in such a manner before.

    "I''m here to buy information," said Feng Yuxiang in a calm voice.

    "Please, follow me inside! The Boss will handle it!" The middle-aged man said.

    ''The Boss?!'' The guards were truly shocked now.

    Feng Yuxiang nodded before turning to look at Yuan and gesturing for him to go to her.

    "Is everything okay?" Yuan asked.

    "Yes, they have agreed to work with us." Feng Yuxiang said with a smile.

    Sometimeter, the middle-aged man led the two of them to the top floor before entering a luxuriously decorated room.

    "Please wait a moment while I call for the Boss.." The middle-aged man bowed to them before leaving the ce.

 Chapter 827 - Benefactor Feng

    <h4>Chapter 827 - Benefactor Feng</h4>

    After leaving Feng Yuxiang and Yuan in the room, the middle-aged man rushed to the room that was only at the end of the hall.

    He banged on the door and shouted, "Boss Yue! This is an emergency!"

    The door flew open the next moment, and the middle-aged man rushed inside, standing before this beautiful woman with a cold expression on her face.

    "What is it?"

    "B-Benefactor Feng has returned!" The middle-aged man immediately said.

    "Benefactor Feng? Who the heck is that?"

    However, the Boss didn''t appear to recognize this person.

    The middle-aged man looked surprised for a second before snapping out of his daze and continuing, "Benefactor Feng! She was the person who saved Madam Yue, your mother, when she was on the verge of death! Did you already forget?! Madam Yue even told us to never forget this name even after her¡ª"

    The beautiful woman suddenly stood up with a look of realization on her face.

    "W-Where is this person?!" She eximed.

    N?velDrama.Org (C) content.

    "They''re currently waiting in the guest room on this¡ª"

    Before the middle-aged man could even finish his sentence, the beautiful woman rushed outside and went to the room Feng Yuxiang and Yuan were staying in.

    After opening the door in an exaggerated manner, the beautiful woman turned to look at the two figures sitting inside the room, and her gaze immediatelynded on Feng Yuxiang.

    "A-Are you really Benefactor Feng?" The beautiful woman asked Feng Yuxiang in a trembling voice.

    "Hm? Who are you? I was expecting Yue Xin." Feng Yuxiang looked at the woman with raised eyebrows.

    "I''m Yue Yin. Yue Xin, my mother, is no longer here. She passed 900 years ago¡­" The woman responded in a low voice.

    "..."

    The room turned silent for a long moment before Feng Yuxiang broke the silence and spoke, "You have my condolences."

    "I heard a lot about you from my mother, Benefactor Feng. You saved my mother when she was attacked by a powerful magical beast, and you even helped the Moonlight Brokers flourish. On her deathbed, my mother told me to repay her debt to you since she was never able to." Yue Yin said.

    "You don''t need to repay any debts. It has been thousands of years since I left this ce, and all of Yue Xin''s debt has already been paid."

    "What? Then why did she tell me to¡­"

    "Don''t think too much about it. Anyways, I am here today with my Young Master to buy some information." Feng Yuxiang gestured for Yue Yin to take a seat.

    After a moment of silence, Yue Yin took a seat before them and spoke, "What do you want to know? Don''t worry about the payment. You have already contributed enough to the Moonlight Brokers with your generous donations before."

    Feng Yuxiang nodded and spoke, "First of all, do you have any information on the Pill of Truth? We''re looking for it."

    "Pill of Truth? Something that precious won''t exist in this world¡ª at least I''m not aware of it." Yue Yin shook her head.

    "However, I will have my people look deeper into it just in case. You should have a real response by the end of the day."

    Feng Yuxiang nodded, and she continued, "As for my next request¡­ I want to know where I can find Jia Chong."

    "Jia Chong¡­ The Wandering Array Master¡­?" Yue Yin held aplicated look on her face as she spoke.

    "Yes." Feng Yuxiang calmly nodded.

    Yue Yin sighed, "I knew things wouldn''t be easy with you, but to think you want to look for Jia Chong¡­ Do you know what happened thest time I sold information on his whereabouts? He ughtered the people that went looking for him and destroyed nearly half of my city."

    "Although Jia Chong is, without a doubt, the best Array Master in Spirit Heaven, he''s also crazy. He believes that all of his encounters should be natural, and anybody that purposefully seeks out for him is trying to mess with his flow of nature¡ª whatever that means."

    Feng Yuxiang showed a confident smile on her face as she spoke, "Don''t worry, I can guarantee you that he won''t do anything to us."

    "What about my city? He said that he''dpletely erase this city if we sell him again¡­" Yue Yin sighed.

    "We won''t tell him that we found him through the Moonlight Brokers, so he won''t do anything to you guys. If he does show up, you can simply deny it."

    After spending many moments pondering her answer, Yue Yin finally came to a conclusion.

    "Alright, we''ll tell you about his whereabouts. However, the location itself is also quite dangerous. It''s a ce only someone insane like Jia Chong would dare traverse."

    "There''s only one ce in Spirit Heaven that could be considered ''quite dangerous''¡­" Feng Yuxiang mumbled in a low voice.

    "It''s the Demons'' Valley." Yue Yin said, confirming Feng Yuxiang''s thoughts.

    "D-Demons'' Valley?!" Yuan eximed when he heard such an ominous name.

    "Are there demons in this ce?!" He quickly asked.

    Yue Yin chuckled at Yuan''s question and shook her head, "Of course not. Demons no longer exist. However, the Demons'' Valley has a polluted environment that can cause people to go insane if they stay in there for too long, and the magical beasts in there are much more powerful than the ones you find everywhere else in Spirit Heaven."

    "I see¡­"

    Yue Yin then continued, "I don''t know of his exact location, but I do know that he''s currently in Demons'' Valley."

    "If you want to find him, you should go there as soon as possible since I don''t know when he''ll leave, but then again, he''s been in that ce for over a year already, way longer than he usually stays in one ce."

    "Thank you for the information." Feng Yuxiang said, and she turned to look at Yuan.

    "What do you think, Young Master? Do you want to go now orter?"

    Yuan pondered for a moment before speaking, "Let''s go after my examination in a few days.. After that, we''ll have an entire week to look for Jia Chong in Demons'' Valley."

 Chapter 828 - Magical Beast Store

    <h4>Chapter 828 - Magical Beast Store</h4>

    "I understand." Feng Yuxiang nodded.

    Yuan turned to look at Yue Yin and asked her, "By the way, is there a Myriad of Techniques near the Demons'' Valley?"

    Yue Yin pondered for a moment before nodding her head, "Yes, there is a small town about 50 miles from the Demons'' Valley. They have a Myriad of Techniques there."

    "Thank you."

    "However, I must warn you, that town is weird. Most people say it''s due to the Demons'' Valley that''s leaking its chaotic energy outside, but there are many crazy people in that ce. If you go there, try not to stay there for too long."

    "I understand." Yuan nodded.

    "Is there anything else you want to know about, Young Master?" Feng Yuxiang asked him.

    "I have nothing else. We can leave," he said.

    "Y-You''re leaving already?" Yue Yin asked them.

    "Yes, we have everything we need. But we''ll returnter for the Pill of Truth." Feng Yuxiang said.

    "Unless you have something for us?"

    "Well¡­ I want to buy information from you, Benefactor Feng." Yue Yin said.

    Feng Yuxiang raised her eyebrows in a questioning manner.

    "What kind of information?"

    "Information about my mother. I want to know about the time you spent with her."

    "But I have to be with the Young Master¡­"

    "It''s okay, Feng Feng. Stay here and talk with her." Yuan quickly said.

    "I''ll look around the city by myself, and I still have Yingying with me. You cane back after you''re done here."

    "If you say so, Young Master¡­" Feng Yuxiang reluctantly nodded.

    Thus, Feng Yuxiang stayed behind with Yue Yin while Yuan left the building by himself.

    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    "Trust me, there isn''t that much to talk about. I just happened to stumble on Yue Xin when she was in trouble and decided to save her. After that, I invested some money in the Moonlight Brokers so that I could also benefit from them. That''s all." Feng Yuxiang said.

    "Even then, I still want to hear about it¡ª your time with my mother."

    "Very well, but my time isn''t cheap, especially when you''re making me leave my Young Master''s side."

    Yue Yin nodded her head with a resolute face.

    Feng Yuxiang sighed, and she began recalling her experience with Yue Xin to the best of her abilities, as it has been thousands of years since it happened.

    Meanwhile, Yuan wandered Moonlight City aimlessly. Although it was a small city, it was incredibly active with shops left and right.

    After walking for a few minutes, Yuan stopped by this store that immediately caught his interest the moment heid eyes on it, and it was one of the biggest buildings on the street.

    "Magical Beast Store?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    "Yingying, do you know anything about this kind of business?" Yuan decided to ask her, who was a Divine Beast.

    "Yes, there are people out there who make a living by capturing magical beasts to nurture and train before selling them to beast tamers. However, it wasn''t that popr in the Mythic Realm, so it rarely happened." Lan Yingying responded.

    "Beast Tamers¡­ They are cultivators that fight with magical beasts as theirpanions, right? Does this make me a Beast Tamer?"

    "You''re technically a Beast Tamer since you have tamed two Divine Beasts, but you''re nothing like a Beast Tamer since you don''t ask us to fight for you, and you see us as more than just ''servants'', which is something most Beast Tamers don''t do."

    "I see¡­ I haven''t reallye across any Beast Tamers since I started cultivating. Are they that rare?"

    "I''m not really sure about the Beast Tamers out here since I was born inside the Mystic Realm. However, they''re not that popr within the Mystic Realm since it requires a lot of resources and effort to train a magical beast. Even if you form a contract with a magical beast, it doesn''t necessarily mean that they''ll listen to you."

    "Furthermore, they still have to cultivate their own bodies even though their servants do most of the work. If you ask me, only wealthy cultivators would be Beast Tamers due to the amount of resources it requires."

    "That makes sense¡­" Yuan mumbled.

    In the end, Yuan''s curiosity got the best of him, so he went inside the building to take a look.

    ''This isn''t what I expected¡­ It''s quite clean in here¡­'' Yuan thought to himself when he saw the interiors of the building.

    For some reason, he expected the ce to resemble an animal store, but he couldn''t see any magical beasts on disy.

    "Hello, how may I help you?" A tall middle-aged man approached Yuan shortly after he stepped inside the store.

    "I''m just looking around," he said.

    "I see¡­ Are you interested in magical beasts?" The man then asked.

    "A little."

    "Then have you ever thought about bing a Beast Tamer? Beast Tamers are cultivators thatmand magical beasts on the battlefield."

    "No, I have never thought about bing a Beast Tamer." Yuan shook his head.

    "Perhaps you might start thinking about it after today. Follow me, I will show you the magical beasts that we have in stock."

    Yuan knew that the middle-aged man was trying to get him to buy a magical beast, but he didn''t care and followed the man, as he was truly intrigued in the types of magical beasts that were being sold.

    After following the man to the counter, Yuan watched as the man retrieved four books and ced them before him.

    "We have four main categories for our magical beasts. Power, agility, flight, and special. Those in the power category are magical beasts with naturally high strength, but theye with slower speed most of the time."

    "Magical beasts in the agility category are the opposite with lower strength but higher speed."

    "The flight category should be self-exnatory. They''re all magical beasts that can fly."

    "As for the special category, they''re mostly rare magical beasts that are hard to acquire. Which category would you like to see first?"

 Chapter 829 - Nature Of Magical Beasts

    Chapter 829 - Nature Of Magical Beasts

    "Uhh... The especial category, I guess?" Yuan responded after pondering for a few moments.

    "very well".

    The man pushed the other three books to the side before cing the especial category in front of Yuan.

    "Here you go, buddy. Take your time."

    Yuan opened the book and began flipping through the pages, and he could see names of magical beasts and painted pictures of them on each page.

    He didn''t recognize any of these magical beasts, mostly because he hasn''t really encountered any magical beasts since he arrived in Spirit Heaven.

    However, judging by their appearance and description, most of these magical beasts appeared to be quite powerful.

    "By the way, I should let you know in advance that these magical beasts are all matured. If you wish to look for immature magical beasts, you''ll have to visit our action house."

    Yuan raised his eyebrows and asked, "Why does it matter if they''re mature or not?"

    The man chuckled and said, "It matters a lot. Mature magical beasts are more difficult to control and train while immature magical beasts will give you a much easier time. Also, if you properly narture an immature magical beasts until their maturity, they will be much more powerful than a magical beasts that raised itself in the wild. This is why most people prefer immature magical beasts."

    A few minutester, Yuan closed the book and shook his head, "Sorry, but i am not interested in these magical beasts;"

    "Don''t worry, we have a lot more magical beasts in the other categories. In fact, the special category has the least choices due to their rarity. Also, just because they are rare doesn''t make them more powerful. There are magical beasts in the other categories that are extremely powerful."

    "Thank you for the offer, but I don''t think my decision will chance even if I look at the other categories." Yuan shook his head.

    "I see..."

    The man took back the books before putting them away.

    "Anyways, if you ever chance your mind, you know where to find us. We have new magical beasts almost every week. If you''re looking for immature magical beasts, you should give our action house a visit. Its only a couple of street away.

    "Okay." Yuan nodded.

    He left the ce shortly after and began wandering the city again.

    "Yingying, I must ask, how do you feel about cultivators capturing magical beasts and selling them?" Yuan suddenly asked her.

    He was worried that she might be feeling disgusted by such a business. After all. she is technically a magical beasts as well, and it would be akin to watching her own people being sold.

    "You don''t have to worry about me, I don''t feel anything about it." Lan Yingying responded in a calm voice.

    "Even though we are all technically magical beasts, we do not see each other like humans see other humans."

    "For humans, regardless of your background, you are still considered as humans, and you are able to feel empathy towards other humans, but that is not the case for us magical beasts, as we see other races as a different species."

    "In fact, we do not feel intimacy even towards our own race."

    "The most important thing to magical beasts are their connections with one another, just like my connection with you."

    "I wouldn''t feel anything if a stranger died before my eyes, but I would feel pain if I saw you hurt. That''s just how all magical beasts function, and that is precisely why we don''t care if cultivators capture or hunt other magical beasts."

    "In fact, magical beasts also hunt other magical beasts for their cultivation, so we have no right to judge humans for their actions."

    "I see..."

    Although Yuan was relieved that Lan Yingying wasn''t affected by the magical beasts store, he also didn''t know that to think about how magical beasts treat each other.

    Sometimeter, Yuan stopped before a store that sold treasures.

    "I don''t really need any treasures, but the others would find them useful... However, I don''t know that kind of treasures to get for them..."

    Yuan pondered about what kind of treasures he sould get for Wang Ming and the others.

    eventually, he decided to just give them the resources to buy the treasures themselves.

    About two hourster, Feng Yuxiang returned to his side.

    "I apologize for keeping you waiting, Young Master." She said to him the moment she got back.

    "You don''t need to apologize for everything, Feng Feng." Yuan said with a smile.

    "How was it? Was she satisfied?" He then asked

    "I think so." She nodded.

    "That''s good"

    "What should we do now, Young Master? Shall we start making our way towards the demon''s valley?"

    "Not yet. I need to meet with mypanions back at the hotel first, then we''ll make our way to the demons''Valley."

    "I understand"

    Thus, they started their journey back to the original city.

    That night, Yuan said to the others, "I have some things to give you all. Meet me at the square tonight. It won''t take long."

    After dinner, everybody returned to their room and logged into Cultivation Online.

    They all gathered at the square and waited for Yuan to arrive.

    "I will be busy for a while, so I want to give you these before I leave." Yuan handed each of them a storage pouch

    "Can we open it now?" Wang Ming asked

    "Go ahead." Yuan nodded

    They all opened the storage pouch to find 10,000 spirit stones inside.Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    "10,000 spirit stones?! That''s worth 100 million gold coins" Are you sure you want to giv this much money to us?" Shi Lang was shocked.

    "It''s really not that much, but it should be more than enough to assist you and your cultivation until you reach Spirit Master."

    "Also, I n on ascending to the next realm soon." He suddenly said.

    "What? Already? it hasn''t even been that long since you came here." Wang Ming asked.

    "I''m almost a Spirit King, my cultivation will improve very slowly if I remain in this realm, hence my decision."

    "I see..."

 Chapter 830 - Upcoming Disciple Examination

    Chapter 830 - Uing Disciple Examination

    "Yuan, do you need me toe with you?" Chu liuxiang asked him shortly after he handed them spirit stones.

    "It''s going to be a dangerous journey, and I don''t know that to expect, so it would be for the best if I went alone." Yuan shook his head.

    "Dangerous? How dangerous?" Li jinxi asked, her eyes filled with curiosity.

    "It''s a ce called demons'' Valley, and ording to the person who gave me this information, it can make people go crazy if they go there."

    "That doesn''t sound good... at all." Meixiu said with a worried frown on her face.

    "I will be fine." Yuan showed her a confident smile.

    After talking with the others for a couple more minutes, Yuan left the square and began making his way towards the Demons'' Valley.

    A few hourster, near sunrise, Feng Yuxiang said, "Young Master, this is the furthest we can go using the teleportation device. We''ll have to travel by ourselves now."

    "Will we make it before the examination begins?" He asked

    "We should barely make it if we don''t stop." Feng Yuxiang nodded

    "That''s good enough."

    They began flying towards their destination after leaving the city.

    During their journey, Yuan would spend most of his time staring at the scenery that was mostly filled with mountains and vast emptynds.

    At time, he would fly over small viges that only had a dozen houses at most.

    Eventually, he realized something.

    "Feng Feng, is it just me or is there ack of water in this world?" Yuan asked her

    "Ack of water?" Feng Yuxiang startedughing after hearing his words.

    "Young Master, the cultivation world is mostly made up of water. While it may seem like there is a lot ofnd, the truth is thatpared to water, the Nine Heavens is only 30 porcentnd."

    "The Spirit Heaven is mostlynd, but once you reach the upper heavens, most cities are separated by many seas, and it would require days if not weeks of traveling just to reach the next city if you do not have a good flying treasure."

    "Speaking of flying treasures, where do I buy them? I don''t personally need them, but I am thinking about giving them to my friends so that they can travel around more conveniently."

    "Flying treasures are quite rare even in this world, and even if you find one, they''re not that fast. You''ll have to travel to the upper heavens if you want a good flying treasure, but if you still want some, i know of a ce in this world that sells them."

    "However, you schedule is a little tight right now..."

    Yuan then said, "It can wait until I finish my current appointments."

    A few hourster, Yuan descended and said, "let''s take a break. I will be back in two to three hours."

    "Okay"Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    Feng Yuxiang entered his body to rest, and Yuan logged off shortly after to have breakfast with the others.

    "Guys, have you heard about the uing disciple examination? Apparently, some big sects are hosting this disciple examination about a week from now, and there are tens of thousands of yers that will be participating." Wang Ming suddenly brought up the Seven Spirit Academies'' Disciple examination.

    "Are you going to participate?" Shi Lang asked him

    "I am thinking about it, but since Yuan will be ascending soon, that means we''ll get to ascend as well, right? What''s the point of joining a sect when I can join a much better sect in the next realm?" Wang Ming said.

    Wang Bingbing raised her eyesbrows and said, "Have you already forgotten about what happened recently? There are tens of thousands of yers currently stuck in Spirit Heaven because they rushed to ascend without having sufficient strenght, so they are forced to rely on stronger yers to even leave the city."

    "The next realm will surely be much harder than Spirit Heaven, and I doubt anyone but Yuan would be able to survive such a ce."

    "Now that you mention it..." Wang Ming began reconsidering his decision.

    "What do you think, Yuan? Should we join one of these sects?" Hong Xiuquan suddenly asked him.

    Yuan pondered for a moment before nodding his head," Honestly, I think it would benefit all of you if you joined a sect. Wang Bingbing is right. Even if I ascend to the next realm, I don''t think you should follow me, especially since we don''t know what''s up there."

    "Furthermore, the sects in question are top sects in Spirit Heaven, and there are seven of them. I''m sure there''s a lot of new things you can learn from them."

    The others exchanged nces with each other.

    "So who''s going to participate?" Wang Ming asked them

    "I''ll do it." Shi Lang said.

    "We cannot rely on Yuan for everything. I am going to join a sect and improve myself from there."

    Wu Zao nodded and said, "I will also participate. I don''t have anything else to do, anyway."

    One by one, the Demon Sealing Faction decided to join a sect.

    "What about you, Li Jinxi?" They turned to look at her.

    "I''m fine by myself." She calmly responded

    "Really? How do you even train yourself nowadays?" Xi Murong asked her.

    "I hunt monsters." She quickly replied

    "That''s it?"

    Li Jinxi nodded

    "As expected from the tyrannical gori... She probably enjoys hunting monsters all day..." Wang Ming mumbled in a low voice.

    "I heard you." Li Jinxi narrowed her eyes at him, causing him to tremble.

    "I-It''s just a joke."

    "Anyways, I do not intend on joining any sects. I am satisfied with my current routine, and I get a lot of monster cores from it as well," She said a momentter.

    "If that''s what you want to do, we won''t try to convince you." Shi Lang said.

    "The two of you will probably follouw Yuan when he ascends, right?" Wang Bingbing suddenly turned to look at Meixiu and Chu Liuxiang.

    "Of course." Chu Liuxiang immediately responded.

    Meixiu also agreed by nodding her head.

 Chapter 831 - Have You Seen My Son?

    Chapter 831 - Have You Seen My Son?

    After talking with the others for a couple more minutes, everyone returned to their own schedule, which consisted of mostly morning practice, so everyone except Yuan went to the training field.

    As for Yuan, he returned to Cultivation Online so that he could continue making his journey to the Demons'' Valley.

    Many hourster, Yuan could suddenly sense a chilly sensation on his skin, causing him to tremble slightly. However, it wasn''t because of the weather, and a cultivator of his level wouldn''t be affected by normal cold weather.

    "What is this feeling? It''s unpleasant." Yuan asked Feng Yuxiang, who didn''t seem affected at all.

    "It must be the Demons'' Valley miasma," she said.

    "You don''t feel it?" Yuan asked her with a raised eyebrow.

    "No, it appears that the miasma doesn''t affect Divine Beasts. However, this is truly unexpected. I didn''t expect for the miasma to reach all the way here since we''re still a few hours away from the town. It wasn''t this bad thest time I was here.

    "You came to the Demons'' Valley before?"

    "Somewhat. I flew over it, but I never went inside, and that was thousands of years ago."

    "I see. How was the ce when you flew over it?"

    "It was deste and had this grim atmosphere. That''s all I can remember."

    "Why is the ce like this?" Yuan continued to ask.

    "Who knows. ording to my knowledge, demons used to roam thatnd very frequently and even made it into some sort of stronghold, hence its name. However, after the Demon n was defeated by humans, they all seemingly disappeared, leaving behind this miasma that makes people crazy if they stay

    "Demons, huh? Honestly, I wanted to visit the Demons'' Valley not entirely because of Jia Chong. I was intrigued by this ce''s name, so I wanted to see what it was like for myself." Yuan suddenly said.

    "Do you think it''s because of your memories as the Divine Paragon that made you interested in Demons'' Valley?" Feng Yuxiang then asked.N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.

    "Who knows, but it feels like I am always encountering demons, almost like we''re fated to cross paths everywhere I go." Yuan sighed.

    A few hourster, Feng Yuxiang said, "We''re almost there, Young Master. Are you okay with the miasma? Do you feel unwell?"

    Yuan shook his head, "I am fine. The miasma is unpleasant and makes my skin crawl, but I don''t feel any differently than normal."

    "That''s good to hear. But since we''re going to the town first, I should talk a little about it."

    "First of all, the town is a nameless ce. It probably had a name before, but it was forgotten with time. I personally have never been to the town before, but I asked the Moonlight Brokers about it before I left, and Yue Yin told me that it''s a town filled with crazy people, warning me that we shouldn''t interact with them.

    "ording to her, many people go missing in that ce, and its residents act like they''re possessed by something. Due to its bad reputation, it rarely receives any guests. The only people that go to that ce are cultivators who are interested in the Demons'' Valley. There are rumors of hidden treasures within the Demons'' Valley, so it''s a hot spot for treasure hunters."

    "Sounds like aplicated ce."

    About an hourter, they arrived at the nameless town.

    About an hourter, they arrived at the nameless town. "The miasma inside this town is way stronger than anything I have felt outside." Yuan muttered in a low voice as he entered the town that didn''t even have any guards.

    At first nce, the ce looked very empty, almost as though it was a ghost town. However, he quickly realized that was not the case.

    "Young Master, they''re watching us from their houses." Feng Yuxiang suddenly said to him.

    He nodded, "Yes, I can see them with my divine sense. There is definitely something off about them."

    After walking around the town for about half an hour without seeing a single individual, Yuan sighed, "How are we supposed to find the Myriad of Techniques if there''s nobody to guide us there?"

    "This is a rtively small town, so we''ll probably find it just by walking around." Feng Yuxiang said.

    After a few more minutes of wandering, Yuan finally found someone in the street- a very skinny old woman standing in the street with a dazed look on her pale face.

    Yuan swallowed nervously when he saw this old woman that looked almost like a skeleton. Although he has never watched any horror movies before, Yu Rou used to tell him scary stories on special asions, and in all of her stories, there would always be a creepy-looking old woman.

    Yuan''s instincts told him to not approach this old woman, but he wanted to find the Myriad of Techniques as soon as possible or he would bete for the examination.

    ''Calm down. There''s nothing this old woman can do to harm you.'' Yuan told this to himself as he approached the old woman at a slow but steady pace.

    "H-Hello. Do you know where I can find the Myriad of Techniques?" Yuan asked in a nervous but clear voice.

    However, the old woman acted as though she didn''t even hear him, and she continued to stare at the space in front of her with a nk expression.

    Figuring that she didn''t hear him, Yuan decided to ask her again in a louder voice, "Do you know where I can find the Myriad of Techniques?"

    This time, the old woman turned to look at him with stiff movement.

    "Have you seen my son?" She asked him in a hoarse voice.

    "Uh." Yuan was taken aback by the old woman''s response.

    "No, I haven''t." He eventually responded.

    The old woman then continued, "Do you know where my son is? He should have returned to me by now..."

    "Sorry, but I don''t know where your son is." Yuan shook his head.

    After a moment of silence, the old woman suddenly started screaming, "YOU! YOU TOOK MY SON, DIDN''T YOU?! GIVE MY SON BACK!"

    It was at this moment the old woman revealed her hands that had been hiding underneath her clothes, and it was clutching onto a kitchen knife.

    "DIE!"

    The old woman brandished the kitchen knife at Yuan without any hesitation...

 Chapter 832 - Nameless Town

    Chapter 832 - Nameless Town

    Yuan''s eyes widened when he saw the old woman brandishing her kitchen knife at him out of the blue.

    However, before he could even react, Feng Yuxiang, who had been prepared to act at a moment''s notice, waved her hand and released a st of spiritual energy at the aggressor, sending the old woman flying to the next street.

    Yuan stared at the old woman that had fallen a street away with a baffled look on his face, and he turned to look at Feng Yuxiang.

    "Feng Feng, did you really have to do that? That woman wasn''t a cultivator, so there was no way that kitchen knife could''ve hurt me."

    "Mortal or not, she dared to attack Young Master, so she will be punished." Feng Yuxiang said with a firm look on her face.

    "I hope you didn''t kill her.." Yuan sighed.

    However, when he turned back to look at the street, he could not see the old woman anywhere.

    "Huh? Where did she go?" Yuan looked around, but he couldn''t see even a shadow.

    "She probably got scared and ran away. I didn''t even use that much strength just now, so she should be fine." Feng Yuxiang said.

    "Since there''s nobody we can ask for help, I guess we can only continue to look for the Myriad of Techniques by ourselves."

    Eventually, Yuan gave up on walking on foot and started flying around the town.

    After about fifteen minutes of circling around the deste town, they finally found the Myriad of Techniques, which was hidden in a narrow space between two ordinary-looking buildings.

    If it were not for the fact that he''d seen the same entrance multiple times by now, Yuan would''ve definitely missed it.

    Upon entering the Myriad of Techniques, they were greeted by the usual scenery that was filled with warmth and light, the pr opposite of the nameless town.

    The tingly sensation on his skin immediately disappeared the moment Yuan entered the Myriad of Techniques, allowing him to finally breathe normally.

    Sometimeter, he made his way to the Demon Sealing n''s Grand Library.

    Aftering out of the portal in the Grand Library, Yuan approached the building in the distance, but it waspletely empty there due to the drama between the Demon Sealing n and the Demon Sealing Grotto.

    "You''re the little founder.. What are you doing here? Didn''t you hear? The Grand Library is closed until further notice." The man that gave Yuan the badge when he first arrived was still there to guard the entrance even though it was closed.

    "I''m here to take my demon sealing examination with Senior Yan," he exined the situation to him.

    "Give me a moment to confirm this." The man retrieved amunication jade slip and contacted Yan Hara, who was somewhere within the Grand Library.

    "Are you expecting the little founder?" He asked her.

    "Yes, please let him inside." Yan Hara quickly responded.

    The man turned to look at Yuan and silently nodded.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    "Thank you." Yuan bowed to the man before making his way inside the Grand Library.

    Once inside, he walked straight to the area with the Divine Paragon''s statue.

    When he arrived, he could see five people standing in front of the statue.

    Yuan immediately recognized three of these people.

    They were Yan Hara, Tang Zheng, and surprisingly, Wan Yu.

    As for thest two individuals, they were a beautiful youngdy and a handsome young man that Yuan did not recognize at all.

    The youngdy was wearing the Demon Sealing n''s uniform while the young man wore the Demon Sealing Grotto''s uniform.

    "You''rete, little founder." Yan Hara said to him in a rxed tone when she noticed his presence.

    "Sorry, but something came up and I had to travel to another location." Yuan said with an apologetic smile.

    "So that''s the rumored ''little founder'', huh. I must say, he really resembles the Divine Paragon, but his cultivation is too weak. Are you sure he should be participating in the examination?" The handsome young man showed a provocative smile after seeing Yuan.

    The youngdy merely red at Yuan with a deep gaze, her thoughts unknown.

    Yuan nced at the handsome young man before ignoring him.

    He looked around the ce, showing a puzzled expression on his face when he couldn''t see any artificial demons in the area.

    "Are you looking for the artificial demons?" Tang Zhang read his thoughts and asked with a smile.

    Yuan nodded.

    "Hahaha! Don''t tell me that you''re participating in this examination without even knowing anything about it?! I have never met anyone like you before!" The young man startedughing when he realized the situation.

    "Calm down, Wan Kaiqi." Wan Yu narrowed his eyes on the handsome young man.

    "Sorry, Uncle Wan, but this guy is too much for me." The young man, who turned out to be Wan Yu''s nephew, spoke as he wiped his tears.

    "It''s my fault. I forgot to exin the examination to you." Yan Hara suddenly realized this fact and apologized to him.

    "It''s fine. The details don''t really matter to me. I intend on passing the examination no matter what, after all." Yuan said with a confident smile on his face.

    "Well spoken." Wan Yu smiled, and he continued, "When I heard that you wanted to be an Elite Demon Sealer, I immediately volunteered to be a judge. I missed it when you became an Advanced Demon Sealer, but I won''t miss this one. "

    "Anyways, now that everyone is here, let''s go to the area where the examination will take ce." Tang Zheng said, and he suddenly began creating array symbols the next moment.

    A few momentster, Tang Zhengbined the array symbols into a single powerful array before infusing the array with the Divine Paragon''s statue beside him.

    A few momentster, a red portal appeared before them, and Tang Zheng entered it without hesitation.

    The others followed with Yuan enteringst.

    After exiting from the portal, Yuan was greeted by the scenery of a mountain valley, but there was something ominous about it, and the sensation he felt from the nameless town could suddenly be felt again, but it was much more intensive this time...

 Chapter 833 - Elite Demon Sealers Examination

    Chapter 833 - Elite Demon Sealer''s Examination

    "This feeling... It''s almost as though I have returned to the nameless town with that crazy olddy...'' Yuan thought to himself as he stared at the mountain valley.

    "In order to pass the examination and be an Elite Demon Sealer, you must traverse this Demons'' Valley and reach the end within 3 days." Yan Hara said to them sometimeter.

    "Demons'' Valley?" Yuan immediately raised his eyebrows upon hearing this familiar name, wondering if this is some kind of freaky coincidence or fate.

    "Yes, this ce used to be inhabited by mostly low-ranking demons in the lower heavens. Of course, this isn''t the real location. It''s just a recreation of the ce." Yan Hara said.

    And she continued, "The real Demons'' Valley is muchrger than this ce since this is just a portion of the real thing. It''s about 100 miles from here to the end, but you''re not allowed to fly during the examination, and you''ll encounter demons on your way there."

    Tang Zheng then spoke, "You can ignore the demons and finish the examination without sealing a single demon, but you acquire points for sealing demons- bonus points if you can kill them. At the end, depending on your points, you''ll be able to receive a demon sealing treasure from the treasury."

    Wan Yu spoke next, "Demon sealing treasures are very rare, so I rmend that you try to acquire as many points as you can during this examination."N?velDrama.Org (C) content.

    Yan Hara approached Yuan and handed him a ne.

    "Wear this so we know your location at all times. The demons may not be real, but they can still inflict real injuries, so you should treat them as though you''re fighting a real demon."

    Yuan epted the ne and wore it around his neck.

    He then watched as Yan Hara handed Wu Kaiqi and the youngdy the same ne.

    ''They''re also participating in this examination?'' Yuan thought they were there as judges at first, but that didn''t seem to be the case.

    "Now onto the rules for the examination." Yan Hara spoke, and she continued, "As I''d already mentioned, you are not allowed to fly in the examination. You are allowed to use any treasures during the examination, but demon sealing treasures are forbidden."

    "You have 72 hours to traverse the Demons'' Valley and reach the end. You will know it''s the end when you see the Divine Paragon''s statue. If you are lost, you can look at the sky and follow that red star."

    Yuan followed Yan Hara''s finger that was pointed at the sky, and sure enough, there was a bright crimson star flickering in the yellow sky.

    "You may forfeit the examination at any time by destroying the crystal on your ne, but if you fail the examination, you will not be able to partake in it for another 1o years."

    ''Ten years?!'' Yuan cried inwardly.

    Although ten years may seem like nothing for these powerful cultivators that have lived for hundreds if not thousands of years, it was a significant amount of time for Yuan, who has only lived for 18 years.

    ''I cannot fail this examination no matter what.'' Yuan told himself as Yan Hara continued to speak.

    "As mentioned already, you are not required to fight any demons you encounter during the examination, but you will receive points for doing so. You will receive 1 point for sealing any Lower Demons, 5 points for sealing Elite Demons, 10 points for Superior Demons, which will be the highest ranking demon avable during the examination, and if you manage to kill the demon, you will receive double points ."

    "At the end of the examination, you may use your points to trade for demon sealing treasures. And before you ask- yes, you are allowed to trade for multiple demon sealing treasures as long as you have enough points, so good luck with that ."

    "Do you have any questions before we start this examination?"

    Yuan raised his hands and asked, "How do we know how much time we have left?"

    "We will let you know through the ne every 24 hours for the first two days. On the final day, we will remind you every 4 hours, and during thest four hours, we will remind you every hour." Tang Zheng responded.

    "I understand." Yuan nodded.

    "Do you two have any questions?" Wan Yu asked the other two participants.

    They shook their heads.

    "Then we will begin the examination now. We will begin the timer once you enter the Demons'' Valley. Good luck." Yan Hara said to them before the judges flew away, disappearing from their sights.

    Once they were alone, Wan Kaiqi turned to look at the youngdy and said, "Daoist Huan, let''s have a friendlypetition to see who receives the most points during the examination. If you win, I will give you all of my points, but if I win, you will go on a date with me."

    The youngdy surnamed Huan turned to look at Wu Kaiqi and spoke in a nonchnt voice, "I don''t like your smile."

    And without exining any further, she turned around and disappeared into the Demons'' Valley.

    Wan Kaiqi turned to look at Yuan, who had been staring at them, and scoffed, "What are you looking at? A Spirit Lord like you won''t survive even a day inside the Demons'' Valley."

    "Do you want to gamble on that im? If you win, I will give you all of my points, but if I win, you will give me your points." Yuan suddenly responded in a way that Wan Kaiqi didn''t expect.

    Wan Kaiqi coldly snorted after snapping out of his daze, "That''s not fair at all. You can simply go into hiding for an entire day."

    Yuan then said, "Okay, let''s use your rules instead. Whoever acquires the most points during the examination will take the loser''s points."

    "That''s more like it." A confident smile appeared on Wan Kaiqi''s face.

    "So you agree?" Yuan asked for confirmation.

    "Yes." Wan Kaiqi nodded.

    "Good. Then may the best one win." Yuan sped his hands and bowed to Wan Kaiqi before entering the Demons'' Valley.

    "Arrogant brat, you won''t be acting so smug in three days!" Wan Kaiqi also entered the Demons'' Valley shortly after..

 Chapter 834 - Demonsâ€™ Valley

    Chapter 834 - Demons'' Valley

    After entering the Demons'' Valley, Yuan''s vision blurred for a second, and when it cleared up, he found himself in a different area.

    He had been teleported somewhere, but he still appeared to be within the Demons'' Valley.

    He turned around and waited to see if Wan Kaiqi would show up, but when nobody showed up after a minute, he figured that Wan Kaiqi had also been teleported somewhere.

    ''They probably did this to separate us.'' Yuan thought.

    He tilted his head until he was staring at the sky, and when he located the red star in the sky, he started walking towards that direction.

    ''We have three days toplete this examination, which is a lot of time even if we cannot fly. This is probably on purpose to encourage us to fight demons and earn points.''

    ''Not only do I have to beat Wan Kaiqi, but this is also good practice for me. Hopefully, there are enough demons in this ce to satisfy me.''

    Yuan decided to focus on hunting demons instead of just rushing to the finish line.

    Of course, the other two participants also had the same thoughts.

    They all believed that they would be able to reach the goal with ease and with plenty of time to spare, so they might as well use that spare time to hunt for points and acquire a demon sealing treasure or two.

    Meanwhile, in another location, Yan Hara and the other two judges watched the participants through a mirror.

    "I know he''s a talented young man, but don''t you think it''s a little too much to allow him to participate in this examination? After all, these demons don''t scale to his strength, so they will all have a higher cultivation than him." Tang Zheng asked Yan Hara.

    After a moment of silence, she responded in a calm voice, "I want to see his limit. He might becking in terms of cultivationpared to the other two, but his demon sealing aura is by no means inferior. In fact, he might even surpass them."

    "Also, he''s going to be the future leader of the Demon Sealing n. He''ll need some achievenments under his belt before then."

    "You seem very confident in his abilities. However, if you ask me, he''s still far behind the current leader of the Demon Sealing n." Wan Yu suddenly said.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.

    And he continued, "Oh, I don''t mean his talents. His talents are definitely terrifying, and he has the potential to surpass even the current leader. However, he will need more than talent to be the leader of the Demon Sealing n. His character is too soft and naive at this moment."

    "You cannot expect a baby to suddenly start cultivating. He''s still young and inexperienced, but he will eventually grow up-I will make sure of it." Yan Hara said.

    Wan Yu sighed, "If he survives, that is. What a pity that he''s with the Demon Sealing n."

    "What''s that supposed to mean?" Yan Hara frowned.

    Wan Yu shrugged and said, "The strife between the two ns is getting worse by the day. I''ll be surprised if there''s a Demon Sealing n by the time he ''grows up''."

    "What? That''s bullshit!" Yan Hara immediately eximed.

    "Bullshit? You know, this isn''t the first time our people have died by Qian Chu''s hands. In fact, ever since he became the leader of the Demon Sealing n, our Demon Sealing Grotto have encountered many misfortunate situations where our top demon sealers are being killed in ''idents'' that involved Qian Chu one way or another. However, this is the first time we have lost 3 Master Demon Sealers in one day, and they all died in an event managed by Qian Chu."

    "Even though Qian Chu denies all usations, we all know that''s just in bullshit."

    "What happened during the tournament was just an ident! In case you forgot, I was also part of it, and I nearly died if not for the Leader! Why would the Leader risk losing two Master Demon Sealers just to harm the Demon Sealing Grotto ? That doesn''t make any sense!" Yan Hara said.

    "Hmph! Then let me ask you this. Why did the Leader save you but allowed the others to die? Why did everyone from the Demon Sealing Grotto die while the Demon Sealing n received zero casualties? A coincidence? I don''t f#cking think so!"

    "Are you using me of being part of this conspiracy now?! I can''t believe you!" Yan Hara eximed in an angry voice.

    "I''m not using you of anything. In fact, I wholeheartedly believe that Qian Chu would be willing to sacrifice his own people just to achieve his goals. He''s just that kind of person."

    "You know, during interrogation, when the Demon Sealing Grotto asked Qian Chu why he only saved you, he imed that he did not do such a thing and that someone else had saved you by taking control of his Demon Sealing g! Who the hell would believe that?! Besides the Divine Paragon, nobody in the Nine Heavens has the ability to hijack the Demon Sealing g right under Qian Chu''s nose!"

    "What.?" Yan Hara became speechless after hearing this information from Wan Yu.

    Qian Chu didn''t save her? Then who saved her?

 Chapter 835 - Demonsâ€™ Valley(2)

    Chapter 835: Demons'' Valley(2)

    "Anyways, that''s all I have to say on the matter. The higher ups will handle everything." Wan Yu said before focusing on the participants again.

    Yan Hara and Tang Zheng looked at each other with perplexed expressions. Did Qian Chu really intentionally let the participants die? Was he really willing to sacrifice his own people to achieve his own goals? It was hard to swallow such a thought, especially since Qian Chu is admired by many people.

    Meanwhile, inside the Demons'' Valley, Yuan encountered his first demon when it suddenly showed up out of the blue and attacked him.

    "F-Feng Feng¡­ What cultivation is that demon? I cannot sense it, so it must be fairly high¡­" Yuan asked her after realizing this fact.

    "It has a cultivation of peak Spirit Emperor." Feng Yuxiang immediately responded.

    Yuan swallowed nervously after hearing this information.

    Peak Spirit Emperor? That is an entire realm above Spirit King and almost a Spirit Sovereign! How on earth is he supposed to fight such a monster as a Spirit Lord?

    ''I have underestimated this examination...'' Yuan sighed inwardly.

    He knew it was going to be harder than thest examination, but he didn''t expect such a massive jump in difficulty.

    Thest examination was so easy that it was basically free, so Yuan didn''t think this examination would be so difficult even if they increased the difficulty several levels.

    ''Calm down... They may have a much higher cultivation than I''d anticipated, but they are still vulnerable to demon sealing aura. If my demon sealing aura is strong enough, I should be able to seal it...'' Yuan tried to calm himself.

    While he was doing that, the demon snickered, "How dare a mere Spirit Lord step foot inside the Demons'' Valley? Courting death!"

    "Young Master, do you need my help?" Feng Yuxiang asked him. "

    No, I can handle this, and I''m not sure you''re allowed to help me." He shook his head.

    "I understand. Please be careful, Young Master."

    Yuan nodded and summoned the Empyrean Overlord.

    "You''re a bold one, human. I will give you that." The demon showed an ugly smile on its face.

    "You talk too much. You may have a higher cultivation, but you''re just a low-ranking demon." Yuan suddenly said.

    The demon was immediately enraged after hearing Yuan''s provoking words. As a low-ranking demon, they have almost zero control over their emotions, especially anger, so they can be triggered easily.

    "Die!" The demon pounced at Yuan the next moment.

    Yuan did not retreat and confronted the demon head-on instead.

    [Demon Sealing Strike!]

    The Empyrean Overlord gushed with demon sealing aura as it shed at the surprised demon.

    The demon was unable to react due to being surprised by the overwhelming amount of demon sealing aura released by Yuan, and it did not expect a Spirit Lord to be capable of releasing such a strong aura.

    Sha!

    The Empyrean Overlord sliced the demon in half.

    However, the demon did not immediately be sealed and quickly regenerated a momentter.

    "N-Not bad. I underestimated you, human." The smile on the demon''s face trembled slightly. It was obviously afraid of Yuan''s demon sealing aura despite their cultivation differences.

    Although the demon had an advantage in cultivation, such an advantage could be negated if its opponent''s demon sealing aura was strong enough.

    This is why demon sealers in ancient times took priority in their demon sealing aura over their cultivation.

    In this case, Yuan''s demon sealing aura was strong enough to threaten the demon with a Spirit Emperor cultivation base, and if it were not for the demon''s superior cultivation, it would have been sealed in a single strike. Seeing the demon''s reaction to his demon sealing aura, Yuan''s confidence increased tremendously, so he went for another strike.

    [Demon Sealing Strike!]

    This time, the demon did not dare to take his attack head-on and opted to dodge it instead.

    However, Yuan was relentless with his attacks and eventuallynded another strike on the demon.

    The demon''s movements became noticeably slower and stiffer after the second strike, and when Yuan noticed this, he increased the intensity of his attacks, not stopping until the demon was fully sealed.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.

    Once the demon was fully sealed, Yuan decided to kill it for the extra points.

    After taking all the time he needed to fully charge his attack, Yuan released a devastating attack named Heavenly Splitting Sword Strike,pletely erasing the demon and the terrain behind it almost instantly.

    The destroyed terrain would return like nothing had happened after a couple of moments, but the demon never recovered.

    The entire Demons'' Valley seemingly shook for a brief second after the attack, causing the other two participants to look around with caution.

    Meanwhile, the judges that had been spectating Yuan''s first encounter were left speechless by what they had just witnessed.

    "What kind of attack is that? He erased an entire mountain in a split second!" Yan Hara eximed in a shocked voice.

    "His demon sealing aura increased so much in such a short time..." Wan Yu mumbled in a low voice filled with disbelief, his focus elsewhere.

    "Unbelievable. I truly did not expect him to deal with the demon so effortlessly... It appears that my worries were unnecessary." Tang Zheng sighed.

    Although the three of them were aware of Yuan''s talent, they had no idea of his full potential, so it was quite shocking to see it for the first time.

    After killing the demon, Yuan released a relieved sigh, "That went better than I anticipated. Looks like I don''t need to be so worried about this examination, after all."

    However, he was notpletely stress-free just yet. Although he''d killed the demon, it was only a low-ranking demon, and he wasn''t confident that he would be able to achieve the same results fighting an Elite or Superior Demon.

    After spending a few minutes recovering his spiritual energy, Yuan continued to look for more demons to kill, and after wandering for a couple of minutes, another demon would show up out of nowhere to attack him.

    Once again, it was a low-ranking demon with a peak Spirit Emperor cultivation, but Yuan didn''t hesitate to attack it this time, quickly sealing it in just a few minutes..

 Chapter 836: Sublime Scriptures of Heaven

    Chapter 836: Sublime Scriptures of Heaven

    ''It''s really unfortunate that these demons don''t drop demon cores¡­'' Yuan sighed inwardly after killing his second demon in the examination.

    Sometimeter, Yuan stopped walking when he noticed a statue in the distance.

    When he approached it, he realized that it was actually a demon that had already been sealed.

    ''Did one of the other two participants seal this demon?'' He wondered to himself.

    Regardless if it was sealed by someone else or not, Yuan did not intend on leaving behind free points and decided to erase the demonpletely, taking the points for himself.

    After releasing the Heaven Splitting Sword Strike, Yuan took a few minutes to recover his strength before making his move again.

    ''I hope I get points for finishing off someone else''s demon, even if I don''t receive the full credit¡­''

    Meanwhile, Wan Yuughed out loud after witnessing Yuan''s actions.

    "This is the first time that I have witnessed someone killing another person''s sealed demon." Heughed out loud.

    "Well, this is my first time seeing a Spirit Lord killing demons two realms above their own level." Tang Zheng said. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    "Just what kind of technique is he using? I don''t recognize it at all." Yan Hara mumbled in a pondering voice.

    Wan Yu then said, "It resembles an ancient technique from a legend I heard before, but I doubt it''s actually the same technique."

    "Legend?" The other two looked at him with raised eyebrows.

    "Yes, it''s called the Heaven Splitting Sword Strike, and it''s only part of another technique called the Heaven''s Secret Art."

    "Have you heard of the Sublime Scriptures of Heaven?" He asked them.

    Tang Zheng nodded and spoke, "I have heard about them before. Legend has it that the mighty Heaven itself created these techniques alongside the cultivation world during its creation, and they are the most powerful cultivation techniques to ever exist. There are four different techniques with Heaven''s Secret Art being one of them."

    "Rumor also has it that they were gifted to the four most powerful families that served the first Celestial Emperor, but nobody has seen these techniques since ancient times, so people question if they even really exist."

    "That''s right, and the Heaven Splitting Sword Art is part of Heaven''s Secret Art." Wan Yu nodded.

    And he continued, "However, you are not entirely correct."

    "Huh? What did I get wrong?" Tang Zheng asked.

    "The Sublime Scriptures of Heaven truly exist and people have seen them before. In fact, the people that own these techniques currently reside in the Supreme Heaven."

    "However, that is only the case for three of these four techniques. The fourth technique, Heaven''s Secret Art, is said to be owned by the legendary Asura n, but since they have been exiled for countless years now, nobody can confirm that information, hence why the technique is a legend."

    "The Asura n, huh. I heard a lot about them, but I never understood why they were exiled¡ª I mean, I know the reason they were exiled, but I don''t understand why they did what exiled them." Yan Hara sighed.

    And she continued, "However, what puzzles me the most is how they refuse to participate in Supreme Heaven''s Legacy for their freedom."

    "They must have their own reasons." Wan Yu shrugged.

    It was at this moment Yan Hara had a sudden realization.

    ''Huh? Wait a minute... The Supreme Heaven''s Legacy?''

    After pondering for a moment, Yan Hara turned to look at Wan Yu and asked, "The Asura n... What is their surname?"

    "Give me a second..." Wan Yu closed his eyes to think.

    A momentter, he opened his eyes and said, "If my memories serve me correctly, the Asura n should have the surname ''Xiao''."

    Yan Hara swallowed nervously after hearing this information.

    ''Xiao... Xiao Hua... It can''t be... But there''s no way it''s just a coincidence. Why would the Asura n suddenly decide to participate in the Supreme Heaven''s Legacy when they''ve avoided it for countless years?''

    Either this is all just a freaky coincidence or there is something bigger at y here.

    A few hourster, Wan Yu looked at the scoreboard and smiled, "Yuan is currently leading with 30 points while the other two are almost neck to neck with 22 points and 21 points. Despite his advantage, the little founder isn''t as efficient in locating demons as the other two, so he''s not too far ahead. If he couldn''t kill demons with his ridiculous technique, he would best ce right now."

    "He''s also only ran into low-ranking demons while the other two have already encountered an Elite Demon." Tang Zheng added.

    "It will only be a matter of time until he encounters an Elite or Superior Demon..." Yan Hara mumbled in a slightly nervous tone, as she wasn''t confident that he could really deal with them at his current level.

    However, the very next moment, Yuan would encounter his first Elite Demon.

    "Speaking of the devil..." A smile filled with intrigue appeared on Wan Yu''s face as he focused on Yuan''s situation.

    "Young Master, this demon is different from the rest. You should be careful." Feng Yuxiang warned him when she sensed that something was off about this demon.

    "It''s an Elite Demon." Yuan immediately recognized its rank since he had fought one before.

    When the Elite Demon noticed Yuan, it didn''t immediately attack him and actually took a moment to take a deep breath.

    "Aaaah... Human, I can smell a chaotic energy hidden deep within you. Although the energy is almost nonexistent right now, it will eventually bloom into something magnificent, and when it does, I can only imagine the chaos you''ll cause to the cultivation world¡ª it would definitely be a sight to behold." The Elite Demon said to him with a calm smile on its face.

    "..."

    Although Yuan didn''t take the demon''s words to heart, he had a bad feeling about it, and it made him recall the madness that consumed his mind not long ago at the Qi Family..

 Chapter 837: The Abomination

    Chapter 837: The Abomination

    "Show me what you''ve got, human."

    Perhaps it was because of Yuan''sck of cultivation, but the Elite Demon did not seem to be worried at all by his presence.

    "Then I won''t be humble!"

    Yuan started the assault with the Demon Sealing Sword Strike.

    However, the Elite Demon quickly dodged it, not allowing Yuan''s strike to connect, unlike the low-ranking demons before it that were so confident in their immortal bodies that they would disregard all attacks.

    Seeing this, Yuan summoned the Starry Abyss to sneak attack the Elite Demon.

    "Pathetic little tricks!"

    The Elite Demon summoned its blood weapon and parried the iing attack from the back.

    ''I forgot that the Starry Abyss isn''t effective against Spirit Kings and above¡­'' Yuan facepalmed inwardly.

    ''But this is fine. The invisibility effect isn''t the reason I summoned it.''

    [Ten Thousand Ghost des!]

    "If one isn''t enough, how about a thousand?!"Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    A thousand Starry Abyss suddenly appeared and surrounded the Elite Demon.

    Although the demon was definitely taken aback by such a menacing technique, it did not panic and tried its best to deflect all of them.

    However, such a feat quickly proved to be impossible for the Elite Demon, so it stopped focusing on the Starry Abyss and startedunching its own attack at Yuan, who was just standing in the distance, silently controlling the Starry Abyss.

    "Blood sh!"

    The Elite Demon whisked its thin arms at Yuan, sending a crimson arc of energy at him.

    However, the attack didn''t go far, as it was quickly intercepted by the thousand Starry Abyss that acted like a containment for the demon.

    "What a fucking annoying technique!"

    The Elite Demon could no longer control its emotions and became enraged.

    Its frame grewrger, and its chaotic aura surged to a new level.

    However, despite its transformation, it could not conquer the Starry Abyss, eventually getting sealed by it.

    Yuan sighed in relief afterward.

    ''I should be more confident in myself.'' Yuan told himself after finishing off the sealed demon with the Heaven Splitting Sword Strike, acquiring to more points.

    "This fellow is full of surprises. He controls not just a single Soul Weapon but two of them, and they''re different types of weapons? I only know of one person that can wield two Soul Weapons at once, and that person is regarded as a top genius in the Seventh Heaven." Wan Yu''s face was filled with awe after witnessing Yuan''s fight with the Elite Demon.

    ''Two Soul Weapons... Just how many more secrets are hiding inside that small figure? Van Hara wondered to herself.

    After recovering his spiritual energy, Yuan continued his hunt. Many hourster, the ne given to him before the examination suddenly trembled, and Yan Hara''s voice resounded from it.

    "It has been 24 hours since the start of the examination. You have 48 hours left."

    ''It''s already been an entire day? Time sure passes by so quickly when I am focused on hunting demons... Luckily I told the others not to worry about me if I don''te out for a few days since I didn''t know what to expect from this examination.''

    He would normally take a break for Meixiu''s meals, but he was worried that he might lose his bet with Wan Kaiqi if he rested even a little, as he was certain that the other two participants would spend every second during the examination hunting for more points.

    As Yuan spent more time hunting demons, he grew more confident in his abilities, and his aggressiveness intensified. This allowed him to swiftly deal with even Elite Demons, and his points grew more and more.

    ''I have encountered four Elite Demons now, but I have yet to encounter any Superior Demons. I wonder if they are closer to the goal.'' Yuan wondered inwardly as he finished off another demon.

    After pondering for a moment, he decided to see how close he was to the finish line, as he''d been wandering the Demons'' Valley aimlessly.

    Yuan followed the direction of the red star and ran at his full speed, only stopping to deal with demons that would suddenly show up.

    A few hourster, Yuan stopped when he could see the Divine Paragon''s statue.

    ''I encountered three Elite Demons on my way here, which is almost as much as what I encountered after an entire day of roaming. Looks like my hypothesis was correct. I should encounter my first Superior Demon soon if I continue to wander around the statue.''

    Not wanting to waste any more time, Yuan began running around the area around the statue, and sure enough, an hour and three dead demonster, he encountered his first Superior Demon.

    However, when Yuan saw this demon, he swallowed nervously, and all of the confidence that he''d built up over the course of thest 24 hours began dwindling.

    "My lord... This is a demon?" Yuan mumbled in a low voice as his gazeid on a massive figure that was nearly 40 meters tall in the far distance.

    This demon was not only incredibly tall, it was also very round, almost like a balloon. However, that was not the most appalling feature of this demon, as it had an unfathomably hideous face that would scare anyone unfortunate to witness it. 0

    The demons before this one all had human-like appearance, but this demon looked more like a hideous monster than anything.

    "What an ugly demon! Hurry up and kill it, Young Master!" Feng Yuxiang eximed in a disgusted voice the moment she saw this demon.

    Even Lan Yingying trembled when she saw this demon, as it was unlike anything she had seen before.

    "I-I think we should probably leave this one alone for now..." Yuan said in a stiff voice.

    And without any hesitation, he turned around and walked away, acting as though he never even noticed the demon.

    "Hahaha! Did you see the look on his face?! I knew he''d run away! Nobody has ever confronted that hideous existence on their first encounter! They would always need some time to mentally prepare themselves, even if they knew of its existence beforehand!" Wan Yuughed out loud after seeing Yuan''s natural reaction to this massive demon.

    "I almost pissed myself when I first encountered it during my examination." Tang Zheng shook his head with a bittersweet smile on his face as he recalled his first encounter with this demon.

    "The ''Abomination'', huh? I still don''t understand their existence and why they look so different from other demons." Van Hara said.

    "Some people believe they are the demons'' true appearance. However, ording to the Demon Sealing n from ancient times, even demons hated these Abominations." Wan Yu said.

    "I''m just d that they no longer exist. I cannot imagine going against these things nowadays. They are not only more violent than other demons but they also seem to have no mind of their own, acting merely on their destructive instincts." Tang Zheng shook his head.

    "That''s not all." Wan Yu said, and he continued, "They also have a higher tolerance to demon sealing aura, so they are much tougher to seal in general."

    "Despite it only being a Superior Demon, I don''t think anyone has ever sealed or killed the Abomination in this examination. Not even Qian Chu, who fought it for an entire day, could defeat it."

    "Perhaps the little founder will set a precedent." Yan Hara said with an anticipating smile on her face...

 Chapter 838: Deep Within His Consciousness

    Chapter 838: Deep Within His Consciousness

    "Y-Yingying! What in heavens'' name was that thing?! There''s no way that thing is a demon!" Yuan asked her after running away from the hideous-looking demon.Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    "I have no idea¡­ That was also my first time seeing that kind of demon." She said.

    "What about your grandparents? Have they ever mentioned a demon like that before?"

    "No."

    "What about you, Feng Feng? Do you know anything about that demon?" Yuan continued to ask.

    "Sorry, but I have also never heard of such a demon before."

    Yuan sighed, "I cannot believe such a monster exists in this world."

    After a moment of silence, Lan Yingying asked him, "Are you going to fight it?"

    "Uhh¡­" Yuan hesitated on answering.

    Even though he could get a lot of points by killing the hideous demon, he wasn''t sure it was worth the trouble, as it gave him a really dreadful feeling.

    Suddenly, Van Hara''s voice resounded from the ne, "Little founder, if you can defeat the Abomination, you''ll get L000 points."

    "The Abomination? Is that what it''s called? Just what is that thing? Is it really a demon?" Yuan asked her.

    "Honestly, I''m not really sure myself what the monster is, but it has red skin and emits chaotic energy like demons, so they are most likely another species of demons."

    "Another species? Demons have different species...?" Yuan was speechless. Why hasn''t he heard about this until now?

    "Anyways, you only need to know that they are more dangerous than ordinary demons, and nobody has ever defeated it before, but maybe you can. Good luck."

    Yan Hara stopped talking after that.

    "I get a thousand points if I defeat it, which is definitely a lot of points and will secure my victory, but nobody has managed to do so in the past..." Yuan began pondering.

    "Young Master, you only need to defeat it, right? That means you don''t need to kill it, only seal it. If you continue hitting it with your demon sealing techniques, it''ll eventually be sealed, right?" Feng Yuxiang said.

    "You''re right. Since it has such a massive body, it will be easy tond hits on it. Okay, I will do it." Yuan decided to fight the Abomination. After taking a deep breath, he turned around and returned to the location with the Abomination.

    However, he didn''t immediately start attacking the Abomination. Instead, he sat down in an isted area and started preparing himself for the fight.

    Fortunately for him, the Abomination seemed to be asleep, as it was just sitting there with its eyes closed.

    A few minutester, Yuan opened his eyes that were overflowing with fighting intent.

    He stood up and looked at the Abomination with a resolute gaze. After taking a very deep breath, Yuan summoned the Starry Abyss and used Ten Thousand Ghost des on it, duplicating the Starry Abyss 2,000 times.

    Once he was ready, Yuanmanded all 2,000 Starry Abyss to attack the sleeping monster.

    The next moment, all 2,000 daggers stabbed into the sleeping monster''s round body, turning it into a porcupine.

    However, the Abomination remained still, almost as though it didn''t even feel the attack.

    Seeing theck of reaction from the Abomination, Yuan decided to continue stabbing it, slowly filling it with demon sealing aura.

    Of course, since it was a demon, the holes on its body would immediately renergate the moment the daggers were removed from its body.

    "What''s going on? It''s been ten minutes since I started attacking it, yet it still hasn''t woken up, nor does it appear to be sealed. Even a Demon General would be sealed by now..." Yuan scratched his head as he continuedmanding the Starry Abyss to attack the Abomination.

    "I think you need something stronger." Lan Yingying''s voice suddenly resounded.

    "Huh? What do you mean? Although each attack doesn''t inflict much demon sealing aura individually, it should add up, right? It worked on other demons." Yuan said

    "Yes, but that demon appears to have some sort of ability that prevents demon sealing aura from building up inside its body. I can sense your demon sealing aura entering the demon''s body, but I can also sense iting out of its body after some time."

    "That''s ridiculous..." Yuan did not want to believe that a demon with such capabilities could possibly exist, as that would make it many times harder to seal the demon, perhaps even impossible.

    Eventually, Yuan created 10,000 copies of the Starry Abyss and attacked the sleeping Abomination with them.

    "How about now? Is it affecting the demon?" Yuan asked Lan Yingying a few minutester.

    "It is, but not fast enough. At this rate, you''ll need to continue this for a week before it shows any results," she said.

    "A week?" Yuan was speechless.

    His spiritual energy would most likely run out before a week could even pass.

    After trying for a few more minutes, Yuan recalled the Starry Abyss and gave up on attacking the Abomination temporarily to recover his spiritual energy.

    ''What should I do now? My Starry Abyss is basically useless in this situation, and the Heaven Splitting Sword Strike won''t be able to kill it. Do I really have no means to defeat this monster?'' Yuan pondered for a way to defeat the Abomination while he cultivated.

    Suddenly, he recalled a certain moment that he witnessed not long ago.

    ''During the demon sealing tournament, the Leader of the Demon Sealing n infused his demon sealing aura with his Sword Aura¡ª at least that''s what the triplets said... If I can somehow replicate that, would I be able to defeat the Abomination with it? But how do I even infuse my demon sealing aura with my Sword Aura?''

    ''Hey, Divine Paragon, give me some guidance. I know you''re in here somewhere.] Yuan began calling for the Divine Paragon inside his head.

    Unfortunately, there was no response from the Divine Paragon.

    ''He said that he doesn''t really exist and that he''s only a fragment of my memories, so I should be able to draw out those memories, right? Maybe if I look deeper inside my consciousness...''

    Yuan stopped cultivating after recovering enough spiritual energy, but he did not open his eyes.

    "Young Master? Are you okay?" Feng Yuxiang asked him when she saw no movements from him.

    "Please be quiet for a while, I am trying to focus." Yuan responded in a low voice.

    "S-Sorry..."

    Once it waspletely silent, Yuan tried to enter deep within his consciousness to find the Divine Paragon.

    When he was still a cripple, in order to not go crazy from boredom since he couldn''t move his body and was surrounded by darkness, Yuan learned how to peer deep into his mind so that he could relive his memories¡ª in a time before he was a cripple.

    After doing it for many years, he got so good at it that he could essentially see any memories he wanted at will, and this included memories that were hidden deep within his consciousness with some limitations, such as memories from before he became an orphan, as he had zero memories of such a time inside his mind.

    Although he hasn''t tried doing it after regaining his ability to move, he was still able to enter the depths of his consciousness with ease.

    Once he entered the deepest parts of his consciousness, Yuan could see four people standing beside each other.

    There was Tian Yang, the Divine Paragon, the Evil God, and even the spear-wielding General that appeared in his dream once.

    "Look who we have here..."

    Their familiar voices resounded inside Yuan''s head as he approached these figures that had the same face as him..

 Chapter 839: Divine Paragonâ€™s Legacy

    Chapter 839: Divine Paragon''s Legacy

    "So this is where you all have been hiding¡­ I should have done this earlier¡­" Yuan sighed when he saw these four people deep within his consciousness.

    "What do you seek bying here?" Tian Yang asked him.

    "I want¡­" Yuan turned to look at the Divine Paragon and spoke, "I want to learn how to infuse my demon sealing aura with my Sword Aura. I want to defeat that Abomination."

    "The Abomination, huh? What a nostalgic name." The Divine Paragon closed his eyes with a profound smile on his face.

    "You want my knowledge; my experience; my memories¡­ but are you prepared to ept my existence?" The Divine Paragon suddenly opened his eyes and stepped forward.

    "We may be one and the same, but we are also different people¡ª at least until you ept the fact that we''re the same."

    "If you are not prepared to ept my existence, then you are not prepared to receive my legacy."

    "..."

    Yuan was speechless.

    He didn''t think that he''d be rejected of his own memories unless he agreed with his own incarnation.Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    "What will happen if I ept you? Will youpletely take over my existence? Will I return to being the ''Divine Paragon''?" Yuan asked him.

    The Divine Paragon smiled and said, "Remember, you''re not just epting my memories. If you truly want to see ''me'', you''ll need to be ''me''. Of course, that doesn''t mean you''ll actually be me."

    "And what will happen if I refuse to ept you?" Yuan asked out of curiosity.

    "Nothing really happens. You can reject all of our existence for now, but you''ll eventually fully awaken your memories. You cannot run away forever, Yuan. There will be a time when you''ll have to embrace your true identity, and you''ll only make it harder on yourself the longer you dy the inevitable."

    Yuan silently stared at the four figures before him after hearing the Divine Paragon''s words.

    A few momentster, he asked, "If... What if you''re not really my memories but memories that were nted inside my mind?"

    The Divine Paragon exchanged nces with the others.

    "Hahaha!"

    All four of them suddenly burst outughing.

    "Do you really believe that? Is this because of what that phoenix said? Even without the Pill of Truth, you should know very well if we are real or fake." Tian Yang said.

    Yuan sighed inwardly. Even without Tian Yang mentioning it, he already knew that these were his true memories.

    "Well? Have youe to a conclusion yet?" The Divine Paragon asked him a momentter.

    After a moment of silence, Yuan nodded his head.

    "Even if I ept you, I will still be myself. I will make sure of that," he said in a resolute voice.

    "That''s what I like to hear."

    A bright smile appeared on the Divine Paragon''s face as he approached Yuan some more.

    Once they were standing right in front of each other, the Divine Paragon extended his hand out for a handshake.

    "My legacy... I will leave it in your hands. Don''t disappoint me." The Divine Paragon said

    "I will try not to." Yuan nodded before epting the Divine Paragon''s handshake.

    The Divine Paragon suddenly began glowing, shattering into countless tiny fragments a few secondster. These tiny fragments were his memories, and theybined with Yuan. 0

    Memories began flowing inside Yuan''s mind¡ª his early memories as the Divine Paragon.

    However, these were still just a small fraction of the Divine Paragon''s memories.

    Of course, even one percent of the Divine Paragon''s memories contained a vast amount of experience and knowledge that could make a mortal into a god-like existence.

    Tears suddenly began flowing from Yuan''s eyes as he reimed his earlier memories as the Divine Paragon, such as his childhood and the reason he started hunting demons.

    "I see... So this is why you¡ª I started hunting demons." Yuan mumbled in a low voice as a beautiful youngdy suddenly materialized before him inside his head.

    "I''m sorry... Even though I promised that I''d never forget about you." Yuan said to the youngdy that stood before him.

    "It''s okay. Due to your unique circumstances, I will forgive you¡ª only if you do me a favor."

    "What is it?"

    "Say my name," she said.

    A gentle smile appeared on Yuan''s face as he spoke, "Ai Rong."

    The youngdy showed him a beautiful smile that could make even dead flowers blossom after hearing her name.

    "Since you have proven that you truly remember me, I will forgive you. However, more importantly, do you remember your own name?"

    Yuan nodded, "Yes. I was called Tian Chenyu before I became the Divine Paragon."

    "That''s right. But that doesn''t matter anymore because..."

    "Because I am not Tian Chenyu. I am Yuan." He finished Ai Rong''s sentence.

    The beautiful youngdy gently nodded her head before disappearing into the void.

    Yuan turned to look at the other three incarnations of him.

    "Do I have to ept you guys as well?" He asked them.

    "Eventually, but now is not the time. You will need time to fully digest Tian Chenyu''s memories before you absorb our memories as well. Don''t bite more than you can chew, or you''ll go insane." Tian Yang said.

    And he continued, "Also, don''t rush trying to recall all of your memories. The memories of an immortal that has lived for millions of years is not something to be taken lightly. Even a tiny fragment could be tens of thousands of years of experience, which is more than enough to overwhelm someone with just 18 years of experience."

    "I understand." Yuan nodded.

    He opened his eyes a momentter to find that they were still flowing with tears.

    "Are you okay, Young Master?" Feng Yuxiang asked him.

    "Yes, I am fine. I just remembered something sad that happened really long ago."

    Feng Yuxiang didn''tpletely understand the meaning behind his words, but she decided to not ask him about it.

    "Anyways, let''s deal with this Abomination and get back to farming more points, shall we?" Yuan stood up and turned to look at the sleeping monster with a calm gaze, his demeanorpletely different from just minutes ago..

 Chapter 840: Swords of Eternal Torment

    Chapter 840: Swords of Eternal Torment

    Even though only a few moments have passed since Yuan returned, both Feng Yuxiang and Lan Yingying noticed the change in Yuan''s demeanor.

    He appeared more calm and nonchnt, but they could not pinpoint exactly what was so different about him.

    In their eyes, he was still the Yuan they knew, but at the same time, he appeared to be a different person.

    Meanwhile, Yuan summoned the Empyrean Overlord and began approaching the Abomination.

    "What''s he doing? Why is he getting so close to the Abomination?" Tang Zheng asked out loud when he saw Yuan''s action.

    "Who knows. Maybe he has something up his sleeves." Yan Hara shrugged.

    Once Yuan was directly before the Abomination, he looked up at the demon that was almost the size of a mountain and showed a profound smile on his face.

    "Abominations, also known as Mutated Demons They are not only harder to kiII than normal demons but they are also extremely chaotic. Without a mind of their own, they act only upon their own instincts, which tells them to destroy everything in their path. They cannot discern between friends and foes, so they attack even other demons if they are within its path. A truly unforgiving existence that shouldn''t be allowed to exist."

    Yuan slowly liked the Empyrean Overlord until it was directly above his head.

    After taking a deep breath, he shed the enormous sword that suddenly erupted with a massive amount of Sword Aura at the sleeping demon.

    Whoosh!

    The Sword Aura pierced straight inside the Abomination''s body before it began expanding and erasing everything that it touched.

    The Abomination that had been sleeping peacefully suddenly snapped its eyes and mouth wide open before releasing an ear-piercing scream that shook the entire Demons'' Valley.

    When Wan Kaiqi and the other participant heard the Abomination''s screaming, they immediately stopped whatever they were doing and turned to have the direction of the noise.

    ''Only the Abomination would make a sound like that! Who is fighting it? Daoist Huan? It must be her! There''s no way it could be that pipsqueak!" Wan Kaiqi quickly started making his way towards the Abomination''s direction.

    The only other participant also started making her way towards the noise due to her curiosity.

    So someone else beside me also wanted to fight the Abomination, huh?'' She thought to herself.

    Meanwhile, Yuan continued his assault on the Abomination.Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    After releasing his Sword Aura that was infused with demon sealing aura woke up the sleeping demon but it also wreaked havoc inside its body.

    However, even that was not enough to defeat the demon. "Not enough, huh? Then let''s weaken you some more!"

    [ Swords of Eternal Torment!]

    Golden lights shaped like swords began appearing above the Abomination before plunging down, filling the demon''s body with holes.

    This was the same technique the Divine Paragon used to remove demons'' pain tolerance, which was as effective on the Abomination as it would on any other demon.

    And sure enough, the Abomination shrieked in pain, something it hasn''t experienced before.

    The Demons'' Valley shook again with even more intensity, and it would not stop, acting like a pig as it was being ughtered.

    "I-Impossible!" Wan Yu cried out loud after seeing Yuan summon the golden swords.

    "T-That can''t be Swords of Eternal Torment, right?" Yan Hara refused to believe her eyes.

    "I don''t want to believe it, but it definitely looks like it..." Tang Zheng responded in a dazed voice.

    "That''s not possible! That technique had disappeared alongside the Divine Paragon! It must be another technique that looks simr!" Wan Yu said.

    Swords of Eternal Torment was one of Divine Paragon''s signature techniques, and it was one of very few techniques that he did not share with the Demon Sealing n, so when he disappeared, so did these techniques.

    However, while these techniques no longer exist, records of their existence do, hence why Wan Yu and the others recognized the technique the moment they saw it.

    Whether they believe it to be Swords of Eternal Torment is a different story.

    "The Abomination appears to be in pain. I have never seen it react like that" Tang Zheng mumbled in a dazed voice.

    "But demons can''t feel pain." Yan Hara said.

    "No, they can''t¡ª unless they are affected by Swords of Eternal Torment. ording to our ancestors, when the Divine Paragon used that technique, all demons affected by it would experience pain like normal." Wan Yu exined.

    "However, that cannot be Swords of Eternal Torment. The Divine Paragon never shared that technique with anyone in the Demon Sealing n¡ª not even wills their most trusted members at that time."

    "What if the Divine Paragon left behind his legacy before disappearing? What if he''s really using Swords of Eternal Torment? What if he found the Divine Paragon''s legacy?" Tang Zheng spoke with a serious expression on his face.

    "If that''s the case and the others find out, there will be a war to acquire it And it won''t just be om ns fighting for it The entire Nine Heavens would be participating in this war." Wan To said.

    And he continued, "But once again, I do not believe that''s the case. The Divine Paragon doesn''t strike me as the type of person to leave behind his legacy and disappear without a word."

    "Then how do you exin the Abomination''s reaction?" Tang Zheng asked.

    "It''s most likely just agitated. I believe it was also like this when Dian Chu fought it,. he said.

    "What about the technique that looks exactly like Swords of Eternal Torment?. "

    Do you know how many techniques exist in the Nine Heavens? Countless. There are bound to be techniques that look simr to each other despite being twopletely different techniques. I have seen a few of these techniques myself, too."

    "I guess so.. But you can''t deny how freaky of a coincidence this is. Not only does he look like the Divine Paragon, even his techniques look like they belong to the Divine Paragon." Tang Zhengughed out loud when he realized this fact.

    "A coincidence or is this fate?" Yan Nara mumbled in a low voice as she stared at Yuan fighting the Abomination with a profound gaze, her thoughts unknown..

 Chapter 841: Fighting the Abomination

    <h4>Chapter 841: Fighting the Abomination</h4>

    "So freaking noisy! Let me help you quiet down!" Yuan swung the Empyrean Overlord, unleashing another wave of Sword Aura at the Abomination.

    This time, he aimed for the demon''s head.

    The instant the Sword Aura touched the demon''s head, it was cut until there was almost nothing left, and without a mouth or head, the demon was finally silenced.

    However, the silence onlysted for a few moments until the demon regenerated and started screaming again.

    "Then how about this!"

    Yuan summoned a couple more golden swords before using them to seal the demon''s mouth shut by filling its mouth with these swords.

    This tactic worked wonders, as the demon was unable to remove the swords.

    Once it was quiet again, Yuan returned to attacking the Abomination with his Sword Aura.

    Even though his attacks did not seem to work at first, Yuan eventually noticed that the Abomination''s recovery rate was beginning tog.

    Eventually, the Abomination gave up on trying to remove the golden swords and started thrashing around, and since its face was covered in golden swords, it could only blindly attack its surroundings like a broken machine.

    Thendscape quickly began to change with the Abomination''s chaotic movements.

    The Abomination''s erratic movements also forced Yuan to slow down his attacks so that he doesn''t get his by its random attacks.

    Wan Kaiqi eventually arrived at the scene, and when he saw that it was Yuan who had been fighting the Abomination this entire lime, he was left speechless andpletely shocked.

    "I-Impossible What technique did he use to cover the Abomination with those golden swords?"

    Then he noticed that Yuan was attacking the Abomination with Sword Aura that had been infused with demon sealing aura.

    "He can not only use Sword Aura but also infuse it with demon sealing aura?! Who is this guy?! There''s no way he''s just a mere Spirit Lord! He must be hiding his true cultivation! Fuck! He tricked me!"

    It was at this moment that Wan Kaiqi realized the points he''d painstakingly acquired were at stake.

    However, no matter how much he wanted to return to hunting demons, he was just unable to leave. There was something about Yuan fighting with the Abomination that is keeping him there.

    Daoist Huan showed up a few minutes after Wan Kaiqi, and sure enough, she was just as shocked as Wan Kaiqi after she saw the situation.

    "W-Who is that?" She asked Wan Kaiqi without taking her eyes off the fight.

    "I don''t know," he responded in a confused voice.

    He was just as clueless as her.

    Eventually, the Abomination began showing signs of being sealed, as one of its arms had turned into stonepletely.

    When he saw this, Yuan briefly stopped his attacks and began gathering spiritual energy in his sword.

    After taking a deep but calm breath, Yuan released the Heaven Splitting Sword Strike on the Abomination. Of course, this Heaven Splitting Sword Strike was infused with demon sealing aura just like his Sword Aura.

    Of course, this Heaven Splitting Sword Strike was infused with demon sealing aura just like his Sword Aura.

    The Heaven Splitting Sword Strike easily blew a massive hole within the Abomination''s body She a sharp knife cutting paper before disappearing in the horizon.

    The Abomination''s body immediately began working on recovering the damage, but it realized that it was unable to heal the wound just as quickly.

    Its instincts told the Abomination that it was in danger, and for the first lime, it gave up on destruction and focused on running away.

    .."I-It''s running away? No way... " Wan Kaiqi was bewildered by the Abomination''s actions.

    The others watching were just as baffled, as they have never witnessed such a scene before.

    ''Where do you think you''re going?!"

    Yuan stopped attacking the demon and took a moment to create a massive golden sword that was almost as big as the Abomination before sending it flying at the Abomination.

    BOOM!

    The entire world shook as the golden sword pinned the Abomination into the ground, stopping it from running away.

    The Abomination wanted to scream in pain, but since it couldn''t make any noises, its body began squirming instead...

    If you stop struggling and be sealed, you won''t have to endure any more pain!. Yuan shouted at the demon as he unleashed some more Sword Aura at the pinned down demon.

    Eventually, the Abomination could no longer regenerate faster than it was being sealed andpletely turned into stone.

    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    Seeing that he''d finally sealed the Abomination, Yuan finally stopped attacking it and sat down to recover his spiritual energy that was almost exhausted.

    The ce turned dead silent after Yuan sealed the Abomination, and even the demons that had been in hiding did not dare to disturb him. Despite not being real, these demons were created to act and think like demons, so it was only natural for them to fear Yuan after witnessing his disy of strength...

    "H-He really did it He sealed the Abomination..." Yan Hara muttered in a dazed voice as she stared at the Abomination''s sealed frame.

    Even though she had a feeling that Yuan had the potential to defeat the Abomination, she still couldn''t believe it even after witnessing it happen with her own eyes.

    "Shit... I really want to speak with him right now, but we are not allowed to approach them until the examination is over..." Wan Yu gritted his teeth with deep frustration.

    While Yuan recovered his spiritual energy, Wan Kaiqi and Daoist Huan would just stand in ce and stare at the sealed Abomination as though they were in a trance.

    "This cannot be happening... I must be dreaming..." Wan Kaiqi mumbled in a low voice after many minutes of silence.

    "I really wish this was just a dream, but..." Daoist Huan released a deep sigh.

    She turned around and began walking away.

    "Where are you going?" Wan Kaiqi asked her.

    "The Abomination may have been defeated, but there are still plenty of demons to hunt," she said before disappearing from his sight.

    Wan Kaiqi lingered around for a few more minutes before leaving the ce as well.

    However, he did not return to hunting demons. Instead, he went straight to the finish line. He knew that his defeat was inevitable, so there was no reason for him to continue farming points, as he would only be helping Yuan gather more points..

 Chapter 842: Promotion to Elite Demon Sealer

    <h4>Chapter 842: Promotion to Elite Demon Sealer</h4>

    "Phew, that took more effort than I''d expected." Yuan sighed in relief after he finished recovering his spiritual energy.

    "Young Master¡­ Are you still the Young Master, or are you¡­" Feng Yuxiang had a feeling that his memories as the Divine Paragon had resurfaced again, affecting his behavior.

    Yuan smiled and said, "Don''t worry, Feng Feng. It''s still me, Yuan."

    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    "Anyways, we still have plenty of time left before the end of the examination. Let''s get as many points as we can."

    He then stood up and turned to look in a specific direction.

    "Why are you hiding? Come out and y with me!" Yuan suddenly said out loud.

    When the demons in hiding heard Yuan''s words, they immediately turned around and began running away. They knew that they had no chance against a monster like Yuan, who single-handedly defeated the Abomination without giving it the chance to really retaliate.

    "Where do you think you''re all going? You can run and hide, but you won''t escape from me! I can smell you all from miles away!"

    A wide smile appeared on Yuan''s face as he chased after the demons, feeling better than ever before.

    After consuming the Divine Paragon''s memories, his hidden fear towards demons disappeared, allowing his confidence to flow and bing empowered by it.

    Although he''s never really mentioned it to anyone, he was always fearful of demons inwardly. Perhaps even he was not aware of it, but now that fear is gone, it feels as though a massive amount of weight has been lifted off his back.

    [Demon Sealing Strike!]

    Yuan used this technique with Sword Aura, shredding the demon it struck until there was nothing left of it, killing it almost instantly.

    ''The way he uses his Sword Aura... It reminds me of the Lord''s Sword Aura.... Lan Yingying thought to herself as she watched Yuan kill one demon after another from his wrist.

    A few hourster, Yuan umted over 1,500 points.

    "At this rate, he''ll clear out all of the demons within the Demons'' Valley." Tang Zheng said.

    "He''s going to have a field day Inside the treasure room with the amount of points he''ll have by the end of the examination." Wan Yu smiled.

    "And he still has another full day to acquire more points..." Yan Hare said.

    "Oh well. Even if he empties out the treasure room, nobody canin about it, as that is the rule of this examination."

    After another day of hunting demons, Yan Hara''s voice resounded from the ne, ''You have four hours left before the examinationes to an end."

    "Four hours, huh? Might as well end things now since it appears that I have hunted all of the demons in the Demons'' Valley." Yuan mumbled to himself, as it has been over an hour since hest encountered a demon.

    Thus, he began making his way towards the finish line.

    He reached the Divine Paragon''s statue two hourster to see Wan Kaiqi cultivating beside the statue.

    When Wan Kaiqi noticed Yuan''s presence, he opened his eyes and proceeded to stare at Yuan with a perplexed expression on his face.

    Yuan nced back at Wan Kaiqi and said, "I''m surprised to see you here before me. Did something happen?"

    "No particr reason. I just got bored of fighting demons, so I decided to end it early," Wan Kaiqi lied without any hesitation.

    And he continued, "Don''t worry, I won''t go back on my own words. If I lose, I will give you my points as promised."

    Yuan didn''t really care about Wan Kaiqi''s reasons for quitting early, so after hearing that Wan Kaiqi would honor their bet, he stopped bothering Wan Kaiqi and sat down to cultivate.

    About an hour after Yuan''s arrival, Daoist Huan also showed up at the finish line, but she appeared to be a little agitated for some reason.

    ''What the heck is going on with the examination? I stopped encountering demons after the second day!'' She sighed inwardly.

    Although she knew that there was only a limited amount of demons to hunt for the examination, she could not have expected for Yuan to kill all of them within 2 days, hence her frustration and confusion.

    However, that confusion would disappear shortlyter when the judges appeared to announce the results.

    Once all three participants arrived at the finish line, Yan Hera and the other judges showed up to end the examination.

    "Congrattions on passing the examination. The three of you will be promoted to the rank of Elite Demon Sealer. We would normally hold a ceremony for such an asion, but due to the current situation, we will have to skip the ceremony and go straight to the promotion." Wan Yu said to them.

    "Anyways, let''s announce the results of the examination."

    "Third ce, Wan Kaiqi with 155 points."

    "Second ce, Huan Xie with 289 points."

    "First ce, Yuan with 2,056 points."

    "T-Two thousand points...?" Huan Xie looked at Yuan with her eyes as wide as saucers.

    ''No wonder why I couldn''t find any demons! This guy killed them all!''

    Two thousand points... That''s gotta be the record... Wan Kaiqi looked at Yuan with a bewildered face.

    Indeed, Yuan''s two thousand points had beaten the previous record held by Dian Chu, even doubling it. "Do you guys have anything to say before we leave this ce?" Wan Yu then asked.

    Wan Kaiqi raised his hands and said, "My points... Give them to him."

    "What?" Wan Yu raised his eyebrows in a questioning manner.

    "I lost a bet with him." Wan Kaiqi said, not exining any further.

    "Very well. You have a total of 2,211 points now." Wan Yu said to Yuan.

    They left the Demons'' Valley shortly after and returned to the Grand Library, where Yan Hara handed them their new badges.

    "Once again, congrattions," she said to them.

    "Thank you, Senior." They bowed to her before taking their leave.

    After the other two left, it was Just Yuan and the three Judges.

    They turned to look at him and proceeded to stare at him in silence. They had so many questions for him that neither of them knew where to start..

 Chapter 843: Act of Treachery

    <h4>Chapter 843: Act of Treachery</h4>

    "Is there something wrong?" Yuan decided to ask them after giving them plenty of time to speak.

    "Little founder¡­ That technique you used to restrict the Abomination¡ª what kind of technique is it?" Yan Hara forcefully swallowed before asking him.

    "Oh, that was one of my family''s techniques. It''s called Swords of Binding Light. It''s really good for restricting magical beasts and demons alike," he responded in a calm manner.

    "Swords of Binding Light? So it really wasn''t Swords of Eternal Torment?" Tang Zheng mumbled.

    "I told you it couldn''t have been that technique." Wan Yu didn''t seem surprised outside, but he was relieved inwardly.

    Of course, since Yuan had the Divine Paragon''s memories, he was well aware that Swords of Eternal Torment was a technique that had never been shared with the Demon Sealing n or anyone in that matter. He was also aware of the risk from using the technique, but he had no other choice, as that technique was required to defeat the Abomination at his current level.

    "Anyways, that was a marvelous performance, little founder. I am now more confident than ever that you have what it takes to be the next leader of the Demon Sealing n!" Yan Hara said with a bright smile on her face.

    "Screw the Demon Sealing n." Wan Yu suddenly said.

    "Huh? What did you just say?" Yan Hare turned to look at him with a frown on her face.

    However, Wan Yu ignored her and continued to look at Yuan, "I wouldn''t normally do something this shameless, but you''re worth it. Yuan, leave the Demon Sealing n and join the Demon Sealing Grotto. You''re wasting your talents over there."

    "Hey! How dare you try to convert the little founder right in front of me!" Yan Hara was beginning to fume in anger.

    Wan Yu coldly snorted at her and said, "Have you already forgotten what I told you during the examination? The Demon Sealing n is copsing faster than ever before. It will only be a matter of time before itpletely disappears."

    He then turned to look at Yuan and continued, "Listen here, Yuan. Because of Qian Chu, the current leader of the Demon Sealing n, three Master Demon Sealers from the Demon Sealing Grotto were killed, and this isn''t the first time he''s indirectly killed our people. The Demon Sealing Grotto can only endure it so much before they make the Demon Sealing n pay for its leader''s crimes."

    "Therefore, I am advising you to leave it before things get too hectic. If you want to be a leader, you can be the leader of the Demon Sealing Grotto instead. I believe you have the capabilities."

    After a moment of silence, Yuan spoke, "So what you''re saying is... The Demon Sealing n will suffer because of the current leader. In other words, as long as someone reces his position, the Demon Sealing Grotto won''t bother us any further. Is that correct?"

    "Uhh... I understand where you''reing from, but that''s not how this works. Even if the Demon Sealing Grotto is willing to forgive the Demon Sealing n, it is highly unlikely that someone will rece him. Ojan Chu, he won''t let anyone take his position even if he has to fight to hisst breath."

    "Little founder, are you thinking about taking Qian Chu''s spot as the leader of the Demon Sealing n?" Yan Hara suddenly asked him.

    "Hm? No, not at all. However, I do intend on removing Wan Chu from his position. He doesn''t qualify to be the leader of the Demon Sealing n." Yuan said in a calm voice.

    Yan Hara and Tang Zheng felt chills down their spine after hearing Yuan''s words, and they immediately began looking around to make sure nobody else had heard him.

    "Y-You shouldn''t say such things out loud! Do you have any idea how many people admire Qian Chu? Even worse, if Qian Chu gets word of it, he will personally take care of you!" Yan Hara warned him.

    "Hahaha!" Wan Yu suddenly beganughing out loud.

    "You are truly a wondrous and iprehensible existence! Tell me, how are you going to ''remove him''? You have piqued my interest!"

    "Don''t tell him anything. For all we know, he could run off to tell Qian Chu afterward." Yan Hara sneered.

    "I would never help Can Chu. He''s not only an egotistical bastard but also coldhearted to the bone. He''s someone that could sacrifice an entire city without batting an eye as long as he achieves his goal, almost like a demon in human skin. If I can assist in bringing him down, I would do so in a heartbeat." Wan Yu shook his head.

    And he continued, "You know, I had a rtionship with many of the demon sealers that had been killed by Qian Chu. They were my friends."

    Yuan then spoke, "Even if you ask me to tell you, I don''t know how to remove him from his position¡ª at least not right now. However, I will eventually think of something."

    N?velDrama.Org (C) content.

    "Little founder... Are you serious?" Yan Hara looked at him with a worried frown on her pretty face.

    "It is one thing to fight for his position, but what you''re doing sounds like an act of treachery... You could¡ªwill be killed for it if caught."

    "Don''t worry, Senior Yan. I won''t do anything... for now. After all, I am still too weak to threaten anybody." Yuan said.

    "Aiya... That''s not what I am worried about..."

    "You worry too much, Yan Hara. If you keep your mouth shut, nobody will find out about anything. In fact, the two of you are more of a risk to him than I am. After all, you''re both from the Demon Sealing n and work directly for Qian Chu. I, on the other hand, work for the side that wants to see him fall."

    "That''s it! I have had enough of your bullshit! How dare you suggest that I would do anything to hurt him!"

    Just as Yan tiara prepared to confront Wan Yu, Tang Zheng quickly reacted and stepped between them.

    "That''s enough from the both of you. Are you trying to worsen the already grave situation between our ns? If you don''t trust each other, I have a suggestion. Make an oath with heaven as witness that you will not say anything."

    "You want us to make a Heavenly Oath?" They looked at Tang Zheng with wide eyes.

    "It''s either that or you continue fighting each other." Tang Zheng nodded.,

 Chapter 844: Heavenly Oath

    <h4>Chapter 844: Heavenly Oath</h4>

    "If it makes things better, I can go first." Tang Zheng said when he noticed their hesitancy.

    However, they weren''t hesitant because they had nned on telling Qian Chu about Yuan''s n to remove him from his position.

    They were hesitant because a Heavenly Oath would mark their soul, and anything that is rted to the soul is an extreme risk for any cultivators. Unless it was absolutely necessary, nobody would dare to take such risks.

    "I-I am willing to do a Heavenly Oath since I know that I won''t say anything." Yan Hara said a momentter.

    "If you do it, then I will do it as well." Wan Yu nodded.

    Yuan then said, "You guys really don''t need to do this¡­ If I didn''t trust you guys, I wouldn''t have said anything out loud."

    "Little founder, this is not just about you. This is also about our trust for each other. He clearly doesn''t trust me, but I don''t me him since I don''t trust him either." Yan Hara said.

    Wan Yu nodded, agreeing with Yan Hara''s words.

    "Then allow me to start."

    Tang Zheng raised his hand above his head and spoke, "With Heaven as my witness, I swear that I will not tell anyone that isn''t here right now about what just happened. If I break this oath, may the Heavens shatter my soul as punishment."

    A golden light flickered on Tang Zheng''s forehead the next second, which meant that the Heavenly Oath was a sess.

    Yan Hara and Wan Yu followed suit after Tang Zheng by making their own oath.

    "There. Are you happy now?" Van Hara red at Wan Yu afterward.

    "Yes, very happy." Wan Yu shrugged.

    He then turned to look at Yuan and said, "Anyways, if you truly intend on removing Wan Chu from his position, don''t wait too long because the Demon Sealing Grotto definitely won''t be waiting for you."

    Yuan nodded, and he asked, "Do you }mow when the Demon Sealing Grotto might act?"

    "Well, as heated as things are right now, I doubt anything significant would happen for a few more years. This is a very sensitive situation that could result In war between the two ns. However, I wouldn''t bet on anything. We don''t know what Qian Chu has nned, after all."

    "I will figure something out. You guys can just continue your life as normal." Yuan said.

    "Normal, huh? I think it''s a little toote for that Tang Zheng sighed.

    "What are you going to do now?" Yan Hara asked him.

    "I am going to focus on increasing my own strength," he said.

    "If you need anything, you can contact me."

    "Anyways, do you want to visit the treasury now to redeem your points, or do you want to do itter? You have one year to use them before they are no longer valid." Wan Yu asked him sometimeter.

    "I want to do it now." Yuan said.

    "Alright. Follow us."

    Yuan nodded and proceeded to follow them to this secluded area behind the Grand Library, where a small pagoda was located.

    Sitting In front of this building was an old man, who appeared to be cultivating.

    Once they got close enough, the old man opened his eyes and spoke without opening his mouth, his calm voice resounding very clearly in their heads, "What do you want?"

    "He''s here to redeem his points." Wan Yu said.

    The old man narrowed his gaze at Yuan for a moment before gesturing for him.

    "Go ahead. Well wait for you out here." Yan Hara said to him.

    Yuan nodded and approached the old man

    "Show me your ne."

    Yuan removed the ne from the examination and handed it to the old man.

    "Hm?!"

    The old man''s eyes widened with surprise after seeing how many points Yuan had acquired.

    He turned to look at Yan Hara and the others with a look of disbelief on his face.

    "It''s real, Senior." Wan Yu said with a smile on his face.

    ''There should only be enough demons within the Demons'' Valley to acquire 1,500 points, but the fact that you have 2,211 points must mean that you have managed to defeat the Abomination..." The old man muttered in a low voice.

    He then ced the ne on his forehead and closed his eyes.

    N?velDrama.Org (C) content.

    The ne suddenly began glowing, and Yuan''s fight with the Abomination that it had recorded reyed inside the old man''s head.

    "The technique you used to create those golden swords... What Is it called?" The old man asked Yuan with a serious expression on his face.

    "Swords of Binding Light." Yuan responded without hesitation.

    "Are you sure it''s not called Swords of Eternal Torment?" The old man narrowed his eyes.

    "Swords of Eternal Torment? What''s that?" Yuan raised his eyebrows in a puzzled manner, looking like he''d genuinely never heard of such a technique before.

    Seeing Yuan''s reaction, the old man shook his head, "Forget it."

    ''Somebody probably took inspiration from Swords of Eternal Torment for their own technique. It happens quite often.... He sighed inwardly.

    "Alright, follow me." The old man stood up and led Yuan into the pagoda.

    Once inside the pagoda, Yuan was greeted by hundreds of treasures on disy on the ground and even on the walls.

    "You have an hour. Do not touch any of the treasures. They are protected by a powerful array. If you want a treasure, let me know, unless you want to experience the power of these arrays." The old man said to him.

    Yuan nodded and immediately began looking at the demon sealing treasures.

    Most of the treasures there required between too to 500 points, so Yuan could potentially acquire 20 treasures from that ce if he picked only the cheapest treasures.

    However, he didn''t do that. In fact, he wasn''t interested in any of the treasures there.

    After a quick walkthrough around the room, Yuan turned to look at the old man and said, "None of these treasures interest me. I want to take a look at the treasures on the next floor..."

 845 Demon Warding Talisman

    845 Demon Warding Talisman

    "None of the treasures here interests you? You''re a picky one, aren''t you?" The old manughed out loud.

    This is his first time meeting someone who couldn''t be swayed by the treasures on the first floor.

    "Either the three outside didn''t tell you or you just don''t care, but you do not qualify to see the other floors." The old man then said.

    "But¡­"

    He closed his eyes to ponder.

    After a few moments of silence, he spoke, "But since you managed to defeat the Abomination and seem to have a bright future ahead of you, I will make this an exception and allow you to im a treasure from the next floor."

    "Thank you, senior." Yuan sped his hands and bowed to him in a respectful manner.

    "Don''t thank me just yet. I said ''a'' treasure, so you will only be allowed to choose one treasure even if you have enough points for more. If you stay down here, you can buy as many treasures as you''d like. What is your decision?"

    "I would still like to see the next floor." Yuan immediately responded without hesitation.

    None of the treasures on this floor were good enough in his eyes, so it wouldn''t matter if he could buy multiple of them.

    "Very well. Follow me." The old man nodded, and he proceeded to walk to the next floor with Yuan following right behind him.

    A few momentster, Yuan stepped foot inside the second floor. Although there were far less treasures on this floor at nce, there was a powerful pressure on this floor that didn''t exist on the first floor, and it made it harder to breathe for Yuan, as his cultivation level was too weak to stand beside these powerful treasures.

    However, he endured the intense pressure and began walking around the room.

    There were swords, spears, bows, daggers¡ª all sorts of weapons on this floor, but none of them interested him.

    ''These treasures would''ve definitely been enough before I acquired the Divine Paragon''s memories, but now¡­ They just feel sockluster¡­'' Yuan sighed inwardly.

    After reaching the end of the room, Yuan suddenly stopped before a red ring that had been resting inside a disy case for an unknown amount of time.

    He didn''t recognize this ring, but he had a feeling that he had seen it before.

    "What is this treasure?" Yuan decided to ask the old man.

    The old man approached him and the treasure before speaking, "Nobody really knows the usage for this treasure or how to use it, but it used to belong to the Divine Paragon¡ª at least ording to the rumors. There is no concrete proof that it belongs to the Divine Paragon, but some people during his era imed that they have seen him with it."

    "How much is it?" Yuan asked then asked.

    He figured that the reason he felt like he had seen the ring before was because it belonged to the Divine Paragon.

    ''I probably don''t recognize it because I don''t have the memories for it yet, but I do believe that it belonged to the Divine Paragon. As for its purpose¡­ I will find out once I regain those memories. Hopefully, it''s worth it.'' He thought to himself.

    "It''s worth 2,000 points." The old man said.

    "That expensive? Even though it doesn''t have any usage?" Yuan was surprised to hear this.

    "Well, anything rted to the Divine Paragon is extremely valuable even if it has no real uses. Even a wooden branch that had been touched by Divine Paragon for a brief moment can be worth more than actual treasures. There are some collectors out there that are obsessed with this kind of stuff." The old man exined.

    "I understand that, but you just said it is just a rumor that it belonged to the Divine Paragon. What if it turns out to be some random ring?" Yuan asked.

    "Even if that is the case, this ring has some value, as it contains a massive amount of demon sealing aura within it. The only problem is¡­ nobody knows how to extract it or use it. How about this. If you decide to buy this treasure, I will change the rules a little and let you buy another treasure from the first floor."

    "Deal." Yuan immediately agreed.

    "Then it''s decided that you want this ring?" The old man asked for confirmation.

    "Yes, I want this ring." He confirmed.

    "Very well."

    The old man then removed the array protecting the disy case and retrieved the red ring from within before handing it to Yuan.

    Ding!

    <You have acquired ''Unknown Sealed Ring''>

    [Sealed Ring]

    [Grade: ???]

    [Description: A mysterious ring that is said to belong to the Divine Paragon, Founder of the Demon Sealing n. It contains a massive amount of demon sealing aura within.]

    "You have 211 more points."

    Yuan returned to the first floor with the old man.

    After looking through the treasures once more, Yuan pointed at a specific treasure that was priced at 200 points.

    "I want this treasure."

    "Very well."

    The old man handed the treasure Yuan picked to him shortly after removing the array. Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    <You have acquired ''Demon Warding Talisman''>

    [Demon Warding Talisman]

    [Grade: Divine]

    [Description: Activating the Demon Warding Talisman will create a powerful barrier around the user, preventing most demons from approaching. It can also be used to contain demons. Requires 24 hours before it can be activated again.]

    "Since you have 11 points left that cannot be used to purchase anything, I will exchange them for spirit stones. Here you go."

    The old man handed Yuan a storage pouch that contained 11,000 spirit stones.

    "Thank you." Yuan bowed to the old man afterward.

    "I have a feeling that we will be seeing each other again soon. Good luck, young demon sealer." The old man sent Yuan away with a profound smile on his face.

    After leaving the pagoda, Yuan returned to the others that had been waiting outside this entire time.

    "What did you get? Show me!" Yan Hara asked him in a curious voice the moment he returned.

 ? 846: The Real Demonsâ€™ Valley

    <h4>?Chapter 846: The Real Demons'' Valley</h4>

    "I picked these two treasures." Yuan showed Yan Hara and the others his new treasures.

    "Huh? Only two treasures? That''s not right. You had over 2,000 points!" Yan Hara said with a puzzled look on her face.

    "That should be the Demon Sealing Ward, and it was only 200 points thest time I saw it. However, I don''t recognize that ring."

    "I know that ring, but it belonged to the second floor. I''m surprised the old man allowed you to go upstairs since only Master Demon Sealers qualify to go there." Wan Yu said.

    And he continued, "But why did you choose that treasure out of everything you could''ve picked from that floor? I am going to be honest¡ª you wasted your points on that ring."

    "What kind of demon sealing treasure is that?" Yan Hara asked.

    "It''s not really a demon sealing treasure. It is rumored to belong to the Divine Paragon, but there is no real evidence to back up such a rumor. That ring also has a massive amount of demon sealing aura stored within it, but nobody knows how to extract it from the ring. In fact, nobody even knows how to use the ring or what it''s used for."

    "H-How many points did you spend on this ring?" Yan Hara asked Yuan in a nervous voice.

    "2,000 points..." He said.

    For more, visit: MtNovel

    "Two thousand?!" Yan Hara eximed.

    "Heavens! Little founder, how could you waste so many points on such a worthless ring! That shrewd old man must''ve tricked you into buying it with some bullshit, right?! Come with me! We are going to ask for a refund!"

    "Calm down, senior. I was not tricked. I know about the rumors and that nobody knows how to use it." Yuan quickly said.

    "A-And you still purchased it? Why would you do such a thing?" Yan Hara asked with a bewildered look on her face.Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.

    2,000 points is no small amount. In fact, this is the first time that someone has acquired this many points, yet he wasted it on a useless ring that has no real practical uses when he could''ve imed a powerful demon sealing treasure instead? It didn''t make any sense.

    "To bepletely honest, I don''t know why I got it. I just had a feeling that I needed it."

    "You got it because of a gut feeling...? Unbelievable..." Yan Hara was truly speechless now.

    "You know what they say... The more talented they are, the more entric. That is why ordinary people can never understand geniuses." Wan Yu shrugged.

    "Whatever..." Yan Hara rubbed her temples and sighed.

    "Anyways, if it''s your choice to pick that ring, then I won''t say anything else. I really hope you don''t regret it."

    Yuan nodded.

    Sometimeter, Yuan walked outside the Grand Library with the other three.

    "Senior, I am going to return in a month to challenge the Demon Sealing Pagoda again. I have a feeling that I am going to defeat the fourth floor this time." Yuan said.

    "A month, right? I understand. You have mymunication jade slip, anyway."

    "See youter, Yuan."

    After saying their goodbyes, Yuan left the Grand Library and returned to Spirit Heaven.

    "Do you really think he has what it takes to remove Qian Chu from his position?" Wan Yu asked the other two afterward.

    And he continued, "I have my own hopes, but I don''t have any expectations."

    "He will, without doubt, be the next leader. I will make sure of it. That has been my goal even before today." Yan Hara calmly responded.

    Tang Zheng then spoke, "He definitely has the talent, but I don''t know if he''ll have the time...

    "In the end, we can only hope that fate will guide him towards the right path."

    After returning to the Myriad of Techniques, Yuan sighed inwardly, ''The Demon Sealing n and the Demon Sealing Grotto... How troublesome...''

    Even though he said that he will remove Qian Chu from his position, it was much easier said than done. In the end, he can only put that thought behind his mind for now and focus on getting stronger.

    Upon leaving the Myriad of Techniques, Yuan was greeted by a dark sky and the same chilling sensation from the Demons'' Valley during the examination.

    As he left the narrow alleyway and entered the street, Yuan could hear joyfulughter resounding from the street.

    "Did the people of this city finally decide to leave their houses?" Yuan muttered to himself.

    Feng Yuxiang appeared beside him and said, "Please be careful, Young Master. I sense something off about them."

    Yuan nodded as he entered the street with Feng Yuxiang following close behind him.

    He looked around to see many masked people dancing and singing on the street, almost as though there was an active festival, but the atmosphere did not feel normal, like there was something eerie about it.

    "Young Master, let''s just go straight to the Demons'' Valley." Feng Yuxiang said to him.

    Yuan nodded, "Yes, let''s go."

    However, right as he was prepared to leave, the people there suddenly stopped dancing, and they all turned to look at him in silence.

    Yuan swallowed nervously, and he quickly said, "Feng Feng, let''s just fly out of here."

    And before the people there could even react, Yuan flew into the sky and disappeared from their view.

    Once in the air, Yuan and Feng Yuxiang began flying towards the Demons'' Valley.

    "We should be able to see the Demons'' Valley very soon." Feng Yuxiang said.

    Half an hourter, deformed mountains started popping up in the horizon.

    Once Yuan could see the Demons'' Valley more clearly, he said, "This ce looks nothing like the Demons'' Valley from the examination..."

    Compared to the Demons'' Valley in the Grand Library that had normal-looking mountains, the mountains in this ce were mostly deformed, like they had been crushed by giants, and some of them were even riddled with holes.

    There was also not a single living tree or de of grass to be seen, and the miasma was so thick that one could see it with their bare eyes in the form of a red fog that shrouded the Demons'' Valley..

 Chapter 847: Suspicious Woman

    <h4>Chapter 847: Suspicious Woman</h4>

    "This red fog is probably the reason the people in the nameless town are losing their minds¡­" Yuan mumbled in a low voice.

    "How are you feeling, Young Master?" Feng Yuxiang asked him.

    "My legs feel a little cold, but that''s about it."

    "Young Master, can you hold my hands for a moment?" She suddenly extended her hand for him.

    Yuan didn''t think too much about it and held her hand.

    The very next moment, Yuan could feel a burning yetfortable sensation flowing throughout his body, and the cold feeling in his legs quickly disappeared.

    "What was that?" Yuan asked her.

    "I just used my phoenix mes to warm up your body. Your veins are burning with my phoenix mes right now, which is warding off the miasma."

    "B-Burning?" Yuan''s eyes widened.

    He wasn''t worried that it could hurt him. It was just terrifying to think that his body was literally burning on the inside.

    "Don''t worry, Young Master. It won''t hurt you." Feng Yuxiang chuckled at his reaction.

    "I know. But it still feels weird." Yuan said.

    "Yingying, are you okay with the miasma?" He asked her.

    "Yes, I am fine. Just like Miss Feng, I am not affected by it. In fact, the miasma is actually trying to avoid me. It''s probably because of my Sacred me."

    "Sacred mes..."

    ording to the Divine Paragon''s memories, besides demon sealing aura, there exists another element in this world that can effectively destroy demons, and that element exists within Lan Yingying''s Sacred mes¡ª divine attribute.

    Not much is known about divine attributes since it is a power that cannot be wielded by human cultivators. In fact, only Divine Beasts have ever wielded such powers before.

    "Young Master." Feng Yuxiang suddenly called for him.

    "There is a person ahead." She pointed at a middle-aged woman who was pacing back and forth the entrance of the Demons'' Valley, and she appeared to be very distraught.

    When Yuan saw her expression, he couldn''t help but feel pity for her.

    "Let''s see what happened."

    "Be careful... She might be from the nameless town..." Feng Yuxiang quickly warned him.

    "I don''t sense anything wrong with her. It should be fine." Yuan nodded.

    He descended before the woman a momentter and asked her, "Excuse me, are you okay?"

    The middle-aged woman was startled by Yuan''s sudden appearance, but when she realized that he was a cultivator, she immediately approached him and asked, "I-Immortal Cultivator! Are you heading inside the Demons'' Valley?!"

    "Yes, I am."

    "Please! Can you please help me?! My son went inside the Demons'' Valley a week ago to hunt magical beasts with his friends, and he promised that he would be home two days ago, but he still hasn''t returned! I tried looking for his friends, but they are also missing! I am worried to death that something might''ve happened to him!" The woman pleaded with him.

    "Uhh..."

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    As cruel as it may sound, Yuan had a feeling that her son was no longer in this world. However, he didn''t want to say it to the already-grieving mother, so he asked, "Do you know where he usually hunts? I can take a look around that area, and if I find him, I will bring him back to you."Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.

    "Oh! Thank you! Thank you very much! My son usually hunts near the ''Red Pond''. I will definitely repay this debt!"

    Yuan nodded, "This might take a while, so you can return home for now."

    "It''s okay, I will wait here just in case my sones out by himself!" She said.

    "Are you sure? This ce is very dangerous even for cultivators, much less a mortal like you..." Yuan expressed his worries.

    The woman nodded and said, "I have been here for two days now. I think I will be fine for another day or two."

    "If you say so... I will try to be back before sunrise. Be careful." Yuan said to her.

    "I will! Once again, thank you!" The woman bowed to him.

    Ding!

    <you have="" epted="" a="" quest=""></you>

    [Quest: Grieving Mother''s Plea]

    [Location: Demons'' Valley]

    [Difficulty: Hard]

    [Description: Search around the ''Red Pond'' for the Grieving Mother''s missing son]

    ''A quest, huh? Been a while.'' Yuan thought to himself as he nced over the quest details.

    "Are you ready?" Yuan turned to ask Feng Yuxiang, who was staring at the woman with a pondering face.

    "Yes, I am ready." Feng Yuxiang nodded.

    "Then let''s help this woman before we look for our person."

    "Okay."

    Yuan entered the Demons'' Valley with Feng Yuxiang shortly after.

    Once they were inside the Demons'' Valley and could no longer see the woman, Feng Yuxiang spoke, "Young Master, there''s definitely something very weird about that woman."

    "What?" Yuan asked.

    "Despite being a mortal, she could somehow stand so close to the Demons'' Valley without being affected by the miasma. That''s not possible." Feng Yuxiang exined.

    "Ah, that? I also noticed it, but I didn''t sense any bad vibes from her, so I decided to help her anyway." Yuan said.

    "Huh? You are still willing to help her even though there''s a very good chance that she might be setting a trap for you? That''s very reckless of you, Young Master." Feng Yuxiang was dumbfounded.

    "Reckless? Maybe. But I really hope it''s actually a trap so that I can put an end to it. If I ignore it, this trap will continue to exist and harm others." Yuan said, exining why he agreed to help the woman.

    "Young Master..." Feng Yuxiang did not expect this to be the real reason why Yuan decided to help this suspicious woman.

    "Anyways, the Red Pond isn''t that far away, so we should arrive soon."

    "Huh? How do you know where this ce is? Did you acquire a map of this ce?" Feng Yuxiang asked.

    "Not a map, but it''s even better than it." Yuan pointed at his head and smiled, "The Divine Paragon''s memories¡ª he''s been to this ce before, so I also know this ce like it''s at the back of my hand now."

    Feng Yuxiang''s mouth dropped wide open.

    "A-Are you sure we can trust those memories?"

    "I guess we''ll find out after we arrive at the location." Yuan chuckled..

 Chapter 848: Red Pond

    <h4>Chapter 848: Red Pond</h4>

    "We have arrived at Red Pond¡­ at least what''s left of it." Yuan said as they approached this massive, dried up hole in the ground from the sky.

    "This is the Red Pond? There''s nothing red about this, and a pond should have water¡­" Feng Yuxiang raised her eyebrows when she saw the scene.

    "Well, that was millions of years ago. That circle used to be a pond filled with red water. Rumors say the red water was actually human blood, and demons used to bathe and drink from it." Yuan sighed.

    "Anyways, this proves that my memories can be trusted. What do you think?" He looked at Feng Yuxiang.

    "I-I think so too¡­" She nodded.

    "Let''s take a look around."

    Yuan descended from the sky a momentter,nding right beside the empty pond. However, upon closer inspection, the Red Pond wasn''tpletely empty, as there appeared to be human remains in the form of bones at the bottom of the pond.

    He proceeded to stare at it with a dazed expression on his face.

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    Inside his mind, memories of the Red Pond flowed.

    The pond was filled to the brim with crimson liquid that resembled blood, and there were hundreds of demons bathing within the water while the Divine Paragon spied on them from the sky.

    ''No... The rumor was true. The red water was human blood, and the bottom of this pond was filled with human remains.''

    He could still feel the burning emotions the Divine Paragon felt when he first saw the scene of demons bathing in human blood and the horrendous scent that assaulted his nose.

    ''In order to keep this Red Pond filled, demons killed thousands of people every single day...''

    After recalling these highly unpleasant memories, Yuan suddenly felt an urge to puke.

    "Young Master, are you okay?" Feng Yuxiang asked him when she noticed his face bing paler.

    "Yes... I just recalled some unpleasant memories, that''s all." He said.

    Feng Yuxiang held a worried look on her face. Although she doesn''t know what kind of memoires Yuan was seeing, she knew that it wasn''t good for his mental health.

    "Anyways, let''s look around for that woman''s son." Yuan used his divine sense to search for any clues.

    "I couldn''t find anything¡ª not even a footprint. What about you, Feng Feng?" Yuan asked her a momentter.

    She shook her head and said, "I didn''t find anything either. This either means the woman was lying about her son, or her son never came to this area."

    "Let''s expand our search a little more before wee to any conclusions." Yuan said.

    "Okay."

    They returned to the air shortly after and began flying around the Red Pond.

    About half an hourter, they gave up on the search when they found no clues and returned to the Red Pond.

    "Let''s forget about that woman''s missing son... If he even exists..." Feng Yuxiang said.

    Yuan sighed, "At the very least, we should let the mother know that we couldn''t find him..."

    "Okay." Feng Yuxiang nodded.

    However, just as Yuan prepared to leave the scene, his body suddenly halted.

    "Young Master? What are you waiting for?" Feng Yuxiang asked him from the sky.

    After a moment of silence, a slight smile appeared on Yuan''s face, and he spoke in a calm voice, "I can smell demons."

    "What?" Feng Yuxiang''s eyes widened with surprise. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.

    Yuan turned to look in a certain direction and continued, "One... two... three... There are three demons nearby."

    "Really? What should we do?"

    "Isn''t it obvious? I am going to kill them." Yuan responded in a nonchnt manner.

    "ording to my memories, there is a cave that demons used as a stronghold not far from here. They are probably hiding within this cave."

    Now that he''s sensed these demons, Yuan immediately began flying towards the direction of their scent.

    ''How weird. Why didn''t I smell their scent before?'' Yuan wondered to himself as he quickly approached the demons'' scent.

    About fifteen minutester, Yuan stopped moving and gazed upon the cave entrance below him.

    "The demons are inside this cave?" Feng Yuxiang asked.

    Yuan nodded, and he said, "Yes, but for some reason, their scent is getting weaker..."

    Lan Yingying suddenly appeared beside him and said, "There must be something in the cave that conceals their presence and scent."

    "Yingying... How are you feeling?" Yuan asked her.

    "I am feeling great. I just finished converting all of the magical beasts into spiritual energy, allowing me to breakthrough and be a Spirit Lord."

    "Congrattions." Yuan said.

    "Thank you, but I am still miles behind Miss Feng and Xiao Hua."

    "With your talents, I''m sure you''ll catch up to us in no time." Feng Yuxiang smiled.

    Lan Yingying nodded, and she turned to look at Yuan, "Allow me to help you with these demons. I want to see my progress."

    "Okay." Yuan agreed without any hesitation.

    "Thank you."

    They descended to the cave entrance a momentter.

    "So dark.." Yuan mumbled in a low voice when he couldn''t see more than a few inches inside the cave with his bare eyes despite having enhanced senses.

    When she heard his words, Feng Yuxiang summoned a ball of me that hovered above them to light the cave.

    "Are you guys ready?" Yuan asked them as he summoned the Empyrean Overlord.

    "Ready." They nodded.

    And without any hesitation, Yuan walked inside this cave.

    Upon entering the cave, Yuan realized that it was filled with skeletons just like the Red Pond.

    After walking for a couple of minutes without seeing any signs of demons, they were forced to stop, as the path came to a dead end.

    "A dead end? That''s not possible... I clearly picked up their scent from this ce." Yuan stood there and looked around with a pondering expression on his face.

    "What if the demons had already left?" Feng Yuxiang said.

    "I would know if they had left, but their scent lingered in this ce until it disappeared shortly after we entered this cave. Maybe there is a secret passage or something. Let''s look around." Yuan said.

    "Okay." They nodded..

 Chapter 849: Hidden Passage

    <h4>Chapter 849: Hidden Passage</h4>

    Although the cave was quite spacious and wide, it had a linear interior, meaning there was only a single path for Yuan and the others to traverse.

    However, even after walking back and forth this cave multiple rounds, they were unable to find any secret passages that the demons could''ve used to hide themselves.

    "I don''t see any formations in this ce. If there''s really a secret passage, it''s not concealed by a formation¡ª or it''s concealed by a formation that''s so powerful that even I cannot see it. However, demons don''t have the power to create formations or arrays." Yuan said.

    "I also don''t see anything out of the ordinary with my divine sense." Feng Yuxiang said.

    And she continued in a worried voice, "What if this is a trap? We should probably leave this cave for now."

    "Wait." Lan Yingying suddenly said.

    "What is it? Do you see something?" Yuan turned to look at her.

    "I''m not sure, but that area feels off for some reason¡ª the ground." Lan Yingying pointed at the ground right before the dead end.

    "The ground?" Yuan walked over to where Lan Yingying pointed and inspected the ground.

    When he couldn''t find anything wrong with it, he decided to stomp on the ground.

    "Hm?" Yuan raised his eyebrows when he felt a hollow feedback from the stomp.

    "It''s empty here." He said to them before stabbing into the ground with the Empyrean Overlord.

    The ground immediately copsed, revealing a hidden staircase that led underground.

    Furthermore, the scent of demons that had disappeared suddenly appeared again. "I can smell them again! Demons! They''re below us!" Yuan quickly said.

    "How did we miss such an obvious passage? This must be the work of a treasure that can misdirect our senses. We should be careful, Young Master." Feng Yuxiang warned him.

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    "Good idea, especially since I can smell more than three demons now." Yuan suddenly said.

    "Huh? How many demons can you smell?" Feng Yuxiang asked.

    After taking a few deep breaths, Yuan replied, "About seven or eight."

    "S-Seven or eight? That many?" Lan Yingying was speechless.

    "Don''t worry, they don''t seem very strong. The strongest one appears to be a peak Spirit King, but it''s only a low-ranking demon."

    "If you say so..." She nodded.

    "Young Master, allow me to go first." Feng Yuxiang said.

    Yuan nodded, but before walking the staircase, Yuan wore his mask.

    "Why the mask?" Feng Yuxiang asked. Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    "It won''t be fun if the demons recognize me," he chuckled.

    Feng Yuxiang was speechless.

    ''He''s treating this like a game...'' She sighed inwardly.

    Sometimeter, they began descending the narrow staircase.

    Many minutester, at the end of the staircase, they entered a spacious room with multiple paths to choose from.

    "Which way?" Feng Yuxiang turned to look at Yuan, who was already pointing to a path.

    "I understand."

    Feng Yuxiang, without hesitation, began walking towards the path picked by Yuan.

    "I''m surprised you can smell the demons from so far away... How do you do it?" Lan Yingying asked him.

    "I don''t know. I just instinctively know their location when I smell them, and they have this very distinctive scent that''s hard to miss." Yuan shrugged, even though he was unable to smell demons before acquiring the Divine Paragon''s memories and experience.

    Lan Yingying tried to smell this ''distinctive scent'' that Yuan spoke of, but she was not sessful.

    After walking for ten minutes straight, Feng Yuxiang came to a stop when she arrived at a dead end in the form of a cliff.

    However, once they were actually standing on this cliff, they were amazed by the scenery before them.

    "This is... a city?" Yuan mumbled in a low voice as he gazed upon a city that had already been reduced to ruins.

    Although the city wasn''t sorge that he couldn''t see the end, it was still quite shocking to find a city of this size beneath the Demons'' Valley.

    ''This ce isn''t in the Divine Paragon''s memories, but since I only have a small fraction of his memories, I wouldn''t be surprised if he found this ceter.'' Yuan thought to himself.

    After all, if nobody knew about this ce, it would still be popted by demons right now.

    "What now, Young Master? Should we hunt them one by one¡ª at least until they notice our presence?" Feng Yuxiang asked him.

    "No, that would take too much time. We''ll gather and deal with all of them at once." Yuan said with an excited smile on his face.

    "How are we going to do that?" Feng Yuxiang asked.

    "Like this."

    Yuan suddenly released his demon sealing aura, instantly filling the entire underground city with his presence.

    The very next moment, eight different auras appeared in response to Yuan''s provocation.

    "They''reing." Yuan warned them.

    Feng Yuxiang and Lan Yingying immediately prepared for battle while Yuan continued to stand there in a calm manner, and they watched as eight red-skinned demons emerged from the city before flying towards them.

    In less than ten seconds after Yuan announced their presence, all eight demons stood before them.

    "How did you find this ce, human?" The demon emitting the aura of a peak Spirit King asked.

    Yuan pointed at his own face and said, "I followed your scent."

    "Our scent? What are you, a dog? No, not even a dog would be able to do that."

    And it continued, "Whatever. It doesn''t matter how you found this ce. It was foolish of you toe here with just the three of you."

    "Hahaha! It''s been thousands of years since I''ve tasted human flesh and blood!"

    "I call dibs on that woman with the smooth-looking skin beside him! She looks incredibly delicious!" One of the demons suddenly pointed at Lan Yingying.

    "Then I want that big-breasted woman! I bet her meat is incredibly tender and juicy!" Another demonughed as it pointed at Feng Yuxiang.

    "Unlike that masked person, they don''t smell human. They must be magical beasts disguised as humans."

    "Who cares if they are humans or magical beasts! All it matters is how they taste, and I am starving!"

    "Let''s get ''em!"

    However, before the demons could even move two steps, Yuan released his demon sealing aura.

    [Demon Sealing Zone!]

    With a wave of his sleeve, Yuan confined all eight demons in the Demon Sealing Zone, taking them by surprise.

    "W-What the fuck is this?!"

    "This feeling... It''s the Demon Sealing Zone!"

    "What?! The Demon Sealing Zone?! Impossible!"

    The demons were confused and terrified at the same time.

    After all, only very few people within the Demon Sealing n can use the Demon Sealing Zone, and they are mostly high-ranking demon sealers.

    However, Yuan''s cultivation level was too weak to be a high-ranking demon sealer, hence why they thought nothing about him¡ª until now.

    After capturing the demons, Yuan approached them and spoke in a calm voice, "I''m interested in something. If you answer my question, I will let you out of the Demon Sealing Zone."

    "Hmph! As if we will believe you!" The demons sneered.

    Yuan ignored their response and began questioning them anyway, "Let''s start with an easy one.. How long have you lowly demons been hiding down here?"

 ? 850: Hibernation

    <h4>?Chapter 850: Hibernation</h4>

    "The answer is¡­ go fuck yourself." One of the eight demons cursed out loud in response to Yuan''s question.

    "..."

    Yuan merely shook his head and said, "I will ask you again. How long have you been hiding in this underground city?"

    "I might consider answering if you throw one of your friends in here. I''m too hungry to answer your questions, after all." Another demon answered.

    "Hahaha! Good one! That''s right! We''ll answer your questions in exchange for those women behind you! How about a limb per question?"

    Yuan sighed at their response.

    "We can do this the easy way¡­ or the hard way."

    [Swords of Eternal Torment.]

    With the snap of his fingers, three golden swords appeared above the demons.

    "What the heck is that?" The demons tilted their heads to look at the swords.

    "I will not repeat myself." Yuan said to them with a solemn expression on his face.

    The demons swallowed nervously.

    Although the demons didn''t recognize the technique, they instinctively feared it.

    "And we will not repeat ourselves! Fuck yo¡ª"

    Yuan moved his finger in a downward motion, and before the demon could even finish its sentence, one of the golden swords fell from the sky and stabbed itself right in the center of the demon''s chest.

    "AAAAAAAAAAH!"

    The demon suddenly roared in a painful voice, startling the other demons.

    "Hey! What''s wrong?!" The demons immediately knew that something was off. After all, they shouldn''t feel pain as demons, yet their buddy that just got struck was definitely screaming in pain, and it appeared to be suffering excruciating pain.

    "That technique removes your pain tolerance, so you''ll feel pain just like the rest of us." Yuan exined to them the effects of the technique, which only terrified them even more.

    Regardless of their rank, demons greatly depend on their insane regenerating ability andck of ability to feel pain, as these two talents allow demons to be fearless creatures.

    However, without even one of these techniques, the demons immediately be a wed existence.

    "PLEASE! GET THIS THING OFF ME! AHHHHHH!" The demon pleaded as blood flowed from its eyes.

    However, Yuan merely stood there and silently watched with a nonchnt expression on his face. He clearly couldn''t care less about the demon nor the pain it was feeling.

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    After torturing the demon for a few more minutes while ignoring the other demons the entire time, Yuan finally spoke, "My questions, do you feel like answering them now?"

    "Millions of years! We have been down here ever since the Demon Sealing n defeated the Demon n!" The demon with the golden sword stuck between its chest answered.

    "Very good."

    Yuan removed the golden sword from the demon afterward, and he continued to ask, "So you stayed down here for millions of years without leaving this ce even once? How do you stay sane?"

    "We hibernate." The demon quickly responded to his question again, and it continued, "We demons can hibernate for tens of thousands of years at once. However, that doesn''t mean we can sleep for millions of years without any breaks. When wee out of our hibernation, we will leave this ce briefly to hunt for food in the surrounding areas. Once we''re full, we will hibernate again."

    "Hibernation, huh. If I recall correctly, this is also how you demons increase your strength." Yuan said.

    "That''s right, but we only resort to that when we cannot acquire enough resources to strengthen ourselves." The demon nodded.

    Yuanughed out loud after hearing its words, and he said in a mocking tone, "The eight of you have hibernated for millions of years, yet this is the level of your strength? Were you Spirit Apprentices before you decided to live here? How pitiful! I guess this is because of your immortality. After all, you can''t be immortal and have a fast growth rate, or that would be utterly broken."

    The demons gritted their teeth in anger after hearing Yuan''s words, but they couldn''t rebuke his ims, as it was true. In exchange for their immortality and talents, demons are at the rock bottom when ites to growth.

    For example, if an ordinary human cultivator at the first level Spirit Apprentice wanted to reach the second level, they would need at least a couple of weeks if not months. Meanwhile, demons at the same level would require lo times the amount of time if not more to achieve the same results.

    Of course, this restriction only exists in low-ranking demons like these 8 demons. Higher ranking demons would require much less time, and some of them even outrightck this restriction.

    "Anyways, since you have answered my questions, I will now let you out of the Demon Sealing Zone." Yuan suddenly said.

    "R- Really?" The demon was in disbelief.

    "Yes, but you''re notpletely free just yet." Yuan said, and he turned to look at Lan Yingying.

    "You wanted to test yourself, right? I will let you have this one."

    "Are you sure?"

    He nodded at her before returning to the demon, "If you can defeat my friend, I will let you live. I also won''t interfere with your fight... even if you kill her."Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    A wide grin appeared on the demon''s face after hearing Yuan''s words.

    "Say no more."

    Yuan flicked his sleeves, pulling the demon out of the Demon Sealing Zone.

    This demon was at the peak of Spirit Lord while Lan Yingying was only at the first level of Spirit Lord. However, Yuan wasn''t feeling worried at all, as he was confident in Lan Yingying''s ability.

    "Young Master, are you sure this is a good idea...?" Feng Yuxiang, on the other hand, didn''t have the same confidence as him.

    Although she has seen Lan Yingying fight magical beasts before during their little journey in the Lower Heavens, that was not nearly enough to convince her that Lan Yingying will be okay in this fight.

    "She''ll be fine. Have some faith in her." Yuan smiled.

    "..."

    ''The Divine Paragon''s memories are clearly affecting him. If this urred a month ago, the Young Master would not have allowed her to be in such a risky situation. However, this is the kind of characteristic that is required to survive in the cultivation world, especially once he traverses the upper heavens.'' Feng Yuxiang sighed inwardly.

    On one hand, she was relieved that Yuan was finally growing up to be more like a cultivator just like how she always wanted, but on the other hand, she was worried that he might be changing too fast, as it could have negative effects on him..

 Chapter 851: False Incense

    <h4>Chapter 851: False Incense</h4>

    Lan Yingying calmly approached the demon after it was released from the Demon Sealing Zone.

    ''I wasn''t able to help my parents or my grandparents in the Mystic Realm, but I have grown stronger. If I cannot even deal with a single demon, I am not fit to serve him.'' Lan Yingying held a solemn expression on her face.

    Her ck hair suddenly turned white, and her azure eyes turned pink.

    "What kind of magical beast are you? You must be really special if you can transform into a human at that level of cultivation." The demon licked its lips as it red at Lan Yingying.

    "Magical beast? Try Divine Beast." She calmly responded.

    "She''s a Divine Beast¡­?"

    The demons were surprised to learn that Lan Yingying was actually a Divine Beast.

    "Hahaha! What luck! I have never tasted flesh or blood from a Divine Beast before! You''ll be my first!" The demon fighting her beganughing out loud.

    "I cannot wait!"

    The demon suddenly flew at Lan Yingying with its mouth wide open.

    "Sacred Fire!"

    Lan Yingying lifted her arm and pointed her palm at the iing demon before shooting arge ball of white mes at it.

    Due to its arrogance and confidence in its immortal body, the demon didn''t even bother blocking or avoiding the mes and ran straight into it, allowing the mes to consume its body.

    "Is this all you''ve got?! mes don''t work against us demons!"

    Despite its whole body being engulfed in mes, the demon did not appear even slightly worried about the mes and continued to rush at Lan Yingying, as it was confident that it could easily regenerate faster than the mes could destroy it.

    "Eat this, Bloody¡ª" The demon suddenly halted its movements when it was about tounch an attack on Lan Yingying.

    "W-What''s happening to my body? Why aren''t my injuries recovering?!" The demon looked down at its body with a puzzled face.

    "What is this?! What the fuck did you do?!" The demon immediately started trying to put out the white mes burning its body, but its efforts were futile, as the mes continued to slowly destroy the demon''s body.

    Lan Yingying watched the demon slowly being consumed by her Sacred Fire and said, "My Sacred Fire is of divine attributes, which is really effective against demons. I hope you like it."

    "Divine attributes?! Don''t fuck with me, you damn beast!" The demon stopped trying to put out the mes and started attacking Lan Yingying, hoping that he''d kill her before the mespletely consumed it.

    Even though the demon could not feel any pain from the Sacred Fire, its movements were greatly affected by the injuries on its body, making it incredibly sluggish and easy to dodge for Lan Yingying.

    ''It''s not dying fast enough... I need something stronger.'' Lan Yingying thought to herself as she distanced herself from the demon.

    "Fiery Lotus!"

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    Lan Yingying took a moment to create a beautiful lotus made out of her Sacred Fire beforeunching it at the demon.

    BOOM!

    The entire underground shook briefly when the Fiery Lotus exploded in front of the demon. "AAAAAHHHHH!" The demon released onest deafening roar before Lan Yingying''s Sacred mespletely erased it from existence.

    After killing the demon, Lan Yingying went to collect its demon core.

    ''Unbelievable... She actually took care of that demon with rtive ease...'' Feng Yuxiang thought to herself after witnessing Lan Yingying''s prowess.

    "Yingying, your Sacred Fire has improved tremendously since Ist saw it." Yuan said to her with a smile on his face.

    "Thank you, but I am not satisfied. Compared to my grandparents, my Sacred Fire is still too weak. The only reason I won so quickly is because that demon had underestimated my mes." Lan Yingying said.

    "Then would you like to fight another demon?" Yuan asked.

    Lan Yingying nodded her head without any hesitation.

    "Alright, give me a moment."

    He turned to look at the seven demons remaining, and they all held a solemn expression on their faces.

    "Let''s continue with the questioning. Whoever answers my questions will get to fight my friend." He said to them.

    "My next question is... What trick did you use to conceal your scent and the hidden passage?"

    "..."

    The demons hesitated to answer his question.

    "I won''t ask again." Yuan raised his hand, causing the golden swords to tremble.

    "A-A treasure!" One of the demons suddenly said.

    "Oh? Tell me about this treasure." Yuan turned to look at this demon that was also a peak Spirit Lord.

    "I-It''s a treasure that can create realistic illusions and conceals presences to a certain extent. We used it to conceal the hidden passage and erase our presence and smell."

    "Where is this treasure now?" Yuan continued asking.

    The demon turned to look at a certain house in the city below and pointed to it, "It''s in that building."

    "Allow me, Young Master." Feng Yuxiang said to him before going down to the city and searching the building with the treasure.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    She returned a few minutester with what appeared to be an incense holder made out of jade.

    "Here you go, Young Master." Feng Yuxiang handed him the treasure.

    "Oh... So this is the treasure, huh. I wasn''t expecting it to have such an appearance."

    [False Incense]

    [Grade: Ancient]

    [Quality: Peak]

    [Description: Allows the user to create realistic illusions and conceal presences. Can only have one illusion active at a time.]

    "Wow, this is a really useful treasure." Yuan inspected the treasure with a smile on his face before storing it inside his spatial ring.

    "Alright, you can fight my friend now."

    He turned to look at Lan Yingying, "Whenever you''re ready."

    "I am ready." She nodded.

    Yuan removed the demon from the Demon Sealing Zone a momentter.

    Lan Yingying and the demon began fighting each other shortly after.

    [Sacred Fire!]

    However, as expected, the demon didn''t dare to touch her Sacred Fire and dodged it instead.

    "You only defeated the previous demon because of its arrogance! I won''t make the same mistake!" The demonughed as itunched a counterattack.

    "Bloodshot!"

    Hundreds of red projectiles flew at Lan Yingying.

    [Sacred Fire!]

    Lan Yingying created a wall of fire before her, instantly burning all of the projectiles that touched it.

    ''Looks like I have to go all out if I want to defeat this demon.'' Lan Yingying said to herself before transforming into her beast form.

    "Wow... Not only did her strength grow but even her size grew a substantial amount..." Yuan mumbled in a low voice when he stared at Lan Yingying, who was now a massive serpent..

 Chapter 852: Just an Ordinary Demon Sealer

    <h4>Chapter 852: Just an Ordinary Demon Sealer</h4>

    Compared to her size in the Mystic Realm, Lan Yingying''s serpent body is now doubled in size, so she was about 100 meters long, and her body was twice as thick.

    "Do all Divine Beasts grow this big?" Yuan asked Feng Yuxiang while his attention remained fixated on Lan Yingying.

    "Yes, most Divine Beasts have veryrge frames. If I can transform into my phoenix form, I could easily cover an entire town with just one of my wings."

    "An entire town? Now that is something I really want to see¡­"

    After transforming into her serpent form, Lan Yingying began attacking the demon aggressively.

    [Sacred Fire!]

    Lan Yingying suddenly breathed fire from her mouth, covering arge area.

    "Shit!"

    The demon was not prepared for Lan Yingying''s attack and barely avoided her Sacred Fire.

    However, Lan Yingying was not done yet, and she immediately flew at the demon afterward.

    When she was close enough, Lan Yingying opened her mouth wide open before mming it shut on the demon.

    Once she caught the demon with her mouth, Lan Yingying released another breath of Sacred Fire, incinerating the demon until it was reduced to nothing but its demon core.

    After killing the second demon with seemingly even less effort than the first, Lan Yingying returned to Yuan''s side.

    "I''m speechless, Yingying. You''ve really grown so much stronger. I think you can even deal with the rest of these demons by yourself if you wish." Yuan said to her.

    "You tter me, Yuan. I am nothingpared to you." Lan Yingying smiled.

    "Well, do you want to fight the other demons too?" He asked a momentter.

    Lan Yingying turned to look at the remaining six demons before shaking her head, "Unfortunately, I don''t think I can fight a Spirit King yet."

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    The demons Lan Yingying fought were both Spirit Lords, but the rest of these demons were all Spirit King.

    The difference between Spirit Lord and Spirit King is very vast even if it''s just a single level from Peak Spirit Lord to First Level Spirit King.

    "That''s fine. I won''t force you to fight them if you don''t want to." Yuan said.

    And he turned to look at Feng Yuxiang, "What about you, Feng Feng? Do you want to try fighting one?"

    A bittersweet smile appeared on Feng Yuxiang''s face as she spoke, "As much as I want to impress the Young Master, I know my own capabilities. I may have a higher cultivator than Yingying, but I do not have the means to defeat demons at my level. They''ll just regenerate any damage I deal to them. And while I do have techniques that canpletely obliterate them, I do not have the cultivation to use them."

    "I see..."

    "Even though we''re both Divine Beasts... I''m sorry for being useless..." She sighed.

    "Don''t think like that. You''re not at fault here, and you''re definitely not useless. We all have something we can and cannot do." Yuan shook his head.

    "Anyways, since this is the case, I guess I should finish this."

    Yuan approached the six demons.

    "Let''s change things up a bit. Instead of fighting my friends, you''ll be ying with me now, and to make things fair, I will fight all six of you at once." He said to the demons, dumbfounding them.

    "This humiliation¡ª I will definitely make you regret it!" The peak Spirit King demon gritted its teeth in anger, as it had never been treated like a toy before.

    And without any hesitation, Yuan walked into the Demon Sealing Zone to be with the rest of the demons.

    "Y-You arrogant bastard! Die for me!"

    The demons wasted no time attacking him the moment he entered the Demon Sealing Zone.

    "Ha!"

    After dodging their attacks, Yuan counterattacked with the Empyrean Overlord, slicing one of the demons there in half.

    And just as that demon expected to regenerate from its seemingly superficial wound, it realized that the other half of its body had turned into stone.

    "Watch out for his sword! Don''t let it hit you!" The demon used what little time it had left to warn the others before turning into stonepletely.

    However, even if they knew that Yuan''s sword could seal them, there was very little they could do about it. Due to their enclosed area, there was simply nowhere they could run.

    Furthermore, they had to constantly worry about the golden swords above them, as Yuan could use them to strike at any moment.

    Many minutester.

    ''This guy is ying with us! Just who is this human?!'' The demons cried inwardly when they eventually realized that Yuan was going easy on them.

    "What''s wrong? Why are you stopping? Don''t you want to taste my flesh? Drink my blood?" Yuan calmly provoked the demons while being surrounded by them.

    "If you want to die so much, let me help you!"

    The peak Spirit King demon suddenly exploded with chaotic energy.

    However, before it could really do anything, the two golden swords that had been on standby suddenly started moving again.

    "AAAAH!"

    The demon roared when the golden swords impaled its body.

    "This is our chance! We don''t have to worry about the golden swords anymore!" The other demons realized this chance and attacked Yuan simultaneously.

    Suddenly, the other four demons started screaming in pain as well. "Y-You can summon more than three of these things?!" The demons were shocked to see more golden swords appear since they thought that he was limited to just three.

    "Three?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    "I don''t know how you came to that conclusion but..." He pointed above them. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.

    The demons subconsciously lifted their heads to look, and to their absolute shock, hundreds of golden swords that were not there a moment ago is now there.

    "You... Who are you?!" The peak Spirit King demon suddenly shouted out loud.

    "I''m just an ordinary demon sealer that happened toe across this ce by pure chance." Yuan responded.

    He then removed his mask to show the demons his face.

    "Y-Y-You..."

    The demons'' faces immediately drained of all colors when they saw Yuan''s face.

    No matter how many millions of years have passed, they could never forget the face of their worst nightmare.

    "D-Divine Paragon?!"

 Chapter 853: Accepting Their Fate

    <h4>Chapter 853: epting Their Fate</h4>

    "D-Divine Paragon?! Impossible! It can''t be! No human cultivators could possibly live for so long!" The demons were in disbelief after seeing Yuan''s familiar face.

    After all, tens of millions of years have passed since the Demon n was defeated by the Demon Sealing n. Even if a cultivator has achieved true immortality, it requires a miracle to live this long without encountering any mishaps, unless they were in seclusion for so long.

    "Impossible? Even though I am standing right before you?" Yuan said in a calm voice.

    "You''re a fake! A mere illusion! You may be able to disguise your appearance, but you can''t hide your cultivation and smell! You''re too young and weak to be the Divine Paragon!"

    "Is that so?"

    Yuan suddenly turned to look at Lan Yingying and asked her, "Can I get one of the demon cores?"

    Lan Yingying nodded her head and handed him one of the demon cores she just received.

    Once the demon core was in his grasp, Yuan opened his mouth and tossed it inside, shocking the demons.

    After swallowing the demon core, Yuan opened his mouth to show the demons that he''d really consumed the demon core. "Do you still doubt my identity?" He asked them a momentter. "D- Divine Paragon..."

    All five demons fell to their knees aftering to the conclusion that Yuan was truly the Divine Paragon, as there is only one person in the Nine Heavens capable of consuming demon cores.

    And once they came to this conclusion, they lost all will to fight. In fact, they could only remain still and tremble in fear.

    The demons even subconsciously stopped breathing from fear. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.

    Seeing the condition of these demons, Yuan thought to himself, ''They should be plenty terrified now. This is the best time to kill them. And harvest their demon cores.''

    And without hesitation, Yuan suddenly stretched his hand out, stabbing through one of the demon''s chest and grabbing its crystal before destroying it.

    The demons were well aware that Yuan had just killed one of theirpanions, but none of them dared to move even a finger and acted like they didn''t see it.

    In their minds, there was no point resisting before the Divine Paragon. In fact, they might risk offending the Divine Paragon by resisting him, who is famous for torturing demons before consuming their demon cores.

    ''At least it will be a swift death.''

    The demons sighed inwardly and epted their fate.

    They have witnessed the Divine Paragon torture and kill itspanions in the middle of an active battlefield before, and they wanted to avoid such a fate at all cost, even if they have to silently lie there and wait for their execution.

    ''So they''re just going to ept their fate, huh?'' Yuan realized this as he killed the second demon.

    Not including the Divine Paragon''s memories, this is his first time seeing demons give up in such a fashion.

    Yuan pitied these demons for a brief moment, but then he recalled the scene of demons bathing in the Red Pond and many more terrible things that they have done to humans.

    A few momentster, Yuan approached thest demon alive, who was also the strongest demon in the group.

    "Before you kill me, can I ask you a question?" The demon suddenly spoke in a low voice.

    "What?"

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    "Is it true that you wiped out the demons within the Demonic Realm?" The demon lifted its head and stared at Yuan with a profound expression.

    "What do you think?" Yuan responded with his own question.

    "You''re definitely more than capable, but whether you actually killed them... I cannot say for sure."

    After a moment of silence, Yuan said, "I don''t know."

    "You don''t know...? Or you don''t want to answer?"

    "The former." Yuan said.

    And without borating any further, Yuan finished off the demon.

    After killing all of the demons, Yuan collected the demon cores and deactivated the Demon Sealing Zone.

    "Good work, Young Master. Those demons trembled before your presence." Feng Yuxiang said to him afterward.

    "Thank you, but if I have to be honest, I''m a little disappointed by the results. It didn''t feel good killing beings that have no will to fight, even if they are demons." He sighed.

    He then turned to look at Lan Yingying and said, "Here, take these."

    "Demon cores? Why are you giving them to me?" She asked with a puzzled face.

    "I want you to use them to further strengthen yourself," he said.

    "Thank you, but I think you need them more than I do. If you consume these demon cores, you''ll definitely be a Spirit King." Lan Yingying said.

    "That might be true, but I want to be a Spirit King through the Demon Sealing Pagoda, and there is less than a month before I can challenge it again. You know, increasing mypanion''s prowess is just as important as raising my own."

    "Then I won''t be humble." Lan Yingying nodded and epted the demon cores.

    "Thank you, Yuan."

    "Anyways, with the demons gone, let''s scout this ce to make sure we don''t leave anything useful behind. Who knows, we might find another treasure or two in here." Yuan said a momentter.

    And he continued, "I don''t sense any other presence beside ours in this ce, so it should be safe to split up to make the search quicker."

    Feng Yuxiang nodded and said, "I will take the north area."

    "Then I will look around the south side." Lan Yingying said.

    "I will go west. Whenever you finish with your area, go to the east side and we''ll group up there." Yuan said.

    "I understand."

    Sometimeter, they split up and descended into the ruined city.

    ''This ce looks pretty beat up...'' Yuan thought to himself as he walked through the street with his divine sense activated, as that was more efficient and convenient than searching house by house.

    However, even after many minutes of searching, Yuan was unable to find anything that was remotely useful.

    After going through his area twice without finding anything, he started making his way towards the east side of the city..

 Chapter 854: Blood-Soaked Mountain

    <h4>Chapter 854: Blood-Soaked Mountain</h4>

    Lan Yingying and Feng Yuxiang also went to the east side of the city after searching their area with no results.

    "Did you guys find anything special? My side was empty." Yuan asked them.

    "Nothing, but I''m not surprised. This ce hasn''t been visited by anyone beside the demons for millions of years. I''d be shocked if anything but spiritual treasuressted that long."

    "Then let''s take a quick look at thisst area before we leave this ce." Yuan said, and they began walking through the east side of the city.

    After walking for about ten minutes, Feng Yuxiang suddenly stopped and frowned.

    "What''s the matter, Feng Feng? Did you find something?" Yuan asked her.

    "Not something. Someone. Although faint, I can sense a presence up ahead."

    "Someone? Who could it be? I don''t smell any demons." Yuan said.

    "I think it''s a human cultivator."

    Yuan frowned and said, "Let''s go!"

    Feng Yuxiang nodded and picked up her pace, leading the others to this unknown presence.

    Once they were close enough to see the person behind this presence with their divine sense, they stopped to analyze the situation.

    "A human cultivator. He doesn''t seem to be conscious. But what''s he doing down here?" Feng Yuxiang said.

    "Do you think this person could be that woman''s missing son? Maybe the demons captured him and brought him here." Yuan spected.

    "That''s possible, but we won''t know for sure until we speak with him. Please wait here while I make sure it isn''t a trap, Young Master." Feng Yuxiang said.

    Yuan nodded and allowed Feng Yuxiang to go first.

    Sometimeter, Feng Yuxiang approached this man and nudged him with her feet, almost like she was seeing if he was a corpse.

    "Hey, wake up."

    "Ugh... My head hurts like hell..." The man muttered in a low voice as he sat up and looked at his surroundings.

    "Where am I? Who are you?" The man asked Feng Yuxiang a momentter.

    "You''re currently underground, beneath the Demons'' Valley. How did you get here? And who are you?"

    "Demons'' Valley...?" The man looked puzzled for a moment before snapping out of his daze and jumping to his feet.

    "That''s right! I remember now! I came to the Demons'' Valley with my friends, but just as we were leaving, this group of demons appeared out of the blue and captured us! They ate my friends and even forced me to watch! What happened to the demons?!" The man began panicking after recalling his memories.

    "I see... So you''re really that woman''s missing son. Anyways, we have already dealt with the demons. You don''t need to worry about it anymore."

    "You dealt with the demons...?" The man stared at her with a dazed face.

    "Not me. My Young Master." Feng Yuxiang said.

    "Follow me."

    Sometimeter, Feng Yuxiang returned to Yuan with the man.

    "Young Master, this person really turned out to be that woman''s missing son. ording to him, he was captured by the demons." Feng Yuxiang exined the situation to Yuan.

    "Wait... You know my mother?"

    Yuan nodded and said, "Yes, we met her on the way here. She was worried sick that you didn''t return home in time and stood in front of the Demons'' Valley. We agreed to help her find you after hearing her story."

    "I see... Thank you very much foring here and saving my life. I would''ve been food for those demons if you''d arrived anyter. I don''t even want to imagine my mother grieving over my death..." The man sighed.

    "I wish I can repay this debt, but I have nothing on me."

    "Don''t worry about it. We didn''t do this for any reward." Yuan shook his head.

    "Still, I can''t just leave without giving you anything..."

    The man pondered for a moment before speaking, "Oh! I know!"

    "Although I cannot give you anything of value, I can lead you to something of value! You see, after being captured by the demons, I overheard them talking about a treasure that''d recently appeared inside the Blood-Soaked Mountain! I don''t know what kind of treasure it is, but they seemed very excited about it."

    "A treasure within Blood-Soaked Mountain, huh..." Yuan mumbled in a pondering voice.

    "Where is this Blood-Soaked Mountain?" Feng Yuxiang asked.

    "I''m not really sure, but it''s within the Demons'' Valley." The man said.

    "I know where it is." Yuan suddenly said. "It''s a little far from here, but it''s not too bad if we fly straight there."

    "If you don''t mind, I would like to return to my mother now." The man asked them a momentter.

    Yuan nodded, "Go ahead. The exit is over there."

    "Once again, thank you for saving my life and sparing my mother from grief." The man bowed to them before leaving.

    "Are you sure about this, Young Master? There are still many unanswered questions about his situation and his mother..." Feng Yuxiang asked him after the man left.

    "It''s fine. I doubt we really need to know these answers, anyway."

    "If you say so."

    Ding!

    <you have=""pleted="" the="" quest:="" grieving="" mother''s="" plea=""> </you>

    <fame +10=""> </fame>

    "Are we going to the Blood-Soaked Mountain now?" Feng Yuxiang asked as they left the underground area.

    "Yes, I am really interested in this treasure. If we fly straight there, it should only take us half a day to get there."

    "I understand."

    After leaving the underground area, Yuan and Feng Yuxiang began flying towards the Blood-Soaked Mountain while Lan Yingying transformed back into a bracelet to rest.

    "Truly an impressived. I didn''t expect him to deal with the demons so quickly and effortlessly. And his growth... It''s almost terrifying. Who could''ve predicted that we would find a monster like him in that small ce?"

    The man that had been captured by the demons watched Yuan and Feng Yuxiang disappear into the horizon with a profound smile on his face.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    Once he could no longer see their figure, the man''s appearance began distorting, transforming into a handsome middle-aged man.

    "If it''s him... Perhaps he can defeat that man..."

    The man created a portal and disappeared into it shortly after..

 Chapter 855: Golden Celestial Tree

    <h4>Chapter 855: Golden Celestial Tree</h4>

    After flying for half a day, Yuan could finally see the Blood-Soaked Mountain in the distance.

    Although it looks like a regr mountain right now, it used to be soaked in blood from the top to bottom.

    However, if one looked closely, there were still some red colors left on this mountain.

    "So this is Blood-Soaked Mountain¡­ I guess we should split up and look for the treasure." Feng Yuxiang suggested after they arrived.

    "Wait." Yuan stopped her.

    He closed his eyes and took a couple of deep breaths.

    "Okay, I don''t smell any demons around here. Let''s go look for the treasure." Yuan said a momentter.

    Lan Yingying also appeared to help search for the treasure.

    Feng Yuxiang and Lan Yingying searched the area surrounding the mountain while Yuan searched the mountain itself.

    The peak of the mountain was t, almost like the Dragon Spiral Mountain, so Yuan went there first.

    "This ce still reeks of blood even after millions of years..." Yuan sighed as he searched the top of the mountain that was also riddled with skeletons. Sometimeter, Lan Yingying''s voice resounded in Yuan''s head, "Yuan, I think I found something. I am currently inside the mountain. There is an entrance at the south."

    "Okay, I aming."

    Yuan immediately began making his way back down the mountain. At the south end of the mountain, there was a concealed cave that had been kept hidden by these red vines that covered the bottom of the mountain.

    "I''m surprised that you found this cave." Yuan said to Lan Yingying after arriving and seeing the situation.

    "It actually looked even more concealed before. I had to remove some vines just to get inside," she said.

    "What did you find inside?" Feng Yuxiang asked.

    "Well... I think it would be better if you see it for yourselves."

    "Let''s go." Yuan said as he entered the cave.

    After following a narrow path, they entered this spacious area inside the mountain.

    At the end of this room was a beautiful tree with red leaves growing on a golden trunk, and this tree was growing in the middle of a small pond with glistening golden water.

    "Wow... Is this the treasure that the demons mentioned? What do you think, Feng Feng?" Yuan asked Feng Yuxiang, who was the expert when ites to treasures.

    However, Feng Yuxiang didn''t respond.

    Yuan turned to look at her to see a dumbfounded expression on her face.

    "Feng Feng?" He called her again. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.

    "Eh?"

    Feng Yuxiang snapped out of her daze and looked at Yuan.

    "S-Sorry, Young Master. I was dozing off just now."

    "Judging by the look you had, you know what kind of treasure this is?" He asked.

    Feng Yuxiang nodded with a serious face.

    "Young Master, this treasure is called the Golden Celestial Tree. It''s an incredibly rare treasure that requires thousands of years to grow, and judging by the size of this tree, it''s millions of years old. This kind of treasure is hard toe by even in the upper heavens."

    "Oh... What does it do?"

    "All sorts of things. The crimson leaves can be used in alchemy; the golden trunk can be used to create treasures, and the golden liquid can be used to temper one''s body."

    "Tempering my body? That''s perfect!" Yuan said.

    Seeing that Yuan was prepared to jump into the water, she quickly said, "W-Wait a moment, Young Master!"

    "If you temper your body, your cultivation will, without a doubt, surpass Spirit King and perhaps even Spirit Emperor."

    "Oh, if I do that, then I will be forced to ascend, huh? So what do you suggest? Can we store the liquid somewhere?"

    Feng Yuxiang nodded, "Yes, I have the perfect treasure for it."

    She retrieved arge, transparent gourd a momentter and said, "We can store the liquid in this gourd. It will keep the liquid clean and pure."

    "Please." Yuan nodded.

    Feng Yuxiang proceeded to collect the water with the gourd, which didn''t take too long.

    Once that was done, she handed him the gourd and said, "The leaves and trunk will have to be collected separately. However, the leaves will quickly lose spiritual energy if we don''t store them properly."

    She took out a couple of wooden boxes and said, "We''ll store the leaves in these boxes meant for pills. It will prevent the leaves from going bad or losing spiritual energy for one thousand years."

    "As for the trunk, it can be stored in any spatial ring."

    Yuan nodded, "Let''s store the leaves first."

    They quickly began removing the crimson leaves from the tree.

    After storing the crimson leaves, Yuan yanked the golden trunk from the ground and stored it inside the Dragon Spatial Ring.

    "I still can''t believe that we''d found a Golden Celestial Tree in this ce." Feng Yuxiang sighed afterward.

    "How much do you think we''ll be able to receive from this treasure if we were to sell it?" Yuan suddenly asked.

    "Y-You want to sell the Golden Celestial Tree?" Feng Yuxiang looked at him with wide eyes.

    "No, I''m just curious."

    Feng Yuxiang then said, "Well, just the leaves alone are worth a few hundred million spirit stones."

    "A few hundred million spirit stones?!" Yuan eximed.

    Feng Yuxiang nodded and said, "And that''s the least expensive part from the Golden Celestial Tree."

    "The trunk can be sold for a few billion spirit stones while a small bottle of the liquid is worth as much as all of the leavesbined."

    Yuan swallowed nervously after realizing the value of the Golden Celestial Tree.

    Who would''ve thought that they woulde across such a fortuitous encounter in the Demons'' Valley?

    "I''m really d we decided to visit Demons'' Valley." Yuan chuckled.

    Sometimeter, they left the cave after making sure there were no more hidden treasures.

    "Now how are we going to find Jia Chong? The Demons'' Valley is not a small ce. It''ll take weeks to cover the ce, but we only have a couple of days left before we must meet up with Xiao Hua and Min Li." Yuan asked them for suggestions..

 Chapter 856: Jia Chong

    <h4>Chapter 856: Jia Chong</h4>

    "Honestly, I don''t think there is anything we can do besides hope for the best." Feng Yuxiang shrugged.

    "It''s not like we have to find him. I came here mostly because I was curious about the Demons'' Valley. If we don''t find him in the next few days, we can just leave." Yuan said.

    "Okay."

    "We should split up to make things faster." Feng Yuxiang suggested.

    "Are you sure?" Yuan asked, as he was worried that something might happen to them.

    "Young Master, we''ll be fine. There are only magical beasts roaming in this ce and there are rarely any that fly. If we encounter a demon, we''ll notify you immediately."

    "If you say so." Yuan nodded.

    Thus, Yuan and the others began wandering the Demons'' Valley randomly in search of Jia Chong.

    Two dayster, right as Yuan prepared to log off for breakfast, Feng Yuxiang''s voice resounded inside his head, "Young Master, I found him!"

    "That''s great! Where are you?"

    "If you continue flying north for about 200 miles, you will reach us," she said.

    "I understand. I will be there as soon as possible."

    Yuan logged off the game and notified Chu Liuxiang that he will be missing breakfast today before returning to the game and making his way towards Feng Yuxiang.

    A few hourster, Yuan met up with Feng Yuxiang and Lan Yingying, who had arrived shortly before him.

    "Where''s Jia Chong?" Yuan asked them.

    Feng Yuxiang pointed at a certain location on the ground. Yuan followed her direction until he could see an old man wearing rags about a mile away.N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.

    "Is it just me or is there something off about him?" Yuan raised his eyebrows after seeing the dazed expression on the old man''s face.

    "He''s giving me the same feeling as the residents at the nameless town." Feng Yuxiang said.

    "So he''s gone crazy as well?" Yuan frowned slightly.

    "Most likely. He probably spent a little too long in the Demons'' Valley and got affected by the miasma. Now he''s just aimlessly wandering this ce."

    "Is there anything we can do to help him?" Yuan asked.

    "Well... We can try cleansing the miasma from his body, but I won''t be able to do it since my mes can only protect people from being affected by the miasma."

    Feng Yuxiang turned to look at Lan Yingying and continued, "But perhaps Yingying can do it with her divine attribute Sacred Fire."

    "Do you think you can do it?" Yuan asked her.

    "I can try."

    "Alright, let''s go down there and see if he''s really lost his mind first."

    They descended a momentter and approached Jia Chong from behind.

    "Excuse me. Are you okay?" Yuan asked him.

    Jia Chong stopped moving and turned around to look at Yuan, still with a dazed look on his face.

    "Ooooh... This... This must be fate!" The old man suddenly snapped out of his daze and began staring at Yuan with a profound expression on his face.

    "Huh? Fate?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    "Yes! I can sense it! Your fate is extremely strong! So strong that even I cannot fathom it! You have the strongest fate out of all my encounters!"

    "My name is Jia Chong, a servant of fate! Tell me, what do you desire?"

    Yuan looked at Feng Yuxiang and said, "He looks perfectly fine..."

    "I don''t know. It''s almost as though the miasma stopped affecting him after seeing you..." Feng Yuxiang mumbled in a dumbfounded voice.

    "Anyways, I am looking for someone that can help me remove Destiny Seals." Yuan said to Jia Chong, acting like he didn''t know what Jia Chong was capable of to make it seem like their encounter was purely by chance.

    "Destiny Seal, huh? Our encounter must definitely be due to fate." Jia Chong nodded to himself.

    "On top of being a servant of fate, I happen to be an Array Master as well. I can help you remove the Destiny Seals if you want."

    "Really? You''ll do that for me? How much do you need? I will pay for your services."

    "No need. I cannot possibly ept money from someone with such a powerful fate."

    "Is that so... Then I won''t be humble. Thank you, Senior Jia." Yuan immediately began dumping out all of the Gu Family''s treasures.

    He wasn''t worried that Jia Chong might steal his treasures since Jia Chong is only a first level Spirit King and there were three of them.

    "There''s more treasures than I''d expected..." Jia Chong smiled after seeing the small mountain of treasures before him.

    "I won''tin even if you ask for a payment..." Yuan said.

    "No, it''s fine."

    Jia Chong didn''t say anything else and took a seat before the treasures.

    He then began creating array symbols at a fast pace.

    Yuan watched Jia Chong work with intensive focus, making sure to memorize all of the symbols that he''d used and the order hebined them.

    It took about two minutes for Jia Chong to remove a Destiny Seal, and after an hour of non-stop work, he''d manage to clean all of the treasures of their Destiny Seal.

    "I am finished." Jia Chong said as he wiped the sweat off his forehead.

    "Thank you very much, Senior Jia." Yuan bowed to him afterward.

    "No need. It was a pleasure to assist you, young man."

    "You can call me Yuan."

    Jia Chong nodded, "Then Yuan, I have onest thing for you."

    He retrieved a scroll and offered it to Yuan.

    "What is this?" Yuan raised his eyebrow.

    "This is the arraybination for removing Destiny Seals. If you learn it, you will be able to remove Destiny Seals yourself."

    "A-Are you sure? This is very valuable, right?" Jia Chong nodded and said, "You have already paid the price."

    "Eh? How?"

    "I have traversed this world in search of someone like you, and after 2,000 years, I have finally found you. You have no idea what this encounter means to me, Yuan." Jia Chong said with a smile..

 Chapter 857 - Medallion of Fate

    <h4>Chapter 857 - Medallion of Fate</h4>

    "Searching for someone like me? Why?" Yuan asked.

    Jia Chong didn''t immediately respond and instead retrieved a medallion with the word ''Destiny'' on it. He then extended his hand and offered it to Yuan.

    "What''s this?" Yuan epted the medallion without thinking.

    "This is the Medallion of Fate. If you return it to its owners, you will be given a chance to start a new life¡ª or so I am told. Ever since I acquired this medallion, I have invested my life into returning it to the rightful owner, but it appears that my fate isn''t powerful enough. However, I''m sure you''ll be able to find its owners."

    "Or so you''re told? So you don''t really know the real purpose of this medallion?" Feng Yuxiang asked with raised eyebrows, as she cannot imagine investing her entire life chasing after some rumors.

    "I may have no concrete proof, but I believe it truly is the purpose of this medallion. After all, I started being able to see other peoples'' fate after acquiring this medallion." Jia Chong said.

    "So you can see our fate¡ª our future?" Yuan asked with interest.

    "No, my abilities are not strong enough to see your future, but I can tell if someone has a strong fate or not." Jia Chong shook his head.

    "..."

    Feng Yuxiang wanted to say that it was a load of bullshit, but since Jia Chong helped Yuan with the Destiny Seals, she didn''t want to be rude to him.

    Yuan thought to himself, ''Sounds like the Divine Crystal of Heavenly Fortune. It can tell what kind of fate we have, too.''

    "Anyways, it is about time I leave and return to my journey. I have lingered around this ce for a little too long." Jia Chong suddenly said.

    Yuan quickly said, "Once again, thank you for your help and for this arraybination."

    Jia Chong silently nodded with a smile on his face before flying away.

    Yuan looked at the Medallion of Fate with a profound expression on his face.

    "Do you really believe that crazy old man? All this nonsense about fate, I don''t believe it." Feng Yuxiang said after Jia Chong left.

    "I don''t know, but I feel some sort of connection with this medallion, like I have seen it before." Yuan said.

    "Really? Where?"

    He shook his head, "I don''t know."

    "Anyways, let''s meet up with everyone before we reunite with Xiao Hua and Min Li." He said after storing the Medallion of Fate into his spatial ring.

    Thus, Yuan began making his way back to the hotel to pick up Meixiu and the others.

    That night at dinner, Yuan said to the others, "I just finished my business, so I am heading back to the city. Are you guys prepared for the disciple examination?"

    "Yes. I just finished my preparations as well. Those spirit stones you gave us really came in handy." Wang Ming nodded.

    "Right? It''s actually worth much more than I''d expected. I still have a few thousand left even after going on a shopping spree." Wang Bingbing said.

    "Once again, thank you for the spirit stones." Shi Lang said.

    "I should arrive at the city by tomorrow night, but if you''re already heading to the gathering site, you don''t need to wait for us." Yuan said to them.

    "Alright."

    After dinner, Yuan returned to the game so he could continue returning to the city.

    Once he returned to the city the following day, Yuan met up with Meixiu and the others.

    "Is this everybody?" Yuan asked Wang Ming, as there were only five people there, including Meixiu and Chu Liuxiang.

    "Yes, the others are either already at the gathering site or making their way there." Wang Ming nodded.

    "Fortunately, the gathering site isn''t too far away. We can get there in about two hours if we use the teleport devices, and the disciple examination won''t start until tomorrow morning." Wang Bingbing said.

    Yuan nodded and said, "Then let''s get some rest tonight and make our way to the gathering site early tomorrow. It wouldn''t be a good idea to stay up for the night right before such a big event. You''ll need all the energy you can get."

    "Alright. Let''s meet up at sunrise tomorrow."

    Since it''s been a while since he''s gotten any proper rest, Yuan also decided to get some sleep.

    The following morning, Yuan and the others began making their way to the gathering site.

    "Hey, Yuan, do you know anything about the examination? Like what we''ll be doing?" Shi Lang asked him as they moved.

    "No, I don''t." He shook his head.

    "I heard that you used to be a disciple at the Dragon Essence Temple. What was the disciple examination like over there?" Wang Ming asked.

    Yuan proceeded to recall his experience at the Dragon Essence Temple to the others.

    "I see¡­ So we should expect something simr, huh?"

    "Every sect is different." Yuan said.

    "What should we do if we fail the examination?" Shi Lang suddenly asked.

    "I''m sure you''ll all pass with your talents." Yuan smiled.

    "But it''s not guaranteed, right?"

    "If you''re already thinking about failing before even starting, then you''re fated to fail." Wang Bingbing shrugged.

    "My sister''s right, Shi Lang. Don''t be so negative."

    "W-What? I was just curious¡­ I am not thinking about failing¡­" He quickly said.

    "Yeah, yeah."

    Two and a half hourster, Yuan and his group arrived at the gathering site for the Seven Spirit Academies, which was taking ce in a massive square that was built specifically for the examination.N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.

    "Holy shit, there''s got to be at least a hundred thousand people here right now." Wang Ming eximed when he saw the sea of people there.

    "Is it always this crowded? Won''t it take forever to finish the examination at this rate?" Shi Lang sighed.

    While the others were surprised by the spectacle there, Yuan looked for Xiao Hua.

    Once he sensed her presence, he called for her through their spiritual connection, "Xiao Hua, can you hear me?"

    "Brother Yuan!" Xiao Hua immediately responded with excitement.

    "We''re right outside the square. We''ll wait for you here."

    "Okay!"

 Chapter 858 - Seven Spirit Academiesâ€™ Disciple Examination

    <h4>Chapter 858 - Seven Spirit Academies'' Disciple Examination</h4>

    "Yuan? What are you waiting for?" Wang Ming asked after noticing that he was just standing there.

    "I''m waiting for a friend of mine," he said.

    Five minutes after Yuan contacted Xiao Hua, two figures could be seen soaring through the sky above the square for the disciple examination.

    "Oh, there she is." Yuan looked up and watched as Xiao Hua descended right beside him with Min Li, who looked a little shocked.

    "Brother Yuan!" Xiao Hua immediately went to hug him even before her feet touched the ground.

    "Once again, sorry for leaving you behind, Xiao Hua." Yuan said with a bittersweet smile.

    "Who''s that?" Wang Ming asked with raised eyebrows.

    "This is Xiao Hua, she''s the first friend I made in this world." Yuan introduced her to the others.

    "Oooh, how cute!" Wang Bingbing stared at Xiao Hua with glitters in her eyes.

    "Anyways, where are the others? The examination should be starting soon." Yuan asked them.

    "Who knows. There''s too many people here to tell." Shi Lang shrugged.

    "We''ll probably see them during the examination." Wang Ming said.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    Sometimeter, Yuan approached Min Li and asked her, "How are you feeling?"

    "I''m a little nervous if I have to be honest," she sighed.

    "Really? I can tell that your cultivation has improved. You''ll do fine."

    "Thank you, but I cannot help it. It''s been a very long time since I''ve felt such emotions. And this is the Seven Spirit Academies that we''re talking about. I''ve heard of their reputation even when I was still in the Lower Heavens."

    "The eptance rate is also incredibly low. There will probably be less than ten thousand people who will pass the examination despite the amount of people here today."

    "Even then, I still have faith in you." Yuan smiled.

    "..."

    Min Li began blushing.

    Sometimeter, everybody at the square stopped talking when seven figures descended from the sky andnded on a tform above the square, and all of them emitted the aura of a Spirit Lord.

    "Wee to the Seven Spirit Academies'' Disciple Examination, young cultivators. I am Elder Lang of the Heavenly Academy. Before we begin, allow me to introduce our judges for the examination."

    "Elder Mon from the Universal Music Academy¡­ Elder Ging from the Healing Spirit Academy¡­ Elder Yi from the Lonely River Academy¡­"

    After introducing the other six elders that hailed from one of the Seven Spirit Academies, Elder Lang continued, "As you already know, the Seven Spirit Academies have decided to start our disciple examination early due to circumstances. However, this does not mean it will be any easier to join us."

    After giving a quick speech about the disciple examination and the history of the Seven Spirit Academies, Elder Lang sat down while another elder stood up.

    "I will now speak of the rules for the examination." The elder said.

    "First and foremost, there are four sections in the examination you must pass before you qualify to join us. Once you pass all four sections, we, representing the Seven Spirit Academies, will offer you a spot in our sect. Some of you may receive more than one offer while some of you may only receive one offer. If you have been offered to join more than one sect, you are allowed to choose which sect you wish to join."

    "If your desired sect did not offer you a spot, do not panic, as it''s not impossible to change sectster. As long as you join one of our sects, it is possible to transfer to another sect at ater date. Hell, you can even negotiate with us at the end of the examination if you so choose."

    "Now let''s talk about the rules for our examination."

    "First rule, you are not allowed to deliberately kill other participants. If caught, you will automatically fail the examination and be banned from ever joining us for the rest of your life."

    "However, this does not mean you cannot hinder others'' progression or fight them. The cultivation path is filled with bumpy roads and uncertainty. You cannot expect it to be a walk in the park."

    "Second rule, you are allowed to use any treasure you want as long as it doesn''t disturb the examination or cause massive destruction to the area."

    "Third rule, you are strictly prohibited from consuming any sort of pills that will enhance your body or spiritual energy. This includes recovery pills. The Seven Spirit Academies are looking for raw talents¡ª people with real potential. Sure, one might argue that allowing the usage of powerful treasure is the opposite of such a statement, but it still requires some skill to control such a treasure, whereas consuming a pill that enhances your strength temporarily doesn''t require any skill."

    "Final rule¡­ You should already know this, but if you are above the age of 40, you are not qualified to participate in the examination. However, if you still wish to join us, you may visit us at another time for an interview."

    The elder took a seat after announcing thest rule, and another elder stood up.

    "Let''s move onto the examination itself now."

    "As you all heard, the examination will have four different sections."

    "For the first part of the examination, you will have your talents evaluated. Your spiritual energy, your spiritual veins, your aptitude¡ª everything. Allow me to bepletely honest here. Less than 20 percent of you will pass the first examination."

    The nervous atmosphere amongst the participants became even heavier after hearing such words.

    "For the second examination, we will analyze the extent of your talents."

    "For the third examination, you will be given limited time to hunt magical beasts."

    "And for the final examination, if you somehow make it this far, you will be interviewed by the seven of us."

    "Now, you will be given 15 minutes to prepare yourselves before we open the portals to the real examination area."

    The moment the elder sat back down, the participants began mumbling to each other about the examination.

 Chapter 859 - Seven Spirit Academiesâ€™ Disciple Examination (2)

    <h4>Chapter 859 - Seven Spirit Academies'' Disciple Examination (2)</h4>

    "See, I told you that the examination will be quite simr to the one you took for the Dragon Essence Temple." Wang Ming said to Yuan during their fifteen minute break.

    "I guess so." He nodded.

    "I think we can expect the same examinations for most sects in Cultivation Online. After all, one''s talent and prowess are the most important to cultivators, so it''s only natural for them to evaluate us in those aspects." Shi Lang said.

    "Anyways, good luck, guys." Yuan said to them sometimeter.

    Fifteen minutes passed in the blink of an eye.

    "The Seven Spirit Academies'' Disciple Examination will officially begin now!" Elder Lang stood up and waved his sleeves.Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.

    The very next moment, multiple experts appeared and activated their treasures, creating a portal at the front of the square.

    "This will lead you to the first examination, where you will be evaluated! There are 20 teleportations, each taking you to a separate area to make things faster. Go!"

    The participants there immediately began walking into the portals, disappearing from the square.

    Meanwhile, 20rge projections appeared above the square, each disying a separate area for the first examination.

    The square quickly became empty, and within mere minutes, only Yuan, Xiao Hua, Meixiu, and Chu Liuxiang remained.

    When Elder Lang saw this, he said, "What are you guys doing? If you don''t hurry up, the portals will close, and you will automatically fail the examination."

    "Oh, sorry, we''re not here to participate. We''re here to cheer on our friends." Yuan said.

    "If you want to spectate, you''re in the wrong ce. There''s another area for spectators." Elder Lang responded.

    "Is that so? If you don''t mind, can you tell me where this ce is?" Yuan asked.

    Elder Lang pointed towards the north and said, "It''s quite far from here, so even if you run there now, you won''t make it before the examination ends."

    "It''s fine. Thank you for telling us." Yuan said.

    He then looked at Meixiu and the others, "Let''s go, shall we? I''ll carry you with my spiritual energy."

    "Okay."

    They nodded.

    The seven elders then watched with gawking expressions as Yuan lifted Meixiu and Chu Liuxiang into the air before flying away with them.

    Once they were no longer in view, Elder Lang mumbled in a dazed voice, "That young man was a Spirit Grandmaster? Howe I couldn''t sense his cultivation base?"

    Since these elders were all below the third level Spirit Lord, they were unable to sense Yuan''s cultivation base even though he wasn''t deliberately hiding it.

    While Yuan and his group made their way to the spectators'' area, Wang Ming and the others waited for their turn inside this massive room that had multiple objects ced around the room.

    Of course, these objects were used to evaluate the participants'' talents.

    After waiting for two hours, it was finally Wang Ming''s turn.

    "ce your hand on this crystal ball and pour as much spiritual energy as you can into it." The examiner said to him.

    Wang Ming nodded and ced his hands on the empty crystal ball.

    ''Hm? There''s something resisting my spiritual energy. Is this part of the exam?'' Wang Ming wondered to himself as he poured his spiritual energy into the crystal ball, quickly filling it with glittering smoke that resembled fog.

    Although there was something resisting him, it only held him back slightly, and the more the crystal ball filled up with fog, the stronger the resistance became until he could no longer continue.

    "A-Amazing¡­" The examiner mumbled in a dazed voice, and his eyes were glued to the crystal ball.

    After snapping out of his daze a few momentster, the examiner said, "Y-You can stop now."

    "How did I do?" Wang Ming asked.

    "You passed. Here''s your token. Make sure you don''t lose it." The examiner handed him a red token.

    "Hmm? This token is a little different than what the others before me got. Why is that?" Wang Ming noticed this and decided to ask the examiner.

    "Because there are three different tokens that can be handed out depending on the participants'' result. Those that barely passed will receive a white token, and those that passed with average results will receive a green token. As for the red token, those are only given to participants with excellent results such as yourself. In other words, they are given to geniuses and those with the highest potential." The examiner exined.

    "I see¡­ Thanks, I guess."

    "Please go through that portal at the end of the room. You''ll be taken directly to the next examination. Once there, show the examiner your token."

    "I understand." Wang Ming nodded before leaving the ce through the portal.

    ''What a talented youngd. He''ll definitely be a powerful cultivator in the future if nurtured properly.'' The examiner thought to himself as the next participant stepped in front of the crystal ball.

    "ce your hand on this crystal ball and pour as much spiritual energy as you can into it." The examiner repeated his sentence to Wang Bingbing, who was right behind Wang Ming.

    She nodded and ced her hand onto the crystal ball, pouring her spiritual energy into it.

    ''Wow! Another genius! She''s almost on par with thest participant! Two geniuses back to back? What are the chances!'' The examiner cried inwardly.

    "Here you go. You passed." The examiner handed Wang Bingbing a red token as well.

    "What''s this? Why is it red?" Wang Bingbing asked out of curiosity.

    The examiner smiled and exined everything to her.

    "I see¡­ Thanks." Wang Bingbing said before making her way to the next examination.

    "Next!"

    Once Wang Bingbing left, Shi Lang took her ce.

    "ce your hand on this crystal ball and pour as much spiritual energy as you can into it." The examiner repeated.

    Shi Lang nodded and ced his hand onto the crystal ball.

    When the examiner saw the results, he didn''t dare to believe his eyes.

    ''Another genius?! What the fuck?! Where are all these geniusesing from?!'' He eximed inwardly.

 Chapter 860 - Seven Spirit Academiesâ€™ Disciple Examination (3)

    <h4>Chapter 860 - Seven Spirit Academies'' Disciple Examination (3)</h4>

    "H-Here''s your token. It''s red because you''ve achieved excellent results." The examiner handed Shi Lang his token and exined the purpose of it without being asked.

    "I see. Thank you." Shi Lang epted the token and began making his way towards the portal.

    After exiting the portal, Shi Lang found himself standing in front of a massiveke. However, there was something special about thiske.

    ''The water is silver? What kind ofke is this?'' Shi Lang wondered to himself as he approached Wang Bingbing.

    "I see that you also received a red token." Wang Ming said with a smile when he noticed Shi Lang''s presence behind them.

    "Yes. By the way, what is happening here?"

    "I''m not too sure, but it appears to be some kind of exercise where you have to walk on the water."

    "Walking on water? Sounds like the same examination Yuan took at the Dragon Essence Temple when he had to approach a silver tree."

    "Looks like it."

    After waiting for another two hours, it was finally Wang Ming''s turn.

    "You will need at least 40 steps to pass this part of the examination." The examiner said to him.

    Wang Ming nodded and took a deep breath before taking his first step into the silverke.

    ''Feels like I am walking on something that''s liquid yet solid at the same time¡­'' Wang Ming thought to himself as he took his second and third step.

    Half a minuteter, he was already at the 30th step.

    ''Is this supposed to be hard?'' Wang Ming wondered as he approached the 50th step.

    On the 61st step, he finally began feeling some resistance, and it would be increasingly harder to move his leg with every step.

    By the 70th step, he was sweating profusely.

    "Heavens, he''s already taken 75 steps! We have a genius here!" The other participants watched Wang Ming approach his 80th step with admiration in their eyes.

    "Ah! I cannot go on!" Wang Ming gave up after taking his 82nd step and copsed on the water.

    One of the examiners there went to pick up Wang Ming before bringing him back tond.

    "Congrattions, young man. You currently hold the top score for this examination." The examiner handed Wang Ming another red token before sending him to the next examination.

    Wang Bingbing was next.

    Two minutester¡ª

    "Wow! 78 steps! That''s two high scorers'' in a row!" The other participants eximed.

    "Does anybody know her name? She''s such a fairy!"

    "No, I don''t recognize her."

    "Hey, do you think she''s an NPC or a yer?"

    "Who knows. She kinda gives me a feeling from both sides."

    "Huh? What''s that supposed to mean?"

    "It''s hard to exin, but she gives me the feeling of an NPC but also the feeling of a yer as well."

    "How''s that possible?"

    "Don''t ask me. It''s just a feeling."

    After Wang Bingbing received her red token, Shi Lang stepped onto the silverke and began his test.

    Ten steps, twenty steps, thirty steps.

    Fifty steps, sixty steps, seventy steps.

    "79 steps¡­ 80 steps¡­ 81 steps¡­ 82 steps! He''s rivaled the top score!" The participants were ecstatic with the results even though they were not the one achieving such a result.

    ''D-Damn it! I cannot even lift my legs! Move, damn it! Move!'' Shi Lang shouted inwardly as he pushed himself to make that 83rd step.

    However, no matter how hard he tried, he was not able to make the step.

    After copsing on theke, one of the elders there carried him back to thend.

    "Congrattions! Here''s a red token for your excellent results!" The examiner handed a red token to Shi Lang afterward.

    "Thanks¡­" Shi Lang epted the token in a dispirited manner.

    Noticing this, the examiner asked him out of curiosity, "What''s with the long face? You achieved 82 steps, which is the highest score in this examination thus far."

    "You mean one of the highest? I wanted to beat him, but s¡­" Shi Lang sighed.

    "Him? Are you acquainted with the other participant who scored 82?"

    "Something like that, I guess."

    "Anyways, I am going to head to the next examination."

    The examiner nodded and said, "By the way, this examination and the next examination is treated as one examination, so you still have 2 more to go after the next one."

    "Is that so? Good to know."

    Meanwhile, after flying for four hours straight Yuan and his group finally arrived at the spectators'' area, which took ce in a massive coliseum.

    In the middle of the coliseum was a treasure that projected the disciples'' examination in real time, allowing the millions of spectators to enjoy the disciple examination while being far away.

    "Are you sure we should be watching them from up here¡­?" Meixiu asked Yuan as she sat on the Empyrean Overlord above the coliseum with Chu Liuxiang beside her.

    "Why not? It''s not like we''re bothering anyone by spectating up here. And there''s too many people down there." He calmly responded.

    "If you say so¡­"

    Meixiu looked down and swallowed nervously, as she could sense many gazes on them, which is only natural, as they were sticking out like a sore thumb in the sky.

    "Oh! Look at the screen on the far right! That''s Wang Ming!" Yuan pointed at one of the projections that was showing Wang Ming during the second examination.

    "A silverke, huh? It sure brings back memories of my disciple examination at the Dragon Essence Temple."

    "I see Min Li. She''s at the bottom left corner." Meixiu said.

    "89 steps, huh? That''s the highest score so far."

    "Oh! I see Xi Murong and Hong Xiuquan! 81 steps and 83 steps!" Chu Liuxiang said.

    "As expected of the Six Spiritual Elites. All of their top geniuses are so close to each other in terms of potential and talent¡ª not including Li Jinxi. She''s definitely on another level." Yuan mumbled to himself, feeling a little pity that he couldn''t see Li Jinxi''s evaluation.N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.

    However, just as he had such thoughts, Meixiu pointed at a certain projection and spoke in a puzzled voice, "Hey¡­ That girl on the far right¡­ That''s Li Jinxi, right?"

    "What? Really? You''re right! That''s definitely Li Jinxi!" Chu Liuxiang confirmed.

    "Huh? What''s she doing at the examination? I thought she wasn''t going to participate." Yuan muttered in a dazed voice.

 ? 861 - Li Jinxiâ€™s Evaluation

    <h4>? Chapter 861 - Li Jinxi''s Evaluation</h4>

    Li Jinxi, who had suddenly decided to participate in the examination for whatever reason, stepped onto the silver water once it was her turn to be evaluated.

    10 steps, 20 steps, 30 steps.

    Li Jinxi walked the silverke without any effort like Wang Ming and the others.

    Once she reached 60 steps, the spectators noticed her presence and began focusing more on her.

    70 steps¡­ 75 steps¡­. 80 steps¡­

    The specators and the examiner expected for Li Jinxi to stop soon, but to their absolute shock, she continued walking without any problems, almost as though she was not being restricted by the silverke.

    81 steps, 82 steps, 83 steps.

    Li Jinxi quickly passed Hong Xiuquan, who had the highest score amongst the others within their group.

    87 steps, 88 steps, 89 steps, 90 steps¡­

    Li Jinxi surpassed Min Li''s record shortly after and became the new highest scorer.

    However, Li Jinxi''s brilliance did not stop there, and she continued to walk the silver water at the same calm and steady pace that she has been since the beginning.

    95 steps¡­ 97 steps¡­ 100 steps!

    Li Jinxi eventually achieved 100 steps, shocking all spectators that had their eyes fixated on her.

    "Heavens! Who is that girl?! At this rate, she''ll even surpass Senior Nie''s record of 107 steps!" The seven elders were baffled by Li Jinxi''s immense talents and mysterious background.

    And in their mind, they began pondering what they could offer Li Jinxi to entice her to join their sect!

    While the seven elders pondered, Li Jinxi continued to increase her steps.

    105 steps, 106 steps, 107 steps!

    Li Jinxi has matched Senior Nie''s record, bing the first person in thest five thousand years to achieve such a feat!

    ''This genius¡­ The Heavenly Academy must have her!'' Elder Lang thought to himself as he stared at Li Jinxi''s beautiful yet tranquil face.

    The other six elders were thinking the same, and despite none of them saying it out loud, they were all fully aware of the others'' thoughts.

    However, unbeknownst to these elders and the spectators, this was just the beginning of Li Jinxi''s dominance.

    110 steps, 120 steps, 130 steps!

    Li Jinxi''s pure dominance for this examination was so shocking that it left all of her spectatorspletely silenced, and they could only quietly watch her walk the silverke like a goddess.

    Once Li Jinxi reached 150 steps, she finally stopped moving.

    When the spectators saw this, they sighed in relief. If Li Jinxi were to continue any further, they might lose consciousness, as they had forgotten how to breathe while watching her.

    After stopping, Li Jinxi turned to look at the examiner and spoke out loud, "When do I stop?"

    "E-Excuse me?" The examiner didn''tprehend her question at first.

    "When do I stop? Or should I continue until I cannot?" Li Jinxi rified, dumbfounding the examiner and the spectators alike.

    The examiner nodded his head in a dazed voice and responded in a shaky voice, "Y-Yes. You continue walking until you cannot move anymore."

    "Okay."

    And without saying another word, Li Jinxi continued walking.

    155 steps, 160 steps, 165 steps.

    "Li Jinxi¡­ She''s really built differently¡­" Chu Liuxiang chuckled.

    Yuan smiled and said, "I don''t want to look down on the Six Spiritual Families, but Li Jinxi was born in the wrong world. If she had been born here instead¡­"

    If Li Jinxi had been born in the real cultivation world, where there are plenty of resources to assist her growth, she would definitely flourish and be much more formidable than currently.

    "H-How is this possible?! She''s already at 200 steps! I have never seen anything like this before!" Elder Lang eximed in a shocked voice.

    "I really want to know where this genius¡ª No, this monster came from¡­"Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    One of the elders there suddenly retrieved amunication.

    When the others noticed this, they immediately realized the reason and also took out their ownmunication jade slip.

    "Sect Master, this is urgent! Hurry and look at¡ª"

    "I know. I am already well aware of the youngdy at the examination. We must secure this genius for our sect at all cost. In fact, I am heading to the examination site even as we speak. Leave everything to me."

    "I understand. Good luck, Sect Master."

    The other elders had simr conversations with their Sect Masters.

    "I assume that you all just spoke with your sect masters." Elder Lang spoke out loud after everyone finished their conversations.

    They all nodded silently.

    "Then I will also assume that they all decided to personally recruit her."

    Once again, the elders silently nodded.

    "I see¡­ For all seven Sect Masters to be involved in a disciple examination, this is truly an unprecedented event. However, it is definitely a justified one."

    "Hey, you guys want to make a bet?" Elder Yi suddenly said.

    And he continued, "A bet on which sect will acquire that genius."

    "Sure, but I will obviously be cheering for my own sect."

    "Me too."

    "Same here."

    "Then it''s settled."

    Meanwhile¡­

    250 steps¡­ 260 steps¡­ 270 steps¡­

    Li Jinxi was nearing 300 steps, and at the same time, she was approaching the other side of theke that required 500 steps to reach.

    "Do you think she will make it to the other side of theke?" Meixiu asked out of curiosity.

    "Probably." Yuan nodded.

    "What makes you think so?"

    "The way she''s walking¡­ I cannot feel any resistance from it. As for the others, you can tell when they slow down."

    "Now that you mention it, she doesn''t even have a drop of sweat on her." Meixiu mumbled.

    350 steps¡­ 375 steps¡­ 400 steps!

    "She''s only 100 steps away from the end of theke! I can''t believe my eyes!"

    "Do you think she could be cheating with some treasure?"

    "That''s possible¡­"

    The spectators, especially the other participants there, began suspecting Li Jinxi to be cheating because of her performance that was too ridiculous to believe.

 Chapter 862 - Li Jinxiâ€™s Evaluation (2)

    <h4>Chapter 862 - Li Jinxi''s Evaluation (2)</h4>

    "That''s it! She must be cheating! After all, 400 steps is simply too ridiculous! It''s impossible!"

    "Examiner, that participant must be cheating! You need to do something about it!"N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.

    The participants in Li Jinxi''s examination beganining to the examiners there, some of them even urging the examiners to stop the examination.

    Of course, these examiners were also suspicious of Li Jinxi''s performance, but none of them dared to call her a cheater outright. After all, what if Li Jinxi''s performance turned out to be real and that she was a monster who could walk 400 steps? They did not dare to risk offending such a genius even if it''s thest thing they do.

    "Whether she is genuine or not, we do not have the qualifications to make any decisions. The elders overseeing this examination will make those decisions." One of the examiners said to the participants there.

    "Wha¡ª?! It''s clear that she''s cheating! I heard the highest score ever recorded was only 170 steps by the founder of the Heavenly Academy! Are you telling me that some unknown girl nobody recognizes can somehow double that number?! This is utterly ridiculous!"

    The examiner''s eyebrow twitched upon hearing the participant''s words. Indeed, the highest score ever recorded was 170 steps, and Li Jinxi just walked her 410th step. If one thought about it logically, there was no way such a situation could be possible.

    However, anything is possible in the cultivation world.

    "I will not repeat myself. The elders will make the decisions. If you''re not content with my answer, you may leave this examination."

    The participants no longer dared to talk back after hearing such words, and they returned to watching Li Jinxi in silence.

    Meanwhile, unbeknownst to the spectators and even the examiners there, seven figures suddenly appeared above the area where Li Jinxi was being evaluated.

    These seven figures were Sect Masters of the Seven Spirit Academies, and they have all decided to personally oversee Li Jinxi''s examination because of her unnatural performance.

    "Think she''s cheating?" One of them asked out loud.

    "I don''t sense any treasures on her."

    "Me neither."

    "I heard from the examiner that did her first evaluation that she managed to make the crystal ball explode by pouring too much spiritual energy into it." One of them suddenly said.

    "Just where did such a monstere from? She appears very young as well."

    "Just so you all know, this girl will be joining my Universal Music Academy."

    "Huh? Did you hit your head on your way here? Her talents will be wasted if we let her join your sect. She doesn''t even y the instrument."

    "And how do you know that?"

    "I can tell by her physique and demeanor. She''s definitely the type to use a sword, so she should join my Formless Sword Academy."

    "We can debate about thister. For now, let''s just watch her."

    Sometimeter, Li Jinxi made her 450th step.

    ''Hm?'' Li Jinxi''s tranquil face slightly changed when she noticed some mysterious power restricting her movements, making it harder for her to move. Of course, it wasn''t anything that could cripple her movements, and she could still move with rtive ease.

    "Looks like she''s finally feeling it." Yuan said out loud while most people didn''t notice anything different about Li Jinxi.

    "Really? She still seems to be walking just fine." Chu Liuxiang said.

    "It''s not enough to really test her, but she is slowly approaching her limit. Of course, I still believe that she will make it out theke."

    After taking her 460th step, the mysterious force intensified, making it much harder for her to move.

    When she tried to take her 476th step, Li Jinxi found it incredibly hard to even lift her leg, almost as though it was chained to an anchor that was already at the bottom of theke.

    "Hmph!"

    After taking a deep breath, Li Jinxi released her cultivation, and her eyes turned red.

    Furthermore, her body began emitting a bloodthirsty aura that would slowly be visible to the eyes, making it seem as though she was enveloped by a red aura.

    "That appearance¡­ Yuan, didn''t she also look like that during her first fight with you?" Meixiu asked him.

    He nodded, "Yes. However, she looks a bit different nowpared to back then, like she has more control over it."

    After activating her family''s secret technique, Li Jinxi started walking again in her original pace, perhaps a little faster even, almost as though the mysterious force restraining her had disappeared.

    "What kind of technique is she using? She''s releasing such a tyrannical aura."

    "I don''t know, but I can tell that her body is growing increasingly stronger with every passing second."

    "It reminds me of the forbidden technique ''Berserker''s Bloodlust'', which enhances one''s body, granting them unrivaled strength at the cost of their sanity and control over their body and mind, turning them into mindless beasts. However, she doesn''t appear to have gone mad, so it''s probably a different technique."

    "Her technique perfectly fits my Indomitable Flesh Academy''s teaching, and it even resembles our most powerful cultivation technique! She must join our academy!"

    "Bullshit! She''ll join my Formless Sword Academy!"

    "No, she will join my Universal Music Academy! We may mainly focus on instruments and the Dao of Music, but we also have plenty of experts that can teach other things!"

    While the seven Sect Masters argued with each other, Li Jinxi took her 500th and final step, leaving the silverke and returning tond.

    "S-She really did it¡­ She really crossed theke¡­"

    Pretty much every spectator had their wide eyes on Li Jinxi at this moment, all of them feeling as though they were witnessing the beginning of a new legend.

    After crossing theke, Li Jinxi deactivated her technique and walked around theke until she returned to the participants and the examiners.

    "Why are you looking at me like that? Should I not have left theke and just walked around until I cannot move anymore?" Li Jinxi asked the examiner with a calm yet questioning face.

    "Uhh¡­" The examiners there were speechless.

 Chapter 863 - Final Examination

    <h4>Chapter 863 - Final Examination</h4>

    "N-No¡­ You have done enough. Here''s your token¡­" The examiner said after snapping out of his daze.

    However, just as he was about to hand Li Jinxi her token, the examiner quickly took it back and said, "M-My mistake. I almost gave you the wrong one¡­"

    The examiner took back the white token he was about to give Li Jinxi and handed her the red token instead.

    After epting the token, Li Jinxi began making her way to the next examination.

    "Should we introduce ourselves now, or should we wait?" The Sect Masters asked each other.

    "Let''s wait until after the 3rd examination. I want to see the full extent of her talents."

    "I agree. She clearly has heaven-sent talent, but the next examination will test a different aspect of her talents."

    Meanwhile, in the third examination area that is still considered the second examination, Wang Ming and the others waited for their turn.

    In the middle of the room was a massive crystal suspended in midair that contained an immense amount of spiritual energy.

    Once it was Wang Ming''s turn, he was told to sit before the crystal and try to absorb as much spiritual energy as he could from the crystal.

    Wang Ming closed his eyes and took a deep breath before he started absorbing the spiritual energy.

    The spiritual energy in the crystal quickly depleted, but once he absorbed around 65 percent of the spiritual energy, his progress slowed down tremendously.

    After absorbing about 70 percent of the crystal''s spiritual energy, Wang Ming gave up, as he was unable to store any more spiritual energy in his body.

    The moment Wang Ming stopped absorbing the spiritual energy, the crystal immediately began filling back up with spiritual energy until it waspletely full again.

    "73 percent in about 3 minutes, huh? Very good! Here''s your token!" The examiner handed Wang Ming his 3rd red token.

    "What kind of test is this?" Wang Ming asked out of curiosity.

    "It tests how fast you can absorb spiritual energy, which is basically your cultivation talent." The examiner said.

    "What about the previous examination? The one where we had to walk on thiske?"

    "That tests your innate talent¡ª your true potential, and it is undoubtedly the most important test in this whole examination."

    "I see¡­"

    Wang Bingbing sat in front of the crystal after Wang Ming left for the real 3rd examination.

    A few minutester, Wang Bingbing achieved 75 percent.

    "Congrattions. Here is your token." The examiner handed Wang Bingbing a red token.

    Shi Lang went next, and he also achieved 73 percent in 3 minutes.

    "Seriously? Why am I always achieving the same result as him?" Shi Lang sighed as he went to the next examination.

    Meanwhile, Li Jinxi showed up in a separate room and waited for her turn at the crystal.

    Many minutester, Li Jinxi sat before the crystal and began absorbing its spiritual energy.

    "W-What the hell is this speed?" The examiner was shocked when he noticed how fast Li Jinxi was emptying the crystal.

    And in less than a minute, Li Jinxi managed to absorb all of the spiritual energy from the crystal, leaving the examiner speechless.

    ''Only 7 people have managed topletely absorb all spiritual energy since the founding of the Seven Spirit Academies! This will make her the 8th person!''

    "H-Here is your token¡­" The examiner handed a red token to Li Jinxi with trembling hands.

    "The next examination is where I get to hunt magical beasts, is that correct?" Li Jinxi suddenly asked the examiner.

    "Y-Yes, that''s correct. In order to pass the 3rd examination, you must hunt magical beasts."

    "How powerful are the magical beasts?" She continued to ask.

    "Well, they are mostly as powerful as a peak Spirit Apprentice, but there are some as strong as peak Spirit Warriors, and there is even a magical beast with the power of a Spirit Master."

    "Hm? Is there something wrong?" The examiner asked Li Jinxi when he noticed the disappointed look on her face.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    "The strongest magical beast is only as strong as a Spirit Master¡­?" She asked.

    "Yes." He nodded.

    Li Jinxi sighed, and without exining anything, she made her way to the next examination.

    ''Did I waste my time bying here?'' She wondered inwardly as she entered the portal to the next examination.

    Upon exiting the portal, Li Jinxi found herself in a camp somewhere inside the wilderness with arge group of participants gathered there.

    "Wee to the final examination, and congrattions on making it this far. For this examination, you will need to acquire points by hunting magical beasts, and in order to pass this examination, you will need at least 100 points."

    "Not all magical beasts reward the same amount of points, and the stronger the magical beast, the more points you''ll receive."

    "During this examination, the participants are no longer separated from each other, and you can hinder others'' progression. However, keep in mind that you''re not allowed to kill other participants."

    "Before I send you outside this camp, I will give you all something that will count your points."

    The examiner handed a jade slip and continued, "Do you have any questions?"

    One of the participants there raised his hand and asked, "Do we have a time limit?"

    The examiner nodded, "You have until the disciple examination officially ends in four days."

    "If you''re too hurt to continue or just want to give up, you can return to the camp and let me or any examiner know."

    "Although there are experts scattered around the examination area to lower the casualty rate, you are notpletely safe from all danger, so death is still very possible. In fact, there is a 30 percent casualty rate for this part of the examination. You may leave now if you''re scared."

    After answering all of the participants'' questions, the examiner sent them into the wilderness.

    The moment Li Jinxi entered the wilderness, she retrieved arge greatsword from her spatial ring and began running around the area hunting magical beasts like a maniac, even interfering with other participants by stealing their prey, which quickly caused an uproar amongst the participants.

 Chapter 864 - Seven Sect Masters

    <h4>Chapter 864 - Seven Sect Masters</h4>

    "H-Hey! Who the fuck are you?! How dare you steal my prey!"

    One of Li Jinxi''s many victims cried out loud after getting his magical beast stolen right before his very eyes.

    "You''re running away now?! Get back here!" The victim tried to catch Li Jinxi when she ran away, but he was unable to catch even her shadow and gave up shortly after.

    Not far away, Li Jinxi encountered another participant fighting with a magical beast and also stole those points.

    "What the?! How dare you steal from me! Do you know who I am?!"

    However, Li Jinxi ignored this participant and continued to hunt magical beasts.

    The Sect Masters watching this from the sky were amused by Li Jinxi''s actions.

    "Do you think she''s deliberately hindering the others?" One of them asked out loud.

    "I don''t think so, but if she is, I cannot think of any reasons why she would do such a thing."

    In less than one hour, Li Jinxi managed to acquire enough points for her toplete the examination. However, despite that, she continued to hunt magical beasts.

    Somewhere in the wilderness, Wang Ming was fighting a 4th level Spirit Warrior magical beast by himself when a figure leaped out from behind him and killed the magical beast before he couldnd thest strike.

    Wang Ming immediately fumed, "You dare steal my prey?!"

    However, he stopped when he saw the face of the perpetrator.

    "L-Li Jinxi? What the hell are you doing here?" Wang Ming stared at her with wide eyes.

    "If I recall correctly, you said that you didn''t want to participate in the examination."

    Seeing that it was Wang Ming, Li Jinxi didn''t immediately run away like she normally would.

    "I heard that you get to fight a lot of powerful magical beasts during this examination, so I came here," she calmly responded.

    "Huh? You came here just to fight magical beasts? I expected nothing less from you." Wang Ming shook his head with a bittersweet smile.

    And he continued, "Well, I don''t really care about your reasons for being here, but can you not take away my points? I''d rather not stay here longer than needed if I can."

    "I will think about it." Li Jinxi nodded, and she sped off without giving Wang Ming any chance to respond.

    "Damn gori woman. All she cares about is fighting." After sighing, Wang Ming traveled the opposite direction of Li Jinxi and went a little further before he started hunting magical beasts again.

    Li Jinxi would eventually encounter the other members of the Demon Sealing Faction, and she would steal their prey at least once.

    Of course, the others were as surprised as Wang Ming after realizing it was her.

    "How long are you going to stay here?" Hong Xiuquan asked her.

    "Until I am satisfied," she calmly replied.

    "You should leave some magical beasts behind for the other participants. I doubt there are unlimited magical beasts here." Wang Bingbing said to her during their meeting.

    "Not my problem," she coldly said before returning to her hunt.

    "Why even bothering here? The magical beasts here cannotpare to the ones you find in the wild. If you''re looking for strong magical beasts, you''re in the wrong ce." Wu Zao said to her.

    "I didn''t think the magical beasts here were so weak, but since I am already here, I might as well enjoy myself."

    "H-Hey! This is the third time you''ve stolen my kill! Aren''t we from the same faction?! Or do you have some sort of grudge against me?!" Xi Murong cried out loud.

    Li Jinxi merely shrugged before leaving the scene.

    Meanwhile, the Sect Masters began debating whether they should stop Li Jinxi before she kills all of the magical beasts there.

    "We should probably stop her before she kills all of the magical beasts, right? She already has enough points for a red token, so there''s no point in continuing."

    "I agree. We also have more qualifying participants than ever this year. It would be a shame if we run out of magical beasts before they even get a chance to fight one."

    "Alright, let''s stop her."

    The seven Sect Master quickly came to a decision.

    Sometimeter, they appeared before Li Jinxi like ghosts and surrounded her.

    Of course, this startled Li Jinxi, who mistook it for an ambush and prepared herself for battle.

    "Wait, we''re not here to fight." One of the Sect Masters quickly raised his hands and said.

    "We''re Sect Masters of the Seven Spirit Academies."

    "As much as we''d like to continue watching you dominate the examination, it would be problematic if you kill all of the magical beasts on the first day of the examination."

    "Is that so?" Li Jinxi did not argue with these seven Sect Masters since they were much stronger than her.

    "Then I will take my leave now. How do I leave this ce?"

    One of the Sect Masters created a portal and pointed at it.

    Li Jinxi did not hesitate and entered the portal.

    After entering the portal, Li Jinxi found herself in arge room with seven chairs.

    The Sect Masters entered the room after Li Jinxi and took a seat in these chairs.

    "This part is normally done by the elders in charge of the examination, but we will take their ce for this special asion."

    Meanwhile, the spectators were shocked when they saw the seven Sect Masters'' sudden appearance.

    "Holy shit! Aren''t they the Sect Masters of the Seven Spirit Academies?! I have never seen all seven of them gathered in the same ce before!"

    "They must have shown up for that genius."

    "I''m not surprised in the slightest if you consider the ridiculous talent of that fairy. Hell, I wouldn''t be surprised even if their ancestors personally decide to show up."

    "Imagine being interviewed by all seven Sect Masters of the Seven Spirit Academies! This is so exciting!"N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.

    Inside the interview room.

    "Can you introduce yourself for us?"

    "Li Jinxi," she calmly responded.

 Chapter 865 - The Sect Mastersâ€™ Offers

    <h4>Chapter 865 - The Sect Masters'' Offers</h4>

    After introducing her name, Li Jinxi returned to being silent.

    A few moments of awkward silenceter, one of the Sect Masters spoke, "Is that it¡­?"

    Li Jinxi nodded.

    The Sect Masters were taken aback by her response. Can such a short introduction even be considered one?

    "What about your family? Can you tell us a little about your background? They must be a prominent power to give birth to a genius like you."

    "It''s nothing special. They are only an ordinary cultivation family." Li Jinxi calmly responded. She didn''t want to waste her breath talking about her family.

    "Ordinary family? There''s no need to be humble. Which city are they located in?"

    "..." Li Jinxi decided to remain silent.

    The Sect Masters looked at each other.

    In their mind, the reason Li Jinxi didn''t want to talk about her family is most likely due to her mysterious background.

    ''She must be from a hidden family¡­''

    Li Jinxi suddenly spoke, "Why am I here, being questioned? I thought I had already finished the examination."

    "Eh? You don''t know? This is thest part of the examination, where we interview you. After the interview, each of us will decide if we want you to join our sect, and you will get to choose from the sect that wants you."

    "Oh¡­" Li Jinxi mumbled in a low voice.

    She didn''t really pay much attention when the elders exined the examination to the participants, so she didn''t know much about it.

    "Anyways, let''s move on from the introduction and get to the main topic. Can you tell us why you want to join our sect and which sect you hope to join today?"

    The Sect Masters narrowed their eyes on Li Jinxi, patiently awaiting for her response.

    However, Li Jinxi''s response would leave them speechless.

    "I don''t want to join any sects," she calmly said, shocking the Sect Masters and the spectators alike.

    "W-What? Then why did you participate in the disciple examination?" The Sect Master of the Heavenly Academy couldn''t help but stand up and ask her.

    "I only wanted to fight magical beasts. I came here because I heard that there would be powerful magical beasts here." Li Jinxi revealed the ridiculous reason why she participated in the examination.

    "S-So you have no intention of joining any of our sect?" One of the Sect Masters asked for confirmation.

    Li Jinxi silently nodded.

    The Sect Masters turned to look at each other with perplexed emotions on their faces. They have never been put in such a difficult and embarrassing situation before.

    "If you don''t mind me asking, do you currently belong to another sect?" The Sect Master of the Heavenly Academy suddenly asked.

    "No." Li Jinxi shook her head.

    "Is there a particr reason why you''re not in a sect?"

    "I don''t like being bound to one ce." Li Jinxi immediately responded.

    "I see¡­"

    "Then¡­ If we do not restrict you to the sect and allow you to travel as you please, would you be more willing to join one of our sects?" The Sect Master of the Lonely River Academy asked.

    Ji Linxi pondered for a moment before nodding her head, "Maybe."

    The Sect Masters smiled inwardly when they realized that there is still a chance to recruit Li Jinxi. Even if she doesn''t join their own sect, they need her to join at least one of the Seven Spirit Academies.

    After all, if other sects acquire Li Jinxi, it would be disastrous for the Seven Spirit Academies in the future, as their position within Spirit Heaven could be challenged with just Li Jinxi''s existence alone.

    "Alright. I have decided. We''re skipping the interview part. I will now offer you a spot in the Heavenly Academy, and it will not just be any ordinary spot." The Sect Master of the Heavenly Academy spoke.

    And he continued, "If you join my sect, I will immediately make you a Prime Disciple, allow you ess to all of our techniques without any limitations, give you unlimited resources to assist your cultivation, and much more. If there is something you want that isn''t stated, I will make it happen. Of course, you will also retain your freedom, so you can go out of the sect whenever you want and for however long you want."

    "My Heavenly Academy is the number one sect in the entirety of Spirit Heaven, so there is almost nothing that we cannot do for you."

    The other Sect Masters were shocked speechless by the Sect Master of the Heavenly Academy. They didn''t think he would offer so much so quickly. Hell, he might as well offer her the entire Heavenly Academy.

    However, as ridiculous as the offer was, this made it almost impossible for the other sects to challenge the Heavenly Academy, who was superior in terms of techniques, prowess, and wealth.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    After a moment of silence, another Sect Master raised his hand and said, "My Formless Sword Academy will offer you the same deal! You use the sword, right? Although we''re not as wealthy and powerful as the Heavenly Academy, our sect has the most Swordmasters and sword techniques in all of Spirit Heaven. Join us and we''ll nurture you into the greatest Swordmaster this world has ever seen."

    The other Sect Masters also gave Li Jinxi an offer shortly after. While none of them could match the Heavenly Academy''s offer, they had to try.

    "Do you think she will join them?" Chu Liuxiang suddenly asked.

    "Who knows. Li Jinxi is an entric woman. I can never tell what she''s thinking." Yuan chuckled.

    "I don''t think she''ll join them." Meixiu said.

    "What makes you think so?" Yuan asked.

    "It''s just a feeling."

    Meanwhile, back at Li Jinxi''s location, many minutes passed inplete silence while the Sect Masters patiently waited for her response.

    Eventually, Li Jinxi opened her mouth and said, "Thank you all for the generous offer, but I must decline."

    The Sect Masters sighed inwardly after hearing her response.

    "May I hear your reasoning?" The Heavenly Academy''s Sect Master asked.

    Li Jinxi nodded and said, "I have a goal that I really want to achieve. If I could achieve my goal by joining your sect, then I would do so without hesitation, but I do not believe your sects will help me achieve my goal. Therefore, I will have to decline."

    "What is your goal?"

    Li Jinxi took a deep breath before responding, "There is a person I want to surpass."

 Chapter 866 - Escalating Situation

    <h4>Chapter 866 - Escting Situation</h4>

    "Someone you want to surpass? With your talents, there isn''t anyone in this realm that can possibly match you¡­" Sect Master of the Heavenly Academy said.

    Li Jinxi sighed after hearing such words, "That confirms nobody here can help me achieve my goal. If you really think I am currently the most talented to walk thisnd, then you have no idea what''s truly out there."

    "Forget it. I have already made my decision. I won''t be joining any of the sects here. Let me leave this ce now."

    The Sect Masters exchanged frowned looks with each other.

    If Li Jinxi refuses to join them, she could be a huge threat to them in the future, and that future wouldn''t be very far away either¡ª not with her ridiculous talents.

    Suddenly, one of the Sect Masters there suddenly stood up and scoffed, "Enough of this bullshit."

    "Sect Master Sun¡­ You¡­"

    "Shut up!"

    The Sect Master of the Universal Music Academy, Sun Hao, shouted.

    He then pointed at Li Jinxi and continued, "Who do you think you are, huh?"

    "I don''t care which family you came from or how talented you are, but how dare youe here and mock us¡ª the Seven Spirit Academies?!"

    "How dare youe here and participate in our examination and then tell us that you had no intentions of joining from the start?! I have never been mocked in such a manner before!"

    The other Sect Masters remained silent after hearing Sun Hao''s words, mostly because it made a lot of sense.

    The only reason Li Jinxi can be so rxed right now is because of her talents that these Sect Masters covet. If it were anybody else, they would''ve probably been punished with death by now.

    However, now that it was clear to them that Li Jinxi does not n on joining their sect, it would be for the best if they got rid of her so that nobody else could have her.

    "Yuan¡­ This doesn''t look good¡­" Meixiu turned to look at him with a worried look on her face.

    He nodded, "I know."

    After a moment of silence, he said, "Meixiu, Lulu, the both of you stay here. Xiao Hua, we''re going back."

    "What are you going to do? As much as I hate to say this, Li Jinxi is half responsible for her situation. She could''ve worded herself better..." Chu Liuxiang said.

    "I know she''s in the wrong, but I can''t just stand here and do nothing. I will, at the very least, make sure that she''s safe. We can deal with the specifics afterward."

    After putting down Meixiu and Chu Liuxiang, Yuan flew back to the square with Xiao Hua following beside him.

    Since he was in a hurry, he flew at his highest possible speed, which was multiple times faster than before, and it would only be a matter of time before he returned to the square with the seven elders.

    Meanwhile, the situation between Li Jinxi and the Sect Masters only got worse.

    "Say something! Did you purposefullye here just to piss us off or what? I don''t care how talented you are¡ª if you are not our ally, then I will deal with you ordingly!"

    The Sect Master of the Universal Music Academy released his cultivation, overwhelming Li Jinxi with the intense pressure of a Spirit King.

    "!!!"

    Li Jinxi''s body suddenly lowered until she was nearly on her knees, but she managed to react in time and barely prevented her knees from touching the floor.

    The Sect Masters were shocked to see a third level Spirit Master resist the aura of a Spirit King, regardless of their talents. However, this only further convinced them that Li Jinxi is a threat that must be removed if she refuses to be on their side.If you want to read more chapters, visit

    "Sect Master Sun, calm down a bit. Regardless of her actions, she is still a junior, and we are being watched by millions of people right now." The Heavenly Academy''s Sect Master said to Sun Hao using spiritual sense.

    "Hmph, I wouldn''t care even if we''re being watched by the whole world. This junior needs to be taught a lesson for looking down on her seniors. Also, it would be dangerous to let an untamed monster like her wander this world. Heaven knows what she is capable of in the future." Sun Hao said.

    "I know. Let''s give her one more chance to join us before we decide on anything."

    "Fine." Sun Hao stopped pressuring Li Jinxi the next moment.

    "Haaa¡­. Haaa¡­" Li Jinxi breathed heavily with her body soaked in sweat.

    Even though she had to resist Sun Hao''s pressure for a few moments, it was enough to drain almost all of her energy.

    ''These people are strong! Much stronger than Yuan when I first fought him!'' She cried inwardly.

    However, despite her body and instincts trembling in fear, her heart was actually burning with excitement.

    ''These people¡­ I want to fight them!''

    "Do not be mistaken. This does not mean that I have forgiven you for your sins." Sun Hao said, snapping Li Jinxi out of her daze.

    Li Jinxi coldly snorted, "If you''re expecting me to apologize for my actions, it won''t happen."

    "Y-You disrespectful little bit¡ª"

    Before Sun Hao could release his anger, the Sect Master of the Heavenly Academy stepped forward and said, "What you did here today not only disrespected our Seven Spirit Academies, but it also mocked us, who came all the way out here to invite you to join our sect."N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.

    "So you''re here to specifically recruit me?" Li Jinxi suddenly asked.

    "Yes, that''s right. We, the Sect Masters, do not normally intervene in disciple examinations."

    Hearing such words, Li Jinxi could only snort coldly, "Really? But I don''t recall asking for any of your presence. You came here on your own ord, and now you''re ming me for wasting your time?"

    "T-This bitch has zero respect for us! She may be talented, but she''s clearly brainless!" Sun Hao gritted his teeth in anger.

 Chapter 867 - Death Note

    <h4>Chapter 867 - Death Note</h4>

    "Young child, I will give you onest chance. If you join us, we will forget about this incident and make you the strongest cultivator in Spirit Heaven. However, if you refuse, then I¡ª and the others here no longer have any reason to continue protecting you." The Sect Master of the Heavenly Academy said to Li Jinxi, offering her a final chance to join their sects.

    "I refuse." Li Jinxi immediately rejected his offer, and it was done so in a manner that did not have even the slightest bit of hesitation.

    The Sect Master trembled slightly from anger, but he quickly regained control over his emotions.

    "Is that so¡­ How regrettable. A talent of your level¡­ We might never see it again." The Sect Master then sat down and closed his eyes.

    "You may do as you please, Sect Master Sun."

    "I have been waiting for this." Sun Hao immediately released his cultivation base again, instantly ttening the chair behind him.

    However, this pressure was not as strong as before, so Li Jinxi was able to endure it without feeling helpless.

    ''He''s going easy on me?'' Li Jinxi wondered inwardly.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    Sun Hao suddenly retrieved a beautiful zither and said, "Don''t worry, I won''t kill you so quickly. Disrespectful juniors like you need to be taught a proper lesson."

    He then pulled a single string on the zither, creating a beautiful yet crisp noise that echoed in the room.

    Hearing this music note, Li Jinxi subconsciously retrieved her greatsword and ced it in front of her, and she could feel something collide with her sword the very next instant, sending her flying backwards.

    Li Jinxi proceeded to fly straight out of the building and into this empty and spacious area.

    Sun Hao calmly walked outside and said, "If you can resist 3 of my strikes, I will let you live. How about it?"

    "Does thatst hit count?" Li Jinxi asked.

    Sun Hao smiled and said, "You want to be a smartass as well? I too can y that game. And no, it doesn''t count, since I only talked about it after releasing that strike, so you still need to block three more."

    "Very well. I''ll ept your challenge." Li Jinxi nodded.

    Sun Hao didn''t say anything else and took a sitting position, but he did not sit on the floor. Instead, he hovered in the air with the zither on hisp.

    The other Sect Masters also came outside to spectate their challenge.

    "Then herees my first strike."

    After taking a deep breath, Sun Hao began ying the zither.

    Li Jinxi immediately prepared herself for the attack, but nothing happened even many momentster, and only music came from Sun Hao''s zither. Furthermore, it was a very pleasant-sounding music.

    ''This music¡­ What is this nauseating feeling?'' Li Jinxi quickly realized that she could barely stand straight after listening to this music.

    "First note¡ª Note of Destruction."

    Ting!

    A very distinct and clear noise suddenly resounded, snapping Li Jinxi out of her daze.

    BANG!

    Li Jinxi suddenly felt something incredibly powerful struck her greatsword, which sent her flying back for another 50 meters before she finally touched the floor and began rolling like a metal can.

    However, she quickly stood back up with minor injuries.

    "Not bad." Sun Hao chuckled.

    "Then I will now begin my second strike."

    Sun Hao did not stop ying his zither this entire time, so music continued to fill the area.

    ''Shit¡­ This music¡­ It''s making me lose consciousness¡­'' Li Jinxi had to bite her lips until it bled just to keep herself conscious.

    "Second note¡ª Note of Annihtion."

    TING!

    Li Jinxi could feel an immense amount of spiritual energy flying towards her direction, and it was definitely enough to be fatal to even someone like her, but she couldn''t avoid it.

    "HAAAAA!" Li Jinxi suddenly roared, and her body became enveloped by a crimson aura that reeked with bloodlust.

    Li Jinxi could feel all of the muscles in her body being strengthened past their limits, making her feel more confident blocking the iing attack.

    However, when the attack finally struck her greatsword, it not only knocked Li Jinxi a hundred meters away, but it also shattered her greatsword into hundreds of pieces.

    Fortunately for Li Jinxi, the greatsword shattered after absorbing most of Sun Hao''s attack, saving her life by a hair''s width.

    However, this also meant that Li Jinxi would not have a weapon to defend against the next strike.

    "If you don''t have another weapon, you can use your body." Sun Hao said with a cold grin on his face.

    "..."

    Li Jinxi looked down at her own body to see that it was covered in cuts from the previous attack, and her entire body was soaked in her own blood.

    ''I might die today¡­'' She mumbled inwardly, yet she wasn''t feeling afraid of death even in the slightest.

    Meanwhile, outside the square with the seven elders.

    "Do you think Sect Master Sun''s really going to kill someone as talented as her?"

    "If he''s convinced that there''s no chance to recruit her."

    "Well¡­ Do you think he''s convinced?"

    After a moment of silence, Elder Mon from the Universal Music Academy said, "Definitely."

    "Haaa¡­ What a pity."

    Suddenly, the seven elders stopped talking and turned to face north when they sensed two unfathomable presence approaching their direction.

    "Who''s that?! What a powerful pressure!"

    The elders were shocked.

    "Hm? Isn''t that¡­"

    Once these two figures were close enough for the elders to see their faces, it shocked the elders even more.

    "T-That''s the kid from earlier today! Why is heing back here?"

    A few momentster, Yuan and Xiao Hua stopped in front of the seven elders.

    "Take me to that ce." Yuan pointed at the projection showing Li Jinxi and the Sect Masters.

    "Huh?" The elders showed puzzled looks on their faces.

    "That girl is my friend, and I would like to stop them before things get out of hand." Yuan gave them a brief exnation.

    "Your friend? Unfortunately, your friend just offended the Seven Spirit Academies and of all people, their Sect Masters. She''s going to die, and there''s nothing you can do to stop it." Elder Mon sneered.

    Yuan narrowed his eyes and said, "I don''t recall asking for yourmentary."

    "Little bastard¡­ I can see why you''re that woman''s friend¡­ You bothck respect towards your seniors!" Elder Mon roared at him.

    However, Yuan wasn''t even paying attention to the elder. He was focused on the projection with Li Jinxi, as she''d just sessfully blocked Sun Hao''s 2nd attack, but it was clear that she would not be able to block the next one.

    "Xiao Hua¡­" Yuan mumbled in a low voice.

    Xiao Hua did not need to hear anything else from Yuan to understand his intentions, and she released her cultivation base.

    "S-Spirit King!" The elders immediately recognized Xiao Hua''s pressure that was even stronger than their Sect Masters'' aura.

    Yuan approached these elders and stared at them with immense killing intent in his gaze.

    "If you do not let me help my friend, I will trample the Seven Spirit Academies until there is nothing left."

    "..."

    The elders trembled in fear before Yuan''s killing intent. Although his killing intent is already plenty strong in the real world, it was on another level in Cultivation Online, and it was definitely more than enough to terrify the souls out of these Spirit Lord elders.

    "I-I will open the portal to that ce for you!"

    The Heavenly Academy''s elder was the first one to break, and he immediately created a portal for Yuan.

    "Thanks." Yuan didn''t say anything else and flew right into the portal with Xiao Hua following him from behind.

    Meanwhile, Li Jinxi was prepared to block the final attack even if she had to use her own body.

    "He''s really going to kill her with hisst strike¡­ Are you sure this is the right choice?" Some of the Sect Masters there were still hesitant to let a genius like Li Jinxi perish under such a situation, especially the Healing Spirit Academy''s Sect Master.

    "If she is not our ally then she can only be our enemy. And I doubt she will change her mind after all of this is done. Might as well get rid of her before she could harm us." The Sect Master of the Heavenly Academy sighed.

    The other Sect Masters didn''t say anything else and watched as Sun Hao prepared to release his final strike.

    "If you can survive thisst strike, I will not only forgive you, I will even do anything you want."

    A massive grin appeared on Sun Hao''s face as he pulled the strings on the zither in a chaotic rhythm.

    "Final note¡ª Death Note!"

    Sun Hao released the attack with the strength of a Spirit King behind it.

    There was simply no way for Li Jinxi to survive this attack, and she instinctively knew this the moment she felt the spiritual energy of the attack.

    ''Damn it¡­'' Li Jinxi sighed inwardly as the attack reached in front of her body.

    [Heaven Severing Zither Arts!]

    Suddenly, another zither note resounded in the area, and before anyone there could react, this zither note collided with Sun Hao''s zither note, instantly destroying it.

    "W-Who goes there?!" Sun Hao eximed in a shocked voice after witnessing what just happened.

    Two figures appeared before Li Jinxi the very next moment, standing between Li Jinxi and the Sect Masters, and one of them was holding onto a beautiful ck zither in his grasp.

    "Y-Yuan¡­? What are you doing here?" Li Jinxi mumbled in a low voice.

    She knew it was him even without seeing his face, as she could recognize him just from looking at his back.

    "I''m here to save you, obviously," he said with a calm smile on his face.

 Chapter 868 - Persuading the Sect Masters

    <h4>Chapter 868 - Persuading the Sect Masters</h4>

    "Who the hell are you, and how did you get in here?" Sun Hao asked Yuan with a frown on his face.

    ''He not only blocked my most powerful zither note, but he did so as a Spirit Lord¡­''

    Sun Hao and the other Sect Masters were wary of Yuan''s presence.

    "My identity isn''t of any importance, and I came here by asking those elders at the square." Yuan said.

    He didn''t want to give them his identity since he was being watched by millions of people right now. Of course, it didn''t really matter if his identity is exposed to the yers watching, but he''d rather avoid it if possible.

    "You bastard¡­ There''s no way they''d let you in here of their own free will¡­ If you have harmed even a hair of their body, I will make you regret it!" Sun Hao growled.

    "Don''t worry, I didn''t touch them. Though, I did threaten them a little, but that was inevitable, as I wouldn''t have been able toe here if I didn''t." Yuan shrugged.

    "So¡­ What do you hope to achieve bying here?" The Sect Master of the Heavenly Academy suddenly spoke out loud.

    "I am here to persuade you all to forgive my friend. No doubt, she was wrong foring here without any intentions of joining your sects, and she was a little rude, but I don''t think that warrants a death sentence."? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    "So you don''t think that mocking the Sect Masters of the Seven Spirit Academies¡ª the most powerful sects in this realm¡ª should be punished with death?" Sun Hao asked.

    "Of course not. That''s simply unreasonable. If you think that''s punishable by death, then should I just kill all of you for trying to kill my friend, which is an even bigger offense in my eyes?" Yuan narrowed his eyes at the Sect Masters.

    "Arrogant little bastard. I can see why you''re friends. In fact, I wouldn''t be shocked if you were a couple." Hao Sun gritted his teeth in anger.

    "Do you really think you can kill the seven of us? You''re just a mere Spirit Lord." The Heavenly Academy''s Sect Master couldn''t help butugh out loud after hearing Yuan''s outrageous ims.

    Suddenly, a voice resounded inside his head, "Sect Master Li, don''t underestimate them! That little girl beside him is a Spirit King!"

    Elder Lang had just warned the Sect Master of the Heavenly Academy about Xiao Hua''s prowess.

    "I see¡­ The reason you''re acting so arrogant is because of that little girl beside you, right? However, even if she''s a Spirit King, there is only one of her while there are seven of us." Sect Master Li smiled.

    "Hm? Xiao Hua? No, I never nned on letting her fight for me. Although she is also more than enough to handle all seven of you by herself, I don''t want to trouble her with my problem."

    "If you came here to piss us off even more, then you''re doing a great job. However, if you''re here to help your friend, then you should have nevere here." The Sect Master of the Formless Sword Academy said.

    "Then how about this? I will fight the seven of you. If I win, you will let my friend go and forget everything that happened between us today. If any of you manage to beat me¡­ I will give you this."

    Yuan retrieved a box before showing the contents inside to the Sect Masters.

    Inside this box was a bunch of beautiful crimson leaves, but none of the Sect Masters recognized it¡ª except one.

    "Leaves from a Golden Celestial Tree! And judging from the intense scent¡­ It''s at least a hundred thousand years old!" The Sect Master of the Healing Spirit Academy eximed after she picked up its unique scent.

    Although the other Sect Masters still aren''t aware of its value, they could somehow take an educated guess from the shaken look on her face.

    ''I have never seen her this shocked before¡­ Those crimson leaves must be extremely valuable¡­'' Sect Master Li thought to himself.

    "There are 21 des of crimson leaves in this box. Do we have a deal?" Yuan suddenly asked them.

    "We have a deal!" The Healing Spirit Academy''s Sect Master immediately responded without any hesitation, taking the others by surprise.

    "S-Sect Master Xiahou! How can you agree to fighting him without even asking for our approval? I don''t agree to¡ª"

    However, before the Sect Master could even finish his sentence, Sect Master Xiahou interrupted, "With those 21 leaves, I can concoct 7 Golden Aptitude Pills for the seven of us. Do I need to further borate the meaning behind those words?"

    "G-Golden Aptitude Pills?! And seven of them?! Are you sure about this, Sect Master Xiahou?!" Sect Master Li asked her, seemingly in disbelief.

    The other Sect Masters also appeared to be filled with shock at this moment.

    "What''s a Golden Aptitude Pill?" Yuan turned to ask Xiao Hua.

    "It''s an extremely valuable pill that can boost one''s innate talent up to 50 percent depending on the quality of the pill, and it requires the leaves from a Golden Celestial Tree to create such pills. When did you acquire such a treasure, Brother Yuan?" She asked him after exining about the pill.

    "Ah, we found it within the Demons'' Valley right beforeing here. In fact, we have the entire Golden Celestial Tree." Yuan said with a smile on his face.

    "T-The whole thing?" Xiao Hua was dumbfounded to learn such information, as she was aware of the Golden Celestial Tree''s true value.

    Meanwhile, the seven Sect Masters finished their conversation.

    "Okay, we agree to y your little game." Sect Master Li said out loud.

    "Great." Yuan nodded.

    "Since I am already in the mood, I shall go first." Sun Hao said.

    "You''re going to fight me one by one? I had nned on fighting all seven of you at once, though." Yuan said in a nonchnt voice.

    The Sect Masters were left speechless by such baffling arrogance behind Yuan''s words.

 Chapter 869 - Fighting the Sect Masters

    <h4>Chapter 869 - Fighting the Sect Masters</h4>

    "You wanted to fight all of us at once?" Sect Master Li mumbled in a dazed voice.

    "I have had enough of your arrogant bullshit! Die!" Sun Hao could no longer endure his anger, as he was mocked by not just one junior but two juniors in a single day.

    "Note of Annihtion!"

    Sun Hao began ying the zither, creating a powerful zither note that had about 70 percent of his power into it.

    In response, Yuan also started ying the zither.

    [Heaven Severing Zither Arts!]

    Yuan''s zither note collided with Sun Hao''s zither note once again.

    However, instead of just canceling each other out like previously, Yuan''s zither note overpowered Sun Hao''s zither note and continued to fly at Sun Hao even after destroying his zither note.

    "Scatter!"

    Sun Hao hastily swept his fingers across all strings on his zither, creating this chaotic sound and barely defending himself against Yuan''s zither note.

    ''This brat¡­ has some ability!'' He gritted his teeth from frustration.

    The other Sect Masters also realized that Yuan wasn''t just all talk from that exchange alone.

    ''Two cultivation geniuses¡­ How did ite to this¡­?'' Sect Master Li frowned inwardly, as he was beginning to regret their decisions that ended up offending not one, but two cultivation geniuses.

    "DON''T UNDERESTIMATE ME, BRAT!" Sun Hao suddenly roared, and his aura skyrocketed as he pulled all of the strings on his zither in an aggressive manner.

    "Note of Nine Hells!"

    An immense amount of spiritual energy that threatened to destroy everything it touched flew toward Yuan''s direction.

    Yuan didn''t even blink at the iing attack and used Heaven Severing Zither Arts once again.

    "Impossible!" Sun Hao''s eyes widened with shock when Yuan''s zither note severed his most powerful zither note with seemingly zero effort.

    Yuan''s zither note continued to fly at Sun Hao after destroying his zither note, and before anyone could react, the zither note severed Sun Hao''s left arm from his body.

    "Ah!" Sun Hao tumbled to the ground after losing his arm, and the strings on his zither even snapped.

    "Sect Master Sun!" The other Sect Masters quickly went to stand between Yuan and Sun Hao.

    "You injured my friend, and you even tried to kill her, so I returned the debt by taking your arm. That''s fair, right?"

    "Y-You bastard¡­ How dare you¡­" Sun Hao gritted his teeth in anger. Now that he''s lost an arm, it would be near impossible to y the zither with the same agility and stability as before. Hell, he might even have to give up the zither.

    "Sect Master Sun, here. Quickly eat this." Sect Master Xiahou handed him a recovery pill that immediately stopped his bleeding and even closed up his wound within seconds.

    "Do you feel like fighting me at once now?" Yuan asked them after giving them some time to breathe.

    The Sect Masters narrowed their eyes at him.

    "I will handle this."

    The Sect Master of the Formless Sword Academy suddenly stepped forward with a majestic green sword in his grasp.

    "My name is Bai Enjue, Sect Master of the Formless Sword Academy. I hereby challenge you to a life or death challenge." Bai Enjue introduced himself as he pointed his sword at Yuan.N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.

    "Sect Master Bai?! What are you doing?!" The other Sect Masters were shocked by his words.

    "Don''t say anything. This is my decision."

    Seeing this, Yuan also retrieved his sword and summoned the Empyrean Overlord.

    ''A Soul Weapon? He can wield both a sword and a zither?'' Bai Enjue was inwardly shocked to see Yuan suddenly pull out a huge ass sword. The other Sect Masters felt the same after seeing the Empyrean Overlord.

    After snapping out of his daze, Bai Enjue made his move first.

    "Formless Sword Art¡ª Formless Edge!"

    A blue arc of light followed Bai Enjue''s sword as it flew toward Yuan''s neck.

    After taking a split second to analyze the attack, Yuan also released his own attack. However, it was not a technique. Instead, Yuan just swung his sword ordinarily while using his Sword Aura to support it.

    ''He can use Sword Aura?!'' Bai Enjue was shocked inwardly when he felt an exceedingly sharp auraing from Yuan''s sword.

    The two attacks collided the very next second.

    Yuan would be pushed back a couple of steps from the exchange, but Bai Enjue was sent flying backwards.

    "Impossible! Even Sect Master Bai cannot match him using a sword?!"

    "He can already use Sword Aura at such a young age¡­?"

    The other Sect Masters were beginning to wonder if they''d offended an existence that they shouldn''t have provoked.

    Meanwhile, at the Heavenly Academy.

    "E-Elder Nie! We have an emergency!" A disciple rushed into his room without knocking.

    "What happened?" Senior Nie asked with a slight frown on his annoyed face.

    "T-The Sect Masters! They are¡­" The disciple didn''t know how to exin the situation without making it sound too bad.

    "Hurry up and speak! What happened to the Sect Masters?!" Senior Nie raised his voice.

    "T-They are being beaten by some stranger!"

    "What? How is that even possible?" Senior Nie immediately doubted this information.

    "I-It''s true! Watch the disciple examination broadcast!"

    Senior Nie didn''t say anything else and retrieved a treasure that allowed him to spectate the disciple examination.

    After changing the scene multiple times, he finally halted at a specific broadcast where all seven Sect Masters of the Seven Spirit Academies'' was gathered, and they appeared to be in trouble.

    "What happened to Sect Master Sun?! Why is he missing an arm? And most importantly, why is ''he'' there?!?!" Senior Nie eximed after seeing Sun Hao''s condition and Yuan''s familiar face.

    "T-This is what happened¡­"

    The disciple proceeded to exin the whole situation to Senior Nie, who was speechless by the end of it.

    "Fuck! This is disastrous!" Senior Nie was so dumbfounded by the situation that he couldn''t even think properly.

    ''Out of everyone in this world, they had to pick a fight with him?! These idiots!''

    ''Damn it! I need to stop them before things really get out of hand!''

    "Tell everybody in the sect to standby!" After giving the disciple this warning, Senior Nie rushed outside and disappeared from the sect.

    Meanwhile, the other six sects had already gathered many experts and started making their way towards the examination area to assist their Sect Masters that were clearly in trouble.

 Chapter 870: You Know Him?

    <h4>Chapter 870: You Know Him?</h4>

    "Don''t think you''ve won yet! I am just getting started!" Bai Enjue shouted as he got back to his feet and closed their distance again.

    "You''re also not the only one who can use Sword Aura!"

    Bai Enjue swung his sword that carried Sword Aura this time. However, it was clear that his Sword Aura was nowhere near as powerful and refined as Yuan''s Sword Aura.

    Yuan didn''t say anything and proceeded to block all of Bai Enjue''s attacks with ease.

    "What should we do? At this rate, our reputation will¡­"

    "Is there even anything we can do at this point? If we attack him at once, that would be akin to admitting our defeat¡ª that we cannot defeat him by ourselves."

    "Who here thinks they can defeat him?"

    The Sect Masters talked amongst themselves as Yuan and Bai Enjue fought each other.

    "Regardless if we defeat him or not today, our reputation has already suffered irreparable damage." Sect Master Li sighed in a dispirited manner.

    "So you''re saying we should just gang up on him and finish this?" One of them asked.

    Sect Master Li narrowed his eyes at Yuan, who was casually fighting Bai Enjue, even looking like he was fooling around.

    "I''m not so sure that we would be able to defeat him even if all seven of us fought him together."

    "What?! Are you seriously saying that?"

    Sect Master Li nodded with a serious expression, "This person must be the one she wants to surpass. His abilities are truly iprehensible and unfathomable."

    "However, as the Sect Masters of the Seven Spirit Academies, we cannot simply run away in such a situation, or we would beughingstocks. Even if we lose our faces, we must take him down."

    The other Sect Masters silently nodded their heads.

    Bang!

    "Ah!"

    Bai Enjue suddenly screamed, causing the other Sect Masters to turn their heads.

    "Sect Master Bai! Are you okay?!" Sect Master Xaihou shouted in a concerned voice after seeing the blood flowing from his mouth.

    "Y-Yes¡­ This is nothing¡­" He said in a mumbling voice.

    The Sect Masters suddenly approached them and surrounded Yuan.

    "Oh?" Yuan stopped his movements and looked at the Sect Masters around him with a calm expression on his face.

    "I told you guys to fight me together at the beginning, but you didn''t want to listen. Now it looks like I am bullying you guys." Yuan smiled at their frowning faces.If you want to read more chapters, visit pa nda-novel,c.o,m

    "Are you really a Spirit Lord? Or are you hiding your real cultivation?" Sect Master Li suddenly asked him.

    "Of course this is my real cultivation. I don''t even know how to hide my cultivation." Yuan casually shrugged.

    "Then let me ask you another question¡­ Why are you doing this? I don''t believe that you came all the way here just to save your friend. You actually came here with the intentions to fight us, didn''t you?"

    "I will be lying if I say that I am not enjoying our fight. However, I am not that bored toe here just to fight. I truly came here with the intentions to save my friend, but I got a little angry when I saw the state of my friend, so I wanted to punish you all a little."

    "If you want, we can stop this nonsense right now. Of course, that means you will forfeit the challenge and forgive my friend."

    Sect Master Li snorted and said, "This is no longer about the challenge. You came here and made a mockery out of us. Our reputation took a massive hit because of you and your friend. When someone ps you in the face, it is only natural you kill them."

    Yuan sighed, "Is that so? What a pity."

    He suddenly lifted his sword and pointed it at them, "Don''t worry, I won''t kill any of you, but expect to lose a limb or two today."

    The Sect Masters didn''t say anything and took out their weapons and treasures.

    "Kill him!" Sect Master Li suddenly shouted in a resolved voice.

    "HALT!"

    A deafening voice suddenly resounded, immediately stopping their movements.

    "This voice¡­ Senior Nie?" Sect Master Li recognized his voice the moment he heard it.

    Indeed, it was Senior Nie, and he could be seening out of a portal with an exhausted look on his face.

    "Enough of this! All of you! Stop!"

    Without any hesitation, Senior Nie walked right past the Sect Masters and stood beside Yuan.

    "What are you doing, Senior Nie?" Sun Hao asked him.

    "I am trying to stop this farce before someone actually dies. What do you think will happen to the Seven Spirit Academies if multiple Sect Masters suddenly die?"

    "You actually think we''ll lose to that brat, Senior Nie?"

    "It''s not about losing or winning. If you continue to fight him, one or more of you will certainly die. Even if you manage to defeat him in the end, it will be at the cost of some of your lives, and that is not worth it." Senior Nie said.

    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.

    And he turned to look at Yuan with a perplexed face, as he wasn''t sure what to say to Yuan at this moment.

    Before Senior Nie could say anything, Yuan smiled and said, "I am not an unreasonable person. If they agree to stop, I won''t pursue this matter any longer."

    "Thank you, Yuan." Senior Nie nodded.

    "W-Wait¡­ Senior Nie¡­ You know him?" Sect Master Xiahou stared at him with her eyes wide as saucers.

    "Of course." Senior Nie nodded, and he continued, "In fact, I met him not long ago when I went down to the Lower Heavens to oversee the Mystic Realm. Do you remember that genius I mentioned about after I returned? The one who refused to join us? That''s him."

    The Sect Masters there stared at Yuan with baffled faces after realizing Yuan''s identity, but none of them wanted to believe it.

    ''He''s that prodigy who was rumored to have opened the Mystic Pagoda?!?!'' Sect Master Li cried inwardly.

 Chapter 871: Monster

    <h4>Chapter 871: Monster</h4>

    The ce fellpletely silent once Senior Nie revealed Yuan''s identity to the Sect Masters.

    Since none of the Sect Masters were directly involved in the Mystic Realm, none of them recognized Yuan. However, they were definitely intrigued by his existence, as he was able to open the Mystic Pagoda that had been sealed for countless years.

    They also didn''t think that they would be meeting him anytime soon, as it hasn''t been that long since the Mystic Realm ended.

    After many moments of silence, Sun Hao spoke, "I''m sorry, Senior Nie, but I won''t be able to back down¡ª I can''t. I simply can''t forgive him, who severed my arm. He must pay for it!"

    Bai Enjue then said, "I also won''t stop now. I don''t have any grudges against him, but I cannot put down my sword after fighting him¡ª my pride won''t allow it."

    Senior Nie sighed after hearing their words, but he didn''t continue to persuade them.

    Although Senior Nie isn''t a Sect Master, he has been part of the Heavenly Academy even before the current Sect Master, and his reputation and authority within the sect isn''t any less than Sect Master Li.

    In fact, most people within the Seven Spirit Academies see Senior Nie as a retired Sect Master despite having never taken up that position.

    "What about the rest of you? I won''t tell you to not fight him, but I highly discourage it." Senior Nie turned to look at the others.

    "I am out." Sect Master Xiahou said out loud before taking a few steps back.

    As the Sect Master of the Healing Spirit Academy, she specializes in alchemy more than actualbat, and she didn''t want to risk her life for something so pointless.

    "I will fight," said the Sect Master of the Lonely River Academy, as he was very close with Formless Sword Academy''s Sect Master. He would be filled with guilt if he didn''t assist Bai Enjue.

    With half of the Sect Masters willing to fight, two more Sect Masters also agreed to continue their fight.

    Sect Master Li from the Heavenly Academy is now the only person that hasn''te to a decision.

    Senior Nie narrowed his eyes at Sect Master Li.

    "As the leading sect, it would be shameful of me to back down when the majority of the alliance has agreed to fight," said Sect Master Li with a resolute face.

    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    Senior Nie sighed.

    He then turned to look at Yuan with an apologetic look on his face, "I''m sorry. I tried."

    "It''s fine. I was expecting it." Yuan said.

    "Y-You were?"

    "Yes." He smiled.

    "Anyways, you should stand back. Things will get a little chaotic from here on out."

    Before leaving, Senior Nie said to him, "I know I have no right to ask this of you, but¡­ can you spare their lives at the very least? If you kill any of them, the Seven Spirit Academies will do everything in their power to destroy you."

    "I won''t make any promises. If they''re too weak, I might identally kill them, after all." Yuan said.

    Senior Nie could only sigh inwardly after hearing such words, and he retreated from the battlefield with Sect Master Xiahou.

    "Since you''re down one, I will let you attack first." Yuan said to the six Sect Masters with a provoking smile on his face.

    "Che!"

    Sun Hao snickered in disdain right before retrieving a flute. He then used Qi Manifestation to hold the flute before his mouth, allowing him to y it with just a single hand.

    ''So he can y multiple instruments, huh?''

    If you want to read more chapters, visit pa nda-novel,c.o,m. When Yuan heard the music, it made him feel a little nauseated. However, the technique was meant to knock out Yuan, and when Sun Hao saw this, he immediately changed songs.

    A momentter, the other five Sect Masters surrounded Yuan while feeling like their overall prowess had increased from listening to the music.

    "Formless Sword Art¡ª Formless Edge!" Bai Enjue was the first to attack Yuan, initiating a relentless assault that would not stop for many minutes.

    "Strength Enhancing Array!" The Sect Master of the Golden Array Academy further enhanced the others'' strength before trying to slow down Yuan with restraining arrays.

    However, Yuan would easily break out of these arrays.

    ''This guy! He knows all of my arrays'' weaknesses! Is he also an Array Master?!''

    Meanwhile, Sect Master Li would asionally throw powerful techniques at Yuan whenever one of the other Sect Masters finished their attack in order to keep up the pressure.

    Of course, Yuan easily dodges all of these attacks with his movement technique.

    "Fiery Lion Fist!"

    The Sect Master of the Steel Lion Academy used his bare hands to attack Yuan from behind.

    "Ha!"

    Yuan immediately turned around in a kicking motion, blocking the fist attack with nothing but his bare legs.

    ''What a ridiculously sturdy body! Not even mountains canpare to this guy''s body! He must have soaked in countless treasures to acquire such a refined physique!'' The Sect Master of the Steel Lion Academy was shocked after their sh. He was someone that would often im to have the strongest and sturdiest body in Spirit Heaven, but after shing with Yuan, he began to doubt his own strength.

    The six Sect Masters relentlessly attacked Yuan for many minutes without giving him any time to breathe, each using their own talents to assist the others. Their cooperation with each other was perfect, but despite that, none of them have been able tond a solid hit on Yuan, as he was easily blocking and dodging everything they sent his way.

    ''This is fucking impossible! He has an answer for all of our attacks, and there are six of us attacking him at once!'' Sect Master Li cried inwardly, his body soaked in cold sweat.

    ''What a monster...''

    The other Sect Masters also noticed this, but they did not dare to stop attacking Yuan, fearing his retaliation.

    Meanwhile, Li Jinxi and the others watched Yuan fight with six Spirit Kings simultaneously while having a lower cultivation.

    "He''s even smiling¡­" Li Jinxi mumbled in a voice of disbelief as she stared at Yuan''s face that was filled with excitement and joy.

 Chapter 872: Heavens Favorite

    <h4>Chapter 872: Heaven''s Favorite</h4>

    ''So this is the prowess of the man who opened the Mystic Pagoda¡­ He was only a Spirit Master at that time, too¡­'' Senior Nie thought to himself as he watched Yuan y with the six Sect Masters.

    Because the Mystic Realm did not show Yuan''s movement and actions, nobody but those that were with him knew his potential. This included Senior Nie, who could only imagine Yuan''s prowess until today.

    "This is absurd¡­ almostically so¡­" Sect Master Xiahou suddenly uttered in a dazed voice.

    "How can someone like him exist in this world? Why are the heavens allowing this to happen¡­?"

    Hearing her words, Senior Nie responded without looking away from the fight, "This is the heavens'' way of messing with us cultivators for wanting to defy them by seeking eternal life. They will asionally create geniuses that will surpass everyone with ease just to make the others fume with jealousy."

    "Of course, if they''re feeling extremely bored, they will very, very rarely give birth to monsters that will dominate an entire era, and these monsters are fated to do just that, so there is nothing we can do about it."

    "We can beat them, oppress them, mock them, torture them, and even try to kill them, but they will always somehow manage to survive and continue their path of dominance. We call these monsters ''Heaven''s Favorite''."

    "So you''re saying that he''s Heaven''s Favorite?" Sect Master Xiahou asked.

    "I hope so." Senior Nie said with a bittersweet smile on his face.

    "Why?" Sect Master Xiahou raised her eyebrows in a puzzled manner.

    "Because there actually exists an existence that surpasses even Heaven''s Favorite. This kind of existence are independent souls that do not obey any rules¡ª not even those made by the mighty heavens, nor are they affected by fate, so they can essentially do whatever they want while ignoring all rules of this universe."

    "There isn''t an official name for this kind of existence, but if I have to give them one, I would call them Forbidden Souls, as they are souls that should not be allowed to exist¡ª for the sake of this world and everyone in it."

    Sect Master Xiahou was left speechless by Senior Nie''s words, and she wondered if Yuan could be this kind of existence.

    Meanwhile, Yuan''s battle with the six Sect Masters only got more heated with every passing moment, as the Sect Masters were beginning to get desperate.

    Most of them had been unconsciously using non-lethal techniques because they were ganging up on a young man that also has a lower cultivation base than them, but the Sect Masters eventually came to a realization¡ª that Yuan isn''t human, so they shouldn''t fight like they were fighting a fellow human cultivator.

    "This bastard is clearly not human! And we won''t defeat him until we stop considering him as a human! We need to treat this fight like we''re fighting a magical beast¡ª No, a Divine Beast! Let''s stop holding back and fight with the intention to kill!" Sun Hao suddenly said to the other Sect Masters.

    Although they were hesitant at first, it did not take long for them to agree with Sun Hao.

    Once the Sect Masters stopped seeing Yuan as a human, their attacks immediately became more aggressive and destructive.

    "Hahaha! This is so fun! That''s right! Fight me with the intention to kill me! Fight like your life depends on it!" Yuanughed out loud as he also increased his pace and strength.

    "Formless de¡ª Formless Death!" Bai Enjue used his most powerful technique on Yuan.

    The other Sect Masters followed.

    "Ancient Lion''s Fury!"

    "Array of Four Elements!"

    "Heavenly Destruction!"

    All of the Sect Masters suddenly released their most powerful and destructive technique on Yuan simultaneously.

    A massive explosion urred shortly afterward, forcing the Sect Masters and even the spectators to retreat.

    "Y-Yuan¡­" Li Jinxi swallowed nervously.

    ''Surely, he couldn''t have survived that attack just now¡­ right¡­?''

    While everyone there had their eyes focused on Yuan''s direction, Senior Nie decided to focus on Xiao Hua instead for some reason.

    ''She''s not acting, nor does she seem worried even in the slightest¡­'' Senior Nie sighed inwardly after realizing why Xiao Hua remained so calm.

    ''It''s over. The Sect Masters are not capable of defeating this monster¡­''

    Once the smoke disappeared enough, Yuan''s figure appeared before the Sect Masters again, and he seemed to bepletely unharmed, which left the Sect Masterspletely baffled.

    Aftering out of the smoke, Yuan cracked his fingers and said in a chilling voice, "I would like to believe that I have given you all enough time for your head start. It''s now my turn to go on the offensive."

    Yuan''s words immediately snapped the Sect Masters back to reality.

    "Shit! Stop him!" Sect Master Li shouted in a panicked voice.

    However, before anyone there could even do anything, Yuan''s eyes changed colors, turning into majestic gold.

    [Dragon''s Gaze!]

    All six Sect Masters halted their movements the moment they stared into Yuan''s glowing eyes.

    "W-Where am I?! Where did the others go?!"

    The Sect Masters suddenly found themselves alone in the void, where there was only darkness and this unfathomable presence that continuously grew more terrifying until it was strong enough to shake the very core of their souls.

    Once their fear was at its peak, the Sect Masters finally realized what was causing this terrifying presence. However, this entity was so massive that just one of its eyes could make them look like ants before a watermelon inparison.

    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.

    "H-Help! I give up! Please! Get me out of here, mother!" Sun Hao was so shaken by the massive eye that he started crying for his mother.

    The other Sect Masters had simr reactions.

    Bai Enjue dropped his sword and kowtowed before the entity in the void without uttering a single word.

    Sect Master Li and the others also did something simr. They had lost all will to fight and offered their unworthy lives to this unfathomable entity in the void!

 Chapter 873 - Donâ€™t Look

    <h4>Chapter 873 - Don¡¯t Look</h4>

    "W-What happened? Why are they just standing there?" Sect Master Xiahou mumbled in a dumbfounded voice as she stared at the Sect Masters with her eyes as wide as saucers. Because Yuan had his back facing her direction, she was unable to see his glowing eyes and understand the situation.

    Sect Master Xiahou decided to take a closer look with her divine sense, but Elder Nie suddenly eximed, "Don''t look!"

    "Huh?" Sect Master Xiahou subconsciously retrieved her divine sense from surprise and turned to look at him, only to see a terrified expression on his face.

    "Senior Nie? What''s wrong?" She asked him in a nervous voice.

    "Whatever you do, don''t look at his eyes right now. You''ll regret it like I am now." He said with sweat dripping down his forehead.

    Even though Yuan''s Dragon''s Gaze wasn''t directed towards him, it was still emitting an aura strong enough to shake Senior Nie''s soul when he nced at it with his divine sense.

    ''What a terrifying technique! It must be at least divine rank!''''

    Meanwhile, Yuan merely stood there with a calm expression as he watched the Sect Masters stand there with nk looks on their faces, looking like they were in a trance.

    If he wanted to defeat the Sect Masters, right now would be the best time. However, he didn''t attack them and actually waited for them to break out of his technique by themselves, which is definitely a crueler punishment.

    When Senior Nie realized what Yuan was doing, he immediately said, "Y-Yuan! Please have mercy! Their souls will crumble at this rate! That is a fate worse than death!"

    Yuan smiled and said, "Don''t worry, they won''t receive any permanent damages. I am holding back, after all."

    ''He''s holding back?! Even though it''s already this powerful?!'' Senior Nie cried inwardly.

    After standing around for a couple more minutes, Yuan finally decided to act.

    However, the Sect Masters remained dazed even after Yuan deactivated his Dragon''s Gaze.

    "It''s time to wake up!" Yuan slightly twisted his body before swinging his fist at Sect Master Li''s face, hitting him square in the cheeks.

    A cracking noise resounded as Sect Master Li''s jaw cracked from the impact. He then flew into the air with his body spinning in an impressive manner.

    After sending Sect Master Li flying, Yuan immediately moved to his next victim, sending Bai Enjue flying with a fist to the face as well.

    He then sent the Sect Master of the Golden Array Academy, the Sect Master of the Steel Lion Academy, and the Sect Master of the Lonely River Academy flying with a kick in their stomach, breaking some of their ribs in the process.

    It was just Sun Hao, Sect Master of the Universal Music Academy left, and Yuan had something special for him.

    After pping Sun Hao in the face to wake him up from his daze, Yuan would batter him with over a dozen strikes, ruthlessly hitting him in the face and body until his entire face was deformed with bruises.

    Once all of the Sect Masters were lying on the ground and groaning in pain, Yuan took a deep breath, and said, "I am going to end your punishment here and spare your lives, but if you try to harm me or my friends again, I will not hesitate toe back and im your lives."

    He turned to look at Senior Nie and continued, "Do you have anything to say?"

    A bittersweet smile appeared on Senior Nie''s face as he spoke, "Just one thing. Thank you for sparing their lives."

    Yuan nodded, "I should also apologize for escting the situation even though I came here with the intention to stop it, especially since there are millions of people watching this¡­"

    "Oh, you don''t have to worry about the spectators. We stopped broadcasting this ce after your fight with Sect Master Sun, so everything that happened afterward is only between us." Senior Nie said.

    "What?!" Sect Master Xiahou turned to look at Senior Nie with a shocked face.

    "Why didn''t you say so earlier?! I don''t know about Sect Master Sun, but the others wouldn''t have fought if they knew about that! They fought because they thought that their reputation was at stake!"

    "Ehh¡­ Well¡­ We can talk about that after you heal them¡­" Senior Nie said in an awkward voice.

    "Oh right!"

    Sect Master Xiahou then fed the other Sect Masters recovery pills and other expensive medicine, healing all of their injuries within moments except the damage done to their pride and mind.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    "S-Senior Nie¡­ Are you serious? About the broadcast¡­" Sect Master Li asked him afterward.

    "Yes, it''s true. The only people that could see the broadcast are people with direct ess to them like me. However, Sect Master Sun''s fight with Yuan is public knowledge."

    Everybody turned to look at Sun Hao, who had a very bitter look on his face, but there was nothing they could do about it.

    "Hey, can we leave now?" Yuan suddenly approached them and asked.

    The Sect Masters subconsciously took a step back when Yuan got too close.

    "You want to leave after beating us? Are you serious?" Bai Enjue frowned.

    "What? Do you want me to take responsibility or something? Except for him, you''re all unharmed." Yuan said while pointing to Sun Hao.

    "Just so you know, hundreds of thousands of disciples from the Seven Spirit Academies are currently waiting for you outside. If we don''t stop them, they will all attack you." Sect Master Li said.

    "Is that so¡­" Yuan began pondering for a moment before showing a cold smile, "Or I can just kill them all."

    "You bastard¡­" The Sect Masters red at Yuan with killing intent.

    Yuan chuckled, "I''m just joking, but if you leave me no choice¡­ That joke might be a reality."

    "Also, if you''re worried that I might cause trouble for you in the future, then you don''t have to worry, as I will be ascending to the next realm very soon."

    "What? You''re ascending again so soon?" Senior Nie looked at him with wide eyes.

 Chapter 874 - Come With Me

    <h4>Chapter 874 - Come With Me</h4>

    "I would like to stay around for a little longer, but it will only hinder my growth." Yuan said with a bittersweet smile.

    "Anyways, since I will be leaving this realm soon, you can simply just forget about me. I''m sure you''ll eventually forget about me sooner orter even if I don''t mention it."

    After a moment of silence, Bai Enjue spoke up, "Even if you''re gone, what about her? What if she seeks revenge in the future? We cannot take that risk."

    Yuan chuckled at his words, "No way. She won''t do something like that."

    "And we''re supposed to just take your words for it?"

    "How about this then?"

    Yuan turned to look at Li Jinxi before asking her, "Hey, want toe with me? We''ll ascend together. The fact you came to this ce for entertainment must mean that you''re already bored of this realm. I can''t say that I''m surprised though. You''re really strong, after all."

    Li Jinxi''s eyes widened slightly after hearing Yuan''s suggestion.

    "You¡­ want me to follow you?"

    "Yes. I can guarantee you that there will be plenty of stronger magical beasts for you to fight up there. You''ll be able to fight to your heart''s content."

    Li Jinxi silently stared at Yuan for a few moments before nodding her head, "Okay, I will go with you."

    "Then it''s decided."

    Yuan returned to looking at the Sect Masters and continued, "As you all just heard, she will be ascending with me. There should be no problems now, right?"

    "Do you really think¡ª" Sun Hao opened his mouth to speak.

    However, Yuan quickly interrupted, "You should really think twice before you finish that sentence, Sect Master. I have been holding back long enough. If you continue testing my limits, I will stop being so nice."

    Seeing Yuan''s serious and cold re, Sun Hao swallowed nervously and forgot what he was going to say.

    ''He''s serious! If we continue to push our luck, he might really ughter his way out of here!'' Sect Master Li cried inwardly.

    If Yuan could easily handle all of them at once and with ease, he had no doubt that Yuan would also be capable of dealing with the disciples waiting for him outside.

    ''A Sect Master can easily be reced since there is only one person for that role, but if arge poption of disciples suddenly dies at once, it would deal almost irreversible damage to a sect that would take hundreds if not thousands of years to fix!''

    "Alright, we''ll forget about today''s incident." Sect Master Li said out loud.

    "W-What?! You can''t be serious!" Sun Hao snapped to look at him with a shocked face.

    "If you want your disciples to die a pointless death, you''re more than wee to do so. However, I will not let my disciples be part of it even if it''s thest thing I do!"

    "I just told my disciples to return to the sect." Sect Master Xiahou suddenly stepped forward and announced while showing Yuan themunication jade slip.

    "The disciples of the Heavenly Academy never left the sect, so we should have any disciples here." Senior Nie said to Sect Master Li, who nodded his head in approval.

    "I''ll also call my guys off¡­" The other Sect Masters eventually gave up.

    In the end, only Sun Hao remained indecisive.

    "What is this nonsense?! I thought we''re supposed to help each other! That is the purpose of our alliance that has stood for thousands of years!" Sun Hao yelled at the other Sect Masters.

    "How dare you bring up such bullshit after we risked our lives to fight him with you, Sect Master Sun? You should know better than that!" Sect Master Li immediately roared back.

    "Sect Master Sun, while we are obligated to help each other during times of need, it does not mean we must sacrifice ourselves to do so." Sect Master Xiahou said.

    "Sect Master Sun, you need some rest, as you''re clearly not thinking straight right now." Bai Enjue sighed.

    When the rest of the Sect Masters rebuked Sun Hao''s stubbornness, it infuriated him. However, there was nothing he could do. He knew that there was nothing he could do against Yuan by himself.

    In the end, Sun Hao raised his white g andmanded his disciples to return to their sect.

    "I''m leaving!" Sun Hao also left the ce immediately after, as he didn''t want to stay in that ce for another second.

    "We''ll contact you againter for a proper meeting, Sect Master Sun." Sect Master Li said to him right before he entered the portal and disappeared from the ce.

    "It should be clear outside now." Senior Nie created a portal and said to Yuan.

    "Let''s leave now, shall we?" Yuan turned to ask Li Jinxi, who nodded in a dazed manner.

    Yuan proceeded to leave the ce with Li Jinxi and Xiao Hua following behind him.

    "Senior Nie, tell us everything you know about him." Sect Master Li said in a serious voice after they left.

    "I don''t mind, but I also don''t really know much about them. However, there is one thing that I can say for sure."

    "What''s that?"

    "He''s from an extraordinary background with connections to some very powerful people. Do you remember the Flood Dragon''s Scale that I recently purchased? The owner and seller of that scale called him ''Young Master''."

    "What?!"

    The Sect Masters there were shocked to learn this information.

    "You said that he came from the Lower Heavens, right? How can he possibly have such connections? Unless he''s actually from the upper heavens but purposefully traveled to the Lower Heavens, that''s impossible. However, why would he do such a thing?" Bai Enjue said.

    Senior Nie shook his head, "The more talented they are, the less we understand them. It''ll be for the best if we don''t question it and just ept things as they are."

    "The bigger question now is¡­ What should we do after all this? I''m also worried about Sect Master Sun. He suffered the most today, after all." Sect Master Xiahou sighed.

    "We can talk about thatter. For now, we need to return to our own sects and exin the situation to our disciples." Sect Master Li said.

    The Sect Masters agreed, and they all left the scene shortly after.N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.

 Chapter 875 - seven Spirit Academiesâ€™ Disciple Examinationâ€™s Results

    <h4>Chapter 875 - seven Spirit Academies'' Disciple Examination''s Results</h4>

    Sometime after Yuan and Li Jinxi left the disciple examination, they went to meet back up with Meixiu and Chu Liuxiang.

    "Sorry for the trouble, Yuan." Li Jinxi apologized to him as they journeyed.

    "Don''t even mention it. It''s only natural that I help my friends out when they''re in trouble," he said.

    Li Jinxi nodded, and she continued, "By the way, I already knew this, but you''re really strong in Cultivation Online. I want to spar with youter when we get the chance."

    "Sure." He nodded.

    "Brother Yuan." Xiao Hua suddenly approached him.

    "What''s the matter?"

    "Brother Yuan, you seem a little different than usual today. Are you feeling unwell?" She asked him in a worried voice, as she was unaware of Yuan''s situation with the Divine Paragon.

    "Yes, I am feeling perfectly fine."

    Sometimeter.

    "Yuan! Jinxi! Are you two okay? What happened? The broadcast suddenly stopped, so we couldn''t see what transpired after you cut off that man''s hand." Chu Liuxiang immediately asked.

    "Nothing much. I had a fight with them and managed to convince them to forgive and forget about everything that happened today." Yuan said with a smile.

    "Really? Even though you severed that man''s arm?"

    "It took some effort, but yes, they won''t cause us anymore trouble."

    "That''s good to hear."

    "What are we going to do now?" Meixiu then asked.

    "The examination is still ongoing, so we''ll continue watching until everyone we know has passed."

    "Do you think it''s a good idea to let them join the sect after everything that has happened?" Chu Liuxiang suddenly asked.

    "It should be fine. After all, they don''t know about our associations with each other. And even if they did, I doubt they would bother the others just because of our association."

    "If you say so¡­"

    Thus, Yuan and the others continued to spectate the examination.

    Even though the disciple examination was scheduled tost for a couple of days, it did not mean the participants had to wait until the very end to finish their examination.

    After getting enough points to pass from the third examination, the participants may immediately head to the final part of the examination and be interviewed by the Seven Spirit Academies.

    Of course, the interviewers were only of elder status.

    Therefore, after a couple more hours, Wang Ming and the others passed their examination with top results.

    Wang Ming had managed to receive offers from all seven academies to be their disciple, which isn''t surprising with his results that ranked top 10. In the end, Wang Ming chose the Formless Sword Academy that specializes in sword art.

    Wang Bingbing also received offers from all seven academies, but she joined the Heavenly Academy.

    Shi Lang received offers from all seven academies, and he joined the Lonely River Academy, as they had enough spear experts to peak his interest.

    Hong Xiuquan decided to join the Steel Lion Academy that specializes in tempering their physique and closebat, which is perfect for a gauntlet user.

    Wu Zao had surprisingly decided to join the Golden Array Academy despite being a fan wielder and having never heard of arrays until today, but he was interested in their concept and wanted to see if he could be an Array Master.

    Xi Murong, who was an expert with daggers, decided to join the Heavenly Academy with Shi Lang.

    Last but not least, Min Li, who also ranked top 10 with everybody else, managed to receive an offer from the Heavenly Academy, which she dly epted.

    The Demon Sealing Faction and Min Li had managed to upy 7 of the top 10 spots in the disciple examination. Of course, if Li Jinxi''s results were counted, that would make it 8 out of 10 spots, and she would also take rank one without any contenders.

    The Seven Spirit Academies were, without doubt, extremely elevated to have so many top-scoring geniuses join their sects at once.

    "Thank you, Senior, for allowing me to join the Heavenly Academy! And thank you, Seniors, for offering me a spot in your sects! I am really grateful to you all!" Min Li bowed to interviewers after joining the Heavenly Academy.

    "Our Heavenly Academy is honored to have a genius such as yourself amongst our ranks. Please arrive at the Heavenly Academy within 30 days to start your training. That''s all."

    "Yes!"

    Min Li left the ce shortly after and began making her way back to the hotel.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    "Now that everyone has finished their examination, let''s go meet them at the hotel like we''d nned." Yuan said to the ones with him.

    "Okay."

    A few hourster, everyone arrived at the hotel.

    "Congrattions, everyone, on passing the examination. I had faith that you would all pass." Yuan said.

    "Honestly, the examination was much easier than I''d anticipated." Wang Ming said.

    "Right? I worried for nothing." Shi Langughed.

    "By the way, did you hear? Something big happened during the examination. Apparently, someone picked a fight with the Sect Masters of the Seven Spirit Academies. I heard it on the way back here." Wang Bingbing suddenly said.

    "Oh! I heard about that too! Which idiot would do such a thing?" Wang Ming said.

    "About that¡­" Yuan chuckled.

    "Eh?" Everybody there turned to look at him with raised eyebrows.

    "You see¡­" Yuan proceeded to exin his experience with everyone, leaving them speechless.

    "Unbelievable! How dare they try to kill Li Jinxi over something so stupid! Do you think it''s toote to leave the sect?!" Wang Ming expressed his anger afterward.

    "Why would you do that? Although they may have overreacted, Li Jinxi isn''tpletely innocent either. Just forget about it and go to the sect. They may not be perfect, but you''ll be able to obtain a lot of experience there." Yuan shook his head.

    "By the way, as a result of this experience, Li Jinxi will be following me to the next realm."

    "Honestly, I''m not surprised. Unlike the rest of us, she has the strength and talent to follow you. Good luck up there, all of you." Shi Lang said.

 Chapter 876 - Because of You

    <h4>Chapter 876 - Because of You</h4>

    "When are you guys nning on leaving? We have a month before we must report to our new sects." Wang Bingbing asked them.

    "We''ll most likely leave before then." Yuan said.

    After talking for some time, Meixiu and the others logged off Cultivation Online for dinner.

    "Yuan, can I borrow you for a bit? It won''t be long." Min Li suddenly approached him.

    "Sure."

    "Follow me."

    Min Li then brought Yuan to the balcony.

    "What''s up?" Yuan decided to start the conversation when Min Li remained silent for many moments.

    "I just wanted to thank you before going to the sect. I have decided to leave for the sect tonight." Min Li said with a slight smile on her face.

    "Already? You have 30 days, right?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    "Yes, but I do not want to continue bothering you." Min Li''s smile became bittersweet.

    "Because of you, I acquired the courage to deny the Min Family."

    "Because of you, I have managed to break free from the Min Family."

    "Because of you, I have achieved my lifelong dream of leaving the Lower Heavens."

    "Because of you, I can finally walk my cultivation path the way I want."

    "I really cannot thank you enough¡ª it''s a debt that I will never be able to repay."

    Yuan smiled and said, "You don''t need to repay me. You''re my friend, and it''s only natural for friends to help each other out. I know I told you this before, too."

    "You''re right¡­ Sorry I even brought it up."

    Min Li turned to look at the bright moon, and after a moment of silence, she spoke, "Do you think we''ll see each other again? I know you''ll only continue to ascend the Nine Heavens while I am stuck here."

    "We''ll see each other again. I will make sure to visit you when I get the chance in the future." Yuan smiled.

    However, Min Li shook her head and said, "No, I will be the one to visit you. I will train hard and catch up to you no matter how long it will take me, and I will continue to ascend the Nine Heavens until we meet again."

    "If you don''t mind, I have two more selfish requests for you. Please wait for me."

    "Sure." Yuan nodded without hesitation.

    After a moment of silence, Yuan spoke, "You said you have two requests for me, right? That was just one."

    Min Li immediately blushed, "A-Actually, forget about my second request¡­ I will tell you about it during our next meeting. Instead, can you close your eyes for a moment?"

    Yuan silently nodded and closed his eyes.

    The moment Yuan closed his eyes, Min Li tipped her toes and leaned forward, kissing Yuan on his soft lips.

    "Please keep them closed for a little longer. I don''t want you to see my face right now." Min Li quickly said after removing her lips.

    After a moment of awkward silence, Min Li said, "I may not be worthy to be with you now, but I will train hard to be someone worthy. Until next time, Yuan."

    Yuan suddenly felt a gentle gust of wind caress his face. He opened his eyes to see that Min Li had disappeared from the balcony.

    He turned to look in a certain direction and touched his lips.

    ''Why do they always ask me to close my eyes?'' He wondered inwardly.

    Ding!

    A distinct noise suddenly snapped Yuan out of his daze.

    <''Min Li'' has been added to your Bond!>

    <min li''s="" bond="" level="" has="" increased="" to="" intimate!=""></min>

    <congrattions! your="" bond="" level="" with="" min="" li="" has="" reached="" intimate!=""></congrattions!>

    <you have="" gained="" the="" following="" effect="" from="" min="" li''s="" bond="" level:="" ''min="" adoration''=""></you>

    [Min Li''s Adoration: Increases your Charm by 40 and Overall Damage by 30%]

    Yuan logged off Cultivation Online shortly after and gathered in the dining room to eat dinner with the others.

    "You guys can do whatever you want for the next few days. I still have some business to do before we can head to the Stairway to Heaven." Yuan said to Meixiu and the others.

    "Okay."<i></i>

    The following day.

    "Feng Feng, let''s return to the House of Riches. They''re probably waiting for us." Yuan said to her.Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.

    "Oh, I nearly forgot that we''d asked for their help regarding the Pill of Truth. Let''s go."

    On their way to the House of Riches, Xiao Hua asked, "Why are you looking for the Pill of Truth?"

    "It''s a long story." Feng Yuxiang said.

    "Then shorten it¡­" Xiao Hua frowned.

    Feng Yuxiang chuckled and proceeded to briefly exin the situation to Xiao Hua, "Basically, we need the Pill of Truth to see if the Young Master''s memories are real."

    "Memories? Is there something wrong with your memories, Brother Yuan?" Xiao Hua turned to look at him with a puzzled face.

    "No, it''s nothing of that sort. I haven''t told you this yet because you were away with Min Li, but I actually have memories of my past life as the Divine Paragon."

    "W-What¡­?" Xiao Hua''s eyes immediately widened.

    "I know it''s hard to believe, but it''s the truth. I even recall my birthce and my family during that life. In fact, I¡ª the Divine Paragon was born in the third heaven¡ª our next destination."

    "Reincarnation¡­" Xiao Hua mumbled in a low voice, her thoughts unknown.

    Seeing Xiao Hua in deep thoughts, Yuan stopped talking so that she could think.

    Meanwhile, inside the Universal Music Academy, a man dressed inpletely ck stood before Sun Hao inside his quarters.

    "Is this information real?" Sun Hao turned to look at the man with a wide smile on his face.

    "Yes, I have confirmed it myself. The Gu Family is currently searching for a young man named ''Yuan''. They seem to have some grievances with him." The man said.

    "Hahaha! This is perfect! Let the Gu Family know that I have information on this ''Yuan'' and that I want to meet with them! Immediately!"

    "Right away!" The man immediately left the room.

    ''What a coincidence that the Gu Family is looking for that bastard! This must be Heaven''s calling! They must want that bastard dead as much as I do! Hahaha!'' Sun Haoughed inwardly.

 Chapter 877 - lt Wasnâ€™t Robbery

    <h4>Chapter 877 - lt Wasn''t Robbery</h4>

    After arriving at the House of Riches, Yuan and his group walked into the building to find out that there was an ongoing auction.

    "Wee, how may I¡ª" The man at the counter suddenly stopped talking.

    "I-It''s you! Please wait for a moment, Esteemed Guests! I will immediately notify Senior Gu of your arrival!"

    The man immediately rushed upstairs. Ever since hisst encounter with Yuan and Feng Yuxiang, the man had engraved their faces into his mind, fearing that he might offend them again.

    Gu Xin could be seen rushing downstairs a few momentster.

    "Wee back, Esteemed Guests! I have been anticipating your arrival!" She said to them with a bright smile on her face. Clearly, she had some good news.

    Once they were inside the VIP room, Feng Yuxiang said, "So? Did you find any information on the Pill of Truth? Judging by your demeanor, you found something, right?"

    "Yes. While I have to announce with regret that the Pill of Truth doesn''t exist in this world, I have been told by a reliable source that someone in the Third Heaven has one."

    And she continued, "His name is Jin Sang, and he''s a renowned Tier 5 Alchemy Master at the Spirit Grass Mountain."

    "Thank you for the information, but if you want the Spirit Jade, you''ll need to give me some concrete proof. I can''t just ept your words so quickly. What if I give you the Spirit Jade and it turns out the information is wrong? That would be foolish of me." Feng Yuxiang said.

    "I-I assure you that this information is very trustworthy! Although I cannot give you any information about my sources, I am willing to put the House of Riches'' name and reputation on my words!"

    Feng Yuxiang silently stared at Gu Xin for a moment before turning to look at Yuan, "What do you think, Young Master? Should we trust her information?"

    "I don''t see why we shouldn''t. They''re a reputable name, right? And we''re the ones who asked them for help. I think it would be rude of us to not trust them after all that."

    "If the Young Master trusts them, I will also trust them."

    "Here."

    Feng Yuxiang took out the Spirit Jade from her spatial ring and tossed it at Gu Xin, treating it as though it was only a piece of candy.

    Gu Xin''s heart skipped a beat when she saw this, and she hastily caught the Spirit Jade, sighing in relief afterward.

    "Even though you don''t really deserve this Spirit Jade because I told you to find the Pill of Truth, and you only found information about it, I am feeling generous today." Feng Yuxiang said.

    "T-Thank you, Esteemed Guest!"

    Although the House of Riches is incredibly wealthy and 100 million spirit stones isn''t much to them, it doesn''t mean Gu Xin owns its wealth, as she is only a manager of this auction house. However, since this is a private deal between Feng Yuxiang and Gu Xin, she would be able to pocket all of the money to herself after paying the people she asked for help.

    "Shall we go now, Young Master?" Feng Yuxiang asked him.

    "Yes, let''s¡ª"

    "P-Please wait!" Gu Xin suddenly stopped them.

    "What do you want?" Feng Yuxiang asked.

    "I know I shouldn''t stick my nose into your business, and I have no intention to, but I have some additional information for you. Of course, this is on the house and you don''t need to pay me for it."

    Feng Yuxiang narrowed her eyes and said, "So you withheld information about the Pill of Truth from us?"

    "N-No! That''s not it! This is apletely different matter!" She immediately refuted such ims.

    "In case you don''t already know about my background, I am actually from the Seven Legacy Families¡ª the Gu Family. ording to what I''ve been told, the Gu Family from the Lower Heavens had been robbed by someone named ''Yuan''."Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.

    "Oh? Is that so?" Yuan remained calm even after hearing such information.

    "How did you know I was ''Yuan''? I don''t remember giving you my name."

    Feng Yuxiang narrowed her eyes at Gu Xin, who swallowed nervously.

    ''If I answer wrongly, I will be killed!'' She cried inwardly.

    "T-That''s because the Gu Family from the Lower Heavens also gave us descriptions of you. I noticed it at first during our first encounter, but I didn''t think it was you at that time. After the Flood Dragon''s Scale auction, Senior Nie told me your name, and that''s when I realized it."

    "Senior Nie? Oh, right. He was there as well." Yuan remembered seeing Senior Nie after the auction.

    "And you haven''t told the Gu Family about us? Why not?" Feng Yuxiang suddenly asked.

    "Honestly, I don''t want to help those idiots from the Lower Heavens. I don''t know why you decided to rob them when you can easily hand out 100 million spirit stones without any hesitation, but that''s none of my business. They probably even deserved it."

    "I see¡­ And how is their search going?" Feng Yuxiang then asked.

    "They''re still looking. It''s not easy looking for people based on just their names and description, especially if they''re not natives of this world, after all. In fact, it would be easier to find a needle in a haystack the size of a mountain."

    "Thank you for this information, but I must clear up something. We didn''t rob them." Yuan said.

    "Huh? You didn''t? So they lied?" Gu Xin was left speechless by this information.

    "It was a donation. They donated their treasures to me after I punished them a little for trying to take my friend by force. That''s all there is to it." Yuan said with a smile.

    "I-I see¡­ In that case, they definitely deserved it. I apologize for sticking my nose into your business. Once again, thank you for the Spirit Jade and trusting me. I hope to do business again with you in the future." Gu Xin bowed to them.

    Yuan and Feng Yuxiang left the House of Riches shortly after, returning to the hotel.

 Chapter 878 - Hidden Formation

    <h4>Chapter 878 - Hidden Formation</h4>

    "What should we do about the Gu Family, Young Master?" Feng Yuxiang asked him after they left the House of Riches.

    "It''s simple. We will do nothing." Yuan said.

    "First of all, they don''t even know about our location or our identity. We''re also leaving this world soon, so unless they somehow manage to find us before then, there''s no point to even think about it."

    "If they somehow manage to find us¡­ We''ll deal with it then."

    "I understand." Feng Yuxiang nodded and said nothing else.

    After returning to the hotel, Yuan logged off.

    "I''ll see you guyster. I have some business that I need to take care of, so I won''t appear for a while. Don''t worry, it won''t be longer than a few days." Yuan said to Xiao Hua and the others before logging off.

    Once he returned to his world, Yuan picked up his phone and dialed a certain number.

    "Hello? Manager? This is Yuan. I''d like to speak with the Lord. Please schedule an appointment for me." Yuan said.

    "No. The Lord doesn''t do appointments. He will call you when he needs you." The Manager coldly refused.

    "Don''t be so cold. This is about the demons in the mountain. Of course, if you want somebody else to deal with them, I will stop bothering you."

    "..."

    The Manager was dead silent for a good moment before she spoke, "I will speak with the Lord."

    Di.

    She immediately hung up afterward.

    ''She really hates me, huh?'' Yuan chuckled inwardly.

    ''What should I do now while I wait for a response?''

    However, before he could even think of anything, his phone began ringing again.

    "Hello?"

    "Get ready. I aming to pick you up now." The Manager said.

    "You already spoke to the Lord? It hasn''t even been a minute since ourst conversation¡ª"

    Di.

    The Manager closed the connection before he could even finish his sentence.

    Yuan quickly got dressed and went outside to wait for the Manager after leaving behind a note for Chu Liuxiang, who was diligently cultivating in the balcony.

    About ten minutes after their phone call, the Manager showed up in front of Yuan''s living quarters.

    "Let''s go." She said.

    "You know, you don''t have to pick me up everytime. I know the way by now." Yuan suddenly said to her.

    The Manager stopped walking and turned to look at him with a serious face.

    "Do you really know the way?"

    "Of course." He nodded.

    "Then you can take the lead," she said, even gesturing for him to walk ahead of her.

    Yuan merely smiled and began walking in front of her.

    About half an hourter, Yuan stopped walking, and he looked at the road in front of him with a pondering face.

    "What''s the matter? Why did you stop?" The Manager asked him.

    "We should''ve arrived at the peak of the mountain by now, but I cannot see the peak nearby even with my divine sense."Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.

    "Ridiculous." The Manager scoffed.

    "Wait." Yuan suddenly said.

    After a moment of silence, he smiled, "I see¡­ No wonder why you told me to lead you. There''s a powerful formation that keeps others from ever reaching the peak, am I right?"

    The Manager narrowed her eyes slightly.

    "Not bad. Now you know why I have to take you there. Besides the Lord and myself, the formation will keep all existence away from the peak."

    "I understand now, but I still want to try to reach the peak." Yuan said, dumbfounding the Manager.

    "Did you not hear what I just said?" She frowned afterward.

    "I heard you loud and clear. Now that I understand it, I can deal with it. As long as I can figure out the trick to this formation, I should be able to reach the peak without your help."

    "I would love to see you try, but we don''t have the time for that. The Lord is waiting for you. If you make him wait too long¡­"

    "Don''t worry, this won''t take too long." Yuan said as he took a seat on the street.

    "..."

    Even though the Manager was confident that Yuan would not be able to bypass the formation, she couldn''t help but stare at him with interest.

    Meanwhile, Yuan studied the formation with his divine sense.

    ''This formation is well hidden. It''s no wonder why I didn''t see it at first. Unless you''re actively looking for it, you will most likely miss it¡ª No, it actively tries to disguise itself, so you won''t find it even if you know about its existence.''

    ''Formations¡­ Although they are not considered arrays due to their size andplexity, they function about the same.''

    Five minutester, Yuan stood up and turned to look at the Manager with a smile on his face.

    ''N-No way¡­ Did he really manage to crack the formation? And in such a short time?'' She wondered inwardly, even feeling a little excited.

    However, what came out of Yuan''s mouth a secondter made her fume in anger.

    "You were right, I couldn''t crack it. Sorry." Yuan said with a yful smile on his face.

    "Y-You little bastard¡­" The Manager''s eyebrows twitched aggressively, and her face twisted in anger.

    "How dare you mess with me! If the Lord wasn''t waiting for you, I wouldn''t hesitate to beat you up right now! Hmph!" The Manager snorted before stomping ahead of him.

    Yuan shrugged and said, "I''m not trying to make any excuses for myself by saying this, but the reason I couldn''t crack the formation is because I don''t recognize half of the array symbols that make up the formation. If I understood the symbols, I would''ve been able to crack it."

    "Judging by theplexity of these symbols, they''re probably level 4 or 5 array symbols. I only know up to level 3 and a little of level 4 array symbols. Once I learn level 4 and level 5 array symbols, I will try again."

    "Whatever." The Manager said.

    Even though Yuan wasn''t able to crack the formation on his first attempt, the Manager was still impressed that he''d even managed to see the formation in the first ce. Of course, she would never admit that she was impressed by him, even if she was threatened with death.

 Chapter 879 - How Confident Are You?

    <h4>Chapter 879 - How Confident Are You?</h4>

    Five minutes after the Manager took back the lead, they arrived at the peak of the Dragon Spiral Mountain.

    Yuan immediately walked to the cave and stood in front of it.

    "Did something happen on your way here? You''rete." The Lord''s voice resounded from deep within the cave a momentter.

    "Not really. I wanted to try cracking the formation that is protecting this ce." Yuan said with a calm smile.

    The Lord was surprised by his words and couldn''t find any words for a good moment.

    "Hahaha!" He suddenly startedughing.

    "So you found the formation, huh? Not bad! Not bad at all!"

    After getting a goodugh, the Lord continued, "So, what business do you have with me¡ª with the demons?"

    "It''s nothing that important, but it''s about time I deal with those pests. It doesn''t feel good knowing that you''re living so close to demons, you know? It''s like living in a house with the knowledge that there are insects dwelling in your basement. It makes my skin crawl just thinking about it." Yuan said.

    "..."

    The Lord didn''t immediately respond, but he could tell that something had changed about Yuan, who appeared to be a totally different person right now.

    "You say you want to deal with them, but how are you going to achieve that?" The Lord asked a momentter.

    "It''s simple. I will drag them out of the mountain and deal with them one by one. After all, there''s no reason why we should wait for them to break out of their seal. The best time to strike is when they''re sealed and unable to defend themselves."

    "That is an interesting but reckless n. How confident are you? Can you say with certainty that you can defeat the demons at your current state without any troubles?"

    "Yes, I can, and I won''t be fighting them myself. The Demon Sealing Faction will also be there."

    "How daring¡­ and risky." The Lord said in a pondering voice.

    "They will eventually break out of their seals, and that day is not far in the future. We can train until we copse everyday until they break out of their seal, but I doubt it would make that much of a difference."

    "While there is truth in your words, I don''t know if I canpletely trust you. What if you fail to kill the demons and they destroy my precious mountain?"

    "If you don''t trust my abilities, then why did you even ask me to deal with your demon problem?" Yuan said as he calmly stared into the pitch-ck cave.

    "This and that are two different matters. You''re being impatient right now, and you''re acting differently than usual. I don''t know if I can trust you in your current state." The Lord said.

    Yuan sighed after hearing the Lord''s words.

    "Fine. Then you can find someone else to deal with the demons. The Demon Sealing Faction will move out of the Dragon Spiral Mountain as soon as possible since I won''t be able to fulfill your request."

    And without waiting for the Lord''s response, Yuan turned around and began walking away.

    "You insolent brat!" The Manager shouted at him.

    However, Yuan ignored her and continued walking.

    "Where do you think you''re going?"

    An immense pressure suddenly appeared from the Lord''s cave, halting Yuan''s movements.Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.

    "Did you already forget about the formation? It works both ways, so you won''t be able to leave here by yourself." The Lord said in a cold voice.

    Yuan turned to look at the cave in a stiff manner with the pressure making it hard for him to move.

    "Judging by your aura, you''re probably a Spirit Emperor¡­ Perhaps even a Spirit Sovereign. However, that should be impossible with the quality of spiritual energy in this world even if you cultivated for millions of years¡ª that is if you cultivated in this world."

    "You¡­ You''re not from this world, are you? Let me guess¡­ You''re from Cultivation Online¡ª or should I call it the Nine Heavens?"

    The Lord''s pressure suddenly disappeared, and the ce became dead silent.

    The Manager was also staring at Yuan with a profound frown on her face, seemingly trying toe to a conclusion.

    Yuan turned to look at the Manager after sensing killing intent from her.

    "I know you hate me, but I didn''t think you hate me enough to want to kill me. However, are you sure you really want to do that?"

    "I am no match for a Spirit Emperor with my current strength, much less a Spirit Sovereign, so I am currently at your mercy. However, if you kill me, you can kiss the Dragon Spiral Mountain goodbye when the demonse out of their seals."

    Yuan suddenlyid on the ground and spread his limbs out like he was stretching.

    "Go ahead. Kill me. I won''t defend myself."

    "Stand down, Liya." The Lord''s voice resounded, breaking the awkward silence.

    And he continued, "You¡­ Who are you? You''re not the Yuan I know."

    Yuan smiled and said, "It''s rude to ask for one''s identity while being in a ce where they cannot even see you, much less identify you."

    "I have my circumstances." The Lord said.

    "What a coincidence. I also have my circumstances. However, I can tell you that I am indeed Yuan. Whether you believe me or not¡­ I don''t care."

    After another long moment of silence, the Lord spoke, "I will ask you again. How confident are you? Can you promise me that you won''t mess this up? The Dragon Spiral Mountain is much more important than you can ever imagine. If the demons destroy it, it will be the end of this world."

    Yuan raised his eyebrows after hearing the Lord''s seemingly outrageous ims.

    "I won''t make any promises, but I can say with confidence that I have never lost to a demon before." Yuan said, not counting his defeat in the Demon Sealing Pagoda.

    A defeated sigh echoed from the cave a momentter.

    "Very well. Do as you please. However, if you screw up, I will personally kill you even if it''s thest thing I do." The Lord said.

 Chapter 880 - 26 Days

    <h4>Chapter 880 - 26 Days</h4>

    "Good. Now that it''s been decided, I want to see the demons right now." Yuan said.

    "Bring him to the demons. And don''t do anything funny, Liya." The Lord said to the Manager.

    "I won''t." She said in a nonchnt voice.

    "Follow me."

    Yuan nodded and silently followed the Manager to the area with the 11 demons.

    Once they arrived, Yuan began analyzing the demons one by one by putting his hand onto it and checking their prowess.

    Some minutester, Yuan pointed at a specific demon and said to the Manager, "I want this demon. Can you deliver it to the back of my house by this afternoon?"

    The Manager frowned and said, "Are you insane? What do you think this ce is? A convenience store where you can buy demons and have them delivered?"

    "Well¡­ I don''t mind taking care of the demons here, but are you sure you want that? It''s going to get messy, and we could identally break the other demons out of their seal in the process."

    "Although I don''t care if the Dragon Spiral Mountain is destroyed or not, I don''t think the Lord will like that very much."

    "Che." The Manager coldly snorted.

    "Fine, we will deliver it to you by this afternoon. What else do you want?"

    Yuan suddenly summoned the Empyrean Overlord and began writing on the ground in front of the sealed demons, numbering them from one to eleven in addition to dates.

    "The numbers dictate the order these demons will break out of their seal, and the date is the exact day they will break out of their seal. I want you to deliver the demons three days prior to their dates. Simple, right?"

    The Manager didn''t say anything at first and walked around to look at the dates.

    "The first demon to break out of their seal is in 5 days, and thest demon will break out of their seal in 26 days¡­ We have less than a month to deal with all 11 demons?" The Manager mumbled, sounding slightly worried.

    She turned to look at Yuan and asked, "How urate are your essements?"

    "Although I can''t tell the exact second the demons will break out of their seal until the veryst few hours, I am confident that they will break out on those days. However, just in case, I want you to bring them to me three days prior to their dates." Yuan said.

    "And what are you going to do once I deliver these demons to you?" The Manager continued to ask.

    Yuan smiled and said, "You''re free to stay behind and experience it with your very own eyes."

    "I will be doing that even without needing you to tell me."

    "Great. Then I will see you in a few hours." Yuan said as he walked towards the exit.

    Once they returned to the Lord, Yuan said, "I am going to return home for now to prepare."

    "You can ask for the details from her." He pointed at the Manager.

    "Liya, show him the exit." The Lord said.

    The Manager then led Yuan until they left the formation.

    "See youter, Liya." Yuan chuckled.

    "I don''t recall giving you the permission to use my name." The Manager frowned.

    "What''s the harm? I have a feeling that we''ll be friends in the near future, so we might as well start now."

    "In your dreams." The Manager sneered before leaving him to return to the peak of the mountain.

    Once she returned to the Lord''s side, she exined the situation to him.

    "I see¡­ So we have 26 days to deal with the demons¡­"

    The Manager then asked in a concerned voice, "Can we really trust him?"

    After a moment of silence, the Lord spoke, "Although I don''t know what had happened to him to cause such a drastic change in personality, he''s definitely more formidable than before. And we''re in no position to be picky. We have no choice but to trust him for now."

    The Manager then said in a low voice, "When he was with the demons earlier, I could smell anger and hatred in his scent. I don''t want to trust him, but I believe that he truly despises demons for some reason."

    "That''s good enough for me." The Lord said.

    Meanwhile, after returning to his home, Yuan called for everyone in the Demon Sealing Faction.

    Once everyone was gathered, Yuan said to them, "This is a little sudden, but I need you all to prepare yourselves."

    "What happened?" Wu Zao asked.

    "We''re going to be fighting a demon soon," he replied in a calm voice.

    "What?! A demon?!" They all eximed.

    "This is certainly very sudden! Where are we going to fight the demon?" Wang Ming asked.

    "Here. In our backyard."

    "What¡­?"

    Their eyes widened with shock after hearing such words.

    "The Manager will be delivering a demon to our backyardter this afternoon, and I am going to let you all fight it." Yuan revealed another piece of shocking information.

    "W-Wait. You''re going to make us fight the demon?" Shi Lang swallowed nervously.

    "Yes. You can''t expect me to fight all of the demons by myself, right? Although I can certainly kill all of the demons by myself, that would make your efforts pointless."

    "You all learned demon sealing techniques for a reason, or am I wrong?"

    "No, you''re right." Wang Bingbing said with a resolute expression on her face.

    "Don''t worry, I won''t force you to fight if you don''t want to."

    "I will fight!" Wang Ming immediately said.

    "Me too." Xi Murong raised his hand.

    Once everyone there agreed to fight, Yuan nodded and said, "Good, then meet me in the backyard this afternoon."

    The others immediately stormed off to prepare for the fight.

    "Are you two okay?" Yuan asked Meixiu and Chu Liuxiang afterward.

    "I would be lying if I said that I''m perfectly fine, but I am not afraid. After all, you''re going to be there, right?" Chu Liuxiang said.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    "Of course." Yuan nodded.

    "Then there''s nothing for me to be worried about! I am going to prepare!" Chu Liuxiang said before she left to prepare.

 Chapter 881 - Tian Chenyu

    <h4>Chapter 881: Tian Chenyu</h4>

    "What about you? Are you feeling okay?" Yuan asked Meixiu, who was the only one left there.

    "Just a little nervous," she said.

    "Don''t worry, you''ll be fine. You might be startled by the demon''s appearance and aura at first, but remember, you have trained under my killing intent." Yuan smiled.

    "Un." She nodded.

    Once Meixiu also left to prepare, Yuan returned to his room and sat on the balcony with a zither in hisp, and for the next few hours, until it was time to gather at the backyard, he would y with the zither that once belonged to Azure.

    ''Two¡­ I have already lost two people that were precious to me to demons. There will not be another¡­ I will do everything in my power to kill all demons.'' Yuan sighed inwardly as he recalled his memories as Tian Chenyu.

    Sitting atop a small green hill were two figures, a young man and a youngdy, both seemingly around 16 years old.

    The young man had a scroll in his grasp and appeared to be studying its contents with great focus. Meanwhile, sitting right beside him, the youngdy appeared to be fiddling with flowers.

    "Chenyu! Look!" A sweet but clear voice resounded.

    "What is it?" Tian Chenyu responded without looking away from the scroll.

    "I said look, not listen! Come on! You won''t die if you stop studying for a day!"

    Tian Chenyu sighed and ced his scroll down before turning to look at the beautiful youngdy sitting beside him.

    "You know the schr examination is next week. You even promised that you wouldn''t bother me if I came out here with you. If I fail this examination, I will have to wait another four years before I can retake it."

    "Don''t be so stingy. Do you know how many people would die to spend time with me? You should consider yourself lucky that I chose you. And with your intelligence, I''m sure you can pass the examination even without studying."

    "You chose me? Or do you mean our families chose each other?" Tian Chenyu shook his head.

    Indeed, he was engaged to this youngdy, but that was a decision made by their families.

    "While that is true, I still have control over my own feelings, and I personally want to be with you," she said with a slightly rosy face.

    "..." Tian Chenyu also began blushing, and the two of them would silently and awkwardly stare at each other for the next few seconds.

    "A-Anyways! Look at this wreath I just finished! I made it using the flowers in this area. Isn''t it beautiful?"

    Tian Chenyu looked at the headdress made of white flowers in her hands and shrugged.

    "Here, let me help you put it on."

    "Who said I want to wear¡­"

    Before Tian Chenyu could even finish his sentence, the youngdy ced the wreath on his head.

    "Hehe¡­ You look even weaker than usual now¡­" She chuckled.

    "So annoying¡­" Tian Chenyu mumbled to himself. However, despite his annoyance with her, he didn''t remove the crown of flowers on his head.

    Instead, he picked up his scroll and went right back to reading it.

    The youngdy smiled at his reaction, and then she positioned her body beforeying her head on Tian Chenyu''s legs.

    Tian Chenyu acted as though he didn''t even notice it and continued reading his scroll.

    The two of them remained in that position for the next few hours until the sun was beginning to set.

    "It''s about time I go home. I won''t be able to see you for another month because of my cultivation lessons, but I wille see you as soon as that is over."

    "So I will have a month of peace, huh? It''s been a while." Tian Chenyu said as he packed his scrolls and stood up.

    "How horrible. Do you really hate being around me that much?" The youngdy said with a puffed face as she tried to act angry.

    "What do you think?" Tian Chenyu said.

    She pondered for a moment before responding with a cheeky smile, "I think you love me but you''re just too shy to admit it."

    "Whatever." Tian Chenyu nonchntly said, and he began walking down the hill.

    "Wait for me!" The youngdy quickly grabbed her stuff before chasing after him.Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.

    After walking for about 20 minutes, the two of them returned to the city.

    "Chenyu, I know it''ll only be a month, but promise me that you won''t forget about me." The youngdy suddenly said.

    "Really?" Tian Chenyu looked at her with a weird face.

    The youngdy didn''t respond and merely stared at him intently.

    Tian Chenyu sighed and said, "I promise I won''t forget you."

    The youngdy immediately smiled, "Then I will see you next month, darling!"

    Tian Chenyu''s entire body trembled when the youngdy called him ''darling'', but before he could even say anything, the youngdy turned around and ran away with a flushed face.

    After returning home, Tian Chenyu''s father approached him and asked, "How was your day with Lady Ai Rong?"

    "It was horrible, and I couldn''t get any studying done. Why did you even agree to let me go out with her when you know my examination is next week?"

    "How could I refuse such a beautiful youngdy asking to spend time with my own son? I would lose my qualifications as a father if I refused."

    "Whatever. I''m going back to my room to study. You don''t have to cook my share for dinner tonight." Tian Chenyu said before disappearing into the house.

    "He''s still having difficulties expressing his emotions, huh?" A beautiful woman suddenly appeared and sighed.

    "He''s already finished his studies two months ago, yet he still pretends to be studying. Why can''t he just be honest and ept his feelings for Lady Ai Rong?" Tian Chenyu''s father sighed.

    "Lady Ai Rong, on the other hand, is very expressive and honest about her feelings for him. It feels like their role as a man and woman are flipped. What a troubled young man my son is¡­" The woman sighed as well.

 Chapter 882 - Fascinated

    <h4>Chapter 882: Fascinated</h4>

    After returning to his room, Tian Chenyu dropped the scrolls on the floor and went straight to his bed.

    Heid down and proceeded to stare at the ceiling with a nk look on his face.

    ''Why can''t I be honest whenever I am with her? What''s wrong with me?'' He sighed inwardly as Ai Rong''s face appeared inside his head.

    He eventually fell asleep on his bed thinking about his day with Ai Rong, and while he slept, he would continue to dream of their time together.

    A weekter, Tian Chenyu left his house early to take the schr examination.

    While Ai Rong wanted to be a cultivator, Tian Chenyu wanted to follow his father''s path as a schr.

    Of course, Ai Rong has tried to convince Tian Chenyu to be a cultivator with her, but he did not like violence, and with cultivators being symbolic of violence in his era, it was near impossible to convince him to be a cultivator.

    Once he arrived at the site of the examination, Tian Chenyu went inside and immediately began his examination.

    The examination consisted of manyplicated and philosophical questions that could take six hours toplete even for talented individuals.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    However, when Tian Chenyu took the examination, it took him less than an hour to finish, shocking everyone there.

    "That was Tian Aowei''s son, Tian Chenyu, right? I have heard about his talents, but I didn''t think he would be this crazy¡­"

    "Looks like his father will finally have a rival."

    Tian Chenyu immediately returned home after finishing his examinations.

    "You''re back already?" Tian Aowei, his father, was surprised to see him back so soon.

    "Yes, the examination was much easier than anticipated."

    "Now that you''re done with the examination, you''ll have plenty of time to spend with Lady Ai Rong." His mother began to tease him.

    "I-I don''t even like¡ª"

    "Who do you think you''re trying to fool? My 16 years of experience as your mother isn''t for naught, Chenyu."

    "Anyway, Lady Ai Rong is currently busy with her cultivation, but when she is finished, I want you to go see her. It''s always Lady Ai Rong who visits you, so you''re going to be the one to visit her this time, and I won''t take no for an answer."

    "Do you understand what I just said?"

    "I understand¡­" Tian Chenyu nodded while sighing inwardly.

    "Good."

    Tian Chenyu returned to his room shortly after, but he quickly became bored.

    ''Although it can get quite annoying with her around, it''s also incredibly boring without her¡­'' He sighed.

    ''What am I going to do for the next three weeks? The examinations are over, and I don''t feel like studying anymore.''

    He suddenly turned to look at a certain object hanging behind his door.

    That object was a sword. It was given to him by his parents just in case he needed to protect himself, but he has never used it before.

    ''Why would she want to be a cultivator? Cultivators are violent in nature, and they are at higher risk of being targeted by demons because their bodies absorb spiritual energy, so they are tastier than mortals who are without any spiritual energy to demons. I really don''t understand her¡­''

    ''Fortunately for us, demons rarelye to this area, and when they do, they will eat a few dozen people before leaving us alone.''

    Sometimeter, Tian Chenyu sat before his study table and began flipping through pages of a book.

    However, this book doesn''t contain information that he would normally study.

    ''So this is what a demon looks like¡­ I have never seen one before¡­'' Tian Chenyu mumbled to himself as he read about demons.

    ''They are immortal beings that cannot be killed even if their heads and brains are crushed. You can cut their bodies in half and tear off all their limbs, but they will regenerate everything like nothing had even happened¡­ Heavens¡­ How do you even fight these monsters if they''re so powerful?''

    The more Tian Chengyu studied about demons the more intrigued and fascinated he became about their species, and it would quickly be his hobby to study about demons.

    For the next three weeks, Tian Chenyu would study nonstop about demons until he read every book and scroll that existed within the city, and when he had nothing new to read, he would read through everything for a second and even third time.

    After studying so much about demons, Tian Chenyu felt like he knew everything about demons. However, no matter how much he read about them, there was one thing that he could not understand.

    ''What is it like to encounter a demon?'' He wondered.

    Regardless how knowledgeable he was on demons, he could not understand what it would feel like to encounter a real demon.

    *Knock* *Knock*

    "Chenyu, are you awake?" His mother suddenly knocked on the door.

    "Yes, I am."

    "I just received news from the Ai Family that Lady Ai Rong will finish her cultivation lessons today. Do you remember what I told you three weeks ago?"

    "Yes, I remember¡­" Tian Chenyu responded with a bittersweet smile on his face.

    "Good, then go and fulfill your duties as her fiance and as a man."

    "I will."

    Tian Chenyu said, and he left his room after cleaning his desk.

    Right as he reached the doors, his mother showed up again and handed him a wooden basket, "Enjoy this food with the Ai Family."

    "Okay."

    "One more thing. Rumor has it that someone had spotted a demon near our city three days ago, so don''t stay out toote. After all, if you encounter a demon, you are almost guaranteed to die."

    "I know." Tian Chenyu epted the basket and began making his way towards the Ai Family that was about an hour walk from his house.

    About half way there, Tian Chenyu stopped walking when he heard someone shouting in a hysterical voice, "R-Run! A demon has appeared on the east side of the city, and it is going through houses, eating the families inside!"

    ''The east side¡­? That''s where the Ai Family is located! Ai Rong!''

    Upon realizing this fact, Tian Chenyu dropped the basket in his grasp and began running, but he was not going back home. Instead, he continued to make his way towards the Ai Family.

    ''Please be safe, Ai Rong!'' He constantly prayed in his heart as he ran, tumbling to the ground multiple times on his way there.

 Chapter 883 - Ai Rong

    <h4>Chapter 883: Ai Rong</h4>

    ''Please be safe, Ai Rong! Please be safe! I promise that I will start being honest to you with my feelings!'' Tian Chenyu continued to run towards the east side of the city even though he was already out of breath.

    "Hide! A demon has appeared on the east side of the city!" The pedestrians shouted as they ran.

    "Young man, where are you going?! That''s the direction of the demon!"

    Some of the pedestrians tried to stop Tian Chenyu, but he ignored all of their warnings and continued running.

    A few minutester, which felt like an eternity for Tian Chenyu, he finally arrived in the area where the Ai Family was located.

    However, the ce was awfully quiet, a stark contrast to the atmosphere on the other side of the city.

    Tian Chenyu eventually arrived at the Ai Family''s household, and he could even see their entrance.

    However, he couldn''t approach the household for some reason and could only stand a couple of houses away.

    He eventually snapped out of his daze and proceeded walking towards the Ai Family''s household.

    But then he came to another halt when he noticed a figure appearing from within the household, and this person appeared to be running away from something.

    When Tian Chenyu saw the pretty face of this person, a smile immediately appeared on his face.

    ''Ai Rong!''

    Indeed, it was Ai Rong, his love since childhood and fiancee.

    Tian Chenyu felt all of the weight on his shoulders disappear the moment he saw that Ai Rong was still alive. Even though she looked terrified andpletely hysterical at this moment, that didn''t matter to him.

    However, before he could even sigh a breath of relief, and before the smile on his face could fully be formed, something red and long appeared behind Ai Rong, and it was flying towards her direction like a spear.

    Before Tian Chenyu could even fullyprehend what he was seeing, the red spear reached Ai Rong and pierced her body from the back.

    Ai Rong fell to the ground the very next moment andid there, but she was still alive.

    Seeing this, Tian Chenyu immediately began running towards her.

    However, before he could even take two steps, he noticed a red figure appearing behind Ai Rong.

    This figure had dark red skin, and it had the frame of a tall human adult. There was also a very distinct-looking horn poking from the right side of its head.

    The moment Tian Chenyu saw this demon, his body froze, almost as though he''d turned into a stone statue.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    ''What are you doing, Tian Chenyu?! Move! Move, damn it!'' He roared inwardly.

    But no matter how much he tried tomand his body to move, it simply refused to listen to him, so he could only stand there and watch as the demon slowly approached Ai Rong, who was squirming on the ground in a puddle of her own blood.

    ''No¡­ Don''t¡­ Stop it¡­ STOP IT!''

    Tian Chenyu wanted to shout at the demon to stop, but no voices came out of his mouth.

    Tears flowed from Tian Chenyu''s eyes as he watched the demon open its grotesque mouth and mp down on Ai Rong''s legs before tearing it right off her body.

    Ai Rong immediately screamed in pain, and her sharp and painful voice felt like daggers piercing his heart when it reached Tian Chenyu.

    Meanwhile, the demon chewed on her leg and swallowed it within seconds.

    "DELICIOUS!" The demon beganughing afterward, and it immediately went for another bite, taking another chunk of Ai Rong''s flesh from her body.

    However, Tian Chenyu could do nothing but watch in horror and fear.

    Eventually, Ai Rong could no longer scream, so she justid there as the demon continued to eat her body.

    Once half of Ai Rong''s body was consumed, Tian Chenyu noticed that Ai Rong was looking in his direction, and her lips appeared to be moving.

    Tian Chenyu subconsciously read her lips, which said, "Chen¡­yu¡­ R¡­u¡­n¡­"

    After reading her lips, Tian Chenyu regained enough strength to move his arms, and he lifted his arms towards Ai Rong''s direction, seemingly trying to reach for her.

    Seeing Tian Chenyu''s motion, a slight smile appeared on Ai Rong''s face, and her lips continued to move, "I¡­ love¡­ you¡­"

    "Goodbye¡­"

    After saying herst words, the light in Ai Rong''s eyes faded, and at the same moment, her life ended.

    However, that didn''t stop the demon from consuming the rest of her body. In the end, the demon consumed even thest drop of her blood from the ground.

    After the demon finished eating Ai Rong, it turned around and went back inside the household.

    Once the demon was no longer in his view, Tian Chenyu fell to his knees, and he would spend many minutes staring at the stained ground in front of the Ai Family''s household.

    The demon would end up eating everybody in the Ai Family and many other families before leaving the city unharmed.

    Tian Chenyu wouldn''t return home until it was past midnight, and when he did, his worried parents were there to greet him.

    "Chenyu! Where have you been?! A demon had appeared in the city! We''ve been worried to death about you!" His mother immediately went to embrace him.

    However, she stopped when there was no reaction from Tian Chenyu.

    "C-Chenyu? What happened to you, dear?" She gasped in shock when she saw the nk look on Tian Chenyu''s face.

    Even though he was clearly alive, he also appeared to be dead at the same time, almost like a soulless vessel.

    Tian Aowei then spoke in a low voice, "I had a bad feeling when I heard that the demon had appeared in the east side of the city¡­"

    "Don''t tell me¡­ The Ai Family?!"

    Realizing the truth, Tian Chenyu''s mother embraced him even harder while crying at the same time.

    "I''m sorry, Chenyu¡­ I''m really sorry¡­"

    Tian Chenyu eventually fell unconscious in his mother''s embrace. When that happened, his family carried him to his bed so that he could rest, and they would call a doctor for him the following morning.

 Chapter 884 - Tian Chenyuâ€™s Awakening

    <h4>Chapter 884: Tian Chenyu''s Awakening</h4>

    "How is my son, doctor?" Tian Aowei asked after the doctor they hired to check on Tian Chenyu.

    "Although there is nothing wrong with him physically, I am afraid that his mind is¡­ lost¡­"

    "W-What is that supposed to mean?! What will happen to my son?!" His mother immediately began crying again.

    "He must have experienced something extremely traumatic very recently. That event has stressed his mind to its limits, putting him into aa. I don''t know when he''ll wake up¡­ if he''ll even wake up¡­ We can only hope for a miracle from the heavens at this moment." The doctor sighed.

    "How can that be?!" His mother began crying even harder.

    Even though Tian Chenyu was in aa, his mind was actually conscious, so he was able to hear the doctor''s words and his mother crying.

    ''What''s the point of waking up if Ai Rong won''t be there when I wake up¡­'' Tian Chenyu sighed inwardly as he fell deeper into his consciousness.

    Days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months, but there were still no signs of Tian Chenyu waking up from hisa.

    Eventually, a whole year would pass without Tian Chenyu waking up even once. However, despite that, his family never gave up on him and took care of him daily.

    One year turned into two years, and within the blink of an eye, three years have passed since Ai Rong''s death.

    "How long do you n on sleeping?"

    One day, an unfamiliar voice resounded inside Tian Chenyu''s head, waking his consciousness a little.

    ''Who''s there?''

    "My identity isn''t important. What''s truly important here is you¡­ Your future. Do you really n on rotting away in your room as a nobody?" The voice returned.

    "So what if I rot away? It''s not like I have anything to live for anymore." Tian Chenyu sighed.

    "How pathetic. You lose a woman and you give up life?"

    "Shut up! Ai Rong wasn''t just any woman! She was my woman! My childhood friend! My fiancee! My love!"

    "Is that why you merely stood there when your love was slowly being consumed by that demon?"

    "Is that really why you couldn''t even utter a single word?"

    "Is that why you didn''t even try to help her?"

    "There was nothing I could''ve done in that situation! I am a mortal! I am powerless! If I had the power¡­"

    "So you''re telling me that if you had the power that you would have saved her? I don''t believe it. You may have been powerless, but you didn''t even attempt to help her. You weren''t just powerless. You were also spineless¡ª a coward¡ª and utterly useless."

    Tian Chenyu couldn''t refute the voice''s ridicule and could only silently ept the mockery.

    The voice would continue to mock Tian Chenyu for the next few minutes before disappearing.

    However, the voice would return shortly after.

    "I will ask you again. If you truly had the power to defeat demons¡­ What would you do then?"

    "If I had the power to defeat demons¡­?" Tian Chenyu repeated.

    After a moment of silence, he would respond in a furious voice, "If I had the power, I would erase all demons from existence! I would be their worst nightmare! I would make them regret ever being born!"

    "Is that so? I still don''t believe you, but I will give you a chance to prove it."

    "Wake up, Tian Chenyu!"

    The voice disappeared after saying such words, and Tian Chenyu could suddenly feel a warm sensationing from somewhere deep within his body, quickly enveloping his entire entity.

    And before he was aware, his eyes that had been closed shut for over three years would suddenly open, revealing the world to him once again.

    Tian Chenyu sat up on his bed and turned to look at the sword that was still hanging on his door.N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.

    He then got off the bed and walked to the sword, picking it up.

    Despite having not moved his body for over three years, Tian Chenyu did not feel any fatigue in his body at all. In fact, he''s never felt any better, even stronger than ever.

    After staring at the sword for a moment, he walked to the center of the room and started swinging it around.

    At first, his movements werepletely amateurish, and his swings had no experience behind them. However, he would quickly improve.

    His family eventually realized that their son had woken up from hisa when the servants passing through his room would hear noisesing from within.

    "Chenyu! I have been so worried! Thank the heavens that you finally woke up! You have been in aa for three years!" His mother was the first to barge into his room, and she cried for many minutes while hugging him.

    "Anyways, why are you swinging that sword around when you just woke up? You should rest some more¡­ I will immediately call for a doctor."

    "Rest? I have rested enough." Tian Chenyu said in a nonchnt voice.

    "Please leave me alone."

    He then forced everyone out of his room before continuing to swing his sword.

    "Chenyu?! What''s the matter?!"

    "Give him some time. He may have woken, but his heart and mind is still¡­" Tian Aowei sighed.

    "Alright¡­"

    However, neither Tian Chenyu''s father or mother could have anticipated that ''some time'' would actuallyst much longer than hisa.

    Days turned into months, and months turned into years.

    Within the blink of an eye, 20 years have passed since Tian Chenyu''s awakening.

    During this time, Tian Chenyu would remain inside his room doing heaven-knows-what for the majority of the time, and the only times he could be seen outside his room are during times when he needed to clean his body because the stench from his body became too unbearable.

    As for his parents, they would continue to support him however they could even when they barely saw or spoke to each other. When Tian Chenyu began requesting for information on demons, they went out of their way to collect books and scrolls about demons from other cities.

    They would gather so many books and scrolls that they had to build multiple storage units around their house just to keep the books from cluttering the house.

 Chapter 885 - l Am Tian Chenyu!

    <h4>Chapter 885 - l Am Tian Chenyu!</h4>

    "How long do we have to continue this lifestyle? It''s been twenty years since that incident, and I have barely seen my son since then. Although I am happy that he''s no longer in aa, this isn''t that much different. I can even count the amount of times we''ve talked to each other during the past 20 years¡­" Tian Chenyu''s mother sighed out loud,ining to her husband, Tian Aowei.

    "It can take years if not decades for a broken heart to heal. We must be patient," he said.

    "What if he never recovers? We''re not cultivators. We don''t have hundreds of years to spend with each other."

    "Then what do you suggest? We cannot force his heart to heal. Or what, do you want another son? Although you''re past that age, it''s not impossible."

    "What? No! I don''t want another son! How can you even suggest that? If you''re suggesting that we rece Chenyu with another son, how is that any different than abandoning Chenyu?!"

    "Calm down, I was just being sarcastic. But there is truly nothing we can do now but be patient."

    "It might seem like he''s not recovering, but that is not true. Things are much better now than 20 years ago. Nowadays, he leaves his room once a week, but back then, it would be a miracle to see him outside his room even once a month."

    "At this rate, I will be an olddy before we can be a real family again."

    "Betterte than never, right?"

    "I guess so¡­"

    "By the way, it''s almost that time of the year again. Do you think he''ll visit their graves this year?" Tian Aowei suddenly asked.

    "Unlikely." She sighed.

    "Do you think he''ll ever fall in love again? That''s another problem we must worry about¡ª our grandchildren¡­"

    "Who knows¡­" Tian Aowei shook his head.

    "Anyways, it''s gettingte. Goodnight, dear."

    "Goodnight."

    A weekter, right as the Tian Family prepared to visit the Ai Family''s gravesites, they received dreadful news that changed their ns.

    "What? Demons have entered the city? When did this happen? How many?" Tian Aowei asked the servant who told him the news.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    "A-About an hour ago! And there are three demons! They are rampaging the city even as we speak!"

    "Shit! Why did they have to show up today on all days?!" Tian Aowei cursed out loud.

    And he continued, "Let everyone in the household know about the situation! We will hide underground for the next three days!"

    "Yes!"

    While the servants in the household began scrambling towards the underground area beneath the Tian Family''s household that was created to hide from demons, Tian Aowei and his wife went to warn Tian Chenyu of the situation.

    "Chenyu! Hurry up and open the door! Demons have invaded our city, and there are three of them! We must hurry and hide underground until they leave!" His mother banged on his door that was locked shut.

    However, there was no response from Tian Chenyu, almost as though he wasn''t inside his room.

    "Chenyu! Are you asleep?! Wake up!" His mother continued banging on his door.

    "Where''s Chenyu?!" Tian Aowei showed up shortly after and asked her.

    "I don''t know! He should be in his room, but he''s not responding! What if something had happened to him?!"

    "Shit! We don''t have much time left! Move! I am going to break down his door!" Tian Aowei said as he approached Tian Chenyu''s room.

    However, right as he stood in front of the door, the ground suddenly shook, and a loud noise resounded behind them simultaneously.

    Tian Aowei and his wife slowly turned around to see a tall shadow standing in a cloud of dust about 20 meters from them.

    Once the dust cloud disappeared, the figure within became visible.

    ''A-A demon?! We''re dead!'' Tian Aowei cried inwardly as his body trembled in fear from the demon''s aura that radiated with killing intent.

    "N-No¡­ Not like this¡­"

    His wife directly fell to her knees and began crying the moment she saw the demon.

    Once the demon noticed their presence, it began walking towards their direction.

    "Mortals, huh? I would''ve preferred cultivators, but I guess you''ll do just fine as an appetizer before my main meal."

    The demon licked its lips as it closed their distance within seconds.

    Tian Aowei and his wife remained frozen as the demon stood right before them, as they were too terrified to even run away.

    "I love you, darling¡­" Tian Aowei mumbled in a low voice as the demon opened its mouth.

    However, just as the demon tried to take a bite of Tian Aowei''s face, a cold voice resounded from the room behind them.

    "The stench of a demon¡­ How unpleasant."

    The door behind Tian Aowei and his wife suddenly flew open, and Tian Chenyu appeared from the room with a sword in his grasp, stabbing the demon right in its mouth.

    After sticking his sword in the demon''s face, Tian Chenyu kicked the demon in its stomach, sending it flying.

    "It''s dangerous here. You two should leave." Tian Chenyu said to his parents without looking at them.

    "C-Chenyu?!" They stared at him with shocked looks on their faces.

    Tian Aowei quickly snapped out of his daze and picked up his wife before running away.

    "W-Wait! We cannot leave him with the demon! He''ll die!" His wife shouted.

    However, Tian Aowei ignored his wife and continued to carry her away from the scene.

    The moment Tian Chenyu''s parents left, the demon got back to its feet and stared at Tian Chenyu while baring its sharp teeth at him.

    "A mere mortal! How dare you!" The demon roared before running at him.

    Seeing the demon running at him, Tian Chenyu''s hands and legs began to tremble uncontrobly.

    However, he quickly regained control over his body, swinging the sword in his grasp at the iing demon.

    Due to its arrogance, the demon didn''t even bother to block Tian Chenyu''s strike and allowed him to sever its arm.

    "Useless! It''s useless! Even if you cut me into a million pieces with that sword, I will fully recover within seconds like nothing ever happened!" The demonughed madly as Tian Chenyu severed its other arm.

    "Why don''t we put that to the test?" Tian Chenyu said in a calm voice.

    He then severed the demon''s legs.

    "I told you, it''s useless!" The demon continued tough.

    However, it stoppedughing a few momentster when its limbs still hadn''t recovered.

    ''W-What''s going on?! Why isn''t my body recovering?!'' The demon was puzzled, but it didn''t panic¡ª at least not yet.

    It turned to look at its severed arms and legs, and to its absolute shock, its limbs had suddenly turned into stone!

    "W-What is the meaning of this?! What did you do to me?!" The demon roared at Tian Chenyu, who was standing in front of it and looking down on it like it was trash.

    "What did I do? Nothing much. I simply sealed your body, preventing it from regenerating¡­ I think. This is actually my first time doing something like this, so I am really d that it''s working as I''d thought."

    "Y-You sealed my body and my ability to regenerate? I-Impossible! There''s no way humans could have such power! Who are you?!"

    "I am the one who will be hunting down every single demon in this world until there are none of you left. I am the one who will put an end to this era of demons terrorizing humans. I''m your¡ª demons'' worst nightmare. I am Tian Chenyu!" Tian Chenyu said with a cold expression on his face.

 Chapter 886 - This ls Just the Beginning

    <h4>Chapter 886 - This ls Just the Beginning</h4>

    The demon stared at Tian Chenyu with a stunned face after hearing his introduction.

    But after a moment of silence, it suddenly burst outughing, "Hahaha! You will hunt us down?! Hahaha! This is the funniest joke I have heard all century!"

    Afterughing for a good moment, it suddenly stoppedughing and proceeded to re at Tian Chenyu with a threatening gaze.

    "Who the fuck do you think you are, human?! I don''t know what trick you used to prevent my body from healing, but I doubt it''llst for long! And even if you take away our regeneration temporarily, you still won''t be able to kill us!"

    "You''re right." Tian Chenyu responded after a moment of silence.

    "I don''t have the means to kill you efficiently for now, but I will eventually find a way. Until then¡­ I will just keep you sealed."

    "Keep dreaming! Humans will forever be dominated by demons! You will forever remain as our livestock! It has been that way for thousands of years now! It won''t suddenly change because you learned some new tricks!"

    "Hahaha!" Tian Chenyu suddenly startedughing.

    "What''s so funny?!" The demon growled.

    "I can''t believe I used to be so afraid of demons. If only I had realized this earlier¡­ Realized how truly pathetic demons are¡­"

    "Anyways, before I seal you for good, I have a question for you. Do you know of any one-horned demons? It has a ck horn on the right side of its head, and the horn has this weird zigzagging structure."

    "If you tell me, I just might spare you."

    "Hahaha! Go fuck yourself, you damn livestock!" The demonughed in response.

    "Is that so?" Tian Chenyu closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

    "I still haven''te up with a good name for this technique yet, but what''s the point of overthinking it? Let''s just call it¡­ Demon Sealing Strike."

    Once he opened his eyes, Tian Chenyu brandished the sword in his grasp at the demon, decapitating the demon''s head from its limbless body.

    Shortly after the demon''s head fell to the ground, its body and head turned into stone,ing fully sealed.

    After sealing the demon, Tian Chenyu fell to his knees, and his body began trembling again.

    He looked at his hands that were shaking nonstop.

    ''I did it¡­ I have defeated a demon¡­ I am no longer powerless¡­''

    Tears flowed from his eyes, as he''s been waiting for this moment for over 20 years.

    However, he wasn''t satisfied just yet. In fact, he was far from satisfied.

    "This is just the beginning¡­" Tian Chenyu narrowed his eyes on the sealed demon.

    "Now then¡­ There should be two more demons rampaging in this city¡­"

    After taking a deep breath, he stood back up and started making his way towards the exit.

    "C-Chenyu!"

    His mother suddenly appeared and embraced him.

    "Are you okay?! Are you hurt?! What happened to the demon?!" She asked him.

    "The demon? I took care of it."

    "Y-You took care of it? How is that possible? You''re just a mortal. You have never cultivated before¡­ No mortal can possibly fight a demon, much less defeat it!" Tian Aowei appeared and said.

    "You don''t have to believe me. You can take a look at the demon yourself. It''s right over there. Don''t worry, it won''t be able to harm you. In the meantime, I have two more demons to take care of, so if you don''t mind, I''d like to excuse myself."

    "W-What?! You n on fighting the other demons as well?! That''s too reckless! I won''t let you go!" His mother embraced him even harder, refusing to let him go.

    "I''m sorry, mother, but I have to go. This is the only reason I woke up from mya, after all." Tian Chenyu said as he escaped her grasp.

    "Chenyu¡­"

    After Tian Chenyu left, his parents went to look at the sealed demon.

    "Heavens¡­ Is this really the same demon that attacked us just now? It¡­ turned into stone¡­" Tian Aowei stared at the demon that had all of its limbs and head severed with a shocked face.

    "D-Did Chenyu really do this¡­? How in heaven''s name did he¡­?" His mother mumbled in a dazed voice.

    "I guess he didn''t spend 20 years in solitude for nothing¡­" Tian Aowei sighed.

    After leaving his home, Tian Chenyu followed the demons'' stench until he encountered the second demon.

    When he arrived, it was chewing on the leg of a child.

    The demon nced at Tian Chenyu when it noticed his presence, and it spoke, "I''ll eat you next, so stand there and wait for me. If you dare run, I will make your death more painful¡ª"

    However, before it could even finish its sentence, Tian Chenyu kicked the rock beside his feet , sending it flying at the demon and hitting it right in the face.

    The demon stopped chewing for a moment before tossing away the half-eaten leg in its grasp and turning to look at Tian Chenyu.

    After swallowing, it spoke in a grim voice, "How dare you, livestock¡­ You''re fucking dead!"

    The demon started running at Tian Chenyu with its mouth wide open and dripping with saliva and blood.

    Seeing this, Tian Chenyu took a deep breath before confronting the demon with his sword.

    "Hahaha! What do you hope to achieve with that cheap sword?!" The demonughed as it wed at Tian Chenyu with its sharp fingers while taking all of his sword strikes head-on with its body.Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.

    ''W-What''s going on? Why is my body feeling stiff?'' The demon wondered as it continued to attack Tian Chenyu.

    However, by the time the demon realized what was happening to its body, it was already toote.

    "What is this?! What did you do to my body?!" The demon roared at Tian Chenyu as itid before him with most of its body turned into stone.

    But instead of answering its question, Tian Chenyu asked, "Do you know any demons with a single zigzagging horn on the right side of its head?"

 Chapter 887 - Tian Chenyuâ€™s Decision

    <h4>Chapter 887 - Tian Chenyu''s Decision</h4>

    "A demon with a zigzagging horn?" The demon mumbled in a low voice.

    After a moment of silence, a wide grin appeared on its face, and it said, "Now that you mention it, I might have seen a demon like that before. Why do you care? Oh, let me take a guess. Perhaps you lost someone valuable to this demon? Hahaha!"

    "I see¡­ So you don''t know anything about this demon. Well, not that it really matters. I will eventually find it as I wipe you demons from this world, one by one."

    Tian Chenyu flicked his arm the next moment, sending the demon''s head into the air andpletely sealing it with the Demon Sealing Strike.

    ''Two down, one more to go.''

    Sometimeter, Tian Chenyu followed thest demon''s scent until he reached the other side of the city.

    However, by the time he''d arrived, the demon had already erased six families from the city and was preparing to leave.

    "Hey, where do you think you''re going, you lowly demon?" Tian Chenyu approached the demon as it reached the city gates.

    "What the fuck did you just call me, livestock?" The demon halted its movements and turned to look at Tian Chenyu with a grim expression.

    "What''s wrong? You don''t like it? I think it''s quite fitting."

    "Die!"

    The demon suddenly attacked him without any warning.

    [Demon Sealing Strike!]

    A powerful and threatening aura that the demon couldn''tprehend erupted from Tian Chenyu''s body.

    ''What is this feeling? My skin is crawling. Is it because of his aura? I don''t like this feeling one bit.''

    This is the demon''s first time experiencing such an eerie feeling, but it didn''t understand why. After all, it''s never experienced the feeling of fear before.

    And because of its ignorance, the demon did not even bother to avoid Tian Chenyu''s attacks.

    ''This feeling¡­ It''s bing more intensive¡­ Bing more ufortable¡­''

    The demon suddenly halted its movements.

    ''I¡­ cannot move my body¡­?''

    When it looked down, the demon could see that its right leg hadpletely turned into stone.

    "What did you do to my body, livestock?! What did you do?!" The demon roared.

    "How annoying. This is the third time I''ve heard such a question today." Tian Chenyu snorted.

    "The third time?" The demon''s eyes widened with shock upon realizing something.

    "You¡­ Don''t tell me that you had¡­"

    A wide smile appeared on Tian Chenyu''s face as he spoke, "Don''t worry, I took care of them beforeing to you."

    "YOU BASTARD! A MERE LIVESTOCK! HOW DARE YOU DEFY US¡ª"

    Tian Chenyu shoved his sword into the demon''s mouth in the middle of its outcry.

    "Shut up, you''re too loud."

    And without any hesitation, Tian Chenyu poured demon sealing aura into the demon''s body through the sword stuck inside its throat.

    Once the demon waspletely sealed, Tian Chenyu began making his way back home, where his parents were anxiously waiting for him.

    "Chenyu! You''re fine!" His mother immediately went to embrace him.

    "I''m sorry for making you worry."

    "What happened to the other demons?" Tian Aowei asked him.

    "I took care of them. They won''t be able to hurt anyone else for a long time¡­ I hope."

    "You hope?" Tian Aowei raised his eyebrows.

    "Anyways, let''s sit down and talk. I have something I need to tell you guys."

    "Y-You want to talk? Right now? Why don''t you get some rest first? You seem tired." His mother said.

    Tian Chenyu pondered for a moment before nodding, "Sure."

    He then returned to his room to rest for the remainder of the day.

    While Tian Chenyu rested, the entire city was in an uproar about the demons'' invasion, and above all, they were confused by the oue.

    The three demons that invaded their city had somehow turned into stone, something that has never happened before. Nobody saw what happened because they were all hiding inside their homes, but news of the demons turning into stone began spreading throughout the city like wildfire, and it would eventually make its way to the nearby cities.

    Once cultivators from outside the city heard of the rumors, they made their way to Tian Chenyu''s city to see the sealed demons for themselves.

    "Who did this to the demons?"<i>  f r e e w e b n o v e l. c o m</i>

    This question would be the most asked question in the city for the next few years.

    Eventually, peak experts from all over the world would visit the city to study the sealed demons and to find the person responsible for the demons, as they believed that this person could help them fight the demons and stop their terror.

    However, this would not happen until Tian Chenyu had long left the city.

    The following day after Tian Chenyu sealed the three demons, he approached his parents and said to them, "Mother, father, thank you¡ª thank you for everything that you''ve done for me."

    "W-What''s wrong, Chenyu? Are you okay?" His mother asked him, feeling that something was wrong about his behavior.

    "I have made a decision¡ª a decision that you might not support but must be done." Tian Chenyu said.

    And he continued, "I have decided to erase all demons from this world, and in order to do that, I must leave home and go on a long, long journey. I don''t know how long it will take or if I will ever return, and I know that this will make you unhappy, but I must do this."

    "E-Erase all demons from this world? Do you have any idea what you''re saying, Chenyu? There''s no way that''s possible!" His mother eximed.

    "Whether it is possible or not, we won''t know until I try. Even if it''s impossible, I still have to try." Tian Chenyu remained firm on his decision.

    "No! I won''t allow it! This family is already crumbling as it is! If you leave, it will truly be destroyed¡ª"

    "Dear." Tian Aowei ced his hand on her shoulder and shook his head.

    "Chenyu is no longer a child. If he''s decided on a path, it is our duty as his parents to support it, even if we cannotprehend it."

    "In fact, this might be the only way for his heart to heal."

    "Even if you say that, he''ll die! Are you really fine with letting him walk a path that''s clear suicide?!"

    "He won''t die. I believe in him. He''s already defeated three demons by himself, after all. If anyone can defeat the Demon n, it''s him."

    Tian Aowei then turned to look at Tian Chenyu and said, "Can you leave us alone for a bit? I will talk it out with your mother."

    "Okay." Tian Chenyu didn''t say anything else and left his parents alone.

    Once they were alone, Tian Aowei began trying to convince his wife to let their son leave.

    Many hourster, they went to see Tian Chenyu, who was patiently waiting for them in his room.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    "We''vee to a conclusion." Tian Aowei said.

    "Chenyu¡­ Here, take this." His mother suddenly handed him a silver ring.

    Tian Chenyu didn''t ask any questions and epted it.

    "It''s a spatial ring. It''s a treasure often used by cultivators to store their luggage while they travel. It''ll make your traveling a lot more convenient."

    "Does this mean¡­"

    "Yes, I¡ª we both approve of your journey." His mother nodded with a gentle smile on her face.

 Chapter 888 - The Beginning of an Everlasting Legend

    <h4>Chapter 888 - The Beginning of an Evesting Legend</h4>

    "Thank you, father. Thank you, mother. I will not let you down." Tian Chenyu clenched the spatial ring in his grasp with teary eyes.

    "Don''t lose it, Chenyu. Since it was created for cultivators, it was extremely expensive. We''ll probably have nothing but in rice to eat for the rest of the month because of that ring." His father said in a joking tone.

    And he continued, "Also, you don''t need to feel bad about leaving us behind. You''re leaving for a great cause. Go out there and make a name for yourself so that we can brag about our son to our neighbors."

    "Your father is right, Chenyu. I was only thinking about myself before and didn''t consider your feelings, so you don''t have to worry about me. Although I would be lying if I said that I won''t be lonely and sad with you gone, it''s nothing I cannot handle."

    Tian Chenyu nodded.

    "I won''t leave immediately, so until I leave, allow me to make up for the past twenty years as much as I can," he said a momentter.

    Thus, Tian Chenyu began spending all of his time with his parents until the fateful day of his departure.

    "Have you heard? The entire city is going crazy over the demons you defeated." Tian Aoweiughed as they ate dinner that night.

    "I have this incredible urge to tell everyone that it was my son who did it, but I doubt anyone would even believe me."Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

    "Father, mother, I should''ve told you this earlier, but you shouldn''t reveal the truth to anyone. It could bring you trouble. The demons will also start looking for the one who''s responsible sooner orter." Tian Chenyu warned them with a serious expression.

    "Don''t worry, we won''t say anything. We''re not that dumb."

    A weekter, Tian Chenyu finished packing for his journey and said his final goodbyes to his parents before leaving the city.

    "Go make our ancestors proud, Chenyu." His father said after hugging him.

    "We''ll miss you very much. Make sure to send us letters whenever you can." His mother said as she hugged him.

    "Goodbye, father. Goodbye, mother." He bid them farewell with teary eyes.

    After leaving the city, Tian Chenyu walked to this massive graveyard that was located about ten miles away.

    Once he found the gravesite he was looking for, Tian Chenyu kneeled before it and ced a wreath made of white flowers onto the tombstone.

    "I know I am a littlete, but I couldn''t bring myself to see you after what happened¡­ until now. I hope you''ll forgive me, Ai Rong."

    Tian Chenyu proceeded to spend many hours talking to Ai Rong at her gravesite, telling her about his ns for the future and everything that he wanted but couldn''t tell her before.

    "Hey, Ai Rong, do you believe in reincarnation? I know this may sound silly, but I believe in it, and I believe that we will see each other again one day. p an da no v el I promise that no matter how long it takes that I will find you, and when I do, I will make you my wife¡ª if you''re willing to forgive me and still love me by then."

    "And before I find you, there is something I must do. I must first cleanse this world of demons. I don''t know how long it''ll take or if it''s even possible, but I will do my best."

    "The next time we see each other, it will be in the flesh. I love you, Ai Rong. Until next time."

    Once he was satisfied, Tian Chenyu stood up and took onest look at Ai Rong''s tombstone before turning around and leaving the graveyard to go on his journey.

    Unbeknownst to countless people, this was the beginning of an evesting legend.

    And shortly after Tian Chenyu left his home, he would make a name for himself by sealing demons wherever he went, but nobody would actually know his true identity until many yearster.

    "Yuan! We''re ready!" Wang Ming''s voice suddenly resounded from the backyard, waking Yuan from his daze.

    He stopped ying his zither and responded, "I will be there in a minute."

    After wiping the tears that had been dripping down his face for a while now, Yuan stowed Azure''s zither in the closet and made his way to the backyard where the others were gathered with their weapons.

    "Besides Meixiu and Chu Liuxiang, I believe this will be your first time seeing a demon. google p an da no v el It''s going to be horrifying at first, and you might even feel like running away, but remember, as long as I am here, you''ll be safe." Yuan said to them.

    "Run away? I doubt it." Wang Ming said.

    "Don''t underestimate demons, Wang Ming. You''ll understand what I mean when you see one." Yuan shook his head.

    "Alright." He nodded.

    Sometimeter, the Manager arrived at their backyard while pushing a cart that was carrying a tall wooden box.

    "Here''s your demon." The Manager began ring at Yuan the moment she arrived.

    "Thank you, Liya."

    "I thought I already told you to not call me by my name?" She frowned.

    "Oh, really? I''m sorry, I must have forgotten. search p an da no v el " Yuan chuckled, which only irritated her even more.

    He approached the wooden box a momentter and retrieved the demon from it.

    "T-That''s a demon?" Wang Ming swallowed nervously after seeing the demon''s hideous appearance.

    "If you''re scared now, just wait until it is released from its seal." Yuan said with a smile.

    "What are you going to do now?" The Manager asked him a momentter.

    "Just watch."

    Yuan carried the sealed demon with his Qi Manifestation, cing it in the middle of the training field.

    [Demon Sealing Zone!]

    He then created a Demon Sealing Zone that was around 75 meters in diameter with the demon at the center of it.

    "Alright, everybody, I am going to give you a briefing on what''s about to happen." Yuan gestured for the others to gather around him near the demon.

    They swallowed nervously and approached Yuan and the ominous-looking demon.

    Once everyone was gathered, Yuan began briefing them in a casual tone that made it seem like they were only going for a stroll in the park.

 Chapter 889 - Practice Tool

    <h4>Chapter 889 - Practice Tool</h4>

    "Once I unseal the demon, the nine of you will attack the demon and try to seal it again. The stronger your demon sealing aura, the quicker you will seal the demon. Once you''re all confident in fighting the demon together, I will be splitting you all into smaller groups."

    "Eventually, I want you guys to be able to fight the demons by yourself." Yuan said to them.

    "By ourselves?" Shi Lang swallowed nervously.

    "One more thing. The demon will obviously be fighting back. As long as its attack won''t cause any lethal damage, I won''t stop it, so don''t expect me to help you block every strike."

    "I will give you all a couple more minutes to prepare before I unseal the demon."

    "How are we going to do this?" Wang Ming asked the others.

    "Who knows. Let''s just attack it whenever we get the chance." Shi Lang shrugged.

    "Yuan, we''re ready." Xi Murong said to him sometimeter.

    "Alright. I am going to unseal the demon now. Brace yourselves."

    Right before he unsealed the demon, Yuan wore a mask over his face.

    This puzzled the others, but they didn''t have the time to ask him any questions, as the demon was freed from its seal the next moment.

    "I AM FINALLY FREE! AHAHAHA!" The demon immediately beganughing the moment it left its seal.

    "F-Fuck¡­" Wang Ming and the others could feel all of their strength and the courage they''d built up leaving their body when they felt the demon''s bloodthirsty aura and heard its chilling voice.

    Their bodies trembled uncontrobly, and their hearts throbbed erratically, like they were on the verge of having a heart attack.

    "What are you all doing?! Stop standing there and attack it!"

    Someone suddenly shouted at them, but it wasn''t Yuan.

    Instead, it was Chu Liuxiang, who was the first to make a move.

    After shouting at the others, she held her palms towards the demon and released a st of demon sealing aura at it.

    The demon stoppedughing after Chu Liuxiang''s attack struck it right in its face, blowing half of its face away.

    Once it recovered the next second, the demon turned to look at her and narrowed its eyes, "Humans? No¡­ Demon Sealers! As if I''d let you seal me again after I just broke out of my seal!"

    The demon roared before running at Chu Liuxiang.

    Whoosh!

    An arrow that was enchanted with demon sealing aura suddenly flew at the demon from behind and stabbed it right in the back of its head.

    However, the demon ignored Meixiu''s attack and continued to run at Chu Liuxiang.

    "Stand back!" Li Jinxi suddenly appeared before the demon and fearlessly blocked its path to Chu Liuxiang.

    She swung herrge sword at it, but the demon avoided it with ease.

    Wang Ming and the others also snapped out of their daze and began attacking the demon together.

    "A bunch of weaklings! So damn annoying!" The demon roared.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    However, there was not much it could do to fight back, as it was severely outnumbered nine to one.

    After fifteen minutes of relentless attacking from the Demon Sealing Faction, the demon was finally sealed again.

    Seeing that the demon was finally sealed, Wang Ming and a few others immediately fell on their butt and began gasping for air.

    "What do you think? Fighting a real demon." Yuan asked them afterward.

    "I''m exhausted¡ª mentally. I didn''t think there would be such a vast difference between a sealed demon and an unsealed one¡­" Shi Lang said.

    "I did warn you." Yuan smiled.

    "Anyways, take an hour to rest. I will split you all into two groups, and you''ll fight the demon again then."

    While the others rested, the Manager approached Yuan and began shouting at him, "You''re using the demon as a practice tool? Are you insane? You said that you''d take care of the demon as soon as possible!"

    "Calm down. I have the demon and the situation under control. It won''t be able to leave my Demon Sealing Zone."

    "Also, this training is necessary for them. After all, what will happen to this world if I suddenly die? If I train them, this world won''t be hopeless without me. Of course, I don''t n on dying before I erase all demons from this world, but you never know what fate has nned for you."

    "Anyways, do you want to join them? I can teach you demon sealing techniques so that you can also fight demons." Yuan suddenly suggested.

    "You want me to¡­" The Manager looked at him with wide eyes.

    "What''s wrong? The Lord asked for my help because neither of you can kill demons, right? If that''s the case¡­"

    "It won''t work." The Manager suddenly interrupted.

    "Huh? What do you mean?"

    "If I could learn demon sealing techniques, I would''ve learned them long ago." The Manager said.

    "So you tried to learn demon sealing techniques with the Qi Family but failed, huh? Don''t worry, I am different from the Qi Family. If you study under my instructions, even a mortal can¡ª"

    "I said it''s impossible." The Manager said, and without exining further, she turned around and walked away.

    Yuan immediately began pondering in silence about the Manager''s words.

    ''There''s only one reason why someone cannot learn demon sealing techniques¡­''

    ''I see¡­ so that''s why¡­''

    A profound smile appeared on his face when he realized the truth.

    The Manager stared at Yuan with a frown on her face.

    ''Why is he smiling? Did he realize it? No, that''s impossible¡­ There''s no way¡­'' She thought to herself.

    An hourter, Yuan split the Demon Sealing Faction into two groups.

    "First group will be Chu Liuxiang, Li Jinxi, Xi Murong, and Hong Xiuquan. The second group will be everyone else." Yuan said.

    "The first group will go first. Everyone else, you can wait outside the Demon Sealing Zone for your turn."

    "Whenever you guys are ready."

    Once the first group was ready, Yuan unsealed the demon again.

 Chapter 890 - Backlash

    <h4>Chapter 890 - Bacsh</h4>

    "What is the meaning of this, humans?!" The demon roared when it was unsealed for the second time.

    "Nothing much. I just figured you could assist me in training my friends. If you can defeat my friends, I will let you walk free." Yuan said.

    "You think I will help livestocks like¡ª"

    "Demon Sealing Pulse!"

    Chu Liuxiang shot a wave of demon sealing aura at the demon, creating a hole in its chest.

    "YOU FUCKING LIVESTOCKS! HOW DARE YOU MESS WITH ME!?"

    The demon released its loudest roar yet.

    Its body suddenly began growingrger, and its killing intent soared.

    It was enraged.

    "The demon is enraged. It will now be much stronger than before, and it will also take more effort to seal." Yuan warned them.

    "Demon Sealing Strike!"

    Li Jinxi approached the demon and confronted it with her greatsword. Although there was still a hint of fear within her eyes, she was able to suppress it.

    While Li Jinxi fought the demon, keeping its attention on her, Hong Xiuquan and Xi Murong would support her by attacking the demon from its blindspots.

    As for Chu Liuxiang, she would attack whenever possible from afar.

    ''They have pretty good teamwork despite this being their first day fighting together.'' Yuan thought to himself as he watched them fight.

    ''But they will need more than that to defeat the demon this time around.''

    BANG!

    Li Jinxi was suddenly sent flying by the demon''s attack.

    "Jinxi! Are you okay?!" Xi Murong shouted as he took over her spot.

    "Yes, I am fine. I just wasn''t expecting so much power from it. Looks like I will have to get a little serious as well."

    Li Jinxi''s body suddenly began emitting a red aura.

    "T-That technique! She''s using it now?! What if she goes on a rampage like before?!" Wang Ming eximed.

    "She''ll defeat both the demon and the others at this rate!" Shi Lang cried out loud.

    "Yuan, you need to stop her before she goes crazy!" Wang Bingbing said to him.

    "Huh? What''s wrong with her?" Yuan asked.

    "You don''t remember what happened at the tournament? She will go crazy if she uses that technique for too long! When that happens, all hell will break loose! At least that''s what her family told us before we left!"

    "Really? It looked like she hadplete control over it during the disciple examination." Yuan said.

    "That''s in a video game and this is real life! I''m sure you can do things in Cultivation Online that you can''t do here, right?"

    "Alright, I will stop her if things get out of hand. For now, let''s just see where this goes. Don''t forget, I stopped her during thepetition." Yuan smiled.

    "Okay."

    Meanwhile, Li Jinxi continued to pressure the demon, deflecting all of its attack with her raw strength.

    "Uhh¡­ What should we do?" Hong Xiuquan turned to look at Xi Murong.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    "Why are you asking me? There''s nothing we can do when she''s like that. We''ll only get in her way. In fact, she might even attack us if we get too close." Xi Murong shrugged.

    "Unbelievable¡­ She''s already fighting the demon all by herself¡­ She''s truly talented." Chu Liuxiang mumbled in a dazed voice.

    About ten minutester, the demons stopped moving, as it''d turned into stone.

    Li Jinxi had managed to seal the demon all by herself.

    "Wow, she really did it¡­" Wang Ming mumbled in awe.

    However, Li Jinxi wasn''t finished.

    "Watch out!" Chu Liuxiang suddenly shouted.

    "Huh?" Xi Murong turned around to see Li Jinxi running at him with her sword in the air, her eyes filled with bloodlust.

    "I knew it! Yuan!" Wang Bingbing turned to look at him, but he was already on the move.

    ng!

    Yuan appeared before Xi Murong to block Li Jinxi with the Empyrean Overlord.

    "Wake up!"

    Yuan swung his sword, sending Li Jinxi flying out the Demon Sealing Zone.

    "Aaaah!" Li Jinxi roared, and her red aura started going even more out of control.

    However, before she could cause any more harm to herself, Yuan used his movement technique to appear in front of her and gave her a good punch in the stomach, instantly knocking her unconscious.

    After catching Li Jinxi''s body, Yuan said to the others, "We''ll stop here for today and continue our training tomorrow."

    "Thank god¡­" Wang Ming sighed in relief after hearing such words.

    "I''m going to bring Jinxi back to her room." Yuan said as he carried her like a princess.

    "You''re going to leave the demon out here just like that? That''s insane!" The Manager approached him as he tried to leave.

    "Don''t worry, the demon won''t go anywhere. It''ll remain sealed for a week with the strength of Jinxi''s demon sealing aura." Yuan said.

    "Absolutely not! I will not leave here until you kill that demon!" The Manager eximed.

    "Be my guest. We have plenty of empty rooms in our household." Yuan chuckled.

    "Y-You¡­! Unbelievable!" The Manager stomped her feet in anger.

    Sometimeter, Yuan ced Li Jinxi on her bed so that she could rest.

    However, right as he prepared to leave, he started hearing noisesing from behind, and it sounded like someone was groaning in pain.

    "Jinxi? Are you okay? What''s happening to you?" Yuan rushed back to her side when he noticed that she was soaked in sweat.

    "It¡­ hurts¡­" She muttered in a low voice.

    "Is this a bacsh from using her technique? This didn''t happen before."

    After pondering for a second, Yuan rushed out of the room to find someone from the Six Spiritual Families.

    He quickly ran into Wang Bingbing.

    "Something''s wrong with Jinxi! She''s sweating buckets, and she appears to be in pain!"

    "What?! It must be due to the technique that she used earlier! Senior Li warned us about it. That she might experience some bacsh if she used it."

    "What should we do to calm her down?" Yuan then asked.

    "I don''t know. Senior Li didn''t mention it, but I will immediately call her family."

 Chapter 891 - Massage

    <h4>Chapter 891 - Massage</h4>

    "Hello?"

    "Senior Li? It''s me, Wang Bingbing."

    "Oh, it''s been¡ª"

    "This is an emergency, Senior Li! Li Jinxi, she''s currently experiencing a bacsh from using her weird technique that you warned us about!"

    "What?! Why did that foolish child use that technique?!"

    "It''s a long story, but right now, I need you to tell me what we can do to calm her down!"

    "Right. Her muscles right now should be pulsating, almost like there are worms wiggling inside her body. Can you see it?" Senior Li asked.

    "Yes, I see it." Wang Bingbing said.

    "This is the result of Li Jinxi enhancing her muscles far past their limits. In order to calm her down, you must rx her muscles. Massage her body and then let her body simmer in hot water until she''s fully recovered. If you have any medical leaves around, soak them in the hot water for a better effect."

    "Okay. Thank you, Senior Li. I will call you back once things calm down." Wang Bingbing said before closing the connection.

    "Did you hear all of that?" She turned to look at Yuan.

    "Yes, I heard him loud and clear. I will fill the bath with hot water. In the meantime, can you massage her body?" He asked her.

    "I-I don''t know how to do massages, but I can try¡­ You just squeeze their muscles with strength, right?" Wang Bingbing swallowed nervously before she started massaging Li Jinxi''s arms that felt incredibly weird.

    "Yuan, I don''t think this is helping! Her muscles feel incredibly stiff, like I am massaging rocks instead of muscles." Wang Bingbing called for help.

    Yuan said, "Alright, switch with me. I will see what I can do."

    After switching ces with Wang Bingbing, Yuan pondered as he inspected Li Jinxi''s condition.

    ''Her muscles feel like stones, huh? Let''s try this¡­''

    Yuan began massaging Li Jinxi''s body starting with her arms.

    "How do you feel?" Yuan asked her a few momentster.

    "B-Better¡­" She uttered.

    "Good, then this is working."

    A few momentster, Wang Bingbing asked him from the bathroom, "Yuan, any results?"

    "Yes, it''s working. She''s getting better."

    "Really? I''ll be with you in a minute!"

    Once she was finished with filling the bathtub, Wang Bingbing returned to the bedroom to check on them.

    "How are you doing this? I hope you''re not using brute force¡­" She swallowed nervously when she saw how causally Yuan made it seem like massaging Li Jinxi.

    "Of course not. I am not really using my fingers to massage her muscles. I am using my spiritual energy to guide her muscles instead¡ª to loosen it."

    "Where did you learn how to do such a thing?" Wang Bingbing asked him with great curiosity.

    "Cultivation Online," he said with a smile.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    Sometimeter, once Yuan finished massaging Li Jinxi''s arm, he moved to other parts of her body until all of her limbs were rxed.

    "Alright, I think she''s ready for the bath." Yuan said.

    "Wait¡­" Li Jinxi suddenly grabbed his hand.

    And she continued, "Massage¡­ here¡­ as well¡­"

    Using her free hand, Li Jinxi ripped her shirt right off her body, revealing her bare chest to them.

    "Uhhh¡­" Yuan raised his eyebrows and turned to face Wang Bingbing.

    "D-Don''t worry, this is to relieve her pain. I will also be here, so there won''t be any misunderstandings."

    "Alright."

    Yuan said nothing else and started massaging Li Jinxi''s body.

    About ten minutester, Wang Bingbing carried Li Jinxi into the bathroom to soak in hot water.

    "I will wait outside." Yuan said as they entered the bathroom.

    "Thank you¡­" Li Jinxi mumbled in a low voice.

    "Maybe you''ll think twice before using that weird technique again." Wang Bingbing smiled.

    "I don''t understand¡­ I was able to use it without any problems in Cultivation Online. I thought it would be fine if I started using it out here now, but¡­"

    "Don''t worry too much about it. I''m sure you''ll eventually be able to use that technique without any bacsh." Wang Bingbing said.

    After spending about two hours soaking in the bathtub, Li Jinxi recovered from her bacsh.

    "How are you feeling?" Yuan asked.

    "I am feeling fine. Thank you for the massage, and I''m sorry for causing you trouble. I won''t use that technique again."

    "Actually¡­ I want you to continue using that technique. I want you to practice your control with that technique." Yuan said, dumbfounding them.

    "Y-You want her to continue using that technique? But that would¡­" Wang Bingbing stared at him with wide eyes.

    "No, she will only experience a bacsh if she goes overboard with the technique. As long as she maintains control over it, she will be fine."

    "Why? Why do you want me to¡­?" Li Jinxi asked with a puzzled face.

    "You don''t want to? Oh, I am not forcing you. If you don''t want to master that technique, which will, without doubt, make you much stronger¡ª"

    "I will do it!" Li Jinxi quickly said.

    "I want to be stronger. I want to be able to use that technique without feeling pain afterward. Can you help me?"

    Yuan nodded, "I will help you to the best of my abilities, but it''s not going to be easy. You might even experience more bacshes during your training. Are you prepared for that?"

    "Yes, I am prepared. If I experience any bacshes, you''ll be there to massage me, right?"

    "Of course." He nodded.

    "..."

    Wang Bingbing witnessed their casual conversation with her mouth wide open.

    ''How can they say such shameless things to each other without being embarrassed about it?'' She wondered inwardly.

    "Get some rest."

    Yuan and Wang Bingbing left Li Jinxi alone shortly after.

    "I''m going to call Senior Li to let him know that everything is fine now." Wang Bingbing said.

    "Alright. You should get some rest too. Your group will be fighting the demon first thing tomorrow morning, after all." Yuan said with a smile.

    "Ipletely forgot about that¡­"

    "I will see youter at dinner."

    "Of course." Wang Bingbing nodded.

 Chapter 892 - Managerâ€™s True Nature

    <h4>Chapter 892 - Manager''s True Nature</h4>

    Before she even started cooking dinner, Meixiu approached Yuan and asked him, "You know the Manager has been standing in our backyard this entire time, right? I think she''s guarding the demon. Maybe we should invite her for dinner?"

    "I doubt she''ll even want to join us, but I will ask her just in case."

    "Okay, I will leave her to you. I will go prepare for dinner now."

    Once Meixiu left, Yuan went to the training area to confront the Manager.

    "You''ll catch a cold if you stand out here for too long. Why don''t youe inside and have dinner with us? Meixiu''s a great cook."

    The Manager slowly turned to look at him with a cold expression on her face, "I have an even better idea. Why don''t you hurry up and kill the demon so that I can go back home and eat my own dinner?"

    "Why are you so worried about the demon? I have already promised you that there won''t be any problems. The demon is sealed, and I will use it to train my friends for the next few days. Once that is done, I will kill it and move onto the next demon."

    "Why don''t you use the other demons to train your friends? There are 11 demons in total. You can train for a total of 11 days if you use a demon once a day." The Manager then asked.

    Yuan smiled and said, "We need to tackle this at a certain pace. They just had their first experience fighting a demon today. In fact, this is their first time seeing a real demon that''s not sealed."

    "If we rush this, it will only do more harm than good."

    After a moment of silence from the Manager, she spoke in a grim voice, "The fact that you''re taking this situation so lightly proves to me that you know nothing about demons or what they are truly capable of."

    "I know nothing about demons?" Yuan couldn''t help but chuckle at her ims.

    "What''s so funny? If you knew the true horror of demons, you wouldn''t be acting so casually."Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.

    "There is nobody in this world that knows more about demons than me." Yuan said.

    "Where does your confidencee from?"

    "Just like how I don''t really know anything about you or the Lord, you also don''t know anything about me."

    "Give me a few days. I will prove to you that I have the situationpletely under control. In the meantime, why don''t you rx a little ande eat dinner with us? If you waste Meixiu''s effort and the food she cooked for you, I will tell everyone about your true nature."

    "My true nature? What do you know about me?!" The Manager suddenly shouted at him.

    A profound smile appeared on Yuan''s face as he responded in a calm voice, "Qi Fang told me. You may act all serious and careful in public, but you''re really just azy woman who''d rathery in her bed all day watching television."

    The Manager''s face immediately flushed with redness after hearing his words.

    "S-She told you that?! That good-for-nothing loudmouth! The next time I see her, I will definitely¡­"

    "Let''s go, Liya. I''m getting cold and hungry." Yuan said to her as he began making his way back to the house.

    "How many times do I have to tell you to not call me by that name?" The Manager frowned.

    Once Yuan left the scene, the Manager released a sigh of relief, ''He startled me for a second there. I really thought he knew about that¡­''

    Sometimeter, everyone gathered at the dining table for dinner.

    "Where''s the Manager?" Meixiu asked Yuan after they sat down.

    "She¡­"

    The door opened at this moment, and the Manager slowly walked into the dining room before taking a seat at the table with everyone else.

    "Thank you foring." Yuan smiled at her.

    After dinner, Yuan said to everyone there, "I must say, you all performed much better than I''d anticipated today. At this rate, you''ll all be expert demon sealers in no time."

    "However, with that being said, I noticed some mistakes that some of you made. I will now tell you those mistakes, so listen up and try to learn from it."

    "Wang Ming, I know demons are very ugly and hard to look at, but you must look at them while you''re confronting one. I noticed that you tried to avoid eye contact with the demon as much as possible today. That will easily get you killed if you''re fighting a demon alone."

    "Shi Lang, that also applies to you. Your movements today are quite sluggish. Your movements during regr training are a whole level betterpared to your performance today."

    "Jinxi, you''re too aggressive with your attacks. You use too much strength when you swing your sword. Remember, it''s your demon sealing aura that damages the demons, not your strength."

    "Meixiu, you need to stop holding back. I know that it could be a little hard to shoot the demon with a bow and arrow when the others are fighting it at close range, but you subconsciously hold yourself back even when you have a clear shot."

    "On the other hand, Lulu, you need to learn how to hold back. You''re using too much energy even when it isn''t necessary."

    Yuan continued to speak until everybody that participated in the training today was lectured.

    "Now that you all know what you did wrong, I want you to keep it in mind and learn from it."

    "I must admit, Yuan, I never knew you were such a good teacher. Where''d you learn such a skill?" Wu Zao asked him after their lecture.

    "I wouldn''t call that teaching. I''m just pointing out what I saw, that''s all. I don''t qualify to be called a teacher." He shook his head.

    "No need to be humble, Yuan. We know a good lecturer when we see one. You could easily be a top lecturer at the Jaded Garden if you worked there." Wang Ming said.

    After talking with each other for a few more minutes and cleaning up the ce, everyone but Yuan and the Manager retired to their rooms.

 Chapter 893 - Explosion

    <h4>Chapter 893 - Explosion</h4>

    "We have a fully furnished guest room if you really intend on staying here tonight." Yuan said to the Manager and pointed at a certain room down the hallway.N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.

    "I don''t need any room." The Manager said, and she proceeded to leave the building, returning to the training area with the sealed demon.

    "Does she really intend on staying out there the whole night? It makes me feel kind of guilty." Chu Liuxiang asked out loud as she looked at the Manager''s lonely figure through the window in their room.

    "Let her do as she pleases. It''s not like I didn''t offer her a room." Yuan said.

    The following morning, after a light breakfast, everyone gathered at the training area.

    "Since we stopped with the first group yesterday, the second group will start things off today."

    "Meixiu, Wang Ming, Shi Lang, Wang Bingbing, and Wu Zao. You''re up." Yuan said to them.

    Once they were prepared after a short warmup, Yuan removed the seal on the demon for the third time.

    "FUCKING LIVESTOCKS! HOW DARE YOU MESS WITH ME?!" The demon immediately became enraged the moment it came out of its seal.

    "Let''s go!"

    Wang Ming was the first to act, followed by Shi Lang.

    After Yuan''s lecture yesterday, they focused on trying to suppress their fear towards the demon as they confronted it.

    Of course, it was easier said than done, and they were still overwhelmed by fear for the first few minutes.

    However, as they fought the demon, their fear began to reduce, allowing them to fight more efficiently.

    Wang Ming''s sword attacks were sharp and powerful. Shi Lang was incredibly precise with his spear.

    The two of them danced beside each other in front of the demon to keep it at bay from the others, who would attack the demon from its blindspot.

    Because of their near perfect teamwork, the demon could barely retaliate, and when it would try to retaliate, an arrow would appear from its blindspot and blow a hole in its face, halting its movements for a second, which is enough for the others to catch their breath and continue their onught.

    After ten minutes of relentless effort from group two, the demon became sealed again.

    "I''m exhausted." Wang Ming fell onto his butt afterward.

    "Did you guys secretly practice together? I must say, your teamwork is almost impable." Yuan asked them.

    "No, but if you spar enough with someone, you subconsciously predict their movements and instinctively react ordingly." Shi Lang said.

    "Yes, and since we all lived in the same ce, we all ended up training with each other." Wang Bingbing said.

    "Furthermore, there are not many disciples within the Jaded Garden that could keep up with us, so we end up practicing with each other more than we like." Wang Ming sighed.

    "I see¡­ It makes perfect sense then." Yuan nodded.

    After pondering for a moment, he asked them, "Do you guys feel confident enough to fight the demon by yourselves now? If you''re not, we can continue fighting in smaller groups."

    "Fighting the demon alone?" They all swallowed nervously at such a thought.

    Seeing their reaction, Yuan smiled, "I guess it''s still too early. After all, it''s only the second day. Alright, you will continue fighting in groups, but since it''s clearly too easy with your current numbers, I will split the group even smaller."

    "The new first group will be Wang Ming, Xi Murong, and Meixiu."

    "The second group will be Shi Lang, Wang Bingbing, and Lulu."

    "The third group will be Wu Zao, Hong Xiuquan, and Li Jinxi."

    After a short break, Yuan unsealed the demon and continued their training, and they would quickly realize how losing a single person in their group made it exponentially harder for them to fight the demon.

    They were able to seal the demon without getting hurt before, but now they''re all receiving minor injuries, and it took them twice as long to seal the demon with each group taking almost half an hour to seal the demon.

    Sometimeter, Wang Ming lost his bnce for a split second after his attack was deflected, and the demon immediately took advantage of his moment of weakness and went straight for his neck without any hesitation.

    ''Shit!''

    Death shed before Wang Ming''s eyes.

    "Die, livestock!"

    The demon''s w reached the skin on Wang Ming''s neck and prated into his skin, but its entire body froze before it could really pierce his neck.

    Wang Ming immediately distanced himself from the demon, and he could feel his own blood dripping down his neck afterward.

    "T-Thank you, Yuan¡­" Wang Ming said in a trembling voice.

    "The fight isn''t over yet." Yuan said to him before removing the restrictions on the demon, allowing it to move again.

    However, the demon didn''t continue to fight.

    Instead, it turned to look at Yuan.

    "What did you just do to my body?"

    "As long as you''re within my Demon Sealing Zone. I haveplete control over your body." Yuan calmly responded.

    "D-Demon Sealing Zone?"

    The demon had been so focused on fighting the others that it didn''t even realize it was trapped inside the Demon Sealing Zone until now.

    "I see¡­"

    The demon appeared to realize its situation shortly after.

    "If that''s the case, I''d rather die than be a ything for humans!"

    The demon suddenly began expanding like a balloon, and its body also started burning like steel that just came out of the forge.

    When Yuan saw this, he immediately shouted, "All of you, get away from the demon! It''s going to explode!"

    "What?!"

    The others immediately distanced themselves from the demon.

    Meanwhile, Yuan shrunk the Demon Sealing Zone until it was only a few meters in diameter.

    Once the demon reached its limit, the crystal on its body shattered, causing its body to explode with intense spiritual energy.

    The entire mountain shook for a brief moment after the explosion, but because of the Demon Sealing Zone that contained all of the impact, there was no real damage done by it and nobody was hurt.

 Chapter 894 - celestial Qi

    <h4>Chapter 894 - celestial Qi</h4>

    "Yuan, you never told us that demons could just explode like that!" Shi Lang eximed afterward.

    "Sorry, they rarely do that even in desperate situations so I forgot about it." Yuan said with an apologetic smile.

    "What the demon just did is called a ''Core Detonation''. It''s basically a suicide move that is very hard to stop and has the effects of a bomb. I didn''t think it would kill itself so quickly, so I wasn''t prepared for it. What a pity it onlysted for two days."

    "With that being said, Liya, can you bring us the next demon?" Yuan turned to face her.

    "Absolutely not! You almost blew up the entire mountain!" She immediately refused.

    "That''s an exaggeration. With that demon''s strength, it would''ve blown away our house at most." Yuan said.

    "Ridiculous! Why are you even training them?! What do you hope to achieve with just a few days of training?! There are only 10 demons left, and I doubt they are capable of fighting all 10 demons! Even if they can fight all 10 demons, it won''t make any real difference! If it was so easy to train a demon sealer, there would be many more demon sealers in this world!"

    After a moment of silence, Yuan spoke, "Yes, you''re right. Out of the remaining 10 demons, they would only be able to fight two of them with the rest being way beyond their capabilities."

    "However, you shouldn''t underestimate my friends nor my training methods. Even a day''s worth of training will benefit them enormously. In fact, it could even be a difference of life and death."

    "I don''t get it¡­ Just where are you getting your confidence from?" The Manager sighed, feeling as though she was talking to a wall.

    Of course, there was no way that the Manager could have known that in one of Yuan''s past lives, he was the Divine Paragon, creator of the demon sealing techniques and the founder of the Demon Sealing n, where he trained tens of thousands of demon sealers.

    "Trust me, this will onlyst for 2 more demons. After that, I will swiftly take care of the rest. I promise."

    The Manager rubbed her temples for a good moment before speaking, "Fine. Two more demons. If you don''t stop messing around with the demons after that, I will kill you. I promise."

    "Thank you, Liya." Yuan smiled.

    "Don''t call¡­ Forget it¡­"N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.

    Yuan then turned to look at the others and proceeded to lecture them about their mistakes.

    "How do you feel, Wang Ming?" Yuan asked him afterward.

    "I''m still a little shaken¡­ If you hadn''t stopped the demon, I would''ve been dead now." He sighed.

    "I''m truly pathetic."

    "Don''t think like that. You''re doing very well for a new demon sealer. In fact, most demon sealers won''t be able to face a real demon without months of intense training. The fact that you could fight it without running away on your first day is very impressive."

    "This goes for all of you. I''m actually very surprised that none of you ran away. Of course, I wouldn''t have med any of you even if you did run away."

    ''After all, I was frozen from fear when I first encountered a demon¡­'' He sighed inwardly.

    "Anyways, let''s take a break. We''ll start our next training session in two days."

    Sometimeter, the Manager returned to the Lord to exin the situation to him.

    "I see¡­ So that''s the real cause of the tremor just now. I thought it was another earthquake caused by the sealed demons. He''s using the demons as a practice tool for the others¡­ I must say, this is beyond my expectations. It''s so bold that it''s almost crazy." The Lord sighed.

    "Should I stop him?"

    "And how are you going to do that? You might have been able to defeat him when he first arrived at the mountain, but you won''t stand a chance against him now."

    "What? You think he''s stronger than me? Is it because he can kill demons and I cannot? If I could use demon sealing techniques, I would also be able to kill them!" The Manager eximed.

    "No, his strength far exceeds his ability to kill demons. Although very faintly, I could sense Celestial Qi from his body during hisst visit."

    "What?! Celestial Qi?! Impossible! He was born in this world! There''s no way he could have Celestial Qi!" The Manager shouted in a voice of disbelief.

    "It''s true. I couldn''t sense it from him before, but I sensed it very clearly during hisst visit. He must have awakened his Celestial Qi somehow. Do you have any idea?"

    The Manager pondered for a good moment before shaking her head, "The only thing I can think of is the incident that happened to him at the Qi Family, but it''s highly unlikely. It was after our visit to the Qi Family that he started acting¡­ differently."

    "So something happened to him after he returned, huh? What could''ve happened in such a short time? I cannot even imagine."

    Sometimeter, the Lord spoke, "Anyways, continue monitoring him. We need to be certain that we can trust him."

    "Okay¡­" The Manager nodded.

    "What''s wrong? You seem worried about something." The Lord suddenly asked.

    "Actually¡­ I might be overthinking this, but I have this feeling that he somehow knows of our secret." She sighed.

    "What? How is that possible? Did you do something that could''ve revealed it?"

    "No! I didn''t say or do anything¡ª"

    The Manager suddenly stopped talking and held a dazed look on her face.

    "I-I told him that I couldn''t learn demon sealing techniques out of frustration¡­ That''s also around the time when I started having this feeling. T-There''s no way he could''ve realized the truth just from that alone¡­ right?" The Manager said in a worried voice.

    "It''s possible."

    "I-I''m sorry¡­" The Manager sighed.

    "What''s done is already done. And we don''t really know if he realized our secret or not. Just continue to monitor him, but don''t try to probe his knowledge. You might end up telling him the truth, which would be quiteical if he doesn''t actually know anything." The Lord said.

    "Okay." The Manager nodded.

 Chapter 895 - Strength of the 11 Demons

    <h4>Chapter 895 - Strength of the 11 Demons</h4>

    After their training with the demon ended, Li Jinxi approached Yuan, who went to pick up the demon core left behind by the demon, and said to him, "I don''t need to rest. I want to practice my technique."

    "I like your enthusiasm, but you should rest today. You''ve already spent the entire morning fighting with the demon. You need to let your muscles rest before you start practicing that technique." Yuan said to her.

    "Then tomorrow¡­"

    "Yes, we''ll start tomorrow."

    "Okay."

    "Do you have some kind of special training for her?" Chu Liuxiang asked him.N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.

    "Not really. I''m only there to make sure she doesn''t hurt herself too much. After all, I''m the only one in this ce who can stop her when she goes on a rampage." He said.

    "I see¡­ Anyways, I''m going to take a bath and practice my demon sealing technique some more. Want to join me in the bath?" She calmly asked him, almost as though it was a normal routine to bathe together.

    "Sure." Yuan nodded his head without hesitation.

    Meanwhile, inside a luxurious restaurant somewhere in Spirit Heaven, the Sect Master of the Universal Music Academy, Sun Hao, sat before the Patriarch of the Gu Family.

    "It''s been a while, Patriarch Gu. I hope your family has been well." Sun Hao greeted.

    "Indeed, it''s been a few years. My family is doing well. I hope my nephew is not causing any troubles in your sect. If he is, don''t hesitate to tell me. I will give him a good scolding."

    The two of themughed for a good moment.

    "Anyways, I heard you have some information on the people that robbed my Gu Family. Although it happened in the Lower Heaven, it is still a fact that they are a Gu Family. No matter where it urred, I cannot allow such insolence towards the Gu Family."

    "Indeed. The person responsible for robbing your Gu Family is someone named ''Yuan'', is that correct?"

    "That''s the information we had received from the Lower Heavens." Patriarch Gu nodded.

    "Well, I happened to meet that bastard a couple of days ago when he severed my arm." Sun Hao pointed at his missing left arm.

    "What?" Patriarch Gu''s eyes widened with surprise.

    "I heard about what happened at the disciple examination. It was a tragedy. What a coincidence that the person who harmed you also happened to be the same person that robbed my Gu Family. However, it makes sense. Truly fitting of someone so barbaric and disrespectful."

    "Don''t worry, Sect Master Sun. I will make him pay for his crimes. I had only intended to imprison him for life, but I will now add torture to his punishment. In fact, I will remove his limbs and send them to you as a gift."

    "That sounds like music to my ears." Sun Haoughed merrily.

    "Then Sect Master Sun, do you happen to know where he is currently located?" Patriarch Gu suddenly asked.

    "Unfortunately, I do not know where he is currently located, but I know where and how you can find him." Sun Hao said.

    And he continued, "That bastard will be heading to the Stairway to Heaven soon. You will find him at the site, or you can surround the area and wait for him to show up."

    "The Stairway to Heaven? He''s nning on challenging it? Is he a Spirit King?" Patriarch Gu showed a look of surprise.

    "No, he''s a peak Spirit Lord, but you shouldn''t underestimate him. In fact, treat him as though you''re fighting a Spirit King. You will need all of your experts if you want to deal with him, and he most likely won''t be alone." Sun Hao said, purposefully not revealing to Patriarch Gu that Yuan had managed to defeat 6 Sect Masters of the Seven Spirit Academies all by himself, and it was an overwhelming defeat for them.

    "Yes, I heard that he was traveling in a small group thest time, and there is even a Spirit King amongst them. The other Gu Family said that the Spirit King had the appearance of a little girl."

    "A little girl? There was a little girl with that bastard at the disciple examination. I didn''t pay any attention to her due to the circumstances. To think that she was actually a Spirit King¡­" Sun Hao said.

    The two of them continued to chat with each other over some food and tea.

    About two hourster, Patriarch Gu returned to his family.

    After spending two days preparing for their mission, Patriarch Gu and over a thousand people from the Gu Family started making their way towards the Stairway to Heaven.

    Of course, this rmed the neighboring cities and sects, and they wondered if the Gu Family was going to war with such incredible military power.

    The following day, the Manager returned to the Demon Sealing Faction''s household with another demon.

    "This demon looks weaker than the previous one." Wang Ming said after looking at the demon''s appearance.

    It was smaller and thinner than thest demon, after all.

    "Don''t let its appearance fool you. This demon is three levels stronger than thest demon. Thest demon only had the strength of a peak Spirit Warrior cultivator. This one is around third level Spirit Master."

    "T-Third level Spirit Master? That''s as strong as the strongest cultivators in our families¡­" Wang Bingbing swallowed nervously.

    "By the way, the next demon is around the fifth level." Yuan suddenly said.

    "F-Fifth level?! Can we even fight that thing?!" Hong Xiuquan eximed.

    "It''s not going to be easy, but it''s possible." Yuan nodded.

    "Out of curiosity, what about the rest of the demons? There are a total of 11 demons, right?" Wu Zao asked.

    "Three of them have the strength of a peak Spirit Master. Two of them are between the third level and fourth level of Spirit Grandmaster. Two more at the sixth and seventh level of Spirit Grandmaster. As for thest one¡­ It has the strength of a 2nd level Spirit Lord."

    "S-Second level Spirit Lord? What''s your cultivation again, Yuan?" Wang Ming asked him in a nervous tone.

    "Fifth level Spirit Grandmaster." He calmly responded.

    "What?! You''re six whole levels below the strongest demon! Are you sure that you can defeat it?"

    "Of course." He confidently responded.

 Chapter 896 - Not Created for Humans

    <h4>Chapter 896 - Not Created for Humans</h4>

    "Don''t worry, it''s just 6 levels. I have fought demons an entire realm stronger in Cultivation Online." Yuan gave him a confident thumbs up.

    "But that''s Cultivation Online, where you are much more powerful and have more resources to deal with demons¡­" Wang Ming sighed.

    Sometimeter, Yuan said, "Anyways, we''ll begin training the day after tomorrow. I suggest you take this time to familiarize yourself with the demon. It will also have a much stronger aura than the previous demon, so prepare yourself mentally as well."

    After their briefing, Li Jinxi and Yuan went to another part of the training area, where they would not disturb the others with their training.

    "Go ahead and use that technique whenever you''re ready. However, don''t just activate it. I want you to slowly increase your own strength using the technique. Remember, we''re training on your control right now."

    Li Jinxi nodded, and she closed her eyes.

    After taking a deep breath, she began using her technique.

    At first, her body would emit a small amount of killing intent, and it would steadily increase.

    However, after a few moments, almost as though she lost control, the red aura began expanding rapidly.

    Eventually, Li Jinxipletely lost control, and she started going on a rampage.

    Her eyes snapped open, revealing her crimson eyes that flowed with killing intent.

    And she started attacking Yuan with her sword.

    "Calm down. You can regain control." Yuan didn''t immediately knock her out and tried to calm her down.

    A few minutester, without any sess, Yuan decided to knock Li Jinxi unconscious.Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.

    After catching her falling body, he gentlyid her on the ground.

    "This is going to be more problematic than I''d anticipated¡­" He sighed in a low voice.

    Li Jinxi would wake up shortly after.

    "Do you feel any pain?" He asked her.

    "No, I am fine. Let''s continue." Li Jinxi said.

    Thus, they continued to train until Li Jinxi started experiencing bacsh an hourter.

    When that happened, Yuan carried her into her room and began massaging her body.

    "Sorry for the inconvenience¡­" She apologized to him while she soaked in medicine.

    "Don''t worry, I don''t think it''s bothersome. By the way, can you tell me more about the technique? If I understand it better, perhaps I can figure out how to train you."

    After pondering for a moment, she nodded, "Wait until I am finished."

    "Sure."

    An hourter, Li Jinxi emerged from the bathtub and left the bathroom while still soaking wet.

    "You''ll catch a cold like that." Yuan smiled.

    "I have never caught a cold before," she calmly said.

    Then she walked to her closet and retrieved a wooden box from inside.

    "Here."

    She handed the box to Yuan afterward.

    Yuan raised his eyebrows and opened the box to find a scroll inside.

    "What''s this?"

    "The technique," she calmly responded.

    "You mean the actual technique? Isn''t this supposed to be your family''s secret technique? Are you sure you want to hand it to me? You should consult with your family first¡­" Yuan said in a baffled voice.

    He didn''t expect Li Jinxi to hand him the entire technique.

    "It''s fine. Nobody in the family can use the technique, anyway." She calmly nodded.

    "That''s not the point." Yuan smiled.

    "It''s really fine. I won''t tell my family," she said.

    "Alright, I will borrow it then."

    Yuan returned to his room shortly after.

    After returning to his room, Yuan began studying Li Jinxi''s mysterious technique.

    ''There''s no name for this technique?'' Yuan realized at nce that the technique was a nameless one.

    About an hourter, Yuan ced the technique down and started to ponder.

    ''I see¡­ It''s no wonder why most people cannot learn this technique. The strain it puts on one''s body is simply ludicrous. In fact, this technique¡­ It wasn''t created for humans¡­''

    Yuan became even more impressed by Li Jinxi after realizing this fact.

    ''I''m surprised she managed to learn this technique. But this begs the question¡­ Who is this technique made for? Magical beasts? Divine Beasts? And how did the Li Family acquire this technique?''

    Once he understood the technique, Yuan returned to Li Jinxi, who was resting in her bed.

    "Come inside." Li Jinxi said after hearing his knock on the door.

    "Hey, I am finished with the technique, so I am here to return it. I learned a few things about this technique that you should be aware of." Yuan said as he ced the scroll on the desk beside her desk.

    "You''re finished with the technique already? It''s only been an hour." She stared at him with a baffled look on her face as she sat up on her bed.

    ''She''s still naked?'' Yuan thought to himself after seeing Li Jinxi''s appearance when the nkets moved.

    He then spoke, "Yes, I have a lot of questions too, but first, you should know the true nature of this technique."

    "This nameless technique¡­ It wasn''t made for humans."

    "Huh?" Li Jinxi raised her eyebrows.

    "Not made for humans? Is that why nobody else in my family could learn it? But howe I can learn it? Does this mean¡­ I''m not human?" Li Jinxi looked more curious and fascinated than terrified at the possibility that she wasn''t human.

    "No, you''re definitely human. The reason you''re able to learn the technique is due to your unique physique. I noticed this when I massaged your body, but your muscles and bones are naturally beyond human capabilities, which allows your body to endure much more stress than normally capable. However, since you''re human, you won''t be able to fully utilize the technique''s full capabilities¡ª at least not in your current state."

    "I see¡­ Is this also why I have bacshes?" Li Jinxi then asked.

    "Yes." He nodded.

    "Then what should I do?"

    "Since it''s rted to your physique, you must continue to strengthen your body. I believe that will be your fastest way to master this technique. The next is your control. As long as you can control the technique so that it doesn''t exceed your limits, you won''t experience any bacshes."

    "But I have been doing that since I started cultivating," she said.

    "Yes, but have you ever been pushed to your absolute limits?" He asked.

    "Pushed to my limits¡­?" Li Jinxi raised her eyebrows in a questioning manner.

 Chapter 897 - Training

    <h4>Chapter 897 - Training</h4>

    "Yes. Have you ever been pushed to the point where you could not even lift a single finger? Have you ever been so exhausted that you thought you''d die by running out of breath? Have you ever risked your life in training?" Yuan asked.

    Li Jinxi pondered for a moment before shaking her head, "No, not really."

    "You can achieve immense growth in a short period of time if you continue to push yourself to your very limit every day. Of course, this could actually damage one''s body, but this only applies to ordinary people. Jinxi, you have an amazing body¡ª a physique blessed by the heavens. If anyone should train in such a manner, it should be you."

    "However, it''s not going to be easy. You will experience intense pain. Hell, you might even die."

    "I want to do it." Li Jinxi responded without hesitation.

    "Even if you might die?"? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    She nodded.

    Yuan smiled. Although nobody knows about it, he''d almost died hundreds of times inside his room during his 20 years of seclusion. There were times when he wanted to quit and sleep eternally, but he would always get back up and train until he was at death''s door.

    But because of his insane and reckless training, he was able to acquire the strength to defeat demons in such a short time.

    "How does your body feel right now?" Yuan asked her a momentter.

    "A little sore, but that''s it."

    "Good. Get dressed and meet me in the training area. We''re going to continue your training."

    "Yes!"

    Sometimeter, they returned to the training area.

    "Use the nameless technique and attack me. I won''t just be avoiding and defending this time."

    Li Jinxi nodded and activated the nameless technique, causing her bloodlust to reappear.

    However, before she could even make a move, Yuan suddenly dashed forward and threw a powerful punch at her face.

    Li Jinxi subconsciously blocked the attack with her sword, but she was still sent flying by the impact.

    ''So strong!''

    "What are you doing?! Hurry up and focus! Fight me! Try to kill me!" Yuan shouted as he approached her again.

    Li Jinxi clenched her teeth and started attacking him with the intention to kill.

    However, Yuan suddenly released his killing intent, halting her movements for a brief second.

    Yuan used this chance to connect his fist with her stomach, sending her flying for a second time.

    After stabilizing herself, Li Jinxi immediately puked out everything she ate for breakfast.

    She lifted her head a momentter to look at Yuan, who was slowly approaching her with an immense amount of killing intent flowing from his body.

    Her entire body trembled in fear. For the first time in her life, she was fearing for her life.

    "Get up! You will never achieve your full potential with such half-assed effort!" Yuan shouted at her, snapping her out of her daze.

    "Aaaaah!" Li Jinxi stood up and released a war cry before running at him again.

    "What the hell are they doing?" The Manager watched them from a distance with a puzzled face.

    She thought they were training at first, but it looked too brutal to be training, and Yuan was pummeling Li Jinxi like she had killed his family.

    Due to the loud nature of their training, the others also noticed themotion in the training area, and they were all shocked by what they saw.

    "Holy shit! What''s happening?! Why are they going at each other''s throat?!" Wang Ming asked the others.

    "I''m not sure¡­ Should we stop them and ask for an exnation?" Wang Bingbing said.

    "They''re probably training." Chu Liuxiang said.

    "You call that training? It looks like a one-sided beatdown to me." Shi Lang said.

    "God¡­ I have never seen Li Jinxi in such a beaten state before¡­ She looks like she''s on the verge of death." Xi Murong mumbled in a dazed voice.

    In the end, nobody went to stop them. They believed in Yuan and Li Jinxi¡ª that they had a good reason to be fighting each other in such a manner.

    The trainingsted for three whole hours, stopping when Li Jinxi was covered in her own blood andpletely unconscious.

    Of course, Li Jinxi had lost consciousness a couple of times during the three hours, but they onlysted for a brief moment, and she would continue to train immediately after waking up.

    As Yuan carried her seemingly lifeless body back to the house, everyone rushed to him.

    "What the hell happened, Yuan?" Wang Ming was the first to ask.

    "Hm? We were only training." He calmly said.

    "Training? It looked like you wanted to kill her¡­" Shi Lang said.

    Yuan smiled and said, "I will exin everything to you after I get her cleaned up."

    "I will help you." Meixiu said.

    "Okay. Thank you."

    After Yuan brought Li Jinxi back to her room, Meixiu helped wash her body.

    Sometimeter, after putting Li Jinxi in her bed, Yuan returned to the others and exined the situation to them.

    "The technique she had been using wasn''t created for humans? Wow¡­ that''s unexpected. I never knew that such a thing even existed¡­" Wu Zao said.

    "I get that you''re trying to push Li Jinxi to her limit, but that would be pointless if she bes bedridden for the next week, right?" Wang Ming asked.

    Yuan smiled and said, "She''ll be fine. In fact, she''ll wake up tomorrow like nothing happened. This is all because of her unique physique."

    "Also, I don''t know if you noticed this or not, but Jinxi was able to use her nameless technique throughout our entire training without experiencing any bacsh."

    "N-Now that you mention it!" Their eyes widened upon this realization.

    "How did you do it?" Wang Bingbing asked.

    "It''s simple. I used only my fists for a reason. Everytime I punch her body, it would release some of the built up tension in her muscles, allowing her to continue using the technique without reaching her maximum threshold as quickly." Yuan exined.

    "I see¡­"

    --

    --

 Chapter 898 - Understanding the Nameless Technique

    <h4>Chapter 898 - Understanding the Nameless Technique</h4>

    Sometimeter, Yuan returned to his room while the others returned to their own training.

    Li Jinxi woke up the following morning with an incredible headache and feeling like she''d been hit by a truck recently.

    ''Am I¡­ still alive¡­?" She mumbled in a dazed voice.

    It wasn''t clear to her at first, but her memories of yesterday''s training eventually resurfaced.

    ''Ahh¡­ He was really ruthless yesterday¡­ I have never been beaten like that¡­ ever¡­''

    A slight smile appeared on her face without her awareness.

    *Knock* *Knock*

    "It''s me. Are you awake?" Yuan''s voice suddenly resounded.

    "Yes,e inside."

    Yuan entered the room the next moment.

    "How are you feeling?" He asked her.

    Li Jinxi turned to look at Yuan and said with a bittersweet smile, "My body hurts like hell¡­"? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    "I might have gone too far for your first session. Sorry."

    "No, I needed that. I have never suffered such a defeat before. It really opened my eyes."

    "Do you wish to continue?" Yuan suddenly asked.

    "Of course." Li Jinxi immediately responded without any hesitation in her voice.

    "You''ll wake up everyday like this, you know?"

    "As long as I can be stronger."

    "..."

    After a moment of silence, Yuan asked, "Why are you so desperate to acquire strength?"

    "You might not believe me, but I really don''t have any motivation¡ª at least I didn''t until very recently. I enjoy fighting and improving myself. It''s as simple as that." She calmly responded.

    "I see¡­ Then what is your motivation now? You have one now, right?"

    Li Jinxi did not immediately answer.

    She slowly got off the bed and stood on her feet despite the pain coursing through her body.

    She then walked to stand in front of Yuan.

    "You''re my motivation now. I want to defeat you."

    Yuan smiled and said, "It''s not going to be easy."

    "I know, but I won''t stop training until I defeat you¡­ no matter how long it''ll take."

    And she continued, "Go wait for me in the training area. I will be there in a bit."

    "You want to train with your body like that? That''s reckless."

    "I can handle it," she said.

    However, Yuan shook his head and said, "Go soak in some medicine first. I''ll meet you in the training area in a few hours."

    "Okay¡­"

    While Li Jinxi went to soak in medicine, Yuan returned to his own room.

    He then took a seat on the floor in the lotus position and took a deep breath.

    ''Even though they are different techniques, they function almost the same. I wonder if I will be able to control that golden aura if I deepen my understanding with Li Jinxi''s nameless technique?''

    In just a few moments, a red aura began appearing around Yuan''s body.

    Although he''d learned Li Jinxi''s nameless technique, he doesn''t have any intentions to use it. After all, he was only doing this to gain a better understanding for the technique.

    Furthermore, his golden aura was vastly superior to the nameless technique.

    ''I have only absorbed two thousand years worth of Tian Chenyu''s memories right now, but there is nothing about the golden aura in these memories. Just how long did Tian Chenyu live? When does he learn to use the golden aura?''

    ''However, there''s no need to be impatient. I have already managed to activate it once. I will eventually be able to control it.''

    Yuan would continue to study the nameless technique for the next few hours until he met up with Li Jinxi in the training area, where he would proceed to beat her until she was at the verge of death.

    "How long are you two going to train like this?" Meixiu asked him as she washed Li Jinxi''s bloody figure.

    "I''m not sure, but it''ll probably be for a while. You don''t have to clean her if you don''t want to. I can do it by myself. You''re probably better off using this time to train yourself, after all." Yuan responded from outside the bathroom.

    "No, I can do this. It doesn''t take that much time, and it''s not like I can let you wash the body of another woman¡­" Meixiu said with a slightly rosy face.

    Yuan smiled and said, "Don''t worry, I won''t do anything I am not supposed to do to her. I already have you and Lulu, after all."

    The redness on Meixiu''s face immediately deepened, and she spoke, "T-That''s not what I am worried about!"

    Sometimeter, Meixiu left the bathroom with Li Jinxi still unconscious in her arms.

    "Thank you, Meixiu." Yuan said to her as she ced Li Jinxi''s body on the bed.

    "You should go easier on her, Yuan. It feels weird seeing you beating on a youngdy, even if she''s someone like Li Jinxi."

    Yuan chuckled, "I can''t help it. Ordinary training methods won''t work on her. And after realizing how much talent she has, it makes me want to see her full potential."

    Meixiu sighed, "You''ve really changed, Yuan."

    "Huh? What do you mean?"

    "Not long ago, you didn''t even know the difference between a man and a woman. Now look at you. You''re apetent teacher who has trained even an entire family of demon sealers."

    "Your demeanor has also changed. It pained me to even look at you before because you were always depressed, but you''re now brimming with confidence."

    "If Yu Rou could see you now, I doubt she would even recognize you."

    "Yu Rou, huh¡­ Meixiu, this might be a weird question, but who do you prefer? The old me or the new me?" Yuan faced her with a serious look on his face.

    "That''s not a fair question, Yuan. It puts me in an awkward position. It''s not a question that I can answer. However, if I have to be honest, I like how we can talk with each other while being on the same page, something that was not really possible back then. For example, the words ''I love you'' would have a different meaning if I said it to the old you and the current you. Do you understand?"

    Yuan chuckled, "Yes, I understand. I am well aware of how naive I was back then, and I''m sorry for all of the inconveniences it caused you."

    Meixiu shook her head while blushing.

    "Anyways, are you free now?" Yuan suddenly asked her.

    "Besides training, I don''t have anything else¡ª"

    Before she could even finish her sentence, Yuan picked her up and carried her like a princess.

    "Y-Yuan?!"

    "I want to thank you properly for helping me today. Let''s go to your room." Yuan smiled.

    "O-Okay¡­" Meixiu immediately understood the meaning behind his words and nodded in a bashful manner.

    --

 Chapter 899 - New Product

    <h4>Chapter 899 - New Product</h4>

    After carrying Meixiu to her room, Yuan locked the door behind him andid her on the bed.

    Once they were fully prepared, they entangled their naked bodies together and began moving passionately with each other.

    Two hours passed in the blink of an eye.

    "Speaking of Yu Rou¡­ It should be her birthday soon, right? I stopped paying attention to the dates long ago." Yuan said as heid on the bed with Meixiu resting her head on his arm, feeling incredibly refreshed and rxed.

    "Her birthday is next month. In 17 days to be exact." Meixiu said without needing to think.

    "We should give her a visit." Yuan then said.

    "What about the demons?"

    "I''ll take care of them long before then." Yuan smiled.

    "Then do you have any idea what you want to give her?"

    "No, I was going to ask you for advice. What do you think she''ll like? It''s been forever since Ist celebrated her birthday."

    "I think she''ll be happy no matter what you give her."

    "I know, but that''s not fun. I need to give her something grand¡ª something worthy of my precious little sister."

    Sometimeter, Meixiu got dressed and left to prepare for dinner.

    At dinner, to everybody''s surprise, Li Jinxi showed up.

    "Are you sure you should be moving around right now?" Wang Ming asked her.

    "I''m fine," she calmly replied.

    "My god, it took you an entire day to wake up yesterday. You''re progressing a little too fast, don''t you think?" Shi Lang mumbled in a dazed voice.

    "I have a good teacher," she said as she turned to look at Yuan.

    "How do you even endure such beating? Are you perhaps¡­ a masochist?"

    Li Jinxi immediately red at the person who just spoke, Xi Murong, with a dangerous gaze.

    "I-I am just joking¡­" Xi Murong swallowed nervously. Even in Li Jinxi''s current state, he would still lose to her in a fight.

    "Your jokes are getting worse and worse," she sneered.

    "Sorry¡­"

    After dinner, everyone but Meixiu returned to their rooms to rest.

    "Where are you going sote at night?" The Manager asked after noticing her.

    "T-The convenience store," she hastily replied.

    The Manager raised her eyebrows in a questioning manner, but she didn''t actually ask any questions.

    ''Even though the store is open 24/7, there''s no need for her to go there now¡­ Oh well, it''s none of my business.''

    The Manager calmly turned around and walked to the guest room.

    Meixiu sighed in relief and left the building shortly after.

    Sometimeter, she entered the convenience store.

    "Wee."

    A new woman that Meixiu did not recognize was at the counter today.

    "Hello. Where is the other worker?" She asked.

    "She just finished her shift about an hour ago. I work the night shifts."

    "I see¡­"

    "Anyways, how may I help you?"

    In response, Meixiu took out her box of birth control pills and ced it on the counter.

    "Can I have another box?" Meixiu asked, feeling a lot less embarrassedpared to her previous visit.

    "Sure thing." The clerk smiled and took out another box of birth control pills from under the counter.

    "Thank you." Meixiu said.

    However, just as she went to pick up the box, the clerk spoke, "By the way, we have a new product that came in just two days ago. Do you want to try it out?"

    "What new product?" Meixiu raised an eyebrow.

    "This."

    The woman then retrieved a small packet that contained four red medicine capsules.

    "What''s this?" Meixiu asked.

    "It''s a stimtor of sorts. It will not only give you more energy during your ''sexy time'' with your partner, it will even stimte your senses, allowing you to feel more pleasure. It''s quite new, but it''s already gained a lot of poprity regardless of the age. Oh, it can be used for either gender."

    "Even if you don''t need it, I rmend you try it at least once. It will greatly enhance your sex life¡ª speaking from personal experience." The clerk winked at Meixiu in a suggestive manner.

    Meixiu swallowed nervously.

    "I-I guess I can give it a try¡­"

    After bagging both items, Meixiu quickly returned to her room.

    The following day, everybody gathered in the training area once again.

    "You will all be fighting this demon today, and since it''s stronger than the previous one, you''ll return to your original groups¡ª the one with 4-5 people." Yuan said to them.

    He turned to face Li Jinxi and asked her, "How do you feel?"

    "Never been better," she said.

    "Good."

    "I''ll give you all ten minutes to prepare yourselves. Then I will unseal the demon."

    "Yuan." Li Jinxi suddenly approached him.

    "Yes?"

    "I have a request. Can I fight the demon by myself?"Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.

    "Hmm¡­" Yuan began pondering.

    "In your current state, you''ll be able to use the nameless technique for at most 10 minutes before you lose control. Your demon sealing aura isn''t strong enough to seal it within that time even if it allows you to attack it nonstop. You can try fighting it without the nameless technique, but you won''t be its match. In other words, you won''t defeat it."

    "I know that I won''t be able to seal it, but I still want to fight it by myself. It''s for experience."

    After pondering for a moment, Yuan nodded, "Alright. You can fight it by yourself."

    He then turned to look at Wang Ming and said, "You''ll rece Li Jinxi and transfer to group one."

    "Huh? Why am I recing her?" Wang Ming asked.

    "She wants to fight the demon by herself."

    "What?! Are you crazy? You could barely hold your utensils at dinner yesterday!"

    "That was yesterday. I am fine now." Li Jinxi said.

    "Fuck, she''s really inhuman¡­ She must have been adopted into the Li Family, and her real parents are goris¡­ " Xi Murong mumbled in a low voice.

    "I heard that." Li Jinxi snapped to re at him.

    "Huh? I didn''t say anything¡­" Xi Murong immediately turned around and began whistling.

 Chapter 900 - Drastic Improvements

    <h4>Chapter 900 - Drastic Improvements</h4>

    Sometimeter, the first group entered the Demon Sealing Zone and waited for Yuan to unseal the demon.

    Once it was unsealed, the demon looked around in a calm manner. However, that calmness quickly went away when it saw Chu Liuxiang and the others surrounding it.

    "What is the meaning of this?" The demon spoke in a grim voice.

    "They are demon sealers, and they will be sealing you, demon." Yuan said.

    And he continued, "You are currently within the Demon Sealing Zone, so don''t even think about escaping. Of course, you could kill yourself with Core Detonation."

    "However, if you ept my request, I will set you free."

    The demon narrowed its eyes on Yuan, who was wearing a mask. It then turned to look at the others there.

    "What is your request?"

    "It''s quite simple, really. I want you to fight these demon sealers for the next 7 days. If you can do that, I will set you free."

    "What if I kill them?"

    "You can try, but it won''t happen."

    "If I can kill them, will you let me free early?"

    "Sure." Yuan calmly nodded.

    "Perfect." A malicious grin appeared on the demon''s face.

    The demon sealers and the demon shed with each other shortly after.

    The demon sealers expected to quickly overpower the demon, but they soon realized that would not be the case, and the demon was able to defend itself and counter attack at the same time.

    Compared to thest demon, it was at least twice as hard, and it would take them thrice as long to seal the demon.

    Of course, none of them would end up unscathed. Most of them left the Demon Sealing Zone with bruises. In fact, all of them had experienced near-death situations more than once during their fight.

    "Holy shit¡­ How can three levels make such a huge difference? We could barely keep up with the demon this time¡­" Wang Ming eximed as heid on the floor, his body soaked in sweat.

    "I don''t think we''ll be able to fight the demon more than once a day," Chu Liuxiang said while gasping for air.

    "How long did it take to seal the demon? It felt like an eternity," Xi Murong asked.

    "Two hours and eleven minutes." Wang Bingbing said.

    "Two hours?! It only took us 30 minutes to seal thest one!" Hong Xiuquan eximed.

    Shortly after the first group finished, the second group entered the Demon Sealing Zone and started fighting the demon.

    In the end, it took them a little under two hours to seal the demon.

    "One hour and fifty one minutes." Wang Ming said to them.

    "I knew it wasn''t going to be easy, but to think it was that much harder¡­" Wang Bingbing sighed.

    Yuan approached the exhausted demon sealers and said to them, "At this rate, you won''t be able to seal the next demon. Therefore, I will be teaching all of you new demon sealing techniques."

    "Oh? How many?" Wang Ming asked out of curiosity.

    "I have three demon sealing techniques for each of you."

    "Three?!"

    Yuan nodded, "It might take some time before you''re able to use them, but that''s not the real purpose. I want you all to increase your demon sealing aura. It''s taking all of you too long to seal the demon, and you''re in a group. At this rate, it''ll take you an entire day to seal the demon by yourself."

    "Anyways, line up. I will give you these techniques now."

    Thus, everybody there began lining up in front of him.

    Sometimeter, Yuan transferred three demon sealing techniques to each of them.

    "Everyone here besides Jinxi can leave for today. You can also take tomorrow off to study these new techniques. Since I transferred the techniques directly into your mind, you''ll be able toprehend it faster than normal."

    Once everyone but Li Jinxi left, Yuan said to her, "Whenever you''re ready."

    Li Jinxi nodded and entered the Demon Sealing Zone.

    The moment Yuan released the demon, Li Jinxi activated her nameless technique.N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.

    "Just one of you this time?" The demon grinned when it saw Li Jinxi.

    However, despite only facing Li Jinxi, the demon did not underestimate her. In fact, he knew at a nce that she was the strongest out of everyone it''s faced today.

    The two of them began exchanging blows shortly after.

    Li Jinxi easily overpowered the demon in terms of raw strength and speed, but that did notst long.

    After 10 minutes of dominance, Li Jinxi could no longer control the nameless technique and began experiencing a bacsh.

    However, despite feeling like her muscles were being torn apart, Li Jinxi continued to fight the demon for a couple more minutes until she could no longer lift even a single finger.

    "You''re mine!" The demonughed as it lunged forward at the unconscious Li Jinxi.

    "Maybe next time." Yuan suddenly appeared behind the demon with the Empyrean Overlord in his grasp.

    ''What?!'' The demon didn''t notice Yuan''s presence until it was toote.

    Its body immediately began turning into stone.

    ''All it took was a single strike?'' The demon stared at Yuan in disbelief as itpletely turned into stone.

    After sealing the demon, Yuan carried Li Jinxi into her room and began massaging her body.

    Two dayster, the training resumed.

    This time, it took the first group only an hour to seal the demon while the second group took around 50 minutes. It was a drastic improvement that nobody there but Yuan had expected.

    This continued until the seventh day, where it would take both groups only 15 minutes to seal the demon.

    As for Li Jinxi, she was able to use the nameless technique for 20 minutes straight.

    "Great job, everyone. It appears that you''re all ready for the next demon." Yuan said to them after their training.

    "What are you going to do with the demon now?" Wang Ming asked him.

    "I''m going to ''free'' it, of course." Yuan responded with a calm smile on his face, causing everyone to swallow nervously.

 Chapter 901 - Why Are You Wearing a Mask?

    <h4>Chapter 901 - Why Are You Wearing a Mask?</h4>

    Yuan entered the Demon Sealing Zone and unsealed the demon shortly after Li Jinxi finished her turn.

    "I have fulfilled your request, human. You''ll set me free as promised." The demon stared at Yuan with a solemn expression.

    "Yes, don''t worry, I will set you free."

    Yuan said as he approached the demon.

    "What are you nning?" The demon frowned upon sensing that something was wrong.N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.

    However, before it could even react, Yuan extended his hand and grabbed the crystal embedded on its body.

    "W-What is the meaning of this, human?!" The demon roared at Yuan.

    "What else? I am setting you free."

    "Fucking bullshit! You lied to me, human!"

    "I didn''t lie. You just misunderstood the meaning behind my words, that''s all."

    "FUCK YOU, YOU DAMN LIVESTOCK!"

    The demon became enraged and rushed at Yuan.

    "You''ll be truly free now." Yuan mumbled in a low voice as he crushed the demon''s crystal, instantly killing the demon.

    The others were left speechless by Yuan''s actions.

    "H-He killed the demon just like that?" Wang Ming muttered in disbelief.

    "Y-Yuan! Why didn''t the demon die when we struck its crystal? I know I''d destroyed it a few times during our training!" Shi Lang asked him.

    "That''s because it requires a certain technique and a certain level of demon sealing aura to achieve this feat. When you all be strong enough, I will teach you this technique." Yuan said to them.

    "It''s a promise!"

    "Of course."

    "Anyways, the next demon won''t be unsealed for another week, but I can unseal it early. Take the next five days off. I will deal with the other demons in the meantime."

    "Alright."

    Yuan approached the Manager afterward and said, "Can you bring all of the demons here tomorrow?"

    "A-All of them?" The Manager stared at him with wide eyes.

    "Yes. We could wait for them to break out of their seal one by one, or I can kill them all at once."

    "Why the sudden rush?" She asked.

    "I just remembered that my sister''s birthday ising up soon, so I want to clean things up before I go," he calmly said.

    "Is that so¡­"

    "Alright, I will speak with the Lord." The Manager nodded.

    "What''s wrong? Is there something on my face?" Yuan asked when she continued to stare at him.

    "I''ve been meaning to ask you this but¡­ why are you wearing a mask?"

    "Oh, this? The demons would lose all desire to fight if they see my face, and I don''t want that." Yuan exined without really going into the details.

    "Why would they lose desire to fight if they see your face? That doesn''t make any sense¡­" The Manager asked out of curiosity.

    "I don''t know. I guess they really hate my face or something." Yuan casually shrugged.

    ''So he doesn''t want to tell me, huh¡­''

    "Whatever." The Manager left shortly after, returning to the peak of the mountain to notify the Lord of the situation.

    "He wants to deal with all of the demons at once? I don''t have any problems with that. In fact, that''s exactly what I want."

    The Manager then asked, "Once he defeats all of the demons¡­ are you really going to tell him the truth?"

    "He probably already knows the truth. Do you remember what he said? That we came from the Nine Heavens?"

    "Of course."

    "Then he''s already aware of the fact that the Nine Heavens truly exist somewhere in this universe, which is already a third of what we''re going to tell him. We might as well tell him everything at this point."

    "I guess so¡­" The Manager sighed.

    The following morning, the Manager arrived at Yuan''s household with a truck meant for moving furniture.

    After parking in the training area, she proceeded to bring out the remaining 9 demons, cing them in an orderly fashion and in the order they would break out of their seal.

    "Can you put this one to the side for now? It''s going to be the others'' practice tool." Yuan pointed at a certain sealed demon and asked the Manager.

    "Alright. What about the other demons? Which do you want to kill first?"

    "I will handle them all at once. It''s more convenient that way, after all."

    The Manager frowned and said, "I know you''re strong and all, but you shouldn''t be so arrogant. You should take the situation more seriously and be more cautious and deal with them one by one."

    Yuan sighed, "Fine. I will kill two of them at once, and then I will deal with the strongest one by itself at the end."

    "Did you even hear me just now? One. At. A. Time."

    "You''re underestimating me now, Liya." Yuan smiled.

    "How about this? If you let me fight two of them at once, I will fight them without a mask."

    "Deal." The Manager immediately agreed, leaving Yuan speechless.

    ''Was this her intention from the beginning?'' He wondered inwardly.

    While the Manager moved two of the nine demons into Yuan''s Demon Sealing Zone, the others gathered around the area with transportable chairs, acting as though they were going to an outdoor movie.

    "Okay, I am ready." The Manager said to Yuan after she finished moving the demons.

    "Thank you."

    Yuan said as she entered the Demon Sealing Zone.

    "Hmm? He''s not wearing his mask today?" Wang Bingbing noticed this and asked the others.

    "Why does he even feel the need to wear a mask?" Wang Ming asked.

    "Do you know?" Xi Murong turned to ask Chu Liuxiang.

    "I don''t. What about you, Meixiu?" Chu Liuxiang asked her next.

    "I don''t." She shook her head.

    "Even you don''t know?" The others were surprised. Out of everyone there, they expected Meixiu to know.

    While the others mumbled to each other, Yuan unsealed the demons.

    "HAHAHAHA! I AM FREE! FREEEEEE!"

    The two demons in the Demon Sealing Zone immediately startedughing out loud.

    Yuan patiently waited for the demons to notice him.

    When the demons eventually noticed Yuan, they stoppedughing and stared at him with their eyes as wide as saucers.

 Chapter 902 - Terrified Demons

    <h4>Chapter 902 - Terrified Demons</h4>

    "H-Hey¡­ T-That human¡­ Doesn''t he look a lot like¡­"

    "Yes¡­ He looks like the D¡ª"

    Before the two demons could even fullyprehend the situation, Yuan used his movement technique to instantly close their distance.

    "Wha¡ª?!"

    "Toote."

    The demons tried to distance themselves from Yuan, but it was toote, as he''d grabbed their demon crystals before they could even move.

    "Wai¡ª"

    And before the demons could even utter a full word, Yuan crushed the crystals, instantly killing them. In fact, not even ten seconds have passed since the demons were released from their seals.

    ''Fear¡­? Impossible!'' The Manager stared at Yuan with her eyes wide with shock and puzzlement.

    ''Why would they fear Yuan? No¡­ Can demons even feel fear? It also seemed like the demons recognized him¡­ No¡­ Those demons have been sealed for countless years. There''s no way that they could''ve recognized him. That wouldn''t make any logical sense.'' The Manager pondered a logical exnation to the phenomenon that had just happened.

    "Liya!" Yuan suddenly called for her, bringing her back to reality.

    "Can you bring in the next two demons?"

    "Che¡­"

    The Manager sucked her teeth before carrying two more demons into the Demon Sealing Zone.

    ''Why do I have to carry them, anyway?'' She wondered inwardly as she ced thest demon into the zone.

    "Thanks."

    Yuan unsealed the demons shortly after.

    The demons instantly noticed Yuan''s presence this time around, and when they saw his face, just like the previous two demons, their eyes widened with shock and terror.

    ''This is definitely the scent of fear! They''re fearing him! Why?! Demons have never feared humans before!'' The Manager was feeling agitated at this point.

    Then she recalled something the Lord had once told her.

    ''No¡­ There was one entity that demons feared¡­ The Bane of Demons, also known as the Divine Paragon, who freed the Nine Heavens from the Demon n''s domination.''

    However, she couldn''t connect the dot between the Divine Paragon and Yuan. After all, these two individuals lived in two different worlds and eras. There was simply no connection between them.

    Of course, since she has never seen the Divine Paragon''s face before, there was no way that she would have realized the truth.

    While the Manager was absorbed in her thoughts, Yuan killed the two demons.

    In the blink of an eye, Yuan had killed half of the 8 demons.

    "You called me inhuman, right? If I am inhuman, what do you call someone like him?" Li Jinxi asked Xi Murong, who was too shocked to even speak.

    However, inside his mind, he could only think of a single word that could describe Yuan.

    ''God.''

    Sometimeter, the Manager carried two more demons into the Demon Sealing Zone.

    "Y-You are¡ª!"

    "I-Impossible! You can''t be¡ª"

    Once again, Yuan killed the demons before they could even finish a full sentence. Of course, it was made easier due to the demons'' fear and confusion.

    ''He''s definitely doing this on purpose! What is he trying to hide?!'' The Manager could feel her entire body heating up from anger.

    "Manager, the next one." Yuan waved at her with a smile on his face, which only further irritated her.

    Sometimeter, Yuan unsealed and killed the 7th demon, leaving only one demon¡ª not including the demon that will be a practice tool.

    After the Manager carried the final demon into the Demon Sealing Zone, Yuan said to her, "I told you it would be more convenient to just kill them all at once."

    "What are you trying to hide from me, Yuan? Why are the demons fearful of you?" She asked him.

    "Huh? I have no idea what you''re talking about." Yuan shrugged.

    ''T-This bastard¡­'' The Manager gritted her teeth in frustration, but there was nothing she could do about it, nor could she me him for wanting to keep a secret.

    After all, she has a secret or two herself.

    Yuan unsealed the Spirit Lord demon a few momentster, and to everyone''s surprise, he didn''t immediately attack it.

    The Spirit Lord demon stared at Yuan with wide eyes, but it didn''t utter a single word. In fact, it refused to.

    ''The Divine Paragon?! Why the fuck is he here?!'' The demon cried inwardly.

    It was so spooked by Yuan''s appearance that it didn''t even notice his cultivation base.

    ''Why did he unseal me? Fuck¡­ Is he going to torture me like the rumors?!'' The demon trembled in fear when it recalled the countless horror stories about the Divine Paragon with torture being one of the mostmon story.

    ''Fuck this shit! I''d rather die than be tortured by the Divine Paragon!''

    And without any hesitation, the demon destroyed its own crystal.

    "What?! It''s killing itself already?!" The others were shocked when the demon suddenly started glowing bright red, almost as though there was a powerful light source illuminating the demon from within.

    "I don''t think so."

    Yuan suddenly summoned the Empyrean Overlord and tossed it at the demon, piercing it right in its chest.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    "W-What?!"

    The demon eximed in a shocked voice when its chaotic energy was sealed quicker than it could expand.

    However, since the demon had already destroyed its crystal, it wouldn''t be saved just because it was sealed before it could explode.

    A few moments after the demon waspletely sealed, its body began breaking down itself until it was nothing but a pile of dust.

    The entire ce was dead silent as everybody there stared at the pile of dust until the wind carried it away, leaving nothing but a demon core behind.

    ''The strongest demon killed itself¡­? Why? Because of Yuan''s face?'' The Manager nearly fell onto her buttocks after witnessing such a ridiculous oue.

    "There''s only one demon left now. Make sure you all practice your demon sealing techniques before then." Yuan said to the others.

    "O-Okay¡­" They all nodded in a dazed manner.

    Once everyone returned to the household, the Manager approached Yuan and said to him, "Follow me."

    "Where are we going?" He asked.

    "To speak with the Lord."

 Chapter 903 - Unread Messages

    <h4>Chapter 903 - Unread Messages</h4>

    "The Lord? Why?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    "Now that you have defeated the strongest demon, it will only be a matter of time before thest demon is dealt with. Do you remember your conversation with the Lord? That he''d tell you the truth if you take care of his demon problem?"

    "Yeah, I remember." Yuan nodded.

    And he continued, "However, there is still one demon left. Until I kill thest demon, I won''t speak with him. After all, it was part of the agreement."

    "Don''t you want to know the truth about Cultivation Online and the Lord''s identity?" The Manager frowned at him.

    "Of course I do, but I''m in no rush. Why are you so impatient to tell me the truth, though? Did something happen?" He smiled at her.

    "N-No¡­ Forget it, then."

    The Manager left the ce shortly after.

    Yuan returned to his room shortly after and practiced the nameless technique.

    During dinner, Yuan said, "Meixiu, Lulu, Jinxi, we''re going to make our way to the Stairway to Heaven tomorrow."

    "Hmm? You''re ascending already?" Wang Ming asked.

    "No, not yet. I will do it after my sister''s birthday, which is in about 2 weeks."

    "Your sister?" This was news to some of the people there.

    "Yes, my younger sister, Yu Rou. She''s currently at another faction. What was the name of their faction again?"

    "Eternal Lotuses." Meixiu said.

    "Right. Eternal Lotuses."

    "Oh, I''ve heard about them. They''re a pretty popr and powerful female-only faction." Wang Bingbing said.

    "We should probably notify her before we see her. They forbid men from visiting." Meixiu said.

    "Hmm¡­ but I don''t want to ruin the surprise¡­" Yuan sighed.

    "I know! Meixiu, can you contact the leader of the Eternal Lotuses? I will talk with the leader directly and receive permission so that it wouldn''t ruin the surprise."

    "Alright. I will contact the Cultivators'' Association and ask them to set up a schedule."

    "Thank you."

    After dinner, Meixiu returned to her own room and called Chairman Lee, the head of the Cultivators'' Association.

    After a single ring, Chairman Lee picked up the phone and spoke in an excited voice, "Hello?!"

    "Hello, Chairman Lee. This is Meixiu from the Demon Sealing Faction."

    "Oh! Lady Meixiu! I have been waiting for your call!" Chairman Lee sounded as though he was on the verge of crying through the phone.

    ''Lady Meixiu¡­?'' Meixiu raised an eyebrow.

    "Lady Meixiu, before you say anything, I must ask, have you checked your email since the creation of the Demon Sealing Faction?" Chairman Lee suddenly asked.

    "Email? No, I haven''t. Why?"

    "You should probably take a look at it¡­ You will understand quicker that way."

    "Okay, give me a minute."

    Meixiu went to grab herptop and checked her email.

    "This is¡­" Meixiu was shocked when she saw how many unread messages were in her email.

    [Unread Messages: 9,999+]

    There were many types of messages.

    Messages from people who wanted to join the Demon Sealing Faction, messages from other factions that were hoping to form an alliance with them, and most of all, messages from news organizations that wanted to interview their faction¡ª mostly Yuan.

    After the creation of the Demon Sealing Faction, news of yer Yuan being its leader spread like wildfire, and people from all over the world wanted to contact them.

    However, the only way to contact them was through Meixiu''s email, which she''d neglected until now. Because of this, people started contacting the Cultivators'' Association instead, but there was nothing they could do besides sending more messages to Meixiu.

    "Sorry¡­ I''dpletely forgotten about it." Meixiu apologized to Chairman Lee after realizing her mistake.

    "It''s alright. Betterte than never." Chairman Lee chuckled.

    "Anyways, is there anything the Cultivators'' Association can do for you, Lady Meixiu?"

    "Yes, I have a request. Yuan would like to speak with the leader of the Eternal Lotuses. Can you contact them and let them know?"

    "The leader of Eternal Lotuses? That would be White Lotus. May I ask for a reason? The Eternal Lotuses will want to know your reason, as well."

    "Yuan''s little sister is a member of the Eternal Lotuses, and it will be her birthday soon. He wants to surprise her with a visit, but the Eternal Lotuses don''t allow men to enter, so we were hoping to work something out."

    "Yuan''s little sister? I understand. I will contact White Lotus after this, but she might not respond for a while. They''re a powerful faction with a popr leader, so they''re bound to be very busy."

    "I understand. Thank you."

    "No need to be humble, Lady Meixiu. The Cultivators'' Association is here for you." Chairman Lee said.

    Of course, only powerful factions like the Demon Sealing Faction could receive such privileges.

    After hanging up, Meixiu ced her phone beside the bed and started going through some unread messages out of curiosity.

    Meanwhile, Chairman Lee called the Eternal Lotuses'' headquarters.

    "Hello, this is Chairman Lee of the Cultivators'' Association. I have some important matters to discuss with White Lotus."

    "Miss Bai is currently cultivating. Can this wait until tomorrow?" White Lotus'' Manager answered the phone.

    "I don''t mind waiting. Tell White Lotus that yer Yuan from the Demon Sealing Faction would like to speak with her. Call me back when you''re ready to speak. That''s all."

    "W-Wait! Did you just say yer¡ª"

    However, Chairman Lee closed the connection before the Manager could even finish her sentence. Of course, this was on purpose, as it would give them more pressure and a sense of urgency.

    After staring at her phone in a dazed manner for many moments, the Manager went to look for White Lotus.

    "Miss Bai! I apologize for bothering you during your cultivation, but this is urgent!" The Manager knocked on her door.

    A few momentster, a white-haired beauty opened the door and appeared before the Manager.N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.

    "What is it?"

    "Chairman Lee from the Cultivators'' Association just called, and he said that yer Yuan from the Demon Sealing Faction would like to speak with you!"

    White Lotus immediately narrowed her eyes upon hearing this information.

    ''yer Yuan? Why would he want to speak with me?'' She curiously wondered.

 Chapter 904 - Silver Spirit Grass

    <h4>Chapter 904 - Silver Spirit Grass</h4>

    White Lotus was surprised and confused at the same time when she received news that yer Yuan had reached out to her.

    ording to her knowledge, Yuan has never reached out to any other yer, and this only further increased her curiosity.

    What could yer Yuan possibly want from her when he seemingly already has everything?

    "Call Chairman Lee back and tell him to let yer Yuan know that I am willing to speak with him. However, I''d like to do it in Cultivation Online if that''s possible."

    "Y-You want to speak with yer Yuan in Cultivation Online?" Her manager looked at her with wide eyes.

    "Aren''t you curious? The infamous yer Yuan who''s been dominating Cultivation Online since day one. His achievements are light years ahead of everyone else, and he acquired most of them within the first month. However, he''s been awfully quiet since hisst announcement when he opened the Stairway to Heaven to the second world, almost as though he''d disappeared from this world."

    "Okay, I will call Chairman Lee now."

    A few momentster, Chairman Lee picked up his phone, "This is Chairman Lee."

    "Good evening, Chairman Lee. This is Bai Lianhua. Is it true that yer Yuan wants to speak with me?" White Lotus asked.

    "Yes, that is true. I''m sure you''re curious as to why. Let me tell¡ª"

    "No, don''t tell me. I want to ask him for myself." White Lotus interrupted.

    "If that''s what you wish. When are you avable? I will help the two of you schedule an online chat room, where the two of you can chat with each other."

    "That''s not necessary. I wish to speak with yer Yuan in Cultivation Online in person. Tell him that I will be at the Wuyue Pavilion in Wuyue City in three hours. It''s very close to the starting city in the second world. If he''s not able to make it there in time, I can wait for him."

    "Okay, I will let them know of your response. I will call you back when I get their response."

    Chairman Lee hung up the phone and called Meixiu.

    "This is Chairman Lee. I have just contacted White Lotus of the Eternal Lotuses. She agrees to meet with yer Yuan, but she wishes to meet him in Cultivation Online in three hours. The location is at Wuyue Pavilion in Wuyue City by the starting city in the second world. Is he able to make it?"

    "Give me a minute. I will go ask him right now." Meixiu ced the phone down and went to knock on Yuan''s door.

    Once Yuan opened the door, Meixiu ryed the news to him.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    "I see. Wuyue Pavilion in Wuyue City, right? Let them know that I will be there." Yuan nodded.

    While Yuan logged into Cultivation Online, Meixiu told Chairman Lee of the situation.

    "Thank you, I will let White Lotus know immediately."

    "No, thank you for the help." Meixiu said before hanging up.

    After logging into Cultivation Online, Yuan immediately began making his way towards Wuyue City.

    Since the destination was quite close to the starting city in Spirit Heaven, it didn''t take even an hour for Yuan to arrive.

    After arriving at the city, Yuan decided to take a tour around the city since he had plenty of time left before the meeting.

    ''Since I am going to be asking White Lotus for a favor, I should probably give her a gift, right? First impressions are quite important, after all.''

    With that in mind, Yuan began pondering what he should gift White Lotus.

    Then he recalled something Yu Rou had told him before.

    ''White Lotus was the first yer to have a servant. I should probably give her something that would benefit her servant.''

    Yuan immediately began looking for a store that would have such gifts.

    However, it was quitete at night, so most of the stores were closed.

    Then he recalled something else.

    "Feng Feng, do you happen to have more Spirit Fruits on you?" Yuan asked her.

    "Spirit Fruits? No, I gave what I had left to you when we first met," she said.

    "If you don''t mind me asking, why do you need Spirit Fruits?"

    "I am meeting someer, and I want to give her a gift. She''s probably a beast tamer, so I want to give her something rted to that," Yuan exined.

    "I see¡­ Do you know what kind of magical beast she''s tamed?"

    "No, I don''t."

    "Hmm¡­"

    Feng Yuxiang pondered for a moment before speaking again, "I have a suggestion, Young Master. Since you don''t know what kind of magical beast she''s tamed, you can just give her something that will benefit most magical beasts. I have something called ''Silver Spirit Grass''. Not only is it the favorite food for many magical beasts, it can even boost their cultivation growth rate by 50 percent until they reach Spirit Master."

    "That sounds perfect. How much do they usually cost? I''ll pay you for some." Yuan said.

    "I-It''s alright, Young Master. It doesn''t cost too much, so you can just have them for free."

    Yuan raised an eyebrow and asked her, "Are you saying that because it''s really that cheap, or are you saying that because it''s too expensive for me? Knowing you, I doubt you would have anything cheap on you. Tell me the truth, Feng Feng."

    "It cost 5,000,000 spirit stones for a batch of Silver Spirit Grass¡­"

    "5,000,000¡­" Yuan swallowed nervously.

    He rubbed his eyes for a moment before speaking, "Don''t worry, I can afford it after selling the Gu Family''s treasures. I will pay you backter."

    "You really don''t have to¡­"

    "No, I must. Otherwise, it wouldn''t feel like a gift since I got it from someone else for free."

    "If you insist, Young Master."

    Sometimeter, Yuan made his way to the Wuyue Pavilion even though there was still an hour left. It was an open area surrounded by an artificial pond. It was also a lively outdoor restaurant that had dancers in the middle and musicians on each side.

    Yuan swept the entire area with his divine sense until he noticed a beautiful white-haired young woman who was sitting by herself at a small round table, yet she was surrounded by young men that were trying to get her attention.

    Seeing this, Yuan shook his head inwardly and approached the table with the white-haired beauty.

 Chapter 905 - Meeting White Lotus

    Chapter 905 - Meeting White Lotus

    "Hey, pretty. Why are you sitting here by yourself? Why don''t youe sit with us. It''ll be our treat."

    "Come sit with my friends, young fairy. We just got epted into the Seven Spirit Academies, so we''re celebrating."

    "It''s a crime for a beauty such as yourself to be alone,e with me. I''ll spend the whole night with you."

    The white-haired beauty sighed, "I''m waiting for my friend, so you''ll have to entertain yourselves without me."

    However, the young men did not leave and became even more motivated.

    ''Why must the men be even more annoying in this world¡­'' The white-haired beauty sighed inwardly.

    "Excuse me, I''d like to get through." A calm voice suddenly resounded amongst the dozens of voices there.

    "Huh? Who the hell are you? Can''t you see that there''s a line here?"

    "I know you''re horny, but wait for your turn, buddy."

    It was at this moment a powerful pressure suddenly enveloped the ce, startling everybody there.

    Although the pressure was only directly at certain people there andsted only a second, it was strong enough topletely silence the entire ce.

    The white-haired beauty then watched as the people around her moved to the side with terrified expressions on their faces, creating a path for someone.

    "Hello, you must be White Lotus." Yuan greeted the white-haired beauty when he approached the table.

    White Lotus looked at Yuan with her eyes slightly widened, and she subconsciously swallowed nervously.

    "Are you yer Yuan?" She asked after a moment of silence.

    "You can just call me Yuan." He nodded.

    "Can I sit here?" He then pointed at the chair on the opposite side of her.

    "Please."

    Once he was seated, the people around them started to disappear, and the music resumed. However, the overall noise in that ce remained quite low, almost as though the people there were afraid of disturbing someone.

    "I hope you didn''t wait too long for me." Yuan said to her.

    "It''s fine, I wasn''t expecting for you to show up this early, either," she said.

    And she continued, "I was surprised when Chairman Lee called me. I never expected to be contacted by the famous yer Yuan who has remained a mystery since the start of Cultivation Online."

    "A mystery, huh? I just never had a reason to speak with other yers, I guess." Yuan said.

    "Nevertheless, I''m d that you''d reached out to me. I have always wanted to meet you." White Lotus said with a slight smile on her face.

    "You wanted to meet me? Why?" Yuan raised an eyebrow.

    "I was very proud to be the first yer to have a servant, yet you''d made my achievementpletely obsolete with your Divine-grade servant. Do you have any idea how that made me feel? I have never felt so humiliated before."

    "Sorry, that wasn''t my intention."

    "I know, and I am not ming you." White Lotus shook her head.

    "Anyways, why did you want to speak with me?"

    Yuan raised his eyebrows in a puzzled manner.

    "Chairman Lee didn''t tell you?" He asked.

    "It''s not that he didn''t tell me. I just figured that it would be better if I heard it directly from you rather than through another person. That would be more sincere, after all."

    "I see¡­"

    "Then before I tell you, allow me to give you this."

    Yuan retrieved the Silver Spirit Grass and ced it on the table.

    White Lotus looked at the bundle of grass with a confused face.

    ''Why is he giving me grass?'' She wondered to herself.

    "Since you''re the first yer to have acquired a servant, I figured this would be a perfect gift for you. It''s called Silver Spirit Grass. If you feed it to your servant, it will boost their cultivation speed by 50 percent until they reach the strength of a Spirit Master."

    "What?!" White Lotus eximed in a shocked voice.

    "I know it''s not much since I didn''t have enough time to prepare¡ª"N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.

    "I-I cannot ept such a gift. It''s too valuable." White Lotus suddenly interrupted.

    And she continued in a nervous voice, "I saw a treasure with simr effects before, but it was only at 10 percent, and it was already worth a million spirit stones. I cannot imagine how much this treasure with 50 percent effect is worth¡­"

    "Don''t worry about it. If you don''t use it, I will have to give it to someone else since I have no use for it."

    White Lotus stared at the Silver Spirit Grass with a pondering face.

    However, before she could evene to a conclusion, a shadowy figure suddenly shot out from her body and started gnawing on the Silver Spirit Grass.

    "X-Xu Hei! Stop!" White Lotus shouted in a panicked voice when she realized that it was her servant that was eating the priceless Silver Spirit Grass.

    But s, the Silver Spirit Grass disappeared almost immediately.

    "N-No way¡­" White Lotus could feel all of her strength leave her body as she watched millions of spirit stones disappear into her servant''s stomach.

    "A cat with two tails? So this is your servant, huh?" Yuan stared at the cat with interest.

    "I-I''m so sorry!" White Lotus suddenly stood up and apologized with her head lowered.

    *Meow*

    The Two-tailed ck Cat looked at Yuan with a thankful gaze.

    "I will ept your apology if you listen to my request." Yuan smiled.

    "Anything!" White Lotus quickly said.

    "You see, my little sister, Yu Rou, is actually a member of your faction. It is going to be her birthday soon, and I''d like to surprise her with a visit. However, I heard that your faction doesn''t allow men to enter, so I wanted to see if I could work something out with you, the leader of the faction."

    White Lotus stared at him with a dumbfounded face.

    ''T-This is the reason he wanted to contact me?!'' She cried inwardly.

    "Wait¡­ Did you just say Yu Rou? You''re her brother?" She asked him after a moment of silence.

    "Yes, I am. Do you know her?"

    White Lotus nodded in a dazed manner.

 Chapter 906 - Meeting White Lotus (2)

    Chapter 906 - Meeting White Lotus (2)

    "Yu Rou is one of the most talented new recruits we had recently, so it''s hard to miss her. But to think that she was the little sister of ''Yuan'', I am truly speechless." White Lotus said.

    "How is she doing in the faction? It''s been a while since I spoke with her. Although she''s called multiple times, I am always busy, and when I try calling her back, she''s busy with practice, so I haven''t been able to speak with her recently, not to mention the difference in time zone." Yuan sighed.

    "Yu Rou is very diligent in her training. She''s always the first one there and thest to leave. Because of hermitment, she''s earned all of the instructors'' respects. For her to have such discipline, she must have wonderful parents."

    "..."

    When their parents were mentioned, Yuan''s expression suddenly turned cold, and killing intent began leaking from him.

    ''Eh?'' White Lotus was quite startled by such a drastic change in atmosphere, and she began worrying that she might have said something she shouldn''t have.

    "Excuse me." Yuan noticed the scared look on White Lotus'' face and quickly controlled his emotions.

    "I''m sorry if I¡ª"

    "No, it wasn''t your fault. I just remembered some unpleasant memories, that''s all."

    And he continued, "Anyways, I know that I am asking a lot from you, but if you cannot let me meet with Yu Rou at your ce, can you help me meet up with Yu Rou somewhere outside? I want it to remain as a surprise, so if you could, don''t let her know that she''s going to meet me."

    White Lotus pondered Yuan''s request as she looked at Xu Hei, who was still sitting on the table and licking its lips.

    "Alright, I will make it an exception and allow you to enter ournd to celebrate Yu Rou''s birthday."

    "Really? Thank you!" Yuan immediately smiled.

    "This is the least I can do for you. Just let me know when you n on stopping by." White Lotus smiled back.

    "Great!" Yuan proceeded to tell her the date of Yu Rou''s birthday.

    Sometimeter, he asked her, "Since we''re already here, why don''t we eat something? It''ll be my treat."

    "Sure." White Lotus nodded.

    Once a waiter approached their table, they began ordering their food.

    Due to their table''s small size, Yuan decided to order a simple dish and some tea.

    While they waited for their food, Yuan asked, "I have been wondering about how other yers enjoy their time in Cultivation Online. Can you tell me some of your experiences in this world? In return, I will tell you some of mine."

    "Sure." White Lotus epted without hesitation.

    After all, any information about Yuan''s experience was incredibly valuable and highly sought after by the entire world.

    And for the next twenty minutes, White Lotus recalled some of her adventures with Yuan.

    Although they were not as grand and as exciting as Yuan''s adventures, it was still interesting in its own way.

    Once the food was ready, they took a break from talking to eat and enjoy the music.

    Afterward, Yuan shared some of his earlier experiences with White Lotus.

    He spoke about how he''d fought a horde of monsters to protect Pang City. He spoke of his experience at the Dragon Essence Temple and how he participated in a zitherpetition with a fellow disciple. He spoke of the Mystic Realm. He spoke about powerful entities known as demons, and how he''d visited a world of dragons that looked like humans.

    White Lotus was absolutely captivated by his wondrous experience¡ª so much so that she''dpletely lost track of time.

    In fact, she had a thrilled expression on her face the entire time, but she was too absorbed to be aware of her own expression.Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.

    White Lotus wanted Yuan to continue his story forever, but the Wuyue Pavilion had a closing time, and it was reached before either of them were aware.

    "Excuse me, esteemed guests. Wuyue Pavilion will be closing soon. However, if you wish to stay here and continue chatting, you are free to do so." The manager of the ce approached them in a timid manner, as he was afraid to anger them by disturbing their peaceful atmosphere.

    "It''s already closing time? I''m sorry, Yuan. I didn''t intend on taking up so much of your time." White Lotus said to him.

    "It was enjoyable, so I don''t mind." Yuan smiled.

    White Lotus nodded and said, "Let''s continue this conversation another time."

    "Here is my phone number. If you need anything, don''t hesitate to call." She retrieved a piece of paper and started writing on it.

    "Thank you." Yuan epted the paper and memorized the number with a single nce.

    "I know you''reing for Yu Rou, but I look forward to your visit as well. Goodnight." White Lotus said to him before logging off.

    Yuan logged off shortly after.

    After logging off, White Lotus removed the helmet and proceeded to stare at her ceiling with a dazed look on her face.

    "Yuan, huh? What an intriguing person. He''s nothing like the rumors." A gentle smile appeared on her face.

    Then she realized something.

    "Ipletely forgot! I wanted to ask him about his servants! What a blunder!" She facepalmed herself upon realizing this.

    "I wanted to see what a Divine-grade and Ancient-grade servant looked like, too! Damn it!"

    Sometimeter, once she calmed down, White Lotus got off the bed and walked to herputer.

    After logging into theputer, she opened up a private chat room and typed into the chat box¡ª

    [White Lotus: I just met with yer Yuan in Cultivation Online. We chatted about our experience with the game over some food and tea. He''s truly a unique person with many stories to tell.]

    Within seconds of White Lotus''ment, dozens of people started typing in the chat.

    [Blue Monster: No way! Really?! Where did you meet him?!]

    [Green Hat: Tell us what happened!]

    [Fiery Queen: How did you contact him?! I also want to speak with him!]

    However, White Lotus didn''t respond to any of them.

    After reading some of the responses, she''d closed the chat room and walked away from herputer with a smug smile on her face.

 Chapter 907 - Teasing the Legacy Families

    Chapter 907 - Teasing the Legacy Families

    After White Lotus teased everyone in the chat room with the information that she''d met with yer Yuan, hundreds of people began trying to reach out to White Lotus.

    They tried messaging her though emails, through the chat room, and even through her phone.

    When none of that worked, they started calling her and those around her.

    "Miss Bai¡­ They''re calling us nonstop. Why don''t you just respond to them?" Her manager pleaded with her, as her phone has been blowing up nonstop for the past hour.

    "Just turn off your phone like I did." White Lotus smiled.

    "And then it will only be a matter of time before they start showing up at our doorstep. In fact, I am willing to bet that some of them are already on their way here!" Her manager sighed.

    "Let theme. They''re always talking about yer Yuan, so I am teasing them for a bit."

    "You''re so evil, Miss Bai¡­"

    "It''ll only be for a bit." White Lotus shrugged.

    The following day, as expected, a crowd of people showed up in front of the Eternal Lotuses'' headquarters.

    Of course, they were all females. And because they were all from Legacy Families, the Eternal Lotuses couldn''t just send them away.

    "Miss Bai, here are the families that are currently outside." Her manager handed her a list of names.

    "Oh? Fiery Queen is also here?" White Lotus noticed her name at nce.

    "Yes, and she said that she won''t leave until you meet with her." The manager sighed.

    White Lotus smiled and said, "Bring her inside. Tell the others that I am only going to be speaking with Fiery Queen and nobody else."

    "Right away."

    Sometimeter, a beautiful young woman with long, wavy crimson hair appeared before White Lotus in her room.

    "White Lotus! How dare you leave us hanging after dropping that bomb in the chat room yesterday! Do you have any idea how much ruckus yourment had caused?!" Fiery Queen began lecturing White Lotus the moment she entered the room.

    "Ruckus? It was just a casualment. Why would there be a ruckus?" White Lotus acted ignorant.

    "Y-You met with yer Yuan, right? The mysterious yer that shook the entire world with his impossible achievements! Everybody and their mother has been trying to contact him but to no avail. Even a teaspoon of information on him is worth a fortune! You must tell me about your meeting with him!"

    "Why should I tell you¡ª or anybody, for that matter? It was a private conversation between the two of us. There''s no need for the whole world to know about it." White Lotus shook her head.

    "Bullshit! Then why did you mention it in the group chat? You could''ve kept the meeting to yourself!"

    "I just wanted to see your reactions, that''s all."

    Fiery Queen was speechless.

    "You''re a really horrible person, you know that, right?"

    White Lotus chuckled, "Is that so? I was going to give you a chance to meet him, but since I am a horrible person¡­"

    "W-Wait! I was joking! You''re not a horrible person! Please, I want to meet him, too!" Fiery Queen began panicking.

    White Lotus then said, "If you''re thinking about recruiting him, I suggest you give up on that idea."

    "Why? Did you already recruit him or something?" Fiery Queen frowned.

    "No, I didn''t even try to recruit him."

    "Why not?"

    "You wouldn''t understand it until you meet him. That man¡­ He''s untamable." White Lotus sighed.

    "You won''t know until you try." Fiery Queen said.

    "Try?" White Lotus scoffed, and she continued, "When I first met him, I was barely able to keep myposure. I felt like a prey before its predator¡ª it was a truly humbling experience. Even though he was very polite and humble, he has this overwhelming presence that cannot be masked."

    "So you''re saying that he''s a dangerous individual?" Fiery Queen raised her eyebrows.

    "Yes and no. He seems like a genuinely good person and someone easy to befriend, but if you offend him, he''ll be your worst nightmare. He''s that sort of individual." White Lotus said, recalling her experience with Yuan.

    "Unfortunately, even if I trust you, this is not something we can decide on. It''ll be our families that will make the final decision. Speaking of our families, has your family contacted you yet?" Fiery Queen asked her.

    "No, they haven''t."

    "Well, color me surprised."

    "But it''ll only be a matter of time." White Lotus said.

    "What will you do if they want you to recruit him?" Fiery Queen asked.

    "Then I''ll recruit him." She calmly said.

    Fiery Queen frowned and said, "Even after everything you''d just said? You''re such a hypocrite."

    "He''s going to refuse, anyways. The most important thing is the way we approach him and that we don''t push our luck."Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.

    "You knew this was going to happen before you even made thatment in the group chat yesterday. Why?"

    "Who knows." White Lotus shrugged.

    White Lotus suddenly noticed her private cell phone ringing.

    "Speaking of the devil. Looks like my family has finally decided to contact me," she said with a smile.

    "If you don''t mind¡­" White Lotus looked at Fiery Queen.

    "We''re not done yet! I will be waiting outside!" Fiery Queen said before going outside.

    White Lotus answered the phone and began speaking with her parents.

    "Yes, it''s true."

    "No, not yet. I didn''t want to rush things."

    "Don''t worry, I will have another chance to meet him soon."

    "Yes, I know. I will do my best to recruit him."

    "Sorry, but I promised him that I wouldn''t reveal any information about our meeting yesterday."

    "Even if it''s my own family, there is a chance that it could be leaked outside. Unless you want to risk offending him and lose our chance to recruit him¡­"

    "I understand. Goodbye."

    White Lotus hung up many minutester and sighed in relief.

    Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, Yuan logged into Cultivation Online and met up with those that will be ascending the Stairway to Heaven with him.

 Chapter 908 - Confronting the Gu Family

    Chapter 908 - Confronting the Gu Family

    "Are you guys ready?" Yuan asked Meixiu and the others after returning to the starting city.

    "I''m ready." Chu Liuxiang nodded.

    "Same." Meixiu said.

    Li Jinxi silently nodded.

    "Great. Now then¡­ which way is the Stairway to Heaven?" Yuan asked hispanions.

    Xiao Hua appeared the next moment and pointed in a certain direction.

    "Since I don''t want to take up too much of your time, let''s fly there." Yuan said afterward.

    "Fly?" Li Jinxi raised her eyebrows.

    Yuan then used Qi Manifestation to wrap his spiritual energy around them before lifting them into the air.

    Although Meixiu and Chu Liuxiang were used to the feeling of flight, this was Li Jinxi''s first time flying in such a manner.

    "Brother Yuan, do you need help?" Xiao Hua asked him.

    "It''s fine. I have plenty of spiritual energy." He said.

    Thus, they began flying towards the Stairway to Heaven, unaware of the army waiting for them.

    Meanwhile, somewhere near the Stairway to Heaven.

    "Patriarch Gu, there is still no sign of this ''Yuan''. Do you think the information provided to us could be fake? It''s already been a week since we''ve started camping out here." An elder of the Gu Family said.

    "No, that''s not possible. The person who provided me this information is a reputable source. He wouldn''t lie to me." Patriarch Gu said.

    And he continued, "We''ll wait here for a whole month if we have to. Stay vignt. You never know when he''ll show up."

    "Yes."

    Meanwhile, inside the House of Riches, Gu Xin was lying on the couch staring at the Spirit Jade Feng Yuxiang gave to her when someone knocked on her door.

    "What is it?" Gu Xin stored the Spirit Jade away and turned to look at the door.

    "Manager, have you heard? Patriarch Gu left the Gu Family with over a thousand experts and stationed themselves around the Stairway to Heaven."

    "What? When did this happen?" Gu Xin frowned.

    "About a week ago."

    "Do you know why?"

    "No, I don''t."

    After pondering for a moment, two figures suddenly appeared inside her head.

    ''Oh no! Don''t tell me it''s because of them!'' Gu Xin immediately sat up on the bed and retrieved amunication jade slip.

    "Damn it! He''s not picking up! What''s that idiot doing?!"

    Gu Xin rushed outside and said, "I will be away for a bit!"

    After leaving the House of Riches, Gu Xin began flying towards the direction of the Stairway to Heaven.

    ''I really hope I won''t be toote to stop their foolishness!'' She prayed as she flew.

    "Hmm? Why are there so many people here?" Yuan wondered out loud as they approached the Stairway to Heaven and noticed the people at the bottom.

    "Halt!"

    A loud voice suddenly resounded, and a figure with the strength of a Spirit Grandmaster approached them a momentter.Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.

    "State your name!" The Spirit Grandmaster demanded.

    "Huh? Why do I have to give you my name?" Yuan raised an eyebrow.

    "Insolence! You''re standing before the Gu Family, one of Seven Legacy Families! I will not repeat myself! Identify yourselves!" The Spirit Grandmaster repeated.

    ''Gu Family, huh? Why are they out here? Are they waiting for us¡ª for me?'' Yuan wondered inwardly.

    "My name is Tian Chenyu." Yuan calmly responded.

    He turned to look at the others and nodded his head.

    "Chu Liuxiang."

    "Meixiu."

    "Li Jinxi."

    "Xiao Hua."

    Thedies all introduced themselves.

    The Spirit Grandmaster looked at the list in his hand. When he couldn''t see any of their names on it, he nodded and said, "You may pass."

    "Thank you." Yuan didn''t say anything else and began flying away.

    However, he suddenly turned around and extended his hand, catching a sword that had been flying at him.

    Yuan nced at the sword in his grasp before looking at the Spirit Grandmaster.

    "What''s the meaning of this?" He asked.

    "Do you really take me for a fool, Yuan?" The Spirit Grandmaster sneered.

    "How dare you attack Brother Yuan''s back¡­" Xiao Hua''s eyes flickered with killing intent.

    "Wait, Xiao Hua." Yuan beckoned her to stop.

    "How did you know?" He then asked the Spirit Grandmaster.

    The Spirit Grandmaster then retrieved a jade slip and activated it, which immediately projected Yuan''s face.

    ''That looks like the disciple examination¡­ Someone had captured my appearance through the broadcast, huh?'' Yuan quickly realized how the Spirit Grandmaster knew his true identity.

    The Spirit Grandmaster then retrieved a talisman and activated it.

    The talisman suddenly exploded with light, just like a firework.

    When the rest of the Gu Family noticed the firework, they immediately started approaching their location, and within moments, hundreds of experts surrounded Yuan and his group.

    "I was worried that you wouldn''te, bandit who dared to rob my Gu Family." Patriarch Gu showed up shortly afterward.

    "Yuan¡­ What''s going on here?" Li Jinxi asked him.

    "Don''t worry, I will handle it. Feng Feng, Xiao Hua, Yingying, I will leave them in your hands."

    Feng Yuxiang and Lan Yingying appeared the next moment and formed a triangle around Meixiu and the others with Xiao Hua.

    "Where the hell did theye from?"

    "Wow, I have never seen so many jade beauties in one ce before¡­"

    The Gu Family was shocked by Feng Yuxiang and Lan Yingying''s sudden appearance.

    "You called a whole army just to punish me? I''m ttered." Yuan said to Patriarch Gu.

    "I admire your ability to stay calm in such a situation, so I am going to give you a way out. Hand over the treasures that you had stolen from my family and I will let you leave with your life. However, you will no longer be a cultivator."

    "..."

    Yuan nced at Meixiu and the others.

    Although Tian Chenyu has killed other cultivators before, they were all demon worshippers that have colluded with demons, so it doesn''t make it any easier for Yuan to kill these people even with Tian Chenyu''s memories and experience.

    Furthermore, he didn''t want Meixiu and the others to see him ughtering other people.

    "I don''t know what you''re talking about. I never stole anything from your family. What had happened was¡ª"

    "I don''t care about your side of the story. You have something that belongs to my family and that''s all it matters." Patriarch Gu interrupted.

    "If you insist on opposing my Gu Family, then you leave me no other choice. Since you stole something from me, it is only fair that I take something from you."

    Patriarch Gu pointed at thedies behind him and spoke in a cold voice, "After I kill you, I will take back my treasures along with your women and make them my Gu Family''s ves for the rest of their lives, and everyone here will have a chance to enjoy them!"

    When Patriarch Gu''s people heard his words, they immediately began shouting in excitement.

    "Is that so¡­" Yuan lowered his head and muttered in a low voice.

    A cold voice suddenly resounded in his head the next moment.

    ''Regardless if they are Immortal or God, ughter all that obstruct your path! Let your bloodlust consume the heavens and all those within it! Kill these ants that dares to covet your women! Let them know true fear!''

    When Yuan heard the Evil God''s voice, his eyes suddenly turned blood red, and his body began oozing with killing intent so intense that it was possible to see with one''s bare eyes.

    "Y-Young Master¡­"

    Feng Yuxiang swallowed nervously when she noticed red mist filled with killing intent being discharged from Yuan''s body, resembling the miasma at the Demons'' Valley, and it gave her a sensation of dread and despair that not even demons could achieve.

    "Brother Yuan¡­" Xiao Hua''s body trembled in fear when she sensed Yuan''s killing intent. This is the second time that she''s seen him in such a state. The first time she saw it she was reminded of her father, and it was even more so this time, almost as though her father was standing in Yuan''s ce right now.

    "W-Watch out! There''s something off about him!" Patriarch Gu immediately warned the others, and this was before Yuan''s killing intent reached him.

    Once he felt Yuan''s killing intent, it made his blood turn cold, and it felt like his body had turned into an ice statue.

    When the others with a lower cultivation sensed Yuan''s killing intent, they started screaming with madness, almost as though they''d lost their mind or they were actively being tortured.

    The entire area quickly became filled with shrieks and people screaming, almost as though they''d suddenly entered the deepest parts of hell.

 Chapter 909 - Evil Gods Killing Intent

    Chapter 909 - Evil God''s Killing Intent

    "Aaaahh!!!"

    "Somebody! Kill me! End this pain!"

    "Help me! Mommy!"

    Hundreds of cultivators screamed like their lives depended on it, almost as though they were being tortured.

    It didn''t matter if they were Spirit Grandmasters or stone-cold killers¡ª none of them were spared.

    The only ones that could barely maintain their sanity were those at Spirit Lord and above.

    "W-What is going on?" Li Jinxi looked at the chaos around them with a terrified face.

    "Have they gone mad? Did Yuan do this to them?" Chu Liuxiang swallowed nervously.

    Of course, the only ones that weren''t affected by the Evil God''s killing intent were Meixiu and the others.

    "This killing intent reminds me of our training at the Qi Family but countless times stronger¡­" Meixiu mumbled in a dazed voice as she stared at Yuan''s figure from behind.

    ''What happened to you, Yuan?'' Meixiu sighed inwardly, feeling worried about Yuan''s condition.

    Eventually, the red mist released by Yuan covered a distance of 10miles, and all greenery within his miasma would die, turning the scenery into that of something simr to an apocalypse.

    The magical beasts and animals all ran for their lives, and those that weren''t fast enough to escape the miasma would fall unconscious with their longevity slowly being consumed by their intense fear.

    The cultivators with the Gu Family eventually started harming themselves and those around them.

    They scratched their faces until it was covered in blood. Some of them even dug out their own eyeballs.

    The scene was bing more and more gruesome with every passing second.

    After snapping out of her daze, Feng Yuxiang created a wall of me around Meixiu and the others so they wouldn''t be able to see the scene any longer.

    Patriarch Gu also snapped out of his daze and shouted, "Everyone! Stop him! We cannot allow this to go on any further!"

    All of the Spirit Lords that were still sane immediately began throwing everything they had at Yuan.

    Although they were all scared to death and wanted to turn around and run, nobody there dared to turn their backs to Yuan.

    "Disappear from my sight." Yuan muttered in a cold voice when he noticed their movements.

    There were a total of 13 Spirit Lords in the Gu Family, so Yuan created 12 clones of the Starry Abyss and attacked them with Flying Dagger.

    Despite their small size, the Starry Abyss pierced through the air with tremendous force that could easily crush even a peak Spirit Lord.

    Like 13 shooting stars, the Starry Abyss soared through the sky until they reached their targets.

    "Ah!"

    More screams resounded as 10 out of 13 Spirit Lords perished from Yuan''s Mortal-rank technique.

    As for the remaining three Spirit Lords, they were barely able to escape with their lives, but none of them managed to escape unharmed, and two of them were even crippled in the process.

    "Impossible¡­ How can a single person possess such power? He''s only a Spirit Lord, too!" Patriarch Gu eximed.

    ''It''s over¡­ I have offended a monster that we couldn''t afford to offend¡­ And for what¡­? For those idiots in the Lower Heaven?''

    Patriarch Gu lost all desire to retaliate and just hovered in the air with a nk look on his face. He''dpletely given up.

    "Young Master, please have mercy!" A voice suddenly resounded.

    Patriarch Gu subconsciously turned to the sound.

    "Gu Xin¡­? What are you doing here?" He asked her.

    However, Gu Xin ignored Patriarch Gu and flew past him until she was in front of Yuan.

    She immediately kowtowed in the air and begged, "Please! Have mercy! This is all caused by a misunderstanding!"

    "A misunderstanding, you say?" Yuan narrowed his eyes at her.

    "Yes! Our Gu Family is at fault here! We will bear all responsibility for what happened here today!" She said.

    Yuan suddenly felt someone tugging his clothes from behind.

    He turned around to see Xiao Hua. She had her head lowered, almost as though she was too afraid to look at him, and her petite body was shivering uncontrobly.

    "B-Brother Yuan¡­ Xiao Hua is afraid¡­" She mumbled in a low voice.

    Yuan''s eyes widened, and he immediately stopped releasing the Evil God''s killing intent. However, the red miasma continued to linger for a while before slowly disappearing.

    He ced his hand on her head and sighed, "I''m sorry, Xiao Hua. I lost control of my emotions just now and scared you."

    Xiao Hua lifted her head to see a gentle smile on his face.

    She wiped the tears around her eyes and smiled, "It''s okay."

    Yuan nodded, and he proceeded to look at the chaos he''s caused with his killing intent alone.

    Even though the miasma was quickly clearing, the cultivators from the Gu Family weren''t calming down, and they continued to harm each other.

    Yuan turned to look at Gu Xin and Patriarch Gu. Their faces were pale white, and Patriarch Gu looked especially bad, almost as though he''d painted his face with white paint.

    "I won''t apologize for what happened here today. If you''d given me a chance to exin myself without threatening harm to my friends, things wouldn''t have gotten this bad."

    "I-I deeply apologize for my behavior and rashness. Please, spare my Gu Family. I was the one who spoke about harming your friends. Take my life and spare the others."

    Yuan narrowed his eyes at Patriarch Gu and silently pondered.

    "Just like the Gu Family from the Lower Heavens, I will give you a chance. Because of your Gu Family, my friends have suffered greatly today, and Xiao Hua even shed tears. I demandpensation. Leave behind all of your treasures and scram. If you walk from this ce with even a single treasure on your body, I will finish what I started."

    "Thank you for your mercy!" Patriarch Gu wasted no time taking out all of his spatial rings and storage pouches before handing them to Yuan.

    "You don''t need to give me anything." Yuan said to Gu Xin, who was also taking out her treasures.Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.

    "Thank you." Gu Xin bowed to him.

 Chapter 910 - Sect Master of the Universal Music Academy

    Chapter 910 - Sect Master of the Universal Music Academy

    After epting Patriarch Gu''s treasures, Yuan took a peek into one of them randomly, and to his surprise, the treasures in this specific spatial ring were all protected by the Gu Family''s Destiny Seal.

    ''Thest Gu Family only ced Destiny Seals on their most valuable treasures. Does this mean that Patriarch Gu also carries around his family''s heritage? What luck!'' Yuanughed inwardly after realizing this fact.

    Indeed, just like the Patriarch Gu of the Lower Heavens, the Patriarch Gu of this world also carries around his family''s more valuable treasures, as he believed that it would be safer on him.

    After all, who would be dumb and bold enough to rob the Patriarch of one of Seven Legacy Families? Not even a madman would dare do something this bold.

    After putting away the treasures he''d just acquired from Patriarch Gu, Yuan spoke in a calm voice, "I have one more thing for you before I leave."

    "How did you find out that I would be heading to the Stairway to Heaven? Who told you?"

    "The Sect Master of the Universal Music Academy, Sun Hao. He was the one who gave me the information."

    "I figured it would be him." Yuan shook his head and sighed.

    He then narrowed his eyes at Patriarch Gu, "I was nning on crippling your cultivation base, but since I''d already killed so many experts in your Gu Family, I will spare you from this fate."

    "Thank you for your mercy." Patriarch Gu lowered his head.

    Although he was unaware, Patriarch Gu''s cultivation had already suffered irreparable damage because of the intense fear and stress that he''d just experienced. It may take a few days, maybe even a few months, but his cultivation will eventually copse on itself.

    Sometimeter, Feng Yuxiang removed the fire wall around Meixiu and the others.

    "Let''s go." Yuan said to them, and they continued their journey to the Stairway to Heaven.

    Thedies had countless questions for Yuan, but none of them had the courage to ask him, and they preferred to wait until Yuan decided to tell them, so they all remained silent for the rest of their journey.

    ''Young Master''s killing intent just now¡­ It''s not something that can be achieved even if he killed people everyday from the day he was born. It requires hundreds if not thousands of years to cultivate, not to mention the amount of people he needed to kill to acquire such killing intent. What do you think, Xiao Hua? Do you have any idea about it? You''ve been with him the longest, right?'' Feng Yuxiang tried to speak with Xiao Hua and Lan Yingying through spiritual sense, but Xiao Hua was not in the mood to chit-chat.

    ''I don''t know. Stop bothering Xiao Hua, phoenix.''

    Feng Yuxiang shook her head with a bittersweet smile.

    ''Do you think it has something to do with his past lives? I have been wondering about this for a while, but when Yuan mentioned his past lives'' memories, it sounded like he was talking about memories of more than just one person.'' Lan Yingying spected.

    ''You think the Young Master has more than just the Divine Paragon''s memories? Is that even possible? Having memories of two lives¡­ That''s ridiculously heaven-defying if it''s real¡­'' Feng Yuxiang said.

    ''Well, this Yuan that we''re talking about¡­'' Lan Yingying said.

    ''You''re right¡­ The Young Master is always like this...'' Feng Yuxiang sighed inwardly.

    Sometimeter, they arrived at the Stairway to Heaven.

    "You guys can log off first. I''ll climb the Stairway to Heaven when I return from Yu Rou''s birthday surprise." Yuan said after putting them down.

    "What about you? What are you going to do now?" Chu Liuxiang asked him.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    Yuan smiled and said, "I have some unfinished business that needs to be taken care of."

    "..."

    They had a feeling that Yuan was going to do something dangerous and crazy.

    "Yuan¡­ Stay safe, okay?" Meixiu said to him after a moment of silence.

    "Of course." Yuan nodded.

    "I''ll be done before dinner."

    After Meixiu, Chu Liuxiang, and Li Jinxi logged off the game, Yuan lifted his head and stared at the blue sky in a dazed manner.

    "I warned them that if they tried to hurt my friends again that I''d return and im their lives. Sect Master Sun, do you really think I am a pushover? I have given you enough chances now. If I don''t kill you now, who knows what you''ll do once you find out about Wang Ming and the others."

    "Feng Feng, do you know the location of the Universal Music Academy?"

    "That way." She immediately pointed west.

    "Let''s go."

    Four hourster, Yuan arrived at the Universal Music Academy.

    "Sun Hao! Again and again you''ve pushed my limit! Do you really think that I won''t kill you because of your status?! Get out here and ept your punishment!"

    Yuan''s voice echoed throughout the Universal Music Academy.

    A few momentster, hundreds of figures could be seen flying towards him, but Sun Hao was nowhere to be seen.

    "Who the hell are you?! How dare you speak of the Sect Master''s name in such a disrespectful tone! You''re courting death!"

    "Do you even realize where you are, brat?"

    The disciples of the Universal Music Academy cursed at him.

    Eventually, someone there recognized Yuan''s face and shouted, "W-Wait! That''s the bastard that severed one of the Sect Master''s arms!"

    "What?! Shit! It''s really him!"

    "Hahaha! What an idiot toe to our sect! I have been dreaming of avenging the Sect Master! To think I''d get the chance so soon! Today is really my lucky day!"

    "Everyone! We''re going to offer this bastard''s head to the Sect Master when he returns!"

    "Yeah! Kill this bastard!"

    These disciples were all between Spirit Grandmaster and Spirit Lord, and they all started taking out their instruments.

    Yuan rubbed his eyes and sighed, "What a pain in the ass¡­"

    He came here with the intention to take only one life¡ª their Sect Master''s life, but at this rate, he''ll have to kill hundreds of people before he could even reach Sun Hao.

 Chapter 911 - Confronting the Sect Masters Again

    Chapter 911 - Confronting the Sect Masters Again

    The disciples of the Universal Music Academy quickly surrounded Yuan after realizing his true identity.

    Yuan sighed out loud, "I have already seen enough blood today, so I would prefer it if we can settle this peacefully. I''m only here for your Sect Master. Tell me where he is and I will leave you all alone."

    However, the disciples merelyughed at him.

    "Haaa¡­" Yuan sighed again.

    "I guess we''ll have to do this the hard way¡­"

    He lifted his hand until it was around his neck before he slowly pressed his palm towards the ground.

    An unfathomable pressure suddenly enveloped the area, causing all of the disciples there to fall from the sky and mming into the ground.

    [Heavenly Domain]Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.

    The disciples tried to get up afterward, but it felt like there was a real mountain on their back, forcing them to continue kissing the ground with their faces.

    "This is yourst chance to tell me where your Sect Master is. If I do not have an answer within the next three seconds, I will kill everyone here by turning your bodies into meat paste."

    The disciples'' faces immediately paled after hearing Yuan''s words, and they did not doubt his words for a moment.

    "One¡­"

    "The Sect Master is currently at the Spirit Healing Academy!" More than one person there answered a second into Yuan''s threat.

    "Spirit Healing Academy? What''s he doing there?"

    "He''s trying to heal his severed arm! The other Sect Masters are also there for some sort of meeting! That''s all I know!"

    "I see. Thank you for your cooperation." Yuan released the disciples from the Heavenly Domain and disappeared from their sight before they could even get back to their feet.

    ''Spirit Healing Academy¡­ That''s where Wang Xiuying is currently studying medicine. Let''s give her a visit after I deal with Sun Hao.'' Yuan thought to himself as she sped towards the Spirit Healing Academy.

    Meanwhile, at the Spirit Healing Academy, all seven Sect Masters of the Seven Spirit Academies gathered in a meeting room.

    "I can''t believe it. You''d actually manage to reattach Sect Master Sun''s severed arm, Sect Master Xiahou." Sect Master Li spoke in an admiring voice.

    Sect Master Xiahou shook her head and said, "I was only able to do it because his arm was cleanly severed, and I was able to treat it just in time. If we''d waited even a few more hours, it would''ve been impossible to reattach it. With that being said, it will take many years of therapy before Sect Master Sun can use that arm properly."

    "Even so, I am really thankful for your efforts, Sect Master Xiahou. I''ll definitely repay this debt in the future." Sun Hao said to her with a wide smile on his face.

    "Anyways, let''s get on with today''s topic." Sect Master Li said.

    And he continued, "As you all have probably heard by now, the Gu Family have assembled over a thousand cultivators and stationed themselves around the Stairway to Heaven. I have already asked them for their reason for such actions. They told me that they were trying to capture a bandit who stole from their family without giving me any more information."

    "What do you guys think?"

    "Who would believe such bullshit? Nobody assembles a thousand experts for a mere bandit, much less the Gu Family, one of Seven Legacy Families." Bai Enjue sneered.

    "I don''t believe it either." The others expressed the same sentiment.

    Sun Hao, however, remained silent about the issue.

    "But if he''s not there for a bandit, who¡ª or what is he there for?"

    "Do you think the Gu Family could''ve found a treasure?"

    "They would''ve done something less conspicuous if they were going after a treasure."

    The Sect Masters would spend many minutes discussing the issue.

    Because they were dealing with one of the Seven Legacy Families, they had to be careful.

    "What do you think, Sect Master Sun? You have been awfully quiet this entire time, which isn''tmon. If you know anything about the situation¡­"

    "I''m not saying anything because I don''t know anything," Sun Hao shook his head, and he continued, "Furthermore, whatever the Legacy Families are doing is none of our business."

    "That''s not true. Although the Seven Legacy Families may have more authority and status than us in general, we cannot just sit still while they could be preparing for war!" Sect Master Xiahou said.

    "War? Who would dare go to war with the Gu Family? Some idiot had probably offended them to the extent where they must use such force. The thousand experts they had assembled are most likely just for show." Sun Hao snorted.

    Sect Master Li narrowed his eyes at Sun Hao. He could tell that something was off about Sun Hao, but he couldn''t pinpoint that something.

    Suddenly, all of the Sect Masters there turned to look at the window.

    "W-What''s this overwhelming presence that''s approaching our direction?!" Sect Master Xiahou eximed.

    "Stay alert and prepare for battle, everyone!" Sect Master Li shouted.

    A few secondster, they could see a figure flying towards them.

    "Huh? Wait a second¡­ That''s¡­" Bai Enjue''s eyes widened with surprise when he could finally see the face of this individual.

    "What''s that bastard doing here?!" Sun Hao eximed in a shocked voice.

    ''Why is he here?! What happened to the Gu Family?! He should have encountered them by now!'' He cried inwardly.

    Yuan entered the meeting room a few momentster through one of the open windows.

    "What do you want? I thought our business had already ended." Sect Master Li asked with a profound frown on his face.

    "Yes, that was the case. However, one of you decided to push their luck and broke our agreement." Yuan said in a cold voice.

    "I warned you. If any of you tries to harm me or my friends again, I would return and im your lives."

    "What?! Are you iming that we''d tried to hurt your friends after what happened?! That''s outrageous!" Sect Master Li eximed.

    "That''s right! Where is your proof?!" Sun Hao shouted.

    Yuan narrowed his eyes at Sun Hao, who immediately swallowed nervously.

    ''Does he know that I had sold him to the Gu Family? No, that''s impossible! Patriarch Gu wouldn''t sell me out like that! Not to this bastard!'' He cried inwardly.

 Chapter 912 - Sect Master Sun

    Chapter 912 - Sect Master Sun

    "How dare you barge in here and use us of such bullshit without any proof! Do you really think you''re unstoppable?!" Sun Hao pointed his finger at Yuan and shouted so loud that his saliva sprayed.

    Yuan casually dodged the saliva and said, "Proof, huh? That might be a bit difficult."

    "See?! I knew it! This guy is just messing with us!" Sun Hao eximed.

    Sect Master Li then said, "The seven of us haven''t even gone anywhere near you or your friends, so where did you get the idea that we''d tried to harm them?"

    "I admire your strength, but you''ve gone too far. Unless you have proof, nobody here will believe you." Bai Enjue sighed.

    Yuan smiled and said, "I never said I don''t have proof. I just said that it would be a bit difficult."

    "What? You have proof?" They looked at him with wide eyes.

    "Of course. Do you know of the Gu Family?" Yuan then asked.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    "What does the Gu Family have to do with this?" Sun Hao immediately said.

    "They''re one of Seven Legacy Families. They''re not even rted to us." Sect Master Li said.

    "You see, the Gu Family in the Lower Heavens had tried to harm my friends, so I taught them a little lesson. They didn''t like that, so they asked for the Gu Family in this world to avenge them."

    "What? Don''t tell me that you''re the reason the Gu Family dispatched over 1,000 experts¡­" Sect Master Xiahou mumbled out loud.

    "Yes, and they had set a perimeter around the Stairway to Heaven with the intention to ambush me. However, I have never told the Gu Family about going to the Stairway to Heaven, so how did they know that I was going to be there? What a coincidence that I told you guys about my ns to challenge the Stairway to Heaven and the Gu Family found out about it shortly afterward, don''t you all agree?"

    "I-Is that your so-called proof?! That''s just pure spection!" Sun Hao shouted.

    "Sect Master Sun is right. That is not concrete proof. What if they''d found out about it from another source?" Bai Enjue said.

    "That''s not possible." Yuan shook his head.

    "And why do you say that?" Sect Master Li asked.

    "Because Patriarch Gu personally told me about the culprit." Yuan said with a cold smile on his face as he narrowed his gaze on Sun Hao.

    Seeing Yuan''s cold gaze, Sun Hao immediately began sweating profusely.

    ''Impossible! There''s no way that Patriarch Gu would sell me out! He''s bluffing!'' He cried inwardly.

    "And who''s the culprit?" Sect Master Li asked.

    "The one who''s been the loudest since my arrival." Yuan replied.

    Everybody there turned to look at Sun Hao, who was soaked in cold sweat as of this moment.

    "Sect Master Sun, please tell me that you didn''t¡ª" Sect Master Xiahou swallowed nervously.

    Out of everyone there, Sun Hao had the most hatred for Yuan, and the other Sect Masters were aware of this even though nobody told them.

    "T-That''s outrageous! This is a setup! Why would Patriarch Gu even tell you such information?! That''s suspicious no matter how you look at it!"

    "He had no choice." Yuan calmly responded.

    And he continued after releasing some killing intent, "After all, I killed ten of his Spirit Lords and crippled his little army."

    "You what?!" Everybody there took a step back after hearing Yuan''s words.

    "A-Are you insane?! You dare attack a Legacy Family?!" Sun Hao was on the verge of pissing his pants after feeling Yuan''s killing intent and hearing about what he did to the Gu Family.

    "They were the ones who threatened to harm my friends first. Did you think I would let them do that just because they''re one of Seven Legacy Families?" Yuan scoffed.

    "And this is mostly your fault, Sun Hao. If you hadn''t told the Gu Family about my ns, they wouldn''t know where to find me, and I would''ve left this world without ever meeting them. In other words, I wouldn''t have needed to harm them."

    Sun Hao suddenly startedughing in a chilling manner, "You''re doomed! You''re fucking dead! No matter who''s at fault here, it doesn''t change the fact that you''d attacked the Gu Family! Once the other Legacy Families hear of this, they will also hunt you down! Even if you kill me here today, you''re still a dead man! Ahahaha!"

    "I don''t think that will happen. After all, the Gu Family admitted that they were in the wrong and that they won''t pursue the matter any further." Yuan said.

    "W-What? I-Impossible!" Sun Hao nearly choked after hearing such information.

    "It doesn''t matter if you believe it or not. You''ll be dead very soon, anyway."

    Yuan retrieved the Empyrean Overlord the next second and pointed it at Sun Hao.

    "W-Wait! Why don''t we all calm down and talk about this?" Sect Master Li stepped forward and said in a nervous voice.

    Yuan narrowed his eyes at Sect Master Li, "Talk? We had our talk thest time. Do you really think I am a pushover?"

    Sect Master Li sighed, "Even if Sect Master Sun had given information to the Gu Family, he didn''t directly harm you or your friends. It was the Gu Family that made such a decision."

    "So he did nothing wrong even though he helped someone to harm me, huh? As if I¡ª"

    "Die, you little bastard!"

    In the middle of Yuan''s sentence, Sun Hao suddenly retrieved a long ck needle and plunged it at Yuan.

    "You¡ª!" The other Sect Masters were shocked and couldn''t react in time.

    Ding!

    However, the needle suddenly stopped in front of Yuan''s chest, and no matter how much force Sun Hao put into it, the needle wouldn''t move forward.

    "W-What''s going on?! This is a Divine-grade treasure!" Sun Hao was left confused by the result.

    Yuan looked at Sun Hao with an indifferent expression on his face and said, "Treasures below Ancient-grade won''t prate my Invisible Dragon Cloak''s defenses, especially if it''s a physical attack."

    "Now, die."

    Right as Yuan prepared to slice Sun Hao with his sword, a voice resounded in his head, "Allow me to get rid of this trash for you, Young Master."

    A small me suddenly shot out of Yuan''s body and attached itself onto Sun Hao''s body before it quickly erupted into a massive fire, turning Sun Hao into a burnt corpse within seconds.

    ''Feng Feng? Why did you...'' Yuan looked at Sun Hao''s burnt corpse with wide eyes.

 Chapter 913 - Black Anguish Needle

    Chapter 913 - ck Anguish Needle

    Yuan stared at Sun Hao''s burnt corpse with a look of disbelief and surprise. This is the first time one of his servants has killed a cultivator.

    "Feng Feng, why did you kill him?" Yuan asked her.

    Feng Yuxiang appeared before him with her head lowered.

    "Young Master, I apologize for acting on my own, but there isn''t any need for you to dirty your hands with these lowlifes. If you wish to kill somebody, please allow me to do it for you."

    "Furthermore¡­ Young Master, you don''t like killing other humans, right? Since I upy the space in your heart, I know your emotions better than anyone here. Every time you kill someone, your heart clenches slightly."

    "However, no matter my reasoning, I have acted without your approval. Please punish me as you see fit, Young Master."

    The Sect Masters in the room turned their focus from Sun Hao''s corpse to Feng Yuxiang.

    ''W-Who is this beauty? Where did shee from?''

    ''This pressure¡­ She''s a Spirit King! And a high-level one, as well!''

    ''Did she juste out of his body?''

    They all wondered.

    Yuan rubbed his temples and sighed after a moment of silence, "Feng Feng, if I order you to kill someone, how is that any different from killing them myself? I am still the reason they died."

    "And I won''t punish you. I was going to kill him, anyway. I just wanted to know your reason for killing him, that''s all."

    "Thank you, Feng Feng, for worrying about me. You''re right. I don''t like killing others, but there are times when you must act even if doing so will make you feel ufortable. If I don''t do it, I won''t be able to protect those valuable to me¡ª people like you, Feng Feng."

    "Also, if I had to choose between dirtying my precious friends in blood or my own hands, I will dly choose thetter."

    "Young Master¡­" Feng Yuxiang''s face flushed with redness when she saw the gentle smile on Yuan''s face.

    Yuan turned to look at Sect Master Li a momentter and spoke in a calm voice, "Sun Hao just tried to harm me. You all saw that, right?"

    They all nodded in silence.

    "Then you should have no qualms about me killing him. Do you have anything else to say?"

    Sect Master Li walked back to his chair and sat down in an exhausted manner. He took a deep breath and sighed, "I''m sorry. I should''ve spoken to him right after that incident. None of this would''ve happened if I had spoken with him."

    "Don''t me yourself. People like him won''t change so quickly after a single conversation." Yuan shook his head.

    "Why are you still here? You''ve already aplished your goal, right? Just leave already." Bai Enjue said to him.

    "Actually, I still have some business here." Yuan said.

    "What? What else do you want from us?"

    "Not from you."

    Yuan then turned to look at Sect Master Xiahou and said, "You''re the Sect Master of the Spirit Healing Academy, right?"

    "Eh? Y-Yes, I am¡­" She nodded nervously.

    "Then do you know of a disciple by the name of Wang Xiuying?"

    "Wang Xiuying?" She raised her eyebrows in a puzzled manner.

    Seeing her reaction, Yuan realized something.

    ''Oh, right. She''s known as Healer Wang in this world.''

    "Uhh¡­ I misspoke. Her name is Healer Wang." Yuan corrected himself.

    "H-Healer Wang? Why are you looking for her?" Sect Master Xiahou swallowed nervously.

    "She''s a friend of mine. Since I''m already in her sect, I might as well give her a visit. I also made a promise to see her again when I ascended to Spirit Heaven."

    "You''re her friend? Why am I not surprised?" Sect Master Xiahou sighed.

    ''Of course he''s friends with Healer Wang. It''s like he has a connection with all top geniuses in this world¡­'' She sighed again inwardly.

    "Healer Wang is my disciple. I will show you to her residence. Follow me."

    She then turned to look at Sect Master Li and continued, "I will be back soon."

    "It''s okay¡­ I was going to stop the meeting even if you didn''t say anything. I have to visit the Universal Music Academy now that their position of Sect Master is vacant¡­ Let''s continue the meeting another day. " Sect Master Li sighed.

    "Then I will wait for your contact." Bai Enjue said.

    Meanwhile, Yuan went to pick up the ck needle left behind by Sun Hao.Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.

    "I''ll be taking this with me. I hope you don''t mind." Yuan said to them.

    "Do whatever you want¡­"

    None of them wanted to offend him even for a Divine-grade treasure.

    [ck Anguish Needle]

    [Grade: Divine]

    [Quality: Peak]

    [Physical Strength Required: 70,000]

    [Mental Strength Required: 150,000]

    [Description: A needle that contains the deadly poison ''ck Anguish'' that will torture its victim with a slow and painful death, rotting them from inside out.]

    ''What a nasty treasure.'' Yuan thought to himself after seeing its description.

    Sometimeter, Yuan followed Sect Master Xiahou to another location in the sect.

    "How''s Healer Wang doing in the sect?" Yuan asked her as they traveled.

    "Don''t worry, she''s not being bullied by anyone, if that''s what you''re wondering," she responded.

    Yuan chuckled, "No, I just want to know her situation."

    The Sect Master nced at him with a pondering face before speaking, "Healer Wang is one of the most talented disciples we''ve had in this sect since its founding. She was a rough diamond waiting to be discovered when she first came here. Once we realized her talent, I immediately took her in as my disciple and taught her everything I knew about medicine and alchemy. That cheeky brat¡­ she just absorbs all of my knowledge like a huge sponge."

    "Hoh? She''s actually that talented?" Yuan was surprised to hear this since he doesn''t know much about Wang Xiuying besides the fact that she sometimes assists her grandfather, Doctor Wang, at his hospital.

    However, it was definitely a weed surprise.

    "We''re here."

    Theynded on a spacious hill where all sorts of nts and herbs could be seen growing at the bottom. On the top of this hill was arge building and a backyard with even more nts, and they seemed more valuable than the ones at the bottom of the hill.

    "This is Healer Wang''s residence. You can leave whenever. I won''t be seeing you out." Sect Master Xiahou left him alone afterward.

 Chapter 914 - Revealing His Secret

    Chapter 914 - Revealing His Secret

    Yuan went to knock on the door after Sect Master Xiahou left him alone.

    After waiting for a whole minute without any response, Yuan knocked again.

    ''Is she not online right now? It is a littlete¡­ I guess I''lle back tomorrow morning.''

    Yuan logged off after not getting any response for a second time.

    When he returned to his own world, Yuan could immediately sense two presence beside him.

    "What''s the matter, you two?" Yuan asked Meixiu and Chu Liuxiang, who were staring at him like he''d been hospitalized for a long time.

    "We should be asking you that, Yuan! Did something happen to you? You can talk to us, you know. We''ll always be here to listen to you, no matter what it''s about." Chu Liuxiang said to him.

    "We''ve been worried about you, Yuan." Meixiu added.

    "Ah¡­ Is this about what happened today?" Yuan sighed with a bittersweet smile.

    After pondering for a moment, he nodded, "Alright, I will tell you the truth. You deserve to know the truth, especially if we''re going to be spending the rest of our lives together."

    "However, I must warn you, what I am about to tell you is going to sound absolutely ridiculous and crazy. This is why I have been dying this moment. I''m afraid that it might affect our rtionship with each other."

    The two of them swallowed nervously, anxiously waiting for Yuan to reveal to them his secret.

    "Once again, this is going to sound crazy, but I actually have memories of my past lives." Yuan said.

    "Huh?"Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.

    The both of them muttered at the same time.

    "I have memories of my past lives." Yuan repeated.

    "W-Wait¡­ Past lives¡­ Are you talking about reincarnation?" Chu Liuxiang asked for rification.

    "Yes."

    "I told you guys before that Cultivation Online¡ª the Nine Heavens truly exist somewhere in this universe, right? I know this because I used to live there in the past."

    "Tian Chenyu. He was known as the Divine Paragon, bane of demons, and he was responsible for creating the Demon Sealing n and most demon sealing techniques out there. I was once Tian Chenyu." Yuan said in a calm voice.

    "..."

    His partners silently red at him with wide eyes, seemingly having trouble digesting such information.

    After a long moment of silence, Chu Liuxiang spoke in a low voice, almost as though she had a revtion, "That exins why you''re able to defeat demons with such ease and why you seem more mature as oftely¡­"

    "W-When did you start recalling these memories?" Meixiu then asked.

    "Shortly after I regained my ability to move, I guess." Yuan said.

    "Ah, but you don''t have to worry about my past lives changing me too much. I am still Yuan at the end of the day, and that won''t change. However, I will be lying if I say that it''s not taking a toll on me."

    "I have only lived 18 years in this life, but in my previous life, I have lived thousands if not millions of years. Although I have only recovered about a thousand years of memories, that is still a lot for someone like me."

    Chu Liuxiang suddenly spread her arms and hugged Yuan, even pressing his head against her soft chest.

    "You must have endured a lot¡­ If there''s anything we can do¡­"

    "Your thoughts are enough. This is a burden that I must face by myself."

    "While it''s true that we cannot do anything to help you with your returning memories, if you needfort or feel stressed, we can assist in our own ways." Meixiu said.

    "Thank you, you two¡­"

    Sometimeter, Chu Liuxiang said, "This makes me wonder if I had a past life, and if I do, what kind of life did I live?"

    "I would actually prefer not knowing." Meixiu said.

    And she continued, "What if I had some kind of tragic life that I don''t want to remember?"

    "I guess you have a point¡­"

    Chu Liuxiang then looked at Yuan and asked, "Can you tell us some of your experiences in your past life? Did you have a wife? You lived for thousands of years, right? Surely, you must have had a wife or two!"

    Yuan smiled and said, "No, I didn''t have anything like that. However, I was engaged."

    "You were engaged but don''t have a wife? Did something happen?"

    "Yes, she died to a demon before we could get married." Yuan said in a calm voice, yet it sounded very lonely and painful.

    "S-Sorry¡­ I shouldn''t have asked¡­"

    "No, it''s fine. What happened was very tragic, but it was something that happened very, very long ago, and I am not Tian Chenyu. Although his feelings remain, I know that I shouldn''t be too absorbed in his memories and feelings."

    "Anyways, thank you for listening and believing in me." He said to them sometimeter.

    "I don''t know what''s crazier. That reincarnation exists or that I''ve been fighting demons from another world." Chu Liuxiang sighed.

    "Another world, huh? Something tells me that Earth used to belong in the Nine Heavens. I''ll ask the Lord after I take care of thest demon."

    "The Lord?"

    "Yes. He promised to tell me about Cultivation Online and other stuff if I take care of the demons for him."

    Sometimeter, Meixiu went to prepare dinner.

    After dinner, Chu Liuxiang eagerly dragged Yuan to the bed and said to him as she stripped naked, "This is the best stress reliever that I know of!"

    Yuan couldn''t refuse such a tempting offer and dly epted it, and they proceeded to relieve themselves all night.

    The following morning, after breakfast, Yuan returned to Cultivation Online and tried knocking on Wang Xiuying''s door again.

    The door opened half a minuteter, and a beautiful youngdy wearing a green and white uniform stepped outside.

    When this youngdy saw Yuan''s face, her eyes widened with surprise, and a bright smile immediately appeared on her beautiful face.

    "Yuan! What are you doing here?!" Wang Xiuying said in a pleasantly surprised voice.

 Chapter 915 - Wang Xiuyings Alchemy Flame

    Chapter 915 - Wang Xiuying''s Alchemy me

    "Hello, Xiuying. It''s been a while." Yuan greeted her with a smile.

    "I happened to be in the area, so I decided to stop by to see you."

    However, the smile on Wang Xiuying turned upside down for some reason.

    "You''re visiting me only because you happened to be nearby? Even though you promised to y with me when you ascend to this realm¡­" She said with a puffed face, trying to act angry but somehow ended up looking even more charming.

    "Yuan, I know that you''ve been in this world for a while, and you''re just visiting me now? I saw you at the Flood Dragon''s Scale''s Auction, too."

    "Sorry, I have been really busy with many things until recently. Honestly, I forgot that you were here until I heard of the Spirit Healing Academy." Yuan said with an apologetic smile.

    "Hmph! I can forgive you, but only if you spend the next few days with me," she said.

    "Sure. I had nned on staying here for the rest of the week, anyway." Yuan immediately nodded.

    "Really? That''s great! I will show you around the sect and the things I''ve learned!" Wang Xiuying immediately cheered up.

    "Come inside." Wang Xiuying gestured.

    Yuan nodded and followed her into the building.

    "What have you been doingtely, Yuan? I haven''t seen your name in the announcements for a while." Wang Xiuying asked him.

    "Your name used to appear in the sky almost every day¡ª at least that''s what it felt like."

    Yuan smiled and said, "They were all coincidences. And it''s not as though I am actively trying to have my name appear in announcements."

    "Maybe you should. At this rate, the world will forget about your name."

    "I did not start ying this game because I wanted to be famous, and I still don''t care about such things."

    "I know, but it hurts me, your number one fan." Wang Xiuying chuckled.

    Yuan smiled and said, "It hasn''t been that long since Ist saw you, but I can tell that you''ve changed a lot."

    "I can say the same to you, Yuan. You look and smell more mature now."

    "S-Smell?" Yuan raised an eyebrow, and he started smelling his own arm.

    She nodded, "Having a good nose is a trait of a good Alchemist. Thanks to my Master''s training methods, my sense of smell has be quite sharp."

    "Your Master, the Sect Master of the Spirit Healing Academy?"

    "Yes, I will introduce her to youter."

    "Sure." Yuan smiled.

    "By the way, what does maturity smell like? You can smell it on me, right?" He then asked.

    "I don''t know how to exin it, but it''s a distinct smell that you can easily notice once you understand what the smell really means."

    They arrived before a closed door shortlyter.

    "This is my workshop; it''s where I spend most of my time nowadays." Wang Xiuying said as she opened the door and entered the room.

    Yuan followed right behind her.

    Inside the spacious room was arge metal pot at the center of the room, but this pot had a very unique shape that Yuan had never seen before. At the end of each side of the room were drawers withbels.

    "That metal pot in the center of the room is called a cauldron. It''s what Alchemists use to mix medicine and concoct pills."

    "The drawers contain all sorts of herbs and medicines that are mostmonly used. For the rarer medicine, I have to pick them from the medicine field growing at the bottom of the hill and in my backyard. If I don''t have them here, I can request for them from the sect."N?velDrama.Org owns this.

    "Heh¡­ This is pretty amazing. Is this all a privilege as the disciple of the Sect Master?"

    "Only this house and thend it''s on is a privilege. I had to grow the medicine field by myself, and I had to raise my rank within the sect to receive support from the sect."

    "You got all of this done in such a short amount of time? I''m impressed. In fact, I have been underestimating you. As expected of Doctor Wang''s granddaughter. You''re a genius when ites to medicine." Yuan said in a praising tone.

    "Hehe¡­" Wang Xiuying began blushing after hearing Yuan''s praises.

    "A-Anyway, do you want to watch me concoct a pill?"

    "Sure!" Yuan immediately nodded.

    "Alright, what kind of pill do you want me to make? I can concoct up to Tier 3 pills at this moment."

    "I don''t know anything about pills, but something simple is fine."

    She nodded, "Then I will concoct a Superior Stamina Enhancing Pill for you. It''s a Tier 2 pill that will recover your energy and greatly increase your stamina."

    "Sounds good."

    "Give me a moment to gather the ingredients."

    Yuan watched as Wang Xiuying took out many different herbs from the drawers, putting them all on a long te in a neat fashion.

    She then took a seat in front of the cauldron and patted the space right beside her.

    "You can sit here. It''s the best seat in the house," she said with a smile.

    "Are you sure? Won''t I bother you if I sit so close?"

    "It will be fine. Trust me."

    Yuan didn''t say anything else and took a seat right beside her.

    "Before I start, I should warn you that it will get a little hot in here even with the windows open. The me will also be very fierce, but you don''t need to worry, since it won''t harm you."

    Wang Xiuying flipped her hand with her palm facing the ceiling, and with some of her spiritual energy, a ball of green mes appeared on her palm.

    "This is called Alchemy me. It''s a special type of fire that requires a lot of training to control, and even most seasoned Alchemists require years of training to control. Fortunately for me, I have a special physique that makes it incredibly easy for me to control Alchemy mes."

    "There are many types of Alchemy mes out there, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. Unfortunately, my Alchemy me is too weak to have its own name, but once I am capable enough, my Master promised to give me a named Alchemy me."

    "What a pretty fire¡­" Yuan mumbled as he stared at the ball of me floating on Wang Xiuying''s palm.

    ''Hmph! My phoenix fire is countless times more pretty and powerful than her weak-looking Alchemy me!'' Feng Yuxiang suddenly said, sounding a little unhappy and even jealous for some reason.

 Chapter 916 - Wang Xiuyingâ€™s Alchemy

    Chapter 916 - Wang Xiuying''s Alchemy

    Seeing Yuan suddenly raise an eyebrow in surprise, Wang Xiuying asked him, "Is something the matter?"

    "No, nothing." Yuan showed her a stiff smile, as Feng Yuxiang''sment had caught him by surprise.

    After all, this is the first time that Feng Yuxiang has shown such obvious jealousy, and over what? Wang Xiuying''s Alchemy me? It didn''t make sense to him.

    "Anyway, I am going to start now. Make sure you watch closely, since people don''t normally get to watch me concoct pills, much less have such a view!"

    Wang Xiuying suddenly flicked her arm with the Alchemy me, sending the green ball of fire flying at the cauldron.

    Her Alchemy me disappeared into a hole at the bottom of the cauldron, and within seconds, the Alchemy me intensified, engulfing half of the cauldron with them.

    Yuan felt a heatwave hit him, almost as though he''d suddenly entered a desert, so he subconsciously protected himself with spiritual energy.

    A few minutester, Wang Xiuying spoke, "Now that the cauldron is hot enough, I will begin throwing in the herbs."

    She acted upon her own words, throwing the herbs she''d gathered into the cauldron one by one every few minutes without losing control over the Alchemy me.

    "While I melt the medicine, I must control the strength of my Alchemy me so that it doesn''t burn the medicine but at the same time burn away the impurities within the medicine."

    An hourter, she spoke again, "Now that all of the ingredients are melted, I will intensify the Alchemy me, which will solidify the medicine into a pill."

    "While the medicine quickly hardens, I must mold it into the shape of a pill, which is perfectly round, like a marble. If I don''t mold the pill properly, the pill wille out with inferior quality. And if I do it too slowly, the entire pill will go to waste. This is the most important step when ites to pill concoction."

    A minuteter, Wang Xiuying cut the Alchemy mepletely and went to open the cauldron.

    "Brace yourself. There will be a lot of smoke." Wang Xiuying said as she opened the lid, releasing a storm of ck smoke.

    "It''s ck because of the impurities. The darker the color of the smoke, the cleaner the pill wille out." Wang Xiuying exined as the ck smoke quickly filled the room.

    A sudden gust of wind appeared in the room, pushing all of the ck smoke outside the window within seconds.

    "That wind was caused by a formation in this room. It will quickly clear out the smoke. Anyway, take a look at this pill!"

    Wang Xiuying handed him a white pill the following moment.

    [Superior Stamina Enhancing Pill] [Tier 2] [Purity: 98%]

    [Effects: Greatly boost your stamina by 30% for one hour and recover your used up energy.]

    [Description: Concocted by Healer Wang.]

    [Limit: Once per hour]

    "This is a pretty useful pill." Yuan looked at it with interest.

    "How much do you think it''ll sell for?" He suddenly asked.

    "Eh?! You want to sell my pill already?!" Wang Xiuying looked shocked that he didn''t want to keep it.

    "It''s only out of curiosity. I will be keeping this pill, since it was a gift from you." Yuan said with a smile.

    "Well, it honestly depends on the quality of the pill, and most importantly, the person who concocted it. If the person who made it is famous, it will increase the price of the pill."

    "I am still a nobody outside, so it will probably go for around a thousand or two gold coins, and that''s entirely because of its purity which is above 95 percent."

    "However, I am quite popr in the sect, and there are many disciples who want a pill concocted by me, so it could probably fetch for two to three times that price if you sell it in the sect," she continued with a prideful look on her face.

    "So do you spend most of your time concocting pills now?"

    "Yes, pretty much. I spend about 60 percent of my day concocting pills and the other 40 percent studying. There are so many different types of medicine, herbs, and pill recipes that I must remember, after all."

    "You''re very diligent, but don''t you get bored of sitting in the same spot for hours? I don''t think I would be able to enjoy life as an Alchemist even if I have the talent for it." Yuan shook his head.

    "It''s not boring. Although it might seem like I am just sitting there, I am actually very active, and a lot of things go through my head. As for studying¡­ Well, there''s nothing I can do about that. If I don''t study, I won''t be able to improve."

    "Anyways, do you want any more pills? I will concoct as many pills as my idol wants!" She said with an energetic face.Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.

    "No, it''s fine. One pill is good enough, or it won''t feel like a gift anymore."

    "I see¡­ Then let me show you around my medicine field before showing you around the sect!"

    "Sure." Yuan nodded.

    As they prepared to leave the room, someone started knocking on the door.

    "Oh, that must be my weekly quota." Wang Xiuying said.

    "Weekly quota? You have to work here?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    "I don''t really need to since I am the Sect Master''s disciple, but I asked to do it anyway, since it''s good practice for me, and it helps the sect."

    Sometimeter, Wang Xiuying opened the door to greet the person outside.

    "Good morning, Senior Sister Wang." A handsome young man greeted her with a bright smile.

    "Morning."

    "Here is your weekly¡­"

    The disciple halted his mouth when he noticed Yuan''s presence, and his eyes widened with shock.

    ''There''s a man in Senior Sister Wang''s living quarters?! Who is this bastard?!'' He cried inwardly.

    "S-Senior Sister Wang¡­ Who is that?"

    Wang Xiuying immediately realized who the disciple was referring to and said with a gentle smile, "He''s my precious friend."

    When the disciple saw how Wang Xiuying looked at Yuan, his eyes narrowed with hidden killing intent.

    Yuan noticed his killing intent and subconsciously smiled in a provocative manner, "Sup."

    ''T-This bastard!'' The disciple silently gritted his teeth.

 Chapter 917 - Medicine Fields

    Chapter 917 - Medicine Fields

    "What''s your name?" The disciple asked Yuan after a moment of silence.

    "I won''t stay here for long, so you don''t need to know it." Yuan calmly responded.

    ''This bastard''s asking for it!'' The disciple found Yuan''s presence to be even more obnoxious after his response.

    Sensing the sudden tension in the air, Wang Xiuying quickly interrupted, "Anyways, tell the elders that I won''t be able toplete my weekly quota this week because I will be busy with something else. Sorry you came all this way for nothing."

    "I-It''s fine. Most people don''t even get to see you because you''re always holed up in your room. I am already satisfied with seeing your beautiful face this early in the morning, Senior Sister Wang."

    "By the way, my Master wanted to ask if you''ll be joining the annualpetition between Core Disciples tomorrow."

    "I''ll be there, but I won''t be participating, so I''ll only be a spectator."

    "That''s good enough. As long as Senior Sister Wang is there, I will be content. Then I will see you tomorrow." The disciple bowed to her before turning around and walking away.

    Of course, he made sure to turn around to look at them, or more specifically, Yuan''s face, onest time before disappearing from their sightspletely.

    "Who was that? Your servant?" Yuan asked afterward.

    "No, he''s Disciple Gu, a Core Disciple studying under Elder Cang, who is the Sect Master''s right-hand man. He''s the second most talented disciple in the entire sect. Apparently, he''s from a very prestigious family."

    "The title of number one disciple in the sect belongs to me, of course!" Wang Xiuyingughed out loud.

    ''Surnamed Gu, huh? Why do I keep encountering them?'' A mysterious smile appeared on Yuan''s face.

    "Having the second most talented disciple in the sect carry out such a mundane task¡­ He must either be really bored or have too much free time." He said.

    "I heard that he''d personally requested to deliver my weekly quota. I don''t know the details, but I don''t really care either. Anyways, let''s visit the medicine field in my yard first. It''s the closest and has the most valuable herbs growing."

    "Sure."

    Yuan followed Wang Xiuying to her backyard, where she started showing him all of the nts that she''d personally grown.N?velDrama.Org owns this.

    "How long do they usually take to grow? It hasn''t been that long since you joined, right?" Yuan asked.

    "Most herbs here take less than a month to grow, but if you leave it for longer, the herbs will have a stronger effect, but it will take years, so we usually harvest them after a month. There is actually a secret garden somewhere in this sect with nts that have been growing for hundreds and even thousands of years! I asked to see it before, but I was told that only the Sect Master is allowed to visit the ce for security reasons."

    Sometimeter, they went to the medicine field at the bottom of the hill, which was at least a hundred timesrger than the one in her backyard.

    "You nted all of these, too?" Yuan was impressed.

    There were over 100,000 nts at the bottom of the hill, and all of them were neatly grown and well organized.

    "Yes. Besides being time consuming, it''s really not that difficult," she said.

    The entire tour around the hill took almost three hours.

    "Now that we''re done with the medicine field, what would you like to see next?" She asked him.

    "I don''t know anything about your sect, so I will leave it to you."

    Wang Xiuying pondered for a moment before speaking, "How about the Alchemy Store? We have one in our sect, and you can even purchase Alchemy mes there."

    "That sounds interesting. Let''s go." Yuan nodded.

    Wang Xiuying then retrieved a leaf and poured her spiritual energy into it, causing it to grow many timesrger.

    "This is¡­ a flying treasure?" Yuan raised an eyebrow.

    "Yes, since the sect is so vast, I was given this flying treasure to travel around the sect. Come, I''ll give you a ride."

    "The flying treasure looks like it''s only meant for a single rider. I can fly, so you don''t need to worry about me." Yuan said.

    "Trust me, it''ll be fine." Wang Xiuying suddenly grabbed his hand and pulled him onto the flying treasure.

    Although it was a little cramped at first, Wang Xiuying made some room by hugging Yuan''s body with her own body, "See? We have plenty of space."

    She chuckled.

    And before Yuan could even say anything, Wang Xiuying controlled the flying treasure, and they flew away from the hill.

    While they were in the air, Wang Xiuying purposefully made the flying treasure fly as slow as possible so that they could take their time.

    "Look over there. That tall pagoda is the Sect Master''s headquarters and also her living quarters. Oh! That building is the cafeteria for disciples within the Inner Court like me. They have some amazing food, but I rarely get the time to go there." Wang Xiuying introduced the buildings to him as they passed them.

    Meanwhile, somewhere within the sect, "Master! Do you know anything about the bastard with Healer Wang?!"

    After leaving Wang Xiuying''s ce, Disciple Gu rushed to find Elder Cang for more information on Yuan. He figured that if anyone knew about Yuan''s identity, it would be his Master, who is the Sect Master''s right-hand man.

    "Huh? What are you talking about?" Elder Cang asked.

    "I went to give Healer Wang her weekly quota this morning, and I saw this obnoxious man by her side! He was standing inside her living quarters, and he wasn''t wearing the sect''s uniform, either!"

    "Hoh? Healer Wang has an unknown man in her living quarters? This is definitely a surprise, considering her usual behavior. Anyway, I don''t know anything about her friend. If he''s not a disciple then he must be a guest. Did you check with the administration? All guests are required to sign in."

    "N-No¡­ Thatpletely slipped my mind. I will go check with them right now. Sorry for bothering you, Master." Disciple Gu bowed to him before leaving for the Administration Hall, where they keep a list of all visitors.

 Chapter 918 - Alchemy Store

    Chapter 918 - Alchemy Store

    After leaving his Master''s side, Disciple Gu rushed to the Administration Hall.

    "Good morning, DIsciple Gu! How can we help you today?" One of the Elders there weed him with a bright and respectful smile.

    "I want information on a visitor," he said.

    "Of course. Who is this visitor that you speak of?"

    "I don''t know, that''s why I am here. Who is the visitor with Healer Wang?"

    "Healer Wang?" The Elder raised his eyebrows, as he doesn''t recall recording any guests that came for Wang Xiuying.

    "Let me check the log."

    The Elder went to grab the guest logbook and brought it back to Disciple Gu.

    "This page contains all visitors for the past week, but I don''t see any guests mentioning about Healer Wang." The Elder said.

    "Let me see."

    Disciple Gu grabbed the book and began scanning through all of the names on the logbook.

    The logbook contained the guests'' names, age, their affiliates, and their reason for visiting the Spirit Healing Academy.

    However, there was nobody that came with Healer Wang as their reason for visiting, and Disciple Gu went as far back as one month in the logbook.

    "Impossible! Maybe he is actually a disciple and purposefully wore casual clothes to mislead others? What a crafty bastard!" Disciple Gu now believed that Yuan was a disciple of the Spirit Healing Academy all along.

    After all, no visitors could possibly enter the sect without going through the Administration Hall.

    "Why don''t you try asking the Sect Master? If anybody knows about Healer Wang''s affairs, it would be her." The Elder suddenly suggested.

    "Are you crazy? I cannot possibly bother the Sect Master for something like this! And haven''t you heard? The Sect Master of the Universal Music Academy had just been killed! She''ll be very busy for a while." Disciple Gu sneered.

    "What? Sect Master Sun had been killed? But the Sect Master of the Heavenly Academy said it was an unfortunate ident!" The Elder eximed.

    "That''s just a cover up, obviously. Someone had infiltrated the Universal Music Academy and threatened their disciple that he would kill Sect Master Sun on the same day that he''d died. I heard this from multiple disciples there."

    "No way¡­ If the Sect Master Li is willing to conceal the truth, there''s a good chance that whoever killed Sect Master Sun is someone that even the Seven Spirit Academies cannot touch. One of the Four Ancient Families, perhaps?"

    "By the way, how is your family, Disciple Gu? I heard that they''d also encountered some kind of ident very recently." The Elder asked.

    Disciple Gu''s face suddenly turned cold after hearing such a question.

    "S-Sorry, I overstepped my boundaries by asking about your family, Disciple Gu. Please forgive me." The Elder immediately apologized.

    After all, the Gu Family had sustained immense losses with the death of many experts and even 10 Spirit Lords! Their position within the Seven Legacy Families had dropped all the way to the bottom because of this mysterious incident, which shook the entire Spirit Heaven when news spread.

    Of course, the death of Sect Master Sun wasn''t any less shocking. Even though Sect Master Li announced it as an ident, rumors of it being murder still circted.

    Disciple Gu didn''t stay in the Administration Hall any longer and went elsewhere to investigate Yuan''s identity.

    Meanwhile, Yuan and Wang Xiuying arrived at the Alchemy Store.

    The store was a massive pagoda that had 10 spacious floors.

    "Look! That''s Disciple Wang!"

    "G-Good morning, Fairy Wang!"

    The disciples at the Alchemy Store immediately recognized Wang Xiuying when they saw her.

    "Who''s that handsome beside her? He''s not wearing our uniform. Is he a guest?"

    "Do you think he''s Disciple Wang''s boyfriend?"

    "I saw them hugging each other on the flying treasure before they descended! They definitely have a very intimate rtionship with each other!"

    The disciples there also took notice of Yuan, who was not only very handsome but also emitted this unfathomable aura, which instantly charmed many female disciples.

    "Let''s go inside." Wang Xiuying said to Yuan after theynded in front of the Alchemy Store.

    Yuan nodded and followed her inside.

    "The first, second, and third floor mostly consists of medicine and herbs, so we can go straight to the fourth floor." Wang Xiuying said as she walked straight to the staircase.

    Upon entering the fourth floor, Yuan could see many different cauldrons being sold.

    "This is where we can buy ordinary cauldrons. The more valuable ones are on the fifth and sixth floor. Sometimes the pills can explode during concoction if you mess up, and the cauldron usually goes with the pill." Wang Xiuying said.

    "Isn''t it very dangerous to sit so close to the cauldron, then? What if it explodes in your face?" Yuan asked.

    "Indeed, it is very dangerous. In fact, the cause of most disciple deaths within the sect is due to their cauldron exploding. However, that will only happen to ordinary cauldrons. There are cauldrons that have been enchanted with safety measures that greatly reduce the risk of injury, but those are way more expensive, and not all disciples can afford that."

    "For the record, I have blown up over 100 cauldrons since I have been here! I am also on my 23rd cauldron from practicing Tier 4 pills!" Wang Xiuying said, sounding somewhat proud of it.

    Yuan smiled, "And how many times have you died?"

    "None! As the Sect Master''s disciple, I am only allowed to use the best enchanted cauldrons, so no matter how many I explode, I won''t die. Though, I still get injured by them."

    "So if you weren''t the Sect Master''s disciple, you would''ve died over 100 times. You''re still as reckless as ever." Yuan chuckled.

    "Anyways, do you want to get a cauldron while you''re here?" Wang Xiuying then asked.Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.

    "I don''t do Alchemy, though. Why would I need one?"

    "Who said cauldrons are only used for Alchemy? You can do other things with them, as well." Wang Xiuying said.

    And she continued, "Such as cooking, brewing tea, mixing medicine, and even body tempering."

    "Hm? Did you just say body tempering?" Yuan''s interest piqued.

 Chapter 919 - Buying a Cauldron

    Chapter 919 - Buying a Cauldron

    "Yes, you can temper your body in a cauldron if it''srge enough to fit your body. Although I have never done it personally, I have heard of people doing that before, and they im that it has a better effect than a bathtub since cauldrons are specifically made for medicine." Wang Xiuying confirmed.

    "I''m more interested in the fact that I can carry the cauldron with me, which will allow me to temper my body wherever and whenever I want." Yuan said.

    "Alright, I will get a cauldron."

    "Great! Then let''s head to the sixth floor. The cauldrons on this floor are too small, same with the cauldrons on the next floor." Wang Xiuying said as she made her way towards the staircase.

    Sometimeter, they arrived on the sixth floor.

    "The cauldrons on this floor don''t appear to be big enough to fit my body, either." Yuan said.

    In fact, most of the cauldrons on this floor are onlyrge enough to fit a few watermelons, not an adult body.

    "That''s because these cauldrons can change their size to be bigger or smaller. They''re small on disy only to save space." Wang Xiuying said.

    "Oh¡­ How big can they get?"

    "Well, it depends on the quality of the cauldron. Some cauldrons can be as big as an entire house," she said.

    "Why would anyone want such a big cauldron?" Yuan raised an eyebrow.

    "If you''re skilled enough, you can concoct more than one pill at a time. The bigger cauldrons are for those who like to concoct pills in batches, but that is easier said than done. Compared to my Master, who can concoct over 100 pills at once, I can only concoct about 10 pills."

    "Anyways, go look around. Since you''re my friend, I can probably get you an amazing discount." Wang Xiuying winked at him.

    Yuan nodded and began walking around the room.

    There were over 100 different cauldrons on disy, each of them with a unique shape and color.

    Meanwhile, news of Wang Xiuying having a boyfriend began spreading throughout the sect like a wildfire.

    "Have you heard? Senior apprentice-sister Wang brought her boyfriend to the Alchemy Store!"

    "No way! She''s taken?! Since when?! Who is the lucky bastard?!"

    "Nobody knows, but he wasn''t wearing our uniform, so he might not be part of our sect."

    The more people spread the news the more exaggerated and chaotic it became.

    "What?! Senior apprentice-sister Wang''s fiance is spending time with her fiance?!"

    "Hey! You know what I heard? Senior apprentice-sister Wang is shopping at the Alchemy Store with her daopanion!"

    Disciple Gu eventually got hold of the news, and he immediately began speeding towards the Alchemy Store.

    ''That bastard was her daopanion?! Impossible!''Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.

    Back at the Alchemy Store, Wang Xiuying gave Yuan some rmendations.

    "How about this Cauldron of Radiance? Oh, this Nine Oracle Cauldron looks very good, as well!"

    Yuan smiled and said, "Does it really matter which one I get? I am only using it to temper my body, after all."

    "Of course, it matters! Higher quality cauldrons can make themst longer, and some can even enhance the strength of the medicine!"

    Hearing her words, Yuan turned to look at the price tag for some of these cauldrons.

    [Cauldron of Radiance: 5,000,000 spirit stones]

    [Nine Oracle Cauldron: 7,500,000 spirit stones]

    "Do you think I am made out of money? There''s no way I can afford these even with a 50 percent discount! And why the hell are cauldrons so dang expensive?!" Yuan eximed.

    He already has a 5 million spirit stone debt under Feng Yuxiang, so there was no way that he could afford these for now, unless he sold the Gu Family''s treasures.

    "Alchemy is an expensive career, but it will also earn you a lot of money if you''repetent." Feng Yuxiang shrugged.

    After looking around the whole room, Yuan found the cheapest cauldron on sale, but even that was worth 1 million spirit stones.

    "Stainless Cauldron, huh. Are you sure? I will get the Elder now if you have decided."

    Yuan nodded.

    "Alright, give me a moment." Wang Xiuying left his side and went to one of the Elders working there.

    "Elder, my friend would like to purchase a cauldron." Wang Xiuying said.

    The Elder nodded, "The Stainless Cauldron, correct? It will cost 1,500,000 spirit stones because he''s not a disciple of our sect."

    "What?! I was actually hoping that you''d give him a discount¡­" Wang Xiuying eximed.

    "I''m sorry, Disciple Wang, but this is the sect''s rule. It''s not something that I can change willy-nilly."

    "In case you forgot, I am one of only four people in the entire sect that can concoct Tier 3 pills with over 95 percent purity, and I have helped the sect concoct thousands of them! That''s worth at least a few hundred thousand spirit stones, yet I never asked for any reward! If I ask my Master, she would definitely give it to me for free! However, I don''t want to bother her, so I am asking you to give him a discount instead."

    "He is a very important friend of mine, I hope you don''t embarrass me infront of him."

    "I-I''m really sorry, Disciple Wang. I really want to help you and your friend, but I am a mere Elder. I don''t have the authority to make such a decision¡­"

    "Then I will stop concocting pills for the sect." Wang Xiuying suddenly said with a rebellious look on her face, shocking the Elder.

    "And when the sect asks why, I will tell them exactly why."

    Seeing Wang Xiuying''s stubbornness, the Elder felt like crying.

    "P-Please, have mercy, Disciple Wang!"

    The Elder eventually gave up and said, "I will get the manager¡­ He has enough authority to make a decision."

    "Okay." Wang Xiuying didn''t say anything else and returned to Yuan.

    "What happened? Where''s the Elder?" Yuan asked her when she returned alone.

    "He''ll be here soon," she said with an innocent look on her face.

 Chapter 920 - Phoenix Down

    Chapter 920 - Phoenix Down

    "What? The Sect Master''s disciple threatened to stop concocting pills for the sect if we don''t give her friend a discount?" The Manager of the Alchemy Store doubted his ears for a moment after hearing the Elder''s words, who was on the verge of crying when he arrived.

    "Can you please do something about this, Elder Bei? If Disciple Wang stops concocting pills, the Sect Master will kill us!"

    "Calm down, it''s just a discount. We can just consider Disciple Wang as the purchaser, not her friend." Elder Bei said.

    Sometimeter, Elder Bei went to greet Wang Xiuying and Yuan.

    "Hello, Disciple Wang and her friend. I have heard the situation. It''s just a discount, there''s no need for such drastic measures. How does a 75 percent discount sound? Also, there''s no need to pay for the visitor''s fee, so the total will be 250,000 spirit stones." Elder Bei said to them.

    "What do you think? If it''s not enough, I can ask them to lower it some more." Wang Xiuying turned to ask Yuan, causing a bittersweet smile to appear on the Elder''s face.

    "250,000 spirit stones, huh? Do you ept treasures as a payment? I am currently short on spirit stones." Yuan asked him.

    "Of course. We ept all sorts of treasures, but we rmend ones that benefit our sect the most, such as herbs and medicine."

    "Sounds good."N?velDrama.Org content rights.

    "Please, follow me to the counter."

    Yuan and Wang Xiuying proceeded to follow Elder Bei to the counter.

    "Show me what you''ve got." Elder Bei said to Yuan afterward.

    Yuan immediately began dumping out the Gu Family''s treasure. Of course, most of these treasures belonged to the Gu Family from the Lower Heavens, as he has yet to remove the Destiny Seals from the other treasures.

    "T-That''s a lot of treasures¡­" Elder Bei said. He clearly did not expect such a quantity of treasures from Yuan, and most of them appeared to be Heaven-grade and higher.

    Elder Bei also called for someone who can evaluate these treasures.

    Sometimeter, Elder Bei picked three treasures out of the twenty four treasures and said, "I will sell you the Stainless Cauldron for these three treasures. The total of these treasures will sell for around 275,000 spirit stones, so we''ll give you 25,000 spirit stones back. What do you say?"

    Yuan pondered for a moment before speaking in a calm voice, "Since you have an expert, I will also let my expert decide. Feng Feng, what do you think?"

    Feng Yuxiang appeared beside him the next moment, shocking everyone there.

    She ignored their gazes and looked at the three treasures and said, "I can easily get 500,000 spirit stones out of these three treasures."

    "E-Excuse me, but who are you?" The Alchemy Store''s examiner asked for Feng Yuxiang''s background, which is very normal in these kinds of situations where one''s qualifications mattered very much.

    "You may not know me here, but I owned one of the best stores in the Lower Heavens. With that being said, 15,000 years ago, I operated a store called ''Phoenix Down'' in Spirit Heaven. Have you heard of it?" Feng Yuxiang said.

    The examiner pondered with a profound frown on his face.

    ''Phoenix Down¡­? Why does it sound so familiar?'' Elder Bei wondered to himself.

    After a few moments of silence, the Alchemy Store''s examiner suddenly came to a realization and eximed in a shocked voice, "Phoenix Down! I remember now! There is a legend of a store by such a name! ording to the legend, it was an immensely popr store that sold all sorts of treasures that could only be found in the Third Heaven and above, and they were all being sold in Spirit Heaven!"

    "Furthermore, the owner of this store is a mystery, but rumors say it was a woman with beauty that outshines all treasures in the store!"

    "However, the store only operated for a hundred years before it suddenly disappeared."

    "Are you telling me that you''re the owner of that legendary Phoenix Down?!"

    The examiner asked Feng Yuxiang.

    Although her beauty was definitely up to standards with the legend, unless she had concrete proof that she was the owner, it wouldn''t matter even if she was the most beautiful woman in the Nine Heavens.

    "Of course. Here''s my certification and license. It expired 15,000 years ago, but it proves that the Phoenix Down existed and that I was the owner of it." Feng Yuxiang retrieved a piece of paper and showed it to the examiner, who started trembling after seeing it.

    The examiner then retrieved his own certification and license topare.

    "I-It''s real¡­ She''s the real deal!" The examiner eximed in a shocked voice.

    "A-Are you serious?" Elder Bei swallowed nervously.

    Why would a legendary figure from 15,000 years ago show up now? Hell, where did she even pop out from?

    "I apologize for doubting you, Senior. And it''s an honor to meet you." The examiner bowed to her after returning her certification.

    Feng Yuxiang silently nodded her head.

    "Anyways, if Senior ims the treasures are worth 500,000 spirit stones, then I will not argue." The examiner said to Elder Bei.

    "Is that so?" Elder Bei nodded.

    He turned to look at Yuan and spoke, "I can give you 225,000 spirit stones and the Stainless Cauldron for these three treasures, or we can give you medicine instead."

    "The seventh, eighth, and ninth floor contains medicines from Tier 5 herbs to Tier 5 pills. What do you say?"

    Yuan pondered to himself, ''Medicine, huh? This is a good chance for me to stock up some medicine for my body tempering. Even though Feng Feng promised to support me, I cannot rely on her for everything.''

    "Let me see what kind of medicine is avable first." Yuan said a momentter.

    "Very well. I will prepare the spirit stones just in case you decide to take the money instead. As for the Stainless Cauldron, you can take it now." Elder Bei said.

 Chapter 921 - Body Tempering Pills

    Chapter 921 - Body Tempering Pills

    "Follow them just in case they wish to trade more treasures." Elder Bei said to the examiner before leaving them alone.

    Wang Xiuying led Yuan to the seventh floor shortly after.

    "The seventh floor sells Tier 1 to Tier 2 herbs, medicine, and pills. Since there are too many to disy, they have it all listed in a book." Wang Xiuying exined to him after they arrived on the seventh floor, where thick books were disyed instead of the medicine.

    Yuan walked over to one of these books and started flipping through them.

    ''Mind Calming Pill, Body Reforming Pill, Three Spirits Pill, Misty Pill¡­''

    There were over a dozen different pills at nce, and there were hundreds of pages in the book

    "Yuan, if you want Tier 1 and Tier 2 pills, I can easily concoct them for you for free. I can also concoct Tier 3 pills with over 95 percent purity. Although I am still learning to concoct Tier 4 pills, I am making fast progress. Give me another month and I will be able to concoct them with 90 percent purity."

    Yuan smiled and said, "Thank you, but I don''t think I need any pills. However, I am interested in treasures specifically for body tempering."

    "There are pills for body tempering, as well. They are called Body Tempering Pills, and a single one of them canst you an entire week. They are also more effective than throwing raw medicine into the bath since pills are mixed better, and condensing them into a pill strengthens its effects.."

    "Oh? I''d like some of them." Yuan immediately said.

    "Then I rmend Tier 1 Body Tempering Pills first. They''re incredibly painful, so I suggest you get used to the weaker ones before using the stronger pills." Wang Xiuying said.

    "Don''t worry, I am pretty experienced when ites to body tempering. I''ll get a Tier 4 Body Tempering Pill as well as a Tier 5 for today to test their effects."

    "T-Tier 4 and Tier 5?! That''s insane! Those are only rmended for Spirit Lords and above!" Wang Xiuying eximed, unaware of Yuan''s cultivation base.

    "I''m a peak Spirit Lord." Yuan pointed at himself and said.

    "R-Really? B-But it hasn''t even been that long since the Mystic Realm, and you were only a Spirit Master then!" Wang Xiuying said.

    "I have been consuming valuable treasures and medicine since I entered the sect, and I just entered Spirit Master!"

    "Comparing yourself to the Young Master is likeparing Heaven and Earth." Feng Yuxiang sneered.

    Wang Xiuying''s eyebrows twitched upon hearing Feng Yuxiang''s remarks.

    ''Why does she seem so hostile? Did I offend her somehow?'' She wondered inwardly.

    "Anyways, I want to test out the Body Tempering Pills today. Once I know what I want, I will return for more."

    They proceeded onto the ninth floor to buy the Body Tempering Pills.

    After acquiring a Tier 4 and a Tier 5 Body Tempering Pill, Yuan asked, "What''s on the tenth floor?"

    "Oh, you can buy pill recipes and Alchemy mes on that floor, but only people approved by the Sect Master can enter that floor." Wang Xiuying said.

    "I see¡­"

    "Anyways, is there a ce where I can test out my new items?" Yuan then asked.

    "You can do it at my house. I have plenty of room, and it''spletely free." Wang Xiuying said.

    "Sure." Yuan epted her hospitality without any hesitation.

    As they made their way downstairs, Feng Yuxiang would return to Yuan''s body.

    "Esteemed Guest, we still owe you 100,000 spirit stones. Would you like to retrieve them now?" The examiner said to him.

    "Those two pills cost 150,000 spirit stones?" Yuan was speechless.

    "Yes, the Tier 4 Body Tempering Pill costs 50,000 spirit stones, and the Tier 5 costs 100,000 spirit stones."

    Yuan sighed, "Just keep them for now. I will being backter, anyway."

    "I understand."

    When Yuan and Wang Xiuying exited the Alchemy Store, they were greeted by a massive crowd of disciples waiting outside.

    "Wow, why are there so many disciples here today? Is there some kind of special event?" Wang Xiuying mumbled in a dazed voice.

    Once the disciples noticed their presence, they began talking to each other.

    "Look! That''s him!"

    "So he''s Senior apprentice-sister''s daopanion, huh?"Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.

    "What? I thought he was her boyfriend! When did he be her daopanion?"

    "He''s a lot more charming than the rumors¡­ I wish I was in Senior apprentice-sister''s shoes right now¡­" Some of the female disciples there were charmed by Yuan''s unfathomable and mysterious aura.

    Suddenly, a group of figures walked out of the crowd and stood before Yuan and Wang Xiuying.

    "Look! That''s Disciple Gu! They''re going to confront them!"

    "I''m not surprised. Disciple Gu has the hots for Senior apprentice-sister Wang, after all."

    "Wait, but why is the Disciplinary Squad following him?"

    The disciples understood why Disciple Gu was there, but they cannot imagine why the Disciplinary Squad was there.

    After all, they are primarily tasked with dealing with rule-breaking disciples.

    "You! Identify yourself!" The Elder leading the Disciplinary Squad stepped forward and pointed at Yuan.

    Yuan raised his eyebrows and spoke, "Why?"

    "I am the Head Elder of the Disciplinary Squad! Who are you to question me?! I am thew in this ce! If I asked you a question, you answer it!"

    Wang Xiuying quickly stepped in and said, "Elder, there must have been a misunderstanding. This is my friend, who is currently visiting the sect as a guest."

    "So he''s not a disciple, huh? You heard her, Uncle Gu." Disciple Gu said to him.

    "In this case¡­ Disciple Wang, this ''friend'' of yours had snuck into the sect without telling anyone, which is a vition of our sect''s rules! He could even be a spy for all we know! And ording to the rules of the sect, these vitors may be punishable with death!"

    "What?! That''s nonsense! Elder Gu, my friend is not a spy!" Wang Xiuying immediately refuted.

    "We will be the judge of that after we question him." Elder Gu sneered.

 Chapter 922 - Disciplinary Squad

    Chapter 922 - Disciplinary Squad

    "You want to treat my friend like he''s a criminal and question him? I will not allow such a thing to happen!" Wang Xiuying shouted angrily.

    "Even if you are the disciple of the Sect Master, you cannot disobey the sect''s rules. This man of unknown origin may be a threat to our sect, and as the Head Elder of the Disciplinary Squad, I will not allow anything to happen to our sect. No hard feelings, Disciple Wang. I am merely doing my job." Elder Gu shook his head.

    "No! If you take him away, I will stop concocting pills for the sect!" Wang Xiuying said, shocking everybody there.

    "Heavens, Senior apprentice-sister Wang is willing to go so far for him¡­ There''s no doubt that he''s her daopanion!" The disciples were shocked and impressed by Wang Xiuying''s boldness before Elder Gu, who is known for being ruthless.

    "Senior Sister Wang! Why must you go so far for him? Are you really going to risk all of your hard work in the sect for a guy like him?! Even if you''re the Sect Master''s disciple, you can still be exiled from the sect for disobeying the sect rules! I will not allow you to make such a sacrifice!" Disciple Gu stepped forward and said.

    "Hmph! As if my Master will kick me out of the sect over something like this. And even if I get kicked out, the only reason I joined this sect is because of him!" Wang Xiuying eximed, leaving everyone there speechless.

    "What? Senior apprentice-sister Wang joined the sect for that guy?" The disciples were in awe of her dedication.

    Even Yuan looked at her funny after such a im.

    "You joined the sect for me? But I don''t remember asking you to do such a thing¡­" Yuan said.

    "I will exin it to youter." Wang Xiuying said with a rosy face.

    Disciple Gu gritted his teeth in anger when she saw Wang Xiuying''s blushing face.

    ''Why does it have to be that bastard?! Why is she not looking at me with those bashful and passionate eyes?! Fuck! I swear I will kill you, or my surname is not Gu!'' He cried inwardly.

    "Uncle!" Disciple Gu called out to him.N?velDrama.Org owns this.

    Elder Gu slightly nodded his head and said, "Disciple Wang, if you''re going to continue this charade, I will have no choice but to detain you as well! The Sect Master is currently away from the sect, and she might not return for another day or two! Do you wish to spend the next two days behind bars?! Your decision will greatly affect your reputation and position within the sect! Is this how you wish to repay the sect after everything we have done for you?! All for this nameless spy?!"

    Wang Xiuying gritted her teeth in anger and shouted, "If that''s what I need to do to protect¡ª"

    However, Yuan suddenly patted her in the back and interrupted, "I will go with them. They''re only going to question me, right? Then I just need to answer them truthfully. There''s no need escte the situation any further or for you to make such sacrifices over such a small thing. I''ll be back in a bit."

    "Yuan¡­ I''m sorry¡­ If my Master was here, none of this would''ve happened to you. But don''t worry! As soon as she returns, I will tell her to help you! She won''t refuse!"

    Yuan smiled, "I also have a feeling that she won''t refuse."

    He left her side and started walking towards the Disciplinary Squad.

    "Cuff him!" Elder Gu said to the rest of the Disciplinary Squad.

    Yuan did not resist and allowed the disciples to cuff him with these weird-looking handcuffs made out of some kind of red crystal.

    Yuan expected some kind of special effect from the handcuffs, but he didn''t feel any different afterward.

    "Don''t even try to do anything funny. These handcuffs are made out of Spirit Sealing Crystals, which will restrict your cultivation base when worn, so you''ll be no different from a mortal without any cultivation!" Disciple Gu said to him with a malicious grin on his face.

    "Is that so?" Yuan calmly shrugged, as he could still feel his cultivation base.

    This reminded him of the time when he and Wang Xiuying identally arrived at the Ancient Dragon City, where they were detained with the same type of handcuffs.

    "See you in a bit!" Yuan said while looking at Wang Xiuying.

    "Shut up and start moving!" One of the disciples poked Yuan with a stick.

    "Poke me again and see what will happen." Yuan narrowed his gaze at the disciple.

    The disciple immediately pulled back the stick and trembled in fear.

    "Lead the way." Yuan calmly continued.

    "Hmph. Arrogant bastard. Let''s see if you can keep your cool when Disciple Wang is no longer watching." Elder Gu sneered.

    Wang Xiuying and the other disciples proceeded to watch Yuan being led away by the Disciplinary Squad.

    After snapping out of her daze, Wang Xiuying retrieved her flying treasure and disappeared from the Alchemy Store.

    Sometimeter, she arrived at the Sect Master''s Headquarters.

    Although Sect Master Xiahou wasn''t present, there was someone that could contact her in the building.

    "Elder Yong! This is an emergency! I need you to contact my Master immediately!" Wang Xiuying started shouting even before the door could fully open.

    An old man was sitting at the end of the room, and he lifted his head in a startled manner after Wang Xiuying stormed into his room without knocking.

    "Disciple Wang? What happened? I have never seen you this hectic before."

    "The Disciplinary Squad took my friend even though he did nothing wrong! Hurry up and call my Master!"

    "Your friend?" Elder Yong raised his eyebrows in a questioning manner.

    Wang Xiuying quickly exined the situation to him.

    "I see¡­ I understand the situation, but your Master is currently in a meeting with the other Academies'' Sect Masters regarding Sect Master Sun''s death. It would be a bad idea to disturb her now. Let''s just wait for her to return in a day or two." He said.

 Chapter 923 - Message

    Chapter 923 - Message

    "That''s too long! I need you to message my Master right now! I will not allow my friend to experience such abuse in my sect! If you still refuse, then don''t me me for being dramatic when I leave this sect, since I am clearly not of any value to this sect!" Wang Xiuying said in an angry voice.

    "W-What? You''re willing to go that far for another person?" Elder Yong was shocked by Wang Xiuying''s reaction.

    "I will not ask again!" Wang Xiuying took out her sect''s medallion and threatened to destroy it.

    "Alright! I will contact the Sect Master! Just calm down a bit, Disciple Wang."

    Elder Yong sighed as he retrieved a brown talisman and mumbled some words into it.

    "Go!"

    Elder Yong infused his spiritual energy into the talisman, causing it to fly out the window the next moment, disappearing from the sect shortly after.

    The talisman would eventually reach Sect Master Xiahou, who was in the middle of a meeting with the other Sect Masters.

    "Should we really be hiding the truth about Sun Hao''s death? There''s already rumors of it being murder spreading around." Sect Master Xiahou said.

    "It''s for the best, and it would even save us some face. Or do you want to let the world know that some Junior had killed Sun Hao right before all of us, and that we allowed him to leave without doing anything about it?" Sect Master Li sighed.

    "Furthermore, the less people know about Yuan''s existence the better."

    "How''s the Universal Music Academy dealing with their Sect Master''s sudden death?" Bai Enjue asked a momentter.

    "Not good. Despite my warnings, they''re all overflowing with the desire to avenge Sun Hao, and they''re even looking for Yuan as we speak." Sect Master Li shook his head.

    "What? That''s insane! At this rate, the Seven Spirit Academies will be known as the Six Spirit Academies!" The Sect Master of the Steel Lion Academy said.

    "Why can''t they just find a new Sect Master and not cause more trouble for the rest of us?" The Sect Master of the Lonely River Academy sighed.

    Sometimeter, Sect Master Xiahou suddenly turned to face the window with a frown on her face.

    "What''s the matter?" The others noticed her odd behavior and asked her.

    Sect Master Xiahou didn''t respond immediately and opened the window without getting off her chair, and a momentter, Elder Yong''s brown talisman flew into the room and stopped before her.

    Sect Master Xiahou recognized the talisman and ced it on her forehead.

    Elder Yong''s voice resounded inside her head the next moment, "Sect Master, I apologize for bothering you during such a time, but your disciple, Healer Wang, is threatening to leave the sect if I don''t send you this message. Anyways, apparently her friend had been escorted away by the Disciplinary Squad for illegally visiting the sect and being a spy, and she wants you to do something about it."

    Sect Master Xiahou frowned after hearing the message. It took her a moment to realize the situation because she was focused on Wang Xiuying threatening to leave the sect.

    ''Hm? Her friend? Illegally visiting?''

    The face of a handsome yet terrifying face suddenly appeared in her mind.N?velDrama.Org owns this.

    "Fuck! Those idiots!" Sect Master Xiahou suddenly cursed out loud as she jumped to her feet, startling the other Sect Masters.

    "W-What happened?!" They asked her.

    "Elder Gu and the Disciplinary Squad at my sect had detained Yuan, even using him of being a spy!"

    "What?! Why is he in your sect?!" Sect Master Li asked.

    "He''s friends with my disciple and wanted to visit her! There was no way I could''ve refused! However, I didn''t tell anybody about it, so they think he''d entered illegally and took him captive!"

    "H-Hey¡­ Elder Gu¡­ Isn''t he from the Gu Family? Didn''t Yuan just kill ten of their Spirit Lords and crippled their army?" Bai Enjue said in a nervous voice.

    "Heavens¡­ At this rate, the Seven Spirit Academies will be the Five Spirit Academies!" The Sect Master of the Steel Lion Academy said.

    Sect Master Xiahou began sweating profusely after hearing such words.

    "I-I''m sorry, but I have to return to my sect! Please excuse me!" Sect Master Xiahou retrieved her flying treasure and immediately began speeding back to the sect.

    "We should probably postpone our meetings until that man has left this realm¡­" Sect Master Li sighed.

    "Hey, since someone from the Gu Family is involved, shouldn''t we notify Patriarch Gu?" The Sect Master of the Lonely River Academy said.

    Sect Master Li nodded, "I''m sure they''ll appreciate it."

    He retrieved a talisman and mumbled to it before sending it flying towards the Gu Family''s direction.

    Ban Enjue then said, "I''m going to follow Sect Master Xiahou. If the Universal Music Academy learns of his location, they will mostly try to avenge Sun Hao and attack him."

    "I''ll go with you."

    "Me too."

    Thus, the other Sect Masters there began making their way to the Spirit Healing Academy while praying that nothing too serious will happen from this incident.

    Meanwhile, outside the Alchemy Store, after the Disciplinary Squad took Yuan away, some of the disciples there spoke, "Is it just me or does Senior apprentice-sister Wang''s daopanion look familiar? I''m pretty sure that I have seen him before, but I cannot remember when and where."

    "You too? I also thought the same when I saw his face."

    "W-Wait! I remember! Wasn''t he the one who severed the Universal Music Academy''s Sect Master''s arm during the disciple examination?! That was him in the broadcast, right?!"

    "Now that you mention it¡­"

    "Holy shit! Didn''t their Sect Master die yesterday? Rumor has it that he was murdered by the person who severed his arm!"

    "What! I thought he''d died in an ident!"

    "I don''t like where this is going..."

    While news of Yuan''s presence spread throughout the sect like wildfire, Yuan himself followed the Disciplinary Squad and Disciple Gu to some isted area within the sect.

    They eventually arrived before a suspicious-looking cave that looked like the entrance to a dungeon.

 Chapter 924 - Underground Prison

    Chapter 924 - Underground Prison

    "Is this ce your headquarters? Judging by the outside appearance, I dare say that your Disciplinary Squad doesn''t have a decent budget if any at all." Yuan chuckled.

    "Shut up and go inside." Elder Gu said to him.

    Yuan shrugged and entered the cave, which led him to an underground prison that looked like it had been out of service for hundreds of years.

    ''Young Master, should I just kill these ignorant and disrespectful fools?'' Feng Yuxiang asked him.

    ''No, leave it. I want to see what they''re going to do." He said.

    He then said out loud, "Hey, I am only being questioned, right? Must we do it here? It''s so dirty that I can feel myself getting sick just from breathing in the air."

    Disciple Gu startedughing after hearing Yuan''s words, and he said afterward, "You really think we took you here to question you? Just how dumb are you?"

    "What? If you''re not going to question me, why did you bring me here?" Yuan asked, continuing his act.

    "Oh, we''ll question you all right. The question is how we''ll do it!" Disciple Gu retrieved his sword and pointed it at Yuan.

    "I don''t care who you are. Since you dared toy your filthy hands on my woman, I will make you regret ever being born!"

    Yuan''s eyes widened with surprise, and he asked, "Huh? When did I every a hand on your woman?"

    "Don''t act dumb! Healer Wang is my woman! I have had my eyes on her ever since she entered the sect, and I will do everything and anything to get my hands on her!" Disciple Gu shouted.

    However, to their surprise, Yuan startedughing.

    "What''s so damn funny?"

    "Everything." Yuan smiled.

    "I see. So you still don''t understand your current situation, huh? Don''t worry, I will help youe to a realization very soon!" Disciple Gu began approaching Yuan, but he was stopped by Elder Gu.

    "Uncle?"

    "Wait. There''s no need to be impatient. I still need to question him. Once I am done, you can have all the fun you want with him." Elder Gu said.

    "Chain him to the wall!" Hemanded the other disciples.

    Yuan didn''t resist and allowed them to chain him to the wall in one of the prison cells.

    "If you''re smart, you will answer my questions truthfully." Elder Gu stood before him and began questioning him.

    "What''s your name?"

    "Yuan."

    "What''s your rtionship with Healer Wang?"

    "We''re only friends."

    "What is your background?"

    "I don''t have one."

    "Which sect do you belong to?"

    "I''m what you call a Rogue Cultivator. I don''t belong to any sect at this moment."

    "What about your family?"

    "They threw me out for being useless."

    "In other words, you''re a nobody! Which means we can kill you without offending anyone. You can forget about ever leaving this ce now!" Disciple Guughed out loud.

    "What about Healer Wang? She''ll be sad and angry if you kill me." Yuan asked.

    "Don''t worry about her. She''ll forget about you once we feed her a Mind Invasion Pill."

    "A what?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    ''Young Master, a Mind Invasion Pill can alter one''s memories, and that includes erasing their memories.'' Feng Yuxiang exined.

    "A soon-to-be-dead man doesn''t need to know." Disciple Gu said with a grim smile on his face.

    "How did you sneak into the sect?" Elder Gu continued to question Yuan.

    "I flew in here¡­ With your Sect Master." Yuan said with a smile.

    "What?" Elder Gu immediately frowned.

    "You heard me."

    "You know the Sect Master?"

    "Not just the Sect Master. I also happen to know your Patriarch¡ª Patriarch Gu. We''re practically best friends."

    "He''s fucking with us!" Disciple Gu eximed.

    "If you don''t believe me, you can contact your Patriarch and ask him yourself. Just tell him my name. He knows it very well."

    "Shut your damn mouth!" Disciple Gu suddenly rushed into the cell and swung his sword at Yuan, who was defensively chained to the wall.

    "Wait!" Elder Gu tried to stop his nephew, but Disciple Gu was too fast, and the sword in his hand was already in a swinging motion.

    "Don''t worry, I won''t kill you so quickly! However, I will take one of your limbs!" Disciple Guughed as his sword mercilessly chopped at Yuan''s right leg.

    Ding!

    The sound of metal colliding resounded, and it felt like he''d struck a block of steel with his sword for Disciple Gu.

    The sword flew out of his hand almost instantly after attacking Yuan,nding a few meters away.

    "W-What the fuck?" He muttered in a dumbfounded voice.

    "Surprised?" Yuan asked him with a smile.

    "You''ll need a little more arm strength if you want to take my leg."

    "I-I don''t know what kind of trick that was, but you''re still chained to the wall! What can you do in such a state? And the longer it takes to kill you, the more I will enjoy it, so resist as much as you want!"

    Yuan suddenly yanked his arm, ripping the chains off the wall.

    He then snapped the handcuffs into two parts with ease.

    "What were you saying?" Yuan looked at Disciple Gu with a nonchnt expression on his face.

    "I-Impossible! Those handcuffs are made from Spirit Sealing Crystals! Did he break them with his raw strength?!" The other disciples eximed.

    "You don''t believe that I know your Patriarch, right? If that''s the case, then howe I have this in my possession?" Yuan retrieved one of the treasures he''d acquired from Patriarch Gu and showed it to them.

    "T-That''s¡ª! Impossible! Why do you have that?!" Elder Gu eximed in a baffled voice.

    ''That''s definitely one of our Gu Family''s heirlooms¡ª the Grail of Truth! I can even sense our Destiny Seal on it!'' He cried inwardly.

    "If you want to know how I got this treasure, go ask your Patriarch. He was the one who gave it to me, after all." Yuan said with a mysterious smile on his face.Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.

    Meanwhile, Sect Master Li''s talisman arrived at the Gu Family''s residence, alerting them of the situation at the Spirit Healing Academy.

 Chapter 925 - Release Him!

    Chapter 925 - Release Him!

    "P-Patriarch Gu, you have a message!" The person who acquired Sect Master Li''s message went to find him.

    "What is it?" Patriarch Gu was immediately annoyed.

    After his immense defeat and embarrassment caused by Yuan, Patriarch Gu has be easily irritable, so much so that even the slightest annoyance would cause his brows to frown and his blood to boil.

    "T-The Sect Master of the Heavenly Academy has sent us a message," said the person with the talisman.

    "Sect Master Li? What does he want from us? If this is about what happened recently, just ignore it." Patriarch Gu said.

    "No¡­ This is different. Although I don''t understand the message, the Sect Master sounded a little nervous." The person handed the talisman to Patriarch Gu.

    Patriarch Gu sucked his teeth in an annoyed manner and activated the talisman.Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.

    Sect Master Li''s voice resounded in his head the next moment, "This is Sect Master Li of the Heavenly Academy. Something has happened within the Spirit Healing Academy that you should probably be aware of, considering what happened to your family recently. Elder Gu, who is the head of the Disciplinary Squad, has taken Yuan captive and is currently questioning him. You should know first hand what happens if you offend Yuan, hence this message."

    "Fuck! This damn little brother of mine! Why is he messing with the one person he shouldn''t mess with?! And so soon after what happened between the Gu Family and him!" Patriarch Gu tossed the talisman at the wall in an angry manner.

    "I''m going to visit the Spirit Healing Academy! Hopefully, I won''t be toote to save his pitiful life!"

    Not daring to waste anymore time, Patriarch Gu flew towards the Spirit Healing Academy on his flying treasure.

    Meanwhile, Sect Master Xiahou returned to the sect.

    "S-Sect Master? What happened to the meeting?" Elder Yong was surprised to see the Sect Master return so quickly.

    "Where''s my disciple?!" She asked him, her appearance all messed up from the rush.

    "She went to the Disciplinary Squad''s headquarters after I sent you the message," he said.

    "Anyways, what''s this all about?"

    "I don''t have time to exin! Thank you for sending me the message!"

    Sect Master Xiahou didn''t exin any further and rushed to find Wang Xiuying.

    "Looks like the Spirit Healing Academy is still intact¡­ thankfully¡­" Bai Enjue said after the rest of the Sect Masters arrived at the sect.

    At the Disciplinary Squad''s headquarters, Wang Xiuying was arguing with the disciples working there.

    "Where did you take my friend?! The Sect Master is aware of the situation, and it will only be a matter of time before she returns! If you let my friend go, I will not press charges against you!" Wang Xiuying said.

    "P-Please calm down, Senior apprentice-sister Wang¡­ We have no idea what you''re talking about¡­ What friend?" The disciples at the headquarters werepletely clueless.

    "Nonsense! Your leader, Elder Gu, took my friend in for questioning! I saw it with my own eyes, as did many other disciples! You won''t be able to cover for them!"

    "Why would we lie to you, Senior apprentice-sister Wang? It''s true that Elder Gu had left with some disciples sometime ago, but they haven''t returned since then, and nobody seems to know where he''s gone." The disciple at the counter said, feeling an urge to cry.

    "Are you serious? Then where did they take my friend?!" Wang Xiuying eximed.

    "I''m sorry, but I wish we knew." They all shook their heads.

    "Then do you know where they could''ve taken my friend?" Wang Xiuying did not give up and continued to pressure them.

    Sometimeter, Sect Master Xiahou arrived at the Disciplinary Squad''s headquarters.

    "Sect Master!"

    All of the disciples there greeted her the moment they noticed her presence.

    "M-Master! You''re back!" Wang Xiuying rushed to her Master with a relieved expression on her face.

    ''Now that Master is here, they will have no choice but to release Yuan!''

    "Master! They called my friend a spy and took him in for questioning when he did nothing wrong!" Wang Xiuying made sure to put on the most desperate and unhappy expression she could possibly make while asking for her Master''s help.

    "This friend of yours¡­ Is he a young man named Yuan?" Sect Master Xiahou asked her, silently hoping to herself that Wang Xiuying had another friend besides Yuan.

    "Y-You know my friend, Yuan? How do you know each¡ª I mean, yes! My friend, Yuan, was taken by Elder Gu and the Disciplinary Squad!" Wang Xiuying nodded her head viciously.

    The frown on Sect Master Xiahou''s face deepened, and she immediately approached the disciples working at the front desk.

    "Release him right this moment!" She said to them in an angry and demanding voice.

    However, nobody there moved.

    "Did you not hear me?! I will not repeat myself!" She roared, causing them to tremble in fear.

    "S-Sect Master! It''s not that we don''t want to release him¡­ We don''t even know where he is! Elder Gu hasn''t returned since he left, and there''s nobody in our cells right now! You can even check for yourself!" The disciples there exined the situation to her.

    "What? How is this possible?" Sect Master Xiahou frowned.

    ''Damn it! What the fuck are you doing, Elder Gu?! Are you trying to destroy our sect?!'' She cried inwardly.

    "If he''s not here, then hurry up and contact him!" Sect Master Xiahou shouted after snapping out of her daze.

    "W-We''ve tried that as well, Sect Master! Elder Gu isn''t answering hismunication jade slip, either!"

    "FUCK!" Sect Master Xiaohou mmed her fist into the desk before her, shattering it into countless pieces, shocking everyone there, including Wang Xiuying.

    "M-Master? Let''s all calm down a little¡­" Wang Xiuying said, feelingpletely baffled by her Master''s outburst.

    After all, Yuan was her number one idol, friend, and patient, yet she wasn''t anywhere as outraged and emotional as her Master.

    "CALM DOWN?! Do you have any idea who they''re messing with?! That crazy monster dared to kill Sect Master Sun in front of the other Sect Masters for trying to hurt his friends! He will destroy our sect at this rate!" Sect Master Xiahou eximed.

    "W-What¡­?"

    Everyone there was left speechless by the Sect Master''s outrageous im.

 Chapter 926 - Answer My Question or Die!

    Chapter 926 - Answer My Question or Die!

    "W-What did you just say? Yuan killed the Sect Master of the Universal Music Academy¡­?" Wang Xiuying stared at her Master with a look of disbelief on her face.

    "There must have been some sort of mistake, Master. Yuan isn''t the type to kill another person. He''s really kind and gentle. I doubt he would even hurt a fly¡­"

    Sect Master Xiahou looked at Wang Xiuying and frowned, "Are you sure we''re talking about the same ''Yuan''? I watched him kill Sun Hao with my own eyes. Of course, it wasn''t as though Sun Hao waspletely innocent."

    "Holy shit¡­ Senior apprentice-sister Wang''s friend is responsible for Sect Master Sun''s death? I heard of the rumors, but to think that it was actually true¡­" The disciples there were shocked to learn the truth.

    "We can talk about thister! We need to find them right now before it''s toote!" Sect Master Xiahou suddenly said.

    "Sect Master Xiahou, what''s the current situation?" The other Sect Masters finally caught up with her and asked.

    "What are you guys doing here?" Sect Master Xiahou asked them with a surprised face.

    "We''re here for insurance. All of our sects rely on the Spirit Healing Academy for pills and medicine, so we cannot allow it to fall so easily. " Sect Master Li said.

    Although the Spirit Healing Academy is the weakest in the alliance in terms of prowess, they''re actually the most important. Without the Spirit Healing Academy, the other sects will have to spend much more money on pills and other medicine.

    Sect Master Xiahou proceeded to exin the situation to the other Sect Masters.

    "What?! You cannot find them?! How is that even possible?"

    "I really don''t know what''s going on." Sect Master Xiahou shook her head.

    She turned to look at Wang Xiuying and asked, "Can you tell us exactly what happened before Elder Gu took him away?"

    Wang Xiuying nodded and recalled everything from the moment she met Yuan to the moment they left the Alchemy Store, where the Disciplinary Squad showed up.

    "What? Disciple Gu is also involved in this mess? If we cannot contact Elder Gu, maybe we can contact Disciple Gu through his Master, Elder Cang." Sect Master Xiahou said.

    They left the Disciplinary Squad''s headquarters shortly after and went to find Elder Cang, Disciple Gu''s Master and Sect Master Xiahou''s right-hand man.

    Sometimeter.

    "Sect Master¡ª and other Sect Masters?! Why are all of you here? What happened to the meeting?" Elder Cang was shocked to see them gather inside his room.

    "Elder Cang, I need you to contact your disciple right now!" Sect Master Xiahou said to him.

    "My disciple? Which one?" Elder Cang raised an eyebrow.

    "Disciple Gu!"

    "Gu Zhiting? Did he do something? For the Sect Master to be asking for him¡­ If he did anything wrong, I will personally lecture him when he returns¡ª"

    "WE DON''T HAVE THE LUXURY TO WAIT! HURRY UP AND CONTACT HIM!" Sect Master Xiahou suddenly roared at him.

    Elder Cang nearly had a heart attack. Although this isn''t his first time being yelled at by her, it was never this severe.

    ''Gu Zhiting, what in heavens'' name did you do to anger the Sect Master to such an extent?! Even the other Sect Masters are here! Fuck me!'' Elder Cang cried inwardly as he retrieved hismunication jade slip and called Disciple Gu.

    Meanwhile, back at the underground prison, a few moments after Yuan broke out of his restraints, Disciple Gu felt hismunication jade slip trembling.

    "U-Uncle, it''s my Master¡­ He''s calling for me for some reason¡­" Disciple Gu said to him.

    "Ignore it! We have more important things to deal with right now!" Elder Gu quickly said.

    Yuan smiled and said, "Go ahead and answer it. I''m sure it''s very important. Don''t worry, I won''t do anything. I promise."

    "Shut up! Nobody asked for your input!" Disciple Gu shouted.

    Yuan shrugged, "Suit yourself."

    "Answer me! Where did you get that treasure?! If you don''t answer me right now, I will kill you where you stand!" Elder Gu suddenly roared, and he released his cultivation base that was at the first level of Spirit King.

    "Are you sure you want to do that here? The ground will copse on us if you act too crazy." Yuan said in a calm voice.

    "I will not repeat myself! Answer my question or die!"

    However, instead of answering Elder Gu''s question, Yuan retrieved another treasure that belonged to their Gu Family.

    "T-That''s¡ª!"

    Even Disciple Gu recognized the treasure this time.

    "BASTARD! HOW DID YOU ACQUIRE THOSE TREASURES?!" Elder Gu was fuming so hard that his entire face was covered in bulging vessels that could pop at any moment.

    "Go ask your Patriarch." Yuan smiled.

    "THEN DIE FOR ME!"

    Elder Gu could no longer endure his anger and released his cultivation base at Yuan.

    BOOM!

    The entire underground copsed from the attack, but neither Elder Gu nor his people were harmed, as they were protected by his spiritual energy.

    Meanwhile, back at the sect, Elder Cang shook his head, "I have tried contacting Gu Zhiting many times, but he''s not answering."

    "Fuck!" Sect Master Xiahou cursed again.

    It was at this moment everyone in the room suddenly sensed a ripple in the air that was caused by Elder Gu''s powerful attack.

    "Did anyone feel that just now?! Someone is fighting nearby!"

    "Judging by the strength of the ripple, it was caused by a Spirit King! The only Spirit King beside us in this ce is Elder Gu!" Sect Master Xiahou said.

    "Let''s go!"

    Everybody there immediately rushed out of the building and followed the direction the ripple wasing from.

    They arrived at the copsed cave a few minutester, and when they arrived, Elder Gu and the others were still at the scene, as they wanted to make sure that Yuan was dead before they left.

    "Elder Gu! What is the meaning of this?!"

    "S-Sect Master?! What are you doing here?!" Elder Gu had the same reaction as Elder Cang, but he was more nervous.

    But before Sect Master Xiahou could even respond, another person showed up to the scene.

    "Elder Brother?!"

    "F-Father?!"

    It was Patriarch Gu, and he had a terrified look on his face.N?velDrama.Org content rights.

 Chapter 927 - Grail of Truth

    Chapter 927 - Grail of Truth

    "Patriarch Gu? What is he doing here?" The other Sect Masters were surprised to see him as well.

    However, Patriarch Gu ignored all of their gazes and focused on the copsed cave with a terrified look on his face.

    He then looked at Elder Gu and Disciple Gu.

    "You¡­ What have you two done?" He asked them in a low and dispirited voice.

    "Elder Brother! I just took care of some bastard that had stolen our Gu Family''s treasures! Believe it or not, he had our Grail of Truth and¡ª"

    "YOU FOOL!" Patriarch Gu roared.

    "Did you not hear about what had happened to our family?! Did you really think that we''d encountered a cmity?!" Patriarch Gu pointed at the copsed cave and continued, "The person you just buried was that cmity!"

    "W-What? Are you saying that he was the one who crippled our family and killed our Spirit Lords? If that''s the case, then I have avenged our family! He''s dead!" Elder Guughed out loud.

    "You really think you had killed him?" Sect Master Li suddenly spoke, and he continued, "Even six Sect Masters from the Seven Spirit Academies was not enough to defeat him."

    "What?" Elder Gu and Disciple Gu looked at the Sect Master with wide eyes.

    BOOM!

    The ground suddenly shook, and before anyone there could react, almost as though a volcano had erupted, the copsed cave suddenly exploded into the air.

    A figure could be seen flying out of the rubble a momentter.

    Of course, it was Yuan, and he waspletely unharmed.

    "Y-Y-You!" Elder Gu stared at Yuan with a shocked look on his face.

    ''How did he survive my attack?! I used all of my cultivation in that attack!'' He cried inwardly.

    "Hm?" Yuan quickly noticed that there were more people than before.

    He nced at them and smiled.

    "Yuan! Are you okay?!" Wang Xiuying asked him while standing behind the Sect Masters on her flying treasure.

    "Yes, I am fine. However, believe it or not, these guys just tried to kill me! I was so scared!" Yuan chuckled.

    "Yuan! Listen to me!" Sect Master Xiahou suddenly spoke, "What happened between you and Elder Gu and Disciple Gu has nothing to do with my Spirit Healing Academy! I came back as soon as I heard about it! Please, forgive us!"

    "In fact, I hereby strip them of their statuses and exile them from my sect! They no longer have anything to do with us!"

    "What?! You can''t do that to us, Sect Master!" Disciple Gu eximed in a shocked voice.

    Yuan nodded, "Don''t worry, I never nned on doing anything to your sect. After all, my friend is studying there. Furthermore, I am not so unreasonable that I would punish an entire sect because of two peoples'' actions."

    He then turned to look at the Disciplinary Squad and continued, "Since you guys were only following orders, I will also forgive you. Now get out of here before I change my mind."

    The disciples following Elder Gu immediately turned around and started running back to the sect.

    Once it was just Elder Gu and Disciple Gu, Yuan turned to look at them and mumbled out loud, "Now, what should I do with them?"

    "Not only did you plot to kill me just because I am friends with Healer Wang, but you also nned on feeding her a Mind Invasion Pill to alter her memories. It wouldn''t be unreasonable to kill the both of you, right?"

    "What?! They wanted to feed me the Mind Invasion Pill?!" Wang Xiuying eximed in a terrified voice after hearing this information.

    "You two¡­ I''m speechless¡­" Even the other Sect Masters were baffled to hear such information.

    "P-Please wait!" Patriarch Gu suddenly shouted.

    And he continued, "I know they have wronged you, but please, can you spare their lives?! I¡ª the Gu Family willpensate for this incident! We will give you anything you want! Gu Zhiting is my only son, and that foolish young brother of mine is the only brother I have! If you kill them, I will truly have nothing left!"

    Yuan turned to face Patriarch Gu, who had a desperate expression on his face.

    "You want me to forgive them after everything today? What do you think happened when I forgave Sun Hao? He immediately ignored my warning and spat on my kindness by going to your Gu Family."

    "If I forgive them after everything they''ve done, they will definitelye back to bite me in the future, and I cannot risk doing that." Yuan said in a cold voice.

    "I-It won''t happen! I promise! I swear on my surname that they will not trouble you ever again in the future!"

    Yuan turned to look at Elder Gu and Gu Zhiting, who werepletely soaked in sweat.

    "Tell me. If I forgive you, will you promise to never bother me or Healer Wang ever again?" He asked them in a calm voice.

    "W-We promise! We will never bother you or Healer Wang ever again!" They both promised simultaneously.

    "..."

    Yuan silently stared at them with a pondering look.

    After a moment of silence, he turned to look at Patriarch Gu and smiled.

    Patriarch Gu subconsciously smiled back.

    "What a pity." Yuan suddenly said as his expression turned cold.

    "W-What?" The smile on Patriarch Gu''s face immediately flipped upside down.

    Yuan revealed a certain treasure to them.

    "T-That''s¡ª!" Patriarch Gu''s eyes widened with shock.

    "That''s right. It''s the Grail of Truth. As long as I have this, you cannot lie to me." Yuan said.

    [Grail of Truth]

    [Grade: Divine]

    [Quality: Peak]

    [Description: A powerful treasure once owned by the Sacred Temple of Truth. The Grail of Truth will expose all liars and emit a golden glow when someone lies before its presence.]

    The Grail of Truth before them was glowing, meaning that someone had lied just now, and the only people that had the chance to lie were Elder Gu and Gu Zhiting.

    "W-Wait! Give us a chance to exin!" Elder Gu immediately shouted.

    "I already gave you both plenty of chances, and unfortunately, you just used up yourst chance." Yuan said in a nonchnt manner.

    "H-Help me! Father, I don''t want to die!" Gu Zhiting began crying with a runny nose.

    "Please! You can even take away their cultivation! Just spare their lives!" Patriarch Gu pleaded.N?velDrama.Org owns this.

    However, Yuan pretended to not hear their voices and retrieved the Empyrean Overlord, his intentions clear.

    The Sect Masters distanced themselves, as they did not want to be caught up in their mess.

    Patriarch Gu wanted to stop Yuan, but he was afraid that by doing so, Yuan would take his anger out on him and his Gu Family afterward.

    Therefore, he could only use his voice to beg for their lives.

    Unfortunately, Yuan had no intentions to spare them.

    "Here''s a suggestion for your next life¡ª stay out of trouble!" Yuan said to them as he swung the Empyrean Overlord, sending a powerful wave of Sword Aura at them.

    Elder Gu and Gu Zhiting were so terrified by the pressure that they couldn''t even defend themselves.

    And right as the Sword Aura was about to hit them, a figure suddenly appeared before them like a ghost and blocked the attack.

    Yuan raised an eyebrow after seeing this neer with a face that he didn''t recognize.

    Although Yuan didn''t recognize this person, the Sect Masters and Patriarch Gu recognized him.

    "Lord Ji?!" The Sect Masters eximed in a surprised manner.

    However, Patriarch Gu appeared to be more relieved than surprised, almost as though he was expecting this person to appear.

    This neer known as Lord Ji narrowed his eyes on his own arms after blocking Yuan''s attack, feeling a little numb because of it.

    "Who are you?" Yuan asked him in a calm voice.

    "Hello, young man. I am known as Lord Ji, and I am the current Lord of this realm. My Ji Family oversees the Nine Heavens¡ª At least up to the Fourth Heaven."

    "Lord of Spirit Heaven?" Yuan mumbled.

    He recalled such a thing being mentioned before¡ª that every world besides the Lower Heavens will have a ''Lord'' that oversees it.

    "Because of my status, I don''t normally intervene in conflicts that don''t greatly affect the bnce of the world."

    "So me killing these two will somehow greatly affect the bnce of this world?" Yuan asked.

    "No, it won''t."

    "Then why are you here?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    "Because a friend of mine asked for help." Lord Ji responded with a calm smile on his face.

 Chapter 928 - Lord Ji

    Chapter 928 - Lord Ji

    "A friend, huh?" Yuan nced at Patriarch Gu, who looked much better than before in terms of appearance, almost as though he''d been resurrected.

    Lord Ji smiled and said, "There''s no point in hiding the truth. Indeed, it was Patriarch Gu who asked me for help."

    "And to tell you the truth, I have been watching you ever since you came out of the Stairway to Heaven, Yuan."

    "Huh? You have been stalking me since I came to Spirit Heaven?" Yuan was surprised to learn this information, even a little creeped out by it.

    Lord Jiughed out loud, "No, I wouldn''t call it stalking. I didn''t physically watch you with my own eyes¡ª I simply gathered information about you."

    "You had piqued my interest, so I wanted to know more about you¡ª to understand you. Unfortunately, I still cannot understand your existence even as we speak. Your background is aplete mystery, almost nonexistent, almost as though you''d suddenly popped into this world."

    "Tell me, where did youe from?" Lord Ji narrowed his sharp eyes at Yuan.

    Yuan remained calm and said, "Sorry, but I don''t have the time to chit chat with you."

    "Then when will you have time?"

    "I will think about it after I kill those two behind you."

    Lord Ji''s eyes widened, and he proceeded to speak in a surprised voice, "You still have thoughts about killing them even though I am clearly trying to protect them? No one has ever dared to stand up to me like this¡ª not even when I was little."

    "Of course. They tried to kill me and harm my friend, and they clearly won''t stop even if I forgive them today."

    Lord Ji sighed, "Why don''t you give me some face today and let them go, Yuan? I promise you that I will make it worthwhile. Nothing good wille out of going against my Ji Family. Let''s just be friends with each other, okay?"

    Yuan sneered at his words and spoke, "Unfortunately, I don''t want to be friends with someone who is willing to protect these good-for-nothing that wouldn''t think twice before plotting against others."

    "I don''t care if you''re the Lord of this realm or if your family oversees the Nine Heavens. Nothing will stop me from killing these two today."

    The friendly smile on Lord Ji''s face disappeared after he heard Yuan''s words, and it was reced by a cold expression.

    "You''re going to challenge the Stairway to Heaven soon, right? I have no doubt that you will be able to pass the trials and reach the Third Heaven with your talents, but once you ascend, you will not be able to return without my Ji Family''s permission."

    "Once you are gone, who will protect your friends? Who will be able to stop me¡ª or anyone from harming your friends?" Lord Ji narrowed his eyes at Yuan.

    Although Yuan isn''t aware of it, Lord Ji was only bluffing. As the Lord of Spirit Heaven, he cannot act against the residences of the world he governs without a proper reason, or he will be punished by the Heavens and have his authority stripped.

    This means that even if he hates someone with all of his guts, he cannot harm that individual unless that person does something that vites thews of this world and tantly goes against the Heavens.

    With that being said, that doesn''t restrict Patriarch Gu and his family from harming Wang Xiuying and the others once Yuan leaves this world, so that is a possibility.

    "So what you''re saying is that I should remove the Ji Family and the Gu Family from this world before I ascend to the next world, right? As much as I hate killing, if it means my friends are safe¡­" Yuan suddenly released his cultivation base.

    ''What a terrifying aura! Even though he''s only a Spirit Lord, he emits a pressure that surpasses even mine as a peak Spirit King!'' Lord Ji was shocked inwardly by Yuan''s talents.

    Yuan''s aura was so powerful that it choked Patriarch Gu, who was a Spirit King.

    "Calm down, Yuan. I won''t fight you. In fact, I cannot harm you until you attack me." Lord Ji raised his hand to surrender.This is from N?velDrama.Org.

    "If you really want to kill these two behind me, I won''t stop you."

    "What?! Lord Ji! You cannot abandon them after giving us hope! It''s too cruel!" Patriarch Gu was shocked to hear such words.

    "Please, Lord Ji! Save us!" Disciple Gu cried out loud.

    Lord Ji looked at Patriarch Gu and said, "You know that I cannot physically intervene in your conflicts. I have already done everything that I could. I thought that words would be enough to stop this young man, but I was wrong. He''s more crazy than I thought¡ª crazy enough to threaten my Ji Family."

    He then faced Yuan and continued, "I admire your attitude and boldness, Yuan. However, you have caused me to lose face before so many influential people today, and nobody that goes against me or my Ji Family has ever gotten away unpunished."

    "It might not happen tomorrow or a monthter, but mark my words, I will not forget this p in my face, Yuan."

    Despite showing no signs of anger, his voice was so cold that it caused everyone there but Yuan to tremble in fear.

    "This is yourst chance. Choose wisely." Lord Ji suddenly moved away from Elder Gu and Gu Zhiting, giving Yuan a clear path to them.

    Yuan narrowed his eyes on Lord Ji, wondering if it was a trap. However, Lord Ji showed no signs of wanting to interfere.

    "Please! Spare us! We were wrong! I swear that I won''t harm you or your friends in the future!" Elder Gu pleaded.

    "M-Me too! I swear that I¡ª"

    However, before Gu Zhiting could even finish his sentence, Yuan mercilessly swung his sword, killing the both of them with his Sword Aura almost instantly.

    "BROTHER! SON! NO!!!" Patriarch Gu roared in despair.

    Lord Ji took a deep breath after witnessing Elder Gu and Gu Zhiting''s death, and he turned to look at Yuan with a vicious face, who was looking at the Grail of Truth, which was emitting a golden glow.

    "I would have spared them if this treasure didn''t have a reaction. Unfortunately¡­" Yuan sighed in a low voice.

 Chapter 929 - Heavensâ€™ Judgment

    Chapter 929 - Heavens'' JudgmentThis is from N?velDrama.Org.

    "This crazy bastard¡­" Lord Ji mumbled in a low voice as he watched Elder Gu and Gu Zhiting''s severed corpses fall to the ground from the sky.

    ''Is this what it feels like to be opposed? How interesting¡­'' He smiled inwardly.

    "He really killed them¡­" Wang Xiuying was left speechless by Yuan''s actions. She didn''t think he would actually kill them.

    Sometimeter, Yuan turned to look at Patriarch Gu and spoke in a calm voice, "Are you going to avenge them now? Will you also plot to harm my friends once I am gone?"

    "..."

    However, Patriarch Gu remained silent.

    The Grail of Truth had a single weakness. If someone doesn''t speak, it would not be able to detect any lies. However, by avoiding the Grail of Truth, they might as well be a liar. After all, there would be no point to avoid the Grail of Truth if one nned on speaking the truth.

    "If you don''t answer my question, I will kill you as well." Yuan narrowed his eyes at Patriarch Gu, who trembled upon feeling such gaze.

    After a moment of silence, he spoke in a low voice, "KIll me if you want. I don''t care anymore."

    He then turned to look at Lord Ji and sped his hands before continuing, "Thank you for responding to my request for help. Even if you were not able to save their lives, I am still grateful that you came, and I am indebted to you."

    Lord Ji silently nodded.

    Patriarch Gu turned to look at Yuan again for a moment before turning around and flying away.

    Yuan narrowed his eyes at Patriarch Gu, but he didn''t chase after him.

    "Young Master, are you sure you want to let him go? My experience tells me that he will definitely try to avenge his son and brother in the future." Feng Yuxiang said to him.

    "I know." Yuan said.

    "Then why?"

    "His eyescked any will to live, and it reminds me of someone. I cannot kill him even if I want to¡ª my body doesn''t allow it." He sighed.

    The current Patriarch Gu reminded Yuan of himself during his early years as a cripple. He had no reason to live, and he couldn''t care less if he lived or died. This made him hesitant on killing Patriarch Gu.

    "However, that doesn''t mean I will allow him to harm my friends. They all believe that I won''t be able to return to this ce once I ascend, but that is not even close to being true. If he dares to try anything funny, I wille back down here and finish them off."

    "What about this Lord Ji? His Ji Family is incredibly powerful¡ª even more powerful than the Seven Legacy Families. They will definitely try to suppress you, but I highly discourage you from fighting them. Although you might be able to defeat them now, you won''t be able to deal with the Ji Family in the upper heavens." Feng Yuxiang asked.

    "I don''t know. This Lord Ji is a weird one. I do not understand him at all." Yuan shook his head inwardly.

    And he continued, "I guess we can only wait and see how everything goes."

    Once Patriarch Gu left the scenepletely, Lord Ji spoke in a calm voice, "You''re really one crazy bastard, Yuan. Nobody has ever opposed me this openly. I''m both impressed and filled with rage right now."

    "What do you think I should do with you, hmm?"

    Yuan smiled and responded in a calm voice, "You can forget about this incident. This is the best for both of us. Furthermore, you''re not even supposed to be here in the first ce."

    Lord Ji shook his head and spoke, "Unfortunately, that is no longer possible. You have opposed me, causing me to lose a lot of face today. Personally, I am not one who cares too much about face, but the Heavens watching us might think differently."

    "If I don''t punish you for opposing me, the Heavens that have witnessed everything might deem me unworthy of the position of Lord and strip my status, and that is something I cannot allow even if it costs me my life."

    "The Heavens?" Yuan raised his eyebrows and lifted his head to look up.

    "They''re watching us now?"

    Lord Ji smiled, "The Heavens are always watching us¡ª all of us."

    ''Is that any different from the saying that God is always watching us?'' Yuan wondered to himself.

    "So what are you going to do now? Are you going to fight me and reim your face?" Yuan asked a momentter.

    "No, I won''t fight you. Violence isn''t always the answer, and the Ji Family has their own methods to deal with you."

    "However, let''s see what the Heavens have to say about this."

    Lord Ji suddenly retrieved a clear double terminated crystal and raised it above him.

    "Judgment!" He shouted a momentter.

    A sea of white clouds began gathering above their location, but the clouds started turning darker in color as time passed.

    Within moments, the once white clouds were pitch ck.

    BANG!

    A single lightning strike suddenly descended from the ck clouds and struck the crystal in Lord Ji''s grasp.

    The clear crystal began changing colors shortly after, and within moments, it became just like the clouds¡ª pitch ck.

    "T-This is¡­" Lord Ji appeared to be shocked and terrified at the same time when he saw the results.

    He stared at the ck crystal with wide eyes as the clouds began to disperse.

    ''Feng Feng, I have a bad feeling about this. Do you know what he''s doing?" Yuan asked her.

    "The Lords have the ability to call upon the Heavens for judgment of certain individuals. This is my first time witnessing it personally, but I have heard rumors. If the crystal turns golden, it means the Heavens are willing to forgive that person. The crystal can also turn red, but that means punishment for the person it judged."

    "However, I have never heard of a pitch ck crystal before." Feng Yuxiang said in a puzzled voice.

    "Is that so¡­" Yuan mumbled, and they all patiently waited for Lord Ji to announce the results of his judgment.

 Chapter 930 - Tier 4 Body Tempering Pill

    Chapter 930 - Tier 4 Body Tempering Pill

    Many moments passed since Lord Ji''s crystal turned pitch ck, but he hasn''t uttered a single word since then.

    Yuan could no longer wait and asked him, "Hey, what''s the Heavens'' judgment? Judging by the ominous color, it can''t be anything good, right?"

    Lord Ji finally snapped out of his daze and turned to face Yuan with a profound frown on his face.

    And without exining anything, he turned around and flew away.

    "What the heck? He''s running away?" Yuan was dumbfounded by the Lord''s action.

    "Hey! Where are you going?! Come back here and exin the situation!"

    He thought about chasing after Lord Ji, but he decided to let him go for now.

    "What was that all about?" Wang Xiuying approached him afterward and asked.

    "I have no idea." Yuan shrugged.

    "Anyways, are you hurt?" He asked her.

    "I should be asking you that question."

    "I''m fine." Yuan smiled.

    "I apologize¡­ If I didn''t leave the sect, none of this would''ve happened." Sect Master Xiahou apologized to him again.Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.

    "Don''t kick yourself. It''s not your fault." Yuan shook his head,

    "By the way, what are you guys doing here?" Yuan turned to look at the other Sect Masters.

    "We were in a meeting when you interrupted us¡­ again." Sect Master Li said.

    "After hearing about the situation from Sect Master Xiahou, we decided to tag along just in case." Bai Enjue said.

    "Just in case what? That I decided to destroy this ce? Do I look like a viin to you? I am a reasonable person. I won''t harm innocent people." Yuanughed out loud.

    "Anyways, let''s go back. I want to soak in some hot water after all that. Luckily, I have a cauldron and some pills that I want to test out."

    While Yuan and Wang Xiuying returned to the sect, Sect Master Xiahou called for disciples to clean up the mess caused by the incident.

    Elder Gu and Gu Zhiting''s corpses were gathered, stitched up, and sent back to the Gu Family.

    As for the copsed cave, the Sect Master decided topletely demolish it.

    The other Sect Masters returned to their own sect shortly after.

    "My god, Yuan. It hasn''t even been a full day since you arrived and you''ve already caused so much chaos." Wang Xiuying said to him after they returned to her living quarters.

    "You''re ming me? I am the victim here!" He eximed.

    "I know, it''s just a joke. By the way, are you really going to temper yourself with the Tier 4 and Tier 5 Body Tempering Pills? I really think you should hold off on them for now."

    Yuan smiled, "Have some faith in me."

    "Anyways, how do I use this thing?" He showed her the cauldron he just got.

    "You need to form a connection with it first. Drop some of your blood on it and establish a connection with your spiritual sense. After that, you will be able to change its size with a thought."

    Yuan nodded and dropped some of his blood onto the cauldron.

    After he injected some of his spiritual energy into the cauldron, he could immediately feel a connection to it, almost like his connections with his servants.

    Once the connection was strong enough, Yuan could change the cauldron''s size with a mere thought, and it felt extremely natural, almost as though he''d been doing it for years.

    "Wow, this is big enough to fit four people!" Yuan was pleasantly surprised by the cauldron''s maximum size.

    "Now you fill the cauldron up with water and heat it up using a me technique. If you don''t have any fire-making techniques, I can help you." Wang Xiuying said.

    "Actually, I might have one. However, I have never used it."

    Yuan proceeded to activate a technique that he''d learned early on but never got the chance to use¡ª

    [Heavenly Fire Control]

    A ball of me appeared on Yuan''s palms.

    "What do you think? It''s a Mortal-rank technique meant for cooking." Yuan said with a smile on his face.

    Wang Xiuying rubbed her temples and sighed, "You won''t be able to warm the cauldron with such a pitifully weak fire, much less warm the water¡­"

    "I-Is that so¡­Well, its description does say ''regr'' fire." Yuan shrugged.

    "Don''t worry, I will help you heat up the¡ª"

    However, before Wang Xiuying could even finish her sentence, Feng Yuxiang appeared beside Yuan and used her phoenix fire to heat up the cauldron almost instantly.

    "Y-You are¡­" Wang Xiuying stared at Feng Yuxiang''s pretty face for a moment before turning to admire her beautiful golden mes.

    "Wow¡­ What pretty and powerful mes. This must be named Alchemy me!"

    "Huh? Alchemy me? How dare youpare my Phoenix fire to Alchemy mes! My mes are much more special than any Alchemy me out there!" Feng Yuxiang said in a bragging tone.

    "Huh? Phoenix fire? I have never heard of such a thing before," said Wang Xiuying in a dazed voice.

    "I''m not surprised." Feng Yuxiang sneered.

    Yuan smiled and said, "Feng Feng is a Divine Beast¡ª a Phoenix."

    "Wow, a phoenix? First dragons, now a phoenix? I always meet these mythical beings whenever I am with you, Yuan." Wang Xiuying smiled.

    Sometimeter, Yuan tossed the Tier 4 Body Tempering Pill into the boiling hot water and watched it disappear almost instantly, turning the clear water into a murky green color.

    Yuan waited for a few more moments just to be safe before removing his clothes and entering the cauldron.

    "I-I should wait outside¡­" Wang Xiuying said with a flushed face after seeing Yuan''s naked body.

    "You can stay. I don''t mind." Yuan said to her as he sat down.

    After taking a deep breath, he started absorbing the medicine, officially starting his body tempering.

    Yuan immediately gritted his teeth when he sensed pain, but it wasn''t unbearable.

    In fact, it was nowhere near as painful as his first experience and when he tempered his body with Chu Liuxiang with the dragon scales.

    "How do you feel, Yuan? You don''t have to force yourself¡­" Wang Xiuying said to him in a nervous voice.

    "I''m fine. This much pain is very bearable," he calmly said.

    "No way¡­" She mumbled with a dumbfounded look on her face.

 Chapter 931 - Becoming an Alchemist

    Chapter 931 - Bing an Alchemist

    "Since you''re able to endure the pain and nothing seems to be wrong, I will leave you alone and go concoct some pills. How long will you be staying there? A single pill canst you a week even if you are soaked in it the entire time." Wang Xiuying asked him.

    "I''ll temper my body for a few hours. It would be a waste of money if I leave so quickly," he said.

    "Okay. Have fun." Wang Xiuying went to her room to concoct pills.

    Three hourster, Yuan opened his eyes and looked at the clear water with raised eyebrows,

    "I thought she said that it''dst a week. It''s only been three hours since I started and the medicine is already all gone." Yuan mumbled in a low voice.

    "Young Master, did you already forget? You have a special body and incredible talents. It''s only natural that you''d absorb the medicine much quicker than others." Feng Yuxiang said.

    "I''m well aware of that, but when it takes only a few short hours to absorb a week''s worth of medicine... At this rate, I will need to buy a lot of Body Tempering Pills. I don''t even dare to imagine how much money it will cost me if I want to temper my body for 1 month." Yuan sighed.

    "The most efficient way to save money on pills is to concoct them yourself. Although the ingredients are costly as well, you can easily make a profit with a single decent pill. If you concoct two pills and sell one of them you''ll gain enough money to buy ingredients to concoct another two or three pills, even more if the pill is of high quality." Feng Yuxiang said.

    Yuan sighed, "So you''re telling me to be an Alchemist and concoct the pills myself? I wanted to be an Alchemist at one point, but after learning the process, I gave up on that thought."

    "No offense to Xiuying and all of the Alchemists out there, but I just find it way too boring. Honestly, if I wasn''t able to consume monster cores and raise my cultivation that way, I would''ve hated cultivation."

    Feng Yuxiang began pondering after hearing Yuan''s words.

    "I have a suggestion," she said a momentter, and she continued, "If the Young Master refuses to do Alchemy, why don''t I concoct pills for you?"

    "Huh?" Yuan looked at her with wide eyes.

    "You want to concoct pills for me? Do you know how to concoct pills?"

    She shook her head, "No, I have never concocted a pill before, nor do I have any experience in Alchemy."

    "Then how are you going to concoct pills? I can''t ask you to learn Alchemy just to help me save money. That''s too much." Yuan rejected her idea.

    Feng Yuxiang then said, "Actually, even if I don''t have any experience, I am very confident in my abilities to concoct pills. After all, arge part of Alchemy is basically how well one can control their mes."

    "I may be a young phoenix, but I am very confident in my mastery over my own mes. Furthermore, my phoenix me can rival even the best Alchemy mes out there. I meet pretty much every necessary requisite for an Alchemist¡ª a powerful fire, perfect control over that fire, and I also have extensive knowledge on medicine and herbs because of my previous upation. If you ask me, I am essentially an Alchemist already."

    Yuan stared at her with a look of disbelief, and he mumbled in a low voice, "If you put it that way¡­"

    "Now I just need to sessfully concoct a pill. Once that is done, I can call myself an Alchemist and start concocting pills for you! I will be right back, Young Master! You can go ahead and try out the Tier 5 Body Tempering Pill."

    "Where are you going?" He asked out of curiosity.

    "I''m going to borrow your friend''s cauldron and try to concoct a pill!"

    After saying that, Feng Yuxiang left the room and went to find Wang Xiuying, who was practicing Tier 4 pills in her own room.

    "71 percent purity¡­ Haaaa¡­ It''ll probably take me another month before I can concoct Tier 4 pills with over 90 percent purity¡­" Wang Xiuying sighed.

    Despite already having the ability to concoct Tier 4 pills without failing 10 out of 10 times, she won''t consider it a sess until she can concoct a Tier 4 pill with over 90 percent purity.

    In fact, she refuses to touch Tier 5 pills until she can ''sessfully'' concoct a Tier 4 pill. This stubbornness has caused her Master plenty of headaches.

    "Alright! Let''s try again!"

    However, Feng Yuxiang knocked on her door right as she stood up to gather more ingredients.

    "Hm? Did something happen to Yuan?" Wang Xiuying asked after seeing Feng Yuxiang standing outside her room.

    "No, I came here because I have a request. Can you concoct a Body Tempering Pill for me? I also want to watch you make it."

    "I don''t mind, but can I ask why? Yuan is already using Tier 4 Body Tempering Pills while I can only concoct Tier 3 Body Tempering Pills."Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.

    "I want to see if I can concoct a pill." Feng Yuxiang said.

    "Eh?" Wang Xiuying raised her eyebrows in a questioning manner.

    "Are you an Alchemist as well? I mean, you do have a very powerful fire¡­"

    "No, I am not¡­ yet."

    "I-Is that so¡­ I guess I can concoct a Tier 3 Body Tempering Pill for you." Wang Xiuying epted her request.

    "Thank you."

    While Wang Xiuying gathered the ingredients, Feng Yuxiang took a seat in front of the cauldron right beside where Wang Xiuying will be seated.

    Once Wang Xiuying was seated and began concocting the pill, Feng Yuxiang paid close attention to her Alchemy me.

    From the temperature of Wang Xiuying''s Alchemy me to the way she adjusted its intensity¡ª Feng Yuxiang memorized all of it with a single nce.

 Chapter 932 - Feng Yuxiangâ€™s Alchemy

    Chapter 932 - Feng Yuxiang''s Alchemy

    While Feng Yuxiang went to watch Wang Xiuying concot pills, Yuan tested out the Tier 5 Body Tempering Pill.

    "Shit! This is painful!" He eximed in a shocked voice after trying to absorb the medicine.

    "I didn''t think the difference between Tier 4 and Tier 5 would be this vast. This pain isparable to my first experience."

    However, despite the pain, Yuan felt relieved. After all, if the Tier 5 Body Tempering Pills were not strong enough, he would need to use Tier 6 Body Tempering Pills, and who knows how much a single one of those would cost.

    An hourter, Wang Xiuying retrieved the Tier 3 Body Tempering Pill that she''d just concocted from the cauldron.

    "How was that?" She asked.

    "I have memorized everything. Thank you. Now I would like to try." Feng Yuxiang said.

    "You want to try? You know¡­ I don''t want to sound arrogant, but if concocting pills were this easy, everyone would be an Alchemist."

    "Maybe not human cultivators. However, in case you forgot, I am not human. I am a phoenix with fire mastery that most humans cannot even begin toprehend."

    Feng Yuxiang stood up and asked, "Can I use your medicines for my pill?"

    "Sure¡­ Use as many as you want." Wang Xiuying nodded.

    After gathering enough ingredients to concoct three Tier 3 Body Tempering Pills, Feng Yuxiang returned to the cauldron.

    "If I cannot sessfully concoct a pill with three attempts, I will admit defeat and learn Alchemy from the beginning."

    Feng Yuxiang proceeded to summon her phoenix fire around the cauldron, and Wang Xiuying stared with wide eyes.

    ''Her control over the mes is immacte¡­ She''s even better than my Master¡­'' Wang Xiuying was shocked inwardly by Feng Yuxiang''s performance even though she hadn''t even begun putting the ingredients inside.

    Sometimeter, Feng Yuxiang tossed the first ingredient into the cauldron and adjusted the strength of her mes so that it wouldn''t burn the ingredient.

    ''My god, she melted the ingredient almost instantly and even destroyed all of the impurities at the same time. I have never seen anything like this before¡­'' Wang Xiuying eximed inwardly as she watched Feng Yuxiang toss ingredients into the cauldron every five seconds.

    The speed of Feng Yuxiang''s Alchemy was truly shocking for someone like Wang Xiuying, as it was many times faster than even her Master, who was the best Alchemist in the Spirit Heaven.

    Feng Yuxiang melted all of the ingredients needed to concoct the pill within minutes, and after another minute, she finished concocting the Tier 3 Body Tempering Pill.

    "Looks pretty good to me. What do you think?" Feng Yuxiang handed the pill to Wang Xiuying after ncing at it.

    [Body Tempering Pill] [Tier: 3] [Purity: 99%]

    [Effects: Used for body tempering. Toss in water and wait until the pillpletely dissolves. Only rmended for Spirit Grandmasters and above.]

    [Description: Concocted by Feng Yuxiang]<i> [  ]</i>

    "Unbelievable¡­ You really concocted a Tier 3 Body Tempering Pill on your first try¡­ And it even has a 99 percent purity! Please tell me you were only joking with me when you said that you had no experience with Alchemy!" Wang Xiuying looked at Feng Yuxiang with teary eyes.N?velDrama.Org content rights.

    "This is really my first time doing Alchemy." Feng Yuxiang calmly shrugged.

    And to Feng Yuxiang''s surprise, Wang Xiuying suddenly began crying, "If Yuan has someone as talented as you by his side, there''s no longer any reason for someone like me to exist! All of my efforts would be in vain! And Alchemy is the only thing that I am good with in this world! Why am I so unlucky?! I only wanted to be helpful to him!"

    Feng Yuxiang waspletely baffled by Wang Xiuying''s sudden outburst. She didn''t think that she would upset Wang Xiuying this much by concocting a single pill.

    "I''m sorry, but I don''t really understand¡­" Feng Yuxiang said a few momentster.

    Wang Xiuying wiped her tears and said, "Yuan is a very talented person, some may even say that he''s too talented. He''s also someone that I idolize very much, so I want to help him in any way that I can. However, since he''s very talented, there are very few things that I can help him with."

    "The field of medicine is one of these very few things that Yuan has zero experience and interest in, so I came to this ce to study Alchemy. I wanted to help Yuan with the pills that I''d concocted. However, now that you''re in the picture, I will no longer need to concoct any pills for him since you''ll definitely do much better than me. Do you understand my frustration now?"

    Feng Yuxianbg nodded in a dazed manner.

    "Believe it or not, I actually understand your feelings very well. I also want to help him, but besides offering him treasures and some of my knowledge, there''s really not much that I can do to assist him, and he will eventually acquire more treasures and knowledge than me."

    "However, he just told me that he''s reluctant to learn Alchemy since he finds it very boring, and that''s when I got the idea of bing an Alchemist. This way, I will be able to stand by his side and not feel useless even in the future when he''s standing at the peak of this world."

    "I see¡­ If that''s the case, then I don''t mind giving up on Alchemy. As a nurse, I only want what''s best for my patients, and you''re clearly the best out there¡ª at least way better than me." Wang Xiuying sighed.

    "What? You''re going to give up Alchemy because of this? That''s nonsense!" Feng Yuxiang said.

    "I mean¡­ I only started Alchemy so that I could help him¡­ Is there a point for me to continue if I cannot help him?"

    "Of course! Don''t you enjoy concocting pills? You even said it yourself that you do! I will take care of the Young Master in your ce, so you should start concocting pills for yourself." Feng Yuxiang said,

    And she continued, "Furthermore, the Young Master will be leaving this world soon. Unless you n on ascending with him, you won''t be able to help him with your Alchemy."

    "What?! Yuan is leaving this world already?! He just got here!" Wang Xiuying eximed after learning this information for the first time.

 Chapter 933 - Violet Qilinâ€™s Fire

    Chapter 933 - Violet Qilin''s Fire

    "W-When is he leaving?!" Wang Xiuying asked afterward.

    "Soon. Probably after he finishes visiting this ce." Feng Yuxiang said.

    "What?! That''s less than a week!"

    "Yes¡­ That''s why I don''t rmend you quit being an Alchemist. Unless you ascend with him, you won''t be able to help him. After all, it''s not like he cane down here every time he needs some pills from you."

    "Furthermore, you''re very talented in Alchemy. It would be a waste of talent if you stop now."

    Wang Xiuying sighed, "I guess so¡­"

    "You know, as a phoenix, I was born with the talent to control mes, and I have over 100,000 years of experience. You, on the other hand, are a human with less than 20 years of experience. If you continue being an Alchemist, I have no doubt you''ll eventually surpass me in the future."

    Wang Xiuying nodded with a serious expression on her face, "Then I will continue to practice Alchemy with a new goal in mind¡ª to surpass you and stand by Yuan''s side as his number one Alchemist in the future."

    Feng Yuxiang smiled and said, "And I will start studying Alchemy seriously so that I can continue being his Alchemist. I won''t go easy on you."

    "I would never ask you to go easy on me, or that would make this entire thing meaningless. After all, we both want the best for Yuan."

    Feng Yuxiang nodded, "Now then, if I want to study Alchemy, I will need some manuals. Does the Alchemy Store sell them?"

    "Yes, they do, but they will only sell them to disciples of the sect. If you want some manuals, you can take mine. I no longer have any use for them since I''ve already memorized everything." Wang Xiuying retrieved over 20 manuals and scrolls on Alchemy and medicine, cing them before Feng Yuxiang.

    Feng Yuxiang smiled and said, "In exchange for your manuals, I will give you some treasures. What do you want? Weapons? Rare ingredients?"

    "It''s okay, I don''t need any payment. These manuals aren''t that expensive, either. They cost less than 1,000 gold coins together."

    "I don''t like owing debt to anyone. Even if they''re worth one gold coin, I will pay for it." Feng Yuxiang shook her head.

    She started searching inside her spatial ring the very next moment.

    A few momentster, Feng Yuxiang retrieved a pill-sized clear marble that contained purple mes.

    "I will give you this for the manuals." Feng Yuxiang handed this fiery marble to Wang Xiuying.

    "What''s this?" Wang Xiuying asked as she epted the marble.

    "This marble contains fire from a Violet Qilin, a powerful and rare magical beast known for their natural fire mastery. If you consume this treasure, you will gain the magical beast''s talent, which will greatly boost your control of most mes out there, including Alchemy mes."

    "Wow¡­ Are you sure you want to give me this treasure? It looks and sounds very expensive. How much would a treasure like this cost?" Wang Xiuying asked out of curiosity.

    "Somewhere between 50 to 60 million spirit stones, I guess."

    "F-Fifty million spirit stones?!" Wang Xiuying eximed in a shocked voice.

    "This treasure is way too valuable! My manuals are only worth 1,000 gold coins at most!"

    Feng Yuxiang shrugged and said, "Consider this as an investment."

    "An investment? For what?" Wang Xiuying raised her eyebrows in a questioning manner.

    Feng Yuxiang smiled and said, "While I don''t like owing debts, I love it when people owe me."N?velDrama.Org content rights.

    "In the future, if I need something from you, just remember this debt you owe me. That''s all."

    "That sounds very suspicious. Like a loan shark. You won''t ask me to do something ridiculous, right?" Wang Xiuying said in a doubtful voice.

    "Who knows."

    Wang Xiuying swallowed nervously. However, despite such a suspicious deal, she could not refuse the Violet Qilin''s fire.

    ''Since she is Yuan''s friend, I can trust her¡­ probably. And this treasure is just too good. I will definitely regret it for a very long time if I don''t ept it.''

    After pondering for a moment, Wang Xiuying gave up and said, "Fine, I owe you."

    "Anyways, how do I use this treasure? Do I just swallow it?"

    Feng Yuxiang nodded, "Yes, swallow the entire thing. If you break the marble, the fire will explode and kill you."

    "T-That''s incredibly dangerous! What if it explodes after I swallow it?!"

    "Don''t worry, the marble won''t break that easily, and once it''s in your stomach, it will slowly release the Violet Qilin''s fire, but you will see results immediately. Also, your stomach will feel like it''s on fire for the next few days, but it won''t hurt you. Once you absorb all of the Violet Qilin''s fire, your control with fire will significantly improve, almost as though you''d suddenly gained 1,000 years of experience."

    "I understand. Thank you for the exnation and for this treasure." Wang Xiuying gently ced the marble in her mouth and swallowed it.

    She could immediately feel her stomach''s temperature increasing, and it was actually quitefortable.

    A few momentster, Wang Xiuying could no longer resist her curiosity and started ying around with her Alchemy me, and to her absolute shock, she could immediately see improvements just like Feng Yuxiang said.

    "This is amazing! I can''t believe how much I have improved already!" Wang Xiuying was jumping in joy as she danced around the room with her Alchemy mes.

    "If you''re already this impressed, just wait until you finish absorbing the treasure." Feng Yuxiang said.

    And she continued, "Of course, you will need way more than this treasure to beat me."

    "Thank you! I will definitely repay this debt!" Wang Xiuying suddenly approached Feng Yuxiang and embraced her tightly.

    "H-Hey! Who said you can hug me?! Only the Young Master is allowed to be intimate with my body!" Feng Yuxiang quickly pushed her away.

    Wang Xiuying didn''t mind being pushed away and evenughed.

    "What a weird girl¡­" Feng Yuxiang shook her head inwardly.

 Chapter 934 - Drastic Improvements

    Chapter 934 - Drastic Improvements

    Once she calmed down, Wang Xiuying tried to concoct pills to see the results of the treasure.

    "I-I did it! Tier 4 pill with 90 percent purity! And I thought I would need another month before I can reach this point!" Wang Xiuying kissed the pill in her hands with teary eyes.

    "..." Feng Yuxiang watched with a pondering look on her face.

    ''Her improvements are insane even considering that she''d consumed Violet Qilin''s fire. She''s simply improving too fast. Maybe she has a unique physique that''s causing this?''

    It''s only been an hour since Wang Xiuying consumed the treasure, but she''s already able to improve her Tier 4 pills from 70 percent to 90 percent purity. This kind of improvement would normally need a day, but she was able to achieve such results in only an hour.

    "Hey, what kind of Physique do you have?" Feng Yuxiang decided to ask her.

    "Me? I have a Physique called Pure me Physique."

    "Pure me Physique, huh? That exins your tremendous improvements." Feng Yuxiang mumbled.

    "Do you know what my physique is? Even my Master doesn''t know about it." Wang Xiuying said.

    Feng Yuxiang nodded and said, "The Pure me Physique allows you to consume many different types of mes to improve your own cultivation, and the mes you absorb will also have strengthened results, meaning you acquire more benefits than what''s normally gained."

    "I must say, it''s one of the best physiques out there for Alchemists. You got really lucky."

    "I see¡­ Wait, what kind of fire can I consume, specifically?" Wang Xiuying then asked.

    "You can consume most mes out there, including Alchemy mes."

    "Eh? Won''t that be a waste? Consuming Alchemy mes."

    "No, it won''t be wasted, since you''ll be able to use all the mes you consume."

    "Really?! Does that mean I can also use the Violet Qilin''s purple mes?!" Wang Xiuying asked in an excited voice.

    "Let''s not get ahead of ourselves. You''ll still need enough cultivation to use the mes. If you want to use the Violet Qilin''s purple mes, you will need to be at least a Spirit Emperor."

    "S-Spirit Emperor? How high is that?"

    "Above Spirit King."

    "Spirit King?! That''s my Master''s cultivation! It will take years for me to reach that kind of level, not even mentioning Spirit Emperor!" Wang Xiuying eximed.

    "There''s nothing I can do about that. The Violet Qilin is a powerful magical beast found in the Fourth Heaven and above, so it''s only natural that you need a high cultivation base to use it."

    Wang Xiuying sighed, "Guess I will have to give up on this matter for now¡­"

    Sometimeter, Wang Xiuying continued to concoct Tier 4 pills until she could concoct above 90 percent purity 10 out of 10 times.

    When the sky started turning dark, Yuan finished his body tempering and went to meet with the other two.

    "How did it go, Feng Feng? Were you able to concoct a pill?" Yuan asked her.

    "Take a look at this!" Feng Yuxiang showed him the Tier 3 Body Tempering Pill that she''d concocted.

    "Wow, you actually did it? That''s amazing. Sorry I doubted you."

    "Don''t worry about it. Now we will be able to save a lot of money on pills, and you will essentially have an endless source of Body Tempering Pills!"

    Yuan nodded, "How long do you think it will take you to be able to concoct Tier 5 Body Tempering Pills?"

    "I can''t say right now, but it shouldn''t take too long, considering how easy I was able to concoct a Tier 3 pill."

    "Alright, I will leave it to you."

    "Anyways, I will see you tomorrow, Xiuying. Our tour was cut short today, but we can resume it tomorrow." Yuan said to her.

    "Sure thing."

    "Young Master, can I borrow your cauldron for now? I want to start practicing Alchemy immediately." Feng Yuxiang suddenly asked him.

    "Of course. I left it in the other room."

    "Thank you."

    Yuan logged off the game shortly after. Wang Xiuying continued to concoct pills for another hour before leaving too. As for Feng Yuxiang, she would spend the rest of the night practicing her Alchemy.

    The following day, when Yuan returned to Cultivation Online, Feng Yuxiang greeted him with a wide smile on her face.

    "What''s up, Feng Feng? Did something good happen?" He asked her.

    "Look at this!"

    Feng Yuxiang showed him the pill in her hands.

    [Body Tempering Pill] [Tier: 4] [Purity: 94%]

    [Effects: Used for body tempering. Toss in water and wait until the pillpletely dissolves. Only rmended for Spirit Grandmasters and above.]Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.

    [Description: Concocted by Feng Yuxiang]

    "Tier 4 Body Tempering Pill? You can already concoct Tier 4 pills?" Yuan was surprised by her ridiculous improvement speed.

    At this rate, she will be able to concoct Tier 5 pills by tomorrow!

    "I wanted to try concocting a Tier 5 Body Tempering Pill, but even your friend doesn''t have the recipe for it."

    "I see¡­ Let''s try asking Sect Master Xiahou for itter."

    "Okay."

    Wang Xiuying logged on about an hourter.

    "I wanted to watch thepetition with you today, but because of what happened yesterday, it was canceled. Disciple Gu was apetitor, after all."

    "Then let''s do something else." Yuan said.

    She nodded, "We can continue where we left off yesterday."

    "Sure."

    They made their way to the Alchemy Store shortly after.

    Once they arrived, Wang Xiuying started showing Yuan around the rest of the sect.

    "This is where lectures are given. Elders will show up once a week and concoct pills before the disciples."

    "This is the study hall, where we memorize all sorts of medicine out there with our eyes and nose."

    "This is where disciples with no money can go to practice their Alchemy. Outer Court disciples have ess to the normal cauldrons while Inner Court disciples have ess to enhanced cauldrons."

    After showing Yuan almost everything there is to see, Wang Xiuying asked him, "What do you want to do now?"

    "Hmmm¡­ Do you think we can see your Master now? I want to see if we can buy the recipe for the Tier 5 Body Tempering Pill."

    "Then let''s go to her headquarters and see if she''s there."

    "Okay." Yuan nodded.

 Chapter 935 - Number One Servant

    Chapter 935 - Number One Servant

    Upon Yuan''s request, Wang Xiuying brought him to the Sect Master''s headquarters.

    "Master, are you inside?" Wang Xiuying knocked on her door.

    As Sect Master Xiahou''s disciple, Wang Xiuying had ess to the building, so she could enter and leave as she pleased, something even a lot of Sect Elders couldn''t do.

    "Yes, I am here." Sect Master Xiahou''s voice quickly resounded.

    After all, she couldn''t risk identally offending Yuan again, so she decided to stay in the sect until he leaves.

    "Yuan would like to speak with you."

    "Y-Yuan?! C-Come inside!"

    The nervousness within Sect Master Xiaohou''s voice was apparent, causing Wang Xiuying to show a bittersweet smile as she opened the door and entered the room with Yuan.

    "Hello, Sect Master." Yuan greeted her with a gentle smile.

    "W-What do you want?"

    However, in Sect Master Xiahou''s eyes, his smile was very terrifying. After all, Yuan had the audacity to go against the Ji Family that ruled almost half of the Nine Heavens.

    "I''d like to purchase the Tier 5 Body Tempering Pill from your sect." Yuan did not beat around the bush and said.

    "Why do you need something like that? Do you n on concocting them yourself?" Sect Master Xiahou asked with a pondering look on her face.

    "No, not me. My friend will be the one doing Alchemy. Feng Feng."

    The red-haired beauty Feng Yuxiang appeared in the room beside Yuan the next moment.

    "My name is Feng Yuxiang. I am the Young Master''s most loyal and number one servant." Feng Yuxiang introduced herself.

    However, before Sect Master Xiahou could even respond, another figure appeared in the room¡ª a petite figure with a cute face.

    "Xiao Hua will not let suchments slide, you sly bird! Xiao Hua came first, so she is Brother Yuan''s number one servant."

    Feng Yuxiang rubbed her nose in a cheeky manner and said, "Oh yeah? While you may have been his first servant, I am definitely in the lead when ites to helping him! And very soon, I will help the Young Master even more with my Alchemy!"

    Xiao Hua gritted her teeth in frustration, but she was unable to refute Feng Yuxiang''s words. It was true that Feng Yuxiang has been very helpful to Yuan as ofte. Not only has she helped him save and earn a lot of money, but she even has what seems like an endless supply of valuable treasures for him. Now that she''ll also be concocting pills for Yuan, Feng Yuxiang''s status as his servant has risen to a new level!

    At nce, Feng Yuxiang is definitely in the lead out of the three of them!

    "X-Xiao Hua can also be useful to Brother Yuan!" Xiao Hua said, and she started taking out powerful weapons and artifacts that emitted the aura of Divine-grade and even Ancient-grade treasures.

    Everyone in the room felt their jaw drop to the ground after seeing the amount of treasures in Xiao Hua''s grasp.

    "Here, Brother Yuan! Take these!" She offered them to him with a stubborn face.

    Yuan could only shake his head with a smile, "Don''t be silly. I never cared about who is more useful to me, nor will I ever rank you guys based on your usefulness. In my eyes, you''re all my preciouspanions."

    However, despite Yuan''s words, Xiao Hua did not feel content. Because of her rivalry with Feng Yuxiang, she couldn''t help but feel like she was losing¡ª that she was inferior.

    "Feng Feng, you should also stop thinking like that. It''s an unhealthy mindset to have." Yuan scolded her next.

    "S-Sorry¡­" She sighed with her head lowered.

    They returned to his body shortly after.

    Yuan sighed, and he spoke, "Anyways, I would like to purchase the Tier 5 Body Tempering Pill recipe from you. I know that recipes are very rare and extremely valuable, so I am going to offer you these¡­"

    He retrieved a small wooden box and ced it before Sect Master Xiahou.

    "T-This is¡­ Is this what I think it is¡­?" Sect Master Xiahou asked in a trembling voice.

    She had an idea of its contents even without looking inside, as she''d seen the wooden box before.

    "Yes, it''s leaves from the Golden Celestial Tree, and there are 9 crimson leaves inside the box. Oh, and before I forget, the Golden Celestial Tree itself is a few million years old."

    "What?! Leaves from a Golden Celestial Tree that is over a million years old?! How is that even possible?!" Sect Master Xiahou eximed.Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.

    "You can examine the leaves yourself if you do not believe me."

    Sect Master Xiahou swallowed nervously.

    "No, I trust you. I want to open it, but I don''t dare to expose the leaves to any more impurities, so I will leave them inside the box."

    ''Nine des of crimson leaves¡­ I will be able to concoct three Golden Aptitude Pills! Even if I consume one for myself and give one to Xiuying, I will still have an extra! And these leaves came from a Golden Celestial Tree that is over a million years old! This is a treasure that I will never see again, much less acquire!'' Sect Master Xiahou cried with joy inwardly.

    "Judging by the smile on your face, I will assume that you are going to ept my trade?" Yuan suddenly said.

    Unbeknownst to Sect Master Xiahou, there was a smile that was unbefitting of a woman on her face.

    Upon realizing the expression on her, Sect Master Xiahou quickly covered her face and turned around as it was flushed with redness.

    After a moment of silence, she spoke in a low voice, "Y-Yes, I ept this trade."

    "Here is my medallion. Bring it to the Alchemy Store and show it to the people on the tenth floor. They will assist you with everything you need. In fact, you can ask for more pill recipes. These leaves are countless times more valuable than the Tier 5 Body Tempering Pill''s recipe, after all."

    Yuan epted the medallion and bowed to her, "Thank you. You can take leaves now."

    Yuan and Wang Xiuying left the ce shortly after to head towards the Alchemy Store once again.

 Chapter 936 - Crazy Shopping Spree

    Chapter 936 - Crazy Shopping Spree

    Once they arrived at the Alchemy Store, Yuan and Wang Xiuying walked straight to the tenth floor.

    However, they were blocked on the ninth floor.

    "Only those that have received the Sect Master''s approval may enter the tenth floor." The Elders said to them.

    Yuan showed them Sect Master Xiahou''s medallion.

    "Please give us a minute to confirm it with the Sect Master." The Elder said.

    The Elders took Yuan''s medallion for a quick inspection while they also contacted Sect Master Xiahou to confirm that she had indeed handed her medallion to Yuan.

    Once they confirmed everything, the Elders allowed them to enter the tenth floor.

    The tenth floor was unsurprisingly the smallest but also the cleanest room in the entire building due to the minimal visitors they receive. In fact, visitors were practically nonexistent on the tenth floor, and only one or two people get to enter this ce every year.

    "How may I help you?" The Elder working on that floor asked them.

    This Elder also happened to be a first level Spirit King and the guardian of the Alchemy Store.

    "Hello, I''m here to buy the recipe for the Tier 5 Body Tempering Pill." Yuan said.

    "Oh, I have already paid the Sect Master for the recipe, and she even allowed me to choose a couple more."

    "I understand. Here is a list of all of the pill recipes we have in the sect." The Elder handed them a thin manual.

    Yuan took the manual and asked Feng Yuxiang, "What do you think, Feng Feng? Any particr pill recipe you want beside the Tier 5 Body Tempering Pill?"

    Feng Yuxiang appeared beside him and started looking through the manual.

    ''P-Peak Spirit King?!'' The Elder was shocked by Feng Yuxiang''s cultivation base and otherworldly beauty.

    A few minutester, Feng Yuxiang picked 21 different pill recipes, not including the Tier 5 Body Tempering Pill, and they were mostly recipes for Tier 5 pills.

    The Elder''s eyebrows twitched uncontrobly after seeing how many pill recipes Feng Yuxiang had chosen.

    "W-Wait a moment while I receive the Sect Master''s approval¡­" The Elder said to them before disappearing to the room in the back.

    A few minutester, the Elder returned with a look of disbelief on his face.

    "T-The Sect Master has agreed to give you all of the pill recipes¡­ You also don''t need to worry about paying for them."

    The Elder sounded like he was in disbelief, and he wondered what kind of bribe Yuan had given the Sect Master to make this happen. Normally, Sect Master Xiahou would be very strict about giving away even one pill recipe, much less 22 at once.

    After copying all of the pill recipes Feng Yuxiang had requested, the Elder handed it to her.

    "Now we just need to buy enough ingredients to concoct the pills. The store still owes me 100,000 spirit stones, but I doubt that will be able to help much." Yuan said afterward.

    "It''s okay, Young Master. Leave everything pill-rted to me, including the money." Feng Yuxiang suddenly said.

    "Are you sure?"

    "Yes. I won''t lose any money as long as I sessfully concoct one pill out of three attempts." She nodded.

    "All right. I will leave it to you."

    "I will also buy my own cauldron so I don''t need to borrow yours every time I want to concoct pills." Feng Yuxiang added.

    They descended to the sixth floor shortly after so that Feng Yuxiang could buy her cauldron.

    "I want this Golden Phoenix Cauldron." Feng Yuxiang said to the Elder there.

    "T-The Golden Phoenix Cauldron will cost 10 million spirit stones¡­ It''s also our best cauldron." The Elder said.N?velDrama.Org content rights.

    "Here." Feng Yuxiang handed him the money without any hesitation, almost as though she was only getting rid of her spare change.

    "T-Thank you for your patronage!" All of the staff members there bowed to Feng Yuxiang after the purchase.

    They descended to the third floor shortly after Feng Yuxiang got her own cauldron.

    "I want enough medicine to concoct 1,000 Tier 5 Body Tempering Pills and¡­" Feng Yuxiang said to the staff members working there, shocking them speechless with her crazy shopping spree.

    In the end, Feng Yuxiang left the Alchemy Store with a cauldron that cost her 10 million spirit stones and 5 million spirit stones'' worth of ingredients.

    It was an enormous sum of money spent. In fact, Feng Yuxiang instantly became their most valued customer.

    "15 million spirit stones¡­ I am speechless¡­" Wang Xiuying mumbled in a dazed voice.

    "How just freaking rich are you?" She couldn''t help but ask.

    "I have sold tens of thousands of valuable treasures throughout thousands of years, so you can say that I have a decent amount of wealth. However, this much is nothing once we reach the upper heavens, where treasures will require Spirit Jades to purchase, which will be equivalent to billions and trillions of spirit stones."

    "T-Trillions¡­?" Both Yuan and Wang Xiuying swallowed nervously.

    Once they returned to Wang Xiuying''s living quarters, Feng Yuxiang immediately holed herself in one of the guest rooms to practice her Alchemy.

    "What do you want to do tomorrow, Yuan?" Wang Xiuying asked him when the sky started turning dark.

    "I don''t know. I wouldn''t mind if we just rxed and talked to each other about our adventures."

    "That sounds great! Then I will see you tomorrow. Goodnight."

    "Goodnight."

    After Wang Xiuying logged off, Yuan prepared to log off.

    However, Xiao Hua suddenly appeared before him and spoke in a low voice, "Brother Yuan, can you spend the night with Xiao Hua?"

    "Huh?" He raised his eyebrows.

    Xiao Hua then retrieved a familiar-looking book from her spatial ring and said, "Besides supplying Brother Yuan with weapons and artifacts, this is all that Xiao Hua can do for you¡­"

    "Are you still worried about what Feng Feng said today? You really don''t need topare with each other."

    "Please, Brother Yuan¡­ Let Xiao Hua help you¡­" She said to him with moist eyes.

    Yuan sighed, and he nodded with a gentle smile, "All right. I will spend the night with you and listen to you chant like old times."

    Xiao Hua immediately nodded her small head with a bright smile.

    The two of them went outside and sat in front of Wang Xiuying''s medicine field.

    Xiao Hua opened her book and started reading it while Yuan closed his eyes and focused on her voice.

 Chapter 937 - Heaven Sealing Technique

    Chapter 937 - Heaven Sealing Technique

    After spending the entire night listening to Xiao Hua''s voice, Yuan slowly opened his eyes right as the sunrise began.

    <yourprehension="" for="" heaven''s="" secret="" art="" has="" greatly="" increased=""></your>

    <heaven''s secret="" art="" mastery="" level="" has="" been="" increased="" (3="" ¡ú="" 4)=""></heaven''s>

    <you have="" learned="" heaven''s="" fourth="" secret="" art="" ¡ª="" heaven="" sealing="" technique=""></you>

    [Heaven Sealing Technique]

    [Rank: Divine]

    [Mastery Level: 1]

    [Description: A heaven-defying technique that can seal one''s meridians and cultivation. Limited to Spirit Kings and below(Can be increased through Mastery Level). Anyone within 10 meters of the user can be targeted(Can be increased through Mastery Level). Limited to 3 individuals at once(Can be increased through Mastery Level).]N?velDrama.Org content rights.

    <heaven consuming="" technique="" mastery="" level="" has="" been="" increased="" (2="" ¡ú="" 5)=""></heaven>

    [Heaven Consuming Technique]

    [Rank: Divine]

    [Mastery Level: 5]

    [Description: Absorbs 50,000,000 Qi per second.]

    <heaven splitting="" sword="" strike="" mastery="" level="" has="" been="" increased="" (2="" ¡ú="" 3)=""></heaven>

    [Heaven Splitting Sword Strike]

    [Rank: Divine]

    [Mastery Level: 3]

    [Description: Must wield a sword to activate. Creates a pir of sword light that will destroy everything that dares to block its path.]

    Ding!

    <heaven splitting="" sword="" strike''s="" limiter="" has="" been="" released.="" you="" may="" now="" adjust="" the="" technique''s="" strength="" to="" your="" desire=""></heaven>

    <heavenly domain="" mastery="" level="" has="" been="" increased="" (1="" ¡ú="" 2)=""></heavenly>

    [Heavenly Domain]

    [Rank: Divine]

    [Mastery Level: 2]

    [Description: Holding absolute authority within your domain, dominate the battlefield, and pressure your enemies with the Heavenly Domain!]

    All of Yuan''s main techniques saw a boost in strength and mastery.

    However, what surprised him the most was the Heaven Splitting Sword Strike, which had been limited this entire time.

    ''Does this mean I can pour all of my Qi into a single attack?''

    Yuan turned to look at Xiao Hua and said, "It appears that the limiter for the Heaven Splitting Sword Strike has been released. What happens now?"

    "That means Brother Yuan can adjust the strength of the technique as he pleases. It can be as weak as a Mortal-rank technique or as powerful as even the most powerful technique in the world. However, that will depend on how much spiritual energy you can give it."

    "Is that so? How powerful do you think I can make the technique at my current level?" He then asked.

    She pondered for a moment before speaking, "If Brother Yuan uses all of his spiritual energy, he should be able to erase half of this sect with ease."

    "T-That powerful?" Yuan was shocked.

    The Spirit Healing Academy is as vast as multiplerge cities. If he can destroy half of it, he can easily destroy an entire city with a single Heaven Splitting Sword Strike.

    "Hm? Wait a second. If the limiter is already released, that means it can''t get any stronger, right? However, it seems like I can still make it stronger. What happens then?"

    "The technique will be more efficient, meaning you will be able to gather more strength with less spiritual energy. The speed at which you charge it will also increase."

    "I see¡­ That makes sense." Yuan nodded.

    "I also learned the Heaven Sealing Technique. This means I can seal someone''s cultivation as long as they are Spirit King and below. Can this be reverted?"

    Xiao Hua nodded, "Yes, it can be reverted. Do you want to try the technique on Xiao Hua?"

    "Are you sure? It won''t hurt?"

    "It doesn''t hurt. It will only restrict Xiao Hua''s cultivation base."

    "Okay. I''ll try it out."

    "The Heaven Sealing Technique doesn''t require you to touch the target. As long as they are within 10 meters of your location, you can seal their cultivation."

    After taking a deep breath, Yuan activated the Heaven Sealing Technique on Xiao Hua.

    Invisible golden chains that can only be seen by Yuan started appearing around Xiao Hua''s petite body. However, right as the chains touched Xiao Hua''s body, they all shattered without any resistance.

    <heaven sealing="" technique="" has="" failed.="" the="" target''s="" cultivation="" surpasses="" your="" limit=""></heaven>

    "What''s wrong, Brother Yuan?" Xiao Hua asked him a momentter.

    "Uhh¡­ The technique failed."

    "Huh?" Xiao Hua raised her eyebrows in a puzzled manner.

    "Xiao Hua, are you, by any chance, suppressing your cultivation? At my current level, the technique only works on Spirit Kings and below, and you''re clearly a Spirit King."

    However, Xiao Hua shook her head and said, "Xiao Hua isn''t suppressing her cultivation."

    "That''s weird¡­ Hm? Wait a moment. When I first met you, you were only at the 3rd level. When did you reach the 9th level of Spirit King?"

    "Now that Brother Yuan mentions it¡­ Xiao Hua doesn''t know either. It just felt so natural that Xiao Hua didn''t even realize her cultivation had improved." Xiao Hua said.

    Yuan pondered with a slight frown on his face, ''Xiao Hua wouldn''t lie to me. Is her cultivation being suppressed without her knowledge? But who would do such a thing? She doesn''t appear to be cursed, either. And why did her cultivation suddenly increase? What''s going on?''

    Xiao Hua looked at her own hands and also pondered about this phenomenon that was happening to her body.

    However, no matter how much she thought about it, nothing came to her mind.

    "Well, there''s nothing we can do if you don''t know anything. Maybe we''ll find out more as we ascend the Nine Heavens." Yuan said sometimeter.

    "Okay." Xiao Hua nodded.

    "Yuan!" A familiar voice suddenly resounded, causing Yuan to turn around.

    In the distance, he could see Sect Master Xiahou flying towards him with an urgent look on her face.

    "What''s the matter?" He asked her a momentter.

    "I just received information that the Universal Music Academy had learned of your presence here, and they are currently making their way here as we speak!" She said.

    "Universal Music Academy? What do they have anything to do with me?" Yuan asked.

    "Have you already forgotten that you killed their Sect Master not long ago? They are here to seek revenge!"

    Yuan rubbed his eyes and sighed, "What a pain in the ass. I thought myst warning to them would be enough to make the stay away from me, but s, they''re as dumb as their deceased Sect Master."

 Chapter 938 - Let Them Die!

    Chapter 938 - Let Them Die!

    "A-Are you going to kill them?" Sect Master Xiahou asked him in a nervous voice.

    "Do you want me to kill them?" Yuan responded with a question.

    "Of course not. However, I doubt you even care. After all, they are after your life."

    Yuan smiled and said, "Then how about this? I will give you the chance to talk them out of killing me. If you can do that, I won''t have to kill them."

    "Are you serious?" Sect Master Xiahou looked at him with wide eyes.

    "Of course. I am not a bloodthirsty maniac who enjoys killing, even though you probably see me as one. I only shed blood when I have no other choices."

    "Very well. I will do my best to convince them to stand down." Sect Master Xiahou nodded with a serious expression.

    After returning to her room, Sect Master Xiahou contacted the other Sect Masters regarding the matter.

    "We have already warned the Universal Music Academy to give up on revenge multiple times, but they refuse to listen to us. If that''s the case, just let them all die." Sect Master Li said.

    "Yuan gave you the chance to talk them out of it? Even if that''s the case, they still won''t listen to you. I agree with Sect Master Li. Just let them die."

    "Unfortunately, I agree with the idea to just let them die."

    "If the Universal Music Academy is gone, there will no longer be any need for us to deal with their Sect Master''s death, which will save us headaches, not to mention how much money it will save us in the future."

    In the end, the other Sect Masters expressed the same opinion¡ª to let the Universal Music Academy perish.

    This way, they will save resources along other things.

    Sect Master Xiahou felt dejected afterward. After all, she wanted to save these disciples.

    "While Sun Hao deserved to die, these disciples do not deserve such a pointless death. The other Sect Masters may not want to save them, but I want to at least try."

    Sect Master Xiahou hopped onto her flying treasure and left the sect to meet up with the disciples of the Universal Music Academy.

    Meanwhile, Yuan and Wang Xiuyingid beside the medicine fields and talked about their adventures. Of course, since Wang Xiuying had spent most of her time practicing Alchemy, it was mostly Yuan who did the talking.

    "By the way, you said that you''d joined the sect for me. What was that about?" Yuan remembered and asked her.

    Wang Xiuying blushed and revealed the truth to him.

    "You joined the sect and learned Alchemy just to help me? I am really ttered, but you really don''t need to do this¡­ I have already robbed enough people of their time over the past decades. Xiuying, please, just do whatever you want¡­ for yourself." Yuan sighed after learning everything.

    Wang Xiuying shook her head and said, "You have no idea how much your music saved me, Yuan. Even after your retirement, your music continued to motivate me every single day. Even if it wasn''t your intention, I am still grateful to you, hence why I want to help you."

    "But don''t worry, I am no longer pursuing Alchemy just to help you. I have another goal now."

    "Oh? What''s that?"

    "There''s someone I want to surpass, and I won''t stop until that goal is achieved. However, that doesn''t mean I don''t want to help you anymore!"

    "Your servant may be much better in Alchemy than me now, but I am still your nurse in the real world!"

    "Yuan, I heard that you''d created a faction. I want to join it!"N?velDrama.Org content rights.

    "Huh? You want to join the Demon Sealing Faction?"

    "Demon Sealing Faction? What a weird name. But yes, I do. All factions have a medical team. I will be in your medical team!"

    "We don''t actually have a medical team. The faction consists of 10 members including me, and they''re only good at fighting¡­ Except for Meixiu, who also deals with our food and some of the chores."

    "I see¡­ Then I will be the first member of your medical team! If you doubt my credentials, I can¡ª"

    "There''s no need." Yuan smiled.

    "If you want to join, I won''t refuse. However, we currently live on a very secluded mountain. Unless you live with us, it won''t be very convenient for us to meet."

    "I heard. The Dragon Spiral Mountain, right? I tried visiting you once, but I was immediately turned away."

    "Huh? Why didn''t you just give us a call? We could''ve probably worked something out."

    "I didn''t want to bother you."

    "Anyways, I will speak with my grandfatherter about leaving his hospital permanently to work with you guys."

    "If that''s your decision." Yuan nodded.

    "Anyways, do you want to listen to some music? It''s been a while since I have yed the instrument."

    "Of course! I would never miss the chance to listen to your music!" Wang Xiuying immediately nodded.

    Yuan retrieved the Soul Ensnaring Zither and started ying it.

    A couple of hours away from the Spirit Healing Academy, Sect Master Xiahou finally encountered the disciples from the Universal Music Academy.

    "Stop! I am the Sect Master of the Spirit Healing Academy, and I wish to speak with you!" She stood before their army that consisted of over 10,000 disciples.

    Although the Universal Music Academy had over 100,000 disciples, they decided to not bring anyone below Spirit Master, as they would only be a hindrance.

    "Greetings, Sect Master Xiahou. I am Elder Chen, who will be recing Sect Master Sun in the near future. We only have one objective¡ª the bastard that killed our Sect Master! If you''re worried that we might damage your sect, please be at ease. We will not enter your sect, only surround it from the outside, and we will only attack once our target leaves your sect."

    "Future? This future that you speak of will not exist if you stubbornly insist on avenging Sect Master Sun''s death! I am here in hopes to convince you all to turn back!" Sect Master Xiahou said in a loud and clear voice that could be heard by everyone there.

 Chapter 939 - Confronting the Universal Music Academy

    Chapter 939 - Confronting the Universal Music Academy

    "Sect Master Xiahou, no matter how many times you try to convince us, our conviction and determination to avenge our Sect Master will not change! We will kill the bastard that killed our Sect Master! The only way to stop us is if you kill us all right here and now!" Elder Chen eximed in a loud voice.

    Sect Master Xiahou rubbed her temples and sighed, feeling like she was dealing with children who can only listen but notprehend her words.

    "Listen. You won''t even get the chance to avenge your Sect Master. I don''t need to kill you because you''ll all die if you try to kill Yuan."

    "You don''t know the true horror of his strength since you were not there to witness it, but the man who killed your Sect Master is not someone to be trifled with! Even if you bring 10,000 experts, he will easily kill all of you without breaking a sweat! If you''re just going there to die, you might as well kill yourselves right now. At least that will save you some time and headaches."

    "Hmph! I heard that man is only a peak Spirit Lord! We have two Spirit Kings and fifty Spirit Lords here! Not to mention our Spirit Masters, which is over 9,000! Are you saying that he, as a peak Spirit Lord, is strong enough to defeat all of us?! That''s ridiculous!"

    Sect Master Xiahou frowned and said, "I will warn you onest time. Turn around and leave! Otherwise, you''ll be walking straight to your deaths!"

    "I refuse!" Elder Chen dered in a booming voice that made the blood of the disciples behind him boil with excitement.

    "I should''ve listened to the other Sect Masters. They were all willing to let you die without even giving you a chance. Unfortunately, I have wasted my time bying here. I will tell Yuan to meet you guys outside the sect. I don''t want my disciples to clean your corpses afterward."

    Sect Master Xiahou shook her head and began flying back to the sect.

    Once she got close to the Spirit Healing Academy, she could hear very pleasant musicing from somewhere within the sect.

    ''This sounds like the zither. Who could be ying right now? Not even Sect Master Sun couldpare to this person even during his prime days.'' Sect Master Xiahou could feel her body getting more energetic as she listened to the music.

    The music eventually led her to Wang Xiuying''s hill.

    ''It''s him? He can also y the zither with such mastery? Just what is his background?'' Sect Master Xiahou was shocked to see Yuan ying the zither for Wang Xiuying.

    After staying in the air to listen to Yuan''s music for many minutes, Sect Master Xiahou snapped out of her daze and finally descended beside him.

    However, she didn''t interrupt his current song and waited until he was finished before she began speaking, "I have tried to convince the Universal Music Academy to turn around, but they have refused to listen to my warnings. They have two Spirit Kings, fifty Spirit Lords, and over 9,000 Spirit Masters."

    "Is that so?" Yuan mumbled.

    He turned to look at Wang Xiuying and said, "Sorry, but I have to leave for a bit right now. Don''t worry, I should be back very soon."

    "What''s happening? Where are you going?" She asked with a worried expression on her face.

    Judging by the atmosphere and her Master''s expression, Wang Xiuying knew that Yuan was involved in some bad business again.

    "Your Master can exin it to you." Yuan smiled.

    He then asked, "Which direction?"

    Sect Master Xiahou pointed south.

    Yuan didn''t linger any longer and immediately disappeared towards the south.

    "Master! What''s happening?! Please tell me!"

    Sect Master Xiahou sighed and said, "I told you that Yuan had killed the Sect Master of the Universal Music Academy, right? Well, they''re here for revenge."

    "What?! And you''re going to let him fight them?! Can''t you and the other Sect Masters do something about this?!"

    She shook her head and sighed, "We tried. Multiple times. Unfortunately, they did not heed our warnings."

    "No way¡­" Wang Xiuying mumbled.

    Meanwhile, Yuan and the Universal Music Academy flew towards each other.

    "Young Master, should I help you kill these ignorant fools?" Feng Yuxiang asked.

    "No, Xiao Hua will kill them."

    "No, I will handle them by myself. This is a mess that I''d created, after all." He immediately refused their help.N?velDrama.Org content rights.

    Sometimeter, Yuan could see the Universal Music Academy and their ten-thousand-strong army of disciples.

    Yuan took a deep breath and retrieved the Empyrean Overlord.

    The moment Yuan noticed the Universal Music Academy, they also noticed him.

    "It''s him! That''s the bastard that killed our Sect Master!" Some of the disciples recognized Yuan from when he visited their sect to threaten them for Sun Hao''s location.

    "Everyone! The bastard that killed our Sect Master has appeared! Prepare for battle!" Elder Chen shouted out loud, alerting everyone there.

    However, before they could even do anything, Elder Chen suddenly shouted again, "W-Wait! He''s doing something!"

    Since they were still very far away from each other, Elder Chen was unable to see Yuan''s figure very well. However, he can clearly see Yuan lifting his arms into the sky, and he appeared to be holding something that was almost the size of his own body.

    After hovering there without moving for a few moments, Yuan suddenly swung whatever he was holding in their direction.

    "Shit! Scatter! SCATTER!" Elder Chen roared in a panicked voice, but s, it was toote.

    The following moment, the massive beam of sword light released by Yuan had reached their location, instantly consuming half of the disciples there.

    The disciples that were consumed by this sword light were all disintegrated until there were not even ashes left.

    Elder Chen had barely survived Yuan''s Heaven Splitting Sword Strike, but he did not feel relieved even in the slightest, and his wide eyes could only stare at the destruction that was left behind by the devastating attack, which looked even worse than a battlefield that had raged on for thousands of years.

    ''This bastard¡­ Is he even human¡­?'' Elder Chen wondered inwardly.

 Chapter 940 - 10,000 Corpses

    Chapter 940 - 10,000 Corpses

    Elder Chen and the rest of the disciples that survived the Heaven Splitting Sword Strike did not dare to move as their widened eyes stared at the devastating destruction before their eyes.

    They have never seen such destruction before¡ª at least not from a single attack.

    In the blink of an eye, half of their 10,000 army was vanquished.This is from N?velDrama.Org.

    While the Universal Music Academy were in a daze, Yuan shouted at them, "This is yourst chance to give up on revenge and go back to your sect! If you continue being stubborn, then I will truly show no mercy and kill everyst one of you!"

    The disciples'' bodies trembled in fear upon hearing Yuan''s words, but Elder Chen gritted his teeth and shouted back, "Do not be afraid! Do not falter! Do not listen to his empty threats! There''s no way he can still fight after releasing such a powerful attack! He must be out of spiritual energy now! Forward! Kill him and avenge our fellow disciples and our Sect Master!"

    The disciples regained their courage after hearing Elder Chen''s words. They all believed that Yuan would have little to no more spiritual energy left after such a big attack.

    Seeing the disciples charging at him, Yuan took a deep breath.

    "What a pity."

    [Ten Thousand Ghost des!]

    Ten thousand copies of Starry Abyss suddenly appeared in the sky, causing the disciples to halt.

    "W-What the hell!? I thought he had no more spiritual energy!" The disciples were shocked to see so many daggers appearing out of thin air.

    "It''s just an illusion! Keep going!" Elder Chen shouted as he led the disciples.

    Yuan closed his eyes and motioned for the daggers to fly.

    Whoosh!

    All ten thousand daggers flew towards the disciples like a meteor shower.

    A single dagger had the strength of a Spirit Lord, so it was as though ten thousand Spirit Lords had appeared in the battlefield.

    "Run! He''s a monster!"

    When the disciples saw how effortlessly Yuan was killing them, the surviving disciples towards the end of their formation turned around and started running away.

    "Where do you idiots think you''re going?! Get back here and fight!" Elder Chen roared at those that ran away, but none of them turned around.

    Unfortunately, he was too busy dealing with the flying daggers to chase after them.

    With that being said, even though Elder Chen was unable to stop them, there were more than enough flying daggers to chase after the disciples that ran away.

    ''I gave them plenty of chances, but none of them took it. Even if you suddenly decide to change your mind, I have already made up my mind. Everyone here will die today.'' Yuan sighed inwardly.

    The loud noises caused by the fighting and the screaming quickly became weaker and weaker, until there was nobody left.

    It has been less than five minutes since Yuan showed up, but he''d managed to kill all of the disciples that came after him without sparing a single life.

    Yuan opened his eyes again after the battle, and he looked at the bloodstained battlefield with a profound expression on his face.

    "Do you guys think I am a hypocrite? Even though I keep saying that I do not enjoy killing people, I always end up with blood in my hands." He suddenly spoke out loud.

    "No, the Young Master has done nothing wrong. You gave them many warnings and chances to turn around, but they ignored it. If you warn someone to not enter a burning building but they still decide to anyway, that is entirely their fault, even if you were the one who lit the building aze." Feng Yuxiang said in a calm voice.

    "Don''t think too much about it, Brother Yuan. This is the true nature of the cultivation world. You either kill them or they kill you. There is no need to feel guilty about it." Xiao Hua said.

    "Sorry, but I cannot lie and say that I understand your feelings, Yuan. As a Divine Beast, I don''t see anything wrong with killing those that wish to harm you." Lan Yingying said.

    "Thank you." Yuan said to them.

    And he sighed inwardly, ''Maybe I am just worried that killing too many people will change me¡ª change Yuan.''

    After taking another look at the chaos he''d caused, Yuan turned around and flew back to the Spirit Healing Academy.

    "Are you not going to loot their bodies, Young Master? You might find something nice with so many corpses here." Feng Yuxiang suddenly asked.

    "I don''t feel like it. And it''s too bloody down there." Yuan said without even looking back.

    "Yuan! Are you okay?!" Wang Xiuying rushed to him the moment he returned.

    "Yes, as you can see, I am totally fine." He said with a smile.

    However, Wang Xiuying did not smile. Instead, she frowned.

    "Who do you think you''re trying to fool? Despite my young age, I have dealt with all sorts of patients in my grandfather''s hospital. I can tell if someone is hurt or not by looking at their eyes, and when I look into your eyes, I can tell that you''re not fine. You may be fine physically, but not mentally, and mental damage is just as dangerous as physical injuries, sometimes even more severe."

    "I''ll give you some time for now, but I will eventually ask you about it."

    "Thanks." The smile on Yuan''s face became less stiff after hearing her words.

    "Hey¡­ The Universal Music Academy¡­ What happened to them?" Sect Master Xiahou asked him afterward.

    "I killed them. Everyst one of them." Yuan responded in a calm yet cold voice, sending shivers down their backs.

    And he continued, "Oh, I didn''t touch the bodies. If you want, you can go ahead and loot them. It''d be a waste to leave them behind."

    "I-I will send some disciples thereter¡­" Sect Master Xiahou nodded her head in a dazed voice.

    ''It hasn''t even been that long since he left and he''s already killed all 10,000 of them? Utterly ridiculous¡­'' She was terrified inwardly, yet she was also relieved that she didn''t offend this monster like Sun Hao had.

 Chapter 941 - Playing Catch

    Chapter 941 - ying Catch

    "Xiuying, I''m going to leave earlier than expected. Sorry for all of the troubles that I had caused you and this sect." Yuan suddenly said to her.

    "Huh? Why?"

    "I have a feeling that something will happen soon, and I don''t want you or this sect to get caught up in it, so I''m going to leave. Don''t worry, we''ll see each other again on the other side sooner orter." He smiled.

    "Okay¡­" She nodded.

    Wang Xiuying logged off Cultivation Online sometimeter while Yuan traveled to the Stairway to Heaven.

    "Xiao Hua." He suddenly called for her when he arrived.

    "Yes?" She appeared beside him and proceeded to stare at him with a pondering gaze.

    "Let''s y catch."

    "Huh?" Xiao Hua''s eyes widened with surprise.

    "I promised to y catch with you again, remember? Let''s do it now. I still have a couple of days before I have to leave for my sister''s birthday." Yuan smiled.

    "Un!"

    Xiao Hua''s face immediately became filled with bliss, and she retrieved the red ball they used before.

    "There''s no need to hold back this time. And let''s get some distance." Yuan said to her before flying a few hundred meters away.

    Xiao Hua also flew into the air shortly after.

    Once they were ready, Xiao Hua tossed the red ball at Yuan with all of her strength.

    The red ball disappeared the instant it left her hands, and it appeared in front of Yuan faster than one could blink, almost as though the ball had teleported.

    PA!

    A loud noise resounded as Yuan caught the ball with his bare hands, and he was pushed back a few meters by the impact.

    "I''m really d you held back before. If you''d used your full strength when we first met, I would''ve definitely died a horrible death." Yuan smiled as he looked at the ball, his hands trembling from it.

    "Let me go back a bit further!" He said to her before increasing their distance by a couple hundred more meters.

    Whoosh!

    Yuan tossed the ball back at Xiao Hua using 50 percent of his strength, as he was worried that he might identally hurt her.

    The red ball flew faster than a bullet, and a single streak of red light appeared in the sky.

    However, Xiao Hua casually caught the ball with a single hand, and she said afterward, "There''s no need to hold back, Brother Yuan."

    And she proceeded to throw the ball back at him.

    ''T-That was even stronger than her first throw! Is she subconsciously holding back?'' Yuan wondered to himself after catching the ball that felt a lot heavier.

    ''And what kind of material is this ball made out of? To withstand such abuse¡­''

    The two of them would spend the next few hours ying catch ball, and by the time they were done, the trees beneath them were all bent in an unnatural manner due to the pressure caused by their game.

    "It''s been a while since I''ve worked up so much sweat. Let''s do this again tomorrow." Yuan said to her afterward.

    "Okay." Xiao Hua eagerly nodded.

    Yuan logged off shortly after to have dinner with the others.

    Meanwhile, Wang Xiuying spoke to her grandfather about joining Yuan''s faction during dinner.

    "So I have decided to join Yu Tian''s faction and move in with him at the Dragon Spiral Mountain. However, this means that I won''t be able to work at the hospital any longer. What do you think, grandpa?"

    "The Young Master created a faction? When?" Doctor Wang raised his eyebrows.

    "A while ago. You''ve probably heard of it. It''s called the Demon Sealing Faction."

    "Huh? I have heard of it, but that''s yer Yuan''s faction, isn''t it?"

    "Hm? Oh, right. You didn''t know. Well, Yu Tian is yer Yuan."

    Doctor Wang''s mouth dropped wide open after hearing this.

    "R-Really? And how long have you known about this?"

    "For a while. I promised to keep it a secret for him, so I didn''t tell you. But I got his permission today to tell you."

    "Unbelievable¡­ To think that famous yer Yuan was the Young Master all along!"

    "Make sure you keep it a secret, grandpa. It would be troublesome for him if the public learned of his identity." Wang Xiuying said.

    "That''s only obvious."

    "Anyways, what do you say? Can I go?"

    Doctor Wang nodded, "Yes, you can go. You''re big enough to make your own decisions and move out. As for the hospital, don''t worry about it. You were never an official employee, and you went there on your own ord. Though, the people there will miss you, especially the patients."

    "When do you n on moving?"

    "Soon. I need to apply for his faction at the Cultivators'' Association first. I''ll do it tomorrow."

    The following day, Wang Xiuying made her way to the Cultivators'' Association.

    Although one can join a faction without visiting the Cultivators'' Association, they would not be considered an ''official'' member of the faction by the Cultivators'' Association and would not be allowed to participate in official events.

    After arriving at the Cultivators'' Association, Wang Xiuying patiently waited until she was at the front desk.N?velDrama.Org content rights.

    "I''d like to apply for a faction," she said to the woman working at the desk.

    "Name of the faction?"

    "Demon Sealing Faction!"

    The woman raised her eyebrows after hearing this familiar name, and she looked at Wang Xiuying with a pitiful gaze.

    "You know¡­ I''m saying this for your own good, but you won''t get epted into that faction. Countless people have applied for the faction, but they have not approved of a single new member since its founding."

    "If you ask me, these people are too arrogant. Just because they have that yer Yuan with them, they think they can exist with 10 members. What a joke! They''re looking down on all of the factions out there!"

    Wang Xiuying was speechless. She didn''t expect so many people to apply for the faction, but considering Yuan''s poprity, it wasn''t surprising at all.

 Chapter 942 - Applying for the Demon Sealing Faction

    Chapter 942 - Applying for the Demon Sealing Faction

    "Thank you for the warning, but I would still like to apply to that faction." Wang Xiuying said with a smile on her face.

    The woman shrugged, "You''re only wasting your time. Don''t say I didn''t warn you."

    "Name?" The woman proceeded to ask her a few questions required for the application form.

    "Wang Xiuying."

    "Age?"

    "19 years old."

    "Your cultivation?"

    "Sixth level Spirit Apprentice."

    The woman scoffed inwardly after hearing Wang Xiuying''s cultivation. The Demon Sealing Faction consisted mostly of high-level Spirit Warriors. There was no way they''d ept a Spirit Apprentice into their ranks.Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.

    "Reason for wanting to join the faction?"

    "Because I want to help them." Wang Xiuying calmly responded.

    "..."

    The woman shook her head inwardly. ''This girl¡­ she''s hopeless.''

    After typing in all of Wang Xiuying''s information, the woman sent the application to the Demon Sealing Faction.

    "We will give you a call if they ept you, but like I''d said, that won''t happen, so you might as well apply for another faction while you''re here." The woman said.

    However, Wang Xiuying suddenly retrieved her phone and dialed a number.

    A few momentster¡ª

    "Yes, I have just applied for the faction. Thanks. I''ll talk to you again once I return home."

    Before Wang Xiuying even hung up the phone, the woman noticed a change on her screen, causing her to look at the monitor.

    "W-What?! T-This is! Approved?! Impossible!" The woman couldn''t believe her eyes when she saw the status of Wang Xiuying''s application that had suddenly changed from pending to approved!

    ''This isn''t possible! There must have been an error in the system!'' The woman didn''t want to believe it.

    After all, over a million people have applied to join the Demon Sealing Faction since it was announced, but all of their applications have remained ''pending'' even to this day.

    "Is there something wrong?" Wang Xiuying asked the woman after noticing her facial expression.

    "T-There has been a bug in the system. It says that your application had been approved, but I''d just submitted it. There''s no way that''s possible." The woman said.

    And she continued, "Please wait while I call my supervisor."

    "Uhh¡­" Wang Xiuying wanted to tell the woman that it wasn''t an error and that Meixiu had manually approved it during her call just now, but the woman was already on the phone and speaking to her supervisor.

    Of course, when the supervisor heard of the situation, he also believed it to be a bug in the system, so he manually removed Wang Xiuying''s name from the Demon Sealing Faction''s member list, bringing it back down to 10.

    "I apologize for the inconvenience, but I will have to resubmit your application due to an error."

    "Huh? Even though it was already approved?" Wang Xiuying was speechless.

    The woman scoffed in a mocking manner, "Do you really believe that you''ll be able to join the faction because of an error? Even though your name had temporarily appeared in their database, we easily removed it."

    Wang Xiuying rubbed her eyes and sighed, "That wasn''t an error."

    "Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say. Anyways, I have finished submitting your application."

    Wang Xiuying didn''t want to argue with this woman, so she just left the building.

    Once she was outside, she called Meixiu again, "Hey, sorry, but something happened at the Cultivators'' Association and I had to resubmit my application."

    "But I already approved it. Your name is already in our roster¡ª Eh? It''s gone? It was just there." Meixiu''s puzzled voice resounded through the phone.

    "They thought it was an error, so they removed me from the list¡­" Wang Xiuying exined the situation to her.

    "I see¡­ Then I''ll give Chairman Lee a call to make sure there isn''t any misunderstanding this time."

    "Thank you."

    After hanging up the phone, Meixiu called Chairman Lee and notified him of the situation.

    "I-I am so sorry for the inconvenience my people have caused you! I will immediately send out an email so that it won''t happen again!" Chairman Lee said.

    Once the call ended, Chairman Lee hastily sent an email to all of his associates regarding Wang Xiuying being the Demon Sealing Faction''s newest member. He also made sure to scold the woman and her supervisor for their hasty actions.

    News of the Demon Sealing Faction receiving a new member quickly spread, shocking the world.

    "What? The Demon Sealing Faction with yer Yuan finally got a new member after ignoring everyone for months? Who''s this lucky bastard?"

    "It''s a woman. ording to the person that did her application, she is a youngdy between 18 and 20 years old."

    "What? That''s all? As the one who did the application, she should have way more information on this new member, right?"

    "That is against their policy, and I doubt she would want to offend the Demon Sealing Faction by revealing their private information."

    "Damn! What is so special about this new member that the others don''t have?! I sent an application the day their faction was announced, but I still haven''t received a response! I''d rather they deny it than to ignore it!"

    Meanwhile, Wang Xiuying called Meixiu again after she returned home.

    "So when can I move into the headquarters?" Wang Xiuying asked.

    "We''ll need to speak with the Manager first. Fortunately, she''s currently living here as a guest, so it shouldn''t take too long." Meixiu said.

    "I will leave it to you and Yuan. Once again, thank you for letting me join the faction."

    "It''s only natural. You''re Yuan''s friend, and you even took care of him before."

    After the call ended, Meixiu went to look for the Manager, who was watching the sealed demon in the training area like a guard dog.

    "Your faction received a new member?"

    "Yes, so can you make it so that she can enter the Dragon Spiral Mountain? She''ll be living with us."

    The Manager narrowed her eyes and said, "I will think about it¡­ after your boyfriend deals with this final demon."

    "B-Boyfriend?" Meixiu blushed.

    "Am I wrong? I can smell his odor all over your body¡ª and that Chu girl."

    "..." Meixiu was speechless.

    ''The Manager can small Yuan on us? That''s¡­ so embarrassing!'' She cried inwardly.

    "Hm? You didn''t know? I guess he has been two-timing you¡­" The Manager smiled when she noticed Meixiu''s stiff expression.

    --

    AN: Check out my new novel ''Magic System in a Parallel World''. I will give a bonus CO chapter for every 1,000 vote the new novel gets.

 Chapter 943 - Itâ€™s a Mutual Thing

    Chapter 943 - It''s a Mutual Thing

    "I guess not even the famous yer Yuan is perfect. But nobody would expect him to be an unfaithful bastard." The Manager sneered in disdain.

    "M-Mutual¡­" Meixiu suddenly mumbled in a low voice.

    "Huh? What did you just say?"

    "I already know about it, so does Lulu. In fact, it''s a mutual thing between the three of us." Meixiu exined.

    "A-Are you serious?" The Manager stared at Meixiu with a look of disbelief on her face.

    In her eyes, Meixiu didn''t appear to be the type of woman to share a man with other women.

    However, Meixiu nodded her head, confirming everything.

    "You''re actually willing to share him? Unbelievable¡­" The Manager muttered in shock.

    "I mean, both Lulu and I love him, and he loves us. In case you forgot, I am only supposed to stand by his side as his servant. The fact that he is willing to ept me as his woman is already more than anything I can ask for. And it''s normal for a powerful man to have many wives, right?"

    The Manager rubbed her eyes and sighed, "Listen here. While it''s true that most families here have multiple wives, they are also much older than you guys. You may be an adult legally at the age of 18, but you guys do not have the experience of adults. In fact, you''re all babies in my eyes. It''s too early for youdies to share a man."

    Meixiu sighed, "I was against this kind of lifestyle at first too, but I have already made a decision. As long as I can stay by his side, I don''t care how many women he sees."

    The Manager narrowed her eyes at Meixiu.

    After a moment of silence, she sighs, "Whatever. I don''t have the right to tell you how to live your life, anyway. Even if you decide to get knocked up by Yuan tomorrow, I won''tin."

    "W-What? Knocked up? T-That''s definitely too early for us!" Meixiu eximed.

    "Hmph. Judging by the strong scent on your body, I assume that you guys do it pretty often. Hell, I can even smell him inside your¡ª I mean, if you keep messing around, you''ll eventually get knocked up."

    Meixiu looked at the Manager with wide eyes, and she wondered to herself, ''What kind of nose does she have? Even dogs can''tpare to her!''

    "Anyways, if you want your friend to enter the mountain, you better tell Yuan to hurry up and deal with this demon!" The Manager said in a stubborn voice.

    "I understand. I will talk to him."

    The Manager watched in silence as Meixiu returned to the house.

    ''To think they''d be in such a rtionship¡­ Truly unbelievable. What do they even see in that irritating brat? He''s talented¡­ really talented, I will give him that, but besides his talent, there is nothing special about him!'' She sighed inwardly.

    Sometimeter, Meixiu went to speak with Yuan, repeating what the Manager said to her.

    "I see¡­ Well, if that''s the case, we''ll move our schedule up a little. I have nothing else to do, anyway." Yuan said.

    During dinner, Yuan told everyone about the situation.

    "I won''t mind even if we start the training now." Wang Ming said in an excited voice.

    "So we finally have a new member, huh. Who is this person?" Shi Lang asked.

    "I will introduce you to her when she arrives." Yuan said.

    "Her? Don''t tell me it''s another girlfriend!" Wu Zao eximed.

    Yuan smiled, "She''s a dear friend and someone who helped me through some dark times in the past."

    The others turned silent after hearing hisst few words, and they recalled his past as a cripple.

    After dinner, Meixiu approached Yuan and whispered in his ears, "Can you sleep with me tonight?"

    Yuan smiled, "This is the first time you''ve invited me. Of course."

    Meixiu blushed and silently nodded her head before running back to her room.

    After returning to his room, Yuan said to Chu Liuxiang, "I''ll be with Meixiu tonight."

    "Sure. I will need as much rest as I can get if we''re going to start training tomorrow, after all." She said in a casual and calm manner.

    Sometimeter, Yuan went to knock on Meixiu''s door.

    "Come inside."

    Yuan twisted the doorknob and entered the room, but it was pitch ck inside with the only light being the slight moonlight that peeked through the windows.

    But despite the darkness, Yuan was able to see her figure with his divine sense.

    "Meixiu?" Yuan called for her.

    "..."

    A few secondster, Meixiu walked into where the moonlight shone, revealing herself.

    "..."

    Yuan was dumbfounded after seeing Meixiu''s appearance, who was currently half naked and wearing only a pair of exotic ck lingerie.

    "M-Meixiu? Are you okay?"

    She nodded and spoked in a bashful voice, "To tell you the truth, even though I epted our unique rtionship, I never truly understood it."

    "I always thought I was mature. While it''s true that I am more mature and experienced than most people around my age, I am still inexperienced in many things."

    Yuan smiled and said, "Did the Manager say something weird to you?"

    "No, she made me realize something. While I don''t mind sharing you with other women, I also don''t want to lose to them. Even if you love us all equally, I want to be the first name that appears in your head when you think of us."

    Meixiu started approaching Yuan.

    Once she was in front of him, she gave him a passionate kiss on the lips before pulling him to the bed and stripping him naked.

    "By the way, I got something new I want to try out."

    "What is it?"

    Meixiu showed him the new product she got from the convenience store a while ago.

    "What''s that? Medicine?" Yuan raised an eyebrow.

    "I got it from the convenience store. The clerk said it''s a stimtor that will make things more enjoyable. Don''t worry, it''spletely safe."

    "Sure. Let''s do it." Yuan trusted Meixiu and agreed.

    After taking out two red capsules, they each swallowed one.

    "My body feels hot¡­ especially down there¡­" The effects of the capsule immediately started affecting Meixiu moments after she consumed it.N?velDrama.Org owns this.

    As for Yuan, although it took a little longer to affect him, the sword between his legs hardened like never before.

    "Yuan¡­" Meixiu mumbled his name in an enchanting voice before kissing him again.

    Yuan kissed her back while embracing her body tightly.

    Thus, the beginning of a long night.

    --

 Chapter 944 - Love Capsule

    Chapter 944 - Love Capsule

    "Haaa¡­ haaa¡­ haaa¡­" Meixiu gasped for air as sheid on the bed with her entire body soaked in sweat and other fluids.

    "How long does this medicinest? We''ve been at it for 4 hours now, but my body is still unwilling to calm down¡­" Yuan asked her as he stood beside the bed, the sword between his legs as stiff as ever, almost as though they didn''t even do anything.

    "I¡­ I don''t know¡­ but my body is still¡­ craving for it¡­" Meixiu said.

    "Let''s take a break¡­ As enjoyable as thest 4 hours has been, I don''t want this to harm our bodies."

    "Okay¡­"

    Yuanid on the bed beside Meixiu shortly after.

    Despite the both of them still being naked, Meixiu didn''t shy away and snuggled with him.

    "Yuan, I love you¡­" Meixiu suddenly mumbled in a low voice.

    "I love you, too." Yuan smiled.

    "You know, the Manager said we''re too young to be doing this¡­"

    "Is that why you decided to do all of this?"

    "No, I have been wanting to do this with you for a while, but I never had the courage. What the Manager said is right. I''m still too young and inexperienced to be a proper partner for you. Therefore, I am going to work hard to be¡ª"

    Yuan suddenly poked her face and interrupted, "I don''t need you to change or be someone else for me. Just keep being you¡ª keep being the woman I fell in love with, okay? So what if you''re young and inexperienced? We all have to start from somewhere, right?"

    After a moment of silence, Meixiu nodded her head.

    "By the way, what should we tell Yu Rou? Should we tell her about our rtionship?" Meixiu suddenly asked.

    "I don''t mind. What about you?"

    "Well¡­ I am a little hesitant¡­" Meixiu sighed.

    "Hesitant? Why?"

    "Well, it''s no secret that Yu Rou really treasures you as her brother. I don''t know why, but I have a feeling that she might not approve of our rtionship. Perhaps we should postpone telling her about our rtionship. I don''t want to ruin her birthday, either."

    Yuan pondered for a moment before nodding, "Let''s do just that, then. It''s Yu Rou''s birthday, so everything on that day should be about her, not us."

    "Thank you, Yuan¡­"

    Meixiu suddenly felt a strong urge to caress Yuan''s chest.

    Her hands subconsciously moved, gently caressing him with her beautiful fingers.

    "I can''t hold it any longer¡­" Meixiu suddenly said.

    She sat up on the bed and crawled on top of Yuan''s body.

    "We''re supposed to be taking a break¡­" Yuan showed a helpless smile.

    "We are still taking a break. I''m just going to use my mouth, that''s all."

    "That''s not¡­ Oh¡­"

    Yuan halted his words to let out a satisfied sound when he felt something incredibly soft and warm wrap around his sword, even sucking on it.

    A few minutester, Yuan could no longer endure it any longer and pounced on Meixiu, ending their short break.

    The two of them would keep up their intimate acts with each other until sunrise.

    "I-It''s finally over¡­" Yuan sighed in relief when the stiff rod between his legs was no more, as it was fully satisfied after an entire night of intercourse.

    He looked at Meixiu, who had fallen asleep on the bed from exhaustion just minutes ago.

    Fortunately, she knocked out after cleaning herself and the bed, or she would be sleeping in all sorts of fluids. With that being said, only the bed was clean, so the floor and the walls were still dirty.

    As for how they managed to mess up a perfectly clean room after a night of intercourse, only the two of them would know.

    After tucking Meixiu in bed, Yuan went downstairs and said to the others, "Meixiu is a bit sick right now, so we''ll have to eat breakfast at the mall, and she won''t be participating in today''s training."

    "Is she okay?" Wang Bingbing asked.

    "Yes, she''ll be fine after a day of rest." Yuan calmly nodded.

    Who knows how they''ll react if he told them the truth¡ª that Meixiu was too exhausted to move because they''d spent the entire night together.

    As they made their way to the mall for breakfast, Chu Liuxiang approached Yuan and whispered to him, "So¡­ Is Meixiu really sick, or is there a different reason as to why she can''t get out of bed?"

    Yuan smiled and said, "We did it all night."

    "You what?! The entire night?" Chu Liuxiang was in disbelief.

    "Yes. From the moment I entered her room¡­ until sunrise."

    Chu Liuxiang stared at him with wide eyes.

    "H-How? We are normally done after two hours! How did youst an entire night?" She couldn''t help but ask.

    "Meixiu bought some weird medicine and suggested we try it, which kept our bodies active and lustful throughout the night, no matter how many times we did it! It was exhausting even for me! My whole body is sore now, especially my hips¡­"This is from N?velDrama.Org.

    "M-Medicine? That sounds suspicious as hell! Where on earth did she acquire such a thing?"

    "Apparently from the convenience store at the mall. I''ll go ask them after breakfast." Yuan said.

    "I''lle with you." Chu Liuxiang said.

    Breakfaststed a little over an hour.

    "I''ll meet you guys at the training field in a bit. I have some business here. It won''t take long." Yuan said to the others.

    "All right. See you there." They didn''t question him and left immediately.

    Once they were alone, Yuan and Chu Liuxiang made their way to the convenience store that was on the first floor of the mall.

    "Wee! Oh? Are you guys new to the Dragon Spiral Mountain? I have never seen you before." The woman at the desk asked them.

    "We''ve been here for a couple of months now." Yuan said.

    "I see. Anyways, is there anything specific that you''re looking for?"

    "Yes, I have some questions about a certain product my friend bought from this ce. I don''t know the name, but they''re these red capsules that ''enhances'' one''s body." Yuan said.

    It took a moment, but when the woman realized what Yuan was talking about, she covered her mouth and chuckled, "I see, I see. I know exactly what you''re talking about."

    She then reached under her counter and grabbed a box of the medicine that Yuan and Meixiu usedst night.

    "Are these it?" She asked him.

    "Yes, this is it." Yuan confirmed.

    "They''re called Love Capsules. If you''re looking to improve your night life with your girlfriend here, you''ll definitely want these. They''re very popr right now, especially amongst the young adults. They''re also approved by the government and many agencies, so they are very safe. Just don''t consume too much at once. Three per day is the limit."

    "Ummm¡­ How long are they supposed tost?" Yuan then asked.

    "About an hour or two depending on the person."

    "Huh? There''s no way. After all, I used it with my partnerst night, and itsted us until sunrise! We couldn''t stop for ten whole hours!" Yuan said.

    "W-What? Ten hours¡­? Are you sure? I don''t think even the strongest capsule out there canst that long¡­ Did you consume multiple at once?" The woman asked.

    "No, just one for each of us." Yuan shook his head.

    "Hmm¡­" The woman stared at the Love Capsules and began pondering.

 Chapter 945 - Killing the Last Demon

    Chapter 945 - Killing the Last Demon

    After pondering for some time, the woman asked, "Do you, by any chance, have a unique physique? Perhaps it''s due to your physique that has increased the potency of the medicine."

    Yuan then said, "While that is entirely possible, what about my partner, who had the same effects?"

    The woman pondered again before asking, "Are you sure about that? While she may havested ten hours, it doesn''t mean she''s affected by the medicine. She could''ve just been enduring it."

    Yuan swallowed nervously after hearing this possibility. He didn''t confirm it with Meixiu because she kept up with him the entire night withoutining, and she even encouraged him to continue.

    "I will confirm it with herter." Yuan then said.

    "Thank you for your time."

    "Wait! Can I have this box of Love Capsules?" Chu Liuxiang suddenly asked.

    "Of course. You can have as many as you want." The woman nodded.

    "Thank you! Oh, I don''t need a bag. I''ll just carry it home with me."

    Chu Liuxiang grabbed the box and held it in her hand without feeling shameful about it.

    "You want to use that as well?" Yuan asked her after they left.

    "Of course! Since you did it with Meixiu, it''s only fair if you do it with me as well! I also want to experience what she felt!"

    "Are you sure? This medicine will keep me up for 10 hours. I don''t know about Meixiu, but there''s a good chance that she..."

    "If Meixiu can do it, so can I! Don''t underestimate me, darling!"

    Sometimeter, they met up with the others in the training field.

    "Are you guys ready?" Yuan asked them.

    "Of course!"

    Yuan unsealed the demon, starting their training.

    "If you can defeat my friends, I will set you free." Yuan said to the demon after unsealing it.

    "You want me to listen to livestock? Hahaha! In your fucking dreams!" The demonughed out loud.N?velDrama.Org content rights.

    Yuan didn''t say anything else and retrieved the 10 demon cores that he''d gathered from the previous 10 demons.

    When the demon saw the demon cores in Yuan''s hands, it stoppedughing and began sweating profusely.

    "One of these demon cores belonged to a demon with the strength of a 2nd level Spirit Lord. Killing a 5th level Spirit Master like you will be easier than taking candy from a baby." Yuan said, causing it to tremble some more.

    "You can try to kill yourself, but I will seal you before then." Yuan snapped his fingers, causing the Demon Sealing Zone to activate.

    Everything below the demon''s neck instantly petrified.

    This terrified the demon, who had severely underestimated him.

    "I understand. I will do it." The demon gritted its teeth and said.

    "Good."

    Yuan unsealed the demon, and the first team started their training shortly after.

    After an entire day of training, Yuan said to the demon before sealing it, "See you tomorrow."

    "Damn! I almost died multiple times fighting this demon and it''s only two levels stronger than thest one!" Wang Ming eximed.

    "It wouldn''t be training if it got easier." Yuan smiled.

    Sometimeter, Yuan visited Meixiu''s room to find her sitting on her bed with herptop.

    "Sorry I missed training, Yuan." Meixiu said to him.

    "Don''t worry about it. You can do it tomorrow."

    He shook his head.

    "By the way, I have a question for you."

    "What is it?"

    "The medicine we took yesterday¡­ Did it reallyst 10 hours for you?"

    "¡­"

    After a moment of silence, Meixiu sighed and said, "No, itsted only two hours for me."

    "Why didn''t you tell me?"

    "You looked like you were having fun, and I also enjoyed it."

    Yuan sighed, "You could''ve gotten hurt, Meixiu."

    "That wasn''t my intention. Sorry."

    "Are you sure you''re fine?"

    She nodded with a smile, "Yes. My body is a little sore, but that''s all."

    "Thest thing I want is for you to get hurt just to satisfy me. I know you don''t want to lose, but I don''t want you to force yourself. Just continue being the Meixiu I know and love."

    "Thank you." She nodded.

    Yuan returned to his room sometimeter to find Chu Liuxiang lying on the bed with the box of Love Capsules in her hands.

    "You want to do it today?" Yuan asked her.

    "Huh? Oh, no. I was just bored. I won''t be able to participate in training tomorrow if we did it today, after all. I''ll wait until training is over."

    "All right."

    The following morning, everyone including Meixiu gathered at the training area for training.

    The training wouldst until it was almost Yu Rou''s birthday.

    "Your service is no longer required. I will now set you free." Yuan said the demon at the end of their training.

    The demon sighed in relief inwardly, but before it could say anything, Yuan drove his hand into its chest and ripped out its red crystal.

    "W-What is the meaning of this?!" The demon roared.

    "Now you don''t have to ever worry about getting sealed again." Yuan said to it before crushing the crystal, killing thest demon.

    After deactivating the Demon Sealing Zone, Yuan turned to look at the Manager and asked her, "Are you satisfied?"

    The Manager narrowed her eyes at Yuan and spoke in a calm voice, "Prepare yourself. You''ll be seeing the Lord tomorrow."

    "What about my friend?"

    "I have already made her a resident. She can move into the Dragon Spiral Mountain whenever."

    "Thanks."

    The Manager returned to the peak of the mountain shortly after while everyone else returned home.

    "Aaaah! It''s finally over!" Wang Ming shouted in an excited voice.

    "Over? This is just the beginning. There are dozens if not hundreds of demons sealed around the world right now, and we''re the only ones who can deal with them. I want all of you to be able to kill demons by yourself in the future." Yuan said.

    "No way¡­" Wang Ming''s jaw dropped.

    "Having second thoughts about joining this faction?" Yuan smiled.

    "Hell no!" He immediately shook his head.

    "Good."

 Chapter 946 - The Lordâ€™s True Identity

    Chapter 946 - The Lord''s True Identity

    "So he''s finally killed thest demon, huh?" The Lord mumbled in a relieved voice after hearing the news from the Manager.

    "Are you really going to reveal your true identity to him? I still don''t think we can trust him. He''s just a pervert who happens to have a knack for killing demons." The Manager said with a frown on her face.

    "Do you really believe that, or are you just saying that out of frustration?" The Lord asked her.

    The Manager gritted her teeth, refusing to answer.

    "You can''t be born with a ''knack'' for killing demons. You need experience and technique. I don''t know how or where he learned to kill demons, but we need him. The demons have been sealed for millions of years. It won''t be long before they break out of their seal."

    "Anyways, I have decided to tell him the truth about my identity, but I can continue to keep your identity a secret."

    "Whatever." The Manager sighed.

    That night, after washing their bodies, Chu Liuxiang and Yuan left the bathroom without getting dressed.

    "Are you sure you want to do this? The Love Capsule''s effectsted for 2 hours for Meixiu, but it willst around ten hours for me. In fact, you can take the Love Capsule by yourself."

    "No!" Chu Liuxiang immediately refused.N?velDrama.Org content rights.

    "I want to experience what Meixiu experienced, so I want you to take the Love Capsule as well! So what if itsts for ten hours? I will do it even if itsts 24 hours!"

    After listening to her stubborn and resolute words, Yuan no longer tried to convince her.

    The two of them consumed the Love Capsule pill shortly after.

    Chu Liuxiang''s body immediately started burning with passion.

    Yuan could feel the sword between his legs turning as hard as steel.

    Seeing his body like this, Chu Liuxiang suddenly fell to her knees and started the action with her mouth.

    Sometimeter, they went to the bed and started the real action.

    After an hour of intensive and passionate session, Yuan asked her, "How do you feel?"

    "I feel like the night''s just begun!" Chu Liuxiang said as she moved in a riding motion while sitting on top of Yuan''s body.

    Another hourter, Yuan asked, "Has the effect worn off yet?"

    "You don''t need to worry about me, darling. Just keep going until we''re both satisfied." She said to him.

    Although Yuan was hesitant, as he was worried about hurting her, he ended up agreeing to her reckless decision.

    After another hour, when the effects finally disappeared, Chu Liuxiang decided to consume another Love Capsule.

    "Meixiu only took one Love Capsule, you know." Yuan said to her.

    "I know I''m cheating a little, but I was curious." She chuckled.

    Thus, they continued to embrace each other for the rest of the night.

    "The Love Capsule''s effect seems to have strengthened for me. Itsted 12 hours this time." Yuan said at the end of their long session.

    "How are you feeling?" He asked Chu Liuxiang a momentter, who was lying on the bed, her body still twitching a little.

    "That was an amazing night we spent together, darling. We should do it more often¡­" She said in an exhausted manner.

    "I don''t think that is very healthy¡­"

    "What are you talking about? You know, you''ll eventually spend more time having sex than sleeping once you ept more women into your life, so you might as well get used to it now."

    "I don''t really n on having more partners, though. I am satisfied with just you and Meixiu."

    "Unfortunately, you cannot n love, darling. I also have a feeling that our family will continue to grow bigger."

    "Well¡­"

    "By the way, don''t you have to meet with the Lord today?" Chu Liuxiang suddenly interrupted.

    "Huh?"

    Yuan froze for a moment.

    "Oh crap! Ipletely forgot about it!"

    Chu Liuxiang smiled and said, "Just go. I''ll clean up the room."

    "Thank you!"

    Yuan went into the bathroom and quickly washed his body before getting dressed and rushing downstairs.

    When he arrived at the front of the building, he could see the Manager standing there with an angry expression on her face.

    "Do you have any idea how long I have been waiting for you?! One hour and fifteen minutes!" The Manager shouted at him while tapping on her watch in an aggressive manner.

    "Sorry, but I was busy with something. You know, you could''ve just knocked on my door. Why didn''t you?"

    The Manager''s face twitched a little, and she spoke in a slightly shaky voice, "S-Shut up! I''ll do as I please!"

    There was no way that she could tell him the truth¡ª that she''d gone to his room but didn''t have the courage to disturb his time with Chu Liuxiang.

    ''This pervert is like a dog in heat! Did he really spend the entire night screwing that Chu girl?! To think he''d do such a thing right before meeting with the Lord! Unbelievable!'' She cried inwardly.

    "Anyways, we''re already way behind schedule! Let''s go!" The Manager turned around and began power walking towards the peak of the mountain.

    Sometimeter, Yuan approached the Lord''s cave.

    "You''re almost two hourste. Did something happen?" The Lord asked him.

    "Well¡­ I was busy with something and lost track of time. Sorry." Yuan replied with an apologetic smile on his face.

    "He was so busy mating with the Chu girl that he''d forgotten about the meeting." The Manager suddenly said out loud.

    Yuan''s eyebrows twitched after hearing such words, but he didn''t respond to it since it was true.

    The Lord cleared his throat and spoke, "A-Anyways, I express my utmost gratitude to you for dealing with the 11 demons, Yuan."

    Yuan shook his head and said, "I don''t need your gratitude. I would''ve done it even if you didn''t ask for my help."

    "Very well. Then it''s my turn to uphold my end of the agreement. Since you have killed the demons, I will now tell you about my true identity and the truth about Cultivation Online." The Lord said.

    A few momentster, Yuan could hear the sound of footstepsing from the cave before him.

    ''So he''s finally showing his true self, huh?'' Yuan patiently waited for the Lord toe out of his cave.

 Chapter 947 - The Lordâ€™s True Identity (2)

    Chapter 947 - The Lord''s True Identity (2)

    ''Hm? These footsteps sound too heavy for a human.'' Yuan quickly noticed this after hearing the Lord''s footsteps.

    A few momentster, the footsteps stopped, but the Lord hadn''t shown himself yet.

    "Having second thoughts?" Yuan asked him with a calm smile.

    "No, I am just giving you some time to prepare yourself. My appearance¡­ It might shock you."

    Yuan chuckled, "Let me guess, you''re super ugly? This exins why you''re holed up in that cave."

    "Insolence!" The Manager suddenly shouted.

    "I''m just joking. Anyways, there''s no need to wait for me. I already know your true identity, after all."

    "Oh? You do?" The Lord sounded quite surprised.

    "Yes. Well, not exactly, but I know that you''re not human. You''re a Divine Beast, right? I don''t know your species, but you''re definitely a Divine Beast."

    "..."

    After a moment of silence, the footsteps continued, and arge figure appeared from the cave.

    "How did you find out? And how long have you known?"This is from N?velDrama.Org.

    The Lord asked as he came out of the cave for the first time in a very long time, revealing his massive figure.

    Yuan looked at the Lord''s figure with his divine sense.

    The Lord was around 10 meters tall. His body resembled that of a tiger, and it was covered in a beautiful coat of thick, red fur, almost like a Tibetan mastiff.

    "What are you, a tiger?" Yuan asked him in a calm voice.

    "I belong to the Ancient Mastiff''s bloodline. Specifically, I am a Blood Mastiff." The Lord said.

    "Mastiff, so you''re a dog?"

    "How dare youpare the bloodline of the Blood Mastiff to a mere dog!" The Manager shouted at him again.

    The Lordughed, "I thought you''d be more nervous or surprised. How unfortunate."

    Yuan shrugged, "I have met with plenty of Divine Beasts in Cultivation Online already. How do Blood Mastiffspare to Phoenixes or Dragons?"

    "Well, that depends on the grade of our bloodline and our race. Not all Phoenixes and Dragons are born equal. For example, there are over 10 different kinds of Phoenixes, and the Golden Phoenix ranks 4th amongst all Phoenixes. Meanwhile, Dragons have over 100 different bloodlines, and the Flood Dragon is ranked 94th."

    "The Blood Mastiff, while they cannotpare to the most powerful Dragons and Phoenixes out there, we are stronger than most Phoenixes and Dragons."

    "I see¡­" Yuan mumbled.

    And he continued, "Anyway, I figured it out not long ago due to something Liya said."

    "M-Me?!" The Manager eximed.

    The Lord narrowed his eyes and spoke, "Let me guess¡­ You figured it out when she said that she couldn''t learn demon sealing techniques."

    Yuan nodded, "That''s right. All humans are capable of learning demon sealing techniques. The only beings that cannot learn them are magical beasts and Divine Beasts."

    He turned to face Liya and asked her, "Are you also a Blood Mastiff?"

    However, she refused to respond to him.

    "You don''t need to tell me if you don''t want to. However, I am curious. If she can transform into a human and interact with other humans, why aren''t you doing the same. Instead, you choose to stay up here." Yuan then asked.

    The Lord sighed, "It''s not that I don''t want to transform into a human. I can''t¡ª at least not right now."

    "Why not? What''s preventing you from doing so?"

    "I am currently maintaining a formation that requires immense spiritual energy. It''s constantly absorbing my spiritual energy¡ª so much so that I cannot even spare some to transform into a human. And before you ask, no, it''s not the formation that conceals the peak of this mountain. In fact, this ''formation'' is more of a ''seal'' that''s existing within my body."

    "What does the formation do?"

    "It keeps this world alive." The Lord said, dumbfounding him.

    "Huh? What do you mean?"

    "You see, there is a massive formation that surrounds this world. You cannot see it, but it''s there. This formation is what''s keeping this world from falling apart. If I deactivate the formation, this world will be destroyed. It is also my duty to keep this formation active at all times, and I have been doing this for millions of years."

    Yuan was speechless. What the Lord told him was beyond even his wildest imaginations.

    "You must be wondering why this world is on the verge of destruction." The Lord spoke after a moment of silence.

    Yuan pondered and asked, "Does it have anything to do with Cultivation Online?"

    "Yes, it does."

    "Since you already know that Cultivation Online, which takes ce in the Nine Heavens, exists out there, this will make exining a lot easier."

    "This world known as Earth used to be part of the Nine Heavens, but it was separated during a massive war that not only removed ''Earth'' from the Nine Heavens, but also created the ''Nine Heavens'' at the same time."

    "I don''t get it." Yuan tilted his head.

    "Well, you see, the Nine Heavens wasn''t always split into 9 different realms. The Nine Heavens used to be one ce. This means the Lower Heaven and all of the other Heavens existed in the same ne, so you didn''t need to ascend or descend. With that being said, since the world was so massive, the people made nine different continents, and each continent was called ''First Heaven'', ''Second Heaven'', ''Third Heaven'', and so on¡­"

    "In case you''re wondering, the Nine Heavens used to be called the Divine Heaven."

    "I see¡­" Yuan mumbled as he digested the information.

    "Anyways, Earth couldn''t be part of the new Nine Heavens because it was too small and had drifted too far away, and without the Nine Heavens'' support, Earth could not support itself, hence why the formation is required to keep this world in one piece."

    "I''m surprised you''re able to support this world with that cultivation." Yuan said.

    "My cultivation dropped to peak Spirit Emperor only because of the seal in my body. My real cultivation is actually far higher." The Lord sighed.

    Yuan nodded, "I understand the situation of our world and the Nine Heavens, but what''s the deal with Cultivation Online? What is its real purpose?"

    "I''m getting there." The Lord said.

 Chapter 948 - The Truth About Cultivation Online

    Chapter 948 - The Truth About Cultivation Online

    "Before I tell you about the truth about Cultivation Online, let me ask you this¡­ Do you know how it works? How you can visit the Nine Heavens through Cultivation Online?" The Lord asked.

    Yuan pondered for a moment before speaking, "It obviously has something to do with the console we put on our head, but I have inspected it multiple times, even taking it apart. Despite that, I couldn''t find anything special about it."

    "I''m not surprised, since you don''t have the means to see the formation."

    "Formation? There is a formation in the console?"

    "Yes, and it''s actually two different formations, both fairly powerful formations called the Soul Transference Array and the Spirit Avatar Array."

    "The Soul Transference Array transfers a part of your soul to the Nine Heavens¡ª just enough so that your actual body doesn''t be soulless and die, and the Spirit Avatar Array transforms your separated soul into an avatar¡ª your character."

    "This is why Cultivation Online feels so real¡ª because it''s a real world, and you''re there as a soul."

    Yuan frowned upon hearing this, "Our soul? Isn''t that really bad? If one''s soul is damaged even in the slightest, it could really mess up a person''s life and turn them braindead. If our character is our soul, doesn''t that mean all damages inflicted on the character will also be inflicted on our soul?"

    "Indeed, but you don''t need to worry about that too much. While it''s true that your character is made out of your soul, it''s not entirely your soul. Unless you are hit by techniques specifically meant to damage one''s soul, your soul won''t get damaged."

    "With that being said, if you die in Cultivation Online, there is a high chance that your actual soul will be damaged. This is why when yers die, many of them lose their ability to cultivate¡ª both in Cultivation Online and real life." The Lord exined.

    "Of course, it''s not guaranteed, hence why some people can still cultivate after they die. It is also the reason why even if you switch consoles, your character will remain the same."

    "The heck?! How dare you tell me to not worry about it too much! That''s super worrisome! Which genius decided to put our souls at risk while hiding the fact? And for what reason?" Yuan asked, feeling a little frustrated by the truth.

    The Lord took a deep breath and spoke, "The Celestial Emperor."

    "Hah? You mean the guy who rules over the Nine Heavens? Why on earth would he do such a thing?"

    "Unfortunately, I do not know his intentions or goal. However, if I had to take a guess, I believe that he''s trying to recruit talented people through Cultivation Online."

    "How do I know that you''re telling the truth?" Yuan suddenly said.

    And he continued, "For all I know, you could be working for the Celestial Emperor. After all, how else would you know so much about Cultivation Online? I don''t know what kind of person the Celestial Emperor is, nor do I know his purpose, but no matter his intentions, I do not agree with it. In fact, I would even say that I am against it."

    "As much as I love Cultivation Online and am grateful to it, the Celestial Emperor is ying with our lives here, and he is doing so while keeping us in the dark about it. If you ask me, he''s not a good guy."N?velDrama.Org owns this.

    "I can promise you that I am not working for the Celestial Emperor. However, I don''t have any way to prove it to you, so you''ll have to take my words for it."

    "As someone who has lived in the Nine Heavens before it was split into nine different realms, it''s only natural for me to know about the Nine Heavens and Earth. As for the truth about Cultivation Online, I knew it as soon as I saw the formations hidden within the consoles, and there is only one person in the Nine Heavens who is capable of achieving such a feat¡ª the Celestial Emperor."

    Yuan pondered for a moment before speaking, "Putting aside my trust for now, I have some questions."

    "The people living within the Nine Heavens¡ª the ones we call an NPC, howe they don''t find anything wrong with us? Wee back to life after we''re killed, and we can log in and off at will, yet they all act as though it''spletely natural."

    The Lord sighed, "What I am about to say is only a theory, so I am not 100 percent on it, but I believe that the Celestial Emperor had ced a curse on these people, making it so that they don''t find anything wrong with it."

    "Curses like this exist?" Yuan raised an eyebrow.

    "Yes. There are plenty of curses out there that can alter a person''s personality, so something like this isn''t too shocking if the Celestial Emperor is behind it all." The Lord nodded.

    "With that being said, I don''t think the curse is affecting everybody in the Nine Heavens. There are powerful Cultivators out there that surpass even the Celestial Emperor in terms of strength, so it''s unlikely for these individuals to be cursed by him."

    Hearing this information, Yuan remembered something, "The Great One¡­ He knew that I didn''t belong to the Nine Heavens, and he even knew my real name."

    "You know the Great One?" The Lord looked at him with wide eyes.

    "Not personally, but I have spoken with him once before, and I''d even epted his Legacy."

    "I see¡­ Anyways, I have no doubt that the Great One isn''t affected by the Celestial Emperor''s curse. He''s one of the most powerful beings in all of the Nine Heavens, after all." The Lord spoke in an admiring tone.

    "Is there anything we can do to remove this curse¡­ if it''s even a curse?" Yuan then asked.

    "I''m not sure, but you can try finding someone who is not affected by the curse and see if they can remove the curse." The Lord said.

    "I see¡­ That makes sense." Yuan nodded.

 Chapter 949 - Traveling to the Nine Heavens

    Chapter 949 - Traveling to the Nine Heavens

    "Now that you know about the connection between Earth and the Nine Heavens and the truth about Cultivation Online, let''s talk about the Dragon Spiral Mountain." The Lord said.

    "Have you ever thought about visiting the Nine Heavens?"

    "Of course." Yuan immediately nodded his head.

    "Well, the Dragon Spiral Mountain is actually a gateway to the Nine Heavens, meaning you can travel to the Nine Heavens."

    "Really?!" Yuan shouted in excitement.

    It has been a very long time since he was this excited about something.

    "Yes, but it cannot be done now. The gateway to the Nine Heavens is a two-way portal, meaning that both gates must be activated in order for it to work. While I can activate the gate in this world, we will need someone to open the gate in the Nine Heavens. If you can do that, you will be able to travel to the Nine Heavens with your real body."

    "Where can I find the gate in the Nine Heavens?!" Yuan eagerly asked.

    "I''m not exactly sure myself, but it should be somewhere between the Fourth Heaven and the Seventh Heaven."

    "That''s three realms of possibilities! Are you telling me to search every nook and cranny of these realms?!" Yuan eximed.

    "You won''t spend that much effort on looking because the name of the gate in the Nine Heavens is the same as the one in this world¡ª Dragon Spiral Mountain. Ask the right people and you will find it right away."

    "I see¡­"

    "By the way, what will happen if I travel to the Nine Heavens with my real body? What will happen to my character?"

    "Nothing. Your character will remain active even if you go there with your real body. In fact, that essentially means you will have two bodies in that world¡ª one made of flesh and one made of your soul."

    "Oh, I should''ve mentioned this before when we were on the subject, but when you log off Cultivation Online, your soul doesn''t return to you. Your character just loses its physical form and returns to being a ''soul'', which is invisible to one''s eyes."

    "Huh? Does that mean my soul isn''t in one piece even now?" Yuan quickly asked.

    "Indeed. Your current body contains only about 10 percent of your soul, and the other 90 percent is currently in the Nine Heavens where youst logged off."

    "No fucking way¡­ Is that why I find it much harder to learn techniques in this world? Because I only have 10 percent of my soul?"

    "That is correct."

    "My impressions of this Celestial Emperor is decreasing with every passing moment¡­" Yuan sighed.

    "Hmm? Wait. Is this also why despite cultivating in Cultivation Online, it doesn''t affect our real body? What will happen if I regain all of my soul? Will I gain all of the cultivation it has gathered?" He then asked.

    "Indeed. If you reabsorb your soul, you will gain everything it has learned and acquired, and this includes its cultivation and skills." The Lord confirmed.

    "Then howe some of the treasures affect our real body?"

    "Treasures affect one''s soul differently. Even if the soul is separated, as long as you nourish one part of the soul, the other part will also receive the benefits. Don''t ask me how it works. It just does."

    "Then I want to ask about the gate. How do I activate it?" Yuan asked a momentter.

    "The gate is actually a formation¡ª a Level 7 formation. If you want to activate it, you''ll need to be a Level 7 Array Master." The Lord said.

    "Level 7¡­"

    "Once you''re capable of activating Level 7 Arrays and Formations, I will teach you how to activate the gate."

    "Sounds good." Yuan nodded.N?velDrama.Org content rights.

    "Any more questions?"

    "Of course. I still have tons. However, the one I want answers to the most right now would be this one¡ª You mentioned that our souls will not be harmed unless our character dies or it suffers a technique meant for the soul. I want you to borate on that."

    The Lord nodded and spoke, "There are techniques out there that directly inflicts damage on one''s soul. Such techniques are incredibly rare and valuable¡ª perhaps the rarest kind of technique out there. However, they exist, and if you''re struck by such an attack, it could shatter your soul, and 90 percent of your soul will disappear."

    Yuan swallowed nervously.

    "Is there any way tobat these techniques?"

    The Lord shook his head and sighed, "Unfortunately, the only way to defend against techniques that damage one''s soul is to have a soul that''s strong enough to endure the attack, and in order to strengthen your soul, you must practice soul tempering techniques, but such techniques are as rare as soul attacking techniques."

    "That would be the stat ''Soul Strength'' in Cultivation Online, correct?" Yuan asked, as he remembers hearing about them from Xiao Hua.

    "Indeed. There are only two ways to improve your Soul Strength¡ª by cultivating soul tempering techniques or by consuming treasures."

    Yuan turned silent for a moment before speaking, "Then howe my Soul Strength increases alongside my cultivation? I have never cultivated any soul tempering techniques, nor do I recall consuming any treasures with such effect."

    "What?! Is that true?! That your Soul Strength increases when you increase your cultivation?!" The Lord appeared to be greatly shocked after hearing his words.

    "Yes, it''s true."

    The Lord''s eyes flickered with countless emotions.

    "D-Do you happen to know your bloodline?" He suddenly asked.

    Yuan nodded, "It''s called the Immortal Monarch Bloodline. Do you know of it?"

    "Immortal Monarch Bloodline!" The Lord''s legs nearly gave out on him after hearing this familiar name.

    Even the Manager appeared to be quite shocked by it.

    "So you do know something about it. This is great. I know nothing about my bloodline, so tell me everything you know!" Yuan said with a smile on his face, his excitement growing once again.

    ''The Immortal Monarch¡­ To think I''d meet his descendant here¡­ If this isn''t fate¡­'' The Lord sighed inwardly.

 Chapter 950 - Immortal Monarch

    Chapter 950 - Immortal Monarch

    Aftering out of his daze, the Lord took a long and deep breath before speaking, "The Immortal Monarch is a prominent figure from after the Primordial Era. He has another nickname, but I will get to thatter."

    "First, you should probably learn more about the Nine Heavens and its history."

    "The Primordial Era is the first known era. It''s what some people call the ''beginning of time'', as this is the furthest history goes."

    "The Primordial Erasted for countless millions of years. During this time, many legends were created."

    "However, towards the end of the Primordial Era, a massive war between the first Celestial Emperor and the cultivators living in that world urred. It was known as the Heavenly War of Immortals and Gods. I won''t get into the details since it''s really long and has nothing to do with our topic, but many powerful figures had died after that war."

    "A few thousand yearster, the Primordial Era ended when the first known demon ''Red Tyrant'' suddenly showed up in the Divine Heaven. Because of the Heavenly War that resulted in the deaths of countless experts, the human race was quickly overwhelmed by the demons, thus the beginning of a new era¡ª the Demonic Era."

    "The demons ruled the Divine Heavens for millions of years until the Divine Paragon appeared. After sealing the Demonic Realm and defeating most of the demons out there, the Demonic Era came to an end."

    Yuan digested all of this information with a serious face.

    ''I see¡­ Primordial Era and the Demonic Era¡­ There''s still so much I don''t know even though I have the Divine Paragon''s memories¡­''

    The Lord continued after allowing Yuan some time to breathe.

    "After the Demonic Era is an era known as the Immortal Monarch''s Era, where a single person ruled."

    "However, even though I say that he''d dominated the Nine Heavens, it wasn''t anything official. Nobody knows the Immortal Monarch''s background or where he came from, but he was so immensely powerful that not even the Celestial Emperor of that era could control him."

    "With that being said, it was not his strength that truly shocked the world¡ª it was his connections¡ª hispanions."

    "The Immortal Monarch, also known as the Monarch of Beasts, was the first person in history to make Divine Beasts willingly obey him."

    "What¡­?" Yuan was dumbfounded after hearing this information.

    "Before the Immortal Monarch''s Era, Divine Beasts did notmunicate with humans, and to human cultivators, Divine Beasts were superior beings that lived in a different world."

    "Humans revered Divine Beasts and treated them like Gods, so the idea of a Divine Beast lowering its head and serving a human was an unthinkable thing back then."

    "However, the Immortal Monarch defied all logic and created history by bing the first human to receive the Divine Beasts'' support."

    "As a result of this, the Immortal Monarch also became the most powerful Beast Tamer in the Nine Heavens. He was an untouchable figure that had many powerful Divine Beasts by his side."

    After hearing this information about his bloodline, many things started making sense to Yuan.

    The reason Feng Yuxiang and Lan Yingying found his blood delicious is most likely due to his bloodline that had many connections with Divine Beasts.

    "If you don''t mind me asking¡­ May I have a drop of your blood for confirmation?" The Lord suddenly asked him.

    "Sure." Yuan didn''t refuse, as he wanted to see the Lord''s reaction.

    "W-What?! You''re going to drink a human''s blood?! That''s insane!" The Manager suddenly shouted.

    "Silence!" The Lord roared.

    "If what he said is true, then he''s not just any ordinary human! He''s rted to the Immortal Monarch, who had the support of the Nine Ancient Beasts! Do you have any idea what this means?!"

    "What''s the Nine Ancient Beasts?" Yuan asked out of curiosity.

    "The Nine Ancient Beasts refers to the most powerful and ancient Divine Beasts in the Nine Heavens. They''re said to be the first Divine Beasts to ever exist, so they''re basically the ancestors of all Divine Beasts."

    "I see¡­ Anyway, here''s my blood."

    Yuan collected a single drop of his blood and gave it to the Lord.

    The Lord''s body visibly trembled afterward.

    "T-This is¡­! This is, without doubt, the Immortal Monarch''s Bloodline! Only the Immortal Monarch''s Bloodline can taste unique to us Divine Beasts!" The Lord eximed.

    "The blood of normal humans tastes like muddy water to us Divine Beast, but the Immortal Monarch is different. His blood tastes would taste more delicious than even the most delicious thing we have ever eaten, and that is exactly what your blood tasted like."

    "Is that so¡­"

    Yuan noticed the weird expression on the Manager''s face and turned to look at her with a smile on his face.

    "Liya, do you also want to taste my blood? I can tell that you''re curious." He asked her.

    "There''s no way that I would want to taste the blood of a human! I don''t care if you have the Immortal Monarch''s Bloodline¡ª I won''t ept you¡ª a human!" The Manager responded with gritted teeth.

    Yuan raised his eyebrows and turned to ask the Lord, "Did something happen with her? Her hate for humans doesn''t appear to be natural."

    "M-Mind your own business!" The Manager shouted.

    The Lord shook his head and said, "I''m afraid that I do not have the right to tell her story. If you truly wish to know, you must ask her."N?velDrama.Org content rights.

    "Don''t even think about it! Because I won''t tell you no matter what!" The Manager continued.

    "Don''t worry, I won''t force you. You can tell me when you''re ready." Yuan said with a smile.

    ''Damn, he''s so irritating! Why does he have to make it sound like I am going to tell him in the future?! And he sounds so confident about it!'' The Manager cried inwardly.

    "I apologize for her, Young Master Yuan." The Lord said a momentter.

    "Huh? What did you just call me?" Yuan doubted his hearing just now.

 Chapter 951 - Immortal Monarchâ€™s Descendant

    Chapter 951 - Immortal Monarch''s Descendant

    "Since it''s confirmed that you have the Immortal Monarch''s Bloodline, I must address you properly. It''s only natural, as you''re the Immortal Monarch''s descendant." The Lord said.

    "Just continue calling me Yuan. I don''t like it when people suddenly change the way they address me. It feels awkward."

    "I understand, Yuan." The Lord nodded.

    "Anyways, I still have more questions."

    "Ask away."N?velDrama.Org owns this.

    "Why are you responsible for the seal on Earth? Who decided that?"

    "It was my decision and idea to ept the seal." The Lord said.

    "Why? Your strength is sealed, and your energy is constantly being absorbed by the seal. Why would you agree to what is essentially constant torture?"

    The Lord smiled and said, "Believe it or not, I do it because I love humans."

    "Huh? What kind of nonsense is that?"

    "I know, you probably think it''s stupid. I am well aware of how cringe and typical my reasoning is, but it''s the truth. Furthermore, I was born on Earth¡ª at least before it got its name. Earth was a small part of First Heaven before, and it was my hometown."

    Yuan sighed, "Well, I''m not going to make fun of your decision even though I find it ridiculous, so I''m going to go ahead and move to the next question."

    "Since there are two Divine Beasts here, could there be other Divine Beasts hidden in this world? What about magical beasts? Where did they go? And how did the existence of cultivation disappear for the majority of the world?"

    "I''m not sure if there are other Divine Beasts out there since it''s been countless years since I have left this ce, but it''s not impossible. As for the magical beasts¡­ They were all hunted to extinction. Normally, more magical beasts would be born after some time, but due to theck of spiritual energy in this world and its small size, such a thing did not happen."

    "Now onto why the majority of this world forgot about cultivation¡­ Honestly, I don''t know how it happened. I went into a deep slumber shortly after I took the seal into my body, and when I woke up, it was as though the entire world had forgotten about cultivation."

    "With that being said, the people living on Earth before it was separated from the Nine Heavens were mostly mortals, so that could be a cause."

    "Perhaps the people of this world decided to give up on cultivation altogether and started focusing on technology instead. Who knows."

    "After all, if you think about it, even a somewhat powerful cultivation can remove mountains with ease, and considering the size of this world, it would be for the best if people stopped cultivation."

    "Let''s take you for example, Yuan. At your current level, you are more than capable of destroying this world, and you''re only a Spirit Grandmaster. However, these are all just spections."

    "I see¡­" Yuan mumbled.

    After pondering for sometime, he spoke, "All right, I will leave things here for now. There is a lot of new information that I need to think about and digest. When I''m ready to talk again, I wille back with more questions."

    "Very well. We''ll be here whenever you need us." The Lord said.

    "Liya, escort him back, and do not be disrespectful to him." The Lord turned to her and said.

    "Oh! One more thing. Do you mind if I tell my friends about the stuff I learned today?" Yuan suddenly asked.

    "If you want. Just try not to spread it too much. It might cause the entire world to panic."

    "All right."

    Yuan left the peak of the mountain shortly after.

    "You don''t need to follow me all the way. I can get back by myself." Yuan said to the Manager after they left the formation.

    "Say no more." The Manager turned around and started walking back to the peak of the mountain without any hesitation.

    After returning to the peak of the mountain, the Manager walked straight to the cave and spoke in a frustrated voice, "Why did you lower yourself to him? That wasn''t part of the agreement!"

    "He''s the Immortal Monarch''s descendant. It''s only natural for Divine Beasts to lower their heads before him."

    "That''s bullshit! He''s not the Immortal Monarch! He''s just a descendant!"

    "Descendant or not, as long as he has the bloodline, we are obligated to respect him. This is the will of our ancestors¡ª the will of the Nine Ancient Beasts."

    "In fact, let me give you a suggestion, Liya. Go serve him. It will benefit you greatly."

    "What?! You want me to serve that pervert?! Are you insane? I won''t do such a thing even if it''s thest thing I do!" She immediately refused.

    "Those that carry the Immortal Monarch''s Bloodline are destined to do great things. There are even Divine Beasts out there that dream of being beside someone with that bloodline. You should really take advantage of your situation and create a connection with him before he inevitably travels to the Nine Heavens with his real body."

    "You sound like you want to be his servant. Why don''t you do it then?"

    The Lord shook his head, "I would be lying if I say that I don''t want to serve him, but I am not worthy to be by his side."

    "You, on the other hand¡­"

    "Don''t even think about it. I will never serve a human!"

    "What a pity. His blood is really tasty, you know? If you be his servant, you might be able to drink his blood very often. Legend also has it that if a Divine Beast drinks enough of the Immortal Monarch''s blood, they can ''evolve'', bing more powerful than ever."

    The Manager swallowed nervously after hearing such words, but she quickly shook the idea away.

    "I don''t care if he''s the Immortal Monarch''s descendant¡ª even if he''s the Immortal Monarch himself, I will not serve him! I hate humans! And I will never forgive them for their crimes!" After saying such words, the Manager turned around and disappeared from the scene.

 Chapter 952 - On the Verge of Destruction

    Chapter 952 - On the Verge of Destruction

    After returning home, Yuan gathered everyone in the faction to let them know the truth about Cultivation Online.

    "What I am about to say is very shocking, and you might even not believe me, but trust me, it''s real."

    "First and foremost, Cultivation Online¡ª the Nine Heavens is real, and our world used to be part of it. The Nine Heavens was known as Divine Heaven before, but something happened, causing it to split into many different pieces."

    "The ninergest parts of Divine Heaven became known as the Nine Heavens."

    "Earth was too small and had drifted too far away to join the Nine Heavens, so we became our own world."

    "However, because of the separation, Earth isn''t in a good condition. Hell, you can even say that it''s on the verge of destruction."

    "What?!" Everyone there eximed in a shocked voice.

    "Yes, even now, the world is on the verge of copsing on itself. The only reason it''s not is because of the Lord¡ª the Lord of the Dragon Spiral Mountain."

    "He''s keeping this world safe with a powerful formation that surrounds this world. Oh, you should know that the Lord is not human. He''s actually a Divine Beast."

    "W-Wait, wait, wait! Let me digest a little before you continue." Wang Ming suddenly said.

    "So let me get this straight. This world used to exist in the Nine Heavens before it got split into many parts, and it''s now on the verge of destruction. However, thanks to the Lord of the Dragon Spiral Mountain, who is not human, the world is safe. Is that it?"

    "Yes, that''s right." Yuan calmly nodded.

    "Holy shit¡­ I can''t believe it¡­ I mean, I believe you, but I am having trouble believing it¡­"

    "How long do you think the Lord will continue protecting this world?" Shi Lang suddenly asked.

    "If he suddenly decides to give up, or he can no longer support this world, won''t that mean the end of the world for us?"

    "ording to him, he''s been protecting this world ever since Earth was separated from the Nine Heavens. That''s at least a few million years." Yuan said.

    And he continued, "I don''t know how long he can continue protecting us, but I doubt it will be forever. I will ask him the next time we meet."

    "Is there anything we can do? I don''t like the feeling of entrusting the entire human race to one person. Like Shi Lang had mentioned, this Lord could suddenly give up and destroy the world."

    Yuan pondered for a moment before speaking, "I''m just specting, but perhaps the seal can be passed onto another person. If I be strong enough, I might be able to bear this seal and keep this world safe. With that being said, I will need to seriously increase my cultivation before that can happen."

    "There''s another thing we can do¡­ We can all move to the Nine Heavens and live there instead. I was going to mention this next, but we can travel to the Nine Heavens from here. The Dragon Spiral Mountain is a gateway to the Nine Heavens, but we need to activate the gate from both sides before we can travel there."

    "Basically, we will be abandoning Earth, right?" Wang Bingbing said.

    "Basically." Yuan nodded.

    "Honestly, there''s nothing we can do right but trust the Lord that he will not destroy the world. In the meantime, I will try to see if there is anything I can do to prevent this world from getting destroyed in the future."

    Sometimeter, Yuan continued their conversation.

    "Let''s talk about Cultivation Online now. The console that we''ve all been using has two different formations hidden within. The Soul Transference Array and the Soul Avatar Array."

    "Essentially, these arrays transfer a part of our soul to the Nine Heavens, and using our soul, it creates our character, allowing us to visit the Nine Heavens without actually going there."

    "However, there''s the thing. Because our character is our soul, any damages done to our character can actually harm our real bodies. I hope none of you have died in Cultivation Online."

    Everyone there exchanged shocked looks with each other.This is from N?velDrama.Org.

    "I haven''t died yet."

    "Me neither."

    Yuan sighed in relief after hearing that nobody in the faction has died in Cultivation Online.

    "Now that we all know our characters are created using our souls, we should be extra careful with ourselves and try to not get hurt as much as possible, just in case."

    Yuan turned to face Li Jinxi and continued, "Especially you, Jinxi. Out of everyone here, I worry about you the most. You''re the type to go overboard and get too excited very quickly."

    "Getting your soul damaged is nothing like hurting your physical body. If your soul is damaged, you could easily be braindead."

    Everyone there trembled after hearing such words.

    "Now that you mention it¡­ There are rumors of yers who have suddenly be brain dead after dying too many times in Cultivation Online." Wu Zao suddenly said.

    "I will verify that informationter."

    "Hey, if it''s actually this dangerous to y Cultivation Online, shouldn''t we warn the others and make this information public?" Xi Murong suddenly asked.

    "I don''t think anyone would believe us even if we tried to warn them¡­" Wang Bingbing sighed.

    "Right? They''ll probably think we''re crazy or something." Chu Liuxiang agreed.

    "We won''t say anything to the public for now. Cultivation Online was created by the Celestial Emperor, who is the ruler of the Nine Heavens, and not even the Lord knows his purpose for creating Cultivation Online. Also, the Celestial Emperor willingly put all of our lives at risk for his own goals. I don''t care what his intentions are, but he''s ying with our lives, nor does he seem to care about the consequences." Yuan said with gritted teeth.

    "And I will not let anyone y with our lives¡ª not even if he''s the Celestial Emperor!"

    Everyone there swallowed nervously after hearing his words that sounded like a deration of war to the Celestial Emperor.

 Chapter 953 - Leaving the Dragon Spiral Mountain

    Chapter 953 - Leaving the Dragon Spiral Mountain

    "Now that you all know the truth, I am going to tell you my ns." Yuan spoke again after letting the others some time to digest the information.

    "I will first find the Dragon Spiral Mountain within the Nine Heavens and activate it. Then I will travel to the Nine Heavens and reabsorb my soul. That way, I will be at my full potential."

    "I''m not exactly sure what I am going to do afterward, but I will think of something by then¡ª hopefully."

    "Oh yeah, I should also warn you about techniques that can damage your soul. Since your character is created from your soul, it wouldn''t be wise to be struck by such a fatal attack. Therefore, avoid them at all costs."

    Sometimeter, Yuan said to them, "Anyways, now that is out of the way, I have a small announcement to make."

    "My sister''s birthday ising up soon, and I n on visiting her, so I won''t be here for a few days starting tomorrow. Any questions?"

    Chu Liuxiang immediately raised her hand and said, "I wanted to ask you this sooner, but can I go with you? I want to meet Yu Rou in person this time."

    "I don''t mind." Yuan nodded.

    "Thank you!"

    Everyone returned to their own rooms to further think about the information Yuan revealed shortly after.

    That night, Yuan went to spend the night with Meixiu.

    "You''re not going to use the Love Capsules this time?" Yuan asked her as they prepared for their love session.

    "No¡­ I was only curious about itst time. Honestly, it doesn''t feel right¡ª consuming medicine to enhance my performance. I don''t want to rely on medicine to keep up with you. However, I will admit that it was a fun time. I have never been pushed so far past my limit."

    Yuan smiled and said, "I also don''t want to rely on those Love Capsules. Chu Liuxiang said that I will eventually find more partners, and when that happens, I will need the stamina to love them as well. Even though a single Love Capsule can keep me going for half a day, I don''t like the feeling of being out of control, so I will also refrain from using them in the future and use my own strength to satisfy you."

    "Yuan¡­"

    Meixiu made her advancement and kissed Yuan on the lips.

    However, right as things started getting intense, Meixiu''s cell phone started ringing.

    "This is¡­" Meixiu swallowed nervously after seeing the name of the caller.

    "Who could be calling sote into the night?" Yuan asked her as he stopped moving his body.

    "I-It''s Yu Rou¡­" Meixiu said.This is from N?velDrama.Org.

    "Should I answer it?"

    "Go ahead." Yuan nodded as he pulled his sword out of Meixiu''s cave beforeying on the bed beside her.

    Meixiu took a deep breath before epting the call.

    "Hello! Meixiu, is this a good time?" Yu Rou''s voice was filled with enthusiasm.

    "Yes, I can speak now." Meixiu said.

    "Great! Do you know what my brother is doing right now? I was hoping to speak with him."

    Meixiu turned to look at Yuan, who quickly shook his head.

    "Sorry, but Yuan is actually out of the house now¡­"

    "Eh? Isn''t it nighttime over there? What is he doing out sote?"

    "He had to speak with the Lord of the Dragon Spiral Mountain. It seemed very important." Meixiu didn''t think she''d have to lie to Yu Rou in such a manner, and she felt like someone who was lying her way out of being caught cheating.

    "Haaa¡­ I haven''t been able to hear Brother''s voice in so long. I think this is the longest I have ever gone without seeing him or hearing his voice!"

    "What did you want to speak with Yuan about? I can tell him for you when he returns."

    Yu Rou remained silent for a good moment before finally speaking, "It''s nothing too important. I just wanted to see if we can schedule a video call in a few days. It''s my birthday, after all."

    "Do you think my brother even remembers my birthday?" Yu Rou then asked.

    "Of course! Yuan won''t forget something so important!"

    "Really? I don''t know¡­ It''s just been so long¡­ I''m afraid that he''s forgotten about me now that he''s truly free."

    "Don''t be silly, Yu Rou. You''re his precious little sister. He will never forget about you." Meixiu reassured her.

    "Then let''s put that to the test. Don''t tell my brother about this conversation, and don''t remind him about my birthday. If he truly remembers, he will be the one contacting me instead."

    "Okay, I won''t say anything to Yuan. I promise."

    "Thank you, Meixiu. It''s almost time for my morning training, so I leave now. I will call you againter to listen to your stories!"

    "See youter, Yu Rou."

    After closing the phone, Meixiu turned to look at Yuan and said, "Technically, you overheard our conversation, so I didn''t tell you again."

    Yuan showed a bittersweet smile and said, "That silly girl is worried that I might have forgotten about her? My one and only sister? Not going to lie, I feel a little sad."

    "And in order to make sure that she will never have such worries again, I will give her the best birthday present ever!"

    "What do you have in mind?" Meixiu asked out of curiosity.

    "I will tell you when we''re on the ne tomorrow."

    The two of them resumed their business with each other shortly after.

    The following morning, Yuan, Meixiu, and Chu Liuxiang left the Dragon Spiral Mountain in a car and made their way to the airport.

    On their way to the airport, Yuan made sure to tell Chu Liuxiang that his rtionship with them must be kept a secret.

    "I don''t mind keeping our rtionship a secret, but if she asks me, I will tell her that I love you¡ª not that she doesn''t know that already." Chu Liuxiang chuckled.

    Sometimeter, the three of them boarded the airne and started flying towards Yu Rou''s location.

 Chapter 954 - Player Yuanâ€™s Face

    Chapter 954 - yer Yuan''s Face

    "So, what are your ns? What do you n on giving Yu Rou for her birthday?" Meixiu asked Yuan shortly after the ne took off.

    "Well, first of all, I need to meet with White Lotus and schedule my visit to their faction. As for Yu Rou''s birthday present, I am going to give her a concert." Yuan said.

    "A concert? Like the one you gave before she left?" Meixiu raised her eyebrows.

    "You cannot call that a concert! I meant a real concert! And it will not be under my alias, Tian Yang. I will be going as ''Yu Tian''."

    Meixiu''s jaw dropped slightly upon hearing his words.

    "I am done hiding. I will let the world know that I have returned. I''m sure this will make Yu Rou happier than any physical gift I can buy her."

    "What about the Yu Family? They will definitely try to force you to return." Chu Liuxiang asked.

    "What about them? I am no longer in the family, and they even disowned me." Yuan said.

    "That might not be the case." Chu Liuxiang shook her head, and she continued, "Even though they have disowned you, you are still legally ''Yu Tian'' and part of the Yu Family. Furthermore, I''m sure that you''d signed some contracts with the Yu Family when you were still young and active, which will most likely legally bind you to theirpany."

    "Lulu is right, Yuan." Meixiu said.

    "You probably don''t remember this, but your parents made you sign this contract that legally binds you to theirpany¡­ forever. And unlike my mother, you cannot buy your way out of the contract. The only way to leave is if the Yu Family willingly destroys the contract."

    "What the hell? That sounds illegal. And wouldn''t I be too young to sign contracts?" Yuan said.

    "Not if they altered the contract without your knowledge and made it look like you signed it at a legal age. It''s amon trick in the industry." Chu Liuxiang said.

    Yuan sighed, "I''m not surprised. However, that won''t stop my return. They can try whatever they want, but I am now strong enough to fight back. If they try anything funny, I will destroy the entire Yu Family."

    "What about you, Meixiu? Do you n on giving anything to Yu Rou?"

    "Well¡­ I have been thinking about it, but I don''t know what to give her. I have never given her a birthday gift since it wasn''t appropriate for me, her servant, to do so."

    "I think she will be happy with anything you give her. It''s the thought that truly counts."

    "What about you?" Meixiu suddenly turned to Chu Liuxiang and asked her.

    "Unfortunately, I don''t know Yu Rou enough to buy something. Of course, I could just buy something random, like buying gifts for a stranger I have never met, but that doesn''t sit right with me, so I am going to try and understand Yu Rou as much as I can so that I can buy something worthy for her next year!"

    Sometimeter, Meixiu asked, "By the way, how are you going to start a concert? We only have three days until Yu Rou''s birthday, two and half if you consider how long it will take us to get there."

    "It''s not going to be an official concert. I''m just going to set up a public concert and do it there. I''ve already asked the Cultivators'' Association to help me with the setup. They happily agreed."

    "I see¡­"

    Many hourster at the Eternal Lotuses'' headquarters.

    "Miss Bai, your ride is prepared. We can leave whenever. yer Yuan''s ne should arrive in two hours." Her Manager notified her.

    "I understand. We''ll leave in five minutes."

    "Understood."

    Sometimeter, White Lotus secretly left the headquarters with her manager to meet with Yuan.

    About half an hourter, they arrived at the most luxurious and famous hotel in the entire entire¡ª White Lotus.

    Indeed, it was named after White Lotus by her family, who owned the hotel.

    "Wee, Young Lady."

    The Manager of the hotel personally greeted her at the front door.

    "Are the preparations ready?" She asked him.Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.

    "Yes. The entire balcony has been reserved for the Young Lady, and our best chefs are all here today."

    "Good." White Lotus nodded.

    ''The Young Lady sure is dressed elegantly today. Just who is she meeting today?'' The hotel manager wondered inwardly as he gazed upon White Lotus'' beautiful appearance that attracted the attention of everyone there.

    "How long until ''he'' arrives?" White Lotus asked her Manager.

    "The ne willnd in 30 minutes. He should arrive approximately in 1 hour and 20 minutes."

    "And his ride?"

    "Already at the airport waiting for his arrival."

    "I''m going to double check my appearance. You should also go to the airport to make sure his arrival is as smooth as possible." White Lotus said before leaving.

    "I understand."

    ''I haven''t seen her this motivated and serious in such a long time. It''s almost like she''s meeting with her crush¡­ Even though she says that she''s not nervous, anyone can tell that''s a lie¡­'' The manager couldn''t help but smile inwardly.

    Half an hourter, Yuan''s nended in the airport.

    After leaving the airne, Yuan immediately noticed three conspicuous beautiful women standing at his terminal, and they were dressed in a ck suit, almost like they were from the secret service.

    Yuan immediately approached these three women after seeing the sign one of them was holding that had a single word on it, ''Birthday''.

    "Are you with White Lotus?" Yuan asked them.

    "You must be yer Yuan. It''s a pleasure to finally meet you. I am White Lotus'' personal manager, Jasmine. These two behind me will be your bodyguard for today."

    ''So this is what the famous yer Yuan looks like¡­''

    These threedies thought to themselves as they stared at Yuan''s handsome face. They expected him to be wearing a mask to protect his identity like in Cultivation Online, but the only thing he was wearing on his face was a pair of sunsses, which was out of their expectations.

 Chapter 955 - Meeting White Lotus in Person

    Chapter 955 - Meeting White Lotus in Person

    "Just call me Yuan." He said to the threedies.

    "By the way, these are my friends, Meixiu and Chu Liuxiang. They will be visiting my sister as well."

    "I understand." Jasmine nodded calmly.

    However, she was inwardly shocked by Yuan''s appearance.

    ''Our investigations on Yu Rou''s only brother, Yu Tian, said that he had suffered an unknown illness when he was at a very young age, bing a cripple that couldn''t even leave the bed without someone helping him. But he looks perfectly healthy to me¡­''

    "Our car is outside. We''ll bring you to White Lotus," she said a momentter.

    Yuan and the others followed thesedies outside to their limousine.

    Yuan''s group and Jasmine and one of the bodyguards sat in the back while the second bodyguard drove the limousine.

    "If you have any questions, please don''t hesitate to ask me." Jasmine said to them.

    "Sure."

    However, the ride to the hotel where White Lotus was waiting was much more quiet than Jasmine had anticipated.

    Neither Yuan nor the other two spoke a single word for the entire trip, which made Jasmine and the bodyguards quite nervous, as they were worried that something was troubling them.

    Jasmine wanted to start a conversation with Yuan multiple times, but she was worried that she might bother them by doing so.

    In the end, she decided to remain silent and spent the entire trip staring at Yuan''s face, who was silently staring in front of him.

    Although it looked like Yuan had turned into a stone statue, he was actually enjoying the view of the city with his Divine Sense.

    As for Meixiu and Chu Liuxiang, they had their eyes closed, almost as though they were trying to sleep.

    Truth was, they had nothing to say, so they just closed their eyes and patiently waited for them to arrive at their destination.

    About twenty minutester, the limousine came to aplete stop, and Jasmine spoke, "We have arrived at our destination, Yuan."

    "This hotel¡­" Yuan noticed the name of this hotel to be the same as White Lotus, and this made him curious.

    "This is the White Lotus Hotel. It''s the highest rated and most luxurious hotel in the entire city. The hotel is also owned by the Bai Family. In case you didn''t know already, White Lotus'' real name is Bai Lianhua. As for why the hotel is named after White Lotus, her parents were the one who came up with this idea."

    The moment Yuan stepped out of the car, he noticed a beautiful woman with a familiar face approaching their direction, her silky white hair flowing behind her back like a cape.

    He turned to greet her with a gentle smile on his face, "Hello, White Lotus. Thank you foring all the way out here for us."

    "It''s my pleasure, Yuan. How was your journey here? I hope it wasfortable." White Lotus returned his smile with one of her own, but she was inwardly shocked for the same reason that shocked Jasmine.

    ''Did something go wrong with our intel? He looks nothing like a cripple!'' She cried inwardly.

    "She''s quite the woman, don''t you think so?" Chu Liuxiang whispered to Meixiu.

    She nodded her head and said, "Quite bold with her appearance, too."

    White Lotus was wearing a white dress thatplimented her silky hair and tall figure perfectly, but it was also quite revealing, especially the area around her chest that barely covered her bare breasts.

    "She''s definitely trying to seduce Yuan with her big boobs. I must admit, they''re a size or two bigger than ours." Chu Liuxiang whispered to Meixiu, who was speechless.

    "Let me introduce you to my friends. This is Meixiu, who used to work for my sister, and this is Chu Liuxiang, my childhood friend. They''re also here to celebrate Yu Rou''s birthday." Yuan calmly introduced hispanions to White Lotus.

    White Lotus looked at Meixiu and Chu Liuxiang and smiled, "Nice to meet you."

    ''He''s visiting his sister on her birthday with two beautiful women by his side? What is their rtionship with him?'' She wondered inwardly.

    Yuan and the others followed White Lotus into the hotel shortly after while the workers there handled their luggage.

    "Do you want to visit your rooms now? I''m sure you''re tired after your long flight." White Lotus asked them.

    "We''re fine. We had plenty of sleep on the ne." Yuan said.

    "With that being said, I am quite hungry."

    "Then let''s head to the restaurant first."

    Sometimeter, they arrived at the roof of the hotel, where they could see the majority of the city without any obstruction.

    "Wow, what beautiful scenery." Chu Liuxiang said out loud.Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.

    "I''m d you like it."

    White Lotus led them to the only table there.

    Once they were all seated, White Lotus said, "Order anything you want and don''t worry about the bill."

    Yuan looked at the menu that was much smaller than what he was used to.

    Because he has never eaten at an expensive restaurant, he did not know that most luxurious restaurants like this offer a smaller menu to keep the food quality higher.

    "I will have everything on the menu." Yuan said after a nce at the menu.

    "E-Everything?" White Lotus and the waiter were taken aback by his words.

    "Don''t worry, I won''t waste any food." Yuan smiled at them.

    Sometimeter, once all of their orders were taken, the waiter rushed to the kitchen and told the chefs to cook everything on the menu and some more.

    "What? I was told that we would only be serving very few guests, not several families!" The chefs were baffled by the news.

    Despite their shock, the chefs immediately began their work, causing the temperature in the kitchen to rise very quickly.

    While they waited, White Lotus started the conversation by saying to Yuan, "By the way, those sunsses look really good on you."

    "Thank you. But I am not wearing these for fashion. To tell you the truth, I am actually blind." Yuan said with a smile.

    "Blind?" White Lotus was at loss for words.

 Chapter 956 - Who Are You Trying to Seduce?!

    Chapter 956 - Who Are You Trying to Seduce?!

    ''How can he be blind? He''s walking around just fine without any support¡­'' White Lotus wondered to herself after hearing Yuan''s seemingly outrageous im.

    Yuan smiled and removed his sunsses, revealing to her his silver eyes.

    White Lotus covered her mouth in shock and asked in a trembling voice, "I''m sorry¡­ But how¡­?"

    "Once you reach Spirit Master, you will be able to use something called Divine Sense, which will allow you to see your surroundings without needing to use your actual eyes. It''s a very convenient skill, and you can even see things that you normally wouldn''t be able to see with your bare eyes."

    "Y-You''re already a Spirit Master?" White Lotus was shocked once again.

    ''I am still only at the 3rd level of Spirit Warrior, yet he''s already a Spirit Master?! How does he progress so fast?''

    "Actually, I am a Spirit Grandmaster right now." Yuan said.

    "What?!" White Lotus stood up from shock and shouted, startling them.N?velDrama.Org content rights.

    "E-Excuse me¡­" White Lotus quickly realized her mistake and sat back down with her face slightly rosy.

    ''If I recall correctly, even the 2nd strongest yer is only a peak Spirit Master! If we don''t include the person himself, this guy has managed to surpass the strongest cultivator in Cultivation Online in the real world! This achievement is nothing short of absurd!'' She cried inwardly.

    It was at this moment that White Lotus realized just how much she and the rest of the world were underestimating him.

    ''I must rope him into my Bai Family at all cost! Even if he doesn''t join us, I want to maintain a good rtionship with him! Fortunately for us, his younger sister is a member of our faction. This gives us a massive advantage over the others!''

    White Lotus was getting more nervous with every passing moment, and the mission her family assigned her resounded louder and clearer.

    "yer Yuan must join our Bai Family! You must do whatever you can to win him over, even if you have to use your own body!"

    "Are you okay? You don''t seem very well." Yuan suddenly asked her after noticing her paleplexion.

    "E-Eh? Sorry, I was just thinking about some things. I am fine." White Lotus immediately fixed her expression and even put a charming smile on her face.

    "Anyways, let''s talk about your purpose here¡ª to surprise Yu Rou. I already have everything nned to make sure your surprise visit is a sess!"

    "Actually¡­ About that¡­ There''s been a change of ns."

    "Huh? What do you mean?"

    "Well, I have decided to surprise Yu Rou in a different manner. There will be a public concert on the day of her birthday. I want you to bring Yu Rou to the concert without letting her realize the truth. I''m sorry if this will inconvenience you." Yuan exined.

    "Of course not. I will make sure to send Yu Rou to the concert without fail. But does this mean you no longer want to visit our Eternal Lotuses'' headquarters?" White Lotus asked.

    "I don''t want to trouble you or your faction since¡ª"

    "It''s no trouble at all! And since I have already prepared for your visit at the faction, it would be a waste if you didn''t show up."

    "If you say it like that, I guess I can visit your faction and see for myself how my sister has been livingtely." Yuan nodded.

    The food arrived shortly after, and they stopped talking temporarily to eat.

    "Wow, this food is delicious!" Yuan said in a pleasantly surprised voice as he constantly shoved food inside his mouth.

    "I''m d you enjoy it." White Lotus smiled.

    An hourter.

    ''He really finished everything¡­White Lotus was impressed by Yuan''s eating talent.

    After the workers there cleaned up the table, they resumed their conversation.

    "There''s still another two days before Yu Rou''s birthday. What do you n on doing until then?" White Lotus asked.

    "We''ll probably just look around the city. Meixiu still needs to buy Yu Rou a birthday present, too."

    "I see¡­ Then do you mind if I tag along with you guys? I can be your guide." White Lotus asked.

    "Are you sure? What about your faction? Won''t they be suspicious if you''re gone for too long?"

    "It''s fine. I rarely get involved with the members, anyway. And it''s only for two days. I have been gone for longer before. Oh, if you''re worried that I might attract too much attention, I can go in a disguise."

    "You''re even going as far as disguising yourself? I kind of feel bad for making you do so much work just to guide us around."

    "It''s fine. It''s also my desire to spend more time with you." White Lotus said with a slightly blushing face.

    "T-There''s still a lot I want to talk to you about, too! Especially after our conversation in Cultivation Online."

    "If you really want toe with us, I won''t stop you." Yuan said a momentter.

    "Thank you!" White Lotus showed a beaming smile.

    However, that smile would disappear a momentter when someone shouted, "W-Wait! You can''t go out there!"

    "Do you know who I am?! Get out of my way! I have business with White Lotus and the bastard she''s meeting with! I know she''s out there!"

    "Hey!"

    A tall figure suddenly stormed through the guards and onto the roof, where Yuan and the others were.

    "Who''s that?" Yuan asked.

    "I''m really sorry. That''s Zheng Weimin, and he''s been infatuated with me for a while now, to the point where he''s stalking me. Don''t worry, I will deal with him immediately."

    White Lotus left the table and approached the young man.

    "Zheng Weimin! I don''t remember inviting you! How dare you barge in here and disturb my important meeting with an esteemed guest! I will give you three seconds to turn around and leave before I toss you out myself!"

    Zheng Weimin pointed at her body with trembling hands and roared, "Look at you! Who are you trying to seduce with such a slutty dress?!"

    He then turned to look at Yuan and continued, "Is it him?! Is that the bastard you''re trying to seduce?! Not on my watch!"

    "Wow... What a guy..." Chu Liuxiang mumbled, finding the situation to be incredibly amusing for some reason.

    --

    AN: This is the bonus chapter for reaching 1k power stones for ''Magic System in a Parallel World''.

 Chapter 957 - Young Master Zheng

    <h4>Chapter 957 - Young Master Zheng</h4>

    "That''s it! I have had enough of your nonsense!" White Lotus started approaching Zheng Weimin aggressively.

    "What do you think you''re doing, White Lotus? Do you really dare toy your hands on me?! In case you forgot, your Bai Family is only ranked 7th in the Legacy Ranking whilst my Zheng Family is ranked 5th, not even mentioning our allies! Touch even a hair on my body and I will start a war with your Bai Family!"

    White Lotus gritted her teeth in frustration.

    "I don''t care even if you''re ranked first in the Legacy Ranking! I will not forgive you for your actions today!"

    "White Lotus." Yuan''s calm voice suddenly resounded, causing her to halt and turn to look at him.

    "That anger does not suit your face," he said with a smile.

    "..." White Lotus'' face immediately flushed with redness.

    When Zheng Weimin saw White Lotus'' face, his anger skyrocketed to a new level, and he immediately started power walking towards Yuan''s table.

    "Wait¡ª" White Lotus tried to stop him, but Yuan gestured for her to stop.

    Yuan stood up from his seat and faced Zheng Weimin directly.

    "I don''t know who you are, but you have guts. I will give you that."

    Yuan smiled and said, "I don''t know what business you have with White Lotus, but can you do it another time? We''re having an important conversation right now."

    "I don''t give a rat''s ass about your conversation. Nobody talks to my woman without my permission!"

    "That''s not very reasonable¡­" Yuan shook his head in a pitiful manner.

    "Reasoning? Hah! Who cares about reasoning! Do you know who I am?! My surname is Zheng! My family is ranked 5 in the Legacy Ranking!"

    ''Legacy¡­ I wonder if they have anything to do with the Seven Legacy Families in the Nine Heavens.'' Yuan wondered inwardly.

    "Sorry, but I''m not really knowledgeable about the Legacy Ranking, so your words mean nothing to me."

    "Don''t worry, the only words you need to understand are¡ª If you daree near my woman again, I will make you regret being born!"

    Zheng Weimin suddenly nced at Meixiu and Chu Liuxiang and grinned, "Are they your women? They''re not bad. How about I take them from you so you know how it feels?"

    "Let''s not involve my friends in your nonsense."

    "And who are you to stop me?!" Zheng Weimin suddenly moved and reached for Meixiu with his w-like hands.

    However, before he could even get close to Meixiu, Yuan extended his hands and grabbed Zheng Weimin by the neck faster than one can blink their eyes.

    "Get your hands off Young Master Zheng!"

    His guards that had been in the background started flooding the roof, even pointing their pistols at Yuan.

    However, Yuan acted like he couldn''t even see them and proceeded to walk towards the edge of the building with Zheng Weimin still in his hold.

    The guards didn''t dare to actually shoot their guns, as they were afraid of hitting Zheng Weimin by ident.

    Once Yuan was at the edge of the building, everybody there expected him to stop, but to their absolute shock, Yuan continued walking off the edge of the building.

    "ARE YOU INSANE?!"

    "YOUNG MASTER!"

    The guards and White Lotus freaked out when they saw this.

    However, contrary to their expectations, Yuan didn''t fall off the building and actually continued walking in the air, almost as though there was an invisible tform underneath him.

    "W-What the hell is going on?" White Lotus mumbled in a dazed voice, wondering if her eyes were ying tricks on her.

    Once he was a few meters away from the roof, Yuan stopped walking and spoke in a calm voice, "I don''t care if you badmouth me, but don''t you dare try to touch my precious friends with your dirty hands."

    Zheng Weimin wanted to scream, but Yuan had cut off his voice by choking him. He also wanted to break free from Yuan''s grasp, but seeing that the floor was hundreds of meters at the bottom, he didn''t dare to even move, as he would fall to his death from this height even with his first level Spirit Warrior cultivation base.

    "I have killed thousands of people inside Cultivation Online, but I have never killed someone in this world. Do you wish to be the first?" Yuan asked him in a cold voice.

    "N¡­ No¡­!" Zheng Weimin muttered in a mosquito-like voice.

    "Toote." Yuan suddenly released his hold on Zheng Weimin, letting him fall down.

    "AAAAHHHHHHHHHH! I DON''T WANT TO DIE!!!" Zheng Weimin cried in a hysterical voice as his dder gave up on him during the free fall.

    "Hmph."

    When Zheng Weimin was a moment away from turning into meat paste on the street, Yuan caught him and flew back to the roof of the hotel.

    Once they were on the roof again, Yuan tossed Zheng Weimin, who had lost consciousness and sullied his pants, in front of his guards.Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.

    "Get that fool out of here. He''s dirtying this ce with his filth. Oh, and tell him to stop bothering White Lotus when he wakes up." Yuan said to the guards, who were in a daze trying toprehend what they''d just witnessed.

    "Guards! Get them out of here!" White Lotus shouted after snapping out of her daze.

    Very quickly, the guards working for her escorted Zheng Weimin and his men out of the hotel.

    "I''m really sorry about what just happened! I will make this up to you! I swear!" White Lotus apologized to them with her head lowered.

    Yuan casually waved his hand, "Don''t worry about it. You can put all of the me on that guy."

    Once White Lotus calmed down, she asked him, "By the way¡­ What on earth was that just now? You were¡­"

    "Flying?" Yuan interrupted.

    She nodded eagerly.

    "You''ll be able to fly as well once you reach Spirit Grandmaster," he said.

    Although he wasn''t able to immediately start flying after reaching Spirit Grandmaster and had to rely on his sword to fly, he practiced his Qi Manifestation almost everyday and managed to finally fly just a week ago.

    "No way¡­" White Lotus muttered in a baffled voice, still not daring to believe it.

 Chapter 958 - Legacy Ranking

    <h4>Chapter 958 - Legacy Ranking</h4>

    "Do you want to try it?" Yuan suddenly asked.

    "Try? Try what?"

    "Flying."

    White Lotus swallowed nervously after hearing his words, and the scene of Yuan soaring through the clouds while carrying her like a princess appeared in her mind.

    "Are you sure? I might be a little heavy¡­" White Lotus said with a stiff smile.

    Although she really wanted to experience flying in the sky, she didn''t have the courage to ept his offer, especially when she''s wearing such a revealing dress.N?velDrama.Org owns this.

    "Don''t worry, it''ll be fine." Yuan smiled.

    After a moment of silence, White Lotus nodded in a bashful manner, "Then I''ll ept your offer."

    Hearing her words, Yuan summoned the Empyrean Overlord and pointed at it, "Go ahead. Stand on it."

    "Huh?" White Lotus looked at him with a dumbfounded face.

    "I''ll carry you around with my flying sword. It''ll feel much better than having me carry you in my arms."

    "Oh¡­ All right¡­" White Lotus nodded, feeling a little disappointed that Yuan will not be carrying her.

    Once she was standing on the Empyrean Overlord, White Lotus asked, "By the way, where did this sworde from?"

    Yuan chuckled, "I will exin it another day since it''s a bitplicated."

    White Lotus nodded and didn''t question any further.

    "Is this your first time riding a flying sword? Have you done it before in Cultivation Online?"

    "This is my first time," she said.

    "Then I will hold your hand until you''refortable with letting go." Yuan offered his hand to White Lotus, who immediately epted it without hesitation.

    "I will be back in a bit." Yuan said to Meixiu and Chu Liuxiang.

    "Have fun!" Chu Liuxiang waved at them.

    Yuan flew into the air with White Lotus shortly after.

    White Lotus immediately tightened her grasp on Yuan''s hands after feeling the sword move.

    They started out slow, gradually increasing their flying speed until they maxed out at 20 miles per hour.

    "What do you think about flying?" Yuan asked White Lotus.

    "It''s a little scary being this high up, but I really enjoy it."

    "How long can you maintain being in the air?" She then asked.

    "I can fly for an hour straight if I were by myself, but since I am also carrying you, I will only be able to fly for about half an hour." Want to see more chapters? Please visit p a n d a -n o v e l .c o m

    "I see¡­"

    "Are you ready to let go of my hand?" Yuan asked her a few momentster.

    "Yes." White Lotus nodded, and she slowly rxed her hands.

    "How am I doing?" She asked him afterward.

    "You''re doing great. Do you want me to speed up more?"

    "Sure."

    Yuan increased their speed by another 5 miles per hour after White Lotus'' approval.

    "How fast does this thing go?" White Lotus asked out of curiosity.

    "Do you want to see for yourself?" Yuan smiled at her.

    White Lotus swallowed nervously, but she nodded her head regardless.

    "Brace yourself. I will go at maximum speed in three¡­ two¡­ one!"

    Whoosh!

    The flying sword suddenly quadrupled in speed, going at nearly 100 miles per hour.

    "Ahhhh!" White Lotus shouted, as she was not expecting such an explosive boost.

    After remaining on the sword for a few seconds, White Lotus could no longer keep up with the speed and actually fell off the flying sword, and she started plunging towards the ground.

    "Yuan!" She cried out loud.

    Yuan quickly went to catch her.

    "Are you okay?" He asked her.

    "Yes¡­ But that was horrifying¡­ I now understand how Zheng Weimin felt when you dropped him¡­" White Lotus sighed in relief.

    Once she calmed down, she realized that Yuan was carrying her like a princess, and one of his hands was even touching her breasts.

    "¡­" White Lotus blushed when she felt Yuan''s fingers firmly pressing against the side of her breasts, but she kept her mouth closed and didn''t say anything, silently enjoying the situation.

    "By the way¡­" Yuan suddenly spoke, "The Zheng Family might try to cause trouble for your family after what happened today. If that happens, you can let me know and I will do my best to assist your family. I hate people who think they can do anything because of their status¡ª people like Zheng Weimin."

    "Thank you, Yuan. I will remember your words, but my Bai Family is not weak. If the Zheng Family wishes to bully us, we will not stay silent and fight back."

    After pondering for a bit, Yuan said, "I was not lying when I said that I don''t know much about the Legacy Ranking. While I prefer staying out of their business, I have a feeling that I will encounter more people like Zheng Weimin in the future, so I might as well gather information now."

    "You want to know more about the Legacy Ranking, right? I will tell you everything you need to know whenever you want." White Lotus said.

    "Thank you."

    After flying around for a few more minutes, Yuan returned to the hotel with White Lotus still in his arms.

    "Thank you for the wonderful experience, Yuan. I will never forget it for the rest of my life." White Lotus said to him with a beautiful smile on her face.

    "I had fun, too."

    Sometimeter, they returned to the table.

    After ordering some drinks, White Lotus began exining to them the Legacy Ranking and how it works.

    "There are 100 slots in the Legacy Ranking from Rank 1 to Rank 100. In order to join the Legacy Ranking, you must have one thing¡ª results."

    "As you probably know, video games have been immensely popr even before Cultivation Online''s existence, so much so that it has ingrained itself into the majority of peoples'' lives, where over half of the world''s poption y games to make a living."

    "With how important video games have be in our world, it was only natural for people to want to mize it. One thing led to another, and the Legacy Ranking was born, where families from all over the world fight for the top rankings in whichever video game is chosen to be the focus for that decade."

 Chapter 959 - I Want Him Dead!

    Chapter 959 - I Want Him Dead!

    "Besides wealth and fame, what do you get for being part of the Legacy Ranking?" Yuan asked.

    "Influence and social status." White Lotus calmly replied.

    "I get the meaning behind the Legacy Ranking, but how does it actually work?" Chu Liuxiang suddenly asked.This is from N?velDrama.Org.

    "If we''re going by rankings, doesn''t it mean Yuan, who is the current number one yer in Cultivation Online, number one in the Legacy Ranking?"

    "Yes and no. In order to enter the Legacy Ranking, you must participate in a tournament that is held every year. You need at least 10 people in your ''family'' to participate. While Yuan is, without doubt, the number one yer in Cultivation Online, it doesn''t mean he will automatically take first ce in the Legacy Ranking."

    "Yuan, why don''t you join this year''s tournament and show the Legacy Families who''s boss?" Chu Liuxiang chuckled at this idea.

    White Lotus immediately started sweating after hearing Chu Liuxiang''s words.

    "A-Actually, since Yuan doesn''t belong to any family, I think it would be for the best if he joined another family. Of course, I am not just saying this so I can recruit you into our family¡ª even though I would love to."

    "The other Legacy Families won''t like it if a newly created family suddenly bes Rank 1, and they will probably do everything in their power to prevent it from happening."

    "So what you''re saying is¡­ They will try to mess with Yuan if he tries to join with his own family." Meixiu said.

    "Unfortunately, that is exactly what will happen." White Lotus sighed.

    "However, if you really want to start your own family, you can try forming alliances with other Legacy Families."

    "What about factions? Can I join with my faction?" Yuan suddenly asked.

    "Actually, yes, you can. It was implemented just recently, but factions are now able to participate in the Legacy Ranking."

    "Are you really nning on joining the Legacy Ranking with your faction?" White Lotus looked at Yuan with a nervous gaze.

    "Honestly, I couldn''t care less about the Legacy Ranking. Whether it be wealth or influence, it doesn''t mean anything to me. I created the faction so that I can always be with the people that are close to me, that''s all."

    "I see¡­" White Lotus was relieved to hear Yuan''s words.

    If he won''t be participating in the Legacy Ranking, it won''t be as chaotic and stressful.

    However, nothing is set in stone and it is still too early to tell if Yuan will affect this year''s Legacy Ranking.

    Sometimeter, White Lotus brought Yuan and the others to their rooms.

    "You can use these three rooms for as long as you please. They are the best we have in the hotel."

    "Thank you." They said.

    After picking their own rooms, they moved their luggage inside.

    "Do you n on walking around the city anytime soon?" White Lotus asked them shortly after.

    "We n on doing it now." Yuan nodded.

    "Can you give me a few minutes to prepare my disguise?" White Lotus then asked.

    "Sure."

    "Thank you very much." White Lotus went into the room right beside their room and proceeded to disguise herself.

    A few minutester, she returned to their side with apletely different appearance.

    Her hair turned blonde, and even her eyes changed to a beautiful green color. As for her dress, she changed it into something more casual, and she even went out of her way to wear sunsses like Yuan.

    "How do I look?" She asked them.

    "I wouldn''t recognize you if I didn''t know your identity beforehand." Yuan smiled.

    "That''s great."

    They left the hotel shortly after and started walking around the city.

    Of course, even with White Lotus disguised, their group still attracted plenty of attention because of Meixiu and Chu Liuxiang.

    Meanwhile, at the Zheng Family''s headquarters, Zheng Weimin was lying in his bed when he suddenly woke up screaming.

    "AAAAAH! HELP ME! I''M FALLING!"

    "Young Master! Calm down! You''re not falling!" His servants quickly attended him.

    "W-What?" Zheng Weimin looked at his surroundings with a puzzled face, his back soaked in cold sweat.

    "Where am I? What happened?"

    "You''re in your own room right now, Young Master. You lost consciousness after what happened, so we carried you back here."

    The servants did not dare to mention that he''d sullied his pants, so they left that detail out.

    "THAT BASTARD! HOW DARE HE EMBARRASS ME IN FRONT OF WHITE LOTUS! I WANT HIM DEAD!" Zheng Weimin roared.

    The servants started sweating, and they quickly reminded him of what happened, "Young Master, are you sure that''s a good idea? That man could fly!"

    "Do you really think humans can fly?! This is not Cultivation Online! He was obviously using some kind of trick to make it seem like he was flying!" Zheng Weimin shouted, clearly in denial.

    "I believe we should investigate his identity before we act."

    "Then hurry up and investigate him! I want to know everything about him! His family, his friends¡ª everything!"

    "Just you wait¡­ I will show you what happens when you offend me! I am going to crush you and your insignificant life!"

    "I also want the Bai Family to be held responsible for what happened today! Call my father and tell him that White Lotus from the Bai Family has assaulted me today!"

    The servants quickly went to work after hearing Zheng Weimin''s words. Despite knowing that Zheng Weimin was being unreasonable, they could not defy his orders, and they were already used to it.

    Sometimeter, after hearing about what had happened to his precious son and how he''d almost died today, the head of the Zheng Family immediately contacted the Bai Family, demanding an exnation.

    Of course, the Bai Family had expected their contact and even prepared for it.

    While the Zheng Family was oblivious of Yuan''s identity, the Bai Family knew very well that he was the one behind the incident today, so they took advantage of their knowledge to mess with the Zheng Family.

 Chapter 960 - Meeting Between Two Legacy Families

    Chapter 960 - Meeting Between Two Legacy FamiliesThis is from N?velDrama.Org.

    Inside a private room, the Patriarch of the Bai Family stood before a projector that was projecting a video call.

    On the other side of the call was the Patriarch of the Zheng Family.

    The two of them had decided to video call each other to talk about the recent incident between White Lotus and Zheng Weimin.

    "You im that your son, Zheng Weimin, had gone to visit my daughter, Bai Lianhua, and returned beaten and humiliated without any good reason, but I heard a different story from my daughter."

    "She ims that your son, Zheng Weimin, had rudely forced himself into a private meeting between my daughter and her clients. Not only that, he even insulted my daughter and her clients."

    "That''s a load of bullshit, Bai Mengyao! My son went to visit your daughter because he had something important to tell her, but he was assaulted and humiliated before he could even speak with her! He was even beaten unconscious!"

    "Zheng Ye, there''s no need to sugar your words. We both know that your son is obsessed with my daughter. We have told your Zheng Family many times that Bai Lianhua does not wish to be with Zheng Weimin, yet he keeps on causing trouble for her, which causes trouble for my family." Bai Mengyao shook his head.

    "Don''t try to change the subject, Bai Mengyao! We''re talking about how your daughter attacked my son! No matter their rtionship, that won''t change the fact that my son had been beaten by her!" Zheng Ye mmed his desk in anger.

    "Now that''s where you''re wrong." Bai Mengyao shook his head again.

    "How am I wrong?!"

    "My daughter did noty a hand on your son. It was her client who had an altercation with Zheng Weimin, so you''re speaking with the wrong person right now. If you really want to seek justice for your son, you should probably go speak with the young man who felt the need to beat your son. Though, I''m sure he has a good reason, especially considering Zheng Weimin''s bad reputation."

    Zheng Weimin gritted his teeth in frustration. He knew that White Lotus hadn''t touched his son. However, he could not let go the chance to me the Bai Family that has been refusing to give their Zheng Family face for years now by rejecting Zheng Weimin''s proposal to White Lotus.

    "I don''t care if your daughter touched him or not! As the host, she should''ve kept her client in check! Like how we''re responsible for our dogs'' actions, White Lotus is responsible for her clients'' actions!"

    Bai Mengyao suddenlyughed out loud.

    "What''s so funny?!" Zheng Ye frowned.

    "My daughter should keep that person in check? You have no idea who her client even is! Let me warn you, Zheng Ye, that young man your son had offended is not someone the Zheng Family can afford to offend, much less my Bai Family!"

    ''What? Someone even my family cannot offend?'' The frown on Zheng Ye''s face sank even further down.

    "There is nobody that my Zheng Family cannot handle! We may be ranked fifth in the Legacy Ranking, but our influence surpasses even the 3rd rank!"

    "Suit yourself. And don''t even bother trying to ask me for information on that person. I don''t feel like offending him, so if you''ll excuse me, I have other business that I need to attend."

    "Don''t you dare run away from¡ª"

    Bai Mengyao ignored him and closed the video call.

    "What a pain in the ass. However, this is a good opportunity to see just how powerful this yer Yuan is¡­ He may be powerful in Cultivation Online, but the real world is a whole different game. Will he be able to deal with the Zheng Family like how he''d dealt with the Cultivators'' Association?"

    Bai Mengyao kind of hoped that Yuan would get pushed into a corner by the Zheng Family so that his Bai Family coulde to his rescue and make him owe their family.

    Sometimeter, the Bai Family contacted White Lotus to notify her of the situation.

    "I understand. I will warn him."

    After closing the line, White Lotus said to Yuan, "It appears that the Zheng Family had tried to pressure my family."

    "Is your family okay?" He asked.

    "For now, yes, but there''s a good chance that the Zheng Family will continue to harass my family until wepromise. My family also told me to warn you that the Zheng Family will being after you as well."

    "Why am I not surprised?" Yuan shook his head.

    "Knowing the Zheng Family, they will go after your friends and family if they learn of your true identity as Yu Tian. However, only very few higher ups in my family, myself, and Jasmine, know that." White Lotus said.

    "Honestly, I don''t care even if they find out about my identity. I will even be grateful to them if they caused trouble to the Yu Family." Yuan chuckled.

    "What about Yu Rou¡­?" White Lotus looked at him with raised eyebrows.

    "Your faction will protect her, right?"

    "Of course! I swear on my name and reputation as the leader of the faction that no harm wille to your sister, Yu Rou!" She immediately responded.

    Yuan smiled and said, "Thank you, but if they really target Yu Rou, your faction won''t have the chance to protect her, as I will destroy the entire Zheng Family before they can even act."

    White Lotus swallowed nervously after seeing how Yuan spoke about crushing the Zheng Family so causally. It was almost like the Zheng Family couldn''t even be considered ants in his eyes.

    ''Just how powerful are you, Yuan?'' White Lotus sighed inwardly.

    Their group continued to wander the city without a care in the world, almost like their trouble with the Zheng Family was nonexistent.

    At the end of the day, they returned back to the hotel.

    "I couldn''t find a birthday present for Yu Rou today even though we looked at many stores¡­" Meixiu sighed.

    "Don''t worry, you still have tomorrow." Chu Liuxiang said to her.

    "I guess¡­"

    Shortly after returning to the hotel, White Lotus invited them for dinner, which they epted.

 Chapter 961 - Nightmare in Broad Daylight

    Chapter 961 - Nightmare in Broad Daylight

    "Wow, it''s like a whole different world up here at night." Chu Liuxiang stared at the city from the roof of the hotel as they waited for the food to arrive.

    "The Dragon Spiral Mountain may have much better spiritual energy, but it cannotpare to this ce when ites to scenery."

    "You''re free to move to this hotel if you want." White Lotus said in a joking voice.

    Dinnersted for about an hour and half.

    Afterward, everyone retired in their own room.

    "I will see you all tomorrow." White Lotus said to them.

    "Yes, good night."

    After a quick shower, Yuan entered the massive bed that could easily fit six people andid there.

    ''It''s been a while since I''ve slept alone in a bed.'' Yuan realized this fact very quickly.

    Inside Chu Liuxiang''s room, she stared at the cold, empty bed and sighed, "I''ve gotten toofortable sleeping with Yuan that I''d forgotten how it feels sleeping alone."

    Meanwhile, White Lotus received a phone call from her family.

    "What''s the situation now?" White Lotus'' father, Bai Mengyao asked.

    "We just finished dinner and the guests are resting in their room," she said.

    "How is Yuan?"

    "He''s doing great. It''s almost like the incident this morning with Zheng Weimin never happened for him."

    "I see¡­ What about you? How do you feel after spending an entire day with him? Let me hear your impressions."

    "Yuan is a very charming young man. I can tell that he''s a genuinely kind person. He''s also very humble considering his reputation. I would''ve never guessed that he was yer Yuan if I didn''t already know it beforehand."

    "However, I have to admit, he''s also a little scary, especially when angered. He''s someone that I wouldn''t want to offend."

    Bai Mengyao suddenly startedughing behind the phone.

    "What a surprise! To think that my daughter, who has always disliked men, would have such a high impression on this young man!"

    White Lotus blushed after hearing her father''s words.

    A few momentster, Bai Mengyao stoppedughing and spoke in a serious voice, "I''m d that you like him. However, the real question is, when will you make your move on him?"

    White Lotus turned silent for a moment before speaking, "I think it''s a little too early¡­"

    "The slower you move, the more time you give others!"

    "I know, but I really don''t think I should move now. The two women Yuan brought with him¡­ They''re both incredibly beautiful and charming youngdies, and despite acting like they''re only friends with each other, I have no doubt that they''re his lovers."

    "It wouldn''t be a wise choice for me to invade their territory at this moment. In fact, I will most likely need their approval before I can join them."

    "If I force myself into their rtionship, it would only have a negative effect."

    Bai Mengyao took several moments to ponder about White Lotus'' words.N?velDrama.Org owns this.

    "Fine, you don''t have to seduce him now. However, don''t wait too long."

    "Yes, father."

    White Lotus released a deep sigh after hanging up the phone, feeling immense pressure on her shoulders.

    "Although I don''t mind having Yuan as my partner¡­ Can I even seduce someone like him? Do I have what it takes to ept the fact that there will be other women in his life? The thought of sharing my husband with other women has never even crossed my mind¡­ This is ridiculous."

    White Lotus proceeded to ponder her situation for the rest of the night.

    The following morning, after eating breakfast, Yuan and the others left the hotel for another day of touring the city.

    ''I really hope that I find a present for Yu Rou today¡­'' Meixiu sighed inwardly as they walked from shop to shop.

    After touring the city for the whole morning, White Lotus suggested to them, "Let''s get some lunch. I know of the perfect restaurant, and it''s only a few blocks away from this ce."

    "That''s a good idea." Yuan nodded.

    "Let''s go." The other two also agreed.

    "Great! Follow me."

    On their way to the restaurant, White Lotus would talk about her previous experience there.

    Halfway there, right as they reached the end of the street and was stopped by the red traffic light, Yuan suddenly started having a bad feeling, almost as though his intuition was warning him.

    Trusting his guts, Yuan decided to expand his divine sense until it covered the entire street.

    That''s when he noticed a ck van driving towards their street.

    Yuan didn''t think too much of this ck van at first, but the feeling in his guts got more ufortable as the ck van got closer to their location.

    A few momentster, right as the traffic lights turned green, the ck van stopped right in the middle of the crosswalk with its side facing Yuan and the others.

    "Watch out!" Yuan suddenly shouted.

    Right as Yuan''s voice resounded, loud banging sounds filled the streets, and hundreds of small holes would appear on the side of the van that was facing his direction within seconds.

    There were multiple people in the ck van, and they were all shooting at Yuan''s group from inside the van with deadly assault rifles.

    "Aaaaah!"

    Chaos immediately ensued, and the people in the street started scrambling to safety.

    White Lotus and the others subconsciously tried to dodge the iing bullets, but they quickly realized that something was preventing them from moving.

    "Don''t move!" Yuan shouted as he held his hands in front of him, using his Qi Manifestation to create a wall of spiritual energy in front of them, protecting them from the bullets. Of course, he was also responsible for restricting their movements.

    The bullets that touched Yuan''s invisible wall would get caught in his spiritual energy, making it seem like time had stopped for the bullets.

    However, despite this, bullets continued to fly without mercy, turning the street into a warzone.

    Yuan gritted his teeth in frustration. As much as he wanted to use his flying dagger to retaliate, he did not dare to split his focus, putting all of his attention on defense and the wall before them, which was the only thing preventing the bullets from riddling their bodies with holes.

 Chapter 962 - Assassination Attempt

    Chapter 962 - Assassination Attempt

    The sound of powerful guns zing through bullets continued nonstop for another minute until the people in the ck van eventually ran out of bullets.

    "We''re out! Let''s get the fuck out of here!"

    The people in the ck van didn''t even bother to check whether their targets had survived before stepping on the gas and speeding away from the crime scene.

    However, Yuan didn''t dare to remove the wall until he was absolutely sure that the threat hadpletely vanished.

    "Are you guys okay?!" Yuan turned around to ask the three terrifieddies standing behind him with shivering legs.

    "I-I''m okay¡­" White Lotus muttered in a trembling voice.

    "I am fine as well¡­" Chu Liuxiang said.

    "Me too." Meixiu said.

    "Meixiu! You''re totally not fine! Look at your arm! It''s bleeding!" Chu Liuxiang suddenly said in a panicked voice and pointed to her left arm, where blood could be seen flowing from a wound.

    "Oh, you''re right." Meixiu looked at her arm and said in a calm voice.

    After inspecting the wound, she continued, "I''m fine, it''s just a graze."

    "How can you be so calm about this¡­? You just got shot!" Chu Liuxiang was dumbfounded by her reaction.

    "Anyways, what in god''s name was that just now?!"

    "It was most likely the Zheng Family trying to exact revenge. I don''t have any proof, but they''re the only ones who have a motive." White Lotus sighed.

    "Even if they want revenge, to think they''d go this far¡­ This is unforgivable¡­" She looked at the destruction caused by the shooting just now.

    Fortunately, there were no deaths. However, some people there were injured in the process of trying to run away, and the buildings behind their group were riddled with bullets.

    Everyone there turned to look at Yuan, who was awfully silent for some reason, but that only made thedies even more nervous.

    Meixiu and Chu Liuxiang suddenly recalled what happened with the Gu Family when they threatened to hurt them. However, this incident was many times worse than the Gu Family, and Meixiu even got physically hurt in the process, so they cannot even begin to imagine what was going through Yuan''s head.

    "Are you okay, Yuan?" White Lotus decided to ask him.

    To their surprise, he nodded and spoke in an abnormally calm voice, "Yes, I am just relieved that you''re safe. Let''s return to the hotel and get your wound treated, Meixiu."This is from N?velDrama.Org.

    "Okay¡­"

    As they made their way back to the hotel, police sirens could be heard ring in almost every street.

    "Yes, that really just happened." White Lotus spoke to her father through the phone as they walked, notifying him of the horror they''d just experienced.

    "That fucking Zheng Family! How dare they try to assassinate you guys! They have crossed the line a thousand times! Don''t worry, I will make sure they are held ountable for their actions! I''m just really d that none of you are hurt!"

    "By the way, has Yuan said anything about the situation?" Bai Mengyao suddenly asked.

    "N-No¡­ He''s awfully quiet, nor has he spoken a word since we left¡­" White Lotus answered in a whispering voice.

    "That doesn''t sound very good. Do whatever you can tofort him."

    "I understand."

    After hanging up the phone, Bai Mengyao called the Zheng Family and demanded for Zheng Ye to pick up the phone.

    "I''m sorry, Mister Bai, but Mister Zheng is currently busy."

    "I don''t give a fuck if he''s busy! I want him to answer the phone even if he''s screwing his wife as we speak! If I don''t hear from him within the next five minutes, I will literally shoot up your fucking headquarter!"

    "P-Please calm down, Mister Bai¡ª"

    Di.

    Bai Mengyao hung up and waited for his phone to ring.

    As expected, Zheng Ye video called him three minutester.

    "For you to threaten my family with harm, you better have a good reason, Bai Mengyao, or you will be hearing from mywyers."

    "You dare to act like you don''t know anything?! Your Zheng Family just tried to assassinate my daughter!"

    "What?" Zheng Ye frowned upon hearing this, showing legit confusion.

    "Hold your horses, Bai Mengyao. That is a serious usation! I don''t know what happened, but our Zheng Family was not involved!"

    "You don''t know what happened? Bullshit! Turn on the T.V and look at the news!"

    Zheng Ye turned on his T.V the next moment. It didn''t take long for him to learn of the shooting, as it was being covered by literally every news channel out there.

    [About half an hour ago, a mass shooting had urred at¡­ Over 1,000 bullets had been fired¡­ Miraculously, nobody was killed¡­]

    "You''re iming that my Zheng Family had something to do with this shooting?! That''s absurd! We would never do something like this!"

    "As if I could believe your words! Only your Zheng Family has a motive!"

    "This is defamation! nder! Do you have any proof that it was my Zheng Family that is behind the shooting?!"

    "The only proof I need is your Zheng Family''s dogshit reputation! In the entire Legacy Ranking, your family is the worst!"

    "Hah! You''ll need more than that bullshit to do anything to us! Go ahead and sue us! I dare you!"

    Bai Mengyao suddenly startedughing.

    "What''s so damn funny?! You think this is funny?!"

    "You damn fool!" Bai Mengyao roared.

    "I purposefully kept this a secret because I wanted your family to mess with him a little, but I truly did not expect for you to do something this daring. You guys truly went above and beyond! However, I am also at fault. Due to my selfish decision, my daughter was nearly assassinated!"

    "What the hell are you talking about?" Zheng Ye frowned, as he had a bad feeling about Bai Mengyao''s words.

    "Listen carefully, Zheng Ye! The young man who trashed your useless son¡ª the person your family just tried to assassinate today is none other than yer Yuan! The same Yuan your family is so desperately trying to recruit!" Bai Mengyao revealed the truth to him.

    "What?!" Zheng Ye cried out loud, not daring to believe his ears.

 Chapter 963 - The Real Culprit

    Chapter 963 - The Real Culprit

    "T-That young man who beat my son was yer Yuan?! Impossible! I won''t fall for this!" Zheng Ye was in denial.

    However, inside his mind, he started recalling a certain rumor that White Lotus had managed to contact yer Yuan in Cultivation Online.

    "I don''t care if you believe it or not. However, it is a fact that your family had just tried to assassinate yer Yuan! If the other families learn of this, nobody will dare to stay by your side!" Bai Mengyao shouted.

    "Stop! I swear on my ancestors'' graves that our Zheng Family had nothing to do with the assasination! Do you really think that I would do something as tant and reckless as shooting up a street in broad daylight?!"

    Bai Mengyao frowned, and he started wondering if the Zheng Family had truly called in the assassination on Yuan.

    "Anyways, do not bother me or my family again until you have concrete proof that it was my family who ordered the hit! And if you dare spread such rumors, I will sue you for nder!"

    Zheng Ye closed the video call shortly after and started pacing back and forth his room with a panicked expression on his face.

    He was telling the truth when he imed that he had nothing to do with the assassination attempt, but he had a feeling that he knew the true culprit behind this madness.Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.

    He eventually picked up his phone and called his son, Zheng Weimin.

    "Hello?" Zheng Weimim picked up the phone after a few rings.

    "You crazy bastard! What have you done?! Tell me you are not behind the shooting this afternoon!" Zheng Ye''s voice was so loud that it dazed Zheng Weimin.

    However, to his surprise, Zheng Weimin spoke in a calm voice, "Huh? They already got to work? What a pleasant surprise! I really thought it would take at least a few days!"

    "Y-You¡­ Are you serious?" Zheng Ye could feel his legs giving out on him after hearing his son''s words.

    "Yes, I am. I was the one who ordered the hit on that bastard, so what? This will teach White Lotus what will happen if she dares to approach any man that is not me!" Zheng Weiminughed out loud.

    ''This bastard''s gone insane! Did he hit his head during his fight with Yuan?'' Zheng Ye cried inwardly.

    He always knew that his son was a crazy bastard, but even he couldn''t have anticipated that his son would be crazy enough to hire assassins!

    ''I have underestimated him! This is bad! Really bad!''

    "Don''t worry, father." Zheng Ye suddenly said.

    "I made sure there were no traces or evidence of my involvement, so they won''t be able to hold us ountable."

    Zheng Ye sighed out loud and said, "Have you seen the news?"

    "No, I haven''t. Why?" Zheng Ye asked in a puzzled voice.

    "There were no deaths. In other words, your assassination attempt has failed."

    "What?! How is that possible! I told them to use the strongest firearms they have avable! Not even a Spirit Master cultivator could survive such firepower!"

    "Well, not only did they survive, but White Lotus was also there at the time of the attack, so you almost had your beloved assassinated alongside the man you''re trying to kill."

    "WHAT?! I gave those bastards specific instructions to not attack when White Lotus is near the target! Those useless bastards! I paid them a hefty fee, too!" Zheng Weimin cursed out loud.

    Since White Lotus was in a disguise, the attackers did not recognize her, but Zheng Weimin wasn''t aware of this fact.

    Zheng Ye sighed, and he proceeded to ask, "You¡­ Do you even know the identity of the man who you just tried to have assassinated today?"

    "His identity doesn''t matter. Since he dared to offend me, he''s a dead man!"

    "yer Yuan! That man was yer Yuan! Do you have any idea what this means?!" Zheng Ye suddenly yelled.

    "W-What?" Zheng Weimin muttered in a dazed voice, seemingly having difficultiesprehending what he''d just heard.

    "I really hope you didn''t leave any evidence behind! If I learn that you''ve screwed up, I will, without hesitation, kick you out of the family and disown you!"

    "B-But father! So what if he''s yer Yuan?! He''s just a nobody who got lucky in Cultivation Online!"

    "Do you have any idea how many families within the Legacy Rankings are looking to curry favors with this nobody?! If they learn that you tried to assassinate Yuan, they will definitely side with him to destroy us!"

    "I''m done talking with you! However, let me give you one more piece of advice as your father. Hide! Don''t show your face until all of this calms down!"

    Zheng Ye disconnected the line and tossed his phone at the wall, smashing it into pieces.

    "FUCK! THAT FUCKING CRAZY BASTARD!"

    Meanwhile, Zheng Weimin sat on his bed with a dazed look on his face.

    "So he was yer Yuan all along¡­ It all makes sense now¡­ No wonder why she dared to fight back."

    "However, none of that matters. They cannot touch me without proof."

    "As for those assassins, even if they have failed their first attempt, they will continue to try until they fulfill our contract."

    Zheng Weimin quickly stopped caring about the situation, as he was confident that he would not get in any trouble for his actions.

    After all, there were rules and regtions in this world, and being in the Top 5 of the Legacy Rankings, these regtions were in his favor regardless if he was in the right or wrong.

    "I don''t care if you''re yer Yuan! Come get me if you can! Hahaha!" Zheng Weiminughed like a madman inside his room.

    Back at the hotel, White Lotus had the entire hotel secured by her guards so that not even a rat could enter or leave the premises¡ª they were basically in lockdown.

    Meanwhile, Meixiu had her wound inspected and treated by a professional.

 Chapter 964 - Take Me to the Zheng Family

    Chapter 964 - Take Me to the Zheng Family

    "Luckily, the bullet only grazed your skin. I also checked your blood just in case theyced the bullets with poison. The results were negative. You''ll heal in a few days." The doctor said to Meixiu after inspecting her grazed wound.

    "Will this injury leave a scar?" Meixiu asked the doctor.

    "Since you''re a cultivator, it will onlyst for a bit. It will eventually disappearpletely, but I will prescribe you with some healing cream just in case."

    "I see¡­ Thank you." Meixiu nodded.

    Once the doctor left and they were alone, Chu Liuxiang spoke, "What should we do now? Yu Rou''s birthday is tomorrow, and the concert will be held in public. If we don''t deal with the situation before then, they could attack during the concert."

    "Is there anything we can do to the Zheng Family?" She looked at White Lotus, who shook her head.

    "Unfortunately, we don''t have any concrete proof that the Zheng Family was the one behind the attack. My father spoke to the head of the Zheng Family, and ording to what he told me, Zheng Ye doesn''t appear to have anything to do with the attack."

    "I also highly doubt they would leave behind any evidence that incriminates them."

    "So there''s nothing we can do about it?" Meixiu asked with a worried frown on her face.

    "Not legally, no¡­" White Lotus sighed.

    "We can try to look for the people in the ck van, but we''re still investigating that. The entire Bai Family is currently working with the police and investigators, but even with such a force, it will probably be a few days until we can learn anything."

    "We don''t have the luxury to wait that long." Yuan suddenly spoke.

    "Do you have something in mind?" White Lotus asked him.

    He nodded and said, "Meixiu, Lulu, I want the two of you to stay in this room together until I resolve our situation. It won''t take too long, I promise."This is from N?velDrama.Org.

    "What are you going to do?" Meixiu asked him in a worried voice.

    "I''m going to get the evidence we need to deal with whoever decided it was a good idea to put you all in such a dangerous situation," he calmly said.

    Yuan approached Meixiu and caressed the bandage on her arm¡ª where she''d been injured from the attack.

    "The person who caused this will wish that they''d never been born¡­"

    Even though his voices were as tranquil as still water in ake, thedies could feel the anger boiling within, and it was only a matter of time before it exploded, causing the water to ssh everywhere.

    Meixiu suddenly grabbed his hands and spoke, "Yuan, I know you''re angry and that you''re doing this for us, but please, don''t do anything that will hurt you."

    "I won''t. I promise." Yuan showed her a gentle smile.

    He then faced White Lotus and said, "Can you do me a favor?"

    "O-Of course!" She immediately nodded.

    "Let''s go."

    Yuan started making his way towards the exit.

    "Don''t do anything that you will regretter, Yuan! I know that you care about our safety, but don''t forget that we also care about yours!" Chu Liuxiang shouted as he reached the door.

    "I know." He responded as he left the room.

    "I want guards inside and outside of this room at all times until we return. Make sure no harmes to our guests." White Lotus said to Jasmine.

    "What about you, Miss Bai?"

    "I will be fine." White Lotus said as she nced at Yuan.

    "I understand. I will make sure the guests are protected even if it''s thest thing I do." Jasmine nodded.

    "Please take care of Miss Bai." She turned to face Yuan and bowed to him.

    Sometimeter, White Lotus followed Yuan to the roof of the hotel.

    Yuan continued walking until he was standing at the edge of the building.

    After standing there in silence for a couple of minutes, he suddenly asked, "Where is the Zheng Family?"

    "The Zheng Family''s headquarter is located in another city, but they have a branch family that is about an hour outside the city. Although you won''t find the head of the family, Zheng Ye, there, you should be able to find Zheng Weimin."

    "That is good enough."

    He then asked, "Do you mind showing me the way? I promise you that no harm wille to you. I will also owe you."

    "I don''t mind. And you don''t have to owe me anything. You saved my life today. I should be the one with the debt," she said.

    "The only reason you guys were put in such a dangerous situation was because of me. I was their target. You guys just happened to be with me at the time of the attack."

    "If you don''t mind me asking, what are you going to do once we meet the Zheng Family? I doubt they will tell us the truth even if we threaten them."

    After a moment of silence, Yuan spoke in a low but clear voice, "I don''t know what I am going to do to them, but I know that it won''t be very pretty."

    White Lotus swallowed nervously.

    "Do you n on killing them all? Don''t worry, the Bai Family will protect you no matter your decision."

    Yuan turned to look at her with a profound smile on his face, but he did not respond to her question.

    After a moment of silence, he spoke in a cold voice as he took off his sunsses, revealing the red eyes that had been concealed by the shades, "That would be too lenient on the bastards that attacked us. I won''t kill them, but I will make them wish that they were dead."

    White Lotus'' eyes widened with shock, and her body trembled in fear when she saw Yuan''s crimson eyes that looked like it had been dyed in blood, not to mention intense killing intent that was contained within his gaze. However, mixed in with her fear was awe, as she was also oddly charmed by his presence.

    Although she wasn''t certain, she had a feeling that Yuan was looking at her through his eyes as of this moment.

    Yuan lifted his arm and gestured for her, "Take me to the Zheng Family. It''s our turn to surprise them."

    "Yes." White Lotus responded in a low voice before grabbing his hand and flying into the air with him, her heart throbbing with excitement.

 Chapter 965 - Regaining His Vision

    Chapter 965 - Regaining His Vision

    As they made their way towards the Zheng Family, White Lotus couldn''t help but stare at Yuan''s handsome face and beautiful crimson eyes that resembled jewels.

    "Yuan¡­ Your eyes¡­ What happened?" She couldn''t resist her urge to ask him.

    "I''m not really sure. After seeing Meixiu getting hurt from the assault, I felt something being ''released'' within me, and before I knew it, I regained my vision."

    "Huh? So you''re no longer blind?" White Lotus muttered in a dumbfounded voice.

    "For now. Who knows how long this wouldst. Maybe I''ll return to being blind after a few hours."

    Yuan turned to look at White Lotus'' beautiful face and paleplexion.

    "Even though I can see the world clearer and in more details with divine sense, there is just something unique about viewing the world with my eyes." He said with a smile.

    "It''s unfortunate that I had regained my vision during this time when I am unable to enjoy it." His smile quickly turned bitter.

    White Lotus suddenly lowered her head and tightened her hold around his neck.

    "My life shed before my eyes earlier today. I have never had such a close near-death experience before¡ª not even in Cultivation Online."

    "Honestly, I''ve been in worse situations. However, I have never felt scared in those situations. It was different today. I was terrified, but not for myself. I was scared that I would lose one of you, and it was a close call. The bullet that grazed Meixiu could''ve killed any of us. Fortunately, that did not happen."Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    "You really care about Meixiu and Chu Liuxiang. I''m envious." White Lotus suddenly sighed.

    "I care about you too, you know?" He said, taking her by surprise.

    "Really? Even though we''ve just met each other?"

    "Of course." He nodded.

    "Thank you¡­" White Lotus mumbled as she lowered her head even more to prevent Yuan from seeing the expression on her face.

    About half an hourter, White Lotus pointed at therge mansion located at the horizon and said, "Over there. That''s our destination."

    Yuan nodded and flew directly towards the mansion.

    Once theynded near the mansion, Yuan stepped in front of White Lotus and said, "Stay behind me no matter what."

    "Okay." She nodded.

    Yuan summoned both Empyrean Overlord and Starry Abyss before approaching the mansion.

    There were guards pacing around the mansion, and all of them were carrying fully loaded assault rifles.

    "Are they usually this tight with security? Not even banks are this heavily guarded." Yuan asked her.

    "No, this isn''t normal." White Lotus shook her head.

    "Then they must be really afraid of something." Yuan smiled.

    "Follow me."

    He walked out of the shadows with White Lotus behind him.

    "HALT!"

    The guards there immediately noticed him and pointed their guns at his direction without any hesitation.

    "Identify yourself! What are you doing here?!"

    "Let me handle this." White Lotus said.

    "I''m Bai Lianhua! We''re here to speak with Zheng Weimin!"

    The guards recognized her name and face.

    "Zheng Weimin is not here!" One of the guards said.

    "You''re lying." Yuan said, as he could sense Zheng Weimin''s presence within the mansion.

    "I will give you two choices. Get Zheng Weimin out here for me, or I will go inside to meet him myself."

    "And I will give you one choice. Get lost before we fill your body with bullet holes!"

    Yuan closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

    The next moment, one of the guards suddenly screamed in pain, startling the others.

    When they turned to look at him, they saw that his hands had suddenly been severed by something sharp.

    "W-What happened?!"

    However, before they could even make sense of what was happening, the invisible Starry Abyss honed in on its next target.

    Whoosh!

    "AAAAH! My hands!" Another guard had his hand severed.

    Then another.

    And another.

    In less than a minute, Yuan had disarmed all of the guards there by severing their hands with the Starry Abyss.

    White Lotus swallowed nervously after seeing the brutal scenery. The guards were all screaming in pain as blood gushed from their grievous wounds.

    "Let''s go." Yuan said with a nonchnt face as he started walking towards the entrance.

    After smashing the doors with a single kick, Yuan entered the building with White Lotus.

    However, the moment they took a step inside the building, the guards that had been waiting inside ambushed them, shooting their guns without hesitation.

    Hundreds of bullets flew at Yuan every second, resembling the situation earlier this afternoon but with more noise and chaos, as there were more people shooting their guns at him.

    However, there was one more difference.

    Yuan was prepared for the attack this time.

    While he used Qi Manifestation to create a wall around him and White Lotus, he also controlled the Starry Abyss to take down the shooters one at a time.

    Since the shooters were spread out and most of them were focused on shooting Yuan, they failed to notice what was happening until it was toote and everyone there had their hands and arms severed.

    ''He''s not killing them¡­ Is he saving it for Zheng Weimin?'' White Lotus noticed this and wondered to herself.

    "Are you okay?" Yuan turned around and asked her in a calm voice.

    "Y-Yes." She nodded in a dazed manner.

    "Good, then let''s continue."

    Yuan proceeded to follow Zheng Weimin''s presence in the mansion.

    They would encounter guards at every turn, but Yuan easily took care of them.

    Meanwhile, inside Zheng Weimin''s room.

    "What the fuck is going on out there?!" Zheng Weimin asked the guards in his room.

    "We have intruders. Two of them. A man and a woman." The guard said.

    "It''s just two intruders! There are hundreds of you, all equipped with heavy firearms! Why the fuck am I still hearing gunshots after so long?! Are they all shooting at the sky or something?!" Zheng Weimin cried out loud.

    "I-I don''t know¡­ Even I am puzzled¡­" The guard shook his head.

    "Fuck! You''re all so fucking useless!" Zheng Weimin gritted his teeth in frustration.

 Chapter 966 - Punishing Zheng Weimin

    Chapter 966 - Punishing Zheng Weimin

    "Don''t worry, Young Master. We will protect you with our lives." The guards in the room said to him.

    "No fucking shit! If I die, my father will kill all of you!" Zheng Weimin shouted.

    One of the guards'' walkie talkie suddenly activated.

    "H-Help! This guy is a monster! We cannot deal with him!" A terrified voice resounded from the walkie talkie.

    "Give me that!" Zheng Weimin gestured for the walkie talkie.

    Once it was in his hands, he shouted, "This is Zheng Weimin! What is happening out there?!"

    However, the guard did not respond.

    "Hello?! Hey! Answer me!"

    After another moment of silence, the walkie talkie connected again.

    "He can''t hear you because he''s unconscious. Probably due to blood loss, but I''m no expert. He might even be dead."

    A familiar voice resounded from the walkie talkie. However, Zheng Weimin did not immediately recognize the voice.

    "W-Who are you?!"

    "You''ve already forgotten about me? It hasn''t been that long since you tried to kill me." Yuan said in a calm voice.

    "Y-You''re that bastard from the roof! I have no idea what you''re talking about! I never tried to kill you! What evidence do you have?!" Zheng Weimin finally realized who he was speaking to, and his body became soaked in cold sweat.

    "Evidence? I don''t have any."

    "Then why the fuck are you creating a scene at my house?! I''ll have you arrested for your actions!"

    "I may not have any evidence now, but I will get some soon. I''ll see you in a bit."

    Yuan crushed the walkie talkie and continued making his way to Zheng Weimin''s room.

    "This fucking bastard!" Zheng Weimin tossed the walkie talkie at the wall in a fit of rage.

    Shortly after their conversation ended, Zheng Weimin could hear the gunshots getting closer and closer to his room, pushing him towards the edge of having a mental breakdown.N?velDrama.Org owns this.

    Meanwhile, there were 12 guards inside his room, all of them pointing their guns at the door with their fingers on the trigger.

    Ten minutester, Yuan and White Lotus arrived at the hallway that contained Zheng Weimin''s room.

    "There are 13 people inside that room, one of them being Zheng Weimin. Stand back." Yuan said to her.

    White Lotus nodded and took a few steps back.

    Yuan held the Empyrean Overlord like a javelin and took a deep breath.

    Whoosh!

    He tossed the Empyrean Overlord, sending it flying through the hallway.

    BANG!

    The Empyrean Overlord smashed through the metal doors at the end of the hallway, revealing the terrified faces inside the room.

    "OPEN FIRE!" The leader of the guards shouted.

    Hundreds of bullets traveled the hallway until they reached Yuan, but they all stopped moving in front of him.

    "W-What the fuck?!" The guards were shocked by what they were witnessing.

    "Move out of the way!"

    One of the guards there suddenly stepped forward and aimed a rocketuncher at Yuan.

    "Yuan! Watch out!" White Lotus was terrified when she saw the RPG-7.

    "Toote!"

    The guard pressed the trigger, shooting the rocket at Yuan.

    However, before it could even get anywhere near Yuan, the rocket exploded, blowing up half of the hallway and even some of the guards.

    "What just happened?!" The guards that survived the explosion were dumbfounded.

    Unbeknownst to them, Yuan had destroyed the rocket with the Starry Abyss.

    "Ah! My arms!" One of the guards there suddenly screamed in pain as both his limbs suddenly separated from his body.

    The other guards were terrified when they saw this, especially when none of them saw what had caused it.

    Soon, every guard in the room had their hands and even entire arms severed by the invisible Starry Abyss.

    Zheng Weimin stared at the nightmarish scene before him with a horrified look on his face.

    "Y-You''re not human! You''re a fucking demon! Get away from me!" Zheng Weimin started crying when Yuan entered the room with White Lotus behind him.

    White Lotus looked at Zheng Weimin''s terrible appearance in silence.

    ''This is the result of offending yer Yuan. It''s much worse than what I''d imagined¡­'' She sighed inwardly.

    "What''s wrong? You look like shit." Yuan approached Zheng Weimin, who had backed all the way up to the corner of a wall.

    "G-Get away from me! You will regret doing this to me!"

    "What are you going to do? Report me to the police? Where''s your evidence?"

    "I have plenty of evidence and witnesses!" Zheng Weimin shouted.

    "If I kill all of you and destroy this ce, there won''t be any more evidence." Yuan showed him a cold smile.

    "Y-You wouldn''t dare! I am innocent! I never tried to kill¡ª Ahhhhh!"

    Zheng Weimin suddenly screamed out loud, his voice filled with pain.

    "Tell me again that you''re innocent." Yuan spoke in a nonchnt voice as he removed his hand from Zheng Weimin''s shoulder after crushing his bones.

    Zheng Weimin gritted his teeth and spoke in a low voice, "I really don''t know what you''re talking¡ª Ahhhh!"

    Yuan crushed the rest of his arm with Qi Manifestation.

    The pain of having every bone in his right arm being crushed was so intense that Zheng Weimin fell unconscious.

    However, Yuan would wake him back up by breaking one of his legs by stomping on it.

    "I can do this all day." Yuan said to him in a calm voice, almost as though he''s done this thousands of times before.

    "Give up, Zheng Weimin. It''s over for you." White Lotus sighed.

    "No! I am really innocent! Please! Believe me!" Zheng Weimin continued to im his innocence despite the situation.

    Yuan narrowed his eyes at Zheng Weimin.

    ''If physical pain isn''t enough¡­''

    After pondering for a moment, he turned to White Lotus and asked her, "Hey, this may be sudden, but have you ever kissed before?"

    "Eh?!" Although she was taken by surprise by his question, White Lotus shook her head, "N-No¡­"

    "I see¡­"

    Yuan approached her the following moment.

    "W-What are you doing?" Zheng Weimin stared at him with wide eyes.

    Once he was standing in front of White Lotus, Yuan suddenly wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her soft body into his embrace.

    White Lotus was baffled by the sudden turn of events, but she didn''t resist it.

    "Do you mind if I be your first?" Yuan asked her with a profound expression on his face.

    "YOU BASTARD!" Zheng Weimin roared out loud.

    White Lotus realized what Yuan was trying to do now, and she couldn''t help but feel a little disappointed.

    However, this is exactly the type of situation she and her family wanted, so she didn''tin.

    "It would be my pleasure to have you as my first." White Lotus nodded with a bashful smile before lifting her head and closing her eyes.

    "N-No! NO! NO! NO! STOP IT! DON''T YOU DARE! I SWEAR I WILL KILL YOU IF YOU DO IT, YUAN!" Zheng Weimin shouted as blood in the form of tears began flowing from his eyes.

    Yuan looked at Zheng Weimin with a mocking gaze before turning to focus on White Lotus, who had a flushed face at this moment.

    He gently held her chin with his hand, and he slowly pressed his lips against hers, kissing her.

    "YUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUAN!" Zheng Weimin could feel his heart being torn into countless pieces after witnessing the love of his life being stolen by his enemy before his very eyes.

 Chapter 967 - Itâ€™s Just a Kiss

    Chapter 967 - It''s Just a Kiss

    "I WILL KILL YOU! I WILL KILL YOU! I WILL KILL YOU!!! YUUUUAAAN!" Zheng Weimin shouted like a beast that had its children murdered before its eyes.

    After kissing White Lotus, Yuan turned to look at Zheng Weimin''s pathetic appearance and spoke, "Why are you so mad? It''s just a kiss. And I don''t recall White Lotus ever being your woman."

    "SHUT UP! WHITE LOTUS IS MINE! MY WOMAN! HOW DARE YOU DEFILE HER WITH YOUR DIRTY MOUTH!"

    Yuan narrowed his eyes on Zheng Weimin before speaking, "I''ll do much more than just a kiss if you don''t tell me the truth."

    "W-What are you talking about?!" Zheng Weimin''s eyes widened with shock.

    Yuan turned to look at White Lotus and asked her, "Do you want to be my woman? I''ll make you my woman right here and right now."

    "YOU BASTARD! DON''T YOU DARE!" Zheng Weimin stared at them with bloodshot eyes.

    If gazes could kill, Zheng Weimin would be able to kill even Immortals with his intense gaze.

    Yuan suddenly hugged White Lotus and whispered in her ears, "Don''t worry, I won''t actually do anything to you."

    White Lotus sighed inwardly, ''I wouldn''t mind it even if you were for real¡­''

    She then spoke in a genuine tone, "I am willing. If you want me to be your woman, both my body and heart are yours¡­"

    To Yuan''s surprise, White Lotus suddenly dragged him to the bed in the room and started loosening his clothes.

    She then looked at Zheng Weimin and continued, "You have made my life miserable for many years with your harassment. Today, I will prove to you and the world that I am not your woman!"

    She returned to looking at Yuan and gave him a seductive wink.

    Before Yuan could react, White Lotus pulled his body on top of hers and started kissing him again, this time more passionately.

    While they kissed, White Lotus began loosening her clothes as well.

    "STOP! I ADMIT IT! I WAS THE ONE WHO ORDERED THE HIT ON YOU! I WAS WRONG!" Zheng Weimin could no longer endure the mental torture and admitted to his crimes.

    However, White Lotus didn''t seem to have any intention of stopping, mostly because she was too focused to hear Zheng Weimin''s voice.

    "WHY AREN''T YOU STOPPING?! I HAVE ALREADY CONFESSED!"

    "..."

    "He''s already confessed. Let''s stop here¡­" Yuan said to White Lotus before slipping away from her hold and getting off the bed.

    White Lotus was reluctant, but she had no choice but to end the fun there.

    After fixing their clothes, White Lotus asked, "What are you going to do to him now? Turn him to the authorities?"

    Yuan narrowed his eyes on Zheng Weimin, who was lying on the floor with a half-dead look on his face.

    "As long as he''s alive, he will try to take revenge again. It may not happen tomorrow or even ten years from now, but I am not going to take any chances." Yuan spoke in a cold voice.

    "Kill me if you want... I will haunt you for the rest of your life..." Zheng Weimin mumbled in a low voice.

    "How did you contact the assassins?" He then asked.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    "If you''re trying to call off the hit on you, then you can give up. They won''t stop until their target is dead, even if it takes a hundred years." Zheng Weimin chuckled.

    Yuan went to take Zheng Weimin''s cell phone andptop a momentter.

    "Let''s go." He then said.

    "Huh? Where are we going? Aren''t you going to kill him?" White Lotus was baffled when Yuan started walking out of the room.

    However, Yuan didn''t respond to her until they were both outside the mansion.

    "Are you really going to forgive him?"

    "No, I am not." He said in a calm voice as he faced the mansion and summoned the Empyrean Overlord.

    "Take twenty steps back," he then said.

    White Lotus didn''t question him and distanced herself from him.

    Once she was far enough, Yuan took a deep breath and gathered his spiritual energy.

    [Heaven Splitting Sword Strike!]

    Yuan released the Heaven Splitting Sword Strike that contained about 90 percent of his strength.

    A massive beam of light consumed the mansion and everyone within.

    BOOM!

    The mansion disappeared instantly, alongside over three miles of the wilderness behind the mansion.

    "N-No way¡­" White Lotus fell to her knees upon witnessing the destruction caused by the Heavenly Splitting Sword Strike.

    ''With such power, he could easily wipe an entire city off the map!'' She cried inwardly.

    "This will not only erase the evidence of our involvement, but it will also serve as a warning to the Zheng Family." Yuan said in a calm voice.

    White Lotus swallowed nervously.

    After erasing the mansion, Yuan turned to face White Lotus and offered his hand to help her stand back up.

    "T-Thank you¡­"

    "I''m really sorry." He suddenly sighed.

    "Huh? Why are you apologizing?"

    "I took advantage of you today just to get back at Zheng Weimin, and I even took away your first kiss. I''m truly sorry." Yuan lowered his head and apologized again.

    "I-It''s fine!" White Lotus started waving her hand in a flustered manner.

    "As you''d said, it''s just a kiss. I am not so immature and innocent to care about something like that. And to tell you the truth, I wasn''t lying when I said that I wanted you to be my first."

    "However, if you wish to take responsibility and make me your woman, I won''t object to it." White Lotus spoke in a teasing voice, yet her face was flushed with redness.

    "L-Let''s continue this conversation another time¡­ I''m sure this ce will be flooded with police soon, and we still have to deal with the assassins Zheng Weimin hired."

    "All right. Then let us return to the hotel and see if Zheng Weimin had left any clues behind." White Lotus nodded.

    Yuan carried White Lotus into the air and disappeared from the scene shortly after, returning to the hotel.

 Chapter 968 - Unknown Weapon of Mass Destruction

    Chapter 968 - Unknown Weapon of Mass Destruction

    After Yuan and White Lotus left the scene, helicopters and police cars flooded the ce that used to be Zheng Family''s branch family.

    They were all stunned by the destruction there, and nobody there could imagine the kind of weapon that caused this mess.

    "What in god''s name happened here? Even a railgun would not be able to cause such destruction."

    "Is this a new type of weapon? What could have transpired here that requires such immense power?"

    "Hey, isn''t this the location of the Zheng Family''s mansion? I believe their oldest son, Zheng Weimin, lives here."

    "Huh? Are you sure this is the right ce?"

    "Yes, I am certain that the Zheng Family had a mansion here."

    "No way¡­ Does that mean¡­"

    "S-Somebody get in touch with the Zheng Family! This is an emergency!"

    The investigators were shocked to learn that a mansion used to exist in this ce.

    Sometimeter, Zheng Ye learned of the situation.

    "What the fuck do you mean my family''s mansion have disasppeared?! Where is my son, Zheng Weimin?! Is he okay?!"

    "I''m sorry, but we do not have any information on your son, but we are looking for him as we speak. Turn on the television, you should see for yourself the situation here¡­" The head investigator said to him.

    Zheng Ye quickly turned on the television with a heavy heart.

    "You have got to be fucking kidding me¡­" Zheng Ye nearly fell out of his seat after seeing the situation.

    [About twenty minutes ago, an unknown weapon of mass destruction had detonated in this ce, erasing over 1,000 acres ofnd! The authorities are still trying to figure out what happened here! If you have any information, please call them at¡­!]

    [To think two horrifying incidents would ur in this city in such a short time¡­ Just what on earth is happening? Could this be the work of terrorists?]

    "As you can see, Mister Zheng¡­ If your son had been inside or anywhere near the mansion at the time of the incident, it is very unlikely that he would''ve survived."

    "No! NO! I told my son to leave that ce when I spoke with him earlier today! He should still be out there somewhere!" Zheng Ye held onto the hope that Zheng Weimin had listened to his advice to go into hiding.

    "I want the bastard who did this to be found!"Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    "Rest assured, Mister Zheng. We will use all of our resources to find the culprit. If there is some madman with a weapon that can cause this much destruction out there, we must catch him and seize the weapon at all cost."

    After hanging up, Zheng Ye stared at the television with an ugly expression on his face.

    Sometimeter, he opened hisptop and started a video call with Bai Mengyao.

    "What do you want, Zheng Ye?" Bai Mengyao asked him in an annoyed manner, unaware of the situation yet.

    "Y-You bastard! Is this your work?! Did you attack my Zheng Family just now?!"

    "Huh? What the fuck are you talking about?"

    "Turn on the television and see for yourself!" Zheng Ye shouted.

    Bai Mengyao recalled a simr situation happening not long ago, but the roles were reversed this time around.

    "Holy shit! What happened here?!" Bai Mengyao was terrified by what he saw on the television.

    "Wait! You think my Bai Family has something to do with the news?! That''s outrageous! Even more outrageous than the shooting today!"

    "It''s the truth, isn''t it?! My Zheng Family got attacked right after you threatened to attack us! There''s no way this could be a coincidence!" Zheng Ye roared.

    "Are you out of your mind?! You think my Bai Family is capable of this?! There should be a limit to your imagination! Whatever caused this is obviously not human!"

    While Zheng Ye and Bai Mengyao argued back and forth, Yuan and White Lotus returned to the hotel.

    "Yuan! Are you okay?!" Chu Liuxiang rushed to his side the moment she saw him enter the room.

    "Yes, I am fine." He nodded.

    "What happened? Did you find any evidence?" Meixiu asked him.

    "Yes, Zheng Weimin confessed to hiring the assassins this morning. However, he didn''t tell us how to contact the assassins, so we''re notpletely safe yet, and I won''t rest until I find the bastards that shot at us." Yuan said.

    "I see¡­ What about Zheng Weimin?"

    "I killed him. I didn''t want to risk having hime after us again in the future. I''m sorry if my decision disappointed you."

    "No, I understand why you did it, and I don''t me you. I''m sorry for making you bear everything for us¡­"

    "It''s fine." Yuan shook his head.

    After a moment of silence, Chu Liuxiang suddenly spoke, "By the way¡­ Your eyes¡­ They''re red."

    "Yes. I have somehow regained my vision, so I can see again now." Yuan finally revealed the truth to them.

    "What! No way! Really?!" Chu Liuxiang exploded with excitement.

    "I''m serious." He nodded with a gentle smile on his face.

    "To think this would happen right before Yu Rou''s birthday¡­ This is going to be an even bigger surprise than the concert." Meixiu smiled.

    "Indeed. That''s why I must take care of these assassins before then. I want the birthday surprise to be perfect."

    White Lotus entered the room sometimeter and said, "Yuan, I had the experts look into Zheng Weimin''s cell phone andptop, and they found a phone number and address that might allow us to contact the assassins."

    "Perfect."

    Yuan turned to look at Meixiu and Chu Liuxiang and said to them, "I will finish everything this time."

    "Stay safe. They''re dangerous enough to shoot us in broad daylight." Meixiu said.

    Yuan chuckled, "I doubt it''ll be any more dangerous than what I have already experienced at the Zheng Family."

    After Yuan left with White Lotus, Chu Liuxiang decided to rx a little and open the television that happened to be on a news channel.

    "M-Meixiu¡­ Look at this¡­" Chu Liuxiang called for her.

    "My god¡­ Wait¡­ this happened only half an hour ago?" Meixiu swallowed nervously and turned to look at the door that Yuan just left from.

    "You think he''s responsible for this?"

    Meixiu smiled and said, "If anyone is capable of doing this, it could only be him."

 Chapter 969 - Locating the Assassins

    Chapter 969 - Locating the Assassins

    After leaving the room with White Lotus, Yuan followed her to another room where the experts were inspecting Zheng Weimin''s equipment.

    "So this is the phone number that might help us contact the assassins, and this location appears to be a meeting point."

    "Can you track the phone number?" White Lotus asked.

    "We can try, but we''ll have to call them first." The expert said.

    "I''ll call them." Yuan suddenly said.

    "What about your backup story?" White Lotus asked.

    "I already have one in mind."

    "All right. Then let us set up the tracker first." The expert said.

    Half an hourter, the expert handed Yuan a specialized cell phone.

    "We''ll begin the tracking as soon as they pick up the phone. Try to stall them for as long as you can."

    Yuan nodded and called the phone number.

    After a couple of rings, someone picked up the number and spoke in a cold voice, "Password?"

    White Lotus and the experts were listening to the phone call as well, so they immediately frowned upon hearing about a password for the first time.

    However, Yuan calmly responded, "Fuck your password. I need a bastard killed. 100 million."

    White Lotus turned to look at Yuan with wide eyes.

    ''He''s going to order a hit?!'' she cried inwardly.

    The person on the other side of the call remained silent for several moments before responding, "I''m sorry, but you have the wrong number."

    "Hang up on me and I will call another number, and I will add you bastards to my kill list."

    "..."

    "Who told you about this phone number?"

    "Are you fuckers investigators or mercenaries? If you keep wasting my precious time, I will let the person who rmended me know of your trash service."

    After another moment of silence, the person spoke, "Give me a name."

    Yuan took a deep but silent breath before speaking, "Yu Yong, he''s the head of a major entertainmentpany that focuses on music."

    White Lotus'' jaw dropped after hearing this familiar name. After researching Yu Tian''s background, she learned of his adoptive parents, Yu Yong and Tang Lee.

    ''He''s putting a hit on his adoptive father?!''N?velDrama.Org owns this.

    A few moments of silenceter, the man behind the phone spoke, "He''s a big name. It''ll cost you more than 100 million if you want his head."

    "Give me a number." Yuan calmly said.

    "Five hundred."

    "That''s a hefty amount. What if you fail?"

    "There''s no such thing as a perfect hit. However, once we put a target on someone, we will make sure it is a sess no matter how many times we fail."

    "Very well. I''ll pay that amount."

    "I will now give you an ount number. You have 24 hours to make the payment."

    After giving Yuan the ount number, the man continued, "Once we see the payment, we will give you a call back. We''ll make the real arrangements then."

    Yuan then spoke in a cold voice, "Just so you know. I may trust my friend, but I don''t trust your service yet. If you dare to scam me, I will destroy your entire organization."

    The manughed out loud, "I wee you to try even though we won''t scam you."

    Yuan looked at the experts in the room for their signal.

    The expert nodded his head and gave Yuan a thumbs up.

    "Then I will see you soon."

    After hanging up the call, Yuan went to see the results.

    "Although we were able to track the call to their location, we were unable to pinpoint the exact location."

    "Just give me the general location and I will find them myself." Yuan said.

    "It''s about a four hour drive from this ce, right around here." The expert showed him the map and the general location of the call.

    "I understand. I will go there right away." Yuan nodded.

    "Should Ie with you again?" White Lotus asked him.

    "No, I will be fine by myself. I don''t want to endanger you."

    "All right¡­ Stay safe."

    Yuan left the hotel by himself shortly after and flew towards the location of the assassins.

    He decided to fly using the Empyrean Overlord since it was much faster and he could use it for longer.

    An hourter, Yuan arrived at the location on the map.

    However, there were nothing but trees at his location.

    When Yuan couldn''t see anything out of the ordinary with his eyes, he decided to use his divine sense.

    After a few minutes of searching, he noticed some footprints, which he followed to a hidden entrance that appeared to lead underground.

    After taking a moment to look for traps, Yuannded in front of the entrance, and without any hesitation, he yanked the metal door open with his bare hands.

    rms began ring inside the bunker, but Yuan ignored it and headed straight for the room with the most people.

    However, he was quickly stopped by people wielding heavy firearms.

    "Y-You! What are you doing here?!" The people that stopped him appeared to recognize his face.

    "Hey, I''m here to repay the favor. If you lead me to the bastards who shot at me and my friends today, I will let you live." Yuan said to them in a calm voice.

    "In your fucking dreams! Now die!"

    They opened fire the following moment.

    However, as usual, Yuan stopped the bullets with his spiritual energy before they could even reach him.

    "Is it that fun to shoot at people? It''s all you guys ever do. Let me give it a try." Yuan casually flicked his arm, sending the bullets that he''d caught straight back to the shooters but at an even faster speed.

    "Ah!"

    The six people there copsed the following moment with holes all over their corpses.

    "How boring." Yuan shook his head and continued making his way deeper inside the bunker.

    He would encounter more people with guns, and he would always give them a chance to tell him what he wanted to know in exchange for their lives.

    Unfortunately, they would all respond with bullets instead of words.

    In the end, Yuan had to kill every person he came across until he reached the lowest part of the bunker, where a massive metal door blocked his path.

 Chapter 970 - Locating the Assassins (2)

    Chapter 970 - Locating the Assassins (2)

    When Yuan reached this metal door that was built to withstand even nuclear weapons, a voice resounded from the speakers in the hallway.

    "I fully understand why we were unable to kill you today, you fucking monster. We should''ve asked for way more money when we epted the request to kill you." A familiar voice resounded.

    Yuan recognized this voice to be the same as the person he spoke to on the phone today.

    "You''ll need more than guns to kill me." Yuan casually said.

    "Anyways, why don''t you open the door and let me in? It''ll be a whole lot messier if I have to force my way inside."

    "Hahaha! Go ahead and break this door if you can! This ce was created to withstand even nuclear weapons!"

    "Is that so?" Yuan sighed.

    He then asked, "Before I do so, I have a question. The bastards that shot at me today. Are they inside with you?"

    "I see! So you''re looking for the squad responsible for the incident today. Unfortunately, you won''t find them here¡ª because they''re currently on their way to the White Lotus Hotel!"

    "Furthermore, they will kill anyone in that hotel until they find you! However, since you''re obviously not there, that means everyone in that hotel will be dead soon!"

    After learning this information, Yuan started preparing for the Heaven Splitting Sword Strike.

    "Hey, do you remember our call earlier?"

    "Huh? What are you talking about?"

    "Yu Yong. I was the one who called you just now."

    "So you tracked the phone call, huh. Not bad. I am impressed by the one who managed to track us despite all of the security we had."

    "You weed me to try and destroy your organization. I will be fulfilling your desire now."

    "Hahaha! And how are you going to do that?! With that sword in your hand?! In case you missed it, not even nuclear weapons can destroy this ce, much less a sword! I have already called for reinforcements, too! They will be swarming this ce soon!"

    "Whether it will work or not, we''ll know soon enough."

    Once he''d gathered enough spiritual energy, Yuan released the Heaven Splitting Sword Strike directly at the door.

    The ground immediately shook, and the people inside the sealed room felt as though they''d been struck by a meteorite.

    A few momentster, Yuan looked at the results.

    All of the dirt and materials built around the room hadpletely vanished, revealing the bunker to the open sky.

    However, the room itself was still there.

    With that being said, it had sustained heavy damage, and major cracks could be seen around this room that was basically arge metal box.

    "W-What the fuck just happened?!" The people in the room were baffled by what they''d just experienced, and they were terrified when they saw the cracks in the walls.

    "Wow, you actually survived. I''m genuinely impressed."

    The people inside the room could hear Yuan''s voice through the cracks on the walls.

    "However, it doesn''t look like it will be able to survive another one."

    "W-Wait!" The familiar voice resounded again, but it sounded much more nervous this time.

    "L-Let''s talk about this! What do you want?!"

    "I want the bastards currently heading to the White Lotus Hotel. Give them to me and I will spare your lives." Yuan said.

    "I understand! I will immediatelymand them to return!"

    The man retrieved his cell phone and ordered the squad to return.

    "It''s been done! They have halted their mission and are currently on their way back here! They should arrive in about three hours!"

    "And you expect me to just believe you?"

    "I swear on my ancestors'' grave that I am telling the truth!" The man said.

    Yuan suddenly retrieved a cell phone and called Meixiu.

    After exining the situation to her, he said, "I want you guys to evacuate the hotel. If anything happens there, I want to know."

    "I understand. I will call you back once we evacuate."

    About half an hourter, Meixiu called him back and said, "We''ve evacuated to another location. White Lotus left most of her guards behind to protect the hotel, and she''s even called in reinforcements. They will contact us if anything happens."

    "Thank you. I should return in about four hours if everything goes smoothly."

    "Okay."

    After hanging up, Yuan proceeded to stand in front of the metal box like a guard, patiently waiting for the assassins to return.

    The people inside the metal box wanted to escape, but none of them dared to leave the room, and there was only a single way out of there¡ª the door that was being guarded by Yuan.

    Sometimeter, the man''s voice resounded again, "I-It was you! You''re the one responsible for what happened to the Zheng Family today! You''re the ''unknown weapon of mass destruction''!"

    However, Yuan denied such ims.

    "I have no idea what you''re talking about."

    The people inside the room were well aware that Yuan was lying, but they didn''t dare to push their luck and continue to use him.

    About two and a half hourster, Yuan could see five people approaching the destroyed bunker with his divine sense.

    "W-What the fuck happened here?!"

    "My god! It''s like someone had dropped a nuke on this ce!"N?velDrama.Org content rights.

    "Shit! This is a trap!"

    This group of people tried to run away when they realized their situation, but they didn''t get very far before Yuan descended from the sky, blocking their path.

    "Why don''t you all stay still for a moment? If you try to run, I will immediately kill you." Yuan summoned the Starry Abyss and removed its invisibility, letting it fly around the group to threaten them.

    Meanwhile, Yuan faced the bunker and released another Heaven Splitting Sword Strike,pletely erasing everything this time.

    "Sorry, but I lied when I said that I would let you all live." Yuan mumbled towards the direction of the bunker¡ª at least where it used to exist.

    After cleaning up what''s left of the bunker and everyone in it, Yuan turned to look at the group of five assassins with a cold gaze, who were terrified out of their minds after what they''d just witnessed.

    "It''s so nice to see you all again. I have been anticipating this reunion for a while now." Yuan said to them with a gentle smile on his face that looked incredibly devilish to the group.

 Chapter 971 - I Will See You in Hell!

    Chapter 971 - I Will See You in Hell!

    "W-What are you going to do to us, you monster!?" One of the assassins there used all of his courage to shout out loud.

    "Nothing much. I am just going to punish you all a little for your actions." Yuan calmly said.

    He suddenly flicked his sleeves, immediately severing the arms of one of the assassins there.

    "A-Aaaah! My arms!" The assassin screamed in a terrified voice as blood sprayed from his wounds.

    "It''s just your arms, what''s the big deal? I''ll give you something else to scream about."

    Whoosh!

    The Empyrean Overlord moved in a speed that none of the assassins there could see with their bare eyes, and before they realized, Yuan severed that assassin''s legs.

    The assassin fell to the ground and screamed in horror as heid around his own severed limbs.

    The other four assassins gasped in shock. The scene before their eyes looked like it came straight out of a horror movie.

    One of them couldn''t endure it any longer and started running around.

    "Where do you think you''re going?" Yuan''s voice resounded as the Starry Abyss caught up with the runner almost immediately.

    "Aaaaah!" A painful scream echoed as the Starry Abyss severed the runner''s legs.

    However, the assassin did not give up and started crawling with his arms.

    Unfortunately, he did not go very far as his arms were severed as well.

    When the other remaining three assassins saw the result of running away, they all gave up the thought and resigned their lives to fate.

    "If you''re going to kill us, hurry up and do it. Is there a need to humiliate¡ª torture us?!" One of them suddenly said.

    "Need? Of course not. However, I want to¡ª just like how you all decided to kill me."

    "B-But that was our job! Someone had put a hit on you! If you''re going to me someone, me that person!"

    "Don''t worry, I have already dealt with Zheng Weimin. He''s currently waiting for the rest of you in hell. And you can only me yourself for choosing such a job."

    "Die!''

    One of them suddenly pulled out a pistol and aimed it at Yuan''s head before shooting it.

    A 9mm bullet flew toward his face the next moment, but it stopped an inch from his head.

    The assassin was in disbelief, but he continued to pull the trigger until he emptied the magazine.

    A little over a dozen bullets hovered in front of Yuan''s face, but he didn''t seem to be concerned, almost as though he had expected it.

    "If you''re going toe at me, you would have a better chance with a knife than a gun." Yuan nced at the assassin who shot at him before returning the bullets to its rightful owner.

    "Ahhhh!"

    The bullets struck all of the assassin''s vital parts, paralyzing his body almost instantly.

    "Don''t worry, you''ll bleed to death just like the other two."

    Yuan turned to look at the two remaining assassins.

    One of them was a bulky middle-aged man and the other was a middle-aged woman.

    "P-Please! Spare my life! I will do anything you want! To tell you the truth I am still a virgin! I will let you be my f¡ª" The woman started pleading for her life by offering her body, but Yuan swung the Empyrean Overlord before she could finish, sending her head flying into the air.

    "How vile." Yuan muttered in a low voice afterward.

    Blood sprayed everywhere, but Yuan covered his body with his spiritual energy.

    "It''s just you now, huh? Anyst words?" Yuan asked the remaining assassin.

    "Go fuck yourself. It''s a pity that we couldn''t kill you or those sluts with you today." The middle-aged man spat at Yuan.

    "Is that so?"

    Suddenly, the sound of police sirens could be heard approaching their location.

    "Looks like it''s over for you too." The assassinughed out loud.

    Yuan suddenly smiled and said, "Why don''t you see for yourself if that will be the case?"

    Before the middle-aged man could even react, Yuan plunged the Empyrean Overlord into his body, skewering it.

    The man''s eyes widened with shock, but he was not dead yet.

    The following moment, he watched as Yuan flew into the sky with him.

    Once they were above the clouds, Yuan said to him, "If you survive this fall, I''ll let you live."

    "You demon¡­" The man managed to smile despite his hopeless situation.

    Yuan retrieved the Empyrean Overlord back inside his body, letting the man fall.

    "I will see you in hell, you monster!" The manughed madly as he fell to his death, which was witnessed by the police and investigators that had just arrived at the bloody scene.

    Yuan made his way back to the hotel under the night sky as the police investigated the chaos he''d left behind.

    "What on earth is happening in this city? The unknown weapon has been used again, and there are even five brutally mutted corpses. Are we really dealing with a human here?"

    The investigators were baffled by what they found at the crime scene.

    "Actually, it appears that the unknown weapon had been used two times in this ce."

    "What?! How can such a powerful weapon be used so frequently?! This situation is more dire than we initially thought!"

    "Just what is the motive of the person or entity behind this?"

    "What about these people? They appeared to have been cut by something exceedingly sharp."

    "Have you identified them yet?"

    "No, none of them had any form of identification. Furthermore, we found weapons hidden on their bodies. They''re probably mercenaries¡ª the kind that would do any kind of work as long as they are paid enough."

    Sometimeter, one of the investigators there found the ck van used in the shooting nearby.

    "With this new evidence, there''s a good chance that these guys were the ones behind the shooting this afternoon. We just need to wait for confirmation from the guys at analysis."N?velDrama.Org content rights.

    "The person responsible for killing them¡­ The wounds are too brutal, which suggests vengeance."

    "Vengeance, huh? It would be for the best if that were the case¡­" The investigators there sighed.

 Chapter 972 - A Big Mistake

    Chapter 972 - A Big Mistake

    After returning to the hotel, Yuan went to look for the others, who had been waiting anxiously for his return.

    "Yuan! You''re back!" Chu Liuxiang said.

    "Are you hurt anywhere?" Meixiu asked him.

    "No, I am perfectly fine." He shook his head.

    "Wee back." White Lotus said to him.

    "By the way, your deeds are already on the news." She pointed at the television that was already talking about the chaos he''d caused outside the city.

    [The unknown weapon of mass destruction has been used again! Furthermore, the authorities have found the cultripts behind the shooting this afternoon at¡­]

    "You know, many people have already left the city because of thismotion, and there will be even more leaving tomorrow when they wake up to see the news. I''ve even received many calls from those at the faction today, all of them are asking to relocate the faction temporarily. They''re all scared of that technique of yours¡ª scared that you might release this ''weapon of mass destruction'' in the city."

    "Sorry, I wanted to resolve this without using the technique, but that wasn''t possible. I even had to use it twice." Yuan sighed.

    "Let''s just hope that there will be an audience for the concert tomorrow. However, with all of the chaos today, I''m afraid that will be quite hard."

    "It''s fine. The only audience I need is my sister, Yu Rou." Yuan smiled.

    "So what''s going to happen now?" Chu Liuxiang asked a momentter.

    "Are we just going to pretend like nothing happened? There''s a lot of people looking for you, right?"

    "It''ll be fine. They will eventually give up when they cannot find anything. If they find me, we will deal with it at that time." Yuan said.

    "Don''t worry, the Bai Family will help you keep your secret. Even if your secret is revealed, we have our methods to protect you." White Lotus said.

    "Thank you."

    Sometimeter, Yuan said to them, "Let''s go to sleep. I need some rest after what happened today."

    "Good night."

    After returning to his room, Yuan closed the lights andid on the bed, but he did not go to sleep immediately.

    ''I have killed a lot of people today. Even though it''s not my first time killing someone since Cultivation Online is also a real world, it feels unnatural to stain my hands with blood in this world.''

    ''Yu Rou¡­ What will she think when she learns that her brother has turned into a killer?''

    Yuan slowly fell asleep as he thought about the day that felt longer than usual.

    While he slept, dreams that felt incredibly surreal started appearing.

    Inside his dream, he was surrounded by a sea of mes and rivers of blood.

    The sky was dark and red, and the whole world appeared to be dyed in ck and red.

    ''This is¡­ the Evil God''s memories?'' Yuan looked around the gruesome scenery with a slight frown on his face.

    All of the buildings were on fire, and there were corpses littered on every street.

    "Did the Evil God¡ª I really do all of this?" Yuan mumbled in a low voice.

    "You monster! You''re responsible for this!"

    A desperate cry suddenly resounded behind him.

    He turned around to see a middle-aged man holding onto a child, but the child was missing half of his body.

    Tears made out of blood flowed from this man''s eyes as he roared, "If only you didn''t exist, none of this would''ve happened! You killed all of them! I hope you die!"

    However, Yuan couldn''t feel any emotions when looking at this middle-aged man who was filled with despair and anger.

    His heart was as still and as cold as a block of ice.

    Suddenly, Yuan turned to look at the sky, where hundreds of people wearing silver armor could be seen approaching him with killing intent.

    When Yuan saw these soldiers, his empty heart started burning with unimaginable rage and bloodlust, and without waiting any longer, he leaped into the air, flying towards these soldiers.

    "Surrender yourself already, Evil God! You won''t win this war!" One of the soldiers shouted.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    "Hahaha! Whether I win this war or not is not something for you to decide!" Yuanughed like a madman as he used some kind of technique to kill many of the soldiers in one go.

    "Are you seriously going to defy the Celestial Emperor¡ª the Heavens?! You''re making a big mistake!"

    "A mistake? If we''re going to talk about mistakes, then let''s start with the biggest one in the room¡ª offending me! Hahaha!"

    In just mere moments, the Evil God killed all of the soldiers there.

    After killing the soldiers, the Evil God lifted his head and released a powerful roar that shook the world.

    The roar was so powerful that it startled Yuan awake from his sleep.

    "Damn¡­ The Evil God is even more dangerous than I initially thought¡­ Just what caused him to go on such a rampage? Did the Celestial Emperor kill his love or something?" Yuan mumbled in a low voice.

    "I am still nowhere close to absorbing all of the Divine Paragon''s memories, yet the Evil God''s memories are already leaking. I might really go insane if I have to handle the memories of two Immortals at once."

    After waking up, Yuan found it hard to go back to sleep, and his body was soaked in sweat.

    He decided to take a shower a few momentster to clean his body and clear his mind.

    After the shower, Yuan went to look at himself in the mirror, and to his surprise, his red eyes had disappeared. However, he was still able to see using his eyes.

    ''Just what on earth is going on with my body? There are too many questions and not enough answers¡­''

    Yuan decided to spend the rest of the night cultivating since he couldn''t go back to sleep.

    Meanwhile, inside her room, Meixiu was deciding whether to answer her cell phone that has been ringing for a while now.

    After pondering for a few minutes, Meixiu sighed and picked up the cell phone before dialing Yu Rou.

    "Hello? Sorry, I was preparing breakfast just now, so I couldn''t pick up the phone."

 Chapter 973 - Hospitalized

    Chapter 973 - Hospitalized

    "Hey, Meixiu! Sorry for bothering you, but can I speak with my brother? I wanted to wait until tomorrow before I called, but I just cannot wait any longer!" Yu Rou said.

    "You sound like you''re in a hurry. Did something happen?" Meixiu asked.

    "Did you not see the news? Something horrible is happening in my city! I could be dead tomorrow at this rate!"

    Of course, Yu Rou was talking about the unknown weapon of mass destruction that has terrorized her city.

    "Ah, I know what you''re talking about. However, I wouldn''t worry too much if I were you." Meixiu said.

    "Huh? Why would you say that?"

    "If this person really wanted to harm the city, they would''ve destroyed the city already."

    "I just can''t help but worry when everyone around me is panicking." Yu Rou sighed.

    "Anyways, you wanted to speak with Yuan, right? I''m sorry, but that''s not possible right now." Meixiu said a momentter.

    "Huh? Why not?"

    "Well¡­ To tell you the truth, he told me to not tell you since he doesn''t want to worry you, but since it''s your birthday tomorrow and the truth will eventually be known¡­ Yuan is currently hospitalized."

    "HE''S WHAT?!?!" Yu Rou screamed after hearing this unexpected news.

    "What happened to him?! Is he okay?!"

    "He got injured during training. It''s only a few broken bones, so there''s no need to worry."

    "That sounds horrible! A few broken bones?! That''s very serious! What if he cripples himself again?! He''s just got his body back!" Yu Rou eximed.

    "The doctors said that he''ll make a full recovery in a few days." Although Meixiu felt bad about lying to Yu Rou like this, she couldn''t let Yuan''s hard work go to waste.

    "Haaa¡­" Yu Rou suddenly sighed through the phone.N?velDrama.Org owns this.

    "I was really looking forward to speaking with Brother on my birthday¡­"

    "Don''t worry, I will make sure that you''ll still get to speak with him tomorrow." Meixiu said.

    "Thank you, Meixiu, but don''t force him if he isn''t in the condition."

    "Anyways, I am going to sleep now. I have something important that I must attend tomorrow morning."

    "Goodnight." Meixiu said to her before hanging up.

    "Is everything okay?" Xia Jingyi asked Yu Rou after she put down her phone.

    "That stupid brother of mine got himself hospitalized right before my birthday! Can you believe it?!" Yu Rouined.

    Xia Jingyi covered her mouth and gasped, "Oh my¡­ I hope he''s okay."

    "He broke some bones, but he''ll make a full recovery."

    "Brother is such an idiot. He should treat his body with more care and respect, especially considering how he''s already been crippled once before. I''m going to give him a piece of my mind when I go on vacation next month!"

    "Anyways, let''s go to sleep. We have an important meeting tomorrow ording to the Seniors."

    "All right. Goodnight, Yu Rou."

    "Night."

    The following morning, after their morning routine, Yu Rou and Xia Jingyi gathered outside the faction.

    "Good morning, Elder Yin." Yu Rou and Xia Jingyi greeted the old woman that was there before them.

    "Are you two ready to leave?" Elder Yin asked them.

    "Yes, we are."

    "Good."

    Once they were in the car, Yu Rou asked, "Elder Yin, where are you taking us today?"

    "To tell you the truth, I also have no idea. White Lotus said she was in trouble and needed some extra hands, so we picked a couple of disciples to help her." Elder Yin shrugged.

    Yu Rou raised her eyebrows.

    She looked around the car and asked, "Where are the others?"

    "They went ahead since the seats were filled."

    "I see¡­"

    Yu Rou sighed inwardly, ''Why do I have to do such chores on my birthday? It''s even my day off! Can this day get any worse?''

    Meanwhile, Yuan and the others prepared for the surprise.

    The concert was to be performed in the city square, one of the busiest ces in the city.

    "Which idiot decided to do a concert at such a time? Aren''t they aware of the danger in this city?"

    Most of the streets were empty because everyone decided to stay at home for the next few days due to the recentmotion.

    However, the roads were packed with cars because people were trying to leave the city.

    With that being said, there was a crowd of people in front of the stage, and most of these people were sent by the Cultivators'' Association.

    In fact, even the Chairman himself was present.

    Even though Yuan had only asked him to prepare the concert, Chairman Lee decided to participate in it as well.

    The rest of the people in the crowd were people from the Bai Family, led by Bai Mengyao himself.

    After hearing about the concert, Bai Mengyao immediately flew to this city. Of course, he had other intentions.

    "Yuan, can I take a moment of your time to introduce my father to you? He came all the way here from another city to meet you." White Lotus asked him after they arrived at the city square.

    "Sure." He agreed.

    Sometimeter, Yuan met with White Lotus'' father, Bai Mengyao.

    "It''s an honor to finally meet the famous yer Yuan. I am Bai Mengyao, White Lotus'' father." Bai Mengyao extended his hand for a handshake.

    "Just call me Yuan." He epted the handshake.

    "After hearing from my daughter that you''d saved her life, I have been dying to repay the favor. Please, if you need anything, just let me know." Bai Mengyao shook his hands vigorously.

    Yuan smiled and said, "Don''t even mention it. I am the one who owes White Lotus, who has been a great assistance and friend for thest two days."

    "That''s great to hear, but my offer will remain. If you ever have troubles, you can contact me or my daughter. We may not be the strongest family in the Legacy Ranking, but we''re up there."

    "I understand."

    After chatting with White Lotus'' father for some time, Chairman Lee approached him and started another conversation.

    When the crowd there noticed how respectful Chairman Lee and Bai Mengyao were acting towards Yuan, they became interested in his identity.

    Of course, besides some people there, the majority of people in the crowd were unaware of Yuan''s true identity.

 Chapter 974 - My Name is Yu Tian

    Chapter 974 - My Name is Yu Tian

    "Yuan, we have some trouble." White Lotus suddenly approached him.

    "What happened?"

    "Well, it''s nothing serious, but Yu Rou and her friend are currently stuck in traffic, so they''ll bete."

    "Oh, all right. It''s fine. I can wait."

    Sometimeter, Meixiu approached him and said, "Yuan, I should''ve told you this earlier, but¡­"

    She proceeded to exin to him what she''d told Yu Roust night when she called.

    "You told her that I was hospitalized from training?" Yuan couldn''t help butugh at this news.

    "She''s probably going to be angry once she realizes that I''d lied to her."

    "I''m sure she''ll understand your intentions. Also, she''ll probably forget about it after the concert." Yuan chuckled.

    Meanwhile, somewhere inside the city, Yu Rou and the others were stuck in traffic.

    "Are the roads usually this busy in the city?" Yu Rou asked, as this is her first time leaving the faction since her arrivial several months ago.

    "No, not at all. These people are probably fleeing the city." Elder Yin said.

    "I would be fleeing the city too if I wasn''t living outside the city." Yu Rou smiled.

    About half an hourter, Elder Yin received a call from White Lotus.

    "Yes, we''re almost there. In fact, we can probably walk the rest of the distance."

    "Okay, I understand."

    After hanging up, Elder Yin said to Yu Rou and Xia Jingyi, "We''re going to be walking the rest of the way since we''re already half an hourte."

    Yu Rou and Xia Jingyi nodded their heads, and the three of them left the car shortly after.

    After another ten minutes, they arrived at the city square, where a crowd of people could be seen sitting in front of what appeared to be a portable stage.

    "What is going on here?" Yu Rou mumbled in a low voice.

    "It looks like a concert¡­ There''s even a piano on the stage." Xia Jingyi said.

    "A concert at this time? Who would be stupid enough to do something like this?" Yu Rou shook her head.This is from N?velDrama.Org.

    However, Elder Yin suddenly started leading them toward the concert.

    "Elder Yin? Should we really waste our time here?" Yu Rou couldn''t help but ask.

    After all, their faction leader was waiting for their arrival.

    However, Elder Yin didn''t say anything to her, so they just stood there in silence.

    Suddenly, a person walked onto the stage with a microphone in his hands.

    Yu Rou didn''t immediately recognize the person on the stage, but when she took a closer look at his face, her eyes widened with shock.

    "N-No way¡­" She muttered in a low voice that was filled with disbelief.

    Yuan stopped at the center of the stage and lifted the microphone closer to his mouth.

    "Thank you all foring today. My name is Yu Tian. Some of you might recognize my name because I used to be a professional musician, but I was forced to retire early due to some misfortune. However, I am proud to announce that I have fully recovered!"

    "Yu Tian? I recognize him! He''s that child prodigy who took the world by storm with his music! I remember going to his concert once! It cost me an arm and leg, but it was definitely worth it!"

    "Now that you mention it, I have heard of his name before, too!"

    "Y-Yu Rou¡­ Isn''t that your¡­" Xia Jingyi turned to look at Yu Rou, who was standing there with a baffled look on her face.

    "Brother¡­?" Yu Rou''s eyes began turning moist, and before long, tears appeared at the edge of her eyes.

    After taking a deep breath, Yuan continued to speak while his gaze looked directly at Yu Rou, "Although I have already retired from my career as a professional musician, I have decided to temporarilye out of retirement just for today as a special asion to celebrate my precious little sister''s 17th birthday."

    Yuan walked to the piano and took a seat.

    After taking a deep breath, his hands started dancing on the piano''s keyboard, officially starting his concert.

    The audience were immediately enchanted by the heavenly music produced by Yuan''s fingers, feeling as though they were being led above the skies by his music notes.

    Of course, Yuan wanted this concert to be as realistic and official as possible, so he made sure to have it broadcasted live on television.

    Meanwhile, at the Yu Family.

    Yu Yong, who was cultivating in silence inside his room, suddenly opened his eyes when all four of his cell phones began ringing almost at the same time.

    "This is Yu Yong." He randomly picked one and answered it.

    "Yu Yong! You bastard! How long have you been keeping this secret for?!" His colleague''s voice resounded.

    "Huh? What are you talking about?"

    "You''re still acting like you don''t know anything? Spare me from your humor!"

    "I-I''m really confused right now. What are you talking about?" Yu Yong was genuinely puzzled by the situation.

    "Turn on your television and go to any music channel!"

    Yu Yong immediately turned on the television in his room.

    After changing the channel, he could see the live broadcast for a certain public concert.

    Yu Yong didn''t recognize the person sitting behind the piano at first, but when the camera zoomed in on Yuan''s face, Yu Yong quickly realize who he had been staring at, and he cried out loud, "What the fuck is going on?!"

    "I should be asking you that, Yu Yong! When did your son, Yu Tian, recover?! You should''ve told us about it the moment it happened! Do you have any idea how much he means to the music industry and our wallets?! And what''s with this shabby-looking concert?! This is his first concert in a decade! You should''ve prepared something more grand! All of our investors are fuming with anger as we speak!"

    However, Yu Yong was so shocked by what he was seeing that he didn''t even hear what had been said through the phone.

    --

 Chapter 975 - Happy Birthday

    Chapter 975 - Happy Birthday

    "Darling! Take a look at the television!" Tang Lee burst into Yu Yong''s room shortly after he found out about Yuan''s concert.

    "I am watching it now! How did this happen?!" Yu Yong gritted his teeth in frustration.

    "I don''t know, but our investors are contacting us from all directions! They think we''re behind this, and they''re super angry right now! We need to do something!"

    "Of course they are angry! I would be angry too! His return after a decade could''ve brought us hundreds of millions! However, he wasted it on this shitty concert!" Yu Yong roared.

    "Damn it! What should we do?! That bastard seems to have made a recovery! However, we have already kicked him out of the family! If only we had waited for a couple more months, none of this would be happening!"

    "Calm down, it''s not over yet." Tang Lee said with a cold smile on her face.

    "In case you forgot, we still have his contract, and even though we kicked him out, he is still legally part of our family. We''ll force him back into our grasp no matter what it takes! I''ll go call Meifeng and ourwyers right now!"

    Meanwhile, at the city square, the crowd in front of Yuan''s concert would grow bigger as time passed.

    The people that had been too terrified to leave their homes suddenly decided to witness this performance with their eyes even at the cost of their lives.

    By the third song, the entire square was filled with people, and even the people trying to leave the city halted their movements, which clogged up the traffic even more, putting it to aplete halt.

    "That young man on the stage looks very familiar! Where have I seen him before?"

    "That''s that child prodigy Yu Tian!"

    "Oh! I remember now! The one that suddenly disappeared a decade ago? I thought he had died!"

    "Apparently, he had been suffering from an illness until recently."

    "Does this mean he''ll return to ying the instruments?! I''ll have to attend one of them even if it costs me my entire fortune!"

    "Aren''t you at one right now? And it''s even free!"

    "Heavens! I didn''t think he could improve, but it sounds even better than I remember!"

    Yuan decided to y a total of 17 songs because it was Yu Rou''s 17th birthday.N?velDrama.Org content rights.

    At the end of hisst song, Yuan stood up and walked to the microphone before speaking, "Happy birthday, Yu Rou."

    The crowd erupted with cheers afterward.

    However, there was one person that wasn''t cheering, and that was Yu Rou, who was too busy wiping her tears.

    Sometimeter, Yuan jumped off the stage and began walking into the crowd.

    The people there quickly made a path for him until he reached Yu Rou.

    "Surprise." Yuan said to her with a bright smile on his face.

    "You idiot¡­ How dare you make me cry on my birthday¡­ and in front of so many people¡­" Yu Rou cried.

    Yuan opened his arms, gesturing for a hug.

    Yu Rou immediately jumped into his embrace and cried on his chest until she could no longer produce tears and Yuan''s clothes were soaking wet.

    "Brother¡­ I love you¡­" Yu Rou mumbled afterward.

    "Yes, I love you too." Yuan smiled as he patted her head.

    Sometimeter, Yuan returned to the stage and said to the audience, "Thank you all foring to my concert today. Although I will not be returning to my old career as a musician because I found something else I want to chase, I will not give up on music, so you can expect to see me again in the future!"

    The audience refused to leave even after the concert was over, and many of them had questions for him.

    However, the Bai Family and the Cultivators'' Association worked together to keep them from swarming Yuan.

    "T-That was an amazing concert, Senior Yu¡­" Xia Jingyi said.

    "Senior Yu? Just call me Yuan. Yu Rou already told you about it, right?"

    "Y-Yes¡­ But are you sure? There''s still so many people around us¡­" Xia Jingyi looked around in a nervous manner.

    When Yu Rou revealed to Xia Jingyi that her Brother, Yu Tian, was actually yer Yuan, Xia Jingyi was so shocked that she fell unconscious for an entire minute.

    "I don''t care about hiding my identity anymore so it''s fine." Yuan smiled.

    "B-By the way, Brother¡­ Your eyes¡­ Have your vision returned?" Yu Rou finally got to ask him.

    "Yes, I have regained my vision. In fact, I regained it just yesterday." He nodded.

    "That''s amazing! How did it return? Did you do anything special?"

    "No, it just came back suddenly, just like how my body suddenly started working again."

    "Anyways, let''s stop talking about me. It''s your birthday, after all. Is there anything you want to do?" Yuan asked her.

    Yu Rou pondered for a moment before shaking her head, "Not really. I had nned on rxing in my room and spending most of the day talking to you on the phone, but Meixiu told me that you''d been hospitalized."

    "S-Sorry¡­ I didn''t want to ruin the surprise¡­" Meixiu said with a stiff smile on her face.

    "Hello, Yu Rou! It''s been a while!" Chu Liuxiang suddenly stepped forward with a smile on her face.

    "Lulu! You''re here too!?"

    "Of course. And happy birthday."

    "Thank you."

    "Ah, I didn''t bring any presents with me this year, but next year, I will definitely get you something."

    "It''s fine. I don''t care about that." Yu Rou shook her head.

    "Anyways, let''s go somewhere quieter. It''s too noisy here."

    "Sure."

    They all made their way to the White Lotus Hotel.

    However, before they can even sit down and rx on the peaceful roof, Meixiu suddenly received a phone call from her mother, Meifeng.

    "It''s my mother. She''s probably calling about the concert¡­ Should I answer it?" Meixiu sighed.

    "Go ahead. Let''s see what she¡ª the Yu Family wants." Yuan nodded with a calm smile on his face.

    "Okay."

    Meixiu answered the phone the next moment.

 Chapter 976 - What Can a Child Like Him Do to Us?

    Chapter 976 - What Can a Child Like Him Do to Us?

    "Hello?" Meixiu spoke after answering the phone.

    "You can guess why I called you, right?" Meifeng''s calm voice resounded through the phone.

    "It''s about the concert, right?"

    "Is the Young Master with you?"

    "Yes, he is."

    "Can I speak with him?"

    Meixiu turned to look at Yuan, who was already gesturing for the phone.

    "Hello, Miss Meifeng. It''s been a while." Yuan said.

    "Young Master¡­ I''m sure you already expected this even before you nned that concert, but the Yu Family is demanding for you to return to the family now that they are aware of your recovery." Meifeng said.

    "Yes, I anticipated that something like this would happen. I can even imagine their faces when they realized that I''ve recovered."

    "What are you going to do now? The Yu Family is already in the process of getting you back. Although the Yu Family is not that threatening in terms of influence, it''s their investors that you should be worried about. They won''t let you get away so easily."

    "And what are they going to do? Force me to y music again?"

    "They will most likely threaten you with legal issues and other stuff. If you refuse, they will destroy everything you own and make it so that you won''t be able to survive without their help."

    "Is that all? That''s a lot more boring than what I had in mind." Yuan smiled.

    Meifeng was a little baffled by how calm Yuan was acting.

    "Young Master¡­"

    "Don''t worry, Miss Meifeng. I will willinglye back to the Yu Familyter. It''s Yu Rou''s birthday today, so I am going to spend some time with her. Tell this to the Yu Family."

    "Are you really just going to return to the Yu Family? After everything they''ve done to you?" Meifeng was puzzled again.

    "I''m sure they''ll be relieved to hear such words, so yes, go ahead and tell them that I will be returning to the Yu Family to work for them again. Anyways, I will talk to you again when I return, Miss Feng."

    Yuan hung up the phone after that sentence.

    "Y-You''re going to go back to the Yu Family?" Yu Rou stared at him with wide eyes.

    "Of course not. However, if I don''t tell them that, they''ll try to mess with us. I''m just buying us some time." Yuan smiled.

    "Do you need some help dealing with the Yu Family? My Bai Family can easily crush the Yu Family for you." White Lotus suddenly asked him.

    "Thank you for the offer, but this is a family problem that I want to deal with by myself."

    "Anyways, let''s forget about the Yu Family for now. I want to focus on Yu Rou for today."

    "Even if you say that, I don''t know what I want to do. I''m satisfied with just spending time with all of you." Yu Rou sighed.

    Yuan pondered for a moment before speaking, "Yu Rou, let''s go on a quick adventure."

    "Where are we going?"

    "It doesn''t matter." Yuan shook his head.

    He then said to Meixiu and the others, "We''re going to fly around for a bit."

    "Sure." They nodded.

    "Huh? Fly?" Yu Rou and Xia Jingyi raised their eyebrows.

    Yuan suddenly picked up Yu Rou and carried her like a princess.

    "B-Brother!? What are you doing?!" She cried out loud in surprise.

    "We''re going to go on a little adventure around the city."

    And without exining any further, Yuan flew into the sky.

    The others could hear Yu Rou screaming for her life the following moment.

    "H-He''s flying?!" Xia Jingyi watched their figures disappear into the clouds with a wide mouth.

    "It''s not your first time flying, so why are you so scared?" Yuanughed out loud.

    "T-That was in Cultivation Online! How are you doing this?!"

    "I''m a Spirit Grandmaster."

    "No way¡­"

    "Anyways, let''s catch up with each other. I am aware that I have been neglecting you for a while now, and I am sorry for that."

    Yu Rou sighed, "You don''t have to apologize. I have also been busy with my own training, not to mention the difference in our time zone."

    The two of them proceeded to tell their own experience for the past few months to each other.

    An hourter, Yuan and Yu Rou returned to the hotel, where they continued to chat over some food and tea.N?velDrama.Org owns this.

    Meanwhile, Meifeng notified the Yu Family of Yuan''s decision.

    "He agreed toe back to work for us? That was easier than I expected." Yu Yong was dumbfounded after hearing the news.

    "This is a little too easy. I think he might be up to something. Let''s still prepare just in case." Tang Lee said.

    "Of course, but what can a child like him do to us? He''s only 18 years old, and he''s lived more than half of that life as a cripple. I bet he agreed toe back because he has barely survived thest few months. He will never win against us." Yu Yongughed out loud.

    "Now that he can move again, he has a lot of work to make up for¡ª a decade''s worth!" Tang Lee said.

    The Yu Family became fully active again in preparation for their future profits.

    Later that night, Yuan and the others ate dinner together.

    "Yu Rou and Xia Jingyi, the two of you can stay here tonight. We''ll all return to the faction tomorrow. However, if you want, you can stay out here with your brother for a few more days." White Lotus said to them.

    "Huh? Brother ising back to the faction with us? I thought males aren''t allowed inside." Yu Rou said.

    "This is a special asion." White Lotus smiled.

    "Since Brother ising with us, there''s no need to stay here for any longer. And with the recentmotion, I will feel safer at the faction, too." Yu Rou said.

    "All right. Then we''ll return to the faction tomorrow." White Lotus nodded.

    After dinner, Yu Rou suddenly approached Yuan and said, "Brother! I want to sleep with you tonight!"

    "Sure." Yuan agreed without any hesitation.

 Chapter 977 - Feelings

    Chapter 977 - Feelings

    Once all of the lights in the room were shut off, Yuan and Yu Rou entered the bed together.

    "How long has it been since we slept together? It''s only been several months since you left the Yu Family, but it feels like much longer has passed." Yu Rou suddenly said.

    Yuan turned his head sideways to look at her delicate face and smiled, "You have matured a lot since thest time I saw you."

    "I had to grow up fast now that I am living alone. Living by yourself isn''t easy. I thought that I was ready because I had been able to take care of you for years without much trouble, but I underestimated it. It''s actually a lot harder to take care of yourself than to take care of others. Fortunately, Jingyi is there with me, so I am not truly alone."

    "And brother, I can also say the same to you. You''ve changed a lot."

    "Well, just like you, I also had to grow up fast."

    "I know, but you also seem like a different person." Yu Rou said.

    "In a bad sense?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    "No, not in a bad sense. Before, even though you are older than me, it kind of felt like I was the older one. However, after spending a day with you, I can finally experience being a little sister again."

    "Do you prefer the way I am now, or would you rather the old and naive me?"

    Yu Rou pondered for a moment before speaking, "Honestly, I like both versions of you. However, if I had to choose, I would definitely choose the current you."

    "Can I ask why?"

    However, Yu Rou shook her head in silence.

    "That''s a secret," she mumbled in a bashful voice.

    Due to the darkness in the room, Yu Rou''s red face remained hidden.

    "I guess everyone has their own secrets." Yuan smiled, not minding it.

    After a moment of silence, Yu Rou turned to stare at Yuan''s face with a serious expression.

    "Brother¡­ I have been wanting to ask you this, but I never got the chance."

    "Meixiu¡­ How are things between you and Meixiu right now?"

    "Eh?" Yuan was taken aback by this sudden question.

    "I mean, the two of you have been living together for a while now, and you even got to spend a few months living together inside a small apartment. As two young adults, you must have made some progress in your rtionships, right?!"

    "I-I don''t get what you''re trying to ask¡­" Yuan pretended to be oblivious.

    However, Yu Rou wasn''t having any of it and continued, "Don''t lie to me, brother."

    "Meixiu is a very attractive and beautiful woman, and she has been taking care of you ever since you left the Yu Family. The two of you are even around the same age. There''s no way that you don''t have any feelings for her."

    "There''s really nothing between us, Yu Rou." Yuan showed her a bittersweet smile.

    "Brother! I might have believed you if you were still as naive as before, but you''re different now! I am also different! I have matured as your sister and as a woman! I can tell that there''s something between the two of you!"

    Seeing the expression on Yu Rou''s face at this moment, Yuan released a low sigh.

    "All right, I will tell you the truth. Indeed, Meixiu is an attractive woman. After all, she''s managed to charm me."

    "I knew it!" Yu Rou eximed.

    "How far have you gotten with her? Have you confessed yet?!"

    Yuan responded with a stiff smile on his face, "Actually¡­ We''re already way past that point."

    "Huh?" Yu Rou''s eyes widened.

    "S-So you''re already partners? Like the ''boyfriend and girlfriend'' kind?"

    "Yes." Yuan nodded.

    "I-I see¡­ I have to admit¡­ I truly didn''t expect this¡­" she muttered in a dazed voice.

    After a long moment of silence, she asked him, "W-What about Lulu? She likes you too, right? What are you going to do about her?"

    "A-About that¡­ She''s also my partner¡­"

    "WHAT?!" Yu Rou jumped off the bed after hearing this shocking information.

    "How can Lulu be your partner when you already have Meixiu as your partner?! D-Don''t tell me¡­ You''re two-timing them?!"

    "What? No! I am not two-timing anyone!" Yuan quickly said.

    Not wanting the misunderstanding to deepen any further, he exined to Yu Rou the whole situation.

    "Meixiu and Lulu are both my partners, and they are both aware of it. I couldn''t just ept one of them and abandon the other, so I decided to ept both of them. They also agreed to this."

    Yu Rou''s jaw dropped to the floor after learning the truth.

    "M-My brother has a harem¡­" Yu Rou fell to the ground on her knees.

    "Yu Rou?! Are you okay?"

    "I-I thought I was mature enough to handle the truth, but s, I have overestimated myself once again¡­" Yu Rou said to herself in a dispirited voice.

    The room fellpletely silent afterward.

    Many momentster, Yu Rou stood up and said to Yuan, "Brother! I will be right back! Don''t you dare leave this room until Ie back!"

    And without exining any further, Yu Rou left the room.

    Yuan had an idea where Yu Rou went, so he didn''t bother chasing after her.

    Sometimeter, Yu Rou knocked on the door to Meixiu''s room.

    "Yu Rou? What''s the matter? I thought you were going to sleep with Yuan." Meixiu asked her.

    "We need to talk!" Yu Rou said as she entered the room.

    Meixiu was puzzled by the situation, but she could tell that Yu Rou seemed frustrated at something.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    Once she closed the door, Meixiu approached Yu Rou and asked, "What''s wrong?"

    Yu Rou did not immediately respond and merely silently stared at Meixiu''s confused face.

    After a moment of silence, she finally spoke, "Meixiu, I know everything. Brother told me the truth about your rtionship with him¡­ and Lulu."

    "Eh?" Meixiu''s eyes widened.

 Chapter 978 - All the Way

    Chapter 978 - All the Way

    "Don''t worry, I''m not angry." Yu Rou said after seeing Meixiu''s worried expression.

    "You guys wanted to keep it a secret from me because you didn''t know how I would react, right? Thank you for your concerns, but I can handle myself."

    "However, I would be lying if I said that I am not shocked by the results."

    "Anyways, I came here because I have some questions that I can only ask you since it would be too embarrassing to ask my Brother."

    "First of all, how long has this been happening?"

    Meixiu pondered for a moment before speaking, "Sometime after we moved out of Xia Jingyi''s apartment."

    "Then my second question¡­ How far have you guys gone?! Have you kissed yet?!" Yu Rou asked in an anxious manner.

    Meixiu swallowed nervously.

    She didn''t dare to respond without thinking about it first, as this could break Yu Rou''s spirit.

    ''Should I lie to her and say that we''ve only kissed, or should I tell her the truth¡ª that we''ve gone all the way?''

    "You''re not going to lie to me again, are you?" Yu Rou suddenly said with narrowed eyes.

    "I have forgiven you for lying about my brother being hospitalized, but I won''t forgive you if you lie to me this time!"N?velDrama.Org owns this.

    Seeing Yu Rou''s stern face, Meixiu sighed, "We have kissed. In fact, we have already gone all the way."

    "W-What?" Yu Rou was taken aback by Meixiu''s words

    It took her a moment toprehend the meaning behind Meixiu''s words, but when she finally understood the true meaning, Yu Rou''s face flushed with redness.

    "Y-You''ve gone all the way?! L-Like¡­ ALL THE WAY?!" Yu Rou wanted confirmation, as she hoped that it was just another misunderstanding.

    However, Meixiu said, "Yes, we''ve gone all the way¡ª we had sex."

    Yu Rou started stumbling backward until she fell on the bed, where she would quietly lie down and stare at the ceiling with a dazed look on her face.

    After a whole minute of awkward silence, Yu Rou spoke, "Lulu¡­ Did he also do it with her?"

    "Yes." Meixiu answered without hesitation.

    "I see¡­ So you guys have finally done it. Good for you, Meixiu."

    "Huh?" Meixiu raised her eyebrows.

    Yu Rou sat on the bed and said, "You''ve always liked him, right? The only reason you started working for the Yu Family is so that you could be with my brother. Now that your dreams havee true, what are you going to do next?"

    "We haven''t nned that far yet." Meixiu shook her head.

    Yu Rou turned silent again.

    "Are you okay, Yu Rou?" Meixiu suddenly asked her.

    "What makes you think that I am not okay?" Yu Rou looked at her.

    "I mean¡­ You also like him, right?"

    "Of course. He''s my precious brother."

    "You know that''s not what I mean." Meixiu said.

    A bittersweet smile appeared on Yu Rou''s face as she spoke, "Why are you asking me that?"

    "Don''t you want to be with Yuan? If it''s you, I wouldn''t mind having you in our family. I think Lulu will also say the same thing." Meixiu said.

    "What? Are you crazy? There''s no way we can be partners! He''s my brother!" Yu Rou eximed.

    "Yes, but that is only in name. You''re not actually blood-rted, so there''s no problem."

    "There''s plenty of problems! Although we may not share the same blood, we have lived most of our lives as siblings! He will definitely reject such an idea, and that will destroy our current rtionship! I don''t want that to happen!"

    "Yu Rou¡­"

    "Thank you, Meixiu. I understand your feelings, but you do not need to be concerned about me. Just like how you figured things out with him by yourselves, I am also going to do the same."

    "Anyways, it''s gettingte. I''m going to go to sleep."

    Yu Rou left Meixiu''s room and returned to Yuan shortly after.

    "I didn''t think that you''d return." Yuan said to her.

    "Why would you think that?" Yu Rou said as she entered the bed.

    "You''re not angry?"

    "What''s there to be angry about? I''m only a little frustrated that you tried to hide the truth from me, that''s all."

    "Sorry."

    "Brother, can I hug you?" She suddenly asked.

    "Of course."

    Yu Rou moved closer to him and treated his body like a hug pillow.

    "I''m going to sleep like this. Goodnight."

    "Goodnight."

    A few minutester, Yuan could hear Yu Rou sobbing.

    However, he decided to not say anything and pretended to be asleep.

    Yu Rou also didn''t say anything and kept on crying until she fell asleep.

    The following morning, they both acted as thoughst night never happened.

    "Good morning." Yu Rou said to him.

    "Morning."

    After doing their morning routine, Yuan and Yu Rou went to eat breakfast with the others.

    Although none of them said anything aboutst night, Chu Liuxiang, Xia Jingyi, and White Lotus could sense something off about the atmosphere.

    In the end, breakfast ended up feeling a little awkward, mostly because it was a little too quiet.

    "Are you guys ready to leave? It''ll be a two hour ride to the faction." White Lotus asked them.

    "Yes, we''re ready."

    Once everyone was in a car, they started driving towards the Eternal Lotuses'' headquarters.

    Their journey to the headquarters was as quiet as breakfast, but itsted twice as long.

    It was obvious to Chu Liuxiang and the others that something had happened to the siblingsst night, but nobody there dared to ask.

    Upon arriving at the Eternal Lotuses'' headquarters, White Lotus said, "I should''ve probably mentioned this before we came here, but I kind of forgot about them. We actually have a few guests staying here at the moment, and they''re all looking for you¡­"

    "Me?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    "I got ahead of myself after our meeting in Cultivation Online and bragged about it to some people¡­ I''m really sorry! But I didn''t tell them anything about our conversations! I swear!" White Lotus lowered her head and apologized.

    Yuan smiled and said, "Don''t worry about it. I''ll entertain them for a bit if they approach me."

    "Thank you."

    They all entered the Eternal Lotuses'' headquarters shortly after.

 Chapter 979 - Visiting Eternal Lotuses

    Chapter 979 - Visiting Eternal Lotuses

    Before entering the Eternal Lotuses'' Headquarters, Yuan wore a mask on his face.

    "Why are you wearing a mask now?" Yu Rou couldn''t help but ask him.

    "I don''t want to ruin your life in this ce. From this point forth, I will be ''Yuan'', not Yu Tian." He said.

    "I don''t care if people find out that you''re my brother¡­ In fact, that''s something I can brag about."

    "I''m only doing this because of the Legacy Families. They''re a bunch of annoying people that you don''t want to deal with, and I am trying to save you from them."

    ''A-A bunch of annoying people¡­'' White Lotus sighed inwardly after hearing his words.

    As she was from a Legacy Family, she couldn''t help but feel like she was part of these annoying people. However, she couldn''t refute such ims either, as she found other Legacy Families to be pretty annoying as well.

    "Wee back, Leader Bai, Elder Yin. Wee to the Eternal Lotuses, Guests." The disciples at the front gate greeted them.

    They didn''t immediately realize that there was a man amongst their group because Yuan was wearing a mask, and he had long hair tied into a ponytail.

    Although his body structure wasrger than thedies there, it wasn''t enough to raise any suspicions.N?velDrama.Org content rights.

    "Is there anything you want to see first, or should I just give you a tour around our faction?" White Lotus asked Yuan after they entered the faction.

    "I''ll let you decide where we go. I just want to see what Yu Rou''s life has been like for the past few months."

    "I understand. Then let''s do a walkthrough of our disciples'' daily routine. There should still be some disciples doing morning training right now."

    Yuan nodded, and they proceeded to follow White Lotus around the faction, starting from the area where most disciples go to train.

    White Lotus would give them a brief exnation of the ce while Yu Rou would recall her experience there.

    The disciples there eventually realized that there was a man amongst them, and rumors quickly began to spread like wildfire.

    "Did you hear? Senior Bai brought a man into the faction!"

    "What! This is the first time a man has stepped foot inside this ce since its founding!"

    "I heard that not even Leader Bai''s father could enter this ce. Who is this man that she finds more important than her own father?"

    "I couldn''t get a look at his face because he was wearing a mask, but I swear I heard Leader Bai addressing him as ''Yuan''!"

    "What?! It must be yer Yuan! I heard that she had an encounter with him in Cultivation Online. They probably agreed to meet in real life!"

    "Oh my! This is so exciting!"

    Meanwhile, in one of the guest rooms, Fiery Queen overheard some of the disciples in the hallway talking about Yuan.

    "What? yer Yuan is here? That crafty bitch! No wonder why she''s been gone for thest few days! She actually snuck out to meet him! And she even lied to me about it!"

    She left her room shortly after to look for White Lotus and Yuan.

    Sometimeter, Fiery Lotus found them resting under a pavilion.

    "What do you think of my faction?" White Lotus asked him as they sipped on hot tea.

    "It''s very peaceful here, and the disciples are full of enthusiasm. Honestly, I feel a little embarrassed to even call my ce a faction after seeing how organized this ce is. It''s more like a home than a headquarter."

    "I think most factions are like that. Only those with enough funds and reputation dare to build such arge headquarter." White Lotus said.

    Suddenly¡ª

    "E-Excuse me! You can''t go in there!" Someone there said in a nervous voice.

    White Lotus turned around to see Fiery Queen approaching them with a nonchnt expression on her face.

    "Yuan, that''s Sasha Walkers, also known as Fiery Queen. She''s a top 10 yer in Cultivation Online, and she''s from the Walkers Family that is ranked 10th in the Legacy Ranking." White Lotus quickly introduced her to Yuan.

    Once she arrived before their table, Fiery Queenbed her short orange hair with her fingers and spoke, "Are you really yer Yuan?"

    Feeling her sharp gaze, Yuan smiled and nodded, "How can I help you, Miss Walkers?"

    "Oh? You know about me?"

    "I only know of your name."

    "I see¡­ Well, I don''t like beating around the bush, so I am going to ask you directly. Join my Walkers Family, yer Yuan!"

    "What can you offer me?" Yuan didn''t immediately reject her offer.

    ''Is this what he meant by entertaining them?'' White Lotus wondered inwardly.

    "I will double¡ª No, triple what the Bai Family has offered you!"

    "Are you sure you can afford it?" White Lotus could no longer remain quiet now that Fiery Queen brought her family into the conversation.

    "Your Bai Family may be higher in the Legacy Rankings, but my Walkers Family is ranked second in terms of wealth."

    "Tell me, what did your Bai Family offer him to join your family?" Fiery Queen asked.

    White Lotus smiled and said, "Actually, we didn''t offer him anything."

    "What?" Fiery Queen''s eyes widened with disbelief.

    "Y-You think I would fall for such a cheap trick? Why would hee here if you didn''t pay him?"

    "It''s true." Yuan said.

    And he continued, "Neither the Bai Family nor White Lotus has asked me to join their family. I am here on my own ord. In fact, I was the one who requested to be here."

    "N-No way¡­ Why would you do such a thing? Aren''t you aware that every Legacy Family is trying to acquire you? If you do something like this, it''s only natural for people to think that the Bai Family had bought you."

    "I have my own reasons for being here." Yuan calmly said.

    Fiery Queen gritted her teeth in frustration.

    ''Is he here because of White Lotus? Did he get charmed by her? This is bad¡­ At this rate, the Bai Family will acquire him! What can I do in this situation?''

 Chapter 980 - Fiery Queenâ€™s Offer

    Chapter 980 - Fiery Queen''s Offer

    "Si-Since the Bai Family hasn''t offered you anything, then allow me to offer you to join the Walkers Family. What do you want? As long as it''s something that money can buy, we will give it to you." Fiery Queen said to him after pondering for a moment.

    "Sorry, but there''s nothing I want." Yuan calmly responded.

    "What? That''s not possible. Everyone has something they desire."

    "Indeed, that is true. However, what I want cannot be purchased with money."

    "You won''t know until you try. Love, happiness, fame¡ª anything can be bought. Tell me what you desire and the Walkers Family will do everything in its power to acquire."

    After a moment of silence, Yuan spoke in a calm voice, "If I say that I want the Walkers Family, will you be able to hand it over to me?"

    "T-That''s¡ª!" Fiery Queen was dumbfounded by Yuan''s question.

    "What''s wrong? Why are you hesitating? Didn''t you say that you would give me anything? Or are you going to ask me to not be so greedy?"

    "I''m sorry, but I don''t think we can fulfill such an unreasonable condition. Anything else but that, please."

    Yuan shook his head, "Sorry, but I was only joking. I don''t n on joining any Legacy Family, so you can stop asking."

    "Can I ask why? You would gain a lot of benefit if you joined us. Or do you n on creating your own family?" Fiery Queen narrowed her eyes at Yuan.

    "I have no interest in the Legacy Ranking. As for why I don''t want to join any Legacy Families¡­ I don''t want to break the current bnce." He said.This is from N?velDrama.Org.

    "I don''t want to sound arrogant, but if I join any family, even the lowest ranking family, it would immediately break the bnce, and I''m sure nobody wants that to happen."

    ''Breaking the bnce¡­?''

    Both Fiery Queen and White Lotus frowned upon hearing this, as neither of them had thought about it like this until he mentioned it.

    ''He''s right¡­ If someone like him joins the Legacy Ranking, the family he chooses will immediately be the most powerful and influential family in the Legacy Ranking regardless of their previous rank.'' White Lotus thought to herself.

    ''The other Legacy Families will probably work with each other to destroy such an unbnced family. In other words, the moment he joins a Legacy Family, there will be a war¡­'' Fiery Queen sighed.''

    As much as she wanted to acquire Yuan for her family, she did not want to fight with the other Legacy Families simply because they had him.

    After pondering for a few moments, Fiery Queen smiled and said, "Very well, I will give up on trying to recruit you. However, I have another proposal."

    "While it''s true that the other Legacy Families won''t be happy if we pay to acquire you, they won''t have anything to say if you marry into our family!"

    She pointed at herself and said, "If you marry me, that will solve everything!"

    "What nonsense are you saying?!" White Lotus mmed the table, startling everyone there.

    "Nonsense? I think it''s quite ingenious!" Fiery Queen said in a prideful tone.

    "Yuan, forget about her. She''s a lost cause."

    "W-Wait! I was only joking!" Fiery Queen suddenly said.

    And she continued, "Here''s my real proposal. Instead of asking you to join our family, I will pay for your assistance."

    "Can you borate?" Yuan asked.

    "Basically, I want to hire you."

    "And what kind of job do you want me to do?"

    "I''m not sure yet, but we''ll probably ask for you to do something for us in Cultivation Online. Maybe even train some of our yers."

    "If that''s too much to ask, then I buy information from you instead¡ª information about Cultivation Online."

    Yuan pondered about Fiery Queen''s offer.

    ''Although I can acquire money by selling Cultivation Online treasures likest time, I will be going to the Third Heaven soon, and that will make it difficult for me to use their auction house, especially since I will be busy traveling the world.''

    ''However, if I can sell information about Cultivation Online, I can earn money just by telling them about my experience in Cultivation Online, which is essentially free money.''

    "How much are we talking about?" Yuan then asked.

    "That will depend on the information you give us. We will give you a fixed price for each information you give us, and then we will pay you a bonus depending on its usefulness. How does that sound?"

    "In other words, if my information helps you acquire treasures or other valuables, you will pay me extra?"

    "Exactly." Fiery Queen nodded.

    "Sure, I don''t mind if it''s just selling information." Yuan agreed.

    ''Yes!'' Fiery Queen celebrated inwardly.

    "Leave your contact information with me and I will contact youter." Yuan then said.

    "Of course!"

    Fiery Queen immediately handed Yuan her business card.

    "Then I await your call! Thank you!" Fiery Queen left the ce shortly after.

    As much as she wanted to linger and talk more with Yuan, she didn''t want to push her luck.

    "If you don''t mind me asking, why did you agree to working with her?" White Lotus asked him afterward.

    "It seemed like an easy way to earn money, so why not? If things don''t work out, I can stop working with her whenever I want." Yuan said.

    "A-Are you, by some chance, having money problems?" She couldn''t help but ask him.

    Yuan chuckled, "It''s embarrassing to admit it, but yes, I''m actually quite broke right now. I n on selling some treasures that I''d found in Cultivation Online in the future, though."

    A flicker appeared in White Lotus'' eyes after hearing his words, and she quickly said, "I-If you don''t mind, can you sell these treasures to my Bai Family?!"

    "Are you sure? You don''t even know what kind of treasures they are."

    "We can figure these things outter!"

    "Sure. Once I return home, we can meet in Cultivation Online. I will show you the treasures then." Yuan nodded.

    "Thank you!" White Lotus said excitedly.

 Chapter 981 - Staying Overnight

    Chapter 981 - Staying Overnight

    After their break ended, Yu Rou asked, "Brother, would you like to see my room?"

    "Sure."

    Sometimeter, they entered Yu Rou and Xia Jingyi''s room.

    "What do you think?" She asked him.

    "It''s exactly as I expected it to be¡ª neat and clean." Yuan smiled.

    Once they looked around the room, Yu Rou suddenly asked, "Will you be staying with us tonight?"

    "I don''t want to bother White Lotus and this ce any longer, so I will return to the hotel." Yuan shook his head.

    "A-Actually, it''s fine if you want to stay here overnight. We have plenty of guest rooms, and it would be more convenient if you intend to spend more time with each other tomorrow." White Lotus said.N?velDrama.Org content rights.

    "Are you sure? I don''t want to intrude any more than necessary."

    "It''s fine, really."

    "Then I''ll ept your offer."

    "Great. I''ll have your rooms prepared right away."

    White Lotus left the room shortly after.

    "By the way, I have something really important to tell youter." Yuan said to Yu Rou a momentter.

    "I don''t like the sound of that. Is it bad news or good news?" Yu Rou frowned slightly.

    "Well¡­ It''s not really bad news, but it''s not good news either. It''s about Cultivation Online and how it affects our lives."

    "I don''t get it."

    "I''ll exin it once White Lotus returns."

    "All right."

    White Lotus returned to the room about five minutester.

    "I have arranged your rooms for tonight," she said to them.

    "Thank you. Anyways, now that you''re here, let''s continue our conversation. I wanted to tell you guys at the pavilion just now, but Fiery Queen interrupted and I''d rather keep this between us."

    Yuan removed his mask and looked at White Lotus with a serious gaze, "What I am about to tell you is highly confidential, so please keep it a secret even from your family. If it''s leaked to the public, there will be an outcry, and who knows how the people will react to it."

    "My lips are sealed no matter what you say from this point forth." White Lotus nodded.

    "Good, now listen carefully."

    After taking a deep breath, Yuan proceeded to tell them the truth about Cultivation Online and the connections it has with their own world.

    Although Yu Rou and Xia Jingyi already knew that treasures inside Cultivation Online affected their real bodies, this was news to White Lotus, who was shocked speechless even before the grand reveal.

    "The world of Cultivation Online, also known as Nine Heavens, truly exists in this universe somewhere, and our world, Earth, used to be part of the Nine Heavens before it was split."

    "Wa-Wait¡­" White Lotus had to stop him, as she was unable toprehend all of it at once.

    "The Nine Heavens is a real world? How does that work?"

    "The consoles that we use to enter Cultivation Online actually transfers a part of our soul to the Nine Heaven, and using another method, it creates our character with our soul."

    "The reason we don''t die when we ''die'' inside Cultivation Online is simply because we didn''t experience true death. When we die, our character will transform back into its soul form."

    "This is also why some people lose their ability to cultivate after dying. Their soul had probably sustained too much damage, crippling them for real."

    "Furthermore, this is why we are stuck with one character no matter whose console we use to y Cultivation Online."

    Yu Rou and the other two stared at Yuan with their eyes as wide as saucers.

    "No way¡­ Why would they do such a thing?" Yu Rou muttered in a dazed voice.

    "I don''t know, but I n on finding out the truth." Yuan said.

    "However, now that you know your character is actually your soul, please do your best to avoid getting damaged, as it could damage your soul. Your soul is basically your spirit¡ª your very existence. If it''s damaged, you''ll turn into what they call a ''vegetable''. And if your soul is destroyed, you basically die without any chance of reincarnation¡­"

    "If this is true, shouldn''t we warn the public so that they could stop acting so recklessly in Cultivation Online?" White Lotus asked.

    "Yes, but there''s a good chance that a lot of people will stop ying Cultivation Online. I don''t know what the Celestial Emperor has nned, but it clearly needs a lot of people. If arge number of people suddenly stop ying, who knows what the Celestial Emperor might do next." Yuan said.

    And he continued, "A good portion of our soul is already trapped inside in the Nine Heavens. We''re all basically held hostage by the Celestial Emperor until we can go to the Nine Heavens with our real body."

    "But how are we going to travel to a ce that we can''t even locate?" Yu Rou asked.

    "I already have a clue. I just need some time to figure it out."

    "If you really want to warn people about the dangers of being hurt in Cultivation Online, then you must do so without revealing the truth to them." Yuan said to White Lotus a momentter.

    "I understand. I will do my best. I don''t want my family or the disciples of my faction to suffer because of this. Thank you for telling me the truth, Yuan. I will be seeing Cultivation Online in a new light now."

    Later that night, White Lotus approached Yuan and said to him, "I have spoken to my father about buying your treasures in Cultivation Online, and he has agreed to it. If you''re not busy, we can do it now. But if you insist on doing thister, I can wait."

    "Let''s do it now." Yuan nodded, and he continued, "I will meet you at the same ce asst time in a few hours."

    "Great! We have plenty of unused consoles. You can use one of those!"

    "Then I will see youter."

    Once he had a console, Yuanid on his bed and entered Cultivation Online.

 Chapter 982 - A Pile of Treasures

    Chapter 982 - A Pile of Treasures

    "Wee back, Brother Yuan." Xiao Hua greeted him when he entered Cultivation Online.

    "Are we ascending the Stairway to Heaven soon?" Feng Yuxiang asked.

    "No, not yet. I am only back temporarily to sell some treasures." Yuan shook his head.

    "With that being said, it should be long before I challenge the Stairway to Heaven. I still have some business that requires my attention."

    Sometimeter, Yuan arrived at the restaurant with the musicians, where he''d first meet with White Lotus.

    "Yuan!" White Lotus waved at him from her table.

    Of course, she was surrounded by young men that were trying to hit on her again.

    When these young men saw Yuan, they sneered in disdain. However, when Yuan released some of his aura, these young men started running for their lives.

    "This isn''t an appropriate ce to show my treasures, but I still want to enjoy this ce for a bit before we start our business." Yuan said to her.

    "No problem. I was also thinking that we could enjoy the music for a while before our business."

    After ordering some food and tea, the two of them quietly enjoyed the performance at the center of the restaurant.

    About an hourter, White Lotus asked him, "Where should we go to do our business?"

    "We can just rent a hotel somewhere and do it there," he calmly said.

    "That sounds good."

    Once they finished their meal and were satisfied with the entertainment, the two of them rented a room at a nearby hotel.

    "All right, here are all of the treasures that I am trying to sell." Yuan proceeded to dump all of the treasures he had acquired from the Gu Family and the Blood Sect.

    White Lotus stared at therge pile of treasures on the bed with wide eyes.

    There were so many treasures that the table wouldn''t fit them, hence the bed.

    "Th-This is a lot more than what I had in mind¡­" She muttered in a dazed voice.

    The amount of treasures before her eyes at this moment is more than what her family and faction has collected since the beginning of the game¡­bined.

    ''How on earth did he acquire so much treasure? It''s almost as though he''d robbed an entire sect¡­'' White Lotus was in disbelief.

    "Take your time." Yuan said to her as he took a seat at the table and started studying array symbols.

    "What are you doing?" She couldn''t help but ask.

    "I''m studying array symbols. They''re more important and widely used than I realized."

    After a moment of silence, she spoke again, "Yuan, this amount of treasure is too much to look through by myself. If you don''t mind, can I have some assistance? My most trusted bodyguard, Jasmine, and my father, happen to be in this city as well."

    Of course, it wasn''t a coincidence. She had them prepared just in case anything were to happen.

    "Sure, I don''t mind." Yuan casually said.

    "Thank you! I will contact them right away!"

    White Lotus logged off for a couple of minutes before returning.

    Sometimeter, Jasmine and Bai Mengyao showed up at the hotel.

    "It''s a pleasure to see you again, Yuan." Bai Mengyao greeted him with a bright smile.

    "Hello, Mister Bai. Sorry to bother you thiste."

    "It''s not a bother at all." Heughed.

    "Then the treasures are on the bed. Take your time."

    "T-This is¡­" Jasmine and Bai Mengyao were stunned by the amount of treasures there even though White Lotus had already warned them about it through the phone.

    ''I thought she was exaggerating when she called it a ''pile'' of treasures¡­'' Bai Mengyao cried inwardly.

    "Let''s get to work, shall we?" White Lotus said to them.

    Thus, the three of them started looking through the treasures one by one while Yuan focused on his array symbols.

    Although Yuan didn''t pay any attention to White Lotus and her group because he trusted them, the beings within his body kept a close eye on their every movement just in case they had any funny ideas.

    About an hourter, Bai Mengyao wiped the sweat from his forehead and sighed in a nervous voice, "Most of these treasures are Earth-grade and Heaven-grade. If I have to be honest, this will bankrupt us if we try to buy all of them."

    "I know¡­" White Lotus sighed.

    The two of them had nned on buying all of Yuan''s treasure before, but after seeing just how many treasures were avable, they immediately gave up such a thought.

    "Although I already know what I want, I am going to look through them again just in case." White Lotus said a momentter.

    "Me too."

    Thus, they started examining the treasures again.

    An hourter, White Lotus returned to Yuan and said to him, "We''re ready."

    Yuan nodded and stopped studying array symbols.

    "We''d like to purchase these treasures." Bai Mengyao ced all of the treasures they wanted to buy on the table before him.

    There were a total of 52 treasures, and most of them were Earth-grade with a couple of Heaven-grade treasures.

    "Sure." Yuan nodded without even checking the treasures.

    "For the pricing, in order to make this as far as possible, we will use the COyerAuctions for reference. If you have any objections, please let us know."

    "I don''t mind." Yuan said.

    "Great. Most Earth-grade treasures sell for 10 million to 100 million dors nowadays, and Heaven-grade treasures cost anywhere between 200 million dors and 400 million dors depending on its grade and usefulness."

    "We have 42 Earth-grade and 10 Heaven-grade treasures. We will let you decide the price for each of them."Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    Yuan nced at the treasures and said, "How about 2 billion for all of them?"

    "Huh?"

    They looked at him with wide eyes.

    "Is that too expensive? I don''t mind lowering¡ª"

    "N-No. That''s not it. It''s actually cheaper than we thought." Bai Mengyao quickly interrupted.

    "It''s a discount. Consider it as my gratitude for the past few days. If you want, you can go pick out some more treasures." Yuan said to them.

    "Are you sure? We don''t want to take advantage of you¡­" White Lotus was hesitant.

    "It''s fine." Yuan nodded with a smile.

    After all, these treasures were all useless to him, and he wanted them to feel indebted to him just in case he needed their help in the future.

 Chapter 983 - Sparring With White Lotus

    Chapter 983 - Sparring With White Lotus

    Once they received Yuan''s approval to buy more treasure from him at a discount, the Bai Family returned to the bed and started picking out even more treasures to purchase.

    In the end, they decided to just buy all of his treasures.

    "How much do you want for all of these treasures?" Bai Mengyao asked him.

    Yuan looked at the treasures and pondered. There were 201 treasures in total.

    "How does 10 billion sound? You can easily get 10 billion back and then some more if you decide to sell them afterward."

    Bai Mengyao pondered for a moment before nodding, "Deal! I''ll buy all of your treasures for 10 billion!"

    "Great. It''s a pleasure doing business with you." Yuan shook his hand.

    "You can give my daughter your bank informationter. We''ll send you the money as soon as possible. It''ll take three days minimum, but we should have it sent over by tomorrow." Bai Mengyao said.

    "Take your time." Yuan nodded.

    "As for the treasures, you can take them now."

    "Are you sure? We can wait until the payment is through." White Lotus said.

    "It''s fine. I want to get rid of them as soon as possible, anyway. They''re taking up too much space."

    Bai Mengyao swallowed nervously after seeing how casual Yuan was being with these treasures, almost as though he was just getting rid of trash in a garage sale.

    Although Earth-grade and Heaven-grade treasures are incredibly valuable to other yers, they could be considered trash in Yuan''s eyes. In fact, he still has several Divine-grade treasures that he ns on selling in the auction house, where he will definitely fetch more money than selling it to the Bai Family.

    "Once again, thank you for selling these treasures to us. I will make sure they''re all put to good use." White Lotus bowed to him in a respectful manner.

    Yuan logged off the game and called Wang Ming shortly after.

    "Hey, get on Cultivation Online and meet me at the city square. I have some things for you." Yuan said to him.

    "Sure thing."

    Sometimeter, Yuan met up with Wang Ming at the city square.

    "Hey, how did your sister''s birthday go? And when do you n oning back? The mansion feels empty without your presence." Wang Ming asked him.

    "The birthday went pretty well, but it wasn''t entirely smooth sailing. Don''t worry, it''s already been taken care of. As for when we''ll return¡­ I''m not sure, but it shouldn''t take more than a week."

    "I understand. I won''t ask for any details now, but make sure to tell us about it when you get back. Anyways, what do you have for me?"N?velDrama.Org owns this.

    Yuan handed him a spatial ring and said, "I want you to sell these treasures in COyerAuctions."

    "You mean that online auction house that all of the big families use? I heard their poprity skyrocketed after you sold an item there." Wang Ming recalled.

    "Yes, and make sure to tell them that these treasures are from me. They''ll treat you better that way."

    "I''m a little scared to look at the inside¡­ Oh, do you want me to sell them one by one or all at once?" Wang Ming then asked.

    "You''ll get more if you sell them one by one. They''re all Divine-grade treasures, after all."

    "D-Divine?!" Wang Ming eximed in a shocked voice before covering his own mouth.

    "Thest time a Divine-grade item was sold on that tform was when you sold that zither¡­"

    "And that was only a low-quality treasure. All of these are high-quality treasures, so they should be able to fetch a billion with ease." Yuan smiled.

    "I see¡­ When do you want me to sell them?" Wang Ming proceeded to ask.

    "Whenever you want. I just earned 10 billion selling the other treasures, so I am not in a rush to earn more money right now."

    "Ten billion? What the hell did you sell to earn that much money?"

    "Forget it, I don''t even want to know." Wang Ming shook his head.

    "Anything else you want me to do?" He then asked.

    "Give the others one ring." Yuan proceeded to hand him 6 spatial rings.

    "Are these¡­"

    "Yes, they''re resources that will support you while I am gone."

    "Once again, I am a little scared to see the inside¡­" Wang Ming sighed.

    "Hmm? Wait. Why are there 9 rings? Since Li Jinxi will be following you, we only have 6 people."

    "One of them is for my friend who will be joining us soon. The other two rings are for my sister and her friend. Give it to them when you have the chance."

    "I understand."

    Yuan logged off Cultivation Online shortly after and went to rest.

    The following day, Yuan proceeded to spend the entire day watching Yu Rou live her life as a disciple of the faction.

    During his second day at the faction, Yu Rou decided to challenge Yuan.

    "Please spar with me!" Yu Rou said to him with a serious look on her face.

    "Sure." Yuan nodded without hesitation.

    "And don''t you dare go easy on me!"

    "I won''t." Yuan smiled behind his mask.

    With nothing but a wooden sword in his grasp, Yuan proceeded to smack Yu Rou around until she could no longer stand back up.

    The fight was so one-sided that it looked almostical.

    "I-I know I said to not go easy on me, but did you have to be so brutal? Ahh¡­ I can''t feel anything but pain right now¡­" Yu Rouined after the spar ended a few minutester.

    "This is how I normally train with the people in my faction. And I didn''t hit you that hard. You''re exaggerating."

    "Exaggerating?! Look at my hand! It''s already bruised!"

    Yuanughed, "It''ll heal in a few hours."

    "Now that I think about it¡­ This is the first time that you''ve hit me." Yu Rou said a momentter.

    "Huh? This doesn''t count. It''s a spar."

    "Whatever. I''m too exhausted to deal with you now."

    Suddenly, one of the disciples there approached Yuan and bowed to him, "E-Excuse me! Senior Yuan! Can I also request a spar with you?!"

    Yuan looked at this cute and delicate girl and nodded, "Sure."

    Sometimeter, shortly after his second spar ended, a third followed, and this would continue until Yuan had sparred with everyone there.

    "Thank you for the spar, Senior Yuan..." Thest disciple to spar with him said as sheid on the floor.

    "Thank you for sparring with me." Yuan nodded.

    "After seeing you spar with so many people, I am starting to feel like sparring with you too, even though I know that I will lose." White Lotus said with a bittersweet smile on her face.

    "If you want to spar as well, I won''t mind." Yuan offered his wooden sword to her.

    White Lotus looked at the sword with a nervous look on her face.

    ''If I lose to him before so many disciples, I will definitely lose some face, but if I don''t fight him, they others will think that I am a coward. Either way, it''s my loss¡­'' White Lotus sighed inwardly.

    In the end, White Lotus epted the sword and agreed to spar with Yuan.

    ''Even if I lose to him and lose some face, it''s a lot better than beingbeled a coward!'' She thought to herself.

 Chapter 984 - Leaving Eternal Lotuses

    Chapter 984 - Leaving Eternal Lotuses

    "Good luck, Senior Bai! Good luck, Senior Yuan!"

    The disciples cheered for them as they entered the sparring area.

    "Ready whenever you are." Yuan said to White Lotus, who stood a couple meters away with a serious expression on her face.

    "Here Ie!" White Lotus announced right before she approached him with a wooden sword.

    Yuan calmly and casually dodged the attack, but White Lotus immediately followed up with a second strike.

    Thud!

    Yuan effortlessly blocked it with his wooden sword.

    "Not bad." He swung the sword, forcing White Lotus to retrieve several steps.

    ''What tyrannical strength! It only looked like he had causally moved his sword, yet it felt as though I had been struck by arge hammer!'' White Lotus was shocked after experiencing Yuan''s strength for the first time.

    Although she was aware of his prowess, it was a whole different story to experience it first-hand.

    "Are you okay?" Yuan asked her when she stopped moving.

    "Sorry, I lost focus for a second. It won''t happen again." White Lotus tightened her grip on the sword and proceeded to attack Yuan again.

    The disciples that had been cheering at the beginning quickly stopped when they realized how one-sided the fight between Yuan and White Lotus was.

    "I thought Senior Bai would be able to pressure him even if it''s just a little, but looking at them now, their fight doesn''t seem anything different from the previous spars! He''s treating her like a child just like he did to the rest of us!" The disciples were shocked when they realized this.

    "Senior Yuan is much more profound and powerful than I anticipated¡­ I wonder what cultivation level he has achieved."

    "Seeing how he''s handling Senior Bai with so little effort, he''s definitely already a Spirit Master."

    ''More like a Spirit Grandmaster.'' Yu Rou and Xia Jingyi thought to themselves after hearing their topic.

    Fifteen minutester, White Lotus copsed on the ground and said in an exhausted manner, "I-I surrender."

    "Thank you for the spar." Yuan said to her before reaching his hand out to her.

    White Lotus grabbed it with a defeated smile on her face.

    The disciples started cheering once again even though their faction leader had lost, as it was an entertaining spar, and they learned a lot as spectators.

    "How much will it cost to hire you to train us?" White Lotus asked him in a somewhat joking tone after getting back to her feet.

    "If youe to the Dragon Spiral Mountain, I can train you guys for free."

    "Seriously?" White Lotus did not expect such an answer and was taken aback by it.

    "Yes. We have plenty of room there, and it seems fun, like a coboration of sorts between the factions." He nodded.

    "Then I will seriously consider your offer."

    Sometimeter, Fiery Queen showed up, "What are you guys doing? It looks fun."

    "You''re still here? Why don''t you leave already? You have already achieved what you came here for, anyway." White Lotus said to her.

    "I will leave when Yuan leaves." Fiery Queen said in a shameless manner.

    "Don''t worry, I won''t stay here for long." Yuan said.

    "By the way, I have spoken to my family about our business. They have agreed to it, so you can sell us information whenever you want."

    "I''ll contact you in a week or so."Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    "I''ll be waiting."

    At the end of the day, Yuan said to Yu Rou, "I have decided to leave after tomorrow."

    "You''re leaving already?"

    He nodded, "If I make the Yu Family wait too long, who knows what they''ll do."

    "Actually, they have been trying to contact me since your concert. I ignored all of them, though. They can''t do anything to me as long as I am a member of this faction, anyway. This is even more true now that White Lotus is aware of your real identity." Yu Rou chuckled.

    Yuan notified White Lotus about his leave the following morning.

    "I see¡­ So you''re leaving already. It hasn''t been that long since we met, but it feels like I have known you for years now." White Lotus said to him.

    "Feel free to visit me whenever you want." Yuan smiled.

    "And you''re free to visit us whenever you want. Our faction will always have its doors open for you."

    "That''s good to hear."

    After spending the entire day with Yu Rou, Yuan also spent thest night sleeping with her.

    "Don''t do anything crazy when you get back, Brother." Yu Rou said to them as they prepared to go to sleep.

    "I will try not to, but it''s going to be hard."

    "As long as you don''t do anything that will make you a criminal, I will be fine with it."

    Yuan silently nodded with a smile.

    The two of them fell asleep shortly after.

    The following morning, a good portion of the people at Eternal Lotuses gathered at the entrance to see Yuan and his group off.

    Yu Rou, Xia Jingyi, and White Lotus followed them all the way to the airport.

    "When do you think I will see you guys again?" Yu Rou asked them.

    "I will try to visit you once a month." Yuan said.

    "That would be great, but since I know that you''re a busy man, let''s not make any schedules and just see each other whenever we can. I will also try to visit you once in a while." Yu Rou said.

    "Sure."

    "Also, your birthday ising up in three months, right? I will be the one to visit you then, so make sure you''re free on that day."

    "It''s a promise." Yuan nodded.

    He then turned to look at White Lotus and said to her, "See youter. Despite the slight inconvenience we had, I had fun thest few days."

    "Me too. We should y together in Cultivation Online sometimes."

    "Of course."

    After saying their final goodbyes, the two groups hugged each other.

    Yuan''s group boarded the ne shortly after while Yu Rou and White Lotus returned to the faction.

 Chapter 985 - Returning to the Yu Family

    Chapter 985 - Returning to the Yu Family

    After boarding the ne, Chu Liuxiang asked Yuan, "So, what do you think of this trip?"

    "Exhausting¡­" He sighed.

    "Yu Rou¡­ She knows about our rtionship."

    "Eh?" Chu Liuxiang''s eyes widened with surprise.

    "Really?"

    "Yes, she asked me about it during the night of her birthday, and I had no choice but to tell her the truth."

    "I see¡­ How did she take it?"

    "I honestly don''t know. She seems okay with it, but she doesn''t seem happy about it either." Yuan shook his head.

    "That''s tough¡­ However, I kind of understand her feelings¡­ I think." Chu Liuxiang sighed, and she turned to look at Meixiu and asked, "What do you think?"

    "I also don''t know¡­ All I can say is that it''s reallyplicated¡­" Meixiu also shook her head.

    Chu Liuxiang raised her eyebrows since Meixiu''s words contradicted herself. If she doesn''t know anything, why would she say it''splicated like she knew about it?

    However, Chu Liuxiang decided to not ask her about it.

    "Anyways, I''m surprised the Bai Family allowed you to leave so easily. In fact, I was so sure that they''d try to recruit you."

    Yuan smiled and said, "Well, I''m really d that they didn''t. It wouldn''t be easy to refuse them after all they''ve done for me and Yu Rou."

    The three of them proceeded to talk about their short and chaotic vacation for most of their flight.

    Meanwhile, White Lotus notified her father about Yuan''s departure.

    "I see¡­ So he''s gone¡­ What about your rtionship with him?" Bai Mengyao asked.

    "Honestly, while I will admit that I was too nervous to approach him, I also think it''s a little too early for me to propose to him. Although I wasn''t able to join his family, I think I''ve made great progress in our rtionship. Once I am ready, I will ask him." White Lotus said.

    "Nervous? You? Hahaha!" Bai Mengyaoughed out loud.

    "I never thought I''d ever hear such wordsing from you!"

    "Shut up¡­ I''m going to hang up now. I have some things that I want to discuss with Yu Rou."

    "All right. Let me know if you need anything."

    "I will."

    A few hourster, Yuan''s nended.

    "Can you call your mother and let her know that we will be arriving at the Yu Family soon?" Yuan asked Meixiu.

    She nodded and proceeded to call Meifeng on her phone.

    "Hello? Yes, we have justnded. We should arrive at the Yu Family soon."

    "No, we can get there by ourselves."

    "I understand. I will let him know."

    After hanging up, Meixiu looked at Yuan and spoke, "Apparently your parents are furious that you kept them waiting for so long."Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    Yuan smiled and said, "I know they''re legally my parents, but let''s not call them that for my sanity''s sake."

    "By the way, Lulu, since the Yu Family is only expecting Meixiu and I, and I don''t want to make things moreplicated than it already is, can you wait for us to be done? They''re pretty awful people, so I doubt you would want to meet with them either."

    Chu Liuxiang chuckled, "Too bad I have already met with your parents. However, I was still from the Chu Family at that time, so they had to be respectful to me. Don''t worry, I won''t interrupt your family reunion. Go on and have fun without me."

    "Thank you."

    They took a taxi to the Yu Family shortly after.

    "It''s been a while since I have been to this city so I am going to stroll around for a bit. Call me when you''re done." Chu Liuxiang said to them before going elsewhere.

    Once Chu Liuxiang was gone, Yuan and Meixiu approached the Yu Family''s manor.

    "How long has it been since Ist seen this ce? Feels like forever." Yuan looked at the scenery with a nostalgic expression on his face.

    Even though his childhood was horrible, he still had some fond memories of this ce.

    When they arrived at the front gate, Yuan could see a familiar figure standing inside.

    "It''s been a while, Miss Meifeng." Yuan greeted her with a smile.

    "Mother." Meixiu nodded at her.

    "Young Master¡­ Your eyes¡­ So it''s true that you''ve fully recovered¡­" Meifeng covered her mouth after seeing that Yuan''s eyes had regained its beautiful color.

    Even though she had seen the concert, she still doubted it.

    "Where''s the couple?" Yuan then asked her.

    "They''re currently inside, and it''s not just them. Theirwyers and even some of the investors are inside, waiting for your arrival." Meifeng said with a worried frown on her face.

    "Wow, what a grand audience that they have prepared for us. I kind of feel bad for making them wait so long now." Yuan chuckled.

    "Young Master, I have to be honest with you. You should''ve just remained in hiding. Why did you show yourself so soon?" Meifeng asked him.

    "I just figured that it''s about time I stop hiding and confront my problems." Yuan casually shrugged.

    "Don''t worry, I am no longer the pushover they once knew. Let us in, Miss Meifeng. I will handle the Yu Family." Yuan said to her with a confident smile on his face.

    Meifeng took a deep breath and released it a momentter.

    "All right." She opened the gates from them and led them inside the Yu Family''s territory.

    Once inside, Meifeng drove the two of them to the manor that was located about half a mile away.

    A few minutester, when they exited the car, Yuan and Meixiu could suddenly feel many gazes staring at them.

    Yuan could see many people watching them from inside the manor. Most of them were servants working there, but a few of them were wearing suits.

    After entering the manor, Meifeng led them to the audience room that is usually used for important business meetings.

    Upon opening the door, Yuan could see Yu Yong and Tang Lee sitting at the end of arge table, and sitting beside them were a bunch of important-looking people that Yuan vaguely recognized.

    Yuan stepped inside the room without any hesitation and with a smile on his handsome face.

    "I''m home," he spoke in a calm voice.

 Chapter 986 - Confronting the Yu Family

    Chapter 986 - Confronting the Yu Family.

    "Stay here with me." Meifeng said to Meixiu in a low voice when she tried to follow Yuan into the room.

    She nodded and stood at the door with Meifeng.

    BANG!Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    "Yu Tian!" Yu Yong mmed the desk with his fist and roared.

    "How dare you make us wait this long for you! You should have came back the moment we called you!"

    Yuan casually took a seat at the opposite end of the table where he could see everyone and said, "I thought you wanted me out of the family, so why do you suddenly want me back so badly? You were the one who abandoned me."

    "So what if we kicked you out of the house? You''re already an adult." Tang Lee sneered.

    "An adult and a paralyzed cripple who couldn''t move without the help of others, yet you still abandoned me."

    "Enough. We didn''t call you here just so you can bicker with your parents. Yu Tian, you have an obligation to continue working for the Yu Family''spany." One of the people there suddenly said.

    Yuan turned to look at him and asked with raised eyebrows, "Who are you?"

    "I''m David Swanson, an investor and a manager at your father''spany, and we''re all here to make sure that you''ll continue your obligation to your family."

    "Father? He may have adopted me, but he''s not my father. He''s a disgrace to the real fathers out there that care for their own family."

    "How dare you!" Yu Yong fumed after hearing Yuan''s insults. In fact, this is his first time being ridiculed by Yuan.

    "I don''t care about your opinions. He is still legally your father, and your contract is still in effect."

    "Contract? What contract? I don''t remember signing anything." Yuan said in a surprised voice.

    "This is the contract." The man immediately retrieved a piece of paper and showed it to Yuan, almost as though he had it prepared beforehand.

    Yuan took a moment to read the contract that basically said that he was required to perform at least two concerts every week until he is 60 years old, and that all of the money he earns will be given to the Yu Family.

    It was basically a ve contract that would work Yuan to the bones without giving him any in return.

    Yuanughed out loud after seeing his signature on the paper.

    "Seriously? You went out of your way to forge this nonsense? Sorry, but I don''t feel like working for the Yu Family, no matter what the contract says." Yuan casually ripped the contract to shreds and tossed it into the air.

    The entire room turned silent after his little bold action.

    "Did you think that you would be able to escape from us by ripping that piece of paper?" Tang Lee suddenly sneered in contempt.

    "That was only a copy. However, even if you managed to destroy the original, we have plenty of ways to make you submit."

    "Oh? What do you have in mind? Please share with us." Yuan smiled.

    "For starters, we can make your life miserable. No matter what job you decide to take, we have the power to fire you on the same day that you joined."

    "Without having any sources of ie, you''ll have to start begging in the streets sooner orter."

    "If I can''t find an ordinary job, I can simply sell my music talents to otherpanies. I''m sure that they will ept me even if you threaten them. After all, I am worth a lot of money." Yuan shrugged.

    "Or I can just y Cultivation Online and earn money that way. The game is pretty popr, so I should be able to earn some decent money from it."

    "That kind of threat is hardly a threat at all." He even chuckled.

    Tang Lee narrowed her eyes at him and continued, "We can easily throw you into jail and let you live the rest of your pathetic life there."

    "Prison, huh? That doesn''t sound too bad, considering that I already have plenty of experience being a ve for the Yu Family."

    Tang Lee gritted her teeth in frustration, feeling as though she was not dealing with the Yu Tian that she was so familiar with.

    ''What the hell happened to this bastard? It hasn''t been that long since he started living without the support of our Yu Family. How can someone change so drastically in such a short time? He''s no longer the coward and pushover that we once knew!''

    Everyone in the room realized that they were no longer dealing with the same person that they used to take advantage of.

    However, this didn''t shake their resolve, and they continued to threaten Yuan.

    When nothing was working, Yu Yong suddenly stood up and shouted, "That''s it! I have had enough of this shit! Yu Tian! You wille back and start working for us again! If you don''t, we will not punish you! Instead, we will make Yu Rou bear the responsibilities!"

    Yuan frowned after hearing this, which caused the people in the room to smile, as they realized that they''d just found his weakness.

    "You''re going to punish your own blood because I refuse to work for you? What kind of parent are you?" Yuan spoke in a cold voice.

    "You can only me yourself for pushing us this far! If you work for us, nobody will get hurt!" Tang Lee said with a grin on her face.

    "Yu Rou is currently a member of the faction ''Eternal Lotuses'', right? If we pressure their leader, Bai Lianhua, who is still young and inexperienced, she will definitely be kicked out of the faction. Once that happens, we can do whatever we want to her and there''s nothing you can do about it!"

    The people there increased the pressure on Yuan.

    ''Yuan¡­'' Meixiu stared at his face with a worried look on her face. However, she was not worried about Yuan. It was the others that she was worried about.

    Yuan suddenly closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

    ''In the end, this is how things will go, huh?'' He sighed inwardly.

    When he opened his eyes again, they werepletely golden, and the atmosphere in the room immediately changed.

    --

    AN: Check out my other novel Magic System in a Parallel World while you wait for the next chapter. I will also be doing a rare gifting event where I will mass release depending on the amount of gifts for either novels(I don''t usually do mass releases). Surprise me and I will surprise you

 Chapter 987 - A Proposal

    Chapter 987 - A Proposal

    When Yuan activated Dragon''s Gaze, the atmosphere in the room changed, and almost as though the temperature dropped to below freezing, the people in the room began trembling nonstop.

    "Yo-You! Wha-What do you think you are doing?!" Yu Yong spoke in a trembling voice.

    Even though Yuan used Dragon''s Gaze, he didn''t want these people to stop functioning, so he used the lowest output possible, but even then, most of these people could barely think under the pressure of the gaze.

    "I will say this again¡­ The two of you are a disgrace as parents. When you look at people, you don''t see a human, you only see a tool¡ª a tool that you can abuse for profit. People like you are better off dead." Yuan spoke in a calm voice.

    "However, even if you are the scummiest people on earth, you are still Yu Rou''s parents by blood. I would love to kill you, but I do not have the resolve to kill her parents."

    "With that being said, that does not mean I am going to let you go without any punishment."

    "Hahaha! Did you just say that you want to kill us?! You must be out of your damn mind! It appears that you have recovered your ability to move but lost your ability to think in the process! You will not get away with threatening us! We''ll have you prosecuted!" Tang Lee pointed her fingers at him and roared.

    But despite her brave words, her eyes were filled with fear, and her arm couldn''t stop shaking.

    "You''re going to prosecute me for threatening you when you''ve done the same thing just moments ago? Are you listening to yourself, you damn crazy bitch?"

    "W-What did you just call me?" Tang Lee''s body shook violently after being cursed out by Yuan.

    Meixiu and Meifeng stared at Yuan''s nonchnt face with wide eyes and slightly opened mouths, seemingly in disbelief.

    "Are you deaf as well? I called you a crazy bitch, since that''s what you are." Yuan casually repeated.

    "Guards! I want you to break his fingers!" Tang Lee shouted in a fury.

    Two of the guards standing by the wall suddenly rushed at Yuan.

    "Wai¡ª!" Meifeng wanted to intervene, but Meixiu suddenly grabbed her hand.

    "It''s okay," she said in a calm voice.

    Once the guards were close enough, they grabbed Yuan''s arms and tried to restrict him.

    However, they immediately realized that they were unable to move him.

    "Get your hands off me." Yuan casually flicked his arms, sending the two guards flying.N?velDrama.Org content rights.

    The guards struck the wall with their bodies, creating arge crater in the wall before falling to the floor unconscious.

    "That was self-defense." Yuan calmly said afterward without moving from his seat.

    "Y-You¡­" The entire room fell silent after they witnessed what Yuan had just done.

    ''They were both Spirit Warriors! How did he beat them so easily?! What is his cultivation?!'' Yu Yong cried inwardly.

    "G-Guar¡ª"

    "Don''t even bother trying to send more guards. You''re just going to waste money on their treatment feester¡ª my money." Yuan interrupted Tang Lee.

    "W-What are you talking about?" Tang Lee frowned.

    "Let''s get to the real reason why I came back today," he said with a smile.

    "I''m here to get back everything that was taken from me, and that includes all of the money that I have earned throughout the years."

    "Hahaha! You''re truly out of your damn mind! As if we''d agree to your nonsense!" Tang Leeughed out loud.

    "I''m not asking. I''m demanding for my money back." Yuan increased the intensity of his Dragon''s Gaze.

    Tang Lee fell back to her chair the next moment from the intense pressure.

    "Y-You''re asking for the impossible, Yu Tian. Don''t forget about your contract. The Yu Family doesn''t owe you anything. In fact, you owe them money for being unable to work, which was part of you¡ª"

    Yuan looked at the person who just spoke and narrowed his eyes, "Can you shut up about the contract already? As if I give a damn about a piece of paper that you all forged. You can try to sue me if you want, but you might not be alive to do that."

    "I might not be able to kill Yu Rou''s parents, but you idiots are different. I can kill you right here and nobody will utter a single word about it."

    "Hahaha! You have yed too many video games! Do you really think you can get away with murder?! This is not Cultivation Online!" The manughed out loud.

    "Ahaha¡ªAhhhh!" The man suddenly stoppedughing and began screaming when he felt a sharp pain in one of his legs.

    When he looked down, he could see the cause of the pain¡ª a dagger stabbing into his thighs.

    "W-What just happened?! Where did this weapone from?!" The man was both terrified and confused.

    "Mister Jiang, this is my first andst warning to you. If you don''t want that dagger in your head, then you should keep your mouth shut. In fact, why don''t you just abandon the Yu Family?"

    Yuan suddenly thought of something and smiled.

    "This may be sudden, but I have a proposal for everyone here. Stop supporting the Yu Family or die." Yuan swept the room with his gaze.

    "What?!" They all eximed.

    "After all, the real backbone of the Yu Family are the investors. Without you guys, they''re basically powerless."

    Everyone present in the room were the Yu Family''s biggest investors and donors. Without them, the Yu Family will immediately lose over 90 percent of their power.

    Furthermore, since he couldn''t kill Yu Rou''s parents, he had to punish them using other methods, and this is just one of many that he has in mind.

    "You''re fucking insane! As if we''d listen to you! You''re just a damn child with a few loose screws!"

    "I see¡­ If threatening to kill you is not enough to convince you, then allow me to give you another reason to abandon the Yu Family." A mysterious smile appeared on Yuan''s face.

    And he continued, "yer Yuan, I''m sure you''ve all heard of him."

    "What if I tell you that I personally know him and that I can set up a meeting with him for all of you? Will you stop supporting the Yu Family then? I''m sure you''ll be able to profit more from yer Yuan than from the Yu Family."

 Chapter 988 - Halting Their Support

    Chapter 988 - Halting Their Support

    "P-yer Yuan? Are you serious? You know yer Yuan?" The investors there were doubtful for obvious reasons.

    "That''s a load of bullshit! He doesn''t know yer Yuan! He''s just trying to mess with all of you!" Yu Yong mmed the table and shouted.

    "T-That''s right! There''s no way a nobody like him could know yer Yuan when nobody even knows his true identity!" Tang Lee also spoke.

    The investors looked at each other.

    After a moment of silence, one of them said, "If you can prove to us that you know yer Yuan, I will stop supporting the Yu Family."

    "Mister Joe! What are you saying?!" Yu Yong looked at him in shock.

    "Proof, huh? Sure, I can prove it to you that I know yer Yuan." Yuan nodded, still with a smile on his face.

    "However, before I give you proof, I''d like to talk about the other reason why I am here today."

    After deactivating his Dragon''s Gaze, Yuan turned to look at Meifeng and continued to speak, "Miss Meifeng, the Yu Family will go bankrupt soon, so why don''t youe work for me instead?"Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    "Huh?" Meifeng''s eyes widened with shock.

    "Good luck with that! ording to her contract, she will work for us for the rest of her life unless she pays the contract cancetion fee of 50 billion dors! Even if we go bankrupt or be homeless, she will still have to work for us!" Tang Lee said with a wide smirk on her face.

    "If I don''t give a damn about my contract with the Yu Family, why would I care about hers?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    "You can ignore your contract all you want, but that doesn''t mean she will follow your recklessness. Isn''t that right, Meifeng? If you ignore the contract and betray the Yu Family, not only will you get in trouble, but so will your family." Tang Lee looked at her with a threatening gaze.

    Meifeng looked at Tang Lee and then at Meixiu.

    "She''s right, Young Master. I cannot ignore my contract. I have an obligation to fulfill my contract. Please don''t make things difficult for me or my daughter¡­" Meifeng sighed.

    "I see¡­ That''s unfortunate, but there''s no need for you to feel bad about it." Yuan shook his head.

    "If you cannot ignore your contract, then you can simply buy your way out of the contract."

    "Y-Young Master¡­ I don''t have 50 billion dors¡­"

    "Maybe not right now, but you''ll have it soon." Yuan smiled at her.

    "And if I help you acquire enough money to buy out of your contract, would you do so?"

    "I¡ª"

    "It''s fine, I don''t actually want you to answer that question." Yuan suddenly interrupted.

    He returned his focus to the people at the table and continued, "Is there anyone here that can contact Chairman Lee from the Cultivators'' Association?"

    "What does he have anything to do with this?" They asked.

    "You wanted proof that I know yer Yuan, right? Call him and you will get it."

    After a moment of silence, one of the people there said, "I will call Chairman Lee."

    Once he dialed the numbers, everyone waited for Chairman Lee to answer the phone.

    Several ringster, a voice resounded in the open speaker, "This is Chairman Lee from the Cultivators'' Association speaking."

    "Good morning, Chairman Lee. This is David Swanson. It''s been a while since west spoke. Do you remember me?"

    "Of course I do, Mister Swanson. Your donations to the Cultivators'' Association will never be forgotten. Anyways, how can I help you today?"

    "You see, I have a friend here who would like to speak with you. Do you mind sparing us a few moments of your time?"

    "Sure. I can spare some time."

    David Swanson looked at Yuan and nodded.

    "Hey, Chairman Lee, it''s me." Yuan said out loud.

    "H-Huh? This voice is¡­" Chairman Lee immediately recognized Yuan''s voice, especially since he''d heard Yuan speak just a few days ago at the concert.

    "What''s going on? Did something happen between you and Mister Swanson?" Chairman Lee asked in a worried voice.

    When the people there heard Chairman Lee''s response, they all raised an eyebrow.

    "Something like that." Yuan said.

    And he continued, "I told him that I knew yer Yuan, but he doesn''t believe me and even asked for proof. Can you, Chairman Lee of the Cultivators'' Association, attest to my ims?"

    "Of course!" Chairman Lee immediately responded.

    "Mister Swanson! Can you hear me?!"

    "I-I can¡­"

    "Listen to me very carefully, Mister Swanson! I can confirm his ims! He really knows yer Yuan! In fact, they''re practically best friends! Whatever you do, you better not upset my friend!" Chairman Lee said in a stern voice.

    Everyone in the room was shocked by Chairman Lee''s words.

    After snapping out of his daze, David Swanson spoke, "W-Wait a second, Chairman Lee! It''s not that I don''t believe you, but do you even know who just spoke?! He didn''t even introduce himself!"

    "I can recognize him by his voice alone. We have spoken to each other many times, after all. He is Yu Tian, correct?"

    "T-That is correct¡­" David Swanson muttered, not daring to believe his ears.

    "Then I have nothing else to say to you. My friend Yu Tian, if you ever need anything, don''t hesitate to call me, all right? I will talk to youter!" Chairman Lee hung up the next moment.

    The entire room turned silent and nobody there would utter a single word for a whole minute.

    "S-Since I have received Chairman Lee''s words that you know yer Yuan, I would like to ask you again¡ª Are you sure that you can help us meet yer Yuan?" David Swanson stared at Yuan with narrowed eyes.

    "Of course. We can even meet him right after this if you want. He''s currently in this city, after all." Yuan nodded.

    "Seriously?! If you can really get us to meet with yer Yuan, I will stop our support for the Yu Family!" David Swanson said.

    "M-Me too!" Another one eximed.

    Soon, everyone in the room agreed to stop supporting the Yu Family, leaving Yu Yong and Tang Lee absolutely dazed.

 Chapter 989 - Taking Away Their Cultivation

    Chapter 989 - Taking Away Their Cultivation

    "W-What are you guys talking about? Please tell me that you''re all joking!" Yu Yong spoke in a trembling voice after the investors for the Yu Family agreed to stop supporting them.

    "Even if you meet yer Yuan, there''s no guarantee that he will work with you! In fact, I am willing to bet all of my money that he won''t!"

    "That is a risk I am willing to take." David Swanson said in a calm manner.

    Although he didn''t mention it, he was actually afraid of offending Yu Tian any more due to his rtionship with Yuan.

    If they continue to offend Yu Tian, there is a good chance that they will offend Yuan as well, and based on the rumors around Yuan, he is not someone they want to offend even if they have to cut all ties with the Yu Family.

    Furthermore, ever since Yu Tian stopped ying music for them, their profit had drastically decreased. The Yu Family in its current state wasn''t worth investing in, and these investors were already thinking about severing ties with the Yu Family.

    If Yu Rou''s birthday was even a weekter, these investors would have stopped their support for the Yu Family on their own ord.

    "Now that you''ve lost all of your major supports, what are you going to do, ''Mother''? ''Father''?" Yuan looked at them with contempt, his gaze so cold that it made the two feel as though they had been tossed into the abyss.

    "Y-You won''t get away with this! All of you will regret this!" Tang Lee spoke with gritted teeth.

    "Let''s go! We''re leaving!" Yu Yong stood up.

    "Where do you think you''re going?" Yuan''s eyes turned golden again.

    And he continued in a cold voice, "You''re done here when I say you''re down. Now, sit back down."N?velDrama.Org content rights.

    An immense pressure suddenly fell on Yu Yong and Tang Lee, causing them to fall into their seats.

    "Don''t forget, you still owe me money. I will let you keep 50 billion since that''s how much Miss Meifeng needs to buy out of her contract, but everything else is mine."

    "Hahaha! As if we''d give you any money!" Tang Leeughed in a crazed manner.

    Yuan released a deep sigh.

    "I didn''t want to resort to this, but¡­"

    He turned to look at Meixiu and spoke, "Can you make me some tea?"

    The request was very sudden and unexpected, but Meixiu instantly understood what he was trying to do.

    "Sure. Mother, can you help me? It''s been a while, so I forgot how to make tea." Meixiu grabbed her hand and pulled her along to make tea.

    "M-Meixiu?! What is going on?!" Meifeng asked her once they left.

    "Who knows." She shrugged.

    Meanwhile, inside the room, Yuan turned to look at the investors and said, "I no longer have any need for you all. Go to the Cultivators'' Association and wait for me there. You''ll meet yer Yuan by the end of the day."

    The investors were still doubtful of him, but they had no choice. They were clearly up against a monster¡ª one the Yu Family had created.

    "Oh, right, before you all leave, I have one more question¡­ What about the contract?"

    "What contract are you talking about?" David Swanson asked with raised eyebrows.

    "The one I signed with the Yu Family."

    The investors looked at each other andughed, "We don''t know what you''re talking about! Such a contract doesn''t exist!"

    Yuan smiled after hearing their words and nodded, "Then I''ll see you allter."

    Naturally, the contract existed, but the investors there knew what Yuan was trying to do, so they had no choice but to forget about the contract.

    Once all of the people in the room except for Yu Yong and Tang Lee left, Yuan focused his attention on them.

    "What do you think I should do with the two of you?" He asked as he slowly approached them.

    Yu Yong and Tang Lee wanted to run, but they were unable to move their bodies, almost as though they were chained to the chair.

    "So the both of you have managed to reach the first level Spirit Warrior. You must have worked hard to acquire such a profound cultivation. It would be a shame if you were to lose it all at once¡­" Yuan narrowed his eyes at them with a vicious gaze.

    "Y-You wouldn''t dare!" Yu Yong shouted.

    "Do you really still think that I am the same person as before? If that''s the case, allow me to open your eyes!"

    "No! Stop! Help me! Somebody!" Yu Yong roared when he saw Yuan''s motions.

    Yuan ignored Yu Yong''s cry for help and struck him in the chest with his palm.

    "Gah!" Yu Yong coughed out a mouthful of blood, and he could feel his cultivation being destroyed.

    "N-N-No! NO! NO! NO! NO! HOW DARE YOU! MY CULTIVATION!"

    It took a moment for reality to sink in, but when it did, Yu Yong''s face twisted in anger.

    He''d spent many hours and tons of money to improve his cultivation, and for it to all disappear in an instant, it tortured his mind and heart.

    "Soon, you will also know what it feels like to lose everything. I took your power first, then it will be your wealth, andstly, I will take your entire family from you, just like what you did to me."

    Yuan turned to look at the terrified Tang Lee next.

    "Ple-Please! Wait! Spare me! I was wrong! Don''t hurt me! I will do anything you want! I can destroy Meifeng''s contract and hand her over to you! Please! I am still your mother!"

    However, Yuan''s face turned even colder after hearing her words.

    "You dare call yourself my mother after everything you have done?!"

    The pressure in the room increased.

    "Don''t you ever dare call yourself my mother again!" Yuan shouted as he thrusted his palm into her chest, destroying her Dantian.

    "NO!!!"

    Tang Lee could feel all of the spiritual energy in her body dissipate in the following moments.

    Yuan took a deep breath to calm himself down after destroying Yu Yong and Tang Lee''s cultivation.

 Chapter 990 - I Am No Longer Yu Tian

    Chapter 990 - I Am No Longer Yu Tian

    Meixiu and Meifeng returned to the room with a cup of tea shortly after Yuan destroyed Yu Yong and Tang Lee''s to see blood all over the couple''s mouth and clothes.

    "W-What in god''s name happened here?! Young Master! What did you do?!" Meifeng was terrified when she saw the scene.

    "Don''t worry, I didn''t kill them. I only destroyed their Dantian, taking away their cultivation forever." Yuan said in a calm voice.

    Meifeng was speechless.

    ''What had happened to him since my visit a few months ago? He''s changed into apletely different person! He''s both ruthless and merciless!'' Meifeng cried inwardly.

    "Yu Tian¡­ You will not get away with this¡­" Yu Yong muttered in a low voice despite the pain in his chest.

    "Oh, I should have mentioned this earlier, but I am no longer Yu Tian," he said.

    "Call me Yuan. That''s my name now."

    "What?!"

    Both Yu Yong and Tang Lee turned to look at him with wide eyes filled with disbelief.

    "Young Master¡­ You don''t mean¡­" Meifeng asked in a trembling voice.

    "Yes, I am yer Yuan¡ª I have been since the very beginning." He nodded, confirming their suspicions.

    "No way¡­"

    Both Yu Yong and Tang Lee began feeling emotions that they never experienced before after learning the truth behind yer Yuan.

    Neither of them could have imagined that their own crippled son had been yer Yuan all along. It was a shocking revtion that drove them to the brink of insanity.

    ''We''d been chasing after our own son this entire time?''

    As this reality sank into their minds, Yuan spoke, "I want all of my money¡ª except the 50 billion¡ª in this bank ount by the end of the day."

    "If I don''t see the money by then, I wille back topletely cripple the two of you. And don''t even try to stop me. There is nobody in this world that can stop me from taking back what is rightfully mine."

    "Also, don''t think I have forgotten about that time you hired people to kidnap Meixiu. One by one, I will slowly return the debt. The two of you have abused me for years. I won''t let my revenge end so soon."

    After cing his bank ount information on the table before them, Yuan deactivated his Dragon''s Gaze and started approaching Meifeng.

    "Miss Meifeng, I have already paid them the 50 billion required for you to leave the Yu Family. I won''t force you to work for me, nor will I tell you what to do from this point forth because you''re free to do whatever you want from now." Yuan took the cup of tea from her hands and drank it in one motion.

    "Perhaps you had a dream that you wanted to fulfill, or maybe you wanted to do another job. Whatever it is, I hope that you can find happiness in your new life. If you ever need any help, you can always contact me. I am currently living at the Dragon Spiral Mountain with Meixiu and my friends."

    ''T-The Dragon Spiral Mountain?! That''s the most exclusive territory in this country! The Yu Family have been trying for years to move there!'' Meifeng cried inwardly.

    "Meixiu, let''s go. I don''t want to stay in this dump any longer."

    "Okay." She nodded and followed him to the door.

    Yuan suddenly stopped at the door and spoke, "Oh, right. I don''t really care if you reveal my identity as Yuan since I no longer have any reason to hide it, but if you do¡­ Let''s just say that the public won''t be very happy once they learn about Yu Tian''s past."

    Yuan and Meixiu left the Yu Family''s manor shortly after.

    Meifeng stayed in the room with Yu Yong and Tang Lee for a little longer.

    After a long moment of silence, Meifeng bowed to them and said, "Despite all of the troubles you''ve caused me and others, I am still grateful towards the Yu Family.."

    "Because of you, I was able to meet an amazing person like the Young Master, who I treated as my own son at one point. I''m sure that my daughter would agree with me, so I would like to thank you for that."

    "However, it is time for me to leave the Yu Family. Once again, thank you for everything."

    After giving them another bow, Meifeng turned around and walked out of the room.

    She immediately went to pack her necessities and left the Yu Family shortly after.

    Sometimeter, she took a taxi and disappeared somewhere.

    Meanwhile, Yuan and Meixiu regrouped with Chu Liuxiang.

    "Is everything finished?" Chu Liuxiang asked.

    "No, it''s not. However, I don''t want it to end so quickly, so I am going to take this slowly." Yuan said.

    "Want to tell me about it? I won''t force you if you don''t want to." She then asked.

    "I''ll tell you as we move."

    "Where are we going now?"

    "The Cultivators'' Association."

    "Huh?" Chu Liuxiang raised her eyebrows.

    "I have some people waiting for me there. You''ll understand after you listen to what happened."

    Thus, they started making their way towards the Cultivators'' Association. Yuan would exin the situation to Chu Liuxiang on the way there.

    "I see¡­ So that''s what happened¡­ What are you going to do to those investors? Don''t tell me you''re really going to work with them."

    "Of course not. They''re just as guilty as the Yu Family for supporting them. In fact, they might even be the root of the whole problem. If they never approached the Yu Family, perhaps they wouldn''t have been so corrupted." Yuan said.

    "That makes sense. The investors are usually the real masterminds, as they are always pressuring those they support for more profit, even threatening them. The Chu Family had their fair share of trouble with them when I was there. That''s just how the world works." Chu Liuxiang agreed with him.

    "Yuan, do you think my mother wille with us?" Meixiu suddenly asked with a look of uncertainty on her face.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    "Who knows." He shrugged.

    "However, I do hope that she works for us."

    "Me too¡­" She sighed.

 Chapter 991 - Until the Interview

    Chapter 991 - Until the Interview

    At the Cultivators'' Association, Chairman Lee was surprised when David Swanson and the other investors suddenly showed up at his ce.

    "What the hell happened to you guys? Especially you, Mister Jiang. Your leg seems to be injured." Chairman Lee asked them with a frown on his face.

    "Ah, I fell down on my way here. It''s nothing serious." Mister Jiang said with a stiff smile on his face.

    "Yu Tian told us toe here and wait for yer Yuan to show up. He promised that he will let us meet yer Yuan." David Swanson said.

    "Come to my room now. All of you." Chairman Lee said.

    Sometimeter, once they were in a private room and sitting down, Chairman Lee mmed the table in anger, "TELL ME! WHAT HAPPENED BETWEEN YOU GUYS AND YU TIAN!?"

    The investors were taken aback by Chairman Lee''s sudden fit of rage.

    "C-Calm down, Chairman Lee. Why are you so angry?" Mister Joe said to him.

    "Calm down?! Do you idiots have any idea who you''re messing with?!"

    "We know. He knows yer Yuan, so it would be a bad idea to offend him. However, it''s a little toote for that¡­"

    "Tell me everything!" Chairman Lee frowned.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    The investors looked at each other, seemingly hesitant to tell Chairman Lee about their involvement with the Yu Family and Yu Tian.

    However, since they have somewhat dragged Chairman Lee into this mess and angered him, they had no choice but to tell him.

    Even though they were all wealthy and powerful people, they did not dare to offend the Cultivators'' Association that was getting increasingly more influential and powerful at a rapid rate, not to mention their rtionship with the government.

    Even before the investors finished telling the full story, Chairman Lee was already fuming in anger, his body trembling nonstop.

    The investors were terrified when they saw this, and they wanted to stop, but they didn''t dare to stop until they finished telling the whole story.

    "You fucking idiots!" Chairman Lee shouted at them afterward.

    "Chairman Lee, please tell us what you know. You clearly know something that we don''t!" David Swanson said to him in a pleading voice.

    However, before Chairman Lee could even say anything, someone knocked on the door.

    "Chairman Lee! Someone iming to be yer Yuan has asked for an audience!"

    "What?! yer Yuan actually came?!" The investors were pleasantly surprised.

    "Let him in!" Chairman Lee said.

    The door opened, and three figures entered the room.

    "You''re¡­" The investors were puzzled when they saw Yuan. The thought that he was yer Yuan didn''t even enter their minds.

    "Where''s yer Yuan? You promised us that we''d meet him!" One of them eximed.

    "Of course, and I have already fulfilled that promise." Yuan said with a profound smile.

    "W-What are you talking¡ª" That person halted his sentence midway, and the entire room turned dead silent.

    Chairman Lee suddenly stood up and bowed, "How are you doing, Yuan?"

    When the investors heard Chairman Lee addressing him as ''Yuan'', they all realized the truth almost simultaneously.

    "Y-You''re yer Yuan?! That''s impossible!" David Swanson eximed, his face filled with disbelief.

    "Don''t tell me you''re going to ask for proof again? I don''t have the energy to deal with your nonsense anymore."

    "Hmm? These guys¡­ Aren''t you Mister David?" A familiar voice suddenly resounded.

    Yuan and everybody in the room turned to look at Chu Liuxiang.

    "You know him?" Yuan asked her.

    "Of course. I have seen him at the Chu Family plenty of times." She nodded.

    "Y-Y-You are! Young Lady Chu! What are you doing here?!" David Swanson also recognized Chu Liuxiang after looking at her face closely.

    The other investors there also recognized her.

    As one of the most powerful and wealthy backgrounds in the country, it was only natural for these investors to approach the Chu Family.

    "Is it weird for me to be here?" Chu Liuxiang said.

    "W-What about the Chu Family?!"

    "Oh, I left the family long ago. I am now part of his family." She pointed at Yuan.

    "S-Seriously? You left the Chu Family to be with Yu Tian?"

    "People may know him as Yu Tian, but I have always known him as Yuan."

    Chu Liuxiang suddenly narrowed her eyes, "Anyways, I heard about the situation from him. So you guys are involved with the Yu Family, huh? Why am I not surprised?"

    The investors began sweating.

    If even someone like Chu Liuxiang decided to leave the Chu Family for him, there was no way they could refute his identity as Yuan anymore.

    "Please forgive us, Yu Tian¡ª No, Yuan!" David Swanson fell to his knees and kowtowed to Yuan.

    The other investors immediately followed.

    "Hahahaha!" Yuan suddenly startedughing.

    "You want me to forgive you after everything that you''ve done to me?! In your damn dreams!"

    The investors began taking steps back, distancing themselves from Yuan.

    "Don''t worry, I won''t kill you. Once I am done with the Yu Family, I will deal with you guys as well."

    "D-Deal with us?! You may be famous, but do you have what it takes to handle us?! You''re just a damn child! What can you do besides threatening us with harm?!" Mister Jiang suddenly shouted.

    Yuan smiled and said, "I may be a child, but I can destroy all of you with a few words."

    "Oh? I would love to see how you''re going to achieve that!"

    Yuan smiled and turned to look at Chairman Lee.

    "Chairman Lee, can you prepare an interview for me? I''d like to speak with the world for a moment."

    "Of course. I will have everything prepared in an hour."

    Yuan looked at the investors and spoke, "I will give you all a chance to live a normal life. If you give me all of your money, I will forgive you."

    "All of our money?! You must be out of your damn mind!" David Swanson shouted.

    Yuan shook his head and said, "Don''t be so rash. I''ll give you until the interview begins to give me the money."

 Chapter 992 - Removing His Mask

    Chapter 992 - Removing His Mask

    An hour passed in the blink of an eye.

    Since then, Chairman Lee not only prepared the interview but also spread news that yer Yuan will be the one doing the interview.

    When news spread, people from all over the city flocked to the Cultivators'' Association, filling up the square outside almost immediately.

    "Wow, there''s a lot of people¡ª more than I anticipated." Yuan looked at the crowd outside through the window.

    "W-What are you nning?" David Swanson asked him in a nervous voice.

    Yuan smiled and said, "You''re right. I don''t have the power to deal with you guys. After all, I am just one person who happens to be really good at a video game. However, what if I make those with power deal with you guys?"

    He turned to look at the crowd again and continued, "I wonder how many Legacy Families are in that crowd? I also wonder what they would be willing to do for me if I offer them Divine-rank cultivation techniques and Divine-grade treasures?"

    "Y-You''re going to bribe them?!" The investors were in disbelief.

    "No, I am only giving them a reward for helping me out. I guess you can even say that I am merely hiring them for a service. Once I give them your names, I wonder how long it will take for them to destroy you guys."

    Yuan showed them a cold smile.

    "If Divine-grade treasures are not enough, I can even offer them Ancient-grade treasures!"

    "A-Ancient-grade treasures?!" They eximed.

    In this world, besides Yuan, nobody has managed to acquire Ancient-grade treasures. In fact, besides a lucky few, even Divine-grade treasures are unobtainable.

    The investors there looked at each other with fearful looks on their faces.

    If Yuan was truly nning on bribing the public to destroy them, they would have no chance of survival! After all, even they would do everything in their power to help Yuan if they had the chance!

    "Yuan, the interview is ready. You can go onto the stage whenever you want." Chairman Lee suddenly entered the room and said.

    "Alright, I''ming." Yuan wore a mask on his face before approaching the door.

    "W-Wait! I am willing to give you all of my fortune!" One of the investors there suddenly stepped forward and announced.

    "M-Me too! I will also give you every penny in my bank ount!" Another stepped forward.

    In their eyes, even if they gave away all of their money, there was still a chance for them to earn more money. However, if Yuan sessfully bribes the world to destroy them, they might not survive through the rest of the week!N?velDrama.Org content rights.

    In the end four out of the twelve investors there decided to hand Yuan all of their money in order to purchase his forgiveness. As for the other eight, they refused to believe that Yuan would be able to bribe the public, as that would destroy his reputation.

    "No more takers? Alright, don''t say I didn''t give you a chanceter!"

    Yuan walked out of the room shortly after with Chairman Lee.

    Once they were alone, the investors there argued amongst themselves.

    "Why did you agree to give him all of your money?! There''s no way that he would be able to bribe the public! As if the other families would be that stupid to agree to such a thing!"

    "I''m not taking that risk!"

    "Even if he sessfully bribes the public, he would immediately be the world''s number one enemy! A single person shouldn''t be able to hold that much power! The others will crush him before he can crush us!"

    While the investors argued, Yuan appeared in the square and stepped on a portable tform that had just been prepared.

    "Look! It''s yer Yuan!"

    "Damn it! He''s still wearing a mask!"

    "Is he the real deal or just a fake?"

    "The Chairman of the Cultivators'' Association is the one who organized this event¡­ I don''t think they would do something like this if he was a fake."

    The crowd murmured amongst themselves.

    "Hello, everyone. I am Chairman Lee of the Cultivators'' Association. First of all, I would like to thank you all foring here on such short notice. Second, I would like to thank yer Yuan for his participation despite his busy schedule." Chairman Lee took the microphone and spoke to the crowd.

    After talking for a few more minutes, Chairman Lee handed the microphone to Yuan.

    The entire ce turned dead silent as they anxiously waited for him to speak.

    This was happening all over the world, as the interview was being broadcast to the whole world.

    After taking a deep breath, Yuan spoke into the microphone.

    "Thank you all foring today. Before I start, I would like to apologize for not appearing before all of you sooner, but I had a reason for hiding myself, and I am going to tell you all that reason today."

    "Due to some family issues and health issues, I was unable toe out until today. I was born with a healthy body, but my body would stop functioning properly as I grew older."

    "I lost my ability to see when I was only seven years old. When I was 13 years old, I became a cripple that couldn''t even get out of bed without the help of another person, and for the next few years, I would remain in such a state."

    "I am currently 18 years old, almost 19, and I have been living in solitude for almost 5 years now, hence why I am only appearing in public now."

    The people watching Yuan''s speech were left speechless after learning about his tragic life, and they all understood why he hasn''t shown himself for so long.

    "W-Wait¡­ What the hell is he doing? What happened to bribing the public? Why does it seem like he''s going to reveal his true identity?!" The investors watching from inside the Cultivators'' Association were shocked.

    Yuan continued speaking, "Now that I havepletely recovered, I am going to celebrate by finally revealing my true identity to all of you today."

    Everyone watching swallowed nervously after hearing his words.

    yer Yuan is finally going to reveal his true identity? This is what everyone and their mother has been waiting for since the day of his first appearance in the form of an announcement in Cultivation Online!

    And without any hesitation, Yuan removed his mask, revealing to the world his handsome face.

 Chapter 993 - Player Yuanâ€™s True Identity

    Chapter 993 - yer Yuan''s True Identity

    After removing his mask, Yuan ced it on the table in front of him and stared at the crowd with a calm expression.

    It was almost as though the world was silent at this moment, as not a single sound could be heard from that location.

    "Huh? That''s yer Yuan? Doesn''t he seem familiar? It''s like I have seen him before¡­"

    Some of the people there felt familiarity after seeing his face.

    "W-Wait! I-Isn''t that Yu Tian?! The legendary music prodigy who recently performed in a concert after disappearing for many years?! I am sure of it! That''s Yu Tian! I even watched his performance a few days ago!"

    Someone there finally recognized Yuan''s face and eximed, letting everyone there know of his identity.

    Yuan smiled and said, "Indeed, I am that Yu Tian."

    The crowd became chaotic after this shocking revtion.N?velDrama.Org content rights.

    Nobody there could''ve expected the mysterious yer Yuan to be the missing child prodigy, Yu Tian!

    Shortly after Yuan revealed his true identity as Yu Tian, people from all around the world started contacting the Yu Family. However, there was no response from the Yu Family, almost as though they had suddenly disappeared.

    Sometimeter, Yuan''s voice resounded again, "I am sure that some of you are trying to contact the Yu Family even as I am speaking, but I must warn you¡ª you''re only wasting your effort."

    "Why would you say that, Yu Tian?!" One of the reporters there asked him.

    Yuan nced at the person who just spoke and responded in a cold voice, "Don''t address me with that name. I don''t want to be associated with that family."

    The people there trembled after hearing his cold voice.

    "D-Did something happen between you and the Yu Family? Would you be willing to tell us about it?!" Another reporter there asked.

    "Of course. That''s why I am doing this interview. I am going to answer as many questions as I can." He nodded.

    "Anyways, the reason why I don''t want to be associated with the Yu Family is because¡­"

    Yuan proceeded to tell the whole world about how the Yu Family had mistreated and abused him since he was a child, treating him as though he was a ve for their own profit.

    He told them about how the Yu Family had adopted him only to profit from his talents. He told them about how they would force him to practice day and night without any breaks. He told them about how they forced him to sign an illegal contract when he was still a young child. He told them about how they abandoned him after he became a cripple and how they treated him like trash since then.

    When the world learned of all the horrible things the Yu Family had done to him, everyone felt anger in their hearts, and they cursed the Yu Family inwardly.

    After talking about all of the bad things the Yu Family had done to him, Yuan started talking about the good things.

    He spoke about how his younger sister had sacrificed herself so that she could take care of him for many years despite being two years younger than himself. He spoke about a certain servant who treated him like her own child.

    Even though he wanted to drag the Yu Family through dirt, he didn''t want those who helped him to be dragged along merely because of their association with the Yu Family, so he spoke about Yu Rou and Meifeng, treating them as though they were his savior.

    This way, nobody would dare to mess with them even if they were associated with the Yu Family.

    In fact, Yuan even publicly announced that if anyone were to mess with Yu Rou or Meifeng, they would face his wrath.

    "Brother¡­" Yu Rou, who was watching the broadcast with Xia jingyi and White Lotus, brawled her eyes out.

    Even though her own family had been exposed for their behavior and will soon be the public''s number one enemy, she couldn''t help but feel as though a mountain had been lifted from her shoulders.

    Sometimeter, Yuan said, "Although I want to me all of my suffering on the Yu Family, that wouldn''t be fair, as they were only manipted by the true masterminds¡ª"

    "Oh no! This bastard is going to get us killed!" The investors finally realized Yuan''s true intentions, but it was already toote.

    Yuan proceeded to name the eight investors that refused to renounce their fortune for his forgiveness and spoke about how they had corrupted the Yu Family, even mentioning thepanies they owned.

    Immediately after Yuan revealed their names, the named investors started getting phone calls from pretty much everybody on their contact list and more.

    "Mister Swanson! It''s a disaster! Most of our investors and associates have just announced that they will stop supporting us and even demanded for their money back! At this rate, we''ll go bankrupt!"

    "Mister Jiang! Please! You need to do something! The Legacy Families are suddenly threatening to destroy us! What is happening?!"

    When the four investors that renounced their fortune for Yuan''s forgiveness saw the results of their decision, they all sighed in relief, feeling as though they''d just dodged a massive bullet, even though they will soon be losing all of their money.

    "Fuck! That fucking bastard! We''re ruined!" The eight investors cried, but there was nothing they could do about the situation.

    However, Yuan wasn''t done just yet.

    "Although I cannot do anything against these people that have wronged me by myself, I would like to seek your help. If you can do something about it, please help me get justice. I will owe you a favor¡ª you have my word."

    When the powerful families that have been wanting to recruit Yuan heard thest few words of his sentence, they all decided to help him.

    ''This guy is freaking brutal!'' Chairman Lee was sweating buckets as he stood behind Yuan, realizing how lucky he is to not be Yuan''s enemy.

 Chapter 994 - End of Yuanâ€™s Interview

    Chapter 994 - End of Yuan''s Interview

    After dealing with the Yu Family and the eight investors, Yuan decided to answer some of the public''s questions.

    "I will now be answering any questions you may have."

    All of the reporters there immediately started shouting their questions. It was so chaotic and loud that nobody could hear a proper question being asked.

    "Please calm down. Since everyone here seems to have a question, I will pick some of you." Yuan said.

    Once the ce was quiet again, Yuan randomly pointed at someone in the crowd.

    "The young man wearing a yellow shirt with a red heart. Do you have a question for me?"

    "Y-Yes! Thank you for picking me! I want to ask¡ª are you still ying Cultivation Online? A lot of people seem to think that you''ve quit for some reason."

    "Of course I am still ying Cultivation Online. In fact, I intend on ascending to the next realm after I return home from all this."

    The audience were shocked to hear such news because if Yuan manages to clear the Stairway to Heaven, the Third Heaven will be unlocked for all yers.

    "Next question. The youngdy wearing a red shirt and blue jeans." Yuan picked another person shortly after.

    "Thank you for picking me! I would like to ask¡ª what is your current cultivation in Cultivation Online and out here?"

    Yuan smiled and said, "In Cultivation Online, I am at the peak of Spirit Lord. As for my current cultivation¡­ I am a Spirit Grandmaster."

    "What?! He''s already achieved Spirit Grandmaster?!"

    Everyone watching was in disbelief.

    "If you don''t believe me then let me show you something¡­" Yuan''s body suddenly started hovering towards the sky, shocking everyone there, including Chairman Lee.

    "H-H-He''s flying?!"

    "How is that possible?!"

    "Is this a magic trick?!"Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    The reporters there asked him.

    "Once you achieve Spirit Grandmaster, you can start learning something called Qi Manifestation. If you master this technique, you will be able to fly. This is also true in Cultivation Online."

    Most people already knew that Spirit Grandmasters could fly without flying swords in Cultivation Online, but they didn''t think it would also work in the real world.

    Once the crowd calmed down, Yuan continued to answer their questions.

    An hourter, Yuan said, "I will be ending the interview now. Thank you all for participating."

    However, before leaving, he still had a surprise for everyone there.

    After taking a deep breath, he spoke into the microphone, "In order to celebrate this asion, I would like to host a little event, and anyone can participate in this event."

    "Seven days from now, I will hide some Heaven-grade treasures and even a Divine-grade treasure in Spirit Heaven. If you can find it, it will be yours. I will give you the general location of the treasures on the same day. Good luck, everybody."

    Yuan walked away from the tform and entered the Cultivators'' Association with Chairman Lee while the guards there blocked the reporters from bombarding them.

    After returning to the room with the investors, Yuan looked around and asked, "Where are the others?"

    There were only four people left inside the room, and they were the ones who agreed to give Yuan their wealth.

    "They all left long ago¡­ If you had mentioned my name during the interview, I would''ve left too¡­"

    "I see¡­ Anyways, you have until tonight to hand me all of your wealth. If I find out that you didn''t give me all of your money, I will do another interview. And don''t even try running away because I will find you. Once you transfer the money, I don''t want to ever hear from you or see you guys again. Do you understand me?"

    "Y-Yes! We understand!" They all shouted.

    Once Yuan handed his bank ount to them, the four of them ran away.

    "Now I don''t need to worry about having no money for a while." Yuan smiled once he was alone with Chairman Lee.

    "You''ll probably have enough for more than one lifetime with the amount of money you''re going to be gettingter¡­" Chairman Lee shook his head with a bittersweet smile.

    "Thanks for your help, Chairman Lee. This wouldn''t have been possible without your help."

    "I will be d to help you at any time! If you need help again, you know where to find me."

    "I will send you a location in seven days. Go there and you will find something. No need to thank me. This is my way of thanking you." Yuan said to him.

    "T-Thank¡ª Okay!" Chairman Lee nodded with excitement.

    Sometimeter, he flew away from the Cultivators'' Association since the outside was still flooded with people.

    A few blocks away, he met up with Meixiu and Chu Liuxiang.

    "Now that the entire world knows your true identity, what are you going to do?" Chu Liuxiang asked him.

    "The same as usual," he said with a smile.

    "I still can''t believe you actually went through with it. I wonder how the Yu Family is doing now. I doubt they''ll be able to survive after this scandal."

    "They''ll probably go into hiding." Meixiu said.

    "They can hide all they want¡ª as long as they give me back my money." Yuan said.

    "Hey, Yuan, since we have some time now, let''s go visit the orphanage!" Chu Liuxiang suddenly suggested.

    "The orphanage¡­?" Yuan repeated in a mumbling voice.

    "Yes! It''s not that far from here, too!"

    "Sure. Let''s go." Yuan nodded with a smile.

    They started making their way to the orphanage while the rest of the world talked about Yuan''s interview today.

    Meanwhile, at Eternal Lotuses, White Lotus and the others were busy refusing people that were trying to get into contact with Yu Rou after learning about her rtionship with Yuan.

    As for the Yu Family, their headquarters was surrounded by people that were throwing trash among other stuff into their property.

    The police did not bother stopping these people because they didn''t receive anyints, and they also wanted justice for Yuan.

 Chapter 995 - Orphanage

    Chapter 995 - OrphanageThis is from N?velDrama.Org.

    An hourter, Yuan arrived at the orphanage that he and Chu Liuxiang used to call home.

    "Wow, this ce looks worse than it does in my memories¡­" Yuan was surprised by the poor condition of the ce.

    "Well, it''s been over a decade since we lived here, and this ce never had any money to begin with." Chu Liuxiang said.

    And she continued in a sighing voice, "Even though the Chu Family had offered to give them donations multiple times, they would always refuse it."

    "Why would they do that?"

    "I have no idea." She shook her head.

    "So this is where you two came from¡­" Meixiu was focused on the orphanage, as she considered this ce as Yuan and Chu Liuxiang''s true origins.

    "Let''s see if they are still in service." Yuan said a momentter.

    They approached the worn building and knocked on the door.

    A few momentster, the door opened, and a middle-aged woman appeared before them.

    "How may I help you finedies and gentleman?" The middle-aged woman asked them with a gentle smile.

    Yuan''s eyes widened when he saw this woman''s face, and he muttered in a low voice, "Sister Ellis¡­? Is that you?"

    "Hm? Do I know you, handsome young man?" The middle-aged woman asked with a puzzled face.

    "It''s me, Yuan. Do you remember me? I used to y the harmonica all the time for you and the other orphans."

    The middle-aged woman''s eyes widened with surprise after hearing his words.

    She covered her mouth and spoke in a trembling voice, "Y-Yuan¡­? Is that really you? My god¡­ you''ve grown into such a fine young man¡­ I couldn''t recognize you at all!"

    "Sister Ellis, what about me? Do you remember me?" Chu Liuxiang spoke next.

    Ellis turned to look at her.

    "Lulu? You look almost the same as the day you left. Your beautiful hair and hazel eyes¡ª it''s hard to forget about you even if I want to, especially since you were always the loudest one."

    She turned to look at Meixiu next and asked, "Were you also from this orphanage? Sorry, but I don''t recognize you."

    "No, I am not." Meixiu quickly shook her head.

    "I see¡­ Anyways, what brought you two back to the orphanage?" Ellis asked them a momentter.

    "We''re just visiting," said Chu Liuxiang.

    "How are you and the orphanage doing nowadays, Sister Ellie? If there''s anything we can do to help¡­" Yuan asked her.

    "Unfortunately, the orphanage is no longer in service. In fact, we shut down justst week. I am still here just to finish closing this ce down."

    "What?! The orphanage is no longer in service?! What happened?" Chu Liuxiang eximed.

    "Well, we ran out of money, so we can no longer operate."

    "Seriously? My father told me that he''d tried donating to your orphanage, but you guys would always refuse. Is there a reason why even though you clearly needed the money?"

    Ellis sighed and said, "The owner of the orphanage is a corrupt bastard. Any money that gets donated to this orphanage will be stolen by him, so I refused the Chu Family''s donation, as I don''t want to give him any more money even if it means shutting this ce down."

    "..."

    Yuan and Chu Liuxiang frowned after learning the truth.

    "Who is the owner of this ce? I want to have a word with him." Yuan said.

    "What? I appreciate your thoughts, but there''s no point in doing that. The orphanage is already closed. Furthermore, the owner sold it. This ce will be demolished soon. There is nothing you or I can do about it."

    "We won''t know for sure until we try it. I made a small name for myself, so I should be able to help. Please, Sister Ellie. I don''t want this ce to disappear in such a manner." Yuan said in a dispirited manner.

    Ellie sighed.

    "All right. I will give you the name of this person. Just don''t do anything rash, okay?"

    "Of course." Yuan nodded with a smile.

    Ellie handed him a business card that had all of the information they needed on it.

    "Thank you. Give me a moment while I make a call." Yuan took the business card and proceeded to call Chairman Lee.

    "Hello, Chairman Lee. If you don''t mind, I''d like to trouble you again."

    "What happened?"

    "You see¡­"

    Yuan began telling Chairman Lee about the situation and the owner''s information.

    "How dare this scoundrel steal money from an orphanage that helps children? Unforgivable! Don''t worry, I will make sure he''s taken care of before the day ends!"

    "Thank you."

    After hanging up, Yuan returned to Ellis.

    "Sister Ellis, if you had the chance, would you be the new owner of this orphanage?" He suddenly asked her.

    "Well¡­ It''s always been my passion to help those in need, especially children¡­ If I can manage the orphanage, I would definitely do it. Why are you asking?"

    "You will see in a bit." Yuan smiled.

    "While we wait for the results, can we take a look around the building?" He then asked.

    "Of course."

    Yuan and the others followed Ellis into the orphanage shortly after.

    "The interior is exactly like how I remember, but it''s a lot smaller." Chu Liuxiang said.

    "You''re much bigger now so it''s only obvious that this ce would seem smaller." Ellis chuckled at her silly remarks.

    "Hey! Yuan! Do you remember this spot? You would always sit on the table here and y the harmonica for us!" Chu Liuxiang pointed at an empty spot that used to have a table.

    "I do, and you would always shake the table whenever you ask me to y another song." Yuan smiled.

    Yuan and Chu Liuxiang would reminisce about their life as an orphan as they walked through the old and empty building.

    Shortly after their tour ended, Chairman Lee called Yuan to let him know of some good news.

    "I see¡­ Thank you very much, Chairman Lee. I will return this favor in seven days." Yuan said to him.

    After hanging up, he turned to look at Ellis with a wide smile on his face.

    "Yuan¡­? What''s the matter?" She asked in a nervous voice.

 Chapter 996 - Personal Maid

    Chapter 996 - Personal Maid

    "I have some good news, Sister Ellis. This ce will no longer be demolished, and you will be the new owner." Yuan ryed this news to her.

    "What?! How is that possible? What did you do?" Ellis didn''t dare to believe such good news.

    "I just called a friend who could help us."

    "B-But this ce was already sold! How did they manage to convince the buyer?"

    "Who knows." He shrugged.

    "What about the previous owner? What happened to him?"

    "He will be going to jail."

    "W-What about the funds? Even if I own this ce, if I don''t have any money¡­"

    "That''s also been taken care of. I will be donating some of my money to this orphanage so you don''t have to worry about money for a long time."

    "Y-You? I don''t want to put such a burden on you¡­"

    "It''s fine. I won the lottery recently, so I have plenty of money." Yuan chuckled.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    "Seriously¡­?" Ellis stared at Yuan''s calm expression with a shocked face.

    "Seriously." He confirmed.

    "My god¡­"

    "By the way, there will be someone hereter to help you get everything settled. They will also assist you until you can manage this ce properly."

    Tears began pouring out of Ellis'' eyes.

    "T-Thank you¡­ How can I ever repay you for this¡­?"

    "You already have." Yuan smiled.

    Yuan and the others stayed with Ellis until the help Chairman Lee sent had arrived.

    "Hello, I am Peter, and these people behind me are my team. We will be helping you get this orphanage back up and running as soon as possible. We will also teach you how to manage the ce." The man leading the group introduced himself.

    "Then we''ll be leaving now, Sister Ellis. We''lle backter to check up on you." Yuan said to her.

    After saying their goodbyes and hugging Sister Ellis, Yuan and his group left the orphanage.

    "You''re very lucky to have such a close rtionship with him, Sister Ellis." Peter said to her after they left.

    "Huh? Why?"

    "You don''t know?"

    "No¡­"

    Peter proceeded to tell Ellis about Yuan''s background, which greatly shocked her.

    "Oh my¡­ To think he''d lived such a horrible life after leaving the orphanage¡­ But I''m really d that he''s managed to turn his life around." Ellis sighed.

    At the end of the day, Yuan asked Meixiu, "What''s the situation with our money?"

    She looked at their bank ount and said, "The four investors have already sent their money. We currently have 122 billion dors in the bank. However, we haven''t received anything from the Yu Family yet."

    "I see¡­" Yuan sighed.

    "Are you going back to deal with the Yu Family?" Chu Liuxiang asked.

    "Knowing them, they probably already fled the city and went into hiding." He shook his head.

    "So what are we going to do now? Look for them?"

    "It''s already gettingte, so I''m not going to bother. They can run, but they won''t be able to hide forever. We''ll eventually find them, and when we do¡­" Yuan''s eyes glinted with a killing intent.

    Meixiu and Chu Liuxiang swallowed nervously.

    "Let''s go home for now." He said to them a momentter.

    "Okay."

    They took a taxi back to the Dragon Spiral Mountain.

    A few hourster, they arrived at the bottom of the mountain.

    "Wee back, Young Master Yuan." The guards outside the gates greeted him.

    "Hey. We''re back."

    "Young Master Yuan, there is actually someone waiting for you¡­" One of the guards suddenly said to him.

    "Huh? Who?"

    "It''s me, Young Master." A familiar voice resounded beside them.

    Yuan turned to look at this person.

    A smile appeared on his face when he realized her identity.

    "Miss Meifeng¡­ Are you sure?" Yuan asked her.

    "Of course. It''s always been my dream to work for you after you joined the Yu Family, and this is still my dream," she said.

    After taking a deep breath, she bowed to him and spoke in a nervous voice, "Young Master, I would like to work for you. Please hire me. I am even willing to work for free."

    "Of course I will hire you." Yuan smiled.

    "Thank you, Young Master. You will not regret it."

    "Mother¡­" Meixiu mumbled.

    Meifeng turned to look at her next.

    "You don''t have to worry about me. Just continue living your life as usual," she said.

    ''Mother doesn''t know about my rtionship with Yuan yet¡­ Things will definitely be awkwardter if I don''t tell her soon¡­'' Meixiu sighed inwardly.

    Meifeng followed Yuan and the others up the Dragon Spiral Mountain until they arrived at their destination.

    "So this is the Young Master''s current home¡­" She mumbled in a dazed voice.

    "Let''s go inside." Yuan said.

    By the time they entered the building, the members of the Demon Sealing Faction were already waiting by the door to greet them.

    "Wee back, everyone! I saw the news! I can''t believe that you''d actually revealed your true identity to the whole world, Yuan!" Shi Lang said.

    "It was going to happen eventually, so I might as well do it sooner." Yuan smiled.

    "Who is this beautifuldy?" Wang Ming asked with his gaze looking at Meifeng.

    "This is¡ª"

    "God evening, everyone. I am called Meifeng, Meixiu''s mother, and I will be working here as the Young Master''s personal maid starting today." She introduced herself before Yuan could even say anything.

    "M-Meixiu''s mother?! No wonder why you look so familiar even though this is my first time seeing you¡­"

    The members of the faction were shocked by her identity. However, as excited as they were about meeting Meixiu''s mother, they were all wondering the same thing at this moment.

    ''Meixiu is already Yuan''s woman, yet her mother will be serving him as his servant¡­ Isn''t this incredibly awkward? How will their rtionship even work?''

    "Miss Meifeng, let me show you around the ce. There are plenty of spare rooms so you can pick your own room." Yuan said to her a momentter.

    "Okay." She nodded.

    --

 Chapter 997 - Room Inspection

    Chapter 997 - Room Inspection

    Once Meifeng left with Yuan to tour around the mansion, the rest of the people there turned to look at Meixiu.

    "Meixiu, now that your mother is here¡­ Are you going to be fine?" Wang Bingbing asked her.

    She nodded, "It will be fine. She may be my mother, but I am an adult now, and we''re no longer at the Yu Family. Nothing will change even with her presence here."

    "Your mother seems like the serious type. She''s like theplete opposite of you." Wang Ming said.

    "She''s very serious and strict when ites to her work, but she is always perfect. It might take a while, but you will eventually get used to her."

    "Is there anything we should be aware of about her? Like what might make her angry?"

    Meixiu pondered for a moment before responding, "If anything, she hateszy people, I guess. But I don''t think any of you should worry about it. She''s working for Yuan now, so she will probably change just like I did."

    While Meifeng followed Yuan around the mansion, she asked him, "What do you usually do nowadays, Young Master?"

    "Uhh¡­ Miss Meifeng, do you think you can stop calling me Young Master? You''re Meixiu''s mother, so it feels a little weird to be addressed in such a manner by you, not to mention that I am no longer a little kid. You''re also no longer working for the Yu Family. You don''t need to be so formal. Things are really rxed around here."

    "Even if you say that, what am I supposed to call you? I have called you Young Master for over 10 years now, and old habits are hard to change. Furthermore, even if I am not at the Yu Family, I am still working for you."

    "Can''t you just call me Yuan like everyone?"

    "That feels wrong to me. I think I will continue to call you Young Master, after all."

    Yuan showed a bittersweet smile and said, "Your demeanor reminds me of someone I know in Cultivation Online, but she''s much more easy going than you, even a little silly at times."

    "Anyways, to answer your question, I usually just train with the others in the morning before going into Cultivation Online."

    "That''s it? Just training and ying video games? What about the instruments? Did you return to ying them?"

    "asionally, I y the zither. But other than that, I don''t touch other instruments. Actually, I guess I also yed the piano a couple of times for Yu Rou."

    "Do you have no intentions of returning to the world of music? Your talents¡­ It really would be a waste."

    Yuan pondered for a moment before responding, "Now that the entire world knows Yu Tian and Yuan are the same person, I might do a concert once in a while to entertain my fans. However, I don''t intend on profiting from it. I want people to be able to enjoy my music without needing to worry about not affording tickets."

    "That''s just like you, Young Master¡­"

    Sometimeter, Yuan showed Meifeng his room.

    "This is my room. That room right there is Meixiu''s room."

    Meifeng entered his room the following moment and immediately started inspecting it.

    "Young Master¡­ This ce is full of dust. Meixiu¡­ What does she do nowadays? Why isn''t she cleaning your room?" Meifeng had a frown on her face as she looked at the little amount of dust on her fingers.

    Although Chu Liuxiang cleans their room, she''s not a professional maid like Meixiu or Meifeng, so it was only natural that the room isn''t sparkless.

    "Meixiu doesn''t work as my maid anymore. I have her handle the faction and the food. Other than that, she trains with us and mainly focuses on her cultivation."

    "Young Master, you cannot live like this! With this much dust in the room, you could easily get sick! Starting today, I will be cleaning your room every day!" Meifeng dered.

    Of course, the room wasn''t as dirty as Meifeng made it sound, but even a speck of dust in the room is one too many for someone like her.

    "I''m going to see Meixiu''s room now." Meifeng said after a quick inspection of Yuan''s room.

    Normally, one would need permission to enter Meixiu''s room, but this was Meifeng, her mother. Even Yuan didn''t dare to stop her from entering.

    A momentter, Meifeng entered Meixiu''s room and started her inspection.

    "At least she''s keeping her own room clean." Meifeng couldn''t find anything toin about after the inspection.

    The bed was neatly made, and the furniture in the room was sparkling clean.

    However, Meifeng wasn''t satisfied just yet, so she dug a little deeper, going into her clothes and such.

    A few minutester, when Meifeng reached Meixiu''s bed, she noticed something was off and reached her hand underneath the bed mattress.

    Yuan raised his eyebrows, wondering what she was doing.

    "What''s this?" Meifeng felt something like a box and pulled it out.

    When she saw what was written on the box, her eyes widened with shock, and her hands even began trembling.

    ''B-Birth control pills?! Why the hell is she hiding such a thing?!'' Meifeng cried inwardly.

    She turned to look at Yuan in a stiff manner.

    "Y-Young Master¡­ Are you and Meixiu¡­ by some chance¡­ doing it?"

    "About that¡­"

    Yuan didn''t expect for Meifeng to find out about his rtionship with her daughter so soon, but now that the cat is out of the bag, he might as well tell the truth.

    "Yes, we''re partners. We were going to tell youter when the time was right, but I guess there''s no longer any need for that." Yuan chuckled.

    Meifeng turned to look at the box again.

    ''That girl¡­ She really did it¡­''

    A slight smile appeared on Meifeng''s face.This is from N?velDrama.Org.

    She returned the box back to its original ce and said, "Don''t tell Meixiu about this. I want to hear it from her."

    "I understand." He nodded.

 Chapter 998 - Who Was Your First?

    Chapter 998 - Who Was Your First?

    Meifeng left Meixiu''s room shortly after putting back her secret.

    "How long have the two of you been going out?" She asked him as they continued the tour around the mansion.

    "Not that long. It started shortly after we moved to this ce," he said.

    "Who made the first move?"

    "Meixiu¡­"

    "Is that so¡­ It appears that she''s changed more than I anticipated."

    And she continued, "What about you, Young Master? What do you think of my daughter?"

    "I love her very much." Yuan said without any hesitation.

    Meifeng smiled, "Do you remember when I asked you the same questionst time?"

    "I do, and I was naive back then. However, I have changed."

    "I can see that."

    Sometimeter, after seeing the whole mansion, Meifeng picked her own room.

    "I want to live in this room." Meifeng said as she stood at the door on the opposite side of Meixiu''s room in the hallway.

    "If that''s where you want to stay, I have nothing to say." Yuan nodded.

    Meifeng moved all of her luggage into the room shortly after.

    When Meixiu learned that her mother will be living in the room across from her, she felt a little nervous and worried because that could affect her nighttime activities with Yuan.

    Everyone in the building gathered at the dining roomter.

    "Starting today, as the head maid of this ce, I will be taking care of breakfast and dinner and cleaning the mansion. Although I am the Young Master''s personal maid, if you ever need any help, don''t hesitate to ask. As for yourundry, I will be doing 2 to 3 people a day throughout the week. If you wish to do your ownundry, just let me know."

    "Thank you, Madam Meifeng." The others said to her.

    The members of the Demon Sealing Faction proceeded to introduce themselves to her one by one.

    Sometimeter, everybody went back to their own rooms to rest as it was gettingte.

    Yuan and Meifeng stayed up a little longer to chat.

    "What happened to the Yu Family afterward? Do you know?" She asked him.

    "They ran away, and they still owe me my money." Yuan smiled.

    "Who could''ve imagined that something like this would happen¡­" She sighed.

    "This is karma. They deserved it."

    "By the way, there is still something that I need to tell you, Miss Meifeng. It''s about Cultivation Online and our world."

    Yuan proceeded to tell her about the truth with Cultivation Online and their world.

    "Seriously¡­? This sounds like something straight out of fiction." Meifeng was in disbelief.

    "I know, but trust me, it''s true. Have you ever yed Cultivation Online?" He then asked.

    "No, I never had the time."

    "Your cultivation is also very low. What cultivation technique are you using?"

    "Something the Yu Family gave me."

    Yuan pondered for a moment and said, "I''m going to get you a new cultivation technique that is far more powerful. Fortunately, you didn''t progress that far in your cultivation, or it will be very difficult for you to suddenly change cultivation techniques."

    "Also, I want you to focus more on your cultivation starting now. It''s going to be very important in the future."

    "I will do as you say, Young Master." Meifeng nodded.

    Once Meifeng retired to her room, Yuan also did the same.

    "Does Meixiu''s mother know about our rtionship?" Chu Liuxiang asked him in bed.

    "Not ours, but she knows about Meixiu and mine. I''ll tell her when the time is right."

    "All right. Let''s go to sleep."

    The following morning, Yuan was woken up by the sound of someone knocking on his door.

    "Young Master, I am going to start clearing your room now. You can continue to sleep if you want." Meifeng''s voice resounded.

    "Huh? W-Wait¡ª" Yuan tried to stop her.

    However, Meifeng had already opened the door and entered the room with her cleaning supplies.

    "Y-Young Master¡­ What is the meaning of this?!" Meifeng was shocked to see Chu Liuxiang sleeping beside him on the same bed.

    Yuan rubbed his eyes and sighed, "Sorry, Miss Meifeng. I should''ve told you this earlier. This is Chu Liuxiang. She''s also my partner."

    Meifeng stared at him with wide eyes as she tried toprehend the situation.

    "You have two partners?" She eventually understood the situation and asked for confirmation.

    "Yes. I''ve known Chu Liuxiang before I even came to the Yu Family. She was at the same orphanage as me."

    "I see¡­" Meifeng mumbled.

    "You''re not mad?" Yuan raised an eyebrow.

    "Why would I be mad? Because you''re dating two women at once? Because you thought I would think that you''re betraying Meixiu?"

    "Something like that¡­ I think?"

    Meifeng shook her head, "You''re mature enough to know this so I will tell you. Meixiu was raised to be nothing more than a servant for you. So the fact you epted her as your partner is already more than I can ask for, and it''s not weird for influential people such as yourself to have more than one wife."

    Of course, Yuan already knew this because Meixiu had told him before.

    "Anyways, I am going to start cleaning your room now. I won''t make much noise, so you can go back to sleep if you want." Meifeng said to him as she started cleaning his room.

    "I don''t think I can go back to sleep anymore so I will just wake up," he said with a smile.

    While Yuan changed out of his pajamas, Meifeng suddenly asked, "By the way, Young Master, I have a question."

    "What is it?"

    "Who was your first? Meixiu or Chu Liuxiang?"? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    "M-Meixiu¡­" He said in a low voice.

    "I see¡­" Meifeng didn''t say anything else and continued to clean his room, but there was a small smile on her face now.

    As for Chu Liuxiang, she was still sound asleep.

    After cleaning his room, Meifeng proceeded to clean the bathroom.

    Meanwhile, Yuan went to do some light training.

    Li Jinxi showed up shortly after to train with him. Eventually, everyone was in the training field.

 Chapter 999 - New Member

    Chapter 999 - New Member

    After training, everyone gathered in the dining room, where breakfast was already prepared by Meifeng.

    "Wow¡­ Did you really cook all of this by yourself?" Wang Ming asked with a dazed look on his face as he stared at the table that was filled with many different dishes for breakfast.

    "This seems like something that requires a full team of chefs to achieve¡­" Wu Zao mumbled.

    "You''re more amazing than I thought, Madam Meifeng." Wang Bingbing praised.

    "If I cannot do this much, then I am not fit to be with the Young Master." Meifeng spoke calmly.

    They started eating the food shortly after.

    "God! This is so freaking good! This is even better than what that old man at the Silver Restaurant back home makes!" Xi Murong eximed as he stuffed the food inside his mouth.

    The Demon Sealing Faction emptied all of the dishes on the table in less than half an hour.

    After breakfast, Meifeng took all of the empty tes and went to clean them.

    "Meixiu, is Xiuying almost here yet?" Yuan asked her.

    "Yes, she texted me an hour ago that she was on her way here¡ª"

    Meixiu''s phone suddenly started ringing.

    After seeing the caller, Meixiu said, "Speaking of the devil."

    "This is Meixiu," she answered the phone.

    "I understand. We''reing out now."

    Meixiu hung up a secondter and said to Yuan, "She''s outside right now."

    "Great."

    Yuan stood up and said, "Everyone, our new member is here. Let''s all go greet her."

    "Oh? To have two new residents back to back, it seems like the Demon Sealing Faction is finally growing!" Wang Ming said.

    Sometimeter, they went outside to greet the newest member of the Demon Sealing Faction, Wang Xiuying.

    "Hello, Xiuying. Wee to our humble home." Yuan greeted her with a friendly smile.

    "You call this ce humble?" Wang Xiuying stared at the mansion behind him with a dumbfounded look on her face.

    After snapping out of her daze, she introduced herself to everyone there, "Good morning, I am Wang Xiuying. I used to work in my grandfather''s hospital, but I am now here. If you need any medical attention, just let me know! I am also an Alchemist in Cultivation Online, so I can also concoct pills for you guys!"

    The members of the Demon Sealing Faction introduced themselves after her introduction.

    "Nice to meet you all!"

    "Let me show you around. You can leave your luggage inside for now." Yuan said to her afterward.

    "Okay!"

    Once Wang Xiuying left with Yuan, the others started talking about their new member.

    "Wow, she''s really pretty. As expected of Yuan." Wang Ming said.

    "She seems very energetic, too." Wang Bingbing added.

    "Do you know anything about her, Meixiu?" They asked her next.

    "Yes, her grandfather took care of Yuan when he was bedriddened. After we left the Yu Family, she took her grandfather''s ce and took care of Yuan for a while. She''s a good friend."

    "What about their rtionship? Is she also his partner?" Hong Xiuquan asked out of curiosity.

    "They don''t have that kind of rtionship. However, Wang Xiuying admires Yuan a lot, and she even ims to be his number one fan." Meixiu shook her head.

    "Well, now that she''s living with him, it probably won''t be long before things happen." Shi Lang shrugged.

    Meanwhile¡ª

    "Wow, this ce is so much nicer inside. Not even five star hotels canpare to this." Wang Xiuying mumbled as they walked around.

    "Yes, it''s a nice ce. We''re lucky to live here." Yuan smiled.

    After walking for some time, Wang Xiuying suddenly said, "By the way, I saw your interview."

    "What did you think of it?" He asked.

    "I don''t know how to say it¡­ I felt angry at the Yu Family for what they''ve done to you, but I am also relieved that you finally exposed them. How are they doing right now?"

    "I don''t know, they ran away and hid somewhere." He shrugged.

    "I''m not surprised. They suddenly became the most hated family in the entire world, after all."

    "Also, did you regain your vision? Your eyes regained their color, and it feels like you can see me with your eyes, not your divine sense."

    "Yes, I regained my vision."

    Wang Xiuying sighed after hearing his words, and then she said, "Oh, don''t misunderstand. I am happy for you, but I have always dreamed about curing your illness."

    "Thank you, Xiuying. Your thoughts are enough. However, I don''t think you can call it an illness. I think it''s more of a curse than anything."Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    "Curse?" Wang Xiuying raised her eyebrows.

    "I know it sounds crazy, but I have something to tell youter. It''s very important."

    "Sure."

    Once their tour was finished and Wang Xiuying picked her room that was on the same floor as Yuan''s room, they sat down to drink some tea made by Meifeng.

    "Eh? Miss Meifeng? What are you doing here?" Wang Xiuying was surprised to see her there.

    "I am now working for the Young Master," she gave a quick and brief exnation.

    "I see¡­"

    As they enjoyed the tea, Yuan exined the situation with Cultivation Online to her.

    "What?! Our soul?!" Wang Xiuying was shocked after learning the truth.

    "Yes, so you shouldn''t go too crazy in Cultivation Online, and try your best to not get hurt. Any damage done to your soul is incredibly severe.

    "I-I understand¡­ I will be less reckless with Alchemy now that I know there are real risks to getting hurt¡­" She swallowed nervously.

    Sometimeter, Wang Xiuying went to her own room to organize her luggage.

    Meanwhile, Meixiu approached Meifeng.

    "Mother, I need to speak with you privately whenever you''re avable."

    "Meet me in my room in an hour," Meifeng said.

    "Okay."

    An hourter, Meixiu knocked on the door to Meifeng''s room.

    "Come inside."

    After entering the room and closing the door behind her, Meixiu looked at her mother with a calm but serious expression, "There''s something I need to tell you, and it''s about my rtionship with Yuan."

 Chapter 1000 - Mother and Daughter

    Chapter 1000 - Mother and Daughter

    "I''m listening." Meifeng said as she stood in front of Meixiu.

    Meixiu took a deep breath before speaking, "The truth is¡­ I am currently in a romantic rtionship with Yuan."

    Meixiu stared at her mother''s face to see her reaction.

    However, to her surprise, Meifeng''s facial expression remained unchanged, seemingly unfazed.

    "I see. Congrattions." Meifeng said to her in a calm voice a momentter.

    "Y-You''re not surprised?" Meixiu swallowed nervously.

    "Why would I be? I knew that it was going to happen eventually."

    "Is that so¡­" Meixiu was a little disappointed by her mother''sck of reaction. She thought she would be able to surprise Meifeng, but s, that did not happen.

    "That''s all I have to say." Meixiu turned around and began walking towards the door.

    However, Meifeng stopped her, "Where do you think you''re going?"

    "You may have nothing left to say, but I haven''t said anything yet."

    Meixiu halted her movements and walked back to her original spot.

    "Let''s sit down first."

    The two of them went onto the balcony and sat down before each other.

    Once they were seated, Meifeng spoke, "I want to hear about your rtionship with the Young Master. Start from the beginning."

    "The beginning?" Meixiu raised her eyebrows in a questioning manner, as it was too vague.

    "Start from the day you left the Yu Family with him." Meifeng rified.

    "Okay." She nodded.

    Meixiu proceeded to recall her experience with Yuan from the day they left the Yu Family all the way until the present day.

    After telling Meifeng everything, Meixiu did not stop and continued, "There''s something else you should know about¡­ Yuan has another partner¡­"

    "Chu Liuxiang, right?" Meifeng said.

    "Huh? You knew about it? How?"

    "I learned about it this morning. In fact, I already knew about your rtionship with Yuan since yesterday when I found the birth control pills hidden under your bed. What kind of sloppy hiding spot is that?" Meifeng revealed the truth to her.

    "You searched my room?!" Meixiu was speechless.

    "No, I inspected it. I wanted to make sure that you weren''t cking."

    "Unbelievable¡­" Meixiu became silent.This is from N?velDrama.Org.

    A momentter, Meifeng spoke, "Let''s get to the main topic."

    "Main topic?"

    "Yes. I want to know your ns. When are you going to bear his children?"

    "B-Bear his children?! I am still too young for that kind of thing!" Meixiu eximed.

    "Too young? You''re already an adult. A lot ofdies from influential families start their own family at your age. In fact, I got pregnant with you at that age, too."

    "Seriously¡­?" Meixiu couldn''t believe her ears.

    "Meixiu, listen to me. If you want to remain relevant in the family, you must bear his child. The Young Master will definitely ept more women into his life in the future, and when that happens, he will have less time for you."

    "I am well aware of that, and I will eventually bear his child, but that time is not now. It''s too soon, not to mention the situation with Cultivation Online."

    "Well, it''s not like I am forcing you to bear his child. I am merely giving you advice as your mother. In fact, you''ll probably be pregnant by ident, anyway."

    "W-What? Why do you sound so confident about that?"

    "Because birth control pills are not perfect. Although the chances are slim, it''s not impossible for you to be pregnant even if you take the pills, especially since you''re not wearing rubber when doing it with him."

    Meixiu swallowed nervously after hearing her mother''s words. Will she really get pregnant by ident?

    Meifeng then continued, "I don''t know much about Chu Liuxiang, but she seems like a bold girl. She''ll probably get pregnant before you at this rate¡ª if she''s not already pregnant."

    "I don''t want to talk about this anymore¡­ I''m leaving." Meixiu stood up and quickly left the room.

    ''She may have matured, but she''s still a child at heart.'' Meifeng shook her head inwardly.

    Meanwhile, Yuan entered Cultivation Online.

    "Wee back, Young Master."

    "Good morning, Brother Yuan."

    "Hey, I am finally back. Sorry to keep you all waiting, we''ll start climbing the Stairway to Heaven soon. I have onest thing to do before then."

    Yuan flew around Spirit Heaven and started hiding treasures in random ces.

    "W-What are you doing, Young Master?" Feng Yuxiang asked him in a puzzled voice.

    "I''m hosting an event where I hide treasures for people to find," he calmly exined.

    Feng Yuxiang was speechless. She had tons of questions, but she didn''t dare to ask them.

    While Yuan hid treasures around the world, the inte was going wild about the event.

    [yer Yuan is hosting a massive event!]

    [A chance to acquire Heaven-grade treasures for free!]

    [yer Yuan''s real identity has finally been revealed!]

    [Yu Family''s scandal!]

    Pretty much the entire world was talking about Yuan''s interview yesterday as well as the Yu Family''s scandal.

    At Eternal Lotuses, their front gate was swarmed with people trying to interview Yu Rou.

    "Senior Bai, I would like to do an interview of my own." Yu Rou approached White Lotus with this request.

    "Huh? Why?" White Lotus asked.

    "I just think it''s the right thing to do. I can''t stay silent forever. I will also let the world know my side of the story," she said.

    After pondering for some time, White Lotus agreed to Yu Rou''s request, and the interview was scheduled to start in four hours.

    News of Yu Rou''s interview started spreading like wildfire after White Lotus revealed it to the reporters outside their faction.

    Four hourster, Yu Rou started her interview, and she told the world about her experience with the Yu Family, confirming everything that Yuan had said during his interview.

    Yuan watched the interviewter that evening with Meixiu and Meifeng.

    "That little girl¡­ She''s growing up so fast¡­" Yuan said with a sweet smile on his face.

    "She handled it well. I haven''t seen her in a while, but she''s definitely matured a lot." Meifeng said in a praising voice.

 Chapter 1001 - Not Ready

    Chapter 1001 - Not Ready

    The following morning during breakfast, Li Jinxi asked, "Yuan, now that you''re back, are we going to start ascending to the next realm?"

    "Yes, but I want to wait a few more days just in case anything happens. Once I start ascending, I will be staying in Cultivation Online until I finish all of the trials, so I want to make sure that nothing will distract me from it." He nodded.

    "Makes sense."

    "I don''t think you need to worry. If anything happens, we''ll be able to do something about it. We''re here for you, after all. You can rely on us." Wang Ming suddenly said.

    Yuan pondered for a moment before nodding his head, "You''re right. I should rely on you guys more."

    "All right, we''re going to ascend tonight. Make sure you''re prepared by then."

    "Okay." The members ascending with him nodded.

    "Young Master, may I have some of your time? I have something to ask you." Meifeng asked him after breakfast.

    "Sure. Where do you want to talk?"

    "We can do it in my room," she said.

    Yuan nodded and followed Meifeng to her room.

    After preparing some tea and serving it to him, Meifeng sat down before him.

    "I''m ready when you are, Miss Meifeng." Yuan said to her.

    "Thank you, Young Master. But to be honest, this isn''t that serious, and the topic might not be what you expect."

    Yuan raised an eyebrow as he wondered what she wanted to tell him.

    After taking a deep breath, Meifeng spoke with a serious look on her face, "Young Master, what do you think about having a child with my daughter?"

    Yuan was sipping his tea when Meifeng started speaking.

    After hearing her question, he nearly spat out the tea in his mouth.

    "A-A child with Meixiu? Where did thise from?" He asked her a momentter.

    "As her mother, it''s only natural for me to think about these things now that she''s found herself the perfect partner. And to bepletely honest with you, Young Master, I also want to see some grandchildren."

    "I-I don''t know what to tell you, Miss Meifeng¡­ This is not something I can decide on. Furthermore, we don''t have the time to take care of a baby, not to mention that things will only get busier as we get closer to unveiling the truth behind Cultivation Online and Earth."

    "If you''re worried about not having enough time, you don''t need to worry because I can take care of the baby and do my work at the same time. I''ve already done so with both Meixiu and you, after all."

    "Even if you say that... Have you spoken to Meixiu about this?" Yuan asked.

    "I have."

    "What''s her answer?"

    "She said that she''s not ready."

    "If she''s not ready then there''s nothing I can do. I won''t force her to have a child with me if she isn''t ready to have one." Yuan shook his head.

    "I know, and I am not asking you to do so. However, if you ever feel like having a child with Meixiu, you will most likely have to be the one to convince her. Knowing her, she''s probably waiting for you to approach her."This is from N?velDrama.Org.

    "I see¡­ Then to tell you the truth, I also think I am not ready to have any children. I am still young, and there are many problems in my life that I need to sort out first before I can even start thinking about bringing another life to this world."

    Meifeng closed her eyes and remained silent for a couple of moments before sighing, "Since the Young Master has spoken, I won''t bother you with this matter anymore. Though, I would like to ask, how is your rtionship with Chu Liuxiang? Judging by what I''ve seen from her, she seems like the type of girl to want a family as soon as possible."

    Yuan smiled and said, "As expected of you, Miss Meifeng. Your eyes are as sharp as ever. Indeed, Lulu''s dream is to have her own family. However, she hasn''t asked me to do anything yet. She''s also probably waiting for me to approach her, but who knows. She''s sometimes very unpredictable."

    "I understand. And I apologize for wasting your time with my little nonsense¡­ Ever since Meixiu left with you, I have been thinking about having grandchildren, even though it''s never happened before."

    "Don''t worry about it, Miss Meifeng."

    "Also, you should stop calling me that. You''re my Master now. You can just call me Meifeng."

    "I can call you Meifeng, but you''ll also have to drop the formalities and call me Yuan."

    "That''s not fair, Young Master¡­"

    "Please. You''re Meixiu''s mother. It would be weird for my future mother-inw to address me as Young Master."

    "..."

    Meifeng released a defeated sigh.

    "I understand. If that''s what you want, I shall obey¡­ Yuan."

    "Thank you, Meifeng." He smiled.

    For the rest of the day, Yuan would work on his little treasure hunt. Once he made all preparations, he made his way to the Stairway to Heaven and waited for the others to show up.

    When Meixiu, Chu Liuxiang, and Li Jinxi entered Cultivation Online, they all approached the Stairway to Heaven.

    "We''re finally going to ascend. I''ve been waiting for this moment!" Chu Liuxiang said in an excited voice as they approached the man handing out the badges.

    "I''d like four badges." Yuan said to the man, who immediately raised his eyebrows.

    "Four? Only one of you can challenge the Stairway to Heaven at a time," he said.

    "I know. I am going to be the only one challenging the Stairway to Heaven. They''re justing along with me." Yuan smiled.

    "Seriously? Are you aware that¡ª"

    "Yes, I am aware that by doing so, it would make the trials much harder, and I am prepared for it."

    The man looked at the three beauties standing behind him and sighed in a low voice, "Statistically speaking, men that focus too much on women will never go far in the cultivation world. However, this is your life, not mine."

    Once the old man handed four badges to Yuan, they immediately began climbing the staircase that led to the Stairway to Heaven.

 Chapter 1002 - Surrounded

    Chapter 1002 - Surrounded

    Once they arrived in front of the staircase, Yuan started climbing it while being pressured by an invisible force.

    However, unlike the first time, he was not bothered by it at all. As for Meixiu and the others, they climbed the staircase without feeling anything.

    "Is it supposed to be this easy?" Li Jinxi asked.

    "No, it''s not. Since we''re not taking the trial, we won''t need to do anything. However, Yuan will have to bear our share of effort, so it''s going to be a lot harder on him than normal." Chu Liuxiang exined to her.

    "What? If that''s the case, why don''t we just let him do it by himself? The Stairway to Heaven will probably open for everyone else after he clears it. There''s no reason to make it harder on him for no reason." Li Jinxi said.

    "He''s probably already thought about that, but since he isn''t saying anything, he probably wants the challenge. After all, it would be too easy if he went inside by himself." Chu Liuxiang shrugged.

    "Will he be okay¡­?"

    "Of course. He passed thest Stairway to Heaven while carrying three other people as well."

    "Really? Who was the third one? And where is this person now?"

    "He helped a fellow disciple from the same sect to escape her family. She joined one of the Seven Spiritual Academies with the others."

    "I see¡­"

    Sometimeter, once Yuan and the others arrived before the grand doors of the Stairway to Heaven, they started inserting their badge into the slots.

    However, right as Yuan prepared to insert his badge into the door, he suddenly stopped and started looking around.

    "What are you looking for?" Chu Liuxiang asked him, but he didn''t say anything.

    "Feng Feng, Xiao Hua, Yingying." He suddenly called them.

    The three of them appeared before him the next second.

    "Protect them." He said.

    "Yes."

    "What''s going on, Yuan?" Meixiu asked him with a slight frown on her face.

    "We''re surrounded."

    "Huh? By who?" Chu Liuxiang looked around, but she couldn''t see anyone.

    Suddenly, a tremendous pressure that surpassed even the staircase Yuan climbed appeared.

    Feng Yuxiang and Xiao Hua used their cultivation to protect Meixiu and the others.

    "Where do you think you''re going, Yuan?" A familiar voice suddenly resounded in the area.

    Eight figures appeared in the air above them a momentter, all of them emitting the aura of a Spirit King.

    Yuan smiled when he saw the person leading this group.

    "I was wondering when you''lle back, Lord Ji. So, where did you go after disappearing without a word? What happened to my judgment?"

    "Your judgment was a little unique, so I had to dy it."

    "You couldn''t have picked a better time? I''m finally about to ascend after many dys, and you''re here to dy it again? It''s almost as though this world is trying to prevent me from ascending for some reason."

    "Hahaha!" Lord Ji suddenly startedughing.

    He then spoke, "Don''t worry, Yuan. This will be yourst dy because you will not survive another day. If you''re dead, you won''t need to worry about being dyed or ascending."

    "So you''re going to kill me today? What happened to not meddling with outside affairs unless it breaks the bnce of the world? Don''t tell me that I am going to break the bnce of the world by ascending?" He asked.

    "Oh no, what you did is far worse than breaking the bnce of this world." Lord Ji said.

    "Since I am going to die today, can you enlighten me for a moment? What exactly did I do?"

    Lord Ji pointed his sword at Yuan and spoke in a cold voice, "You offended the Heavens, that''s what you did."

    "I offended the Heavens? How and when did I do such a thing?" Yuan raised an eyebrow.

    "That''s something I wish to know as well."

    "So you don''t know how or if I even offended the Heavens, yet you''re here trying to kill me? Can you be any more unreasonable?"

    "I may not know how, but I definitely know that you have offended the Heavens. When I called upon Heaven''s Judgment on you, the crystal became pitch ck. I didn''t know what it meant at that time because I have never seen such a result before, so I went back home to check."

    "After some research and much to my shock, I learned that when the crystal turns ck after Heaven''s Judgment, that means the Heavens wants you dead at all cost! Although it has never happened in the lower half of the Nine Heavens before, the crystal only turns ck when someone has done something or is nning on doing something that will harm the Heavens!"

    "Such a heinous crime cannot be fully rectified even with your death, so I am going to shatter your soul and erase your existence entirely! This is Heaven''s judgment for you, Yuan!" Lord Ji dered.

    And he continued, "Don''t even try running away into the Stairway to Heaven. As the Lord of this realm, I have control over the Stairway to Heaven. You won''t be able to open that door even if you put in your badge. There''s nowhere to run."Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    "Is that so¡­" Yuan mumbled.

    "Ahahaha!" A familiar-soundingughter suddenly resounded.

    "Yuan! I am finally going to get the chance to avenge my brother and my son! With the Seven Legacy Families and the Ji Family working together to take you down, not even the Heavens can save you today! Oh right! Even the Heavens want you dead!" Patriarch Gu, who was among the group of Spirit Kings, suddenly eximed in a spiteful voice, his aura filled with killing intent.

    Indeed, the 7 individuals that Lord Ji brought with him were all leaders of their own Legacy Family from the Seven Legacy Families.

    Right after Patriarch Gu''s sentence ended, Yuan and the others could see a sea of people approaching them from all directions like a tidal wave. They were all people from the Seven Legacy Families and the Ji Family, and they were all there to carry out Heaven''s Judgment by killing Yuan.

 Chapter 1003 - Opening the Stairway to Heaven

    Chapter 1003 - Opening the Stairway to Heaven

    "Over 300,000 people have gathered here today just to kill you, Yuan. Don''t you feel honored?" Lord Ji said with a cold smirk on his face.

    "Yes, I''m a little ttered that you would go out of your way to send an entire army just for me. However, I will have to disappoint you. Your efforts will be in vain, and I will ascend the Stairway to Heaven just as nned." Yuan remained calm despite his seemingly hopeless situation.

    "Nobody here can stop me from ascending today¡ª not even the Heavens itself."

    "Hahahaha! You''re truly one crazy bastard, Yuan!" Lord Ji suddenly burst outughing, his voice so powerful that it created ripples in the air.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    "I know that you''re a talented guy, but there are situations in this world that cannot be solved with talent alone, and this is one of them!"

    "You''re currently surrounded by the Seven Legacy Families and my Ji Family! Furthermore, your only way of escape¡ª the Stairway to Heaven¡ª is blocked! You have no chance of escaping today!"

    "The Stairway to Heaven is blocked?" Yuan suddenly scoffed.

    "Who decided that? The Stairway to Heaven isn''t owned by you. If I want to open these doors, there is nothing you can do to stop me."

    "While it is technically true that I do not own the Stairway to Heaven, as the Lord of this realm, I have the authority to choose who can open the door and who cannot! If you don''t believe me, you may go ahead and try it!" Lord Ji said.

    "I was going to do that even without needing your permission. However, let''s also have some fun while we''re at it. If I can sessfully open the Stairway to Heaven, why don''t you let us go?"

    "Are you thinking about forcing your way inside the Stairway to Heaven? Not even Immortals who are near the peak of the cultivation world can force their way into the Stairway to Heaven, much less a Spirit Lord like you!"

    "Who said anything about forcing my way inside? I am going to ce my badge and open the Stairway to Heaven the normal way. If I can achieve that, promise me that you''ll give up on trying to kill me."

    Lord Ji narrowed his sharp eyes at Yuan, seemingly trying to figure out his true purpose.

    Although he was confident that Yuan would not be able to open the Stairway to Heaven without his permission, he had an uneasy feeling in his guts.

    "Why are you staying silent, Lord Ji? You don''t seem very confident in your own words now." Yuan showed him a mocking smile on his face.

    "There''s no need to y your games because you''ll be dead soon," Lord Ji sneered.

    "Anyways, do you have anyst words before we kill you?"

    He nodded and asked, "What about my friends? Since I am your target, it wouldn''t make sense to harm them. Why not let them go?"

    "Unfortunately, those who are associated with a criminal like you also deserve the death penalty. Therefore, they are all going to die here with you."

    "That''s not very reasonable. It''s a pity. I thought you would be a little different from the rest of the viins." Yuan shook his head.

    "Did you just call me a viin?" Lord Ji''s face suddenly turned ice cold, almost as though he''d swallowed a live fly by ident.

    "How dare youpare me with a viin! I am Heaven''s servant, and Heaven is just! You, who dared to offend the Heavens, is the viin here!" Lord Ji roared with a twisted look on his face.

    Clearly, Yuan had identally poked his reverse scale.

    Yuan sighed, "Forget it."

    And without even looking, Yuan inserted the badge into the main slot of the doors to the Stairway to Heaven.

    However, the Stairway to Heaven had no reactions whatsoever.

    The leaders of the Seven Legacy Families started tough out loud after seeing this.

    "Look at this damn fool! It''s like he''s deaf or something! Lord Ji clearly told him that he would not be able to open the door!"

    Yuan ignored them and knocked on the door.

    "Umm¡­ Tian''er, can you hear me? If you don''t mind, I''d like to enter." He said out loud.

    "Hahahaha!" Even the 300,000 people there startedughing out loud.

    "What the hell does he think he is doing? Who the hell is Tian''er? Has he gone crazy?!"

    However, in the midst of theirughter, the Stairway to Heaven suddenly started shaking.

    The 300,000 people there, as well as Lord Ji and the leaders, stoppedughing and watched with wide eyes as the massive doors for the Stairway to Heaven started opening.

    "Meixiu, Lulu, Jinxi, I want you to go inside and wait for me." Yuan suddenly said to them with a serious expression on his face.

    "What about you? Why aren''t youing with us?" Meixiu asked with a worried frown.

    "Don''t worry, I will follow you guys once I speak with them some more."

    "What if the door closes on you?" Chu Liuxiang asked.

    "It won''t happen. Trust me." He smiled.

    "Alright, we''ll wait for you inside. Don''t take too long." Meixiu nodded.

    They entered the Stairway to Heaven the next moment.

    ''What the hell is going on?! Why did the Stairway to Heaven open for him?! I specifically ordered it not to open for anyone today!'' Lord Ji cried inwardly as he watched Meixiu and the others enter the Stairway to Heaven.

    ''Oh no! He''s going to get away at this rate!''

    "Stop him from entering the Stairway to Heaven at all cost!" Lord Ji suddenly shouted.

    The leaders of the Seven Legacy Families immediately rushed at Yuan, who suddenly raised his hands and said, "Calm down, I don''t intend on leaving just yet."

    The Stairway to Heaven closed its doors the following moment.

    Lord Ji sighed in relief after seeing that Yuan had remained, but he still couldn''t understand why the Stairway to Heaven had opened just now.

 Chapter 1004 - Heavenâ€™s Regulation

    Chapter 1004 - Heaven''s Regtion

    "What the hell did you do just now? How did you open the Stairway to Heaven?" Lord Ji questioned Yuan after the shocking event.

    "If you tell me why I am being hunted and I will tell you." He said.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    "I already told you¡ª I am only upholding Heaven''s judgment. I don''t know what you did, but I know that you must die."

    "That doesn''t really answer my question, so my question remains unanswered." Yuan shrugged.

    "If you don''t want to tell me, that''s fine. You''ll regret not leaving just now because that was your only chance to survive even a little longer!" Lord Ji smiled.

    "Only a little longer? What can you do to me once I ascend to the Third Heaven?" Yuan raised an eyebrow.

    "Hahaha! You''re really foolish and ignorant! Do you really think that you''ll be able to escape from punishment just because you escape to another Heaven? In case you forgot, my Ji Family exists in the other Heavens as well! As long as you remain alive, you will be hunted by the Nine Heavens!"

    "Now you''re telling me that I am going to be hunted by the Nine Heavens? That doesn''t make any sense. You''re making it sound like I am an Exile."

    ''Oh? So he knows about Exiles? How surprising.'' Lord Ji appeared to be genuinely surprised that Yuan knew about Exiles, mostly because they are only ever mentioned in the upper heavens.

    "I wouldn''tpare myself to Exiles if I were in your shoes, Yuan. As an Exile, at least I can be pardoned bypleting the Supreme Heaven''s Legacy. However, your situation is different. There are no second chances¡ª no opportunity for you to be pardoned! The Heavens have already dictated you as a dead man! No matter where you go in the Nine Heavens, you will be hunted by those who serve the Heavens!"

    Yuan frowned upon hearing this.

    He will be hunted no matter where he went in the Nine Heavens? What did he do to deserve such a punishment? Furthermore, even if he can defeat everyone here today, it will be much harder for him to ascend now that the entire world is suddenly against him.

    "So you will kill me today no matter what, is that correct?" Yuan asked for confirmation.

    "That''s right." Lord Ji confirmed.

    "Young Master, no matter what you did, even if the entire world is your enemy, I will forever be your loyal servant." Feng Yuxiang suddenly said to him in a calm voice.

    "Xiao Hua will always be with Brother Yuan as well." Xiao Hua said.

    "I swore my loyalty to you, Yuan. Even if the Heavens are against you, I shall fight by your side." Lan Yingying said.

    Yuan smiled and said, "Thank you. I''m really d to have the three of you by my side."

    He then turned to look at Lord Ji and said, "As much as I want to kill everyone here for wanting to kill me, I am not that ruthless, so consider yourselves lucky."

    Yuan knocked on the door to the Stairway to Heaven the next moment, causing it to open again.

    "Let''s go. There''s no need to waste our time and effort on these idiots."

    Lord Ji was shocked to see that Yuan had managed to open the Stairway to Heaven again, but he wasn''t going to let Yuan enter like the girls.

    He suddenly retrieved a golden medallion and activated his spiritual energy, "Heaven''s Regtion!"

    Yuan, who was only a step from entering the Stairway to Heaven, suddenly felt an immense pressure that even he could not resist, and he was immediately brought down to his knees.

    "Young Master?!" Feng Yuxiang and the others were shocked to see Yuan in such a condition.

    "I did not think I needed to use this treasure so early. However, since you were on the verge of escaping, I had no choice." Lord Ji said after taking a deep breath, feeling relieved that he managed to stop Yuan on time.

    ''What an immense pressure! What did he do to me?!'' Yuan slowly turned his head to look at the medallion in Lord Ji''s grasp.

    Yuan''s eyes widened when he saw the golden medallion. However, this was his first time seeing such an item. Despite that, he felt like he had seen it before, and he could feel something welling up inside him.

    ''This feeling¡­''

    He recognized this emotion very well. It was the feeling of anger¡ª intense anger that could burn even the Heavens, and the only time he would feel this kind of emotion is when the Evil God appears.

    Yuan''s eyes slowly started turning blood red as the insane amount of anger started pumping his heart with adrenaline.

    "Heaven''s Regtion... I will¡­ destroy the¡­ Heavens!" Yuan muttered in a low but resolute voice.

    "DAMN HEAVENS'' PUPPETS! I WILL DESTROY YOU ALL!"

    Yuan suddenly released a deafening roar that caused a ripple that contained intense killing intent to appear, sweeping the area with his terrifying killing intent.

    Everyone below Spirit Master coughed up a mouthful of blood and fell to the ground after experiencing Yuan''s killing intent that came only from his voice alone.

    "What happened?!" Lord Ji and the others were shocked by Yuan''s surprise attack that instantly took down all of their Spirit Warriors and Spirit Apprentices, which added up to over 100,000 casualties.

    A pair of beautiful yet ominous crimson wings suddenly sprouted from Yuan''s back.

    Lord Ji and everyone there were horrified when they saw the crimson wings created from killing intent. Even Xiao Hua and the other two couldn''t help but tremble before the majestic wings that were drooling red miasma.

    ''How is it possible for someone to have so much killing intent?! Just how many people did he kill?!'' Lord Ji cried inwardly after seeing Yuan''s devil-like appearance, feeling a strong urge to turn around and run the opposite direction.

    Yuan slowly stood back up and turned to look at Lord Ji with a cold re that could freeze even the Yellow Springs of the dead.

    "Heavens'' puppet¡­ You will regret showing your face before my presence."

 Chapter 1005 - Fighting Lord Ji and the Seven Legacy Families

    Chapter 1005 - Fighting Lord Ji and the Seven Legacy Families

    "K-K-Kill them all!" Lord Jimanded everyone there in a trembling voice.

    The 200,000 remaining cultivators there started rushing forward.

    Seeing this, Yuan turned to look at Feng Yuxiang and the others.

    With a tranquil expression and a calm voice that could soothe even a crying baby, he spoke, "Leave nobody alive."

    "With pleasure!" A wide smile appeared on Feng Yuxiang''s face as she flew away from the staircase and towards the army to the west, leaving a trail of beautiful golden mes wherever she went.

    Xiao Hua didn''t say anything and flew towards the east. Once she was in front of the army, she retrieved two spiritual weapons that emitted an aura only Divine-grade treasures can emit.

    As for Lan Yingying, she went in the direction where Lord Ji and the seven leaders were not present, leaving them to Yuan.

    Once she was in the air, Lan Yingying transformed into a massive white serpent. The people there were greatly shocked by Lan Yingying''s transformation.

    "She was a magical beast this whole time?!"This is from N?velDrama.Org.

    "No! This divine aura around her¡ª she''s a Divine Beast!" Lord Ji eximed.

    He couldn''t believe his eyes. Why would a Divine Beast be with someone like Yuan, much less help him?

    Once she reached the army, Lan Yingying opened her mouth and breathed scared mes on them like a dragon.

    Everyone that was unfortunate enough to touch her sacred mes were instantly engulfed in her mes and burned until there was nothing left.

    Meanwhile, Feng Yuxiang would cause explosions whenever she went, even creating a sea of mes with her Phoenix fire.

    Xiao Hua would casually swing her spiritual weapons and kill over a dozen people with a single swing.

    Terrified screams resounded in all directions and the 200,000 army quickly diminished.

    It was a one-sided ughter that left Lord Ji and the leaders of the Seven Legacy Families utterly shocked and terrified, and they all wondered what kind of background Yuan had to be able to do something like this.

    However, they were also beginning to understand why the Heavens wanted him dead.

    ''The Heavens¡­ Are they scared of his potential? He''s only a Spirit Lord in the Second Heaven, yet he''s already amassed such prowess¡­'' Lord Ji wondered inwardly.

    Yuan took a deep breath and sighed out loud, "The scent of Heaven''s puppets being ughtered is always pleasing, but it''s not enough. There''s not enough blood¡ª not enough carnage!"

    Yuan suddenly summoned the Empyrean Overlord and flew towards Lord Ji and the seven leaders.

    "He''sing! Support me and let''s kill him together!" Lord Ji also retrieved his weapon and approached Yuan.

    The seven leaders followed him from behind.

    "You think you can kill me?! Not even the Celestial Emperor could achieve such a feat, much less a few mutts like you!" Yuanughed out loud as he confronted Lord Ji in the air.

    "Celestial Emperor?! What nonsense are you mumbling about, you crazy monster!" Lord Ji shouted as his sword collided with Yuan''s greatsword.

    ng!

    "Ugh!"

    Lord Ji gritted his teeth after feeling the impact behind Yuan''s strike and was even pushed back many meters.

    ''What intense strength!'''' Lord Ji cried inwardly as he tried to recover from the attack..

    Meanwhile, the seven leaders surrounded Yuan and started unleashing their techniques at him simultaneously.

    Seeing this, Yuan used his wings to cover his body, leaving no gaps in his defenses. The power of seven Spirit Kings shed with Yuan.

    The attacks managed to create many holes in Yuan''s wings, but these holes disappeared as quickly as they appeared, and the person himself was not hurt in the slightest.

    "Impossible! How can he remain unharmed after eating all seven of our attacks?! What kind of technique is he using?!" Patriarch Gu eximed in a shocked voice.

    "We don''t have the time to think about it! Let''s keep attacking him! I doubt he will be able to use that power for long!" The leader of the Xian Family, Patriarch Xian, shouted.

    "Mongrels that can''t tell the difference between Heaven and Earth, allow me to show you what happens when you point your weapons at me!"

    Yuan suddenly gathered an immense amount of killing intent that condensed into a huge de in the sky.

    Lord Ji and the seven leaders were petrified on the spot from fear after witnessing the de of killing intent in the sky.

    "Asura''s de of Execution." Yuan mumbled in a low voice as he gestured for the de to fall towards Lord Ji and the seven leaders.

    Xiao Hua momentarily stopped fighting when she noticed the de in the sky.

    ''That technique! How does Brother Yuan know Xiao Hua''s family technique?!'' she cried inwardly.

    Lord Ji and the seven leaders wanted to run away from the attack, but the pressureing from the de prevented them from going anywhere, forcing them to fight it head-on.

    "Use all of your life-saving treasures!" Lord Ji roared in a desperate voice.

    All of them immediately retrieved all of their life-saving treasures without daring to hold anything back, as their lives depended on whether they could defend this one strike from Yuan.

    Over fifty kinds of life-saving treasures stood before Yuan and the others.

    The Asura''s de of Execution collided with the life-saving treasures a momentter, and it instantly shattered over half of them.

    As for the rest of the life-saving treasures, they did notst long either, and the de continued to fall.

    Lord Ji and the others even used their blood essence to enhance the life-saving treasures, which would shorten their lifespan and damage their cultivation even if they survived the attack. However, they were desperate and did not want to die.

    "Yuan! Let''s talk this through! We''ll give up on trying to kill you! Have mercy!" Lord Ji eventually tossed aside his pride and pleaded for mercy.

    The seven leaders also begged for Yuan to spare their lives.

    However, Yuan''s face remained nonchnt, and he spoke in a calm voice, "There is only one fate for those who dare block my path¡ª death!"

    AN: Starting now and until the end of the month, I will be giving bonus chapters for super gifts. Up to 3 bonus chapters will be released every day not including the 2 daily chapters. Also, check out Magic System in a Parallel World while you''re waiting for a new chapter. It has almost 80,000 words.

 Chapter 1006 - Asuras Blade of Execution

    Chapter 1006 - Asura''s de of Execution

    "There is only one fate for those who dare block my path¡ª death!"

    Yuan''s words reverberate in Lord Ji''s and the leaders'' heads, putting them in a daze for a split second.

    However, this split second was more than enough to disturb their concentration and break their defenses.

    "THE HEAVENS WILL NEVER FORGIVE YOU FOR THIS, YUAN!" Lord Ji screamed at the top of his lungs as the Asura''s de of Execution consumed their bodies, killing them instantly.

    Yuan wiped the sweat from his face after deactivating Asura''s de of Execution. The technique required so much energy that it nearly exhausted all of his spiritual energy.

    "The Heavens will never forgive me? The Heavens should be the one begging for forgiveness!"

    He closed his eyes and began recovering his spiritual energy while hovering in midair.

    When the army saw this, they saw this as a chance to avenge their leaders and kill Yuan while he was weak.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    And since there were so many people there, Xiao Hua and the others could not hold them all back from reaching Yuan.

    However, their help wasn''t necessary because Yuan still had more than enough energy to deal with the leftovers of the Ji Family and the Seven Legacy Families.

    Without opening his eyes or moving his body, Yuan used the Starry Abyss to kill anyone that dared to approach him.

    Eventually, the rest of the army started fleeing from the battle.

    With their leaders dead and without having anyone strong enough to deal with Yuan''s servants, much less Yuan himself, it was basically a suicide mission with no chance of winning, so the people did what was natural¡ª abandon the fight and run away.

    "Where do you ants think you''re going?! There is nowhere for you to run! The Young Master has ordered us to leave none alive! All of you insignificant ants that dared to point their weapons at my Young Master will perish here today!" Feng Yuxiang eximed as she released the strongest technique that she could muster with her current strength.

    "Phoenix mes Burning Heavens Art!"

    Feng Yuxiang summoned her fiery wings, and mes started appearing in the sky above her, almost as though the heavens were on fire.

    "Burn them all!" Feng Yuxiang flicked her sleeves, causing the sea of mes in the sky to rain down countless fiery projectiles that took the shape of a feather.

    "Aaaaah!''

    In mere seconds, tens of thousands of cultivators fell to Feng Yuxiang''s attack.

    Not wanting to lose to Feng Yuxiang, Xiao Hua started releasing Heaven Splitting Sword Strikes with every swing, changing thendscape there within moments.

    When Lan Yingying saw their awespiring performance, she felt a rush of adrenaline coursing through her body and her heart throbbing with excitement.

    The three servants felt as though something had ignited within their hearts after Yuan gave them their first order to fight for him, so they wanted to perform to the best of their abilities.

    Although it felt like a long time had passed, in reality, only a few minutes have passed since the fight began.

    The battlefield eventually became quiet, and Xiao Hua and the others returned to Yuan''s side, their mission finished.

    "Young Master, we have eradicated everyone from the Seven Legacy Families and the Ji Family. What are your orders now?" Feng Yuxiang said to him with a satisfied look on her face.

    Yuan looked at the destruction that they had caused and spoke, "We have done something irreversible today. We might kill even more people in the future, soaking our bodies in blood. I won''t me you even if you wish to leave my side now."

    "Even if you order me to kill everyone in the Nine Heavens, I would not hesitate to stain my hands for you, Young Master." Feng Yuxiang said.

    "Xiao Hua too!" Xiao Hua also said.

    Lan Yingying silently nodded her head.

    Yuan smiled when he saw the resolve in their eyes, and he spoke in a calm voice, "I''m really fortunate to havepanions like you by my side."

    Sometimeter, Yuan''s appearance returned to normal, and the Evil God''s presence could no longer be felt.

    "Let''s gather all of the treasures here before we leave. It would be a waste to leave them here." He said to them a momentter.

    They proceeded to gather all of the spatial rings and storage pouches from the battlefield.

    "Young Master, I have been wanting to ask you this for a while now, but how many reincarnations have you experienced? And do you have memories from all of your past life?" Feng Yuxiang asked him as they looted the corpses.

    "I don''t know. I am only aware of four at this moment, and I don''t have all of their memories. I have recently assimted the Divine Paragon''s memories, but I can only absorb so much at a time, so it will be a while before I fully regain all of the Divine Paragon''s memories, and until I do that, I cannot touch the others'' memories. Though, they sometimes leak out, just like a few minutes ago." He exined to them.

    "Who was responsible for the event just now?" Feng Yuxiang asked him.

    "He calls himself the Evil God. He seems to be an infamous killer that has killed countless people in the past, but I think there is more to it."

    "Evil God, huh? The name sounds familiar, but I cannot remember where I heard it from." Feng Yuxiang said with a pondering face.

    Xiao Hua then spoke, "Brother Yuan¡­ That technique you used just now¡­ Is it also because of the Evil God?"

    He nodded. "That''s right. Asura''s de of Execution, huh? It''s the strongest technique I have seen thus far. It must be at least an Ancient-rank technique."

    "It''s a Mythic-rank technique from Xiao Hua''s family¡­" She revealed to him the origin of the technique.

    "What? Really?" Yuan looked at her with wide eyes.

    "So the Evil God is somehow connected with your family? How surprising¡­" Yuan mumbled.

    "But Xiao Hua doesn''t know any Evil God." She shook head.

    "It''s fine. We don''t need to know everything right away. We will find the answers eventually."

    Xiao Hua nodded.

 Chapter 1007 - Shocking the Spirit Heaven

    Chapter 1007 - Shocking the Spirit Heaven

    After Meixiu and the others entered the Stairway to Heaven, they appeared in the spectators'' room.

    "Where are we? This is the Stairway to Heaven?" Li Jinxi looked around with a curious gaze.

    "This is just the spectators'' room. We''ll be watching Yuan participate in the trials from here. This way we can''t disturb him." Chu Liuxiang exined.

    "I see¡­"

    The three of them proceeded to wait in silence.

    Ten minutes passed, but it felt more like an hour to the threedies that were anxiously waiting for Yuan to enter the Stairway to Heaven.

    "How long has it been since we entered the Stairway to Heaven? It''s taking too long! Did something happen to him out there?" Chu Liuxiang was the first to talk about it.

    "With Feng Feng and the others with him, it will be fine." Meixiu calmly said.

    "Are they really that powerful? I have never seen them fight before though." Chu Liuxiang said.

    "I haven''t either, but the feeling I get from them is more powerful than anyone I have met in Cultivation Online."

    Meanwhile, Yuan and the others finally finished looting all of the corpses after much effort.

    "How much do you think we''ll get out of this?" Yuan asked after putting away the treasures.

    "Honestly, you would''ve gotten more money from the life-saving treasures, but they were all destroyed." Feng Yuxiang said.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    "Well, there''s nothing I can do about that now." Yuan shrugged.

    "Let''s enter the Stairway to Heaven now. I don''t want the others to worry since it''s been a while."

    He went to knock on the door shortly after.

    Once the Stairway to Heaven opened, Yuan walked into the void.

    Feng Yuxiang and the other two were teleported to the spectators'' room after they entered.

    "Wee back, Master." A small figure approached Yuan shortly after he appeared inside the Stairway to Heaven.

    "Thank you for opening the doors, Tian''er. To be honest, I wasn''t confident that you would do it, but I had to try." Yuan said.

    "You are the true Master of the Stairway to Heaven. The others are just fakes." She said.

    "Anyways, do you mind if I take some time to recover my energy before we start? I''m a little exhausted right now."

    Tian''er nodded, "Take as long as you need, Master. The trials will not officially start until you walk those stairs."

    "Thank you."

    Yuan took a seat right on the spot and began cultivating.

    Tian''er sat before him and actually helped him recover his energy by guiding the spiritual energy within the Stairway to Heaven, making it much easier for him to absorb.

    ''Evil God¡­ Why did you feel so much rage when you saw that golden medallion? What did it mean to you?'' Yuan wondered to himself as he cultivated.

    Meanwhile, outside the Stairway to Heaven, news of the battle that had taken ce there began spreading throughout the entire Spirit Heaven like a massive wildfire.

    The sheer destruction and damage the ce had to endure shocked everyone in that realm. However, almost nobody in Spirit Heaven knew what had urred there.

    The only people that knew of the situation were those in the Seven Legacy Families and the Ji Family that stayed behind and did not participate in the battle, so not even the Seven¡ª now Six Spiritual Academies knew the full situation.

    When news of the battle reached the ears of those within the Seven Legacy Families and the Ji Family, they were all shocked and became filled with despair, which was only ordinary, as their leaders and most senior members had all perished in a single day!

    Such devastation was unprecedented for all of these families!

    Besides a few elders and the younger generation, pretty much the rest of their families were gone. Their numbers had diminished so much that they would no longer be considered a Legacy Family.

    "Contact our families in the upper heavens! We cannot let that criminal escape! Since he''s ascending through the Stairway to Heaven, they can set up an ambush outside!"

    The Seven Legacy Families wasted no time contacting their families in the upper heavens, letting them know of the situation.

    "What?! A single person had defeated our Seven Legacy Families and the Ji Family?! How is that even possible?!" The families in the upper heavens doubted this information because it sounded utterly ridiculous and impossible.

    "We''re not sure if he was working alone or had help, but it''s true that everyone who had gone to kill him is dead!"

    "That''s preposterous! What in heavens'' name happened down there?!" The upper families demanded an exnation.

    "The Ji Family had ordered our Seven Legacy Families to bring out all of our forces after someone had been judged ''ck'' by Heaven''s Judgment!"

    "You fool! Why did you agree to help him?! The Seven Legacy Families may have some connections to the Ji Family, but we''re not their soldiers!"

    "The leaders thought it was going to be easy since they were only going to kill a single Spirit Lord, and they didn''t want to lose face. However, it seems like everyone has underestimated this Spirit Lord, who has unfathomable prowess!"

    "What about Lord Ji and the Ji Family?"

    "Lord Ji was also killed in action! However, we don''t know how their family is reacting to the news."

    "I think I can imagine how they''re reacting¡­"

    The leaders of the Seven Legacy Families from the upper heavens sighed.

    "Where is this person that dared to ughter people from our family? Tell me everything about him!"

    The families from Spirit Heaven proceeded to tell them everything they knew about Yuan and that he had entered the Stairway to Heaven to ascend.

    "I understand. Even if he manages to ascend, we will all be waiting for him outside the Stairway to Heaven. The Third Heaven will be hisst stop!"

    Meanwhile, at the Ji Family, a small group of individuals gathered in the meeting room, all of them showing signs of grief, as they''d just received news about the result of the battle.

 Chapter 1008 - Preparing Their Ambush

    Chapter 1008 - Preparing Their Ambush

    Inside the meeting room, one of the people there suddenly spoke after a long moment of silence in the room, "Is it true that my father is dead?"

    "Yes, it''s true. His life tablet is destroyed, and news of what happened at the Stairway to Heaven has already spread throughout the entire realm; it will only be a matter of time before the people in the upper heavens learn of the massacre."

    "Have we notified our family in Third Heaven yet?"

    "No, not yet."

    "Then what the fuck are we doing here?! We need to notify them as soon as possible! We also need to have someone watching the Stairway to Heaven just in case he fails and stays down here for a little longer!"

    "If this Yuan is talented enough to ughter the Seven Legacy Families and our Ji Family while we''re working together, there''s no way that he wouldn''t be able to ascend the Stairway to Heaven."

    "I''m going to notify the family in Third Heaven! Time is of the essence right now! We cannot allow this criminal who has been sentenced by the Heavens to get away with his crimes!"

    The direct descendant of Lord Ji left the room shortly after while everyone else remained in the meeting room to discuss their future.

    "Now that the majority of our forces along with Lord Ji are dead, our family has practically be a chicken on the chopping board waiting to be ughtered by our enemies. The moment our enemies learn the truth¡ª that our family is defenseless, they will definitely attack us and try to rece us."

    "This is a disaster not just for us. Even those in the upper heavens will be affected by this mess."

    "What can we do? Go into hiding? How many years will it take before we can regain enough strength to manage this realm again? The Spirit Heavens will be destroyed by the wars that will soon gue thisnd before then!"

    "We cannot do this alone. We''ve sustained too much damage to survive by ourselves now."

    "Then we can only request for reinforcements and assistance from our family in the upper heavens for the time being."

    Meanwhile, the Six Spiritual Academies were also having a meeting of their own to talk about the recent events.

    "I don''t want to make any spections, but there is only one person that I can think of who could possibly make such a scene¡­" Sect Master Xiahou sighed.

    "Are you talking about Yuan? That was my first thought as well. He also ughtered the Gu Family and the Universal Music Academy." Sect Master Li said.This is from N?velDrama.Org.

    "ording to our investigation, the corpses there belonged to the Seven Legacy Families and the Ji Family¡­"

    "Besides them, who else could possibly amass such a massive army?"

    "But why would they attack Yuan? Do you think it has anything to do with what happened at the Spirit Healing Academy?"

    "It''s possible, but we won''t know for sure until we speak with them."

    "Will they even tell us about it? I doubt they would want to talk about such a massive loss¡­"

    "They have to¡ª if they want our support. I highly doubt they will be able to defend themselves after losing so many people. Their families are practically crippled right now." Sect Master Li said.

    "And when a family as prosperous as the Seven Legacy Families and the Ji Family suddenly be this weak, it''s inevitable that they be the target of pretty much every power out there..." Bai Enjue sighed.

    "We should also prepare ourselves for some visitors from the upper heaven. I doubt they will stay silent after something like this happened. They will most likelye down here to assist their own families."

    Just like the Sect Masters had anticipated, the Seven Legacy Families and the Ji Family in the Third Heaven immediately started preparing to send experts to ambush Yuan at the Stairway to Heaven after learning of the situation.

    Furthermore, each family prepared a couple of Spirit Kings to send to Spirit Heaven to protect them while they recovered. Even though it will cost them an astronomical amount of resources to send so many experts, they couldn''t allow their families in the Spirit Heaven to perish, not to mention that their techniques and secrets could be stolen by outsiders.

    The residents in Third Heaven were greatly rmed when the Seven Legacy Families and the Ji Family suddenly gathered a massive army outside the Stairway to Heaven.

    When they eventually learned of the situation in the Spirit Heaven, they understood why such drastic measures were being taken, and the entire world held their breath while they waited for Yuan toe out of the Stairway to Heaven, where he would take hisst breaths.

    Meanwhile, inside the Stairway to Heaven, Yuan opened his eyes after recovering from his exhaustion.

    "Thank you, Tian''er. I feel even better than normal for some reason." Yuan said to her afterward.

    "The spiritual energy inside the Stairway to Heaven is naturally pure, so you will gain more energy from it," she exined.

    "I am going to climb the Stairway to Heaven now." Yuan said a momentter.

    After approaching the staircase, he started climbing it, slowly ascending towards the next realm.

    Even though it may not seem like it, every step Yuan took inside the Stairway to Heaven was akin to traveling hundreds of thousands of miles in reality.

    Sometimeter, Yuan arrived at the first trial.

    "For the first trial, you must defend the city and survive for 24 hours. If the casualties in the city surpass 60 percent, you will fail the trial." Tian''er exined to him.

    "A city-defending trial, huh? It''s theplete opposite of the previous trial, where I had to kill the City Lord." Yuan smiled.

    A momentter, his scenery began to change.

    Once he could see clearly again, Yuan found himself inside the peak of a pagoda, and to his surprise, this was the exact same ce that he''d fought the City Lord during the first trial in the past!

    "Since I am protecting the city and I am in this ce¡­ Does this make me the City Lord now?" he wondered out loud.

 Chapter 1009 - City Lord

    Chapter 1009 - City Lord

    <you have="" started="" your="" first="" trial="" in="" the="" stairway="" to="" heaven=""></you>

    <you 24="" have="" to="" survive="" hours="" and="" protect="" the="" city="" from="" outside="" forces=""></you>

    <finish 10="" the="" trial="" with="" less="" than="" percent="" casualties="" in="" city="" to="" receive="" a="" reward=""></finish>

    Yuan walked to the window and looked outside.

    The city was quite massive, but it was not so big that he couldn''t see the borders from his location. In fact, he could see the entire city up there.

    ''I don''t see anyone attacking just yet¡­'' Yuan thought to himself as he surveyed the city''s surroundings.

    "City Lord!"

    A voice suddenly called for him.

    He turned to look at the door, where a middle-aged man with a cultivation of a peak Spirit King stood.

    "What''s the matter?"

    "We have received a report from our scouts that there is an army of 10,000 approaching the direction of our city from the north, their intentions unknown. They have over 9,000 Spirit Lords and 1,000 Spirit Kings. With such forces, I doubt they''reing here to have tea. What are your orders, City Lord?" The man reported.

    Yuan''s jaw almost dropped to the ground after hearing the report.

    ''Over 1,000 Spirit Kings?! The difficulty has ramped up so muchpared to thest trial!'' He cried inwardly.

    He wasn''t confident that he would be able to defeat such a powerful army even at his current state.

    Then he realized something.

    "What''s the condition of our army looking like?" He asked the middle-aged man, who was wearing military armor.

    "We have 1,000 Spirit Lords and 500 Spirit Kings ready to be deployed at this moment," said the middle-aged man.

    ''That''s slightly above 10 percent of their total forces¡­ This is going to be rough, especially if we wait for them toe. If I want that special reward, I will have to make sure that they don''t get close to the city. In order for this to happen¡­ I will have to go to them.''

    After pondering for some time anding up with a conclusion, Yuan turned to the middle-aged man and spoke, "How far away are these people?"

    "They''re about two hours away."

    Yuan nodded and said, "Bring half of our forces with me. We''re going to intercept them before they can get close to our city. As for the other half, leave them here just in case they have reinforcements."

    "As youmand, City Lord."

    Half an hourter, Yuan and 750 soldiers left the city and made their way towards the north.

    Sometimeter, once they could see the enemy with their eyes, Yuan stopped and said, "Wait for my order."

    "Yes!"

    Yuan summoned the Empyrean Overlord and took a deep breath before he started gathering spiritual energy.

    ''There''s only one way for us to defeat them¡­ Taking them by surprise.''

    When the enemy noticed Yuan and his small army, they stopped for a moment before resuming their movements. In their eyes, there was no way that an army of that size could possibly defeat their army with 10,000 experts.

    "Keep moving! They''re probably just here to speak with us! We will pretend to be peaceful, but once we''re close enough, we''re going to kill all of them!" The general leading that armormanded.

    "Yes!"

    However, the closer they got to Yuan''s army, the more they felt uneasy for some reason.

    "General, I think there is something wrong here."

    Once they were close enough to see Yuan''s face, they were surprised.

    "General! That''s the City Lord! What''s he doing out here?!"

    "I can see that! But this is great. If we can kill him here, his city will be wide open for us to conquer." The generalughed as they continued to approach Yuan.

    However, once they got close enough, Yuan suddenly released the Heavenly Sword Strike with his full power.

    A massive beam of sword light flew towards the army that was too close to dodge properly, instantly killing 70 percent of the people there.

    The soldiers behind Yuan were shocked speechless after witnessing the scene.

    "Attack them now! I will join you guys after I recover some spiritual energy!" He said to them.

    "Yes!"

    The soldiers snapped out of their daze and flew towards the opposing army.

    Thanks to Yuan''s Heaven Splitting Sword Strike, the opposing army was in dismay, and they were too dazed to fight properly, allowing Yuan''s small army to dominate them.

    Yuan joined the battle shortly after, quickly killing off everyone there.

    "T-That was amazing, City Lord! You took out more than half of their army with a single technique!"

    "As expected of the City Lord, who is known as the God of War!"

    His soldiers praised him nonstop after the battle.

    "How many casualties were there?" Yuan asked them.

    "We have lost several soldiers¡ª 3 Spirit Lord and 1 Spirit King. However, this little amount of casualties is like a miracle considering the size of our enemy''s army."

    "Let''s return to the city for now. Make sure you reward the families of those that had fallen in battle today." Yuan said to them.

    "Yes!"

    After returning to the city, Yuan stared at the throne on the peak of the pagoda with a pondering face.

    ''That man¡­ He called me the God of War. Who is that? Tian Yang? Or is he another incarnation?'' He wondered.

    After pondering for a moment, he decided to forget about it for now and sat down to cultivate.

    ''I still have 20 hours left. I doubt this trial will end just like that.''

    Just as he''d predicted, about four hourster, the middle-aged man returned with more news.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    "City Lord! I have just received a report that there is another army! They areing from the west, and they have 20,000 soldiers!"

    ''20,000 soldiers? That''s doubledpared to thest army!'' Yuan cried inwardly.

    At this rate, he will need another massive area of effect technique besides the Heaven Splitting Sword Strike to deal with them.

 Chapter 1010 - City of Xian

    Chapter 1010 - City of Xian

    ''Hmm? Wait a second¡­ I learned how to do arrays when I was inside the Stairway to Heaven. Maybe I can learn some new techniques while I am the lord of this city!'' Yuan mumbled to himself as he got this genius idea.

    As the City Lord, surely, he should have some decent techniques stored away.

    Unfortunately, he did not have the time to look for these techniques, as there was an army heading towards his city.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    "Let''s go. We''re going to do the same thing we did for thest intruder, but we''re going to bring more soldiers this time."

    "Yes!"

    The general left to gather the soldiers.

    Sometimeter, they left the city and started flying towards the direction of the intruders.

    Once they could see the enemies, Yuan repeated what he did to the previous intruders¡ª surprising them with a fully powered Heaven Splitting Sword Strike that changed thendscape and instantly killed thousands of intruders.

    But s, even though he''d managed to cut the intruders'' numbers by 70 percent, the intruders still outnumbered them immensely.

    After taking some time to recover his spiritual energy, Yuan joined the battle with the Empyrean Overlord in his grasp and the Starry Abyss by his side.

    [Ten Thousand Ghost des!]

    He cloned the Starry Abyss ten thousand times and used them to assist the other soldiers.

    The blood of his enemies and allies rained from the sky as the battle raged for many minutes.

    Half an hourter, Yuan fell to his knees and started gasping for air.

    Fortunately, the battle had already ended and they were victorious, so he didn''t have to worry about the enemies and rested.

    "Are you okay, City Lord?!" ?????? ???? ????????????.???.

    His soldiers approached him with worried looks on their faces when they noticed how many injuries were on his body.

    Even though the intruders were all Spirit Lords and Spirit Kings, they were much stronger than the cultivators in the Nine Heavens that have the same cultivation base. Even with his Invisible Dragon Cloak, he had sustained injuries.

    "I am fine. These all are superficial injuries. They will heal in an instant." Yuan said to them.

    And sure enough, his regeneration ability kicked in the following moment, healing his wounds fast enough for the soldiers to witness it with their bare eyes.

    ''If it were not for the Invisible Dragon Cloak weakening most of the damage, that would''ve been very dangerous¡­'' He sighed inwardly.

    "What about you guys? Are you fine? What about the casualties?" He asked them a momentter.

    "It''s not good. We lost around 300 men." The general shook his head with a pained expression on his face.

    ''300¡­ That''s almost a third of the amount of soldiers I brought with me¡­ This is bad. And I still have to survive for over half a day. There will definitely be another invasion or two left. If I don''t do something, I just might fail the first trial!'' Yuan was beginning to feel the pressure of the trials.

    Compared to thest time he challenged the Stairway to Heaven, the difficulty has truly increased by leaps and bounds.

    Yuan began regretting his decision to purposefully increase the difficulty of the Stairway to Heaven by letting Li Jinxi and the others follow him even though he could''ve simply challenged the Stairway to Heaven by himself. After all, the Stairway to Heaven opened for all of the yers when he cleared it thest time.

    However, it was also true that he didn''t want to risk the Stairway to Heaven not opening for everyone after he cleared it.

    After returning to the city, Yuan immediately started to cultivate to recover his exhausted spiritual energy.

    Once he recovered enough spiritual energy, he started looking around the pagoda to see if there were any hidden techniques or treasures inside.

    He started from the highest floor of the pagoda, slowly making his way down.

    However, even after searching the entire pagoda, he was unable to find any secret rooms or techniques.

    "Nothing, huh?" Yuan sighed as he returned to the peak of the pagoda and stared outside the city.

    After staring at the city for several minutes, Yuan started getting the feeling that he has been to this ce before.

    ''Why am I suddenly feeling nostalgic? It''s not like I have been here¡­ Actually, I have, but that was during thest trial. I barely looked at the city at that time and rushed straight to this ce to challenge the City Lord, so it wouldn''t make sense that I am feeling nostalgia from that time¡­''

    After pondering for some time, Yuan could onlye to one conclusion.

    ''This city¡­ I have definitely been here before¡ª in my past life.''

    ''The location of this trial¡­ It''s not random, is it? Perhaps this ce was reconstructed with the memories of my past life? This actually makes a lot of sense¡­''

    ''If this is really the case¡ª that this ce is from my memories and I am feeling nostalgia, then I should be able to remember it if I dig deep enough like thest time¡­''

    ?? ??? ???? ?? ???? ???? ???????s, ????s? ??s?? ????????F???.??? ?? ?x???????? ??s??? ?????? s????.

    Sometimeter, Yuan took a seat in the lotus position and closed his eyes.

    Once he returned to the deepest parts of his subconsciousness, he started searching through his memories.

    Although he''s only epted the Divine Paragon''s memories at this moment, his other memories would asionally leak, so he could see bits and pieces of memories from his other identities.

    Many minutester, after going through many memories, he eventually found what he was looking for.

    "City of Xian¡­" He muttered the name of the city that he was currently residing in.

    Once he found what he was looking for, Yuan opened his eyes and flew outside the window.

    He flew towards the east side of the city until hended in front of a small but clean building.

    When he looked at this small building, he couldn''t help but feel emotional and shed some tears, even though he didn''t know why.

    After taking a deep breath and calming down a little, he approached it.

 Chapter 1011 - A Familiar Voice

    Chapter 1011 - A Familiar Voice

    Once he was in front of the door, Yuan subconsciously opened the door and entered it, all of his movements feeling incredibly natural, almost as though he''d done the same actions for years.

    "Wee home." A familiar voice suddenly resounded from the second floor.

    ''Huh?'' Yuan raised an eyebrow after hearing this noise. Even without needing to look into his memories, he recognized this voice very well. However, why would this voice appear in this ce? That part didn''t make sense at all.

    Yuan ignored everything on the first floor and quickly made his way onto the second floor of the building.

    There were three rooms on the second floor. Only one of these rooms had a closed door, so Yuan approached that room.

    After knocking on the door, he spoke, "Is it okay if Ie inside?"

    "Of course. This is your room as well." The familiar voice returned again.

    Yuan swallowed nervously before opening the door very slowly.

    Once the door was opened wide enough, Yuan looked into the room to see a beautiful mature woman with long ck hair sitting on the bed beside the window.

    This woman had a sharp yet delicate face, and her clear cks eyes shimmered like the sea during the summer. When her gazended on Yuan, his body trembled.

    "M-Meixiu¡­?" Yuan muttered after seeing this mature woman who looked exactly like Meixiu but about 10 years older.

    "What are you mumbling about, you silly? Come over here." She said to him with a gentle smile on her face.

    Yuan subconsciously started approaching the bed, his eyes staring directly at her face without moving.

    "What''s wrong? Why are you so quiet? Did something happen?" She asked him.

    "Y-Yeah¡­ Our city was under attack¡­"

    "What?! Is everything okay?!"

    "For now. I have taken care of them, but there''s a good chance that they will return."

    "I see¡­ Well, as long as we have you, there''s nothing to worry about. Isn''t that right, God of War, Tian Xian?"

    "Y-Yes¡­" He nodded in a dazed manner. ????????????.???

    ''Tian Xian¡­ Surnamed Tian¡­ This is most definitely one of my past lives¡­ So I was a City Lord and also the God of War, huh?''

    "Anyways, why have you returned home? Don''t tell me that you came home just to see me? Although I''m ttered and very happy, I want you to focus on defending the city and its people first."

    "I came back for my techniques¡­ I might need them to defeat our enemies. Do you remember where I put them? I forgot¡­" He said in a stiff voice.

    This kind of excuse would''ve never worked in the real world, but since this is merely an illusion created by the Stairway to Heaven, he decided to test his luck.

    "It seems I have underestimated our situation. For you to forget about something so important, you must be feeling overwhelmed." She sighed.

    "Yes¡­ A lot of our soldiers have died today, and even more will die at this rate. I''m afraid that I won''t be able to protect this city."

    "Come over here." She suddenly opened her arms, gesturing for a hug.

    Yuan subconsciously lowered his body, and when he did, the woman grabbed his head and pulled it towards her chest.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.

    Yuan could feel her soft blossoms pressing against his head, but there was something else that caught his attention when he touched this woman that resembled Meixiu.

    ''Her stomach¡­ There''s something off about it¡­'' He thought to himself.

    A few momentster, the woman said, "Let me show you where the techniques are stored.

    After releasing him, the woman removed the nkets covering her body.

    When Yuan saw this woman''s body and her bulged stomach, his eyes widened with shock.

    ''T-This is¡­ She''s pregnant?!'' Yuan cried inwardly after seeing her round stomach.

    When the woman noticed Yuan staring at her stomach, she smiled and said, "It''s been a while since you saw it, huh? The doctor said that I will be able to give birth in three months."

    Yuan swallowed nervously after hearing her words, realizing that this is his first incarnation with a wife and a child. He always thought that he had no family of his own, not even in his previous lives, so this was quite the eye-opener.

    The woman proceeded to lead Yuan to the basement.

    The basement waspletely empty when they entered it, but Yuan could somehow tell that there was an invisible formation protecting this ce, and it was quite powerful¡ª so powerful that even he cannot see it.

    Once they descended the staircase, the woman retrieved some kind of treasure and activated it using her spiritual energy.

    A portal opened up in the middle of the room a momentter.

    ''What kind of hiding spot is this?! There''s no way that I would''ve been able to find this without her help!'' Yuan cried inwardly after seeing the secret entrance.

    Upon entering the portal, they appeared inside a small square room that had no windows or gaps. The room waspletely enclosed with no way in or out besides the portal in his basement.

    Inside this enclosed room was a single bookshelf. However, on this bookshelf was a single scroll.

    Yuan walked to the bookshelf and took the scroll before opening it and ncing over it.

    After memorizing the contents, Yuan ced the technique back on the shelf and looked at the woman.

    "Thank you. I think I have what I need to defend this city now," he said with a smile.

    "That''s good to hear. I would like for our child to grow up in this ce, after all." She chuckled.

    They left the secret room and returned to the small 2 floor house shortly after.

    Yuan followed the woman back to her room. Once she was back in the bed, she said to him, "I''ll see youter, dear."

    "Yes¡­ See youter."

    Yuan stared at her face for another moment before leaving the ce and returning to the pagoda.

 Chapter 1012 - Heâ€™s Back!

    Chapter 1012 - He''s Back!

    "M-Meixiu! Look at that! She looks just like you!" Chu Liuxiang eximed as she pointed to the mature woman in the spectators'' room.

    However, Meixiu was too stumped to even respond to her.

    ''S-She''s pregnant? With my face? Are the heavens making fun of me? Are you trying to tell me something?'' Meixiu couldn''t believe her eyes.

    Just the other day, her mother was pressuring her to have a baby with Yuan and now this. If this wasn''t a sign from the gods, what would be?

    "During thest Stairway to Heaven, there was somebody with your face." Feng Yuxiang suddenly said as she looked at Chu Liuxiang.

    "I remember¡­" She sighed.

    And she continued, "Why is the Stairway to Heaven using our faces, anyway? It seems a bit odd and random."

    "I can only assume that it''s trying to stir with the Young Master''s emotions by including people that he cares about into the trials." Feng Yuxiang shrugged.

    "But why a pregnant woman¡­?'' Meixiu shook her head with a bittersweet smile on her face.

    "But you have to admit, it looks very authentic. I wonder if that''s what you will look like in ten years." Li Jinxi said.

    Meanwhile, Yuan returned to the peak of the pagoda, where he tried to learn the technique inside the secret room.

    However, the image of Meixiu kept on appearing inside his head, thwarting his focus on the technique.

    ''This technique is very profound. It should be at least Ancient-rank, but this means that it will take longer for me toprehend, and this distraction is not helping. Hopefully, I will be able to learn it before the next invasion.''

    After three hours of peace, the general of the army returned.

    "City Lord! I have an emergency report! There is an army of 100,000 soldiers approaching our city from the East and the West! They will arrive in 8 hours!"? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    "A hundred thousand¡­?" Yuan could feel his heart dropping after hearing such a report.

    Compared to thest invasion, this one was on a whole other level.

    However, he managed to keep hisposure and said, "I understand. I will call you when I am ready. Do not disturb me before then no matter what. I will be entering closed door cultivation now."

    "Yes!" The general disappeared shortly after.

    ''Eight hours¡­ Will I be able to do it?'' He sighed inwardly.

    ''No¡­ I have to do it!''

    After taking a deep breath, Yuan closed his eyes and cleared his head of all unnecessary thoughts.

    Once he could focus on the technique, he started reciting the scripture inside his head.

    Many hourster¡ª

    "Where is the City Lord?! The intruders are less than an hour away from the city!"

    The soldiers approached the general and asked.

    "The City Lord is currently in closed door cultivation. He will appear when the time is right."

    "Even if you say that¡­ Our opponents this time have nearly 100 times our number¡­ And they''re attacking us from two sides. Even if he''s the God of War who hasn''t lost a single battle in his life, there is always a first for anything. Perhaps today is the day that the God of War experiences defeat¡­"

    "What kind of nonsense is that?! Have faith in the God of War! How many years have we followed him?! How many times did we enter battle thinking that it was an impossible fight?! How many times has he managed to surprise us?! This time will be no different! Even if we''re fighting against a million soldiers, we will be victorious and remain undefeated!"

    "I really hope that will be the case¡­"

    The soldiers there sighed.

    Despite the general''s words, they couldn''t help but fear the worst. After all, they had to fight an army of 100,000 soldiers while only having a little over 1,000 soldiers themselves.

    Half an hourter, the general received another report from the scout.

    "General! The enemy will reach the city walls in 15 minutes! What are your orders?!"

    The general turned to look at the tall pagoda that stood proudly in the center of the city and said, "We wait for the City Lord. We will not move until we receive his order, even if the entire city is burned to the ground."

    "What?! That''s outrageous!"

    "If you want to fight the army by yourself, you are free to do so! However, I will wait for the City Lord!"

    The soldiers there looked at each other with perplexed looks on their faces, feeling conflicted.

    They wanted to trust their general and the City Lord, but by doing so, they risked letting the enemy destroy the city.

    However, once they thought about it, they realized that they were doomed without the City Lord, so they had no choice but to wait.

    Meanwhile, two different armies with 50,000 soldiers each quickly approached the City of Xian.

    "I see the city walls! The so-called ''unconquerable city'' shall be conquered by my Red Lion Army today! Ahahaha!" One of the generalsughed out loud as they got closer to the city.

    Inside the City of Xian, its tiny army began panicking for real when they could see the Red Lion Army closing in.

    "Is the City Lord still not here?! We''re doomed!"

    "Damn it! I thought I would die on a fierce battlefield! This may be fierce, but this isn''t a battlefield! This is a freaking ughterhouse!"

    Unbeknownst to these soldiers and even the spectators in the spectators'' room, an announcement was hovering in the sky for all yers to see.

    Due to how long Cultivation Online has been out, announcements these days were very rare. Although there was still a lot to be discovered in Spirit Heaven, most of the yers did not have the capability to explore this vastnd.

    "L-Look at the announcement! He''s back!" The yers eximed in excitement when they saw the name in the announcement.

    <yer yuan="" has="" be="" the="" world''s="" first="" yer="" to="" have="" learned="" a="" mythic-rank="" skill!="" congrattions!=""></yer>

 Chapter 1013 - God of Wars Astral Arts

    Chapter 1013 - God of War''s Astral ArtsContent held by N?velDrama.Org.

    "General! The enemy is right outside our city walls! They''re demanding that we surrender the city!" A soldier reported to the general.

    However, before he could even respond, a loud and arrogant voice resounded from outside the city, "Surrender and there won''t be unnecessary bloodshed!"

    "We have over a hundred thousand soldiers, all above Spirit Lord! You will not win this battle with your puny army!"

    "I would also prefer for this city to be intact after we conquer it! You have half an hour toe to a decision!"

    "I repeat! Surrender and we will spare your lives! The only one who has to die is the City Lord, Tian Xian!"

    The ce fell silent afterward. After a few moments of absolute silence, once everyone realized their situation, the entire City of Xian began panicking.

    "City Lord! Save us!"

    "Where is the God of War when we need him?!"

    "Do you think a single person can get rid of our predicament?! Even if he''s the God of War, there''s no way that he would be able to defeat an army of 100,000 by himself!"

    "What about his army?!"

    "The army had suffered a huge loss recently after an intense battle thatsted for 30 days and nights straight! We barely have anyone left!"

    "Damn it! Are we truly doomed?!"

    "I have faith in the City Lord! He has never disappointed us before!"

    "Open your damn eyes! This is an unwinnable battle!"

    Time passed in an instant while the residents of the city panicked for 30 minutes straight.

    The general outside the city spoke again, "Time is up! Thirty minutes have passed! We showed mercy, yet you ignored our generosity! Since this is how you want to y, we will y!"

    "All forces¡ª charge! Kill everyone who opposes!"

    The 100,000 strong army began rushing towards the City of Xian.

    However, an immense pressure suddenly enveloped the whole ce, forcing the soldiers to halt their steps.

    The soldiers outside the city and the residents in the city all lifted their heads to look towards the pagoda in the middle of the city, where a majestic figure with an overwhelming aura could be seen hovering in the sky, his presence demanding for everyone''s submission.

    "T-The City Lord! It''s the City Lord! He''s finally here to save us!"

    "You idiot! Even if he''s here, what can he do against such a powerful army?! We''re still doomed!"

    Meanwhile¡ª

    "Ahahaha! You have finally decided to crawl out of your rat hole, God of War!" The Red Lion Army''s generalughed out loud, hisughter causing ripples in the air.

    Yuan nced at the Red Lion Army that surrounded the city.

    "Surrender yourself, God of War! If you do, we won''ty a finger on your city or the residents!"

    The people in the city swallowed nervously, and they all anxiously waited for Yuan''s response.

    Yuan took a deep breath and spoke, "I have a slightly different proposal. Get out of my face before I kill all of you."

    The residents in the city began crying after hearing Yuan''s words.

    "We''re all dead! It''s over for this city!"

    "The City Lord is too arrogant! All those victories must have got into his head and made him disconnected from reality!"

    "If you want tomit suicide, go do it by yourself! Don''t drag the rest of us into your madness!"

    The residents of the city that had been loyal to him for many years have finally lost their hope and respect. After all, a righteous and reasonable City Lord would sacrifice himself for his city without hesitation.

    However, Yuan ignored theintsing from beneath him, as he was sure that it was the Stairway to Heaven trying to stir his emotions.

    He closed his eyes and took a deep breath as he recited the technique he''d just learned inside his head.

    When he opened his eyes, they glowed golden, and a subtle but visible golden aura started appearing from his body.

    He summoned the Empyrean Overlord and spoke in a cold voice, "All of you will be my training puppets for today."

    [God of War''s Astral Arts!]

    The people there watched as Yuan''s golden aura started expanding at a rapid rate until it wasrge enough to cover the entire City of Xian.

    Once it stopped growing, the aura began transforming until it resembled half a human wearing a golden armor. Furthermore, it had two massive arms that were wielding arge greatsword that resembled the Empyrean Overlord.

    "What in heavens'' name is that technique?!" The intruders cried out loud when they saw the giant behind Yuan, feeling as though they were ants before an elephant.

    <god of="" war''s="" astral="" arts=""></god>

    <rank: mythic=""></rank:>

    <mastery 1="" level:=""></mastery>

    <description: create="" a="" powerful="" astral="" avatar="" that="" can="" seize="" stars="" and="" destroy="" worlds="" with="" your="" soul="" strength.="" the="" stronger="" strength,="" more=""></description:>

    ''I need to finish this fast. I can feel my strength being exhausted at a ridiculous rate!'' Yuan cried inwardly after realizing how much energy this technique required.

    He took a deep breath before swinging the Empyrean Overlord in his grasp, and the astral avatar followed his movements, sweeping the army outside the city with its massive sword.

    BOOM! ????????????.???

    The entire ground viciously shook, and an unimaginable crater appeared in the ground where one of the armies stood.

    As for the army, they were allpletely ttened with a single strike¡ª all 50,000 of them.

    When the other army saw the destruction caused by the astral avatar, their faces paled.

    "S-Scatter! SCATTER!" The general leading that army roared.

    But s, the astral avatar was already in a swinging motion.

    The ground shook for a second time when the first earthquake hadn''t even ended yet.

    After killing all 100,000 soldiers from the Red Lion Army with two mere strikes, Yuan deactivated the technique and immediately returned to the pagoda to rest, not even bothering to look at the destruction he''d caused.

    The entire city was dead silent afterward, and it would remain silent for many minutes with not a single person there believing what they had just witnessed.

 Chapter 1014 - Proceeding to the Second Trial

    "What in heaven''s name was that technique just now?! I have never seen anything remotely that powerful before!" Feng Yuxiang cried out loud after seeing Yuan decimate an entire army of 100,000 Spirit Lords and Spirit Kings with two strikes.

    "I have never seen Brother Yuan use that technique before. He must have just learned it." Xiao Hua said.

    "You can actually learn techniques while doing trials in the Stairway to Heaven? Howe I have never heard of such a thing? And judging by the prowess of that technique, I dare say that it''s at least an Ancient-rank technique if not Mythic-rank!" Feng Yuxiang was in disbelief.

    If people realize that they could learn such powerful techniques inside the Stairway to Heaven for free, there would definitely be a massive uproar throughout the Nine Heavens.

    Meanwhile, back at the pagoda, Yuan gave up on trying to recover his soul strength after realizing that he didn''t have any cultivation techniques that recovered his soul strength.

    Unlike spiritual energy, soul strength could not be restored through ordinary cultivation techniques. In order to recover soul strength faster than naturally allowed, one must know a soul cultivation technique, but these techniques are incredibly rare even in the upper heavens.

    ''Looks like I won''t be able to use the God of War''s Astral Arts until my soul strength naturally recovers. Fortunately, I can still use my other techniques that only require spiritual energy.'' He sighed inwardly.

    Despite the God of War''s Astral Arts'' immense power and seemingly unlimited potential, it was not something he could use too often at this moment. Until he acquires a soul cultivation technique, he will have to limit its usage for life-or-death situations.

    After giving up trying to restore his soul strength, Yuan looked at the amount of time he had left.

    ''Less than fifteen minutes left¡­''

    Sometimeter, he returned to the house with the woman who looked exactly like Meixiu.

    "Is everything okay?" She asked him as she gently rubbed her round stomach.

    "Yes, I have dealt with the intruders. The city is safe again." He nodded.

    "That''s good to hear. Now our child can grow up in the city that you have painstakingly protected and developed," she said with a beautiful smile on her face.

    "Have you thought of a name for the child yet?" Yuan suddenly asked out of curiosity.

    "No, not yet. I was hoping we could name her together."

    "It''s a girl, huh¡­" He smiled.

    <you 24="" have="" defended="" the="" city="" for="" hours="" and="" sessfully="" cleared="" first="" trial=""></you>

    <you 10="" have="" cleared="" the="" trial="" with="" less="" than="" percent="" casualties=""></you>

    "Here you go." The woman suddenly extended her hands, offering him a glowing orb of light.

    "Thank you." Yuan epted the orb of light and absorbed it.

    However, his cultivation base did not increase like the previous reward.

    Instead, he could feel his soul strength bing stronger.

    <+100,000 Soul Strength>

    ''Wow, this reward is actually much better than I initially thought. It''s definitely countless times better than just increasing my cultivation base.'' Yuan thought to himself after realizing what the bonus reward was.

    The City of Xian disappeared before Yuan''s eyes, and he returned to the Stairway to Heaven shortly after.

    "Congrattions on passing the trial, Master. Do you wish to rest? You are allowed an hour to rest." Tian''er said to him.

    He nodded, "Yes, I will rest this time."

    Even though his spiritual energy was full, he wanted to allow his soul strength to recover even if it''s just slightly. He had a feeling that the God of War''s Astral Arts was going to be crucial for his uing trials.

    ''Oh? My soul strength is recovering faster than normal out here.'' Yuan quickly realized this as he sat down to monitor his recovery.

    An hourter, Yuan stood up and proceeded onto the next trial.

    "For the second trial, you must protect the Huang Family while they exchange their valuables in the Giant''s Continent."

    "Oh? Is it the same Huang Family as the previous trial? So we''re going to continue where we left off, huh?" Yuan was a little excited to meet with the Huang Family again, especially Huang Xiao Li, who taught him array symbols.

    The scenery began changing, and before he realized, he was standing on the ship deck while surrounded by water.

    <you have="" started="" your="" second="" trial="" in="" the="" stairway="" to="" heaven=""></you>

    </protect>

    <finish the="" trial="" without="" any="" casualties="" in="" huang="" family="" to="" receive="" a="" reward=""></finish>

    "Why are you standing there in a daze, Yuan?"

    A familiar voice suddenly resounded, causing Yuan to turn around.

    Standing behind him was a beautiful youngdy with a bright smile on her face. Of course, she was Huang Xiao Li, who also resembled Chu Liuxiang.

    "It''s been a while, Xiao Li." He said with a gentle smile on his face.

    "What are you talking about? Are you still daydreaming? You should snap out of it since we''re about tond. Look over there¡ª that''s the Giant''s Continent!" She pointed at the massive ind in the distance.

    However, Yuan wasn''t paying attention to the ind. Instead, he was focused on Huang Xiao Li.

    ''Her cultivation hasn''t changed. She''s still a Spirit Grandmaster. The same goes for everyone on this boat. It''s almost as though I''d never left in the first ce for them.'' He thought the Stairway to Heaven would scale these people to his level since this was a new and more difficult trial, but that didn''t seem to be the case.

    Sometimeter, the ship stopped moving once it reachednd, and everyone onboard started to disembark.

    "Yuan, are you ready? We have only 14 days to exchange our treasures ande back, or we will be stuck here for a very long time!" Huang Xiao Li said to him.

    ''14 days¡­ I really hope this isn''t how long the trial will take¡­'' He sighed inwardly as he disembarked the ship with the Huang Family and the other bodyguards.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    ?? ??? ???? ?? ???? ?? ?? ???????s, ????s? ??s?? ????????????.??? ?? ?x???????? ??s??? ?????? s????.

 Chapter 1015 - Mammoth Bloodline

    Chapter 1015 - Mammoth Bloodline

    After disembarking from the ship, Yuan followed Huang Xiao Li and her family onto thend.

    ''Giant''s Continent¡­ It''s not in Tian Chengyu''s memories. Did this ce exist before his birth or after his death?'' He wondered as he followed them.

    Sometimeter, he asked out of curiosity, "Where are we going now?"

    "We''re going to the Southern Stronghold. It''s where most travelers like us go to exchange treasures with giants, so it''s quite popr." Huang Xiao Li said.

    "I don''t know much about giants. Can you tell me about them?"

    "Sure!" She nodded with enthusiasm, and she continued, "Giants are humans with the Mammoth Bloodline. Their ancestors were ordinary humans that have trained a unique technique called the Great Mammoth Body Refinement that gave them immense strength and a near indestructible body, but it also increased their body size temporarily."

    "Their ancestors not only reached the peak with this technique, they had even altered it so that the technique would continuously affect their bodies and never deactivate, making them giants permanently. However, because such a feat required them to alter their genes and blood, their descendants would also be born with such blood and genes in their body, making them giants at birth."

    Yuan was speechless after hearing this information.The speed was too fast, and with a swoosh, Wang Xuan was pulled into the whirlpool, like a little crucian carp that had been hooked and was violedntly pulled out of the water.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    Giants used to be humans before they altered their blood and genes with a technique? He didn''t know techniques were even capable of such a feat, which was akin to creating their own bloodline and race!

    Huang Xiao Li continued to speak, "The giants created their own family, and after cultivating that family for thousands of years, they moved to an uninhabitednd that would soon to be known as the Giant''s Continent."

    "Giants nowadays are mostly isted within the Giant''s Continent, so you won''t see them outside. In fact, most people live their entire life without meeting one. They''re practically phoenixes and dragons."

    "However, since they rarely leave the continent, they mostly rely on travelers like us to provide them with resources and treasures from the outside. It benefits us as well because there are resources and treasures that can only be found within the Giant''s Continent."

    "That''s pretty neat, I guess." Yuan mumbled.

    "Indeed. If you have any treasures you don''t need, you can try to exchange or sell them to the giants."

    A bittersweet smile appeared on his face after hearing her words. Even if he had plenty of treasures that he could and wanted to trade, he wouldn''t actually acquire anything because he was inside the Stairway to Heaven and nothing there was real.If your dare to fish against him like this, no matter if it''s a strange thing on a mobile phone or that ferocious giant fish, you''ll have to pay the price.

    ''Although I can learn techniques in the Stairway to Heaven, that is only possible because they only need to be memorized. However, treasures don''t work that way. It''s impossible for me to acquire real treasures during trials. How unfortunate.'' He sighed inwardly, thinking how nice it would be if he could actually acquire something from the trial.

    Suddenly, the head of the bodyguards, Dong Zhou, shouted, "We havepany!"

    Yuan panicked a little when he heard Dong Zhou''s voice because he didn''t sense anything with his divine sense that he''s kept active this whole time.

    However, sure enough, something appeared before them a few secondster, and it was a massive bird that was so big that it could easily lift an entire building with one of its ws.

    Seeing this massive bird that came out of thin air, Yuan prepared to attack it, but then he realized its cultivation base was in the Spirit Emperor realm.

    ''Spirit Emperor magical beast! This is my first time fighting an opponent of this level!'' He cried inwardly.

    "Yuan! It''sing!" Huang Xiao Li shouted.A fisih is mocking him!

    Yuan immediately snapped out of his daze and confronted this massive bird in the sky right as it tried to dive down.

    "Ha!"

    He enveloped the Empyrean Overlord with Sword Qi before sending it in the magical beast''s way.

    "Kaaaw!" The bird released a painful scream when it lost one of its ws to Yuan, who was surprised because he''d expected to kill the bird with that strike.

    However, before he could get another strike on the bird, it turned around and flew away, leaving him speechless.

    "It ran away¡­?" He muttered in a dumbfounded voice.

    "Are you okay, Yuan?!" Huang Xiao Li approached him afterward.Then, it was noisys and motionless, instead of reviving here, it chose to disguise it.

    "Yes, I am fine. But that magical beast was stronger than I anticipated."

    After all, under normal circumstances, his attack just now would''ve killed even a Spirit Emperor with ease.

    "I forgot to mention this, but giants are not the only entity on this continent with the Mammoth Bloodline. The magical beasts on this continent also have it," she said to him.

    "What? How is that even possible? I thought the giants'' ancestors only managed to achieve such a feat through a technique! There''s no way ordinary magical beasts could possiblyprehend techniques, much less master them!"

    "You''re right, but the magical beasts did not acquire the Mammoth Bloodline through techniques. They acquired it through consuming the giants. I mentioned that the technique is never-ending, right? This is still true even when the giants die, so when a magical beast consumes their flesh and blood, they also acquire the power of giants."

    "Heavens¡­" Yuan was speechless by this information.

    Since the magical beasts in the Giant''s Continent also had the Mammoth Bloodline coursing through their veins, they were much stronger than ordinary magical beasts from the outside.If ones piece of sword energy can''t solve the problem, then take a few more pieces. Wang Xuan is going to kill it.

    "It seems we have underestimated the strength of this ce. We''re not strong enough to do our job as bodyguards, so we''ll have to rely on you, Yuan." Dong Zhou approached him and said.

    "Sure¡­" He sighed, silently wondering to himself why the Stairway to Heaven didn''t make the bodyguards at least Spirit Kings so that they wouldn''t bepletely useless. After all, in their current state, they were nothing but a burden to him.

    "Since you''re all too weak to traverse thisnd, why don''t you just return to the ship and wait for us to return?" Yuan said to him a momentter.

    "We cannot do that! Even if we''re not strong enough to fight the entities on thisnd, we must still do our jobs as bodyguards and apany the Huang Family even if we die in the process!" Dong Zhou eximed in a prideful voice.

    Yuan felt like facepalming.

    ''If you cannot do your duties as a bodyguard, can you still be considered as one?!'' He cried inwardly.

    Yuan eventually stopped thinking about it since it was most likely done by the Stairway to Heaven to make things more difficult for him.

    "Just so you know, I am here to protect the Huang Family, so if you get in any trouble¡­"

    "Don''t worry, we won''t drag you down." Dong Zhou said with a confident smile.

    "Yeah¡­ I somehow doubt that¡­" He shook his head.

    After walking for about half an hour without encountering any magical beasts, Huang Xiao Li pointed at the city walls in the distance and said in an excited voice, "We''re almost there! I can see the Southern Stronghold!"

    They quickened their moving speed after seeing the city.

    However, as they got closer, Dong Zhou suddenly stopped and shouted, "We''re surrounded!"

    Yuan looked around, and sure enough, a pack of massive birds quickly surrounded them, and amongst these magical beasts was one with an injured w¡ª the same one he''d fought.

    "So you ran away to call your friends, huh?" Yuan couldn''t help but chuckle at its efforts.

    After a quick nce, he counted 9 of these birds, and they all emitted the aura of a Spirit Emperor.

    ''I won''t be able to fight all of them at once and protect the Huang Family at the same time with my ordinary techniques. I will have to use the God of War''s Astral Arts¡­'' He sighed inwardly, feeling a little embarrassed to use his trump card so early on in the trial.

    Although he could kill these magical beasts even without the God of War''s Astral Arts, he wouldn''t be able to protect the Huang Family, and his priority was to keep all of them alive for the bonus reward.

    After taking a deep breath, Yuan used the God of War''s Astral Arts.

    The Huang Family and the bodyguards were shocked speechless after witnessing the massive golden figure.

    As for the birds, they started making weird noises, almost as though they were panicking.

    "Die!"

    Not wanting to waste his soul strength too much, Yuan immediately attacked the birds with a 360 sword swing, killing all of them at once.

    However, the attack was so powerful that it created a powerful gust of wind that swept in all directions.

    In fact, the Southern Stronghold thought they were under attack when they saw the golden figure that looked massive even though they were quite far away from Yuan''s location.

    Yuan quickly deactivated the technique after killing the magical beasts.

    "A-Are you okay?" Huang Xiao Li asked him in a worried voice after seeing his poor condition.

    "Yes, I am fine. That technique uses up a lot of soul strength, so I am a little tired¡ª mentally. Give me a few minutes to recover."

    "Alright." They nodded.

    A few minutester, once Yuan was feeling better, they continued their journey to the Southern Stronghold, unaware of the chaos that was urring within the city due to Yuan''s God of War''s Astral Arts.

    After another hour of traveling, they arrived at the entrance of the city.

    ''So that''s a giant, huh?'' Yuan was amazed when he saw the two giants guarding the entrance to the city, both of them being around 10 meters tall with a broad frame and incredible muscles that looked like they could crush an entire mountain.

    ''Besides their massive size, they look just like humans. I guess it''s true that their ancestors were originally normal humans.'' Yuan thought to himself as they approached these giants.

    -- ??? ????? ???????s ??? ?????s??? ?? ????????????.???

    AN: Chapters for CO will be longer starting June. Also, check out Magic System in a Parallel World while you wait for the next chapter! It has long chapters just like this one!

 Chapter 1016 - Serious Accusations

    Chapter 1016 - Serious usations

    As they got closer to the giants, Yuan could feel their gaze on him, and sure enough, when he looked at them, their eyes were ring directly at him for some reason.

    Yuan wanted to ignore them, but when they got close enough to the entrance of the city, the giants suddenly stepped in front of the entrance, blocking their path.

    The Huang Family were quite baffled by their actions. Unlike cities outside the Giant''s Continent, the Southern Stronghold did not require for them to pay any entrance fees, nor did they care about your background, so there was literally no reason why they should be blocking the entrance.

    "Is there something wrong, Seniors?" Huang Chen, Huang Xiao Li''s father, asked the guard in a polite tone.

    The guards pointed at Yuan and asked, "Who are you? What is your purpose?"

    Yuan raised an eyebrow and said in a calm voice, "I am Yuan, and I am their bodyguard."

    The guards turned to look at Huang Chen for confirmation.

    "That''s right. He''s a bodyguard that I hired to protect my family. It was because of him that we¡ª and everyone else on the ship were able to survive a Flying Leviathan and arrive at the Giant''s Continent safely." Huang Chen nodded.

    "You defeated a Flying Leviathan?" The guards appeared to be surprised after learning about his feats.

    The two of them exchanged looks with each other for a moment before stepping out of the way.

    "Thank you, Seniors." Huang Chen bowed to them before they started moving again, entering the Southern Stronghold shortly after.

    "What was that about?" Yuan asked them.

    "I don''t know, but giants respect and prioritize one''s strength above all else." Huang Chen shook his head.

    Once they entered the city, Yuan was dumbfounded by the scenery inside.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    All of the buildings in this ce were massive and about 10 timesrger than the buildings that he was used to seeing, not to mention the amount of giants walking around the city, making him feel really tiny in this ce, just like an ant.

    Furthermore, he also noticed that the giants in this ce really varied in terms of their size. Some of them were only as tall as 4 meters while there were giants as tall as 15 meters.

    "You''re probably wondering about their sizes, right?" Huang Xiao Li suddenly said to him.

    "You''re right. I thought all giants were as big as the guards outside, but that doesn''t seem to be the case." He nodded.

    "It depends on the strength of their Mammoth Bloodline. The purer and stronger their bloodline, the bigger they will turn out to be. In the Giant''s Continent, a giant''s size is akin to a cultivator''s innate talent, so those with a smaller body are considered trash while those with arge body are considered geniuses," she exined.

    "If you''re surprised now, just wait until you see giants that are as big as a mountain."

    Yuan eyes widened.

    "As big as a mountain? No wonder why they refuse to leave the Giant''s Continent. They won''t be able to do anything outside with such huge bodies."

    Sometimeter, they went to a hotel to settle down. Although most of the hotels there were built specifically for giants, there were also hotels specifically built for humans like them.

    Once inside the hotel, Huang Chen gathered everyone there and said, "We will rest today, but starting tomorrow, I will be looking to exchange our treasures with the giants. I will leave two of you here to guard my family while the rest will follow me."

    Yuan frowned upon hearing his words.

    ''I won''t be able to protect all of them if we split into two groups. Perhaps I should convince them to go together, but they have a child¡­'' He nced at the seven-year-old boy beside his mother.

    ''Maybe it would actually be safer to leave him and the mother here¡­'' He sighed inwardly.

    With so many giants walking outside, things could get ugly really fast if they take such a small child outside. After all, he was so tinypared to some of the giants that they could easily step on him by ident and not even realize it.

    Of course, this also applied to the mother, who had the lowest cultivation base besides the child who was still too young to cultivate.

    However, there was another issue¡ª the bodyguards.

    He wasn''t confident in their abilities at all. In fact, they will probably be useless since this trial was countless times more difficult than thest trial, yet their strength remained the same as thest trial. In other words, they were nothing more than burdens.

    ''Furthermore, these guys¡­'' Yuan narrowed his eyes at the bodyguards, his thoughts unknown.

    After Huang Chen finished everything he had to say, Yuan approached Huang Xiao Li with a smile and said to her in a low voice, "Excuse me, Xiao Li. Do you mind if I borrow some of your time? I would like to speak to you in private."

    "Sure¡­" She nodded in a dazed manner, feeling a little nervous about the aura around him.

    "Follow me."

    Yuan nodded and followed her into another room. Once she locked the door, she asked him, "So what do you want to talk about? Did something happen? You seem a little more serious than usual¡­"

    "Yes¡­ It''s about¡ª" Yuan proceeded to tell her what''s been on his mind.

    Huang Xiao Li''s eyes widened more and more with shock as she listened to his words.

    "A-Are you sure about that?! Those are some serious usations!" She eximed in a low voice.

    He nodded with a serious frown, "I didn''t notice it before because I was still inexperienced. However, I am certain about my ims. I don''t mind dealing with it right now, but I can tell that you''re doubtful, so I am going to prove it to you first."

    "How are you going to do that?"

    Yuan proceeded to tell her about his ns. All ????? full

    "Seriously¡­? You want me to¡­"

    "Do you trust me?" Yuan suddenly asked her with a serious expression.

    "I risked my life to defend the ship and your Huang Family. I wouldn''t do anything to hurt you or your family¡ª I promise."

    "O-Of course I trust you!" Huang Xiao Li''s face quickly flushed with redness when she recalled what she tried to do with him right before the Flying Leviathan''s attack.

    A momentter, she took a deep breath and nodded with a serious expression, "Alright, let''s do it."

    "Thank you. You won''t regret it, I promise." Yuan smiled.

    The two of them left the room after talking for several more minutes.

    "Is everything okay, Yuan?" Huang Chen approached him shortly after he left the room with Huang Xiao Li.

    "Father, I need to speak with you. Mother, you too." Huang Xiao Li suddenly said to them.

    Huang Chen looked at them with raised eyebrows, but he didn''t ask any questions and followed Huang Xiao Li to another room.

    Once the Huang Family was gone, the other guards approached Yuan and asked him, "What happened?"

    "Is everything okay? The youngdy looked very annoyed."

    "I hope you didn''t try to confess your love for her just now. You''re just a bodyguard. Know your ce." The female bodyguard said to him with a mocking gaze.

    Yuan didn''t take her insults to heart and even chuckled at it, "Don''t worry, it''s nothing like that. However, it''s true that something did happen."

    The guards swallowed nervously as they waited for him to speak.

    "I would tell you, but I think it would be for the best if the Huang Family told you. It''s their business, after all." He shrugged, not willingly to tell them anything.

    "Come on! Don''t be like that!" Qin Kai, who was the bulky bodyguard that guarded the Huang Family''s room with him while they were still sailing, said.

    "I don''t want to lose my job, so I will have to refrain from it."

    "Whatever. Keep your stupid little secret." The other bodyguards shook their heads and stopped bothering him.

    Sometimeter, the Huang Family finished their little meeting and came out of the room, but Huang Chen and his wife looked really upset for some reason.

    This made the guards really nervous, and they all wondered inwardly about the issue.

    Huang Chen gathered the bodyguards again and said, "There will be some changes in our ns. I will start exchanging my treasures today, so I want two people to follow me."

    He looked at Yuan and his head bodyguard Dong Zhou.

    "Yuan and Dong Zhou, you''ll being with me. Xiao Li, you''ll alsoe with me. The rest of you will stay behind to protect my wife and son. Do not let anyone besides us enter this ce no matter what."

    "Yes!" They all said.

    Before they left, Huang Chen said to his wife in a low voice, "Since we have too many treasures, I will leave half of it with you. If anything happens to us, I want you to take the treasures and go home."

    "Don''t say something so ominous. As long as you have Yuan with you, he''ll keep you safe." She said with a smile.

    Yuan left the hotel with his group shortly after.

    Once they were outside, Dong Zhou couldn''t help but ask, "Sorry if I am being noisy, but what was that about?"

    "I will tell you about it in a bit." Huang Chen said.

    Dong Zhou has never seen Huang Chen so serious before, making him worried as well.

 Chapter 1017 - The Gold and Money Bandits

    Chapter 1017 - The Gold and Money Bandits

    Shortly after Yuan''s group left to exchange treasures, the bodyguards that had remained at the hotel watched from the windows as Yuan and the others disappeared from the scene.

    "Those nuisances have finally left." The female bodyguard sneered.

    "Should we do it now? This is the best time. That little bastard with too much power for someone at his age and level is gone, as well as the array master and even Huang Chen and his daughter. Nobody here can stop us now," said one of the male bodyguards.

    "I don''t know¡­ This seems a little too easy¡­ Not to mention whatever just happened. Something about all of this doesn''t sit right with me," said a different bodyguard.

    "Who cares! We can kill the woman and the kid and rob them of all of their treasures long before they will be able to do anything about it!" The female bodyguard showed a grim smile on her face.

    "I say we should do it as well. I doubt there will be another chance like this."

    "What about that other bodyguard? He might cause us some trouble."

    "I can handle him," said the female bodyguard with a suggestive expression on her face.

    In the end, these bodyguards decided to finally execute their n by robbing the Huang Family.

    These three bodyguards actually knew each other before they got hired by the Huang Family, as they all belonged to a renowned gang that was infamous for their vicious deeds and brutal nature.

    The Gold and Money Bandits¡ª they were a group ofwless cultivators that would dare to rob and kill even mortals, something only evil cultivators would do.

    In fact, there were even more of these bandits at the bodyguard recruitment, but most of them had been disqualified and only these three had managed to pass.

    They had nned on robbing the Huang Family when they were still at sea, but Yuan did not give them any chance, and when they saw how powerful he actually was, they decided to dy their ns until they could find an opportunity to rob the Huang Family.

    Now that they have finally encountered that opportunity, they were enticed to finally execute their ns and rob the Huang Family.

    Meanwhile, a few minutes after they left the hotel, Huang Chen revealed the whole situation to Dong Zhou, who had been kept in the dark until now.

    "What?! Those bodyguards harbor ill intentions?! Are you sure this is urate information?!" Dong Zhou doubted this information, mostly because he didn''t want to believe that he had identally recruited bandits to be their bodyguards, as he could be held responsible for this blunder.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    "It''s true. I wasn''t certain at first, but after watching them for some time, I can say with certainty that they are bandits. Their bodies reeked of blood and their eyes are filled with greed. Do you remember when we were attacked in the ship? I believe they were working together since they all gave off the same aura."

    ? ??? ? ? ???? "Yuan wouldn''t lie to us! He risked his life fighting the Flying Leviathan, too!" Huang Xiao Li backed him up.

    Dong Zhou frowned and said, "If what you say is true, then isn''t it incredibly dangerous and reckless to leave the Madam and the Young Master alone with them?! We''re basically giving them to those bastards on a silver tter!"

    "If we didn''t leave, they would not act. I also wanted to prove to all of you that they are not what they seem. Don''t worry, I won''t let them touch even a hair on the Huang Family."

    "What the hell can you do when you''re here with us?! This is madness!" Dong Zhou eximed.

    "I trust him." Huang Chen suddenly said.

    "A-Are you serious, Master Huang? What if he''s only doing this to mislead us? What if he''s actually working with those bandits?!"

    Yuan smiled after hearing his words and said in a calm voice, "Do you really think I need to make such an borate n just to rob the Huang Family? Have you not seen what I am capable of? If I want to rob you guys, I wouldn''t need to pretend to be a bodyguard and wait until you lower your guard, much lesse all the way out here and risk my life fighting the Flying Leviathan. If I truly wanted to rob you guys, I would''ve done so before we boarded the ship, and none of you would''ve be able to stop me."

    Dong Zhou swallowed nervously when he called how Yuan had killed multiple Spirit Emperors with a single strike.

    "Sorry¡­ I was just talking out of my ass just now¡­" Dong Zhou sighed out loud.

    Yuan suddenly turned around and looked at the direction of the hotel.

    "Let''s return. They''re finally moving," he said to them.

    Back at the hotel, the female bandit approached Qin Kai and started flirting with him.

    "I have been wanting to speak with you for a while now, but I didn''t get any chance. You know, I love men with muscles, and when I first saw you, I knew right away that I wanted you. You''re the reason I even decided to be a bodyguard for the Huang Family."

    Qin Kai swallowed nervously after hearing her words.

    "Seriously?"

    The female bandit was actually quite attractive, and Qin Kai had little to no experience when ites to women, making him an easy target.

    "Let''s go elsewhere to talk, shall we?" She winked at him.

    "S-Sure¡­" Qin Kai followed her to another room.

    Once the other two bandits saw this, they smiled and turned their focus to the room with the mother and wife.

    "Let''s go."

    The two of them quietly approached the room.

    Once they were close enough, one of them tried to open the door in a sneaky manner.

    When the bandit couldn''t feel any resistance from the door, the smile on his face widened.

    "Ready?"

    "Of course."

    The bandit immediately opened the door, and the two of them entered the room before closing it again.

    "W-What are you two doing in here?! I don''t remember calling either of you!" The mother said to them with a frown on her face.

    "Don''t worry, we''ll leave you alone once we take all of your treasures and kill you," said one of the bandits.

    "You what?!"

    "The Gold and Money Bandits, have you heard of us?"

    "The mother''s eyes widened with shock after hearing that name.

    "I see¡­ So you became our bodyguards just to steal from us, huh. We should''ve been more diligent when recruiting bodyguards, but we were in a rush."

    "Then you can only me yourself."

    "Ah, I would love to enjoy my time with you before killing you, but we''re short on time, so I am just going to kill you."

    They retrieved their weapons.

    However, the mother managed to calm down, and she even smiled, "What a pity."

    "A pity indeed."

    One of the bandits suddenly rushed forward while swinging his dagger, but before he could reach the mother, he felt a burst of pain in his chest, forcing him to look down.

    "What the fuck¡­?" He muttered in a dumbfounded voice when he saw that a hole had mysteriously appeared in his chest.

    Thud.

    The bandit fell to the floor and died before he could even realize what had happened to him.

    The other bandit stood there with a dazed look on his face as his eyes stared at hispanion''s lifeless body on the floor. Despite seeing everything that had just happened, he still couldn''tprehend the situation.

    The door behind him suddenly opened, and a figure calmly walked into the room.

    "Are you okay? Madam Huang?" Yuan asked her with a calm smile on his face.

    "Y-You are¡­ How in heaven''s name¡­" The bandit was shocked when he saw Yuan standing right beside him.

    "Did you really think that I wouldn''t notice the way you idiots looked at the Huang Family? When you look at them, you only see money and profit, and it reminds me of a certain miserable couple." Yuan sneered in a cold voice.

    "Senior Huang. Xiao Li. What do you think? Is this enough proof?" He asked them, who were standing right behind the bandit with deep frowns on their faces.

    "Yes, this is more than enough proof. Thank you very much, Yuan. You have saved our family yet again." Huang Chen said.

    It was at this moment the female bandit and Qin Kai came out of their room after hearing themotion.

    "W-What is happening?!" Qin Kai eximed with a shocked look on his face when he saw the iprehensible situation.

    As for the female bandit, she was simply speechless.

 Chapter 1018 - I Will Accept Your Challenge!

    Chapter 1018 - I Will ept Your Challenge!

    Huang Chen frowned when he saw the female bandit and Qin Kai.

    "Where the hell have you two been?! My family was being attacked and you''re screwing each other in another room?! Why did I even hire you!"

    "W-What?! Attacked!? By whom?!" Qin Kai was truly puzzled, as he was not part of the Gold and Money Bandits. Furthermore, everything had happened so fast that he was stillprehending the situation.

    "Why don''t you take a look for yourself?" Huang Xiao Li pointed into the room with Yuan and the bandits.

    Qin Kai swallowed nervously and approached the room.

    His eyes widened with shock when he saw the scene inside. One of the bodyguards was dead with a hole in his chest and the other was frozen in ce with a terrified expression on his face.

    "What is the meaning of this?" Qin Kai asked.

    "These two are bandits from the Gold and Money Bandits. They became a bodyguard just to rob the Huang Family." Yuan calmly exined the situation to him.

    "The Gold and Money Bandits?!" Qin Kai immediately recognized their name. As someone who often works as a bodyguard, he has encountered these bandits on multiple asions, and they were all vicious people with no morals.

    Murder, robbery, corruption, rape¡ª nothing was off the table for these bandits even if mortals were involved, hence why they were so hated and so feared.

    The female bandit also took a look inside the room. Her heart throbbed so fast and hard from fear that it began hurting.

    ''Fortunately, they didn''t catch me in the act, so they don''t know that I am with them just yet. But if they ask that bastard, he will surely give me away!'' She calmed down slightly after realizing this, and she began plotting to kill herpanion before he could speak.

    However, with Yuan in the room, she didn''t dare to move just yet.

    "So tell me, what were the two of you doing while my family was attacked? Are you also part of the Gold and Money Bandits?" Huang Chen narrowed his eyes at Qin Kai and the female bandit.

    "What?! Hell no! There''s no way I am with those bastards!"

    "T-That''s right! We were in the other room because I wanted to make love to him! I didn''t know they were bandits! I swear!" The female bandit said.

    The other bandit cursed inwardly after hearing herpanions'' words.

    ''That fucking bitch! She''s the whole reason we''re in this mess! If she didn''t make the suggestion to rob the Huang Family, we wouldn''t be here! And now she wants to act innocent while the two of us die?!''

    After taking a deep breath, the male bandit eximed, "That bitch is lying! She''s with us! She was the one who suggested we rob you guys, too!"

    The female bandit gritted her teeth in anger, but she wasn''t willing to give up just yet.

    "That''s preposterous! He''s only saying that because he''s jealous I chose Qin Kai over him! He''s been eyeing me since the beginning, too!"

    "She''s lying! Her real name is Zou Nuying, and she has a high position within the Gold and Money Bandits! The reason she went to make love with Qin Kai was so that she could distract him while we robbed the Huang Family!"

    "Is that so? What do you have to say to these usations, Zou Nuying?" Huang Chen red at her with killing intent within his gaze.

    Zou Nuying swallowed nervously. She knew that she was done for and that there was no way for her to talk herself out of this situation.

    Therefore, she decided to escape.

    "Watch out! He''s going to attack!" Zou Nuying suddenly shouted while pointing at herpanion.

    Everyone there subconsciously turned to look.

    ''This is my chance!''

    Zou Nuying suddenly retrieved two smoke bombs and smashed them on the floor, instantly filling the room with smoke that also contained some kind of material that weakened the spiritual energy in the area and even blocked Yuan''s divine sense.

    She proceeded to rush towards the window, but since the entire ce was filled with smoke, she could only rely on her memories.

    Once she could feel the window, she smashed right through it with her body and escaped the hotel.

    Yuan wanted to chase after her, but he didn''t want to leave the Huang Family behind, and he had to make sure the other bandit didn''t try to do anything funny.

    "Is everyone okay?!" Huang Xiao Li''s voice resounded shortly after.

    "Yes, I am okay."

    "Me too."

    Everyone there confirmed their safety.

    Once the smoke finally cleared, Yuan asked, "What should we do with him? I can kill him here if you want."

    "I want all of his information before we kill him. Dong Zhou, make him talk!"Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    "Yes!" Dong Zhou proceeded to drag the bandit to another room, where he would torture the bandit for all of his information.

    Meanwhile, Huang Chen went to speak with the hotel managers to let them know of the situation.

    The servants in the hotel cleaned up the mess and the corpse without much trouble.

    Once everything was done, Huang Chen thanked Yuan for his efforts, "Thank you, Yuan. If it hadn''t been for your sharp eyes, our Huang Family would''ve ended in a tragedy. I will definitely reward you handsomely at the end of our trip."

    Yuan shook his head and said with a smile, "I am only doing my job as a bodyguard."

    "What should we do about the one who ran away?" Dong Zhou asked.

    "I don''t want to waste time and resources looking for her in this vast ce. She could be anywhere by now. However, if we run into her again, immediately kill her." Huang Chen said.

    "Yes!"

    "What should we do now? We''re down to three bodyguards¡­" Madam Huang asked sometimeter.

    "Dong Zhou and Qin Kai can stay here and protect you here. Since we have taken care of the bandit situation, I doubt anyone else would try to attack you guys. The one who escaped won''t dare to return, either. I can protect Senior Huang by myself when he goes outside." Yuan said.

    "I will also pay the hotel extra for their security service." Huang Chen said.

    "What about me? I also want to go with you guys!" Huang Xiao Li suddenly asked.

    "Only if you promise to not cause any trouble."

    "What?! Since when have I caused any troubles?!"

    "Always." Huang Chen smiled.

    Sometimeter, Huang Xiao Li approached Yuan and asked him, "Want to look around the city with me? I have already asked my father for permission."

    He turned to look at Huang Chen, who nodded his head with a bittersweet smile on his face.

    "Alright, let''s look around."

    "Please take care of my daughter, Yuan." Huang Chen said to him before they left the hotel and started wandering the city.

    "What do you think about the Giant''s Continent so far?" Huang Xiao Li asked him as they looked around.

    "It''s very unique, that''s for sure." He said.

    "Not just the environment, but even the people are vastly different from each other. Honestly, it feels like I am in a dream."

    Huang Xiao Li chuckled and spoke, "That''s what I felt during my first visit to this ce. However, while it''s nice to visit this ce, I wouldn''t want to live here for too long. It''s simply too dangerous for human cultivators, and only powerful cultivators would dare to wander outside the cities."

    Sometimeter, the two of them stopped when they noticed a group of giants surrounding what appeared to be a massive tform.

    "What are they doing?" Yuan asked when he saw this.

    "Ah, there must be a match going on right now," she said.

    "A match? In the middle of the city?"

    "Yes. One thing you should know about giants is that they love to fight, so there are tforms ced all around the city."

    Yuan suddenly recalled the Ancestral Dragon Temple in the Ancient Dragon City.

    The two of them approached the crowd to get a closer look at the match.

    Once they were close enough, they could see two giants fighting each other with their bare fists. No weapon or armor could be seen.

    The two giants threw fists at each other like their lives depended on it, and every time their fist struck its target, a weak ripple would sweep the ce.

    ''Wow¡­ What tremendous strength¡­'' Yuan thought to himself as he watched the giants plummet each other until one of them could no longer stand.

    Once the match ended, the winner shouted, "Who also wants to experience my strength?! I wee all challengers! The winner will receive a Divine-rank body refining technique!"

    Yuan raised an eyebrow after hearing the giant''s words.

    ''A Divine-rank body refining technique? That sounds like something that could benefit me¡­'' He thought.

    "Don''t tell me you''re thinking about fighting him¡­" Huang Xiao Li suddenly said, almost as though she could see his thoughts.

    "I wouldn''t suggest it. You''re not allowed to use any offensive techniques or treasures, so you can only fight him with your body. That giant must also be hiding his strength. After all, there''s no way he would be willing to give away a Divine-rank technique so easily."

    Yuan smiled and said, "It''s fine. My body is sturdier than it looks. Even if I lose, I want to see for myself just how strong giants are."

    He then jumped onto the stage and said out loud, "I will take on your challenge!"

    The giants were stunned when a tiny human appeared on the stage, and after a moment of silence, they all burst outughing.

 Chapter 1019 - The Prowess of a Giant

    Chapter 1019 - The Prowess of a Giant

    "You, a mere human, wishes to challenge me, a giant, to a match of strength?! Ahahaha! This is the funniest joke I have heard all week long!" The 11-meters tall giantughed out loud after being challenged by Yuan, hisughter causing the air to tremble.

    "Why not? It''s not our size that matters, but our strength, right?" Yuan responded with a calm smile on his face.

    "Is this your first time to the Giant''s Continent, little guy? Have you ever fought a giant before? Giants are at the top when ites to natural strength! No human has ever beaten a giant when ites to pure strength! I''m afraid that I might identally kill you if we fought! However, if you''re still willing to take such a risk, then I will dly be your opponent!"

    "I am willing to take such a risk." Yuan nodded with confidence.

    "Good! Then allow me to tell you some rules!" The giant said.

    And he continued, "First of all, no weapons or treasures of any kind are allowed! If you have any on your right now, put them away!"

    Yuan nodded and stored the Invisible Dragon Cloak into his Dragon Spatial Ring.

    "Two! You are not allowed to use any offensive techniques! However, defensive techniques are allowed!"

    "The third rule is that you are not allowed to dodge! You will have to endure every blow with your body! The same goes for me!"

    "Final rule¡ª the first one to give up or fall unconscious will lose!"

    "Now that you know the rules, do you still wish to continue? I will give you onest chance to walk away, human brat!"

    Yuan smiled and said, "It feels weird that you''re addressing me in a way that makes it seem as though you''re not human. I mean, I get it. Your ancestors transformed your blood through a godly technique, but it''s not like you''re no longer human. Unlike a demon, you still look human to me."

    The ce turned silent after Yuan''s little speech.

    ''Oh no¡­ That idiot!'' Huang Xiao Li cried inwardly after sensing the change in the atmosphere.

    Unbeknownst to Yuan, it was an unspoken rule within the Giant''s Continent that you''re not supposed to call giants ''humans''.

    "How¡­ dare¡­ YOU!!! How dare you call me a human!" The giant on the stage suddenly roared with a red face.

    "I take back what I just said! You''re not allowed to quit anymore! We''re going to fight to death now!" He roared, causing the air to tremble.

    The giants watching the match began shouting like a group of warriors before a big battle, causing the ground and buildings there to shake violently.

    Yuan was a little surprised by the giants'' reaction.

    ''They''re offended because I called them humans? What a blunder. Now I have a target on my back,'' he sighed inwardly after realizing the situation.

    "Are you ready to fight?!" The giant asked him sometimeter.

    "Yes, I am ready." He nodded.

    "THEN HERE I COME!"

    The giant wasted no time throwing his first punch, and a fist the size of arge boulder flew at Yuan''s small figure inparison.

    Although he was unable to dodge the attack, the giant didn''t say anything about not being able to strike back, so he also threw his own punch, putting all of his strength behind it.

    The moment their fists connected with each other, a powerful ripple swept the scene, surprising everyone there. Though what shocked them even more was the fact that Yuan, a mere human, was not only able to survive the giant''s attack but even stop it. ???? ??? ?????

    However, it was not perfect. Yuan had been pushed back several steps while the giant remained unmoving like a mountain.

    ''Looks like I have underestimated the strength of giants¡­'' Yuan thought to himself after feeling a numbing sensation in not only his fist but the rest of his arm as well.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    Furthemore, he''s already used all of his strength in thatst exchange, yet he couldn''t push back the giant even slightly. The chances of him winning this match in his current state was slim to none.

    Despite that, Yuan didn''t give up, and he was even smiling.

    ''It''s been a while since I have faced such a strong opponent¡ª an opponent that I cannot defeat easily! This is great!'' Heughed inwardly.

    The giant was also quite surprised when Yuan managed to stop his fist.

    ''Even though his attack seemed ordinary and ineffective, the spot he struck felt like it had been stabbed with a needle and actually hurts like hell! Where did such a formidable humane from?!'' He cried inwardly but actedpletely tranquil outside.

    "You¡­ I don''t think I have heard your name yet. I am known as Sorgi."

    The giant suddenly introduced himself as Sorgi.

    "My name is Yuan."

    "Good! Now let''s continue our fight!" Sorgiughed as he threw his fist at Yuan for a second time.

    "Ha!" FREE WEB NOVEL

    Just like theirst confrontation, Yuan blocked Sorgi''s first with his own, but he was forced several steps back again.

    "Let''s see how long you can keep this up!" Sorgi roared as he threw the third strike without giving Yuan any time to rest, then a fourth, and a fifth.

    Huang Xiao Li and the other giants watched with their mouths wide open, not daring to believe their eyes.

    "Do you think he''s cheating?" One of the giants there suddenly threw out this thought.

    "He''s definitely cheating! There''s no way a human like him could rival a giant in raw strength! He must be hiding a treasure somewhere in his body!"

    When the giants started using Yuan of secretly using a treasure, the match stopped temporarily.

    "You think I am cheating?" Yuan looked at the crowd of giants with his eyebrows raised slightly.

    "Of course! Otherwise, how else can you hold your own against a giant?! Not even body refiners are capable of such a feat!" The giants responded.

    "Is that so?" Yuan mumbled.

    He turned to look at Sorgi and asked him, "What about you? Do you think I am cheating?"

    Sorgi frowned after hearing this question.

    Although he didn''t want to use Yuan of cheating, his pride as a giant didn''t think it was possible for a human to match him.

    "I see¡­" Even though Sorgi hasn''t said a word yet, Yuan already knew the answer by looking at the expression on his face.

    "If you think I am cheating, then I don''t mind letting you search my body. I will even hand over my clothes and spatial rings to my friend during the match. What do you think?" He suggested.

    "There''s no need to search your body." Sorgi responded after a moment of silence.

    And he continued, "But you can leave your clothes and spatial ring with your friend. If you can prove to everyone here that you''re not cheating, I willpensate you for this misunderstanding."

    "Very well." Yuan nodded.

    He proceeded to remove his clothes until he was wearing nothing but his underwear, revealing to everyone there his sweaty but refined body.

    Even Sorgi was surprised when he saw Yuan''s body that looked like it had been carefully sculpted by the heavens itself.

    "Xiao Li, can you hold these for me for a bit?" Yuan asked her, who was blushing from ear to ear after seeing his half-naked body.

    After handing Huang Xiao Li his clothes and spatial rings, Yuan returned to the stage with only his underwear.

    "I am ready." He said with a cold expression on his face.

    Sorgi swallowed nervously, and he could feel an uneasy feeling welling up inside his guts.

    The two of them continued to throw fists at each other shortly after.

    ''T-This is! He''s gotten even stronger than before! How is this possible?!'' Sorgi was shocked inwardly after sensing the immense force behind Yuan''s first strike after the brief break.

    However, that was not the end of his shock, as Sorgi could feel Yuan''s attacks continuously growing stronger with every strike.

    As time passed and the number of strikes they threw at each other increased, Yuan''s eyes started turning golden, and his body began emanating an unfathomable aura that made it seem as though an unparalleled entity had descended from the heavens.

    Soon even, Yuan''s body was enveloped by a golden aura that made him feel invincible¡ª like he was an unrivaled god.

    When Sorgi and the spectators saw this, they all subconsciously swallowed nervously.

    ''What kind of technique is he using?! I have a really bad feeling about this!'' Sorgi cried inwardly as he stared at Yuan''s shimmering figure.

 Chapter 1020 - Golden Mountain Body Refinement

    Chapter 1020 - Golden Mountain Body Refinement

    "I don''t know what kind of trick you''re using, but you won''t be able to defeat me!" Sorgi roared as he used his own body refining technique, increasing his prowess by many folds, and his body began pulsating with energy so powerful it became visible to one''s eyes.

    However, Yuan remained calm, his gaze as tranquil as a stillke.

    "Haaaaaa!" Sorgi threw his most powerful strike yet, causing the air to tremble.

    "Ha!"

    Yuan also threw his own fist, his aura skyrocketing right before it collided with Sorgi''s fist.

    Boom!

    The entire city shook as a massive ripple swept the city, and one of them flew off the stage and into many buildings before stopping.

    The giants were shocked and speechless after seeing the results.

    "S-Sorgi lost to a human!" One of them eximed, his eyes filled with disbelief.

    "Impossible! What happened just now?! How can a mere human have such prowess with such a tiny body?! This doesn''t make any sense!"

    After sending Sorgi flying off the stage, Yuan closed his eyes and took a deep breath, and he could feel the invincible feeling in his body quickly dissipating.

    He looked at his hands with a wondering gaze.

    ''Just on earth was that strength? I experienced it during my fight with Li Jinxi before. If only I can control this power¡­'' He sighed inwardly.

    Sometimeter, Sorgi returned to the stage with a blooded arm.

    "Are you okay?" Yuan asked him, feeling a little bad about injuring him to such an extent.

    "My muscles are torn, and my entire arm is broken, but I will be fine after some medicine." Sorgi said with a calm smile on his face.

    "Giants are tough, I''ll give you that." Yuan smiled back.

    "Yuan, right? Here is your reward." Sorgi handed him a scroll with his other hand.

    "Thank you."

    After epting the scroll, Yuan immediately opened it and memorized the content.

    "Rx, I wouldn''t scam you with a fake technique before so many people." Sorgi misunderstood his actions.

    "By the way, there will be a major tournament next month that is held by the royal family. It''s going to be something like our match just now, and I think you''ll do great in it. Perhaps you might even win the grand prize, which is a Mythic-rank body refining technique." Sorgi suddenly said.

    "What? A Mythic-rank body refining technique?" Yuan''s eyes widened with surprise.

    However, as much as he wanted to participate in the tournament, he will have to leave the Giant''s Continent with the Huang Family in 14 days.

    "I would love to participate, but unfortunately, my time here is limited, so I won''t be able to participate."

    "That''s a pity. I wanted to see how you would fare against the best warriors in the Giant''s Continent." Sorgi shook his head.

    Sometimeter, Yuan retrieved his clothes and spatial rings from Huang Xiao Li, who was staring at him with admiration.

    "Yuan! You totally overwhelmed that giant! I still can''t believe it! How do you train your body?!"

    "It''s nothing fancy. I just temper my body with medicine." He calmly said.

    "Those must have been some expensive treasure since you were able to defeat a giant using your raw strength."

    "No, my strength is actually weaker than Sorgi. Something else allowed me to defeat him." He shook his head.

    "Huh? What?"

    "I don''t know. I am also trying to figure it out."

    "Let''s continue our tour for a little more before we head back to the hotel." Huang Xiao Li suggested.

    "Sure."

    Meanwhile, somewhere in the Giant''s Continent, a giant that had been sitting on a throne asrge as a mountain slowly opened his eyes, his gaze filled with dominance.

    ''That aura just now¡­''

    The giant slowly stood up and turned to face the direction of the Southern Stronghold.

    "Ah¡­ Have you finally returned, my old friend? I have been waiting for this day ever since I perfected the Great Mammoth Body Refinement. I will not lose this time!"

    This giant suddenly bent his knees in a way that looked like he was prepared to jump, and the next moment, he jumped, soaring towards the Southern Stronghold faster than a rocket.

    About an hour after Yuan fought with Sorgi, he returned to the hotel with Huang Xiao Li.

    "Father! Mother! You will not believe what happened when we were outside! Yuan fought with a giant and won!" Huang Xiao Li bragged about his match with Sorgi the moment she returned home.

    "What?! He fought a giant?! What happened?! Are you guys okay?!" Huang Chen misunderstood the situation and panicked.

    After all, if a human picked a fight with a giant while they were in this ce, nobody would be able to save them if the giants decided to destroy them.

    "It''s fine, father. It wasn''t a fight. It was a legit match. Yuan even won a Divine-rank technique from it." Huang Xiao Li cleared up the misunderstanding.

    "Seriously? Yuan, you''re truly full of surprises."

    "It''s nothing much," he said with a smile.

    "Anyways, I am going to study this new technique that I acquired. If you need me, don''t hesitate to interrupt me." He said to them before going into another room.

    Sometimeter.

    [You have learned Golden Mountain Body Refinement]

    [Golden Mountain Body Refinement]

    [Rank: Divine]

    [Mastery Level: 1]

    [Description: Strengthens your body to be even tougher than that of a mountain made of pure gold!]

    After learning the technique, Yuan stood up and tried it.

    [Golden Mountain Body Refinement!]

    After activating the technique, Yuan could see a thinyer of golden light protecting his body, and he could also feel his body getting stronger.

    ''In order to train body refinement techniques, I will need people to hit me while I am using the technique¡­''

    He went to grab Huang Xiao Li a momentter.

    "What happened to the technique?" She asked him.

    "I have already learned it," he calmly said.

    "Y-You what? There''s no way you learned a Divine-rank technique in less than an hour!" She eximed.

    Yuan didn''t say anything and decided to prove it by showing her the technique.

    "You actually managed to learn it in under an hour¡­? Now that I think about it¡­ You''re also a quick learner when ites to array symbols¡­" She muttered in a dazed voice after seeing the golden glow protecting his body.

    "I want you to hit me as hard as you can." Yuan suddenly said to her.

    "Sure." Huang Xiao Li did not hesitate and prepared to throw her fist at him.

    However, he quickly stopped her and said, "Hold it! Why are you using your hand? Use a weapon instead. You''re going to break your hand like that!"

    "What? Did I hear right? You want me to strike you with a weapon?" She looked at him with wide eyes.

    "Don''t worry, I will be fine. Even if I am not fine, I won''t me you for it." He said with a smile.

    "That doesn''t make me feel any better, but whatever. I trust you."

    Huang Xiao Li proceeded to retrieve a Heaven-grade sword and shed it at Yuan with all of her cultivation behind it.

    Ding!

    The sword bounced off Yuan''s body the moment it touched the goldenyer.

    "This isn''t too bad. I don''t have my Invisible Dragon Cloak on right now so I was expecting to bleed a little." Yuan said after seeing the results.

    "You were expecting to bleed?" Huang Xiao Li''s jaw dropped a little after hearing such words.

    "Looks like I will need something stronger if I want to cultivate this technique properly. I should pick a fight with another giant and use them to train this technique." Yuan said with a weird smile on his face.

    "I won''t say anything as long as it''s a match and you''re not actually picking a fight¡­" Huang Xiao Li said.

    "Anyways, let''s¡ª"

    BOOM!

    The entire building suddenly shook violently.

    "An earthquake?" Huang Xiao Li looked around with a raised eyebrow.

    "No, this isn''t caused by an earthquake. It''s too unnatural." Yuan said.

    Everyone in the hotel proceeded to look outside the window, and to their absolute shock, a giant that size of an actual mountain had suddenly appeared outside the city.

    "Holy shit¡­" Yuan muttered in a dumbfounded voice when he saw the size of this giant.

    If he stood before this giant, he would figuratively and literally be like an ant.

    "What are they doing?" Huang Xiao Li pointed at the giants in the street, as they had all suddenly dropped to their knees and kowtowed towards the giant outside the city.

    Her question would be answered the following moment when every giant in the city could be heard shouting¡ª

    "We pay respects to His Majesty, Giant Emperor Ks!"

    The entire city shook for a second time when all of the giants there paid their respects to Giant Emperor Ks, who was the current ruler of the Giant''s Continent.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    However, Giant Emperor Ks ignored the giants and swept the city with his gaze. Every single individual that entered his gaze trembled with awe.

    A few moments of silenceter, Giant Emperor Ks spoke in a deafening voice, "How long do you n on hiding?! I know you''re here! Tian Yang, get your ass out here and fight me!"

    Yuan''s eyes widened with shock when he heard the name ''Tian Yang''e out of the Giant Emperor''s mouth.

    ''This is Tian Yang''s memories?! I thought this was the God of War''s memories! And what rtionship does he have with the Giant Emperor?! The Giant Emperor looks pissed!'' He cried inwardly, not daring to respond to the Giant Emperor''s call, as that would be akin to suicide with his current strength.

 Chapter 1021 - Giant Emperor Kulas

    Chapter 1021 - Giant Emperor Ks

    "Tian Yang! Get your ass out here! I won''t move a single inch until youe out and fight me like a man! Or have you be a coward since ourst duel?!" Giant Emperor Ks roared when Yuan didn''t respond to his callings.

    The giants in the city were baffled by the Giant Emperor Ks'' words.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.

    In their eyes, Giant Emperor Ks was the strongest giant in their race. He was a proud warrior with a godlike physique that has never lost a fight before. While many giants would challenge him, they don''t recall thest time he personally challenged another person to a fight.

    And judging by his recent words, it seemed that Giant Emperor Ks was desperate to fight this individual known as Tian Yang.

    However, nobody there knew of a giant by that name.

    "Do you know of a Tian Yang?"

    "No, I don''t."

    The giants in the city mumbled to each other while Giant Emperor Ks stood before their city, his gaze sweeping through it.

    "Just who is this Tian Yang, and why does the Giant Emperor want to fight him?" Huang Xiao Li mumbled in a dazed voice as she stared at the massive giant standing outside the city.

    "Who knows¡­" Yuan shrugged.

    Despite being very confident in his own strength, Yuan knew that he was not an opponent for Giant Emperor Ks, who appeared to be above Spirit Sovereign.

    Therefore, he decided to ignore Giant Emperor Ks'' entire existence by pretending to not see him.

    "I''m going to cultivate." Yuan said as he returned to his room.

    However, he would soon realize that was an impossible feat with the Giant Emperor shouting his name every few minutes.

    "Tian Yang! You dare ignore me?!"

    "Get your ass out here!"

    "Tian Yang!"

    "I have all day!"

    "I will stand here until you leave!"

    Giant Emperor Ks made it impossible for the residents of the city to have a peaceful mind and impossible to cultivate. However, none of the giantsined. They wouldn''t dare toin even if Giant Emperor Ks decided to erase their city from the continent.

    In the Giant''s Continent, Giant Emperor Ks was nature and thew. Whatever he says goes.

    However, while the giants could not do anything about Giant Emperor Ks, they could do something about this Tian Yang.

    "This Tian Yang is ignoring His Majesty''s summoning and making His Majesty wait! The audacity!"

    "Yeah! Let''s find this bastard for His Majesty!"

    "Drag out this Tian Yang from whatever rathole he''s hiding in!"

    Eventually, all of the giants in the city began looking for this Tian Yang.

    "I think this Tian Yang is a human!"

    "Yeah! No giant would ever disobey His Majesty so openly!"

    "Gather all of the humans in this city! We must find this Tian Yang at all cost!"

    The giants in the city began gathering all of the humans they could find outside the city, where Giant Emperor Ks was waiting.

    "Yuan! The hotel staff are telling us that we need to gather with the other humans outside the city!" Huang Xiao Li called for him outside his room.

    "Seriously?" Yuan rubbed his eyes in a stressful manner after hearing her words.

    ''Is it impossible to avoid the Giant Emperor? Do I really have to fight him?'' He wondered as he opened the door and went outside.

    "It''s alright, you guys can stay here." Yuan said to the Huang Family after leaving his room.

    "Huh? Did you not hear me? They want every human in the city to gather outside the city! They could kill us if we refuse! This is all because of Tian Yang who''s been ignoring the Giant Emperor!" Huang Xiao Li gritted her teeth in frustration.

    "I''m telling you that it''s fine. Nothing will happen. Because I am Tian Yang." Yuan revealed this fact to them.

    "Y-You''re Tian Yang¡­?" They all stared at him with shocked faces.

    "Well¡­ I am Yuan, but I am also Tian Yang. It''s a nickname." He said with a bittersweet smile.

    "Isn''t this your first time to the Giant''s Continent? Why would you know the Giant Emperor if that was the case? And why are you avoiding him?" Huang Chen frowned, bing suspicious of Yuan''s identity.

    "This is really my first timeing to the Giant''s Continent. As for the Giant Emperor¡­ I met him outside the Giant''s Continent. And the reason I am avoiding him is because I don''t want to fight him." Yuan shrugged, making up all sorts of excuses.pa?da ?ov?l

    "Anyways, since they''re going through this much trouble to bring me out, I will go have a chat with the Giant Emperor."

    "Yuan! Whatever you do, do not offend the Giant Emperor! He is literally ''Heaven'' to the giants! You don''t want to offend someone like him, especially not in his territory!" Huang Xiao Li warned him.

    "I won''t." Yuan said before flying out of the window and towards the giant outside the city.

    When Giant Emperor Ks saw Yuan flying towards him, he startedughing out loud, "There you are, Tian Yang! Did you not hear me calling for you? Why were you hiding from me? Did you not want to fight me?!"

    The giants in the city stopped their movements after hearing Giant Emperor Ks'' words, and they all silently spectated the situation.

    "I''m here on private business, so of course I don''t want to fight you. I don''t want to attract too much attention, after all." Yuan said.

    "Hahaha! That''s a load of bullshit! If you didn''t want to fight me, why would you use that technique?! You''re clearly provoking me!"

    "Technique? What technique?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    "Still acting dumb? Or do you believe that I had forgotten about it? Too bad for you, I have never forgotten about that golden aura of yours since ourst fight! I came here the moment I sensed it!" Giant Emperor Ks said.

    Yuan''s eyes widened with surprise after hearing the true purpose of Giant Emperor Ks'' visit.

    ''He came here because he sensed my golden aura? Does he know something about it? If he does, I must ask him!''

    This is the first time that someone besides Tian Yang knew something about his golden aura, and this could be his opportunity to learn something about it.

    "Since you seem to know so much about the golden aura, why don''t you tell me everything you know about it? If you do, I will fight you."

    Giant Emperor Ks did not immediately respond to him.

    After a moment of silence, he spoke, "I didn''t notice it at first due to my excitement, but what happened to your cultivation base? Why are you so pitifully weak? I wouldn''t enjoy beating you in your current state."

    Yuan pondered for a moment before speaking, "I was injured not long ago, and that affected my cultivation."

    Giant Emperor Ks narrowed his eyes at Yuan.

    "Forget it then. I don''t want to fight you in your current state. Come back when you''re stronger."

    And without saying anything else, Giant Emperor Ks turned around and walked away, leaving Yuan utterly speechless.

    ''This fucker! How can he leave things like this?! He came here so suddenly and even caused such amotion! Is the Stairway to Heaven trying to tease me?!''

    However, Giant Emperor Ks stopped after taking a few steps.

    He turned around and looked at Yuan.

    "My family is hosting a tournament next month. If you win it, I will tell you everything I know about the golden aura. See you there."

    After saying such words, Giant Emperor Ks leaped into the sky and disappeared into the horizon.

    ''The tournament? Unless it''s going to happen in the next trial, I will most likely have to wait until I ascend to the Fourth Heaven¡­'' He sighed inwardly.

    Yuan returned to the Huang Family shortly after.

    "Are you okay? What happened? Why did the Giant Emperor leave so suddenly?"

    "It''s nothing much. He wants me to participate in the tournament next month¡ª the one Sorgi talked about. However, that isn''t possible since I will be leaving this ce with your family before it can happen."

    Huang Xiao Li immediately began pondering.

    After a moment of silence, she turned to look at her father and spoke, "Father, I have a request!"

    "I think I have an idea about what you''re going to ask me, but ask away anyway¡­"

    "Let''s stay in the Giant''s Continent for a little longer! We can leave after the tournament! I really want to see Yuan fighting against the other giants, especially after what I witnessed today! It''s going to be amazing!"

    Huang Chen sighed after hearing his daughter''s request.

    He turned to look at Yuan and asked him a momentter, "What do you think? Do you want to participate in this tournament? Since the Giant Emperor is expecting your presence there, I cannot be the reason why you miss it."

    Yuan nodded, "I would like to participate in the tournament."

    "Then it''s settled. We''ll stay here for a couple more weeks." Huang Chen dered.

    "Thank you, Senior Huang." Yuan said to him.

    "There''s no need to thank me. You saved my family''s lives more than once, after all. And I also want to see how you will fare against the strongest giants in the continent. However, since the location of the tournament is a little far away, we will need to start making our way there right now if we want to make it there in time for the tournament. As for my business, it can wait until we reach the capital. I will have a higher chance of acquiring more valuable treasures over there than here." Huang Chen said.

 Chapter 1022 - Tournament of Strength

    Chapter 1022 - Tournament of Strength

    "What about the ship? It will leave with or without us in 14 days, right?" Yuan asked.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    "Yes, but it will return in 7 days for another 14 days. If we miss that, we can wait for the next one. It''s really not that big of a deal. Most people thate to this continent tend to stay here for over a month, too." Huang Chen said.

    "Alright."

    The Huang Family quickly packed their stuff and checked out of the hotel.

    When they left the hotel, everyone in the street would stop whatever they were doing to stare at Yuan.

    However, nobody there dared to approach him.

    "Is that him? The human that His Majesty had challenged?"

    "Yes, that''s him."

    "Where do you think he''s going?"

    "ording to the rumors, His Majesty is expecting to see him at the tournament next month."

    "What? A human participating in the Tournament of Strength? That''s ridiculous."

    "Who knows. A human recognized by His Majesty isn''t someone we should look down upon."

    Sometimeter, Yuan''s group stopped by arge building.

    "Since we''re going to be traveling a long distance, we''ll need to rent a carriage and hire a driver." Huang Chen said.

    "I can pay for it since I''m the reason we''re making the journey." Yuan said.

    "It''s fine. I got it." Huang Chen smiled at him.

    Half an hourter, Huang Chen returned to them and said, "They''re preparing the carriage and our driver. They should be ready in an hour. Until then, let''s go get something to eat."

    "Sure."

    They walked around until they could find a restaurant that was operated by a human, as the restaurants for giants were simply too big for them.

    Huang Xiao Li remembered Yuan''s monstrous eating habits and ordered a full table of food just for him.

    As they began eating, giants would gather outside the restaurant and peek inside, all of them seemingly there to look at Yuan.

    "That''s Tian Yang? What''s so special about him?"

    "I don''t know."

    "Hey! I recognize him! He fought with Sorgi earlier today and won!"

    "What?! Sorgi?! Seriously?! He''s one of the strongest warriors in this city!"

    "So what if he beat Sorgi? Compared to the warriors that will be attending the Tournament of Strength, Sorgi is no different than an ant."

    "He didn''t just beat Sorgi. He overwhelmed Sorgi, even breaking his arm! Although it was even at first, he suddenly used a mysterious power that still sends shivers down my spine when I recall it."

    Yuan ignored the giants watching them from outside like they were part of some kind of exhibit. However, the Huang Family was quite nervous from all of the staring.

    After eating, Yuan and the Huang Family made their way to the gathering point, where arge carriage made for giants was already prepared for them.

    "That''s going to be dragging the carriage?" Yuan was expecting horses, but he got something entirely different.

    "Yes, that''s a Green Earth Dragon. They may have the word dragon in their name but they''re really justrge lizards. Horses aren''t used here because they''re too weak for giants." Huang Xiao Li exined.

    "Are you guys ready?" The driver, a 7 meter-tall male giant, asked them.

    "Yes, we''re ready." Huang Chen nodded.

    The giant nodded back andmanded the Green Earth Dragon to move, dragging the carriage away from the Southern Stronghold and towards Colossal Mammoth City.

    "How much do you guys know about the tournament?" Yuan asked the Huang Family as they moved.

    "Not much except that it''s the biggest event in the entire continent that only urs every hundred years." Huang Chen said.

    "I believe it''s called the Tournament of Strength. The strongest warriors from around the world will participate in it. The winners will not only receive a powerful technique but also the title of Colossal, something that can only be held by the strongest person in the continent."

    "If you win this tournament, you can expect unimaginable wealth and fame within the Giant''s Continent. Rumors even say that you''ll be able to join the Royal Family by marrying one of their princesses." Huang Xiao Li added.

    "The Royal Family¡­ That would be the Giant Emperor''s family, right?" Yuan asked for confirmation.

    "That''s right. Giant Emperor Ks is not only the strongest entity in this world but also the most influential. His words are thew and his actions are akin to nature. Nobody dares to oppose him."

    "Do you think you''ll be able to win the tournament?" She asked a momentter.

    Yuan immediately shook his head with a bittersweet smile, "In my current state? I don''t think so."

    "Really? Even though the Giant Emperor wanted you to participate?"

    "I have no idea what that guy has in his mind." He shrugged.

    Sometimeter, the driver suddenly shouted, "We have iing magical beasts!"

    They stopped talking and looked in front of them, where a single beast that stood on two legs could be seen blocking the road.

    "That''s a Wingless Dragon! And it''s emitting the strength of a Spirit Emperor!" Qin Kai eximed.

    "If there''s only one of them, I can handle it." Yuan said as he leaped from the carriage and into the sky, where he quickly charged up a Heaven Splitting Sword Strike.

    Whoosh!

    The Wingless Dragon was consumed by the Heaven Splitting Sword Strike, disappearing alongside the road, where arge crater now existed.

    The giant stopped the carriage for a moment to look at Yuan with wide eyes, seemingly not daring to believe his eyes.

    Once Yuan returned to the carriage, the giant continued to drive the carriage.

    "Wow! That was amazing!" Huang Xiao Li eximed.

    "If only you could use spiritual attacks at the tournament, you would definitely win!"

    "If only¡­" He smiled.

    ''If I want to win the tournament, I will need to temper my body even more. If only I could use the golden aura at will¡­ Since I cannot do that, I will need to think of another way to increase my chances of winning¡­''

    After pondering for some time, Yuan recalled the nameless technique being trained by Li Jinxi.

    ''Perhaps I can use that temporarily¡­'' He thought inwardly.

 Chapter 1023 - Unbearable Pain

    Chapter 1023 - Unbearable Pain

    Yuan closed his eyes and began reciting the nameless technique inside his head.

    About an hourter, the Huang Family could see a red aura emanating from Yuan''s body, and he gave off the feeling of a wild beast who thirsted for blood.

    "Y-Yuan? Are you okay?" Huang Xiao Li asked him in a nervous voice, as the pressureing from him was quite overwhelming.

    He opened his eyes and nodded with a calm expression, "Don''t worry, I am fine. It''s just a new technique that I recently learned."

    Meanwhile, in the spectator''s room, Li Jinxi stared at Yuan and his red aura with wide eyes.

    "That red aura looks very familiar¡­" Chu Liuxiang mumbled out loud when she saw it.

    "It''s my technique." Li Jinxi said.

    "Huh? You taught it to him? When?"

    "When he started training me. If he understood my technique, then he would be able to train me better. I didn''t think he would want to learn something like that because he said that it wasn''t created for humans¡ª not that I amining. Since I gave him the technique, I don''t mind if he uses it as well."

    "A technique not created for humans? Can you use it for me? I would like to see it." Feng Yuxiang suddenly asked.

    "Sure." Li Jinxi nodded.

    She proceeded to activate her nameless technique, showing off her red aura that looked just like the one surrounding Yuan at this moment.

    "I see¡­ The Young Master is right. This technique does give off a beastly vibe, and it''s a fairly strong one. Is it a Divine-rank technique?"

    Li Jinxi nodded, "My family always thought it was only a Heaven-rank technique for some reason."

    It wasn''t until she learned the technique in Cultivation Online that she found out the technique was actually a Divine-rank technique and not a mere Heaven-rank technique.

    "Do you know what kind of beast this technique was created for?" Li Jinxi asked.

    Feng Yuxiang narrowed her eyes and pondered for a moment before speaking, "I have a feeling that I have encountered that kind of aura before, but I cannot remember when or where. Sorry."

    "It''s fine." Li Jinxi shook her head.

    "Do you know the origin of the technique?" Feng Yuxiang then asked.

    "I do not. It''s been with my family since ancient times."

    "Your surname is Li, right? If I recall correctly, there is a well known family with that surname in the Third Heaven, and they''re all beast tamers that utilize the power of beasts. Maybe they know something about it."

    "I guess we''ll find out when we get there."

    Half an hourter, Yuan''s carriage encountered another magical beast.

    This time, he did not use Heavenly Splitting Sword Strike. Instead, he used the nameless technique and confronted the magical beast head-on with the Empyrean Overlord.

    Sha!

    The Empyrean Overlord sliced through the magical beast as though it was tofu, and Yuan noticed his aura growing a little stronger when he killed the magic beast.

    [Nameless Technique]

    [Rank: Divine]? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    [Description: Increases your overall strength and removes the limit on your body to a certain extent.]

    The Nameless Technique was a simple yet profound technique that is more than it appears.

    Yuan looked at the red aura that covered his body after killing the magical beast, feeling an overwhelming sense of strength.

    However, right as he was gettingfortable with the nameless technique, Yuan suddenly felt an intense sensation of paining from his heart, almost like he was having a heart attack.

    He immediately knelt on the ground and clenched his chest.

    "Argh!" He screamed out loud.

    The paining from his heart was many times stronger than his worst body tempering session, and it felt like his heart was being torn apart.

    "Yuan?! Are you okay?!" The Huang Family was shocked when they saw this.

    However, Yuan did not hear them speaking at all, as a deafening voice was resounding inside his head at this moment.

    ''How dare you use another aura when you already have Heaven''s Supremacy!''

    This deep voice sounded very familiar to Yuan, but he does not recall where he had heard it¡ª not that he was in the condition to ponder.

    The Huang Family then watched as a golden aura began emanating from Yuan''s body, quickly consuming the red aura.

    Eventually, the red aura waspletely reced with the golden aura.

    The pain stopped shortly after, and Yuan was finally able to take a deep breath.

    ''What the hell happened just now?! What was that voice?!'' He cried inwardly, his body soaked in cold sweat as the painful sensation still lingered in his body.

    "Yuan!" Huang Xiao Li jumped off the carriage and rushed over to see his condition.

    "Your face is so pale! What happened to you?!" She was shocked when she saw his ghastlyplexion.

    "I think I experienced some kind of bacsh¡­ I should be fine after some rest¡­" He said.

    Huang Xiao Li supported Yuan with her shoulder until they returned to the carriage.

    "Here, eat this Spirit Replenishing Pill. It should help you." Huang Chen handed him a pill that restored his spiritual energy.

    Even though he barely used his spiritual energy, Yuan still consumed the pill, and he could feel a burst of refreshing energy spreading throughout his entire body.

    While he rested, Yuan tried to recall where he had heard that voice before.

    ''That''s right! I remember now! I heard that voice during one of my dreams!'' He finally recalled.

    However, that only made the situation even more puzzling.

    ''Why did I hear that voice just now? It mentioned Heaven''s Supremacy¡­ Is that the name of that mysterious aura?'' He wondered inwardly as the carriage continued moving.

    ''The voice sounded angry when I used the nameless technique¡­ Almost like it has its own consciousness, but how is that possible?''

    Yuan pondered and pondered, but he was unable to understand with this tiny amount of information.

    ''Should I use the nameless technique again to see if it will happen again?'' He wondered inwardly, yet he was hesitant to do so, mostly because he didn''t want to experience that unbearable pain again.

 Chapter 1024 - Soul Strength

    Chapter 1024 - Soul Strength

    ''No, I shouldn''t use the nameless technique again¡ª at least not now. We''ll need to settle down somewhere before I try again.'' Yuan thought to himself.

    After all, if he tried using the nameless technique and loses consciousness due to the bacsh, he wouldn''t be able to protect the Huang Family and fail the Stairway to Heaven.

    Fortunately for Yuan, his headache vanished half an hourter, and his paleplexion was also restored back to normal.

    "You shouldn''t use that technique again. I think there might be something wrong with it." Huang Xiao Li warned him.

    "Alright," he nodded with a bitter smile.

    As they continued their journey to Colossal Mammoth City, Yuan would protect the carriage from all sorts of magical beasts with most of them having the strength of a Spirit Emperor.

    ''These trials are getting too ridiculous too quickly. I am only trying to ascend to the Third Heaven and I am already forced to fight Spirit Emperors. At this rate, I will have to fight Immortals if I wish to ascend to the Fourth Heaven.'' Yuan sighed inwardly.

    "How are you feeling, Yuan? I''m sorry you have to endure all of this all by yourself. I would love to help, but I am simply powerless in this ce." Huang Xiao Li felt a little guilty when she saw how Yuan was dealing with all of their threats all by himself.

    "Don''t worry about me. I am the reason we''re making this unnecessary trip in the first ce so it''s only reasonable for me to bear the responsibility and protect all of you."

    "By the way, how far are we from our destination?" He turned to ask the driver.

    "At the pace we''re moving, we should arrive in 20 days."

    "20 days, huh?"

    Yuan didn''t say anything else and closed his eyes to cultivate.

    For the next four days, Yuan would do nothing but protect their carriage from magical beasts.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    At the end of the fourth day, the driver said to them, "There''s a city up ahead. If you wish to take any breaks, now would be the time. We won''t see the next city for another week after this one."

    "I would like to take a bath and eat some food!" Huang Xiao Li immediately said.

    "Do you mind if we stop here for a bit, Yuan?" Huang Chen asked him.

    "You don''t need to ask me, even if you want to stay here for a night or two." Yuan said.

    "Alright, then we''ll stop here for a couple of hours before we continue our journey." Huang Chen nodded.

    Once they arrived at the city, the driver said to them, "I will wait for you here. Take as long as you need."

    "Are you sure? You can take a break as well." Huang Xiao Li said to him.

    "Thank you for your consideration, but I take my job very seriously. I won''t leave this carriage until I bring all of you to Colossal Mammoth City."

    "I understand."

    Sometimeter, the Huang Family rented a hotel room for one day, allowing everyone to enjoy a hot bath.

    "Ah! That felt great!" Huang Xiao Li eximed in a satisfied voice aftering out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her body, her hair still dripping wet.

    Huang Chen frowned when he saw her appearance, and he said, "You''re not at home. Mind your appearance!"

    "Oh, right¡­" Huang Xiao Li quickly went back into the bathroom to dry her hair and wear clothes.

    After leaving the hotel, they went to a nearby restaurant and ate until all of their stomachs were bloated.

    They returned to the driver waiting outside the city afterward, continuing their journey for another 7 days.

    The magical beasts they encountered during these seven days were stronger than the previous encounters.

    ''The magical beasts are getting stronger as we get closer to the Colossal Mammoth City, but my strength isn''t increasing¡­ Unless I consume a monster core or a demon core, I won''t be able to suddenly increase my strength to pass the trial likest time.''

    On their fifth day to their 2nd checkpoint, the carriage came to aplete halt when a magical beast that stood on two legs with a pair of closed wings behind its back blocked their path.

    "That''s a Mountain Dragon!" The driver appeared to be terrified of this magical beast.

    Just as the name sounds, this magical beast was like a small mountain that blocked their path.

    ''I will need to use the God of War''s Astral Arts if I want to deal with this beast¡­'' Yuan sighed inwardly after sensing the overwhelming auraing from the magical beast.

    "I will be right back." Yuan said to the Huang Family as he flew into the air and used God of War''s Astral Arts.

    "W-What in Ks'' name is that?!" The giant cried out loud when he saw the massive figure that appeared out of the blue in the sky.

    Then he watched as the golden armored figure ttened the Mountain Dragon with a single strike, causing the entire world to tremble as well.

    It wasn''t just the driver. Even the Green Earth Dragon pulling their carriage was shocked by what it had just witnessed. It has seen many things throughout its life as a carriage puller, but it has never met a human with such prowess before.

    Yuan returned to the carriage shortly after killing the Mountain Dragon with a paleplexion.

    "Are you sure you''re not pushing yourself? At this rate, you won''t have enough strength left for the tournament¡­" Huang Xiao Li sighed as she positioned Yuan''s head to rest on her soft legs.

    "That technique uses my soul strength instead of my spiritual energy, so I will be fine as long as I get enough rest," he said.

    "Soul strength, huh?" Huang Xiao Li suddenly put on a pondering face.

    She turned to look at Huang Chen and asked, "Father¡­ Don''t you know any arrays that could help replenish his soul strength?"

    "Actually, I do." He nodded.

    "Really?" Yuan was pleasantly surprised to hear this.

    "Yes. Give me a minute." Huang Chen nodded as he began creating array symbols that Yuan didn''t recognize.

 Chapter 1025 - Soul Nourishment Array

    Chapter 1025 - Soul Nourishment Array

    After spending a few minutes creating array symbols, Huang Chen pointed his hands at Yuan and gestured for the symbols to activate, "Soul Nourishment Array!"

    The array symbols surrounded Yuan and illuminated a beautiful golden light.

    Although the difference wasn''t anything major, Yuan''s soul strength was definitely recovering noticeably faster.

    "How do you feel, Yuan?" Huang Xiao Li asked him.

    "This array is really useful. I''ve been thinking about getting a soul cultivation technique, but this could work as well¡ª at least temporary. Do you mind teaching me this array? I''ll be able to use my trump card much more often if I have this array. Of course, it''s okay to refuse. I am aware that it''s a valuable array since anything that can restore soul strength is valuable." He asked Huang Chen.

    "I don''t mind teaching you the Soul Nourishment Array, but will you even be able to use it? It''s a level 4 arraybination that''s even more difficult than some level 5 arraybinations." Huang Chen said.

    "Level 4 arraybination¡­ I only know up to level 3 array symbols¡­" Yuan sighed.

    "You can always learn level 4 array symbols. I mean, you''re a quick learner and a genius Array Master. Here, you can have this." Huang Xiao Li handed him a thin book that read ''2,000 Master Array Symbols''.

    "Thank you!" Yuan epted the book and immediately started flipping through the pages to memorize the content.

    Since there were only 2,000 array symbols, it didn''t take long for him to memorize all of them.

    "Here''s the Soul Nourishment Array." Huang Chen handed him the arraybination next.

    "Thank you." Yuan also memorized the arraybination right after acquiring it. Since he couldn''t take these items outside the Stairway to Heaven, he needed to memorize them before the trial ended.

    While Huang Chen maintained the Soul Nourishment Array, Yuan would study the level 4 array symbols.

    They continued this until they finally arrived at their second checkpoint.

    "Do you wish to rest here like before?" The driver asked them.

    "Yes, please."

    "Alright."

    Once the carriage was parked, Yuan and the Huang Family entered the city to take another break.

    Shortly after Yuan and the others entered the city, a tall figure wearing a cloak approached their carriage, where the driver was patiently waiting for their return.

    "Hey, I have some questions for you." The cloaked figure asked the driver.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.

    ''A woman?'' The driver raised his eyebrows after hearing her clear voice, and judging by the size of this figure, she appeared to be human.

    "What kind of questions?" The driver asked.

    The woman proceeded to ask him several questions.

    "Sorry, but I cannot answer these questions." The driver politely refused this mysterious woman after hearing her questions.

    The woman sighed, "I didn''t want to do this but¡­"

    The driver immediately prepared to retaliate after hearing this woman''s ominous words.

    "Calm down. I''m not here to fight," she said after seeing the driver getting defensive and all.

    "I''m going to show you my face. Don''t shout too loudly." The woman said as she removed her hood just enough to reveal her facial appearance to the driver.

    "Y-You''re?!" The driver''s eyes widened with shock upon realizing the identity of this woman.

    "Shhh!" The woman quickly shushed him with a finger between her lips.

    "Now tell me what I want to know," she then said.

    "Alright¡­" The driver couldn''t refuse her after recognizing her identity.

    After spending several hours inside the city, Yuan and the Huang family returned to the carriage, but to their surprise, there was someone they didn''t recognize with the driver, mostly because they were wearing a cloak that hid their face and identity.

    "Who are you?" Huang Chen asked this cloaked figure.

    "Hello, my name is Xie Mey. I have been looking for you, Tian Yang." The woman suddenly introduced herself.

    Yuan frowned slightly and said, "I''m Yuan."

    "Then why did you answer the Giant Emperor, who was calling for Tian Yang?" She asked with a smile.

    "What do you want from me?" He asked.

    "Nothing, really. I''m just interested in you, who has managed to receive the Giant Emperor''s attention. As far as I am aware, the Giant Emperor isn''t interested in weaklings. In fact, he wouldn''t even acknowledge one''s existence until they prove their strength. However, you have not only managed to attract his attention but even make him personally visit you. That''s the first time I''ve seen him do something like that."

    "You''re going to Colossal Mammoth City for the Tournament of Strength, right? Do you mind if I tagged along? I promise that I won''t be a bother. In fact, I''ll even help out with protecting the carriage. I may not look like it, but I''m pretty strong." Xie Mey made a gesture that one would normally make to show off their biceps, but the cloak hid everything.

    Yuan narrowed his eyes at this mysterious woman.

    ''I cannot sense her cultivation base, but she''s definitely not a mortal, so she must be above Spirit Emperor. It would be a great help if someone like her joins our journey.'' He thought to himself.

    Furthermore, it was not as though he had the power to stop this woman from following them if she really wanted to.

    "Do you mind if she joined us?" Yuan turned to look at the Huang Family.

    "If you''re okay with it, I won''t say anything." Huang Chen said.

    Yuan turned to look at the driver, who immediately nodded his head.

    ''The driver is acting weird¡­ Does he know this woman?'' Yuan thought to himself after noticing the nervousness within the driver''s gaze.

    "Alright, you can follow us." Yuan said to Xie Mey a momentter.

    "Thank you, Tian Yang!"

    "Call me Yuan. That is my name." Yuan corrected her.

    "Okay, Yuan! Nice to meet you!"

    They returned to the road sometimeter but now with a new addition¡ª this mysterious woman named Xie Mey whose motives were as mysterious as her identity.

 Chapter 1026 - Mysterious Woman

    Chapter 1026 - Mysterious Woman

    After leaving the city, the driver said to them, "There won''t be any more stops until we reach Colossal Mammoth City now."

    "Alright."

    Yuan said as he pulled out the level 4 array symbols manual and started studying it.

    Xie Mey, who has been staring at him since they got on the carriage, suddenly asked, "What are you doing?"

    "I''m learning array symbols. I will need all of the concentration I can get before we''re attacked by magical beasts, so if you don''t mind, don''t bother me until I am done. You promised that you wouldn''t be a bother, right?"

    "Eh? That''s not fun! Let''s talk a little before you focus on that book!" Xie Mey said.

    "Hey! Stop bothering him or I will kick you out of here!" Huang Xiao Li interrupted with a slight frown on her face.

    The driver in the front snapped his head and looked at Huang Xiao Li with wide eyes.

    ''Oh my god! She just threatened her!'' He cried inwardly.

    Xie Mey turned to look at Huang Xiao Li and smiled underneath her cloak.

    "You''ll kick me out? How are you going to do that? A mere Spirit Grandmaster, I can crush you with a single pinky." Xie Mey showed Huang Xiao Li her pinky and even wiggled it around in a provoking manner.

    Yuan suddenly sighed and looked away from his book to look at Xie Mey.

    "Did youe here just to pick a fight? If that''s the case, let''s get this over with."

    Although he wasn''t confident in beating her, he had a chance if he could catch her off guard with the God of War''s Astral Arts.

    "Rx, I don''t want to fight you¡ª at least not right now."

    Yuan narrowed his eyes at her words that implied that she wanted to fight him at ater date.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    "The Tournament of Strength. I will be participating in it as well. As much as I want to fight you now, I will wait until we both enter the stage," Xie Mey said.

    "You''re also participating in the Tournament of Strength? I understand Yuan''s reason for joining, but you as well? Aren''t you a human?" Huang Xiao Li was surprised to hear that a female human wanted to join the Tournament of Strength.

    "So what if I am human? There are no rules that prohibit humans from participating in the Tournament of Strength. In fact, many humans participate in every tournament. Though no human has ever won the tournament before."

    "A female body refiner, huh¡­ How rare¡­" Huang Chen mumbled.

    "Anyways, I just want to talk a little. I will stop bothering you afterward. Please?" Xie Mey said a momentter, even sping her palms together in a pleading gesture.

    "Fine. What do you want to talk about?" Yuan agreed to her proposal.

    "How did you meet the Giant Emperor?"

    "That''s a secret between us." Yuan made up an excuse since he didn''t know.

    "Fair enough. Then why does the Giant Emperor want to fight you?"

    "I don''t know. Go ask him. He''s the one who challenged me." He shrugged.

    "I can''t argue that¡­ Alright then¡ª why did youe to the Giant''s Continent if not to participate in the Tournament of Strength?"

    Yuan pointed at the Huang Family and said, "I am here as their bodyguard, and they''re here to exchange their treasures."

    "Seriously¡­? That''s why you''re here?" Xie Mey mumbled in a dazed voice, seemingly in disbelief.

    After asking Yuan several more questions, Xie Mey finally stopped bothering him.

    However, it didn''t take long before he was distracted again.

    The moment he sensed a magical beast nearby, Yuan dropped the book in his hands and retrieved the Empyrean Overlord. His movements were incredibly fluid and without any hesitation, almost as though he''s done this a thousand times before.

    [Vanishing Ghost''s Soundless de!]

    Yuan''s arms flickered and disappeared for a split second, and in a speed that nobody there but Xie Mey could see, he sliced the magical beast over a dozen times, separating its body into many pieces.

    "Not bad." Xie Mey praised him after he returned to the carriage.

    "Thanks." Yuan casually said as he picked up his book and began reading again.

    An hourter, Yuan sensed another magical beast approaching their location.

    "I got this one."

    Xie Mey suddenly said, and she left the carriage before Yuan could even stand up.

    Yuan and the others watched as Xie Mey flew at the magical beast before giving it a single punch.

    Although the punch looked ordinary, there was actually an immense force behind it, and when the fist connected with the magical beast, it blew a massive hole in the magical beast body.

    "What?!" Huang Xiao Li''s eyes widened with shock after seeing how little effort Xie Mey exerted to defeat the Spirit Emperor magical beast.

    After killing the magical beast with a single punch, Xie Mey returned to the carriage.

    "What do you think? Do you think you''ll be able to survive my fist? By the way, that wasn''t even half of my full power." Xie Mey said.

    Although he couldn''t see it, he was sure that there was a smug smile on her face right now just from her voice alone.

    "Aren''t you ashamed to be asking a mere Spirit Lord such a question when you''re above Spirit Emperor?" Yuan asked her.

    "Can a mere Spirit Lord kill a Spirit Emperor magical beast with such ease?" She responded with a question.

    "I can tell that you''re not using all of your power. I think I understand why the Giant Emperor took interest in you, but you''re nowhere near the level to fight him, so I''m a little puzzled why he would challenge you."

    Xie Mey suddenly looked around in a suspicious manner.

    A few momentster, she spoke, "Now that we''re pretty far away from the city, it should be fine if I show my face."

    And without any warning, she removed the cloak that had been hiding her appearance this entire time.

 Chapter 1027 - Colossal Tower

    Chapter 1027 - Colossal Tower

    Yuan''s eyes widened with surprise after Xie Mey removed her cloak, but it was an unexpected one.

    ''Who?'' He raised his eyebrows after seeing Xie Mey''s appearance without recognizing her.

    Xie Mey was an incredibly beautiful woman with blonde hair and green eyes. She had a slim hourss figure, and her breasts were quite ample. Her facial features were sharp and symmetrical, and her face gave off the aura of a battle-hardened warrior who has survived many battlefields.

    Yuan thought that the trend of meeting people with simr faces that he already knew like Meixiu in the first trial would continue in the second trial, but that did not seem to be the case.

    "I can tell that you''re charmed by my beauty, but I''m sorry, I will only seriously consider someone who is stronger than me to be my partner!" Xie Mey suddenly said.

    Yuan raised an eyebrow and said, "No, I just don''t understand why you decided to hide your identity. I thought you were someone I knew, but that doesn''t seem to be the case."

    "I have my own reasons for hiding my identity."

    Yuan casually shrugged and proceeded to ignore Xie Mey, returning to his study.

    "Nobody here recognizes me? Seriously?" Xie Mey muttered in a dumbfounded voice when even the Huang Family began ignoring her.

    "I-I recognize you¡­" The driver said in a low and somewhat nervous voice.

    However, Xie Mey didn''t even look at him, almost as though she didn''t even acknowledge his existence.

    Several dayster, the carriage came to a stop when they finally arrived at their destination, Colossal Mammoth City.

    Xie Mey, who was back to hiding her appearance, said to them, "Thest few days were fun. Thank you for letting me tag along. I would love to continue tagging along, but I have to prepare for the Tournament of Strength, so we will have to go our separate ways here."

    "While I still don''t know who you are or your purpose for following us, I am d that you did, as we have managed to arrive at our destination in one piece. It would''ve been really dangerous for us if I had to deal with all of the magical beasts by myself." Yuan said to her.

    "I''m sure you would''ve managed it even if you had to do it by yourself. Anyways, I will see youter, Yuan. Don''t disappoint me at the tournament. I really look forward to exchanging fists with you."

    Xie Mey disappeared into the city shortly after, followed by Yuan and the Huang Family.

    "We have a little over a week until the tournament. I am going to use this time to exchange my treasures." Huang Chen announced to everyone there.

    Once they rented a hotel, Yuan followed Huang Chen and Huang Xiao Li to exchange their treasures while Dong Zhou and Qin Kai stayed back to protect Mistress Huang and her son.

    Since this was their first timeing to the Colossal Mammoth City, Huang Chen had to spend some time gathering information about the best ces to exchange treasures.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    "Then you are most likely looking for the Colossal Tower. It''s the hottest location in this city when ites to treasures. Most visitors go there to exchange their treasures as well."

    "Thank you for the information. Here''s a token of my gratitude." Huang Chen handed some gold to the person that provided him with the information.

    Meanwhile, Yuan looked around with a pondering face.

    "The giants in this ce are noticeablyrger than the ones in thest two cities." Yuan mumbled.

    "Of course. This is the capital of the Giant''s Continent, not to mention the uing tournament. All of the strongest giants in the continent will be gathered in this city." Huang Xiao Li said.

    "I am aware of that, but I didn''t think there would be such a vast difference."

    "Just wait until the tournament. You''ll be like an antpared to most of them."

    Sometimeter, they arrived at the Colossal Tower, and just as its name suggests, the ce was enormous, and it was one of the biggest buildings Yuan had ever seen in his life.

    The building was so tall that he couldn''t see the top even with his head tilted all the way back.

    "I can''t imagine how much effort and resources the giants had to spend to build this magnificent tower. I have always wanted to see it after hearing about it during my first time on this continent." Huang Chen sharply sucked in a bunch of cold air before mumbling in a dazed voice.

    They entered the building sometimeter.

    "Make sure you don''t wander and you keep your focus. It''s actually verymon for humans to die here, and most of them are idents caused by giants and humans when we fail to pay attention to our surroundings. We''re like ants in this ce, after all." Huang Chen warned them.

    Huang Xiao Li swallowed nervously and immediately stuck to Yuan.

    "Do you mind if we hold hands?" she asked him, acting like a child who did not want to be separated from her parents by ident in arge shopping mall.

    "Sure." Yuan nodded and held onto her soft hands.

    Their group began wandering the tower, approaching every store that caught Huang Chen''s attention.

    Yuan didn''t do much besides pay attention to their surroundings to make sure they don''t get stepped on by ident.

    As for Huang Xiao Li, she was focused on the sensation around her hands, feeling like she was on a date with Yuan.

    Over the next couple of hours, they would go through dozens of stores and even some personal vendors.

    At the end of the day, Huang Chen managed to exchange almost a dozen treasures.

    "This ce is truly heaven-sent! The quality of treasures in this ce is iparably superior than the ones found in Southern Stronghold! Extending the business trip was definitely worth it! Hell, I might even do this every time Ie to the Giant''s Continent now!" Huang Chen had a wide smile on his face as they exited the tower.

 Chapter 1028 - Colossal Tower (2)

    Chapter 1028 - Colossal Tower (2)

    Over the next few days, Yuan and the Huang Family would return to the Colossal Tower early in the morning to exchange treasures until it waste at night.

    As the days got closer to the day of the Tournament of Strength, there were noticeable more giants that were above 15 meters walking around the city.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    "At this rate, I will be done with my business by tonight." Huang Chen said to Yuan as they left one of the stores in the Colossal Tower.

    "Yuan, you know you can exchange treasures with the giants if you want. It would be a shame to leave this ce without a souvenir, too." Huang Xiao Li said to him.

    "It''s really fine. I don''t have any treasures to exchange, anyways." He shook his head.

    He obviously had plenty of treasures for trade, but since this was only a trial and nothing was real, he wouldn''t actually gain anything from exchanging treasures, and such actions would only cause him to lose a treasure without anything in return.

    At the end of the day, Yuan and the Huang Family made their way towards the exit of the Colossal Tower after Huang Chen exchanged thest treasure he had.

    "Now that I am done with my business, there''s only the Tournament of Strength left before we head back home." Huang Chen said.

    And he continued, "Thank you, Yuan, for all of your effort. Really, I cannot thank you enough for everything you have done for my family."

    "I am just doing my job."

    "No, you''ve done more than that. I willpensate you properly once we get back to the hotel. I have the best reward for you."

    Once they exited the Colossal Tower, Yuan''s group came to a sudden halt when a group of giants wearing armor blocked their way.

    "What''s happening?" Huang Xiao Li looked around with an uneasy face.

    However, before Huang Chen could even say anything, a familiar voice resounded, "That''s them! They''re the ones that are conspiring against the Giant Emperor!"

    Yuan turned to look at the voice to see a human woman pointing at them with a terrified look on her face.

    It was Zou Nuying, the bandit who became the Huang Family''s bodyguard to steal their treasures.

    ''She followed us all the way here? How did I not notice her?'' Yuan wondered inwardly.

    "I will need all of you toe with me. We will kill you if you resist." One of the giants there said to them in a cold voice.

    "Wait! This is a huge misunderstanding! That woman is lying! She''s actually a bandit that we failed to kill when she tried to steal from my family! She''s part of an infamous group of bandits called the Gold and Money Bandits! We only came here to exchange treasures!" Huang Chen eximed with a pale face.

    "Hmph! I don''t care about your situation! We take all usations that could bring harm to His Majesty very seriously! We will determine whether you are telling the truth or not once we interrogate you!"

    "Resist and we will kill you on the spot!" The giants pointed their massive weapons at Yuan''s group.

    Yuan narrowed his eyes at Zou Nuying, who had a subtle smug on her face.

    ''How troublesome. These giants probably don''t care about who is right or wrong. Their resolute and emotionless eyes tell me that they''ve alreadye to a conclusion¡ª to kill all of us no matter if we are innocent or not to remove all risks. After all, we humans are nothing in their eyes.''

    Yuan closed his eyes and took a deep breath before shouting out loud, "Giant Emperor Ks! I know you can hear me! Get your ass out here, or I will never fight you ever again, much less participate in your stupid tournament!"

    The ce turned dead silent as everyone there stared at Yuan with wide eyes filled with shock, all of them seemingly in disbelief.

    When the giants snapped out of their daze and realized that Yuan had just cursed their emperor, their faces immediately turned as red as a hot iron that had just left the fire.

    Huang Xiao Li and her father fell to their butts from shock, and they both stared at Yuan with disbelief.

    ''This fucking idiot! He just sealed his fate!'' Zou Nuyingughed inwardly.

    "sphemy! How dare you curse at our emperor! A mere human! Even if the heavens forgive you, we giants will never forgive you!" The giants there roared, causing the entire city to shake.

    "Die!"

    The giant leading the armored giants suddenly swung his halberd at Yuan, causing the air there to tremble.

    "Halt." A calm yet loud voice suddenly rumbled.

    When the giant heard this familiar voice, his entire body immediately froze.

    Everyone there turned to look at the direction of the voice to see a bulky man that was around 15 meters tall slowly approaching them.

    This man had short golden hair and a pair of emerald eyes.

    Yuan didn''t recognize this man at first nce, but the giants there immediately recognized him even though he was much smaller than usual.

    All of the giants in that area suddenly knelt on the ground and kowtowed to him while screaming, "This loyal subject pays respects to His Majesty!"

    Giant Emperor Ks, who was suddenly much smallerpared to theirst meeting, nodded and spoke, "Stand back. That man is an acquaintance."

    "Yes!" The giants did not question him and all stepped back, giving them room.

    "Although your cultivation has weakened, your audacity remains unchanged. I was worried that you might have turned into a coward when you lost your cultivation. I''m relieved to see that was not the case." Giant Emperor Ks said, seemingly not offended even though Yuan had cursed him out before so many giants.

    "How did you know that I had been watching you?" he then asked.

    Yuan smiled and said, "You can try to hide your aura all you want, but you can''t hide the killing intent within your gaze no matter how hard you try. I noticed you even before I entered this city a week ago."

    "Hahaha!" Giant Emperor Ks suddenlyughed out loud.

 Chapter 1029 - Perfect Tempering Ginseng

    Chapter 1029 - Perfect Tempering Ginseng

    "Don''t misunderstand, Tian Yang. When I emit killing intent, it''s not because I want to kill you. I only do it when I really want to fight someone, and I really want to fight you right now, but s, you''re not ready yet." Giant Emperor Ks said after he stoppedughing.

    "Anyways, what is going on here? What is the cause of thismotion? You better have a good exnation on why you summoned me."

    "It''s really simple¡­" Yuan proceeded to exin the whole situation to Giant Emperor Ks.

    "I see¡­ Conspiring against me, huh? Well¡­ Are you?" Giant Emperor Ks asked Yuan with a calm expression on his face.

    "What do you think?" Yuan responded with a question of his own.

    A wide grin suddenly appeared on Giant Emperor Ks'' face.

    "You''re many things, but you''re definitely not a backstabber."

    He turned to look at Zou Nuying, who was on the verge of pissing herself right now from fear. She could''ve never imagined that Yuan would be buddies with Giant Emperor Ks himself.

    "The Gold and Money Bandits, huh? I have never heard of you losers, but you must be a bold bunch to dare to try and trick my guards." Giant Emperor Ks sneered in disgust.

    "Guards! Public execution!"

    When Zou Nuying heard Giant Emperor Ks'' words, her face immediately paled.

    "W-Wait! He''s lying to you! I am not a bandit! I am really telling the truth! They''re secretly plotting to harm you, Your Majesty!"

    "How dare you, a mere human, try to trick us! Die, you bitch!" One of the guards there suddenly shoved his spear at Zou Nuying, piercing her stomach.

    And before Zou Nuying could even react, another guard also moved into action, prating her shoulder.

    Then another spear came flying at her.

    Within seconds, seven spears skewered Zou Nuying''s body without mercy.

    "Die!"

    The head guard swung his halberd, decapitating Zou Nuying the following second.

    Yuan and the others there watched as Zou Nuying''s head rolled on the floor like a ball.

    Nobody there uttered a single word for the next few moments.

    Giant Emperor Ks was the first to speak again, and his voice boomed throughout the city.

    "Heed my words! This young man here is my lifelong rival, Tian Yang! Nobody is allowed to touch him before the Tournament of Strength!"

    "Yes, Your Majesty!"

    The giants there had many questions, but nobody there dared to ask these questions.

    Giant Emperor Ks'' words were thew. The moment he announces it, they lost all chances to dispute or question it.

    "I look forward to your performance at the Tournament of Strength, Tian Yang. Don''t disappoint me." Giant Emperor Ks said to Yuan before turning around and walking away.

    Yuan returned to the hotel with the Huang Family shortly after.

    "You almost scared me to death back there, Yuan!" Huang Xiao Li confronted him with a puffed face, trying to look angry.

    "Sorry, but I didn''t have any time to exin."

    "Fortunately it all worked out in the end. That could''ve been the end of all of us, after all." Huang Chen could finally take a breather.

    Sometimeter, Huang Chen stood up and approached Yuan.

    "Yuan, this is for you."

    He retrieved a small wooden box and offered it to Yuan, who raised an eyebrow.

    "What is this?" he asked as he epted it.

    "Open it and see for yourself."

    ''Does this mean it''s the end of the trial?'' Yuan wondered to himself as he opened the wooden box.

    However, it was not a golden orb inside the wooden box. Instead, it was red ginseng that was the size of an adult''s finger and shaped like a human body.

    "What is this?" Yuan asked again since he didn''t recognize the treasure.

    "That''s a Perfect Tempering Ginseng." Huang Chen said with a smile on his face.

    "Is that the Perfect Tempering Ginseng?!"

    Inside the spectators'' room, Feng Yuxiang eximed in a shocked voice after seeing the treasure.

    "What kind of treasure is that?" Chu Liuxiang asked with a curious look on her face.

    "Perfect Tempering Ginseng¡­ It''s a priceless treasure that was only avable during the Primordial Era. In other words, they are no longer avable¡ª at least they shouldn''t be."

    "What are the effects of this Perfect Tempering Ginseng? Does it have anything to do with one''s physique?" Li Jinxi asked.

    She nodded, "The Perfect Tempering Ginseng will fix all imperfection within one''s body and then refine it. It is a priceless treasure that will improve one''s physique multiple times and is a legend that many body refiners spend their whole life chasing after even to this day."

    "Even if it''s indeed this Perfect Tempering Ginseng, does it really matter? I mean, we''re still inside the Stairway to Heaven, so it''s just an illusion." Meixiu suddenly said.

    "Yes¡­ You''re right. We''re still inside the Stairway to Heaven. I guess I got a little excited after seeing a legendary treasure. It''s truly unfortunate." Feng Yuxiang sighed.

    Meanwhile, Huang Chen just finished exining the Perfect Tempering Ginseng to Yuan.

    "Since you''re going to participate in the Tournament of Strength, this Perfect Tempering Ginseng will benefit you greatly."

    "Thank you¡­" Yuan said with a smile on his face.

    ''What a pity. If only this treasure was real.'' He sighed inwardly.

    "There''s still a few days until the tournament. Go ahead and take this time to absorb the Perfect Tempering Ginseng." Huang Chen then said to him.

    "Alright." Yuan nodded.

    "Good luck!" Huang Xiao Li and the others said to him before he locked himself inside another room.

    Yuan looked at the Perfect Tempering Ginseng in his grasp with a pondering look on his face.

    "Ah, what the hell. There''s no harm in trying it. Although this is just a simtion, all of the food that I ate had a taste to it and this is probably no different."

    And without thinking any further, he tossed the Perfect Tempering Ginseng inside his mouth and started chewing on it.

    ''Ugh. It''s so bitter.''

    Yuan''s body shivered after tasting it.

    Once the bitterness disappeared, his body suddenly began heating up, and within moments, his body started steaming with smokeing out of his pores.

    This shocked Yuan, who did not expect anything to happen after eating the Perfect Tempering Ginseng.

    ''I need to cultivate!''Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    He tossed aside all questions in his mind and immediately sat down to cultivate.

 Chapter 1030 - Perfect Physique

    Chapter 1030 - Perfect Physique

    "What''s happening to Yuan? Why is his body steaming?! His skin is also red, almost like his blood is boiling!" Chu Liuxiang eximed after seeing the sudden changes to Yuan''s body.

    "Don''t tell me that it was caused by the Perfect Tempering Ginseng? I thought treasures acquired inside the Stairway to Heaven won''t affect one''s body for real¡­" Lan Yingying muttered in a dazed voice.

    "I have also never heard of this before. Just what is happening to the Young Master?" Feng Yuxiang had a profound frown on her face as she thought about the implications from the situation.

    Meanwhile, steam continued to gush out of Yuan''s pores like boiling water in a kettle, quickly filling the room and turning it into a sauna.

    Although nobody there could see it, significant changes were benign made inside Yuan''s body.

    His muscles moved around as though they were alive, and his bones altered their own shape, bing bigger and more sturdy.

    His blood rushed throughout his body, feeling adrenaline like never before.

    The Perfect Tempering Ginseng was not only altering his body and fixing all of its imperfection, but it was also strengthening his bones and muscles at the same time.

    One would expect intense pain from the changes happening inside Yuan''s body, but besides feeling a little hot, he felt not even the slightest of unpleasant feelings.

    Suddenly, the golden symbols that had embedded itself inside Yuan''s body began emanating a profound light that made his body seem as though it was being protected by ayer of divine aura.

    His spiritual veins and Dantian suddenly began expanding in size, bing wider and allowing his spiritual energy to circte throughout his body multiple times faster.

    And while Feng Yuxiang and the other spectators couldn''t see it through the reflection, Yuan''s cultivation was actually starting to decrease!

    His peak Spirit Lord cultivation quickly lowered to the first level, but it did not stop there and continued until it reached the first level of Spirit Grandmaster. Several more momentster, his cultivation went down to Spirit Master, and it would not stop until his cultivation reached the first level of Spirit Apprentice!

    However, despite his cultivation lowering, Yuan''s aura did not weaken at all. In fact, it even skyrocketed, bing many times stronger than before.

    Over the next several days, Yuan would sit in the steamy room without moving a single finger, almost as though he''d turned into a statue.

    The Huang Family didn''t dare to disturb him even though it was getting close to the tournament.

    "The tournament is in two days, yet he''s still holed up in his room. Hopefully he doesn''t miss the tournament¡­" Huang Xiao Li sighed.

    "The Perfect Tempering Ginseng is a miracle treasure that can turn even a trash cultivator into a dragon amongst dragons. I cannot even begin to imagine its effect on someone who was already a dragon to begin with." Huang Chen shook his head.

    "I guess we''ll find out when he¡ª"

    Huang Xiao Li stopped speaking when an unfathomable pressure suddenly enveloped the entire building.

    "W-Who is emitting this pressure?!" Everyone in the hotel was shocked by the pressure that came out of the blue.

    The pressure was so powerful that it made it hard for everyone in the hotel to breathe properly. Fortunately, this pressure disappeared as quickly as it appeared. However, even though it was just slightly, everyone that had a taste of this pressure would not stop trembling in fear.

    Meanwhile, inside his now clear room, Yuan slowly opened his eyes, which glimmered with dominance.

    <your body="" has="" undergone="" a="" significant="" transformation,="" achieving="" perfection!=""></your>

    <you have="" gained="" the="" title="" ''perfect="" physique''=""></you>

    <description: having="" a="" perfect="" physique,="" your="" body="" will="" progress="" faster="" through="" temperament,="" acquiring="" unimaginable="" strength=""></description:>

    He took a deep breath and stood up.

    ''I''ve gotten taller¡­ My body feels as light as a feather, and my body is constantly absorbing spiritual energy even without needing me to do anything, almost as though I am cultivating just by breathing.''

    Yuan looked at his own hands.

    ''My cultivation had somehow weakened to Spirit Apprentice, yet I feel even stronger than when I was a peak Spirit Lord. Is this also because of the Perfect Tempering Ginseng? But Huang Chen didn''t mention anything about this¡­''

    As he tried toprehend the situation, his cultivation actually increased, reaching the second level Spirit Apprentice.

    However, he did not get any notifications from the system, nor did his stats increase. Despite that, he could somehow still feel his body getting a little stronger.

    ''Forget it, there''s no point thinking about it now. I''ll ask Tian''er once I finish this trial.''

    Yuan left the room shortly after.

    "Y-Yuan¡­? Is that really you?" Huang Xiao Li''s eyes widened with shock when she saw Yuan.

    His appearance had changed so much that everybody there instantly recognized it the moment they saw him.

    Not only did Yuan get taller, but his face was also much more refined and handsome, not to mention his body, which looked wless even underneath his clothes.

    "Heavens¡­ You''re almost like a different person¡­" Huang Chen mumbled in a dazed voice after seeing Yuan.

    Huang Xiao Li approached Yuan until she was standing right in front of him.

    "Y-You grew half a head in just a few days?! Is this the effects of the Perfect Tempering Ginseng?!" she eximed.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    After swallowing nervously, she asked in a trembling voice, "D-Do you mind if I touch your body for a bit?"

    Yuan smiled, "Go ahead."

    Huang Xiao Li didn''t hesitate and started squeezing his arms and legs with her hands.

    ''Wow! What perfect muscles! They feel soft yet firm at the same time! How is this possible?!'' she cried inwardly as she squeezed his muscles as though she was kneading dough.

    "Looks like the Perfect Tempering Ginseng worked like a charm on you." Huang Chen smiled.

    "Yes, and it''s all thanks to you." Yuan bowed to him.

    "Don''t even mention it." Huang Chen shook his head.

    Huang Xiao Li suddenly eximed, "Wait¡­ What happened to your cultivation?! Why are you suddenly a Spirit Apprentice?!"

    "What?!" Huang Chen''s eyes widened with shock after hearing her words. He narrowed his eyes at Yuan, and sure enough, his cultivation was only at the third level Spirit Apprentice!

    However, before he could even say anything, Yuan''s cultivation suddenly increased to the fourth level right before his eyes!

 Chapter 1031 - Perfect Physique (2)

    Chapter 1031 - Perfect Physique (2)

    "Oh, yeah. I''m not sure what happened, but my cultivation was reduced to Spirit Apprentice after consuming the Perfect Tempering Ginseng." Yuan casually said, leaving them speechless.

    "H-How can you be so calm about this?! You just went from being a peak Spirit Lord to a Spirit Apprentice! And the tournament is in two days! Even if you have a perfect physique, you won''t be able to do anything in the tournament!" Huang Xiao Li eximed.

    "The Perfect Tempering Ginseng reduced your cultivation? That''s impossible! The treasure has no such side effects!" Huang Chen eximed in a panicked manner. After all, he would be responsible for Yuan''s lost cultivation since he was the one who handed Yuan the Perfect Tempering Ginseng.

    "Calm down. Although it''s true that my cultivation is gone, my body feels a lot stronger than when I was a Spirit Lord. If you don''t believe me, you can try hitting me. As for my spiritual energy¡­ It won''t take much effort for me to return to my original cultivation base." Yuan exined to them.

    "Are you for real? You feel stronger even though your cultivation was reduced to such a state? What kind of phenomenon is this?" Huang Xiao Li mumbled in a dazed voice.

    He nodded, "Go ahead. Hit me with your strongest attack. I will even remove my armor."

    Yuan removed his Invisible Dragon Cloak and gestured for Huang Xiao Li to hit him.

    However, Huang Xiao Li was hesitant to strike a Spirit Apprentice with her cultivation.

    "Don''t worry, I will be fine." Yuan showed her a confident smile.

    She suddenly recalled how Yuan was able to defeat a giant with his raw strength.

    "Don''t me me if you die from this!" Huang Xiao Li shouted at him before unleashing her strongest martial technique backed by her full cultivation base.

    "Ha!"

    Huang Xiao Li plunged her palms directly into Yuan''s chest.

    Boom!

    The entire room shook for a brief moment from the impact, yet Yuan remained standing in the same spot without moving even a millimeter.

    "No way¡­" Huang Xiao Li muttered with a baffled look on her face.

    "See? I told you. I barely even felt your attack just now." Yuan said with a gentle smile on his face, treating Huang Xiao Li''s attack as though it was a baby''s yful punch.

    "Does this mean you''ll still participate in the Tournament of Strength?" Huang Chen asked.

    "Of course." He nodded.

    "Very well. Then you must restore your cultivation as soon as possible. If you need any help, we have plenty of treasures¡ª"

    Yuan raised his hand and gestured for Huang Chen to stop.

    "You have already done enough by giving me the Perfect Tempering Ginseng. The tournament is in two days, right? Then I have plenty of time."

    "If you say so." Huang Chen nodded.

    Yuan returned to his room shortly after to cultivate.

    ''My cultivation speed is at least four to five times faster than before¡­ At this rate, I should barely return to being a Spirit King right before the tournament.''

    Thus, Yuan would spend the next two days cultivating nonstop.

    Meanwhile, in the spectators'' room, Chu Liuxiang mumbled in a dazed voice after seeing Yuan''s new appearance.

    "My god¡­ I didn''t think it would be possible for Yuan to be even more handsome than he already is, but he''s exceeded my expectations!"

    Meixiu didn''t say anything, but her gaze when looking at Yuan was akin to a young maiden who was falling in love for the first time.

    Li Jinxi swallowed nervously after seeing Yuan''s new physique. In her eyes, that was the most attractive part of him, and she couldn''t help but imagine how it looked underneath his clothes, causing her mouth to be watery.

    "A-As expected of a legendary treasure¡­ Only the Perfect Tempering Ginseng could possibly create such a miracle¡­" Feng Yuxiang sighed, feeling a little dejected that she couldn''t get a closer look at the treasure.

    "Hey, Meixiu, do you think this treasure will affect Yuan''s real body?" Chu Liuxiang asked Meixiu in a low voice.

    "I don''t know¡­ But considering how powerful the treasure is, I wouldn''t be surprised if it does."

    "I''m going to check his body! Be right back!"? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    Chu Liuxiang logged off Cultivation Online before Meixiu could even respond.

    After removing her helmet, Chu Liuxiang turned to look at Yuan, who was sleeping right beside her.

    ''Hmm¡­ He doesn''t seem any different. Maybe it takes some time before the treasure affects his real body?''

    Chu Liuxiang returned to the spectators'' room shortly after.

    "Nothing yet, but I won''t lose hope just yet!" Chu Liuxiang said to Meixiu.

    Two dayster, Yuan stopped cultivating and opened his eyes.

    ''Peak Spirit Grandmaster, huh? I am on the verge of breaking through to Spirit Lord, so I might have a breakthrough during the tournament.'' Yuan thought to himself after inspecting his own body.

    He left the room to meet up with the Huang Family afterward.

    "We''re all ready to go. What about you, Yuan?" Huang Chen asked him.

    "I am ready as well." He nodded.

    "Good heavens, you''ve managed to increase your cultivation from Spirit Apprentice to peak Spirit Grandmaster in just two days? Just how monstrous are your talents?" Huang Xiao Li was baffled when she saw his cultivation.

    Yuan and the Huang Family left the hotel and started making their way to the location of the tournament.

    Although they didn''t know where to go, they only needed to follow everyone else in the street, as they were all going the same direction.

    After walking for almost two hours, they would eventually arrive at a massive square where a single colossal stage existed in the center.

    However, there were so many giants in the square that all of the humans there had to fly if they wanted to see anything.

    Not far away from the stage, there was arge tform supporting a colossal throne, where a handsome giant with golden hair sat. Of course, this man was Giant Emperor Ks, and he had a bored expression on his face.

    However, that changed when he noticed Yuan''s presence somewhere in the crowd, and a wide smile appeared on Giant Emperor Ks'' face.

    ''Show me a grand performance, Tian Yang!''

 Chapter 1032 - Ancestral Tablet

    Chapter 1032 - Ancestral Tablet

    While Yuan waited with the Huang Family for the Tournament of Strength to begin, countless yers in the Spirit Heaven were busy looking for the treasures that Yuan had hidden for his event.

    Even though it has been over two weeks since Meixiu revealed the location of the treasures to the world on behalf of Yuan, only half of the treasures had been found, so the treasure hunt was still in progress.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    In fact, the yers'' excitement and passion only grew stronger with every passing day.

    However, because of this seemingly innocent treasure hunt, thousands of yers have died to other yers because whenever a treasure is found, there would be a massive war to acquire it.

    Although it was never Yuan''s intention to cause such chaos, what''s done has already been done, and nobody med him for the chaos.

    "Bastards! I found this treasure first! Get your hands off me!"

    "Nonsense! It doesn''t matter who finds it first! Thest person to hold it will be the rightful owner!"

    The residents of Spirit Heaven were dumbfounded by themission caused by the yers. In their eyes, most yers were rouge cultivators, and it was not normal for so many rouge cultivators to gather in one spot, so they couldn''t help but keep watch of the situation.

    When the residents of Spirit Heaven realized that the yers were looking for treasures, they also joined in on the fun.

    Even though Yuan was no longer in Spirit Heaven, he was still causing mayhem there.

    Meanwhile, Chairman Lee wasughing his ass off as he watched the chaos from a safe distance.

    Since Yuan had given him special treatment for his help, he didn''t need to fight for any treasures.

    "I am truly thankful to Chairman Zhao for his foolishness! If he didn''t offend Yuan, I wouldn''t have taken his ce and became friends with Yuan!" Chairman Leeughed out loud.

    Of course, Chairman Zhao was not the only one who had received special treatment.

    White Lotus, Xia Jingyi, and Yu Rou also received their own Divine-grade treasures.

    About ten minutes after Yuan arrived at the square with the Huang Family, Giant Emperor Ks stood up from his throne and swept the crowd with his profound gaze.

    The noise in the square immediately died down, and everyone there turned to focus on Giant Emperor Ks

    "Wee to the Tournament of Strength, where the strongest warriors in the Giant''s Continent are born. In the Tournament of Strength, only one thing matters¡ª your physique and raw prowess." Giant Emperor Ks'' voice rippled throughout the whole city.

    "There are only three rules in the tournament. One, you are not allowed to step on the stage with any treasures on your body. We have uniforms prepared for all participants. Besides this uniform and your own body, you will bring nothing else onto the stage."

    "For the second rule, you are not allowed to use any martial techniques during the match. The only technique you are allowed to use are body enhancement techniques. In other words, anything that doesn''t directly affect your body is strictly forbidden!"

    "Last but not least, you are not allowed to consume any kind of medicine or pills during the match. Before the match begins, you are required to consume a Body Cleansing Pill, which will remove anything unnatural affecting your body, so any pills or treasures that you have consumed beforehand will be rendered useless."

    "If you dare to disobey these rules and cheat before my presence, I will personally rip your head off your body. Did I make myself clear?" Giant Emperor Ks narrowed his eyes at them.

    "Yes, Your Majesty!" Everyone responded in a clear voice.

    "Now then¡­ As for the qualifications to participate in the tournament. I don''t care if you''re a human or a giant, if you can create even the slightest crack on this Ancestral Tablet, I will allow you to participate in the tournament for a chance to acquire the title of Colossal."

    The next moment, Yuan watched as two massive giants wearing golden armor carried arge ck boulder onto the stage.

    Even though the boulder itself was smaller than either one of these giants, it required two of them to carry it.

    "The Ancestral Tablet is made out of the most durable material that can be found in this continent, and it has a special property that gives them extreme resistance against spiritual energy, essentially making them invulnerable to all spiritual attacks. However, that doesn''t make them vulnerable to physical damage. Not only are they durable against spiritual energy, they are also incredibly durable against physical damage. In order to participate in the tournament, you must strike the Ancestral Tablet with nothing but your fist and make a crack in it. Simple, right?"

    Everybody there was left speechless by Giant Emperor Ks''st words. Even though the task sounded simple, it was actually an incredibly difficult requirement that will eliminate the majority of people there today!

    "I have one more announcement before we begin the qualifiers." Giant Emperor Ks suddenly said.

    And he continued, "The winner of this year''s tournament will not only receive the title of Colossal and a Mythic-rank body refinement technique, he will also earn the right to take my youngest daughter as their bride."

    "What?!"

    Several people there eximed in a shocked voice after hearing such words.

    ''Giant Emperor Ks has a daughter?'' Yuan raised an eyebrow.

    In the midst of themotion, a figure suddenly appeared on the stage.

    This person was an unbelievably beautiful woman with long golden hair and a pair of emerald eyes, but she did not have the physique of a giant.

    Yuan''s eyes widened when he saw this woman on the stage.

    "T-That''s Xie Mey! She was the Giant Emperor''s daughter all along?!" Huang Xiao Li eximed beside him.

    Indeed, this woman turned out to be Xie Mey, who had apanied them to this city.

    "Greetings, warriors. Just as my father said, I will consider marrying the person who will bear the title Colossal for the next 100 years." Xie Mey spoke in a gentle voice as she swept the crowd with her gaze, stopping when her gaze met Yuan''s. When that happened, a bright smile appeared on her face.

    ''This woman...'' Yuan shook his head inwardly, wondering why he didn''t realize her true identity sooner when she had the same features as her father.

 Chapter 1033 - Ancestral Tablet (2)

    Chapter 1033 - Ancestral Tablet (2)

    "Good heavens, the winner of the tournament will have a chance to marry Princess Meiya? This means that the winner will not only be the next Colossal, but he will also join the royal family! This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance!"

    The giants there were extremely excited.

    "Princess Meiya? Is that her real name?" Huang Xiao Li mumbled in a pondering voice.

    "Forget about her name. I am more interested in her figure." Yuan suddenly said.

    "H-Her figure?! So you like women with that kind of body, huh?" Huang Xiao Li said as she stared at Meiya''s hourss body.

    "Huh?" Yuan raised his eyebrows. "No, that''s not what I am talking about. I''m wondering why her physique resembles that of a human when her father is that massive."

    "Ah, I heard that female giants naturally have a smaller frame than male giants. Furthermore, I doubt that''s her real size. The royal family has a body refining technique that can alter their body size." Huang Chen exined.

    "I see¡­ That''s why Giant Emperor Ks shrunk in size when I saw him again¡­"

    Sometimeter, those who wanted to participate in the tournament started testing their strength against the Ancestral Tablet.

    "Ha!"

    A 21 meter-tall giant stood before the Ancestral Tablet and punched it with all of his might, causing the entire thing to tremble.

    However, that was all. The strike was strong enough to make the Ancestral Tablet tremble, but it wasn''t strong enough to cause any damage to it.

    "I-Impossible¡­" The giant muttered in a dazed voice as he stared at the spot he''d just punched, seemingly in disbelief.

    "Get out of the way, you weakling!" The giant behind him suddenly pushed him aside and punched the Ancestral Tablet as well.

    Dong!

    The Ancestral Tablet shook violently.

    The giant removed his fist from the rock with a confident smile on his face, but when he couldn''t see any cracks on the Ancestral Tablet, hisplexion paled.

    "Hahaha! Don''t open your mouth if you have no strength to back it up! Get out of my way!"

    One by one, both giants and humans would take their chances at the Ancestral Tablet.

    However, even after going through hundreds of participants, not a single person has managed to damage the Ancestral Tablet.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    An hourter, someone finally managed to damage the Ancestral Tablet, and it was a female giant.

    "S-She really did it! She cracked the Ancestral Tablet!" The judge overseeing it announced after seeing the small crack on the rock.

    Shortly after the female giant cracked the Ancestral Tablet, the damage actually restored itself until it looked brand new.

    ''What interesting material¡­'' Yuan thought to himself, and he imagined making an armor out of it.

    Sometimeter, after thousands of people had gone on the stage, Yuan finally decided it was his turn to approach the stage.

    However, the moment he stepped on the stage, Giant Emperor Ks'' voice resounded, "You don''t need to qualify for the tournament, Tian Yang. You''ll participate in the tournament regardless of your result."

    "..." Yuan turned to look at Giant Emperor Ks with raised eyebrows.

    "Is he the rumored rival of His Majesty? I heard about him."

    "Me too¡­ I wonder how strong he is¡­"

    The people there mumbled to each other.

    "Even if you say that, I want to test my strength." Yuan suddenly said.

    Giant Emperor Ks narrowed his eyes and pondered for a moment before silently nodding his head.

    Yuan approached the Ancestral Tablet the next moment and prepared to strike it.

    After taking a deep breath, Yuan punched the Ancestral Tablet with all of his strength.

    BOOM!

    The entire arena shook when Yuan''s fistnded on the Ancestral Tablet.

    It was clear to everyone there that Yuan''s strike was the strongest thus far. However, when Yuan removed his fist from the Ancestral Tablet, everyone was shocked to see not even the slightest crack on it.

    Giant Emperor Ks'' narrowed his eyes at the Ancestral Tablet.

    ''Not bad¡­'' A smile appeared on his face for some reason.

    Yuan stared at the rock with a pondering face, and without saying anything, he turned around and walked off the stage.

    "Looks like we have overestimated that human. He couldn''t even do anything to the Ancestral Tablet. He doesn''t qualify to participate in the tournament, but since His Majesty gave him special treatment, he''ll still be able to enter¡­ How unfair."

    The giants thereined amongst themselves in a low voice, especially those that had failed to pass the qualifications. They despised Yuan for being allowed to participate in the tournament even though he clearly didn''t qualify.

    However, nobody there dared toin out loud.

    Sometimeter, after several more people struck the Ancestral Tablet, the 13th person to go after Yuan''s turn shocked everybody there with his results.

    "H-He shattered the Ancestral Tablet! How is that possible?!"

    "Holy heavens! I have never seen anything like this before!"

    "Who is that man?! His prowess must be near His Majesty''s level if he could destroy the Ancestral Tablet!" The spectators were in shock.

    It was not just the spectators. Even the person who destroyed the Ancestral Tablet appeared to be quite shocked by the results.

    Unbeknownst to these people, Yuan''s strike had destroyed the core of the Ancestral Tablet during his turn, severely weakening the Ancestral Tablet, hence why this random person was able to shatter the rock even though his strike wasn''t anything out of the ordinary.

    Of course, Giant Emperor Ks was aware of this, but he didn''t say anything.

    "What should we do now, Your Majesty? The Ancestral Tablet is broken and it''ll take some time to prepare a new one." The judge asked him.

    "There''s no need. 40 people have passed the qualifications¡ª that is more than enough. We will end the qualification here and begin the tournament."

    "Yes!"

    Once the stage was clean again, Giant Emperor Ks called all 40 participants onto the stage.

    The majority of the participants were unsurprisingly giants. As for humans, there were only four of them that had qualified, including Yuan.

 Chapter 1034 Number 3

    Chapter 1034 Number 3

    All 40 participants stood on the stage after Giant Emperor Ks announced the end of the qualifiers when the Ancestral Tablet was destroyed.

    "The 40 of you will now fight against each other until only one of you remains undefeated. We will decide the matches through a lottery system." Giant Emperor Ks snapped his fingers, summoning someone onto the stage.

    This person was holding onto a metal tray that had 40 storage pouches on it.

    "Every storage pouch will have a number inside, from number one to twenty. Those that have picked the same number will be fighting against each other. Simple, right? Go ahead and choose your pouches."

    Yuan and the other participants went to grab their storage pouch.

    Once everyone had one in their grasp, they opened it to retrieve a piece of paper with a number on it.

    ''Number three¡­'' Yuan read the number on his paper in his head.

    "If your number is not one, get off the stage." The judge on the stage said to them a momentter.

    Everyone there but the two male giants with the number one left the stage.

    The judge handed each of them a Body Cleansing Pill to swallow and a pair of white uniforms to change into.

    Once the pill took effect and they changed clothes, Giant Emperor Ks signaled the beginning of the fight.

    BOOM!

    The two giants on the stage immediately began striking each other with their bare fist, each of their strikes causing the stage to tremble and creating ripples in the air.

    Yuan swallowed nervously after seeing the fierceness of these giants. Compared to Sorgi, these two were on another level, perhaps several levels higher even.

    "H-Hey¡­ Yuan¡­ Are you sure you''ll be fine? Each of their strikes feels strong enough to shatter a real mountain¡­" Huang Xiao Li tapped his shoulders and asked him in a nervous voice.

    "Let''s hope so¡­" Yuan said with a bittersweet smile on his face.

    Despite having a perfect physique, he wasn''tpletely confident in winning the tournament, as he had underestimated the difficulty of it.

    Over the next two hours, the giants on the stage would repeatedly strike each other without stopping for more than a few seconds, almost as if they had unlimited stamina and their bodies were indestructible.

    Their bodies began turning red after three hours, and in the fourth hour, the spectators could finally see blood being shed.

    Yuan and the Huang Family expected the fight to end soon in their condition, but to their absolute shock, these two giants continued to abuse their bodies for another three hours.

    The whole fight hadsted 7 hours, and by the end of the fight, not a single bone in their body was left unharmed with most of them shattered into many pieces.

    "How in heaven''s name will they continue to fight the next match in such a condition?" Huang Xiao Li mumbled to herself after seeing their broken bodies.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    It was a miracle that neither of them had died, but they were definitely on the verge of death.

    "Winner¡ª Warrior Kozus!" The judge announced.

    After the fight ended, the judge handed both of the participants a pill that Yuan had never seen before.

    During the next few minutes after they swallowed the pill, their bodies could be seen recovering at a rapid rate, and by the end, their bodies lookedpletely fine, almost as if the match had never urred.

    While the giants healed their injuries, some of the servants went on the stage to clean the blood until it was essentially new.

    Once the first two participants left the stage, the next two entered the stage.

    This time, it was a giant against a human¡ª a female human at that. .???

    However, nobody there dared to ridicule the female human, as she had qualified to stand on the stage by cracking the Ancestral Tablet, something the majority of the people there had failed to achieve.

    The two of them changed into a white uniform and consumed a Body Cleansing Pill a few minutester.

    After bowing to each other, they started punching each other.

    The giant was over 20 meters tall while the female human was only around 1.65 meters¡ª it was like watching an ant fighting an elephant. However, despite the difference in their sizes, the female human did not immediately lose to the giant and even gave up a good fight.

    Although the fightsted only half as long as the previous match, it was still very shocking to the spectators, as the female human had actually managed to defeat the giant!

    "Winner¡ª Warrior Mu Shiying!"

    "She actually won¡­" Huang Xiao Li muttered in a dazed voice as she stared at the tall beauty standing on the stage, her body soaked in sweat and blood.

    While the participants for the second match recovered their injuries, Yuan prepared to enter the stage.

    "You''re next, right?" Huang Xiao Li asked him.

    "Yes, I am." He nodded.

    "Then take this. It''ll help you." Huang Xiao Li suddenly retrieved a wooden box from her spatial ring and handed it to him.

    "Huh? You know I cannot use any treasures before the match." Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    "Just take it." She urged him.

    Yuan epted the box and opened it.

    His eyes widened when he saw what was resting inside the box.

    "Good luck, Yuan." Huang Xiao Li said to him with a smile on her face.

    "Yes¡­ Thank you."

    Yuan smiled back at her before absorbing the golden orb of light inside the box.

    After absorbing the orb of light, Yuan could feel his muscles bing even sturdier.

    <+500,000 Physical Strength>

    <+500,000 Physical Defense>

    "The next participants may enter the stage!" The judge''s voice resounded a momentter.

    "I''ll be right back." Yuan said to the Huang Family before approaching the massive tform, and he could feel the gaze of everyone there staring at him.

    The moment he stepped onto the stage, the scenery began to change, and Yuan found himself back at the Stairway to Heaven a few secondster.

    "What a ce to stop the trial¡­" he sighed out loud.

 Chapter 1035 Kulas

    1035 Ks

    "Congrattions on passing the second trial, Master." Tian''er appeared before him shortly after he returned to the Stairway to Heaven.

    Yuan turned to look at her with a serious expression on his face, "Tian''er, I have some questions for you before I continue the trial. Why did the Perfect Tempering Ginseng affect my body even though that shouldn''t be possible?"

    Tian''er tilted her head and spoke in a calm voice, "Why shouldn''t it be possible?"

    "I mean¡­ I get that I can learn techniques while inside the Stairway to Heaven, but the treasures affecting my actual body doesn''t make any sense. Everything should be a simtion, so it shouldn''t be possible to actually affect my body."

    A profound smile appeared on Tian''er''s small face as she spoke, "While it''s true that the trials are all simtions created by the Stairway to Heaven¡­ The treasures are actually real. The Stairway to Heaven is more than it appears. It''s not only a bridge that connects the Nine Heavens, it''s also a vault full of treasures stored by the previous Masters."

    Yuan''s body trembled in shock after hearing Tian''er''s words.

    "The Stairway to Heaven¡­ is a treasure vault¡­?" he muttered in a dazed voice.

    "That''s right. However, only the Master has ess to these treasures, hence why nobody is aware of it." Tian''er continued.

    Yuan fell to his knees after learning the truth anding to a realization.

    ''I could''ve acquired so many priceless treasures at the Colossal Tower, but I wasted such a chance because I assumed the treasures were fake! What a blunder!'' he cried inwardly.

    "Wait! Even if I didn''t acquire the treasures during the trial, the treasure should still exist somewhere in the Stairway to Heaven, right?!" Yuan suddenly asked Tian''er.

    She nodded and said, "If you wish to have ess to the vault, you''ll need to continue climbing the Stairway to Heaven, as this ce is also a training device for you."

    "I understand. Thank you for the exnation."

    Yuan climbed the staircase shortly after, ascending to the third trial.

    "This appears to be your final trial, Master." Tian''er said to him.

    ''Is this going to be a continuation of the previous trial? Or is it going to be something entirely different?'' Yuan closed his eyes and wondered to himself as the scenery began to change.

    When he opened his eyes, he found himself standing on a tform. However, the tform looked different than thest one he saw. It was much smaller, and he couldn''t see any giants around him.

    Yuan quickly noticed a figure standing in front of him. This person was a young man with long blonde hair that shone like gold under the sunlight, and he was a head shorter than Yuan, but he emanated an aura that was far superior.

    Yuan ignored this person for now to look at his surroundings, and he was immediately surprised by the scenery, as he appeared to be surrounded by clouds.

    ''Where am I? What kind of trial is this?'' Yuan wondered to himself.

    Ding!

    <You have started your third trial in the Stairway to Heaven>

    <Defeat ''Ks''>

    <Defeat ''Ks'' three times for a special reward>

    ''Ks?'' Yuan raised an eyebrow upon seeing this familiar name.

    After realizing the situation, he turned to look at the young man standing not far away from him.

    "Giant Emperor Ks?!"

    Yuan didn''t recognize him immediately because he looked much younger than the Giant Emperor Ks from the previous trial, not to mention his size.

    "Who the hell are you calling the Giant Emperor? Stop daydreaming and fight me already, Tian Yang!" Ks shouted while pointing his fingers at Yuan.

    Yuan''s eyes widened with shock.

    ''What is going on? Why does he look human? I thought Giant Emperor Ks was born a giant! Is this the Stairway to Heaven messing with me, or is there something I am missing here?''

    Ks spoke again, "Remember! No weapons or treasures! This is how a real man should fight¡ª with their bare hands!"

    "What''s wrong, Tian Yang? You don''t look so good. I have been waiting for this moment¡ª the day that I will finally defeat you! Ahaha!" Ksughed out loud.

    16:06

    He showed Yuan his fists and his arms that were bulging with muscle and veins.

    Yuan tossed aside all his questions temporarily and held his fists in front of him.

    "Here Ie!" Ks suddenly dashed towards him.

    Whoosh!

    Ks swung his fist at Yuan at lightning speed.

    ''What?!''

    The speed of Ks'' strike was so fast that Yuan could only see a blurred arm for a split second before feeling intense pain in his body, as Ks'' fist had struck him directly in his body.

    When Ks struck Yuan''s body, it felt like someone had shot a cannon ball at him. If it wasn''t for his perfect physique and enhanced body, Ks'' strike would''ve made a hole in his body.

    After being struck, Yuan immediately retreated to gain some distance.

    ''Shit! It hurts!'' Yuan nearly fell to his knees from the pain.

    "What''s wrong, Tian Yang? You don''t look so good. I have been waiting for this moment¡ª the day that I will finally defeat you! Ahaha!" Ksughed out loud.

    Yuan showed a bittersweet smile, ''Even with the perfect physique, this trial won''t be easy¡­''

    "Here Ie again!" Ks warned him before rushing at him again.

    ''I can''t react to his strikes, so I can only endure them!''

    Yuan activated the Golden Mountain Body Refinement and discarded all thoughts of avoiding, only focusing on attacking back.

    Whoosh!

    Yuan gritted his teeth and prepared for the strike.

    The moment Ks'' fistnded on his body, Yuan struck back with his own fist.

    Ks'' eyes widened with surprise after feeling the strength behind Yuan''s strike.

    "Not bad! Let''s see how long you canst!" Ks shouted as he threw a second punch, then a third, and a fourth.

    Yuan would tank all of Ks'' strikes with his bare body before retaliating with his own attack, and over the next few hours, the two of them would continue exchanging blows in such a manner, almost as though they were participating in the Tournament of Strength.

    Dual Cultivation Prequel

    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

 Chapter 1036 Kulas(2)

    Chapter 1036 Ks(2)

    A few hours have passed since Yuan and Ks started battering each other relentlessly like crazy.

    Even though every strike was apanied by intense pain, there was a smile on Yuan''s face.

    The same goes for Ks, who was smiling from ear to ear as their blood sttered all over the floor.

    "I don''t think I have the stomach to watch this¡­" Chu Liuxiang turned away from the pond after seeing Yuan''s bloodied body.

    Meixiu was also having a hard time watching Yuan suffer such brutal abuse.

    However, Li Jinxi watched them with an intense gaze, almost as if she waspletely absorbed in their fight. In fact, her gaze showed signs of envy.

    "Despite the bloody scene, the Young Master seems to be enjoying it. In fact, he''s even tempering his body with his opponent''s attacks." Feng Yuxiang said.

    "Didn''t he already achieve a ''perfect physique'' through the Perfect Tempering Ginseng? Why does he still need to temper his body?" Chu Liuxiang asked.

    Xiao Hua then spoke, "Just because Brother Yuan has a perfect physique doesn''t mean he has an invincible body and no longer needs to train. Having a perfect physique just means that he has the ideal body for tempering his body, allowing him to progress faster than other body refiners."

    "I see¡­" Chu Liuxiang mumbled.

    "The Young Master seems to be progressing at a rapid rate. In the beginning, his face would twist with pain every time he is struck, but his face barely moves now. He''s not only gotten used to the pain, but his body is also strengthening to the point where his opponent''s strikes are no longer as effective. It won''t be long before the Young Master wins the fight." Feng Yuxiang exined further.

    Sure enough, after exchanging blows with each other for another hour, Ks became the first to fall to his knees.

    "You''re a crazy bastard, Tian Yang¡­ No matter how many times I punch you, you won''t go down, and it even seems like you''re getting stronger. How is that possible?" Ks muttered in an exhausted voice as he knelt on the ground.

    "Who knows." Yuan responded with a simrly exhausted voice.

    Of course, the only reason he was still standing was due to his perfect regeneration that would heal all of his internal injuries and more within moments after Ks inflicted them.

    "Anyways, this is your win." Ks then said.

    "Let''s have another match." Yuan immediately said afterward.

    Ks looked at him with wide eyes.

    "Nah! Forget it! I won''t defeat you even if we fight a hundred times!"Content held by N?velDrama.Org.

    Yuan was a little taken aback by Ks'' refusal.

    ''If he refuses to fight me, I won''t get the special reward! I need to think of something quick!''

    After pondering for a moment, Yuan suddenly showed Ks a mocking smile, "You''re giving up just because you lost once? What a coward. When did you lose your spine, Ks? If you''re this pathetic, don''t evere to me for another fight!"

    Ks'' eyebrows suddenly twitched.

    "What the fuck did you just call me?" He red at Yuan with intense killing intent.

    Yuan continued to smile, "A coward because that''s what you are."

    "If you want to fight so badly, I will fight you and make you regret calling me a coward! However, give me three days! We will start our second match in three days!"

    "That''s what I am talking about. Let''s have three matches. If you can defeat me even once, I will consider it your win." Yuan said.

    "Then I will see you in three days!" Ks stood up and limped to the small building that was located at the edge of the tform.

    ''Does he live here? Where is this ce, anyway?'' Yuan wondered to himself.

    Once Ks entered the building, Yuan sat down to cultivate.

    After recovering his injuries, he began walking around the edge of the ce.

    ''It appears that we''re somewhere in the sky, but what will happen if I try to leave this ce?''

    In order to satisfy his curiosity, Yuan flew off the edge of the tform and into the thick clouds.

    After flying straight for a few seconds, Yuan came out of the clouds and arrived at another tform.

    However, this tform looked exactly the same as the previous, not to mention the building in the distance and the blood on the floor.

    Yuan tried flying towards another direction, but he was still brought back to the same ce.

    ''So I am limited to this ce for this trial, huh?''

    Besides the house that Ks had entered, there was a small tree behind the building as well as a small pond that was filled with clear water.

    Yuan approached the tree and the pond.

    There was nothing out of the ordinary about the tree, but the pond was just deep enough to be used as a bath.

    Yuan narrowed his eyes on the water. Although the water looked ordinary at nce, he could sense a faint auraing from it.

    After pondering for a moment, he ced a finger into the water.

    ''This water looks ordinary, but it actually contains an immense amount of spiritual energy! It''s ideal for tempering one''s body, too! Ks probably gave me three days for a reason, this being the reason!''

    After realizing that the water could be used to temper his body, Yuan quickly stripped naked before submerging his body inside the water that happened to fit his body perfectly, and he began tempering his body with it.

    Meanwhile, in the spectators'' room, thedies'' gazes were fixated on Yuan''s perfect body.

    "It wasn''t obvious with his clothes on, but his body really underwent some major changes after consuming the Perfect Tempering Ginseng!" Chu Liuxiang could feel her mouth producing more saliva than usual after seeing Yuan''s new body.

    In fact, everyone there except Xiao Hua was ogling at Yuan''s body at this moment, especially Li Jinxi, who appeared the most dazed out of everyone there.

    When Xiao Hua noticed their odd expressions, she raised an eyebrow and asked in an innocent voice, "What''s wrong with all of you? Is there something wrong with Brother Yuan?"

 Chapter 1037 Kulas(3)

    Chapter 1037 Ks(3)

    "No¡­ There''s nothing wrong¡­" Thedies in the room responded to Xiao Hua''s question with a somewhat rosy face.

    Three dayster, Yuan opened his eyes when Ks came out of the building.

    "What are you doing? Get out of there and fight me! I''m ready for our rematch!" Ks said to him.

    "Alright. Give me a moment." Yuan jumped out of the small pond and got dressed before going to stand in front of Ks.

    "Ready?" Ks asked with a confident smile on his face.

    ''His aura has improved tremendously in just three days. I reckon that he''s at least 30 percent stronger than before¡­'' Yuan thought to himself after seeing Ks'' aura that made it seem as though the space around him was distorting.

    However, it was not just Ks who had improved over the past three days.

    Yuan''s physique also experienced significant improvements after tempering himself in the clear water.

    "Then let''s go!" Ks suddenly stepped forward and punched his fist at Yuan.

    Yuan immediately activated Golden Mountain Body Refinement and stood still, letting Ks hit him directly in his chest.

    A ripple swept the air after the impact, and Yuan could feel his muscles screaming in pain, but he endured it and retaliated with his own fist.

    The way they fought each other was the exact same as before. It was more of an endurance challenge than a proper fight, but neither of themined.

    Ks enjoyed fighting like this as it got his blood pumping with excitement. As for Yuan, he couldn''t ask for a better training partner. His body would be studier, more refined, and stronger with every strike, so he had no reason toin.

    After a hundred strikes, Ks suddenly roared, and his body grew slightlyrger.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    ''This is!'' Yuan''s eyes widened with surprise after seeing Ks'' sudden transformation.

    A wide smile appeared on Ks'' face as he sent his fist flying at Yuan.

    Yuan, who had no intention of avoiding the strike, could feel an immense pressureing from Ks'' fist.

    "Ah!"

    Yuan cried out in pain for the first time when his right arm was sent flying by Ks'' attack.

    "Yuan!"

    "Young Master!"

    "Brother Yuan!"

    Thedies in the spectators'' room eximed when they saw Yuan''s entire arm fly off his shoulder after being struck by Ks, their faces turned pale, as they have never seen Yuan suffering such a grievous wound before except the time when he was in the Mystic Realm.

    Yuan jumped back to gain some distance from Ks, who remained standing there with a smile on his face.

    He nced at his severed arm that had fallen several meters away before turning to look at the injury on his body.

    ''What a powerful punch!'' Yuan swallowed nervously as he blocked his injury with his spiritual energy, preventing any more blood loss.

    Ks suddenly startedughing, "Hahaha! How do you like my¡ª"

    However, before he could even finish his sentence, Yuan''s Perfect Regeneration kicked in, growing him a new arm within seconds.

    Ks stared at Yuan with his eyes as wide as saucers.

    "What the fuck did you just do?! How did you just¡ª?! Are you even human?!" Ks eximed in a shocked voice while pointing at Yuan.

    "Of course I am human. What about you? Is that the Great Mammoth Body Refinement that I have heard about?" Yuan said with a smile on his face.

    "So you already knew about this technique¡­ That''s right. I am currently using the Great Mammoth Body Refinement. It not only allows me to alter my body size, it even boosts my strength by a tremendous amount. As long as I am in this state, you won''t be able to take a hit from me! I won this match, Tian Yang!"

    "Keep dreaming. The match isn''t decided just yet!"

    Yuan rushed at Ks after fully recovering from his injury.

    After tanking Yuan''s hit, Ks swung back.

    However, to his surprise, Yuan didn''t avoid his attack like he''d anticipated. In fact, Yuan did theplete opposite by blocking the attack with his own fist.

    "Agh!"

    Yuan gritted his teeth when he felt his muscles tearing apart and all of the bones in his arm shatter, and in the midst of Ks'' shock, Yuan used his other arm to strike back.

    Ks retreated several steps afterward.

    "Hahahaha! As expected of my rival! You''re full of surprises, Tian Yang!" Ksughed like a maniac as he rushed at Yuan again.

    Several hourster, Ks knelt on the bloodied ground with a look of disbelief on his face.

    "You''re a freaking monster, Tian Yang¡­" he muttered in a low voice.

    "I can say the same to you, Ks." Yuan said with a smile on his face, but his entire body was soaked in blood, looking as if he''d just taken a dip in a bath of blood.

    "It''s not over yet, Tian Yang! One more match! I have a feeling that I will be able to defeat you in the next match!" Ks red at him with a confident gaze.

    "Sure." Yuan nodded.

    "Seven days! I will see you in seven days!" Ks slowly stood back up before limping towards the building.

    Once Ks disappeared inside the building, Yuan immediately entered the pond and began cultivating.

    Five dayster, Yuan opened his eyes and turned to look at the building with a frown on his face.

    Even though Ks was still inside the house, his aura had grown to the point where it was leaking out of the building.

    ''This isn''t good. At this rate, he''ll definitely defeat me during our third match." Yuan sighed inwardly.

    However, there was no way for him to significantly increase his strength in the next two days.

    ''If I want to defeat Ks in two days, I will need to use the golden aura.''

    Unfortunately, he still doesn''t have the capability to use the golden aura at will.

    ''Looks like I will have to force it toe out¡­'' Yuan swallowed nervously after recalling how painful it was afterward.

    However, he didn''t have any choice.

    Thus, after mentally preparing himself, Yuan activated the nameless technique.

 Chapter 1038 Heavens Supremacy

    Chapter 1038 Heaven''s Supremacy

    After activating the nameless technique, a crimson aura began emerging from Yuan''s body.

    He took several deep breaths before increasing the intensity of the technique.

    In the spectators'' room, thedies were shocked when they saw what Yuan was doing.

    "W-Why is he suddenly using that technique again?! Did he already forget about the bacsh he''d received thest time he tried to use it!?" Chu Liuxiang eximed after seeing the crimson aura around Yuan.

    "Who knows¡­ I''m afraid that only he knows what he is doing." Meixiu shook her head.

    Several minutester, the deafening voice resounded inside Yuan''''s head.

    "HOW DARE YOU!"

    Yuan coughed up a mouthful of blood after hearing this voice that shook all of his internal organs.

    "You dare ignore my previous warning?! Do you have a death wish, brat!?"

    Yuan gritted his teeth and tried his best to ignore the paining from all over his body.

    "Who¡­ Who are you?!" Yuan managed to mutter.

    "I am above all that exists in this world! I am Heaven''s Supremacy!"

    "Argh!"

    The pain was so unbearable that Yuan fell unconscious before he could ask any more questions.

    "Yuan!"

    Thedies in the spectators'' room were left terrified by what they had just witnessed.

    "H-He''s not dead, is he¡­?" Li Jinxi asked in a trembling voice.

    "That''s ridiculous! He can''t die like that!" Chu Liuxiang eximed.

    "Calm down. Yuan is still alive." Lan Yingying suddenly said, and she continued, "If you look closely, you can see that he''s still breathing. He''s just unconscious."

    "I don''t get it¡­ What is the Young Master trying to achieve by harming himself?" Feng Yuxiang stared at Yuan with a pondering expression on her face and an uneasy feeling in her heart.

    "What about the trial¡­? There''s only two days left before that man returns, right?" Meixiu asked.

    "We can only hope for the Young Master to wake up." Feng Yuxiang sighed.

    Several hourster, Yuan slowly opened his eyes.

    "Where am I¡­?"

    He pushed himself off the floor and looked around with a dazed face.

    ''That''s right! Heaven''s Supremacy! The golden aura responded to me! Does it have its own will? Just what is Heaven''s Supremacy?'' he pondered to himself as he sat on the ground.

    After pondering for some time, Yuan took a deep breath and sat in the lotus position with a resolute face.

    He then activated the nameless technique.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.

    Thedies in the spectators'' room were left speechless by his actions.

    "Ah! What is he doing?! He''s really doing this on purpose!" Chu Liuxiang eximed.

    A few momentster, Yuan coughed up more blood, and the muscles in his body began squirming, almost as though it was alive.

    "Aaaah!" Yuan released a deafening roar as a golden aura exploded from his body, consuming the crimson aura.

    "Insolence! If you continue this reckless behavior, I will really kill you!" The ancient voice resounded once again.

    "Lend me your power! I want to defeat Ks!" Yuan said with much difficulty.

    "Only those who are worthy can wield the Heaven''s Supremacy! You are not worthy!" The voice boomed.

    "If I am not worthy, then why are you in my body?! Why was I able to use your powers before?!"

    "By pure luck!" ??? ????? ???????s ??? ?????s??? ??  ???

    "Bullshit!" Yuan shouted.

    Although it was just for a moment, Yuan felt the pain in his body lessen.

    "You don''t have what it takes to use my power! You are too weak! You are not worthy!"

    The pain in Yuan''s body suddenly skyrocketed.

    "Agh!"

    He copsed for a second time.

    A few hourster, Yuan woke up and repeated the same thing.

    "YOU ARE NOT WORTHY!" The voice boomed inside his head several minutester, causing him to lose consciousness for a third time.

    After waking up, he challenged the Heaven''s Supremacy for the fourth time, then a fifth, and a sixth time.

    When he woke up for the seventh time, Yuan realized something.

    ''It''s not as painful as before, and I am waking up much sooner now¡­ Perhaps this is the secret to Heaven''s Supremacy!''

    An excited expression appeared on Yuan''s face after realizing this.

    ''How much longer do I have until Ks returns?''

    Yuan looked around the trial, eventually noticing a timer above him in the sky.

    ''I have 12 hours left until Ks returns! I must control the Heaven''s Supremacy before then!''

    He immediately began challenging the Heaven''s Supremacy for the seventh time.

    Three hourster, Yuan woke up after arguing with the ancient voice for over 15 minutes.

    After being knocked down for the eighth time, Yuan realized something else.

    ''The reason it''s getting less painful is not because I am getting used to the pain! It''s because the Heaven''s Supremacy is not as rebellious! Why? If I can understand why, then maybe I will¡­''

    Yuan recalled the times he''d used Heaven''s Supremacy by chance, trying his best to remember what he''d done before triggering it.

    ''Excitement¡­ I was filled with excitement, and my heart burned with the desire to win! Could it be my desire to win that triggered it? No¡­ Not my desire¡­ My will!''

    Yuan realized that he became less afraid of the Heaven''s Supremacy after challenging it multiple times¡ª that his will had increased!

    It was at this moment another voice resounded inside his head.

    "In order to control the Heaven''s Supremacy, you must have an Indomitable Will! A Will that will never submit! A Will that will never waver! A Will that is strong enough to overturn even the Heavens!"

    This voice sounded different than the ancient voice, yet it was very familiar to him¡ª it was Tian Yang''s voice.

    "An indomitable will¡­?" A slight smile appeared on Yuan''s face.

    "So that''s why it kept saying that I wasn''t worthy¡­ It was trying to make me waver! It was trying to mess with my will!"

    Now that he knew how to deal with the Heaven''s Supremacy, Yuan sat down and activated the nameless technique for the ninth time, and on his face was a tranquil expression that one would express when they receive enlightenment.

 Chapter 1039 Heavens Supremacy(2)

    Chapter 1039 Heaven''s Supremacy(2)

    After sitting in the lotus position without moving or doing anything for several minutes, Yuan suddenly took a long and deep breath before releasing it.

    He closed his eyes and activated the nameless technique.

    A few momentster, the ancient voice resounded inside his head.

    "You are not worthy! You are too weak!"

    However, despite what the voice imed, Yuan barely felt any pain in his body.

    ''My will is not strong enough topletely neglect the voice.''

    Yuan thought to himself as he suddenly decided to enter the deepest part of his consciousness where his incarnations normally resided.

    However, Tian Yang and the others were nowhere to be seen.

    Instead, he could see the outline of a massive entity within his consciousness, and it was emanating a subtle golden aura.

    Yuan remained calm as he approached this entity without fear.

    "Are you the Heaven''s Supremacy''s true form?"

    Even when he was right in front of the entity, Yuan was unable to see its true figure or appearance, almost as if it was perfectly blended into the darkness.

    "You are not worthy." The ancient voice resounded again, but it was much calmer this time.

    "If you truly believe that I am not worthy, then get the hell out of my body." Yuan said with a calm expression.

    "..." ???s ??????? ?s ?????? ??  ???.

    The ancient voice became silent for a few moments before returning, "Did you not seek my power just recently?"

    "A power that doesn''t listen to its owner is useless, no matter how strong it is. Furthermore, I have the nameless technique. It''s more than enough to rece you."

    "THE AUDACITY!" ???? ????s? ???????s ??  ??? ????.

    The ancient voice boomed, causing the void to tremble.

    "I am the pinnacle of strength! I am the pinnacle of techniques! I am the pinnacle of treasures! I am the pinnacle of all that exists! I am the Heaven''s Supremacy! There''s nothing in this universe that can rece me, much less some trash like the nameless technique!"

    Yuan smiled and said, "Once again, even if you are the strongest power in existence, you are useless to me if I cannot use you, just like a sword with its de or a gun without any bullets."

    "If you refuse to submit to me, I will toss you aside like trash! Without me, you are also useless, just like a weapon without someone to wield it! Even the sharpest sword in the world won''t be able to threaten anyone if it''s not used!"

    "..."

    Even though the ancient voice had mumbled something inaudible, Yuan could somehow tell that it was frustrated.

    "You have three seconds to decide! In three seconds, I will leave this ce and forever ignore your existence!"

    "One!"

    "Two!"

    "Th¡ª"

    Yuan halted his voice when he noticed the massive figure suddenly shrinking in size until it was around the same size as him.

    Once the shrinking stopped, the entity began approaching him, allowing Yuan to get a clearer view of it, and to his surprise, this entity now looked more like a bulky human. Furthermore, this entity appeared to have ten arms, five on each side.

    "Who¡­ No, what are you?" Yuan asked with a slight frown on his face.

    "You will eventually remember, but until then, you can call me ''Shura''."

    "Are you the Heaven''s Supremacy''s will?"

    "The Heaven''s Supremacy is merely a fragment of my power that I bestowed upon you. However, that does not mean it will listen to you. While the others have received its acknowledgement, you have yet to prove yourself worthy to wield its power."

    "The others¡­ as in my past lives?"

    "That''s right. Even Gods covet this power, yet you dare to threaten to toss it away. You''re the first."

    "I don''t need a sword that cannot be used to defeat my enemies, no matter how sharp that sword may be." Yuan said.

    "..."

    After a moment of silence, Shura spoke, "Very well. Then I will allow you to wield the Heaven''s Supremacy to show you what you''ll be missing out on if you throw it away. However, you will only get three chances. If you do not receive the Heaven''s Supremacy''s acknowledgement after three uses, you won''t be able to use it until you do."

    "Don''t disappoint me, brat."

    Shura''s figure disappeared shortly after.

    However, right as Yuan prepared to leave the void, he heard footsteps approaching him from behind.

    When he turned around, he could see a familiar face standing behind him.

    "I see that you have finally recalled Shura. It will only be a matter of time before you recall everything." Tian Yang said with a profound smile on his face.

    "What do you want?" Yuan asked him.

    "I''m just here to give you some advice. If you want to remember your memories faster, you should really focus on improving your cultivation. You''ve been a Spirit Lord for far too long." Tian Yang said.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.

    He then tilted his head to look up into the void.

    "You should wake up now. Don''t keep our friend waiting."

    Outside Yuan''s consciousness, Ks stood before him with a frown on his face.

    "If you don''t wake up soon, I will toss you off this fucking tform!" Ks shouted at him.

    Yuan opened his eyes the following moment, his gaze emanating an otherworldly pressure.

    As he slowly stood up, his body exuded a golden aura that flickered like mes, making it seem as if his body was engulfed in fire.

    "W-What the hell is happening?" Ks stared at Yuan with wide eyes, his confidence wavering.

    "Are you ready for our rematch?" Yuan asked him in a calm voice.

    Ks swallowed nervously, but he still nodded his head, "Damn right I am ready!"

    Ks immediately moved into action by attacking first.

    Yuan could tell that Ks had be twice as strong as before, but his confidence and will remain unwavering.

    "I-Impossible¡­" Ks uttered in disbelief a secondter, his movementspletely frozen when Yuan caught his fist with a single hand.

    "Heads up." Yuan said right before punching Ks square in the face with his other hand.

    Whoosh!

    Ks'' body was sent flying the very next second, his body mming into the building in the distance,pletely destroying it.

 Chapter 1040 Heavens Supremacy(3)

    Chapter 1040 Heaven''s Supremacy(3)

    "No way¡­ What happened to the Young Master? Why did he suddenly acquire so much strength?" Feng Yuxiang was shocked after witnessing Yuan''s prowess.

    "It must have something to do with his golden aura. Everytime it appears, his prowess increases tremendously, almost like my nameless technique, but even my nameless technique couldn''t hold a candle against his mysterious technique." Li Jinxi said.

    A few moments after he was sent flying, Ks dug himself out of the rubble and approached Yuan with a wide smile on his face.

    "Not bad, Tian Yang¡­ But you''ll need more than that to defeat me!"

    Ks suddenly roared, and his body began growingrger andrger, eventually bing a 50-meter tall giant.

    "Let''s see if you can catch my fist with your hand now, Tian Yang!" Ksughed out loud as he punched at Yuan.

    The pressureing from Ks'' fist was so strong that it pushed the clouds in the background many meters back.

    However, Yuan remained indifferent, his gazepletely tranquil.

    "A hand? I don''t need a hand to stop your attack. A single finger is more than enough." Yuan spoke as he pointed his middle finger towards Ks'' iing fist.

    BOOM!

    A massive ripple swept the ce when Yuan''s finger collided with Ks'' fist, sweeping away all of the clouds that surrounded them and revealing its scenery that was mostly a mountain range.

    "You freaking monster¡­"

    A terrified expression was on Ks'' face when he saw the results.

    Yuan had actually managed to block his fist with a single finger! And he''d done so without being pushed back even a single step!

    "Heaven''s Supremacy. Remember it, Ks, because that is what defeated you." Yuan said before throwing his punch at Ks'' fist that he''d stopped.

    Whoosh!

    Once again, Ks was sent flying. However, there was nothing to stop him this time, and he was sent flying off the tform.

    BOOM!

    The entire mountain range trembled when Ksnded on the ground.

    <you have="" defeated="" ks="" and="" sessfully="" cleared="" the="" third="" trial=""></you>

    <you have="" defeated="" ks="" three="" times="" for="" a="" special="" reward=""></you>

    A golden orb of light suddenly emerged from the pond that Yuan had tempered his body in, and it floated towards him.

    After absorbing the golden orb, a flood of memories gushed inside Yuan''s head.

    ''This is Tian Yang''s memories¡­'' Yuan closed his eyes and digested the memories.

    ''I see¡­ So this is how I met Ks¡­'' A small smile appeared on Yuan''s face as he recalled his rivalry with Ks and how it all began.

    After he finished absorbing Tian Yang''s memories, Yuan turned to look at Ks, who was still lying on the ground, seeming unconscious.

    "I hope that you''re still alive out there somewhere, Ks. I still haven''t fulfilled our promise, so don''t you dare die yet." Yuan mumbled in a low voice.

    Unfortunately, the chances of Ks still being alive at this moment was slim to none, as it has been tens if not hundreds of millions of years since hest met Ks, and unless they were demons or an undying Immortal who has reached the apex of cultivation, nobody could live for that long.

    Yuan returned to the Stairway to Heaven shortly after hepleted his third trial.

    "Congrattions, Master. You havepleted all of the trials for this ascension. You can now travel to the Third Heaven." Tian''er appeared before him and said.

    Thedies in the spectators'' room reunited with Yuan shortly after.

    "Yuan! Are you okay?!" Chu Liuxiang asked him in a worried voice.

    "Why wouldn''t I be okay?" he smiled.

    . ???

    "You took a lot of beating during this trial!"

    "Yes, I did, but it made me stronger¡ª a lot stronger. The Stairway to Heaven is not just a bridge that connects the Nine Heavens¡ª it''s also a training ground."

    "Anyways, now that we can enter the Third Heaven, let''s go. There''s a lot of work that needs to be done." Yuan then said.

    "Okay." Thedies there nodded.

    "Please wait a moment, Master." Tian''er suddenly stopped them.

    "What''s the matter?"

    Tian''er created a projection in front of her and said, "The Seven Legacy Families and the Ji Family have surrounded the Stairway to Heaven. You will be ambushed if you leave through the main gate."

    The situation outside the Stairway to Heaven in the Third Heaven began to materialize in the projection, showing Yuan and the others the situation outside.

    Yuan frowned upon seeing the ambush.

    "The survivors of the Seven Legacy Families and the Ji Family must have reported you to them. What should we do, Young Master? We can either wait for them to leave, or we can go outside and kill all of them." Feng Yuxiang asked him.

    Yuan rubbed his eyes and sighed, "Do I really have to spill so much blood the moment I enter the Third Heaven? I''d rather avoid fighting if I can. Because at this rate, we''ll have to kill these families over and over again as we continue to ascend."

    "If Master doesn''t wish for a confrontation, I can make it so that you''re teleported to a random location in the Third Heaven when you exit the Stairway to Heaven. This way, you will be able to enter the Third Heaven without encountering them right away." Tian''er suddenly said.

    "A random location¡­ So we won''t know where we''ll end up until we appear in the Third Heaven, huh¡­" Yuan began pondering.

    "Yes, that''s the only way to enter the Third Heaven without being ambushed." Tian''er nodded.

    "What do you guys think?" Yuan asked the others for their opinion.

    "I also would prefer it if we can avoid fighting¡­" Meixiu said.

    "Me too." Chu Liuxiang said.

    The others agreed with Meixiu and Chu Liuxiang.

    "Since there is no objection, we''ll do it your way, Tian''er." Yuan said to her a momentter.

    "I understand. Then I will teleport you outside now. Until next time, Master." Tian''er said with a smile on her face before sending them out of the Stairway to Heaven.

    [Congrattions! yer Yuan has be the first yer to ascend to ''Third Heaven'' through the Stairway to Heaven!]Content held by N?velDrama.Org.

    [Because of yer Yuan''s efforts, ''Spirit Heaven'' has re-established its connection with ''Third Heaven'', allowing ess for all yers!]

    [All yers may now enter the Stairway to Heaven and ascend to Third Heaven without any restrictions!]

 Chapter 1041 Player Massacre

    Chapter 1041 yer Massacre

    "L-Look! There''s an announcement!" The yers that noticed the announcement quickly pointed at it.

    "Third Heaven is open?! And it''s yer Yuan who opened it!"

    The yers were filled with excitement after seeing the announcement even though it hasn''t been that long since Yuan connected Spirit Heaven and the Lower Heavens.

    The yers began talking with their friends and their groups.

    "Are you going to the Third Heaven?"

    "Hell no. Don''t you remember what happened when this realm was opened? Everyone and their mother rushed to ascend, but they quickly realized that it was a mistake since they weren''t prepared for the increased difficulty. Besides yer Yuan, I doubt there are any other yers out there who are capable enough to traverse the new level."

    "Yeah, and we have barely scratched the surface for this level. I''ll stay here for a few more months before I even think about ascending to the next level."

    "No matter how illogical it may seem to ascend, there will always be people who don''t care about the consequences or are too stupid to understand their situation. A lot of people will die in the next few days."

    Sure enough, when news about the Third Heaven spread online, countless people rushed to the Stairway to Heaven to ascend.

    In their eyes, even if it was extremely risky, the Third Heaven will have more opportunities than Spirit Heaven, and the spiritual energy there was much more plentiful, allowing them to cultivate faster.

    However, these yers would soon realize what they were getting themselves into¡ª that they were walking towards a death trap.

    Meanwhile, outside the Stairway to Heaven in the Third Heaven, the Seven Legacy Families and the Ji Family were still camping outside, patiently waiting to ambush Yuan.

    "It''s been over a month since this Yuan entered the Stairway to Heaven. Do you think he''d failed the trials and couldn''t ascend?"

    "He probably died inside the Stairway to Heaven."

    "I doubt it. We have people watching the Stairway to Heaven in Spirit Heaven. They would''ve notified us by now if he failed the trial."

    The leaders of the Seven Legacy Families spoke to each other as they sat down for some spiritual tea.

    Several minutester, their bodies froze when someone shouted, "The Stairway to Heaven is opening! He''sing out!"

    "Get ready! Kill him the moment he steps out of the Stairway to Heaven!" The head of the Ji Family shouted, his voice alerting everyone there.

    The following moment, a group of people walked out of the Stairway to Heaven with clear excitement on their faces.

    "ATTACK!"

    Whoosh! ???? ????s? ???????s ??

    . ??? ????.

    Boom!

    Thousands of Cultivatorsunched their attacks at this group of ignorant yers before they could even realize what was going on, and before they knew it, they were dead.

    The world shook for a moment from so many techniques going off at once.

    "Did we do it? Did we kill them?"

    "We did it! We killed him! We have avenged our families!" The people there celebrated when they saw the blood stters.

    However, their celebration was cut short when someone suddenly shouted, "Wait! It''s not over yet! There are more peopleing out of the Stairway to Heaven!"

    When the cultivators saw this, they immediately stopped celebrating to attack these innocent yers that had no idea what was even going on.

    "Wait¡­ Why were there so many people? The numbers don''t add up." The cultivators realized this after killing the yers.

    But s, they weren''t given any time to think, as more yers starteding out of the Stairway to Heaven.

    "T-There are more of them! Attack! Kill them all!"

    The cultivators stopped thinking and merely focused on attacking the yers that came out of the Stairway to Heaven. It was a massacre¡ª one that neither side understood.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    Within minutes of the massacre, the yers that had been killed by the cultivators started warning the others online, and the situation spread like wildfire.

    [Warning! Do not ascend to the Third Heaven! You will be killed!]

    [Third Heaven is a death trap!]

    [I was killed the moment I entered the Third Heaven!]

    Comints from the yers that had been killed flooded the online forums and pretty much the entire inte, causing widespread shock.

    "Holy shit, I am so d that I decided to wait a few days before ascending. I dodged a bullet today."

    "See! I told you that it was a bad idea to ascend so quickly!"

    "But why would the NPCs attack them?"

    "Who knows."

    "What about yer Yuan? Since he was the first one to ascend, there''s a good chance that he was also killed, right?"

    The yers began wondering if Yuan had also been killed by the cultivators, unaware that he was responsible for their situation.

    Meanwhile, back at the Stairway to Heaven.

    "There''s something wrong here! Why are there so many people ascending in such a short time?! What is happening?!"

    "Lord Ji! I think we have made a grave mistake! We need to stop attacking immediately!" The leaders of the Seven Legacy Families said to him.

    The Lord Ji of the Third Heaven also realized that something was amiss, so he demanded for the attacks to stop.

    However, it was already toote, as hundreds of yers have already lost their lives because of this misunderstanding.

    The cultivators waited for more yers to show up so that they could ask the yers about Yuan, but because of their massacre, none of the yers dared to ascend anymore, and it would remain like this for an entire week.

    "What the fuck is going on?! What happened to Yuan?! Did we kill him or not?!" The cultivators were at a loss, and they couldn''t tell if they''d killed Yuan or not due to the chaos and misunderstandings.

    The Seven Legacy Families and the Ji Family held an emergency meeting afterward. In the end, they decided to leave the scene and return home for now, leaving behind some people to investigate the situation. As for their business with Yuan, since he was nowhere to be seen and they didn''t know whether they had killed him or not, they decided to consider him dead until they figured things out.

 Chapter 1042 Arriving at Third Heaven

    Chapter 1042 Arriving at Third Heaven

    After being teleported out of the Stairway to Heaven by Tian''er, Yuan and the others found themselves somewhere in the middle of a green valley surrounded by mountains and trees.

    "Looks like we have arrived safely. I was worried about the possibility of appearing in the middle of an ocean, or worse, at the bottom of one." Chu Liuxiang said as she looked around.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    "Is everyone here?" Yuan looked around to make sure that nobody had strayed from the group.

    Chu Liuxiang, Meixiu, Li Jinxi, Xiao Hua, Feng Yuxiang, and Li Jinxi¡ª all six of them were there.

    "Since we''ve been inside the Stairway to Heaven for longer than I''d anticipated, I am going to take a few days break. We''ll figure out our location and where we should go afterward." Yuan said to them.

    "Okay." Xiao Hua and the other two servants returned to his body before Yuan logged off with Meixiu and the others.

    After logging off, the first thing Yuan noticed was Meifeng, who was cleaning his room at this moment.

    "Wee back." Meifeng said when she noticed them removing their consoles.

    "I''m back." Yuan smiled.

    "I can''t believe that you''d actually stayed inside Cultivation Online for over a month without any breaks. Are you feeling okay?" Meifeng asked him.

    "Yes, I am perfectly fine." He nodded.

    And he continued, "But my stomach is not. I''m starving¡­"

    "I''ll go cook some food right now." Meifeng stopped cleaning the room and rushed to the kitchen.

    "I''m going to take a shower." He said to Chu Liuxiang after Meifeng left the room.

    "I''lle with you!" Chu Liuxiang said as she hopped off the bed and rushed into the bathroom.

    Yuan followed her a momentter.

    "Y-Yuan! Your body!" Chu Liuxiang suddenly eximed when she got a clearer look at his appearance after he entered the bathroom.

    "My body?" Yuan looked down at his body to see that it''d be more refined and detailed. Furthermore, he noticed that he was a little taller than before.

    "The Perfect Tempering Ginseng has affected your real body as well!" Chu Liuxiang said with an excited smile on her face.

    "I''m not surprised, considering how powerful the treasure was." He smiled as well.

    "Since it''s been awhile, let me be the first to have a taste of your new body¡­ hehe¡­" Chu Liuxiang suddenly said with a lustful expression on her face.

    Yuan was speechless, but he didn''t reject her.

    After a quick shower, Chu Liuxiang pulled Yuan into the bathtub with her, where they would spend over an hour embracing each other.

    Once they were both satisfied, they took another shower to wash off the sweat before leaving the bathroom and getting changed.

    By the time they arrived at the dining room, Meixiu and the others were already sitting around the table.

    "Wee back, Yuan, and congrattions on passing the trial." Wang Xiuying said to him.

    "Thank you."

    "Yuan, there''s something you should know." Meixiu suddenly said to him with a weird expression on her face.

    "What happened?"

    "I just heard about it, but¡­"

    Meixiu proceeded to tell him about the yer massacre that had urred shortly after they ascended to Third Heaven.

    "Seriously¡­?" Yuan was speechless after hearing the news. He didn''t think the Seven Legacy Families and the Ji Family would attack indiscriminately.

    "Hmm? Is it just me or is there something different about you, Yuan?" Wang Ming suddenly said.

    "You''re right¡­ He seems a little taller than before." Wang Bingbing agreed with him.

    "Yuan¡­ Don''t tell me the Perfect Tempering Ginseng had¡­" Meixiu swallowed nervously after the others mentioned it, as she was already used to seeing Yuan in his new body in Cultivation Online, so she didn''t immediately notice.

    The same went for Li Jinxi, whose mouth opened slightly after seeing his new physique.

    "Long story short, I consumed a powerful treasure during the trial, and it was strong enough to affect my real body in this world as well." Yuan exined the situation to the members.

    "My god¡­ You''re like a different person." Shi Lang muttered in a dazed voice.

    "Well, it was a really rare treasure that only existed during the Primordial Era. There''s a good chance that the treasure I consumed was thest one in existence¡­" Yuan said with a smile.

    "Anyways, tell me more about this massacre. What is the situation now?"

    "There''s not much happening. The yers that tried to ascend were attacked the moment they left the Stairway to Heaven. Hundreds of yers died because of this incident, and the yers are no longer willing to ascend for the time being." Xi Murong exined.

    "That reminds me¡­ What about you guys? I was just about to ask Meixiu before the two of you arrived. Were you guys also attacked? People online are specting that you were also killed in the ambush." Wu Zao asked.

    "No, we weren''t attacked, but that''s because we knew about it in advance and left the Stairway to Heaven in another way. In fact, I am the reason for the attack¡­" Yuan sighed.

    "Huh? You''re responsible for the massacre?" They all looked at him with wide eyes.

    He nodded and proceeded to exin to them about his situation with the Seven Legacy Families and the massacre that had urred right before he entered the Stairway to Heaven.

    "Because of what I did to their families in Spirit Heaven, they had set up that ambush for me¡­ I should''ve warned the yers before I entered the Third Heaven, but it didn''t ur to me at that time." He shook his head with a guilty expression on his face.

    "Well, what''s done is already done. These yers were being foolish to begin with¡ª I mean, why would they ascend when they don''t have the qualifications in the first ce? They would''ve died sooner orter, anyway." Wang Ming shrugged his shoulders, unable to pity the yers that had been killed.

    "Probably, but they didn''t deserve to be killed in such a fashion." Yuan sighed.

 Chapter 1043 Arriving at Third Heaven(2)

    Chapter 1043 Arriving at Third Heaven(2)

    "By the way, what happened to the yers that were killed after they entered the Third Heaven? Do they get sent back to Spirit Heaven since they respawn in thest city they visited?" Chu Liuxiang suddenly asked.

    "No, they get sent to the nearest city in Third Heaven." Xi Murong said.

    "What are your ns now that you''re in Third Heaven?" Wang Bingbing asked a momentter.

    "I''m going to visit the Myriad of Techniques to see if they have any new techniques, then I am going to visit the Demon Sealing n, since I have some unfinished business with the Demon Sealing Pagoda." Yuan said.

    He turned to look at Li Jinxi and asked, "What about you? Now that you''re in Third Heaven, what are your ns? If you want, you can follow us to the Myriad of Techniques. I can get you some free techniques."

    "Free techniques?"

    Yuan nodded, "Yes, and since we don''t know our location, it would be better for you to follow us until we arrive at a city. Who knows how powerful the magical beasts around us are."

    "Alright, then I will bother you a little longer." Li Jinxi agreed to follow them.

    Sometimeter, Meifeng filled the table with a feast.

    "You cooked all of this in just two hours¡­? Even ten people would have trouble cooking this much food in such a short time!" Wang Ming was shocked by Meifeng''s inhuman capabilities.

    However, despite the food filling the whole table, they would empty all of the tes in less than an hour with Yuan putting in the most effort, as he was the hungriest there.

    Perhaps it was due to his new physique that required more energy, but Yuan didn''t feel full even after eating half of the food on the table.

    "How was the food?" Meifeng suddenly asked him.

    "As always, it''s perfect." ????w???ov??.co?

    "Really? But you don''t seem satisfied. Perhaps you''re not full yet? I will make more food¡ª"

    "It''s fine. I''m not full, but I don''t need to be full every time I eat. As long as I don''t starve, I will be fine." He stopped her.

    "If you say so¡­"

    After their meal, Yuan returned to his room and called Yu Rou to chat with her.

    "Am I bothering you right now? I can callter if that''s the case." Yuan asked her as heid on the bed.

    "It''s okay, I needed a break anyway." Yu Rou said.

    And she continued, "Congrattions, brother. I heard the news. You entered the Third Heaven, right?"

    "Yes."

    "Are you okay? People are saying that you were also a victim of the yer massacre. Have you heard of it?" she then asked.

    "I heard of it, but you don''t need to worry. None of us are hurt because¡­" Yuan proceeded to exin the whole situation to her.

    "What?! You''re currently being hunted by these powerful families?! Why?!" Yu Rou was shocked to learn of this information.

    "I''m not sure either, but ording to the Ji Family, the Heavens want me dead." Yuan shrugged.

    "The Heavens¡­? Is that some kind of title for someone?"

    "I''m not sure either."

    "What are you going to do to these people? Are you going to kill all of them?" Yu Rou suddenly asked, her voice sounding a bit worried.

    "No, I won''t fight them unless it''s absolutely necessary. I don''t want to put you guys in danger, either. They probably think I am dead right now because of the yer massacre, so I''m going to travel under a new identity for now."Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    "Stay safe, brother. Now that I know our souls are involved, I really don''t want you to hurt yourself."

    "I know." ????w???ov??.co?

    The two of them continued to chat with each other for another half an hour. Once the call ended, Yuan decided to get some actual sleep.

    Unbeknownst to Yuan, he would not wake up for three whole days.

    Three dayster, Yuan woke up, feeling incredibly refreshed.

    However, he was surprised to see Wang Xiuying sitting right beside him.

    "Huh? What are you doing?" He asked her.

    "You''re finally awake! You have been sleeping for three days now, Yuan! I was just checking your condition just to make sure you''re still alive."

    "Three days?" Yuan''s eyes widened. "I guess it''s been a while since Ist got some decent sleep. What about the others?"

    "I told them to not worry¡ª that you''re probably just exhausted after spending so much time in Cultivation Online."

    "I see¡­ Thank you, Xiuying."

    "Don''t even mention it. I am the faction''s nurse for a reason," she smiled.

    "Anyways, now that you''re awake, go let the others know that you''re okay. They''re all training in the field right now."

    "Okay." He nodded.

    After washing his face, Yuan went to the balcony and flew to the training field that was right behind their building.

    The others were relieved to see that he was fine.

    "Yuan, let''s spar." Li Jinxi suddenly approached him.

    "Sure."

    Yuan started training with Li Jinxi and the others.

    Over the next several days, Yuan would rx in the real world without logging into Cultivation Online. After what he''d experienced in the Stairway to Heaven, he really needed a break.

    Thedies that went to the Third Heaven with him did the same, not that they could go anywhere without Yuan in Cultivation Online.

    Li Jinxi would spend all of her time training her body, motivating herself with Yuan. As for Chu Liuxiang and Meixiu, besides improving their own cultivation, they would spend the rest of their time in bed with Yuan.

    After an entire week had passed since Yuan ascended to the Third Heaven, they finally decided to return to Cultivation Online.

    Once they were inside Cultivation Online, they picked a random direction and started flying towards that direction, hoping they woulde across a city or some people to ask for directions.

    After flying for almost the entire day, they finally found a group of traveling merchants for directions.

    "The nearest city would be Fu Cheng City. If you continue traveling towards the south, you should reach it in an hour." The merchants said to them.

    "I understand. Thank you for your help." Yuan handed them some spirit stones to show his gratitude before continuing the journey, arriving at the city about half an hour earlier than anticipated.

 Chapter 1044 Returning to the Demon Sealing Clans Grand Library

    Chapter 1044 Returning to the Demon Sealing n''s Grand Library

    After arriving at Fu Cheng City, Yuan asked the guards there if they had a Myriad of Techniques in the city.

    "Sorry, but we don''t. If you''re looking for the Myriad of Techniques, you''ll have to go to Silver Heaven City." The guard said.

    "Silver Heaven City¡­?" Yuan''s eyes widened after hearing this familiar name, as this was where Tian Cheng originated from¡ª where he was born!

    "Which direction is the Silver Heaven City?" He then asked.

    "If you continue going east, you should arrive in about four days using a flying treasure." The guard pointed toward the east and said.

    "Thank you."

    Yuan and the others continued their journey to Silver Heaven City.

    "Silver Heaven City¡­ I believe that''s thergest city in Third Heaven." Feng Yuxiang said.

    "It is, and I knew it very well."

    "Really? How?" Feng Yuxiang asked, her face filled with curiosity.

    "Because Tian Cheng was born in that city," he said with a smile.

    "Tian Cheng¡­? The Divine Paragon was born in Silver Heaven City?"

    He nodded, "Indeed."

    ''Tian Cheng? Who is that?'' Li Jinxi wondered inwardly after hearing this unfamiliar name, as she was the only person there who didn''t know about Yuan''s reincarnation.

    The trip took a little over 5 days because they didn''t use any flying treasures, and they took breaks.

    Once they arrived at Silver Heaven City, Yuan paid the entrance fee and entered the city.

    ''This ce feels nostalgic yetpletely foreign at the same time¡­'' Yuan looked around the city with a dazed expression on his face.

    Sometimeter, they arrived at the Myriad of Techniques after getting the directions.

    "Go ahead and look around. If you want any techniques, just pick it. I''m going to visit the Demon Sealing n''s Grand Library." Yuan said to Li Jinxi and the others.

    "Will you be gone for long?" Li Jinxi asked him.

    "I''ll be gone for several hours at most."

    "Okay."

    While Li Jinxi and the others looked around the Myriad of Techniques, Yuan went to the Demon Sealing n''s Grand Library.

    After showing the staff member his Demon Sealing Badge, the staff allowed Yuan to traverse to the Demon Sealing n''s Grand Library.

    "It''s been a while¡­" Yuan stared at the Demon Sealing n''s Grand Library with a nostalgic gaze. Now that he had Tian Cheng''s memories, the ce lookedpletely different and felt much more nostalgic and natural than before.

    After spending a few moments feeling nostalgic, Yuan approached the Demon Sealing n''s Grand Library.

    The ce was awfully quiet, almost as though he was the only person there. Of course, there was still a guard at the entrance of the building.

    "What are you doing here? The Demon Sealing n''s Grand Library is closed." The guard said to him.

    "It''s still closed?" Yuan was speechless. How long do they n on keeping the ce closed? The Demon Sealing n''s Grand Library is a popr training ground for all Demon Sealers. It would hinder their growth if they kept it closed for too long.

    In fact, this is the first time the Demon Sealing n''s Grand Library has been closed since its founding.

    Yuan didn''t try to argue with the guard. Instead, he retrieved themunication jade slip that he''d received from Yan Hara.

    "Senior, it''s Yuan. I am currently at the Demon Sealing n''s Grand Library, and I would like to challenge the Demon Sealing Pagoda again. If you''re busy, I will return at another time."

    After sending the message, Yuan began waiting for a response, which didn''t take too long.

    About a minuteter, hismunication jade slip trembled, and Yan Hara''s voice resounded shortly after, "I missed your voice, little founder! You want to challenge the Demon Sealing Pagoda, right? Give me an hour. I will be there as soon as I can!"

    ''She''s as energetic as ever.'' Yuan smiled after hearing her voice.

    Sometimeter, when the guard noticed that Yuan wasn''t leaving, he spoke, "Why are you still here? Unless you''re a Master Demon Sealer, you''re not allowed to enter no matter how long you stand out here!"

    "My mentor ising. She''s a Master Demon Sealer." Yuan said to him.

    "..." The guard no longer said anything and became silent.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    A little over an hourter, Yuan could see a portal appearing not far away from his location, and a beautiful woman came out of it a momentter.

    Naturally, it was Yan Hara.

    "Little founder!" A bright smile appeared on Yan Hara''s face the moment she saw his handsome face, even jogging towards him and waving at the same time.

    "It''s been a while, Senior." Yuan greeted her with a smile of his own.

    However, Yan Hara suddenly slowed down to a halt and proceeded to stare at him with a baffled expression on her face.

    "Senior?" Yuan raised his eyebrows in a questioning manner.

    "Little founder¡­ Did something happen to you? Why do you look the same yet so different at the same time? You even grew a few inches¡­" Yan Hara asked as she inspected his body at a closer distance.

    She suddenly grabbed his arm and inspected his muscles by squeezing it. "Wow, your muscles are wlessly refined! What kind of treasure did you consume?"

    "Perfect Tempering Ginseng," he said with a profound smile on his face.

    "...What?" Yan Hara stopped all of her movements and stared at him with a shocked look on her face.

    "I''m just joking. This is the result of my training." Yuan chuckled a momentter.

    "I-I thought so! You almost gave me a heart attack, little founder! After all, the Perfect Tempering Ginseng no longer exists in this world! They''ve been extinct for millions of years!" Yan Hara sighed afterward.

    "Anyways, let''s continue talking inside." She said as she approached the Grand Library.

    "Greetings, Senior Yan." The guard greeted her.

    "We''re going to use the Demon Sealing Pagoda," she said.

    "Of course." The guard opened the doors for them without any hesitation.

    Yan Hara led Yuan into the building shortly after.

 Chapter 1045 Returning to the Demon Sealing Pagoda

    Chapter 1045 Returning to the Demon Sealing Pagoda

    After entering the Demon Sealing n''s Grand Library, Yan Hara led Yuan to her room.

    "Take a seat. I''ll make some tea for us." Yan Hara said to him.

    ? A few minutester, she returned with a teapot and two teacups.

    "So, what have you been up totely?" She asked him after sitting down and pouring him a cup of tea.

    "Thank you." Yuan sipped on the tea a couple of times before speaking, "Nothing much, really. I just ascended to the Third Heaven."

    "That fast? If I recall correctly, you''d just ascended to the Second Heaven not long ago." Yan Hara said with slightly widened eyes.

    "Yes, and I intend on ascending to the Fourth Heaven as soon as I finish up some business in the Third Heaven, the Demon Sealing Pagoda being one of them." He nodded.

    "I see¡­ You''re moving up faster than I''d anticipated. Of course I am notining. The faster you arrive in the Seventh Heaven, the sooner I will get to see you." Yan Hara smiled.

    "But you''re already seeing me now?" Yuan raised an eyebrow.

    "This ce doesn''t count!" She quickly said.

    Sometimeter, after finishing the tea, Yuan asked, "By the way, what''s the situation between the Demon Sealing n and the Demon Sealing Grotto right now?"

    Yan Hara lowered her teacup and then said with a dispirited expression, "Not good. Not good at all. In fact, it''s been getting worse."

    "Demon sealers from both sides would fight each other whenever they cross paths, and several demon sealers have already died from the drama. At this rate, there will be a full-blown war between the Demon Sealing n and the Demon Sealing Grotto."Content held by N?velDrama.Org.

    "How foolish¡­" Yuan muttered in a cold voice.

    "Huh?" Yan Hara looked at him with wide eyes.

    "Neither side will win this war, even if one side beats the other. The true winners will be the demons that will soon return to this world."

    "W-Wait a minute¡­ What do you mean by that? The demons are already near extinction! There''s no way they would return!"

    "Is that what you truly believe, or is that what you want to think?" Yuan asked her in a calm voice.

    "That''s what I truly believe!" She said.

    "Then you should change your beliefs, Senior. Although there may not be as many demons today as there were back in the days, they won''t be gone anytime soon. In fact, they''re most likely recovering their forces out there somewhere."

    "H-How do you know all of this¡­?" Yan Hara asked him in a trembling voice.

    Yuan smiled and said, "I will tell you the truthter¡ª when I defeat the Demon Sealing Pagoda."

    "Defeat the Demon Sealing Pagoda? You couldn''t even get past the fourth floor on yourst attempt, and in case you forgot, nobody has passed that floor since the Divine Paragon¡ª not even the current leader of the Demon Sealing n." Yan Hara said.

    "Actions speak louder than words. If you don''t believe me, I will do it right now."

    "Sure¡­"

    Yan Hara and Yuan arrived at the Demon Sealing Pagoda several minutester.

    "Whenever you''re ready, little founder." Yan Hara said to him.

    "I''m ready now."

    Sometimeter, Yan Hara paid the resources to activate the Demon Sealing Pagoda.

    Once the door opened, Yuan calmly walked into the building.

    "Young Master, you should save your energy for the first few fights while we fight for you." Feng Yuxiang said to him.?? ? ??

    n ? ???"No, I will challenge the Demon Sealing Pagoda by myself this time. I appreciate your consideration, though." Yuan said to them.

    After entering the building, Tian Chenyu''s voice resounded, "Wee to the Demon Sealing Pagoda, young demon sealer. I will now tell you the rules of this ce. If you break any of them, you''ll automatically be removed from this ce."

    The voice proceeded to repeat everything that was said thest time he was here, word for word.

    Once the introductions were finished, a Superior Demon appeared in the middle of the room.

    "When you''re prepared to start the challenge¡ª"

    "Ready." Yuan said without any hesitation.

    The Superior Demon immediately sprung into action and lunged itself at Yuan.

    [Swords of Eternal Torment]

    A single golden sword suddenly materialized above the demon, pinning it to the ground.

    "Aaaaargh!" The demon released a pained roar.

    Yuan casually plunged his bare hands into the pinned demon''s chest, removing its crystal.

    After crushing the crystal, the demon stopped moving and disappeared.

    "Congrattions, you have managed to pass the first floor in¡­ 9 seconds. It''s a new record."

    "Since you have already received a reward from this floor, you will not receive any rewards for clearing this floor."

    "You may proceed to the next floor whenever you are ready."

    Yuan calmly made his way to the second floor.

    "Wee to the second floor. You have one hour and thirty minutes to defeat the demon."

    Upon arriving at the second floor, the scenery changed, and Yuan found himself on a tform inside a coliseum with spectators, just like thest time.

    "When you''re prepared¡ª"

    "Ready."

    The moment he started the challenge, Yuan raised the Empyrean Overlord above him.

    Ding!

    A gust of wind swept the arena as Yuan blocked the Demon General''s invisible attack.

    [Swords of Eternal Torment]

    Yuan repeated what he did thest time and pinned the Demon General to the ground before destroying its crystal.

    "Congrattions, you have managed to pass the second floor in¡­ 11 seconds. It''s a new record."

    "Since you have already received a reward from this floor, you will not receive any rewards for clearing this floor."

    "You may proceed to the next floor whenever you are ready."

    On the next floor, two demons waited for him, both Demon Generals.

    "When you''re¡ª"

    "Ready."

    After starting the fight, Yuan waited for the demons to attack him likest time, but to his surprise, they remained standing there, seemingly hesitant for some reason.

    "How boring." He sighed before using Swords of Eternal Torment, pinning them both on the ground.

    "Congrattions, you have managed to pass the third floor in¡­ 20 seconds. It''s a new record."

    A few secondster, Yuan made his way to the fourth floor, where he was stopped.

 Chapter 1046 Spirit King

    Chapter 1046 Spirit King

    "Wee to the fourth floor. You have fifteen minutes to defeat the demon."

    On the fourth floor of the Demon Sealing Pagoda that was in ava environment, Yuan patiently waited for the gray demon to show up.

    A few momentster, the gray-skinned demon with a broken horn came out of theva and stood on the tform before Yuan.

    "When you''re prepared to start the challenge, say ''Ready'' out loud."

    Yuan didn''t immediately start the fight this time. Instead, he took a few moments to silently stare at the demon.

    "What''s wrong? Aren''t you going to say your famous line? That I am not worthy to fight you?" Yuan suddenly spoke with a calm smile on his face.

    The gray demon narrowed its eyes at Yuan.

    "You have grown a little stronger since I killed you." The demon responded a few secondster, almost as though it retained its memories of theirst encounter.

    "Just a little stronger?" Yuan chuckled.

    And he continued in a mocking tone, "That''s funny, because you seem a lot weaker to me."

    "..."

    The gray demon''s eyes flickered with killing intent, "Watch your mouth, livestock."

    "Originally, I was going to just kill you as soon as possible and get to the next floor, but I have changed my mind. I''m going to beat you senseless."Content held by N?velDrama.Org.

    "I would love to see how you''re going to do that, livestock."

    Yuan smiled, and he proceeded to start the challenge.

    "Ready."

    The second Yuan started the challenge, the gray demon disappeared from its location.

    "Brother Yuan!" Xiao Hua instinctively shouted because of what happenedst time.

    "Are you looking down on me, demon?"

    Yuan spoke in a calm voice after catching the demon''s hand without turning around.

    "!!!"

    The demon was shocked when it realized that Yuan had caught its attack with his bare hands.

    However, when it pulled back and tried to escape, the demon became even more baffled when it couldn''t break out of Yuan''s grasp.

    Whoosh!

    Yuan suddenly flung his entire arm, sending the demon into the air before mming it back down onto the ground.

    Boom!

    The tform shook when the demonnded on the ground.

    Yuan then crushed the demon''s head with his foot.

    Of course, the demon recovered from the injury within seconds.

    However, Yuan''s intention was just to mess with the demon and make it feel helpless, so he continued to stomp on its head while tightly holding into the demon''s hand, preventing it from running away.

    A few stompster, Yuan pinned the demon to the ground with the Sword of Eternal Torment.

    "Now let''s try it with pain and demon sealing aura." Yuan spoke with a cold grin on his face.

    He then stomped the demon''s head into the tform again, but he covered his foot with demon sealing aura this time, sealing the demon with every stomp.

    "S-Stop¡ª"

    Boom!

    "Damn you¡ª"

    Boom!

    Once the demon was almostpletely sealed, Yuan pulled the demon off the floor and had it stand right in front of him.

    "You''re not worthy to fight me, demon." Yuan said before shoving his arm through the demon''s chest and destroying its crystal.

    "Congrattions, you have managed to pass the fourth floor in¡­ 4 minutes and 11 seconds. It''s a new record."

    "Here is your reward for clearing the fourth stage."

    A golden orb of light appeared from within theva and floated towards Yuan.

    After absorbing the orb of light, Yuan could feel the spiritual energy in his dantian overflow and his cultivation base soaring.

    His Spirit Grandmaster cultivation instantly broke through to the peak of Spirit Lord, returning him to his original cultivation. However, that wasn''t the end of it, as his cultivation continued to soar.

    <You have absorbed enough Qi for a breakthrough!>

    <You have met the requirements for a breakthrough>

    <You have reached First Level Spirit King>

    <You have absorbed enough Qi for a breakthrough!>

    <You have reached Second Level Spirit King>

    <You have absorbed enough Qi for a breakthrough!>

    <You have reached Third Level Spirit King>

    <You have absorbed enough Qi for a breakthrough!>

    <You have reached Fourth Level Spirit King>

    Within just a few seconds, Yuan had entered the realm of Spirit King and even skyrocketed to the fourth level.

    His aura also soared.

    However, Yuan didn''t feel any excitement even though he is now a Spirit King, as he''d experienced even higher cultivation levels as Tian Chenyu.

    "Congrattions on reaching Spirit King finally, Young Master!" Feng Yuxiang and the others congratted him.

    "Thank you." He smiled as he approached the next floor.

    Meanwhile, Yan Hara was patiently waiting outside.

    ''Considering how fast he progressedst time, he should be on the second floor now¡­''

    "Hmm?" She suddenly raised an eyebrow when she noticed a figure standing atop the Demon Sealing Pagoda.

    "D-Divine Paragon!" Yan Hara fell on her butt when she saw his handsome face.

    ''Why is the Divine Paragon appearing again? Did something happen inside the Demon Sealing Pagoda?''

    After steeling her resolve, Yan Hara flew into the air and approached the Divine Paragon.

    ''He''s just an illusion, so it should be fine if I took a closer look¡­'' she thought to herself.

    Once she was right in front of the Divine Paragon, Yan Hara began inspecting his appearance in closer detail.

    ''The more I look at him, the more he looks like the little founder.''

    Unbeknownst to Yan Hara, she no longer saw the Divine Paragon in Yuan. Instead, she saw Yuan in the Divine Paragon.

    ''The little founder¡­ He''s definitely a descendant of the Divine Paragon¡­'' Yan Hara is now convinced of her theory.

    Upon entering the fifth floor, Yuan found himself atop a mountain and with not two, but three demons, all three emitting the aura of a Spirit King.

    Each of these demons had their own unique physique. One of them was skinny while another was bulky. The third one was even round like a balloon, which surprised Yuan. Furthermore, they were all ''sort of'' Demon Emperors.

 Chapter 1047 Seventh Floor of the Demon Sealing Pagoda

    Chapter 1047 Seventh Floor of the Demon Sealing Pagoda

    "Wee to the fifth floor. You have one hour to defeat the demons." The Divine Paragon''s voice resounded.

    "How many years has it been since someone made it to this floor? I don''t remember¡­" The skinny demon suddenly muttered as it stared at Yuan with an excited smile on its face.

    However, Yuan ignored the skinny demon and focused his gaze on the fat demon.

    "It''s rare to see a fat demon even back in the Primordial Era. I remember my first experience with one. I nearlyughed my ass off." Yuan said with a smile on his face.

    "..."

    The fat demon trembled when it heard Yuan''s words.

    "What did you just call me, lowly livestock?" The fat demon growled in a cold voice.

    Yuanughed out loud, "Your reaction is the same as that fat demon when Iughed at it! I see¡­ So I had decided to put you in this Demon Sealing Pagoda¡­"

    "DIE! LIVESTOCK!"

    The fat demon suddenly lunged at Yuan.

    However, Yuan didn''t start the challenge yet. This is the first time the demon initiated the fight.

    [Demon Sealing Zone]

    Yuan snapped his fingers, surrounding himself and the fat demon with the Demon Sealing Zone.

    The fat demon immediately felt its strength drained by the Demon Sealing Zone.

    Whoosh!

    Yuan swung his sword at the fat demon while it was still in the air, slicing its body horizontally in half.

    [Sword of Eternal Torment]

    Yuan pinned the fat demon into the ground while its body was still severed.

    "Argh! What is this feeling?!" The fat demon screamed when it experienced pain for the first time.

    "This feeling is called pain. Remember it well." Yuan looked down at it with a cold smile on his face.

    "How dare you look down on us!"

    The other two demons shouted as it attacked the Demon Sealing Zone.

    However, they quickly realized how durable the Demon Sealing Zone was, and they couldn''t even put a slight crack in it.

    "Coward! Fight us if you dare!"

    Yuan looked at the skinny demon who just spoke and said, "You want to fight? Sure."

    He removed the Demon Sealing Zone, allowing the two demons to reach him.

    [Sword of Eternal Torment]Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    "Ah!"

    The demons kneeled on the ground when multiple golden swords stabbed their back.

    Yuan sighed, "Compared to before, the Demon Sealing Pagoda is too easy now."

    He killed the skinny and bulky demons shortly after, leaving the fat demon forst.

    "You may beughing now, but once you reach the next floor¡­ You will witness true horror!" The fat demon said itsst words before Yuan killed it.

    "Congrattions, you have managed to pass the fifth floor in¡­ 2 minutes and 11 seconds. It''s a new record."

    "Here is your reward for clearing the fifth stage."

    After absorbing the reward, Yuan''s cultivation soared once again.

    <You have absorbed enough Qi for a breakthrough!>

    <You have reached Fifth Level Spirit King>

    <You have absorbed enough Qi for a breakthrough!>

    <You have reached Sixth Level Spirit King>

    <You have absorbed enough Qi for a breakthrough!>

    <You have reached Seventh Level Spirit King>

    Yuan approached the sixth floor as a Seventh Level Spirit King.

    Even before he stepped onto the sixth floor of the Demon Sealing Pagoda, Yuan noticed a massive round figure sitting in what appeared to be a sea of blood.

    This round figure was the size of a mountain, and it had a hideous face that would make even the coldest warriors run away in fear.

    "The Abomination, huh? No matter how many times I see it, it makes my skin crawl."

    "Wee to the sixth floor. You have five minutes to defeat the demon."

    "When you''re prepared to start the challenge, say ''Ready'' out loud."

    ''Five minutes, huh?"

    The purpose of the sixth floor was to test the strength of a demon sealer''s demon sealing aura, hence why there was an Abomination and such a short time limit.

    If one''s demon sealing aura isn''t strong enough, they wouldn''t be able to defeat the Abomination even if they were given a hundred hours.

    However, if one''s demon sealing aura was strong enough, they could do so in less than five minutes.

    Yuan closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

    "Ready."

    [Swords of Eternal Torment]

    Yuan opened his eyes and summoned over a hundred golden swords to attack the Abomination, waking it up from its slumber.

    He then began gathering spiritual energy for a Heaven Splitting Sword Strike as the Abomination stumbled around and screamed in pain.

    After spending a whole minute gathering spiritual energy, Yuan released the Heaven Splitting Sword Strike.

    With his limiter removed, the sword light from the Heaven Splitting Sword Strike was powerful enough to cover the entire Abomination''s figure, and since he''d infused the Heaven Splitting Sword Strike with his demon sealing aura, the Abomination was not able to recover fast enough and was disaggregated until there was nothing left.

    "Congrattions, you have managed to pass the sixth floor in¡­ 1 minutes and 9 seconds. It''s a new record."

    After absorbing the reward, Yuan''s cultivation soared to the peak of Spirit King.

    "Looks like you''ll be a Spirit Emperor in no time, Young Master." Feng Yuxiang said to him as he took a moment to recover his spent spiritual energy.

    "No, I won''t reach Spirit Emperor." Yuan said.

    "Huh? Are you saying that you won''t clear the next floor?" she asked in a puzzled tone.

    "No, that''s not it. You''ll find out when I clear the next floor."

    Sometimeter, he made his way to the seventh floor.

    The seventh floor of the Demon Sealing Pagoda lookedpletely different from the previous six floors.

    There was neither a visible tform nor a sky. Instead, he was surrounded by nothing but stars, almost as though he was now inside the Stairway to Heaven.

    Yuan walked onto the invisible tform and approached the figure standing many meters away. This figure had its eyes closed, seemingly asleep, but it was also emanating a bloodthirsty aura.

    Yuan knew at a nce that, unlike the gray demons on the fourth and fifth floor, this demon was a full-fledged Demon Emperor.

 Chapter 1048 Fighting the Demon Emperor

    Chapter 1048 Fighting the Demon Emperor

    "Wee to the seventh floor. You have 4 hours to defeat the demon."

    Shortly after Yuan arrived on the seventh floor of the Demon Sealing Pagoda, the Demon Emperor, still with its eyes closed, spoke in a calm voice, "What is your name, human?"

    "Tian Chenyu." Yuan said with a smile on his face to see how the Demon Emperor would react.

    "..."

    The Demon Emperor''s eyebrows slightly twitched upon hearing Yuan''s words, but other than that, it really didn''t have any reaction.

    "I''m just joking. You can call me Yuan, Demon Emperor."

    "You''re a peculiar human, Yuan. Not only are you able to stand there and talk with me without pissing your pants but you can even make jokes. I guess you made it this far for a reason."

    "Oh? A demon is actually praising a human? As expected, Demon Emperors are different. Compared to the mentally weak demons that will be enraged at the slightest provocation, you guys aren''t like that, and it''s almost like I am speaking to another human¡­" Yuan said with a profound smile on his face.

    "...What did you just say?" The Demon Emperor mumbled in a dazed voice, its aura suddenly shooting into the cloudless sky.

    "Oh? Did I hit a nerve?" Yuan chucked.

    "Did you justpare me¡­ to humans? You think I am like a human? Me? A Demon Emperor? Know your ce!"

    The Demon Emperor suddenly opened its eyes, revealing violet eyes that emanated intense killing intent.

    "..."

    A nervous smile appeared on Yuan''s face when the Demon Emperor''s chilling aura permeated the entire area there. Even with his prowess and talents, he still couldn''t help but tremble before it. Although he didn''t think that he was going to lose to this Demon Emperor, he knew that it wasn''t going to be an easy task, especially considering that he''d just angered the Demon Emperor.

    The Demon Emperor began approaching Yuan in slow and steady steps, looking extremely menacing.

    Yuan tightly held onto his Empyrean Overlord and prepared to fight the Demon Emperor.

    "Remember the name of the demon who will kill you, my name¡ª Demon Emperor Wraith!"

    Demon Emperor Wraith roared right before it summoned a bloody axe in both hands and rushed at Yuan.

    Ding!

    Yuan blocked one of its axes with the Empyrean Overlord, but the Demon Emperor had a second one, and it used it to attack him almost instantly afterward.

    Ding!

    The Starry Abyss appeared right in front of the location that the axe was going tond, blocking it.

    However, since he was controlling the Starry Abyss with a technique, it wasn''t as powerful as the sword in his hand.

    Yuan quickly used his movement technique to dodge the Demon Emperor''s second axe right before it bypassed the Starry Abyss'' defense and gained some distance between them.

    "Not bad¡­" Yuan smiled.

    "Ha!" The Demon Emperor didn''t give Yuan any time to rest and immediately chased after him.

    The two of them would go back and forth for the next five minutes blocking and attacking each other.

    [Swords of Eternal Torment]

    A minute into their fight, Yuan summoned the golden swords.

    The golden swords struck the Demon Emperor because it had appeared so suddenly. However, the Demon Emperor didn''t show much reaction to it besides having an annoyed look on its face.

    "So you know this pesky technique as well, huh? Although it''s extremely effective against lower ranking demons, it''s ineffective against Demon Emperors such as us!"

    Yuan narrowed his eyes on the Demon Emperor.

    ''That''s a bluff. The Swords of Eternal Torment definitely works on even Demon Emperors. It''s just that my demon sealing aura isn''t strong enough to affect it¡­''

    [Demon Sealing Zone]

    He proceeded to create a massive zone that covered almost 100 meters in radius around him and the Demon Emperor.

    The Demon Emperor could feel its strength decreasing, but it wasn''t by too much, and it wasn''t nearly enough to make it panic.

    "Another annoying technique. Hey! I thought only the Divine Paragon could use these techniques! Howe you can use them as well?" The Demon Emperor suddenly asked Yuan.

    "I already told you. I am Tian Chenyu." Yuan said with a smile.

    ''I won''t be able to defeat it at this rate. I didn''t want to use this because it''s very risky and energy consuming, but if I want to defeat this Demon Emperor, I am going to have to use it¡­'' He thought to himself.

    After taking a deep breath, Yuan suddenly retrieved his Empyrean Overlord and Starry Abyss, bing barehanded. His actions greatly puzzled the Demon Emperor and piqued its interest at the same time.

    "What are you doing? Are you giving up already?" The Demon Emperor asked him.

    "Give up? Before a demon? Over my dead body." Yuan smiled in response.

    He then made some gestures with his hands before shouting out loud, "Close!"

    The Demon Sealing Zone suddenly closed in on the Demon Emperor until it was basically trying to squeeze it to death.

    The Demon Emperorughed when it saw what he was doing, "What nonsense do you think you''re doing?! This won''t have any effect on me!"

    However, before the demon could try to break out of the Demon Sealing Zone, Yuan made a few more hand gestures before shouting again, "Restrict!"

    Golden chains suddenly came out of the ground and coiled itself all around the Demon Emperor''s body, restricting its movements.

    "How dare you underestimate me with this shit!" The Demon Emperor quickly started struggling, but it was having a little trouble breaking out of the chains, as it kepting out of the ground and recing the ones it broke.

    ''Now that I have bought myself some time¡­''Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    Yuan immediately sat on the floor and began cultivating with his eyes closed.

    An unfathomable aura suddenly began emitting from Yuan''s body, quickly permeating the area.

    The Demon Emperor had an uneasy feeling in its guts after seeing Yuan and his aura, and it became desperate.

    A few more momentster, right as the Demon Emperor broke out of thest chain, Yuan opened his eyes and shouted, "Demon Sealing Pagoda!"

    The Demon Emperor''s eyes widened with shock as it looked up to see that a massive golden pagoda had appeared above it.

    "W-Wait!"

    The Demon Emperor pleaded.

    However, Yuan ignored the demon and gestured for the pagoda to fall.

    The golden pagoda fell the following moment, crushing the Demon Emperor into the ground.

 Chapter 1049 The True Purpose of the Demon Sealing Pagoda

    Chapter 1049 The True Purpose of the Demon Sealing Pagoda

    DONG!

    The moment the golden pagodanded on the Demon Emperor, a profound ripple permeated the world there, causing it to shake.

    However, the Demon Sealing Pagoda wasn''t meant to kill the Demon Emperor.

    "LET ME OUT!" The Demon Emperor''s voice boomed from within the golden pagoda.

    Yuan ignored the Demon Emperor''s voice and continued to focus on the golden pagoda, pouring his spiritual energy and demon sealing aura into it.

    Within the Demon Sealing Pagoda, the Demon Emperor was trying its best to fight back against the demon sealing aura that was entering its body without any resistance.

    The Demon Emperor knew that even with its strong resistance against demon sealing aura that it wouldn''t be able tost long inside the Demon Sealing Pagoda, one of the Divine Paragon''s strongest demon sealing techniques.

    However, maintaining the Demon Sealing Pagoda wasn''t an easy task for Yuan, who was severelycking in cultivation.

    The only reason he could use this technique at his current level is because of his memories as the Divine Paragon and his experience.

    Dong! Dong! Dong!

    Over the next several moments, the Demon Emperor would try to break out of the Demon Sealing Pagoda but to no avail.

    Feeling like a trapped mouse, the Demon Emperor unleashed its limit and strongest technique.

    However, before the Demon Emperor could fully unleash its attack, Yuan suddenly made more hand gestures and shouted, "Seal!"

    "Ah!"

    The Demon Emperor suddenly felt intense paining from all over its body, and when it looked down, it noticed many tiny needles piercing into its body.

    Before the Demon Emperor could react, Yuan''s voice resounded again, "Seal!"

    An intense pressure infused with demon sealing aura suddenly ttened the Demon Emperor.

    "Seal!"

    Golden chains appeared from within the pagoda and chained the Demon Emperor.

    "Seal!"

    Three gs appeared the next moment and surrounded the Demon Emperor.

    By now, half of the Demon Emperor''s body had turned into stone, but Yuan wasn''t finished just yet.

    "Seal!"

    "Seal!"

    "Seal!"

    Yuan repeated the word nine times in total.

    After the ninth ''seal'', the Demon Emperor waspletely sealed.

    Yuan deactivated the Demon Sealing Pagoda immediately afterward and began to recover his cultivation.

    Half an hourter, after recovering enough spiritual energy, Yuan began charging up for a maximum power Heaven Splitting Sword Strike to finish off the Demon Emperor once and for all.

    And just to make sure the Demon Emperor was as weak as possible, he surrounded the Demon Emperor with the Demon Sealing Zone to further increase his chances of killing it in one go.

    Once he was prepared, Yuan released his strongest Heaven Splitting Sword Strike yet.

    The Heaven Splitting Sword Strike was so powerful that it caused the space there to distort.

    A few momentster.

    "Congrattions, you have managed to pass the seventh floor in¡­ 1 hour, 20 minutes, and 37 seconds. It''s a new record."

    "Here is your reward for clearing the seventh stage."

    A golden orb of light floated towards Yuan, but it wasn''t something he could absorb.

    The golden orb of light disappeared once it reached Yuan, turning into a small golden ring.

    Yuan smiled when he saw this ring. He epted it and tossed it into his spatial ring without even inspecting it, almost as though he already knew what it was and what it was capable of.

    "What was that ring, Young Master?" Feng Yuxiang asked out of curiosity as he approached the eight floor.

    "Something that I will need in the future," he said.

    "Eh?! Don''t keep us in suspense, Young Master!"

    Yuan merely kept on smiling, refusing to tell them about it.

    Upon arriving at the 8th floor, Yuan found himself in the middle of an ocean with nond, but there were also no signs of a demon.

    "Wee to the eighth floor."

    The Divine Paragon''s voice resounded, but he didn''t say anything about the clear condition.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    Despite that, Yuan remained calm.

    "What is going on, Young Master?" Feng Yuxiang asked him.

    "You will see in a few minutes." He said.

    He then sat down and started cultivating to recover his spent spiritual energy from the previous fight.

    Fifteen minutester, Yuan stood up and turned to look towards the east before flying in that direction.

    Half an hourter, Yuan stopped when he arrived before a small ind.

    Afternding on this ind, he looked around until he found a jade tablet that was located in the center of this ind.

    He approached it before giving it a good kick, shattering the jade tablet.

    "Congrattions, you have managed to pass the eighth floor in¡­ 33 minutes and 20 seconds."

    "Here is your reward for clearing the eighth stage."

    "Huh?! What?! What just happened?!" Feng Yuxiang eximed while shocked and puzzled at the same time.

    Xiao Hua and Lan Yingying felt the same, as they couldn''tprehend what had just happened.

    Yuan didn''t say anything until after he epted the reward, which was even more puzzling than the 8th floor itself.

    "A scabbard for a sword¡­?" Xiao Hua mumbled.

    "I will be needing this very soon," he said.

    "Anyways, the eighth trial is a special one. Unless you know where to go and what to do, it''s impossible to clear this floor."

    "What¡­? That means¡­"

    "Indeed. Unless that person has the Divine Paragon''s memories or is the Divine Paragon himself, it is literally impossible to pass the eighth floor." Yuan said with a smile.

    "What if someone found the tablet by chance?" Feng Yuxiang suddenly asked.

    "They still wouldn''t be able to destroy it because you need to hit it with a precise amount of demon sealing aura. It won''t budge even if you''re slightly off."

    "Isn''t that a little¡­ cheating?"

    Yuan chuckled, "The true purpose of the Demon Sealing Pagoda isn''t to train demon sealers. You''ll understand soon."

    Sometimeter, Yuan began ascending the final staircase to reach the ninth floor of the Demon Sealing Pagoda.

    "T-This ce is¡­" Feng Yuxiang muttered in a dazed voice after seeing the ninth floor for the first time.

 Chapter 1050 Ninth Floor of the Demon Sealing Pagoda

    Chapter 1050 Ninth Floor of the Demon Sealing Pagoda

    "Wee to the ninth floor of the Demon Sealing Pagoda and my little secret ce. The three of you are the first ones besides Tian Chenyu to see this ce." Yuan said to them with a smile.

    Feng Yuxiang and the others came out of his body to look at the scenery before them.

    "What is this ce?" Lan Yingying asked him.

    They were standing before a small hill that was filled with flowers, and on the top of this hill was arge tree. However, this ce didn''t look anything special. In fact, it looked oddly ordinary.

    Despite that, this ce was one of the most important and precious ces in Tian Chenyu''s memories.

    "Tian Chen¡ª I used toe to this ce often with my childhood sweetheart before she was killed by a demon, though it was always against my own will." Yuan said with a bittersweet smile on his face.

    "And this ce is the true purpose of the Demon Sealing Pagoda? I still don''t understand." Feng Yuxiang asked.

    "Just wait a little longer." Yuan said.

    He then raised his arm and pointed it at the tree before making a beckoning motion with his hand.

    Whoosh!

    A long object suddenly flew from the tree and into the air for a few seconds before it pointed itself at Yuan and flew towards him.

    "Young Master! Watch out!" Feng Yuxiang warned him.

    "It''s fine." Yuan said with a calm look on his face before catching this object in one smooth motion.

    "That is¡­ a sword?" Xiao Hua mumbled.

    Yuan nodded as he held the ck and red sword in front of him to show it to the others.

    Unlike the Empyrean Overlord that was ssified as a Greatsword, this sword with a ck hilt and a thin red de was shaped like most ordinary swords. However, this sword was anything but ordinary, as it naturally emitted a demon sealing aura that was strong enough to rival even the top demon sealers in the Demon Sealing n. Furthermore, if one looked closely, they would be able to see the words ''Demon Sealing'' wlessly engraved on both sides of the de.

    "Demon Sealing Sword¡ª this is one of the Divine Paragon''s three demon sealing treasures that he used to push the demons to near extinction."

    "And this scabbard from thest stage is from this sword." Yuan ced the sword back into its scabbard, reuniting the two after millions of years of being apart.

    "Why did you separate it in the first ce? And why make the scabbard the reward for the eighth floor?" Lan Yingying couldn''t help but ask.

    Yuan smiled and said, "This may seem like a joke, but I am serious when I say this. I made it the eighth floor''s reward because I couldn''t be bothered to find a proper reward. After all, nobody besides myself would be able to pass the eighth floor, so there''s no point in putting any treasure there."Content held by N?velDrama.Org.

    "Unbelievable¡­" Feng Yuxiang mumbled.

    "Anyways, now that I have this sword, all demons will be at my mercy." Yuan said with a cold grin on his face as he stared at the sword in his grasp.

    [Demon Sealing Sword]

    [Grade: Mythic]

    [Quality: Peak]

    [Description: Once wielded by the Divine Paragon and used to y over 100,000 demons. Demons damaged by this sword will instantly be sealed. Damage inflicted with this sword increased by 1,000%.]

    The girls swallowed nervously when they saw his face.

    "Even without the sword, you wouldn''t lose to any demons¡­" Feng Yuxiang said.

    "That''s not true. In my current state, I would lose if I encountered a real Demon Emperor. In the end, the Demon Emperor from the seventh floor isn''t a real Demon Emperor, else it wouldn''t have lost so easily." Yuan shrugged.

    "Anyways, now that we are done here, let''s get out." He then said.

    They nodded and returned inside his body.

    Before leaving the Demon Sealing Pagoda, Yuan took a moment to gaze at the scenery onest time.

    "We will definitely reunite again, Ai Rong¡­" Yuan mumbled in a low voice before disappearing from the ninth floor, appearing back on the first floor a momentter.

    After storing the Demon Sealing Sword inside his spatial ring, Yuan approached the exit and opened the door, leaving the Demon Sealing Pagoda.

    Outside the pagoda was Yan Hara, who had a surprised look on her face for some reason.

    "You''re out already? What happened? You were inside for a much shorter time than your first attempt!" She asked him.

    "Yes, and I cleared the Demon Sealing Pagoda." Yuan said with a calm face.

    "Y-You what¡­?" Yan Hara stared at him with a baffled look on her face.

    "I cleared it. On the fifth floor, I had to fight three demons that were all at the same level as the demon on the fourth floor. On the sixth floor, I had to fight an Abomination. On the seventh floor, I had to fight a real Demon Emperor. I didn''t have to fight anything for thest two floors because there was nothing to fight." Yuan gave her a brief exnation about his experience inside the Demon Sealing Pagoda.

    "Three demons? An Abomination? A real Demon Emperor?" Yan Hara still couldn''t believe it. Did Yuan really manage to clear the Demon Sealing Pagoda that hasn''t been cleared since its creation in just a few short hours?

    "Anyways, there''s something I want to talk to you about, Senior Yan¡­ Or should I call you Demon Sealer Yan? This is a very important topic that concerns the future of the Demon Sealing n."

    "W-What are you talking about?" Still dazed, Yan Hara asked him.

    In response, Yuan retrieved the ring he''d acquired from the seventh floor of the Demon Sealing Pagoda as a reward and showed it to her.

    "Do you know what this is?" He asked her.

    Yan Hara''s eyes widened with shock when she saw the ring.

    "I-I-Impossible! Why do you have that ring?!" Yan Hara was so shocked that she fell on her buttocks.

    Yuan smiled and said, "Let''s go somewhere more private."

 Chapter 1051 Demon Sealing Ring

    Chapter 1051 Demon Sealing Ring

    "You! That ring! Why?!" Yan Hara quickly got back to her feet and grabbed his hand to take a closer look at the ring, but she didn''t dare to touch the ring with her own hands.

    "I-Is this real? If this is fake, you must destroy it immediately! If the Leader of the Demon Sealing n or the Grand Elders find out that you have something like this, they will give you a public execution!"

    "Don''t worry, it''s real." Yuan said as he put the ring back into his spatial ring.

    "Let''s go somewhere more private, shall we?"

    Yan Hara nodded with a serious look on her face.

    Sometimeter, Yan Hara locked the both of them inside one of the study rooms in the Grand Library. This specific room was only essible to Master Demon Sealers and above because it contained high-ranking demon sealing techniques, and it only allowed a limited number of people inside at once¡ª two people exactly, so it was safe.

    "Tell me, little founder! Where did you acquire that ring?! Do you have any idea what that ring signifies?!" Yan Hara asked him in a nervous voice.

    "Of course I do. It''s the Demon Sealing Ring, and only the leader of the Demon Sealer n can hold this ring." Yuan said in a calm voice.

    Indeed, the ring he''d acquired from the Demon Sealing Pagoda was none other than the Demon Sealing Ring from when he was still the leader of the Demon Sealing n. It was a precious item with a significant amount of history as well as importance behind it.

    "But how¡­? There should only be one in existence, and the current leader of the Demon Sealing n has it¡­" Yan Hara mumbled in a dazed voice.

    "Qian Chu? He has the spare one I gave to the Demon Sealing n before I disappeared. The one I have is the original." Yuan casually said.

    "Excuse me¡­? Before you disappeared? Who are you really, little founder?"

    Yuan smiled and said, "You still don''t recognize me?"

    He found it quite humorous that Yan Hara still couldn''t recognize his identity despite being his biggest fan.

    "Then how about this?"

    Yuan suddenly activated the Demon Sealing Zone around them.

    "The Demon Sealing Zone?! When did you learn this technique?!"

    "I''m not done yet."

    [Swords of Eternal Torment!]

    He created the golden swords in the air.

    "I lied when I said this wasn''t the Sword of Eternal Torment. Indeed, this is the lost technique of the Demon Sealing n¡ª Sword of Eternal Torment."

    Yan Hara stared at these dazzling techniques before her with wide eyes and a gawking look on her pretty face.

    "Y-You¡­ You can''t be¡­ No¡­" Although Yan Hara had an idea about his true identity, she didn''t dare to believe it.

    "Still not enough to convince you? Then how about this beauty?" Yuan retrieved the Demon Sealing Sword and showed it to her.

    "That''s¡ª!" Yan Hara could feel her heart beating at her chest when she saw the beautiful sword.

    Although she''s never personally seen it before, she has heard stories and read about it before.  Free?ebn?vel.c?m.

    A red de with the words ''Demon Sealing'' engraved on it¡ª

    "Demon Sealing Sword¡­ One of three demon sealing treasures wielded by the Divine Paragon¡­" Yan Hara muttered in a dazed voice.

    Yuan then spoke in a calm voice, "Tian Chenyu¡ª although this name had been lost with the passage of time for most people, I have one more identity that you should be familiar with¡ª"

    "Divine Paragon¡­" Yan Hara suddenly muttered out loud in a trembling voice, her eyes flowing with tears.

    "Is it really you?"

    Despite her powerful cultivation, Yan Hara felt so weak at this moment that she couldn''t even stand up, so she fell to her knees.

    "Yes, it''s really me. Although I am now called Yuan, I used to be the Divine Paragon."

    Although what Yuan said sounded unbelievable and borderline impossible, Yan Hara did not doubt him at all, as she had already been suspicious of his true identity for a while now.

    After a moment of silence, Yan Hara bowed her head until her forehead kissed the cold marble floor, and she spoke in a revering voice, "This junior greets Senior. Wee back to the Demon Sealing n, Founder."

    "Stand up, Yan Hara. I revealed my identity to you because I consider you a friend and I trust you."

    "I apologize, but I won''t be able to stand up for a while¡­" Yan Hara said in an embarrassed voice.

    Yuan smiled and helped her up before carrying her to a nearby chair.

    "T-Thank you¡­ Senior¡­" Yan Hara said with a flushed face, looking like a young maiden before her crush.

    "Drop the formalities and continue calling me Yuan¡ª or little founder. Either works. I also need to keep my identity a secret." Yuan chuckled.

    "I understand¡­ little founder." Yan Hara nodded.

    Sometimeter, once Yan Hara had calmed down enough, she asked, "If you don''t mind me asking, why did you suddenly disappear for millions of years, little founder? And why did you decide toe back now?"

    Yuan smiled and said, "I didn''t disappear. I died and reincarnated. I recently recalled my memories as the Divine Paragon, so here I am."

    "You died¡­? How is that possible? Did a demon do it?"

    What came out of Yuan''s mouth next nearly knocked Yan Hara unconscious with shock.

    "Nope, I killed myself." Yuan casually uttered.

    "S-Suicide?! But why in heaven''s name would you do something like that?!"

    "I have my reasons. Sorry for the inconvenience it caused, but it was an absolutely necessary thing for me to do."

    "I don''t dare to judge your decisions. If you did it, I''m sure it was for a good reason." Yan Hara said with a bittersweet smile.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.

    "Anyways, I didn''t n on returning to the Demon Sealing n initially even though my memories had returned because I didn''t want to mess up whatever you guys had going on, but with the situation between the Demon Sealing n and the Demon Sealing Grotto growing more dire, it seems I have no choice but to return since I cannot sit by and watch fellow demon sealers destroy each other when you should be fighting demons instead."

    "On the behalf of all of the demon sealers out there, I''m truly sorry¡­ We have failed you and stained the Demon Sealing n''s prestigious name¡­" Yan Hara sighed with her head lowered, not daring to look at Yuan''s face due to shame.

    "Although the situation is pretty dire, it''s not at the point of no return. We can still salvage the situation and put a stop to the fight." Yuan said.

    "What do you have in mind?"

    "First and foremost, we will need to get rid of Qian Chu. I don''t know what he''s up to, but it''s not good¡ª at least that''s what my instincts are telling me. The Demon Sealing n¡ª my Demon Sealing n will copse at this rate, and I am not going to sit still and watch a ce that I''d built with my own hands being destroyed." Yuan spoke with a cold expression on his face, causing Yan Hara to tremble.

 Chapter 1052 Divine Paragons Legacy

    Chapter 1052 Divine Paragon''s Legacy

    "It''s not going to be easy removing Qian Chu from his position, unless you n on using your identity to suppress him¡­" Yan Hara said with a worried look on her face.

    "I intend on using my identity. However, I will only do so after we have enough support on our side. Therefore, we need to focus on finding people we can trust and get them on our side, so when ites time to fight Qian Chu, it won''t just be the two of us. I will leave this task to you."

    "W-What?! You want to leave such an important task to me?! I-I don''t think I am ready for it!" Yan Hara eximed in a terrified voice.

    "If you cannot do it, nobody else can. First and foremost, you''re already a respected and well-known Demon Sealer within the Demon Sealing n. You also have a lot of experience in the Demon Sealing n¡ª even more than me since this ce is no longer the Demon Sealing n that I once knew, so my experience might as well be thrown aside."

    "Furthermore, as a Master Demon Sealer, you should have connections to many high-ranking Demon Sealers. I want you to bring those that are trustworthy to our side."

    Yan Hara swallowed nervously, "I''m afraid of bringing someone unworthy and putting our whole secret at risk¡­"

    "I trust in your judgment." Yuan smiled.

    After a moment of silence, Yan Hara spoke in a defeated manner, "If you really think I have what it takes, I will do my best."

    ''Not that I could ever refuse the founder of the Demon Sealing n¡­'' she sighed inwardly.

    "That''s what I like to hear. Of course, I won''t just tell you to do all of this for free. In return for helping me, I will make you the strongest Demon Sealer in the whole Demon Sealing n and the Demon Sealing Grotto."

    "I-I don''t need any payment! I will dly assist you even if I don''t get anything in return¡ª not that I expected anything in the first ce!" Yan Hara quickly shook her head.

    "Nonsense. You''re my friend and trusted aid, it''s only natural that I assist you in my own way, and as the founder of the Demon Sealing n, there is only one thing that I can offer you¡ª guidance."

    "Give me your forehead." Yuan suddenly beckoned her.

    "Yes¡­"

    Not knowing what to expect, Yan Hara leaned her head forward.

    After a moment of silence, Yuan suddenly tapped her forehead with his finger that was emanating a glowing light.

    A multitude of information of demon sealing techniques that had been lost with the passage of time along with demon sealing techniques that Tian Chenyu never shared quickly flowed inside Yan Hara''s mind.

    Yan Hara sat there with a nk expression on her face as she absorbed all of this shocking information.

    Many minutester, she snapped out of her daze and stared at Yuan with a shocked look on her face, her body trembling from excitement and many other emotions.

    "I am officially making you my sessor¡ª the first Demon Sealer to be sessor to the Divine Paragon''s legacy. Are you willing to ept this role?" Yuan asked her with a smile on his face.

    "..."

    Yan Hara''s jaw dropped to the ground after hearing his words.

    After a moment of silence, she spoke in a low voice, "You''re asking me that after giving me so much priceless demon sealing techniques¡­?"

    She didn''t know whether tough or cry, so she did both at once.

    "That''s how much I trust you." Yuan chuckled.

    Sometimeter, Yan Hara got off her chair and kneeled before Yuan before kissing the floor with her forehead.

    She spoke in a kowtowing position, "This unworthy junior will humbly ept this esteemed role as your sessor."

    Yuan nodded, "When the time is right, I will teach you the rest of the demon sealing techniques, including the ultimate demon sealing technique that I have only used once. I would teach you the Swords of Eternal Torment as well as other demon sealing techniques that only I know, but I don''t want you to make yourself a target for Qian Chu. He will definitely go after those techniques."

    "Once you are strong enough and with enough backing, I will teach the rest of them to you."

    "I am already more than satisfied with the demon sealing techniques you have given me." Yan Hara said.

    "Anyways, let''s talk more about the situation with the Demon Sealing n and the Demon Sealing Grotto. I also know very little about thetter. Tell me everything you know about them." Yuan said a momentter.

    "Okay."

    Over the next several hours, Yan Hara would talk about the whole situation in detail as well as answering any questions that Yuan had for her.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    Once all that was done, Yuan prepared to leave the Demon Sealing n''s Grand Library to return to the Myriad of Techniques.

    "Do you have anything you want to tell me before I leave?" Yuan asked her.

    Yan Hara pondered for a moment before speaking with a bashful smile on her face, "This may sound clich¨¦, but I want to thank you for not abandoning the Demon Sealing n and returning to us. ording to the rumors out there, they say that you never really cared about the Demon Sealing n."

    Yuan chuckled, "The rumors are true. I never really cared for the Demon Sealing n at first because it was created randomly. In fact, I wasn''t the one who came up with the idea of creating the Demon Sealing n. One of my followers came up with this suggestion as a joke¡ª one that people took seriously, and before I was aware, the Demon Sealing n hade into existence. The rest is history."

    "Seriously¡­?" Yan Hara was baffled after learning this shocking information.

    To think that the glorious Demon Sealing n had started as a joke, who knows how the Demon Sealers would react if they learned of this information.

    "Anyways, I wille back here once in a while to hear about your progress. Until then." Yuan waved goodbye to Yan Hara before disappearing from the Grand Library.

 Chapter 1053 Gates of Heaven

    Chapter 1053 Gates of Heaven

    After Yuan left the Demon Sealing n''s Grand Library, Yan Hara also left, returning to the Seventh Heaven where she currently resided.

    Upon returning to her own realm, she retrieved multiplemunication jade slips and contacted the people with the other jade slips to set up a meeting.

    "Fellow sisters of the Divine Paragon Fanclub, I have something urgent to tell all of you. This involves the Divine Paragon and the future of the Demon Sealing n. Please meet me at the usual meeting spot as soon as possible. Thank you."

    After transmitting such words through themunication jade slips, Yan Hara retrieved her flying treasure and disappeared into the distance like a shooting star.

    Meanwhile, Yuan returned to the Myriad of Techniques.

    "Sorry for making you all wait. I''m back now." Yuan said to the others, who were waiting in the lobby.

    "Huh? Where are your techniques?" He asked them when he couldn''t see any techniques nearby.

    "Actually¡­ We couldn''t get past the second floor, and the techniques on the first two floors are not worth it." Chu Liuxiang sighed.

    Yuan facepalmed after realizing something, "I''m sorry, I forgot that I had to be with you guys when traveling above the second floor. Let''s go check out the fourth floor and the fifth floor now."

    "Alright."

    Thus, they began making their way to the fourth floor.

    Since Meixiu and Chu Liuxiang had already explored the fourth floor, they didn''t really pay much attention and flipped through random techniques to kill time.

    Meanwhile, Li Jinxi looked through each technique with great focus.

    "Unbelievable¡­ To think there are so many Heaven-rank and Divine-rank techniques in this ce¡­" Li Jinxi mumbled.

    "There are more floors to this ce with even more powerful techniques." Yuan said.

    Sometimeter, after going through the whole fourth floor, Li Jinxi found one body refining technique that she liked.

    "Are you done on this floor? If so, let''s check out the fifth floor. This will be our first time going to the fifth floor as well." Yuan asked them.

    "Yes, we''re ready." They nodded.

    Yuan and the others proceeded to move to the staircase to the fifth floor, but they were blocked by the guards there.

    "Is this your first time going to the fifth floor?" One of the guards asked.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    "Yes." Yuan nodded.

    The guard then said, "In order to enter the fifth floor, you must pass a small trial."

    "Trial? What kind of trial?"

    "You must spar with a disciple from the Gates of Heaven."

    "What?" Yuan raised his eyebrows, his face full of questions.

    "In order to train his disciples, Master Bai had set up this trial. Don''t worry, it''ll be a friendly spar, and it''ll be done in a special arena where you cannot die even if your body explodes into a bloody mess. However, the weakest cultivator in their sect is a Spirit Sovereign, so you''ll be fighting someone two realms above your own¡­"

    "Senior Bai is the Sect Leader of the Gates of Heaven? This is my first time hearing about this." Yuan mumbled.

    "Alright, I will take on the challenge. But before we start, I have a few questions."

    "What is it?"

    "Does everybody here have to take the trial to enter the fifth floor? Can I bring them with me if I pass the trial?"

    The guards turned to look at the beauties behind Yuan and said, "Everyone will have to take the trial in order to enter the fifth floor. There is no exception."

    "..." Yuan turned to look at Meixiu and the others.

    While he can fight a Spirit Sovereign, he couldn''t say the same for Meixiu and the others, as their cultivation was too low, and they would lose in a single attack.

    "Don''t worry about us, Yuan. You can go to the fifth floor alone." Meixiu said to him.

    "Yes. I am already satisfied with what I have." Chu Liuxiang agreed.

    "I am also the same." Li Jinxi said.

    "Alright¡­ Then I will take a quick look at the fifth floor." Yuan nodded.

    The guards looked at him with raised eyebrows, as he sounded absolutely sure that he would defeat a Spirit Sovereign.

    "So where do I fight this disciple?" Yuan then asked the guards.

    "Follow me. I will bring you to the arena." One of the guards said to him.

    "Okay."

    Sometimeter, Yuan was transported to thisrge tform with the guard, but they were the only ones there.

    ''This ce reminds me of the tform in the sky for the final trial in the Stairway to Heaven¡­'' Yuan thought to himself as he looked around.

    The only difference was theck of house, tree, and the body tempering pond.

    "Where is this disciple?" He asked the guard a momentter.

    "I have just notified the Gates of Heaven about your arrival. A disciple will arrive shortly."

    "I understand."

    Half an hourter, two people appeared out of thin air on the tform not far away from Yuan and began approaching him.

    "They are¡­" The guard''s eyes widened with surprise when he saw these individuals, and he wondered to himself, ''Why are they here? There''s no way this young man could defeat this disciple!''

    Yuan silently stared at these two individuals. One of them was an old woman with an unfathomable aura around her, and the other was a beautiful young woman also with an unfathomable aura around her.

    Even though their faces were tranquil and their steps were gentle and calm, Yuan could feel an indescribable pressureing from these two women.

    These two stopped walking a few meters in front of Yuan, and the old woman said a momentter, "So it''s true. I couldn''t believe it when you said that the challenger was a mere Spirit King, so I came here to see for myself which arrogant little runt dared to challenge our disciple with such a weak cultivation."

    "Greetings, Elder Mai and Disciple Ling." The guard greeted them with a respectful bow.

    "This young man wishes to enter the fifth floor and has agreed to challenge a disciple from the Gates of Heaven."

    "Introduce yourself." The guard said while looking at Yuan.

    "My name is Yuan, and I''m just an ordinary Spirit King. Please treat me well." He calmly responded while staring into the old woman''s eyes.

    "Little runt¡­" Elder Mai narrowed her eyes on him.

 Chapter 1054 Immortal Rendering Sword Strike

    Chapter 1054 Immortal Rendering Sword Strike

    "Let''s just get this over with, shall we?" Disciple Ling suddenly spoke as she retrieved her sword.

    "Aren''t you going to introduce yourself too?" Yuan asked her.

    "And what are you going to do with such information? It''s not like we''ll ever meet again."

    "Is that so¡­" Although he didn''t like her attitude, Yuan didn''t care about it either. After all, this will most likely be their first andst meeting.

    The guard cleared his throat and said, "Then the rules are as followed. The two of you will fight each other until one of you either loses consciousness or dies. This arena is being protected with an Immortal Array, so you won''t truly die even if you die as long as you are on this tform."

    He then turned to look at Yuan and said, "If you lose this fight, you will not be able to challenge the Gates of Heaven again until 1 whole year has passed. Do you understand?"

    "I understand."

    "Good. Then please stand in the red circles. I will begin the fight in ten seconds."

    Yuan turned around to see a red circle marked on the tform a few meters and walked to it.

    His sparring partner also did the same.

    Once they were both in the red circle, Elder Mai and the guard moved away to give them space.

    "The fight will now begin!" The guard shouted ten secondster.

    However, neither Yuan nor his opponent, Disciple Ling, moved even seconds after the match had started.

    "What''s wrong? Are you too scared to move?" Disciple Ling said in a provocative manner.

    "No, I''m just wondering why you''re not moving even though you said that you wanted this to be over as soon as possible." Yuan smiled. "If I was in a hurry, you''d have lost by now."

    Disciple Ling narrowed her eyes.

    "A mere Spirit King dares to look down on me?!" Disciple Ling''s cultivation base suddenly soared.

    ''Peak Spirit Sovereign, huh? Exactly two realms above me¡­'' Yuan thought to himself.

    "What a foolish little runt. He doesn''t even know the difference between a Spirit King and a Spirit Sovereign." A cold smile appeared on Elder Mai''s face.

    The guard merely shook his head.

    ''Disciple Ling is one of the most talented disciples in the Gates of Heaven within the Fifth Heaven. There''s no way some Spirit King would be able to defeat her¡­''

    Even though people were allowed ess to the fifth floor the moment they entered the Third Heaven, most people won''t be able to pass the trial until they''re at least a Spirit Sovereign.

    "DIE!" Disciple Ling suddenly shed her sword at Yuan without moving outside her red circle.

    A powerful sword light that was infused with Sword Aura flew at Yuan at incredible speed, reaching him in the blink of an eye.

    However, despite such a powerful strike flying at him, Yuan remained standing there without moving, almost as if he had no intentions of blocking the attack.

    "So you came here just to waste my time, huh?" Disciple Ling mumbled in a disappointed voice after seeing Yuan''sck of reaction.

    Whoosh!

    The sword light shed with Yuan''s bare body a split secondter.

    Yuan was forced out of the red circle and pushed many meters away by the sword light, which baffled Disciple Ling and the two spectators.

    "H-He survived the attack?" The guard mumbled in a dazed voice.

    Yuan was a Spirit King, and he''d just eaten the attack from a Spirit Sovereign with his bare body. It didn''t make sense that his body wasn''t immediately sliced in half by the attack.

    After the attack, Yuan casually patted his chest and walked back into the red circle.

    "Is that all you''ve got? I barely felt that. I guess Spirit Sovereigns aren''t that much stronger than a Spirit King, after all." Yuan said with a mocking smile on his face.

    Disciple Ling''s body trembled in anger after hearing his words.

    "If you thought that was my full power, you''re dead wrong! That wasn''t even 25 percent of my full power! I just didn''t want to feel like I am bullying a weakling, so I purposefully held back!" She eximed.

    "Is that so? Then can you use 100 percent of your power next? I''d like to see what you''re truly capable of." Yuan said.

    "Unbelievable¡­ This little runt is actually provoking her to use her full strength¡­" Elder Mai muttered in a dazed voice.

    "If that''s what you want, then I will fulfill that wish!" Disciple Ling shouted as she swung her sword again.

    This time, the sword light took the appearance of a blue dragon as it flew towards Yuan.

    ''Oh¡­ Not bad¡­'' Yuan thought to himself as he retrieved his Empyrean Overlord.

    [Immortal Rendering Sword Strike!]

    Yuan used this sword technique for the first time after seeing Tian Yang use it in his dream.

    <immortal rendering="" sword="" strike=""></immortal>

    <rank: ancient=""></rank:>

    <description: a="" devastating="" sword="" strike="" that="" will="" render="" even="" immortals="" powerless!=""></description:>

    Whoosh!

    A massive wave of Sword Aura immediately swept the arena in front of him, consuming the blue dragon as well as Disciple Ling in an instant.

    "Wha¡ª?!"

    Disciple Ling couldn''t even react in time before her body waspletely destroyed by the devastating attack.

    The guard fell on his buttocks after witnessing the attack, and Elder Mai could only stand there with her eyes and mouth wide open, almost as if she witnessed the impossible.

    Shortly after Disciple Ling''s body was disintegrated into countless fragments, her body suddenly reappeared out of thin air on the floor, but she wasn''t moving.

    "Li-Ling''er!" Elder Mai immediately rushed to check on her disciple''s condition.

    She sighed in relief after confirming that Disciple Ling was indeed alive.

    Then she turned to look at Yuan with a furious expression on her face. With that being said, she didn''t show any signs of killing intent, which surprised Yuan.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    "What was your name again?" Elder Mai asked him.

    "Yuan."

    "Where are you from?"

    "Where I am currently, or where I came from?"

    "Both."

    He smiled and said, "I came from the Lower Heavens, and I am currently in the Third Heaven."

    ''Lower Heavens?! Impossible!'' Elder Mai cried inwardly.

 Chapter 1055 Nine Heavens Eternal Grotto

    Chapter 1055 Nine Heavens Eternal Grotto

    "You said your name was Yuan, right? You never gave us your surname." Elder Mai asked him a momentter, as she suspected that he was from an influential family.

    "I don''t have anything like that. Anyways, if the match is over, can I leave now? I have people waiting for me outside." Yuan said in a calm manner.

    "You think you can just leave after what you did to my disciple?" Elder Mai narrowed her eyes at him, but once again, Yuan couldn''t sense any threatening feeling from it.

    "Don''t tell me you''re going to fight me next even though I already won the match?" He asked her.

    "Why would I fight you? I was just going to¡ª"

    A portal suddenly appeared a few meters away from Yuan and Elder Mai.

    Then, an old man with long white hair calmly walked out of the portal with his hands sped behind his back.

    When Elder Mai and the guard saw him, they immediately bowed to him, "Sect Master Bai!"

    "Senior Bai? What are you doing here?" Yuan was pleasantly surprised to see him appear in this ce.

    "How disrespectful! Do you know who you''re before?! Lower your head and greet him!" Elder Mai suddenly shouted at him.

    "It''s fine. This young man is my friend." Senior Bai gestured for her to calm her with a gentle smile on his face.

    "..." Elder Mai was speechless.

    "I''ve watched your fight just now, Yuan. I must say, you''ve grown tremendously since ourst meeting, and even your appearance changed a bit. You''re almost like a different person." Senior Bai said while approaching him.

    "Anyways, why don''t we chat in a more quiet ce?"

    "Sure." Yuan nodded.

    Senior Bai proceeded to make another portal before entering it.

    Yuan didn''t say anything to the others and followed Senior Bai, disappearing from the tform.

    Once they were gone, Elder Mai turned to look at the guard and asked him, "Who was that young man just now? Is it true that he came from the Third Heaven?"

    He nodded, "Yes, it''s true, but I don''t know anything about him. He came out of the blue and requested to go to the fifth floor."

    Elder Mai turned to look at her disciple, who was still unconscious, and sighed, "When I heard that a Spirit King dared to challenge the Gates of Heaven, I immediately thought about putting this an ignorant little runt in his ce. However, it turns out that I had been the ignorant one. I hope this defeat won''t hinder my disciple''s future cultivation too much, but honestly, I''m probably hoping for too much, as even I would be depressed after such a devastating defeat."

    Elder Mai carried her unconscious disciple away, disappearing from the tform, leaving the guard alone and puzzled.

    After following Senior Bai, Yuan found himself on the floating tform again.

    "I was really shocked when I saw your improvements, especially when I realized that you have achieved a Perfect Physique." Senior Bai said to him once they sat down.

    "Do you know how many people out there would kill for a Perfect Physique? I remember trying to acquire one myself, but I failed, yet here you are, not even a hundred years old and already with a Perfect Physique." Senior Bai chuckled in a bittersweet manner.

    "Did something happen?" Yuan asked him.

    He nodded, "Do you remember when I told you about the Nine Heavens Eternal Grotto?"

    "The four escaped immortals?"

    "Yes. We managed to track down three of them and brought two of them back to the Nine Heavens Eternal Grotto, but it was at a heavy cost. Thousands of cultivators died, and a few of my good friends also perished during the struggle."

    "Wait¡­ Only two returned to the Nine Heavens Eternal Grotto? Did they kill one of them?" Yuan asked.

    "Hardly. The third Immortal had managed to escape. And that''s why I am reaching out to you." Senior Bai said, and he continued, "The escaped Immortal had somehow managed to escape to the lower heavens, so you mighte across this Immortal."

    "Wa-Wait a minute¡­ Isn''t that very bad? What if they suddenly decide to wreak havoc in the lower heavens? I don''t think I have the capabilities to do anything to this Immortal."

    "I am well aware of that. I''m not telling you to seek this Immortal and kill them for me. I am just letting you know so that you''re aware of the situation. With that being said, the Immortal is heavily injured after escaping, so they will be powerless for a bit."

    Yuan nodded, "I won''t be actively searching for this Immortal, but I will keep a lookout for them. Do you know which of the lower heaven they''ve runned to? And what about this Immortal''s appearance?"

    "The Immortal can be anywhere between the Third Heaven and the Sixth Heaven. As for their appearance¡­ To be honest, we don''t know either. This Immortal is always shrouded with darkness, so we can''t tell their gender or appearance."

    "Shrouded with darkness, huh?"Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    "Even if you don''t know their appearance, you will immediately know if this Immortal is nearby." Senior Bai suddenly said.

    "How?" Yuan raised an eyebrow.

    "You will understand it once you feel it. Even if this Immortal suppresses their cultivation, they cannot suppress their natural aura. You will feel an intense chill down your spine when this Immortal is near."

    "I understand." Yuan nodded.

    Sometimeter, Senior Bai spoke, "Anyways, now that is out of the way, do you have any questions for me before I leave?"

    "Actually, I do. Do you think it''s possible for me to bring my friends to the fifth floor of the Myriad of Techniques? I want to give them some techniques."

    "You mean your girlfriends?" Senior Bai smiled.

    Yuan nodded, not denying it.

    "I will make an exception for you only if you do me a favor." Senior Bai then said.

    "What kind of favor?"

    "I will let you know when the timees. Don''t worry, it''s nothing dangerous or crazy. You can even refuse it when the timees and you don''t like it."

    --

    AN: Since this is a new ark and we''ve just arrived in the Third Heaven, I needed to take a few days to outline the plot. There will be 4+ more chapters today.

 Chapter 1056 Attacking Senior Bai

    Chapter 1056 Attacking Senior Bai

    After pondering for a moment, Yuan agreed to Senior Bai''s offer, "Since I can refuse it, I don''t mind."

    "Great. Then take this." Senior Bai proceeded to hand him a medallion.

    "As long as you have this, you will be able to take as many people as you want to the floors that you currently have ess to, so you won''t be able to go to the sixth floor right now since you don''t have ess to it. Is this good enough?"

    "This is more than enough! Thank you, Senior!" Yuan bowed to him before epting the medallion.

    "Anything else?"

    "A few more, actually." Yuan said with a smile.

    "Does the Myriad of Techniques have any soul cultivation techniques?" He then asked.

    "Soul cultivation techniques? Those are incredibly rare even in the upper heavens. As generous as I am, even I wouldn''t put something that precious in the Myriad of Techniques."

    "I see¡­ That''s a pity."

    "Why do you want a soul cultivation technique? Are you cultivating any spiritual techniques at the moment?"

    Yuan nodded, "Yes, I am."

    Senior Bai pondered for a moment before speaking, "Show me this technique. I will help you acquire a soul cultivation technique if I think it''s worth it."

    "Show you? You want me to attack you?" Yuan asked just in case there was a misunderstanding.

    "That''s right." Senior Bai said as he flew off the tform and into the spacious sky.

    "Don''t worry about hurting me. If you can injure me with your cultivation, I will immediately quit being a cultivator."

    Yuan smiled and said, "Are you sure you want to say such a risky thing? I might identally hurt you."

    Senior Baiughed, "Then how about this? If you can hurt me, I will not only help you find a soul cultivation technique, but I will also pay for it."

    "Deal!"

    Yuan flew off the tform and hovered about 50 meters away from Senior Bai.

    "Whenever you''re ready." Senior Bai said, actingpletely nonchnt about the whole situation, clearly very confident that Yuan wouldn''t be able to hurt him no matter what.

    Yuan didn''t immediately attack Senior Bai as well, and he silently pondered, ''His cultivation is incredibly profound. Besides Xu Jiaqi and the Great One, he''s definitely the strongest cultivator I have encountered.''

    Yuan knew that he wouldn''t be able to damage Senior Bai if he half-assed his attempt. Therefore, he could only go all out and treat it as though it was a life-or-death situation.

    He closed his eyes and took several deep breaths.

    When he reopened them, his eyes emanated a golden glow that sent shivers down Senior Bai''s back.

    ''What is he doing?'' Senior Bai swallowed nervously.

    Whoosh!

    A golden aura suddenly shrouded Yuan''s figure, causing the atmosphere there to change.

    ''This is¡­'' Senior Bai''s eyes widened with shock after sensing the unfathomable pressure from the aura.

    In his entire life, this is probably the most powerful technique that he''s witnessed.

    ''The technique is neither shy nor grand, but it exudes an unfathomable pressure that would make even Immortals tremble in fear! Before this golden aura, one''s cultivation and talent doesn''t matter! This technique transcends allmon sense and the veryw of this universe! Where did he learn such a heaven-defying technique?!''

    After activating Heaven''s Supremacy, Yuan took another deep breath.

    ''I didn''t think I would use the second one so quickly after the first, but this is for the soul cultivation technique. It''s worth it as long as I can damage Senior Bai even slightly.''

    [God of War''s Astral Arts!]

    Yuan proceeded to use his second most powerful technique, summoning the golden avatar behind him.

    Senior Bai had to tilt his head to see the avatar, his eyes and mouth wide open from shock.

    ''Impossible! This technique¡ª This technique is God of War''s Astral Arts! Why does he know this technique?!''

    Senior Bai recognized this technique, but that only made him even more shocked.

    Because Yuan had Heaven''s Supremacy active, his avatar created by the God of War''s Astral Arts was many timesrger than before, andpared to the avatar, Senior Bai''s figure was akin to a speck of dust.

    "Heavens¡­ What have I gotten myself into¡­?" Senior Bai muttered in a dazed voice as Yuan made his first movement.

    He shed horizontally, sending the massive sword wielded by the avatar crashing down on Senior Bai.

    However, despite that, Senior Bai didn''t move and remained hovering there with his arms sped behind his back.

    BOOM!

    The sword shed with Senior Bai''s body the next moment, creating a powerful ripple that swept all of the clouds away, as well as the nearby tforms.

    Yuan gritted his teeth when he saw that the attack hadn''t been able to push Senior Bai back even an inch.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    Therefore, he decided to attack again.

    BOOM!

    Since Senior Bai didn''t specify how many times he could attack him, Yuan would continue to send a barrage of attacks at Senior Bai''s way until he ran out of spiritual energy and soul strength.

    And during hisst strike, Yuan poured all of his spiritual energy and soul strength into the attack.

    The attack was so powerful that it could probably destroy an entire continent.

    Despite that, Senior Bai remained in the same position, seemingly unharmed from all of the attacks.

    A bittersweet smile appeared on Yuan''s face after seeing the results.

    "I give up. You''re much stronger than I thought, Senior Bai." Yuan said to him as his golden aura and avatar went away.

    "..."

    Senior Bai didn''t respond.

    It was at this moment Yuan finally noticed the expression on Senior Bai''s face, and he looked like someone who just learned a shocking revtion, as his face was absolutely hysterical and filled with shock.

    Yuan swallowed nervously after seeing this, and he waited for Senior Bai to snap out of his daze.

    Several momentster, Senior Bai closed his mouth and eyes and took a deep breath.

    "Looks like I won''t be able to leave anytime soon, as we still have a lot to talk about, Yuan."

 Chapter 1057 Founder of the Celestial Overlord

    Chapter 1057 Founder of the Celestial Overlord

    With a casual wave of his sleeves, Senior Bai refilled the emptyndscape with clouds and floating tforms.

    He flew to the nearest tform and proceeded to wait for Yuan, who waspletely exhausted after unleashing literally all of his strongest attacks on Senior Bai.

    Yuan took a seat, but Senior Bai remained standing there for some reason.

    "You don''t have to answer this question if you don''t want to, nor am I going to force you. Yuan, that technique you used just now¡ª God of War''s Astral Arts, where did you learn it?" Senior Bai suddenly asked him.

    Yuan''s eyes widened slightly, as he didn''t expect Senior Bai to recognize such an ancient technique.

    "I encountered it by chance¡ª that is all I''m willing to say. Sorry." Yuan said after a moment of silence.

    Senior Bai shook his head, "There''s no need for you to apologize. I am the one who should apologize since I am the one breaking the unspoken rule of never asking another cultivator about how they acquired their techniques."

    "Now allow me to ask you another question¡ª do you know the origin of that technique?"N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

    "No, I do not." Yuan lied with a straight face.

    As much as he trusts Senior Bai, he believed that the fewer people knew about his past lives the better. After all, there could be enemies out there that he didn''t know about, and if news of his reincarnation spread, he could potentially be hunted by ancient monsters that have lived for millions of years, especially since one of his past lives was the Evil God.

    "The God of War''s Astral Arts¡­ It was the Founder of the Celestial Overlord''s technique." Senior Bai said with a solemn look on his face.

    "Eh?" Yuan raised an eyebrow after hearing this unexpected answer.

    ''Founder of the Celestial Overlord? Unless the God of War also happened to be the Celestial Overlord''s founder, that shouldn''t be possible.''

    "I have a question. What era did the Celestial Overlord''s Founder exist in?"

    "Around two million years ago."

    ''2 million years¡­ The God of War should''ve existed in the Primordial Era, so they cannot be the same person. The only exnation for this is¡ª the Founder of the Celestial Overlord is one of my past lives, and Senior Bai believes that he is the original owner of the God of War''s Astral Arts when that is not the case.''

    Although he had his suspicions that the founder of the Celestial Overlord was one of his past lives because they both had the same physique, there wasn''t any other proof until now.

    "Hm? Two million years ago? You''re that old? Amazing¡­" Yuan realized this and praised him.

    "It''s only two million years. There are plenty of monsters out there that have lived far longer than I." Senior Bai shook his head.

    "One more question, Senior Bai. Do you know the name of the founder?" Yuan then asked, as he wanted to see if he could remember anything after hearing the name.

    However, Senior Bai shook his head and said, "Unfortunately, I wasn''t worthy to hear his name. If you want to know his name, you will have to ask Xu Jiaqi. She''s the only member left who knows his name."

    "Is that so¡­ Thank you."

    "If you don''t have any other questions, I will continue asking mine."

    "Go ahead." Yuan nodded.

    "My next question is rted to that golden aura. I have seen simr techniques before, but none of them exuded such a terrifying pressure. Just thinking about it makes my skin crawl. Does it have a name?"

    Yuan showed a bittersweet smile and said, "I''m really sorry, but I also have no idea. I don''t even know how I acquired the technique, but it seems to boost my strength by a tremendous amount."

    "Do you think I can take a closer look at it?" Senior Bai suddenly asked.

    "About that¡­ I also don''t know how to control it. It only appears when it feels like it. It was by pure coincidence that I managed to use it just now as well, probably because I really wanted the soul cultivation technique."

    Senior Bai pondered for a moment before speaking, "That technique is incredibly profound and powerful. The day you can control it is the day you will control the Nine Heavens¡ª that is what I believe it."

    "Control the Nine Heavens? I don''t have such ambitions." Yuan chuckled.

    The two of them continued to talk for a little longer before Senior Bai said, "Anyways, as much as I want to continue chatting with you, it''s about time I leave. Do you have anything else for me?"

    "Actually, I do." Yuan nodded, and he continued, "Now that I am a peak Spirit King, my cultivation won''t continue until I upgrade my physique, but I still have no idea how to do so. I have tempered my body and even achieved Perfect Physique, but it doesn''t seem to have any effects on my Heaven Refining Physique. Can you ask Miss Xu if she could help me find more information about my physique? I''m sure the upper heavens will have more information than what''s avable down here."

    Senior Bai nodded, "I don''t mind. I am going to see her in a bit, anyway. As for your soul cultivation technique¡­ I will help you find one."

    "Thank you." Yuan bowed to him before leaving the ce and returning to the Myriad of Techniques.

    Once Yuan left, Senior Bai looked at his hands that were still trembling from excitement and mumbled, "He really attacked me with the intention of killing me. If it weren''t for my cultivation, I would''ve been in danger there¡­ No, even with my cultivation, he actually managed to pierce my defenses andnd a hit on me."

    Although Yuan had managed tond a hit on Senior Bai, he didn''t leave any marks, so Senior Bai is technically unharmed.

    "With that being said, the fact that he, a mere Spirit King, was able to break through my defense, is a miracle in itself. If people knew that a Spirit King hadnded a hit on me, they would try to covet his talent at all cost, and I would be aughingstock¡­ This is a secret that I must take to the grave¡­" Senior Bai left the ce with a bittersweet smile.

 Chapter 1058 A Trade

    Chapter 1058 A Trade

    Sometime after leaving his world that was connected with the Myriad of Techniques, Senior Bai went to meet with Xu Jiaqi.

    "Lady Xu, I apologize for keeping you waiting. The young man came to the Myriad of Techniques again and I couldn''t help myself and went to speak with him. He''s changed a lot since ourst meeting¡ª both his appearance and strength." Senior Bai said to Xu Jiaqi shortly after arriving.

    "Young man¡­? Are you talking about ''him''? What did you talk about with him?" Xu Jiaqi''s interest was immediately piqued.

    Senior Bai couldn''t help but smile at her reaction.

    ''She normally keeps herself out of other people''s business, but when ites to Yuan, she always wants to be involved¡­''

    "You''re not going to believe me when I say this, but he managed to defeat a Spirit Sovereign as a Spirit King during a trial to ess the fifth floor of the Myriad of Techniques, and it was an overwhelming victory on his end."

    "Not bad, I suppose." Xu Jiaqi said in a nonchnt manner, seemingly not impressed by it.

    ''That kind of talent is only natural for someone with the Heaven Refining Physique,'' she thought to herself.

    "After the match, we had a small conversation, and he wanted me to help him look for a soul cultivation technique."

    "Did you agree to help him?" She asked.

    He nodded, "Yes, I did, but only after I tested him."

    "Don''t be too shocked when you hear this, but that young man¡­ He somehow acquired the technique that the Celestial Overlord''s founder used¡ª the God of War''s Astral Arts."

    "HE WHAT?!?!?!" Xu Jiaqi suddenly eximed in a voice so powerful that it literally shook the entire ce.

    "Are you sure it was the God of War''s Astral Arts?!" She quickly asked him.

    "Yes, I am certain, since he used it on me as part of the test." Senior Bai nodded.

    "God of War''s Astral Arts¡­" Xu Jiaqi took a few steps back and stared at the ground with a dazed look on her face.

    Over the next several moments, she would recall the memories of the God of War''s Astral Arts being used by the founder of the Celestial Overlord.

    "Where¡­ Did he tell you where he found it¡­?" Xu Jiaqi suddenly asked in a low voice.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.

    "I tried asking, but he didn''t want to tell me. I don''t me him, considering how valuable that technique is."

    "..."

    After another moment of silence, a resolute look appeared on Xu Jiaqi''s ethereal face as she spoke, "Bring me to the Myriad of Techniques. I want to speak with him."

    "Eh? What about the meeting? The Celestial Emperor will be at the meeting this time as well. It wouldn''t be wise to¡­"

    Xu Jiaqi red at him with a sharp gaze that could literally pierce one''s body. Fortunately for Senior Bai, his cultivation was high enough to block the gaze.

    "Alright¡­" Senior Bai quickly gave up and sighed with a bittersweet smile on his face.

    He then opened a portal to his world and entered it with Xu Jiaqi.

    Meanwhile, Yuan had just returned to the Myriad of Techniques and entered the fifth floor with the others after showing the guard Senior Bai''s medallion.

    "I can''t believe it¡­ Did he really beat a disciple from the Gates of Heaven?" The guard that stayed behind asked the other guard who led Yuan to the arena.

    The guard nodded with a nervous look on his face, "Not only did he defeat the disciple, hepletely destroyed her."

    "Did they give him a super weak opponent because of his Spirit King cultivation?"

    The guard shook his head, "No¡­ You probably won''t believe this, but his opponent wasn''t an Outer Court disciple but an Inner Court disciple, and it was the famous Disciple Ling."

    "Disciple Ling?! You don''t mean¡ª"

    "Exactly that Disciple Ling."

    "Unbelievable¡­ No wonder why Senior Bai gave him the medallion¡­"

    At the fifth floor, Yuan said to thedies, "Go ahead and look around. Let me know when you''re done because I will also be looking around."

    "Okay."

    However, shortly after he started looking at the techniques, Senior Bai''s voice resounded inside his head as a portal appeared beside him.

    "Yuan, I''m sorry, but can youe back for a moment? Xu Jiaqi would like to speak with you, and she won''t take no for an answer."

    ''Xu Jiaqi¡­? What does she want from me?'' Yuan wondered to himself.

    "Xiao Hua, Feng Feng, Yingying, can you wait for me here?" He said to them, as he didn''t want to risk Xu Jiaqi meeting with Xiao Hua, and not wanting her to be left out, he asked the others to stay with her.

    Once they left his body, Yuan said to them, "Thank you. I will be right back. And if the others ask where I am, let them know where I went."

    Yuan entered the portal shortly after, disappearing from the Myriad of Techniques and appearing in Senior Bai''s world literally minutes after he just left.

    When he arrived at the tform Senior Bai and Xu Jiaqi were waiting, Yuan bowed to them.

    "Greetings, Lady Xu and Senior Bai."

    Xu Jiaqi raised an eyebrow after noticing the way he addressed her had changed from Miss Xu to Lady Xu, implying that he was no longer as ignorant as before.

    "Yuan, I won''t waste your time and get straight to the point. I want the God of War''s Astral Arts." Xu Jiaqi suddenly said.

    "Eh?" Yuan looked at her with widened eyes, clearly surprised by her sudden demand.

    Seeing his reaction, Xu Jiaqi continued, "Of course, I am not asking you to hand over the technique for free. You''re looking for a soul cultivation technique, right? In exchange for the God of War''s Astral Arts, I will give you the strongest soul cultivation technique that I can acquire."

    ''She wants to trade a soul cultivation technique for my God of War''s Astral Arts? Why does she want this technique? What does it mean to her?'' Yuan silently wondered to himself.

 Chapter 1059 Xu Jiaqi

    Chapter 1059 Xu Jiaqi

    ''Although the God of War''s Astral Arts is a powerful technique, I don''t mind sharing it, especially if I can acquire a powerful soul cultivation technique from it. Xu Jiaqi, she''s a powerful cultivator with plenty of influence even within the upper heavens. If it''s someone like her, I will definitely acquire an extremely powerful soul cultivation technique¡­''

    While Yuan pondered, Xu Jiaqi suddenly said in a low voice, "In your eyes, the God of War''s Astral Arts may be nothing more than a powerful technique. However, the God of War''s Astral Arts is more than just a technique to me¡ª it''s the founder of the Celestial Overlord¡ª my father''s technique."

    "Huh?" Yuan suddenly halted all of his thoughts and looked at Xu Jiaqi''s beautiful face with a baffled look on his face.

    "W-What did you say? The founder of the Celestial Overlord is your father¡­?" Yuan didn''t dare to believe it.

    If Xu Jiaqi was truly his daughter in his past life, then what would their rtionship be right now? Would they still be considered father and daughter?

    "Yes, he is my father, but we''re not blood-rted. He saved my life when I was on the verge of death. I was just a young mortal who didn''t even know about cultivation at that time, and ever since then, I followed him around the Nine Heavens while training under him. We started out as a teacher and disciple, but he eventually epted me as his adoptive daughter."

    Yuan was relieved to find out that Xu Jiaqi wasn''t his real daughter but an adoptive one.

    ''Since she''s my adoptive daughter, I guess there''s no harm in giving her the technique.''

    After taking a deep breath, Yuan spoke in a calm voice, "Alright, you have a deal. In exchange for my God of War''s Astral Arts, you will give me a soul cultivation technique."

    "Really?!" An excited look appeared on Xu Jiaqi''s face, but she quickly concealed it, returning to her serious face.

    "Yes, for real. Give me your forehead, I will transfer the technique to you right now." Yuan said.

    "Huh? You''re willing to give it to me right now even though I don''t even have your soul cultivation technique? Are you stupid or what?" Xu Jiaqi couldn''t help but make this remark even though it could easily backfire on her.

    Yuan chuckled at her insult, "That''s quite harsh, Lady Xu. How can you call me stupid when I am doing this out of generosity and trust?"

    Xu Jiaqi cleared her throat after hearing his words, "I apologize, I subconsciously blurted that out just now because I was surprised that you would be willing to hand over such a powerful technique to me so easily. I am not used to it."

    "So do you want the technique now or¡­?" Yuan continued to smile.

    "I do."

    Xu Jiaqi nodded before she leaned forward.

    Yuan calmly raised his arm and gently tapped her forehead.

    "..." Senior Bai watched this historical moment with wide eyes.

    ''This is the first time I''ve seen Lady Xu willingly let another man touch her body, and even on her bare skin directly...'' He thought to himself.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.

    Meanwhile, Yuan transferred the God of War''s Astral Arts to Xu Jiaqi, who felt oddly nostalgic for some reason.

    ''This feeling¡­ It''s the same as when Father transferred his techniques to me¡­'' Xu Jiaqi thought to herself as she quickly absorbed the information. Freewebn?vel.

    A few momentster, Xu Jiaqi opened her eyes, which flickered with profoundness within.

    "It''s done." Yuan lowered his hand and said to her.

    Xu Jiaqi didn''t say anything and suddenly turned around before flying off the tform, almost as if she was running away.

    However, she stopped shortly after and proceeded to hover in the air.

    A few momentster, her body suddenly exuded an unfathomable aura that swept the ce like a tsunami.

    "Thank you, Senior Bai." Yuan suddenly said.

    "No problem." Senior Bai smiled.

    If Senior Bai hadn''t protected him with his own spiritual energy right before Xu Jiaqi released her pressure, he would''ve sustained heavy internal injuries.

    Of course, Xu Jiaqi was also confident that Senior Bai would protect Yuan.

    ''Even with Senior Bai protecting me, my body feels incredibly heavy, almost as though I have a star on my back! So this is what it''s like to be a cultivator at the peak of the Nine Heavens!'' Yuan began sweating profusely, his body quickly bing soaked.

    Suddenly, a massive golden avatar materialized behind Xu Jiaqi, which had some differencespared to Yuan''s avatar.

    Xu Jiaqi''s avatar was not only muchrger, but it was also clearly a female avatar, almost like a goddess, and the weapon it was wielding also looked different.

    "Damn¡­" Yuan subconsciously muttered out loud when he saw the majestic avatar behind Xu Jiaqi.

    "That isn''t even half of her full power." Senior Bai suddenly said, "If she unleashes any more of her power, this space will be destroyed, so she''s holding back right now."

    Yuan swallowed nervously after hearing such words.

    Meanwhile, Xu Jiaqi had her head turned and tilted as her gaze was fixated on the avatar behind her.

    ''Father¡­''

    Sometimeter, Xu Jiaqi deactivated the technique and returned to the tform.

    "So? What did you think? Is it the same God of War''s Astral Arts the same one you know?" Yuan asked her with a smile.

    "Yes, it''s definitely the same technique. I owe you for this, Yuan."

    "Lady Xu¡­ I hate to interrupt you, but they''re calling for us." Senior Bai suddenly said while pointing to themunication jade slip resting on his palm.

    Xu Jiaqi sighed, "We have to go now, Yuan. Come back here in one month. I will have your soul cultivation technique ready by then."

    "Take your time, Lady Xu." Yuan nodded with a smile on his face.

    Senior Bai created a portal for Yuan to leave shortly after.

    Once he was gone, Senior Bai and Xu Jiaqi also left that world before making their way to the meeting.

 Chapter 1060 Lost Legacy

    Chapter 1060 Lost Legacy

    As they made their way to the meeting, Senior Bai realized something, "Oh yeah, Lady Xu, I forgot to tell you. Yuan also wants to see if you can acquire any more information on the Heaven Refining Physique. He''s acquired the Perfect Physique, but his Heaven Refining Physique hasn''t been upgraded yet."

    "I will look into that after I acquire the soul cultivation technique," she calmly said.

    Senior Bai smiled and said, "Because you''re going to help him find a soul cultivation technique, my agreement with him is now useless. I guess I will have to find something else to give him."

    He''d promised Yuan that he''d help him find a soul cultivation technique if Yuan could injure him. But since Xu Jiaqi is also giving him a soul cultivation technique, he would only be wasting resources by giving Yuan another soul cultivation technique¡ª one that will most likely be inferior to the one Xu Jiaqi will be giving him. Therefore, he decided to find something else to give Yuan.

    ''He really resembles Father¡­'' Xu Jiaqi silently recalled Yuan''s appearance.

    Now that Yuan looked more mature and even grew a little taller, his resemnce to the founder of the Celestial Overlord became even more clearer and obvious to her.

    When she first met Yuan, she noticed that Yuan and her adoptive father had simr eyes, but everything else from his demeanor to his aura waspletely different. This was the same during their second meeting.

    However, on their third meeting just now, Yuan had changed so much that she almost mistook him for her father.

    ''Why does he resemble father so much? Don''t tell me he''s one of my father''s true descendants? No¡­ father never had a wife or childrens¡ª at least not to my knowledge.''

    Sometimeter, they arrived at the meeting, where hundreds of individuals were gathered.

    Each of these individuals emanated an unfathomable aura that only Immortal cultivators that have achieved the apex of cultivation could emit.

    "How can you be thiste when the Celestial Emperor himself had scheduled this meeting, Xu Jiaqi? Bai Linyu? We even had to contact you before you showed up." One of the figures there said out loud when they arrived, her voice filled with contempt.

    "You better have a good exnation for making the Celestial Emperor wait." Another person said.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    "How disrespectful to the Celestial Emperor. The Celestial Overlords are getting more arrogant by the day."

    Multiple people there expressed their disdain without any filters or fear for Xu Jiaqi. It was clear that she had some enemies within this ce.

    However, Xu Jiaqi remained tranquil and said, "Is this the right ce for the meeting? I didn''t know dogs would be allowed to participate. Color me surprised."

    "Xu Jiaqi! You bitch! You dare call us dogs?!"

    "I sure did. What are you going to do about it? Bite me? Go ahead and try it if you dare."

    "Settle down." A calm yet authoritative voice suddenly resounded in the meeting room.

    This voice carried a profound aura that made these Immortals that could destroy stars with a fist subconsciously lower their heads.

    Xu Jiaqi turned to look at the person who just spoke. He was sitting at the end of the room and was looking down at them from a tall tform.

    "Why are youte, Celestial Overlord Xu?" The voice returned.

    "I had some important matters to attend first," she calmly responded.

    "Oh? A matter that is even more important than what is happening here? I''d like to hear it if you don''t mind." The voice sounded genuinely curious.

    And without exining further, Xu Jiaqi suddenly released her cultivation, sending ripples throughout the area.

    "W-What the hell do you think you''re doing in the Celestial Emperor''s presence?!"

    "Have you gone mad, Xu Jiaqi?!"

    "Stop it right now!"

    The people there shouted when they sensed her indomitable aura, but nobody there actually dared to stop her, as they were all waiting for the others to move first.

    As for the Celestial Emperor, he remained on his golden throne with a calm expression on his face, seemingly unfazed by the development.

    A few secondster, a massive golden avatar materialized behind Xu Jiaqi, shocking everyone in the room, as most of them actually recognized this technique.

    "This is¡­" Even the Celestial Emperor couldn''t remain calm after seeing the God of War''s Astral Arts.

    "This is why I amte. Do I need to exin myself any further?" Xu Jiaqi spoke a momentter.

    "Is that technique what I think it is?" The Celestial Emperor asked her.

    "God of War''s Astral Arts¡­" The people there muttered after hearing the Celestial Emperor''s question.

    "Would you like to see for yourself whether this technique is real or not, Your Majesty?" Xu Jiaqi asked him with a daring smile on her face.

    The Celestial Emperor chuckled, "As much as I want to entertain a beauty such as yourself, I will have to decline your offer. This ce has history that goes all the way back to the Primordial Realm, so I would prefer it if we don''t make a mess here. Now if you''ll excuse me¡­"

    The Celestial Emperor suddenly waved his sleeves in a casual manner, and the very next moment, the golden avatar behind Xu Jiaqi shattered into countless tiny fragments.

    "Anyways, does this mean you have found the Founder of Celestial Overlord''s lost legacy?" The Celestial Emperor then asked her.

    "..."

    Xu Jiaqi remained silent, but not because she didn''t want to answer his question. In fact, she couldn''t, as she didn''t know either.

    ''I was too hasty to acquire the technique and forgot to ask Yuan where he''d acquired the technique.'' She sighed inwardly.

    After a moment of silence, she said, "I don''t know because I had to rush here right after acquiring the technique."

    "You don''t know? Then how did you acquire it?" The Celestial Emperor asked out of curiosity.

    "I will not be sharing such information, considering how many people here covet my father''s legacy." Xu Jiaqi calmly said as she swept the crowd there with a cold gaze.

 Chapter 1061 Celestial Emperors Request

    Chapter 1061 Celestial Emperor''s Request

    "You''re right. I was being insensitive just now. Let''s end the topic here and return to the reason I''ve gathered all of you here today." The Celestial Emperor said a momentter.

    When the people there heard this, they cursed inwardly.

    ''Fuck! That Xu Jiaqi definitely found their ancestor''s lost legacy! Considering how powerful their ancestor was when he was alive, the Celestial Overlord will be more powerful than ever now! This is bad! The Celestial Overlords willpletely overshadow the other factions¡ª our faction soon!''

    The immortals there were nervous because the Celestial Overlords were already at the top of the faction ranking. Now that they have their ancestor''s lost legacy, their power will skyrocket, allowing them topletely dominate the faction ranking, and nobody there wanted that to happen.

    However, there was nothing they could do about it. Unless they could somehow steal the lost legacy from the Celestial Overlords, the Celestial Overlords will, without doubt, grow.

    Sometimeter, once Xu Jiaqi and Senior Bai took their seats, the Celestial Emperor spoke, "I have gathered all of you today for one simple reason."

    After a slight pause, he continued, "The ''Heavens'' have spoken recently."

    "What?!"

    Everybody there was shocked to hear this, including Xu Jiaqi.

    "Not long ago, the Heavens became aware of a certain individual. The Heavens believe this person to be rted to the Evil God and demand for his extermination as soon as possible."

    "Evil God?!" Everybody there experienced another wave of shock after hearing this name.

    ''Evil God¡­ The monster that soaked the Nine Heavens in blood and a heretic who yed the first Celestial Emperor¡­ Why is his name relevant in this day and age?!'' The Immortals wondered to themselves.

    The Celestial Emperor continued, "I know what all of you are thinking. What does the Evil God have to do with this, and what in Heavens'' name is happening? Unfortunately, I don''t have the answers at this moment. All I know is that we must exterminate this person as soon as possible before he does anything crazy. And before you ask, I do not know the identity of this person nor his appearance. However, I do know that he wasst spotted in the Third Heaven."Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    "The Third Heaven?" The people there became even more puzzled.

    How could someone with connections to the Evil God be in such a lowly ce?

    Someone there suddenly raised his hand and said, "Your Majesty, if this person is in the Third Heaven, there''s nothing we can do about it. Or are you telling us to send people down there? To travel from the Supreme Heaven to Spirit Heaven will require a tremendous amount of resources."

    The Celestial Emperor calmly nodded, "This is not an order. I am merely requesting your help at this moment. Ten¡ª The first ten people to ept my request will receive my support. This means you will be able to send people to Third Heaven without needing to worry about using any resources. Of course, you will bepensated for your efforts as well. Furthermore, the one to exterminate the heretic will be rewarded handsomely."

    "I will do it!"

    "Me too!"

    Ten people raised their hands and epted his quest immediately. In fact, over 70 percent of the people there raised their hands almost simultaneously.

    The Celestial Emperor nodded with a content smile on his face, "Very well. Since everyone is so eager to assist me, I will fully support everyone here. However, since there are so many people epting my request, we will limit each faction, family, or sect to only one person."

    Sometimeter, someone there asked, "Your Majesty, are there any leads to finding this heretic? Without any information on this individual, it would be impossible to find him even if all of us send our entire forces down there."

    "We have a lead. Once you arrive in the Third Heaven, go speak with the Ji Family there. They should know of the situation and the identity of this person, as they were the ones who helped the Heavens be aware of his presence." The Celestial Emperor said.

    The meeting continued for a few more hours until the Celestial Emperor dismissed them.

    "What should we do, Lady Xu? Should we also send down someone? Even though we''re not obligated to assist the Celestial Emperor, it would look bad on us and the Celestial Overlord, especially when the Evil God is involved." Senior Bai asked her.

    Xu Jiaqi pondered for a moment before speaking, "There''s no need for us to send anyone down there. After all, we already have someone within the Third Heaven who can help us with this matter."

    "You don''t mean¡­"

    "Yes, we''ll have Yuan help us exterminate this heretic. He is definitely strong enough for this task. In fact, he might even be stronger than the people the others send down there because they have to restrict their cultivation. Meanwhile, Yuan is a Spirit King who can defeat even Spirit Sovereign."

    "Then I will immediately let him¡ª"

    "There''s no need to rush it. Even if the Celestial Emperor and the others hurry, they will still need some time to prepare. I will let Yuan know about the matter when we see each other again in a month." Xu Jiaqi said.

    "I understand."

    Shortly after the Celestial Emperor ended the meeting, several people there approached Xu Jiaqi and Senior Bai.

    A cold smile appeared on Xu Jiaqi''s face when she saw their faces, and she spoke in a calm voice, "If you''re here to ask me about my father''s legacy, you can save your breath."

    These people looked at each other with perplexed faces.

    "So it''s true¡­ That you''ve recovered your ancestor''s lost legacy¡­"

    "Let''s not be so hasty, Lady Xu. I''m sure we can work something out. Even if it''s just a single piece of treasure, we''re willing to negotiate."

    "Do you really intend on hogging the legacy all for yourself? That isn''t very wise, Xu Jiaqi."

    Xu Jiaqi sneered, "What I do with my father''s legacy is up to me. If you want it, why don''t you take it from me¡ª if you have the capability, that is."

 Chapter 1062 Lady Xiang

    Chapter 1062 Lady Xiang

    When the Immortals heard Xu Jiaqi''s words, a look of disgust appeared on their faces, almost as though they''d identally swallowed a live fly.

    "Hm?" Xu Jiaqi suddenly noticed a certain figure in the distance, who appeared to be leaving the ce.

    "Now if you''ll excuse me, I have some important business to attend to." And without exining any further, Xu Jiaqi disappeared from her spot and appeared in front of this individual she had been staring at.

    "Oh~!" This individual was surprised when Xu Jiaqi appeared before her like a ghost.

    "It''s been a while, Lady Xiang." Xu Jiaqi said, her attitude towards this woman being theplete opposite of how she treats the others, almost as though they were friends.

    "Lady Xu? You really startled me just now! I thought I was under attack or something." Lady Xiang sighed.

    "Sorry, but I really needed to speak with you, and it looked like you were about to leave."

    "Oh? What do you want to talk to me about?"

    "Let''s go somewhere more private, shall we?" Xu Jiaqi said.

    Lady Xiang nodded, "I have a vi nearby. Let''s go there."

    Xu Jiaqi turned to look at Senior Bai and said to him, "You can return without me."

    "I understand. If you need anything, call me." Senior Bai didn''t want to linger around any longer due to the people there and disappeared almost immediately, almost as though he''d been teleported away.

    ''As I thought, she''s going to get that soul cultivation technique for him¡­ It''s not going to be cheap even for someone like her¡­'' Senior Bai sighed inwardly as the image of Lady Xiang''s face appeared in his head.

    Sometimeter, Xu Jiaqi sat down with Lady Xiang in her vi.

    "I will get straight to the point, Lady Xiang. I would like to purchase your soul cultivation technique." Xu Jiaqi said to her.

    "..."Content held by N?velDrama.Org.

    Lady Xiang slowly lowered the tea in her grasp and stared at Xu Jiaqi with a baffled look on her face.

    "I''m sorry, I don''t think I heard you properly just now. Can you repeat it just in case?" Lady Xiang said a momentter.

    "Your soul cultivation technique. I need it."

    A stiff smile appeared on Lady Xiang''s face when she realized that she hadn''t heard wrong just now, and she asked in a dumbfounded voice, "Why do you want my technique? And you should know that this technique isn''t for sale, and even if it were for sale, it cannot be learned by just anyone. Furthermore, we both know that you''re not suitable for this soul cultivation technique, so why would you want to learn it?"

    "Who said anything about using it for myself? I am giving it to someone." Xu Jiaqi said.

    Lady Xiang only became even more baffled after hearing such words.

    "I owe him a great debt, and I promised to give him the best soul cultivation technique that I can find. If you''re not willing to sell it to me, then I can only find another soul cultivation technique for him."

    "This person¡­ Is he your lover?" Lady Xiang couldn''t help but ask, her eyes filled with curiosity.

    "No. He''s just a junior." Xu Jiaqi calmly said.

    "Is that so? How boring. Anyways, I doubt this person is capable of learning my soul cultivation technique, since only someone born with immense soul strength could possibly learn it. In the entire Nine Heavens¡ª No, in thest ten million years, only three people have been capable of learning this technique, myself being one of them."

    "You won''t know it until you try it. This junior¡­ he''s immensely talented and has the potential to surpass us. Please."

    Lady Xiang narrowed her eyes on Xu Jiaqi, who had her head slightly lowered in a pleading manner.

    "I have never seen you care so much about someone before, Lady Xu. If you tell me why you''re going through all of this trouble, even lowering your head and begging me, I will consider it."

    Xu Jiaqi took a deep breath and said, "I can tell you under one condition. You will not say a word about his identity to anyone. In fact, you''ll act as though he doesn''t even exist."

    "I ept your condition."

    Xu Jiaqi nodded and said, "This junior was the one who found my father''s legacy¡ª the God of War''s Astral Arts. In exchange for it, I promised to give him a soul cultivation technique."

    Lady Xiang raised an eyebrow after hearing this information.

    "That''s it? I was anticipating something more exciting¡­ Also, he''s just a junior who managed to stumble upon your ancestor''s legacy. You could''ve easily forced him to give you the legacy without needing to make such a promise¡ª at least that''s what most people in the gathering today would''ve done if they were in your shoes."

    "Are you looking down on me? As if I would do something that low and despicable." Xu Jiaqi sneered.

    Lady Xiang smiled, "I am just joking."

    "Are you going to help me or what? I''ve already lowered my head for you. If you think I will do it for a second time¡­"

    A serious expression appeared on Lady Xiang''s face as she spoke, "Since we''re friends and I do owe you a favor, I will give this junior a chance to learn my soul cultivation technique. However, this doesn''t mean it will be free. Whether or not this junior is capable of learning the technique or not, you''ll still have to pay."

    "How much do you want?" Xu Jiaqi asked.

    "Who said anything about money? I want you to do something for me." A cold smile appeared on Lady Xiang''s face.

    Xu Jaiqi frowned, "What are you plotting?"

    "You see, a certain group of people have been harassing me and my family recently. I''m sure you''ve heard about them. I would love to deal with them myself, but I do not have the capability. If you want me to give this junior a chance to learn my soul cultivation technique, you will have to help me ''deal with'' these people. Do you understand what I am saying?"

    The frown on Xu Jiaqi''s face deepened.

    "You want me to destroy the Sky Whales faction?" she mumbled in a dumbfounded voice.

 Chapter 1063 Limitless Bloodlust

    Chapter 1063 Limitless Bloodlust

    "The Sky Whales faction is a top 50 faction in the entire Nine Heavens, not to mention that within their alliance there is a top 10 faction. I cannot attack them without any reasons, especially considering my faction''s reputation. You''re asking for the impossible." Xu Jiaqi said with a deep frown on her face.

    "I am well aware of your faction''s reputation. Celestial Overlord, the number one righteous faction in the nine heavens and also a top 3 faction. However, who said anything about attacking the Sky Whales faction without a reason? If you want a reason, I will give you one. The current leader of the Sky Whales faction Immortal Tongshi, is actually a heretic¡ª a Demon Worshiper."

    "What?!" Xu Jiaqi''s eyes widened with shock.

    "Where did you get that information? I swear, if you''re lying to convince me to attack them¡­"

    "If you don''t believe me, go investigate it yourself. I will even give you my sources. Also, have you forgotten my identity? Do you think I would lie to you about something like this?"

    Xu Jiaqi narrowed her eyes and pondered, ''If it''s true¡ª that Immortal Tongshi is a Demon Worshiper, we have all the right to execute him.''

    "I will let you know my decision in a week after I am finished with my investigation." Xu Jiaqi said a momentter.

    "Take all the time you need." Lady Xiang smiled.

    Xu Jiaqi left the vi shortly after.

    Meanwhile, Yuan looked through the fifth floor of the Myriad of Technique after returning.

    Most of the techniques on the fifth floor were Divine-rank cultivation techniques, and although there were a few interesting ones, none of them were really appealing enough for him to learn.

    After looking through all of the techniques, Yuan met up with Meixiu and the others.

    "Did you guys find anything you like?" He asked.

    "I didn''t." Chu Liuxiang shook her head, and she continued, "I am still learning the techniques I acquired thest time we came here. Also, none of the techniques here suit me."

    "Me too." Meixiu said.

    "Um¡­ I found one that I like, but it''s a Divine-rank technique¡­" Li Jinxi said.

    "Oh? What kind of technique is it?" Yuan asked, his interest piqued.

    "It''s called Limitless Bloodlust. It allows me to grow stronger with every magical beast that I kill. I think this is a very fitting technique for me." She said.

    "Oh? That sounds very simr to my innate ability that allows me to grow stronger as I consume my enemies." Lan Yingying said.

    "Indeed, and it''s the perfect technique for someone like you." Yuan smiled.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.

    "If there''s nothing else, let''s check out." He then said.

    Sometimeter, they went to pay for the Li Jinxi''s technique.

    "This technique will cost you 70 million spirit stones." The young man behind the desk said.

    "70 million spirit stones¡­" Yuan''s eyebrows twitched when he heard the price tag.

    ''I have underestimated the price of a Divine-rank technique! However, even if it''s a Divine-rank technique, isn''t it a little too expensive?'' Yuan wondered to himself.

    When the young man saw Yuan''s frozen expression, he smiled and exined, "This technique may be a Divine-rank technique, but its potential is actually closer to Ancient-rank, hence why it''s so much more expensive than the average Divine-rank technique."

    "70 million spirit stones is too much, Yuan. I appreciate the thought, but I cannot let you spend that much money on me." Li Jinxi said with a bittersweet smile on her face.

    Clearly, she liked the technique very much and would be disappointed to not acquire it, but she didn''t want to be unreasonable, nor could she afford it by herself.

    Feng Yuxiang nced at Li Jinx for a second before speaking, "I''ll pay for it."

    "Eh?" Everyone there turned to look at her.

    "Why would you¡­?" Li Jinxi asked with a puzzled look on her face.

    "You''re my Young Master''s precious friend, and I cannot allow him to lose face over something like this." Feng Yuxiang said with her body emanating a prideful aura.

    Yuan didn''t object to this and said, "I will pay you back as soon as possible, Feng Feng."

    After all, he also believed that this technique would benefit Li Jinxi greatly and wanted her to have it.

    Sometimeter, Feng Yuxiang paid 70 million spirit stones to the young man.

    After counting it, he handed the technique over to Li Jinxi.

    "Good luck."

    "Thank you, Madam Feng, thank you, Yuan. I will not forget this debt." Li Jinxi bowed to them after they left the Myriad of Techniques.

    "Don''t mention it." Feng Yuxiang smiled.

    "What are we going to do now, Yuan?" Chu Liuxiang asked him.

    "I am going to visit Tian Chenyu''s old home," he said.

    "If you don''t mind, I want to cultivate this new technique." Li Jinxi suddenly said, as she could barely hold her excitement.

    Yuan nodded, "Sure. I''m sure there''s a Cultivators'' Haven in this city. Let''s stop by that ce first then."

    After asking for directions, they went straight to the Cultivators'' Haven.

    Yuan helped Li Jinxi pay for their best room.

    "Yuan, I would also like to cultivate by myself for a while." Meixiu suddenly said, "I have been ignoring my cultivation in this world for a while now, and I don''t want to be too far behind and be a burden."

    When she heard Meixiu''s words, Chu Liuxiang also decided to stay behind, "Then I will stay as well."

    "I don''t mind. How long do you guys want to cultivate?" Yuan asked them.

    "How does two weeks sound?" Li Jinxi said.

    "Alright. Then I wille get you guys in two weeks." Yuan nodded.

    In the end, he rented three of the best rooms in the Cultivators'' Haven for 2 weeks.

    "See you in two weeks, Yuan." Thedies said to him before going into their respective rooms to cultivate.

    "I''ll see you guyster." Yuan left the Cultivators'' Haven shortly after.

    "Now then, let''s go visit my old home, shall we?" A smile appeared on Yuan''s face as he began approaching Tian Chenyu''s home.

 Chapter 1064 Tian Family

    Chapter 1064 Tian Family

    After leaving Meixiu and the others in the Cultivators'' Haven to train, Yuan made his way to Tian Chenyu''s home.

    However, he quickly realized a problem.

    ''It''s been millions of years since then, and this city clearly has gone through many changes. The chances of my old home being in the same location is probably zero¡­''

    After pondering for some time, Yuan decided to check the ce just in case it was still there.

    Sometimeter, he arrived at the location of Tian Chenyu''s home¡ª or where it was supposed to be.

    However, it was quickly made clear to Yuan that his home no longer existed. This location that used to be Tian Chenyu''s home has been reced by a restaurant.

    Yuan sighed, "I knew it was pointless. After all, millions of years have passed since Tian Chenyu''s era. There''s no way his home would still be here after so long."

    "Don''t give up, Brother Yuan." Xiao Hua said to him.

    He smiled, "You''re right. I shouldn''t give up so quickly."

    He approached the restaurant a momentter.

    "Wee to the Heavenly Restaurant. How many guests?" The waitress at the front asked when they entered the building.

    "Hello, this may be sudden, but I have a question. Do you know anything about the Tian Family that used to live here? If my memories serve me right, this ce used to be their home." Yuan asked the waitress with a handsome smile on his face, which made it hard for her to refuse.

    "Yes, I know of the Tian Family. In fact, they are the owners of this restaurant." The waitress said a momentter.

    "Really?! Where can I find them? I would like to speak with them!"

    "Um¡­ What rtionship do you have with the Tian Family? They''re not really friendly with strangers." The waitress asked him.

    "Our ancestors knew each other, and my ancestor owed the Tian Family a favor, so I am going to return that favor in my ancestor''s stead." Yuan calmly said.

    "If that''s the case¡­ Let me give you the Tian Family''s current address." The waitress nodded.

    Sometimeter, Yuan left the restaurant and went to the location given to him by the waitress.

    "So this is where the Tian Family of this generation resides¡­" Yuan mumbled to himself as he stood before the residence of the Tian Family.

    The building looked nothing like the one in his memories, but he still felt a nostalgic feeling from it for some reason, almost as though he instinctively knew he belonged here.

    He approached the front doors and knocked on it with Xiao Hua by his side.

    A few momentster, an old woman opened the doors and stepped outside.

    "What do you want?" The olddy had an unfriendly aura around her, and she looked a little angry for some reason.

    "If you''re from the Lin Family, then you can turn around because the Young Lady won''t see any of you!"

    Yuan raised an eyebrow at her behavior, but he remained calm and spoke, "I think there''s been a misunderstanding. I am here on behalf of my ancestor, who owes a great debt to the Tian Family."

    The olddy sneered at his words and said, "That''s the worst excuse so far. Even a dog coulde up with a better story than you! Now scram, dogs from the Lin Family!"

    "Eh? But I am not from the Lin Family. Tian Chenyu, do you know of this name?" Yuan said with a stiff smile on his face.

    "Tian Chenyu?!" The olddy''s eyes widened with shock.

    "H-How do you know of this name?! Who are you?!"

    "I apologize for thete introduction. My name is Yuan. I have recently learned that my ancestors owed a great debt to the Tian Family, but he was unable to repay that debt before he passed away, so I came here to repay his debt for him. If there''s anything I can do for the Tian Family, don''t hesitate to ask me."

    Since they were technically his family and Tian Chenyu never really got the chance to help his family, as he was too busy dealing with demons, Yuan decided to assist the Tian Family instead.

    "Please wait here for a minute. Since I am just a caretaker, I cannot let you in by myself. I will go speak with the head of the family right now." The olddy bowed to Yuan before closing the door.

    Yuan proceeded to wait outside.

    Meanwhile, inside the residence, the olddy walked past a bronze statue in the middle of the garden to speak with a middle-aged man.

    "What? Someone is here to return a debt?" The middle-aged man raised his eyebrows after hearing this.

    "Yes, and he ims that his ancestors knew our ancestors."

    "How foolish. Do you really believe that? He''s probably using that as an excuse to intrude on our family. Let him be." The middle-aged man casually waved his hand.

    "But he knew the name of our ancestor, Tian Chenyu¡­" The olddy saved this information forst.

    "What?! Why didn''t you say this sooner?! Nobody outside the family should know his name! And since we''ve all taken an oath to never reveal this name to anybody outside the family, there''s no way an outsider would know about it!"

    Although most people in the Nine Heavens forgot about Tian Chenyu''s name, the Tian Family never forgot it. In fact, Tian Chenyu''s family made it so that all descendants are required to remember this name and pass it down to their children, which has be their tradition.

    However, they also made everyone swear an oath to never reveal Tian Chenyu''s real identity to outsiders or they would die a horrible death.

    The middle-aged man and the olddy left the room shortly after.

    Sometimeter, they brought Yuan and Xiao Hua into their residence.

    Once they were all seated, the middle-aged man said to the olddy, "Go bring us some tea."

    "I understand." The olddy bowed to them before leaving the room.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 1065 Tian Family(2)

    Chapter 1065 Tian Family(2)

    Once the olddy left, the middle-aged man turned to look at Yuan and continued, "My name is Tian Xianzu, the head of this humble family."

    "May I know your background and what you know about the name Tian Chenyu?" Tian Xianzu asked him with a friendly smile.

    He nodded, and said, "Honestly, I don''t know much about Tian Chenyu. I only learned of this name in a note left behind by one of my ancestors. I also don''t know how long ago this note was written, but I firmly believe that no matter how much time passes, a debt will never go away on its own."

    Tian Xianzu pondered for a moment before asking, "Do you know how your ancestor became indebted to our ancestor?"Content held by N?velDrama.Org.

    "I don''t."

    "Then do you have the note with you?"

    "Unfortunately, the note is very fragile and on the verge of breakdown, so I didn''t dare to bring it with me."

    "Hmm¡­" Tian Xianzu narrowed his eyes slightly with a pondering look on his face.

    It was obvious that he didn''t fully trust Yuan, as his story sounded a little too convenient and suspicious.

    "The tea is ready." The olddy returned with the tea.

    After pouring all of them a cup, she left the teapot on the table.

    "Bring my daughter here." Tian Xianzu suddenly said to the olddy.

    "The Young Lady¡­?" The olddy seemed hesitant, her reason being the same as Tian Xianzu''s reason.

    "Yes."

    "I understand."

    The olddy left again.

    ''I will decide if we can trust him after I see his reaction to my daughter.'' Tian Xianzu thought to himself.

    He was thinking that if Yuan had any interior motives, he would see it the moment Yuan meets with his daughter.

    Yuan casually sipped on the tea and didn''t utter a single word for the next few minutes.

    He understood their situation¡ª that the Tian Family was having doubts about his identity, which he couldn''t me because they were right to doubt someone as suspicious as him.

    In fact, he would also be suspicious if he were in their shoes, and if he speaks or tries to convince them that he''s not there to harm them, that would only make him more suspicious.

    Sometimeter, Yuan could hear two sets of footsteps approaching the room.

    A few momentster, a beautiful youngdy who looked to be a little older than Yuan entered the room.

    She had a tall and slender figure. Her hair was pitch ck and tied into a hair bun behind her head. Her face looked gentle yet fierce at the same time, and her clear brown eyes shone with brightness.

    "¡­"

    Xiao Hua and the other two inside Yuan''s body were surprised when they saw this young woman, but it was not because of her beauty.

    No, they were surprised by her facial features that resembled Yuan but looked way more feminine, almost as though she was Yuan''s twin sister.

    In fact, with the help of makeup, Yuan could definitely be this young woman and vice versa.

    However, just like Tian Xianzu, Yuan didn''t notice their resemnce.

    "Let me introduce you to my daughter, Tian Yanyu. Yanyu, this is our guest, Yuan."

    "Hello." She gave him a courteous nod.

    "It''s nice to meet you. I''m Yuan, and I came here to repay a debt that my ancestors owed to your family. If there''s anything you need help with, don''t hesitate to let me know." Yuan said to her with a gentle smile on his face.

    "..."

    Tian Yanyu clearly wasn''t expecting such a reason for his visit, but she didn''tin.

    After a moment of silence, she spoke again, "You''ll help us with anything?"

    Yuan nodded, "As long as it''s within my power, I will do my best to help you."

    A cold look suddenly appeared on Tian Yanyu''s face as she spoke, "Then help me erase the Lin Family from this world."

    "Yanyu!" Tian Xianzu immediately frowned at her words.

    "The Lin Family? The first time I''ve heard about them is when your caretaker mistook me for them. Who are they? And what have they done to deserve this punishment?" Yuan asked her.

    "You''ve never heard of the Lin Family? How is that possible? They''re one of the biggest families in this world¡ª They''re one of the Seven Legacy Families!" The olddy eximed.

    "Actually, I''m not from around this area, but I have heard of the Seven Legacy Families." Yuan said.

    "The Lin Family has been harassing and bullying my family for thest four years because I refused to be their oldest son''s woman." Tian Yanyu said with a disgusted look on her face.

    ''So it''s that kind of situation, huh¡­'' Yuan sighed inwardly.

    "So can you help us or not? If you can''t, then we don''t need your help at all." Tian Yanyu stared at him with slightly narrowed eyes.

    Yuan didn''t immediately respond and began pondering.

    "You don''t have to mind her unreasonable request, Yuan. Although it''s true that the Lin Family has been harassing us, there''s nothing we can do about it."

    Yuan sighed out loud before speaking, "It''s fine. I don''t mind it."

    He turned to look at Tian Yanyu and continued, "I don''t mind helping you with the Lin Family, but I cannot do something like ughter them¡ª not because I don''t have the power to. I am just not fond of unnecessary bloodshed."

    The Tian Family''s eyes widened with shock after they heard Yuan''s words, mostly because he casually imed that he had the power to destroy the Lin Family.

    "How about this? I will get the Lin Family to stop harassing your family and stop pestering you. Would that be helpful enough?" Yuan said as he looked directly at Tian Yanyu.

    "I-If you can really do that¡­" Tian Yanyu nodded in a dazed manner, as she didn''t really expect him to agree to her request.

    After all, they were going against one of the Seven Legacy Families, an untouchable force for most people.

 Chapter 1066 Tian Family(3)

    Chapter 1066 Tian Family(3)

    "W-Wait a minute!" Tian Xianzu suddenly said.

    "What''s wrong?" Yuan asked.

    "This is ridiculous! You want to go against the Lin Family, one of the Seven Legacy Families?! I appreciate your willingness to help us, but that''s too much! You''re not only going to get yourself killed, but you''re also going to drag our Tian Family along with you to the grave!" Tian Xianzu eximed.

    He turned to look at Tian Yanyu and continued, "You too! Stop your nonsense! The moment wey a finger on the Lin Family, they willpletely destroy us! The only reason they don''t dare to touch our family right now is because of our family history! However, if we give them a reason to act, they will move in full force!"

    "Are you telling me to sit still and stay silent while they continue to harass our family?! Our restaurant''s business has gone down 90 percent sincest year because of the Lin Family''s cowardly antics! If this continues any longer, our Tian Family will be reduced to nothing, regardless if we touch them or not! And I am not going down without a fight!" Tian Yanyu remained resilient.

    "You¡ª!" Tian Xianzu didn''t know what else to say after hearing his daughter''s words.

    "Let''s all calm down, shall we?" Yuan suddenly said, still looking as rxed as ever.

    "The Lin Family may be one of Seven Legacy Families, but they are not untouchable. Why don''t you tell me a little more about your situation?"? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    Tian Yanyu nodded and took a seat at the table.

    "I will get another teacup." The olddy said before leaving the room.

    Once she was seated, Tian Yanyu spoke, "It started four years ago when I first met Lin Minghai on the stage during a friendlypetition between our sects. I managed to narrowly defeat him, and the very next day, he would begin courting me. Of course, I refused. However, he would continue to court me persistently over the next several days. Eventually, days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months. It''s been four years since then, but he''s still courting me."

    "He was just being annoying at first, but as time passed, he would be more aggressive, and he would also start scheming by spreading bad rumors about me so that others would stay away from me. Then he started targeting our family businesses. We used to own several restaurants throughout the city, but we had to close down most of them because the Lin Family would send thugs to cause drama in our restaurants and mess with our reputation, forcing us to close them down. Now we''re down to just one restaurant."

    "Of course, we can''t do anything about it because we don''t have concrete proof that the Lin Family is behind these incidents, but there''s no way it''s all just a coincidence. Lin Minghai even personally came to our house before, and he told my father that he would help us deal with the thugs, acting like he is innocent."

    Yuan listened to Tian Yanyu exined their situation in detail with a tranquil expression on his face, but he was inwardly annoyed at the Lin Family and their nature.

    "How typical. The powerful and influential tyrants are abusing their power and oppressing the weak to achieve their goals. This is quitemon in the cultivation world. These people are a waste of spiritual energy. We should just kill everyone in the Lin Family and get this over with." Feng Yuxiang snorted.

    "Have you forgotten about our situation, Feng Feng? We''re already being hunted by the Seven Legacy Families and the Ji Family. If we do something like that, they will be all over us." Yuan said.

    "We''re already hunted, so it wouldn''t make any difference. In fact, we should be the ones to strike first! They tried to ambush us outside the Stairway to Heaven, so it would only be fair if we ambushed one of them in return!"

    "Let''s not make our situation any moreplicated than it already is. If we can solve this without shedding too much blood, that would be ideal." Yuan shook his head inwardly.

    Once she finished exining, Tian Yanyu asked, "What do you think? Can you help us?" Readtest chapters at Free?ebnovel.c?m Only.

    Yuan pondered for a moment before speaking, "Are the thugs still an issue?"

    "Yes, theye to our restaurant once a week to cause trouble for the customers, sometimes more."

    "Then we will start by dealing with the thugs. The Lin Family won''t be able to do anything unless they want to reveal that they''re with the thugs." Yuan said.

    "That sounds reasonable. But how are we going to do that?" Tian Yanyu asked him.

    "It''s quite simple, actually. I am going to visit your restaurant as a customer, and if they pick a fight with me, I will deal with them ordingly." Yuan said with a smile.

    "You make it sound so easy¡­ but will it really work out as it does in your head?"

    He nodded, "Of course. They''re working for the Lin Family and you''re their target, right? If you visit the restaurant with me, they will, without a doubt, try to mess with us."

    Bang!

    Tian Xianzu suddenly mmed the table.

    "Wait! You want my daughter to be bait?! I am against her involvement in your nonsense!"

    "Well, I don''t really need her help, but it will make things move quicker."

    "I will do it." Tian Yanyu said.

    "Yanyu!"

    "You say you don''t want my involvement, but I am already involved¡ª I have been since the beginning. And like Yuan said, the Lin Family won''t be able to do anything to us unless they want to expose themselves." Tian Yanyu said.

    "That may be true, but they will still know that you''re trying to fight back against them! I don''t want anything to happen to you!"

    "Don''t worry, I will protect her." Yuan suddenly said.

    Tian Yanyu turned to look at Yuan and smiled, "Don''t look down on me. I am not so weak that I need your protection. If it wasn''t for his background, I would''ve already taken care of Lin Minghai by myself."

    "Good." He smiled.

 Chapter 1067 Tian Family(4)

    Chapter 1067 Tian Family(4)

    "A-Are you seriously going to do this?" Tian Xianzu was still feeling concerned about this whole situation.

    In his eyes, a stranger that they haven''t known for even half a day suddenly told them that he would help them take care of the Lin Family, one of the Seven Legacy Families. If it were anybody else, they would have already kicked Yuan out. However, for some reason, neither Tian Xianzu nor Tian Yanyu doubted him.

    "Trust me, if anything goes wrong, you won''t have to take the me, as I will take the me for myself." Yuanforted him with a confident smile.

    "Why are you so confident? This is the Seven Legacy Families we''re talking about. It''s like messing with a bee hive. Anger one bee and you''ll anger the other bees as well. In this case, that would be the other six Legacy Families." Tian Xianzu asked him.

    Yuan smiled, "It''s not my first time dealing with them."

    "Eh?"

    Both Tian Xianzu and Tian Yanyu''s eyes widened with surprise after hearing such words.

    ''Not his first time dealing with them? What does he mean by that¡­?'' They wondered inwardly.

    "Anyways, before we deal with the thugs, I would like to say one more thing. To make this safer for all of us, let''s not call me Yuan when we are outside. Let''s see¡­"

    Yuan began pondering for a name.

    ''I wanted to use Tian Yang for my fake identity, but it wouldn''t be wise to associate myself with the Tian Family with what we''re going to do, especially if things go south.''

    Yuan suddenly noticed Xiao Hua sitting beside him and turned to look at her with a pondering face.

    Noticing his re, Xiao Hua turned to look at him with a puzzled face.

    A smile appeared on Yuan''s face as he spoke, "Whenever we''re outside, please address me as Xiao Yang."

    "Eh?" Xiao Hua''s eyes widened with shock.

    "Do you mind? If you do, I can use another surname." Yuan said.

    "Use mine, Young Master!" Feng Feng said.

    "I-It''s okay. Brother Yuan can use it." Xiao Hua nodded.

    Due to the history associated with her family''s background, it would be quite foolish to take the Asura n''s surname, perhaps even courting death. However, since they''re only in Third Heaven, where nobody would recognize this surname, it was fine.

    "T-Then we''ll be in your care, Xiao Yang." Tian Yanyu said to him a momentter.

    Sometimeter, Yuan and Tian Yanyu left the Tian Family''s household and made their way to the Heavenly Restaurant.

    "I hope nothing happens to them¡­" The olddy sighed.

    "Let''s not jinx it¡­ And have some of our guards secretly follow them. If anything happens, I want them to immediately report it."

    "As you wish¡ª Oh¡­ Should I also notify Madam?"

    "...No, not yet."

    "I understand."

    When Yuan and Tian Yanyu arrived at the Heavenly Restaurant, Tian Yanyu asked, "Where do you want to sit, Xiao Yang?"

    "Anywhere is fine."

    "Alright."

    Tian Yanyu then said to the waitress, "Give us the best table."

    "I understand, Young Lady."

    The waitress recognized Yuan and nced at him again before leading them to their table.

    Once they were seated, Tian Yanyu said, "Order whatever you want. It''s in the house."

    Yuan nodded and looked through the menu before ordering the dishes that intrigued him the most. Since he was expecting there to be trouble, he didn''t want to order too much food and waste them in the end.

    Once the waitress got their orders, she left them alone.

    "By the way, I should have said this sooner, but if you''re going to hide your identity, wouldn''t it be wiser if you disguised your face as well?"

    "Now that you mention it¡­ Oh, but we don''t have any pills for disguise."

    "Young Master, if you want, I can concoct you one right now." Feng Yuxiang suddenly said.

    "Thank you, but it''s a little toote for that since everyone here has already seen my face, not to mention the people that had been following us since we left the Tian Family."

    "I understand."

    "Hey." Tian Yanyu suddenly spoke, "Can you tell me about yourself? What did you do before you came here? Are you a disciple? If so, what sect? What motivated you to help us?"

    "Beforeing here, huh? I guess I was just wandering the world. I used to be in a sect but not anymore. As for my motivation¡­ It may sound foolish, but I really don''t like owing debt to anyone, even if this debt is technically my ancestor''s responsibility." Yuan said.

    "You left the sect¡­? Or did you get kicked out for causing trouble?" Tian Yanyu seemed to be intrigued about his sect.

    "Of course not. I left my sect on good terms. In the first ce, I joined them because I needed to gain some experience, as I lived a secluded life before I joined the sect."

    "Is that so¡­" Tian Yanyu stared at his face with a pondering look on her face.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.

    "I understand your feeling of not wanting to owe any debts, but I don''t know if I would go as far as repaying a debt that my ancestors owed millions of years ago. You''re a silly one, Yu¡ª Xiao Yang."

    Yuan chuckled, "I get that a lot."

    "But I don''t hate it. In fact, I kind of admire your passion." She suddenly added.

    "Thank¡ª"

    Yuan suddenly halted his mouth when he sensed killing intent directed in his direction.

    "What''s wrong?" Tian Yanyu asked him when she saw his actions.

    "They''re here earlier than I thought. We haven''t even gotten our first dish yet and they''re already looking for a fight." He showed a cold smile on his face.

    "You don''t mean¡­"

    "Waow! Look what we have here! If it isn''t the Young Lady! Did the sun rise from the west today or something? How unusual to see you here!" A deep voice suddenly boomed inside the restaurant, causing everyone there to look at the source.

    Yuan casually turned his head to see a group of hooligans wearing bandit-like clothes and with faces that looked like they were asking for trouble approaching their table.

 Chapter 1068 A Group of Hooligans

    Chapter 1068 A Group of Hooligans

    "Hey, hey, hey! Young Lady! Why are you sharing a table with another man? Are you cheating on Young Master Lin Minghai already?!" This group of troublemakers approached the table with wide smiles on their faces.

    "Young Master Lin Minghai will be heartbroken when he learns of this!"

    "Hey, brat! Who are you? Do you know whose woman you are messing with?!"

    "..."

    Tian Yanyu didn''t say anything, and her gaze remained on Yuan the whole time, as she didn''t want to miss any of his movements.

    ''Now, what are you going to do, Yuan? If you cannot even handle a few hooligans, the Lin Family will definitely be out of your reach.'' She pondered inwardly.

    Yuan casually turned to look at the hooligans and spoke in a calm voice, "I''m sorry, but I wasn''t expecting any more guests. Also, when was thest time you guys changed clothes? You all smell like rotten eggs and dog feces together. I would appreciate it if you can be more considerate to others, especially since we''re inside a restaurant where peoplee to eat."

    "Y-You bastard¡­"

    The hooligans'' faces flushed with redness after hearing Yuan''s insults, and their bodies trembled uncontrobly.

    However, before they could even utter a single word, Yuan continued to speak, "My food will be here soon. If you''re not gone by then, don''t me me for being rude."

    "Oh? And what the fuck are you going to do if we don''t leave?" The hooligan leading the group asked Yuan with a malicious grin on his face.

    "Feng Feng, I don''t want their blood to dirty the ce I am going to eat at. Can you deal with it without making a mess? Oh, leave one of them alive." Yuan suddenly said in a low voice.

    "It would be my pleasure, Young Master."

    Several orbs of mes suddenly emerged from Yuan''s body and flew towards the group of hooligans, and before they could even react, their bodies were immediately engulfed with mes.

    In less than a second, all but one of the hooligans were burnt until there was nothing left of them, leaving behind no mess or blood.

    Everyone in the restaurant was shocked by what they had just witnessed, but they were also puzzled, as they couldn''tprehend the situation.

    After Feng Yuxiang killed most of the hooligans, Yuan turned to look at thest one and asked in a calm voice, "Who hired you to mess with the Tian Family? If you don''t speak truthfully, you will end up just like your friends¡ª erased."

    "I-I don''t know! I swear! I am just a lowlyckey following orders! Please, you have to believe me!" The young man got on his knees and begged Yuan.

    "Then tell me about your order." Yuan then said.

    "Yes! We, the Stone Bandits, were hired to disturb the Tian Family''s businesses until they shut down!"

    "And you don''t know who hired you?"

    "No!"

    "Then who does?"

    "That would be the leaders!"

    "And where can I find these leaders?"

    "T-That''s¡­" The young bandit hesitated to answer this question, as he would also be killed by his peers for revealing the location of their base.

    "If you tell me, I will not only let you live, but I will even make sure the Stone Bandits won''t be able to harm you. A pretty good deal, don''t you think so?" Yuan said.

    "I-I am willing to tell you." The young bandit nodded after a moment of silence.

    Since he was going to die either way, he might as well ept Yuan''s request that will, at the very least, give him a chance to survive.

    "Very well. You can bring me to your hideout after we''re done eating here. Until then, go wait outside. I wasn''t joking when I said that you all stink." Yuan said.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

    "I-I understand!" The young bandit immediately jumped to his feet, but before he could go anywhere, Yuan''s voice resounded again.

    "Oh, right. One more thing. If you''re thinking about running away, you will immediately be killed. My divine sense covers a good chunk of this city, so unless you can outrun my divine sense, I suggest you stay put and wait for us. Do you understand?"

    "I-I wouldn''t dare to run away from you!" The young bandit vigorously nodded his head.

    "Good. Then I will see you in a bit."

    The young bandit quickly scrambled out of the restaurant, but he didn''t dare to wander too far away from the restaurant, as he feared that Yuan might mistake it as escaping.

    And for the next hour, this young bandit wouldn''t move a single step from this location, almost as if he''d turned into a stone statue.

    "You¡­ What was that just now?" Tian Yanyu asked him with an astonished look on her face after the bandit left.

    "What? Are you not happy with the way I handled it?" Yuan raised an eyebrow.

    "No, that''s not it¡­ Forget it. I didn''t think you would resort to violence so quickly, especially after what you said about not wanting to shed unnecessary blood."

    "I don''t, hence why I killed them without spilling any blood." Yuan said with a joking smile on his face.

    "I''m just joking. They are just a bunch of bandits who have been causing trouble for your family and countless other people for years. Nobody will care if I clean up some trash. Of course, if the Lin Family is willing to go to war over those hooligans, that would be a different story."

    "Your appearance is quite deceptive, as you are more daring than your appearance suggests." Tian Yanyu mumbled with a slight smile on her face.

    The waitress approached their table with their food a few minutester, and they began eating the food shortly after, acting as though the whole situation with the hooligans just now didn''t even happen.

    Once they were finished, Yuan and the other two went outside to meet with the young bandit again.

    "Alright. Bring me to your hideout." Yuan said.

    "Yes!" The young bandit answered without hesitation.

 Chapter 1069 Stone Bandits Hideout

    Chapter 1069 Stone Bandits'' Hideout

    "Hey, it might be a bit dangerous, so if you want, you can return home for now and wait for me to finish." Yuan said to Tian Yanyu, who immediately frowned upon hearing his words.

    "Are you still looking down on me? I told you that I can handle myself, right? If I turn out to be a burden, you can leave me alone to die because I will deserve it."

    "Leave you to die¡­? You know very well I can''t do that." Yuan said with a bittersweet smile.

    "Alright, if you want to follow me, go ahead."

    Tian Yanyu was a peak Spirit Lord despite her seemingly young age, so she could be considered quite talented for this world''s standard.

    Of course, since Yuan was suppressing his spiritual energy, Tian Yanyu was unaware of Yuan''s cultivation as a peak Spirit King.

    With that being said, Yuan didn''t bother suppressing his aura, so she knew that he was a formidable individual¡ª at least that''s what her instincts and experience told her.

    Compared to her fellow disciples, Yuan was multiple times more powerful.

    Sometimeter, the young bandit led Yuan and Tian Yanyu to thisrge building.

    "We''re here, Young Master." The young bandit said to Yuan, who had his eyebrows raised.

    Meanwhile, Tian Yanyu had a deep frown on her face.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.

    "Are you mocking us right now?" Tian Yanyu muttered in a cold voice.

    The building itself wasn''t the problem; it was the environment and the situation outside of this ce that made Tian Yanyu furious.

    There were multiple women wearing heavy makeup and revealing clothes standing outside this building, and they were all ring at Yuan like foxes.

    It was clear what kind of purpose this ce served, and the only person there that didn''t understand the situation was Xiao Hua, who was too innocent to know about these kinds of things.

    "I-I am most certainly not mocking you, Young Lady! This is truly the Stone Bandits'' hideout! They have been operating this entertainment business for over 50 years now!" The young bandit quickly said, trying his best to defend himself.

    "This is certainly a surprise." Yuan mumbled out loud, "When you hear about bandits, you normally associate them with the wilderness. This is the first time I''ve heard of bandits hiding within the city, acting like gangsters instead."

    The young bandit then spoke, "I don''t know the Stone Bandits'' leader''s name, but he should have a pretty high standing in this ce."

    "What should we do?" Yuan turned to look at Tian Yanyu, who was ring at the building with a disgusted look on her face, as she hated the concept of women selling their bodies for money.

    However, before she could respond, the workers at this building approached them with bright smiles on their faces.

    "Handsome, are you new here? I have never seen you before, and I would never forget a face as handsome as yours."

    "How would you like to spend the day with me? Not only will I give you special service, but I won''t even charge you a single copper."

    "Is this your girlfriend here? I won''t mind even if she joins us¡­"

    These women quickly surrounded Yuan. However, when they got too close, a burst of me suddenly erupted from Yuan''s body.

    "Young Master, should I just burn this whole ce to the ground and call it a day?" Feng Yuxiang''s voice resounded the following moment.

    "There''s no need to be so upset. They''re just trying to do their jobs." Yuan shook his head inwardly.

    He then said to thedies, "Sorry about that just now. We are actually here to see your boss. Is he avable right now?"

    "Our boss¡­?" Thedies exchanged nces with each other.

    "Do you have an appointment? The boss doesn''t meet with anyone that doesn''t have one." One of them said.

    "We do. Tell your boss that Tian Yanyu is here for her appointment." Tian Yanyu suddenly said.

    "I understand. I will go tell my manager."

    One of thedies went into the building while the others went to speak with other nearby pedestrians.

    "Tian Yanyu? There''s nobody with that name on the appointment list." The manager said after hearing the woman''s words.

    "Really? That''s what she told me, though." The woman said.

    "She''s probably just another ordinary whore trying to get a job at our Passion Pce. Ignore them."

    "I don''t think that''s the case¡­ That woman was really beautiful and looked nothing like one of us, and she had a handsome young man and a child with her."

    "It doesn''t change the fact that they''re not on the appointment list and that they''d lied to you. Ignore them!" The manager eximed.

    "I understand¡­"

    Sometimeter, Yuan said, "It''s been a while since that woman went inside."

    Tian Yanyu sucked her teeth, "They probably realized that we didn''t have an appointment, or they''re just trying to ignore us."

    "What are you going to do now?" She then asked.

    "If they want to ignore us, we will do the opposite and force them to acknowledge us." Yuan said.

    He turned to look at the young bandit and said to him, "Bring us to your boss."

    "Y-Yes¡­" The young bandit wanted to cry, but he had no choice but to obey Yuan''s words.

    The young bandit proceeded to lead Yuan and the others inside the building.

    "Wee to the Passion Pce! What kind of entertainment are you looking for¡ª" The worker at the front desk stopped speaking when he noticed Xiao Hua''s figure.

    "I''m sorry, but this ce isn''t appropriate for children¡­"

    Yuan nced at Xiao Hua and cleared his throat, "Sorry, but we''re not here to have fun."

    He turned to look at the young bandit and continued, "Go tell your boss he has three minutes to show up before I blow up this entire ce."

    Naturally, Yuan was only bluffing, but the young bandit and the others didn''t know that.

    "R-Right away!" The young bandit immediately disappeared from their sight.

 Chapter 1070 Stone Bandits Hideout(2)

    Chapter 1070 Stone Bandits'' Hideout(2)

    "Y-You! Who are you?! Do you know where you are?! How dare you cause amotion here!" The manager of the Passion Pce showed up shortly after Yuan entered the building with Tian Yanyu.

    Yuan nced at the middle-aged man, who had a furious face, and said, "If you had brought us to your boss in the first ce, we wouldn''t have needed to resort to this."

    "Guards! Throw them out of here!" The manager shouted, and over a dozen Spirit Lord cultivators surrounded them the next moment.

    "Are you aware that this ce is being run by the Stone Bandits?" Tian Yanyu asked them in a calm voice.

    And she continued, "If you are aware of this fact and still decided to help them, we have the authority to kill you all. This is yourst chance to walk away."

    Tian Yanyu retrieved an elegant sword with a thin de and casually swung it at the empty air in front of her.

    "Stone Bandits?! That is a baseless usation! What proof do you have that this ce is run by these bandits?!" The manager eximed.

    "I have worked in this ce for over 30 years and I have never seen anything rted to those bandits from this ce!"

    Tian Yanyu smiled and said, "To not notice something like this after so long, you must blind, but that''s not even the worst part. If you''ve worked here for over 30 years and do not know about the Stone Bandits, that must mean they don''t trust you enough to tell you about it despite the amount of time you have spent here."

    The manager trembled in anger after hearing such words, and he roared, "They''re just spewing nonsense to mess with our heads! This ce isn''t run by any bandits! Kill them!"

    "Yes!"

    The guards shouted as they encircled Yuan and his small group.

    "Don''t say I didn''t warn you!" Tian Yanyu said as she went into an offensive position.

    However, before the guards or Tian Yanyu could move, Yuan suddenly activated Heavenly Domain, instantly overwhelming the guards and forcing them to their knees without seriously injuring them.

    "Let''s all just calm down and wait for the boss to show up, shall we?" Yuan spoke with a nonchnt expression on his face.

    Even though the guards couldn''t see Yuan''s cultivation, they instinctively knew that he was not someone to be trifled with, so they all remained on their knees with their heads lowered even after the Heavenly Domain was deactivated.

    Meanwhile, somewhere inside the building, the young bandit was kowtowing before a bulky bald man, who had an enraged expression on his face.

    "So you failed your mission and even brought trouble back to our hideout, huh? I knew you were trouble since the day we epted you. I should''ve killed you sooner¡­" The bulky man suddenly jumped out of his bed, where several naked women were resting, andnded in front of the young bandit.

    "I hope you''re prepared for your punishment, young one¡­"

    However, the young bandit immediately jumped to his feet and rushed outside.

    "You think you can run away?!" The bulky man got dressed in less than a second and chased after the young bandit, who didn''t dare to look back as he rushed back to Yuan and Tian Yanyu.

    "Young Master! I brought the boss here!" The young bandit shouted even before he could see Yuan''s face again.

    "Die, you useless trash!" The bulky man had caught up to the young bandit and prepared to strike him.

    However, before his fist could reach the young bandit, a figure appeared between them and causally blocked his fist.

    "So you''re the Stone Bandits'' leader? I have a few questions for you." Yuan calmly spoke as he stood before the bulky man like an immovable mountain.

    "W-Who the fuck are you? Stone Bandits? I have no idea what you''re talking about." The bulky man was greatly surprised by Yuan''s sudden appearance and was even a little nervous.

    Even though he didn''t go all out for his strike, it was still enough to kill a Spirit Lord with ease, yet Yuan had managed to block it with one hand and with seemingly no effort at all.

    "So you''re not affiliated with the hooligans that have been causing trouble for the Tian Family?" Yuan asked.

    The bulky man retrieved his fist and spoke, "Tian Family? I have heard of them, but what do they have anything to do with me? Don''t tell me you believed that brat over there without any proof?"

    "So you''re not the leader of the Stone Bandits, and you have no affiliation with the Stone Bandits?" Yuan asked again.

    "The answer is no to both of your questions. You should do some investigations before you use someone. I also expect some kind ofpensation for themotion you have caused my business today." The bulky man said.

    Yuan suddenly smiled and retrieved an object that was emitting a golden glow.

    "When someone lies before me, this Grail of Truth will light up, so what you just told me is a lie."? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    The bulky man took a few steps back after seeing this treasure. ''Where the fuck did he get such a powerful treasure?!'' He cried inwardly.

    Yuan turned to look at the young bandit and asked, "Have you been lying to me?"

    "N-No!" The young bandit quickly said.

    The Grail of Truth did not emit any light after hearing his words.

    Yuan turned to look at the bulky man again and said, "This is all the proof that I need to deal with you."

    "Xiao Yang! Is everything okay?! Why did you suddenly disappear like that?!" Tian Yanyu appeared at this moment with Xiao Hua following behind her.

    "Hey, I just found our bandit boss." Yuan said.

    "Really?!" Tian Yanyu frowned when she saw the bulky man''s appearance.

    "Y-You¡­ I know him! I have seen him working as a guard for the Lin Family before!" She eximed after recognizing the bulky man''s face.

 Chapter 1071 Stone Bandits Hideout(3)

    Chapter 1071 Stone Bandits'' Hideout(3)

    "Hmph! So what if I have worked as a guard for the Lin Family? What are you trying to say?" The bulky man coldly snorted.

    "I will get straight to the point then." Yuan said, "Did the Lin Family tell you to mess with the Tian Family?"

    "..."

    The bulky man kept his mouth shut this time, not daring to respond to Yuan''s question, as this was the only w for Grail of Truth. However, one could argue if this was really a w, since if someone refuses to answer when they know what will happen if they do, it could only mean that they were going to lie.

    "If you think silence will save you, I have bad news for you¡­" Yuan calmly said to the man.

    "And what are you going to do to me? Kill me? You don''t even have any concrete proof that I belong to this Stone Bandits or whatever." The bulky man sneered.

    "Proof? In a world where the powerful is always right, proof is not necessary." Yuan spoke with a cold smile on his face, and his peak Spirit King aura that could suppress even a Spirit Emperor filled the hallways and nearby rooms, causing everyone to tremble before it.

    Tian Yanyu stared at Yuan with wide eyes.

    ''This aura¡ª He''s a Spirit Emperor?! No! That''s not possible! Spirit King is the peak in the Third Heaven! There''s no way he''s a Spirit Emperor!'' She cried inwardly.

    The bulky man subconsciously took a step back when he felt Yuan''s aura, and he spoke in a nervous voice, "Y-You are powerful, I will give you that, but you won''t be able to handle the Lin Family by yourself!"

    Yuan chuckled, "Who said anything about dealing with the Lin Family by myself?"

    "Anyways, are you going to tell me or not? I will not ask you again. My patience is running low."

    The bulky man showed him a bold smile and said, "Go fuck¡ª"

    Whoosh!

    Yuan suddenly retrieved his Empyrean Overlord and shed it at the bulky man in a speed that was too quick to react.

    The bulky man''s head rolled on the floor the next moment before his body copsed.

    Tian Yanyu''s jaw dropped a little after seeing this.

    "Y-You actually killed him?" She almost couldn''t believe that Yuan would kill the bulky man so quickly.

    "It''s pointless talking to him. There should be other high-ranking bandits that know about their deal with the Lin Family." Yuan said with a nonchnt look on his face, feeling not even the slightest guilt from killing a mere bandit that has caused the Tian Family so much trouble.

    He turned to look at the horrified young bandit and said, "Go grab his head and bring me to the other bandits."

    "Y-Yes!" Now realizing that Yuan was the real deal, the young bandit didn''t dare to hesitate to listen to hismands.

    He quickly went to pick up the bulky man''s decapitated head and proceeded to bring Yuan around the building.

    Whenever they encountered a bandit, Yuan would use the Grail of Truth to make sure that he wasn''t troubling anyone innocent.

    He would also ask the bandits questions, and when they refused to answer or try to run away, Tian Yanyu would act ording to her own will and y them. Of course, she would still kill them even if they answered their questions, as she could not forgive these bandits that have ruined their family business.

    It was mayhem within the Passion Pce with blood being spilled all over the ce.

    Eventually, the guards arrived at the scene to stop themotion.

    "Halt!" A dozen peak Spirit Lords and a few Spirit Kings showed up before Yuan and Tian Yanyu.

    "You are¡­" The guards immediately recognized Tian Yanyu because of her beauty, but they did not recognize Yuan.

    "Lady Tian! What in heaven''s name are you doing?! Why are you involved in this unscrupulous massacre?!" The guards asked her.

    "Unscrupulous? How rude. I am merely cleaning up the bandits that have been messing with my Tian Family for years."

    "Bandits?" The guards were taken aback by her words.

    "The Stone Bandits. I''m sure you''ve heard of them. They''re quite famous for human trafficking and robbery."

    "Do you have any proof that the people you''re killing are rted to the Stone Bandits?" The leader of the guards asked after some pondering.

    If Tian Yanyu was telling the truth¡ª that she''s cleaning up the bandits, the city would be awarding her for her efforts instead of being punished.

    "Of course." Tian Yanyu nodded, and she pointed to the small group of bandits that they had captured and been dragging around the whole building.

    "They all admitted to being part of the Stone Bandits, and they even confirmed that the Lin Family had paid them to mess with my Tian Family."

    "What?!"

    The guards were shocked after hearing this information.

    The leader of the guards approached the group of bandits and asked them with a stern expression, "Is what she said true?"

    "Y-Yes! We''re all part of the Stone Bandits! Please! We''ll tell you everything! Just save us from these monsters!" The bandits began crying.

    They''d rather spend time behind bars than to deal with Yuan and Tian Yanyu.

    The leader of the guards was speechless, and he said to Tian Yanyu, "We will deal with the rest from here. Please return to your home for now. We will visit you once we are done here."

    She didn''t say anything and turned to look at Yuan instead.

    "We have already fulfilled our purpose here. Let''s leave for now." Yuan said.

    "Okay."

    However, before they could leave, the leader of the guards asked Yuan, "Excuse me, who are you? I know of Lady Tian and the Tian Family, but I don''t recognize you."

    Yuan then answered, "My name is Xiao Yang. I am just a rogue cultivator who is currently in the process of repaying a debt my ancestor owed the Tian Family. If you need to speak with me, you can find me at the Tian Family."? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    "I-I understand¡­" The guard nodded in a dazed manner.

    Yuan left the building and returned to the Tian Family with Tian Yanyu shortly after.

 Chapter 1072 Lin Familys Damage Control

    Chapter 1072 Lin Family''s Damage Control

    Once Yuan and Tian Yanyu left the scene, the guards began their investigation on the Passion Pce and questioned all of the workers there.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

    Yuan also told the young bandit to assist the guards before leaving, which made it a lot easier for the guards to identify the bandits, speeding up their investigation tremendously.

    News of what happened at the Passion Pce quickly began spreading throughout the city like wildfire, and rumors of the Lin Family paying the Stone Bandits to mess with the Tian Family was amongst the news, which shocked the city.

    This caused quite the bacsh for the Lin Family. Even though there wasn''t any direct bacsh, their family name was being dragged through the mud by being associated with the bandits, which was more than enough to make them lose face, and losing face is the worst thing that could happen to these influential families that only care about such things.

    The Lin Family quickly went into damage control and tried their best to convince the people that the Stone Bandits were lying to mess with their reputation and that they weren''t trustworthy because, well, they were bandits, even going as far as spending money to spread it.

    Although this did alleviate some of their troubles, not everyone believed it.

    "Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! That fucking bitch Tian Yanyu! How dare she mess with us like this!" A handsome young man within the Lin Family kicked the table in front of him when he heard the news of Tian Yanyu dealing with the Stone Bandits, sending it along with everything on it flying across the room.

    Things have gone so smoothly for him for the past few years that this sudden retaliation from the Tian Family had taken him byplete surprise.

    "I swear I am going to make her regret defying me¡ª the Lin Family!"

    This handsome young man was Lin Minghai, who has been courting Tian Yanyu for thest few years without any sess.

    "Young Master Lin, please calm down. If we act against the Tian Family now, it would only solidify the rumors that we''re working with the Stone Bandits." The servant of the Lin Family said to him.

    "Are you telling me to just sit here and let that bitch spit on my face?! I refuse!" Lin Minghai roared.

    "I did not say that, Young Master. I''m just saying that there are better ways to go around this. For example, you can use this chance to visit the Tian Family and demandpensation for ruining the Lin Family''s reputation."

    "Hahaha! This is a great idea, Steward Jin!" Lin Minghaiughed out loud.

    "Prepare the guards! We''re going to visit the Tian Family right now!"

    Meanwhile, at the Tian Family, Tian Xianzu was in disbelief after hearing about the situation from his daughter.

    "We not only dealt with the hooligans, but we even cleaned out the infamous Stone Bandits in half a day! Yuan is the real deal! He will definitely be able to help us get the Lin Family off our backs!" Tian Yanyu spoke with intense excitement, as this incident had relieved a lot of her built up stress.

    ''Is this what victory feels like?'' She tightly gripped her hands into fists.

    "This is just the beginning." Yuan suddenly said. "Now that we''ve taken care of the bandits, one of three things will happen."

    "One, the Lin Family will pretend it never happened and not bother us for a bit. Two, they could send more people to mess with us, or they wille to us directly."

    "Personally, I would prefer it if they directly came to us, as that would make things easier."

    Tian Xianzu sighed, "Regardless of their actions, they will not forget what happened today and will definitely try to get revenge. In their eyes, even though we only dealt with the hooligans, we had indirectly defied them, which isn''t any different from directly defying them."

    He turned to look at Yuan and continued, "I really hope you know what you''re doing, because if things go south, your little antics will mark the end of our Tian Family."

    Yuan smiled, "Don''t worry, I will keep the Tian Family safe even if I have to wipe out the Seven Legacy Families in order to do so."

    "You¡­ I know you''re powerful, but how can you say such a thing so casually? The more you go against the Seven Legacy Families the more they will retaliate. If they cannot handle you in this world, they will send people from the upper heavens down here. This is the main reason why nobody dares to mess with them, unless you also have a family in the upper heaven, such as the Four Ancient Families." Tian Yanyu said.

    "Because this is not my first time confronting one of the Seven Legacy Families." Yuan calmly responded, leaving them speechless.

    ''Dear heaven, what have we gotten ourselves into¡­? Just who is this young man?'' Tian Xianzu cried inwardly.

    Meanwhile, inside a sect somewhere in the Third Heaven.

    "E-Elder Suyin! This is an emergency!" A middle-aged man hastily approached a beautiful middle-aged woman in a square with a nervous look on his face.

    The middle-aged woman stopped lecturing her disciples and turned to look at the middle-aged man, "Elder Long? What happened?"

    "This is about your family! I have just received news that your daughter, Tian Yanyu, had caused amotion, which resulted in the Lin Family losing a tremendous amount of face!"

    "What?! What did my silly daughter do?!" Elder Suyin, also known as Tian Suyin and who was Tian Yanyu''s mother, eximed.

    Elder Long proceeded to exin the whole incident between Tian Yanyu and the Stone Bandits to Tian Suyin.

    "That foolish girl! I warned her countless times to not mess with the Lin Family and just ignore them!" Tian Suyin gritted her teeth in frustration after learning about the situation.

    "I''m going to return home for a bit. Can you let the Sect Leader know about my situation?" She then said.

    "Of course." Elder Long nodded.

    After dismissing her disciples, Tian Suyin left her sect and rushed back to the Silver Heaven City.

 Chapter 1073 Lin Familys Visit

    Chapter 1073 Lin Family''s Visit

    DONG! DONG! DONG!

    "Tian Family! Get your ass out here! The Lin Family is here to demand for answers!"

    Yuan and the others heard the front door being banged on and a loud voice resound the following moment.

    "Looks like the Lin Family decided to show up personally, and they even moved faster than I anticipated." Yuan smiled.

    "What should we do?" Tian Yanyu asked.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

    "Since you caused this mess, you''re going to deal with it." Tian Xianzu said in a cold voice, pushing all responsibility to them even though he''s the family head.

    Tian Yanyu turned to look at Yuan, who spoke in a calm voice, "Let''s meet them and see what they have to say. If they do anything inappropriate, I will deal with them ordingly."

    "Alright." Tian Yanyu nodded.

    The two of them went to greet the visitors shortly after, and then they brought the Lin Family to one of the guest rooms.

    "Tian Yanyu! You bitch! Do you have any idea how much trouble you have caused for my family with your little act at the Passion Pce today?! How dare you spread such nasty rumors! You willpensate us for the damage!" Lin Minghai began shouting even before they sat down.

    Tian Yanyu remained calm and spoke in a sneering voice, "The Stone Bandits imed that your Lin Family hired them to mess with my family. I had nothing to do with it. If you want to me someone, me the bandits¡ª or even better, me yourselves for messing with my family!"

    Lin Minghai mmed on the table and roared, "Our Lin Family had nothing to do with those filthy bandits! How dare you nder us?!"

    "nder? Those hooligans started messing with my family''s business the day I rejected your advances, and don''t even think about giving the excuse that it''s all just a coincidence. Even an idiot wouldn''t believe such an excuse!" Tian Yanyu bit back at them.

    "Watch your attitude, Lady Tian! You are speaking to the Young Master of the Lin Family!" Steward Jin suddenly spoke in a cold tone.

    "If you weren''t the Young Master''s darling, I would have already cut out your tongue!"

    "Watch your mouth. I am not his darling." Tian Yanyu narrowed her eyes at Steward Jin, her gaze oozing with killing intent.

    "I may be a servant, but do you dare to kill a member of the Lin Family in your estate? Can you handle the consequences?" Steward Jin snorted arrogantly.

    Even though he called himself a servant, his status within the Lin Family wasn''t low, and he has been a trusted member for many decades now, his loyalty for the Lin Family unquestionable.

    "Why don''t we all calm down so that we can have a proper conversation?" Yuan finally spoke his first sentence since the Lin Family''s visit.

    The frown on Lin Minghai''s face immediately burrowed even further, and he turned to look at Yuan, "And who the fuck are you?"

    Yuan smiled and introduced himself in a respectful voice, "My name is Xiao Yang, and I am currently assisting the Tian Family. My ancestors owed their ancestors a debt, and I am here to return that debt. I was told that their family business was being harassed by hooligans, so I decided to do something about it, unaware that they were connected to the reputable Lin Family. If you want to me someone for the recentmotion, you may ce the me on me."

    "You''re also ndering my Lin Family?!" Lin Minghai fumed with anger after hearing Yuan''s words that subtly used the Lin Family of working with the Stone Bandits.

    "What? I am simply stating what the bandits told us and the guards that took them away. If you im that the Lin Family doesn''t have anything to do with those bandits, I naturally want to believe the reputable Lin Family over the bandits. However, your inappropriate behavior isn''t helping me."

    Lin Minghai gritted his teeth in frustration, but he couldn''t argue back, as that would only make him and his family look worse.

    "Xiao Yang, right? I will remember your name. Now I have a question for you. What is your rtionship with her?" Lin Minghai pointed at Tian Yanyu while he spoke.

    "My rtionship with Miss Yanyu? We''re just¡ª"

    It was at this moment that Tian Yanyu suddenly interrupted, "We''re just ordinary lovers. What about it?"

    Yuan''s eyes widened after hearing Tian Yanyu''s words.

    Lin Minghai had a look of disbelief on his face, looking as though he''d just witnessed a ghost for the first time.

    "Y-Y-You''re lying!" Lin Minghai didn''t dare to believe it.

    "Oh? You don''t believe me? Then let me prove it to you." Tian Yanyu suddenly turned to look at Yuan''s handsome face and moved her head towards his, giving him a passionate kiss on the lips the following moment.

    Lin Minghai could feel his heart bursting into a million pieces when he witnessed this, and the shock he''d received was so big that his eyes rolled backwards until it was almostpletely white.

    "Y-Young Master! Get a hold of yourself!" Steward Jin cried out loud as he went to catch Lin Minghai''s falling body.

    After removing her lips from Yuan''s, Tian Yanyu spoke with a slightly rosy face, "Why are you so surprised? We''re lovers, so it''s only natural for us to do things like this. In fact, we have done even more intensive stuff before."

    Lin Minghai felt his soul leaving his body after hearing what Tian Yanyu had just said.

    "Y-You will regret this, you damn whore! We''re going back!" Steward Jin decided to return to the Lin Family for now because their Young Master had be incapacitated from mental damage, and he was worried that if they stayed any longer, Lin Minghai might die of heartbreak.

    After carrying their Young Master away, the Lin Family rushed back to their own home.

    Yuan turned to look at Tian Yanyu with a bittersweet smile, but he didn''t say anything, as he wanted her to tell him what that was about just now.

 Chapter 1074 Caused by Heartbreak

    Chapter 1074 Caused by Heartbreak

    "What''s wrong? Did you not like that kiss? Or was that your first kiss?" Tian Yanyu tried her best to remain calm as she responded to Yuan''s puzzled face.

    "Most people would kill to receive a kiss from a beauty like me." She added.

    Yuan shook his head, "This has nothing to do with that. Are you sure that was the right choice? Who knows how Lin Minghai will act now. Perhaps you''d even made things worse by kissing me. After all, that was the only reason the Lin Family hasn''t taken over the Tian Family."

    "It''ll be fine. If anything happens, you''ll protect us, right? That''s what you said. Furthermore, I have been wanting to get back at Lin Minghai for a while now. I just didn''t know how, until a few moments ago."

    Yuan rubbed his eyes and sighed.

    "So, what are we going to do now? What''s the next step?" Tian Yanyu asked a momentter.

    "There is no next step. We will now wait to see the Lin Family''s response. With that being said, we''re not going to wait forever for a response. I will give them a week at most."

    "Alright¡­"

    "Anyways, do you have any unused rooms? And do you mind if I stay here for a while? In order to keep you all safe, it would be for the best if I stayed close. This way, if anything happens, I will be able to respond to it faster." Yuan asked a momentter.

    "Sure. We have plenty of unused guest rooms. You can use them as you please." Tian Yanyu nodded.

    "Follow me. I will show you the way."

    "Thank you."

    After showing Yuan to his room, Tian Yanyu left him alone to cultivate before returning to her room.

    Once she closed the doors to her room, Tian Yanyu jumped onto the bed and began rolling around the bed.

    ''Ahhhhh!'' She screamed internally.

    "I can''t believe that I had actually kissed him! That was even my first kiss!" She eximed in a low voice.

    While Tian Yanyu pondered about her actions inside her room, Yuan cultivated in peace in his room¡ª at least he tried to.

    "Young Master! How could you let that woman kiss you like that?! You should''ve dodged it!" Feng Yuxiang was making a fuss about the kiss.

    "Calm down, it''s just a kiss."

    "Just a kiss?! Kissing is more than that! You just shared saliva! That''s not something you do to someone whom you''ve just met!" She eximed.

    "What''s done is already done. There''s no point getting excited over it now." He sighed.

    "Fine, then let''s talk about something else." Feng Yuxiang said.

    And she continued, "You asked her if it was a good idea to kiss you in front of Lin Minghai. I will now ask you if it''s really a good idea to meddle with the Tian Family''s affairs. In case you forgot, we''re currently being hunted by the Seven Legacy Families, and the Lin Family is part of them. Even if your intentions are to help them, if the Lin Family finds out your true identity, the Tian Family will be dragged into our mess, and they will be executed. I guarantee it."

    "Senior Feng is right, Yuan. I don''t see any benefits from this while there are tons of risks. It just doesn''t make sense to me." Lan Yingying also gave her opinion on the matter, something she doesn''t do often.

    Yuan showed a slight smile and said, "I am well aware of how foolish my actions are right now, but it''s moreplicated than you think. You know, after Tian Chenyu left his family to deal with the demons, he never once got the chance to return home to see his family before they passed away."

    "The parents that had raised him with love and care¡ª the ones who supported him while he was at his lowest¡ª Tian Chenyu greatly regretted not being able to help his family, as his parents had died before his mentality could stabilize."

    "Now that I have Tian Chenyu''s memories, there is this strong and nearly uncontroble urge to help the Tian Family, almost as though his soul desperately wants to amend his mistakes. I could ignore this feeling and pretend I don''t even know the Tian Family, but I have a feeling that this will hinder my cultivation in the future, almost like Heart Demon."

    "I see¡­ I understand your motivation a little better now, Young Master." Feng Yuxiang said a momentter.

    "Me too." Lan Yingying said.

    "I also understand your worries, and I thank you for your consideration, but there''s no need to worry, as I don''t n on exposing myself, and I have the perfect n to deal with the Lin Family without spewing any blood¡ª if they don''t suddenly decide to raid the Tian Family in the middle of the night." Yuan said.

    And he continued, "The moment they do anything drastic, I will get rid of them, no matter if they are the Seven Legacy Families or some other powerhouse."

    Meanwhile, back at the Lin Family, Steward Jin called for their best doctor after putting Lin MInghai in his luxurious bed.

    "What happened to the Young Master?!" The doctor was shocked when he saw Lin Minghai''s poor condition.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    ''His skin ispletely pale, almost as if all of his blood had been drained, not to mention the horrified expression on his face¡­ Did he see a ghost or something? No, even a ghost wouldn''t be enough to cause such a reaction. Just what in heaven''s name happened?'' The doctor quickly assessed Lin Minghai''s condition.

    "You see¡­ What had happened was¡­"

    Steward Jin exined the situation to the doctor, which made him even more baffled.

    "The reason for the Young Master''s condition is heartbreak?!" He couldn''t help but cry out loud, as he has never seen a case of heartbreak this drastic before.

    ''Isn''t this a little bit too much of an overreaction? It''s not like he had been forced to watch his lover being screwed by someone else.'' The doctor sighed inwardly.

 Chapter 1075 Silent Rippers

    Chapter 1075 Silent Rippers

    Lin Minghua eventually woke up after a whole day of rest, and when he woke up, he did so in a manner that was as though he''d just woken up from a nightmare.

    "Aaaah!" He shouted the moment he woke up.

    "Young Master! It''s okay! Young Master!" Steward Jin quickly rushed to his side to calm him down.

    "Steward Jin? What is going on? Where am I?" Lin Minghai looked around with a puzzled look on his face. He was so confused that he couldn''t even recognize his own bedroom.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    "We''re currently inside your bedroom right now." Steward Jin said.

    "M-My room? I see! So that was just a dream¡ª a bad nightmare!" Lin Minghai released a sigh of relief, his whole body soaked in sweat.

    It was obvious that Lin Minghai thought that his visit to the Tian Family and what he experienced there was just a dream.

    Unfortunately for him, Steward Jin would turn that dream into reality with a single sentence.

    "I''m sorry, Young Master, but that wasn''t a dream. We brought you back here from the Tian Family after you fell unconscious."

    Lin Minghai proceeded to sit on his bed with a nk expression on his face after hearing Steward Jin''s words, feeling as though he''d identally inhaled a live fly.

    His face began to flush with redness shortly after.

    Once he reached the boiling point, he roared at the top of his lungs, "FUCK THAT BITCH TIAN YANYU!"

    "I WANT THEM DEAD! I WANT THEM ALL DEAD!"

    Steward Jin expected this kind of reaction from him, which wasn''t surprising in the least. However, he couldn''t allow it to happen.

    "Young Master, with the way things are going, if we attack them now, it will look bad on the Lin Family."

    "I don''t fucking care! If you won''t do it, I will do it myself! Nobody can stop me from killing that whore¡ª not even my parents!" Lin Minghai continued shouting.

    Steward Jin shook his head inwardly.

    He then sighed, "I understand, Young Master. I will assemble a team of assassins to deal with Xiao Yang to send a message for now. As for Tian Yanyu and her family, we can deal with them a littleter. How does that sound, Young Master?"

    Lin Minghai pondered for a moment before nodding with a cold smile on his face, "Kill her lover and torment her mentally before killing her, huh? That''s a great idea! And since this Xiao Yang isn''t part of the Tian Family, we won''t receive any bacsh for killing him! We can even call him a fugitive who had wronged our family!"

    "That''s right, Young Master."

    "Go on! Get with it! I want this bastard gone by tomorrow!"

    "Of course." Steward Jin disappeared from the room shortly after while Lin Minghai continued to rest.

    After leaving Lin Minghai''s side, Steward Jin went to write a note before sending it to the most notorious assassins within the Third Heaven¡ª the Silent Rippers.

    The Silent Rippers are a small group of professional assassins that would kill pretty much anybody as long as they are paid enough for the job, and they have even dared to kill people from the Seven Legacy Families before.

    The Silent Rippers also have no hideout, and they always wander the Third Heaven, never staying in one ce for longer than a few days, hence why they are so hard to catch and deal with.

    However, they do have several methods of contact, and one of them is leaving behind a note as well as a full deposit in a specific location. These locations exist all over the Nine Heavens, and they are usually checked once every week.

    Fortunately for Steward Lin, his note was received by a member of the Silent Ripper merely hours after he sent it out.

    [I want someone named Xiao Yang to be taken care of as soon as possible. He is currently residing in the Tian Family''s residence within Silver Heaven City. It is very important that you not kill anyone from the Tian Family¡ª just Xiao Yang. He is a young man around 20 years old, around 6ft tall, handsome face, long ck hair tied into a ponytail, brown eyes, and his cultivation seems to be around Spirit King. The pay will be 20,000,000 spirit stones. If you need more information or wish to contact me, you can contact one of my associates in the Yellow River Pavilion in Silver Heaven City. He is someone by the name of Ming Lao.]

    Attached to this note was a storage bag with 20,000,000 spirit stones.

    Normally, one wouldn''t dare to risk 20,000,000 spirit stones before the job ispleted, but the Silent Rippers are very proud of their reputation and have never stolen from their client before, hence why Steward Jin didn''t hesitate to pay them 20 million spirit stones in advance.

    "Hahaha! 20 million spirit stones to kill a mere child?! This is the easiest money in a long time!" The assassinughed out loud when he saw the new request.

    He then contacted his fellow assassins and notified them of the new mission.

    "Spirit King at the Silver Heaven City, huh? Brother Mao should be the nearest to that city right now."

    "Yes, I can get there in about three hours from my current location." This assassin surnamed Mao said.

    "I''m about 8 hours away. Do you want to wait for me?" Another asked.

    "No, I will be fine by myself. It''s just a 20-year-old child who just became a Spirit King. I am already more than enough for this mission," said Assassin Mao.

    "Alright, we''ll leave this mission in your hands, Brother Mao."

    "We will await for the good news, Brother Mao."

    "Good luck."

    "I will finish it by tonight."

    After closing the connection to hismunication jade slip, Assassin Mao immediately made his way to Silver Heaven City, unaware of the grim reaper that was waiting for him there.

 Chapter 1076 Midnight Assassination Attempt

    Chapter 1076 Midnight Assassination Attempt

    Later that night, after eating dinner with the Tian Family, Yuan returned to his room.

    Inside his room, Yuan practiced the Soul Nourishment Array that Huang Chen had taught him.

    Golden array symbols filled the room, and Yuan could feel his soul strength strengthening very slightly.

    A few hours into the night, when it was slightly past midnight, Feng Yuxiang suddenly said, "Young Master, there''s an expert nearby, and he''s spying on us."

    Still focused on his array symbols, Yuan casually said, "I am aware. Let''s just wait and see what he''s nning on doing first. Don''te out. I don''t want to alert him."

    "I understand."

    Unbeknownst the Assassin Mao, his presence had already been noticed by his target.

    ''A mere child. I will finish this in a minute and leave.'' Assassin Mao suddenly consumed a pill, which altered his appearance to look exactly like Tian Yanyu.

    After making sure that there was nobody near Yuan''s room, he approached the door and knocked on it.

    Yuan stopped whatever he was doing and went to open the door to find Tian Yanyu standing there.

    And without saying a word, Assassin Mao entered the room with a seductive smile on his face.

    "Miss Yanyu? What''s wrong? Are you still worried about the Lin Family? I''m telling you, it''ll be fine." Yuan said to her with a gentle smile on his face.

    Assassin Maoughed inwardly, feeling quite gleeful about how well his n was working.

    He then ced his hands on Yuan''s shoulders before guiding him to the bed.

    "Oh? What are you doing?" Yuan asked her as heid on the bed, looking a little nervous.

    Assassin Mao, still with Tian Yanyu''s appearance, ced a finger on his own lips and made a quite shushing sound.

    "Shhh¡­"

    "Ah¡­ I see¡­" Yuan''s nervous smile became filled with excitement, and he closed his eyes.

    "Go ahead. Do whatever you want."

    It was at this moment Assassin Mao retrieved a dagger from his spatial ring and stabbed it towards Yuan''s chest where his heart was located.

    "DIE!"

    Assassin Mao shouted when the tip of the de reached Yuan''s chest.

    However, almost as though he''d struck steel, the de halted right on top of Yuan''s clothes.

    Yuan slowly opened his eyes and spoke in a calm voice, his gazepletely tranquil, "This wasn''t what I had in mind, Miss Yanyu."

    ''Shit!''

    Assassin Mao had no idea what had just happened and couldn''tprehend why he couldn''t prate Yuan''s skin with his Heaven-grade spiritual treasure.

    However, it was clear to him that his target was still alive.

    Assassin Mao suddenly released his cultivation base, filling the room with the aura of a 5th level Spirit King.

    He then lifted his dagger into the air and plunged it down for a second time.

    However, just like thest time, his dagger was stopped by Yuan''s skin.

    "I don''t think this is how you captivate a man''s heart, Miss Yanyu." Yuan uttered this remark in a sarcastic tone.

    "H-How¡­?!" Assassin Mao was in disbelief, and he tried pushing his dagger with all of his might, but it was pointless.

    It was at this moment Assassin Mao and Yuan could hear the sound of footsteps rushing towards their location.

    "Yuan! Is everything okay?! What was that spiritual energy just now?!" Tian Yanyu''s panicked voice resounded.

    "Fuck!" Realizing that his mission had failed, Assassin Mao immediately turned towards the door and prepared to escape.

    However, right as he reached the door, a hand suddenly grabbed his neck from behind, yanking him back into the room.

    "Ugh!" Assassin Mao tried to break the hold on his neck, but he was unsessful.

    Tian Yanyu and her caretaker showed up a momentter to see Yuan choking someone who looked exactly like Tian Yanyu.

    "W-What in heaven''s name is going on here?!" Tian Yanyu eximed when she saw this puzzling scene.

    "Hey, Miss Yanyu. This rat disguised as you just tried to assassinate me." Yuan calmly exined to her.

    "What?!"

    "Let me go, you bastard!" Assassin Mao spoke in his original voice, startling Tian Yanyu.

    And he continued, "Do you know who I am?! If you don''t let me go, my fellow brothers and sisters from the Silent Rippers will hunt you down!"

    "Silent Rippers?!" Tian Yanyu was terrified upon hearing this name.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

    However, Yuan didn''t recognize them and asked, "Silent Rippers? Never heard of you guys. Are you mercenaries or bandits?"

    "Y-Yuan! They''re neither of those! They''re a notorious group of assassins that have terrorized the Third Heaven for hundreds of years!" Tian Yanyu quickly said.

    "Oh? Assassins, huh? This meant someone had put a hit on me. Who was it? The Lin Family?"

    "As if I''d tell you anything! Hurry up and unhand me! If mypanions don''t hear from me by tomorrow, they will alle rushing here!" Assassin Mao said.

    "I''m already being hunted, so it wouldn''t make a difference if I kill you or not, since I will be hunted anyways." Yuan smiled.

    "W-Wait! We can work something out!" Assassin Mao quickly said.

    "You have a minute to change my mind."

    "We will stop the assassination and go after those that tried you kill you! How does that sound?" Assassin Mao said.

    "Don''t listen to him, Yuan!" Tian Yanyu suddenly said.

    "The Silent Rippers will always finish their job! And since the Lin Family is involved, they won''t stop hunting you unless the Lin Family cancels the mission!"

    Yuan smiled and said, "I never intended to listen to him. I just wanted to see what kind of excuse he''ll give."

    "W-W-Wait! I swear! I am not lying! If you kill me, mypanions will definitely kill you!"

    "Then I shouldn''t waste anymore time and start preparing to greet them." Yuan said, and without any hesitation, crushed the assassin''s neck, killing him in an instant.

    When Assassin Mao''s body limped, Yuan tossed his body out into the courtyard and dusted his hands.

    "..."

    Tian Yanyu stared at Assassin Mao''s dead body with a speechless look on her face.

    ''He killed one of the Silent Ripper''s assassins just like that? Just how powerful is he?'' She wondered inwardly.

 Chapter 1077 Dealing with the Silent Rippers

    Chapter 1077 Dealing with the Silent Rippers

    "Oh, I should''ve questioned him before killing him. Whatever. More of them wille sooner orter anyway." Yuan realized this after killing Assassin Mao.

    "Y-Young Lady! We must evacuate from this ce as soon as possible before the Silent Rippers raid this ce!" The olddy eximed in a panicked manner after she snapped out of her daze.

    "Evacuate? Leave where? Where can we go? If we''re being targeted by the Silent Rippers, there is nowhere in this world we can hide!" Tian Yanyu said with a frown.

    "But we have to try! Not only did we offend the Lin Family, but we''re now targeted by the Silent Rippers! This is literally the worst-case scenario!"This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    Tian Xianzu showed up shortly after with a profound frown on his face.

    "What is thismotion?" He asked them, unaware of the situation.

    Tian Yanyu pointed at the corpse in their courtyard and exined the situation to him.

    "What?! The Silent Rippers?! Those Lin Family bastards actually went as far as to hire the most notorious assassins in the whole Third Heaven?! Are they insane?!"

    "Master, I think we should evacuate this ce as soon as possible." The olddy said.

    Tian Xianzxu sighed, "Even if we run away and hide in the sewers, the Silent Rippers will eventually find us."

    "Calm down, all of you." Yuan finally spoke, and he said, " The best course of action right now is to stay here, where I can protect all of you."

    "How delusional!" The olddy suddenly shouted.

    "You don''t even know anything about the Silent Rippers nor how terrifying they can be! The Silent Rippers may only be a small group of assassins, but they are the best of the best within the Third Heaven, and they even have several peak Spirit Kings amongst their ranks! Do you really think you can protect us from the Silent Ripper by yourself?! There should be a limit to your arrogance!"

    "O-Old Zou, please calm down¡­" Tian Yanyu said to her, who was breathing heavily and filled with anger.

    "She is right, Yuan. Even the Seven Legacy Families cannot handle the Silent Rippers alone, much less a single person." Tian Xianzu shook his head in a dispirited manner, seemingly already given up.

    Yuan smiled and said, "Who said that I will be alone?"

    "You guys,e out."

    The very next moment, three figures appeared beside Yuan, startling the Tian Family.

    "Let me introduce you guys to mypanions. This is Xiao Hua, whom you''ve already met. Don''t be fooled by her young appearance because she''s actually a Spirit King." Yuan pointed at Xiao Hua.

    "This is Feng Yuxiang, who is also a peak Spirit King."

    "This is Lan Yingying. She may only be a Spirit Lord, but she can handle Spirit Kings by herself."

    "E-Even if you have three more people, that won''t change anything¡­" Old Zou said.

    Yuan chuckled, "Don''t underestimate my friends, and don''tpare them to your average cultivators, because they are not human."

    "W-What do you mean by that?" Tian Xianzu swallowed nervously.

    "They are Divine Beasts. Feng Yuxiang is a phoenix, and Lan Yingying is a divine serpent."

    "They''re what?!" The Tian Family couldn''t believe their ears.

    Divine Beasts are akin to divine entities in their eyes, and there were two of them before them right this moment.

    "Anyways, no matter if they are the Silent Rippers or the Lin Family. With them here, nobody will be able to harm you guys." Yuan reassured them.

    The Tian Family eventually calmed down and decided to trust him.

    Meanwhile, the Silent Rippers had another meeting with each other throughmunication jade slips.

    "Brother Mao''s life slip just broke. He''s dead." A solemn voice spoke.

    "How is this possible?! Brother Mao is a 5th level Spirit King! His target is only around 20 years old, right?! There''s no way Brother Mao could lose to someone like that!"

    "Perhaps the target has a powerful bodyguard beside him." Another said.

    "That is likely what happened. Let''s gather and avenge Brother Mao."

    "Yes!"

    A few dayster.

    "Steward Lin! What the fuck is going on?! Why is that bastard Xiao Yang still alive?! He was even spotted eating merrily at the Heavenly Restaurant today!" Lin Minghai demanded an answer after hearing about this news.

    "Please be patient, Young Master. I have already hired the Silent Rippers to take care of Xiao Yang. It will only be a matter of time." Steward Jin said.

    However, hismunication jade slip trembled a momentter, and this jade slip was used tomunicate with Ming Lao, who was supposed to contact him if the Silent Rippers contacted.

    "What happened?" Steward Jin asked.

    "T-The Silent Ripper is asking for your presence! Pleasee to the Yellow River Pavilion as soon as possible, Senior Jin!"

    "I understand. Tell them that I will be there within 15 minutes."

    Steward Jin then said to Lin Minghai, "The Silent Ripper has made contact with us. I will go speak with them now."

    Sometimeter, he arrived at the Yellow River Restaurant.

    After finding his friend Ming Lao, he also noticed a skinny man sitting at the same table.

    This skinny man exuded no presence and appeared to be a mortal, but Steward Jin immediately knew the man''s identity.

    "Greetings, Senior." Steward Jin bowed to this skinny man.

    "Take a seat." The skinny man spoke in an authoritative voice.

    Once he was seated, Steward Jin asked, "How may I address this senior?"

    "You can just call me Kong."

    "I understand, Senior Kong."

    Assassin Kong then spoke, "Now then, I called you here to verify some things."

    "This Xiao Yang¡­ Is he being guarded by an expert?"

    "As far as I am aware, he''s not." Steward Jin shook his head.

    "He''s not?"

    "He''s not. ording to my investigation, there is only a little girl by his side. Unless that little girl is actually an expert in disguise, I don''t think he has any other bodyguard."

    "A little girl, huh." Assassin Kong began pondering in silence.

 Chapter 1078 Dealing with the Silent Rippers(2)

    Chapter 1078 Dealing with the Silent Rippers(2)

    After pondering for some time, Assassin Kong spoke in a grim voice, "One of our brothers has died already, and he was a 5th level Spirit King."

    "What?!" Steward Jin eximed out loud after hearing this shocking information.

    "Quiet!" Assassin Kong red at him.

    He then continued, "This Xiao Yang is clearly much more difficult to kill than you thought, so we are asking for an increased payment."

    "How much more are you asking?" Steward Jin asked with a solemn expression.

    "10 million."Assassin Kong blurted this number out without any hesitation.

    "T-Ten million¡­" Steward Jin swallowed nervously.

    He was already being extremely generous with 20 million spirit stones to get rid of a child, so adding another 10 million definitely made him hesitate.

    ''Since that Xiao Yang has already killed one of their members, they won''t stop hunting him even if I refuse, but that is a very risky decision, especially since I gave them this mission.'' Steward Jin sighed inwardly.

    He was confident that the Silent Rippers would go after Yuan even if he doesn''t pay the extra ten million, but he could be killed by them if he took advantage of this knowledge.

    In the end, he had to bite the bullet and agree to pay an extra 10 million spirit stones.

    "You can send the money to the same location. We will pick it up in two days." Assassin Kong said.

    "I understand."

    Assassin Kong left the restaurant shortly after.

    "Thank you, Ming Lao." Steward Jin handed a hundred spirit stones to Ming Lao for his work before leaving the restaurant as well.

    Meanwhile, at the Tian Family, Tian Yanyu sat in her room with Feng Yuxiang sitting not far away.

    "It''s been several days since then. When will the Silent Ripperse? This wait is making me anxious. I cannot concentrate on my cultivation under this stress!" Tian Yanyu sighed out loud.

    "You''ve beenining about this since the first day. When will you stop?" Feng Yuxiang said.

    And she continued in a sighing voice, "Why did I get stuck with you?"N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

    "What''s wrong with me? Besides my ining''." Tian Yanyu asked.

    "Hmph." Feng Yuxiang coldly snorted, and she said, "Don''t think I have forgotten already. You kissed my Young Master without his permission. If he wasn''t helping you, I would''ve burned you to death on the spot at that time."

    "Seriously¡­? It''s just a kiss¡­" Tian Yanyu said.

    "Just a kiss?! Do you know who the Young Master is?!" Feng Yuxiang eximed.

    "No, I don''t. If you tell me, I will." Tian Yanyu smiled.

    "..."

    Feng Yuxiang became speechless, mostly because she also didn''t know Yuan''s true background, and his prior lives didn''t count.

    "The Young Master is someone¡ª"

    Just as she opened her mouth, Feng Yuxiang suddenly halted her words, and her face turned serious.

    "They are here," she said in a solemn voice.

    "T-The Silent Rippers?!" Tian Yanyu immediately jumped to her feet and retrieved her weapon.

    Feng Yuxiang nodded, "Yes, but there''s something odd about them. They''re only focusing on the Young Master for some reason."

    "On Yuan? Will he be fine alone?" Tian Yanyu asked, as Xiao Hua was with Tian Xianzu and Lan Yingying was with the servants and Old Zou.

    "Yes. No matter how many peoplee for him, he will be fine." Feng Yuxiang said with a confident look on her face.

    Meanwhile, a few rooms away from Tian Yanyu''s room, when he noticed the presence surrounding the Tian Family''s residence, Yuan calmly opened the door and went outside to the courtyard.

    ''Seventeen people, all Spirit Kings, huh.'' Yuan assessed all of the assassins with his divine sense that covered the entire house and more.

    When the assassins saw his action, they quickly realized that their presence was exposed.

    Since their target is already aware of their presence, they decided to show themselves, surrounding Yuan in the courtyard a momentter.

    "Are you the bastard who killed Brother Mao?" One of them asked him in a cold voice.

    "Is that the name of the assassin from a few days ago?" Yuan asked them. "If so, yes, I killed him. Don''t worry, I made sure it was a quick and painless death."

    The assassins'' trembled in anger when they heard his words, and they all released their aura, which bore down on Yuan like a mountain.

    However, Yuan remained standing there with a calm look on his face, almost as if he couldn''t even feel the pressure.

    This surprised the assassins. There were 4 peak Spirit Kings amongst them, yet they cannot make a single Spirit King bow down with their pressure? Something was wrong here.

    "So you''re saying that you don''t have any bodyguards? That you killed Brother Mao by yourself?"

    Yuan showed them a provocative smile and said, "A weakling like him¡ª it didn''t take much effort."

    "YOU BASTARD!"

    One of the seventeen assassins couldn''t hold his rage any longer and lunged at Yuan.

    Without even turning to look at the attacker, Yuan calmly dodged his strike before catching him by the neck.

    The others immediately went into an offensive position when they saw this.

    "If you''re smart, you will let him go," said a skinny man.

    "If I do, will you spare my life?" Yuan asked him.

    "..."

    Assassin Kong didn''t respond¡ª he couldn''t.

    "I figured." Yuan mumbled, and without hesitation, he crushed the neck of the assassin in his grasp.

    "KILL HIM!" Assassin Kong roared with bloodshot eyes.

    The others sprang into action, and they attacked Yuan from multiple directions.

    Daggers, throwing knives, hidden weapons¡ª the assassins attacked Yuan with pretty much every weapon used by assassins.

    However, almost as though his body was made of the world''s strongest steel, the weapons bounced off his body.

    "What the fuck?!" The assassins were surprised when they saw this.

    "He must have some kind of spiritual treasure protecting him!" They quickly came to this conclusion.

    "Keep attacking! It can only endure so much!" Assassin Kong said.

    Thus, the assassins continued to attack Yuan while he casually stood there without a care in the world.

    "What in heaven''s name¡­" Tian Yanyu was left speechless when she witnessed this scene with her divine sense.

    "I told you that he would be fine." Feng Yuxiang said with a smile.

 Chapter 1079 Dealing with the Silent Rippers(3)

    Chapter 1079 Dealing with the Silent Rippers(3)

    After trying for many minutes and failing to break through Yuan''s invisible armor, the Silent Rippers stopped their attacks momentarily.

    "Fucking hell, what kind of trick are you using?!"

    "Stop standing there and fight us like a real cultivator!"

    The assassins tried to get him to remove his invisible armor.

    Yuan merelyughed at them, "I''m not using any tricks. You''re all just too weak to damage my Perfect Physique."

    "What? Perfect Physique? That''s just a legend! There''s no way you actually have the Perfect Physique!" Assassin Kong eximed.

    "I don''t care if you believe me or not." Yuan shrugged.

    "Anyways, tell me, what is your mission? Is it just to assassinate me, or are you going to harm the Tian Family as well? If you tell me, I will remove my armor."

    "So you are wearing a spiritual treasure!"

    Yuan raised an eyebrow, "I never said that I didn''t. I merely said that I wasn''t using any tricks. Can wearing armor be considered a trick? I don''t think so."

    After a moment of silence, Assassin Kong spoke, "Our mission is only to kill you, Xiao Yang. We were instructed to not touch the Tian Family. Are you happy now?"

    "Yes, I am quite happy. Here, I will keep my words and take my armor off for you." Yuan proceeded to take off his Invisible Dragon Cloak.

    "NOW!" Assassin Kong suddenly roared.

    All sixteen assassins sprung into action instantly, attacking Yuan with everything they got.

    A slight grin appeared on Yuan''s face right before an immense pressure suddenly covered the entire courtyard.

    This pressure forced all of the assassins to their knees with the peak Spirit Kings barely resisting it.

    "W-What is this?!" The assassins began panicking.

    "Heavenly Domain." Yuan calmly responded.

    "Are you guys really the most notorious assassins in the Third Heaven? You''re not much better than the Stone Bandits." He proceeded to mock them.

    "Screw¡­ You!" Assassin Kong and the other peak Spirit Kings managed to stand up despite the Heavenly Domain pressuring them.

    However, their movements were still severely restricted.

    It was at this moment that Yuan retrieved the Empyrean Overlord, and he proceeded to kill the assassins one by one, starting from those that couldn''t resist the Heavenly Domain.

    "STOP!"

    "AAAAAAH!"

    "I WILL KILL YOU!"

    The assassins roared like beasts when theirpanions were killed before their eyes and they couldn''t do anything to stop it.

    Within moments, Yuan had cut their number all the way down to just one.

    "Is this all of you? Or will there be moreingter?" Yuan asked Assassin Kong.

    Assassin Kong just kneeled there with a dazed look on his face, his spirit broken.

    "Hmph." Yuan didn''t bother waiting for a response and decapitated him before burning all of their bodies, leaving behind their spatial rings and treasures.

    "You guys cane out now." Yuan said out loud.

    Tian Yanyu and Tian Xianzu came out of their hiding spot the following moment.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.

    "You actually managed to kill all of them by yourself¡­?" Tian Xianzu was in disbelief, but the corpses before him were solid evidence that he could not refute.

    Yuan nodded, and he asked, "Do you know how many assassins the Silent Rippers have? I killed 17¡ª 18 if we consider the one from a few days ago."

    Tian Xianzu pondered for a moment before responding, "Honestly, nobody knows the exact number, but ording to the rumors, there should be about a hundred assassins within their group."

    "A hundred?!" Yuan eximed.

    "That''s a very small group if youpare them to the other groups that have hundreds of not thousands of assassins." Tian Yanyu said.

    "I guess that makes sense. Anyways, since there are still more than 80 assassins out there, we will continue this for a few more days to see their response." Yuan then said.

    "Alright."

    A few dayster, Steward Jin was summoned again by the Silent Rippers. This time, they brought him to a secret location where over 50 of them were gathered.

    "W-What is this about? If it''s about the money, I have already paid the additional 10 million spirit stones!" Steward Jin said, his back soaked in sweat.

    "Just who in heaven''s name did you request us to kill?! 18 of our brothers and sisters are dead because of you!" The leader of the Silent Rippers roared at Steward Jin.

    "What?! That''s impossible!" Steward Jin felt his body bing numb from shock after hearing this information.

    "Impossible?! I dare you to tell me it''s impossible again after seeing this!" The leader proceeded to ce 18 broken life tablets on the table before them.

    "T-This is¡­" Steward Jin swallowed nervously.

    "Each of these represents one of ourpanions, and they all died on the same day within moments of each other! Tell me! Who is this Xiao Yang?! If you don''t give us a satisfying answer, we will kill 18 people from the Lin Family!"

    Steward Jin became terrified after hearing the leader''s threats.

    "I-I swear! I really don''t know anything about him or his background! He showed up suddenly and started helping the Tian Family! He imed that his ancestors owed a debt to the Tian Family and that he''s there to repay that debt! I believed he was a nobody, but since we cannot touch the Tian Family after what happened to the Stone Bandits, we decided to hire you guys to kill him to send a message!" Steward Jin revealed everything to the assassins.

    The leader could tell that Steward Jin wasn''t lying, but he was not satisfied with the answer.

    "300 million spirit stones! You willpensate us for ourpanions'' death and pay for our effort. This is the first time the Silent Rippers will be going all-out for a mission with all hands on deck."

    "T-Three hundred million spirit stones?! That''s too much! We don''t have that much money!" Steward Jin nearly copsed from shock after hearing this astronomical number.

    "Don''t fuck with me! The Lin Family is one of the Seven Legacy Families! You can definitely pay up! You can either pay us the money or we will kill people from the Lin Family! And we will consider each life to be worth 100,000 spirit stones, so we will kill 3,000 people in total!" The leader shouted.

    "No way¡­" Steward Jin looked like he was in a dismay, and he regretted hiring the Silent Rippers immensely.

 Chapter 1080 Dealing with the Silent Rippers(4)

    Chapter 1080 Dealing with the Silent Rippers(4)

    "I understand¡­ I will pay 300 million spirit stones¡­" Steward Jin said.

    However, he was inwardly hoping for these assassins to be killed by Yuan so that he won''t have to pay them this astronomical amount of money.

    Naturally, the Lin Family could pay 300 million spirit stone if they wanted, but this deal between Steward Jin and the Silent Rippers was not part of the Lin Family''s decision. Only he and Lin Minghai were involved in this scandal, and if their family learns of this, they could be punished, especially considering the recentmotion.

    Therefore, if he had to pay 300 million spirit stones, he had to do so without the Lin Family''s help.

    After returning to the Lin Family, Steward Jin told Lin Minghai of the situation.

    When the Young Master of the Lin Family heard this unpleasant news, his face turned as pale as clean bedsheets, almost as if his blood had been drained.

    "How could this have happened! 300 million spirit stones?! Where the fuck are we going to get that kind of money without asking for my family for help?!" Lin Minghai eximed, his face and back soaked in cold sweat.

    "I-If this Xiao Yang somehow manages to kill the rest of the Silent Rippers, we won''t have to pay them¡­" Steward Jin said in a weak voice.

    "Are you fucking stupid?! You think he can handle the Silent Rippers all by himself?!"

    "I mean, he''s already killed 18 of them." Steward Jin said, clinging onto hope.

    "I don''t know what trick he''s used to defeat so many assassins, but it will not happen a second time! Furthermore, the entire organization will be there this time! He''s doomed to die!" Lin Minghai said, mostly because he didn''t want to believe that they had offended someone powerful enough to defeat the Silent Rippers.

    "Anyways, I think the best course of action is to wait and see what happens." Steward Jin said.

    "If we''re left with no choice, we will have to ask your family for help. I believe they will be more angry if 3,000 people in their family die because of us."

    Lin Minghai sighed, "We have no choice since we won''t be able to pay 300 million spirit stones even if I sold all of my treasures."

    Later that night, 83 assassins surrounded the Tian Family''s household.

    "They are here." Feng Yuxiang warned Tian Yanyu and the others when she noticed their presence.

    "How many are there?" Tian Xianzu asked.

    "83 people. All of them are Spirit Kings, and 11 of them are peak Spirit Kings." Xiao Hua calmly said.

    "E-Eleven peak Spirit Kings?!" Old Zou almost fell unconscious from shock after hearing this information.

    "You stay here and protect them, phoenix. Xiao Hua will go with Brother Yuan just in case."

    "Huh? Why do I have to stay here with them? Can''t you do it? Or are you trying to earn points by yourself?" Feng Yuxiang looked at her with a suspicious gaze.

    "I can protect them by myself." Lan Yingying suddenly said, "Since they''re mostly targeting Yuan, they won''t pay any attention to us."

    "Thank you." Feng Yuxiang said to her before leaving the room with Xiao Hua.

    However, they didn''t immediately go to Yuan. Instead, they hid their presence and watched the situation from afar, as they wouldn''t be interfering with Yuan unless he needed help.

    Meanwhile, Yuan was already waiting in the courtyard for the assassins, and he has been cultivating there for the past few days.

    "That''s the bastard that killed 18 of our brothers and sisters? He looks so young!" One of the assassins was shocked when he saw Yuan''s appearance.

    "Don''t be fooled by his appearance! He''s a peak Spirit King! And his appearance might even be fake!" The leader of the Silent Rippers said to them using divine sense.

    The Silent Rippers did not immediately approach Yuan, and they assessed the situation and surroundings to make sure this wasn''t a trap, as it looked like one.

    Sometimeter, Yuan opened his eyes and spoke in a calm voice, "How long are you guys going to make me wait? If you''re worried that this might be a trap, don''t worry, I don''t need such tactics to deal with you lot."

    A gentle breeze swept the courtyard the following moment, and 83 figures appeared out of thin air like ghosts, all of them surrounding Yuan, their bodies exuding intense killing intent.

    "I don''t know who you are, but congrattions. You''re the first to push our Silent Rippers to the edge." A bulky middle-aged man spoke in a grim voice.

    Yuan nced at this man and smiled, "So you''re the leader, huh?"

    The leader frowned, "How can you tell?"

    "It''s not hard, especially considering that the atmosphere around you is vastly superior to the rest of the people here."

    "That''s right. I am the leader of the Silent Rippers, Zhan Shichai! Remember my name when you go to hell."

    Ahd he continued, "Anyst words before we take care of you?"

    Yuan nodded, "Just one. Is this really thest of you guys? I don''t want to wait around for more of you after killing everyone here."

    "KILL HIM!" Zhan Shichai suddenly roared, and the 83 assassins thereunched their attack at Yuan.

    BOOM!

    The entire courtyard exploded, and the whole street trembled the following moment.

    However, Yuan remained unscathed, which shocked the assassins.

    "This isn''t good." Yuan didn''t want the assassins to blow up the whole residence, so he attacked the assassins aggressively.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

    Using his movement technique, he traveled from one assassin to another in a single step, and every time he brandished his sword, a life from the Silent Rippers would perish.

    Within minutes, the courtyard became dyed in red from the assassins'' blood with their corpses and body parts littered everywhere.

    The Silent Rippers became more terrified of Yuan as time passed, and they quickly realized that they had messed with the wrong person, but s, it was already toote for them to change their mind.

 Chapter 1081 Confronting the Lin Family

    Chapter 1081 Confronting the Lin Family

    Within minutes of the Silent Rippers showing up in the courtyard, Yuan had already killed half of them.

    His movements were extremely fluid and decisive, and every single time he brandished his arm, one or more assassins would perish.

    "T-This guy is a monster!"

    "Leader, what should we do?! At this rate, he willpletely obliterate us!"

    The assassins turned to Zhan Shichai for help.

    "He won''t be able to keep that up forever! He must be using a tremendous amount of spiritual energy! It will only be a matter of time before his weakness shows! Keep pushing!" Zhan Shichaimanded as he tried to attack Yuan, but he couldn''t even catch Yuan''s shadow, much less reach him.

    In the end, none of the assassins were able to harm Yuan.

    "Hey, you''re the only one left now." Yuan spoke as he looked at Zhan Shichai with a calm gaze.

    Zhan Shichai, who was kneeling on the floor with a missing arm and multiple wounds on his body gritted his teeth in frustration, his gaze at Yuan filled with killing intent, yet he could not do anything about it.

    "What are you waiting for? Hurry up and get this over with. Kill me already." Zhan Shichai had already given up all hopes of surviving this ordeal.

    Yuan pondered for a moment before speaking, "No, I won''t kill you."

    "W-What?! Why not?!"

    A voice that wasn''t Zhan Shichai''s voice suddenly resounded.

    Yuan turned to look at Tian Yanyu, who hade out of hiding and was approaching them.

    "Why won''t you kill him? He''s the leader of the Silent Rippers!"

    "Because I still have some use for him," he said.

    And he continued, "I''ll give you a chance to live. Go report yourself to the authorities and let them know about your mission and how the Lin Family had hired you to kill me."

    "You can go fuck yourself. I''d rather kill myself than to to give myself up." Zhan Shichaiughed out loud.

    "Is that so?"

    Yuan then turned to look at Tian Yanyu and asked, "Do you want to visit the Lin Family with me? You can stay here if you''d like."

    "W-What do you mean by that? Are you going to the Lin Family right now?" Tian Yanyu''s eyes widened with shock.

    "That''s right. If he''s not going to give himself up, I will do it myself."

    When Zhan Shichai heard Yuan''s words, he immediately tried to explode his Dantian.

    [Heaven Sealing Technique]

    Yuan noticed this and sealed his cultivation before he could do anything.

    "W-What did you just do to me?!" Zhan Shichai roared.

    "I sealed your cultivation so you can''t do anything stupid."

    Hearing this, Zhan Shichai tried to bite his tongue off next.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

    However, when he opened his mouth, he found out that he couldn''t close it back, almost as though there was something holding onto his mouth.

    "Give it up. You won''t die unless I let you." Yuan said.

    He turned to look at the dumbfounded Tian Yanyu and asked again, "So? Are youing?"

    She quickly snapped out of her daze and nodded with a solemn expression on her face.

    "Let go." Yuan grabbed Zhan Shichai by the neck before flying out of the resilience with Tian Yanyu.

    Meanwhile, Feng Yuxiang and Xiao Hua entered his body with Lan Yingying staying behind just in case there were any more assassins.

    "Bring me to the Lin Family." Yuan said to Tian Yanyu.

    "Follow me."

    It was at this moment a notification appeared before Yuan.

    <Congrattions! You have subdued the Silent Rippers!>

    <You havepleted a Hidden Quest!>

    <Fame +10,000>

    <Due to your righteous actions, the Third Heaven will be a safer ce for the innocent. Your reputation within the faction has increased significantly!>

    <Your faction rank has ranked up!>

    [Faction Rank: Captain]

    Sometimeter, Yuan and Tian Yanyu arrived at the Lin Family''s main household.

    They descended in front of their front gates and said to the guards, "Bring your Patriarch out here. I have some questions for him."

    "Who the hell are you? This isn''t a ce for children like you." The guards there immediately frowned.

    "Scram before we make you."

    Yuan lifted Zhan Shichai into the air and held him before the guards, and he spoke in a cold voice, "Your Lin Family hired assassinations to kill me. If you don''t bring out your Patriarch, I will have to force him out."

    "What?!" The guards eximed after hearing his ims.

    "Outragous! Why would the Lin Family assassinate you?!"

    "That''s some serious usations, boy! If you value your life, keep your mouth shut!"

    Yuan sighed before speaking, "I will ask you again. Are you going to get your patriarch or not?"  Freewebn?vel.c?m.

    "Piss off!" The guard roared.

    "Is that so?" A cold look appeared on Yuan''s face.

    He turned to look at Tian Yanyu and handed Zhan Shichai to her, "Stay back and watch over him for me."

    "What are you going to do?" She had a bad feeling about this.

    "Nothing much." He said with a smile.

    After hanging Zhan Shichai to Tian Yanyu, Yuan turned to focus on the gates, and the next moment¡ª

    BOOM!

    Yuan kicked down the entire gate, shocking the guards there.

    "Y-You crazy bastard!"

    "Intruder! Seize him!"

    When the pedestrians there saw the scene, they stopped whatever they were doing to spectate.

    "Who is this crazy bastard?! He dares to kick down the Lin Family''s front gates?!"

    "Heavens! He''s even beating the guards down!"

    More and more guards showed up to confront Yuan, but they were all beaten within seconds.

    Eventually, the real experts showed up with their Spirit King aura filling the ce.

    "Halt! What do you think you are doing?! Identify yourself!"

    Four Spirit Kings surrounded Yuan.

    "My name is Xiao Yang, and I am here to speak with the Lin Family''s patriarch." Yuan said, and he pointed at Tian Yanyu and Zhan Shichai and continued, "That half-dead man is the leader of the Silent Rippers, and he told me that the Lin Family had hired them to assassinate me. I am here to demand an answer from the Lin Family!"

    Yuan spoke in a loud and clear voice so that everyone from one end of the street to the other could hear him.

 Chapter 1082 Confronting the Lin Family(2)

    Chapter 1082 Confronting the Lin Family(2)

    "What? The Lin Family hired those notorious assassins, the Silent Rippers?!"

    The pedestrians outside the Lin Family were shocked when they heard this im by Yuan.

    "This must be due to what happened recently! Then that rumor must have been true¡ª that the Lin Family hired those bandits to harass the Tian Family!"

    "They must have hired the Silent Rippers to silence them. How vicious and cruel."

    "I never knew the Lin Family were like this. What an eye opener."

    The experts from the Lin Family frowned when they heard the pedestrian''s words.

    ''Not good! At this rate, the Lin Family''s reputation will hit rock bottom!'' They all cried inwardly.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.

    "There must have been a misunderstanding. The Lin Family did not hire the Silent Rippers." One of the experts said to Yuan.

    "A misunderstanding? There are dozens of corpses in the Tian Family because of the Silent Rippers, and many of them imed to have been hired by the Lin Family. If you don''t give an appropriate answer, I will have to stop being polite." Yuan calmly said.

    "Stop being polite? You beat up our guards and spew nonsense in front of our building, yet you''re still being polite? I cannot imagine what not being polite looks like!" The experts cursed.

    "What are you all waiting for?! Hurry up and capture him!" One of the experts suddenly said.

    The experts quickly surrounded Yuan when they heard this person, and just as they prepared to apprehend Yuan, he flipped his palms and showed these experts the symbols that suddenly appeared on it.

    "Celestial Overlord Captain?" The experts raised their eyebrows in a puzzled manner when they saw these words hovering above Yuan''s palm.

    None of them recognized it.

    However, somewhere within the Lin Family''s building, an old man that had been watching themotion through his divine sense suddenly snapped his eyelids open, his eyes filled with shock.

    "That symbol! That''s not possible! What is someone like him doing down here in the Third Heaven?!" This old man eximed, and without any hesitation, he rushed out of his room.

    Meanwhile¡­

    "What the hell are you trying to attempt?" One of the experts there asked Yuan after seeing the symbol but not recognizing it.

    "You don''t recognize it? I guess I gave you guys too much credit." Yuan shook his head when nobody there recognized the Celestial Overlord''s faction symbol.

    ''This is why I didn''t want to rely on this symbol. Nobody down here recognizes it.'' He sighed inwardly.

    "If you think those worthless words will save you, think again!" The experts made their movements.

    "WAAAAAIT! HAAALT!"

    However, before they could do anything, a loud voice echoed loudly, causing all of these experts to flinch and halt their movements.

    When the experts turned around and saw the old man approaching them, their eyes widened with shock.

    "S-Senior Lin!"

    The experts there lowered their heads and bowed to him.

    ''Looks like someone actually recognizes the symbol.'' Yuan smiled inwardly after seeing the situation.

    Indeed, this old man recognized the Celestial Overlord''s symbol. Even though he has never been in the upper heavens or seen their symbol before, he has at least heard about it.

    In order to keep their descendants up to date about the situation in the upper heavens, these families in the upper heavens such as the Seven Legacy Families would send down the most information about the upper heavens down to their branch families in the lower heavens.

    And as one of the top factions in the entire Nine Heavens, it would only make sense for these families in the upper heavens to include the Celestial Overlords.

    Although the chances were slim to none, it was not impossible for someone from the Celestial Overlords to show up in the lower heavens, and these families were afraid of that minor chance happening, hence the precaution.

    "All of you! Get on your knees and apologize to this Young Master!" The old man roared at the experts.

    "What?!" The experts and all of the spectators there were shocked speechless after hearing the old man''s words.

    "Did you not hear me?! It''s either that or your heads will roll on the floor!" The old man shouted again.

    The experts trembled in fear, and they quickly kowtowed to Yuan the following moment while feelingpletely baffled and puzzled by the situation.

    "W-We apologize!"

    The old man then turned to look at the guards and shouted, "You bastards as well! Kowtow and apologize to the Young Master!"

    If the experts had the kowtow to Yuan, these guards naturally had to follow, and unless they were unconscious, these guards got on their knees and kowtowed to Yuan, "We apologize!"

    The spectators there wondered what Yuan''s real identity was for these people from the Lin Family to kowtow to him.

    "Young Master, please forgive these fools for not recognizing your identity. They have never seen the real Mount Tai before, so they don''t know any better." The old man said to him with a humble look on his face.

    Yuan calmly looked at him and asked, "Who are you?"

    "This humble one is named Lin Chunhua. I was the previous Patriarch of the Lin Family. In other words, I am the current Patriach''s father. I understand that something unfortunate has happened to the Tian Family recently. Why don''t we go talk somewhere more appropriate?"

    "Sure." Yuan nodded.

    He turned to look at Tian Yanyu and beckoned for her.

    Tian Yanyu swallowed nervously before approaching him.

    ''The ancestor of the Lin Family is acting so respectful to him¡­ Just what is his true identity? Did his ancestors really owe the Tian Family? Why is he helping our Tian Family?''

    So many questions appeared in Tian Yanyu''s head as she followed Yuan and the old man into the Lin Family''s household.

    Meanwhile, the pedestrians there scattered to spread the news, sending shockwaves throughout the city.

    An unknown individual had kicked down the Lin Family''s door, and not only did he not get tortured to death, but he was even politely escorted into the Lin Family''s household by their retired Patriarch.

 Chapter 1083 Confronting the Lin Family(3)

    Chapter 1083 Confronting the Lin Family(3)

    After being escorted into the Lin Family''s best guest room, Lin Chunhua gestured for them to take a seat at the luxurious couches.

    "I will make some tea for us." Lin Chunhua said after they sat down.

    But Yuan waved his hand and said, "There''s no need. Let''s get straight to the point. Your Lin Family had hired assassins¡ª the Silent Rippers to assassinate me. The proof is over there."

    He pointed at the half-dead man in Tian Yanyu''s grasp.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    Lin Chunhua looked at Zhan Shichai with a deep frown on his face.

    "Why do you think my Lin Family hired them? While I admit that we sometimes go overboard, we would never ask assassins for help, especially not the Silent Rippers."

    "They said so themselves, and it''s too much of a coincidence for this to happen after what we did to the Stone Bandits."

    "If what you say is true, then I will investigate this situation and bring out the perpetrator andpensate you for the trouble. However, before I do that, I must notify the current Patriarch of the Lin Family about the situation and see what he has to say."

    Lin Chunhua retrieved amunication jade slip and mumbled into it.

    "While we wait for him to show up, I have a few questions, if you don''t mind."

    "Go ahead."

    "You''re a member of the esteemed Celestial Overlords¡ª a Captain at that. Am I correct?"

    "Indeed." Yuan nodded.

    ''Celestial Overlords? What is that? A sect?'' Tian Yanyu wondered inwardly, as she has never heard of such a ce before in her entire life.

    "What is someone of your prestigious stature doing down here in the Third Heaven? If you don''t feelfortable telling me, Ipletely understand."

    "My ancestor owed a debt to the Tian Family, but he is no longer able to repay that debt, hence why I am here." Yuan exined.

    "Is that so¡­ The Tian Family, huh?" The old man turned to look at Tian Yanyu, who was quite nervous at this moment.

    "To be honest with you, I usually spend most of my time in seclusion trying to break through to Spirit Emperor, so I don''t know much about the situation outside the Lin Family, and even the situation within the family isn''t very clear to me, as it has been over a hundred years since Ist left seclusion." Lin Chunhua exined.

    And he continued, "If my Lin Family has done anything wrong while I was away, I will personally step in to fix it. I swear."

    "That''s good to hear." Yuan calmly said.

    A few minutester, the door mmed open when a middle-aged man rushed into the room.

    "Father! What happened?! What''s the emergency?! For you toe out unannounced and so suddenly¡ª"

    "Shut up!" Lin Chunhua suddenly roared.

    "You useless son, get your ass over here!"

    The middle-aged man was speechless. How could his father treat him in such a manner before guests? His father was someone who valued face more than anything, yet he was doing something that would lower the Lin Family''s face.

    However, he could tell that his father was enraged, so he didn''t dare to question it.

    After closing the door, the Patriarch of the Lin Family walked to stand beside Lin Chunhua.

    "I will ask you a question and you will answer me truthfully. If you dare lie before my face, I will have you reced." Lin Chunhua said, causing Patriarch Lin to swallow nervously.

    As the strongest cultivator in the Lin Family and being the previous Patriarch, Lin Chunhua still had immense authority within the Lin Family, so he could very well do what he threatened to do.

    "Did you¡ª the Lin Family hire assassins to assassinate this Young Master here? The Silent Rippers, no less."

    "What?! That''s outrageous! We would never do such a thing!"

    "Then how do you exin that?" Lin Chunhua pointed at the half-dead Zhan Shichai.

    Patriarch Lin turned to look at Zhan Shichai.

    Although he didn''t recognize Zhan Shichai at first due to his swollen face and overall bad condition, he would eventually recognize him.

    "I-Isn''t that the leader of the Silent Rippers, Zhan Shichai?! What is he doing here?!"

    "ording to the Young Master, he raided the Tian Family at the request of the Lin Family. However, he was subdued and the Silent Rippers were exterminated by the Young Master instead." Lin Chunhua said.

    "Young Master¡­?" Patriarch Lin was utterly gobsmacked when he realized how respectful his father was to this young man.

    This is the first time Lin Chunhua has shown such respect for a junior like Yuan.

    "I apologize for thete introduction. I am Lin Xingmy, the current Patriarch of the Lin Family." Patriarch Lin said to Yuan, but he clearly wasn''t taking Yuan as seriously as his father.

    "Xiao Yang. This is who I am." Yuan showed the Celestial Overlord''s symbol for a second time.

    Patriarch Lin raised his eyebrows in a puzzled manner when he saw Yuan''s action.

    "What is¡ª" He suddenly halted his words midway through his sentence, and his eyes widened with shock.

    "T-That''s¡­ Are you from the Celestial Overlords?!" Patriarch Lin eximed when he remembered reading about it.

    "I am." He calmly nodded.

    Patriarch Lin finally understood why his father came out of seclusion so suddenly and why he was being so respectful to Yuan.

    Although the Lin Family is one of Seven Legacy Families and incredibly influential within their world, their family''s influence actually bes weaker the higher they go in the Nine Heavens, and above the 5th heavens, they are no different than a middle-ss family.

    Meanwhile, the Celestial Overlords are a peak faction in the Supreme Heaven, which is the peak of the Nine Heavens. The difference between the Celestial Overlords and the Seven Legacy Families was akin to heaven and earth¡ª they were simply iparable.

    "Please forgive me for not recognizing your identity sooner, Young Master!" Patriarch Lin began addressing him as Young Master as well.

    ''No way¡­'' Tian Yanyu muttered inwardly.

    Not in a million years could she have imagined such a situation would ur.

 Chapter 1084 Confronting the Lin Family(4)

    Chapter 1084 Confronting the Lin Family(4)

    "Rest assured, Young Master. I will find the culprit who hired the Silent Rippers to bother you no matter how long it will take! And if it truly turns out to be someone from my Lin Family, I will immediately have him executed no matter his identity!" Patriarch Lin said with a serious expression on his face after learning of Yuan''s identity and the immense background behind him.

    Yuan nodded with a satisfied look on his face, "How long do you think it will take?"

    "Two¡ª No, I will have it done within a week!" Patriarch Lin assured him in a confident voice.

    "Then I will return to this ce in a week. I hope you will have sorted everything out by then."

    Yuan stood up and turned to look at Tian Yanyu and said, "Let''s go. You can leave that man behind for the Lin Family to interrogate."

    "Y-Yes!" She snapped out of her daze and handed the leader of the Silent Rippers over to Patriarch Lin.This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    "He''ll try to kill himself, so make sure you don''t let that happen." Yuan warned them before making his way to the exit.

    Neither Lin Chunhua or Patriarch Lin dared to stop him. In fact, they wanted him to leave as soon as possible, as his presence was simply too heavy for them.

    Once Yuan''s presence could no longer be felt, Lin Chunhua turned to look at his son and spoke in a grim voice, "Do not mess this up! The Celestial Overlords are a top faction within the Supreme Heaven! A single mistake and we could be wiped out, and not even our family in the upper heaven would be able to do a thing!"

    "Moreover, the Celestial Overlords are known to be a righteous faction, so if it''s true that someone from our family hired assassins such as the notorious Silent Rippers to kill him, they have every right to destroy us!"

    "I am well aware of our situation." Patriarch Lin spoke with a deep frown on his face.

    "Are you sure you know?! If you had kept an eye on the family properly, none of this would''ve happened! I went into closed cultivation for a hundred years and you messed everything up! How will I ever be able to enter closed cultivation with a peace of mind now, you useless son?!"

    "I''m really sorry, father¡­ I have let you down¡ª"

    ''No! You let the Lin Family down!" Lin Chunhua shouted.

    "I''m going to do my own investigations because I cannot trust you to handle this by yourself!"

    Over the next several hours, the Lin Family would be incredibly busy with people scrambling around like ants.

    Meanwhile, news of what happened outside the Lin Family spread throughout the city like wildfire, shocking everyone.

    "What?! The Lin Family hired the Silent Rippers to assassinate the Tian Family?! So the rumors were true! They must have tried to silence the Tian Family!"

    "Heavens! How low the Lin Family has fallen!"

    The situation with the Lin Family had gotten so bad that the other legacy families had sent people to speak with Patriarch Lin. However, they were all turned away without any exnations.

    "What the hell is the Lin Family doing? We''re in the middle of something important and they''re messing around with assassins?!"

    "Unbelievable. This will surely affect our reputation as well."

    The other legacy families were not happy about the situation, especially since they will definitely be dragged into such a scandal.

    Moreover, they were in the middle of hunting a wanted criminal, and this would only make things more difficult for everyone.

    However, there was nothing they could do about it except wait for the Lin Family to fix it.

    Meanwhile, after leaving the Lin Family, Yuan and Tian Yanyu made their way back to the Tian Family.

    But shortly before they arrived, another person would arrive at the Tian Family.

    "Mistress! What are you doing here?!" Old Zou was shocked to see her.

    "Is it true?! That my daughter started something with the Lin Family?!" Tian Suyin asked in a nervous manner.

    "Starting something? We''re far past that point." Tian Xianzu''s voice suddenly resounded.

    "You! What do you mean by those words?! What happened?! Where''s Yanyu right now?!" Tian Suyin red at her husband with an enraged look on her face.

    "What happened, you ask? The Lin Family had hired the Silent Rippers to silence us. As for Yanyu, she''s currently at the Lin Family with¡ª"

    ap!

    Tian Xianzu suddenly felt something p him across his face.

    "What in heaven''s name are you doing?! I left Yanyu in your care because I trusted that you would protect her! And why the hell are you so calm about this?!"

    "..."

    Tian Xianzu didn''t utter a single word and epted the p, as he felt that he''d deserved it for not being able to stop Tian Yanyu from going to war with the Lin Family.

    And right as he prepared to exin the whole situation to his wife, another voice resounded, "Mother? What are you doing here?"

    It was Tian Yanyu, and she''d just returned with Yuan.

    "Y-Yanyu! Are you okay?! Did the Lin Family do anything to you?!" Tian Suyin rushed over to her daughter.

    ''That''s her mother, huh?'' Yuan looked at the beautiful woman standing before Tian Yanyu.

    Not only did Tian Yanyu resemble her mother, but they looked almost like sisters with the mother being several years older.

    "I''m fine, mother. What about you? Did something happen at the sect? Why did you suddenly return?"

    "I returned because of you! I have warned you many times to not mess with the Lin Family and what do you do when I leave you alone for a bit? You mess with the Lin Family! Now they''re sending the most notorious assassins in the Third Heaven¡ª the Silent Rippers¡ª to our residence! We need to get you out of here before they kill you!"

    Tian Yanyu took a step back and quickly said, "C-Calm down, mother. The situation isn''t as dire as you think, really."

 Chapter 1085 Familiar Sword Technique

    Chapter 1085 Familiar Sword Technique

    "Isn''t that dire?! Are you seriously saving that?! We are currently being hunted by the Silent Rippers! Not even my sect can protect us from them! And what about the Lin Family?! They will surely try to do something as well!" Tian Suyin eximed with a heated expression on her face.

    "Just take a moment to calm down while I exin." Tian Yanyu sighed, and she continued, "First of all, the Silent Rippers are no longer a threat to us. They''ve already been dealt with, and their leader was even captured."

    "W-What?" Tian Suyin''s eyes widened with shock upon hearing this information.

    The notorious Silent Rippers have been dealt with? Their leader was captured? By whom? Who could possibly be strong enough to do such a thing?

    And before Tian Suyin could ask these questions, Tian Yanyu pointed at the handsome young man standing behind her and spoke, "Meet Xiao Yang. He''s the one who helped us deal with the Silent Rippers."

    Tian Suyin turned to look at Yuan. Although she had noticed his presence, she didn''t even bother looking at him as she had more important things to care about.

    However, when she saw Yuan''s handsome face, she became quite startled, mostly because Yuan looked almost like her daughter.

    Although neither Tian Yanyu nor Tian Xianzu noticed the simrities, Tian Suyin noticed it at nce.

    "W-Who are you?" Tian Suyin asked him after snapping out of her daze.

    "My name is Xian Yang, and I came here to repay a debt my ancestors owed to your ancestors." Yuan said with a friendly smile on his face.

    Tian Suyin immediately frowned, as she didn''t buy his excuse, and he simply looked too suspicious, especially his appearance.

    "Are you the reason my Tian Family got entangled with the Lin Family and the Silent Rippers?" Tian Suyin had a feeling this was the situation and asked him for confirmation.

    "The Tian Family and the Lin Family had already been tangled with each other even before my arrival. I am simply trying to untangle it."

    "Really?" Tian Suyin spoke with a doubtful look on her face, "How do I know that you weren''t sent here by the Lin Family? We''ve been handling our situation with the Lin Family just fine before your help, but look at how things turned out when you showed up!"

    "How things turned out?" Yuan raised an eyebrow.

    And he continued, "If you''re talking about the Silent Rippers, I have already taken care of them, and the leader is being interrogated by the Lin Family. As for the Lin Family themselves, they have agreed to find the person responsible for hiring the Silent Rippers."

    "You dare to tell me that you, a mere Spirit King, managed to deal with the Silent Rippers that are known to have multiple Spirit Kings? Your farts are getting louder and louder, brat." The frown on Tian Suyin''s face burrowed even deeper.

    "He''s telling the truth." Tian Xianzu suddenly spoke.

    "I watched him do it, after all."

    "That''s right! Xiao Yang is extremely powerful and talented! He can handle multiple Spirit Kings by himself!" Tian Yanyu jumped in to defend Yuan.

    "..."

    Tian Suyin turned silent for a good moment after hearing her husband and daughter''s words.

    "If you''re truly as powerful as they im, I want to see it for myself."

    "You want to spar with me?" Yuan raised an eyebrow.

    "Yes. I have to confirm for myself your strength, after all."

    "I don''t suggest doing that, mother¡­ Xiao Yang¡­ He''s really powerful¡­" Tian Yanyu said with a worried look on her face.

    "Shut up. I don''t care if he''s the strongest cultivator in the Nine Heavens. Unless I see it for myself, I won''t believe it."Content held by N?velDrama.Org.

    "If that''s what it will take for you to calm down." Yuan nodded with a confident look on his face.

    They entered the courtyard shortly after.

    "I don''t want to damage my own home, so let''s put up a defensive array first." Tian Suyin said.

    "You''re an Array Master?" Yuan asked.

    "No, I am." Tian Xianzu suddenly said.

    "I''m a Level 4 Array Master," he continued.

    "Really? I''m actually a Level 2 Array Master myself." Yuan smiled.

    "Seriously? You''re also an Array Master? Is there anything you can''t do?" Tian Yanyu asked with a baffled look on her face.

    Sometimeter, Tian Xianzu covered the courtyard in a defensive array.

    However, since he created it in a hurry, the defensive array wasn''t anything impressive and actually quite fragile.

    When Yuan saw this, he said, "Are you sure this is enough? It won''tst even a single attack."

    "It''ll be fine. It''s not like we''re trying to kill each other." Tian Suyin nodded.

    .

    "Then whenever you''re ready. I won''t be using any spiritual techniques to make this fair." Yuan said with a calm smile.

    Tian Suyin''s eyebrows twitched slightly upon hearing his words that sounded like he was underestimating her.

    And without warning, she rushed at him with her fists ready to strike.

    Seeing this, Yuan began dodging her strikes, making it seem as though they were dancing around the courtyard.

    Eventually, Tian Suyin retrieved her sword and started attacking Yuan with even more intensity.

    Tian Suyin did not want to use any techniques at first since she didn''t want to damage her home, but she was feeling irritated about the fact that she couldn''t evennd a single strike on a junior like Yuan, so she started unleashing sword techniques at him.

    ''These sword techniques¡­''

    For some reason, Yuan could feel a sense of familiarity from Tian Suyin''s sword techniques even though this is his first time seeing it, and the more he looked at it the stronger this feeling got.

    It quickly got to the point where he was no longer focused on the fight but the sword techniques instead.

    ''Why am I feeling this sense of familiarity from her sword techniques? Is it rted to one of my past lives?'' He couldn''t help but ponder about this possibility.

 Chapter 1086 Lin Familys Gathering

    Chapter 1086 Lin Family''s Gathering

    "Are you mocking me?!" Tian Suyin suddenly stopped moving and shouted at Yuan, who had beenpletely focused on her sword techniques.

    "Huh? What are you talking about?" He snapped out of his daze and asked.

    "You''ve been doing nothing but avoid me! Are we ying tag or are we fighting?!" She pointed her sword at him, and on her face was an angry frown.

    "Oh, sorry. I was distracted by something." Yuan said with an apologetic smile on his face.

    And he asked, "By the way, before we continue, can I ask you a question? Where did you learn that sword technique?"

    "If you beat me, I will tell you." Tian Suyin sneered.

    "Very well."

    Yuan gave Tian Suyin a moment to prepare herself.

    Once it seemed like she was ready, Yuan suddenly disappeared from Tian Suyin''s vision even though she had been staring at him without blinking, almost like he''d disappeared into thin air.

    She suddenly felt a presence appear behind her, and she instinctively turned around while swinging her sword.

    Yuan calmly moved his hand behind her elbow, preventing her from turning around any further, and with his other hand, he gave her one good punch on the side of her stomach.

    "Ah!" Tian Suyin released a painful cry before falling to her knees.

    Even though it seemed like an ordinary punch, the punch actually shook the spiritual energy in Tian Suyin''s Dantian like a shockwave, forcing her body to feel weak, temporarily losing all of her strength.

    "I think the disparity between you and I should be quite clear now." Yuan said to her as he lowered his fist, letting them rest beside him.

    Tian Suyin gritted her teeth in frustration. She was a sect elder of a rtively strong sect, yet she couldn''t even touch a single hair on Yuan''s body, who was many years younger than her. And to make matters worse, she wielded a weapon and used techniques while Yuan confronted her with his bare hands.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

    Although Tian Suyin couldn''t fully grasp Yuan''s strength from their light spar, one thing was clear, and that Yuan was a formidable individual.

    "What did I tell you, mother? Xiao Yang is the real deal. And what he showed you just now isn''t even a small fraction of his full strength." Tian Yanyu shook her head at her mother.

    "To be fair, your mother didn''t use her full strength either. Well, I think she just wanted to understand my strength even if it''s a little." Yuan said, hoping it''d make Tian Suyin feel better.

    Once the spiritual energy inside her body stabilized, Tian Suyin stood up and spoke in a low voice, "Sword of Indomitable Will. That''s the name of the sword technique I used, and it''s a technique from the Jade Sword Manor. Although it''s a rtively weak sword technique, I learned it because I liked its name."

    "Sword of Indomitable Will¡­" Yuan mumbled this name in a low voice.

    "I am actually a disciple of this sect, and I also know this sword technique, by the way." Tian Yanyu suddenly said.

    "Is that so¡­"

    After pondering for a moment, he asked, "Do you mind if I visit the Jade Sword Manor?"

    "Why would you want to do that?" Tian Yanyu asked.

    "I want to confirm something." He said, giving a vague answer.

    Tian Yanyu realized this so she didn''t ask further.

    "No." Tian Suyin suddenly said, and she continued, "Until you settle your business with the Lin Family and this situation, you''re not going anywhere. I don''t want you bringing trouble into our sect."

    Yuan nodded, "Don''t worry, it''ll all be settled in a few days."

    "Anyways, I''m going to rest for a bit. If you need me, you know where to find me." Yuan said to them before going back to his room.

    Once Yuan was gone, Tian Suyin turned to look at Tian Yanyu and said with a solemn face, "You''re going to tell me everything from the beginning! And don''t you dare miss even the slightest detail!"

    "I understand¡­"

    Thus, the Tian Family went to another room for their meeting.

    Meanwhile, at the Lin Family, all of its members had been gathered in one ce under Patriarch Lin''s instructions.

    "I wonder what happened. I can''t even recall thest time Father gathered all of us in such a manner." A youngdy mumbled out loud to the others around her.

    "It probably has something to do with what happened very recently." Another person said.

    "What happened?"

    "ording to what my servant told me, some crazy bastard kicked down our Lin Family''s front gate and even beat many of our guards."

    "What?! Which madman would dare to do such a thing?"

    "Even if that did happen, why would the Patriarch summon all of us?"

    .

    "I heard that Ancestor Lin also came out of his seclusion recently."

    "The Ancestor?! Does this mean he''s finally breakthrough to the Spirit Emperor realm?!"

    "Silence!" A loud voice suddenly resounded, instantly hushing the room.

    Then, the sound of footsteps resounded.

    A few momentster, Patriarch Lin appeared before them.

    Patriarch Lin swept his gaze at the tens of thousands of people in front of him and said in a clear voice, "I want the names of those who could not make it today on my desk by tonight."

    "Yes!" An old man immediately responded in a loud voice.

    After a moment of silence, Patriarch Lin continued, "I have gathered all of you here today for two reasons."

    "First of all, the upper heavens have decided to send people down here to look for the sinner that had received Heaven''s death sentence, and it''s not just a few people. ording to the information I was given by the Lin Family in the upper heavens, thousands of people from all sorts of terrifying backgrounds that far surpasses our Lin Family''s will be sent down here in a month or so."

    Everyone there expressed great shock after hearing this information, as this was an unprecedented event that could shake up the entire Nine Heavens.

 Chapter 1087 Lin Familys Gathering(2)

    Chapter 1087 Lin Family''s Gathering(2)

    "Now this shouldn''t even need to be said, but I will still say it just in case. These peopleing from the upper heavens are NOT to be trifled with. Many of theme from backgrounds that could easily wipe out our Lin Family and get off scot-free." Patriarch Lin said with a serious expression on his face.

    "If you encounter one of these people, you will give them your utmost respect and treat them as if they are your own ancestors. Most of them will have their cultivation suppressed to peak Spirit King, and they will all be wearing a special badge on their clothes that will distinguish them from the others."

    Patriarch Lin proceeded to show them a golden badge that was shaped into the word ''Heaven'', which could also be read as ''Tian''.

    "While I said that these people wille down in a month, in reality, some of them could have already made it down here for all we know."

    Unbeknownst to the Lin Family, Patriarch Lin had received the news about the people from the upper heaven literally right before he showed up to the gathering, so he was just as surprised as everyone there.

    And in his mind, the young man from the Celestial Overlords was part of this expedition team.

    ''How fucking unlucky for our Lin Family to offend someone from the upper heaven right before the news even spread.'' He sighed inwardly.

    "Now then, let''s move onto our second topic and the main reason why I gathered all of you here today." Patriarch Lin spoke a momentter.

    The Lin Family was baffled after hearing this, and they all wondered what could be even more important than the upper heavens sending people to their small world.

    A scary expression suddenly appeared on Patriarch Lin''s face, and his eyes emanated with killing intent, "As some of you have probably heard by now, there is a rumor going around that ims our Lin Family had hired the Silent Rippers to mess with the Tian Family."

    "What? Such a thing happened?"

    "My god¡­"

    The people there were shocked to hear this, as if such a rumor was true, this could very well be a death sentence for whoever caused this trouble.

    Meanwhile, within the crowd was Lin Minghai and Steward Jin, and both of them were sweating profusely at this moment.

    The two of them exchanged worried nces with each other. If Patriarch Lin learns the truth, not even the Heavens would know of the aftermath.

    ''I really hope that you''d erased all evidence that could indicate us as the culprits¡­'' Lin Minghai stared at Steward Jin in the eyes.

    Steward Jin returned the stare with a confident look in his eyes, ''Don''t worry, Young Master, there''s no way they know that we were responsible.''

    Patriarch Lin''s voice resounded again, "To tell you the truth, I already know the culprits behind this incident."

    ''What?!'' Lin Minghai and Steward Jin snapped their heads to look at Patriarch Lin with looks of disbelief on their faces.

    "Bring him in!" Patriarch Lin suddenly shouted.

    A few momentster, two peak Spirit King experts approached Patriarch Lin while pulling on a chain that was restricting a heavily injured individual.

    This person was so badly beaten that his entire body was covered in bruises. It was clear as day that this individual had been tortured to a great extent, but nobody there said a word about it.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    "Do you know who this man is?" Patriarch Lin asked them.

    The Lin Family quickly shook their heads.

    "What if I told you that his name is Zhan Shichai? Do you recognize him now?"

    "Zhan Shichai?! Isn''t that the leader of the Silent Rippers'' name?! I have heard it before!" Someone there eximed.

    "Indeed, this person is the leader of the Silent Rippers¡ª or should I say was?" Patriarch Lin confirmed, sending another wave of shock throughout the Lin Family.

    .

    Patriarch Lin looked at the pitiful-looking Zhan Shichai and smiled, "No matter how strong you think you are¡ª you will never be able to beat someone from the upper heavens, as we''re akin to ants before their eyes."

    Patriarch Lin''s words implied several things. One, that Zhan Shichai was beaten by someone from the upper heavens. Two, that the Silent Rippers are no longer in operation. Andstly, that people from the upper heavens are already in the Third Heaven. Not everyone noticed these implications, but those that did were greatly shocked.

    "Although it took some effort, I was able to extract a lot of information from Zhan Shichai, the former leader of the Silent Rippers, including the names of the people who hired them. However, I will give the culprits a chance to step forward and admit their mistakes. If you do so, I will lessen the punishment." Patriarch Lin spoke in a loud and clear voice, but he had just spoken two lies just now.

    First of all, no matter how much they tortured Zhan Shichai, they were unable to extract any information from him. Secondly, they did not know the culprits behind this whole fiasco.

    In other words, Patriarch Lin was bluffing to trick the culprits into revealing themselves.

    This was a cheap and sly tactic, but it was effective and Patriarch Lin had no time to spare. After all, the quicker he deals with this situation the more likely that Yuan wouldn''t wipe the Lin Family from the face of this world.

    Lin Minghai and Steward Jin looked at each other again, and on their faces showed absolute despair and desperation.

    ''Steward Jin, you fucking useless bastard!'' Lin Minghai cried inwardly, silently cursing his most reliable servant, something he has never done before.

    ''What the hell is happening?! Even if that Xiao Yang had help from the Tian Family, they shouldn''t have the capability to defeat the Silent Rippers, much less capture their leader, Zhan Shichai!'' Steward Jin had a hysterical look on his face from being unable toprehend the situation, and he felt so weak that he was on the verge of copsing on the spot.

 Chapter 1088 The Man Responsible

    After a moment of silence, Patriarch Lin spoke in a booming voice, "Thirty seconds! The ones responsible for putting our Lin Family in this situation have thirty seconds to get up here and admit to their crimes! If you do so, we will spare you from the death penalty!"

    ''The death penalty?!'' Lin Minghai cried inwardly. He could''ve never expected things to get out of control so quickly, nor could he have anticipated such a severe punishment.

    ''That bastard came from the upper heavens? No wonder why he dares to act so brazenly!'' Steward Jin gritted his teeth in fear.

    However, he wasn''tpletely hopeless, as he had made some preparations just in case this kind of situation would happen.

    "Ten seconds left!" Patriarch Lin''s voice rippled in the room, causing the walls to tremble slightly.

    "Five¡­ Four¡­ Three¡ª"

    "I did it! It was me! I was the one who hired the Silent Rippers!" A clear voice suddenly resounded, and everyone in the room turned to look at the person who just spoke.

    This person began making his way towards the front of the room.

    Once he was before Patriarch Lin, the middle-aged man kneeled and kissed the floor with his forehead.

    "This lowly servant is responsible for the mess. Please punish me as you see fit, Patriarch."

    Patriarch Lin narrowed his eyes at the middle-aged man before him with a pondering face.

    A moment of silenceter, he spoke, "I don''t recognize you. Identify yourself."

    It wasn''t weird for Patriarch Lin to not recognize the face of every servant in the Lin Family due to the sheer number of them.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    "This lowly servant is called Wu Jie. I have been a servant of the Lin Family for 15 years now."

    "Why did you hire the Silent Rippers?"

    "Because it felt like the right thing to do, especially after their attempt to smear the Lin Family''s name and reputation by associating us with the bandits." Wu Jie exined in a calm voice.

    "Your foolish actions have done far more damage than any rumors could." Patriarch Lin shook his head.

    Patriarch Lin actually could tell by the way Wu Jie acted that he wasn''t the true culprit, but he couldn''t care less and only wanted someone to take the fall and face Yuan''s wrath, and the Lin Family wouldn''t lose out on anything by losing a single servant.

    "Follow me."

    Patriarch Lin turned around and walked out of the room, followed by Wu Jie.

    Once Patriarch Lin was gone and the atmosphere returned to normal, the others could finally take a breather.

    Lin Minghai immediately approached Steward Jin and asked him in a low voice, "W-What the hell just happened?"

    "I will exin itter. Let''s go elsewhere first, Young Master."

    "Alright."

    They left the room and went somewhere more private.

    "Who was that Wu Jie? Why did he admit to something he did notmit?" Lin Minghai asked with a puzzled look on his face.

    A cold smile appeared on Steward Jin''s face as he spoke, "A lowly servant¡­ It''s not hard to make them do things."<sub> </sub>

    Lin Minghai stared at Steward Jin in a dazed manner for a moment before he burst outughing, "You''re evil, but I really appreciate what you''ve done for us, Steward Jin! I don''t even want to imagine what could''ve happened to us if you didn''t do such a thing!"

    "I will do anything to keep you safe, Young Master." Steward Jin continued to smile.

    And for the next few days, Patriarch Lin would keep Wu Jie locked up in their private prison until the day Yuan returned to their household.

    A few dayster.

    "Alright, it''s about time I check up on the Lin Family. You don''t have toe with me if you don''t want to." Yuan said to Tian Yanyu as he walked to their front gate.

    "I aming with you." Tian Yanyu insisted with a stern-looking expression on her face.

    "I am alsoing with you, and this is not up for debate.." Tian Suyin suddenly said.

    "If my daughter and wife are going, I can''t stay behind now, can I?" Tian Xianzu sighed.

    Yuan smiled. "The more the merrier."

    Thus, Yuan and the entire Tian Family began making their way to the Lin Family, attracting much attention from the pedestrians they passed as they got closer to their destination.

    News of the Tian Family confronting the Lin Family quickly began spreading throughout the entire city like wildfire.

    When the other Legacy Families heard the news, they began paying more attention to the situation.

    Although the Tian Family was too small to attract their interest, they wanted to see how the Lin Family was going to handle the situation, as the recent rumors have really tanked their reputation within the city.

    When Yuan and the Tian Family arrived at the Lin Family''s front gate, the Lin Family was already waiting for them outside.

    "Wee back to our humble estate, Young Master." Lin Chunhua greeted him with a bright smile.

    "Let''s cut to the chase. Have you found the person who is responsible?" Yuan asked.

    Tian Suyin and Tian Xianzu were on the verge of a nervous breakdown when they saw how Yuan behaved before the Lin Family.

    Lin Chunhua turned to look at Patriarch Lin, who nodded and said, "We have found the man responsible for hiring the Silent Rippers. Before we punish him, we''d like to give you the chance to do so."

    "Let''s go somewhere more private, shall we?" Lin Chunhua asked him.

    "Sure." Yuan nodded.

    They proceeded to enter the Lin Family''s estate.

    Patriarch Lin brought Yuan and the Tian Family to theirrgest guest room and said to them, "I have already requested for the perpetrator to be transported here. Please give us a few minutes."

    "I understand." Yuan nodded.

    Tian Xianzu and Tian Suyin almost couldn''t believe what they were witnessing right now.

    ''Am I dreaming or something? There''s no way the Lin Family is acting this respectful to us¡­ No, to him¡­'' Tian Suyin nced at Yuan with a pondering gaze.

 Chapter 1089 The Man Responsible(2)

    ''I knew he was someone special, but to think he was this special¡­'' Tian Xianzu swallowed nervously as he sat in the Lin Family''s guest room.

    Both Tian Xianzu and Tian Suyin held their breaths as they waited for the Lin Family to bring in the ''culprit''.

    A few minutester, a middle-aged man with a somewhat nk look on his face was escorted into the room while his hands and legs were chained, and he appeared to have been beaten quite badly.

    "This servant is Wu Jie, and he imed responsibility for hiring the Silent Rippers. His reason being the recent rumors that have been spreading about our Lin Family. In other words, he wanted revenge." Patriarch Lin said.

    Yuan narrowed his eyes at Wu Jie, causing him to tremble.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

    "Xiao Yang¡­ I don''t think he''s the culprit¡­" Tian Yanyu whispered in his ears.

    Even she could tell at nce that this servant wasn''t responsible for it.

    "Take a seat." Yuan gestured for Wu Jie to sit before them.

    Wu Jie didn''t dare to getfortable, but Lin Chunhua insisted, "If the Young Master tells you to take a seat, you will take a seat."

    Wu Jie quickly nodded his head and walked to the chair in small steps.

    Once he was seated, Yuan retrieved the Grail of Truth and ced it on the table.

    "I will now ask you several questions, and you will answer them truthfully." Yuan said to him.

    Wu Jie nodded.

    "Is your name Wu Jie?" Yuan asked a momentter.

    "Yes¡­"

    The Grail of Truth remained still.

    "Did Patriarch Lin or Ancestor Lin force you to be here and y the role of culprit?"

    "N-No! They did not!" Wu Jie said in a nervous voice.

    Seeing no reaction from the Grail of Truth, Yuan continued, "Are you really the person responsible for hiring the Silent Rippers?"

    "Yes, I am responsible." Wu Jie spoke with a somewhat defeated look on his face.

    The Grail of Truth immediately pulsated with light.

    Yuan smiled and said, "You''re lying to me."

    Wu Jie''s eyes widened with shock, and he roared, "N-No! I am not lying! I swear that I am responsible! I was the one who hired the Silent Rippers to attack the Tian Family!"

    The lighting from the Grail of Truth only became brighter as Wu Jie lied more.

    "What is the meaning of th¡ª" Lin Chunhua tried to question Wu Jie, but Yuan stopped him with a simple gesture.

    "Please, allow me to ask him the questions."

    "Alright¡­" Lin Chunhua stepped back and began ring at Patriarch Lin with a threatening re, causing him to swallow nervously.

    "Why are you lying? Why would you im responsibility for something you didn''t do? Who are you trying to cover for?" Yuan asked Wu Jie, who could only silently shake his head now because he knew that his lies would be exposed if he uttered even a single word.<sub> </sub>

    "Either you''re so incredibly loyal to the person you''re trying to protect that you''d be willing to sacrifice your life for them, or you''re being forced to do so. Which is it?" Yuan asked.

    "Please¡­ I am really responsible¡­ you have to believe me¡­" Wu Jie spoke in a low voice, sounding as though he was on the verge of crying.

    Yuan turned to look at Lin Chunhua and spoke in a cold voice, "What is the meaning of this? Do you think I am foolish enough to believe this farce, or did you expect me to just ept it as it is?"

    "Neither!" Lin Chunhua roared.

    He approached Wu Jie and continued, "I will swear upon my surname and soul that I will protect you from whoever you''re trying to protect. Tell us¡ª why are you lying?"

    "I will also guarantee your safety." Patriarch Lin suddenly added.

    Upon hearing these words, Wu Jie immediately broke out in tears and bawled his eyes out.

    "My family was taken from me! My wife and my daughter are taken as hostages! They told me that if I don''t take the me they would sell my wife and daughter to the worst brothels in the city!" Wu Jie cried out loud.

    Lin Chunhua gritted his teeth in anger upon hearing this information.

    "Which bastard within the Lin Family dares to do something so vile?! Tell me!" He roared, causing the entire room to shake.

    "S-Steward Jin!" Wu Jie blurted this name out loud, feeling as though a mountain had been lifted from his chest.

    "What?!" Patriarch Lin eximed.

    "Who is this Steward Jin? I don''t recognize this name." Lin Chunhua immediately asked for more information.

    "Steward Jin is one of our most loyal servants. He''s currently serving Lin Minghai, my son¡­" Patriarch Lin muttered in a low voice.

    There was no way he could hide this information since everyone knew about it. If he tried to hide it from Lin Chunhua, it would immediately be exposed as a lie, and he would experience his father''s wrath.

    "Don''t tell me your son¡­" Lin Chunhua''s body trembled in anger.

    "W-Wait! He only said Steward Jin''s name! While it''s true that he works directly for my son, there''s no evidence that suggests my son is part of this farce! For all we know, Wu Jie could be lying about this whole thing!" Patriarch Lin eximed.

    "Then why don''t we speak with this Steward Jin and see for ourselves what he has to say about this situation?" Yuan suddenly said.

    And he continued, "Also, he isn''t lying."

    Yuan suddenly pointed at the chains restricting Wu Jie.

    He released some of his Sword Qi the following moment, cutting the chains apart.

    "It would be in the Lin Family''s best interest topensate this man for his troubles."

    Lin Chunhua nodded, "I will personallypensate him once all of this is over. You have my word."

    "Then let''s call for this Steward Jin, shall we?" Yuan smiled.

    Patriarch Lin immediately summoned Steward Jin to their room.

    Sometimeter, a man with a naturally cunning face entered the room, his entire body already drenched in sweat.

 Chapter 1090 The Man Responsible(3)

    "Greetings, Patriarch Lin¡ª"

    "Save your breath. You''ll need it." Patriarch Lin interrupted with a cold expression on his face.

    Steward Jin swallowed nervously before turning to look inside the room, and that was when he noticed an exhausted-looking man sitting in the middle of the room.

    Steward Jin immediately recognized this man to be the one he forced to take the me for the incident, and his body began squeezing out every ounce of sweat it contained once he realized the situation.

    "What''s wrong, Steward Jin? Do you recognize this servant?" Lin Chunhua pretended to be ignorant and asked.

    "Y-Yes¡­ He''s one of many servants in the Lin Family¡­" Steward Jin responded in a shaky voice.

    "Is that all? What else can you tell me about him?" Patriarch Lin continued to ask.

    "I¡­"

    However, Steward Jin couldn''t utter another word out of his mouth.

    "Let''s stop this pointless chatter and get straight to the point. Wu Jie, is this man, Steward Jin, the individual who forced you to take the me?" Lin Chunhua suddenly said.

    Wu Jie nced at Steward Jin, seemingly hesitant to respond.

    "Don''t forget, both you and your family have our full support." Patriarch Lin reminded him.

    Wu Jie nodded, and after taking a deep breath, he spoke, "Yes, he is the man who threatened my family."

    "THAT''S A LOAD OF BULLSHIT!" Steward Jin subconsciously roared out loud.

    When he realized what he''d just done, he quickly followed it up, "Patriarch! Ancestor! That man is speaking nonsense! I never threatened him! I am being framed!"

    And before they could respond, Steward Jin pointed at Wu Jie and continued, "You im that I''d threatened your family, but what proof do you have to back that im?! How dare you try and frame me! A mere servant!"

    The room became dead silent.

    A calm voice broke the silence a momentter, "There is only one proof we need."

    "What?"

    Steward Jin shifted his gaze to the handsome young man sitting on the other side of Wu Jie.

    Yuan pointed at the Grail of Truth resting on the table and continued, "He''s not lying, and that is all I need to know that you''re guilty."

    "Now tell me, are you solely responsible for this mess, or are there others?"

    "..."

    Steward Jin didn''t dare to speak, as he didn''t want to drag his master to hell with him.

    However, Lin Chunhua wasn''t having any of this, and he grabbed Steward Jin by the neck before lifting him into the air.

    "SPEAK! WHO ELSE IS RESPONSIBLE?!"

    "N-Nobody! I am the only one responsible!" He muttered.

    The Grail of Truth immediately began pulsating with light.

    When Lin Chunhua saw this, his expression turned cold, and he suddenly tossed Steward Jin across the room.

    The room shook slightly when Steward Jin''s body mmed into the wall, leaving behind arge crack on it.

    Patriarch Lin approached Steward Jin and spoke in a low voice, "If you tell us the truth, I might spare you the death penalty."<sub> </sub>

    Feeling as though a dim light had appeared in his seemingly pitch ck situation, Steward Jin became hopeful that he might survive this ordeal.

    "On the other hand, if you don''t, I will personally torture you for a hundred years." Lin Chunhua suddenly said.

    Steward Jin''s body trembled in fear upon hearing such horrifying words, and he subconsciously muttered out loud, "M-Minghai! Young Master Lin Minghai is also responsible!"

    The temperature in the room suddenly dropped significantly, and Patriarch Lin mumbled in a low voice, "Minghai¡­? He''s also responsible for this?"This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    Patriarch Lin didn''t want to believe that his son was involved with the Silent Rippers, but somewhere deep within him believed otherwise.

    "Lin Minghai¡­ Although I don''t recognize this name, since he has the Lin Family''s surname, is he a direct descendant?" Lin Chunhua asked his son, who nodded in a stiff manner.

    "Yes¡­ He''s my son¡­"

    "..."

    After a moment of silence, Lin Chunhua spoke, "I don''t care if he''s your son or your wife. If he''s responsible, he will take responsibility. Bring him here."

    Patriarch Lin had no choice but to summon Lin Minghai to the room.

    Several minutester, Lin Minghai entered the room.

    "Greetings¡ª"

    A clear sound rippled in the room almost immediately after Lin Minghai opened his mouth.

    Lin Minghai looked at his father with a look of disbelief on his face after realizing that he''d just been pped in the face.

    "Father¡­?" Lin Minghai mumbled.

    "Absolutely useless! You''re a disgrace to the entire family!" Patriarch Lin uttered in a cold and disdaining voice.

    It was at this moment Lin Minghai noticed the other figures in the room, and when he saw the expression on Steward Jin''s face, he instantly realized his situation.

    "W-Wait! I can exin!"

    "So you''re not even going to deny it?" Lin Chunhua said.

    "I¡­" Lin Minghai was speechless. If Steward Jin had given him up, there was no way he could talk his way out of this. The only thing he could do is hope that they wouldn''t kill him because of the Lin Family''s blood that is currently running through his veins.

    "This was all Steward Jin''s idea. I merely followed it."

    "No matter if you came up with the idea yourself or you''re simply going along with it, you''re just as guilty." Lin Chunhua sneered.

    He turned to look at Patriarch Li and continued, "You have assured the Young Master that you will punish the culprit with death regardless of their identity, and your son is no exception. But since he is your son, I will allow you the courtesy to end his life."

    "As for you¡­"

    Lin Chunhua suddenly looked at Steward Jin.

    Whoosh!

    Before Steward Jin could even open his mouth, Lin Chunhua tossed his sword that was aimed directly at Steward Jin''s heart, pinning him into the wall and killing him instantly.

    Lin Minghai fell on his buttocks when he saw this, and he even pissed his own pants.

    "P-Please have mercy, father!" Lin Minghai crawled to Patriarch Lin''s feet and began begging for his life.

 Chapter 1091 Killing Lin Minghai

    "You are pleading to the wrong person for mercy." Patriarch Lin kicked his feet, sending Lin Minghai flying.

    Lin Minghai immediately stood back up and rushed to Tian Yanyu''s side before kneeling before her with his face full of tears and snot.

    "Please! Have mercy, Lady Tian! I was wrong! I promise that I will never bother you again if you spare my life!"

    Tian Yanyu remained seated on the couch with a calm expression on her face as she silently watched Lin Minghai plead for his life with his knees kissing the floor.

    This was a scene that she''d seen multiple times in her dreams, but she never imagined that it could be a reality.

    However, as much as she wanted to kill him, she wasn''t sure if that was a good decision, especially since the Lin Family could hold a grudge against her family for killing Lin Minghai.

    She turned to look at her family for advice.

    Unfortunately, both her parents were still frozen stiff from fear because of their situation.

    Tian Yanyu proceeded to shift her attention to Yuan, who calmly smiled before speaking, "Just speak your heart''s desire. No matter your decision, I will protect you and your family."

    When she saw the calmness on Yuan''s face, Tian Yanyu also called down.

    "Okay." She nodded before turning to look at Lin Minghai, whose face was filled with tears and snot.

    "You have been a thorn in my life for many years now, and I cannot count the amount of times that I wanted to kill you with my own hands. However, Icked both the power and courage."

    After taking a deep breath, she continued, "But things are different now."

    A cold light flickered within her gaze, and she stood up before facing Lin Minghai.

    "I wanted to kill you when you tried to bully me into submission. I wanted to kill you when you messed with my family. I have been wanting to pierce your neck with my sword for many years now, and now that I have the chance, it wouldn''t make sense for me to refuse."

    Tian Yanyu retrieved her sword from her spatial ring.

    "Hiii!" Lin Minghai fell on his buttocks again, and he started kicking his feet at the floor, pushing himself away from Tian Yanyu.

    "F-Father! Are you really going to let her kill me?! I am a descendant of the Lin Family! I am your son! You must save me!" Lin Minghai turned to look at Patriarch Lin for help, but his face froze when he saw that Patriarch Lin wasn''t even looking at him.

    In fact, Patriarch Lin appeared to be ignoring him on purpose.

    Seeing this, Lin Minghai knew that his fate was sealed and that he was doomed.

    "Please¡­ Lady Tian¡­ Spare my insignificant¡ª"

    Whoosh!

    Tian Yanyu suddenly took arge step towards Lin Minghai while thrusting her sword at him.

    Her cold de prated his neck and came out the other end.

    After skewering Lin Minghai''s neck with her sword, Tian Yanyu flicked her arm, decapting Lin Minghaipletely with one swift and decisive movement.

    Lin Minghai''s headless body copsed on the floor a momentter, and not wanting his blood to dirty the room, Lin Chunhua sealed the fatal injury.<sub> </sub>

    Tian Suyin snapped out of her daze after hearing the sound of Lin Minghai''s head fall to the ground.

    "Yanyu¡­ You¡­" She was in disbelief, and she feared the Lin Family''s retribution.

    The room fell silent once again.

    Sometimeter, Yuan stood up and said to the Lin Family, "Thank you for upholding your promise. I will consider this whole situation settled now, and I will not fault the Lin Family any more."

    Lin Chunhua bowed to him, "We only did what was natural."

    "Then we will be leaving now." Yuan proceeded to walk towards the door only to stop at the door.

    He turned around and continued speaking, "Just a reminder, the Tian Family is under my protection. Any harm towards them and I will consider it a personal attack on me."

    "Please be at ease, Young Master. The Lin Family will not touch the Tian Family. In fact, we will evenpensate them for whatever damage we''ve caused them." Lin Chunhua said.

    "I-It''s okay. We appreciate the offer, but what''s done is already done. Let''s not dwell on the past and keep moving forward." Tian Xianzu said with a stiff smile on his face.

    As enticing as Lin Chunhua''s offer was, Tian Xianzu wanted to end all rtionships with the Lin Family as soon as possible. And as long as nobody deliberately messes with their business, they will eventually recover all of their losses.

    Yuan and the Tian Family left the Lin Family shortly after and returned to their own territory.

    Lin Chunhua turned to look at Wu Jie and said, "You will also forget everything that transpired here today. I promise the Lin Family will not touch you or your family for as long as you keep your mouth shut."

    "Yes! Please excuse me!" Wu Jie bowed to them before running out of the room.

    "Tell the family and others that your son had died in an ident." Lin Chunhua said to Patriarch Lin once they were alone.

    "I know," Patriarch Lin sighed.

    "Let today be a lesson. This is what happens when one offends someone from the upper heavens. We''re lucky to get away with just two dead bodies. If he wanted to, he could''ve eradicated our entire family."? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    "I know¡­" Patriarch Lin repeated in a spiritless voice.

    "I will give you some time to rest. We''ll talk again in a few days." Lin Chunhua disappeared from the room shortly after.

    Later that night, while Lin Chunhua was in his room cultivating and trying to forget about the whole incident, he suddenly sensed a presence appeared in his room like a ghost, forcing him to stop his cultivation.

    "Who''s there?!" He shouted as he snapped his eyes open.

    However, there was nobody else in the room.

    ''Am I being paranoid?'' He wondered inwardly.

    Lin Chunhua closed his eyes and resumed his cultivation shortly after,pletely unaware of the figure¡ª an old man standing behind him like a ghost.

    ''Atst, I''ve finally found you, Master...'' A profound smile appeared on the old man''s face as he secretly consumed Lin Chunhua''s memories, taking them for himself.

 Chapter 1092 Vanishing Demon

    After leaving the Lin Family''s residence, Yuan and the Tian Family went straight back to their own residence.

    None of them spoke a word to each other during the whole journey back, and when they finally returned to their residence, the Tian Family could finally take a breather.

    Tian Yanyu fell on her knees the moment they entered the residence, and she would stare at her hands that had been trembling nonstop since she killed Lin Minghai.

    ''I still cannot believe it¡­ Did I really kill Lin Minghai with my own hands? Am I actually dreaming? If this is a dream, I do not wish to wake up from it¡­'' She sighed inwardly.

    Seeing Tian Yanyu on her knees, Yuan approached her and offered her a hand.

    "Are you okay?" He asked.

    Tian Yanyu lifted her head to look at him without moving the rest of her body, and she mumbled in a low voice, "Who are you, really¡­?"

    Yuan chuckled, "You''ve asked me that same question so many times that I lost count now."

    "Then allow me to ask you. Just who are you, really? And why are you helping us? I swear, if you give me that same bullshit¡ª" Tian Suyin said.

    "Does it really matter?" Tian Xianzu suddenly interrupted.

    "Honestly, I don''t care about his identity. The only thing that I know is that he''d helped us deal with the Lin Family, finally giving our Tian Family some peace."

    "Peace?" Tian Suyin sneered, "Do you really believe the Lin Family will just sit back and act as though nothing had happened today? We killed one of their direct descendants! And it was even done inside their own home! It may not happen tomorrow or even a decade from now, but they will definitely settle this debt one day!"

    "We will deal with it when that day actuallyes. For now, let''s just rx and take full advantage of this peace." Tian Xianzu said with a bittersweet smile on his face.

    "I¡­ I have to agree with Father, Mother." Tian Yanyu suddenly said.

    "Lin Minghai would not have stopped until I was groveling at his feet, so our family would have to deal with the Lin Family regardless of what happened today. As for Xiao Yang''s true identity¡­ Despite my question just now, I don''t really care about that anymore. While it''s true that I am curious, I won''t pursue it if he doesn''t want to reveal it. As long as he isn''t a threat to us, I couldn''t care less about his identity."

    Tian Yanyu stood back up and red at Yuan with clear eyes.This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    "Thank you, Xiao Yang. Because of you, I was able to turn my dream into a reality and kill Lin Minghai. Now I won''t have any more nightmares about him. If there''s anything that I can do for you, don''t hesitate to ask, as I am now indebted to you."

    Yuan shook his head, "No, you don''t owe me anything. In the first ce, I helped you because of a debt my family owed your family."

    "Then you can consider that debt fully repaid." Tian Yanyu smiled.

    "Hmph." Tian Suyin snorted, "Now that you no longer owe our family any debt, you may leave."

    "I-Ignore her! You can stay here for as long as you''d like, Xiao Yang!" Tian Yanyu quickly said.

    "Thank you. Then if you don''t mind, I would like to stay here for a little longer until I figure out my next steps."

    "Didn''t you say that you''d like to visit my sect¡ª the Jade Sword Manor? We can do that next!" Tian Yanyu recalled.

    "Alright, when do you n on bringing me there?"

    "We can go back as soon as tomorrow if you want."<sub> </sub>

    "Sure." Yuan nodded.

    That night, Yuan logged off to notify Meixiu and the others about his ns.

    "How long do you n on staying with this family?" Chu Liuxiang asked him.

    "I''m not sure yet, but I will let you know the moment I do."

    "Then I will continue cultivating at the Cultivators'' Haven until you return. I''ve made significant progress in my cultivation, so much so that I was going to ask you to go on without me for a while longer."

    "Me too." Meixiu said.

    "That''s perfectly fine. In fact, if you wish to continue cultivating in seclusion even after I am done with the Tian Family, just let me know. It will benefit you more than just following me around, after all."

    "Then it''s decided! Meixiu, let''s have a race to see who has the most breakthroughs!"

    Chu Liuxiang suddenly said.

    "Sure¡­?" Meixiu mumbled with raised eyebrows.

    Meanwhile, Lin Chunhua was losing his memories without even being aware of it.

    ''Master is currently being hunted¡­'' The old man sighed inwardly when he realized the situation through Lin Chunhua''s memories.

    He wasn''t worried about the Seven Legacy Families, but with peopleing from the upper heavens was a different story.

    ''He won''t be able to handle the upper heavens in his current state, but they also don''t know the Master''s identity in this life yet¡­ I must keep it that way for as long as possible.''

    ''Looks like I will have to wait a little longer before I can see you again, Master..."

    "How troublesome." The old man subconsciously sighed out loud.

    "Who?!"

    His subconscious sigh alerted and startled Lin Chunhua, who quickly attacked behind him without even looking.

    The old man avoided the attack with ease before distancing himself from Lin Chunhua.

    Lin Chunhua didn''t immediately attack the old man again, mostly because he was feeling apprehensive about the whole situation.

    This old man was able to enter his room and get behind him without alerting him until the idental sigh, which is more than enough to tell Lin Chunhua that he was dealing with someone he couldn''t fathom.

    "You¡­ Who are you?" He asked after swallowing nervously.

    The old man smiled and said, "I have many names, but you may call me Vanishing Demon."

    "Vanishing¡­ Demon?" Lin Chunhua forcefully swallowed again.

 Chapter 1093 Vanishing Demon(2)

    Lin Chunhua felt an intense sense of dread coarse through his body as he stood before the old man known as the Vanishing Demon. With hundreds of years of experience, he instinctively knew the old man was bad news.

    Despite being one of the most powerful cultivators in the Third Heaven, he felt powerless, almost as though he''d gone back to the days when he was just a young and ignorant cultivator who''d just encountered a powerful beast that he had no hopes of defeating by himself.

    "Vanishing¡­ No, Senior Vanishing Demon, what business do you have with me?"

    A slight smile appeared on Vanishing Demon''s face, "You are a smart one, Lin Chunhua. Despite your status within this realm, you still remember how to be humble. People like you are rare in the upper heavens. If it weren''t for this characteristic of yours, the Lin Family would have perished."

    ''He knows me?'' Lin Chunhua doesn''t recall introducing himself, and this was definitely their first meeting.

    "Anyways, I am here to keep my Master safe." Vanishing Demon spoke.

    "Your Master?" Lin Chunhua raised an eyebrow.

    Who could possibly have someone this powerful under them in this small realm?

    "Yes, and you''ve met him already. In fact, he was here just earlier today."

    "Y-You mean that young man¡­?"

    Yuan''s image shed inside Lin Chunhua''s head.

    Then he realized something, "W-Wait¡­ To keep him safe? Why do you need to see me to do that? Are you worried that I might retaliate against him because of what happened today? I swear on my surname that I will not do such a thing!"

    Vanishing Demon chuckled, "Retaliate? Even the Celestial Emperor couldn''t defeat him, much less the Lin Family."

    "The Celestial Emperor¡­? Just who are you guys¡­?" Lin Chunhua was speechless.

    "Just a few ambitious individuals trying to do what they think is best for this world." Vanishing Demon smiled.

    "Anyways, my business here is finished. You will be questioned about me in the near future, but don''t worry, you won''t remember a thing about our conversation just now, and it will be like our meeting had never even happened."

    "What do you mean by¡ª"

    Before Lin Chunhua could even finish his sentence, Vanishing Demon disappeared from his room like a ghost.

    He stood there with a dazed look on his face.

    Several momentster, Lin Chunhua snapped out of his daze, and he proceeded to look around the room with a confused expression on his face.

    ''Why am I standing here? I was cultivating just a second ago¡­'' He wondered inwardly.

    He decided to not think too much about it and returned to his cultivation with all of his memories regarding Yuan erased from his memories.

    However, he still remembered the Tian Family, as well as the incident with them, just not the person who was behind it.

    After leaving Lin Chunhua''s room, Vanishing Demon visited other people within the Lin Family, starting with Patriarch Lin.

    Once he acquired Patriarch Lin''s memories, he went on to steal the memories of everyone that knew about Yuan''s existence, leaving no stones untouched.

    Once he cleaned up the entire Lin Family, Vanishing Demon did not take a moment to rest and immediately went to his next target¡ª the other Legacy Families.

    After spending a few daysbing through everyone in the Seven Legacy Families, Vanishing Demon went to his final destination, the Ji Family.

    "Who are you?! How did you get in here?!" The ''Lord Ji'' of this realm was greatly startled when Vanishing Demon suddenly appeared before him like a ghost.

    "Don''t mind me. I think I wandered in here by ident." Vanishing Demon said with a smile.

    "Do you really expect me to believe such an excuse? Identify yourself!" Lord Ji shouted as he withdrew his weapon and pointed it at Vanishing Demon.

    Vanishing Demon narrowed his eyes slightly and spoke in a calm yet cold voice, "A child such as yourself shouldn''t y around with sharp objects. I advise you to put away that toy of yours before you get hurt."<sub> </sub>

    "I will give you three seconds to identify yourself!" Lord Ji ignored Vanishing Demon''s words and continued pointing his sword at him.

    Vanishing Demon shook his head and sighed, "You people from the Ji Family are always the same."

    A vicious light suddenly flickered within Vanishing Demon''s eyes.

    "Eh?"

    Lord Ji turned to look at his right arm after he felt an odd sensation from it, and to his absolute horror, his entire arm had disappeared into thin air along with his weapon. However, he didn''t utter a single cry and managed to endure the pain.

    "I''ve never liked the Ji Family. A bunch ofp-dogs for the Celestial Emperor, yet you act as though you rule the Nine Heavens." Vanishing Demon sneered in a mocking tone.

    "Fortunately for you, I am in a good mood since I have finally found my Master, so I am going to spare your life."

    "You¡­ Who are you?" Lord Ji asked with gritted teeth.

    Vanishing Demon smiled and responded with a prideful aura around him, "Vanishing Demon."

    Lord Ji frowned, "Vanishing Demon? Never heard of you. Why are you doing this? When did my Ji Family offend someone like you?"

    "How about Evil God''s Shadow Army? Have you heard of them?"

    "WHAT?!"

    A look of tremendous terror appeared on Lord Ji''s face after hearing this name.

    "Impossible! The Evil God''s Shadow Army is just a legend¡ª one that doesn''t even exist in this world!"

    "It doesn''t matter if you believe it or not. After all, you won''t remember anything after I am done with you."

    "I won''t remember anything¡­?" Lord Ji recalled a certain individual that was frequently mentioned when one spoke about the Evil God''s Shadow Army.

    ording to the legend, the Evil God''s Shadow Army, which was the Evil God''s most powerful and secretive force, was managed by a nameless entity that had the ability to steal one''s memories.

    "I see¡­ So you''re that nameless monster who can steal one''s memories¡­ However, that doesn''t exin why you''re here¡­"

    Vanishing Demon smiled, "There is only one purpose for the Evil God''s Shadow Army¡ª to protect the Evil God, our Master. Now that you have this knowledge, my reason for being here should be obvious to you now."

    "No way¡­ The Evil God¡­ He''s back?" Lord Ji had a look of disbelief on his face.

    "He has returned yet not at the same time. However, it will only be a matter of time before he officially returns, and when that happens, the Nine Heavens will be his to control."

    Lord Ji was speechless.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

    "Anyways, I have said enough. Once I am finished here, I will finally reunite with the Evil God."

    "Wai¡ª"

    Lord Ji opened his mouth, but he stopped speaking and moving and became dazed before he could even finish uttering his first word.

    When he snapped out of it, all of his memories of Yuan and his conversation with Vanishing Demon no longer existed.

    Naturally, this meant that he''d forgotten about Heaven''s Judgment and that he was supposed to find and hunt Yuan.

    In just a few days, Vanishing Demon had managed to erase Yuan''s existence from the Third Heaven.

    "Now that I''ve brought you some more time, it''s about time we met, Master Tian¡­"

    Vanishing Demon disappeared into the night after he was finished with the Ji Family.

 Chapter 1094 Jade Sword Manor

    The day after the incident at the Lin Family, Yuan left the Tian Family with Tian Suyin and Tian Yanyu.

    "Are you sure you want to stay behind? What if the Lin Family attacks while we are away?" Tian Suyin looked at her husband with a worried expression.

    "Stop being so paranoid. I have a good feeling the Lin Family won''t bother us." He nodded with a calm smile.

    Sometimeter, they left the residence and went to the nearest city teleporter.

    "Before we arrive at the sect, I want you to remember some rules." Tian Suyin said to Yuan after they exited the teleporter and made their way to the Jade Sword Sect.

    <o>,m "One, you will not wander the sect alone. Two, you will have someone with you at all times."</o>

    She turned to look at Tian Yanyu and continued, "Since you agreed to let him in the sect, he''ll be your responsibility. Don''t let him out of your sight."

    "I know¡­"

    Yuan couldn''t help but smile, "Why do you have to make it sound like I have some ulterior motive for visiting your sect?"

    "You don''t?"

    "I don''t."

    "I don''t believe you." Tian Suyin snorted.

    Yuan casually shrugged.

    Once they arrived at the sect, Tian Suyin said to Tian Yanyu, "Don''t forget about the uing event. There will be a briefing about it tomorrow."

    "I know."

    Tian Suyin went ahead into the sect and quickly disappeared from their sights.

    "Let''s get you checked into the sect as a guest first." Tian Yanyu said to Yuan.

    "Okay."

    Yuan proceeded to follow her into the sect.

    Sometimeter, they stopped above arge building.

    "This is our administration building. Once we check you in, you''ll be given a guest uniform. You''ll have to wear this uniform for as long as you are within the sect." Tian Yanyu exined to him as they descended in front of the building.

    The moment they entered the building, Yuan could feel multiple pairs of eyes staring in their direction.

    "Disciple Yanyu! You''re back in the sect, and you''re okay!" An old man with short white hair rushed over when he noticed them.

    "Hello, Elder Meng. Of course I am fine. Why wouldn''t I be?" Tian Yanyu showed him a friendly smile.

    "Why wouldn''t you be?" Elder Meng looked at her with wide eyes.

    "There''s a rumor going around that the Lin Family has captured you and is holding you prisoner! Did that not happen?"

    "I wouldn''t be here if I was captured, now would I? I don''t know where that rumor came from, but it''s not true."

    "That''s relieving to hear. Then the rumor about your family starting a fight with the Lin Family is also false, right?"

    "That''s¡­ true. However, it''s already been settled."<sub> </sub>

    "That doesn''t sound assuring. However, now that you''re back in the sect, even the Lin Family cannot touch you. We''ve warned you multiple times to not leave the sect, but s¡­" Elder Meng shook his head.

    He then shifted his gaze to the handsome young man standing behind her.

    "Who''s this young man? Your boyfriend?"

    Tian Yanyu chuckled, "This is Xiao Yang, a guest in my family, and he''s also our savior. I brought him here because he wanted to look at our sect."

    "Xiao Yang, this is Elder Meng. He''s a close friend of my mother, and he used to be my tutor even before I came to the sect."

    Tian Yanyu introduced them to each other.

    ''She didn''t deny it¡­'' Elder Meng could only think about how Tian Yanyu had ignored his earlierment calling Yuan her boyfriend, something she would usually deny on the spot and even get angry about it.

    ''Just who is this Xiao Yang? How interesting¡­'' He smiled inwardly.

    "Anyways, can you help him with the procedures?" Tian Yanyu asked a momentter.

    "Sure thing. Follow me, Xiao Yang."

    Yuan followed Elder Meng to one of the tables, where he would give some information about himself to the sect.

    ''P-Peak Spirit King?!'' Elder Meng''s jaw dropped to the floor when he saw Yuan''s cultivation on the paper.

    He turned to look at Yuan, and sure enough, the aura of a Spirit King was emanating from Yuan''s body, but he couldn''t tell the exact level.

    ''He''s not even 20 years old, and he''s already a peak Spirit King? Where did such a monstere from, and howe I have never heard of him until today?'' Elder Meng''s trembling hands began sweating as he learned more about Yuan. He was beginning to understand why Tian Yanyu seemed to treat him differently.

    Sometimeter, Elder Meng returned to Yuan with his new uniform.

    The majority of the uniform was ck with a golden sword around his chest area.

    "Here is your guest uniform. Please wear this for as long as you''re within the sect. This way, we know that you''re a guest. We have a changing room right over there." Elder Meng pointed to the door at the end of the room.

    "I understand."

    Yuan immediately went to change his clothes.

    "You gave him the honorable guest uniform? Even though you know nothing about him?" Tian Yanyu asked Elder Meng when she saw the ck uniform in Yuan''s hands.

    "Regardless of their identity, if they''re a peak Spirit King, they deserve no less." Elder Meng said in a serious voice.

    "By the way, where did you find a genius like him?"This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    Tian Yanyu smiled and spoke, "Believe it or not, he''s the one who found me. He appeared out of the blue one day and has been helping me and my family since then¡ª he''s like a gift from the Heavens."

    Elder Meng raised his eyebrows at such a suspicious situation.

    "Are you sure you can trust him?"

    "Besides my family, he''s the only person I trust unconditionally. I know it might sound crazy, but I really cannot sense any malice from him. No matter his reason for helping my family, I am grateful for it."

    Yuan came out of the changing room a few minutester, and when Tian Yanyu saw his new look, her face turned slightly rosy. Naturally, she was unaware of this and only felt a little warmer than usual.

 Chapter 1095 Jade Sword Manor(2)

    Elder Meng whistled after seeing Yuan in their guest uniform.

    "Not bad, young man. But you would look even cooler in our official uniform. How about joining our sect? With your cultivation, you would immediately be a Core Disciple or even a high-ranking sect elder if you wish."

    Yuan smiled at his offer and said, "Thank you for the offer, but I don''t n on staying in this world for too long."

    "This world¡­? Are you going to challenge the Stairway to Heaven soon?"

    "Something like that." He nodded.

    "I see. What a pity."

    "..." Tian Yanyu looked at Yuan with a perplexed expression on her face after hearing this.

    ''We''ve just met, yet he''s already leaving¡­?'' She sighed inwardly.

    "Come on, I will show you around the sect." She said to him a momentter.

    "Alright."

    Yuan left the building with Tian Yanyu the next moment, and she would proceed to give him a tour around the Jade Sword Manor.

    Unlike the sects within the Lower Heavens, the sects within the Third Heaven are so vast that flying is required if one wanted to travel around, as most sects are split into hundreds if not thousands of smaller tforms that usually floated above the ground to save space.

    "This is one of our training grounds. Our Jade Sword Manor has a total of 20 training grounds. Half of them are avable to the Outer Court and Inner Court disciples while the other half are for Core Disciples and Elders."

    Their first stop was a training ground meant for Core Disciples.

    Due to their naturally low numbers, the training ground appeared to be empty at first with only a few disciples training on it, but their sword techniques were so shy and powerful that if there were more disciples training there, they could identally hurt each other.

    Of course, there were defensive formations to lower the risk of disciples injuring each other, but incidents still happen from time to time.

    After watching the disciples for a few moments, Tian Yanyu suddenly spoke, "Xiao Yang, want to spar with me for a bit?"

    Yuan looked at her with raised eyebrows, questioning her intentions.

    "Even though I have seen you fight from afar, I still cannot fully grasp your prowess. Perhaps if I exchanged swords with you personally, I might understand you a little better."

    Yuan smiled and said, "Sure, but let''s do itter. I want to see more of this sect for now."

    "Okay." Tian Yanyu was in no rush to spar with him, so she didn''t mind waiting a little.

    They left the training grounds to look at the other ces.

    "This is one of our medicine gardens. We have around 100 of them. Unless you want to get attacked by the guards, don''t get too close to it. Only those with official orders are allowed to step foot on these grounds. Of course, these aren''t our most valuable treasures. Those are hidden somewhere within the sect."

    The medicine garden before them was filled with all sorts of nts that stretched to the horizons, and a few moments after their arrival, Yuan could sense someone watching them from afar.

    They didn''t linger and proceeded to the next area shortly after.

    Over the several hours, Tian Yanyu would bring Yuan to many different spots within the Jade Sword Manor, but even after spending so many hours, they were not even halfway finished with the tour.

    Seeing how it was starting to get dark, Tian Yanyu suggested they take a break and eat some food.<sub> </sub>

    "Sounds great." Yuan nodded.

    Sometimeter, they arrived at the Comfort Peak, a ce designated for disciples to rx.

    "This is Comfort Peak, where disciples go to rx or have fun when they''re feeling tired or simply need to release some stress. If you seek entertainment, you will find most of them here. The best restaurants in the sect could be found here. What do you feel like eating today?" Tian Yanyu asked him.

    "I will let you decide. I''m not a picky eater and I enjoy almost everything."

    "Alright. Then I will bring you to my favorite store."

    As Tian Yanyu led Yuan through the Comfort Peak, the disciples around them would stop whatever they were doing to stare at them.

    "I-Is that Senior apprentice-sister Tian Yanyu?"

    "There''s only one person in this sect with her beauty. It''s definitely Fairy Tian."

    "I thought she was being held captive by the Lin Family after starting a fight with them?"

    "Who''s that young man beside her? He''s even wearing the honorary guest uniform."

    "I cannot sense his cultivation. Is he a mortal?"

    The disciples mistook Yuan as a mortal since they were too weak to sense his cultivation.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    Eventually, they arrived at their destination.

    "Jade Pavilion¡­" Yuan read therge sign above the restaurant''s door in a mumbling voice.

    When they entered, a handsome middle-aged man approached them, "Wee back to the Jade Pavilion, Disciple Tian. We''ve missed your presence dearly."

    "It''s been a while, Li Ming."

    As a regr of this restaurant, Tian Yanyu knew the names of every worker there, and this included even the janitors.

    "Is my regr spot avable?"

    "Of course. It is always avable for you, Disciple Tian."

    "I will need another chair since I have a guest with me today."

    "Very well. Please, follow me."

    They followed Li Ming to a room on the highest floor.

    The interior of the room was small and shaped like a rectangle, but it had more than enough room for two people. However, the best part of this room was not the interior but the view it provided, as the guests were able to see pretty much the entire ce through the balcony.

    Once they were seated, Li Ming handed them a menu and patiently waited for them to order.

    Tian Yanyu ordered two dishes while Yuan ordered ten times that amount, which raised eyebrows, but Li Ming didn''t say anything and left to prepare their order.

 Chapter 1096Jade Sword Manor(3)

    "What do you think of our sect?" Tian Yanyu asked him once they were alone again.

    "I like the scenery. It''spletely different from the ones in Lower Heaven." He said with a smile.

    "Lower Heaven¡­? You''ve been there?" Tian Yanyu showed a clear sign of surprise on her face.

    "Yes. I was even a disciple at this sect for a while."

    "Then why don''t you be a disciple here for a while as well?" Tian Yanyu suddenly asked.

    "I''m not sure what I would do as a disciple here." He shook his head.

    "Well, what did you do in your previous sect?"

    "I be a disciple mostly for the experience. Though, I must admit that the experience I had was limited."

    "I can''t say for sure since I''ve never been to Lower Heaven, but I would imagine that things are vastly different up here. But what I know for sure is that you''ll have more opportunities up here, since we have more resources in the upper heavens."

    "..."

    After pondering for a moment, Yuan spoke, "Give me some time to think about it."

    He immediately didn''t refuse her offer. It was true that he didn''t truly experience much in the Dragon Essence Temple, and he was interested in what it was like to be a disciple in the Third Heaven.

    Tian Yanyu''s hands turned into fists underneath the table from trying to hold her excitement.

    ''He didn''t refuse! There''s still a chance!'' She smiled inwardly.

    Tian Yanyu continued to ask Yuan about his experience in the Lower Heaven until their food had arrived.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    They would stop talking to focus on their food and enjoy the scenery at the same time. Even though it was nighttime, Comfort Peak was still as lively as ever. In fact, it seemed even busierpared to when they first arrived.

    An hourter.

    Tian Yanyu stared at Yuan with a baffled look on her face.

    ''We finished eating at the same time even though he had ten times the amount of food I ordered¡­'' She swallowed nervously.

    Tian Yanyu snapped out of her daze a momentter, and she spoke, "Do you wish to rest for the night, or do you want to continue the tour?"

    "Are you tired? We can rest if you want."

    "I am not tired at all. In fact, I probably won''t be able to sleep for the next several days since I am still excited about what happened at the Lin Family."

    Yuan smiled, "Then let''s continue our tour."

    "Okay."

    Core Disciples like Tian Yanyu received special treatment, and one of her many privileges was free food, so they left the restaurant without needing to pay.

    The two of them didn''t immediately leave Comfort Peak and lingered around for many more hours.

    "This is one of the most popr shops around here. You get to sip on spirit tea for free while rxing on a Spirit Calming Formation. Want to try it?"

    Tian Yanyu stopped in front of thisrge building that was crowded with people outside.

    "Don''t mind the queue. Core Disciples have their own rooms, so we can go straight inside if you wish."

    "Sure." He nodded.

    They entered the building a momentter and walked straight to the only empty reception desk there while every other desk was upied with disciples.<sub> </sub>

    "Wee to the Jade Tea Shop, Disciple Tian." The worker there immediately greeted her.

    "A room for two."

    "Sure thing."

    The worker handed her a small jade tablet a momentter without asking any questions.

    After taking the tablet, she brought Yuan to one of the rooms on the top floor.

    Upon using the jade tablet to open the room that had nothing but two chairs that looked like massage chairs, a table, and a wooden drawer, Tian Yanyu said, "Take a seat. And do you have any preference for your tea?"

    "I don''t."

    "Alright."

    She went to the drawer and picked out a bag of tea leaves before preparing it with the teapot on the table.

    Meanwhile, Yuan sat in one of the chairs, and his body immediately sunk into it, almost as though it was made of water and he was being embraced by clouds at the same time.

    Once the tea was prepared, Tian Yanyu poured two cups and handed one of them to Yuan.

    "This tea is made from leaves produced by our own sect. It has a special property that makes you feel as though you''re slowly ascending to heaven. After drinking it,y down and close your eyes."

    After drinking the cup of tea, Yuanid back on the chair and closed his eyes.

    He could immediately feel the effects of the tea, and sure enough, his body felt incredibly rxed while his consciousness was slowly drifting away.

    This tranquilizing effectsted for about two hours before it dissipated.

    "There are even stronger teas if you want something longersting." Tian Yanyu said to him.

    "I''m satisfied with what I experienced." He smiled.

    "Then let''s continue looking around."

    After wandering the Comfort Peak for many hours until they were satisfied, they returned to the training grounds.

    By the time they arrived, it was almost noon.

    "Please go easy on me." Tian Yanyu said to him as she retrieved her sword.

    "And don''t go easy on me. Come at me as though you''re trying to kill me." Yuan said with a confident smile on his face.

    Knowing his prowess, Tian Yanyu did not hesitate to treat their spar as though it was a life or death match.

    Once they were prepared, Tian Yanyu made the first move, using a movement technique to get behind Yuan while swinging her sword at his neck.

    Woosh!

    Her de struck nothing but air after Yuan dodged it with his own movement technique.

    The few disciples at the same training ground quickly took notice of their spar, and they all stopped their own training to spectate.

    It looked like Tian Yanyu had the upper hand at first, but these disciples quickly realized that was not the case.

    "T-This guy¡­ Who is this guy she''s sparring with?!"

 Chapter 1097 Nameless Emperors Tomb

    "Heavens! I have never seen Disciple Tian being pushed around like this before!"? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    "That guest¡­ he''s strong!"

    The disciples were mesmerized by their fight, and some of them even imagined being in Tian Yanyu''s shoes. However, none of them could even imagine defeating Yuan, who seemed invincible at the moment.

    After twenty minutes of going back and forth, Yuan decided to end things with a sword technique.

    [Vanishing Ghost''s Soundless de!]

    Yuan''s sword disappeared for a split second, and Tian Yanyu suddenly sensed a wave of Sword Qi fly past her, narrowly missing her.

    When she sensed Yuan''s Sword Qi, her life shed before her eyes for a second before she realized that she was still alive.

    The disciples spectating the fight also felt as though their life was suddenly in peril when they felt the Sword Qi despite their distance with some of them even falling on their buttocks.

    Tian Yanyu fell to her knees afterward, her body soaked in cold sweat.

    ''W-What was that just now?'' She asked herself inwardly.

    This was her first time experiencing an Ancient-rank sword technique, so her reaction was normal.

    "Are you okay?" Yuan approached her after putting away his sword.

    Tian Yanyu didn''t immediately respond. Instead, she turned her head to look beside her, and to her horror, there was a deep cut in the floor that stretched for hundreds of meters, and the cut itself was many meters deep, almost as if it had been sliced by a massive sword the size of a building.

    "L-Looks like I am still underestimating you¡­" She mumbled in a low voice after forcefully swallowing her saliva that was stuck in her throat.

    If he''d used this kind of power while fighting the Silent Rippers, he would have erased the Tian Family''s residence along with the assassins.

    ''Is this his true power¡­ or is he hiding even more strength inside that body of his?'' Tian Yanyu looked at Yuan with caution and excitement.

    Unbeknownst to her, she was witnessing less than 10 percent of Yuan''s true prowess.

    "That was an amazing fight! Senior apprentice-sister Yanyu, introduce your friend to us!" The other disciples suddenly started rushing over.

    Tian Yanyu greeted her fellow Core Disciples with a smile, "He''s Xiao Yang, a friend that I''d met recently."

    "Senior brother Xiao!" The disciples greeted him with respect.

    "How old are you, Senior brother Xiao? You don''t look any older than us."

    "I''m neen years old."

    "What?! You''re actually that young?!"

    "What is your cultivation?!"

    "Are you from the Four Ancient Family?!"

    The disciples bombarded him with questions.

    "Hey! You''re all getting too close! Stop bothering him and give him some room!" Seeing how the others were getting closer and closer to Yuan, Tian Yanyu quickly acted by pushing them away, acting like his bodyguard.<sub> </sub>

    The disciples were surprised by Tian Yanyu''s unnatural behavior, so they subconsciously stepped away from Yuan.

    "Xiao Yang, let''s go. There''s a briefing that I must attend in a bit. We can continue our tour afterward." Tian Yanyu then said.

    "Alright."

    After saying his goodbyes to the other disciples, Yuan left the scene with Tian Yanyu.

    "Is it just me or did Senior apprentice-sister Yanyu express jealousy just now?" One of the disciples there asked a momentter.

    "You think so, too?"

    "I''m not surprised, considering his talent and young age. In fact, I''m even more surprised that I have never heard of him until today."

    The disciples didn''t stay around for too long since they also needed to participate in the uing briefing.

    "What kind of briefing are you going to attend? It seems important." Yuan asked Tian Yanyu as he followed her to another peak.

    "It''s definitely very important, as it affects not only our sect but all of the sects in the Third Heaven."

    "Oh? Now I am really intrigued."

    "Every seven years, all of the sects gather to explore the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb. I''m sure you''ve heard of them before. They''re basically gravesites created by powerful experts before their death so that they can pass down their legacy to those that pass the trials."

    "Nameless Emperor''s Tomb¡­" Yuan mumbled in a low voice.

    "This has been a tradition since ancient times, and even though we''ve been exploring it for countless years, there are still plenty of powerful treasures to be found inside. There have even been asions where people from the upper heavense down specifically to explore the tomb."

    "Can anyone enter the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb? Or do they have to belong to a sect?" Yuan asked.

    "Anybody can enter the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb. However, that isn''t rmended, since you won''t have any protection, meaning you''ll have to fend for yourself if you''re attacked, and this is true even if you have a big group with you. Of course, this also applies to those in a sect. If you think the cultivation world is cruel out here, just wait until you go inside. Everything inside could be an enemy."

    "Are you thinking about going inside the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb?" Tian Yanyu asked him at the end.

    "I''m still thinking about it, but it does sound fun."

    "If you decide to join, let me know. I can speak with my mother, who can probably get permission to let you wear our uniform while you''re inside."

    "Thank you." Yuan nodded.

    Sometimeter, they arrived in front of a building that looked like someone''s residence.

    "This is my living quarters. I''m going to wash myself before I go to the briefing. You can either stay here and wait for my return ore with me to the briefing. It''s all up to you."

    "I wille with you. I want to learn more about this Nameless Emperor''s Tomb, after all."

    "Alright, then I will see you in a bit." Tian Yanyu disappeared into the bathroom after they entered the building.

    While Yuan waited for her toe back out, Feng Yuxiang''s voice suddenly resounded, "Young Master! I didn''t realize this at first since it''s been hundreds of years, but do you remember when I said that I''d found the Empyrean Overlord inside a Legacy Tomb 500 years ago? That was the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb!"

    "What?!" Yuan eximed after hearing this shocking information.

 Chapter 1098Nameless Emperors Tomb(2)

    "Are you sure about this, Feng Feng? Did you really find the Empyrean Overlord inside this Nameless Emperor''s Tomb?" Yuan asked for confirmation.

    "I am certain, Young Master. My memories are getting clearer and clearer. I remember entering the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb 500 years ago shortly after I escaped to the Third Heaven. Icked treasures that were not too powerful to sell in this realm at that time, so I decided to enter the tomb, and after a gruesome experience that totally took me by surprise, I''d acquired the Empyrean Overlord and other treasures." Feng Yuxiang recalled her experience, feeling a tingly sensation known as fear when she did.

    "The Nameless Emperor''s Tomb is an incredibly dangerous and unfathomable ce that even a Divine Beast who came from the upper heavens such as myself struggled greatly inside. In fact, I even died a few times. If it were not for my immortal body, I would''ve perished inside that Legacy Tomb 500 years ago." Feng Yuxiang''s soul shivered just thinking about the nightmare she''d experienced while inside the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb.

    However, a bright smile appeared on Yuan''s face when he heard this. "I wasn''t sure if I wanted to go, but I cannot ignore such an opportunity after hearing this! The Nameless Emperor''s Tomb must have something to do with my previous lives! If I want to learn more about myself, I must go there!"

    "If that''s the case, you should prepare yourself, Young Master. Even with your talents, I dare say that you''ll still have some trouble inside. Hell, even the strongest cultivators can die in the most unlikely ces."

    "I know. I''ll be careful." Yuan said.

    ''The Nameless Emperor''s Tomb, huh?'' Yuan wondered how he was rted to this Legacy Tomb and what he''ll find inside.

    If the Empyrean Overlord belonged to one of his past lives, there has to be a reason that it was inside the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb. Hell, the creator of this Legacy Tomb could very well be one of his past lives.

    Tian Yanyu came out of the bathroom about 20 minutester with a fresh look and stronger fragrance, smelling like a flower that had recently bloomed.

    "I''m ready to leave. How about you?" She asked him.

    "Yes. Also, I have decided to explore the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb." Yuan said.

    "Great! I will speak with my mother after the briefing."

    "It''s fine. I can protect myself, and I won''t be alone."

    "Oh, right¡­ I forgot about them¡­" Tian Yanyu mumbled.

    "Anyways, we can talk about thister."

    "Okay."

    Sometimeter, they stopped at the Grand Jade Peak, one of thergest peaks within the Jade Sword Manor. Though, the only time this ce bes active are during summonings that required arge portion of the sect to gather in one spot, and currently there are over 200,000 disciples gathered.

    "Impressive." Yuan was impressed by the sight when he arrived.

    "This is just 2/3 of all the disciples in the Jade Sword Manor, too." Tian Yanyu said.

    "While we wait, do you have any questions about the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb?"

    "Yes, I¡ª"<sub> </sub>

    Yuan suddenly halted his sentence when something in the Grand Jade Peak caught his attention.

    He pointed at the massive stone statue in the distance and asked in a dazed voice, "Who is that?"

    Tian Yanyu immediately knew what he was talking about even without looking at the statue.

    "He doesn''t have a name because we don''t know it, but we believe he''s the Nameless Emperor." Tian Yanyu exined as she stared at the statue of a tall, masked figure.

    "How did you figure that out?" Yuan continued to ask.

    "Because you can find simr-looking statues inside the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb."

    "I see¡­ but why put his statue in the sect? Is he rted to this sect in some way?"

    "No, not that I know of. ording to our sect''s history, the founder of the Jade Sword Manor was a mere rogue cultivator before creating this ce. He explored the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb with some sess and found some sword techniques as well as treasures that allowed him to be a peak cultivator in the Third Heaven and create the Jade Sword Manor."N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

    "And he put that statue there as a way to pay respects to the Nameless Emperor, huh?" Yuan mumbled.

    "Pretty much." Tian Yanyu nodded.

    "Yuan¡­ That''s the Lord¡­" Lan Yingying''s voice resounded shortly after.

    She immediately recognized the statue to be the same as the ''faceless statue'' that she''d taken care of since she was a child inside the Mystic Realm, but she was too surprised to say anything at first.

    "Yes¡­ Looks like he''s rted to the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb as well."

    Sometimeter, arge group of figures could be seen approaching the Grand Jade Peak.

    The people from this group were all Sect Elders of the Sword Jade Manor, and they were all being led by an old man who was emanating a naturally sharp aura that made those around him feel as though they were constantly being threatened with a sword by their neck.

    "Greetings, Sect Leader and Sect Elders!" The world seemed to have trembled for a moment when all of the disciples greeted at the same time.

    "That old man with therge silver sword behind his back is Yu Jian, our Sect Leader." Tian Yanyu mumbled to Yuan.

    Once they arrived before the disciples, Yu Jian descended until he was floating in front of the statue while the Sect Elders gathered around the disciples.

    "It is that time again, my disciples. The Nameless Emperor''s Tomb will open for the world in 7 days, and it will remain open for 6 months." Yu Jian''s voice boomed in their ears despite how soft it sounded.

    "If you wish to explore the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb, you must enter in groups of 10, and your cultivation has to exceed 3rd level Spirit Lord. If you''ve never experienced the tomb before, know that even if you prepare for the worst, it won''t be nearly enough to prepare you for the nightmares in that ce!" Yu Jian spoke in a solemn voice, sounding as though he was speaking from experience.

 Chapter 1099Nameless Emperors Tomb(3)

    "You will be tested beyond your limits inside the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb. You will experience things that you wouldn''t have even in your worst nightmares. There is an extremely high fatality rate inside where over half of those that enter nevere back out. Even as a Peak Spirit King, I still have to tread the ce with extreme care. If you are willing to go into purgatory and experience the worst of this world, then explore the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb. If you cherish your life, avoid it at all cost." Yu Jian continued to speak in a solemn voice, his words sending chills down all of the disciples'' spine.

    Of course, he was not trying to scare the disciples on purpose. Every word that came out of his mouth was the truth and what he''d personally experienced, and he wanted them to know that the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb wasn''t a yground for the weak. Hell, even the strong are considered weak inside, so one could say the ''strong'' doesn''t exist when they are within the tomb.

    After taking a breather, Yu Jian continued, "With that being said, if you decide to challenge the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb despite the danger, you could be rewarded with unfathomably powerful treasures or techniques that far surpass what should be allowed in our realm, just like our founder, who became one of the strongest cultivators during his era because he took the risks and was rewarded for it."

    The disciples swallowed nervously as they imagined the possibilities.

    Just several treasures from the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb made a rogue cultivator who used to be a nobody into a powerhouse and the founder of a top 5 sect. And since nobody knows how deep the tomb goes since not a single soul has ever reached the end, the possibilities were literally endless.

    What if there exists a treasure at the end of the tomb that allows one to literally rule the Nine Heavens? Such a thought would normally be considered as a delusion, but when ites to the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb, this delusion seemed more realistic.

    "Now let''s talk about the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb itself. While nobody knows when it first appeared or when it was first discovered, we''ve been exploring it for at least a hundred thousand years now, but despite our efforts, we still don''t know how much we''ve explored or how long it''ll take before we learn its secrets."

    "Unlike most Legacy Tombs, the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb is like a different world itself that one can explore freely with the only restriction being their own strength. Although most of the treasures in the outer areas are long gone, there are still new secrets being uncovered every time we enter, and there are powerful techniques waiting for those who canprehend them."

    Yu Jian would continue to talk about the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb for several more minutes before he dismissed the disciples.

    "Those of you determined enough to risk your life for a better life,e here in seven days and I will bring you to hell. You are dismissed."

    Many disciples stuck around to talk to their friends and fellow disciples even after being dismissed.

    "What do you think? Are you having second thoughts about the tomb now?" Tian Yanyu asked Yuan in a teasing voice.

    "Even if it''s a 90 percent chance of dying, I will still be willing to go." Yuan smiled.

    Tian Suyin showed up a momentter.

    "Is he causing you any trouble?" She asked Tian Yanyu the moment she appeared.

    "Of course not." Tian Yanyu shook her head with a bittersweet smile.

    "Is that so? Anyways, do you n on entering the tomb this year? If you are, I want you toe with me and your father."

    "I do¡­ but¡­" Tian Yanyu nced at Yuan before continuing, "I was thinking about going with Xiao Yang¡­"

    "What?" Tian Suyin frowned, and she shifted her focus to Yuan.<sub> </sub>

    "You''re also going to enter the tomb? Are you going by yourself? Stop dragging my daughter into trouble with you."

    "M-Mother! What are you saying?! Have you forgotten about his strength? He''s strong enough to defeat the Silent Rippers by himself! If there''s only one person in this ce that is qualified to protect me, it''s him!"

    "Actually, your mother is right, Miss Yanyu. I n on going as deep as I can, and I am not confident in protecting myself, much less someone else."

    Tian Yanyu showed clear disappointment on her face after hearing his words, but it was not like she didn''t understand where he wasing from.

    "Y-You''re right. I''m sorry. It was incredibly selfish of me to force you to protect me when the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb could threaten even a peak Spirit King''s life. I guess I''ve been spoiled by you a little."

    Yuan smiled and said, "I don''t mind traveling with you at first, but we will have to separate once it bes too dangerous."

    "What do you think, mother? Can hee with us?" Tian Yanyu turned to look at her with pleading eyes.

    "I''m not senseless enough to deny more helping hands, especially one as capable as his¡­" She said.

    It was at this moment another voice resounded, "May I interrupt your conversation for a second?"

    They turned to see Yu Jian standing right next to them.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    "S-Sect Leader!" Tian Suyin was startled by his sudden appearance.

    "Don''t mind me. I only want to speak with this young man for a bit." Yu Jian spoke while his gaze stared at Yuan''s handsome face.

    "I''m Yu Jian, Sect Leader of the Jade Sword Manor."

    ''The Sect Leader is introducing himself first¡­?'' Tian Suyin swallowed nervously when she saw this, as this meant that he respected Yuan enough to be humble.

    "Nice to meet you, Senior Yu. I''m Xiao Yang, a wandering cultivator."

    "Senior¡­? There''s no need to be humble when we''re both peak Spirit Kings. In fact, I might even be inferior to you when ites to raw talent." Yu Jian shook his head.

    He noticed Yuan''s profound aura even before he arrived at the Grand Jade Peak, but he has been resisting his urges to speak with Yuan until now.

 Chapter 1100Nameless Emperors Tomb(4)

    ''The Sect Master admitted being inferior to a junior before his own disciples?!'' Tian Suyin cried inwardly when she saw this. She almost couldn''t believe her ears.

    "Even if we have simr cultivation levels, it won''t change the fact that you''re older than me. "Anyways, what business do you have with me?"

    "I was just wondering why you''re in my humble sect. A genius such as yourself usually doesn''t show up unannounced."

    "I just wanted to see what kind of sect my friend belonged to, that''s all."

    "I see¡­" Yu Jian''s gazended on Tian Yanyu for a second. "I hope this humble ce is to your liking. If you have any troubles or concerns, don''t hesitate to speak with me."

    "I cannot bother the Sect Leader over such minor issues." Yuan shook his head.

    "Please, I insist." Yu Jian smiled.

    And he continued, "I will stop bothering you now, young friend. If you encounter any problems, show them this medallion."

    He proceeded to hand Yuan a jade medallion that had his name on it.

    He turned to look at Tian Suyin next and said, "I''d like to speak with you whenever you''re avable."

    "I-I''m free right now." She immediately responded with a nervous look on her face.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.

    Yu Jian nodded, and he left the scene with Tian Suyin.

    It was obvious why the Sect Leader wanted to speak with Tian Suyin. He wanted to inquire about Yuan''s existence.

    In his eyes, a genius like Yuan couldn''t possibly have been born in their world, so it would only be logical to assume that he''de from the upper heavens. In fact, he''s already heard rumors about the Celestial Emperor sending down powerful experts for reasons that he has yet to learn.

    "Looks like we won''t need to ask my mother for the sect''s protection¡­" Tian Yanyu mumbled in a dazed voice as she watched her mother leave with the Sect Leader.

    "Anyways, what do you want to do now? We have a whole week to prepare for the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb." She then asked.

    "Is there a ce where I can learn more about the tomb?"

    She nodded, "Yes. We have a library full of information about the ce. When do you want to go?"

    "Let''s go now."

    "Alright. Follow me."

    Tian Yanyu brought Yuan to the Jade Enlightenment Peak, where all sorts of information and techniques are stored. Naturally, this meant that guests weren''t normally allowed inside even if they had a disciple with them.

    However, Yuan had the Sect Leader''s medallion, so Tian Yanyu took the chance and brought him there anyway.

    After arriving at the Jade Enlightenment Peak, Tian Yanyu led Yuan to a tall pagoda that had 21 floors.

    This building is usually empty, but with the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb near, it was currently crowded with disciples.

    "Everything inside this building is rted to the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb. You can find others'' experience inside the tomb and already discovered treasures all within this ce. I''m going to leave you alone to prepare myself. If you need anything, contact me through this."

    Tian Yanyu handed Yuan hermunication jade slip.

    "If you encounter any trouble, just sh the Sect Leader''s medallion. It should settle most issues right there and then. Please don''t cause any trouble because I will be responsible for it as your guide."<sub> </sub>

    "Thank you." Yuan smiled as he epted the jade slip.

    Tian Yanyu didn''t linger for much longer and left shortly after.

    Yuan approached the pagoda, but he was quickly stopped before he could even reach the staircase.

    "Hey! You! Stop right there!" A middle-aged woman flew towards him from a distance.

    Once shended, she continued, "Even if you are an honorary guest, you are not allowed to be here!"

    Yuan didn''t say anything and shed the jade medallion he''d received from their Sect Leader.

    The woman''s eyes widened with shock for a moment, and her mouth stuttered as she tried to find the proper words to utter.

    After a moment of silence, she cleared her throat and handed him an essory. "Hang this around your belt. If you lose it, more people wille to stop you. Now if you''ll excuse me."

    Not wanting to stay around any longer, the woman quickly fled the scene after giving Yuan the essory.

    Yuan continued to approach the steps leading to the pagoda afterward, and sure enough, people would continue to stare at him with some of them even starting to approach him, but when they saw the little essory hanging on his belt, they stopped and turned around.

    Once he was inside, Yuan immediately began sweeping through the scrolls and jade slips on the shelves. And over the next four days, he would not take a step outside of the pagoda, spending all of his time staring at words.

    However, even if he was given a month, he wouldn''t be able to read all of the information inside the pagoda, as it had been umted throughout tens of thousands of years.

    ''I have a good grasp of what to expect in the tomb, but I doubt it is enough to prepare me for what I n on doing¡­ I guess I can only hope for the best¡­''

    Yuan eventually left the pagoda after spending five days inside.

    He returned to Tian Yanyu''s living quarters afterward.

    "How was it? Did you find the information useful?" Tian Yanyu asked him as she invited him inside.

    "Somewhat. I know what to expect in the beginning, but there is too little information about the deeper areas." He sighed.

    "I''m not surprised. Most people that went too deep never returned, after all."

    "How about your preparation? Do you feel prepared for the tomb?" Yuan then asked her.

    "No matter how much one prepares, they won''t be prepared enough for the tomb."She shook her head.

    "Anyways, I''m going to spend what little time we have left to meditate and mentally prepare myself. What about you?" Tian Yanyu said.

    "I will do the same."

    "You can use the room next to mine."

    "Okay."

    Tian Yanyu returned to her room shortly after.

 Chapter 1101 Commander Of The Evil GodsShadow Army

    "Feng Feng, can you tell me about your experience with the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb? I''ll assume that you''d advanced deeper than most people since you were able to acquire the Empyrean Overlord¡ª unless this treasure isn''t as valuable as I thought." Yuan asked her after entering his room.

    "While I can''t say that I have traveled further than anyone out there, I did go pretty deep before I found the Empyrean Overlord." Feng Yuxiang''s voice resounded the following moment.

    "As you know, the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb opens for half a year after it opens. It took me almost that much time to acquire it."

    "Half a year¡­ What happens when the tomb closes?" Yuan asked.

    "Everyone that is still inside will automatically get teleported outside, and then it will remain closed for 7 years before the cycle repeats itself."

    "Honestly, the hardest part about the tomb aren''t the challenges. It''s the pressure that threatens to shatter your soul, and the deeper you go, the stronger the pressure."

    "A pressure, huh? Sounds troublesome."

    Feng Yuxiang would continue to talk about her experience in the tomb as well as the trials that she had to challenge.

    "The Nameless Emperor''s Tomb is very unique when ites to trials because most Legacy Tombs will automatically challenge every individual that enters it, but the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb allows one to choose their trials, so one can spend the entire 6 months inside without doing any trials. However, this naturally means you won''t receive any rewards. Furthermore, powerful beasts and even demons roam thends there."

    "Demons¡­?" Yuan raised an eyebrow.

    "Don''t worry, they''re not real demons. Everything but the treasures within the tomb was created using spiritual energy. With that being said, the demons are as powerful as real demons, and they even have its regenerative ability."

    Feng Yuxiang would spend almost the entire day recalling her experience within the tomb.

    "And that''s how I acquired the Empyrean Overlord."

    Once Feng Yuxiang finished, Lan Yingying spoke, "The Nameless Emperor''s Tomb sounds a little simr to the Mystic Realm."

    "Considering that they''re both rted to the ''Lord'', I''m not surprised." Yuan said.

    "Lord... Now that''s a persona I haven''t heard in a while." A new voice that Yuan didn''t recognize suddenly resounded in the room.

    "Who''s there?!" Yuan snapped his head like a turtle and turned to look at the window, where an old man that he didn''t recognize was standing with a smile on his face.

    ''How long has he been standing there? I didn''t sense his presence until he spoke! This person is an expert!'' Yuan swallowed nervously. He could instinctively tell at nce that this old man was at a level that he couldn''t evenprehend.

    "Be careful, Brother Yuan! He''s dangerous!" Xiao Hua jumped between him and the old man, even retrieving her weapon without hesitation.

    Feng Yuxiang and Lan Yingying did the same even though their instincts told them to run.

    The atmosphere in the room immediately turned cold, and it suddenly felt like they were in a life-or-death situation.

    However, the old man appearedpletely rxed, almost as if he wasn''t even part of it.

    Yuan stood there in silence. Despite the tense atmosphere, he had this inexplicable feeling that the old man wasn''t a real threat.

    "Let me ask you again... Who are you?" Yuan asked him, breaking the silence.<sub> </sub>

    The old man took a deep breath before speaking, "My apologies, I was so overwhelmed with emotions that I''d forgotten how to act and made things awkward."

    He proceeded to move his body and bent his knees.

    "Don''t move!" Xiao Hua shouted at him.

    However, the old man ignored her warning and continued to lower his body until his knee was kissing the floor.

    "Dong Ye,mander of the Evil God''s Shadow Army. This unworthy subordinate greets the Master."

    "Evil God''s Shadow Army¡­? Master?" Yuan muttered in a dazed voice, his eyes as wide as saucers.

    "You may not remember now due to your recent reincarnation, but I am your faithful servant. I''ve been following you since you were the Evil God, and I have been there for all of your reincarnation since then. If you don''t mind me asking, how much of your past lives do you remember?"

    "..."? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    Yuan was speechless.

    Dong Ye didn''t rush things and patiently waited for Yuan to digest the situation.

    "Xiao Hua, Feng Feng, Yingying, lower your weapons." Yuan spoke a long momentter.

    Thedies reluctantly lowered their weapons, but they were still on high alert and full of suspicion towards Dong Ye.

    "So you used to serve the Evil God, huh? If that''s true, what was his name? And who was he before the Evil God? Do you have any proof that you served him?" Yuan suddenly asked Dong Ye multiple questions.

    Without hesitation, Dong Ye responded in a clear voice, "Master used to be known as the God of War before receiving the title of Evil God, and his true name was Tian Xian. If you still doubt me, allow me to show you some of my memories with you."

    "You can share memories?" Yuan raised an eyebrow.

    "Indeed. Will you ept my memories?"

    Yuan didn''t immediately respond and began pondering.

    "Brother Yuan, I don''t think we can trust him. He''s too suspicious." Xiao Hua said.

    "His aura is also insanely murderous. I have never seen anything like that before¡ª except when the Young Master gets angry. He''s definitely killed a lot of people." Feng Yuxiang said.

    Dong Ye smiled, "It is true that I have a lot of blood on my hands. I didn''t be themander of the strongest assassination squad in the Nine Heavens by being a saint."

    Yuan took a deep breath and spoke, "It''s okay, my instincts are telling me to trust him, so I will do so. If he wanted to harm us, he has more than enough power to do so, and we wouldn''t be able to do anything to stop him."

    He red at Dong Ye in the eyes and continued, "Show me."

    "As youmand, Master." Dong Ye eagerly nodded.

 Chapter 1102 Evil Gods Loyal Servant

    After receiving Yuan''s permission, Dong Ye proceeded to tap his forehead, causing a glowing orb of blue light to emerge from his head.

    He then offered it to Yuan by raising it above his head, treating it as though it was an offering to god.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    "Master, here are my memories."

    The glowing orb of light floated off Dong Ye''s hands and into Yuan''s forehead.

    Yuan immediately closed his eyes and began digesting the memories.

    Inside Dong Ye''s memories that went back tens of millions of years, Yuan could see himself when he was living as Evil God Tian Xian, and he was currently standing in front of a massive jade tablet while Dong Ye was kneeling behind him.

    "How are things going for the Shadow Army, Dong Ye?"

    "Everything is going as nned, Master. Our members are rising at a respectful pace every day. It won''t be long before we can be fully operational."

    Suddenly, the scenery changed, and Yuan could see Dong Ye standing before another person.

    This person was clearly another one of his incarnations, but he didn''t recognize this incarnation.

    "Master, I am Dong Ye, your loyal servant. You may not remember me, but I have been serving you since your second life as the Evil God."

    This person, who was a tall and handsome young man, spoke in a calm voice, "I remember you, Dong Ye. Although I don''t remember everything, I remember enough to understand the situation."

    The scenery switched again.

    This time, Yuan recognized this person. However, this person''s face was covered by a nd-looking mask.

    ''He must be the Lord¡­'' Yuan thought to himself.

    "Master, I am¡ª"

    "Dong Ye, right? Took you long enough to find me this time." The Lord spoke in a calm voice.

    "How much of your memories have you recovered, Master?"

    The Lord turned to look at Dong Ye and spoke, "I remember everything. I was born in this life with all of my previous memories. This is unprecedented."

    Dong Ye was pleasantly surprised to hear this.

    Sometimeter, Yuan opened his eyes and spoke, "Since you know so much about me, can you help me recall what I have yet to remember to speed up the process?"

    Dong Ye shook his head with a bitter sweet smile, "Unfortunately, I cannot do that."

    "You can''t, or you won''t?"

    "Per the Master''s own orders, I won''t." Dong Ye said.<sub> </sub>

    "My orders?" Yuan raised an eyebrow.

    He nodded, "Master wanted to naturally recover his own memories, so you ordered me to not give too much information regarding your past even if you threatened me."

    "..." Yuan sighed inwardly after hearing this. Why would he make things more difficult for himself? He also did the same with the Stairway to Heaven.

    "Anyways, I believe you when you say that you are my servant. With that being said, what are your ns now? Did my previous incarnations give you some sort of mission?"

    Dong Ye nodded, "This body only has one purpose¡ª to serve you until its death. If you need anything, I will be here for you."

    Feng Yuxiang couldn''t help but feel as though her role as Yuan''s handyman was suddenly in jeopardy.

    Dong Ye then continued, "However, with that being said, it''s not as though I can constantly remain by your side. Master, are you aware of our current situation with the upper heavens?"

    "No, what kind of situation are we in?" Yuan shook his head.

    "The Celestial Emperor, our natural enemy, will be sending experts to the lower heavens to kill you. They will arrive in less than a month."

    Yuan was left speechless after hearing this information.

    "What?! Why would the Celestial Emperor do such a thing?! I''ve never even met the man!" He eximed.

    "ording to what I''ve learned from the Seven Legacy Families'' memories, the Celestial Emperor is not specifically targeting you because of your identity. He doesn''t even know your real identity, but because of the Heavens'' Judgment, you now have a target on your back." Dong Ye exined.

    And he continued, "Honestly, if the Celestial Emperor knew your real identity, I wouldn''t be surprised if he personally came down here with his entire army just to kill you."

    "How troublesome¡­ And here I was nning on going to the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb." Yuan gritted his teeth.

    "Worry not, Master. This is why I am here. I have already erased the Seven Legacy Families'' memories of you, so they won''t be able to help those from the upper heavens to identify you. Furthermore, I will do my best to mess with those from the upper heavens and keep them from finding you. If you are ever in a dangerous situation that you cannot solve, break this jade slip and I will immediatelye to you no matter what kind of situation I am in, even if I have to crawl through broken ss and the scorching ground. If you need me for anything else, use thismunication jade slip to contact me."

    Dong Ye handed Yuan two different jade slips.

    "I would give you life-saving treasures and other useful treasures, but I cannot give you any significant assistance that could greatly affect your natural growth."

    "Let me guess¡­ I told you that." Yuan said in a sighing voice.

    Dong Ye smiled and said, "The point of reincarnating multiple times is to expand your experience and talent. If you''re given a silver spoon every time you reincarnate, it would defeat its purpose, after all."

    "I understand the reasoning behind this logic, and I even agree with it. However, it still sucks." Yuan said with a bittersweet smile.

    "Anyways, before I ask you more questions, let''s introduce ourselves properly."

    "In this life, I am Yuan. It feels a little weird to be called Master by someone as ancient as you, so you can just call me Yuan or Young Master like Feng Feng here. Feng Feng, introduce yourself." Yuan looked at her, who silently nodded and proceeded to introduce herself despite being reluctant to do so.

 Chapter 1103 Controlling Fate

    "Feng Yuxiang. I am a Divine Beast that carries the bloodline of a phoenix." Feng Yuxiang gave a brief introduction about herself.

    "The rest of you should introduce yourself as well." Yuan looked at the others.

    "Lan Yingying. I am a Divine Beast as well¡ª a Divine Serpent."

    Dong Ye, who already knew that Feng Yuxiang and Lan Yingying were Divine Beasts, nodded his head. While they can hide their identity from cultivators around their level, Dong Ye was an Immortal who has existed for millions of years. It was simply impossible to fool someone like him.

    "A Phoenix and a Serpent, huh? It sure brings back memories." Dong Ye couldn''t help but break out a smile on his face when he recalled the Immortal Monarch and his Divine Beast followers.

    "The Immortal Monarch?" Yuan asked out of curiosity.

    He nodded, "Do you remember?"

    "No, but I am aware of his existence."N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

    "His Divine Beasts were always fighting with each other over his attention." Dong Ye chuckled, "It caused the Mast¡ª Young Master plenty of headaches. However, they were all reliable and loyal, which sort of bnces things out."

    Yuan suddenly remembered something and said, "Speaking of the Immortal Monarch¡­ Do you know how to upgrade his bloodline? What about the Heaven Refining Physique?"

    "The answers you seek are within the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb."

    "The Name Emperor''s Tomb¡­ Did I build it?" Yuan then asked.

    Dong Ye smiled and said, "You will find out once you go inside."

    Seeing how Dong Ye won''t give him any direct answers, Yuan decided to give up and to wait to enter the Name Emperor''s Tomb.

    Dong Ye suddenly shifted his gaze to Xiao Hua, whose tiny body instinctively trembled.

    "An exile, huh? The Young Master called you Xiao Hua, so you must be from the Asura Family. Do you believe in fate?" He asked while staring at her intensively.

    Xiao Hua silently nodded.

    "Then do you believe someone¡ª a mere human can control fate?"

    Xiao Hua raised an eyebrow and said, "Nobody can control fate."

    "What if someone has such ability?"

    "That''s impossible. No human can have such an ability."

    Dong Ye smiled and shifted his gaze back to Yuan.

    "Believe it or not, someone out there has the ability to control fate, and he''s standing in this room as we speak."

    Xiao Hua and the others turned to look at Yuan, who was quite confused.

    "You may not realize it, but you''re subconsciously controlling fate."

    "The Young Master is subconsciously controlling fate? How does that even work?" Feng Yuxiang asked.

    Dong Ye shrugged, "Even I do not know the answer to this question."<sub> </sub>

    "This is partially why the Young Master ordered me to not assist him too much, as it could affect his fate."

    Yuan looked at his own hands.

    ''I''m controlling fate? Am I really doing such a thing?'' He couldn''t believe it.

    Manipting fate sounded veryplicated, so it seemed very unlikely for him to subconsciously control it.

    "What do you know about Xiao Hua''s family?" Xiao Hua suddenly asked Dong Ye.

    "I know a lot about the Asura Family. And believe it or not, but I also know a lot about you, Xiao Hua."

    Xiao Hua frowned. "How? Xiao Hua was born in the Primordial Realm. Nobody can enter or leave this ce without the Celestial Emperor''s approval or the Ancient Seals."

    "Sorry, but I cannot tell you." Dong Ye shook his head.

    "Why not?"

    "Because you''re directly rted to the Young Master, which means I will spoil him if I answer your question."

    "Brother Yuan¡­?" Xiao Hua turned to look at Yuan with a look of wonder in her eyes.

    "Anyways, if you have any more questions that aren''t rted to the Young Master''s past, feel free to ask me. If you have any requests, I am also willing to hear it."

    Yuan pondered for a moment before speaking, "The Nameless Emperor''s Tomb will open very soon. Do you n on going inside with us?"

    "No, I will be staying out here to mess with the Celestial Emperor''sckeys and throw them off your track."

    Yuan nodded, and he said, "Then if you don''t mind, can you watch over my friends while I am inside the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb? I don''t know how long I will be staying inside, nor can I bring them to such a dangerous ce with me. They''re extremely valuable to me. I want you to protect them as though they''re me."

    Dong Ye nodded, "No matter who you want me to protect, I will protect them with my life."

    Yuan proceeded to tell Dong Ye about Meixiu and the others who were training at the Cultivators'' Haven.

    "They are likely to spend all of their time cultivating inside the Cultivators'' Haven, but better safe than sorry."

    "Rest assured, Young Master. As long as I am breathing, no harm wille to your friends. Even if I am not constantly by their side, I can cover this entire world with my divine sense, so I will know immediately the moment they''re in any danger no matter where I am."

    "Covering this entire world with your divine sense? I have been wondering about this for a while now, but what is your cultivation?" Yuan asked out of curiosity.

    "This humble one is only at the 7th level of God Ascension realm."

    "God Ascension¡­?" Yuan mumbled in a dazed voice.

    "If one''s ascension towards Godhood seeds, they will be a Cultivation God, which has been the peak of the Cultivation World since ancient times."

    "You''re not that far away from the peak of cultivation, yet you sound disappointed." Yuan couldn''t understand this part.

    "Because I know my limits, Young Master. As much as I hate to admit it, I don''t have enough talent to be a Cultivation God. That is a truth that I must ept. You, on the other hand, have not only seeded in bing a Cultivation God multiple times in your past lives, I have a good feeling that you''ll break through that limit and achieve something unprecedented in our world." Dong Ye spoke as he gazed upon Yuan with a confident glint in his eyes.

 Chapter 1104 Arrival From The Upper Heaven

    "Wait a second. I thought all cultivators in the Nine Heaven must abide by the rules of each heaven." Feng Yuxiang suddenly spoke.

    "For example, the limit of cultivation in this world is the peak Spirit King. If someone who doesn''t belong in this world appears, they would invoke Heavenly Tribtion. Will you be fine down here with your cultivation?"

    Dong Ye nodded, "Only mortals abide by that rule. Immortals like me can ignore such a rule ande down here whenever we want. Even if we invoke a Heavenly Tribtion, it won''t be strong enough to harm us. Though, it''s a pain in the ass toe down here because we have to enter through the long route, so most of us won''t bother unless absolutely necessary."

    "Also, I am currently masking my presence, so the heavens don''t even know I am here, and as long as I don''t do anything crazy, it will remain that way. I am more worried about the Celestial Emperor than any Heavenly Tribtion because the Young Master won''t be able to fight them at his current state."

    "What''s the situation with me and the Celestial¡ª" Yuan halted his sentence midway.

    "Never mind. I hope the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb will have all of the answers."

    Sometimeter, Dong Ye''s eyebrows suddenly twitched, and he spoke with a dejected face, "It''s truly regrettable that I can only spend such a short time with you after spending so much time apart, but I must leave now, Young Master. Some people from the upper heavens have just arrived in this world, and to minimize the chances of your true identity being known, I must disappear. However, even though I won''t be by your side, I will always be watching over you. If you are ever in deep trouble, you know how to contact me."

    "But before I go, I must apologize to you, Young Master. There is so much that I want to say to you¡ª to tell you, but I truly don''t dare to mess with your fate."

    Yuan shook his head, "Don''t worry about it. I understand your feelings, and to be honest, I like it this way even if it''s a little more inconvenient for me. My past, my purpose, and my goals¡­ I will unveil them as I follow my own path."

    After giving Yuan a slight nod, Dong Ye dissipated into thin air like smoke.

    "An Immortal who has reached near the peak of cultivation¡­ Who could''ve imagined that such a powerful individual would be willing to serve someone." Yuan mumbled out loud after Dong Ye disappeared.

    "That''s just how amazing your existence is, Young Master." Feng Yuxiang chuckled.

    "Don''t tter me." He shook his head.

    Meanwhile, somewhere within the Third Heaven, arge hole appeared in the sky moments before a group of individuals came out of it.

    There were 21 people in this group, and all of them had the cultivation of a peak Spirit King, but the aura they emitted far surpassed what someone at their cultivation base could ever achieve.

    "Fuck, the spiritual energy in this ce is so trash. It feels like I am breathing in dust with every single breath." One of them immediatelyined after taking his first breath.

    "How do people live in such an environment?"

    "Let''s hurry and kill that criminal and get the hell out of here as soon as possible."

    Most of these people agreed with the sentiment. However, one couldn''tpletely me them for their behavior. The spiritual energy in the upper heavens was countless times purer than the ones down here, and as cultivators, they have reached the level where they don''t need to breathe in air to live, just spiritual energy.

    These people have lived their entire life thinking that their spiritual energy was the standard, so it wouldn''t be weird for them to have such a strong reaction after suddenly being exposed to something much worse.

    "Anyways, where are the Ji Family and the Seven Legacy Families? I was told that they''d be greeting us the moment we arrived."<sub> </sub>

    "Perhaps they got the location wrong."

    ? "I wouldn''t be surprised if a world of this low standard housed such dumb people."

    Unbeknownst to these people, the Seven Legacy Families and the Ji Family all had their memories stolen by Dong Ye, hence why nobody showed up to greet them.

    After waiting around for a few moments, these people split up to look for the Seven Legacies Families themselves.

    When they found the Seven Legacy Families, these people from the upper heavens immediately demanded for answers. However, they quickly realized that nobody from the Seven Legacy Families knew about their arrival.

    This made them wonder if the people from the upper heavens had forgotten to notify the Seven Legacy Families.

    But they soon realized the truth¡ª that the Seven Legacy Families and the Ji Family had their memories erased for some reason.

    "What''s going on? Who would erase their memories?"

    "I think a better question would be ''who could have the capability to do such a thing in this world''."

    "I only know of one person in the Nine Heavens who could erase memories, but that person''s been missing for hundreds of thousands of years."

    "I also don''t think it''s him. Why would he be down here stealing memories from mortals, right?"? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    The people from the upper heavens quickly dismissed the phenomenon, mostly because they couldn''t be bothered to investigate any further.

    But then they realized another problem.

    Without the Seven Legacy Families'' help, how will they ever find the person they were looking for? Even finding a needle in a haystack would be easier than this task since they at least knew what a needle looked like. However, it was not as though they could leave without even trying.

    In the end, these people decided to stay around for a little longer to wait for the others that have yet to arrive.

    These 21 people were just the first batch of people amongst a dozen, after all.

    "In the meantime, I am going to take a look around. As shitty as this ce is, it''s a rare chance to experience the lower heavens."

    "Try not to get yourself killed. You''d immediately be aughingstock if you died in a ce like this."

    "Hmph. Even if my cultivation is suppressed to being a mere Spirit King, what could possibly hurt me down here?" This individual sneered in a mocking manner before disappearing into the world.

    Many people from the group followed suit, as they were also curious about the Third Heaven.

 Chapter 1105 Nameless Emperors Tombsopening

    The day before the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb''s opening, Yuan received a message through one of hismunication jade slips.

    "Yuan, Lady Xu will return in 5 days to give you what she promised." Senior Bai''s voice resounded inside his head.

    ''Oh¡­ I was so upied with the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb that I nearly forgot about our agreement.'' Yuan felt a drop of cold sweat appearing on his forehead. He couldn''t imagine what he''d do if he didn''t show up for the soul technique and Xu Jiaqi decided to not give it to him anymore.

    ''However, the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb will be opening tomorrow, and I promised Tian Yanyu that I''d enter with her¡­''

    As much as he wanted to enter the tomb with Tian Yanyu, he had to prioritize the soul technique, as it could potentially be the difference of whether he''ll clear the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb or not.

    After preparing himself for Tian Yanyu''sints, Yuan went to knock on her room.

    Tian Yanyu opened the door a momentter.

    "Hey."

    "Hey¡­"

    "Something wrong?" Tian Yanyu raised an eyebrow.

    "You see, I just remembered that I had an appointment with someone, and this is an important meeting that I cannot miss, but it will happen five days after the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb''s opening, so I won''t be able to enter with you on day one."

    "What?! You''re telling me this the day before it opens?!"

    Tian Yanyu was clearly unhappy about the situation. However, even though her voice was loud, she didn''t look angry.

    "I''m truly sorry." Yuan lowered his head in an apologetic manner.This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    Tian Yanyu rubbed her eyes and sighed, "Don''t worry about it. It''s only five days, right? I can ask my mother to dy our entrance for you."

    Yuan quickly lifted his head and said, "Please don''t. Your mother won''t like it and will probably refuse. Furthermore, you''re not going with just your mother, right? We cannot dy the others just for me."

    "Where will you guys be headed first? I will meet up with you in five days." Yuan suddenly suggested.

    "We''ll be spending our first month at the Nameless Stone Warrior. You know where it is, right?"

    He nodded, "I memorized the map."

    "Good."

    The following day, Yuan and Tian Yanyu went to meet up with Tian Suyin, who brought them to the gathering area, where tens of thousands of disciples were waiting in anticipation with more to show up.

    "Senior, due to another appointment I had arranged beforeing here, I will be entering the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb a few days after it opens." Yuan said to her, who merely shrugged.

    "Why are you telling me? I don''t really care if youe with us or not." Tian Suyin said.

    However, while she imed to not care, she wasn''t telling the truth entirely. Since she knew how powerful Yuan was, she would feel less nervous inside the tomb, but that''s no longer the case. <sub> </sub>

    Tian Yanyu then spoke, "By the way, you can enter and leave the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb as many times as you please, so you don''t need to worry about that."

    Sometimeter, Sect Leader Yu Jian showed up at the gathering ce and swept the crowd with a sharp and profound gaze.

    ''About 90,000 disciples¡­''

    90,000 disciples was about a third of the Jade Sword Manor''s entire disciple poption, butpared to the other sects that will be bringing half of their sect, it wasn''t anything impressive.

    Once Yu Jian gave the disciples a short speech, he retrieved a spiritual treasure and mass teleported everyone there to another gathering area, one that was much closer to the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb.

    "The Nameless Emperor''s Tomb is 100 km to the north. All of the major sects will have a spot reserved for them. Look for the g with our sect''s emblem."

    After saying these words, Yu Jian went ahead and flew away.

    The disciples there quickly followed suit.

    Sometimeter, Yuan and the disciples arrived at a vast and spaciousnd that had nothing in sight besides the very obvious andrge temple that was situated right in the center of this area.

    This temple was massive¡ªrger than any building Yuan has seen before, and this included the buildings in the Giant''s Continent.

    The temple itself seemed to be made of white marble, and it appeared to be in pristine condition at nce, almost as though it was just created yesterday even though it stood for millions of years already.

    When Yuan saw this temple, he could feel his heartbeats quickening, and he suddenly had this near uncontroble urge to approach the ce, like it was calling for him.

    Surrounding the temple was a sea of people¡ª tens of millions of people.

    This reminded Yuan of the Mystic Realm, but the scale of this event was multitudesrger.

    Still wearing the Jade Sword Manor''s guest uniform, Yuan followed Tian Yanyu and the other disciples to their sect''s assigned location in front of the temple, where Sect Leader Yu Jian was waiting.

    "This isn''t even half of the people participating." Tian Yanyu suddenly said to him.

    "Since there are too many people that want to enter the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb, all of the sects are given a set date to enter. The top sects will get to enter on day 1 while the weaker sects and rouge cultivators will enter a few dayster. Although entering a few dayste may not seem like much at first, these few days could be the difference between gaining enlightenment and gaining nothing. There have been plenty of cases where people were kicked out right before they could be enlightened."

    "Is that so¡­ When does the tomb open, anyway?" Yuan asked.

    "It should open within the hour."

    "I will stay here until you enter the tomb."

    "Alright."

    Thus, they began to wait for the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb to open.

    Meanwhile, more and more people showed up for the tomb''s opening, including those that had no intention of participating.

 Chapter 1106 Nameless Emperors TombsOpening(2)

    An hour passed within the blink of an eye while Yuan inspected the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb with his divine sense.

    Besides its pristine condition, there really wasn''t anything too special about the temple itself¡ª at least Yuan didn''t notice anything unique about it.

    He also noticed that even though tens of millions of people had gathered in front of the temple, they all left an empty path straight down the center leading to the temple for some reason, almost as though they were expecting someone to walk through the path.

    About five minutes before the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb''s opening, the Ji Family showed up at the site.

    All of the Sect Leaders and n Leaders went to greet the Ji Family upon their arrival, including Yu Jian from the Jade Sword Manor.

    However, these powerhouses were absolutely gobsmacked when they noticed Lord Ji''s unusual and shocking condition.

    "L-Lord Ji! What happened to your arm?!"

    Lord Ji, who was almost an invincible existence within the Third Heaven had suddenly lost an arm, an injury that most would consider to be crippling. However, who or what could possibly injure the strongest cultivator in the Third Heaven to such a degree? None of these Sect Leaders or n Leaders could imagine.

    Lord Ji''s body shuddered after being reminded of his injury¡ª one that he doesn''t even remember getting.

    "I¡­ I don''t remember." He eventually shook his head. "When I woke up, my arm had disappeared."

    The Sect Leaders exchanged nces with each other. What could have possibly caused such a phenomenon? One doesn''t simply wake up with an arm missing!

    These experts all believed that Lord Ji had been attacked while he was asleep, as that was the only logical exnation, but such a thing was easier said than done.

    However, Lord Ji insisted that he doesn''t remember anything, so the Sect Leaders and n Leaders had no choice but to drop the topic.

    "I would normally give a speech, but as you can see, I am not in the condition to do so." Lord Ji spoke a momentter, and nobody there could me him.

    Eventually, it was time for the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb''s opening.

    Yuan could sense a sudden change in the atmosphere, almost as though the presence of an otherworldly expert just showed up.This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    The temple suddenly began emanating a golden glow that would grow brighter with every passing second.

    BOOM!

    The entire Third Heaven shook for a brief second when a powerful ripple swept the ce.

    Suddenly, like a ghost, the figure of a tall individual wearing exquisite white robes appeared in the empty path that all of the sects had purposefully avoided.

    This figure was entirely made out of spiritual energy, yet it felt like he truly existed as a real person, and he was carrying arge sword on his back while wearing a mask on his face.<sub> </sub>

    When the experts there saw this masked figure, they all lowered their heads and silently bowed to him, their hearts trembling with reverence.

    Although nobody there knew this masked figure''s true identity, they all had a good feeling that he was the Nameless Emperor¡ª the master of this unfathomable tomb.

    Yuan''s body trembled slightly when he saw this masked figure and the sword on his back.

    ''Empyrean Overlord¡­'' It only took a nce for him to recognize the sword and the masked figure.

    A few moments after he appeared, the masked figure began taking small strides towards the temple in the distance.

    As he slowly approached the tomb, not a single soul in that area dared to make even the slightest movements, and even the most powerful cultivator in this world, Lord Ji, had to hold his breath.

    Unbeknownst to most of the people there, several experts from the upper heaven were hidden amongst them, and they were just as awed by this masked figure''s unfathomable presence despite being part of powerful families and sects in the upper heavens themselves.

    ''I have heard countless rumors about the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb and its unknown master, but I never really understood why even the experts in the Ninth Heaven are wary of this ce until today! This masked figure¡­ If he is still alive today, he would, without doubt, be one of the strongest cultivators in the Nine Heavens!''

    ''How is he exuding such a powerful aura even though he''s just a phantom created entirely out of spiritual energy?! Even the top experts in my family cannot emit such an aura while they are alive! This doesn''t make any sense!''

    After taking exactly 99 steps, the masked figure stopped his movements and proceeded to reach behind him to grab the Empyrean Overlord.

    The moment his grasp tightened on the Empyrean Overlord, all of the experts there suddenly felt a cold sensation around their neck, almost as though there was a real de pressing against their skin at this moment.

    The experts tried their damned hardest to not swallow by ident, and their back was quickly soaked in cold sweat.

    The experts from the upper heavens even subconsciously grabbed their weapons when they sensed this chilling sensation, but they quickly released their hands when they realized the situation.

    ''His Sword Qi is so profound that our body¡ª our very soul¡ª had instinctively reacted defensively even though it wasn''t directed at us¡­ Even the current Sword Emperor would look like a sword apprenticepared to him! Why does such an existence exist in this world?! What is the Heavens thinking, allowing such a thing to happen?!''

    While the experts from the upper heaven were in deep thoughts, the masked man suddenly made his movement and swung his sword vertically at the temple.

    A beautiful arc of sword light was created by the swing, and it flew straight at the temple.

    Sha!

    Almost as though the sword light ripped through space itself, a massive portal suddenly appeared in front of the temple.

    The Nameless Emperor''s Tomb was finally open, but nobody there dared to move, as the masked figure had yet to disappear.

    Thus, the tens of millions of people there patiently waited for the masked man to disappear after opening the tomb like he usually does. However, what happened next shocked everyone there.

 Chapter 1107 Nameless Emperors TombsOpening(3)

    ''What''s going on? Why isn''t he disappearing like he normally does after opening the tomb?'' Lord Ji and all of the experts there wondered inwardly when the masked figure continued to stand in front of the temple even many moments after opening the tomb.

    Everyone there was puzzled by the situation, but none of them dared to approach the tomb until the masked figurepletely disappeared even if they had to wait hours.

    Moments quickly turned into minutes. The atmosphere there had be almost suffocating with everyone nervous about this phenomenon.

    The Nameless Emperor''s Tomb has existed for millions of years with many experts there experiencing the tomb''s opening over a dozen times, yet nobody there had seen or heard about this kind of situation.

    Did the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb have a sudden malfunction? Was there something different about this year''s event? Nobody there could say for sure, nor were they willing to find out, as even the slightest mistake could cost them their life as long as the masked figure remained.

    ''Fuck¡­ I don''t feel this kind of pressure even inside the tomb!'' Sect Leader Yu Jian cursed inwardly, feeling like he''s already aged a hundred years in these few short minutes.

    Suddenly, a voice resounded in the area.

    This voice was calm, soothing to the ears, and as gentle as feathers, yet there was a strikingly domineering feeling to the tone that demandedplete obedience.

    "It took you long enough to get here¡­ How long are you going to keep us waiting? Hurry up and get this over with so that you can continue your journey, which is just starting if you just made it here."

    To everyone''s absolute shock, this voice came from the masked figure. Although everyone doubted their ears at first, they quickly realized that nobody but the masked figure could possibly have the audacity to speak in such a tense situation.

    ''The Nameless Emperor spoke¡­? What''s he talking about? Has he been waiting for someone this entire time? Who?'' Lord Ji was baffled. He has seen the Nameless Emperor over a hundred times in his lifetime but this is the first time he''s heard the Nameless Emperor''s voice.

    Meanwhile, Tian Yanyu was baffled for another reason.

    ''His voice¡­ It sounds oddly familiar¡­ like I have heard it before¡­'' She moved her eyes to nce at Yuan without turning her head.

    ''Right¡­ It sounds exactly like Xiao Yang''s voice, albeit a little more mature¡­ Or am I just imagining things?'' She didn''t want to jump to conclusions so she disregarded such thoughts for now.

    Shortly after the Nameless Emperor spoke, his body made of spiritual energy began to disperse until there was nothing left.

    Normally, the people there would instantly rush into the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb after the Nameless Emperor''s disappearance, but nobody there made any movements even after he was gone this time.

    ''Even though you''re telling me to hurry, I won''t be able to enter the tomb for another five days. Sorry.'' Yuan shook his head inwardly.

    Eventually, the experts started snapping out of their daze, and they finally started sending people into the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb.

    "I will see youter, Xiao Yang." Tian Yanyu said when it was their sect''s turn to enter.

    "Stay safe. We will meet in five days if nothing goes wrong."

    Yuan continued to wait outside the tomb until he saw Tian Yanyu enter the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb with his own eyes.

    Once he confirmed this, he turned around and disappeared from the scene.<sub> </sub>

    "Disciple Tian, what happened to your friend? I thought he was going to enter the tomb with us." Yu Jian, who had been keeping his eyes on Yuan, asked Tian Yanyu and Tian Suyin when he noticed that he didn''t enter with them.

    "Something came up for him so he''ll enter at ater date." Tian Yanyu exined.

    "I see¡­ How unfortunate. I would feel a lot safer if I knew that he was in here." Yu Jian shook his head.

    Seeing how much the Sect Leader held a junior in such high regard, Tian Suyin could only shake her head inwardly and admit that she felt the same way.

    The Jade Sword Manor would continue traveling in the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb as a whole sect for a little longer before everyone split up into smaller groups, dispersing in every direction.

    Tian Yanyu followed her mother and others that were going to the same destination, quickly making their way towards the Nameless Stone Warrior.

    Meanwhile, Yuan returned to Meixiu and the others to let them know of the situation since he had a few more days before the meeting with Xu Jiaqi.

    "There''s a good chance that I might not leave the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb for a while so I am going to leave behind some things for you guys just in case you want to leave the Cultivators'' Haven and explore Third Heaven by yourself."

    "Exploring the Third Heaven without you? That''s suicide for cultivators at our level." Chu Liuxiang said with a bittersweet smile.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    "How long do you think it will take?" Meixiu asked.

    "At most six months, but I really hope it won''t take that long."

    "Half a year¡­ Do you think we''ll reach at least Spirit Grandmaster in that amount of time?" Li Jinxi asked.

    "With your talents and resources, I have no doubt that you''ll reach at least Spirit Lord." Yuan smiled.

    "By the way, even though I won''t be with you, just know that you''re still being protected no matter where you are."

    "What do you mean?" Meixiu raised an eyebrow.

    "I will tell you about it at tonight''s dinner table."

    "Alright."

    Later that night at the dinner table, Yuan would tell Meixiu and the others about the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb and his new friend Dong Ye. However, he didn''t tell them everything about Dong Ye, such as how Dong Ye was a servant from one of his past lives, as that would''ve made thingsplicated. Though, he did tell Meixiu and Chu Liuxiang since they were already aware of his past lives.

    Over the next five days, Yuan would spend them in the real world with most of his time being spent in the training field or the bedroom.

    Five days passed in the blink of an eye, and it was time for his promise with Xu Jiaqi to be fulfilled.

 Chapter 1108 Strongest Soul CultivationTechnique In The Nine Heavens

    A few days prior to her meeting with Yuan, Xu Jiaqi had to retrieve the soul cultivation technique from Lady Xiang.

    "I have done what you asked. I want the soul cultivation technique now." Xu Jiaqi said while standing before Lady Xiang.

    Lady Xiang lowered her cup of tea and smiled, "I knew you were powerful, but who thought you''d be capable of annihting the entire Sky Whales Faction overnight. The entire Supreme Heaven is trembling because of your actions, you know. How long has it been since youst stirred the world this much? 100,000 years ago?"

    "The soul cultivation technique. I will not repeat myself." Xu Jiaqi even extended her hands out.

    Lady Xiang sighed, "Why are you being so impatient? Do you really think I am going to swindle you?"

    After cing her tea down, Lady Xiang continued, "I don''t know how you think this works, but I cannot just hand you the technique. This soul cultivation technique is a little special, so I will have to transfer it to the individual myself."

    Xu Jiaqi narrowed her eyes, "If you''re doing this just so you can identify the junior¡­"

    Lady Xiang shrugged, "I won''t lie. I am intrigued by this junior whom you''re so desperate to help, but I do not have any ulterior motives, nor am I the type to go after someone else''s man. I cannot give him the technique unless I do so personally. This is a rule that cannot be broken even if you threaten to kill me."

    After a moment of silence, Xu Jiaqi nodded, "Fine. Meet me at the Myriad of Techniques in three days."

    And without saying another word, Xu Jiaqi disappeared from Lady Xiang''s sight.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

    "She''s as difficult as ever." Lady Xiang shook her head with a bittersweet smile on her face.

    Normal people would be irritated by Xu Jiaqi''s bossy attitude, but Lady Xiang has known her for millions of years and knew Xu Jiaqi''s true personality, so it didn''t offend her even the slightest.

    Three dayster, Lady Xiang entered the Myriad of Techniques, where Xu Jiaqi and Senior Bai were waiting.

    "How have you been, Bai Linyu? Are you still being tossed around by Lady Xu?" Lady Xiang asked him in a teasing voice.

    "And you seem the same as always, Lady Xiang." Senior Bai smiled at her.

    "Don''t you mean I look prettier than before?"

    "The two of you can chat all you wantter, but we have someone waiting for us right now." Xu Jiaqi said.

    "Take me to this junior." Lady Xiang smiled.

    A few hours before Lady Xiang''s arrival, Yuan entered the Myriad of Techniques and met up with Senior Bai.

    "You''re here early. Lady Xu won''t be here for a few more hours." Senior Bai said to him.

    "That''s fine. If you''re free, let''s have a chat. I have some questions for you." Yuan said.

    "What kind of questions?"

    After a moment of silence, Yuan asked, "What do you know about someone named Evil God?"

    Senior Bai''s eyes widened with shock after hearing this name.

    "W-Where did you hear this name?"<sub> </sub>

    "I''m not exactly sure where or when I heard it, but it resurfaced in my mind recently and I can''t stop thinking about it since." Yuan lied with a straight face.

    "I''m saying this for your own good, but do not look into the Evil God¡ª In fact, don''t even utter this name in public. You could be mistaken as the Evil God''s Worshiper, which is punishable with immediate death."

    "Now I''m even more curious. There''s nobody but us here, so it should be fine, right?" Yuan smiled.

    Senior Bai sighed, "If I quench your thirst, can you promise me that you will stop looking into it?"

    Yuan quickly nodded.

    After taking a deep breath, Senior Bai spoke, "The Evil God was one of the strongest and most dangerous individuals to have ever existed in the Nine Heavens. Nobody knows his true identity, but he showed up out of the blue one day and dered war on the Celestial Emperor¡ª the first Celestial Emperor in history."

    "This urred somewhere in the middle of an ongoing war called the Heavenly War of Immortals and Gods when the cultivators fighting the Celestial Emperor were losing. The Evil God''s appearance changed the direction of the war."

    "Heavenly War of Immortals and Gods¡­ I heard of this war before. What was the cause of it?" Yuan asked.

    "The rogue cultivators didn''t like how the Celestial Emperor limited the resources in the Nine Heavens, restricting its ess to only those that served under him, so they revolted. This rebellion rocked the entire Nine Heavens, even splitting it into 9 separate worlds in the process."

    "And the Evil God joined this war in the middle of it, killing the Celestial Emperor?" Yuan asked for confirmation.

    "That''s right."

    "And nobody knows why?"

    "Perhaps a few close to him knew the real reason, but the majority of us do not."

    "Speaking of people close to him, I remember the name Dong Ye being mentioned alongside the Evil God. Do you know anything about him?"

    Senior Bai pondered for a moment before speaking, "If I remember correctly, Dong Ye was themander of the Evil God''s Shadow Army, one of the most fearsome groups of assassins within the Nine Heavens."

    Yuan would continue to ask questions about the Evil God, and Senior Bai would answer them to the best of his knowledge.

    A few hourster, Senior Bai said, "Alright, it''s about time. I''m going to get Lady Xu now."

    "Okay. Thank you for your time."

    "Remember your promise."

    Yuan nodded with a smile, "I know. I won''t look into the Evil God anymore."

    Senior Bai left the Myriad of Techniques the next moment.

    A few minutester, Yuan could sense Senior Bai''s presence reappearing nearby, alongside two other presences, one of which that he did not recognize.

    ''Who is that?'' Yuan wondered to himself as he gazed at the unfamiliar beauty that was following Senior Bai and Xu Jiaqi.

 Chapter 1109 Strongest Soul Cultivation Technique In The Nine Heavens(2)

    "Good morning, Miss Xu, Senior." Yuan bowed to them in a respectful manner when they got close enough.

    "We''ve kept you waiting." Xu Jiaqi nodded her head in acknowledgment.

    "There''s still a few days before the agreed date." Yuan smiled.

    He turned to look at Lady Xiang whom he was unfamiliar with, but he didn''t want to be noosy, so he didn''t ask for her identity.

    ''She seems a bit dazed for some reason.'' He thought to himself.

    Xu Jiaqi also noticed this, so she decided to introduce Lady Xiang instead.

    "This is Lady Xiang from the Divine Essence Monastery. You probably haven''t heard of this ce since they only exist in the upper heavens, but they''re one of the top 10 powers in the Nine Heavens. As for her reason for being here¡ª"

    "I am here to teach you my soul cultivation technique." Lady Xiang suddenly spoke, interrupting Xu Jiaqi.

    "My apologies for thete introduction. I had something on my mind just now. I am Xiang Biyu, the current Holy Maiden of the Divine Essence Monastery. You may address me as Sister Biyu."

    Senior Bai and Xu Jiaqi looked at Lady Xiang with raised eyebrows. Why would Lady Xiang allow Yuan to address her with such familiarity despite this being their first meeting?

    Lady Xiang continued without pausing, "In my possession is what I believe to be the strongest soul cultivation technique in the Nine Heavens, so Lady Xu went to the right person if that''s what she¡ª you are looking for."

    "Tell me, why are you seeking such a powerful technique when you''re just a mere Spirit King? Did you not stop to think that you might be biting more than you can chew?"

    Yuan smiled and said, "I was just looking for a suitable soul cultivation technique. It was Miss Xu who offered to find me the best one she could find. There''s no way I could refuse such an offer. As for whether or not I can chew it¡­ I guess we will find out once I bite into it."

    Lady Xiang nced at Xu Jiaqi for a second but didn''t say anything.

    "Fortunately for you, unlike most soul cultivation techniques out there, my soul cultivation technique doesn''t discriminate against one''s cultivation, so anyone can learn it as long as they qualify. However, that is easier said than done, as there have only been three people since ancient time that have managed to learn this soul cultivation technique."

    "Only three people¡­?" Yuan was surprised to hear this, but he was also excited. After all, the harder it was to learn something, that something is usually more unique and powerful.This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    "If you do not have what it takes to learn this soul cultivation technique, there is nothing I could do for you. It just means you are not fated to learn it." Lady Xiang said a momentter.

    She turned to look at Lady Xu and continued, "As I have mentioned beforeing here, if he doesn''t learn it, don''t expect anypensation, as this was part of our deal."

    "I am well aware." Xu Jiaqi nodded.

    Lady Xiang returned to Yuan and smiled, "She destroyed an entire faction just to get you this chance, young man. Try not to waste it¡ª even if you don''t really have a choice."

    "You did what?" Yuan looked at Xu Jiaqi with wide eyes.

    "Don''t misunderstand. Even though it was part of the agreement, the Celestial Overlords have a duty to deal with any Demon Worshippers, so I would''ve dealt with them the moment I learned that they were Demon Worshippers even if it wasn''t part of the agreement."

    "Whatever you say, Lady Xu."

    Lady Xiang proceeded to re at Yuan with a serious look on her face.<sub> </sub>

    "Are you ready?" She asked.

    "I am." He nodded.

    "Let''s go." Xu Jiaqi suddenly said to Senior Bai, who nodded in silence.

    The two of them proceeded to leave Lady Xiang and Yuan alone.

    Since Lady Xiang only promised to teach Yuan the soul cultivation technique, it was only natural for everyone else to leave.

    Once they were alone, Lady Xiang spoke, "This technique is a little special, so the learning method will be a little special as well. Though, it''s quite simple."

    Lady Xiang closed her eyes, and her aura suddenly began to soar.

    A few momentster, a massive golden bell materialized behind her.

    This bell didn''t appear to bepletely solid and seemed somewhat semi-transparent. It was the size of a four-story building, and it emanated an otherworldly aura.

    Upon closer inspection, Yuan could see tiny words engraved onto the front of the bell, exactly 1,000 words.

    "Is that the soul cultivation technique inscribed on the bell?" Yuan asked.

    "Indeed. It may seem very insignificantpared to even the most ordinary technique, but each word passes a profound secret that will lead you closer to learning the technique."

    "What is this technique''s name?"

    "You will learn it if you are fated to. Otherwise, you are not worthy to know its name." Lady Xiang said.

    Yuan''s gaze was fixated on the golden bell ever since it came into view, looking as though he was bewitched by it.

    "It could take weeks, months, even years to learn this technique. I will give you fifty years." Lady Xiang said a momentter.

    Although 50 years may sound a lot, it would feel no different than a few weeks for an Immortal who has lived millions of years. Furthermore, it took Lady Xiang, one of the most talented individuals in her era, 120 years to learn the technique, so 50 years was actually very little time.

    However, almost as though he couldn''t hear her, Yuan remained silent.

    Lady Xiang continued speaking regardless, "Once you think you haveprehended the technique, ring the bell with your spiritual energy. Even a little is fine. Once you do, the bell will ring, and each ring will signify your understanding, so the more times it rings, the more you''llprehend it."

    ''I doubt you''ll be able to learn this technique in 50 years, but there''s no need to worry, because I will¡ª''

    In the midst of Lady Xiang''s thoughts, Yuan suddenly lifted his finger and pointed it at the bell.

    And before Lady Xiang could even wonder what he was thinking, Yuan released a strand of spiritual energy that flew straight at the bell.

    "What are you¡ª?!" Lady Xiang eximed in a shocked voice after seeing his seemingly reckless actions, but she had no time to be shocked, as Yuan would surely be dead before the bell could even finish ringing once.

 Chapter 1110 Strongest Soul Cultivation Technique In The Nine Heavens(3)

    The moment Yuan''s spiritual energy touched the bell, its golden figure began to tremble, and a secondter, almost as though someone had struck it with a wooden log, it released a heart-throbbing noise that swept the entire world.

    DONG!

    Yuan could feel his entire body trembling with the bell, and it felt like his very soul had been struck alongside the bell.

    "Do you have a death wish?! If you ring the bell before youprehend the technique, it could shatter your very soul!" Lady Xiang cried out loud after hearing the first ring.

    However, there was nothing she could do about it, as once the bell rings, it would not stop until the very end, and whether Yuan''s soul will survive the ordeal was entirely up to him.

    "Don''t worry, I have alreadyprehended the technique." Yuan spoke in a calm voice as the first ring continued to echo.

    The sound of each ringsted nine seconds, so he had some time until the next one.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

    "What in heavens'' name are you talking about?! That''s impossible! It took me 120 years toprehend the technique while you''ve just started!" Lady Xiang didn''t want to believe it¡ª she couldn''t. In fact, nobody in the Nine Heavens would believe Yuan''s outrageous ims.

    However, Yuan wasn''t lying. Almost as though he was fated to learn the technique¡ª or he learned the technique in advance, he''d instantly grasped the meaning behind the words on the bell at nce andprehended the technique the following second.

    It was so unbelievably easy that even Yuan doubted it at first, hence why he went ahead and rang the golden bell, as he suddenly had this uncontroble urge to do so, which was probably affected by the technique he''d justprehended.

    With that being said, while he''sprehended the technique, he hasn''t actually learned it yet.

    How much of the technique he learns will entirely depend on the amount of times the bell resounds. Thus, the more the bell rings, the more he will learn the technique.

    Nine seconds after the first ring, the bell rang for a second time, sounding even louder than the previous.

    DONG!!!

    Yuan could feel his entire body being pushed back by the noise as well as the invisible force that was pressuring his internal organs and his very soul.

    Despite that, it didn''t really affect Yuan too much, and the pressure on his soul was nothing more than just that. He wasn''t hurt by the pressure, nor did he feel like his life was threatened by it.

    Therefore, Yuan stood tall and endured the second bell for nine more seconds.

    After the second ringing ended, the bell resounded for a third time¡ª but not before the golden bell itself grew in size.

    And in the blink of an eye, the golden bell nearly doubled in size.

    DONG!!!

    Lady Xiang swallowed nervously as an expression of disbelief was stered all over her face.

    ''He''s withstanding the pressure from the bell¡­ Did he reallyprehend the technique in that short of a time? How many times will the bell ring for him?''

    Lady Xiang recalled her experience learning the technique and facing the bell. After spending 120 years trying toprehend the technique, she managed to make the golden bell ring a total of 6 times out of a possible 9.

    DONG!

    The golden bell rang for the fourth time, and it had grown sorge that it was almost as big as Yuan''s God of War''s Astral Art''s avatar.

    Yuan had closed his eyes and sat down long ago, and his understanding for the soul cultivation technique deepened with every ring.

    Eventually, the loud noise sounded no different than music to his ears, and his body felt like it was being embraced by the goddess of sounds.

    DONG! DONG!!!<sub> </sub>

    The fifth and sixth ring resounded shortly after.

    ''Six! He''s managed to make the golden bell ring six times!''

    DONG!

    In what seemed like a blink of an eye, the seventh bell rang.

    At the seventh ring, the power of the noise had transcended their space and leaked to the outside world where Xu Jiaqi and the others were waiting.

    "Is this¡­ the sound of a bell?" Senior Bai turned around to look at the portal behind him.

    "What are they doing inside?" He wondered out loud.

    "Whatever they are doing, I have a bad feeling about this." Xu Jiaqi said with a slight frown on her face.

    Dong!!!

    When the eighth bell rang, Xu Jiaqi and Senior Bai felt the entire world around them tremble.

    "What is happening?!" Senior Bai eximed.

    Xu Jiaqi didn''t say anything. She turned around and rushed back into the portal to see what was going on inside. Senior Bai quickly followed.

    And to their absolute surprise, there was a massive golden bell inside Senior Bai''s world, and it was big enough to cover the entire ce.

    "What in Heavens'' name are we seeing?" Senior Bai uttered in a voice of disbelief.

    Despite the loud noises, neither Senior Bai nor Xu Jiaqi were affected by it, as the pressure was mostly focused on Yuan, so the most they felt was their heart beating louder than usual.

    ''E-Eight rings¡­'' Lady Xiang could be seen trembling in shock even from a distance.

    Xu Jiaqi immediately approached her and asked, "What the hell is going on here?!"

    Lady Xiang turned to look at her with wide eyes before speaking in a dazed voice, "H-He''s managed to make the bell ring eight times¡­"

    "What is that even supposed to mean?" Xu Jiaqi frowned.

    "It means a new legend is about to be born!" She eximed with a wide smile on her face.

    DONG!!!

    The golden bell rang for the ninth time, causing the entire Nine Heavens to tremble, and Lady Xiang could feel her excitement reaching its climax when she heard this.

    However, little did Lady Xiang know that this was just the beginning.

    After the golden bell rang nine times, it suddenly rang again for the tenth time.

    DONG!

    Lady Xiang always believed that the golden bell could only ring a maximum of nine times, but Yuan had managed to surpass that and ring it 10 times!

 Chapter 1111 The Nine Heavens Trembles!

    After the 10th ring, the golden bell fell silent, but both Yuan and Lady Xiang could somehow tell that it wasn''tpletely over yet.

    "Tell me, what''s going on?" Xu Jiaqi asked them, as she waspletely clueless to the situation.

    "Once oneprehends the soul cultivation technique, the golden bell will ring a certain number of times with nine¡ª ten rings being the maximum, and the more times you manage to make it ring, the stronger your understanding of the technique will be. In other words, the more it rings the better." Lady Xiang exined in a dazed voice.

    And she continued, "For reference, I made the bell ring six times when Iprehended the technique, and I was considered a genius that would appear only once every few million years."

    After swallowing nervously, she said, "Your little friend here has managed to make the bell ring ten times¡­ that kind of talent is frightening. I cannot imagine what kind of monster he''ll be like in the future."

    Although it might be a bit rude to call Yuan a monster, Lady Xiang could not think of another term to call him by, and his talent was truly monstrous.

    "So what happens now?" Xu Jiaqi asked.

    Lady Xiang shook her head, "I don''t know. The golden bell should''ve disappeared after it stopped ringing, but it''s still here for some reason, so it might not be the end just yet. As for what might happen, I cannot even begin to imagine."

    "..."

    After a brief moment of silence, Xu Jiaqi spoke while staring at Yuan, who was still sitting there with his eyes closed, "How are you feeling?"

    "..."

    However, almost as though he couldn''t even hear her, Yuan remained silent.

    Xu Jiaqi didn''t try to speak to him again, fearing that she might disturb his trance.

    Thus, both Xu Jiaqi and Lady Xiang would patiently wait for Yuan to wake up.

    Yuan would not move a single muscle for the next 24 hours, and neither did Xu Jiaqi or Lady Xiang. They would stare at Yuan''s face intently, their thoughts unknown. Senior Bai was still waiting outside the portal, feeling a little nervous about how silent it was.

    Fortunately, that silence would notst too long, as the Nine Heavens would soon experience another turmoil.

    Once 24 hours had passed, Yuan suddenly opened his eyes, but they seemed empty, almost as though he was still unconscious.

    A profound aura suddenly swept the world, followed by the deafening sound of a bell ringing.

    The golden bell has started to ring again for the 11th time, but it was much quicker this time.

    Unlike the slow ringing at the start, the pace became much quicker, and the golden bell would ring every second.

    DONG! DONG! DONG!

    Every ring would send out a ripple with unfathomable secrets that filled the small world before leaking out into the Nine Heavens.

    The Nine Heavens would tremble every time the bell rang, so it would shake every second, causing a major uproar in every world within the Nine Heavens.

    This constant shaking made many people wonder if the world was ending, and more people would begin to have the same thoughts when the trembling grew stronger and stronger.

    Somewhere in the Nine Heavens, the Celestial Emperor stood before his throne with his hands wrapped into a tight fist and a dazed look on his face.

    He could hear the faint sound of a bell ringing that was getting clearer with every passing second, almost as though he was standing before the bell himself, and he recalled a certain sentence.<sub> </sub>

    "When the glorious Bell of Supremacy resounds, a new ruler is born, and the Nine Heavens will tremble as it enters a new era."

    "Have you returned once again to trample on this world''s peace? Why won''t you give up? No matter how many times you reincarnate, you cannot escape the fate bestowed upon everyone born under this heaven. It''s impossible to win¡­"? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    The Celestial Emperor had a tired and somewhat defeated look in his eyes.

    Back in the Myriad of Techniques, Yuan could feel something deep within his body being loosened¡ª being awakened.

    As the bell approached its 90th ring, Yuan finally understood one thing.

    ''This has nothing to do with the soul cultivation technique. This is a key¡­ a key to a lock within me. Something inside me is being unsealed.''

    Although he didn''t know what was being unsealed, he somehow knew that it would help him face whatever was inside the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb.

    Once the golden bell rang a total of 99 times, it would stop for a few seconds before resounding one more time.

    When the golden bell rang for the 100th time, it shattered into countless fragments.

    These fragments did not immediately disappear and instead transformed into golden swords that pointed at Yuan.

    Each of these swords had unique symbols engraved into them, but neither Xu Jiaqi nor Lady Xiang could read them.

    As for Yuan, even though he couldn''t read them, he could somehow understand them.

    Whoosh!

    These countless golden swords suddenly flew at Yuan, entering his body without harming him in the slightest.

    Once Yuan absorbed all of the golden swords, he took a deep breath before closing his eyes and entering into another trance.

    This trance didn''tst as long and ended a few minutester.

    When he opened his eyes, it was pure gold and glistening like stars in a starry night, giving an otherworldly feeling to his existence.

    Both Xu Jiaqi and Lady Xiang subconsciously swallowed nervously when they saw his eyes, feeling as though they were before a divine entity despite being god-like existences themselves.

    "I think it''s over," he spoke in a calm voice a momentter.

    However, the goddesses were still in shock and trying to process what had just happened.

    "H-How do you feel?" Lady Xiang asked him a momentter.

    "I feel fine."

    ? "Just fine? Do you feel any different?"

    To her surprise, Yuan shook his head, "No, I don''t feel any different."

    "How is that even possible¡­?" Lady Xiang muttered in a dazed voice.

 Chapter 1112 Lady Xiangs Offer

    "I don''t believe it." Xu Jiaqi suddenly spoke with a cold expression on her face.

    "You just learned the strongest soul cultivation technique known in the Nine Heavens, not to mention that spectacle just now. There''s no way you don''t feel any different."

    Yuan shook his head with a bittersweet smile, "Why would I lie to you? I truly don''t feel any different. Perhaps the effects will start showingter, but I can''t sense anything different about my body at this moment."

    Neither Lady Xiang nor Xu Jiaqi could argue with his logic, especially when they still cannotprehend what had just urred.

    "Then I would like to make a suggestion. You should stay here for a little longer so that I can monitor your condition." Lady Xiang then said.

    "I''m sorry, Lady Xiang, but I have somewhere to be, and I already broke my promise once. I cannot disappoint my friend a second time. I hope you can understand. If I feel any different, I will let Senior Bai know."

    Lady Xiang frowned, clearly unhappy, which was to be expected. However, what Yuan didn''t expect was what she would go on to say.

    "That''s not right. I told you to address me as Sister Biyu." Lady Xiang revealed her reason for being displeased, leaving Yuan speechless.

    Xu Jiaqi then spoke, "You don''t need to report anything if you don''t want to. We just wanted to make sure your body is unharmed after enduring the golden bell for so long."

    If it is considered rude to question a cultivator about their gains after they consumed a treasure, the same logic applied to cultivation techniques.

    "Anyways, about the soul cultivation technique¡­ Do you have it?" Lady Xiang asked a momentter.

    Yuan silently nodded.

    Lady Xiang took a deep breath before speaking, "Not only did you surpass me inprehension, you even made the golden bell ring 110 times. I don''t think something like this will ever be surpassed or repeated again."

    "Junior Brother Yuan, would you like to be my disciple?" Lady Xiang suddenly offered to be his master.

    "If you be my disciple, I will immediately bring you to the Supreme Heaven, and I will spare no resources nurturing you. All of my disciples have be a powerhouse in the Nine Heavens one way or another, and with your talents, you will surely be my brightest disciple yet. Moreover, since our soul cultivation technique is very unique, I am the only person in the Nine Heavens who can guide you properly in that regard."

    "Although the Divine Essence Monastery is a female-only sect and I have only ever epted female disciples before, I will make an exception for you. You will not only be surrounded by beauties, they''re the most brilliant and beautiful flowers you can encounter in the Nine Heavens. If that''s not enough to satisfy you, I don''t mind offering myself to you. I may have lived a long time, but as the Holy Maiden, my body is still pure." Lady Xiang winked at the end.

    Yuan was speechless. How did the conversation go off the rails so fast within a single sentence?

    "Hey, what nonsense are you spouting? I''ll kill you." Xu Jiaqi interrupted with a cold look on her face.

    Lady Xiang remained calm despite Xu Jiaqi''s threatening aura, and she even smiled, "Nonsense? I did not utter a single lie just now. In case you forgot, you also studied under me at one point."

    "That was because my father¡­"

    "No matter how you put it, you cannot alter the truth."

    Xu Jiaqi rubbed her eyes and sighed, "Yuan, ignore her. She may be the Holy Maiden, but she acts anything but one. Even if she is the only person in this world who can teach you about the soul cultivation technique, I have a feeling that you won''t need it. In fact, you might even be the one guiding her in the future."<sub> </sub>? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    "How can you say such a thing in front of a junior right before my presence, Little Qi? To make things fair, how about I reveal some of your embarrassing secrets?" Lady Xiang spoke with a cold look on her face.

    "I thought I told you that I would kill you if you ever utter that name again¡­" Xu Jiaqi''s eyes flickered with killing intent.

    Sensing that things were getting out of hand, Yuan cleared his throat and spoke in a stiff voice, "Seniors, please calm down. You''re both my benefactors. I cannot bear to watch the two of you fight with each other."

    He then turned to look at Lady Xiang and continued, "As for your offer, Lady¡ª Sister Biyu, I''m sorry, but I will have to decline."

    "May I ask for your reason?" Lady Xiang asked, her expression turned serious.

    "There are still things that I must do¡ª questions that I need to find answers for down here before I ascend to the Supreme Heaven. I have already decided to climb every step of the way to the Supreme Heaven, so I cannot let you take me there." Yuan exined.

    After all, he won''t be able to recover his memories if he skipped all the way to the end.

    Lady Xiang closed her eyes and released a long sigh, "If that''s your decision, I won''t force it."

    While she really wanted to ept Yuan as a disciple, she already expected for him to refuse. However, even if Yuan epted her offer, she wouldn''t have actually epted him as her disciple for one simple yetplex reason¡ª a reason that she cannot reveal to either Yuan or Xu Jiaqi.

    "Junior Brother, I won''t pursue this issue any further, but I have another request. Let''s meet again in this ce after three months. I want to see how much you''ve progressed with the soul cultivation technique." Lady Xiang said.

    "Three months¡­ I might not be able to make it, as I will be entering the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb, which couldst for as long as half a year." Yuan said.

    "Nameless Emperor''s Tomb¡­? You''re actually going inside that torture chamber? What are you, a masochist?" Xu Jiaqi couldn''t help but utter these words.

    "You''ve been inside before?" Yuan had a feeling this was the case.

    "Of course. In fact, most of the Immortals in the Supreme Heaven have explored the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb at least once. Despite this ce existing in the Third Heaven, it is still dangerous enough that even Immortals have perished inside. While inside, everyone above Spirit King will have their cultivation restricted to peak Spirit King, and all spiritual treasures above Ancient-grade are rendered useless, so the only advantages we have are our knowledge, experience, and techniques." Xu Jiaqi said.

    Yuan swallowed nervously after hearing all of this.

    The Nameless Emperor''s Tomb is dangerous enough to kill even Immortals that are entities that he cannot evenprehend yet? Why does such a ce even exist? He couldn''t wait to find out.

    "Now that I know you''re nning to explore the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb, I cannot leave you empty-handed." Lady Xiang suddenly said.

    "Here are some life¡ª"

    Right as Lady Xiang prepared to pull out life-saving treasures for Yuan, Xu Jiaqi stopped her and said, "What are you doing? Have you forgotten our position? If we interfere too much, it could have the opposite effect and harm him instead."

    "..." Lady Xiang wanted to argue, but she couldn''t.

    "Fine, I won''t give him any life-saving treasures, but I won''t let him go inside without anything." Lady Xiang said with a stern look on her face. "Even though he''s not my official disciple, he still learned my soul cultivation technique, so he is technically one."

 Chapter 1113 Lady Xiangs Blessing

    "Come over here, Junior Brother." Lady Xiang gestured for Yuan. "You may not need this, but it''s better to be safe than be sorry."

    Yuan nodded, and he approached her while anticipating what she was going to give him.

    Once he was right in front of Lady Xiang, she said, "Close your eyes."

    Yuan didn''t question her request and closed his eyes.

    The following moment, he would feel something soft and small pressing against his forehead, which prompted him to open his eyes.

    When he opened his eyes, Yuan could only see a pair of luscious breasts hovering right in front of his face, causing him to raise an eyebrow.

    Xu Jiaqi''s mouth was wide open at this moment as her shocked eyes were ring at Lady Xiang, who was giving Yuan a kiss on the forehead.

    As the Holy Maiden, her actions right now would be considered a taboo, and it would surely create an uproar if the public knew of it.

    The kiss didn''tst long, only three seconds, but it felt like three hours to Xu Jiaqi. Perhaps it would''vested longer if Xu Jiaqi didn''t intervene.

    "Are you done yet?"

    Lady Xiang removed her lips from Yuan''s forehead with a satisfied smile on her face.

    "I''ve just given you a blessing. It will automatically activate if it senses that you''re in grave danger. I hope it will never activate, though."

    "Thank you." Yuan smiled back, not thinking too much about the kiss on the forehead.

    Sometimeter, Xu Jiaqi spoke, "Regarding your other request¡ª about your physique. Unfortunately, I didn''t have time to get the manuals since I came here immediately after getting the technique. When you return in six months, I will also be here with the manuals."

    "I understand. Thank you, Miss Xu."

    "Before you leave, there is one more topic that needs to be discussed." Xu Jiaqi then said.

    "What is it?"

    Xu Jiaqi proceeded to tell Yuan about the situation in the Supreme Heaven and how many powerful Sects, Factions, and ns had sent down people to hunt for a certain individual.

    Yuan began sweating when he heard this information. Even though Xu Jiaqi said that they didn''t know the true identity of this criminal yet, he knew right away when she mentioned Heavens'' Judgment, and he pondered if he should tell her the truth.

    "Honestly, even though I am telling you this, I am not telling you to hunt this criminal. Even if youe across this person, you aren''t obligated to catch him. There are plenty of people who are capable of dealing with a mere criminal in Third Heaven. Though, you will receive a lot of good karma if you do, so there''s that."

    "I understand¡­ I will try my best to catch him if I see him." Yuan said with a stiff smile on his face.

    "Here. Take this jade slip. It will burn if you''re close to the criminal, who had been branded by Heaven during the judgment." Xu Jiaqi handed Yuan a ck jade slip.

    Yuan silently stared at the jade slip with a dazed look on his face. He was wondering why the jade slip had no reaction even though he was right in front of it. Not that he had anyints, as this situation worked in his favor.<sub> </sub>

    After epting the jade slip, Yuan left the Myriad of Techniques shortly after.

    "So he''s already left, huh? I still have something to give him, but that will have to wait until our next meeting now." Senior Bai mumbled after learning that Yuan had left.

    "He''ll return in six months after the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb." Xu Jiaqi briefly exined the situation.

    "Nameless Emperor''s Tomb! Even with his talents, I cannot help but feel a little worried." Senior Bai shook his head.

    The Nameless Emperor''s Tomb could be considered one of the most difficult Legacy Tombs in the Nine Heavens, after all.

    "Why are you still here?" Xu Jiaqi turned to look at Lady Xiang, who was still lingering around for some reason.

    Lady Xiang did not immediately respond and silently stared at her.

    After a moment of silence, she asked in a low voice, "Judging by how you''re acting around that young man¡­ Don''t tell me you can''t see the resemnce?"

    "What are you talking about?" Xu Jiaqi looked genuinely puzzled by such a question.

    "Unbelievable¡­" Lady Xiang sighed.

    "Actually, now that I think about it, you weren''t there to see his growth, so it''s not that surprising that you don''t see it¡­"

    "What the hell have you been mumbling about since the beginning? You are acting weird today¡ª very weird."

    "If you don''t understand it, then I won''t bother." Lady Xiang shook her head.

    Naturally, she was referring to how Yuan resembled the founder of the Celestial Overlords.

    Unlike Xu Jiaqi, who was picked up by the founder when she was just a little girl, Lady Xiang had been with him since much earlier, as early as his teenage years.

    ''The resemnce is so uncanny that I thought I''d somehow traveled to the past¡­'' Lady Xiang sighed inwardly as she recalled her memories that are so old they can be considered ancient.

    As she reached the exit, Lady Xiang turned around to look at Xu Jiaqi again.

    "He''s probably already part of the Celestial Overlord, right?" She asked.

    "Naturally." Xu Jiaqi spoke in a manner that made it seem like there was no other option.

    "Then I will give up recruiting him to my faction for now. Though, I will acquire him through other ways. Don''t say I didn''t warn you." Lady Xiang waved at Xu Jiaqi as she entered the exit, leaving Xu Jiaqi no time to respond.

    "Lady Xu, what happened? The Nine Heavens shook nonstop just now. This is the second time it''s happened. I don''t think this is a coincidence anymore."

    After a moment of silence, Xu Jiaqi mumbled, "It''s definitely connected to Yuan. As for why it''s happening, I don''t have the slightest clue, nor is it our business. I''m leaving now."N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

 Chapter 1114 Heavens Indomitable Soul

    After leaving the Myriad of Techniques, Yuan immediately began making his way back to the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb.

    On his way there, he would think about the new cultivation technique that he''d just acquired.

    <Heaven''s Indomitable Soul>

    <Rank: ???>

    <Mastery Level: ???>N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

    <Description: A technique of unknown origins. Absorb the very essence of this world and convert it into your Soul Strength.>

    As he couldn''t wait to experience the technique, Yuan decided to use the technique while he was on the move to see how it worked.

    Immediately after he activated the technique, Yuan could feel his body absorbing the spiritual essence around him, almost like how cultivators absorb Qi when they cultivate. However, spiritual essence was different from spiritual energy.

    Unlike spiritual energy that will inevitably have impurity, spiritual essence ispletely pure, so the cultivator won''t need to cleanse its purity after absorbing.

    Furthermore, spiritual essence itself is much stronger than spiritual energy, making it the ideal resource for all cultivators. However, one does not simply cultivate spiritual essence normally.

    In order to absorb spiritual essence, one must be able to sense spiritual essence, something that is only doable after they be an immortal.

    In other words, Yuan, who was still a mere Spirit King, could absorb spiritual essence and achieve what even immortals find difficult. That''s not all. Not only could he absorb spiritual essence, but he can even convert it into his soul strength, something only those that have learned Heaven''s Indomitable Soul technique could achieve.

    There is even a popr saying in the Supreme Heavens that says a single drop of spiritual essence is more valuable than a whole sea of spiritual energy, as spiritual energy essentially bes useless to Immortals, who can only grow through spiritual essence.

    Yuan could feel an overwhelming feeling suddenly wash over him, almost like a pir in the middle of the ocean, where the water would continuously refresh his body, mind, and soul.

    <+2,021 Soul Strength>

    <+3,000 Soul Strength>

    <+2,391 Soul Strength>

    Every few seconds, his Soul Strength would increase by the thousands. If the world knew of this, they would surely be shocked to death.

    ''My divine sense is expanding at a ludicrous rate¡­'' Yuan thought to himself as his divine sense reaches over 100 miles, and it was still growing with every passing second.

    Xiao Hua could sense something was going on around Yuan even though she couldn''t sense spiritual essence.

    "Brother Yuan, are you okay?" She asked him.

    "Yes, I am just testing out the new soul cultivation technique. It''s quite powerful. My Soul Strength is increasing by the second."

    "What kind of effect does it have?" Feng Yuxiang asked out of curiosity.<sub> </sub>

    "It absorbs spiritual essence and converts them into my Soul Strength."

    "What?! You can absorb spiritual essence already?!" Unsurprisingly, Feng Yuxiang eximed in a shocked voice after hearing this information.

    "Only those that have seeded their Immortal Ascension should be able to do such a thing!"

    Out of everything Yuan has done up to this point, his ability to absorb spiritual essence as a mere Spirit King was the most shocking by far, not to mention that he could even convert it into Soul Strength.

    Forparison, it was akin to a mortal learning cultivation techniques onlyprehensible by gods, or a mortal casually wielding a godly artifact that would normally kill anyone that isn''t powerful enough to wield it.

    "Yuan¡­ You should keep this information a secret." Lan Yingying suddenly spoke in a worried voice.

    "She''s right, Brother Yuan. If the world knew, all of the powerful cultivators out there would definitely try to kill you because of your potential, especially Immortals, who would be filled with jealousy and anger if they knew that a Spirit King could use their spiritual essence." Xiao Hua said.

    Most Immortals consider the ability to absorb spiritual essence an honor¡ª something they had to shed blood and tears for thousands of years to acquire, yet Yuan, who wasn''t even a hundred years old, could use it. His existence was offensive in itself to these Immortals.

    By the time Yuan returned to the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb, his Soul Strength has increased by over 10 million.

    To put into perspective how much that is¡ª even Spirit Sovereigns wouldn''t have a third of that.

    At his level, his divine sense could cover over a thousand miles with ease, and he could even keep it active for weeks without any breaks.

    In fact, even if they had a powerful soul cultivation technique, it would take most cultivators over a hundred years to amass 10 million Soul Strength, something Yuan achieved in a few mere hours.

    ''It''s been a week since the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb opened, but it''s still as crowded as the first day.'' Yuan thought to himself as he was surrounded by people.

    And because there were so many people, the entrance was blocked by the Ji Family, as they were controlling the amount of people entering at a time.

    [If you wish to enter the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb as a rogue cultivator, you must pay a fee of 1,000 spirit stones!]

    These words were written on arge banner that hung above the tomb.

    "The hell? We have to pay to enter? And a thousand spirit stones¡­ That seems a bit too excessive." Yuan was speechless.

    "This is how they keep the tomb from being overflowing with people. Though, this will only apply to rogue cultivators. All disciples and members of big families will still be allowed to enter for free, and since you''re a Spirit King, you should also be able to enter without needing to pay." Feng Yuxiang said.

    Sometimeter, Yuan approached the entrance while wearing the Jade Sword Manor''s guest robe.

    When the Ji Family saw his clothes and sensed that he was a peak Spirit King, they allowed him to enter the tomb without any troubles.

    "Best of luck to you, Senior." The members of the Ji Family mistook Yuan as a senior who was disguised as a young man due to his cultivation base.

    Yuan didn''t bother trying to correct them and proceeded towards the portal, stepping inside the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb a momentter.

 Chapter 1115 Entering Nameless EmperorsTomb

    Upon entering the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb, Yuan was teleported to a vast green in that was filled with hills and healthy tall grass.

    The first thing Yuan noticed was the oddity in the air, as it felt denser than what he was used to, and even the gravity there felt heavier than usual.

    "Most of the spiritual energy in this world is created by the Nameless Emperor, so what you''re feeling right now is that." Feng Yuxiang said when she noticed his expression.

    "What are your ns now?"

    After a moment of silence, he spoke, "As nned, I will meet up with Tian Yanyu to make sure she''s doing okay and see if she needs any assistance, then I will explore this Nameless in for a bit before diving deeper."

    The majority of the outer area within the tomb was known as the Nameless in, and as its name suggests, it was a massive in that is filled with powerful magical beasts, fortunes, and opportunity.

    Yuan closed his eyes and took a moment to recall the map of the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb that he''d memorized within the Jade Sword Manor.

    Once he found the direction to the Nameless Stone Warrior, Yuan immediately took to the blue sky and began flying towards that direction.

    The destination wasn''t too far away, so he reached it after flying for four hours straight.

    On his way to the Nameless Stone Warrior, Yuan encountered many powerful magical beasts as well as cultivators that were trying to hunt these magical beasts.

    He noticed that the magical beasts inside the tomb did not drop monster cores when defeated. Instead, it supplied those that defeated the magical beast with an abundant amount of spiritual energy directly. Furthermore, some of them even dropped treasures and resources directly, such as pills and spiritual weapons.

    Most of the magical beasts that he''d encountered were all at the Spirit Lord realm with a few at the early Spirit King realm.

    With the outer area already so dangerous, it was no wonder why the casualty rates were so high inside the tomb. However, with great riskes great reward, hence why everyone that could afford to risk their life to enter did so.

    When Yuan reached the vicinity of the Nameless Stone Warrior, he noticed a group of cultivators surrounding the area, and these cultivators quickly blocked his path when they noticed him.

    "This ce is already upied by the Jade Sword Manor, Blue Swallow Sword Sect, and the Lightning Sword Academy."

    A small group of disciples stood before Yuan, exining the situation to him.

    Yuan pointed at his own clothes and spoke in a calm voice, "I''m with the Jade Sword Manor."

    The disciples nced at his clothes and sneered, "You think we''re stupid? That is simply their guest uniform. Also, anyone can disguise themselves as a disciple. Show me your disciple identity badge and I will let you enter."

    "I don''t have that, and I won''t stay long. I just want to speak with one of their disciples." Yuan said.

    "No identification, no entry. That is the rule here." The disciples stood their ground.

    "Is this a rule of this ce, or simply something you came up with by yourself?"

    One of the disciples smirked, "In this ce, the strong make the rules."

    "Is that so¡­"

    Yuan turned silent after this point.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.

    ''The Nameless Stone Warrior is a ce where people go for enlightenment. If I cause amotion here, I might disturb them.''

    After pondering for a bit, Yuan retrieved Yu Jian''s medallion and showed it to these disciples.<sub> </sub>

    "What about this? It was given to me by Sect Leader Yu Jian himself."

    The disciple squinted at the medallion before giving a scoff, "I don''t recognize it, so I''m not going to ept it."

    Yuan shook his head, "You''re making this difficult for no reason. Onest chance. We can do this the easy way, or the hard way."

    "You dare threaten us?!"

    The disciples immediately became heated.

    Yuan released a sigh, and right before the disciples could even take their first step, Yuan silently activated Heavenly Domain.

    All of the disciples around him instantly fell to their knees as a tyrannical pressure bore down on them.

    "H-Help¡­!"

    These disciples could feel their bones cracking and muscles tearing apart just from the pressure alone, their bodies screaming in pain.

    Within seconds, blood flowed from their eyes, nose, and ears.

    "Oops."

    Yuan quickly retracted the Heavenly Domain when he saw this, as he wasn''t expecting such an oue.

    ''I barely used my spiritual energy, yet I nearly killed them. My soul strength has grown so exponentially in such a short time that I don''t know my own strength anymore. I need to be careful now if I don''t want to identally kill someone.'' Yuan swallowed nervously.

    "What is going on here?!"

    A loud voice suddenly boomed in the vicinity, causing Yuan to shift his attention to the group of elders approaching his direction.

    Once the elders arrived, they immediately began inspecting Yuan to try and identify him.

    A few of the elders there were from the Jade Sword Manor, so they immediately recognized his esteemed guest uniform. Furthermore, Yuan was still holding their Sect Leader''s medallion.

    "Who are you, and why did you attack my disciples?" An old man wearing a blue uniform stepped forward and questioned Yuan with an angry expression while the other elders went to treat the disciples by feeding them a healing pill.

    Yuan quickly exined himself, but the elder did not seem to be satisfied by it. Yuan couldn''t me the elder, as he''d nearly killed the disciples.

    However, before the situation could get any worse, Yu Jian showed up to the scene after being notified by the elders from his sect.

    After speaking with the elder from the Blue Swallow Sword Sect, Yu Jian managed to calm the situation.

    "I have settled things for now, so you can enter, but that is only for now. They might try to trouble youter, and I can''t protect you then." Yu Jian sighed.

    "That''s fine. Thank you for the assistance." Yuan showed him a calm smile, almost as though he couldn''t care less about it.

    He entered the area with Yu Jian a momentter while being red at by the disciples that he''d nearly killed.

 Chapter 1116 Nameless Stone Warrior

    A few minutes after his incident with the Blue Swallow Sword Sect, Yuan could see a massive statue of a masked figure standing in the distance.

    This figure was clearly the Lord, and he was holding his sword straight in front of him like some kind of knight.

    Once he got closer, he could see hundreds if not thousands of people sitting around the statue while staring at it intensively, as if they were trying to poke holes in the statue with their gaze alone.

    He quickly found Tian Yanyu and Tian Suyin. They were both sitting towards the middle of the group, located directly behind the statue, which is considered to be the worst spot there, as they were unable to see the Lord or the sword clearly from such an angle. Unfortunately for them, the spots in front of the statue were taken by the high-ranking sect elders and top geniuses of their respective sects.

    The Nameless Stone Warrior is a famous location within the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb. It used to be a very popr site when it was discovered 1,000 years ago, but when nobody could receive full enlightenment from it even 1,000 yearster, not as many people stille to this ce.

    With that being said, many people still spend a week or two in this ce toprehend what little they can from the statue before moving on. While nobody can fullyprehend the statue entirely, there have been plenty of people who were able to receive some kind of guidance and small enlightenment from the statue.

    After all,prehending even half of the statue would grant the individual a massive boost to their strength and understanding of the sword.

    And unbeknownst to these people, the moment Yuan nced at the statue, he was able toprehend it entirely.

    <You have learned Moon Splitting Sword Art>

    <Rank: Divine>

    <Mastery Level: 1>N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

    <Description: A devastating sword technique with enough prowess to split even the moon in half!>

    "..."

    Yuan was speechless. It would normally take him a few days if not weeks to learn a Divine-rank technique, yet he''d managed to do it at nce this time.

    ''Is this because I am the Lord''s reincarnation, or is this due to my soul strength?'' Yuan wondered inwardly.

    Though, despite learning this sword technique, Yuan didn''t really need it, as it was just a Divine-rank technique. Unless it was Ancient-rank or higher, it won''t make Yuan budge an eyebrow.

    After silently learning the technique, Yuan hovered above Tian Yanyu, who currently has her eyes closed and seemingly in a trance, and he patiently waited for her to finish.

    About two hourster, Tian Yanyu opened her eyes, which flickered with a sense of frustration.

    "How did it go? Did youprehend anything?" Yuan asked her using divine sense, as he did not want to disturb the others by speaking out loud.

    "Xiao Yang! When did you arrive?" She appeared pleasant to see him.

    "I got here not long ago."

    "I see¡­ Well, I have been here since day 1, but I have onlyprehended about 15 percent¡­ probably. My understanding of the sword has increased substantially from it, but I really want to learn the technique it''s hiding. Even though I can onlyprehend the first four sword movements, it was more than enough to convince me of its prowess. I cannot imagine how powerful the full technique is. It''s definitely a Heaven-rank or higher technique."

    Tian Yanyu''s voice was filled with awe and longing as she spoke of the technique.

    However, she was also disappointed in herself. Her group had only nned to stay at the Nameless Stone Warrior for a week, so she had only a day or so left toprehend as much as she could, but it was clearly not enough time to learn the technique.<sub> </sub>

    Furthermore, even if she was given a hundred years toprehend the technique, there was no guarantee that she could fullyprehend the technique.

    After a moment of silence, Yuan suddenly asked her, "If you really want to learn this technique, shall I teach it to you? I managed to fullyprehend it, so I can just directly teach you the technique"

    "YOU WHAT?!" Tian Yanyu''s shocked and no doubt deafening voice suddenly boomed in the area that had beenpletely silent for the past six days, startling everyone there.

    A few people there even puked out blood after their enlightenment had been interrupted by Tian Yanyu''s sudden outburst.

    "W-W-Who the fuck shouted just now?! How dare you! I was in the middle of enlightenment! Now it''s all ruined! Fucking fuck!"

    "I was also very close to enlightenment as well! Identify yourself, you bastard! Let me fucking kill you!"

    Everybody there started cursing out loud. To nobody''s surprise, Tian Yanyu''s idental outburst had caused a hugemotion.

    ''Shit¡­'' Tian Yanyu began sweating profusely when everybody there learned that it was her who screamed and disturbed their peace, their gazes so sharp it could kill.

    "You idiot¡­!" Tian Suyin was shaking her head while rubbing her eyes at Tian Yanyu, as she instantly understood the gravity of the situation.

    Tian Yanyu''s actions had led to everyone there losing their focus with some even losing their chance to receive enlightenment from the stone statue, costing them 7 years of time, which is akin to disturbing someone while they were on the verge of a breakthrough, considered as one of the biggest taboo within the cultivation world.

    "Sect Leader Yu Jian! This is the second time your Jade Sword Manor has caused trouble for everyone here! We''ll have to ask your sect to leave immediately!" The Blue Swallow Sword Sect and the Lightning Sword Academy began pressuring Yu Jian and his sect to leave.

    However, some people there were not satisfied with just this punishment, especially those that had their enlightenment interrupted.

    "That bitch who just shouted needs to be punished separately! She nearly crippled some of us just now, so it would only be fair if we did the same to her!"

    "Yeah! Cripple her cultivation!"

    Tian Yanyu turned to look at Yuan, her only hope, with despair on her face.

    Yuan sighed, "It hasn''t even been half a day since I entered the tomb and I''ve already encountered two incidents¡­ The future''s looking bleak¡­"

    Sometimeter, Yuan''s voice boomed, "Everyone, please calm down!"

    He mixed his spiritual energy in the voice, causing it to ring in everyone''s head, making it impossible to ignore or miss.

    The chaos halted for a moment as everyone there shifted their gaze from Tian Yanyu to Yuan.

    "I would like to apologize on behalf of my friend, as I am somewhat responsible for her outburst. I also understand your anger and frustration, so I am willing to teach everyone here theplete technique of this stone statue aspensation. What do you say?"

    Yuan''s words kept the ce dead silent for many moments, as nobody there dared to believe their ears just now.

    In order to have theplete technique of the Nameless Stone Warrior, one must have fullyprehended it, something that hasn''t been done since its discovery 1,000 years ago, so it was natural for the people there to doubt Yuan''s words.

    Knowing this, Yuan acted swiftly and retrieved his sword. Then, he began moving ording to the movements he''dprehended from the Nameless Stone Warrior in front of his audience, leaving everyone there speechless.

 Chapter 1117 Moon Splitting Sword Art

    After performing the Moon Splitting Sword Art wlessly in front of everyone there, Yuan stopped and patiently waited for their response.

    "Y-You can''t be serious¡­ Did he reallyprehend the technique from the Nameless Stone Warrior¡­?"

    "Iprehended about 30 percent of the technique, and from my understanding, his earlier movements matched the technique perfectly, not to mention how wlessly and fluidly they flowed afterward."

    Although nobody there could confirm whether Yuan had truly performed the real technique from the Nameless Stone Warrior, nobody there doubted him, as his performance was just that perfect and convincing.

    "Moon Splitting Sword Art." Yuan spoke in a calm voice that sounded as clear as thunder.

    "That is the name of the technique left behind by this Nameless Stone Warrior. It is a Divine-rank technique."

    Countless eyes widened with shock after learning about the technique''s rank. Forget about Divine-rank techniques, even Heaven-rank techniques are still considered very valuable in the Third Heaven, so only top sects and families like the Seven Legacy Families would have Divine-rank techniques, yet Yuan was willing to teach everyone there such a valuable technique aspensation? It was almost too good to be true.

    ''This must be what they call a blessing in disguise¡­'' Those that had their enlightenment interrupted by Tian Yanyu and nearly became crippled no longer med Tian Yanyu. In fact, they even praised her for giving them this opportunity.

    Yuan''s voice resounded again a momentter, "I will disy this technique two more times for a total of three times. Whether you can learn it or not is entirely up to you. If you have any problem with my friend''s mistake just now after I share this technique, I will have other ways of dealing with it. Do I make myself clear?"

    Although Yuan''s voice sounded calm and gentle, it was actually filled with hidden killing intent.

    "This bastard¡­ Now that I look at him closely, he''s a peak Spirit King! Is his young appearance just a disguise, or is he truly that talented?"

    "Makes sense, considering that he''d managed toprehend this Nameless Stone Warrior when nobody else could for over 1,000 years."N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

    Yuan started executing the Moon Splitting Sword Art for the second time a few momentster. When that happened, all of the cultivators there sealed their mouths, cleared their mind, widened their eyes, and even refused to blink to make sure they didn''t miss a single detail.

    Once he finished performing the Moon Splitting Sword Art, Yuan proceeded to stand there for half an hour without moving a muscle, allowing the cultivators there to do their thing.

    "Are you sure you should be doing this, Young Master?" Feng Yuxiang asked him while they waited.

    "What''s the problem?"

    "Well¡­ First of all, you''re giving away a high-grade Divine-rank technique for free¡­ Even worse, most if not all of them are not qualified to even learn this technique. What if the Legacy Tomb decides to punish you?" Feng Yuxiang expressed her worries.

    Yuan smiled, "What''s wrong with sharing something that is mine to begin with? It''s just a Divine-rank technique. Also, I truly feel guilty for what happened to them today, not to mention the disciples that I nearly killed by ident. And as I''d already said, even if I show them this technique, it''s not like all of them are capable of actually learning it."

    Once 30 minutes had passed, Yuan lifted his sword into the air again and began performing the technique for the third and final time.

    The area became even more silent as the cultivators there tried their best to burn the sword technique into their memories.

    At the end, Yuan said to them, "Now, if you still have any problems with my friend, raise your hand."

    "..."<sub> </sub>

    Nobody there dared to move a single muscle.

    "Good. Then I hope you''ll all gain something from this sword technique."

    Even though everyone there has memorized the technique movements, they were still required to actually understand and perform the technique by themselves. This could take months, even years, but only time will tell.

    However, there was a method that could bypass this, and that is to have someone who already fullyprehends the technique to transfer their knowledge and understanding to another person, allowing them to essentially skip the majority of the process.

    "Give me your forehead." Yuan said to Tian Yanyu after returning to her side.

    Tian Yanyu didn''t question him and leaned forward.

    Yuan poked her head, transferring the entire Moon Splitting Sword Art manual as well as his understanding for the technique into her head.

    "T-This is¡­"

    Tian Yanyu was shocked by what Yuan had just done.

    "I-I don''t know what else to say besides thank you¡­" She muttered in a low voice.

    Yuan smiled, "Go ahead and try it."

    Tian Yanyu nodded and immediately retrieved her sword. She closed her eyes and began moving her body a momentter, performing the Moon Splitting Sword Art with seemingly no effort.

    When the others saw what had happened, they immediately became envious of Tian Yanyu, who was receiving all of the special treatment.

    ''This lucky bitch gets to skip the most tedious part all because she has a powerful sugar daddy!''

    ''Damn it! Why don''t I have a handsome young man spoon feeding me techniques as well?! Although I''m not as pretty as her, I am not that far behind!''

    Yuan noticed Tian Suyin staring at him and smiled, "If you''d like, I can perform technique transfer for you as well."

    Tian Suyin swallowed nervously. Although she was an immensely prideful individual, she couldn''t pass up such an opportunity, as this would save her years of effort.

    "I-If you don''t mind¡­" She nodded with a somewhat rosy face.

    After receiving the technique from Yuan through technique transfer, Tian Suyin entered a trance-like state as she was filled with awe after learning theplexity and prowess of the sword technique, which is now her strongest technique.

    Tian Yanyu couldn''t help but chuckle after seeing her mother in such a state.

    Meanwhile, the others could only swallow their envy and try their best to understand the technique by themselves.

 Chapter 1118 A Treasure Has Appeared!

    After learning the Moon Splitting Sword Art, both Tian Suyin and Tian Yanyu began performing the technique in front of the spectators there.

    The two of them started at the same time while standing only a few meters away from each other. The spectators quickly noticed that their movements were perfectly in sync, almost as though their mind and body were linked to each other at this moment.

    The daughter and mother pair danced side by side with a sword in their hand, mesmerizing the spectators. Not only was their sword technique awe-inspiring, the wielders were also fine beauties themselves.

    Butpared to when Yuan performed the technique, they were stillcking in many ways.

    "As expected of a Divine-rank technique, what profound movements¡­ Even with his assistance, it will take a few years for me to fully grasp this technique¡­" Tian Suyin released a deep sigh after she finished her sword dance.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

    She turned to look at Yuan with a perplexed expression on her face.

    ''Just what is his motive? Why is he helping us like this?'' Tian Suyin just couldn''t stop suspecting Yuan, who came out of the blue and started assisting their family with an obviously fake pretense.

    As a cultivator who has experienced many hardships, she was the type to be skeptical about everything. However, Yuan''s actions have left her utterly speechless.

    She thought at first that his goal was to impress her daughter, Tian Yanyu, but that possibly seemed to be less likely as she spent more time watching him, as he doesn''t look at her with lust or anything simr.

    ''Furthermore, if he truly had ulterior motives, why is he going through so much effort to achieve it when he clearly has enough power to get whatever he wants? Maybe he''s genuinely just trying to help us¡­?'' Tian Suyin was beginning to get a headache just thinking about this matter, so she decided to stop for the time being and continue watching Yuan.

    Once Tian Yanyu finished her sword dance, she withdrew her sword and turned to look at Yuan with a satisfied and bright smile on her pretty face.

    "I really cannot thank you enough for this, Xiao Yang."

    "What are you going to do now?" Yuan then asked.

    "Well, we were nning to check out the other sites to see if we canprehend those¡ª at least until a treasure appears."

    Every time the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb opens, treasures would appear in random areas. This has been happening for so long that it makes one wonder if there''s an unlimited amount of treasures within the tomb. And when a treasure appears, a war would break out between multiple factions.

    "At least three treasures will appear every opening with nine treasures being the most that have appeared." Tian Yanyu exined.

    "Is that so¡ª"

    Just as Yuan opened his mouth, someone there shouted, "A treasure has appeared!"

    Everybody there turned to look at the person who just spoke while the Sect Leaders and Elders went to gather more information.

    "Where is the treasure?!"

    "When did it appear?!"

    "What kind of treasure is it?!"

    The man quickly answered their questions, "A sword treasure appeared near the Stone Sword Valley around 4 hours ago, and it''s at least Divine-grade!"

    "Divine-grade sword! This is going to cause a bloodbath, and it''s even the very first treasure this year!" Tian Yanyu sucked in a cold breath of air after hearing this information.<sub> </sub>

    "Let''s go! We must get there before it''s toote!"

    The Sect Leader of the Blue Swallow Sword Sect shouted at his disciples, and without any hesitation, they all flew towards the south.

    The Lightning Sword Academy quickly followed.

    "Let''s also go. Even though there''s a good chance that we won''t get it, we must try." Sect Leader Yu Jian said to his disciples.

    "What are you going to do, Xiao Yang?" Tian Yanyu asked him.

    "I wille along with you for this one."

    "Great!"

    Thus, Yuan followed the Jade Sword Manor to the Stone Sword Valley, which took them just a little under three days to arrive.

    Once they arrived at the location, they could see thousands of cultivators that came before them crowding the ce.

    The Stone Sword Valley is a vastnd that had countless stone swords of various sizes stabbed into the ground, making it seem as though it was a graveyard for swords.

    And hovering a few hundred meters in the air within the Stone Sword Valley was a beautiful sword with a red de.

    However, this de was protected by some kind of aura, making it impossible for anyone there to acquire it yet.

    In the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb, the saying ''firste first serve'' doesn''t exist. When a treasure appears, it will be in this unobtainable state for anywhere between three to seven days, allowing everyone the chance to acquire it, hence why the Jade Sword Manor and many other sects bothered to travel to this area despite the time it took them to arrive.

    "What a beautiful sword¡­" Tian Yanyu mumbled in a dazed voice as her eyes were glued to the sword in the air.

    "Do you want it?" Yuan asked with a mysterious smile on his face.

    She turned to look at him with a smile, "You make it sound like it''s an easy thing to do."

    Yuan swept the entire ce with his divine sense before speaking in a confident voice, "Well, nobody here can stop me if I want to get it."

    "Are you serious¡­?" Tian Yanyu''s eyes widened.

    There were thousands of powerful cultivators there with multiple Spirit Kings. Even the Silent Rippers wouldn''t be able tost a minute if they had to go against everyone there.

    "I have no need for the sword, but if you want it, just say the word and I will get it for you."

    "Okay¡­" Tian Yanyu nodded with a slightly rosy face.

    "..." Tian Suyin''s eyebrows twitched at their interaction, and she couldn''t help but feel a little jealousy for her own daughter.

 Chapter 1119 Fighting For The Treasure

    "Sect Leaders and Family Heads, may I request for a brief meeting to talk about our situation before the treasure unseals itself?" A middle-aged man emanating a powerful aura at the peak Spirit King realm suddenly spoke in a loud and clear voice.

    This man was Huang Lee, Sect Leader of a renowned Sect called the Seven Profound Swords, one of the top three Sects within the Third Heaven.

    All of the Sect Leaders and Family Heads there gathered below the treasure shortly after.

    "I will get straight to the point." Huang Lee spoke a momentter with a solemn expression on his face.

    "This treasure will, without a doubt, cause a great deal of trouble for all of us, so I have a suggestion that will reduce the bloodshed. Each Sect and Family here will have three members randomly picked to fight for the treasure in a tournament-style manner. No matter if they are a Spirit Lord or Spirit King, Disciple or Elder, everyone will have a chance to be picked. What do you think? Although it has many ws, it is better than a full out war this early in the tomb, am I right?"

    "If you refuse to participate in this, those who havee to an agreement will work together to deal with them before getting the treasure. I already have Sect Leader Ming and Sect Leader Zhong''s agreement, as well as the Li Family and Gu Family''s agreement."

    The Sect Leaders and Family Heads immediately began pondering.

    Sect Leader Ming''s sect is ranked 7 while Sect Leader Zhong''s Sect is ranked 4th. The Li Family and the Gu Family are from the Seven Legacy Families. If we include Sect Leader Huang Lee''s ranked 3rd sect, they had a very good chance of eliminating everyone there if they worked together.

    When a treasure appears like this, it is verymon for the people there toe up with different solutions to reduce the bloodshed, especially when many strong parties are involved.

    After sharing their opinions with each other for several minutes, all of the Sect Leaders and Families there agreed to Huang Lee''s suggestion.

    "If you are a Rogue Cultivator, you may also participate in the tournament, but you are not allowed to work with other Rogue Cultivators. If you have any questions, you have five minutes to voice them." Huang Lee said as he red at the Rogue Cultivators there with a disdainful look in his gaze.

    The Rogue Cultivators there were not happy about Haung Lee''s suggestion that was settled without even including them in the discussion, but there was nothing they could do, as they did not have the power to defy the rules set by those far stronger than them.

    "I have a question. Are the chosen allowed to forfeit the match? I cannot imagine forcing a young disciple to fight any of the Seniors here." Yu Jian asked.

    Huang Lee nodded, "Of course, you are allowed to forfeit, but you may only do so before you enter the stage. The matches will also be randomized so you won''t know who your opponent is until you enter the stage. Furthermore, we are not allowed to pick the participants, so everyone that is present here can be chosen to fight, regardless if they are a disciple or sect leader. If you cannot ept this rule, you may sit out."

    "What about those that arrive after the participants are chosen?" Another person asked.

    "They won''t be allowed to participate. If they dare to intervene, we will all work together to get rid of them."

    Half an hourter, once all of the Sect Leaders and Family Heads spoke to their respective people, everyone there agreed to Huang Lee''s suggestion.

    "Then I will now begin the selection."

    Huang Lee retrieved a talisman and showed it to everyone there, "This treasure will randomly pick three people within a certain group. I will allow any Sect Leader and Family Head to inspect this treasure beforehand to make sure there is no foul y here."<sub> </sub>

    Yu Jian and others began taking their turn inspecting the talisman. When they found nothing wrong with it, Huang Lee began the selection process.

    One by one, three individuals are picked from the sects and families there.

    When an individual is picked, the talisman would shoot out a green beam of light that immediately envelopes the chosen.

    Sometimeter, it was the Jade Sword Manor''s turn.

    Everyone associated with the sect swallowed nervously as the talisman shot out its first beam of light.

    A momentter, everyone there turned to look at the young woman who had just been chosen.

    This young woman''s face immediately paled when she realized that she was picked.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.

    "G-Good luck, Senior Sister Wan¡­"

    Disciple Wan Ying was a Core Disciple of the Jade Sword Manor, and she was a 7th level Spirit Lord.

    Although she is considered a top talent in her sect, ranking top 5 amongst all Core Disciples, she was akin to an ant in this small tournament, where multiple Spirit King had been chosen to fight.

    And before the Jade Sword Manor could even despair, the talisman already picked the second participant amongst their group.

    "S-Sect Leader! It picked Sect Leader!"

    The disciples rejoiced when Yu Jian had been chosen to participate.

    However, Yu Jian himself did not celebrate, at least not until their third fighter was chosen.

    A few secondster, the talisman picked the third and final fighter from the Jade Sword Manor.

    When the light was released by the talisman, Yuan followed the light with his gaze. Eventually, he turned his head to look at the beautiful youngdy standing beside him with raised eyebrows.

    Yu Jian could only sigh in silence after seeing the results.

    "X-Xiao Yang¡­ What should I do¡­?" Tian Yanyu looked at him with a terrified look on her face when she realized that she''d just been chosen. Despite being a Core Disciple, she wasn''t any stronger than Wan Ying. In fact, she was amongst the weaker Core Disciples, as she''d only recently be one.

 Chapter 1120 Fighting For The Treasure(2)

    "Calm down, Yan''er." Tian Suyin said as she smacked her daughter''s back.

    "Calm down?! I have to fight Spirit Kings if I don''t want to be a burden for the sect!" Tian Yanyu frowned.

    "You don''t have to participate if you don''t want to. I won''t force you to fight. It''s also unreasonable to ask you to fight a Spirit King. We simply got unlucky." Yu Jian appeared and said to her, "Also, with how many powerhouses are present, I had no hopes to acquire the treasure since the beginning."

    "They''re right. You can simply forfeit the match." Yuan followed.

    Once Tian Yanyu calmed down a little, she gritted her teeth and said, "If our opponents aren''t at a level where I cannot handle, I will fight too. Although I do not qualify to participate in this event, I won''t be a coward either."

    Yu Jian smiled after hearing her words, "Good. Even though we have almost no chance of winning this, I still don''t n on going down without a fight. This is no longer just about the treasure. This is about keeping our sect''s honor and reputation. We will fight those we can fight and back down if it''s too risky."

    When it was Huang Lee and the Seven Profound Swords turn for selection, the entire ce became dead silent as everyone there nervously waited for the results.

    A few momentster, three individuals were chosen.

    "What?! All three of their fighters are Spirit Kings! They even have two peak Spirit Kings!"

    "Fuck! I bet they cheated!"

    "How is cheating even possible? Their talisman had been inspected by every Senior here."

    Many people suspected that Huang Lee had cheated, but without any proof, nobody there dared to voice theirints fearing retaliation.

    All of the top sects and powerful families wentst in the selection, and shockingly, all of them had insane luck with at least 2 Spirit Kings in their team.

    It was clear to all of the small sects and families there that these powerful factions had worked together and manipted the results somehow, giving themselves a massive advantage.

    "Those shameless old bastards never intended on giving us a chance¡­!" Yu Jian gritted his teeth in anger after seeing the results.

    "So we never stood a chance from the beginning, huh? Why am I not surprised?" Tian Yanyu sighed.

    Pretty much everyone that wasn''t part of the ''lucky group'' silently cursed Huang Lee and the others for their shameless actions. However, there was nothing they could do about it. In the first ce, they had no solid proof of foul y, and everything was circumstantial at best.

    Even if they had proof that Huang Lee had cheated, who was bold enough to say it out loud? Who would dare to raise their voice against the top sects and the Seven Legacy Families? Nobody was foolish enough to throw away their life in such an unwinnable situation, so they could only suck it up and endure it for now.

    "How despicable¡­" Tian Yanyu muttered in a mosquito-like voice.

    "I can''t say I''m surprised, though." Yuan was the only person there who could smile at this moment.This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    "I would expect this kind of tactic from other sects, but for the Seven Profound Swords and the Seven Legacy Families to do this¡­ I''m speechless¡­" Tian Suyin sighed.

    "They must really want the sword." Yuan continued to smile.

    The selection eventually came to an end, and acting like he was innocent, Huang Lee immediately started the tournament.

    "The two sects or families that will be fighting will also be randomized. The talisman will now choose two sects to fight." Huang Lee said as he poured some of his spiritual energy into the talisman, causing two beams of light to appear, picking two parities from the dozens of groups there.

    "Once you step onto the stage, you can no longer forfeit, just like a real deathmatch. This is not like your usual yground. There is no room for mercy here. If you value your life, forfeit now." Huang Lee said to them.

    "..."

    The two parties stared at each other.

    "I forfeit."

    "Me too."

    Both parties forfeited all three of their matches.

    "What''s the point of risking our lives when we don''t even have a chance to acquire the treasure? Who''s dumb enough to do that?"

    Many people had this thought inside their mind.

    Since Huang Lee and the top factions manipted the whole thing, they no longer had any motivation to participate in the tournament for the treasure.<sub> </sub>

    The next several matches also resulted in forfeits from both sides.

    "How boring." Huang Lee sneered with an arrogant look on his face.

    With everyone that doesn''t have at least 2 Spirit Kings in their team forfeiting, the tournament progressed with barely any pauses.

    Eventually, it was the Jade Sword Manor''s turn to enter the stage.

    "Our opponents also have two Spirit Lords and one Spirit King. Do you two want to fight despite knowing that it is a pointless fight?" Yu Jian asked Tian Yanyu and Wan Ying.

    "I want to fight¡­" Wan Ying said with a resolute expression on her face.

    "Even if you might be paired up with the Spirit King and die? Even if your efforts won''t be rewarded?" Yu Jian asked.

    Wan Ying nodded.

    "What about you, Disciple Tian?" Yu Jian shifted his attention to her.

    "It''s going to be a difficult fight for you even if you aren''t paired with the Spirit King. Nobody will me you for forfeiting."

    "..." Tian Yanyu remained silent.

    She wanted to try out her new sword technique, but she wasn''t prepared to risk her life over something like this. However, she also couldn''t refuse, as she didn''t want to feel like a coward.

    "If you want to fight, go ahead." Yuan suddenly said to her.

    "Huh?" Tian Yanyu looked at him with a puzzled face.

    "Y-You! Are you telling my daughter to die?!" Tian Suyin immediately began fuming.

    "Rx. As long as I am here, nobody can kill her." Yuan smiled.

    He turned to look at Tian Yanyu and continued, "Don''t you want to see how powerful your new technique is?"

    "I do¡­" She nodded in a dazed manner.

    "Then do it. I will protect you no matter what, I promise."

    After her recent experience with Yuan, Tian Yanyu had gained blind faith in him, so she didn''t even question how he was going to protect her before so many experts.

    "Alright, I will fight." She said in a resolute voice the following moment.

    "Are you serious?! How can you believe him so easily?!" Tian Suyin was still doubtful.

    "Because he promised." Tian Yanyu responded with an innocent smile, leaving her speechless.

    And before Tian Suyin could say anything else, Tian Yanyu approached the stage.

    "I''m sorry¡­" Yu Jian said to Tian Suyin before going after Tian Yanyu.

    "If my daughter dies here because of you, I swear I will kill you with my own hands¡­" Tian Suyin red at Yuan.

    "And I won''t resist if that really happens." Yuan said with a confident expression on his face.

    "..."

    "Do you n on acquiring that sword for her, Young Master?" Feng Yuxiang suddenly asked him in a curious voice.

    "It would pair up nicely with her new technique, don''t you think so?" Yuan chuckled.

    "You''re spoiling her too much¡­ I''m a little envious." Feng Yuxiang could only shake her head inwardly.

 Chapter 1121 Fighting For The Treasure(3)

    Once the Jade Sword Manor and their opponents entered the fighting arena, Huang Lee enclosed them in a separate concealment formation so that they couldn''t see anything.

    Shortly after they entered the formation, Huang Lee''s talisman released a beam of light that shone into the formation, enveloping whoever it was pointing at with a slight glow. However, nobody but the three people inside the formation knew who was chosen.

    "You have 10 seconds to decide whether you want to fight or forfeit. Remember, you will forfeit your chance to surrender once you exit the formation and enter the stage." Huang Lee''s voice resounded in their ears.

    "Sect Leader, I will fight." Disciple Wan Ying said with a resolute expression on her face as her body was enveloped in a faint light.

    Yu Jian nodded his head with a serious face, "Good luck."

    "I will be back soon." After bowing to him, Disciple Wan Ying left the formation and came face to face with her opponent.

    ''Thank the Heavens my opponent is not their Spirit King¡­'' Disciple Wan Ying sighed in relief inwardly after seeing her opponent, who was only a single level above her.

    Her opponent also did the same.

    "As you''ve already seen many times by now, the fight will begin when the talisman activates, and it will not end until there is only one of you left standing." Huang Lee said to them in a nonchnce voice, almost as though he couldn''t care less about their insignificant life.

    The two fighters took a moment to prepare themselves.

    A few secondster, the talisman hovering above the arena suddenly shone brightly, signaling the start of the fight.

    Whoosh!

    Both fighters immediately rushed at each other while using their respective techniques.

    Their swords and spiritual energy shed, causing a powerful ripple to sweep the ce.

    The two of them would go back and forth for many minutes with neither of them slowing down.

    Once Disciple Wan Ying eventually started getting pushed back, she quickly retrieved a pill and tossed it inside her mouth.

    Under normal circumstances, the use of pills and treasures during a one-on-one match would be strictly forbidden, but their situation was a bit special. Even though they were in a tournament-style match, there were almost no rules, almost as though they were following the rules of the jungle, where one can use whatever advantage they have to win their fight or die trying.

    When Disciple Wan Ying''s opponent saw her actions, he also started consuming pills.

    Since they were able to consume pills to restore their strength, the two of them would continue to go all out, unleashing all of their strength to suppress each other without holding back, almost like two sprinters near the end of a race.

    After five whole minutes of fighting, Disciple Wan Ying managed to catch her opponent off guard, sending him to the afterlife with a quick sh in the neck.

    Disciple Wan Ying took a deep breath before walking off the tform and returning to the concealment formation without even trying to celebrate her narrow victory.

    When Yu Jian and Tian Yanyu saw Disciple Wan returning, their lips immediately curved into a smile.

    "You did it!" Tian Yanyu was ecstatic to see that her fellow disciple had survived.

    "Great job, Disciple Wan." Yu Jian nodded in acknowledgement.

    However, before she could even say anything, the talisman activated again, picking the second fighter.

    "..."

    Yu Jian and Wan Ying turned to look at Tian Yanyu, who was now being enveloped by a light.

    "You don''t have to fight. There''s a fifty-fifty chance that you''ll have to fight their Spirit King. It''s too risky." Yu Jian sighed out loud.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.

    But to his surprise, Tian Yanyu shook her head and said, "No matter who may be my opponent, I still want to fight."

    "Why would you do something so brave yet foolish? Unlike Disciple Wan, you only recently became a Core Disciple. You will have a hard time defeating their Spirit Lord, much less their Spirit King." Yu Jian frowned.

    Tian Yanyu responded with a gentle smile on her face, "Because nothing will happen to me. He promised."

    And without waiting for a response, as her time limit was reaching its end, Tian Yanyu stepped outside of the formation to face her opponent.

    "..."

    Tian Yanyu''s eyebrows twitched when she saw a middle-aged man standing on the opposite side of the stage, and he was emanating the aura of a peak Spirit King!

    ''Looks like I had picked the short end of the straw¡­'' She sighed inwardly.

    "That idiot!" Tian Suyin cursed in a low voice when she saw her own daughter entering the stage. "Why didn''t she just forfeit?!"

    "Don''t expect me to go easy on you just because you''re a junior." The Spirit King on the stage said as he red at Tian Yanyu.

    "I wasn''t counting on you to, anyway." After putting on a brave expression, Tian Yanyu retrieved her sword.

    ''I only have one chance to defeat him¡­ At the beginning of the fight when he least expects it!'' She had already nned on going all out straight from the beginning. After all, she wouldn''t evenst a minute against a peak Spirit King.

    The moment the talisman shone, Tian Yanyu used her movement technique to close their distance before activating her new technique, Moon Splitting Sword Art.

    Perhaps it was due to his arrogance, but the Spirit King didn''t move and only quietly watched as Tian Yanyu unleashed her technique.

    "!!!"

    The Spirit King''s eyes widened with surprise when a semi-transparent moon suddenly appeared behind Tian Yanyu.

    The disciples from the Jade Sword Manor immediately recognized this technique, as they were mesmerized by its beauty not too long ago.

    "A Divine-rank technique!"

    A handful of people there eximed when they sensed the aura the technique emitted, their faces filled with surprise. After all, it was incredibly rare for people outside the Seven Legacy Families and the top sects to techniques above Heaven-rank.

    Whoosh!

    Tian Yanyu quickly swung her sword at her opponent, who was taken by surprise for a split second because of her technique.

    Her de managed to reach the Spirit King''s body, but it could only leave behind a small cut before the Spirit King evaded the rest of her de.

    The Spirit King looked at the cut on his arm and trembled in anger.

    "A mere Spirit Lord¡­ I''ll fucking kill you!"

    The Spirit King exploded with spiritual energy and killing intent, causing Tian Yanyu to feel as though she was being choked by the throat.

    "DIE!"

    The Spirit King swung his weapon, sending a massive arc of energy at Tian Yanyu, who couldn''t even attempt to dodge it due to the pressure from it.

    ''Xiao Yang¡­!'' She cried inwardly.

    Whoosh!

    A figure suddenly flew onto the stage and stood in front of Tian Yanyu.

    This shocked everyone there, not because he intervened in the match, but because they were unable to follow this person''s movement at all.

    After appearing on the stage, Yuan causally waved his hand at the iing de of energy, destroying it the moment his skin touched it, almost as though the de of energy was nothing more than empty air.

    "What?!" The Spirit King eximed in a shocked voice after witnessing this, even feeling a little scared.

 Chapter 1122 Fighting For The Treasure(4)

    ''Did he just stop my technique at full power with his bare hands?! Impossible! I must have seen it wrong!'' The Spirit King convinced himself that he was just mistaken, as that was the simpler route.

    "Who are you? How dare you interrupt our match?" The Spirit King asked with a wary face.

    "Hmph!" A cold snort suddenly resounded, and a figure descended on the stage, standing between Yuan and the Spirit King.

    "I don''t care who you are, how dare you so brazenly interfere when I have made it very clear that no interference is allowed regardless of the reason! I hope you are prepared to take responsibility for your foolish decision." Huang Lee red at Yuan like an eagle at a weak prey.

    Yuan calmly smiled before responding, "And why would you assume that everyone here will obey your unreasonable request?"

    "You, a mere junior, dare talk back to me?! Have you lost your mind? Do you even know who I am?!" Huang Lee''s eyes red up with anger.

    "I don''t know, nor do I care. Anyways, why don''t we stop this obviously manipted game? It''s clear to everyone here that you had manipted the whole thing to give yourself¡ª as well as those that nned this with you an advantage over the others. What you''re doing here is no different than bullying the weak."

    "How dare you use the Sect Leader of maniption!" Someone there suddenly shouted.

    "Are you also iming that the Seven Legacy Families here are bullying the weak?!" Someone from one of the families shouted.

    "How interesting. Do you have any evidence to back up your preposterous ims?"

    Another figure descended on the stage as he asked Yuan.

    This individual was Li Mao, a high-ranking elder of the Li Family, one of Seven Legacy Families.

    "What if I don''t?" Yuan narrowed his eyes in a challenging manner.

    "Then I will kill you on the spot for uttering nonsense and trying to ruin our reputations." Li Mao red at him.

    Yuan smiled, "You''re going to kill me for interfering with the match anyway."

    "Damn right."

    Huang Lee muttered right as he appeared beside Yuan while swinging down his sword.

    Without moving for his spot, Yuan lifted his arm in a casual manner, and he would catch the iing sword with nothing but two fingers the following moment.

    "Wha¡ª?!"

    This shocked everyone there, especially Huang Lee.

    Even though he didn''t exert all of his strength, it was still strong enough to kill anyone below the fifth level of Spirit King with ease, yet some unknown junior had managed to catch it with his bare hands.

    Yuan turned to look at the shocked Huang Lee and spoke in a nonchnt voice, "Unlike you, I don''t want unnecessary bloodshed, so I will give you a chance to back down before things get¡ª"

    However, before Yuan could even finish his sentence, another sword was already flying at him from his blind spot.

    Yuan knew about the second attack, but he didn''t do anything about it and allowed this person to slice his neck.

    "My heavens¡­"

    The person who attempted to sneak attack Yuan was left speechless when his sword was stopped at his target''s neck, but there didn''t appear to be anything blocking the sword.

    Yuan, still with a sword pressing against his neck, turned to look at Li Mao''s terrified face and spoke, "I hope you understand the difference in our strength and not do anything¡ª"

    Once again, before he could finish his sentence, another figure descended upon him.

    This time, it was a middle-aged man wearing the Gu Family''s uniform, and he was also using a sword technique.

    "Roaring de!"

    The strength of a peak Spirit King using a Heaven-rank sword technique descended upon Yuan''s defenseless figure.

    "At least let me finish my sentences."

    Yuan''s eyes suddenly flickered golden for half a second before returning to normal.

    Thud!

    The middle-aged man suddenly stopped his attack mid-air and copsed on the floor while his sword bounced away.

    Seeing this, both Huang Lee and Li Mao instinctively jumped back,nding beside the unconscious body on the stage.

    "W-What did you just do to him?!" Huang Lee roared at Yuan.

    "He must have used a spiritual technique!" Li Mao gritted his teeth.

    "Don''t worry, he''s not dead¡ª at least not yet." Yuan said.

    "Since you care so much about this event, let''s do it like this instead. Starting from now, anyone here can challenge me to a match, and if they win, they will get to take the treasure above. If nobody can defeat me before the treasure is unsealed, I will take it for myself. Of course, to make this fair, I will allow you to team up. I won''t mind even if everyone here attacks me at once."

    "However¡­"

    After a brief pause, an immense pressure that trampled on the people and their spirits appeared out of thin air.This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    "If you decide to fight me, you will forfeit your life. You have been warned."

    The entire ce fell silent with the only thing that could be heard being the sound of their own hearts beating anxiously.

    "W-Who are you?" Huang Lee muttered in a low voice after a long moment of silence.

    Yuan couldn''t help but show a mocking smile, "I thought you didn''t care about my identity?"

    Huang Lee gritted his teeth. He''s never felt such humiliation before.

    "How dare you mock me?! DIE!!!"

    Huang Lee swung his sword at Yuan with a Divine-rank technique.

    "Profound Sword Art¡ª Final Strike!"

    The sword flying towards Yuan had overwhelming pressure that could be felt even miles away.

    Yuan could only sigh inwardly as he retrieved his Empyrean Overlord before swinging back.

    The following moment, everyone there watched with wide eyes as Huang Lee''s body was sent flying off the stage and into the crowd.

    *Cough*

    Huang Lee coughed up a mouthful of blood as he stared at Yuan with a look of disbelief on his face.

    "What are you all waiting for?! Attack him!" He snapped at his own disciples, who hesitated to attack.

    After all, what can they do when even their own sect leader couldn''t win?

 Chapter 1123 Fighting For The Treasure(5)

    "A-Attack!" The Elders eventually snapped out of it and shouted before rushing at Yuan.

    When the disciples saw the Elders moving, they had no choice but to follow.

    Thus, everyone from the Seven Profound Swords began attacking Yuan, who merely shook his head in silence.

    [God of War''s Astral Art]

    Arge figure wielding a massive de appeared behind Yuan, and despite it beingrger than before, it wasn''t even at half of its full strength.

    "W-What kind of technique is that?!" The disciples screamed in horror as they hastily halted their movements.

    However, they were already in attack range, so all Yuan had to do was swing his sword.

    "Don''t say I didn''t warn you!" Yuan eximed as he swung his sword.

    A powerful force that seemed to be strong enough to sweep away even mountains shed against the disciples, and without any resistance, the Seven Profound Swords'' disciples were sent flying like swatted flies.

    In a single attack, over half of their disciples were gone.

    This shook the cores of those watching.

    Yuan turned to look at his avatar and mumbled, "Even 20 percent is still a little too strong, huh¡­"

    His soul strength has grown so much in such a short amount of time that he was having trouble controlling it.

    After devastating the Seven Profound Swords, Yuan spoke again, "If you wish to continue, attack me again. However, I will make sure that none of you survive the next strike."

    The disciples that survived the attack trembled on the spot, and their alreadycking motivation disappearedpletely.

    The Elders from the Li Family and the Gu Family exchanged nces with each other.

    After a moment of silence, they approached Yuan and gave him a courteous bow.

    "Junior, do you happen to be someone from ''up there''?" The Li Family''s elder asked him with a nervous face.

    Yuan smiled inwardly when he realized that they had mistaken him as someone who came from the upper heavens under the Celestial Emperor''s request.

    Though, one cannot me them for making this mistake, as it would only make sense for someone as young as Yuan to utterly destroy the Seven Profound Swords without any effort.

    "What are you going to do if I am from ''up there''?" Yuan asked them without the slightest change to his expression.

    "Forgive us for not recognizing your identity sooner, Young Master. The Gu Family will no longer participate in this event. If you wish, we can even assist you in securing the treasure." The Gu Family''s Elder bowed to him again.

    "You think the Young Master needs your help? What an unnecessary offer. He can secure the treasure by himself." The Li Family''s Elder sneered.

    The Gu Family''s Elder gritted his teeth after hearing such words. The two families were never on good terms in the beginning, so this kind of bickering happens often.

    Meanwhile, the other people there were amazed to see how quickly the Li Family and Gu Family changed their attitude.

    "Just what is that person''s identity for the Seven Legacy Families to be so respectful towards him?"

    "Does ''up there'' mean he''s from the upper heavens? Why would someone like that be down here?"

    "Although it''s notmon nowadays, people from the upper heavens used toe down here regrly solely to explore the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb."

    "Look at his uniform. Isn''t that the Jade Sword Manor''s uniform for esteemed guests?"

    Tian Yanyu and Tian Suyin were left speechless after hearing the peoples'' conversation. They had their suspicions that Yuan was someone from the upper heavens due to his unfathomable talent and strength, but this only made things more confusing for them.

    Why would someone from the upper heavens help them to such an extent? Does his ancestor really owe their ancestor a debt, or is he helping them for a different reason?

    ''Regardless of his reasons, I''m d he''s on our side¡­'' Tian Yanyu sighed inwardly, as she cannot imagine having someone like Yuan as an enemy.

    When the Li Family and the Gu Family stepped back, nobody else dared to approach Yuan. As for Huang Lee, who''d barely managed to survive the attack, snuck away with his disciples in the midst of themotion.

    While he waited for the treasure to unseal itself, Yuan sat on the stage and closed his eyes.

    "He''s cultivating out in the open like this? Is he bold or insane? Even if he''s powerful, to act so defenseless before so many people¡­ What a madd."

    "Arrogant bastard¡­"

    Despite Yuan cultivating out in the open, nobody there actually dared to attack him.

    About two hourster, news of another treasure appearing not far away began spreading, and those at Yuan''s location immediately scrambled to the new location for obvious reasons.

    Shortly after the news reached their location, everyone including the Jade Sword Manor left the scene, leaving Yuan alone with the treasure, which is unheard of within the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb.

    "Why didn''t you leave with your sect?" Yuan stopped his cultivation to ask Tian Yanyu, who''d stayed behind even after her sect left to fight for the next treasure.

    "I just didn''t want to leave you alone." She calmly said.

    "How about you?" Yuan turned to look at Tian Suyin, who also stayed behind for whatever reason.

    "You think I''m going to leave my daughter alone with someone as suspicious as you?" She sneered.

    Yuan merely smiled at her remarks.

    "By the way, can I ask you a question?" Tian Yanyu suddenly asked.

    "Sure."

    "Are you really from¡­ ''up there''?" She asked him with a somewhat nervous expression.

    "You mean the upper heavens? Nope."? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    "What?! But you¡­"

    "I know. I lied." He shrugged.

    Tian Yanyu was speechless.

    "I''m d they didn''t question you further¡­"

    Suddenly, the treasure in the air began pulsating with powerful ripples.

    "Does this mean it''s unsealing?" Yuan asked.

    "Yes."

    The very next moment, the barrier protecting the sword shattered, and the sword began descending towards the ground.

    However, Yuan didn''t move even after the sword was lying on the ground.

    "What are you waiting for?" Tian Suyin asked him with raised eyebrows.

    "I have no use for it. You can have it," he calmly said, causing her eyes to widen with shock.

 Chapter 1124 Nine Swords Trial

    "S-Surely, you''re jesting with us¡­" Tian Yanyu mumbled in a trembling voice.

    "No, not at all. Take it. I have no need for a Divine-grade sword since I already have a much better one." Yuan calmly shook his head.

    "..."

    After a moment of silence, Tian Suyin spoke with a deep frown on her face, "Okay, what do you want from us?"

    "What do you mean?"

    "Are you telling me that you''re going to hand over a Divine-grade treasure for free? I don''t believe it. Sounds too good to be true."

    Yuan shrugged, "Then I will leave it there and whoever is lucky enough will get it."

    When she heard such words, Tian Suyin immediately rushed to pick up the sword before throwing it into her spatial ring.

    "I guess I''m the fortunate one," she said with a stiff expression.

    "Mother¡­" Tian Yanyu was left speechless by her actions.

    "What are you looking at? He''s the one who said he''d leave it there for anyone to pick up."

    "Since you want it that badly, you can have it." Yuan smiled.

    Tian Suyin cleared her throat but didn''t say anything.

    ''I''m d I stayed behind¡­'' she smiled inwardly.

    "What are you going to do now?" Tian Yanyu asked him. "Are you going to participate in the next treasure hunt as well?"

    "No, I came here mostly just to make sure you were fine. Now that''s done, I think I am going to do some exploring myself."

    "I see¡­"

    Tian Yanyu pondered for a brief second before opening her mouth again, "Do you mind if I followed you for a little?"

    "Yanyu! You don''t even know what kind of dangerous ce he''s going to! You''re just going to be a burden!" Tian Suyin quickly rejected her request.

    "I know, which is why I will only follow him until he leaves the outer area."

    The Nameless Emperor''s Tomb is split into three sections by the people; the outer area where it''s the least dangerous; the inner area where only geniuses dare to enter;st but not least, the core area, a hellish area where most people that enter will never return.

    "If it''s just the outer area¡­" Tian Suyin felt a little more at ease after hearing this.

    Furthermore, she wasn''tpletely opposed to following Yuan, as he was definitely powerful enough to protect them¡ª even doing a much better job than the entirety of the Jade Sword Manor by himself.

    Yuan began wandering the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb shortly after while Tian Yanyu and Tian Suyin followed him from behind.

    "There are actually a few ces that I want to visit. In no particr order, the Sword Temple, Nine Swords Trial, and the Sword Pagoda." Yuan mumbled out loud as they moved.

    "I''ve been to the Sword Pagoda once, but I was only able to make it to the third floor before getting kicked out." Tian Suyin sighed as she recalled her memories.

    "What''s the Sword Pagoda, again? I know I heard it before." Tian Yanyu asked.

    "The Sword Pagoda is a ce where you must climb seven floors by defeating the opponent on each floor. The higher floor you reach, the greater the reward. However, this ce is immensely difficult. The highest anyone has ever climbed is only 5 floors."

    "You managed to reach the third floor, right? What kind of treasure did you acquire?" Yuan asked out of curiosity.

    "My cultivation increased by three levels in an instant, and I received a Heaven-rank movement technique."

    "What?! One can increase their cultivation by three levels after clearing just a single floor?! That alone is already super good, not to mention the Heaven-rank technique!" Tian Yanyu was brimming with excitement.

    "Perhaps, but 70 percent of participants cannot even pass the first floor, much less the second floor. About 10 percent of all participants can clear the second floor, but less than one percent will be able to clear the third. As for the fourth and fifth floor, less than 10 people have made it there."

    "What kind of enemies did you fight?" Tian Yanyu continued to ask.

    "A masked cultivator."

    "Like the Nameless Emperor?" Yuan raised an eyebrow.

    "No, they didn''t have the same aura as the Nameless Emperor. Also, the masks they wore were different. You''ll understand what I mean once you go there and face them yourself."

    Yuan nodded.

    The Nine Swords Trial was the nearest to their current location, so Yuan decided to go there first.

    After three days of traveling nonstop, they finally arrived at their destination.

    "So this is the Nine Swords Trial, huh¡­" Yuan mumbled as he stared at therge tform in the distance.

    This tform was not asrge as one would expect. It was about 5 meters in length and diameter, and there was arge statue standing not far away from it.

    This statue was of a man wearing a mask, and he was holding the handle of a sword with both hands in front of him with the de of the sword pointing directly horizontally at the sky.

    Currently, this tform was surrounded by at least a hundred people, and there was even a single person standing on the tform.

    However, the person standing on the tform appeared to be in dismay. His body was dripping with blood, and his expression looked as though he was on the verge of copsing, but his gaze remained fixated at the statue before him.

    The next moment, Yuan watched as an illusionary de appeared in the sky before descending upon the man on the tform.

    BOOM!

    The attack caused the surroundingnd to tremble while the people around the tform were pushed back by the force.

    Once the dust settled, one could see that the man on the tform had been cleanly sliced in half.

    However, nobody there seemed to be surprised, almost as though it was amon sight.

    A few more momentster, the corpse and blood on the tform vaporized into the air, leaving not even a trace behind.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 1125 Nine Swords Trial(2)

    "How gruesome¡­" Tian Yanyu mumbled in a low voice after seeing what had happened to the man on the tform.

    "Do you have any experience at this ce, Senior?" Yuan suddenly asked.

    "Does it look like I have a death wish? This ce has one of the highest death rates in the outer area. No matter how good the reward is, it''s simply too risky for me."

    "Let''s get a closer look." Yuan approached the crowd.

    "I told him that he was biting more than he could chew. He should''ve stopped after enduring the third strike."

    Yuan listened to the conversations being held by the people there.

    "What a waste of talent."

    "He was a disciple from the Thousand Saber Manor, right?"

    "Yeah, he was one of their top 10 disciples, too."

    "What a pity."

    "A pity indeed."

    By the time Yuan arrived at the tform, another individual was already on the tform and preparing for the trial.

    "There will be a total of nine strikes."

    A familiar voice suddenly resounded in the area.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    Yuan turned to look at the statue, where the voice was echoing from.

    "The more strikes you survive, the better the rewards. Once the sword appears, it will not disappear until it strikes the tform. You may step out of the tform at any time."

    "The first sword will descend in five¡­ four¡­ three¡­"

    When the voice counted down to zero, a massive sword appeared in front of the statue and shed at the individual on the tform.

    This sword bore immense pressure that could split even a mountain.

    The man on the tform was at the 5th level of Spirit King, yet he could barely keep his eyes open before the pressure.

    BOOM!

    The ground shook once again as the massive sword struck the tform.

    Once the dust settled, the people could see that the man had survived the strike, but his arms were already bleeding.

    "The second sword will descend within five¡­"

    Five secondster, another sword appeared, and it was clearly a sizerger than the previous.

    "The second strike is about 1.5 times stronger than the first." Tian Suyin mumbled as the sword descended on the man for the second time.

    BOOM!

    The ground shook slightly harder this time.

    When the spectators could see the man again, it was clear to them that he was already at his limit, as both of his arms were broken with the bones sticking out and all.

    "The third sword will descend within¡ª"

    Before the voice could even finish his sentence, the man jumped off the stage.

    The following moment, orbs of light would emerge from the statue, entering the man who had just endured two strikes.

    The man''s aura immediately spiked as his cultivation rapidly strengthened, reaching the 7th level Spirit King in the time it took to take a deep breath. Furthermore, his injuries werepletely healed.

    "Heavens¡­ his cultivation increased by two levels just like that? Since when did cultivation be so easy?" Tian Yanyu mumbled in a dazed voice.

    "If you think it''s so easy, why don''t you get on the stage and try it yourself?" Tian Suyin sneered at her ignorant remarks.

    "I-I will watch for a little longer¡­" She quickly responded.

    Yuan agreed with her and proceeded to watch several more people challenge the Nine Swords Trial.

    "So the strength of each strike differs from person to person¡­ As expected, this ce tests one''s potential, not their achievements." He mumbled in a low voice.

    In the end, out of 15 participants, two people had managed to endure 2 strikes, four people endured 1 strike, and the other nine people died from the first strike.

    "Are you going to participate?" Yuan turned to look at Tian Yanyu.

    "Can you guarantee that I won''t die?" She asked in response.

    "I can''t." Yuan answered without hesitation.

    "Then I won''t. As enticing as the reward is, this is a little too risky even for me, especially when the trial is different for everyone. What about you? You''re going to participate, right?"

    He nodded, "Yes, I am going to participate."

    "Good luck." Tian Yanyu didn''t bother saying any unnecessary words since she knew that it would only be a waste of breath.

    She trusted Yuan and his strength and that was all it mattered.

    After waiting for several more people to go, Yuan finally decided to enter the stage.

    ''Even though my cultivation won''t increase from this, my instincts tell me that there''s something more important than that here.''

    Yuan took a deep breath before retrieving the Empyrean Overlord.

    "The first sword will descend in five¡­ four¡­ three¡­"

    "Two¡­ one¡­"

    A sword appeared before Yuan, but there was something different about this sword.

    Compared to the swords that appeared previously, this sword was not semi-transparent and waspletely solid, just like a real sword.

    Moreover, the size of this sword was shockinglyrge¡ª so massive that it was several times bigger than the statue itself.

    "Heavens! What''s with the size of that sword?! It''s just his first strike, yet it''s already bigger than the fourth strike for that Thousand Saber Manor''s disciple!"

    "Is there something wrong with the trial, or is there something special about that young man?!"

    "I have witnessed every trial here for thest 100 years, but I have never seen anything like this before!"

    "R-Run! Heaven knows how destructive it will be! We''ll all get caught up in it at this rate!" Someone there suddenly shouted.

    Upon hearing such words, everyone there immediately began scrambling away, running as far away as they could before the sword descended.

    Meanwhile, Yuan stood as still as a statue on the tform with a resolute expression on his face.

    The sword began descending towards Yuan the following second, creating a force so powerful that it split all of the nearby clouds halfway before impact, creating a clear blue sky in an instant.

    Despite the immense pressure bearing down on him, Yuan swung the Empyrean Overlord at the sword in the sky with seemingly no effort at all, and there was even a slight smile on his face.

 Chapter 1126 Nine Swords Trial(3)

    The moment Yuan''s Empyrean Overlord shed with the first sword, an intense ripple swept the area while lifting ayer of the ground into the air.

    When the spectators saw this, they sighed in relief knowing that they''d made the right decision by distancing themselves from the tform.

    Once the dust settled and the spectators could finally see the situation on the tform, they were surprised to see an uninjured figure standing there.

    "H-He actually managed to survive that?"

    "And he doesn''t even seem a bit fazed! What a monster!"

    Before the spectators could even fully grasp the situation, the second sword appeared, and it was almost two times bigger than the first sword.

    This stunned the spectators. If the second sword is already this massive, would theter swords fill the entire sky?

    A few secondster, the second sword descended from the sky, creating an even stronger ripple.

    BOOM!

    The entire ground shook and everyone could feel themselves being lifted off the ground for a brief second.

    "Good lord! The sword may be twice as big, but the strength is at least three times stronger than the previous sword!"

    "And this is only the strength of the second sword?! There''s no way he''s going to survive the next one!"

    After blocking the second strike, Yuan could feel a slight tingly sensation in his hands, but such a thing can be neglectedpletely.

    ''The second strike is already this powerful¡­ What''s the ninth strike going to be like?'' Yuan couldn''t help but wonder to himself.

    "The third strike will descend within 5¡­ 4¡­ 3¡­"

    Yuan quickly cleared his mind and focused on the situation at hand.

    "Hah!"

    Yuan swung the Empyrean Overlord upwards, shing with the colossal sword in the sky.

    CLANG!

    The spectators that believed they were in a safe distance were quickly swept up by the force and sent tumbling even further away.

    By now, the entire tform was shattered, and there were fissures all around the area, looking as though a war had taken ce there.

    Once the dust settled, the people were able to see Yuan''s condition, and to nobody''s surprise, he wasn''t in perfect shape this time.

    The clothes around his arm were torn, and his arm was soaked in blood. Despite this, Yuan wasn''t actually in any serious condition, and the injuries on his arm instantly healed due to his perfect regeneration.

    However, Yuan would be lying if he''d said that he wasn''t nervous about the remaining six strikes.

    ''I haven''t felt this nervous in a while¡­'' He smiled inwardly, feeling a sudden urge of excitement coursing through his profound veins.

    When the fourth sword appeared in the sky, Yuan swallowed nervously. As expected, the sword had grown in size, and it was even emitting Sword Qi this time.

    ''If I want to defeat this trial, I will need to use more than just my raw strength.''

    "That sword is exuding Sword Qi! This is my first time seeing this!"

    "I have never even heard about this before!"

    As the fourth sword descended, Yuan''s eyes flickered with a profound light, and his aura exploded outwards.

    [Vanishing Ghost''s Soundless de!]

    The Empyrean Overlord was cloaked in a thin yet denseyer of Sword Qi before it was sent flying at the iing sword.

    BOOM!

    Hundreds of sword lights scattered in all directions from the Sword Qi''s impact, terrifying the spectators who scrambled to dodge it.

    A few were not so lucky and were struck by the sword light. Fortunately, nobody lost their lives, but their bodies were badly injured, and it was as though they were struck by a real sword.

    "M-Mother! Are you okay?!" Tian Yanyu''s heart skipped a beat when she noticed Tian Suyin''s arm bleeding.

    "I am fine. It''s just a scratch." She nodded. "Anyways, let''s get further away. Something tells me that this will only get worse. We''ll die at this rate."

    The spectators scattered like flies once again.

    ''That one was painful¡­'' Yuan sighed inwardly after blocking the fourth strike, which had cost him both of his arms.

    Most would consider Yuan to be crippled now that both of his arms are broken, but within seconds, his perfect regeneration kicked in and restored his arms to its original state.

    This monstrous healing ability terrified the spectators who were beginning to wonder if Yuan was even human.

    The fifth sword appeared shortly after, and to everyone''s surprise, there was no longer just one sword in the air, but two, and they were both big enough to cover the sky.

    "Heavens¡­ There are two swords now? There''s no freaking way this is possible¡­"

    The spectators were in a daze as their eyes stared nkly at the covered sky.

    Yuan took a deep breath after seeing this.

    "Young Master¡­ I don''t doubt your abilities, but this is¡­" Feng Yuxiang spoke up in a worried tone.

    "I''m not giving up when I''m not even halfway through the whole thing." Yuan said with a nervous smile on his face.

    "Why are you pushing yourself this hard? What could possibly be worth risking your life?"

    "I don''t know, but I will find out soon."

    Yuan could only hear a defeated sigh from Feng Yuxiang before he swung the Empyrean Overlord at the two swords in the sky that was descending at the same time.

    "Young Master!"

    "Brother Yuan!"

    Those watching from within his body cried out loud when they saw his arms flying off his body.

    Yuan gritted his teeth as intense pain circted throughout his body.

    "This isn''t as bad as when I first experienced body tempering¡­" He muttered as his arms quickly regenerated.

    "Holy shit! Did you see that?! His severed arms regenerated almost instantly! What kind of technique is that?!" The spectators were more impressed by his regenerating abilities than his strength that endured the fifth strike.

    Of course, most of them were terrified, as they doubted whether Yuan was human or actually a demon in disguise.

    "Impressive."

    A calm voice suddenly resounded in the area, catching everyone off guard.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

 Chapter 1127 Nine Swords Trial(4)

    Yuan looked around after hearing this familiar voice, and he quickly noticed that a figure had suddenly appeared in front of him.

    This figure was wearing an ordinary mask, yet his body was oozing with an overwhelming aura that naturally made everyone there revere him.

    "T-That''s the Nameless Emperor! The Nameless Emperor has shown up!"

    A few spectators quickly recognized this masked man''s identity.

    "What do you want?" Yuan calmly asked him.

    "Nothing much. I''m just here to congratte you for surviving through half of my nine swords. Only eight people have achieved this before you, so you''re the ninth. A fitting number, don''t you think?"

    And he continued, "However, do you know how many people have survived the 6th sword? Zero."

    "If you wish to survive more than five strikes, you''ll need to do more. Think outside the box. I will give you five minutes to think¡ª that is if you still want to challenge me."

    The masked figure disappeared into the air as suddenly as he appeared.

    ''Think outside the box, huh¡­''

    Yuan turned to look at the statue and recalled the previous five strikes.

    Two minutester, he sat on the uneven ground and closed his eyes as countless images shed by his mind.

    ''I see¡­ I finally understand the true purpose of this ce.''

    When Yuan opened his eyes, it shone with enlightenment.

    "The sixth strike will descend within 5¡­"

    The countdown started again, and three massive swords appeared in the sky above him.

    Yuan took a deep breath and stood in a stance that he''d never done before.

    A few secondster, all three swords shed at Yuan''s tiny body that was like an ant''s inparison.

    A vicious aura exuded from the Empyrean Overlord and Yuan.

    [Nine Supreme Swords!]

    "First Sword Strike!" Yuan muttered as he unleashed his first strike, sending an unfathomable sword light towards the sky.

    CLANG!

    All three swords in the sky disappeared the instant they shed with Yuan''s technique.

    <You have learned Nine Supreme Swords>

    [Nine Supreme Swords]

    [Rank: Mythic]

    [Mastery Level: 1]

    [Description: A supreme sword art that consists of nine different strikes, each stronger than the next. Legend has it that the ninth strike has the prowess to cut even gods.]

    After destroying the sixth strike, Yuan sneered, "That was the sixth strike? What a scam. In reality, that was only as strong as the third strike of the real technique."

    Now that he understood the technique, Yuan realized the true prowess of the Nine Supreme Swords.

    Although the Nine Swords Trial imed the previous attack to be the sixth strike, it was actually not even half of the technique''s true potential. After all, this was only a test. If the real technique was disyed, nobody would be able to pass it¡ª not even Yuan himself.

    "What kind of sword technique did he just use?! It totally obliterated the three swords!"

    The spectators almost couldn''t believe their eyes. After all, Yuan had barely survived 2 swords, yet he''d somehow destroyed 3 swords with ease? That didn''t make sense no matter how they looked at it.

    "Not bad. You grasped the true purpose of this trial. Since it hase to this, let''s just skip all the way to thest strike since it wouldn''t make much of a difference."

    The Nameless Emperor''s voice resounded again.

    Suddenly, a sword appeared in the sky.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    However, there was only a single sword, and its size was that of an ordinary sword.

    This puzzled the spectators greatly, as it looked like the trial had given up to them.

    Naturally that wasn''t the case, and Yuan knew that very well.

    While this single ordinary-looking sword may seem insignificant to the others, it looked like an indomitable mountain to Yuan.

    ''Looks like I will have to go all out if I don''t want to lose my life here¡­'' He swallowed nervously.

    Whoosh!

    Yuan activated God of War''s Astral Arts while using all of his soul strength, making the avatar as big as a mountain.

    "Heavens! This guy is full of unfathomable techniques!"

    The spectators fell to their butts after seeing his avatar that covered the sky more than the swords did.

    "Whenever you''re ready." The Nameless Emperor spoke again.

    ? Yuan gritted his teeth and swung at the statue before him, utilizing the God of War''s Astral Arts as well as his newly learned technique bybining them together.

    When both sides shed with each other, it created a terrifying Sword Qi explosion that literally created a massive crater in the ground.

    Fortunately, the spectators were smart enough to distance themselves before that happened, but even then, some of them could not escape the Sword Qi and ended up bleeding from it.

    Once the huge dust storm settled, the spectators were able to see the situation.

    Hovering above the center of the crater was Yuan, and he was half naked with sword cuts all over his body. And unlike before, his injuries didn''t instantly recover, almost as though his regeneration ability was blocked by the sword marks.

    "Amazing¡­ To think that was just the prowess of the sixth strike¡­ I cannot wait to see how powerful the ninth strike will be if I ever get to use it¡­" Yuan couldn''t help but praise the technique.

    Although the technique was Mythic-rank just like the God of War''s Astral Arts, it was entirely different in terms of prowess. Though, one could argue that both techniques serve a different purpose.

    While the God of War''s Astral Arts is a unique technique that enhances the prowess of other techniques, the Nine Supreme Swords is a technique meant purely for destruction, just like the Heaven Splitting Sword Strike.

    "Congrattions, you have passed the trial wlessly."

    The Nameless Emperor appeared before Yuan again.

    "Take this, it''s your reward."

    He extended his hand with his palms open, offering Yuan whatever was on it.

    "A silver key¡­?" Yuan mumbled in a dazed voice as he gazed at it.

    His reward for passing this ridiculous trial was just a mere key?

 Chapter 1128 Sword Pagoda

    Yuan epted the silver key shortly after. Although the reward may seem insignificant at nce, it obviously had a significance behind it.

    Of course, Yuan saw the Nine Supreme Swords as the real reward for this trial, so he didn''t think too much about it.

    Once the spectators were certain that the trial had ended, they started crowding around Yuan.

    "Young Lord, can you please tell me your name?!"

    "Which family do you belong to, Young Master?!"

    "Please get away from my friend! Can''t you see that he''s tried?! Shoo! Shoo!" Tian Yanyu rushed over and started chasing away the crowd.

    "Are you okay?" She then asked him.

    "Yeah, I''m fine." He nodded.

    "Really? Your injuries don''t seem to be healing anymore¡­" Tian Yanyu said as she stared at his half naked bloodied body.

    <Due to the lingering Sword Qi in your wounds, your regeneration has slowed down greatly>

    "It''ll eventually heal itself, and it isn''t as bad as it seems¡ª I promise." Yuan smiled.

    "Hey! There''s something wrong with the Nine Swords Trial! It''s not restoring the damage! It should''ve started by now!" Someone there suddenly shouted.

    Normally, even if the entire tform disappeared, the Nine Swords Trial would restore all damage dealt to thend after every challenger.

    "Maybe it''s slowed down because of the severe destruction? The damage this time around is iparablyrge." Someone said.

    "That makes sense. Let''s give it some time."

    Unbeknownst to these people and the world, Yuan would be thest person to partake in the Nine Swords Trial because it never repaired itself no matter how long passed, as it no longer had a reason to exist.

    "Alright, let''s head to our next destination¡ª the Sword Pagoda." Yuan said.

    "Seriously? You should at least clean yourself before you go anywhere." Tian Suyin said with a slight frown on her face.

    "I''ll clean myself when wee across some water as we go there."

    Thus, Yuan left the scene shortly after with Tian Yanyu and Tian Suyin following him from behind.

    Some of the people there tried to follow him, but they quickly gave up after receiving a threatening re from Yuan.

    On their way to the Sword Pagoda, Yuan stopped at a river to quickly wash his blood-stained body.

    "Are you really peeking at a man washing himself? When did you be this pervert?" Tian Suyin scolded Tian Yanyu when she noticed her daughter was taking peeks at Yuan in the river.

    "S-Shut up! Who''s peeking at him?! I looked for a second because I noticed that his body had healed from the sword cuts!" She stuttered while defending her honor.

    Tian Suyin couldn''t help but also take a look after hearing her daughter''s words.

    "You''re right. Although there are still a few sword cuts left, the majority of them are gone. It''s only been two days since then, and I didn''t see him consume any recovery treasures during this time either. Either he has a powerful technique or he has a heavenly constitution."? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    "It''s probably a heavenly constitution. After all, it would actually be weird for someone as talented as him to not have a unique physique¡­" Tian Yanyu said.

    "He said he''s not from the upper heavens. Do you believe him?" Tian Suyin suddenly asked.

    "Does it matter where he came from?" Tian Yanyu raised an eyebrow.

    "..." Tian Suyin could''t answer her question.

    "I understand why you doubt him, but he should''ve proven himself to be trustworthy by now, especially after everything he''s done for us."

    "Actually, that only makes him more suspicious. I cannot understand his intentions for the life of me¡­ The more I think about it, the more I question it and the more suspicious I get."

    "Then stop thinking about it. The moment you do, you''ll feel much better, just like I did." Tian Yanyu shrugged.

    She also doubted Yuan''s intentions before, but she has since stopped caring about it.

    "Sorry for the wait. I''m ready to continue." Yuan approached them a momentter.

    Thedies turned around to see Yuan wearing a fresh new set of robes, and their eyes widened with surprise after seeing how shy his new clothes werepared to his old clothes.

    "A-Are you actually royalty?" Tian Yanyu couldn''t help but ask him after seeing his Golden Dragon Robe, her face blushing nonstop.

    "No, this pair of robes was gifted to me by a friend. I don''t normally wear them due to how shy they appear, but since they''re very durable and not easily torn, I have decided to wear them. I don''t want to change into new clothes after every challenge, after all." Yuan smiled.

    "Hm? Are you okay, Senior?" Yuan looked at Tian Suyin, who was biting down her lips, looking like she was enduring something.

    ''Don''t blush. Don''t blush. Don''t blush. I''m a married woman. I''m a married woman. I''m a¡­'' Tian Suyin repeatedly cried inwardly as she silently nodded her head.

    "Then let''s go."

    After another three days, they arrived at the Sword Pagoda.

    The Sword Pagoda looked like a massive sword stabbing the ground from far, but if one got close enough, they would be able to see that it was actually a pagoda with arge sword stabbed in the center of it, almost like a skewer.

    There were hundreds if not thousands of people gathered outside the Sword Pagoda at this moment.

    "There''s a lot of people here¡­" Tian Yanyu mumbled when she saw the crowd there.

    "Well, only 10 people can challenge the Sword Pagoda at a time, and each person takes on average thirty minutes to finish, so you can imagine why there are so many people here." Tian Suyin said.

    "Wait¡­ So everyone here is waiting to enter the Sword Pagoda? This will take forever if we wait for our turn. Is there any way to enter earlier?" Yuan asked.

    "There are two ways to skip the line. Either you pay the people in the front of the line to take their spot or you can force your way through it with your strength. After all, there is no real queue here. The strongest will go first while the weakest will gost. It''s just how this ce works." Tian Suyin exined.

 Chapter 1129 Sword Pagoda(2)

    "I will go ahead. The two of you should stay back. I will probably make a few enemies in this ce, and I don''t want to trouble you two." Yuan said as he stared at them with a serious expression.

    "That''s only natural. I have already used my chance in this ce, so I cannot enter it even if I wish for a second chance." Tian Suyin shrugged.

    Every individual is only allowed one chance, and this rule is consistent across every trial within the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb, so if one had entered Sword Pagoda already, they wouldn''t be able to challenge it again even if a hundred years passes.

    "I wille back to challenge it once I am more prepared. Since this is my first time entering the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb, I am going to take it easy." Tian Yanyu said.

    "Alright, then I will be back soon." Yuan left their side and began approaching the Sword Pagoda.

    Once he was close enough, Yuan flew into the air to avoid the crowd surrounding the Sword Pagoda.

    The people beneath him immediately noticed him, but none of them did anything and merely watched in silence.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

    However, as he got closer to the Sword Pagoda, Yuan would be assaulted by spiritual attacks from the cultivators.

    He silently scoffed at these attacks that were barely noticeable and continued forward.

    The front of the Sword Pagoda was almost empty with ten individuals standing out from the rest of the crowd. There was a good gap between these ten individuals and the rest of the crowd, and their aura was much more intense than the others¡ª except for one individual.

    It was obvious that these ten individuals would be the first ones to enter the Sword Pagoda.

    When Yuannded before these ten individuals, they all turned to look at him, and some of them even openly sneered in a mocking manner.

    "Hey, brat, are you blind? Can''t you see that the line is back there? Scram while I am asking nicely." One of the ten individuals, a bald bulky man, suddenly spoke in a loud voice.

    Yuan nced at him and responded nonchntly, "Are you sure you''re not the blind one here?"

    The bald man gritted his teeth and started approaching Yuan while veins appeared on his head.

    "He''s right. If you don''t want to die a pointless death, don''t take another step." A calm voice suddenly resounded, instantly halting the bald man''s movement.

    Yuan turned to look at the person who just spoke. He was the only individual there without an aura, but Yuan could tell at nce that he was the strongest there.

    This person was an exceedingly handsome young man with silver hair and blue eyes, his body oozing with confidence and arrogance, and he appeared to be around the same age as Yuan.

    "You probably can''t tell because of the difference between your strengths, but he''s not someone you can handle." The silver-haired man spoke again.

    The bald man didn''t utter any words and merely stood there with a resisting look on his face.

    Despite not knowing the silver-haired man''s identity, the bald man didn''t dare to talk back. Shortly before Yuan''s arrival, this silver-haired man showed up out of the blue and silenced everyone there with just his overwhelming aura alone, which was an incredible feat considering that most people there were Spirit Kings.

    "I don''t recognize you so you probably didn''te from the same ce as I, or you''re disguised. What''s your name, young friend?" The silver-haired man suddenly approached Yuan with a friendly smile.

    "Xiao Yang."

    "Xiao Yang, huh?" The silver-haired man nced at his Golden Dragon Robe before continuing, "I didn''t think I would meet someone of your caliber down here, much less a human wearing that sort of outfit." The silver-haired man showed his palm and fist and gave Yuan a courteous bow.

    "My name''s Long Chen, one of Four Dragons and Phoenixes¡ª not that you''ll know what it means."

    Yuan raised his eyebrows in a puzzling manner. He couldn''t understand the intentions of this Long Chen.

    However, he understood that this Long Chen probably came from the upper heavens based on hisnguage.

    Yuan returned the bow, "I hope you won''t mind me standing here with you guys."

    "Of course not. If you wanted, you could easily go after me." Long Chen said with a mysterious smile, implying that he was stronger than Yuan.

    "What if I want to go after you, too?" Yuan smiled back.

    "Hahaha!"

    Long Chen startedughing.

    "I don''t recall thest time someone has talked back to me. The lower heavens are full of entertainment. Why didn''t Ie down here sooner?"

    The people there swallowed nervously after hearing Long Chen''s words. Although they had no proof that his words were true, none of them doubted his words.

    "So you''re from the upper heavens, huh? Which one? Did youe down here specifically for the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb?" Yuan suddenly asked.

    "I will answer all of your questions if you y a game with me and win." Long Chen said.

    "What kind of game?"

    "I was going to enter the Sword Pagoda as soon as possible, but I have decided to enter with you. Whoever climbs the highest will win. To make this more enticing, I will even throw in some Royal-grade Spirit Jade."

    The people there gasped in shock after hearing such words.

    A single Royal-grade Spirit Jade easily cost tens of millions of spirit stones. Only someone from the upper heavens could possibly gamble such a resource so casually.

    "Interesting¡­ And what if you win? What do you want from me?"

    "If I win, you will answer a few of my questions. Of course, I don''t expect you to have any Spirit Jades." Long Chen said.

    "Sounds good." Yuan nodded.

    "Good."

    The doors to the Sword Pagoda suddenly opened, and a figure was flung out of it like trash the very next second.

    When this happened, the doors that had been closed this entire time remained open, at least until the next participant entered.

    Long Chen was supposed to enter the Sword Pagoda at this moment, but he didn''t, and nobody dared to steal the spot, so they all just stood there in silence.

 Chapter 1130 Sword Pagoda(3)

    The person who''d juste out of the Sword Pagoda was extremely confused when he saw the situation outside.

    Normally, people would be fighting to enter the Sword Pagoda whenever a new slot is opened, but things were different this time. Everyone stood still, almost as though they''d all be statues.

    This person stood there awkwardly until another person came out of the Sword Pagoda and a second slot was opened.

    "Are you ready?" Long Chen asked as he stared at Yuan.

    "Whenever you are." He nodded.

    They both turned to face the Sword Pagoda and approached the entrance while walking side by side.

    "Good luck, Xiao Yang." Long Chen mumbled in a confident voice right before disappearing into the Sword Pagoda.

    "You too." Yuan smiled.

    Everyone there released a sigh of relief once the two of them were gone.

    "Just who the heck were those two?" The bald man couldn''t help but ask.

    "I don''t know about that man with the ck dragon robe, but that silver-haired man is definitely a Young Master with a powerful background in the upper heavens. The question is which one¡­ The Fourth Heaven? The fifth? Sixth?"

    "I don''t think we''ll ever know the truth¡­" Someone else said.

    "So you think that Xiao Yang won''t win the bet?"

    "Of course he won''t! No matter how talented he is, he won''t beat Long Chen. Hadn''t you felt his aura not long ago? He may be a Spirit King within the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb, but his real cultivation is definitely far superior."

    "But one''s cultivation doesn''t matter in these trials, only their innate talent."

    "We''ll know the answer soon. Let''s just wait and see what happens."

    "He actually picked a fight with someone from the upper heavens? His arrogance knows no bounds¡­" Tian Suyin couldn''t help but shake her head after witnessing everything from afar.

    "He''ll be fine¡­ probably¡­ By the way, do you know what is this Four Dragon and Phoenixes that was mentioned?" Tian Yanyu asked.

    "No, I don''t. But if I had to take a guess, it''s probably some title given to geniuses in the upper heavens."

    "Most likely¡­ Good luck, Xiao Yang¡­"

    When Yuan entered the Sword Pagoda, he found himself on an empty tform in the middle of nowhere.

    There were no walls or ceiling in the background¡ª nothing but the void and the massive tform, almost as though he was in the starry sky without the stars.

    ? A figure wearing a pig mask suddenly appeared 10 meters away from Yuan.

    "...A mask with a pig''s face?"

    This was the first thing Yuan noticed due to its oddity.

    "I sense more than one soul within you. Unfortunately, they are not allowed to assist you even though they are your servants." The masked figure spoke, and before they realized, Xiao Hua and the others were forced out of Yuan''s body and were transported to another tform where they could only spectate.

    "Brother Yuan!"

    "Young Master!"

    "Don''t worry about me. I was going to do this by myself, anyway." Yuan smiled at them.

    He turned to look at the masked man and asked, "What now?"

    "Before we begin, allow me to tell you the rules of the Sword Pagoda."

    "First and foremost, if you die here, you will die for real. However, you are allowed to quit at any time during the trial."

    "There are seven total floors in the Sword Pagoda. In order to climb the Sword Pagoda, you must defeat the Guardian on each floor, and you will be given a restriction on each floor including this floor. These restrictions will carry over to the next floor, so you will have a total of 7 restrictions ced on your body by the time you reach the seventh floor."

    "Statistically speaking, only one in ten thousand will pass the first floor. One in a hundred thousand will pass the second floor, and one in a million will clear the third. However, after the third floor, you are more likely to encounter a miracle treasure during a stroll than to pass them."

    "Now onto your weapons¡­ You are not allowed to use any weapons from the outside. We will provide you with one, and they are all on par with Divine-grade treasures in terms of quality."

    "Lastly, you will be given a choice for your reward if you manage to clear the floor after every floor. You have a minute to mentally prepare yourself before I start the trial."

    The masked man fell silent after that sentence.

    Yuan closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

    A minuteter¡ª

    "The trial for the first floor of the Sword Pagoda will now begin. A restriction has been ced on your body. I will make my first move in ten seconds. Choose a weapon before then."

    Ding!

    <Your body has been restricted by a mysterious force!>

    Yuan suddenly felt as though he had mountains strapped to his back, nearly forcing him to his knees.

    ''This ce might be even more dangerous than the Nine Swords Trial¡­'' Yuan swallowed nervously as beads of sweat continuously appeared on his face.

    "A sword!" He shouted a momentter.

    An ordinary sword appeared before Yuan the next second, yet it exuded the aura of a Divine-grade treasure.

    The masked man also wielded an identical sword in his hands.

    "Eight¡­ Nine¡­ Ten!"

    The masked man suddenly sprung into action and began shing with Yuan.

    After a few exchanges with the masked man, Yuan realized something.

    ''The difficulty isn''t my opponent. It''s just the restriction on my body that''s a problem!''

    If it weren''t for the restriction on his body, Yuan would have defeated the masked man in a single strike, but because the additional weight that was adjusted for him, even swinging his sword had be a difficult task that required all of his effort.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    ''If the first restriction is already this cruel, I cannot imagine what the other floors have in store for me!'' Yuan cried inwardly as he fought the masked man with sweat pouring from his pores.

 Chapter 1131Sword Pagoda(4)

    "I''ve never seen the Young Master struggle so much in a fight. His opponent is also weak inparison, only being at the peak of Spirit King. He would normally defeat such opponents without batting an eye, yet he''s been struggling for over 10 minutes now." Feng Yuxiang sighed out loud, breaking the silence.

    Lan Yingying shook her head, "Can you me him? His movements are sluggish and stiff, almost as though there''s something weighing him down."

    "Brother Yuan will defeat pig face soon. His movements have gotten much betterpared to when he first began. He''s rapidly adapting to the changes in his body." Xiao Hua mumbled.

    "Also, he''s not using any of his sword techniques. It''s like he''s treating this trial as a training ground." Lan Yingying said.

    "That''s the Young Master for you." Feng Yuxiang smiled.

    Indeed, Yuan was getting used to fighting with the restriction on his body. However, that isn''t to say that things have gotten easier for him, as the restriction grew stronger as he got more used to it, almost as though it was growing with him.

    After another ten minutes of nonstop shing, Yuan finally managed to defeat the masked man without using any of his sword techniques.

    He could''ve used everything to defeat his opponent in an instant, but if he needed so much resources to pass the first floor, there was no way that he''d pass theter floors, hence why he restricted himself even more by not using any sword techniques.

    This also allowed him to familiarize with his situation.

    "Congrattions on passing the first floor. What do you want for your reward? Spiritual energy or a Heaven-grade treasure?"

    Yuan didn''t immediately respond, as he had no need for either of these rewards. His cultivation was stuck at peak Spirit King until he upgraded his physique, and he had no use for a Heaven-grade treasure.

    "What if I don''t want either of these rewards?" Yuan then asked.

    "You can forfeit these rewards and receive an even greater reward on the next floor¡ª if you pass it. If you fail, the rewards on this floor will be forever gone. If you ept a reward on this floor, you can still choose the rewards on the second floor, but it won''t be as good."

    "Alright, I will forfeit these rewards." Yuan answered without even the slightest hesitation.

    "Very well. I will now take you to the next floor."

    Yuan''s vision flickered for a split second, and the man with the pig mask is now suddenly wearing a mask of a sheep''s face.

    "Wee to the second floor. The trial will begin in a minute."? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    The only thing Yuan could think about now was the second restriction.

    A minuteter.

    Ding!

    <Your body has been restricted by a mysterious force!>

    "Eh?"

    Yuan looked down at his hand with wide eyes. The sensation of his sword had suddenly disappeared, but when he looked, the sword was still there.

    ''What''s going on? Why can''t I feel my sword?'' He wondered.

    "The second restriction has blocked your sense of touch. You won''t be able to feel anything except for pain."

    "My sense of touch?"

    Yuan now realized that even the sensation of the tform that he was standing on had disappeared, and it felt extremely awkward.

    One might think that losing your sense of touch isn''t that bad, but without being able to tell when your foot touches the ground as quickly, it would instantly throw off one''s bnce and make movement techniques near impossible. This also affects how one wields and swings their weapon.

    "What a pain in the ass¡­" He sighed out loud.

    Ten secondster, the masked man began his assault.

    Now that he''s lost his sense of touch, Yuan''s movements only became more awkward and unstable, and even the way he swung his sword looked different.

    If someone who did not know about the situation were to see him at this moment, they would think that he was drunk to the core.

    Yuan knew that it would be pointless to fight the masked man while in such an unstable condition, so he decided to spend as much time as he needed to get used to the restriction. After all, there was no restriction on how much time he had on each floor, so he could stay there for as long as he wanted¡ª needed.

    Ten minutes¡­ twenty¡­ thirty¡­

    In the blink of an eye, over three hours have passed since Yuan entered the second trial. During this time, Yuan did not go on the offensive even once and remained defensive.

    Once he got used to his new restrictions and could perfectly calcte the moment his foot touches the ground for all of his movements, he started to work on his sword and how he swung it.

    In the end, it took him almost four hours to adapt, but once he did, he started going on the offense, defeating the masked man and clearing the second floor.

    "Will you choose a reward this time, or will you forfeit it again? The choices remain the same¡ª spiritual energy or a Divine-grade treasure."

    "Forfeit." Yuan responded instantly.

    "Very well¡­ I shall now transport you to the next floor."

    Meanwhile, Long Chen was already on the fourth floor.

    Unlike Yuan, who hadn''t used any sword techniques up to this point, Long Chen blew away his opponents with his superior techniques from the first floor.

    Despite that, he was also struggling to defeat his opponents.

    After narrowly passing the fourth floor, Long Chen fell to his knees and muttered in a low voice, "The person who created this ce is such a sadistic bastard..."

    Long Chen was someone who wasn''t used to feeling the ground with his knees. In fact, he doesn''t even remember thest time he was brought to his knees.

    "I am one of the Four Dragons! There''s no way I am going to let some nobody from the Third Heaven defeat me! I am going to defeat the seventh floor and be the first person to clear the Sword Pagoda! Just you wait!"

    Long Chen gritted his teeth in frustration.

    He forfeited his rewards on the fourth floor and climbed to the fifth floor shortly after.

 Chapter 1132 Sword Pagoda(5)

    "Look! Someone''s managed to enter the fifth floor!"

    The spectators were in awe after seeing a sword light appear on the fifth floor.

    There were currently 10 light sources shaped like a sword within the Sword Pagoda, each representing a challenger.

    There were six sword lights on the first floor, two on the second floor, one on the third, and one on the fifth floor.

    "It must be that silver-haired man from the upper heavens!"

    "What if it''s that Xiao Yang?"

    "Impossible!"

    "If you saw what I saw a few days ago at the Nine Swords Trial, you wouldn''t say that." Someone suddenly said.

    "What did you see there?"

    "That Xiao Yang¡­ He managed to survive all 9 sword strikes from the Nine Swords Trial! In fact, he came here right after passing it!"

    This person who had witnessed Yuan''s greatness at the Nine Swords Trial revealed this information to these people.

    "What?!"

    Such information greatly shocked everyone there, as they were all aware of the Nine Swords Trial.

    "Are you sure you''re not farting?! There''s no way someone could have defeated that gruesome trial!"

    "If you don''t believe me, you can go check the Nine Swords Trial! It''s probably in ruins right now."

    "He''s not lying. I was also there to witness it." Someone else there said.

    Thus, the name Xiao Yang began spreading in the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb.

    Upon entering the third floor, Yuan was given another restriction.

    The already dim world suddenly turned pitch ck, almost as though he''d entered the void.

    "..."

    Yuan''s body trembled as it instinctively knew what had just happened.

    The restriction on the third floor had removed his ability to see, turning him blind and causing his bad memories to resurface at the same time.

    However, Yuan didn''t despair, as he wasn''tpletely blind. In fact, he could still see perfectly.

    This is thanks to his divine sense, which allows him to see things even better than what he could with his bare eyes.

    Yuan began fighting with the masked man who had a rooster mask shortly after. Since this floor''s restriction was pretty much ineffective against him, it allowed him to fight at the same pace as the previous floor.

    This restriction that forces one to constantly use their divine sense may not affect Yuan who essentially has unlimited soul strength due to his soul cultivation technique, but it was deadly to the others, who will inevitably exhaust themselves from constantly using their divine sense, forcing them to rush through each floor as fast as possible.

    Two hourster, Yuan defeated the third floor.

    "Will you choose a reward this time, or will you forfeit it again? You can choose between spiritual energy or ten Divine-grade treasures."

    ''10 Divine-grade treasures? Just how many treasures are in this ce?'' Yuan wondered inwardly.

    "I will forfeit my rewards." He spoke a momentter.

    "I understand. Then I shall send you to the fourth floor."

    Waiting on the fourth floor was a figure with a goat mask.

    <Your body has been restricted by a mysterious force!>? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    The very next second, Yuan lost all sensation in his left arm.

    "So I can only use one arm now, huh? These restrictions are getting more ridiculous." He couldn''t help but utter out loud.

    "This is just the beginning," said the masked man before approaching Yuan with a movement technique.

    ''Although his cultivation remains at the peak of Spirit King, his movements are getting better, and he''s also more aggressive than the previous guardians. Now that I only have one arm to fight with, I can no longer fight without any techniques. Fortunately, my dominant arm wasn''t restricted.''

    [Vanishing Ghost''s Soundless de!]

    Due to the increased weight on his body and his crippled arm, he was unable to use his technique at full power.

    ''I can only exert about 20 percent of its power in my current state¡­'' Yuan sighed inwardly after seeing the effects.

    However, even at 20 percent, it was still quite effective against his enemy.

    Meanwhile, the people outside the Sword Pagoda watched as the sword light on the fifth floor disappeared.

    The door to the Sword Pagoda opened, and a silver-haired young man was sent flying out the next moment.

    ''Damn it! I was so close to defeating the fifth floor!'' Long Chen gritted his teeth in frustration.

    After cursing inwardly, Long Chen began sweeping the crowd with his divine sense in search for a certain individual.

    ''I don''t see him¡­ Is he still inside the Sword Pagoda?''

    Long Chen looked at the Sword Pagoda to see 5 people on the first floor, 3 on the second floor, and 1 person on the fourth floor.

    He turned to look at the group of people in the front and asked them, "Hey, did that Xiao Yange out already?"

    They shook their heads, "No, you were the first toe out."

    "Then he''s definitely on the fourth floor¡­" Long Chen narrowed his eyes at the light within the Sword Pagoda.

    After taking a deep breath, he spoke in a loud voice supported by his aura, "Starting this point forth, nobody will enter the Sword Pagoda until Xiao Yanges out! I will y anyone that dares to disobey!"

    "What?!"

    It was an unreasonable demand from Long Chen, but nobody there could defy him.

    "Who the hell do you think you¡ª"

    Some of the newer people there that didn''t know Long Chen wanted to fight back, but they were quickly stopped by the others.

    "Don''t mess with him! He''s some bigshot from the upper heavens, and he can kill you with just his aura alone!"

    When the newer people learned this information, they immediately gave up on arguing and became silent.

    One of many unspoken rules in the Nine Heavens is that one should never mess with someone from a higher realm because messing with even a servant could result in one''s entire family being ughtered, much less a bigshot like Long Chen, who was exuding the aura of a young master from a powerful background.

    Thus, nobody else would enter the Sword Pagoda after Long Chen came out. Eventually, everyone else besides Yuan were outside, leaving him alone inside.

 Chapter 1133 Sword Tablet

    "Fuck! What''s taking him so long?! He''s been on the fourth floor for 2 hours now!" The spectators were getting impatient, as most of them had only expected to wait at most another half an hour before Yuan got kicked out of the Sword Pagoda.

    Even Long Chen couldn''t help but wonder what was going on inside.

    ''What''s he doing inside? The third floor forces one to use divine sense due to the restriction, so it wouldn''t make sense to prolong the fights. Even if he''s not using his divine sense, the guardian should be attacking him relentlessly, giving him no time to rest. To spend so much time on one floor, there''s no way he''s getting past the fourth floor!''

    After another hour of waiting, the sword light on the fourth floor finally moved to the fifth floor.

    This shocked everyone there.

    "He actually managed to beat the fourth floor after spending three whole hours there?!"

    ''No way¡­" Long Chen, who knew very well about the restrictions, was even more baffled than the others.

    As someone who climbed to the fifth floor, he knew better than anyone there how unforgiving the Sword Pagoda was, and for Yuan to endure three hours on the fourth floor was nothing short of a miracle.

    ''What happened in there? I really want to see it!'' Long Chen''s hands curled up into fists.

    "Oh? If it isn''t the Silver Dragon. Why are you just standing out here? Aren''t you going to challenge the Sword Pagoda?" A voice that Long Chen recognized suddenly resounded.

    He turned around to see a group of individuals approaching him from a distance.

    Of course, just like Long Chen, they were all from the upper heavens.

    "I already went inside," he said in a calm voice, trying his best to hide his emotions.

    "Really? Then why are you still here? Hmm? Wow! There''s someone on the fifth floor!" These people finally noticed the single light in the Sword Pagoda.

    "Why is there only one person inside?" One of them asked.

    "Because I am not allowing anyone to step foot inside until that persones out." Long Chen said, and he continued, "This includes you lot."

    "You know who''s inside the Sword Pagoda?"

    "I don''t really know him since we''ve just met a few hours ago." Long Chen shook his head. "However, he''s definitely talented."

    "Unbelievable! Did the Silver Dragon just praise someone from this lowly ce?!"

    "I can''t wait to tell the others about this! This is an unprecedented event!"

    "I doubt they''ll even believe us!"

    This group of people startedughing.

    Long Chen sneered, "You may mock him for his background, but none of you canpare to this person who came from the very background that you''re currentlyughing at."

    These people immediately stoppedughing after hearing such words.

    "Hey, Silver Dragon, cut the crap. You really expect us to believe that someone from this dump is better than us?! There''s a limit to your lies even if you just want to mess with us!"

    Long Chen red at the person who just spoke while emitting killing intent, "Cut the crap? Who the hell do you think you''re talking to, Mu Shun? If you think I won''t dare to kill you because we''re down here, you''re sorely mistaken."

    This person known as Mu Shun trembled in fear.

    "I-I apologize. I identally blurted out something disrespectful to you because of your outrageous im that someone from Third Heaven could possibly match us."

    "Outrageous, huh? Is it really that unbelievable?" Long Chen pointed at the Sword Pagoda before continuing, "I failed on the fifth floor, so this person who also managed to step foot on the fifth floor is at least as talented as myself. Hell, I would be surprised even if half of you get past the third floor, much less the fourth."

    Mu Shun gritted his teeth in anger after hearing such words, yet he couldn''t refute it. Nobody there could, so they all remained silent.

    Meanwhile, Yuan was already fighting the guardian on the fifth floor with a new restriction, whichpletely sealed his movement techniques.

    Although he could still move his legs just fine, he might as well be considered his legs to be useless since he was only able to move around with the increased weight by using his movement technique.

    Now that he couldn''t use any movement techniques at all, he would have trouble taking even a single step.

    ng! ng! ng!

    Despite the new restriction, Yuan still somehow manages to stay on his feet and repel the guardian''s attacks with the God of War''s Astral Arts.

    It was as though Yuan had turned into a mountain with arms. Thanks to the God of War''s Astral Arts, he was able to attack the guardian without moving around too much, and each of his strikes would send the guardian flying backwards.

    However, the guardian was also relentless in its assault. Every time he gets sent flying, he would run at Yuan again without any pauses.

    The two of them would continue this kind of shing for many minutes until Yuan barely managed to overpower the guardian, defeating him in one strike.

    "Will you choose a reward this time, or will you forfeit it again? You can choose between a massive amount of spiritual energy or three Ancient-grade treasures."

    ''Three Ancient-grade treasures¡­'' Yuan sighed inwardly as he refused the rewards.

    A few momentster, he was sent to the sixth floor.

    "Congrattions, you are the first person to step foot on this floor." The masked man was now wearing a monkey''s mask.

    "The sixth floor is a little differentpared to the other floors. You will now be given seven days to study this Sword Tablet."

    A massive stone tablet shaped like a sword suddenly descended from the void,nding in front of Yuan.

    However, there were no words on this Sword Tablet, just multiple deep cuts that seemed to have been left behind by a sword.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    "All of your restrictions will be temporarily removed. They will return after seven days, and you will also receive your 6th restriction then. Good luck." The masked man disappeared afterward.

 Chapter 1134 Studying The Sword Tablet

    "Heavens! He''s managed to reach the sixth floor! I believe this is an unprecedented event!" The spectators outside the Sword Pagoda were in an uproar when they saw the light on the sixth floor.

    A look of disbelief appeared on Long Chen''s face for a brief moment before his eyes flickered with a vicious me of various emotions.

    Awe, jealousy, shock, inferiority¡ª so many feelings that he hadn''t felt in a very long or ever surfaced at once, overwhelming him and his pride.This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    The others from the upper heavens were also feeling simr emotions.

    "Are you sure he came from this dump? How do you know he''s not lying to you?" One of them doubted Long Chen''s im that Yuan was someone from the Third Heaven.

    "I would''ve recognized him if he came from the upper heavens!" Long Chen gritted his teeth.

    "He could''ve easily disguised himself."

    "Unless he consumed a pill made by the God of Alchemy himself, there''s no way I wouldn''t realize it!"

    Despite saying these words, Long Chen himself was beginning to doubt whether Yuan hade from this Third Heaven or not.

    ''He was wearing the Golden Dragon Robe, after all¡­ Now that I think about it, there''s no way he can acquire something like that in this ce, where the Royal Dragon n doesn''t exist¡­''

    ''But it didn''t seem like he was lying when he said that he didn''te from the upper heavens, so where in heaven''s name did this guye from?!''

    While the spectators were still trying to get over their shock, Yuan was sitting before the sword tablet, silently staring at the sword marks on it.

    ''This reminds me of the sword marks in the Mystic Realm¡­''

    Yuan recalled the nameless temple within the Mystic Realm, where he also met Lan Yingying for the first time.

    Inside the temple was a tablet with sword marks, and he learned Sword Aura after studying the tablet.

    "The sword marks on that sword tablet¡­" Lan Yingying mumbled in a low voice as she found the sword marks to have a familiar feeling to them.

    "Do you recognize the sword tablet?" Feng Yuxiang asked her out of curiosity.

    "Not the sword tablet, but the sword marks on it. Although the pattern is different, the marks are almost identical to the ones on the Lord''s tablet¡­" Lan Yingying proceeded to tell the others about her first meeting with Yuan and about the temple that she had spent the majority of her life taking care of.

    "So it has something to do with Sword Aura, huh? I wonder what the Young Master is going to learn this time¡­" Feng Yuxiang mumbled with an anticipating look on her face.

    Yuan would spend the next 24 hours staring at the sword marks without any breaks.

    Meanwhile, the people outside the Sword Pagoda were confused and filled with curiosity as to what was happening on the sixth floor, and the number of people outside had increased drastically once words began to spread. This could be a once-in-a-lifetime event, so people were rushing over to the Sword Pagoda.

    "It''s already been a full day since he entered the sixth floor. Just what is happening inside?"

    "This is the first time that someone has ever reached the sixth floor, so nobody can say for sure."

    Time passed quickly, and within the blink of an eye, three days have passed since Yuan entered the sixth floor.

    During thest three days, nothing significant has happened to Yuan. In fact, he was still trying toprehend the sword marks.

    "It''s already been 3 days. Whatever secret is behind that sword tablet, it must be incredibly profound since it usually takes the Young Master no time to understand them." Feng Yuxiang sighed out loud.

    However, just as she finished her sentence, an explosive amount of Sword Aura suddenly gushed out of Yuan''s body.

    "What an immense amount of Sword Aura¡­" Xiao Hua mumbled in a dazed voice.

    Yuan''s Sword Aura would only continue to intensify from that moment.

    On the fourth day, the Sword Aura around Yuan had be so dense that it could even be seen by one''s bare eyes, and it took the shape of a sword, making it seem as though Yuan himself had turned into a sword.

    "This is¡­" Xiao Hua''s eyes flickered with excitement when she realized what was happening.

    "What is it? Share your insight with the rest of us." Feng Yuxiang noticed this and said to her.

    Xiao Hua sneered in a cute manner, silently refusing Feng Yuxiang''s request.

    "You little¡­" Feng Yuxiang gritted her teeth in frustration, as she was really curious about Yuan''s condition.

    "Do you know anything?" She turned to ask Lan Yingying, who was staring at Yuan with wide eyes.

    Lan Yingying shook her head, "I have never seen anything like this before, but it feels familiar somehow."

    Meanwhile, there were now over 50,000 people surrounding the Sword Pagoda, all of them on the verge of insanity from the anticipation, their curiosity peaked.

    "Shit! What the hell is he doing in there?! It''s already been four days!"

    "Did he die inside or something? There''s no way he''s been fighting for the past four days!"

    "What do you think is really happening inside?"

    "Only time will tell."

    On the fifth day, Yuan finally closed his eyes and entered a state of trance.

    "T-That''s¡­" Feng Yuxiang''s eyebrows twitched upon seeing this familiar sight.

    "He''s experiencing enlightenment once again¡­" Lan Yingying mumbled with a bittersweet smile on her face.

    Most people would be considered lucky if they experience enlightenment even once in their lifetime, yet Yuan has already experienced it multiple times within a year.

    Towards the end of the sixth day, Yuan opened his eyes to be greeted by a notification.

    <You have learned Enhanced Sword Aura>

    "Enhanced Sword Aura¡­"

    [Enhanced Sword Aura]

    [Description: Only those blessed by the Sword God couldprehend Enhanced Sword Aura. Allows you to convert your soul strength into Enhanced Sword Aura. Significantly increases sword damage and sharpness.]

 Chapter 1135 Enhanced Sword Aura

    Afterprehending Enhanced Sword Aura, which is basically a superior version of Sword Aura that uses his soul strength instead of spiritual energy, Yuan''s Sword Aura had reached peak masterly level, and his understanding for the swords also increased significantly.

    <You have understood the basics of Enhanced Sword Aura>

    <Your understanding of swords has reached a new level>

    <Your ''Advanced Sword Mastery'' has developed into ''Grand Sword Mastery''>

    <Congrattions! You have been awarded the title ''Grand Swordmaster''>

    [Grand Sword Mastery]

    [Description: Very few Swordmasters have reached this level. Drastically improves your control with swords by 75% and increases all damage dealt with swords by 150%. Your enemies will feel more pain from your sword attacks as your damage increases. Your sword techniques will also have more impact. Requires no activation.>

    "Brother Yuan really did it¡­ He''s learned Enhanced Sword Aura¡­" Xiao Hua muttered with a look of disbelief and awe on her face.

    "What?! Enhanced Sword Aura?!" Feng Yuxiang eximed with a terrified expression on her face.

    "What''s that?" Lan Yingying asked with her head slightly tilted to the right.

    "It''s not surprising that you don''t know about Enhanced Sword Aura since that only exists in the upper heavens." Feng Yuxiang said, and she continued, "Anyways, Enhanced Sword Aura is basically the next level of Sword Aura. It''s iparably strongerpared to Sword Aura and incredibly hard to learn at the same time."

    Xiao Hua then spoke, "Even in a ce like the Supreme Heaven, where the most talented people in the Nine Heavens gather, anyone that canprehend Enhanced Sword Aura before they are 100 years old are considered peak prodigies. Brother Yuan isn''t even 20 years old¡­"

    "It''s that amazing¡­?" Lan Yingying turned to look at Yuan with a look of admiration on her face.

    "There''s a saying that if Sword Aura can cut mountains, then Enhanced Sword Aura can split the world into two parts. The fact that it hasn''t even been that long since he learned Sword Aura is even more terrifying¡­" Feng Yuxiang''s body trembled before Yuan''s unfathomable talent.

    "If he''s just your ordinary genius, that is." Lan Yingying smiled. "He''s the Lord''s reincarnate, after all. Something like this should only be natural."

    Feng Yuxiang then said, "I don''t know anything about this ''Lord'', but if he can teach people Enhanced Sword Aura just by leaving behind a few sword marks, I cannot even begin to imagine the level of swordsmanship he''d achieved in his past life."

    "By the way, since there''s Enhanced Sword Aura after Sword Aura, I can assume that there is something even stronger than Enhanced Sword Aura, right?" Lan Yingying suddenly asked.

    Xiao Hua nodded, "Yes, but the amount of people that have reached such a level is so miniscule that it might as well be non-existent."

    Shortly after Yuan learned Enhanced Sword Aura, the masked figure returned.

    "Congrattions on learning Enhanced Sword Aura. Your restrictions will return soon with an additional restriction."Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.

    Yuan couldn''t wait for the challenge to begin, as he was itching to use his newfound powers.

    <Your body has been restricted by a mysterious force!>

    The following moment, Yuan''s enthusiasm dropped to zero when all of the spiritual energy inside his body suddenly disappeared.

    "The sixth restriction is cultivation restriction. Your Dantian and all of your spiritual energy has been sealed off, so you''re no different than a mortal now." The masked man said to him.

    "..."

    He was already partially crippled before this. Now that his cultivation is sealed, he has truly be a cripple.

    Yuan despaired for a second before suddenly recalling the description of Enhanced Sword Aura.

    ''My spiritual energy may be sealed, but my soul strength is untouched, and Enhanced Sword Aura uses soul strength! I still have a chance!''

    If he hadn''t learned Enhanced Sword Aura, even all of the talents in the world wouldn''t help him pass this challenge.

    When Yuan held the Empyrean Overlord, he could immediately tell how drastically different the sword felt in his grasppared to before learning Enhanced Sword Aura.

    ''Even though I don''t have any spiritual energy, I feel like I can defeat any opponent with this sword in my grasp¡­''

    Yuan''s body began emitting Enhanced Sword Aura, creating this weird effect in the air around him that made it seem like it was constantly being sliced by a sword.

    In fact, if one closed their eyes and tried to sense Yuan, they wouldn''t even sense a human presence, but an entity¡ª a ''sword''.

    Yuan stared at the masked man with a tranquil expression. Even though he had no cultivation and his opponent was a peak Spirit King, he didn''t feel pressured in the slightest.

    The challenge began a few secondster, and the masked man immediately rushed at Yuan while swinging his sword that was covered in Sword Aura.

    Almost as though he was only taking a stroll, Yuan casually took a step forward while swinging the Empyrean Overlord.

    Foosh!

    An invisible de of Enhanced Sword Aura flew towards the masked man and shed with his Sword Aura.

    The Enhanced Sword Aura looked easy to dodge at nce, but when the target tried to dodge it, they immediately realized that escape was impossible, as the sharp pressureing from it was strong enough to instill intense fear in their soul, making them feel as though they''d be cut into a thousand pieces if they dared to move, so their bodies could only stiffen from shock and await its inevitable death.

    With a single strike, Yuan had cut down his opponent and defeated the peak Spirit King without breaking a single sweat.

    "Enhanced Sword Aura¡­ How terrifying¡­" Yuan mumbled as he stared at the Empyrean Overlord before showing a slight smile.

    "Congrattions, you have defeated the sixth floor."

    Another masked man appeared before him.

    "You are¡­" Yuan narrowed his eyes at the masked man.

    Unlike the previous masked figures, this one didn''t have any weird animal masks and looked more like the real Nameless Emperor.

    "Let''s have a proper conversation on the seventh floor."

    The masked man disappeared afterward.

 Chapter 1136 Weapon Upgrade

    "Will you choose a reward, or will you forfeit it again? You can choose between spiritual energy or a Mythic-grade treasure."

    A voice tempted Yuan shortly after the masked man disappeared.

    "Mythic-grade treasure¡­" Yuan swallowed nervously.

    He would be lying if he said that he wasn''t tempted. However, there was still one more floor in the Sword Pagoda. If he forfeits such a reward on this floor, he could only imagine what he''ll acquire on the seventh floor.

    "I will forfeit the rewards on this floor." He responded a momentter.

    "Then I shall transport you to the seventh floor now."

    Yuan''s body was suddenly enveloped in a warm light before he disappeared from the sixth floor, appearing on the seventh floor.

    Outside the Sword Pagoda, over 100,000 people have gathered to witness the spectacle of Yuan reaching the peak of the Sword Pagoda.

    "Heavens! He''s alive! And he passed the sixth floor!"

    "That bastard really did it! He''s reached the peak of the Sword Pagoda!"

    The people there were all in awe.

    The Sword Pagoda is one of the most popr and renowned trials in the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb, so most of the people there knew the difficulty and its history.

    "A legend is about to be born! Long live Xiao Yang!"

    Some people there even began revering Yuan, treating him as though he was a god.

    "..."

    The group that came from the upper heavens were dead silent at this moment, but all of them were thinking about one thing with serious expressions¡ª that they needed to recruit this person who seemingly has unlimited potential at all cost!

    ''Regardless if he passes the final floor or not, he''s still going to be famous. Once the Seniors in the upper heavens learn of his presence, they will all go crazy trying to recruit him¡­'' Long Chen could feel his heart throbbing with excitement, as it has been a while since a genius at Yuan''s level has appeared.

    Meanwhile, Yuan stood before the masked man on the seventh floor.

    "Wee to the peak of the Sword Pagoda."

    "Are you my opponent for this floor?" Yuan asked as he tightly gripped his Empyrean Overlord.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.

    The masked man shook his head, "No, you won''t be fighting me."

    "This will be your opponent."

    The masked man took a step to the side, clearing the path and revealing the object behind him.

    Yuan raised an eyebrow when he saw what the masked man was referring to.

    There was arge boulder made of an unknown substance that resembled crystal, and there was a wooden sword stabbed into it.

    "That''s my opponent? What kind of joke is this?" Yuan asked him.

    "This isn''t a joke. The condition to pass this floor is to pull out that wooden sword. As for your restriction¡­ Well, this test in itself is one. The rest of your restrictions will also be lifted. Good luck¡ª not that it matters at all."

    "Seriously¡­?"

    Yuan felt that it was a little anticlimactic, but he didn''tin. He quickly approached the wooden sword and wrapped his fingers around the handle.

    However, before he exerted any force, the masked man spoke, "Oh, before you attempt to pull the sword, I should warn you that you will only have one chance. If you fail, your body will explode, and you will die."

    "What?!"

    Yuan wanted to release the sword, but he subconsciously pulled his arms back without releasing his grip on the sword.

    Sha!

    The wooden sword was pulled out of the boulder without any resistance.

    Yuan stared at it with wide eyes.

    "Ahaha!"

    The masked man suddenly beganughing out loud, causing Yuan to raise an eyebrow.

    "I was just joking. You wouldn''t have died, and the wooden sword has no meaning."

    "Exin." Yuan frowned slightly.

    "The moment youprehended Enhanced Sword Aura from the sixth floor, you''ve alreadypleted the Sword Pagoda. There is no challenge on the seventh floor."

    "Then what''s the point of making a seventh floor?"

    The masked man snapped his fingers, causing a hole to appear in the middle of the room, and inside this hole was about three inches of ck liquid.

    "Lend me the Empyrean Overlord for a moment." The masked man then said.

    Yuan summoned the sword and handed it over.

    The masked man looked at the sword with a nostalgic feeling in his eyes. "It''s been a while, buddy."

    He then submerged the sword in the liquid.

    "What are you doing?" Yuan couldn''t help but ask.

    "How do you feel about the Empyrean Overlord? Is it a good weapon?" Instead of answering his question, the masked man suddenly asked one.

    "Well¡­ Despite it being my second Soul Weapon, it''s my most used weapon, and I have the most experience with it. When I wield it in my hands, it feels as though it bes part of my body. It''s powerful and easy to use. I don''t have anyints."

    "Is that so? What if I tell you that the Empyrean Overlord is actually still in a dormant state? That it''s not at its full potential?"

    Yuan''s eyes widened with surprise upon hearing such information.

    "The Empyrean Overlord was crafted by a good friend of mine. He used the best materials in the Nine Heavens, and it took him over ten thousand years toplete it. It could even be considered the best sword in existence. However, its power would''ve been too potent for you to handle at the beginning, so I purposefully sealed its power until fate brought you here."

    "Wait¡­ You''re making it sound like you knew I was going to acquire it from the beginning and that I woulde here." Yuan frowned.

    The masked man lifted his mask a little, revealing his smile, "Of course. That''s just how our lives work. Fate isn''t as random as it seems, especially when it''s our fate."

    "The Empyrean Overlord; the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb; the Sword Pagoda¡­ All of these things are connected. You didn''te here by chance. You were guided here."

    "By whom?" Yuan swallowed nervously.

    "You''ll figure it out yourself eventually. Anyways, the upgrade is done." The masked man retrieved the Empyrean Overlord from the hole the following moment.

 Chapter 1137 Awakened Empyrean Overlord

    "What do you think?" The masked man handed the Empyrean Overlord that was emitting a totally different aurapared to moments ago back to Yuan.

    Yuan swallowed nervously before epting the Empyrean Overlord.

    When he first acquired the Empyrean Overlord, there was always this feeling of it being iplete to him, like it could be improved. It was a very minor feeling that didn''t bother him, but it was there nheless.

    However, the moment he touched the upgraded Empyrean Overlord, he immediately realized why he had that feeling.

    He didn''t think it was possible, but the Empyrean Overlord felt even morefortable in his grasp, and there was even this sense of nostalgia from it.

    "Don''t be fooled by it." The masked man suddenly said.

    "What do you mean?" Yuan looked at him with a puzzled face.

    "Its seal may have been released, but it''s not fully awakened just yet. In order to fully awaken it, you''ll need to feed it lots of spiritual energy. You can do that by killing magical beasts or¡­ other Cultivators." Although it was blocked by his mask, there was a grim smile on his face as he spoke.

    "Though, it''s still more powerful than the previous Empyrean Overlord even in its current state."

    Yuan stared at the sword until a notification popped up.

    <Awakened Empyrean Overlord>

    <Rank: Soul Weapon>

    <Growth Rate: Very Slow>

    <Awakening Progress: 0%>

    <A godlike weapon crafted by the God of Refinement and wielded by the Sword Emperor. It possesses tremendous power that surpasses all logic. However, it has yet to reveal its true name¡ª its true potential>

    <Unique Ability: Qi Devouring de>

    [Qi Devouring de: Activately devours the Qi of your targets after a sessful hit]

    "A beautiful sword, right?" The masked man asked.

    "Indeed." Yuan nodded.

    "The Empyrean Overlord and I have experienced and surpassed countless tribtions together in the past. It wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say that I wouldn''t have survived many situations if it weren''t for her."

    "Her?" Yuan raised an eyebrow. Why would he address a sword in such a manner? Almost like it had a gender.

    The masked man smiled, "About that¡­ You will learn about it eventually."

    "Why can''t you just tell me now?"

    "Because that would ruin the surprise and fun."

    "All of you are like this¡­" Yuan sighed. "What''s the point of keeping secrets to yourself?"

    The masked man shook his head, "Although we all share the same soul, I wouldn''t say that we''re all the same individual. At one point in all of our lives, we had a different personality and lived different lives, so you can say that we''re all unique in our own ways. Even if we eventually recover our memories and be nearly identical, it''s notpletely the same."

    "There''s a slight difference, and that difference, no matter how small, makes us unique."Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.

    Yuan felt some weight lifted from his heart after hearing such words, as he was always worried about returning to his old self¡ª that he had no personality of his own.

    "Anyways, the Sword Pagoda will copse soon now that it has been cleared." The masked man suddenly said as he began walking towards Yuan.

    "Here, take this."

    The masked man handed a key to him.

    "What''s this key for? I also received one from the Seven Swords Trial."aid as he retrieved something from his pocket.

    "Here, take this before you leave." The masked man handed him a golden key.

    "I also got a key from the Nine Swords Trial¡­" Yuan mumbled.

    "What does it do?"

    "Collect 9 keys and go to the core of the tomb. Some of the answers that you seek will be there."

    Yuan was bewildered. He didn''t expect the masked man to actually give him a proper answer.

    "Then¡­ Are there any specific trials that I must pass to receive these keys?"

    "Yes, there are, but there''s no need to worry about it and just do whatever you want in here. You''ll eventually find all of them, anyways."

    "Are you saying this is the work of fate?"

    However, before he could receive an answer, Yuan found himself teleported outside of the Sword Pagoda with Xiao Hua and the others returning to his body.

    Once Yuan was outside, he could immediately feel countless gazes staring at him, causing his body to naturally tense up.

    He looked around with a look of disbelief on his face, as there were tens of thousands of people there, and they were all staring at him with wide eyes.

    After a brief moment of silence, almost as though everyone there snapped out of their daze at the same time, they all began bombarding Yuan with questions.

    "What happened on the sixth and seventh floor?!"

    "Why did it take you a whole week to pass the sixth floor?!"

    "What kind of rewards did you acquire?!"

    "Did you pass the seventh floor?!"

    "Why did the Sword Pagoda suddenly copse?!"

    "SHUT UP!"

    A deafening voice filled with an intense pressure suddenly rippled, startling everyone there and forcing them to hold their breaths.

    A few secondster, Yuan watched as a handsome silver-haired young man approached him with a group of new faces following behind him.

    "I will keep this short since it would take too long if I said everything on my mind. Congrattions, Xiao Yang. Not only did you defeat me, but you''ve also be the first person in the Nine Heavens to defeat the Sword Pagoda. As promised, I will now answer all of your questions." Long Chen said to him with a defeated smile.

    However, Yuan didn''t say anything and merely extended his hand, almost as though he was asking for something.

    Long Chen chuckled when he saw this, as he immediately realized what Yuan wanted from him.

    He reached into his spatial ring and retrieved exactly 10 pebble-sized Royal-grade Spirit Jade before cing them on Yuan''s open palm.

    The spectators watched while salivating, as these 10 small Royal-grade Spirit Jades were worth over a hundred million spirit stones easily.

 Chapter 1138 Silver Dragon

    "Thanks." Yuan said as he tossed the Spirit Jades into his spatial ring.

    Long Chen cleared his throat and spoke, "Now as for the questions you had for me¡­ Yes, I am from the upper heavens. Specifically, the Ninth Heaven."

    The surrounding people gasped in shock when they heard this information.

    "He''s someone from the Supreme Heaven?! No wonder why his aura ispletely different!"

    "A real bigshot!"

    "I''m so d I risked my life toe to the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb this year! To think I''d see someone who came from the Supreme Heaven with my very eyes!"

    While the spectators there mumbled to each other, Yuan remained rtively calm as he asked, "Oh? I didn''t think someone from such a ce would be interested in the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb. Surely, you''re not here for the treasures?"

    Long Chen chuckled, "Of course not. The treasures here are asmon as tableware in the Supreme Heaven."

    "I can''t tell you the exact reason why I am down here, but I am searching for a specific individual, but since we''re essentially looking with a blindfold on, I decided to spend some time in this ce."

    ''As expected, he''s here to look for me¡­'' Yuan sighed inwardly.

    "I see¡­ Then I won''t bother you anymore. Good luck with your searches." Yuan was prepared to leave as soon as possible since nothing good wille out of staying around these people who were on a manhunt for him.

    "Wait a minute. How can you leave already? I still have so much to talk about." Long Chen quickly stopped him.

    "If you want to talk, we can do so another time. This ce may mean nothing to you, but it means everything to me, and unfortunately, our time here is limited, so I won''t entertain you anymore."

    "Such insolence! I can no longer ignore your arrogance! Who do you think you are talking to?!"

    One of the individuals behind Long Chen suddenly shouted.

    Yuan nced at this person and casually said, "Now that you mention it, I don''t know. Care to enlighten me?"

    "This bastard¡ª"

    "Stop." Long Chen red at this individual with a serious expression.

    "Ignore him, Xiao Yang. Once again, I am Long Chen¡ª one of Four Dragons and Phoenixes. Most people in the upper heavens call me Silver Dragon."

    "Silver Dragon? So you''re a dragon?" Yuan asked, his interest piqued.

    Long Chen shook his head, "Silver Dragon is just a title¡ª one given to those who have been recognized as the most talented in our generation. Amongst the Four Dragons and Phoenixes, only three of them are actually from the Dragon n. With that being said, I do have some dragon blood in me. In the Supreme Heaven, the surname ''Long'' is mostly reserved for those in the Dragon n, after all."

    "Oh? So you''re a half-dragon?" Yuan asked with an intrigued look on his face.

    "H-Hey! That''s¡ª!" The group behind suddenly had terrified looks on their faces when they heard the word ''half-dragon''.

    Long Chen''s eyebrows twitched as a reaction, but he remained calm.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.

    "Since you''re not from the Supreme Heavens, I cannot me you for not knowing, but most people who do not have pure blood would charge at you for using that term. They consider it derogatory."

    "Is that so? I will keep that in mind, and I apologize if I offended you."

    Long Chen shook his head, "Anyways, I have had this question on my mind since I first saw you¡­"

    His gaze lowered, staring at the Golden Dragon Robe.

    "Which Dragon n do you belong to?"

    "I don''t belong to any Dragon n."

    "What? Then where did you acquire that uniform? If it wasn''t given to you by the Dragon n, I highly suggest you return it to them. If they learn that a human is walking around with the Golden Dragon Robe, they''ll hunt you down like a criminal on death row." Long Chen frowned.

    "Then you don''t have to worry. It was definitely given to me by the Dragon n. Although we''re friends, I wouldn''t say that I belong to their n." Yuan said, unaware of the significance behind his outfit.

    ''Seriously¡­? Which family would hand out the Golden Dragon Robe to someone that isn''t even part of the Dragon n? This will easily invoke the wrath of the other ns if they find out¡­'' Long Chen couldn''t imagine something like this happening.

    After all, an ordinary family within the Dragon n wouldn''t have something like the Golden Dragon Robe, as only those with royal blood are allowed to possess the outfit.

    ''In the first ce, there are no families with royal blood in the Third Heaven, so he couldn''t have possibly gotten it from here. Is he lying about the fact that he didn''te from the upper heavens? Or is he lying about how he acquired the Golden Dragon Robe?'' Long Chen pondered with a serious expression on his face, hoping that it was the former reason.

    After a moment of silence, Long Chen spoke, "If you don''t mind, can you tell me the surname of the family that gave you that robe? I know I am asking a lot of questions, but this is for your own good."

    Yuan nodded and responded calmly, "Their surname is ''Xi''."

    "The Xi Family?! Impossible!" Long Chen cried out loud after hearing this unexpected information.

    Yuan raised his eyebrows and asked, "Why do you look like you just saw a ghost?"

    "B-Before I answer your question, allow me to confirm what I just heard¡­ The family that gave you the Golden Dragon Robe is the Xi Family?"

    Yuan silently nodded.

    Long Chen fell silent again.

    "Are you going to tell me that they don''t exist or something?" Yuan asked.

    "No¡­ There definitely exists a Xi Family with royal blood within the Dragon n. However, they have been missing for thousands of years now. Are you sure it''s the Xi Family?"

    "Xi Shengmo." Yuan suddenly uttered the name of the Dragon Emperor.

    Long Chen''s eyes immediately lit up after hearing this familiar name.

    ''That''s the Xi Family''s Dragon Emperor''s name! However, that isn''t solid proof that he really met with them¡­''

    "Can you tell me where the Xi Family is right now?" He then asked.

 Chapter 1139 Heading Towards The Sword Temple

    "Sorry, but I cannot tell you their location. Although you say they''re missing, they separated themselves from the rest of the world on their own ord, and they''re living happily from what I saw." Yuan refused Long Chen''s request without hesitation.

    "They separated themselves? Why would they¡ª" Long Chen halted his mumble when he suddenly recalled the Xi Family''s history.

    ''The Xi Family disappeared shortly after the Dragon n''s war with Cultivators many centuries ago. I guess they didn''t want to deal with humans after what happened¡­'' He sighed inwardly.

    But this only created more questions for Long Chen.

    ''Why would the Xi Family that despises humans give a human the Golden Dragon Robe? This doesn''t make sense no matter how I think about it.''

    "Anyways, I have entertained you for long enough. If you have more questions, save them for after we all leave this ce." Yuan turned around and began walking away.

    "How about Ie with you?" Long Chen started following him.

    He still had many questions and wanted to recruit Yuan to his side, after all.

    However, Yuan quickly turned around and held his arms up, pointing his palm directly at Long Chen''s face, "Please leave me alone. I already have enoughpany with me."

    "..."

    Long Chen halted his steps and no longer followed Yuan.

    Yuan quickly escaped the crowd.

    "There''s too much attention on me. I will meet you guys a few miles ahead." Yuan notified the Tian Family through divine sense as he flew away.

    "I''ve never seen such an arrogant bastard before! He thinks he''s above us just because he got lucky in the Sword Pagoda! I doubt he''s actually that talented!" The people behind Long Chen gritted their teeth in anger.

    "How could someone from a backwater ce like the Third Heaven possibly have more talent than us?! He must have used some trick to beat the Sword Pagoda!"

    Long Chen couldn''t even be bothered by these people and merely remained silent, his eyes staring at the direction that Yuan disappeared to.

    ''Xiao Yang¡­ What a mysterious fellow.'' Long Chen realized at this moment that he''s never been intrigued by another individual to such an extent.

    Long Chen left the ce shortly after, and when that happened, the other people at the Sword Pagoda went into an uproar.

    "The Sword Pagoda has copsed! What should we do now?!"

    "I don''t think there is anything we can do now¡­"

    "Heavens! He defeated not only the Nine Swords Trial but also the Sword Pagoda! A legend is about to be born! I must let the others know!"

    The name Xiao Yang began spreading within the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb like a wildfire during a heatwave.

    When the big families and powerful sects heard of Xiao Yang and his feats, they immediately decided to recruit him to their side.

    "We must find this Xiao Yang before the others and recruit him to our sect!" A famous Sect Leader roared at his disciples.

    "My daughter! I want you to meet with this Xiao Yang and bring him to our family at all cost!" A renowned Patriarch said to his precious daughter with an urgent expression.

    "But father¡­ You already engaged me to the Ming Family¡­"

    "Screw the Ming Family! This Xiao Yang takes priority! If the rumors are true, he''ll definitely be a prominent figure in not just the Third Heaven but the entire Nine Heavens!"

    Some people in the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb shifted their attention to Yuan after hearing his achievements, treating him as though he was another treasure in the tomb that must be acquired.

    However, since the rumors sounded too good to be true, most people doubted it and decided to ignore it.

    Meanwhile, a dozen miles away from the Sword Pagoda, Yuan regrouped with Tian Yanyu and Tian Suyin.

    "You really dropped a lot of jaws back there¡ª mine included¡­" Tian Yanyu said as she stared at Yuan, still with a somewhat dazed look on her face.

    "..." Tian Suyin remained quiet, her thoughts unknown.

    Tian Yanyu continued, "I''ve been dying to ask you¡ª what happened on the sixth floor? Why did it take you almost a week to pass it when the seventh floor didn''t evenst an hour?"

    "Oh, I was given a week toprehend something. That''s all."

    "That''s it? Although it''s very different from the previous floors, it sounds boring. What about the seventh floor? What did it look like up there?"

    "Same as the other floor¡ª empty and boring."

    "What about the reward?! You cleared the Sword Pagoda, right? Surely, the reward must be extravagant!" Tian Yanyu''s eyes were essentially glowing from excitement at this moment.

    Yuan shook his head, "Besides this key, I didn''t really receive much."

    "Seriously¡­?" Tian Yanyu was baffled after hearing this, and she looked like a child who just had her dreams crushed.

    "Didn''t you also receive a key at the Nine Swords Trial? What does it do?" Tian Suyin looked at the key with interest. Her instincts told her that the key would lead to something special.

    "Indeed, but I don''t know its purpose. I only know that I have to collect seven more before heading to the deepest parts of the tomb."

    "That''s impossible even for you. Not even half of the tomb has been explored since it was discovered, yet you want to go to the deepest area? You''ll just be walking to your own grave."

    Yuan smiled, "I think I will be fine. After all, fate brought me here."

    ''Fate? What a lunatic¡­'' Tian Suyin shook her head inwardly.

    "Anyways, my next destination is the Sword Temple." Yuan announced a momentter.

    "The Sword Temple is located at the border of the outer area. It''ll take us two weeks just to get there even if we traveled there in a straight line without rest." Tian Suyin said.

    Yuan nodded, "You don''t need to follow me there if you don''t want to. I don''t want to waste your time, either."

    "Nonsense! We''ve alreadye this far, it would only be a waste if we stop here! And I''m sure that we''ll get to witness something jaw-dropping again, so I won''t leave even if you force me!" Tian Yanyu quickly said.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.

    Yuan showed a defeated smile, "Alright, I won''t stop you."

    They resumed their journey shortly after.

 Chapter 1140 Renowned

    <+20 Fame>

    <+31 Fame>

    <+56 Fame>

    <+111 Fame>

    Yuan noticed that his Fame was increasing at a rapid rate as he traveled to the Sword Temple.

    ''This must be due to what happened at the Nine Swords Trial and the Sword Pagoda¡­''

    While he was d to see his Fame increasing, he still had no idea what kind of effect it had on him.

    And in just a few days, his fame reached over 100,000.

    Suddenly, an announcement appeared in the sky for all yers to witness.

    <yer Yuan''s fame has spread far and wide, bing the first yer to receive 100,000 Fame!>

    Ding!

    <You have received the title ''Renowned'' for your achievement!>

    <Certain events and areas have been unlocked due to your fame>

    Yuan''s eyebrows lifted slightly after seeing the notifications.

    ''So fame unlocks new events¡­ Now the only question is where do I find these events¡­'' He wondered inwardly.

    "Xiao Yang, let''s take a break."

    Tian Yanyu suddenly turned to look at him.

    "Alright." He nodded.

    They stopped flying and started to look for an area where they could sit down to recover their depleted spiritual energy after flying for days without a break.

    Sometimeter, they sat below arge tree.

    Tian Yanyu and Tian Suyin immediately closed their eyes and began to cultivate.

    ''I should have a few hours¡­''

    Yuan stared at them for a moment before silently logging off the game for the first time since he entered the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb.

    ''She''s still inside, huh?'' Yuan thought to himself as he looked at Chu Liuxiang, who wasying beside him with her console on her head.

    He went to the bathroom and cleaned himself even though his body was sparking clean despite many weeks of not washing.

    Aftering out of the bathroom feeling refreshed, Yuan left the room to check up on the others, and as usual, they could be found at the training ground behind the house, but there was only one person there.

    "Yuan! What are you doing here? Have you already finished exploring the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb?" Wang Ming spoke as he stopped swinging his sword, pleasantly surprised to see him at the training field.

    Yuan shook his head, "No, not even close. I''m just taking a small break to stretch my body. Where are the others?"

    "They''re all in Cultivation Online¡ª that''s all we do after morning training nowadays. I''m staying hereter than usual since I feel like having a breakthrough soon."

    "As for your girlfriends and Jinxi, they only show up once a week to exercise. Meixiu appears a little more often to cook for us, but that has stopped since we told her to focus on her cultivation. The ce''s been really quiet as oftely with everyone focusing on their own things."

    Yuan nodded, "That''s good. And since I am already here, want to have a little spar?"

    Wang Ming smiled, "I would''ve asked you if you didn''t."

    Yuan grabbed a sword and started sparring with Wang Ming shortly after.

    Some timeter.

    "You''ve improved a lot since ourst spar." Yuan said to Wang Ming, who was lying on the floor while soaked in sweat.

    "Yet I still cannotnd a single hit on you."

    Yuan chuckled, "You''ll get there, but I won''t make it easy."

    "That''s exactly what I want."

    Yuan chatted with Wang Ming for a little longer before he returned to his room.

    However, he still had plenty of time left, and he didn''t want to return to Cultivation Online so quickly.

    Thus, he decided to y with the zither.

    After grabbing his zither from the closet, Yuan went to the balcony and began ying it.

    About an hourter, Meixiu removed the console from her head and sat up on her bed to look at the clock.

    ''It''s almost midnight¡­''

    Her ears suddenly twitched when it heard a heavenly melody being yed, which stimted her body and instantly woke her up.

    "This music¡­ Yuan?"

    She quickly went to the balcony before looking towards Yuan''s room, and her eyes were immediately blessed by Yuan''s handsome face that was enhanced by the moonlight as he yed the zither elegantly.

    Meixiu opened her mouth slightly only to close it without uttering a sound, as she did not want to disturb such a moment.

    A minuteter, after ying the final note, Yuan rested his hand on the zither before turning to look at Meixiu with a gentle smile on his face.

    "Hey, it''s been a while."

    "Did something happen in Cultivation Online?" Meixiu couldn''t help but ask the first thing in her mind.

    "Everything is fine in Cultivation Online, I''m just taking a break."

    "I see¡­" Meixiu didn''t know what else to say.

    "..."

    After a moment of awkward silence, Meixiu subconsciously uttered, "Want toe over?"

    By the time she realized what she''d just said, Yuan already responded with a silent nod.

    "I will be there in a minute. Let me put away the zither first."

    Once Yuan left the balcony, Meixiu''s face flushed with redness.

    A minuteter, Yuan knocked on Meixiu''s door.

    Meixiu quickly answered.

    Once they were inside the room, Yuan sat down and initiated the conversation, "How is your cultivation going?"

    "Smoothly. I just entered the 7th level of Spirit Master before logging out."Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.

    "You''re a Spirit Master already? It''s only been a month. I guess this is what happens when you focus on cultivation." Yuan smiled.

    She nodded, "The dense spiritual energy in the Third Heaven helps a lot. Of course, my cultivation technique ys the biggest role in my growth. I''m not the only one. Chu Liuxiang and Li Jinxi have also reached Spirit Master. Chu Liuxiang reached the 5th levelst week. Though, the one with the most improvement is Li Jinxi. Even though she started muchter than us, she has already surpassed us, reaching the 9th level. I think she''ll be a Spirit Grandmaster soon."

    "Li Jinxi is already at such a level? As expected of the number one genius in the Jaded Garden. She''s really talented." Yuan was pleasantly surprised by Li Jinxi''s immense growth.

    "What about you? How are things in the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb?" Meixiu then asked.

    "A lot has happened." Yuan proceeded to recall his experience to her.

 Chapter 1141 Burst Of Bloodlust

    "And that''s when I decided to take a break from Cultivation Online." Yuan recalled everything he''d experienced within the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb to Meixiu, who listened with an intrigued expression on her face.

    However, after Yuan finished his story, the ce became dead silent, as neither had anything else to say.

    The two of them proceeded to silently stare at each other for the next few moments.

    As it has been some time since theyst saw each other, and it being the longest that they have been away from each other for a long time, things felt a little awkward between them.

    "Meixiu¡­" Yuan uttered in a low voice, trying to start a conversation.

    "Yuan¡­"

    Meixiu misunderstood his intentions and actually kissed him instead.

    Yuan didn''tin and closed his eyes, quietly enjoying the soft sensation of her lips.

    A few momentster, as her body started heating up with passion, Meixiu began removing her clothes while she continued to kiss Yuan.

    Yuan did the same, and within seconds, they were both lying on the bed naked.

    "I''ve missed this warmth¡­" Meixiu mumbled in a low voice.

    "Yeah, me too." Yuan smiled.

    They would connect their bodies shortly after, and they would go on to spend the rest of the night cultivating with each other.

    Naturally, Yuanpletely forgot about Cultivation Online, and it wasn''t until the following morning did he recall about the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb.

    "I''m going to take a bath. Want toe with me?" Meixiu asked him after their passionate session.

    "Sure¡ª Oh! Ipletely forgot!"

    "What?" Meixiu looked at him with a puzzled face.

    "I have been gone for too long. Tian Yanyu will be puzzled when she finishes her cultivation and I am nowhere to be seen. I''m going to take a quick shower and immediately return to Cultivation Online. Sorry, Meixiu!" Yuan quickly rushed into the bathroom as he spoke.

    "Don''t worry about it. I am already lucky enough to see you during your brief break. Chu Liuxiang will definitely be upset to know that she''d missed you." Meixiu chuckled.

    After a quick shower, Yuan rushed back to his room and logged back into Cultivation Online.This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    When he returned to the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb, Yuan immediately noticed that neither Tian Yanyu or Tian Suyin was there. In fact, the tree that they had been cultivating under was gone as well.

    "W-What the hell happened here?!" Yuan eximed in a shocked voice after seeing the scenery around him.

    The ground around him was split, and it looked like a massive battle had just urred in this area.

    "Do you guys know what happened here? Where is the Tian Family?" Yuan asked his servants.

    Unfortunately, they did not know.

    "Sorry, Young Master, but we didn''t see anything. When you disappeared, our senses were blocked, and we couldn''t leave your body either." Feng Yuxiang said to him.

    ''Damn! I should''ve left them behind to watch over the Tian Family! I''ve screwed up!'' Yuan cursed inwardly, ming himself for this situation.

    "Yuan, use your Divine Sense and see if you can sense them!" Lan Yingying suddenly suggested. "Your Soul Strength is much more powerful than ours, so you will be able to see further than us."

    "Right!"

    Yuan immediately activated his Divine Sense to the maximum.

    "I found them!"

    He quickly found them with Divine Sense.

    "They''re 25 miles north, and they''re currently fighting a group of people!"

    He could see Tian Yanyu and Tian Suyin currently being surrounded by a group of unknown Cultivators that clearly had bad intentions, and Tian Suyin even appeared to be injured.

    Without hesitation, Yuan immediately began flying towards their direction, his aura filled with killing intent.

    ''Please let me make it in time!'' He prayed as he flew.

    Meanwhile, Tian Yanyu and Tian Suyin stood together with their backs facing each other.

    "Mother, are you okay?!" Tian Yanyu eximed in a panicked manner when she noticed blood flowing down Tian Suyin''s right arm.

    "I''m fine. Worry about yourself." Tian Suyin said while gritting her teeth.

    Tian Yanyu turned to look at the Cultivators attacking them and shouted, "Who are you guys?! We are disciples of the Jade Sword Manor! Why are you attacking us?!"

    "Two beautifuldies traveling by themselves inside the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb, you''re asking to be attacked! Ahahaha!" One of the Cultivatorsughed out loud.

    These Cultivators were all wearing unique outfits, suggesting that they might not belong to any sect.

    "Are you all Rogue Cultivators? You''ll regret attacking us once our friend returns!" Tian Yanyu roared.

    "Your friend? Oh, I''m so scared!"

    "Hahaha!"

    "Nobody ising to save you! Just give up and stop resisting! If you do, we''ll make this painless¡ª less painful for you!"

    "Save your breath, Yanyu." Tian Suyin said to her using Divine Sense, "Listen to me. I am going to attract their attention. When that happens, I want you to run away."

    "What?! I''m not going to leave you behind, even if I am going to die!" Tian Yanyu immediately refused.

    "This is not the time to be stubborn!" Tian Suyin roared back.

    "Alright, enough bullshit. Let''s just get this over with before we''re interrupted." One of the Rogue Cultivators suddenly said.

    "I call dibs on the mother!"

    "The young one''s mine!"

    "It''s firste first serve!"

    Tian Yanyu and Tian Suyin watched as eight Spirit Lords rushed at them with vulgar faces.

    A burst of bloodlust suddenly erupted not far away, sweeping the ce with a chilling ripple.

    This instantly halted not just the Rogue Cultivators but also Tian Yanyu and her mother''s movements.

    Their initial thought was that they''d somehow attracted the attention of a ferocious magical beast.

    However, before they could even think, one of the Rogue Cultivators suddenly shouted out in pain before he copsed on the ground.

    The others turned to look at him with baffled expressions, and they could see arge hole had somehow appeared in the center of his face.

    "Yanyu! Senior!" Yuan''s voice resounded a momentter.

    Tian Yanyu instantly turned to face the direction of his voice with a blissful look on her face.

    "Xiao Yang!"

 Chapter 1142 Massive Magical Beast

    "Mother, let''s go!" Tian Yanyu immediately began running towards Yuan the moment she saw him, and she grabbed Tian Suyin''s arm before pulling her along.

    The Rogue Cultivators were still in shock from theirpanion''s sudden death, so they couldn''t react in time and allowed the two of them to escape.

    "We''ll talk after I take care of the trash." Yuan said to Tian Yanyu as he withdrew the Empyrean Overlord.

    Almost as though it was responding to Yuan''s emotions, the Empyrean Overlord''s aura gushed like water at the bottom of a waterfall.

    "W-Wait!" The Rogue Cultivators subconsciously raised their hands to surrender.

    They could tell that Yuan was a Spirit King and that nobody there would be able to defeat him even if they all fought together.

    However, Yuan wasn''t interested in sparring these Cultivators and swung the Empyrean Overlord without hesitation.

    A powerful sword light strengthened by Enhanced Sword Qi immediately flew towards the Cultivators.

    Everything happened so fast that the Rogue Cultivators couldn''t even escape if they wanted, so they had no choice but to try and block the attack.

    Unfortunately for them, their techniques were all destroyed as soon as they were deployed.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Nothing could stop the sword light from killing these Cultivators today.

    Sha!

    The following moment, the Cultivators dropped dead on the ground with their bodies severed in half, their spiritual energy absorbed by the Empyrean Overlord.

    [Awakening Progress: 10.01%]

    Killing eight Spirit Lord Cultivators was only enough to increase the progress by 0.01%. As for the 10 percent, it actually came from the Sword Pagoda, unbeknownst to Yuan at the time.

    Besides the Empyrean Overlord''s awakening, the Sword Pagoda rewarded Yuan with all of the spiritual energy he''d gathered from each floor, but since his body couldn''t absorb them, it was absorbed by the Empyrean Overlord instead.

    Yuan ran back to Tian Yanyu and her mother after dealing with the Rogue Cultivators.

    "Senior, you''re hurt." Yuan quickly retrieved a pill for her injuries. "Here, take this."

    "I''m fine. Where the hell did you go, anyway?" Tian Suyin said as she epted the pill.

    "Sorry, I decided to look around while you guys cultivated. I shouldn''t have left you guys alone. This is all my fault."

    "Nonsense! Those Rogue Cultivators were 100 percent at fault there! Don''t kick yourself for their actions, Xiao Yang. And thank you for saving us. I don''t even want to imagine what could''ve happened if you didn''te in time." Tian Yanyu shivered just thinking about it.

    "Anyways, I''m just d that nothing serious happened to you. I won''t leave you two alone anymore. I promise."

    "Good, because I am going to cultivate again to recover my exhausted spiritual energy." Tian Suyin said as she sat cross-legged on the ground. She''d used almost all of her spiritual energy to fight off the Rogue Cultivators, after all.

    "Me too." Tian Yanyu also sat down and began cultivating.

    This time, Yuan stood guard for them while scanning the area with his Divine Sense until they were done.

    "Sorry for the wait." Tian Yanyu finished a little faster than her mother since she had a lower cultivation base, thus less spiritual energy to restore.

    Tian Suyin opened her eyes two hourster.

    Once they were prepared, they resumed their journey towards the Sword Temple.

    "What?! Yuan was just awake?!" Chu Liuxiang came out of her room literally ten minutes after Yuan returned to Cultivation Online.

    "Yes." Meixiu nodded, and she recalled Yuan''s experience for her.

    "I can''t believe I just missed him¡­ If only I had managed to break through a few minutes earlier!" She sighed out loud.

    "You had a breakthrough? Congrattions." Meixiu said.

    And she continued, "But even if you came out in time to see Yuan, he wouldn''t have any time since he had to rush back into Cultivation Online."

    Chu Liuxiang narrowed her eyes at Meixiu in a suspicious manner, "You seem happy¡ª a lot more happy than thest time I saw you. I bet you had a lot of fun with him today."

    Meixiu chuckled, "Indeed, I did¡ª the whole night."

    Chu Liuxiang sucked her teeth, "Well aren''t you lucky¡­"

    "Did he say when he''ll take a break again?" She then asked.

    "No, but he did say that he will try to take breaks as often as possible."

    "That''s good to hear."

    A weekter.

    "Hm? There''s something happening up ahead." Yuan suddenly warned the others.

    "What do you see?" Tian Yanyu asked.

    "There''s arge group of Cultivators currently engaged in a fight with this massive magical beast. Should we go around them?"

    Tian Suyin''s eyes flickered with a profound light after hearing this.

    "No! That magical beast is an event! If we defeat it, we''ll be rewarded!"

    "Are you sure? There are already people fighting it. If we enter now and steal their kill, they''ll probablye after us¡­" Tian Yanyu said.

    "There''s no need to worry. Inside the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb, magical beasts are free for all, so it doesn''t matter who was first to fight it. If they cannot kill the magical beast and someonees along to take it from them, they can only me themselves for not being able to defeat it fast enough."

    "Is that so?" Yuan mumbled.

    If he had to be honest, he had this urge to fight this magical beast the moment heid eyes on it, and Tian Suyin''s words only convinced him to do so.

    "Alright, I''m going to take care of this magical beast real fast and see what kind of reward I''ll get from it. The two of you should stay far away just in case they attack me afterwards." He said to them a momentter.

    "I understand." Tian Yanyu nodded.

    A few minutester, Yuan could see the magical beast''s massive figure in the distance.

    Tian Yanyu gasped in shock when she saw it.

    "Heavens¡­" Tian Suyin was just as surprised. "I have seen plenty of magical beasts before in this ce, but none of them couldpare to this beast''s size!"

 Chapter 1143 Massive Magical Beast(2)

    This magical beast in the distance was as tall as a mountain, literally. It stood on all four like a horse, had purple and silver scales, and it had a dragon''s head. Furthermore, there was this long, ck horn on its forehead, and it was currently shooting out purple lightning from it.

    This purple lightning scattered aimlessly, burning anything that it touched. The Cultivators that couldn''t dodge it immediately became burnt toast.

    "What kind of monster is that?" Tian Yanyu eximed in a startled voice after seeing the massive magical beast.

    "That''s a Purple Lightning Qilin. They''re actually a lot smaller in the real world." Tian Suyin responded, her tone sounding a little stiff.

    "The two of you should stay here. I will kill it quickly ande right back." Yuan said to them.

    "Okay. Be careful." Tian Yanyu nodded without hesitation. Thest thing she wanted to do was to get any closer to that lightning-spewing monster.

    "His monstrous body will just restore any damage inflicted to him. I bet he''s actually immortal." Tian Suyin joked in a serious manner.

    "Then I will be right back." Yuan waved at them before flying towards the Purple Lightning Qilin that was running rampage in the distance.

    "Watch out! It''s going to shoot out lightning again!"

    The Cultivators fighting the Purple Lightning Qilin were from different ces. Some were disciples of a sect while others were members of arge family. Of course, there were Rogue Cultivators amongst the fighters, but they were mostly fighting alone without anyone watching their backs.

    "Ahhh! Fuck! My leg! The bastard''s got my fucking leg!" A disciple screamed in agony as he lost one of his legs to the Purple Lightning Qilin''s lightning, burning it to a crisp.

    "Aim for its horn! If we destroy the horn, it should stop using its lightning attack!" Another shouted.

    As Yuan got closer to the battlefield, he could witness with his bare eyes the carnage, where rivers of blood and mountains of corpses littered the ground around the Purple Lightning Qilin.

    ''There has to be hundreds of corpses down there¡­'' He thought to himself, feeling shivers down his back.

    Once he was close enough, Yuan retrieved the Empyrean Overlord.

    However, he did not immediately enter the battlefield and patiently waited for his chance to strike. He also studied the Purple Lightning Qilin''s movements.

    Of course, people continued to die as time passed. As unfortunate as their deaths were, Yuan wasn''t going to risk his own life to save these people like some sort of hero. These Cultivators entered the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb with the resolve to die, and they did the same before they decided to fight this beast.

    About ten minutester, once Yuan was confident that he knew all of the Purple Lightning Qilin''s movements, he tightly held onto the Empyrean Overlord before flying towards it.

    ''The lightning attack may seem random at first, but it''s not. It won''t use it again for another three minutes, so this is my chance.''

    Yuan appeared directly in front of the Purple Lightning Qilin the next moment, and his body released an aura that surmounted the massive beast before him.

    His Empyrean Overlord also gushed with Enhanced Sword Qi.

    ''This is going to be my first time using Enhanced Sword Qi at its full power!''

    After taking a deep breath, Yuan swung the Empyrean Overlord at the Purple Lightning Qilin''s horn.

    Sha!

    The ck horn that threatened and killed hundreds of Cultivators had been sliced off the monster''s head cleanly.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    The Cultivators there were in disbelief at first, but they quickly became overwhelmed with relief after realizing that they no longer have to worry about the lightning strikes.

    However, before anybody could celebrate, the Purple Lightning Qilin released a loud roar, causing its scales to turn crimson.

    Its eyes also turned bloodshot with red lightning sparking from within, and its body also started shooting out tiny red sparks that coiled all around its body, creating what appeared to be an armor made of lightning.

    A sense of dread suddenly assaulted Yuan, and his body instinctively moved.

    BOOM!

    A massive red lightning strike suddenly descended from the sky, hitting directly where Yuan was flying.

    "Argh!" Yuan released a pained voice before mming his mouth shut when the sudden thunder managed to strike his left shoulder, tearing his entire arm. However, this could be considered lucky for him.

    If he hadn''t sensed the danger and moved in advance, the thunder strike would''ve struck his head, instantly killing him.

    The Purple Lightning Qilin released another deafening cry, causing more red thunder strikes to rain down.

    "Fuck! It''s enraged! Run for your lives!"

    The Cultivators scattered like ants when they saw the apocalyptic-like scene before them.

    "Xiao Yang!" Tian Yanyu was terrified for his life when she saw the situation from afar. In fact, she had to distance herself even further as the area of the lightning strikes appeared to be growing with every passing moment.

    ''I need to finish this as soon as possible or it''ll just get worse!'' Yuan thought to himself as he dodged the lightning strikes left and right while he waited for his injury to recover. However, with the Purple Lightning Qilin spamming lightning strikes nonstop, it would be incredibly hard to attack while dodging even if he was uninjured.

    Suddenly, a ball of mes shot out from his chest and flew directly at the Purple Lightning Qilin, engulfing its body in phoenix mes.

    "I cannot sit back and watch it hurt you any longer, Young Master!" Feng Yuxiang''s voice resounded.

    Then, a ball of white mes appeared, mixing itself with the phoenix me, causing the intensity of the mes to skyrocket.

    The Purple Lightning Qilin stopped rampaging and began jumping everywhere trying to extinguish the mes, but s, its efforts were futile, and the mes of two divine beasts only became stronger.

    "Thank you, you two!" Yuan immediately took this chance to attack the monster.

    [God of War''s Astral Arts!]

    After summoning his avatar, Yuan swung his sword at the Purple Lightning Qilin again, this time aiming right at the center of its body.

    Whoosh!

    The sword prated the scales with ease before cutting into its muscles, splitting its body into halves.

 Chapter 1144 Sword Temple

    After the Purple Lightning Qilin was in by Yuan, its body immediately began dposing at a rapid rate until there was nothing but a single item on the ground¡ª a purple key.

    Yuan picked up the key and thought to himself, ''Is this what he meant when he said that I''d eventually find them no matter what? Is this a work of fate, or is this the tomb''s doing?''

    "Brother Yuan, that wasn''t a Purple Lightning Qilin. It was an Ancient Lightning Qilin, something that only exists in the Seventh Heaven and above. Even top Cultivators in that realm have trouble dealing with it." Xiao Hua''s voice suddenly resounded.

    "Have you encountered one before?" Yuan couldn''t help but ask her.

    "Xiao Hua isn''t sure," she said.

    "How are you not sure?" Feng Yuxiang then asked.

    After a moment of silence, she spoke, "Xiao Hua''s memories have been hazytely. Memories that I don''t recall have been appearing in my mind since we arrived in the Third Heaven."

    "That is interesting¡­" Yuan mumbled.

    "If I recall correctly, all exiles have restrictions ced on them to make their climb to the upper heaven as hard as possible, such as their strength. Does this mean Xiao Hua''s memories have been restricted and such restriction is weakening as we move towards the upper heavens?" Feng Yuxiang theorized.

    "That does sound usible. What do you think, Xiao Hua?" Yuan found such a hypothesis entirely possible.

    "Xiao Hua also thinks it''s possible. This will also exin why my cultivation suddenly increased when we arrived in the Second Heaven and the Third Heaven." She agreed.

    "If that''s true, I wonder how strong you truly are, Xiao Hua." Yuan smiled.

    "..." Xiao Hua blushed inwardly.

    Yuan returned to Tian Yanyu and Tian Suyin shortly after.

    "A-Are you okay, Xiao Yang?! It looked painful when you were struck by the Purple Lightning Qilin''s red lightning¡­" Tian Yanyu looked at him with a worried face even though he looked perfectly fine.

    "It was indeed a little painful, but it''s not unbearable," he said.

    "What did you receive from the Purple Lightning Qilin? Surely, it was an amazing reward." Tian Suyin was more interested in the reward.

    Yuan showed her the purple key and silently smiled.

    "That''s it¡­?" Tian Suyin was dumbfounded.

    He nodded.

    "No way¡­ These keys better lead to something heaven-defying for them to be considered as a reward¡­"

    "Hopefully. Anyways, let''s continue with our journey."

    The three of them returned to the air shortly after and started flying towards the Sword Temple again.

    A weekter.

    "Is that the Sword Temple?" Tian Yanyu mumbled as a white building appeared on the horizon.

    "It is." Tian Suyin confirmed.

    "It''s a lot more ordinary than I expected."

    The building itself was impressivelyrge, but besides the beautifully detailed design exterior, everything was in white.

    However, that was not what Yuan saw.

    While the others may only see an oversized white building, Yuan could see and sense that the entire building was overflowing with Enhanced Sword Aura, so much so that it sent shivers down his back.

    Once he was close enough, Yuan could see arge group of Cultivators standing around a tall tform in front of the Sword Temple, where two individuals were engaged in an intense match.

    ''So that''s the Sword Trial¡­'' Yuan thought to himself when he saw it.

    This was something he''d read about in Jade Sword Manor''s library.

    In order to enter the Sword Temple, one must participate in the Sword Trial and defeat their opponent first.

    The opponent is different for everyone depending on their strength and talents. If one fails to pass the Sword Trial, they will be denied entry to the Sword Temple, and everyone only has one attempt.

    "ording to the statistics, less than one percent of challengers have actually stepped foot inside the Sword Temple, and hundreds of thousands of Cultivators participate in the Sword Trial every time the tomb opens." Tian Suyin said as they watched the Sword Trial from afar.This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    "The summoned Spirits always have the same cultivation as the challenger, but their techniques are usually far superior."

    The opponents summoned by the Sword Trial are also addressed as ''Spirits'' by most people.

    "He lost already? It hasn''t even been two minutes since the fight started¡­" Tian Yanyu mumbled after the challenger was sent flying off the stage with one less arm that he entered the stage with.

    "You''d have to be a genius tost more than five minutes against the Spirits. That''s how powerful they are." Tian Suyin said.

    "The more I witness the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb the more it feels like the odds are stacked against us. Just what kind of talent is the creator of this world looking for? Surely, they didn''t make it just to mess with us, right?" Tian Yanyu sighed.

    The vast majority of Cultivators create a tomb to pass down their legacy to someone worthy, but the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb is so difficult that it feels like the creator made it just to mock the challengers.

    ''Sorry¡­'' Yuan couldn''t help but apologize to her inwardly, as this tomb was clearly created solely for him.

    Sometimeter, they made their way towards the stage before splitting up again.

    Yuan went to the back of the line for challengers while Tian Yanyu and her mother went to stand with the spectators.

    A few hourster.

    "Hm? Look at that young man in the center of the line. Isn''t that Xiao Yang?"

    A few people who''d just arrived aftering from the Sword Pagoda quickly noticed him.

    "You''re right! It''s him!"

    "You mean the genius who cleared the Sword Pagoda?! That''s him?! He looks so young!"

    An uproar within the spectators quickly ensued, and it didn''t take long before everyone was talking about him.

    However, the conversation didn''tst long, as everyone had their breaths taken away by a group of neers.

    More specifically, a group of beautifuldies that instantly stole the spotlight with their peerless appearance, especially the woman with an aloof expression in the front.

    Yuan noticed the sudden change in atmosphere and turned to look as well.

    ''She''s strong¡­'' He immediately thought to himself after seeing the beauty in the front.

 Chapter 1145 Sword Trial

    Thedy leading the group of beauties had long ck hair, purple eyes with a hint of green, and slight make-up around her eyes. She looked incredibly beautiful but also threatening at the same time, like a rose with thorns.

    Thesedies were also exuding an overwhelming aura that nobody there has experienced before. They were clearly all from the upper heavens, especially the purple-eyeddy, who had a simr aura to Silver Dragon Long Chen.

    However, unlike Long Chen, who was actively hiding his aura, thisdy was letting it flow naturally.

    Thesedies would watch the Sword Trial from afar while mumbling to each other. It was unclear whether they nned on participating or not, but their presence was so heavy that it made focusing hard for the others.

    Eventually, people began leaving the line one by one, as they did not want to participate under such an atmosphere. Of course, there were a few that became more motivated since they wanted to impress this group of fairies.

    The line quickly grew shorter and shorter until there were less than a hundred people left.

    Yuan quickly reached the front of the line, but right when it was his turn to enter the stage, the group of fairies began to move.

    The groupnded in front of him and blocked off his path to the tform while their leader¡ª the purple-eyed beauty flew onto the stage.

    "Wait if you don''t want to die a pointless death." One of them said to him.

    "..."

    Yuan didn''t want to argue with them so he remained silent.

    "Good luck, Senior apprentice-sister Tang!"

    "You''ll clear this silly trial with ease!"

    These girls began cheering for the purple-eyed beauty, who was surnamed Tang.

    Shortly after the Fairy Tang entered the tform, an array formation in the shape of a circle appeared on the other side of the tform, and a figure would emerge from this circle a momentter.

    As usual, this figure was wearing a mask, and they had the cultivation of a peak Spirit King.

    Fairy Tang kept the same aloof expression on her face, seemingly unfazed by her opponent.

    She proceeded to make the first move by pointing her finger at the masked figure.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    "Scatter," she uttered in a low but confident voice.

    Whoosh!

    Thousands of purple-colored flower petals suddenly appeared out of thin air and flew towards the masked figure.

    A sweet scent filled the air when the flower petals appeared, but when the surrounding Cultivators sniffed this scent, their consciousness immediately began fading, and those with a lower cultivation could even feel a numbing sensation in their body.

    ''This is¡­ poison?'' Although the poison wasn''t effective on him, it wasn''tpletely ineffective, either.

    After all, while his body could take a hit from a spiritual treasure and not receive a scratch, it didn''t have much resistance to poison.

    The purple flower petals quickly shed with the masked figure like a tidal wave and consumed their entire figure.

    However, a powerful wave of Sword Aura suddenly rippled in the area, instantly destroying the thousands of flower petals.

    "Che. As expected, poison won''t work on them." Fairy Tang sucked her teeth in an annoyed manner before she retrieved her weapon, a very thin sword that resembled a rapier, and her body also began radiating with Sword Aura.

    The Sword Aura released by Fairy Tang was impressive, but it wouldn''t hold a candle to Yuan''s Sword Aura.

    However, Fairy Tang still managed to defeat her opponent after 25 exchanges.

    "Heavens! That fairy defeated her opponent within 25 strikes! I don''t think I have seen anyone defeat the summon in less than a hundred strikes!" The spectators were filled with awe after witnessing Fairy Tang''s performance.

    "As expected of Senior apprentice-sister Tang!" Her group cheered.

    The other girls in the group proceeded to enter the stage one by one until all of them challenged the Sword Trial.

    In the end, all of them passed the trial, but their results greatly differed from each other, ranging between 50 strikes to 100 strikes to defeat their opponent.

    "Heavens! I have never seen so many people pass the trial back to back! To think 7 people participated and 7 passed! Truly a spectacle!"

    Once the whole group of beauties finally finished, Yuan made his way up the tform.

    "Let''s head inside the Sword Temple, Senior apprentice-sister Tang." The girls said to her.

    However, she remained unmoving as her gaze was fixated on the tform.

    The girls turned to look at Yuan and wondered why she was interested in his match.

    "Although he''s a little handsome, I don''t see anything special about him."

    "What do you see in him, Senior apprentice-sister Tang?"

    Since Yuan had changed out of his Golden Dragon Robe to attract less attention from people like them, he no longer looked as special.

    "Look around us. He''s the only one who doesn''t seem affected by my poisonous scent." Fairy Tang spoke in a calm voice.

    When she mentioned this fact, the others also noticed this phenomenon.

    "You''re right¡­ But is it really that weird? It''s not like you''re purposefully trying to harm them."

    "Perhaps I am thinking too much about it. Let''s go." Fairy Tang said as she turned around.

    However, before she could even take two steps, her entire body froze when a tyrannical pressure suddenly appeared in the area.

    "Who''s exerting this pressure?!" The others were also baffled by this anomaly.

    They all subconsciously turned to look at the tform.

    "It must be that masked figure! She''s the cause of this pressure!"

    "Wait¡­ This masked figure is a female?"

    Indeed, standing on the tform about a dozen meters away from Yuan was a masked figure who was clearly a woman with feminine body, but the most damning evidence were the tworge peaks on her chest.

    "A masked figure that is a woman! I''ve never even heard of this before!" The spectators were just as surprised as the group of fairies.

    Yuan narrowed his eyes at this masked figure. He''d watched hundreds of matches before his own, yet none of them had a female opponent, so why did he summon one?

 Chapter 1146 Sword Trial(2)

    After being summoned, the female masked figure started looking around with interest, almost as though she was inspecting her surroundings, a behavior that none of the previous Spirits have shown.

    Her gaze eventually stopped on Yuan, and after a moment of silence, she spoke in a clear voice, "This is the first time I''ve been summoned since the creation of this ce. What''s your name?"

    "S-She''s having a conversation with her opponent?!" The spectators were beyond shocked by this.

    "The Spirits in the Sword Trial have never spoken a single word before!"

    "This is the first time it''s a woman, too!"

    "My name is Xiao Yang." Yuan introduced himself.

    "Really?"

    To his surprise, the female Spirit questioned his answer, almost as if she didn''t believe him.

    "I don''t like liars, you know," she continued.

    "..."

    Yuan decided to remain silent.

    "Well, whatever. Anyways, are you ready to fight me? I hope you can entertain me."

    Yuan immediately retrieved the Empyrean Overlord.

    The Spirit''s body trembled when she saw the beautiful sword in his grasp.

    "You¡­ Why do you have that sword?" The Spirit muttered in a low voice that sounded to be in disbelief.

    "Cause it''s mine," he calmly responded.

    "BULLSHIT!"

    The Spirit suddenly roared, and a tyrannical aura exploded from her body, causing the spectators to scatter away from the tform.

    "That''s my Master''s sword! How dare you defile it with your unworthy hands!"

    Before Yuan could even respond, the female Spirit suddenly sprang into action, rushing towards him as arge Greatsword appeared in her grasp.

    BOOM!

    A powerful shockwave appeared when their swords shed, and Yuan was actually pushed back by the Spirit.

    When he stabilized himself, he could feel his entire arm shaking.

    ''Shit! What terrifying strength!'' Yuan cried inwardly, and he realized that this could be the most difficult challenge he''s faced in this ce yet.

    "Die!"

    The Spirit did not spare Yuan any time to think and continued to rush at him with her attacks growing stronger with every strike.

    ng! ng! ng!

    The Spirit eventually started using Sword Aura, causing ripples filled with Sword Aura to scatter everywhere, destroying the tform and the surroundings.

    "Heavens¡­ What am I witnessing?"

    The group of fairies from the upper heavens were baffled by the fierce battle, something they thought could only happen in the upper heavens, especially Fairy Tang, who was in disbelief for another reason.

    ''How¡­ How did he manage to summon an opponent who is far stronger than mine?'' Fairy Tang wondered to herself why her Spirit was inferior.

    The difference between Yuan''s opponent and her own¡ª they couldn''t even bepared.

    ''As far as I know, the Sword Trial adjusts the Spirits based on the challenger''s talent. Does this mean the Sword Trial believes that my talent is inferior to that man''s talent? That I am inferior to a nobody from the Third Heaven? Impossible!''

    Fairy Tang gritted her teeth in frustration. Her existence has always beenpared to the others since birth, yet she''s always at the top, even whenpared to those from powerful families, so she could''ve never imagined that she''d feel inferior to someone that isn''t even from the upper heavens.

    As time passed, the spectators would be more and more speechless.

    "Heavens¡­ They have been going at it for hours now. It''s not weird for the Spirit to not get tired, but that young man is a different story! Just how much energy does he have?!"

    Although it may seem like Yuan has unlimited energy like the Spirit, it isn''t as simple as that. His body, from his muscles to his bones, are damaged and destroyed with every exchange, but due to his Perfect Regeneration, itpletely heals itself before the next exchange.

    Of course, even if his body is fine, one''s mental state usually degrades as a fight prolongs, but due to Heaven''s Indomitable Soul, his mind that is affected by Soul Strength not only refreshes itself, it also grows stronger with every second.

    Therefore, if he isn''t damaged faster than he could heal, and if he doesn''t use too much Soul Strength at once, he could potentially fight for an eternity without any breaks.

    The female Spirit, who had been cursing Yuan nonstop at the beginning, also became quiet.

    Minutes turned to hours, and hours turned to days.

    In the blink of an eye, Yuan and the Spirit had been fighting each other for five days straight now.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.

    More and more people have shown up at the ce just to witness their legendary fight, including the Silver Dragon, who rushed over after hearing the news.

    "How long have they been fighting?" One of the neers asked.

    "They''ve been at it for five days now."

    "F-Five?! Are you messing with me? There''s no way anyone can fight that long with such intensity."

    "You don''t have to believe me. You can ask the others."

    Meanwhile, Silver Dragon Long Chen hovered in the air with a pondering expression on his face.

    ''They''ve been fighting at this pace for five days now, yet neither of them are using their full strength. That Xiao Yang, is he using that Spirit for training? Even if that''s the case, why is the Spirit going along with him?'' He wondered, as he thought that the Spirits were meant to defeat the challengers as soon as possible.

    "Hm?"

    It was at this moment that he noticed the group of beauties standing near the entrance of the Sword Temple.

    ''So she''s also here, huh?''

    A smile appeared on his face when he saw the expression on her face. He didn''t think he would ever get the chance to see such a sight.

    ''So even the Poison Phoenix can feel jealousy. What a surprising find.''

    He approached her a momentter.

    However, Fairy Tang didn''t sense his presence until he was right beside her.

    "It''s been a while, Poison Phoenix." Silver Dragon greeted her with a somewhat cheeky smile.

    Fairy Tang red at him with a cold gaze as she spoke, "What do you want, Silver Dragon?"

 Chapter 1147 Sword Trial(3)

    Upon sensing the Poison Phoenix''s unweing aura, Silver Dragon remained calm as he chuckled, "I don''t really want anything from you."

    "Then why are you bothering me? Go away, as far as possible, until I cannot see your annoying face with my divine sense." Poison Phoenix coldly sneered.

    "Even though I don''t need anything from you, I couldn''t help but notice you staring at my friend very intently." Silver Dragon said, still with a smile on his face.

    Poison Phoenix''s expression changed drastically after hearing his words, and she quickly asked, "Your friend? You know that man?"

    "Ohho? Am I thinking too much or is the Poison Phoenix, who is prominent for having no interest in anything, actually interested in someone¡ª a man, at that?" Silver Dragon spoke in a teasing voice.

    Poison Phoenix began emitting killing intent, "If you value your life, you better watch your mouth when you speak to me, you half-breed dragon."Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.

    "..."

    Her words wiped the smile off Silver Dragon''s face, who also started emitting killing intent.

    Thedies with Poison Phoenix shuddered at their shing killing intent, but the Four Dragons and Phoenixes often fought with each other due to their rivalry nature, so they weren''t surprised at all.

    "Hmph." Silver Dragon was the first to retrieve his killing intent. "Forget it. I''m not going to fight with you here, especially since it will disturb the Sword Trial. You know what happens if someone disturbs an ongoing challenge in this ce, right?"

    "I''m not stupid like you."

    Poison Phoenix also retracted her killing intent.

    There was a strict rule that everyone must follow while inside the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb. This rule prohibited anyone from disturbing an ongoing trial. Those who vite this rule will be executed on the spot.

    However, even though most people know this rule, there will also still be those who are either ignorant or don''t care about the rule.

    "Why the fuck is he taking so damn long?! Can''t he see that there are other people waiting to take the trial?! Does he think we have an unlimited amount of time in this ce or something?!"

    A bulky man with long wavy hair and a crusty beard suddenly jumped out of the crowd and towards the tform.

    "If you''re going to take your sweet ass time, I''ll end this for you right now!"

    "Stop! What do you think you''re doing?!"

    The spectators there shouted at him to stop, but nobody dared to physically intervene.

    Once the bearded man was about 50 meters away from the tform, an unfathomable pressure suddenly that could only be felt by the man appeared, and it halted the man midair.

    "It''s over for him."

    "What an idiot."

    The spectators merely shook their heads upon seeing this.

    The next second, the bearded man''s expression became filled with horror as his body began twisting like a pretzel stick until it could no longer withstand the pressure and burst like a balloon.

    Strangely enough, there was no blood or meat showering the crowd below, almost as though his body was made of air.

    A second after the man''s gruesome death that was witnessed by all, a profound voice resounded in the head of everyone there excluding Yuan.

    "Without exception, those who dare to disturb the trial will be executed."

    This voice that was backed by an unfathomable strength sent chills down their spine with some even falling on their butt.

    "The creator of this ce is truly something else¡­" Silver Dragon mumbled with a nervous smile on his face.

    "Hey, how do you think he would fare against the peak experts in the Supreme Heaven?" He turned to look at Poison Phoenix.

    "Why are you still here? Get lost."

    Silver Dragon shrugged and turned around to leave, but he stopped again after two steps.

    "Oh, right, do you still want to know about that man?" He turned to ask her.

    "Scram!" Poison Phoenix growled in a low voice.

    However, instead of leaving, Silver Dragon decided to stay and start speaking without looking at her, almost as though he was talking to himself, "Honestly, I don''t know much about him, either. His name is Xiao Yang, and we met not long ago at the Sword Pagoda."

    When Silver Dragon started talking, Poison Phoenix acted like she couldn''t care less, but she was actually listening with interest.

    Silver Dragon spoke about how they met and Xiao Yang''s achievements at the Sword Pagoda.

    Meanwhile, on the tform, Yuan was still focused on his training using the Spirit.

    Since the Spirit doesn''t seem to have any intentions on defeating him as soon as possible, he wanted to take this chance to train himself, especially since he rarely encounters a powerful opponent like the Spirit.

    As for the Spirit, she knew very well what Yuan was trying to do, but she didn''t care about it, as this was her first time being summoned since the creation of the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb, and as a battle junkie herself, she wanted the fight tost as long as possible.

    However, she eventually couldn''t be satisfied with their current pace, so she began increasing her power and speed to make things more entertaining.

    ''If I increase the pace by another 15 percent, would he be able to keep up?'' The Spirit wondered inwardly.

    But before she could even decide, Yuan suddenly decided to speed up the pace by another 20 percent.

    This caught the Spirit by surprise, causing her to miss one of Yuan''s strikes for the first time.

    Crack!

    The tip of Yuan''s sword only managed to brush against her mask, but due to the Sword Aura surrounding the de, it damaged the mask just enough to cut a portion off.

    The Spirit stopped fighting and stood still after she realized what had just happened.

    "You little bastard¡­ How dare you damage my mask!" The Spirit spoke in a cold voice before she proceeded to remove the rest of the mask, revealing her face to the crowd.

    Yuan''s eyes widened with surprise after seeing her face, and he subconsciously muttered, "Li Jinxi?"

 Chapter 1148 Jin Xi

    To say Yuan was surprised to see Li Jinxi''s face behind the mask of the female Spirit would be an understatement.

    "Hm? Do I know you?" The Spirit suddenly asked him with raised eyebrows.

    "Huh?" Yuan stared at her with a baffled face.

    "Why do you know my name? I don''t recall introducing myself."

    "Your name is Li Jinxi?" Yuan asked for confirmation.

    "No, my name is Jin Xi."

    "..."

    Yuan was speechless.

    After snapping out of it, he said, "You''re mistaken. I don''t know you, but you do resemble someone that I know, and even your name is quite simr."

    "Is that so? Then let us continue our fight. I''m going to stop going easy on you now," she said.

    Yuan immediately got into position and prepared to sh with her again.

    However, Jin Xi''s body suddenly erupted with a sharp aura that made those who sensed it feel like they were hundreds of swords stabbing their body, making it difficult to breathe.

    Despite that, almost nobody there knew what they were sensing, and only those from the upper heavens had an idea.

    "Enhanced Sword Aura!" Silver Dragon muttered with awe all over his surprised face.

    Poison Phoenix gritted her teeth in frustration. Even though she doesn''t have Enhanced Sword Aura herself, she was experienced enough to understand it when she senses it.

    However, for everyone else there, they had no idea that Enhanced Sword Aura even existed.

    Seeing Yuan''s dazed face, a cheeky smile appeared on Jin Xi''s face, and she spoke, "Don''t tell me this is enough to make you quit?"

    "Hardly."

    Yuan chuckled before activating his own Enhanced Sword Aura, but since he''d only recently learned it, it was a little inferior to Jin Xi''s Enhanced Sword Aura.

    "He also knows Enhanced Sword Aura?!" Silver Dragon eximed after seeing it with his own eyes.

    ''Someone from the Third Heaven really managed toprehend Enhanced Sword Aura? If he''d been born in the Supreme Heaven, just how terrifying would he be right now?'' He wondered inwardly.

    "Ready or not, here Ie!" Jin Xi shouted right before she began her assault.

    ng!

    Bits and pieces of their Enhanced Sword Aura would scatter after each exchange, sending them flying towards the spectators.

    When the spectators noticed that their clothes were being cut by an invisible force, they immediately started running away from the stage.

    Within mere seconds, pretty much everyone besides Silver Dragon, Poison Phoenix, and her friends were hundreds of meters away from the tform.

    "Hahaha! This is what I am talking about!" Jin Xi''sughter echoed loudly.

    "Besides my Master, you are the only other person who can satisfy my itch!"

    Jin Xi''s movement would be faster and faster, and her sword techniques would be sharper and fiercer.

    Yuan tried to keep up with Jin Xi''s pace, but since this was his first time fighting with Enhanced Sword Aura, he had to put more effort into maintaining his Sword Aura than anything else.

    Because of this, Jin Xi wouldnd a few hits on him, but his injuries would heal almost instantly.

    "Are you even human, you bastard?" Jin Xi cursed at him when she saw his ridiculous healing abilities.

    The two of them would continue at this pace for a few more hours. Even though Jin Xi was seriously trying to win at this moment, she couldn''t deal any significant damage to Yuan, and it only got harder to hit him as time passed, as Yuan was improving at a rapid rate.

    It took almost half a day, but Yuan''s control with his Enhanced Sword Aura eventually became as natural as breathing. This allowed him to focus more on his technique and defeating Jin Xi.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.

    "I think it''s about time that we end this. Thank you for the training, Jin Xi." Yuan said to her before his aura exploded.

    "You''re a thousand years too early to even think about defeating me, junior!" Jin Xi roared, the veins in her arms bulging with vitality.

    Perhaps Jin Xi had the power to defeat Yuan, but because she was only a mere Spirit, her strength was limited, and she was destined to be defeated by Yuan today.

    After several more exchanges, Yuan managed to break through Jin Xi''s defenses and slice her body into two.

    Jin Xi''s face was filled with disbelief for herst few moments before her body disappeared into thin air.

    <You have passed the Sword Trial>

    <You may now enter the Sword Temple>

    Yuan stood on the stage and silently stared at where Jin Xi disappeared.

    ''I should''ve asked her about her rtionship with my incarnation before I defeated her¡­'' He sighed inwardly after realizing this missed chance.

    However, right as he started to walk off the tform, he suddenly felt a familiar presence appear from behind him.

    He turned around, and to his surprise, Jin Xi had reappeared again.

    "What is the meaning of this? I thought I had already passed the Sword Trial." Yuan said to her.

    "Indeed, you have passed the trial." Jin Xi confirmed.

    "Then what are you still doing here?" Yuan raised his eyebrows in a puzzled manner.

    "Is there a reason why I cannot be here?" She responded with a question.

    Yuan wasn''t sure how to answer her question.

    "In the first ce, don''tpare me with the other Spirits. I have a consciousness of my own¡ª even if it''s artificial." Jin Xi then said.

    "Like the Master of this ce?"

    She nodded, "Something like that."

    "Anyways, besides fighting whoever summoned me, I also have a duty to guide them, so we will be together for a little longer. Are you disappointed?"

    "No, I still have some questions for you, after all." Yuan smiled.

    "They can wait until you''re finished with the Sword Temple. Follow me, I will guide you."

    Everybody there watched as Jin Xi, a Spirit, left the tform for the first time.

    Yuan didn''t say anything else and followed her.

    As they both approached the Sword Temple, a group of figures suddenly appeared out of nowhere to block their path.

    "Hello?" Yuan said to the group with raised eyebrows as he wondered what they wanted from him.

 Chapter 1149 Poison Phoenix

    "Can I help you?" Yuan asked the group of beauties standing before him.

    "How rude! Do you know who you are standing before?!" One of the girls suddenly spoke in a displeased manner.

    Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    "I don''t." He answered without hesitation and with a straight face.

    This caught the girl who just spoke off guard.

    "So, who are you guys?" Yuan didn''t wait for the girl to respond and asked.

    "I am Tang Meili, one of Four Dragons and Phoenixes, also known as Poison Phoenix. You''ve heard of us, right?"

    If Silver Dragon hadn''t told her about Yuan, she would''ve definitely assumed that he had no idea about the Four Dragons and Phoenixes. After all, they only existed in the Supreme Heaven.

    "Yes, I have heard about you guys before. So, how can I help you, Poison Phoenix?"

    "Now that you know my identity, you still dare to speak so casually? You''re an arrogant one." Poison Phoenix sneered, but she didn''t really sound bothered by it.

    And she continued, "Anyways, my Tang Family happens to be hiring more servants. Although you don''t really qualify at this moment, I''m willing to make an exception. Be my servant."

    Yuan was speechless. He didn''t expect for her to suddenly recruit her as a servant.

    After snapping out of it, he chuckled, "Are you always like this?"

    Tang Meili frowned and muttered in a low but cold voice, "What do you mean? And before you answer, I urge you to really think about your words, as there will be consequences for offending me."

    Yuan showed a daring smile, "There you go again. How can you say such words with such a calm face? There should be a limit to one''s arrogance. Even if you came from the upper heavens, you don''t own everyone here, so don''t act and speak like you do."

    Tang Meili''s body visibly trembled after she heard his words.

    "How dare you!"

    "You''re courting death, you insolent bastard!"

    "You think you''re untouchable just because you are a little talented?! I''ll show you!"

    The girls with Tang Meili exploded with anger before she could even respond.

    "Let''s all calm down, shall we?" A familiar voice suddenly resounded.

    ? It was Long Chen.

    ''I thought I told him to not follow me¡­'' This was the first thing that came to Yuan''s mind when he saw Long Chen.

    "Calm down?! I will calm down after I cut off his tongue!" One of the girls said as she leaped forward and swung her weapon at Yuan''s face.

    Ding!

    Long Chen quickly reacted by deflecting the attack.

    "Scram!" Long Chen roared, his aura exploding like a bomb.

    "Ah!" The girl who shed with him was sent flying backwards.

    His title as Silver Dragon wasn''t for nothing. In this ce, perhaps only Poison Phoenix could fight him properly.

    "Let''s attack him together! Even he cannot defeat all of us while his cultivation is restricted to Spirit King!" Someone suggested.

    However, before they could act, Tang Meili shouted, "All of you stand down!"

    The ce became silent again.

    "You want to have a go with me? It''s been many years since ourst exchange, after all." Long Chen beckoned her with a confident smile.

    "Hmph." Tang Meili sneered at his words, and she said, "I don''t have any business with you today, Silver Dragon."

    After saying that, she approached Yuan, and despite Long Chen standing between them, shepletely ignored him and walked right past him.

    Long Chen didn''t try to stop her since he didn''t feel any killing intent from her, but he still kept an eye on her just in case.

    Tang Meili stopped once she was in front of Yuan.

    "I will only ask you this one time. Are you sure you don''t want to serve me? My Tang Family is one of the top 10 families in the Supreme Heaven. Although you will only be a servant, nobody would dare to mess with you. If you put in enough work, you might even be allowed to learn our family techniques."

    Despite Yuan''s earlier remarks that would normally result in a death sentence from her, she still approved and desired his talents. After all, someone who could learn Enhanced Sword Aura in this kind of environment and at his age would be hard to find even in the Supreme Heaven.

    "Thank you for the offer, but I will have to refuse." Yuan responded without needing to think about it.

    "Is that so?" Tang Meili closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

    When she opened them, they were resolute and emitted a ruthless aura.

    "If you''re not going to join us, then I don''t need to worry about breaking you."

    Tang Meili''s words implied that she was going to destroy him, but she didn''t do that and simply turned around and began walking away.

    "Senior sister, you should break his limbs at the very least for looking down on you."

    "I''m not the type that enjoys stepping on ants, but I will kill him if he ever dares to step foot in the Supreme Heaven." Tang Meili said in a cold voice.

    "That''s it? I was hoping for a good show." Jin Xi said in a disappointed tone after Tang Meili and her group were gone.

    Yuan looked at her with slightly widened eyes and said, "You''re going to let them attack me? What kind of guide are you?"Property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Jin Xi shrugged, "I''m your guide, not your guardian. And you already have a guardian, so why are you expecting something from me?"

    Yuan turned to look at Long Chen, who was silently smiling at him.

    "Is everyone in the Supreme Heaven like that?"

    Long Chen shrugged, "I can''t speak for everyone, but that''s how many people in the Supreme Heaven view those from a lower realm. After all, even beggars up there have a higher cultivation than everyone down here. Though, the Poison Phoenix showed a lot of restraint back there. Normally, she''d kill anyone that dares to talk back to her."

    "Is that so? What about you? How do you view the people down here?" Yuan suddenly asked him.

    A cold smile appeared on Long Chen''s face as he replied, "Of course, you''re all nothing but ants in my eyes."

    "You think I am an ant as well?" Yuan raised an eyebrow.

    "In your current state? Yes, you are. I don''t mean to sound conceited, but even with my cultivation restricted, I can easily crush you with a single finger. You may have potential, but that''s all you are right now¡ª potential."

    "..."

    Long Chen continued, "You are probably thinking that you have a few cards up your sleeve since I haven''t seen you fight at 100 percent, but the same goes for you."

    Yuan shrugged, "Even if you are wrong, I have no reason to prove you wrong. If you have nothing else to say, I am going to leave."

    Long Chen was slightly shaken when he noticed Yuan''s unwavering eyes.

    ''Does he really believe that he could have a proper fight with me?'' He almost couldn''t believe it.

    However, before he could even say anything, Yuan had already left his side and entered the Sword Temple.

    Since he has yet to pass the Sword Trial, Long Chen could only watch as Yuan''s back disappeared into the building.

 Chapter 1150 Sword Temple

    ''As I thought, it''s dangerous for me to be around these people from the upper heavens. They''re nothing but trouble.'' Yuan sighed inwardly as he entered the Sword Temple with Jin Xi.

    Inside the Sword Temple was so dark that Yuan couldn''t even see his own hands, almost as if he''d entered the void.

    "What kind of ce is the Sword Temple? This seems different from what I''ve read about." Yuan asked out loud. Even if he couldn''t see her, he could feel Jin Xi''s presence beside him.

    "The Sword Temple is different for everyone. What you see and hear will depend on your talents and fate."

    Yuan didn''t say anything else and proceeded to wait for something to happen. However, when nothing happened even a few minutester, he spoke again, "So, what am I waiting for?"Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.

    "Be patient. The Sword Temple is possessing your information. It could take hours to days until it finishes," she said.

    "Should''ve said so earlier¡­" Yuan sighed.

    He then took a seat and closed his eyes.

    "Hey, can I ask you some questions?" Yuan decided to start a conversation while they waited.

    "That depends on the question."

    "The one you address as ''Master'', is he the creator of this tomb?" He was pretty confident he already knew the answer to this question, but he wanted to be sure.

    "That''s right. My Master is all-knowing and powerful. There''s nobody in the Nine Heavens stronger than him."

    She spoke in a bragging manner.

    "What''s your rtionship with him? How did you end up as his servant?"

    "Servant? What an outrageous assumption, you asshole. What made you think I was serving him?"

    "You''re not? The way you act, I guess."

    "I call him master because I am his disciple!" She eximed, sounding quite offended.

    "Oh, really? My bad."

    Yuan was surprised. He didn''t expect to have disciples in his past life. Though, if he thought about it, it wasn''t too shocking.

    "So did he own a sect?"

    "No. Master wasn''t the type to stay in one ce for long. He''s always traveling. Even if he did, he wasn''t exactly Sect Master material."

    "Then how did you end up as his disciple?"

    "..." Jin Xi fell silent for some reason.

    "I don''t want to talk about it," she mumbled a momentter.

    "Then tell me about him. What kind of person was he?" Yuan asked.

    "Hmph. You''ve already asked enough questions. It''s my turn to ask some," she said.

    And she continued, "First of all, where did you get that sword from the Sword Trial."

    "The Empyrean Overlord?"

    "So you even know its name¡­"

    "I acquired it from someone else. She found it in this ce, too."

    "Is that so? And it epted you as its master, right?"

    "That''s right."

    "Who are you, really?" She then asked.

    "Xiao Yang."

    "Don''t give me that shit again. Your real name."

    Yuan smiled, "My name is Yuan, and I came from a ce called Earth."

    "Earth? Never heard of it."

    "Well, it''s not within the Nine Heavens, so I am not surprised."

    As ridiculous as it sounded, Jin Xi didn''t call him a liar, almost as if she knew.

    "Why did youe to this ce?" Jin Xi suddenly asked.

    "Fate brought me here, I think."

    Jin Xi sneered at his answer for some reason.

    "What''s wrong?" Yuan asked.

    "You sounded like my master, who always talks about fate."

    "Really? Can you tell me about him? The creator of this ce is shrouded with countless mysteries, after all."

    After a moment of silence, she spoke, "Even though I''ve known him for thousands of years and even followed him for a good majority of those years, there''s a lot that I still don''t know about him. Hell, I don''t even know what he looks like since he''s always wearing a stupid mask for some reason."

    ''Well, you do now¡­'' Yuan smiled inwardly.

    "Master was always in the spotlight, even during his childhood. His immense¡ª heaven-defying talents would attract attention no matter where he went. He also had a lot of enemies and couldn''t go a week without fighting someone, most of them being people who envied his talents."

    "Master learned Sword Aura at a young age and mastered Enhanced Sword Aura before he even turned 30, earning him the title of Godly Sword Emperor. He is also the first and only person to have ever reached the level of whatever is beyond Enhanced Sword Aura."

    "He was so famous that his existence was known throughout the Nine Heavens, yet it seemed like nobody knew his true name or face. I wanted to follow him until the end of time, but s¡­" Jin Xi sounded disappointed towards the end, even a little regretful.

    "Did something happen?" Yuan decided to dig deeper.

    However, Jin Xi shook her head and said, "I don''t know. That''s the extent of my memories."

    "Is that so¡­ Then do you know why he created this ce?"

    "Nope." She answered without hesitation.

    "Master''s thoughts are too profound for someone like me. All I am good for is swinging the sword."

    Yuan couldn''t help but chuckle at her words. She greatly resembled Li Jinxi not just in appearance but nature as well.

    He wanted to say something, but his attention was stolen by a white glow that had suddenly appeared in the distance.

    "What''s that?" He asked.

    "You''re about to find out," she said.

    Whoosh!

    The white glow that started out as a small dot quickly expanded until it consumed all of the void, turning the entire ce white.

    Thud.

    Thud. Thud. Thud.

    The sound of approaching footsteps began echoing in the ce shortly after.

    Jin Xi''s eyes slowly widened as she recognized this familiar sound.

    A tall figure wearing an ordinary-looking mask appeared in the distance a momentter.

    "Master¡­"

    Jin Xi muttered in a trembling voice as she slowly kneeled on the floor and lowered her head.

    The masked man stopped in front of Yuan.

    "Wee to the Sword Temple," he said.

 Chapter 1151 Divine Gaze

    "So, what are you going to make me do now?" Yuan asked the masked man, who stood before them with his hands sped behind his back.

    However, the masked man didn''t say anything and merely took a seat in the lotus position, and he would remain as still as a rock without uttering a single sound for the next few minutes.

    This caused Yuan to raise his eyebrows. He wasn''t sure what he was waiting for or how long this would take.

    "Are we still waiting for something to happen?" He decided to ask Jin Xi, who looked at him with a slight frown.

    "Seriously? The trial has already started," she said, taking him by surprise.

    "What? Where? What''s the rules?" He continued asking.

    Jin Xi pointed at the masked man and said, "Figure it out yourself."

    After saying that, she returned to staring at the masked man''s figure with an admiring expression on her pretty face, looking like a little girl before her idol.

    "..."

    Yuan no longer bothered with her and also took a seat.

    ''What am I supposed to do? I don''t sense anything from him.'' He wondered to himself as he stared at the masked man, pondering about the trial.

    The masked man had no aura, his breathing was so subtle that it was almost nonexistent, almost as though he was on the verge of death.

    Many minutester, still having no idea about the trial, Yuan turned to hispanions for assistance.

    ''Do you guys know what is happening here?''

    "No idea." Feng Yuxiang responded without hesitation.

    "I also don''t know." Lan Yingying shook her head inwardly.

    "..."

    Xiao Hua''s response took a little longer, "Although he seems to be cultivating, the spiritual energy around him ispletely still, so that''s not possible. Perhaps he is training Sword Aura? Xiao Hua can''t tell because she cannot sense it."

    "That''s what I thought at first as well, but I cannot sense an ounce of Sword Aura from his body." Yuan shook his head.

    He began walking in circles around the masked man as he pondered more about the Sword Temple''s purpose.

    However, no matter how much he racked his brains, he was unable to grasp the situation.

    Eventually, Jin Xi snapped, "Stop pacing around Master like he''s some kind of object at an exhibit! Show some respect! You''re also disturbing me by blocking my view!"

    Yuan shrugged, "What can I do? He''s literally left no clue about this trial, and I cannot figure it out."

    Jin Xi facepalmed and sighed, "Why did the Master even show himself to an idiot like you?"

    "That''s quite harsh¡­ But can you really me me here? This trial is different for everyone, so it''s not like I can prepare for this."

    After sighing again, Jin Xi spoke, "Listen up, I will only say this once."

    "What you''re doing right now is pointless. You''ll never get anywhere even in a million years at your current pace. If you want to understand the situation, stop looking at the surface and start looking deeper."

    "Stop looking at the surface and look deeper?" Yuan repeated in a mumbling voice.

    He turned to look at the masked man again.

    ''His breathing¡­ The sound of his heartbeat¡­''

    Yuan suddenly entered a trance where he waspletely focused on the masked man, paying attention to the pace of his breathing and even the rhythm of his heartbeats.

    However, Yuan felt that wasn''t enough, but he didn''t know how to look deeper.

    Then, almost as though an invisible lightning bolt had struck him and gave him divine epiphany, Yuan subconsciously started using divine sense in a new way.

    Normally, one expands their divine sense outwards to see as much and as far as possible, but Yuan did the opposite and condensed his divine sense until it only had the masked man in its sight, allowing him to see the masked man like he was looking through a microscope.

    Unfortunately, he was only still able to see the exterior.

    Immediately, Yuan tried something different.

    This time, he condensed his divine sense even more, and he used it to enhance his own eyes.

    Yuan''s eyes quickly widened with surprise.This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    ''I can see¡­ I can see everything! From his muscles to the bones! I can even count his blood cells individually!''

    <You have learned Divine Gaze>

    [Divine Gaze]

    [Rank: Divine]

    [Description: Allows you to see the world in its purest form]

    "Divine Gaze¡­ What a powerful technique¡­" Yuan mumbled out loud.

    Jin Xi raised her eyebrows and spoke, "Huh? You just learned how to use Divine Gaze?"

    "That''s right." He nodded.

    "How surprising. Given your talents, I thought you already learned it. Guess I overestimated you a little. Anyways, don''t get too happy just yet. Learning Divine Gaze isn''t the true purpose of this trial."

    "Eh? It isn''t?" Yuan looked at her with wide eyes.

    And since he still had Divine Gaze activated, he identally glimpsed at Jin Xi''s bountiful body for a brief second before it stopped working before he could even deactivate it.

    "Che."

    Jin Xi sucked her teeth in a disdainful manner.

    "The first thing you do after learning Divine Gaze is to peek at a maiden''s body? You''re the worst."

    "I didn''t do that on purpose¡­" Yuan quickly apologized to her.

    Then he asked, "By the way, did you block my Divine Gaze? I cannot see through you even though it''s still activated."

    "Just like how you can use your Divine Sense to block others'' Divine Sense if you have superior Soul Strength, you can block others'' Divine Gaze with Divine Sense. After all, Divine Gaze is essentially Divine Sense, and they both require Soul Strength."

    "The only reason you can use Divine Gaze on Master is because of the nature of this trial, so don''t think for a second it''ll work on everyone, especially those stronger than you." Jin Xi lectured him.

    "I see¡­"

    "Anyways, you''re still in the middle of the trial. Don''t disturb me again until you''re done."

    After saying that, Jin Xi returned to staring at the masked man.

    "..."

    Now that he learned Divine Gaze, Yuan realized that she''d been using it on the masked man this entire time. This realization sent shivers down his entire body since she was technically looking at him, but he decided to ignore it and returned to focusing on the trial.

 Chapter 1152 Sword Body

    After turning away from Jin Xi, Yuan returned to focusing on the masked man with Divine Gaze.

    Very quickly, he realized something.

    ''T-This is¡­ His muscles and bones are enveloped in Sword Aura!'' Yuan cried inwardly after realizing this.

    However, that was just the beginning.

    "No¡­ Even his blood cells are enveloped in Sword Aura?! How is that possible?!" He eximed out loud, his eyes filled with interest.

    "Did Brother Yuan just say his blood is enveloped by Sword Aura?" Xiao Hua''s voice resounded a secondter.

    "Yes¡­ It seems like everything inside his body, from his muscles to his blood cells, are covered in Sword Aura." Yuan confirmed.

    "Do you know what is going on, Xiao Hua?" He then asked.

    "Un. He has achieved what is known as a Sword Body. This is only possible when one unifies the very essence of Sword Aura with their own body. Only those with extreme understanding of Sword Aura and talent could achieve a Sword Body. Since ancient times, there has never been more than 10 Swordmasters that have achieved a Sword Body at any given time within the entire Nine Heavens, and less than 100 Swordmasters have ever achieved this state." Xiao Hua exined to him.

    "Is that so¡­ A Sword Body, huh?" Yuan mumbled in a dazed voice.

    Then he realized something, "Wait¡­ Does this mean that he''s telling me to achieve a Sword Body right now?! How am I even supposed to do that?"

    "If he''s your incarnation, you should be able to achieve it, Young Master." Feng Yuxiang said.

    "How long does it usually take for one to achieve a Sword Body? Assuming they have what it takes to even achieve it." Lin Yingying asked out of curiosity.

    "Hard to say, but nobody would be surprised even if it took those with a Sword Body over ten thousand years to achieve it. That''s just how extremely rare they are."

    "Over ten thousand years?" Yuan swallowed nervously upon hearing this.

    Even if he was a genius, this trial will probably take him a long time toplete. Hopefully, he''ll finish it before the tomb closes.

    "Xiao Hua, do you know the process of attaining a Sword Body?" He asked her the most important question.

    "Sorry, Brother Yuan, but there is very little information about Sword Bodies in general. Unless you learn from those with a Sword Body, nobody can really say for sure what it takes to achieve it."

    "No worries. I guess I''ll start by unifying my Sword Aura with my body¡ª at least try to."

    And without saying anything, Yuan took a seat in front of the masked man and began inspecting his body again with Divine Gaze.

    However, even after staring for many minutes, Yuan still didn''t know where to start.

    ''How do I even unify my Sword Aura with my body? Which part of my body do I start from?''

    Eventually, Yuan just started by releasing his Sword Aura, enveloping his entire body with it.

    The Sword Aura would gush outwards, even creating ripples, but no matter what he tried, Yuan couldn''t get it to go inside his body.

    Minutes turned into hours, and hours quickly turned into days.

    Within a blink of an eye, six days have passed since Yuan entered the Sword Temple.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.

    "What''s going on inside? It''s almost been a week since he went inside. Most peoplee out after a day or two. I hope nothing happened to him¡­" Tian Yanyu sighed in a worried tone while her eyes were glued to the Sword Temple, unwilling to look away until she saw Yuan''s handsome facee out.

    "Have you not been watching him for thest few trials? You should know by now that he''s not the type to die easily. Save your worry for something that''s actually worth worrying about." Her mother shook her head.

    Despite sounding cold, she also showed her confidence in Yuan with such words.

    "I know, but I cannot help but worry."

    "You sound like his mother. Heck, since when were you the type to worry so much about others? Are you really my daughter? Where did my selfish and cheeky little brat go?" Her mother looked at her with suspicious eyes.

    "W-What are you talking about?! Do you have any idea how much he''s helped our family? The least I can do is worry about him!"

    "Helping our family? Everything he''s done up to this point was mostly for you! I''m actually shocked that he hasn''t outright proposed to you yet."

    Tian Yanyu''s face immediately flushed with redness.

    If they looked at it from that point of view, Yuan''s action would make more sense to them. But to be fair, there''s no way anybody would have guessed Yuan''s true reason for helping them. In fact, even if Yuan told them, they wouldn''t have believed him.

    A full week eventually passed.

    ''He wants to achieve a Sword Body before the tomb closes in less than half a year? Hmph. Not even the Master could do such a thing, much less this greenhorn. Master was considered as the number one genius in the Nine Heavens during his era, and it still took him a little over a hundred years to achieve his Sword Body.'' Jin Xi sneered inwardly at Yuan''s ambition and ignorance.

    Shortly afterward, Jin Xi''s eyes gradually widened as she watched the masked man suddenly open his eyes and stand up, before walking behind Yuan and sitting down again.

    ''What is Master doing all of a sudden?'' She wondered inwardly.

    Yuan wasn''t aware of the masked man''s movements, as he was too absorbed in his own thoughts, almost as though he was in trance.

    Meanwhile, after taking a seat, the masked man lifted both of his arms and gently ced his palms behind Yuan''s back, looking as though he was trying to help Yuan cultivate.

    ''It can''t be! Don''t tell me he''s trying to¡ª'' Jin Xi almost couldn''t believe her eyes.

    Moments after the masked man''s action, Yuan''s Sword Aura that was gushing outward gradually began to weaken. However, if one had Divine Gaze, they would be able to tell that the Sword Aura was actually permeating into Yuan''s body.

    ''M-Master''s guiding him! But why?!'' Jin Xi eximed inwardly, her jaw dropped.

 Chapter 1153 Sword Body(2)

    ''What''s happening? It suddenly feels like I know how to unite Sword Aura with my body.'' Yuan was surprised when his Sword Aura began entering his body. It also felt like he was being guided by someone, but he still wasn''t aware of the masked man helping him. However, he didn''t think too much about it and continued to follow the guidance, slowlybining his Sword Aura with his body.

    Time passed quickly, and within the blink of an eye, half a month has passed since Yuan entered the Sword Temple.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ''He''s still inside, huh. It''s been too long. Did something happen to him inside?'' Long Chen pondered. He came out of the Sword Temple three days after Yuan entered the ce and has been waiting for him toe out since then.

    ''As far as I am aware, the Sword Temple isn''t a dangerous ce and nobody has died inside before, so what is he doing inside?''

    He wasn''t too worried about it, especially when he recalled how long Yuan took in the Sword Pagoda.

    Eventually, another half of a month passed with Yuan nowhere to be seen.

    It has been an entire month now since he entered the Sword Temple. During this time, rumors about Yuan dying inside the Sword Temple have spread throughout the Endless Emperor''s Tomb.

    This greatly shocked everyone, mostly because they all believed that the Sword Temple was a safe zone where one couldn''t die.

    Many were also filled with pity knowing that a peerless genius had passed away in such an unfortunate manner.

    "I don''t believe it. There''s no way Xiao Yang died inside! He is still alive! He must be!" Tian Yanyu refused to believe the rumors.

    "No matter what you believe, it won''t change the fact that he''s been inside for a month now. We have less than 4 months left before the tomb closes. If we stop wasting our time and leave now, we can still regroup with the others."

    "I refuse! I will not move from this spot until Xiao Yanges back out!" Tian Yanyu eximed with a stubborn face.

    Her mother could only silently shake her head.

    Meanwhile, inside the Sword Temple, Yuan was still being guided by the masked man. After a month of constant assistance, his Sword Aura is almost fully unified with his body. Even someone as tremendously talented as Yuan required the help of his incarnation and a month to reach this point, proving how ridiculously difficult it was to acquire a Sword Body.

    However, in the eyes of Jin Xi, his progress was still unbelievably fast.

    ''Even with Master''s help, he''s managed to reach this point in such a short amount of time. This kind of talent is unheard of¡­''

    Several more hourster, the masked man finally lowered his arms and stood up.

    ''Is it done? Did he achieve a Sword Body?'' Jin Xi used her Divine Gaze to look at Yuan''s physique.

    "This bastard¡­ He really did it¡­ He really achieved a Sword Body at that age¡­" Jin Xi muttered in a shaky voice, her body trembling as well.

    At this moment, Yuan''s Sword Aura could not be sensed, almost as though it did not exist. However, if one were to look inside his body, they would see that all of his internal organs and muscles are being protected by Sword Aura.

    <Congrattions, you have achieved a Sword Body>

    <You have gained the title ''One With Swords''>

    <Description: With a Sword Body, your body can no longer be harmed by Sword Aura and other Auras. Your proficiency with swords have been increased by 10,000%. Your physical defense has increased tremendously and will continue to grow as you strengthen your Sword Aura.>

    Yuan was pleasantly surprised by the bonuses he gained from having a Sword Body. Being immune to Sword Aura and other weapon Auras could even be considered overpowered.

    "You better thank the Master for his assistance. If it weren''t for him guiding you, you would''ve never achieved a Sword Body." Jin Xi suddenly said.

    "So that feeling was because of you, huh. Thanks."

    The masked man then said, "Take out your sword."

    Yuan nodded and retrieved his Empyrean Overlord. When he held onto the sword, it felt like the sword had melded into his hand, almost as if it had be his arm.

    "Now attack me with everything you''ve got," he continued.

    "Sure thing." Yuan said without any hesitation since he wasn''t worried about killing the masked man.

    After taking a deep breath, Yuan swung the sword at the masked man without using any sword techniques. However, the forceing from the strike was immense and wouldn''t lose to when he used an Ancient-rank sword technique before acquiring a Sword Body.

    This greatly surprised Yuan, who did not expect such prowessing from a normal sword sh.

    Despite that, the masked man managed to catch his sword, and he''d done it with two fingers.

    Yuan wasn''t too surprised by this and asked, "Satisfied?"

    "For now. At your current level, you will be able to handle the inner areas without too many problems."

    "Speaking of the inner area, that is where I n on going next."

    The masked man nodded and turned to look at Jin Xi, who quickly straightened her body.

    "Take her with you. She''ll be your guide, but don''t expect her to protect you from the dangers within."

    "I know." Yuan smiled.

    "And thank you, Jin Xi."

    "It''s a pleasure that I could be of use to you again, Master!" She smiled brightly.

    However, Yuan could feel a sense of sorrowing from the masked man, which made him curious about their rtionship even more.

    "Hey, what''s your rtionship with her?" He had to ask.

    "If you really want to know, you can ask her."

    "I already did, but she refused."

    The masked man merely shrugged in silence.

    "Anyways, it''s about time for you to leave. You have been here for a month already, after all."

    "What?! A month?!" Yuan eximed in a shocked voice. He must''ve experienced another enlightenment since it doesn''t feel that long for him.

    "Then I will teleport you two out now." The masked man waved his sleeve, sending them away.

 Chapter 1154 Entering The Inner Areas

    After being teleported out of the Sword Temple, Yuan found himself standing at the entrance of the building.

    "I hope I didn''t inconvenience the Tian Family too much by being gone for so long without any exnation¡­" Yuan quickly rushed outside as he activated his Divine Sense, hoping to find Tian Yanyu and her mother.

    Sure enough, he found them standing not too far away from the Sword Temple.

    He immediately rushed over after seeing them.

    "X-Xiao Yang!" Tian Yanyu was the first to notice him since she had been staring at the Sword Temple this entire time.

    "You''re alive! I knew it!" She was clearly overjoyed to see him again.

    "I am really sorry! I had an enlightenment in the Sword Temple and lost track of time!" He immediately lowered his head and apologized to them.

    "You had an enlightenment¡­?" Tian Suyin''s eyes widened upon hearing that.

    "No wonder why it took you so long toe back out! And congrattions on your enlightenment! Even the Elders at my Sect have never experienced one! You''re too amazing, Xiao Yang!" Tian Yanyu''s eyes shone with excitement.

    Tian Suyin''s eyebrows twitched at such words, as she was also a Sect Elder.

    "Sorry for not being part of the one percent that experienced enlightenment, and sorry for not being amazing." The irritation in her voice was obvious.

    "S-Sorry¡­ I didn''t mean to mock you¡­" Tian Yanyu quickly realized her mistake and apologized.This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    If they knew that this wasn''t Yuan''s first or even second enlightenment, who knows how they would react.

    Sometimeter, Yuan spoke with a guilty look on his face, "I really hope you guys haven''t been waiting for me this entire time."

    "Hmph. I told her we should just regroup with the others after waiting for 2 weeks, but this stubborn girl kept refusing, so yes, we have been waiting here for an entire month." Tian Suyin said.

    Tian Yanyu''s face flushed with redness as she silently nodded.

    Yuan felt incredibly guilty for making these twodies wait an entire month for him, so he decided to postpone entering the inner area to help them a little more.

    "I was going to enter the inner areas after this, but I will hold that off for a little longer. Do you guys have any specific ces that you wish to visit? I will take you there as an apology," he said to them.

    "You really don''t have¡ª"

    "I do!" Tian Suyin interrupted.

    Yuan smiled at her, "Where would you like to go?"

    "I have always been interested in this ce, but due to it being at the edge of the inner area, I never really had the courage to go. However, now that we have a monster like you with us, I think it''s possible!"

    And she continued, "It''s a ce called Sword Graveyard, where thousands of powerful swords are rooted into the ground. Rumors are that each sword has a powerful sword technique hidden within, meaning that there could be potentially thousands of sword techniques to be learned there."

    "Oh, I read about that ce. I wanted to go there, as well." Yuan said.

    "Then it''s settled. Let''s go there now. Though, I don''t really know how to get there since it''s not near this area." Tian Suyin said.

    Yuan turned to look at Jin Xi and asked her, "Do you mind showing us the way? You''re a guide, so you should be able to do that at the very least, right?"

    "Yes, I don''t mind showing you the way to the Sword Graveyard." She nodded with a nonchnt face.

    "Wait¡­ She''sing with us as well? Isn''t she a Spirit from the trial? Is that even allowed?" Tian Yanyu asked.

    Yuan nodded, "She''s a special case."

    "It''ll be even more reassuring if she''sing with us." Tian Suyin smiled.

    "Oh, she won''t protect us even if we are in danger. She''s just a guide." Yuan quickly said. He didn''t want them to have the wrong ideater on when she refuses to protect them.

    "Is that so¡­ What a pity. Anyways, it shouldn''t be too dangerous since it''s going to be on the edge of the inner area."

    They left the Sword Temple shortly after.

    "You know, there''s a rumor going around iming that you have died inside the Sword Temple." Tian Yanyu said to Yuan as they traveled.

    "I''m not surprised." Yuan chuckled.

    A week of travelingter, they arrived at the border of the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb''s inner area.

    "This should be obvious, but the inner area is nothing like the outer area. It''s much more dangerous with many more magic beasts and other entities roaming around. The trials will also be more brutal. Less than 1 percent of people who enter the inner area make it back out alive." Jin Xi warned them.

    "Other entities, huh¡­" Yuan mumbled.

    "By entities, she''s probably talking about demons." Tian Suyin said.

    "Oh, right, I read about this before, but I didn''t care about it since I never imagined entering the inner areas." Tian Yanyu sighed.

    "Unfortunately, they are not something even you can handle, Xiao Yang. We must run if we encounter one." Tian Suyin said to him, unaware of his demon ying expertise.

    "Hoh? They must be really strong then. I can''t wait to fight one. I like a good challenge, after all." Yuan decided to y dumb and act like he''s never encountered a demon before.

    "Are you even listening to me? Unless you know demon sealing techniques, it''s nigh impossible to kill them because of their immortality. I do not want to repeat myself again¡ª we must run if we encounter one!" Tian Suyin spoke with a frown on her face.

    "If it''s Xiao Yang, maybe he can kill them¡­" Tian Yanyu said, showing her absolute trust in his abilities.

    Tian Suyin facepalmed at her daughter''s blind trust in Yuan.

    "Whatever. If you really want to fight it, I won''t stop you, but I will also not stay to fight it with you. I am not reckless, after all."

    "Of course." Yuan nodded with a smile.

 Chapter 1155 What Just Happened?

    Yuan and the others stepped into the inner area of the tomb after mentally preparing themselves.

    The second their feet touched the ground in the inner area, they felt the atmosphere instantly change, and it suddenly felt as though they''d entered another world¡ª a world that is filled with death and a ce that humans don''t belong.

    "This is worse than I thought¡­" Tian Suyin muttered as she subconsciously pinched her nose to avoid the smell.

    "What the¡­ Where did this stenche from? It wasn''t there just a second ago!" Tian Yanyu was baffled.

    "You cannot see it, but the inner area and the outer area are separated by an invisible boundary. In fact, they can be considered as their own world." Jin Xi said.

    "No wonder¡­" Tian Yanyu mumbled.

    "You guys should block the smell with your spiritual energy." Yuan said to them.

    "No need to state the obvious. I was just surprised by how sudden it was." Tian Suyin said with a slightly rosy face as she stopped pinching her nose.

    They followed Jin Xi deeper into the area shortly after, entering a heavily forested area.

    Everything seemed normal for the first several minutes, but Yuan suddenly stopped walking and said, "Careful, there''s a demoning our way."

    "Huh? What nonsense are you talking about? I don''t sense any¡ª" Jin Xi said, halting her sentence halfway through.

    "No way¡­ There''s really a demon approaching us. How did you sense it before me?" Jin Xi was pretty proud of her own sharp senses. Unfortunately for her, no matter how sharp her senses are, they would never defeat Yuan when ites to sensing demons.

    In fact, Yuan could sense multiple demons in their area with some of them being hundreds of miles away.

    "What are you waiting for?! Do you really n on fighting a demon?! I''m telling you, they are far more terrifying than whatever you''re imaging right now! We need to leave right now!" Tian Suyin eximed in a nervous manner when she noticed that Yuan didn''t seem to have any intention of running.

    "We''ll be fine." Yuan reassured her, but his words didn''t sound convincing at all.

    "Forget it! Yanyu, we''re leaving him behind! If he wants to die that badly, we''ll grant his wish!" She quickly gave up on trying to convince Yuan and went to grab Tian Yanyu''s hand.

    However, Tian Yanyu didn''t budge despite her pulling.

    "Yanyu¡­? What do you think you are doing¡­?" Tian Suyin looked at her with wide eyes filled with disbelief.

    "I''m going to stay here with Xiao Yang." Tian Yanyu responded in a low voice with a subtle smile.

    "Have you really gone mad¡­?" It was at this moment that Tian Suyin realized that Tian Yanyu was no longer the daughter she knew, as she has drastically changed since meeting Yuan.

    "You should calm down a bit, little girl." Jin Xi suddenly spoke, causing Tian Suyin to freeze.

    "Little girl¡­?" Tian Suyin almost couldn''t believe her ears. This was her first time being called a little girl by someone who looked to be in her early twenties.

    "Although it may not seem like it, I am actually over 100,000 years old¡ª at least before I died." Jin Xi smiled.

    "Really?" Even Yuan reacted with surprise when he learned of this information.

    Tian Suyin was only 300 years old herself. If onepared their age, they would understand why Tian Suyin would only be a little girl in Jin Xi''s eyes.

    "Anyways, if you want to leave, you can leave. Though, I think your worries are unnecessary." Jin Xi then said.

    However, before Tian Suyin could say anything else, a terrorizing pressure appeared in their area, causing her body to freeze from fear.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    And from the edge of her eyes, Tian Suyin could see a red figure walking towards their direction.

    ''It''s over¡­'' She cried inwardly.

    ''That''s a demon¡­? Mother was right¡­ It''s reckless to even attempt fighting them¡­'' Tian Yanyu fell on her buttocks after sensing the astronomical amount of killing intent being emitted by the demon.

    Just its gaze alone snapped Tian Yanyu back to being clear headed.

    "You think you can kill it? It''s toote to run now." Jin Xi looked at Yuan with a cheeky smile on her face.

    "If you beg me to help you, I just might disturb the demon for a moment," she continued.

    Yuan chuckled, "Thanks, but no thanks."

    He summoned his Empyrean Overlord and began walking towards the demon in a slow and rxed manner.

    This made Yuan recall his first encounter with a demon, but he was not as naive and weak as he was back then.

    "Foolish human¡­" The demon uttered in a mocking tone after seeing that Yuan was approaching it instead of running away.

    "A lowly demon, I don''t even have to use my demon sealing aura to deal with you."

    Like the lowly demon it was, it immediately lost control of its temper and forcefully rushed at Yuan.

    Seeing this, Yuan pointed his sword at the iing demon.

    The demon suddenly vanished into thin air the very next second. This befuddled Tian Suyin and Tian Yanyu, who had no idea what had just happened.

    "W-What just happened?" Tian Suyin asked in a dazed voice.

    "He killed it." Jin Xi answered after a brief moment of silence.

    "What?!" Both Tian Suyin and Tian Yanyu eximed.

    Jin Xi then exined, "He surrounded the demon with Enhanced Sword Aura just now, shredding its body into pieces so small that it can''t be seen with just one''s bare eyes. But he didn''t stop there and continued to cut the demon until itsst cell was destroyed. After all, a demon can fully regenerate from even a single blood cell."

    Tian Suyin swallowed nervously after hearing Jin Xi''s exnation, but she doubted if something like that was even possible.

    "Is something like that really possible?" Tian Yanyu asked what was on her mother''s mind.

    "Can it be done? Of course, since it just happened right before your eyes. However, it requires one to have perfect control over their own Sword Aura and a tremendous amount of Sword Aura, and missing either one will make it impossible, something 99.99% of Sword Masters cannot replicate." Jin Xi said.

 Chapter 1156 Sword Graveyard

    "So that was a demon, huh? They''re not as strong as I thought." Yuan said, still putting up the act that this was his first encounter with a demon.

    However, Tian Suyin immediately saw through his act and pointed at him and shouted, "Y-You think this is funny?! There''s no way that was your first fight with a demon since you clearly knew about its regeneration abilities, or else you wouldn''t have done something so ridiculous as your first move!"

    Yuan smiled at her remarks and asked, "Even if I told you that I have the ability to kill them, would you have believed me?"

    "T-That''s¡­" Tian Suyin immediately became speechless, as there was no way that she''d have believed him.

    "You''re really full of surprises, Xiao Yang." Tian Yanyu said with a dazed face.

    "Not only have you encountered them, you seem very experienced with fighting them. Where''d you learn that, hm?" Jin Xi looked at him with an intrigued gaze.

    "I will tell you if you tell me your rtionship with the masked man." Yuan smiled at her.

    "Wha¡ª Why do you care so much about my rtionship with another man? Are you jealous?" Sheughed.

    Tian Yanyu stared at Yuan intensively.

    Yuan shrugged, "Will you tell me if I admit that I am jealous?"

    "No," she immediately replied.

    Yuan merely shook his head in silence before speaking, "Anyways, let''s continue."

    They started moving again shortly after.

    "Xiao Yang, are you really jealous?" Tian Yanyu asked him using divine sense.

    "Huh? No way."

    "Then why do you care so much?"

    "To tell you the truth, I have some connections to the masked man, so I was just interested."

    "What?!" Tian Yanyu eximed in a shocked voice after hearing this.

    "Why are you suddenly shouting?" Tian Suyin frowned.

    "S-Sorry¡­"

    Jin Xi nced at them. She contemted listening in on their conversation, but knowing Yuan''s ability, he''d easily realize it.

    "Keep it a secret, okay?" Yuan chuckled.

    "Of course¡­ But how do you know the masked man? Isn''t he the creator of this ce?"

    "I don''t actually know him. Sorry, I don''t know how to exin it. It''splicated."

    After all, it wasn''t as if he could say that he was the masked man''s reincarnation.

    "Is that so¡­" Despite her curiosity, Tian Yanyu didn''t pursue the topic any longer.

    After walking for a little longer, Tian Yanyu suddenly asked, "Hey¡­ I just noticed this, but why are we walking? Wouldn''t it be faster if we flew there?"

    "If you wish to be spotted easily by demons and magical beasts, by all means, I don''t mind flying." Jin Xi said.

    This quickly made Tian Yanyu speechless.

    "A-Actually, never mind. I was being too shortsighted," she apologized in an embarrassed manner.

    "Wait a second." Yuan suddenly jumped in, and he continued, "That''s actually not a bad idea. Time is precious in this ce, after all. Don''t worry, I will deal with any danger that we encounter."

    "¡­"

    Normally, this is where Tian Suyin objects and starts calling him reckless.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    However, after what she witnessed before, she realized that Yuan was not the reckless type and that he had the power to back up his confidence.

    "Since nobody is objecting, let''s start flying now." Jin Xi said as she ascended into the sky.

    Literally not even five minutester, Yuan could sense demons approaching them.

    "Be careful, we have three guests." Yuan calmly warned them.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    "Three?!" Tian Suyin eximed.

    "Don''t worry, they are all low-ranking demons. I can deal with them with closed eyes."

    "This guy¡­" Tian Suyin was speechless.

    "Whooohooooo!"

    An excited voice suddenly resounded from a distance.

    "It''s been over a hundred years since Ist tasted humans!"

    "Lucky me!"

    The three demonsughed merrily as they surrounded Yuan''s group.

    Tian Suyin and Tian Yanyu subconsciously moved closer to Yuan when they felt the demons scanning their bodies with starved eyes.

    "Let''s feast!" One of the demons suddenly rushed forward.

    Yuan raised his arm and pointed at the iing demon before unleashing his Sword Aura.

    Almost instantly, the demon''s body was shredded until there was nothing left.

    This shocked the other two demons, who had no idea what had just happened. And while they were scrambling to make sense of the situation, Yuan unleashed his Sword Aura for a second time, killing another demon.

    The remaining demon trembled, and with hesitation, it turned around and began flying away at maximum speed.

    "Where do you think you are going?" Yuan sent his Sword Aura chasing after the fleeing demon.

    The demon could feel the lower part of its body quickly being consumed by the Sword Aura, but it could not run any faster. In the end, its life also perished to the Sword Aura.

    After dealing with the three demons as though it was nothing but a walk in the park, Yuan sighed in a disappointed voice, "It''s a pity that I can only target one of them at a time right now."

    Tian Suyin looked at him with a baffled face.

    ''Is there anything that he can''t do?'' she wondered inwardly.

    "Let''s continue, shall we?" Yuan smiled at them, acting like nothing had just happened.

    Eventually, they arrived at the Sword Graveyard. It took them nearly half a month, and they had encountered over a hundred demons on their way there.

    "One of you here must be a demon ma." Jin Xi said, because of their abnormal number of encounters with demons.

    Yuan could only show a stiff smile regarding her remarks.

    "So this is the Sword Graveyard, huh? It exceeds my imagination¡­" Tian Suyin mumbled, her face full of delight, almost like a child at an amusement park for their first time.

    Before her was arge field with thousands of unique swords plunged into the ground, invoking a sense of both awe and sadness. The sheer number of swords was overwhelming, and it made Tian Suyin wonder why this ce existed.

    Had these swords been discarded? Is this truly a burial ground for swords? Or is there a deeper meaning for this ce?

    "All these swords¡­ What a waste." Tian Suyin sighed. As someone who walked the path of a sword master, this sword graveyard was a sorrowful sight.

    When Yuan firstid eyes on the Sword Graveyard, his body froze, and for some inexplicable reason, he started feeling many emotions that he could not exin.

 Chapter 1157 Sword Graveyard(2)

    "X-Xiao Yang? Are you okay?" Tian Yanyu asked him when she noticed that he had tears in the corner of his eyes.

    However, almost as though he couldn''t hear her, Yuan remained silent as he stared at the graveyard.

    Perhaps he''d recognized these swords. Even though he himself might not remember them, his soul remembers the time they had spent together.

    In his daze, Yuan started to approach the Sword Graveyard, and it even looked like he wanted to reach for one of the swords there.

    When Tian Suyin saw this, she immediately sprang into action and grabbed him by the cor before yanking him back.

    "Whoa?!"

    This snapped Yuan out of his daze.

    "Are you crazy?!" Tian Suyin shouted at him afterward.

    "You cannot touch these swords! Anyone that does so will face severe punishment!"

    "Eh? Really?" Yuan expressed genuine surprise, as he didn''t know about this.

    "Many people have tried to take a sword from this ce, but all of them have perished after being punished. Even Immortals have died in this ce, so no matter how talented you are, even you won''t survive." Tian Suyin exined.

    And she continued, "The only thing we are allowed to do here is study these swords and hopefully learn something from it."

    "Is that so¡­ Sorry, and thank you for waking me up. I don''t know what just happened to me." Yuan said.

    "Are you okay?" Tian Yanyu asked him again.

    "Huh? What do you mean?" Yuan asked with a puzzled face, still unaware that he had been crying just now.

    Tian Yanyu pointed at his eyes and said in a low voice, "You''re crying¡­"

    "What?"

    Yuan quickly wiped his eyes, and sure enough, it was wet.

    "Why did I¡­?" He muttered in a dazed voice.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    Jin Xi silently stared at Yuan with narrowed eyes, seeming in deep thoughts.

    "Pft. That idiot really tried to take a sword from this ce¡­"

    "Why did she have to stop him? It would''ve been a spectacr sight to see him get punished."

    Yuan suddenly heard voices that he was unfamiliar with, and they wereughing at him.

    He looked around, and it was at this moment that he realized they were not alone.

    There were over a hundred other people there at nce, which surprised him.

    "I thought not many people dare to venture into the inner areas?" He asked Tian Suyin.

    "Since this is just the border and the least dangerous area, many people risk their lives toe here, especially since the techniques they can learn in this ce are at least Divine-rank."

    "Is that so¡­"

    Yuan didn''t mind the mockery and acted as though they weren''t even there.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Anyways, now that we have arrived, I am going to study the swords. Yanyu, since this is a rare asion, you should also try to learn something. We might not get another chance toe back here, after all." Tian Suyin said to her daughter.

    "Okay." She nodded before turning to look at Yuan.

    "What are you going to do?"

    "Since I am here, I might as well look around, too." He said.

    "Alright."

    "Oh, how long do we n on staying here?" Yuan suddenly asked.

    "Since you wasted a month of our time, it''s only fair if we stay here for a month. However, I guess two weeks will do." Tian Suyin said, as she didn''t want to take away too much of Yuan''s time, despite her words.

    "I understand. Then we will leave in two weeks."

    With that settled, Tian Suyin and Tian Yanyu immediately began wandering the Sword Graveyard. Like tombs in a graveyard, each sword had enough space between each other to allow people to surround it, so nobody there had to worry about fighting for spots.

    With that being said, some swords are especially popr and do be overcrowded at times.

    "Oh, lucky me! There''s a spot left for the Silvermoon Soulde!" Tian Suyin was filled with joy when she noticed an empty spot at one of the most popr swords in the Sword Graveyard.

    The Silvermoon Soulde is a Mythic-grade sword¡ª a treasure that normally wouldn''t exist in the Third Heaven except for the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb, so its poprity was only natural.

    There were a total of 3 Mystic-grade swords in the Sword Graveyard, and they are usually packed to the brim with people, hence Tian Suyin''s excitement.

    Meanwhile, Tian Yanyu settled with a random Ancient-grade sword that caught her eyes the moment she looked at it, almost as though she had a connection with it.

    "Radiant Scarlet de¡­" Tian Yanyu read the engraving on the sword''s crimson de.

    As for Yuan, he merely stood at the entrance of the Sword Graveyard. There were so many swords that he didn''t know where to start.

    Eventually, he picked a random sword and sat before it.

    "You guys can look around if you want." Yuan said to Xiao Hua and the others.

    "I don''t use the sword, so I am fine staying here." Lan Yingying said.

    "Me too." Feng Yuxiang said.

    "Xiao Hua will stay with you." Xiao Hua said.

    Yuan didn''t say anything else and returned to focusing on the sword before him.

    ''Let''s see what kind of technique you''ll teach me.'' Yuan smiled inwardly.

    He started by using Divine Gaze on the sword, but nothing special happened, so he just started studying it normally.

    He would eventually enter a trance when images began appearing inside his mind. However, these images would not just teach him sword techniques.

    In addition to sword techniques, they were memories¡ª his memories with this particr sword. The moment of their meeting; their journeys together; all of the enemies they have in together. These memoriessted all the way till the end of their journey.

    Yuan was surprised at first, but he quickly calmed down and started to absorb these memories like a dry sponge with water. Since he''d grown ustomed to being fed memories, he found the process to be quite pleasing, as it was like watching a movie of himself.

 Chapter 1158 Memories Within The Sword Graveyard

    Ten hours. Yuan had spent ten hours in real time recalling his memories with the sword, but inside his mind, dozens of years have passed.

    He''d fought thousands of enemies, traveled tens of thousands of miles, and eventually had to put the sword to rest when it had be too damaged to use.

    When Yuan snapped back into reality, he remained sitting there with a dazed look on his face, and tears were flowing down his cheeks.

    "I remember now¡­ I remember our time together¡­ Starfall Saber." When Yuan uttered this familiar name, the sword before him suddenly began to tremble, almost as though it was responding to his call.

    However, it calmed down a few secondster. In the end, this Sword Graveyard and all of the swords within was nothing more than an illusion, something the masked man had created from his memories.

    Despite that, the memories shown to Yuan by the sword were definitely very real.

    "Are you okay, Brother Yuan?" Xiao Hua asked him.

    "Yes, I am fine. We might actually stay here a little longer than expected," he said, as he''d decided to retrieve all of his memories from the swords in this ce.

    Sometimeter, Yuan walked to the next sword. Since he was going to study all of them, he might as well start from the very first sword towards the entrance of the graveyard.

    Once he sat down before the sword that read ''Blood Moon de'', Yuan would stare at the sword until his eyes slowly closed and images began appearing inside his head.

    Over the next week, Yuan would spend anywhere between four hours to an entire day with each sword.

    Thousands of years of experience and hundreds of unique sword techniques flooded Yuan''s mind.

    Even though he was just recalling his memories with the swords, his sword mastery would increase drastically without needing to lift a sword.

    <Your understanding with the sword has improved significantly>

    <Your understanding of swords has reached a new level>

    <Your understanding with the sword has improved significantly>

    <Your understanding of swords has reached a new level>

    <Your understanding with the sword has improved significantly>

    <Your understanding of swords has reached a new level>

    At the end of the second week, Yuan looked at how many swords were left in the Sword Graveyard and sighed, "At this rate, it will take me years to go through every single sword here."

    As Yuan pondered about what he should do in this situation, he suddenly heard amotion not far away.

    "Get out of my spot, you bitch!"

    "Huh? What the hell are you talking about? Since when did this be your spot?"

    Yuan raised an eyebrow upon hearing this familiar voice. He could see Tian Suyin arguing with another woman.

    "Just now. A weak bitch like you should be grateful that you even got to study the Silvermoon Soulde for a minute. I will not ask you again. Move, or I will move you myself!"

    "You call me weak, yet you have a lower cultivation than me. How hrious." Tian Suyin sneered in a cold manner.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    The other womanughed out loud, "You have no idea who you''re messing with! Darling! Come get this bitch out of my spot!"

    The following moment, Tian Suyin felt the pressure of a peak Spirit King bearing down on her.

    Then, a figure descended from the sky andnded between them.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    This figure stood well over seven feet tall and had a broad, muscr build with a thick neck, wide shoulders, and bulging arms and legs. His chest was as wide as a barrel, giving him an imposing appearance.

    However, this man''s staggering presence did not seem to faze Tian Suyin at all. In fact, she looked unimpressed.

    "Really? You''re going to make your man bully another woman? How pathetic are you?" Tian Suyin shook her head.

    "Also, you''re bothering the others."

    "None of this would''ve happened if you were obedient. Now, we''ll have to make a spectacle out of you. Anyways, it''s toote even if you want to give up your seat now."

    "..." Tian Suyin didn''t say anything and started looking around the Sword Graveyard in silence.

    "Are you going to act like a damsel in distress and ask for help? There''s nobody here that can protect you." The womanughed in an obnoxious manner.

    Meanwhile, when Tian Suyin noticed Yuan staring at them from a distance, a slight smile formed on her beautiful face.

    "Even a damsel in distress has more dignity than someone like you. If you''re going to do it, hurry up and do it, you pathetic little whore." Tian Suyin cursed back.

    The woman trembled in anger, and she pointed at Tian Suyin before roaring, "Make her regret evering here, Wang Xuan!"

    The bulky man''s eyes became filled with killing intent as he retrieved a massive axe from his spatial ring and swung it at Tian Suyin.

    The axe was also coated in a thinyer of Axe Aura, something simr to Sword Aura but only avable to those who mastered the axe.

    Tian Suyin''s eyes widened slightly, but her vision was suddenly blocked by someone that had appeared in front of her like a ghost.

    This person was obviously Yuan, and he lifted his arm to casually catch the iing strike.

    Whoosh!

    A gust of wind swept the Sword Graveyard the moment Yuan caught the axe with just his fingers.

    This shocked everybody there. As for the bulky man, he was in utter disbelief that someone had just caught his powerful attack with two mere fingers.

    "You okay?" Yuan ignored the others and turned to ask Tian Suyin, who nodded her head in a dazed manner.

    She knew that Yuan would protect her, but she didn''t expect him to do it in such a fashion.

    "Darling, what''s wrong? Why did you stop? Just cleave through this fool who thinks he''s a hero!" The woman misunderstood the situation and thought that the bulky man had stopped his attack right before his axe reached Yuan, as the thought that someone as small as Yuan inparison could block the man''s attack was simply impossible.

    "T-That is¡­" The man didn''t know how to respond, and he was still trying toprehend the situation himself.

 Chapter 1159 Sword Graveyards Fury

    When the bulky man eventually realized the reality of his situation, his clothes became soaked in cold sweat.

    ''I cannot even pull away my axe from his grasp! What is happening?! How is he holding onto my axe that is coated with Axe Aura with his bare hands?!''

    "Darling! What are you doing?! Hurry up and kill them!" His partner shouted again.

    ''Damn it! This dumb bitch has no idea the gravity of our situation!'' The man cursed inwardly.

    Yuan eventually released his grasp on the axe and lowered his hand.

    "What should I do with them, Senior Tian?" Yuan asked her for suggestions.

    "I don''t care as long as you get rid of these eyesores," she said.

    Yuan nodded and looked at the couple.

    "Those who are prepared to take another''s life should also be prepared to have theirs taken from them, right?" Yuan asked them.

    "Aaaaargh!"

    The bulky man that had been frozen for some time now suddenly roared like a wild beast. He lifted his axe and swung it again.

    "Swift Execution!" The man''s aura exploded, and the axe suddenly seemed ten timesrger as it flew closer to Yuan and Tian Suyin.

    ''Let''s see if this Sword Body is truly untouchable by weapon auras¡­'' Yuan decided to just stand there without any thoughts of blocking the strike.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    "This fool must be frozen with fear!" The womanughed out loud when she saw him standing there like a statue.

    Whoosh!

    The massive axe that was aimed directly at Yuan''s neck eventually reached its destination. However, forget about severing his head, the axe couldn''t even cut his skin.

    From the onlookers'' eyes, the bulky man had, once again, stopped his axe right before it struck Yuan.

    ''I-I cannot cut him!'' When the bulky man realized that Yuan didn''t stop his first attack by mistake, he felt all of the strength in his body disappearing from his body.

    This caused him to lose his grip on the axe, letting it fall into the ground. The bulky man then fell to his knees shortly after.

    "Wang Xuan! What the fuck are you doing?!" The woman began cursing at him.

    "Forget it! It was a mistake to rely on you! I will take care of them myself!"

    The woman decided to take matters into her own hand and retrieved her weapon.

    Now with a sword in her grasp, the woman rushed forward while performing a sword technique.

    "..."

    When the sword was close enough, Yuan closed his hand into a fist except for his middle finger.

    He then casually lifted his arm, blocking the woman''s sword with his middle finger.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "W-What¡­?" The woman''s eyes nearly popped out of its sockets when she felt an immovable force colliding with her sword, her gaze glued to the single middle finger that was blocking her sword.

    After blocking the attack, Yuan coated his middle finger with his Sword Aura, and like knife cutting tofu, his middle finger sliced through the Heaven-grade treasure without any resistance.

    Thud.

    The woman looked at the sword with a broken de in her grasp with a baffled expression on her face. The spectators present shared simr reactions.

    ''This show-off¡­" Jin Xi muttered in a low voice after witnessing everything.

    After a moment of dead silence, the woman suddenly turned to look at the Silvermoon Soulde beside them.

    Perhaps she had experienced such shock that her mind became roasted, but the woman was no longer thinking clearly.

    In one swift movement, she extended her arm and grabbed onto the hilt of the sword.

    When the cultivators around them saw this, their immediate reaction was to flee the area, and it wasn''t just them.

    "That crazy bitch touched the Silvermoon Soulde! Run if you don''t want to get caught up in her punishment!"

    Every cultivator inside the Sword Graveyard quickly scrambled to get out of the graveyard.

    "Huh?" The woman snapped back to reality after hearing such words, and she immediately released the sword.

    The woman had barely touched the sword for a second, but it was already toote, as the sky above them quickly darkened.

    Seeing this, Yuan grabbed Tian Suyin and pulled her away as he distanced himself from the couple.

    The woman attempted to flee as well, but she remained still, as if bound by invisible shackles that rendered her utterly immobile, her very essence paralyzed by an unseen force beyond herprehension.

    A profound and eerie silence nketed the graveyard, broken only by the faint rustle of wind through the trees, until suddenly, as if stirred by an otherworldly force, the thousands of swords resting within the graveyard began to tremble, their ancient des resonating with a palpable and ominous energy that reverberated through the very air itself.

    The swords stopped trembling after a few seconds before erupting from the ground and soaring into the heavens.

    Astonished gasps could be heard from those that were witnessing this for the first time.

    "H-Help! Someone! Please! Help me! I will do anything!" The woman began screaming her lungs out as her body was still frozen in time.

    Unsurprisingly, nobody there even dared to take a step towards the graveyard at this moment.

    A few secondster, the swords hovering ominously in the air began to stir once more, their gleaming des shifting in unison with an eerie grace, until they finally came to a stop with their sharp tips pointed at the terrified woman.

    Despite the horrifying scene, nobody there could tear their gaze away from the scene, almost as though they were all trapped in a powerful charm. In the end, they all watched as the swords descended upon the woman and the man, covering their figures.

    In that fleeting, heart-stopping moment, the very air itself seemed toe to a halt, suffocated by an all-epassing dread that left a single soul present able to draw even the slightest breath.

    And then, as suddenly as it had begun, the nightmare ended with the swords returning to their resting ce, the graveyard once again peaceful.

    As for the couple, not a trace remained, as if they never existed in the first ce.

 Chapter 1160 The Sword Graveyard Trembles Again!

    "Senior, I''d like to thank you again for stopping me before." Yuan mumbled in a dumbfounded voice after the Sword Graveyard''s fury ended.

    "..."

    Tian Suyin was still in a state of shock, so she didn''t hear him.

    "I think that was our cue to leave. It''s been two weeks, anyway." Tian Yanyu said.

    "Oh, about that¡­ I would actually like to stay a little longer." Yuan then said.

    "Really? How long?" Tian Suyin immediately snapped out of her daze.

    As terrifying as what had happened was, it wasn''t enough to deter her from the Sword Graveyard, as she has yet to gain anything from it.

    "I can''t say for sure. How about another two weeks for now?" Yuan said after a moment of pondering.

    Tian Suyin and her daughter agreed.

    After their decision, they returned to the Sword Graveyard. The other cultivators also made their way back to their respective positions, but with a sense of unease grasping their heart. Their movements were stiff and careful, caused by a newfound hesitation and a growing apprehension of the unfathomable power thaty hidden within the swords.

    Unsurprisingly, Tian Suyin returned to the Silvermoon Soulde. The cultivators present with her purposefully distanced themselves from her, as they were also frightened of Yuan''s presence.

    Tian Suyin didn''tin since this gave her more breathing room, allowing her to focus more easily on the sword.

    As for Tian Yanyu, she decided to try her luck on a new sword after two weeks of no progress from her previous sword, even going for a lower grade sword.

    Yuan wanted to go back to studying the swords as well, but he has yet to resolve his problem regarding theck of time in this ce.

    ''Hmm¡­ What should I do?'' He continued to ponder but to no avail.

    In the end, he decided to only study the swords that resonated with him the most.

    The first sword was a mere Heaven-grade sword.

    "Heavenly Ice Sword¡­"? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    Yuan mumbled its name as he sat before it.

    The sword emitted a chilling aura, and as it brushed past him, Yuan felt a sudden, inexplicable shiver race down his spine.

    Then, his earliest memories with this sword began appearing inside his head.

    A woman stood before him. She was stunningly beautiful with amanding presence that made her hard to ignore. She has sharp, angr features that gave her an almost sculpted appearance, and a cool, unapproachable demeanor that only adds to her allure.

    Her eyes were piercing and seemed to have the ability to see through even Heaven itself, their light blue color perfectlyplementing her pale, wlessplexion. Her lips are full and perfectly shaped, but one nce and anyone could tell that she rarely smiled.

    Despite her cool exterior, there was a sense of overwhelming strength to her gaze that suggested she was not someone to be trifled with, and in her grasp was the Heavenly Ice Sword.

    "Why are you here?" The beauty asked him in a nonchnt voice.

    "Your family is worried sick after your sudden disappearance, so they asked me to find you."

    "Out of the millions of people they could''ve asked for help, they decided to ask for your help? I don''t buy it."

    Yuan chuckled, "If you don''t believe me, you can go back to your family and ask them with me."

    The beauty suddenly unsheathed her sword and pointed its cold de at him.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Do you take me for a fool?"

    "I wouldn''t dare."

    "Hmph. If you want me to go back, defeat me."

    "Are you sure?"

    "I have always wanted to fight you, who is proimed as the number one genius by many."

    "If you say so¡­"

    Yuan retrieved his sword the very next moment.

    ''Ah¡­ I know this sword¡­ It was also in the Sword Graveyard.'' He thought to himself as memories continued to flow inside his head.

    Three hourster, Yuan slowly opened his eyes, muttering a name as he came to his senses, "Bingjie¡­"

    After wiping the tears from his eyes, Yuan stood up and scanned the Sword Graveyard until he found a certain sword.

    It was the sword he wielded when he shed with the cold beauty.

    "Red Dragon Fang."

    Yuan quickly submerged himself in its memories.

    In the blink of an eye, three weeks passed.

    Even though they were supposed to leave a week ago, Tian Suyin and Tian Yanyu decided to stay longer when they noticed how engrossed Yuan was with the swords, and they were afraid to disturb his trance.

    "I wonder what kind of techniques he is learning from them¡­" Tian Suyin''s sigh carried a subtle hint of envy¡ª a longing for something that seemed just out of her reach.

    "I''m sure he''ll tell us about it once he''s done." Tian Yanyu smiled.

    They returned to their own studies shortly after.

    In the third week, after staying at the Sword Graveyard for a little over a month, Yuan received a notification.

    <Your longing for a reunion has been heard by the spirits within the Sword Graveyard. Would you like to receive their response?>

    Yuan was taken aback by this notification that felt different than usual.

    "Yes, I do." He answered a momentter.

    The very next second, the swords within the Sword Graveyard began to tremble once again, shocking the cultivators there.

    "I-It''s going to punish someone again!"

    The trembling intensified as the cultivators began scrambling out of the area, and the swords soon began to glow with an otherworldly light, their des pulsing with an energy that seemed to defy exnation. It was as if the swords themselves were alive, reacting to some unknown force that only they could sense.

    Within seconds, all of the cultivators exited the Sword Graveyard¡ª all but a single young man who stood at the center of the ce with a nonchnt expression on his face.

    "Xiao Yang?!" Tian Yanyu cried out loud at the sight of his lone figure in the graveyard, her heart beating so hard it was on the verge of bursting through her chest.

 Chapter 1161 Return The Swords Or Die!

    When Tian Suyin noticed that her daughter was about to rush back into the Sword Graveyard, she quickly restricted her movements with a bear hug.

    "Stop! Do you want to die?!"

    "I don''t care!"

    "He''s not going to die¡ª I think!" Tian Suyin suddenly eximed, which calmed Tian Yanyu down a little.

    "Look at it¡ª feel the atmosphere. Despite the simrities, this is nothing like when that couple got punished, and as crazy as this may sound, I can feel a sense of attachment from the swords. "

    As the spectators awaited yet another grand disy of execution, the des buried within the Sword Graveyard awakened from their slumber once again, ascending to the heavens in a breathtaking dance.

    Once every sword ascended to the sky, they began to move in perfect harmony, their razor-sharp tips converging towards Yuan, who stood firmly and unhinged despite the terrifying scene happening above him.

    However, thedies inside Yuan did not share the same feeling. In fact, they were terrified for him.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    "Young Master¡­ I think this is a little too dangerous even for you¡­"

    "Brother Yuan¡­"

    "..."

    "Don''t worry, they won''t hurt me. I can feel it." Yuan said to them with an air of tranquility enveloping his words, trying to calm their souls with his overwhelming confidence.

    "Come!" He suddenly roared.

    The swords suspended in the sky immediately stirred with a mighty force and hurled towards Yuan like a celestial barrage of fiery meteors.

    However, when the first sword reached Yuan and pierced his body, it did not go through his body ande out the other end like it was supposed to and actually disappeared into his body.

    The second sword and the swords after that also did the same thing, and it was as though they were being absorbed by him. This continued until there was not a single sword left.

    Everything happened so fast that the onlookers were still trying to figure out what they had just witnessed even many minutester.

    After the swords entered his body, Yuan quickly realized that he could retrieve their memories at will.

    ''Does this mean I no longer need to stay here to recall their memories one by one? This is great!'' Yuan was filled with excitement knowing that he could take his time absorbing these memories.

    Sometimeter, the cultivators outside the Sword Graveyard made their way back into the area, and they all had deep frowns on their faces.

    "Hey! What did you do with the swords?! Why are they not returning?!" One of them pointed at Yuan and questioned him about the swords, as they have yet to return.

    Without any swords, the Sword Graveyard could no longer bear such a name. In fact, it wouldn''t even qualify as an ordinary graveyard, as there were only holes in the ground which had been left behind by the swords.

    "No idea." Yuan answered with a calm shrug.

    "A-Are you fucking with me?! Bring back the swords!"

    "Yeah! Or we will tear your body open and take them back by force!"

    The cultivators began threatening Yuan with force. Although none of them were confident of defeating Yuan alone, they felt invincible together.

    There were a little over 200 cultivators present. They believed that if they all attacked at once, not even he would leave unscathed.

    "I really don''t know what happened to the swords, nor can I take them out since I don''t have them!" Yuan sighed.

    "Bullshit! Everyone here watched you absorb the swords into your body!"

    "I know that''s what it looked like, but¡­"

    "Fuck it! This bastard is clearly not going toply! Let''s get him!"

    Before Yuan could even finish his sentence, the cultivators encircled him, exuding an aura of animosity, their eyes fixed upon him with killing intent.

    "I really don''t want to hurt anyone here over something nobody here could control¡­ Let''s try to settle this peacefully, alright?"

    Yuan felt a little guilty for hogging all of the swords for himself and inconveniencing these people, even if he had a good reason for doing so.

    "If you want this to end peacefully, you will return those swords!" Someone shouted.

    "Yeah! That''s right! Return the swords! They belong to nobody but the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb, much less a nobody like you!"

    In the midst of the chaos, Yuan had a sudden idea sh inside his head.

    "How about this? I will give everyone here a chance to learn a sword technique of their choosing. These sword techniques wille from the swords that had existed within the Sword Graveyard."

    "What kind of nonsense is that?!"

    "Do you think we are idiots?!"

    "Let me exin!" Yuan quickly said.

    "When the swords entered my body, I learned all of their sword techniques, and I am willing to show them to you. Even if I return the swords, what are the chances of you actually learning its technique?" Yuan spoke to these cultivators with logic and reasoning.

    "Y-You learned all of the sword techniques?!" The cultivators were shocked, but they did not immediately believe Yuan''s words either, as it sounded too good to be true.

    "That''s impossible! He''s definitely lying to us to save his own life!"

    "Right?! I''m willing to bet my life that he doesn''t know shit!"

    The cultivators quickly became hostile again.

    "What should we do¡­?" Tian Yanyu asked her mother as they watched from a distance.

    "Nothing. He can handle it himself." Tian Suyin said with an unwavering expression on her face.

    Seeing that nobody would believe him, Yuan decided to approach this situation from another direction, but he still wasn''t nning on taking any lives.

    He spread his arms wide open and gestured for them in a provoking manner. "Alright. You know what? If you think you can kill me, go ahead. I won''t fight back for the first ten minutes. But after ten minutes, I will retaliate."

    Yuan''s words that belittled the gathered cultivators ignited a furious outburst, causing them to unleash their fangs upon his neck. Unperturbed, Yuan merely stood his ground with his hands in his pockets as all sorts of weapons struck his body with no results, his presence bing more menacing as the ten minutes counted down.

 Chapter 1162 Ten Minute Countdown

    ng! ng! ng!

    The sound of metal colliding with each other resounded without stopping as over a hundred cultivators tried to cut Yuan''s body.

    However, no matter how much strength they put in their swings, nobody there could scratch his skin, much less make him bleed.

    "How is this possible?! What kind of trick is he using to block our attacks?!"

    The cultivators refused to believe that Yuan had an invincible body.

    "Tick tock, tick tock, tick tock. You have seven minutes before I make my move." Yuan would provoke them with a menacing smile on his face every minute, reminding them of their impending doom.

    Of course, this made the cultivators even more intense.

    "Your body may be untouchable, but what about your eyes?!" A woman suddenly propelled herself forward with fierceness, wielding a slender, razor-sharp sword, aimed with deadly precision at Yuan''s very sight.

    But s, just like the rest of his body, her sword could not prate his eyes.

    "Let''s try spiritual attacks! There''s no way he cultivated both his body and mind to the same degree!" Someone there suddenly suggested.

    However, since techniques that directly attacked one''s spirit were incredibly rare, nobody there actually knew of any. This was why nobody tried it in the first ce.

    "Nobody here knows any spiritual attacks?! Damn it!"

    "A-Actually, I know one, but it''s not really meant to do any damage¡­" Someone there suddenly said.

    "I don''t care! If it has a chance to break his defenses, use it!"

    "Alright."

    A beauty with long ck hair came forward and stood before Yuan, who continued to stand there in an unfazed manner.

    She looked at him with raised eyebrows, feeling a little awkward, as she has never gotten the chance to use this technique without retaliation from the other party.

    After taking a deep breath, she lifted both her arms and made several hand gestures while facing them at Yuan.

    "Spiritual Constriction Art!"

    Yuan immediately felt an unforce entering his mind. However, due to his immense soul strength that was iparably stronger than the woman, it was destroyed just as quickly as it entered his mind.

    A moment of silenceter, when Yuan showed no reaction, the woman mumbled, "I think it worked."

    "Really? What was it supposed to do?" Yuan suddenly asked, startling the woman to the point it made her jump back like a scared kitten.

    "I-It didn''t work!" She quickly corrected herself.

    "Anyways, you have five minutes left. Or should I just save some time and kill all of you now, since it''s clear that nobody here can kill me."

    The cultivators there immediately became defensive after hearing his words with some of them even running away.

    Yuanughed at their reaction.

    "Or I can spare your lives. However, since you all refused my offer in the beginning, I will no longer teach you guys any technique."

    "With that being said, if you are willing to ept my challenge and survive one of my strikes, I will give you a chance to learn a technique."

    The cultivators there looked at each other, wondering what they would do in this situation. Should they risk their life, or should they just leave?

    "You have three minutes to decide before I kill everyone that is still here." Yuan reminded them that the timer was still counting down. Of course, he had no real intentions of killing them and just wanted to mess with them.

    "I-I am willing to ept the challenge!" A short man stepped forward with a resolute expression on his face.

    Since he risked his life toe this far without any guarantees that he''d gain anything from the Sword Graveyard, he might as well risk his life again for this.

    "Very well. And don''t expect me to go easy on you." Yuan said.

    The others quickly gave them some space.

    "I will move in exactly 10 seconds from now. Try your best to stay alive."

    The man swallowed nervously.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    And as he stood there, every passing second felt like an eternity, as if time itself hade to a standstill.

    When the appointed moment finally arrived, Yuan swiftly drew forth his sword with a graceful and fluid motion, his sword emanating an aura of immense power that surged forth in a wave of unfettered Sword Aura, aimed at the man.

    It was at this moment that the man regretted his decision, but it was toote to back down.

    "AAAAAAHHHH!" The man released a beastly roar as all of the strength in his body gushed forward like a broken dam, his life depending on it to block Yuan''s Sword Aura.

    When the man''s sword shed with Yuan''s Sword Aura, he immediately realized the difference in their strength. It was like heaven and earth, and he felt like a mortal before an unattainable strength that will forever haunt his soul.

    With their sh, the man''s sword was cleanly sliced in two by the Sword Aura, leaving him defenseless before the unstoppable force.

    The Sword Aura continued its unrelenting advance, cleaving through the air with a fearsome intensity until it made contact with the man''s chest, carving a deep andsting scar into his flesh.

    In that moment, the man was brought to the brink of death, his very essenceid bare before the merciless might of Yuan''s Sword Aura.

    The onlookers swallowed nervously after witnessing the scene.

    The spectacle before them was not a showcase of Yuan''s sword techniques, but a disy of his raw power that was channeled through his Sword Aura.

    However, unbeknownst to them, that wasn''t even half of Yuan''s full strength, as he''d held back just enough so that he wouldn''t kill his challenger.

    Yuan turned to look at the crowd and asked them, "Anyone got a restoration pill for him? He might really die at this rate."

    Someone quickly came forward to offer a mid-quality restoration pill.

    Once consumed, the man''s bleeding immediately stopped and his breathing became steady, but the scar on his chest remained.

    "Since you managed to survive, I will teach you a sword technique from any sword that existed within the Sword Graveyard, but seeing your current condition, let''s postpone this until I go through everyone else here."

    "Okay¡­" The man nodded in a stiff movement.

    Yuan turned to look at the others with a devil-like smile, "So, who else wants to challenge me?"

 Chapter 1163 Unfathomable Generosity

    The cultivators at the Sword Graveyard silently stared at the man lying on the ground with a massive scar on his chest. Fortunately, he barely managed to survive.

    However, they might not be as lucky, and judging from what they witnessed, nobody there was confident in blocking Yuan''s Sword Aura.

    ''I will probably die if I am struck by his Sword Aura.'' Many of the cultivators there had the same thought.

    "If you do not wish to challenge me, you may leave and I will not chase after you. However, if you stay here, I wille for you." Yuan said.

    And he continued, "One minute left."

    Over half of the cultivators there turned around and ran away. They did not want to be chased by a monster that could not be harmed even by Heaven-grade treasures.

    In their eyes, Yuan was even more dangerous than the immortal demons that roamed thisnd.

    Once those that wanted to leave were gone, Yuan beckoned those that decided to stay.

    "We don''t have all day. Come receive my strike if you dare."

    His next challenger stepped forward with trembling legs.

    ''If a man like that had the courage to receive his strike, there''s no reason I should run away!'' This man encouraged himself using the first challenger.

    As they assumed their position, Yuan shed forward, sending his Sword Aura at the man.

    "It''s gotten even stronger!"

    The onlookers eximed in a shocked voice after sensing the devastating pressureing from Yuan''s sword.

    Naturally, Yuan had adjusted his strength to his new challenger, or it wouldn''t be fair to the previous one.

    "Argh!"

    The man screamed in pain as the Sword Aura cleanly sliced through his defensive treasure and two of his fingers.

    He then retrieved multiple restoration pills and swallowed all of them at once, bloating his throat like a toad.

    "I-I have survived!" The man roared in excitement and relief.

    Yuan didn''t watch him celebrate and immediately beckoned for the next challenger.

    Over the next hour, Yuan would unleash his Sword Aura again and again upon those that dared to challenge him. In the end, none of the hundred or so cultivators that challenged him managed to escape unscathed with many receiving life-threatening injuries. Some of them were even missing a limb or two.

    And unfortunately, despite his best efforts to control his power and minimize the damage, Yuan could not do anything about any unforeseen idents, which tragically ended the lives of several challengers, their corpses turning into spiritual energy for the Endless Emperor''s Tomb.

    After a moment of silence for those that died, Yuan began to fulfill his promise to those that managed to survive.

    "Which sword do you wish to learn from?" He asked the man who now had a scar on his chest.

    "I want to learn the Divine Edge''s technique!"

    "Very well." Yuan immediately used technique transfer to send the technique directly into the man''s head.

    When he absorbed the swords within the Sword Graveyard, he immediately learned all of their techniques. However, their memories still required him to manually absorb them.

    "T-This is the Divine Edge''s sword technique¡­?" The man muttered in a dazed voice after acquiring the sword technique.

    "Yes, but allow me to give you some disimers. Even if I transfer the technique to you, it is not guaranteed that you willprehend it. Furthermore, it will disappear from your memories after a full year passes, and you won''t be able to extract this technique from your mind even if you tried. Understand?"

    "I understand¡­" The man nodded his head in a dazed manner.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Once he confirmed that the technique was inside his head, he wasted no time leaving the Sword Graveyard to find a safe ce to study the technique.

    Yuan continued to transfer sword techniques to the cultivators there.

    Unsurprisingly, the most popr choice of technique was those from the three Mythic-grade swords.

    Once Yuan finished handing out the techniques, the ce becamepletely empty. The holes left behind by the swords also disappeared, leaving behind no evidence that the Sword Graveyard ever existed.

    "When will you stop erasing historical sites from the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb? Those who want to visit the Sword Graveyard after this will forever be unable to fulfill their dream." Tian Suyin sighed, and she felt bad for those cultivators that intended on visiting the ce like her someday.

    She turned to look at the now destend and sighed once again, "I already knew that I wouldn''t get another chance toe back to this ce, but to think it wouldn''t be due to myck of strength but because the ce no longer exists¡­"

    Yuan smiled, "There''s no need toe back here if you learn every sword technique that existed in this ce."

    Tian Suyin snapped at his remarks, "Are you rubbing it in my face on purpose?! You think everyone is as lucky as you?!"

    "No, I was simply implying that I am willing to teach you the techniques."

    "Eh?" The angry expression on Tian Suyin''s face immediately froze as she tried to process what Yuan had just said.

    "Say that again for me. I don''t think I heard you properly."

    Yuan chuckled, "Do you want me to give you all of the sword techniques that I acquired from this ce?"

    "A-Are you serious? You''re not messing with me, right?" Tian Suyin''s body trembled uncontrobly.

    Yuan silently extended his hand and smiled.

    Tian Suyin, still in disbelief, slowly ced her soft hand on top of Yuan''s palm.

    The following moment, Tian Suyin''s mind was flooded with hundreds of powerful sword techniques ranging from Heaven-rank to Ancient-rank.

    "There''s going to be almost no restriction for you, Senior Tian, so you can take as much time as you need to study these sword techniques. If you wish to pass down these techniques, you may do so as well. The only restriction that I cannot control would be your ability to actually learn these techniques." Yuan said to her.

    "This is¡­ You¡­ I¡­" Tian Suyin was utterly speechless, and she was beginning to genuinely feel guilty about treating him like a bad person with ulterior motives this entire time.

 Chapter 1164 Jin Xis Authority

    Yuan turned to look at Tian Yanyu after giving her mother the sword techniques.

    "Give me your hand. I will also pass down these techniques to you," he said still with a smile on his face.

    "But why¡­? Why are you doing so much for us when we were strangers until not long ago?" Tian Suyin asked him in a low voice.

    Yuan sighed, "I want to tell you the truth, but for your safety, I cannot do so. However, please trust me when I say that I have no ulterior motives and simply want to help the Tian Family."

    "You don''t have to say anything else, Xiao Yang." Tian Yanyu mumbled as she ced her hand on his palm.

    "Your actions have long proven to me that you''re not here to harm us, so you don''t need to say another word regarding that, as I trust you with my whole being."

    Tian Yanyu''s face was visibly crimson red at this moment.

    Yuan smiled at her words as he transferred the sword techniques to her.

    "Just like Senior Tian, the only restriction is your ability toprehend these techniques."

    "Thank you, Xiao Yang¡­ Truly, thank you."

    Yuan nodded, "I will be heading deeper into the tomb now. What will the two of you do?"

    "Mother?" Tian Yanyu turned to look at her.

    "I would like to say that we should regroup with the sect, but we have already received enough from this ce. In fact, I doubt there is anyone¡ª besides Xiao Yang¡ª who has received more than us from the tomb. There''s no need for us to risk our lives here anymore. Let''s leave."

    Tian Yanyu nodded, agreeing with her mother''s decision to leave the tomb.

    "Alright. Then I will see you guyster." Yuan said to them before turning to look at Jin Xi, who had been in the background this entire time.

    "Jin Xi, can I trouble you onest time to guide them out of this tomb safely?" He asked her with sped hands and his head lowered.

    Jin Xi did not respond to him and turned to look at the twodies.

    "Can you confirm that you wish to leave this ce entirely?" She asked them.

    "Yes." Tian Suyin nodded, as did Tian Yanyu.

    "Done."

    Jin Xi suddenly snapped her fingers, and Tian Suyin and Tian Yanyu''s figure disappeared into thin air, almost as if Jin Xi had snapped them out of existence.

    "What did you do to them?" Yuan asked her with a slight frown on his face.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.

    "I forcefully teleported them out of here, exactly what they wanted," she calmly said.

    "You have such powers?" Yuan was surprised to learn this information.

    "Do not underestimate my authority within this ce," she sneered in a boastful manner.

    "By the way, don''t forget to grab the key."

    Jin Xi pointed at a certain area, where a blue key was stabbed into the ground.

    After realizing this, Yuan used Qi Manifestation to grab the key from afar.

    "Alright, where to next?" He turned to look at Jin Xi.

    "Why are you asking me?" She raised an eyebrow.

    "Isn''t that your job as a guide? To guide me around?" He asked.

    "That does not mean I will be holding your hands and taking you on a stroll."

    "So you''re basically useless¡­" Yuan sighed.

    "Huh?! What did you just call me?!"

    "Nothing. Since there''s almost no information about the inner areas, I guess I will just have to wander around and hope that I run into something."

    He proceeded to pick a random direction that wasn''t towards where he''de from and started flying that way.

    "I dare you to call me useless again! I dare you!" Jin Xiined as she followed him from behind.

    ''Even though she''s probably Li Jinxi''s incarnation, there''s a vast difference between their characters.'' Yuan thought to himself as he tried his best to ignore her.

    A weekter.

    "Kill him! Kill him! Kill him!" A demon wearing a ck-colored crystal on its right shoulder roared as itmanded the surrounding demons with a red crystal.

    Over 10 demons rushed at Yuan simultaneously.

    "What''s wrong? You seem to be having trouble with a mere human! Are you not ashamed to be called a demon?!" Yuan provoked them as he killed them one at a time with Sword Aura.

    There were over 50 demons when the fight started, but there are less than 10 now. This caused the other demons to panic, especially the Elite Demon, who was in control of the group.

    "How can a mere human kill us so easily?! He''s not even using demon sealing techniques!" The Elite Demon gritted its teeth from frustration.

    "You want me to use demon sealing techniques on fake demons? Even smashing an egg with a mountain is less wasteful than that!"

    "How dare a mere livestock mock me?! An Elite Demon?!"

    The Elite Demon eventually joined the other demons in the fight, but s, its presence in the battle did not affect the results even in the slightest.

    After killing thest demon, Yuan sighed in a regretful tone, "It''s a true pity that they don''t leave behind their crystal in here."

    "At any rate, there''s a lot of demons in this ce. Why is that?" He wondered out loud, as he encountered more demons than magical beasts.

    "That''s simple. Humans are more terrified of demons than magical beasts, and they are also harder to deal with. The inner area isn''t meant for ordinary cultivators, and even top geniuses have a hard time traversing this ce."

    "Is that so? Then what about the core area? Does it actually exist?"

    "Yes, it exists, but that ce isn''t meant for anyone, period. Despite that, three people have made it to the core."

    "Oh? Who?" Yuan asked with great interest.

    "A dragon, a phoenix, and a human."

    "That''s it? At least give me a little more information."

    She shook her head and said, "Too bad, because that''s all I know."

    "Is that so? They must all be famous individuals in the upper heavens, given that they have enough talent to reach the core¡­" Yuan mumbled.

 Chapter 1165 Mysterious Garden

    "If you care so much about it, why don''t you go take a look at their sites? Maybe you''ll learn something about their identities." Jin Xi suddenly said.

    "Their sites? What are you talking about?" Yuan raised an eyebrow.

    "Those that have managed to make it to the core of the tomb are awarded with a special location somewhere in the tomb to memorize them. If you make it to the core, the tomb will also create a unique ce for you."

    "Although they pique my interest, I am not going to go out of my way to see these ces, unless they benefit me somehow."

    "Nope, you don''t get anything from visiting these ces."

    Sometimeter, Yuan came to a halt when he noticed a colossal shadow looming in the distance, its shape and form reminiscent that of a dragon.

    "Hey, is that¡­"

    "Indeed, that statue was created to memorialize the dragon who reached the core. It''s quiterge, spanning thousands of miles."

    Despite only seeing a glimpse of its immense form, Yuan couldn''t shake the inexplicable feeling of familiarity that washed over him at the sight of the shadow. It was as if he had encountered this behemoth before, perhaps in a long-forgotten dream or a faded memory from a past life, and its presence now stirred something deep within him, something primal and profound that defied exnation.

    "The Great One¡­?" Yuan suddenly muttered this name.

    "Hm? You know the dragon?" Jin Xi looked at him with a surprised look on her face.

    "I''m not sure if this dragon is the Great One. It certainly gives me a familiar vibe. Though, even if it is the Great One, I can''t say that I really know him. It''splicated."

    After encountering what he assumes to be the Great One, Yuan decided to follow the direction it was pointed towards.

    Thousands of milester, Yuan came to a stop again when he noticed a garden in the distance.

    "What is this ce?" Yuan asked Jin Xi as he descended towards it.

    However, Jin Xi didn''t respond, and when he turned to look at her, she appeared to be greatly shocked by the appearance of this garden.

    "W-Why is this ce here¡­?"

    He could hear Jin Xi mumbling in a dazed voice.

    Yuan raised an eyebrow and returned to look at the garden from outside.

    At nce, he couldn''t help but be awestruck by the vast array of colorful and vibrant blooms inside the garden, each one a unique and exquisite creation of nature''s boundless beauty, captivating his senses and filling his soul with a sense of wonder. However, these flowers were clearly still immature and not fully bloomed.

    At the heart of the garden, amidst the colorful flowers, stood a small and unassuming pavilion. When Yuan''s eyes beheld the sight of the pavilion, his heart stirred with an inexplicable yearning, a deep connection that transcended time and space.

    As if drawn by an invisible force, he feltpelled to approach it, his footsteps guided by an ethereal presence that whispered to his soul, beckoning him to get closer.

    The pavilion, bathed in the soft light of the sun, seemed to glow with an otherworldly radiance.

    When Yuan stepped foot inside the garden, a curious thing happened.

    The flowers that had been half-bloomed, began to stir, as if sensing his presence and responding to his arrival.

    Petals unfurled, leaves stretched out to bask in the sunlight, and the air was filled with the sweet fragrance of blossoms bursting into full bloom.

    It was as if the garden had been waiting for him, ready to showcase its most precious treasures in his honor.

    Yuan felt a surge of wonder and awe wash over him, as if he had stumbled upon a secret garden that had been hidden away from the world for countless eras, now revealed to him alone.

    The flowers fully bloomed by the time he reached the pavilion, and to his absolute surprise, these flowers became enveloped in Sword Aura after their blossoming.

    Since there was nothing inside the pavilion, Yuan could only stand there and look around as he tried to figure out the secrets of this garden.

    He used Divine Gaze when he saw nothing with Divine Sense, but even then, he wasn''t able to see anything special about this ce besides the flowers with Sword Aura.

    He turned to look at Jin Xi and asked in a loud voice, "Hey! Jin Xi! What is this ce?"

    Jin Xi snapped out of her daze and looked at him with a pondering face.

    "No¡­ There''s no way¡­" She mumbled in a dumbfounded voice.

    Eventually, she said, "There is nothing special about this garden, so you can stop wasting your time here."

    Yuan immediately doubted her words, which did not align with her reaction.

    When Jin Xi saw the dubious look on his face, she sneered, "I am serious. There isn''t anything for you to gain here. It''s just a garden that was once managed by my Master. If you don''t believe me, you can continue wasting your time here."

    Yuan stared at her eyes to see if she was teasing him or if she was telling the truth.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ''She''s not lying¡­ But why would a pointless ce like this exist in the tomb?'' He wondered inwardly.

    ''Whatever, I wille back hereter if I have the time.''

    With that in mind, Yuan left the garden and returned to wandering the tomb.

    Jin Xi silently stared at Yuan''s back and thought to herself, ''That garden only blooms for Master, so why did it bloom for him?''

    As they soared through the sky, leaving the garden behind, a strange phenomenon began to unfold. A thick mist, like a shroud of mystery, descended upon the garden, obscuring it from view and engulfing it in a cloak of otherworldly fog.

    When the mist finally dissipated, there was nothing left but an empty patch of ground, devoid of any sign that a garden had ever existed there. It was as if the garden had been a mirage, a fleeting dream that had vanished into the ether as soon as it had been beheld.

 Chapter 1166 Phoenix Statue

    After flying for several more days, Yuan came to a halt when another statue appeared in the distance. This time, it was that of a massive phoenix with colossal wings that covered almost the entire sky.

    "What a sight¡­" Yuan took a deep breath after a sense of awe washed over him.

    Suddenly, a figure materialized right in front of him out of thin air.

    It was Feng Yuxiang, and she was staring at the phoenix with a dazed look on her face.

    "Feng Feng? Are you feeling okay?" He asked her.

    "Yes¡­ It''s just that when I look at this statue, my blood suddenly starts to boil for some reason, almost as though it''s reacting to it."

    "Perhaps you recognize this phoenix?" Yuan made a guess.

    "That''s possible, but I don''t remember seeing this phoenix before," she sighed.

    Yuan narrowed his eyes at the phoenix and asked, "You can tell? Even though it''s just a statue?"

    He would have a hard time telling the difference between two phoenixes unless one had a unique feature.

    "It''s just a feeling. I am not certain that I know this phoenix, but I cannot ignore my body''s reaction. This is the first time something like this has happened to me."

    Yuan then said, "Go ahead, take a closer look. I will wait for you."

    "Thank you, Young Master."

    Feng Yuxiang nodded and flew closer to the phoenix.

    After spending several minutes inspecting the phoenix statue, Feng Yuxiang returned to Yuan''s side and said, "That is a mature phoenix¡ª a female one, at that."

    "Oh¡­ How can you tell the difference between a male and female phoenix?" Yuan asked out of curiosity.

    Feng Yuxiang smiled and said, "The chest. You see how her chest is slightly puffed out? A male phoenix''s chest is much tter."

    "Is that so¡­"

    "Anyways, I am done here. Maybe I met this phoenix in the past and forgot about it, but there''s no point pondering about it now."

    He nodded, "Alright. Let''s continue moving then."

    This time, he decided to move towards the direction the phoenix was pointing.

    Two dayster, Yuan came to another halt when he was suddenly surrounded by demons.

    This time, there were over a hundred of them. The majority of them were low-ranking demons, but there were a dozen Elite Demons, three Superior Demons, and one Demon General.

    "A whole army of demons this time, huh." Yuan mumbled with a nonchnt look on his face.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Since he was facing this many demons at once, he could no longer go easy on them. Thus, he decided to use one demon sealing technique¡ª just one.

    His eyes flickered with a vicious glint before activating the Demon Sealing Zone.

    Whoosh!

    The Demon Sealing Zone instantly swallowed up all of the demons, and the moment it touched a demon, they would immediately turn into solid, bing a statue.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Jin Xi''s eyes widened when she saw this. In her eyes, all of the demons there simultaneously turned into stone out of the blue.

    "You¡­ You are a Demon Sealer, as well?" She asked him in a dumbfounded voice.

    "That''s right." He calmly nodded.

    "Why did you hide it until now?" She raised an eyebrow.

    "I wasn''t trying to hide it. I just didn''t need to use it. My Sword Aura is more than enough to deal with a few demons." He shrugged.

    "Unbelievable¡­"

    "Anyways, I am going to try something new. You should move away, since this is going to cover arge area."

    Jin Xi suddenly stuck out her chest and puffed in an arrogant manner, "You won''t be able to hurt me even if you tried. My strength was limited during the trial for your sake, but I no longer have said limit."

    "If you say so¡­" Yuan proceeded to close his eyes and began building up his Sword Aura.

    A minute or soter, his eyes snapped open, and a massive amount of Sword Aura gushed out of his body. However, it did not stop and continued to expand until it wasrge enough to kill all of the demons there in one fell swoop.

    Yuan released a sigh afterward.

    "Although that worked, it took too long. I will need to work on my speed before I can actually use it properly."

    Lan Yingying then said, "And if you can make itst longer, you will be able to use it to protect cities, just like the Lord did in the Mystic Realm."

    "Oh, you''re right. It''s basically the same thing." Yuan said after realizing this.

    Right before they continued their journey, Jin Xi reminded Yuan that the Demon General had left behind a crimson key.

    "This makes it the fifth key in my possession. I still need four more, huh." Yuan did not like this easter egg hunt at all.

    A few more dayster, Yuan noticed a small pond about a hundred miles away, and despite being that far away, he could sense a strong Sword Auraing from it.

    "What is this ce?" Yuan asked Jin Xi once theynded before it.

    "Sword Pond is its name."

    Yuan tried to see how deep this pond was, but to his absolute shock, he wasn''t able to see the ground even with his Divine Sense at maximum strength.

    "Heavens¡­ How far down does this pond go?" He turned to look at Jin Xi with a stupefied face.

    She shrugged, "Who knows. Why don''t you go down there and let me know afterward?"

    Yuan was not the least surprised by her response, even expecting it.

    He turned to look at the pond and swallowed nervously.

    Despite its calm appearances, every drop of water in this pond was covered by a thinyer of Sword Aura. If an ordinary cultivator plunged into this water, their body would instantly get shredded until there was nothing left, and this pond was deep¡ª at least a thousand miles deep.

    Unfortunately, Yuan knew that he was fated to enter this pond. He only prayed that he wouldn''t instantly die the moment he entered it.

 Chapter 1167 Sword Pond

    "Alright, I am going to enter this pond since I have a good feeling that I will find a key at the end¡ª no, I am certain." Yuan said with a resolute expression on his face.

    "Is that so? Have fun." Jin Xi said in a nonchnt manner, almost as if she couldn''t care less.

    Yuan didn''t say anything and started stripping his clothes.

    However, just as he took two steps towards the pond and prepared to plunge inside, his movements suddenly halted.

    "What are you doing?" Jin Xi asked after seeing his weird movements.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.

    "..."

    After a moment of awkward silence, he said in a somewhat embarrassed voice, "I¡­ I don''t know how to swim."

    "..."

    Jin Xi''s eyes widened as she stared at him in silence.

    A momentter, she bent backwards and startedughing out loud that her voice could be heard miles away.

    "Are you serious?! You don''t know how to swim?! That''s pathetic!" She pointed at him andughed without restraint.

    Yuan frowned and said, "Due to circumstances, my movements were limited until recently, so I did not have the opportunity to learn how to swim. Is it really so bad that one doesn''t know how to swim?"

    "Yeah, yeah. No need for excuses. That''ll just make you look even more pathetic."

    Yuan sighed, but he decided to not argue with her.

    Jin Xi suddenly snapped her fingers, creating a massive hole right next to the Sword Pond, and with a second snap, she filled the hole with clear water.

    "You can practice swimming there. Just don''t waste too much time." Jin Xi said to him. Despite making fun of him for not being able to swim, she still wanted to help him.

    Feng Yuxiang and the others came out of his body watch.

    "Young Master, I would love to teach you how to swim, but honestly, I don''t know how to myself, and I do not like water." Feng Yuxiang sighed.

    "Well, you are a creature of fire, after all." Yuan smiled at her.

    Xiao Hua looked at the water for a second before turning to look at Yuan and shaking her head, "Sorry, Brother Yuan, but Xiao Hua cannot help you today."

    "You''re still young, so it''s okay¡­"

    Yuan subconsciously turned to look at Lan Yingying next, who had a gentle smile on her face.

    "I guess you also don''t know how to swim," he sighed.

    "No, I do. I can teach you, if you''d like."

    Yuan was so happy to hear that Lan Yingying knew how to swim, it caused him to shed a tear.

    Lan Yingying proceeded to remove her clothes the following second.

    "Y-You! How dare you try to seduce the Young Master with your body in this kind of situation!" Feng Yuxiang pointed at her with trembling fingers when Lan Yingying strippedpletely naked.

    "What are you talking about?" Lan Yingying looked at her with raised eyebrows, oblivious of the situation.

    "Why are youpletely naked?!" Feng Yuxiang asked again.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Lan Yingying immediately responded in an innocent voice, "Because I am going in the water with him?"

    Feng Yuxiang facepalmed. "Is she messing with me, or is she actually that shameless?"

    "If you are worried about me being seen naked, you don''t have to worry. I don''t mind if it''s Yuan, and this isn''t our first time like this."

    "W-What did you say?!" Feng Yuxiang eximed, as she wasn''t aware of their interaction at the waterfall within the Mystic Realm, where Lan Yingying was impregnated by Yuan.

    Lan Yingying stopped entertaining Feng Yuxiang afterward and entered the cool water, which was about 2 meters deep.

    After entering the water, Lan Yingying waited for Yuan at the edge of the pond.

    Seeing Lan Yingying''s beautiful naked body, Yuan couldn''t help but swallow nervously.

    Unlike previously when they were at the waterfall, he was no longer as ignorant and immune to a woman''s charm, and his opponent was a peerless beauty like Lan Yingying, so his body couldn''t help but react a little.

    However, Yuan quickly managed to keep his emotions under control by reminding himself that underneath her human appearance was a Divine Beast that could swallow even demons, and most importantly, she was hisrade.

    After patting himself in the cheeks, Yuan entered the water, grabbing Lan Yingying''s hand at the same time so that he wouldn''t immediately sink.

    Although he could technically cover himself in spiritual energy and fly around in water, he actually wanted to use this opportunity to learn something that he never got the chance to.

    Thus, Lan Yingying started giving Yuan swimming lessons.

    Their training would go on for a few days until Yuan could swim as naturally as breathing.

    "It took you longer than I expected, since you usually learn everything in a heartbeat." Feng Yuxiang said to him afterward.

    "I guess there are some things that even I am not talented in." He chuckled.

    "Thank you, Yingying. I''ve troubled you for thest few days." He said to her afterward.

    "It was a pleasure to finally be able to help you." She smiled at him before pulling herself out of the water.

    Yuan quickly shifted his gaze from her dripping wet body to something else.

    ''Hm?'' Feng Yuxiang raised an eyebrow after seeing his unusual reaction, but she didn''t think too much of it at that moment.

    Now that he was prepared, Yuan returned to the Sword Pond, but he didn''t immediately jump in.

    He sat down and cultivated for a bit first.

    A few hourster, Yuan opened his eyes and stood up.

    After taking a deep breath, he leaped into the air before diving into the Sword Pond.

    ''Since it''s just Sword Aura, it shouldn''t affect my Sword Body.'' He thought to himself as he plunged into the cold water.

    ''Fuck! It''s freezing!'' He cursed inwardly, and he regretted not testing the water''s temperature before jumping in.

    The water was so cold it felt like every pore in his body was being poked by needles.

    Fortunately, he was used to pain from tempering his body, so it was still tolerable for him.

    Unfortunately, the cold would only worsen as he swam deeper inside the Sword Pond.

 Chapter 1168 Sword Pond(2)

    After swimming for a minute, Yuan immediately gave up on trying to swim normally and propelled himself forward using spiritual energy.

    Not only did this help him travel many times faster but it also protected him from the cold. However, because every drop of water in the Sword Pond is covered in Sword Aura, it would shred his spiritual energy constantly.

    Fortunately, he could recover his spiritual energy faster than the Sword Aura destroyed it.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.

    About a hundred miles down, the temperature in the Sword Pond changed drastically.

    It was no longer cold, but scorching hot, almost as though he was swimming inva, and it burned through his spiritual energy like a hot knife in butter.

    This sudden change in temperatures caught Yuan off guard, and he had to quickly adjust to it.

    The temperature was so hot that it constantly burned his skin. If it weren''t for his regeneration ability, he would definitely die if he continued diving deeper.

    Yuan endured the burning sensation that consumed his entire body and continued moving forward, swimming deeper and deeper into the Sword Pond.

    Two hundred miles deep, the temperature changed again, returning to being extremely cold, but it was at least two times colder than before.

    This same pattern continued until he reached a depth of 500 miles.

    ''What is this sensation? It feels cold and hot at the same time.''

    Yuan was baffled by this phenomenon that he could not fully describe. His skin felt like it was being burned, yet it also felt like he was cold. It was a weird feeling that he has never experienced before.

    However, even more horrifying was the fact that his regeneration ability was barely keeping up with the destruction done to his body, which was a first as well.

    ''If I continue diving deeper without any ns, I will definitely not make it to the end and die.''

    He stopped moving temporarily to ponder a solution.

    A momentter, he recalled something that he''d done in one of his previous lives.

    ''To temper the body is to embark on a journey of destruction and rebirth, tearing down the old and rebuilding the new, like a phoenix rising from the ashes¡­''

    ''Ahh¡­ I understand what I have to do¡­ This Sword Pond¡­ It''s the perfect environment to temper my body¡­''

    And for the next week, Yuan would remain at the 500 miles mark without moving an inch, letting the hot and cold water continuously destroy his body.

    Ding!

    <Your skill ''Perfect Regeneration'' has reached its maximum potential>

    With his improved Perfect Regeneration, Yuan''s body was regenerating at a much faster pace than previously.

    ''Perfect. Now I can continue.'' Yuan smiled inwardly as he began moving again.

    For the next 500 miles, Yuan would experience even harsher temperature conditions, which made him wonder if there was a limit to it.

    When he was just a few meters away from the 1,000th mile mark, Yuan stopped moving to inspect the water with his Divine Sense.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Due to some mysterious force in the Sword Pond, his Divine Sense was limited to only a few meters ahead of him, but that was more than enough for him to see what was waiting for him ahead.

    ''Fuck me¡­ The Sword Aura has be Enhanced Sword Aura!'' He cried inwardly after seeing this change.

    Despite the extreme temperatures, he was able to reach this far without worrying too much because his Sword Body negated the most dangerous part of this Sword Pond¡ª its Sword Aura. However, now that the water is covered in Enhanced Sword Aura, his Sword Body will no longer be able to protect him.

    This put Yuan in a dilemma, as he wasn''t confident that he would be able to survive the Enhanced Sword Aura even with his improved Perfect Regeneration.

    However, he still decided to test the water, as he hade too far to go back empty-handed.

    Once he was right in front of the water, Yuan shoved his finger into the water with the Enhanced Sword Aura.

    ''Shit!''

    He immediately retrieved his finger the next second, and its skin and flesh was badly damaged, looking like he''d put it in a blender or something.

    Once his finger healed, Yuan decided to shove his entire arm in there to see if his regeneration could keep up.

    A few secondster, he retrieved his skeleton arm that was void of any meat and skin. It was clear at this point that he would not survive the Enhanced Sword Aura even with his improved Perfect Regeneration.

    After pondering for some time, Yuan stuck his arm in there again. This time, he covered it in Enhanced Sword Aura as ayer of protection.

    Yuan gritted his teeth from the intense pain.

    However, his little experiment had worked, as the Enhanced Sword Aura was able to protect his arm just enough to let it heal faster than it could be damaged, but it was only slighter faster¡ª to the point where if he removed the protection for a second, his entire arm would be consumed again.

    This was a huge gamble for Yuan. He could either cover his entire body with Enhanced Sword Aura and try to swim as far as he could, or he could try to temper his body again like he did at the 500-mile mark.

    ''Since I don''t know how far down this Sword Pond goes, it would be better to temper my body a little more before going deeper.''

    After taking a moment to resolve himself and protecting his entire body with Enhanced Sword Aura, Yuan swam into the next challenge.

    "Aaaaaah!"

    He screamed out loud from the intense pain that covered every inch of his body, but his voice did not make a sound in the water.

    After the initial pain, Yuan tried his best to endure it and manage his Enhanced Sword Aura at the same time, as he would die the moment his protection goes away.

    And in this constant state of extreme pain that would only get worse as time passed, Yuan eventually could not hold on and lost consciousness for a split second.

    This split second of unconsciousness was more than enough to disturb his Enhanced Sword Aura, and just like that, his body becamepletely vulnerable in the depths of the Sword Pond, where nobody could help him.

    As his consciousness returned, a window that he never expected to see popped up before him.

    <You have died>

 Chapter 1169 <You Have Died>

    <You have died>

    At the exact same moment this notification appeared, Xiao Hua and the others could immediately feel their connection with Yuan severed.

    With their connection severed, they could no longer sense him. However, they were certain that something bad had happened to him.

    "Young Master!" Feng Yuxiang quickly rushed to the Sword Pond.

    "Whoa! What do you think you''re doing?!" Jin Xi immediately stopped her from recklessly jumping into the water.

    "The Young Master is in danger! We need to save him!" She eximed with teary eyes.

    Jin Xi frowned, and she turned to look at the Sword Pond.

    "Unfortunately, it might be a little toote to save him, as his entire body has already been consumed by the pond."

    "No!" Feng Yuxiang fell to her knees.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.

    Lan Yingying gritted her teeth and balled her hands so hard that it began bleeding.

    As for Xiao Hua, she stood there with a nk expression on her face, and it wasn''t her usual nonchnt expression¡ª it was one void of all emotions.

    Jin Xi sighed, "Looks like he wasn''t anything special, after all. I had high hopes for him, too."

    "No." Xiao Hua suddenly uttered in a low voice.

    "What?" Jin Xi looked at her with raised eyebrows.

    "Brother Yuan isn''t dead. There''s no way he''d die here." She had a stern look on her face, but it was not due to her confidence in him¡ª it was merely her inability to ept the situation. In other words, she was fooling herself.

    "I hate to break it to you, but he''s really dead. As someone whose authority in this ce is only second to my Master, I can see everything happening within this domain, and I cannot see him. I can also confirm that his body perished at the 1,000-mile mark in the Sword Pond¡ª"

    Jin Xi suddenly halted her mouth, and she turned to stare at the Sword Pond with wide eyes.

    "There''s no way¡­" She muttered in a low voice.

    Meanwhile, inside the Sword Pond.

    When Yuan received the death notification, his vision ckened, and all of the sensation in his body was gone. It was almost as though he''d returned to being a cripple.

    However, shortly after, he heard a voice resound inside his head.

    <The me residing in your heart reconstructs your body>

    <You have been resurrected>

    <You have satisfied the hidden condition to evolve Perfect Regeneration>

    <''Perfect Regeneration'' has evolved to ''Absolute Regeneration''>

    With the ability Absolute Regeneration, Yuan was able to fully reconstruct his body even when he was still inside the Sword Pond.

    <You have acquired the title ''Rebirth''>

    [Rebirth: All healing effects on you will be increased by 1,000%]

    Although his body would be perfectly fine even if he used just his naked body to block the Enhanced Sword Aura, it was still incredibly painful, as his regeneration abilities did not negate damage.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Afterposing himself, Yuan continued to swim deeper into the Sword Pond.

    Meanwhile, Feng Yuxiang and the others could suddenly sense that their connection with Yuan had been re-established.

    "Why isn''t he dead? The Enhanced Sword Aura had clearly destroyed every cell in his body! Don''t tell me that he''s actually immortal?!"

    "Thank the heavens that he''s fine¡­" Feng Yuxiang released a sigh of relief, and she waspletely unaware that her drop of blood from when they first met had actually saved Yuan.

    Due to his Heaven Consuming Physique, he was able to extract even the forbidden power of rebirth from Feng Yuxiang''s blood. However, even Feng Yuxiang wouldn''t survive if her entire body was destroyed, so how did Yuan manage to do such a thing?

    Unfortunately, the answer would not be found until muchter.

    After diving for another 500 miles, Yuan finally reached the ground, and sure enough, there was an azure-colored key resting at the very bottom.

    Yuan quickly went to pick up the key, and then he proceeded to look around to see if there was anything else down there.

    ''Oh? What''s this?'' Yuan barely noticed this ck-colored pearl that was halfway covered by sand, and it was the size of an ordinary spirit stone.

    He didn''t think twice before taking it with him back up to the surface.

    The amount of time Yuan had spent inside the Sword Pond was almost an entire month.

    When Yuan resurfaced, he was immediately hugged by Feng Yuxiang, who almost suffocated him with her breasts.

    "You''re okay, Young Master! You really had us worried there for a good minute! What happened down there that caused our connection to sever, something that only happens if one of us dies?"

    An awkward smile appeared on his face as he responded to her inquiries, "Actually, I did die down here. However, something resurrected me, and I think it was your phoenix mes."

    "Eh? My mes? What do you mean?" Feng Yuxiang waspletely puzzled.

    "I''m not certain either. It''s just a feeling I had down there after I died, as it felt like you were beside me at that moment."

    Feng Yuxiang wasn''t sure what he was talking about, but she was over the moon to hear that she''d somehow managed to save his life.

    "Are you really okay, Yuan?" Lan Yingying asked him.

    "Yes, I feel fine. In fact, I have never felt better. Due to the extreme conditions inside the Sword Pond, I was actually able to temper my body down there. My body is stronger than ever now because of that." Yuan flexed his toned muscles.

    He then turned to look at Jin Xi, who had been silently staring at him since his return.

    "Hey, do you know what this item is? I found it down there." Yuan showed the ck pearl to her.

    "No clue." She immediately shrugged.

    And she quickly added, "I am serious. I don''t know the majority of the treasures in this ce since they were not ced there by me but by the Master."

    "Can I see it for a second, Young Master?" Feng Yuxiang asked.

    "Oh, right. You''re an expert with treasures. Here. Take a look at this. I can sense an unfathomable power inside, but I don''t know what it is." He quickly showed her the ck pearl.

    Feng Yuxiang didn''t immediately recognize it, but when she did, her eyes widened like saucers.

    "T-T-This can''t be!" She eximed.

 Chapter 1170 Top Ten Treasure

    "You know what this treasure is?" Yuan became excited after seeing her surprised reaction.

    She nodded and proceeded to mumble in a dazed voice, "If I am correct, this should be the Primordial Crystal. It''s an exceedingly powerful resource that was thought to be extinct in the Nine Heavens."

    "There are many legends that surround this treasure. Some say it will give one immortality. Some say it will give the carrier ultimate strength. Some even say that it will directly make you a god."

    "Do you know what it actually does?" Yuan asked.

    She shook her head, "Unfortunately, I only recognize it due to the void-like energy within. Even then, I am not 100 percent certain that this is the Primordial Crystal."

    Feng Yuxiang turned to look at Jin Xi and continued, "Perhaps she might know about it, since she should have existed when the Primordial Crystal was still avable."

    Jin Xi quickly nodded and said, "Of course, I have heard of the Primordial Crystal. The biggest families and sects in the Divine Heaven would often fight each other whenever one is found."

    "The Primordial Crystal is mostly known for three things¡ª improve talent, evolve bloodlines, and even change one''s physique. Its effect is different for every individual, and there''s really no telling what will happen to one until they absorb it. Regardless, it''ll change a person''s life for the better and was even deemed one of top 10 treasures in the entire Divine Realm."

    "Wow, to think it was a top 10 treasure¡­" Feng Yuxiang mumbled in a dazed voice.

    This is the first time she''s held a treasure that was once considered as one of the best treasures in the entire world.

    There are tens of thousands of unique treasures in the cultivation world, and to be considered in the top ten, one can only imagine its effects.

    "Congrattions, Young Master. With this treasure, you''ll be even more powerful!" Feng Yuxiang handed the crystal back to him with a smile on her face.

    "Should I consume this now orter?" He wondered out loud.

    "Just so you know, it takes a tremendous amount of time to absorb the crystal. Most people go into seclusion and don''te out for another thousand years, some even taking ten thousand years." Jin Xi warned him.

    "I guess that answers my question¡­" Yuan stored the Primordial Crystal in his spatial ring.

    "Now I only need to find three more keys¡­"

    Once they were ready, they started moving again.

    However, they came to another halt shortly after.

    "Hm? Isn''t this the garden from before? Why is it here?" Yuan initially thought that he''d traveled back to where he came from, but upon looking at the surroundings, that wasn''t possible.

    The only exnation was that the garden had teleported to this location somehow, or it was a different garden that looked exactly the same as the previous one.

    Jin Xi sighed after seeing the garden, and she turned to look at Yuan with a perplexed expression.

    ''This must be the reason why the Master wanted me to guide him¡­'' She sighed inwardly.

    She then said, "This is the Fateful Garden. It doesn''t have a set location and will teleport around without any set schedule. Nobody before you has ever managed to encounter it, and the fact that you encountered it twice could only mean one thing."

    "If this is rted to my fate then there must be a key in there." Yuan said as he entered the garden once again.

    And sure enough, under the pavilion, there was a single ck key resting on the table.

    Yuan wondered if this was a trap due to how easy and free it seemed.

    Seeing his hesitation, Jin Xi said, "You can rx. Encountering the Fateful Garden twice is its trial in itself."<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Oh, really?" Yuan immediately picked up the key.

    "Now I just need 2 more keys."

    "One." Jin Xi suddenly said.

    "Huh?" Yuan looked at her with raised eyebrows.

    Jin Xi raised her hand and showed him a white key resting on her palm.

    "Where did you get that?" Yuan asked.

    "I had it with me this entire time."

    "What? And you''re giving it to me just now?" Yuan was dumbfounded.

    "I had to make sure you were worthy of it."

    "Thanks." Yuan went to grab the key, but Jin Xi suddenly closed her hand.

    "Now what?"

    "Before I give you this key, I want you to tell me the truth," she said.

    "I don''t recall lying to you." Yuan raised an eyebrow.

    "I am going to ask you this now¡ª Are you rted to the Master?" Jin Xi stared at him intensively with a serious face.

    Yuan smiled and said, "Would you believe me if I said that I am the masked man?"

    "..."

    Jin Xi wasn''t sure how to respond. She has never seen the masked man''s face before, but she felt a familiar feeling from Yuan ever since she met him. Perhaps that was her instincts telling her his identity.

    "So you''re trying to tell me that you are his reincarnation." Jin Xi frowned slightly.

    "That''s exactly what I am saying. You can believe me or not." He smiled.

    "I see¡­ So that''s what you look like¡­" Jin Xi mumbled with a gentle smile on her face, acting a little out of character.

    She then pointed in a certain direction and said, "Go that way. You will find the Master''s¡ª your residence there."

    "Oh? So you''re finally being cooperative¡ª" Yuan suddenly stopped speaking, as Jin Xi''s body suddenly started glowing.

    "Thank you for seeing me again¡­ I¡­ I love you, Tian Xin¡­"

    Jin Xi''s body immediately dissipated into countless fragments before disappearing into thin air.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.

    "Tian Xin¡­ That is the masked man''s name¡ª the Lord''s name, huh." Yuan stared at the empty air where Jin Xi stood just moments ago.

    "Thank you, Jin Xi. I will make sure to take care of you in this life as well." Yuan gave a courteous bow before going in the direction Jin Xi pointed at.

 Chapter 1171 Their Journey Together

    ??1171  Their Journey Together

    ''Jin Xi¡­ She left us too soon. I still had a lot of questions for her.'' Yuan sighed inwardly as he flew in a straight line towards the direction Jin Xi gave him.

    As he flew towards his unknown destination, Yuan would slowly absorb the memories from the swords he acquired at the Sword Graveyard, hoping that one of them had memories of Jin Xi.

    One day¡­ one week¡­ two weeks¡­

    A monthter.

    "Did Jin Xi give me the right directions, or was she messing with me till the very end? I have been flying for a month straight now, yet I don''t see anything but water." He sighed out loud.

    After two weeks of flying straight, Yuan eventually left thend and entered what seemed to be an endless sea.

    When one encounters nothing for a month, they could only assume that they went the wrong way.

    "Furthermore, I am still missing one key¡­"

    Feng Yuxiang chuckled, "I don''t think she would mess with you like that, especially after knowing your real identity."

    After another week of flying, Yuan suddenly noticed with his divine sense a small ind about a thousand miles straight ahead, but it appeared to be empty.

    Regardless, this pumped up his adrenaline, causing him to speed towards it like a shooting star.

    When he arrived, hended on the seemingly empty ind.

    After waiting around for a couple of minutes with nothing happening, Yuan shouted, "Hey! I know you''re here, Tian Xin! Show yourself!"

    Sure enough, a figure would appear in the distance before slowly approaching him.

    However, this person wasn''t wearing a mask, and he looked exactly like Yuan.

    "Do you have all nine keys?" Tian Xin asked him.

    "No, I am still missing one, but if Jin Xi told me toe here, then I should find thest key here."

    Tian Xin smiled, and he showed his palm to Yuan.

    Resting on top of his palm was arge key that looked different from the rest.

    "This is the Master Key¡ª thest key to my kingdom¡­" Tian Xin snapped his finger, and a massive building appeared out of thin air behind him.

    "So what do I have to do to get it, since I doubt you''ll give it to me for free." Yuan said with his arms crossed in front of his chest.

    "It''s nothing much. I just want you to do something for me." Tian Xin said with a calm face.

    "What is it?"

    "You probably already realized this by now, but there are some people in your current life that used to be with you in your past life."

    Yuan raised an eyebrow before nodding, "That''s right. Why are you telling me this now?"N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.

    "Jin Xi¡­ If you ever encounter her, please take care of her, as I have failed to do so in the past."

    "You failed her? What does that mean?"

    In response to his question, Tian Xin pointed a finger at him before shooting something inside his forehead.

    Yuan immediately became dazed as memories flooded his head.

    Inside this memory, he was seeing things through Tian Xin''s eyes, and there was a beautiful woman standing before him with a defeated look on her face.

    "Tian Xin, let me follow you! I want to be as strong as you!"

    "And how will following me help you achieve that? I refuse. You''ll just be a hassle." Tian Xin sneered coldly.

    Jin Xi gritted her teeth and said, "I don''t care! I am going to follow you, regardless if you agree or not!"

    "So you are a stalker now, as well?" Tian Xin sighed.

    "S-Shut up! I will follow you and learn from you! In return, I will serve you! I-I am even willing to call you Master!"

    Tian Xin sighed again, and he turned around.

    "Do as you please. But don''t expect me to protect you when you get in trouble, since the ces that I am fated to traverse are filled with danger."

    He gently leaped into the air, before flying away. Jin Xi immediately followed him despite the injuries on her body that she''d suffered after a short battle with him.

    And over the next several thousand years, Jin Xi would follow Tian Xin around like a minion. From dangerous ces that even Immortals avoid to unchartednds, Jin Xi witnessed all sorts of environments and experienced countless near death situations. However, she still followed him without uttering a singleint.

    After thousands of years of being together, Jin Xi learned many things about Tian Xin, and it was inevitable that she would eventually start to have romantic feelings for him. But not wanting to ruin their rtionship, Jin Xi kept her emotions hidden. Unfortunately, she was bad at hiding her emotions, and even a blind man could tell that she was in love with Tian Xin.

    As for Tian Xin, even though he knew her feelings for him, because he was born with memories of his past lives, he could not respond to it and acted as though he didn''t notice it. He also didn''t want to admit it, but he enjoyed Jin Xi''spany.

    To him, Jin Xi was his unofficial disciple, and he would give her cryptic advice every now and then, assisting her cultivation.

    He would also save her life a couple times despite saying otherwise. Of course, he did so discreetly so Jin Xi wouldn''t make fun of him for it, but she would eventually find out about it, which caused her feelings for him to grow stronger.

    Their journey together would continue for another hundred thousand years, until Jin Xi perished in an ident on the day that she decided to temporarily separate from him.

    Yuan felt the rage and sorrow Tian Xin had felt during the moment he discovered her death.

    "Once again, I have failed to protect someone I love¡­" Tian Xin would halt his journey for a thousand years, reflecting on his actions and his hesitation to express his feelings for Jin Xi because he also had feelings for his loved ones in his past lives.

    As the only ''Tian'' who recovered his past lives'' memories before meeting someone special, he saw the world in a different light, and he would always push away others, fearing that it would be disloyal to his previous partners.

    During his thousand-year-long seclusion, Tian Xin remained on a small ind¡ª the same one that Yuan was currently on.

 Chapter 1172 Peak Of Treasures

    ??1172  Peak of Treasures

    "That''s why I told you that despite having previous lives, you are all different people in one way or another. Do not be afraid to love because of themitments you made in your previous lives. You will regret it like I did." Tian Xin spoke with a sorrowful smile on his handsome face.

    Yuan was speechless, as he didn''t know how to respond to such words.

    Even though he had amitment with Meixiu in their past life, he met her and fell in love with her in this life before he even knew about his rtionship with her in their past life. As for Chu Liuxiang, while he still has no idea what kind of rtionship he had with her in their past life, it was the same story as Meixiu.

    Of course, this could be said about Li Jinxi as well, whom he met before learning about Jin Xi. Though, they are not in a romantic rtionship and were more like training buddies. One could even say that they have a disciple and master rtionship but at a more informal level.

    "Don''t worry, I will take care of Jin Xi even if you didn''t ask, since I am already acquainted with her." Yuan said.

    "Is that so? Then I have another request. When she eventually remembers about you, apologize to her for me. Tell her that I am sorry for not loving her properly."

    Tian Xin approached Yuan before handing over the key to him.

    "I will leave this ce in your hands." Tian Xin''s body disappeared a momentter.

    "..."

    After standing there for some time, Yuan approached the building with two massive doors.

    The doors reminded him of the Stairway to Heaven in aesthetics, and there were nine keyholes right in the center of it, each with a word engraved on the bottom of each hole.

    "Dominance, talent, beast, anger, endurance, fate, love, reminiscence, and inheritance." Yuan read these words out loud, but he still wasn''t sure which key belonged in which keyhole.

    Right as he was prepared to try every keyhole one key at a time, Feng Yuxiang''s voice resounded, "For the keyhole ''Love'', it''s probably referring to Jin Xi''s love for the Young Master, right?"

    "That sounds reasonable." Yuan nodded, and he inserted the white key he received from Jin Xi into the ''Love'' keyhole.

    *Click*

    It was the correct key.

    "Then ''Beast'' must be referring to the Purple Lightning Qilin." Lan Yingying then said.

    Yuan inserted the purple key he received from the Purple Lightning Qilin into the ''Beast'' keyhole.

    *Click*

    "The Sword Pagoda represents talent." Xiao Hua said.

    He inserted the golden key from the Sword Pagoda into the ''Talent'' keyhole.

    *Click*

    "Fate is definitely the ck key from the Fateful Garden." Yuan mumbled as he inserted the key.

    *Click*

    "As for ''Reminiscence'', the blue key from the Sword Graveyard."

    *Click*

    "Demons represent uncontroble ''Anger'', so the crimson key."

    *Click*

    "The Sword Pond definitely tested my endurance."

    *Click*

    Now there were just two more unupied keyholes.

    "Dominance and Inheritance, huh."

    Tian Xin handing him the final key to the building would definitely qualify as inheritance, and the Nine Swords Trial definitely dominated against its challengers.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.

    *Click*

    *Click*

    Yuan inserted the Master Keyst, and when he twisted it, the door immediately began to open.

    The interior of the buildingcked any sort of decorations, almost as though it was a brand new house with no prior upants.

    However, there were several items neatly disyed at the center of the room.

    Yuan walked over to the closest one, where an ancient-looking manual rested.

    When he focused on it, its information appeared on a screen.

    [Sword God''s Apex Sword Art]

    Yuan swallowed nervously upon reading its domineering name.

    After staring at the manual for a moment, he walked to the next disy case.

    "This is¡­ a mask?" Yuan raised an eyebrow.

    The mask looked exactly like the one Tian Xin always wore. It had an ordinary appearance, but when Yuan saw its information, his eyes nearly popped out of its sockets.

    <Celestial Visage>

    <Grade: Celestial>

    <Quality: Peak>

    <Requirement: Soul-bound to Tian Xin>

    <Description: The bearer of this mask will be immune to all spiritual attacks.>

    "Immune to spiritual attacks? This mask is more overpowered than I expected!" He eximed.

    "Y-Young Master¡­ T-This mask is a C-Celestial-grade treasure¡­" Feng Yuxiang muttered in a stuttering voice when she realized what was before her eyes.

    "I noticed. How much stronger is itpared to a Mythic-grade treasure?" He asked.

    "They are two entire grades above Mythic-grade. In fact, Celestial-grade treasures are considered to be the most powerful treasures in the Nine Heavens."

    Yuan swallowed nervously and asked, "So there is nothing above Celestial-

    grade?"

    "Actually, there is one more, but I don''t think they even exist anymore in our current era. Above Celestial-grade treasures are Primordial-grade, but less than 10 of them have existed since ancient times."

    "Is that so¡­"

    Yuan walked to the next disy case, where a beautiful ck and golden sword resided.

    <Golden Empress>

    <Grade: Empyrean>

    <Quality: Peak>

    <Requirement: Soul-bound to Jin Xi>

    <Description: A peerless sword crafted with essence from the sun. Jin Family''s heritage.>

    "T-This is an Empyrean-grade treasure! Although it''s one grade below Celestial-grade, they are still considered the best of the best by most people due to how rare Celestial-grade treasures are!" Feng Yuxiang was essentially drooling right now.

    Even during her time in the upper heavens, she has never owned an Empyrean-grade treasure, nor has she ever got to see a Celestial-grade treasure with her bare eyes.

    Yuan walked to thest disy case, where it was showcasing a small bottle that contained a single drop of gold liquid.

    "Feng Feng, what''s this?" Yuan immediately asked her.

    "I have no idea¡­" She immediately responded.

    "But knowing the Young Master, it''s probably something that exceeds our imaginations. Why else would you put it here, besides the other treasures?"

    "That makes sense. Now all that''s left is¡ª whether I am allowed to take these treasures or not, and if I can, how many can I take with me?" He looked at the four disy cases with a perplexed expression.

 Chapter 1173 A Familiar Scenery

    ?1173  A Familiar Scenery

    ''Since these are all my treasures, I should be able to acquire all of them¡­ right?'' Yuan wondered inwardly, as he was used to his incarnations making things less convenient for himself.

    However, when he touched the disy case, the protection on it immediately deactivated, allowing him to grab the treasure inside.

    After acquiring the bottle of unknown liquid, Yuan went to see if he could get the other treasures as well, and sure enough, they were in his grasp momentster.

    Sometimeter, he began exploring the building to make sure he wouldn''t leave anything behind.

    <Congrattions! yer Yuan has be the first yer to acquire an Empyrean-grade treasure!>

    <Congrattions! yer Yuan has be the first yer to acquire an Celestial-grade treasure!>

    Meanwhile, his achievements were disyed in the sky for every yer to see.

    "It''s yer Yuan! He''s finally returned after many months of absence!"

    yers around the world were left speechless by the announcement. Most of them are still using Earth-grade treasures, and nobody beside Yuan had information about treasures above the Divine-grade, so they didn''t truly understand the massive aplishment behind the announcement.

    If one were topare Yuan''s progress to the rest of the yer base, he would be at the endgame while the others were still swinging their wooden weapons at straw dummies in the starting areas.

    Meanwhile, somewhere in the Third Heaven, a handsome young man was staring at the announcement with a serious expression on his face.

    "Hey, Zhaohui,pared to my Divine-grade treasure, how much better is an Empyrean-grade or Celestial-grade treasure?" He asked the tall man standing beside him.

    This man turned to look at him with a dumbfounded face before bursting withughter, "Compare? They cannot even bepared! Forget about Celestial-

    grade, even a thousand Divine-grade treasures could notpare to an Empyrean-grade treasure!"

    And he continued, "Why are you asking such a thing? Those treasures are still far beyond your reach. Don''t even dream about acquiring an Empyrean-grade treasure until we reach at least the Seventh Heaven."

    "What¡­? Then how did he obtain such powerful treasures in the Third Heaven? How is he ying this game? I thought I was finally catching up to him with your help! Fuck!" This young man cursed out loud.

    "Someone obtained a Celestial-grade treasure in the Third Heaven? Are you certain about this information?" The tall man suddenly became serious.

    "A hundred percent." He gritted his teeth.

    The tall man pondered for a moment before speaking, "I can only imagine one area in this trash ce that could potentially have a Celestial-grade treasure¡ª the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb. However, that ce is unforgiving, and even Immortals have perished there. Well, even if you go now, there''s less than a month left before it closes for a few years."

    "With that being said, I have an idea. Do you know what this person looks like? If you do, we can wait for him outside and steal his treasures."

    The tall man had a cold smile on his face as he spoke of this suggestion.

    The young man frowned, "You want to ambush him? I don''t think that''s a good idea, especially when I don''t know his full strength."

    The tall manughed out loud, "No matter how strong he is, there is nobody in this ce that can defeat me! Especially if he''s someone like you!"

    "Yes, he came from the same ce as me, but he''s special." The young man said.

    The tall man then sneered with a look of disdain on his face, "Xiong Lu, when did you be such a coward? Don''t disappoint me now."

    The young man named Xiong Lu shivered from the tall man''s deadly gaze.

    "Alright, let''s do it. I know what he looks like." He nodded a momentter.

    "That''s what I''m talking about! As long as I am here, nobody can stop us! Ahahaha!"

    Meanwhile, inside the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb, Yuan stood inside a certain room that had multiple shelves full of jade slips.

    "What is this?" Yuan randomly picked up one of them and looked inside with his divine sense.

    "..."N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.

    Sometimeter, he ced the jade slip back in its spot and proceeded to stand there with a perplexed expression on his face.

    "What''s the matter, Brother Yuan?" Xiao Hua asked him.

    "That jade slip contained Tian Xin''s memories with Jin Xi," he said.

    "Let me take a look at a few more."

    He grabbed a few more jade slip and peered into it.

    Sure enough, they were all memories of his time with Jin Xi.

    "I guess he didn''t spend a thousand years on this ind doing nothing." Yuan sighed.

    Tian Xin had filled all of the jade slips in this room with his memories with Jin Xi¡ª every second of it.

    And when Yuan watched these memories, Tian Xin''s thoughts and feelings would transfer to him.

    By the time Yuan finished going through all of the jade slips in the room, he''d also grown to love Jin Xi.

    It was a weird experience for him, but he didn''t reject these emotions.

    It took Yuan almost a week to finish, leaving him with three more weeks in the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb.

    After putting down thest jade slip, Yuan walked out of the room without taking any of them with him, as he felt that they belonged in this ce.

    In the next room, he found himself standing before a round tform ced at the center of the room.

    The tform was about six inches tall and five meters in diameter, and the curved surface around the tform had drawings of several dragons engraved into it.

    For some unknown reason, Yuan could sense a nostalgic feelinging from it.

    After looking at it for a moment, he decided to stand on top of it.

    The following moment, his figure would disappear from the room, and a pir of light would appear above the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb before piercing into the Heavens.

    When he opened his eyes, Yuan found himself staring at a familiar-looking scenery.

    <You have entered Ancient Dragon City>

 Chapter 1174 Returning To Ancient Dragon City

    ?1174  Returning to Ancient Dragon City

    <You have entered Ancient Dragon City>

    Yuan wasn''t surprised when he saw this notification, as he already knew the location in his heart the second he saw the cloudy scenery.

    Xiao Hua came out of his body a secondter to ask, "Where are we, Brother Yuan?"

    "We''re currently in¡ª"

    But before Yuan could finish, Feng Yuxiang also appeared, and she immediately startedining, "Young Master! This ce reeks of a dragon''s scent! I think there''s a dragon nearby!"

    Yuan smiled, "Of course, it would smell like dragons. This is the Ancient Dragon City, after all."

    Lan Yingying also appeared and asked, "The same ce that the Mystic Realm took you to?"

    He nodded, "Indeed. I was teleported here when I activated some kind of teleportation formation in the Mystic Pagoda."

    "Since the Dragon Ancestor knew Tian Xin, it''s not surprising that we woulde back here through the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb."

    Suddenly, Yuan and his group turned to look in a certain direction, where arge group of human figures could be seen approaching them. If he didn''t know any better, he would''ve mistaken them as a fellow human.

    However, for some reason, they looked even more aggressive this time around, and there were ten times as many people in their group.

    "How dare a phoenix trespass into a dragon''s territory!"

    "I can even smell an Exile amongst them!"

    "Attack! Do not let them reach the city!"

    "W-Wait¡ª" Yuan didn''t even get a chance to speak this time before the dragonsunched their attacks on him and his group.

    "You dare bare your fangs at my Young Master?! Watch as I burn you alive!" Feng Yuxiang eximed as she alsounched her own attacks at the iing dragons.

    The rtionship between dragons and phoenixes are akin to fire and water in the Nine Heavens. Whenever they see each other, it would always result in some kind of fight.

    Because of this, the dragons attacked them on sight, and Feng Yuxiang did not hesitate to fight back.

    Dong! Dong! Dong!

    The sound of war drums suddenly started ying loudly, alerting the other dragons in the city that a battle had started.

    This greatly shocked the residents in the city, as they haven''t heard the war drums being yed for hundreds of thousands of years.

    By now, it was already toote for Yuan to try and de-escte the situation, and he could only hold Feng Yuxiang back while shielding his group from the dragon''s aggressive attacks.

    "Feng Feng! Stop! They are not our enemies!" Yuan subconsciously hugged her slim waist to hold her back.

    "Oh!" Feng Yuxiang immediately stopped her attacks and blushed, even going limp a little.

    However, the dragons did not stop their attacks even after Feng Yuxiang stopped attacking.

    Seeing this, Yuan could only create a barrier around his own group using Sword Aura, which destroyed any iing attacks the moment they touched the barrier.

    Eventually, more dragons could be seen entering the battle.

    It did not take long before Yuan and his group were surrounded by dragons.

    "This is all your fault, phoenix." Xiao Hua uttered in a displeased manner, putting all of the me on her.

    "What?! You''re not being fair! They attacked us first!" Feng Yuxiang immediately defended her own actions.

    "Your presence itself is the problem." Xiao Hua rebuked.

    While Feng Yuxiang and Xiao Hua continued to bicker back and forth, the presence of a Spirit Sovereign suddenly appeared out of thin air.

    Then a second presence appeared, and it was also a Spirit Sovereign.

    Two more unique aura would appear a secondter, and they were both Spirit Emperors.

    When Yuan sensed these four presence, he couldn''t help but smile.

    "All of you, halt!" A stern voice echoed shortly after.

    Soon, the figure behind the voice appeared, and as Yuan had expected, it was Xi Shengmo, the Dragon Emperor.

    There were three people following behind him, and they were Xi Mingze, his wife, Xi Murong, his son, andst but not least, Xi Meili, his daughter.

    However, due to the barrier that obstructed Yuan''s figure, none of them recognized him.

    "I am the ruler of this ce, Xi Shengmo! You have ten seconds to identify yourself before my entire kingdom tears you apart, Uninvited Guests!"

    "..."

    "Let me handle this." Yuan said to the others while staring at Feng Yuxiang.

    He then removed the barrier that obstructed his face and flew towards Xi Shengmo.

    "Who gave you permission to move?!" Another familiar voice resounded.

    It was Captain Cheng, who had interrogated him during his first visit.

    Of course, Yuan ignored him and continued approaching the Royal Family.

    "Hm? You are¡­" Xi Shengmo subconsciously squinted his eyes at Yuan after seeing his familiar face.

    "No way!" Xi Murong eximed.

    "Oh my." Xi Mingze covered her mouth from surprise.

    "Yuan¡­?" Xi Meili muttered in a dazed voice before rubbing her eyes to make sure she wasn''t seeing things.

    "Yuan?!" Her eyes widened with shock after confirming it was him.

    "Yes, it''s me. And I am so sorry that our reunion had to be celebrated in such a fashion¡ª" Before Yuan could finish his sentence, Xi Meili suddenly shot forward, flying at him like a meteor.

    Seeing this, Yuan quickly prepared for her arrival.

    "Yuan!!!"

    A trail of blissful tears appeared in the sky as Xi Meili dived into his arms.

    "Oof¡­" Yuan released a weird noise as his body was hugged with extreme strength.

    "What the hell?" Captain Cheng and many others muttered in a baffled voice after witnessing this unexpected oue.

    "Wait! That human is¡ª!" Captain Cheng eventually recognized Yuan.

    "What is that dragon doing to my Young Master?!" Feng Yuxiang gritted her teeth in frustration.

    "He actually returned¡­ And in such a short time, too¡­" Xi Shengmo was shocked for another reason, and when he recalled his bet with Xi Meili, his body trembled uncontrobly.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Meanwhile, Yuan was still being embraced by Xi Meili.

    "It''s been awhile, Xi Meili." Yuan said to her in a low voice, which only made the arms around his body tighten.

 Chapter 1175 Returning To Ancient Dragon City(2)

    ?1175  Returning to Ancient Dragon City(2)

    "Yuan! I can''t believe it! Why did youe back so quickly? It feels like yesterday when youst visited!" Xi Meili spoke after releasing Yuan from her deadly embrace.

    As a dragon who has lived for over ten thousand years, her flow of time is a bit distorted.

    "To be honest, I didn''te here on purpose. Just like thest time, I somehow managed toe here by ident." Yuan said with a stiff smile.

    Xi Meili chuckled, "The first time may be an ident, but for it to happen a second time, this is definitely the work of fate! We''re definitely fated to be together!"

    "Ahem."

    Xi Shengmo suddenly cleared his throat, causing the air to vibrate.

    "All of you, this is a false rm. You may return to your posts." He said to others there.

    The dragons lowered their weapons and bowed to him before returning to the city.

    Once they were alone, Xi Shengmo approached Yuan, "Are any of you hurt? I apologize for any distress my soldiers may have caused for your group."

    He shook his head, "Fortunately, none of us are hurt. And I would also like to apologize for any inconveniences my sudden arrival has caused."

    "It''s fine. You are always weed in our Ancient Dragon City, no matter how sudden it may be." Xi Shengmo smiled.

    "Anyways, why don''t youe with us back to the pce, where we can sit down and have a proper conversation."

    "Of course."

    Once they were sitting down inside the Dragon Pce, Xi Shengmo started the conversation, "Since there are a few new faces here, why don''t we start with introductions? I am Xi Shengmo, the ruler of the Ancient Dragon City."

    "I am Xi Mingze, his wife."

    "Xi Murong¡­ Their son¡­"

    "And I am Xi Meili, the youngest in the family!"

    Lan Yingying introduced herself next.

    "My name is Lan Yingying."

    "Feng Yuxiang." Feng Yuxiang spoke in a stiff voice, as this is her first time being in the same room as dragons.

    "Xiao Hua." Xiao Hua was the same as usual, being as calm as a still pond.

    "Where''s Wang Xiuying?" Xi Meili suddenly asked.

    "She''s still in Second Heaven."

    "Still? Then where did you guyse from?" Xi Shengmo raised an eyebrow.

    "The Third Heaven, inside the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb."

    "You''ve already ascended to Third Heaven? Weren''t you in Lower Heaven thest time you visited a year ago?" Xi Mingze expressed surprise.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    "Indeed." He nodded.

    "At this rate, you''ll reach Supreme Heaven in less than a decade." Xi Shengmoughed out loud.

    And he continued a momentter, "Anyways, your group is quite diverse. A phoenix, an exile, and¡­"

    He paused when he reached Lan Yingying, seemingly unable to tell her identity.

    "I am of the Divine Serpent''s bloodline."

    "A Divine Serpent?!" Xi Shengmo eximed after learning this. He knew that she was a Divine Beast based on her unique smell, but he never expected her to grace from such a rare bloodline.

    "Are they rare? Divine Serpents." Xi Meili asked out of curiosity after seeing his reaction.

    "Of course. Even those with an ordinary bloodline are rare. Out of all divine races out there, the Divine Serpents have the lowest birth rates because of their unique bloodline that forbids them from having more than one child per generation. Though, that is not to say they cannot have more than one child. It''s just that only the firstborn can be a Divine Serpent, but this rule may differ for each bloodline."

    "Howplicated¡­" Xi Meili mumbled.

    With such strict birth rules, it is a miracle that they still exist.

    "Hey, they say that Divine Serpents aren''t that different from dragons, and they can even evolve into one. How true is that?" Feng Yuxiang suddenly asked, as she has never witnessed this happen before.

    Xi Shengmo raised his eyebrows after hearing this question.

    "Serpents and dragons are two different races. If a ''serpent'' can evolve into a ''dragon'', then it wasn''t a serpent to begin with. Some dragons with inferior bloodlines are often mistaken as serpents, hence why there is this misconception."

    "Is that so¡­"

    Xi Meili then said, "Regardless, I am really excited to finally meet other Divine Beasts that aren''t dragons! Nice to meet you!"

    Yuan couldn''t help but smile after seeing her smile that was filled with the same energy as before.

    "Yes, it is really refreshing to meet other Divine Beasts." Lan Yingying agreed with her.

    After chatting for a while, Xi Shengmo suddenly asked, "I know you arrived here by ident, but what do you n on doing now?"

    Yuan pondered for a moment before speaking, "If fate brought me here, then I must have some kind of purpose here. Unfortunately, since I have no idea what that purpose is, I have nothing in mind."

    "I know! How about traveling with me?" Xi Meili suddenly suggested.

    Yuan raised an eyebrow and asked, "Traveling? Where to?"

    For some reason, she chuckled, "You probably think the Ancient Dragon City is all there is to this ce, right? I don''t know if you remember, but I told you during your previous visit that this ce is actually very vast. There are other cities besides the Ancient Dragon City."

    "Just how big is this world?" He then asked.

    "Hmmm¡­ I''m not really sure about that since I have nothing topare it with, but there are two other cities asrge as our Ancient Dragon City in this world, each with their own family of Divine Beasts. However, we''re the only ones with a Royal Bloodline."

    "I don''t recall giving you permission to leave this city, Meili." Xi Shengmo frowned.

    She shrugged, "Regardless, I have to visit Azure Dragon City soon because someone couldn''t wait to set up an arranged marriage for me despite promising me that he''d wait til the end of our bet."

    Xi Shengmo''s eyebrows twitched upon hearing her words, and he quickly said, "How many times do I have to tell you that it''s not an arranged marriage?! You are only going to meet with a potential partner, and if you don''t like him, you can refuse!"

    "Alright, then I don''t like him."

    "..."

    Xi Shengmo was speechless.

 Chapter 1176 Xi Meilis Desire

    ?1176  Xi Meili''s Desire

    "Even if you say that now, you still have to meet with the Azure Dragon Family. They are expecting your visit." Xi Shengmo sighed.

    "And that''s exactly what I am going to do!" Xi Meili said, and she added a secondter, "With Yuan!"N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.

    Xi Shengmo immediately frowned, "That isn''t appropriate at all and highly offensive to the other party."

    "Why would it be offensive? I am just visiting their city with a friend, and since I am already there, I might as well deal with the arrangement. Father, my priority is not the Azure Dragon Family, but Yuan."

    "¡­"

    Yuan remained silent while this father and daughter pair argued with each other over something that heavily involved him without his knowledge.

    In his eyes, it was just a casual family drama verymon in the Cultivation World, especially for the wealthy and powerful families.

    Unbeknownst to him, Xi Meili had already chosen him as her partner.

    Feng Yuxiang and the others had no idea either, but they had a bad feeling about the whole situation.

    "Now, now. Why don''t we deal with this at another time? Or have you forgotten that we have guests?" Xi Mingze eventually stepped in to squash their argument.

    "Hm! Yuan! Let''s go for a walk!" Xi Meili suddenly rushed over and grabbed him by the hand before pulling him towards the exit.

    "Wait, you little¡ª" Xi Shengmo tried to stop her, but he was interrupted by Xi Mingze, "Make sure youe back before the feast!"

    "I will!"

    Xi Meili and Yuan disappeared from the room before Xiao Hua and the others could even react.

    "Ahem. I apologize for my daughter''s childlike behavior. She''s only ten thousand years old and very spoiled¡­" Xi Shengmo said to them.

    And he continued, "Anyways, why don''t I show you to your rooms? The two of them will be back before you know it. Of course, if you have anything else that you want to do, feel free to say it. You are all esteemed guests, after all."

    Naturally, they wanted to follow Yuan, but with Xi Meili''s presence there, they had a feeling that they would only get in the way, as she seemed exceptionally happy to see Yuan for some reason.

    "I will guide them to their rooms. You can stay here." Xi Mingze suddenly said, taking her husband by surprise.

    When he saw the look she gave him, it was clear that she had some business with them that she did not want him to be part of.

    "Okay¡­" He nodded in a dazed manner.

    It was just a feeling, but it appears that his own wife was not on his side.

    "Father, I am going to train¡­" Xi Murong said to him before leaving as well.

    Ever since meeting Yuan a year ago, Xi Murong''s attitude has changed, bing more humble and quiet.

    In the hallway, as Xi Mingze led the girls to their room, she started a conversation, "If you don''t mind me asking, what are your rtionships with Yuan? Are you travelingpanions or something more?"

    Her intentions were clear as day. She wanted to see if her daughter had any rivals.

    While Xiao Hua may be too young, Feng Yuxiang and Lan Yingying were both top beauties, and they were Divine Beasts, as well.

    "If you want to be technical about it, we are his servants." Feng Yuxiang said.

    "S-Servants?! Divine Beasts serving a human? That is unheard of!" Xi Mingze did not expect such a response.

    "Yes, we have sworn loyalty to him through a contract. However, Yuan doesn''t treat us like servants. He sees us aspanions and treats us with kindness." Lan Yingying said.

    "A human at his young age controlling two Divine Beasts¡­ That is unheard of." Xi Mingze took a deep breath.

    "Don''t misunderstand. We are the ones who wanted to serve him. Even if we didn''t form a contract, he would''ve allowed us to follow him." Feng Yuxiang added.

    "Then if you don''t mind me asking, why did you choose to serve him? I am probably sounding nosy, but I really want to know more about him, since my daughter is really passionate about following him." Xi Mingze decided to reveal this information to them since they would''ve found out sooner orter, and she wanted their opinion.

    They stopped moving after hearing her words.

    "That dragon princess wants to serve the Young Master?" Feng Yuxiang almost couldn''t believe her ears.

    Dragons are extremely prideful and would never submit to a human to her knowledge, hence her surprise.

    "Not serve¡­ More like starting a family together¡­" Xi Mingze said in a stiff voice.

    "What?!?!" Feng Yuxiang eximed in a shocked voice.

    Lan Yingying raised her eyebrows while Xiao Hua''s eyebrows twitched.

    "And you have no problem with a dragon mating with a human? And what about her arranged marriage?" Feng Yuxiang asked out of curiosity.

    "Despite what the humans have done to our kind, that was countless years ago, and I do not harbor any resentment towards them. Furthermore, she''s my daughter. I will support her no matter who she decides to spend her future with." Xi Mingze spoke in a passionate tone.

    "As for her arranged marriage, that was purely done by my husband, who is still having a hard time epting her feelings. He doesn''t hate humans or anything, but he also has a traditional mindset, and he doesn''t believe in such an interracial rtionship."

    "I don''t really me him, since it''s unheard of for a dragon to marry a human." Feng Yuxiang said.

    "What do the two of you think? Should a Divine Beast and a human be allowed together in a romantic sense?" Xi Mingze asked for their opinions.

    "I don''t see why it shouldn''t be allowed." Feng Yuxiang shrugged.

    "I also don''t see any problems with it." Lan Yingying said.

    "Of course you wouldn''t. You''re carrying a human''s baby, after all." Feng Yuxiang sighed.

    "What?" Xi Mingze''s eyes widened with shock after hearing this unexpected information, and she turned to look at Lan Yingying with a dazed face.

    "I-Is that true?"

    Lan Yingying calmly nodded, "Yes."

 Chapter 1177 Xi Shengmos Worries

    ?1177  Xi Shengmo''s Worries

    Xi Mingze had to take a moment to process the fact that Lan Yingying had been impregnated by a human, something she didn''t think would be possible.

    "This human¡­ is he¡­?" Xi Mingze swallowed nervously as a certain individual appeared in her mind.

    "Yes, it''s Yuan. It happened recently, so it will be about a thousand years before I give birth."

    "I-I figured it would be him¡­" Xi Mingze felt her legs turn weak after confirming her suspicions.

    "I understand your feelings very well, but if it''s the Young Master, he''s more than worthy." Feng Yuxiang chuckled after seeing Xi Mingze''s reaction that was simr to hers when she first learned about Lan Yingying''s impregnation.

    Lan Yingying nodded, silently agreeing with Feng Yuxiang.

    "Anyways, the Young Master is not only kind, caring, and passionate, but he''s also extremely talented. Although I don''t know how he''ll react if Xi Meili asks to be his partner, I do know that he''ll dly let her follow him."

    "Hell, if you knew the Young Master''s true identity, you would actually be begging him to allow Xi Meili to follow him." Feng Yuxiang said with a profound smile on her face.

    This made Xi Mingze raise her eyebrows. What Feng Yuxiang said could be considered rude to her, especially considering her family''s status.

    Not only are the Xi Family Divine Dragons, they alsoe from a Royal Bloodline. In the outside world, they would have the highest authorities amongst dragons. With such exalted status, what sense would it make for them to beg to follow someone¡ª a mere human, at that.

    Seeing Xi Mingze''s puzzled expression, Feng Yuxiang couldn''t help but smile. Unfortunately, she couldn''t reveal Yuan''s secret to her, as she didn''t trust her enough, nor does she have the right to do so.

    "Well, you will learn of the truth sooner orter¡ª if Xi Meili is fated to follow him." Feng Yuxiang shrugged.

    Eventually, they started walking again.

    Once they reached their rooms, Xi Mingze said to them, "You can use any of the rooms here. If you need anything, you can speak with our servants. They will be posted at the entrance at all times."

    "Thank you." Lan Yingying said.

    Sometimeter, Xi Mingze returned to Xi Shengmo''s side.

    "That took longer than I anticipated. What did you guys talk about?" He asked her in a nonchnt voice.

    Xi Mingze sighed, "I just wanted to learn more about Yuan, but I learned more than I probably should have."

    "What does that mean?" Xi Shengmo looked at her with raised eyebrows.

    "I thought they were simply travelingpanions, but those two Divine Beasts are actually his servants¡­"

    "What?! Divine Beasts serving as servants?! But one of them is a phoenix! They are prideful beings that rival dragons in terms of their dignity! They would never serve someone, much less a human!"

    Xi Mingze shook her head and said, "That''s nothingpared to what I learned next. That Divine Serpent, Lan Yingying, she''s actually pregnant¡­ with Yuan''s child."

    "She''s what?!?!" Xi Shengmo stood up with his mouth and eyes wide open.

    "You heard me. It happened recently, too."

    "..." Xi Shengmo sat down without controlling his weight, causing the chair to tremble.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.

    "After learning this information, do you still support our daughter marrying him?" He asked her in a low voice.

    "..."

    Xi Mingze closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

    "Regardless of my¡ª our feelings, it will be our daughter who ultimately decides what she wants to do. If she''s okay with the whole situation, there''s nothing else I can say."

    Xi Shengmo sneered, "Now that''s a load of bullshit. Even if he''s rted to the Ancestor, I simply cannot hand over our daughter to someone who is already in that kind of rtionship with another Divine Beast¡ª or Divine Beasts."

    Xi Mingze frowned and said, "In that case, why did you set her up with the Azure Dragon Family? You know very well that their Patriarch has multiple wives and that their son will very likely do the same."

    "Y-You don''t know that¡­"

    "The hell I don''t! I know very well that the man you''ve arranged for Xi Meili already has multiple fiancees! You''re just so desperate that you don''t care who she spends her future with as long as she doesn''t leave this world!" Xi Mingze shouted at him, revealing to him that she knows very well why he did not want Xi Meili to follow Yuan.

    Indeed, if Xi Meili chooses to follow Yuan, she will have to leave their side and this world to go to the outside world, where humans are abundant.

    "If anything happens to her outside, we won''t be able to protect her¡­ There''s a reason our ancestors decided to live away from humans in this secluded world. While Yuan may not be a bad person, I''m certain that there are countless humans out there who are filled with evil."

    "It''s not like the world here is all sunshine and rainbows, either¡­" Xi Mingze sighed.

    "I am well aware of that, but at the very least, we can protect her from here, something we cannot do if she leaves our side."

    "When that happens, it will no longer be our job to protect her. It''ll be whomever she decides to follow."

    Xi Shengmo stared at her with a serious expression and asked, "Do you really think he has the power to protect her?"

    Xi Mingze smiled and said, "Did you not notice his cultivation?"

    "What about his cultivation?" Xi Shengmo asked.

    "He''s already a peak Spirit King. Thest time we saw him, he was only a Spirit Grandmaster, and that was a year ago."

    "That''s nothing special at all. There are plenty of people who can breakthrough at that speed."

    "That may be true for the people in the upper heavens, but he started in the Lower Heaven. In fact, we already saw the extent of his potential through the Dragon Awakening Ritual. He lit up all nine pirs! That''s something even our ancestors couldn''t do."

    When Xi Mingze reminded him of such an event, it caused him to go silent, as he couldn''t act like that never happened.

 Chapter 1178 Visiting The Ancestral Dragon Temple Again

    ?1178  Visiting the Ancestral Dragon Temple Again

    While Xi Shengmo and Xi Mingze had their conversation regarding Xi Meili''s future, the specific individual of their topic was walking in the streets with a bright smile on her face that made everyone around her filled with curiosity.

    "I haven''t seen the Princess acting this happy in awhile. Did something happen?"

    "Do you see that young man walking beside her? That''s the human who visited a year ago. Apparently, he''s returned. I would bet my entire fortune that he''s the reason she''s so happy."

    "I heard about him! He''s the human who lit up all nine pirs for the Dragon Awakening Ritual, right?"

    "Yes, he''s that very human."

    "I wonder why he''s returned."

    Meanwhile, Xi Meili asked Yuan, "Hey, do you want to visit the Ancestral Dragon Temple, again?"

    Yuan nodded, "Sure."

    Sometimeter, they arrived at the Ancestral Dragon Temple, where the residents in the city go to train and spar with each other.

    When they arrived, Yuan immediately recognized a few of the faces there, as he''d fought them before.

    "Look! It''s Her Highness, Princess Xi!"

    "Greetings, Princess Xi!"

    Those who were not busy in the arena stopped whatever they were doing to greet her.

    They noticed Yuan''s presence afterward.

    "Hey! Aren''t you that human fromst year?! When did you return!?" One of them recognized Yuan''s appearance.

    The other dragons also started to remember him.

    "I arrived just today." Yuan said with a smile on his face.

    "Is that so? Anyways, wee back, Yuan!"

    "Hahaha! Perfect! Looks like I can finally get my revenge! Fight me, Yuan!"

    "No! Let me fight him first! I''ve been itching for revenge since my defeatst year!"

    Yuan was quickly surrounded by these passionate fighters.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    He tried to calm them down, "Rx, everyone here will get a turn to fight me."

    Xi Meili then asked him, "Do you want the same rules asst time and fight as a Spirit Master?"

    "Let''s increase the limit. I am a peak Spirit King now, after all."

    "Eh?" Xi Meili and the others suddenly became silent.

    "P-Peak Spirit King?" Xi Meili uttered in a dazed voice.

    Xi Meili was so overjoyed by Yuan''s return that she didn''t even notice his cultivation base until he mentioned it.

    As for the others, they weren''t thinking about it until they recalled that he was only a Spirit Grandmaster thest time he visited!

    "Heavens! You''re already a peak Spirit King?! You were only a Spirit Grandmasterst year! How did you improve so fast?!" Xi Meili eximed in a shocked voice after snapping out of her daze.

    "It just happened, I guess¡­" If they knew that Yuan had barely even cultivated to reach that level, not even the Heavens would know how they''d react.

    "As expected of the one who awakened all nine pirs during the Dragon Awakening Ritual¡­ Your talents are quite something¡­"

    Yuan chuckled, "Anyways, I will let my opponents choose the limit this time. I want it to be as fair as possible, after all."

    The dragons there raised their eyebrows, as Yuan made it sound like they were already at a disadvantage.

    Sometimeter, Yuan and one of the dragons there entered the stage while everyone else surrounded the arena.

    "Young man, do you remember me?" Yuan''s opponent suddenly asked once they were both on the stage.

    It took a second, but Yuan nodded, "Yes, I do. You are Long Yanjun, correct? You were also my first match thest time."

    "I''m d that you remember me. Anyways, let''s set the limit to peak Spirit Lord. As for the rules, it''ll be the same as thest time." Long Yanjun said.

    Yuan nodded.

    Since the rules will be the same as theirst fight, neither of them will be using any weapons and will be relying only on their fists.

    Once the formation activated, Yuan''s cultivation lowered to peak Spirit Lord.

    Although the rules were the same, the fight will be vastly different due to the increased cultivation limit.

    For example, since they were limited to Spirit Master before, Long Yanjun wasn''t able to use Qi Manifestation while Yuan could, which became the deciding factor of that fight. However, now that they are both Spirit Lords, Long Yanjun will be able to use Qi Manifestation, and his techniques will be even more powerful in general.

    "I wonst time because I used Qi Manifestation and you couldn''t. Furthermore, you gave me one free strike. This time, I will let you strike first

    ¡ª and I will give you three free strikes." Yuan said, which surprised Long Yanjun and the spectators.

    "Three strikes? Are you serious?" Long Yanjun asked him.

    Yuan nodded with a confident smile.

    Long Yanjun smiled back, "Looks like it wasn''t just your cultivation that changed."

    "Anyways, I ept your offer! And I am going to make you regret it! Here Ie!" Long Yanjun took a deep breath and gathered his spiritual energy before concentrating it at his fist.

    Once he was prepared, Long Yanjun stepped forward and released his explosive attack.

    "Purple Dragon Fist!"

    Yuan stood there with his hands sped behind his back as he calmly watched Long Yanjun''s fist that was covered in a purple aura strike directly in the center of his stomach.

    BOOM!

    A ripple swept the arena as the purple aura from Long Yanjun''s fist exploded outward, entering Yuan''s stomach anding out the back as though it prated through his entire body.

    However, Long Yanjun did not move afterward, and there was a look of clear disbelief on his face.

    ''What the hell?'' He asked himself as his entire arm that was used to strike Yuan trembled from the impact.

    Long Yanjun eventually lowered his arm and took several steps back before lifting his head to look at Yuan in the face. Not only does Yuan lookpletely fine, he even seemed rxed.

    As for Long Yanjun, when he struck Yuan just now, it didn''t feel like he was hitting a human body. Instead, it felt like he''d punched a wall that was entirely made out of diamond, and half of the bones in his hand shattered because of that exchange.

 Chapter 1179 Gods Physique

    ?1179  God''s Physique

    The whole ce turned dead silent after the spectators witnessed what could only be described as puzzling.

    Long Yanjun had clearly struck Yuan square in the stomach, but the person who got hit didn''t even budge an inch, making the spectators feel as though they were just seeing things.

    "That''s one. You have two more free strikes. Take your time." Yuan said a momentter, breaking the silence.

    Long Yanjun stared at Yuan with a dumbfounded face.

    He gritted his teeth and said to himself, ''I don''t believe it! He definitely did something to block my strike just now!''

    Once the injury on his arm recovered, Long Yanjun prepared his second strike, taking much more time to prepare this time.

    After gathering as much spiritual energy as he could into his body, Long Yanjun released a beastly roar before striking Yuan between his chest.

    "Dragon Piercing Thrust!"

    An even stronger force struck Yuan''s body the next second, causing his body to slide back. However, Yuan did not physically take a single step back, and there was not a single discernible injury on his body.

    As for Long Yanjun, his entire right arm was in shambles with his bones snapped and sticking out like some kind of horror scene.

    "A-Are you sure you''re not using a treasure?" Long Yanjun did not want to doubt Yuan''s integrity, but he had no choice but to do so after seeing such puzzling results.

    The spectators also couldn''t help but think the same. Otherwise, the scene before them would not make any sense.

    Yuan smiled and said, "If you think I am secretly using a treasure, you may search my body. I will even take my clothes off afterward."

    Long Yanjun turned to look at the judge and nodded at him.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.

    The judge nodded back before entering the stage and proceeding to search Yuan''s body.

    "He doesn''t have anything on his body." The judge gave his answer shortly after.

    Meanwhile, Yuan removed his clothes until he had nothing but his underwear covering his body.

    Xi Meili could be heard taking a deep breath before gulping down her saliva when she saw Yuan''s refined physique.

    There were several other females watching, and they also had a simr reaction after seeing his perfect physique.

    "I have never seen such a refined body before, and I know dragons who have tempered their bodies every day for over ten thousand years¡­" Someone there said.

    "I think I have read an ancient scroll about a godlike body that defies all logic. If I recall correctly, the humans called it Perfect Physique. However, we call it God''s Physique."

    "God''s Physique?! Are you for real?! He has a God''s Physique?!" Although the dragons didn''t recognize the term Perfect Physique, they were familiar with God''s Physique, as that represented the peak of body temperament for a dragon.

    "I doubt it''s God''s Physique. Perhaps it''s something simr." Someone said, doubting such a im.

    "Nobody has achieved a God''s Physique since the Primordial Era. There''s no way a human of this era could possibly have it."

    While the spectators argued whether Yuan had a God''s Physique or not, Yuan said to Long Yanjun, "One more strike. I won''t mind even if you use a treasure for thest free strike."

    Long Yanjun gritted his teeth. While he knew that Yuan wasn''t purposefully mocking him, he couldn''t help but feel mocked.

    Now that it had reached this point, and he was certain that he wouldn''t get past Yuan''s defenses with his bare hands, Long Yanjun retrieved a pair of massive golden gauntlets and wore them.

    "Don''t regret it now." Long Yanjun said as he stared at Yuan with a serious gaze.

    "I''m ready whenever you are." Yuan smiled.

    Long Yanjun released another loud roar, and scales started appearing on his skin.

    Yuan raised an eyebrow after seeing this, as he has never seen anything like this before.

    Before long, Long Yanjun''s entire body was covered in purple dragon scales, and he even grew a tail. However, he still had a human-like figure.

    "He actually transformed in a fight against a human! Long Yanjun must be feeling really pressured now!"

    The spectators expressed surprise after seeing Long Yanjun''s transformation.

    While the dragons in the Ancient Dragon City prefer to remain in human form for convenience, it also limits their strength. However, they have the ability to transform at any time and enter a state like Long Yanjun currently.

    While in such a state, usually referred to as a half-dragon form, their strength will increase exponentially, as they are essentially unsealing their powers.

    Yuan could sense Long Yanjun''s aura skyrocketing, and it felt like he was before an actual beast instead of a human now.

    An excited smile appeared on Yuan''s face as he wondered how powerful Long Yanjun would be in such a state.

    Once Long Yanjun was prepared, he released his fist and his emotions, letting it fly towards Yuan''s face.

    DONG!

    The impact was so powerful that it shook the entire tform, and Yuan was sent flying to the end of the stage, where he hit an invisible wall that prevented him from leaving the formation.

    ''There''s no way he survived that.'' Long Yanjun thought to himself, feeling relieved.

    However, his heart dropped when he heard the spectators mumbling.

    "No way¡­"

    "How is he still standing?"

    "He definitely has the God''s Physique! I am convinced now!"

    When Long Yanjun looked up, he could see Yuan standing there without even the smallest scratch on his pristine body.

    "That''s three. I will attack now." Yuan said in a calm voice as he approached Long Yanjun, who was too shocked to move.

    After taking a deep breath, Yuan clenched his fist before striking Long Yanjun with Relentless Dragon Overwhelms the Nine Heavens.

    BOOM!

    The force from Yuan''s strike was so powerful that it made Long Yanjun''s body explode into a bloody mess.

    "W-Winner¡ª Yuan!" The judge announced the winner, but everyone was too shocked by what they just witnessed to even react.

 Chapter 1180 Lf You Can Defeat Me, L Will Marry You

    ?1180  If You Can Defeat Me, I Will Marry You

    "Good fight." Yuan extended his hand for a shake after the battle ended and Long Yanjun''s body recovered.

    Long Yanjun epted the shake with a bittersweet smile, and he asked, "Do you really have the God''s Physique? Or what you humans call Perfect Physique."Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    Yuan nodded, "Yes, I have the Perfect Physique."

    He admitted, confirming the spectators'' suspicions.

    "That was amazing, Yuan!" Xi Meili suddenly jumped onto the stage and grabbed his hands.

    "Thatst move you used, was it Relentless Dragon Overwhelms the Nine Heavens?!"

    To Yuan''s surprise, Xi Meili recognized his technique, and she seemed to be more excited about it than his Perfect Physique.

    "Yes, you know of it? Wait. Don''t tell me it''s another technique that only the Royal Dragon Family can learn?" He swallowed nervously.

    Xi Meili chuckled, "No, that''s not it. Relentless Dragon Overwhelms the Nine Heavens is a renowned technique amongst dragons because it used to be the Great One''s signature technique during his prime. Hundreds of stars and countless lives perished before its tyrannical power."

    "I see¡­"

    "What the hell? Not only do you have God''s Physique, but you also know Relentless Dragon Overwhelms the Nine Heavens? Are you actually the Great One''s pupil or something?" Someone there asked him.

    "No, I have never even met the Great One before. I just stumbled upon a few of his legacies, that''s all." Yuan said, downying it.

    "Who cares about any of that?! Yuan! Let''s fight!" Someone else said.

    Yuan nodded, "Sure."

    This person immediately jumped onto the stage, and once again, it was a face that Yuan remembered.

    "You are Xing Chongzhi, right?" Yuan asked.

    "You are correct, and I would like a rematch." Xing Chongzhi pointed his red sword at Yuan''s face.

    "Where should we limit our cultivation?"

    "First level Spirit King." Xing Chongzhi responded.

    "Then the rules will be the same asst time." Yuan said as he retrieved his Empyrean Overlord.

    ''I won thest time because I took him by surprise with Dragon''s Gaze. This time, I will only rely on my sword.'' Yuan thought to himself.

    The match started shortly after, and their swords immediately shed with each other.

    "If you cannd your de on my neck, I will consider it my defeat, as your sword won''t be able to prate my skin." Yuan said as he parried all of Xing Chongzhi''s attacks.

    "We shall see about that!" Xing Chongzhi shouted as he covered his sword with Sword Aura.

    Seeing this, Yuan also brought forth his Sword Aura.

    "..."

    Xing Chongzhi immediately began sweating when he sensed how powerful Yuan''s Sword Aura waspared to his own.

    "Looks like you''ve also improved your Sword Aura¡­"

    A year ago, Yuan''s Sword Aura was only slightly superiorpared to Xing Chongzhi''s Sword Aura. However, Yuan''s Sword Aura has improved so much since then that Xing Chongzhi could not even hope topare anymore.

    Of course, this wasn''t even Yuan''s full strength, as he still had Enhanced Sword Aura, which might shatter Xing Chongzhi''s will to fight the moment he uses it, hence why he decided to keep it hidden for now.

    Seeing Xing Chongzhi''s nervous expression, Yuan smiled and actually weakened his own Sword Aura until it matched Xing Chongzhi''s Sword Aura.

    "I want to defeat you with my sword techniques, not through brute strength." Yuan said to him.

    Xing Chongzhi couldn''t help butugh, and he said, "Alright. Let''s see what else you''ve learned!"

    The two of them would go on to exchange hundreds of sword techniques for an hour straight until Yuan eventually bested Xing Chongzhi without using any actual techniques, relying only on his sword and his experience with it.

    "Winner¡ª Yuan!" The judge announced.

    "I know you already know this, but you''ve really improved a lot. Although you were powerful back then, you weren''t as precise and skillful with the sword. Experience was the only thing you trulycked, but that is no longer the case. Of course, there is still a lot of room for improvements¡ª for both of us."

    After defeating Xing Chongzhi, Yuan continued to spar with everyone that challenged him. In the end, Yuan fought with everyone at the Ancestral Dragon Temple.

    "Is there anyone else that wishes to fight?" Yuan looked around to see if there were more challengers, but nobody stepped onto the stage.

    "I guess this is it¡ª"

    "Wait."

    A clear voice resounded as a figure leaped onto the stage, facing Yuan with a smile on her face.

    "Just like thest time, I shall be yourst match." Xi Meili said.

    Yuan then asked, "Same rules?"

    "Same rules. As for our cultivation, since this is a test of our Soul Strength, our cultivation won''t matter, so we can leave it untouched."

    Yuan nodded, "Alright. Then whenever you are ready."

    The smile on Xi Meili''s face suddenly disappeared, and she became extremely serious and focused.

    After witnessing Yuan''s improvements in so many different ways, she fully expected him to have improved his Soul Strength as well, so she couldn''t go easy on him like she didst time.

    "Then on the count to three. One¡­ two¡­ three!"

    They activated their Dragon''s Gaze at the same time, creating a powerful pressure around the stage.

    And just likest time, Xi Meili slowly increased the strength of her Dragon''s Gaze as she approached Yuan.

    But unlikest time, Yuan didn''t seem to be struggling even in the slightest. His face was perfectly tranquil, perhaps even rxed.

    Seeing this, Xi Meili skipped several levels and greatly increased the strength of her Dragon''s Gaze until she was using about 70 percent of her Soul Strength.

    However, her efforts resulted in nothing but a smile on Yuan''s face.

    Seeing how little her Dragon''s Gaze affected Yuan, Xi Meili couldn''t help but feel a little nervous.

    But she eventually smiled and said, "Since the rules are the same, I will repeat what I saidst time as well¡­"

    "Yuan, if you can defeat me, I will marry you."

    When Xi Meili said such wordsst time, Yuan didn''t hear it because he was too focused on resisting her Dragon''s Gaze. But now that he could easily resist it, he had plenty of room to focus on other things, such as her speech.

    "Eh?"

    Yuan uttered in a dumbfounded tone as his calm face turned into one that was filled with surprise.

 Chapter 1181 Defeating Xi Meili

    ?1181  Defeating Xi Meili

    Seeing Yuan''s surprised reaction, Xi Meili couldn''t help but blush a little.

    "Why are you acting like that now? You didn''t even react to it thest time I said it."

    "You said that during ourst match as well?" Yuan was surprised to hear this since he doesn''t recall it and he has an amazing memory.

    "Don''t tell me¡­ you didn''t hear it?" Xi Meili was speechless, but this exined hisck of reaction, something she would think about from time to time.

    "Sorry¡­" Yuan could only apologize to her.

    "Don''t worry about it."

    And she continued, "But don''t think I will go easy on you because I want to marry you!"

    Xi Meili increased her Dragon''s Gaze strength all the way to its limit, her golden eyes glistening like jewels under sunlight.

    Unfortunately, it had no effect on Yuan, who had vastly superior Soul Strength.

    Not wanting topletely humiliate Xi Meili in front of so many people, Yuan would slowly increase his Dragon''s Gaze strength.

    "..."

    Xi Meili could feel an invisible pressure that was not there before slowly enveloping her body, pressing down on her body and making it difficult for her to breathe.

    ''This is¡­ I am losing to his Dragon''s Gaze?'' Xi Meili almost couldn''t believe it.

    A year ago, she easily dominated Yuan with half of her full strength, so how did she be weaker than him in such a short time? Since time flowed differently for her, it felt even shorter than what humans would normally feel.

    This made her wonder if the difference between someone who awakened seven pirs and someone who awakened all nine pirs was truly that vast, as it was like heaven and earth.

    Eventually, Xi Meili could no longer endure it any longer and lost consciousness for a moment.

    During that brief moment of unconsciousness, she fell right into Yuan''s arms, who was prepared to catch her before she even closed her eyes.

    The entire ce became dead silent as every soul there witnessed Xi Meili lose for the first time¡­ ever.

    And it was even in her specialty¡ª Soul Strength.Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    Yuan held onto Xi Meili''s soft body until she recovered her consciousness.

    "So you defeated me¡­" Xi Meili mumbled as she continued to rely on Yuan''s body for support, almost as though she didn''t want to move.

    After taking a moment to process her defeat, Xi Meili said, "Alright. Since you won, I''m going to marry you now."

    "What about your arranged marriage?" He asked with a stiff smile.

    "Like I''d already said, it''s not an arranged marriage! We are not even engaged!" she said with a slight frown on her face.

    Since this appeared to be a family problem, Yuan decided not to intervene too much, and he still wasn''t sure if Xi Meili was joking about marrying him or not, as she was the type to make these kinds of jokes without batting an eye.

    "Anyways, I am getting hungry. Wanna grab something to eat? It''ll be my treat." She asked him.

    Yuan couldn''t refuse free food and immediately nodded, "Sure."

    After saying goodbye to the dragons in the Ancestral Dragon Temple, Yuan followed Xi Meili to get some food.

    Meanwhile, the dragons continued to talk about Yuan and Xi Meili''s rtionship even long after they were gone.

    "So the rumors were true! That Princess Xi is in love with that human!"

    "What about the Azure Dragon Family? I heard that they have been sending a lot of gifts to the Xi Dragon Family recently."

    "Isn''t that just the Azure Dragon Family trying to court her? I don''t think they''re in that kind of rtionship yet, especially since there''s no official news."

    "I have a feeling that something big will happen soon¡­"

    After leaving the Ancestral Dragon Temple, Yuan and Xi Meili visited many restaurants and food stalls, filling their stomachs whilepletely forgetting that there was a feast waiting for them back home.

    "The food in this ce is truly unique. I doubt I will be able to find this food in the outside world." Yuan sighed as he finished hisst te of food.

    "If you live here, you will be able to eat it every day." Xi Meili said in a joking tone.

    "As good as that sounds, I have a lot of work outside." Yuan still answered her seriously.

    "Hmmm¡­" Xi Meili suddenly started staring at him intensively.

    "I am just noticing this now that we are sitting down and rxing, but you have really matured a lotpared tost year. You no longer seem as ignorant, either."

    He smiled, "I will take that as apliment."

    After another moment of silence, Xi Meili opened her mouth again, but she was more serious this time.

    "Hey¡­ I don''t think I have heard your response yet. I was serious when I said that I want to marry you. Or are you against it because I am not human?"

    Due to the heavy subject, Yuan couldn''t give an immediate response and had to take a long moment to think about it.

    "This matter¡­ I believe it is bigger than just the both of us. Of course, I don''t have any issue with you not being a human. Unfortunately, I have zero experience when ites to marriage, so I cannot give you a satisfactory response."

    "Then ignoring all of the other details, would you be willing to marry me? I will follow you to the outside world if I have to." Xi Meili said with tightly grasped hands.

    "If I ignore everything, then I wouldn''t mind marrying you. However, there are things that I cannot ignore, so I wouldn''t be able to do so."

    After all, he already has two official partners. If he really had to consider marriage with someone else, he''d need their opinion on the matter as well.

    "Is that so¡­" Xi Meili turned silent after hearing Yuan''s unofficial rejection.

    ''As I thought, it''s a little too early to be talking about marriage to someone who I''ve only recently met.'' Xi Meili never thought she''d be rejected by the opposite sex, but she also realized her own rashness and pondered upon it.

 Chapter 1182 Boss

    ?1182  Boss Property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    "Alright, let''s return home now." Xi Meili said to Yuan after they finished eating at their 6th restaurant.

    "Okay."

    Despite being rejected, Xi Meili did not feel dispirited at all. In fact, she felt even more motivated to marry him. Dragons are highly prideful and stubborn creatures, especially someone as positive as Xi Meili.

    ''Since we''ve only known each other for a short time, all I need to do is increase that time! And the more time you spend with someone, the more likely they will grow attracted to you!''

    Sometimeter, they returned to the pce, where a massive feast was waiting for them.

    "Uh¡­" Xi Meili stood before a long table that was filled with food, and on her face was a nervous smile that one would make when they realized that they''d screwed up.

    Since they came straight from the restaurant, their body still lingered with the aroma of food from that ce, and Xi Mingze could smell it even before she saw them.

    "I recall telling you that we would be having a feastter, yet you''ve stuffed yourself with food right beforeing back? Are you purposefully being defiant?" Xi Mingze red at Xi Meili with narrowed eyes.

    "I-It''s a misunderstanding! Ipletely forgot about it after an intense fight with Yuan!" Xi Meili quickly tried to exin herself.

    "You two fought?" Xi Shengmo raised an eyebrow.

    She nodded, "At the Ancestral Dragon Temple. We went therest year, as well."

    Xi Mingze sighed, and she turned to look at Yuan with an apologetic smile on her face, "I''m sorry if she was rough on you. She can be inconsiderate at times."

    Xi Meili frowned at her mother''s words that implied she had bullied Yuan on the stage when it was theplete opposite.

    "Hey! That''s not fair! I did no such thing! In fact, I lost to him!"

    "What?" Xi Shengmo looked at her with wide eyes.

    Although Xi Meili was the youngest in the family, she was much stronger than her older brother, Xi Murong, and her Soul Strength was stronger than her parents when they were at her age.

    "It''s true. And it was a fight using only our Soul Strength. Yuan is much stronger than he looks." Xi Meili said.

    "¡­"

    Xi Shengmo and Xi Mingze turned to look at Yuan with pondering faces.

    Sure enough, Yuan didn''t appear to be anything special at nce, but if they tried to look deeper, they would realize that they couldn''t see the extent of his strength.

    ''He''s only a Spirit King, so why can''t I fathom his strength? It feels like I am weaker than him despite having a superior cultivation.'' Xi Shengmo thought to himself.

    Of course, he didn''t believe that he was weaker than Yuan, who was not even a hundred years old. Not only does he have more experience than Yuan, he also lived for much longer. Furthermore, he was a Divine Beast with a royal bloodline.

    It was simply unthinkable that he would be weaker than a human.

    Xi Mingze had simr thoughts even though she was weaker than Xi Shengmo.

    "Ahem." A voice suddenly broke the awkward silence.

    "Hey, Boss, since you just ate, how about a quick spar with me to empty your stomach?"

    Everyone in the room turned to look at Xi Murong, who just spoke.

    "Boss?" Yuan raised an eyebrow.

    Then Yuan recalled that Xi Murong had stated that he would address him as ''Boss'' if he surpassed Xi Murong''s record of seven pirs at the ritualst year.

    Though, Yuan wasn''t expecting Xi Murong to keep his words.

    "Pfttt¡­" Xi Meili couldn''t help but chuckle after hearing such a worde out of Xi Murong''s mouth, as it sounded very out of character.

    Xi Murong endured it and spoke again, "So what do you say?"

    Yuan nodded with a smile, "Sure."

    Xi Shengmo and Xi Mingze exchanged nces with each other, but neither of them opened their mouths. They were also curious about Yuan''s prowess.

    Although Xi Murong may not be as strong as his younger sister in terms of Soul Strength, he was actually slightly more experienced than her inbat, especially since he has been training his butt off after meeting Yuan.

    Sometimeter, everyone gathered behind the pce in the training ground, where a stage that functioned like the ones at the Ancestral Dragon Temple was located in the center.

    "What are the rules?" Yuan asked him.

    "First one to surrender or ''dies'' loses. We can use any weapon we want. As for our cultivation, I will suppress it to match yours." Xi Murong said.

    Yuan then said, "Sounds good, but you don''t need to match my cultivation. My cultivation is a little deceiving, after all."

    "If you say so."

    Xi Murong''s cultivation was at the Sixth Level Spirit Emperor. Logically speaking, a cultivator at the peak of Spirit King wouldn''t be able to touch someone at Xi Murong''s level. Despite that, Yuan didn''t feel the slightest pressure as he stood before his opponent.

    Yuan retrieved his Empyrean Overlord. Meanwhile, Xi Murong took out a golden spear from his spatial ring.

    "A spear, huh?"

    "Spear is our family''s speciality." Xi Murong said.

    Once they were prepared, Xi Murong moved first by thrusting his spear at Yuan''s head.

    The speed of the strike was insanely fast¡ª so fast that it didn''t even look like Xi Murong moved.

    However, in Yuan''s eyes, it was as slow as a snail.

    After dodging it with ease, Yuan didn''t immediately strike back. Instead, he waited for Xi Murong''s next strike, almost as though he was evaluating Xi Murong''s strength.

    "..."

    Xi Shengmo and Xi Mingze did not miss Yuan''s intentions, and they were in disbelief.

    ''He''s actually testing Xi Murong? When he''s half a realm lower in cultivation?'' Xi Shengmo was bing more and more intrigued by Yuan''s full strength.

    Unbeknownst to him, even Yuan doesn''t know the extent of his full strength at this moment, as he has yet to find himself in a situation where he needs it.

 Chapter 1183 Unable To Land A Single Hit

    ?1183  Unable to Land a Single Hit

    ''Fuck! No matter how much I try, I cannot reach him with my spear! Just how is he that strong at that cultivation level?!'' Xi Murong cursed inwardly, feeling more and more frustrated every time Yuan dodged his strike.

    [Dragon Shockwave!]

    Xi Murong''s spear trembled slightly as it glowed a subtle red light. Its wielder then aimed it at Yuan''s body, and the illusion of a golden dragon suddenly appeared behind Xi Murong.

    Seeing this, Yuan used the tip of his sword to block the spear, but it didn''t block the impact, and he could feel a strong force enter his body, threatening to blow up his body from the insides, but it was only able to vibrate his bones slightly.

    ''H-He withstood the shockwave? What''s his body made of?'' Xi Murong was in disbelief, as Dragon Shockwave specializes in internal damage.

    "Is this all you''ve got?" Yuan suddenly said. "Why don''t you transform already? I want to see it."

    "I don''t need to transform to deal with you!" Xi Murong gritted his teeth, bing more aggressive in his attacks.

    Unfortunately, no matter how passionate he felt, he was still unable tond a single hit on Yuan.

    In the end, Xi Murong decided to toss away his pride to transform. Golden scales began covering his body, and he grew a thick tail. His aura grew exponentially, and his cultivation even increased by three levels, reaching the peak of Spirit Emperor.

    "That''s more like it." An excited smile appeared on Yuan''s face.

    Once he was prepared, Xi Murong struck again. His spear flew at the speed of light, leaving a golden trail of light behind.

    Whoosh!

    ''Whoa!''

    Yuan cried inwardly as he narrowly dodged the strike.

    Xi Murong''s speed had surpassed his expectation.

    Seeing this, Yuan no longer held back and started fighting Xi Murong more seriously.

    The two of them would exchange hundreds of strikes with each other in just a few minutes.

    Even though Xi Murong managed to make Yuan fight seriously, it was clear to everyone watching that he was still unable to defeat Yuan.

    "Unbelievable¡­ He''s actually holding on against Xi Murong in his transformed state." Xi Meili muttered in an amazed voice.

    "He''s doing more than that. Xi Murong still cannotnd a hit despite transforming. The gap in their strength is too much. Xi Murong won''t defeat him." Xi Shengmo shook his head.

    "Seeing them fight like this is also making my blood boil." Xi Mingze said with a slight smile on her face.

    "You want to fight a human who''s only a Spirit King? Never thought I''d hear such a thing from you." Xi Shengmo said to her without taking his eyes off the stage.

    "Only a Spirit King? How can you say that after seeing his strength? He''s obviously more than just a Spirit King¡ª perhaps even more than just a human, as well." Xi Mingze sighed.

    "..." Xi Shengmo became speechless.

    Sometimeter, Xi Murong fell on his knees with Yuan''s sword prating his chest and a look of disbelief on his face.

    He was unable tond a single hit on Yuan until the very end.

    "It was a good fight." Yuan said to him, who remained silent.

    A momentter, Xi Murong asked in a low voice, "Did you consume it¡­?"

    "What are you talking about?" Yuan raised an eyebrow.

    "The Dragon Ancestor''s blood essence. It would only make sense for you to be that strong if you consumed it."

    "Oh, you''re talking about that. Nope. I still have it."

    The look of disbelief on Xi Murong''s face became clearer.

    "A-Are you serious? You haven''t consumed it yet? Then how are you this strong as a Spirit King?"

    Not just Xi Murong, but his entire family was shocked to learn that Yuan has yet to consume the Dragon Ancestor''s blood essence, as they all assumed that he''d already consumed it.

    ''He hasn''t consumed the Ancestor''s blood essence? Then where else does he get his strength from?'' Xi Shengmo pondered.

    Xi Mingze suddenly stepped forward and spoke, "Yuan, I can tell from the spar that you''re not fully satisfied. Your eyes also tell me that you have a natural desire forbat, so how would you like to spar with me next?"

    "Eh?" Xi Meili and Xi Murong looked at their mother with wide eyes, not daring to believe their ears.

    "You want to spar with me?" Yuan asked for confirmation.

    Xi Mingze nodded with a smile, "You see, I rarely get the chance to stretch my limbs anymore because of my position. And while I may not seem like it, I used to pick fights with anyone that seemed even a little challenging. That''s how I met my husband, as well."

    ''Sparring with a Spirit Sovereign, huh?'' Yuan would be lying if he said that he wasn''t interested. However, he had a feeling that he wouldn''t be satisfied fighting someone like her on such a small stage.

    He then asked, "Do you have a ce where we can let loose without worrying about the environment? I have a feeling that I won''t be able to go easy on you."

    Xi Mingze chuckled, "Of course. There is plenty of space outside the city. However, it will take some time to set up the arena."

    "I don''t mind waiting if it''s not too long."Property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    "It won''t. I can have it set up by tomorrow. This will give us time to prepare ourselves, too." Xi Mingze said.

    Yuan nodded.

    "Ahem." Xi Shengmo cleared his throat in a subtle manner.

    "What is it?" Xi Mingze looked at him with raised eyebrows.

    "What are you trying to do? I doubt it''s as simple as wanting to spar with him." He asked for her motives.

    "I don''t know what you are talking about. I am just genuinely curious about his strength." Xi Mingze said with a profound smile on her face.

    "Yuan is going to spar with mother¡­?" Xi Meili still couldn''t believe it.

    "Anyways, let''s return to the pce. There''s a feast waiting for us." Xi Mingze said to everyone there a momentter.

 Chapter 1184 Sparring With the Dragon Empress

    Chapter 1184 Sparring With the Dragon Empress

    Once they were seated, Yuan immediately began stuffing his face with food.

    "Wow¡­ It''s almost like you never ate beforeing back¡­" Xi Meili mumbled in a dazed voice as she watched Yuan eat like he was starving.

    Unbeknownst to Xi Meili, Yuan wasn''t full even at the end of their food tour and could''ve easily eaten more without sparring with Xi Murong.

    As they ate, Xi Meili, who was sitting next to Yuan, said to him, "You know, my mother used to be called the Uncontroble Beast because she would pick fights with everyone."

    "H-Hey!" Xi Mingze blushed when Xi Meili brought up her embarrassing past.

    "What? You already mentioned it. Might as well tell him about the rest." Xi Meili shrugged.

    "Boss, how do you usually train?" Xi Murong asked him.

    "Do you have to call me boss? I know you said you''d do it, but I really don''t care."

    "I am not going back on my words, regardless of your feelings." Xi Murong said in a stern voice.

    Yuan sighed inwardly, then he said, "I don''t really have a training routine."

    "Impossible! Are you telling me that you got to where you currently are without training?!"

    "I''m not saying I don''t train. I just don''t have a set routine. I get my experience through actualbat." Yuan said.

    "The Young Master is a prodigy that makes other geniuses look like ordinary humans. He can learn anything with a nce and soaks up experiences like a dry sponge." Feng Yuxiang said in a prideful manner, almost as though she was bragging about her own son.

    "Well, since we are here, why don''t we decide the rules for our match now?" Xi Mingze suddenly said.

    Yuan pondered for a moment before speaking, "How about no rules? I''d like to fight Madam without any advantages, just like a real fight."

    A delighted smile appeared on Xi Mingze''s face after hearing his words, "You are a true warrior. Then I shall fulfill your desires and fight you without holding back."

    Yuan nodded.

    "Why don''t we make the match a little more exciting?" Xi Meili suddenly said, and she continued, "Let''s have a bet."

    "What do you have in mind?" Xi Mingze asked.

    Xi Meili pondered for a moment before speaking, "I will bet on Yuan''s victory. If he wins, you will let me bring him with me to the Azure Dragon City withoutining."

    "You''re betting on my defeat? How daring. Then what will happen if I win?" Xi Mingze narrowed her eyes.

    "If your mother wins, you will seriously consider the arrangement with the Azure Dragon Family." Xi Shengmo interrupted.

    "Sure." Xi Meili responded without hesitation since Xi Shengmo didn''t say anything about agreeing to the arrangements.

    As for Xi Shengmo, he had absolute confidence in his wife''s victory, so he didn''t make any unreasonable demands.

    After a long feast, Xi Mingze said to Yuan, "Get some good rest tonight. The arena should be ready by noon."

    "Okay."

    Sometimeter, Yuan entered his room and asked the others through divine sense, "Do you think I will be able to defeat a Spirit Sovereign?"

    "Well¡­ She''s not just a Spirit Sovereign but a peak Spirit Sovereign. And she''s a Divine Beast. It''ll be a hard battle even for someone like you, Young master." Feng Yuxiang gave her opinion.

    "Noment from me." Lan Yingying said, as shecked the experience.

    "Brother Yuan will defeat her. Definitely." Xiao Hua said in a confident voice.

    "I think the best chance you''ll have at defeating her is to go all-out from the beginning. The longer the fight, the lower your chance at victory." Feng Yuxiang then said.

    "That makes sense, but I am not fighting her just for the sake of winning. I am fighting her for the experience. Of course, I still want to win, but I''m just not desperate for it."

    The following day, after breakfast, Xi Mingze said, "The arena is prepared. When do you wish to fight?" Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    "I can do it right now." Yuan said.

    "Very well. Follow me."

    They all left the city shortly after.

    Sometimeter, they stopped about several hundred miles away from the city. At their location, there was nothing but clouds below their feet.

    "We will be able to let loose here without needing to worry about damaging our surroundings." Xi Mingze said to him.

    Yuan looked around and asked, "Is this ce protected by the same formation that protects the stage?"

    She nodded, "That''s correct, but it''s muchrger than the ones back in the city. The formation is about 100 miles in diameter with our current location as the center. We should have plenty of room to move around."

    Xi Shengmo then said with a bittersweet smile on his face, "You should also know that it requires a tremendous amount of resources to put up such a massive formation. This fight wasn''t cheap¡ª several billion spirit stones."

    "Billions¡­?" Yuan was speechless.

    "Don''t worry about it, since I was the one who requested this fight." Xi Mingze chuckled.

    "Are you two ready to fight?" Xi Shengmo then asked.

    "I am." Yuan nodded.

    Xi Mingze also nodded.

    Xi Shengmo looked at the others and said to them, "Let''s get out of their way."

    Once everyone besides Yuan and Xi Mingze was out of the formation, Yuan retrieved his Empyrean Overlord.

    Xi Mingze also retrieved her weapon. It was a golden spear that had a realistic dragon coiled around the whole handle.

    "Do you know what this is?" Xi Mingze asked him.

    Yuan narrowed his eyes on the spear. It seemed like an ordinary treasure, as it did not emit any unique aura, yet it had this familiar feeling to it.

    "Is that a Soul Weapon?" Yuan asked.

    She nodded, "That''s right. It''s our family''s heirloom, the Dragon''s Soul. Unfortunately, I am not its master, so I won''t be able to use its abilities. And if you are worried that I am trying to handicap myself, I will let you know that even though I cannot use it to its full potential, it is still an excellent weapon that surpasses even Ancient-grade treasures."

 Chapter 1185 Sparring With the Dragon Empress(2)

    Chapter 1185 Sparring With the Dragon Empress(2)

    "Whenever you are ready, Yuan. As your Senior, I will let you make the first move." Xi Mingze said to him as she stood tall, her aura oozing with confidence.

    Yuan nodded and said, "Then I will begin now."

    Since his opponent was two entire realms above his cultivation, Yuan did not have the leisure to go easy like he did with Xi Murong and many others, so he went all out from the beginning.

    A tyrannical aura filled the area as Yuan''s spiritual energy gushed outward, causing the atmosphere to immediately change.

    Xi Mingze''s eyes widened with shock when she felt how much spiritual energy Yuan''s body contained.

    ''How can a mere Spirit King release this much spiritual energy?! That is impossible!'' She cried inwardly, as she was truly shocked by what she was witnessing.

    Xi Shengmo and the others were utterly speechless.

    "He has enough spiritual energy to match a Spirit Sovereign when he''s only a Spirit King! How does that make any sense?!" Xi Shengmo eximed.

    "He had this much power this whole time?" Xi Murong was baffled. He didn''t think Yuan could be hiding so much power.

    ''Yuan¡­'' Xi Meili''s eyes were glued to Yuan''s handsome figure, her gaze filled with admiration.

    In fact, Yuan''s aura was so powerful that it could be felt from hundreds of miles away by the residents of Ancient Dragon City.

    "Is that Her Majesty, Empress Xi? Did her match with that human start already?"

    "As expected of Her Majesty, her aura is so powerful that we can feel it from here."

    "No¡­ I don''t think that''s Empress Xi''s aura¡­"

    The Xi Family had notified its residents of Xi Mingze and Yuan''s match ahead of time so they wouldn''t panic if their fight caused any disturbance.

    Many people mistook Yuan''s aura for Xi Mingze''s aura, as nobody could imagine a Spirit King having this much power.

    Meanwhile, Xi Mingze clenched her fists with an excited smile on her face.

    "How long has it been since my blood boiled like this? I''m really looking forward to this fight, Yuan."

    Shortly after releasing his aura, Yuan used his movements technique to close their distance almost instantly. Property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    "Ha!"

    Yuan swung the Empyrean Overlord at Xi Mingze''s head, its de gushing with Sword Aura.

    ng!

    Xi Mingze managed to block the strike with her spear that was covered in Spear Aura, but she was still getting pushed back by the tremendous force of the sh.

    ''What a heavy strike! He''s a human, but he has the strength of a dragon!'' Xi Mingze didn''t expect to be pushed back by Yuan so easily.

    After taking a quick breath, Xi Mingze tightened her grasp on the spear before swinging back, sending Yuan flying backwards.

    However, Yuan still managed to maintain his bnce as he flew back. But before he could stabilize himself, Xi Mingze flew at him with her spear already in a swinging motion.

    ng!

    Sparks of their weapon aura scattered when their weapons collided with each other for a second time.

    This time, Xi Mingze did not get pushed back by Yuan, and they were both basically on equal footing at this moment.

    The two of them would exchange hundreds of blows with each other over the next several minutes, and neither of them tried to overpower the other, almost as though they wanted to enjoy the moment.

    Since it''s basically impossible for Yuan to find a worthy opponent at his level that could give him a satisfying experience, he must resort to fighting those who are far superior, but he has more chance of finding treasures than to find someone like that in the Third Heaven.

    As for Xi Mingze, she rarely has the chance to use her strength nowadays, so she also did not want the fight to end too soon.

    In the end, Yuan and Xi Mingze spent almost half a day just exchanging blows with each other without using any techniques besides their weapon aura.

    "I''m going to step it up a notch now, Yuan!" Xi Mingze warned him before she started using techniques.

    "Let me see how you will defend this! Golden Falling Stars!"

    Xi Mingze flew high into the sky as she held the Dragon''s Soul above her head.

    The Dragon''s Soul emanated a golden shine that illuminated the sky. Then, thousands of Dragon''s Souls materialized in the sky, threatening to rain down upon Yuan.

    This technique reminded Yuan of his Ten Thousand Ghost des technique, so he immediately retrieved his second Soul Weapon, Starry Abyss, and used Ten Thousand Ghost des to clone it ten thousand times.

    Xi Mingze sucked in a breath of cold air when ten thousand Starry Abyss pointed at her in the sky, threatening to shoot her down.

    ''He has a second Soul Weapon?!'' She cried inwardly.

    However, she didn''t have the time to be distracted by this fact.

    The next moment, Xi Mingze released her Dragon''s Souls, and thousands upon thousands of golden spears fell from the sky like shooting stars.

    Yuan alsomanded his ten thousand Starry Abyss to attack.

    The Dragon''s Souls and Starry Abyss shed with each other as though they were at war.

    Very quickly, it was clear that the Starry Abyss was weaker than the Dragon''s Soul, as it required three to four Starry Abyss to destroy a single Dragon''s Soul.

    Because of this, one would expect Yuan to be overwhelmed soon by Xi Mingze''s technique.

    However, even though Yuan''s Starry Abyss was weaker than the Dragon''s Soul, his massive pool of Soul Strength made up for it in quantity. Whenever a Starry Abyss is destroyed, Yuan would simply make more.

    Xi Mingze wasn''t able to do this, as she couldn''t recreate the destroyed Dragon''s Soul one by one and needed to recast the entire technique if she wanted to create more, which would consume too much spiritual energy.

    Eventually, Yuan destroyed all of the Dragon''s Souls.

    "Now it''s my turn." Yuan said as he looked at Xi Mingze with a profound smile on his face.

    Xi Mingze smiled back as she wondered what kind of surprise he''ll give her this time.

 Chapter 1186 Sparring With The Dragon Empress(3)

    ?1186  Sparring With the Dragon Empress(3)

    ''Since I don''t want to end this too quickly, let''s start out with something small.'' Yuan thought to himself as his Sword Aura grew exponentially before disappearing suddenly, which puzzled Xi Mingze, who thought he had withdrawn his Sword Aura for some reason.

    [Vanishing Ghost''s Soundless de!]

    Xi Mingze''s instincts tingled, and she instinctively raised her spear in front of her.

    ng!

    Before she could even see the attack, Xi Mingze was pushed back by a tremendous yet invisible force that struck her spear.

    ''What was that just now?!'' Xi Mingze looked down at her hands that were still trembling.

    It was clearly a sword technique, but she couldn''t sense any Sword Aura from it, and an ordinary sword technique couldn''t have possibly pushed her back.

    There was only one possibility that she could think of, which baffled her when she came to realization.

    "Enhanced Sword Aura¡­?" She muttered in disbelief.

    "You have reached the level of Enhanced Sword Aura?!" She had to confirm it.

    Yuan responded with a smile, "I learned it recently."

    "..."

    Xi Mingze hovered in the air with a dazed look on her face.

    ''How old is he again? I am almost 300,000 years old, yet I am barely scratching the surface of Enhanced Spear Aura!''

    In the entire Ancient Dragon City, there was not a single individual who could use Enhanced Weapon Aura despite their long lives, hence why Xi Mingze did not immediately notice it.

    "He knows Enhanced Sword Aura¡­?" Xi Shengmo and the others were just as shocked.

    ''Just how much more power is he hiding in that young body?'' Xi Meili swallowed nervously.

    "Here Ie, Madam!" Yuan warned her before flying towards her with his sword imbued with Enhanced Sword Aura.

    "!!!"

    Since Xi Mingze did not know Enhanced Spear Aura, she had no way to really defend against Yuan''s attacks, so she could only resort to avoiding them entirely.

    She wanted toin that it wasn''t fair, but she was fighting someone two realms below her in cultivation, so she felt that she had no right toin.

    [Fleeting Clouds!]

    Xi Mingze utilized her movement technique, moving so quickly that she would leave behind afterimages that would turn into clouds when Yuan struck them.

    ''This isn''t good. I cannot let him chase me around any longer, or I will really lose. Let''s get serious now!''

    Xi Mingze''s eyes suddenly glowed bright gold, and Yuan could feel an immense pressure appear around him.

    ''Dragon''s Gaze!'' Yuan wanted topare her Dragon''s Gaze with Xi Meili, so he purposefully stared into her eyes.

    In Yuan''s eyes, the world suddenly turned dark, and he could see a massive dragon''s eyes that covered the entire sky staring down at him.

    Even with his tremendous Soul Strength, he could feel an indescribable sense of fear deep in his heart.

    Compared to Xi Meili, Xi Mingze''s Dragon''s Gaze was countless times stronger.

    If it weren''t for Heaven''s Indomitable Soul, he would''ve fallen to her Dragon''s Gaze at this moment.

    ''He''s actually resisting my Dragon''s Gaze? Just how much Soul Strength does he have?!'' Xi Mingze was truly shocked to the core this time, even though she was only using about a quarter of her Soul Strength.Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    While highly unlikely, it wasn''t impossible for a young person to learn Enhanced Weapon Aura if they have tremendous talent, but Soul Strength wasn''t something that could be gained through pure talent.

    Even geniuses must slowly train their Soul Strength, some faster than others because of a superior Soul Cultivation Technique, but the chances of someone having more Soul Strength than an expert from thousands of years ago was zero. And while there are treasures that increase one''s Soul Strength out there, they are exceedingly rare and not enough to fill such a big gap.

    This time, Xi Mingze did not believe that Yuan had enough Soul Strength to rival her, so she believed there to be another reason why he could resist her Dragon''s Gaze.

    ''He must be resisting it with the help of a powerful spiritual treasure!'' She thought to herself.

    Even if Yuan defeated Xi Meili in Soul Strength, they only had a difference of about 10,000 years. Meanwhile, Xi Mingze had over 300,000 years to train her Soul Strength.

    This is also why Xi Mingze did not use all of her Soul Strength with her Dragon''s Gaze, as it was no different than cheating for an easy victory.

    "Madam, is this the best you''ve got?" Yuan suddenly said to her with a provocative smile on his face.

    "..."

    An annoyed smile appeared on Xi Mingze''s face, and she mumbled, "You asked for it. Don''t regret itter."

    Xi Mingze increased the output of her Dragon''s Gaze to half of her Soul Strength.

    The pressure around Yuan increased tremendously, but it was still endurable.

    "There''s no way he''s less than a hundred years old¡­" Xi Shengmo muttered with a dazed expression on his face.

    "He''s resisting Mother''s Dragon''s Gaze¡­?" Although Xi Meili didn''t know how much strength Xi Mingze was putting into her Dragon''s gaze, she personally wouldn''t be able to resist even 10 percent of her mother''s power.

    Xi Shengmo, on the other hand, could tell, hence his shock.

    ''Half of my Soul Strength isn''t enough to subdue a human that''s not even a hundred years old¡­?'' Xi Mingze could feel her pride shattering into countless pieces.

    Xi Mingze gritted her teeth in frustration, and the purpose of their spar suddenly changed for her. It was no longer about testing Yuan''s prowess. She wanted to fight him for real. She wanted to defeat the anomaly before her!

    The atmosphere around Xi Mingze suddenly began to change, and the sky in a hundred-mile radius turned gray, almost as though a storm wasing.

    "Don''t tell me she''s going to transform?!" Xi Shengmo couldn''t believe his eyes.

    As Xi Mingze increased the intensity of her Dragon''s Gaze, golden scales began appearing on her body, as well as horns and a tail.

    Her heart throbbed with excitement, and she felt like she had gone back to the time when she was still challenging every warrior she encountered.

    "Hahahah! This is fun! I haven''t felt this alive in a long, long time!" Xi Mingzeughed out loud, her demeanor as the Dragon Empress nowhere to be seen.

 Chapter 1187 Sparring With The Dragon Empress(4)

    ?1187  Sparring With the Dragon Empress(4)

    Seeing the scene unfold before him, Xi Shengmo began sweating, "This is bad. We might need to stop the fight."

    "Huh? Why? It''s just getting good." Xi Meili looked at him with raised eyebrows.

    "The formation isn''t invincible. If under enough stress, it could break, something your mother can do if transformed! If the formation breaks, Yuan''s life will truly be at risk!"

    "What?! Then we need to stop them now!" Xi Meili eximed.

    Xi Shengmo nodded, but as he prepared to intervene, another voice resounded, "Don''t stop the fight."

    "Huh?"

    Xi Shengmo turned to look at Xiao Hua, who just spoke, with wide eyes.

    "Look at Brother Yuan''s smile. He''s enjoying himself. If you stop the fight now, he won''t be happy," she said in a calm voice.

    "Are you serious? So what if we hurt his feelings? At least he''ll still be alive!" Xi Shengmo said.

    Xiao Hua shook her head and said, "Brother Yuan won''t die."

    Xi Shengmo sighed, "Fine, I won''t intervene for now, but if the formation breaks, I am stopping the fight¡ª not for Yuan, but for my wife. She would be devastated if she killed him by ident."

    Xiao Hua nodded.

    "You are unbelievable¡­" Feng Yuxiang sighed, and she continued, "But I also have a strong feeling that the Young Master won''t lose to her."

    Meanwhile, by the time she finished her transformation, Xi Mingze''s Dragon''s Gaze was running at full power.

    The pressure Yuan was feeling was indescribable, and he could feel this invisible force threatening to pop his body like a balloon, as well as his consciousness slowly fading.

    ''Looks like I have to be serious now as well.''

    Yuan activated not only his Dragon''s Gaze to counter Xi Mingze''s gaze, he also increased the strength of Heaven''s Indomitable Soul to the maximum, so his Soul Strength was increasingly getting stronger by the second.

    He was absorbing so much spiritual essence that one could physically see something that resembled a whirlpool around Yuan''s body. However, since only Immortals could sense spiritual essence, nobody there knew what Yuan was actually absorbing into his body, so they assumed it was just ordinary spiritual energy.

    The sh between Yuan''s Dragon''s Gaze and Xi Mingze''s Dragon''s Gaze was so intense that it affected those hundreds of miles away, meaning even those within the Ancient Dragon City were feeling pressured. Fortunately for them, it wasn''t to the point where it was unbearable.

    However, the same thing could not be said for Xi Meili and the others. Since they were right outside the formation, the pressure was intense for them, so Xi Shengmo had to step in to shield them from it.

    "This is no longer a spar¡­ They''re going at each other as though they are really trying to kill¡­" Xi Murong swallowed nervously.

    Not only were they battling each other with Soul Strength, but the two of them were actively exchanging techniques with their weapons.

    Like a beast, Xi Mingze only grew more excited as they fought. The number of scales on her body increased, and her hair even grew longer.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    Eventually, her entire body was covered in scales, looking as though she was wearing an armor made of scales.

    When a Dragon transforms, there are certain stages, which can be determined by how much scales cover their body. The more scales on their body means the closer they are to their actual beast form, hence greater strength.

    When Xi Mingze was about 75 percent covered in scales, Yuan could no longer keep up with her in raw strength, so he activated God of War''s Astral Arts to assist him. However, since both Dragon''s Gaze and God of War''s Astral Arts consumed his Soul Strength, he couldn''t use thetter at full strength. Though, it was more than enough to help him keep up with Xi Mingze.

    "How many more tricks do you still have up your sleeve? Don''t hold back! I want to experience them all, Yuan!" Xi Mingze eximed with a wide grin on her face after seeing his God of War''s Astral Arts, her body shivering from excitement.

    The two of them would continue fighting in this manner for several hours.

    "He''s not human. There''s no fucking way he''s human." Xi Murong mumbled in a dumbfounded voice.

    "Does he have an unlimited supply of energy or something? How can he keep fighting with that much strength for hours?"

    While many people can disy immense power that surpasses their level if desperate enough, most if not all of them won''t be able to remain in that state for long, but Yuan''s existence defied such logic.

    "The formation won''tst for much longer." Xi Shengmo gritted his teeth, his heart filled with anxiety. But as much as he wanted to stop their fight, he couldn''t move his body for some reason.

    Perhaps in his heart, he knew that his wife would kill him if he stopped their fight at such an intense moment.

    "Is this all you''ve got, Yuan?! If you are still hiding something, it''s about time you show me!" Xi Mingze said to him. Her breathing was noticeably getting heavy. Even someone at her level couldn''t continue fighting at such an intense pace for much longer. If she was an ordinary Spirit Sovereign cultivator, she would''ve copsed long ago from qi exhaustion.

    "I can say the same to you, Madam! Are you still holding back on me?!"

    "I can''t even if I want to!"

    After a few hundred more exchanges, Xi Mingze said, "If we continue fighting like this, I will run out of spiritual energy soon. I know you can keep on fighting for longer, so you will eventually exhaust me, but do you really want to end our fight in such a manner?! I don''t mind losing to you, but I don''t want to lose like this!"

    Yuan nodded, agreeing with her, "Then how about we finish things up with our strongest attack?"

    "Deal!"

    After their next exchange, Yuan and Xi Mingze distanced themselves from each other, stopping their movement for the first time in hours.

    They also stopped using all of their techniques.

    "I-Is it finally over?" Xi Shengmo sighed in relief after seeing this.

    However, once they caught their breath, they started gathering their spiritual energy again.

    "D-Don''t tell me they are going to¡­" Xi Shengmo had a very bad feeling about what was about to happen, yet he also wanted to see this through.

    "Mother¡­ Yuan¡­" Xi Meili stared at their figures with her eyes wide open, not daring to miss it even if it was thest thing she did.

 Chapter 1188 The Final Exchange

    ?1188  The Final Exchange

    While Xi Mingze gathered all of her spiritual energy into her Dragon''s Soul, Yuan gathered his spiritual energy in his Empyrean Overlord.

    "Whenever you are ready." Xi Mingze said to him a few momentster.

    "I am ready." Yuan stood there with a menacing aura around him.

    "Then here Ie!"

    Xi Mingze stepped forward with her right foot as she propelled her spear in a thrusting motion.

    "Supreme Dragon Lance!"

    The Dragon''s Soul released a massive golden beam of light the following second, which resembled the Heaven Splitting Sword Strike that Yuan released at the same time.

    When the two massive beams of light collided with each other, the energy scattered by the impact was so powerful that it shook not just the Ancient Dragon City but the entire world, so the other cities also felt it.

    As for the formation that protected Yuan and Xi Mingze, it copsed almost instantly.

    Xi Shengmo, who had prepared himself to intervene if the formation shattered, couldn''t even approach them. Even if he could, he wouldn''t dare to intervene, as it could make either of them lose control of their attack, which would be disastrous.

    "Mother''s losing¡­?" Xi Meili subconsciously muttered when Yuan''s Heaven Splitting Sword Strike was slowly but clearly pushing back Xi Mingze''s Supreme Dragon Lance.

    Everyone held their breath as Yuan eventually overpowered Xi Mingze.

    "Ahh¡­ To think I''d actually lose¡­" Xi Mingze released a satisfied sigh as she came to her senses right before the Heaven Splitting Sword Strike consumed her body.

    "DEAR!" Xi Shengmo snapped out of his daze and rushed over after seeing this.

    Once the Heaven Splitting Sword Strike disappeared, Xi Mingze could be seen lying on the ground with most of her clothes reduced to ashes.

    Xi Shengmo quickly checked her breath, and he sighed in relief when he could still hear her heart beating. He then quickly fed her some medicine.

    "Don''t worry, I made sure to hold back at the end." Yuan walked over and said.

    "..."

    After a moment of silence, Xi Shengmo looked at him and asked, "Who¡­ No¡­ What are you, really? Don''t tell me you are human, because you can''t be."

    Yuan could only shrug with a smile, "I don''t know what to tell you then."

    Xi Shengmo returned his focus to Xi Mingze, covering her naked body with some clothes.

    "You did not just defeat a peak Spirit Sovereign today. Not only is she a Divine Beast that is naturally superior to humans in almost every manner, but if she fought an ordinary human Cultivator, she wouldn''t lose to even a Divine Ancestor. In other words, despite being only a Spirit King, you can rival those who are three entire realms above you. I don''t think even the Dragon Ancestor would be capable of such a thing if he was a human."

    "You are giving me too much credit." Yuan smiled.

    "No, I am not. There''s no need to be humble. I finally understand why my daughter likes you so much. As dragons, we are naturally attracted to the strong, so it would only make sense for her to be attracted to you. I would be too if I was in her shoes."

    "..." Yuan didn''t know how to respond after hearing thosest few words.

    "Father! Is mother okay?!" Xi Meili and the others arrived shortly after.

    "She''s fine. She''s just exhausted."

    "That''s a relief¡­"

    Xi Meili turned to look at Yuan with deep admiration that she didn''t know was possible.

    But before she could say anything to him, Xi Mingze woke up and stole her words, "Congrattions, Yuan. You won."

    "How are you feeling, Madam?"

    Xi Mingze stood up and smiled, "I''ve never felt better."

    "That''s good to hear." Yuan smiled back.

    "You know, you are the first person who I can admit losing to."

    "Huh? But I''ve defeated you plenty of times." Xi Shengmo pointed at himself with a dumbfounded look on his face.

    "Sure, after I married you and stopped training as intensively. You never defeated me before then, so I don''t count them."

    "Eh? Then why did you marry Father? I thought you were only willing to marry the person who could defeat you in a battle¡ª at least that''s what I was told." Xi Meili said.

    Xi Mingze chuckled, "If I remained that stubborn, I would''ve remained single for the rest of my life¡ª or until today."

    She turned to look at Yuan with a seductive smile and said, "Hey, how about you forget about my daughter and marry me instead? Not only am I stronger, I am also much more experienced in several areas¡ª unless you prefer younger ones. But if you consider my race, I am still considered to be in my prime."

    "Hey¡­ Did he beat you so badly that you forgot that you are already married?" Xi Shengmo looked at her with a look of disbelief on his face. He didn''t think she''d say such a thing right in front of him.

    "M-Mother! What are you talking about?! Yuan is mine!" Xi Meili became flustered even though she knew it was just a joke.

    "Huh?! When did the Young Master be yours?!" Feng Yuxiang rebuked seriously.

    Xi Mingzeughed, "Jokes aside, I am really d we had that fight, Yuan. You''ve helped me recall the feeling of excitement. My blood is still boiling even now."

    Yuan nodded, "I am d as well. I learned a lot from our fight."

    "Wanna do it again tomorrow?" Xi Mingze suddenly asked in a half joking and half serious manner.

    "Do you want to destroy this ce?" Xi Shengmo sighed.

    Sometimeter, they returned to the city.

    "Let''s talk moreter tonight at dinner, Yuan. Get some rest for now. If you need anything, just let us know." Xi Mingze said to him.

    "Alright."

    Yuan went to clean his body when they returned to the pce. Afterward, he would cultivate inside his room until it was time for dinner.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    Meanwhile, Xi Shengmo and Xi Mingze were having a serious conversation in their room to determine the future of their family, or more specifically, Xi Meili''s future.

 Chapter 1189 A Sign Of Awakening

    ?1189  A Sign of Awakening

    Inside their room, Xi Shengmo said by his desk while Xi Mingze was resting on the bed.

    "If you''re going to convince me to let our daughter marry Yuan, you don''t need to anymore." Xi Shengmo said while looking at her. "I am fully convinced that he''s more than worthy to marry her."

    Xi Mingze smiled and said, "That''s not the only thing I want to talk to you about today. There is still so much that we don''t understand about Yuan."

    "What do you mean?" Xi Shengmo raised an eyebrow.

    Xi Mingze then said, "For starters, the Dragon Ancestor knew that he''d arrive in the Ancient Dragon City. This means he has some kind of rtionship with our Ancestor."

    "I thought he was only a very talented individual at that time and didn''t think too much about it, but Yuan¡­ He''s an unfathomable existence."

    After pausing for a moment, she continued, "As you witnessed today, during our fight, his Soul Strength was on par with mine¡ª if not a little stronger. I believed that it was due to a powerful spiritual treasure at first, but when he revealed his Soul Strength, I knew that wasn''t the case and that his Soul Strength is truly that strong. How can a human at his age have such powerful Soul Strength? Even if he could somehow increase his Soul Strength at a tremendous pace, his soul would still need to be able to withstand it. This applies to one''s cultivation, too. It''s just countless times harder since the Soul is moreplicated than the Dantian."

    "I have been thinking about this since then. This might sound crazy, but I think he''s absorbed the soul of an expert, hence his unexinable prowess."

    "What?! You think he consumed another''s soul?! But that''s imp¡ª" Xi Shengmo halted his mouth at that moment.

    If he thought about it, anything was possible with Yuan.

    After pondering some time, he spoke, "If I recall correctly, there exists a technique that allows one to consume another''s soul, but this technique has been lost since the Primordial Era. It is also a demonic technique, so if Yuan learned this technique, we would''ve sensed his demonic aura."

    Demonic techniques are evil techniques that demand immoral practices for unimaginable strength and are highly frowned upon and forbidden everywhere in the Nine Heavens. Those who ignore such rules and choose the demonic path are known as Demonic Cultivators.

    Due to the nature of demonic techniques, its users will always have demonic auras that cannot be hidden.

    Xi Mingze frowned and said, "I''m not saying that he''s a demonic cultivator! There are other ways to consume one''s soul without using demonic techniques, but these methods are very niche and insanely rare, so it isn''t known by the majority of the world. I''m just saying that he somehow managed to increase the strength of his soul by absorbing another soul. Of course, this is all just spection."

    "Now, let''s talk about another topic." She continued, "Sometime after I transformed, the Dragon''s Soul showed signs of awakening."

    "What?! Are you sure?!" Xi Shengmo stood up with a shocked look on his face.

    Despite the Dragon''s Soul being a family heirloom that has been passed down for many generations, it has never responded to anyone within the Xi Family, meaning nobody has been able to wield it, which the family always found weird.

    She nodded, "I''m sure, and the signs were the most obvious when it shed with Yuan."

    "Are you telling me that it''s responding to Yuan? A Soul Weapon that is rumored to have the Soul of an ancient dragon within is responding to a human instead of a dragon?" Xi Shengmo was utterly speechless.

    Xi Mingze then asked, "I never really cared enough to ask, but where did the Xi Family acquire the Dragon''s Soul? What is its origin?"

    Xi Shengmo pondered for a moment before responding, "I never questioned it either since it has always been with the family even before we isted ourselves in this world, so I have no clue. Maybe one of our ancestors wrote it down. I will check the family libraryter to make sure."

    "The real question is, what should we do with the Dragon''s Soul? We can''t just give our family''s heirloom to a human that we barely know anything about¡­"

    Xi Mingze smiled and said, "Why not? If he marries our daughter, he will be part of our family, anyway."

    "That''s assuming they will really get married¡­" Xi Shengmo sighed, and he continued, "He already has a child with another Divine Beast, after all¡­"

    Hearing this, Xi Mingze suddenly realized that she''d forgotten about this important fact.

    "..."

    Xi Mingze suddenly retrieved amunication jade slip.

    "What are you doing?" Xi Shengmo asked her.

    "Calling our daughter here."

    Sometimeter, Xi Meili knocked on the door.

    "Mother, I have arrived."

    "Come in."

    Xi Meili entered the room, and when she saw her mother sitting on the bed, she asked, "Are you okay?"

    Xi Mingze nodded. "I am just resting. Anyways, we called you here to talk about your future."

    And she continued, "We are well aware of your desire to choose Yuan as your husband, but there is something that you should know about him."

    "What is it?" Xi Meili raised an eyebrow.

    "I don''t know if you know this already or not, but Yuan¡­ He''s already had a child with another Divine Beast, and she''s even that Divine Serpent who is currently by his side."

    Xi Mingze revealed this bombshell of a news to her.

    "..."

    However, Xi Meili did not react to it even in the slightest, which surprised both her parents, as they expected her to start crying or something along that line.

    ''Seeing how she''s not reacting to it, I guess she already knew¡­'' Xi Mingze thought to herself.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ''Hmm?''

    But when Xi Meili did not show any reactions even a few momentster, they realized that something was wrong.

    "Wait¡­ Don''t tell me¡­"

    "Meili?! Are you okay?!"

    The parents eventually realized that the reason Xi Meili didn''t react was because she was so shocked by the news that she passed out on the spot while managing to remain standing with her eyes open.

 Chapter 1190 Xi Meilis Decision

    ?1190  Xi Meili''s Decision

    After realizing that Xi Meili had passed out while standing, Xi Shengmo quickly carried her to the bed.

    "To think she''d lose consciousness from this¡­ Where did all that effort she put into mental training go?" Xi Mingze was truly speechless.

    Xi Shengmo merely shook his head in silence.

    While she was asleep for the next several minutes, Xi Meili had a dream about the moment she asked Yuan if he was willing to marry her at the restaurant.

    "Sorry, but I cannot be with you, since I already have a partner." Yuan said to her with a regretful-look on his face.

    "W-What? Who?!"

    "She''s a Divine Beast just like you. In fact, you''ve already met her¡ª the Divine Serpent that came to this ce with me."

    "N-No way¡­" Xi Meili mumbled as tears flowed from her eyes.

    It was at this moment Xi Meili woke up from her dream to find herself sleeping on the bed beside her mother.

    "M-Mother? What happened? Why am I sleeping next to you?" Xi Meili was still in a confused state.

    "..."

    Eventually, Xi Meili''s head cleared up, and she recalled what happened right before she passed out.

    "What you said¡­ If you''re messing with me, I will really get angry¡­" Xi Meili stared at Xi Mingze with a serious look on her face.

    Xi Mingze sighed and recalled her conversation with Lan Yingying and the others to Xi Meili.

    "No way¡­ No wonder why he refused to marry me¡­" Xi Meili sighed out loud after hearing everything.

    "What? He refused to marry you?" Xi Mingze was surprised, as this was news to her.

    "Well¡­ Not exactly¡­" It was Xi Meili''s turn to recall her conversation with Yuan to her parents.

    "So now that you know he''s already impregnated another woman, and the fact that he''s refused to marry you, do you still want to chase after him?" Xi Shengmo asked her with a serious expression.

    Xi Meili didn''t immediately respond.

    She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

    When she opened them again, her eyes were filled with resolve.

    "Even after learning about his child with Lan Yingying, my feelings for him have not changed. At least now I know that he''s willing to procreate with a Divine Beast, which was my biggest worry. I also realized that I was being too hasty with this marriage stuff. It''s true that we haven''t known each other for long, so I am nning on following him for the time being as apanion until he epts me."

    "Are you serious about this? What if he doesn''t respond to your feelings?" Xi Shengmo then asked.

    Xi Meili showed a bittersweet smile on her face before responding, "As long as I can continue being by his side, I think I can live with that. If you''re worried about our lineage, there''s still Murong."

    "I am not worried about that! I am worried about you!" Xi Shengmo raised his voice.

    "I will be fine, father."

    "..."

    The room became silent.

    "Haa¡­" Xi Mingze broke that silence a momentter with a deep sigh.

    "If that is truly what you desire, I will not stop you. Just know this¡ª With his talents and promising future, I expect there to be a lot ofpetition for his attention. Not only will you have topete with his current admirers, they will only continue to grow in the future."

    "I am well aware. And thank you, mother, for your support." Xi Meili smiled.

    Xi Shengmo rubbed his eyes and sighed, "I doubt anything I say to you will change your mind, so I will concede. If you ever feel like returning home, just know that we will always be here for you."

    Due to his pride, he decided to act like he disapproved of her decision until the very end even though he had already epted her resolve in his heart.

    "Thank you, father. Then regarding my matter with the Azure Dragon Family¡­"

    "As I''ve already said multiple times by now, they are expecting a visit from you, so go there and politely refuse. I will deal with everything else afterward." Xi Shengmo said.

    "Then I will go meet them as soon as possible tomorrow! Also, I am going to bring Yuan with me since I promised to show him the other cities."

    "Just don''t cause any unnecessary trouble when you are there¡­"

    "Now that I have both your approval, there is no longer any need for me to cause trouble." She smiled.

    "So you were nning on causing trouble if I didn''t approve¡­" Xi Shengmo sighed.

    Xi Meili chuckled.

    "Is there anything else for me?" She asked a momentter.

    "No, you can go now."

    "Alright!"

    After leaving their room, Xi Meili stood outside with a pondering face for several moments before she made her way to Yuan''s room.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    "Yuan, it''s me. Are you busy?" She knocked on the door and asked.

    "No, what''s up?"

    "I have decided to go to Azure Dragon City tomorrow. You areing with me, right?"

    "If that''s what you want."

    "That is what I want."

    "Okay, then I wille with you."

    "Then let''s continue this talk during dinner."

    After speaking with Yuan, Xi Meili did not leave immediately and went to knock on another room.

    "Yes?" Lan Yingying''s voice resounded from inside.

    "It''s me, Xi Meili. I''d like to speak with you if you''re not busy."

    Lan Yingying opened the door a momentter and weed her inside, "I can talk now."

    "Thank you."

    Once inside, they sat before each other.

    "What would you like to talk about?" Lan Yingying asked.

    "About Yuan."

    "Yuan?" Lan Yingying raised an eyebrow.

    Xi Meili nodded and said, "Specifically about your child with him, if you don''t mind."

    "Oh¡­ Well, what would you like to know?" Lan Yingying didn''t mind the subject.

    "Mostly why you decided to have his child and what led to that point. I am asking because I have decided to follow Yuan with the intention of bing his partner."

    "I see¡­ Well, it all started when I met him¡­" Lan Yingying began telling Xi Meili about her history with Yuan and everything that led up to her impregnation.

 Chapter 1191 Accepted As Family

    ?1191  epted as Family

    "I see¡­ So that''s why Yuan impregnated you¡­" Now that Xi Meili understood the full context to their situation, she heaved a sigh of relief, as it wasn''t as bad as she thought.

    She looked at Lan Yingying and continued, "But I must say¡­ You''re not even 100 years old, yet you''re already carrying a child. That''s quite impressive and shocking at the same time. We can''t get pregnant before 1,000 years old even if we want to since that feature in our body is not yet fully developed before then. I guess that''s a special feature of Divine Serpents."Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    Lan Yingying silently stared at Xi Meili, seemingly pondering something.

    "What is it?" Xi Meili asked.

    "Do you also want to bear Yuan''s child?" Lan Yingying asked in a calm voice.

    "Huh?!" Xi Meili''s face immediately flushed with redness.

    "You don''t? I thought that was the reason you asked me about it." Lan Yingying continued to remain calm.

    "I-I mean¡­ I never really thought that far. But I do want to marry him."

    "Marriage¡­" Lan Yingying mumbled, and she continued, "I didn''t know of this concept until very recently when I left the Mystic Realm since we naturally follow our partners, and to be honest, I still don''t fully understand the point of marriage."

    Just like a wild beast, the concept of marriage is almost unfathomable in Lan Yingying''s mind, especially since she lived a secluded life in the Mystic Realm.

    In her eyes, it was only natural to create a family with their loved ones, so the act of marriage, to verbally devote one''s life to another through a fancy ritual, was a pointless act.

    Xi Meili chuckled, "I get where you''reing from, especially since it''s a human tradition. But I still like it, as it has a certain charm to it."

    After talking to Lan Yingying for a little longer, Xi Meili left her room and returned to her own.

    Later that day at dinner, Xi Mingze said, "Yuan, you will be going to Azure Dragon City with Meili tomorrow, correct?"

    He nodded, "That''s correct."

    "Then you should be aware that the dragons of that city aren''t as forgiving as us."

    Yuan raised an eyebrow and asked, "What do you mean by that, Madam?"

    "It means that they still haven''t forgiven humans for their atrocities." Xi Shengmo said with a serious face, and he continued, "If you want to visit Azure Dragon City, you will need to go there as a ''dragon''. Of course, you could still go there as a human, but you will be attracting unnecessary trouble."

    "I see¡­ But how will I do that? They''d immediately realize that I am a human through my smell."

    "Don''t worry, we have methods for that." Xi Mingze chuckled, causing Yuan to raise an eyebrow.

    "What about us?" Feng Yuxiang suddenly asked.

    "Oh¡­ About that¡­ Sorry, but our methods will only work for humans, so you''ll have to stay behind, unless you want to risk exposing Yuan''s identity." Xi Mingze said.

    "I am human." Xiao Hua raised her hand.

    "While that is true, your main issue is that ominous aura of an Exile¡­" Xi Mingze shook her head. "That is something we cannot mask."

    "We can just hide inside the Young Master''s body! That should mask our smell!" Feng Yuxiang said.

    Xi Meili then asked, "What are you guys worried about? His safety? I doubt anything can threaten his life there."

    Yuan smiled and said to them, "There''s nothing to worry about. It''s been a while since Ist went anywhere by myself, too. I''m sure you guys don''t want to stick to me every second of the day, either."

    After hearing such words, Xiao Hua and the others could only silently nod their heads.

    "You''re right, Young Master. You''re no longer so inexperienced and weak that you need our presence every moment of the day."

    "I guess we''ve been unnecessarily clingy a little recently¡­" Lan Yingying mumbled.

    Xiao Hua remained silent.

    "And it''s not like we''re going to be gone for a long time. It''ll only be a few days at most." Xi Meili said.

    Sometime after dinner, Xi Mingze called Yuan to her room, where Xi Shengmo was also waiting.

    "Follow us. We''ll bring you to somewhere special." Xi Mingze said with a mysterious smile on her face.

    While they walked, Xi Shengmo spoke, "I am going to say this in advance, but this isn''t something we do for just anyone. The fact that we''re doing this for you means we have decided to ept you as ''family'', do you understand?"

    Yuan raised an eyebrow and asked, "Why does it seem like we''re about to do something more than just disguising my human scent?"

    Xi Mingze chuckled, "Because we are."

    Sometimeter, they arrived before this room that was heavily reinforced with thick metal doors and even powerful defensive arrays.

    "Is this the treasury room or something?" Yuan couldn''t help but ask.

    "It''s something even more valuable."

    Xi Shengmo said, and then he began to remove the restrictions with the help of Xi Mingze.

    "By the way, this is going to take a while. In the meantime, why don''t you thoroughly clean yourself in the bathroom right behind us?" Xi Mingze said to him as she pointed at the room on the other side of the hallway with her eyes.

    Yuan nodded and went into the bathroom. However, to his surprise, there were two female servants waiting for him inside.

    "We will be taking care of you now, Young Master." They bowed to him.

    "Huh?" Yuan had a puzzled look on his face.

    When he snapped out of it, he said in an awkward voice, "I can clean myself¡­"

    "We don''t doubt that, but it is our job to make sure, so we must insist on cleaning your body."

    This made Yuan even more curious as to what was waiting for him behind the metal doors.

    "Fine."

    He eventually gave up his resistance and allowed these two female servants to wash his body.

    The female servants watched him disrobe, and when they saw his refined physique, they couldn''t help but swallow nervously and blush slightly.

 Chapter 1192 Untainted Body

    ?1192  Untainted Body

    Once Yuan waspletely naked, the female servants gestured him to the bathing area.

    "Please step on the footprints and stand there while we wash your body." They pointed at the red footprints that were engraved on the floor.

    Yuan stepped on the footprints, which required him to spread his legs a little apart.

    One of the servants then showed him a translucent bar of soap and said, "This bar of soap was made from a multitude of ingredients that are used for cleaning impurities, but its most important ingredient would be the Translucent Dew of Purity, a very popr and potent medicine used to cleanse impurities."

    The other servant then said, "We will be scrubbing your body with this soap, which will not only cleanse the deepest parts of your pores, but also draw out any impurities that may be hidden within your body, so do not be rmed if impurities starting out."

    "Translucent Dew of Purity? What''s the difference between that and the Translucent Dew of wlessness?" Yuan asked, as they sounded awfully simr, which couldn''t be a simple coincidence.

    "The Translucent Dew of Purity is second to the Translucent Dew of wlessness, which is the best medicine when ites to cleaning impurities. Although they both have the ability to cleanse one''s impurities, the Translucent Dew of wlessness will continue to purify one''s body of impurities while the Translucent Dew of Purity will only do it one time."

    "Unfortunately, Translucent Dew of wlessness are exceedingly rare. Even if the Royal Xi Family has some, they wouldn''t be reckless enough to use it in such a wasteful manner."

    "I see¡­"

    The servants proceeded to dissolve the soap in some warm water before scrubbing Yuan''s body with the bubbles using their bare hands.

    Yuan swallowed nervously as he could feel 20 slender fingers caressing and massaging all over his body. And due to his heightened senses from his cultivation, such sensation only became clearer to him, who could feel every individual finger independently.

    This reminded him of his time as a cripple, when he had to rely on someone else to clean his body for him.

    Of course, since they were required to clean every corner of his body, the servants also had to clean the dragon and its treasures between his legs, which made Yuan a little nervous.

    Not wanting his dragon to awaken in such a situation, Yuan began reciting the Heaven Consuming Technique inside his head, which worked wonders.

    He sighed in relief inwardly when they were finally finished with that area.

    As time passed, Yuan noticed that the servants were gradually increasing the pressure of their washing until it reached the point where they were essentially giving him a deep body massage.

    Yuan thought this was routine, but unbeknownst to him, that was not the case.

    Meanwhile, the servants washing his body were greatly perplexed and shocked when not even the slightest impurity came out of Yuan''s body despite how much they washed his body.

    They thought they had used the wrong soap at first, but once they confirmed that they were indeed using the right soap, they wondered if they were not washing hard enough, and the thought of Yuan having an Untainted Body never even urred to them. Furthermore, even if Yuan cleansed his body the day before, since all entities collect impurities every second, it was impossible for Yuan to have a body free of impurities.

    Eventually, thedies came to the realization that Yuan might have an Untainted Body.

    "Um¡­" One of the servants slowed down her movements as she asked, "Young Master¡­ Do you happen to have an Untainted Body¡­?"

    "Yes, I do." He answered without the slightest pause.

    "..."

    Bothdiespletely halted their movements after hearing such words, and they looked like they were on the verge of crying.

    They wanted to ask why he didn''t tell them in advance, as they have been scrubbing his body for over half an hour while it could''ve been done in less than a few minutes, but they managed to keep their question inside their heart.

    ''No, this was our fault¡­ We should''ve realized it sooner, especially since he mentioned the Translucent Dew of wlessness¡­'' They sighed inwardly.

    Thedies then washed away the soap on his body and gestured at the bathtub, "Please soak in that water for 5 minutes."

    "I understand."

    While Yuan soaked in the water, one of the servants left to notify the Xi Family.

    "Your Majesties, the Young Master is currently soaking in the Dragon''s Tears. He will be done in 5 minutes." The servant bowed to them.

    However, Xi Mingze had a frown on her face.

    "What is taking you two so long? You should''ve been done 20 minutes ago. I hope you didn''t do anything indecent to our guest."

    The servant immediately paled and shook her head, "We wouldn''t dare! We took longer than expected because we didn''t know the Young Master had an Untainted Body, so we just kept on cleaning his body¡­"

    While they might have been distracted by Yuan''s peerless body, which might have caused their thinking to slow down, the servant would not admit to it even if it was thest thing she did.

    "An Untainted Body? That means he''d consumed the Translucent Dew of wlessness¡­" Xi Shengmo was surprised to hear this. "Didn''t he say that he came from the Lower Heaven? Where did he acquire something as precious as that down there?"

    "If he managed toe to this ce when he was in the Lower Heavens, I wouldn''t be surprised if he somehow managed to acquire that kind of treasure down there." Xi Mingze smiled.

    Five minutester, Yuan emerged from the bathtub. The servants quickly dried his body with this silky smooth and pure white towel that felt and looked like it was made of clouds before dressing him in this pure white bathrobe.

    Feelingpletely refreshed, Yuan returned to Xi Mingze and Xi Shengmo, who had finished their preparations long ago.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    "Are you ready?" Xi Mingze asked him.

    He nodded.

    "Follow us."

    They immediately opened the metal doors and entered the room with Yuan following right behind them.

 Chapter 1193 Blood Cleansing Ceremony

    ?1193  Blood Cleansing Ceremony

    Upon entering the sealed room, Yuan found himself in another empty room, but there was an active portal right at the center of the room.

    "Listen to me, Yuan." Xi Shengmo looked at him and spoke with a serious expression, "Once we enter the portal, we will arrive in the Ancestral Sanctuary, where you will be performing what we call a Blood Cleansing Ceremony."

    "Only those with Royal Bloodline within the Dragon n may undergo such a ceremony, so epting this ceremony will mean you will be affiliated with our Dragon n. Are you willing? If not, we can stop right here."

    "I don''t mind." Yuan smiled.

    He was fond of the Xi Family, so he didn''t mind being affiliated with them.

    "Very well. Follow me."

    Yuan entered the portal with them shortly after.

    After being teleported, Yuan found himself inside a sanctuary with drawings of dragons engraved in the walls and windows that surrounded them. And at the center of this sanctuary was a small-sized pool that was filled with what appeared to be blood at first nce.

    "Wee to the Ancestral Sanctuary, Yuan. You are probably the first human to step foot in this ce since its creation." Xi Mingze said to him with a warm smile on her face.

    However, Yuan was too distracted by the red liquid in the pool.

    Seeing this, Xi Shengmo said, "Yes, that is blood¡ª Dragon blood that belongs to our Ancestor, to be precise."

    Upon answering Yuan''s curiosity, Xi Shengmo continued, "This is where dragons that join the Royal Family go to cleanse theirmon bloodline, recing it with royal blood. We, as the Royal Family, also bathe in this blood once every thousand years to strengthen our bloodline."

    "I understand that, but how will this help mask my scent as a human?" Yuan asked.

    Xi Mingze then spoke, "If you soak in this blood, it will wash away your human scent for a period of time. Who knows, it might even make you stronger. Since you are the first human to ever soak in this blood, nobody can really say what will happen."

    Yuan raised his eyebrows and said, "If I am the first, how do you know it works?"

    "Although you may be the first human to bathe in this blood, you''re not the first human to bathe in dragon blood. Humans hunted us for a reason." Xi Shengmo said in a low voice.

    "I see¡­ So this blood belongs to your Ancestor, right?"

    "Actually, we don''t really know. While this ce belonged to the Dragon Ancestor, he never imed it was his blood. However, for this blood to strengthen our Royal Bloodline, it must be of higher quality, so it would only make sense if it belongs to our Ancestor." Xi Shengmo shook his head.

    "That does make sense." Yuan nodded.

    "Do you have any more questions before we begin?"

    "I just need to soak my body in this blood, right? Do I need to do anything special? And how long do I need to soak my body?"

    "Once you soak your body in the blood, try absorbing it through your pores. Since you are a human, you will only be able to absorb a few drops of blood at most, but even that much will benefit you greatly. You should be done in a few minutes."

    "I understand."

    "Whenever you are ready, enter the blood¡ª without your robe."Property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Yuan nodded.

    After taking a deep breath, Yuan disrobed again, before taking a step into the pond of dragon blood.

    The moment his foot submerged in the blood, Yuan could feel an unfathomable energy entering through his pores, quickly spreading throughout the rest of his body.

    The sensation of unimaginable power overflowing his body only became clear as Yuan entered the pond with his other leg.

    ''What a refreshing feeling¡­ Even though my body is overflowing with energy, it doesn''t feel ufortable, almost as though my body is expanding with the energy.'' Yuan thought to himself as he sat down in the center of the pool.

    The pool was deeper than it appeared, and when fully seated, the blood reached his neck,pletely hiding his body within the thick blood.

    Shortly after submerging his body in the blood, a notification appeared before Yuan, showing words that he hasn''t seen in a long time.

    <Nine Dragon Symbols is resonating with the Dragon God''s Blood!>

    <Nine Dragon Symbols is absorbing the Dragon God''s Blood!>

    ''Nine Dragon Symbols?'' He recalled thest time it activated was when he was still in the Lower Heaven¡ª when he absorbed the Dragon Essence within the Dragon Essence Temple.

    While Yuan was lost in his thoughts, Xi Shengmo and Xi Mingze watched as the blood in the pool decreased at a rapid rate, and before they could even react, the depth of the blood lowered by several inches.

    <Nine Dragon Symbols have reached level two>

    <Due to the Nine Dragon Symbols, your cultivation speed have increased by 10,000%>

    However, Yuan wasn''t finished yet, and the blood in the pool continued to deplete at an rming rate.

    This caught both Xi Shengmo and Xi Mingze off guard.

    "W-W-Wait! Stop!"

    By the time Xi Shengmo said anything, half of the blood in the pool was absorbed by Yuan.

    However, Yuan appeared to be in a trance and couldn''t hear Xi Shengmo''s panicked voice.

    Seeing this, Xi Shengmo was prepared to jump in the pool to drag Yuan out, but he was stopped by Xi Mingze.

    "What are you doing?! He will absorb all of the blood at this rate!" Xi Shengmo roared at her.

    But Xi Mingze could only point at Yuan in a trembling voice, "Look at his body¡­"

    "What?"

    Xi Shengmo turned to look at Yuan, and his eyeballs nearly popped out of their sockets when he realized what he was seeing.

    Sitting in the pond, Yuan, who had jet ck hair just moments ago, suddenly had a head full of golden hair like the Xi Family. Soon, golden scales even began appearing on his chest.

    "He''s transforming?! Even though he''s human?! T-That''s impossible!" Xi Shengmo eximed in a shocked voice.

    He wanted to be mistaken, but there was no mistaking what was happening to Yuan''s body at the moment.

 Chapter 1194 Dragon Awakening

    ?1194  Dragon Awakening

    Seeing Yuan transform, something only dragons could do, left Xi Shengmo and Xi Mingze utterly speechless. They were so shocked that they couldn''t feel any other emotions, and their bodies were numb, almost as though they had been struck by lightning tribtion.

    <Nine Dragon Symbols have reached level three>

    <Due to the Nine Dragon Symbols, you have gained the ability to use ''Dragon Awakening''>

    [Dragon Awakening]

    [Grade: ???]

    [Description: Awaken the dragon in your body and gain unimaginable strength! Greatly increases all physical capabilities while transformed!]

    By the time Yuan snapped out of his daze, over 90 percent of the blood in the pond had been absorbed by him.

    When he saw that nearly all of the blood in the pond had disappeared, Yuan felt his heart skip a beat, and he quickly stood up.

    "Oh my god! I don''t know what happened, but I swear it wasn''t on purpose! I am so sorry! I will fix this! I promise!" He went into panic mode, unaware of the changes to his body.

    Neither Xi Shengmo or Xi Mingze reacted, which only made Yuan feel even more guilty. In his mind, they were probably so angry at him for absorbing their precious blood that they couldn''t even express it properly.

    While they were indeed devastated about the loss of blood, the feeling of shock easily overwhelmed such feelings. Furthermore, they could feel a sense of inferiority when looking at Yuan in his current state, almost as though the dragon blood in their veins revered his presence.

    However, such a thing would only happen if they are before someone with a superior bloodline, and in the entire Nine Heavens, only the Dragon Ancestor and the Great One could possibly possess a bloodline that is strong enough to suppress their royal bloodline.

    "Who¡­ No¡­ What are you?" Xi Shengmo muttered in a dazed voice.

    "I understand your anger, but I will do my best to fix this¡­ Since this blood came from the Dragon Ancestor, I will find him and request some of his blood ¡ª enough to refill the pond. No matter how long it will take, I swear I will make it happen!" Yuan responded, still unaware of the reason for their shock.

    Xi Mingze didn''t say anything and retrieved a round mirror from her spatial ring before putting it in front of Yuan.

    "Huh?" Yuan looked into the mirror with a raised eyebrow.

    "What?!"

    His eyes widened with shock after seeing his new appearance.

    His ck hair and eyes had turned golden, and his chest appeared to have grown several dragon scales. This immediately reminded him of Xi Murong and Xi Mingze''s transformation.

    However, he was still missing dragon horns and a tail.

    ''This must be due to the Nine Dragon Symbols¡­ Dragon Awakening, huh? I hope this isn''t permanent¡­'' He swallowed nervously.

    "Yuan, if you don''t mind, can I have some of your blood? I want to confirm something." Xi Mingze suddenly asked him.

    "O-Of course! Take as much blood as you want!" Yuan immediately responded.

    "Just a few drops will be enough. I want to see if you have any dragon blood flowing through your veins."

    Yuan nodded and poked a hole on his finger before squeezing several drops out.

    Xi Mingze quickly collected his blood with her spiritual energy, and without hesitation, ced it inside her mouth.

    Her eyes immediately widened with surprise, but it was not because his blood contained dragon blood.

    ''What is this?! Why is his blood so delicious?!'' Xi Mingze has never tasted anything as tasty as Yuan''s blood, and it wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say that his blood tasted better than any delicacy she has tasted before.

    The taste of Yuan''s blood surprised her so much that she didn''t confirm whether he had dragon blood or not, so she had to request for some more.

    "Sorry, but I will need some more to be sure¡­ A little more this time¡­" She said in a stiff voice, her face somewhat rosy.

    "Take as much as you need." Yuan repeated with a smile on his face.Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    This time, Xi Mingze collected a mouthful of his blood, which caused Xi Shengmo to raise his eyebrows.

    ''Why does she need so much blood? And why does her face look like that?'' He wondered inwardly, as she looked like she was before a luxurious feast.

    After taking Yuan''s blood for the second time, Xi Mingze tasted only a few drops of the mouthful of blood that she collected before storing the rest away in a container.

    ''She''s storing it?'' Xi Shengmo became even more puzzled by her actions.

    ''Oh, right¡­ My blood is like a delicacy for Divine Beasts¡­'' Yuan took a mental note of this.

    "Ahem." After clearing her throat in a forceful manner, Xi Mingze looked at Xi Shengmo and spoke with a serious expression, "His blood doesn''t have the slightest dragon blood. He''s 100 percent human."

    "What?! That''s impossible!" Xi Shengmo refused to believe it.

    "I don''t know what else to say since I have no idea what is happening, either." Xi Mingze shrugged, and she turned to look at Yuan.

    "Although he has dragon scales and the aura of a dragon, he doesn''t have any horns or a tail. Maybe it is a transformation and isn''t at the same time. Either way, we have never seen or heard of anything like this before."

    "Yuan, do you have any idea what caused your transformation?" She then asked.

    Yuan pondered for a moment before asking, "Do you know anything about the Nine Dragons Symbol?"

    "No, never heard of it. What about you?" Xi Mingze looked at Xi Shengmo, who also shook his head.

    "Hmm¡­ Then what about the Dragon God?"

    "I have also never heard of this Dragon God, but what an arrogant name. Not even the Dragon Ancestor and the Great One would call themselves a God, much less the God of Dragons." Xi Mingze said.

    However, Xi Shengmo appeared to be pondering about something.

    "Dragon God¡­ I have heard about him before," he said a momentter.

 Chapter 1195 Dragon God

    ?1195  Dragon God

    "Really? What do you know about him?" Yuan immediately asked.

    "I don''t know how much of this is true since it used to be a rumor back in the days, so take this with a grain of salt." Xi Shengmo said.

    And he continued, "If you didn''t know already, it is widely known throughout the entire Dragon Race that the Dragon Ancestor and the Great One are the first dragons to ever exist, so they have the highest quality in terms of our bloodline. However, there is a rumor that ims a third dragon existed¡ª one with a supreme bloodline like the Dragon Ancestor and the Great One."

    "They also say that both the Dragon Ancestor and the Great One revered this third dragon, who was apparently more powerful than the twobined, and they would address it as the Dragon God. However, for some reason, this Dragon God did the unthinkable and lowered its head to another entity¡ª a human, at that."

    "The Dragon God''s decision caused a great disturbance throughout the Dragon Race and greatly angered the other two Supreme Dragons, especially since humans and dragons were at war during that time."

    "I''m not sure what happened, but information about the Dragon God stopped there, almost as if its existence vanished into thin air."

    Yuan digested all of this information with a pondering look on his face.

    ''The Dragon God lowered its head to a human¡­ That human must be the Immortal Monarch, since he tamed many Divine Beasts. And if the Dragon God is rted to the Nine Dragon Symbols¡­''

    Yuan was finally starting to connect the dots, but there are still many unanswered questions.

    Seeing Yuan''s expression, Xi Shengmo couldn''t help but ask, "Is the Dragon God rted to your transformation?"

    Yuan snapped out of his daze and nodded, "I think so. Also, this blood doesn''t belong to the Dragon Ancestor, but the Dragon God."

    "What!" Xi Shengmo eximed after hearing this information.

    "I also believe that the human the Dragon God served was someone called the Immortal Monarch. Do you know of him?"

    "Immortal Monarch! Of course, I know him! There''s not a singlepetent dragon that doesn''t know of His Excellency!" Xi Shengmo said in a loud voice.

    "His Excellency?" Yuan raised an eyebrow.

    "His Excellency was the one who stopped the war between dragons and humans, after all! He was also highly respected by many Divine Beasts during his era."

    "Then do you know what happened to him?" Yuan asked.

    "No, just like the Dragon God, he suddenly disappeared after one day. We still don''t know what happened to him to this day." Xi Shengmo shook his head in a regretful manner. Clearly, he was a fan of the Immortal Monarch.

    If he knew that he was standing before the Immortal Monarch''s reincarnation, not even the Heavens would be able to predict his reaction.

    "Anyways, do you have any more questions?"

    "Um¡­ Just one more¡­ How long will I remain like this?" He asked.

    "You can''t revert to your original form?" Xi Shengmo raised an eyebrow.

    "Unfortunately, no." Yuan sighed.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    "I don''t think there is anything to worry about. When we bathe in the blood, we also transform uncontrobly, but it will eventually go away by itself once the effects of the blood weakens." Xi Mingze said.

    "I see¡­ By the way¡­ The blood¡­" Yuan looked at the pitiful state of the pool with a guilty look on his face. "I promise to refill it¡­"

    Xi Mingze chuckled, "Don''t sweat too much about it. What''s done is done, and it''s not like you did it on purpose, right?"

    "Of course not!" He quickly shook his head.

    Xi Shengmo rubbed his eyes and sighed, "While I don''t expect you to refill this pool with the Dragon Ancestor''s blood, if you really wish to try, please do so within 900 years since thest time we soaked in the blood was 100 years ago¡ª fortunately. If we don''t find a solution for this before then, our bloodline might weaken."

    The only reason Xi Shengmo still has some hope that Yuan would fulfill his words is because of his connection with the Dragon Ancestor.

    Although he doesn''t know what kind of rtionship Yuan has with the Dragon Ancestor, he knew there was something there.

    Xi Mingze then said with a weird smile on her face, "If you can''t fulfill your promise, then you will have to fill this ce with your own blood, okay?"

    "S-Sure¡­" Yuan nodded with a nervous smile.

    "Here, you''ll catch a cold at this rate." Xi Mingze suddenly handed him his robes.

    "Thank you."

    Of course, he waspletely naked this entire time.

    Yuan washed himself again after leaving the Ancestral Sanctuary before returning to his own room.

    "How did the ceremony go?" Xi Meili, who had been waiting for her parents to return to their room this entire time, immediately approached them when she noticed their presence in the hallway.

    "...You will find out when tomorrowes." Xi Shengmo said in a tired voice.

    "Sorry, but I do not have the energy right now¡­" Xi Mingze sighed.

    This caused Xi Meili to be shocked, as she had never seen her parents this exhausted before.

    ''What happened during the ceremony?!'' Xi Meili cried inwardly.

    "Is Yuan okay?" She then asked with a worried face.

    Xi Mingze showed a weak smile and said, "Why wouldn''t he be okay? If you want to see it for yourself, he''s returned to his room. However, I don''t rmend seeing him now since he seemed to have a lot on his mind before he left."

    "I understand¡­" As much as Xi Meili wanted to see Yuan right now, she decided to wait for tomorrow, just as her parents suggested.

    Xi Mingze and Xi Shengmo retired to their rooms shortly after.

    "So much has happened today¡­" Xi Mingze sighed as sheid on the bed.

    "Are you sure he''s 100 percent human? Give me some of his blood. I want to see for myself." Xi Shengmo suddenly said.

    "If you want his blood, go ask him for some. Why are you asking me?" She looked at him with a slight frown.

    Xi Shengmo''s eyes twitched at her words.

    "You¡­ What the hell are you saying when you still have some of his blood?"

    "I don''t know what you are talking about."

    "I literally watched you seal his blood in a container before putting it away in your spatial ring!" Xi Shengmo found her to be incredibly suspicious now, but not for the reasons he was thinking.

    "And how did I obtain that blood? By asking him. If you want his blood, you need to do the same. I am not sharing mine." Xi Mingze remained adamant for some reason, greatly dumbfounding Xi Shengmo.

    "I knew it! He definitely has dragon blood in his veins! Why would you lie about something like this?" Xi Shengmo sighed.

    Xi Mingze frowned, "I wouldn''t lie about that. He doesn''t have any dragon blood and is purely human."

    "Then what are you hiding from me?"

    "Ask him for his blood and you will know."

    "You are... Unbelievable!" Xi Shengmo gave up at this point and decided to ask Yuan for his blood tomorrow before he leaves for Azure Dragon City.

 Chapter 1196 An Overwhelming Presence

    ?1196  An Overwhelming Presence

    The following morning, Yuan looked in the mirror, and sure enough, he was still transformed. But since it didn''t negatively affect him, he didn''t mind it too much. In fact, his body was surging with an enormous amount of energy that felt simr to Heaven''s Supremacy, which made him feel invincible.

    He had a feeling that if he fought with Xi Mingze in his current state, he''d be able to defeat her with ease.

    Sometimeter, Yuan left his room, where Xiao Hua and his otherpanions were waiting for him.

    "Brother Yuan?" Xiao Hua made a puzzled face when she saw Yuan''s new appearance, almost as though she didn''t recognize him.

    "Y-Young Master?" Feng Yuxiang''s eyes were as wide as saucers.

    "..." Lan Yingying was utterly speechless.

    "How do I look?" Yuan asked them with a smile on his face.

    "Heavens! What did they do to you, Young Master?! Why do you smell like a dragon?! E-Even your aura is that of a real dragon! I know they said that they''d disguise your human scent, but this is too much¡­" Feng Yuxiang asked him, feeling perplexed by his new appearance.

    Yuan then said, "Well, that is because I am actually transformed."

    "What?! How is that even possible when you don''t have dragon blood in you?!"

    He proceeded to tell them about his experience yesterday at the Ancestral Sanctuary.

    "Bathing in the blood of a dragon¡­?" Feng Yuxiang swallowed nervously.

    Just like phoenix blood, dragon blood is insanely valuable. Even a single drop is worth a fortune if sold in an auction house, yet Yuan managed to bathe in a pool for dragon blood meant for the dragon n''s royal family? Nobody would believe such nonsense even if he told everyone.

    "Does that mean you are no longer human but a dragon¡­?" Lan Yingying asked the most important question.

    "No, I am still human. This transformation is temporary. However, you''re free to see for yourself." Yuan lifted his hand, offering his blood to them.

    "Then if you''ll excuse me¡­" Feng Yuxiang did not hesitate to taste his blood, as it has been a long time since shest savored it.

    Lan Yingying also did not refuse to taste his blood, her taste buds dancing with bliss afterward.

    "You''re right¡­ I don''t taste any dragon blood in your blood¡­ How mysterious¡­" Feng Yuxiang mumbled with a dazed look on her face.

    "Brother Yuan, can I also taste it?"

    To their surprise, Xiao Hua also requested to taste his blood.

    "Can you even tell the difference?" Feng Yuxiang looked at her with raised eyebrows.

    Naturally, Xiao Hua did not have such an ability, as she was human. However, she did not want to feel left out when the other two always seemed to be enjoying themselves with his blood.

    Seeing her silence, Feng Yuxiang shook her head and said, "No matter your reason, a human drinking another human''s blood is weird. That''s something only depraved humans that walk the path of evil would do."

    "..."

    Yuan then said, "Feng Feng is right, Xiao Hua. My blood only tastes good to Divine Beasts."

    Hearing their words, Xiao Hua eventually gave up on the idea.

    Sometimeter, Yuan and his group arrived in the dining area, where the Xi Family was already seated.

    "Good morning, Yu¡ª" Xi Meili greeted as she turned to look at him, and when she finally saw his appearance, her jaw dropped to the floor.

    "W-What the¡­?" Xi Murong was just as startled as Xi Meili.

    Xi Mingze chuckled at their reaction, something she has been waiting all night to see.

    Xi Meili eventually snapped out of her daze and stood up.

    She then walked over to him, stopping in front of him.

    "Yuan¡­? Is that you?" She asked in a low voice as she inspected his body from head to toe multiple times.

    "Yes, it''s me." He responded with a calm smile.

    Meanwhile, inside her head, Xi Meili was trying her hardest to not freak out.

    ''Oh my heavens! He''s so freaking handsome! What is this?! What is going on?! Why does he look like this?! What is this tingly sensation in my body?!'' Xi Meili cried inwardly, feeling an incredible urge to drag Yuan to her room to do unspeakable acts.

    "Are you okay?" Yuan couldn''t help but ask her, whose face was flushed red.

    "Ahem." Xi Shengmo loudly cleared his throat. "Sit back down. You''re being rude."

    Xi Meili quickly turned around and walked back to her seat, but not before saying, "Sorry for acting weird, you just look so different."

    Yuan chuckled, "I was also surprised when I first saw this appearance."

    Xi Mingze then said, "As you can see, this is the result of his Blood Cleansing Ceremony."

    "Is that permanent?" Xi Murong asked.

    "No, it should go away soon." Xi Mingze shook her head.

    "Then are you still human?" Xi Meili asked after returning to her senses.

    Yuan nodded, "I am still human. 100 percent."

    Xi Shengmo cleared his throat again, sounding a little stiff this time, and he spoke, "Oh, right. Yuan, can I have some of your blood? I''d like to make sure that nothing has changed since yesterday."

    "Sure." Yuan did not hesitate to give him a few drops of his blood.

    Xi Shengmo''s eyes snapped wide open when Yuan''s blood touched his tongue, looking as though he''d just been electrocuted.

    ''W-What the hell is this?! Why does his blood taste so freaking delicious?!'' Xi Shengmo turned to look at Xi Mingze with a look of disbelief.Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    He finally understood what his wife had been hiding from him and why she refused to share Yuan''s blood to him yesterday.

    Of course, he also made the same mistake as her and forgot to analyze the blood.

    "What do you think? Any changes?" Yuan asked him.

    "Uhh¡­ N-No. Everything is the same." Xi Shengmo was not shameless enough to ask for more, so he decided to lie.

    Xi Meili and Xi Murong found their father''s action a little odd, but they couldn''t pinpoint it.

    Eventually, everyone sat down for breakfast.

    And for the entire meal, Xi Meili could barely take her eyes off Yuan, as his presence was simply too overwhelming and deadly in a nonlethal way.

    ''She''s totally smitten with his dragon looks...'' Xi Mingze barely held herposure.

    blood.

    ''He was already attractive enough as a human. Now that he''s basically turned into a dragon, his charm will be countless times more effective on us females in the dragon race. If he visits the Azure Dragon City in that appearance, he''ll probably attract even more attention than before... At least it''ll be the good kind of attention...''

    Unbeknownst to her, Xi Mingze would also subconsciously nce at Yuan from time to time.

 Chapter 1197 Mysterious Handsome Young Man Shocks The City

    ?1197  Mysterious Handsome Young Man Shocks the City

    After breakfast, Xi Meili brought Yuan to her family''s dressing room, where all sorts of outfits were avable.

    "With your new appearance, you can easily pass as someone with a royal bloodline, so before we go to the Azure Dragon City, you should dress ordingly."

    "You want me to pretend to be royalty?" Yuan asked with a dumbfounded face.

    "Since you partook in our family''s Blood Cleansing Ceremony, it wouldn''t be an exaggeration to call you royalty." Xi Meili said as she looked through her father''s old clothes.

    Eventually, she found a pair of white and golden robes with a golden dragon embroidered in the front and back.

    "This! This will look perfect on you!" Xi Meili spoke in an excited voice as she handed him the robes.

    "I will also get changed. When you''re done, meet me at the entrance."

    Xi Meili left Yuan alone after that.

    After changing into his new clothes, Yuan left the dressing room and made his way to the pce''s entrance.

    He would cross paths with several servants on the way there, and unsurprisingly, they all stopped whatever they were doing to stare at him with dreamy eyes. Even after many moments after Yuan left their sights, these servants still remained frozen like a stone statue.

    "Heavens! Who was that just now?! I have never seen anyone as handsome as him in my life!"

    "There''s no way someone like him could be a nobody!"

    "Did you see his aura? It was magnificent! When he nced at me, I felt all the strength in my body leave!"

    "He had gold hair like the Xi Family¡­ Is he rted to them? But there''s no way we wouldn''t know about him if that was the case¡­"

    Unbeknownst to Yuan, his presence alone was enough to leave these servants in utter chaos.

    At the entrance, Xiao Hua and the others were already there to see him off.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.

    "Oh my¡­" Xi Mingze was taken aback by Yuan''s new outfit.

    "That''s my¡­" Xi Shengmo was speechless.

    The outfit Xi Meili had picked out for Yuan used to be worn by Xi Shengmo during his younger days. It wasn''t anything too fancy, but it brought out all of Yuan''s charms and amplified it a hundred times.

    Not only does Yuan look like a real Young Master with these clothes, he also gave off the aura of a hero, someone to be looked up to by others.

    "You look even better than my husband did in those clothes, Yuan. My daughter sure has an eye for fashion." Xi Mingze spoke in a teasing voice when he got close enough.

    Xi Shengmo couldn''t refute her words even though he wanted to.

    "The Young Master really looks like a different person now¡­" Feng Yuxiang mumbled.

    Xi Meili showed up shortly after, and she was wearing a formal red and gold outfit, which gave her a more mature atmosphere.

    "Looks like I don''t need to scold you for your outfit." Xi Mingze said.

    "I am well aware that I am going there for official business, so this is only natural." Xi Meili said, and she turned to look at Yuan, feeling like she had aplished something great with his clothes.

    "Alright, are you ready to go?" Xi Meili asked him.

    He nodded, "Yes, but how will we get there?"

    "Well, we can travel there with a flying treasure, or we can just teleport there with a formation. I will let you choose. The former will take about a week while thetter will be instantaneous."

    Xi Meili would rather take the flying treasure since that means she would get to spend an entire week alone with Yuan, but she didn''t say it outright out of shame.

    "There''s nothing but clouds between both cities, right?" Yuan asked.

    "That''s right. If you want to sightsee, there''s nothing to see, unfortunately."

    "Then let''s just teleport there. I''d rather spend more time in the city, after all."

    "Okay¡­"

    Yuan raised an eyebrow in a questioning manner when Xi Meili responded in a dispirited manner for some reason.

    "Let''s go, Yuan." Xi Meili didn''t give him the chance to ask and pulled him towards the street.

    "Stay safe, Young Master!"

    "See youter, Brother Yuan."

    "Don''t cause any trouble, Meili!"

    After the pair disappeared from their sights, Xi Mingze sighed, "I can''t help but worry that something is going to happen in Azure Dragon City."

    "I guess we should start mentally preparing ourselves, then." Xi Shengmo said.

    Meanwhile, Yuan and Xi Meili took their time walking to the teleporting formation on foot.

    Naturally, their presence left every pedestrian around them utterly speechless.

    While the males would admire Xi Meili''s beauty and elegance with wide mouths, all of the females would stare at Yuan like beasts during mating season.

    His domineering aura, his alluring scent, his calm yet oppressive gaze¡ª none of the females there could withstand his charms, no matter if they were maidens, married women, or widows. All of them were powerless before Yuan''s uncontroble mour.

    "Who was that handsome man with Princess Xi just now?! I need to know right now!"

    "I have never seen him before. He must be from another city."

    "What kind of rtionship do you think they have with each other? They looked like a pair made by Heaven itself!"

    "Damn it! I have never felt so envious of Princess Xi until today!"

    "I would be willing to die for a chance to hold that man''s hands even for a second!"

    News of a mysterious handsome young man with otherworldly charm that appeared out of thin air quickly spread throughout the city like wildfire.

    Upon hearing such news, many people from all over the city flocked to see this mysterious handsome man with their own eyes like it was some kind of freak show.

    "My god! He''s actually even more handsome than I expected! How can such a perfect being exist?!"

    "Just who is he?! Why does nobody recognize someone as eye-catching as him?! There''s no way he really popped out of thin air!"

    Seeing how much attention they were getting, Yuan was beginning to wonder if he should''ve traveled with the flying treasure instead.

 Chapter 1198 Azure Dragon City

    ?1198  Azure Dragon City

    Upon arriving at the teleport formation, Xi Meili led Yuan directly to the front of the line.

    When the manager there noticed Xi Meili, he immediately rushed over to greet them.

    "Wee, Princess Xi. Where would you like to go today?"

    "The Azure Dragon City."

    "Understood. Please give us a minute to prepare the formation."

    While the manager arranged the formation, everyone in that area was staring at Yuan and Xi Meili.

    "I wonder what they''re going to do in Azure Dragon City."

    "Judging by Princess Xi''s formal wear, she''s probably there for some important business. Perhaps with the Azure Dragon Family, since there has been a rumor about the Xi Family and Azure Dragon Family finally getting together."

    Despite the amount of years the Azure Dragon Family and the Xi Family have coexisted in this realm, they have never joined together as a family and would rather mind their own business within their own city. In fact, they rarely contacted each other, only doing so during unforeseen events.

    However, the Azure Dragon Family finally decided that it was about time they joined together. Xi Shengmo agreed when he was confronted about it, hence the current situation.

    Once the teleport formation was prepared, Xi Meili and Yuan entered it, teleporting directly outside the Azure Dragon City.

    "Yuan, I am going to meet with the Azure Dragon Family first. You can look around the city until I am done. It shouldn''t take long. I will find you when I am done."

    "Alright." Yuan didn''t bother asking her how she would find him in this vast city, as he was sure that she had her own unique ways.

    "See you in a bit then. Try not to cause any trouble!" Xi Meili said to him as she flew away, entering the city through the sky.

    When the guards saw that someone was trying to enter the city through the sky, their initial reaction was to stop them. However, after seeing this invader''s face, these guards halted and sighed, "It''s the Xi Family''s little princess. Captain said that she''d show up sometime today and be on the lookout for her."

    One of the guards then went to notify the Azure Dragon Family of Xi Meili''s arrival.

    Meanwhile, Yuan approached the city through the front gates.

    The guards were stunned when they saw him, who gave off the aura of a royal, but they didn''t recognize him in the slightest.

    "Who is that?"

    "I don''t recognize him, either."

    Once Yuan was close enough, one of the guards approached him in a respectful manner, "Greetings, Young Master. If you don''t mind me asking, where are you from? And what business do you have at our humble Azure Dragon City?"

    "I am from Ancient Dragon City, and I am here to sightsee." Yuan calmly responded.

    ''Just to sightsee?'' The guard wondered inwardly.

    "So this is your first time visiting our city? Can you put your hands on this for a second?" The guard showed him a crystal ball.

    Yuan ced his hand on the crystal ball. It shone bright blue a momentter.

    "Thank you very much. Here is your pass. You may stay in the city for a maximum of 3 months. If you wish to stay longer, pleasee back here."

    "Alright." Yuan entered the city after epting the guest pass.

    Compared to the Ancient Dragon City, which has a more traditional feel and a serious atmosphere, the Azure Dragon City was much brighter and felt more exciting, almost likeparing a street filled with bars with a street filled with stores. The buildings were also built differently, as well as the pedestrian''s fashion.

    Yuan stood before the entrance for a good minute, admiring the view. Once he was satisfied, he started wandering the streets.

    Naturally, his appearance immediately attracted those around him, causing them to stare intensely.

    "Who is that handsome young man? There''s no way I wouldn''t recognize someone as eye-catching as him!"

    "He''s probably not from this city. Gold hair¡­ That''s a signature of those from the Ancient Dragon City."

    Sometimeter, Yuan took notice of a certain scent in the air that made his mouth start to salivate. He immediately followed the scent, which led him to a tall restaurant that had seven floors.

    He approached the entrance, where a handsome young man was standing with a pamphlet in his hands.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    "Good morning. May I have your name?" The young man asked him when he approached.

    "Yuan."

    The young man began looking through his pamphlet. When he didn''t see Yuan''s name, he asked, "I don''t see your name. Do you have a reservation?"

    "I don''t. There''s no walk-in?"

    "Unfortunately." The young man shook his head.

    "Is that so¡­ Then can I make a reservation right now?"

    "In that case, I will put you down for next year."

    "Next year?! The wait is that long?!" Yuan was baffled.

    The young man nodded with a smile, "Our Azure Dragon''s Retreat is the highest rated restaurant in the entire world across all three cities, after all. In fact, our longest wait time was 12 years, so you''re quite lucky to only need to wait a year."

    Yuan sighed, "I see¡­ forget it then. Sorry to bother you."

    Just as Yuan turned around and began walking away, a clear voice resounded from somewhere above him.

    "Please wait a moment!"

    Yuan turned around and looked at the sky to see a figure jumping out of a window from the seventh floor of the restaurant.

    This figurended right in front of Yuan.

    "Um¡­ I happened to overhear your conversation! If you''d like, you can eat with me and my friends!" This individual was a beautiful youngdy with light blue hair and golden eyes. She had a paleplexion, and her cheeks were rosy for some reason.

    Seeing this as a chance, Yuan didn''t refuse and nodded, "If you don''t mind having me."

    "Of course not! I am the one who invited you, after all! By the way, I''m Azure. Nice to meet you!" The blue-haired girl smiled at him.

    "Azure¡­?" Yuan''s body instinctively froze for a second as another individual with the same name appeared inside his head.

    He quickly snapped out of it and smiled back, "Nice to meet you, Azure. You can call me Yuan."

    After their brief introduction, Azure led Yuan inside the restaurant.

 Chapter 1199 Azure Dragon Family

    ?1199  Azure Dragon Family

    Once they entered the restaurant, Azure led Yuan straight to the seventh floor of the restaurant, where only two rooms existed on the entire floor.

    Azure''s room was on the left side of the building. Inside, there were four other people sitting around a long table that was filled with delicious-looking food and fragrant drinks. Two young men and two youngdies, all around the same age as Azure.

    "Sorry for that just now." Azure said to them with an apologetic smile on her face as she entered the room.

    "Why did you jump out of the window so suddenly? That surprised us."

    "Forget that¡ª who is that beside you?" One of thedies asked her with sparkling eyes.

    "Let me introduce you to a new friend that I''ve just made. This is Yuan. He''ll be dining with us." Azure introduced him with a bright smile.

    Thedies looked up and down at Yuan with glistening eyes while the two men had slight frowns on their faces.

    "Where did youe from, Yuan? I have never seen you before! Oh! I''m Zhu Ling!"

    "My name''s Li Na! Nice to meet you!"

    Thedies introduced themselves while the men remained silent.

    "Come sit over here with me, Yuan." Azure said to him as she walked over to her seat by the window.

    ''Azure, you sly beast. I was wondering why you had been staring outside the window with a dazed face!'' Li Na said to her using divine sense.

    ''Hands off, you two. I found him, so he''s mine.'' Azure said to them.

    ''Hey! That''s not fair! You already have Guo Xing and Wang Jun here!'' Zhu Ling said.

    ''Nonsense! You know we''re not in that kind of rtionship!'' Azure red at her.

    ''Either way, you know that they''ve been trying to court you for over a thousand years now. If you flirt with this new guy whom you''ve just met, they will definitely get jealous.''

    ''That''s none of my business.''

    ''You say that but¡ª''

    "Hey, you didn''t answer my friend''s question. Where are you from?" Guo Xing, a handsome young man with a naturally stern face, suddenly spoke to Yuan.

    "Ancient Dragon City."

    "What about your family? Which family are you from?" Zhu Ling asked.

    "Just an ordinary family."

    "Eh?! No way! You look like you belong to some big family!" Li Na eximed.

    The two men smirked a little when they realized that Yuan didn''t belong to any prominent family.

    "It''s true." Yuan smiled, remaining calm.

    The room fell silent for a moment afterward.

    "Who cares where he''s from." Azure suddenly said, breaking the silence.

    And she continued, "Let''s eat before the food gets cold."

    "Thanks again for the invitation." Yuan said to her.

    "Don''t worry about it. If there''s anything you want to eat, feel free to order them. It''s my treat."

    They began eating shortly after.

    As they ate, Zhu Ling started a conversation, "So, I heard that Xi Meili will be visiting the Azure Dragon Family today. Is that true, Azure?"

    Yuan nced at Azure. He had a feeling that she was rted to them because of her name, but he wasn''t sure to what extent.

    "Yeah, but it''s none of my business."

    "Can you really say that? I heard rumors that the Azure Dragon Family and the Xi Family are trying toe together." Li Na said.

    "It''s true, but I am nowhere near that conversation. My eldest brother is the one who''s trying to marry Xi Meili." Azure shrugged.

    "Do you really think that Xi Meili will agree to it?" Wang Jun said, and he continued, "I mean, your brother already has multiple wives. I don''t think the princess will ept someone like that, considering her status."

    "He has multiple fianc¨¦es, not wives. He''s saving that first spot for the princess. But I get what you are trying to say." Azure corrected him.

    "Speaking of the Xi Family, I heard that they had befriended a human. How true do you think that is?" Zhu Ling suddenly said.

    "A human? What kind of nonsense is that? There''s no way a human can enter this world." Guo Xing sneered with a disdainful expression.

    "Actually, I heard that rumor as well. It happened sometimest year, and rumors have it that this human had awoken all 9 pirs during the Dragon Awakening Ritual." Li Na said.

    "Hahahaha!" Wang Jun suddenly burst outughing upon hearing her words.

    "There''s no way a mere human could awaken 9 pirs when even the Xi Family could only manage seven pirs at most! I''d eat my own tail if a human could awaken 6 pirs, much less 9!"

    If Wang Jun knew that the rumors were true and the human who awoke all 9 pirs was in the exact same room as him at this moment, not even the heavens would be able to predict his reaction.

    "If a human like that really exists, I''d like to meet him." Azure sighed.Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    "Why would you want to meet a human? They''re weak and fragile creatures, yet they are arrogant as hell and act as though they''re the ultimate race." Guo Xing sneered.

    "I just think it''ll be interesting." Azure shrugged.

    "What do you think, Yuan?" She suddenly turned to look at him, who had been stuffing food inside his mouth without stopping this entire time.

    "Would you want to meet a human if you had the chance?"

    "If I have a reason to meet with them, sure." He responded after quickly swallowing the food in his mouth.

    Wang Jun smiled at Yuan and said, "Looks like you''re not lying when you said that you came from an ordinary family. Is this your first time eating good food? Seems like it."

    "Watch your mouth, Wang Jun. Ordinary family or not, he''s my friend now. Badmouth him again and this will be ourst time hanging out together." Azure red at him.

    Wang Jun sneered inwardly, and he proceeded to re at Yuan like a tiger before its prey.

    "Please don''t mind him, Yuan." Azure said to him, who calmly nodded before returning to his food.

    Meanwhile, Xi Meili just arrived at the Azure Dragon Family''s residence.

 Chapter 1200 Azure Dragon Fanily(2)

    ?1200  Azure Dragon Family(2)

    "Wee to my Azure Dragon Family, Princess Xi. We are delighted to have you today." The Patriarch of the Azure Dragon Family personally greeted Xi Meili at the door.

    Xi Meili calmly acknowledged him with a nod before speaking, "I have urgent business after this, so let''s get this over with. Where''s Liang Xuan?"

    Patriarch Liang raised an eyebrow upon being rushed by Xi Meili. What could possibly be more important than the future of their family together?

    "There''s no need to be hasty. We have set up a banquet for you, and my son, Liang Xuan, is waiting for you there. Let us discuss your marriage with him over some tea and food."

    "..."

    As much as Xi Meili wanted to reject the marriage on the spot, it''d be incredibly rude to the Azure Dragon Family. Even if the Azure Dragon Family isn''t of royal blood, they are a veryrge and powerful family. While they might not be as influential as the Xi Family, they definitely have a slight advantage in terms of overall prowess.

    If Xi Meili offends the Azure Dragon Family too much, they might be an enemy of the Xi Family, and that would bring an end to the peace between their family, which has existed for hundreds of thousands of years.

    Xi Meili silently followed Patriarch Liang to a spacious courtyard, where a massive banquet was being held.

    There were dozens of tables filled with food and drinks, and there were even dancers in the center of the courtyard on a tform.

    Seeing the banquet made Xi Meili sneer inwardly, ''They''re already acting as though I am going to ept the proposal¡­ How unpleasant.''Property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Everyone in the courtyard stopped their movements when they noticed Xi Meili and the Patriarch''s presence.

    Meanwhile, a group of individuals approached them.

    These people were all high-standing officials and renowned individuals within the Azure Dragon City.

    "Wee to Azure Dragon City, Princess Xi."

    "It''s been awhile, Princess Xi. You look even better than before."

    "I hope everything will work out between the Xi Family and the Azure Dragon Family!"

    Once this group of individuals gave their greetings, they quickly left the scene.

    Then, another individual approached them.

    Xi Meili turned to look at this person with a nonchnt expression on her face. He was a handsome young man with light blue hair neatly tied into a ponytail and gold eyes, sword-like eyebrows, and a face that gave him a heroic atmosphere.

    This person stopped in front of Xi Meili and proceeded to give her a courteous bow.

    "Good morning, Princess Xi. You look even prettier than the rumors say, and I am grateful to be graced by your presence today."

    Xi Meili remained nonchnt and spoke, "And you''re exactly as the rumors say, Liang Xuan. Do you flirt like this with every woman that you meet?"

    Liang Xuan did not take offense to her words and evenughed at it. "I am only speaking the truth. Anyways, why don''t we sit down first? There is plenty to discuss, after all."

    Liang Xuan turned around and started walking towards the main table, expecting Xi Meili to follow him. However, he stopped a few stepster when he noticed that Xi Meili hadn''t moved in the slightest.

    "Princess Xi? Is there something wrong?" He asked her with a puzzled look on his face.

    "I hope you didn''t prepare this banquet specifically for me, as I will not be participating in it."

    "W-Why not?" Liang Xuan was taken aback.

    "Because I won''t be staying for long, and I have other businesses to attend to."

    Patriarch Liang proceeded to speak with a slight frown on his face, "I''m sure this ''other'' business can wait a little longer. What could possibly be more important than your marriage with my son?"

    Xi Meili turned to look at him with a sharp gaze, and she spoke, "You make it sound like I am already engaged to him or something. Unless my father lied to me, we are not yet in that kind of rtionship."

    "Not yet¡­ but we will be soon." Liang Xuan spoke with a confident smile on his face.

    "And what makes you think that?" Xi Meili frowned.

    "I will tell you¡­ after we sit down and enjoy the banquet a little. What do you say?"

    "..."

    After a moment of silence, Xi Meili spoke in a cold voice, "Sorry, but I have no intention of ying whatever game you''re suggesting. If you''re not going to tell me now, I will just reject your proposal and leave."

    The smile on Liang Xuan''s face immediately disappeared, and he sighed out loud, "I wanted this marriage to work properly and without any troubles, but you''re making that very hard, Princess Xi, and you''ve only just arrived."

    "I will ask you onest time. Will you have a peaceful conversation with me while seated, or are we going to do this the hard way?" Liang Xuan''s previous demeanor hadpletely disappeared. He was now filled with arrogance, his aura a little tyrannical, almost like that of a wild beast.

    Xi Meili narrowed her eyes at him, "Since I am benevolent, I will disregard this disrespect once and act like it never happened."

    "Or what? You''ll report it to your father?" Patriarch Liang suddenly spoke.

    "What?" Xi Meili turned to look at him with wide eyes.

    ''Have they gone mad?'' She wondered inwardly.

    They are clearly acting hostile towards her, but she couldn''t understand why. She hasn''t officially rejected their proposal yet, so there was no reason for them to act in this manner.

    In fact, they have been acting a little weird since the beginning, which gave Xi Meili a bad feeling.

    ''Now that I think about it, why would the Azure Dragon Family suddenly propose to work together when we''ve never really been that close. Why now? What is their motive?'' Xi Meili asked herself.

    Before she could think of anything, Patriarch Liang suddenly swept the courtyard with a sharp gaze. When the people there felt his gaze, they all silently left the courtyard, leaving Xi Meili alone with the Patriarch and Liang Xuan.

    Seeing this, Xi Meili instinctively prepared for battle.

    Patriarch Liang smiled coldly after seeing her reaction, and he said, "Rx, we''re not going to attack you. That would be unbefitting of us, especially considering our stature. I made them leave so that we can talk privately, just as you wanted."

    Xi Meili loosened her muscles a little, but she was still on guard.

    "I can''t wait to hear whatever nonsense you''re going to spew next." Xi Meili said with a somewhat nervous smile.

 Chapter 1201 Azure Dragon Familys Ambitions

    ?1201  Azure Dragon Family''s Ambitions

    "By the way, is it really okay for you to be here today, Azure?" Zhu Ling suddenly asked her.

    "What do you mean?" Azure raised an eyebrow, looking puzzled by her question.

    "I mean, I heard there''s a banquet going on at your ce today to wee Xi Meili. Shouldn''t you be there?"

    "Oh, that? Only certain people were invited, and I wasn''t one of them. Though, even if I was invited, I wouldn''t go to such a banquet. It''ll surely be boring, after all." Azure shrugged.

    And then she added, "Oh, yeah. I noticed that my family has been acting a little strange recently. I think something big might happen soon, so you should prepare yourselves."

    "You don''t know what''s happening in your family?" Yuan asked her with a curious face.

    Azure shook her head, "You probably don''t know this but my family is very strict when ites to sharing information, so only those who have a high position within the family are given information. As for the rest of us, we just live our life doing our own things until it''s time for our marriage, which is determined by the family, of course."

    Yuan had a weird look on his face as he said, "I don''t want to sound rude, but that sounds miserable."

    "How dare you!" Guo Xing mmed his fist on the table, causing everything on it to jump.

    "Stop it. Yuan is right. We are allowed to do whatever we please for the first few hundred years of our lives, but that is merely giving us a false sense of freedom. Once our future is determined, that is where our freedom¡ª and life ends. Most of us don''t want to admit it, but it''s a miserable life." Azure had a dispiritied look on her face as she said this, turning the atmosphere awkward and sad.

    They would continue to eat in silence for the next several minutes, as nobody there knew how to continue the conversation.

    Meanwhile, at the banquet, Xi Meili was seated at the main table with Liang Xuan and Patriarch Liang seated directly in front of her on the other side of the table.

    "If you had done this earlier, this ce wouldn''t be so boring now." Liang Xuan sighed.

    Xi Meili didn''t say anything and silently stared at them with narrowed eyes.

    Patriarch Liang then calmly spoke, "When our ancestors decided to hide in this small world from the humans, our Azure Dragon Family was only but a slightly reputable family. However, through thousands upon thousands of years of hard work and sacrifices, we''ve managed to bring the Azure Dragon Family to the top of this world, even ruling over one of the biggest cities in this world."

    "We thought that we would be satisfied with our current standing, but our desire for more grew as time passed."

    "Do you know where I am trying to go with this?" Patriarch Liang had a wide smile on his face as he looked at Xi Meili.

    Xi Meili sneered, "So you''ve set your eyes on the Xi Family because we''re above you, huh. How boring. And I was wondering what you were nning. I''m disappointed."

    "Boring? You dare call our ambitions boring? How dare you!" Patriarch Liang''s expression turned cold, his Spirit Sovereign aura leaking uncontrobly.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    However, he quickly calmed down and smiled again, "Forget it. A child who was born with a silver spoon in her mouth like you wouldn''t understand it."

    "So how are you going to achieve that? By picking a fight with my family? By destroying it?" Xi Meili then asked.

    "Destroy? Now why would we want to destroy your family?" Liang Xuan shook his head, and he continued, "The Xi Family has existed for even longer than our Azure Dragon Family, not to mention your history. It''d be a waste to destroy you guys."

    After a slight pause, he continued with a grin on his face, "Therefore, instead of destroying you, we''re going to consume the Xi Family."

    Xi Meili frowned at his words.

    Liang Xuan then said, "We''re going to give you an offer right now. Be my woman and serve me, who will be the future of the Azure Family. If you do, we won''t treat the Xi Family too badly. If you don''t, the Xi Family will no longer exist in this world."

    "..."

    After a moment of silence, Xi Meili suddenly burst outughing, "Unbelievable! The confidence in your voice! Truly unbelievable! Do you really think that you can take on my Xi Family? Don''t look down on my family, you bastards!"

    Patriarch Liang quickly responded, "You''re wrong. We''re not underestimating the Xi Family. If we did, we wouldn''t have waited this long to finally make a move. It''s precisely because we respect your power that we took this long to prepare."

    "..."

    Xi Meili stoppedughing upon hearing such words, and Patriarch Liang continued to speak, "The Xi Family has at most two Spirit Sovereigns, seven Spirit Emperors, and a thousand Spirit Kings under theirmand. Meanwhile, our Ancient Dragon Family has three Spirit Sovereigns, neen Spirit Emperors, and three thousand Spirit Kings."

    "Do you know why there''s such a difference between us? While your Xi Family has been cking because of our ''peaceful'' environment, our Azure Dragon Family has never stopped cultivating our military prowess. Furthermore, as I am aware, your Xi Family only has two direct descendants. Meanwhile, our Azure Dragon Family has over a hundred direct descendants and thousands more in our branch families."

    Xi Meili sneered, "So you think you can defeat my family just because you have a slight advantage in numbers? How naive of you, Patriarch Liang."

    "I think the one being naive here is you, Princess Xi." A new voice that Xi Meili found familiar suddenly resounded from beside her.

    When Xi Meili turned, she could see a tall middle-aged man with short ck hair and emerald eyes calmly approaching their table.

    "You are¡­!" Xi Meili''s eyes widened upon seeing this figure.

    "Wee, Patriarch Cui. I''m d you were able to make it here today." Patriarch Liang stood up and greeted him with a bright smile.

    "Patriarch Cui¡­ What is the meaning of this?" Xi Meili red at him, who she has only seen a few times in her life.

    "Can''t you tell by my presence here? You are truly naive." Patriarch Cui shook his head.

    Xi Meili gritted her teeth, "So the Emerald Dragon Family is also in on this nonsense, huh?"

    This man was the Patriarch of the Emerald Dragon Family, ruler of Verdant Dragon City, one of the three biggest cities in this world alongside the Azure Dragon City and the Ancient Dragon City.

    "See? I told you that we weren''t underestimating the Xi Family." Patriarch Liang smiled at Xi Meili.

    "My Emerald Dragon Family may only have one Spirit Sovereign, five Spirit Emperors, and six hundred Spirit Kings, but if webine our forces together, I think we have a pretty good chance to deal with the Xi Family. What do you think, Princess Xi?" Patriarch Cui asked her.

    "You¡­ traitorous bastard¡­! After all my family has done for the Verdant Dragon City, this is how you repay us?!" Xi Meili growled as she pointed at him.

 Chapter 1202 War

    ?1202  War

    "What will you even get out of this?! Tell me, Patriarch Cui!" Xi Meili continued to shout at him.

    Patriarch Cui nonchntly shrugged as he responded, "Nothing much. Just some of the Xi Family''s treasures, a third of the Ancient Dragon City, and Xi Mingze."

    "What? My mother?" Xi Meili had a baffled look on her face.

    Patriarch Cui grinned at her reaction, and he rified, "I have fancied her for a while now. In fact, I''ve had my eyes on her even before she met your father. Unfortunately, I was not strong enough to attract her attention."

    "And you consider yourself a dragon?! What a disgrace! You sully our race with your mere existence! Even a wild beast has more morals than you bastards!" Xi Meili stared at him with killing intent flowing from her eyes.

    "As dragons, it is our nature to desire power¡ª to rule over everything within our gaze." Patriarch Liang spoke with a stern look on his face, "Once we consume the Xi Family, we will be royalties through the Blood Cleansing Ceremony! After that, we will finally leave this prison of a world and conquer the outside world and its humans!"

    "The Blood Cleansing Ceremony¡­?" Xi Meili muttered as she realized something. "So this is your real motive. You want to acquire the Dragon Ancestor''s blood so that you will have a royal bloodline!"

    "Everything else is merely a bonus." Patriarch Liang showed a grim smile.

    "You will not get what you want." Xi Meili said with gritted teeth.

    "Oh, is that so? And what are you going to do to stop me? Run from here and scramble back to your parents to tell them? If that''s what you want to do, I won''t stop you."

    "What are you¡­" Xi Meili was speechless and doubtful that he would really let her leave just like that.

    Patriarch Liang shrugged with an arrogant smug on his face, "I already told you. We''re fully prepared to take on the Xi Family, so it won''t matter what you do now. Why else would we be doing this so tantly?"

    "..."

    As much as Xi Meili hated to admit it, Patriarch Liang was right. Although the Xi Family may have a decent chance of victory if they fought with the Azure Dragon Family, that did not ount for the Emerald Dragon Family''s assistance.

    If the Azure Dragon Family and the Emerald Dragon Family worked together, the chances of the Xi Family winning was slim to none.

    Naturally, this did not ount for Yuan''s participation, either.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    Xi Meili knew that if Yuan assisted them, their chances of winning would rise significantly. However, she has no intention of forcing him to fight for her family, as she would not be able to forgive herself if he were to get hurt because of it.

    "You could leave, but I wouldn''t suggest it." Liang Xuan suddenly spoke, and he continued before Xi Meili could say anything, "If you leave now, your brother and father will surely die. However, if you stay here and be my woman, I will spare their lives."

    "..."

    After a moment of silence, Xi Meili suddenly sneered with a smile, "Sorry, but that''s impossible."

    "Impossible?" Liang Xuan frowned.

    "That''s right. I already gave my heart to someone else, so I cannot be with you. Though, even if I didn''t have that person, I still wouldn''t want to be with you." Xi Meili calmly responded, leaving him speechless.

    Liang Xuan was left utterly speechless by her response. He couldn''t believe that she would be able to say such a thing when her brother and father''s lives were at stake.

    "A-Are you serious?" He had to confirm it.

    "Does it look like I am joking?"

    "You''d be willing to let your father and brother die over something like that? You''re much more selfish than I thought."

    "Don''t act like you''ve already defeated us." Xi Meili sneered in disgust.

    "So you think you can win against us? Ahahaha! You''re also much more foolish than I thought!" Liang Xuan burst outughing.

    Xi Meili didn''t say anything else and started walking away.

    "Are you sure that is your decision? If you walk away now, you won''t be my wife, but my ve once everything is over." Liang Xuan said as he stood still and without any intention to stop her.

    "The moment you leave this courtyard, we will send our armies to the Ancient Dragon City." Patriarch Liang spoke in a nonchnt voice before sipping on Xi Meili stopped moving, and without turning around, she spoke in a cold voice, "I, Xi Meili, won''t be threatened by anyone."

    And without saying anything else and without any hesitation, she flew out of the courtyard.

    "Father, is it really okay to let her leave like that? We can still catch her right now." Liang Xuan turned to look at his father with a doubtful face.

    "It''s fine. The Xi Family cannot stop us. They don''t have the power to do so." He said before turning to look at Patriarch Cui, "Get your people ready. We''re going to war."

    Patriarch Cui nodded with a serious expression before disappearing from the scene.

    Meanwhile, Yuan was still at the restaurant filling his mouth with food.

    "Yuan, I have an offer for you." Azure suddenly looked at him and said.

    "What kind of offer?" He said after swallowing a mouthful of food.

    "I would like to hire you."

    Yuan raised an eyebrow. "For what kind of work?"

    "I''d like you to work for me. To put it bluntly, I want you to be mine." Azure said with a charming smile on her face.

    The others in the room stared at her with wide eyes. They didn''t expect her to be so straightforward in public.

    "I may not have the most influence in my family, but I do have plenty of influence as someone from the Azure Dragon Family. Of course, you will be more than a servant. You will be akin to something like a concubine. What do you say?"

 Chapter 1203 War(2)

    ?1203  War(2)

    "You don''t need to give me an answer right away." Azure continued with a smile on her face after seeing Yuan''s face.

    The Azure Dragon Family encourages its descendants to have multiple concubines because of their desire to grow bigger. This is one of the reasons why they were able to reach their current status¡ª by joining bigger families and creating connections until they are at the very top.

    Unfortunately for her, Yuan had no intention of bing someone''s concubine.

    Without needing to even think about it, Yuan shook his head and spoke in a soft voice, "I''m sorry, but I will have to refuse your offer."

    Azure''s expression froze for a good moment after hearing his answer.

    After a moment of awkward silence, she tried her best to keep a smile on her face as she spoke, "Can you give me your reasons? Is there anything I can do to change your mind?"

    "There really isn''t any special reason for my refusal. And I don''t think there is anything you can do to change my mind. Sorry." Yuan apologized again.

    "Is that so¡­" Azure immediately lowered her head with a dejected look on her face.

    Seeing this, Guo Xing and Wang Jun became enraged.

    "You bastard! You think you''re hot shit because you''re a little handsome?!" Guo Xing mmed the table with his fists, causing the tes to jump.

    "Know your ce, you meremoner! You should be rejoicing at the fact that someone like Azure would be willing to ept someone like you into her family!" Wang Jun roared.

    Azure did not say anything regarding their remarks, almost as though she couldn''t even hear them.

    Li Na and Zhu Ling exchanged worried nces with each other, as they did not like where the atmosphere was heading.

    The only person who was calm in the room was Yuan himself.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    He turned to look at Guo Xing and Wang Jun and spoke in a nonchnt voice, "Why are you upset that I refused her offer? Are the two of you, by any chance, her concubine?"

    "What?!" They looked surprised by his question.

    "You''re not?" Yuan tilted his head with a puzzled look on his face.

    "You are the first person I have made that offer to¡­" Azure suddenly spoke in a low voice.

    Although neither Guo Xing or Wang Jun were Azure''s concubines, they were certainly aiming for such a position, hence why they keep trying to appeal to her.

    After another moment of awkward silence, Yuan spoke, "I am delighted that you think so much of me that you''d want me as your concubine even though we''ve only just met, but I cannot respond to your feelings. I am just not the type to live such a life."

    "Heh. He probably thinks that he''s too good to be a concubine and wants to start his own family." Wang Jun sneered.

    "Even if that were true, what''s wrong with that?" Yuan raised an eyebrow, and he continued, "I don''t see anything wrong with wanting to start a family. Though, if you only care about status and your own standing, I can see why you care about that."

    "You dare mock me?!" Wang Jun stood up with a red face, his peak Spirit King cultivation gushing out of his body.

    "H-Hey! Calm down!" Li Na eximed.

    "Do not forget where we are! You''ll be banned for life if you cause any trouble here!" Zhu Ling added.

    Hearing their words, Wang Jun quickly calmed down.

    The Azure Dragon''s Retreat has connections to many influential people around the world because of their poprity, so it wasn''t wise to cause a ruckus there.

    Yuan looked around the room in silence before picking up his cup of tea and drinking the rest of it in one motion.

    After cing the empty cup back down, he stood up and spoke, "Looks like it''s about time for me to go. Thank you for the meal, it was delicious."

    "Wait! You think you can just leave whenever you please?!"

    Yuan raised an eyebrow and said, "If you want me to pay for my food, I don''t mind, even though it was supposed to be free."

    "That''s not what¡ª"

    "Stop it." Azure suddenly interrupted.

    She stood up and faced Yuan.

    "I''m sorry for everything. I didn''t mean for things to get this hostile and awkward for you, and you have every right to refuse my offer, so don''t worry about it. Of course, the meal is also on me." Azure tried her best to force a smile on her face, ending up with a stiff smile.

    "Thank you." Yuan smiled back.

    "If¡­ If you ever change your mind, you cane to me. There will always be a spot for you." Azure said, clearly still not giving up on her offer.

    Yuan silently nodded.

    Just as Yuan turned around to walk away, a voice resounded in his head, "You will regret offending me today."

    Yuan nced at Wang Jun, who just spoke to him using divine sense.

    However, before he could say anything, another voice resounded, but it could be heard by everyone in the room.

    "Yuan!"

    Before anyone there could react, a shadow appeared from the window that Azure had jumped out of not too long ago.

    When they turned to look at the window, they were graced by a beautiful young woman with golden hair and eyes.

    "Princess Xi?! What are you doing here?!" Azure eximed in a surprised voice.

    However, Xi Meili ignored her and walked straight to Yuan.

    "Yuan! We need to leave immediately!" She said to him.

    Yuan raised an eyebrow at her appearance.

    "What''s wrong? You don''t look so good. Did something happen?" He asked her.

    "The Azure Dragon Family waged war on the Xi Family!" Xi Meili said, dropping this bomb on everyone in the room.

    "What?" Yuan''s eyes widened with surprise.

    "You heard me! The Azure Dragon Family will be attacking soon, so we don''t have much time to spare here! Let''s hurry up and get out of here before they trap us in here!" Xi Meili repeated.

 Chapter 1204 War(3)

    ?1204  War(3)

    The room became dead silent after Xi Meili revealed the news to Yuan, who stood there with a surprised look on his face.

    The silence eventually broke when Azure snapped out of her daze and eximed in a panicked voice, "P-Please wait a moment! The Azure Dragon Family wouldn''t do something like¡ª"

    Xi Meili snapped her gaze to Azure and spoke with a slight frown on her face, "And who are you? Are you calling me a liar?"

    "N-No! I simply think that there''s been a misunderstanding! My friends call me Azure, but my name is Liang Lin, and I am from the Azure Dragon Fam

    ¡ª"

    Xi Meili''s eyes radiated with killing intent the moment Azure mentioned being from the Azure Dragon Family.

    Azure subconsciously stepped back with a fearful look on her face after sensing Xi Meili''s killing intent.

    "Please calm down, she did nothing wrong." Yuan suddenly spoke.

    Xi Meili turned to look at him with a surprised look on her face, "Why are you protecting her? Now that I think about it, why are you even with someone from the Azure Dragon Family?"

    "It''s a coincidence that she invited me to a meal. That''s all. Anyways, regarding the other matter, can you tell me a little more about what happened?"

    Xi Meili nodded and said, "I will tell you on the way back. We cannot linger in this city for any longer or things will get dangerous for the both of us. We have to get back to warn my parents and get ready for their attack."

    Yuan became silent as he began pondering.

    A momentter, he spoke, "Bring me to the Azure Dragon Family."

    "What?!" Xi Meili eximed before continuing, "Why would you want to do that?!"

    Yuan then said, "If the Azure Dragon Family is really waging war against the Xi Family, why waste time going back when we can deal with it right now? We are already here, anyway."

    Xi Meili''s jaw dropped after hearing his words.

    "Are you being serious¡­? There''s no way we can handle this by ourselves! And we''re not just fighting the Azure Dragon Family! The Emerald Dragon Family is also working with them!"

    "Emerald Dragon Family? Who are they?" Yuan asked, as this was his first time hearing about them.

    "They rule over the thirdrgest city in this realm! They may not be as big as the Azure Dragon Family, but they are still a force to be reckoned with!"

    "Are they in this city right now?" Yuan then asked.

    "No, I don''t think so¡­"

    "Then there''s nothing to be worried about. We can deal with them after we are done here."

    "That''s still suicidal! The Azure Family has three Spirit Sovereigns, neen Spirit Emperors, and over three thousand Spirit Kings! We simply cannot deal with that much by ourselves!"

    "Three Spirit Sovereigns, huh. Are they stronger than your mother?" Yuan suddenly asked.

    "Well¡­ No, I don''t think so¡­ My mother has much more experience, superior techniques, and a superior bloodline. If my mother were to fight against them, she could probably take on two of them by herself."

    Yuan smiled after hearing this information, and he said in a confident voice, "Then there''s nothing to worry about."

    "Nothing to worry about¡­?" Xi Meili was baffled by his confidence.

    "Do you trust me?" Yuan suddenly asked her.

    "Of course I do, but this isn''t just about that. At the end of the day, you''re still a guest in our family. I cannot let you bear such a big responsibility and put your life at risk." Xi Meili said with a worried look on her face.

    Yuan chuckled, "You are thinking too much about it. In my eyes, my friend is in danger, and I only want to help her. It''s as simple as that."

    "Anyways, let''s get going. We are in a hurry, right?"

    "..."

    Xi Meili was speechless. She knew that she would endanger the both of them if she listened to Yuan''s suggestion, yet she couldn''t refuse him for some reason.

    "Okay¡­" She nodded in a dazed manner before walking towards the window.

    Yuan followed her.

    "Yuan¡­ Who are you, really?" Azure couldn''t help but ask him as he walked past her.

    He looked at her and responded in a calm voice, "I was just your average tourist until moments ago."

    Azure''s eyes widened, and she continued after swallowing nervously, "Then what are you now?"

    "I don''t know yet."

    Yuan then left the restaurant through the window, following behind Xi Meili.

    Many moments after they left, Azure and the others snapped out of their daze.

    "W-What should we do now? If the Azure Dragon Family is really going to war with the Xi Family, things will get really messy for all of us¡­" Li Na began panicking when she realized the severity of their situation.

    A war between two of the biggest powers in the realm would affect everyone, even those who don''t partake in the war.

    "I don''t know¡­ but there''s nothing we can do about it¡­" Azure sighed.

    In the end, Azure decided to return to her family to catch up with the situation.

    On their way to the Azure Dragon Family, Xi Meili exined the whole situation to Yuan, who would gradually be more angry as he learned more about the situation.

    Sometimeter, they arrived at the Azure Dragon Family, spectating the situation from above.

    The banquet at the courtyard waspletely gone, almost as though it never urred. Instead of food and decorations, the courtyard was upied by hundreds if not thousands of soldiers.

    Of course, Patriarch Liang was there, and he appeared to be giving them a speech at the moment.

    "Yuan¡­ This is yourst chance to change your mind¡­" Xi Meili looked at him with a stiff expression on her face.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.

    Yuan didn''t say anything and directly began descending towards the courtyard.

    Xi Meili could only release a deep sigh before following him.

    Once they were close enough, Patriarch Liang noticed their presence and stopped his speech to stare at them with a profound frown on his face, his gaze fixated on Yuan for some reason.

 Chapter 1205 Someone You Can Only Dream Of Becoming

    ?1205  Someone You Can Only Dream Of Bing

    As Yuan slowly descended towards the courtyard, more and more people noticed his presence. By the time Yuan''s foot reached the ground, everyone in the courtyard was staring at him with puzzled looks on their faces.Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    The soldiers thought he was with the Azure Dragon Family at first due to how calmly he behaved, but when they saw the beauty behind him and recognized her identity, they became bewildered.

    "Who are you?" Patriarch Liang questioned Yuan with a deep frown on his face, ignoring the fact that Xi Meili had returned for some reason.

    When the soldiers realized that Yuan wasn''t with them, they immediately prepared to apprehend him. However, since it was just two people against their hundreds, they weren''t worried in the slightest.

    "Name''s Yuan." Yuan casually responded to Patriarch Liang before asking his own question, "Are you the asshole who threatened to harm the Xi Family?"

    Patriarch Liang''s eyebrows twitched upon being called an asshole. He can''t even recall thest time that someone dared to disrespect him so brazenly. The soldiers and the Spirit Emperors beside him were speechless.

    But to their surprise, Patriarch Liang didn''t immediately punish Yuan. Instead, he remained standing there with a somewhat hesitant look on his face for some reason.

    While the soldiers and the Spirit Emperors were too weak to sense it, Patriarch Liang and the other two Spirit Sovereigns there felt an inexplicable sense of dreading from Yuan, almost as though their instincts were telling them¡ª begging them to stay away from him, an unfathomable threat, at all cost.

    "What are you trying to aplish here?" Patriarch Liang asked him after a moment of silence.

    "I think that''s obvious. I''m here to prevent you from harming the Xi Family."

    Patriarch Liang narrowed his eyes, but before he could say anything, the Spirit Emperors beside him beganughing madly.

    "Where did this fool crawl from?! Does he even know what kind of position he''s in right now?!"

    "Ahaha! I can''t believe it even though I am seeing it with my own eyes, but did you reallye here thinking that you could stop all of us with just the two of you?!"

    Yuan nced at these Spirit Emperors for a second but didn''t bother giving them any attention. He then continued speaking to Patriarch Liang, "ording to what I was told, you''re going after the Xi Family mostly for their Blood Cleansing Ceremony? If I told you that most of the blood is gone and that you won''t be able to benefit from it, what will you do then?"

    Patriarch Liang sneered, "Do you really think I would give up on my ambitions because some brat is speaking nonsense? Even if that was the case, there is still plenty to benefit from conquering the Xi Family."

    Yuan sighed, "So there is nothing I can do to change your mind that doesn''t result in the Azure Dragon Family''s destruction?"

    Patriarch Liang''s eyes widened with disbelief after hearing Yuan''s words. The others also stoppedughing to stare at Yuan with deep frowns on their faces.

    "Ahaha!" Patriarch Liang suddenly burst outughing.

    "There must be something wrong with me today. To think I had been wary of you."

    Hisughter halted suddenly, and he proceeded to re at Yuan with intense killing intent.

    "I don''t care who you are or where you are from, but you won''t get to leave this ce alive."

    He turned to look at Xi Meili and continued, "I don''t know why you decided to return with this nutjob, but you have squandered what little freedom you had left¡ª something that I was generous enough to grant you."

    Xi Meili swallowed nervously, but she didn''t say anything.

    Suddenly, another voice resounded.

    "My, my, my! What do we have here?!"

    Yuan turned to look at the person who just spoke to see a handsome young man approaching them from a distance.

    It was Liang Xuan, who had been absent from the courtyard this entire time.

    "Xi Meili, you must have had a change of heart toe back here so quickly. I knew you''d make the right choice. Don''t worry, I will keep my promise and take care of you." Liang Xuan spoke in a delighted tone, and on his face was a bright smile.

    Xi Meili sneered in disdain, "Don''t tter yourself."

    "Who''s that?" Yuan asked her.

    "The person I came to this city to reject," she calmly said.

    "I see¡­" Yuan immediately understood the situation.

    Liang Xuan stopped walking when he finally noticed Yuan.

    "Huh? Who the hell are you?" Liang Xuan stared at Yuan with an unpleasant expression on his face.

    Even though Liang Xuan didn''t know Yuan, he immediately found Yuan''s presence to be obnoxious and disliked him, mostly because he instinctively felt inferior to Yuan with just a nce.

    "I am¡ª" Yuan tried to speak but was quickly interrupted by Xi Meili, "He''s my partner, my beloved, and my future husband."

    "What¡­?" Liang Xuan''s eyes widened with shock after hearing her words.

    "You heard me. He''s the one whom I''ve dedicated my heart and body to¡ª someone you can only dream of bing." Xi Meili said in a provocative manner.

    After hearing such words, Liang Xuan felt and heard something snap inside his head, and his eyes and face turned red.

    He then muttered in a low voice as his body trembled from intense anger, "So he''s the reason why you refused my proposal? Does that mean if I get rid of him, you might change your mind?"

    However, before Xi Meili could even respond, Liang Xuan suddenly lunged forward, flying towards Yuan with his fangs showing.

    "W-Wait! Stay away from him!" Patriarch Liang shouted when he saw this, but Liang Xuan was too angry to hear him.

    Liang Xuan arrived in front of Yuan in a split second.

    "DIE!!!"

    Liang Xuan roared as he swung his w-like hands that had been reinforced with spiritual energy at Yuan.

    Meanwhile, Yuan doesn''t even bother to look at Liang Xuan as he flicks his arm at Liang Xuan''s face.

    Pap!

    Liang Xuan was immediately sent flying to the other side of the courtyard like an arrow released from a bow, only stopping once he smacked into the stone wall, smashing arge hole into it.

    The result of their sh greatly startled everyone there, especially the soldiers and the Spirit Emperors, as they had expected a totally different oue.

 Chapter 1206 Clashing With The Azure Dragon Family

    ?1206  shing With the Azure Dragon Family

    "Xuan''er!!!" Patriarch Liang felt his heart skip a beat after seeing his precious son fly and smash into a brick wall.

    He then rushed over to his son, ignoring the assant.

    "Xuan''er! Are you okay?!" Patriarch Liang helped his son get off the floor.

    "What just happened to me¡­? Why does my mouth hurt so much?" Liang Xuan spoke while blood was still dripping from his mouth, seemingly in a daze.

    "Blood? Why am I bleeding?!"

    Yuan had struck him so hard that he forgot what had transpired in thest few seconds.

    Patriarch Liang red at Yuan and roared, "How dare you injure my son! I am going to kill you!"

    Yuan shrugged and said in a somewhat sarcastic manner, "You probably won''t believe me when I say this, but I was holding back really hard just now. Your son is a little more fragile than I expected. Sorry."

    "You son of a bitch!" Patriarch Liang looked like he was on the verge of pouncing at Yuan, but he was stopped by one of the Spirit Emperors there.

    "Patriarch, there''s no need for you to dirty your hands over a mere Spirit King. Allow me to handle this bastard for you."

    "What¡­?" Patriarch Liang had a dumbfounded look on his face for some reason.

    "A mere Spirit King?" He turned to look at Yuan, and sure enough, Yuan was only a peak Spirit King.

    ''Impossible! How did I not notice his cultivation until now?! His immense presence must have overshadowed his cultivation so much that even I overlooked it!''

    Indeed, Patriarch Liang was so distracted by Yuan''s presence that he didn''t notice Yuan''s cultivation until now. If it was never mentioned, he would probably never notice it.

    Patriarch Liang felt humiliated because of this, but he wasn''t the only one. The other two Spirit Sovereigns also hadn''t noticed Yuan''s cultivation until it was mentioned.

    Although it wasn''t intentional, they felt Yuan had pped them in the face "Wait!" Another voice suddenly resounded, and it was Liang Xuan, who had snapped out of his daze and finally realized his situation.

    "I will take care of him! Don''t you darey a single finger on him until I am finished with him!" He said as he walked towards Yuan.

    "Wait! You are injured! You cannot handle him in your state!" Patriarch Liang eximed.

    He did not want to hurt his son''s pride by telling him that Yuan was out of his league, which would hurt him more than any physical injury could.

    "He only caught me off guard just now! I can deal with a weakling like him even if I am slightly injured!" Liang Xuan remained stubborn.

    Patriarch Liang gritted his teeth and nced at the Spirit Emperors on standby, before speaking to them using divine sense, "If things get dangerous for my son, kill that man!"

    The Spirit Emperors silently nodded to his orders.

    "You ready for a second round?" Yuan asked Liang Xuan as he got closer. "I will make sure to hold back a little more this time."

    "Shut the fuck up! Don''t act so arrogantly after getting a single lucky hit on me!" Liang Xuan spat on the floor right in front of Yuan.

    Yuan merely shrugged before turning to look at Xi Meili and asked, "Is it okay if I killed him?"

    "Why are you asking me¡­" Xi Meili sighed.

    Then she said, "Actually¡­ I want to kill him myself, so try to keep him alive if you can."

    Yuan smiled, "Alright."

    He returned to Liang Xuan, who was fuming from anger, and continued, "You''re in luck. You get to live for a little longer because of her."

    "I will fucking kill you!" Liang Xuan roared as he sprung forward like a tiger.

    A vicious glint flickered from Yuan''s eyes.

    A chilling sensation suddenly assaulted Liang Xuan''s spine, almost as though his instincts were trying to warn him.

    Pap!

    The very next second, Liang Xuan''s figure could be seen flying towards the brick wall for a second time.

    However, unlike the first time, Liang Xuan did not lose his memories and quickly stood back up with a humiliated look on his face.

    "I guess that was a lucky hit as well, huh." Yuan said, provoking Liang Xuan''s emotions further.

    "I am going to skin you alive!" Liang Xuan roared as he began his transformation.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.

    Yuan then watched as Liang Xuan''s body and hair grew several inches. Shiny blue scales also started appearing over his skin, and his cultivation rose by a level.

    Although Yuan has seen several transformations by now, this is his first time seeing their body grow in size.

    ''His cultivation even rose by a level¡­'' Yuan thought to himself as he watched Liang Xuan slowly and confidently approach him for a third time.

    "Now that I have transformed, you won''t be able to touch a single strand of my hair." Liang Xuan spoke in an oddly confident manner.

    "Be careful, Yuan. Different bloodlines have different advantages. The Azure Dragon Family''s advantage is their speed." Xi Meili warned him.

    "Speed, huh."

    "That''s right! Us Azure Dragons are top three of all dragon bloodlines when ites to our natural speed!" Liang Xuan pridefully announced.

    However, Liang Xuan''s eyes widened when Yuan suddenly disappeared from his view even though he didn''t look away or blink his eyes.

    "Is that so?"

    A calm voice suddenly resounded behind Liang Xuan, sending chills down his spine.

    "He''s behind you, Xuan''er!" Patriarch Xuan eximed.

    Liang Xuan immediately swung around, but before he could even catch a glimpse of Yuan''s figure, intense pain permeated through his face, and before he realized, he was flying towards the brick wall again.

    ''What kind of movement technique was that?! Even I could barely keep up with him!'' Patriarch Liang eximed inwardly after witnessing Yuan''s profound movement technique.

    Meanwhile, Yuan was also surprised by how fast he could move.

    ''Feng Feng''s movement technique is truly mythical. Is it because of my transformation? I feel as though I could understand it with much more ease, which is weird, considering that it''s a movement technique meant for phoenixes.''

    "Enough of this! Get rid of him already!" Patriarch Liang suddenly shouted as he red at the Spirit Emperors around him.

    "Yes!" They immediately responded before quickly surrounding Yuan.

    "Now this is a little more interesting." Yuan calmly smiled at them.

 Chapter 1207 Clashing With The Azure Dragon Family(2)

    ?1207  shing With the Azure Dragon Family(2)

    "So, are you guys going toe at me together?" Yuan calmly asked the neen Spirit Emperors that encircled him.

    If it were any other Spirit King in his shoes right now, they''d be pissing their pants and on the floor begging for their life. Forget neen, they wouldn''t dare to go against a single Spirit Emperor.

    However, Yuan faced these neen experts withplete tranquility, which made these experts question whether they were really looking at a young Spirit King or not.

    "We''d beughingstocks for the rest of our lives if word gets out that we needed neen Spirit Emperors to handle a single Spirit King." One of the Spirit Emperors spoke in a cold voice.

    "Let me take care of this arrogant bastard who doesn''t know his ce." One of them suddenly stepped forward with a smirk on his face.

    Yuan looked at him and said, "Are you sure? I''d rather live my life as aughingstock, since I will still have my life at the very least."

    The Spirit Emperors frowned upon hearing his words, and they wondered where he was getting his confidence from. Does he have some kind of powerful artifact?

    "He''s all yours, Chen Mao. Make sure you tear him to shreds."

    "I won''t disappoint you." Chen Mao, who was the first to volunteer, smiled.

    Yuan turned to look at Xi Meili and asked her in a loud and conspicuous voice, "Can I kill them?"

    "Of course." Xi Meili nodded.

    Patriarch Liang suddenly sucked his teeth and pointed at the soldiers, "How long are you useless things going to stand there?! Hurry up and capture that woman! I want her alive!"

    The thousands of soldiers finally snapped out of their daze and shouted, "As youmand!"

    They quickly surrounded Xi Meili, who immediately went into a defensive position.

    Seeing this, Yuan asked her, "Are you going to be okay by yourself for a while? Or do you want me to take care of them first?"

    "You are in no position to worry about others right now!" Chen Mao shouted as he jumped at Yuan with w-like hands.

    However, without even looking at his opponent, Yuan casually flicked his sleeve.

    A weird noise resounded immediately after, and Chen Mao''s headless body fell to the ground.

    Those who witnessed what had just happened subconsciously took several steps back, their eyes widened with shock and terror.

    Yuan had pped Chen Mao so hard that his entire head popped like a balloon, and one unlucky Spirit Emperors was smeared with blood and brains.

    Xi Meili swallowed nervously before responding to Yuan''s question, "It might be annoying to deal with this many people at once, but I will be fine."

    Yuan silently nodded and didn''t say anything else to her.

    Once he was paying attention to the Spirit Emperors again, he said, "So, are you guys going toe at me at once, or do I need to slowly kill you lot one by one?"

    The Spirit Emperors were enraged by his words, but they were also terrified by him after seeing Chen Mao''s death.

    Although none of them wanted to admit it, they did not dare to face Yuan by themselves.

    "S-Since he''s begging for it, let''s quickly get rid of him together." Someone finally said.

    Unsurprisingly, nobody refused his proposal.

    The eughteen Spirit Emperors then scattered further away from Yuan by taking flight into the sky while still making sure that they surrounded him.

    Yuan did not do anything and silently watched their next actions.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.

    Once they were prepared, the Spirit Emperors began barraging Yuan with powerful martial techniques.

    Due to their fear of Yuan, these Spirit Emperors subconsciously used their full strength from the start. Each of these martial techniques were strong enough to obliterate a peak Spirit King a hundred times and erase multiple mountains, and there were eighteen of them going off at once, which was powerful enough to violently shake the entire city.

    The dust and smoke caused by these techniques reached the heavens, which shocked and rmed every individual within the city.

    As a result of their attack, Xi Meili and the soldiers were sent flying away before they could even do anything.

    The attack was so powerful and sudden that it caught even Patriarch Liang and the other two Spirit Sovereigns off-guard.

    "You fucking idiots! Are you trying to kill a single Spirit King or destroy my city?!" Patriarch Liang immediately screamed at the Spirit Emperors out of anger.

    It was at this moment the Spirit Emperors realized that they had screwed up. Their faces flushed with redness when they also realized that they had feared a Spirit King to the point of losing control over their power.

    However, they quickly justified it with Yuan''s abnormal strength that killed a Spirit Emperor with a single p.

    ''Fuck! No matter what happens, we will beughingstocks once news of this spreads!'' The Spirit Emperors cried inwardly. However, at least the fear and anxiousness in their heart was no longer there with Yuan''s death.

    But then, they heard a familiar voice¡ª one that should no longer exist in this world, and this caused their faces to pale, their hearts to beat violently, their expressions to freeze, and their bodies to pour out sweat.

    "I have to agree with your Patriarch. That was dangerous¡ª not for me, but for my friend and the citizens of this city. If I hadn''t weakened the spiritual energy at the veryst second, you lots would''ve injured my friend and blown up this entire city."

    The Spirit Emperors slowly turned their heads to look at the cloud of dust that was quickly clearing up, their faces looking as though they were looking at a ghost.

    Once most of the dust had settled, they could see a massive hole at the center of the courtyard, and hovering right above this hole was Yuan, who lookedpletely unharmed, almost as though he appeared in his spot after the attacks.

    "Impossible!" All of the Spirit Emperors eximed simultaneously after confirming Yuan''s presence with their own eyes, yet they still looked to be in disbelief.

 Chapter 1208 Clashing With The Azure Dragon Family(3)

    ?1208  shing With the Azure Dragon Family(3)

    "Impossible! There''s no way he''s still alive!" The Spirit Emperors became pale-faced when they realized that Yuan was still alive.

    After all, not even a Spirit Emperor such as Patriarch Liang would be able to get away unscathed from such a powerfulbined attack.

    "He¡­ He must have used a powerful spiritual treasure!"

    "That must be it! And I doubt such a powerful spiritual treasure can be used again!"

    After convincing themselves that Yuan had only survived because of a spiritual treasure, they prepared to attack him again.

    However, Yuan did not n on standing still this time, as he had a feeling that these Spirit Emperors would do something reckless again.

    As the Spirit Emperors spread out, Yuan used his movement technique to instantly close his distance from them.

    When Yuan suddenly appeared in front of one of them like a ghost, the targeted Spirit Emperor felt his heart jump so hard that it nearly leaped out of his chest.

    "W-Wai¡ª"

    A vicious glint flickered within Yuan''s eyes, and before the Spirit Emperor could finish a single word, Yuan pped him so hard his head twisted off his body before flying out of the courtyard.

    As the Spirit Emperor''s headless body fell to the ground, Yuan moved to the next target.

    "You bastard!" The man swung his sword at Yuan.

    However, to his surprise, Yuan did not bother to block his attack. Thus, his attacknded on Yuan''s body without any issues. However, despite using all of his strength, the man immediately realized that his sword could not prate Yuan''s skin, let alone cut him.

    "Did you forget to sharpen your sword?" Yuan cracked a joke with the man before chopping off his head with a swift arm swing.

    The other Spirit Emperors were terrified by what they were witnessing. How can a single Spirit King kill three Spirit Emperors with seemingly zero effort? That did not make sense unless Yuan was hiding his cultivation base, but the Spirit Sovereigns would''ve noticed if that were the case.

    Furthermore, nobody there recognized Yuan, and they had never seen him until today.

    "Do not panic! No matter what kind of trick he has up his sleeves, he won''t be able to use them forever! Let''s cover each other and deal with him together!" The strongest Spirit Emperor there shouted at the others.

    Hearing such words, the Spirit Emperors quickly snapped out of their daze and came together, forming a defensive formation.Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    If people learned that sixteen Spirit Emperors had formed a defensive formation against a single Spirit King, the entire world wouldugh at them, but these Spirit Emperors could care less about their pride at this moment, when their lives were hanging by the edge.

    Meanwhile, Patriarch Liang and the other two Spirit Sovereigns had deep frowns on their faces as they wondered what kind of monster they were facing. They were certain that Yuan wasn''t hiding his cultivation base, yet the things he was doing said otherwise.

    ''Fuck! Where the hell did this bastarde from?! We have spied on the Xi Family and gathered every little information that we could possibly on them for hundreds of thousands of years! There''s no way that he''s managed to remain hidden for that long!'' Patriarch Liang gritted his teeth in frustration.

    The Azure Dragon Family has been gathering information for many generations, yet they have never heard of someone like Yuan. Unless he remained in hiding without showing even the slightest of presence for that long, there was simply no possible way that someone as profound as him could evade their eyes.

    For a brief moment, Patriarch Liang wondered if their world was no longer secluded and that Yuan came from the outside world, but that seemed even less likely.

    ''No¡­ Wait¡­ There were rumors of a human appearing in the Ancient Dragon City about a year ago¡­ No¡­ That''s not possible¡­''

    Although Xi Shengmo tried his best to keep Yuan''s existence a secret, it was simply impossible to do so perfectly, especially after the spectacle that happened during the Dragon Awakening Ritual.

    Not to mention Yuan showing up at the Dragon Ancestral Temple and beating up multiple renowned warriors. It was inevitable that Yuan''s existence would not remain a secret.

    However, because the rumors were so ridiculous, Patriarch Liang immediately treated such information as nonsense and no longer bothered with it.

    Once the Spirit Emperors were in formation, Yuan turned to look at the Patriarch Sovereign and spoke in a calm voice, "Hey, are you really okay with all of your soldiers dying to me? If you don''t want them to die a pointless death, you should face me yourself¡ª alongside the other two Spirit Sovereigns."

    Hearing such words, Patriarch Liang sneered in disdain, "Don''t be so full of yourself just because you managed to kill a few of my soldiers using some hidden spiritual treasure. If you can still talk so arrogantly after using up all of your tricks, I will be your opponent. Until then, you can have fun with my soldiers."

    In the end, Patriarch Liang still believed that Yuan was using some kind of trick to defeat the three Spirit Emperors.

    Yuan sighed as he turned to look at the Spirit Emperors, "You heard him. It''s unfortunate, but you have been abandoned."

    The Spirit Emperors gritted their teeth in anger, but not because Patriarch Liang ''abandoned'' them.

    "Let''s show this fucker that he can only go so far using tricks! Grand Dragon Formation¡ª Advance!"

    The sixteen Spirit Emperors began advancing towards Yuan while remaining grouped together, leaving zero openings in their formation.

    Seeing this, Yuan retrieved his Empyrean Overlord and took a deep breath.

    When the Spirit Emperors saw Yuan holding the sword, they could immediately feel an overwhelming sense of dread, almost as if they could already sense that their death was near.

    "Don''t stop! He won''t be able to harm us as long as we stay in formation!" The leader of the group shouted.

    Their aura intensified, causing the air around them to tremble.

    However, Yuan ignored all that and casually swung his sword at them.

    A chilling sword light shed before the group''s eyes, and before they realized, their entire formation had been destroyed in the blink of an eye with everyone inside the formation severed in half.

    "Im... pos...si..." A dying mumble filled with disbelief resounded before dead silence filled the area.

 Chapter 1209 Clashing With The Azure Dragon Family(4)

    ?1209  shing With the Azure Dragon Family(4)

    After the st that had sent everyone flying, Xi Meili quickly stabilized herself before turning to look at the massive smoke, her eyes filled with worry.

    ''Yuan¡­!'' She silently prayed to the Dragon God for his safety.

    But then she realized that she could use her divine sense, and sure enough, she could sense Yuan''s presence. This meant that he was still alive, at the very least.

    As for the Spirit Emperors and the Spirit Sovereigns, they were so certain that Yuan had turned into atoms from the attack that they didn''t even think for a second that he could still be alive.

    Once Xi Meili confirmed that Yuan was still alive, she turned her attention to the soldiers that were still struggling to stand up from the explosion.

    The majority of these soldiers were between Spirit Grandmaster and Spirit King, so they were not able to withstand the force, unlike Xi Meili, who was a Spirit Emperor.

    When Xi Meili saw the opportunity, she did not let it go to waste and immediately rushed toward therge group of soldiers with a focused look on her face.

    "Ahhh!"

    "Get on your feet! We''re being attacked!"

    Horrified screams immediately resounded as Xi Meili wreaked havoc within the enemy lines, her punches strong enough to obliterate her target, causing their bodies to explode violently.

    "Surround her! Attack her from all sides!" One of the Spirit Kingsmanded the others from the back, his face full of sweat.

    But s, no matter how many Spirit Grandmasters or Spirit Kings they threw at Xi Meili, they would all perish before her bloodied fists. This is what normally happens when a Spirit King fights with a Spirit Emperor¡ª they simply cannot ovee the difference in their strength.

    Therefore, it was no wonder the Spirit Emperors all looked down on Yuan, as it was simple logic that a Spirit King cannot defy a Spirit Emperor with the assistance of some godly spiritual treasure.

    Within moments, before Yuan even emerged from the smoke, dozens of Azure Dragon Family''s soldiers perished.

    By the time Yuan revealed his presence again, Xi Meili had killed a hundred soldiers.

    Patriarch Liang and the other two Spirit Sovereigns were too focused on Yuan''s battle with the Spirit Emperor, so much so that they forgot about Xi Meili and were unaware of her ughtering.

    A few minutester, Yuan killed all sixteen Spirit Emperors with a single swing of his sword.

    When the soldiers saw this, they almost lost all of their courage and desire to fight, even though they still had three Spirit Sovereigns on their side.

    Xi Meili was too focused on ughtering the soldiers, so she didn''t notice it at first, but when she saw the terrified and shocked expressions on the soldiers'' faces in the back, she subconsciously turned to look behind her, where those soldiers were looking at.

    She was puzzled at first when she couldn''t see any of the Spirit Emperors while Yuan was hovering in the air by himself, but when she noticed the mutted bodies on the ground beneath Yuan, her eyes nearly popped out of their sockets from shock.

    Although Xi Meili wasn''t worried that Yuan wouldn''t be able to defeat the Spirit Emperors since he''s managed to defeat even her mother, she truly did not expect him to deal with the Spirit Emperors so quickly and effortlessly.

    "Y-You bastard! How dare you kill all of my Generals! I will make you pay!" Patriarch Liang suddenly roared with anger, his flushed face nearly releasing smoke.

    Even if he''s managed to take over the Xi Family, losing neen Spirit Emperors was a huge blow for his Azure Dragon Family, as it took them countless resources and time to cultivate those Spirit Emperors.

    Yuan turned to look at Patriarch Liang with a nonchnt expression, and he spoke, "Do you even have the right to be angry? You also can''t say that I didn''t warn you. If you''de to face me yourself, they wouldn''t have lost their life so pointlessly¡ª"

    After a slight pause, he continued, "Actually, they would''ve still died, since this is war, after all. Though, at least you wouldn''t have had to watch them die."

    "Aaaaaah!" Patriarch Liang suddenly released a loud roar, causing the entire ce to tremble.

    "You''ll regret running your mouth!"

    Patriarch Liang then flew at Yuan with a thick spear in his grasp.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    The other two Spirit Sovereigns looked at each other as they wondered what they should do.

    It was at this moment that they noticed the mayhem happening not far away, where Xi Meili was still ughtering the soldiers.

    One of them frowned and said to the other, "Go take care of that woman before she kills all of our soldiers. I''ll watch over the Patriarch to make sure nothing happens to him. Make sure you don''t kill her. The Young Master will be really angry since he desperately yearns for her."

    "Sure."

    The Spirit Sovereign then went over to Xi Meili to confront her.

    Yuan noticed this, but he didn''t immediately act.

    "How dare you look away while facing me?!" Patriarch Liang shouted as he lunged his spear at Yuan.

    ng!

    Yuan effortlessly blocked the attack with his sword and said, "The three of you should''ve attacked me together instead of splitting up. You''d have a higher chance ofnding a hit on me, too."

    "A mere Spirit King!" Patriarch Liang''s aura exploded, and his assault became even more aggressive and powerful.

    However, no matter how much Patriarch Liang lunged his spear at Yuan, he couldn''tnd a single hit on Yuan, and he didn''t know why.

    ''Why am I struggling so much to hit this bastard, who''s moving slower than me, and is only defending?!'' Patriarch Liang truly couldn''tprehend it.

    "Is this all you''ve got? If so, I''ll end it right away, as I am falling asleep from boredom right now." Yuan suddenly said in a nonchnt voice.

    "SHUT YOUR DAMN MOUTH ALREADY!!!" Patriarch Liang released another roar, and his body started to transform the very next moment.

    His body grew bigger, his hair grew longer, and his aura skyrocketed. As for his cultivation, it rose from Third Level Spirit Sovereign to Fifth Level Spirit Sovereign.

    "DIE, YOU BASTARD!" Patriarch Liang swung his spear which was engulfed in some sort of azure-colored aura at Yuan.

    ng!

    For the first time, Yuan was pushed back by Patriarch Liang''s spear.

    "How dare you look away while facing me?!" Patriarch Liang shouted as he However, for some reason, Yuan still had the same bored expression on his face.

    This infuriated Patriarch Liang, who was on the verge of losing his mind now.

 Chapter 1210 Dragons Soul Awakening

    ??1210  Dragon''s Soul Awakening

    ''That bastard is really fighting on equal footing with the Patriarch, who is already transformed¡­ No, he might even be ahead¡­ Is he actually an unknown expert with a hidden cultivation? Where did someone like hime from?'' The Spirit Sovereign watching from a distance wondered inwardly, feeling an inexplicable sense of dread.

    At this rate, he will have to join Patriarch Liang and fight this monster of unknown origin together.

    Meanwhile, the other Spirit Sovereign that went to stop Xi Meili''s ughtering appeared in front of her like a ghost right as she was a split second away from taking another soldier''s life, blocking her strike.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    Xi Meili was so absorbed in her ughtering that she didn''t notice the Spirit Sovereign''s presence until he appeared in front of her.

    Once she realized this, she quickly distanced herself from him and became defensive.

    "Why don''t you be a good little dragon and stay down? I don''t want to hurt you, even though you''ve already killed hundreds of my men. After all, the Young Master wouldn''t want to see any bruises on your bodyter¡­" The Spirit Sovereign said to her with a cold expression on his face.

    Xi Meili smiled and said, "Then you don''t have to worry, since he won''t ever get such a chance."

    The Spirit Sovereign sighed before speaking again, "Do you really want to fight me? Unlike that monster over there, you don''t have what it takes."

    "I am more than enough for someone like you. Luckily for me, you are the weakest of the three."

    "¡­"

    The Spirit Sovereign''s eyebrows twitched after hearing Xi Meili''s words. Indeed, he was the weakest of the three Spirit Sovereigns in terms of prowess, and that has always been his biggest insecurity, so he immediately flew into a rage after being reminded of it.

    The Spirit Sovereign then spoke while gritting his teeth, "Now that I think about it, we have plenty of effective medicine, so it won''t matter even if I break all of the bones in your body!"

    The Spirit Sovereign''s aura exploded after saying that, and he flew towards Xi Meili with his hands tightly grasped into fists.

    Xi Meili didn''t hesitate to release all of her cultivation before shing with him.

    Although Xi Meili was not as monstrous as Yuan, she was capable of holding her own against a Spirit Sovereign as a Spirit Emperor.

    In terms of talent, she has the highest potential in her family, even though she rarely cultivates due to their peaceful environment.

    If Xi Mingze hadn''t encouraged and basically forced Xi Meili to train with her, she wouldn''t be anywhere as strong as she is today.

    Whoosh!

    The soldiers around them were blown away by the impact of their exchanges once they began fighting.

    ''Che¡­ I guess her royal bloodline isn''t just for show¡­'' The Spirit Sovereign was surprised to see Xi Meili holding her own against him.

    Meanwhile, Yuan was in the middle of fighting Patriarch Liang, and he noticed what was going on with Xi Meili, but since she didn''t appear to be in any imminent danger, he didn''t intervene.

    ''This fucking bastard! I cannot go all out on him because I will destroy my city along with him!'' Patriarch Liang''s frustration grew as he continued to fight Yuan.

    Since they were still in the middle of his city, he couldn''t use any destructive techniques to deal with Yuan.

    Thus, he started to think of ways to bring Yuan out of the city, where he could unleash his full strength. However, since he couldn''t even manage to push Yuan back, he couldn''t imagine how he''d force Yuan out of the city.

    Eventually, he found a solution to his dilemma. While he may not be able to force Yuan outside the city, he could easily force Xi Meili outside, and he gambled that Yuan would follow her outside on his own ord.

    Thus, Patriarch Liang immediately spoke to the Spirit Sovereign that was fighting with her through divine sense, "Bring Xi Meili outside the city as soon as possible!"

    Although the Spirit Sovereign didn''t know Patriarch Liang''s intentions at first, he didn''t question it and used a technique that released a powerful st of wind at Xi Meili.

    "What the?!" Xi Meili was caught off guard by this random technique and was sent flying out of the courtyard before stabilizing herself.

    However, the Spirit Sovereign would use the technique again before she could fully stabilize herself, sending her flying again.

    "Are you messing with me?!" Xi Meili shouted at him in an annoyed voice, as she also had no clue what was going on.

    But s, she was sent flying again for a third time without receiving any answers.

    Xi Meili was incredibly frustrated by now. Even though the wind wasn''t injuring her, it was not something she could really fight back with her inferior cultivation.

    Naturally, Yuan noticed this, and he said to Patriarch Liang after understanding the situation, "If you wanted to fight me in a different location, you could''ve just asked, since I wouldn''t have refused. After all, I wouldn''t want anyone innocent getting hurt."

    And without saying anything else, Yuan flew in the direction that Xi Meili was sent flying towards.

    By the time he caught up with her, Xi Meili was already many miles away from the city.

    "I swear¡­ I will kill you!" Xi Meili roared in anger as she tried to fix her messy hair.

    "Are you okay?" Yuan appeared beside her shortly after.

    "Yes¡­"

    "They wanted to bring us outside the city, where they can fight us with all of their strength and not destroy their city," Yuan exined to her.

    Everything made sense to Xi Meili after hearing this, but she was still upset that she was sent flying in such a manner.

    Eventually, Patriarch Liang and his army appeared before Yuan and Xi Meili again.

    "Now that you can use your full strength, you no longer have any excuses left as to why you cannot defeat me," Yuan said to Patriarch Liang with a provoking smile on his face.

    "You won''t be arrogant for much longer, you little bastard." Patriarch Liang sneered.

    He turned to look at the Spirit Sovereign that had been fighting Xi Meili and said to him, "General Zheng, you will handle Xi Meili. I will handle that annoying bastard. General Wan, you will march the army towards the Ancient Dragon City, where the Emerald Dragon Family will be waiting for us."

    General Wan had a surprised look on his face, and he proceeded to express his concerns, "My Lord, shouldn''t I stay here with you just in case anything happens to you?"

    However, Patriarch Liang immediately frowned at him and spoke in a low but cold voice, "Are you implying that I won''t be able to defeat him and will need your help?"

    "M-My apologies, Lord Liang. That wasn''t my intention. I will lead the army and work with the Emerald Dragon Family until your arrival."

    "Then get out of here. We will regroup with you once we are done here. It won''t take long."

    General Wan then left the scene, taking with him thousands of soldiers.

    "Shouldn''t we at least try to stop them?" Xi Meili turned to ask Yuan as General Wan left with the soldiers.

    "Don''t worry, I don''t intend on letting them reach the city. We''ll be done here before they can go anywhere." Yuan said as he readied his Empyrean Overlord.

    Xi Meili nodded, and she retrieved a golden spear from her spatial ring.

    "Mother lent this to me as a good luck charm¡­ I didn''t think I would be using it¡­" Xi Meili mumbled as she caressed her family''s heirloom, the Dragon''s Soul.

    Yuan nced at the Dragon''s Soul, and for some reason, he could feel a weird sensationing from it, almost as though it was trying tomunicate with him. Unfortunately, he did not have the time to ponder, as Patriarch Liang and General Zheng began their attack the next moment.

    BOOM!

    When Patriarch Liang and Yuan shed with each other, a powerful ripple swept the area. Patriarch Liang''s prowess had increased exponentially now that he no longer has to worry about destroying his city.

    "You should''ve never stuck your nose in our business, you nobody! Now, you will die for it!" Patriarch Liang said to Yuan after pushing him back multiple times during their shes.

    "And you should''ve never threatened the Xi Family," Yuan calmly said, and his aura suddenly spiked.

    "What?!" Patriarch Liang was startled, even shocked by Yuan''s sudden domineering aura that was multiple times stronger than just seconds ago.

    Meanwhile, the Dragon''s Soul in Xi Meili''s grasp began trembling when it sensed Yuan''s aura.

    "What is going on?" Xi Meili looked at her spear with a bewildered expression, as she has never seen the Dragon''s Soul acting in such a manner before.

 Chapter 1211 Patriarch Liangs Trump Card

    ?1211  Patriarch Liang''s Trump Card

    ''What''s happening to the Dragon''s Soul? I have never seen it acting like this before¡­'' Xi Meili silently stared at the spear in her grasp with a bewildered expression on her face.

    As far as she was aware, the Dragon''s Soul has never bonded with anyone within her family. She has always wondered why the Dragon''s Soul was in her family''s possession even though nobody could use it.

    ''The Dragon''s Soul has remained asleep for countless years. It isn''t a coincidence that it''s showing signs of awakening now¡­''

    A certain face appeared inside her mind, but before she could really think about it, she was disturbed by General Zheng.

    "Did you already forget about me?!" General Zheng roared as he swung his halberd at Xi Meili, who quickly reacted by lifting the Dragon''s Soul to block the iing attack.

    ng!

    Xi Meili was sent flying back by the immense forceing from the strike, and she could even feel a numbing sensation in her hands afterward.

    "Unfortunately, I do not have the time to y with you anymore." General Zheng said, his aura slowly increasing as he began his transformation.

    "Since you seem to be in a hurry, I will do you a favor and kill you soon." Xi Meili said, and the atmosphere around her suddenly changed. Her hair grew slightly longer, her golden eyes began glowing, and golden scales began appearing on her body.

    General Zheng snickered at her transformation, "Is that all your transformation can achieve? Besides looking a little different, you don''t seem any stronger."

    Xi Meili didn''t say anything and readied her spear.

    When they shed again a momentter, General Zheng''s eyes widened when he felt the overwhelming strength behind Xi Meili''s strike and was pushed back several steps.

    ''Although she doesn''t look any stronger and her cultivation remains the same, she''s actually several times stronger than before her transformation!'' Aftering to this realization, General Zheng stopped underestimating Xi Meili and began taking her seriously.

    Meanwhile, several miles away, Patriarch Liang was experiencing a situation that he never even dreamed of being possible.

    "What''s wrong? You haven''t opened your mouth in a while now." Yuan''s voice resounded as Patriarch Liang held a panicked expression on his face.

    Patriarch Liang gritted his teeth, but no words came out.

    "You were acting so high and mighty not long ago, too."

    Yuan''s figure suddenly disappeared before Patriarch Liang''s eyes.

    Half a secondter, Patriarch Liang could sense a presence behind him, awakening his goosebumps.

    ''He''s behind me!'' Patriarch Liang immediately twisted his body to turn around while swinging his weapon in motion.

    ng!

    A powerful ripple was created as Patriarch Liang''s weapon flew into Yuan''s Empyrean Overlord at full force. However, Yuan did not budge a single inch despite Patriarch Liang using his full strength.

    "Hmph." Yuan released a low snort before swinging his arm.

    The very next moment, Patriarch Liang''s body was sent flying into the distance like a ragdoll being tossed across the street.

    After stabilizing himself with much effort, Patriarch Liang did not look surprised by what had just happened, as he had been tossed several times by now. Instead of surprise, Patriarch Liang had a terrified expression on his face

    ¡ª looking like someone who could not find a way out of their trouble.

    ''Impossible¡­ Why is he so strong? If he''s using a spiritual treasure, there''s no way something so powerful couldst this long! He must be an expert in disguise! But howe we have never heard of him before?!''

    "Just where the fuck have you been hiding all this time?! And why are you showing yourself now?!" Patriarch Liang subconsciously shouted out what was inside his mind.

    "Does any of that really matter?" Yuan calmly responded.

    "FUUUUUCK!!!" Patriarch Liang suddenly tilted his head and released a deafening roar that caused the air to tremble.

    When he looked at Yuan again, his eyes were bloodshot and desperate.

    "This is my trump card, and I was saving this treasure for the Xi Family, but you are clearly a bigger threat than them as a whole¡­" Patriarch Liang muttered as he reached inside his spatial ring to bring out what appeared to be a single piece of golden scale.

    Yuan raised an eyebrow after seeing the scale. He has no idea what he was looking at and why Patriarch Liang brought it out.

    "Do you know what this is?" Patriarch Liang held the scale in front of him as he asked Yuan.

    "Should I?" Yuan asked.

    Patriarch Liang showed a wide smirk on his face as he spoke, "You probably know that there are two dragons that are epted as Dragon Gods by the Dragon Race. The Great One and the Dragon Ancestor. However, what if I told you that there actually existed a third dragon¡ª a Dragon God that surpassed the other two?"

    "Oh?" Yuan''s interest was immediately piqued by such words.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    "This third Dragon God also had a supreme bloodline, but it was somehow iparably stronger than the other two with a simr bloodline. If this Dragon God hadn''t disappeared into thin air, it would be ruling the entire Dragon Race by now¡ª I''m sure of it."

    Patriarch Liang had a look of deep admiration as he spoke of this third Dragon God, almost as though he was speaking of his own ancestor.

    "And this scale¡­ This scale right here belongs to that third Dragon God. Even though it is only a tiny portion of a single piece of scale, it contains enough power to obliterate any dragon that is below the realm of Divinity."

    "You may be strong, perhaps even at the cultivation level of Spirit Enlightenment, but you definitely haven''t reached the Divine Realm yet! However! I will give you onest chance! Come work for me and I will spare your life!"

    "..."

    After a moment of silence, Yuan spoke in a sarcastic tone, "I appreciate such a generous offer, but I very much would like to see what that scale can do, so I will have to refuse your offer."

    Patriarch Liang sneered in disdain, "Then you can die for me!"

    He then clenched the golden scale and poured his spiritual energy into it, causing it to emit a bright and mythical light that filled the area with a rainbow-colored aurora.

 Chapter 1212 The Third Dragon God

    ?1212  The Third Dragon God

    After pouring almost all of his spiritual energy into the fragment of dragon scale, Patriarch Liang roared with excitement, "Come forth and show this lowly dog your unfathomable prowess, Dragon God!"

    The fragment of dragon scale shattered in Patriarch Liang''s grasp, releasing a powerful ripple that swept through the entire realm, and alerted every expert in the world.

    The ripple also carried with it an ancient roar that vibrated the heart and soul of every individual that heard it, causing their blood to boil in excitement, almost as though they were reacting to it.

    "Did you feel that?!" Xi Shengmo had a shocked expression on his face as he turned to look at Xi Mingze, who also looked extremely baffled.

    "I felt it¡­ What the hell was that?" Xi Mingze swallowed nervously.

    "It came from the direction of¡­" They both turned to look in the direction of Azure Dragon City.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    "I hope they aren''t involved¡­" Xi Shengmo rubbed his eyes in a stressful manner as he sighed.

    "Yet I have a feeling that something unprecedented is happening over there¡­"

    "If you are that worried, why don''t you go there and check up on them?" Xi Mingze said.

    "You want me to show up unannounced in another city? I don''t want any trouble with the Azure Dragon Family since we have been at peace for countless years now."

    "I don''t understand why you like them. If you ask me, I think there''s something weird about them." Xi Mingze shook her head.

    "I never said I like them, but they haven''t given me a reason to dislike them. That''s more than enough for me."

    "Anyways, regardless if the two of them are involved or not, I am going to investigate the source of the ripple. I have a bad feeling about this."

    Xi Mingze then said, "I will go with you. Whatever caused that ripple isn''t something you can handle by yourself. Frankly speaking, it terrified me for a second, and I have never experienced such fear before."

    Xi Mingze noticed that Xi Shengmo''s body was trembling slightly, but she couldn''t me him. Meanwhile, the majority of the people living in that realm were shaking in fear.

    Back at the location where the ripple originated from, Xi Meili and General Zheng had temporarily stopped their fight to watch the spectacle before them.

    "What¡­ is that?" Xi Meili muttered in a dazed voice as a majestic and massive dragon made of light hovered in the air, surrounding Yuan and Patriarch Liang.

    This dragon had a transparent body and scales, and it looked like an illusion that was only halfpleted. However, despite that, it had a very real aura that was unlike anything Xi Meili have felt before. It was domineering and unfathomably deep¡ª so deep that Xi Meili feared it might consume her if she tried to peek into its power.

    As for Yuan, he seemed surprised by how much power was contained within such a small fragment of a scale, but it wasn''t enough to scare him, as he has encountered people that could rival, even surpass its aura.

    ''If such power is contained within a fragment of a scale, just how powerful is the dragon as a whole? Now that would be terrifying¡­'' Yuan thought to himself as he gazed upon the dragon with a calm face.

    "Hahaha! Are you so scared that you don''t even know how to react?! This is what you get for messing with me¡ª with my Azure Family!!!" Patriarch Liangughed like a maniac, his arm spread out with joy as he basked in the dragon''s aura.

    "Unfortunately, it''s toote to beg for your life now!" Patriarch Liang pointed at Yuan and roared, "Swallow this ant, Almighty Dragon God!!!"

    The Dragon God released a deafening roar that shook the world before flying towards Yuan with its mouth wide open.

    Yuan raised his Empyrean Overlord and prepared to meet the Dragon God head-on.

    However, Yuan suddenly lowered his sword with a weird look on his face.

    "Yuan?! What are you doing?! How can you give up without a fight?!" Xi Meili cried out loud after seeing his actions, as she thought that he had given up before the Dragon God''s prowess.

    "Hahaha! It''s only natural! Not even Heaven would have the courage to face the Dragon God, much less a little dragon!" Patriarch Liangughed out loud.

    "Yuan¡­?" Xi Meili suddenly raised an eyebrow when she noticed Yuan''s eyes that were devoided of fear. In fact, he did not look like someone who had given up.

    ''I don''t know what this feeling in my body is, but I do know that it''s telling me to not fight the Dragon God.'' Yuan thought inwardly as he waited for the Dragon God to reach him.

    Sure enough, once the Dragon God reached Yuan, it stopped moving right in front of him.

    The unexpected turn of events baffled Patriarch Liang, who waspletely speechless by what was happening.

    ''What''s going on? Why did the Dragon God stop?''

    Patriarch Liang has no idea what was happening. In fact, he has never used the scale before until today, so he only assumed it was a spiritual treasure¡ª a weapon of mass destruction due to the amount of spiritual energy contained within.

    Unbeknownst to him and everyone there, the scale was not a weapon, and Patriarch Liang only had one thing right about it¡ª that it belonged to the third Dragon God.

    "What are you doing?! Kill that bastard!" Patriarch Liang roared at the Dragon God when he ran out of patience.

    Eventually, the Dragon God began moving again, ramming straight at Yuan.

    "Yes!" Patriarch Liang clenched his jaw and fists when he saw this, but what happened next caused his eyes to pop out of their sockets.

    Instead of destroying Yuan like Patriarch Liang had hoped and imagined, the Dragon God entered Yuan''s body and disappeared within.

    After consuming the Dragon God, Yuan could feel something change inside his body. As for the specifications, he did not know what had changed.

    <You have consumed a fragment of Dragon Goddess Yeyou''s memory>

    ''What? Dragon Goddess?'' Yuan''s eyes widened with surprise after learning this information through the system. He definitely did not expect the third Dragon God to be female.

 Chapter 1213 Asking For Mercy

    ?1213  Asking for Mercy

    After consuming Dragon Goddess Yeyou''s memories, images immediately began shing inside Yuan''s head.

    These images were clearly the Dragon Goddess'' memories, but Yuan did not have the time to indulge himself in her memories at this moment.

    "W-What did you do just now?!" Patriarch Liang roared in a terrified and confused tone, his expression looking as though he just witnessed a ghost.

    Yuan looked at him with a nonchnt gaze and asked, "Where did you acquire that scale? If you tell me, I will tell you what I did."

    Patriarch Liang gritted his teeth. As much as he didn''t want to answer Yuan, he wanted to know what had happened, so he reluctantly answered, "It was passed down by my ancestors¡­ and I was told that they had it beforeing to this world¡­ That''s all I really know about it."

    This made Yuan wonder if the Azure Dragon Family has any rtions with the Dragon Goddess, or if they simply found the scale by chance.

    Regardless, he does not have any intentions to spare Patriarch Liang or the Azure Dragon Family for threatening the Xi Family.

    "I see." Yuan calmly mumbled before readying the Empyrean Overlord.

    When Patriarch Liang saw this, his body immediately tensed.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.

    "W-Wait! You said that you''d tell me what you did to the Dragon God if I told you how I acquired it!"

    "I consumed it." Yuan casually responded before flying towards Patriarch Liang with killing intent in his eyes.

    Patriarch Liang could feel all of his scales rising. Although there were no changes to Yuan''s aura after he consumed the Dragon Goddess'' memories, there was a slight difference in his atmosphere.

    He felt colder and more vicious to Patriarch Liang, who was in full panic mode now that his trump card did nothing to stop Yuan.

    "W-Wait! Let''s talk about this!!!" Patriarch Liang pleaded as Yuan reached him.

    However, Yuan ignored his pleas and tossed Patriarch Liang''s body around like a sandbag.

    After several moments of humiliation, Yuan stopped messing around and sliced off one of Patriarch Liang''s arms.

    "Aaaaahh!" Patriarch Liang released a loud and painful roar that traveled miles.

    "My Lord!!!" General Zheng halted his fight with Xi Meili after hearing the scream.

    "You are in no position to look away!" Xi Meili became more aggressive after seeing Yuan dominate Patriarch Liang, her motivation soaring toward the sky even though she was losing slightly just moments ago.

    "Get off me! I have no time to y with you anymore!!!" Genera Zheng roared as he unleashed all of his spiritual energy at Xi Meili, as he no longer cared if he killed her or not.

    Xi Meili tried her best to resist the spiritual energy, but she could only block 90 percent before she was sent flying by the rest of the spiritual energy.

    Meanwhile, General Zheng flew toward Yuan and Patriarch Liang''s direction.

    "Where do you think you are going?!" Xi Meili quickly stabilized herself before chasing after General Zheng, who was slightly faster than her.

    Some distance away, Yuan tossed Patriarch Liang around a few more times before severing his second arm.

    Patriarch Liang knew that he had no chance of defeating Yuan at this point and gave up entirely.

    After getting his second arm severed, Patriarch Liang kneeled on the ground with an oddly tranquil look on his face.

    "What are you doing? You know I won''t forgive you even if you kowtow for forgiveness." Yuan asked as he stood before Patriarch Liang.

    "I am not asking for forgiveness. I am asking for mercy." Patriarch Liang calmly responded.

    "I will stop struggling and give you my life. However, before you kill me, I want you to know that the majority of my children are not aware of my ambitions, and they arepletely innocent. If you still insist on ughtering my family after this, just know that you are killing people whose only crime is being part of my family."

    Yuan narrowed his eyes slightly after hearing this, and he calmly responded, "I have no intentions of going after your family. I will leave their fate in the Xi Family''s hands, and I''m sure the Xi Family will thoroughly investigate everything, too."

    Patriarch Liang released a sigh of relief after hearing Yuan''s response, and he calmly closed his eyes, silently awaiting his death.

    "Don''t you darey your filthy hands on him!" General Zheng''s voice resounded as he finally reached their location.

    However, almost as though he couldn''t hear General Zheng, Yuan swung his sword without hesitation, decapitating Patriarch Liang in a swift motion.

    "My Lord!!!" General Zheng roared, and as he arrived before Yuan with bloodshot eyes, he unleashed every ounce of spiritual energy inside his body at Yuan.

    Yuan didn''t say anything and merely nced at General Zheng before casually throwing a single fist at him.

    Yuan''s seemingly indestructible fist tore through General Zheng''s spiritual energy like it was nothing before smashing him straight in the face.

    Pop!

    General Zheng''s head exploded like a balloon, and his headless body copsed right beside Patriarch Liang''s body.

    Xi Meili came to a slow halt as she stared at Yuan with wide eyes.

    She knew that Yuan was unfathomably powerful, but she didn''t think that he was so powerful that he could kill two Spirit Sovereigns in the blink of an eye.

    After snapping out of her daze, she nervously approached him.

    "A-Are you okay, Yuan?" she asked him in a low voice.

    The cold expression on Yuan''s face immediately softened, and he turned to look at her with a warm smile.

    "I''m fine. What about you? Are you hurt?"

    "Just some scratches. I''ll be fine." Xi Meili said with a stiff smile. Although her body looked perfectly fine on the outside, she had some internal injuries such as broken bones, but it wasn''t anything life-threatening, and such injuries will easily heal for a Divine Beast like her.

    Yuan knew this, and when Xi Meili saw his look, she quickly said, "Don''t worry, I am really fine. Anyways, we are not finished yet, since the Azure Dragon Family''s army is still marching towards our city, not to mention the Emerald Dragon Family."

    Yuan nodded, "Alright, let''s deal with the rest of the Azure Dragon Family first."

    However, right as they began moving, Yuan suddenly sensed two familiar presences flying in their direction at high speed.

    "What''s the matter?" Xi Meili asked him.

    But she didn''t need an answer since she also sensed these presences a momentter.

    Sure enough, Xi Shengmo and Xi Mingze appeared before them shortly after.

 Chapter 1214 City Engulfed In Flames

    ?1214  City Engulfed in mesN?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.

    "Yuan! Meili! Is everything okay?!" Xi Mingze was the first to speak after their arrival.

    "W-We are fine, but what are you two doing here?" Xi Meili stared at them with a dazed look on her face.

    "We heard a powerful dragon''s roar unlike anything we''ve heard before, so we rushed here to investigate." Xi Shengmo said.

    "You heard that from here?" Xi Meili was surprised.

    It was at this moment Xi Shengmo and Xi Mingze noticed the corpses behind her.

    "T-That face¡­ Patriarch Liang and General Zheng?!?! W-Why are they dead?! What happened here?!" Xi Shengmo eximed.

    He didn''t think for a second that Yuan or Xi Meili were responsible for their deaths even though they were on the scene with nobody else there.

    In fact, he believed that they were killed by the unknown entity that released the dragon''s roar.

    "Is this also caused by that dragon?" Xi Mingze swallowed nervously.

    If the entity dared to kill someone as prominent as Patriarch Liang, it probably won''t hesitate to go after them either.

    "Actually¡­ About that¡­" Xi Meili had a nervous smile on her face, her body fidgeting slightly.

    "What? What happened?" Xi Shengmo stared at her intensively.

    Yuan stepped in and said, "I''m responsible for this."

    "What?" Xi Shengmo and Xi Mingze turned to look at him with wide eyes filled with disbelief.

    "I killed them." He repeated with more rity.

    "You killed Patriarch Liang?! Why would you do such a thing?!" Xi Shengmo eximed.

    "Give us a chance to exin!" Xi Meili said, and she proceeded to exin to entire situation to her parents.

    Unsurprisingly, they became increasingly upset as they heard the details.

    "That traitorous snake, Patriarch Cui! How dare he lust after my wife after everything our family has done for their family?!" Xi Shengmo appeared to be more angry at Patriarch Cui lusting after Xi Mingze than Patriarch Liang wanting to consume their Xi Family.

    "The Azure Dragon Family and the Emerald Dragon Family are working together to take down our Xi Family, huh? Although I''m a little surprised, I can''t say that I didn''t see thising." Xi Mingze sighed.

    "You knew they''d attack?" Yuan raised an eyebrow.

    "Well, not really, but I always had this ufortable feeling about them, like they are up to no good." Xi Mingze casually shrugged, her reaction to the situation somewhatckluster.

    "Regardless, I would like to extend my utmost gratitude to you as well as apologize for putting you in such a position¡­"

    Yuan shook his head and said, "I am doing this because I want to. You don''t have to thank me. Anyways, we should continue our chatterter, once we end this whole thing, as the situation is still progressing as we speak."

    Patriarch Liang then said, "Since Azure Dragon City is much closer, we''ll use the teleporter there to get back to our city as soon as possible."

    The four of them proceeded to rush toward the city.

    When they arrived at the teleporter, their presence, without a doubt, shocked everyone there.

    "Isn''t that Emperor Xi from Ancient Dragon City?! What is he doing all the way over here?!"

    "That''s Princess Xi, as well as Empress Xi! Almost their entire family is present!"

    Xi Shengmo walked straight to the front of the line to speak with the manager, "Send us to Ancient Dragon City immediately."

    He expected the manager toply without any trouble, but to his surprise, the manager appeared hesitant as he stood there with a nervous look on his face.

    "Need I repeat myself?" Killing intent began appearing in Xi Shengmo''s gaze.

    "R-Right away!" The manager immediately began moving swiftly.

    "Should we kill him? He''s obviously working with the Azure Dragon Family¡­" Xi Meili asked.

    "We''ll deal with it a thorough investigation. He might be a victim as well, you know." Xi Mingze calmly responded.

    Momentster, the teleporter was ready.

    Yuan and the others immediately entered the teleporter, arriving at the Ancient Dragon City instantly.

    However, by the time they arrived, the entire city was already engulfed in chaos, as the Azure Dragon Family''s army and the Emerald Dragon Family had arrived some time ago and started attacking the moment they arrived.

    Their sudden invasion definitely surprised the citizens, and with the Xi Family''s absence, they were unsure of what to do.

    With that being said, the citizens of Ancient Dragon City did not wait around to be ughtered and fought back.

    "Those fucking bastards!" Xi Shengmo''s face twisted with anger as he witnessed the dire situation.

    "Dear, you must return to the pce immediately and take control of our forces! We will stay behind and deal with these intruders!" Xi Mingze said to Xi Shengmo.

    Xi Shengmo nodded and quickly made his way back to the pce.

    Meanwhile, Yuan, Xi Meili, and Xi Mingze went to take care of the intruders that were wreaking havoc within the city.

    Fortunately, that didn''t take too long since there weren''t that many intruders. However, that meant that the majority of the Azure Dragon Family''s and Emerald Dragon Family''s forces had yet to invade.

    Indeed, the majority of their forces were stationed outside the city, patiently waiting for Patriarch Liang''s arrival before they fully engage,pletely unaware that they were waiting for someone who would not show up no matter how long they waited.

    "What is taking Patriarch Liang and General Zheng so long? They should''ve been here ages ago!" Patriarch Cuiined as he was getting impatient.

    "We had some unexpected trouble right after you left, but rest assured, they will be here shortly." General Wan said.

    "Hmph. Anyways, why isn''t the Xi Family responding to our presence? It''s like they are not even here. This war might end sooner than we expected." Patriarch Cui wondered out loud.

    "Though, as much as I want this war to end smoothly, that is only wishful thinking. I don''t know what the Xi Family is doing, but their silence is giving me an ominous feeling."

 Chapter 1215 Kneel.

    ?1215  Kneel.

    "Kill the intruders! Defend the pce until my parents return!" Xi Murong''s voice echoed within the pce as he ughtered the intruders.

    When the intruders showed up, Xi Murong tookmand of the guards to defend his home. Although the pce is heavily guarded, they were still outnumbered by the intruders.

    If it weren''t for Xiao Hua, Feng Yuxiang, and Lan Yingying''s presence which the enemy did not ount for, they would''ve had a much harder time defending the pce.

    By the time Xi Shengmo returned to the pce, the majority of intruders at the pce had already been taken care of.

    "Murong! What is the situation?!" Xi Shengmo asked the moment he arrived.

    "Father! The Azure Dragon Family and the Emerald Dragon Family''s forces showed up out of the blue and started attacking our city! The pce is fine for now, but the city¡­"

    "Don''t worry, your mother and sister are taking care of the city right now. As for our situation, the Azure Dragon Family and the Emerald Dragon Family are working together to subdue us." Xi Shengmo said.

    "What?! Why would they do that?! Don''t tell me¡­ Is this rted to Xi Meili''s marriage?!" Xi Murong could only think of one reason for their sudden aggression.

    "No, it appears that they have been nning this even long before I was in power. We can talk more about thister, as we have a city to protect right now."

    "By the way, where is General Sun?"

    Xi Murong quickly responded, "General Sun, along with the majority of our forces, went to confront the Azure Dragon Family and Emerald Dragon Family that have gathered outside our city while leaving some behind to deal with the intruders."

    Xi Shengmo nodded, "Let us quickly regroup with the others before we meet with the intruders."

    "We wille with you." Feng Yuxiang said.

    Xi Shengmo nodded, as he had no objection.

    As they left the pce, Feng Yuxiang asked Xi Shengmo, "Why did you suddenly disappear?"

    "I went to investigate the dragon''s roar."

    "Dragon''s roar? What are you talking about?" Feng Yuxiang raised an eyebrow in a puzzled manner, as did Xiao Hua and Lan Yingying.

    "You didn''t hear the dragon''s roar? It happened not long ago." It was Xi Shengmo''s turn to be puzzled. The dragon''s roar was powerful enough to wake even those in aa, so it was simply impossible to miss even if they were in a deep sleep.

    "No, I didn''t hear anything like that. Did you guys hear it?" Feng Yuxiang turned to look at Xiao Hua and Lan Yingying, who also shook their heads without hesitation.

    "Weird. Maybe it''s something only dragons can hear?" Feng Yuxiang said a momentter.

    "That''s¡­ possible¡­" Xi Shengmo began pondering inwardly. After learning about the invasion, he momentarily forgot to ask Yuan about the dragon''s roar.

    Sometimeter, they reunited with Yuan''s group.

    "Young Master! Are you hurt?" Feng Yuxiang immediately rushed over to Yuan.

    He calmly shook his head.

    "What about you guys?"

    "We were all cultivating in our rooms when the pce suddenly got attacked. Of course, we only suffered minor scratches that have already been healed."

    Xi Shengmo then said, "The majority of their forces are waiting outside the city for some reason. My forces are already there, but they will need our help."

    "They are definitely waiting for Patriarch Liang before theyunch their real attack. Unfortunately for them, he won''t show up¡­ ever." Xi Meili chuckled.

    Sometimeter, they arrived outside the city, where tens of thousands of enemy forces were gathered right before the front gates.

    The Xi Family''s forces were led by a middle-aged man, General Sun, who stood between the enemy forces and the city with a fearless expression on his face.

    "Azure Dragon Family! Emerald Dragon Family! You guys must be out of your damn minds! Do you really think that you can take down the Xi Family by working together?!" General Sun roared at them.

    "You''re as loud and obnoxious as ever, General Sun." General Wan moved forward.

    "If we weren''t confident, we wouldn''t be acting so brazening by attacking from the front and without any trickery." Patriarch Cuiughed out loud.

    "Oh? And where did you get such confidence? From Patriarch Liang?" Xi Shengmo spoke as he suddenly appeared before them.

    "Emperor Xi!" Patriarch Cui subconsciously tensed up after seeing him.

    "The Xi Family is here! Ready yourselves!" General Wan warned their forces.

    "Your Majesty! You have returned!" General Sun immediately smiled upon seeing his arrival.

    "I asked you a question, Patriarch Cui. Where did you get the confidence to attack my city and covet my wife, huh?!" Xi Shengmo repeated his question.

    Patriarch Cui frowned upon hearing thest part of Xi Shengmo''s question. It wouldn''t be weird for Xi Shengmo to think that they were attacking his city because that was obvious, but Xi Shengmo shouldn''t know about his desire to take Xi Mingze for himself, as that was something he recently revealed to Xi Meili.

    However, ording to General Wan, Xi Meili did not return to the city and actually went back to the Azure Dragon City.

    "Why do you look surprised?" Xi Meili''s voice suddenly resounded as she appeared before Patriarch Cui.Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    "You! What are you doing here?!" General Wan was shocked to see Xi Meili in front of them.

    "Should I not be here¡ª in my own city?" Xi Meili acted ignorant.

    "What happened to General Zheng?!"

    "Oh, that bastard? He''s right here." Xi Meili snapped her finger, and the very next moment, a body fell from the sky.

    It was General Zheng''s headless corpse.

    "I would''ve also retrieved his head, but that wasn''t possible. My apologies." Xi Meili sneered in a cold voice.

    "YOU BASTARD¡ª!"

    Before General Wan could fully grasp the situation, another body fell from the sky.

    This body was missing two limbs and a head, but General Wan and Patriarch Cui knew at a nce who this body belonged to because of the clothes it was "M-My Lord¡­" General Wan fell to his knees from shock.

    "I-Impossible¡­" Patriarch Cui''s expression froze.

    It was at this moment Yuan showed up before them.

    Patriarch Cui didn''t recognize Yuan, but General Wan instantly recognized him and knew that he was responsible for their deaths.

    "HOW DARE YOU!!!" General Wan suddenly rushed at Yuan, his emotionspletely out of control.

    Yuan didn''t move and merely uttered a single word.

    "Kneel."

    Although it was just a single word, when it was uttered, General Wan''s world suddenly turned pitch ck, and he could feel an otherwordly presence staring at him from the high heavens.

    General Wan wasn''t alone. Everybody there, from Patriarch Cui to the soldiers at the back of the formation, watched their world suddenly consumed by darkness before being greeted by a massive golden eye.

    And before they realized it, everyone there was on their knees.

    "Y-Yuan¡­"

    Yuan could hear Xi Shengmo calling for him in a struggling voice, and when he turned around, he was shocked to see that Xi Shengmo and Xi Mingze were on the verge of kneeling as well. As for General Sun and the rest of their forces, they were already on their knees.

    Yuan had only intended to use Dragon''s Gaze on the enemy forces, but he had underestimated the power of his Dragon''s Gaze while still affected by his transformation, identally troubling his allies.

    "S-Sorry!" Yuan immediately deactivated his Dragon''s Gaze and apologized afterward.

 Chapter 1216 Not An Ordinary Dragons Gaze

    ?1216  Not an Ordinary Dragon''s Gaze

    After Yuan deactivated Dragon''s Gaze, everyone there could finally breathe again.

    And although it had only been activated for several seconds, it was enough to cripple half of the Azure Dragon Family and the Emerald Dragon Family''s army, as those with a weak mentality had their spirits broken almost instantly after being targeted by Dragon''s Gaze.

    For some unfortunate souls, their souls shattered under the spiritual attack, perishing from this world without a chance to reincarnate.

    As for Yuan''s allies, since he didn''t directly target them, nobody had their souls shattered. Though, many of them still suffered damage that incapacitated them for the rest of the battle.

    "So that''s what it feels like to be on the other end¡­" Feng Yuxiang muttered in a low voice as she slowly recovered from her shock.

    Her face and body were soaked in a cold sweat after experiencing Dragon''s Gaze directly for the first time.

    Lan Yingying had a simr appearance, but since she was younger than Feng Yuxiang by tens of thousands of years, she suffered significantly more. If she weren''t a Divine Beast, her soul might''ve been in danger just now.

    "Are you okay?" Xiao Hua asked Lan Yingying after seeing her condition.

    "Yes¡­ Somehow¡­" Lan Yingying nodded after she took several deep breaths.

    "Eh?"

    Lan Yingying was surprised when she turned to look at Xiao Hua, whose breathing was only slightly heavier than usual, looking like she''d only gone for a light jog at the park.

    "You¡­ Howe you seem perfectly fine?" She couldn''t help but ask.

    Xiao Hua looked at her own palms, and after a moment of silence, she spoke in a low voice, "I don''t know¡­"

    Compared to everyone else there, including Xi Shengmo and Xi Mingze who had the highest cultivation there, Xiao Hua appeared to be the least affected by Yuan''s Dragon''s Gaze.

    This made Lan Yingying wonder if Xiao Hua had been lucky and wasn''t affected by the Dragon''s Gaze as much as the rest or if her soul was strong enough to withstand the Dragon''s Gaze.

    After all, Dragon''s Gaze is a spiritual technique that targeted one''s soul, meaning that it would be less effective on those with a stronger soul, especially whenpared to the one who used the technique.

    As everyone else slowly recovered, Xi Shengmo stared at Yuan with a profound expression on his face.

    "I am truly sorry about that¡­" Yuan apologized again after seeing Xi Shengmo''s face.

    "There''s no need to apologize twice, I''m not angry." Xi Shengmo said.

    And he continued in a mumbling voice, "Your Dragon''s Gaze¡­ I thought it was only a legend, but¡­"

    "Legend?" Yuan raised an eyebrow.

    Xi Shengmo shook his head and said, "I will exin it to youter¡ª after we clean up this mess."

    "Alright."

    Xi Shengmo then approached Patriarch Cui and General Wan, who was still in recovery from their shock.

    "This is yourst chance to surrender. As you just witnessed for yourselves, my friend here can destroy all of your ns and forces with but a mere Dragon''s Gaze. You have no chance of winning this war."

    "If you lower your heads and surrender willingly now, I will show mercy and give you two a painless death. However, if you still wish to struggle, I will make it my life''s mission to make your lives as miserable as possible until you die of natural causes."

    General Wan and Patriarch Cui''s bodies tremble violently after hearing such a threat. With lifespans spanning half a million years at their cultivation with ease, the mere mention of enduring torment for such an eternity sent chills through their weakened souls, evoking an unimaginable dread that echoed throughout their entire being.

    General Wan, who was already on his knees, kissed the ground with his forehead and said, "I surrender. Please, have mercy."

    Even if Patriarch Liang and General Zheng were still alive, he doubt they would be able to defeat a monster like Yuan.

    Patriarch Cui also surrendered after seeing General Wan''s response, which did not surprise Xi Shengmo in the slightest.

    If he were in their shoes, he would also surrender without any hesitation. As long as someone like Yuan protected the Xi Family, nothing in this world would be able to threaten them, and he was only but a single entity.

    When their leaders General Wan and Patriarch Wan surrendered, the Azure Dragon Family and the Emerald Dragon Family''s soldiers dropped their weapons and kowtowed before the Ancient Dragon City.

    ''Unbelievable... A war yet to truly begin, yet ended with just a single nce! Who on earth is this enigmatic expert?'' General Sun and the others on his side wondered inwardly as they stared at Yuan''s handsome face with unfathomable respect and admiration.

    "Is it really over?" Xi Murong swallowed nervously, his face full of disbelief.

    "General Sun! Take everyone here away!" Xi Shengmo suddenly roared.

    "As youmand, Your Majesty!" General Sun shouted back.

    Over the next few hours, General Sun and the Xi Family''s forces would swiftly seize the surrendered enemy troops and imprison them. However, due to the sheer amount of prisoners, the Xi Family had to create temporary prisons just to hold them all.

    Meanwhile, Yuan and the Xi Family returned to the pce.

    "I truly do not know how to thank you for your assistance this time, Yuan. Even if I gave you my position as the Dragon Emperor of this small world, it would still not be enough." Xi Shengmo sighed.

    "You are still thinking about such a thing? Just forget it." Yuan smiled.

    And he asked, "Anyways, what now?"

    "Although the majority of the invaders have surrendered, there is still much to be done with the Azure Dragon Family and the Emerald Dragon Family, not to mention the cities they rule over¡­" Xi Mingze sighed out loud.

    "We''ll have to investigate everything thoroughly and properly, and that alone could take years."

    "For now, I will send some of our men to take control over their cities so that it doesn''t be too chaotic. After all, with the Azure Dragon Family and the Emerald Dragon Family out of the picture, there will be people eyeing their position. Once things settle down, we will begin our investigation" Xi Shengmo said.

    "What about you, Yuan? How much longer will you be staying here?"N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.

    "Uhh¡­ Now that you mention it, I haven''t thought about that at all. Though, I probably won''t be staying here for much longer¡ª at least until everything settles down and I am certain that there is nothing left that could threaten your family."

    "Thank you¡­" Xi Shengmo nodded with a rare smile on his face.

    "Oh, and before I forget, you mentioned something about my Dragon''s Gaze." Yuan suddenly reminded him.

    Xi Shengmo''s expression became serious, and he spoke, "Indeed. The Dragon''s Gaze you used back then¡­ It wasn''t your ordinary Dragon''s Gaze."

    "How so?" Yuan raised an eyebrow.

    "Well, normally, Dragon''s Gaze will only work on those you have direct eye contact with, but what you did was anything but that, as it affected even those you were not looking at." Xi Shengmo said.

    After taking a moment to think, he continued, "ording to a family legend, there exists a superior version of Dragon''s Gaze that only those with the purest and strongest bloodline could wield, and my father would call it Dragon''s Authority."

 Chapter 1217 Dragons Authority

    ?1217  Dragon¡¯s Authority

    "Dragon''s Authority?" Yuan mumbled, his eyes flickering with excitement.

    "Indeed. ording to my father''s knowledge, Dragon''s Gaze can be used by any dragon with a royal bloodline¡ª or what humans call an Imperial-grade bloodline. However, dragons with a Divine-grade bloodline will have ess to Dragon''s Authority, which, as its name suggests, gives them authority over dragons." Xi Shengmo said.

    Yuan then said, "That sounds like those with Dragon''s Authority canmand other dragons¡­"

    "Exactly. As long as their target has an inferior bloodline or a weaker soul strength, they can essentiallymand them to do anything."

    Xi Meili and Xi Murong swallowed nervously after hearing this. They cannot imagine being affected by Dragon''s Authority and forced to do things unwillingly. Of course, they experienced it first-hand very recently, but it wasn''t directed at them, so they didn''t count it.

    "Dragon''s Authority, huh? How interesting¡­" Xi Mingze, on the other hand, seemed intrigued by its concept and effects.

    She turned to look at Yuan with a smile, "Would you like to practice on me?"

    "What are you saying?" Xi Shengmo looked at her with a dumbfounded expression.

    "I don''t think he''s mastered it yet, so I want to help him to do so. I doubt anyone here besides you and I will be able to endure it without being injured, so unless you want to be the dummy¡­"

    "..."

    After pondering for a moment, Xi Shengmo sighed, "Alright, just don''t take things too far."

    He turned to look at Yuan and continued, "This is the least we can do to thank you."

    "Thank you." Yuan nodded.

    "We''ll start training in a few days once things settle down." Xi Mingze said, and she continued, "You should get some rest for now."

    Yuan retired to his room shortly after.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.

    Meanwhile, Xi Mingze and Xi Shengmo continued to deal with the incident.

    As for Xi Meili, she went to get her injuries checked before getting some rest.

    However, Yuan did not go to sleep. Hey on the bed and closed his eyes, but his consciousness was wide awake as he went through the Dragon Goddess'' memories.

    Meanwhile, Xi Shengmo went to the Azure Dragon City to take control of their city. He captured everybody from the Azure Dragon Family and those with a connection, interrogating all of them intensively over the next several days.

    Xi Shengmo was shocked to learn that the Azure Dragon Family had been nning and preparing their invasion for over 1,000,000 years now.

    He also learned that the majority of the Azure Dragon Family had been kept out of the loop, so these people were just as surprised as everyone else when they learned what had happened.

    Meanwhile, Xi Mingze traveled to the Emerald Dragon City to investigate the Emerald Dragon Family. She was surprised to learn that pretty much nobody in the city even had an idea about the incident, only learning about it after her arrival.

    As for the Azure Dragon City, they were alerted by themotion caused by Yuan, so they believed that they were the ones being invaded.

    During his investigation, Xi Shengmo found Liang Xuan, who had been hiding like a rat inside the city. Xi Shengmo immediately sent Liang Xuan back to the Ancient Dragon City for questioning, as he was essentially as rooted in the incident as Patriarch Liang.

    When Xi Meili learned of this discovery, she personally volunteered to do the investigation. Xi Shengmo objected at first, but he eventually gave in and allowed Xi Meili to handle Liang Xuan''s investigation.

    Once Liang Xuan was in her hands, Xi Meili said to the guards, "Uncuff him and treat his injuries."

    "What?" The guards were baffled by hermands.

    "Just do it."

    "A-As youmand¡­"

    Once Liang Xuan fully recovered from his injuries, Xi Meili dragged him to the training area within the Dragon Pce.

    "W-What are you nning on doing to me, Xi Meili?!" Liang Xuan growled at her.

    "Nothing much. We''re just going to spar a little." Xi Meili casually responded.

    "Spar¡­?" Liang Xuan had a confused look on his face.

    "If you can defeat me, I will let you go. However, if I win, you will tell me everything you know. How does that sound?"

    "Are you serious?"

    "Of course."

    "Princess! You cannot decide such a thing without His Majesty''s approval first!" The guards began panicking.

    "Shut up! My father already gave me permission to do whatever I want to him!" Xi Meili snapped at them.

    She then turned to Liang Xuan and continued, "There will be no limitations and no rules. Do you have anything to say before we begin?"

    "What if I kill you?" Liang Xuan asked.

    "Do you really think that is possible?" Xi Meili sneered.

    Xi Meili and Liang Xuan had simr cultivation, both being at the peak of Spirit Emperor. However, Xi Meili has superior techniques and a superior bloodline.

    Although the chances of Liang Xuan defeating Xi Meili were close to zero, it was notpletely impossible.

    "Alright¡­ Don''t you dare go back on your words¡­"Liang Xuan said with a slight smile on his face.

    Their sparring began shortly after.

    And over the next several hours, the guards there would bare witness to a brutal beating that could only be described as unbearable.

    Xi Meili was beating Liang Xuan so badly that it could no longer be called a spar, but a one-sided torture.

    Liang Xuan''s blood stained the stage, pieces of his flesh scattered about, and all of his teeth wereying around in a shattered state, resembling dust more than anything.

    "H-H-Ha¡­ve¡­ me¡­rcy¡­" Liang Xuan''s face was so swollen and bloodied that he could barely utter these words.

    "What did you just say? I can''t hear you." Xi Meili calmly said before driving her fist directly into Liang Xuan''s guts, forcing him to puke out a mouthful of fresh blood.

    When Liang Xuan fell to his knees for the umpteenth time, Xi Meili gracefully kicked him in the face, sending him flying to the other side of the arena and drawing another bloody line on the tform.

    She then walked over to him and forcefully fed him some medicine.

    After making sure he swallowed the medicine, Xi Meili stood there with her bloodied arms crossed in front of her chest, patiently waiting for Liang Xuan to stand back up.

    "Dear lord¡­" The guards shuddered in fear, as they have never seen this brutal side of Xi Meili before.

 Chapter 1218 Dragon Goddess Yeyou

    ?1218  Dragon Goddess Yeyou

    "Why are you still on the ground? Get up." Xi Meili looked down upon Liang Xuan with a slight frown on her face when he refused to stand up even after recovering.

    "I¡­I had enough¡­ Can we just end this¡­?" He responded in a tired voice, seemingly out of the energy and will to continue.

    "Of course, we can end it right now, but are you sure you want to die already?" Xi Meili calmly said.

    Liang Xuan''s body trembled upon hearing her words which basically told him that he''d die if he gave up.

    "..."N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.

    Liang Xuan mumbled in an inaudible tone a momentter.

    "Huh? What did you say?" Xi Meili subconsciously leaned forward.

    "I said¡­ die!"

    Liang Xuan suddenly sprang into action and went for Xi Meili''s throat with his w-like hands, his gaze bursting with killing intent.

    A cold smile appeared on Xi Meili''s face, and almost as if she anticipated his trick, she gracefully dodged his grasp with ease before grabbing his hand and crushing it with immense strength.

    "Argh!!!"

    Liang Xuan screamed out in pain as his hand became unrecognizable and many times smaller than originally.

    "How pathetic." Xi Meili sneered afterward. "And you wanted me to marry you? When you''re this weak and despicable? You make meugh."

    Her words were like sharp swords piercing Liang Xuan''s heart. Not only was she tormenting him physically, she damaging him mentally as well.

    Xi Meili would continue to torment Liang Xuan without stopping over the next several days until Liang Xuan truly couldn''t continue any longer.

    "I''m bored. We''ll continue this another day." Xi Meili said to him.

    "Guards! Take him away for questioning! If he fails to answer a single question, bring him back here and call for me!"

    After saying such words to the dazed guards, Xi Meili went to clean herself.

    And once that was done, she tried to see Yuan. Unfortunately, Yuan was not avable for some reason.

    "Is he in closed cultivation?" Xi Meili wondered out loud as she left his doorstep.

    Meanwhile, Yuan was still busy looking through Dragon Goddess Yeyou''s memories. Despite it only being a small fragment of her memories, it contained more than a hundred thousand years'' worth of memories.

    At the beginning of her memories, Yuan could only seeplete darkness, almost as though he was in the void.

    This scenery remained like that for thousands of years, which made Yuan wonder if there was something wrong with the memories at first.

    Eventually, something changed.

    A slit of horizontal light appeared in this darkness, slowly growingrger until Yuan could see new scenery.

    It was at this moment that Yuan realized the darkness was simply the Dragon Goddess Yeyou sleeping.

    When Dragon Goddess Yeyou awoke from her thousand-year-long slumber, she was first greeted by a tall figure standing not far away from her. However, whenpared to her own size, this tall figure was only but the size of an ant, so in her eyes, it was akin to being disturbed by an insect.

    Dragon Goddess Yeyou was about to curse at this figure, but before she got the chance, this figure spoke first.

    "I hope I didn''t disturb your slumber, Dragon God."

    "And what will you do if you did? Die for me?" Dragon Goddess Yeyou responded.

    "You can try to kill me if you''d like, but I would like to request that you do so after we have a little chat."

    "I have nothing to say to a human." Dragon Goddess Yeyou sneered. She also did not miss the small detail of ''try to kill'' in his speech, which implies that she might not be able to kill him.

    Normally, she''d kill someone this disrespectful without giving them another thought, but she just woke up from a long slumber and couldn''t be bothered to move around so soon, and there was something about this human that she could not pinpoint.

    The figure chuckled, "Don''t be like that, Dragon God. When was thest time you spoke to a human? A million years ago? Ten million?"

    It has been at least a hundred million years since Dragon Goddess Yeyou has spoken to a human, but she did not admit such a thing to this human.

    "Well, we don''t really need to chat if you don''t want to. Instead, just listen to me." This human continued to speak without an ounce of fear in his voice, which puzzled Dragon Goddess Yeyou, as she has never encountered a human that did not fear her.

    In fact, even demons that were known to have no fear would show signs of fear when they encounter her.

    ''Does this human not understand what it means to be fearful? No¡­ even those who have never experienced fear would instinctively be fearful of me. Perhaps he''s not actually human?'' Dragon Goddess Yeyou wondered inwardly as the human continued to speak.

    "As you probably know by now, the war between humans and demons has finallye to an end after countless years of strife. Although most are celebrating by now, I cannot help but wonder why humans had to fight the demons alone even though the beasts also suffered from their torment. After all, if we, humans and beasts, had fought together, the war could''ve ended much sooner."

    "What? Humans defeated the demons? Do you take me for an ignorant dragon ¡ª enough to believe such tant lies?" Dragon Goddess Yeyou did not believe the human initially.

    But the human seemed more surprised by the fact that she did not know about the end of the war even though hundreds of thousands of years have passed.

    "It appears I have underestimated the amount of sleep a dragon¡ª a supreme dragon requires¡­" The human spoke with a profound smile on his face, looking as though he was delighted to learn this information.

    "Anyways, you are free to do your own research if you do not believe me, but it has been approximately 400,000 years since humans defeated demons. I''m even willing to wait until you confirm my truth before we continue this chat."

    "..."

    Dragon Goddess Yeyou was speechless, and she found this human to be increasingly interesting with every passing second, but this fact would not be realized by her for a very long time.

 Chapter 1219 Dragon Goddess Yeyou(2)

    ?1219  Dragon Goddess Yeyou(2)

    "Let''s say I believe you¡ª that the weak and fragile existence known as humans managed to defeat the somewhat immortal beings known as demons¡­ What does that have to do with me? Why are you standing before me?" Dragon Goddess Yeyou asked the human man standing calmly before her.

    "Even though humans won the war in the end, it came at a tremendous cost. Countless humans have been tormented, eaten, killed, and experienced unspeakable things. I''m sure the same could be said for beasts, as demons would hunt beasts for fun, almost like a game, something they do to pass time until they grow hungry for humans."

    "Both humans and beasts suffered greatly from demons, yet we never fought together. I understand that we have our differences, but we could''ve prevented much tragedy from happening if we did."

    "Perhaps that is because nobody tried¡ª whether it be due to ack of courage or something else. Hence why I am here today."

    Dragon Goddess Yeyou did not respond for a long time.

    After a long moment of silence, Dragon Goddess Yeyou spoke in a low voice, "So what, you want humans and beasts to hold hands or something?"

    The human could hear a hint of mockery and disdain within the Dragon Goddess'' voice.

    Not being bothered by it, he spoke, "I am not saying that we should hold hands with each other, but I would like to see a day when humans can approach beasts without fearing for their lives and beasts won''t feel threatened by humans when they are approached¡ª just like you and I¡­"

    Dragon Goddess Yeyou suddenly burst outughing, causing the ''world'' they were on to shake violently. In fact, herughter was so strong that if the human hadn''t covered himself with spiritual energy, he would''ve died an explosive death.

    When she stoppedughing, she spoke, "Even if what you say is true¡ª that humans and beasts do not get along. What can you do to change it? How do you intend on convincing all of the humans to not fear beasts and beasts to not despise humans? That seems like an impossible feat no matter how I think about it."

    The human shook his head, "I don''t need to convince every human and beast. I only need to convince those at the top and everyone else will eventually follow suit. And what could be better than starting from the very peak?"

    "How about it, Dragon God? Want to work together with me? I''m sure it''ll be a whole lot more interesting than sleeping and fighting weaklings all the time."

    Dragon Goddess Yeyou narrowed her eyes and asked in a cold voice, "You speak as though you know my life."

    "Well, ording to what I''ve been told, you like to pick fights with other beasts, but because of your unmatched prowess, you have an extremely hard time finding worthy opponents, so you just bully others until you grow tired and sleep, and when you wake up, you will repeat the cycle again and again. If I am wrong, please correct me. I''d like to learn more about a being at the apex of this world."

    Dragon Goddess Yeyou fell silent and the human could not tell what she was thinking or feeling, but Yuan could, as he was seeing and feeling things from her point of view.

    He could tell that the Dragon Goddess was embarrassed and angered by the human''s words, as he essentially called herzy and a bully. Even worst, she could not argue back, as what the human said about her was true.

    Due to her being one of the apex beings in the world, it was pretty much impossible to find someone who could match her prowess, so she is always bored and looking to entertain herself.

    After finding some beasts to mess around with, she would slumber for thousands of years in hopes of a worthy opponent to appear, and this has been her routine for countless years now. To be reminded of such a miserable life made her embarrassed and angry at the same time.

    In a slightly trembling voice, Dragon Goddess Yeyou responded, "Very well¡­ if you insist, I will entertain you and your foolish ambitions. However, I will do so only if you can defeat me. Otherwise, you can die here with your ambitions!"

    Without any other warnings, Dragon Goddess Yeyou''s golden eyes began emitting a profound light.

    Suddenly assaulted by Dragon Goddess Yeyou''s Dragon''s Gaze, the human directly coughed up a mouthful of blood, but that was not enough to make him copse.

    "As expected of the Dragon God¡­" A slight smile appeared on the human''s face as he retrieved a ck sword.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.

    "But if you want to kill me, you will need to do better than that!"

    The human swung the sword at Dragon Goddess Yeyou, sending a massive sword light that was fully created from Enhanced Sword Aura at her.

    Dragon Goddess Yeyou merely scoffed at his attack before swatting the sword light with nothing but her tail, causing the Enhanced Sword Aura to scatter and fly everywhere.

    The scattered Enhanced Sword Aura poured down the world Dragon Goddess Yeyou was on, creating deep sword cuts everywhere.

    "You bastard! How dare you damage my bed! Do you have any idea how long it took me to find a world big enough to fit mefortably?!" Dragon Goddess Yeyou roared in an enraged tone as she uncoiled her massive body from the world that she had been sleeping on, revealing a vast yetpletely empty world that only had green grass growing on it.

    "You can''tin when you''re the one who attacked first." The human said as he wiped the blood from his lips.

    This enraged Dragon Goddess Yeyou even further, but she did not immediately attack him again.

    She wrapped the end of her tail around the world she called her bed and flicked it, shooting the world millions of miles in the blink of an eye and causing it to disappear into the void.

    The human couldn''t help but chuckle after seeing her actions, "You weren''t kidding when you said it was hard to find a suitable bed. I''m not surprised, though, seeing how big you are. Why don''t you take the form of a human? It''ll be easier for you to move around that way."

    "You¡­ You insolent human bastard!!!" Dragon Goddess Yeyou felt insulted when the human called her body ''big''. No matter if they are beasts or humans, whether it was true or not, it was taboo to call females ''big''.

    Meanwhile, the human misunderstood Dragon Goddess Yeyou''s anger, thinking that it was due to his suggestion to take the form of a human, as that was unthinkable in their era.

    For a beast to take the form of a human, it was akin to a human moving and barking like an animal¡ª an insulting act that only those unhealthy in the mind would dare imagine.

    The human knew this, of course. Despite that, he still suggested it to her for some reason.

    Following an explosive roar, Dragon Goddess Yeyou proceeded to attack the human seriously this time, marking the beginning of their long battle that would not end for several years.

 Chapter 1220 The Great Enlightenment

    ?1220  The Great Enlightenment

    Within days of Dragon Princess Yeyou and the human''s fight, over a dozen stars had been reduced to mere rubble floating in the starry sky.

    Every time their overwhelming spiritual energy collided with each other, a world-ending and star-copsing ripple would sweep the starry sky.

    Themotion caused by their fighting eventually alerted the experts cultivating in the starry sky, and regardless if they are human or beast, they were shocked by what they witnessed.

    The beasts couldn''t believe their eyes when they realized Dragon Goddess Yeyou''s opponent was a mere human man.

    As for the humans, many of them were seeing Dragon Goddess Yeyou for the first time, and they were simply baffled by her majestic presence and unfathomable strength.

    "Who is that human? And why is he fighting with the Dragon Goddess?"

    "He''s actually holding his own against a monster like her¡­ I didn''t think I would get to see someone fighting on equal footing with her in this lifetime, much less a human¡­."

    "I doubt he''llst for long. More importantly, Dragon Goddess Yeyou has awoken! We need to warn the others and prepare for another ten thousand-

    year-long torments before their fight ends!"

    After watching their fight for a short while, most of the beasts stopped watching and left to warn other beasts of Dragon Goddess Yeyou''s awakening.

    After all, every time Dragon Goddess Yeyou wakes up from her slumber, the first thing she always does is look for a fight.

    "What?! The Dragon Goddess has awoken from her slumber already?! Why did she wake up so quickly this time?"

    "Apparently some human woke her up, and they''re now fighting each other in the starry sky."

    "Fucking humans! They''re always making things more difficult for us!"

    "At least he''ll die by the Dragon Goddess'' ws."

    All of the beasts expected the human tost only several days against Dragon Goddess Yeyou, but to their surprise, they were still fighting even several monthster.

    "What? The Dragon Goddess is still fighting the same human? She must be going easy on him so that it wouldn''t end too quickly. That must be why."

    "Right? Even the Water Dragon Emperor can''tst more than half a year against her, and he has never lost to any humans before."

    The beasts truly believed that Dragon Goddess Yeyou was going easy on the human so that she could prolong their fight on purpose, something she has done on multiple asions, especially when she is extremely bored.

    The beasts stopped paying attention to the fight shortly after and continued their preparations again.

    Eventually, months turned into years, and years became decades.

    The beasts were absolutely gobsmacked when they learned that Dragon Goddess Yeyou was still being upied by the same human even after 10 years.

    "I just traveled to the starry sky and spectated the Dragon Goddess'' fight! She''s not going easy on that human! In fact, she seriously trying to kill him!" One of the beasts spread this information after watching the fight for some time.

    "I was there, as well! There were many spectators, humans, and beasts!"

    "A human rivaling the Dragon Goddess? How can such a powerful human exist?! Who is this human?!"

    For the first time since their fight began, the beasts started paying attention to the fight more closely and began questioning the human''s identity.

    Meanwhile, the humans have been watching the fight since the beginning. Some of them even gained enlightenment from watching their fight. When news began spreading, more and more experts began to spectate their fight. Of course, since the fight took ce within the starry sky, only those who had the means and resources to travel there could witness the legendary fight.

    Immortals, disciples of these Immortals¡ª all sorts of renowned individuals would travel to the starry sky and risk their lives just to witness the fight.

    Due to the tremendous spiritual energy being released by the Dragon Goddess and the human, their shes created life-threatening shockwaves that shattered nearby stars and evaporated those who got too close to their fight, regardless of their cultivation, and even Immortals have perished to the shockwaves.

    Despite the risks, countless people still ventured to the starry sky, and throughout the years, many people gained enlightenment from their fight and achieve great things, and this period of time was called the ''Great Enlightenment'' by many.

    "Master, how many years have they been fighting for now?" A disciple asked.

    "It would be the 69th year in 3 days."

    "They have been fighting for that long?! How is that even possible? Do they have an unlimited supply of spiritual energy or something?" Another disciple asked.

    "Entities at their level have an unfathomable amount of spiritual energy, but it''s mostly their spiritual energy absorption rate that''s keeping them going. They only use about the same or fewer than they can absorb, allowing them to fight for a prolonged amount of time."

    "While it may not seem like that to us, who are far beneath their level, they''re not really going all out."

    "Then how do they defeat each other?"

    "When one makes a mistake or catches the other off-guard and deals a decisive blow. Though, they will eventually start using more and more spiritual energy in their attacks. As of right now, they''re simply just using each other for entertainment."

    "So they''re just ying around right now?! Unbelievable!"

    "Logic does not apply to entities at the peak of this world. Try not to think too much about it, or you will go insane like some people."

    As for the beasts, they also gained enlightenment, especially those of the Dragon Race.

    "Have we found out anything about that human''s identity?" One of the beasts there asked.

    "No, nothing. It''s almost as though he appeared out of thin air. We don''t even know if he''s really human or not. For all we know, he could be a ghost."

    "Just who is that man¡­"

    Despite their differences, both humans and beasts wanted the fight tost forever, but s, everything in life will eventuallye to an end, and after 200 years of constant fighting, the fight finally came to an end with a clear winner and loser.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.

 Chapter 1221 Not Even A Thousand Years Old

    ?1221  Not Even a Thousand Years Old

    "Haaa¡­haaaa¡­haaaa¡­" Dragon Goddess Yeyou took deep breaths as she silently stared at the human man floating in the distance not far away from her, her gaze filled with emotion and fulfillment.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.

    Yuan could see very clearly what she was thinking inside her head.

    It has been countless years since shest experienced a satisfying fight that did not leave her wanting more.

    ''Although I was clearly beyond his league in the beginning, this bastard kept improving at an astonishing rate, and in just a few decades, he reached the point where he could fight me on equal footing! Just who is this bastard?!'' Dragon Goddess Yeyou felt like she had been used by the human man as a training dummy.

    However, she wasn''t angry, as she also benefited greatly from the fight.

    Meanwhile, the human had a bitter-sweet smile on his face as his body lifelessly drifted further away from the Dragon Goddess, who was victorious in this fight.

    "I had an amazing time with you during thest 200 years¡­ Unfortunately, itsted a little shorter than I had anticipated¡­ Perhaps if I hadn''t given in to my impatience and trained for another thousand years, I might''ve been able to realize my ambitions¡­" The human man uttered in a weak voice as his life force continued to dwindle.

    It was only a matter of time before he met his death after exhausting all of his energy and life force that he sacrificed to prolong their fight.

    However, when Dragon Goddess Yeyou heard hisst words, her satisfied expression immediately froze.

    Then in a low and grim voice, she asked him, "Another thousand years¡­? How old are you?"

    "I should be around 950 years old now¡­" The human man responded with difficulty.

    "W-What did you say¡­?" Dragon Goddess Yeyou''s eyes widened with immense disbelief and shock.

    "I-Impossible!" She roared, refusing to believe that she was nearly defeated by a human that wasn''t even a thousand years old!

    When the spectators learned that the human man was actually younger than the majority of them there, they also expressed a wide array of emotions, but mostly that of shock and disbelief.

    Almost everyone there was well over a hundred thousand years old with some even numbering in the millions, yet nobody there would even dare to attempt to fight an entity like the Dragon Goddess.

    But somehow a human that isn''t a thousand years old managed tost 200 years fighting the Dragon Goddess? Nobody would want to believe such a thing even if they witnessed it with their own eyes, as such an existence naturally mocked their talents and efforts all the way to the heavens.

    "H-He must be joking¡­ There''s no way he''s only 950 years old! That would mean he was only 750 years old when he started fighting! I barely reached Divine Sovereign by that age and I was recognized as a once-in-a-lifetime genius by the entire world!" A renowned human expert there expressed his thoughts, feeling like he was on the verge of an existential crisis, breaking the silence there.

    The thousands of experts there immediately began mumbling to each other as they wondered if the human man was speaking of the truth or simply lying on his deathbed for shock value.

    "The fact that nobody here recognizes him gives his im some credit¡­"

    "That means nothing! He could be really old¡ª so old that nobody here recognizes him!" Someone else made this argument.

    "As someone who has lived for over 5 million years, I can say that I have never heard of him before. With that being said, I have this nostalgic feeling when I see his face, yet I cannot recall where I have seen that face before."

    Meanwhile, Dragon Goddess Yeyou slowly recovered from her shock, and after pondering for a brief moment, she suddenly approached the human man.

    When she arrived before the human, Dragon Goddess Yeyou''s body began emitting a blinding light that turned the voidpletely white for a brief moment.

    When the light dimmed, the massive dragon that could easily swallow a world was nowhere to be seen, and another human figure suddenly appeared in the starry sky, hovering right before the human man.

    This figure was that of a woman with ethereal beauty and a divine aura, resembling a goddess created by heaven itself.

    Her being was a tapestry of awe-inspiring elements¡ª her cascading, silken golden hair flowed like an endless river behind her, a manifestation of grace. Her eyes, a radiant gold, held both the brilliance of the sun and the depth of ancient wisdom, their vertical pupils reminiscent of a feline''s gaze. Possessing a stature both tall and slender, her form seemed to bridge the realms of the ethereal and the earthly. Adorned with golden halos encircling her wrists and ankles, she bore an aura that whispered of a world beyond their current one.

    The human men there were instantaneously enraptured by the emergence of this unparalleled beauty, stirred by an emotion long lost to their memories. Even the beasts present were entranced by her presence, despite her humanoid guise that they have disdained for their entire lives.

    "The Dragon Goddess has taken the form of a human¡­?" The beasts were in disbelief when they realized the situation.

    The transformation of a beast into a human was not merely a shift in appearance; it symbolized a profound change, a voluntary descent from a state they considered superior to embody the very beings they had spurned and considered inferiors.

    Moreover, Dragon Goddess Yeyou far transcended the realm of ordinary creatures. As a Divine Beast, she upied the pinnacle of the cultivation world and the hierarchy of all beasts. Her choice to assume human form was an unprecedented event, one that would forever change the way other beasts and humans viewed her.

    "I had always regarded humans as lesser beings, unworthy of even a fragment of my esteem or notice. Yet, a human who has existed for a mere fraction of the time it takes me to nap has somehow bewildered me and ignited my curiosity..."

    Dragon Goddess Yeyou gently held her hands on her chest, retrieving an orb of light from within her body.

    "It would be a pity to let you die now, human."

    She then blew at the orb of light in the human''s direction, causing the orb of light to fly into his lifeless body.

    The human man''s body began emitting a warm light, and the injuries on his body immediately started disappearing at a rate that could be witnessed with one''s bare eyes.

    "I am not doing this out of mercy, nor is this an act of righteousness. This is merely a self-centered endeavor on my part. Until you quench my curiosity, I will not let you die."

    After the human man''s injuries were fully mended, and even his life force had been rejuvenated, which only took mere seconds, he gradually opened his eyes.

    The human was sure that he had perished, yet he somehow survived.

    He looked at the beauty hovering before him and immediately realized the situation, and he proceeded to speak with a slight smile, "So you were a female all along? I couldn''t tell by your beastly voice."

    Dragon Goddess Yeyou''s eyebrows uncontrobly twitched upon hearing his words, but she quickly controlled her emotions and asked, "What is your name?"

    "I hadn''t introduced myself yet? My apologies." After adjusting his posture, he continued with a handsome smile on his face, "My name is Tian Yi."

 Chapter 1222 Primordial Phoenix

    ?1222  Primordial Phoenix

    "Tian Yi¡­ So, what do you n on doing now that you have my attention?" Dragon Goddess Yeyou asked him.

    An awkward smile appeared on Tian Yi''s face as he responded, "To tell you the truth, I don''t have a n. In fact, I hadn''t nned past meeting you, as I didn''t expect to find you so quickly in this vast universe¡ª it must be the work of fate. But I''m sure we''ll figure it out."

    "Unbelievable¡­ You really came to me without a n? What if I did not save you and left you to die instead?"

    "Then that would be that. After all, I had prepared on losing my life before meeting you. But that didn''t happen, and with you by my side now, I doubt anything could threaten my life."

    Dragon Goddess Yeyou frowned, "Why are you assuming that I will be following you?"

    "You won''t? Well, that''s fine as well, since you will definitely be watching over me at the very least." Tian Yi chuckled.

    "..." Dragon Goddess Yeyou was speechless.

    "By the way, Dragon God¡ª Goddess, what is your name? Do you even have one?"

    "Of course, I have a name. Why did you assume otherwise?"

    "Nobody I talked to knew it and only addressed you as the Dragon God even though they were aware of your existence, so I wondered if you had a name or not."

    "Yeyou¡ª that is my name."

    "And how do you want me to address you from now on? Goddess Yeyou? Dragon Yeyou? Dragon Goddess Yeyou? Lady Yeyou?"

    "Until you can defeat me, I forbid you from using my name."

    Dragon Goddess Yeyou''s reason for making this rule was so that she had an excuse to fight him again.

    "Is that how things work for you guys? Then I will call you Dragon Goddess until then." Tian Yi calmly smiled.

    She calmly nodded.

    "Anyways, while I don''t have a n, I do know who I want to visit next." Tian Yi then said.

    "A Divine Beast?" Dragon Goddess Yeyou asked.

    He nodded, "An Ancient Beast just like you. One known as Empress of mes and Goddess of Rebirth¡ª Primordial Phoenix."

    Dragon Goddess Yeyou suddenly sucked her teeth in an annoyed matter.

    Tian Yi looked at her with raised eyebrows and asked, "What''s the matter?"

    "Nothing worth mentioning, but if you''re going to see that dumb pigeon, I won''t apany you to see her."

    "Dumb pigeon? I guess even Divine Beasts have their own drama." Tian Yi couldn''t help but crack a smile upon learning this information.

    "Don''t go making your own assumptions. I wouldn''t stoop so low to have drama with a stupid chicken. She''s not worth it."

    Tian Yi pondered for a moment before speaking, "I have heard that dragons and phoenixes naturally don''t get along. There seems to be some truth to this rumor. Is there a reason why you don''t like the Primordial Phoenix?"

    "Phoenexies are born arrogant, and the Primordial Phoenix is the most arrogant of them all. I simply can''t stand being around her." Dragon Goddess Yeyou said.

    Tian Yi looked at her with a weird expression.

    Dragon Goddess Yeyou frowned at this and asked, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

    "Well, in the eyes of humans, dragons are also arrogant creatures."

    "How rude! We''re prideful! Not arrogant! There''s a difference!" Dragon Goddess Yeyou rebuked.

    But she did not stop there, "Meanwhile, phoenixes are obviously arrogant. They have no pride, are shameless, selfish, and¡­"

    After spending several minutesining about phoenixes andparing them with dragons, Dragon Goddess Yeyou finally ended it with, "Do you now understand why phoenixes and dragons don''t get along?"

    "Yes¡­ I think I do¡­" Tian Yi said with a slight smile.

    "Do you still want to meet her?" Dragon Goddess Yeyou then asked.

    "Of course. Regardless of her personality, even if it''s the nastiest in the world, I still want to speak with her, just like how I came to speak with you even at the risk of my own life."

    "You''re a weird human¡­"

    Once their conversation ended, Tian Yi left the scene to find the Primordial Phoenix.

    Fortunately for him, the Primordial Phoenix wasn''t as hard to findpared to Dragon Goddess Yeyou, as she had arger presence with the world while Dragon Goddess Yeyou barely interacted with the world.

    As for Dragon Goddess Yeyou, although she imed that she wouldn''t follow Tian Yi to meet with the Primordial Phoenix, she still tagged along in the end, acting as though she never said such a thing.

    Tian Yi didn''t question it either. Thus, the two of them traveled the world for several years in search of the Primordial Phoenix, following traces left behind by her.

    After a decade of following the Primordial Phoenix''s footsteps, Tian Yi finally located her.

    "Is this how you found me?" Dragon Goddess Yeyou asked him as they made their way to the Primordial Phoenix''s location.

    "Yes, but much fewer people knew of your existencepared to the Primordial Phoenix, who is much more active than you. Not only does she have connections with humans, she''s even got a business in the human world, much to my surprise. Her existence is the closest representation of my ambitions right now."

    "If that''s the case, why did you seek me out first? Wouldn''t it benefit your ambitions more if you had gone to the Primordial Phoenix first?" Dragon Goddess Yeyou looked at him with a puzzled expression on her ethereal face.

    "That''s simple. I came to you first because my desire to meet you was stronger than my desire to see her." Tian Yi responded with a handsome smile on his face.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.

    "..."

    His response left Dragon Goddess Yeyou speechless.

    Several more months passed as Tian Yi and Dragon Goddess Yeyou left the world known as ''Divine Heaven'' and traversed into the starry sky to find the Primordial Phoenix.

    "That must be the Primordial Phoenix, also known as Feng Yuming¡­" Tian Yi mumbled in a low voice as he could see a small ball of mes in the distance.

    Although the Primordial Phoenix looked tiny from his position, they were actually millions of miles apart, so it was akin to looking at a star from Earth.

    Tian Yi turned to look at Dragon Goddess Yeyou and asked her, "Should I meet her alone?"

    "No, I wille with you. I want to see if she''s gotten any dumber since ourst meeting." Dragon Goddess Yeyou said.

    Tian Yi could only smile at her remarks.

    Then, they chased after her, catching up within minutes.

 Chapter 1223 Primordial Phoenix(2)

    ?1223  Primordial Phoenix(2)

    When Dragon Goddess Yeyou and Tian Yi got close enough, the Primordial Phoenix halted its movements and sprung around, sending its divine mes flying all over the ce.

    Tian Yi calmly dodged the mes that could easily burn even an Immortal to death in an instant. Meanwhile, Dragon Goddess Yeyou merely flicked the mes away from her body like she was swatting away flies.

    "Sneaking up behind me¡ª are you looking for an early death?" The Primordial Phoenix spoke a momentter.

    "It may have been some time since west fought, but do you really think you have what it takes to kill me now, you dumb pigeon?" Dragon Goddess Yeyou sneered coldly.

    "Dumb pigeon?" The Primordial Phoenix immediately red at Dragon Goddess Yeyou with enough killing intent to actually kill someone.

    However, the Primordial Phoenix''s eyes suddenly widened with shock.

    "Either my eyes are deceiving me right now, or you are that annoying snake¡­ in human form?!" The Primordial Phoenix sounded like she was in disbelief, yet there was a hint of entertainment within her tone, almost as though she was subtly mocking Dragon Goddess Yeyou.

    Dragon Goddess Yeyou sucked her teeth and growled in a cold voice, "Hearing your voice makes me want to pluck your feathers."

    "You dare?!" Primordial Phoenix screamed, causing bursts of mes to erupt from its body like it was an active volcano.

    "Why wouldn''t I dare? It won''t be my first time, after all!" A cold smile appeared on Dragon Goddess Yeyou''s face.

    The Primordial Phoenix trembled in anger after hearing such words.

    "It has been a million years since west fought¡­ While you''ve slept for probably 90 percent of that time, I''ve spent countless resources and effort into strengthening myself so that I would be able to scale you like a fish if I ever encountered you again¡­ Looks like today will be that day!"

    "How dare you¡­pare me to a fish!!!" Dragon Goddess Yeyou''s eyes began glowing with killing intent, and dragon scales began appearing on her body.

    "Ahem!"

    Tian Yi suddenly cleared his throat loudly and spoke, "Dragon Goddess, please don''t forget why we are here."

    He then moved to stand between the two and continued speaking, "Primordial Phoenix, please calm down. We are not here to fight you."

    "Huh? And who the hell are you?" The Primordial Phoenix just noticed Tian Yi''s presence, as his presence was iparably smaller than Dragon Goddess Yeyou''s presence.

    "My name is Tian Yi, and I am but a humble human with the desire to have a word with you."

    "..."

    The Primordial Phoenix started ncing back and forth between Tian Yi and Dragon Goddess Yeyou.

    "Now this is something else. A Divine Beast¡ª the Dragon Goddess, no less, traveling the starry sky with a human being¡­ This is a sight that I never thought I''d ever witness¡­" The Primordial Phoenix muttered in an intrigued voice before fixing her gaze on Dragon Goddess Yeyou.

    "When did you be so close with a human, Dragon Goddess, who has never given them any attention since the beginning of time? Don''t tell me¡­ Are you mating with this human as well?"

    "You will pay for disrespecting me, Primordial Phoenix!!!" Dragon Goddess Yeyou returned to her original form the following moment, her eyes spewing heavenly fire and the intent to fight.

    Tian Yi rubbed his eyes and released a stressed sigh.

    "Dragon Princess, if you calm down, I will spar with you after this is over¡­" Tian Yi said to her.

    Dragon Goddess Yeyou''s tail visibly twitched after hearing such words.

    Although it has been less than 100 years since theyst fought, she has already begun to crave another fight with Tian Yi.

    After spending a few moments controlling her emotions, Dragon Goddess Yeyou returned to her human form and proceeded to close her eyes, meditating in silence.

    When the Primordial Phoenix saw this¡ª saw how Dragon Goddess Yeyou listened to a human''smands, she was shaken to her core with shock.

    "Who are you? How did you make her listen to you? Besides being known for being a bully, that dragon is also famous for not listening to anyone. And what are your rtionships?" The Primordial Phoenix looked at Tian Yi in a new light.

    "I already told you my identity. As for our rtionship, it''splicated, but I guess we''re something like traveling partners."

    The Primordial Phoenix sucked in a long and deep breath after hearing such a thing.

    "And you convinced her to be your ''traveling partner''? How?" The Primordial Phoenix clearly couldn''t believe it.

    "Well, we had a conversation and a little spar. It took 200 years, and I nearly died, but it worked out somehow."

    "..." The Primordial Phoenix was speechless.

    Once she snapped out of it, she asked, "So¡­ What do you want from me?"

    Tian Yi smiled, and he proceeded to tell the Primordial Phoenix of his ambitions.

    "A world where beasts and humans can interact with each other without fear, huh¡­"

    Compared to Dragon Goddess Yeyou, the Primordial Phoenix has more experience with humans, even dealing in business with some of them, so she understood Tian Yi''s ambitions with more rity.

    With that being said, as a Divine Beast, she naturally saw humans as inferior entities, even if they do benefit her pockets.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    "While I understand your ambitions, and it would benefit my business more if I had more human customers, I cannot see how you will achieve such a thing. Like fire and water, dragons and phoenixes, humans and beasts have fought with each other since the beginning of time. It will take a lot more than just convincing a few strong beasts to change the world."

    "I am aware of that. While that is my ultimate goal, my current goal is simply to create a foundation. It may take several eras before things start to change, but nothing will change if there is no foundation."

    The Primordial Phoenix didn''t say anything and turned to look at Dragon Goddess Yeyou.

    "Since you are following him, I''ll take it that you believe he''ll be able to achieve such a task."

    Dragon Goddess Yeyou opened her eyes and responded calmly, "No, I don''t believe he''ll be able to do it."

    The Primordial Phoenix looked puzzled by her response, and she asked, "Then why are you following him?"

    "Because it''s interesting enough to lessen my boredom."

    "Unbelievable¡­" The Primordial Phoenix was left speechless by her response.

 Chapter 1224 Madam Feng

    ?1224  Madam Feng

    After snapping out of her daze, Primordial Phoenix returned to focusing on Tian Yi, and she spoke, "I understand what you are trying to do, but I don''t see how it has anything to do with me. What do you want from me?"

    "I''d like you to witness my journey with the Dragon Goddess and others who might join us in the future." TIan Yi said.

    "In other words, you want me to be your follower¡­ With this annoying snake by my side the entire time? I refuse! Over my dead body!" Primordial Phoenix immediately refused his offer, which didn''t surprise him in the slightest.

    But he didn''t give up and continued to convince her, "I am not asking you to be my follower. You are free to watch me from a distance or by my side, just like the Dragon Goddess here. Don''t you want to be part of something much bigger than yourself? It could be the start of a new era¡ª one that you had a hand in creating. It''ll also benefit your business greatly."

    "Hmph. I have much better things to do than babysit a human with an impossible ambition. Unlike the Dragon Goddess, I have a life that''s worth something." Primordial Phoenix sneered.

    A vein appeared on Dragon Goddess Yeyou''s forehead after hearing the Primordial Phoenix''s insult, but she barely managed to control her emotions.

    Tian Yi became silent for a moment.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.

    ''Perhaps I am approaching her the wrong way¡­ She has a business of her own, and merchants rarely do things that do not benefit them¡­''

    "If you have nothing else to say, I''m out of here." Primordial Phoenix said as she began turning around.

    "Primordial Phoenix! I have an offer for you!" Tian Yi suddenly said.

    "..."

    The Primordial Phoenix halted her movements, but she did not turn back around, only twisting her head slightly.

    Tian Yi proceeded to retrieve an object for his storage ring and held it in front of him.

    ''What''s this profound aura¡­?'' The Primordial Phoenix couldn''t help but turn around after sensing a weird auraing from Tian Yi''s palms.

    Her eyes narrowed on the glowing red stone resting on Tian Yi''s palms. The rock was shaped like an egg and was only as big as an adult''s fist. Despite its unremarkable size, it contained an immense amount of Yang Qi within. There was so much Yang Qi condensed within the rock that it looked like there was a sun resting inside the rock, and it was emitting a scorching heat wave that could easily incinerate even an Immortal if they got too close without serious preparation.

    The Primordial Phoenix''s eyes widened with shock and disbelief when she finally realized what she was looking at.

    "I-Is that what I think it is¡­?" She stuttered after swallowing nervously.

    Although she didn''t know the glowing egg-like object Tian Yi was holding, the Dragon Goddess''s interest was instantly piqued when she saw the Primordial Phoenix''s reaction.

    There were very few treasures in this world that would interest the Primordial Phoenix, much less cause her to salivate.

    Tian Yi smiled and said, "I don''t know what you think this is, but this is a Smoldered Phoenix Egg that has bathed in intense Yang Qi for over a billion years¡ª ever since the beginning of the Primordial Era. As a Phoenix, I''m sure you know the value of these things. A million-year-old Smoldered Phoenix Egg would send an entire nation into a frenzy, and a ten-million-year-old Smoldered Phoenix Egg started a war within the Divine Heavens not long ago."

    "Over a billion years¡­?" The Primordial Phoenix had a frightened expression on her face.

    "Phoenix Egg? Does that mean there''s a Phoenix growing inside?" Dragon Goddess Yeyou asked out of curiosity.

    Tian Yi shook his head, "Although that is what the name suggests, there is no Phoenix growing inside. In fact, it has nothing to do with Phoenixes. A Smoldered Phoenix Egg is an extremely rare and potent resource for Cultivators with a cultivation method that requires Yang Qi, and Phoenixes are inherently made of Yang Qi, so this would benefit them even more."

    "So it''s just a cultivation resource. Hmph. I was expecting something more exciting since she reacted so intensely. How boring." Dragon Goddess Yeyou shrugged, quickly losing interest.

    "Just a cultivation resource?! How dare you utter such nonsense, you uncultured snake! A Smoldered Phoenix Egg to Phoenixes is as important as your Blood Essence is to a Dragon with amon bloodline! At my cultivation, only something like a Smoldered Phoenix Egg could benefit me! And it''s not just a small amount! Hell, I might even be able to improve my bloodline with it!"

    Dragon Goddess Yeyou frowned upon hearing herst words.

    "Your bloodline is already the purest it can be. How could it possibly get any purer?"

    "That''s just how potent a Smoldered Phoenix Egg is, and this is the first time I have seen one that has aged over a billion years! I consumed one that was 250 million years ago about 100 million years ago, and it increased my strength by leaps and bounds¡­ I can only imagine what will happen if I consume one that is 4 times older¡­" The Primordial Phoenix was essentially drooling at this point.

    "Primordial Phoenix, here is my offer. I want you to follow me for a hundred thousand years. If I am unable to achieve my ambitions within that amount of time, I will give you this Smoldered Phoenix Egg aspensation. What do you say?" Tian Yi said as he held the egg out in a tempting manner.

    "Follow you for a hundred thousand years¡­? Is that all I have to do?" The Primordial Phoenix was in disbelief, not because it was an immensely difficult task but because it was immensely easy!

    In the gaze of her eternal eyes, the span of a hundred thousand years would pass as but a fleeting breath, scarcely distinguishable from a mere moment in the fleeting perception of mortal beings. Hell, Dragon Goddess Yeyou''s napssted longer than that.

    "Indeed, you only need to follow me. I won''t force you to do anything you don''t want to, and you are free to leave whenever you wish."

    "You have a deal." The Primordial Phoenix immediately responded without a hint of hesitation in her tone.

    "Seriously¡­?" Dragon Goddess Yeyou was left speechless by her quick change in attitude.

    The following moment, the Primordial Phoenix''s fiery body began shrinking until it was shaped like a human. With ming red hair and a pair of golden eyes, the Primordial Phoenix transformed into a peerless beauty that rivaled Dragon Goddess Yeyou but with a unique aura and charm of her own.

    "My human name is Feng Yuming, but you may call me Madam Feng."

 Chapter 1225 Eater Of Stars

    ?1225  Eater of Stars

    "You know, you basically got bought out by him." Dragon Goddess Yeyou said to Feng Yuming shortly afterward.

    "So what? I will dly sell myself out for a billion-year-old Smoldered Phoenix Egg. You may not understand its importance to me right now, but you will in a hundred thousand years when I be so strong that even you cannot touch me." Feng Yuming sneered.

    "Oh? So you think you''ll be stronger than me after eating that egg? I cannot wait to see your defeated face in a hundred thousand years¡­"

    "Who said I''m not stronger than you now? The egg will only make the difference that muchrger and more obvious."

    "Why don''t we put that nonsense to the test right now, then?" Dragon Goddyess Yeyou''s eyes red up with killing intent.

    "It''d be my pleasure¡­" Feng Yuming''s body began releasing mes.

    "Dragon Goddess, this isn''t how you should wee a newpanion. I promised you that I''d spar with you after this, so you can release your anger on me." Tian Yi quickly interrupted them, as he did not want to lose one of his travelingpanions so soon after getting another one.

    "Hmph. Forget it, I don''t feel like it anymore. If you want to travel with this dumb pigeon, you can do so alone." And without saying anything else, Dragon Goddess Yeyou flew away, disappearing into the starry sky.

    Feng Yuming looked at Tian Yi and asked him, "Why didn''t you try to stop her?"

    He smiled and said, "Because she had every right to leave whenever she pleased, as do you. But I have a feeling that she won''t be gone for long and will eventually return to our side once she calms down."

    "You''re a weird human¡ª unlike any other human that I''vee across before." Feng Yuming said.

    "I will take that as apliment."

    "Well, what do you n on doing now?"

    "I''m going to find the Divine Serpent known as Eater of Stars and have a chat with them." Tian Yi said.

    "Eater of Stars? Are you insane? What do you hope to achieve from contacting that monster?" Feng Yuming had a look of disbelief on her face after hearing such an ominous name.

    "You are familiar with the Eater of Stars?" Tian Yi looked at her glistening eyes.

    "Of course. She is a notorious entity that does nothing good for the world¡ª an unreasonable monster with an insatiable appetite that constantly consumes stars as though it is always on the verge from dying of hunger. I wouldn''t get close to the Eater of Stars if I were you, as you would most likely get eaten by her before you could even say anything. In fact, I don''t even know if she has the ability tomunicate like I do."

    "The Eater of Stars is female, as well? Have you ever spoken with her?" Tian Yi asked, his gaze filled with interest, almost as if he was a child before an amusement park.

    "No, I have never spoken with her before, nor do I have the desire to do so. I have seen her consume stars from a distance a few times, but that''s about it."

    "If you''ve never spoken to her, then how do you know that she''s consuming stars without reason?"

    "Because she''s been doing it since the Primordial Era, and nothing has evere out of it."

    "Fascinating¡­ How fascinating! I must speak with the Eater of Stars, and if I am lucky, I might even find out why she is doing what she''s been doing for eons."Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    "..." Feng Yuming was speechless. The more she gave him reasons to not approach the Eater of Stars, the more he seemed to be interested.

    ''He might actually have a screw loose in his head¡­'' She thought to herself.

    ''Whatever. If he dies, I will just get my hands on the Smoldered Phoenix Egg sooner¡­''

    "Do you know how we can find the Eater of Stars?" Tian Yi then asked.

    "No, but it shouldn''t be too hard to follow her trail, especially considering that she always leaves behind a trail of destruction."

    "Alright. Then let''s get going."

    Thus, Tian Yi and Feng Yuming began their journey in search of the Eater of Stars.

    Just like how he found Feng Yuming, Tian Yi would speak to everyone that crossed his path in the starry sky.

    And in the blink of an eye, a thousand years passed.

    "So that''s the Eater of Stars, huh¡­ She''s definitely not an ordinary divine beast¡­" Tian Yi mumbled in a dazed voice as he watched a massive white, snake-like figure in the distance swallowing stars with a single bite, his gaze filled with fascination.

    "The way it consumes the stars without hesitation makes me shudder no matter how many times I see it." Feng Yuming sighed.

    "..." Tian Yi became silent.

    "What''s wrong? Are you having second thoughts?" Feng Yuming asked him with a teasing smile.

    He shook his head and sighed, "I don''t know how to say this, but she appears to be in profound anguish."

    "Anguish? The Eater of Stars?" Feng Yuming chuckled at such words.

    "I doubt she even has any emotions, much less anguish. Even if she does have emotions, what could she possibly be anguished about? The stars that she consumes endlessly? The mess she has made in the starry sky?"

    "We may never know if we don''t try to understand her."

    "Good luck with that." Feng Yuming shrugged.

    "I will. You can stay here while I try to speak with her."

    And without hesitation, Tian Yi began flying towards the monstrous being in the distance.

    "You¡­" Feng Yuming held herself back from trying to convince him to stop, as she had failed for the past thousand years.

    ''Nothing I say will change his mind now¡­'' She sighed inwardly.

    She then turned to look in a certain direction and smirked, "When are you going to stop watching us from the shadows like a stalker?"

    A momentter, Dragon Goddess Yeyou''s figure appeared before Feng Yuming.

    "How long have you known?" Dragon Goddess Yeyou asked with a deep frown.

    "Whenever you first realized that we were searching for the Eater of Stars, I guess. Even though it was just for a brief moment and you quickly hid your presence again, it was so obvious that I almost died from second-hand embarrassment."

    Dragon Goddess Yeyou''s face flushed with redness after hearing such words.

    "To think you''d be worried enough to let your guard down. Is the human that important to you?"

    "You wouldn''t understand it even if I told you." Dragon Goddess Yeyou sneered.

    "Then are you going to stop him? He''s essentially walking straight into his own graveyard right now."

    "..."

    After a moment of silence, Dragon Goddess Yeyou spoke, "You''ve been with him for a thousand years now, yet you don''t seem to know anything about him. You are just as dumb as I thought."

    "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

    "The Eater of Stars may have immense prowess, but it only knows how to eat. He won''t be threatened by something like that."

    "You sure have a lot of confidence in him."

    "You would too if you ever fought him."

    "..." Feng Yuming turned silent after that, as she was mainly focused on Tian Yi, who was just a moment away from reaching the Eater of Stars.

 Chapter 1226 A Waste Of Talents

    ?1226  A Waste of Talents

    As Tian Yi approached the Eater of Stars, he could feel its immense and uncontrolled pressure trying to keep him away.

    The pressure was tyrannical¡ª strong enough to crush Immortals and shatter stars.

    However, even that was not enough to keep Tian Yi away.

    Covered in a sharp aura that seemed to slice apart even the void itself, Tian Yi continued to slowly close their distance.

    ''It doesn''t make any noises even as it consumes the stars¡­ almost as if there is a ck hole inside its mouth that silently swallows everything. How interesting!'' A smile appeared on Tian Yi''s face, and it grew wider as he inspected the Eater of Stars with great interest.

    The Eater of Stars was as long and massive as Dragon Goddess Yeyou in her dragon form, and it was covered in smooth white scales from head to tail, making her appearance very distinctive within the void.

    Her white scales shone profoundly, like pearls under light, and even the void that naturally consumes light cannot seem to drown out its brilliance.

    Her head was round and cute, resembling that of a snake, and on it were tworge void-like eyes that did not have the slightest glow within, almost like the eyes of the dead, yet she was very much alive.

    Slight above her eyes and at the center of her smooth forehead was a distinctive red symbol, its significance yet to be known.

    When Tian Yi looked into her dead eyes, he could only see anguish and frustration. It was so clear to him that it was as though the Eater of Stars was personally speaking to him.

    Once he was close enough to the Eater of Stars, Tian Yi took a deep breath before speaking in a loud voice, "Eater of Stars! Can I have a moment of your time?!"

    Spiritual energy carried his voice throughout the starry sky, allowing it to spread within the void and reach the Eater of Stars.

    However, the Eater of Stars did not have the slightest reaction, almost as though it couldn''t hear him.

    Tian Yi took another deep breath and called for her again, "Eater of Stars! I can tell that you''re in pain! Is there anything that I can do to help?!"

    The Eater of Stars suddenly trembled, and she began toe to a slow halt for the first time in countless years.

    It turned to look at him and spoke through divine sense, ''Pain¡­ Don''t speak as though you know anything, human!''

    The Eater of Stars opened her mouth and began moving toward Tian Yi with the intention of consuming him.

    "You''re right. I don''t know anything. However, I want to know! I want to understand you! Can you tell me what is bothering you?" Tian Yi calmly stood there as the Eater of Stars moved closer at a rapid rate.

    "Even if you knew, there''s nothing you or anyone in this universe could do about it. Now, disappear!"

    As the Eater of Stars tried to swallow him, a profound light flickered within Tian Yi''s gaze, and his body emitted a divine aura.

    When the Eater of Stars sensed his divine aura, she instinctively turned away from Tian Yi, avoiding him.

    "You''re annoying! Die already!"

    Although the Eater of Stars decided to not consume him, she still wanted to kill him for disturbing her.

    As she opened her mouth again, Tian Yi could see a white glow deep inside her mouth that grew at a rapid rate.

    Before he knew it, he was engulfed by white mes that quickly tore away his spiritual energy.

    ''This me¡­ it''s not burning my spiritual energy, but consuming it and using it to grow stronger?'' Tian Yi was astonished by the white mes'' unique properties.

    "Scatter!" With a flick of his sleeves, all of the white mes around him blew away, but they continued to burn in the void.

    "I''m guessing you''re the type that only listens after a fight, almost like someone else that I know." Despite being attacked twice already, Tian Yi was not angry in the slightest.

    "It''s been a while since I stretched my limbs, too. Let''s enjoy this for a while, shall we?"

    Thus, Tian Yi and the Eater of Stars began their battle.

    The Eater of Stars would throw all sorts of me techniques at Tian Yi, quickly filling the void with her seemingly eternal mes that refused to die out even many yearster, hovering in the void like orbs of light. From a distance, her white mes may even appear as stars.

    "Che¡­" Dragon Goddess Yeyou suddenly sucked her teeth when she saw Tian Yi fighting the Eater of Stars, seemingly bothered by something.

    Feng Yuming noticed this and asked her, "What''s wrong?"

    "He''s grown so much stronger since ourst fight, yet he''s barely cultivated in the past thousand years. How is that possible? Where does his powere from?"

    Feng Yuming raised an eyebrow and said, "While it''s true that he''s barely cultivated during our search for the Eater of Stars, I cannot say anything about his growth since I never fought him before."

    Dragon Goddess Yeyou suddenly shivered from excitement, and a wide smile appeared on her face unknowingly.

    "If he''s this strong after a thousand years without cultivation, can you imagine what he could achieve if he focused on cultivation for a thousand years?" Dragon Goddess Yeyou mumbled in a dazed voice.

    "If he''s truly as talented as you are saying, he''s definitely wasting his talents chasing after Divine Beasts¡­" Feng Yuming said.

    "Indeed, what a waste of talents¡­"

    Feng Yuming then said, "Also, I don''t know if you noticed this, but he seems to have a fascination with beasts¡ª perhaps even an obsession."N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.

    "I noticed. He''s always trying to learn more about dragons during our travels. I think he''s just genuinely curious about beasts in general. There are probably countless humans who are constantly wondering about us, but they don''t have the courage or strength to approach us, unlike this weirdo." Dragon Goddess Yeyou said with a slight smile on her face.

    "You really do like him, don''t you?" Feng Yuming chuckled with a smirk.

    "Shut your beak, dumb pigeon." Dragon Goddess Yeyou red at her.

    "You should keep your eyes on him. It''d be a pity if he dies to the Eater of Stars, after all." Feng Yuming sneered.

 Chapter 1227 Insatiable Hunger

    ?1227  Insatiable Hunger

    "Why¡­ Why won''t you die?!" The Eater of Stars grew increasingly frustrated when she could not seem to kill Tian Yi despite putting in serious effort.

    "You seem to be in a hurry to kill me. Why? Aren''t you having fun? Let''s keep this up for another hundred years at the very least, Eater of Stars!" Tian Yiughed out loud.

    "A hundred years? I don''t have that kind of time to y with you!" Eater of Stars roared in a furious voice.

    "No time? That''s one of the silliest things an immortal entity such as yourself could say since time is all we have."

    "You have no idea!"

    "Then why don''t you educate me? Who knows? Maybe I might even lower my guard, as I am easily distracted."

    The Eater of Stars frowned at his obvious provocation, but she didn''t seem to have any other choice, as it might really take her a hundred years if not more to deal with him if they continued at this rate.

    Several years have gone by since the beginning of their conflict, and the Eater of Stars could feel its relentless hunger intensifying within, slowly driving her toward a state of madness. If she doesn''t deal with Tian Yi quickly and continues to consume stars, she will be tormented by her insatiable hunger.

    Eventually, the Eater of Stars began speaking in a reluctant tone, "Can you imagine the relentless ache of perpetual hunger, an insatiable yearning that refuses to subdue no matter the quantity consumed? Throughout the expanse of my existence since the Primordial Era, I have remained a stranger to the sensation of a contented stomach."

    "Countless stars have sumbed to my insatiable appetite, yet I can only keep my hunger barely satisfied enough to where it won''t drive mepletely mad."

    "I have traveled the starry sky for millions of years in search of something that could satisfy my hunger but to no avail. I have dried out rivers of Celestial Water, consumed all sorts of treasures¡ª there is almost nothing in this world that I haven''t consumed, yet my hunger remains unsatisfied."

    "I want to stop and rest, but I fear that my hunger will get out of control if I sleep¡ª if I can even sleep properly with this constant hunger. That''s right. I have never even had a proper sleep. The only thing I can do is continue moving and consuming everything in my path."

    "..." Tian Yi was left speechless by the Eater of Star''s situation.

    Even Feng Yuming and the Dragon Goddess were baffled by it. They always thought that the Eater of Stars was acting out of instinct and had no reason for its actions¡ª that it was a natural cmity without emotions or thoughts. Neither of them could''ve anticipated this sort of truth, and they couldn''t help but pity the Eater of Stars.

    "I understand now¡­ So that is the source of your anguish¡­ What a terrible way of life¡­ And to think that you''ve been living like this since the Primordial Era¡­" Tian Yi was not prepared to learn such a truth and did not know how to respond or react.

    While Tian Yi was deep in his thoughts, the Eater of Stars saw this as a chance to put an end to their farce and attacked without any warning.

    "Wake up, you idiot!" Dragon Goddess Yeyou''s voice suddenly rippled in the starry sky, snapping Tian Yi out of his daze.

    But it was toote, and the Eater of Starsnded a direct hit on Tian Yi the following moment, sending him flying.

    Blood gushed from Tian Yi''s body, leaving behind a long trail of blood that hovered in the starry sky.

    "You idiot! Are you still alive?!" Dragon Goddess Yeyou immediately rushed to his side to assess his condition.

    A slight smile appeared on Tian Yi''s face as he muttered in a weak voice, "Don''t worry, I won''t die before I beat you."

    "How dare you say such a thing when you cannot even defeat some stupid snake? Do you have no shame?" Dragon Goddess Yeyou sighed.

    Meanwhile, the Eater of Stars proceeded to fly towards them with her mouth wide open, seemingly trying to consume them together.

    "How dare a mere snake even think about consuming a dragon? Courting death!" Dragon Goddess Yeyou narrowed her eyes at the Eater of Stars as scales began appearing on her body.

    "Please wait, Dragon Goddess." Tian Yi quickly grabbed her arm. "I am not out of the fight just yet."

    After adjusting his posture, Tian Yi confronted the iing Eater of Stars with a wide smile on his face.

    Unbeknownst to him, his body suddenly started emitting a golden aura that gave off an unfathomable feeling.

    When Dragon Goddess Yeyou detected the palpable presence of his aura, an inexplicable thrill coursed through her entire being, setting her body astir with an intense longing forbat, and igniting her blood with an irresistible urge to engage.

    The Eater of Stars, too, discerned the subtle shift in his aura, further intensifying her agitation. Her primal instincts screamed that unless she swiftly vanquished him, the window of opportunity to secure victory would close inexorably.

    As the Eater of Stars closed in with her mouth wide open, the trial of blood left behind by Tian Yi entered her mouth.

    While the amount of blood left behind by Tian Yi was akin to a single grain of sand to the Eater of Stars, it was a substantial amount of blood to lose for a human.Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    When the Eater of Stars tasted Tian Yi''s blood, its massive body shivered for a brief second before freezing like an ice statue. Her void-like eyes began to change as the light slowly returned to them.

    "Why did you stop, Eater of Stars?! I am just getting started!" Tian Yi spread his arms and beckoned her in a provoking manner.

    However, the Eater of Starspletely ignored him as she remained hovering there with a look of disbelief on her face.

    Eventually, she spoke in a low voice, "You¡­ What are you?"

    "Huh?" Tian Yi did not understand her question and could only look at her with a raised eyebrow.

    Although he didn''t understand her question, he could tell that something had changed for the Eater of Stars, and when he looked into her eyes, he could see a hint of hope within.

 Chapter 1228 An Unprecedented Occurrence

    ?1228  An Unprecedented urrence

    "What am I, you ask? Human, I suppose¡­" Tian Yi eventually responded to the Eater of Star''s question even though he had a feeling that it wasn''t what she wanted to hear.

    "Why do you ask?" He then asked.

    "..."

    After a moment of silence, the Eater of Stars responded, "Amongst the countless things I''ve consumed throughout the years, very few things interest my tastebuds. However, your blood¡­ When I consumed your blood, it excited my tastebuds in a way that I''ve never experienced before, and even though the amount of blood I''ve consumed is insignificant¡ª even neglectable, it''s managed to satisfy my hunger significantly."

    "I could consume a hundred stars, yet it would not satisfy my hunger the way your blood just did."

    The Eater of Stars proceeded to consume the remaining blood that was scattered in the starry sky, leaving not even a single drop of blood behind, and her body would tremble with excitement with every drop of blood.

    Once she finished cleaning the starry sky of Tian Yi''s blood, she released a deafening roar that shook the starry sky.

    "My blood satisfies your insatiable hunger¡­? Why?" Tian Yi mumbled out loud after learning of this information.

    "I don''t know, it just does." The Eater of Stars replied.

    "..."

    Silence filled the ce for the next several moments until Tian Yi had an idea, "Eater of Stars, I have an offer for you."

    "I am listening."Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    For the first time in history, the Eater of Stars was being patient and willing to listen to a human being.

    "You see, I have an ambition¡­" Tian Yi proceeded to tell the Eater of Stars his ambitions.

    "If I have someone like you around me in my journey, it will definitely help speed up my goals. In exchange for yourpany, I am willing to offer you my blood to feed your hunger."

    "Of course, I won''t make you do anything that you don''t want to, and you can leave at any time."

    The Eater of Stars closed her eyes to ponder in silence.

    A few momentster, her massive body began to shrink, progressively shrinking faster with every passing second, until she was the size of an ordinary snake.

    "I shall follow you until the end of time, Master." The Eater of Stars said.

    "Master?" Tian Yi raised an eyebrow and said, "I''m not asking you to be my servant, you know."

    "I am aware. This is my choice."

    "You really don''t mind?"

    "I don''t."

    In the realm of beasts, yielding to a human as their master equated to a profound surrender, a relinquishing of their very essence, a choice that would forever brand them with ridicule among their fellow creatures.

    However, the Eater of Stars was no mere ordinary beast. She was a Divine Beast with significance equal to that of Dragon Goddess Yeyou and the Primordial Phoenix. Despite that, she still decided to ept Tian Yi as a master.

    In the eyes of the Eater of Stars, such considerations held no sway over her. To her, the paramount imperative was the satisfaction of her insatiable hunger, rendering all other concerns inconsequential.

    In this singr moment, an extraordinary urrence had transpired¡ªa Divine Beast, for the first time in history, had chosen to acknowledge a human as its master.

    Furthermore, this wasn''t just any Divine Beast; it was the Eater of Stars, a notorious entity that had sown terror across the expanse of the Divine Heavens, a veritable force of nature responsible for the annihtion of countless stars.

    "So¡­ Do you have another name besides Eater of Stars?"

    "I do not. You may give me a name if you wish."

    "I''ll need some time to think about it¡­ Anyways, here."

    Tian Yi suddenly shed his palm with his sword and offered it to her.

    Eater of Stars immediately rushed at it like a starving beast and immediately began consuming it.

    While changing her size won''t change her appetite, she could perceive her hunger gradually assuaging as she imbibed his blood.

    Several minutester, in a moment unprecedented in her existence, the Eater of Stars encountered the sensation of satiety, discovering what it meant to be free from the ceaseless grip of hunger.

    It was also at this moment that she knew that she had made the right choice by following Tian Yi.

    Eater of Stars wanted this moment tost forever¡ª to be able to feast on Tian Yi''s blood endlessly, but she knew that wouldn''t be possible if she wanted to preserve his blood for longer.

    "Thank you, Master¡­" Eater of Stars muttered after releasing a satisfied sigh, her stomach feeling better and fuller than ever.

    "Is this your first time tasting human blood?" Tian Yi asked her.

    "No. I have tasted human blood before, but they all tasted like dirt water."

    Tian Yi sighed in relief after hearing this, as he feared for a moment that only human blood could satisfy her hunger.

    "So, what does my blood taste like?" He asked out of curiosity.

    "I don''t know how to describe it, but it''s delicious¡ª unlike anything I have tasted before, and it makes my tastebuds tremble with delight. If I am only allowed to eat this for the rest of my life, I wouldn''t mind it at all."

    "Is that so¡­ Anyways, let''s go meet my otherpanions." Tian Yi then said.

    Eater of Stars nodded.

    Suddenly, a powerful presence appeared behind Tian Yi.

    When he turned around, he saw Dragon Goddess Yeyou with a somewhat weird look on her face, and she appeared to be panting a bit.

    "Dragon Goddess? Are you okay? Why do you seem a bit tired?" Tian Yi raised his eyebrows at her.

    "I tried¡­ but I cannot hold it in any longer¡­ Tian Yi¡­ fight me, now!" She said while her aura skyrocketed.

    "Huh? Right now?" Tian Yi was baffled.

    He''d just finished fighting with the Eater of Stars, and he even donated a good amount of his blood to her afterward. He was definitely in no condition to fight Dragon Goddess Yeyou.

    "Why don''t we do this another time¡­ when I am healed? I''m sure you don''t want to fight an injured person, as well."

    "Bullshit! You''ll be fine if you use that golden aura technique! Why didn''t you use that technique when you fought me before?! Are you mocking me?!" Dragon Goddess Yeyou roared in a frustrated manner.

    "Golden aura technique? What are you talking about?" Tian Yi responded with a dumbfounded expression.

 Chapter 1229 A Plan To Change The World

    ?1229  A n to Change the World

    "Are you genuinely feigning ignorance with me? I witnessed you harnessing it mere moments ago! Your body was enveloped in a resplendent golden aura! It emanated an iprehensible and overwhelming pressure that I had never experienced before! Just recalling it makes my blood boil!" Dragon Goddess Yeyou spoke with an angry expression on her face, thinking that he was messing with her.

    However, Tian Yi''s puzzled expression remained on his face as he spoke, "I genuinely have no idea what you''re talking about. Golden aura? I don''t even have a technique like that."

    "Then what was that golden aura? How did you do it?"

    Tian Yi shook his head, "Are you sure you saw it?"

    Dragon Goddess Yeyou began doubting whether she actually saw it. She turned to look at Feng Yuming, who was quickly approaching them, and asked her, "Hey! You also saw that golden aura around him right after he was nearly beaten to death, right?"

    Feng Yuming did not immediately respond, and when she did, she responded with a smirk on her face, "I didn''t see anything. You must have hallucinated or something."

    Dragon Goddyess Yeyou clenched her fists and gritted her teeth, her eyes radiating with killing intent.

    Feng Yuming sucked her teeth and quickly added, "Just joking."

    She turned to look at Tian Yi and continued, "She''s not lying. There was a golden aura around you just now. I''ve never felt anything so oppressive before."

    Tian Yi fell silent after hearing this, but he had zero idea what caused the golden aura to show up.

    "Now that I think about it, I felt oddly energized for a brief moment, like I was invincible. Unfortunately, I don''t know what caused it, nor can I replicate it."

    Dragon Goddess Yeyou began to ponder deeply.

    A momentter, she spoke with a serious expression on her face, "It appeared shortly after you were nearly beaten to death, so if you experience another near-death situation, it might show up again. I''ll help you."

    "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold it!" Tian Yi immediately distanced himself when Dragon Goddess Yeyou started stretching her limbs.

    "I barely have enough energy to stay awake and you want to beat me? I will really die."

    "Aren''t you always so confident in yourself? You''ll be fine." Dragon Goddess Yeyou seemed to have no desire to back down and slowly approached Tian Yi.

    Seeing this, the Eater of Stars moved to stand in front of Tian Yi.

    "I won''t let you hurt him." Eater of Stars red at Dragon Goddess Yeyou sternly.

    "You think you have what it takes to stop me? While you may have more raw strength than me, you don''t know how to properly use it. You don''t even know how to fight properly, and I doubt you know any real techniques. Randomly breathing fire doesn''t count, either." Dragon Goddess Yeyou sneered.

    "Calm down, both of you. Dragon Goddess, I just want to rest for now. After that, we can figure out the whole golden aura business together, and then I will spar with you. Okay?"

    "Fine¡­" She reluctantly agreed.

    "Good, then allow me to introduce you to our new member¡ª Eater of Stars." Tian Yi said.

    "Eater of Stars, these two are my travelingpanions. The spirited one is Dragon Goddess Yeyou, and the other is Primordial Phoenix, also known as Feng Yuming. And this is Eater of Stars¡­ I am still trying to think of a name for her, so you guys can call her that for now."

    "Can you turn into a human?" Feng Yuming suddenly asked.

    "I cannot¡ª or more precisely, I don''t know how to." Eater of Stars shook her head.

    "Don''t worry, I''m sure they will teach you." Tian Yi said.

    After their short introduction, Tian Yi brought everyone to the closest uninhabited star to recover his injuries.

    "So, who do you n on visiting next?" Feng Yuming asked him.

    "Honestly, I don''t know. And while it will benefit to have morepanions, I think we can start changing the world with just the four of us for now." Tian Yi said.

    "And how do you n on changing the world?"

    "We can start by letting the world know of our presence. A human traveling the world and doing things with three Divine Beasts by his side¡ª it will surely stir both the human world and the beast world."

    "Seriously? That''s the best n you cane up with after a thousand years?" Dragon Goddess Yeyou was speechless.

    "Then do you have any suggestions?"

    Dragon Goddess Yeyou was speechless, as she had no idea where to even begin.

    "As simple as it may seem, I think your n will work pretty well." Feng Yuming suddenly spoke up. "Your goal is to create a world where humans and beasts can work together, right? We canmence by demonstrating to the world the very feasibility of such a vision since most believe it to be impossible. By showcasing our partnership, we can enlighten humanity and beasts to the possibility of coboration between our two worlds."

    "Then it''s decided!" Tian Yi had an eager smile on his face. "We can start by dealing with issues that normal people or beasts cannot handle by themselves. Do you guys know of anything like that happening within the Divine Heavens at this moment?"

    "Well, I''ve spent the past thousand years traveling the starry sky with you, so my knowledge is to the extent of yours." Feng Yuming shrugged.

    "I¡­ I don''t know, either." Dragon Goddess Yeyou said in a stiff voice, as she didn''t want to admit that she had been following them for the same amount of time.

    "That''s fine. We can look into it once we return to the Divine Heavens." Tian Yi said.

    "Before that, I have something to say." Dragon Goddess Yeyou suddenly said.

    "What is it?"

    "Shouldn''t you spend some time improving your cultivation first? While you are already pretty strong, you could be much, much stronger if you focused on cultivation for some time. After all, you are still in the prime age for that. It would be a waste of your talents if you start toote."

    "Is that really necessary? Sounds like a hassle, and I''d rather spend that time to work on my goals." Tian Yi sighed.

    "Of course. Beasts are naturally attracted to the strong, so the stronger you are, the more likely they will listen to you. If you want a world where beasts respect humans, you need to show them something worthy of respect because as of now, the majority of beasts do not respect humans in the slightest."

    "Makes sense¡­ Alright, I''ll dedicate some time to cultivation every once in a while." Tian Yi nonchntly nodded.

    ''I''ve long been aware of his immense talent, evident when he faced me and survived at an age not even surpassing a thousand years. Now, I entertain the notion that he might have scarcely trained before then... Is it conceivable that he is truly a mere human?'' Dragon Goddess Yeyou sighed inwardly.

    "I''ve been wondering, how old are you?" Feng Yuming suddenly asked Tian Yi.

    "A little over two thousand years old." Tian Yi calmly responded.

    "T-Two thousand years old?! Impossible!" Feng Yuming did not dare to believe him.

    "It''s true. He wasn''t even a thousand years old when he fought with me." Dragon Goddess Yeyou confirmed.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    "Unbelievable¡­" Feng Yuming muttered in disbelief.

 Chapter 1230 Golden Aura

    ?1230  Golden Aura

    Several dayster, after Tian Yi recovered from his injuries, he began looking into the golden aura with the others.

    The first thing they did was beat Tian Yi until he was near death since that was what triggered it in the first ce.

    "Go easy on me." Tian Yi said with a stiff smile.

    "Sure." Dragon Goddess Yeyou said in a nonchnt manner. Clearly, she did not n on going easy on him.

    But before they could even begin, Tian Yi had to convince Eater of Stars, whom he named Xingrui, to not attack Dragon Goddess Yeyou when she beats him, as she was overly protective of him.

    After all, if he were to meet his demise, her insatiable hunger would undoubtedly resurface. The prospect of reverting to such a state, after tasting the satisfaction of a full stomach, filled her with a profound dread. It was a fate she was determined to evade at any expense.

    Eventually, their experiment began with Dragon Goddess Yeyou beating Tian Yi until his entire body was soaked in blood.

    Meanwhile, Feng Yuming watched with great entertainment from a distance. As for Xingrui, she cleaned up the blood on the ground that was spewed by Tian Yi.

    "Do you feel any different?" Dragon Goddess Yeyou asked Tian Yi as hey on the ground in a near-death state.

    "Besides immense pain all over my body? Nope¡­" He replied in a low voice.

    "You probably aren''t near death enough. I''ll keep on going then."

    "Wai¡ª"

    Thus, Dragon Goddess Yeyou proceeded to continue the beating until he was truly on the verge of death.

    "How about now?"

    "..." Tian Yi couldn''t even respond to her in his current state.

    "Haaa¡­" Dragon Goddess Yeyou sighed. Then she proceeded to feed some medicine to him.

    Within minutes, Tian Yi fully healed from his near-death state.

    "Alright, let''s do it again." Dragon Goddess Yeyou said afterward, sounding oddly eager to beat him.

    "I don''t think physically torturing myself will do any good. ording to you, the golden aura urred during my fight with Xingrui. Perhaps I need an opponent and to be engaged in a real fight." Tian Yi quickly stopped her.

    "That sounds reasonable¡­ And since your opponent at that time was Xingrui, you should fight with her again."

    However, Xingrui immediately refused, "I will not partake in hurting Master no matter what."

    "How about I do it?" Feng Yuming suddenly volunteered herself.

    "You?" Dragon Goddess Yeyou raised her eyebrows.

    She nodded and exined, "I have been wondering about his prowess since I learned that he''d survived a fight with you a thousand years ago. I want to see for myself his talents."

    "Let''s do it then." Tian Yi agreed to spar with Feng Yuming.

    Sometimeter, Tian Yi and Feng Yuming went back into the starry sky and started fighting each other.

    Much like Xingrui, Feng Yuming harnessed the formidable power of mes. However, in stark contrast to Xingrui, Feng Yuming exhibited wless mastery over her fiery abilities, even boasting a vast repertoire of hundreds of unique techniques at her disposal.

    For the first several months, Feng Yuming faced Tian Yi while in her human form, as she didn''t really take the fight seriously. However, she eventually transformed back into a phoenix and started fighting him for real¡ª with the intention of killing him.

    Their battle raged with an intensity beyond measure, and the very expanse of the starry sky was aze with the searing brilliance of Feng Yuming''s phoenix mes. Her mes surged with such blistering heat that they tore through Tian Yi''s spiritual energy, reduced his clothing to ashes, and roasted his skin with relentless ferocity.

    Although it wasn''t enough to endanger his life, it did drain his stamina and strength constantly and quickly.

    "That dumb pigeon has grown a lot stronger since our fight¡­" Dragon Goddess Yeyou mumbled to herself as she watched them fight. "Of course, she''s still miles away from my level."

    Though Feng Yuming may be weaker than Dragon Goddess Yeyou when ites to raw prowess, her undying and relentless mes were incredibly annoying and difficult to deal with, especially for a tiny human like Tian Yi.

    After enduring what felt like an eternity in the deepest abyss of torment and bearing the ceaseless scorching agony, Tian Yi found himself approaching his limits.

    As he slowly approached his death, Tian Yi subconsciously started recalling everything he felt during his fight with Xingrui.

    In the very moment when he teetered on the brink of being consumed by the relentless phoenix mes, an explosive surge of energy surged forth from the innermost depths of his being, before a resplendent golden aura emerged around his body.

    The atmosphere underwent an instantaneous transformation the very second the golden aura materialized, and Dragon Goddess Yeyou''s face lit up like amp with an expansive smile on it as she detected the immeasurable might it exuded.

    "It''s here!" She did not hesitate to rush into the starry sky and towards Tian Yi''s location.

    Meanwhile, Tian Yi faced Feng Yuming with his newfound strength.

    "So this is the golden aura¡­" He looked at his glowing hands with great interest.

    Not only was his depleted energy quickly being restored, he felt a divine power that did not exist moments before now in the grasp of his own hands.

    After taking a brief moment to admire his new strength, Tian Yi turned to look at Feng Yuming, who uncontrobly trembled in fear when she felt his gaze on her.

    As Tian Yi steadily advanced toward her, Feng Yuming fell into a trance, unleashing a barrage of techniques upon him with an intensity that suggested her very existence hinged upon their sess.

    Her mes quickly engulfed Tian Yi''s figure. Despite that, Feng Yuming''s anxiety only intensified, as she could tell that her mes were unable to touch Tian Yi and were merely dancing around him, almost as though the mes had their own consciousness and were consciously avoiding Tian Yi.

    The following moment, with a nonchnt sweep of his arm, every ember surrounding Tian Yi dispersed like mere insects in his presence.

    Seeing this, Feng Yuming did not hesitate to return to her human form.

    "I surrender. You win." Feng Yuming sighed out loud.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    "Oh?"

    When Feng Yuming surrendered her will to fight, so did Tian Yi, and the golden aura around him quickly started diminishing.

    However, just as it was on the verge of disappearing, the golden aura suddenly surged to life once more. Simultaneously, Tian Yi was turning around to confront the encroaching Dragon Goddess Yeyou, who was enveloped in her own aura that resonated with an unquenchable thirst for battle.

 Chapter 1231 Unfathomable Talents

    ?1231  Unfathomable Talents

    "I have been waiting for this moment for over a thousand years, Tian Yi!" Dragon Goddess Yeyou roared with a delighted smile on her face as she flew towards Tian Yi like an unstoppable meteor.

    Tian Yi confronted her with a smile on his face as well.

    Upon their collision, their intertwined spiritual energies and auras converged, birthing a cataclysmic detonation of such staggering magnitude that it would eclipse even the most potent nuclear forces known to Earth, rendering them insignificant inparison.

    The force unleashed by their titanic sh was so overwhelming that had it erupted within the very heart of the Divine Heavens, it would have engulfed the entire realm, reducing it to mere cosmic dust in an instant.

    "These two crazy fuckers! Are they trying to kill me, too?!" Feng Yuming nearly had a heart attack as she used her fastest movement technique to escape the st and distance herself from them, barely escaping with the teeth of her skin. If she had been even slightly slower or reacted a second slower, she would''ve died there and then.

    "This is what I''ve been yearning for! Finally, a worthy opponent whom I can unleash my full might!" Dragon Goddess Yeyou''s demeanor seemed to have veered into madness, consumed entirely by the singr obsession of their confrontation.

    In fact, she was so absorbed in their fight that she was fighting with the intent to kill Tian Yi.

    As for Tian Yi, he too had sumbed to a peculiar trance, his thirst forbat pushed to its utmost limits.

    Due to the grand impact of their battle, they were immediately noticed by other experts, humans and beasts alike.

    "Holy shit! Isn''t that the same human who fought with the Dragon Goddess a little over a thousand years ago?! Has he returned for a rematch?!"

    "Impossible! How did he get so strong in so little time?! My cultivation barely advanced since then!"

    Many of these individuals were present at theirst battle, so they were greatly shocked to see Tian Yi fighting Dragon Goddess Yeyou at her full strength when he was struggling to keep up with her before.

    "Are you sure that''s the same human from the Great Enlightenment? Surely, it must be a different person."

    "No, it''s definitely the same person. I have no doubt about it. I still remember their fight a thousand years ago as clear as day."

    "Then he must''ve consumed some heaven-defying treasures. I don''t even know of any treasure that could possibly strengthen someone so fast without any side effects."

    "He must''ve consumed a whole sea of Celestial Water or something."

    "There''s no way that amount of Celestial Water even exists¡­"

    "Could this be a second ''Great Enlightenment''? We need to notify the others as soon as possible!"

    The spectators hoped for their fight tost another 200 years, but s, it ended much sooner than they all had hoped.

    After just one short year, Dragon Goddess Yeyou eventually defeated Tian Yi for a second time. Although she wanted to prolong their fight likest time, she couldn''t afford to go easy on him or she''d end up being the loser.

    "Damn it¡­ I thought I had this one in the bag¡­" Tian Yi muttered as he floated in the starry sky without his golden aura.

    Dragon Goddess Yeyou remained unresponsive, her gaze fixed upon him in a profound silence, her countenance bearing a mysterious and contemtive expression.

    Eventually, she approached him and asked, "Are you okay?"N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.

    "My body is screaming in pain, but I won''t die," he said with a calm smile.

    "If you cultivated diligently for another thousand years, you might be able to defeat me."

    "I can''t wait." He chuckled.

    Dragon Goddess Yeyou then turned to look at the spectators and roared at them, "What are you looking at?! If you''re not going to fight me next, scram!"

    All of the spectators immediately turned tails and fled as their lives depended on it, especially the beasts.

    "So, do you n on giving a name to your ridiculous technique?" Dragon Goddess Yeyou suddenly asked Tian Yi.

    "I''ll think about it once I have full control over it."

    "Very well. Then we''ll schedule our next fight for when you can make it appear as you will."

    "Alright."

    Over the next several years, Tian Yi would focus on improving his cultivation, just as Dragon Goddess Yeyou suggested.

    During this time, besides cultivating, he would also feed Xingrui his blood once every year, which was more than enough to fill her stomach for another year.

    "The rate of his growth is simply terrifying. Not even those with the purest bloodline in the Phoenix n would be able to match him in terms of cultivation speed. In fact, they might as well be crawling on the floor while he runs." Feng Yuming sighed.

    She had always regarded herself as a superior being, believing herself peerless. Yet, in the presence of Tian Yi and witnessing his unparalleled talents, she found herself humbled and awestruck by his exceptional prowess.

    Dragon Goddess Yeyou could only silently agree with Feng Yuming. As a divine being and having never lost a single fight before, she was beginning to anticipate losing for the first time to Tian Yi.

    In the blink of an eye, another hundred years have passed.

    During this time, Xingrui learned how to transform into a human with the help of Feng Yuming.

    Her human form was incredibly beautiful and surprisingly innocent-looking, like a maiden who never left home. She had long, silky silver hair, ck eyes, and snow-white skin.

    In stark contrast to Dragon Goddess Yeyou, whose presence exuded the divine aura of a goddess, and Feng Yuming, whose aura resonated with the grace of a fairy, Xingrui emitted the distinguished and refined aura of a noble youngdy.

    As for Tian Yi, he''d entered closed cultivation, and he made sure to collect enough blood to feed Xingrui before going into cultivation. When he emerged from his closed cultivation, he almost didn''t recognize Xingrui. In fact, he only recognized her because she was feasting on a bottle of his blood when he saw her, which was the only reason that he even realized her identity.

 Chapter 1232 Unexpected Visitor

    ?1232  Unexpected Visitor

    "Are you done with your cultivation, Master?" Xingrui asked him the moment he came out of seclusion.

    "Xingrui¡­? Is that you?" Tian Yi stared at her with a dumbfounded expression, not daring to believe that the innocent-looking youngdy before him was the one known as Eater of Stars despite the overwhelming evidence, such as the bottle of blood in her grasp that he had prepared for her right before he went into seclusion.

    "It is, Master." Xingrui calmly nodded for confirmation.

    "I-Is that so¡­"Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    Tian Yi proceeded to look around, expecting to see Dragon Goddess Yeyou or Feng Yuming around.

    He quickly found Dragon Goddess Yeyou, who appeared to be napping peacefully in the distance.

    "Where is Feng Yuming?" He asked Xingrui.

    "Primordial Phoenix mentioned something about a business and said that she will return soon. That was 50 years ago."

    "I see¡­ Well, she''ll return whenever they are ready. How have you been fairing, Xingrui? Do you need more blood?"

    Xingrui shook her head, "I still have 10 bottles left. They''llst me for another ten years."

    "Just let me know whenever you need it." Tian Yi said with a smile.

    "Now then. What should we do now?" He began pondering their next step.

    Should he continue cultivating until Feng Yuming returns, or should he do something else while waiting for her to return?

    However, before he could think of something, a voice that he was not familiar with resounded.

    "I have finally found you, my lord."

    "Who''s there?! Show yourself!" Xingrui immediately became defensive.

    Dragon Goddess Yeyou also woke up from her nap.

    The following moment, an old man emitting an ominous aura appeared out of thin air before Tian Yi and Xingrui.

    "There''s no need to be alert. I am not your enemy." The old man said.

    "Who are you?" Tian Yi asked him.

    Despite the pungent stench of blood emanating from the elderly man, Tian Yi remained untroubled, as he sensed no imminent threat from the old man''s presence. In fact, he could feel unwavering loyalty from the old man for some reason.

    "This old subordinate is called Dong Ye, and I have spent thest million years awaiting your return."

    "My return? What are you talking about? I don''t believe we''ve met before, and I am not even a million years old, so how could you be waiting so long for me? You must''ve gotten the wrong person." Tian Yi expressed his doubts.

    "I understand your confusion, and what I am about to tell you will sound crazy, but I am not messing with you."

    Dong Ye proceeded to tell Tian Yi of his true identity and his incarnation as the Evil God and the Divine Paragon.

    Tian Yi listened to the whole story without interrupting, and on his face was a look of disbelief.

    "If I am not mistaken, my lord, you have already been regaining your past memories¡­"

    Tian Yi couldn''t rebuke such a im, as it was true. In fact, he''s been seeing these memories even before he met with Dragon Goddess Yeyou.

    "Even if what you say is true, what do you want me to do? What do you expect me to do? Those identities died with their body." Tian Yi asked him.

    "Nothing at the moment, my lord. I am only here to fulfill my duties as your humble servant. If you ever need anything¡ª anything at all, please don''t hesitate to use these old bones."

    "Seriously¡­?"

    "Seriously." Dong Ye nodded with a serious expression..

    "Then I need some time to digest what I learned today. You may leave for now." Tian Yi sighed.

    "As youmand." Dong Ye bowed to Tian Yi before disappearing like a ghost.

    "Do you believe what he said?" Dragon Goddess Yeyou asked him.

    "I do." He calmly nodded. "Truth be told, I was already aware of my past lives even before he told me."

    "To think you were the Evil God''s reincarnation. The human world would go into a frenzy if they knew, and they might even hunt you down like some kind of beast."

    "What are you going to do now? No matter what you decide, I will follow you." Xingrui said.

    "Nothing has changed. Evil God or not, I will walk my own path until my dreams are realized. It''s as simple as that. With that being said, let''s return to the Divine Heavens and start our ns."

    "Okay."

    Thus, Tian Yi made his way back to the Divine Heavens with Xingrui and Dragon Goddess Yeyou. Feng Yuming would eventually rejoin with themter.

    *Knock* *Knock*

    "Yuan, are you awake?"

    Yuan slowly opened his eyes after hearing Xi Meili''s voice.

    He went to open the door and greet her.

    "I am. Do you need anything?"

    "My mother''s wondering if you are ready for your training yet." Xi Meili said.

    It''s been several days since they dealt with the Azure Dragon n and the Emerald Dragon Family, but it felt much longer for Yuan, who had been engrossed in Dragon Goddess Yeyou''s memories.

    "Please let her know that I am ready," Yuan replied.

    "Okay!"

    Shortly after Xi Meili left his room, Feng Yuxiang and the others showed up in his room.

    When Yuan saw Feng Yuxiang and Lan Yingying standing beside each other, he couldn''t help but recall Feng Yuming and Xingrui, and he wondered if they were somehow rted.

    "Young Master? What''s wrong?" Feng Yuxiang asked him when she noticed his dazed stare.

    He smiled and said, "I was just remembering something that happened in my past life. Do you know anything about the Primordial Phoenix?"

    "Primordial Phoenix? Of course. There is no way a Phoenix wouldn''t know of her. She''s like a god in our race. No, she''s practically a god. In fact, she''s the sole reason why I became a businesswoman. Why do you ask? Wait! Do you¡ª your incarnation know the Primordial Phoenix?!" Feng Yuxiang suddenly became excited.

    Yuan nodded, "Yes, I will tell you more about itter. After I finish my training."

    "Please do!" Feng Yuxiang was overflowing with enthusiasm.

 Chapter 1233 Immortal Monarchs Dominion

    ?1233  Immortal Monarch''s Dominion

    Xi Meili returned to Yuan''s room a couple of minutes after she left.

    "Yuan, my mother will be waiting for you in the courtyard," she notified him.

    "Alright. Thank you."

    He proceeded to make his way to the courtyard. Of course, having nothing better to do, Xi Meili and the others followed him.

    Once they arrived at the courtyard, they could see Xi Mingze casually standing on the sparring stage.

    "Wee, Yuan. I hope you had a good rest." Xi Mingze greeted him with a charming smile on her beautiful face as he made his way onto the stage.

    "I did. Thank you for taking the time to train me even though you''re in the middle of something major."

    "Don''t even mention it. We are pretty much finished with the biggest issues and our investigations. In our current state, we need to take things slowly, since we have two more cities to deal with." Xi Mingze said.

    "Anyways, let''s talk about your Dragon''s Authority, shall we?"

    Yuan nodded.

    "As my husband had already mentioned, Dragon''s Authority is a superior version of Dragon''s Gaze, allowing you tomand the dragon race as long as they have a weaker bloodline than you. With that being said, you''re a human without a dragon''s bloodline, so I am not exactly sure how things will work out for you, as I have never heard of such a thing before. Though, since it worked before, I don''t think there''ll be any problems for you."

    "And since you clearly haven''t mastered the technique, I am going to help you. It''s quite simple, really. You will use Dragon''s Authority on me until you haveplete control over it. Normally it would require millennials to master such a technique, but knowing your heaven-defying talents, I have confidence that you''ll be able to master it within months if not weeks."

    "Any questions?"

    He shook his head.

    "Good. Then you may begin whenever you are ready." Xi Mingze proceeded to mentally prepare herself for his Dragon''s Authority.

    Yuan took a deep breath and closed his eyes to recall how he felt when he first used Dragon''s Authority by ident. When he reopened his eyes a few momentster, they gleamed with a profound golden hue, radiating an overwhelming and authoritative aura.

    The ambiance in the vicinity underwent an abrupt transformation, as if a divine presence had descended upon the surroundings.

    Xi Mingze''s body trembled in awe when she met Yuan''s profound gaze. Despite having mentally prepared herself, she still found it difficult to withstand its pressure and allure.

    ''This will be good training for me, as well¡­'' She thought to herself.

    As Yuan continued to use Dragon''s Authority on Xi Mingze, he could feel his mastery over it quickly improve.

    Xi Mingze had anticipated that her training with Yuan would span several weeks if not months. However, by the day''s end, Yuan had already achieved aplete mastery of Dragon''s Authority.

    Ding!

    <You have learned Immortal Monarch''s Dominion>

    [Immortal Monarch''s Dominion]

    [Rank: Supreme]

    [Mastery Level: 1]

    [Description: A divine technique wielded by the Immortal Monarch, enabling him to exert dominion over any creature upon which his gaze falls.]

    "Huh?" Yuan was taken aback as the notification disyed a technique name different from what he had anticipated.

    "Immortal Monarch''s Dominion? What happened to Dragon''s Authority?" Yuan mumbled in a dumbfounded voice.

    "What''s the matter?" Xi Mingze asked him when she noticed his weird expression.

    "Uh... It''s somewhat difficult to put into words, but it appears I haven''t been training in Dragon''s Authority," Yuan admitted with a perplexed tone.

    "What do you mean?" Xi Mingze tilted her head in a puzzled manner.

    "I understand the concept of Dragon''s Authority, whichmands dragons, but do you know of a technique surpassing it? One that exerts dominion over all creatures in the world?" Yuan inquired with curiosity.

    "A technique superior to Dragon''s Authority? Commanding all creatures in the world?" Xi Mingze was speechless.

    Yuan nodded, "I believe my ''Dragon''s Authority'' is actually something different, and it allows me tomand beasts beyond dragons."

    Xi Mingze began pondering with a serious expression on her face.

    "I recall reading a particr scroll in the family library long ago that recounted the tale of a man from ancient times possessing such an ability¡ª

    the capability tomand all the creatures of the world. However, its uracy is dubious at best."

    Xi Mingze looked at Yuan with a nervous face as she inquired, "Are you suggesting that your ''Dragon''s Authority'' possesses such a remarkable capability? Do youprehend the weight of the assertion you''re making?"

    "I know it sounds ridiculous, but I''m serious."

    "I''m not using you of falsehood," Xi Mingze suddenly added, "but if I am to persuade myself that such an ability truly exists, I must witness it firsthand with my own eyes."

    Yuan smiled, "I understandpletely, and I don''t me you."

    He proceeded to turn his head to look at Feng Yuxiang and Lan Yingying, who were sitting not far away from the stage.

    "Feng Feng, Yingying, do you minding on the stage for a quick experiment?"

    "It would be my honor to assist you, Young Master!" Feng Yuxiang eximed enthusiastically as she stepped forward toward the stage.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.

    "I also don''t mind." Lan Yingying said as she followed behind Feng Yuxiang.

    "Hm? What''s happening?" Xi Meili was intrigued by the sudden turn of events and also made her way to the stage, wondering what they were going to do.

    Once they were on the stage, Yuan asked them, "I am going to use Dragon''s Authority on you two to see if it works on creatures beyond dragons. Do you mind?"

    "You can do anything you want to me, Young Master." Feng Yuxiang responded in a teasing tone.

    Lan Yingying calmly nodded in silence, agreeing with her.

    "What makes you think it''ll work on creatures beyond dragons?" Xi Meili asked out of curiosity.

    "Just a hunch." He smiled mysteriously.

    After giving Feng Yuxiang and Lan Yingying a moment to prepare themselves, Yuan looked at Feng Yuxiang and asked her, "I will start with you. Are you ready?"

    She nodded with a serious expression.

    "I am ready."

 Chapter 1234 A Dangerous Ability

    ?1234  A Dangerous Ability

    After Feng Yuxiang expressed her readiness, Yuan contemted how he should utilize the Immortal Monarch''s Dominion on her. Naturally, he recognized the need to issue amand that wouldpel her to perform an action she would typically avoid or hesitate to undertake.

    After all, if themand was too easy, it wouldn''t really prove to Xi Mingze his capabilities.

    Eventually, Yuan thought of something, but before he used Immortal Monarch''s Dominion on her, he apologized to her first, "I would like to apologize in advance. Sorry."

    "Eh?" Hearing such a thing only made Feng Yuxiang nervous about what he had nned for her. "Y-Young Master¡­ Please go easy on me¡­"

    Without responding to her plea, Yuan activated Immortal Monarch''s Dominion.

    Feng Yuxiang''s body immediately froze with Yuan ring at her.

    "I want you to pick your right nose hole with your right pinky and make chicken noises," Yuanmanded her.

    "?!?!?!" Feng Yuxiang''s eyes widened with shock, as did Lan Yingying and the others there.

    Xi Mingze''s nerves fluttered, her gaze fixed on Feng Yuxiang, pondering whether she would truly engage in such potentially humiliating tasks. She couldn''t help but empathize, imagining herself in Feng Yuxiang''s position, dreading the prospect of performing actions so embarrassing that she would rather face death.

    "Y-Young Master¡­ I know I said that I''d do anything for you, but this is a little too much¡­ Please¡­ I''d rather walk the streets naked¡ª" In the midst of her begging, Feng Yuxiang''s body started moving on their own ord.

    All eyes in the vicinity remained transfixed as Feng Yuxiang gingerly inserted her right pinky finger into her right nostril, simultaneously emitting chicken-

    like clucking noises, creating an absurd spectacle that left the onlookers in stunned amazement.

    "Pftt¡­" Xiao Hua nearly burst outughing after witnessing Feng Yuxiang''s humiliating act.

    "You can stop now¡­" Yuan quickly deactivated Immortal Monarch''s Dominion.

    Feng Yuxiang had been under the influence of Immortal Monarch''s Dominion for just five seconds, yet for her, it seemed like an agonizing eternity, more than sufficient to subject her to profound humiliation.

    "Young Master¡­" Feng Yuxiang uttered in a low voice as she fell to her knees, looking like she''d just suffered the worst defeat in her life.

    "Sorry, again¡­ I needed you to do something you wouldn''t normally agree to do¡­ I''ll make it up to you¡­" Yuan tried his best to soothe her, but s, Feng Yuxiang remained kneeling on the floor in silence.

    "Yuan¡­ You''re not going to make me do that too, right?" Lan Yingying was looking at him with a terrified expression on her face.

    Yuan turned to look at Xi Mingze and asked her, "Do you still need more proof or¡­?"

    "No, I am already convinced that it''s real¡­" Xi Mingze quickly shook her head, as she didn''t know if she could endure watching another public humiliation.

    "What?! That''s not fair!" Feng Yuxiang suddenly eximed. "You called for the two of us, so you should test it on her as well!"

    "Even if you say that¡­" Yuan didn''t know how to respond.

    "It''s okay." Lan Yingying suddenly said, " She''s right. It won''t be fair to her if I don''t experience it as well."

    "Are you sure?"

    Lan Yingying nodded, "Just give me a few more moments to prepare myself."

    "Take as much time as you need."

    Sometimeter, Lan Yingying said, "Okay, I am ready."

    Yuan nodded, and he activated Immortal Monarch''s Dominion on her.

    "I want you to get on the floor and act like you''re a worm¡­ in your human form."

    "..."

    Lan Yingying subconsciously tried resisting the Immortal Monarch''s Dominion, but almost as though she had turned into a puppet with strings tied to her body, shey on the floor and started squirming around like a worm.

    One could argue that Feng Yuxiang still got the shorter end of the stick, but she seemed satisfied with the results and didn''tin.

    "You can stop now," Yuan said a momentter.

    However, Lan Yingying did not immediately get off the floor. Instead, she remained lying there with her face kissing the floor, almost as though she was too embarrassed to even show her face.

    "You can be quite cruel if you want to be, Yuan¡­ This was truly unexpected." Xi Mingze said to him.

    Yuan could only respond with a stiff smile.

    A few momentster, Xi Mingze turned to look at Feng Yuxiang and asked her, "Can you tell me how it felt? Did you try resisting hismand?"

    Feng Yuxiang nodded, "I did, but it felt like my body had stopped listening to me. No matter how hard I tried to resist it, I couldn''t prevent the humiliation."

    "Indeed¡­ It was like someone else had taken control over my body¡­ it was a more terrifying experience than I expected." Lan Yingying shuddered just recalling it.

    "A Dragon''s Authority that works on all creatures¡­ As powerful as it may sound, it''s also an incredibly dangerous ability to have, Yuan. If word gets out that you canmand any beast at will, they will hunt you down because you are a threat to their very existence." Xi Mingze warned him.

    "In the event that a magical beast with the ability to control humans and make them act against their will were to appear, there would be no question that humans would relentlessly pursue and hunt down such a creature. This same logic applied to humans, as well."

    "It would be for the best if you kept this ability a secret. Even better if you don''t use it at all if you don''t need to."

    Yuan nodded, "I agree. I don''t enjoy forcing others to do things against their will, too."

    Sometimeter, Xi Mingze said to Yuan, "I am going to make a trip to the family library to see if I can learn more about your ability. In the meantime, you can go back to rest."

    "I understand."

    Xi Mingze left the scene shortly after.

    "Young Master, you owe us for today." Feng Yuxiang said to him as they returned to their rooms.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    "I know¡­"

 Chapter 1235 Primordial Phoenixs Contribution

    ?1235  Primordial Phoenix''s Contribution

    After returning to his room with Xiao Hua and the others, Yuan asked Feng Yuxiang, "Can you tell me what you know about the Primordial Phoenix? After that, I''ll tell you about what I know."

    Feng Yuxiang nodded, "Although the Primordial Phoenix wasn''t the first phoenix in existence, she somehow managed to surpass the First Phoenix''s bloodline, which was thought to be impossible. She''s also done a lot for the phoenix race, such as giving birth to many phoenixes with a superior bloodline."

    "She gave birth?" Yuan couldn''t help but stop her after hearing this information.

    Feng Yuxiang chuckled and said, "Not literally. Just like how dragons can improve their bloodlines by absorbing a superior bloodline, the Primordial Phoenix shared her bloodline with many Phoenix families, hence giving birth. If it weren''t for her, the Phoenix race wouldn''t have as many royal families in this era andck behind the dragons."Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    "Due to her contributions, the Phoenix race flourished and became established as a top 3 global power in our world. Hence her importance to the phoenix race."

    "I see¡­" Yuan mumbled as he digested the information.

    "Now tell me about your experience with the Primordial Phoenix!" Feng Yuxiang urged.

    With a serene smile, Yuan began to reminisce, retracing the memories he shared with the Primordial Phoenix, recounting their initial encounter and the extraordinary adventure that spanned well over a hundred thousand years, even though their deal had originally been set for just that duration.

    When Yuan mentioned the Smoldered Phoenix Egg, Feng Yuxiang stopped him and eximed in shock, "A billion-year-old Smoldered Phoenix Egg?! That''s insane!"

    "Wait a moment... If it''s a billion-year-old Smoldered Phoenix Egg, then it''s possible¡ªit might be the very reason the Primordial Phoenix managed to transcend the bloodline of the First Phoenix!" Feng Yuxiang had this realization.

    "To think that the Young Master¡ªyour incarnation¡ªyed a pivotal role in our history. I dare say the phoenix race might find it hard to ept that a human was the catalyst for their flourishing,"

    "I suppose we can''t be certain that the Smoldered Phoenix Egg is the definitive cause behind the evolution of the Primordial Phoenix''s bloodline," Yuan mused.

    "No, it''s almost certain that''s the cause," Feng Yuxiang responded confidently. "A mere ten-thousand-year-old Smoldered Phoenix Egg would incite a war among the phoenix race in our present era. I can scarcely fathom the potency of a billion-year-old Smoldered Phoenix Egg. Nothing is more effective than the Smoldered Phoenix Egg when ites to improving a phoenix''s bloodline."

    "Anyways, tell me more about the Primordial Phoenix herself! Did she have any hobbies? What did she like to eat? I want the personal details!"

    Yuan nodded and continued to recall Dragon Goddess Yeyou''s memories of Feng Yuming.

    Meanwhile, on the other side of the pce, inside Xi Mingze and Xi Shengmo''s room.

    "How was your training with Yuan today?" Xi Shengmo asked her when she returnedte at night.

    "You won''t believe me even if I told you." She shrugged.

    "Try me."

    She sighed deeply before speaking, "Not only did he achieve mastery over Dragon''s Authority in just one day, but it appears that his ''Dragon''s Authority'' was an entirely different power altogether."

    "Huh? What do you mean by a different power? It''s not Dragon''s Authority?" Xi Shengmo raised an eyebrow.

    "No, it''s not. In fact, it''s even stronger than Dragon''s Authority¡ª iparably stronger."

    "What could possibly be stronger than Dragon''s Authority?" Xi Shengmo frowned.

    "I don''t have a name for it, but if I were to give it one, it''d be Perfect Authority, as he has the ability tomand not only dragons but other beasts as well."

    "WHAT?!" Xi Shengmo eximed in astonishment upon learning about Immortal Monarch''s Dominion for the first time.

    "That''s not possible! The heavens would not allow such a technique to exist!"

    "Despite that, it exists. I watched him make a phoenix and a divine serpent do things that I''d rather die than do myself. And apparently, there used to be another man who had such an ability in ancient times. Unfortunately, I couldn''t find any information on him."

    Xi Shengmo sped his hands together as he tried to stop them from shaking.

    "The power tomand all creatures under the heavens... If other races were to discover this, Yuan would be in grave peril, hunted from all sides. Such an ability should never be allowed to exist," Xi Shengmo spoke with a somber tone.

    "I already warned him about it, but I still cannot help but worry."

    Xi Shengmo closed his eyes and sighed, "I''m more worried for our daughter, who will be following him."

    "If you''re thinking about¡ª"

    "Don''t worry, I am not even thinking about it. She''s already made her decision, and we made ours. No matter what happens from this point forth, it''s the path that she chose to walk, and I will support it."

    Back in Yuan''s room, Xiao Hua suddenly asked him, "Brother Yuan, when do you n on leaving this ce?"

    Yuan had a dumbfounded look on his face when he heard Xiao Hua''s question.

    "Now that you mention it¡­ we''ve been here for a while. The Nameless Emperor''s Tomb should have been sealed shut by now. I wonder whether we''ll emerge within the tomb or find ourselves outside when we depart from this location."

    "Anyways, I''ll see if there''s anything else for us to do here. If not, we''ll make our way back."

    The following day, Xi Meili knocked on Yuan''s room again.

    "Yuan, my parents would like to speak with you whenever you''re free."

    "I would also like to speak with them. Let''s go now." Yuan said.

    "Okay."

    Sometimeter, Xi Meili brought Yuan to her parents.

    "Yuan, I scoured the entire library yesterday, but I couldn''t uncover any additional information about the individual who might have possessed the same ability as yours. It simply mentioned the existence of such a person in ancient times and nothing more," Xi Mingze reported.

    "I see¡­ Thank you for trying anyway." Yuan said.

 Chapter 1236 The War Between Humans and Dragons

    Chapter 1236 The War Between Humans and Dragons

    "Ahem."

    Xi Shengmo cleared his throat and began speaking, "Speaking of your unique ability¡­ I know my wife already warned you, but I will warn you again. You must never let anyone know of your ability tomand all beasts under heaven¡ª hell, even if you can only control half of the beasts out there, you will still be deemed a threat to beasts and be hunted by them from all over the world. I cannot stress how important it is that you keep that knowledge yourself, especially since my daughter will be following you from now on."

    Yuan nodded and spoke as he pounded on his chest, "Don''t worry, I won''t let anyone that I won''t trust with my life know about it, and I won''t even think about using it unless it''s a life-or-death situation."

    "As for your daughter, I will keep her safe even at the cost of my own life."

    Xi Meili blushed after hearing his words, and she quickly responded, "And I will do my best to keep out of trouble so you won''t have to do that."

    "Now then¡­ There''s one more thing I would like to tell you, Yuan." Xi Shengmo said.

    "Although we cannot tell you any more about this man from ancient times, I know where you may be able to acquire such information. In the Fourth Heaven, there exists a ce called the Pavilion of Knowledge that is managed by the Xuan Family. They are of the dragon race and were great friends to my father. In fact, they used to work for him. Let them know that I sent you."

    has vast knowledge when ites to the world of beasts. If anyone "The Xuan Family, correct? I will definitely look for them once I enter the Fourth Heaven."

    "Good, because the Xuan Family specializes in record keeping and has vast knowledge when ites to the world of beasts. If anyone knows about a man who canmand beasts, it''ll be them."

    "You''ll be leaving soon, right?" Xi Mingze suddenly said, deducting his ns before he even uttered a word about it.

    Yuan nodded, "Yes, I came here by ident again, so I still have some unfinished business back in the Third Heaven. If there''s no need for my presence here, I will leave."

    "As much as I want to keep you here to be my sparring partner, I will have to wait for the next time you ''identally'' return to the Ancient Dragon City." Xi Mingze chuckled.

    Yuan alsoughed, "I wouldn''t be surprised if that happens. In fact, I have a feeling that I will return here again. Even if I don''t, I will make sure to visit when I have the time."

    "If you ever desire to return to this ce of your own ord, you can do so in the Sixth Heaven, where the gateway to this realm is concealed," Xi Shengmo suddenly revealed.

    "I may not be certain of the exact location of the gateway, but it will be situated in a domain where the influence of dragons holds sway," Xi Shengmo borated.

    "The Sixth Heaven? That''s quite far away." Yuan mumbled to himself.

    "Maybe to others, but knowing you, it won''t take longer than ten years for you to climb that far." Xi Mingze smiled.

    "Anyways, before you leave, I would like to throw a banquet. Do you think you can stay until then? It will only take a few days to prepare." Xi Mingze continued. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    "I can do that." Yuan nodded.

    "Excellent. Then I will immediately start the preparations."

    "In the meantime, do you think I can use your library?" Yuan asked.

    "Of course. You''re essentially part of the family now, so you can treat this ce as if it''s your own home." Xi Shengmo smiled.

    "Thank you."

    Xi Shengmo turned to look at Xi Meili and said to her, "Since you''ll be leaving soon, you should start packing your things."

    "I know. I already started."

    "You seem eager to leave¡­" Xi Shengmo sighed.

    "Obviously. I have spent too much time in this small world already."

    "If you''d spent too much time, what about me? I''ve spent over a million years in here." Xi Shengmo shook his head.

    "If you don''t like it here, why don''t you just leave? Are you still worried about the humans outside?" Xi Meili asked.

    "Hardly. I am staying here because it''s my duty as its ruler. The people here need me¡ª now more than ever. However, if the day that I am no longer needed in this world, I will leave."

    "Father¡­" Xi Meili admired his selflessness. If she was in his shoes, she wasn''t sure if she''d be able to sacrifice herself for the people.

    Sometimeter, Yuan went to notify Xiao Hua and the others that they would be leaving after the banquet and that he would spend the next several days in the library.

    Thus, for the next few days, Yuan devoted himself entirely to the library, immersing himself in the pursuit of knowledge. While the majority of the library''s collection pertained to the Xi Family and their history, there were also texts that chronicled the historical conflict between humans and dragons.

    The conflict started shortly after Dragon Goddess Yeyou met the Immortal Monarch, Tian Yi.

    ording to the tests, after the demons were defeated by the Divine Paragon, humanity desperately needed to rebuild its strength. Although the knowledge that dragon blood benefited humans greatly even before the demons appeared existed, not many people actually went out of their way to hunt dragons.

    Yet, a dramatic shift urred when desperation gripped humanity. In their pursuit of survival and strength, humans began hunting dragons en masse, driven by the desperate quest to obtain their precious blood. Although blood from other non-dragon creatures also conferred benefits upon humans, it paled inparison to the potency of dragon blood, a synergy that seemed ordained by the heavens themselves.

    Naturally, given the gravity of the crisis, rectifying this dire situation became the foremost priority for Tian Yi. It was this endeavor that catapulted his name into the limelight and marked the inception of his enduring legacy.

    Regrettably, the historical records in Yuan''s grasp remained silent on the conclusion of the conflict and omitted any reference to Tian Yi, as the Xi Family and many other dragons had ventured into the Ancient Dragon City long before a conclusive end was reached and Tian Yi''s name was spread.

 Chapter 1237 Proclamation of Marriage

    Chapter 1237 Promation of Marriage

    After spending several days in the Xi Family''s library, Yuan gleaned a profound understanding of why the Xi Family and other dragons had sought refuge within the Ancient Dragon City.

    He uncovered ounts of the heinous atrocities and excruciating suffering inflicted upon dragons by humans, delving into the sweeping conflict that had engulfed the entirety of the Divine Heavens in a war between humans and dragons.

    Unfortunately, he could not find anything about the Immortal Monarch besides a brief mention of him, just as Xi Mingze had said.

    Yuan departed from the library once he was satisfied with his research, and almost as if she had anticipated his exit, Xi Meili appeared at the far end of the hallway at the same time, steadily making her way toward him.

    "Excellent timing! I was actually searching for you to let you know that the banquet has been arranged," Xi Meili called out to him from across the hallway as soon as she spotted him.

    Yuan nodded and responded with a smile, "Perfect timing indeed. I am starving."

    "Hmm? Hold on. You''re back to your normal appearance, Yuan. Looks like the transformation was temporary, after all." Xi Meili said.

    "Would you have preferred that it was permanent?" Yuan asked in a joking manner.

    Xi Meili chuckled, "As handsome as you were in your dragon form, I actually prefer your human appearance. There''s just something about it that''s very attractive¡ª at least it is to me."

    "Anyways, follow me. Everyone is already at the banquet."

    After a short while, Yuan and Xi Meili arrived at the designated banquet location, which had been arranged in the front courtyard of the pce.

    "There''s a lot more people here than I anticipated." Yuan was surprised by the crowd there.

    "I also thought it was a private banquet for us, but that wasn''t the case. My parents invited pretty much all of their friends and whatnot. Not sure why, though." Xi Meili said.

    When Xi Mingze noticed them, she quickly approached them.

    "What do you think?" She asked Yuan.

    "A little grander than I anticipated," he said with a smile.

    "I had initially nned for a private banquet, but upon further consideration, I''ve chosen to make it public. This gathering is tomemorate your remarkable aplishments and also serves as a farewell celebration for Meili," Xi Mingze exined with a warm smile.

    "I see¡­"

    "Follow me. I''ll introduce you to everyone." Xi Mingze suddenly grabbed Yuan''s hand and guided him towards a tform.

    Once they were standing on the tform, Xi Mingze cleared her throat loudly, her voice rippling throughout the entire courtyard.

    The thousands of guests there halted whatever they were doing and turned their attention to her.

    "Ladies and gentlemen, thank you foring to our banquet despite the short notice and the evolving situation after our recent incident with the Azure Dragon Family and the Emerald Dragon Family. I would like to take a moment to introduce you to the hero of our city¡ª Yuan!" Xi Mingze introduced him to everyone.

    Everyone immediately started cheering, causing the area to tremble with excitement.

    Yuan''s name had permeated every corner of the Ancient Dragon City and beyond after the resolution of the conflict. Despite wanting to remain low-key, the sheer magnitude of his achievements made it impossible to evade the spotlight. His actions left an indelible mark, and the tales of his aplishments will be woven into the fabric of the cities and their histories.

    The people learned of his unparalleled bravery during the conflict, and they marveled at the depths of his prowess that had thwarted the Azure Dragon Family and the Emerald Dragon Family''s audacious schemes to challenge the Xi Family''s authority pretty much by himself.

    Once the cheering eventually calmed down, Xi Mingze continued, "As you all know by now, if he hadn''t stepped in to stop the Azure Dragon Family and ended the war before it even began, our city would''ve suffered irreparable damage, and thousands would''ve died."

    Meili, has chosen to walk alongside him, so he is no longer just a Xi Mingze proceeded to speak of the incident for a bit before changing the subject.

    "Now, as we gather tomemorate Yuan''s extraordinary feats, I stand before you with yet another promation. My daughter, Xi Meili, has chosen to walk alongside him, so he is no longer just a guest, but now an integral and cherished member of the Xi Family," Xi Meili''s mother dered, her words resonating with deep significance and profound emotion.

    This announcement, essentially a promation of marriage between Yuan and Xi Meili, sent ripples of astonishment cascading through the gathered guests, leaving them profoundly taken aback.

    Despite the enormity of Yuan''s aplishments, no one there had anticipated that the Xi Family would allow a human to be part of their lineage, let alone entrust their precious daughter to him. The revtion had defied all expectations and left the assembly deeply stunned.

    "M-Mother! Did you really have to announce that to everyone?!" Xi Meili''s face was flushed with redness.

    Xi Mingze merely responded to her with a profound smile.

    Since Yuan would be leaving the Ancient Dragon City soon, she wanted to make sure that nobody would have any funny ideas once he left. The announcement of Yuan''s integration into their family served as both a statement of their bond and a stern warning to those with ill intentions, making it abundantly clear that they''d have to deal with him if they were ever to mess with the Xi Family. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.

    When the guests snapped out of their shock, they started cheering for them.

    "C-Congrattions, Princess Xi! Congrattions, Yuan!" Someone there suddenly cheered.

    "I extend my heartfelt well-wishes for your future together, Princess Xi and Yuan!" Another guest chimed in, offering their blessings to the couple.

    ''W-We''re not even in that kind of rtionship¡ª yet!'' Xi Meili cried inwardly, and she could feel her entire face smoking from embarrassment.

    As for Yuan, he could only stand there with a stiff smile on his face.

    Xi Shengmo gave his own speech shortly after.

    Eventually, the banquet began, and Yuan immediately started stuffing his face with food. Perhaps it was because of his transformation, but he''d never felt hungrier before.

    "Heavens! Despite being a human, his appetite definitely wouldn''t lose to any of us!"

    The guests were baffled by Yuan''s ability to eat, and not wanting to lose to him, they also started stuffing their faces with food.

 Chapter 1238 Furious Dragon

    Chapter 1238 Furious Dragon

    The banquetsted for several days, and during this time, Yuan stuffed his face with very few short breaks in between.

    "It''s like you have never eaten before¡­" Xi Murong was astonished by Yuan''s bottomless appetite as the food on their table disappeared faster than it could be replenished.

    "I think it''s due to my transformation. I might have used a little too much energy." Yuan said.

    "That''s only natural since we consume more energy when we are transformed. It might even be worse for you since you are a human." Xi Mingze said.

    "Speaking of transformation, it seems you''ve finally returned to your original form. What a pity. I really liked your dragon appearance." Xi Mingze sighed.

    "Can you transform again if you want to?" Xi Shengmo suddenly asked.

    "I don''t know. I haven''t tried to yet." Yuan shook his head.

    "Just like your ''Dragon''s Authority,'' I believe it''s worth delving into. If you can transform at will, it could be a valuable technique to have up your sleeve in emergencies," Xi Meili said. This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    "I will." He nodded.

    "So, what will you be doing after you return to the outside world?" Xi Shengmo asked him sometimeter.

    "I''m not exactly sure yet, but I do have some unfinished business. After that, I''ll probably start preparing to enter the Fourth Heaven."

    "And to think you were still in the Lower Heaven only a year ago." Xi Mingze sighed in awe.

    Once the banquet was over, Yuan returned to his room to rest for the day.

    Meanwhile, Xi Shengmo called for Xi Meili''s presence.

    "Why are we in the treasury, father?" Xi Meili asked him.

    Xi Shengmo didn''t respond to her and led her to the most secure and deepest part of the treasury, where a certain weapon was resting.

    "Dragon''s Soul?" Xi Meili mumbled the name of the weapon when she saw it.

    "As you''re already aware, the Dragon''s Soul is the treasured legacy of our family, an inheritance that has traversed generations,"

    "Today, I shall entrust this cherished legacy to you, to apany you on your journey," Xi Shengmo dered solemnly, his words carrying the weight of generations past and future.

    "Huh?" Xi Meili''s eyes widened with surprise upon hearing this.

    And she quickly said, "But it doesn''t even respond to me. It''ll only be wasted on me. You should keep it here in case someone who can wield is it born."

    Xi Mingze, who was there with them, spoke, "When I wielded the Dragon''s Soul during my spar with Yuan, it had a reaction, almost as though it was trying to wake up. I thought I was just imagining it at that time, but now, I believe it was reacting to Yuan''s presence."

    Xi Meili pondered her words and spoke a momentter, "Now that you mention it, the Dragon''s Soul had a reaction when I used it, and Yuan was nearby."

    "Anyways, if the Dragon''s Soul is reacting to Yuan, why are you giving it to me? He should be the one to receive it, not me."

    "I am entrusting it to you instead of Yuan because I swore upon my soul that I would not give it to someone who is not part of the family, as much as I want to do so, and he is not officially part of the family even if we recognize him as family. However, you never made such a pact, so you can hand it to him without worrying about your soul shattering."

    "I see¡­" Xi Meili finally understood the situation.

    "Of course, we have something else for you." Xi Mingze smiled.

    She proceeded to retrieve another spear and offered it to Xi Meili.

    "Mother¡­ this is¡­" Xi Meili nearly gasped in shock after seeing the weapon in her mother''s grasp.

    "Indeed, this is Furious Dragon, my own personal weapon. It was given to me by your father after our marriage, but I barely got to use it. So, instead of letting it rot in storage, I have decided to give it to you¡ª with your father''s approval, of course."

    "Are you sure, mother¡­?" Xi Meili swallowed nervously, her hesitation as clear as day.

    "Take it. I prefer using my hands, anyway." Xi Mingze chuckled.

    Xi Meili turned to look at Xi Shengmo, who nodded his head in approval.

    "Thank you, mother! Thank you, father!" Xi Meili epted the spear with a bright smile on her face.

    "It may not be a Soul Weapon like the Dragon''s Soul, but it''s a Mythic-grade spiritual treasure nheless, and it was forged by the renowned Huo Dragon Family. You may not be familiar with their name, as they chose to remain outside this world, but they were a famous family of cksmiths back in the day, and it was an honor to have something crafted by them even for those with royal bloodlines." Xi Shengmo exined.

    "Soul Weapon or not, I will treasure it!" Xi Meili said as she caressed the spear lovingly.

    "Don''t forget this one." Xi Shengmo said as he handed her the Dragon''s Soul.

    Xi Meili nodded and stored both spears in her spatial ring shortly after.

    "Take this one, too. It has some essentials for your journey, such as medicine and cultivation resources." Xi Mingze handed a different spatial ring to her.

    Xi Meili epted the spatial ring with a solemn expression, and she said, "This feels really weird¡­ I never thought I would actually leave this ce¡­"

    Xi Mingze suddenly hugged her and said, "This is your first step to bing independent¡ª your first step towards the unknown. It''s only natural that you feel a little nervous."

    "It''s not toote to change your mind." Xi Shengmo said in a somewhat joking tone.

    "No, I won''t. Just as Mother said, I am a little nervous about leaving you guys, but I am also very excited to explore the unknown. And it''s not like I will be doing this by myself. I will have Yuan and the others by my side." Xi Meili said with a resolute expression on her face.

 Chapter 1239 Returning to the Nameless Emperors Tomb

    Chapter 1239 Returning to the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb

    "Where do you think you are going, Yanyu?!" A cold voice resounded as Tian Yanyu tried to sneak outside her home.

    When she realized that she had been spotted, Tian Yanyu turned around to face Tian Suyin, her mother.

    "I have waited long enough! I am going back to the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb to look for Xiao Yang!" Tian Yanyu dered in a stern voice.

    It has been several days since the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb sealed itself shut. After departing from the tomb, Tian Yanyu and Tian Suyin immediately returned home, just as they nned with Yuan before they went their separate ways.

    Tian Yanyu had hoped Yuan would return swiftly, but as days went by without a sign of him, worry began to gnaw at her, so much so that she hadn''t been able to sleep or eat since her own return, consumed by anxiety over his whereabouts and wellbeing.

    "What do you hope to aplish by returning to that ce? When the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb closed, everyone inside was forced to leave. If he hasn''t returned by now, there could only be two possibilities. He''s either dead, or he''s alive and decided to leave without saying a word." Tian Suyin shook her head.

    "He''s not dead! He cannot be dead!" Tian Yanyu refused to believe such a thing.

    "If he''s not dead, then he''s purposefully avoiding us. In the first ce, we don''t know his true intentions¡ª why he approached us. I wouldn''t be surprised if he used us."

    "And why would he do something like that?! It doesn''t make any sense!" Tian Yanyu eximed.

    "How would I know? Just forget about him, Yanyu. You cannot wait for him forever."

    "You''re wrong! Xiao Yang wouldn''t just abandon us like that! There must be a valid reason for his absence, maybe even something keeping him trapped inside the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb!" Tian Yanyu vehemently argued, clinging to her refusal to ept that Yuan had simply deserted them.

    "What kind of nonsense is that? No one can stay inside the tomb once it seals shut. Even if he were trapped in there, what could we possibly do except wait for it to reopen in seven years?" Tian Suyin retorted, her skepticism undeterred by Tian Yanyu''s hopeful perspective. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    "That''s¡­" Tian Yanyu fell into a speechless silence, unable to counter Tian Suyin''s straightforward logic.

    "Hmph!" And without saying anything else, Tian Yanyu ran back to her room.

    Tian Suyin, though deeply concerned for her daughter, recognized the limitations of choices she had in this kind of situation. Drawing upon her own experiences, she understood that even the most gifted Cultivators were not immune to death, and attempting to bite off more than one could chew often led to perilous consequences.

    "I''m sure she''ll calm down ande to ept the situation when enough time passes." Tian Xianzu materialized seemingly from nowhere, offering his perspective.

    Tian Suying couldn''t help but express her concerns, sighing deeply. "But how long will that take? I''m not sure I can endure several years of perpetual headaches."

    "We must be patient, just like our ancestors, who waited decades for Tian Chenyu to sort his emotions." Tian Xianzu said with a profound smile.

    Meanwhile, outside the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb.

    "Hey, why the hell are we still standing around here like some dumbasses?" Zhaohui red at Xiong Lu in a pissed-off manner.

    "I didn''t see Yuane out of the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb." Xiong Lu said.

    "Then you either missed him or he''s dead! There''s no way for anyone to remain inside the tomb once it seals its doors shut!"

    "Him? Dead? No way." Xiong Lu immediately disregarded such a possibility.

    And he continued, "Just wait a few more days. If he doesn''t show up after that, we''ll give up for now."

    "What a waste of time." Zhaohui sneered as he sat on the ground and began cultivating in silence.

    The day after the banquet, Yuan and the Xi Family gathered at the portal outside Ancient Dragon City¡ª the same one that he came from.

    "Once again, I want to extend my sincere thanks for everything you''ve done for our family and our city, Yuan. Your presence during this time has been an immeasurable blessing." Xi Mingze expressed her heartfelt gratitude to Yuan, her words filled with deep appreciation.

    She turned to look at Xi Meili, who was nervously standing beside him, and continued, "Don''t cause too much trouble for him, you hear?"

    "Why would you assume that I am going to cause trouble?" Xi Meili said with a cute angry face.

    "Because you''re my daughter." Xi Mingze smiled confidently.

    "Please, take care of our daughter, Yuan." Xi Shengmo then said.

    Yuan nodded solemnly, assuring Xi Mingze, "Rest assured, I''ll do everything in my power to ensure her safety."

    "Good luck, boss. And see you next time." Xi Murong also said his goodbyes.

    "Best of luck to you and your training, as well."

    They would continue to exchange farewells for several more minutes before Xi Shengmo started activating the portal.

    The next moment, Xiao Hua and the others seamlessly entered Yuan''s body, prompting a puzzled expression from Xi Meili. She couldn''t help but inquire, "How did you manage to do that?"

    "Hm? How did you guys do that?" Xi Meili had a puzzled look on her face.

    Feng Yuxiang exined, "We have the privilege of residing within his body as his servants. Unless you also choose to be his servant, you''ll have to stay outside."

    "Really? Is it evenfortable in there?"

    "Very!"

    Xi Meili seriously began pondering about bing Yuan''s servant just so she could experience going inside his body like the others. However, before she coulde to a conclusion, the portal activated, teleporting them away.

    "Stay safe, you all." Xi Mingze mumbled in a low voice afterward.

    Meanwhile, Yuan and Xi Meili found themselves transported into an empty room.

    "Looks like we''re still inside the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb," Yuan said as he recognized the room to be the same one he used to teleport to Ancient Dragon City.

 Chapter 1240 Master of the Nameless Emperors Tomb

    Chapter 1240 Master of the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb

    "So, this is what it''s like outside, huh? The air and everything just feels so different," Xi Meili remarked casually as she and Yuan exited Ancient Dragon City. She took a deep breath, savoring the change in atmosphere.

    "Well, we''re not exactly ''outside'' yet, since we are still within the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb," Yuan said.

    As they left the portal tform, a notification appeared before Yuan.

    <The Nameless Emperor''s Tomb has acknowledged you as its new Master>

    <An unauthorized presence has been detected within the premises>

    <Would you like to remove this individual from the premises?>

    A real-time projection of Xi Meili appeared the next moment, causing Yuan to raise an eyebrow.

    ''Since when did I be the master of this ce?'' he wondered inwardly.

    Naturally, he refused to kick Xi Meili out of the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb.

    "Do you want to look around before we leave?" Yuan asked Xi Meili, who immediately nodded her head.

    "Alright, give me a minute to figure something out. You can look around this building in the meantime."

    "Sure."

    As Xi Meili wandered the building, Yuan began trying to figure out what he could do as the master of the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb.

    A menu with multiple options showed up when he tried to sense his connection with the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb.

    [Map][NPC][Treasures][Trials][Other]

    When he tapped on the [Map] option, the entirety of the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb showed up on a massive map, and on this map marked all of the avable trials within the tomb, as well as all of the hidden treasures and traps.

    "There''s a lot more to this ce than I thought. Why did I even make such a ce? Surely, it wasn''t prepared just for me, as there are trials and treasures that won''t benefit me."

    When he tapped on a location map, another notification appeared before him.

    <Do you wish to teleport to this location?>

    "Oh, this is really convenient, especially for exploration."

    Next, he opened up the [Treasures] option, and just as its name suggested, it listed all treasures in the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb, including those that weren''t avable at the moment, such as treasures that have yet to spawn, as well as treasures that would only appear if certain conditions are met.

    There were hundreds of thousands of treasures avable, and when Yuan tapped on a random treasure, a new notification appeared.

    <Would you like to retrieve this treasure?>

    Out of curiosity, Yuan retrieved the treasure.

    <You have received Saber Tooth Sword>

    The treasure materialized right in front of him the next moment.

    "..."

    Yuan was speechless.

    Having unrestricted ess to all the treasures concealed within the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb was a game-changer of epic proportions. If word got out to the outside world, it would undoubtedly drive people into a frenzy. After all, while most had to risk life and limb toy hands on something valuable, Yuan could simply obtain it with a mere whim. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.

    Unfortunately, most of these treasures were useless for him. There were some decently valuable resources, but he didn''t really need them at the moment, as he wouldn''t be able to transcend Spirit King without evolving his physique.

    Yuan proceeded to sort the treasures from the rarest to the mostmon.

    The highest grade of equipment avable was Ancient-grade, and there were only six of them left.

    ''Although I won''t have any use for them, I can sell them for some money.''

    Yuan remembered how poor he was in terms of currency and decided to snatch the Ancient-grade treasures to sellter. He also retrieved a bunch of cultivation resources and some Divine-grade treasures, but he had no intentions of selling those, as he nned on giving them to his friends.

    He thought about giving the Ancient-grade treasures, but they were simply too powerful and had extremely high stat requirements that would require them years of cultivating to meet.

    ''Since these are technically mine, there shouldn''t be any problems if I take some¡­'' Yuan thought to himself as he stored the treasures in a separate spatial ring.

    He looked at the [Trials] option next, and as expected, it showed all of the avable trials in the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb, as well as their intricacies.

    Next, he peeked into [NPC], which listed all of the NPCs that assisted the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb. Yuan noticed Jin Xi''s name at the very top of this list, and his immediate response was to try and summon her.

    <Summon ''Jin Xi''?>

    However, Yuan quickly stopped himself and decided against summoning Jin Xi, as he did not want to ruin thest moments he had with her.

    There were other NPCs, but they were just generic individuals created only for the purpose of their specific trials. Monsters were also categorized as NPCs.

    Yuan looked into [Other] next.

    With this option, he could basically change anything he wanted about the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb. He could shift mountains and rivers, breathe life into existence, and erase anything he chose. In this world, he was literally God.

    He also realized that he could bring the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb with him on his journey if he desired.

    There was so much he could do with the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb, but Yuan decided to keep everything the same¡ª as it was intended by his incarnation.

    Sometimeter, Xi Meili returned to the room.

    "What kind of scenery do you want to see?" Yuan suddenly asked her.

    Xi Meili pondered for a moment before responding, "I would like to see an ocean."

    Yuan nodded, and he proceeded to teleport them to an area in the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb that had the best-looking ocean scenery.

    "What just happened?" Xi Meili was greatly surprised by what he had just done.

    "As the owner of this ce, I can teleport us anywhere I want within this world," he causally exined.

    "What exactly is this ce?"

    "The Nameless Emperor''s Tomb. It was created by my incarnation."

    "Your what?" Xi Meili looked at him with wide eyes.

    Yuan then said with a serious expression, "Since you''ll be following me, I think it''s only right to tell you a little more about me."

    Xi Meili swallowed nervously after sensing the change in atmosphere, and she had never seen Yuan so serious before.

    "Go ahead¡­"

    "This might sound crazy but¡­" Yuan proceeded to tell her about his true identity¡ª how he was the reincarnation of several prominent figures in the Nine Heavens and that he was in the process of regaining their memories.

 Chapter 1241 An Unexpected Transformation

    Chapter 1241 An Unexpected Transformation

    As Xi Meili listened to Yuan''s ridiculous story of his reincarnation, her eyes would growrger andrger until they could no longer physically widen any more. However, as crazy as he sounded, Xi Meili believed in every word that came out of his mouth without thinking for a moment that he was messing with her.

    Many minutester, Yuan ended his story, "That''s the truth about my identity."

    "..."

    After moments of silence, Xi Meili mumbled in an excited voice, "I knew you were special when I first saw you, Yuan, but I didn''t think you would be this special¡­"

    "Now everything makes sense¡ª at least a little more sense."

    "Sorry for keeping this a secret until now. I won''t me you if you no longer want to follow me." Yuan suddenly said with a solemn look on his face.

    "Huh? Why would I want to leave you? I don''t care if you''re the Evil God or whatever¡ª I don''t even know any of them. What made me follow you was you, Yuan, and unless you''re magically going to change into a different person, this new information doesn''t change anything for me."

    "Thank you¡­"

    "Anyway, I have to admit, while your various incarnations don''t particrly mean anything to me," Xi Meili admitted, her curiosity piqued only slightly. "But this Immortal Monarch, he does catch my attention. If the dragon blood my family''s been using for generations is actually tied to Dragon Goddess Yeyou, not the Dragon Ancestor we always believed, I can''t help but wonder about the connection our ancestors had with her," she mused.

    Since she was born and grew up in the Ancient Dragon City, Xi Meili had never heard of the Evil God or the Divine Paragon, so those names meant next to nothing to her. But when it came to the Immortal Monarch, who was also known as the Monarch of Beasts, she couldn''t help but be a tad more curious.

    "I only have a fragment of Dragon Goddess Yeyou''s memories, so I cannot answer your question. As for the Immortal Monarch''s memories, I am still waiting for them to return." Yuan said.

    "How do your memories return? Does it just return randomly, or is there a certain trigger?"

    "It''s mostly random, but there were times that I had to ''collect'' my memories. Kind of like a treasure hunt." He shrugged.

    With her inquiries satisfied, Xi Meili shifted her attention to the vast expanse of the glistening ocean that extended endlessly before her, its beauty captivating her gaze as it stretched toward the distant horizon.

    "What do you think?" Yuan asked her sometimeter.

    "It''s beautiful and unique. While there are artificial ponds and evenkes in the Ancient Dragon City, this is my first time seeing something of this scale."

    "If there''s anything else that you want to see, I can take you there." Yuan then said.

    "I would like to see mountains next."

    "Alright."

    Yuan teleported them directly in front of a mountain range a momentter.

    "Wow, they look so differentpared to the ones in Ancient Dragon City. They''re so much taller and majestic¡­"

    Over the next several hours, Yuan would take Xi Meili around the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb, satisfying her desire to explore to her heart''s content.

    Once she was satisfied, Xi Meili requested to return to their first scenery by the ocean.

    Yuanplied, and the next moment, they returned to their original spot.

    "If the world in this ce is already so beautiful, I cannot wait to see what the real world has in store for me." Xi Meili spoke with a smile.

    "Are you ready to leave?" Yuan then asked.

    "Just one more thing."

    Xi Meili proceeded to retrieve a familiar-looking spear and extended it towards Yuan, seemingly offering it to him.

    "Isn''t this the Dragon''s Soul? You brought it with you?" Yuan recognized the Soul Weapon at a nce.

    "Yes, my father gave it to me. Now, I am giving it to you."

    "Huh? Isn''t this your family''s heirloom? I cannot ept it, especially when your parents gave it to you." Yuan immediately refused to ept the Dragon''s Soul.

    Xi Meili proceeded to exin, "While Father did give it to me, he had no choice but to do so because he made a pact that he could only pass it down to a family member. He wanted to pass it down to you, but since you''re not officially part of the family, he couldn''t do so without risking his soul."

    "However, I didn''t make such a pact, hence why he gave it to me¡ª so I could hand it to you." Xi Meili pushed the Dragon''s Soul closer to him.

    "Even if you say that¡­ The Dragon''s Soul is a Soul Weapon. Unless it epts me as its master, I won''t be able to use it." This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    "You won''t know until you give it a shot," Xi Meili said, wearing a confident smile on her beautiful face.

    "If you say so¡­"

    Yuan eventually epted the Dragon''s Soul.

    As his fingers closed around the spear''s handle, he sensed a surge from within¡ªan immense power stirring, as if eager to awaken.

    Without any hesitation, Yuan offered his blood to the Dragon''s Soul, which greedily absorbed it without dy.

    The Dragon''s Soul began to tremble, and the dragon around it suddenly began to move as though it was alive.

    Before long, the Dragon''s Soul, which had initially appeared rather ordinary, underwent a remarkable transformation, morphing into a stunningly beautiful spear.

    As the transformation reached its end, the Dragon''s Soul unleashed a thunderous dragon''s roar, a sound so deafening that it resonated disbelief, and he mumbled in a dazed tone, "Dragon Goddess Yeyou?"

    throughout the entirety of the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb.

    Upon hearing the dragon''s roar, Yuan felt an uncanny sense of familiarity wash over him, as if he had encountered this very sound in some distant memory.

    His gaze locked onto the transformed Dragon''s Soul with a look of disbelief, and he mumbled in a dazed tone, "Dragon Goddess Yeyou?"

    In response to Yuan''s utterance, the Dragon''s Soul emitted a brilliant, golden radiance.

    A momentter, the Dragon''s Soul vanished from Yuan''s grasp, and a tall figure materialized before him.

    "It''s truly you¡­" Yuan swallowed nervously as he stared at Dragon Goddess Yeyou''s ethereal face.

 Chapter 1242 Dragon Goddess Yeyous Soul

    Chapter 1242 Dragon Goddess Yeyou''s Soul

    Yuan found himself profoundly shaken as Dragon Goddess Yeyou materialized before him, emerging from thin air. Yet, as he snapped out of his daze and observed her form more closely, he noticed that she appeared semi-transparent as if she were naught but a ghost¡ª

    an illusion.

    "Dragon Goddess Yeyou? Why are you¡ª" Yuan tried calling out to her, only to halt abruptly as a mysterious furrow formed on her brow, seemingly displeased about something.

    Suddenly, without any further exnation, Dragon Goddess Yeyou disappeared like a cloud of smoke, and the Dragon''s Soul reappeared in Yuan''s grasp.

    [Dragon''s Soul]

    [Level: 0]

    [Rank: Soul Weapon]

    [Growth Rate: Fast]

    [Requirement: ???]

    [Description: A beautiful golden spear with an unknown origin. It is shrouded with a mysterious aura that will render all spiritual energy useless.]

    ''Partially?'' Yuan wondered inwardly.

    "W-What in heaven''s name was that about?! Who was that beauty just now?!" Xi Meili eximed a momentter, her voice tinged with bewilderment and astonishment.

    "That person was Dragon Goddess Yeyou¡­" Yuan responded.

    "What?! That was Dragon Goddess Yeyou?!" Xi Meili became even more shocked after learning of this information.

    "So the Dragon''s Soul is actually rted to Dragon Goddess Yeyou¡­ No wonder why it reacted to you, who is the reincarnation of the Immortal Monarch." Xi Meili said.

    "Do you have any idea why or how Dragon Goddess Yeyou showed up just now?" Yuan asked a momentter.

    "Unfortunately, I have never seen or heard of anything like this before." Xi Meili shook her head.

    "I have." Xiao Hua''s voice suddenly resounded.

    "Really?" Yuan was pleasantly surprised and eagerly awaited her exnation.

    "Un. While Soul Weapons may attain a form of consciousness, they can never be a real soul on their own. However, they do possess the capacity to house another''s soul, should someone choose to bestow one within. Although I cannot state this with absolute certainty, it is conceivable that Dragon Goddess Yeyou''s very soul may have been ced within this Soul Weapon, and what you witnessed moments ago could have been a manifestation of her soul," Xiao Hua exined.

    Yuan swallowed nervously at the notion that Dragon Goddess Yeyou''s soul could be resting within the Dragon''s Soul.

    "If she is really inside the Dragon''s Soul, is there any way to bring her out?" Yuan then asked.

    "Even if there is a way to do so, it wouldn''t be a good idea." Xiao Hua said while shaking her head. "After all, she is only a soul without her body at this moment. If you bring her out of the Soul Weapon in her state, her soul will definitely disappear, or worse, be destroyed."

    Hearing this, Yuan felt helpless.

    "Is there really no way to help her?" He sighed.

    "As Xiao Hua said, we don''t know if it really contains Dragon Goddess Yeyou''s soul. What happened just now could be an entirely different matter." Xi Meili suddenly said. "For now, we should try to learn more about the Soul Weapon before we start trying things."

    Yuan nodded, "You''re right. I shouldn''t be so impatient. If it really contains Dragon Goddess Yeyou''s soul, I''m sure we''ll figure out how to bring her out safely¡ª if that''s even what she desires."

    Sometimeter, Yuan stored the Dragon''s Soul inside his body alongside Empyrean Overlord and Starry Abyss.

    "So, are we ready to leave now?" Yuan asked Xi Meili, who quickly nodded.

    "Wait." Feng Yuxiang''s voice suddenly resounded.

    "What''s the matter?" Yuan asked.

    "We''re fine right now because we''re still inside the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb, but once we go outside, Xi Meili''s cultivation will be too high for the Third Heaven, and she might be forced to ascend." Feng Yuxiang reminded him that only those below Spirit Emperor could remain in the Third Heaven, and Xi Meili was a Spirit Emperor.

    "You''re right¡­ Ipletely forgot about this rule¡­" Yuan facepalmed.

    "There''s an easy fix to that. I can simply restrict my cultivation to Spirit King." Xi Meili closed her eyes and began suppressing her cultivation base until it reached the peak of Spirit King, just like Yuan.

    "Will that really work?" Yuan wondered out loud.

    "It should¡­ as long as she doesn''t cause a scene in the Third Heaven." Feng Yuxiang said. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    "I won''t do anything like that. I promise." Xi Meili swore with a smile.

    Sometimeter, Yuan teleported them outside the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb.

    Meanwhile, outside the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb, Zhaohui''s eyebrows twitched when he sensed two unfamiliar presences appearing nearby. He stopped cultivating and stood up.

    "Hey, I sense two presences outside the tomb, and they appeared out of thin air, just like those people who had already left the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb," he said, notifying Xiong Lu.

    "It must be him!" Xiong Lu clenched his fist in anticipation as he turned to look at the entrance of the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb, and sure enough, there were now two individuals who weren''t there just moments ago¡ª a young man and a young woman.

    Xiong Lu focused on the young man, and a wide smile appeared on his face when he recognized Yuan''s face.

    "It''s really him! That''s him!" Xiong Lu confirmed for Zhaohui.

    "I finally have a chance to beat him up!" Xiong Lu immediately started walking towards Yuan, but he was quickly stopped by "What?! Peak Spirit King?! That means he''s at the same cultivation level as you! How''s that possible?!" Xiong Lu was shocked to learn Zhaohui.

    "They''re both Peak Spirit Kings. You won''t even be able to hurt one of them, much less defeat them." Zhaohui warned him.

    "What?! Peak Spirit King?! That means he''s at the same cultivation level as you! How''s that possible?!" Xiong Lu was shocked to learn that Yuan had already reached Peak Spirit King while he was only a First Level Spirit Lord.

    "Fuck! Just as I thought we could mess with him!" Xiong Lu cursed.

    "What are you talking about, you idiot? I don''t know how they managed to achieve Peak Spirit King at that age in this realm, but they''re still too young and inexperienced. I won''t lose to them even if I have to fight both of them at once." Zhaohui showed a cold smile on his face, and he stared at Yuan like a hunter before its prey.

    "Stay here and watch how this expert deals with them. It won''t take long, either." Zhaohui proceeded to leave Xiong Lu behind as he started walking in Yuan''s direction with a confident aura around him.

 Chapter 1243 A Common Thief

    Chapter 1243 A Common Thief

    Shortly after they exited from the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb, Yuan could sense two individuals watching them from a distance.

    One of them had the cultivation of First Level Spirit Lord while the other one exuded the presence of a Peak Spirit King. Furthermore, the Peak Spirit King had a unique aura that felt oddly familiar to Yuan.

    However, Yuan didn''t pay too much attention to them¡ª at least not until the Peak Spirit King started approaching them with an aggressive look on his face.

    "We havepany," Yuan said to Xi Meili, who was absorbed by the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb''s entrance.

    They turned their attention to the approaching figure and saw Zhaohui strolling toward them, his posture slightly hunched. He was a tall, somewhat skinny man with long, messy ck hair. His violet eyes had a sharp and slightly menacing look, almost like that of a troublemaker. In fact, his clothes seemed simr to what a bandit might wear.

    "He seems like trouble," Xi Meili muttered as she caught sight of him.

    Yuan nodded and said, "He may appear as a Spirit King, but he possesses power that surpasses it. Besides a few individuals I''ve met in the Namesless Emperor''s Tomb, I''ve never seen a Spirit King as powerful as him, and those few individuals came from the Upper Heavens."

    "So he''s from the Upper Heavens? What do you suppose he wants from us? Surely, he''s not going to ask us for directions."

    "Brother Yuan, that man is an Exile¡­" Xiao Hua''s voice suddenly resounded.

    "What? An Exile? No wonder why his aura seems so familiar¡­"

    "What''s an Exile?" Xi Meili asked.

    "I''ll exin it after this," Yuan said.

    "What do you think he wants from us?" He proceeded to ask Xiao Hua.

    "I don''t know."

    "Perhaps he can sense you," Yuan suggested that Zhaohui was actually here for Xiao Hua.

    "No, that''s not possible." Xiao Hua immediately rejected such a possibility.

    "Then let''s just wait and see what he wants. Xiao Hua, stay hidden for now."

    "Un."

    Once Zhaohui was close enough, Yuan asked him, "How can we help you?"

    Zhaohui halted in front of Yuan and silently stood there, looking disinterested, as though he regarded them with the same indifference one might reserve for ants.

    Receiving no response from Zhaohui, Yuan continued, "If you''re not inclined to speak, then¡ª"

    Mid-sentence, Zhaohui abruptly sprang into action, thrusting his w-like hand directly toward Yuan''s throat with the intention to kill.

    to stand still as everyone tried toprehend what had just urred.

    Zhaohui''s lightning-fast movement caught Xi Meili off-guard, leaving her momentarily stunned. However, Yuan''s quick reflexes allowed him to evade the sneak attack by tilting his body to the side, narrowly dodging it. In that suspended moment, time seemed to stand still as everyone tried toprehend what had just urred.

    "Oh? You managed to dodge that? You''re a little better than I thought." Zhaohui spoke with a slightly surprised look on his face.

    "How dare you!" When she snapped out of her daze, Xi Meili angrily threw a punch at Zhaohui.

    And while she was angry at Zhaohui for attacking Yuan, she was more angry at herself for not being able to react to it, as their journey could''ve ended before it even started right there and then.

    "Whoa!"

    Zhaohui eximed in a yful manner right as he dodged Xi Meili''s strike, even doing so with ease.

    "What?!" Xi Meili was surprised to see this, and she prepared to chase after him.

    However, she was stopped when Yuan grabbed her arm.

    "Wait," he said to her in a calm voice.

    "But he just tried to kill you!"

    "I know, but you won''t be able to defeat him. As an Exile, he''s definitely much older and more experienced than he appears. Also, you promised that you wouldn''t cause a scene, right?"

    "..." Xi Meili gritted her teeth in frustration, but she couldn''t argue with him.

    It was clear that Zhaohui was a formidable opponent, one that required her to unleash her full strength to deal with. Yet, even with all of her strength, she might not be able to defeat him.

    ''Father wasn''t joking¡­ The outside world is so much more dangerous¡­'' she sighed inwardly.

    "So you know that I am an Exile¡­" Zhaohui was quite surprised when he heard Yuan''s words.

    And he continued, "Do you also have one by your side? It would make sense why you have such a high cultivation if that''s the case. However, I don''t see them. Where are they? Don''t tell me that they''re already dead."

    "I don''t see how that is any of your business." Now Yuan was certain that he didn''t approach him because of Xiao Hua.

    "What a pity. If that Exile was still by your side, I would''ve killed them myself." Zhaohui sighed in a regrettable manner. This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    Yuan frowned at his words and asked, "Why would you want to kill a fellow Exile?"

    "Why, you ask? Did your Exile not tell you anything? As Exiles, we race each other to the Supreme Heavens for our freedom, and there can only be one winner for each race. In other words, we''re rivals. Just because we''re fellow Exiles doesn''t make uspanions." Zhaohui sneered.

    Of course, Yuan knew the purpose of the Supreme Heaven''s Legacy. However, he didn''t expect Exiles to hunt each other as well.

    "I think I''ve grasped the situation," Yuan suddenly stated with a discerning tone. "If you didn''t approach us due to my association with an Exile, then it''s likely you''re carrying out the orders of your elusive Master, the one who''s been lurking in the shadows all this while."

    "Master¡­? Ahahahaha!" Zhaohui burst outughing.

    "While it''s true that I need that weakling to finish the Supreme Heaven''s Legacy, it doesn''t mean I obey his orders! I approached you because I heard that you had some good treasures on you, not because he told me to!"

    "So you''re nothing more than amon thief? I was expecting more of you since you''re an Exile. How disappointing," Yuan remarked, shaking his head.

    "Just amon thief...? How dare you..." Zhaohui''s body quivered with anger, stung by Yuan''s words.

    "Before I became an Exile, I was infamous as the Harbinger of Agony, and just the mere utter of my name would send shivers across the entirety of the Nine Heavens!" Zhaohui dered with a hint of pride before continuing in a grim voice, "Now, I shall teach you the meaning of agony!"

 Chapter 1244 A Growing Sense of Purposelessness

    Chapter 1244 A Growing Sense of Purposelessness

    "Harbinger of Agony, huh? Even if you were once the most renowned thief in history, what can you achieve in your present condition?" Yuan taunted with a sneer.

    "Hahaha! Just because my cultivation is currently sealed doesn''t mean I have lost all of my experience and techniques! Even if I was only a Spirit Lord, I would still have no trouble dealing with a useless weakling like you!" Zhaohuiughed heartily in response.

    "Since you sound so confident, let''s stop the chattering and get this over with already," Yuan said as he summoned his Empyrean Overlord.

    However, a calm voice suddenly resounded in his head, ''Brother Yuan, can you let me handle this?''

    ''Xiao Hua?''

    ''I didn''t tell you this before, but it is an Exile''s responsibility to protect their Master, especially when in the presence of another Exile.''

    ''Even if you say that¡­ I can handle him by myself. What''s more, I don''t want you to get hurt if we can avoid it.''

    Nevertheless, Xiao Hua''s resolve held steadfast as she spoke from the depths of her heart, "It is undeniable that Brother Yuan has grown in strength to a point where my protection is no longer necessary, and I take great pride in your growth. However, Brother Yuan, you need not shoulder the weight of everything alone¡ª even if you could. There exist endeavors I must undertake, for without them, I risk losing the very essence of my purpose..."

    Ever since Yuan had grown strong enough to protect himself, Xiao Hua had grappled with a growing sense of purposelessness, even more so when he gainedpanions capable of assuming all the roles she had once fulfilled, and she hated this emptiness that was quickly consuming her.

    ''Xiao Hua¡­'' Yuan fell into silence after hearing her dejected words. He had dedicated himself to rigorous training to alleviate the burden on Xiao Hua¡ª so that she would no longer need to endanger herself for him, but in his pursuit of strength, he had overlooked Xiao Hua herself.

    "Hey! Why the hell are you just standing there in a daze?! Where did your arrogance and spirit from just a moment vanish to?!" Zhaohui suddenly roared, his voiceced with frustration when Yuan randomly stopped paying attention to him.

    In response, Yuan stored the Empyrean Overlord away and looked at Zhaohui with a profound expression.

    Such actions greatly befuddled Zhaohui.

    "Looks like you have suddenlye to the realization that you cannot defeat me. Unfortunately, I won''t spare you even if you no longer have a desire to fight!"

    Just as Zhaohui retrieved his weapon, a saber, Yuan spoke, "Sorry, but there''s been a change of ns. As much as I want to kick your ass myself, my little guardian angel will be doing the beating."

    The next moment, a small figure emerged from Yuan''s body and stood before him and Zhaohui.

    "Huh? A child?" Zhaohui raised an eyebrow in bewilderment. Yet, as his eyes locked onto Xiao Hua''s face, a peculiar sense of familiarity washed over him, as if he had encountered her before.

    ''Fuck! I swear I have seen that face somewhere before, but where?!''

    Despite his efforts to unearth the memory of her identity, Zhaohui''s mind remained frustratingly nk, unable to recollect who she might be.

    However, he could tell that she was an Exile just like him from the aura she was exuding.

    "I thought your Exile had died, but it turned out to be much worse! Imagine choosing a child like that to guide you! Ahaha! I can''t!" Zhaohuiughed again.

    "And if you think I won''t kill a child, you should know that I have done worse," he continued with a cold expression a momentter.

    Xiao Hua didn''t respond to him and retrieved tworge swords, wielding one in each of her small hands.

    "Hmph. I don''t know how you guys managed to crawl your way to the Third Heaven, but this is where your legacy ends." Zhaohui released his cultivation base, and without any warning, disappeared from his spot.

    After using his movement technique, Zhaohui appeared behind Xiao Hua in the blink of an eye, almost as though he teleported, and he swung his saber at her neck without any hesitation.

    ng!

    Xiao Hua quickly twisted her body around and swung back, blocking the attack.

    Zhaohui would disappear again when his feet touched the ground, appearing behind Xiao Hua again.

    Whoosh!

    Xiao Hua dodged the attack with her own movement technique before chasing after him with her swords in motion.

    "So slow." Zhaohui sneered in disdain as he dodged her attack with ease.

    Meanwhile, Xi Meili asked Yuan, "Are you sure this is a good idea? Xiao Hua seems to be a little behind."

    "This is what she wanted, and I have faith in her," Yuan dered with a serene countenance.

    "I don''t think I''ve ever seen her being this serious before¡­" Feng Yuxiang remarked with a hint of surprise. This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    "En." Lan Yingying agreed.

    Over the next several minutes, Xiao Hua and Zhaohui exchanged hundreds of relentless blows with each other with neither of them getting a direct hit. However, it was clear to the spectators that Xiao Hua was slowly being pushed back by Zhaohui, who was much faster and more agile.

    "I will apud you forsting this long, but it''s obvious that you won''t be able to defend for much longer!" Just as he said this, Zhaohui managed to barelynd a hit on Xiao Hua.

    However, when he anticipated seeing her blood, he was left astounded to find that Xiao Hua remainedpletely unharmed, only that there was a small cut on her clothes.

    ''What?! How is that possible?!'' Zhaohui was certain that his de had reached her flesh, yet he''d only managed to cut her clothes.

    As Zhaohui stood stupefied by the perplexing oue, Xiao Hua examined the tear in her attire with a faint furrow of her brow. Oddly, she didn''t seem to be concerned, even though she had seemingly lost the exchange.

 Chapter 1245 Xiao Hua

    Chapter 1245 Xiao Hua

    ''My saber definitely reached her! Yet, why isn''t there a scratch on her?! Why isn''t she bleeding out?!'' Zhaohui could never mistake the feeling of slicing flesh, so he was absolutely certain that he''d reached her, but he could not exin the results.

    Meanwhile, Xiao Hua had an annoyed look on her face, but not because she''d just lost the exchange.

    "My clothes¡­" she muttered in a low voice.

    "I don''t know what you just did to avoid that attack, but it won''t happen a second time." Zhaohui tightened his grip on the saber before rushing at Xiao Hua again, his speed much faster than previously, almost as though he had been holding back.

    "How annoying¡­" Xiao Hua muttered as she confronted Zhaohui with her swords.

    [Herald of Agony!]

    Zhaohui swiftly employed one of his techniques, conjuring arge, obsidian-hued, shadowy circle on the ground, directly beneath Xiao Hua''s feet.

    Reacting instantly, Xiao Hua leaped out of the circle''s grasp. Yet, to her surprise, the shadowy formation clung to her like a relentless specter, maintaining its position beneath her.

    In response to this relentless pursuit, Xiao Hua made a swift decision to ascend into the sky. However, as she made her move, the edges of the ck circle abruptly rose from the earth, ensnaring her within a pitch-ck ball.

    "Hey¡­ That doesn''t look good at all. Shouldn''t we help her?" Xi Meili''s voice trembled with concern as she observed the dire situation unfolding before them.

    Yuan calmly shook his head and said, "Don''t underestimate her, she''ll be fine."

    "Hahaha!!! No matter what tricks you have up your sleeves, your spiritual energy has been sealed by my Herald of Agony! Once trapped by it, you''re just a sitting duck waiting to be ughtered!" Zhouhuiughed like a maniac as he started shing and stabbing his saber at the void-like prison that had Xiao Hua trapped inside.

    "I can feel it! I can feel your flesh being torn apart by my saber! Nothing beats this sensation! Ahahaha!"

    "Xiao Hua¡­" Yuan subconsciously gritted his teeth. He would be lying if he said that he wasn''t worried about Xiao Hua. However, his confidence and trust in her far outweighed his worries.

    "A Thousand Years of Agony!" Zhaohui''s saber suddenly became covered in ck energy before swinging it at the prison.

    Sha!

    The prison was sliced in half, alongside everything trapped inside.

    Xi Meili covered her mouth, trying her best to remain calm.

    Zhaohui took several deep breaths afterward, and without looking at his results, he began approaching Yuan with intense bloodlust in his gaze.

    After taking just a few steps, Zhaohui''s movements froze when a calm voice resounded behind him, "Where do you think you are going?"

    "What¡­?" Zhaohui muttered in disbelief.

    "Impossible¡­ No¡­ There''s no way that you could''ve survived that¡­"

    Zhaohui''s gaze shifted slowly, and his eyes widened in profound shock when he beheld Xiao Hua standing calmly behind him,pletely unscathed save for a few additional cuts on her clothing.

    "No way! How did she do that?!" Even Xi Meili waspletely shocked to see Xiao Hua unharmed.

    Despite Zhaohui''s inquiries, Xiao Hua remained conspicuously silent, almost as though she wanted to torment him mentally.

    Following her silence, Xiao Hua proceeded to stow away her weapons, leaving everyone present, including Yuan, profoundly perplexed.

    ''I didn''t want to show Brother Yuan this side of me, but I won''t be able to defeat him unless I do so¡­'' Xiao Hua sighed inwardly, and continuing her confusing actions, she closed her eyes before her enemy.

    "You dare close your eyes before my presence¡­? Don''t you dare look down on me, your little bitch!" Zhaohui let out a thunderous roar, his form enveloped in a dark, blood-tinged aura.

    Remaining firmly nted in his position, Zhaohui swung his saber with astounding swiftness at Xiao Hua, unleashing a series of razor-edged waves of Saber Aura.

    The next moment, Zhaohui watched as his Saber Aura sliced right through Xiao Hua''s small body, cutting it in half. However, no blood was shed by Xiao Hua, and the severed portions of her body dispersed like mist, as if her very essence had transformed into Xi Meili''s astonishment was palpable as she blurted out, "What sort vapor, leaving behind a cloud of purple-colored mist.

    In a matter of seconds, the purple mist reassembled itself, shaping into apletely unharmed Xiao Hua.

    Xi Meili''s astonishment was palpable as she blurted out, "What sort of technique is that?!"

    Meanwhile, Zhaohui''s countenance contorted with sheer terror, his words trembling as he grappled with the realization of Xiao Hua''s identity. "Th-That''s... No... It can''t be..." He appeared unwilling to ept the undeniable truth.

    In that precise moment, Xiao Hua''s eyes gently flickered open, their once-familiar hue now transformed into a mysterious shade of violet. Simultaneously, a dark aura enveloped her form, tinged with an eerie touch of ethereal purple.

    As Xiao Hua''s menacing aura solidified, an ominous transformation seized the very surroundings. The heavens above them abruptly darkened, and a chill settled upon the atmosphere, akin to the arrival of the Grim Reaper himself.

    Not only did Xiao Hua''s presence undergo a profound metamorphosis, but she also experienced a slight growth in stature, and her face appeared more mature and carried an icy, distant demeanor.

    In the blink of an eye, Xiao Hua underwent such a drastic transformation that even Yuan struggled to recognize her by the end of it. In fact, it felt like he was looking at an entirely different individual.

    Ding!

    <Xiao Hua''s status has been updated>

    [Name: Xiao Hua]

    [Servant Grade: Mythical]

    [Master: Yuan]

    [Cultivation: Ninth Level Spirit King]

    [Legacy: Supreme Heaven''s Legacy + Evil God''s Legacy]

    [Bloodline: Evil God''s True Bloodline] N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.

    [Physique: Violet Neb Physique]

    ¡ª

    In addition to her new status, Xiao Hua also acquired several new techniques that were not there before.

    <Asura n''s Immortal ying Art>

    <Rank: Mythic>

    <Mastery Level: 4>

    ¡ª

    <Evil God''s Supreme Art>

    <Rank: Supreme>

    <Mastery Level: 1>

    ¡ª

    <Asura n''s Secret Art>

    <Rank: Supreme>

    <Mastery Level: 9>

    In a voice quivering with terror, Zhaohui cried out, "That ominous violet aura... that overwhelming presence... You''re a member of the Asura n?!"

 Chapter 1246 Xiao Huas Drastic Transformation

    Chapter 1246 Xiao Hua''s Drastic Transformation

    "That''s Xiao Hua¡­? What happened to her? She feels like an entirely different person." Feng Yuxiang muttered in a dazed voice. If one could see her face right now, it would be filled with astonishment.

    Following her profound transformation, Xiao Hua gazed upon her surroundings with a newfound and captivating curiosity, yet her expression remained emotionless.

    After looking at her surroundings, Xiao Hua began inspecting her own body.

    "What''s wrong with this body? How long have I been asleep¡­?" she muttered in a low voice.

    In the midst of her inspection, Zhaohui eximed, "N-No! That''s not possible! You cannot be from the Asura n! I recognize every member of the Asura n but I do not recognize you! You must be an imposter!"

    Aftering to this conclusion, Zhaohui quickly regained control over his own emotions and calmed down.

    "That''s right. Now that I think about it, there''s no way someone from the Asure n would be here. But I must admit, your aura is so convincing that even I nearly fell for it. Unfortunately for you, I know every member of the Asura n, and you''re not one of them!"

    "..."

    Upon hearing Zhaohui''s words, Xiao Hua turned to look at him with a nonchnt expression.

    "An imposter¡­?" she mumbled in a low voice.

    "Of course! If you think about it, there''s no way in hell the Celestial Emperor would allow the Asura n to partake in the Supreme Heaven''s Legacy! That family of traitors and bloodthirsty demons would rot first before they get a chance at freedom!" Zhaohuiughed nervously.

    However, Xiao Hua remained nonchnt, and she spoke a momentter, "And who the hell are you? Did I really wake up for an ant like you? No, that''s not possible."

    Xiao Hua''s words made it seem like she was meeting Zhaohui for the first time, which made everyone there raise an eyebrow.

    "Whatever. I''ll quickly kill you and go back to sleep. I need to save as much energy as I can before ''he'' returns¡­"

    With a casual flick of her sleeve, Xiao Hua conjured a ck sword forged from her very own aura and wielded it.

    "I''d love to see you try, seeing how you couldn''t even catch my shadow just moments ago!" Zhaohui sneered in disdain as he activated his movement technique.

    Zhaohui''s figure disappeared like a ghost the next moment.

    Despite this, Xiao Hua remained standing still with a bored look on her face.

    "Can you speed it up a bit? I''ll fall asleep before you make a move at this rate." Xiao Hua asked right before she released a big yawn.

    ''Die!''

    When Zhaohui suddenly appeared behind Xiao Hua, his saber was already millimeters from reaching Xiao Hua''s small neck. Yet, it halted just a hair''s breadth away from her neck.

    "What?!" Zhaohui cried out in astonishment as he realized what out of some action movie.

    stopped his saber.

    With a mere two fingers, Xiao Hua had effortlessly caught the saber by the de and halted its movements as though it were a scene out of some action movie.

    In the following moment, without even looking back, Xiao Hua''s arm exhibited a fleeting flicker, vanishing and reappearing faster than the blink of an eye.

    "Arrrrgh!" Zhaohui unleashed a bone-chilling scream as all four of his limbs were separated from his body instantaneously with unimaginable pain spread throughout.

    After Zhaohui''s limbless body fell to the ground, Xiao Hua turned around to look at him with a disappointed look on her face.

    "I''ve slumbered for so long that my movements have grown rigid. Most displeasing indeed. I cannot afford to show such a shameful performance in ''his'' presence," Xiao Huamented.

    "En. I''ve decided. I''ll go back to sleep after I do some stretching."

    Xiao Hua then extended her finger, directing it towards Zhaohui, who remained in a state of shock, motionless on the ground.

    "Get up." Xiao Hua muttered as she released some of her ck aura at Zhaohui, engulfing his body like mes.

    In the next moment, a shocking spectacle unfolded as Zhaohui''s body miraculously began to regenerate its lost limb.

    "What¡­? What did you just do to me?!" Zhaohui screamed in a terrified manner as he crawled backward and away from Xiao Hua.

    "Be grateful, for this princess has bestowed upon you the privilege of a little more time in this world," Xiao Hua dered with a grim smile on her face. This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    "N-No! Stay away from me, you... you monster!" Zhaohui cried out, his previousbativeness reced by sheer terror as he gazed upon Xiao Hua as if she were a nightmarish creature.

    "Don''t tell me you''re frightened by this... imposter? How mundane. If you''re not willing to stand and fight, there''s little reason to prolong your existence any further," Xiao Hua remarked with an air of disdain.

    It was in this very moment that Zhaohui recognized Xiao Hua''s face, albeit slightly altered from his recollections. His eyes widened in sheer horror as he stammered, "Y-You can''t be¡­ Asura n''s Little De¡ª"

    Sha!

    Zhaohui''s head suddenly flew off its body before he could finish his sentence.

    After Zhaohui''s death, a profound and eerie silence enveloped the entire vicinity.

    "I¡­ I don''t think that''s Xiao Hua¡­ It can''t be her¡­" Lan Yingying suddenly broke the silence.

    "I''m inclined to agree. The disparity is too striking," Feng Yuxiang concurred with a shared sense of disbelief.

    Yuan gritted his teeth and began approaching her.

    "Xiao Hua!" he called out to her.

    Xiao Hua''s body trembled slightly after hearing her name.

    "Who dares utter that name in my presence...?" Xiao Hua''s voice thundered with wrath as she whirled around to confront Yuan, her aura surging with a tempestuous intensity. "Prepare to endure a thousand times the torment this insignificant insect just faced!"

    Without any hesitation, Xiao Hua pointed her sword at him.

    "You don''t recognize me?" Yuan swallowed nervously at this possibility.

    "As if I would remember a weakling like you¡ª" Xiao Hua''s voice abruptly halted.

    "You¡­ you¡­" Her eyes were as wide as saucers as she stared at Yuan''s face.

 Chapter 1247 Xiao Huas Drastic Transformation(2)

    Chapter 1247 Xiao Hua''s Drastic Transformation(2)

    "You¡­ you¡­ you¡­" Xiao Hua''s speech faltered as her thoughts raced to formte her next words.

    "Ah!" Suddenly, Xiao Hua let out a sharp cry of pain.

    "Xiao Hua?! Are you alright?!" Yuan eximed with deep concern in his voice.

    Xiao Hua dropped her sword, which dissipated into thin air upon contact with the ground, and she began to stagger, clutching her head in evident distress.

    "No¡­ Wait¡­ Not now! Just a few more minutes! There is still something that I must do!" Xiao Hua eximed, her words appearing as if she were in a conversation with herself.

    She looked at Yuan and extended one of her hands toward him, almost as though she was longing for him.

    "You¡­ Who are you¡­? Why do you look like¡ª Ah!"

    With one final scream, Xiao Hua lost consciousness and copsed to the ground, and her appearance began reverting back to normal.

    "Xiao Hua!" Yuan quickly went to pick her up, but there was no response from her.

    He immediately checked her vitals, sighing in relief upon confirming that she was still alive.

    "Is she okay?!" Xi Meili rushed over when she snapped out of her shock.

    "Yes, she''s just sleeping." Yuan nodded.

    "Xiao Hua is an Exile¡ª someone banished from the Nine Heavens because of a crime they or someone in their family hadmitted. "Anyways, what in heaven''s name just happened? Who is Xiao Hua?" Xi Meili''s body shuddered in fear just recalling Xiao Hua''s chilling aura and overbearing presence.

    "Xiao Hua is an Exile¡ª someone banished from the Nine Heavens because of a crime they or someone in their family hadmitted. In her case, her family hadmitted some kind of crime and became Exiles."

    "Hm? If they are banished from the Nine Heavens, how is she here? That other guy as well." Xi Meili asked the first question that came to her mind.

    "Because Exiles are given a chance at freedom through the Supreme Heaven''s Legacy. I don''t know the details, but if an Exile fulfills this legacy, they will be able to get rid of their status as an Exile and return to the Nine Heavens without being hunted by the entire world."

    "I see¡­ Her family must''ve done something unspeakable if someone like that guy was that terrified of her family." Xi Meili sighed as she nced at Zhaohui''s headless body.

    "..." Yuan wanted to defend the Asura n, but after witnessing Xiao Hua''s aura that reeked of blood, he couldn''t utter a word.

    <Xiao Hua''s status has been updated>

    Yuan checked her status after seeing this notification, and to his surprise, her Asura n techniques and other new information had disappeared, almost as though they were never there in the first ce.

    ''Just who is Xiao Hua, and how is she rted to the Evil God?'' He wondered inwardly.

    "My liege." A voice suddenly echoed in the vicinity.

    "This voice¡­ Is that you, Dong Ye?" Yuan stood up while carrying Xiao Hua in his arms.

    The following moment, Dong Ye appeared before him like a ghost, startling Xi Meili.

    "What''s the matter?" Yuan asked him.

    Dong Ye looked at the slumbering Xiao Hua and asked, "That presence I sensed just now. She must''ve awakened."

    Yuan nodded, "That''s right. What do you know about it?"

    "We can speak of thister, my liege. We must leave this ce immediately¡ª before the Heaven''s Mandate shows up."

    "Heaven''s Mandate? Who are they?" Yuan raised an eyebrow.

    "They are the Celestial Emperor''s private army, Young Master." Feng Yuxiang responded before Dong Ye could.

    "Oh? You know them?" Yuan asked.

    "It''s impossible not to, especially if you live in the Upper Heavens."

    "Indeed, and they will, without a doubt, kill her if they see her." Dong Ye said as he nced at Xiao Hua.

    "Let''s get out of here." Yuan quickly said after hearing that Xiao Hua''s life was in jeopardy.

    "Understood. By the way, my liege, should I take care of him? It won''t take longer than a second." Dong Ye spoke as he looked in the direction of Xiong Lu, who went into hiding after seeing Zhaohui being killed by Xiao Hua.

    Yuan pondered for a second before shaking his head, "Leave him be."

    "As you wish. Let me guide you to a secure location," Dong Ye dered, waving his sleeves and enveloping them in a shroud of inky ck smoke. After a few seconds, when the smoke dissipated, they vanished like ghosts, including Zhaohui''s corpse and blood.

    Once Yuan was gone, Xiong Lu could finally log out of the game and immediately did so. Because Zhaohui was his servant, he was unable to log out because he was technically inbat.

    Several minutes after Yuan''s group had departed, a contingent of figures adorned in gleaming silver armor arrived at the scene, each exuding an aura of profound and overwhelming power.

    "An aura that matched the Asura n had appeared in this location less than 10 minutes ago." One of the soldiers announced.

    "Are you certain? I can''t sense anything, and an aura belonging to the Asura n wouldn''t disappear so quickly." Another doubted this information.

    "The Asura n has been sealed away for countless years now. If even one of them had managed to escape, there''s no way we wouldn''t know about it. It must''ve been an error." This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    "I agree, but we still had to do our due diligence."

    "Hm? Isn''t that the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb? What a nostalgic ce. I remembering here right before I joined the Heaven''s Mandate." One of the soldiers reminisced.

    "Alright, enough fooling around. Let''s hurry up and take a look around. We''re still in the midst of a crisis with those escaped Immortals, after all."

    The soldiers began inspecting the area, and to nobody''s surprise, they couldn''t find any solid evidence that someone from the Asura n was there.

    "As I thought, there''s no way someone from the Asura n would be out here. That would be far more catastrophic than the escaped Immortals." The soldiers sighed in relief after they ended their investigation.

    "I would rather catch 100 escaped Immortals than deal with a single individual from the Asura n, especially that crazy bitch..."

    "Enough, we''re done here."

    The Heaven''s Mandate left the scene shortly after.

 Chapter 1248 The Secret to Player Yuans Progression

    Chapter 1248 The Secret to yer Yuan''s Progression

    After logging off the game, Xiong Lu shouted in anger as he tossed the console at the wall, shattering the headpiece, "Damn it! Who the fuck was that little girl?! How did she manage to butcher Zhaohui, who imed to be an Immortal, as though he was a mere baby?! And why is someone like that with Yuan?!"

    Xiong Lu couldn''t believe what he''d just witnessed. However, once he thought about it, it finally made sense why Yuan was progressing so fast whenpared to other yers, not to mention his tremendous prowess.

    "It must be due to that little girl! She must be the source of his strength! She must be a true Immortal while Zhaohui was a fake! Fuck! Why is he so fucking lucky?!"

    Upon hearing themotion inside Xiong Lu''s room, the servant waiting outside knocked on the door and inquired with a concerned voice, "Is everything all right, Young Master Xiong?"

    After a moment of silence, Xiong Lu responded in amanding voice, "Summon everyone to the Round Table immediately! Tell them that I have some new information on yer Yuan!"

    "R-Right away!" The servant scurried to call the Ten Great Families.

    Several hourster, ten individuals sat around a round table made of white marble. However, nine of these individuals did not have a physical body and appeared to be projections. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.

    The round table consisted of the top yer from each of the top ten Legacy Families, so prominent individuals such as Fiery Queen and White Lotus were present.

    "Hey, Xiong Lu, you''d better not be bluffing about having information on yer Yuan! I was in the middle of heading to a dungeon!" one of them dered in a discontented tone.

    "I''m more intrigued by your sudden willingness to share information about yer Yuan," Fiery Queen remarked.

    "I doubt he''ll share it with us for free." Another sneered.

    "Enough of the pointless chattering and let''s get to the topic. I want to return to my cultivation as soon as possible," said a bulky man.

    Xiong Lu then spoke, "I won''t charge anyone for this information since I believe we should work together to catch up to yer Yuan."

    "Catch up to yer Yuan? Are you out of your mind, Xiong Lu?" retorted another member. "I may not know his exact cultivation level, but I''m well aware that he possesses treasures beyond our reach for years toe."

    "It might sound preposterous at the moment, but what if I were to tell you that I''ve uncovered the secret to yer Yuan''s inexplicable growth and formidable strength?" Xiong Lu spoke with a solemn expression.

    "You what?!" The revtion left everyone at the round table utterly stunned.

    "Are you for real, Xiong Lu?! You better not be pulling my fucking legs!" Fiery Queen stood up and mmed the desk. The sound of her smacking her own table would resound through her speaker, but the actual table remained unmoving.

    "The secret to Yuan''s strength¡­?" Bai Lihua muttered with a slight frown on her face as she continued, "How can we even trust this information?"

    "You met with Yuan?"

    "Yes, in the Third Heaven."

    Xiong Lu nced at her and said, "Because I witnessed it with my own eyes."

    "You met with Yuan?"

    "Yes, in the Third Heaven."

    "..."

    "If you''re serious, then don''t keep us in suspense, Xiong Lu!" The others, understandably impatient, were eager to hear the details of this potentially monumental discovery.

    Xiong Lu nodded and proceeded to ask them, "Before I tell you his secret, I have a question for all of you. Do you know what an ''Exile'' is?"

    "Are you asking us for the definition? Be more clear!"

    Xiong Lu shook his head and said, "No, I am talking in the context of Cultivation Online. There are certain individuals in that world that are known as ''Exiles''. Do you know about them?"

    "..."

    A few individuals there had subtle movements on their faces after Xiong Lu''s rification, yet none of them responded to his question.

    Xiong Lu noticed this and sneered, "So a few of you in here are already aware of their existence. Don''t worry, I''m not going to me you for wanting to keep their existence to yourself, as they are the key to progressing fast in Cultivation Online. And there''s no point to keep it to yourself any longer since I will be exposing them to everyone today."

    "What?! What on earth are you talking about?! What are these ''Exiles''?" Fiery Queen demanded, her curiosity piqued.

    Someone who wasn''t Xiong Lu suddenly responded, "There are powerful NPCs within Cultivation Online that carry a legacy known as the Supreme Heaven''s Legacy. These individuals are essentially criminals that had been banished to the Primordial Realm, hence why they are called Exiles."

    "In exchange for helping themplete their legacy, which grants them freedom, they will assist you in many ways, such as granting you knowledge and techniques that aren''t essible elsewhere, and protecting you from harm¡ª like a guardian angel."

    "These Exiles are very powerful and are usually Immortal Cultivators, so they have many priceless knowledge and techniques that will greatly assist your progression in Cultivation Online."

    "If you have an Exile by your side, you will, without a doubt, progress countless times faster than those without one. The only downside is that you''ll be hunted by other NPCs if they find out you are working with an Exile. And since they are criminals, they have questionable morals and will do nasty things that you need to turn a blind eye to if you want their help."

    The room fell dead silent afterward. Those who did not know about the existence of Exiles until today tried their best to digest the information while those who are already aware of their existence pondered about their own Exiles.

    Eventually, someone there broke the silence, "Xiong Lu, are you trying to tell us that yer Yuan''s secret is that he has an Exile by his side? If so, I''d alreadye to that conclusion when I met mine."

    "Me too. However, that still doesn''t make any sense. I also have an Exile by my side, but I still can''t seem to catch up to him. Though, I only met my Exile about a month ago, so that might be the real reason why I am still behind."

    "Chen Huacheng, you sly bastard. How could you keep this information to yourself?! Aren''t we in the same Alliance?!" Fiery Queen gritted her teeth in frustration, feeling left out.

    "Hmph. Don''t give me that crap. If you were in my shoes, you would''ve done the same thing." Chen Huacheng sneered.

 Chapter 1249 Working Together

    Chapter 1249 Working Together

    "So, how many of us here are being apanied by an Exile?" Chen Huacheng asked them before raising his own hand.

    And he continued, "I met mine a month ago, and my progress has skyrocketed since then."

    Three more individuals there raised their hands.

    "Wilson Junior, Zheng Yanwu, and Gu Banqiao, huh?" Fiery Queen named these three.

    "Xiong Lu, you don''t have an Exile?" Chen Huacheng asked him.

    "N-No..." Xiong Lu hesitated, unable to divulge the grim truth that his Exile had already met their demise at Yuan''s hands, as he was certain that they would make him into aughingstock for such a blunder.

    "So, four out of ten of us have an Exile, huh? This makes me wonder just how many more yers out there are receiving assistance from them," mused Zheng Yanwu, a young man with a schrly appearance. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.

    "Wait. How does one even acquire an Exile?" Fiery Queen suddenly asked.

    She turned to look at the four with an Exile and continued, "How did you guys meet yours? Is there a specific location where you meet them?

    "As far as I am aware, they don''t have any specific locations or triggers. They are scattered about in the Nine Heavens, so it''s entirely up to fate whether you encounter one or not¡ª kind of like hidden quests." Wilson Junior said, and he continued, "I encountered my Exile in Second Heaven about three months ago during a quest."

    "I also encountered mine randomly while adventuring in Third Heaven." Gu Banqiao added.

    "Same here." Chen Huacheng chimed in.

    "Damn it! There must be some kind of pattern or method to encounter them!" Queen Fiery eximed in frustration, her desire for an Exile''s assistance burning within her.

    ''At this rate, I''ll end upgging behind everyone¡ª even to some nobody who lucked out with an encounter, like yer Yuan!'' Fiery Queen''s concerns were shared by those without an Exile. It was bing increasingly evident that having an Exile''s assistance was pivotal to their sess in Cultivation Online, and the disparity between those with and without an Exile would only widen as time passed.

    "Now that I think about it, yer Yuan received a Divine-grade servant even before the Second Heaven was unlocked. It''s no wonder that his progression was so much faster than the rest of us! That bastard''s had help from an Exile from the start since First Heaven!" Li Hongzhi, who did not have an Exile, eximed in vexation.

    Xiong Lu then spoke, "Not just that. His Exile was terrifyingly powerful. I watched her y a Peak Spirit King without breaking a sweat¡ª it was like watching an adult messing around with a damn toy! I have never seen anyone that dreadful before!"

    The room fell silent for a moment until someone said, "Anyways, what do you want us to do with this information?"

    After a moment of silence, Xiong Lu spoke in a cold voice, "His Exile may be powerful, but I doubt she''s strong enough to handle multiple Exiles at once. If we group up and kill the Exile, yer Yuan''s progression will definitelye to a halt, and we''ll no longer have to worry about him! He''s useless without the Exile!"

    "What?! That''s uneptable! I refuse to be a part of this cowardly nonsense!" Bai Lihua dered as she stood up, her face filled with anger.

    Xiong Lu looked at her and sneered in disdain, "Why? Because you''re screwing him?"

    "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Bai Lihua''s brow furrowed deeply, her gaze oozing with killing intent.

    "Did you think we wouldn''t find out about what happened between your Bai Family and the Zheng Family? I wouldn''t be surprised if you had offered your body to him for his services. Why else would he bother paying attention to the Bai Family?"

    "You utter bastard, Xiong Lu! How dare you nder me with that load of crap! It''s clear you''re just bitter because Yuan knocked you off your high horse! And your desire to gang up on him is nothing but a testament to your own inadequacy! You''re nothing more than a damn coward and a sore loser!" Bai Lihua seethed with rage, her words dripping with contempt.

    "You dare mock me?! I''ve been number one even before you started ying your first game, White Lotus! Do you think he''s beaten me just because he got a little lucky with an Exile?! Delusional!" Xiong Lu roared back, his heart filled with rage.

    "Delusional or not, it''s still a fact that Yuan''s above you in Cultivation Online and in real life! You''re just in denial!"

    "Fuck! Don''t you let me see you in the game! I swear I will make you regret mocking me, White Lotus, you fucking bitch!"

    "Calm down, both of you," the others intervened, attempting to defuse the escting tension in the room.

    "Hmph! If you want to group up and fight Yuan, go ahead! I won''t be part of it! In fact, even if everyone here gangs up on him, you won''t win! Goodbye!" Without saying another word, Bai Lihua''s avatar disappeared from the room.

    After Bai Lihua left, the room descended into a heavy silence, punctuated only by the audible sound of Xiong Lu''sbored breathing.

    "I won''t waste any more of my breath. If you don''t want to work with me to deal with yer Yuan, you may get out of my sight right now. However, just know that you will never receive the Xiong Family''s support ever again if you refuse to help."

    The others swallowed nervously in the wake of his ominous words. Although they might not have appeared particrly significant on the surface, the Xiong Family held a formidable and influential position in the world, maintaining their coveted rank at the pinnacle of the Legacy Rankings for well over a century. They were definitely a powerhouse that one cannot afford to offend.

    When nobody left the room even after a whole minute, Xiong Lu sat back down and nodded, "Good, then let us begin."

    "Wait a moment." Fiery Queen suddenly interrupted.

    "What is it?" Xiong Lu red at her.

    "What should we do with White Lotus? She knows of our ns and will definitely snitch to yer Yuan."

    "I''m sure she will do just that, but there''s no need to worry. Even if she does tell yer Yuan about our ns, they won''t know when or how it will happen, and yer Yuan will have to constantly watch she does tell yer Yuan about our ns, they won''t know when or how it will happen, and yer Yuan will have to constantly watch his back." Xiong Lu said.

    "If you say so..." Fiery Queen nodded.

 Chapter 1250 The Plan to Take Down Player Yuan

    Chapter 1250 The n to Take Down yer Yuan

    "So, do you already have a n for taking down yer Yuan?" Zheng Yanwu asked Xiong Lu.

    "I do, and it''s very simple." Xiong Lu nodded, and he continued, "We will gather as many Exiles as we can and work together to deal with yer Yuan."

    "..."

    Wilson Junior let out a sigh. "While that might sound straightforward, you don''t have an Exile, do you? So, you might not be aware that Exiles don''t typically cooperate with one another."

    "Junior is right, Xiong Lu," Gu Banqiao agreed, "Exiles won''t work with other Exiles. Do you know why? Because only one Exile mayplete the Supreme Heaven''s Legacy, there''s no reason for them to help each other. In fact, they rather kill each other to lessen thepetition."

    "What the hell? If that''s the case, they will never work with each other!" Fiery Queen eximed.

    "What''s our n now, Xiong Lu?"

    "The n remains." Xiong Lu calmly replied.

    "Huh? Didn''t you hear what I just said?" Wilson Junior frowned, and he repeated, "Exiles won''t work with each other! It''s thest thing they''ll do!"

    "I heard what you said. They won''t coborate with each other because they''re rivals, correct?" Xiong Lu inquired with a grave expression. "But what if there were an Exile capable of threatening them all? Won''t they work with each other to deal with that threat?"

    Despite hisck of knowledge about the Asura n, Xiong Lu could discern that Xiao Hua was a formidable presence solely by observing Zhaohui''s extreme reaction to her presence.

    "An Exile capable of threatening them all? Where did you get such information?" Fiery Queen asked.

    "I witnessed her effortlessly ughter a Peak Spirit King as if it were child''s y," Xiong Lu recounted, his tone carrying a weight of awe and dread.

    The others swallowed nervously upon seeing his frightened expression, this being their first time seeing such an emotion from Xiong Lu. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.

    "So what if this Exile is a little strong? I doubt it will make the others work together." Gu Banqiao sighed.

    "Tell your Exiles that this particr Exile is from the Asura n and see how they react. If they show even the slightest hint of fear, ask them if they would be willing to work with others to take her down. We can postpone the meeting until you have received an answer." Xiong Lu said.

    "Asura n? Who are they?" Someone asked.

    "I don''t know." Xiong Lu shook his head.

    "Alright, I will speak with my Exile now. I''ll be back soon." Wilson Junior said before disappearing from the room.

    The others with an Exile followed suit.

    "For those without an Exile, I think I can help you find one." Xiong Lu said to them.

    "What?! Is that true?!" Fiery Queen eximed in excitement.

    Xiong Lu nodded and continued, "Exiles have a unique aura to them, so we can let those who already have an Exile search for them. Once they find an Exile, those without one can try and make a contract with them."

    "Seriously¡­? Will that really work?" Everyone swallowed nervously.

    "We won''t know until we try it, but it''s theoretically possible. We''ll know soon enough."

    While Xiong Lu and the others waited for those who left to speak with their Exile to return, Bai Lihua tried to contact Yuan.

    Unsurprisingly, Yuan did not respond, so Bai Lihua called the Demon Sealing Faction instead.

    "This is the Demon Sealing Faction, who am I speaking to?" A mature voice resounded from the other end of Bai Lihua''s phone.

    "I am Bai Lihua from Eternal Lotuses, and I need to speak with Yuan immediately."

    "Oh, Miss Bai. I have heard about you. I am Meifeng, the Head Caretaker. Unfortunately, Yuan is upied with Cultivation Online

    ¡ª he has been for the past six months. Though, he should be returning soon. If you have a message, I can pass it on to him for you."

    "I wanted to warn him about the Ten Great Families. They have decided to work together to fight Yuan¡ª and they will be going after his ''Exile''." Bai Lihua said.

    "The Ten Great Families, huh... What a nuisance," Meifeng muttered with a heavy sigh, and she continued, "Thank you for letting me know, Miss Bai. I will let Yuan know when hees back."

    "Considering Yuan''s strength, I may be pointlessly worrying about this, but the Ten Great Families are not to be trifled with." Bai Lihua sighed.

    Meanwhile, inside Cultivation Online, Wilson Junior asked his Exile, who was a skinny man with a murderous aura.

    "That''s the gist of it, Wu Wenjun."

    "You want me to work with other Exiles? Fuck no. I''d rather kill all of them¡ª No, I will kill any Exile I see!" Wu Wenjun dered in disdain.

    Wilson Junior frowned slightly before uttering the magic words that Xiong Lu taught him, "What do you know of the Asura n?"

    "W-What did you just say...?" A look of sheer terror instantly washed over Wu Wenjun''s face upon hearing the name of the Asura n.

    ''S-Seriously? It works? Just what the hell is this Asura n?'' Wilson Junior was taken aback when he witnessed Wu Wenjun''s terrified face, as he had never seen him disy such intense emotions before.

    "Junior! W-Where in heaven did you hear that name?!" Wu Wenjun inquired urgently.

    "I heard it from a friend, and there is an Exile out there that is from this Asura Family." Wilson Junior exined.

    partake in the Supreme Heaven''s Legacy! In fact, they have been barred from participating since the first day they were banished!"

    "N-No¡­ That''s impossible!" Wu Wenjun eximed with a look of disbelief, "There''s no way the Asura n would be allowed to partake in the Supreme Heaven''s Legacy! In fact, they have been barred from participating since the first day they were banished!"

    "Unfortunately, my friend encountered this Exile from the Asura n, and she was extremely powerful, hence why he wants to gather Exiles to fight her together."

    "Is it really possible for the Asura n to partake in the Supreme Heaven''s Legacy? I''ve been out of the Primordial Realm for 10,000 years, so things could''ve changed since then¡­" Wu Wenjun mumbled to himself with a solemn expression.

    "If that''s indeed the situation, then it''s imperative that we unite to eliminate them first, or else the Asura n will annihte everyst one of us!"

 Chapter 1251 Massive Recruitment

    Chapter 1251 Massive Recruitment

    "You want me to team up with other Exiles to deal with a single Exile? Hahaha! Are you messing with me, Zheng Yanwu?!" Zheng Yanwu''s Exile, a stout middle-aged man, erupted inughter at the absurdity of the suggestion.

    "Let me finish, Xie Jin. She''s not just any Exile¡ª she''s an Exile from the Asura n." Zheng Yanwu said the magic words.

    "..." Xie Jin''sughter abruptly ceased, and his face froze, overtaken by a profound and visceral terror.

    "A-Asura n...? You want me to fight someone from the Asura n?! Are youpletely out of your mind?! I''d sooner devour my own tongue than meddle with those monsters!" Xie Jin eximed, his voice quivering with dread.

    "Is this Asura n really that terrifying? I''ve only learned about them from a friend." Zheng Yanwu frowned.

    "Are you seriously proposing that we take on the Asura n when you know absolutely nothing about them?" Xie Jin retorted incredulously.

    "The Asura n was once one of the most notorious powerhouses in the Nine Heavens! They aligned themselves with the Evil God and massacred countless cultivators, ultimately even killing the Celestial Emperor himself! Because of their crimes, their entire n was banished to the Primordial Realm for the rest of their lives!" Xie Jin exined with a tone of gravity, providing context about the Asura n''s dark history.

    And he continued, "Even a hundred of us would not be able to defeat one of them, much less a dozen of us!"

    Zheng Yanwu was inclined to believe that Xie Jin might be exaggerating and responded, "Even if that''s the case, their powers should be restricted as an Exile."

    "You clearly know nothing about them. What''s terrifying about the Asura n isn''t just their power; it''s their very nature," Xie Jin sighed in a defeated manner, emphasizing the sinister essence that made the Asura n so fearsome. "They are a bunch of crazy bastards that wouldn''t hesitate to torture your entire family if you identally bump into them."

    "In any case, I strongly rmend against getting involved in this endeavor, unless you have a desire for a gruesome demise," Xie Jin warned with utmost seriousness. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    Zheng Yanwupsed into silence upon witnessing Xie Jin''s strong reluctance to join their campaign against Yuan''s Exile. Xie Jin was known for his ruthlessness, even willing to ughter innocent bystanders without hesitation, yet his unwavering determination to avoid the Asura n was a revtion that left him astounded.

    "Fine, if you don''t want to join, I won''t pressure you. But I''m going to be a part of this even if I have to go alone. That scoundrel Yuan... He murdered my cousin and wreaked havoc in my family! I won''t let him go unpunished!" Zheng Yanwu dered with determination.

    Following Yuan''s intervention in the conflict between Bai Lihua and Zheng Weimin, the Bai Family and the Zheng Family became sworn enemies. Furthermore, the Zheng Family which was ranked 5th in the Legacy Ranking before the drama urred was dropped to the 8th ce, pping their faces even further.

    "You stubborn fool¡­" Xie Jin shook his head and thought, ''I will probably have to start looking for a new master soon¡­''

    Several cities away, Gu Banqiao was having a simr conversation with his Exile, who was a prettydy.

    "Since we don''t know if this Exile is truly from the Asura Family or not, I won''t make a decision until I see her myself. However, until then, I''ll cooperate with you and the other Exiles. And in exchange for my cooperation, you''ll let me have some funter without anyints."

    Gu Banqiao shivered upon hearing her words, sensing a deeper and more ominous implication beneath their surface.

    "Fine, just don''t kill too many people," he sighed.

    Sometimeter, everyone gathered at the round table.

    "How did it go? Did you guys manage to convince your Exiles to cooperate with each other?" Xiong Lu asked them.

    "My Exile is willing to cooperate," Wilson Junior said.

    "My Exile refused to give an answer until she saw the target for herself," said Gu Banqiao.

    "Well, my Exile has outright refused to cooperate. He wants nothing to do with the Asura n¡ª or so he said." Zheng Yanwu sighed, and he continued, "But I will continue trying to convince him. Even if he doesn''t cooperate, I will do whatever I can to help."

    Zheng Yanwu, Gu Banqiao, I have a crucial mission for the three of you. I want you to use your own Exiles to seek out other Exiles. If "I understand. I''m sure those who are unwilling to cooperate will change their mind once we gather more forces." Xiong Lu said.

    And he continued,"Now, on to the next matter. Wilson Junior, Zheng Yanwu, Gu Banqiao, I have a crucial mission for the three of you. I want you to use your own Exiles to seek out other Exiles. If that Exile doesn''t have a Master, inform us so those without an Exile can have an opportunity to acquire one. If they already have a Master, I want you to recruit them, no matter the cost."

    "Using our Exile to look for other Exiles, huh? This is pretty genius¡­" Wilson Junior muttered.

    "How much time are we going to use to prepare for this whole campaign?" Zheng Yanwu asked.

    "As much time as we need, but that does not mean we should take our time. If we take too long and yer Yuan reaches a point where we cannot defeat him even if we work together, we''ll be screwed."

    "If time is of the essence, we can use the Ten Great Families'' power and influence. If we make an announcement about this, we should get a few recruits. Things will definitely progress much faster this way." Gu Banqiao suggested.

    Xiong Lu nodded in agreement. "That''s a sound n. I''m certain the knowledge of Exiles will be public eventually. We should leverage our influence to recruit them before it besmon knowledge," he concurred.

    Thus, the following day, nine of the ten Great Families came together and coborated with each other in a single, massive recruitment, something that had never been done before.

    They announced that they were recruiting yers with an ''Exile'', offering immense benefits, such as fame, wealth, and power, something the Ten Great Families were fully capable of fulfilling. However, they did not borate on the existence of Exiles, so their announcement also puzzled countless yers.

 Chapter 1252 Massive Recruitment(2)

    Chapter 1252 Massive Recruitment(2)

    Within minutes of the Ten Great Families'' recruitment announcement, hundreds of yers beganmenting on it, and word spread like wildfire through the mouths of tens of thousands of individuals.

    "Hey, did you see thetest post on Cultivation Online''s forum?"

    "Not yet. What does it say?"

    "You probably won''t believe it until you see it yourself, but the Ten Great Families have joined forces for a recruitment drive."

    "The Ten Great Families are working together? Now that''s something you don''t hear every day. In fact, this might be a first. What kind of recruitment is it?"

    "I''m not exactly sure. They mentioned something about ''Exiles'', but I have never heard of this term until today."

    "Let me check it out real quick."

    The recruitment post shared by the Ten Great Families on the forums was an attention-grabbing deration:

    [We are in search of exceptional yers who boast the rare privilege of having an ''Exile'' as theirpanion for a unique and monumental quest. If you are among the fortunate few, we extend an exclusive invitation to join hands with us¡ª the Ten Great Families.

    For those who are sessfully recruited, a treasure trove of rewards awaits. First and foremost, you will be granted the privilege of selecting a coveted Heaven-grade treasure of your choosing, a testament to ourmitment to your prosperity. But that''s not all. You will also receive an upfront payment of 5 million dors to further your personal endeavors. Upon the sessfulpletion of our quest, you will be entitled to an additional 10 million dors as a token of our appreciation for your unwavering dedication.

    Moreover, your association with the Ten Great Families extends beyond mere material benefits. You and your family will receive official recognition as our valued associates, opening doors to a future of boundless opportunities and security under our patronage. Your sess will be our sess, and your ambitions will be our shared goals.

    Join us now and embark on a journey that will not only reshape your destiny but will alsoy the foundation for a legacy that will endure through the ages. The Ten Great Families awaits you with open arms and unparalleled promises.]

    [Approved and coborated by¡ª Xiong Family, Wilson Family, Chen Family, Li Family, Zheng Family, Huang Family, Harris Family, Gu Family, and Walkers Family.]

    The recruitment notice, posted on the Xiong Family''s official ount, carried the signatures of all the other families, confirming its undeniable legitimacy.

    "Holy shit¡­ These rewards are insane! Heaven-grade treasure! 15 million dors! And arguably the most valuable reward¡ª the Ten Great Families'' recognition and support!"

    The enticing rewards offered by the Ten Great Families triggered a also quickly rooted out with a few questions that only those with an Exile would know.

    flood of inquiries from Cultivation Online yers. However, a significant portion of these individuals had no understanding of what an Exile was, and as a result, they were swiftly disregarded.

    There were some who tried to fake having an Exile, but they were also quickly rooted out with a few questions that only those with an Exile would know.

    As the day drew to a close, Xiong Lu assessed the number of yers who might possess an Exile and couldn''t help but smile with satisfaction.

    "Twenty-six yers and it''s only the first day," Xiong Lu remarked with a sense of anticipation for the days ahead.

    Over the course of the next several days, hundreds of thousands of yers reached out to the Ten Great Families. By the week''s end, a rigorous screening process had narrowed the field down to 81 yers who had sessfully passed all initial inquiries and were now eagerly awaiting their in-person interviews.

    "Eighty-one yers¡­ Even if only half of them have an Exile, it''s still a lot¡­" Xiong Lu''s hands trembled in excitement as he saw the numbers.

    "We can do it! We can take down Yuan! I cannot wait to see how useless you''ll be without your Exile, Yuan! Hahahaha!" Xiong Lu couldn''t hold his excitement and startedughing out loud.

    Meanwhile, inside the Demon Sealing Faction''s headquarters, a meeting was in session, attended by all of its members except for Yuan.

    "This is about the Ten Great Families'' recent movements, correct?" Wang Ming asked as he looked at Meifeng, who called for the gathering.

    "Indeed. I don''t know what this Exile business is about, but I do know that it''s rted to Yuan," she acknowledged.

    "I''ve never heard of it, either. What about you guys?" Shi Lang asked everyone there.

    Everyone besides Chu Liuxiang and Meixiu shook their heads.

    "Allow me to exin." Meixiu raised her hand and said.

    "In Cultivation Online, there are these people known as an ''Exile''. They are essentially criminals that had been banished from the Nine Heavens because of a crime they or their family hadmitted."

    "Exiles possess something known as the Supreme Heaven''s Legacy. I''m not privy to the specifics, but it''s a means for them to regain their freedom. One of Yuan''spanions, Xiao Hua, happens to be an Exile."

    So the Ten Great Families are gathering these Exiles... But for what purpose?" Wang Bingbing inquired.

    Meifeng then revealed, "I had initially intended to wait for Yuan''s return to share this information, but it appears that the Ten Great Families are specifically targeting Yuan and his Exile."

    "What?! These dirty bastards are working together to target Yuan?! Uneptable!" Wang Ming mmed the table in anger. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    "Honestly, I''ve been anticipating their move, and it took them longer than I expected," Hong Xiuquan remarked.

    "However, I didn''t anticipate them coborating, given their historical rivalry," he added.

    "That just goes to show how much of a threat Yuan poses to them, particrly in terms of their Legacy Ranking," Xi Murong shrugged.

    "What should we do? We can''t simply stand by and allow the Ten Great Families to target Yuan," Chu Liuxiang inquired with a slight frown on her face.

    "Do we truly need to take action? After all, this is Yuan we''re discussing," Li Jinxi stated, and went on, "He''s already attained a level that''s beyond ourprehension. I doubt even the Ten Great Families, if they amass their forces, could pose any real threat to him."

    "That''s a valid point..." No one could dispute Li Jinxi''s assessment, and a contemtive silence filled the room.

 Chapter 1253 God Ascension Realm

    Chapter 1253 God Ascension Realm

    "While I share the belief that Yuan can handle the Ten Great Families even if they unite, I also feel that we should make an effort to support him. After all, we''re all members of the same faction¡ªwe can''t simply stand idle while our leader is under threat," Wang Ming said.

    "I concur with that sentiment, but the question is, what should our course of action be?" Hong Xiuquan inquired.

    A heavy silence settled over the room as those present contemted potential strategies.

    Xi Murong was the first to speak out, "The Ten Great Families are recruiting Exiles, right? What if we infiltrate them and mess with them from the inside?"

    "Huh? Don''t we actually need an Exile to do such a thing?" Wang Bingbing said.

    "Well, I was thinking that one of us could pretend to be an Exile, especially since one can''t the difference between an NPC and a yer at a nce."

    "I''m sure they will have some kind of verification in ce to prevent such incidents," Wu Zao said.

    Meixiu nodded in agreement and added, "Wu Zao is correct. Exiles emit a distinctive aura, making it rtively easy to discern whether someone is an Exile or not based on their aura alone."

    "Oh¡­ In that case, forget my suggestion¡­" Xi Murong sighed in defeat.

    "How powerful are Exiles? I mean, what''s stopping us from attacking them first?" Shi Lang suddenly asked.

    "I think their powers vary, but since they have all lived a long time, there''s a good chance that most of them are quite powerful, and at our level, we''ll only be digging our own graves if we even attempt to ambush them." Meixiu shook her head.

    "Damn it¡­ Is there truly nothing we can do to stop the Ten Great Families'' plot?" Wang Ming gritted his teeth in frustration.

    Meifeng then spoke, "I understand all of your desires to help Yuan, but at the end of the day, we should wait for his response before we get ahead of ourselves."

    "Speaking of Yuan, when''s heing back out? It''s already been half a year since he entered the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb, correct?" Wang Bingbing asked.

    "He''s probably caught up in something like he usually does." Chu Liuxiang shrugged, and she continued, "Though, I doubt it''ll be much longer before he returns."

    "Then let''s give Yuan another week to return before we make any decision," Meifeng said.

    "Alright." The members all agreed.

    Meanwhile, inside Cultivation Online, Dong Ye brought Yuan and his group to a secluded location nestled amidst an expansive mountain range.

    "Wee to my humble estate, my liege." Dong Ye said as they approached a wooden cabin that he''d personally built.

    "You are living here¡­?" Yuan asked out of curiosity.

    "I am always traveling, so I onlye here when I take a break or need to do something in peace. There''s also a concealment formation surrounding this area, so you don''t need to worry about anything while you are in here."

    Once they were inside the building, Yuan carefullyid Xiao Hua, who was still unconscious, on the bed.

    "So, are you going to tell me about what happened to Xiao Hua, or is this still against ''my'' ownmand?" Yuan looked at Dong Ye, who could only stand there with a bittersweet smile.

    "As much as I desire to rify matters for my liege, I''m afraid I can''t divulge any information about her, as it might influence your fate. Nevertheless, if you inquire about it when she awakens and she chooses to reveal it, I''ll be in a better position to provide additional details based on the circumstances," Dong Ye exined.

    "I thought so¡­" Yuan sighed.

    "Hey¡­ Yuan¡­ Who''s that old man? I can feel an otherworldly auraing from him." Xi Meili whispered to him.

    "He''s a follower from my past life¡ª the Evil God to be precise."

    "I see¡­ So he must be very powerful."

    "Well, he''s almost a Cultivation God, so I guess you can say that." Yuan nonchntly revealed, dropping a bombshell of information.

    "W-What?! Cultivation God?!" Xi Meili eximed in a voice filled with astonishment and disbelief.

    "Unfortunately, this humble one is only at the 7th level of God Ascension realm. I am nowhere near being a Cultivation God, and I highly doubt I will be able to achieve it in this life." Dong Ye shook his head in a dejected manner. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    "That''s merely three levels away from a Cultivation God¡ªthe highest known cultivation realm!" Xi Meili remarked, her astonishment growing by the moment.

    "While these three levels may seem close to each other, each level in the God Ascension realm is so vastly distant from each other that it can only be traversed by those with extreme talents and no amount of hard work or treasure will help you fill that gap," Dong Yemented with a sigh, emphasizing the immense chasm between these cultivation stages.

    "Let''s put it this way: if I wanted to defeat someone at the 8th level of God Ascension, I''d have to clone myself at least a dozen times and rely on extraordinary luck just to stand a chance," Dong Ye borated, causing Xi Meili to swallow nervously.

    Xi Meili then turned to look at Yuan and asked him, "What cultivation were you in your past lives?"

    "I don''t know." He shrugged.

    "My liege has managed to reach Cultivation God in the majority of his lives." Dong Ye said.

    "The majority? So there are times when he didn''t?" Xi Meili found this quite interesting.

    "That''s even more puzzling. Why not?"

    "Unfortunately, I cannot divulge any more, as I wasmanded by Dong Ye nodded and exined, "Indeed, but it wasn''t due to ack of talent, as my liege''s talent only increases with every reincarnation, so he didn''t reach Cultivation God by choice."

    "That''s even more puzzling. Why not?"

    "Unfortunately, I cannot divulge any more, as I wasmanded by my liege''s incarnation to not reveal too much, as it could affect his fate."

    "Is that so¡­ Then I have another question. How are you able to stay in this realm at that level of cultivation? Doesn''t it get increasingly harder to go to the lower realms the higher your cultivation?"

    "Indeed, but when you''ve been doing it for millions of years like I have, you''re bound to pick up a trick or two to make things a bit easier," Dong Ye chuckled, almost boasting of his ability to defy thews of the Nine Heavens through his extensive experience.

 Chapter 1254 Ancient Seals Whereabouts

    Chapter 1254  Ancient Seals'' Whereabouts

    Xiao Hua remained in her slumber for several days, during which time Yuan silently cultivated beside her. Even though his cultivation had reached its limit, Yuan continued to refine his understanding of his techniques, seeking further mastery.

    Xi Meili, on the other hand, spent most of her time outside the cabin, relishing the fresh air and finding fascination in even the minutest details of her surroundings.

    As for Dong Ye, he disappeared somewhere.

    At the end of the week, Xiao Hua slowly opened her eyes, feeling as though she had just emerged from a long hibernation.

    "Brother Yuan¡­?" she muttered for him in a low voice the moment she saw his handsome face beside her.

    Yuan promptly ceased his cultivation upon hearing her voice and turned his attention to her. "Are you alright, Xiao Hua? How do you feel?" he inquired with concern.

    Xiao Hua gradually sat up on the bed and replied, "My head feels a bit strange, but I''m fine."

    "Do you remember what happened before you lost consciousness?" Yuan inquired further.

    Xiao Hua closed her eyes and made an effort to recollect the events that urred after she released her seal. After a moment of silence, she shook her head and said, "It''s a nk. I don''t remember anything that happened after I undid the seal..." N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.

    She turned to look at him and asked with a hint of worry in her gaze, "What happened to me, Brother Yuan? Did I do something bad?"

    "I wouldn''t call it bad, since you merely defeated your opponent, who was the bad guy in that situation."

    "Is that so¡­" Xiao Hua seemed a little bit more relieved after hearing his words.

    "..."

    The room filled with awkward silence when neither of them spoke any further.

    A momentter, Xiao Hua broke the silence by asking him, "Brother Yuan¡­ are you not going to ask me about what happened?"

    Yuan smiled and said, "No, because I know that you''ll tell me whenever you are ready."

    Xiao Hua''s face flushed a little after hearing such words.

    Xiao Hua then lowered her head to the extent that Yuan could no longer discern her expression, and then she divulged, "There''s another person residing within me. Sealed, to be precise. She''s a formidable cultivator who possesses unfathomable prowess¡ª at least this is what my Father told me."

    "Your father... the patriarch of the Asura n?" Yuan inquired.

    Xiao Hua nodded in confirmation. "Yes. He imparted numerous teachings to me before I departed the Primordial Realm for the Supreme Heaven''s Legacy. He told me that if I ever found myself in peril or required aid, I could awaken the individual sealed within me and depend on her for assistance."

    "Each time I release her, I transform into a different person and unleash chaos. This is why I''ve been hesitant to awaken her. However, I did not want to lose to that guy and be a burden to Brother Yuan, so I requested for her help." Xiao Hua admitted.

    After a slight pause, she continued, "If Brother Yuan doesn''t like the other Xiao Hua, I will never wake her up again."

    Yuan contemted for a moment before responding, "While the drastic shift in personality was certainly surprising, and her initial impression was rather memorable, I can''t im to dislike her without knowing more about her."

    "She''s an expert, right? I bet we can even learn a thing or two from her."

    "You really don''t mind her, Brother Yuan?" Xiao Hua looked at him with slightly widened eyes.

    When she was still in the Primordial Realm, everyone would flee in terror after encountering her other identity.

    Yuan nodded to confirm, "I don''t mind her at all right now. I''ll start worrying if she turns out to be a bad person, though."

    "Un!" Xiao Hua acknowledged, feeling as though an invisible burden had been alleviated from her shoulders.

    Meanwhile, above the cabin, Dong Ye had been listening to Xiao Hua''s words.

    "Another person sealed within her, huh? While not entirely urate, it''s notpletely wrong, either." He mumbled with a mysterious smile on his face.

    Dong Ye returned to the cabin after some time.

    "My liege, what are your ns now that you''ve explored the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb?" he inquired.

    "I''m nning to visit the Tian Family. They must be concerned since I haven''t returned to them as promised after our exploration," Yuan responded.

    "I understand. In that case, I''ll lead you to the nearest city with a teleporter," Dong Ye replied.

    "Before you do that, I have a favor to ask of you," Yuan said.

    "Whatever you ask, my liege, I shall execute it without fail," Dong Ye pledged.

    "This might be a difficult task, but I want you to attempt to uncover who possesses the four Ancient Seals necessary to open the Primordial Realm," Yuan requested.

    He continued, "I am aware that they convene every decade, but the exact time and location remain unknown to me. Naturally, I don''t intend on waiting for their gathering, so I am contemting locating them before their next gathering."

    "Brother Yuan...?" Xiao Hua gazed at him with a perplexed and astonished expression.

    "The Ancient Seals, huh¡­ Are you nning to visit the Primordial Realm, my liege?" Dong Ye inquired.

    "Would that be a problem?" Yuan questioned, his eyebrows raised.

    "No, none at all. I just wanted to confirm your intentions. In any case, there are four Ancient Seals in total, each in possession of one of the Four Ancient Families. However, the precise holders of these seals remain unknown," Dong Ye exined.

    And he continued, "While I''m unaware of the whereabouts of three of these seals, I happen to know that one of them currently resides in this world¡ªthe Third Heaven."

    "Really?" Yuan was pleasantly surprised to hear this, and he asked, "Do you also happen to know the holder?"

    Dong Ye nodded, confirming, "I do. Liang Xiaosheng¡ª he''s the retired patriarch of the Azure Dragon Family."

    "Wait a second. Azure Dragon Family?" Yuan doubted his ears for a moment.

    Xi Meili, who had just reentered the cabin, reacted with anger and shock upon hearing their name. "What! The Azure Dragon Family exists out here as well?!"

 Chapter 1255 Returning to the Tian Family

    Chapter 1255 Returning to the Tian Family

    "The Azure Dragon Family! What are they doing in the outside world?" Xi Meili asked, her expression filled with disbelief as she turned to Dong Ye for answers.

    Dong Ye wore a puzzled expression. "I... don''t understand."

    Yuan cleared his throat and began to exin the situation, recounting what had transpired between the Xi Family and the Azure Dragon Family.

    "I understand the situation now. Thank you, my liege," Dong Ye acknowledged. "To answer your question, no, they are not the same Azure Dragon Family as the one you encountered."

    Xi Meili remained suspicious. "Really? Are you sure?"

    "Of course. The Azure Dragon Family I am referring to consists of only half-dragons. They might share a simr bloodline, but that''s the extent of their connection," Dong Ye exined.

    "A simr bloodline?" Xi Meili raised an eyebrow.

    Dong Ye nodded and continued, "It''s not as if the entire dragon race entered the Ancient Dragon City. The Azure Dragon Family is arge n, and they left some of their own people behind¡ª the current Azure Dragon Family."

    "In fact, if I recall correctly, there''s also a Xi Family out here," Dong Ye added.

    "Eh?" Xi Meili''s eyes widened with surprise upon learning this information.

    "Where?" she then asked.

    "Fifth Heaven."

    "Is that so¡­" Xi Meili muttered with a pondering face.

    "Where is this Liang Xiaosheng at the moment?" Yuan inquired.

    "Unfortunately, I don''t have the answer at the moment. But rest assured my liege, I will locate him for you," Dong Ye assured him.

    "Thank you."

    "Then, whenever you are ready to leave." Dong Ye said.

    "I am ready to leave now."

    "Then if you''ll excuse me."

    Dong Ye waved his sleeves, and in the blink of an eye, their scenery changed. Before Yuan knew it, he was no longer inside the wooden cabin but right outside an unknown city.

    "This humble servant will contact you when I find Liang Xiaosheng, my liege. Until then." Dong Ye disappeared like a ghost afterward.

    "The God Ascension realm is truly something¡­" Xi Meili muttered in a daze.

    "Brother Yuan¡­" Xiao Hua, who had been silent this entire time, suddenly called out to him.

    "Yes?" he looked at her. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.

    "You want to open the Primordial Realm? Why?" she asked.

    Yuan pondered for a moment before responding, "Honestly, I''m not too sure myself. However, I have this feeling that I need to meet the Asura n, as they are connected with the Evil God¡ª my past. Furthermore, your family is there, Xiao Hua."

    "Unless¡­ you don''t want me to go?"

    Xiao Hua shook her head, "That''s not it. If Brother Yuan wants to visit the Primordial Realm, I will support it."

    "Thank you, Xiao Hua."

    Yuan and his group entered the city shortly after, arriving at the teleporter about an hourter.

    Sometimeter, Yuan returned to Tian Chenyu''s home.

    Before approaching the home, Yuan turned to look at Xi Meili and asked her, "Do you want to look around the city? I have some business with the family here, and things might get a little chaotic."

    "Are they your enemy?" Xi Meili cracked her knuckles with a fighting spirit.

    "No, they''re friends."

    "Since I don''t know them, I''ll take a look around the city until you are done instead. Will it take long?"

    "I don''t believe so," Yuan replied, then said, "Feng Feng, can you apany her just in case?" Feng Yuxiang sighed but agreed, "Eh? I don''t want to babysit her... But if the Young Master wants me to do so, I will."

    "Thank you."

    Since they would be traveling together, Yuan hoped to improve Feng Yuxiang and Xi Meili''s rtionship. While they didn''t have any issues with each other, the inherent differences in their natures as a phoenix and a dragon naturally made things awkward between them.

    The gates opened a momentter, revealing a familiar olddy who immediately recognized Yuan.

    After Feng Yuxiang left with Xi Meili, Yuan took a deep breath and approached the Tian Family. He knocked on their gates and waited.

    The gates opened a momentter, revealing a familiar olddy who immediately recognized Yuan.

    She eximed, "Y-You are!"

    "Hello," Yuan greeted her with a calm smile.

    "You''re actually alive! What took you so long toe back?! Do you have any idea what the Young Lady has been through recently because of you?!" the olddy suddenly scolded him without hesitation.

    "I am truly sorry, but something happened within the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb, dying my return." Yuan apologized, and he continued by asking, "Is Miss Yanyu here right now?"

    "Who are you talking to?" Another familiar voice suddenly resounded from inside the house.

    "Mistress¡­" The olddy moved away from the door so Tian Suyin could see Yuan''s face.

    Tian Suyin''s face froze for a moment, but then she started trembling in anger. She eximed, "You bastard! You still have the guts to show your face around here?! Why couldn''t you have continued being ''missing''?"

    Despite her harsh words, Tian Suyin had also been worried about his well-being for the past week, so her anger was mixed with relief.

    "I apologize for returning sote," Yuan said sincerely. "I was stuck in the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb and couldn''t return until now."

    ''He was trapped inside the tomb? That silly girl was actually right¡­'' Tian Suyin was in disbelief after realizing that Tian Yanyu had proved her wrong.

    After snapping out of her daze, Tian Suyin cleared her throat and said to him in a calming voice, "Why are you still standing there? Hurry up ande inside before I close the gates on you."

    Yuan didn''t say anything else and entered the residence before following Tian Suyin.

    "Do you have any idea how worried you made my daughter? She''s been depressed since we returned." Tian Suyin suddenly said.

    "Sorry¡­" Yuan didn''t know what else to say and could only apologize again.

    He also noticed that they were heading to Tian Yanyu''s room.

    Sometimeter, they arrived at Tian Yanyu''s room.

    "I''ll be in the lobby." Tian Suyin said, and without saying anything else, she turned around and walked away.

    Yuan took a deep breath as he stood in front of Tian Yanyu''s door, preparing to knock.

    However, just as he was about to knock, his movements halted when he heard the sound of someone stomping on the ground.

    Dong! Dong! Bang!

    Before he could react, the door mmed open, and Tian Yanyu appeared before him with a dazed look on her face.

    "Xiao Yang! You''re alive! I knew it!" Without any hesitation, Tian Yanyu leaped onto him, wrapping her arms around him in a tight embrace.

    The two of them tumbled to the floor.

    Yuan smiled and said with one arm wrapped around her, "Since we''re back, you can call me Yuan again."

 Chapter 1256 Tian Yanyus Feelings

    Chapter 1256 Tian Yanyu''s Feelings

    "Xiao¡ª Yuan! Where have you been this whole time?! Do you have any idea how worried I was when you didn''t return as nned?!"

    After spending a good moment silently hugging him, Tian Yanyu suddenly eximed.

    "I know, your mother gave me a handful at the entrance. And I''m sorry for beingte. I was stuck inside the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb and couldn''t return until now." Yuan apologized again.

    "Really?! Are you okay? It must have been terrifying!"

    "I''m fine," he reassured her.

    "What about you? I hope nothing happened after we separated," he then asked.

    "Nothing happened. In fact, it was actually really boring after we reunited with the sect." Tian Yanyu shook her head, and she added, "I should''ve followed you."

    "That would''ve been a really bad idea. I almost died a few times," he chuckled, ignoring the fact that he''d actually ''died'' once.

    The two of them would talk for several minutes while Tian Yanyu had her arms around him the entire, almost as though she was afraid he''d disappear the moment she let go.

    Eventually, they got off the floor and made their way to the lobby, where Tian Suyin and Tian Xianzu were sitting around a table and drinking tea.

    "Wee back, young man." Tian Xianzu said with a smile, and he gestured at the chair beside him.

    "Thank you," Yuan said as he sat down beside Tian Xianzu.

    "I heard everything from from my wife. You''re the first person that I know of to leave the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb after it''s sealed. Even calling it a miracle would not do it justice."

    "I wasn''t in a dangerous situation¡ª it was just time-consuming."

    "I''m just d you''re safe. After all, you''re my family''s savior, and we''ve yet to repay the debt."

    "Savior?" Yuan raised his eyebrows in a puzzled manner.

    Tian Xianzu nodded and said, "I heard about everything you''ve done for my wife and daughter¡ª all the treasures you''ve given them, as well as saving them from danger."

    "It wasn''t much. I didn''t need the treasures, and it was only natural for me to protect them," Yuan smiled.

    "Still, we are grateful to you."

    "Anyways, now that you have returned, what are your future ns?"

    "I have one more business in this world before I start making my way to the Fourth Heaven," said Yuan.

    "What?! You''re leaving the Third Heaven already?!" Tian Yanyu eximed.

    He nodded, "I am quite busy, after all."

    Furthermore, although he won''t mention this to them, the Third Heaven was currently crowded with people from the Upper Heavens, all of whom hade down there to hunt him. It wouldn''t be wise for him to stay in the Third Heaven for too long.

    "Then I will go with you to the Fourth Heaven!" Tian Yanyu eximed without even thinking, her devotion to him evident in her words.

    "What?! You must be out of your mind if you think I will let you leave!" Tian Suyin shouted, her anger causing her to m her hand on the table.

    "B-But!" Tian Yanyu quickly realized how imprudent her statement had been.

    Yuan interrupted, "I appreciate your thoughts, Miss Yanyu, but unfortunately, I have to agree with your mother here. It''s too dangerous, and you already have a stable life here."

    "I, on the other hand, have no family or life here, not to mention the mountain of things that I need to do in the Upper Heavens. I have to keep going higher even if I don''t want to."

    "I-If you have no family here, then you can start one¡­ with me!" Tian Yanyu hesitated for a moment but eventually pushed herself to say such words, her face flushed red by the end.

    "..."

    The entire room filled with silence as Yuan and the others stared at Tian Yanyu with surprised faces.

    "Y-You¡­ What nonsense are you spewing?" Tian Suyin was astonished that her daughter even had the courage to say such things.

    However, this also showed how much Tian Yanyu cared for Yuan.

    Despite how nervous and embarrassed she felt, and how much she wanted to run away, Tian Yanyu forced herself to remain in the room, her gaze fixed on Yuan as she waited for his response.

    After a moment of awkward silence, Yuan responded to her feelings with a single word, "Sorry¡­"

    Tian Yanyu quickly realized that she had been rejected, and tears immediately began forming in her eyes. However, before any tears could fall, she turned around and ran out of the room.

    After another moment of silence, Tian Suyin mumbled, "I finally believe you when you said that you didn''te here to court my daughter¡­"

    "..."

    Yuan didn''t know how to respond to her words.

    "But¡­ thank you for rejecting her." Tian Suyin unexpectedly thanked him out of the blue.

    And she continued, "Everything that''s happenedtely has been quite a whirlwind, and her emotions have been all over the ce. Now, she''ll finally have some time to reflect on what she truly Yuan was speechless. He didn''t expect Tian Suyin to have such profound thoughts about him.

    desires. If, after she finds some rity, she still wishes to follow you, I won''t stand in her way."

    "However, when that happens, I still hope that you''d decline herpany. I don''t mean this in a bad way, but you''re too much for her, Yuan. We''re just a small family in the Third Heaven with some history, but you''re different. And I don''t think she has what it takes to follow someone as magnificent and talented as you."

    Yuan was speechless. He didn''t expect Tian Suyin to have such profound thoughts about him.

    Tian Xianzu didn''t say anything, but his thoughts aligned with Tian Suyin''s feelings. Yuan was simply too outstanding for their daughter. With his talents, he would definitely achieve greatness in the future, and Tian Yanyu would hurt herself just by being around him.

    What happened with the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb proved to Tian Suyin that her daughter was simply incapable of catching up with Yuan, much less following him. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.

    Even though Yuan wasn''t the kind of person to care about such things, he couldn''t ignore Tian Yanyu''s parents'' feelings, and he also didn''t want to endanger Tian Yanyu by bringing her with him on his journey that is still shrouded in mysteries.

    "I understand."

    In the end, Yuan acknowledged Tian Suyin''s request.

    "Thank you," Tian Suyin expressed her gratitude once more, her sincerity couldn''t be any more apparent.

 Chapter 1257 Surprising Progress

    Chapter 1257 Surprising Progress

    When it was apparent that Tian Yanyu wouldn''t return to the room, Yuan stood up and said, "I guess I should take my leave now."

    "When will you leave for the Fourth Heaven?" Tian Suyin suddenly asked.

    "I''m not sure yet, but before I do, I will return to give Miss Yanyu a proper farewell¡ª if you don''t mind."

    "We don''t mind. You''re always wee here." Tian Xianzu said.

    "Thank you."

    Yuan left the Tian Family''s residence shortly after.

    "Xiao Hua, Yingying, I am going to be away for a while. I should return in a week." Yuan said to them.

    And then he contacted Feng Yuxiang through their spiritual connection, "Feng Feng, I will be away for a week. Please let Xi Meili know. I will contact you again when I return."

    After spending half a year inside Cultivation Online with only a single break, Yuan desperately needed some fresh air from Earth, as well as catching up with his partners andpanions.

    He logged off the game for the second time in half a year.

    After removing the console from his head, Yuan inspected his body and mumbled, "My body is already at the point where I no longer need to eat or drink for half a year without any issues. As convenient as it sounds, it''s also quite terrifying."

    He got off the bed and went to take a long bath.

    "The herbs for body tempering are no longer effective¡ª they''re simply too weak for my physique now¡­"

    Yuan increased the amount of medicine for his body tempering, but it still wasn''t enough to even make his body tingle.

    "I thought it wouldst a little longer, but s¡­"

    Since the medicine was no longer effective on him, Yuan shortened his time in the bathroom to an hour.

    By the time he came out of the bathroom, it was alreadyte into the afternoon.

    When he returned to the bedroom, Yuan realized that Chu Liuxiang was absent. Usually, she would be either cultivating or ying Cultivation Online. He looked out the window, but the training grounds were empty.

    He then made his way to the hallway, where he encountered Meifeng, who was mopping the floor with a serious expression on her face.

    "Hello, Meifeng. It''s been a while." Yuan approached her with a bright smile on his face.

    "Yuan! You''re finally back!" Meifeng''s expression immediately brightened upon seeing his face.

    She also stopped mopping the floor and went straight to him.

    "Are you okay? Does your body feel weird anywhere? I know you are a Cultivator, but you haven''t eaten or drank anything for half a year, right?" Meifeng immediately began questioning his well-being, which didn''t surprise Yuan in the slightest.

    "I am perfectly fine. In fact, I''ve never felt healthier," he chuckled.

    Meifeng had a slightly baffled look on her face as she mumbled, "I noticed my body requiring less maintenance as my cultivation increased too, but I didn''t think it could allow humans to ignore food and water¡­ Cultivation is truly profound."

    Hearing her words, Yuan peeked at her cultivation level.

    "Wow, you''re already a Spirit Master?"

    "I''m stillgging behind everyone else, who has already reached the rank of Spirit Grandmaster," Meifeng sighed with a hint of disappointment.

    "What? Spirit Grandmaster?" Yuan eximed in surprise, taken aback by the rapid progress of everyone around him.

    ''Even if they''ve been cultivating tirelessly for the past six months, their cultivation should only be at the Spirit Master level. Is it because of the rich spiritual energy on this mountain? Or did something happen while I was away?'' Yuan pondered.

    Meifeng noticed the bewildered expression on Yuan''s face and couldn''t help but chuckle, saying, "Are you that taken aback that they''ve caught up to you?" Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    "I am¡­" He nodded.

    "It''s because we received some assistance. Without that person''s help, our cultivation wouldn''t have advanced so rapidly," Meifeng disclosed suddenly.

    "That person?" Yuan raised an eyebrow.

    "Yes, indeed. That person happens to be the lord of this mountain. He generously provided us with an array of treasures to aid in our cultivation," Meifeng revealed the truth behind their incredible progression.

    "I see... So the Lord lent a hand. That exins a lot," Yuan nodded in understanding.

    And he continued with a smile, "Looks like I can no longer ignore my cultivation in this world, or everyone will surpass me before I even realize it."

    "That''s impossible. While they''ve achieved Spirit Grandmaster, there''s only so much treasures can do." Meifeng sighed.

    "Anyways, Yuan, I''m d you''ve returned. Something has been happening that requires your immediate attention."

    "What happened?" Yuan had an ominous feeling about this.

    "The Ten Great Families¡ª they''re targeting you."

    "Ten Great Families? Who are they?" Yuan raised his eyebrows in a puzzled manner.

    "The Ten Great Families is a title given to the top 10 families in the Legacy Ranking," she briefly exined.

    "Oh, those guys. What are they nning now?" Yuan was slightly relieved upon hearing this information.

    "Let''s gather everyone first," Meifeng said.

    "Sure. By the way, where is everyone? I tried to sense them just now, but there''s nobody in the house besides you and me." Yuan asked.

    "Oh, they''re training at the top of the mountain with the Lord. He''s not just supplying us with resources but also giving us pointers among other things. He''s been really helpful¡ª even though he''s never shown his face."

    Yuan was truly surprised to hear that the Lord had allowed others beside him and the Manager to enter the top of the mountain.

    ''I wonder what changed his mind,'' he wondered inwardly.

    "Then I will immediately go call them back. Please wait a little longer." Meifeng said before rushing to put away the mop and bucket.

    "Take your time. I won''t be going anywhere for a while." Yuan said to her.

    Sometimeter, Meifeng called the Manager through her cellphone.

    "Can you tell everyone to return to the house as soon as possible? Tell them that Yuan has returned."

    "He''s back?" The Manager mumbled in a somewhat surprised tone.

    After quickly snapping back, she continued, "Okay, I will let them know."

 Chapter 1258 Yuans Plan

    Chapter 1258 Yuan''s n

    "Hey! You can all cease your training now!" The Manager''s voice boomed, echoing across the entire mountaintop.

    A few minutester, the entire Demon Sealing Faction assembled before her, each of them bearing the marks of their intense training, with bruises and bloodied clothes as evidence of their hard work.

    "Did something happen, Manager?" Wang Ming asked her.

    "Nothing really, but your leader has returned."

    "Leader? Yuan? He''s back?" Chu Liuxiang''s eyes flickered with excitement upon hearing this information.

    "Yes, and he''s waiting for you guys back at the house, so you guys are done for today."

    "Thank you for today, Manager." They said to her before rushing back to the house.

    Sometimeter, back at the house.

    "Yuan!" Chu Liuxiang rushed at Yuan and tossed her body onto him without hesitation.

    "It''s been a while, Liuxiang. Everyone." Yuan greeted them with a calm smile.

    "Wee back, Yuan." Meixiu was the first to respond, her face with a gentle smile.

    "I''m back. Sorry, it took a little longer than expected."

    "Luckily, you came back at just the right time. If you''de back even a littleter, we would''ve had to act without you." Wang Ming said. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    "Is this about the Ten Great Families?" Yuan asked.

    "You knew?" They looked at him with wide eyes.

    "Not the whole story. Meifeng told me the Ten Great Families are trying to cause trouble, but that''s all."

    "And now that we''re all here, I will tell you the whole story," Meifeng said.

    "I think it can wait a little longer." Yuan chuckled, and he pointed at the others, "They should probably get cleaned first."

    "Sorry! We won''t take long!"

    Everyone there quickly scrambled back to their rooms to wash themselves.

    Sometimeter, once everyone returned, they all sat around the dining table.

    "Now that everyone is here, allow me to begin," Meifeng said as she brought out aptop and a projector.

    "As I''ve already told you, the Ten Great Families are targeting you, Yuan. While you were still away, I received a call from Bai Lihua, who warned us about the Ten Great Families'' n¡ª that they n on working together to go after you and your Exile."

    "My Exile? Xiao Hua?" Yuan raised an eyebrow upon hearing this news, and he immediately understood the situation.

    "I see¡­ So that person must''ve been from the Ten Great Families, and he''s seeking revenge for what happened¡­" Yuan sighed out loud.

    "Hm? What are you talking about? Did you already encounter the Ten Great Families?" Chu Liuxiang asked him.

    He nodded and recalled to them what happened recently, "Right after I left the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb, we were approached by an Exile, who tried to rob and kill us. In the end, my Exile killed this Exile. Of course, this Exile had a partner, who hid the entire time. He must''ve been from the Ten Great Families."

    "Everything makes sense now¡­ But to make the Ten Great Families work together, it could only be the work of one person¡ª Xiong Lu. He''s a very famous yer who dominated many games, and the Xiong Family is also currently ranked first in the Legacy Ranking." Meifeng said.

    She proceeded to show Yuan the recruitment announcement made by them.

    "They are also gathering Exiles from around the world now. Unfortunately, we don''t know howmon Exiles are or how many have joined Xiong Lu."

    Yuan closed his eyes and began pondering silently.

    Eventually, Wang Bingbing asked, "So, what do you think we should do, Yuan? We had a few ideas about fighting back, but we''ve decided to wait for your return before we act."

    Yuan opened his eyes and smiled, "It''s quite simple¡ª there''s no need to do anything."

    "Excuse me?"

    Everyone there looked at him with wide eyes.

    "No matter how many Exiles they''ve gathered, they won''t be able to do anything to me." Yuan calmly said.

    "Seriously¡­? You''re that confident?" Wang Bing muttered in a dazed voice.

    "Your strength must''ve increased significantly during thest six months." Li Jinxi said, her gaze filled with anticipation for some reason.

    "Well, I''m still stuck at Peak Spirit King, but I have improved on everything else."

    "So you don''t n on doing anything about the Ten Great Families?" Xi Murong asked.

    "Actually, I do have a n up my sleeves."

    "What''s the n?" They all looked at him with anticipation.

    "I''m going to visit them once they fully gather their force," he casually revealed.

    "You''re what?!"

    "Wouldn''t it be better for you to visit them before they gather their force?" Meifeng couldn''t help but ask.

    "It wouldn''t be as convincing if I did that. In fact, they will most likely start making excuses and continue causing more troubleter."

    "Convincing? What are you trying to convince them of?"

    After a slight pause, Yuan spoke with a grim smile, "I''m going to convince them that no matter what they do, they will not be able to touch me."

    Everyone there swallowed nervously as they subconsciously began to wonder what Yuan was going to do to the Ten Great Families.

    "Anyways, let''s put the Ten Great Families aside for now and catch up on our own lives. I see that you guys have been training hard for the past half a year¡ª to the point where you''ve all caught to up my cultivation."

    "It''s mostly thanks to the Lord''s assistance." Wang Ming said. "Without his help, as well as the Manager''s training sessions, we wouldn''t have been able to reach Spirit Grandmaster so quickly."

    "Liya also helped you guys? Now that''s shocking."

    "Is it really? She''s actually really nice once you get to know her. Though, she does have trouble being honest with herself at times." Wang Bingbing smiled.

    "Her training is brutal, too. I swear I almost died a few times¡ª just this month alone." Shi Lang sighed.

    "Yuan, tell us about the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb! I want to hear about your adventures!" Chu Liuxiang suddenly requested.

    He nodded, "Okay."

    Thus, Yuan began recalling his experience within the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb to everyone.

 Chapter 1259 Catching Up

    Chapter 1259 Catching Up

    "What! You actually went back to the Ancient Dragon City?!" Wang Xiuying was greatly surprised when she heard this.

    Yuan nodded, "Unfortunately, it wasn''t as rxing as when west visited, as I had to stop an invasion against the Xi Family."

    And he proceeded to recall the short war between the Azure Dragon Family and the Xi Family.

    "Unbelievable¡­ to think such a thing could happen in that ce¡­" Wang Xiuying sighed.

    "In the end, Xi Meili decided to follow me to the outside world, so we''re traveling together now."

    "The Dragon Princess, huh? I truly didn''t expect that¡­"

    Yuan nodded, "Then we encountered the Exile aftering out of the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb."

    After a brief silence, he continued, "Now then, why don''t you all share your adventures?"

    "I spent most of my time improving my cultivation," Meixiu began, "with approximately 40 percent spent in Cultivation Online and the remaining 60 percent right here."

    Chu Liuxiang nodded, "Same here, but I split my time between the two equally, spending half of my time in Cultivation Online and the other half training out here."

    Wang Ming then said, "I spent most of my time in Cultivation Online until I became an Inner Court disciple in the Formless Sword Academy. After that, I spent most of my time training with the Lord."

    "I also became an Inner Court disciple at the Heavenly Academy." Wang Bingbing said.

    In the end, everyone who remained in the Second Heaven to join a sect managed to be an Inner Court disciple.

    Wang Xiuying, who was thest to share her experience, revealed, "I''ve attained the status of Core Disciple within my sect, and my name has gained some recognition even beyond its boundaries. Nevertheless, due to spending the majority of my time in Cultivation Online, I''ve only reached the peak of Spirit Master here, making me the only one who hasn''t reached Spirit Grandmaster."

    "Ahem." Meifeng suddenly cleared her throat and spoke, "I am also a Spirit Master too, you know."

    "But you spend most of your time doing chores. If you''d dedicated more of your time to cultivation, you would''ve been a Spirit Grandmaster as well." Wang Xiuying said.

    "My responsibilities as the caretaker of this household take precedence, even over my cultivation," Meifeng asserted firmly.

    "Spirit Grandmaster or not, I''m proud of everyone here," Yuan said with a smile. "You''ve all achieved great things within half a year. If you guys keep going at this pace, you''ll surpass me in no time."

    "Nobody here is trying to surpass you¡ª we''re just trying our best to keep up and not be a burden to you." Wang Ming sighed.

    "That''s nonsense. I''ve already told you guys many times that I don''t care if you be a burden or not¡ª because I will never see any of you that way." Yuan shook his head.

    "..."

    After a moment of silence, Wang Bingbing raised her hand and asked, "Yuan, I have a question."

    "What is it?"

    "After hearing so much about Exiles and how much they could benefit our progress, what if we also find ourselves an Exile to partner up with? I can''t be the only one thinking about this, right?" Wang Bingbing looked around the table.

    Indeed, some of them have thought about getting their own Exile and were waiting for the right time to bring it up.

    That time was now.

    Wu Zao spoke next, "I was also thinking about it." Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.

    "Me too," said Shi Lang.

    Hearing their question, Yuan could only sigh. "Unfortunately, even though having an Exilees with a lot of benefits, I don''t think you''ll be able to ignore the cons."

    "As you all know already, Exiles are criminals that have been banished from the Nine Heavens, and they are not your average criminals, either. Even though my Exile, Xiao Hua, is a good girl and definitely doesn''t deserve to bear thatbel, I must admit that I got extremely lucky with her as my partner. However, I can''t guarantee that you guys will have the same luck."

    "Of course, I am not saying that you should not partner up with one. If you happen toe across an Exile like Xiao Hua, you should definitely partner up. However, Exiles like Xiao Hua are few and far between¡ª this I am willing to bet a fortune on."

    "That makes sense. I definitely wouldn''t want a criminal by my side even if theye with a lot of benefits¡­" Wang Bingbing nodded in agreement.

    "And they are not your run-of-the-mill criminals." Wang Ming added, "For them to have faced banishment from the Nine Heavens, their transgressions must have been of a truly heinous nature."

    Li Jinxi chimed in, saying, "Why would we even require assistance from an Exile when we already have someone like Yuan with us?"

    Wang Bingbing was momentarily at a loss for words, but as she contemted Li Jinxi''s statement, she came to recognize her own shorings.

    "You are absolutely right¡­ Forget I even suggested such a thing," she sighed.

    Yuan shook his head and said, "There''s no need for that. If you encounter an Exile who isn''t a bloodthirsty criminal, you should work together with them since they could really help you out. In fact, I encourage it. If I hadn''t met Xiao Hua, I don''t think I would have made it to where I am currently."

    "If you say that, I have another question." Hong Xiuquan raised his hand and proceeded to ask, "How can we tell if someone is an Exile or not?"

    "Exiles have a unique aura to them, but I don''t think you''ll be able to tell the difference until you encounter one. However, they will most likely tell you themselves, as they need a partner to participate in the Supreme Heaven''s Legacy, which is another way to tell if someone is an Exile or not since they all have that Legacy."

    And he added, "This is purely spection, but I think Exiles are mostly found in seclusive areas, as they''re akin to hidden quests and dungeons, so you won''t find them hanging around in a busy city or anything like that."

    "I see¡­ thanks. I will keep that in mind." Hong Xiuquan said.

    "Any more questions before we call it a night?" Yuan asked.

    And for the next several minutes, he answered any questions the others threw at him.

 Chapter 1260 A Hundred Years

    Chapter 1260 A Hundred Years

    "So how long are you going to stay out here this time?" Li Jinxi asked Yuan.

    "I will take a break from Cultivation Online for the next two weeks at the very least," he said.

    "Good. I want you to see my progress." Li Jinxi then said.

    "Me too!" Wang Ming added.

    The others also expressed their desire for a sparring session, and Yuan readily agreed, saying, "Certainly. I''m quite curious to see just how effective the Lord''s training has been."

    After spending some time answering questions, Yuan eventually ended the meeting, "Okay, let''s end it here today."

    While everyone walked towards their rooms, Yuan walked towards the entrance.

    "Where are you going?" Chu Liuxiang asked when she noticed this.

    "I am going to visit the Lord now. I''ll be back soon." Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    "Oh, okay. Then I''ll see youter." Chu Liuxiang winked at him before walking away.

    "Should I call the Manager to let her know that you''ll be heading there?" Meifeng suddenly asked.

    He nodded, "Please, and thanks."

    As Yuan left the building, Meifeng called the Manager to notify her of Yuan''s ns.

    "He''sing here now? What a pain in the ass¡­" The Manager sighed, and she continued, "I''ll let the Lord know."

    After hanging up, the Manager went to see the Lord.

    "Yuan''sing here right now."

    "Good. I was nning on calling him tomorrow anyway."

    "Are you going to tell him about the situation?" she asked.

    "I do."

    "¡­"

    "Then I''ll go pick him up now."

    Sometimeter, as Yuan approached the top of the mountain, he noticed a tall beauty standing still in the distance with a nonchnt look on her face.

    "It''s been a while, Liya. How have you been?" Yuan greeted her with a smile.

    "Don''t act so friendly with me. Did you damage your soul or something during thest few months?" she sneered.

    "And I see that you haven''t changed at all." Yuan chuckled, finding no offense to her attitude.

    "Anyway, I am here to thank the Lord for his assistance. Because of him, the Demon Sealing Faction is stronger than ever."

    After a slight pause, he continued, "Of course, I am here to thank you as well, Liya. So, thank you."

    Seeing the bright smile on Yuan''s handsome face, she subconsciously blushed.

    "I-I don''t need your gratitude since I am not doing this out of my goodwill."

    Yuan raised an eyebrow and asked, "Something did happen, right? I''m not sure why, but my chest has been feeling a little tight since I returned, but I cannot tell what''s bothering me."

    Liya sucked her teeth after hearing his words and mumbled under her breath, "Inhuman as always."

    "Huh?" Yuan looked at her with a puzzled expression.

    She ignored him and said, "Let''s move already. The Lord is waiting for you."

    "Okay."

    Once they arrived at the peak of the mountain, Yuan approached the cave located at the center.

    Halfway there, Yuan noticed a red figureing out of the cave. Naturally, it was the Lord, but he looked a little different¡ª weaker than before. Even his body appeared skinnierpared to half a year ago.

    Yuan frowned slightly after seeing the Lord''s condition and immediately asked, "What happened to you? Are you sick? Are you okay?"

    "It''s great to see you again, Yuan. No, I am not sick, but I am also not okay." The Lord said in a weak voice.

    "Tell me what happened."

    "Before I do that, how was the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb? Such a ce hadn''t existed yet when I was still in the Divine Heavens."

    Seeing how the Lord had enough time to ask him that, Yuan figured that the situation probably wasn''t as bad as he thought.

    "Well, it''s a dangerous ce that has taken countless lives. Despite that, people still flock to it to acquire treasures or enlightenment."

    "I see¡­ sounds like a fun ce." The Lord mumbled, leaving Yuan Speechless.

    After a moment of silence, the Lord''s expression turned solemn, and he spoke in a dispirited voice, "I''m sorry."

    "Huh? Why are you suddenly apologizing?" Yuan tilted his head in a questioning manner.

    "I have failed you¡ª failed Earth."

    "What do you mean by that?" Yuan could feel the ominous feeling in his guts rising.

    "Do you remember about our talkst time? How there''s a formation holding this world together?" The Lord asked.

    "I do. And that you''re the one keeping the formation together."

    The Lord nodded solemnly and continued, "Regrettably, the protective formation is deteriorating, and I am powerless to stop it. I cannot fathom the cause of this decay, but if it persists, the formation will ultimately crumble, as will Earth and all its inhabitants."

    "What?!" Yuan eximed in extreme shock.

    "Wait, wait, wait a second! You''re saying that the world is ending and you have no idea why?!" he asked for confirmation.

    "There are several potential causes, but I cannot definitively identify the primary one. First and foremost, I have long been aware that I could only sustain the formation for a finite period. I have maintained it for millions of years, and my cultivation has steadily waned over time with no opportunity for replenishment. Consequently, it was merely a matter of time until my cultivation became depleted."

    "However, with my remaining cultivation, I should''ve been able to keep the formation active for another hundred thousand years. I don''t know why, but the formation suddenly started demanding more spiritual energy to maintain, which is rapidly consuming my energy."

    Yuan swallowed nervously, and he proceeded to ask a question that he did not think he would ever utter, "How long do we have until Earth is destroyed?"

    "At this rate, the formation will shatter in a hundred years and we will all cease to exist." The Lord revealed in a grim voice.

    "A-A hundred years¡­? We only have a hundred years?" For the first time in a very long time, Yuan could feel weakness in his body, especially his legs, as they were on the verge of giving up.

 Chapter 1261 Earths Impending Destruction

    Chapter 1261 Earth''s Impending Destruction

    "A hundred years..." Yuan stood there in a daze, trying toprehend the magnitude of the situation.

    However, the Lord had more disheartening news to convey and continued, "The hundred-year threshold is but the present constraint. If the formation''s demand for spiritual energy were to escte further, that limit could decrease significantly¡ªfifty years, even ten years, bes a distinct possibility."

    "Good heavens¡­" Yuan could no longer muster any strength to stand and took a seat on the ground.

    "Is there no way to fix this?" he inquired after a brief pause.

    "There are several approaches we can explore," the Lord replied, and he continued, "The first option is to open the gate between Earth and the Nine Heavens and relocate all inhabitants of this world to the Nine Heavens. While this approach would ensure our survival, it would not address the plight of Earth, not to mention the colossal logistical challenges involved in transporting billions of people to a new realm."

    "Even if we were to sessfully relocate the entire poption of this world, we would still confront numerous formidable challenges within the Nine Heavens," the Lord continued. "Questions about habitation, adaptation to the new environment, and the reception by the Nine Heavens'' residents would all need to be addressed."

    "You''re absolutely right... Relocating everyone seems like a desperate,st-resort measure at this point," Yuan sighed, acknowledging theplexity and uncertainties involved.

    "The second approach, although even more challenging than the first, involves bringing Earth closer to the Nine Heavens, where the abundant spiritual energy could assist the formation. The very necessity of the formation arises from theck of spiritual energy in this world," the Lord exined.

    "In fact, we probably won''t even need the formation anymore at that point. This world was created through spiritual energy, so it would naturally die without it. If we move Earth back to where it once belonged, it would save the people and the world. However, the harsh reality is that achieving the relocation of Earth to its original position is an insurmountable feat for anyone in this world," the Lord concluded, emphasizing the sheer impossibility of the task.

    "What if we asked someone from the Nine Heavens to help us?" Yuan asked.

    "To undertake the colossal task of relocating this entire world without causing harm to its inhabitants or the world itself, we would need the aid of a Cultivation God. I don''t know the current number of Cultivation Gods in existence, but in the past, we could have counted them on one hand and still have fingers to spare."

    "Even if we were to locate a Cultivation God, the likelihood of them assisting us is slim to none, given that it would demand an immense amount of power to relocate this world¡ª so much so that it could potentially weaken even a Cultivation God for tens of thousands of years."

    "One more problem with this n. The distance between Earth and the Nine Heavens is so vast that it might take over a hundred years to travel here even for a Cultivation God¡­" The Lord sighed.

    "..."

    Yuan was utterly speechless, but he was still trying his best to think of a way to save Earth.

    "Now let''s talk about the third method." The Lord suddenly said.

    "There''s more?" Yuan looked at him with a hopeful gaze.

    The Lord nodded and said, "The third method is the simplest but also very tricky. I am currently unable to replenish my spiritual energy faster than it is being consumed, so if we can find a way to recover my cultivation base, we can prolong the formation until we find another solution."

    "What do you need?" Yuan then asked.

    "I can replenish my spiritual energy through the use of treasures or by directly absorbing it from another individual, but there is no treasure in this world that is strong enough to recover my spiritual energy," the Lord exined.

    "Absorbing it from someone... do you mean like consuming them?" Yuan swallowed nervously.

    "What? No, not at all," the Lord rified. "I meant that someone could willingly transfer their spiritual energy to me. However, there is nobody in this world that has enough spiritual energy to help me

    ¡ª not even you, Yuan, unless you are at the God Ascension realm."

    "God Ascension realm¡­" Yuan closed his eyes to ponder.

    "Don''t even think about it." Liya suddenly said, and continued, "Even with your talents, you won''t reach that level in a million years, much less a hundred years."

    "I wasn''t thinking of anything like that," Yuan said as he opened his eyes.

    He looked at the Lord and asked him, "I have a question. Can a soul without a body have a cultivation base?"

    "Huh? What kind of stupid question is that?" Liya responded.

    Meanwhile, the Lord pondered for a moment before speaking, "If that soul was a Cultivator before they had lost their body, it is possible. However, their cultivation will continuously degrade as time passes. Why do you ask?"

    "I might be able to locate a soul with the cultivation of God Ascension and potentially bring them here," Yuan disclosed.

    What?! Is that even possible?! How do you intend to aplish such a feat?" The Lord eximed with excitement as he eagerly sought more details.

    In response to the Lord''s question, Yuan retrieved his Emyrean Overlord.

    "That is¡­ a Soul Weapon? You don''t mean to tell me¡­" The Lord understood what Yuan was nning when he saw the Soul Weapon.

    "Yup. I will find a soul at the God Ascension realm and store it inside this Soul Weapon, which I can transport between the Nine Heavens and Earth at will." Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.

    "Are you insane? There''s no way that''s possible!" Liya eximed.

    "No¡­ It might be possible¡­" The Lord muttered in a daze, dumbfounding Liya.

    "Are you serious?"

    He nodded, "Soul Weapons have the capability to house a single soul, and since they are intricately linked to one''s own soul, in theory, it should be possible to transport a soul from the Nine Heavens to Earth through a Soul Weapon. However, the problem of locating the soul of a God Ascension Cultivator still remains. Hell, it might even be easier to find a Cultivation God..."

    "I think I know where I can find one," Yuan said. "In fact, I already have someone in mind."

 Chapter 1262 The Soul of a God Ascension Realm Cultivator

    Chapter 1262 The Soul of a God Ascension Realm Cultivator

    "You know where to find a God Ascension realm soul? Are you serious?" The Lord couldn''t believe it even if it came from Yuan''s mouth directly.

    Living souls are already near-impossible to find, much less the soul of a cultivator who was near the pinnacle of cultivation before losing their physical form.

    "In case you didn''t know, only Cultivators that have surpassed the Immortal Ascension realm are able to remain in a soul-like state even after their physical body dies. Not only that, but they cannot remain in that state forever, as their soul will eventually vanish, so it must been someone who died within thest several thousand years. Where in Heaven''s name are you going to find a soul like that?" The Lord couldn''t help but inquire.

    "While a soul may vanish within a few thousand years in the Nine Heavens, there is a unique ce where souls wander for an eternity," Yuan said with a slight smile on his face.

    "Y-You don''t mean¡­" The Lord swallowed nervously.

    "The Shadow Realm," Yuan confirmed the Lord''s suspicion.

    "Impossible! While it may be true that souls within that ce exist for an eternity, these souls have all lost their minds and are no different than evil spirits! They will try to kill you before you can even start a conversation! There''s no way you would find a logical soul at the God Ascension realm there!"

    Yuan shook his head and said, "It is possible, as I have encountered two individuals there who were able tomunicate with me. However, I am uncertain about their cultivation levels."

    The Lord pondered with a frown on his face, "Most of the souls within the Shadow Realm are those who fought in the Heavenly War of Immortals and Gods¡ª or more specifically, those who fought against the Celestial Emperor and lost."

    Yuan tilted his head and asked, "Now that you mention it, didn''t the Evil God y the Celestial Emperor and win the war?"

    "There are actually two parts to the Heavenly War of Immortals and Gods. When the war first started, the Evil God was not part of it, and the Celestial Emperor had sessfully vanquished his opposers, sending them to the Shadow Realm for an eternity of suffering. After some time of peace, the Heavenly War of Immortals and Gods started again with the Evil God at the forefront this time."

    "Is that so¡­" Yuan mumbled.

    "As for the Shadow Realm," the Lord borated, "it was created by the first Celestial Emperor, who employed it as a means to instill fear in others,pelling their servitude, and as a deterrent for those contemting opposition against him."

    "What about the Primordial Realm? Don''t they serve the same purpose?" Yuan then asked.

    "Indeed, but the Primordial Realm is much more forgiving and is meant for the living, while the Shadow Realm is intended for the deceased. However, following the demise of the first Celestial Emperor, the Shadow Realm has remained unused."

    "Then it''s decided. I will head to the Shadow Realm to find a soul who will be able to help us." Yuan said a momentter.

    Furthermore, he still had a quest to finish in that ce.

    "Be very careful when you''re there, Yuan. The souls there are extremely powerful, especially if they''ve managed to survive this long." The Lord warned him.

    "I know, but the stronger they are, the higher the possibility of them being in the God Ascension realm, right?"

    "I guess so¡­"

    "Don''t worry, we''ll find a way to save Earth," Yuan reassured, his enthusiasm shining through with aforting smile.

    "Thank you." The Lord said.

    Yuan shook his head and said, "No, I should be thanking you. If not for your selflessness, Earth wouldn''t have existed in the first ce."

    "I''m simply striving to protect my homnd," the Lord responded. "In any case, once we''ve restored my cultivation, we canmence our efforts to unravel the mystery behind the alteration in the formation. It might be connected to Cultivation Online, but I don''t have any proof to back up this theory."

    Yuan nodded, "Then before I leave, should I give you some of my spiritual energy? It may be a drop in the bucket, but if it could help you even a little."

    "If you could." The Lord epted his offer.

    "Honestly, it''s the reason why I started training the Demon Sealing Faction, even if it won''t really do much to fix the situation."

    "Oh, I should also thank you for that. Thanks again." Yuan said as he sat before the Lord and began gathering his spiritual energy.

    ''Hmmm?'' Yuan noticed that his spiritual energy had increased significantlypared to half a year ago even though his cultivation level hadn''t changed since then.

    ''Is this because of the Nine Dragon Symbols?'' he wondered inwardly.

    "I will be transferring my spiritual energy to you now," Yuan said a momentter.

    "Whenever you are ready." The Lord nodded.

    The next moment, Yuan poured his spiritual energy into the Lord''s Dantian.

    ''What is this overwhelming influx of spiritual energy pouring into me?! A Spirit Grandmaster should not possess such a vast reservoir of spiritual energy!'' The Lord eximed inwardly as he was shocked by Yuan''s unrealistic capacity.

    The quantity of spiritual energy that Yuan was channeling into the Lord was sufficient to utterly deplete the reserves of a hundred Spirit Grandmasters in a mere moment.

    Furthermore, Yuan was absorbing the surrounding spiritual energy almost as rapidly as he was giving it away, creating a powerful vortex around his body.

    "W-What the hell are you doing?!" Liya was shocked by what she was witnessing.

    ''Amazing¡­ I knew he was immensely talented, but to think it was to this extent¡­ as expected of the Immortal Monarch''s descendant¡­'' The Lord sighed inwardly.

    Once he had expended everyst bit of his spiritual energy, Yuan copsed onto the ground, drenched in sweat, his breathingbored and ragged.

    ''Truly unbelievable¡­'' The Lord thought to himself.

    "So¡­ Was it enough to increase the limit?" Yuan asked in a weak voice.

    The Lord shook his head, wearing a bittersweet smile. "Perhaps by a few days, but that''s the extent of it. Nheless, I''m genuinely grateful for your assistance." Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.

    Unfortunately, despite the generous amount of spiritual energy Yuan had contributed to the Lord, it proved insufficient to prolong the limit by even a single month. Nevertheless, it did provide the Lord with a considerable increase infort and alleviated some of his weakness.

 Chapter 1263 Liyas True Identity

    Chapter 1263 Liya''s True Identity

    After resting for a few minutes, Yuan recovered enough energy to move.

    "Then I will leave for now. The next time I see you, I should have some new information regarding the situation." Yuan said to the Lord.

    The Lord nodded, "I will keep inspecting the formation and notify you if there are any changes."

    "Liya, take him back to his house." The Lord said to her as Yuan made his way down the mountain.

    As they walked down the mountain, Yuan suddenly asked Liya, "Hey, why do you hate humans?"

    "Why do you want to know? It''s none of your business." Liya sneered.

    After a moment of silence, Yuan mumbled, "Is it because humans hunted your kind in the past?"

    "What did you say¡­?" Liya halted her movements and stared at him with wide eyes.

    "My kind¡­? You speak as if you know about me when you don''t know anything¡­"

    "You''re a dragon, aren''t you? It''s faint, but I can sense it from your aura. I didn''t notice it before, but after spending some more time in the Ancient Dragon City and encountering more dragons, I can sense it more clearly now. Of course, I also know about the war between humans and dragons."

    "If that''s the case, while I understand your hate toward humans, that happened countless years ago before Divine Heavens became Nine Heavens. Are you actually that old?"

    Liya''s face flushed with redness after hearing his words¡ª mostly when he called her old.

    "How dare you! I am not even a thousand years old!" Liya eximed.

    Yuan looked at her with wide eyes, "Seriously? You''re that young? And you don''t deny being a dragon?"

    Liya clenched her teeth and murmured, "You are right. I am a dragon."

    "Then I don''t understand your hatred for humans. That war ended way before you were even born. Where did your hatrede from?"

    "You don''t understand anything!" Liya shouted at him.

    "Then help me understand!" Yuan shouted back.

    "Why?! Why do you even care?!"

    "Why wouldn''t I want to help a friend who always appears to be in a sour mood?" he sighed.

    "Friend¡­? Since when did we be friends¡­?" Liya was utterly speechless.

    "You''ve helped us many times since we moved into the mountain, so it''s only natural to think of you as a friend."

    "I-I was only doing my job! I didn''t help you because I wanted to be friends!"

    Yuan shrugged, "That kind of minor detail doesn''t matter to me. And you''re training my friends now."

    "Furthermore, I''m growing weary of seeing you intentionally acting rude just to avoid human connections, pushing others away so that they won''t approach you. If we''re going to be working together to save this world, I want to do it as friends."

    "However¡­" Yuan suddenly stopped walking and turned to look at her with a serious expression.

    "If you really hate my guts that much, then I will stop bothering you and act as though you don''t exist."

    Liya''s body quivered when she met his intense gaze, not to mention his cold words that made her feel weirdly ufortable.

    "Act as though I don''t exist...?" Liya repeated softly to herself.

    While it was true that she intentionally distances herself from humans to avoid their interference, hearing such a thing made herpletely perplexed and unsure how to respond.

    If it had been anyone else in Yuan''s position, Liya might have readily told them to behave as if she didn''t exist without hesitation. However, it wasn''t as though she liked Yuan either. In fact, he was someone she was determined to distance herself from, yet when presented with the chance to do so, she found herself unable to summon the courage to ept it.

    After a moment of silence, Liya muttered in a low voice, "My mother¡­ she was hunted by humans while she was pregnant with me. After using what little strength she had left to give birth to me, she passed away from the injuries she suffered during that time."

    Yuan was left bbergasted upon hearing this revtion, and he questioned, "Your mother was pregnant with you during that era? How many millions of years was she pregnant? I understand that Divine Beasts have lengthier gestation periods, but doesn''t this seem excessively prolonged?"

    "A Divine Beast doesn''t just require time to give birth. They also need spiritual energy, so depending on the spiritual energy in their area, their pregnancy may speed up or slow down. My mother spent most of her pregnancy on Earth, and with the trash-quality spiritual energy here, her pregnancy slowed down almost to a halt."

    "Also, her unique bloodline didn''t help, as it was the bloodline with the slowest birth rates." N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.

    "Anyways, humans killed my father before I was born and my mother died to the injuries they inflicted on her after giving birth to me. Do you understand why I don''t like humans now?" Liya stared at Yuan with a cold expression.

    He nodded and said, "I understand, but it doesn''t change the fact that it happened millions of years ago. I won''t tell you who you should hate and who you shouldn''t, but hating humanity as a whole because of a few bad apples is¡­ childish."

    "C-Childish?!" Liya had a baffled look on her face.

    "That''s correct," Yuan responded. "Contrary to demons, not all humans harbor ill intentions toward you. Even in the past, only a small group of humans hunted dragons, but because of how often they hunted and their overall prowess, it seemed like most humans hunted dragons. As for nowadays¡ª I doubt you will be able to find a single human willing to hunt a dragon on Earth."

    He continued, "Throughout history, countless humans have fallen victim to beasts, and such incidents persist even today. However, I don''t hold animosity toward all beasts. I even consider some of them mypanions¡ª cherished friends whom I''d willingly risk my life to protect."

    "If you still don''t believe me, then I''ll share with you a secret. The Lord thinks I am the Immortal Monarch''s descendant, but in reality, I am the Immortal Monarch himself¡ª his reincarnation."

    "You are what¡­?" Liya''s jaw dropped to the ground after hearing Yuan''s reveal.

 Chapter 1264 Liyas Doubt

    Chapter 1264 Liya''s Doubt

    "You are the Immortal Monarch¡­? Do you honestly expect me to believe you?" Liya asked him after snapping out of her daze.

    Yuan smiled and said, "Honestly? I do. But if you don''t, that''s fine as well. I''m sure you''ll eventually believe me. Oh, I also happen to be the Divine Paragon¡ª who triumphed in the war against Demons and rescued humanity."

    As Yuan revealed one astonishing revtion after another, Liya''s mind struggled to process everything, and she could even feel it burning from being shocked too much.

    Seeing Liya standing there in stunned silence, Yuan waved and added, "I can make my way back to the house on my own. See youter." He then turned and left, leaving Liya to collect her thoughts in solitude.

    Liya, in her state of bewilderment, made no effort to halt him or seek rification regarding the astonishing revtions Yuan had disclosed. She remained rooted to the spot, her thoughts in disarray.

    Yuan returned to the mansion sometimeter.

    "I''ve only just returned, and so many things have urred already," he sighed wearily as he stepped back into the mansion.

    "Wee back, Yuan," Meifeng greeted him as she stood waiting in the lobby.

    "Don''t tell me you''ve been waiting for me¡­" Yuan said with a surprised look on his face.

    She silently nodded before opening her mouth, "Are you okay? You seem tired."

    "We chatted longer than I''d expected."

    Yuan had pondered whether he should tell everyone about the situation the moment he returned home, but he decided to wait until the next day, as he wanted them to properly rest for the day, and they already had a gathering for that day.

    "You should get some rest tonight, Meifeng. You''ll need it for tomorrow." Yuan said, being a little cryptic.

    "Did something happen?" Meifeng couldn''t help but ask after noticing it.

    Yuan nodded, "Yes, I''ll tell you guys tomorrow."

    "I understand."

    Since Yuan decided to wait until tomorrow, Meifeng figured that it probably wasn''t anything too serious. Unbeknownst to her, Yuan had made the same mistake, only toter realize that the world was ending in less than a hundred years.

    "Goodnight, Yuan."

    "Night."

    Yuan proceeded directly to his room, and upon opening the door, he was met withplete darkness, shrouding the room in obscurity.

    ''Did she already go to sleep?'' he wondered inwardly as he stepped inside the room.

    However, once he closed the door, Chu Liuxiang''s voice resounded, "Wee back, Yuan."

    "Oh, I thought you went to sleep already."

    "How could I sleep alone on your first day back? Do you have any idea how long I''ve waited for this moment?" Chu Liuxiang remarked as she switched on themp next to the bed, revealing her appearance.

    "You¡­ that appearance¡­" Yuan''s eyes widened when he realized Chu Liuxiang was wearing erotic ck lingerie that barely covered her body, and she even positioned her body in a seductive manner that purposefully exposed her body, almost as though she was a model for an adult magazine.

    Due to the whirlwind of events that had transpired earlier, Yuan wasn''t initially in the mood to engage with Chu Liuxiang. However, knowing that she had endured six months without him, he didn''t want to let her down.

    ''Even if the world were to end tomorrow, I''ll still find time to spare for my loved ones,'' Yuan thought to himself, recognizing the importance of cherishing the moments with those dear to him.

    And without any hesitation, he created a concealment formation in the room for their privacy and entered bed with Chu Liuxiang, spending the rest of the night enveloped by pleasure and the warmth of Chu Liuxiang''s body.

    Meanwhile, when Liya returned to the peak of the mountain, she immediately went to seek the Lord.

    "Did something happen?" The Lord noticed her paleplexion and asked her.

    "..."

    After a moment of silence, Liya asked, "Can you tell me about the Immortal Monarch in more detail?"

    The Lord immediately misunderstood her intentions and smiled, "So you''re finally interested in him."

    Liya didn''t even have the energy to refute his statement and remained silent.

    "As you''re aware, the Immortal Monarch yed a pivotal role in ending the conflict between dragons and humans. However, those aplishments pale inparison to his other feats," The Lord began. "He not only achieved the distinction of being the first human to be epted and respected by a Supreme Divine Beast, but he also became the first human to evermand one."

    "Furthermore, he didn''t merely have a single Supreme Divine Beast under hismand; he had a total of nine, as well as influence over many other powerful Divine Beasts. The title ''Supreme Divine Beast'' is reserved for only the most powerful Divine Beasts at the pinnacle of their respective bloodlines¡ª they are beings that can literally rule over an entire race."

    "Using his connections with the Supreme Divine Beasts and numerous other Divine Beasts throughout the Divine Heaven, the Immortal Monarch aplished what was once deemed impossible¡ª coexistence between humans and beasts."

    "Prior to the time of the Immortal Monarch, humans and beasts seldom engaged inmunication, and when such interactions did ur, they often escted into deadly confrontations, not even mentioning Divine Beasts."

    "The Immortal Monarch brought about a profound transformation in that regard. Thanks to his influence and tireless efforts, humans and beasts ceased their hostilities upon encountering each other and even began to coborate, eventually coexisting within the same city."

    "If it hadn''t been for the Immortal Monarch, countless more humans and beasts would have perished in senseless conflict. It wouldn''t be an exaggeration to im that the Immortal Monarch saved both humanity and beasts, which is why he''s held in such high esteem, even revered."

    "In the entire history of the Nine Heavens¡ª at least up to the point when I departed¡ª I don''t believe anyone had as profound an impact on the world as the Immortal Monarch." As he spoke of the Immortal Monarch, the Lord''s countenance bore an admiring expression, reflecting his deep reverence for the legendary figure.

    After a momentary pause, he went on, "Actually, one could argue that there was another individual who matched the Immortal Monarch''s influence¡ª the Divine Paragon, renowned for instilling fear in demons known for their inability to experience fear, and for rescuing the Divine Heavens from the Demon n."

    "Although humans endured the greatest hardships during that era, we, the beasts, were not spared from the turmoil."

    "Immortal Monarch and the Divine Paragon¡­" Liya had a perplexed look on her face, one that the Lord found challenging to interpret.

    Then she proceeded to ask, "The Divine Paragon, can you tell me more about him?"

    "Sure¡­" N?velDrama.Org content rights.

    Although the Lord was uncertain about the reason behind Liya''s interest in the Divine Paragon, he had a hunch that this information held significance for her.

    Thus, the Lord began sharing his knowledge of the Divine Paragon with Liya, who listened with great focus.

    In the end, Liya posed another question, "Do you think reincarnation truly exists? And if the Immortal Monarch and the Divine Paragon were to reincarnate, what kind of individuals do you think they would be?"

    The Lord pondered for a good moment before responding, "I personally believe in reincarnation, and if they were to reincarnate, I believe it would be someone like Yuan¡ª at least that''s what I hope."

    Liya''s body trembled upon hearing the Lord''s answer.

    "I see¡­ Thank you for your time. I''m going to get some rest now." And without exining any further, Liya disappeared from the Lord''s sight.

 Chapter 1265 Homeland

    Chapter 1265 Homnd

    After Liya left the scene, the Lord looked at the darkened sky with a solemn expression on his face.

    "The Immortal Monarch, huh?" The Lord mumbled to himself, lost in thought. "No matter what happens to me, I must protect Earth at all costs. This is his homnd, after all."

    The following day, Yuan rose from his bed early in the morning.

    "Is it morning already¡­?" Chu Liuxiang mumbled in a tired voice as she slowly sat up on the bed rubbing her eyes.

    "Yes," Yuan confirmed as he slightly lifted the curtains, allowing the early sun to shine into their room. Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.

    "Take your time, I''ll be training with the others first. Of course, you don''t need to participate if you don''t have the energy¡ª I won''t me you."

    Hearing his words, Chu Liuxiang copsed back on the bed and said, "Then I''ll sleep for a few more hours. If you''re still training by then, I''ll join you."

    "Okay." Yuan nodded as he left the room through the balcony, before going straight to the training grounds.

    ''I thought I would be able tost the whole night after reaching Spirit Grandmaster and improving my stamina, but s, I still have a lot of training to do¡­'' Chu Liuxiang released an internal sigh, closed her eyes, and swiftly drifted back into a peaceful slumber with a warm smile on her face.

    Shortly after Yuan arrived at the training ground, Li Jinxi showed up with an eager expression on her face.

    "Good morning. You''re early." Yuan greeted her with a bright smile.

    "You too." Li Jinxi replied.

    Seeing Li Jinxi alone, Yuan couldn''t help but recall his encounter with Jin Xi inside the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb, as well as Tian Xin''s feelings for her.

    "Yuan¡­? What''s the matter?" Li Jinxi was a little startled when Yuan suddenly began tearing up.

    "Hm? Oh, sorry." Yuan quickly noticed it and immediately wiped his eyes.

    "Are you okay?" Li Jinxi asked him in a concerned voice.

    "Yes, I am okay. I just remembered something, that''s all."

    "You can tell me, you know."

    "I''ll tell you if you can defeat me," Yuan said with a mysterious smile.

    "Are you sure you want to fight me while in that state? I won''t hear any of your excuses if you lose." Li Jinxi said.

    "I won''t make any excuses if I lose, I promise." Yuan chuckled.

    Li Jinxi didn''t want to waste any more time chatting and retrieved her weapon.

    Yuan responded by summoning the Empyrean Overlord.

    "Come, show me how much you''ve grown." Yuan beckoned her with a provoking smile.

    Li Jinxi immediately kicked her feet,unching herself at him like a rocket.

    ng!

    Yuan blocked her iing strike, but Li Jinxi''s strength was so immense that it pushed him back several steps.

    "Oh? Not bad." The smile on Yuan''s face widened.

    Li Jinxi didn''t halt after the initial strike; she swiftly followed up with a second, then a third, and a fourth.

    Within minutes, the two of them had a flurry of exchanges, trading hundreds of blows withoutnding a single direct hit. Naturally, they weren''t fighting with the intention to kill and were simply enjoying the spar.

    Wang Ming and Wang Bingbing showed up together in the midst of their spar and were greatly shocked by the intensity of their fight.

    "The training ground was only repairedst week, and it''s already being destroyed again," Wang Mingmented aloud after seeing the condition of the training ground.

    "Forget about that, the repairs are free," Wang Bingbing remarked, her attention on Li Jinxi''s beaming smile. "I swear she only ever smiles when Yuan''s around," she added, as she couldn''t remember seeing Li Jinxi smile once in the past six months.

    "You just noticed?" Wang Ming chuckled. "She''s almost like a different person when she''s around him. Obviously, it''s because she likes him. I''m not surprised either. It''s just like her to fall for someone as strong as Yuan."

    "I guess¡­" Wang Bingbing mumbled.

    "Hm? Is that jealousy I sense? Now you have three¡ª no, four opponents. I would be nervous too if I were in your shoes." Wang Ming looked at her in a cheeky manner.

    Wang Bingbing immediately gave him a sidekick and eximed, "S-Shut your mouth! And why are there four opponents?!"

    "Did you forget about Wang Xiuying? She idolizes him, and she doesn''t hide it either." Wang Ming said.

    "I know that, but I don''t know¡­ I cannot sense that sort of emotion from her, unlike Meixiu and the others." Wang Bingbing said.

    "Really? You can tell? Why do I doubt that?"

    "Call it a woman''s intuition." Wang Bingbing shrugged, and she continued, "Anyways, it doesn''t seem like they will finish any time soon, so let''s warm up¡ª you and me."

    "Alright."

    The other started showing up shortly after Wang Ming and Wang Bingbing began sparring with each other.

    "How long have they been at it for now?" Xi Murong asked Wang Ming after arriving.

    "Two hours."

    "I don''t think we''ll get a turn today at this rate."

    Sure enough, Yuan and Li Jinxi would not stop until the sun started setting.

    "You''ve improved a lot," Yuan said to Li Jinxi as he wiped his face that was dripping with sweat.

    "Clearly not enough since I still cannot beat you¡­" Li Jinxi responded in an exhausted voice, her entire body drained of energy.

    "But if you keep improving at that rate, it''ll only be a matter of time before you beat me."

    "Sure¡­ if you don''t train the entire time¡­" Li Jinxi sighed.

    "Sorry, I''mte! Is it my turn yet?" Chu Liuxiang suddenly shouted from the balcony of her room.

    Yuan looked at the setting sun and said, "It''s fine, we''re done for the day, anyway."

    He then looked at the others and continued, "Guys, I have something I need to tell you all after dinner. Make sure you show up, it''s serious."

    "Is it about the Ten Great Families?" Shi Lang asked.

    "No, this is something bigger and more important."

    "Bigger than the Ten Great Families? Man, I can''t wait." Shi Lang said in a sarcastic manner.

 Chapter 1266 The End of the World

    Chapter 1266 The End of the World

    Once everyone left the training grounds and cleaned up, they gathered at the dining table, where Meifeng served a feast.

    "Since it''s been a while since we ate together, I decided to celebrate a little," Meifeng said.

    Yuan smiled, "Thank you."

    Sometimeter, after dinner ended and the table was cleaned with everyone present, Yuan took a deep breath before speaking, "What I am about to tell you will sound crazy, but it''s happening, and I don''t want you to freak out."

    "You are already freaking me out, Yuan¡­" Wang Ming swallowed nervously.

    The others nodded in agreement.

    Yuan then asked them, "Do you remember when I told you guys about the truth behind Earth¡ª how it used to belong in the Nine Heavens before it got separated?"

    They nodded.

    "Unfortunately, Earth drifted a little too far away from the Nine Heavens and became starved of spiritual energy. Normally, when something like that happens, the world will eventually stop being able to support itself and get destroyed. But fortunately, the Lord has been protecting this world through a formation for millions of years now, preventing it from destruction."

    "However, his power isn''t unlimited, and he won''t be able to support that formation one day. For some reason, the formation that is holding this world together has been demanding more spiritual energy as oftely, and at this rate, the Lord won''t be able to support it anymore, and when that happens¡­" N?velDrama.Org content rights.

    "The end of the world¡­?" Shi Lang muttered in a dazed voice.

    Yuan nodded, "Yes, Earth will cease to exist, alongside its inhibitors."

    "What?!"

    Everyone there eximed in a shocked voice after hearing this news.

    "W-W-Wait! This is something that will happen far into the future, right? Please tell me that it will happen only long after we are dead!" Wu Zao cried out loud.

    Yuan shook his head with a solemn expression and sighed, "The Lord estimated that he will only be able to support the formation for another hundred years if the formation continues to absorb his spiritual energy at its current rate."

    "A HUNDRED YEARS?!?!"

    "Of course, that is only if the formation''s current condition remains. Unfortunately, the Lord also predicted that it might get worse in the future, so we probably have less time than that."

    "W-We have less than a hundred years before the world ends¡­? How am I even supposed to respond to this¡­?" Wang Bingbing muttered with a dreadful look on her face, herplexion as white as a ghost.

    Unsurprisingly, the others had simr looks on their faces. After all, they were all looking forward to their future which seemed incredibly bright until just moments ago.

    "Why didn''t the Lord tell us something this important? He had plenty of chances to¡­" Hong Xiuquan muttered in a puzzled manner.

    "He probably didn''t want you guys to worry about it needlessly," Yuan sighed.

    "He was right. There''s nothing we can do about it even if we knew, so we''d only be needlessly worrying about it. We''re useless." Wang Ming gritted his teeth in frustration.

    "I wouldn''t say that." Yuan quickly said, and he continued, "The Lord trained you guys for a reason. Although it won''t give us more time, you guys can make it easier for the Lord to maintain the formation by transferring your spiritual energy to him."

    "Also, we already have a n in motion, so just leave everything to me. I will do everything in my power to save Earth."

    "You do? What do you n on doing? Is there anything we can do to help?" Meixiu asked.

    Yuan shook his head, "I''m afraid not. We have several ways to save Earth, but most of them are either too time-consuming or logistically impractical, so we decided to restore the Lord''s diminished power, which will buy us more time to find another method to save Earth."

    "That will require a tremendous amount of spiritual energy, correct?" Meifeng asked.

    Yuan nodded, "Yes, so I need to find a soul belonging to a God Ascension realm cultivator in the Nine Heavens and bring them to Earth to help us."

    "What? That seems impossible no matter how you think about it!" Xi Murong said.

    "It''s possible." Yuan retrieved his Empyrean Overlord and exined, "Soul Weapons can store a single soul in them, and since I can summon my Empyrean Overlord on Earth, there''s a good chance that I can bring back a soul with me."

    Chu Liuxiang then asked, "How strong is a Cultivator in the God Ascension realm?"

    "They''re practically at the peak of cultivation¡ª the strongest cultivators out there."

    Seeing Chu Liuxiang''s face afterward, Yuan continued, "I know what you''re thinking. I already have an idea where to go to find someone that powerful."

    "Anyways, until I find this soul, there''s nothing we can do but pray that everything works out."

    "This isn''t going to be easy, but try your best to not worry too much about it." Yuan knew that he would only make them worry needlessly by telling them this information, especially when they could not do anything about it, but he did not want to keep them in the dark about something this serious.

    "What should we do now?" Meifeng suddenly asked him.

    "I know there''s nothing we can do to help you, but surely, there is something we can do to lessen your burden, right?"

    Yuan smiled and said, "Just keep doing what you normally do. I will be more at ease that way, too."

    "If you say so¡­"

    After the meeting ended, everyone returned to their rooms to ponder about the situation.

    "Hey, what do you think of the situation?" Wang Binging stopped Wang Ming before he entered his room and asked.

    "What is there to think about? Once again, we''re too weak to do anything, so Yuan is forced to do everything by himself. Although there''s nothing we can do this time, it won''t be like that next time."

    Wang Bingbing smiled after hearing his words and nodded, "I agree, but if we''re going to be of any use to him, we''ll really need to step it up. So, I''m thinking of ascending to the Third Heaven soon."

    "That¡­ might be a good idea." Wang Ming said with a look of rxation.

    "Okay! I''ve decided! I''m going to ascend as soon as I''m done with my current training at the sect!"

    "I bet I''ll ascend faster than you." Wang Bingbing then said.

    "We''ll see about that!" And without saying anything else, Wang Ming entered his room.

    When Wang Bingbing returned to her room, she immediately went into Cultivation Online and began nning to ascend.

    Meanwhile, inside their room, Chu Liuxiang said to Yuan, "I''m sorry."

    "Why are you apologizing so suddenly?" He raised an eyebrow.

    "Becausest night¡­ even though you probably weren''t in the mood¡­"

    "That''s nonsense, and there was no way you could''ve known. While I admit that I wasn''t in the mood at first, I didn''t regret it, as I felt much better afterward, so thank you."

    "Does this mean you''ll immediately return to Cultivation Online?" Chu Liuxiang then asked.

    As much as she wanted to spend some more time with him, she couldn''t me him for leaving again.

    However, to her surprise, Yuan shook his head and said, "No, I am still going to stay here for a little longer to spend more time with you guys¡ª with you and Meixiu."

    "Really?!" Chu Liuxiang''s face immediately brightened after hearing his words.

    He nodded with a calm smile.

    Chu Liuxiang suddenly tossed herself at him and said, "If that''s the case, you should see Meixiu tonight. After all, you''ll be mine tomorrow¡ª the whole day."

    Yuan chuckled, "Sure."

 Chapter 1267 A Weird Symbol

    Chapter 1267 A Weird Symbol

    "Meixiu, it''s me. Are you free?" Yuan asked as he knocked on her door.

    Meixiu opened the door a few momentster and weed him inside.

    Once inside, Yuan continued, "If you have anything on your mind, I''m here to listen."

    Meixiu sat on the bed and sighed, "I have a lot on my mind, but it''s mostly just wondering about the end of the world. Though, I do have one question. Do you n on telling Yu Rou about the situation?"

    Yuan then said, "I thought about telling her, but I decided against it, as I don''t want her to worry needlessly. Do you think I should tell her?"

    Meixiu quickly shook her head, "No, I agree with your decision. Knowing Yu Rou, she''ll definitely freak out for a while."

    Yuan chuckled, "I will tell her after Earth is no longer in danger."

    The room fell silent for a moment before Meixiu asked, "So when will you return to Cultivation Online?"

    "I won''t immediately return, but I''ll probably shorten it a little."

    Meixiu disyed a surprised expression upon learning of his choice to remain despite their challenging circumstances.

    "You''re that confident?" She asked.

    "Well, not really, but there''s no need to rush either. Starting a week or twoter won''t make that much of a difference when we have a hundred years¡ª even if there are only ten years."

    "In the meantime, I am going to be spending my time with you guys. Tonight probably isn''t a good time, so let me know whenever you want to¡ª"

    Before Yuan could even finish his sentence, Meixiu grabbed his hand and pulled him onto the bed with her.

    "Even if the world were to end tomorrow, I would still want to spend the night with you," Meixiu muttered in a low voice before pressing her soft lips onto Yuan''s.

    Momentster, their clothes were scattered across the floor, where they would remain for the remainder of the night.

    Meanwhile, in the Third Heaven.

    "So, how did you cross paths with Yuan?" Xi Meili inquired as they strolled through the city.

    "H-How?" Feng Yuxiang stammered, her mind instantly recollecting their initial meeting and causing her to break into a sweat.

    Opting to omit the unpleasant details of their initial meeting, Feng Yuxiang provided a truncated exnation, saying, "I used to own a shop in the Lower Heavens. The Young Master was a customer there. The sword he wields¡ªthe Empyrean Overlord¡ªhe purchased it from me."

    "Eh? How did you wind up traveling together?" Xi Meili expressed surprise upon learning of Feng Yuxiang''s background as a shop owner, struggling to fathom how she came to serve Yuan.

    "And what brings someone of your status to the Lower Heavens? Isn''t that realm intended for mortals?" Xi Meili inquired further.

    Feng Yuxiang let out a sigh as she exined, "I stirred up some problems in the Upper Heavens and was chased down there. My bloodline was even cursed, condemning me to live as a human."

    "What? Your bloodline was cursed? That''s the worst fate for a Divine Beast! Who would daremit such a heartless act?" Xi Meili reacted with shock.

    Feng Yuxiang shrugged, "It happened a long time ago, I don''t even remember his face¡ª only that he had a weird symbol on his hand."

    "A weird symbol?" Xi Meili inquired further.

    "Yes. Anyways, even though my bloodline is cursed, as long as I am with the Young Master, the curse will be removed soon."

    "Huh? How?"

    "His blood. Every time I consume it, the curse weakens a little. It''ll only be a matter of time before I regain my full strength." Feng Yuxiang smiled.

    "Yuan''s blood¡­?" Xi Meili suddenly recalled her parents tasting Yuan''s blood and couldn''t help but wonder if there was something special about it.

    "What does his blood taste like?" she inquired, her eyes filled with fascination.

    "It''s hard to describe the taste, but it will taste better than anything you''ve ever tasted in your life."

    "Huh? That doesn''t make any sense."

    "You won''t understand it until you taste it. It''s also super addicting. Once you taste it, you''ll not be able to enjoy other things as much."

    "That¡­ doesn''t sound very good¡­" Xi Meili raised her eyebrows.

    "It doesn''t¡ª until you taste his blood."

    "Is that so¡ª Hold on. I want to eat that." Xi Meili suddenly halted their conversation to approach a food stall.

    "I''ll take some of this." Xi Meili pointed at the meat skewers being sold.

    "That would be five copper coins."

    "Here." Xi Meili handed a spirit stone to the man behind the stall, who nearly fell back from shock.

    "I-I don''t have enough change¡­" The man said in a nervous voice.

    "I don''t need it." Xi Meili ced the spirit stone on the counter and grabbed the meat skewer before walking back to Feng Yuxiang, who was shaking her head, "What a waste of money." Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.

    "Mmm¡­ the skewers here taste so different even though they''re cooked from the same meat, and this is the 11th stall today. How wonderful."

    A few momentster, they came to another halt, but not because Xi Meili noticed another skewer stall.

    "What do you want?" Feng Yuxiang asked the tall young man who suddenly stopped in front of them, blocking their path.

    "Just a little of yourdies'' time. How would you like to eat lunch together at the best restaurant in this city? It''ll be my treat, of course." The young man said as he looked at Xi Meili and her half-eaten skewer.

    "Are we being hit on right now?" Xi Meili looked at Feng Yuxiang with raised eyebrows, as she had never encountered such a situation before, having only heard about it.

    Feng Yuxiang nodded, "Yes, we are."

    She then responded to the man, "I am not interested in humans, so you may scram."

    Nevertheless, the young man remained still and grinned, saying, "I had a feeling you weren''t human, hence why I approached you! Don''t worry, I''m not human either!"

 Chapter 1268 Immortal Clans

    Chapter 1268 Immortal ns

    "So what if you are a beast? I don''t care if you are human, beast, or god, I am not interested." Feng Yuxiang sneered in disdain.

    However, the young man remained undisturbed by her words and said, "Don''t be like that, beauty. I promise you it''ll be worth your time. After all, I came down here from¡­"

    The young man proceeded to point toward the sky with a confident smile on his face.

    "So, you''re from the Upper Heavens. What of it?" Feng Yuxiang responded, her patience wearing thin.

    "Not just any Upper Heavens! The Seventh Heaven!" The young man proudly dered.

    Feng Yuxiang rolled her eyes and responded, "Even if you''re from the Seventh Heaven, I can''t imagine someone of your standing bothering with beings from such a humble realm."

    Despite her skeptical remarks, Feng Yuxiang couldn''t deny that the young man standing in front of them exuded the unmistakable presence of someone hailing from the Upper Heavens.

    "Please! I''m not the type to discriminate! It doesn''t matter if they''re from the Lower Heavens or the Supreme Heavens! As long as they''re beautiful, they''ll deserve my attention!" the young man proimed.

    And he continued, "Furthermore, youdies cannot deceive my eyes! I can tell whether someone is special or not with a nce, and youdies are definitely special!"

    Feng Yuxiang felt a strong urge to smack this stubborn young man who did not seem to know how to give up. However, knowing that he was someone from the Upper Heavens, there was a good chance that he came here to find Yuan, and she did not want to stir up any trouble that could lead back to him.

    A momentter, seeing how they did not seem to care about his origin from the Seventh Heaven, he continued, "Okay, I get it. You don''t care about the Upper Heavens¡ª but what if I tell you that I am a Heavenly White Tiger from one of the Immortal ns?"

    "The Immortal ns?" Feng Yuxiang''s eyebrows raised upon hearing this unfamiliar term.

    "I''m not surprised you haven''t heard of them since they only exist in the Upper Heavens, but as a beast, surely, you know of the legendary Immortal Monarch, right?"

    Both Feng Yuxiang and Xi Meili''s eyes flickered upon hearing this familiar name.

    The young man noticed their interest and smiled inwardly, ''Got them!''

    "What does the Immortal Monarch have to do with the Immortal ns?" Feng Yuxiang asked.

    The young man promptly replied with clear pride in his voice, "The Immortal ns are lineages that descended from the Supreme Beings who served the Immortal Monarch. In simpler terms, our ancestors were among the nine Supreme Beings who followed the Immortal Monarch during his time. We''re also some of the most powerful and influential families in the realm of beasts. There isn''t a single beast that doesn''t know of our name in the Upper Heavens. So, are you interested in lending me some of your time now?"

    Feng Yuxiang smiled and said, "Not really."

    "Eh?" The young man''s expression froze. N?velDrama.Org content rights.

    "Are your ears only for show? I already said that I''m not interested¡ª multiple times. If your only method of courting is to unt your background, I feel sorry for you." Feng Yuxiang said before looking at Xi Meili and continuing, "Let''s go."

    And without paying the young man from the Immortal ns any more attention, the two of them walked around him without looking back.

    The young man stood there with an incredulous expression on his face. This marked the first instance where someone had turned him down despite learning of his background. However, what hurt him the most was Feng Yuxiang''s nonchnt attitude towards the Immortal ns.

    In the Upper Heavens, the Immortal ns are treated no differently than royalties. Divine Beasts would lower their heads before the Immortal ns, much less ordinary beasts. In fact, even royalties in the world of beasts treated them with utmost respect.

    The young man''s body trembled in anger, and his aura suddenly began to fluctuate, causing the atmosphere there to change.

    "HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!" The young man suddenly bellowed, his voice resonating through the air and causing it to quiver.

    "You really don''t know how to give up¡­" Feng Yuxiang sighed as she halted.

    "This is no longer about me."

    "Then what is it about?" Xi Meili asked in a nonchnt voice.

    "Hmph. I won''t be surprised if he''s never been rejected in the Upper Heavens, so he''s experiencing denial." Feng Yuxiang spoke out before the young man could respond.

    And she continued, "What are you going to do now? Threaten us toe with you using your family''s name?"

    "How dare you¡­" The young man turned around to look at them with killing intent exuding from his yellow eyes, his white and ck hair swirling wildly.

    "How scary." A provocative smile appeared on Xi Meili''s face.

    "You probably don''t know this, but disrespecting the Immortal ns is punishable by death¡ª ignorant or not," the young man spoke in a cold voice.

    "And I, Bai Xutao, shall execute you for your crimes."

    A vicious light glimmered in Bai Xutao''s eyes right before one of his hands suddenly flickered, turning invisible for a split second.

    Xi Meili''s eyes widened, and she instinctively pushed Feng Yuxiang away, "Watch out!"

    "Wha¡ª?!" Feng Yuxiang eximed in surprise.

    The next moment, arge cut appeared on Xi Meili''s arm with blood running down her elbow.

    "Oh? You actually saw that?" Bai Xutao expressed genuine surprise upon seeing this.

    If Xi Meili hadn''t pushed Feng Yuxiang away at thest moment, Bai Xutao would''ve taken Feng Yuxiang''s head.

    "You bastard¡­ You really intended to kill her with this many people around¡­ Are you out of your mind?" Xi Meili gritted her teeth in anger, her aura skyrocketing.

    "A Spirit King¡­ No, Spirit Emperor with her cultivation suppressed. Did you alsoe down here from the Upper Heavens? If so, there''s no way you wouldn''t know of the Immortal ns, yet you dared to disrespect me and my family¡­" Bai Xutao narrowed his eyes at them.

    And he continued, "So what if there''s people here? You''re the only ones I''m going to kill. If you think I would hold back because there are others here¡­ think again."

    "Crazy bastard¡­" Feng Yuxiang uttered in a cold voice as she stood back up.

 Chapter 1269 Heavenly White Tiger

    Chapter 1269 Heavenly White Tiger

    "Are you okay?" Feng Yuxiang asked Xi Meili after standing back up.

    "Yes, it''s just a scratch," she nodded.

    "Sorry¡­ If I was paying a little more attention, you wouldn''t have gotten hurt."

    "It''s okay."

    Feng Yuxiang turned to Bai Xutao with a stern expression and remarked, "If the Immortal Monarch witnessed your behavior just now, he''d have you executed on the spot."

    "Keep his name out of your mouth. He isn''t someone a mere ordinary phoenix should mention so casually," Bai Xutao growled in response.

    "Yet you were so desperate to spend some time with this ordinary phoenix just moments ago¡ª even using his name to do so." Feng Yuxiang pped back.

    "You''re a disgrace to the Immortal Monarch''s legacy¡ª if the Immortal ns are even real."

    "H-How dare you¡­" Bai Xutao''s face bulged with veins of anger upon hearing Feng Yuxiang''s words that could erase a whole legacy if uttered in the presence of the Immortal ns in the Upper Heavens.

    "I was going to give you a quick and painless death, but you really couldn''t help yourself. Not only did you mock my family, but the entire Immortal Monarch''s legacy, huh? Even a thousand deaths wouldn''t be enough for you."

    When the people around them realized the gravity of the situation, they immediately scattered away like ants in the rain, unwilling to get caught up in their trouble.

    "He''s not an opponent we can take down alone." Xi Meili said to Feng Yuxiang through divine sense.

    "I know. Let''s take him down together."

    Bai Xutao suddenlyughed out loud, "You won''t be able to take me down even if you worked together."

    Feng Yuxiang and Xi Meili frowned upon realizing that Bai Xutao had intercepted theirmunication through divine sense, something that can only be done by someone far superior to them.

    ''As expected of someone from the Seventh Heaven. Even if their cultivation is restricted to Spirit King, they are pretty much untouchable for everyone in this world.'' Feng Yuxiang could feel herself sweating for the first time in a while.

    ''This pressure¡­ he''s countless times stronger than the Azure Dragon Family''s patriarch even in his current state¡­'' Xi Meili sighed inwardly, realizing just how small her world waspared to the outside world.

    "He''sing!" Xi Meili warned Feng Yuxiang.

    "Heavenly Tiger''s Advance." Half a secondter, Bai Xutao disappeared from his spot and appeared a few steps away from Xi Meili.

    "Heavenly Tiger''s Fangs." Bai Xutao plunged his w-like hands toward Xi Meili''s body.

    Xi Meili didn''t dare to hold back and fought back with her fists, punching Bai Xutao''s iing strike.

    However, even with her full strength, Xi Meili wasn''t able to block Bai Xutao''s unstoppable ws and was sent flying, destroying the small building behind her.

    Seeing this, Feng Yuxiang semi-transformed, spreading her fiery wings before shooting herself at Bai Xutao.

    "Vermilion Phoenix Dominating the Heavens!"

    "Phoenix''s Wrath!" Once she arrived before Bai Xutao, Feng Yuxiang released her phoenix mes directly at him, engulfing his figure in an instant.

    "Hmph! What weak mes! Are you really a phoenix?!" Bai Xutao''s voice resounded before he emerged from her mes without a single scratch on his body.

    "Heavenly Tiger''s Destruction Wave!" Bai Xutao roared at Feng Yuxiang, releasing a powerful sound wave that obliterated everything within several blocks of her direction.

    Fortunately for Feng Yuxiang, she barely managed to protect her life by erecting a wall of fire before her, but even then, she did not escape unscathed.

    ''Fuck! If I had been even a second slower, I would''ve died just now!'' had befallen the city. All of the buildings had turned to rubble, and Feng Yuxiang cried inwardly as blood oozed from the cuts on her body.

    She turned to look behind her, only to witness the devastation that had befallen the city. All of the buildings had turned to rubble, and corpses could be seen scattered everywhere.

    "You crazy bastard¡­ I thought you only wanted to kill us?! Using such destructive techniques in the middle of a city¡ª you are really out of your mind! Is this how someone rted to the Immortal Monarch should behave?! Calling you a disgrace was an understatement! I can''t wait to witness Heaven''s Tribtion rain down upon you!" Feng Yuxiang shouted at him.

    However, Bai Xutao remained unfazed by the destruction he had caused, even lookingpletely rxed. N?velDrama.Org content rights.

    "Heaven''s Tribtion? It won''t show up even if I were to destroy this entire city. That''s what it means to be from the Immortal ns

    ¡ª that is how much influence we have within the Nine Heavens." Bai Xutao sneered, his demeanorpletely different from the beginning, almost as though he was a different person.

    "Heavenly White Tiger... I''ve heard tales about your bloodline," Xi Meili muttered as she emerged from the rubble of the copsed building. "A bloodline brimming with violence. When you lot engage in battle, you lose your sanity and won''t cease until your hunger for violence is appeased."

    "However, witnessing it firsthand, you guys are far more crazy in reality," she added.

    "Are you regretting it now? Unfortunately, it''s toote. Now that you''ve made my blood boil, I won''t stop until you both are dead. If you don''t want this city to perish with you, then stop struggling and offer your lives to me!" Bai Xutaomanded.

    "Che!" Feng Yuxiang spat out the blood in her mouth and mumbled, "I didn''t think I would be relying on this so soon, much less for a crazy bastard like him¡­"

    She proceeded to retrieve a vial of blood from her spatial ring.

    "Blood?" Bai Xutao narrowed his eyes at the vial in Feng Yuxiang''s grasp. "And how will that save you?"

    "What is she nning?" Xi Meili mumbled to herself, as she was also puzzled by Feng Yuxiang''s actions.

    However, Feng Yuxiang did not respond to Bai Xutao''s inquiry and consumed the entire vial of blood.

    "Argh!" Feng Yuxiang released a painful cry before quickly suppressing it.

    The next moment, her aura skyrocketed all the way to the heavens.

    Her crimson hair lengthened and ignited in mes, gradually spreading throughout her body until her entire form resembled a fiery sphere.

    When the mes that had enveloped Feng Yuxiang vanished a momentter, she reappeared with apletely altered appearance.

    Her clothing had been incinerated, and only her private parts were concealed by mes as if she were d in an attire crafted entirely of fire.

    A red symbol that had not been present before had materialized at the center of her forehead, and her eyes seemed to smolder with inner mes.

    Feng Yuxiang looked at her hands and muttered in a low voice, "As expected, the Young Master''s blood is truly mythical."

    Bai Xutao had a profound frown on his face after seeing Feng Yuxiang''s transformation.

    "You¡­ that appearance¡­"

    Though he couldn''t recollect it right away, he had a strong feeling that he had seen Feng Yuxiang''s appearance somewhere else.

    Feng Yuxiang suddenly looked at Bai Xutao and pointed her finger at him.

    "Die," she murmured in a low voice, then released a highly concentrated beam of mes from the tip of her finger, directing it straight at Bai Xutao.

    Seeing this, Bai Xutao promptly shifted his head to evade the approaching attack, narrowly escaping the beam that soared into the heavens, piercing through the clouds and leaving a clear hole behind.

    "..."

    Bai Xutao felt a few drops of cold sweat forming on his back afterward. If Feng Yuxiang hadn''t aimed at his head just then, he wouldn''t have been able to evade the attack in time because his body hadn''t reacted quickly enough.

    Realizing this, Bai Xutao''s face flushed with embarrassment, and his body trembled in anger.

 Chapter 1270 Unforgivable!

    Chapter 1270 Unforgivable!

    "How many times do you have to humiliate me before you are satisfied, woman¡­? If I don''t rip you from limb to limb, my surname is not Bai!" Bai Xutao roared, his aura soaring even further.

    Using his movement technique, Bai Xutao quickly approached Feng Yuxiang, who also used her movement technique to confront him. Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.

    Just like her appearance, Feng Yuxiang''sbat prowess had changed drastically. However, even with her upgrade, she was still behind Bai Xutao and was unable tond a single hit even after a thousand exchanges.

    ''Just how strong is this crazy bastard?!'' Feng Yuxiang couldn''t believe that she was still losing to him despite her transformation, and Bai Xutao was still a Spirit King while she had entered the Spirit Emperor realm.

    Not wanting to disturb Feng Yuxiang''s pace, Xi Meili watched them fight from a distance for some time at first, but when she realized that Bai Xutao was slowly pushing Feng Yuxiang back more and more, she decided to join the fight and support Feng Yuxiang, even removing her own restriction, allowing her Spirit Emperor cultivation to surge forward.

    "How many times do I have to tell you that you won''t defeat me even if you worked together?!"

    Bai Xutao became more defensive when Xi Meili joined the battle, and despite his disadvantage in numbers, he did not seem to be worried even in the slightest.

    Of course, neither Feng Yuxiang nor Xi Meili was going all out, as they were still in the middle of a city, so they were subconsciously holding back their strength, unlike Bai Xutao, who couldn''t care less about his surroundings or the innocent people around them.

    Eventually, the guards in that city showed up, surrounding them.

    "Halt! Do you even realize where you rascals are currently? Fights between cultivators are strictly prohibited inside a city, especially those at your cultivation level! Are you trying to level this entire city?!" Thousands of guards surrounded them.

    "That crazy bastard attacked us first! We''re only defending ourselves!" Feng Yuxiang responded to them.

    "I don''t give a fuck who started this fight! You will stop now ande with us for interrogation!"

    Bai Xutao looked at these guards and sneered, "Unless you n on participating in the fight, I suggest you all get out of here before I make you participate."

    "Who the hell do you think you are?!" The leader of these guards roared at him.

    "You''re not worthy of knowing my identity," Bai Xutao retorted in a chilly tone.

    "Arrogant little bastard¡­ If you think you can fight all of us, you can go ahead and try! Arrest these fools!" The leadermanded.

    "Yes!"

    The guards immediately began approaching them in a massive formation for apprehension, making sure that they couldn''t escape.

    gorgeous young woman with a noble aura around her, appearing to be around Feng Yuxiang''s age at first nce. Her hair was a mixture Bai Xutao merely scoffed at their pointless attempt, and just as he prepared to ughter these guards, another voice boomed.

    "What is going on here?!"

    A slender figure descended from the sky momentster. She was a gorgeous young woman with a noble aura around her, appearing to be around Feng Yuxiang''s age at first nce. Her hair was a mixture of mostly white with some ck, and she had yellow eyes, much like Bai Xutao.

    Upon the arrival of this neer, her mere presence was sufficient to freeze the guards in their tracks, and Bai Xutao began to disy signs of unease.

    During the ensuing moment of silence, the young woman surveyed her surroundings, taking note of the city''s devastation.

    "I leave you alone for a few days, and in such a short span of time, you''ve managed to create such a colossal mess? Are you intentionally trying to piss me off, Bai Xutao?" The young woman spoke in a cold voice as she stared at him with a piercing gaze that could prate even the heavens.

    Bai Xutao trembled as he replied in a bashful manner, "I-I can exin this, Elder Sister Ning¡ª"

    The young woman suddenly disappeared from her location and appeared in front of Bai Xutao faster than one could blink their eyes before punching him in the stomach so hard that Bai Xutao''s body arched like a bow.

    "Does it look like I care about your reasoning?" she asked him, and she continued, "In case you forgot, we are not here to y around. If you''re not going to cooperate, I will send you back home."

    "I-I know! But those two dared to disrespect the Immortal ns!" Bai Xutao pointed at the puzzled Feng Yuxiang and Xi Meili in the distance.

    Bai Ning turned to look at them with a narrowed gaze before turning back to look at Bai Xutao, "Have you forgotten where you are? The Immortal ns don''t exist down here, so they wouldn''t know much about us. Why waste your energy over something so insignificant? How childish¡ª not that I expected more from you."

    Bai Xutao clenched his teeth in the realization that he couldn''t talk his way out of this predicament.

    ''Hold on a moment,'' then a sudden spark of inspiration ignited within him.

    "T-They also mocked the Immortal Monarch!" he immediately cried out loud.

    Bai Ning''s entire face froze after hearing this, and her body began trembling a momentter.

    Bai Xutao smiled inwardly at her reaction and quickly continued in a sorrowful voice, "That''s right! They called him a phony, among other vile epithets that I wouldn''t dare repeat even on my deathbed! When I heard their disrespect toward the Immortal Monarch, my rage got the best of me, and I feltpelled to reprimand them!"

    The sky above the city suddenly darkened despite the early hour, and it felt as if the world itself trembled in apprehension of some impending event.

    "What the hell is going on?" Feng Yuxiang mumbled in a dazed voice.

    "I have a bad feeling about this¡­" Xi Meili swallowed inwardly.

    "How dare they¡­ my beloved Immortal Monarch¡­ unforgivable!" Bai Ning murmured in a chilling tone, her presence radiating such killing intent that it could fill the heavens.

    She fixed her gaze on the startled Feng Yuxiang and Xi Meili, and the intensity of her look sent shivers down their spines, their very instincts urging them to flee.

 Chapter 1271 Rules of Heaven

    Chapter 1271 Rules of Heaven

    "I have a really bad feeling about her¡ª worse than that crazy bastard." Feng Yuxiang mumbled, swallowing nervously.

    Xi Meili nodded, agreeing with her, "She''s definitely extremely dangerous. Even if we use our full strength, I don''t think we''ll be able to beat her."

    "If only the Young Master was here¡­" Feng Yuxiang sighed.

    However, just as Bai Ning prepared to approach them, she suddenly halted her movements.

    "Elder Sister? What''s wrong?" Bai Xutao asked her after noticing something off about her.

    "We''re leaving," she said in a low voice.

    "What? No way! We need to punish¡ª"

    "Then you can stay here. I won''t be responsible for whatever happens next." Bai Ning red at him before disappearing like a ghost without exining any further.

    Seeing this, Bai Xutao pointed at Feng Yuxiang and roared, "You guys are the first to live another day after humiliating me! But don''t you dare think for a second that this is over because I have remembered your scent! I will find youter and kill you! I swear upon my surname!"

    After his deration, Bai Xutao also disappeared from the scene, leaving everyone there speechless.

    "What just happened? Why did they suddenly leave?" Xi Meili was baffled by the turn of events.

    The guards snapped out of their daze shortly after, and since Feng Yuxiang and Xi Meili were still there, they decided to apprehend them.

    "Don''t let them escape as well!" The leader of the guards shouted.

    However, just as they approached them, Feng Yuxiang and Xi Meili''s body suddenly looked as though they were being sucked into something, the space around them wrapping in a circr motion.

    A secondter, they also disappeared into thin air, leaving the guards dumbfounded.

    "Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!" The leader of the guards stomped the ground in anger before ordering the others, "I want half of you to chase after them! I don''t care if they left the city or not! The other half will stay behind to clean up the mess they made in the city!"

    Meanwhile, Bai Xutao chased Bai Ning several thousand miles away from the scene.

    When they eventually came to a halt, Bai Xutao asked her in an agitated voice, "Elder Sister! Why did you suddenly up and leave?! You could''ve easily killed those bastards that mocked the Immortal Monarch!"

    Pap!

    Bai Ning abruptly turned around and pped him in the face, sending him flying like a ragdoll.

    "You dare raise your voice at me? Are you courting death?" she sneered.

    She turned to look towards the sky and mumbled a momentter, "We were being watched by someone at God Ascension. If we had stayed there for a little longer, that person would''ve likely attacked us."

    "Huh? Why would someone at that level attack us?" Bai Xutao expressed his surprise after standing back up.

    "It probably has something to do with those two you picked a fight with," she calmly said.

    "I-I didn''t pick a fight with them! They picked a fight with me by mocking our family and the Immortal Monarch!" Bai Xutao panicked.

    "Do you really take me for a fool, you womanizing bastard? Knowing you and your tendencies, you got angry when they refused to follow you. This isn''t the first time something like this has happened, either."

    "I¡ª" Bai Xutao tried to make another excuse, but he was immediately cut off by Bai Ning, "You even destroyed a city and killed innocent people. Don''t think you''ll get away with this. Once we return home, Father will deal with you ordingly."

    Bai Xutao''s body trembled in fear upon hearing her words, but his hatred for Feng Yuxiang and Xi Meili only increased, as he still med them for his current situation.

    ''I swear I will not rest until I make you bitches pay!'' he cried inwardly.

    Meanwhile, Feng Yuxiang and Xi Meili had been teleported to another location.

    "Senior¡­" Feng Yuxiang realized why the Heavenly White Tigers had suddenly left when she saw Dong Ye standing before her.

    "Thank you for rescuing us. If it weren''t for you, we would''ve probably died back there." Feng Yuxiang bowed to him.

    Dong Ye shook his head, "I should be apologizing for not showing up sooner. I had left this world temporarily to investigate something."

    "But to pick a fight with the Heavenly White Tiger Immortal n, you''re quite reckless."

    "But they started the fight¡­" Xi Meili sighed.

    "Regardless of how it started, they will keep an eye out for you from now on, especially Bai Xutao. But there''s no need to worry. That Bai Xutao is a well-known troublemaker, so there are usually people watching over him."

    "I''m not worried about that fool at all." Feng Yuxiang said.

    "I''m more worried about that woman who was with him." Xi Meili sighed.

    Dong Ye shook his head and said, "Actually, there is something else that you should be worrying about right now."

    "What is it?"

    Dong Ye pointed above them, where the sky seemed unnaturally dark for some reason.

    "What is that?" Xi Meili asked with raised eyebrows.

    "N-No way¡­" Feng Yuxiang swallowed nervously when she saw the sky.

    "Is it just me or is that a¡­"

    "Heaven''s Tribtion." Dong Ye confirmed Feng Yuxiang''s worries.

    "Huh?! Heaven''s Tribtion?! Why is it over here?! We weren''t the ones who killed those innocent people!" Xi Meili eximed.

    "No, but you did break a rule of heaven by being a Spirit Emperor and using such powers in a ce that is limited to those below Spirit Emperor." Dong Ye exined to them. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.

    The reason why there are no Cultivators above the limit given to each world and why nobody in the upper heavens dares to descend without proper permission is simply because of the rules of heaven.

    When someone vites a rule, an inescapable Heavenly Tribtion is invoked to punish the offender, with the severity of the tribtion determined by the individual''s transgressions.

    As Feng Yuxiang and Xi Meili had employed cultivation beyond the level of Spirit King in the Third Heaven, they had breached a rule of heaven, hence their current predicament.

 Chapter 1272 Heavenly Tribulation

    Chapter 1272 Heavenly Tribtion

    "S-Senior! Is there anything you can do?!" Feng Yuxiang looked at him for help. As this was her first encounter with Heavenly Tribtion, it was only natural for her to act nervous.

    Dong Ye sighed, "There is¡ª but there isn''t at the same time."

    "I could wipe away the Heavenly Tribtion for you this time, but it will eventually return in the future, and it will be much more powerful at that time. Therefore, you can only face it."

    And he continued, "Don''t worry, your crime wasn''t that bad. The Heavenly Tribtion won''t kill you, but it will hurt a little."

    "We have to confront it¡­?" Feng Yuxiang swallowed nervously.

    "D-Don''t worry¡­ I have read stories of people using Heavenly Tribtions to temper their own bodies¡­ It can''t be that bad¡­" Xi Meili said, trying tofort herself.

    Dong Ye then said, "The Heavenly Tribtion is about to start. You should gain some distance away from each other so you don''t make things harder for each other. I''ll watch over you so you won''t die."

    They felt much more at ease after hearing Dong Ye''s words.

    A momentter, they began flying away from each other until they were at least fifty miles apart.

    The sky above them appeared normal for a few moments, almost as though they had escaped the Heavenly Tribtion. However, it would turn dark again after some time with tiny blue snakes dancing around the clouds.

    "The next time I see that crazy bastard, I will definitely make him pay for this!" Feng Yuxiang gritted her teeth as she prepared to confront the Heavenly Tribtion.

    She sat down and closed her eyes, clearly her mind.

    While this may be her first time being confronted by a Heavenly Tribtion, this wasn''t her first time seeing one. In the upper heavens, Heavenly Tribtions ur on BOOM!

    an almost daily basis, so she has witnessed a fair share of people fighting them. Many people perished before the Heavenly Tribtion, but some people have managed to escape, and just as Xi Meili had said, some even used them as a body tempering method.

    ''Those who recklessly confronted the Heavenly Tribtion perished while those who remained calm and allowed the Heavenly Tribtion to strike them managed to survive.'' Feng Yuxiang said to herself.

    Eventually, amidst the darkened skies, a powerful and thick bolt of lightning descended upon Feng Yuxiang.

    BOOM!

    In an instant, the ground around Feng Yuxiang was charred ck, and it looked as if a bomb had been dropped in her area with several miles of thend around her being affected by the Heavenly Tribtion.

    Feng Yuxiang, who used most of her spiritual energy to block the Heavenly Tribtion right before it struck her, managed to survive, but her entire body was dripping with blood. This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    ''I managed to survive¡­'' she sighed inwardly, feeling a little relieved.

    Yet, her despair grew as she realized that the ck clouds above her had not dissipated, and it even looked as though it was preparing for a second strike.

    The number of strikes corresponded to the severity of one''s crime with three strikes being the mostmon.

    A few momentster, a second bolt of lightning descended on Feng Yuxiang. The destruction caused by the second strike was even more devastating than the first one, as Heavenly Tribtion only bes more powerful with each strike.

    When struck by the second Heavenly Tribtion, Feng Yuxiang''s life shed before her eyes for a brief moment, recalling all of the time she''s spent with Yuan and the others even though it was only a tiny portion of her experience.

    By the time the second strike came to an end, Feng Yuxiang had already exhausted all of her spiritual energy, leaving herpletely vulnerable to the final and most powerful strike.

    As the Heavenly Tribtion gathered energy for the second strike, Feng Yuxiangid on the ground and stared at the heavens with a nk look on her face.

    "Ah¡­ I might actually die here today¡­ I''m sorry, Young Master¡­" Feng Yuxiang muttered as the third strike descended on her a momentter.

    Meanwhile, Xi Meili returned to Dong Ye after her Heavenly Tribtion. Her appearance looked much better than Feng Yuxiang after her first strike, almost as though she didn''t even experience the Heavenly Tribtion.

    "The Heavenly Tribtion wasn''t that bad. I expected much worse." Xi Meiliughed merrily, and she continued, "I understand why some people use it to train their body now. I could feel my body being stronger than it was before the Heavenly Tribtion!"

    She then asked, "Senior, where''s Feng Yuxiang?"

    "Her Heavenly Tribtion should be ending soon," he said.

    After a few minutes of silence, he spoke again, "Follow me."

    Xi Meili nodded and followed him to where Feng Yuxiang confronted her Heavenly Tribtion.

    When they arrived, Xi Meili''s eyes widened in shock as she gazed upon the devastation that far exceeded what she had experienced.

    "W-What in heaven''s name happened here?! Was this caused by the Heavenly Tribtion? There''s no way, right?!" Xi Meili turned to look at Dong Ye for answers.

    He nodded and exined, "The strength of one''s Heavenly Tribtion depends on two primary factors: the gravity of their transgression and their personal strength. You may be a Spirit Emperor, but Feng Yuxiang''s true strength is far stronger, hence the difference between your Heavenly Tribtion."

    "Wait¡­ But that''s only if she has her original strength, right? There''s no way she could''ve endured such a powerful Heavenly Tribtion with her current prowess because of the curse!"

    "Unfortunately, the Heavens don''t take into ount such minor details." Dong Ye sighed.

    "T-Then what happened to her?! Don''t tell me that she died?! I cannot sense her presence!" Xi Meili began panicking when she realized this.

    "She''s not dead, but..." Dong Ye gestured towards an object lying on the ground at the epicenter of the devastation.

    "What is that¡­?" Xi Meili looked at the oval-shaped object in the distance with a profoundly puzzled expression on her face.

    The object was red and covered in golden symbols, was the size of a watermelon, but most important was its shape, as it was shaped like an egg.

    "Are you trying to tell me that''s Feng Yuxiang?! How?!" Xi Meili eximed a momentter.

 Chapter 1273 Yuans Return

    Chapter 1273 Yuan''s Return

    Xi Meilinded before the red egg, but she didn''t dare to touch it.

    "Is this really Feng Yuxiang? How did something like this happen? Is she okay?" she looked at Dong Ye for more answers.

    Dong Ye nodded and responded, "She''s fine. She''s currently in a state of recovery that urs when a phoenix is on the verge of death¡ª it''s their final line of defense."

    "While in this state, she will be protected by that shell until she fully recovers. With that being said, this isn''t something just any ordinary phoenix can do. Only those with the powerful bloodlines would be able to do something like this¡ª mostly those rted to royalty."

    "How long will it take for her to recover?" Xi Meili then asked.

    "Unfortunately, it''s hard to say. Some phoenixes may take months to recover while others take years. And since her bloodline was cursed, it might take longer than usual. I wouldn''t be surprised if it takes several decades for her to emerge from that shell."

    "No way¡­" Xi Meili was speechless.

    She could''ve never expected something like this to happen right when Yuan left.

    "How should I exin this to Yuan when he returns?" she sighed.

    "Just tell him the truth. You''re not at fault here¡ª neither of you are, so he won''t me you for it."

    "I know, but it still sucks to be the bearer of bad news."

    After a moment of silence, Xi Meili asked, "So, what should we do with this egg¡ª her shell?"

    "Take it with you and keep it safe."

    Xi Meili looked at the egg with a look of hesitation on her face. After all, it could be extremely fragile, and she did not want to cause any harm to it.

    Dong Ye smiled when he saw her expression, and he said, "Don''t worry, the shell isn''t so fragile that it would crack easily. In fact, it won''t leave a scratch even if you were to attack it with your full strength. It isn''t their final line of defense for nothing."

    "If you say so¡­" Xi Meili felt much better after hearing Dong Ye''s words, but she still handled it with extreme care when she picked it up, treating it as though it was a golden egg.

    "I''ll take you back to the cabin, where you can recover your own strength until my lord returns." Dong Ye said to her a momentter.

    Xi Meili nodded, and they disappeared into thin air shortly after. Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.

    Meanwhile, the city was in full panic after what had transpired. A good portion of the city had been destroyed by the event, and hundreds of people had perished.

    Tian Suyin and Tian Xianzu stood outside their home, looking at the destruction before them.

    "Heavens... If the fight had been just one block closer, our residence would''ve been destroyed too." Tian Suyin muttered in a dazed voice.

    "Just what in heaven''s name happened out there?" Tian Xianzu sighed.

    Back at the cabin, Xi Meili asked Dong Ye, "Can you tell me a little more about the Immortal ns? Just who are they?"

    "There''s really not much to say about them. They are just a bunch name behind their backs because their ancestors served him."

    "In terms of influence, they are up there with the Four Ancient Families and the royal families. Of course, they are also quite powerful, especially the Heavenly White Tiger n. Their greatest strength is¡­ well, their strength, rivaling even dragons."

    "So their ancestors served Yuan?" Xi Meili asked for rification.

    "Indeed. The ancestor of the Heavenly White Tiger was one of the nine Supreme Beings that followed the Immortal Monarch. He was a very loyal fellow who would put the Immortal Monarch before anything in his life. If the Immortal Monarch told him to jump off a bridge, he''d do it without hesitation. Some would even call it an obsession."

    "Seriously¡­? If that''s true, his descendants must have fallen quite hard¡­" Xi Meili shook her head as she recalled Bai Xutao''s personality.

    "The Immortal ns used to be entirely different¡ª beasts with actual pride for their legacy. Nowadays, however, they are just a bunch of selfish bastards who abuse the Immortal Monarch''s name for their own profits, and they get worse with each generation."

    "Yuan won''t be happy to hear this¡­" Xi Meili sighed.

    "The lord will probably be pissed, especially after he fully recovers his memories." Dong Ye closed his eyes and recalled the Immortal Monarch''s rtionship with his followers and sighed inwardly.

    "Anyways, it''s about time for me to leave again. I will return when the lord returns." Dong Ye suddenly said.

    "Okay. Once again, thank you for saving us." Xi Meili nodded.

    After Dong Ye left the cabin, Xi Meili ced Feng Yuxiang on the bed and wrapped the nkets around her like some kind of nest. Then, she sat on the wooden floor and began cultivating to recover her own injuries.

    A week passed in the blink of an eye.

    of arrogant beasts running around with the Immortal Monarch''s During this time, Xi Meili did not stop her cultivation even for a second, and Feng Yuxiang remained unmoving on the bed.

    The city, which had been ravaged by Bai Xutao, had now been cleaned up and was in the process of restoration.

    On Earth, Yuan would spend most of his time in the bedroom with Meixiu and Chu Liuxiang, only leaving from time to time to spar with Li Jinxi. As for the other members of the faction, they were busy with their own things in Cultivation Online.

    Another week passed with little change in everyone''s routine. During this time, Yuan managed to contact Bai Lihua to thank her for the information regarding the Ten Great Families. He wanted to speak with Yu Rou, but she was busy inside Cultivation Online and wouldn''te out anytime soon.

    "I will let Yu Rou know that you tried to contact herter. Do you want to set up a meeting for when she returns?" Bai Lihua asked him.

    "No, it''s fine. I will be returning to Cultivation Online soon, and I don''t know when I will return this time."

    "I see¡­ Then if there''s any message you want me to pass to her, just let me know."

    Yuan nodded, "Then can you tell her¡­"

    "I understand. I''ll let her know."

    "Thank you again."

    After his conversation with Bai Lihua ended, Yuan notified Meixiu and the others that he would be returning to Cultivation Online that day.

    "Then I''ll meet you guys at Cultivators'' Haven in a bit,"Yuan said to them.

    Meixiu, Chu Liuxiang, and Li Jinxi nodded in acknowledgment before they returned to their rooms.

 Chapter 1274 Wheres Feng Feng?

    Chapter 1274 Where''s Feng Feng?

    After returning to his room, Yuan ced the console on his head and entered Cultivation Online.

    "What happened here?" Yuan raised his eyebrows in a puzzled manner when he saw the buildings around him being repaired.

    "You didn''t hear?" A pedestrian heard his mumbling and said, "A huge fight between several powerful Cultivators urred in the middle of this city about two weeks ago, destroying a third of the city and killing hundreds of innocent people."

    "Right after I left for my break? How unfortunate." Yuan sighed, as he could''ve probably done something to prevent it.

    "The culprits were never caught either, as they had vanished into thin air like ghosts right as the guards surrounded them."

    "Thank you for the information."

    Not paying any more attention to the events, Yuan tried to notify Feng Yuxiang of his return.

    "Feng Feng, I am back. Where are you guys?"

    However, there was no response from Feng Yuxiang even after waiting for several minutes.

    Yuan didn''t find anything weird about it initially because he could still feel his connection with her.

    ''Did she go so far away that she can''t hear me in just two weeks? Where on earth did they go?'' he wondered inwardly.

    Yuan tried to contact Feng Yuxiang again, but when he received no response, he decided to visit the Tian Family first.

    The olddy answered the doors again, but she allowed him to enter their household immediately.

    "Please wait in the guest room. I''ll call for the Masters."

    "Thank you."

    Sometimeter, Tian Suyin entered the guest room.

    "Where is the Senior?" Yuan asked in a slightly worried tone.

    "He returned to the sect first. I''ll be returning soon with Yanyu."

    "Oh, that''s good. I thought he was caught up in the incident two weeks ago."

    "We were almost caught up in it. If they had fought even a block closer to our house, we wouldn''t be here right now. A fight between Spirit Kings in the middle of a city¡ª I can''t imagine the kind of crazy bastards that would do such a reckless thing." Tian Suyin shook her head.

    "Anyways, what are you doing here?"

    "I just wanted to speak with Miss Yanyu onest time before I leave this ce," he said.

    "Oh, right. You did say something like that before leavingst time. Although she''s still holed up in her room, she''s definitely getting better. I''ll see if she''s ready to speak with you now."

    "Thank you."

    Tian Suyin then left to find Tian Yanyu in her room.

    After knocking on the door, Tian Suyin announced, "Yuan is here to see you."

    Some shuffling could be heard from inside the room before it went silent again.

    Tian Suyin sighed, "When are you going to stop being so childish? Do you have any idea how many times your Father has been rejected by me in the past? Anyway, this is probably yourst chance to see him. Once he leaves, he will be leaving the Third Heaven for good, so¡ª"

    Before Tian Suyin could even finish her sentence, the door mmed open, and Tian Yanyu came out with a resolute expression on her face.

    Without saying anything to Tian Suyin, Tian Yanyu walked to the guest room, where Yuan was waiting.

    "It''s good to see you again." Yuan smiled at her appearance.

    Tian Yanyu nodded, and she spoke in a low voice, "Sorry¡­ Sorry for leaving so abruptlyst time."

    "It''s fine." Yuan shook his head, "Anyways, I''m here to say my goodbyes today, as I will be heading towards the Fourth Heaven soon."

    Tian Yanyu gritted her teeth after hearing his words, and the thought of not being able to see him again greatly disturbed her heart to the point where she could feel pain.

    After a moment of silence, Tian Yanyu spoke in a soft yet resolute voice, "I may not be worthy right now, but I swear that I will be someone worthy of being beside you the next time we meet."

    She then bowed to him and continued, "Thank you for everything, Yuan. I will remember it for the rest of my life." This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    Unsure of how to respond to her, Yuan could only silently nod his head in acknowledgment.

    The next moment, Tian Yanyu turned around and walked away, returning to her room.

    "Let''s return to the sect as soon as possible, Mother." Tian Yanyu said to Tian Suyin in the hallway.

    Tian Suyin nodded, "We can leave in the morning."

    "I''ll go pack my things then."

    After Tian Yanyu disappeared into her room, Tian Suyin returned to the guest room.

    "Then I''ll be taking my leave now," Yuan said as he prepared to leave.

    "Stay safe." Tian Suyin said to him as he left their front gate.

    As Yuan walked away from the Tian Family''s household, a figure appeared before him like a ghost.

    "Wee back, my liege." Dong Ye bowed to him in a respectful manner.

    "Perfect timing. I was going to call for you in just a moment." Yuan said.

    "Do you have another mission for me?"

    He nodded, "Yes, and this one is quite crucial."

    Dong Ye nodded, "I understand. However, there is something that you should know right away."

    "What''s the matter?" Yuan had a bad feeling when he saw Dong Ye''s expression.

    "It''s rted to your servant, Feng Yuxiang."

    Yuan frowned upon hearing this, and he inquired, "Did something happen to her?"

    "It''ll be much easier to exin if you saw the situation for yourself. I''ll bring us to the cabin immediately." Dong Ye waved his sleeves, teleporting both of them to the cabin.

    When they arrived outside the cabin, Xi Meili could be seen standing by the door.

    "Are you okay, Meili?" Yuan asked her since he knew that she had been with Feng Yuxiang before he left.

    She nodded, "Yes, I am. But Feng Yuxiang¡­ she¡­"

    Once they entered the cabin, Yuan looked around the room with a puzzled face, as he''d expected to see Feng Yuxiang, but there was only a single egg resting on the bed.

    "Where''s Feng Feng?" he asked.

    Xi Meili pointed at the egg on the bed and replied, "She''s right over there."

    "Eh?" Yuan muttered in a dazed manner with a baffled look on his face.

 Chapter 1275 Find Me Bai Xutao!

    Chapter 1275 Find Me Bai Xutao!

    .

    "This egg is Feng Feng? How on earth¡­" Yuan approached the egg and inspected it with more attention, and sure enough, he could sense his connection with Feng Yuxiang inside the egg, albeit a bit faint.

    "How did this happen?" he turned to look at Xi Meili.

    Xi Meili released a sigh and proceeded to exin the whole situation to him.

    "You see¡­ Shortly after you left, we wandered the city and were approached by someone from the Immortal ns¡ª the Heavenly White Tiger n. That person wanted us to spend some time with him, but we refused. One thing led to another, and we ended up fighting this person."

    "This person was incredibly powerful¡ª so powerful that even when working together, we couldn''t defeat him. Things got crazy, and we ended up unsealing our cultivation past Spirit King."

    "However, because only Spirit Kings and below are allowed in the Third Heaven, we''d essentially broken a rule of heaven, which provoked a Heavenly Tribtion. I managed to survive my tribtion, but Feng Yuxiang wasn''t as lucky, as her tribtion was much more powerful than mine since it calcted her true strength even though she had her powers suppressed."

    "In the end, she entered this state, which she will remain until she recovers from her injuries."

    Yuan was speechless after learning about the situation.

    "What kind of bullshit is this¡­?" he muttered in a cold voice.

    "You guys were simply protecting yourselves from that bastard, yet you were the ones punished for it?"

    His body trembled in anger, and the atmosphere in the cabin changed drastically with the temperature dropping like an anchor in water.

    When Dong Ye sensed the intense bloodlust within Yuan''s aura, his body shivered from excitement, as it reminded him of the Evil God during the war. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.

    "So, you''re the ones who caused all that ruckus in the city, huh," Yuan mumbled a momentter.

    "T-That was mostly the Heavenly White Tiger''s fault! He recklessly used his powers, destroying the city and killing hundreds of innocent people!"

    "I know, you don''t have to tell me." Yuan said, and he continued, "You''re not at fault here, so don''t me yourself for what happened to that city and those people. In fact, you''re also the victims here."

    He turned to Dong Ye and asked, "The Immortal ns, tell me about them."

    Dong Ye nodded and repeated what he told Xi Meili sometime ago, "The Immortal ns are derived from the Supreme Beings that followed the Immortal Monarch¡ª your liege¡ª in the past. They are basically their descendants, and they are essentially royalty within the world of beasts."

    "The Immortal ns used to be noble ns that would continue the Immortal Monarch''s legacy by improving the rtionship between humans and beasts even after his disappearance. Unfortunately, they are just a bunch of selfish and arrogant pricks nowadays that abuse their power and influence, smearing the Immortal Monarch''s name and legacy."

    "The Heavenly White Tiger n is one of these Immortal ns. Their ancestor was a loyal servant of the Immortal Monarch, someone I greatly admired. While they may not be as influential as some other Immortal ns, they are undoubtedly one of the most powerful in terms of sheer strength."

    Yuan nodded and inquired for more details, "What can you tell me about the bastard who attacked them?"

    "His name is Bai Xutao. He''s the sixth oldest among over fifty children in the n. He''s quite notorious in the upper heavens as the Heavenly White Tiger n''s number-one troublemaker and a lecherous yboy who pursues any beauty he encounters. In terms of strength, he ranks as the third strongest among his siblings."

    "His bloodline is very pure, only second to the eldest in the family, so the n treasures him and overlooks many of his deeds. His cultivation is currently suppressed to Spirit King, but his true cultivation is at 1st level Immortal Ascension. He cultivates the Heavenly White Tiger n''s secret technique that can only be taught to those with a strong bloodline."

    Dong Ye spoke of Bai Xutao in great detail, almost as though he had investigated Bai Xutao to extreme lengths for many years.

    "Then where can I find him?" Yuan inquired at the end.

    "I will seek him out if that is yourmand." Dong Ye said.

    "Please do. I won''t leave the Third Heaven until I make him pay for hurting my preciouspanions."

    Sovereign, andstly, Spirit Enlightenment. Past Spirit Enlightenment is the Divine Realm, which consists of nine separate realms. It is also what most people in the "My liege¡­" Dong Ye seemed a little bit worried after hearing his words.

    "Immortal Ascension? How far up is thatpared to a Spirit King?" Xi Meili suddenly asked.

    "That would be twelve entire realms. Above Spirit King is Spirit Emperor, then Spirit Sovereign, andstly, Spirit Enlightenment. Past Spirit Enlightenment is the Divine Realm, which consists of nine separate realms. It is also what most people in the upper heavens call the true beginning of cultivation. At the end of the Divine Realm is the Immortal Ascension realm, and only after Immortal Ascension could one be considered an Immortal Cultivator."

    "That''s a lot of realms¡­" Xi Meili was speechless.

    Dong Ye nodded, "That''s why I highly advise against approaching Bai Xutao now, my liege. Although you may have the upper hand with his suppressed cultivation, you won''t stand a chance against him if he gets even a little serious."

    Yuan remained resolute and mumbled, "So I have a good chance at killing him before he unseals his powers, huh? That''s good enough for me."

    Dong Ye''s eyes widened at his words and quickly responded, "My liege, until you have enough power to deal with the entire Heavenly White Tiger n, you should refrain from doing something so drastic and reckless. I understand that you are angry, but even I won''t be able to protect you if the Heavenly White Tiger n were to seriouslye after you for killing their treasured child."

    "They are that powerful?" Yuan frowned.

    "Yes. They may not be as noble as previously, but they are definitely as powerful. Killing Bai Xutao will not only endanger your own life but your friends as well."

    Yuan closed his eyes to ponder Dong Ye''s words.

    A momentter, he opened his eyes, which flickered with a vicious light, and mumbled, "In other words, I can do anything but kill him directly, right?"

    "What do you n on doing?" Dong Ye asked after swallowing nervously.

    "Don''t worry about it and find me Bai Xutao," he spoke in amanding tone.

    Dong Ye sighed inwardly, but he could not refuse Yuan''s orders and nodded, "I understand. I''ll locate Bai Xutao by the end of the day."

 Chapter 1276 Locating Bai Xutao

    Chapter 1276 Locating Bai Xutao

    Sometimeter, Yuan asked, "How long will she stay inside that egg?"

    "Until she fully recovers from her injuries, which could take months if not years, and since her bloodline was cursed, it will probably take years." Dong Ye exined.

    "Years¡­?" Yuan gritted his teeth in frustration after learning that it could potentially be years until he sees Feng Yuxiang again.

    Not wanting to wait such a long time, he asked, "Is there anything we can do to lower that time¡ª help her recover faster?"

    "There is one way. Since you''re the Immortal Monarch, your blood should be able to help her recover faster, as well as weaken her curse at the same time." Dong Ye said.

    "With that being said, you should not give her too much of your blood, as it could have the opposite effect and affect her negatively."

    "How much blood should I give her?"

    "A few drops once a week should suffice."

    "Okay."

    Yuan didn''t hesitate to feed several drops of his blood to Feng Yuxiang immediately.

    The moment his blood touched the egg''s surface, the golden symbols surrounding it emitted a faint glow, and his blood was absorbed into the shell as if it were being consumed.

    "Looks like it''s working." Dong Ye said.

    Yuan sighed in relief, and he prayed that it wouldn''t take years before they met again.

    He then asked, "One more thing. Can I take her with me when I travel?"

    Dong Ye nodded, "Of course. However, if you want to carry her around safely, you''ll need a special spatial ring that can store living entities inside. Fortunately, I happen to have something like that with me."

    He proceeded to retrieve a spatial ring and offered it to Yuan.

    "This is a Grand Spatial Ring. Unlike ordinary Spatial Rings, they have a whole world inside, allowing you to carry around living beings. The only drawback is its size, so you won''t be able to fit as many things inside as an ordinary Spatial Ring. Even the biggest Grand Spatial Rings out there won''t have as much capacity as a medium-sized Spatial Ring or Storage Pouch."

    "This Grand Spatial Ring has enough room to fit Feng Yuxiang and two other individuals."

    "Thank you for this." Yuan epted the Grand Spatial Ring. As curious as he was about its value, he feared that he would not be able to ept it after learning about it.

    "My liege." Dong Ye called him.

    "Yeah?"

    When Yuan looked at him, Dong Ye suddenly lowered his head and spoke in a sincere voice, "I''m truly sorry for this inconvenience. If this useless sack of old bones had shown up a little earlier, your precious friends wouldn''t have been hurt. I had left the Third Heaven briefly to investigate the other Ancient Seal holders, but this isn''t meant to be an excuse at all. I will ept any punishment you may have for me."

    Yuan shook his head and said, "Stop it. You''re not at fault here. And if it weren''t for you, things would''ve ended much worse for all of us, so if anything, I should be thanking you."

    "Thank you for protecting my friends, Dong Ye."

    "Ah... my liege," Dong Ye muttered as he felt profound emotions welling up within his ancient soul.

    He then stood tall and spoke in a serious voice, "This humble servant shall look for Bai Xutao right now. If you need anything, just send me a message and I wille running back."

    "Take us back to the city before you leave," Yuan said as he stored Feng Yuxiang inside the Grand Spatial Ring.

    Sometimeter, Yuan and Xi Meili returned to the city while Dong Ye went to find Bai Xutao.

    "What are we going to do now?" Xi Meili asked him.

    "I''m going to meet up with some of my friends to let them know that there will be a slight dy in our journey, and then I will deal with Bai Xutao. After that, I''ll find Liang Xiaosheng for his Ancient Seal. Oh, I also have to deal with the Ten Great Families before we make our way to the Fourth Heaven."

    "Your friends? Ten Great Families?" Xi Meili raised her eyebrows.

    "Oh, you haven''t met them yet, but they''ll be traveling with us to the Fourth Heaven. When these beauties noticed him, they immediately walked over with smiles on their As for the Ten Great Families, they aren''t even worth mentioning." Yuan briefly exined.

    Sometimeter, Yuan arrived at the Cultivators'' Haven. When he arrived, he could see three beauties standing outside the building.

    When these beauties noticed him, they immediately walked over with smiles on their faces.

    "Who is this?" Chu Liuxiang asked, her gaze fixated on Xi Meili. N?velDrama.Org content rights.

    "This is Xi Meili." Yuan introduced her.

    "Oh, you''re the princess from the Ancient Dragon City, right? Nice to meet you! I''m Chu Liuxiang."

    "Meixiu."

    "Li Jinxi."

    "These are my friends, and they''ll be traveling with us," Yuan added.

    "Hello. I wasn''t expecting to travel with such arge group." Xi Meili greeted them with a bright smile.

    However, she was crying inwardly, ''These three humans are so gorgeous! Does he only have beautiful females as friends or something?!''

    Not only are his servants beautiful, but even his travelingpanions are beautiful. This made Xi Meili recall her talk with Xi Mingze about having more rivals in the future.

    Meanwhile, Yuan said to them, "I''m sorry, but something came up, so I''ll have to dy it for a little longer."

    "What happened? Is there anything we can do to help?" Meixiu asked.

    Yuan showed them Feng Yuxiang''s egg and exined the situation to them.

    "What?! How dare that bastard do such a thing to Feng Feng?!" Chu Liuxiang was greatly agitated by the end.

    "Yuan, are you okay? We''ll be here if you need to talk." Meixiu said.

    He nodded, "I''m fine, but I''ll make that bastard pay for hurting them."

    "Should I help you?" Li Jinxi asked.

    "No, this man is really powerful. Even I wouldn''t be able to defeat him if he used his full power."

    "If he''s as powerful as you say, how will you make him pay¡­?"

    "He restricted his cultivation to Spirit King to obey the rules of this ce, so it''s not as though he''s untouchable from the get-go."

    "I see¡­ Then good luck."

    The next moment, Dong Ye''s voice echoed in Yuan''s mind, "My liege, I''ve located Bai Xutao."

    Yuan''s eyes sparkled with a profound intensity as he inquired, "Where is he?!"

 Chapter 1277 Meeting Bai Xutao

    Chapter 1277 Meeting Bai Xutao

    After hearing that Dong Ye had located Bai Xutao, Yuan immediately asked, "Where is he?!"

    "He is about 30,000 miles away in a city called East Victory." Dong Ye said.

    Yuan then said to Meixiu and the others, "I just received news of Bai Xutao''s location, so I will be heading there now. Xiao Hua, Yingying, stay here with them. I don''t want you guys to get involved."

    Xiao Hua and Lan Yingying left his body after hearing his words.

    "Are you sure, Brother Yuan? I cane with you just in case¡­" Xiao Hua asked him in a slightly worried voice, as he was essentially picking a fight with someone who was close to reaching immortality. The difference between their prowess was so vast that no amount of talent would help him win.

    Yuan nodded with a calm smile, "Don''t worry, I have some tricks up my sleeves. And there''s still Dong Ye, who will be watching over me."

    "Okay. Stay safe." Xiao Hua no longer tried to convince him to not confront Bai Xutao alone.

    "Make sure you beat that bastard up good, Yuan!" Chu Liuxiang cheered for him.

    Yuan disappeared from their sights the following moment after being transported by Dong Ye.

    "My liege, although I will be watching over you, I won''t intervene unless your life is on the line and you arepletely helpless. Please don''t misunderstand, as it would put you and your friends in even greater danger if my presence is revealed to be connected to you."

    "After all, I am already being hunted by the Celestial Emperor and his dogs, and your true identity must remain hidden until you are powerful enough."

    "Don''t worry, Dong Ye. I understand, and I only need you to take me out of there when I give you the signal."

    "As youmand."

    Once Yuan arrived at the city, he asked, "Bai Xutao is inside that city, correct?"

    "Indeed."

    "I cannot fight him while he is still inside that city, as I do not want to repeat what happened to the other city. If the two of us fought, the entire city would surely be destroyed. Is there any way to lure him out here?" Yuan pondered out loud with a slight frown on his face.

    "I could wrap him out here, but that is out of the question, as such actions would leave my scent on him." Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.

    "I''ll think of something while I take a good look at him for myself," Yuan said as he approached the city.

    Meanwhile, inside the city, Bai Xutao approached a beautiful woman who caught his interest and introduced himself, "How are you doing, mydy? I''m Bai Xutao, and I am from the upper heavens. Would you like to have tea with me?"

    The woman chuckled and said, "Upper heavens? This is my first time hearing that for a pickup line. If you came from the upper heavens, then I am the Emperor''s wife."

    Naturally, the woman did not believe for a second that Bai Xutao hade from the upper heavens. After all, why would someone from the upper heavens be wasting his time courting women in broad daylight?

    However, Bai Xutai did not appear to be offended by her reaction at all and continued smiling.

    "You don''t believe me? Then how about this?" Bai Xutao retrieved a medallion from his spatial ring and showed it to the woman.

    "Only those who have been authorized to descend are given this medallion. Do you believe me now?"

    The woman covered her mouth as her face became filled with surprise.

    "You are really from the upper heavens? What are you doing down here?" she inquired.

    "Just some family business that doesn''t really require my attention, so I decided toe out to y a little. How about it, prettydy? Do you have some time to spare?"

    The woman pondered a little before nodding, "Just a little, okay?"

    "Great! Follow me!" Bai Xutao chuckled as he led the woman into a nearby restaurant.

    Yuan watched the whole scene from a distance.

    ''What an unbelievable fellow. He destroyed a city and killed hundreds of innocent people not long ago and he''s already back to courting girls like it never happened.'' Yuan was speechless.

    After spending some time pondering what he should do, Yuan entered the same restaurant.

    "Hello, how may I help you?" The receptionist was slightly startled when she saw Yuan''s appearance, but she didn''t say anything about it.

    "I''m here with my friend. He has white and ck hair, and he came in here with a woman with brown hair." Yuan said.

    "Oh, they''re on the third floor."

    "Thank you." Yuan gave her a slight nod before walking to the third floor.

    There were several private rooms on the third floor, all of them with their doors closed.

    Yuan approached the one at the end of the hallway and opened it without hesitation.

    Inside, Bai Xutao and the woman had been chatting merrily until they were suddenly interrupted.

    "W-Who the hell are you?" Bai Xutao immediately questioned Yuan.

    However, Yuan didn''t respond to his question and insteadughed in a mocking tone, "Bai Xutao, did you trick another naive woman with that fake medallion of yours? I must say, you''re quite the genius to havee up with such a n."

    "What¡­?" The woman''s face became filled with disbelief upon hearing his words.

    "W-What the fuck are you talking about?! My medallion is real! And who the fuck are you?! Remove your mask and show me your face!" Bai Xutao was as taken aback as the woman and panicked for a moment.

    "You despicable bastard!" In a fit of anger, the woman threw her tea at Bai Xutao, soaking his face, and then stormed out of the room without giving him a chance to defend himself.

    Yuan didn''t say anything and merely stared at Bai Xutao in silence.

    A momentter, Bai Xutao''s voice cracked with fury as he bellowed, "Y-You¡­ FUCKING BASTARD!!!"

    His entire body quivered with rage as he mmed the table, destroying it.

    Seeing his reaction, a smile appeared on Yuan''s face that was covered by his mask.

 Chapter 1278 Confronting Bai Xutao

    Chapter 1278 Confronting Bai Xutao

    "I don''t care who you are, I swear upon my name that I will rip you from limb to limb and feed your bones to the dogs for this humiliation!!!" Bai Xutao growled as he stood up and red at Yuan with intense killing intent in his gaze. In his entire life, he has never felt so humiliated before, and what he experienced with Feng Yuxiang and Xi Meili could be neglected inparison.

    In response, Yuan chuckled, "Rip me from limb to limb? You can''t even court girls properly, yet you want to do something thatplicated? I cannot wait to see you try."

    Bai Xutao''s face was so red from anger that steam could be seening out of his ears. N?velDrama.Org content rights.

    "I''m going to kill you!" Bai Xutao''s aura exploded.

    However, before Bai Xutao could do anything, Yuan escaped through the window.

    Bai Xutao was taken aback by this and roared, "Are you serious?! Where the fuck do you think you are going?!"

    Without even thinking about it, Bai Xutao immediately chased after Yuan.

    While in hot pursuit of Yuan, Bai Xutao couldn''t help but notice the familiarity in Yuan''s movement technique. However, his seething anger prevented him from realizing that it was the very same technique employed by Feng Yuxiang when they fought.

    "Hey! You''re a little slow for a dog! Are you hurt somewhere? Do you want me to slow down a little for you?" Yuan suddenly took the time to provoke Bai Xutao in the middle of their cat-and-mouse chase.

    Bai Xutao was so angry that he couldn''t even find any words to respond. Instead, he released a primal, thunderous roar that reverberated through the air. In the very next moment, his speed surged dramatically.

    Seeing this, Yuan also increased his speed ¡ª just enough that it seemed like Bai Xutao was slowly catching up.

    Eventually, they ventured so far from the city that nothing but trees and mountains stretched as far as the eye could discern.

    Once he was confident that their fight would not disturb anyone, Yuan slowed down to a halt.

    When Bai Xutao saw this chance, his eyes lit up, and without stopping, he rushed at Yuan with his w-like hands ready to snatch Yuan by the throat.

    Right as Bai Xutao''s ws reached his throat, Yuan''s figure flickered, disappearing right before Bai Xutao''s eyes.

    "Gah!"

    Yuan reemerged by Bai Xutao''s side the next instant, his fist struck deep into Bai Xutao''s stomach, forcing everything he had consumed at the restaurant out.

    And without giving Bai Xutao a chance to recover, Yuan continued to beat him until Bai Xutao eventually escaped from his grasp.

    "Y-You fucking bastard¡­" Bai Xutao muttered as he gasped for air.

    Underestimating Yuan due to his Spirit King cultivation turned out to be a costly mistake for Bai Xutao, resulting in a thorough beating for several moments.

    If his friends learned that he''d taken a beating from someone in the Third Heaven¡ª even if it was just for a brief moment, he would be aughingstock for several centuries.

    "I will admit that you took me by surprise there. However, that was your only chance to kill me, and you just missed it." Bai Xutao said after he wiped the puke from his mouth.

    "Is that so?" Yuan remained calm as he waited for Bai Xutao''s next move.

    "Before I kill you, tell me, why did youe after me? And why are you hiding your face behind a mask? Are you afraid that I would recognize you? Or are you just that ugly?" Bai Xutao inquired with an arrogant look on his face.

    "No real reason at all. You look like a good punching bag, and I just couldn''t help myself." Yuan casually shrugged.

    "...I see¡­" Bai Xutao murmured as his aura surged drastically.

    "Don''t worry, I won''t kill you immediately. I am going to give you a slow and painful death!" Bai Xutao eximed as his figure flickered, disappearing into thin air.

    "Heavenly Tiger''s Advance."

    Bai Xutao materialized behind Yuan in an instant, his w-like hands already closing in on Yuan''s neck.

    "Heavenly Tiger''s Fangs."

    Without ncing back, Yuan pivoted around, his fist shrouded in a tyrannical energy.

    [Relentless Dragon Overwhelms the Nine Heavens]

    With intent, Yuan directed his fist squarely at Bai Xutao''s w-like hands

    When their attacks shed, Bai Xutao grimaced in excruciating pain, as Yuan''s overwhelming strength obliterated his entire right arm, tearing his muscles and shattering his bones instantly.

    "Ahhhhh! Fuuuuck!" Bai Xutao hastily backed away from Yuan.

    When he looked at his right arm, it was a gruesome mess, looking as though it had been through a meat grinder.

    The very next moment, Bai Xutao reached into his spatial ring with his left hand and retrieved a pill, tossing it directly into his mouth.

    Yuan then watched as Bai Xutao''s destroyed arm made a full recovery within seconds before his very eyes.

    "That medicine is pretty strong. If only your arm was as strong as the medicine, it wouldn''t have snapped like a twig." Yuan did not forget to provoke him some more.

    Bai Xutao red at him with a deep frown.

    ''What the hell is going on? He''s clearly only a Spirit King, so how is he overpowering me?'' he wondered inwardly.

    The strength he had exerted could have effortlessly vanquished both Feng Yuxiang and Xi Meili in a single blow, yet he suffered another humiliating defeat at the hands of a mere Spirit King¡ª a human at that.

    After experiencing so many defeats, not to mention the pain of his arm being destroyed, Bai Xutao''s fury subsided, granting him a moment of rity. In his current condition, he could see that the masked man wasn''t an ordinary human, and there was something profound about him.

    "You''re not from this realm, are you?" Bai Xutao asked him.

    "No, I am not." Yuan gave him a proper response for the first time.

    Upon hearing Yuan''s words, Bai Xutao swiftly deduced that Yuan must hail from the upper heavens, much like himself.

    ''No wonder why he''s wearing that mask. He doesn''t want me to know his identity,'' he thought.

    Unbeknownst to him, he was only half right. But he couldn''t have guessed that Yuan was someone from Earth¡ª at world that is even weaker than the Lower Heavens.

 Chapter 1279 Overwhelming Prowess

    Chapter 1279 Overwhelming Prowess

    "Despiteing from the upper heavens and knowing my identity, you still dared to assault me? Are you insane? I can have your entire family executed for your crimes." Bai Xutao sneered.

    "What are you talking about? You''re the one who assaulted me first." Yuan said. "I am only defending myself."

    "Bullshit! If you hadn''t humiliated me with that lie at the restaurant, we wouldn''t be here right now!"

    "Me? Lie? I have no idea what you''re talking about." Yuan acted stupid.

    Bai Xutao could feel his angering back.

    "Enough of this ¡ª I don''t care why you approached me, but you''ll regret it. I''ll make sure of it." Bai Xutao''s aura increased even further, almost as though he had no limits to his strength.

    And without saying anything else, he began attacking Yuan again.

    However, he still found himself on the losing end, being punched left and right by Yuan.

    ''Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! I don''t care anymore! Even if I have to deal with a Heavenly Tribtionter, I will not let this bastard humiliate me any longer!''

    Having reached this decision, Bai Xutao immediately unsealed his cultivation base, propelling it from peak Spirit King to peak Spirit Emperor in a mere heartbeat.

    As he ascended to the rank of Spirit Emperor, his aura underwent a profound transformation, and his spiritual energy surged skyward, exuding a powerful presence that was prohibited in the Third Heaven.

    ''He''s still underestimating me, huh?"'' Yuan grinned upon witnessing Bai Xutao''s transformation. ''Well, this couldn''t be more perfect.'' N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.

    Meanwhile, Bai Xutao became enraged when he noticed that Yuan was still in the Spirit King realm, misunderstanding the situation.

    ''How dare he look down on me¡­''Bai Xutao surmised that Yuan''s reluctance to unseal his cultivation stemmed from a perception of being underestimated.

    After taking a moment to channel his anger into energy, Bai Xutao rushed at Yuan again.

    Now that he was an entire realm above Yuan, Bai Xutao expected to waste him without any effort.

    "Heavenly Tiger''s Destruction Wave!" Bai Xutao roared, attacking Yuan with the same technique that destroyed a third of a city, yet it was a hundred times stronger than previously.

    In the blink of an eye, the sound waves generated by the technique obliterated the scenery behind Yuan, reducing the trees and even mountains to nothingness.

    "What¡­?" Bai Xutao''s eyes widened in astonishment as he observed that Yuan remained unscathed by his assault, even though he was convinced it had not missed its mark.

    In response, Yuan cleaned his ears with his pinky and muttered, "Can you not do that again? That tickled my ears."

    "How did you¡ª"

    Right as Bai Xutao opened his mouth, Yuan rushed at him and started beating on him again, almost as though Bai Xutao''s increased cultivation never even happened.

    "AAAAAAAH!" After snapping out of his daze, Bai Xutao removed some more of his restraints, reaching peak Spirit Sovereign.

    "DIEEEE, YOU BASTARD!!!"

    Bai Xutao''s arms suddenly transformed into tiger arms.

    "Heavenly Tiger''s Severing Fury!"

    He unleashed a dozen swings of his ws at Yuan, each stroke giving rise to five formidable wind des that cleaved through everything in their path, their power and sharpness rivaling that of Sword Aura.

    "Hmph."

    Using nothing but his bare hands, Yuan swung them at the wind des, effortlessly cutting them in half as if he were chopping through mere twigs.

    The split wind des continued to fly into the distance, cleaving through anything that dared to block their paths as easily as cutting tofu.

    "N-No way¡­ What are you?!" Bai Xutao was in disbelief.

    He simply couldn''t believe that he was still being overwhelmed by a Spirit King while he was a Spirit Sovereign.

    Even though he could increase his cultivation even further¡ª to Spirit Enlightenment, he was hesitant to do so, as his Heavenly Tribtion would grow stronger as he unsealed more of his powers, and using the powers of a Spirit Enlightenment in the Third Heaven would threaten even someone like him as long as he remained in this realm.

    With increasing his cultivation ruled out as an option, Bai Xutao resolved to execute the next best course of action.

    "I didn''t think I would bring this out in a ce like this¡­" Bai Xutao muttered as he retrieved a pair of white gloves that resembled a tiger''s paw.

    The pair of gloves emitted a distinct aura that could only be associated with Soul Weapons, a feeling that Yuan was well acquainted with.

    The moment he wore the gloves, Bai Xutao''s aura skyrocketed even further even though his cultivation remained the same.

    Each Soul Weapon possessed its individual set of effects, and the gloves seemed to have substantially increased Bai Xutao''s stats, as he was at least three times more powerfulpared to just moments ago.

    Yuan contemted summoning his Empyrean Overlord, but he was concerned that such an action might unveil his true identity, so he had to decide between Starry Abyss or Dragon''s Soul.

    ''Since I have never used Dragon''s Soul before, it''ll almost be impossible to identify me unless they go to the Ancient Dragon City.'' Yuan thought to himself, summoning Dragon''s Soul a momentter.

    "Che. So you also have a Soul Weapon." Although Bai Xutao wasn''t surprised that someone as powerful as Yuan had a Soul Weapon, he had hoped that wasn''t the case.

    "Whatever. Even if you have a Soul Weapon, there''s no way it''s more powerful than mine, which belonged to the Heavenly White Tiger God himself!" Bai Xutao eximed as he confronted Yuan with confidence.

    Even though he summoned his Soul Weapon, Yuan didn''t immediately use it and still relied on his limbs to fight Bai Xutao¡ª mostly his legs.

    Seeing this, Bai Xutao didn''t even bother to dodge his kicks, allowing them to strike him on purpose.

    Yuan immediately realized why Bai Xutao had disposed of all of his defenses, as there seemed to be an invisible armor protecting him that absorbed all of the kicks.

    "It''s no use! As long as I am wielding my Beast''s Unyielding Might, none of your attacks will affect me! You won''t be able to touch even a single hair on my body now! Ahahaha!"

    Bai Xutaoughed out loud as he focused solely on offense, pouncing on Yuan like a mad tiger.

 Chapter 1280 Breaking Bai Xutao

    Chapter 1280 Breaking Bai Xutao

    Despite the ineffectiveness of his initial attacks, which felt like punching a steel wall, Yuan persisted in his efforts to breach Bai Xutao''s defenses.

    "Hahaha! It''s futile! You can keep struggling, but my defense is invincible!" Bai Xutao chortled maniacally.

    "Heavenly Tiger''s Severing Fury!"

    Not only did Bai Xutao''s defenses experience a substantial boost, but his offensive capabilities also soared, perhaps even surpassing his formidable defenses.

    "What''s wrong?! Is your Soul Weapon just for show?!" Bai Xutao provoked him after noticing that he hadn''t used his weapon once since he summoned it.

    "Are you sure? I don''t want to identally kill you." Yuan replied.

    "I''d like to see you try!" Bai Xutao grinned, and he suddenly stopped moving.

    He spread his arms and gestured, "Come! I''ll even give you a chance to kill me!"

    Yuan narrowed his eyes at Bai Xutao.

    "Go ahead! What are you waiting for?!" Bai Xutao began approaching him withplete confidence written all over his face.

    "Then I won''t be humble¡­"

    Without any hesitation, Yuan swung the Dragon''s Soul at Bai Xutao, but he didn''t aim for the neck.

    Sha!

    The following moment, Bai Xutao''s eyes widened with disbelief when the Dragon''s Soul tore right through his invisible armor and detached his right arm, almost as though his defenses had suddenly disappeared.

    "Wha¡ª?!" Bai Xutao immediately distanced himself from Yuan before taking out another pill and swallowing it. A few secondster, his severed arm regenerated entirely.

    Yuan then pointed at his severed arm in the distance and said, "Go grab your Soul Weapon. I won''t touch you until you do."

    "You bastard¡­" The confidence on Bai Xutao''s face had been wiped clean off, and he hastily went to retrieve his Soul Weapon, feeling humiliated once again.

    Meanwhile, Yuan couldn''t help but be inwardly impressed by the Dragon''s Soul''s performance. He had struck Bai Xutao without employing any techniques just now, yet he had effortlessly severed Bai Xutao''s arm.

    ''As expected of a Soul Weapon that is rted to the Dragon Goddess¡­'' he smiled inwardly.

    After realizing that Yuan could somehow prate his defenses, Bai Xutao refrained from recklessly approaching him.

    ''Curse it all! Just who is this guy?! Why is he so incredibly powerful?! I''ve never heard of anyone like him in the upper heavens!'' Bai Xutaomented inwardly, his thoughts in turmoil as he desperately sought to uncover Yuan''s true identity.

    Seeing Bai Xutao''s hesitation, Yuan smiled and spoke, "Why are you thinking so much? Just increase your cultivation again. Maybe you''ll be able to suppress me when you''re at Spirit Enlightenment."

    Bai Xutao clenched his teeth in frustration. Though he was reluctant to unlock more of his cultivation, he couldn''t imagine defeating Yuan in his current state.

    ''Do I have no other choice?! Damn it all! If I don''t do it, he might actually kill me!'' In the end, Bai Xutao decided to increase his cultivation once again, entering the first level of Spirit Enlightenment.

    In his thoughts, Bai Xutao recognized that without increasing his cultivation, he would likely meet his end at Yuan''s hands. However, he believed he had a reasonable chance of surviving the Heavenly Tribtion due to the abundance of resources at his disposal.

    Naturally, he had little confidence in oveing Yuan even with the release of his full cultivation, but such considerations had to be set aside for the moment.

    ''So, this is Spirit Enlightenment, huh? The pressure is no joke...'' Yuan swallowed nervously after feeling the oppressive aura being exuded by Bai Xutao.

    Not only was Bai Xutao now three entire realms above him, but Bai Xutao wasn''t an ordinary Spirit Enlightenment Cultivator either. He hailed from a formidable n in the upper heavens and possessed a true cultivation level far beyond Spirit Enlightenment.

    ''Now that things have reached this point, I will have to get serious, or I''ll die.'' Yuan thought to himself.

    He closed his eyes and recalled the feeling he had felt when he transformed.

    [Dragon Awakening!]

    In the following instant, Yuan''s ck hair transformed to a shimmering gold, and his eyes ignited with a brilliant gold hue. His aura swelled, emanating a domineering presence.

    "What...?" Bai Xutao''s eyes widened in astonishment as he beheld Yuan''s transformation, and he mumbled in a bewildered tone, "You were a beast all along...?"

    Having held the belief that Yuan was a human this entire time, and observing no prior indications of Yuan being a beast, this revtion greatly astonished him.

    Yuan aimed his spear at Bai Xutao, his voice chillingly cold as he remarked, "Try not to die too quickly."

    The instant his sentence ended, Yuan attacked Bai Xutao.

    "?!?!?!"

    Yuan''s movements were so swift that Bai Xutao could scarcely react, and before he even realized, his left leg had been cleanly severed.

    Bai Xutao didn''t even have the time to express his pain before Yuan attacked again, aiming for his other leg.

    Bai Xutao swiftly evaded the attack, but despite his efforts, Yuan''s spear still grazed him, tearing away a chunk of flesh from his other leg.

    When he realized that his strength was still insufficient, Bai Xutao did not hesitate to increase his cultivation again, entering the second level of Spirit Enlightenment. He also tossed another pill into his mouth, quickly regrowing his lost limbs.

    Seeing this, Yuan pushed himself even further.

    Sha!

    Once again, Yuan managed to sever Bai Xutao''s legs. This time, he severed both legs with one swing.

    ''What the fuck is this bastard?!?!'' Bai Xutao began to panic when it seemed like he would always be behind Yuan no matter how much he increased his cultivation.

    Over the next several minutes, Yuan would cut off Bai Xutao''s limbs over and over again, littering the ground with dozens of Bai Xutao''s limbs.

    Bai Xutao would continuously swallow pills to restore his limbs and increase his cultivation, reaching all the way to the ninth level of Spirit Enlightenment. However, his mental strength did the opposite and deteriorated rapidly.

    Eventually, Bai Xutao could no longer endure the torture and snapped.

    "ENOUGH! I HAVE HAD ENOUGH! I DON''T CARE IF I DIE AFTER THIS AS LONG AS I TAKE YOU WITH ME!" he unleashed his loudest roar yet.

    ''My liege, you need to retreat now! He''s going to unseal all of his cultivation!'' Dong Ye suddenly warned him.

    Yuan nodded.

    But just as Dong Ye prepared to teleport Yuan away, another presence manifested in their vicinity, and amanding voice boomed a secondter, "What do you think you''re doing?! Halt this instant!"

    Upon recognizing the familiar voice, Bai Xutao ceased his actions and regained hisposure.

    "Elder Sister¡­?" he mumbled in a dazed voice.

    Sure enough, Bai Ning appeared before them a momentter. Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.

    "What in Immortal Monarch''s name is happening here?!" she red at Bai Xutao, demanding answers.

 Chapter 1281 You Already Know My Name

    Chapter 1281 You Already Know My Name

    "Bai Xutao, you bastard. What the fuck have you done? Not only have you once again sneaked away, but you''ve also vited a heavenly decree. Why did you unseal your cultivation? Do youprehend the gravity of your actions?" Bai Ning interrogated Bai Xutao the moment she arrived.

    "I-I can exin this!" Bai Xutao replied hurriedly, his face fraught with fear.

    "You better have a good exnation for your actions, or I will end you myself right now," Bai Ning''s gaze emitted a potent aura of bloodlust, her patience with Bai Xutao''s antics thoroughly worn thin.

    Bai Xutao immediately pointed at Yuan and cried out loud, "It''s all that bastard''s fault! He came out of nowhere and provoked me while I was minding my own business and drinking tea with a new friend! Not only did he humiliate me, he even attacked me! I was only defending myself!"

    He proceeded to direct his finger at the dozens of limbs on the ground and continued, "Look down there¡ª at my limbs! I was forced to use almost all of my Supreme Rejuvenation Pills because of him!"

    Bai Ning looked at the ground where Bai Xutao''s severed limbs were scattered about like trash and frowned.

    Turning her attention to Yuan, she inquired, "Who are you?"

    "It''smon courtesy to offer your own introduction before seeking to learn about others," Yuan replied calmly.

    "..."

    Following a momentary silence, Bai Ning abruptly vanished from her position, appearing in front of Yuan with a swiftness so remarkable that he could barely perceive the motion.

    "I won''t ask again," she spoke in a frigid tone.

    ''She''s strong! Really strong!'' Yuan cried inwardly.

    Even without the need for a confrontation, Yuan could discern that she was immensely more powerful than Bai Xutao.

    Despite that, he did not give in to her pressure and said, "I won''t repeat myself either

    ¡ª"

    Before he couldplete his sentence, Bai Ning suddenly extended her hand toward his throat with the intention of killing him.

    Yuan anticipated her actions and managed to respond promptly, deflecting her hand with his own. Bai Ning''s eyes widened slightly, clearly taken aback.

    After blocking her attack, Yuan distanced himself from her.

    Bai Ning did not follow him and remained still.

    "Why did you target Bai Xutao?" Bai Ning inquired suddenly.

    "It''s none of your business." Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.

    "Regrettably, it is. No matter how inept he may be, he is still my younger brother from the same family, and as the eldest in the family, I have a right to understand why someone is targeting my sibling," Bai Ning asserted.

    "So you''re his sister, huh." Yuan had heard about her from Xi Meili.

    However, since she wasn''t involved in their incident, Yuan couldn''t justify attacking her, even if she was Bai Xutao''s sibling. If she had attacked Xi Meili or was responsible for Feng Yuxiang''s current situation, he would''ve had enough reason to act.

    "I don''t know who he is, but he''s undoubtedly from the upper heavens. He''s also a beast, although I can''t discern his specific race by scent alone, as there''s something peculiar about it," Bai Xutao interjected.

    "Whatever. I don''t care about your identity or your reason for attacking Bai Xutao, but since you dared toy hands on a member of the Heavenly White Tiger n, I will punish you ordingly and question you afterward." Bai Ning''s aura surged the following moment, and unlike Bai Xutao, she did not underestimate Yuan, entering the peak of Spirit Emperor without hesitation.

    Yuan didn''t want to fight her, but seeing how she was determined to fight him, he no longer had a choice.

    A momentter, the two would sh against each other, their formidable spiritual energies colliding in a fierce confrontation.

    ''This person... he''s formidable!'' Bai Ning recognized Yuan''s strength andprehended how he had managed to press Bai Xutao to his limits.

    Neither of them would overpower the other even many minutes and thousands of exchangester.

    Over time, Bai Ning''s battle with Yuan ceased to be about punishment and transformed into a form of enjoyment. After all, she had very few peers who could match her strength, even in the upper heavens.

    Bai Xutao was utterly astonished to see someonest this long against Bai Ning, who was widely feared and respected in the upper heavens.

    ''Not only does he have a lower cultivation than her, he''s even fighting her on equal footing!'' he cried inwardly.

    If he were to mention this fight to the people in the upper heavens, not even his own parents would believe him¡ª such was the sheer absurdity of the spectacle unfolding before him.

    Sometimeter, as Bai Ning remained engrossed in her battle with Yuan, the sky above them abruptly grew dim and overcast, almost as though a thunderstorm was approaching.

    "Shit! The Heavenly Tribtion! Ipletely forgot about it!" Bai Xutao cried out loud when he saw the darkened sky.

    When she realized that her enjoyment wasing to an end, Bai Ning clicked her tongue in disappointment.

    "If only we had crossed paths under different circumstances, we might have made fine sparring partners," she remarked to him, then added, "Regrettably, it''s time to end this."

    "Unfortunate, indeed." Yuan agreed with her.

    Suddenly, Bai Ning''s aura surged to even greater heights, and her cultivation reached the peak of Spirit Sovereign.

    "Are you certain you don''t wish to¡ª at the very least¡ª divulge your name with me before I end your life?" Bai Ning inquired about his identity again.

    Yuan smiled and said, "You already know my name."

    "What?" Bai Ning was caught off guard by his response, yet she couldn''t quite fathom its significance.

    "My liege, I am going to teleport you to safety now." Dong Ye''s voice resounded again.

    Bai Ning suddenly furrowed her brow, detecting Yuan''s attempt to escape.

    "Don''t even think about it!" Bai Ning roared as she prepared to stop him.

    "HALT!" Yuan suddenly bellowed in amanding tone.

    Inexplicably, Bai Ning found herself abruptly losing control over her own body and froze in ce.

    Then, before her very eyes, Bai Ning watched helplessly as Yuan vanished from her sight like a ghost.

    "?!?!"

 Chapter 1282 Crucial Matter

    Chapter 1282 Crucial Matter

    Once Yuan''s presence disappeared, Bai Ning immediately regained control over her own body, yet she continued to remain frozen in ce, her face filled with shock and disbelief.

    "What just happened¡­? Why did my body suddenly¡­?" she looked at her own hands and tried to fathom what had just urred, yet she couldn''t find an answer even with her vast experience and expansive knowledge.

    "Elder Sister! What should I do?!" Bai Xutao''s desperate cries immediately interrupted her thoughts.

    She turned to look at him with a frown and responded in a cold voice, "Whatever you are supposed to do. Don''t act like this is your first encounter with a Heavenly Tribtion."

    "B-But I have never encountered one this powerful¡­" he stammered nervously, swallowing hard as the dark clouds expanded, enveloping the entire sky above them.

    Bai Ning looked at the clouds and sneered, "You might be on the verge of death after this, but you won''t die."

    And without saying another word, she left him to deal with the Heavenly Tribtion alone.

    ''Damn it! That fucking bitch is as heartless as ever! Family, my fucking ass!'' Bai Xutao cursed at her inwardly before clearing his mind and preparing to deal with the Heavenly Tribtion.

    Eventually, a bolt of purple lightning struck Bai Xutao, obliterating everything within a 1,000-mile radius around him, and it repeated four times, with each sessive strike growing more potent.

    Bai Xutao utilized all of his life-saving treasures and resources to deal with the Heavenly Tribtion, as he wouldn''t be able to survive on his own power¡ª at least not in his current state.

    Meanwhile, after leaving Bai Xutao alone, Bai Ning tried to search for Yuan, traveling tens of thousands of miles, only stopping when it was her turn to deal with the Heavenly Tribtion.

    And despite only unsealing her cultivation to Spirit Sovereign, her Heavenly Tribtion was countless times more powerful than Bai Xutao''s Heavenly Tribtion, mostly due to her true cultivation as a True Immortal.

    Each bolt of lightning was strong enough to obliterate a Spirit Enlightenment Cultivator a thousand times, yet all Bai Ning had to do was wave her sleeves, destroying the lightning and only suffering minor injuries afterward.

    The Heavenly Tribtion onlysted for three strikes before it disappeared, and Bai Ning immediately returned to her search.

    She also couldn''t help but rey Yuan''s words inside her mind continuously.

    "You already know my name."

    ''What in the world does he mean by that? I already know his identity? No, that''s impossible. I wouldn''t forget someone like him!'' Bai Ning hadn''t experienced this level of frustration in a long while. In fact, she had never felt this degree of helplessness in her entire life.

    And the more she contemted it, the more her frustration intensified, almost to the point of madness.

    Meanwhile, Bai Xutao was on the verge of death after his Heavenly Tribtion came to an end. If he thought about how much resources he had used in such a short time, it would probably push him to his death.

    Instead, he focused on ming Yuan and cursed at him nonstop.

    "I swear I will not rest until I find you and make you pay a million times for this humiliation! I swear!!! Ahhhhhh!!!" he cried out in anguish while lying on the ground, his gaze fixed on the heavens.

    As for Yuan, he found himself back at Dong Ye''s cabin after being teleported.

    "Thanks. I would''ve been in trouble there if you didn''t teleport me away," he expressed his gratitude to Dong Ye.

    "Please don''t thank me, I was simply doing my job." Dong Ye shook his head.

    And he continued, "Anyway, as expected of you, my liege. I am impressed by how well you yed them. They''re definitely stomping the ground in anger as we speak."

    "I wish I could''ve done more," he sighed.

    "If you''d done more, you would''ve killed Bai Xutao at the very least. Honestly, you could''ve killed him and probably gotten away with it since you hid your identity well¡ª with the slight exception of that hint you gave the woman."

    Yuan removed his mask, revealing a bittersweet smile. "I couldn''t help it. Before I knew it, those words had already escaped my lips," he sighed.

    "It''ll be fine, I think. Even an Immortal Monarch fanatic like Bai Ning wouldn''t dare imagine that you are the actual Immortal Monarch." Dong Ye tried to reassure him of the safety of his identity.

    "Either way, what''s done is done," Yuan said.

    And he continued, "Anyways, now that we are alone, I have something to talk to you about."

    "Is this rted to that crucial matter you mentioned before?" Dong Ye asked.

    Yuan nodded, and he spoke, "Before that, I must ask you¡ª are you aware that this body of mine is only an avatar created from a portion of my soul?"

    He figured that someone with a cultivation as high as Dong Ye''s wouldn''t be influenced by the Celestial Emperor''s curse. N?velDrama.Org content rights.

    Hearing his question, Dong Ye silently nodded his head with a smile on it.

    "I am aware of your situation, my liege," he said.

    "So you know that my real body is currently located somewhere far away from the Nine Heavens?" Yuan wanted more confirmation.

    "Indeed. In fact, I have known about it even before we met." Dong Ye confirmed.

    "Good, then this will speed things up," Yuan said.

    And he proceeded to tell Dong Ye of his situation on Earth.

    "A formation keeping the world alive, huh? It must be the work of a Blood Mastiff, as they are the only ones who could possibly maintain such a powerful formation for so long." Dong Ye mumbled out loud.

    Yuan then exined his current n to Dong Ye.

    "If you are looking for a soul belonging to a God Ascension realm Cultivator, the Shadow Realm will definitely house some there, but it''s also extremely dangerous there. Unless absolutely necessary, even I wouldn''t venture to that grim ce." Dong Ye shuddered just thinking about the atmosphere there, as well as the countless immortal souls trapped there since ancient times.

    "Dangerous or not, I have no choice but to go there, unless you have another idea." Yuan looked at him.

    "I can think of several other ces where you might find that kind of soul, but unfortunately, these ces are even more dangerous than the Shadow Realm, so they are out of the question." Dong Ye said.

    "The Shadow Realm it is then." Yuan sighed.

 Chapter 1283 Gateway to Hell

    Chapter 1283 Gateway to Hell

    "Speaking of the Shadow Realm, do you know how I can reach that ce?" Yuan asked.

    "I know there''s a way to get there in the lower heavens, but I''m not sure I can enter that ce again, so I will need a new path there."

    "The Fourth Heaven." Dong Ye responded, continuing in a grim voice, "In the Fourth Heaven, there is a ce called Vanishing Valley. It''s a dangerous area, one of four ''Gateway to Hell'' to exist in the Nine Heavens."

    "Gateway to Hell?" Yuan raised an eyebrow.

    Dong Ye then exined, "They are also called forbidden zones ¡ª extremely dangerous areas that even Immortals avoid at all costs. Most people that enter will never return, hence the name. Fortunately, the Vanishing Valley is the least dangerous of the four out there¡­ but that''s not really saying much."

    "The Vanishing Valley is a deceptive ce that may not appear very expansive at first nce, but once you step into the valley, it magically stretches on endlessly, ensnaring you within its confines for eternity, not to mention the countless powerful magical beasts roaming within that ce."

    "And when I say powerful, I mean there exist magical beasts rivaling Immortal Cultivators, despite it being located in the Fourth Heaven, where the limit is Spirit Enlightenment."

    "Magical beasts as powerful as Immortals?" Yuan swallowed nervously after hearing this information. Even with his talents, he wouldn''tst a single breath against such powerful opponents.

    "There''s a reason why even Immortals perish in these regions. Forbidden zones defy all logic and transcend heavenly rules ¨C they are domains not intended for humans," Dong Ye added solemnly.

    "Is this the only way into the Shadow Realm?" Yuan then asked.

    "No, but the next entrance is in the Seventh Heaven. Unless you want to wait until then, you will have to enter through the Vanishing Valley, and even if you wish to wait, it won''t be any safer than the Vanishing Valley."

    "I will head to the Vanishing Valley then." Yuan dered.

    "Will you being with me?" he then asked.

    "I have faith in your abilities, my liege." Dong Ye smiled.

    "So you won''t being¡­"

    "Regrettably, I''m unable to enter a forbidden zone due to their unique properties, which would strip me of my technique and reveal my existence in this world," Dong Yemented.

    "Unique properties?" Yuan inquired for more information.

    Dong Ye nodded and continued with his exnation, "All forbidden zones are shrouded in a unique energy that nullifies any disguises, including concealment techniques, and without such techniques, my presence would be announced to the entire world, which will lead to an all-out war."

    "Is that so¡­ Well, I wasn''t expecting you to follow me everywhere I go, anyway." Yuan shrugged.

    "I have one more question. The curse cast by the Celestial Emperor, which is currently afflicting many in the Nine Heavens ¨C is there any way to dispel it? How did you manage to evade it?"

    Dong Ye did not immediately respond and pondered for a moment before answering, "The curse itself has no effect on those at God Ascension. As for getting rid of the curse for those already affected¡­ this useless servant has very limited experience when ites to curses, so I cannot help you. I''m sorry."

    Yuan shook his head, "It''s fine. I''m sure we''ll find a way eventually."

    Sometimeter, Dong Ye said, "My liege, regarding the matter with the Ancient Seals. I have located Liang Xiaosheng, the previous Patriarch of the Azure Dragon n."

    "Oh? Where is he?"

    "He spends most of his retirement at the Tunes of Heaven''s Establishment in North Wind City. It''s not far from here, actually."

    "If that''s the case, I should visit him first before I return to the others."

    "My liege, if you are after his Ancient Seal, you will most likely have to take it from his corpse, as it is their job to protect the seal even at the cost of their lives." Dong Ye warned him. Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.

    The identities of the Ancient Seal holders are shrouded in secrecy for a reason, as they bear the responsibility of safeguarding the seals. It''s only logical to assume that taking them by force might be the necessary course of action.

    Yuan fell silent, as he didn''t want to forcefully steal the Ancient Seal.

    "Is there any way to acquire the seal without fighting?" Yuan asked.

    Dong Ye silently shook his head.

    "Is that so¡­" Yuan closed his eyes and sighed, "I''ll try to convince him to hand over the seal without fighting, but if I must, I will take it by force."

    "Then I''ll take you to the city now." Dong Ye said.

    Sometimeter, Yuan was transported right outside of North Wind City.

    Upon entering the city, he immediately began inquiring about the Tunes of Heaven''s Establishment.

    "Tunes of Heaven''s Establishment? Head to the entertainment district in the southern part of the city. You''ll realize you''re close when you begin hearing music."

    "Thanks." Yuan began heading towards the south as directed.

    After walking for several minutes, Yuan suddenly caught the sound of a zither being yed.

    ''I must be getting close.''

    The sound only grew louder as he got closer to his destination, yet nobody on the street seemed to be bothered by it. In fact, they were all enjoying the free music.

    Eventually, he spotted the Tunes of Heaven''s Establishment. It was an expansive four-story building that upied half of the city block. The constant flow of people entering and exiting the establishment indicated its poprity.

    When Yuan approached the entrance, he was stopped by a beautiful young woman, who asked him, "Are you here to dine in the lobby, or do you have an appointment with someone?"

    "I''m here to dine," he said.

    "And are you here alone?"

    "I am."

    "I understand. Please, follow me."

    Yuan nodded and followed the woman inside. The first floor had the appearance and setup of a restaurant, but there was a small stage at the center of the room, graced by another beautiful woman who was performing with her zither.

 Chapter 1284 Flashing Memories

    Chapter 1284 shing Memories

    "Here is your seat." The woman gestured to show Yuan his table. This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    "Thanks."

    He was closer to the walls than the stage in the center of the room, but he was still able to have a clear view of the woman on the stage.

    The woman then said, "If you wish to have a meal while you enjoy the show, this is the menu. If this is your first time at our establishment, you should know that we charge an extra fee for every thirty minutes that you stay here. The price will also be on the menu."

    And she continued, "There''s also the option to rent a private room and hire one of our experts to give you a private performance if you''re interested."

    After the brief introduction, the woman left him alone and returned to the entrance of the building to wee the next guest.

    Yuan looked around the room and thought to himself, ''Since he''s from a renowned family, he will most likely have a private room.''

    He proceeded to use his divine sense to inspect every individual within the building to find Liang Xiaosheng. However, he couldn''t find anyone that fit the description given to him by Dong Ye, and the strongest cultivator there was only a Spirit Lord.

    ''ording to Dong Ye, he shows up to this ce almost every day. Since he''s not here right now, let''s just enjoy the show for now.''

    Yuan opened the menu and proceeded to order a dozen dishes without hesitation.

    While he waited for his order, Yuan looked at the second menu, where he could hire one of their musicians.

    There were over fifty musicians on the roster at a nce with 90 percent of them being women.

    Everyone had a different price with the most expensive one to hire being 20 times more expensive than the second most expensive musician.

    ''Li Luoyang¡­ 100 spirit stones an hour¡­'' Yuan''s eyes widened at the extraordinary price tag.

    He personally cannot imagine spending so much money on an hour of music.

    Once he was finished with the menus, Yuan turned his focus to the woman performing on the stage, mostly to her slender fingers and the way they yed the zither.

    Before he realized it, the music had put him into a trance-like state.

    In the midst of his daze, an image suddenly shed inside his head ¡ª a piece of memory that he did not recognize.

    ''That was¡­''

    In that fleeting memory, he witnessed a beautiful young woman ying the zither on a stage, yet the surroundings and the musician on the stage were somewhat different. Even though the memory shed for less than a second, Yuan unmistakably identified the person on the stage as the Zither Goddess.

    ''That was definitely the Zither Goddess, albeit a little younger than what I remember. Why did she appear inside my head just now?'' he wondered.

    "Thank you for the wait. Here is your food." A server showed up with his food shortly after.

    Shortly after Yuan began eating his food, another image shed inside his head. This time, he was sitting before a table filled to the brim with food, but there was another individual there, sitting right beside him with an innocent smile on her face.

    ''Zither Goddess¡­?''

    Once again, the Zither Goddess has appeared before him in his memories.

    ''Whose memories are these? If it''s the Zither Goddess, perhaps Tian Kai? But why are they surfacing now?''

    As Yuan pondered the implications of these memories, a voice resounded throughout the first floor.

    "This is a notice to all patrons. Fairy Li Luoyang will be performing in thirty minutes, and for the next 60 minutes, the 30-minute fee will be raised to 10 spirit stones per person."

    "She''s finally here! I''ve waited all month for this moment!"

    "I barely managed to save up 20 spirit stones for her!"

    Despite the exorbitant price tag, nobody in the establishment voicedints; on the contrary, many of them seemed exhrated, their faces brimming with anticipation. Witnessing the excitement of those around him, Yuan also felt a rising sense of anticipation.

    Fifteen minutester, Yuan noticed a particr individual entering the establishment, emanating the aura of a peak Spirit King.

    He had mostly ck hair with several strands of blue hair, and he had ck eyes, looking vastly different than the Azure Dragon Family he''d encountered in the Ancient Dragon City. Furthermore, he barely exuded the aura of a dragon.

    ''He''s finally here¡­ Liang Xiaosheng.''

    He then observed Liang Xiaosheng take a seat right in the front, directly before the stage.

    Despite being an ex-patriarch, Liang Xiaosheng did not look any older than 40.

    Yuan began pondering how he should approach Liang Xiaosheng.

    Finally, the woman who had been ying music for the past hour concluded her performance and vacated the stage. A few momentster, the lights on the first floor abruptly dimmed.

    Suddenly, the sound of a zither echoed through the establishment, this time producing a few random notes.

    The very next moment, a figure materialized on the stage as if by spectral magic. She was a tall beauty adorned in a pink outfit that entuated her generous curves.

    "Hello, everyone." The woman greeted as she took a seat on the stage, cing a ck zither on her legs.

    "My name is Li Luoyang, and I will be entertaining you for the next hour."

    The entire ce erupted with excitement with everyone cheering loudly for her.

    "Fairy Li! You''re as beautiful as ever!"

    "I love you, Fairy Li!"

    While everyone was charmed by her beauty and elegance, Yuan was paying attention to something else.

    ''Third level Spirit King? Her cultivation is quite impressive for a musician in this ce.''

    He hadn''t anticipated the musician to be a cultivation expert, but it exined her high fees.

    "Today, I will be performing a special piece ¨C one that was passed down to me by my master three hundred years ago. It''s called ''The Old Dream,''" Li Luoyang announced.

    "The Old Dream?" Yuan mumbled, sensing an odd sense of familiarity with the name.

 Chapter 1285 Tan Songyun

    Chapter 1285 Tan Songyun

    Ding~

    Li Luoyangmenced the song with gentle, melodic notes before gradually intensifying the piece, all while maintaining the same tempo.

    Every movement her fingers made was bolstered by her cultivation, enhancing its impact and enabling her to produce notes that seemed to tangibly touch the depths of one''s soul.

    She began singing a momentter, her soft voice sending chills down everyone''s spine, "Old memories are like a window¡­"

    "Once pushed open, it bes difficult to close¡­"

    "In this old dream, the sound of your voice beckoned my soul¡­"

    "In the old dream, the sensation of your touch sent chills down my entire being¡­"

    Yuan closed his eyes and indulged himself in the soft sound of Li Luoyang''s voice.

    Unbeknownst to him, tears had begun flowing down his cheeks.

    Gradually, more unfamiliar memories began shing in his mind. He was seated in what looked like a restaurant, and his attention was drawn to the stunning young woman positioned on the stage at the room''s center.

    She was dressed in vibrant red robes, her long, flowing ck hair cascading down her back, and resting on her legs was a worn-out zither.

    Nheless, her zither skills were far from exceptional. In fact, they were somewhat rigid and inexperienced. Despite this, she had a full audience, with most of them captivated by her beauty and attending solely for that reason.

    The young woman was aware that her audience wasn''t there for her musical talents, and this weighed heavily on her heart. Nevertheless, she couldn''t voice any grievances, as this was her sole means of earning a livelihood.

    She possessed remarkable endurance, having endured hours on the stage, continuously ying the zither without any breaks.

    Upon concluding her performance, she rose to her feet and offered a bow to the audience. This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    "Thank you all for joining us today," she expressed her gratitude.

    When the young woman got off the stage, the audience quickly surrounded her with pouches filled with money in their grasp.

    "Fairy Tan! Please ept this gratitution!"

    "Marry me, Fairy Tan! I can promise you a life of happiness!"

    "S-Sorry, I have an appointment I must attend to now...!" The young woman hurriedly made her way through the crowd and, somehow, found herself standing right in front of Yuan''s table.

    As the young woman walked past him, Yuan muttered, "The music was rather terrible, but your passion and dedication somewhatpensated for it."

    "Eh¡­?" The young woman known as Tan Songyun abruptly halted her movement and turned to look at him with wide eyes.

    Despite Yuan''s critical words, Tan Songyun didn''t disy any signs of anger. In fact, she seemed quite pleased, as it indicated that Yuan had paid attention to her music and wasn''t there just for her beauty.

    However, she didn''t linger and left shortly after.

    Over the next several days, Tan Songyun would not return to the public stage, but she was still working within the building, giving private performances to those who hired her.

    Whenever she moved about in the restaurant, she would notice Yuan sitting at the same table from time to time.

    Eventually, she gathered all the courage she had been building up for weeks and approached him, asking, "Excuse me, would you be willing to hire me for a session? One of my clients happened to cancel his appointment, so I have a free slotter tonight."

    "Huh?" Yuan looked at her with a slightly surprised face before uttering, "With your terrible skills? I''d rather not waste my money."

    "..."

    His words left Tan Songyun absolutely gobsmacked, as she had never been rejected before, much less in such an embarrassing manner.

    However, before she could utter any response or storm away in anger, Yuan continued speaking, "Though, if you want, I''m willing to let you hire me."

    "You want me to hire you? For what?" Tan Songyun asked out of curiosity.

    "I''ll teach you how to y the zither."

    "You know how to y the zither?" she subconsciously muttered.

    "If I didn''t, why would I even bother asking?"

    Tan Songyun realized how dumb her question had sounded, and her face flushed with embarrassment.

    "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for you. You have no idea how many people yearn for my guidance," he added. "I can assure you that a single lesson will transform your music."

    "W-Why me?" Tan Songyun couldn''t help but ask, wondering if he was only trying to impress her and court her like the others.

    "Why? Because your skills are so terrible that I pity you." Yuan shrugged.

    "..."

    "Is that so¡­? Then tonight at midnight,e to the third floor. I''ll be in the room at the very end of the hallway." Tan Songyun said.

    "Midnight? If I don''t identally fall asleep before then." Yuan casually said.

    "Then I will be waiting for you," Tan Songyun replied before walking away and resuming her work.

    Several hourster, precisely at midnight, Yuan ascended to the third floor and made his way toward the room at the end of the hallway.

    "Come inside," Tan Songyun''s gentle voice resounded from the room after he knocked on the door.

    Inside the room, Tan Songyun was seated on a small tform at the far end of the room, near the wall.

    "Wee¡­" Tan Songyun realized at this moment that she still hadn''t learned of his name.

    After closing the door, Yuan spoke with a smile on his face, "Tian Kai ¡ª that is my name."

    "Then¡­ Senior Tian, I''m looking forward to your guidance."

    Tian Kai then stated, "Before we proceed, I haven''t yet disclosed my fee. Ordinarily, wouldn''t one inquire about the price before making a purchase?"

    "How much for a session¡­?" she asked a momentter.

    "That will depend on how much effort it''ll take to teach you, so I won''t know until then, but it won''t be cheap." Tian Kai calmly replied without giving an answer.

    "..."

    Tan Songyun couldn''t help but feel a bit apprehensive, feeling as though she might be taken advantage of, but at the same time, she had this indescribable sense of curiosity toward him for some reason. Maybe it was his confident demeanor ¡ª his straightforward character, but it could also be something else.

    ''If he asks for an unreasonable amount, I could always refuse. It''s not as though he could force me to pay him,'' she thought to herself as she nodded her head, epting his guidance.

 Chapter 1286 Tian Kai

    Chapter 1286 Tian Kai

    "Let''s begin the session." Tian Kai said as he walked up to Tan Songyun before taking a seat right in front of her.

    "y me one song. It doesn''t matter which one."

    Tan Songyun nodded and randomly picked one of the songs she would y to the public.

    Tian Kai closed his eyes and listened in silence.

    Several minutester, she asked him, "How was it?"

    Tian Kai opened his eyes and released a deep sigh, "Unbelievable. How did you manage to worsen your skills since your performance several weeks ago?"

    "W-What? It''s worse?" Tan Songyun was speechless.

    "y me a different song," Tian Kai requested a momentter.

    "Okay..." Tan Songyun proceeded to y a second song. This time, she selected a piece she was particrly confident in.

    However, Tian Kai''s cristim only worsened, "It''s even worse than yourst song! Good heavens, your talents are backwards!"

    "..."

    Tan Songyun was beginning to wonder if he was merely messing with her.

    She frowned and said, "What am I doing wrong? Can you at least tell me that?"

    Tian Kai didn''t answer her question and instead said, "y the song again. I''ll show you."

    ''Is he doing this so he could experience my performance for free?'' she wondered inwardly as she yed the same song again. N?velDrama.Org content rights.

    "Once again, it''s gotten worse." Tian Kai shook his head at the end of the song.

    Tian Kai shrugged, "It''s not my fault that you''re thinking about useless things when you y the zither."

    "What¡­?" Tan Songyun''s face loosened a little after hearing his words.

    "You''re thinking too much. Clear your mind and y from your heart. Let your feelings guide your fingers, not your mind," he offered genuine advice for the first time.

    "Clear my mind? That''s easier said than done! There''s no way I can do that so suddenly." Tan Songyun said.

    "Then allow me to ask you one question. Why do you y the zither?" he suddenly asked her.

    "Why? To make a living, of course."

    "Really? Even though there are plenty of other things you can do to earn money?" Tian Kai looked at her with a doubtful gaze.

    Tan Songyun frowned and responded in a cold voice, "What are you implying? That I should sell my body instead? You''re no different from the other men! I''m disappointed in you! Leave!"

    However, Tian Kai had a bewildered look on his face and said, "How did you manage to misunderstand my few words so much? I''m impressed."

    "Then what are you implying?"

    "I''m trying to say that you''re lying." Tian Kai sighed.

    "I''m what?!"

    "Whether intentionally or not, you''re lying to me, and more importantly, to yourself, by iming you y the zither merely to make a living. I can discern what you cannot from the way you y the zither," Tian Kai remarked.

    "You could''ve chosen to be a dancer, or even a songstress, yet you chose to y the zither despite the burden it puts on your heart."

    "Burden¡­?" Tan Songyun looked at him with a puzzled face.

    Tan Songyun could no longer bear it and frowned, "Stop messing with me or I will call the guards and have you removed!"

    "When you yed the zither pubically that day, you were disheartened throughout because the audience wasn''t truly listening to your music. With your heart so heavy, it''s no wonder your performance was so terrible. And if you were truly ying for the money, you wouldn''t have such a burden in the first ce."

    "You..." Tan Songyun was at a loss for words. She couldn''tprehend how he could see through her so clearly; it was as if he could read her mind.

    "Those feelings ¡ª I want you to forget about them while you are with me because I am listening, so y the zither with that in mind."

    Unbeknownst to her, Tan Songyun began to cry, as she had always longed to hear such words ¡ª to know that someone was listening to her music.

    Without requiring any further instructions or another word spoken, Tan Songyun''s fingers started to glide along the zither''s strings.

    ''What''s this feeling¡­? My shoulders¡­ my hands¡­ they feel so light¡­ like feathers¡­''

    For the first time, Tan Songyun waspletely absorbed in her own performance with a clear mind.

    As the song neared its conclusion, Tan Songyun experienced a sense of regret, not wanting her newfound feeling to end.

    After the song concluded, Tan Songyun fell into a profound silence, her gaze fixed on her trembling hands that were reluctant to release the zither.

    Tian Kai''s voice broke the silence a momentter, "That was a little better than your public performance, but it''s still terrible. What do you think? If you still want me to leave, I''ll never show my face here ever again."

    When Tan Songyun heard his words, she immediately lifted her head and eximed, "No!"

    "Please¡­ stay here and listen to my music a little longer¡­" she uttered with a rosy face.

    Tian Kai smiled and said, "My ears can only handle so much, but if you improve with every song, I think I''ll be able to endure it."

    Tan Songyun hastily nodded her head even though the idea of improving with every song was beyond herprehension.

    Over the next hour, Tian Kai would continue to give her guidance, but he did not directly teach her how to y the zither, only allowing her to improve by herself.

    When she realized this, she asked him for the reason.

    "Why? It''s simple. I don''t have the authority to take away your style ¡ª to take away what makes you unique. I am not teaching you because I want you to y like me. I want you to y your own zither."

    "What makes me unique¡­?" Tan Songyun did not know how to respond to his reasoning.

    "Anyways, let''s end the lesson here."

    "Eh? But I can keep on going!" Tan Songyun quickly said.

    "The more you try to force something, the less effective it will be. If you want to continue we will do it another day."

    "T-Then tomorrow! Same time!"

    "Sure."

    "Oh! What about your payment?" Tan Songyun suddenly remembered.

    "Huh? Did you think my session would be finished so quickly? Until you can properly y the zither or you fire me, it will count as one session."

    "T-Thank you!" Tan Songyun said after snapping out of her daze.

    Without saying anything else, Tian Kai disappeared from her sight.

    And for the rest of the night, Tan Songyun would continue practicing the zither, imagining that Tian Kai was still in the room and listening to her the whole time.

 Chapter 1287 Tan Songyuns Response

    <h3 style="text-align:justify">Chapter 1287 Tan Songyun''s Response

    "Huh?" The handsome young man watching Tan Songyun''s performance had a surprised look on his face as he listened to her zither performance.

    ''I-It actually sounds good?!'' he cried inwardly.

    Tan Songyun was renowned for herckluster zither skills and her outstanding beauty, so one could imagine his surprise when Tan Songyun''s music actually sounded good.

    Once her song had concluded, the young man immediately began pping with excitement.

    "Amazing! Truly amazing, Fairy Tan! Your performance just now is iparably better than just a few days ago! How did you improve in such a short amount of time?!" he inquired.

    "I am presently receiving guidance from an expert," Tan Songyun shared without divulging too much information about Tian Kai. She wanted to keep their rtionship a secret because her clients frequently expressed jealousy.

    "Anyways, this is the end of our session. Thank you for alwaysing back to see me." Tan Songyun said with a beautiful smile on her face.

    The young man''s face flushed with redness, and he said, "Fairy Tan! Please wait a moment!"

    He proceeded to retrieve arge case from his storage pouch and ced it before her.

    "This is¡­" Even without seeing the interior of the box, Tan Songyun had a good idea what this was about, as it wasn''t her first time being in such a situation.

    The young man opened the box, revealing gold bars among other precious treasures.

    "I love you, Fairy Tan! Please, marry me! I promise that you''ll live a carefree life for the rest of your life!" The young man dered with a solemn expression on his face.

    With a heavy expression on her face, Tan Songyun replied, "I''m sorry, but I cannot respond to your feelings."

    "Why?!" The young man expressed despair. "D-Don''t tell me ¡ª you already have someone in your heart?!" N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.

    "Eh?" Tan Songyun suddenly visualized Tian Kai inside her mind, but she quickly tossed it aside and said, "No, that''s not it."

    "Then for what reason are you rejecting me?!"

    "I am simply satisfied with my current life and do not wish to start a family yet." Half of what she said was true with the other half being a lie, but even Tan Songyun herself couldn''t tell which was which.

    "...I understand. However, I will not give up on you, Fairy Tan. If you''re not ready now, I will wait until you are ready for a family!" The young man said before making his way to the exit.

    "Wait! Your treasures¡­" Tan Songyun stopped him when he left behind the box of treasures.

    "Consider it as a gift from me." And without any hesitation, he walked out of the room.

    "..."

    Tan Songyun stared at the box of treasures with a hesitant look on her face. One on hand, it was a tremendous amount of money that would take her years of work to acquire, but on the other hand, if she epted it¡­

    "Aren''t you going to take it? He left it for you, after all." Tian Kai''s voice suddenly resounded in the room, startling her.

    "W-When did you arrive?" she asked.

    "I''ve been here for a while now. Are you ready to continue your lessons?"

    "Yes." After being told how much she''s improved by all of her clients, Tan Songyun was more motivated than ever to improve her skills.

    And over the next several weeks, Tian Kai would show up every day at midnight without fail to give her guidance on the zither.

    Throughout this period, Tan Songyun''s zither skills improved significantly, to the extent that she was no longer the worst performer in the establishment and had be the most skilled.

    As the days passed, Tan Songyun''s gratitude toward Tian Kai grew even more profound, and before she knew it, her admiration had transformed into love ¡ª to the point where she couldn''t spend a single hour without thinking about him.

    She wished for their current situation to continue indefinitely, but she was aware that their session would eventuallye to an end, and she could sense that this time was drawing near.

    To extend their sessions, Tan Songyun eventually began deliberately slowing down her progress.

    Naturally, Tian Kai saw through her almost instantly.

    "You aren''t improving as you should. Is there something on your mind?" he asked her one day.

    After a moment of silence, she nodded and said, "I''ve been thinking about leaving this ce to pursue another career."

    "Oh? Do you already have a n?" he inquired further.

    "That depends."

    "On what?"

    "On your response."

    Without exining any further, Tan Songyun suddenly walked to sit right beside him, even leaning her body on him in an intimate manner.

    "Once our lessons are finished¡­ can I continue to be by your side?"

    "..."

    After a brief moment of silence, Tian Kai responded, "That would be difficult."

    Tan Songyun could feel pain in her heart after hearing his words, almost as though someone was squeezing her heart with the intention of bursting it.

    Nheless, she still asked, "Why¡­?"

    He smiled and exined, "Firstly, I am a cultivator, and you are a mortal. Such pairings hardly ever work out. Secondly, once our lessons conclude, I will need to return to the upper heavens, and I won''t be able to be by your side all the time to protect you."

    Tan Songyun''s eyes widened at his words, and she muttered, "So you''re not rejecting me?"

    "No, I am not, but I also cannot allow you to follow me."

    "T-Then I will be a cultivator ¡ª one that will be strong enough to follow you!" she eximed in a passionate voice. "I swear I will do it no matter how long it takes!"

    Tian Kai chuckled, "I don''t doubt your determination, but are you sure you want this kind of life? Normally, it''s the man that''s chasing after the woman, you know?"

    In response to his question, Tan Songyun leaned in and pressed her soft lips against Tian Kai''s.

    "Does that answer your question¡­?" she asked him, her face flushed with redness.

 Chapter 1288 Let Us Meet Each Other Again in the Upper Heavens

    Chapter 1288 Let Us Meet Each Other Again in the Upper Heavens

    After kissing Tian Kai, Tan Songyun muttered, "After this is over, I am going to leave this ce."

    "Where will you go?" Tian Kai asked her.

    "I''m going to walk the path of a cultivator and join a sect."

    "Is that so¡­ Being a cultivator isn''t as easy as most mortals believe, you know. It''s a path that''s filled with blood and corpses."

    "I am aware, but that won''t stop me from chasing after what I love ¡ª what I desire."

    Tan Songyun suddenly stood up and pulled him towards the cold bed.

    "Are you sure?" Tian Kai asked her.

    As a private performer, Tan Songyun had been offered an immense amount of wealth by her clients in hopes of embracing her body, as that was amon interaction for those in her line of job. Despite the enticing amount of money that could let her live a life of luxury, she refused every single one of them and kept her body pure.

    "I am sure." Tan Songyun nodded in a bashful manner.

    That night, Tan Songyun gave her innocence to Tian Kai, and they didn''t stop until the following morning when someone knocked on her door. "Fairy Tan, are you awake? Your client is already here."

    "I''ll be there in a moment!" Tan Songyun quickly replied. However, she had no intention of attending that appointment.

    "When will you leave this ce?" Tian Kai asked her as she got out of the bed to get dressed.

    "Right now," she said, taking him by surprise.

    "What? Right now? But what about your job?"

    "I''m quitting, and I''ll be doing so without letting them know, as the owner surely won''t be willing to let me quit," Tan Songyun dered.

    After all, she was the bread and butter of this establishment¡ªtheir most sessful and highest-earning performer. Without her, their revenue would drop by at least half. Given her value, the owner of the establishment would never allow her to leave so abruptly.

    "And where will you be going after you sneak away from this ce? Straight to the closest sect? It''s too sudden. Are you even thinking this through?" Tian Kai couldn''t help but express his concerns.

    "I don''t know where I will go, but I have enough money to not worry about such things for now. I haven''t decided on which sect to join yet, but I''ll join one before I run out of money."

    Tian Kai rubbed his eyes and sighed, "Are you really sure you want to do this?"

    She stared at him with a resolute face and nodded, "I won''t repeat myself. I want to stay by your side, and I am willing to do anything to realize that dream."

    Tan Songyun realized that she might be moving a little too fast, especially since she barely knew Tian Kai, but she also knew how her heart felt about him and what it desired.

    Seeing how adamant Tan Songyun appeared, Tian Kai showed a defeated smile on his face, "In that case, why don''t you stay with me for a bit?"

    "Eh?" Tan Songyun''s eyes widened, seemingly taken aback by his unexpected offer.

    "After all, our lessons are not finished yet, and since you''ll be joining a sect, I''ve decided to teach you a little more than I had nned."

    After a slight pause with no response, he asked, "You don''t want to¡­?"

    Tan Songyun immediately snapped out of her daze and replied, "I-I do! Please let me stay with you!"

    "Then you should start packing," he said with a smile.

    Tan Songyun didn''t have much luggage. In fact, besides her zither, some clothes, and money, she had nothing else.

    Several minutester, she was ready to leave.

    "Okay, I am ready." Tan Songyun dered.

    Tian Kai nodded and walked to the window, opening it.

    "Whenever you are ready," he said to her.

    "We''re leaving through the window?" This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    "Unless you n on disguising yourself, I don''t see how you''ll ''sneak'' out from the front door. Don''t worry, I won''t let you fall."

    Tan Songyun nodded and walked over to him.

    When she got close enough, Tian Kai hugged her waist and jumped out of the window.

    "Wha¡ª?!"

    Tan Songyun was so shocked that she forgot how to scream, but she quickly realized that they weren''t falling down. Instead, they were going higher and higher toward the sky.

    "W-We''re flying?! Y-You were an Immortal Cultivator all along?!" she eximed.

    "You don''t have to be an immortal to fly." Tian Kaiughed.

    Sometimeter, Tian Kai descended by a river located within the mountain range, and there was a humble building constructed beside the river.

    "I wasn''t expecting toe all the way out here¡­ Is this really where you live?" Tan Songyun looked around with an amazed face.

    "I travel often so I usually make my own home. You don''t like it?"

    "I-I do! I really like the atmosphere here. It''s so peaceful and quiet."

    Thus began Tan Songyun''s new life with Tian Kai. During the day, they would practice music together, and then during the night, they would express their love for each other.

    Back at the establishment Tan Songyun had snuck away from, there was widespread panic as they realized their top performer had vanished without a trace, and her clients became filled with depression. Naturally, they made efforts to search for her, but their attempts were in vain.

    Time passed in the blink of an eye, and before they were aware, Tan Songyun had stayed with Tian Kai for almost a year.

    During this time, he taught her some cultivation techniques for the zither, even assisting her cultivation. Tan Songyun did not know it at that time, but Tian Kai had taught her extremely powerful and valuable techniques that would make even those in the upper heavens filled with envy.

    Then, right as they passed a year, to Tan Songyun''s bewilderment, Tian Kai suddenly vanished without a trace, leaving behind only a note and some resources.

    "I apologize for the abrupt disappearance, but something came up and I had to leave. Unfortunately, I will not be able to return for a while. I will be waiting for you in the upper heavens, Songyun."

    Despite leaving her alone so abruptly, Tan Songyun did not feel anger towards Tian Kai, as she had anticipated this day would eventuallye a year ago, even feeling grateful that she had managed to stay with him for so long.

    "Yes¡­ let us meet each other again in the upper heavens¡­ my beloved¡­" Tan Songyun mumbled as she pressed the note against her beating heart.

 Chapter 1289 Reschedule

    Chapter 1289 Reschedule

    "Tan Songyun¡­" Yuan muttered in a low voice after Tian Kai''s memories came to an end.

    Although Tan Songyun did not know of his reason for leaving, Yuan did.

    ''If the Celestial Emperor hadn''t found him, he would''ve definitely remained by her side for as long as possible¡­'' he sighed inwardly.

    Nheless, he was quite shocked to learn of Tian Kai''s rtionship with Tan Songyun, who would eventually be known as the Zither Goddess. Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.

    ''Teacher and lover, huh? I wonder if she''s still looking for me¡­'' Yuan wondered as Li Luoyang''s performance reached its end.

    There were still many unanswered questions, such as how Tian Kai and the Zither Goddess met in the first ce, as he was told that they didn''t know each other by Song Ling''er.

    He was told that the Zither Goddess had been born 25,000 years ago while the God of Music existed for millions of years.

    What if Song Ling''er had been talking about a different God of Music? What if Tian Kai wasn''t the God of Music like he''d originally thought? These are questions that won''t be answered until he finds the Zither Goddess or regains more of Tian Kai''s memories.

    "Thank you all foring here today to witness my performance. I will return next month and have hopefully improved my skills by then." Li Luoyang gave the audience a respectful bow, causing the ce to erupt with cheering and encouragement.

    At the end of her performance, the light in the room slowly returned, and the workers there would go from table to table asking for payment.

    Coincidentally, Yuan''s table was towards the exit, so Li Luoyang would be walking in his direction.

    When Li Luoyang got close enough, Yuan subconsciously muttered, "For your first song, you should slow down a bit on the 51st, 88th, 109th, 171st, and 182nd note. Speed up on the 17th, 27th, 49th, 82nd, 122nd, and 251th note."

    "Eh?" Li Luoyang halted her movements and nced at Yuan with a shocked expression on her face.

    Even without Yuan''s advice, Li Luoyang knew that she had misyed several notes, but he''d also mentioned notes that even she didn''t realize she had messed up. Her performance was nothing short of perfect to the audience and she''s never received anyints before, much less being corrected on a song that only she should know how to y, so one could imagine the surprise on her face.

    ''H-How does he¡­? It''s not as though I y ''The Old Dream'' often, either!''

    And before she could respond, Yuan continued, "You''re the Zither Goddess'' disciple, aren''t you? If you have some timeter, I would love to have a chat with you."

    It wasn''t a secret that Li Luoyang had received guidance from the Zither Goddess, as it was part of her advertisement campaign, but with the way he spoke, Yuan made it sound like he didn''t know before today.

    "Do you know my master?" Li Luoyang couldn''t help but ask him.

    He nodded, "Somewhat."

    "And what was your rtionship with her?" she continued inquiring.

    Yuan pondered for a moment and retrieved the Soul Ensnaring Zither before responding, "Our rtionship is a bit difficult to exin."

    "That''s the Soul Ensnaring Zither! Why do you have something like that on you?!" Li Luoyang nearly dropped the zither in her grasp when she saw the Soul Ensnaring Zither, something owned by the Zither Goddess.

    As far as she was aware, the Zither Goddess had left the Soul Ensnaring Zither in the Lower Heavens, and only those who could y it could receive it.

    ''Does that mean he can y it¡­?'' Li Luoyang swallowed nervously at the thought of hearing the Soul Ensnaring Zither''s sound, as she had tried to y it before and failed miserably.

    Seeing her expression, Yuan plucked one of the strings with a smile on his face. The moment he released the string, a heavenly note resonated throughout the building. Although it was just a simple, single note, it was filled with wonder and mystery.

    The sound sent chills down Li Luoyang''s entire being.

    After a brief moment of silence, she asked him, "Do you have time now? I''d like to invite you to my room."

    Before he could even answer, Yuan felt a cold gaze behind his back.

    It was Liang Xiaosheng, and he was giving him deadly stares for some reason.

    However, such a question would be answered the very next moment.

    "Lady Li! You mustn''t! You have a very important client today! He''s from the Azure Dragon Family!" One of the workers there reminded her of her schedule.

    Li Luoyang sighed, "Young man, will you be staying here for long? Or you cane backter tonight when I am off work."

    "Unfortunately, I have somewhere else that I need to be, so I won''t be here for long."

    Li Luoyang began to contemte. She didn''t want to offend the Azure Dragon Family, especially since her client was their former patriarch. However, she had been dreaming of hearing a song from the Soul Ensnaring Zither ever since she learned about it hundreds of years ago and didn''t want to miss the opportunity.

    Eventually, she took a deep sigh, walked over to Liang Xiaosheng, and bowed, "I am deeply sorry for the inconvenience, but I would like to reschedule our session. Aspensation, I will give you three hours of my time instead of just one ¡ª and it''ll be free of charge."

    "..."

    Liang Xiaosheng wasn''t someone who cared about money. He was more irritated at the fact that Li Luyang had chosen Yuan instead of him. However, since it was difficult to make an appointment with her even for someone like him, he decided to not make a scene there and just ept his free sessions.

    After forcing a smile on his face, Liang Xiaosheng spoke, "Don''t worry about it. I have nothing but time on my hands since my retirement and thepensation is more than fair."

    Meanwhile, Yuan sighed inwardly, ''Looks like it''ll be even more difficult to take his Ancient Seal without fighting¡­''

 Chapter 1290 Mysterious Beauty

    Chapter 1290 Mysterious Beauty

    After confirming her rescheduling with Liang Xiaosheng, Li Luoyang brought Yuan to her room on the fourth floor.

    Unsurprisingly, as the establishment''s most popr and highest-earning performer, Li Luoyang''s room took up half of the fourth floor. The interior of her room was simple yet elegant with decorations that were barely noticeable until Li Luoyang stood near them, enhancing her beauty.

    "Please, make yourselffortable." Li Luoyang said to him as she took her usual seat by the tform.

    Yuan sat directly in front of her.

    "So, what would you like to know about my master?" Li Luoyang asked him.

    "Oh, just so you know, this information won''te for free. In return, I''d like you to y some songs for me with that Soul Ensnaring Zither."

    "Of course." Yuan nodded.

    "Then, for my first question, do you know where the Zither Goddess is now?"

    "No, but she visits the lower heavens once every few hundred years."

    "Do you think she''ll visit soon?"

    "I doubt it since she visited 100 years ago."

    "I see¡­ then how did you be her disciple?"

    "Well, she was a patron at this establishment when I happened to be performing that day, and she approached me with the offer of guidance. I refused at first, unaware of her identity."

    "Then¡ª"

    Li Luoyang raised her hand when Yuan tried to ask another question, and she said, "I''d like to hear a song before we continue."

    Without saying another word, Yuan ced the Soul Ensnaring Zither on hisp and began ying with a gentle smile on his face.

    "..."

    Li Luoyang''s eyes widened with shock a few momentster. She only had to hear a few notes before she was convinced of his god-like skills.

    Yuan''s music prated the walls and quickly filled the building, shocking everyone inside. When those outside the building heard the music, they rushed inside to take a nce at the performer, but to their disappointment, he was nowhere to be found.

    "Who''s that ying?!"

    "Only Fairy Li would be this good¡­ No¡­ I have never heard this song before!"

    "Who else besides Fairy Li could perform like this? It''s evening from the fourth floor!"

    "What about that young man who went with her? She must''ve known about his skills, hence why she risked offending Senior Liang!"

    Yuan''s performancested only a minute, which was far from enough to satisfy the audience.

    "You¡­ are you also her disciple?" Li Luoyang asked him afterward.

    Yuan pondered for a moment before responding, "I guess you can say that since she taught me how to y this zither."

    "So she taught you¡­ No wonder why you can y it¡­"

    Yuan then asked, "Can I ask my next question now?"

    She nodded.

    "Do you know anything about the Zither Goddess'' rtionship with the God of Music?"

    "God of Music?" Li Luoyang raised her eyebrows, and she asked, "Which one? There''s been many throughout the years."

    "Uhhh¡­ Someone named Tian Kai?"

    "Tian Kai¡­ Sorry, I am not aware of any God of Music by that name."

    "Is that so¡­" This confirmed Yuan''s suspicion that Tian Kai was never the God of Music.

    ''If Tian Kai wasn''t the God of Music, who was he? And why was the Zither Goddess absorbed in the God of Music''s statue?''

    "Can you tell me what you know about the God of Music? Not the people, but the title in general."

    Li Luoyang nodded, but she also pointed at his zither. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.

    A momentter, heavenly music filled the establishment once more, attracting even more customers to the building.

    The musicsted a little longer this time, allowing the workers at the building to pinpoint the location it came from.

    "It''s definitelying from Lady Li''s room!"

    "How much would it cost to hire someone like him?" The owner of the establishment muttered to herself as she pondered how much she was willing to pay.

    Once the music ended a few minutester, Li Luoyang asked him, "How long did it take you to reach that level of skills?"

    "A few years," he responded with a smile.

    Li Luoyang burst outughing, "That''s a great joke! A few years¡ª

    pfft!"

    Anyone in her position might think that Yuan was joking, but if she knew that Yuan had only started ying the zither a year ago, she might consider giving up on ying herself.

    "Anyways, the title of God of Music gets passed around quite often, so much so that it doesn''t really matter nowadays. If you want it, you can challenge the current God of Music and snatch it from them. I think you''ll have a good chance with your current level of skills."

    "I''m not really interested in acquiring the title," he shook his head, and continued, "Another question. Do you know why the Zither Goddesses down to the lower heavens?"

    "I asked her this question before, and she told me that it''s to visit her old home."

    "Her old home, huh¡­" The image of a certain building beside a river suddenly appeared inside Yuan''s head.

    ''Mm? Wait a minute. The teleportation formation within the Zither Godess'' Immortal Cave¡­ Is that her method of transportation? Its existence would make much more sense if she used it to visit the lower heavens every few hundred years. Does this mean I have a good chance to find her in the Fifth Heaven?'' he suddenly came to this realization.

    Meanwhile, in the Lower Heavens, a veiled figure approached a certain building.

    "Identity yourself!" The guard at the gate stopped this person at the entrance.

    The figure removed the veil, revealing a stunningly beautiful face, and she spoke in a low voice, "The Soul Ensnaring Zither¡­ I cannot sense its presence. What happened to it?"

    Despite being startled by her shocking beauty, the guard managed to utter, "I-It was taken."

    The woman frowned upon hearing this news, even emitting a subtle hint of killing intent.

    "Who took it?"

    "I-I don''t know, but it was with Master Zou''s approval since that person managed to y it."

    "..."

    The woman fell silent after learning of this news, and her killing intent immediately vanished.

    Without saying around word, the woman turned around and walked away, disappearing into thin air a momentter.

    "W-Who was that¡­?" The guard muttered in a dazed voice, his mind ensnared by the woman''s beauty.

 Chapter 1291 Zither Goddess Return

    Chapter 1291 Zither Goddess'' Return

    "Master Zou, regarding the recruitment, have you decided on your next disciple yet?" A group of adults sat before Master Zou, who was renowned as a top zither expert in the Lower Heavens and also the previous owner of the Soul Ensnaring Zither.

    "Not yet. There are so many promising applicants, and I only have one slot left, so I am having a difficult time choosing." Master Zou said as he calmly brushed his long, white beard.

    Suddenly, the door mmed open, and a veiled figure nobody there recognized walked inside.

    "Who dares interrupt¡ª"

    An awe-inspiring and unparalleled presence enveloped the room, leaving everyone in a state of paralyzing awe and fear.

    While the room was filled with silence, the veiled figure walked to the center of the group and asked them in a cold voice, "Which of you is surnamed ''Zou''?"

    "T-That would be me¡­ Dare I ask your identity, senior? And why are you looking for me?" Master Zou raised his hands which were still trembling in fear.

    The veiled figure then spoke, "The Soul Ensnaring Zither that I had left in your ancestor''s hands for safekeeping ¡ª why did you give it away?"

    "The Soul Ensnaring Zither?! Impossible! You can''t be the Zither Goddess!" Master Zou eximed in utter shock as this realization dawned upon him.

    The veiled figure suddenly retrieved a thin-ded sword and pointed it at Master Zou''s throat, yet nobody in the room dared to move a finger, their bodies still frozen in fear.

    "Answer my question!" she demanded.

    "The Soul Ensnaring Zither has been with my family for over 25,000 years, collecting dust all the while because nobody could y it," Master Zou exined, and he continued, "I was never informed of its purpose, entrusted to us for safekeeping. Thus, I believed that if anyone possessed the ability to y it, they should rightfully inherit it."

    After a moment of silence, the veiled figure asked, "The person who inherited it¡­ This ''Yuan''. Where can I find him?"

    "I''m sorry, but I do not know. However, I know someone who may be able to answer your question, Zither Goddess."

    "Fei Yuyan. She''s a disciple from the Dragon Essence Temple. She was with Yuan, and they seemed quite close with each other."

    "..."

    After another moment of silence, the veiled figure spoke, "Given your familial ties to my dear friend, I shall not chastise you for parting with my cherished zither."

    "T-Thank you, Zither Goddess!"

    "Stop it."

    "Excuse me?"

    "That nickname. I never liked it."

    "Then how shall I address you, Senior?"

    "By my name, Tan Songyun."

    After saying those words, Tan Songyun lowered her sword and walked out of the room before disappearing like a ghost.

    "That was the Zither Goddess? She''s quite different from what I''ve heard..." one of them whispered, his voice filled with bewilderment, long after her departure.

    "Right? I always thought she was a benevolent goddess," said another. Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.

    "That was probably the Zither Goddess from 25,000 years ago. People can change a lot in a year, much less thousands of years," another sighed.

    Meanwhile, at the Dragon Essence Temple.

    "Amazing! Fairy Fei, you''ve improved once again!"

    "I love you, Disciple Fei!"

    After her performance ended, her audience at the Dragon Pavilion cheered like there was no tomorrow.

    Fei Yuyan gave an elegant bow and said, "Thank you all. This will be all for me today."

    "See you next month, Fairy Fei!"

    "I''ll be waiting for you!"

    Fei Yuyan left the Dragon Pavilion shortly after and made her way back home.

    ''It''s almost been a year since he left¡­ What is he doing now? Where is he?'' Fei Yuyan pondered about Yuan as she walked home.

    Suddenly, her thoughts were interrupted when a veiled figure descended from the sky andnded right in front of her.

    "What?!" Fei Yuyan jumped back after being startled.

    "Are you Fei Yuyan?" Tan Songyun asked her without even giving her a chance to recover.

    When she arrived at the sect, the first thing that caught her attention was Fei Yuyan''s zither performance, and after hearing the other disciples address Fei Yuyan''s surname through divine sense, she decided to approach Fei Yuyan.

    "Y-Yes¡­ I am¡­ but who are you?" Fei Yuyan asked.

    "Then are you familiar with ''Yuan''?"

    "Yuan¡­?" Fei Yuyan was taken aback to hear his name just as she had been thinking about him. If this wasn''t fate, what else could it be?

    "I''m sorry, but you won''t be able to find him here." Fei Yuyan said a momentter.

    "Where can I find him?"

    "I don''t know," Fei Yuyan shook her head.

    Once again, Tan Songyun retrieved her sword and pointed it at Fei Yuyan. "If you value your hands, I''d suggest you tell me the truth."

    "?!?!"Fei Yuyan was dumbfounded, as she didn''t expect her to get so aggressive so suddenly.

    "W-Why are you looking for him?"

    "He has something that belongs to me."

    "Sorry, but I really don''t know. He left for the Second Heaven almost a year ago." Fei Yuyan had no problem telling her the truth, as there was no way this mysterious woman could find Yuan with such a clue, and it would be like looking for a needle in a haystack.

    Tan Songyun gritted her teeth in frustration after hearing this news.

    ''Second Heaven? How troublesome!'' she cursed inwardly.

    "Tell me everything you know about this Yuan."

    "And what will you do when you find him?" Fei Yuyan asked.

    "That''s none of your business."

    Fei Yuyan gritted her teeth and uttered, "Then I won''t help you."

    "You don''t care about your hands? Without them, you''ll never be able to y the zither again." Tan Songyun swung her sword so quickly that Fei Yuyan couldn''t even see her movements, and the tiles around her suddenly had several sword cuts on them.

    However, despite the fear on her face, Fei Yuyan remained resolute, "You can take my life for all I care! I won''t help you find Yuan if you''re going to hurt him!"

    "..." Tan Songyun fell silent, leaving Fei Yuyan to wonder about her expression hidden behind the veils.

 Chapter ?1292 Zither Goddess Performance

    Chapter ?1292 Zither Goddess'' Performance

    "I will not repeat myself. Either you answer my questions or your hands go." Tan Songyun spoke after a moment of silence.

    However, several figures suddenly appeared before them with their weapons already pointed at Tan Songyun.

    "Who the hell are you? And why are you pointing your weapon at my disciple?" Long Yijun, Sect Master of the Dragon Essence Temple, inquired in a demanding tone.

    "Sect Master! I don''t know why, but she''s inquiring me about Yuan!" Fei Yuyan said.

    "Yuan?" Long Yijun frowned upon hearing this familiar name. "I don''t care who you are or why you''re looking for Yuan, but how dare you invade our sect and threaten one of our disciples?"

    "And what do you think you can do to me with your cultivation bases?" Tan Songyun asked them as she used a movement technique, disappearing from her location like a ghost.

    When she appeared again, she was right behind Long Yijun with her de pressed against his neck.

    "I could take out all of you without breaking a single sweat."

    ''What?! When did she get behind me?! I couldn''t see her movements at all even though she was right in front of me!'' Long Yijun cried inwardly.

    "Sect Master!"

    "Get away from the Sect Master, you fiend!"

    The elders around them immediately released their cultivation bases.

    "..." Tan Songyun released a sigh and unexpectedly lowered her weapon.

    "Now!" One of the elders shouted and suddenly attacked.

    "Wait¡ª!" Long Yijun tried to stop him, but he was toote.

    However, before the elder''s weapon could even get close to her body, Tan Songyun''s arm flickered, and the elder''s weapon shattered like ss after being struck by a rock the very next moment.

    Before the elder could even process what had just happened, Tan Songyun used her other hand to grasp his neck, lifting him into the air like nothing.

    "Please! Wait!" Long Yijun cried out loud after seeing this.

    Nobody there dared to move a muscle, fearing that she might snap the elder''s neck the moment they did.

    After a moment of silence, Tan Songyun swung her arm, flinging the elder to the side like garbage.

    She then said, "The Soul Ensnaring Zither. Your friend took something that he wasn''t supposed to, so I am looking for him."

    "What¡­? The Soul Ensnaring Zither?" Fei Yuyan''s eyes widened with shock as she came to a realization.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    "You can''t be¡­ the Zither Goddess?!"

    Tan Songyun removed her veil, revealing her beautiful face, and said, " I don''t like that nickname. Tan Songyun is my name."

    "..."

    The ce turned silent once again as everyone there tried to grasp the situation.

    "Are you really the Zither Goddess?" Long Yijun couldn''t help but doubt her identity.

    Tan Songyun red at him and said, "I don''t have the time to entertain you. Tell me everything you know about Yuan and I will be on my way."

    "I-If you y a song for us and prove your identity, I will tell you everything I know about Yuan." Fei Yuyan said, and she continued with a resolute face, "If not, I won''t tell you anything even if you kill me."

    Tan Songyun sucked her teeth in an annoyed manner, yet she did not reject Fei Yuyan''s offer.

    She then beckoned at Fei Yuyan, causing the zither in Fei Yuyan''s arms to float towards her.

    With the zither hovering in the air right before her chest, Tan Songyun immediately began ying the strings. Instantly, the atmosphere in the entire sect changed, filled with heavenly music resonating through the air.

    Fei Yuyan and the others near Tan Songyun could see illusions around her, almost as though a world had been materialized by her music.

    However, the music was cut short and stopped midway. It was such a tant pause that it nearly made the audience puke out blood from anger.

    "W-Why did you stop so suddenly?!" Fei Yuyan demanded an answer with a frown on her face.

    "I didn''te here to perform for you. I should''ve proved my identity with that much. Now, tell me about Yuan."

    "N-No! I requested for a song¡ª not half a song!" Fei Yuyan did not want it to end there.

    "Enough!" Tan Songyun roared, her voice carrying some of her cultivation base.

    *Cough*

    Fei Yuyang and those around her suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood.

    "My patience has run out. If you don''t stop this nonsense right now, I will not hesitate to kill you. If you think you''re my only option of finding Yuan, you can ignore my warning.

    "A-Alright! I apologize for overstepping my boundaries, Zither¡ª Senior Tan! Your music was so good that I couldn''t help myself¡­" Fei Yuyan sighed.

    "I''ll tell you everything I know about Yuan, but let''s go somewhere more private."

    Fei Yuyan turned to look at Long Yijun and continued, "I''ll be fine, Sect Master. Thank you for everything."

    "I-If you say so¡­" Long Yijun and the other elders left them alone shortly after.

    Fei Yuyang brought Tan Songyun back to her own living quarters, where she exined her rtionship with Yuan and everything she knew about him.

    ''Even if he''s a genius, the Soul Ensnaring Zither requires a unique technique that only I know to y, so how¡­? Did he create another technique for it? That''s absurd¡­'' Tan Songyun was not aware of teaching Yuan the technique, as that was something done by the Soul Ensnaring Zither on its own ord.

    "And that''s all I know about him. I know it''s not much, but¡­"

    "It''s good enough." Tan Songyun interrupted and immediately made her way for the exit.

    "W-Wait!" Fei Yuyang suddenly stopped her.

    "What do you want?"bender

    "I know this may be asking too much, but can you give me some advice on the zither? How can I y like you?" Fei Yuyan asked.

    "You want to y like me?" Tan Songyun asked for confirmation.

    "Yes!" Fei Yuyan eagerly nodded.

    "Then you might as well quit ying the zither."

    "Eh?" Fei Yuyan''s eyes widened at her unexpected response.

    "Are you ying the zither just to y like me, or are you ying it because you enjoy it? Everyone has their own style and uniqueness, and I don''t have the authority to take that away from you."

    Tan Songyun retrieved a small book and tossed it at the dazed Fei Yuyan.

    "That will not teach you to y like me, but it might help you improve your own style¡ªif you have the talents for it."

    "T-Thank you, Senior Tan! I will not disappoint you!"

    "I''m not expecting anything from you." Tan Songyun said before disappearing from her sight.

    "Though she may appear cold and ruthless at a nce, she''s actually very kind and thoughtful on the inside¡­" Fei Yuyan sighed as she stared at the book in her hands.

    "Yuan¡­ good luck."

    <strong></strong>

 Chapter 1293 Liang Xiaosheng

    Chapter 1293 Liang Xiaosheng

    "Thank you, Lady Li. That''s all of the questions I have for now." Yuan said to Li Luoyang sometimeter.

    "You''re leaving already? Why don''t you stay here a little longer to chat? This is my first time encountering someone taught by the Zither Goddess other than myself." Li Luoyang looked a little sad after realizing that he was about to leave.

    "I have other businesses to attend to, so I cannot stay for too long."

    "One more song! You can leave after ying one more song!" Li Luoyang raised a single finger on her hand and shoved it at his face.

    Yuan nodded with a smile and agreed, "Okay, I will y onest song." After taking a moment to ponder what song he wanted to y, Yuan began moving his fingers on the zither.

    ''This is¡ª!''

    Li Luoyang''s eyes widened with excitement when Yuan started ying ''The Old Dream''. Now that she knew he had been taught by the Zither Goddess, she wasn''t surprised that he could y the song.

    Of course, Yuan didn''t learn the song from the Zither Goddess, nor did he recall it in Tian Kai''s memories. After listening to it once, he''dpletely ingrained it within his memories. As for how he managed to figure out Li Luoyang''s mistakes during her performance, it was purely because of his own expertise and instincts. Li Luoyang''s performance didn''t sound ''wrong'' to him, but in his mind, it would sound better with his changes. Li Luoyang agreed with such changes, hence why she wasn''t upset when he corrected her.

    At the end of the song, Li Luoyang muttered in a dazed voice, "It sounds even better than I remember¡­"

    "Thank you," Yuan said with a smile on his face as he stowed away the zither.

    "Then I''ll be leaving now."

    "Will you visit this ce again?" Li Luoyang then asked.

    "Honestly? Probably not, since I came here with a purpose." Yuan did not lie to her.

    "Is that so¡­ That''s unfortunate. However, if you ever feel like it or happen to be nearby, please visit us. I''d like to listen to your music again."

    "Of course."

    "Oh! One more thing! I never got your name."

    "It''s Yuan, and do you mind if I leave through your window? I don''t want to deal with the crowd outside."

    "Sure thing." Li Luoyang chuckled.

    After leaving through the window, Yuan did not wander too far away from the building, and he began to ponder what he should do with Liang Xiaosheng and his Ancient Seal.

    Fortunately, he had been keeping track of Liang Xiaosheng''s location through divine sense this entire time, so he didn''t need to wait for him to return to the Tunes of Heavens'' Establishment. However, there was a bigger problem.

    ''How should I approach him without making him want to punch me at a nce?'' After what had transpired with Li Luoyang, he was certain that Liang Xiaosheng had been offended and felt humiliated by the rescheduling, so he couldn''t just approach Liang Xiaosheng as nothing had happened.

    After pondering for some time, Yuan eventually came up with a somewhat risky n.

    ''It may be risky, but if everything goes right, I won''t need to fight him for the Ancient Seal.''

    Yuan disappeared from the streets to prepare for his meeting with Liang Xiaosheng.

    Meanwhile, Liang Xiaosheng was drowning himself in alcohol at a nearby restaurant as he waited for his appointment with Li Luoyang.

    "That goddamn bastard! Which rat hole did he crawl from?! How dare he humiliate me in front of everyone and force Lady Li to choose between us?! I''ll skin him alive the next time I see him!" Liang Xiaosheng mmed his cup on the table, causing the entire restaurant to tremble.

    However, despite the disturbance he was causing, nobody approached him, as he was a well-known individual within the city, so everyone knew his identity.

    After consuming alcohol nonstop for several hours, Liang Xiaosheng paid the bill and left the restaurant, feeling a bit drunk.

    The moment he stepped outside the restaurant, he sensed an unfamiliar yet overwhelming auraing from outside the city.

    When he sensed his aura, his eyes widened with shock, and the slightly drunk expression on his face becamepletely serious.

    ''What a powerful presence! And this aura¡­ it can''t be!''

    In order to confirm his doubts, Liang Xiaosheng immediately flew towards the aura''s direction.

    Sometimeter, Liang Xiaosheng halted his movements when he saw a figure hovering above the trees in the distance.

    This figure was draped in a full-length ck robe with long, flowing golden hair cascading down the back, and their face was concealed behind an ordinary-looking mask. It was evident to even the most oblivious observer that the individual before them was far from ordinary.

    Liang Xiaosheng''s body trembled when he noticed the details on his clothing.

    ''That appearance! That aura! The Golden Dragon Robe?! What is something like that doing down here?! What is a Dragon Emperor in the Third Heavens?!''

    Unsurprisingly, Liang Xiaosheng came to such a conclusion. He hailed from a prominent dragon n where such information ismon knowledge.

    ''I was told that some people from the upper heavens would be showing up in the lower heavens, but I wasn''t expecting to meet any Dragon Emperors!'' he cried inwardly.

    Shortly after Liang Xiaosheng''s arrival, Yuan slowly turned around to re at him with a serious atmosphere around him.

    "Who the hell are you?" Yuan asked in a cold voice, pretending not to know him. This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    Liang Xiaosheng subconsciously lowered his head in submission and responded in a respectful voice, "This lowly one is from the Azure Dragon Family, and my name is Liang Xiaosheng."

    "One of the Four Ancient Families, huh? And what does the Azure Dragon Family want from me?" Yuan suddenly activated Dragon''s Gaze to scare Liang Xiaosheng a little more and to erase any doubt Liang Xiaosheng had of his identity.

    ''Dragon''s Gaze?!'' Liang Xiaosheng nearly crapped his pants when confronted by its terrifying pressure.

    "The Azure Dragon Family has nothing to do with this! I was coincidentally in a nearby city when I sensed your impressive aura, so I decided to check it out! I''m sorry if I had disturbed you!" Liang Xiaosheng shouted in a terrified voice.

    Seeing Liang Xiaosheng''s reaction, Yuan deactivated Dragon''s Gaze and retrieved his aura, allowing Liang Xiaosheng to breathe properly.

 Chapter 1294 Treated Like Royalty

    Chapter 1294 Treated Like Royalty

    After a moment of silence, Liang Xiaosheng said, "Once again, I sincerely apologize if my curiosity had disturbed you. If my presence isn''t wanted here, I will immediately leave."

    Faced with a Dragon Emperor from the upper heavens, he attempted to distance himself from the situation. Even as a member of the Four Ancient Families, he felt like amoner in the presence of a true Dragon Emperor.

    "Wait." However, Yuan did not let him off so easily. "Since you''re here, you might as well stay for a little longer, especially since you''re from the Azure Dragon Family. I happen to know someone from your lineage in the upper heavens."

    Yuan approached Liang Xiaosheng, who was visibly tense and nervous. In the presence of a Dragon Emperor, even a seasoned expert of over a thousand years might feel as vulnerable as a child.

    When he was close enough, Yuan released a somewhat surprised and puzzled noise, "Hmm?"

    "Are you really from the Azure Dragon Family¡ª of Dragon Bloodline?"

    "Y-Yes! I am definitely from the Azure Dragon Family! Unfortunately, our bloodlines in the lower heavens are quite weak andcking, especially whenpared to those in the upper heavens." Liang Xiaosheng retrieved a medallion to prove his identity afterward.

    "Is that so? That exins why I can barely sense the aura of a dragon from you." Yuan muttered. "How pitiful."

    Liang Xiaosheng cried inwardly at Yuan''s rude remarks, yet he did not dare utter anyints and even pretended as though they werepliments.

    "Anyways, is your family nearby?" Yuan suddenly asked.

    "Huh? T-They are, but why do you ask, Your Majesty?"

    "I''d like to witness how the Azure Dragon Family operates in the Third Heaven, or would that be too troubling? I am a stranger to your family, after all."

    "Of course not! It''s no trouble at all, Your Majesty! It''d be an honor to grace our family with the presence of a Dragon Emperor!" Liang Xiaosheng''s eyes lit up when he heard Yuan''s words.

    ''This is working out pretty well¡­'' Yuan thought to himself.

    As much as he wanted to get the Ancient Seal from Liang Xiaosheng and disappear as quickly as possible, he couldn''t move too hastily or be too direct, or his ulterior motives would be exposed in the blink of an eye.

    "However¡­" Liang Xiaosheng suddenly continued, "Your Majesty, aren''t you busy at the moment? ording to what I''ve been told, thoseing from the upper heavens have some kind of assignment."

    "Yes, and I''ve been working for months without any breaks now, so I''ve decided to take a day or two off. If you are worried about me being punished for cking off, you should worry for those who spent six months in the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb first."

    "M-My apologies, Your Majesty! I didn''t mean to¡ª"

    "It''s fine." Yuan shook his head.

    "Then allow me to guide you to our humble estate." Liang Xiaosheng said.

    Yuan nodded and proceeded to follow him.

    While he traveled with Liang Xiaosheng, Yuan notified Xiao Hua and Lan Yingying that he would be gone for a little longer than expected and not to be worried about him since he was fine.

    Several hourster, Liang Xiaosheng entered a valley located several thousand miles away from North Wind City.

    Somewhere along this valley was a concealment formation that hid a separate path from the main path. This path obviously led to the Azure Dragon Family, and it was only essible by someone with the Azure Dragon Family''s medallion.

    As they stepped into the formation, it felt like they had entered apletely different realm. The path was lined with medicinal herbs and other exotic nts, leading them to the sprawling estate at the far end of the pathway.

    Although they were still quite far away from the mansion, Yuan could already see people gathering outside in arge formation.

    Once they arrived at the mansion, these people shouted in unison, "Wee to the Azure Dragon Family, esteemed Dragon Emperor! Wee back, Senior Liang!"

    Naturally, Liang Xiaosheng had notified his family of their arrival through hismunication jade slip. He did not want to risk screwing up their chance of befriending a Dragon Emperor, who could potentially usher them into a new age.

    "I appreciate the effort, but I actually dislike crowds." Yuan calmly said, as he did not want to deal with more people in his current situation.

    "I-Is that so¡­ My apologies. I will send them away immediately." Liang Xiaosheng then beckoned for them to leave. The Azure Dragon Family looked puzzled after being sent away, but they didn''t dare to question it and immediately dispersed except for one person¡ª the current Patriarch of their family.

    "This is my son and the current patriarch, Liang Dishan."

    Liang Dishan stepped forward and bowed, "It''s an honor to meet you, Dragon Emperor. If there''s anything you need from this one, don''t hesitate to call for me."

    Yuan silently nodded.

    "Then allow me to show you around." Liang Xiaosheng said a momentter.

    Yuan didn''t say anything and silently followed him inside the building.

    Using his divine sense, Yuan could see several hundred people inside and within the vicinity of the mansion with about a third of them giving off a simr aura as Liang Xiaosheng. Wherever they went, the people there would stop whatever they were doing to lower their heads to Yuan, treating him as though he was real royalty.

    As the Azure Dragon Family treated him with such reverence, Yuan couldn''t help but realize the significance and importance of Dragon Emperors. Their status seemed to surpass even the family''s own revered ancestors.

    After showing Yuan around the mansion, Liang Xiaosheng eventually brought him to the guest room. N?velDrama.Org content rights.

    "Your Majesty, might I propose a moment of respite? Is there a particr dish or libation that might pique your interest? Regrettably, our provisions may not rival those of the upper heavens, but we shall exert every effort to provide you with satisfaction." Despite being a retired patriarch, Liang Xiaosheng''s servant-like attitude rivaled real servants. "I''m not particrly picky, so I''ll have whatever you got to offer," Yuan said.

    "As you wish!" Liang Xiaosheng immediately called over a servant and basically requested a feast.

    Liang Xiaosheng, being a dragon himself, was well aware of their penchant for food. Thus, he believed that providing a sumptuous feast for a single Dragon Emperor wouldn''t be too extravagant.

 Chapter 1295 Traitor

    Chapter 1295 Traitor

    While they waited for the food, Yuan asked Liang Xiaosheng, "Tell me a little about your family''s history."

    Liang Xiaosheng quickly replied, "Our family has a lineage dating back to the Primordial Era. If there''s any specific aspect you''d like to learn about, please feel free to ask, and I''ll do my best to provide the information."

    Yuan rified, "I''m interested in the history of this specific branch of your family, not your entire family lineage."

    "Oh, if that''s the case, then our Azure Dragon Family came down to the Third Heaven shortly after the Divine Heavens was split into nine separate realms at the end of the Immortal Monarch''s Era."

    Liang Xiaosheng continued in a dispirited manner, "Well, when I say we ''came down,'' it''s more like we were exiled by the main branch. Our bloodlines were considered weak and unfit to stay in the upper heavens, so we were basically cast out."

    Hearing this, Yuan couldn''t help but ask, "Do you hold a grudge against the main branch for their decision? For kicking you down here?"

    Liang Xiaosheng immediately shook his head, "Of course not! That''d be outrageous! We bear no grudge against the main branch because we understand that our own limitations led to our exile down here. Compared to those in the main branch, we''re practically just humans with unique features. We simply don''t deserve to remain up there."

    "Moreover, if someone with a strong bloodline is born in our family, we can always send them to the upper heavens, where they can receive proper nurturing. So, we''re notpletely confined to the lower realms."

    Another idea came to Yuan when he heard such words, and he asked, "What if ¡ª and this is purely just me thinking out loud, but what if I could improve your bloodline and help you ascend?"

    Liang Xiaosheng''s eyes widened with shock and disbelief after hearing Yuan''s words¡ªnot because he did not believe Yuan had the capability but because he didn''t think there was any reason for Yuan to do something like that for them. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.

    "I-If Your Majesty would be willing to bless our unworthy family with such a chance, we''d be forever in your debt." It has been over 200,000 years since someone from their family was talented enough to be epted by the main branch, so Liang Xiaosheng couldn''t let such a chance get away.

    Yuan did not immediately respond and waited for a few moments before opening his mouth, "What I am about to tell you must be kept a secret." Yuan said.

    "Of course! I swear upon my bloodline that I will not utter a word to anyone," Liang Xiaosheng immediately agreed with the solemnity that reflected the deep significance of a beast''s oath. To a beast, their own bloodline held a significance akin to a soul for humans, and when a beast swore upon their bloodline, it became an unbreakable bond, even in the face of life-threatening challenges.

    Yuan then asked, "Do you know my purpose foring down here?"

    "ording to my sources, those who came from the upper heavens are looking for a certain individual." Liang Xiaosheng said.

    Yuan nodded and said, "Indeed. A criminal so dangerous that he''s wanted by the Celestial Emperor himself. However, that is not the only reason I came down here."

    "The Ancient Seal holders¡­ As someone from the Four Ancient Families, I''m sure you are well aware of their existence."

    "Of course. They are responsible for guarding the Ancient Seals used for opening the Primordial Realm¡ªa dangerous realm crawling with criminals. But how are they rted to your mission?"

    As an Ancient Seal holder himself, Liang Xiaosheng had to inquire.

    "Rumor is, there is a traitor amongst them, and they n on opening the Primordial Realm."

    "WHAT?!" Liang Xiaosheng eximed in a shocked voice. "That''s impossible!"

    "I am aware of how unbelievable it sounds, but that''s what I was told, hence why I am down here to investigate the Azure Dragon Family."

    "Honestly, I was pretending to not know your identity at first so that I could watch you without arousing suspicion, but now that I am here, I realize there''s a better way to do this."

    "Liang Xiaosheng, one of four Ancient Seal holders, allow me to ask you¡­ Do you still have your Ancient Seal on you? I want to see it." Yuan red at him.

    Liang Xiaosheng swallowed nervously, and after a moment of silence, he inquired in a trembling voice, "I apologize for my impertinence, Dragon Emperor, but could you please share with me which family you belong to?"

    Yuan narrowed his eyes and muttered in a cold voice, "You dare doubt my identity?"

    "I wouldn''t dare! However, as an Ancient Seal holder, I cannot expose my Ancient Seal to anyone who doesn''t have the authority¡ª even if they are a Dragon Emperor! Please understand my position here, Your Majesty!!!"

    "..."

    The room fell silent as Yuan tried to think of a way out of this.

    ''Shit¡­ Did I act a little too quickly? If I screw up here, he''ll know that I am a fake!''

    If his identity bes exposed, he would have to fight his way out of there and take the Ancient Seal by force, which he was confident in doing without much effort, but he did not want to harm Liang Xiaosheng and his family.

    "Your Majesty¡­?" Liang Xiaosheng started doubting Yuan''s identity.

    ''Fuck it! It''s all or nothing!''

    In the end, Yuan decided to take a gamble and responded in a confident voice, "I''m with the Xi Family!" "The Xi Family!?" Liang Xiaosheng''s expression became filled with shock, his body frozen with fear.

    "My deepest apologies! This foolish one did not fathom Your Majesty''s affiliation with the venerable Xi Family!" Liang Xiaosheng immediately dropped to his knees and performed a series of kowtows.

    His reaction took Yuan by surprise.

    ''Does the Xi Family also have influence in the Nine Heavens?'' he wondered about the extent of their authority and where the Xi Family was located in the Nine Heavens.

 Chapter 1296 Acquiring the First Ancient Seal

    Chapter 1296 Acquiring the First Ancient Seal

    ''The Xi Family! Who could''ve foreseen that an individual from that esteemed lineage would descend to this realm?'' Liang Xiaosheng cried inwardly.

    The Xi Family resided exclusively in the Supreme Heaven, and they upied a preeminent position among the dragon race. Though they didn''t have a direct role in overseeing the Four Ancient Seals, one of the ns under their authority held that responsibility.

    ''If the Xi Family was forced to act, this issue with the traitor must be of significant magnitude.'' Liang Xiaosheng sighed inwardly before speaking, "I understand. If it''s the Xi Family, I will do everything in my power to assist you."

    He then retrieved his spatial ring and took out a metal box from within.

    The metal box looked ordinary at a nce, but it had severalyers of powerful formations protecting it. ''Level 6¡ª No! It''s at least a level 7 formation!''

    Yuan quickly understood that the formation was far more advanced than he had initially thought. It was not just a level 6 formation; it was at least level 7, if not higher. This realization meant that even if he had managed to take the metal box by force, he wouldn''t have been able to open it until he became a level 7 Array Master or higher.

    Yuan looked at Liang Xiaosheng and wondered if he was a level 7 Array Master.

    However, to Yuan''s surprise, Liang Xiaosheng took a different approach to unlocking the formation. Instead of using conventional methods, Liang Xiaosheng dripped several drops of his own blood onto the metal box. The metal box quickly absorbed his blood, causing the protective formation to unlock itself.

    Once all of the formations vanished, the metal box unfolded itself, revealing what appeared to be a metal piece of a puzzle inside. This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    "This is actually my first time seeing the Ancient Seal. What a unique appearance it has." Yuan muttered.

    "It is only a piece of the full key, after all." Liang Xiaosheng did not find anything weird with Yuan''sment since the Ancient Seals rarely leave their holders'' grasp.

    "Um¡­ Your Majesty, what is the Xi Family''s n regarding the traitor?" Liang Xiaosheng suddenly asked.

    "We still don''t know the identity of the traitor, and for all I know, it could be you." Yuan shrugged.

    "What?! No way! I swear upon my bloodline that I am not the traitor! I would never dare¡ªnot even in my dreams!" Liang Xiaosheng immediately dered.

    "Unfortunately, I don''t know that for sure. Therefore, the Xi Family has decided to retrieve all Ancient Seals for the time being until everything is sorted."

    "Retrieving all Ancient Seals¡­?"

    While Liang Xiaosheng understood the rationale behind the Xi Family''s decision, he couldn''t help but find it astonishing, as it marked the first time an event of this magnitude had urred.

    "And I''ll be honest with you." Yuan added, "There''s a good chance that the Xi Family will decide to change the Ancient Seal holders as well as a precaution." Liang Xiaosheng nodded, "That makes sense. I have been holding onto this Ancient Seal for over 20,000 years now. I thought I would be holding it until myst breath, but this is fine as well."

    "I shall entrust it to you and the Xi Family." Liang Xiaosheng offered the Ancient Seal to Yuan without any suspicion that he was being scammed.

    <Ancient Seal has been acquired>

    "Thank you." Yuan epted the Ancient Seal and stored it inside his Dragon Spatial Ring.

    "Now then, let''s talk about the other matter."

    "Huh? What other matter?" Liang Xiaosheng raised his eyebrows in a puzzled manner.

    "You forgot already? I''m talking about helping you improve your bloodline. Consider this as a gift for your assistance and because you didn''t make things difficult for both of us."

    "!!!" Liang Xiaosheng''s eyes widened with shock after hearing such words.

    "Are you serious, Your Majesty?! You''re willing to help improve my bloodline?!" he didn''t dare believe it.

    "Yes, but to be honest with you, I am not 100 percent certain my idea will work, so it will only be an attempt." Yuan had no idea if his n was feasible, but he wanted to give Liang Xiaosheng something in return for the Ancient Seal to ease his own guilt.

    "Then¡ª!"

    Liang Xiaosheng suddenly halted and closed his mouth with a pondering face.

    "Is something wrong?" Yuan asked.

    "No, but I have a request for Your Majesty. Instead of improving this unworthy one''s bloodline, can you help someone else? My granddaughter¡ª her talent and future are better than mine, after all."

    Yuan nodded, "I don''t mind."

    "Thank you, Your Majesty!" Liang Xiaosheng''s face immediately brightened with excitement.

    "She''s currently at her sect, but I''ll tell her to return immediately! In the meantime, please enjoy the feast we''ve prepared for you!" "I appreciate the feast, but I don''t like to be around people¡­"

    "That''s perfectly fine! We can bring the food here for you!"

    "If that''s the case¡­" Yuan nodded.

    Servants showed up shortly after to rece some furniture before filling the room with food and drinks.

    "Please enjoy yourself, Your Majesty. If you need anything, I will be waiting right outside this room." Liang Xiaosheng bowed before leaving the room since he knew that Yuan needed to take off his mask to consume the food.

    Once he was alone, Yuan removed his mask and began cleaning up the dishes.

    Meanwhile, Liang Xiaosheng contacted his son.

    "I want Liang Qinru toe back immediately."

    Liang Dishan had a look of disbelief on his face as he asked, "Father¡­ don''t tell me you''re trying to give her to the Dragon Emperor?"

    "You fool! Do you honestly think the Xi Family''s Dragon Emperor would take an interest in someone from a branch family? He''s way beyond our reach!" Liang Xiaosheng lectured him.

    "What?! He''s from the Xi Family?!" Liang Dishan eximed in shock after learning of this information.

    "If you understand the situation, hurry up and call her back! We cannot let him wait too long!" "I-I understand! I will immediately send someone to¡ª"

    "Go get her yourself!" Liang Xiaoshengmanded.

    Liang Dishan didn''t say anything else and immediately left the mansion.

 Chapter 1297 Spiritual Energy Outburst

    Chapter 1297 Spiritual Energy Outburst

    Sometime after Liang Dishan left the mansion, he arrived at the Heaven and Earth Grand Manor, a secluded sect with fewer than a thousand disciples.

    Despite their small number of disciples, the Heaven and Earth Grand Manor was an immense powerhouse within the Third Heaven. They were the most powerful sect and had the highest concentration of geniuses¡ª true geniuses that have the capability to fight those at a much higher cultivation than themselves.

    The Heaven and Earth Grand Manor also had a presence in the upper heavens, which granted them connections and resources far beyond what other sects could hope topare.

    All of the Sect Elders in the Heaven and Earth Grand Manor were Spirit Kings with many of them being at the peak of Spirit King.

    "Senior Liang, what can we do for you today?" The Sect Leader of the Heaven and Earth Grand Manor personally greeted Liang Dishan when he arrived.

    "Where''s my daughter? I need her to return home immediately," he said.

    The Sect Leader responded while shaking his head, "Unfortunately, Disciple Liang just entered closed cultivation. If we disturb her now, it might affect her cultivation."

    Typically, when an individual goes into secluded cultivation, they stand at the precipice of a breakthrough, requiring utmost tranquility and forbearance of interruptions, as even the slightest disruption could bring irreparable harm to them. However, to the Sect Leader''s shock, Liang Dishan said, "I don''t care. Bring her out. This is an emergency."

    Liang Qinru was the Liang Family''s priceless treasure. She had talents that hadn''t been seen in their family for over 100,000 years, so they poured all of their efforts and resources into her. The thought of damaging her talents and her future was simply unthinkable even if the chances of that happening were less than one percent, regardless of the emergency. This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    "Senior Liang, I don''t want to sound rude, but it would be imprudent to interrupt her at this point." The Sect Leader sighed.

    "I am well aware of the risks. However, this matter exceeds that. If you''re not going to bring her out, I will personally do it myself!" Liang Dishan eximed, his patience wearing thin.

    The Sect Leader sighed again, "I understand. I''ll go call her right now."

    Sometime after the Sect Leader left, the entire Heaven and Earth Grand Manor shook violently, almost as though it was hit by an earthquake. Furthermore, the atmosphere pulsated with an overwhelming reservoir of spiritual energy, an immense force that served as the true catalyst behind the earthquake.

    When Liang Dishan sensed the spiritual energy and recognized it as his daughter''s spiritual energy, he gritted his teeth and clenched fists, his face filled with dread.

    ''Qinru, I''m sorry!'' he cried inwardly.

    The urrence of a spiritual energy outburst in this manner typically signifies that someone''s profound breakthrough has been prematurely disrupted, so the chances of Liang Qinru''s breakthrough being interrupted were quite high.

    Liang Dishan''s worst nightmare came true when the Sect Leader returned to him with a paleplexion.

    "Where''s my daughter?" Liang Dishan asked with a deep frown.

    "She''s currently being treated for her injury. There''s no way you didn''t feel the disturbance just now. Because we interrupted her right before she had a breakthrough, she''s currently experiencing immense bacsh. If I hadn''t prepared for this possibility beforehand and treated her the instant it happened, her cultivation would''ve been crippled! This is why I didn''t want to disturb her!"

    Liang Dishan rubbed his eyes and asked, "How bad is it?"

    "Very bad¡ªworst case scenario. That spiritual energy outburst just now was more than half of her cultivation base, so she''s only a Spirit Lord now. It will take another 100 years for her to recover, and we still don''t know if her talents have been affected by this incident."

    "Heavens¡­" Liang Dishan felt his knees weakening after hearing such news.

    "Just what is this emergency, anyways?" The Sect Leader asked.

    Liang Dishan refused to answer such a question. After all, if it was revealed that he risked Liang Qinru''s cultivation in order for her to meet someone, his reputation would vanish instantly.

    After another hour, Liang Qinru''s treatment waspleted, and she was returned to Liang Dishan.

    At the sight of his daughter, her pale countenance and fragile demeanor sent Liang Dishan''s heart plummeting.

    "Q-Qinru! Are you okay?!" he asked her.

    "Do I appear fine to you!? You disturbed my breakthrough, causing me to forfeit half of my cultivation! Just why did youe here?!" she bellowed in fury.

    Liang Dishanpsed into silence, his response eluding him in the face of her anger.

    After a moment of silence, he muttered, "Let''s go. Your grandfather is waiting for our return."

    "No! I will not leave until you tell me what this emergency is!" Liang Qinru sternly refused.

    Liang Dishan didn''t say anything else and used his spiritual energy to carry her, forcing her to move. If Liang Qinru still had her original cultivation, he wouldn''t have been able to do such a thing.

    "I can''t believe you! Just wait until I tell Grandpa about this!" Liang Qinru was left baffled by his unreasonable treatment towards her, especially when he had always treated her like a princess. Sometimeter, once things calmed down a little, Liang Qinru asked again, "Father, what happened? Did something happen to the family?"

    "No, but something might if we don''t return immediately. We have an important guest, and you''re going to meet him."

    Liang Qinru''s jaw dropped after hearing this news.

    "You nearly cost me my life just so I could meet someone?! Are you out of your mind?!" she cried out loud.

    "He isn''t just someone. He''s a Dragon Emperor from the Xi Family!" he eximed.

    However, that didn''t quell Liang Qinru''s anger.

    "I don''t care if he''s a Dragon Emperor or from the Xi Family! How dare you sell me to another man?! And you are the one who''s always telling me to stay away from them!"

    "Nobody is trying to sell you! He just wants to meet you for some reason! But if he fancies you, it would greatly benefit our entire family and you! With his influence, he could easilypensate you for your injury today and more!"

    Because they were in such a hurry, Liang Xiaosheng forgot to tell Liang Dishan their reason for wanting Liang Qinru.

    "Are you listening to yourself?! If you aren''t trying to sell me, I don''t know what is!"

    ''This is why I didn''t want toe¡­'' Liang Dishan sighed inwardly.

 Chapter 1298 Liang Qinru

    Chapter 1298 Liang Qinru

    Eventually, Liang Dishan and Liang Qinru returned to their household.

    "What took you so long?!" Liang Xiaosheng yelled at them on sight the moment they returned.

    "Grandpa! Please help me! Father has gone crazy! Because of him, my breakthrough was disturbed and I experienced a spiritual energy outburst! My cultivation even dropped all the way to Spiirt Lord because of the outburst!" Liang Qinru immediately began begging for help.

    However, to her surprise, Liang Xiaosheng dismissed herints and said, "It''s just a mere spiritual energy outburst! Your cultivation will eventually recover! However, this opportunity is a once-in-a-lifetime event! Quickly,e with me!"

    Liang Qinru couldn''t believe what she was hearing. Her grandfather, who treasured her more than even her father and was known to move heaven and earth at her slightest request, was dismissive about the injustice she''d experienced. Seeing how she wasn''t moving, Liang Xiaosheng resolved to take matters into his own hands. He firmly seized her arm and proceeded to guide her away.

    As they approached the guest room that was upied by Yuan, Liang Xiaosheng warned her, "When you meet the Dragon Emperor, make sure you don''t say or do anything offensive, as that could literally cause the death of our entire family."

    As they approached the guest room that was upied by Yuan, Liang Xiaosheng warned her, "When you meet the Dragon Emperor, make sure you don''t say or do anything offensive, as that could literally cause the death of our entire family."

    "Is this Dragon Emperor really that important? I can''t believe you''re going to sell me to him," she sighed with a distressed look on her face.

    If her cultivation base hadn''t been harmed, she wouldn''t have to endure such humiliation. "What the hell are you talking about? Who said anything about selling you?" Liang Xiaosheng frowned.

    "Huh? Then why did you force me toe back? And why are you so desperate to let him see me if you''re not trying to sell me?"

    "You foolish girl! Do you have any idea what kind of power a Dragon Emperor possess? One from the Xi Family, no less! The Dragon Emperor is a benevolent and charitable person, and he agreed to help you improve your bloodline!" Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.

    "What? My bloodline?" Liang Qinru''s eyes widened with surprise.

    "He was originally going to help me, but I requested for him to help you instead. After all, you''re the most talented in our family with the brightest future."

    "B-But the spiritual energy outburst could''ve affected my talents!"

    "That kind of minor setback will be irrelevant once your bloodline improves! Even if it increases by a single grade, your talents will soar to unimaginable heights¡ª to levels that even if all of your talents are gone, it would still make you far stronger than before."

    Liang Qinru swallowed nervously after hearing such words that sounded quite exaggerated.

    Upon reaching their destination, Liang Xiaosheng issued one final caution, his voice weighted with concern. "Please, remember not to take any action that might incur his displeasure. If he makes any requests of you, simply acknowledge them with a nod."

    He then knocked on the door and announced, "Your Majesty, my granddaughter, Liang Qinru, has arrived. We apologize for the dy. Qinru needed treatment after expericing a spiritual energy outbreak because we disturbed her seclusion to rush her here, and she was in the midst of a breakthrough."

    ''Spiritual energy outbreak?'' Yuan raised an eyebrow after hearing this unfamiliar term.

    He wore his mask and opened the door a momentter.

    ''This is the Dragon Emperor¡­? Why is he wearing a mask?'' Liang Qinru wondered to herself.

    "Qinru greets Your Majesty," she said as she bowed her head in a respectful manner.

    "What happened to you?" Yuan inquired for more information.

    "I was in the middle of a breakthrough when my father came to get me. A spiritual energy outburst urred when I lost my concentration, and I ended up losing more than half of my cultivation base." Liang Qinru exined, hoping to gain some sympathy from him.

    "..."

    Sure enough, Yuan felt bad for her.

    "That is truly an unfortunate incident."

    Since it was entirely Liang Dishan and Liang Xiaosheng''s fault for rushing her return, Yuan didn''t feel guilty about her incident. However, he definitely pitied her.

    "Although I cannot return your lost cultivation, I can try to improve your bloodline. What do you say?"

    "My cultivation will eventually return, but improving my bloodline is a different story. If you could do such a thing for me, I would be forever grateful to Your Majesty." Liang Qinru raised her head, revealing her face to him.

    Yuan''s eyes widened when he saw Liang Qinru''s face, as she greatly resembled somebody that he knew.

    ''Dragon Goddess Yeyou?''

    Although she looked much younger, Liang Qinru resembled Dragon Goddess Yeyou. Of course, it could be a coincidence.

    Yuan contemted to himself, ''The other Azure Dragon Family possessed the scale of Dragon Goddess Yeyou, which contained a fragment of her memories.''

    With this revtion, the notion of a profound connection between the Azure Dragon Family and Dragon Goddess Yeyou seemed increasingly usible.

    "Your Majesty, may I inquire if something is bothering you?" Liang Xiaosheng asked when Yuan suddenly became silent.

    Yuan snapped out of his daze and said, "No, I was just thinking about the process."

    "Anyways, let''s get this started."

    "If there''s anything you need for the ritual, our family will cover all of it." Liang Xiaosheng then said.

    "Ritual? There''s no need for a ritual." Yuan shook his head.

    "Eh? Then how are you going to improve her bloodline?" Liang Xiaosheng was quite puzzled, as it usually required a ritual to improve one''s bloodline.

    "You''ll see in just a moment," Yuan gestured for them to enter the room behind him.

    Once they were all inside the room and closed it, Yuan picked up an empty cup from the table and began filling it with his blood.

    The grandfather and granddaughter duo watched with wide eyes.

    When the cup was nearly filled to the brim with his blood, Yuan offered it to Liang Qinru, who had a baffled look on her face.

    Noticing her hesitation, Yuan spoke with a chuckle, "Don''t worry, the cup is unused and clean."

 Chapter 1299 Cup of Blood

    Chapter 1299 Cup of Blood

    "Y-Your Majesty¡­ just to confirm, you want me to drink your blood¡­?" Liang Qinru asked him in a nervous voice.

    Anyone would be hesitant if they are suddenly told to drink a cup of blood, especially when the blood belonged to aplete stranger.

    "That''s right." Yuan nodded, confirming her worries.

    Liang Qinru swallowed nervously as she stared at the cup of blood in silence.

    "What are you waiting for? Hurry up and ept His Majesty''s generous offering!" Liang Xiaosheng urged her to ept the cup.

    And he said to her through divine sense, ''The blood of a Dragon Emperor is unfathomably pure! Our blood are no different than muddy water inparison! If you consume his blood, there''s a really good chance that your bloodline will improve! Even if it doesn''t, his blood will definitely benefit you in many other ways!''

    ''If I can get rid of him just by drinking some blood, then¡­'' Liang Qinru thought to herself.

    "Thank you, Your Majesty."

    After resolving herself, Liang Qinru epted the cup of blood and held it against her soft lips.

    A deep breathter, Liang Qinru tilted the cup and swallowed a mouthful of the blood.

    "??!?!?!?!?!?!?"

    Liang Qinru, who had her eyes closed, suddenly snapped them open, her pupils dted with shock.

    Liang Xiaosheng noticed the look on her face and wondered what caused her to make such a surprised face.

    ''What in heavens'' name is this vor? Why is it so delicious?'' Liang Qinru eximed within her thoughts, her senses overwhelmed by the unprecedented gustatory delight. It was as if she had never experienced anything so delectable, akin to a starved soul savoring the most sumptuous of feasts for the very first time.

    And without any hesitation, she went for another mouthful.

    In the following moment, her body visibly trembled under the onught of the intense sensation coursing through her mouth and throat.

    After swallowing her third mouthful of blood, Liang Qinru could feel her entire being burning up, almost as though her blood was boiling. Though, she was too absorbed in the taste of Yuan''s blood to notice the change in her body.

    However, as an observer, Liang Xiaosheng noticed herplexion turning red, looking as though she was getting extremely drunk, not to mention her europhic look.

    It was only when she inevitably emptied the cup that Liang Qinru snapped back into sense.

    ng~!

    Liang Qinru suddenly dropped the cup in her hands and fell to her knees.

    "What is happening?! My body is burning! My breath¡ª I can''t breathe!" Liang QInru began panicking.

    "Calm yourself," Yuan said. "That sensation is simply your bloodline undergoing a profound transformation."

    After all, he had experienced the same sensation during his bloodline''s awakening.

    Upon hearing his words, Liang Qinru''s panic subsided, and she gradually realized that, despite the fiery sensation coursing through her body, she was not in any actual pain but rather experiencing only mild difort.

    "What are you doing?! Hurry up and cultivate!" Liang Xiaosheng suddenly reminded her.

    Liang Qinru immediately positioned herself in the lotus position and began cultivating. However, she wasn''t cultivating to increase her cultivation. Instead, she was focused on the change urring within her body and trying to maximize its effects.

    Yuan then said, "This will probably take a while. Let''s go outside to avoid disturbing her."

    After exiting the room, Liang Xiaosheng immediately lowered his head and bowed to Yuan, "Thank you, Your Majesty¡­ Words cannot express my gratitude to you, so if you need¡ª"

    Yuan raised a hand and interrupted, "Don''t worry about it. And seeing how everything worked out properly, I shall take my leave now."

    "Huh? You''re leaving already? But Qinru still hasn''t thanked you yet! I''m sure she''ll finish soon, too!"

    "Unfortunately, I still have a lot of work to do. Tell her to save her gratitude until our next meeting. I''m sure we''ll meet again, too." Yuan said, refusing to stay there any longer.

    Liang Xiaosheng wanted Yuan to stay a little longer, but he also didn''t want to be too bothersome, so he had no choice but to nod his head.

    "Then at least let me show you the way out."

    Yuan shook his head and said, "Someone needs to stay here to make sure she''s not disturbed. We wouldn''t want another spiritual energy outburst to happen to her, right? Then I''ll take my leave now."

    Without letting Liang Xiaosheng say another word, Yuan turned around and walked away, quickly disappearing from Liang Xiaosheng''s sight.

    Liang Xiaosheng made sure to bow to Yuan as he walked away¡ªstaying that way even long after he was gone.

    Liang Qinru would note out of the room for many hours, nine hours to be exact. Liang Xiaosheng guarded her room the entire time, making sure nobody could disturb her.

    After emerging from the room, Liang Qinru''s foremost desire was to express her heartfelt gratitude to the Dragon Emperor. However, to her dismay, she was told that he had left long ago.

    "His Majesty departed shortly after youmenced your cultivation," Liang Xiaosheng ryed. "He also instructed me to convey a message to you: save your gratitude until your next meeting."

    "Our next meeting¡­?" Liang Qinru muttered, her face suddenly turning red. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.

    "Anyways, how do you feel?" Liang Xiaosheng inquired about her condition a momentter.

    Liang Qinru clenched her fists and muttered, "My body is overflowing with strength even though my cultivation hasn''t recovered a bit. I don''t know how much my bloodline has improved, but I can say with certainty that I am currently stronger than I was before my spiritual energy outburst despite having a lower cultivation."

    "T-That powerful?" Liang Xiaosheng swallowed nervously after hearing such outrageous ims.

    "In fact, I can still feel my bloodline getting stronger as we speak. This is simply iprehensible¡­" Liang Qinru sighed, feeling a sense of awe.

    She looked at Liang Xiaosheng and asked, "By the way, His Majesty¡ªwhat was his name?"

    "Huh?" Liang Xiaosheng made a weird face upon hearing her question, as it made him realize that he never asked for a name.

 Chapter 1300 Partaking in the Exile Recruitment

    Chapter 1300 Partaking in the Exile Recruitment

    "You don''t know his name?! I can''t believe you''d make such an embarrassing mistake, Grandpa!" Liang Qinru was livid after learning of this information.

    "What¡ª! Is there really a need to know his name?! We know he''s a Dragon Emperor from the Xi Family, isn''t that good enough? How many Dragon Emperors do you think exist in the Nine Heavens, much less from the Xi Family?" Liang Xiaosheng defended himself.

    "That''s¡­" Liang Qinru couldn''t argue with his logic.

    "Anyways, let''s get your bloodline tested. If it''s good enough, I''ll immediately contact the main branch and see if they will be willing to ept your transfer."

    "Okay¡­" Liang Qinru hoped that her bloodline had reached the main branch''s standards, as that would allow her to move to the upper heavens, where she could meet the Dragon Emperor again.

    Meanwhile, after leaving the Azure Dragon Family''s territory, Yuan flew straight toward the nearest city, where he logged off upon arrival. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.

    After logging off, Yuan went to find Meifeng, who was just finishing up her daily cleaning.

    "I need some help regarding the Ten Great Families. Do you know where their recruitment is being held?" Yuan asked, as he decided to deal with them before ascending to the Fourth Heaven.

    "As far as I am aware, one needs to contact them by phone and answer some questions before they are given the location," Meifeng said.

    "To root out those without an Exile, huh," Yuan mumbled to himself.

    "Would you like to me give them a call?" Meifeng then asked.

    "I will call them myself since they''ll most likely be asking questions only those with an Exile could answer."

    "I understand. Give me a minute."

    After receiving the recruitment''s phone number, Yuan immediately gave them a call.

    "Hello, thank you for contacting us. Before we begin the recruitment, please answer this question: What is an Exile?" The person on the other side of the phone asked Yuan.

    To filter out yers who might attempt to contact them without possessing an Exile, the recruitment process incorporated a straightforward question, serving as a method to identify and discern such individuals.

    Certainly, the answer could be obtained by individuals without an Exile, but the effectiveness was enough for the recruitment.

    "Exiles are criminals that had been banished to the Primordial Realm."

    "Thank you. My name is David, and I will be your recruiter for today. We will now begin the recruitment process. To start things off, where are you currently located in Cultivation Online? Just the realm is enough."

    "I''m currently in the Third Heaven."

    "Perfect. Then what is your cultivation?"

    Yuan had to ponder for a few seconds before responding, "Ninth-level Spirit Grandmaster."

    "My! So you''re a top yer?" David uttered in surprise.

    ''The top yers are only Spirit Grandmasters?'' Yuan sighed inwardly as the realization dawned upon him that the top yers were merely Spirit Grandmasters.

    Being a yer with minimal interaction with the broader yer base, Yuan''s understanding of their world was essentially zero.

    "I-It''s all thanks to my Exile," Yuan said a momentter.

    "Of course! The difference between yers with an Exile and those without is akin to heaven and earth!" David was fully convinced that Yuan had an Exile by his side now.

    "Let''s move on to the next question, and please be as detailed as possible when answering the next few questions. Where and when did you meet your Exile? "

    In addition to recruitment, the Ten Great Families also took this opportunity to learn more about Exiles in hopes of finding more of them.

    After pondering for a moment, Yuan calmly answered, "I met my Exile about half a year ago near South Wing City in Second Heaven."

    "How did you meet?"

    "She found me when I was lost."

    "What condition did you have to meet before being epted by the Exile?"

    ''Condition?'' Yuan raised an eyebrow at this question, as he doesn''t recall fulfilling any condition.

    Eventually, he made a guess and said, "I had to entertain her."

    "Can you be a little more specific? What kind of entertainment?"

    "She was bored, so I hunted some magical beasts for her."

    Contemting these questions, Yuan found himself pondering how other yers encountered their Exiles and whether they had undergone specific quests to secure approval. After all, it seemed inconceivable that any Exile would willingly ept a weak yer as their Master, considering the potential impact on the fulfillment of their legacy.

    "What grade is your Exile?" David then asked.

    Yuan contemted for a moment whether he should answer properly, but considering how much he''d overestimated the yers before, he eventually decided to give a fake answer.

    ''What was before Divine-grade, again?'' "She''s a Lord-grade servant," Yuan answered.

    "Wow! Lord-grade! Your Exile must be exceptionally powerful!" David expressed his awe so clearly it could be visualized through the phone.

    "Umm¡­ Out of curiosity, what grades are the other Exiles?" Yuan asked.

    "They are mostly Elite-grade. Out of the dozens of yers we have recruited, you''re the third one to have a Lord-grade Exile."

    Such sensitive information is typically kept a secret, but David wanted to recruit Yuan no matter what after learning that his Exile was Lord-grade.

    "I-I see¡­"

    Yuan expected most Exiles to be Lord-grade if not Divine-grade like Xiao Hua, so he was greatly surprised to hear that most of them were only Elite-grade.

    ''How could there be such a huge difference? What determines their grades? Their strength, or their potential?''

    David continued asking questions shortly after.

    "What is your yer ID?"

    "Xiao Yang."

    "Is that your real name as well?"

    "Yes."

    Eventually.

    "Thank you for taking the time to answer our questions. This marks the end of the first part of the recruitment. For the next part of the recruitment, you will need to show up at a specific location in Cultivation Online with your Exile, where another yer with an Exile will confirm the identity of your Exile. Will you be able to make it there right now? It''s located at Enchanted Bamboo Forest near Yolk City."

    "I can make my way there now."

    "Great! Please call this number when you''ve arrived." David said before giving him another phone number.

 Chapter 1301 Majestic Pill Pavilion

    Chapter 1301 Majestic Pill Pavilion

    After hanging up the phone, Yuan sat there in silence and pondered how he should act ordingly.

    Since he had an Exile, there wasn''t any need to worry about failing the recruitment. However, his face is quite renowned after his announcement half a year ago so most yers out there have probably memorized his face by now.

    ''I could go to the recruitment wearing a mask, but that''d be a little suspicious. Even if I transformed myself, there''s a decent chance that I''d be recognized.''

    Suddenly, Yuan recalled the existence of a certain pill that could change his outer appearance and decided to disguise himself for his recruitment.

    Now that he''s dealt with his problem, he has to worry about Xiao Hua. Even without much knowledge of the other Exiles, he would be willing to bet his life that Xiao Hua was unique and that not many other Exiles were as small and young as her.

    He was also pretty sure that Xiong Lu had warned the others of Xiao Hua, who killed Zhaohui, so they would all be alerted the moment they saw her.

    ''Can the pills also make her taller?'' Yuan wondered inwardly, as he was only aware of the pill''s capability to alter one''s facial features.

    In the end, not wanting to overthink it, he decided to think about Xiao Hua''s disguise after getting his hands on some appearance-altering pills.

    Normally, he''d go to Feng Yuxiang for such an issue, but because of her condition, he would have to find other ways to acquire the pills.

    After returning to Cultivation Online, Yuan immediately went around asking people about stores that sold pills.

    "The Majestic Pill Pavilion will have all of your pill needs. There''s a small branch in this city, but if you''re willing to make the trip, there''s a major store in the Western Owl City that will sell almost all pills one can imagine." "Can I travel to the Western Owl City through the teleportation device?" Yuan asked.

    "Of course, but it''ll cost you a good amount."

    "Thank you."

    Yuan decided to check out the branch store first.

    The branch store was smaller than Yuan had envisioned. The interior was barelyrge enough to fit a dozen people inside at once, and there was only one person working at the desk.

    "Wee to the Majestic Pill Pavilion. How can I help you?" The worker there asked when Yuan approached the desk. N?velDrama.Org content rights.

    "Do you have any pills that can change one''s appearance?"

    "Appearance Altering Pills, huh? They are quite rare, so we don''t carry any here. If you want to buy them, you''ll have to go to the main branch at Western Owl City."

    In the end, Yuan had to travel to the Western Owl City. Half an hourter, Yuan arrived at Western Owl City and the Majestic Pill Pavilion.

    "This ce is ridiculously huge!" Yuan was baffled at the sight of the colossal building that spanned an entire block and towered with 40 floors. The ce looked more like a royalty''s apartment building than a store.

    Having seldom relied on pills in his journey, Yuan possessed limited knowledge when it came to the intricacies of the pill market.

    In the world of cultivation, pills stand as an indispensable resource for both cultivators and mortals alike. Whether sought for medicinal purposes or to enhance one''s cultivation, pills often take precedence over treasures due to their abundance and effectiveness.

    Yuan entered the building shortly after.

    The first floor consisted mostly of reception desks and information boards for the other floors.

    "Thank you for waiting. Here is your order, Senior Huang." The worker handed a box of pills to the customer.

    On the first floor, ordinary customers could order pills and pick them up at ater date. If one wanted a specific pill, they could find them at the information board, where hundreds of jade slips could be found hanging.

    Each jade slip contained information regarding all of the avable pills in the store and which floor they could be found on.

    After looking through the jade slip, Yuan found the Appearance Altering Pills on the 7th floor. However, something else intrigued him.

    On the 35th to the 37th floor, there were alchemy sses being taught.

    The 35th floor is meant for beginners with less than 10 years of experience.

    The 36th floor is meant for intermediate alchemists with less than 100 years of experience.

    Last but not least, advanced alchemists with over 100 years of experience go to the 37th floor.

    Surprisingly, these alchemy sses were free, so Yuan could enter without paying a single coin. However, the sses are taught only once a month.

    ''Oh? There are sses in session today on the 35th floor.'' Yuan pondered taking a peek inside briefly after he finished with his shopping.

    Sometimeter, he arrived on the 7th floor, and he immediately walked to the nearest empty desk.

    "Hello, what kind of pills are you looking to buy today?" The worker, a handsome young man, greeted him with a bright smile.

    "Appearance Altering Pills."

    "Certainly! They are currently 25 spirit stones each. How many would you like to purchase?"

    ''100 spirit stones?! That''s 100,000 gold coins for a single pill!'' Yuan cried inwardly after hearing the price.

    Fortunately, he was pretty rich.

    "I''ll take two."

    Despite his immense wealth, Yuan only bought what was necessary.

    "Oh, can these pills alter one''s height?" He then asked.

    "Unfortunately, they can only alter your facial features. Only the Grand Appearance Altering Pills can achieve full-body alteration. Those are 1,000 spirit stones each, but even Cultivators at Spirit Enlightenment won''t be able to see through your disguise."

    Yuan''s eyes widened at the price, and he asked, "What about the Appearance Altering Pills? Who will be able to tell the difference?"

    "They will work against Spirit Lords at best, but even then, if someone is experienced with disguises, they would be able to tell even if they are only a Spirit Grandmaster." The worker exined.

    The Exiles at the recruitment will mostly be Spirit Kings, so that would render the ordinary Appearance Altering Pills pointless.

    "Okay, I''ll take two Grand Appearance Altering Pills instead." Yuan handed over 2,000 spirit stones.

    "Thank you! I will bring them to you right away!" The young man said before disappearing into one of many back rooms on that floor.

 Chapter 1302 Alchemy Flames

    Chapter 1302 Alchemy mes

    The young man returned with a small wooden box a few minutester.

    He opened it before Yuan to show the two red pills resting inside.

    "Please confirm the product."

    [Grand Appearance Altering Pill] [Tier 4] [Purity: 81%]

    [Effects: Alters one''s appearance. Willst for 6 hours.]

    [Description: A Spiritual Pill concocted by Pill Expert Chen Cheng.]

    [Limit: Once every 6 hours]

    [Grand Appearance Altering Pill] [Tier 4] [Purity: 87%]

    [Effects: Alters one''s appearance. Willst for 6 hours.]

    [Description: A Spiritual Pill concocted by Pill Expert Huang Li.]

    [Limit: Once every 6 hours]

    "I have confirmed it," Yuan said as he epted the wooden box, tossing it inside his spatial ring.

    "Is there anything else that I can help you with?"

    "No, this is all. Thank you." Yuan walked away, making his way to the 35th floor to take a glimpse of their ss.

    Upon arriving at the 35th floor, Yuan was greeted by arge door with two Spirit Lord guards.

    "I''d like to experience the alchemy ss," Yuan said to the guards as he approached them.

    The guards silently inspected him for a moment before nodding their heads.

    Yuan opened the door and entered the massive room.

    The room''s interior, devoid of decorations and furniture for space efficiency, housed over five hundred people at a nce. They sat in silence, attentively observing a middle-aged woman on a tform at the room''s end as she skillfully concocted pills.

    Yuan took a seat at an empty spot and used his divine sense to take a closer look at the concoction. Since he watched Wang Xiuying concoct pills before, he understood the basics and the middle-aged woman''s current progression.

    ''Since she''s still melting the ingredients, she must''ve just started.''

    Three hourster.

    ''She''s still melting the ingredients? It took Wang Xiuying only an hour to finish.'' Yuan wondered if the pill being created was much more powerful than the tier 2 pill Wang Xiuying had concocted.

    Eventually, after waiting four whole hours, the Alchemist on the stage intensified the strength of her alchemy mes, causing it to dance vigorously. Several more minutester, the Alchemist opened the caldron, releasing a cloud of dark smoke and revealing thepleted pill.

    [Spirit Recovery Pill] [Tier 1] [Purity: 91%]

    [Effects: Restores spiritual energy. The effectiveness will significantly decrease for Cultivators above Spirit Master.]

    [Description: A Spiritual Pill concocted by Pill Expert Ming Ye.]

    [Limit: Once every hour]

    ''It''s only a tier 1 pill? Even the purity is worst than the tier 2 pill concocted by Wang Xiuying.'' Yuan shook his head inwardly.

    ''Does this mean Wang Xiuying was already more skillful than this Pill Expert half a year ago? This Pill Expert is a Spirit Lord, too.''

    While Yuan was disappointed by the results, the rest of the audience there were filled with awe and cheered like fans during a concert.

    "I hope you all paid attention to my demonstration just now. If you have a cauldron and would like to try to concoct the pill yourself, we have the ingredients over there. I will be going around to instruct you as well." The middle-aged woman said.

    Hearing this, multiple people there brought out their cauldron.

    Yuan wanted to try concocting a pill, but he did not have any alchemy mes.

    ''I still have the cauldron I bought with Wang Xiuying, but I don''t have the alchemy mes needed to concoct pills. If I really want to, this store sells alchemy mes on the 38th and 39th floors¡­''

    After pondering for a moment, Yuan left the 35th floor and made his way to the 38th floor.

    "Hello, are you looking to purchase alchemy mes?" A pretty young woman beckoned him when she noticed him looking around.

    Yuan nodded as he approached the young woman.

    "Do you have any alchemy mes meant for beginners?" he asked.

    "Of course. What type of alchemy mes are you looking for?"

    "How many types are out there? Sorry, I''m really new to this." "Don''t worry about it, we''ve all been there." The young woman chuckled, and she continued, "Anyways, there are 3 main types of alchemy mes¡ªSpirit, Tranquil, and Neutral."

    "Spirit-type Alchemy mes are fierce and vicious in nature. They are extremely powerful and require minimal spiritual energy to maximize their strength, making them the most powerful type of Alchemy mes. However, because of their viciousness, they are also extremely hard to control, so only those with peak talents or vast experience would use this type of mes."

    "Meanwhile, Tranquil-type Alchemy mes are theplete opposite of Spirit-type. They are calm and gentle in nature, so they will be much easier to control. Unfortunately, they are not as powerful as Spirit-types and will require much more spiritual energy than Spirit-types to achieve the same results. This is the most popr type of mes for beginners, but most of them quickly change to the other types after gaining some experience."

    "Last but certainly not least, we have Neutral-type, also known as ordinary Alchemy mes. Just as its name implies, they have a neutral nature. They are neither calm nor vicious, ced right between Spirit-type and Tranquil-type with a perfect bnce of power and control. Most experienced Alchemists favor this type. In fact, the vast majority of Alchemists use this type of me."

    Yuan pondered for a moment before deciding, "I''ll choose Tranquil-type."

    Since he has an immense supply of spiritual energy, he won''t have to worry about the inefficiency of such mes, and as a beginner, he should use something easy to manage.

    "I understand. Here is a list of all avable Tranquil-type Alchemy mes for sale. The first 3 pages are meant for beginners so you don''t have to look past that." The young woman handed him a thin book with about 5 pages.

    Yuan nodded and started looking through the book. Although 3 pages sounded a lot at first, once he looked at the book, there were only 6 names per page. However, when he saw the prices for these beginner''s Alchemy mes, his eyes nearly fell out of their sockets.

    [1] Nameless Tranquil mes (10,000,000 spirit stones)

    [2] Azure Jade (370,000,000 spirit stones)

    [3] Soothing Heavens (450,000,000 spirit stones)

    [4] Blue Fate (490,500,000 spirit stones)

    [5] Royal Sea (585,000,000 spirit stones)

    [6] Perfect Silver (700,000,000 spirit stones)

    ''Holy fuck! Why the hell are they so expensive?!?!'' he cried inwardly.N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.

 Chapter 1303 Creating Alchemy Flames

    Chapter 1303 Creating Alchemy mes

    The prices for the alchemy mes were so outrageously expensive that Yuan doubted if his eyes were working properly.

    ''Am I seeing this right? One, two, three¡­ nine digits?! Why the hell do these alchemy mes cost so much?!'' Yuan had to count the digits two times before he could believe what he was seeing.

    After confirming the prices, Yuan noticed the other information written beside each alchemy me.

    [2] Azure Jade (370,000,000 spirit stones)

    [Description: Discovered and named by ''Pill Demoness'' Lee Hua 3,000,000 years ago.]

    [Effects: Pills concocted with Azure Jade will automatically gain a 30% increased effect. Recovery Pills will gain an additional 10% increased effect.]

    [3] Soothing Heavens (450,000,000 spirit stones)

    [Description: Discovered and named by ''Heavenly Soldier'' Bai Long 900,000 years ago.]

    [Effects: Pills concocted with Soothing Heavens will automatically gain a 35% increased effect. Strengthening Pills will also gain an additional 1% purity.]

    [4] Blue Fate (490,500,000 spirit stones)

    [Description: Discovered and named by ''Ice Fairy'' Wu Ying 5,000,000 years ago.]

    [Effects: Pills concocted with Blue Fate will automatically gain a 35% increased effect. All pills have a 5% chance of gaining an additional 15% increased effect.]

    [5] Royal Sea (585,000,000 spirit stones)

    [Description: Discovered and named by ''Princess of the Sea'' Liu Hai 11,000,000 years ago.]

    [Effects: Pills concocted with Blue Fate will automatically gain a 40% increased effect. When concocting pills near the sea, gain an additional 2% purity.]

    [6] Perfect Silver (700,000,000 spirit stones)

    [Description: Discovered and named by ''Silver Emperor'' Jin Bojing 7,000,000 years ago.]

    [Effects: Pills concocted with Perfect Silver will automatically gain a 40% increased effect. There is a 1% chance to duplicate allpleted pills.]

    As Yuan read the additional effects granted by the alchemy mes, he started to understand why they are so astronomically expensive.

    When the young woman saw Yuan''s surprised expression, she couldn''t help but let out a chuckle, "Named alchemy mes are very expensive due to their scarcity." "How does one ''discover'' named alchemy mes?" Yuan then asked.

    "Named alchemy mes are simply special alchemy mes with unique properties. They can be found anywhere in the world, and when they are discovered for the first time, the individual who discovered it may give it a name."

    "Are named alchemy mes one-of-a-kind?"

    "Certainly not. Most named alchemy mes have identical duplicates. In fact, the ones we have for sale at the moment exist elsewhere. However, certain alchemy mes are considered one-of-a-kind, as only one has ever been discovered to this day. If I recall correctly, there are exactly ten one-of-a-kind named alchemy mes in existence at the moment."

    Yuan pondered for a moment before asking, "If I were to acquire nameless alchemy mes today, would it be difficult to change it in the future?" This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    "No, but you will need to learn how to control your new mes from scratch. Some experts also carry more than a single type of alchemy me."

    After learning all of this information about alchemy mes, Yuan pondered if he should spend 10 million spirit stones just to try out alchemy.

    ''While I have plenty of wealth after looting the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb, it''s not as though I have any spirit stones on me since I still need to sell the treasures.'' He had nned on selling the Ancient-grade treasures he took from the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb in the Fourth Heaven since there is more wealth in that cepared to the Third Heaven.

    "Besides buying them, are there any other methods to acquiring alchemy mes?" Yuan suddenly asked.

    "Of course. Most nameless alchemy mes are not found in the wild but created by Alchemists, you know."

    "Eh? Really?"

    The young woman nodded and said, "If you want to try creating your own alchemy mes, we can sell you the method to do so. It''ll only cost 100 spirit stones."

    "Huh? Why is it so cheap?" Yuan was surprised when he heard about the low price.

    "While this method is public information, it''s not something you can learn by going around asking people. Also, not everyone has the capability to create their own alchemy mes. Only one in a hundred thousand people have such talent."

    "I''d like to purchase the method." Yuan decided a momentter.

    "Okay, give me a second." The young woman reached underneath her desk and retrieved a thin book.

    She handed it to him after being paid 100 spirit stones.

    "We have seclusion rooms on the 20th floor if you wish to use them." The young woman said afterward.

    "By the way, how long does it usually take to create alchemy mes?" Yuan asked.

    "If you have the talent, it won''t take more than several minutes."

    "I see¡­ thank you for all the help."

    Yuan made his way to the 20th floor shortly after.

    Upon arriving, he was greeted by several hallways with multiple closed doors in each hallway.

    "Are you looking to use a room?" A worker there approached Yuan a momentter.

    "Yes."

    "That will be 5 spirit stones for 30 minutes with a limit of 2 hours per person. How long do you intend on staying?"

    "30 minutes should be enough."

    "I understand. Please, follow me."

    The worker proceeded to lead Yuan to one of the avable rooms.

    After paying 5 spirit stones, Yuan entered the room.

    The second the door closed, a timer appeared on the nk wall.

    [29:59]

    Yuan didn''t waste any time and immediately started studying the book.

    After memorizing the entire content in less than a minute, Yuan closed his eyes and began following the instructions on creating his own alchemy me.

    ''Alchemly mes are essentially highly condensed spiritual energy. Just like air, whenpressed enough, their temperature rises. However, that is just the basic logic behind it. Actual alchemy mes are on apletely different level.''

    As he sat on the floor in the lotus position, Yuan positioned his hands to face each other with a few inches between them, almost like he was preparing to p them. Within a few seconds, Yuan sensed a warm sensation enveloping his palms. This warmth steadily intensified until, eventually, a small ball of me materialized between his hands.

 Chapter 1304 Yuans Alchemy Flame

    Chapter 1304 Yuan''s Alchemy me

    The tiny ball of me materialized by Yuan was a beautiful golden color, but it was so small that even the weakest wind could blow it out of existence. Fortunately, the alchemy me was only halfpleted, so there was still more work to be done.

    As Yuan continued topress his spiritual energy and add it to the existing me, the golden alchemy me gradually grewrger andrger.

    Over time, the alchemy me expanded, growing to a sizeparable to that of an apple.

    Ding!

    A familiar sound resounded inside Yuan''s head, causing him to open his eyes.

    <You have sessfully created ''Nameless Alchemy mes''>

    <You have learned Summon Alchemy mes>

    <You have acquired the title ''Alchemy Expert'' from sessfully creating alchemy mes for the first time>

    [Alchemy Expert]

    [Description: All pills concocted by the user will have an increased 10% effect]

    [Summon Alchemy me]

    [Rank: Heaven]

    [Mastery Level: 1]

    [Description: Allows the user to materialize alchemy mes. Consumes Qi every second.]

    [Nameless Alchemy me]

    [Grade: Tier 1]

    [Growth Rate: Very Fast]

    [Effects: N/A]

    [Description: Created by yer Yuan]

    Yuan stoppedpressing his spiritual energy after seeing that he''d sessfully created his alchemy mes.

    At a nce, his alchemy me seemed ordinary, but Yuan noticed that his alchemy me had a ''Growth Rate'' that also existed in his Soul Weapons. This indicated that his alchemy me would very likely grow stronger the more he used it.

    However, even though he acquired his own alchemy mes, he did not have any techniques to control the me, as that was a different thing entirely. Yuan pondered for a moment before he recalled a certain technique that he''d learned near the beginning of his journey.

    [Heavenly Fire Control]

    [Rank: Mortal]

    [Mastery Level: 1]

    [Description: Consumes 10 Qi per second. Allows you to control and adjust the temperatures of regr fire with your spiritual energy.]

    It was a technique he had purchased along with two other cooking skills, yet until today, he had never found an opportunity to put it into practice.

    ''But can I use a technique meant for controlling regr fire to control alchemy mes?'' Yuan wondered as he read the description.

    Since it wouldn''t hurt to try, that was exactly what he did the following moment.

    [Summon Alchemy mes] [Heavenly Fire Control]

    After summoning his alchemy me, he attempted to control it using Heavenly Fire Control.

    It seemed pointless at first when the alchemy mes refused to budge, but Yuan did not stop trying, as he was receiving more notifications.

    <Yourprehension of Heavenly Fire Control has increased slightly>

    <Yourprehension of Heavenly Fire Control has increased slightly>

    <Yourprehension of Heavenly Fire Control has increased slightly>

    Eventually, Yuan could move his alchemy me using Heavenly Fire Control.

    <Yourprehension of Heavenly Fire Control has increased significantly from sessfully controlling alchemy mes>

    <Heavenly Fire Control Mastery Level (1) ¡ú (2)> This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    Once his Mastery Level increased, Yuan found it possible to control his alchemy me, but it was only barely enough to make it move left and right a few inches.

    <Yourprehension of Heavenly Fire Control has increased significantly>

    As Yuan continued using the technique, hisprehension grew rapidly, and his control over the alchemy me got better and better. <Yourprehension of Heavenly Fire Control has increased significantly>

    <Heavenly Fire Control Mastery Level (2) ¡ú (3)>

    <Yourprehension of Heavenly Fire Control has increased significantly>

    <Heavenly Fire Control Mastery Level (3) ¡ú (4)>

    <Yourprehension of Heavenly Fire Control has increased significantly>

    Possibly due to Heavenly Fire Control being a Mortal-rank technique and Yuan using it on something as profound as alchemy mes, its Mastery Level surged dramatically.

    <Heavenly Fire Control Mastery Level (9) ¡ú (MAX)>

    Within minutes of using the technique, Yuan maxed out its Mastery Level, and his control over the alchemy mes reached the point where he could raise or lower its temperature and transform its shape at will.

    "This should be good enough to concoct pills," Yuan muttered to himself before leaving the room and making his way back to the 35th floor.

    Once he returned to the room, he approached the middle-aged woman, who was currently lecturing another individual.

    "What do you want?" she looked at him after finishing her business with the other individual.

    "I''d like to try concocting pills as well," he said.

    The Alchemist proceeded to point at the ingredients by the wall and said, "Go help yourself."

    "Thank you."

    After receiving permission, Yuan went to grab some of the ingredients. Fortunately for him, who didn''t know the proper ratio of ingredients, there were instructions avable by the ingredients.

    ''Three pieces of Spirit Herb, a gram of Ginseng Powder, three grams of Spirit Dust, and a tablespoon of Echinacea Powder.''

    After gathering all of the ingredients listed, Yuan went to an empty space in the room and summoned his cauldron.

    He sat before it and closed his eyes to recall not the performance done by the middle-aged woman but what he saw from Wang Xiuying''s performance.

    Once he was satisfied, Yuan took a deep breath and summoned his alchemy me, engulfing the bottom half of the cauldron in his golden mes.

    When Yuan summoned his alchemy me, the surrounding onlookers couldn''t help but divert their attention toward his distinctive golden me. In contrast to the usual colors, Yuan''s alchemy me gleamed in bright gold, leading them to specte that he possessed a named alchemy me.

    "Look at that! Such powerful mes! He must possess named alchemy mes!"

    "What kind of alchemy me is that? Does anyone know?"

    "I only know of two other golden-colored named alchemy mes, but even they are not as beautiful and colorful as this!"

    Themotion in the room caught the attention of the middle-aged woman, and upon spotting Yuan''s me, she abruptly halted her activities. Intrigued, she made her way toward him, eager to inspect his alchemy me up close.

    ''What kind of alchemy me is this? I have never seen such a bold color before¡­'' she had a deep frown on her face as she pondered.

 Chapter 1305 Damaged Pill

    Chapter 1305 Damaged Pill

    ''Could this be the Tier 7 named alchemy me ''Golden Lion''s Pride''? No, the color is slightly different, and there''s no way a beginner would be using a Tier 7 alchemy me.'' The middle-aged woman was perplexed by Yuan''s alchemy me.

    The reason she and everyone there mistook Yuan''s nameless alchemy me for a named alchemy me was because of its vibrant and unique color.

    All nameless alchemy mes had the same color with slight variation depending on its type. Nameless Spirit-type alchemy mes have an orange-red color. Nameless Tranquil-type alchemy mes have a light seafoam color. As for nameless Neutral-type alchemy mes, they were simply greyish in color. Any color distinct from the threemon colors likely indicated a named alchemy me, and Yuan''s golden mes did not align with the characteristics of the nameless varieties.

    While everyone in the room was fixated on his alchemy me, Yuan was focused on his pill concoction.

    Once his cauldron was hot enough, he tossed all of the ingredients into it and closed the lid.

    Utilizing his divine sense, Yuan could perceive every minute detail transpiring within the cauldron, even with its lid closed.

    As his alchemy me zed fervently, the ingredients within the cauldron swiftly melted, almost too quickly.

    ''It hasn''t even been ten minutes and he''s already melted all of the ingredients? If he melts the ingredients too quickly, their quality will degrade, and the pill wille out damaged!'' The middle-aged woman shook her head inwardly at Yuan''s beginner''s mistake.

    Although it was possible to speed up the melting process, it would require immense talent and experience to ensure that none of the ingredients were damaged in the process. However, anyone could tell that Yuan was aplete newbie at alchemy, as he was simply just zing through the melting process with raw power.

    Having melted the ingredients, Yuan promptly proceeded to the subsequent step¡ªcrafting its distinctive round shape while simultaneously solidifying the substance by lowering the temperature of his mes without weakening the mes.

    ''What?!'' The middle-aged woman''s eyes widened with shock when she witnessed Yuan''s seemingly perfect control over the temperature of his mes.

    ''He''s clearly a novice, yet his mastery over the mes is exceptional! Lowering the me temperature almost instantly¡ªsomething I struggle with, and he''s aplishing it effortlessly, as if it''s second nature!''

    ''Not only did he lower its temperature rapidly, but he had done so while keeping the me''s shape and intensity the same! Even if given a thousand years to practice, most people would not achieve anywhere near such perfect control! Just who is this guy?!''

    A few more minutester, Yuan deactivated his mes and removed the cauldron''s lid, releasing a dark cloud of smoke.

    When he retrieved the pill from the cauldron and saw its condition, Yuan raised his eyebrows in a puzzled manner.

    The pill looked nothing like how he''d expected. It was smaller than it should, and there were cracks all over it. [Damaged Spirit Recovery Pill] [Tier 1] [Purity: 97%]

    [Effects: Restores spiritual energy. The effectiveness will significantly decrease for Cultivators above Spirit Master. 90% reduced effect.]

    [Description: A Spiritual Pill concocted by yer Yuan.]

    Even though it came out damaged, the purity was surprisingly high.

    "Let me see your pill." The middle-aged woman suddenly said. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.

    Yuan nodded and gave her the damaged pill.

    ''It''s damaged, but the purity is ridiculously high¡­ How did he even manage to make such a thing?'' The middle-aged woman was greatly surprised by the oue of the pill, mostly because of its high purity.

    One contributing factor to the usual lengthy process of melting ingredients lies in the dual task of not only liquefying them but also purifying the inherent impurities within, so it didn''t make any sense for Yuan''s damaged pill to have such a high purity when he melted the ingredients in such a short time.

    ''This isn''t something that can be achieved with talent alone. The high purity must be an effect of his named alchemy me. If he can concoct a damaged pill with such high purity, one can only imagine the results of a properly concocted pill.''

    She turned to look at Yuan and spoke, "Do you know why it came out damaged? Hastening through the melting process without sufficient experience inflicts harm upon the ingredients, culminating in a damaged pill."

    "I guess I did rush through it a little. Can I try again?" Yuan acknowledged that he was indeed a little impatient.

    "Go ahead. There are plenty of ingredients left." The middle-aged woman gestured.

    As Yuan stood up and went to grab more ingredients, the middle-aged woman retrieved amunication jade slip and activated it.

    "Senior, I think you shoulde to the 35th floor. There''s a really interesting fellow here."

    She received a response a momentter, "If this turns out to be a waste of time, you''llpensate with 1,000 Tier 4 pills."

    "Of course."

    When Yuan returned to his cauldron, the middle-aged woman stopped him and said, "Wait a minute. Someone will being to watch you."

    Yuan raised an eyebrow, but he decided to not question it.

    Sometimeter, an old woman entered the room.

    When the people inside noticed her presence, they were all greatly shocked.

    "It''s Pill Grandmaster Zhao! The only Pill Grandmaster in the Third Heaven! What is someone like her doing here?!" The people there were greatly baffled by her appearance.

    They wanted to greet her, but nobody there dared to approach her, as her status was simply too high for them.

    Pill Grandmaster Zhao directly approached the middle-aged woman who summoned her.

    "Ma Qingyun, I hope you''re prepared to spend the rest of the year concocting pills for me," she said with a cold smile.

    The middle-aged woman, Ma Qingyun, smiled and said, "You haven''t even seen anything yet, Master."

    She then gestured at Yuan and continued, "He''s the one."

    Pill Grandmaster Zhao turned to look at Yuan and his cauldron for a brief moment before sighing out loud, "What a waste of time¡­"

 Chapter 1306 Expert in Disguise

    Chapter 1306 Expert in Disguise

    "You may begin now." Ma Qingyun said to Yuan shortly after Pill Grandmaster Zhao arrived at the scene.

    Yuan nodded and immediately summoned his alchemy me. N?velDrama.Org content rights.

    ''What?!'' Pill Grandmaster Zhao nearly stumbled back in surprise at the sight of Yuan''s golden mes. Her eyes widened in disbelief and shock. Yet, it wasn''t just the golden hue that astonished her the most; it was the exceptional purity of the mes.

    ''I have never seen such pure alchemy mes before! Does his body not contain any impurities?! That shouldn''t be possible for someone his age and that level of cultivation!'' A smile appeared on Ma Qingyun''s face when she saw Pill Grandmaster Zhao''s reaction to Yuan''s alchemy me.

    ''I knew it was the right call to summon you,'' she chuckled inwardly. ''Hm?''

    However, Ma Qingyun suddenly frowned when she saw what Yuan was doing in the cauldron.

    ''This little¡­ I just told him that rushing the melting process will only result in a damaged pill, but he''s still doing it!'' Ma Qingyun wondered if Pill Grandmaster Zhao''s presence had anything to do with it.

    After all, anyone would be nervous if they were being watched by the best Alchemist in the Third Heaven. As for Pill Grandmaster Zhao, she wasn''t even paying attention to the pill concoction and was solely focused on Yuan''s alchemy mes, almost as though she was bewitched by its beauty.

    ''The purity is perfect, but now that I am looking at it closely, this alchemy me¡­ it''s almost as though it was formed very recently¡­'' Pill Grandmaster Zhao didn''t think for a second that Yuan was responsible for forming the alchemy me and thought that he had gotten extremely lucky with acquiring a newly formed alchemy me.

    Meanwhile, Yuan waspletely focused on melting the ingredients. Contrary to Ma Qingyun''s thought, he was not pressured by Pill Grandmaster Zhao''s presence. In fact, she was no different than the other people in the room.

    And while it may seem like he was rushing to melt the ingredients, Yuan was actually taking his time to melt the ingredients.

    In the end, instead of taking 10 minutes to melt the ingredients, it took him an incredible 20 minutes to finish¡ªtwice as long as before!

    He removed the lid afterward, releasing a cloud of dark smoke.

    ''What? He''s already finished?'' Pill Grandmaster Zhao was taken aback when he suddenly took away the golden mes.

    ''There''s no way. He''s only a beginner, right?''

    Yuan retrieved the pill a momentter.

    [wless Spirit Recovery Pill] [Tier 1] [Purity: 100%]

    [Effects: Restores spiritual energy. The effectiveness will significantly decrease for Cultivators above Spirit Master. 50% increased effect.]

    [Description: A Spiritual Pill concocted by yer Yuan.]

    A smile appeared on Yuan''s face when he saw the condition of the pill. It did not have a single crack on it, and the surface was as smooth as a pearl. "L-Let me see that pill!" Ma Qingyun eximed and hastily took the pill from Yuan''s grasp before he could even respond.

    After inspecting the pill, Ma Qingyun swallowed nervously and thought to herself, ''A wless pill? He concocted a wless pill in less than half an hour? Even if it''s only a Tier 1 pill, this isn''t something I can achieve!''

    She turned to look at Yuan with a doubtful gaze as she was suspicious of his identity.

    ''Is he really a beginner? No, there''s no way. He''s definitely an expert! Now that I think about it, there''s no way a beginner would have a named alchemy me!''

    Ma Qingyun became filled with anger when she came to this realization.

    ''I''ve been fooled! This fucking bastard! How dare he humiliate me before my Master!''

    Right as Ma Qingyun prepared to curse at Yuan in an outburst, Pill Grandmaster Zhao took the pill from Ma Qingyun''s grasp without uttering a word and began to inspect it.

    A momentter, she looked at Yuan and spoke, "You little brat, are you really a beginner? Did youe here to show off?"

    Yuan raised his eyebrows and responded with an innocent expression, "I am a beginner. In fact, I am concocting pills for the first time in my life today."

    "F-For the first time¡­?" Ma Qingyun nearly puked blood after hearing such an outrageous im.

    If one could achieve such god-like results on their first day of practice, everyone would be an Alchemy God after practicing for less than a decade.

    "Is that so?"

    However, to everyone''s surprise, despite Yuan''s outrageous im, Pill Grandmaster Zhao seemed to believe his words.

    "What''s your name?" she suddenly asked.

    "Yuan."

    "Then, Yuan, want to be my disciple? I''ll mold you into the best alchemist in this world in less than a year¡ª No. I can guarantee you that you will surpass me in half a year."

    "Master?!" Ma Qingyun was shocked to the core after hearing such words. "Don''t tell me you actually believe in his lies?! There''s no way a beginner would be able to concoct a wless pill on their first day, much less in such a short amount of time!"

    Pill Grandmaster Zhao sneered, "Although I may not have seen the concoction process because I was absorbed by his alchemy mes, I saw enough to make a sound judgment. A Pill Master can disguise their skill by purposefully messing up their pills, but they will have an incredibly hard time disguising their behavior and habits."

    "While this young man exhibited incredible¡ªeven perfect¡ªcontrol over his mes, his application was wholly novice, as if devoid of any prior experience. And despite the wless result of the pill, his handling of the ingredients and post-treatment of the pill itself was straight trash."

    "Most of all¡­ I cannot sense the aura of an expert from him no matter what. If he''s actually an expert in disguise, I''ll quit being alchemy."

    "No way¡­" Ma Qingyun swallowed nervously.

    "Don''t worry, I am really a beginner." Yuan suddenly said as he stood up.

    "The only reason I even have a cauldron is because I use it for body tempering."

    And he continued, "As for your offer, sorry, but I will have to refuse."

    Hearing his response, Pill Grandmaster Zhao narrowed her eyes at him which may seem threatening to others, but Yuan didn''t get such a feeling at all from her.

 Chapter 1307 Grand Appearance Altering Pill

    Chapter 1307 Grand Appearance Altering Pill

    "What is your reason for refusing? Do you know who I am?" Pill Grandmaster Zhao asked him after a moment of silence.

    Yuan shook his head, "I don''t, but judging by how everyone reacted to your presence, I''m willing to bet that you''re someone influential. As for my reason for refusing to be your disciple, I just don''t have the time right now."

    And he continued, "To be honest, I came here on a whim and don''t have any intention to learn alchemy seriously for now." "On a whim¡­?" Ma Qingyun nearly coughed up a mouthful of blood after hearing such words.

    How can someone like that have so much talent?

    ''The heavens are unjust¡­'' she sighed inwardly.

    Pill Grandmaster Zhao frowned and said, "How can you say such a thing when you have tremendous talents for alchemy? Don''t be foolish and waste something that countless would be willing to kill to have!"

    "Even if I possess the talent for it, there''s currently nopelling reason pushing me to learn alchemy immediately. Moreover, it appears to demand a substantial investment of time," Yuan shrugged nonchntly.

    "No reason?!" eximed the Pill Grandmaster Zhao. "How can you, as a cultivator, say such a thing? Do youprehend how many cultivators yearn to master alchemy butck the innate talent? Pills constitute an indispensable facet of a cultivator''s journey; possessing such a skill would undeniably be advantageous."

    "Consider finding yourself stranded in the wilderness without any pills. A cultivator versed in alchemy can concoct the needed pill on the spot, whereas one devoid of such abilities would be left to struggle andment the heavens for not bestowing upon them such talents!"

    "Do you know why most cultivators invariably travel with an Alchemist by their side during exploration? It ensures they never have to worry about depleting their pill supply, and the presence of an Alchemist substantially enhances one''s chances of survival!"

    "Although learning alchemy will definitely demand a considerable investment of time, the benefits undoubtedly outweigh the cons and make it a worthwhile pursuit!"

    After hearing Pill Grandmaster Zhao''s lecture on the importance of alchemy, Yuan could not refute the advantage of having the ability to concoct pills at will. However, that didn''t change the fact that he did not have the time to learn alchemy.

    ''Since most people bring an alchemist with them, I can simply do the same in the future if I really need to.'' Yuan thought of Wang Xiuying.

    "I understand where you areing from, but it doesn''t change the fact that I currently have no time for alchemy. I will consider learning alchemy again once I lessen some food off my te." Yuan said as he retrieved his cauldron.

    "You can keep that pill. I will be taking my leave now. Thank you for the ss." Yuan said to Pill Grandmaster Zhao before walking towards the exit.

    "..."

    Pill Grandmaster Zhao could only silently shake her head as she watched Yuan leave the room.

    "Are you really going to let him leave?" Ma Qingyun suddenly asked.

    "What do you want me to do? Beg him to stay? He made a decision, and I will respect it. If he''s really as talented as I think he is, I doubt starting a littleter will do much to hinder him." Pill Grandmaster Zhao shrugged.

    And she continued, "And to bepletely honest with you, I''m not confident that I have the capability to teach a monster like him. Hopefully, he will encounter someone more qualified in the future." Ma Qingyun swallowed nervously. She couldn''t fathom what Pill Grandmaster Zhao was thinking or feeling for her to act so humbly. After leaving the Majestic Pill Pavilion, Yuan made his way back to Meixiu and the others.

    "Sorry, it took so long. I took a detour." "Are we going to the Stairway to Heaven now?" Chu Liuxiang asked.

    He shook his head and said, "No, there''s onest thing I have to do. The Ten Great Families¡ªI am going to put an end to their nonsense before it gets too crazy. It won''t take too long." "How do you n on doing that?" Meixiu asked.

    Yuan proceeded to tell them about his participation in the recruitment.

    Chu Liuxiang chuckled after learning of it, "Seriously? I can already imagine their faces when you show up."

    "Do you need our help?" Li Jinxi asked.

    "No, I just need Xiao Hua toe with me to keep up with the appearances, and I n on dealing with them alone."

    Yuan looked at Xiao Hua and exined, "A group of people have been recruiting Exiles like you, and they n on ambushing us because of what happened not long ago."

    Xiao Hua quickly recalled her most recent fight and nodded, "Okay."

    Yuan retrieved one of the Grand Appearance Altering Pill and handed it to her, "We''ll need to disguise ourselves. Can you change your facial features and make yourself taller?"

    Xiao Hua epted the pill and proceeded to stare at it with a pondering expression on her face, wondering what she should make herself look like.

    "Ah, don''t consume it now. Let''s do it when we are close to our destination." Yuan quickly said when he thought she was going to swallow it there and then.

    Xiao Hua nodded.

    "Then I''ll be off now. I''ll see you guyster." Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.

    Yuan left with Xiao Hua shortly after, quickly making their way to the Enchanted Bamboo Forest.

    About two hourster, they arrived at their destination.

    Yuan consumed the Grand Appearance Altering Pill shortly after arriving, transforming his face to look like a random stranger''s face¡ªsomeone he passed by on the streets and happened to remember.

    Xiao Hua followed him and swallowed the pill.

    A momentter, her petite body started growing taller and taller until she was even taller than Yuan by an inch, and her face became almost unrecognizable to Yuan.

    ''Although she lookspletely different at a nce, if I look closely, she somewhat resembles Xiao Hua after her transformation¡­''

    Yuan then asked out of curiosity, "Xiao Hua, that appearance¡­ is she someone you know? Or did you make it up?"

    Xiao Hua nodded and calmly responded, "She''s my elder sister."

    "Eh?" Yuan''s eyes widened at her unexpected words.

 Chapter 1308 Second Part of the Exile Recruitment

    Chapter 1308 Second Part of the Exile Recruitment

    "You decided to disguise as your elder sister¡­? Now that I think about it, I don''t know anything about your family." Yuan said after a moment of silence.

    "My family is very boring. They spend all of their time cultivating, rarely ever stepping outside their room. It''s normal to see each other once every few hundred years." Xiao Hua calmly said.

    "Hundreds of years¡­? How old are you really, Xiao Hua?" Yuan couldn''t help but ask her.

    "..." Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.

    Since it wasn''t her own face, Xiao Hua actually looked quite threatening when she frowned.

    "N-Nevermind¡­" Yuan decided not to question her further.

    However, to his surprise, Xiao Hua responded, "I don''t know."

    "You mean you are so old that you don''t remember your own age?" Yuan was speechless after hearing this.

    "N-No!" Xiao Hua quickly rejected such an outrageous im, and she continued, "My memories only go up to a certain point and most of my oldest memories are missing."

    "Eh? Really?" This was Yuan''s first time hearing such a thing from her.

    "I only began recalling my memories shortly after we entered the Second Heaven. I also gained some more memories when we entered the Third Heaven, so I think that ascending the Nine Heavens has something to do with my memories." Xiao Hua exined.

    As for why she hadn''t spoken of this subject earlier, it was merely due to the absence of an opportune moment for discussion.

    "And you didn''t know about any of this before?" Yuan asked.

    Xiao Hua shook her head.

    "Then do you remember why you were in that area when we first met? Surely, it wasn''t your family''s backyard as you had imed, right?" Yuan recalled their first meeting and asked.

    "I wasn''t lying." Xiao Hua shook her head and continued to exin, "That area really belonged to my family¡ªat least my memories told me so."

    After a moment of silence, Xiao Hua looked at Yuan with a worried expression and said, "Brother Yuan¡­ If I¡­ If Xiao Hua regains her memories and bes someone different, you can abandon her. I won''t me you."

    Despite her words, a calm smile appeared on Yuan''s face, and he quickly said, "I won''t do that. No matter who you be in the future, fate brought us together for a reason. Unless you decide to walk away yourself, I won''t leave you."

    "Brother Yuan¡­" Xiao Hua''s face flushed with redness.

    Yuan then said, "If anything, I should be saying that to you. After all, I am also in the process of regaining my memories. If I be someone you no longer want to follow, I won''t me you for leaving."

    "T-That won''t happen!" Xiao Hua immediately said with a firm expression on her face.

    "I believe you." Yuan chuckled.

    "Anyways, we''re at our destination. Here, Xiao Hua." Yuan showed her the old jade mask he wore and continued, "Just in case the Exiles recognize your sister''s face."

    Once Xiao Hua wore the mask, he continued, "I will be right back. Wait here for a few minutes."

    "Okay."

    Yuan logged off the next moment and called the phone number he received before.

    "Is this Xiao Yang?!" A nervous voice asked the moment the line connected.

    It was David''s voice.

    "Yes, it''s me."

    "Thank god! I thought you''d decided not to join us when you didn''t contact us for so long!" David said, revealing the reason for his anxiousness.

    Yuan then said, "I''m really sorry it took this long, but something came up and I had to deal with that beforeing. Anyways, I am at the location you gave me."

    "Don''t worry about it! The second part of the recruitment will begin shortly. Just sit tight and wait for our people to arrive."

    "I understand."

    Yuan returned to Cultivation Online after hanging up.

    "Now we wait." Yuan said to Xiao Hua.

    He also made sure to suppress his aura all the way to Spirit Grandmaster. About twenty minutester, Yuan could sense two individuals approaching their direction from a distance.

    One of these individuals had the aura of a Spirit Master while the other individual exuded the aura of a peak Spirit King. It was obviously a yer and their Exile.

    However, for some reason, these two individuals did not show themselves and watched Yuan and Xiao Hua from a distance.

    Yuan didn''t try calling out to them and patiently waited for them to do their thing.

    "Hu Kaize, do you sense the aura of an Exileing from either of them?" A young man asked the tall, bulky man beside him.

    After a moment of silence, Hu Kaize spoke, "That tall woman beside him¡ªshe''s definitely an Exile."

    "What about that man beside her? What''s his cultivation?"

    Hu Kaize narrowed his eyes at Yuan and said, "Judging by his aura, he should be around Spirit Grandmaster. However, there''s something strange about him. It''s almost like he has more power than what''s being revealed."

    "I see¡­ Why''s that woman wearing a mask, though? Doesn''t that seem suspicious to you?" The young man asked another question.

    "No, not at all. Considering that she''s an Exile, she''s wearing a mask most likely because she was only recently sent to the Primordial Realm, so she doesn''t want anyone to recognize her. As for the rest of us, we''ve been in the Primordial Realm for so long that we don''t have to worry about anyone recognizing us¡ªat least not in this kind of lowly ce."

    "I see."

    Once they confirmed Yuan and Xiao Hua''s identity through the information provided by David, the young man and his Exile finally came out of hiding and showed themselves to Yuan and Xiao Hua.

    "Are you Xiao Yang?" The young man asked.

    Yuan nodded, "You must be the recruiter for the second part of the recruitment."

    "Not quite, and you''ve already passed the second part when we confirmed that you had an Exile with you."

    "My name is Dazzling Sword, nice to meet you." The young man introduced himself, but he only revealed his character''s name.

 Chapter 1309 A Gathering of Exiles

    Chapter 1309 A Gathering of Exiles

    "Dazzling Sword¡­? Is there another name I can address you as?" Yuan asked with a weird look on his face.

    "You can just call me Daz then."

    "Alright. Then, Daz, what''s next?" Yuan asked.

    "There''s still onest part of the recruitment before you can meet the others." Dazzling Sword said, and he continued, "You see, there''s a reason why the Ten Great Families gathered all of us together. Do you know why?"

    Yuan pretended to think about the answer before responding, "Is there some kind of insanely hard dungeon that requires this much firepower?"

    Dazzling Swordughed at his answer for a moment before speaking, "Something like that, but it''s not a dungeon. It''s an Exile."

    Yuan acted surprised and eximed, "What? The Ten Great Families is doing all of this just for a single Exile?"

    "She''s not just a mere Exile! She''s an Exile from the Asura n!" Hu Kaize eximed with clenched fists.

    ''Xiao Hua, act surprised and shout: What?! The Asura n?! That''s impossible!'' Yuan instructed her through divine sense.

    "W-What?! The Asura n?! T-That''s impossible!" Xiao Hua shouted a momentter, but it sounded a bit stiff and unnatural.

    "I know it sounds ridiculous, and while there isn''t any actual proof, just the possibility of the Asura n existing outside the Primordial Realm is dangerous enough for us to work together." Hu Kaize took Xiao Hua''s unnatural response as a kind of shock and continued to exin further, "If it''s true¡ªthat someone from the Asura n has managed to acquire the Supreme Heaven''s Legacy, we must work together to get rid of her before she gets rid of us! If we don''t deal with her as soon as possible, none of us will have a chance of survival!"

    "..."

    Xiao Hua''s eyebrows twitched after hearing such a thing, as Hu Kaize made it sound like her family was the most dangerous thing in this world.

    "I-If it''s really the Asura n, then I am willing to work together with the other Exiles to get rid of her." Xiao Hua said a momentter, following Yuan''s instructions again.

    "Great. Then until we remove the threat, we are in a truce. If you attack any of the other Exiles for any reason, we will all attack you at once. Do you understand?" Hu Kaize asked, his gaze filled with killing intent.

    Xiao Hua silently nodded her head.

    "Is that all there is to it? Just hunting this Exile?" Yuan suddenly asked.

    "Yeah. What else do you want?" Dazzling Sword nodded. "Oh, are you perhaps asking about the rewards? Don''t worry, you''ll receive your share once we meet up with the others."

    ''So the Ten Great Families are purposefully not mentioning the true purpose of their recruitment, huh.'' Yuan thought to himself.

    "Then what will happen after we finish this quest?" Yuan continued asking.

    "We will return to our own journey." Dazzling Sword said. "But if you manage to make a connection with the Ten Great Families, you can probably continue working with them."

    "I see¡­ then when are we going to make a move?" "I''m not sure about that, but from what I''ve been hearing, we might be moving out very soon."

    "Anyways, if you have more questions, you can wait until we group up with the others." Dazzling Sword said.

    "Follow me."

    Yuan and Xiao Hua proceeded to follow Dazzling Sword into a nearby city to use their teleportation device.

    As they traveled, Hu Kaize started a conversation with Xiao Hua, "So, what did you do to end up as an Exile?"

    Xiao Hua responded without looking at him, "I killed people."

    "Of course you did. All of us did. How did you kill them? How many did you kill? Did you have a nickname? They called me the Butcherer. I had killed at least ten thousand mortals and over a thousand cultivators."

    ''Brother Yuan, can I kill him?'' Xiao Hua asked even though she already knew his answer.

    ''You''ll get your chanceter. Try to keep calm for now.'' Yuan said. This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    After a moment of silence, Xiao Hua responded to Hu Kaize in a cold voice, "That''s all? A thousand cultivators? You''re much more pathetic than I thought."

    "W-What did you say¡­?" Hu Kaize stared at her with immense killing intent shooting out of his eyes.

    Seeing this, Xiao Hua turned to look at him and suddenly released her own killing intent.

    "!?!?!"

    Xiao Hua''s killing intent was so powerful that it materialized around her as an aura, making it seem as though she was surrounded by the countless souls that she had murdered.

    "Heavens!" Hu Kaize fell on his buttocks from shock after sensing Xiao Hua''s dreadful killing intent. "Do I still need to answer your questions?" Xiao Hua asked.

    Hu Kaize hastily shook his head.

    ''What a fucking monster!'' Hu Kaize cried inwardly. ''How many people did she kill to acquire such immense killing intent? Hundred of thousands? Millions?''

    Dazzling Sword was left dumbfounded after what he''d just witnessed. It was also the first instance he had seen Hu Kaize, typically assertive, behaving with such timidity.

    ''Is this the power of a Lord-grade servant?'' Dazzling Sword swallowed nervously, as Hu Kaize was only an Elite-grade servant. After a while, they reached a sizable mansion perched atop a solitary hill, approximately a hundred miles away from the nearest city.

    Yuan could sense the presence of over a hundred individuals inside this building, and most of them were Spirit Kings.

    ''A hundred and twelve Spirit Kings¡­ So they managed to recruit this many Exiles, huh¡­'' Yuan sighed inwardly.

    However, even though he was against so many Exiles, Yuan did not feel worried in the slightest.

    "Where are we?" Yuan asked Dazzling Sword.

    "The Xiong Family''s property. Those rich bastards bought thisnd and this mansion here just for this quest." Dazzling Sword sighed out loud, and he continued, "Anyways, once we go inside, you''ll be assigned to a room. Stay in there until you''re called. Someone from the Ten Great Families will personally interview youter. If they approve of you, you''ll officially be recruited and receive your rewards."

 Chapter 1310 A Hundred and Twelve Exiles

    Chapter 1310 A Hundred and Twelve Exiles

    After giving Yuan a brief exnation of what to expect, Dazzling Sword opened the mansion doors and led him inside.

    The interior was extremely quiet, almost as though they were the only ones there. Of course, that wasn''t the case. Most of the Exiles were in their own room with their partner, guiding their partner''s cultivation.

    Since it required one to reach the Supreme Heaven toplete the Supreme Heaven''s Legacy and Exiles are unable to ascend on their own, they could only rely on their partners. Regrettably for these Exiles, their partners were yers who were unaware of cultivation until very recently, so it was much harder for them to grasp cultivation techniques. If it weren''t for the system''s assistance, most of them would be utterly hopeless when ites to cultivation.

    Sometimeter, Dazzling Sword led Yuan and Xiao Hua to their room where they would be sharing together.

    "This will be your room for now. Once you are officially recruited into our group, you''ll receive another room. You are also not allowed to roam this ce until then. Any questions?" Dazzling Sword exined.

    "How long will it take for the recruiter to show up?" Yuan asked.

    "It shouldn''t take long. A few hours at most. You have a Lord-grade Exile, after all." Dazzling Sword said. "Later then."

    Dazzling Sword closed the door on the way out.

    While they waited for the recruitment to continue, Yuan used his divine sense to scout the area and examine everyone within the building.

    Out of the hundred and twelve Exiles, the majority of them were men with only four being female. They also had the appearance of a gangster and the aura of a delinquent. They are the type that people subconsciously avoid on the streets.

    "Xiao Hua, I know that as an Exile, you feel responsible for the other Exiles, but as partners, it''s only natural to share responsibilities. Can you leave them to me this time?" Yuan asked her.

    "Okay¡­" Xiao Hua reluctantly nodded her head. Even if she wanted to deal with these Exiles, she knew that she did not have the capability to do so in her current state. Of course, it would be a different story if she released the seal within her like thest time, but Xiao Hua did not want to rely too much on the monster within her.

    "But Brother Yuan, I want you to let me take care of that man from before." Xiao Hua suddenly said.

    While she may not be able to fight over a hundred Exiles at once, she definitely didn''t mind taking care of one.

    "I don''t mind." Yuan nodded.

    About half an hourter, Yuan turned to look at the door when someone knocked on it.

    ''They came earlier than I''d expected.''

    He went to open the door to find a beautiful youngdy standing outside.

    Yuan raised his eyebrows after seeing this woman with a familiar face.

    ''This woman¡­ If I recall correctly, we met during my visit to Bai Lihua''s estate. What was her name again¡­?'' Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.

    As Yuan tried to recall her identity, the woman greeted him with a friendly smile and said, "Hello, I''m Fiery Queen from the Walkers Family. May Ie inside, Xiao Yang?"

    ''Fiery Queen? Oh, right. She tried to recruit me to the Walkers Family back then.'' Yuan finally recalled her identity. Despite his excellent memory, his mind tends to automatically filter out unnecessary or unimportant information. "Please." Yuan gestured for her to enter the room.

    As Fiery Queen entered the room, her eyes shifted towards Xiao Hua, who was calmly seated on the couch.

    Once they were all seated, Fiery Queen spoke, "In case you don''t know, I am from the Ten Great Families that organized this quest."

    Yuan smiled and said, "I have heard of you."

    "Good, then let''s start the final recruitment¡ª"

    "¡ªActually, this is more like an interview, since you are pretty much already recruited. You have been briefed about our mission by Dazzling Sword, correct?" Fiery Queen asked.

    "Indeed. Our mission is to defeat an Exile who hailed from the Asura n."

    "That''s right. Her existence is incredibly dangerous and would hinder not only the other Exiles but also us¡ªyers." Fiery Queen said with a serious frown on her face.

    "Just how powerful is this Exile?" Yuan asked.

    "She''s strong enough to treat other Exiles as toddlers. However, now that there are over a hundred of us working together, it will only be a matter of time before we defeat her."

    Seeing how she refused to talk about him, Yuan decided to poke the bear at the ho''s nest a little, "This Exile¡­ she should also have a partner, right? Do we know who it is?"

    Fiery Queen''s face twitched a little after hearing his question, and she hastily said, "A-As far as I am aware, this Exile is working alone."

    "If she doesn''t have a partner, how could she threaten us? I was told that Exiles are not allowed to ascend by themselves."

    "While they cannot ascend alone, they can still do other things, such as hindering other Exiles and yers. This Exile from the Asura n is extremely cruel and bloodthirsty. In fact, she had killed over a hundred yers already."

    "Is that so¡­ If she''s that dangerous, she definitely needs to be stopped."

    "I''m d that we are on the same page. Now let''s talk about our contract. Since you are willing to work with us, we will supply you with a Heaven-grade treasure. Unfortunately, we don''t have any on hand right now since they had all been taken by those who came before you, but if you see a Heaven-grade treasure that you would like to have on sale anywhere, we will purchase it for you."

    "As for your money of 5 million dors, we will send it to you the moment we have your bank information."

    Yuan nodded, "Sounds great."

    Fiery Queen then continued with a fierce look on her face, "However, I must warn you¡­ Once our money is in your bank, you can no longer back out of this quest. If you do so, we¡ª the Ten Great Families¡ª will crush you with our full force. Do you understand?"

    "Of course. I wouldn''t dare to do anything like that." Yuan nodded with a calm smile.

 Chapter 1311 Player Yuans Sudden Appearance

    Chapter 1311 yer Yuan''s Sudden Appearance

    After getting his response, Fiery Queen said, "You can give your bank information to the one who recruited you through the phone. The payment will be made within 24 hours. The same goes for your Heaven-grade treasure. Any questions before I leave you alone?"

    "Just one." Yuan raised a finger as he said, "When are we going to deal with this Exile? Dazzling Sword told me that it won''t be long before we act."

    "We will act the moment we confirm the location of ¡ª this Exile." Fiery Queen said, nearly slipping and saying yer Yuan.

    And she continued, "Don''t worry, it shouldn''t be long before we find her. We have thousands of people actively looking for her."

    "Is that so¡­ I hope we find her soon so I can get back to the game," Yuan said with a mysterious smile on his face.

    ''So they are looking for me, huh?''

    Not only was he being hunted by the Celestial Emperor and thousands of experts from the upper heavens but even the yers were looking for him.

    Yuan could wipe out everyone in the mansion at any moment, but he wanted to wait until the main culprits gathered so he could take care of them at once.

    ''Since they are actively keeping the fact that they are hunting me a secret, these yers have no idea what they signed up for and are just a victim to their scheming.''

    Yuan had no intention of hurting these yers, especially since there was a chance he could hurt their souls and cripple their cultivation.

    ''However, as for their Exiles¡­ I will erase everyst one of these criminals. This will also increase Xiao Hua''s chances at the Supreme Heaven''s Legacy.''

    While he nned on sparing the yers, he was adamant on dealing with the Exiles.

    "No more questions, right? Then I will leave you alone for now. You can use this mansion as you like. There''s even a swimming pool if you want to refresh yourself."

    After Fiery Queen left the room, Yuan turned to look at Xiao Hua and said, "I will be right back."

    He logged off the following moment.

    Sometimeter, he went to find Meifeng.

    "Can you do something for me?" he asked her.

    "It depends on what you need."

    "I''d like you to spread some rumor on the inte about me appearing in a certain location in Cultivation Online."

    "I can do that, but what are you nning?"

    Yuan proceeded to tell her about the current situation and how he needed to reveal his presence so he could act.

    "I see¡­ Give me an hour or so and your presence will be known by almost everyone on the inte." Meifeng said with a confident smile on her face.

    "Great. As for the location¡­"

    Sometimeter, Meifeng retrieved her cell phone and called a certain individual.

    "It''s me. I need you to do something for me."

    Shortly after Meifeng''s phone call, rumors of Yuan''s location began to spread in every forum and blog rted to Cultivation Online.

    [Devil Dog: You won''t believe this, but I just met the famous yer Yuan today! We even shook hands!]

    [Nine Lives: Really?! Where did you find him?!] This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    [Blue Chicken: If it''s yer Yuan, I saw him too. Though, I didn''t dare to approach him.]

    [Cancel Me: Nobody has seen yer Yuan for over half a year and he''s suddenly appeared out of nowhere? Seem sus.]

    [Finish Him: Right? This dude''s probably just looking for clout.]

    [Devil Dog: If you don''t believe me, you can go there and look for him yourself. I don''t know what he was doing, but he''s probably in the middle of a quest.]

    While some people did not believe the rumors, there were many who believed it.

    It didn''t take long for the rumors to reach the Ten Great Families'' ears.

    "What? yer Yuan was spotted at Enchanted Bamboo Forest? There''s no way this is real." Xiong Lu did not dare believe his ears. The likelihood of Yuan appearing near their base just as they sought him out was near impossible. It would be no different than him intentionally walking into their crosshairs.

    "Even if the rumors are true, what could he possibly be doing there?" Fiery Queen questioned.

    "Does it matter if the rumors are true or not? We still need to check it out for ourselves." Chen Huacheng said.

    "I sent some people to investigate the moment I heard it." Xiong Lu said.

    Despite his doubt, he could not allow the chance of finding Yuan to slip away, even if the chances were almost impossible.

    And he continued, "Call everyone from the group and make sure they are standing by in Cultivation Online just in case."

    Meanwhile, when Yuan returned to Cultivation Online, he said to Xiao Hua, "I''m going out for a bit. If somebodyes here and asks for me, just tell them that I went somewhere. If they ask where, tell them you don''t know since I disappeared into thin air."

    "Okay." Xiao Hua nodded.

    "Ah, I''ll need to use your mask for a bit. Do you have anything else to cover your face?" Yuan asked.

    "I do."

    Xiao Hua proceeded to take out another mask from her spatial ring before handing back the ck jade mask to Yuan.

    "A Divine-grade treasure?" Yuan raised his eyebrows after sensing the auraing from her mask.

    Xiao Hua calmly nodded in acknowledgment as she nonchntly wore the mask.

    "Just how many treasures do you have?" Yuan chuckled.

    A short momentter, Yuan silently left the mansion and made his way to the Enchanted Bamboo Forest.

    When he arrived at the Enchanted Bamboo Forest, Yuan started to wander the ce casually as he waited for people to show up.

    After waiting for around 15 minutes, Yuan sensed an approaching presence and made his way to this person.

    "That mask! Could it really be yer Yuan?!" This person eximed when he saw Yuan and his renowned ck mask appearing out of thin air.

    "Hm? Who are you?" Yuan pretended to encounter him by chance and asked.

    "A-Are you yer Yuan?" The yer asked.

    "I am." Yuan calmly nodded.

    "I-I am Muwi! I rushed here when I heard that you were here! I''d like to request a match with you! Please!" The yer said.

 Chapter 1312 Poison

    Chapter 1312 Poison

    "You want to spar with me? Why?" Yuan asked the yer out of curiosity.

    "My reason¡­? I want to see how powerful you are¡ª to confirm whether you are as strong as they say." Muwi said.

    "I see." Yuan inspected Muwi .

    He was only a Spirit Master, and it looked like he''d made the breakthrough very recently.

    An opponent of this level was akin to an ant before Yuan. In fact, he could erase Muwi without lifting a finger.

    However, Yuan sensed several more presences appearing not far away and wanted to use this opportunity to spread his own presence even more. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.

    "I don''t mind a spar, but the difference in our cultivation is very vast. Even if I limit myself and don''t use any spiritual energy, I might kill you by ident. Are you okay with that?" Yuan asked Muwi.

    "I-I don''t mind!" Muwi said with a nervous smile on his face.

    Yuan couldn''t fathom why Movie was willing to risk his own cultivation to confirm his strength. Of course, Yuan had no intention of killing Muwi for real.

    "Shall we get this start then?" Yuan summoned his Empyrean Overlord and casually stood there.

    ''That sword! He''s really yer Yuan!'' Muwi finally confirmed Yuan''s identity after seeing his sword.

    Since anyone could get their hands on a ck jade mask, Muwi wasn''t exactly sure if the person before him was yer Yuan. However, hisrge sword was something unique and had been recalled many times by those who were struck by it during the Mystic Realm.

    While there was still a small chance that the person before him could be an impersonator, Muwi did not believe that was the case, as he could feel the immense difference between their strength even without having the capability to see Yuan''s true cultivation, and his instincts were screaming for him to leave.

    Muwi retrieved his own weapon a momentter, wielding two short swords, one in each hand.

    It was at this moment the other presences that Yuan had sensed early showed up.

    "Wow! The rumors are true! yer Yuan is in the Enchanted Bamboo Forest!"

    "Who''s the one pointing his swords at yer Yuan?"

    "Hm? Isn''t that yer Muwi the yer Challenger? I heard some time ago that a yer wielding two swords was going around challenging yers, fighting stronger opponents as he went. Apparently, he''s never lost a fight. He even defeated someone in the top 1,000."

    "But to go for yer Yuan¡­ isn''t he just begging for defeat at this point?"

    Muwi ignored the spectators and acted as though they didn''t even exist.

    "Don''t go easy on me." Muwi suddenly said.

    "If I don''t hold back, this will be over before you can even blink." Yuan shook his head.

    Despite such arrogant words, Muwi did not take offense to it.

    "I don''t care. Just don''t go easy on me." Muwi suddenly took an offensive stance.

    Yuan smiled and said, "At least show me that you aren''t a waste of my time."

    Muwi released a low roar before rushing at Yuan with both arms in motion.

    [Twin Serpents'' Bloodthirst!]

    Muwi''s swords became coated with a green aura after he activated his skill, his body overflowing with spiritual energy.

    Once he was close enough, Muwi activated another skill.

    [Twin Serpents'' Dance!]

    Muwi''s arms flickered wildly as he swung his swords in a seemingly random manner.

    Yuan did not move a single step and blocked all of the iing strikes without using any spiritual energy.

    However, Muwi did not stop his relentless attack even after they were blocked.

    ''That''s right! Keep blocking my attacks!'' Muwi smiled inwardly.

    The green aura covering his swords wasn''t just for show and was actively releasing poison. This poison was odorless and invisible to the eyes, and while it mayck strength at first, if enough was consumed, it could take out even a Spirit Lord.

    ''You are just like everyone else, yer Yuan! Underestimating me will be your downfall! Just a little more and I will be known as the first yer to defeat you!'' Muwi could already envision his victory.

    "Look at how vicious and fast he is! How is yer Yuan even blocking these attacks?!" The spectators were left speechless by Miwu''s performance.

    "Why isn''t he fighting back and only defending? Is he so overwhelmed by yer Miwu''s relentless attacks that he cannot do so?"

    "Are you stupid? Look at yer Yuan''s fluid and minimal movement. He''s effortlessly blocking those attacks! This is probably nothing more than child''s y for him," said someone with morebat experience. A few minutester.

    Muwi''s eyes flickered with a vicious light.

    "It''s over for you, yer Yuan! Twin Serpent''s Outburst!"

    After uttering such words, Yuan suddenly stopped moving.

    <You have been poisoned!>

    <You have been afflicted with Twin Serpent''s Invisible Poison!>

    <Absolute Regeneration has been activated>

    The Twin Serpent''s Invisible Poison was destroying Yuan from the inside at a rapid rate, but it wasn''t enough to keep up with his Absolute Regeneration, and it took less than two seconds for Yuan to suppress the poison.

    <Twin Serpent''s Invisible Poison has been neutralized>

    Muwi, who wasn''t aware that Yuan had already neutralized his poison,ughed out loud, "My Twin Serpent''s Invisible Poison can kill even a Spirit Lord within 2 minutes, and I waited 5 whole minutes just for you, yer Yuan!"

    "You''re probably in so much pain that you can''t speak or move right now! Don''t worry, it will onlyst for a moment¡­ because you will die soon!"

    ''Poison, huh?'' Yuan sighed inwardly.

    Though inherently resilient against physical harm, Yuan remained susceptible to assaults that targeted his internal body, such as poison. Fortunately for him, Muwi''s poison wasn''t too strong, or he would''ve sustained much more damage.

    ''I should increase my poison resistance a little more in the future just in case I encounter someone with even stronger poison.'' Yuan didn''t expect to gain insight in such an insignificant spar with another yer, and he silently thanked Muwi for it.

    "Poison, huh? I didn''t expect that." Yuan said a momentter, shocking Muwi.

    "W-What? How are you still standing?!" Muwi eximed with a look of disbelief on his face.

 Chapter 1313 Player Yuan Has Appeared!

    Chapter 1313 yer Yuan Has Appeared!

    "How are you still standing?! That poison is powerful enough to kill even a Spirit Lord with ease! You should be on the ground writhing in pain now!" Muwi was in disbelief, as this was the first time someone affected by his poison hadn''t fallen. ''Did my poison not affect him? No, that''s not possible! I also waited for five whole minutes before I activated it! There''s no way it could be too weak, either!''

    "If I was only a Spirit Lord, your poison might''ve worked on me. Unfortunately for you, I am not a Spirit Lord." Yuan calmly said.

    "What¡­? D-Don''t tell me¡­ You''re a Spirit King?!" Muwi eximed in a shocked voice.

    The spectators could also be heard gasping in shock after learning of this revtion.

    ''If I was only an ordinary Spirit King, the poison still would have done immense damage.'' Yuan thought to himself. It was only because of his regeneration skill that kept him unharmed from the poison.

    "N-No way¡­ How did you manage to reach Spirit King so fast? Even the top yers are only at Spirit Grandmaster with the peak yers barely entering Spirit Lord." Muwi asked in a nervous voice.

    Yuan shrugged, "I''m not sure. It just happened."

    If only Muwi knew that Yuan was a peak Spirit King who couldn''t progress further because of his unique physique.

    "Anyways, is that all you''ve got to show me?" Yuan then asked.

    He paused for a moment before continuing with narrowed eyes, "If so, I will end our little spar."

    Muwi felt chills throughout his entire being after feeling Yuan''s gaze. Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.

    "N-Not yet!" Muwi roared as he clenched his fists and rushed forward.

    ''Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! If I cannot defeat him with my trump card, what chances do I have left?! There''s no way I can beat him without my poison!'' Muwi cried inwardly as he relentlessly swung his swords at Yuan.

    Seeing this, Yuan sighed, "I guess you have nothing else to show me."

    "W-Wait!" Muwi eximed.

    "I''ll give you a minute." Yuan calmly said.

    Muwi scrambled his brains, but in the end, he had nothing else to show.

    "Since you helped me gain some insight, I will help you as well." Yuan suddenly said.

    "Excuse me?" Muwi raised his eyebrows.

    "You wanted to confirm the rumors of my strength, correct? What are these rumors?" Yuan asked.

    "Um¡­ That you have the strength to destroy a mountain with a single swing¡­?" Muwi recalled one of thements he''d read online.

    "Destroy a mountain with a single swing, huh?" Yuan looked around and could see several mountains in the distance.

    He chuckled and said, "As much as I want to show you that I could destroy a mountain, I cannot destroy nature for such a pointless reason. Instead, I''ll show you something else."

    Yuan suddenly released his cultivation, causing it to burst out of his body.

    "W-W-W-What the hell do you n on doing?!" Muwi fell on his buttocks from shock and subconsciously began crawling backward.

    Yuan clenched the Empyrean Overlord and stood there with an overbearing posture.

    "Please! Spare me!" Muwi cried out loud with tears flowing down his face.

    [Heaven Splitting Sword Strike!]

    Yuan swung his sword, but it wasn''t at Muwi. The following moment, a massive beam of spiritual energy shot toward the cloudy sky, blowing all of the clouds away and creating a clear sky for as far as one could see with their eyes.

    The spiritual energy from the technique was so immense that some of the spectators fainted for a brief moment.

    "What do you think? That should''ve been enough to destroy a mountain." Yuan looked at Muwi with a smile afterward.

    Muwi could only absently nod his head.

    ''Forget about a mere mountain! He could wipe out a dozen mountains or multiple cities with that much power!'' Muwi cried inwardly.

    Meanwhile, at the Xiong Family''s mansion where all of the Exiles are gathered, the Exiles are alerted by the immense spiritual energy they have just sensed.

    Ceasing their activities, they redirected their attention to the windows, observing the abrupt transformation of the previously cloudy sky into a clear expanse.

    "What in Heaven''s name was that just now?"

    "Who released that spiritual energy? Are they trying to destroy a city or something?"

    The Exiles were interested in the person who released the spiritual energy, but it wasn''t enough to make them tremble in fear or anything like that.

    At the same time, the Ten Great Families received confirmation of Yuan''s presence in the Enchanted Bamboo Forest.

    "The rumors were true! I witnessed yer Yuan there with my own eyes! He even fought with another yer!"

    "Was there a little girl beside him?" Xiong Lu asked.

    "A little girl? No, I don''t think so. He was alone."

    "Che." Xiong Lu sucked his teeth in an annoyed manner.

    ''If we don''t take care of that little girl with him¡ª the source of his powers¡ª it won''t matter how many times we kill yer Yuan.'' Xiong Lu thought to himself.

    ''No¡­ she shouldn''t be that far away. As an Exile, she has a duty to protect her partner. If we push yer Yuan into a corner, she will definitely show up to save him.''

    A wide smile appeared on Xiong Lu''s face.

    ''This is perfect. We''ll take yer Yuan hostage and mess with him until she arrives.''

    "Listen to me carefully! I want you and everyone there to stall Yuan until we get there! I don''t care what you have to do! Don''t let him leave!" Xiong Lu demanded through the phone before closing the connection and calling the others.

    "yer Yuan has appeared at Enchanted Bamboo Forest! We will make our move immediately! Gather the forces! Today will be yer Yuan''sst day at the top!" Shortly after the phone call, the Ten Great Families summoned every single Exile and their partners.

    "We have confirmed the Asura n''s Exile''s location. We need to move out immediately. Gather outside the mansion." Fiery Queen shouted loud enough for everyone in the mansion to hear.

 Chapter 1314 Why Dont You Work With Me Instead

    Chapter 1314 Why Don''t You Work With Me Instead

    ''Should I go outside or wait for Brother Yuan''s return?'' Xiao Hua asked Yuan through divine sense.

    ''Go with them. We''ll meet up in a bit.'' Yuan quickly responded.

    ''Un.'' Xiao Hua acknowledged.

    Shortly after being summoned, all of the Exiles and their partners gathered right outside the manor.

    As yers from the Ten Great Families stood before a little over 200 individuals, Xiong Lu spoke in a loud voice, "Fortunately for us, our target wandered into our crosshair and was spotted at Enchanted Bamboo Forest just a few minutes ago. I have already sent some people to dy the Asura n''s Exile for as long as possible, so we need to move immediately."

    "Dying someone from the Asura n? Hah! Those people are probably long dead!" One of the Exiles there sneered out loud.

    "I am aware of our opponent''s strength, and I did not send a mere ten or hundred people. I called over a thousand people to dy her."

    "Even ten thousand ordinary people would not be enough!" Another Exile shouted.

    "That''s why we need to stop chatting here and move already!" Xiong Lu eximed.

    "Let''s go!"

    And without saying anything else, they began marching towards the Enchanted Bamboo Forest.

    Fiery Queen subconsciously nced at Xiao Hua, who had an overwhelming presence and stood out even though she was at the very end of the formation.

    ''Hmm? Where''s her partner?'' Fiery Queen raised an eyebrow when she could not see Xiao Yang anywhere in the crowd.

    ''Is he not here¡­? This is perfect¡­'' A mysterious smile appeared on Fiery Queen''s face as she approached Xiao Hua.

    "Where is your partner?" Fiery Queen asked Xiao Hua a momentter.

    "I don''t know. He disappeared into thin air and hasn''t returned since." Xiao Hua nonchntly responded.

    ''So he logged off? I thought we told the recruiters to call everyone on the roster to make sure they are not offline¡­'' Fiery Queen thought to herself.

    ''Oh well. This works perfectly for me.''

    "Correct me if I am wrong, but your name is Tian Hua." Fiery Queen recalled the fake name Yuan had given them.

    Xiao Hua calmly nodded, acknowledging it.

    "What do you think of your partner, Xiao Yang?" Fiery Queen then asked.

    "..."

    After a brief moment of silence, Xiao Hua said, "He''s weak andcking in talent."

    Fiery Queen''s eyes flickered with excitement after hearing such an answer, and she quickly said, "In that case, why don''t you work with me instead? I can assure you that I am both stronger and more talented than your current partner. After all, without the help of an Exile, I have managed to achieve Spirit Grandmaster by myself. If I have a powerful Exile like you by my side, I will definitely be able to help you achieve your goals."

    Of course, she had spent an unimaginable amount of her family''s fortune to purchase gold and treasures from other yers to reach such a point.

    ''How annoying¡­'' Xiao Hua sighed inwardly.

    However, Xiao Hua decided to y along for a bit.

    "And how will you be able to help me achieve my goals?"

    "For starters, my family is very rich, so money is of no issue. If you help me grow stronger, I will use that strength to help you. At the very least, I will be much more useful than your current partner."

    "Let me think about it." Xiao Hua said with a desire to end their conversation there.

    ''What the fuck is there to think about? I am clearly better than that ordinary-looking bastard! If someone like him can reach peak Spirit Grandmaster with her help, I will definitely reach Spirit King before anyone else!'' Fiery Queen cursed inwardly.

    "Of course. Take as much time as you need." Fiery Queen said to Xiao Hua with a calm smile.

    While the Ten Great Families had managed to find a few partnerless Exiles with the help of their current Exiles, she was not lucky enough to be chosen. N?velDrama.Org content rights.

    Fiery Queen didn''t n on taking an Exile from another yer at first, but when she saw the opportunity to do so, her nature made her act upon her greed.

    Meanwhile, at Enchanted Bamboo Forest, Yuan was surrounded by yers.

    "yer Yuan! Can I get a handshake?!"

    "yer Yuan! Please sign my weapon!"

    "yer Yuan! Let''s party up for a bit!" Yuan could tell that some of the yers there were genuine fans, but most of the people there had ulterior motives.

    ''Are they stalling me?'' Yuan smiled inwardly at their pointless attempts. After all, he did not n on running away.

    ''Since it will take them some time to arrive, I might as well entertain myself.'' Yuan epted one of the genuine fan''s requests to sign their weapon.

    After acquiring their weapon, he asked, "How would you like me to sign it?"

    "I-I will leave that to you! I would appreciate it if your signature couldst for a long time!" The young fan did not expect for Yuan to respond and was ecstatic when he epted her sword.

    "A long time, huh?" Yuan pondered for a moment before retrieving his Empyrean Overlord.

    "Are you okay with me scratching your weapon?" he asked.

    "I don''t mind!"

    "What''s your name?"

    "Ren Yun!"

    The following moment, Yuan tossed the fan''s sword into the air, and without hesitation, he swung at the sword, engraving the words ''To Ren Yun ¡ªYuan'' on one side of the sword''s de.

    "Here you go." Yuan returned the sword to the baffled fan.

    "Eh?" The fan looked at the perfectly written words with wide eyes. ''How did he write such clean words with a sword?''

    "T-Thank you very much!" The fan eventually snapped out of her daze and bowed to him.

    After a brief moment of silence, the other fans retrieved their weapons and began pleading for a signature as well.

    "yer Yuan! Please sign my weapon too!"

    "Mine too!"

    Yuan proceeded to sign more weapons, only epting the weapons from his genuine fans, leaving the others wondering why they were being ignored despite being closer to him.

 Chapter 1315 Our Target Was Player Yuan?!

    Chapter 1315 Our Target Was yer Yuan?!

    As Yuan lingered in the Enchanted Bamboo Forest and news of his presence spread online, more and more yers traveled there to meet him.

    However, upon their arrival, they were surprised to find hundreds of yers blocking their path, almost like a group of bodyguards during a concert.

    "Hey! Who the hell are you guys?! Get out of our way! We''re here to meet yer Yuan!" One of the yers there angrily shouted.

    "You don''t need to know our identity. The only thing you need to know is that you aren''t allowed past this point. You can try if you''d like, but you''ll die." One of the yers blocking the path said.

    The Ten Great Families did not want any interruptions while they hunted yer Yuan, hence the blockade. Furthermore, it was to prevent yer Yuan from escaping.

    Sometimeter, Yuan suddenly stopped his interaction with his fans when he sensed a chilling aura appear in the distance.

    This aura did note from a single individual. It was created by a group of ominous beings.

    ''They are finally here, huh.''

    Yuan looked at his fans, and not wanting to involve them in his battle, he said to them, "Sorry, but I have to end things here and continue my quest."

    "Eh?! Already?! Please stay with us a little longer!"

    "You haven''t signed my weapon yet!"

    Yuan then said, "I will do this again at ater date and a proper location. I have already memorized all of your faces here, so if I see you at the next location, I will give you priority." And without saying another word, Yuan left the crowd.

    However, while some yers decided to let him go, most of the yers there actually followed Yuan.

    Of course, Yuan had expected this.

    ''After all, you''re all just fake fans trying to stall me¡­''

    Yuan couldn''t care less if these yers were caught up in his battle with the Exiles, as they were already involved in the first ce.

    "Please wait, yer Yuan! There''s still something I must tell you!"

    "Where do you think you are going, yer Yuan?! I will not let you leave until you fight me!"

    These yers tried every tactic avable to stall him, as they had misunderstood his current action as running away, and they were all tasked with stalling him until the main forces arrived.

    "If you can catch me, I''ll listen to what you have to say," Yuan said to the yers before speeding up a little.

    Unsurprisingly, most of the yers there were left in the dust by his speed. Only those with superior cultivation managed to keep up, but even then, they were barely keeping up with Yuan.

    "Oh? Not bad. How about this?" Yuan sped up even more.

    "What?! How the hell is he moving so fast?! I have a Heaven-rank movement technique and I cannot keep up!"

    As the yers desperately tried to keep up with Yuan, he continued to increase his speed every few minutes.

    However, Yuan made sure to remain in these yers'' sight, as he did not want the Ten Great Families to think that he had left.

    Once he was close enough to the Exiles, Yuan decided to leave the yers behind, disappearing from their sight like a ghost.

    "What the hell?! Where did he go?!"

    "He couldn''t have gone far! Spread out and look for him! We cannot lose track of him when the main forces are so close! We''ll be executed if he gets away!"

    These yers desperately began searching for Yuan, unaware that he had already arrived before the main forces.

    Yuan stopped moving when he came across the Ten Great Families and the Exiles.

    Xiong Lu almost couldn''t believe his eyes when Yuan appeared before them like a ghost.

    ''It''s really him! It''s yer Yuan! But why the hell is he here? What happened to the guys watching over him?!''

    The others didn''t immediately realize Yuan had appeared before them, but when they saw Xiong Lu''s surprised face, they began realizing their situation.

    "Y-You¡­ yer Yuan?" Fiery Queen subconsciously muttered.

    Yuan looked at her and said, "If you''re asking for a signature, I am no longer giving out signatures today."

    All of the yers there realized they were standing before yer Yuan after he acknowledged it.

    "Wow! Is it really yer Yuan? What''s he doing here?"

    "This is my first time seeing him in person! How lucky!"

    Besides the yers from the Ten Great Families, everyone there did not know they were going to be hunting Yuan in just a moment.

    "What a coincidence, yer Yuan. I''ve been looking for you. You have no idea how much I have wanted to see you since ourst encounter." Xiong Lu suddenly said.

    Yuan looked at him and asked, "Have we met before? I don''t recall meeting you before, though."

    "I''m not surprised, since it was only briefly. By the way, where''s that little girl who was with you before?" Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.

    "She left to do something for me. Why are you looking for her?" Yuan tilted his head in a puzzled manner.

    "Because¡ª"

    "Hey! Why the hell did we stop?! The Asura n''s Exile will get away at this point!" One of the Exiles suddenly roared out loud.

    "How dare you stop and chat while in the middle of something so important?! Do you want to die?!" Another shouted.

    Xiong Lu turned to look at the group behind him and calmly said, "We stopped because we have arrived at our destination¡ªat our target."

    "What the fuck are you talking about?! Besides us, I don''t sense the presence of an Exile nearby!"

    Xiong Lu pointed at Yuan and continued, "That''s because she isn''t here right now. However, her partner is right here. If we capture him, she will definitelye to save him."

    "What?! Our target was yer Yuan?! You didn''t tell me about this!" One of the yers there eximed in shock.

    "I also wasn''t told about this! What is the meaning of this?! Did you lie to us?!"

    The yers began shouting with clear disbelief on their faces.

 Chapter 1316 Confronting the Exiles

    Chapter 1316 Confronting the Exiles

    "What is the meaning of this?! I thought we were after an Exile! Nobody said anything about hunting a yer¡ª yer Yuan, much less!"

    The yers were outraged when they realized that they had been tricked by the Ten Great Families to go after yer Yuan, who was an idol to many of them.

    "Shut up!" Xiong Lu roared, quickly silencing the scene.

    "We are after the Exile! However, we recently learned that she had formed a partnership with yer Yuan! Unfortunately, we weren''t able to reveal this information in time."

    "If I have to fight yer Yuan, I''d rather quit this group!" Someone suddenly said.

    "Right?! I''m leaving!" Another eximed.

    More and more of the yers started threatening to leave the group.

    Xiong Lu''s body trembled in anger, and he shouted a momentter, "You can leave if you want! However, don''t forget about the contract that you signed! Not to mention the money that we have already sent you! You are obligated to fulfill your duties! If you decide to leave without fulfilling your duties, the Ten Great Families will be your enemy. I will ensure of that."

    The yers trembled in fear after hearing Xiong Lu''s words, their faces filled with despair. While yer Yuan may be the strongest yer in Cultivation Online, the Ten Great Families have real influence in the real world, and their influence isn''t small.

    In fact, the Ten Great Families are so immensely wealthy and influential to the point where even the government could not touch them without risking a serious bacsh in the economy amongst other things.

    If ordinary yers were to make an enemy out of such titans, their lives would be ruined, not to mention their friends and families.

    "P-yer Yuan or not, I will fulfill my duties!" The yers changed their minds in the blink of an eye after hearing Xiong Lu''s threat.

    The Ten Great Families'' power was on full disy at the moment.

    Seeing this, Yuan could only shake his head in silence. He felt bad for the yers. They were tricked by the Ten Great Families and forced to fight.

    "Don''t worry, I don''t me you guys," Yuan said a momentter.

    When the yers heard Yuan''s words, they felt less guilty about their actions.

    Meanwhile, the Exiles were running out of patience.

    "I don''t know what you lots are chatting about, but I have no reason to raise my hand against a mere child. I only agreed to work with you because of the Asura n''s Exile, yet I don''t see her anywhere. What is the meaning of this? If you don''t give us a satisfying answer, I will kill you, regardless of your background."

    Unlike the yers, the Exiles had no reason to listen to Xiong Lu, and with the Ten Great Families'' influence limited to Earth, there was simply no way to threaten the Exiles. Even if their partners begged them, most Exiles only work when it benefits them.

    Furthermore, these Exiles could easily rece their current partners with other yers at any time, as there was an abundance of yers without an Exile out there.

    "There''s no way this brat could be the Asura n''s Exile''s partner. The Asura n would never work together with a weakling." Another Exile said.

    Xiong Lu knew that it would be difficult to control the Exiles, but he didn''t expect it to be this difficult. In the end, he decided to tell them the truth. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.

    "I am not lying to you¡ª I have no reason to. He''s definitely the Asura n''s Exile''s partner. After all, I watched them kill my partner." Xiong Lu said, revealing that he''d lost his Exile to Yuan.

    "What? Your Exile was in?" Fiery Queen and the others from the Ten Great Families were greatly surprised to hear this for the first time.

    However, the Exiles did not immediately believe him.

    "Your Exile was in by them? What was his name?" One of the Exiles asked.

    Xiong Lu gritted his teeth and uttered, "His name was Zhaohui, also known as the Harbinger of Agony!"

    The Exiles'' eyes widened with shock after hearing this familiar name.

    "Harbinger of Agony?! The Harbinger of Agony is dead?!"

    Zhaohui was quite renowned even within the Primordial Realm, and he was a Divine-grade Servant just like Xiao Hua, so he was in his own league whenpared to the gathered Exiles.

    To further prove his ims, Xiong Lu retrieved some of the items that Zhaohui had given him.

    "Those treasures! They definitely belonged to the Harbinger of Agony!"

    "Unbelievable! To think the Harbinger of Agony would perish in such a ce!"

    Suddenly, one of the Exiles there approached Yuan, appearing before him like a ghost.

    "Is it true? That you killed the Harbinger of Agony?" The Exile asked.

    Yuan calmly stared at the towering figure before him. This Exile was impressively tall and almost three heads taller than him. However, he was quite scrawny with his bones visible.

    Yuan smiled and responded to the question, "No, I didn''t kill him. It was my Exile who killed him. You guys mentioned the Asura n, right? My Exile also mentioneding from such a ce before."

    The Exile standing before Yuan suddenly erupted with immense killing intent¡ª enough topletely cover their area.

    "Where is she? I will spare your life if you bring us to her." The Exile said, expecting Yuan to cower in fear from his killing intent, just like the nearby yers who were trembling violently.

    However, to his surprise, Yuan remainedposed.

    "I guess you need to have some backbone to be Asura n''s Exile''s partner." The Exile smirked.

    And he continued, "Don''t say I didn''t give you a chance."

    "Oh? And what are you going to do?" Yuan asked in a calm voice.

    "Isn''t it obvious? I''m going to force you to tell me her location, even if I have to rip apart some limbs." "Is that so? I''d like to see you try." A cold smile appeared on Yuan''s face. The following second, Yuan summoned his Empyrean Overlord, and with movements that none of the Exiles could grasp, he dismembered the arms of the Exile standing before him.

    The Exile didn''t even realize his arms had been severed and only sensed a cold sensation brush past his shoulders, and the moment the Exile tried to move his arms, they fell off his body and fell on the ground, leaving him stunned and speechless.

    "Wha¡ª?"

    A look of despair and fear appeared on the Exile''s face when he realized the situation.

    "Toote," Yuan muttered in a cold voice.

    With another swing, the Exile''s head was sent flying into the air,nding only a few steps away from Xiong Lu and the others.

    "That''s one down."

    The others could hear Yuan mumbling such words afterward.

    Complete silence filled the scene as everyone there tried toprehend what had just urred.

    Yuan spread his arms wide apart and broke that silence by speaking in a beckoning manner, "What are you all waiting for? You won''t force me to do anything if you just stand there."

    Xiong Lu pointed at Yuan while trembling and shouted in a nervous tone, "G-Get him!"

    The next moment, several Exiles left the formation and attacked Yuan at the same time.

 Chapter 1317 Theres Not Enough of You!

    Chapter 1317 There''s Not Enough of You!

    In the blink of an eye, Yuan found himself surrounded by four Exiles, all of them exuding immense killing intent.

    "Abyssal Quicksand!"

    One of them pointed at Yuan''s feet, causing the ground beneath him to sink like a quicksand, binding his movements.

    "Heart Piercer!"

    Another Exile from behind shoved his sword towards Yuan''s heart.

    However, as if that wasn''t enough, the two Exiles at each of his sides were swinging their weapons directly at his neck.

    ''Are they going to kill him already?! I wanted to capture and torture him!'' Xiong Lu cried inwardly as he watched the scene.

    Meanwhile, Yuan did not even bother trying to defend himself and stood still in a nonchnt manner. N?velDrama.Org content rights.

    "What?!" The Exile behind Yuan eximed in a shocked voice when he realized that his sword could not pierce Yuan''s skin, almost as if there was invisible armor protecting his body.

    "Your head is mine!"

    A split secondter, the Exiles by his side reached his neck with their weapons, but just like the first attack, their weapons were stopped and could not prate Yuan''s skin, much less take his head.

    "What in heaven''s name¡­?"

    Everyone there muttered in a dazed voice, as they were unable toprehend what they were witnessing.

    Did the Exiles stop their attack right before they could kill Yuan, or did something stop them? None of the spectators could tell for sure.

    "You should put a little more arm strength into your strikes if you want to kill me." Yuan suddenly said in a calm voice.

    The Exiles around him suddenly sensed danger and immediately distanced themselves from him, their backs soaked in cold sweat afterward.

    "Oh?" Yuan mumbled in a slightly surprised tone. If the Exiles hadn''t moved just now, he would''ve killed them.

    "Don''t kill him!" Xiong Lu suddenly eximed. "If we don''t capture him alive, we won''t be able to bring out his Exile!"

    ''I don''t think we can kill him even if we tried¡­'' One of the Exiles thought inwardly. He could tell from their failed attack just now that Yuan was a formidable opponent. "If you want to capture me, you should''ve brought more people¡ª a few thousand more Exiles." Yuan smiled.

    "You arrogant little bastard¡­" Xiong Lu gritted his teeth.

    He turned to look at the Exiles behind him and roared, "What are the rest of you waiting for?! Get him!"

    "Huh? Who the hell are you tomand us? And are you really telling everyone here to gang up on a mere child? Laughable."

    "If he''s just a mere child, then you should have no problem capturing him alone." Xiong Lu sneered back, and he continued, "I think you''re scared of him, hence why you''re staying back."

    "You dare mock me¡­?"

    "He''s right." Yuan suddenly interjected. "I think you''re all scared. Don''t be afraid ande at me at once. I''ll even go easy on you."

    Hearing his provocation, several more Exiles stepped outside the formation and approached him.

    There were a dozen Exiles that surrounded Yuan now, yet he did not seem to be bothered by their presence in the slightest.

    In response, Yuan actually stored his Empyrean Overlord and brought out his Starry Abyss.

    "It''s been a while since I used you. Let''s have some fun, shall we?" Yuan mumbled while looking at the beautiful dagger in his grasp.

    "He has two Soul Weapons¡­?" The Exiles were quite startled to see Yuan pull out another Soul Weapon.

    Meanwhile, the yers didn''t know that Yuan could also wield a dagger, as they had only seen him with the Empyrean Overlord.

    ''Is this what he means by going easy?'' They all wondered.

    The next moment, Yuan made the first move and started attacking the closest Exile to him, and before they could react, he executed one of them with a simple strike at the neck.

    The spectators were stunned. Yuan''s movements were so swift that the yers couldn''t keep up and the Exiles were barely able to follow them. "Stop using your eyes! Use your divine sense to follow him!" One of the Exiles suddenly shouted.

    Even though it seemed obvious, the Exiles were simply too stunned by Yuan''s overwhelming prowess to think.

    However, even though they could follow Yuan''s movements with their divine sense, their bodies were having difficulties responding to his speed.

    One by one, Yuan slew the Exiles as though they were mere mortals.

    When the spectating Exiles realized the gravity of their situation, they could no longer stand still. More and more Exiles began leaving the formation to fight Yuan.

    10¡­ 20¡­ 30¡­

    Yuan had to face 30 opponents by himself. He was constantly bombarded with powerful techniques and even spiritual attacks that tried to mess with his soul.

    Unfortunately for the Exiles, Yuan''s soul strength was beyond theirprehension, and was not affected by these spiritual attacks in the slightest.

    As for the martial techniques, they were not strong enough to break through Yuan''s defenses, and even if some managed to injure him a little, his wounds would immediately be restored within the blink of an eye.

    Of course, Yuan wasn''t just sitting there and letting them attack him for free. Whenever he noticed a gap in their defenses, he would take the chance and y an Exile without fail.

    "This fucking monster! Is he even human?! It feels like I am fighting with a demon instead!" One of the Exiles cursed out loud.

    The yers witnessing their fight were just as stunned if not even more shocked.

    "Xiong Lu¡­ I thought you said that only yer Yuan''s Exile was powerful¡­ If that''s the case, how is he fighting so many Exiles at once and still winning?!" Someone from the Ten Great Families looked to him for answers.

    Xiong Lu, who was dazed with his eyes wide open, muttered, "I-I don''t know¡­"

    He began doubting himself and their whole operation.

    "Hahaha!" Yuan suddenly startedughing.

    "This is quite fun, but there''s not enough of you! All of youe at me at once! Entertain me some more!"

    "That crazy bastard¡­"

    In the end, more and more Exiles left the formation to join the fight.

    Soon, over 70 Exiles were attacking Yuan at once, and rather than fighting a human, it felt like they were subjugating a dangerous monster instead.

 Chapter 1318 Crimson Empress

    Chapter 1318 Crimson Empress

    "Why aren''t my spiritual techniques working on him?! It''s as though they''re passing right through him!" One of the Exiles cried in frustration.

    "Fuck! What is his body made of?! Not even my Divine-grade treasure can pierce his skin!" Another cursed out loud.

    "The Asura n''s Exile must have drowned him in treasures! There''s no way a mere Spirit King could fight so many of us at once!"

    "Keep attacking him! There must be a limit to his tricks! He will eventually run out of spiritual energy, too!" Yuan''s battle with the Exiles was so massive that it caused havoc within the Enchanted Bamboo Forest, alerting nearby experts.

    With every release of a potent technique by an Exile, the entire forest quivered.

    Furthermore, with so many powerful cultivators gathered in one area, the pressure within the forest was intense and unbearable for the yers there, forcing them to evacuate the Enchanted Bamboo Forest, as they were losing health just by being in the vicinity.

    Half an hour into their fight, Yuan slew over 30 Exile, and there were only four Exiles who have yet to join the fight, Xiao Hua being one of them.

    Fiery Queen, seeing this, approached her and said, "Are you not going to join the fight? We''ll lose more Exiles at this rate. Please, we need your help." Xiao Hua nced at her with a cold gaze, sending shivers down her back.

    ''Brother Yuan, what should I do?'' she decided to ask him.

    Yuan smiled and said, ''Do whatever you want.''

    After receiving his response, Xiao Hua looked at the Exile standing not too far away from her¡ª the one who partnered with Dazzling Sword.

    Then, without any hesitation, she approached him.

    Dazzing Sword suddenly sensed a presence behind him and turned around. Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.

    "W-What?!"

    To his absolute surprise, Xiao Hua was standing behind his Exile with her arm extended and fingers grasping onto his Exile''s neck.

    "W-What the fuck do you think you are doing to my Exile?!" Dazzling Sword eximed, catching the others'' attention.

    "T-Tian Hua?! What are you doing?! Your enemy is over there!" Fiery Queen couldn''t believe her eyes.

    Xiao Hua ignored Fiery Queen and the other yers. Shortly after grasping onto the Exile''s neck, she tossed him outside the formation.

    "Senior?! What are you doing?!" The Butcherer asked her with a puzzled look on his face.

    "I don''t like you, and your face is annoying, so I am going to kill you." Xiao Hua said as she retrieved tworge swords, wielding one in each hand.

    "If you think I am just going to sit back and let you kill me, you''re gravely mistaken!" The Butcherer grabbed the two axes strapped to his back and wielded one in each hand like Xiao Hua.

    The following moment, Xiao Hua kicked her feet and flew at the Butcherer, who confronted her with sweaty palms. Despite his words just now, he knew that he had no chance of winning against her after learning of her killing intent not long ago. However, he wasn''t expecting to fight her by himself either.

    Sure enough,the two Exiles who had refrained from engaging Yuan due to theirck of confidence quickly opted to assist the Butcherer upon witnessing Xiao Hua''s betrayal. The Butcherer and the other two Exiles surrounded Xiao Hua with a triangr formation.

    Xiao Hua was not confident that she could fight three Exiles at once, but when she remembered that Yuan was fighting over 70 of them at once, she gritted her teeth and tossed away all of her useless thoughts.

    ''If I am going to follow Brother Yuan, I will need to get stronger¡ª much stronger than I am currently!''

    A resolute expression appeared on Xiao Hua''s face.

    "Heavenly Domain¡ª full power!"

    A vicious light flickered within Xiao Hua''s gaze right before a tyrannical pressure enveloped the three Exiles surrounding her.

    "W-What is this?!"

    Xiao Hua took advantage of the Exiles'' stunned state and swung herrge swords at the Exile standing closest to her, executing him in a single strike.

    "Heaven Sealing Technique!"

    Without any pauses after the kill, she immediately sealed the cultivation of the next closest Exile before swinging her sword at him.

    "M-My cultivation is sealed?!" The Exile didn''t realize that his cultivation had been sealed until it was toote.

    In the blink of an eye, Xiao Hua slew two of the three Exiles, leaving thest one, the Butcherer,pletely speechless.

    Xiong Lu, who couldn''t be bothered by themotion behind him finally decided to take a peek, and his eyes widened when he saw the swords in Xiao Hua''s grasp.

    "H-Her! That''s her! She''s yer Yuan''s Exile!" Xiong Lu eximed in a terrified voice after recognizing her swords.

    "What?!" The yers turned to look at Xiao Hua with wide eyes.

    Even the Exiles fighting Yuan stopped moving and risked their lives to look.

    "You told us she was a little girl! Which part of her is little?!" One of the Exiles suddenly cursed out loud.

    "I''m sure it''s her! She used the same weapons when she fought my Exile! I cannot exin her change in appearance, but I am certain that it''s her who killed Zhaohui!" Xiong Lu said.

    "Did she consume an appearance altering pill to fool us?" One of the Exiles deducted correctly.

    "Appearance altering pill? T-Then¡­" Fiery Queen turned to look at Yuan with a horrified look on her face.

    Yuan smiled and said out loud, "I guess there''s no point in hiding now, Xiao Hua."

    He removed his mask, revealing his appearance as Xiao Yang.

    "X-Xiao Yang! You bastard! How dare you trick us?!" Fiery Queen''s face flushed with redness after realizing that they had beenpletely yed by Yuan.

    Xiao Hua also removed her mask, revealing her sister''s beautiful appearance.

    When the Exiles saw Xiao Hua''s face, their faces immediately paled.

    "C-Crimson Empress?!" Not one Exile there did not recognize Xiao Hua''s sister''s face.

    After realizing the identity of their target, the Exiles suddenly lost all motivation to continue with some even dropping their weapons in despair.

 Chapter 1319 Outside Cultivation Online

    Chapter 1319 Outside Cultivation Online

    All it took was a mere nce at Xiao Hua''s face for the Exiles to lose their will to continue fighting.

    "C-Crimson Empress?! We were after the Crimson Empress this entire time?!"

    When the Exiles came to this realization, their faces twisted with fear and despair.

    ''What''s going on? Why did they stop the moment they saw her face?'' Fiery Queen and the other yers wondered inwardly as they tried toprehend the situation.

    Unlike the Exiles, the yers were oblivious of the Asura n''s true influence and power, much less about this Crimson Empress.

    "Crimson Empress! We didn''t know you were here! Please, spare me!" One of the Exile suddenly got onto his knees and kowtowed while begging for his life.

    "I-I was tricked into doing this! If I had known it was you, I wouldn''t have came here!" Another Exile dropped his weapon and surrounded his hands toward the sky.

    ''They are this terrified of her? Just what kind of person is her sister?'' Yuan wondered inwardly, finding the Exiles'' reaction to be quite entertaining.

    Abruptly, several Exiles in the vicinity pivoted and started sprinting away, disying a sense of urgency as if their very lives hinged on making a swift escape, devoid of any hesitation.

    "Where do you think you are going?!" Yuan swiftly reacted to their escape and acitvated Ten Thousand Ghost des, creating hundreds of Starry Abyss to chase after the Exiles.

    None of the Exiles managed to run away sessfully and perished out of sight shortly after they ran.

    When the other Exiles saw this, they tossed away any thought of running away. However, most of them never even intended to run away in the first ce, as they weren''t foolish enough to turn their backs on the Crimson Empress.

    "Crimson Empress, please have mercy! We will ept any punishment you give us!"

    This was the best way for these Exiles to save their lives¡ª by giving it up on their own and hoping the Crimson Empress would spare them. However, it wouldn''t be out of pity or generosity. In the Crimson Empress'' eyes, they were as insignificant as ants, and unless one was a psychopath, they wouldn''t go out of their way to step on every ant they saw.

    Xiao Hua wasn''t sure what to do in this situation. She didn''t expect to cause such amotion by using her sister''s appearance.

    Suddenly, just as Xiao Hua opened her mouth, her figure began shrinking.

    In the blink of an eye, Xiao Hua returned to her original appearance. This was witnessed by everyone there.

    Naturally, it was due to the appearance-altering pill running out of effect. Yuan also reverted to his original appearance.

    Following a prolonged moment of silence, the Exiles, initially trembling in fear, transitioned to trembling with rage upon understanding the situation.

    "Y-You little bitch! Who the fuck are you?! How dare you mess with us by using the Crimson Empress'' appearance!"

    The Exiles rose to their feet, gripping their weapons with renewed determination. Their eyes gleamed with a potent killing intent, fueled by an unprecedented sense of humiliation.

    "Even if it''s thest thing I do in this life, I will make you pay for humiliating me!"

    "How dare you y with me?!"

    "You little bitch! I''ll skin you alive!"

    The Exiles roared as they ran towards Xiao Hua,pletely ignoring Yuan.

    Xiao Hua was startled when all of the Exiles started running at her and contemted releasing her seal again.

    A calm sigh that none of them heard suddenly resounded, followed by an immense pressure that appeared out of thin air.

    [Heavenly Domain]

    Yuan activated Heavenly Domain, abruptly freezing the movements of the Exiles in their tracks.

    "Turning your backs to your opponent in the middle of a fight¡­ You guys are either really confident or dumb." Yuan spoke as he reced the Starry Abyss with the Empyrean Overlord.

    "I guess it''s about time I finish this and make my way to the Fourth Heaven."

    [Dragon Awakening]

    Yuan''s aura surged toward heaven, and his presence began to mirror that of a divine beast. His once pristine ck hair and clear eyes transformed into a resplendent gold.

    "This won''t take long."

    [Vanishing Ghost''s Soundless de]

    Yuan''s sword flickered for an instant. The next moment, half of the Exiles there copsed to the ground without realizing that they had been killed. Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.

    A solitary swing of his sword cleaved through over 40 Exiles, rending them in half and causing a river of blood to flow.

    When the other Exiles saw this, their faces paled, but before their mind could evenprehend their situation, Yuan swung his sword again.

    Sha!

    An unyielding and overwhelming sword light shed, sweeping the rest of the Exiles in the blink of an eye.

    In a span of mere seconds since Yuan''s transformation, he had obliterated all the Exiles, leaving only the one beside Xiao Hua standing. His overwhelming prowess was on full disy, leaving the yers in absolute shock and disbelief.

    Seeing this, Xiao Hua quickly snapped out of her daze and went to finish the Butcherer within a minute.

    Yuan deactivated Dragon Awakening afterward and approached the yers with a nonchnt look on his face as he casually stepped on the corpses in his path, stopping only a few steps away from Xiong Lu.

    "Now that all of your Exiles are gone, what are you going to do?" Yuan asked.

    Xiong Lu didn''t know how to react and subconsciously smiled in a nervous manner.

    "You fucking monster¡­" he uttered in a trembling voice.

    "If you have nothing else to say, I''ll end this right now."

    Xiong Lu gritted his teeth and bellowed, "You might wield power in this world, but don''t forget who truly holds authority and influence in the real world! You''re just a mere orphan without any substantial support. I can crush you and everyone around you like an ant whenever I please!"

    Yuan smiled at his threat and said, "You can''t defeat me in this world, so you''re going to fight me outside of Cultivation Online next? Of course, I don''t mind, but don''t forget¡­"

    The smile on Yuan''s face suddenly disappeared, and his expression turned grim, "You won''t die if I kill you in this world, and you will at most lose your ability to cultivate. However, if you decide to fight me on the other side, I can''t guarantee that you''ll still be alive afterward."

    Xiong Lu''s expression darkened after hearing his words.

 Chapter 1320 Final Answer

    Chapter 1320 Final Answer

    "You dare to threaten me?!" Xiong Lu bellowed in a fit of rage after hearing Yuan''s words.

    Yuan chuckled, "It''s just a friendly reminder."

    "You probably feel quite aplished after dealing with the Zheng Family. However, let me make it clear: the Xiong Family operates on an entirely different echelon! Not even ten Zheng Families could pose a threat to us!" Xiong Lu asserted with a tone of superiority.

    "Consider this carefully, Yuan¡ªor should I call you Yu Tian? Do you genuinely wish to antagonize the Ten Great Families? By doing so, you won''t merely be provoking us but also all our allies, epassing the entirety of the Legacy Ranking."

    "Even if you somehow have the prowess to resist us, how long will you be able to keep that up? The Legacy Rankings control the world. Can you hide from the world? Can you fight against the world? What about your friends? How will you protect them?"

    "..."

    Yuan fell silent as Xiong Lu rambled on and on about the Legacy Ranking and their insurmountable power.

    "Yu Tian, if you have any sense, cease this opposition. I''m open to having you work for me. There''s no need for us to be adversaries. Join us and assist in conquering this world called Cultivation Online together."

    "You will be paid handsomely, and you will receive unimaginable fame and status."

    Xiong Lu extended a hand and continued, daring Yuan to defy the proposition, "If you refuse to work for us, then we can only be adversaries, and we will crush you with the full extent of our power."

    A heavy silence enveloped the entire area as those present held their breath, anticipation hanging in the air as they anxiously awaited Yuan''s response.

    Yuan''s reply had the potential to reshape not only the dynamics within Cultivation Online but also on Earth itself. After all, his cultivation techniques and secrets in Cultivation Online could easily flip the entire world around.

    Nevertheless, whether Yuan epted or declined Xiong Lu''s offer, the world would undergo a transformative shift. The future of both Cultivation Online and Earth hung in the bnce, teetering between peace and destruction, all contingent upon Yuan''s decision.

    After a moment of silence that felt like an eternity, Yuan spoke in a calm voice, "I have minded my own business ever since I first stepped into this world, only striving towards my own goal, so I don''t understand how I ended up here, surrounded by mostly people I have never met until recently, even being threatened by them."

    "Even when my Exile killed your Exile, we weren''t the ones who approached you, nor were we the ones who started the fight. Now that I think about it, this whole situation started when you threatened us." "Are you sure you want to make the same mistake again? This time, it won''t end with just one dead criminal." Yuan stood there with a calm expression on his face.

    Xiong Lu''s entire body trembled upon hearing Yuan''s words, and he asked, "Is this your final answer? I will keep my hand in this position for another three seconds. If you¡ª"

    "No, that wasn''t my final answer." Yuan suddenly interrupted.

    The very next moment, before anyone there could even react, Yuan swung his sword at Xiong Lu, severing his body in half from top to bottom.

    "This is my final answer." Xiong Lu couldn''t even respond to Yuan because he was dead, but there was a shocked expression on his face as his body dissipated into thin air.

    At that moment, Xiong Lu experienced his first death in Cultivation Online.

    After killing Xiong Lu, Yuan turned to look at Fiery Queen and the others from the Ten Great Families.

    "Tell him this when you guys see him in a bit¡ªI hope you guys will entertain me more than today."

    "W-Wait¡ª"

    Just as Fiery Queen opened her mouth and tried to speak, a notification appeared before her.

    <You have died>

    The other 7 yers from the Ten Great Families also encountered the same notification simultaneously.

    Once he''d dealt with the Ten Great Families, Yuan shifted his attention to the remaining yers standing there, their faces marked with terror as they wondered if they were next to die.

    After releasing a deep sigh, Yuan spoke, "You can rx. I am not going to kill you guys since you were basically tricked into hunting me. Unfortunately, I had to kill all of your Exiles. Though truth to be told, I would''ve killed them even if none of this had happened, as I also have an Exile of my own, and only one Exile canplete the legacy."

    "If you hold any grudges toward me for this, I wee you toe after me. However, I won''t be as forgiving as today, so bear that in mind when you think about pointing your weapon at me." Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.

    One of the yers there suddenly raised his hand and asked in a nervous voice, "yer Yuan¡­ are you really going to fight the Ten Great Families¡ªthe Legacy Ranking?"

    "I am not going to go out of my way to fight them since I have more important things to do, but if they really want to fight, I won''t sit back and be a pushover."

    "While you are probably invincible inside Cultivation Online, the real world is a different story¡­ I cannot imagine how you''ll deal with the Legacy Ranking, as they essentially run the world."

    Yuan nonchntly shrugged, "I''ll figure it out when the timees, but as I already said, I have more important things to deal with."

    "What is possibly more important than being the enemy of the world?!" Another yer eximed in disbelief.

    "It''s not like I am really going to fight the entire world, but for starters, how about the end of the world?" Yuan said with a smile.

    "T-The end of the world¡­? What are you¡­?"

    Yuan merely shook his head in silence before turning to look at Xiao Hua, "Xiao Hua, let''s leave."

    Xiao Hua silently nodded and flew to him, avoiding the sea of corpses and blood beneath her.

    "Oh, I almost forgot." Yuan suddenly made a gesture with his hand, causing all of the spatial rings and storage pouches that belonged to the corpses to fly toward him.

    After sucking all of the loot inside his own spatial ring like a vacuum, Yuan quickly left the scene.

    Meanwhile, the yers present remained in a state of bewilderment, grappling with uncertainty as they attempted to discern their next course of action.

 Chapter 1321 Exile Executioner

    Chapter 1321 Exile Executioner

    "W-What should we do now¡­?" One of the yers there asked out loud sometime after Yuan left them behind in the bloodied scene.

    "What can we do? All of our Exiles are dead because of the Ten Great Families, but it''s not like we can mention this to anyone without facing their wrath."

    "What about our contract with them? Do we have to return the money and treasure since the quest failed miserably?" "Fuck! What a goddamn mess this is!" "If you think this is a mess, just wait until they start fighting in the real world¡­ Do you think they''ll shed blood?"

    "I don''t know about yer Yuan, but the Ten Great Families do not tolerate humiliation, and they definitely wouldn''t hesitate to kill someone over such things."

    "They are also above thew and backed by the government, so even if they kill someone, it could easily be swept under the rug."

    "If we''re talking about an ordinary person, that is. What about yer Yuan? The entire world is aware of his presence. There''s no way to sweep him under the rug. I will probably sound crazy for saying this, but I don''t think even the Ten Great Families can touch yer Yuan without immense bacsh."

    "No, I agree with you. If this had happened a year ago, I would''ve definitely called you crazy. However, Cultivation Online is no longer just a game, and just think of how much information and knowledge yer Yuan has about Cultivation Online. All of that information is priceless and could be used to fight back."

    Due to the recent changes on Earth, it wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say that Cultivation Online has be a second ''Earth'' ¡ª at least that''s how the people on Earth are starting to see it. And as much as Xiong Lu wanted to ignore Yuan''s influence in Cultivation Online, most would not agree with him.

    Eventually, these yers logged off and called their recruiter to see what would happen to them.

    Ultimately, they were informed that they could retain the funds already provided, as it constituted part of the contractual agreement. However, the other half of the reward would not be disbursed, given their failure to fulfill the mission.

    The yers were relieved, but they were not satisfied. After all, their Exiles were worth far more than what they were given, and to lose them was an immense loss even for the Ten Great Families, much less these ordinary yers.

    Sometimeter, Yuan stopped walking when notifications suddenly bombarded him.

    <You have executed an Exile!>

    <You have executed an Exile!>

    <You have executed an Exile!>

    <You have executed an Exile!>

    <...>

    <You have earned the title ''Exile Executioner''!>

    [Exile Executioner]

    [Description: After executing over a hundred Exiles, your aplishment and dedication have been acknowledged! You are now an Exile Executioner! As an Executioner, you will deal 100% increased damage when facing against an Exile! Weaker Exiles will also flee in your presence!]

    <Due to your achievements, you have gained a significant amount of contribution points for your Faction!>

    <Your Faction Rank has been promoted to ''General''!>

    ''Oh?'' Yuan was pleasantly surprised by this promotion.

    However, he quickly became disappointed when he didn''t receive anything else for his promotion.

    ''What can I even do as a General in the Faction? I probably won''t find out until I climb much higher¡­'' he sighed inwardly. ''Actually¡­ I have to visit the Myriad of Techniques before I ascend to the next realm.''

    After deciding to visit the Myriad of Techniques, he started making his way to the nearest city.

    Meanwhile, the yers of the Ten Great Families gathered outside Cultivation Online sometime after they died to Yuan.

    The atmosphere within the meeting room was thick with a profound silence, and not a soul uttered a single word for minutes after assembling, almost as if they were all too ashamed.

    After many minutes of silence, someone eventually spoke out.

    "What am I doing here?" Bai Lianhua asked.

    Even though she did not expect to be summoned and had no desire to attend, her curiosity about their present predicament proved toopelling to ignore. Upon arrivingst and sensing the tense atmosphere, she promptly discerned that their endeavors had ended in failure.

    ''So this is a loser''s gathering, huh? But that doesn''t exin why I was summoned as well. Are they going to me me for not assisting them?'' Bai Lianhua wondered inwardly as she anxiously waited for a response.

    However, nobody answered her question.

    After another minute of silence, Xiong Lu spoke, "Did anyone here lose their ability to cultivate?"

    Since there was a chance for one''s cultivation to be crippled after death, he had to know if anyone there experienced such a tragic fate.

    ''Losing their ability to cultivate¡­?'' Bai Lianhua raised her eyebrows. ''That could only happen if you die¡­ Did Yuan ughter all of them?''

    Bai Lianhua could barely keep herposure after learning of this news. If she had even slightly worse self-restraint, she would''ve burst outughing.

    In response to Xiong Lu''s question, everyone that were in by Yuan shook their heads. Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.

    ''He killed all of them?!'' Bai Lianhua subconsciously grinned at their misfortune.

    When Fiery Queen saw Bai Lianhua smiling at them, she immediately mmed the table in anger, "What the hell are you smiling about, Bai Lianhua?! Do you think this is funny?!"

    "Huh?" Bai Lianhua didn''t even realize she was smiling until it was pointed out and was surprised by Fiery Queen''s sudden outburst.

    But she didn''t back down and chuckled, "Of course I find it funny. The nine of you¡ªthe strongest and most powerful yers in Cultivation Online¡ªcouldn''t take down a single yer and even died to him, not to mention the other yers you recruited. I have never seen a failure of such epic proportions. This will definitely go down in history¡ªI will make sure of it."

    "You''re going too far, you bitch!" Fiery Queen roared.

    The others also started cursing at her.

    Bai Lianhua merely shrugged at their insults.

    There will be daily chapters until mass release

 Chapter 1322 Declared War

    Chapter 1322 Dered War

    "Curse at me all you want. It won''t change the fact that you tried to go after Yuan and miserably failed." Bai Lianhua calmly said to the people in the room.

    "We lost because you refused to help us!" Fiery Queen shouted, trying to save some face.

    "¡­"

    However, nobody in the room backed such a statement, as they were aware that even if Bai Lianhua helped them, it wouldn''t have made a difference, as that was simply how powerful Yuan was. N?velDrama.Org (C) content.

    In their minds, they were kicking themselves for agreeing to help Xiong Lu. Due to theirck of judgment and jealousy, they made a devastating mistake that ruined their faces and any potential rtionship with the uncertain powerhouse known as Yuan.

    Bai Lianhua, on the other hand, could now monopolize any benefit the others could have gained if they hadn''t attacked Yuan, and if she joined forces with Yuan, it would make things even moreplicated for them.

    "You lost because I didn''t assist you? No, you lost because you messed with the wrong individual! I cautioned all of you that he wasn''t someone to be taken lightly, yet none bothered to heed my words and willingly marched to your doom alongside Xiong Lu," Bai Lianhua retorted, her tone marked by a mix of frustration and admonishment.

    "Anyways, did you summon me here merely to disy your humiliation? If so, I''ve witnessed enough."

    Just as Bai Lianhua prepared to leave the meeting, Xiong Lu spoke in a cold voice, "We summoned you because yer Yuan has dered war against the Ten Great Families, which includes the Bai Family."

    Bai Lianhua frowned upon hearing this, and she quickly said, "Bullshit! He waged war against you. Don''t drag my family into your mess."

    "No, Xiong Lu is correct. yer Yuan has dered war against the entire Legacy Ranking. Henceforth, we will unleash our full might to crush him," Zheng Yanwu confirmed.

    Fiery Queen added, "Given that the Bai Family is part of the Legacy Ranking, you also bear the responsibility to address this threat¡ªunless, of course, you wish to align with yer Yuan and stand against the entire world."

    "Don''t forget that the Legacy Ranking yed a pivotal role in shaping your family''s current status. If you choose to bite the hands that fed you, we won''t hesitate to put you down," another participant warned.

    Bai Lianhua clenched her fists and responded to them in a cold voice, "You guys sure talk big for a bunch of losers. Are you going to cry to your parents because you lost a fight? I cannot imagine being that pathetic."

    "And speaking of parents, I wonder if yours are aware of this. After all, your words carry little weight when it''s your parents who make the ultimate decisions." When Bai Lianhua brought up their parents, the room plunged into an eerie silence, as if she had struck a nerve.

    While everyone in the meeting room was the top yer in their respective families, they could not go around dering war without their family''s approval. "You don''t need to worry about that. I will speak with my father right after this meeting, and I do not doubt that he will have no problem with crushing a single ant." Xiong Lu spoke in a confident voice.

    "Until then, you should stop spewing bullshit. I''ll take my leave now if there''s nothing else." Bai Lianhua said.

    "Go ahead." Xiong Lu calmly nodded.

    Bai Lianhua didn''t hesitate and logged off from the meeting room. After that, she immediately called her father, Bai Mengyao.

    "I am currently in the middle of a meeting. Call me back in a few hours." Bai Mengyao immediately said after connecting.

    "This is urgent, Father! Xiong Lu stated that the Legacy Ranking ns to coborate to crush Yuan! The others from the Ten Great Families also shared the same sentiment!"

    Despite maintaining aposed demeanor during the meeting, Bai Lianhua was secretly fraught with concern. After all, engaging in conflict with a few individuals from the Ten Great Families was an entirely different prospect than facing the entire Ten Great Families themselves.

    "How odd¡­" Bai Mengyao spoke after a moment of silence. "I didn''t receive any news regarding this. Are you sure this isn''t just that child''s bickering?"

    "Well¡­ Xiong Lu said that he''ll talk to his father about it after the meeting."

    Hearing this, Bai Mengyao suddenly burst outughing, which greatly baffled Bai Lianhua.

    "W-What''s so funny?!" "You know nothing about that child''s old man. Do you truly think he''s as immature as his son? He didn''t raise the Xiong Family to its current position with ignorance and recklessness. If he''s as shrewd as I think, he wouldn''t dare think about crushing someone as important as Yuan."

    "Someone as important as Yuan¡­? Is there something I don''t know, father?" Bai Lianhua asked.

    "There''s a lot of things you don''t know about! Anyways, there''s nothing to worry about. I will call you back when I am done with my meeting." Bai Mengyao hung up the phone, leaving Bai Lianhua speechless.

    Meanwhile, Yuan arrived at the Myriad of Techniques.

    "Is this your first time here?" A young man that Yuan didn''t recognize greeted him when he entered the building.

    "No."

    And without exining further, Yuan lifted his head to look at the ceiling and spoke out loud, "Senior Bai, can you hear me?"

    His actions greatly shocked the young man, who hastily said, "W-What do you think you are doing?!"

    "He''s a friend."

    A familiar voice suddenly resounded, shocking the young man even further.

    "My hands are a little full at the moment, so you''ll have to wait a bit." Senior Bai continued.

    A portal opened up before Yuan.

    "Take your time."

    Yuan calmly stepped inside the portal, disappearing from the building.

    Once he was inside Senior Bai''s realm, Yuan flew to the nearest floating pavilion and waited for Senior Bai''s arrival.

    After several hours, a portal materialized before Yuan, and Senior Bai stepped through it.

 Chapter 1323 Earth

    Chapter 1323 Earth

    "I apologize for the wait, Yuan. My business took a little longer to deal with than expected." Senior Bai apologized after stepping through the portal.

    Yuan shook his head, "It''s fine. I came here unannounced, too."

    After taking a seat and receiving some tea, Senior Bai poured a cup for him.

    "Thank you." N?velDrama.Org content rights.

    "I''m relieved to see you''ve survived the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb. How was your experience? I can sense that there''s something different about you, but I can''t quite pinpoint it," Senior Bai remarked.

    "It was quite an experience. I came close to death a few times, to be honest. Oh, I also encountered a few individuals from the upper heavens," Yuan shared.

    "Even though they are supposed to be hunting a certain individual¡­" Senior Bai shook his head at these people from the upper heavens.

    "But I cannot me them for visiting the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb. Even Immortals used to travel to the Third Heaven all the time just for that ce."

    "Anyways, what are you going to do now?"

    "I''ll be making my way towards the Fourth Heaven after this."

    "The Fourth Heaven already, huh? You are probably one of the fastest climbers out there. In my experience, you are definitely the fastest climber. Even the most talented cultivators spend years preparing before challenging each door, yet you undertake them whenever you please," Senior Bai smiled.

    "Once you transition from the Third Heaven to the Fourth Heaven, it''ll be akin to stepping into an entirely new world. The disparities in cultivation will be even more profound, and the world itself will unfold in grander proportions."

    Yuan pondered for a moment before asking, "Do you know anything about the Vanishing Valley in the Fourth Heaven?"

    Senior Bai immediately frowned at this name, and he asked in a grim tone, "I hope you are not nning on visiting that godforsaken ce." A bittersweet smile appeared on Yuan''s face as he said, "Unfortunately, I must go there."

    The frown on Senior Bai''s face deepened.

    "Do you have any idea what kind of ce the Vanishing Valley is?"

    "I am aware that it''s a very dangerous ce."

    "It''s more than just dangerous. The magical beasts alone could threaten even Immortals, not to mention the real monster dwelling within."

    "Monster?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    Dong Ye didn''t mention anything about a monster.

    "This creature is neither human nor beast, but a spirit. Even the most powerful magical beasts within the valley are akin to toddlers inparison to this spirit. Fortunately, unlike the magical beasts, the spirit won''t approach you unless provoked. However, that doesn''t diminish its danger," Senior Bai exined.

    "Regardless, I''d like to know your reason for venturing into the Vanishing Valley," he then inquired.

    "I have to go even if it kills me because the lives of many are at risk, including mine."

    "What kind of trouble did you get yourself into? Let me see if I can help you."

    Yuan smiled and said, "I didn''t get into any trouble, it just happened. And as much as I''d like your help, I don''t think it''s something you can assist me with."

    Senior Bai narrowed his eyes slightly and proceeded to ponder in silence.

    "Does it have anything to do with ''your world''?"

    Yuan''s eyes widened with surprise.

    "There''s no need to be surprised. I''ve known about it ever since we first met." Senior Bai continued.

    "Is it really okay for you to say that?" Yuan asked in a worried tone.

    He was already aware that top cultivators weren''t affected by the Celestial Emperor''s curse, but he harbored a suspicion that other rules were preventing them from divulging such information.

    Senior Bai stroked his beard and replied calmly, "Actually, we are not supposed to acknowledge it, reinforced by the Celestial Emperor himself, so I am currently going against the Celestial Emperor by telling you this. With that being said, we are in a safe zone, so they won''t know unless we tell on ourselves."

    "Is that so¡­"

    Yuan saw Senior Bai in a new light.

    After taking a deep breath, Yuan nodded, "Yes, it''s rted to my world¡ªa ce we call Earth."

    "How much do you know about our world?" he then asked.

    "Not much. As far as I''m aware, Earth used to be part of the Nine Heavens before it was separated. If you weren''t aware, the Nine Heavens used to be one extensive world, but it was divided into ten different realms after a certain incident."

    Yuan nodded, "I know that much. While the Nine Heavens remained rtively close to each other, my world drifted away."

    "Yes, it happened so fast that nobody was able to do anything but watch as it disappeared into the distant void. Though, even if there was time, I doubt anyone would be willing to exert any resources to save a piece of the world that was drastically smaller than the others¡ªalmost insignificantly so."

    Yuan agreed with Senior Bai. Compared to the Nine Heavens, Earth was iparably small, and no sane person would go out of their way to save a pebble that had fallen off a mountain.

    "What about the Celestial Emperor? What did he tell you guys about us?" Yuan then asked.

    "He told us that he''d found a method to bring those from Earth back to the Nine Heavens through some kind of spiritual technique, but he didn''t go into details. Of course, we were also told to not acknowledge your world."

    "Did he tell you why he brought us back to the Nine Heavens?"

    "No, and I don''t have the slightest idea of his intentions. However, he wanted us to raise you guys."

    "Raise us?" Yuan tilted his head in a puzzled manner.

    "Yes, to nurture you as cultivators. However, we aren''t allowed to approach you until you guys reach the Seventh Heaven, as that is punishable by death."

    "Eh? But you¡­"

    Senior Bai smiled, "There are exceptions, such as when you approach us by chance. It''s not like we are forbidden from speaking with you entirely. If we somehow meet through special circumstances, we are allowed to interact, just like how we met in the Myriad of Techniques, which is connected to my personal realm. We are just not allowed to leave our world and travel to the lower heavens to find you."

    Yuan was excited to learn so much new information regarding the Nine Heavens and Cultivation Online, and he could feel himself slowly approaching the truth behind the Celestial Emperor''s intentions.

 Chapter 1324 Celestial Council

    Chapter 1324 Celestial Council

    "How many people did the Celestial Emperor tell this information to?" Yuan inquired after learning that it wasn''t a secret in the upper heavens.

    "As far as I know, everyone with even the slightest influence in the Seventh Heaven and above was notified by the Celestial Emperor. From small families and sects to powerhouses with sway over entire continents. However, there''s a good chance that such information trickled down to the lower heavens as well."

    "So pretty much everyone in the Seventh Heaven and above are aware of our existence and not influenced by the curse?"

    "That is correct. Though, even if someone is aware, they will most likely not reveal it to you like I am currently due to the Celestial Emperor''s action."

    "What sort of action?" Yuan raised an eyebrow.

    "The Celestial Emperor has the power to create Heavenly Laws by inscribing them into the Heaven''s Will. Once something is written in Heaven''s Will, all living beings living within the Nine Heavens must obey thew, or they will be punished with a fate worse than death¡ªsoul extermination."

    "Isn''t that a little too much power for one individual?" Yuan frowned slightly after learning of the Celestial Emperor''s prowess.

    "While it may sound incredibly dangerous to have such authority, it''s not something that he could abuse at will. Because of what happened in the past, the Celestial Emperor cannot create anyw as he pleases without the approval of the Celestial Council." "The Celestial Council? What''s that?"

    "It''s made up of members from several of the most prominent and influential powerhouses in the entire Nine Heavens. They are there to ensure that the Celestial Emperor does not abuse his power and create another situation like the Heavenly War of Immortals and Gods."

    "With that being said, the Celestial Emperor still has the final say even if everyone in the Celestial Council are against it."

    "I see¡­" Yuan mumbled.

    "Now why don''t you tell me a little about your world and its situation that requires you to travel to the Vanishing Valley?" Senior Bai suddenly inquired.

    Since Senior Bai told him so much, Yuan had no reason to keep it a secret and did not hesitate to reveal information about his own situation.

    "My world, Earth, is on the verge of copse. We''re not exactly sure of the cause, but we think it''s due to ack of spiritual energy. If it weren''t for a certain individual who had been protecting the world by supplying his spiritual energy for countless years, our world would''ve disappeared long ago."

    Senior Bai fell silent with a pondering expression on his face.

    "Just like cultivators, a world created through spiritual energy will copse without it. Even if your world is only a small fragment of the Nine Heavens, it would still require an immense amount of spiritual energy to keep it from crumbling apart. Who is this inidivdual? To support the world for so long, he must have a deep cultivation."

    "He''s not human. He''s a Divine Beast¡ªa Blood Mastiff." Yuan revealed.

    Senior Bai''s eyes widened with surprise after hearing this.

    "Did you just say he''s a Blood Mastiff?! They are so exceeding rare that they''re on the verge of extinction even in the Nine Heavens!" Senior Bai eximed.

    "Extinction¡­? Really?" Yuan''s face was filled with surprise.

    "Yes. Blood Mastiffs have a unique bloodline that allows them to absorb spiritual energy much faster than others, and they only absorb the purest spiritual energy. This kind of bloodline would be heaven-defying if acquired by a cultivator. Because of this, they were hunted to near extinction."

    Yuan frowned upon learning this information.

    "When did this happen?"

    "It urred around the same time as the hunting of dragons," Senior Bai replied.

    He continued, "Unfortunately, Blood Mastiffs were already a rare race, unlike dragons, which have multiple bloodlines and a vastmunity, so it didn''t take long for their bloodline to decline."

    "Nowadays there are probably less than ten Blood Mastiffs across the entirety of Nine Heaven. In fact, I have nevere across one myself throughout my entire life."

    "However, it would make sense for this individual to be able to support your world for so long if he''s a Blood Mastiff, as they have the highest spiritual energy capacity out of all races out there."

    Yuan''s respect for the Lord significantly increased upon learning the truth about his race''s history. If humans had been hunted to near extinction by beasts, it would be unlikely for any sane human to sacrifice themselves to protect a world dominated by beasts. Yet, that was precisely what the Lord did. Despite his race being hunted to near extinction, he still chose to sacrifice himself to protect Earth. N?velDrama.Org content rights.

    "I understand the situation of your world now, but that doesn''t exin why you need to visit the Vanishing Valley. Nothing in that ce will help your predicament." Senior Bai said a momentter.

    "The Vanishing Valley is just a road I must take to reach my real destination," Yuan said.

    "Your real destination¡­?"

    "The Shadow Realm."

    Senior Bai stood up after hearing this name.

    "The Shadow Realm?! That ce is infinitely more dangerous than the Vanishing Valley! Not even an insane person would dare think about going there!" He eximed.

    "The corrupted souls within that ce possess neither will nor intelligence. They have only their destructive instincts, and they will attack anything in sight! And because they aren''t living or have a physical body, they cannot be killed through normal means. The Shadow Realm is not a ce meant for the living. It was sealed away for a reason."

    "I know. I experienced for myself how dangerous that ce is first-hand." Yuan said with a bittersweet smile.

    "Y-You''ve already been there before¡­?" Senior Bai looked at him with a dumbfounded face.

    "Yes, and I was much, much weaker than I am now back then."

    Senior Bai swallowed nervously at such words. He''d been to the Shadow Realm once before, but he was only looking at the ce from outside in a safe zone.

    ''I didn''t even dare to enter the Shadow Realm realm back then¡­'' he sighed inwardly.

 Chapter 1325 Spirits

    Chapter 1325 Spirits

    "Anyways, the reason I need to visit the Shadow Realm is because I am looking for a cultivator''s soul in the God Ascension realm," Yuan said as Senior Bai stared at him with wide eyes.

    "The Blood Mastiff is currently depleting more spiritual energy than he can absorb, and since spiritual treasures are incredibly scarce in our world, we can only rely on a powerful cultivator''s soul for assistance."

    "I understand your reasoning, but even if you somehow manage to find a cultivator''s soul of that level, how will you bring them back to your world?"

    Yuan retrieved his Empyrean Overlord and Starry Abyss, showing it to Senior Bai.

    "I''m told that a Soul Weapon can shelter souls, and since these Soul Weapons are connected to my soul, I can summon them even in my world," Yuan exined the process to him.

    Senior Bai fell into silence with a look of amazement on his face.

    "I see¡­ that would work¡­ However, the biggest issue here is finding these souls. A God Ascension realm cultivator can only be found in the Seventh Heaven and above. If you''re thinking about finding one in the Shadow Realm, you have a better chance of reaching the Ninth Heaven before you find a cultivator''s soul of that level in the Shadow Realm that hasn''t been corrupted." Senior Bai sighed.

    He continued, "The Shadow Realm hasn''t been used since ancient times, and the chances of a soul surviving this long without losing their sanity are extremely unlikely."

    "I already found two of them, though."

    "What?! Is that true?!" Senior Bai eximed, his face filled with shock.

    "Yes, but my cultivation wasn''t sufficient enough to shelter these cultivators back then. They asked me to return once I reach Spirit Emperor, but my current soul strength should surpass even that of a Spirit Emperor."

    Senior Bai rubbed his eyes and asked in a worried tone, "Are you sure that you aren''t being tricked by these souls?"

    "One of these souls imed to be the Sect Master of the Immortal Monastery and the other imed to be one of three Ethereal Immortal Fairies. Perhaps you have heard of them, Senior." Senior Bai''s body trembled upon hearing this information.

    "D-Did you just say the Sect Master of the Immortal Monastery? The Immortal Monastery used to rule the Divine Heavens as one of the top 3 sects during the Primordial Era, and their Sect Master was one of the most powerful figures in the world. If they existed today, even the biggest sects would look insignificant before them."

    "As for the Ethereal Immortal Fairies, they exist even to this day, and they are some of the most influential figures in the Nine Heavens. Each of them has unrivaled beauty and is widely recognized as the most beautiful woman in the Nine Heavens. Of course, they are also powerful cultivators."

    ''I guess they weren''t spewingplete lies back then¡­'' Yuan thought to himself.

    "If these souls are truly who they im, there''s a decent chance that they are not lying. However, you must still be careful."

    Yuan smiled and said, "How about this? After I shelter them inside my Soul Weapon, I wille back here and let you judge them for yourself to see if they are truly who they im they are."

    Senior Bai nodded, "That would be for the best."

    Yuan and Senior Bai proceeded to continue their conversation about the Shadow Realm and the Vanishing Valley for a while.

    Senior Bai would give Yuan his advice and his own experience in the Vanishing Valley to prepare him better for the ce.

    As for the Shadow Realm, since he had no experience himself, Senior Bai could only talk about the corrupted souls within the ce.

    "Corrupted soulsck a physical form, rendering physical attacks ineffective against them. However, being souls, they are inherently vulnerable to spiritual attacks," Senior Bai exined. N?velDrama.Org content rights.

    "With that being said, I do not rmend attacking them unless you have no other choice. They are indifferent when ites to physical attacks since they know they can''t hurt them, but if they are hurt even the slightest with spiritual attacks, they will be enraged and go on a frenzy, making them much more annoying to deal with."

    "Do you know where the entrance to the Shadow Realm is in Vanishing Valley?" Yuan asked.

    "Unfortunately, I do not know its exact location. However, it should be near the Giant''s Sword."

    "Giant''s Sword? What''s that?" Yuan inquired for more information.

    "In the Vanishing Valley, there exists a massive sword that makes even mountains look small. Half of the sword is rooted in the ground yet it''srge enough to touch the clouds. We call it the Giant''s Sword since it was clearly made to be wielded by giants. If you see it, you should be near the entrance. However, you must never approach the Giant''s Sword."

    "Is there something there?"

    Senior Bai nodded, "That''s the monster''s territory. If you get too close, the monster will attack you. Not even the magical beasts there dare to approach the Giant''s Sword. That''s how dangerous it is."

    "This monster is a spirit, correct?"

    "Yes. There are many types of spirits in this world with the mostmon being weapon spirits. When a weapon or Soul Weapon gains enough experience, whether through battle or other means, it gives birth to a conscience, and that conscience has a small chance of bing a spirit. A weapon with a spirit is vastly superior to a spiritless weapon, as these spirits awaken a weapon''s true potential."

    "As for the spirit, depending on their grade, their appearance may vary."

    Yuan looked at his two Soul Weapons in silence for a moment before asking, "Can a weapon give birth to multiple spirits?"

    "No, every weapon can only give birth to one spirit."

    "Then is there a way to tell if a Soul Weapon has given birth to one yet?"

    Senior Bai looked at his Soul Weapons and said, "There is a way, but it requires special equipment, something we don''t have ess to right now. With that being said, I don''t sense any spirits within your Soul Weapons, so there''s a good chance that they are spiritless. Of course, there''s an extremely small chance that they already gave birth to a spirit, but that spirit is not with the weapon for some reason."

    "Spirits can be separated with their weapon?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.

    "Of course. If a Soul Weapon were a human, their body would be the weapon itself while their soul would be the spirit. If you can separate your soul from your body, why can''t Soul Weapons?" Senior Bai said as he pointed at Yuan, reminding him that he currently exists within the Nine Heavens as a soul while his real body was on Earth.

    "What happens if a spirit dies?" Yuan then asked.

    "The Soul Weapon won''t be destroyed without its spirit since it came before, but the Soul Weapon will forever lose its ability to unleash its full potential."

    Yuan looked at his Soul Weapons again in silence.

    "What about the spirit in the Vanishing Valley? What kind of spirit is it?" he asked a momentter.

    "We don''t know. A spirit can be born from almost anything, even a de of grass if it has enough spiritual energy. But considering its prowess and appearance, it most likely came from a powerful spiritual treasure, or it''s a spirit created from that Giant''s Sword." "Its appearance?"

    "Yes, this spirit has the appearance of a human. Only the highest grade of spirits would have such an appearance." Senior Bai said.

    "A human-like spirit... how interesting..." Yuan mumbled to himself after learning of this information.

 Chapter 1326 Soul Emperorâ€™s Crown

    Chapter 1326 Soul Emperor¡¯s Crown

    "Interesting? Don''t get any funny ideas, Yuan. This spirit may resemble a human, but it''s a monster that will kill anything in its sight." Senior Bai warned him after seeing his expression.

    Yuan smiled and said, "Don''t worry, I don''t have a death wish."

    Sometimeter, Senior Bai retrieved a box from his spiritual ring and said, "Anyways, I have something to give you."

    "Oh?"

    "Remember when you asked me to help you find a soul technique? While I did find someone to give you a soul technique, it doesn''t feel right, and I technically didn''t give you anything."

    Senior Bai offered the box to Yuan and continued, "Thus, I have decided to give you something else. Since you already have a powerful soul technique, this will further strengthen your soul strength. Go ahead and open it."

    Yuan nodded and opened the box, revealing a beautiful and remarkable golden crown.

    [Soul Emperor''s Crown]

    [Grade: Mythic]

    [Quality: Peak]

    [Mental Strength Requirement: 20,000,000] [Description: Once worn by the Soul Emperor, who was known to have the strongest soul strength in the Nine Heavens. Significantly increases your soul strength while worn.]

    "Give it a try." Senior Bai said.

    The moment Yuan wore the crown, he could feel his soul strength skyrocket.

    ''My soul strength is four times stronger now!'' Yuan was greatly shocked by how powerful the Soul Emperor''s Crown was.

    Anything rted to soul strength was incredibly valuable, so one can imagine the worth of a Mythic-grade treasure that could quadruple one''s soul strength. However, the mental strength requirement was also ridiculously high.

    "It appears that you are much stronger than I anticipated¡­" Senior Bai suddenly said with a smile on his face.

    "What do you mean?" Yuan raised an eyebrow.

    "The Soul Emperor''s Crown requires a tremendous amount of mental strength to wield. Normally, only those at peak Spirit Sovereign and above would be able to wield it, yet you can wear it without any problem as a peak Spirit King."

    "Is that so¡­"

    Since his stats were still represented as question marks, Yuan had no idea how high they were, but he now knew that they were at least above 20 million, which is around the level of peak Spirit Sovereign.

    "Speaking of Spirit King, you''re still looking for a method to break through your physique, correct? Lady Xu told me that she may have found something. I''ll let her know of your next visit."

    "Really?! That''s great!" Yuan''s eyes sparkled. He''s been stuck at Spirit King for far too long. Fortunately, he was still in the Third Heaven, where Spirit King was the limit.

    After talking for a little longer, Yuan decided it was time for him to leave,

    "I won''t take up your time any longer, Senior Bai. Once again, thank you for the Soul Emperor''s Crown."

    Senior Bai nodded and said, "I wish you the best of luck in the Vanishing Valley and the Shadow Realm. Don''t be reckless and stay alive."

    After leaving the Myriad of Techniques, Yuan logged off Cultivation Online and gathered everyone for a meeting.

    "I have two things to talk about today, The first is that I will be challenging the Stairway to Heaven tomorrow, so the Fourth Heaven will be open soon."

    "As for the second, it''s more of a warning. I have somehow offended the Ten Great Families and the Legacy Family, so things might get chaotic soon."

    "The Ten Great Families? What did you do to offend them?" Wang Ming asked. N?velDrama.Org (C) content.

    Yuan then recalled his fight with the Ten Great Families.

    "Those cowardly bastards¡­ Not only did theye after you in arge group, they even have the audacity to threaten you after losing miserably!" Chu Liuxiang mmed the table in anger.

    "Even if it''s the Ten Great Families, I don''t think they can do anything to us while we''re inside the Dragon Spiral Mountain," Meifeng said.

    And she continued, "In fact, most of the Ten Great Families'' main branches are located inside the Dragon Spiral Mountain."

    "So they are our neighbors, huh." Yuan was surprised to learn this information.

    "Yes, they are all located on the upper level of the mountain."

    While Yuan and the others never tried to interact or learn more about their neighbors, Meifeng took it upon herself to investigate the entire mountain and all of its residents.

    "If they are residents of Dragon Spiral Mountain, they cannot touch us without angering the Lord, so there''s really nothing for us to worry about," Meixiu said.

    "Empty threats. Just ignore them." Wang Bingbing casually shrugged.

    Yuan nodded, "That''s what I n on doing until they make a move. I have more important things to worry about."

    In the end, nobody there gave much thought to the Ten Great Families'' threat. Due to Yuan''s rtionship with the Lord of the Dragon Spiral Mountain, they were essentially untouchable inside the mountain.

    Even if the Ten Great Families ignored the Lord and attacked them, they were confident in their own ability topletely crush the Ten Great Families with their current strength.

    The following morning, Yuan logged into Cultivation Online and met up with Meixiu and the others.

    "Are you all ready?" Yuan asked them.

    "Shouldn''t we be the ones asking you that? You''re the one challenging the Stairway to Heaven." Chu Liuxiang chuckled.

    Yuan smiled, "Then let''s go."

    Just as they started moving, Yuan stopped walking and turned to look at Li Jinxi, "I almost forgot."

    "?" Li Jinxi looked at him with a puzzled expression.

    Yuan proceeded to retrieve a beautiful ck and golden sword from his Dragon Spatial Ring before pushing it towards Li Jinxi.

    "What is this¡­?" Li Jinxi asked him.

    "I found it inside the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb. It belongs to you."

    Li Jinxi tilted her head in a puzzled manner.

    "It belongs to me? But I have never seen this sword before."

    "It''s a long story so I will exin it to youter. Just take it for now."

    Li Jinxi didn''t say anything else and epted the sword.

    Beyond its elegant exterior, the sword seemed unremarkable, almost as if it were an ordinary weapon. However, the instant Li Jinxi grasped the sword, it awakened with an unfathomable aura, revealing depths that transcended its initial appearance.

    "Th-This is?!" Li Jinxi eximed with a startled look on her face.

 Chapter 1327 Towards the Fourth Heaven

    Chapter 1327 Towards the Fourth Heaven

    "What a profound aura! It''s even stronger than the Mythic-grade treasure my parents gave me!" Xi Meili was amazed by the auraing from Li Jinxi''s sword. This was her first time being in the presence of an Empyrean-grade treasure.

    "Golden Empress¡­ Empyrean-grade¡­" Li Jinxi swallowed nervously after seeing the weapon''s descriptions.

    ''Jin Xi? Who is that?'' she wondered inwardly.

    "Did you just say Empyrean-grade?! Even though they are only a grade above Mythic grade, they are iparably stronger and incredibly scarce! I''ve only read about them in ancient texts!" Xi Meili eximed.

    "I¡­I cannot ept such a valuable treasure. I don''t even think I can wield such a high-grade weapon with my current cultivation." Li Jinxi quickly tried to return the sword to Yuan.

    "This weapon is special, and not only can you wield it, you''re probably the only person in this world who can wield it." Yuan shook his head, refusing to take back the sword.

    "If you say so¡­ I will ept it. Thank you, Yuan." Li Jinxi muttered in a dazed voice.

    She had many questions, but she decided to wait until Yuan revealed them to her. "What about us, Yuan?" Chu Liuxiang looked at him with anticipating eyes.

    Yuan smiled and said, "While I do have some treasures for you, it will have to wait until you''re at a higher cultivation. Even if I give you an Empyrean-grade treasure now, you won''t meet the requirements to wield it."

    "Eh?! Then howe Li Jinxi can wield that sword?"

    "Her situation is a little unique. I''m not sure how to exin it either."

    "How envious!"

    After a brief pause, Chu Liuxiang chuckled and said, "I''m just joking. I''m already satisfied with my current weapon."

    She turned to look at Li Jinxi and continued, "I don''t know how to exin it, but that sword looks like it was made to be held by you."

    Li Jinxi nodded and said, "Honestly, even though this is my first time seeing this sword, it doesn''t feel like this is my first time holding it, almost as though I already have years of experience with it."

    There were a little over a thousand people at the Stairway to Heaven. Yuan was quite surprised to see so many people there.

    Shortly after Li Jinxi acquired her sword, they made their way to the Stairway to Heaven.

    An hourter, Yuan stood before the staircase.

    There were a little over a thousand people at the Stairway to Heaven. Yuan was quite surprised to see so many people there.

    "Oh? There are actually people here this time, and it''s quite crowded."

    When he previously challenged the Stairway to Heaven, there were scarcely any onlookers or challengers.

    "The Fourth Heaven is a very different ce," Xiao Hua suddenly spoke, and she continued, "The Nine Heavens is divided into three distinct levels. The Lower Heaven to the Third Heaven is considered the lowest tier and shares simrities in terms of restrictions and resources. In simpler words, there are not much difference between these three realms, so going from the Lower Heaven to Spirit Heaven isn''t as impressive as entering the Fourth Heaven from the Third Heaven."

    "What is the cultivation limit in the Fourth Heaven?" Lan Yingying suddenly asked.

    "Divine Warrior." Xiao Hua quickly responded.

    "The Divine Realm, huh¡­ That''s quite the leap." Xi Meili sighed.

    "How high is thatpared to Yuan?" Chu Liuxiang asked.

    "Brother Yuan is currently a Spirit King. He would need to breakthrough Spirit Emperor, Spirit Sovereign, and finally Spirit Enlightenment before entering the Divine Realm and bing a Divine Warrior."

    "The difference between the Divine Realm and the Spirit Realm is like heaven and earth. Not even a hundred Spirit Enlightenment could defeat someone who just became a Divine Warrior."

    "Wow¡­"

    Yuan didn''t immediately challenge the Stairway to Heaven and decided to watch the others a little.

    "As expected of Luo Zhihao! He''s managed to climb the 3rd step in less than five minutes, and he''s only an 8th-level Spirit King!"

    "As talented as Luo Zhihao is, he won''t make it to the door. I have never seen anyone that isn''t a peak Spirit King reach climb all nine steps."

    Shortly after reaching the 4th step, challenger Luo Zhihao could not endure the pressure and quickly gave up.

    The next challenger was a peak Spirit King cultivator.

    "Isn''t that Zeng Jin? I have been wanting to see him challenge the staircase since he entered peak Spirit King 30 years ago!"

    After spending half an hour, Zeng Jin managed to climb all nine steps, almost failing at thest step. N?velDrama.Org content rights.

    Fifty challengers tried to climb the staircase to reach the door over the next three hours. However, despite most of them being peak Spirit Kings, only two of them managed to reach the door in the end with the rest failing before even reaching the fourth floor.

    "Let''s climb after the next one," Yuan said to the others.

    They made their way to the front as the next challenger began his climb.

    "I''d like to climb next," Yuan said to the person working there.

    And before the worker could even respond, Yuan continued, "I will also be helping them ascend, so I''d like four additional medallions."

    Lan Yingying and Xiao Hua entered his body before he approached the worker, and since they were his servants, they didn''t need any medallions.

    The worker looked at Yuan with a deep frown.

    "Are you messing with me? If so, get lost."

    "No, I am dead serious." Yuan calmly replied.

    The worker looked at the beauties standing behind Yuan and cursed inwardly, ''Bastard is just trying to show off. Whatever. He''ll only embarass himself.''

    And without saying another word, the worker tossed five medallions at Yuan.

    Yuan kept the challenger''s medallion and handed the other four to the Meixiu and the others.

    The observers who saw his actions were greatly surprised and immediately began mocking him.

    "Look over there. He''s going to carry four people through the Stairway to Heaven. Can you believe this?"

    "Hahaha! What a fool! He''s trying to impress those fairies, but he''ll only end up embarrassing himself!"

    "I don''t recognize him. He must be a nobody."

    As more and more people noticed the situation, the amount of ridicule and mockery being thrown at Yuan increased.

    However, Yuan was unfazed by the surrounding mockery and calmly waited for his turn to challenge the Stairway to Heaven.

 Chapter 1328 Make it More Difficult

    Chapter 1328 Make it More Difficult

    After taking his medallion, Yuan waited about fifteen minutes before the challenger failed to climb the staircase.

    "It''s our turn," Yuan said as he calmly approached the Stairway to Heaven with Meixiu and the others followed him from behind.

    The area immediately became rowdy the moment the spectators saw Yuan and his group.

    "Why are there five of them? I thought only one person could challenge the Stairway to Heaven at a time," asked someone who didn''t know about the carry system.

    "A challenger can bring up to nine people with him through the Stairway to Heaven, but each additional person will drastically increase the difficulty. I have never seen anyone sessfully carry one person, much less four. He''ll definitely fail at the first step."

    "What an arrogant brat."

    "I don''t me him for wanting to show off to those fairies with him, but he''s biting far more than he can chew. He''ll only end up embarrassing himself now."

    While the spectators continued to mock him, Yuan took his first step onto the staircase.

    ''I don''t feel anything¡­'' Yuan thought to himself as he effortlessly walked to the next step. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.

    In the blink of an eye, Yuan reached the second step.

    "Huh?"

    Yuan ascended the first step so swiftly that spectators began to doubt their eyes. However, even upon reaching the second step, Yuan felt no pressure, as if the challenge held no weight. Without hesitation, he leaped to the third step.

    "What?! How is he already at the third step?! It hasn''t even been a minute since he started the challenge!"

    "Fuck! It''s as if the Stairway to Heaven isn''t functioning properly!"

    The spectators were in disbelief. They have never seen anyone ascend with such minimal effort before.

    Yuan jumped to the fourth step the moment his foot touched the third step, his movements as light as a feather, and he continued to climb the steps without stopping.

    In the blink of an eye, Yuan reached the ninth step without a single break and without a drop of sweat on him.

    The entire area fell into a hushed silence as everyone struggled toprehend what they had just witnessed. Yuan had ascended to the door faster than Meixiu and the others, who were unaffected by the pressure. It was an inexplicable oue.

    Xi Meili, who was new to the Stairway to Heaven, noticed the dumbfounded gazes of the crowd and wondered to herself, ''Why do they look so surprised? Is it really that hard to climb these steps?''

    Upon reaching the door, Yuan and the others ced their medallions into the slots, opening it.

    The spectators watched as Yuan and his group disappeared into the void beyond the door.

    "E-Even if he managed to enter the Stairway to Heaven, it''ll only be a matter of time before he fails and returns."

    "Yeah¡­ I think so too¡­"

    The door to the Stairway to Heaven suddenly opened again only a few minutes after Yuan and his group entered, and the first challenger who made it to the door emerged from it with a defeated look on his face.

    Meanwhile, inside the Stairway to Heaven, Xi Meili and the others were transported to the spectators'' room the moment they entered.

    "Wee back, Master." Tian''er greeted Yuan.

    "It''s been a while."

    Tian''er nodded and said, "Master, you have be a lot more powerful since yourst visit."

    "I''m d you think so."

    "Because Master''s current strength far surpasses the Stairway to Heaven''s expectations, you may choose to skip the challenge and go straight to the Fourth Heaven," Tian''er suddenly said.

    "Eh? Really?" Yuan didn''t expect to be able to skip the trials entirely. "I thought it wasn''t possible to skip these trials even as the Master of this ce."

    Tian''er nodded in confirmation, "It''s only possible when the challenger''s strength far surpasses the current requirements. With Master''s current strength, you''ll pass the trials with ease. It would be pointless to make you take the trials."

    Yuan smiled and responded without any hesitation in his voice, "No matter how easy the trials are, I will still do them. After all, they are rted to my past."

    Tian''er nodded, "Then I will immediately begin Master''s trial."

    "Wait a second." Yuan suddenly stopped her.

    "You have the ability to change the trials'' difficulty, correct? Can you make it more difficult for me?"

    Tian''er nodded, "Yes, I have the power to do that. Do you wish to increase the difficulty, Master?"

    "Yes, make it suitable for my current strength." Yuan nodded with a confident smile.

    A profound smile appeared on Tian''er''s face as she thought to herself, ''As expected of Master.''

    She had a feeling that Yuan would increase the difficulty, and giving him the option to skip the trials was actually a trial in itself. However, it was also true that Yuan''s current strength would render the trials child''s y.

    "I understand. I will adjust the difficulty of the trials to match the Master''s current strength."

    Tian''er proceeded to close her eyes and stood there in silence.

    She opened her eyes a few momentster and said, "Okay, I have adjusted the difficulty. Are you ready to start, Master?"

    "I am."

    The scenery swiftly transformed, and within moments, Yuan found himself standing on an empty stage, encircled by a colossal crowd of giants.

    "This ce is¡­ the Tournament of Strength?" Yuan quickly recognized his location, as he still remembered that the previous trial had ended right before he could participate in the tournament.

    He quickly looked around, and sure enough, he could see Huang Xiao Li and her family in the crowd, as well as Princess Meiya and Giant Emperor Ks at the royal family''s spectating area.

    BOOM!

    A massive figure suddenly jumped onto the stage,nding right before Yuan.

    "I''ll give you a chance to surrender, human, unless you want to be human meat paste."

    The giant before Yuan said with an arrogant look on his face.

    Yuan immediately peeked at the giant''s cultivation base, his heart skipping a beat after seeing the results.

    ''First level Divine Warrior?!'' he cried inwardly.

 Chapter 1329 Divine Warrior

    Chapter1329 Divine Warrior

    "For our third match, we have Warrior Gg and his opponent, Tian Yang!" Giant Emperor Ks personally announced the matchup, showing his favoritism.

    "That human will be squashed like a bug by Warrior Gg in the blink of an eye. What''s the point of this match?" A giant mocked upon sensing Yuan''s insignificant cultivation base.

    "Warrior Gg sure is lucky. This is essentially a free round for him!"

    "Good luck, Yuan! I know you can beat him!" Huang Xiao Li''s loud cheering ovepped the surrounding mockery, attracting several displeased gazes.

    "Hahaha! How dare a mere Spirit Realm human cultivator stand in the way of a Divine Realm expert? I can kill you with a sneeze!" Warrior Ggughed out loud. N?velDrama.Org (C) content.

    Despite the mockery and disdain, Yuan''s facial expression remained the same,pletely tranquil.

    ''Even though he''s at the Divine Realm, he doesn''t seem any stronger than Bai Xutao at Spirit Enlightenment. As expected of a genius from the upper heavens.'' Yuan thought to himself.

    Of course, Bai Xutao''s actual cultivation was much higher than the Divine Realm, which ys a factor in his overwhelming prowess.

    This match confirmed Yuan''s current strength to beparable to an ordinary cultivator at the Divine Warrior realm, meaning he could fight someone four entire realms above his own cultivation.

    ''No¡­ this is not my limit¡­''

    Yuan raised his fists and stood in a fighting pose, "Let''s see if your strength is as impressive as your mouth."

    "You¡­!" Warrior Gg''s face flushed with redness.

    "Let the match begin!" Giant Emperor Ks suddenly dered.

    "You will regret standing before me, human!!!" Warrior Gg roared, and his skin abruptly shifted to a silver-gray hue with a shiny and smooth texture, resembling a body made of steel.

    "That''s the Steel Mountain Physique! I''ve been told that it''s one of the top 5 most durable physiques in the continent!" One of the spectatorsmented in an excited tone.

    "Warrior Gg''s giving that human too much face by using his physique."

    Meanwhile, Yuan acted as if Warrior Gg''s physique didn''t exist and jumped at him.

    A vicious light flickered in Yuan''s eyes as he threw a fist at Warrior Gg.

    Warrior Gg,who was too prideful to block the attack, decided to stand still with a confident look on his face.

    ''Bastard will only hurt himself!'' heughed inwardly.

    However, when Yuan''s fist connected with his stomach in the next moment, Warrior Gg''s face contorted in extreme pain as his body arched backward.

    "Gah!" Warrior Gg flew all the way to the edge of the stage, barely managing to stay within its bounds.

    The audience fell silent after witnessing such a scene, their eyes wide with disbelief.

    "Hahaha! That''s what these fools get for underestimating my rival!" Giant Emperor Ksughed out loud as he pped his leg, causing ripples to appear.

    Yuan didn''t chase after Warrior Gg and allowed him to regain hisposure, which took a good moment.

    ''Impossible!'' Warrior Gg cried inwardly.

    ''Why does a human have such strength?! How can a mere Spirit King inflict such damage on my Steel Mountain Physique?!''

    Warrior Gg quickly recognized Yuan''s strength and immediately ceased underestimating him. Upon standing back up, he spoke in an apologetic tone, "I apologize for underestimating you. His Majesty had a good reason for taking interest in you, but I was too filled with envy to ept it."

    "Does this mean you''ll fight me seriously now?" Yuan asked.

    "Of course."

    Warrior Gg immediately released all of his cultivation and activated his body enhancement technique, further boosting his Steel Mountain Physique.

    Seeing this, Yuan could no longer afford to go easy and activated his transformation technique.

    "What kind of technique is that?! Is he really human?!"

    "Is that even a body enhancement technique?! I have never seen or heard of such a mythical technique before!"

    The audience was greatly shocked by Yuan''s transformation and doubted whether it was within the tournament''s rules.

    Giant Emperor Ks narrowed his eyes at Yuan for a moment before speaking, "It''s within the rules."

    Since Yuan''s dragon transformation technique only affected his body, it would fall in the category of body enhancement.

    After his transformation, Yuan''s aura soared all the way to the heavens.

    Warrior Gg broke into a cold sweat just from the pressure being emitted by Yuan.

    "Human or not¡­ I will be victorious!" Warrior Gg took the initiative and charged at Yuan this time around.

    Seeing this, Yuan also advanced.

    "Die!" Warrior Gg hurled his fist with all his might, and Yuan confronted it head-on.

    Upon the collision of their fists, the space surrounding them began to twist and warp.

    Most of the audience anticipated Warrior Gg''s victory, but the results greatly disappointed them.

    Yuan''s strength was simply far superior, quickly overwhelming Warrior Gg and blowing up his entire arm almost instantly after their sh.

    Warrior Gg fell to his knees while coughing up a mouthful of blood.

    "Can you continue?" Yuan asked him with a rxed face, looking as if he''d barely put any effort into their fight.

    "I forfeit." Warrior Gg shook his head.

    "Winner¡ªTian Yang!" Giant Emperor Ks announced with excitement.

    Yuan deactivated his transformation and walked off the stage before going to where Huang Xiao Li was standing.

    The audience immediately made room for him, their faces filled with awe and shock.

    "That was amazing, Yuan!" Huang Xiao Li was smiling from ear to ear.

    "Thank you, but that was barely a warm-up."

    In his mind, Yuan was also surprised that he''d managed to defeat a Divine Warrior so easily.

    ''Did Tian''er really increase the difficulty? That was too easy even if it''s a warmup match.''

    The tournament immediately continued to the fourth round with both fighters being giants, and unlike Yuan''s match that ended in the blink of an eye, these two giants would spend the next several hours beating each other with nothing but their fists, their bodies soaked in blood by the end.

    Since martial techniques were banned, it looked like an ordinary fight between mortals, but each of their punches packed enough force to create powerful gusts of wind at every impact.

    The audience was hyped and screamed throughout the entire match, making it seem they were in a festival of sorts.

 Chapter 1330 Royal Guard

    Chapter 1330 Royal Guard

    Since the fourth match took several hours to conclude, Yuan had plenty of time to recover his strength even though he''d barely used any of it.

    Furthermore, Yuan did not recognize the fighters for the fourth match, as he doesn''t recall seeing them in the qualifiers during the previous trial.

    ''Did the fighters change because of the changed difficulty?'' he wondered to himself.

    "That''s what a fight should look like!"

    "Right?! It isn''t a fight if there isn''t a pool of blood by the end!"

    The giantsughed merrily as the fifth match began.

    Once again, it was a fight between giants. The air would vibrate and the ground would tremble with every punch.

    Yuan narrowed his eyes at these fighters, as they were both 3rd-level Divine Warriors.

    ''The fighters for the fourth match were both 2nd level Divine Warriors¡­ Just how much will their cultivation increase by the time it''s my turn again?'' Yuan''s anticipation grew when he came to this realization.

    Meanwhile, inside the spectators'' area, Xi Meili asked, "Hey, why does that girl beside Yuan look like you?"

    Xi Meili stared at Chu Liuxiang, who shrugged, "I don''t know."

    After the fifth match came to an end, the judge announced, "Sixth match. Royal Guard Basar and Tian Yang!" "Huh? It''s my turn already?" Yuan thought he had to wait a few more matches since there were supposed to be 30 fighters.

    ''I guess they don''t want me to have too much time to recover.'' Yuan thought to himself as he went onto the stage.

    His opponent was a giant and a member of the Royal Guard that serves the royal family¡ªGiant Emperor Ks'' family.

    "The Royal Guards?! I have never seen them appear in the tournament before!" The spectators were especially excited by his presence.

    The Royal Guards consist of the strongest warriors on the entire continent and are seldom seen, only appearing during emergencies or when the safety of the royal families is threatened.

    Normally, it would be unthinkable for such powerful warriors to appear in a tournament, even if it were the biggest tournament on the continent, but Yuan was inside the Stairway to Heaven, where anything was possible.

    Yuan swallowed nervously when he saw Royal Guard Basar''s cultivation.

    ''6th level Divine Warrior?!'' N?velDrama.Org (C) content.

    Seeing Yuan''s surprised look, Royal Guard Basar spoke in a calm voice, "Although the Royal Guards have never appeared in the tournament before, it''s not like we are forbidden from participating. We just don''t have a reason to, as we are satisfied with our position."

    "However, this year is different. The winner will have a chance to marry Princess Meiya, and I have admired her ever since I firstid my eyes on her. I don''t want to bully the weak, but I must acquire the title Colossal at all costs."

    Yuan was speechless.

    "You may begin!" The judge announced a momentter.

    "Mammoth Body Temperament!" Royal Guard Basar roared, immediately activating his body tempering technique, causing his body to grow double in size.

    All Royal Guards are bestowed with the Mammoth Body Temperament, a technique derived from the Great Mammoth Body Refinement. While it may be a weaker version of the Great Mammoth Body Refinement, it is still potent enough to rank among the top three techniques on the continent.

    ''Thankfully, we are limited to our physiques and body refinement techniques,'' Yuan thought to himself. If this was a regr tournament where they are allowed to use martial techniques, he''d have trouble fighting someone at Royal Guard Basar''s cultivation.

    When it came to a battle of raw strength, one''s cultivation wasn''t as important as their body''s temperament.

    However, Royal Guard Basar still had an advantage with his superior cultivation since he could recover his injuries and stamina with spiritual energy, allowing him to fight longer than someone with a lower cultivation.

    Of course, one could strengthen their body using spiritual energy, but it won''t be anywhere as effective as body tempering, and it consumes too much spiritual energy.

    Yuan did not dare to underestimate his opponent and immediately transformed.

    "The smell of a beast¡­ how unpleasant!" Royal Guard Basar muttered as he threw a punch at Yuan.

    Wanting to test his strength, Yuan confronted the attack with his own punch.

    The audience was pushed back by an intense gust of wind the following moment.

    In the end, neither Yuan nor Royal Guard Basar moved an inch from their exchange, almost as though they were equal in strength.

    Royal Guard Basar wore an expression of incredulity, seemingly unable to fathom that a human could match him in sheer strength.

    "Let me see you do that again!" He shouted as he punched again.

    "I''ll do it as many times as you want!" Yuan smiled.

    An even more powerful gust of wind was created a momentter, yet Royal Guard Basar found himself unable to push back Yuan. However, it was the same for Yuan.

    Royal Guard Basar remarked with a slight smile, "Seems like your triumph over Warrior Gg wasn''t a mere fluke. It''s been a while since I had a decent opponent."

    "Nevertheless, if this is the extent of your abilities, defeating me will be beyond your reach."

    "Earth Titan Physique!"

    In the span of a heartbeat, Royal Guard Basar added another meter to his stature, and his physique became even more chiseled.

    "I''ll surrender if you can take this punch without any injuries!" Royal Guard Basar eximed as he threw his third punch.

    Yuan could immediately tell that he wouldn''t be able to escape unscathed if he confronted this punch like he did previously, but he also wanted to see the difference in their strength.

    "Ha!" Yuan confronted Royal Guard Basar''s third punch with all of his strength.

    Thump!

    The entire stage trembled upon impact, and Yuan felt a shockwave shattering the muscles in his arm under immense force.

    Following their sh, Yuan''s arm suffered a simr fate to Warrior Gg''s, reduced to ruins under the overwhelming force.

    "Burn this into your soul, human! This is the difference between giants and humans!" Royal Guard Basarughed out loud.

    Dual Cultivation Prequel

 Chapter 1331 Royal Guard(2)

    Chapter 1331 Royal Guard(2)

    "Ah! Yuan!" Huang Xiao Li covered her mouth with a shocked look on her face after witnessing Yuan''s arm exploding into a bloody mess.

    Meanwhile, the audience cheered loudly for Royal Guard Basar.

    "Hell yeah!"

    "Kill him with your next punch!"

    The audience rooted for his victory. N?velDrama.Org (C) content.

    Yet, in the very next moment, just as the audience began to erupt in celebration, Yuan''s previously annihted arm miraculously regenerated, emerging anew in pristine condition. The sudden recovery left onlookers in stunned silence, an awe-stricken hush settling over the gathering as they grappled with the astonishing spectacle before them.

    "What in heaven''s name did he just do?! How did he recover from such an injury?!"

    "There''s no way! He must''ve used some kind of medicine or treasure!"

    "But we were all watching him! It''s impossible to do such a thing without getting caught before so many eyes! Even before His Majesty''s presence, too!"

    "You never know. Humans always have tricks up their sleeves."

    Royal Guard Basar did not think Yuan was cheating and asked, "Is that your physique?"

    "Who knows." Yuan shrugged.

    Given that his regeneration ability stemmed from the consumption of demon cores and was intrinsically tied to the unique attributes of his physique, one could technically categorize this remarkable capability as an extension of his physique.

    "Hmph. No matter how many times you regenerate, it won''t help you defeat me." Royal Guard Basar remained calm despite Yuan''s godly healing abilities. And without uttering another word, Royal Guard Basarunched yet another punch at Yuan.

    Knowing that he couldn''t overpower Royal Guard Basar in his current state, Yuan swiftly sidestepped the attack, narrowly avoiding the strike. Then, seizing the opportune moment, he retaliated with a punch of his own.

    His fistnded directly on Royal Guard Basar''s body, but he was only able to push Royal Guard Basar a few steps back and cause the area he punched to swell up a little.

    "Heh." Royal Guard Basar scoffed at the damage he received, which quickly healed even without needing to use spiritual energy.

    At this point, it appeared that Yuan was destined for defeat, as he seemed tog behind his opponent in every conceivable aspect, and this thought was aligned by most of the audience. However, there was still something that Yuan had yet to try. Typically, activating more than one body tempering technique simultaneously was deemed impractical, as the strain imposed on the body and the issues ofpatibility made it an untenable approach.

    In Royal Guard Basar''s case, he was using a body tempering technique to further boost his own physique, which is the ideal method for most cultivators. However, not every physique seamlessly amodated such techniques. In reality, the majority of physiques proved ipatible, yet the exceptiony with most giants, who were inherently endowed with physiques conducive to the application of body tempering techniques.

    This is what Royal Guard Basar meant by ''the difference between humans and giants''.

    After taking a deep breath, Yuan activated Golden Mountain Body Refinement, something he''d learned during his previous trial.

    In the ensuing moment, a delicate veil of golden aura enveloped Yuan''s form, resembling a translucent armor.

    "What?" Royal Guard Basar furrowed his brow at the unexpected sight.

    Like the majority of the audience, he had initially assumed that Yuan''s transformation was a manifestation of a body tempering technique. Regrettably, their assumptions proved to be misguided, for Yuan''s transformation was more intricately tied to his bloodline rather than any conventional technique.

    "This feeling isn''t bad." Yuan was satisfied with the results. Although Golden Mountain Body Refinement was only supposed to enhance his defensive capabilities, he could feel his strength surge as well.

    "Hmph. Regardless of the tricks you may possess, they won''t aid you in defeating me," Royal Guard Basar dered with disdain. In an instant, he surged forward, delivering a barrage of fist thrusts aimed at Yuan.

    Eager to gauge the extent of his newfound capabilities, Yuan opted not to evade the oing punches but instead confronted them head-on, testing the limits of his enhanced strength.

    Dong!

    The collision of their fists reverberated like the resounding beat of a war drum, echoing through the air with a palpable intensity.

    Dong! Dong! Dong!

    Several exchangester, both Yuan and Royal Guard Basar took a step back.

    While Yuan''s arms did not sumb to the explosive aftermath as they had before, the exchange did not leave them unscathed, and the impact resulted in some of his muscles and veins bursting.

    Yet, Royal Guard Basar found himself in a slightly more dire state than Yuan. In addition to the bursting muscles and veins, his bones had shattered into hundreds of fragments under the immense force of the collision.

    Royal Guard Basar gritted his teeth in frustration. He was slightly behind Yuan in terms of strength, but it wasn''t to the point where he would outright lose.

    ''Since I have the superior cultivation, I will win if I oust him! I doubt he''ll be able to stay in that form for too long!''

    Undeterred, Royal Guard Basar chose to stake everything on ousting his opponent. Swiftly mending his injuries, he wasted no timeunching another assault on Yuan.

    Yuan immediately knew what Royal Guard Basar was thinking and decided to entertain him.

    In the ensuing hours, Yuan and Royal Guard Basar engaged in an unrelenting exchange of punches, continuously obliterating their arms in the relentless confrontation.

    ''Why isn''t he tired yet? How does he still have the energy to sustain that form?'' Royal Guard Basar pondered nervously, sensing his own spiritual energy nearing its limit, while Yuan continued to exude boundless vitality.

    ''How does a Spirit King possess such an abundance of spiritual energy? And how can he persist in such a formidable state for such an extended duration?'' Royal Guard Basar gritted his teeth in frustration, grappling with the perplexity of the situation.

    "You don''t look so good. Do you need a break?" Yuan suddenly asked.

    "What...?" A look of disbelief painted Royal Guard Basar''s face, transforming swiftly into anger as he realized that Yuan had just mocked him.

 Chapter 1332 Royal Palace

    ?"How dare you look down on me, a mere human!" Royal Guard Basar''s countenance seethed with anger, incensed by Yuan''s suggestion that he take a break.

    Yuan shrugged and remarked, "Why do giants obsessively look down on humans? If I recall correctly, giants used to be humans."

    "..."

    The entire venue fell into an abrupt and eerie silence as if Yuan had uttered something he wasn''t supposed to disclose.

    After a moment of chilling silence, Royal Guard Basar erupted with extreme anger, roaring, "sphemy! The audacity topare a giant''s bloodline to that of a lowly human! I will not let this slide!"

    Royal Guard Basar''s eyes turned red, resembling that of a wild beast, and his aura gushed with immense killing intent.

    However, no matter how angry he got, he was still below Yuan in strength, and after another hour of brawling, Royal Guard Basar exhausted his spiritual energy and mental strength.

    Eventually, Royal Guard Basar sumbed, dropping to his knees with a broken arm that no longer recovered.

    "Victor¡ªTian Yang!" The judge dered a few secondster when he could not sense any will to fight in Royal Guard Basar''s eyes.

    Yuan took a deep breath before walking off the stage.

    Despite winning the fight, he was not satisfied with the results, as it had taken him everything to defeat Royal Guard Basar.

    ''I won''t be able to win the future matches at this rate. I have to find a way to further strengthen myself before the next match begins!'' He thought to himself.

    Just as Yuan walked off the stage, Giant Emperor Ks stood from his seat and spoke, "We will stop here for today and will resume in 48 hours."

    ''This is perfect!'' Yuan smiled inwardly.

    Seeing how he was given so much time, Yuan realized that the Stairway to Heaven already anticipated that he would lose the next match and gave him some time to prepare.

    ''The Stairway to Heaven expects me to grow during the trials. After all, this ce is also a training ground for me.''

    For most, the Stairway to Heaven is perceived merely as a bothersome wall one must climb to reach the upper heavens. Few pause to ponder its true purpose¡ªa training ground, offering an opportunity to surpass one''s limits.

    "What are you waiting for?" Giant Emperor Ks asked his daughter when he noticed that she wasn''t following him back to the pce.

    Princess Meiya replied with a smile, "I''m going to stay with my new friends for a little longer."

    Giant Emperor Ks looked at her gaze that was directed in Yuan''s direction andughed out loud, "Why don''t you invite your friends to the pce?"

    "Are you sure, father?"

    "When have I ever doubted myself?" Giant Emperor Ks said before disappearing from the scene.

    A few momentster¡ª

    "Look! Princess Meiya ising to the crowd!"

    "I wonder what she''s going to say?!"

    "My heavens! I have never seen her this close before! I will remember this moment for the rest of my life!"

    While under the audience''s gaze, Princess Meiya leaped into the air andnded right behind Yuan and Huang Xiao Li.

    "Hey, if you don''t have any ce to stay for the next 48 hours, why don''t youe to the pce with me? I''ve already got my father''s approval, so you just need to nod." Princess Meiya asked them with a beaming smile on her face. N?velDrama.Org content rights.

    "What?! The royal family has invited them to the pce?! But they''re humans! No human has ever stepped foot inside the royal pce before!"

    Yuan looked at Huang Xiao Li and her family and asked, "What do you guys think?"

    "We are not foolish enough to reject the Princess'' generosity. Naturally, we are willing to apany the Princess to the pce," Huang Xiao Li dered.

    "You heard them," Yuan said to her.

    "Great! Then I will bring us to the pce immediately!"

    Without any dy, Princess Meiya retrieved a device and poured her spiritual energy into it.

    In the ensuing moment, Yuan and the others'' bodies started emanating a radiant blue light before abruptly disappearing from their current location.

    Upon reappearing, they found themselves within a vast and opulent building, and inparison to the enormity of their surroundings, they were practically akin to ants.

    "Wow¡­ As expected of the royal family''s home. This ce is asrge as an entire human city!" Huang Xiao Li was greatly awed by the spectacle before her eyes.

    "This is just the lobby. The actual rooms are much bigger than this." Princess Meiya smiled.

    "Come, let me show you your rooms."

    Yuan followed Princess Meiya, but since the ce was so huge, it didn''t seem like they were moving even though they had been walking for several minutes already.

    "Do you walk around like this all the time?" Huang Xiao Li asked her.

    "No, I am usually in my giant form when I am at home. Want me to carry you guys?"

    "I don''t think that would be appropriate for a princess such as yourself¡­" Huang Chen said with a nervous expression on his face.

    "Don''t worry about it. I couldn''t care less about such things."

    After saying such words, Princess Meiya began growing in size, quickly reaching 50 meters tall.

    As her growth ceased, she extended her open hand towards them, signaling for them to climb onto her palm.

    Without hesitation, Yuan leaped onto her palm, and once everyone had settled on her palm, Princess Meiya resumed walking.

    "Whoa! This is so fun!" Huang Xiao Li eximed as she spread her arms wide as if she wanted to embrace the wind.

    Sometimeter, they arrived before a massive door.

    "This will be your room. Since it''srge enough to fit a thousand humans with ease and for convenience''s sake, you guys can share it. Of course, if you wish to have your own room, it won''t be difficult to make such arrangements either." Princess Meiya said to them.

    "I''m fine with sharing the room," Yuan said as he looked at the Huang Family, who also had no objections.

    Princess Meiya nodded upon their approval and opened the massive door with a single hand.

 Chapter 1333 Two Days

    Chapter 1333 Two Days

    Upon entering the room, Yuan and the Huang Family were greeted by a luxurious room that was far too big for them. As Princess Meiya imed, the room could easily fit over a thousand humans. In fact, just the bed alone could fit over ten thousand humans with ease.

    "I don''t know what to say¡­" Huang Xiao Li muttered in a dazed voice.

    "It wasn''t too bad before we entered this room, but now that there is furniture and stuff, I really feel out of ce. Is this how ants feel when they enter a human''s house? I am speechless."

    Princess Meiya ced Yuan and the Huang Family on the table before shrinking her size to match theirs again.

    "What do you n on doing now?" Princess Meiya suddenly asked him.

    "Are you expecting me to do something?" Yuan raised an eyebrow.

    She nodded and said, "While you are definitely very talented, even defeating a formidable opponent like Royal Guard Basar, you won''t win the next match in your current state."

    "That''s nonsense! Yuan will definitely win!" Huang Xiao Li eximed, defending him.

    Yuan smiled appreciatively and replied, "Thank you, but she''s correct. My next opponent will undoubtedly be much stronger than Royal Guard Basar, and if I enter the stage in my current state, I will definitely lose."

    "No way¡­" Huang Xiao Li was speechless.

    "We still have two days before the next match." Princess Meiya said.

    "Huh? Are you proposing that he enhance his strength in just two days? That''s too little time! It''s impossible, even for someone as talented as him!" Huang Xiao Li remarked. Although it might sound like she was underestimating Yuan, she wasn''t entirely wrong. Two days is an incredibly brief period for any cultivator, especially for someone at Yuan''s level of cultivation.

    Had Huang Xiao Li uttered anything to the contrary, she would have sounded absurd. After all, even if one were to gorge themselves on treasures, the absorption of spiritual energy from those treasures would still necessitate time.

    Achieving substantial growth required the consumption of potent treasures, and the more formidable the treasure, the lengthier the process of absorption.

    At Yuan''s level, if he wanted to see any significant growth, he would need more than two days. Unfortunately, that was all the time he had.

    "I don''t know how much help I''ll be¡ªif I''ll even be of any help¡ª but I will stay here with you for the next two days if you ever have any questions." Princess Meiya said.

    "Ah, please don''t expect me to give you any treasures, okay? I am already interfering with the tournament by helping you, which could get me in trouble with my father. The most I can do is give you guidance."

    Yuan smiled, "Don''t worry, I won''t ask you to do anything unreasonable. And thank you."

    Princess Meiya nodded, and she said, "Then let''s get started. Given the limited time of two days, there are only two methods I can think of that will provide you with a significant boost in strength."

    "One¡ªachieve enlightenment for your current techniques, or two¡ªconsume treasures and absorb as much as you can in these two days," Princess Meiya presented the two viable options to Yuan.

    "Achieving enlightenment is easier said than done¡­ That''s not something you can do just because you need to¡­" Huang Xiao Li shook her head.

    "I concur that the first method is unreliable and, frankly, nearly impossible. Therefore, we must opt for the second option. Hopefully, you have some treasures on you..." Princess Meiya nced at Yuan.

    "I do have a few in mind." He nodded.

    "Is it really okay to consume treasures?" Huang Chen suddenly spoke out. "We''re technically still in the middle of a tournament, after all."

    Huang Chen was worried that Yuan might break some kind of rule by consuming treasures during the tournament period.

    "It''s fine. He''s only forbidden from using treasures during his fight." Princess Meiya reassured that Yuan''s safe, and she turned to look at Yuan before continuing, "With that being said, any treasure that you consume and don''t finish absorbing before you step on the stage will be erased, so you''ll waste anything that you don''t finish."

    "Thanks for the heads up." Yuan nodded.

    Yuan proceeded to take a seat and started to look through all of his spatial rings and storage pouches for any potential treasures he could use to strengthen himself.

    ''I have plenty of treasures that will increase my spiritual energy, but since I am bottlenecked at peak Spirit King, it wouldn''t make sense to consume any of these, as it would only be a waste of resources.''

    He quickly ignored all of the treasures that would only improve his cultivation and focused solely on those that could boost his bloodline or physique.

    ''I could also temper my body, but I don''t have anything that will give me any significant boost in two days¡­''

    After a brief pause, Yuan realized something.

    ''No¡­ wait a moment¡­''

    He retrieved a transparent gourd filled with golden liquid that came from the Golden Celestial Tree.

    ''Feng Feng told me that its liquid could be used to temper one''s body. I didn''t use it before because it could''ve forced me to ascend, but now that I think about it, my cultivation is limited to Spirit King because of my physique, so I shouldn''t be able to breakthrough even if I used it.'' N?velDrama.Org (C) content.

    ''Even if I somehow manage to breakthrough Spirit King and be a Spirit Emperor or Spirit Sovereign, I should be fine because I am currently inside the Stairway to Heaven and I already n on getting to the Fourth Heaven.'' "What is that liquid?" Huang Xiao Li asked with curiosity written all over her face. "Liquid from a Golden Celestial Tree." Yuan nonchntly responded.

    While Huang Xiao Li didn''t react to it, Princess Meiya, on the other hand, expressed immense shock.

    "Did you just say liquid from a Golden Celestial Tree?! But there''s so much liquid! How old must a Golden Celestial Tree be to yield such a substantial amount?" eximed Princess Meiya in astonishment.

 Chapter 1334 Tempering in Golden Celestial Trees Liquid

    Chapter 1334 Tempering in Golden Celestial Tree''s Liquid

    "The most Golden Celestial Tree liquid I have seen is not even a tenth of the amount in your hands, and that was a 300,000 year old Golden Celestial Tree." Princess Meiya said.

    "The Golden Celestial Tree I found was a few million years old," Yuan revealed.

    "A few million years?! Are you sure?! That would be ridiculous!" Princess Meiya didn''t want to believe it.

    "What is this Golden Celestial Tree?" Huang Xiao Li inquired.

    Huang Chen responded first, "It''s a valuable treasure¡ªpriceless even¡ªthat serves multiple purposes. Its leaves can be used to concoct powerful pills, and its wood can be utilized in crafting spiritual treasures. However, the most valuable resource it offers is the liquid, known to enhance one''s talent and physique. Even a few drops of that liquid go for tens of millions of spirit stones."

    "The value of the Golden Celestial Tree also increases with age," added Princess Meiya. "Most tress don''t start growing leaves until they are around 50,000 years old, and they only grow one or two leaves every thousand years. As for the liquid¡­ it only produces a few drops every 10 thousand years¡­ after they reach 100,000 years old."

    "Wow¡­" Huang Xiao Li muttered in a dazed voice.

    "Anyways, do you n on using that liquid to temper your body? You only have two days, which might not be enough¡­" Princess Meiya asked Yuan a momentter.

    "This is the only thing that might help me at this moment so I have to use it even if I waste some of it," he sighed.

    "In that case, I won''t try to convince you otherwise, as much as it breaks my heart to see such precious resources going to waste¡­" Yuan then asked, "Do you know how I use this liquid to temper my body? Do I pour it into water and submerge my body in it, or do I drink it?"

    "You want to drink the Golden Celestial Tree''s liquid?! Are you insane? That will kill you!" Princess Meiya eximed in a startled manner.

    "Just like any other medicine, you dilute it with water and soak your body in it," she continued.

    "I see."

    Yuan retrieved his cauldron and filled it with pure water that was produced from a treasure Feng Yuxiang had given him around the same time he started tempering his body. This treasure allowed him to create water that contained zero impurity as long as he charged it with enough spiritual energy, so he could temper his body no matter where he was located.

    After filling the cauldron with water, Yuan used his alchemy mes to boil the water.

    Eventually, Yuan removed the seal on the gourd and began pouring the Golden Celestial Tree''s liquid into the cauldron, quickly turning the water gold.

    However, when Princess Meiya saw this, her eyes popped out of its sockets, and she screamed in a horrified voice, "AHHHHH! S-STOP! STOP, STOP, STOP!"

    Startled by her yelling, Yuan hastily halted his actions.

    "Huh? What''s wrong?" Yuan looked at her with a puzzled expression, as he was doing exactly what she instructed him to do.

    "You crazy son of a bitch! A few drops of the Golden Celestial Tree''s water is more than enough to temper a giant for an entire month!" Princess Meiya exined the reason for her hysterical reaction. "Oh."

    Yuan looked at the gourd and realized that he''d already poured a third of its content, which could''ve tempered a giant for several decades.

    "Ahhh~! What a waste! What a damn waste of resources!" Princess Meiya sighed with a throbbing pain in her heart and tears flowing down her face.

    "It''s still a little too early to call it wasted, don''t you think?" Yuan said with a calm smile on his face.

    "A little too early? Please! There''s no way you can absorb even a tenth of this resource in a year, much less two days!" Princess Meiya looked at him with a slight frown.

    "Then I better get started right now." N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.

    Without waiting another moment, Yuan began to remove his clothes.

    "Wha¡ª!" Huang Xiao Li''s face flushed with redness after seeing this.

    Princess Meiya immediately turned around, her face also burning red.

    "At least give us a warning!" "Sorry."

    After entering the cauldron, Yuan immediately started to absorb the Golden Celestial Tree''s liquid.

    ''Hmm? It isn''t painful at all.''

    Yuan was taken aback when he started tempering his body and felt no pain. Instead, he experienced a peculiar sensation of pleasure, as though every inch of his body was being gently massaged. He had braced himself for excruciating pain, anticipating an intense ordeal given the reputation of the Golden Celestial Tree as a potent treasure, but that expected difort never materialized.

    Soon, a delicate golden light enveloped Yuan''s body. If one could peer into the interior of his body, they would witness his veins and bones radiating a resplendent golden glow.

    ''W-What is happening?'' Princess Meiya swallowed nervously when she could see Yuan''s aura growing stronger with every passing second.

    While it wasn''t unprecedented for individuals to undergo significant growth in a short amount of time under the influence of heaven-defying treasures, Yuan''s case was different. He wasn''t consuming any ordinary treasure; rather, he was tempering his body in the liquid of the Golden Celestial Tree, which would take much longer to show any resultspared to consuming treasures.

    Moreover, the liquid from a Golden Celestial Tree is renowned for being exceedingly challenging to absorb, even when significantly diluted.

    "This isn''t possible... He''s not just tempering his body with a few drops of Golden Celestial Tree liquid, but several cups of it, which should have severely slowed down his absorption rate! But why does it seem like it had sped up his absorption rate instead?!" Princess Meiya''s initial shock transformed into sheer terror as sheprehended the magnitude of Yuan''s extraordinary undertaking.

    Meanwhile, Huang Xiao Li and her family had no idea what was urring before them, and not wanting to spend all of their time staring at Yuan, they eventually flew towards the bed to rest.

 Chapter 1335 Tempering in Golden Celestial Trees Liquid(2)

    Chapter 1335 Tempering in Golden Celestial Tree''s Liquid(2)

    As Yuan absorbed more and more of the liquid, he sensed his cultivation reaching its utmost limit. However, just as it seemed poised to break through, it encountered an abrupt halt, as if something were obstructing its progress.

    <You have absorbed enough Qi for a breakthrough>

    <You have failed to breakthrough>

    <You have absorbed enough Qi for a breakthrough>

    <You have failed to breakthrough>

    The notifications continued spamming for several minutes until it became silent, almost as if it knew that it was doing something pointless.

    However, while Yuan couldn''t break past Spirit King, since he was continuously absorbing the Golden Celestial Tree''s liquid, all of the spiritual energy he absorbed had to go somewhere. Within Yuan''s Dantian, there was a ceaseless attempt to break through and expand, akin to a human futilely trying to kick down an indestructible or unopenable door. When the Dantian failed to achieve a breakthrough, all the umted spiritual energy would be expelled from it, redirecting to further temper Yuan''s body.

    In a weird twist of fate, his inability to achieve a breakthrough was quite the fortuitous event for his current situation, enabling him to expedite the tempering of his body more rapidly than if he were simultaneously enhancing both his cultivation and physique.

    ''What a terrifying rate of progression! He''s definitely not human!'' Princess Meiya swallowed nervously, witnessing Yuan''s physique undergo a staggering transformation.

    At the rate Yuan was absorbing the Golden Celestial Tree''s liquid, he would, without doubt, finish absorbing all of its power within the two-day limit. ''His body isn''t just a bottomless pit¡ªit''s a limitless ck hole that devours anything it touches!''

    Twenty-four hours passed in the blink of an eye. Out of curiosity and boredom, Huang Xiao Li went to watch Yuan temper his body with Princess Meiya, who had been staring at Yuan without blinking even once throughout this entire time.

    "How''s it going?" Huang Xiao Li asked Princess Meiya.

    However, there was no response from Princess Meiya.

    Huang Xiao Li turned to look at her.

    "A-Are you okay?" Huang Xiao Li was startled when she saw Princess Meiya''s expression, who looked like she was being haunted by a ghost.

    Princess Meiya eventually snapped out of her daze to wipe the sweat forming on her forehead.

    "He''s truly a monster. It''s only been 24 hours, and he''s already absorbed 75 percent of the treasure," she said.

    "What?! I thought you said¡­"

    "I know what I said, but to be frank, he''s not human. I''ve never witnessed any human, giant, beast, or entity for that matter, possess such monstrous talents," admitted Princess Meiya.

    "I knew he was special, but I didn''t expect for it to be to such a degree."

    "Do you think he''ll defeat his next opponent?" Huang Xiao Li asked.

    "I don''t know what will happen." Princess Meiya shook her head.

    "Eh? Even after giving him such praises?"

    "I''m not saying that he will lose. I simply don''t know what to expect, as this is my first time seeing someone temper their body using so much Golden Celestial Tree''s liquid."

    Just as Princess Meiya finished her sentence, something inexplicable urred before them. Inside the cauldron, Yuan''s body, which had been emanating a shimmering golden light, suddenly intensified.

    The light became so bright that it overwhelmed the lights in the room and nearly covered the entire room, almost as if the sun had appeared in the room.

    "Wha¡ª?! What is going on?!" Huang Xiao Li eximed as she covered her eyes.

    Then, just as swiftly as the light intensified, it vanished.

    Upon regaining visibility, the twodies quickly observed Yuan''s condition.

    "What in heaven''s name¡­?" Huang Xiao Li subconsciously muttered in a puzzled voice after seeing Yuan, who seemed to be adorned in a semi-transparent golden armor that hadn''t been present before.

    The golden armor encased Yuan''s body seamlessly, devoid of any excess space, almost as though it were an integral part of his skin.

    "Do you know what''s happening?" Huang Xiao Li turned to Princess Meiya for answers.

    Meanwhile, Princess Meiya had a look of disbelief on her face.

    After a moment of silence, without providing any further exnation, Princess Meiya turned around, soared toward the door, and swiftly exited the room.

    Her puzzling actions left Huang Xiao Li speechless.

    She turned to look at Yuan again and muttered in a bittersweet voice, "What did you do this time, Yuan?"

    Meanwhile, after leaving the room, Princess Meiya made her way to the treasure room, where her family stored all of its valuable treasures.

    This room wasn''t essible by anyone other than the Giant Emperor Ks himself, so when Princess Meiya showed up, she was quickly blocked by the guards there.

    "Princess?! What are you doing here?"

    "Get out of my way!"

    Without giving any exnation, Princess Meiya smacked one of the guards, sending him flying.

    "Princess?!"

    The other guards were shocked by her sudden aggression and didn''t know how to react.

    When Princess Meiya tried to enter the treasure room, the guards snapped out of their daze and tried to stop her.

    "What do you think you are doing, Princess?! Only His Majesty is allowed to enter the Royal Treasury! You know this!" "Shut up! This is an emergency!" Princess Meiya shouted, followed by pping another guard.

    "C-Call His Majesty!"

    The guards didn''t dare to attack Princess Meiya or use too much force against her since she was Giant Emperor Ks'' favorite child, so they could only block her with their bodies and call for help.

    "Your Majesty! There''s been an emergency! Princess Meiya suddenly showed up at the Royal Treasury with the intent of entering! When the guards tried to stop her, she attacked them!" A guard ryed this news to Giant Emperor Ks, who was in the middle of something.

    Giant Emperor Ks frowned upon hearing this news and sighed inwardly, ''What is that little brat doing?''

    He stood up and said a momentter, "I understand. I will take a look for myself what she''s up to."

    N?velDrama.Org content rights.

 Chapter 1336 Golden Immortal Physique

    Chapter 1336 Golden Immortal Physique

    "Get out of my way, you idiots! I am in a hurry!" Princess Meiya shouted at the guards as she beat them.

    However, no matter how much the guards were beaten, they refused to let her enter the Royal Treasury, sacrificing their bodies to block her.

    "Please calm down, Princess! If you''re troubled, you should speak with your father!"

    "I don''t have the time for that!"

    Eventually, Princess Meiya managed to overpower the guards and reached the door to the Royal Treasury.

    Just as she prepared to kick down the door, a calm voice resounded behind her, "What do you think you are doing?"

    Princess Meiya didn''t need to look behind to see who was standing behind her and said, "Father, this is an emergency, please let me enter the Royal Treasury."

    Giant Emperor Ks was taken aback by his daughter''s calm demeanor, indicating that she was of sound mind and not acting recklessly.

    "Then answer this question. What are you trying to acquire from the treasury?" Giant Emperor Ks asked.

    "..."

    Hearing his question, Princess Meiya answered without hesitation, "I''m going to get the Golden Droplet."

    Giant Emperor Ks frowned upon hearing this, and he continued to inquire, "Why do you need the Golden Droplet?"

    "I thought I only needed to answer one question, Father. If you keep dying me, it''ll be your fault if the Golden Immortal Physique fails to be born," Princess Meiya asserted.

    "The Golden Immortal Physique?!" The expression on Giant Emperor Ks'' face became filled with shock, as though he was grappling with the incredibility of what he had just heard.

    "Don''t tell me Yuan is¡ª!"

    Giant Emperor Ks immediately used his divine sense to find Yuan.

    Upon seeing Yuan submerged in a cauldron filled with gold-colored water and his body adorned with the semi-transparent golden armor, Giant Emperor Ks was ovee with excitement, his entire being trembling with awe. N?velDrama.Org (C) content.

    Then, without hesitation, Giant Emperor Ks kicked down the door to the Royal Treasury, shocking the guards there.

    "Your Majesty?!" The guards couldn''t believe what they were witnessing.

    "I''ll do this myself." Giant Emperor Ks rushed into the treasury before Princess Meiya and grabbed a specific bottle resting on a shelf.

    This bottle contained a solitary drop of golden liquid that appeared to be entirely solid, taking on the form of a tear-shaped drop.

    Princess Meiya smiled after seeing her father''s reaction, but she wasn''t surprised.

    After acquiring what he needed, Giant Emperor Ks rushed out of the treasury and said to the guards as he disappeared toward the direction of Yuan''s room, "If anything leaves that treasury, I will have all of your heads!"

    "Y-Yes, Your Majesty!"

    "Sorry about the trouble!" Princess Meiya gave them a quick apology before following Giant Emperor Ks to Yuan''s room.

    Upon reaching their destination, Giant Emperor Ks entered Yuan''s room and shrunk his size to that of a human''s size.

    He then flew to the cauldron with Yuan, who was stillpletely immersed in his tempering.

    "Y-You''re the Emperor!? W-Why are you here?!" Huang Xiao Li was startled by his sudden appearance.

    However, Giant Emperor Ks did not respond to her, as he was too wholly engrossed in observing Yuan to hear her.

    ''It''s truly the Golden Immortal Physique! I can''t believe I''m witnessing its birth with my own eyes!'' Giant Emperor Ks swallowed nervously.

    "What are you waiting for, father?! Hurry up and throw in the Golden Droplet!" Princess Meiya pped him in the back, snapping him out of his daze.

    Giant Emperor Ks immediately opened the bottle and poured the Golden Droplet into Yuan''s cauldron.

    As the Golden Droplet touched the surface of the water, it promptly melted, transforming the diluted gold water into pure gold, mirroring the appearance of molten gold.

    At the same time, Yuan experienced an intense craving sensation throughout his body, as if his entire being was starving for energy, and it suddenly became much easier to absorb the treasure.

    ''What is this sensation? It''s sofortable¡­''

    <Your body has reached its utmost limit>

    <You have absorbed Golden Immortal''s Spirit Essence>

    <Your body has broken through its limits and surpassed perfection>

    <You have attainted Golden Immortal Physique>

    <You have gained the title ''Golden Immortal Physique''>

    [Description: Your body has surpassed perfection, attaining a physique thought to only exist in legends.]

    Ding!

    <Heaven Refining Physique activated>

    <Heaven Refining Physique has begun fusing with Golden Immortal Physique>

    Yuan was too absorbed in his tempering to notice the notifications before him.

    "Did it seed?" Princess Meiya asked her father sometimeter.

    "I''m not sure since this is my first time seeing the Golden Immortal Physique," he shook his head.

    "Golden Immortal Physique? What''s that?" Huang Xiao Li asked, hoping to finally get some answers.

    "It''s a legendary physique that was thought to only exist during the Primordial Era." Princess Meiya exined while her eyes remained focused on Yuan.

    "The Golden Immortal Physique is recognized as the number one physique for Body Refiners because of its near imprable defense and immense raw strength," Giant Emperor Ks continued to exin.

    "It first manifested in a cultivator who wouldter be known as the Golden Immortal, who stood as the most formidable Body Refiner in the Divine Heavens during the Primordial Era, unmatched by any. His god-like physique could deflect even Celestial-grade weapons, withstand the most potent techniques, and he possessed the strength to pulverize stars into dust with his bare hands."

    "The Golden Immortal Physique is also unlike any ordinary physique in the sense that it can only be attained through body tempering, meaning one cannot be born with it. There is only one known method of acquiring it¡ªby tempering one''s body in the Golden Celestial Tree''s liquid."

    "With that being said, not everyone who tempers their body in the Golden Celestial Tree''s liquid will acquire the Golden Immortal Physique. Countless Body Refiners have undergone tempering in the Golden Celestial Tree''s liquid across many eras, but there have only ever been three individuals who acquired the Golden Immortal Physique, with the Golden Immortal being one of them," Giant Emperor Ks rified.

 Chapter 1337 Golden Immortal Physique(2)

    Chapter 1337 Golden Immortal Physique(2)

    "There is a way to discern if someone has a chance to acquire the Golden Immortal Physique. If a semi-transparent golden armor materializes on the individual during their tempering, they possess what''s known as an iplete Golden Immortal Physique." Giant Emperor Ks continued.

    "To fully attain the Golden Immortal Physique, they must promptly temper in Golden Immortal''s Spirit Essence, created bybining a Golden Droplet with the Golden Celestial Tree''s liquid."

    "What''s a Golden Droplet?" Huang Xiao Li asked, her expression filled with curiosity.

    "It''s a treasure even more valuable than the Golden Celestial Tree''s liquid. Possessing heaven-defying properties, it can elevate the grade of any treasure by several levels," said Princess Meiya.

    "For example, it can turn a Divine-grade treasure into a Mythic¡ªeven Empyrean-grade treasure. Of course, it can also immensely increase the potency of any medicine-type treasure like the Golden Celestial Tree''s liquid."

    "Wow¡­ This is my first time hearing about such a treasure. How does one even find them?" Huang Xiao Li asked.

    "They can rarely be found in the starry world, left behind by mythical rocks known as Golden Meteoroids as they soar through the void." Giant Emperor Ks said.

    "These Golden Meteoroids are indestructible and move at a speed that even the fastest cultivators cannot follow. Naturally, they are incredibly rare as well. Only two Golden Droplets have been found in thest million years."

    After a brief pause, Giant Emperor Ks spoke in a solemn voice, "Honestly, I once strived to attain the Golden Immortal Physique, which is why I possess the Golden Droplet. Unfortunately, I have never manifested the golden armor even after a dozen attempts over the past 500,000 years."

    "And you gave the Golden Droplet to Yuan despite that? I''m in awe of your generosity," Huang Xiao Li remarked.

    "I have already relinquished such a dream. If I cannot attain the Golden Immortal Physique myself, I want, at the very least, to contend with someone who possesses it. If my rival, Tian Yang, can attain the Golden Immortal Physique, I cannot ask for anything better," he responded with a smile.

    "Do you think he''ll finish before the tournament resumes?" Princess Meiya suddenly asked.

    "Is the tournament more important than the Golden Immortal Physique? I couldn''t care less about the tournament as long as he acquires the Golden Immortal Physique!" Giant Emperor Ks dered.

    "However, I do hope that he manages to finish before the tournament resumes."

    Giant Emperor Ks proceeded to take a sit down.

    "You''re going to stay here and watch?" Princess Meiya asked after seeing his action.

    "Of course. Do you think I''d miss the birth of the Golden Immortal Physique? I''d even risk my life to witness such a historical moment," he scoffed. N?velDrama.Org content rights.

    About an hour after Yuan acquired the Golden Immortal Physique, the water in the cauldron, resembling melted gold, began to lose its color, swiftly returning to its diluted texture. Six hourster, the water had nearly lost all of its color, reverting to its normal appearance of in water.

    ''This monster in human skin¡­'' Giant Emperor Ks sighed inwardly after witnessing Yuan''s absorption rate with his own eyes.

    It would''ve taken him several decades to absorb such powerful treasure, yet Yuan was able to do it in several hours.

    Yuan opened his eyes shortly after he finished his body tempering session.

    "Giant Emperor? What are you doing here?" Yuan was startled when the first thing he saw upon opening his eyes was Giant Emperor Ks ring at him intently.

    Giant Emperor Ks silently smiled for a moment before speaking, "How do you feel?"

    Yuan inspected his body and said, "A lot stronger."

    "It would be strange if you weren''t stronger after absorbing so much treasure! And you even attained the Golden Immortal Physique!" eximed Giant Emperor Ks.

    "Golden Immortal Physique? What''s that?" Yuan tilted his head in a puzzled manner.

    "Listen here, you¡­"

    Giant Emperor Ks proceeded to exin the entire situation to him.

    "A physique that can only be forged through body tempering, huh¡­" Yuan had a smile on his face after realizing his achievement.

    "Wait, does this mean that I currently possess two different physiques? Is that even possible?"

    "It''s exceedingly rare, but it''s definitely possible."

    Giant Emperor Ks stood up, patted his robes, and continued, "Anyways, the tournament will resume soon. Show me what the Golden Immortal Physique can do or I''ll personally skin you alive for wasting my resources."

    Yuan smiled, "Thank you for the Golden Droplet."

    Giant Emperor Ks causally waved his arm and left the room shortly after.

    Princess Meiya decided to stay for a little longer.

    "Even though I said that I wouldn''t give you any treasures, I ended up betraying my own words. With that being said, I do not regret it at all. As a Body Refiner, I cannot imagine anything more honorable than being involved in the birth of the legendary Golden Immortal Physique. I''m looking forward to your next match."

    Princess Meiya left the room shortly after.

    "You should get some rest. I''m also going to get some sleep." Huang Xiao Li said to him before flying to the bed.

    Sometimeter, Yuan tossed the cauldron back into his spatial ring and got dressed.

    ''Even if I want to get some rest, there''s too much energy in my body to sleep.''

    Yuan felt a strong urge to unleash the energy inside his body, but he refrained from doing so, not wanting to waste any energy before the tournament resumed.

    Instead, he looked at his character status to see what the Golden Immortal Physique did to his body.

    Name: Yuan

    Cultivation: 9th level Spirit King

    Bloodline: Immortal Monarch Bloodline

    Physique: Heaven Refining Physique, Golden Immortal Physique

    Physical Strength: ???

    Mental Strength: ???

    Soul Strength: ???

    Physical Defense: ???

    Mental Defense: ???

    [Title: Golden Immortal Physique]

    [Description: Increases your Physical Strength by ??? and Physical Defense by ???]

    Yuan''s eyes widened when he observed the effects of the Golden Immortal Physique. In his experience, the presence of a question mark suggested that the number wasrger than what the system could handle.

    However, even without the system''s help, he could vaguely tell how much stronger he waspared to previously.

 Chapter 1338 Supreme Physiques

    Chapter 1338 Supreme Physiques

    "Golden Immortal Physique¡­ This is my first time hearing about it¡­" Xi Meili muttered in a somewhat dazed voice after witnessing Yuan''s situation.

    Xiao Hua then said, "I have heard about it from my father before¡­"

    "In the Nine Heavens, three supreme physiques reign supreme, each standing resolutely at the pinnacle of its own category."

    "Brother Yuan''s Golden Immortal Physique is the supreme physique for Body Refiners who temper their body."

    "Then there''s the Harmonic Spirit Constitution, which is known as the supreme physique for cultivation." Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    "As for the third supreme physique, I wasn''t told about it, so I don''t know anything about it."

    "Is the Harmonic Spirit Constitution created like the Golden Immortal Physique? Or can one be born with it?" Xi Meili inquired.

    Xiao Hua shook her head, saying, "I don''t know. Information about the supreme physiques is extremely scarce due to their rarity, and even those who possess such knowledge prefer to keep it to themselves."

    "That makes sense."

    Xi Meili turned to look at Yuan and sighed, "He''s taken another massive leap in prowess. Makes me wonder when he''ll slow down¡ªif that is even possible."

    Unbeknownst to everyone there, this was just the beginning of Yuan''s true ascension to the peak of the world.

    Meanwhile, Yuan was still unaware of the changes currently urring within his body¡ª that the Heaven Refining Physique and the Golden Immortal Pysique were slowly fusing together.

    A few hourster, Princess Meiya returned to the room to notify Yuan that the tournament would resume shortly.

    Yuan and the Huang Family made their way back to the tournament area while Princess Meiya sat in the royal family''s seating area.

    "Junior Sister Meiya, I have been hearing a weird rumortely¡ªthat you''ve taken interest in a human." Princess Meiya turned to look at the handsome man sitting right beside her and responded, "And what are you doing here, Senior Brother Hek? I thought I was the only one who was interested in the tournament."

    "Indeed, you were the only one interested, at least until I heard that a mere human had managed to best Royal Guard Basar¡ªmy personal guard."

    Princess Meiya smiled, "So you''ve also taken an interest in a human¡ªis what you are telling me?"

    This handsome man with a tanned body was Prince Hek, one of Princess Meiya''s older brothers.

    "Hah! That''s a great joke! As if I would ever be interested in a mere human. I just want to see for myself what kind of pathetic trick this human has up his sleeve. There''s no way a mere human could defeat a Royal Guard in a fair match," Prince Hek scoffed.

    "Have you forgotten the fact that father''s rival is also a human? That human is the very same one who defeated Royal Guard Basar." Princess Meiya reminded him.

    "Hmph. Father is getting old. He''s not as sharp as he used to be."

    "Oh? Who is getting old now?" Giant Emperor Ks suddenly approached him from behind.

    "F-Father!" Prince Hek felt his heart skip a beat when he sensed Giant Emperor Ks'' cold gaze on him.

    Fortunately for Prince Hek, Giant Emperor Ks didn''t say anything else and silently took his seat.

    When the judge noticed Giant Emperor Ks'' presence, he announced, "The tournament will resume shortly!"

    A few minutester, the judge shouted out loud, "Seventh match! Royal General Ozur and Tian Yang!"

    Hearing his name, Yuan immediately jumped onto the stage and patiently waited for his opponent.

    A few momentster, a human-sized figure strolled onto the stage with a calm demeanor.

    ''An old man?'' Yuan raised his eyebrows upon seeing his opponent.

    Not only did this person appear to be human, but he also looked like an ordinary frail old man. However, Yuan wasn''t deceived by the old man''s frail appearance. Despite his aged look, the man not only boasted the impressive cultivation of an 8th-level Divine Warrior but also exuded a palpable sense of confidence from every pore of his body.

    "It''s themander of the Royal Guards¡ª Royal General Ozur! I thought he''d retired! Why is he participating in this tournament?"The audience was greatly surprised by this old man''s appearance.

    "Hahaha! I cannot believe it! His luck must be dogshit to be paired with the strongest guard on the continent!" Prince Hek burst outughing.

    Not only was Royal General Ozur the strongest guard on the continent, but he used to work directly under Giant Emperor Ks, being his right-hand man.

    ''Only someone of General Ozur''s caliber could bring out the Golden Immortal Physique''s prowess!'' Giant Emperor Ks smiled inwardly.

    "Ever since I''ve heard about you, I''ve always wondered what kind of man could be worthy of being His Majesty''s rival," General Ozur suddenly remarked.

    "Oh? What do you think now that you''re standing before him?" Yuan asked.

    Royal General Ozur shook his head and sighed, "I don''t want to sound arrogant, but it is a bit disappointing. While you are definitely talented in your own right, you do not qualify to be His Majesty''s rival."

    "That''s quite harsh even though we''ve yet to exchange fists."

    "I have seen everything I need to during your match with that brat Royal Guard Basar. Unfortunately, you won''t be able to endure even 3 punches from me."

    "That was two days ago. A lot can happen in two days, you know."

    "Not only are you unworthy, but you are also arrogant. Today, I shall help His Majesty realize that he was mistaken about you."

    In the ensuing moment, the seemingly delicate frame of Royal General Ozur underwent a profound metamorphosis. His slender limbs swelled, pulsating with bulging veins and burgeoning muscles, transcending his diminutive stature into a truly formidable and monstrous presence.

    Despite the overwhelming presence standing before him, Yuan remained oddly nonchnt.

    "Three punches, right? I won''t move a muscle until you throw three punches at me," Yuan dered with a calm smile on his face. His intention wasn''t mere arrogance; rather, he aimed to test the limits of his newfound strength.

    Dual Cultivation Prequel

 Chapter 1339 Royal General

    Chapter1339 Royal General

    "You arrogant human, I will make you regret overestimating yourself. I won''t need more than a single punch to kill a bastard like you!" Royal General Ozur immediately threw a punch without hesitation, his fist hurtling toward Yuan''s face with overwhelming force, bending the space around his fist.

    Yuan remained true to his words, not moving a single muscle on his body despite the threatening scene unfolding before him.

    "What is that dumbass doing? Is he begging to be killed?"

    "Does he really think he can endure three punches from Royal General Ozur?! What an utter clown!" eximed a spectator in disbelief.

    Royal General Ozur''s fist reached Yuan''s face in the blink of an eye, and the spectators anticipated seeing Yuan losing his head in the next instant.

    The entire stage quivered at the moment of impact, and a powerful gust threatening to blow the audience off their feet swept the scene.

    However, in the wake of the destructive aftermath, a profound sense of puzzlement etched itself onto the faces of the audience as they beheld the unfolding scene on the stage.

    Yuan did not move an inch from his spot, and Royal General Ozur stood before him with his fist still firmly nted on his face, leaving the audience to wonder if Royal General Ozur had halted his punch right before the attack struck Yuan.

    However, judging by Royal General Ozur''s shocked expression and the fact that his fist was actually touching Yuan''s face, it was hard to believe that Yuan remained unscathed even if Royal General Ozur had pulled back his punch at the veryst second.

    "W-What transpired just now? Why did the General cease his punch?"

    "Did he really halt his strike? His fist is resolutely pressed against that human''s face!"

    "Are we to believe that the human withstood the Royal General''s fist and maintained an unmoved stance after the impact?! Impossible!"

    As the audience engaged in spective murmurs, Royal General Ozur found himself paralyzed by the shocking oue, as if grappling with profound disbelief, struggling to reconcile the events before him were real.

    ''What''s going on? Why do my fists hurt? Why am I the one in pain?''

    Striking Yuan brought back memories of his younger days when he had punched a wall out of anger, only to end up hurting himself in the process. However, he was no longer that weak child. He was the Royal General of the Royal Family¡ªone of the strongest warriors in the entire continent!

    Royal General Ozur eventually lowered his fist, revealing a smear of blood on Yuan''s face. Of course, the blood did not belong to Yuan.

    Royal General Ozur had delivered such a powerful punch to Yuan that his own fist began to bleed, yet it appeared to have no discernible effect on Yuan, as evidenced by Yuan''s unscathed condition and nonchnt demeanor.

    "..."

    Princess Meiya was rendered speechless, as was Giant Emperor Ks. While both were aware of Yuan''s possession of the Golden Immortal Physique, they did not anticipate him emerging unscathed after directly facing Royal General Ozur''s powerful punch.

    As for Prince Hek, he firmly believed that Yuan had used some trick to block the attack. "That''s one punch," Yuan said a momentter.

    Despite his calm voice, he was actually quite shocked inwardly at the oue.

    ''The attack just now was at least 10 times stronger than Royal Guard Basar''s strongest attack, yet I''ve managed to block it only using my bare body and without any treasures or techniques.''

    "Hahahaha!" Royal General Ozur suddenly burst outughing, dumbfounding everyone there.

    "It appears that I have underestimated you a little bit too much and used too little strength. Good! Very good! Let''s see if you can withstand the next strike!" Royal General Ozur imed that he had gone easy on Yuan just now, but he knew very well that he''d used 70 percent of his strength during that attack.

    ''Fuck! I have embarrassed myself before His Majesty! I must reim my face and kill this bastard with my next strike!''

    Thinking this, Royal General Ozur began to gather his strength, taking his time to charge up his next attack, unlike the first strike.

    A few momentster, Royal General Ozur tossed out a punch that was even more devastating than the previous, aimed directly at Yuan''s heart.

    ''Die, you unworthy human brat!'' Royal General Ozur cursed inwardly as he unleashed his fully powered fist, driving it into Yuan''s chest.

    The stage beneath Yuan''s feet cracked upon impact, resonating with a sound reminiscent of a war drum that echoed profoundly in the ears of the audience.

    "T-This is¡­ impossible¡­"

    "What are we witnessing right now¡­?"

    The audience muttered in a dazed manner as they stared at the stage. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    Just like the previous strike, Royal General Ozur was unable to move Yuan from his spot, much less inflict any damage on him. By now, the audience had to ept the undeniable truth that Yuan had managed to endure two of Royal General Ozur''s strikes, emergingpletely unscathed.

    Royal General Ozur''s second punch had enough power topletely obliterate a peak Divine Warrior with ease, yet it wasn''t able to damage Yuan in the slightest.

    "N-No... this can''t be happening..." Royal General Ozur began walking backward, a terrified expression on his face. He had never experienced such helplessness before, not even when he was surrounded by enemies in the heat of battle.

    "I will not ept this! I refuse to acknowledge your existence!!!" Royal General Ozur suddenly roared in a fit of rage before charging at Yuan once more, his entire being overflowing with spiritual energy.

    "Stop! What do you think you are doing?!" The judge shouted in a panicked manner when he realized what Royal General Ozur was trying to do.

    "He''s going to use a martial technique!" Princess Meiya stood up from her seat with a worried look on her face. Even if she wanted to help Yuan, she wouldn''t be able to reach them in time.

    "Finally, a real test."

    Despite his predicament, Yuan managed to put a smile on his face, even weing Royal General Ozur with open arms, a gesture that only further enraged the broken warrior.

 Chapter 1340 Prince Hellak

    Chapter 1340 Prince Hek

    A pulsating purple aura, vibrant and ominous, shrouded Royal General Ozur''s fists as he prepared to unleash a dual onught, hurling both fists simultaneously toward Yuan with immense killing intent.

    "Spiritforged Pulse Strike!"

    Upon the impact of Royal General Ozur''s strike, Yuan sensed a tremendous surge of spiritual energy erupting within his body, as if it were threatening to detonate him from the inside. Yet, this intense sensation swiftly receded, and Yuan became aware of an enigmatic force within him actively quelling the chaotic energy, preventing any harm or upheaval.

    [Progress: 1%]

    Yuan arched an eyebrow in surprise as a progress bar materialized before him. Having missed the initial notification during his body tempering, he was unaware that his physiques were currently in the process of merging.

    Nevertheless, he could discern that something profound was transpiring within his body.

    "H-How are you still standing? Why are you still alive after being struck by my Spiritforged Pulse Strike?" Royal General Ozur stammered in bewilderment.

    As Yuan observed Royal General Ozur, he could discern a mixture of terror and confusion etched across his face.

    "How? I''m not so sure myself. Maybe it has something to do with you being a little too weak." Yuan responded with a calm smile.

    "How dare you¡ª"

    "Have you not had enough yet, Ozur?" Giant Emperor Ks suddenly spoke, instantly silencing the entire ce.

    "Y-Your Majesty¡­" Royal General Ozur had a devastated expression when he saw the look of disdain Giant Emperor Ks was giving him.

    "You have disgraced yourself today, Ozur. Not only did you break the tournament''s rules, but you also tarnished your legacy with your ugly disy. My disappointment is immeasurable."

    Royal General Ozur fell to his knees and began shedding tears the next moment. He wanted to beg for forgiveness, but he didn''t have the courage to even respond.

    Giant Emperor Ks looked at Yuan and spoke, "Since your opponent broke the rule and used a martial technique, he will automatically be disqualified, so this match is your win. However, I doubt you will be satisfied with this result."

    Sure enough, he felt a twinge of disappointment that the match concluded without him being able to throw a single punch.

    "What do you have in mind?" Yuan asked.

    Giant Emperor Ks'' gaze suddenly shifted towards the man sitting beside him, and he spoke with a profound smile on his face, "How about a match with my oldest son? Of course, this match won''t affect the tournament whether you win or lose."

    "What?!" Prince Hek eximed in a shocked voice.

    Princess Meiya chuckled and said out loud, "I believe that''s a splendid notion, father. Elder brother, since you harbor doubts about his strength, there''s no better way to dispel them than experiencing it firsthand."

    "Alright, I''ll fight him." Yuan quickly agreed to the match.

    ''This bitch¡­!'' Prince Hek cursed inwardly after being tossed under the bus by Princess Meiya.

    "Hek, get on the stage." Giant Emperor Ks spoke in amanding tone.

    "But father¡­ I am a prince and the eldest in the family¡­ How can I possibly stand on the same stage as a human?"

    Giant Emperor Ks smiled innocently and said, "The stage doesn''t care about your status or birthright. It only recognizes strength. Besides, it''s a friendly match and won''t affect your standing as a prince."

    "But¡ª"

    Giant Emperor Ks abruptly released some of his aura, immediately silencing Prince Hek.

    "Elder brother, are you, by any chance, afraid of losing to him, a mere human¡­?" Princess Meiya poked him where it hurt the most¡ª his pride.

    Sure enough, when Prince Hek heard such words, he clenched his jaw and leaped from the lofty perch of the spectators to the arena below, proving Princess Meiya''s provocation effective."

    "I will make you regret looking down on royalty." Prince Hek muttered in a cold voice.

    Yuan tilted his head and asked, "How did youe to that conclusion?"

    Prince Hek proimed, "The audacity to challenge me implies a disdainful gaze upon my stature."

    "But it was your father who suggested this match. I merely agreed to it."

    "Shut your mouth! That doesn''t change anything!" N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    Yuan smiled and looked at Giant Emperor Ks, "Your Majesty, I have a suggestion."

    "Speak." Giant Emperor Ks responded with a curious gaze.

    "I ask that my opponent be allowed to employ martial techniques. If the oue of this match holds no bearing on the tournament, we need not be bound by its regtions."

    "You¡­" Prince Hek had a dumbfounded look on his face after hearing Yuan''s suggestion.

    "Hmmm¡­ Your words imply that only your opponent will be using martial techniques, or am I reading too much into it?" Giant Emperor Ks inquired.

    "No, you are correct. I will not be using any martial techniques."

    "How dare you¡­" Prince Hek''s face flushed with redness after hearing this.

    "While we are at it, I won''t mind if he uses weapons, either." Yuan continued to speak, shocking the audience, as they had never seen such tant disrespect towards Prince Hek before.

    "You''ve gone too far, you weak maggot!"

    Prince Hek released a beastly roar before charging at Yuan with a demon-like face.

    ''This guy''s a 9th-level Divine Warrior!''

    Yuan confronted Prince Hek with a wide smile on his face.

    "You''ll be my warm-up before I face your father!" "Since when did humans learn how to bark so loud? Allow me to shut your mouth for eternity!"

    Yuan and Prince Hek immediately began exchanging fists with each other.

    ''What a heavy punch!'' Prince Hek cried inwardly after blocking Yuan''s punch for the first time.

    It was just an ordinary punch, yet Prince Hek could feel his muscles screaming in pain and his bones cracking.

    Meanwhile, Yuan blocked all of Prince Hek''s strikes without any issues.

    "Are my eyes deceiving me? That human is actually on par with His Highness, Prince Hek!" Shortly after their matchmenced, the audience erupted in excitement with almost all of them cheering for Prince Hek.

    "Get him, Your Highness!"

    "Show that human the power of the giant race!"

    The audience, under the impression that the two fighters were evenly matched, cheered for Prince Hek, unaware that he was actually struggling to block Yuan''s overwhelming strength.

 Chapter 1341 Golden Immortal Physiques Prowess

    Chapter 1341 Golden Immortal Physique''s Prowess

    It only took a few exchanges for Prince Hek to realize the immense difference between him and Yuan, who was clearly ying with him.

    ''Damn it! Where is his strengthing from?!'' Prince Hek cried inwardly.

    Each of Yuan''s strikes possessed enough force to obliterate an entire mountain, and his body''s durability was just as impressive as his strength if not even more terrifying.

    Faced with an opponent whose attacks he couldn''t block and whose defenses he couldn''t prate, Prince Hek had no choice but to rely on his innate physique and the royal bloodline that flowed through his veins, swallowing his pride in the process.

    ''Great Mammoth Body Refinement!'' Prince Hek activated the Great Mammoth Body Refinement that brought Giant Emperor Ks to his position as emperor of giants!

    The next instant, Prince Hek sensed an overwhelming surge of strength coursing through his entire being, giving him this feeling of invincibility.

    Externally, Prince Hek''s appearance remainedrgely unchanged. However, for those with a discerning eye, subtle signs revealed that his muscles were bing more taut while maintaining their size.

    Empowered by this technique, Prince Hek''s strength and defense surged to a level at least 20 times greater than his original capabilities

    "Allow me to show you the power of my Royal Family''s¡ª"

    Before Prince Hek couldplete his sentence, Yuan''s fist suddenly collided with his stomach, contorting Prince Hek''s face in agony before sending him to the edge of the stage the next moment. "Urgh!" Prince Hek, after steadying himself, coughed up a mouthful of blood. The area where Yuan had struck still throbbed with intense pain.

    "Sorry, did you just say something?" Yuan pretended as though he didn''t hear anything.

    Prince Hek red at Yuan with a look of disbelief on his face.

    ''Impossible! I am currently empowered by the Great Mammoth Body Refinement! Why is he still overpowering me to such a ridiculous degree?!'' He couldn''tprehend the reason for their disparity, as it made no sense.

    Meanwhile, Princess Meiya and Giant Emperor Ks held a serious expression on their faces as they witnessed Yuan''s growth.

    ''Since it''s one of the most powerful physiques in existence, I expected the Golden Immortal Physique to be overwhelming, but I could have never predicted that it would be to such a terrifying degree.'' As Giant Emperor Ks witnessed Yuan wield the overwhelming power of the Golden Immortal Physique, he couldn''t help but be consumed by a profound sense of envy, realizing that he had failed to attain such power.

    ''It''s hard to believe that he was on par with Royal Guard Basar just two days ago. After attaining the Golden Immortal Physique, he''s able to toy with Elder Brother Hek, who is easily a hundred times stronger than Royal Guard Basar¡­''Princess Meiya found herself caught between excitement and terror as she contemted the immense potential of Yuan''s future.

    "No way¡­ That human is actually winning against His Highness?"

    The audience became silent after Yuan blew away Prince Hek, and they all held their breaths as they waited to see Prince Hek''s response. N?velDrama.Org (C) content.

    After wiping the blood from his mouth, Prince Hek stood up and stared at Yuan with a serious expression.

    "You''re really something. I am starting to understand why my father is so obsessed with you." Prince Hek sighed, his words carrying a profound acknowledgment of Yuan''s exceptional prowess.

    "With that being said, I refuse to lose to you."

    Prince Hek closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

    When he opened his eyes again, they flickered with determination and resolution.

    "I will now fight you with everything I''ve got¡ªmartial techniques and all."

    "You can use a weapon too," Yuan said.

    "My fists are my weapons."

    "Understandable."

    The two of them fell silent for a moment.

    Suddenly, Prince Hek''s entire being gushed with a ck aura, and he exuded an overwhelming presence that forced the audience to back away from the stage.

    "Dragon ying Stance."

    Prince Hek stood in a stance that resembled karate.

    The next instant, Prince Hek moved so fast that it looked like he''d disappeared out of thin air.

    When he reappeared, he was standing right in front of Yuan.

    "Dragon ying Stance: Beheading." Prince Hek swung his arm in a chopping motion, aimed at Yuan''s neck.

    Seeing this, Yuan quickly raised his arm to block the iing attack.

    Sha!

    As Yuan sessfully intercepted the attack, the force behind it still pushed him backward. A tingling sensation lingered momentarily in the area where he had defended, swiftly fading away.

    ''What a deadly technique.'' Yuan thought to himself.

    If he hadn''t acquired the Golden Immortal Physique, that attack would''ve shed his body in half with ease.

    In fact, even a peak Divine Master would suffer fatal injuries if they took it head-on.

    As for Prince Hek, his bones broke into several pieces after the strike, but he ignored the pain and used his cultivation to quickly restore it.

    "Mammoth ying Stance."

    Prince Hek suddenly changed his stance.

    After a brief pause, he jumped into the air and spun a few times in the air before dropping back down with immense force, using his legs to attack this time.

    "Mammoth ying Stance: Pulverise."

    Yuan, in a disy of determination, opted not to evade the impending strike. Instead, he boldly raised his arms above his head, standing steadfast as he awaited the oing assault.

    BOOM!

    When Prince Hek''s strike connected, the force was so potent that it fractured the entire stage, leaving visible cracks that extended across the surface. The region directly beneath Yuan bore the brunt of the impact, forming a crater-shaped depression.

    As for the person who took in most of the impact, Yuan finally received some substantial damage to his arm. However, the injuries amounted to little more than a few broken bones, which healed in the blink of an eye.

    [Progress: 2%]

    Prince Hek immediately retreated after the attack, his face filled with bewilderment after seeing Yuan''s seemingly unscathed condition. "Are you serious¡­?" he muttered in a dazed voice.

 Chapter 1342 Fighting Giant Emperor Kulas

    Chapter 1342 Fighting Giant Emperor Ks

    ??"There''s no way he''s unscathed after that¡­" Prince Hek''s body broke out in cold sweat.

    He''d just used his strongest martial technique and poured all of his strength into that strike, which was strong enough topletely pulverize a peak Divine Master.

    Despite that, Yuan, who was only a mere Spirit King, remained unharmed after taking the attack head-on.

    ''How the fuck am I supposed to defeat a monster like him?''

    Prince Hek could no longer see his path to victory.

    ''Should I forfeit¡­?''

    The thought of surrendering suddenly appeared in his mind.

    ''Huh? Did I just¡­ think about surrendering¡­? Me? The Prince? To a human?''

    When he realized what he''d just done, an immense sense of shame copsed on him like a tsunami.

    His face became enraged with all that anger pointed at himself.

    "I WILL FIGHT UNTIL MY LAST BREATH!" With a beastly howl and red eyes that seemed to reflect madness, Prince Hek charged at Yuan with relentless ferocity.

    ''What happened to him?'' Yuan was puzzled by Prince Hek''s behavior, but it made countering his attacks much easier.

    "How embarrassing¡­" Princess Meiya shook her head at Prince Hek''s disy.

    "Looks like the fight will end earlier than I''d anticipated." Giant Emperor Ks sighed.

    Sure enough, Yuan did not enjoy fighting Prince Hek in his current condition.N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.

    In the end, Yuan, not wanting to prolong the fight, delivered a powerful punch to Prince Hek''s chest, sending him flying out of the stage and into the crowd.

    As Prince Hek''s body soared towards them, the audience tried to catch him, but the tremendous force sent both him and the people attempting to assist him flying.

    "W-Winner, Tian Yang!" The judge announced in a dazed manner.

    "Wait¡­ I am not¡­" Prince Hek extended his hand in a grasping motion at Yuan, but he lost consciousness the very next second.

    "Hahahaha!"

    After witnessing Yuan''s extraordinary disy of power, Giant Emperor Ks couldn''t contain his amusement and burst into heartyughter.

    "Not bad, not bad at all!" he pped his hands and apuded.

    Following hisughter, Giant Emperor Ks leaped from his seat, making a grand entrance as hended on the stage, resulting in the entire tform crumbling beneath his colossal presence.

    Giant Emperor Ks, his eyes zing with excitement, dered, "Originally, I nned to wait until the end of the tournament, but my desire to battle has overwhelmed me. Fight me now, Tian Yang!"

    Ding!

    <You have started your first trial in the Stairway to Heaven>

    <Defeat Giant Emperor Ks!>

    <Defeat Giant Emperor Ks within 60 minutes to receive a reward!>

    ''What? Has the trial just started? What about my previous fights? Were they really just warm-ups?'' Yuan was left speechless after seeing the notification.

    However, since it led him to acquire the Golden Immortal Physique, he didn''tin about it.

    "Why not? Let''s fight," he said with a smile.

    Giant Emperor Ks suggested, "Let''s relocate to a more suitable arena for our fight."

    With a snap of his fingers, the scenery transformed into a vast open field surrounded by towering mountains. All spectators were relocated to the mountaintops, ensuring an unobstructed view of their battle.

    "Since you had to fight two consecutive matches before this one, do you need a moment to restore your energy?" Giant Emperor Ks asked.

    "Thank you for your consideration, but I barely used any energy for those fights, so I don''t need any rest." Yuan shook his head, a confident smile ying on his lips.

    However, Giant Emperor Ks didn''t ept his answer and tossed a pill at him.

    "I insist. After all, I don''t want to hear any excuses after I defeat you."

    Yuan caught the pill and shrugged, "If you say so."

    He immediately felt refreshed after consuming the pill, but it didn''t restore any energy to him since he was already at peak capacity.

    After seeing Yuan consume the pill, Giant Emperor Ks shrunk his size to that of a human''s size.

    "Are you going easy on me?" Yuan asked with raised eyebrows.

    "I am not naive enough to underestimate you. Merely diminishing my physical stature does not equate to a decline in my strength. Being big, though advantageous in certain aspects, does not inherently enhance our power¡ªit''s mostly a symbol of our race as giants. Would you prefer me to expand to such colossal proportions that I could effortlessly crush you beneath a single foot? That would hardly be entertaining though," said Giant Emperor Ks.

    Yuan could imagine Giant Emperor Ks stepping on him like an ant. It would also be a nightmare to fight against such a colossal figure. Yuan eventually conceded that engaging in a battle of simr statures would be for the best.

    Giant Emperor Ks seized a rock from the ground and proimed, "I shall cast this rock into the heavens. Themencement of our battle shall be marked by the moment this rock descends and touches the earth."

    With a mere flick of his finger, Giant Emperor Ks propelled the rock into the sky, where it swiftly vanished beyond the clouds in the blink of an eye.

    In anticipation of the rock''s descent, the world fell silent and seemed to shrink, leaving only Yuan and Giant Emperor Ks in a suspended moment, as if they were the sole inhabitants of existence.

    A few momentster, the rock emerged from the clouds, hurtling towards the earth with the velocity of a miniature meteor.

    Thud.

    The very moment the rock made contact with the ground, the figures of both Yuan and Giant Emperor Ks vanished into thin air, only to reappear instantaneously directly before each other, and their fists were already in the midst of a punching motion.

    Dong!

    As their fists collided, a resounding impact echoed through the air, apanied by visible cracks that seemed to fracture the space around their fists. It was as if the sheer force of their punches had reached such an extraordinary magnitude that it shattered the very fabric of space itself.

    With their fists still in contact, Giant Emperor Ks let out a thunderous roar, a wide smile gracing his face.

    "I have waited thousands of years for this moment, Tian Yang!!!"

 Chapter 1343 Fighting Giant Emperor Kulas(2)

    Chapter 1343 Fighting Giant Emperor Ks(2)

    Amid their sh, neither Yuan nor Giant Emperor Ks yielded an inch, suggesting that they were of equal strength.

    The spectators were rendered speechless, ovee with awe at the sight unfolding before them. In their eyes, Giant Emperor Ks stood as an unparalleled force, making the sight of a mere human sessfully blocking his fist and maintaining an unwavering stance seem an impossible feat. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    Following a momentary pause in their sh, as if both were contemting and gauging each other''s strength, Yuan and Giant Emperor Ks simultaneously unleashed another punch, resuming the intense battle between their formidable forces.

    One after another, they kept throwing punches, not pausing even when their fists were blocked. The battle continued relentlessly, with cracks in the air getting bigger after each sh.

    In just a minute, they exchanged over a hundred strikes, leaving the area around them utterly devastated.

    Despite the apparent profundity of their sh, both refrained from employing any techniques, relying solely on the prowess of their bare bodies and raw strength.

    The velocity of their punches escted, rendering it increasingly challenging to intercept. Inevitably, they abandoned the attempt to block each other''s fists and transitioned to a direct exchange of body blows.

    ''As expected of the Emperor of Giants, his punches are lethal! It''s akin to a jackhammer relentlessly attempting to create holes in my body, even with my Golden Immortal Physique!'' Yuan could feel sharp pain throughout his body every time Giant Emperor Ksnded a punch on his body.

    Yet, Giant Emperor Ks found himself in no better condition than Yuan.

    ''When was thest time I felt such pain? This is exhrating!'' he chuckled inwardly, embracing the intense sensation with a twisted sense of delight.

    They continued pummeling each other for the ensuing five minutes until Giant Emperor Ks spoke, "Shall we bring this up a notch?"

    "I couldn''t ask for more." Yuan grinned.

    [Golden Mountain Body Refinement!]

    "Great Mammoth Body Refinement!"

    Having enhanced their bodies with a body refinement technique, Yuan and Giant Emperor Ks propelled the prowess of their attacks to unprecedented levels. Their punches now possessed a potency capable of shaking the very foundations of the entire world.

    "Hahaha! This is magnificent! This is exactly what I''ve been yearning for!" Giant Emperor Ksughed, as if caught in a frenzy of exhration.

    Yuan, too, wore a broad smile on his face as he confronted his most formidable opponent to date.

    "Are my eyes deceiving me? That human cultivator, who is only a Spirit King, is exchanging blows with Giant Emperor Ks, who is at the third level Divine Master?"

    "He''s not just exchanging blows¡ªhe''s fighting with his bare hands! Against the Emperor of Giants, who is recognized as the strongest entity on the continent!"

    The audience didn''t want to believe their eyes even though they were witnessing it firsthand.

    In the blink of an eye, half an hour has passed since Yuan began his brawl with Giant Emperor Ks.

    "Not enough! This is not nearly enough to satisfy me, Tian Yang!!! Let''s stop holding back and start fighting as if our lives depended on it, just like old times!" Giant Emperor Ks suddenly surged with a tyrannical aura that could be felt even by the spectators hundreds of miles away.

    Witnessing this transformation in Giant Emperor Ks, Yuan could no longer afford to hold back. He activated his dragon transformation, propelling his prowess to ascend towards the heavens with an unprecedented surge.

    Giant Emperor Ks broke out in cold sweat after sensing Yuan''s tyrannical aura.

    ''Ahh¡­ That overwhelming presence¡­ this feeling of helplessness¡­ You haven''t changed since the first day we met, Tian Yang.'' Giant Emperor Ks held a nostalgic expression on his face.

    ''And just like in the past, I shall use all of my strength to fight you!''

    Giant Emperor Ks raised his head and unleashed a colossal howl towards the heavens, its force alone splitting the clouds asunder.

    In the blink of an eye, a semi-transparent golden armor materialized on Giant Emperor Ks, reminiscent of the golden armor that enveloped Yuan during his tempering in the liquid of the Golden Celestial Tree.

    "I may have failed to attain the Golden Immortal Physique, but I managed to acquire the iplete Golden Immortal Physique! While it''s nowhere near as powerful as the real deal, it still boasts tremendous power!" Giant Emperor Ks revealed his trump card.

    "Here Ie, Tian Yang!"

    "Come, Giant Emperor Ks!" Yuan greeted him with an excited grin, ready to face the heightened challenge with enthusiasm.

    Yuan and Giant Emperor Ks vanished into thin air the very next instant.

    The audience expected their reappearance when they inevitably shed with each other, but that didn''t happen.

    Instead, massive craters suddenly marred the ground, apanied by a thunderous noise and the emergence of substantial cracks in the air, almost as if they were fighting in another dimension.

    "W-What is happening?! Why can''t I see them?!"

    "They are moving so fast that we cannot perceive them with our bare eyes!"

    "Without using any movement techniques?! Is that even possible?!"

    "It is when your raw strength surpassesmon sense¡­"

    Yuan and Giant Emperor Ks remained concealed from the spectators for the next several minutes, building anticipation, until suddenly¡ª

    "Gah!"

    A pained cry reverberated, followed by the reappearance of Giant Emperor Ks''s figure, yet he looked entirely different from when the spectatorsst witnessed him.

    His once-imposing appearance was now disheveled, and his bloodied body bore numerous fist-sized dents, looking like he''d just returned from a horrendous torture section.

    Yuan, too, materialized shortly afterward. Despite appearing a bit roughed up, he was in a significantly better state, presenting a striking contrast to the brutally battered form of Giant Emperor Ks.

    *Cough*

    Giant Emperor Ks coughed out a mouthful of blood and wiped his bloodied lips with a smile on his face as he red at Yuan, "This match is your victory, Tian Yang."

    Dead silence settled over the audience as they absorbed Giant Emperor Ks'' deration of defeat. After a moment of stunned silence, an eruption of shock and disbelief echoed through the air.

    "His Majesty lost to a mere human?! That''s not possible! I must be dreaming!"

    Unsurprisingly, the audience responded with denial. The notion of Giant Emperor Ks losing seemed inconceivable, a scenario that could never manifest even in their wildest dreams.

    Yet, such a scenario had urred, and it happened right before their very eyes.

 Chapter 1344 Defeating Giant Emperor Kulas

    Chapter 1344 Defeating Giant Emperor Ks

    <You have defeated Giant Emperor Ks and passed the first trial>

    <You have cleared the trial in 43 minutes and 21 seconds> N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    Yuan ignored the notifications and approached Giant Emperor Ks.

    "That was an exceptional battle, Giant Emperor. Thanks to you, I now have a clear understanding of my current strength." Yuan extended his hand, offering a handshake with a sincere smile on his face.

    Giant Emperor Ks gripped Yuan''s hand firmly and expressed, "I had hoped to finally defeat you this time, but s..."

    Even though he yed a significant role in aiding Yuan''s achievement of the Golden Immortal Physique, the primary factor in his victory, Giant Emperor Ks held no regrets and would even do it again if he went back in time.

    "I look forward to the wedding," Giant Emperor Ks suddenly uttered some puzzling words.

    "Huh?" Yuan had a dumbfounded look on his face.

    "You defeated me, so it''s only natural that you will be marrying my daughter. It was part of the tournament''s reward, too." Giant Emperor Ks exined shamelessly.

    "That''s¡­" Yuan didn''t know how to respond to such words.

    "Hahah! I am joking. Here is your real reward."

    Giant Emperor Ks retrieved a glowing orb of light from his body and offered it to Yuan.

    "Thank you."

    Yuan epted the orb of light with a calm demeanor, as this wasn''t his first or second time receiving such a reward.

    The moment he touched the orb of light, it flew into his body, merging with his soul.

    Memories immediately began shing inside his head.

    Yuan quickly sat down and began meditating to absorb the memories.

    Giant Emperor Ks silently sat in front of Yuan and stared at him with a profound gaze.

    Sometimeter, Yuan opened his eyes which had been flowing with tears for a while now.

    "That was¡­"

    "That''s the real history of events on ''Giant''s Continent,'' Tian Yang," Giant Emperor Ks spoke in a solemn tone.

    "But that''s¡­ no¡­ it can''t be¡­" Yuan was on the verge of a breakdown after remembering what he''d truly experienced on Giant''s Continent.

    Though he had been aware that the events depicted by the Stairway to Heaven were not true, he never anticipated the stark contrast between its narrative and the actual reality.

    "What you experienced in the trial isn''t a recounting of real events¡ªit''s a manifestation of what Tian Yang wished had transpired instead," Giant Emperor Ks sighed, confirming his thoughts.

    "..."

    Yuan went silent, unsure of how he should respond.

    "What transpired in the past is behind us. There''s no merit in dwelling on those events now, much less beating yourself over it." Giant Emperor Ks advised as he stood back on his feet.

    "I''m sorry," Yuan uttered in a low voice.

    "Don''t be. I''m grateful for the opportunity to engage in battle with you once more, even if I am but a mere construct of the past," reassured Giant Emperor Ks with a sense of gratitude.

    "I''ll see youter, my rival and my good friend," uttered Giant Emperor Ks as his figure gradually faded into thin air.

    Soon, Yuan found himself back in the Stairway to Heaven.

    "Congrattions onpleting the first trial, Master. Despite my efforts to heighten the difficulty, you navigated through it with remarkable ease. I am truly in awe,"mended Tian''er.

    "Would you like to start the next trial immediately? You have 6 hours to recover your energy before the next trial begins."

    "I will take a break¡­" Yuan responded in a low voice.

    "I understand."

    "Wait, can you do something for me?"

    "As long as it doesn''t break any rules!" she nodded.

    Meanwhile, inside the spectators'' room, Xi Meili and the others were still trying to calm down after witnessing Yuan''s trial.

    "His fight with the Giant Emperor was extraordinary! Even I had trouble keeping up with their speed!" Xi Meili sighed with a clear sense of admiration in her tone.

    "I couldn''t see anything¡­" Chu Liuxiang sighed in a dejected manner.

    "I didn''t see anything either." Meixiu tried tofort her.

    "Yuan''s gotten a lot stronger. I cannot wait to fight him again." Li Jinxi muttered.

    "I wonder why Brother Yuan cried at the end¡­" Xiao Hua suddenly said.

    "I have never seen him like that before, either." Meixiu shook her head.

    "I have."

    "Eh?"

    Everyone in the room turned to look at Chu Liuxiang, who had just spoken.

    "This incident urred during our time in the orphanage. Yuan had formed a close bond with a stray dog that frequently visited us. However, after several weeks ofpanionship, the dog abruptly ceased to appear. It waster discovered that the dog had been struck by a car. When Yuan learned of the dog''s demise, he wept in a manner reminiscent of what you just witnessed," Chu Liuxiang narrated, recounting a poignant memory from their past.

    "These trials help him regain his memories of the past, right? He has likely recollected the loss of someone dear to him," she sighed.

    Shortly after the room became silent, Tian''er appeared before them and said, "Which one of you is Chu Liuxiang?"

    "That would be me." Chu Liuxiang raised her hand.

    Without offering any additional exnation, Tian''er flicked her sleeves, causing Chu Liuxiang to vanish from the room.

    The next moment, Chu Lixuiang found herself standing before Yuan.

    "Yuan?" she subconsciously called for him.

    Yuan remained silent, and without uttering a word, he suddenly enveloped Chu Liuxiang in a tight embrace.

    Chu Liuxiang couldn''t see Yuan''s face at that moment, but it bore an expression filled with unwavering determination.

    "Eh?!"

    His puzzling actions startled her.

    "I''m sorry... I promised to protect you, and I couldn''t keep that promise..." Yuan whispered in a sorrowful voice, expressing regret and vulnerability.

    Chu Liuxiang found herself rendered speechless by his actions, but she refrained from saying anything and instead embraced him back in aforting silence.

    "This time¡­ I will protect you this time for sure¡­" Yuan continued.

    Chu Liuxiang couldn''t see Yuan''s face at that moment, but it bore an expression filled with unwavering determination.

    Eventually, Yuan released Chu Liuxiang and said to her, "I''m sorry if that troubled you. I couldn''t help myself."

    "Don''t worry about it. Though, I hope you could give me an exnation in the future if you arefortable with it." Chu Liuxiang chuckled.

    "I will tell you everythingter, I promise." Yuan agreed.

    Tian''er sent Chu Liuxiang back to the spectators'' room a momentter.

    The others bombarded Chu Liuxiang with questions when she returned.

    "I had a small talk with Yuan, that''s all," she said, keeping the details out of it.

    The others could tell that she was purposefully avoiding the details, but respecting her silence, they refrained from pressing further with their inquiries, concluding the questioning there.

    Meanwhile, Yuan dedicated the next six hours to calming his mind, seeking sce and rity amid his thoughts.

    Dual Cultivation Prequel

 Chapter 1345 Desolate Continent

    Chapter 1345 Deste Continent

    During his six-hour break, instead of using that time to recover his energy, Yuan revisited the memories he had recovered from Giant Emperor Ks, endeavoring to make peace with them and find a sense of reconciliation within himself.

    The memories began when he arrived at a certain familiar dock¡ªthe very ce where Yuan had initially encountered the Huang Family during his trial in the Lower Heaven.

    However, unlike Yuan''s trial, Tian Yang was not aware of the Huang Family, so he didn''t bother looking for them.

    Instead, he went to a nearby restaurant to fill his stomach.

    ''Silver Peak Restaurant, huh? It seems like a decent ce to have lunch judging by its appearance.''

    As Tian Yang approached the entrance of the restaurant, a sizable gathering of people nearby captured his attention.

    The group of people were standing before this tall and bulky man, who appeared to be advertising something.

    "I am Dong Zhou, head bodyguard for the Huang Family that is currently hiring one more bodyguard for their trip to the Deste Continent, which will departter today. The duration of the stay will be 30 days with a sry of ten million gold coins. One million will be paid upon arrival on the Deste Continent, and the rest will be paid once we return from our trip." N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    Tian Yang heard Dong Zhou''s advertisement loud and clearly, but he ignored it and went inside the restaurant.

    "Wee! Are you alone?" The receptionist greeted him.

    "Yes."

    "Please wait a moment."

    After taking a moment to look through their avability, the receptionist spoke, "Luckily, we still have one small table avable. I will bring you to your table, please follow me."

    Tian Yang nodded and trailed behind the receptionist as they made their way to his designated table, situated by the wall at the far end of the building.

    As he settled into his seat, Tian Yang felt a gaze directed towards him. He cast a nce at therge table adjacent to his, where a family of four was seated.

    The one staring at him was a beautiful youngdy, who showed a friendly smile upon realizing that she had been noticed.

    "Fancy seeing you here, Senior Brother." The youngdy seemed to recognize him.

    Tian Yang did not recognize this youngdy, but based on how she addressed him, he had an inkling of her identity.

    "Are you a fellow disciple from the Immortal Monastery?" he asked.

    "Yes! I am Inner Disciple Huang Xiao Li! It''s an honor to meet you, Senior Brother!"

    Tian Yang smiled at her enthusiasm, "You make it sound like I am famous or something."

    "But you are famous!"Huang Xiao Li confirmed.

    "You''re exaggerating it." Tian Yang shook his head.

    "Senior Brother, would you like to eat with my family? It''s our treat." Huang Xiao Li suddenly suggested.

    "I don''t want to impose on your family time."

    "It''s fine." The middle-aged man sitting beside Huang Xiao Li said.

    "Then¡­"

    Tian Yang ended up sitting with the Huang Family.

    "Senior Brother, what are you doing in such a ce? Are you in the midst of a sect mission?" Huang Xiao Li asked.

    "No, I am out training in preparation for my Core Disciple Examination."

    "Wow! You''re already taking the Core Disciple Examination?! It''s only been three years since you became an Inner Disciple!" Huang Xiao Li''s eyes were filled with admiration.

    "No, I won''t be taking the examination anytime soon. I am simply preparing for it. I probably won''t take the examination for another two to three years."

    "Five to six years is still quite fast, considering that most Inner Disciples wait at least a decade before they even attempt to do so."

    "Wait a second. If you''re here for training, does that mean you''re also going to the Deste Continent?" Huang Xiao Li asked after realizing this.

    "Also? You''re heading to the Deste Continent as well?" Tian Yang raised an eyebrow.

    Huang Xiao Li was only a 9th-level Spirit Master, so she was probably an Inner Disciple as well.

    The Deste Continent stood as a vast and istednd, inhabited by powerful magical beasts. It served as a risky training ground for numerous cultivators who sought to increase their cultivation in a short time.

    In other words, it was a dangerous ce that attracted those unafraid of death or individuals desperate enough to risk their lives for strength. However, Huang Xiao Li did not appear to fit that mold, unlike Tian Yang.

    Even Tian Yang, who had recently attained the rank of Spirit Lord, could be deemed underpowered for the Deste Continent, where magical beasts at the level of Spirit Kings and beyond freely roamed.

    However, Tian Yang was used to risking his life to increase his cultivation. That''s how he managed to reach Spirit Lord in such a short amount of time when it took him several years just to sense spiritual energy.

    Moreover, the Deste Continent was rich with undiscovered treasures and held an abundance of rare medicines, drawing the attention of treasure hunters seeking fortune and valuable resources.

    "I am actually here as a bodyguard for my family. We have some business in the Deste Continent." Huang Xiao Li said in a somewhat bashful manner, seemingly aware of herck of cultivation.

    Although it might appear that she volunteered as a bodyguard to save her family money, the truth was that her family had more than enough resources to afford professional guards far more powerful than her. Her presence was not a necessity for their protection. Instead, driven by a long-standing desire to visit the infamous Deste Continent, she chose to apany her family under the guise of providing protection.

    "I''ve told her not to follow us, but she was too stubborn about it." Her father sighed.

    "Haha¡­" Huang Xiao Li chuckled sheepishly.

    "Oh, I know! Senior Brother, why don''t youe with us as a bodyguard? We still have a spot open, and you''re more than qualified to join! Of course, we''ll pay you appropriately!" Huang Xiao Li suddenly suggested, her face beaming with anticipation.

    Dual Cultivation Prequel

 Chapter 1346 Raging Serpent

    Chapter 1346 Raging Serpent

    "The reward for serving as our bodyguard is 10 million gold coins, but I''ll personally add another 10 million just for you, Senior Brother!" Huang Xiao Li expressed her earnest desire for Tian Yang''spany.

    Regrettably, Tian Yang gently shook his head and spoke in a tone tinged with apology, "As alluring as your offer is, my time outside the sect is constrained. I have intentions to venture deep into the heart of the continent, and thus, I must respectfully decline."

    "Ah¡­ is that so¡­" Huang Xiao Li immediately looked disappointed by the refusal.

    However, she quickly recovered, "It''s okay, I perfectly understand your situation. I was being inconsiderate with my offer just now, and I apologize for it."

    "No, it''s fine." Tian Yang smiled.

    Sometimeter.

    "The ship to the Deste Continent will depart soon, we should start making our way there." Huang Chen said after noticing the time.

    "You''re boarding as well, right?" Huang Xiao Li looked at Tian Yang.

    "Yes." Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    Having settled the bill for the meal, the Huang Family and Tian Yang proceeded to the ship by the docks, but not before the Huang Family reunited with Dong Zhou and the other bodyguards.

    "I''ve found another bodyguard, as you desired," Dong Zhou stated before introducing the Spirit Lord he had hired for the task.

    Huang Chen nodded and introduced his family to his new bodyguard, as well as his task.

    "If you have any problems, you will consult with Dong Zhou first. If he cannot handle it, he will consult me. Unless there is an emergency, you will not approach me or my family, do I make myself clear?"

    "Yes, sir!"

    Upon reaching the docks, Tian Yang observed a lengthy queue of individuals endeavoring to board the colossal ship that blocked most of the ocean view from his perspective.

    The ship in Tian Yang''s memories was at least several times bigger than the one Yuan boarded during his trial.

    "Which floor are you staying on?" Huang Xiao Li inquired as they waited in line.

    "I''m on the 2nd floor towards the rear of the ship," he said.

    "We''re on the 7th floor towards the middle of the ship, so we''re quite far from each other. How unfortunate." Huang Xiao Li sighed.

    "With a month until we reach the Deste Continent, we''ll likely cross paths many times," Tian Yang remarked with a smile.

    "I''m looking forward to it!" Huang Xiao Li smiled back.

    Even though they''ve only just met today, Huang Xiao Li already saw Tian Yang as a friend of sorts.

    Tian Yang separated from the Huang Family shortly after boarding the ship.

    Upon entering his cramped and confined room, which only amodated a wooden bedcking a mattress, Tian Yang seated himself andmenced his cultivation.

    Several hourster, his cultivation was interrupted by an announcement from the ship''s captain, "Wee to the Raging Serpent, esteemed guests. I am your captain until we arrive at your destination, Jia Jianhong. It will take us approximately a month to reach the Deste Continent. Of course, it could take a little longer or shorter depending on the sea''s conditions and how often we are attacked by the sea demons."

    The captain already expected the ship to be attacked by sea demons since that was part of the routine for any ship that traveled to and from the Deste Continent.

    "There''s also no need to worry about the sea demons, as our experts will get rid of them before you even see one, so you can enjoy yourselves until we arrive at our destination."

    "With that being said, we''ll begin our journey shortly."

    Half an hourter, the ship left the docks and began sailing towards the Deste Continent.

    Nothing notable urred during the first week of their sail. A few sea demons attempted to attack the ship, but they were dealt with by the Spirit Lords working onboard before even reaching the ship.

    During this time, Tian Yang spent every second cultivating.

    ''I have to get stronger so that I can avenge Meng Lili!''

    Shortly after entering the Inner Court, Tian Yang uncovered the truth behind Meng Lili''s death. This revtion drove him to pursue strength intensely and relentlessly to seek justice for Meng Lili, earning him the nickname ''Suicidal Maniac'' among his fellow disciples.

    Yet, fueled by this insatiable thirst for strength, Tian Yang''s cultivation saw advancements that surpassed the dreams of most ordinary disciples. However, this perilous method constantly ced his life in jeopardy.

    Because of his recklessness, Elder Sun, who ended up as his mentor of sorts, would frequently reprimand him for him. Of course, that didn''t change his behavior, or else he wouldn''t have decided to train at the Deste Continent.

    On the eighth day of his journey, Tian Yang was forced to exit his cultivation by amotion that was urring outside his room.

    Typically, there were constant noises outside his room owing to the thin walls, but this time, the disturbance was not of the ordinary kind.

    "A Leviathan has appeared! We''re all going to die!" "Ahhhh! Why did it have to appear now when it hasn''t made an appearance for over a decade now!"

    "We''re screwed! We''re all screwed!" Tian Yang left his room and went to the deck to see the situation for himself.

    Indeed, the ship hade to aplete stop to confront the Leviathan. Given that the ship''s speed was far surpassed by the Leviathan, attempting to outrun it was futile, leaving them with no choice but to engage inbat.

    Over fifty Spirit Lords and three Spirit Kings were embroiled inbat with the Leviathan at the beginning. However, by the time Tian Yang arrived, half of the Spirit Lords and one of the Spirit Kings had sumbed to the Leviathan''s onught.

    Meanwhile, the Leviathan itself was as strong as a cultivator at the peak of Spirit King, hence the struggle.

    One might question why the ship hadn''t hired cultivators stronger than Spirit Kings as a precaution against the potential appearance of a Leviathan.

    The answer was straightforward¡ªmoney. Employing a Spirit Emperor would entail expenses a hundred times greater than hiring a Spirit King. Given the rarity of Leviathan appearances, with thest urrence being a decade ago, it wouldn''t be financially viable to engage a Spirit Emperor for every voyage, considering the low probability of encountering a Leviathan.

 Chapter 1347 Leviathan

    Chapter 1347 Leviathan

    ''Should I assist them?'' Tian Yang pondered to himself as he watched the experts fight the Leviathan.

    All the experts battling the Leviathan had cultivations far surpassing his own, and Tian Yangcked experience in confronting sea demons. Nevertheless, the dire situation suggested that the Leviathan might wipe out the experts. In such an event, the ship, along with everyone aboard, would be the Leviathan''s next target.

    Suddenly, the captain made another announcement, "Esteemed guests, please try to remain calm, but our ship is currently blocked by a Leviathan. Our experts are already fighting the sea demon to protect the ship, but if you are at least a Spirit Lord, please lend your hand! You will be greatly awarded for your contributions!"

    Shortly after the announcement was made, several Spirit Lords including a Spirit King joined the fight against the Leviathan.

    Seeing these cultivators bravely charge into battle with the Leviathan, Tian Yang punched himself in the face and shouted at himself, "Damn it, Tian Yang! Why the hell are you hesitating now?! You came out here to train! You have faced death countless times now, so why are you scared now?! Fight! Fight, damn it!"

    Tian Yang eventually overcame his fear and flew toward the Leviathan.

    After a gruesome battle thatsted over many hours, Tian Yang and the others emerged victorious and slew the Leviathan. However, it was not a victory worth celebrating, as they had lost almost all of their forces to the Leviathan.

    In the end, only ten Spirit Lords and one Spirit King survived the fight, all of them heavily injured.

    "Thank you! Thank you, heroes!" The people onboard the ship surrounded Tian Yang and the others, showering them with cheers andpliments.

    "..."

    Tian Yang ignored these people and went straight back to his room.

    Inside, he consumed a recovery pill and started mending his wounds. Fortunately for him, he came out with the least injuries among all the fighters.

    Sometimeter, Tian Yang stopped his cultivation when he heard a knock on his door.

    "Who is it?" he called out.

    "I-It''s me! How are your injuries, Senior Brother?" Huang Xiao Li''s voice responded.

    Instead of feeling joy upon hearing her voice, Tian Yang''s expression shifted to a frown.

    "They are fine, why are you here?" N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    "I brought you some medicine just in case. Do you mind opening the door?"

    Tian Yang opened the door to see Huang Xiao Li standing outside, and she was apanied by two guards, both Spirit Lords.

    Tian Yang''s frown grew deeper when he saw these Spirit Lords. He knew that the Huang Family had a dozen bodyguards, all of whom were Spirit Lords. Yet, none of them participated in the battle with the Leviathan.

    In Tian Yang''s eyes, their absence from the battle felt like a betrayal to all those who willingly confronted the Leviathan¡ªa spit in their faces. Their selfishness, by abstaining from the fight, seemed like a direct affront and likely contributed to the increased casualties.

    Without any hesitation, Tian Yang spoke in a cold voice, "If you''d truly cared, you would''ve sent your bodyguards to help."

    Huang Xiao Li''s face was drained of all colors after hearing Tian Yang''s words and seeing the cold expression on his face.

    "I-It''s not what you think!" she quickly said, fearing that he might close the door in her face if she hesitated even a moment.

    "We told them to fight the Leviathan the moment we realized what was happening. However, they all refused to join the battle no matter how much we asked! I swear!" Huang Xiao Li exined the situation to him.

    "I also wanted to join the fight when I saw you fighting with the others, but I was stopped by my father, who told me I would only be running to my grave¡­"

    "..."

    Tian Yang didn''t me Huang Xiao Li for not participating in the fight, as her father was right when he said that she''d only be walking into her demise by fighting the Leviathan that killed many Spirit Lords and Spirit Kings. A Spirit Master like her wouldn''t havested even a minute if she were there.

    Tian Yang red at the bodyguards standing nonchntly behind her and asked them, "Is what she said true? That you refused to fight?"

    "Yeah, it''s true. What about it?" The bodyguard on the right said in a nonchnt tone.

    "We were only hired to protect the Huang Family. The Leviathan wasn''t our concern," said the other bodyguard.

    Tian Yang frowned and argued back, "If we''d lost the fight, the Leviathan would''ve targeted the ship next, killing everyone on it, including the Huang Family."

    "But you didn''t, and we''re all still alive."

    "If all of you had perished, the Leviathan would have been weakened enough for us to handle, and we would have been safe."

    Tian Yang felt his blood boiling from anger upon hearing their response.

    "Pathetic! And you dare call yourselves cultivators? You''re an embarrassment!" Tian Yang sneered in disgust.

    "What''s your problem? Are you trying to pick a fight?" The bodyguards red at him with killing intent.

    "The two of you should leave now." Huang Xiao Li suddenly spoke while ring at them.

    "But we were ordered to apany you just in case something were to happen."

    "I will be fine with him, so leave. If anything happens to me, you can tell my father that I insisted on being alone."

    "Don''t me us if anything were to happen ''cause I won''t ept any responsibility." The bodyguards didn''t show any hesitation and quickly left the scene.

    Once they were alone, Huang Xiao Li looked at Tian Yang and lowered her head, "I''m truly sorry. Please let me apologize on their behalf."

    Tian Yang rubbed his eyes and sighed, "Forget it. I am not angry at you, nor do you have any reason to lower your head for those pathetic bastards."

    "They are still my family''s bodyguard, so¡­"

    "That only heightens my concern for your safety. Were I in your position, I wouldn''t trust my back to them, let alone my life. Instead of protecting, they are the type to use you as bait to escape," Tian Yang expressed, emphasizing theck of trust he would ce in such bodyguards.

    Huang Xiao Li was rendered speechless by his words, not that she could argue with it.

 Chapter 1348 Huang Xiao Li

    After a moment of awkward silence, Huang Xiao Li brought out the medicine she spoke of and asked, "If you don''t mind, please ept this medicine. It will help with your injuries."N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.

    "Alright, I will ept it."

    lightsvl m Huang Xiao Li quickly continued after hearing his approval, "A-And if you don''t mind, can you let me apply it for you? This is a lotion-type medicine."

    "..."

    Tian Yang wanted to refuse, but he agreed in the end, as he felt a little guilty for misunderstanding her situation, even yelling at her.

    "Okay. Come inside." Tian Yang moved away from the door, revealing the interior of his room.

    "T-This is your room?" Huang Xiao Li expressed shock upon seeing the cramped room. "How can you sleep in such a depressing ce?"

    "I don''t. This is good enough for my cultivation." Tian Yang said.

    "Still even my dog''s house has more room" Huang Xiao Li muttered.

    "You must be used to a rich lifestyle, huh?" Tian Yangmented.

    "Eh? Ah! Sorry, I didn''t mean to"

    "It''s okay. Even if I had the money, I''d rather use them to improve my cultivation."

    Huang Xiao Li decided to stop the pointless chatter and entered the room.

    Sometimeter, Tian Yang sat on the bed with his upper torso exposed, revealing the numerous scars on his body, both new and old.

    Huang Xiao Li, who sat behind him, was shocked by his badly damaged body. There were scars on nearly every inch of his body

    Tian Yang could tell that Haung Xiao Li was startled by his body, and he calmly said, "Should I do it myself?"

    "N-No! I will do it!"

    Huang Xiao Li swiftly opened the medicine and scooped some up with her finger, gently applying it to his open wounds.

    "This will burn a little," she warned him.

    Yet, Tian Yang did not even flinch at the pain.

    "You''re strong, Senior Brother Much stronger than any disciple I havee across" Huang Xiao Li mumbled with a slightly rosy face as she continued to caress her slender finger on his body.

    "You''re giving me too much credit. I''m weak and talentless."

    "That''s not true! Despite having a weaker cultivation, you still faced the Leviathan, something most disciples wouldn''t even dare to approach! Only those who have a strong dao heart would be capable of such a feat!"

    "What''s the point of having a strong dao heart if you''re physically weak? Having a strong dao heart won''t prevent the strong from taking from you."

    "That''s" Huang Xiao Li didn''t know how to respond to his words.

    "Regardless, I think you are strong. I watched your entire fight with the Leviathan, and I kept thinking about how strong you were the whole time!"

    Eventually, she uttered these words, her face flushed with redness. Fortunately for her, Tian Yang couldn''t see her face at this moment.

    "Thank you" A gentle smile appeared on Tian Yang''s face, as he''d never received suchpliments before.

    A few minutester, Tian Yang covered his body and said, "I can apply the rest myself. Thank you."

    Huang Xiao Li nodded and handed him the medicine.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "You''ll need to apply the medicine twice a day for the next seven days, so I wille backter to help you again!"

    Seeing how enthusiastic she was about helping him, Tian Yang couldn''t muster the strength to refuse her offer and silently nodded.

    "Then I''ll see you again in 12 hours!"

    Huang Xiao Li left immediately after.

    After he finished applying the medicine to his lower body, Tian Yang returned to his cultivation.

    Over the next several days, Huang Xiao Li would visit him two times every day to apply medicine to his body.

    As time passed, Huang Xiao Li stayed longer than intended and even began sharing her own stories with him.

    As for Tian Yang, he didn''t mind her presence at all, as Huang Xiao Li reminded him of Meng Lili during their time in the vige.

    "Senior Brother, do you know what the other disciples say about you?"

    "You can stop calling me Senior Brother. Just call me by my name."

    "Then you can also call me Xiao Li!"

    "Alright, Xiao Li."

    "Anyways, they call you the ''Suicidal Maniac'' because you''re always epting sect missions that are considered suicidal for your cultivation. I was even told that it was a sect elder who created that nickname!"

    "They say it''s a miracle that you always manage toe back alive, and that you have a guardian angel by your side who protects you..."

    "Suicidal, huh? I guess that''s how my actions seem to the others, not that I am denying it."

    bender

    "If you don''t mind me asking, why are you going to such lengths to acquire strength?"

    "It''s the only way for someone as talentless as me to keep up with those geniuses who are always a step ahead of me while doing much less. Honestly, I envy them. Of course, that includes you," Tian Yang expressed, maintaining a calm demeanor despite uttering such mncholic words.

    "M-Me?" Huang Xiao Li was taken aback.

    "Yes. After thinking about it, I recall hearing your name before. Huang Xiao Li, a genius who sensed spiritual energy in just a month. You ascended to be an Inner Disciple within a year of being an Outer Disciple, bing the youngest Inner Disciple at 18 years old," Tian Yang acknowledged, recollecting details of Huang Xiao Li''s remarkable achievements he heard from the other disciples.

    Huang Xiao Li blushed after hearing hispliments.

    "I, on the other hand, needed three whole years to sense spiritual energy. Then, it took me another eight years to be an Inner Disciple. My talents are pathetic inparisonliterally not worth mentioning."

    "Not everything in this world is about talent. In fact, geniuses tend to die faster than those without talents." Huang Xiao Li said, trying tofort him.

    "If have managed to live this long despite my suicidal methods, what does this say about me? That I am worse than talentless?"

    "T-That''s not!"

    "I know. I am only joking." Tian Yang chuckled.

    "You''re such a"

    Huang Xiao Li was interrupted by a loud noise that resonated through the ship, immediately followed by a powerful tremor, akin to experiencing an earthquake.

    "This is an emergency announcement! We''ve encountered a Flying Leviathan! Brace yourselves for the worst!" The captain''s voice carried a tone of dread as if he had already resigned to the bleak oue.

    <strong></strong>

 Chapter 1349 Escaping the Flying Leviathan

    Chapter 1349 Escaping the Flying Leviathan

    "D-Did he just say Flying Leviathan¡­?" Huang Xiao Li had a look of disbelief as she tried toprehend what she just heard.

    Tian Yang''s expression became filled with dread. A Flying Leviathan is much stronger than an ordinary Leviathan, and they are usually at the level of Divine Warriors.

    "I repeat, we have encountered a Flying Leviathan. Unfortunately, I am not joking with you all. The Flying Leviathan will reach us within 5 minutes. Please use what little time we have left to say goodbye to your loved ones." The captain''s voice returned, confirming what everyone wished they had misheard.

    In the following moment, terrified cries and shouting filled the entire ship as everyone started breaking down from despair.

    "N-No way¡­ We''ve already encountered a Leviathan that only appears once every few decades¡­ Why must the heavens be this cruel?"

    While an ordinary Leviathan appears once every few decades, a Flying Leviathan hasn''t been seen for over a thousand years. Despite the odds, Tian Yang''s ship has managed to encounter both of them on the same journey.

    Amid such abysmal luck, one might consider it a miracle, if the term could be applied in such dire circumstances.

    And unlike an ordinary Leviathan, there was simply no hope of defeating a Flying Leviathan unless there happened to be a Divine Realm expert on the ship, which was less likely than the appearance of the Flying Leviathan, as they had the capability to reach the Deste Continent by themselves.

    Thest time a ship encountered a Flying Leviathan, the passengers had simply relinquished all hope, agonizingly anticipating their inevitable demise.

    "So, this is how I die, huh..." Huang Xiao Li uttered in a dazed voice, her gaze fixed nkly on the ground.

    "Xiao Li¡­" Tian Yang wanted tofort her, but unless he could defeat the Flying Leviathan, there was simply nothing he could do or say that would help in this situation.

    Hearing Tian Yang''s voice, Huang Xiao Li suddenly lifted her head and looked at him with a weird expression on her face.

    "Hey¡­ Tian Yang¡­ make love to me¡­" she muttered in a low voice.

    "W-What the hell are you saying in such a situation?!" Tian Yang was bewildered by her words.

    "It''s because we are in this situation that I am saying this!!!" she screamed, tears flowing down her face.

    "We have less than five minutes before we die¡­ If we cannot prevent our death, we can, at the very least, ensure that our final moments are filled with pleasure¡­" Huang Xiao Li said.

    "Please¡­ Tian Yang¡­ I don''t want to die alone¡­" she cried and cried.

    Given the ship''s size, it would take Huang Xiao Li longer than five minutes to reach her family. Moreover, with the hallways teeming with people attempting to escape, it was practically impossible for her to navigate through. Consequently, she found herself constrained to spending her final moments with Tian Yang, who happened to be with her.

    "Pap!"

    Tian Yang suddenly pped Huang Xiao Li on the face, snapping her awake with pain.

    "Wake up, Xiao Li! Who said we''re going to die?! I have encountered countless situations where everything seemed hopeless, but I am still here! I will find a way out of this! I promise!"

    "Tian Yang¡­"

    Using his sleeves, Tian Yang wiped her tears and continued in a soothing voice, "Let''s meet up with your family first, okay?"

    "B-But the hallways are¡­"

    Without exining further, Tian Yang wrapped his arm around Huang Xiao Li''s waist before pointing his palm at the ceiling and sting it with his spiritual energy.

    Due to how weak the wooden walls were, Tian Yang effortlessly blew a hole in the ceiling.

    "Let''s go!"

    He jumped to the next floor while carrying Huang Xiao Li. Then, he repeated his actions. In less than a minute, they''d managed to reach the seventh floor.

    From there, Tian Yang used his superior cultivation to push everyone in the hallway out of his path until they arrived at the Huang Family''s room.

    When they arrived, all of the guards the Huang Family hired were nowhere to be seen. Obviously, they had abandoned the Huang Family to escape by themselves.

    However, neither Tian Yang nor Huang Xiao Li paid any attention to them at this moment and only cared about returning to the Huang Family.

    Tian Yang then said, "We can save the tears forter! We need to get out of here as soon as possible!"

    "How do we even escape?!" Huang Chen eximed.

    "Father! Mother! It''s me!"

    Huang Xiao Li pounded on the door, silently praying that her family was still in their rooms. The door swung open the next moment, revealing a tearful Huang Chen.

    "Xiao Li!" Huang Xiao Li''s mother rushed to embrace her.

    Tian Yang then said, "We can save the tears forter! We need to get out of here as soon as possible!"

    "How do we even escape?!" Huang Chen eximed.

    "Do you have any flying treasures on you?" Tian Yang asked.

    "I-I do, but I only have one! Moreover, we''re still two weeks away from the Deste Continent! The flying treasure won''tst that long, especially since it has to carry this many people!"

    "That doesn''t matter! We will fly as far as we can, and we don''t need to reach the Deste Continent either! As long as we''re away from this ship and the Flying Leviathan, it''ll be good enough!" Tian Yang said.

    Since it was better than sitting still and waiting for their death, Huang Chen agreed to follow Tian Yang''s n.

    Tian Yang proceeded to blow another hole in the wall, giving them ess to the open sea.

    Huang Chen then retrieved his flying treasure, summoning a wooden boat that barely had enough room for four people.

    "Quickly, get on!" Huang Chen urged them.

    When the other guests saw that they had a flying treasure, they immediately rushed inside the room and begged for the Huang Family to take them along.

    "Please take me with you! I have a family waiting for me back at home!" A middle-aged man pleaded.

    "No! Take me instead! I will give you all of my wealth!"

    "No, take me!" N?velDrama.Org (C) content.

    "Take me!"

    The only thing preventing these people from jumping on the flying treasure was Tian Yang, who was using his body to keep them at bay.

 Chapter 1350 Escaping the Flying Leviathan(2)

    Chapter 1350 Escaping the Flying Leviathan(2)

    "Tian Yang! Come!" Huang Xiao Li called for him.

    "You can go first! I''ll catch up!" he said.

    Huang Chen immediately activated the flying treasure, shooting into the distance in the blink of an eye.

    "No!!! Our blood is on your hands, you bastard!"

    The people cursed at Tian Yang after seeing theirst hope disappear before their very eyes.

    Tian Yang merely sighed, "This is the oue for those without power¡­ me yourself forcking it. I will also do the same if I fail to survive."

    "Screw you!"

    "You monster!"

    "I hope you die!"

    Ignoring the cursing and crying behind him, Tian Yang jumped out of the hole and used his spiritual energy to soar in the sky, chasing after the Huang Family.

    Just as Tian Yang disembarked from the ship, he witnessed a colossal figure soaring towards it from the opposite side.

    ''The Flying Leviathan!''

    The Flying Leviathan collided with the ship, baring its teeth and obliterating the massive vessel with a single bite.

    As if it were a toy smashed by a hammer, the ship shattered into many pieces, and a vast expanse of the ocean became tainted with the blood of those who failed to escape.

    Tens of thousands of people died in the blink of an eye. If Tian Yang had escaped even a few secondster, he would''ve most likely died to the Flying Leviathan like the others.

    While the Flying Leviathan went after those who tried to escape by swimming away, Tian Yang used all of his spiritual energy to speed away, disappearing into the distance.

    Sometimeter, Tian Yang reunited with the Huang Family, who made room for him in the flying treasure by moving the little boy to his mother''sp.

    "Tian Yang! You''re safe!" Huang Xiao Li went to embrace him.

    She saw the ship being destroyed by the Flying Leviathan even from miles away and worried that he didn''t make it out in time.

    "It''s still too early to rx. I saw the Flying Leviathan chasing after those who tried to escape." Tian Yang said.

    Huang Chen then asked, "What should we do now?"

    "We can only continue flying towards the Deste Continent and hope the Flying Leviathan doesn''t chase after us."

    "But we won''t make it to the Deste Continent. This flying treasure will be able to fly for a few days at most before it loses all spiritual energy."

    "That''s fine. We will get as close to the Deste Continent as possible, and once the flying treasure runs out of spiritual energy, we will fly there ourselves. Hopefully, we will make it there before we also run out of spiritual energy, or we find inds that can be used as temporary shelters for us to restore our energy." Tian Yang exined his n that relied entirely on their luck.

    While neither Huang Xiao Li, her mother, nor her younger brother had the capability to fly, her father, Huang Chen, was a Spirit Lord. This meant that Huang Chen and Tian Yang could share the load and carry those who could not fly. Without either one of them, they wouldn''t have been able to carry the others to safety.

    After a moment of silence, Huang Chen spoke, "Even if we don''t make it to the Deste Continent, I''m just d that I''ve managed to acquire a few more days to spend with my family. This is all thanks to you, Tian Yang."

    He proceeded to turn to face Huang Xiao Li and continued, "I''m sorry that I have been trying to get you to stop visiting him¡­"

    Huang Xiao Li uncontrobly blushed after being exposed by her father in such a fashion, as he made it sound like she went against her own father just to visit Tian Yang, which wasn''t false.

    Tian Yang could only smile and said, "I''m going to cultivate. We''ll need as much spiritual energy as we can spare."

    Huang Chen nodded and said, "I will continue to control the flying treasure."

    Tian Yang closed his eyes and began to cultivate.

    The next two days were peaceful yet nerve-wracking at the same time.

    "It''s been two days without any sign of the Flying Leviathan¡­ Do you think we''re in the clear?" Huang Xiao Li asked.

    "I don''t want to jinx it, but we should be¡­" Huang Chen nodded.

    On the third day, they were convinced that the Flying Leviathan had not chased after them, allowing them to finally take a deep breath.

    "It appears the heavens have yet topletely abandon us¡­" Huang Chen sighed in relief.

    "How much time do we have left on this flying treasure?" Tian Yang suddenly opened his eyes and asked.

    "Not long. We have another day at most."

    Tian Yang pondered for a moment before speaking, "At our speed, we should be getting pretty close to the Deste Continent. If we see any inds on the way there, we might just barely reach our destination by flying."

    After another 18 hours of flight, Huang Chen warned them, "Get ready, this flying treasure is reaching its limit. I would give it a few more minutes before it bes useless."

    Normally, one could use their own spiritual energy to supply a flying treasure to keep it running. However, during Tian Yang''s time, flying treasures operated a little differently, as they all had a set amount of spiritual energy, and once they ran out, they would no longer be useful.

    While there exist flying treasures that used their operator''s spiritual energy, they were exceedingly rare and only reserved for powerful Immortals or renowned families.

    Ordinary flying treasures were also rare and expensive, hence why the Huang Family could only afford a single one despite their somewhat wealthy status.

    "I will carry my wife and son. Tian Yang, I will leave my daughter to you." Huang Chen said.

    Tian Yang nodded, "Alright."

    A few minutester, right as the flying treasure used itsst bit of spiritual energy, Tian Yang jumped off while carrying Huang Xiao Li in the princess position.

    Huang Chen also did the same, carrying his wife who was carrying their son. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.

    Not wanting to waste even a little of spiritual energy, they immediately sped towards the direction of the Deste Continent.

 Chapter 1351 Days Without Rest

    1351  Days Without Rest

    "I know I don''t need to say this, but I will do so just in case. Make sure you don''t fly too close to the water, as there are sea demons that can leap out of the water." Tian Yang reminded Huang Chen of the dangers below as they flew.

    "Of course, I am keeping that in mind."

    Huang Chen then asked, "How long will you be able to fly without stopping?"

    "I can fly for half a day without stopping," he said.

    Tian Yang was currently a first-level Spirit Lord, and he''d only recently attained that level, so his spiritual energy wasn''t as vast as Huang Chen, who was a third-level Spirit Lord. This is also why Huang Chen left his daughter with Tian Yang.

    "Let me know when you''re running out of spiritual energy. I have some Spirit Restoration Pills with me."

    Tian Yang nodded, "I also have some pills on me, but it''s not much."

    While they managed to get close to the Deste Continent with the flying treasure, they were no longer traveling at the same speed. In fact, they were flying slower than the ship, and at their current speed, it would take at least another week or two of constant flying to reach their destination.

    Tian Yang used his pills first since they were of inferior quality.

    Unfortunately, even with Spirit Restoration Pills, there was a good chance that they might not reach their destination.

    As their trial pressed on, sea demons would sporadically leap from the water, endeavoring to consume them. A few of these creatures used their mouths to expel water with a force so potent that it could rupture their bodies upon impact.

    Due to the constant danger, neither Tian Yang nor Huang Chen could take a moment to rest, remaining alert around the clock.

    Inevitably, their mental strength degraded over time, making it harder for them to manage their spiritual energy properly and wasting some of them.

    Nine hours after his previous pill, Tian Yang said, "I need another Spirit Recovery Pill."

    Huang Chen would approach Tian Yang so his wife would hand Huang Xiao Li a pill, who then fed the pill to Tian Yang.

    "I only have a dozen more pills!" Huang Chen said afterward.

    "Okay!"

    ''Damn it! If only I hadn''t panicked at the ship and left behind the majority of our supplies, we wouldn''t be suffering so much right now!'' Huang Chen cursed himself inwardly for his failure.

    In the urgency to escape,pounded by the looming threat of the Flying Leviathan, the Huang Family overlooked the crucial task of bringing most of their supplies with them.

    However, even if they hadn''t forgotten, there wasn''t much they could bring with them due to theirck of space, and their spiritual rings were already full of other items that would not help them in their current situation.

    Tian Yang consumed another Spirit Recovery Pill eight hourster while Huang Chen only needed to consume one pill every twenty-four hours.

    Eventually, they ran out of pills with thest one being given to Tian Yang.

    ''Fuck! We haven''t encountered a single ind ever since we started flying! Did we get cursed or something to have such bullshit luck?!'' Tian Yang cursed inwardly.

    lightsnvl When Huang Xiao Li noticed Tian Yang started to struggle, she spoke, "Tian Yang, I will give you all of my spiritual energy. I know it won''t do much besides a moment of relief, but I want to help you in any way possible."

    Tian Yang wasn''t stupid enough to refuse, and he was willing to ept anything at this point.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Okay."

    In the following moment, Huang Xiao Li pressed her lips against Tian Yang, transferring her spiritual energy to him through their mouths.

    While she could''ve transferred her spiritual energy through other methods, it was the most effective to do so through the mouth.

    Even though this would be Huang Xiao Li''s first kiss, she didn''t hesitate for a second.

    When Huang Chen saw his daughter kissing Tian Yang, he pretended to not notice and tried his best to keep a poker face.

    However, his wife had a different idea. Following her daughter''s action, she kissed Huang Chen and transferred her spiritual energy to him.

    Because of their actions, Tian Yang and Huang Chen received another hour of flight time.

    A few hourster, right as Tian Yang was on the verge of running out of spiritual energy, he noticed a small ind on the horizon.

    "It''s an ind!" he eximed in excitement.

    Using what little spiritual energy he had left, Tian Yang soared towards the ind with Huang Chen following behind.

    Uponnding on the ind, Tian Yang immediately copsed on the ground and lost consciousness.

    "Tian Yang?!" Huang Xiao Li was startled by this.

    "Don''t worry, he''s just exhausted." Huang Chen said after checking his condition.

    He proceeded to sit down and began cultivating to restore his spiritual energy, even creating an array around them to further speed up the recovery process.

    Tian Yang would not wake up for the next three days.

    Meanwhile, after recovering enough spiritual energy, Huang Chen investigated the ind.

    The ind was exceptionally small, measuring seven miles in diameter on one side and five miles on the other. There was nothing but trees and grass throughout the entire ind.

    While the ind may be empty, Huang Chen was relieved to know that there was no danger on it, allowing him to cultivate with a peaceful mind.bender

    Over the next three days, Huang Xiao Li and Huang Chen would take turns watching over Tian Yang. As for the mother, she had to take care of their boy, who was less than ten years old.

    While the others may not require sustenance as cultivators, the young boy was too inexperienced and had not initiated his cultivation yet. Fortunately, his mother had food stored in her spatial ring just for emergencies.

    Three dayster, Tian Yang slowly opened his eyes, feeling as though he''d just woken up after copsing from overwork.

    "Tian Yang! Are you okay?! How do you feel?!" Huang Xiao Li rushed over when she noticed his awakening.

    He sat up and looked around with a somewhat dazed face before asking, "How long have I been asleep?"

    "Three days," she replied.

    <strong></strong> N?velDrama.Org (C) content.

 Chapter 1352 A Cold Shiver

    1352  A Cold Shiver

    "Three days" Tian Yang mumbled.

    "Thank you for watching over me, and sorry for the inconvenience," he said a momentter.

    "Please, nothing you do will inconvenience us after everything you''ve done for us." Huang Chen said.

    "Have you searched the ce yet?" Tian Yang then asked.

    "Yes, it''s empty but safe."

    "Good. Then allow me to recover my spiritual energy before we figure out our next n."

    Tian Yang proceeded to spend the entire day recovering his spiritual energy.

    "What''s the n now? We''re both out of pills and we don''t have a clue how much further our destination is." Huang Chen asked.

    "We could gamble it, or we can spend some more time on this ind to improve our cultivation, which will improve our chances of reaching the Deste Continent." Tian Yang suggested.

    Huang Chen looked at his son and sighed, "Unfortunately, our son is not a cultivator, and we only have enough food tost him half a month."

    bender

    "That''s enough time for me to improve my cultivation even a little. I reached Spirit Lord not long ago, so I probably won''t be able to have a breakthrough in such a short amount of time without any treasures."

    "If you need treasures, I have some that might be of use to you." Huang Chen said after pondering for a moment.

    "Are you sure?" Tian Yang asked.

    lightsnvl "Honestly, our primary objective at the Deste Continent is to deliver these treasures, so they actually belong to someone else. However, we''re in no position to ponder the consequences. I''ll deal with them after I survive," Huang Xiao Li admitted, acknowledging the current urgency.

    "I''m sure the owners will understand our situation." Tian Yang said.

    Normally, one wouldn''t hand out treasures so easily, but they were truly in a dangerous position. Furthermore, Huang Chen would not benefit from these treasures nearly as much as Tian Yang would, so he decided to give them to the person who saved their family.

    After receiving the treasures, Tian Yang immediately went into seclusion and began cultivating.

    Over the next two weeks, Huang Xiao Li and Huang Chen also tried to improve their cultivation as much as possible.

    A week into their cultivation, Huang Xiao Li made a breakthrough, entering Spirit Grandmaster.

    Perhaps it was the severity of their predicament, but Huang Xiao Li''s talents truly began to shine at this moment.

    Tian Yang made his breakthrough on the 12th day, reaching second-level Spirit Lord. As for Huang Chen, he barely made any improvements.

    Once prepared, they gathered at the edge of the ind.

    "Are you guys ready? There''s no going back, and we will either survive or die trying." Tian Yang looked at them with a solemn expression.

    "It''s a miracle that we made it this far. Hopefully, the heavens will bless us with another ind." Huang Chen showed an enthusiastic smile.

    Huang Xiao Li and her mother silently nodded their heads.

    A few minutester, after mentally preparing themselves, they left the ind and began soaring towards the Deste Continent.

    After his breakthrough, Tian Yang could fly without stopping for a little under twenty-four hours.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Everything seemed to be going well at first, and even the sea demons weren''t attacking as often, a sign that they were getting close to the Deste Continent.

    However, twelve hours into their journey, Tian Yang suddenly felt a cold shiver run down his spine.

    ''T-This feeling''

    After experiencing numerous life-or-death situations, Tian Yang was no stranger to danger. He had even developed something akin to a sixth sense after narrowly escaping death multiple times.

    Over time, he discerned a subtle yet unmistakable shiver that would course through him, heralding the imminent approach of danger.

    "Careful, something ising!" Tian Yang warned them.

    "What is?! I don''t sense anything!" Huang Chen asked for more details.

    "I don''t know, but I know that something is definitelying!"

    Sure enough, after a few more minutes, Tian Yang and Huang Chen could sense the approach of something massive, its immense aura looming over them.

    ''W-What is this feeling?! Its aura is even stronger than the Flying Leviathan!'' Tian Yang broke out in a cold sweat upon sensing the unfathomable aura emanating from this entity.

    "T-Tian Yang behind you" Huang Xiao Li suddenly muttered in a terrified voice, her entire body trembling in fear.

    Tian Yang turned, his gaze locking onto the behemoth behind him, and his eyes widened with profound astonishment at the sight of the colossal entity that bore an uncanny resemnce to a giant squid.

    The giant squid possessed a triangr head, and even though only its eyes were barely peeking out of the water, its head was massive enough to obstruct the sky view. Additionally, numerous long tentacles revealed themselves, each several timesrger than the Flying Leviathan.

    "What kind of sea demon is that?!" Tian Yang eximed, hoping Huang Chen would know.

    However, Huang Chen was just as shocked and ignorant as him.

    "I-I don''t know! I have never seen or heard of such a monster before!"N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    As Tian Yang tried toprehend what was happening, the giant squid sea demon suddenly acted, mming one of its massive tenacles in their direction.

    "It''s attacking! Move out of the way!" Huang Chen roared.

    Both Tian Yang and Huang Chen worked their Dantian to its limit in order to dodge the tentacle, not caring about how much spiritual energy it wasted.

    Their speed skyrocketed, surpassing even the flying treasure''s speed.

    In just a few seconds, Tian Yang and Huang Chen burned enough spiritual energy that would''vested them an hour, and they still barely managed to dodge the attack.

    Unfortunately, things only got worse for them when the giant sea demonunched another tentacle at them.

    "It''sing again!"

    They immediately used another hour''s worth of spiritual energy without hesitation.

    ''Is this it? Am I going to die here?'' Tian Yang could not see any light at the end of their dark tunnel.

    They were neither fast enough to outpace the sea demon nor possessed enough spiritual energy to continuously evade its attacks. At this rate, their demise seemed inevitable, a matter of mere moments away.

    <strong></strong>

 Chapter 1353 Massive Sea Demon Of Unknown Origin

    1353  Massive Sea Demon of Unknown Origin

    "I''m sorry, Xiao Li. I don''t think we''ll be able to avoid death this time" Tian Yang muttered in a defeated voice as he dodged the next strike.

    "It''s okay I had prepared for my death even before we left the ship" Huang Xiao Li sighed.

    lightsvl m Instead of panicking, they merely epted their fate with a calm demeanor.

    "I''m d that I got to meet you at the very end, Tian Yang," she continued.

    "Me too. It was fun while itsted."

    At the same time, Huang Chen also epted his fate and said his goodbyes to his wife and son.

    "I''m sorry I''m sorry for bringing you guys with me despite knowing that it would be a dangerous journey. I''m sorry for being so weak" Tears streamed down Huang Chen''s face.

    "Don''t be, dear. At the very least, I''m d that we''re able to be together in our final moments."

    "Where''s our daughter?"

    Huang Chen looked around and sighed, "Looks like we were too busy dodging the attacks and got separated."

    They embraced each other while their son brawled his eyes out.

    After evading the 9th strike from the sea demon, both Tian Yang and Huang Chen reached their limit and exhausted their spiritual energy.

    "That''s it. I don''t have enough spiritual energy to dodge the next one," Tian Yang sighed.

    Suddenly, their views darkened, almost as though it''d turned to night.

    Tian Yang turned around to see what had caused the ckout.

    The sea demon, enraged that its attacks had missed its target multiple times, opted to lift all of its tentacles into the air, preparing for an ultimate assault.

    "Ah" Tian Yang could only let out a dumbfounded mutter.

    Even if his cultivation was at its peak, he wouldn''t have been able to avoid such an attack.

    In the next moment, the sea demon mmed all ten of its tentacles down.

    Despite knowing that he would be dead in the following second, Tian Yang refused to close his eyes, staring at the horizon.

    "Huh?"

    He muttered in a dazed voice, and his eyes widened at the distant silhouette ofnd that had suddenly materialized on the horizon.

    ''Ah what kind of joke is the heavens ying on us?'' Tian Yang sighed inwardly as he closed his eyes, silently awaiting his death.

    "..."

    "..."

    "..."

    However, Tian Yang remained conscious even several momentster when he should''ve died several moments ago.

    DONG!N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.

    "Ah!"

    Huang Xiao Li suddenly cried out loud in pain.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Tian Yang also felt his entire body mming into something solid.bender

    He quickly opened his eyes to see that they had actually crashed into a tree, and they were currently lying on the ground for some inexplicable reason.

    "Huh? What happened? Where are we? How are we still alive?" Tian Yang was filled with questions.

    "T-Tian Yang? Am I dreaming? Or is this heaven?" Huang Xiao Li looked at him, appearing just as baffled as him.

    "I don''t know but I think we''re still alive"

    Right as Huang Xiao Li opened her mouth to speak, a powerful tremble shook the entire world, followed by a loud mming noise.

    After Tian Yang and Huang Xiao Li fell on the floor from the tremor, they subconsciously turned to look behind them.

    In the distance, on the very edge of the horizon, a monumental pir of water erupted toward the heavens, piercing the clouds, evoking the impression that a deity-like force had collided with the vast expanse of the sea.

    If Tian Yang didn''t know any better, he would''ve thought that something massive had fallen into the sea, perhaps a meteor of sorts.

    The pir of water eventually subsided, and that''s when Tian Yang discerned a familiar silhouette swiftly disappearing from where the water had surged.

    "No way that can''t be" Huang Xiao Li covered her mouth in shock after realizing what they''d just witnessed.

    Tian Yang grasped his chest and muttered, "That was the sea demonwhere we were just at where we should''ve died. However, for some inexplicable reason, we were teleported here and survived the attack."

    "W-What about my father and mother?! My younger brother?! Does that mean they''ve also survived the attack?!" Huang Xiao Li immediately thought of her family.

    "I''m not sure, but if we survived, there is a good chance that they managed to survive as well." Tian Yang could onlye to this conclusion.

    After all, it would make less sense if they were the only ones who experienced the phenomenon.

    Huang Xiao Li held onto such hope.

    Once they recollected themselves, Huang Xiao Li asked, "Where are we? Another ind?"

    Tian Yang shook his head and said in a solemn voice, "No I think we''ve arrived at the Deste Continent. I saw it right before we were teleported, and judging by our position, it''s exactly the ce I saw."

    "Let me recover some of my cultivation before we look for your parents." Tian Yang then said.

    "Okay. I''ll watch over you."

    After finding an isted ce to cultivate, Tian Yang immediately began his cultivation.

    Meanwhile, back at the Immortal Monastery, a beautiful woman sensed something and retrieved a dull-colored object that appeared to be shattered.

    "Is something the matter, Elder Sun?" The individual before her inquired upon seeing the frown on her face.

    Elder Sun sighed, "I knew that reckless brat was up to something when he suddenly took three months of leave and disappeared from the sect without a word. Fortunately, I had secretly given him a life-saving treasure, or he would''ve died just now."

    "This reckless brat are you referring to the Suicidal Maniac? To give him a life-saving treasure without telling him you must really care about him." The person before her chuckled jokingly.

    Elder Sun became a little flustered and quickly said, "What do you know?! He still owes me a debt, so simply I cannot let him die before he repays that debt!"

    "Whatever you say." The individualughed out loud.

    And he continued, "Anyways, are you going to save him now? He might still be in danger for all we know."

    After a moment of silence, Elder Sun spoke, "He''s like a cockroach, resistant and almost undying. Although I''ve saved his life many times, I''ve never had to save him twice in a row. He''ll manage like always."

    Naturally, Tian Yang was not aware of their conversation, only learning about it muchter.

    <strong></strong>

 Chapter 1354 Colossal

    bender

    1354  Colossal

    After spending nearly an entire day recovering around 90 percent of his cultivation, Tian Yang stopped his cultivation and began the search for Huang Xiao Li''s parents.

    "Where should we start looking?" Huang Xiao Li as they navigated through the vast and empty wilderness.

    "I know you''re in a hurry, but we won''t find them by wandering aimlessly. Let''s try to find a nearby city and prepare ourselves first," he said.N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.

    "Okay"

    "How much do you know about the Deste Continent?" Tian Yang suddenly asked.

    "Not much, honestly. I know that this ce is a treasure trove with many rare medicines and powerful treasures. There are also formidable magical beasts that roam thisnd."

    Tian Yang then said, "There are countless mysteries as well as opportunities hidden throughout thisnd. However, the Deste Continent is also awlessnd that has only just begun to develop, so there are only five cities avable."

    "We have the Southern Stronghold, which is also used as a marketce. The Northern Stronghold, the Western Stronghold, andstly, the Central Stronghold, which is also thergest city."

    "You did your research, huh?" Huang Xiao Li seemed impressed by his knowledge.

    "Who would be stupid enough to visit a foreignnd without any prior knowledge?" Tian Yang raised his eyebrows, his gaze directed at her.

    "I-I''m sorry" Huang Xiao Li lowered her head and subconsciously apologized after seeing his gaze, her face flushed with redness.

    "I''m not calling you stupid, but you should be more diligent," Tian Yang sighed.

    "I understand" she nodded.

    "Anyways, the Deste Continent is also separated into five levels of difficulties. Starting from the weakest, we have the Southern Stronghold, the Western Stronghold, the Northern Stronghold, the Eastern Stronghold, and the Central Stronghold."

    He continued, "The magical beasts around the Southern Stronghold are the weakest, being between the level of a Spirit Lord to a Spirit King."

    "At the Western Stronghold, they be increasingly dangerous, being between Spirit Emperor and Spirit Sovereign."

    "The Northern Stronghold isn''t much different from the Western Stronghold except that magical beasts at the level of Spirit Sovereigns will appear more often than Spirit Emperors."

    "The magical beasts that appear within the Eastern Stronghold won''t be past Divine Warrior."

    "As for the Central Stronghold, magical beasts between the level of Spirit Lord and Divine Grandmaster could appear."

    "That''s quite the range" Huang Xiao Li muttered.

    "Even if you don''t remember this information, there is one thing you must remember. In the Deste Continent, there roams an entity that even Divine Kings don''t dare to offend. In terms of strength, it might even be on par with that giant sea demon we encountered."

    Huang Xiao Li swallowed nervously as she asked, "What is this monster?"

    "The people here call it ''Colossal'' because of its towering figure that topples even mountains just like that sea demon. The only difference is its figure which resembles a human''s figure. You''ll know its identity right away when you see it."

    Huang Xiao Li suddenly stopped walking, her eyes wide open as she gazed towards the sky.

    "S-Something like that?" she pointed behind him while trembling.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Tian Yang turned around, and sure enough, there was a massive human-like figure casually moving near the horizon.

    This entity had a pitch-ck body that looked like it had emerged from the shadow, with two round, red eyes. It had two arms and two legs, just like a human. The only human feature it was missing was a mouth.

    However, the most interesting feature of this entity was itsck of presence. Despite its massive and terrifying appearance, the Colossal did not have the slightest presence, almost as if it didn''t truly exist, or they were looking at it from another dimension where its presence could not reach.

    "Even though I am staring right at it, my mind tells me that it doesn''t existthat I am merely hallucinating..." Tian Yang muttered in a dazed voice.

    Unlike Huang Xiao Li, whose eyes were filled with fear, his were filled with awe and curiosity.

    Suddenly, almost as though the Colossal detected their gaze, it stopped moving and turned to look in their direction.

    "Hiiii!"

    Huang Xiao Li immediately fell on her buttocks, as the Colossal''s gaze was simply too terrifying for her.

    Tian Yang didn''t even flinch, even staring directly into its eyes.

    It felt as if the entire world had fallen silent at this moment that only he and the Colossal existed.

    Eventually, the Colossal returned to facing the front and continued walking, acting as though nothing happened.

    "Are you okay?" Tian Yang looked at Huang Xiao Li, who was still frozen on the floor with her eyes soaked in tears.

    Tian Yang chuckled and offered his hand to help her up.

    However, Huang Xiao Li refused to move.

    lightsnvl "What''s wrong? The Colossal is long gone, and it isn''t known for being aggressive, so it won''t attack us unless we offend it first," he exined to her.

    Huang Xiao Li muttered after a moment of silence, "I I identally wet myself"

    "Huh?" Tian Yang immediately wore a dumbfounded look on his face.

    One of the most humiliating ordeals for a cultivator is the loss of control over their own body, particrly in the more sensitive areas, such as wetting or shitting themselves.

    Even when facing the massive sea demon, Huang Xiao Li managed to control her dder, yet the Colossal proved to be too much for her to handle.

    Unsure of how to respond to such a specific situation, Tian Yang subconsciously uttered, "How can I help?"

    "Do you have extra clothes for me to borrow?" she asked, her face flushed in redness.

    "I have a few pairs of my disciple uniform, but they might be a little loose on you," he said.

    "It''s better than walking around in my current state!" she eximed.

    Tian Yang quickly retrieved a pair of his uniform and handed it to her.

    "I''ll go over there, where I can''t see you" Tian Yang pointed to the trees not far away.

    <strong></strong>

 Chapter 1355 Nothing But A Hindrance

    1355  Nothing But a Hindrance

    Just as Tian Yang started walking away, Huang Xiao Li shouted in a scared voice, "Stop! Don''t leave me! I don''t want to be alone!"

    "You''re not going to be alone I will still be nearby" he said.

    "No! I want you to be by my sidesomewhere I can see you!"

    Tian Yang found this a bit bothersome, but he didn''t me her.

    ''She''s most likely traumatized by our journey here not that I can me her.''

    Huang Xiao Li was not even twenty years old, and yet, she had already faced harrowing experiences that most individuals wouldn''t even dream of encountering. No matter how much of a genius she was, it was only natural for her to be traumatized.

    "Alright, I''ll stay in your view."

    Tian Yang proceeded to face away from her and even closed his eyes.

    Of course, he could still peek using his divine sense, but he wasn''t a degenerate who would do such shameful acts.

    Huang Xiao Li immediately removed her dirty clothes and changed into Tian Yang''s uniform.

    "Okay, I am done. You can look now," she said a momentter.

    Tian Yang turned around to see her new appearance. Unsurprisingly, she still looked charming even when wearing his clothes. In fact, it made her look even more unique.

    Tian Yang avoidedmenting on her new look fearing that it might offend her.

    "Let''s keep moving. I''d like to reach a city before it gets dark if possible."

    The two of them picked up their pace and began speeding through thend while Tian Yang continuously scanned their vicinity for any presence.

    Several minutester, they encountered a magical beast that resembled a turtle.

    "Third level Spirit King We''re either near the Southern Stronghold or the Central Stronghold."

    "Surely, it''s the Southern Stronghold. We''ve used multiple lifetimes of bad luck just to get here. Surely, there can''t be any left, right?" Huang Xiao Li muttered to herself.

    The sky began darkening several hourster, yet they had not arrived at the city.

    "It''ll be too dangerous to keep moving at night, especially when magical beasts are most active during this time. Let''s find a ce to camp the night."

    "Okay."

    After looking around, they found a small cave that was somewhat isted. However, there was only enough room for a single person to lie down.

    "You can sleep. I''ll keep watch." Tian Yang said to her.

    "Are you sure? I think we can both get some sleep if we squeeze together."

    "I''ll be fine if you''re worried. Somebody has to keep watch just in case we''re attacked. I also had plenty of sleep on the ind," he shook his head.

    "If you say so"

    After a brief pause, she continued, "Don''t go too far, okay?"

    Tian Yang smiled, "I won''t go anywhere."

    "Thank you"

    Huang Xiao Liid down and closed her eyes, but not before holding onto Tian Yang''s robes as insurance.

    Within seconds, she fell into a deep sleep.

    Tian Yang stared at her sleeping face and sighed inwardly, ''Our journey here may have been rough, but things probably won''t get any easier from this point''<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Once he had his full with Huang Xiao Li''s sleeping face, Tian Yang spent the rest of the night focused on their surroundings.

    Sometimeter, Huang Xiao Li slowly woke up from her sleep.

    When she attempted to stretch, she found herself unable to do so, and the reality of her current situation quickly rushed back to her.

    lightsvl m "Tian Yang?! Are you there?!" she started shouting for him even before she fully opened her eyes.

    "Calm down, I am here." Tian Yang quickly responded.

    Huang Xiao Li heaved a sigh of relief upon seeing his face.

    He then gestured toward her hand, which still tightly clung to his robes.

    "With such a strong grip on me, I wouldn''t be able to go anywhere even if wanted to," he joked.

    Huang Xiao Li immediately released his robe and became flustered.

    "I-I didn''t know"

    "Anyways, I hope you had a good sleep."

    She nodded, "Yes, I feel very refreshed, almost as if I slept for ages."

    "I mean, you did sleep for four days straight," he casually said, revealing this shocking information to her.bender

    "I did what?!" Huang Xiao Li eximed in a shocked voice.

    "Are you serious?! Or are you joking?! Why didn''t you wake me up?!"

    "I triedhonestly. But you just wouldn''t wake up no matter how much I tried to wake you up, so I gave up."

    "T-That can''t be" Huang Xiao Li was in disbelief.

    "Forget it. You can think about it as we move."

    They immediately resumed their journey.

    ''I hope they are okay'' Huang Xiao Li prayed inwardly for her family''s safety.

    Over the next several days, Tian Yang and Huang Xiao Li wandered the Deste Continent in search of a city, but they only encountered magical beasts.

    They avoided almost every magical beast they encountered, but some of their encounters were unavoidable, forcing them to confront the magical beast. Luckily for them, these magical beasts were manageable for Tian Yang to take down alone.

    "I''m sorry" Huang Xiao Li suddenly muttered after theirtest fight.

    "What for?"

    "You don''t need to pretend. I know that I am useless that I am nothing but a hindrance for you. I don''t even have a way to repay you for everything you''ve done for me. I won''t me you if you want to leave me behind."

    Hearing her words, Tian Yang gave her a p on the back of the head, startling her.

    "W-What are you doing?" she stared at him with a dazed face.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.

    "Are you really saying that now? I would''ve long abandoned you if I were that type of person, and I am not doing this with the expectation of some reward. If you keep thinking about such dumb things, I''ll really leave you behind."

    "I-I won''t! I will stop thinking about it! I swear!" she swore.

    "Then let''s keep moving."

    "Okay!"

    Huang Xiao Li quickly followed behind him, adorned with a radiant smile, her heart fluttering with a newfound feeling that she was experiencing for the first time.

    <strong></strong>

 Chapter 1356 Southern Stronghold

    1356  Southern Stronghold

    After traveling for several more days, Tian Yang and Huang Xiao Li finally encountered something that wasn''t a magical beast.

    "Excuse me! Do you know where the nearest city is located?" Tian Yang approached a cultivator who had just finished defeating a magical beast.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    However, this cultivator immediately became wary of him and went into abative stance.

    Tian Yang quickly raised his hand when he saw this, and he tried to assure the cultivator that they meant no harm, "Please wait. We are not here to harm you. We''re simply lost."

    Unsurprisingly, the cultivator did not even twitch at his words and remained wary.

    They were currently on the Deste Continent, wherews do not apply and only one rule applies thew of the jungle, where the strong prey on the weak.

    In this world, it was amon urrence for cultivators to engage in acts of murder and theft. Thosecking the strength to protect themselves would inevitably fall victim to exploitation.

    lightsvl m Tian Yang was well aware of this rule, but they were not in a position to ignore another human after spending an entire week wandering and lost in this dangerousnd.

    "Hah! Do I really look that stupid to you?! You say you''re lost? That''s funny, considering that the nearest city is only a mile from here!" The cultivator sneered in disdain.

    "Really? Is that true?" Tian Yang was pleasantly surprised to learn this information.

    "I must admit, you are pretty good at acting. If I was even a little dumber, I would''ve believed you!" The cultivator said.

    Tian Yang was speechless, but he didn''t bother attempting to convince the cultivator otherwise, having already obtained the information he needed.

    He turned around and returned to Huang Xiao Li, "The city is only a mile away."

    "That''s great! I can finally clean myself!" she shed blissful tears imagining herself in a bathtub.

    Tian Yang proceeded to carry her into the air before flying towards the city, leaving the cultivator dumbfounded.

    "Were they truly lost?" he mumbled to himself.

    They had tried searching from the air a few days ago, but they didn''t see anything, even attracting the attention of several flying magical beasts, an experience that nearly cost them their lives, so they avoided entering the air from that point forth.

    Now that he was aware of a nearby city, Tian Yang didn''t have to worry about any flying magical beasts, as magical beasts tend to avoid the cities.

    Sometimeter, Tian Yang arrived at the city, which happened to be the Southern Stronghold, a conclusion he hade to days before after only encountering magical beasts between the level of Spirt Lord and Spirit King.

    "The city isn''t as safe as one might think, so stay close to me even when we are inside." Tian Yang warned.

    "Okay." Huang Xiao Li immediately grabbed onto his robe like a child who didn''t want to separate from their parent in a crowded street, an action that had be a habit of hers.

    Tian Yang entered the city shortly. Since it was a city owned by nobody, there was no need to pay entrance fees like one normally would.

    "Let''s find a ce to clean ourselves before we look for any information about your family." Tian Yang suggested.

    "Let''s," she immediately agreed.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    The interior of the city was rough and barely developed, resembling that of a rural city. The buildings looked as if they were built without any ns or approval, so there were gaps of all sizes between each building.

    The street was impressively vast, adorned with numerous merchants showcasing their wares on nkets as they sat behind them, eager to make sales.

    Most of these merchants also had surprisingly high cultivation, which exined their boldness to disy their treasures in a ce where one could steal in broad daylight.

    bender

    After looking around for an entire hour, they only managed to find a single crude-looking hotel.

    Not wanting to walk around with dirt and mud sticking to their body for even a second longer than they had to, they settled for the hotel, which also had a tremendous price tag that even luxurious hotels couldn''tpare.

    "Small rooms are 50 spirit stones and the bigger rooms will cost 100 spirit stones with a time limit of three days."

    "Do your rooms have a bathtub?" Huang Xiao Li asked.

    "We have two rooms with bathtubs, but one of them is already upied. The cost will be 200 spirit stones for three days."

    "I don''t have that kind of money" Tian Yang said to Huang Xiao Li.

    Huang Xiao Li suddenly realized that this was her chance to be helpful and immediately took out 200 spirit stones, cing them before the manager.

    "We''ll take that room."

    "Thank you for your business. Here is your key. We will notify you the day before your time is up."

    "Let''s go!" Huang Xiao Li grabbed Tian Yang''s hand and dragged him to their room.

    When they entered the room, they were shocked by how small it turned out to be.

    "This is their most luxurious room?! This isn''t even worth a silver a night, much less 100 spirit stones!" Huang Xiao Li felt scammed.

    Upon opening the door to their room, they were greeted by a room that was twice as spacious as Tian Yang''s room in the Raging Serpent, but that doesn''t say much when considering the size of his room.

    Moreover, there was only a singlerge bed in the room.

    Besides that, the bathroom was in a separate room, which was even smaller than Tian Yang''s room in the Raging Serpent and only had enough room to fit a medium-sized bathtub.

    Compared to what she was normally used to, the hotel''s room couldn''t evenpare to a pig pen.

    However, since they were mostly there for the bathtub, they didn''tin too much.

    Huang Xiao Li entered the bathroom first, and she wouldn''te back out for three whole hours.

    Even scrubbing her entire body over ten times wouldn''t require that amount of time, so Tian Yang couldn''t imagine what she was doing inside.

    Naturally, he didn''t actually spend any time doing such pointless acts. Instead, he focused on improving his cultivation.

    <strong></strong>

 Chapter 1357 Searching For The Huang Family

    1357  Searching for the Huang Family

    After spending three hours in the bathroom, Huang Xiao Li came out looking like she''d experienced rebirth.

    Her brown skin had returned to its smooth jade-likeplexion. Her sticky and messy hair became as straight as a sword with each strand shimmering like an ocean basked in sunlight. The worst part, her foul smell that was caused by her ident waspletely gone, reced by a sweet fragrance.

    "Thank you for the fresh clothes. I washed the old one for you." Huang Xiao Li handed him the first pair of uniforms he gave her in the very beginning.

    "Also, hurry up and wash yourself. You smell like a beggar," she said while pinching her nose.

    Because she also smelled like a beggar before her shower, she didn''t notice the foul smell. However, now that she waspletely cleaned up, Tian Yang''s odor became very distinct and intense to her.

    "As you wish, princess." Tian Yang jokingly said as he entered the bathroom.

    He came back out half an hourter to see Huang Xiao Li lying on the bed, seemingly deep asleep.

    Not wanting to disturb her, he sat on the cold floor and returned to his cultivation.

    Huang Xiao Li would not wake up for another two days.

    "Ah! I fell asleep by ident!" she eximed when she woke up.

    "Don''t worry, it was only two days this time," he smiled.

    "T-Two days?!"

    "I didn''t try to wake you up this time if you''re wondering."

    "..."

    Huang Xiao Li felt really guilty for wasting so much time when it could''ve been spent looking for her parents, but she couldn''t help herself, as she was exhausted from all that traveling.

    "Are you ready to look for your parents?" Tian Yang asked.bender

    "Of course," she said as she jumped off the bed.

    "Wait, before we leave, I think you should disguise yourself a little."

    "Huh? What''s wrong with my appearance?" she raised an eyebrow.

    "You will attract too much attention if you go out in that appearance," he exined.

    Huang Xiao Li blushed after hearing his words.

    ''Does this mean he actually finds me attractive? He''s not blind, after all!'' she felt relieved to know that Tian Yang was not someone who couldn''t see beauty.

    lightsnvl He''d been acting so normal around her that she''d begun to doubt her own beauty.

    "Give me a minute."

    Huang Xiao Li retrieved a box of makeup and proceeded to apply it to her face.

    In mere minutes, Huang Xiao Li changed her appearance from that of a peerless beauty to an extraordinarily handsome young man.

    This shocking transformation that was done with pills greatly surprised Tian Yang, who didn''t know the capabilities of a woman''s makeup until this moment.

    To make her disguise even more convincing, Huang Xiao Li tied her hair into a ponytail just like Tian Yang.

    "What do you think?" she asked him afterward, her tone carrying a hint of pride.

    "Makes me wonder if I''ve been looking at your real face or not this entire"

    Huang Xiao Li suddenly swung her leg at him, interrupting him.

    "I''m just joking."

    Tian Yang released her leg shortly after catching it.

    "You look like an actual man, I''m quite impressed."<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "I wanted to look a little less beautiful, but it''s hard to do so without making my face look unnatural," she said, unknowingly sounding narcissistic.

    "..."

    Tian Yang did not respond to such words.

    Sometimeter, they left the room and went downstairs.

    "Oh, perfect. I was going to let you know that you only have one day left." The manager said to them.

    "If you want to continue using the room, you have to pay for another three days right now. If not, you won''t be able to keep the room if someone else were to rent it even if you are still living in it."

    "You can check us out now since we won''t being back." Tian Yang said.

    "If you say so."

    Tian Yang returned the room key before leaving the building.

    "How should we go about finding my family?" Huang Xiao Li asked.

    "We can start by asking around. We should start with the merchants since they have been here the longest and would have seen the most people," he suggested.

    "Sounds good."

    They approached the merchants and began their search.

    "Hello, I am looking for some people. Have you seen a family of three around recently? They should have a young boy around ten years old with them." Huang Xiao Li asked.N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.

    However, the merchant remained silent, only throwing up a money sign using his hand.

    Huang Xiao Li didn''t hesitate and handed him 5 spirit stones.

    "I haven''t seen them." The merchant said.

    "..."

    Huang Xiao Li felt like she got scammed again, but there was nothing she could do.

    She repeated the same thing with the other merchants.

    "Have you seen a family of three with a young boy recently?"

    "Have you seen a middle-aged man at the 3rd level Spirit Lord recently?"

    "You have?! Really?! Was he with a woman and a young boy?!"

    "..."

    At the end of the day, Huang Xiao Li had spent almost 300 spirit stones without obtaining any information about her family.

    "I knew it wouldn''t be easy, but this is" Huang Xiao Li had a dejected look on her face.

    Then she became angry, "Half of them were scammers and the other half were liars! I can''t believe the people in this ce! Is there not a single decent person in this ce?!"

    "You aren''t used to the real world, are you?" Tian Yang could tell that she had lived a sheltered life and was still naive about how the world operated

    "Is it really that obvious?" she sighed.

    "Yes." He nodded without hesitation.

    "I have spent most of my life at home with most of my knowledge taught by my parents. I''ve only started seeing the outside world when I joined the Immortal Monastery as a disciple," she admitted to having ack of experience.

    "You may be naive now, but you have plenty of time to learn and grow." Tian Yang tried tofort her.

    "Thank you" she responded with a forced smile.

    <strong></strong>

 Chapter 1358 Teleportation Array

    1358  Teleportation Array

    "If you have the time toin, let''s use it to continue our search," Tian Yang said to her.

    "Okay"

    After spending a few more days asking thousands of people around the Southern Stronghold, they were still unable to find Huang Xiao Li''s parents.

    "Hey, Tian Yang, you came here to train, right? Are you sure you want to spend so much time here? I think I can do this by myself." Huang Xiao Li suddenly said to him.

    "I''ve had enough life-or-death situations for now, I want to take it easy for a bit," he calmly said.

    "Moreover, I am still trying to solidify my previous breakthrough. Until I am fully used to my new strength, I''ll help you."

    "Thank you" Huang Xiao Li mumbled.

    "With that being said, we''ve spent an entire week in this ce without learning anything about your family. I think it''s safe to assume that they never made it here," he continued a momentter.

    "What else can we do? It''s not like we can go to the other cities. We''ll most likely die before we even make it there." Huang Xiao Li released a hopeless sigh.

    Tian Yang maintained a moment of silence before speaking, "Actually, there is a way to visit the other cities without encountering any magical beasts, but it''ll be very expensive, hence why I hadn''t brought it up until now."

    "What method?"

    "The Array Masters have made a breakthrough in their techniques not long ago. They call it the Teleportation Array, which will allow anyone to teleport from array to array as long as these arrays are set up. However, it costs a tremendous amount of spiritual energy for each use, so they have to keep feeding the array spirit stones or treasures to keep it functioning."

    "I''ve heard my father mention this Teleportation Array to his fellow Array Masters before!" Huang Xiao Li said.

    "Your father was an Array Master?" Tian Yang didn''t know this and was quite surprised to learn it, as Array Masters are rare existences in the Divine Heavens.

    "Yes he''s only a level 2 Array Master though."

    "That''s still plenty impressive."

    "Anyways, these Teleportation Arrays are avable on the Deste Continent, correct? How much would it cost to use these arrays?" Huang Xiao Li proceeded to ask.

    "I''m not sure since they price it based on the distance. It could be anywhere from several hundred spirit stones to several thousandif not even more."

    "If it''s just several thousand, it won''t be a problem," she dered in a confident tone.

    "..."Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    Tian Yang was speechless, and he asked what had been on his mind for some time now, "Just how rich are you?"

    "I only have about three hundred thousand spirit stones left," she responded nonchntly.

    "Only three hundred thousand?! That''s a lot! Why are you even carrying around so much money?!" Tian Yang eximed in a shocked voice.

    "I don''t usually carry so much with me, but since we were going to the Deste Continent, known for rare treasures, I nned on buying a thing or two" she said.

    "Just so you know, I always have less than 10 spirit stones in my possession. And it''s not because I keep the rest somewhere else. I am simply broke." Tian Yang said in a somewhat prideful manner, leaving Huang Xiao Li speechless.

    "How is it even possible to have so little when you are a Spirit Lord? You also do a lot of risky sect missions. That alone should''ve given you a decent amount of money."

    "I use them immediately to boost my cultivation. That way, if someone tries to rob me, I won''t have much to give them and therefore won''t feel bad about it."

    "That is such a weird way of thinking"<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "You won''t think like that once you get robbed." Tian Yang shrugged.

    "So you''ve been robbed before?"

    "Plenty of times!"

    "Is that really something to be proud of?"

    "Of course. Most robberies end up as murder, so it''s impressive to remain alive after being robbed many times."

    "Anyways, let''s head to the Teleportation Array," said Tian Yang.

    lightsnvl "Okay, but where will we go?"

    "Let''s head to the Western Stronghold first, then we can go to the Northern Stronghold and Eastern Stronghold. We''ll save the Central Stronghold forst."

    Tian Yang didn''t want to say it out loud, but the chances of the Huang Family surviving the other cities were near zero.

    ''If her family had been teleported to anywhere that isn''t near the Southern Stronghold, they would most likely perish to magical beasts before reaching the city,'' he sighed inwardly.

    He harbored the assumption that Huang Xiao Li''s family might no longer be in this world, a weighty realization that he chose to keep to himself. Nheless, he remainedmitted to assisting her in the search.bender

    They arrived at the Teleportation Array sometimeter.

    "It will cost 5,000 spirit stones for one of you to reach the Western Stronghold," said the Array Master managing the Teleportation Array.

    "F-Five thousand" Tian Yang broke into a cold sweat after hearing such arge figure.

    He could cultivate for decades with 5,000 spirit stones.

    "I understand. Here''s 10,000." Huang Xiao Li handed over the money without hesitation.

    Her actions caught the attention of several people there.

    In these people''s eyes, Tian Yang and Huang Xiao Li were young and fat sheep that could easily be exploited.

    Yuan felt their gazes but decided to remain silent.

    After entering the Teleportation Array, they were instantly teleported to the Western Stronghold.

    "Let''s go!" Tian Yang suddenly grabbed Huang Xiao Li''s hand the moment they exited the Teleportation Array and started running away, dragging her along.

    "Huh?! What happened?!" Startled by his actions, Huang Xiao Li asked in a puzzled tone.

    "Because you carelessly took out so much money, we''ve attracted some bad people!" he briefly exined.

    "What?! That''s ridiculous!"

    Sure enough, shortly after they left the Teleportation Formation, another group of people that also came from the Southern Stronghold appeared in the Western Stronghold.

    "I found them! They are running away over there!" One of these individuals pointed at Tian Yang while alerting the rest of the group.

    "After them!"

    The group consisted of four individuals, and to follow Tian Yang using the Teleportation Array, they had to expend 20,000 spirit stones. Naturally, they assumed that Tian Yang and Huang Xiao Li possessed sufficient resources to not only cover their own expenses but also yield additional gains, prompting their decision to pursue the duo.

    <strong></strong>

 Chapter 1359 Targeted

    1359  Targeted

    ''The pursuers are between the first-level Spirit Lord and the third-level Spirit Lord. We won''t be able to win in a direct confrontation!'' Tian Yang thought to himself after sensing their cultivation.

    Fortunately for him, pursuing someone in the city proved challenging due to the irregr cement of buildings. Additionally, Tian Yang, ustomed to being pursued, had acquired the skill of misdirection to evade those chasing him.

    Sometimeter, Tian Yang managed to shake off his pursuers by hiding in an isted alley.N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.

    "We should be safe now."bender

    "I''m sorry I was too careless" Huang Xiao Li sighed.

    "No, as the one in charge, I am also responsible. Anyways, those guys all had the same tattoo on their body. Due to the Deste Continent''swless nature, fugitives and bandits started forming gangs to protect each other and bully the others."

    lightsvel "If I recall correctly, those guys belong to a gang called the Gold and Money Bandits. They are known for ganging up on the weak. Although their members do not have high cultivation, they are thergest gang in the Deste Continent."

    "What should we do now?" she asked.

    "Unfortunately, we won''t be able to search for your parents in the open now, as they will actively look for us."

    Huang Xiao Li bit her lower lip in frustration after hearing this.

    17:08

    However, Tian Yang continued, "But if we disguise ourselves with an Appearance Reforming Pill and change our clothes, we should be fine."

    "Where would we get such a pill? I don''t have any on me."

    Tian Yang proceeded to retrieve two Appearance Reforming Pill and handed one to her, "I have some."

    "You''re really full of surprises" she muttered.

    "Wait. Why didn''t you give me this before? I could''ve used this instead."

    "Do you have any idea how expensive these pills are? They are nearly 50 spirit stones each! If you can disguise yourself without needing it, I''d only be wasting money!" he said.

    "..." Huang Xiao Li was speechless.

    "Also, these pills only work for about twelve hours and I only have enough for the next three days. If we can''t buy more by then, we''ll have to stop looking for your parents." Tian Yang warned.

    "We just need to buy more, right? I''ll buy as much as we need!" she dered in a determined voice.

    "That is if we can find more. With that being said, there should be an abundance of these pills in this sort of ce due to its nature."

    They swallowed the pill a momentter, changing their appearance entirely.

    "What about our clothes?" Huang Xiao Li asked.

    "I have in clothes, but I only have one set. You can have it." Tian Yang handed her a set of in white robes.

    "What about you?"

    "I''ll settle with this for now."<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    He retrieved a ck cloak, enveloping his entire body in its folds.

    Once they were prepared, they left the alley and resumed their search for the Huang Family.

    After a day of normality, Tian Yang suddenly noticed people staring at them from a distance.

    "We need to leave right now." Tian Yang said to Huang Xiao Li through divine sense.

    He grabbed her hand and immediately began running away.

    Sometimeter, once they were in the clear, he exined, "They''ve found us."

    "What? How?"

    Tian Yang pondered for a moment before responding, "They probably investigated about us. Since we''ve been asking about your family for several days at the Southern Stronghold, they can easily spot us if we continue doing the same thing, regardless of our disguise."

    "So we can no longer look for my family without being hunted?" she muttered in a low voice.

    "..."

    Tian Yang didn''t know how to respond and remained silent.

    Even if they traveled to another city, the Gold and Money Bandits had eyes in all five cities, so unless they got rid of the gang, their search was essentially over.

    "Why Why is nothing going right?! I am just trying to find my family! Why is the heavens doing this to us?! What did we do wrong?!" Huang Xiao Li suddenly released her frustration, tears streaming down her face.

    Sometimeter, Tian Yang said, "Although we can''t ask around about your family, we can still look around ourselves."

    In response to his words, Huang Xiao Li sighed with a heaviness that echoed through her words, "There''s no point... It''s evident that the heavens are ying with us. Despite my attempts to cling to hope, deep within, I knew that my family never made it out alivethat I was only denying reality to dy the inevitable."

    "Then how do you exin our escape? Why were we the only ones who survived when we were all being targeted by that sea demon?" Tian Yang asked.

    "I don''t know and I don''t care anymore I''m tired I want all of this to end already" Huang Xiao Li lowered her head, her eyes devoided of any light, almost as if her soul had died.

    Tian Yang knew that there was nothing he could say that would make her feel better, so he silently sat beside her and patiently waited for her to recover.

    ''If I leave now, I will probably live the rest of my life thinking about it. That would be disastrous for my dao heart'' he sighed inwardly.

    Thus, for the next hour, they would sit in a narrow and isted alley without uttering a single word to each other.

    Eventually, Huang Xiao Li broke the silence and asked, "Why are you doing so much for me? I don''t deserve it"

    Tian Yang could tell that Huang Xiao Li was deliberately saying such things even though she promised not to bring it up again so that he could leave her behind.

    ''Just leave me behind'' Huang Xiao Li sighed inwardly. Shecked the courage to directly ask him to leave, so this was the only way for her to express herself.

    However, in response, Tian Yang suddenly wrapped his arm around her and mumbled in a low voice, "I promised your father that I''d protect you, and I am not one to break promises."

    Huang Xiao Li lifted her head and looked at him after hearing his words.

    "My father?" she muttered in a dazed voice.

    <strong></strong>

 Chapter 1360 Huang Xiao Lis Feelings

    1360  Huang Xiao Li''s Feelings

    "When did you promise my father such a thing?" Huang Xiao Li asked him.

    "..."

    lightsnvl After a brief moment of silence, he revealed, "When we were being attacked by the sea demon, hemunicated with me through divine sense."

    "If you manage to get out of this alive and we don''t, please protect my daughter these were his exact words right before we got separated."

    Huang Xiao Li began brawling her eyes out after hearing this.

    "Father!!! Mother!!! Brother!!!" she screamed into her sleeves, releasing all of her built-up anguish.

    Huang Xiao Li cried and cried, soaking her whole sleeve with tears.

    Eventually, after many minutes of release, Huang Xiao Li calmed down.

    "Thank you, Tian Yang. I will stop being so weak. That will be thest time I shed tears," she dered with a determined look on her face.

    Tian Yang smiled, "It''s okay to have a moment of weakness now and then. That''s what makes us human."

    "What do you want to do next?" he then asked.

    "I''m going to stop searching for my family and start focusing on improving my cultivation. I want to be strong enough to wipe away the Gold and Money Bandits by myself!" she said.

    She then looked at him and asked, "Do you mind if I follow you to train? I know my cultivation iscking right now, but I will try my best to not get in your way and catch up."

    He smiled and said, "How am I going to protect you if you''re not by my side?"

    Huang Xiao Li found his smile to be exceptionally handsome for some reason, and she immediately began blushing.

    "Let''s get some rest before we begin our training," he suggested.

    "Okay."

    They proceeded to change their disguise with an Appearance Reforming Pill before looking for a hotel to stay at.

    Once they found a hotel, Huang Xiao Li asked for thergest room that had a bathtub.

    "It will cost fifty spirit stones per night. Check-out will be at noon." The manager said.

    Huang Xiao Li paid for seven days in advance.

    "An entire week? That might be a little too much," Tian Yang said as they entered their room, which was decently better than their stay at the previous hotel.

    "I want to make sure that we''re fully rested before we begin our training," she said.

    "If you say sonot that I amining."

    He didn''t have the right toin since he was essentially leeching off Huang Xiao Li''s money.

    After removing their disguises, Huang Xiao Li entered the bathroom to wash herself first, followed by Tian Yang.

    When Tian Yang came out of the bathroom, Huang Xiao Li was sitting by the bed with a pondering expression on her face.

    "What''s on your mind?" he asked.<novelsnext></novelsnext>Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    Huang Xiao Li turned towards him, and with a silent grace, she rose from the bed, enveloping him in a sudden embrace.

    "What are you doing?" Tian Yang asked in a startled voice.bender

    Instead of answering, she asked, "You don''t like it?"

    "..."

    Hearing no response from Tian Yang, Huang Xiao Li released him just enough to where they could see each other''s faces, revealing her flushed face.

    In the ensuing moment, she closed her eyes and advanced towards him, her lips subtly pressed forward, her intentions as unmistakable as daylight.

    Though taken by surprise, Tian Yang did not reject Huang Xiao Li''s kiss and epted it.

    Once the kiss ended, the two of them silently stared at each other, unsure of how they should advance.

    Eventually, Tian Yang made the first move and led her to the bed.

    He proceeded to remove her clothes, to which Huang Xiao Li did not object.

    A few momentster, Huang Xiao Li''s beautiful and slender bodyy exposed on the bed, a sight for Tian Yang''s eyes to feast upon. He gently caressed her smooth skin with his fingers, eliciting sensations that caused her to tremble.

    Sometimeter, when Tian Yang removed his clothes, Huang Xiao Li spoke in a bashful voice, "This is my first time"

    "The same goes for me." Tian Yang admitted that he had no prior experience, just like her.

    Soon, the room became filled with Huang Xiao Li''s voice, resonating with pleasure.

    Their session wouldst for many hours until Huang Xiao Li fell asleep from exhaustion.

    When they woke up the following day, they would repeat it with increased intensity.

    Over the next few days, Tian Yang and Huang Xiao Li would make love, sleep, wake up, and repeat, almost as if they didn''t know how to do anything else.

    Very few words were shared between them during these sessions, but their actions and responses to said actions were more than enough for them to understand each other.

    On the sixth day, the day before their time at the hotel was up, they cleaned themselves and spent the rest of their time cultivating, and recovering their stamina.

    They left the hotel on the morning of the seventh day and used the Teleportation Array to return to the Southern Stronghold, where they would spend the next few weeks training.

    ''Finally, they are gone'' The manager signed in relief after seeing Tian Yang and Huang Xiao Li leave his hotel.

    Since the walls were thin, all the sound they made during their fun session was overheard by the manager.

    However, in the manager''s view, both Tian Yang and Huang Xiao Li were men, so one could imagine what was going through his mind when he heard such noises.

    Fortunately for him, the noises ceasedpletely on the third day. It was also on that day that Tian Yang discovered Huang Xiao Li was also an Array Master, albeit only at level 1, when she created a sound barrier in their room.

    After they left the hotel, Tian Yang and Huang Xiao Li left the city to hunt magical beasts.

    However, since Huang Xiao Li''s cultivation was too weak for her to fight beside him, she would support him from a safe distance and set up traps using arrays whenever she could.

    They continued this for the next several weeks.

    <strong></strong>

 Chapter 1361 Training Together

    1361  Training Together

    "Look! This monster has a core!" Huang Xiao Li announced in an excited tone as she dug out a monster core from the magical beast they''d just slew.

    "This is our second one today. How lucky." Tian Yang smiled.

    They''ve been hunting magical beasts nonstop for the past month.

    After killing a magical beast, they would sell its valuable parts to the merchants for money and keep the cores to boost their own cultivation.

    As for the money they earned through selling magical beast parts, they would use it to purchase Appearance Reforming Pills and medicine. Any leftovers would be used to further boost their cultivation.

    They would stop hunting at the end of every week to spend a day in a hotel in order to clean themselves among other things at night.

    During this month-long period, Tian Yang increased his cultivation to the third-level Spirit Lord. Huang Xiao Li saw the biggest improvements, reaching the peak of Spirit Grandmaster.bender

    When Tian Yang saw how fast Huang Xiao Li was advancing, it reminded him of his ownck of talent.

    Despite most of the resources going towards him, Huang Xiao Li was still advancing faster than he did at her level.

    It''s been a little over two months since they started their journey to the Deste Continent, and they have spent about a month and a half on the Deste Continent itself.

    "How long do you n on staying in this ce?" Huang Xiao Li asked him as theyy on the bed at the end of their love session.

    "I applied for three months of leave, and I intended to spend at least a month training here," he said.

    "Eh? In that case, you are alreadyte since it will take us at least another month to return to the sect."

    "I know."

    "You''re not worried about punishment? I heard they could be quite severe," she said in a worried tone.

    "This won''t be my first time staying outside the sect longer than I am supposed to, and I have a friend at the sect to rely on during such times. What about you? You''re a fellow disciple, too."

    "I requested four months of leave so I still have some time," she said.

    "Even if I return to the sectte, my situation should give me some leeway."

    Despite mentioning her family''s situation, Huang Xiao Li only sounded a little mncholic, a testament to how much she''d grown since then.

    "There is a ship sailing to and from the Deste Continent at the beginning of every month, so we can leave in two weeks." Tian Yang said.

    "What will you do once you return? Do you have any other family members at home?" he suddenly asked.

    "I''m not sure, but I still have my grandparents," she said.

    "How about your family?"

    "I''m the only one left," he calmly said.

    "Oh I''m sorry."

    "Don''t be. In fact, I don''t know anything about my real parents. ording to the vige I grew up in, I was abandoned there shortly after birth. I was adopted by a single mother who was living alone with her daughter, who became my sister. They were killed before I turned ten, and I have been living alone since then."

    "That''s" Huang Xiao Li was shocked by his background, which she was learning about for the first time.

    Their conversation ended shortly after, and they fell asleep a littleter.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    They continued their training the following day.

    In the blink of an eye, another ten days passed.

    "Let''s start making our way to the docks," said Tian Yang after they cleaned their bodies at the hotel.

    "Alright."

    The docks were located about a hundred miles away from the Southern Stronghold, so it didn''t take too long for them to reach their destination.

    At the docks, a massive ship was stationed with some people already boarding it.

    "That must be the Swimming Dragon." Huang Xiao Li said after seeing the dragon''s head at the front of the ship.

    There were three different ships that traveled to and from the Deste Continent.

    The Raging Serpent, the Wandering Koi, and the Swimming Dragon.

    However, with the Raging Serpent destroyed by the Flying Leviathan, there were only two working ships now.

    "Let''s get our room." Tian Yang said as he approached the dock.

    "Un!" Huang Xiao Li happily followed along.

    However, just as they took a couple of steps, the ground suddenly shook violently, reminiscent of the event that urred nearly three months ago with the sea demon.

    lightsvl m "W-What''s happening?!"

    Just as Huang Xiao Li spoke, a ck wall suddenly erupted from the edge of thend, enveloping the entire Deste Continent like some kind of dome.

    This ck dome covered the entire sky, blocking everything except sunlight.

    In the wake of the ck dome''s emergence, an authoritative voice echoed across the Deste Continent.

    "The Deste Continent has just been sealed. No entry or exit shall be permitted until the entity known as ''Colossal'' is exterminated."

    Shortly after this announcement, the world started to tremble again as multiple waves of intense spiritual energy swept the Deste Continent, almost as though there were multiple Immortal experts fighting on thend.

    "What the hell is happening?!"

    "Who was that speaking?!"

    Panicked screaming could be hearding from the ship in the distance. In fact, everyone on the continent was demanding for answers, but the voice did not return, leaving them to specte.

    "I don''t know what is happening exactly, but it''s obvious that someone is trying to hunt the Colossal" Tian Yang said to Huang Xiao Li.

    "But what does that have to do with us? They can''t keep everyone in here because of that!"

    Tian Yang looked at the dome in the sky and sighed, "When you are powerful enough, you can do anything you want. After all, who will stop you?"

    "Anyways, let''s get to the ship first. Maybe they can still leave." Tian Yang suggested a momentter.

    "Okay."Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    They quickly approached the ship, ignoring the powerful waves of spiritual energy that were constantly sweeping across the continent.

    <strong></strong>

 Chapter 1362 Unable To Enter Or Leave

    1362  Unable to Enter or Leave

    By the time Tian Yang and Huang Xiao Li arrived at the ship, the Swimming Dragon was already released from the docks and sailing towards the ck wall a few miles away.

    "Should we just ride the ship?" Huang Xiao Li asked Tian Yang, who could simply fly them to the ship.

    "We''ll get closer to the ship, but we won''t board it just yet," he said, worried that something might happen once the ship reaches the wall.

    "Okay."

    Tian Yang carried her into the sky and chased after the ship.

    A few momentster, the ship reached the wall, and Tian Yang watched as the Swimming Dragon crashed into the wall.

    BANG!

    The instant the front of the ship made contact with the ck wall, an unfathomable force emanated from it, repelling the vessel. The Swimming Dragon soared out of the sea, hurtling dozens of miles into the continent before crashing into the ground.

    "..."

    Tian Yang and Huang Xiao Li''s eyes were wide open after witnessing such a scene.

    "I''m d we didn''t get on that ship" Huang Xiao Li mumbled in a dazed voice.

    "Yeah" Tian Yang nodded in agreement.bender

    "What should we do now?" she asked a momentter.

    "There''s nothing we can do but wait it out. The barrier should disappear once these experts y the Colossal and aplish their goal."

    "Hopefully it won''t take too long" she sighed.

    After returning tond, Tian Yang and Huang Xiao Li sat on the ground and patiently waited for the dome to disappear.

    However, waves of spiritual energy continued to appear even dayster, and the ck dome still enveloped the continent.

    "This is getting ridiculous How can they fight for days without rest?" Huang Xiao Li sighed out loud.

    "These experts have unfathomable prowess. I cannot even tell what their cultivation level is." Tian Yang shook his head.

    "Just to fight the Colossal requires one to be a Divine King, so they are at least above that level."

    "Divine King they are truly an existence unfathomable to us, who are still in the Spirit Realm."

    Sometimeter, Tian Yang suggested, "Since it looks like this will take a while, let''s return to the city."

    "Okay."N?velDrama.Org (C) content.

    When they arrived at the Southern Stronghold, Tian Yang was surprised to see how many people were in the city.

    "I''ve never seen this ce so crowded before. They can''t even walk around without constantly rubbing shoulders" Huang Xiao Li was shocked by the scene.

    Not only was the city brimming with people but there were also hundreds of individuals camping around the city on the outside.

    "Should we also set up a tent outside?" Huang Xiao Li asked.

    "I doubt we''ll be able to find a room in the hotel anyway." He nodded.

    They quickly found an empty spot to set up their tent, something they''d purchased during the earlier days of their training.

    As they prepared their tent, Tian Yang could hear the others around them talking to each other.

    "I''m telling you, there are over a hundred Divine Realm cultivators fighting the Colossal! I saw it with my own eyes!"

    "What were their cultivation levels?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "I can only sense up to Divine Emperor, and out of the hundred or so experts fighting, I could only sense three Divine Emperors, so everyone else must be higher than Divine Emperor!"

    "Heavens! This must be an all-out war with the Colossal!"

    "Why are they even targeting the Colossal? It doesn''t even attack anyone unless provoked."

    "It might be due to a certain rumor."

    "What rumor?"

    "ording to the rumor, there exists an Immortal''s graveyard somewhere within the Deste Continent. This Immortal was a Golden Immortal when he was still alive, so he must''ve left behind some insanely powerful treasure. Some even specte that the Colossal has something to do with that Immortal

    that it might be the key to finding the Immortal''s graveyard."

    "There''s no way!"

    "How many cultivators have reached the realm of Golden Immortal since the beginning of time? Less than five! If this rumor is true, it would be a historical discovery!"

    "Golden Immortal" Tian Yang muttered after hearing this information.

    During this period of time, Golden Immortal was the highest level of cultivation known to man, so it was literally the peak of cultivation.

    "Do you think the rumors are true?" Huang Xiao Li asked out of curiosity.

    "If it was true, it would make sense why these experts are so desperate to defeat the Colossal."

    "Or they think that the Colossal might have some amazing treasure within its possession," he quickly added.

    "Honestly, that would make more sense." Huang Xiao Li agreed.

    A weekter.

    Tian Yang peeked at the sky from inside the tent after his cultivation session ended.

    "It''s been two weeks now Just how long does it take for a hundred Divine Realm experts to defeat a single opponent?" he sighed out loud.

    Suddenly, someone could be heard shouting in a panicked manner, "Run! Run away! The fight with the Colossal is approaching our direction!"

    "What?!"

    "Xiao Li! Wake up! We have to leave right now!" Tian Yang shook her awake.

    "Huh? What happened?"

    "The Colossal ising here!"

    "What!"

    lightsvel As they exited the tent, a dark figure emerged on the farthest reaches of the horizon. Its size swiftly expanded, indicating its imminent approach.

    Huang Xiao Li still recalled her first encounter with the Colossal as though it happened yesterday, and her body trembled upon seeing it again.

    As they tore down their tent, Huang Xiao Li asked, "Which way should we go?"

    "The Colossal appeared from the west, so we can only go east."

    "What about the Teleportation Array? We can use that!"

    However, someone else responded to her, "The Teleportation Arrays have stopped working ever since the barrier appeared! We can only move on foot!"

    "That''s crazy"

    Once they packed their stuff, Tian Yang and Huang Xiao Li began running towards the Eastern Stronghold with hundreds of others moving in the same direction, resembling that of a vige migration.

    <strong></strong>

 Chapter 1363 Stuck In A Loop

    1363  Stuck in a Loop

    During their journey to the Eastern Stronghold, they encountered many magical beasts in their path. However, since many people were traveling together, it made things somewhat manageable. With that being said, there were still many casualties.

    The journey from the Southern Stronghold to the Eastern Stronghold took a little over a month with barely any time to rest.

    "We should be safe for a while now." Tian Yang sighed after setting up their tent again.

    Hearing no response, he looked at Huang Xiao Li, who was silently gazing at the barrier in the sky.

    "How much longer do we have to keep running? This isn''t that much different from our encounter with the Flying Leviathan" she mumbled in a dazed voice.

    "Are we caught in some kind of loop where we are constantly running away from entities that we cannot even imagine fighting?"

    "Unfortunately, this is simply how life for weaklings like us works."

    "Is there truly nothing we can do?" she sighed.

    "We can only continue to improve ourselves until the day that we no longer have to run arrives."

    "We will probably be long dead before that happens."

    "While that is very likely, we won''t know until we reach that point."

    Huang Xiao Li asked with a slight smile on her face, "How are you able to remain calm and positive all the time? What is your secret?"

    He shook his head, "There is no secret. I just find it pointless trying to worry about such things."

    "The fact you can do that is impressive enough, but that''s also what I love about you."

    Time continued to pass.

    One week Two weeks One month Two months Three months

    It has been five months since the Deste Continent became isted from the rest of the world, and news of its situation had already spread throughout the Divine Heavens.

    "Damn it! That reckless idiot hasn''t returned to the sect for half a year, but his life jade slip is still working, so he''s obviously not dead! That idiot must have gone to the Deste Continent!" Elder Sun kicked her table in frustration.

    "If you are that worried about him, why don''t you go there and save him?" Someone suggested.

    "That isn''t possible as long as that barrier is around the Dested Continent. In the first ce, this isn''t a situation that can be handled by a single individual!"

    "If youin to your family"Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    "Don''t bring them up! I left them for a reason, and I won''t go back no matter what!"bender

    "Whatever you say."

    Despite her words, Elder Sun was already contemting asking her family for help.

    Meanwhile, Tian Yang and Huang Xiao Li traversed nearly the entire Deste Continent during the past five months, moving from city to city whenever the Colossal got close.

    Tian Yang''s cultivation continued to progress and eventually reached fifth-level Spirit Lord while Huang Xiao Li surpassed Spirit Grandmaster and entered the realm of Spirit Lord, quickly catching up to Tian Yang.

    After spending so much time sealed within the Deste Continent, they have long stopped wondering when the barrier will be removed and focused on improving their new lifestyle and increasing their chances of survival.

    "Our supply of Appearance Reforming Pills will be running out very soon" Huang Xiao Li warned Tian Yang.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Not only did they have to run from the Colossal, they also had to avoid the Gold and Money Bandits. Even with their current situation, thewless nature refused to stop. In fact, it even got worse.

    They tried to travel without their disguises a month into their confinement, but they were immediately recognized by the bandits, forcing them to continue relying on disguises.

    They started using the Appearance Reforming Pills sparingly and purchased any they could find, but that wasn''t enough to keep them from running out of supply.

    "Even my makeup has run out" she sighed.

    lightsvl m "We are already traveling separately from the group, so there''s really nothing else we can do." Tian Yang shook his head.

    "Why are these damn bandits so persistent anyway?!" Huang Xiao Li stomped the ground in anger.

    "Considering how nobody can enter thend and people are lying left and right, they are probably running out of people to bully." Tian Yang said.

    "Also, the fact that we''ve killed several of their members most likely has something to do with it."

    "That''s called self-defense!"

    "Murder is still murder."

    "I swear that if we get out of here alive, I wille back in the future to eradicate everyst one of them!" Huang Xiao Li bellowed.

    "Oh? I''d love to see how you n on doing that."

    A foreign voice suddenly responded to her threat.

    "Who''s there?!" Tian Yang and Huang Xiao Li immediately went into abative stance.

    In response, over twenty people emerged from the shadow, surrounding them.

    ''How did I not notice this many people around us?! That''s impossible!'' Tian Yang was shocked.

    "Are you bastards from Gold and Money Bandits?!" Huang Xiao Li red at them with killing intent.

    "We''re not just from the Gold and Money Banditswe are the gang." The voice resounded, and it came from a middle-aged man, who was emitting the prowess of a Spirit King.

    "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

    "I am the leader is what it means." The manughed.

    Tian Yang gritted his teeth as he tried to find a way out of their predicament. However, their opponents had a Spirit King on their side, who could easily kill both of them by himself.

    There was simply no way to escape.

    "How did you find us?" Tian Yang asked.

    "It wasn''t difficult. In fact, we could''ve located you whenever we wanted during thesest few months. The only reason we didn''t was simply because there were bigger fishes out there to hunt."

    "..."

    "What do you want from us?" Tian Yang asked.

    A cold grin appeared on the leader''s face as he spoke, "Just one thingyour life."

    After a pause, he corrected himself, "Actually, that would be two things since there are two of you."

    <strong></strong>

 Chapter 1364 Deceiving Himself

    Chapter 1364 Deceiving Himself

    ?1364  Deceiving Himself

    ''Xiao Li, listen to me. While I try to block them, you need to run away as fast as possible.'' Tian Yang said to Huang Xiao Li through divine sense.

    ''What?! No way! I will not leave you here to die alone! If you''re going to stay here and fight, so will I!'' She immediately rejected his n.

    ''Damn it! This isn''t the time to be stubborn! I promised to protect you, so just listen to me and let me protect you!''

    Despite telling her to run away, Tian Yang knew there was essentially no chance he could block them long enough for her to escape and he was only trying to deceive himself.

    "Do you seriously think you can escape in this situation?" The leader suddenlyughed out loud, almost as if he could hear their conversation.

    "Why do you want to kill us? We''ve never done anything to offend you!" Huang Xiao Li shouted.

    "But you killed several of my men though?"

    "That''s self-defense!"

    "Then you can consider this as self-defense, too." The leaderughed maniacally.

    Tian Yang closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

    ''Xiao Li, I''m sorry.''

    ''W-Why are you apologizing to me?''

    ''Because I have failed to keep my promise. I''m sorry that I couldn''t protect you.''

    ''N-Nonsense! We can survive this! Just as we''d survived until now!''

    Tian Yang didn''t respond.

    "Talking between yourselves again? Go ahead. I''ll let you say your goodbyes since I am a good person." The leader said.

    In the following moment, Tian Yang suddenly moved.

    However, he didn''t move to attack the bandits.

    He appeared right beside Huang Xiao Li and grabbed her hand.

    "I love you," he muttered to her in a low and gentle voice.

    "I lov¡ª"

    The moment Huang Xiao Li opened her mouth to respond, Tian Yang, using all his strength, tossed her into the air and away from the bandits.

    "RUN!" He shouted at her.

    The leader sneered at his pointless attempt and spoke in amanding tone, "Half of you go hunt that escaped rat."

    Seeing this, Tian Yang tried his best to block them. However, he wasn''t able to block a single one from chasing after Huang Xiao Li.

    "What can a powerless man like you do?" The leader of the gang blocked Tian Yang from his attempt.

    "GET OUT OF MY WAY!" Tian Yang unleashed all of his cultivation and attacked the leader.

    "Why struggle when you know it''ll be in vain?" The leader casually deflected his attack.

    The difference between Spirit Lord and Spirit King was like heaven and earth. There was simply no chance for a talentless person like Tian Yang to ovee such a hurdle.

    However, the leader didn''t immediately kill Tian Yang and toyed with him by giving him minor injuries, almost as if the leader wanted his opponent to bleed to death.

    Many minutes of strugglingter, the other bandits returned, and in their grasp was Huang Xiao Li''s lifeless body.

    Tian Yang lost his strength when he saw her corpse.

    "Oh! Took you guys long enough!" The leader said to them.

    The bandit carrying her corpse tossed her body onto the ground like trash and said, "The bastard was stronger than expected and even managed to kill two of us."

    The leader raised an eyebrow when he saw Huang Xiao Li''s appearance.

    "Huh? Who is this woman?"

    "Ah, she was a woman disguised as a man. We didn''t realize it until we killed her." The bandit sighed.

    "Truly a pity. We could''ve had so much fun with a beauty like her." The leader shook his head.

    He continued, "Whatever, I''m sure some of the guys back at the base are into this kind of stuff. Keep her corpse for now."

    "Roger!"

    "..."

    Tian Yang remained frozen, almost as though he had turned into stone, his eyes void of light.

    "Hey, are you still alive?" The leader suddenly pierced his sword into Tian Yang''s stomach.

    "..."

    Seeing not even the slightest reaction from Tian Yang, the leader sighed, "How boring."N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    He raised his arm in preparation to behead Tian Yang.

    Right as the leader pulled his sword back, one of the bandits suddenly screamed in a terrified voice, "Leader! Behind you!"

    "Huh?"

    The leader turned around to see a massive ball of mes flying towards them.

    "What the fu¡ª"

    BOOM!

    The ball of mesnded near them, exploding viciously.

    The leader and half of the bandits there instantly turned to charcoal from the mes while everyone else was blown away by the explosion, including Tian Yang, who barely managed to escape the mes because the leader had stood in front of him and blocked most of it.

    Unbeknownst to them, the ball of mes had beenunched by one of the experts fighting the Colossal. Upon missing its target, the ball of me disappeared into the horizon and happened tond by Tian Yang.

    "F-Fuck! The leader''s dead!"

    "Run before another attackes!"

    The surviving bandits scrambled away, ignoring Tian Yang, who looked as good as dead anyway.

    Several dayster, someone approached Tian Yang''s corpse-

    like body cautiously.

    "Wow, how is this bastard still alive with such injuries?" A young man''s voice eximed in a surprised tone.

    After a moment of silence, the young man spoke again, "Your determination to live must be quite impressive! I cannot allow such a warrior to die like this!"

    The young man proceeded to retrieve a vial of an unknown substance and poured it into Tian Yang''s mouth.

    Within moments, the injuries on Tian Yang''s body started recovering at a rapid rate.

    A few minutester, Tian Yang slowly opened his eyes.

    When he sensed something next to him, Tian Yang subconsciously attacked.

    "Get your dirty hands off her, your bastards!" Tian Yang roared.

    "Whoa!"

    The young man swiftly evaded his attack and distanced from Tian Yang.

    "Calm down, buddy. I''m not here to hurt you."

    Aftering to his senses, Tian Yang looked around frantically.

    "Where are the bandits?! Where''s Xiao Li?!"

    "I haven''t seen any bandits, nor do I know who this Xiao Li is." The young man shrugged.

    "Who are you?" Tian Yang asked the young man with gold-

    colored hair.

    "Where are your manners? You should introduce yourself first before asking for another''s identity. Whatever, I am in a good mood so I will look past it."

    "I''m Ks, what about you?" The young man introduced himself.

 Chapter 1365 Immortal Ensnaring Vault

    Chapter 1365 Immortal Ensnaring Vault

    ?1365  Immortal Ensnaring Vault

    "Tian Yang, huh? Why were you on the brink of death, Tian Yang?" Ks asked him.

    After hearing this question, he recalled everything that had happened to him before he was knocked unconscious, followed by a tsunami of emotion that consumed him with anguish.

    "Xiao Li!"

    He ignored Ks and ran to the crater created by the ball of mes.

    However, there was no sign of Huang Xiao Li. The ball of mes that appeared out of thin air had erased all signs of the bandits along with Huang Xiao Li''s corpse.N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.

    Tian Yang fell to his knees and started bawling his eyes out.

    "Xiao Li! I''m sorry! I''m so sorry!!!"

    "AHHHHHHH!"

    Tian Yang released a deafening howl that carried immense anguish and anger.

    "..."

    Ks watched this scene unfold before him with a serious expression on his face. Even though he didn''t know the situation, even a blind man could tell that something tragic had urred to Tian Yang remained in the kneeling position for many hours on end without moving a single muscle.

    Eventually, Ks approached him from behind and spoke in a gentle voice, "I don''t know what happened, but you clearly have unfinished business. Are you going to sit there until you die from anguish, or are you going to do something about it?"

    "..."

    Tian Yang was unresponsive.

    Ks continued trying, "This Xiao Li¡­ was she your lover or something?"

    Tian Yang''s body had a slight reaction when he heard her name.

    Seeing this, Ks continued, "Judging by the scene, it''s been several days since whatever happened here ended. You''ve managed to survive so many days with injuries that would''ve killed someone else over a hundred times. Your determination is unfathomable. I know you are not someone to give up no matter how bad things get."

    "My injuries¡­ Did you heal them for me?" Tian Yang suddenly asked.

    "That''s right. I had a feeling that you weren''t meant to die here, so I fed you some medicine."

    "Ks, correct?"

    "That''s right."

    "Thank you, Ks¡­"

    Tian Yang wiped his face and slowly stood up.

    He lifted his head and stared at heaven with a profound expression on his face.

    "The barrier¡­ it''s gone?"

    At that moment, Tian Yang realized the barrier that had ensnared the Deste Continent had vanished.

    "The Immortal Ensnaring Vault? It was lifted three days ago." Ks revealed.

    "Huh?" Tian Yang looked at him with wide eyes.

    "Why do you know¡­"

    After a brief pause, his face twisted with anger, "Don''t tell me you are responsible for that barrier?!"

    "What?!" Ks reacted to his usation with shock.

    "That''s quite the usation! Do I look like someone who could deploy such a priceless treasure? That was something done by the Immortal ns!"

    "Immortal ns? What are you talking about?" Tian Yang frowned.

    "You really don''t know anything, huh? Well, I don''t me you." Ks shrugged.

    He continued, "The barrier that sealed this ce for half a year is called the Immortal Ensnaring Vault¡ªa treasure owned by one of the Nine Immortal ns. It was activated to prevent the ''key'' from escaping when the Immortal ns worked together to subjugate it."

    "Key? Are you talking about the Colossal?"

    "Yes, the Colossal was a key to open the Immortal''s graveyard sealed within thisnd. If the Immortal ns hadn''t sealed this ce, the key would''ve escaped."

    "Anyways, the Immortal ns seeded in eliminating the key and revealed the entrance to the Immortal''s graveyard. Now everyone around the Divine Heavens is rushing to this ce to enter the Immortal''s graveyard."

    Tian Yang gritted his teeth after learning this information.

    "Because of these Immortal n bastards, Xiao Li had to suffer and die an undeserving death¡­!" He clenched his fists so hard that it began to bleed.

    "Y-You should keep such words to yourself¡­ If anyone from the Immortal ns were to hear you, they would''ve skinned you alive!" Ks nervously said as he looked around to ensure they were alone.

    ''Nine Immortal ns¡­! I swear I will make you pay for this!'' Tian Yang''s eyes flickered with a vicious light.

    "Hey, what do you think about visiting the Immortal''s graveyard with me?" Ks suddenly said.

    "I decline." Tian Yang frowned, his reluctance etched across his face.

    "Eh?! Why not?!"

    "Why should I?" he immediately rebuked.

    "Well, for one, you can acquire all kinds of powerful treasures if you''re lucky, and if you''re fated, you might even acquire the Immortal''s legacy. If you had that, standing at the peak of the world wouldn''t be a fantasy."

    "As for the second reason, you kind of owe me for saving your life, you know?" Ks chuckled.

    "..." Tian Yang fell silent and began pondering.

    "Why me?"

    "No special reason. I just think we were brought together by fate, and I admire your tenacity. If I had a guy like you around, my chances of survival would surely increase!"

    "What kind of bullshit reasoning is that?" Tian Yang snickered.

    ''But it is true that I owe him for saving my life¡­'' he sighed inwardly.

    "Think about it. There''s a reason that even geniuses from top sects are scurrying toe here."

    ''He''s right¡­ This could be an opportunity for me to finally achieve my dreams¡­''

    "Of course, I''m not forcing you toe with me. I''m just asking as a friend."

    "Since when did we be friends?"

    "I''m not sure. A few moments ago, I suppose?" Ksughed heartily.

    Tian Yang rubbed his eyes and sighed, "Alright, I will apany you to the Immortal''s graveyard."

    Ks'' eyes immediately brightened, "Hell yeah! That''s what I am talking about! The entrance will be opened in two days'' time, so we should just barely make it to witness the opening if we move out now."

    "Follow me!"

    Right as Tian Yang prepared to follow Ks, he noticed a subtle glint in the corner of his eyes.

    "That''s¡­"

    Tian Yang immediately went to pick up the object shining on the ground.

    "Xiao Li¡­" he muttered in a low voice as he recognized the object as Huang Xiao Li''s spatial ring.

    "What are you waiting for? Let''s go!" Ks called for him from a distance.

    Tian Yang tightly held the ring and pressed it against his heart before muttering in a resolute voice, "I swear, I will seek justice for you even if it''s thest thing I do!"

 Chapter 1366 Definition of Talent

    Chapter 1366 Definition of Talent

    ?1366  Definition of Talent

    After putting away Huang Xiao Li''s storage ring, Tian Yang went after Ks, who was waiting for him in the distance.

    "What did you find on the ground?" Ks asked him with a curious gaze.

    "A purpose," he responded in a cold voice.

    Seeing his serious expression, Ks didn''t question further.

    Instead, Tian Yang inquired more information about the Immortal''s graveyard.

    "Tell me more about this Immortal''s graveyard."

    Ks nodded and shared his knowledge, "The Immortal''s graveyard''s official name is Han Zexian''s Tomb. Han Zexian was one of the top Golden Immortals, but he vanished about 30,000 years ago."

    "The Nine Immortal ns eventually learned that he wasst seen in this Deste Continent and spent thest thousand years looking for him. In the end, all they found was the entrance to a sealed tomb."

    "On the door to the tomb was a clue, which hinted at the Colossal. After eliminating the Colossal, the seal to the tomb was released."

    Tian Yang took a moment to digest this information before asking, "The Nine Immortal ns must''ve expended an immense amount of resources to deal with the Colossal since it took them half a year of constant fighting to defeat it. Are they really allowing everyone to enter it? Sounds a little suspicious."

    "Even the Nine Immortal ns wouldn''t dare to be so selfish. If this was just any ordinary tomb, then they would''ve been able to do so, but Han Zexian was no ordinary cultivator. He was the first cultivator to ever reach Golden Immortal, and he helped the cultivation scene advance tremendously."

    "He was a public figure who shared his experience and knowledge with as many people as he could. If the Nine Immortal ns were to dare take his tomb for themselves, you can imagine how the world would react."

    "Han Zexian¡­" Tian Yang mumbled.

    He''s heard of this name several times during lectures at the sect, but he never really cared too much about it.

    "Though, there is one caveat for making the tomb public. The Nine Immortal ns get to send in their people first, and nobody can enter for the first seven days. After the seven-day period ends, it will be a free-for-all."

    "But the tomb will open in two days, so there are still nine days before we can enter?"

    "Indeed. I came here early to witness the opening of the tomb." Ks nodded.

    A few minutester, they encountered a magical beast in the Spirit Emperor realm.

    "Don''t worry, I got this."

    Ks suddenly charged at the magical beast without any hesitation. Wielding two gauntlets on his fists, he released a powerful punch, striking the magical beast directly between its eyes and killing it in a single strike.

    ''He''s a Spirit Emperor at such an age?! He must be a genius from a renowned sect!'' Tian Yang was greatly surprised.

    It was no wonder he couldn''t sense Ks'' cultivation.

    "As long as we don''t encounter any Spirit Sovereigns or above, I''ll get rid of them," Ks said as he removed his gauntlets.

    "How old are you?" Tian Yang asked out of curiosity.

    "I''m 20 years old," he calmly said.

    "..."

    Tian Yang was speechless. Ks was half his age but had already be a Spirit Emperor. The difference in their talent was so vast that he didn''t even want to think about it.

    At 20 years old, Tian Yang was still a mere Spirit Apprentice. While he most likely started cultivation muchter than Ks, it wouldn''t have made a difference. Even if Tian Yang started at the moment of his birth, he wouldn''t have been a Spirit Emperor by now.

    Ks saw the look of defeat on Tian Yang''s face and smiled, "Talent isn''t everything in this world."

    Tian Yang looked at him and sneered, "That''s easy to say for someone as talented as you."

    Ks shook his head and said, "While I may seem talented in your eyes, there are countless geniuses more talented than me. If you ask me what I think is more important than talent, it would be one''s fate."

    "No matter how talented one may be, if you were not fated to achieve great things, what use is such talent? Countless geniuses above me have perished before they even got the chance to flourish."

    "What use is fate if you have no talents? You''d still live a life as a powerless ant."

    Ks smiled and said, "That''s the thing¡ªyou don''t know what fate has in store for you until it happens. While you may be born without talents, who''s to say that you won''t acquire talents in the future?"

    "Acquiring talents? That''s nonsense," Tian Yang sneered.

    "I don''t know what your definition of talent is, but one''s talent is not set in stone. There are countless treasures and mythical techniques out there that can turn someone ordinary into a dragon overnight."

    "..."

    Tian Yang could not deny Ks'' words.

    Ks suddenly continued, "Why do you think ces like the Immortal''s graveyard exist? So the rich could get richer? So the talented could be even more powerful? While that is certainly possible and happens all the time, I believe their main purpose is to attract the one with the strongest fate."

    "Who knows, you might acquire Han Zexian''s legacy and be a dragon."

    "Yeah, right."

    Ks looked at him with a profound smile and said, "That said, I think you''re already quite talented."

    "Me? Talented? Hah! That''s the funniest joke I''ve heard all decade long!"

    "Being able to survive is also a talent. I can tell at a nce that you''re someone who has encountered countless life-or-death situations¡ªmore than anyone that I know. Despite having ''less talent'' than those geniuses I know, you''ve managed to survive this long. If that isn''t a talent. I don''t know what is."

    "You call that talent? If so, I''d rather not have such talents. What''s the point if I keep barely managing to survive like a beggar? That''s just called a struggle."

    "I guess it won''t be easy to change your mind, but I''m sure you''ll eventually realize the truth." Ksughed heartily.

    ''What a weird fellow¡­'' Tian Yang shook his head inwardly.N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.

 Chapter 1367 Nine Immortal Clans

    1367 Nine Immortal ns

    "We''re here!" Ks dered when they arrived at an empty plot ofnd that stretched for miles after traveling for almost an entire day.

    Tian Yang calmly analyzed the scene before him.

    There were hundreds if not thousands of people already gathered there with nine distinctive groups of people at the very front, all of them standing before a massive gateid on the ground.

    This gate appeared to be made of stone, and it had the word ''Han'' engraved on it. Furthermore, it wasid directly on the floor, almost as though it was the doorway to an underground world.

    "Those people standing in the very front are from the Nine Immortal ns," said Ks.

    Hearing this, Tian Yang immediately memorized the faces of everyone from the Nine Immortal ns, as well as their distinctive uniforms.

    ''These bastards are responsible for Xiao Li''s death¡­'' Tian Yang subconsciously emitted killing intent through his gaze.

    When Ks noticed this, he immediately pped Tian Yang in the back and muttered in a low voice, "Directing killing intent at the Immortal ns, are you insane? You''re a dead man if they noticed it!"

    "Sorry, that wasn''t my intention¡­" Tian Yang apologized, kicking himself for failing to control his emotions.

    "I don''t know why you''re acting like this, but you need to keep yourself in control, or you''re dead before you even step foot inside the tomb."

    "I know." Tian Yang clenched his fists.

    Unbeknownst to Tian Yang, some of the experts from the Nine Immortal ns had noticed his killing intent, but when they saw that he was a mere Spirit Lord, they immediately disregarded him, as they saw no threat in him.

    "Let''s get in line," Ks said to him a momentter.

    Tian Yang and Ks went to stand behind the others.

    There was arge gap between the Nine Immortal ns and the others.

    As time passed, more and more people showed up to the scene. However, not everyone went to the back of the line like Tian Yang.

    If these people belonged to influential families or were renowned figures in the Divine Heavens, they would move to the front, standing directly behind the Nine Immortal ns.

    In some special cases, the Nine Immortal ns made exceptions for several individuals, allowing them to enter within the first seven days.

    The rule ''firste first serve'' did not apply here. If one had the strength to back them up, they could easily move to the front of the line. After all, what could the rest of them do besides me themselves forcking in strength?

    A dayter, the moment arrived for the tomb to be unveiled, drawing hundreds of thousands of cultivators to witness the historical event.

    The Nine Immortal ns'' representative stood before the door on the ground, but before opening it, he dered in a loud voice, "As agreed upon, the Nine Immortal ns will enter the tomb first. Regardless if you are a sect leader or a rogue cultivator, everyone else must wait seven full days before they are allowed to enter, or they will immediately be killed¡ª there will be no exceptions."

    The representative proceeded to open the door by cing an item on it.

    The doors opened inwardly the next moment, unveiling the entrance to another dimension.

    Suddenly, before anyone from the Nine Immortal ns could even move, several dozen figures from the crowd behind them rushed toward the entrance.

    "Let''s see if you can stop all of us at once!"

    However, before these individuals could even get close to the entrance, several experts from the Nine Immortal ns moved with such swiftness that all of the rebels were in faster than one could even blink their eyes.

    These rebels were not weak by any means. Most of them were Spirit Emperors and above with a few even at the Divine Realm. Nheless, they were all in with a single strike.

    Most of the people there didn''t even bat an eyelid after witnessing such a scene, almost as if they were all expecting a few rebels to appear.

    "Does anyone else want to try?" A calm voice resounded a momentter, carrying the pressure of an Immortal.

    The voice was met with silence.

    A few momentster, the people from the Nine Immortal ns jumped into the entrance, disappearing into the ground.

    Over the next several days, even more people arrived at the sight.

    ''There are millions of people here¡­'' Tian Yang swallowed nervously, as he''d never seen so many experts gathered in one ce before.

    Suddenly, he sensed a familiar presence appearing above him.

    "Huh?"

    When he looked up, he could see a woman staring at him with an enraged expression on her beautiful face.

    "S-Senior Sun?!" He immediately recognized her as Elder Sun.

    "As I thought, you''d disappeared to this ce¡­" Elder Sunnded in front of him.

    "What are you doing here, Senior?"

    "You dare ask me such a question after disappearing for nearly a year?! Do you want me to beat you right now?!" Elder Sun reprimanded him as she grabbed one of his ears and began pulling on it with immense strength.

    "A-Ah! Stop! You''ll tear it right off!" Tian Yang cried out loud.

    "If that''ll stop you from doing any more reckless things, I''ll tear both of them off!"

    "..."

    Ks stared at their performance with an entertained face.

    "Who''s this beautiful fairy?" he asked.

    "She''s a sect elder from my sect¡­" Tian Yang said.

    "And who are you?" Elder Sun looked at Ks. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.

    "I''m Ks," he smiled.

    "He''s my savior¡­" Tian Yang added.

    "Savior?" Elder Sun raised an eyebrow.

    Ks shook his head and said, "I didn''t do much, honestly. He did most of the surviving. I just happened toe across him and fed him some spare medicine I had."

    "I''m not surprised. He''s even more tenacious than a cockroach." Elder Sun said.

    She suddenly released Tian Yang''s ear and gave a courteous bow to Ks, "Regardless, I thank you for saving him."

    "Please raise your head, Senior. I only did what was right."

    Elder Sun turned to look at Tian Yang and demanded in a cold voice, "You better exin to me everything that happened!"

 Chapter 1368 Elder Sun

    Chapter 1368 Elder Sun

    ?1368  Elder Sun

    "I-I have to exin everything¡­?"

    Unwanted memories shed within Tian Yang''s head, causing his expression to darken.

    "What¡ª"

    Elder Sun was startled by Tian Yang''s dark expression which seemed to be filled with anguish.

    Although she had seen him being down before, especially when one mentioned about hisck of talents, she''d never seen such a defeated look on his face.

    ''What did he experience during the past year?'' she swallowed nervously as she wondered.

    "You¡­ What happened to you?" she gathered enough courage to ask him a momentter.

    However, Tian Yang remained silent.

    Seeing this, Elder Sun turned to look at Ks for answers, but he merely shrugged while shaking his head in silence.

    "Whatever. You don''t have to tell me now, but whenever you are ready¡­"

    Tian Yang silently nodded, and his expression rxed a little.

    "Anyways¡­ our sect will also be participating in this event. They are currently making their way here as we speak. I just happened to arrive first." Elder Sun said, omitting the reason she separated from the sect just to arrive at the Deste Continent faster.

    "The sect¡­" Tian Yang mumbled.

    He then asked, "Do I have to move with the sect inside the tomb?"

    "Of course not. In the first ce, many Sect Elders and even the Sect Leader himself will be participating, so it''s not an activity meant for disciples. While disciples are allowed to participate if they desire, they won''t receive any assistance from the sect, so you''re by yourself once inside." Elder Sun said.

    "Is that so¡­"

    Tian Yang wasn''t surprised. The tomb of a Golden Immortal attracted experts more than others.

    ''It''s not like we canpete with them, anyway.'' Tian Yang had already anticipated that the experts would take most of the treasures for themselves while he and the others fought for the leftovers.

    Ks suddenly spoke, "Speaking of inside¡­ None of the people from the Nine Immortal ns have returned since they entered the tomb. Normally, they would scout the ce first before engaging it fully, but not this time. Either they are really tight on time or they''ve all perished inside."

    "What? There''s no way the Nine Immortal ns would perish inside a tomb, even if it belongs to a Golden Immortal." Elder Sun scoffed at that idea.

    The Nine Immortal ns aren''t merely powerful¡ªthey represent the most powerful families in the Divine Heavens. If these formidable forces prove unable to survive Han Zexian''s tomb, what hope could the others harbor for survival? Would they not be marching willingly into their own graves?

    "Even if you say that, it''s almost been seven days since they entered, but not a single one of them has returned." Ks looked at the door with a pondering look on his face.

    Tian Yang looked at Elder Sun and asked, "Do you also n on participating?"

    She shook her head, "No, I have no interest in the tomb."

    "Then why did you evene here in the first ce?" Tian Yang raised his eyebrows in a puzzled manner.

    "I¡­ have my own reasons."

    After a brief pause, she looked at him and continued, "You''re entering the tomb, right?"

    He nodded with a serious expression.

    "Is there anything I can say that will persuade you otherwise?"

    Tian Yang stayed silent, but his expression was as stubborn as ever.

    Elder Sun sighed, "How stupid of me to think I could persuade you when it hasn''t worked since the beginning."

    "I know you''re worried about me, but I have to grow stronger no matter what. I''m sorry, Senior." Tian Yang said.

    "Who would be worried about a reckless brat like you?" Elder Sun sneered.

    Then she continued, "Give me your hand, I''ll repair the life-

    saving treasure in you."

    "Huh?"

    However, Tian Yang merely reacted with a puzzled look on his face.

    "What life-saving treasure? I don''t have anything like that on me," he said.

    Without exining further, Elder Sun grabbed his hand and closed her eyes.

    The following moment, Tian Yang could feel her spiritual energy entering his Dantian.

    Although he couldn''t see it, he could feel something being restored inside his body.

    Once she repaired the treasure, Elder Sun opened her eyes to see a baffled look on Tian Yang''s face.

    "What is going on?" he inquired again.

    Elder Sun then exined, "After seeing how you love to court death so much, I nted a life-saving treasure within your body."

    "W-When did you do something like that?!" Tian Yang eximed.

    She sighed, "Long before you even became an Inner Disciple. However, it never activated until recently."N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    "Recently? How recently?" Tian Yang had a premonition that he already knew the answer before even asking.

    "About a month after you disappeared from the sect, I suppose." Elder Sun answered.

    "..."

    Tian Yang immediately recalled how he managed to survive the massive sea demon''s strike.

    "T-That was because of the life-saving treasure you''d given me?" Tian Yang muttered in a dazed voice.

    "That''s right," she immediately replied. "I don''t know what situation you were in at that time, but the life-saving treasure only activates when it senses certain death, teleporting you to the nearest ''safe'' ce."

    ''In that case¡­ at that time, her family had already been¡­''

    Even though he had a suspicion that the Huang Family hadn''t survived the sea demon''s attack, having confirmation was an entirely different matter.

    "Why¡­ Why didn''t you tell me before¡­?" Tian Yang suddenly red at Elder Sun with a hint of anger in his gaze.

    If he''d known about it beforehand, he could''ve saved the entire Huang Family, and things on the Deste Continent would''ve yed out differently.

    "We encountered those bastards because we searched for Xiao Li''s family¡­ If they had been alive, she could''ve survived¡­ her entire family could''ve survived! Why didn''t you tell me, Senior Sun?! WHY?!" Tian Yang suddenly shouted at her with tears flowing down his face.

    "I¡­" Elder Sun was too stunned by Tian Yang''s outburst to give him a response in time. She could only stare at Tian Yang''s crying face, something she''d only ever seen once before, and even then, it wasn''t as emotional.

 Chapter 1369 Tombs Restriction

    Chapter 1369 Tomb''s Restriction

    ?1369  Tomb''s Restriction

    After seeing Tian Yang''s expression, Elder Sun''s entire being froze on the spot, her mind nk.

    Why didn''t she tell Tian Yang about the life-saving treasure? Because she wanted to surprise him? Because she didn''t want it to seem like she cared too much about him? Or was it simply due to negligence?

    Elder Sun would''ve had a hard time answering Tian Yang''s question even if he wasn''t staring at her with such an intense gaze.

    "What''s happening there?"

    "Did he get rejected or something?"

    "Isn''t he a little too old to cry like a baby?"

    The people around them were entertained by the situation.

    However, Tian Yang quickly regained control over his emotions and muttered, "Please take back the life-saving treasure."N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    "Huh?" Elder Sun''s eyes widened with shock.

    "W-What are you saying? I don''t know why you''re angry, but if you''re going to explore the tomb¡ª"

    "I don''t care about that. Just take it back, or I''ll do it my way."

    Seeing the stubborn look on Tian Yang''s face, Elder Sun merely sighed and silently retrieved the life-saving treasure from his body.

    "There, are you¡ª"

    Right as Elder Sun opened her mouth to speak, Tian Yang suddenly bowed to her and said, "Thank you for everything until now, Senior Sun."

    Without exining further, Tian Yang turned around and walked away, leaving Elder Sunpletely dumbfounded.

    ''What is this feeling in my heart? Why does it hurt so much? He''s just a mere disciple¡­'' Elder Sun wondered to herself as she watched Tian Yang''s figure disappear into the crowd, as she''d never felt such an emotion before.

    After witnessing what unfolded before him, Ks spoke in a solemn tone, "I don''t know what happened to him, but he was in a miserable shape when I found him, almost as if he witnessed his lover being killed before his eyes. Good luck."

    Ks went after Tian Yang, leaving Elder Sun alone in a daze.

    A few people in the crowd saw this as an opportunity to approach Elder Sun.

    "Excuse me, fairy¡ª"

    "Stay away from me, you worms."

    Elder Sun suddenly red at them with intense killing intent, sending chills down their entire being.

    Her presence was so immense that it attracted the attention of several experts.

    "W-What is that woman doing here¡­?"

    "I almost didn''t recognize her because of her cultivation, but isn''t she...?"

    These experts recognized her after staring at her face for a moment, their faces filled with surprise after realizing her identity.

    Meanwhile, Tian Yang finally stopped moving after moving far away from his original location.

    After calming down, he realized that he''d directed some of his self-hatred toward Elder Sun after learning that she was responsible for saving him from certain death.

    ''Ah¡­ I''m truly pathetic¡­'' he sighed inwardly.

    While it was true that Elder Sun had secretly hidden a life-

    saving treasure in his body, it wasn''t done out of malice but because she was worried for him.

    ''Despite that, I pushed my responsibility to her when I saw a chance. If it weren''t for Senior Sun, I wouldn''t have survived long enough to bond with Huang Xiao Li, much less spend so much time with her¡­''

    Tian Yang realized that he should''ve thanked Elder Sun instead of cutting ties with her.

    ''However, this might be for the best. I have relied on her for many years¡ªever since I was an Outer Disciple. I cannot rely on her to save me every time my life is in danger for the rest of my life, or I will never truly be strong."

    He knew that he''d messed up his rtionship with Elder Sun, but he also understood that he could not rely on her forever.

    It was a bitter way to end such a good rtionship, and he might even regret it until the end of time, but there was no going back.

    "There you are." Ks eventually caught up to him.

    "Sorry you had to see that, and I even left you back there." Tian Yang said to him.

    Ks did not immediately respond, as he was too distracted by Tian Yang''s expression.

    "You can still go back and apologize to her," he said a momentter.

    Tian Yang couldn''t help but show a bittersweet smile after hearing his words, "Apologize? She''s not the type to ept an apology like that, and it''s not like we had a special rtionship."

    "Are you sure about that?" Ks raised an eyebrow.

    He then continued, "Even if that was the case, why did you return the life-saving treasure? That was quite the stupid thing to do if you ask me. You''re now going to enter the tomb empty-handed. Don''t kick yourselfter."

    Tian Yang shrugged, "If I die inside the tomb, that simply means I wasn''t fated to achieve great things in this life. And because I cut ties with Senior Sun, my death won''t bother her as much."

    "What a twisted way of thinking¡­ but I don''t dislike it." Ks chuckled.

    He then continued, "It''s a pity, especially since that senior was very pretty."

    "Even if she''s the prettiest woman in the world, nothing will happen between us. She''s a sect elder and I am a disciple. We are fated to walk different paths."

    Ks shook his head, "Fate works in mysterious ways, and you speak as if you can control or see one''s fate, but we both know that isn''t possible."

    "What¡ª"

    Right as Tian Yang opened his mouth to respond, the surroundings suddenly grew rowdy.

    "What''s happening? Is the tomb finally open to the rest of us? It should be about that time now." Tian Yang looked around.

    Ks used his divine sense to see the situation and said, "They''ve returned! The Nine Immortal ns just left the tomb!"

    After a brief pause, he continued, "But not all of them. Only a dozen people havee out, and we know far more have gone inside. Let''s see what they have to say."

    Sometimeter, those who exited the tomb revealed the situation inside the tomb, which greatly surprised everyone there.

    "Regardless of your cultivation¡ª whether you are a Spirit Emperor or a Golden Immortal¡ª your cultivation will be restricted to the ninth-level Spirit King once you enter the tomb, and you are forbidden from leaving the tomb for seven days!"

 Chapter 1370 Entering Han Zexians Tomb

    Chapter 1370 Entering Han Zexian''s Tomb

    ?1370  Entering Han Zexian''s Tomb

    "Our cultivations are restricted to the peak of Spirit King? What about those already below that level?" Someone inquired, as he was only a third-level Spirit King.

    "Then you will simply remain at that level."

    This information caused an uproar.

    "So those below ninth-level Spirit King are at a severe disadvantage?!"

    "What''s the point of restricting our cultivation when those above peak Spirit King are still able to squash everyone else with superior techniques and experience? Aren''t they trying to even the ying field with the limit?"

    "What about the tomb itself? What kind of environment is it?" Someone else asked.

    "The tomb is divided into two sections. The first section of the tomb is trial-based, where those below the ninth-level Spirit King are able to do trials for cultivation resources. These resources are incredibly rare and potent and would allow even a Spirit Lord to reach peak Spirit King in a short time. However, these resources cannot be taken out of the tomb, so you''ll have to use them before leaving."

    Tian Yang''s eyes lit aze with excitement after hearing this information. He couldn''t be any happier to hear that he could quickly raise his cultivation inside the tomb.

    "In the second section, a vast expanse filled with mysteries and powerful magical beasts could be explored freely. The scale of this tomb is unfathomably massive, and it''s not a ce one could fully experience in a few weeks."

    "What do you think?" Ks suddenly asked.

    "I''ll be spending all of my time doing trials until I reach peak Spirit King," he calmly said. "I know I said that I''d explore the tomb with you, but this is not something I can give up, nor is there a point for those below Spirit King to explore any further."

    Ks nodded, "I understand, but worry not, I didn''t intend on going straight to the second section in the first ce. My real purpose of visiting the tomb was to train, and I couldn''t care less about Han Zexian''s legacy."

    "These trials sound fun, so I''ll do some with you."

    Tian Yang nodded.

    Sometimeter, the representative from the Nine Immortal ns announced, "It has been seven days since the tomb opened. Han Zexian''s tomb is officially open to the public now. However, to prevent a cluster, only 1,000 may enter every 15 minutes. Good luck, fellow cultivators."

    The moment he said that, hundreds of people charged into the ground, disappearing from the Deste Continent.

    Since the people in the front went inside first, Tian Yang and Ks still had to wait awhile before it was their turn.

    Several hourster, Tian Yang and Ks jumped into the portal in the ground, entering the tomb.

    The moment they stepped foot into the tomb, Ks immediately felt his cultivation being suppressed by an unfathomable force, lowering it to the peak of Spirit King.

    As for Tian Yang, who was only a Spirit Lord, he didn''t feel anything different, but he had a look of awe on his face.

    "This is¡­ inside a tomb?" Tian Yang swallowed nervously as he stared at the vastnd before him, almost as if he''d entered a different world.

    "Is this your first time exploring a tomb?" Ks asked after seeing his excited face.

    "Of course. But you sound experienced."

    "No, this is also my first time exploring a tomb¡ªa real one, at least."

    "There are fake tombs?"

    "Naturally. Those are much smaller in size and are often traps for cultivators."

    Ks then asked, "Where should we go?"

    "Unless you have a map, we can only pick a direction and hope for the best." Tian Yang shrugged.

    "In other words, leave it to fate, huh?" Ks smiled.

    Tian Yang retrieved his sword and casually tossed it into the sky.N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.

    When itnded a momentter, he said, "Let''s go where the tip of the sword is directed."

    "Sounds fun."

    The two of them proceeded to fly in that direction.

    Several hourster.

    "This ce is truly massive. We''ve traveled for hours, but we''ve encountered nothing but grass." Ks sighed.

    Right as Ks finished his sentence, he noticed something appear on the horizon and continued, "I see something up front!"

    Sometimeter, theynded before the thing that Ks saw.

    There were already hundreds of people there, and they were all sitting silently around a tall altar made of stone.

    "What''s happening here?" Tian Yang mumbled with a pondering face as they approached the stone altar.

    "How can they be so carefree and cultivate out in the open like this? Aren''t they worried about getting attacked?" Ks wondered out loud.

    When they reached within a certain distance of the altar, a voice suddenly rang inside their head, "You have entered the trial''s area. While inside this area, you are forbidden from attacking another challenger. Rebels will be met with a swift death. When you are ready to start the trial, just say it out loud."

    Tian Yang could feel the atmosphere change when he entered the trial area, almost as though he''d been teleported to another ce, but the scenery did not change.

    "Well, that exins why they seem to carefree¡­" Ks shrugged.

    Meanwhile, Tian Yang quickly sat down and closed his eyes.

    After taking a deep breath, he muttered out loud, "Begin trial."

    The very next moment, Tian Yang could feel something enter his consciousness, causing him to fall into a trance-like state.

    When he opened his eyes a momentter, he found himself in an entirely different ce, standing on a small, empty ind while being surrounded by water.

    "An ocean? Did I get teleported, or is this an illusion?" he wondered out loud as he looked around.

    Suddenly, a familiar voice resounded.

    "Defeat your opponent toplete the trial."

    The very next second, Tian Yang noticed something massive emerging from the water in the distance.

    "T-That''s¡­" Tian Yang swallowed nervously when he saw its snake-like figure.

    "A Flying Leviathan?!" he eximed.

    The entity that came out of the water was a Flying Leviathan, and it was soaring towards Tian Yang at a rapid speed.

 Chapter 1371 Golden Ginseng Roots

    Chapter 1371 Golden Ginseng Roots

    ?1371  Golden Ginseng Roots

    "Shit! How am I supposed to defeat a Flying Leviathan at my level?! I''d only be asking for a quick death!" Tian Yang panicked a little when he saw the Flying Leviathan soaring in his direction.

    However, upon closer inspection, he noticed that the Flying Leviathan had the cultivation of a Sixth-level Spirit Lord, being only a single level above his own.

    With that being said, that solitary level represented a significant gap that most people wouldn''t be able to surpass.

    Tian Yang gritted his teeth and muttered to himself, "How are you going to avenge Xiao Li if you cannot even take care of a single Flying Leviathan?!"

    Without waiting for the Flying Leviathan to arrive, Tian Yang tightly held onto his sword and flew towards the monster on his own ord with a fierce expression on his face, evening releasing a battle cry right before confronting the sea demon.

    The Flying Leviathan had an immenselyrge figurepared to him, just a single scale on its body was enough to cover Tian Yang''s entire figure. Moreover, it was extremely swift and agile with its movements.

    Fortunately, its attacks were quite simple, as it only knew how to swing its tail and charge at him in a straight line. With that being said, Tian Yang still struggled to dodge its attacks and nearly got hit several times.

    Every time he narrowly dodged its attack, Tian Yang would counterattack, sliding his de across the Flying Leviathan''s body. However, due to the thick scales protecting its body, Tian Yang could only leave behind superficial scratches on its body.

    ''I don''t need to kill it in several strikes! Not that I am even capable of such a feat with my pathetic strength. Instead, I will bleed it to death!''

    With his n solidified inside his mind, Tian Yang would spend the next several hours dancing in the sky with the Flying Levithan, slowly leaving behind cuts that were just deep enough to make it bleed.

    As time passed, he became more adept at dodging the Flying Leviathan''s attacks with increased ease, allowing him to focus more on managing his spiritual energy usage so that he doesn''t exhaust himself before the Flying Leviathan is dead.

    However, he got a little toofortable when he saw how the Flying Leviathan''s body was soaked in its own blood, and he failed to dodge one of its attacks.

    When struck by the Flying Leviathan''s tail, Tian Yang felt as though an entire mountain had been hurled at him, propelling him into the distance.

    "Shit!"

    Tian Yang coughed up a mouthful of blood right before he smacked into the ocean, creating a powerful wave that spread in all directions.

    He could tell that his entire left arm was broken, as well as the left side of his ribs.

    ''I need to get out of the water!''

    He could see the Flying Leviathan charging at him with its mouth wide open.

    After emerging from the water, Tian Yang reached for his spatial ring, only to realize at that moment that it had disappeared from his finger.

    ''Did I drop it?!''

    Forced to use his own spiritual energy to recover from his injuries, Tian Yang stopped attacking and consumed half of his remaining spiritual energy to recover just enough to make the pain endurable.

    "Die already, you damn fish!" Tian Yang roared as he relentlessly swung his sword at the Flying Leviathan like a madman despite the agonizing pain in his body with each swing.

    After another hour of struggle, the Flying Leviathan finally closed its eyes and fell from the sky.

    ''Fuck¡­ I feel like dying as well¡­''

    Just as he was on the verge of losing consciousness, Tian Yang suddenly felt a burst of energy flow into his body, causing his cultivation to immediately breakthrough to the sixth level Spirit Lord.

    ''What an amazing feeling¡­''

    Tian Yang thought to himself as he opened his eyes.

    ''Huh? I am back at the altar?''

    When he opened his eyes, he could see the stone altar in front of him, as well as the other cultivators.

    <You have cleared the trial>Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    A familiar voice resounded in his head, and an object materialized out of thin air andnded on hisp the following moment.

    ''T-This is¡ª!''

    He couldn''t believe what was sitting on hisp.

    ''Golden Ginseng Roots! I have only read about these in scrolls!''

    The Golden Ginseng Roots could not only cleanse his body of impurities, it also contained arge amount of spiritual energy.

    He looked around to see if anyone saw the treasure. Seeing that everyone had their eyes closed, seemingly in their own trial, Tian Yang immediately tossed the Golden Ginseng Roots into his mouth and began chewing.

    Every time he chewed on the roots, an outburst of rich spiritual energy would surge from the medicine. Moreover, it cleansed arge amount of impurities from his body.

    After consuming the treasure, Tian Yang closed his eyes and began cultivating.

    His cultivation that had just reached the sixth level Spirit Lord began to soar again, quickly approaching the seventh level, then the eight level, only stopping once he was on the verge of entering the ninth level.

    Tian Yang opened his eyes with a look of disbelief on his face. He''s never experienced anything remotely close to what he''d just experienced. None of the treasures he''d purchased or found before couldpare to the Golden Ginseng Roots.

    ''Han Zexian''s Tomb¡­ What an amazing ce! I definitely won''t leave until I reach peak Spirit King!''

    He turned to look at Ks, who was sitting beside him.

    ''Now that I think about it, how long did it take me to finish the trial?'' he wondered.

    Suddenly, someone nearby copsed on the ground with blood flowing from his eyes and nose.

    ''What the hell just happened?''

    Startled, Tian Yang stared at the person who''d just copsed.

    ''I don''t sense any heartbeat! He''s dead!''

    Then, the corpse began disintegrating, quickly disappearing into thin air.

    ''What the¡­? Where did the corpse go¡­?'' Tian Yang was left speechless by what he''d just witnessed.

 Chapter 1372 Four Types of Trials

    Chapter 1372 Four Types of Trials

    ?1372  Four Types of Trials

    About an hour after Tian Yang finished his trial, Ks opened his eyes, and a treasure materialized on hisp a momentter.

    "You finished already?" Ks looked at Tian Yang with a surprised look on his face.

    He started the trial about ten minutes after Tian Yang did, yet he''d somehow finishedter.

    "Yes," Tian Yang nodded, ncing at Ks with a calm expression.

    "How long ago?"

    "About an hour, I guess."

    "Impressive¡­ And what kind of trial did you undergo?" Ks continued asking.

    "I had to fight a Flying Leviathan."

    "Hm¡­ so not everyone receives the same trial. How interesting¡­"

    Suddenly, another person there abruptly coughed up a mouthful of blood before copsing on the ground, startling Ks.

    "What the?"

    Tian Yang calmly looked at the person who''d just copsed and said, "He died."

    "What?" Ks looked at him with wide eyes.

    "I''ve seen this happen several times since I finished my trial. My guess is that those who die during their trial will die with their real body as well," he said.

    "That''s quite cruel¡­ but considering how precious the rewards are, I''m not too surprised."

    Ks muttered as he watched the body disappear into thin air.

    "I don''t know why that happens." Tian Yang said, referring to the disappearing body.

    "It was probably absorbed by the tomb as nourishment," said Ks.

    "Nourishment? You make it sound as if the tomb is alive."

    "Sort of. While it''s not actually alive, it still requires a massive amount of spiritual energy to operate, so it''ll take whatever it can get." Ks hypothesized.

    "Anyways¡­ here you go."

    Ks suddenly extended his hands toward Tian Yang.

    "W-What are you doing?" Tian Yang looked at him with wide eyes, seemingly in disbelief.

    "What does it look like? I''m giving you my treasure since I don''t need it."

    "You can''t be serious." Tian Yang refused to believe that someone as generous as Ks existed in their world.

    "Even if it won''t affect your cultivation, it will improve other areas."

    Ks shrugged, "I know my body better than anyone. Even if I consume a hundred of these, it won''t affect me. And since I cannot bring these treasures out of the tomb, I might as well give them to you to speed up your cultivation."

    "In that case¡­ thank you¡­" Tian Yang eventually epted the treasure, feeling a little apprehensive. Ks was being so generous that it was actually suspicious.

    After all, Tian Yang was used to having things taken away from him more than receiving them.

    "Go ahead and eat it. I''ll watch over you just in case," Ks said a momentter.

    "Okay."

    Tian Yang sat in the lotus position again and stared at the treasure in his grasp for a moment, feeling as though he was in a dream.

    The treasure Ks received from his trial was different from his Golden Ginseng Roots. It was a valuable treasure known as the Red Dragon''s Muscle, a potent medicine for boosting one''s muscles and overall physique. Of course, it wasn''t any less valuable than the Golden Ginseng Roots.Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    After consuming the Red Dragon''s Muscle, Tian Yang could immediately feel his muscles squirming around inside his body, almost as though they gained their own consciousness.

    He could feel his muscles expanding and contrasting constantly, as if someone was massaging it. The experience was painful at first, but it gradually became morefortable.

    Soon, his cultivation began to soar once again, entering ninth-

    level Spirit Lord in the blink of an eye.

    Sometimeter, Tian Yang opened his eyes and stood up, feeling the prowess of a first-level Spirit King coursing through his entire being.

    ''It hasn''t even been a day since we entered the tomb and I''ve gone from the fifth-level Spirit Lord to first-level Spirit King. This speed of progress is unfathomable for someone as talentless as me¡­''

    He looked at the clear sky and sighed in a low voice, "Han Zexian, huh? I''ll worship you until the day I die for giving me this opportunity."

    "Shall we continue to the next trial?" Tian Yang looked at Ks, who nodded with an excited smile.

    They left the stone altar shortly after and began wandering the tomb.

    Several thousands of miles and many hourster, they arrived before another altar. However, the altar had a different appearancepared to the previous altar. Instead of stone, it appeared to be made out of silver. Moreover, there were far less people taking the trial.

    As they approached the altar, someone standing outside the trial zone said to them, "I hope you know what you''re getting yourself into."

    Tian Yang halted his steps and looked at the middle-aged woman with a puzzled expression.

    "Judging by your reaction, is this your first trial?" she asked.

    "No, this would be our second."

    "Then in case you didn''t know, not all trials in the tomb are equal. Some are much harder than others."

    Tian Yang looked at the altar and asked, "Does it have anything to do with the altar''s appearance?"

    "Correct. There are four types of altars. Starting from the easiest trials, stone altar, silver altar, gold altar, and jade altar. Naturally, the more difficult the trial, the better the rewards. With that being said, about 70 percent of the people that took this trial have died thus far."

    "70 percent casualty rate¡­" Tian Yang swallowed nervously.

    He wasn''t sure about the casualty rate for the stone altar, but he''d witnessed sixteen people die in just a few minutes.

    "Thank you for the information."

    After thanking the woman, Tian Yang entered the zone and sat before the altar without the slightest hesitation on his face. Ks followed him shortly after with a slight smile.

    The woman stared at them with wide eyes.

    "Young and foolish... what a pity..."

    Without saying anything else, she continued waiting outside the zone, seemingly waiting for someone or something.

    After mentally preparing himself and taking a deep breath, Tian Yang closed his eyes and muttered, "Begin trial."

 Chapter 1373 Fish Pond

    Chapter 1373 Fish Pond

    ?1373  Fish Pond

    Tian Yang opened his eyes a moment after he began the trial, finding himself surrounded by trees, and there was arge pond beside him.

    "This is¡­" He didn''t immediately recognize his location, but once he did, his eyes widened with surprise.

    "This is the fish pond located near my vige! The vigerse here often to fish! But why is the trial taking ce here?"

    The vige was his hometown and where he spent most of his life until he became a disciple of the Immortal Monastery. It took him a moment to recognize the ce not because it''d been a long time since he went there, but because it was a ce filled with bad memories¡ªa ce he wanted to forget about.

    Suddenly, Tian Yang sensed a presence appear above him, causing him to look at the sky.

    His eyes widened with shock after seeing the individual hovering above the pond.

    Once he snapped out of his daze, Tian Yang''s eyes flickered with anger and killing intent.

    "I don''t know why you are part of the trial, but I wee it!" Tian Yang could hardly control his emotions after seeing the face of the cultivator who killed his mother and sister for the first time since the incident.

    When he was little, he would often visit the fish pond with his mother and sister. On one of these trips, they encountered two cultivators, both of them engaged in a fierce fight. Tian Yang and his family immediately ran away, but s, they were unable to outrun the techniques the cultivators were throwing at each other.

    Tian Yang''s mother and sister were instantly blown up by one of these techniques. As for Tian Yang, he''d somehow managed to survive, but he was badly injured.

    "Defeat your opponent." The trial''s voice resounded.

    Tian Yang grinned, "I don''t know your names, but I have imprinted your faces onto my soul. When I find you bastards, I will make you experience the feeling of losing your family, just like you''d made me suffer!"

    One of the cultivators was a middle-aged man with long red hair and red eyes while the other was an old man with long white hair and a short beard.

    The opponent before him was the cultivator with white hair. Tian Yang didn''t even bother to look at his opponent''s cultivation before charging at him.

    The old man didn''t even bat an eyelid and blocked Tian Yang''s strike with seemingly little to no effort at all.

    Tian Yang didn''t care in the slightest and continued to swing his arm relentlessly.

    Despite being adopted, his mother loved him unconditionally, and his sister treated him as though they were real brothers and sisters. Although he was only able to live with them for a few short years, they were everything to him during that time.

    "Because of you, they are dead!" Tian Yang''s aura burned with rage as he unleashed the anger he''d been carrying since then.

    He became a cultivator solely because he wanted to avenge his family. He endured all the hardship and suffering for so many years just so he could one day pierce the hearts of his family''s murderers.

    "Aaaaaaahhh!"

    Tian Yang''s anger burned with a different intensitypared to the pain he felt from losing Huang Xiao Li, and it propelled his prowess to heights that he''d never seen before.

    Unfortunately, he was too blinded by the anger to see it, and before he realized it, his opponent was kneeling on the ground beside the pond.

    Although it seemed like the old man had the advantage at first, he was unable to keep up with Tian Yang, who only grew fiercer with each passing moment.

    ''Is this it¡­?'' Tian Yang calmly stared at the old man before him, feeling no sense of pride or aplishment despite defeating the person who killed his family.

    "In the end, you are nothing but a fake. Until I find the real you and kill you, I will never truly be at peace."

    Tian Yang''s expression became even more determined than the time when he first vowed to be a cultivator to avenge his family.

    Whoosh!

    With one more arm flick, Tian Yang severed the old man''s head,pleting the trial.

    <You have cleared the trial>

    Tian Yang immediately sensed a surge of spiritual energy flowing from the old man''s corpse into his body, propelling his cultivation to second-level Spirit King.

    Even though the difficulty of this trial was much more difficult than hisst, he was barely injured the entire fight, even clearing the trial much faster.

    Moreover, as his mind began to clear up, he could sense a certain connection with his sword.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    ''This sensation¡­ Did I somehow manage to grasp the understanding of Sword Aura during the trial?'' he wondered to himself.

    ''What nonsense am I thinking? There''s no way I wouldprehend Sword Aura with my level of talents.''

    But he quickly disregarded that idea. After all, Sword Aura was a rtively new discovery during his era and not something that could be grasped by a talentless Spirit King like him. Even peak geniuses with the sword require hundreds if not thousands of years of rigorous training to begin understanding Sword Aura, much less learn it.

    Once Tian Yang returned to the tomb, another treasure appeared before him.

    ''T-This is a Divine Unity Elixir! A single drop of this could improve one''s talent and level ofprehension! And I have a whole bottle of it in my hands! This treasure is ten times more valuable than the Golden Ginseng Roots!'' Tian Yang couldn''t believe his eyes.

    He''d only gone up a single level of difficulty, yet the reward was 10 times more valuable.

    Without any hesitation, Tian Yang chugged the entire bottle of Divine Unity Elixir.

    Although his cultivation did not increase, he could feel something changing within his body¡ªfundamentally.

    When he opened his eyes several hourster, Tian Yang felt as though he''d just experienced rebirth.

    ''I can do it! If I survive this ce, I will be able to avenge my family! No¡­ I will survive!'' Tian Yang''s eyes flickered with unfathomable determination.

 Chapter 1374 Kulas Background

    1374  Ks'' Background

    "Your aura feels quite different now." Ks'' voice resounded shortly after Tian Yang emerged from his cultivation.

    Tian Yang turned to look at Ks, who was sitting beside him.

    "How long have I been cultivating?" he asked.

    "I''m not sure since you started before Ipleted the trial, but I only waited 2 hours." Ks shrugged.

    "Here you go." Ks didn''t even bother offering his treasure and directly tossed it at Tian Yang, treating it as though it was trash.

    Seeing the treasure being tossed gave Tian Yang a scare.

    "What are you doing to such a precious treasure?! Are you insane?!" he hastily caught the treasure.

    Ks merely chuckled at his reaction.

    "I''ll count properly this time," he then said.

    "Thanks."

    Tian Yang quickly consumed the treasure, and his cultivation soared to third-level Spirit King.

    "That only took you 6 hours," Ks said sometimeter.

    "I cannot get enough of this feeling" Tian Yang mumbled as he stared at his palms, his entire being surging with spiritual energy.

    "Onto the next trial?" Ks asked.

    "Of course."

    They left the ce shortly after and began searching for the next trial.

    Over the next several months, Tian Yang and Ks would go from trial to trial without rest.

    In the span of eight months, Tian Yang had managed to clear a dozen trials, 8 of them being stone altars and 3 of them being silver altars. Thetest trial he cleared was a gold altar, which nearly took his life.

    Every single trial had something to do with his past. Eventually, Tian Yang realized that the trials were all making him fight against his heart demon, something that had traumatized him to a certain extent.

    Every time he cleared a trial, Tian Yang noticed that his shoulders would feel a little lighter, almost as though an invisible weight were being lifted.

    Not only did these trials boost his cultivation, but they also cleared his mind and eased his heart demons.

    Tian Yang''s cultivation soared all the way to eighth-level Spirit King afterpleting the gold altar''s trial.

    "You''re only a level away from the peak of Spirit King." Ks smiled.

    Tian Yang nodded, "Once I reach ninth-level Spirit King, we will be able to explore the rest of the tomb."

    Due to how massive the tomb was, finding the trials was a challenge itself. Furthermore, since nobody had a map, they were forced to wander randomly until they found a trial. The longest it took them to find one trial was almost an entire month.

    As Tian Yang and Ks traveled, Tian Yang suddenly asked, "I''ve been wondering for a while now, but what kind of background do youe from? Since you''re willing to give up so many treasures that normal people would kill for, it''s safe to assume that youe from a wealthy family, right?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "You''re asking me that now?"

    Ks had a slight smile on his face.

    Even though they''ve traveled together for almost a year now, neither of them tried to ask the other any personal questions.

    lightsvl m "You don''t have to answer if you don''t want to."

    Ks pondered for a moment and said, "I''ll tell you if you tell me about your background first."

    Tian Yang casually nodded without any hesitation, "I was abandoned shortly after birth, so I don''t know my birth parents. I was adopted by a single mother who already had a daughter who was a year younger than me. We resided in a small vige. My family died when I turned eight, and I have been living alone since then. I joined the Immortal Monastery when I turned 16, and that''s where I have been ever since."

    "You grew up in a vige? I didn''t expect that." Ks looked at him with a surprised face.

    "Where did you think I was from?" Tian Yang raised an eyebrow.

    "Not sure, but definitely not a vige. Perhaps a hardworking family in some city? You don''t look like someone who grew up in a vige."

    "I''ll take that as apliment" Tian Yang shook his head. "Now tell me about your background."

    "Alright" Ks nodded.

    ''What''s with the serious expression?'' Tian Yang wondered to himself when he noticed Ks'' change in expression.

    "To bepletely honest with you, I came from"

    Right as Ks opened his mouth, he was interrupted by a voice that Tian Yang did not recognize.

    "Look at what we have here! If it isn''t Ks!"

    Tian Yang and Ks halted their movements and turned to look in the direction of the voice.

    Not far away, a group of five individuals were slowly approaching them.

    Tian Yang did not recognize their faces, but he immediately recognized the uniforms they were wearing.

    ''They belong to the Immortal ns!'' Tian Yang gritted his teeth as he quickly tried to control his emotions.

    Even though it had almost been a year since he encountered the Immortal ns, he immediately recognized their uniform.eastern fantasy

    "What do you guys want?" Ks asked them with a slight frown on his face.

    "Nothing, really. But I''m curious. Shouldn''t you be in the second section? What are you doing here in the first section with some nobody?" The person leading the group asked as he nced at Tian Yang.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    "I am merely apanying a friend, but I don''t see how that is any of your business," Ks responded with a cold expression, something Tian Yang was not used to seeing. In fact, this was Tian Yang''s first time seeing Ks acting so seriously.

    "A friend? You and this nobody? Are you serious?" The group of five turned to look at Tian Yang with widened eyes, seemingly filled with disbelief.

    "Watch your mouth, Gu Lim. I will not let you badmouth my friend in my presence." Ks narrowed his eyes.

    The person in the front, Gu Lim,ughed out loud, "That serious Ks actually befriended a talentless trash that''s not even a Spirit Emperor?! That''s hrious! I wonder how the others will react once they learn of this shocking news!"

 Chapter 1375 Kulas Background(2)

    1375  Ks'' Background(2)

    "How dare you!" Ks'' aura suddenly exploded when Gu Lim called Tian Yang a talentless trash, his gaze filled with killing intent.

    "Are you sure you want to fight the five of us by yourself over trash like that? In case you forgot, we''re all limited to peak Spirit King. Even you wouldn''t be able to defeat us with such a restriction." Gu Lim spoke with an arrogant grin on his face.

    "We won''t know until"

    Tian Yang interrupted Ks by cing a hand on his shoulder.

    "It''s fine," he shook his head.

    "But they"

    lightsvel "They''re not wrong. I am talentless, so there''s no need to fight over it."

    "Ahaha! At least this trash knows his ce!" The groupughed out loud.

    Ks could feel Tian Yang''s grip on his shoulder strengthen.

    Seeing this, Ks closed his eyes and took a deep breath, easing his anger.

    "Are you finished? If so, we''ll be leaving now." Ks said a momentter.

    "What''s the rush? Since we haven''t seen each other for so long, why don''t we chat a little longer?" Gu Lim said.

    "I have nothing to say to you. If you have so much free time, why don''t you spend it looking for Han Zexian''s legacy instead of wasting it here?" Ks sneered.

    "Han Zexian''s legacy? We''ve been looking for eight months straight without any result, so we''re taking a small break for the time being. What about you? What have you been doing for the past several months?"

    "Seeing how he''s in the first section, he''s probably doing trials. What a waste of time."

    "Right? It''s not like the rewards will even benefit him."

    "Hey, didn''t we just pass a jade altar? Why don''t you try it, Ks? I heard it''s the hardest trial avable in this ce."

    Tian Yang''s eyes flickered with a profound light after hearing this information.

    ''The trial within the gold altar nearly killed me, but its reward was tremendously beneficial. If I canplete a jade altar''s trial''

    Ks turned to look at Tian Yang, and when he saw the look on Tian Yang''s face, he immediately smiled and said, "Sure."

    "Seriously? You''re going to do the trial?" The group didn''t think Ks would actually agree to it.

    "Nobody has ever passed the trial even though tens of thousands have attempted during thest eight months."

    "You''re just going to walk into your own graveeven if you are the genius of the Immortal Might n."N?velDrama.Org (C) content.

    "Immortal Might n?" Tian Yang raised an eyebrow.

    Although he suspected that Ks belonged to a powerful family from the beginning, he didn''t think that it was part of the Immortal ns.

    Ks looked at Tian Yang with an apologetic smile and spoke with divine sense, ''Sorry, I didn''t mean to keep it from you. After learning of your situation, I just couldn''t bring myself to tell you that I was from the Immortal ns.

    Tian Yang shook his head and said, ''If I never asked you about your background, you had no reason to tell me, so there''s no need to apologize. And it''s not as though I have a grudge against everyone from the Immortal nsonly those responsible for the confinement.''

    ''I see thank you''<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "I didn''t know you cared about my life," Ks said to the group a momentter.

    "Cocky bastard, let''s see if you''ll survive the trial." Gu Lim sneered.

    Tian Yang and Ks followed Gu Lim and his group to the jade altar, which was only an hour away from their location.

    Upon arriving at their destination, Tian Yang could see three people sitting around an altar made of jade with several hundred spectators.

    ''There are more spectators than there are challengers'' This was Tian Yang''s first time seeing such a sight after witnessing a dozen different trials.

    By the time Tian Yang and the othersnded around the altar, one of the three challengers suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood before copsing on the ground.

    Nobody there expressed any surprise and continued to spectate the other two in silence.

    Tian Yang looked at Ks and said, "You don''t have to do this with me."eastern fantasy

    "Are you saying that because you don''t want me to die with you, or you think you can pass it but I can''t?" Ks asked with a slight frown.

    "You have no reason to risk your life for this trial."

    "What about the previous trials we''ve done together?"

    "This one is different. Nobody has everpleted it." Tian Yang shook his head.

    "Then why are you taking the trial? You can reach peak Spirit King if you just continue to do easier trials."

    Tian Yang looked at the jade altar and sighed, "My talent may have improved a lot since I started doing the trial, but it is still insignificant whenpared to the majority of people out there. I won''t be able to achieve my dreams if I continue going the easy route."

    "If I don''t survive this trial, I am simply not fated for anything else."

    "You''re going to partake in the trial? A talentless trash like you? You won''t evenst a minute!" Gu Lim and his group were in disbelief after learning this information.

    Tian Yang smiled at the group and said, "Would you like to bet on that?"

    "That would be pointless since you''ll die if I win. What can I possibly get out of a corpse?" Gu Lim sneered.

    "How about I make the bet then?" Ks suddenly said.

    "Now that''s more like it." Gu Lim smiled.

    "What shall we bet on? Whether he lives or dies?"

    Ks nodded, "I will bet on him surviving the trial."

    "What are the stakes?" Gu Lim then asked.

    Ks pondered for a moment before speaking, "I''ll bet my Ancestral Gauntlet."

    Gu Lim''s expression froze after hearing Ks'' words, and the people behind him looked dumbstruck.

    "A-Are you serious? You''re willing to bet on your favorite weapon for this talentless trash?" Gu Lim held a serious expression as he asked for confirmation.

    "Don''t look down on my friend. You call him talentless, but there are many kinds of talents in this world, and his talent to survive is the best I''ve ever seen." Ks nodded with a confident smile on his face.

 Chapter 1376 Jade Altar

    1376  Jade Altar

    "Since I am betting my Ancestral Gaunlet, you should put something of simr value on the line. If you don''t have anything like that, the five of you can work together to cover the difference." Ks said to Gu Lim, who was gritting his teeth in anger.

    Gu Lim was not angry because Ks was betting on Tian Yang''s survival. He was frustrated because he had nothing close to the value of Ks'' Ancestral Gauntlet.

    He turned to look at his four buddies and said, "Let''s do it. There''s no way that talentless trash will survive the jade trial, so this will be an easy win for usit''s essentially free money."

    The four quickly nodded, agreeing to pool together their resources for the bet. None of them believed that Tian Yang could survive the jade altar''s trial, so there was no hesitation in their decision.

    Eventually, they gathered a small mountain of treasures for the bet.

    Tian Yang''s eyes widened with shock after seeing the difference. Ks only had one itema pair of gauntlets. However, Gu Lim and his group had at least 20 different treasures.

    ''Just how valuable is that gauntlet? And he''s willing to bet it on me?'' Tian Yang swallowed nervously.

    Fortunately for him, he wouldn''t have to worry about the aftermath if he were to lose the trial, as he would be dead. However, he was still pressured by the knowledge that his death would lead to Ks losing his precious treasure.

    lightsnvl "Hey do you really have to bet on such a valuable treasure?" Tian Yang asked Ks with a stiff look on his face.

    Ks responded with a smile, "The value of the treasure is how much trust I have in youin your talent."

    Tian Yang clenched his fists after hearing Ks'' words. He''s never had anyone put so much faith in him before, much less someone with a status as profound as Ks.

    ''If I had a sworn brother, is this what it would feel like?'' Tian Yang wondered to himself.

    "Hey, trash bastard, what are you waiting for? Hurry up and die in the trial already." Gu Lim suddenly red at Tian Yang with clear disdain.

    Ks narrowed his eyes, and he responded instead, "One more thing. If he survives the trial, you will take back all the bullshit you spewed and show some respect to my friend."

    "Hahaha! If he survives, not only will I respect him, I will kowtow before him and call him my grandfather for the rest of my life!" Gu Limughed so viciously that his eyes became teary.

    Hearing this, Ks turned to look at Tian Yang and nodded with a serious expression, "Good luck, friend."

    Tian Yang nodded with a slight smile, "I will see you in a bit."

    Without hesitation, Tian Yang walked towards the jade altar, where only one challenger remained by the time he reached it.

    "Huh? Is he really going to challenge the trial with that level of cultivation base?"

    "There are better ways to court death"

    "Who even is this guy? I recognized all the people that have challenged the trial, but I don''t know him."

    "I saw him talking with some people from the Immortal ns just now. Perhaps he''s from there?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    The spectators were in disbelief when they saw Tian Yang entering the trial area, especially after seeing his cultivation that was only at the eighth-level Spirit King.

    "Whoever imed that he''s from the Immortal ns, take that back right this instance! How could such talentless trashe from the Immortal ns? Are you mocking the Immortal ns?!" Gu Lim suddenly spoke loudly, alerting all of the spectators.

    "He''s not from the Immortal ns? Then he must be a nobody."

    "His arrogance is too much for a nobody."

    "How dare he even approach the jade altar? Does he think he''s better than everyone who''se before him?"

    Hearing so many people badmouth Tian Yang, Ks lost his control and roared, "The next person to badmouth my friend will die by my hands!"

    The spectators were startled by Ks'' killing intent, and when they recognized his identity, they immediately stopped talking out loud.

    ''Holy shit Isn''t that Young Master Ks from the Immortal Might n? Did he just call that man his friend?''

    ''Ks he''s known for being a brutal and cold person. That man must be very impressive to be such a person''s friend''

    Tian Yang had just closed his eyes when he heard Ks'' loud voice.

    He smiled inwardly, ''Thank you my friend.''

    "Begin trial," he muttered the following moment.

    As Tian Yang began his trial, Gu Lim turned to look at Ks and asked with a serious expression, "I seriously don''t get it. Why did you befriend someone like him? He''s just a nobody."

    Ks looked at him and responded in a calm voice, "If you''d been there when I first met him, you would feel nothing but respect and admiration for him."

    "Have you ever seen someone desperately hold onto their life? I havemany times. However, none of them were able to move me the same way he did."

    "Have you ever experienced a life-or-death situation? I have

    dozens of times. However,pared to what he''s experienced, my experience might as well be a drop in the ocean."

    "He''s someone who lives at the border between life and deatheastern fantasy

    an existence that should''ve long perished with his level of talent. Despite that, he''s managed to survive. How does he do it? I want to know. And how can I not respect someone like that? Compared to you bastards who unt their talents at every step, he''s unfathomably more interesting."N?velDrama.Org (C) content.

    Gu Lim and his friends were at a loss for words after hearing Ks speak about Tian Yang. They''ve known Ks for nearly most of their lives, but they have never seen him acting in such a manner before, much less praise someone.

    Ks stopped looking at Gu Lim and quickly nced at the crowd before sneering in disdain, "Even I don''t have the qualifications to mock him, much less these cowardly bastards here!"

 Chapter 1377 Jade Altar(2)

    1377  Jade Altar(2)

    When Tian Yang opened his eyes, he found himself surrounded by trees.

    Although he didn''t immediately recognize his location, his face still made a deep frown, almost as if he subconsciously knew.

    "This ce is"

    Just as Tian Yang realized his location, he sensed over a hundred presence with immense killing intent suddenly appearing around him, sending shivers down his entire being.

    Before he could even react, a dozen figures wearing rough clothes jumped out of thin air and swung their weapons at him.

    Tian Yang had started moving even before the figures appeared, allowing him to dodge their attacks.Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    After distancing himself from them, Tian Yang took a brief moment to look at these figures'' faces, and sure enough, he immediately recognized them to be the Gold and Money Bandits.

    "I knew I would eventually have to face this heart demon of mine in one of these trials" Tian Yang sighed.

    Even though he''d mentally prepared himself for months, he was already on the verge of being consumed by rage.

    The only thing that kept him from charging at these bandits was because of their cultivation bases. All of the bandits had a peak Spirit King cultivation base, including those hiding out of sight.

    After consuming many valuable treasures, Tian Yang''s talent increased tremendouslyto the point where he could fight several ordinary peak Spirit Kings as an eighth-level Spirit King simultaneously. However, there were a hundred peak Spirit Kings that surrounded him.

    Tian Yang took a deep breath and calmed himself.

    The following moment, the bandits charged at him with their daggers and sabers raised, their expressions oozing with bloodlust.

    Tian Yang gritted his teeth and tried his best to block the iing attacks.

    He would sessfully block several but also miss a few. Every time he confronted the bandits, a few more cuts would appear on his body.

    Fortunately, none of the attacks that connected were life-

    threatening and were only shallow wounds. Unfortunately, Tian Yang couldn''t keep up with the relentless assault and it was only a matter of time before one of the banditsnded a critical hit on him.

    Realizing this, Tian Yang focused on fighting his heart demon instead.eastern fantasy

    After doing so many trials, he noticed a certain thing with these trials. Since these trials tested their heart demons, the trials would get easier if the challenger weakened their heart demon during the trial.

    However, to defeat one''s heart demon was much easier said than done.

    Even before this trial, Tian Yang had been fighting this specific heart demon for months, but s, he simply couldn''t fight the guilt of losing Huang Xiao Li.

    "If only I had been stronger"

    "If only"

    His voice resounded inside his head, almost as if he was whispering to himself.

    Tian Yang gritted his teeth and roared, "Shut the fuck up!"

    His eyes flickered profoundly, and he continued, "I am no longer talentless!"

    An immense aura suddenly surged from his body.

    "I will survive this damn trial and avenge Huang Xiao Li! I will survive and avenge my parents! I will survive and seek justice for Meng Lili! I WILL SURVIVE!"<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Tian Yang stopped being defensive and started looking for opportunities to attack.

    Since he was already having trouble defending against so many opponents at once, it would be even more difficult to attack without leaving himself wide open. Thus, he needed to make every strike count.

    Unless he was certain that his attack wouldnd and kill his target, Tian Yang continued to defend and avoid.

    Eventually, he noticed an opening. Without hesitation, he went for the kill.

    Sha!

    His sword flickered, sending one of the bandits'' heads into the sky. However, immediately after killing one of the bandits, six of them attacked him from different angles.

    Tian Yang knew that he wouldn''t be able to dodge all of them, so he blocked the life-threatening strikes and allowed the less-threatening to go through.

    However, shortly after Tian Yang killed the first bandit, another one would jump out of the treelines to join the fight.

    Tian Yang gritted his teeth and continued fighting.

    An hourter, Tian Yang killed twenty bandits, but his condition was worse than ever. His body was riddled with holes and deep cuts, and his entire body was dripping with blood.

    At this rate, he would perish before killing even half of the bandits there.

    However, unbeknownst to Tian Yang, he was slowly defeating his heart demon.

    After another hour, right as Tian Yang killed his 50th bandit, one of the bandits plunged his dagger into his back.

    Enduring the reverberating agony coursing through his entire being, Tian Yang clenched his teeth with unwavering determination and continued fighting.

    One would expect Tian Yang to slow down as his body continued to weaken, but his movements and attacks only grew fiercer as time passed.

    One two five ten twenty

    It only took Tian Yang half an hour to ughter 20 bandits this time.

    Meanwhile, at the jade altar, Tian Yang''s real body suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood.

    Ks clenched his fists after seeing this.

    "Hahaha! We won the bet!" Gu Lim started celebrating after seeing this.

    "Shut up! He''s not dead yet!" Ks eximed.

    Sure enough, Tian Yang merely coughed up blood and didn''t copse.

    Gu Lim sneered, "So what? It''s only a matter of time before he dies."

    lightsvl m And he continued, "Though, I will give him some credit forsting longer than the other challengers."

    Most challengers would perish a few minutes after starting the trial, yet Tian Yang had managed to survive three hours and counting.

    In fact, Gu Lim and his group were getting nervous because they had expected Tian Yang to die within a minute of starting his trial.

    Of course, all of that anxiety disappeared when they saw Tian Yang cough up blood, which was a sign that he was at his limit and on the verge of death.

    ''You can do it!'' Ks stared at Tian Yang''s figure with a profound expression.

 Chapter 1378 Gods Fruit

    1378  God''s Fruit

    "Haaaa haaaa"

    Tian Yang gasped for air as he fell to his knee after his 99th bandit, his body soaked in blood. There were three daggers stabbed into his back and a sword skewering his right leg. Moreover, his entire left arm has been missing since it was severed half an hour ago.

    Of the countless life-or-death situations he had faced, this trial marked his closest brush with death yet, and he still had one opponent left to fight.

    Tian Yang stared at his final opponent with one eye closed, his gaze filled with anger and hatred.

    Thest bandit that stood between him and victory was the leader of the Gold and Money Bandits.

    "You" Tian Yang gritted his teeth and pulled out the sword stuck in his leg, enduring the pain.

    "I will kill you!"

    Even though his opponent was only a peak Spirit King, Tian Yang was already on the verge of exhausting what little spiritual energy he had left.

    However, almost as though the heavens finally acknowledged Tian Yang''s struggles and decided to bless him for the first time in his lifetime, his eighth-level Spirit King cultivation that was already a hair''s width away from breakthrough suddenly entered the ninth-level Spirit King.

    His exhausted spiritual energy replenished a decent amount, allowing him to recover some of his injuries with enough to spare for the fight.

    "Haaaaaaa!" Tian Yang released a war cry before charging at the bandit leader.Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    Immense killing intent spewed out of Tian Yang''s eyes as he swung at his opponent relentlessly.

    After spending several hours physically fighting his heart demon, he arrived at the point where it hardly affected him any longer.

    The bandit leader was only a little stronger than the other bandits, but it was more than doable for Tian Yang, who had a slight upgrade.

    Tian Yang did not immediately kill the bandit leader and decided to slowly kill him instead.

    He knew that the bandit leader wasn''t real, so it was purely to release built-up stress.

    He severed the bandit leader''s limbs one by one starting with the arms before moving to the legs. When the bandit leader could no longer move, let alone stand, Tian Yang covered his body with superficial cuts, almost as though he was trying to bleed the bandit leader to death.

    By the time Tian Yang was done, there was not an area on the bandit leader''s body and face where it did not have a sword cut.

    <You have cleared the trial>

    The voice returned when the bandit leader finally perished.eastern fantasy

    "Ah I really did it" Tian Yang rested his eyes.

    When he opened them again, the view of shocked spectators appeared before his eyes. All of them had either wide eyes or wide mouthsor both.

    "You have acquired the qualifications to seek my legacy." A familiar voice that only Tian Yang could hear entered his head, followed by information about the legacy''s location.

    However, Tian Yang couldn''t care less about the legacy, as he was focused on the treasure that appeared before him for clearing the jade altar''s trial.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Unbelievably, it was God''s Fruit, also known as the god of all cultivation medicine. It was an exceedingly rare and valuable treasure that couldpletely reconstruct a person''s innate talent to make it as high as possible. It was a heaven-defying and godlike medicine that had only appeared in the world once before since the beginning of time.

    However, even though God''s Fruit could boost one''s talent to its maximum potential, everyone has a different limit. For example, Tian Yang was born with no talents and could only reach the peak of Spirit Lord. However, after consuming God''s Fruit and unlocking his maximum innate talent, it allowed him to reach the ninth level of Spirit King.

    Meanwhile, Ks was born with enough talents to reach the peak of Spirit Lord, but after consuming God''s Fruit, he would be able to reach the peak of Spirit Sovereign, thus having a higher limit than Tian Yang.

    "G-God''s Fruit! He''s acquired a God''s Fruit!" The spectators snapped out of their daze when they saw the treasure in Tian Yang''s hands, their eyes shining with greed.

    Forget about these ordinary cultivators, even the Immortal ns would start a war to acquire God''s Fruit.

    Suddenly, someone jumped out of the crowd and charged at Tian Yang with clear killing intent.

    However, before he could even reach Tian Yang, an invisible force with unfathomable prowess appeared out of thin air to neutralize the threat, instantly turning the person who charged at Tian Yang into a cloud of blood mist.

    lightsnvl "Anyone who dares to steal another''s treasure will be removed from existence." The trial''s voice resounded loud enough for everyone to hear.

    "Tian Yang! Hurry up and consume it!" Ks suddenly shouted at him.

    "W-Wait! Don''t eat it! I will buy the God''s Fruit from you!" Gu Lim immediately said.

    He continued, "That God''s Fruit will only be wasted on someone like you! If you know what''s for you, sell it to me!"

    Tian Yang turned to look at Gu Lim and sneered, "Before that, there is something else that you must do."

    "W-What is it?"

    "If I recall correctly, you made a bet with Ks on whether I''ll survive this trial or not." Tian Yang narrowed his eyes and continued, "We can talk about the God''s Fruit after you honor your bet."

    Hearing this, Gu Lim gritted his teeth and handed all of the treasures he and his group bet on to Ks.

    "There. Now sell me the God''s Fruit." Gu Lim said afterward.

    "How much are you willing to buy it for?" Tian Yang asked.

    "A hundred million spirit stones!" Gu Lim shouted.

    Tian Yang sneered in disdain after hearing the offer, and he said, "Thest God''s Fruit was sold for a billion spirit stones. Why would I sell mine for any less?"

    Gu Lim clenched his fists and roared, "You can''t even bring that God''s Fruit out of this ce!"

    "So what? That doesn''t affect the God''s Fruit''s effects, which means it won''t be any less valuablewhether I can take it out of here or not." Tian Yang shrugged.

    "If you won''t buy it at an appropriate price, I''d rather use it for myself."

    Naturally, he had no intentions of selling the God''s Fruit even if it killed him, so he was only messing with Gu Lim as a way of taking revenge for treating him like trash.

    However, Gu Lim didn''t know this and thought he actually had a chance to acquire the God''s Fruit.

 Chapter 1379 Consuming Gods Fruit

    1379  Consuming God''s Fruit

    "Three no! Five hundred million spirit stones! This is my final offer! Although I cannot pay you now, I will definitely pay you once we get out!" Gu Lim gritted his teeth and gave Tian Yang his new offer.

    Tian Yang did not immediately answer and closed his eyes to ponderor pretend to think about Gu Lim''s offer.

    Seeing Tian Yang''s hesitation, Gu Lim tried to convince him further, "You can purchase countless powerful treasures with that much moneyeven one or two Mythic-grade treasures with ease."

    "However, if you refuse just know that you''ll be my Immortal Gu n''s enemy."

    Tian Yang opened his eyes a momentter and wore a gentle smile on his face.

    "I understand," he said in a calm voice.

    lightsvel Gu Lim immediately smiled back, "I take back what I said about you"

    However, before Gu Lim could even finish his sentence, Tian Yang opened his mouth and shoved the God''s Fruit into his mouth, consuming it with a single bite.

    Gu Lim couldn''t believe his eyes, his face filled with shock and disbelief.

    When he realized what had just urred, his entire being trembled in anger, and his face flushed with redness, looking like a demon, "YOU SON OF A BITCH! HOW DARE YOU MOCK ME!"

    Tian Yang sneered at Gu Lim and spoke in a disdainful voice, "Hmph! You want me to hand over the God''s Fruit without payment, and you expect me to wait until we leave this ce for my payment? You want me to trust you, who cannot even fulfill his own promises? Laughable!"

    "I already gave Ks all the treasures we bet on! What more do you want me from?!" Gu Lim shouted, spewing saliva everywhere.

    Ks interrupted, "If I recall correctly, you promised to kowtow before him and call him grandfather for the rest of his life if he survived the trial. Yet, I have not seen you on your knees, much less call him grandfather."

    "Ks, you fucking bastard! If you think I won''t beat you up because you''re from a fellow Immortal n, you have made a huge mistake!" Gu Lim pointed at Ks, his entire arm shaking uncontrobly.

    Meanwhile, Tian Yang felt a strange shift happening in his body. After eating the God''s Fruit, it was as if something had loosened up inside him, like unclogging a drain that had been blocked for decades.

    His body felt weightless, as though gravity no longer affected him, and all of his senses became more sensitive and keen, allowing him to notice even the smallest details.

    Furthermore, he could feel his strength skyrocketing even though there were no changes to his cultivation base.

    ''This is me at my highest potential? My body feels foreign, as if it doesn''t belong to me.'' Tian Yang looked at his palms with a nervous smile on his face.

    "You trash bastard! I dare you to step outside the safe zone and fight me!" Gu Lim suddenly shouted as he stared at Tian Yang with immense killing intent surging within his eyes.

    Tian Yang narrowed his gaze at Gu Lim. Although he was never intimidated by Gu Lim even before consuming the God''s Fruit, now that he''s essentially experienced a rebirth,he could tell that Gu Lim posed zero threat to him.

    Thus, Tian Yang confidentially started walking towards Gu Lim.

    Seeing Tian Yang''s resolute expression, Ks prepared to fight alongside him.

    The moment Tian Yang stepped outside the safe zone, Gu Lim wasted no time jumping at him.

    "Die, you insignificant bastard! So what if you consumed the God''s Fruit?! You are still no different than trash in my eyes!" Gu Lim swung his Ancient-grade sword at Tian Yang.

    Tian Yang only had an Earth-grade sword on him, so he didn''t dare to block Gu Lim''s sword head-on, fearing that his Earth-<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    grade sword would break.

    "Why don''t you fight someone with proper equipment?!" Ks suddenly appeared beside Gu Lim, kicking him away from Tian Yang.

    When the four people following Gu Lim realized that a fight could no longer be avoided, they retreived their Divine-grade treasures and joined the battle.

    Two of them went after Tian Yang while the other two went to assist Gu Lim.

    Meanwhile, the spectators there quickly distanced themselves from the fight. None of them wanted to stick their nose in a fight between the Immortal ns, nor did they have the qualifications to join the battle after witnessing how fierce it was.

    "You''ve made a huge mistake offending the Immortal Gu n today, you mortal dog!"

    "Even if you managed to get out of this alive, the Immortal Gu n will never forgive you!"

    The two cultivators fighting Tian Yang cursed at him as they fought.

    "Hmph! Does the Immortal ns only know how to bully the weak? How pathetic!" Tian Yang sneered in disgust.

    The two cultivators anticipated an easy victory since they were ganging up on a single person, but they were greatly surprised when they realized that not only were they unable tond a single strike on Tian Yang, but he was actually pushing them back!

    "Serenity Sword Strike!"

    "Radiant Saber!"

    The two cultivators began employing their martial techniques, but Tian Yang dodged them with ease using just the basic movement technique taught by the Immortal Monastery.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.

    "Is this all the Immortal ns are capable of?! If so, you''re not so different than everyone else!" Tian Yang taunted them even further.eastern fantasy

    "I''ll cut that filthy mouth of yours and feed it to the dogs!"

    Although Tian Yang could''ve killed them at any time, he decided to use them as training so that he could get used to his newfound strength.

    Once he was satisfied, Tian Yang stopped messing around and exploded with strength.

    This caught his opponents off guard, and before they could even react, Tian Yang extinguished one of their lives with a single sword technique.

    "Immortal Rending Sword Strike!"

    Tian Yang''s sword moved with such viciousness and power that his target''s body was separated in half.

    When the other cultivator saw his friend being ughtered in such a manner, he immediately lost all will to continue the fight and raised his hand while shouting, "W-Wait! I give up!"

    However, Tian Yang acted as though he didn''t hear anything and mercilessly swung his sword again.

    "You bas"

    "..."

    After killing his opponents, Tian Yang turned to look at Ks'' situation. He was still fighting with Gu Lim, but the other two were nowhere to be seen, presumably dead.

 Chapter 1380 A Darker Path

    Chapter 1380 A Darker Path

    ?1380  A Darker Path

    "Ks! Do you need my help?" Tian Yang asked him after his fight ended.

    "Wha¡ª?! What happened to Gu Yazhu and Fu Lingxin?! What did you do to them?!" Gu Lim roared at Tian Yang when he couldn''t see his friends around.

    Tian Yang sneered, "Isn''t it obvious that I killed them?"

    "YOU BASTARD!" Gu Lim suddenly stopped paying attention to Ks and charged at Tian Yang.

    "We are not finished yet!" Ks immediately went to intercept him.

    "Get out of my way, Ks! Do you truly intend on fighting to the death with me?! My family will not let this slide even if it''s you!" Gu Lim roared at him.

    "Don''t talk as if I started this! You were the one who approached us¡ªprovoked us! Don''t you dare make it sound like you are the victim here, Gu Lim!" Ks shouted back, his strikes getting fiercer and quicker.

    Gu Lim began panicking at this point. He knew that he couldn''t defeat Ks alone. The sole reason for challenging Ks in the first ce had been the support of his group, but now, with them absent and dead, he found himself utterly helpless.

    As Ks pushed Gu Lim further and further towards death, Gu Lim''s desperation peaked.

    "S-Stop it! This isn''t funny, Ks! If you kill me, my family will not forgive you! Are you going to be able to handle the consequences?!"

    Ks halted his movements shortly after hearing Gu Lim''s words. Sure enough, while he wouldn''t have any problem dealing with Gu Lim''s buddies, he couldn''t directly kill Gu Lim himself, who was the young master of the Immortal Gu n, as that could potentially lead to war between the Immortal Might n and the Immortal Gu n.

    "That''s right, Ks! You cannot kill me unless you want our families to go to war!" It was as though Gu Lim could read Ks'' mind, showing a relieved smile on his face.

    However, just as Gu Lim felt safe, he sensed a presence suddenly appear behind him like a ghost.

    "Wha¡ª"

    Gu Lim turned around, but before he could fully turn around to see who was behind him, he sensed a cold sensation breeze past his neck.

    Ks'' eyes widened with shock when he witnessed Tian Yang kill Gu Lim without hesitation.

    "What have you done!" he swallowed nervously.

    "You couldn''t kill him, right? In that case, I will do it for you." Tian Yang said with a rtively calm expression on his face.

    "Do you have any idea who you just killed? That was the young master of the Immortal Gu n¡ªtheir patriarch''s favorite son! Once they learn of what happened here, they will hunt you down like a dog for the rest of your life!"

    Tian Yang shook his head and said, "If I had let him live, he wouldn''t let me scott free, so it wouldn''t have mattered if I killed him or not. They will hunt me down regardless, so I might as well take care of him now."

    Unable to refute Tian Yang''s logic, Ks gritted his teeth. He looked at the shocked spectators and sighed, "You could''ve at least waited until there''s nobody to witness it, but now¡­"

    Tian Yang looked at the crowd and smiled, "Even if I killed him out of sight, these people have already seen us argue and fight with him, so it would only be a matter of time before they realize I killed him.

    "Don''t worry, Ks. You weren''t the one who killed him, so you can pin all the me onto me. With so many witnesses here, I doubt his family will go through the trouble of ming you."

    "I couldn''t care less about that!"

    "Why don''t we continue our conversation somewhere else?" Tian Yang suddenly said.

    "Sure¡­"

    However, before leaving the scene, Tian Yang made sure to take Gu Lim''s spatial ring, just as he did with the other two he defeated.

    Once they were gone, the crowd that witnessed Gu Lim''s death went into an uproar.

    "This is huge news! Gu Lim is dead!"Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    "Fuck! I can already imagine the Immortal Gu n''s reaction once they learn of this news!"

    "Who the hell was that person, anyway? I don''t recognize him."

    Unsurprisingly, nobody there recognized Tian Yang, so even if they were questioned about himter, they would only be able to give a description of Tian Yang''s appearance and that he was Ks'' ''friend''.

    Sometimeter, Tian Yang and Ks stopped by arge boulder and continued their conversation.

    "So, what are you going to do now?" Ks asked.

    lights¦­¦Ïv¦Ål ?¦Ïm Tian Yang lifted his head to stare at the clear sky and sighed, "I honestly don''t know. I have managed to reach my full potential and finally acquired the talent that I could only dream of, but what good is my talent when I am going to be hunted by the Immortal ns?"

    "I must have somehow offended the heavens or something in my past life to have such terrible luck."

    Ks pondered for a moment before speaking, "How about joining my Immortal Might n? We''ll try to protect you from the Immortal Gu n."

    Tian Yang smiled and said, "I appreciate the offer¡ªtruly. However, we both know that won''t work. The Immortal Might n has no reason to protect me and would rather give me up to spare them the trouble, especially since you are partially involved, and I doubt it''ll just be the Immortal Gu n that I''ll have to worry about."

    "In fact, you should probably stay away from me starting now. It would be bad for you to associate with me any longer since it would give the Immortal Gu Family more reasons to go after you."

    "Cut the bullshit! The only reason you are in this situation is because of me! Gu Lim wouldn''t have provoked you if you weren''t with me!" Ks eximed.

    He clenched his fists in anger until they bled, muttering in a shivering voice, "What''s the point of saving your life if I just lead you down an even darker pathter...? I''m such a terrible ''friend''..."

 Chapter 1381 Red Altar

    Chapter 1381 Red Altar

    ?1381  Red Altar

    "Enough, Ks. I am d that you saved my life. What happened to Gu Lim wasn''t your fault. It''s Gu Lim''s own fault for picking the fight, as well as mine for ending his life." Tian Yang said with a calm smile on his face, almost as though he''d already epted his fate.

    "Anyways, if you don''t intend on leaving me alone, should we start making our way to the second section?"

    Ks nodded, "So we''ll finally start exploring the tomb for real now, huh? Do you know where to start?"

    He shook his head, "Nope. No clue. I guess we can just wander around like we did for the trials and hope for the best."

    "Alright, but unlike the first section, there will be magical beasts and countless dangerous traps awaiting us. We have to move around with care."N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    Tian Yang nodded, "That''s obvious."

    He looked around and asked, "By the way, which direction is the second section in?"

    Ks shrugged and said, "No clue, but we can ask around."

    The two of them continued to wander until they came across someone.

    "Excuse me, do you know where the second section is located?" Ks asked.

    "Do you see that mountain over there? Keep moving in that direction until you see a red-colored altar. That will teleport you to the second section of the tomb."

    "Thank you very much."

    Now with a new destination, Tian Yang and Ks followed the mountain''s direction.

    One day¡­ two days¡­ four days¡­

    One week¡­ two weeks¡­ three weeks¡­

    Tian Yang and Ks traveled for nearly an entire month before they reached their destination.

    They stopped before a red altar, located at what seemed like the edge of the world.

    "How do we activate this?" Ks inspected the red altar.

    "Activate." Tian Yang muttered out loud.

    "..."

    "Activate teleport."

    "..."

    "I guess not." Tian Yang shook his head.

    "What are you idiots doing?" A clear voice suddenly resounded behind them.

    "What?" Tian Yang turned around with a slightly surprised look on his face, as he couldn''t feel their presence until just now.

    Not far away, a group of youngdies were approaching his direction. There were four of them, each being a world-ss beauty that could topple kingdoms with their appearance alone.

    Ks frowned when he saw thesedies, almost as if he recognized them.

    "Hm? If it isn''t Ks. What a surprise. You had me believe that you didn''te to this ce when I didn''t see you at the beginning." Thedy leading the group spoke when she saw Ks.

    The group ofdies ignored Tian Yang, walking right past him before stopping in front of Ks.

    "Where have you been?"

    "That is none of your business, Ren Xia" Ks sneered with a hint of disgust within his tone.

    "Of course it is. We are engaged to each other, after all." Thedy named Ren Xia said with a slight smile on her face.

    "Hmph. What an unfunny joke, acting like you actually care about that."

    "What''s that supposed to mean?"

    "In case you forgot, you were the first one to express your disapproval of our engagement."

    Tian Yang watched their interaction with interest. He didn''t know Ks was engaged.

    ''Now that I think about it, he''s from a prominent background. It would be weird if he wasn''t engaged.''

    "If you''re here to bother me, I won''t entertain you," Ks said with a slight frown.

    Ren Xia shifted her gaze from Ks to the red altar beside him and spoke, "Are you trying to activate the portal? Are you having trouble? Do you need me to help you? I''ll help you if you ask me nicely."

    "In your dreams, you annoying bitch." Ks sneered in disgust.

    Ren Xia immediately frowned and said, "As rude as ever, I see. If our parents had been here to hear that, you would''ve received a serious spanking."

    "But since you refused my help, I would like to see how you''ll activate it." Ren Xia turned to look at thedies behind her and continued, "Ladies, let us take a break here. We might even see some funny things in just a bit."

    "Che."

    Ks ignored them and walked to Tian Yang.

    "Just act like they don''t even exist."

    "Is it really okay to treat your fiancee in such a manner?" Tian Yang asked with a raised eyebrow.

    "Don''t let her appearance fool you. She''s a sadistic and narcissistic bitch. And it was our families'' decision to engage us." Ks whispered to him.

    "I can hear you, you know." Ren Xia said.

    "By the way, who is that? A friend? No way, right?"

    Even as Ren Xia voiced her disbelief, she couldn''t fathom the idea of Ks having a friend. Nevertheless, the truth remained that she had never witnessed him disy such friendliness towards anyone else.

    "So what if he''s a friend?" Ks did not refute her, even confirming it.

    "Seriously¡­?" A look of disbelief appeared on Ren Xia''s face, as she didn''t expect Ks to admit it.

    "Hey... I''ve been meaning to ask you this for a while now, but why is everyone so surprised when they find out you have a friend?" Tian Yang couldn''t help but pose the question.

    A stiff smile appeared on Ks'' face as he responded, "Probably because I tend to push everyone away in the past¡­"

    "What do you mean ''in the past''? You''ve done it your entire life! You always have this hard-to-approach aura around you, and you would immediately shoo away anyone that tries to get close to you." Ren Xia sneered after hearing his words.

    "Hard to approach?" Tian Yang found that hard to believe. His first impression of Ks was anything but distant. In fact, Ks seemed overly friendly during their initial meeting, almost suspiciously so.

    Ks blushed and said, "I only act like that towards those unworthy of my respect. It just turns out that everyone around me is unworthy¡ªuntil I met you."

    "Him? Worthy of your respect? Did you hit your head somewhere?" Ren Xia had a dumbfounded look on her face as she asked him.

    Ks narrowed his gaze at her and responded in a cold tone, "Since you are my fiancee, allow me to give you a warning. The consequences of underestimating my friend are severe. Gu Lim learned that the hard way and paid with his life."

    "W-What?! Gu Lim is dead?!" Ren Xia''s expression turned pale after learning of this information.

 Chapter 1382 Kulasâ€™ Fiancee

    <h4>Chapter 1382 Ks'' Fiancee </h4>

    1382 Ks'' Fiancee

    "K-Ks! You crazy son of a bitch! Don''t tell me you killed Gu Lim?! Do you have any idea what you have done?!" Ren Xia eximed with a look of disbelief on her face. The others behind her also covered their mouths from shock.

    However, Tian Yang responded in Ks'' stead, "No, he didn''t kill Gu Lim. I was the one who killed him."

    "What¡­? You¡­?" Ren Xia shifted her gaze to Tian Yang.

    She red at him with a deep frown and asked, "Who are you?"

    Tian Yang calmly responded with a smile on his face, "I''m a nobody."

    "Regardless of your identity, are you aware of the consequences of your actions? Gu Lim''s family will stop at nothing to hunt you down. No, it won''t just be his family. The other Immortal ns will also get involved."

    "So what?"

    The smile on Tian Yang''s face suddenly flipped, and a cold expression appeared on his face, "I already have a bone to pick with the Immortal ns. If they weren''t going to hunt me, I would have gone after them myself."

    "..."

    Ren Xia''s eyes widened with surprise after hearing his words.

    A mysterious smile appeared on her face, causing her beauty to blossom even further, and she spoke in a low voice, "Not only are you not fearful of the Immortal ns but you even dare to go against them¡­ What an interesting man¡­"

    When Kuals saw the look on Ren Xia''s face, his entire being trembled, and he quickly stood between them.

    "Whatever you are nning, give it up," he said to her.

    "And what makes you think that I am nning something?"

    "You always make that annoying expression when you''re nning something."

    "Don''t act like you are familiar with me."

    Tian Yang shook his head and interrupted them, "While you two argue, I''ll try to figure out how to activate the altar."

    He ignored them and walked to the altar.

    "Even if you don''t help us, someone who knows how to operate it will eventuallye," Ks said to Ren Xia.

    Ren Xia chuckled, "I can''t believe you''re struggling to activate the teleportation array."

    "What? It''s an array?" Ks'' eyes widened.

    Ren Xia covered her mouth and acted like she identally spilled the beans, "Oh my, I identally gave you the answer. Though, it''s not like you can do anything about it since you aren''t an Array Master."

    However, Tian Yang raised an eyebrow when he heard it.

    ''Array¡­?''

    He inspected the red altar in finer detail, and sure enough, he could see array symbols engraved all over the altar.

    ''These are only level 1 array symbols¡­ In that case¡­''

    A few momentster, Tian Yang solved the array symbols and activated the array, causing the red altar to emit a crimson glow. The following moment, a red portal appeared before the altar.

    "What?" Ren Xia looked at him with surprise.

    "You were an Array Master this entire time?" Even Ks was shocked.

    Tian Yang shook his head and said, "No, but I was taught the basics by someone¡­ I never expected such knowledge toe in handy, though."

    During his time with Huang Xiao Li, she would asionally teach him array symbols for fun. If Tian Yang took the Array Master examinations at this moment, he would barely qualify as a level 1 Array Master.

    "Anyways, now that I''ve activated it, let''s go."

    Ks nodded and walked past Ren Xia.

    Seeing this, Ren Xia didn''t say anything else and followed them into the portal.

    After exiting the portal, Tian Yang and the others found themselves in the middle of an expansive wilderness. Unlike the first section which was mostly empty ins and mountains, there were trees and living beings roaming around the second section.

    "So, where should we go?"

    "Huh?" Tian Yang and Ks turned to look at the person who had just spoken.

    "We? Why are you making it sound like we''re going to be traveling together?" Ks asked her with a deep frown on his face.

    "Why not?" Ren Xia shrugged. "Not only would it be more entertaining but it''ll be safer if we traveled together. Are you going to refuse traveling with four beauties?" N?velDrama.Org (C) content.

    "What does your appearance have anything to do with this? Regardless, I don''t trust you guys." Ks sneered.

    "Are you afraid that we might attack you or something? We don''t have any reason to do such a thing." Ren Xia said.

    "And what reason do you have for wanting to follow us?"

    Ren Xia''s gaze nced at Tian Yang''s figure for a split second before responding, "We''re all tired of looking for Han Zexian''s legacy, but it''s not like we can return home until we find it, so we might as well fool around for a bit."

    "I don''t care about your reasons. You''re not going to follow me." Ks said.

    Ren Xia shook her head and sighed, "Who said we are going to follow you?"

    Ren Xia turned to look at Tian Yang and continued, "This ce is crawling with people from the Immortal ns. I''d like to see how you will deal with them. Of course, I''m not asking you to let us follow you for free. I can be your guide and even lead you to a few ces with treasures."

    "You bitch¡­ I dare you to say that you don''t have any ulterior motives now¡­" Ks narrowed his eyes at her.

    "Are you jealous that I, your fiancee, have taken interest in another man?" Ren Xia chuckled.

    "Hmph. I couldn''t care less who you talk to or even sleep with since I don''t have any feelings for you, but you better not mess with my one and only friend."

    Tian Yang narrowed his eyes at Ren Xia. He had a feeling that even if he refused herpany, she would still follow him. In that case, he might as well ept her offer and get something out of it.

    "I don''t mind if you follow us, but if I sense you doing anything that could harm us, I will not hesitate to cut you down," he said in a cold voice.

    Ren Xia nodded with an innocent smile, "I swear that we won''t do anything like that."

 Chapter 1383 Ren Xia

    1383  Ren Xia

    ''Hey! Tian Yang! Tell me you aren''t seriously going to let them follow us!? She''s a crafty woman with ulterior motives!'' Ks asked him through divine sense.

    Tian Yang sighed, responding, ''We might as well unless you can convince them to not follow us.''

    ''That''s impossible! She''s the type of woman to do whatever she wants. The only way to stop her would be to kill her!''N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    ''Are you suggesting that we kill your fiancee? There aren''t any witnesses here, after all.''''

    ''O-Of course not. As much as I dislike her, I cannot justify killing her over something like this.''

    ''Right? Then we might as well let her follow us and guide us to the treasures.''

    ''I guess'' Ks sighed inwardly, feeling defeated.

    ''Also, they don''t know my identity yet. Call me Xiao Yang for now.'' Tian Yang suggested.

    ''Okay.''

    Meanwhile, thedies were having a conversation of their own through divine sense.

    ''Sister Ren, why do you want to follow them?''

    ''Are you trying to avenge Young Master Gu Lim?''

    ''Gu Lim? I couldn''t care less about that idiot. I''m more interested in Ks'' friend.'' Ren Xia said.

    ''That man? Why? He''s essentially a wanted criminal at this point for killing Gu Lim.''

    ''Yeah. It''d be unwise to associate ourselves with him. What if the Immortal Gu nes after us too?''

    lightsvl m ''That won''t happen.'' Ren Xia said in a confident tone.

    She continued, ''I also want to see what kind of person is worthy of Ks'' acknowledgment.''

    ''But I don''t think that is worth offending the Immortal Gu n''

    Ren Xia looked at them and sighed, ''I am not going to force you to follow me, nor will I me you for leaving. This is my own selfish action, after all.''

    The threedies exchanged nces with each other. After a moment of silence, they lowered their head to Ren Xia and said, ''Sorry, Sister Ren, but we cannot afford to offend the Immortal Gu n. We hope for your understanding.''

    Ren Xia shook her head, ''I already said that I won''t me you.

    ''Are you sure you want to follow them? You''ll be alone''

    ''If you''re afraid they''ll do something to me, why don''t you stay? If not, stop with the pointless worry and leave already.''

    Thedies bowed to her again before leaving.

    Tian Yang was surprised when Ren Xia''s group suddenly left her alone.

    ''I thought they were friends?'' he shook his head inwardly.

    When she noticed the gazes on her, Ren Xia looked at them and shrugged, "Unlike me, those girls don''te from a background that is powerful enough to stop the Immortal Gu n, so they cannot afford to offend them. Moreover, you won''t be as worried about my presence if I am alone, right?"

    Sure enough, Tian Yang no longer had to worry as much now that Ren Xia was alone, as he was confident in dealing with her if any problem arose.

    "I''m more interested in these treasures you mentioned. Tell me about them." Tian Yang said a momentter.

    "Just like the first section, there are trials scattered around this ce. Anyone can challenge these trials, but only one person will be able to acquire the reward. Moreover, these treasures are not limited to the tomb, so we can bring them to the outside world with us." Ren Xia exined.

    "What kind of treasures are we talking about?" Ks asked.

    "..."<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Ren Xia didn''t respond, acting as though she didn''t even hear his question.

    "T-This bitch is ignoring me on purpose!" Ks stared at her with a cold gaze.

    "So what kind of treasure can we earn from these trials?" Tian Yang asked a momentter.

    "From spiritual weapons to powerful techniques." Ren Xia responded with a calm smile on her face.

    ''Techniques!'' Tian Yang''s eyes shone with excitement after hearing this information.eastern fantasy

    Hecked three things before entering the tomb. Talent, treasures, and techniques.

    After spending nearly an entire year in the first section of the tomb, Tian Yang solved his talent issues, and acquiring Gu Lim''s spatial ring somewhat solved his treasure issue. The only thing hecked at the moment was powerful martial techniques.

    ''I only know some basic techniques from the Sect with the Immortal Rending Sword Strike being the strongest amongst all the techniques I know. Although I may have some talent now, I will still be at a huge disadvantage against those with simr strength but superior techniques.''

    "Do you know any trials that award techniques?" Tian Yang then asked.

    "Several," she nodded.

    "I want to visit these ces first."

    "Okay." Ren Xia nodded. "I''ll take us to the nearest one first. Follow me."

    As they followed her, Ks asked, "What are the chances that someone has already cleared these trials? And how long has it been since you left this ce?"

    "..." Ren Xia pretended to not hear him again.

    "How dare you so tantly ignore me do you truly believe that I won''t touch you because you''re my fiancee?" Ks gritted his teeth and clenched his fists in anger.

    However, Ren Xia continued to ignore him.

    Seeing this, Tian Yang sighed inwardly before speaking, "I''d like to know as well."

    "I left this ce for about two months. Although it''s not impossible, the chances of these trials being cleared are incredibly low. In fact,pared to the trials in the first section, the trials here are on another level of difficulty."

    Tian Yang swallowed nervously after learning of this information.

    Ren Xia continued a momentter, "With that being said, not every trial will kill you. You''ll know what I mean once we arrive at our destination."

    "By the way, we''ll get there faster on a flying treasure. Do you have one?" Ren Xia looked at Tian Yang who quickly shook his head.

    "Then I''ll share mine with you."

    Ren Xia retrieved her flying treasure that looked like a living white crane before patting the space in front of her with a charming smile on her face.

    "Uh" Tian Yang immediately hesitated to share a ride with her.

    Ks then said, "Ride with me instead."

    "Huh?"

    As Tian Yang turned to look at Ks, he summoned arge white tiger.

    Tian Yang frowned upon seeing this and eximed, "You had a flying treasure this entire time?! Don''t tell me it''s the expensive kind that doesn''t require recement once it runs out of spiritual energy."

    "It is." Ks calmly confirmed.

    "You rascal! Why didn''t you bring this out earlier when we were in the first section?! It could have saved us so much travel time!" Tian Yang shouted in frustration.

    Ks responded with a teasing smile, "You never asked."

 Chapter 1384 Stone Sword

    1384  Stone Sword

    Tian Yang held a look of disbelief on his face after hearing Ks'' response. Seeing this, Ks couldn''t help but burst outughing.

    "..."

    Ren Xia silently watched their interaction with widened eyes. She was skeptical that Ks and Tian Yang were friends at first, but after seeing their interaction, she had no choice but to believe it. Moreover, she has never seen Ksughing so heartily before.

    Sometimeter, Tian Yang jumped on Ks'' flying treasure and started following Ren Xia. The white swan fluttered its wings and flew in the sky like a real being while the white tiger ran in the sky, almost as though there was an invisible tform for it to traverse.

    If one saw them from a distance, they could easily be mistaken for authentic magical beasts.eastern fantasy

    The flying treasures moved at extreme speeds, much faster than the flying treasure used by the Huang Family during their escape. Furthermore, it didn''t require as much spiritual energy from the user to maintain top speed. They were iparably better than ordinary flying treasures.

    The only downside of these flying treasures would be their astronomically high price tag, something even extremely wealthy families would not dare consider buying more than one.

    Within half an hour, Tian Yang and his group covered a distance that would typically take them a month if they had traveled normally.

    When Tian Yang realized how much time they had wasted in the first section, he felt a strong urge to smack Ks in the back of his head, but he eventually controlled his urges.

    After another half an hour, Ren Xia''s flying treasure quickly slowed down to a halt.

    "We''re here," she said, her gaze pointing at therge sword in the distance.

    "What is that?" Tian Yang mumbled in a dazed voice as he used divine sense to take a closer look.

    Several miles in the distance, a sizable stone sword appeared, seemingly thrust into the ground. On closer inspection, one could discern engraved words on the de, each character seemingly etched with the precision of a sword stroke.

    "We call it Han Zexian''s Stone Sword, and we believe that it''s trying to pass down a profound sword technique. Han Zexian was known to be a powerful Swordmaster with hundreds of terrifying sword techniques at his disposal, so it''s likely that this is one of them."

    Tian Yang swallowed nervously. He could feel an unfathomable aura emitted by the stone sword even from such a distance.

    When they got closer to the stone sword, Tian Yang noticed tens of thousands of cultivators were sitting in front of the stone sword, their gazes glued to its de.

    However, unlike the first section, there was no protection from the tomb to safeguard these people while they tried toprehend the technique within the stone sword.

    "Hmm I don''t wield the sword, so I won''t bother trying toprehend it." Ks suddenly said.Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    He turned to look at Tian Yang and asked, "How long do you think it''ll take you toprehend it?"

    Tian Yang looked at him with raised eyebrows, "Why are you making it sound like I am guaranteed toprehend it? Countless people must''ve tried toprehend it for the past year, but it''s still here."

    "If anybody canprehend it, it''ll be the only person who managed to clear a jade-difficulty trial." Ks smiled.

    "What?" Ren Xia turned to look at Tian Yang with wide eyes. "You cleared a trial from a jade altar?"

    He calmly nodded.

    Ren Xia was left speechless upon learning this information. She knew a few people from the Immortal ns also took the jade altar''s trial, but none of them survived.

    ''Just who is this man? He can''t be a mere nobody!'' Ren Xia thought to herself.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    A momentter, she spoke, "Now that I think about it, we never had a proper introduction. I''m Ren Xia, youngest of the Immortal Sword n."

    "Xiao Yang, a rogue cultivator." Tian Yang lied like it was in his nature.

    "A rogue cultivator?" Ren Xia instantly knew that Tian Yang was lying, but she had no proof.

    ''Is he worried that I will expose his identity to the Immortal Gu n? Well, I don''t me him for being cautious.''

    She decided to y along.

    As they got closer to the stone sword, Ren Xia warned, "There won''t be any safe zone in this ce, so make sure you don''t focus entirely on the stone sword and forget about your surroundings. With that being said, nobody would dare to cause amotion that could disturb everyone here."

    Ks then said, "Don''t worry about your safety and focus on the stone sword. I''ll watch your back."

    Tian Yang nodded and took a seat before the stone sword a momentter.

    He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he reopened them, they werepletely focused on the engravings on the stone sword.

    lightsvl m "How long do people tend to stay here?" Ks asked Ren Xia a momentter.

    "..."

    "Are you seriously going to continue ignoring me? Why are you acting so childish?"

    She nced at him and sneered, "Says the one who ran away from home a year ago."

    "I did not run away. I merely went on a journey to find out my own path."

    "Whatever you say."

    After a moment of silence, Ren Xia continued, "Most people leave within a month if they don''t see any progress while some have been here for over six months."

    "And how does this trial work? Does the stone sword go away once someoneprehends the technique?" Ks asked.

    "That''s what happened to the others."

    "There is more than one stone sword?"

    "Not just stone swords. There are sabers, axes, bowsall kinds of weapons."

    "Huh? Why does he have so many different kinds of techniques? I also never heard of Han Zexian wielding anything other than swords."

    ''It''s widely known that Han Zexian had multiple identities, but the exact number remains a mystery. Only a few are aware, and weck confirmation, but there''s a belief that one of Han Zexian''s many aliases was Ambiguous Hoarder,'' Ren Xia disclosed through divine sense.

    ''Ambiguous Hoarder?! Are you sure?!'' Ks was shocked to learn this information.

    ''Like I said, we don''t have proof, but after seeing the unfathomable amount of treasures in this ce, I would be willing to bet on it being true.'' Ren Xia sighed.

 Chapter 1385 Ambiguous Hoarder

    Chapter 1385 Ambiguous Hoarder

    ?1385  Ambiguous Hoarder

    ''Ambiguous Hoarder¡­ If this information is true, this tomb is much more precious than originally anticipated!'' Ks swallowed nervously after learning of this information.

    The Ambiguous Hoarder was a mysterious individual who was known for collecting all sorts of valuable treasures and techniques in the Divine Heaven about five thousand years ago. He would often show up at auction houses and expensive stores, emptying their stock and storage. If he wasn''t at auction houses, he would be approaching people directly to purchase their valuables with offers that were hard to refuse. Nobody knew why the Ambiguous Hoarder needed so much treasure nor where he acquired the wealth to purchase so much treasure.

    The Ambiguous Hoarder was active for five hundred years before vanishing like a ghost, and people believed that he had thergest collection of treasure in the entire world.

    When the Ambiguous Hoarder vanished without a trace alongside his treasures, people believed that he had perished and began searching for his remains. But s, even after spending countless resources and many decades searching, they remained empty-handed.

    ''If Han Zexian is truly the Ambiguous Hoarder, ''that'' technique might be here¡­'' Ks turned to look at Tian Yang.

    The Ambiguous Hoarder had a specific technique that Ks had always wanted to learn, but it was only a pipe dream since nobody knew where the Ambiguous Hoarder had disappeared to. However, if Han Zexian turned out to be the famous Ambiguous Hoarder, he might actually have a chance of acquiring said technique, and fulfilling his dreams.

    The only problem was that he''d promised Tian Yang that he''d travel with him, so he couldn''t just leave by himself.

    ''One month¡­ I will only wait for a month, so you betterprehend the technique by then, Tian Yang!'' Ks gritted his teeth and suppressed his urges.

    Meanwhile, Tian Yang continued to stare at the engravings on the stone sword without blinking. Time slipped away swiftly, and in the blink of an eye, a week had passed. Throughout this period, Tian Yang tirelessly recited the engravings in his mind hundreds of times each day, witnessing rapid growth in hisprehension of their meaning.

    Unbeknownst to Tian Yang at that time, his true talent did not lie within cultivation but in an entirely different domain.

    On the tenth day of his study, Tian Yang abruptly entered a trance-like state. Though he continued reciting the engravings in his mind, it was now happening subconsciously.

    The atmosphere around Tian Yang began to change. It was subtle and barely noticeable at first, but it grew increasingly profound and noticeable.

    "No way¡­ is that¡­?" Ren Xia doubted her eyes at first and even rubbed them before taking another look at Tian Yang.

    "Enlightenment!" Ks sucked in a cold breath of air after realizing what was happening to Tian Yang. Even a genius like him had never experienced Enlightenment before.

    "Don''t tell me that he''ll actuallyprehend the stone sword''s technique¡­?" Ren Xia swallowed nervously before muttering in a dazed voice.

    Although it took some time, the people around Tian Yang eventually noticed the weird atmosphere around him and shifted their focus away from the stone sword to focus on Tian Yang.

    "Am I seeing things? How long has it been since he started studying the stone sword?"

    "He was already here when I arrived a week ago."

    "He wasn''t here two weeks ago."

    A smallmotion erupted around Tian Yang that quickly spread like wildfire until it inevitably disturbed everyone there.

    "Who is that young man? I don''t recognize him."

    "Me neither."N?velDrama.Org holds this content.

    "Look at the profound atmosphere around him! He must havee from a powerful background!"

    "That''s called Enlightenment, you ignorant one. One''s background has nothing to do with it. In fact, it''s not something even the geniuses in the Immortal ns could bring forth at will."

    Despite the envy that many harbored towards Tian Yang''s situation, nobody dared to disturb him. It was an unspoken rule to never interrupt someone in a state of Enlightenment, a state believed to be bestowed by the Heavens. Therefore, anyone breaking this rule was considered to be defying the will of Heaven and inviting its wrath.

    Furthermore, given the rarity of Enlightenment, being able to witness such a phenomenon could be considered a stroke of good luck. No sane person would intentionally disrupt an event that most individuals go their entire lives without witnessing.

    Since Tian Yang entered Enlightenment, time appeared to have slowed down. Eventually, after three days of profound silence, a shift urred, and a semi-transparent sword materialized above Tian Yang, slowly orbiting around him.

    After another three days had psed, a second sword manifested above him, followed by a third two dayster.

    Each of these swords exuded an otherworldly aura, almost as if they existed between the boundary of their world and another.

    On the ninth day since Tian Yang entered his Enlightenment, the fourth and final sword materialized above him. Four otherworldly swords orbited around him, endowing him with a divine presence, as though he had transcended into a sword divinity.

    The swords vanished as Tian Yang opened his eyes. Simultaneously, substantial cracks surfaced on the stone sword before them, eventually causing it to crumble into a mountain of stones.

    "..."

    Shortly after Tian Yang emerged from his Enlightenment, the people there snapped out of their daze and approached him, bombarding him with the same questions.

    "Hey! What sword technique did you acquire from the stone sword?!"

    "Please! Tell us its name!"

    "What rank is this technique?!"

    "I''m willing to purchase the technique from you! Give me a price!"

    *Pap!*

    A pping sound loud enough to stun everyone there suddenly resounded, startling everyone there.

    When they turned to look at the person who caused themotion, they saw an old man with a group of young people behind him.

    "That''s the Sect Leader of the Seven Divine Sword Peaks!"

    Nearly everyone there immediately recognized the old man''s identity, who was the leader of one of the most prestigious Sects in the Divine Heaven.

 Chapter 1386 Seven Divine Sword Peaks

    Chapter 1386 Seven Divine Sword Peaks

    ?1386  Seven Divine Sword Peaks

    ''Seven Divine Sword Peaks¡­'' Even a nobody like Tian Yang has heard of their name.

    The Seven Divine Sword Peaks stood as a formidable powerhouse in the Divine Heavens, ranking within the top 3 among all sects. Boasting several Golden Immortals within their ranks, they were renowned for their prowess in producing aplished Swordmasters.

    The elderly man guiding the group held the esteemed position of Sect Leader in this powerful sect¡ªa renowned Swordmaster named Tang Jian.

    When Tian Yang saw Tang Jian approaching him, he stood up and asked, "What do you want?"N?velDrama.Org (C) content.

    "This rude bastard!"

    "Watch your mouth! Who do you think you are talking to?!" The people behind Tang Jian red at him.

    Tang Jian raised his arm and gestured for his disciples to calm down. He then spoke in a calm yet overbearing tone, "I am Tang Jian, Sect Leader of the Seven Divine Sword Peaks, and I would like to know the name of the technique you acquired from that stone tomb."

    "..."

    Tian Yang did not immediately respond, and a momentter, he spoke, "I don''t know."

    Tang Jian narrowed his eyes, causing the atmosphere to change.

    "Do you really expect me to believe that when youprehended the technique?" he asked.

    "The stone tablet only taught me the technique, not its name."

    Tang Jian had a hard time believing Tian Yang''s im because most if not all people who pass down their techniques wouldn''t leave out something as important as its name, as that would be throwing out its very identity.

    "In that case, can you show me the technique itself?" Tang Jian asked a momentter, as he would be able to identify the technique through its movements.

    However, Tian Yang quickly responded without an ounce of hesitation in his voice, "Unfortunately, I do not have enough spiritual energy to perform the technique. I only entered peak Spirit King, and this technique requires me to be at least Spirit Sovereign."

    ''This little brat¡­'' Tang Jian could feel his blood warming up. He has seen his fair share of bold individuals throughout his life, but he has never encountered someone as daring as Tian Yang.

    "Are you mocking our Master?!"

    "The audacity!"

    "I''m going to cut you into a hundred pieces!"

    The people behind Tang Jian suddenly withdrew their weapons.

    Before Tang Jian could even react, Ks appeared between them and Tian Yang and said, "Even if you are from the Seven Divine Sword Peaks, I won''t sit still if you''re going to harm my friend."

    "Huh? Who the hell are you?"

    "You can die with him if you want!"

    The disciples did not recognize Ks.

    "All of you, halt!" Tang Jian suddenly shouted, releasing an overbearing pressure that froze everyone in their tracks.

    He released the pressure a momentter and spoke, "He is the young master of the Immortal Might n. If any of you wish to proceed after learning this fact, I won''t step in to defend you if anything goes wrong."

    "What? He''s from the Immortal ns?" The disciples immediately began sweating after learning of this information.

    Ren Xia suddenly entered the scene and said with a profound smile on her face, "Is the righteous Seven Divine Sword Peaks going to bully a single individual over a technique that he''d acquired fair and square?"

    "Fairy Ren!"

    "Is he also a friend of yours?!"

    The disciples immediately recognized her identity this time.

    Tang Jian''s eyebrows twitched at Ren Xia''s question which brought up their honor and status as a righteous sect. If they continued to pressure Tian Yang in front of so many people, their honor would be damaged, and their righteousness would be questioned.

    "Lady Ren, your words are quite harsh. Since when did we bully him? I am merely interested in the technique he learned and inquired about it. Since he is unable to answer my questions, I will leave it at this. We will depart now." Tang Jian turned around and began walking away.

    At the same time, Tang Jian''s voice resounded inside Tian Yang''s head, ''You have made a grave mistake today. Pray that we don''t encounter each other again.''

    Hearing this, Tian Yang sneered inwardly, ''Whether it be the young master of the Immortal Gu n or the Sect Leader of a powerful sect, they love to abuse their authority and mess with the powerless. How are they any different than bandits that terrorize the innocent?''

    Unfortunately, due to this encounter, he now found himself burdened with the concern of the Seven Divine Sword Peaks pursuing him, adding to the already looming threat from the Immortal ns.

    ''Fuck, I swear the heavens are still messing with me.'' Tian Yang looked at the sky with a gaze full of resentment.

    ''Let''s quickly get out of here.'' Ks said to Tian Yang through divine sense.

    They quickly left the scene on their flying treasure shortly after.

    "I can''t believe you actually dared to mess with the Seven Divine Sword Peaks¡ªtheir Sect Leader, no less. Why didn''t you just tell them about the technique? It''s not like it would kill you to answer." Ks sighed out loud.

    "If he''d approached me differently, I wouldn''t have minded telling them. However, he was haughty and overbearing even before he started speaking. Regardless of his title, he was no different from a wild bandit in my eyes, and I won''t entertain a bandit even if it kills me!" Tian Yang sneered.

    Ren Xiaughed out loud, "Hahaha! I cannot believe you! I doubted you had the guts to offend the Immortal ns, but after seeing how you dared to pick a fight with one of the most powerful sects in the world¡ªtheir Sect Leader, no less¡ª

    I have no other choice but to believe it!"

    Ks ignored Ren Xia''s words and asked Tian Yang with a curious look on his face, "So? What kind of technique did you learn? You can tell me, right?"

    Tian Yang nodded and calmly responded, "Limitless Sword Domain."

    "Limitless Sword Domain?!" Ks eximed in a shocked voice.

    Even Ren Xia had a look of disbelief on her face, her eyes wide like saucers.

 Chapter 1387 Limitless Sword Domain

    Chapter 1387 Limitless Sword Domain

    ?1387  Limitless Sword Domain

    "You''ve heard of this technique?"

    Judging by Ks'' reaction to its name, Tian Yang already knew the answer to his own question even without needing a response from Ks.N?velDrama.Org holds this content.

    "O-Of course! Anyone who knows even the slightest about Han Zexian would know of the Limitless Sword Domain technique! It''s one of his signature moves¡ªa technique he''d used to destroy the infamous Burning Demonic Sect overnight!" Ks eximed.

    "If you''ve really learned that technique, you''ve struck gold, Ti

    ¡ªXiao Yang! Do you think you can show it to me?"

    However, Tian Yang showed a bittersweet smile on his face and sighed, "When I told the Seven Divine Sword Peak''s Sect Leader that Icked the capability to use the technique in my current state, I wasn''t lying. The best I can do is create four swords and control them like flying swords. It''s pathetic whenpared to what the stone sword showed me."

    "W-What did the stone sword show you?" Ks asked in a nervous voice.

    "A man that covered the sky with hundreds of swords manifested with spiritual energy andmanded each of them simultaneously, as if there is a swordmaster controlling each sword individually." Tian Yang sighed with a look of admiration on his face as he recalled the images he saw during enlightenment.

    The man, presumably Han Zexian, conjured hundreds of swords made of pure spiritual energy, infusing them with Sword Aura. When he unleashed them upon his target, it created the illusion of the heavens themselves meting out punishment. It was a grandiose disy of unfathomable prowess and talent, something Tian Yang wanted to achieve one day.

    "Hey, I have something to tell you." Ks suddenly said with a serious look on his face.

    "What is it?"

    "Have you heard of the Ambiguous Hoarder?"

    Tian Yang nodded, "He was a mysterious collector several thousand years ago that vanished into thin air, correct?"

    "He wasn''t just a collector. He had the most expansive and valuable treasury in the world. There''s a good chance that Ambiguou Hoarder''s true identity is Han Zexian."

    "What?!" Tian Yang''s eyes widened with surprise.

    "No wonder why all sorts of valuable treasures and resources exist in this tomb¡­"

    Ks nodded and continued, "Now here''s what I actually wanted to tell you. The Ambiguous Hoarder was known to have a certain technique meant for Body Refiners such as myself. This technique could grant one a nearly indestructible body and amplify their innate strength immensely. If the Ambiguous Hoarder¡ª Han Zexian left behind something as valuable as the Limitless Sword Domain, I have no doubt he also left behind that technique!"

    "You want to learn it, right?" Tian Yang asked.

    Ks nodded with a serious expression and said, "Originally, I only came here to train myself, but this information changed everything. If you don''t mind, I would like to spend some time looking for it."

    Tian Yang responded with a calm smile on his face, "Of course. Let''s focus on your technique for now then."

    "Are you sure? What about your journey?" Ks asked.

    "What are you talking about? We''re traveling together, so this isn''t my journey alone. I have already benefited immensely thus far, and you''ve been following me this entire time, so it would only be fair for me to follow you now."

    "Thank you¡­" Ks showed a bright smile.

    Tian Yang shifted his gaze to Ren Xia and spoke, "You heard our conversation. Do you know anything about it?"

    Ren Xia contemted for a moment before responding, "If it''s rted to Body Refiners, it must be a body refining technique. I''m aware of three stone tablets that suggest such a technique."

    "Can you show us the way?" Tian Yang asked.

    "I''ll show you one of them for free, but I''ll need some sort of payment for the rest."

    "Eh? But you said that you''d show us if we allowed you to follow us." Tian Yang frowned.

    "I was only talking to you. Since this is something that directly benefits Ks, I won''t be doing this for free."

    Ks sucked his teeth in an annoyed manner and said, "Fine, I''ll pay you if the first one isn''t what I want."

    Ren Xia showed a beautiful smile and said, "Very well. Follow me. I''ll take you to the nearest one first."

    A few hourster, they arrived before a massive stone tablet that did not take the shape of any weapons, and just like the stone sword, there were thousands of people studying it.

    Ks clenched his fists with excitement and said, "Give me two ¡ª one month. If I cannotprehend its name by then, we will move on to the next one."

    Tian Yang nodded and said, "I will watch your back."

    "Thanks. Then I will be right back." Ks immediately sat before the stone tablet and stared at it with a serious expression on his face.

    Tian Yang sat right behind Ks and started cultivating. Due to how fast he advanced his cultivation to the peak of Spirit King, it had yet to fully stabilize. Of course, he didn''t fully immerse himself in cultivation, as he still had to protect Ks even if the chances of someone bothering him were close to zero.

    Shortly after Tian Yang settled into his seat, he sensed someone sitting right beside him, and a sweet, flowery scent enveloped his senses.

    ''How did you two meet?'' Ren Xia''s voice suddenly resounded inside his head.

    As much as he wanted to ignore her, he couldn''t ignore that she was the reason he learned Limitless Sword Domain.

    ''By chance. He found me when I was dying in the Deste Continent and saved my life.''

    ''Xiao Yang, isn''t it? You''re a fascinating individual. The more time I spend by your side, the more I sense that you''re truly unique.'' Ren Xia wore a charming smile as she gazed at him.

    Tian Yang looked at her and asked, ''Why are you so cold to Ks? He''s your fiance, no?''

    ''Sure, a fiance that was chosen by my family, and neither of us actually want to be with each other. Honestly, our engagement is bound to fail. Ks ran away from his family because he did not want to be tied down by our engagement, but if he hadn''t done so, I would''ve done it.''

    ''As for why I mess with him¡­ it''s just another means of entertainment. Even though he''s always cold towards others and seems unapproachable, many are aware that he''s actually a very kind man inside, but that''s exactly why we won''t ever work out. I am more interested in men who are reckless¡­ someone who is uncontroble, like that of a wild beast.''

    ''Is that so?'' Tian Yang responded nonchntly.

    Ren Xia narrowed her eyes at him, seemingly in deep thought.

 Chapter 1388 The Techniques Name

    Chapter 1388 The Technique''s Name

    ?1388  The Technique''s Name

    Half a month passed in the blink of an eye since Ks started studying the stone tablet. Ren Xia also stopped bothering Tian Yang and tried toprehend the stone tablet. Even though she wasn''t a Body Refiner, it would still benefit her greatly if she learned the technique.

    Tian Yang spent a week solidifying his cultivation and started studying the stone tablet as well, and it only took a week for him to learn the name of the technique engraved in the stone tablet.

    ''Golden Mountain Body Refinement¡­''

    As much as he wanted to continue learning the technique, he didn''t want to steal it from Ks, so he stopped studying the stone tablet after learning its name and returned to solidifying his cultivation.

    In the third week, Ks finally learned the technique''s name, but he only expressed disappointment afterward.

    ''This isn''t the technique I am looking for. Let''s head to the next one,'' he said to them through divine sense.

    ''In case you forgot, I won''t give you the information for free.'' Ren Xia reminded him.

    Ks red at her and sighed, ''What do you want from me?''

    A profound smile appeared on her face as she spoke, ''I want information on your friend. Tell me his real name and I will give you the location of the second stone tablet.''

    ''You fucking bitch! You want me to sell out my friend?! In your dreams!'' Ks was immediately enraged by Ren Xia''s demands.

    ''Why are you so angry? It''s just a name.'' Ren Xia calmly shook her head.

    ''Regardless, you already know his name, so why even bother asking?''

    ''Stop taking me for a fool, Ks. I know Xiao Yang is not his real name. If you are worried that I will sell him out to the Immortal Gu n, you need not worry, as I don''t particrly like them either.''

    ''And you expect me to believe you?''

    Since Ks and Ren Xia were talking to each other through divine sense, Tian Yang did not know what they were talking about, but he could tell that Ks was in a tough situation judging by the expression on his face.

    ''What kind of payment does she want?'' he decided to ask Ks.

    ''She wants me to tell her your real name.''

    "..."

    Tian Yang pondered for a moment before speaking, ''Go ahead, tell her.''

    ''Are you sure? What if she sells you out to the Immortal Gu n? Or the Seven Divine Sword Peaks?''

    ''It''s fine. They will learn of my identity sooner orter.''

    ''I understand¡­''

    After receiving his permission, Ks revealed Tian Yang''s real name to Ren Xia, who wore a bright smile on her face afterward.

    ''Tian Yang, huh? Cute name.'' Ren Xia spoke to Tian Yang in a teasing tone.

    ''The next location.'' Tian Yang red at her.

    ''Of course.''

    Ren Xia proceeded to guide them to the next location, which took three days of traveling on their flying treasure.

    The second location also had a stone tablet, but this one was slightly smaller than thest.

    Ks immediately took a seat and started studying the stone tablet. Tian Yang and Ren Xia did the same, but Tian Yang stopped after learning its name four dayster and focused on his cultivation.

    Two weekster, Ks learned its name and was met with disappointment again.

    ''What do you want as payment this time?'' Ks looked at Ren Xia.

    In response to his question, Ren Xia retrieved a scroll from her spatial ring and handed it to him with a calm smile on her face, ''I just need you to sign this.''

    Ks took the scroll and read it. Tian Yang could read some of the contents from his position and couldn''t help but take a peek.

    ''Agreement to dissolve engagement?! She wants to break their engagement?!'' Tian Yang swallowed nervously after realizing the situation.

    He nced at Ks'' face with curiosity, and to Tian Yang''s surprise, Ks was grinning from ear to ear. And without any hesitation, Ks signed the paper with his blood.

    ''He wasn''t joking about not wanting to marry her¡­'' Tian Yang thought to himself.

    Ks returned the paper to her a momentter and stated, ''Just so you know, even though I signed this paper, the ultimate decision rests with our family.''N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    ''This is good enough.'' Ren Xia said.

    After putting away the scroll, Ren Xia retrieved her flying treasure and led them to the final location.

    ''Just a reminder that this will be thest location that I know of.'' Ren Xia remarked.

    ''Okay.''

    A few dayster, they reached the third location, where a colossal statue featuring an animal resembling an elephant stood majestically.

    "Whoa..." Tian Yang couldn''t help but express his awe for the statue.

    "T-This might be it!" Ks'' entire being trembled in excitement when he saw the statue.

    He hastened towards the statue and began studying it intently. In contrast to the prior trials, the number of people examining this statue was several times greater, surpassing even the crowd at the stone sword.

    One week... two weeks... a month psed in the blink of an eye. However, Ks remained unable to learn the name of the technique.

    ''Please give me a little more time! I think this is the technique I have been looking for!'' Ks looked at Tian Yang.

    ''Take as much time as you need,'' he replied.

    ''Thank you!''

    Two more months passed. It had been three months since they arrived at the stone statue, but Ks was unable toprehend the name, let alone the technique.

    ''Fuck!'' Ks cursed inwardly with a defeated look on his face. He knew it wasn''t going to be easy, but he couldn''t have expected to be so powerless before it.

    ''Is this my limit? Am I not fated to learn this technique? Damn it all!'' he cursed inwardly as he looked at the sky with a disheartened expression.

    Eventually, he gave up and said, ''I''m done here.''

    ''Is this not the technique you were looking for?'' Tian Yang asked him as he seemed so sure of it at the beginning.

    ''I don''t know since I can''t even learn its name¡­'' he sighed.

    After a moment of silence, Tian Yang spoke, ''The technique is called Great Mammoth Body Refinement. Is this the technique?''

    "WHAT?!" Ks was so shocked when Tian Yang revealed the technique''s name that he expressed it out loud, disturbing the scene.

 Chapter 1389 Great Mammoth Body Refinement

    1389  Great Mammoth Body Refinement

    "Hey! Which son of a bitch shouted just now?! Are you looking for a fight?!!"

    "Fuck! I swear I was on the verge of understanding the technique''s name!"

    Ks'' loud voice quickly caused amotion with many people expressing their desire to fight him because of it. However, when they realized that their opponent was the young master of the Immortal Might n, their attitude took a 180 turn. They closed their mouths and returned to studying the stone statue, acting as though nothing had happened.

    "My apologies, everyone. It will not happen again." Ks did not forget to apologize to these people.

    Once the ce calmed down again and everyone returned to studying the stone statue, Ks looked at Tian Yang and asked him through divine sense, ''Did you say the technique''s name was Great Mammoth Body Refinement? Please tell me you''re not messing with me!''

    ''How would I know the technique''s name if I''m toying with you? It''s definitely Great Mammoth Body Refinement.'' Tian Yang confirmed.

    ''But how?''

    ''How? I don''t know how to exin it, but I studied the stone statue until I learned the technique''s name. Of course, I stopped immediately afterward since I didn''t want to take it away from you.''

    Ks swallowed nervously before asking him, ''A-And how long did it take you to learn the name?''

    ''I learned it on the 17th day,'' he calmly responded.

    ''It only took you a little over two weeks toprehend the name?'' Ks was speechless, as he was unable to do such a thing even after spending three entire months trying.

    ''Anyways, judging by your reaction, this is the technique you have been looking for, correct?'' Tian Yang asked.

    He nodded, ''Yes, this is the technique. Unfortunately, I am not fated to learn it.''

    Tian Yang looked at the stone statue with a pondering face. After a moment of silence, he said, ''What if I try to learn the technique and pass it down to you afterward? Of course, I cannot guarantee that I have what it takes to''

    "Will you really do that for me?!" Ks was so excited by Tian Yang''s words that he identally spoke out loud again, followed by hundreds of angry gazes.

    "S-Sorry. I will leave this ce now." Ks left the area before anyone could utter a word, feeling quite embarrassed by his uncontroble outbursts.Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    Once he was far away, Ks continued speaking with Tian Yang through divine sense, ''If you can really help me acquire the technique, I will give you my life!''

    Tian Yang smiled and calmly responded, ''There''s no need for such a thing, and you have already helped me enough. I''m not sure how long it will take for me to learn this technique, but I will start right now.''

    bender

    ''Take as much time as you need!''

    Sometimeter, Ren Xia asked Ks, ''Have you given up already?''

    ''Yes,'' he admitted.

    ''Then what about Tian Yang? He suddenly started to study the stone statue for real.''

    Ks exined the situation to her, ''I do not have what it takes to learn this technique, but he might have a chance. If he sessfully learns the technique, he will teach it to me, so we''ll be staying here a little longer. You can leave whenever you want, though.''

    Ren Xia''s eyes widened after learning of the situation, and she turned to look at Tian Yang with a pondering expression on her face.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Time passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, it had been two months since Tian Yang started studying the stone statue seriously.

    lightsvel On the 69th day, the stone statue, which had remained unchanged for an unknown duration, suddenly began exhibiting cracks throughout its massive body.

    Then, before everyone''s shocked gaze, the stone statue crumbled into a mountain of rubble.

    Ks stood up with a look of disbelief on his face as he mumbled in a dazed voice, "He really did it"

    Once people started snapping out of their daze, they immediately began looking for the person whoprehended the technique.

    "Who is it?! Who learned the technique?!"

    "Can you share the name of the technique?!"

    "I would like to purchase the technique! I have an offer that you will not be able to refuse!"

    However, since Tian Yang did not enter enlightenment or disy anything that would prove he learned the technique, nobody there except Ks and Ren Xia knew that fact.

    ''T-Tian Yang! Please tell me you were the one who learned the technique!'' Ks spoke in a desperate tone.

    Tian Yang didn''t respond to him with words but with a silent and calm smile. Seeing this, Ks immediately felt elevated, as though he was in heaven.

    After sneaking out of the crowd, Tian Yang and his group quickly disappeared without being noticed.

    Sometimeter, Tian Yang and his group settled in a secluded area where they were the only living beings in a thousand-

    mile radius.

    "I have the technique, but I don''t know how to teach it to you. Do you have any technique that will allow me to transfer my knowledge to you?" Tian Yang asked Ks.

    "Actually, I do. It''s called Technique Transmission, and I have the manual right here." Ks retrieved a scroll and handed it to him without hesitation.

    "Okay, let me learn this technique first then."

    Tian Yang proceeded to spend the next several hours learning the technique. Once he was prepared, he used Technique Transmission on Ks, transferring the technique of Great Mammoth Body Refinement to Ks.

    Upon confirming that he had indeed received the correct technique, Ks kowtowed before Tian Yang and eximed with sincerity, "Starting from this moment, we will be sworn brothers! Will you ept me as your sworn brother?"

    Tian Yang chuckled and said, "Why bother asking when you have already decided that we''ll be sworn brothers just like when you decided that we''ll be friends? Stand up, Brother Ks."

    "Thank you, Brother Tian!"

    "Unbelievable" Ren Xia was speechless.

    If forming a friendship with Ks seemed improbable, being acknowledged as sworn brothers with him was nothing short of a miracle. Yet, Tian Yang, someone who was not from any influential background, was able to achieve such a feat.

 Chapter 1390 Han Zexians Legacy

    1390  Han Zexian''s Legacy

    After learning the technique, Ks immediately sat down to cultivate.

    "Give me a few days," he said before closing his eyes and meditating.

    While they waited for him, Ren Xia suddenly spoke to Tian Yang through divine sense, ''Hey, there''s something I''d like to talk to you about.''bender

    ''What is it?'' Tian Yang looked at her.

    ''There''s this technique that I really want to learn, but I only managed to learn its name. Do you think you can try learning it for me? Of course, I willpensate you properly.''

    ''I don''t mind.''

    To Ren Xia''s surprise, Tian Yang agreed to help her without any trouble. In Tian Yang''s mind, he wasn''t losing out on anything since he would get paid to learn a new technique.

    ''Thank you! It''s only two days from here.''

    ''You can thank me after I learn the technique since it''s not guaranteed that I will learn it.''

    Tian Yang notified Ks about their ns before leaving the scene with Ren Xia.

    Two dayster, they arrived at another stone sword.

    ''The name of this technique is Ethereal Blossom Sword Dance.'' Ren Xia said to him, as it might help him understand the technique a little faster.

    Tian Yang nodded and started studying the stone sword shortly after.

    Two weekster, the stone sword copsed, signifying that someone had sessfully learned its technique.

    Ren Xia''s body trembled with delight when she saw this. As they made their way back to Ks, Tian Yang transferred the technique to Ren Xia.

    "What do you want for payment? If there''s anything you want, I will try to acquire it," said Ren Xia.

    Tian Yang pondered for a moment before responding, "Does any kind of payment work? What if I want you to do me a favor?"

    "That is fine, too."

    "Then can I save this payout for ater date when I need to use it? I cannot think of anything right now."

    Ren Xia reached for her spatial ring and retrieved a badge from it, handing it to Tian Yang the next moment.

    "This is my medallion. You can keep it until you can think of something."

    "Thanks."

    "I should be the one thanking you." Ren Xia showed him a beautiful smile, one that felt natural and genuine.

    When they returned to Ks, he was still in mediation. As they got closer, they could sense Ks'' aura more clearly, and it was iparably stronger than before.

    Ks opened his eyes when theynded, greeting them with a smile, "Wee back."

    "How do you like the technique?" Tian Yang asked him.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "I couldn''t have asked for anything better. This technique suits my physique perfectly, as if it was created for me."

    He turned to look at Ren Xia and asked, "So, what kind of technique did you smooch off my brother?"

    Ren Xia frowned at his choice of words and sneered, "Unlike a certain someone, I am going to pay for my technique with something that''s actually of value."

    "That''s natural. You''re just an annoying bitch leeching off him while I am his sworn brother."

    Two of them started arguing with each other at that point.

    Sometimeter, Tian Yang asked, "What should we do now?"

    "I don''t need anything else from this ce, so it''s up to you," said Ks.

    "I will have to regroup with my family soon so I have to leave." Ren Xia sighed.

    "I would like to learn more sword techniques, but I am also interested in the other trials. Unfortunately, we don''t have a map of this ce."

    lightsnvl Hearing his words, Ren Xia retrieved a piece of jade slip from her spatial ring and handed it to him.

    "This is an interactive map of this ce, so it''s constantly being updated with new information. Everyone from the Immortal ns has oneexpect this useless idiot over here who came to this ce alone." Ren Xia said as she nced at Ks.

    "Oh? In that case, you don''t need to give me yours, since I have Gu Lim''s spatial ring."

    He looked inside, and sure enough, there was the jade slip.

    "This is very helpful! Thank you!" Tian Yang was delighted after seeing the information within the jade slip. Their biggest headache was instantly solved by it.

    "W-Wait a minute. You have Gu Lim''s spatial ring? You know his family is tracking his location, right?" Ren Xia said, wondering how the Immortal Gu n hadn''t tracked him yet.

    "You don''t have to worry about that since I got rid of the tracker long ago," Ks said in a prideful tone. As a young master from the Immortal ns, he knew the way their families operated and that Gu Lim would have a tracker on him."

    "Is that so"

    Over the next several months, Tian Yang followed the map in the jade slip and learned as many sword techniques as he could. Ren Xia continued to follow them until she had to leave a few weeks into their journey.Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    While Tian Yang learned sword techniques, Ks spent his time mastering the Great Mammoth Body Refinement technique. Once Tian Yang was satisfied with the techniques he''d learned, he started training them on magical beasts. Even though everyone in the tomb was limited to peak Spirit King, there were magical beasts at the Spirit Emperor level.

    However, Tian Yang had Gu Lim''s treasures and learned several powerful techniques, allowing him to fight even early-

    level Spirit Emperor magical beasts with ease.

    In the blink of an eye, another year passed.

    During this time, Tian Yangpletely solidified his cultivation and increased his proficiency with his new techniques. If he were to encounter the Gold and Money Bandits in his current state, he would be able to wipe them out with little to no effort.

    Ks managed to increase his body size through the Great Mammoth Body Refinement technique, allowing him to grow several sizesrger, but his most impressive improvement was his raw strength.

    Furthermore, news of Han Zexian''s legacy being found had spread like wildfire, but it was sealed behind an indestructible door and nobody has been able to figure out how to open it.

 Chapter 1391 Han Zexians Legacy(2)

    1391  Han Zexian''s Legacy(2)

    "Hey, Brother Tian, want to check out Han Zexian''s legacy?" Ks suddenly suggested one day during their training.

    Tian Yang raised an eyebrow and said, "That ce is most likely crawling with people from the Immortal ns."

    "We don''t have to look at it closely."

    "We''ll only be going there to look at the sealed entrance, you know? As far as I know, nobody has been able to open it."

    "We are only a few hours away from it, so we might as well go take a look."

    "If you say so." Tian Yang nodded.

    Ks retrieved his flying treasure, and they set out toward Han Zexian''s legacy, following the directions provided by the jade slip.

    They stopped moving a few hourster when they encountered a massive mountain standing majestically in the middle of an empty in. This mountain was so incredibly conspicuous that it could be spotted from miles away, yet it wasn''t found by anyone until a year ago.

    However, those who have been to this specific area before swore that the mountain did not exist when they passed through this area over a year ago. Many spected that the mountain had appeared after a specific condition had been met, but that condition remains unknown to this day.

    Arge group of people were gathered at the base of this mountain, all of them surrounding a massive sealed door. This door seemed to be made from some sort of metal, and its color was pitch ck, as dark as the void.

    Suddenly, a dozen of these people flew into the air and started bombarding the mountain with powerful martial techniques, causing the entire ce to shake. The identities of the people in this group consisted of renowned experts from powerful families and sects, all of them having an Immortal cultivation base outside the tomb. Yet, no matter how much they attacked the mountain, they were unable to leave behind a scratch on the mountain, let alone destroy it.

    These experts stopped attacking after consuming all of their spiritual energy and rested for a few hours. Once they restored enough spiritual energy, they started bombarding the mountain again, using powerful treasures this time.

    "How long have they been doing this?" Tian Yang couldn''t help but wonder out loud.

    Ks shrugged, "Who knows, but knowing their stubborn nature, they''ve probably been at it for a long time now."

    "Hey, look over there. That annoying woman is there, as well." Ks pointed at the conspicuous beautiful youngdy in the crowd. Even in a sea of people, Ren Xia stood out like the mountain in front of her.bender

    "She looks bored." Tian Yang smiled.

    Suddenly, Tian Yang heard a familiar voice inside his head.

    ''You, who was qualified to find my legacy, approach the mountain.'' Han Zexian''s voice resounded, beckoning him to seek the legacy.

    Tian Yang swallowed nervously. Even if he wanted to approach the mountain, he couldn''t do so without being noticed by the Immortal ns.

    ''The Immortal Gu n must be aware of Gu Lim''s death by now. If I go there in my current appearance, they will, without a doubt, recognize me!''

    Unfortunately, he used up all of his Appearance Reforming Pills long ago.

    He turned to look at Ks, who was hisst hope, and asked, "Do you happen to have any Appearance Reforming Pills on you?"

    lightsvl m "Nope, I have never even touched one in my life." Ks immediately shook his head.

    "Why? Do you want to hide your face and take a closer look at the mountain?"

    "Well Han Zexian just spoke to me in my head, and he wants me to approach the mountain."

    "What?! If that''s true, you might be the key to opening the sealed doors!"<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "That won''t matter if I cannot even get close to it." Tian Yang sighed.

    Ks looked at the crowd again and said, "The Immortal Gu n is by the entrance, so it''ll be impossible for you to get close without being noticed by them."

    Tian Yang then said, "Even if I somehow manage to hide my face, having you by my side will still give my identity away. Forget it. We cane backter when the Immortal ns give up."

    "That will probably take years What if someone else takes the legacy before then?" Ks said with a bittersweet smile.

    "I''ll take my chances. Let''s return to training." Tian Yang said.

    "If you say so."

    However, just as Ks turned around and sped away, an invisible force stopped the flying treasure from moving.

    "Huh? What''s going on?" Ks was puzzled when the flying treasure came to an abrupt halt, and it was not as if it had run out of spiritual energy.

    "Did something happen?"

    "The flying treasure it''s"

    Before Ks could even finish his sentence, the invisible force pulled it, sending it flying toward the mountain.

    "What in heaven''s name?!"

    The flying treasure crashed into the mountain a momentter, and Tian Yang and Ks were knocked off it, falling to the ground andnding directly in front of the sealed doors.

    "Who dares?!" The Immortal ns were startled by their sudden and rough entrance.

    The experts there immediately released their pressure as a precaution.

    "W-Wait! It''s me!" Ks raised his hands and said.

    "You Aren''t you Ks from the Immortal Might n? What are you doing here?"

    The people there quickly recognized him.

    However, their focus on Ks was short-lived, as these experts quickly noticed that the sealed doors, which had remained closed for the past year regardless of their efforts, had inexplicably opened!

    The experts were so shocked by this phenomenon that they didn''t even bother giving Tian Yang a single nce and rushed to the doors.

    "The door to Han Zexian''s legacy has been opened!" The experts announced with excitement as they entered the door.

    However, the moment the first person to enter the door took a step inside, his entire body exploded into a bloody mess, terrifying the others behind him.

    "Sect Master Cheng!"

    "Oh, my heavens!"

    "What happened?!"N?velDrama.Org holds this content.

    Suddenly, Han Zexian''s voice resonated loudly, his anger reverberating through the surroundings, "Those whock the qualifications yet dare to seek my legacy will be met with a swift death!"

 Chapter 1392 Consequences

    Chapter 1392 Consequences

    ?1392  Consequences

    After Han Zexian''s warning, the experts who were prepared to enter the mountain immediately jumped back, distancing themselves from the opened doors that were smeared with blood.

    Sect Master Cheng, who was a Silver Immortal, was instantly killed without any warnings. Seeing such a shocking scene, nobody else dared to enter the mountain.

    "Fuck¡­ if I had been first to enter¡­" The experts that were following behind Sect Master Cheng began sweating profusely as they imagined themselves dying an explosive death.

    "This must''ve been a trap! The door wouldn''t open no matter what we did, yet it suddenly opened out of the blue. I don''t believe in such coincidences."

    "But we cannot ignore the qualification that Han Zexian spoke of."

    "How does one even receive qualification?"

    The experts racked their brains trying to find an answer. However, none of them could think of any logical exnation for their current situation.

    Suddenly, one of them turned to look at Ks with narrowed eyes, "Now that I think about it, the door unsealed itself when Ks smacked into the mountain with his flying treasure. Do you think he activated a switch by ident?"

    "We''ve been smacking the damn mountain nonstop for the past few months, leaving no spot untouched! Are you telling me that we somehow missed a spot? That''s highly improbable!"

    "Why did you even smash into the mountain in the first ce, Ks?" One of them asked.

    "Honestly, I have no idea. I was passing through this area when an invisible force stopped my flying treasure, and before I knew it, I was flying into the mountain." Ks shrugged.

    Hearing this, the experts started mumbling to each other again.

    Sometimeter, someone in the crowd suddenly shouted, "P-

    Patriarch Gu! That person beside Ks! It''s him! He''s the one who killed Young Master Gu Lim!"

    "What?! Are you sure?!" One of the experts snapped his head to re at Tian Yang with immense killing intent spewing out of his eyes.

    ''Oh, shit¡­'' Tian Yang swallowed nervously when he realized that he''d been identified as Gu Lim''s killer.

    "T-This bastard! If I had known he was Gu Lim''s killer, I would''ve killed him at that time!" Another expert suddenly eximed as he pointed at Tian Yang. This person was the Sect Master of the Seven Divine Sword Peaks, who wanted to acquire the technique Limitless Sword Domain from Tian Yang.

    "Ks! Why are you with the man who killed Gu Lim?!" A middle-aged man who resembled him stepped forward with a deep frown on his face.

    "Young Master Ks was also there when that man killed Young Master Gu Lim! In fact, they were fighting each other before it happened!" Another person suddenly revealed.

    "What?! Ks, is this true?! Are you involved with Gu Lim''s death?!" His father was enraged when he heard this.

    Ks found himself bombarded with questions,pounded by the various pressures bearing down on him. Even if he desired to respond, he couldn''t muster the ability to open his mouth in such a situation.

    However, Tian Yang was different, and he managed to keep a calm expression on his face even in his situation.

    "Indeed, I am responsible for killing Gu Lim." Tian Yang announced in a somewhat prideful tone. "While it''s true that Ks was fighting with Gu Lim before I killed him, he had no intention of actually harming Gu Lim. It was solely my decision to kill Gu Lim, who mocked me."

    ''Brother Tian! What are you doing?!'' Ks looked at him with wide eyes as he spoke through divine sense.

    ''What do you mean? I already said that I would im all responsibilities. Don''t even try to protect me or I will never call you brother again,'' Tian Yang showed a calm smile on his face.

    "How dare you speak of killing my son with a smile on your face?! I will fucking kill you!" Patriarch Gu roared in anger as he abruptly charged at Tian Yang.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    Under normal circumstances, Tian Yang wouldn''t stand a chance against the patriarch of an Immortal n, but with Patriarch Gu''s cultivation limited to peak Spirit King, Tian Yang managed to not only dodge the strike but even counterattack.

    ''Limitless Sword Domain!''

    Ten majestic swords materialized around Tian Yang and immediately went after Patriarch Gu. After training the technique tirelessly for an entire year, he managed to increase the number of swords he could create from four to ten.

    Patriarch Gu didn''t dare to underestimate the technique after sensing its formidable aura, but he still failed to block all ten swords. After blocking nine swords, one of them managed to slip through his defenses, severing half of his left arm.

    "Fuck! You little shit!" Patriarch Gu''s aura exploded and his eyes turned red.

    However, even after the sessful attack, Tian Yang was unable to rest for a second because the Sect Master of the Seven Divine Sword Peaks hadunched a sneak attack from behind him.

    Tian Yang did not try to block it and evaded it instead. After narrowly dodging the sneak attack, Tian Yang rushed toward the entrance to Han Zexian''s legacy.

    ''Thank you for everything, Brother Ks. If it weren''t for you, I would''ve died on that day. If I manage to get out of this alive, I will definitely repay you.'' Tian Yang mumbled as he flew past Ks.

    "That bastard is heading for the entrance!"

    "He''s trying to suicide! Stop him! I won''t be satisfied until I personally skin him alive!" Patriarch Gu shouted.

    However, none of the experts dared to approach the entrance, as Han Zexian''s warning still resounded in their heads. Even Patriarch Gu, who was desperate, couldn''t move his body out of fear.

    Without hesitation, Tian Yang entered the entrance, disappearing inside the mountain.

    "What?! Why didn''t he die?!"

    "That bastard! He must''ve acquired the qualifications!"

    "Is that why the door suddenly opened?! He was the cause this whole time?!"

    A momentter, Tian Yang''s voice resounded from inside the mountain, "Come chase after me if you dare, you fucking losers! Fuck the Immortal ns! Fuck the Seven Divine Sword Peaks! I will acquire Han Zexian''s legacy and kill all of you bastards! Just you bastards wait!"

    Tian Yang''s words left the experts enraged, but before they could curse back, the door to the mountain sealed shut again, cutting his connection with the rest of the world.

    "I swear upon my surname that I will not let you leave this ce alive!" Patriarch Gu roared as he punched the sealed doors so hard that he broke his knuckles.

    Sometimeter, once the atmosphere calmed down a little, the experts turned to look at Ks with deep frowns on their faces, looking as though they were staring at a scapegoat.

    "Ks, you will answer all of our questions if you value your life."

    "You will tell us everything you know about that bastard and how he acquired the qualifications to enter the mountain!"

    "I will torture you for answers if I have to! Don''t think your status can save you now!"

    Hearing such words, Ks looked at his father for help, but s, he only received a disappointed head shake in response. Even if he was the Immortal Might n''s young master, there was nothing his father could do to help him without receiving bacsh from the other ns.

    ''I''m sorry, son, but we cannot afford to offend everyone here. You may hate me for not protecting you, but this is a mess you created, so you will have to bear the consequences.'' Ks'' father decided to abandon him so that the rest of the family wouldn''t be targeted by the others. As the head of the family, he had a duty to prolong the family, even if he had to sacrifice his own son to do so.

    Thus, Patriarch Gu and several other experts dragged Ks to a secluded location, where they would interrogate him using all sorts of unspeakable methods for a long, long time.

    Meanwhile, unaware of the situation outside, Tian Yang walked deeper into the mountain, embraced by the surrounding darkness. Soon, a dim light appeared in the distance, and as he got near the light, a childish voice resounded.

    "Master, it''s been six hours. The next trial will begin shortly." Tian''er said, snapping Yuan out of his memories and back to the present.

    He stood up with a profound look on his face and said, "You can start the trial now."

 Chapter 1393 A Truly Priceless Treasure

    Chapter 1393 A Truly Priceless Treasure

    ?1393  A Truly Priceless Treasure

    <You have started your second trial in the Stairway to Heaven>

    As the second trialmenced, Yuan found himself teleported to a vast, emptynd. There was nothing in sight except for a treeline that surrounded him several miles away, with nothing between him and the trees.

    <Defeat as many opponents as you can in six hours>

    <Your reward will correspond with the number of opponents you have defeated>

    [Tier 1: 0/100]

    [Tier 2: 0/1,000]

    [Tier 3: 0/10,000]

    [Tier 4: 0/100,000]

    [Tier 5: 0/1,000,000]

    Yuan''s eyes widened with shock when he saw how many opponents he needed to defeat for the Tier 5 reward.

    "A million?! In just six hours?!" he expressed his disbelief out loud.

    The very next moment, he could see thousands of figuresing out of the treeline, and they charged at him like a hoard of monsters.

    When Yuan saw the appearance of these people, he immediately frowned, and his aura gushed with killing intent.

    These individuals bore the unmistakable appearance of bandits. They were none other than the Gold and Money Bandits, a group that he despised to the very core of his soul.

    Each of these bandits emitted the cultivation of a Divine Warrior, from the first level all the way to the peak of Divine Warrior.

    Yuan took a deep breath and flew into the air, stopping only when he was right beneath the clouds.

    The bandits chased him into the air. Even though Yuan was surrounded by thousands of Divine Warrior bandits in every direction, he remainedposed with a nonchnt expression on his face.

    After taking a deep breath, he waved his sleeves and used a sword technique that he''d recently remembered.

    [Limitless Sword Domain]

    In the blink of an eye, two thousand swords materialized in the air, covering the entire sky. Even Han Zexian was only able to create several hundred swords at his peak as a Golden Immortal. Yet, Yuan had managed to create twice as many while only being a Spirit King. Furthermore, each of his swords was embued with Enhanced Sword Aura, so they were also iparably much stronger.

    "Limitless Sword, First Domain: Endless Sword Stream."

    The two thousand swords began to dance in the sky, attacking the bandits relentlessly.

    [Tier 3: 1,230/,10,000]

    In just a few seconds, Yuan effortlessly ughtered over a thousand bandits, and as he defeated a bandit, another one would appear from the treeline, so he had an endless supply of bandits to experience his wrath.

    [Tier 4: 19,213/100,000]

    [Tier 4: 39,716/100,000]

    [Tier 4: 69,532/100,000]

    lights¦­¦Ïv¦Ål ?¦Ïm [Tier 5: 101,987/1,000,000]

    Yuan had reached thest tier of rewards in only twenty minutes, achieving it much quicker than he''d expected.

    "I willplete the trial in a little over three hours at this rate. The Limitless Sword Domain is much stronger than I anticipated. Although it consumes a tremendous amount of spiritual energy, I have no problem keeping it up for three hours."

    [Limitless Sword Domain]

    [Rank: Mythic]

    [Mastery: Level 1]

    [Description: Consumes 25,000 Qi per second for every sword created using this technique. Overwhelm your enemies with sheer numbers and unfathomable strength! Increase the damage of each sword by 1% for every sword active.]

    If it weren''t for Yuan''s monstrous cultivation speed, he wouldn''t have been able to maintain the technique for more than just a few minutes.

    Of course, this doesn''t mean Yuan was stronger than someone at the Golden Immortal realm. One''s understanding of the sword also contributed to the number of swords they could create using Limitless Sword Domain, and Yuan''s sword mastery simply outssed Han Zexian. And while Yuan''s spiritual energy capacity may be nowhere near Han Zexian''s capacity as a Golden Immortal, his cultivation speed made up for the disparity as long as he didn''t create too many swords at once.

    As long as he doesn''t control over 2,000 swords at once, he would have no problem maintaining the technique for an eternity.

    A little over three hourster, the green scenery turned into that of a horror scene where countless corpses piled as high as mountains with the bottom submerged in a sea of blood.

    [Tier 5: 999,999/1,000,000]

    After killing the 999,999th bandit, the atmosphere became quiet as no more bandits spawned. However, a threatening presence appeared a momentter, and a single figure emerged from the sea of blood.

    This person looked exactly like the Gold and Money Bandit''s leader, and he had the cultivation of a 3rd level Divine Master.

    Yuan nced at the Bandit Leader with a disdainful look on his face.

    He raised his hand toward the heavens and muttered in a cold voice, "Limitless Sword, Second Domain: Descending Sword God."

    The two thousand swords suddenly merged into a giant sword.

    When Yuan struck his hand down in the Bandit Leader''s direction, the giant sword descended from the sky with unfathomable pressure and prowess.

    Seeing this, the Bandit Leader released all of his cultivation and swung at the iing sword, creating a powerful de made of Saber Aura. However, since the giant sword was strengthed with Enhanced Sword Aura, the Bandit Leader''s Saber Aura was powerless against it and shattered like thin ice.

    The giant sword crushed the Bandit Leader''s figure the very next second, leaving nothing behind.

    <Yourprehension of Limitless Sword Domain has improved tremendously!>

    <Limitless Sword Domain Mastery Level (1) -> (2)>N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    <You have defeated 1,000,000 bandits and cleared the trial>

    An orb of light appeared in front of Yuan a momentter.

    This orb of light slowly approached Yuan, but it didn''t enter his body like usual. The orb of light stopped right in front of Yuan and began weakening its glow until it revealed the treasure hidden within.

    Yuan''s eyes widened with shock when he saw this treasure that was a single ring.

    He quickly grabbed the ring and pressed it against his chest, embracing it.

    [Huang Xiao Li''s Spatial Ring]

    [Grade: Spirit]

    [Description: An ordinary spatial ring owned by Huang Xiao Li.]

    Even though the reward may seem insignificant and pointless to most people, it was a priceless and irreceable treasure in Yuan''s eyes, and he wouldn''t ask for a better reward even if he could.

 Chapter 1394 Fourth Heaven

    1394  Fourth Heaven

    After clearing the second trial, Yuan was teleported back to Tian''er, who greeted him with a gentle smile, "Congrattions, Master, you have cleared the Stairway to Heaven and acquired the qualifications to enter the Fourth Heaven."

    <Congratluations, you have sessfully passed all trials in the Stairway to Heaven!>

    <You have gained ess to the Fourth Heaven, Mystic Heaven>

    Meanwhile, an announcement was made for the yers.

    <Congrattions! yer Yuan has be the first yer to ascend to ''Fourth Heaven'' through the Stairway to Heaven!>

    <Because of yer Yuan''s efforts, ''Mystic Heaven'' has re-

    established its connection with ''Profound Heaven'', allowing ess for all yers!>

    <All yers may now enter the Stairway to Heaven and ascend to Fourth Heaven without any restrictions!>

    "It''s yer Yuan again! He''s the first one to climb the Stairway to Heaven again!"

    "How long has it been since we gained ess to the Third Heaven? The majority of us are still struggling in the Second Heaven! He''s climbing way too fast!"

    lightsvel "The disparity between yer Yuan and the rest of the yer base has drastically widened once again!"

    Those from the Ten Great Families could only grit their teeth in anger upon seeing the announcement.

    Meanwhile, somewhere within the Ninth Heaven, also known as Supreme Heaven, the Celestial Emperor stared at the screen before him.

    "yer Yuan again, huh? What a pity that such a talent was born in that world. Who knows what he would''ve achieved by now if he had been born in the Nine Heavens? But if you keep progressing this fast, you will ruin everything I had nned, and I won''t be able to stop myself from interfering."

    After pondering for a moment in silence, the Celestial Emperor muttered in an authoritative tone, "Initiate system update."

    <Confirm System Update>

    "Confirm."

    <System Update initiated>

    A few minutester, a notification appeared before every yer online.

    <There will be a System Update in 24 hours. The update will take approximately 3 days. Cultivation Online will not be essible during this time.>

    This notification immediately caused an uproar within the yer base.

    "What? System update? This is the first time something like this has happened since the game was released!"

    "What kind of update? Why doesn''t it specify?"

    "This update is happening right after yer Yuan reaches the Fourth Heaven. This cannot be a coincidence."

    "I cannot y Cultivation Online for three whole days?! What the hell am I supposed to do in the meantime?! This game has consumed my life!"

    Inside the Stairway to Heaven, Yuan looked at the notification with a slight frown on his face. Since he knew the true nature of Cultivation Online, he wasn''t as optimistic as the others.

    "Then I''ll see youter," Yuan said to Tian''er before leaving the Stairway to Heaven with the others.

    After leaving the Stairway to Heaven, Yuan and his group found themselves in the middle of nowhere once again.

    Yuan looked at Xi Meili and said, "Something urgent came up, so we will have to leave for a few days."

    "Huh? What happened?" Xi Meili asked.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Yuan took this chance to try something out and said, "There will be a system update, so we, yers, cannot log in for three days in 24 hours."

    Xi Meili had a somewhat dazed look on her face after hearing his words. Then, after a moment of silence, she calmly responded, "Don''t worry, I will wait for you to finish your business."

    "You''re not going to ask about the system update and why we have to be gone?" Yuan pressed further.N?velDrama.Org holds this content.

    "I''m sure you''ll exin it to me once you are ready." Xi Meili said, acting very natural.

    ''I really need to figure out a way to remove this curse'' Yuan sighed inwardly.

    "We''ll leave after we arrive at a city," he said a momentter.

    Before they started their journey, Yuan approached Chu Liuxiang.

    "What''s up?" she asked.

    Yuan retrieved Huang Xiao Li''s spatial ring and offered it to her, "I want you to have this."

    "Eh? T-This is?"

    Chu Liuxiang was taken aback when she was suddenly offered a ring, as it looked like Yuan was proposing to her.

    "This is something akin to the sword I gave Li Jinxi, as it belongs to you. Sorry, it''s nothing fancy."

    "I don''t know what this is about, but thank you! I will treasure it!" Chu Liuxiang epted the ring with a bright smile on her face.

    Meixiu looked at them with a pondering expression on her face, wondering if she''d receive something as well.

    Sometimeter, they found a city and entered it.

    "Then we''ll see you in about three days," Yuan said to Xi Meili after renting a hotel room for her.

    "I''ll take this time to cultivate since it''s been a while." She nodded.

    Yuan and the others logged off shortly after.

    Upon returning to their own world, Yuan gathered the others to talk about the uing system update.

    "What do you think they are going to update?" Wang Ming asked.

    "Since it''s called a system update, I think they''ll readjust the system or something along that line." Shi Lang spected.

    "Whatever it is, I''m pretty confident that it has something to do with Yuan." Wang Xiuying said as she looked at him. "There''s no way it''s a coincidence that this is happening right after you reached the Fourth Heaven."

    Yuan nodded, "I also think this update has something to do with me, but until we see the changes, we won''t know for sure why."

    "I am going to speak with the Lord to see if he has any opinions," he added.

    Sometimeter, Liya showed up at his mansion to guide Yuan.

    "You''ve returned much quicker than I anticipated. Did something happen?" The Lord asked him upon his arrival.

    He nodded, "There''s a system update for Cultivation Online. We don''t know the details, and we won''t be able to enter Cultivation Online for three days."

    The Lord fell silent with a pondering face.

    A few minutester, he spoke, "Since it''s rted to the system itself, it was most likely caused by the Celestial Emperor. Unfortunately, even I cannot tell you what he has nned."bender

 Chapter 1395 Two Options

    1395  Two OptionsN?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    "The Celestial Emperor, huh?" Yuan had a feeling that the Celestial Emperor was the culprit since he was the one who created Cultivation Online.

    ''It seems like I am fated to cross paths with the Celestial Emperor even in this life'' he sighed inwardly.

    "Anyways, ignoring the update, I have reached the Fourth Heaven, so I will be heading to the Shadow Realm soon to find a soul to bring back."

    The Lord nodded and said, "Regarding the situation, I have learned some new information on why it is getting harder for me to maintain the formation."

    "Oh? What''s causing it?" Yuan raised an eyebrow.

    "I should''ve anticipated this sooner, but unsurprisingly, Cultivation Online is the cause. When someone enters Cultivation Online, a part of their soul travels outside the formation to reach the Nine Heavens. But that''s not all, since their soul has to return once they log off. With so many people entering Cultivation Online every day, it''s slowly damaging the formation, hence why it consumes more spiritual energy than usual." The Lord exined their situation.

    "Unfortunately, this information doesn''t change our situation since there''s nothing we can do to stop these people from ying Cultivation Online."

    Yuan nodded, agreeing with the Lord. Nobody would believe them even if they revealed the truth to the rest of the world. After all, who would believe that a video game would result in 17:44

    After all, who would believe that a video game would result in the end of the world?

    Meanwhile, somewhere within the upper area of the Dragon Spiral Mountain, Xiong Lu stood with his hands behind his back as he nervously stared at the cold-looking middle-aged man seated in front of him.

    The middle-aged man was Xiong Chengxuan, the head of the Xiong Family and also Xiong Lu''s father.

    Xiong Chengxuan ced the report in his hands down and looked at Xiong Lu with a cold and disappointed gaze, "So you mean to tell me, not only did you fail to befriend yer Yuan, who is arguably the most powerful individual in Cultivation Online, but you even offended him and waged war against him?"

    BAM!

    Xiong Chengxuan mmed the table so hard that it split into two halves.

    "ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR FUCKING MIND?!" he roared, causing the air to tremble.

    "?!?!?!" Xiong Lu was shocked by his father''s reaction.

    "W-Why are you so upset, father?! He may be powerful, but he''s just a single person without any backing! He''s a nobody in the real world!"

    "A nobody? Are you seriously saying that?" Xiong Chengxuan narrowed his eyes.

    Seeing his father''s response made Xiong Lu ponder if Yuan had a secret background that he didn''t know of.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "He''s just the adopted son of a fallen family! Even that family isn''t much during its prime days!"

    Xiong Chengxuan shook his head and sighed, "I didn''t know I had given birth to such a dumb son. You disappoint me, Xiong Lu."

    "W-What? Stupid? Me?" Xiong Lu''s expression froze with shock, as this was his first time being insulted in such a manner by his father.

    "Look around youthe current situation of our world. This world is no longer the same as it was a year ago! Cultivation Online is no longer just a video game! The treasures and techniques we acquire in Cultivation Online will also affect this world! Those who continue to see Cultivation Online as a mere video game will be left behind by the rest of the rapidly evolving world!"bender

    "As the cultivation scene in our world continues to advance, the power bnce in our world will also evolve! In the future, influence and power will held to a different standard, and those who are at the top of the cultivator world will, undoubtedly, mize it all, just like Cultivation Online! In fact, we are already starting to see such a change."

    "The Legacy Families are slowly losing power and influence to these guilds and ns that focus on cultivation. Why do you think everyone is desperately trying to increase their cultivation and acquire cultivation techniques nowadays? Because it''s entertaining? Because it''s something new? No! It''s because their future depends on it!"

    lightsnvl "T-This is" Xiong Lu was left speechless by his father''s view of the situation of the world. He realized that the world was changing, but he was short-sighted and failed to see the bigger picture.

    Ding.

    Xiong Chengxuan''s cell phone suddenly pinged, catching his attention.

    "yer Yuan has just reached the Fourth Heaven," Xiong Chengxuan announced what he had just seen on his phone.

    "What?!" Xiong Lu expressed his shock upon learning of this information.

    Xiong Chengxuan looked at him and continued, "While the rest of the world is still struggling in the First and Second Heavens, yer Yuan, all by himself, reached the Fourth Heaven. His ess to treasures and techniques is iparably better than the rest of us. Furthermore, this gap between him and the rest of the world will only continue to widen."

    "You say that yer Yuan has no backing, yet he''s clearly on friendly terms with the Bai Family, and he''s closely being watched by the Cultivators'' Association, which is rapidly growing in power and influence. It''s only a matter of time before yer Yuan bes the most powerful individual in this world as well."

    "Now tell me, Xiong Lu, do you regret your actions?" Xiong Chengxuan asked.

    After a moment of silence, Xiong Lu nodded his head.

    "Then you will fix this problem you caused. If you cannot befriend him, then you can only crush him before he grows too powerful and bes a problem for our family in the future." Xiong Chengxuan said in a cold voice.

    "What?" Xiong Lu''s eyes widened with shock after hearing such words. He didn''t think his father would suggest crushing Yuan after praising him so much. However, it did make sense. If a wild dog cannot be tamed before it bes too powerful to control, they can only get rid of that dog before its bite bes too dangerous.

    "It just so happens that yer Yuan is currently living in the Dragon Spiral Mountain, so you can visit him right away. Although I did give you two options, I suggest you try the first option before opting for the second one." Xiong Chengxuan said a momentter.

    "Yes!" Xiong Lu replied with a resolute face.

 Chapter 1396 Deviant Bloods

    1396  Deviant Bloods

    After receiving his father''s orders, Xiong Lu left to ponder about his decision.

    ''Fuck, what should I do now?''

    Due to his immense pride, Xiong Lu found it incredibly difficult to forgive Yuan, who spat in his face, as well as ruining his image and damaging his reputation before his colleagues.

    Xiong Lu was someone who did not know defeat and stood above the majority of people in the world ever since birth. He always dominated every ranking of every game that he''s ever touched, and he was always in the spotlight. However, things have changed since the introduction of Cultivation Online, the most popr game in history by far.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    Due to Cultivation Online''s poprity and exciting gamey, Xiong Lu had never felt a stronger desire to dominate everyone else. Unfortunately, due to the appearance of yer Yuan, someone nobody knew about, his presence within Cultivation Online might as well be nonexistent.

    No matter what he did or how much money he spent on the game, he could not seem to catch up to yer Yuan, who was achieving seemingly impossible feats left and right as though it was normal gamey.

    This caused Xiong Lu to fall into depression for some time until he met Zhaohui, an Exile, who pulled him out of the darkness and gave him a chance to catch up to Yuan.

    Things got better from that point. He acquired powerful treasures and techniques that even he couldn''t purchase with money, and his cultivation soared with the guidance of Zhaohui, who imed to be an immortal cultivator.

    Everything looked great for Xiong Lu until Yuan showed up with an even stronger Exile, ughtering Zhaohui, his only hope of surpassing Yuan. It was at this point that Xiong Lu vowed topletely and utterly destroy Yuan, no matter the cost. Thus, he cooked up a n to destroy Yuan with the help of his colleagues.

    After gathering hundreds of Exiles, Xiong Lu was confident that he would finally be able to deal with Yuan, but as though fate was purposefully messing with him, not only did he fail to destroy Yuan, but he suffered an embarrassing defeat at the hands of Yuan, even dying for the first time.

    After recalling everything that Yuan had done to him, the anger dormant within him awakened, spewing forth like a volcanic eruption.

    lightsvel "You want me to lower my head and act like nothing happened? Never! I''d rather die than lower myself to that bastard who took everything from me!" Xiong Lu clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, his eyes filled with resolution.

    He immediately retrieved his phone and started dialing a certain number.

    A voice answered after a few rings, "What do you want?"

    "I want your strongest fightersall of them!"bender

    "We have 1 who recently entered Spirit Master and 8 peak Spirit Warriors. What kind of job is this?"

    "The kind that makes someone disappear." Xiong Lu responded in a cold voice.

    "..."

    After a brief moment of silence, the voice returned, "Very well. Who''s the target? We''ll calcte the price based on the difficulty."

    "yer Yuanalso known as Yu Tian."<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "?!?!?!"

    The person behind the phone was left terrified after hearing Yuan''s name.

    "You want us to assassinate Yu Tian?! Fuck! Do you not remember what happened to the Young Master of the Zheng Family after he hired a hit on Yu Tian?! He was annihted

    along with the group that epted the job! This is suicide! You might as well ask us to kill ourselves!"

    Only a few people know of the truth behind Zheng Wemin''s disappearance to this day.

    Xiong Lu sneered, "Hmph! Zheng Wemin failed because he hired a bunch of useless trash! Are you telling me that the Deviant Bloods areparing themselves to such nobodies?!"

    After a moment of silence, the person said, "We don''t have any intel on Yu Tian ever since he entered the Dragon Spiral Mountain. However, we do have some intel on those living with him. The people staying with him are from families that used to live in seclusion, only revealing themselves recently. There are also rumors that these families already knew the existence of cultivation and had been cultivating years before Cultivation Online''s creation."

    "So what?" Xiong Lu sneered.

    "Just this knowledge alone will increase the difficulty to the max. We don''t know our opponent''s prowess, and with what happened to Zheng Wemin, I do not think the others will ept this mission"

    "A nk check." Xiong Lu suddenly interrupted.

    "Excuse me?" The voice sounded dumbfounded.

    "I will give a nk check to anyone that dares to go after Yu Tian. Tell them that, and call me once you have an answer." Xiong Lu hung up without waiting for a response.

    To give a nk check was essentially to give the workers as much money as they wanted, which could easily go south, especially with money-hungry assassins, but Xiong Lu was prepared to spend millionseven billions of dors if he could get rid of Yuan.

    While he waited for the call back from the Deviant Bloods, an extremely dangerous and ruthless group of elite assassins, Xiong Lu decided to take a look at Yuan''s residence.

    However, not even two minutes after he left his house and started making his way down the mountain, Xiong Lu noticed a group of individuals quickly approaching from behind.

    He turned around to see a group of young men and women walking down the mountain in ragged clothes, looking worse than even beggars. They also appeared to be injured with bruises all over their body.

    However, as a cultivator, Xiong Lu could instantly tell that this group of young men and women were actually powerful cultivators just from their formidable aura alone.

    ''T-This aura Spirit Grandmasters?! Impossible! How can they already be Spirit Grandmasters when they look to be around my age?!'' Xiong Lu was in disbelief, as he was only a Spirit Warrior himself after cultivating with a Divine-rank cultivation technique.

    ''But their aura is unmistakably that of a Spirit Grandmaster! Where did such monsterse from?! How did they reach that level so quickly? Moreover, where are theying from?! We are already at the top of the mountain, and my Xiong Family is located closest to the peak with nobody living any closer!'' Xiong Lu pondered to himself, wearing a deep frown on his face.

 Chapter 1397 A Group of Spirit Grandmasters

    Chapter 1397 A Group of Spirit Grandmasters

    ?1397  A Group of Spirit Grandmasters

    Xiong Lu stared at the approaching group of young men and women with a look of disbelief. While he researched the people around Yuan, he only knew their names and had never seen their faces before, so he didn''t know they belonged to the Demon Sealing Faction.

    "E-Excuse me!" Xiong Lu subconsciously called out to them once they were close enough.

    "Huh? What do you want?" Wang Ming asked with a slight frown on his face, as he was in a bad mood after their tortuous training.

    "Where are you guysing from? I thought the Xiong Family lives closest to the mountain''s peak." Xiong Lu asked.

    "We came from the peak, but why do you care?"

    "The peak?! Does that mean you''ve met the lord of this mountain before?!" Xiong Lu was shocked to learn this information, as even his father had never seen the Lord before.

    "Ah, I''m too tired for this. I''ll return first." Chu Liuxiang said before suddenly flying into the air and disappearing from the scene.

    "?!?!" Xiong Lu''s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. This was his first time witnessing someone fly outside of Cultivation Online. In fact, he didn''t even know it was possible.

    ''I wasn''t mistaken! They are really Spirit Grandmasters!'' Xiong Lu cried inwardly after confirming it.

    "If there''s nothing else, we will leave." Wang Ming said a momentter.

    "W-Wait! Just one more question! Are you guys really Spirit Grandmasters? How did you reach that level so quickly?!" Although he already knew the answer, he needed to hear it from their mouths topletely believe it.

    "So what if we are Spirit Grandmasters? And since that is two questions, I will only answer the first one."

    "I will pay you!" Xiong Lu suddenly blurted out.

    "Huh?" Wang Ming raised his eyebrows.

    "If you help me reach Spirit Grandmaster as well, I will pay you a billion dors! If you think I am joking, my name is Xiong Lu, heir of the Xiong Family! I will even sign a contract!" Xiong Lu said, appearing quite desperate.

    "The Xiong Family?" Wang Ming and the others muttered in a low voice, as if they were recalling something.

    A smile appeared on Xiong Lu when he saw this. If they recognized his family, it would make negotiations much easier for him.

    However, what came out of Wang Ming and the others'' mouths a momentter left Xiong Lu in shambles.

    "No wonder why I found you unpleasant even though we''ve never met before. It turned out you were Xiong Lu, the arrogant bastard who threatened to destroy Yuan." Wang Ming narrowed his eyes at Xiong Lu.

    "To threaten one of, if not the most powerful cultivators in this world with that pathetic cultivation base, you must have a death wish." Shi Lang chuckled.N?velDrama.Org holds this content.

    "Hey, I dare you to attack us, the Demon Sealing Faction. It''ll finally give me an excuse to test out my training results practically." Hong Xiuquan said.

    "Y-You''re with the Demon Sealing Faction?!" Xiong Lu felt his heart sink after learning this information.

    Naturally, he has heard of the Demon Sealing Faction, a small yet elite faction led by none other than Yuan. Countless people have applied to the faction, but only a single individual has managed to join their ranks since their creation.

    However, ording to his informationwork, everyone within the Demon Sealing Faction was only at the Spirit Warrior level about a year ago. How did they manage to reach Spirit Grandmaster in such a short time? It was a speed that would be terrifying even inside Cultivation Online, let alone the real world.

    Li Jinxi suddenly stepped forward and red at Xiong Lu with subtle killing intent, mumbling, "Should I just get rid of him right now to prevent future trouble?"

    "W-What?!" Xiong Lu''s entire body trembled in fear after sensing the increasingly strong murderous intenting from Li Jinxi''s gaze.

    However, he quickly recalled the rules of the mountain and eximed, "You wouldn''t dare! Do you even know where we are?! The Dragon Spiral Mountain forbids harming other tenants, and we are right in front of my family''s residence! Do you not fear the Lord''s wrath?!"

    It was rumored that the Lord of the Dragon Spiral Mountain was actually a cultivator, a powerful one at that. There had been conflicts within the Dragon Spiral Mountain before, but the troublemakers all vanished without a trace shortly after.

    "The Lord? I''m sure he would overlook the disappearance of some bastard that threatened Yuan." Wang Bingbing smiled.

    "I would even wager the Lord dealing with you himself if he knew about it. He owes Yuan a great amount, after all." Wu Zao chuckled.

    Xiong Lu subconsciously stepped back after learning that Yuan had a close connection with the Lord of the Dragon Spiral Mountain.

    "P-Please wait a moment! I acknowledge that I had threatened Yuan, but it was done out of sheer anger, and I don''t have the intention to follow through with it!"

    In the presence of nearly a dozen Spirit Grandmasters, Xiong Lu''s fleeting courage, which had manifested moments ago, dissipated like wisps of smoke. Despite his earlier deration that he would prefer death over submission, it became apparent that beneath his facade of bravado, he was but a timid soul, relying on the shield of his family''s influence to feign a lofty demeanor.

    "I swear! I will never harm Yuan!"

    However, Wang Ming suddenlyughed out loud and said, "You wouldn''t be able to harm a single hair on him even if you wanted to! That guy is a monster who can treat all of us like toddlers in a fight!"

    "I advise you to give up on revenge if you value your life. Offending someone like Yuan is the worst thing one can do." Xu Murong nodded.

    Wang Ming approached Xiong Lu and ced a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it with enough strength to send shivers throughout his body, and whispered, "Even though you im you won''t do anything, I don''t trust people like you, so I will be keeping an eye on you. If you think the Xiong Family is untouchable, you are nothing but a frog in a well."

    Xiong Lu could do nothing but silently nod, his back soaked in cold sweat.

 Chapter 1398 Regret

    Chapter 1398 Regret

    ?1398  Regret

    "A-Actually, I was on my way to apologize to Yuan for my behavior¡­" Xiong Lu subconsciously blurted out loud after being threatened by Wang Ming.

    "Oh? In that case, let''s get going." Wang Ming smiled as he started walking down the mountain again.

    Xiong Lu could only ept his fate and follow the Demon Sealing Faction back to their residence. However, a few minutester, Xiong Lu''s cell phone started ringing loudly.

    ''Fuck! It must be the Deviant Bloods! Why did they have to call me back so quickly?! Are they trying to get me killed?!'' Xiong Lu cursed inwardly.

    The phone continued ringing, but Xiong Lu didn''t dare to answer it and pretended to not even hear it. After all, he was surrounded by Spirit Grandmasters with incredible senses who would surely be able to hear his conversation with the Deviant Bloods from meters away.

    If the Demon Sealing Faction were to learn that he''d tried hiring assassins to go after Yuan, he would surely vanish from the face of this earth before reaching Yuan''s residence. Under such circumstances, Xiong Lu had no choice but to ignore the phone even if it might raise some eyebrows.

    "Hey, aren''t you going to answer it?" Wang Ming asked him with raised eyebrows.

    "I-It''s probably just spam."

    "It''s annoying! Hurry up and pick up the phone already!" Wang Bingbing shouted at him.

    Due to the pressure on him, Xiong Lupletely forgot that he could simply put his phone in silence.

    "Sorry¡­" Xiong Lu retrieved his phone and answered it.

    "Young Master Xiong? We havee to a decision and¡ª"N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    However, Xiong Lu immediately interrupted and spoke in an angry voice, "Fuck! Stop bothering me with your spam!"

    "Huh? But we are¡ª"

    "Shut up! If you dare call me again, I will use all of the Xiong Family''s resources to hunt you down!" Xiong Lu quickly closed his phone afterward, not letting the other party utter another word.

    He proceeded to show an awkward smile to the others and said, "My apologies. Because of my position within the family, there are always people contacting me with bothersome things."

    Of course, that was a lie. Even if people wanted to contact him for advertisements, they wouldn''t have the means to find his personal phone number.

    Eventually, the Demon Sealing Faction returned home.

    "You can wait out here. We''ll let Yuan know of your arrival." Wang Ming said to him.

    "I understand." Xiong Lu nodded with an obedient smile, but deep inside, he was fuming with anger, as he''d never experienced such shame before. Even losing his army of exiles to Yuan wasn''t as humiliating as this.

    Inside the manor, Yuan was notified of Xiong Lu''s unexpected appearance.

    "Oh? Xiong Lu is here to apologize? I expected many things, but this was definitely out of my expectations." Yuan showed a look of surprise after hearing this information.

    Wang Ming chuckled, "He''s probably acting like that because we sort of threatened him a little."

    Yuan smiled and said, "Anyways, I''ll meet with him. Bring him to the living room."

    "Let''s make him wait a little longer¡ªat least until we all clean up our appearance." Wang Xiuying suddenly suggested.

    "That''s a little mean, but I am not against it." Wang Bingbing chuckled.

    "Hmph! That''s what he gets for threatening us!" Chu Liuxiang sneered.

    Upon hearing their suggestions, Yuan nodded with a smile on his face.

    Once it was decided, everyone returned to their own rooms to clean themselves.

    Half an hour had passed since Xiong Lu was told to wait outside the manor, yet nobody returned to speak with him, almost as though they had forgotten about him entirely.

    ''Fuck, fuck, fuck! These fucking bastards! How dare they treat me like this?!''

    However, despite the mistreatment and humiliation, Xiong Lu''s feet remained rooted to the ground. If he left now, he would most likely forever lose the opportunity to apologize to Yuan.

    Eventually, after forty-five minutes since his arrival, Meifeng came outside to meet Xiong Lu, who was visibly trembling from anger.

    "The Demon Sealing Faction is ready to meet you," Meifeng said, not even bothering to apologize for making him wait.

    Xiong Lu clenched his teeth and silently nodded, his forehead bulging with veins that he couldn''t control nor hide.

    Meifeng led Xiong Lu to their living room, where Yuan and the rest of the Demon Sealing Faction were assembled. Seated at a long table, an intense atmosphere permeated the room, resembling a tribunal of judges ready to pass down judgment.

    Xiong Lu swallowed nervously when he saw this. When he stepped into the room, he could feel the appearance of an invisible de pressing at his neck, threatening to kill him if he misbehaved in the slightest.

    Yuan, who was seated the furthest away, spoke in a calm voice, "Xiong Lu, right? You seem quite different from when we met in Cultivation Online."

    Even though Yuan was seated, it felt as if he upied an unattainable position, gazing down upon Xiong Lu from high above.

    Inparison to Cultivation Online, the intensity and pressure of Yuan''s gaze were unfathomably more potent in the real world.

    Xiong Lu instinctively froze upon sensing this gaze, momentarily forgetting how to breathe. The terrifying pressure emanating from Yuan at this moment rivaled that of his father, if not surpassing it, resembling that of a beast with unfathomable power and deep bloodlust.

    Despite encountering the Demon Sealing Faction and gaining insights into their real cultivation, Xiong Lu remained fixated on devising ways to destroy Yuan and those close to him.

    However, upon meeting Yuan in person andprehending the true extent of the monster before him, Xiong Lu swiftly discarded such vengeful thoughts and relinquished the pursuit of revenge.

    Thud.

    Xiong Lu fell to his knees and kissed the floor with his forehead before shouting in a loud voice, "I AM TERRIBLY SORRY FOR EVERYTHING I HAVE DONE! I DEEPLY REGRET MY ACTIONS AND VOW TO NEVER STEP IN YOUR PATH EVER AGAIN! PLEASE, FORGIVE ME!"

    "..."

    After Xiong Lu''s voice stopped echoing, an eerie silence filled the room.

 Chapter 1399 Li Jinxiâ€™s Dreams

    <h4>Chapter 1399 Li Jinxi''s Dreams</h4>

    1399 Li Jinxi''s Dreams

    Yuan raised an eyebrow with a somewhat surprised look on his face after witnessing Xiong Lu''s exaggerated apology.

    However, he had no intentions of forgiving Xiong Lu so easily and spoke in a cold voice, "Why should I ept your apology? You think you can provoke me and make it go away with an apology whenever you want? Who do you think you are? Do I look like a pushover to you?"

    "N-No! Of course not!" Xiong Lu quickly said, but he couldn''t think of anything else to say in this situation. After all, it was true that he had provoked Yuan out of sheer jealousy, and Yuan had no reason to trust his sincerity."

    "What do I have to do?" Xiong Lu asked after a moment of silence.

    "Nothing." Yuan calmly said.

    "E-excuse me?" Xiong Lu wore a dazed expression on his face, seemingly unable to understand the meaning behind Yuan''s words.

    Yuan quickly responded in a calm tone, "I will not ept your apology, but I will also note after you for revenge. If you stay out of my way and don''t provoke me any further, we can both continue to live our lives without any unnecessary headaches. However, the moment you try to do anything to me or those around me to get to me, I will immediately crush you and your entire family. Do I make myself clear?"

    Xiong Lu did not immediately respond, as he had to take a moment toprehend Yuan''s words.

    He nodded a momentter, saying, "You have my word."

    Yuan sneered, "Your words are worthless to me, nor will I believe them. But as I said, I don''t want any unnecessary bloodshed, so you don''t have to worry about that. If you have nothing else to say, you may leave."

    Xiong Lu didn''t dare to stay there any longer, fearing that Yuan might suddenly change his mind. He left the ce the following moment, escorted out by Meifeng.

    "I think you let him off the hook a little too easily, Yuan. He deserved to be punished a little more for what he''d done to you." Wang Ming suddenly said.

    A few others proceeded to chime in, agreeing with Wang Ming''s view.

    Yuan smiled and asked, "What kind of punishment should I have given him? We''re not in Cultivation Online, so it''s not like I can chop his hands off for messing with me. He''s just an overly prideful and reckless young brat who went a little overboard with his provocations. I don''t have the energy to deal with someone as meaningless as him."

    "Young brat? You sound like an old man." Shi Langughed out loud.

    Sure enough, Yuan''s mentality had matured even further after absorbing more of Tian Yang''s memories, perhaps a little too much. However, this was an inevitable change, and it would only get worse as he continued to recollect more memories.

    Yuan stood up and said to them, "Get some early rest today. I will train with you guys tomorrow. I am curious how the Lord trains you all."

    While everyone left their seat, Li Jinxi remained seated for a little longer, her gaze on Yuan, looking as though she was in deep thought.

    Ever since Yuan handed the Golden Empress to her in Cultivation Online, Li Jinxi has been having weird dreams in her sleep, mostly about living as someone with a simr face and name in a world simr to Cultivation Online.

    Li Jinxi didn''t initially give it much thought, considering it wasmon for dreams to be influenced by one''s thoughts before sleep or throughout the day. She often contemted cultivation, so such dreams were not unusual for her.

    Yet, as she encountered more and more of these dreams, a realization gradually dawned on her¡ªthat perhaps they were more than mere dreams. These visions were oddly specific, intricate, and realistic, almost as if she were reliving another life she had once known.

    Moreover, intertwined within these dreams was someone strikingly familiar. This person bore Yuan''s face, yet his demeanor was cold and aloof. Despite that, the person in her dreams followed this person from the moment they first met, akin to a newborn chick following its mother.

    Li Jinxi wanted to share her experiences with Yuan, but she hesitated, wary of sounding crazy. Thus, she had been suppressing the urge for a considerable time. However, after witnessing Yuan''s reaction to Xiong Lu today, he seemed to bear a resemnce to the man in her dreams.

    In the end, Li Jinxi refrained from approaching Yuan and returned to her room, immediately heading to bed to dream¡ª N?velDrama.Org holds this content.

    a world that had captivated her as ofte.

    "Tian Xin, where are you heading to now?"

    "That''s none of your business."

    "Hmm... You always seem to have a destination in mind, and it would always benefit your cultivation greatly in the end, almost as though you knew it would happen. How is that possible? Can you see the future or something?" Jin Xi pondered, expressing her observations after following him for decades.

    Tian Xin nced at her and sneered, "Do I look like a god to you? It''s just coincidence."

    "Coincidence? Do you think I am stupid? Every ce you go just happens to have exactly what you need at that moment! If you cannot see the future, then you can control fate! You cannot convince me otherwise!"

    "Whatever you say." Tian Xin merely shrugged at her words, treating her as though she was just a random crazydy.

    Li Jinxi woke up after sleeping for exactly eight hours, but it felt like she had lived for years within her dreams.

    "My cultivation went up again¡­" Li Jinxi mumbled to herself after inspecting her body.

    The biggest reason why Li Jinxi believed her dreams were more than just ordinary dreams was because her cultivation would increase a little after every dream.

    Unfortunately, she could not exin the reason behind this phenomenon.

    ''There must be a reason why I am having these dreams. Hopefully, the answers will reveal themselves through the dreams¡­'' Li Jinxi thought to herself as she prepared for another day of training.

 Chapter 1400 Training With Liya

    1400  Training With Liya

    After the Demon Sealing Faction had breakfast made by Meifeng, they made their way up the Dragon Spiral Mountain for another day of training with the Lord and Liya. However, there was an additional member todaysomeone who had never been to their training before.

    "What kind of training do you guys typically do?" Yuan asked them as they walked together.

    "At first, we spent most of our time boosting our cultivation. Once we reached Spirit Grandmaster, we focused on stabilizing our cultivation. Nowadays, we spend almost all our time sparring with the Manager." Shi Lang said.

    "You''re sparring with Liya? Not the Lord?" Yuan learned something new.

    "Of course not. We wouldn''tst a second against the Lord. The Manager is really strong, too. We can''t defeat her even if we all went at her together." Wang Bingbing sighed.

    Yuan smiled, "I look forward to sparring with her."

    Upon arriving at the peak of the mountain, Liya could be seen waiting for them right outside the formation''s entrance.

    Her eyebrows twitched when she noticed Yuan amongst the group. She had anticipated his appearance sooner orter, but it still felt weird to see him with the others.

    Once they were at the true peak of the mountain, Liya immediately started their training and said, "Who wants to go first?"

    Wang Ming raised his hand.

    "Come." Liya gestured for him to approach her.

    The summit of the mountainy empty and vast, boasting a t surface that made it an ideal arena or training ground. There were also no buildings to destroy, allowing them to unleash their full strength without worry.

    Once the fight began, Wang Ming immediately charged at Liya with a weapon. Meanwhile, Liya confronted him with nothing but her bare fists.

    "Haaah!"

    "..."

    Liya did not attack Wang Ming for the first few minutes, only focused on dodging and blocking his strikes.

    Once five minutes have passed without Wang Mingnding a single hit on her, Liya started pointing out Wang Ming''s ws while throwing fists at him.

    Unlike Wang Ming, all of Liya''s strikes wouldnd on their target without fail. Liya had the cultivation of a peak Spirit Lord, an impressive achievement considering her environment andck of spiritual energy. However, her cultivation was irrelevant in this case, as she''d fought Wang Ming without using any spiritual energy.

    Being a dragon in her true form, Liya boasted naturally high prowess, so it would be overkill if she used her cultivation on top of her innate strength.

    It didn''t take long for Wang Ming to copse on the floor, suffering aplete and utter defeat at the hands of Liya.

    "Next." Liya didn''t even bother taking a minute to catch her breath before calling for her next challenger.

    One after another, members of the Demon Sealing Faction fought with Liya, who took no breaks in between each fight. Yet, she lookedpletely calm and rxed, almost as if the fights weren''t even enough to be considered a warmup in her eyes.

    Liya purposefully gave everyone five minutes to fight her, yet nobody there but Li Jinxi couldnd a hit on her. However, even Li Jinxi could only graze Liya''s skin, and it required her to use the Nameless Technique.

    Once everyone had fought Liya, she turned to look at Yuan and asked, "Did you onlye here to watch or do you intend on participating as well?"

    "I''d like to participate if you don''t mind."

    Liya snickered inwardly after hearing this, as she had always wanted to give Yuan a beating but was held back by the Lord.

    Yuan approached her and asked, "What are the rules?"

    "You can use whatever you want. Treat this as though we are in a real fight," she quickly said.

    "Do you need to take a minute to recover your strength?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Hmph, I can fight each of them a dozen times without breaking a sweat." Liya sneered.

    Yuan smiled and said, "Still, I will give you a moment to rest. I want to fight you at your best, after all."

    "You think you have what it takes to look down on me?! I have been waiting so long for the moment to punch your face!" Liya did not ept Yuan''s offer and immediately charged at him.

    "Whoa!"

    Yuan was a little surprised by Liya''s speed, which had drastically increased since herst fight. Though, he wasn''t too shocked. After all, he knew she had been holding back against the others.

    Still, he was impressed by how much she''d held back.

    ''Is this her full strength? No, it''s probably only around sixty percent.'' Yuan thought to himself as he dodged her sudden attack.

    Liya immediately went for another strike after her first missed, then another and another.

    Yuan perfectly avoided all of Liya''s strikes without fighting back. The Demon Sealing Faction watched their fight in awe, and it looked like Liya was the one being trained at this moment.

    "What are you doing? Why aren''t you fighting back? Are you making fun of me?" Liya eventually stopped to ask with a deep frown.Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    "Of course not. I am just waiting for you to use your full strength," he said.

    "My full strength? You want me to kill you?" Liya continued to frown.

    Yuan patted his chest and chuckled, "You don''t have to worry about that since you cannot kill me."

    Liya gritted her teeth at his words and immediately unleashed her cultivation base, filling the area with a heavy pressure that left the others shocked.

    "She was hiding this much strength this entire time?!" Xi Murong cried out loud.bender

    Even though Liya knew that Yuan had purposefully provoked her so she could use her full strength, she couldn''t let him mock her any longer.

    However, she didn''t immediately charge at Yuan, almost as though she was waiting for something.

    After waiting for a moment without the Lord attempting to stop her, Liya showed a faint smile on her face and said, "I will make you regret messing with me!"

    She swung her fist at Yuan with about eighty percent of her full strength, expecting him to dodge it again. However, contrary to her expectations, Yuan extended his arm with his hand wide open, as if he intended on catching her fist.

    ''This crazy!''

    Liya was unable to stop her fist in time and struck Yuan''s palm, expecting to send him flying. However, he not only stood firm but also caught her fist, defying her expectations once again.

    "Not bad. Now it''s my turn." Yuan suddenly muttered.

    When Yuan raised his other arm and pulled it back, Liya instinctively jumped back, distancing herself from him.

    lightsvel She stared at him with wide eyes afterward, her back soaked in cold sweat.

    ''How does a human like him have such monstrous strength?!'' she cried inwardly.

    She instantly knew from that single exchange that Yuan was hiding an unfathomable amount of strength within his body. Yet, she couldn''tprehend how a human like him could possess innate strength that rivaled even dragons.

    As for Yuan, he used Liya''s frightening strength to test the current condition of his body. He could sense that the Golden Immortal Physique had transferred to his real body, albeit ipletely.

    Ignoring the tingly sensation, he looked at his still-trembling arm that had caught Liya''s fist and mumbled in a low voice, "About 5 percent, huh?"

 Chapter 1401 Training With Liya(2)

    1401  Training With Liya(2)bender

    "You what did you do to your body?" Liya asked Yuan with a frown after their exchange.

    Yuan smiled and said, "You make it sound like I''d done something bad to my body. I just achieved a new physique, that''s all."

    "A new physique?" Liya frowned at his words which made it sound like it was an easy thing to do.

    Now knowing that Yuan could catch her fists, Liya no longer held back and charged at him again, this time using all of her strength. Moreover, red scales started forming on her arms and neck, indicating that she had transformed.

    Yuan, not daring to underestimate her partial transformation, also used his full strength.

    Their aura collided, causing a gust of wind to stir within the usually calm mountain peak.

    When they started throwing punches and kicks around, the families living within the upper areas of the mountain felt the ground shaking, as if they were experiencing a minor earthquake.

    Every strike Liya tossed at Yuan would eradicate any of the Demon Sealing Faction members with ease, yet Yuan blocked them with confidence.

    Suddenly, in the midst of their battle, Liya''s eyes glowed gold, emitting a formidable pressure directed at Yuan.

    ''Dragon''s Gaze?!'' Yuan did not expect Liya to be able to use such a technique and was taken by surprise.

    However, after being struck by her Dragon''s Gaze, Yuan felt something was off about it. The power and pressure werecking, almost as though it was iplete.

    After using her trump card, Liya drove her palm at Yuan''s stomach.

    Seeing this, Yuan smiled and said, "This is how you use Dragon''s Gaze!"

    "Wha"

    Before Liya could even react, Yuan''s eyes glowed gold, sending Liya''s consciousness straight into the abyss.

    While Liya''s body remained frozen in ce, within her mind, she felt the intense gaze of a colossal eye, emanating an unimaginable amount of pressure.

    Liya, despite her pride, felt as insignificant as an ant under the gaze of that eye.

    ''W-what is this?" Liya''s entire being trembled in fear as she couldn''t take her gaze away from the eye, almost as though she was forced to face it.

    Yuan deactivated Dragon''s Gaze after three short seconds, but it felt like she was in the void for minutes for Liya.

    When she returned to reality, Liya found herself sitting on the floor, her body soaked in sweat.

    "Y-you what the hell was that just now?!" she shouted at him.

    "I was going to ask you the same. What technique was that just now? It felt like Dragon''s Gaze, but it''s too weak."N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    "Dragon''s Gaze? As if such a technique exists in this world! The one I used was created based on the foundation of Dragon''s Gaze. I don''t have a name for it." Liya revealed.

    Yuan''s eyes widened with surprise after learning that she had managed to create a technique simr to Dragon''s Gaze without knowing the original.

    "How is that possible? If you don''t know Dragon''s Gaze, how do you know its foundation?" he asked.

    "Hmph. Why should I tell you?" Liya sneered.

    Suddenly, the Lord''s voice resounded, "Dragons with a royal bloodline are born with an innate understanding of Dragon''s Gaze. The purer the blood, the better."

    "Oh? So you belong to a royal bloodline?" Yuan looked at Liya.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "..."

    Seeing her unresponsiveness, Yuan smiled and said, "Would you like me to teach you Dragon''s Gaze? The authentic one."

    Liya''s eyes widened at his words. She opened her mouth but quickly closed it again. It was clear that her pride was holding her back.

    "Take some time to think about it. My offer will always be open probably." Yuan said.

    After a moment of silence, he asked, "Now that I think about it, why don''t you y Cultivation Online, where Dragon''s Gaze exists?"

    The Lord responded in her ce, "The Soul Transference Array has its restrictions. For example, if humans have a circle-shaped soul, beasts would have a square-shaped soul, and our square-shaped soul aren''t affected by the Soul Transference Array, hence why we are unable to visit the Divine Heavens through Cultivation Online."

    "I see Anyways, want to continue our training? I won''t use Dragon''s Gaze again." Yuan asked Liya.

    "Hmph, you obviously don''t need any training, so I will stop wasting my time with you. Wang Ming! You should''ve recovered enough by now! Come!" Liya turned her gaze to Wang Ming, who trembled from fear.

    ''Ah, shit She''ll probably use me as a punching bag because she cannot defeat Yuan'' he sighed inwardly.

    epting his fate, he approached Liya for another round of training. Each member of the Demon Sealing Faction typically spars six to seven times a day with Liya, so it wasn''t anything new.

    At the end of the day, the Demon Sealing Faction made their way down the mountain with their bodies aching in pain. However, Yuan decided to stay with Liya upon the Lord''s request.

    "Liya, now that you''ve found someone who can match you, it''s a good chance for you to get some proper training for once."The Lord said.

    "Huh? I don''t need any training! Especially not from him!" Liya eximed.

    "You can say that once you defeat him."

    "..."

    The Lord continued to speak, "Yuan, do you mind training with her a little longer?"

    "I don''t mind. It will also benefit me since the others aren''t enough to make me sweat anymore." Yuan nodded.

    He looked at Liya and continued, "If you can defeat me even once, I will give you the Dragon''s Gaze technique as a reward."

    Liya''s eyebrows twitched at his alluring words.

    "You better not go back on your words," she said a momentter.

    lightsvel Yuan smiled, "I promise."

    They continued sparring with each other for the rest of the day. By the time Yuan returned home, it was already well past midnight.

    "Damn it! How is he so strong?! It doesn''t make any sense!" Liya cursed out loud after Yuan had left.

    "He''s the Immortal Monarch''s descendant. It''s only natural." The Lord smiled.

    "The Immortal Monarch''s descendant" Liya mumbled.

    She remembered Yuan iming to be the reincarnation of the Immortal Monarch himself, but she was still having trouble believing it.

    "But to think he learned Dragon''s Gaze, even I did not expect that." The Lord said, before mumbling to himself, "If he can solve our current predicament, perhaps I should reward him with my blood essence, which would greatly assist his cultivation path..."

 Chapter 1402 System Update

    Chapter 1402  System Update

    ?1402  System Update

    Three days have passed since Cultivation Online closed its servers for a system update. Although three days may seem short at a nce, one should consider how many people are addicted to the game. If an alcoholic drinks every day for the past year, it would be an incredible ordeal if they were suddenly forced to stop for three whole days.

    Moreover, Cultivation Online wasn''t just a mere game for many yers. It was their job¡ªtheir livelihood.

    By selling the money or treasures they had acquired to paying yers, many yers are able to live afortable life. Of course, this would only be possible in a game as popr as Cultivation Online, where countless passionate and wealthy yers exist.

    In fact, most¡ª if not all Legacy Families have their own gold farming operations, where hundreds or thousands of yers solely focus on earning money, whether it be through hunting magical beasts or seeking treasures.

    The financial influence wielded by Cultivation Online has outstripped numerous leading global enterprises, firmly embedding it in the world''s economic fabric. It''s no overstatement to im that the global economy would teeter on the brink of copse if Cultivation Online were to suddenly disappear out of thin air.

    Many entities, including governmental bodies, closely monitor Cultivation Online due to its profound global impact. Yet, given its elusive nature and mysterious operations, nobody knows where to begin, much less control them.

    Cultivation Online was owned and operated by a shellpany operated by a fake identity. When people investigated this shellpany, they couldn''t find any information on it. No digital footprint, nothing. It was almost as if they were created and operated by a ghost.

    During these three days, Yuan spent most of his time training with Liya from morning to night. Because Liya wanted to preserve as much strength as possible for her training with Yuan, she halted training with the others and made them self-

    train at home instead. Of course, none of them had anyints about their break.

    "Cultivation Online should be returning sometime today, so I will end our training here," Yuan said to Liya sometime past noon.

    "Oh, okay." Liya nonchntly nodded.

    Liya could tell that she''d improved drastically from their training. Now that she had someone who could face her at her strongest, she no longer needed to worry about holding back, allowing her talents to shine.

    "Unfortunately, you couldn''t defeat me even once. Next time, perhaps." Yuan smiled at her.

    Liya clenched her fists at his words, but she had noeback.

    Once Yuan left and returned home, Liya approached the Lord and said, "I do not want to lose to him again! Can you train me?"

    "Oh? You''re asking for my help?" The Lord was surprised, as he''d offered to train her before but was rejected for some reason.

    "Yes¡ªbut not now. We can do it after he deals with our current situation." Liya nodded.

    The Lord smiled and agreed to her request, "Very well."

    Upon returning home, Yuan immediately tried to enter Cultivation Online.

    His consciousness drifted shortly after wearing the helmet, appearing in a pitch-ck room with a countdown in the sky.

    [0:09:12]

    [0:09:11]

    [0:09:10]

    There were less than ten minutes before Cultivation Online opened its servers.

    Yuan lounged on the invisible surface, eyeing the countdown and silently pondering about the uing system update.

    A whileter, Yuan felt the sudden emergence of another presence nearby, which shouldn''t have been possible.

    He promptly rose to his feet, fixing his gaze on the direction of the newfound presence. What he initially thought to be a figment of his imagination proved to be true, as he discerned the faint outline of a person in the distant horizon.

    "Who are you?!" he shouted towards the enigmatic figure, who seemed to possess more than the usual two arms, with additional appendages extending from their back like wings.

    "I don''t know how much you remember, but I am here to warn you that the ''others'' will soon emerge from their slumber. Once that happens, they will realize that I am the traitor and seal me away."

    "Huh? What are you talking about?" Yuan asked.

    "I don''t have much time left here since the system will activate again soon. Hurry up and recover your memories and kill them before your world is consumed. Don''t disappoint me now."

    The figure disappeared the next moment before Yuan could utter another word. At the same time, the countdown reached itsst ten seconds.

    "W-what the hell was that about? Who is the ''others''? And why would the world be consumed if I don''t kill them?" Yuan pondered with a deep frown on his face as he tried to make sense of what just happened.

    However, his thoughts were interrupted by Cultivation Online''s notification.

    <System Update has concluded. All yers may enter Cultivation Online again>

    Yuan''s figure vanished from the void and appeared where hest logged off from.

    "Wee back, Brother Yuan."

    "Wee back."

    Xiao Hua and Lan Yingying''s voice greeted him shortly after his return.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.

    "I''m back¡­"

    "Are you okay, Brother Yuan? You seem a little pale." Xiao Hua noticed his expression and asked.

    "Yeah, I am fine." He nodded.

    Meixiu and the others logged in shortly after, appearing beside Yuan.

    "So, what''s changed?" Chu Liuxiang asked out loud as she opened her character status.

    "I don''t see anything different," she muttered afterward.

    "Are they waiting for more people to get online before they make an announcement?" Meixiu wondered out loud.

    Yuan also checked his character status.

    Name: Yuan

    Cultivation: 9th level Spirit King

    Legacy: Great One''s Legacy

    Bloodline: Immortal Monarch''s Bloodline

    Physique: Heaven Refining Physique, Golden Immortal Physique

    Physical Strength: ???

    Mental Strength: ???

    Soul Strength:???

    Physical Defense:???

    Mental Defense:???

    There were no apparent changes at first nce, and his stats remained unreadable. However, when he looked a little closer, he noticed a new passive skill that wasn''t there before the update, and it even had an obnoxious name to it.

    [Celestial Emperor''s Curse]

    [Grade: Celestial]

    [Description: The effectiveness of all cultivation resources will be reduced by 99%.]

 Chapter 1403 Celestial Emperorâ€™s Curse

    Chapter 1403 Celestial Emperor¡¯s Curse

    ?1403  Celestial Emperor¡¯s Curse

    "Huh?" Yuan had a dumbfounded look on his face after seeing the effects of Celestial Emperor''s Curse.

    However, before he could evenprehend the situation, he received a notification.

    <As you have been marked by the Celestial Emperor, you have been cursed with ''Great Misfortune''!>N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    [Great Misfortune]

    [Curse Grade: Divine]

    [Description: A curse that lowers your Luck by 5,000]

    "Huh?!?!" Yuan could no longer contain his surprise and cried out loud.

    "W-what? What happened?!" Everyone in the room looked at him with wide eyes.

    "I don''t know, but I''ve been cursed¡­ by the Celestial Emperor himself," he said in a dazed voice.

    "What?!" Xiao Hua''s shocked voice resounded, and she appeared before him the very next moment.

    "Why would the Celestial Emperor curse you, Brother Yuan, when you''ve never met him before?!" she asked in a panicked voice.

    "I don''t know, but it happened. Because of this curse, all cultivation resources will be 99% less effective for me¡­ I''m not exactly sure how it works, but it definitely doesn''t sound good," he sighed.

    However, Xiao Hua''s body trembled after hearing the effects of the curse, almost as if she recognized it.

    "Brother Yuan¡­ that curse is meant for Exiles¡­" she said a momentter.

    "Huh? Exiles? Does that mean I''ve be an Exile?" he asked with wide eyes.

    She shook her head, "No, I don''t sense the aura of an Exile from Brother Yuan. However, that curse is undoubtedly meant for Exiles, which restricts their ability to grow any stronger for obvious reasons."

    Meixiu suddenly said, "Do you think it''s because you''re progressing too fast, and the Celestial Emperor is trying to slow you down?"

    Chu Liuxiang nodded in agreement, "That''s usible¡ª no, that''s definitely the case."

    "But why would the Celestial Emperor be worried about Yuan progressing too fast?" Li Jinxi wondered out loud.

    Yuan sighed, "While it''s quite inconvenient to have such a significant reduction in my cultivation speed, it doesn''t have any effect on me right now since I am already at a bottleneck, but it will definitely slow me down in the future if I don''t get rid of it by then. On the brighter side, there are plenty of ways to strengthen myself without increasing my cultivation."

    *Knock* *Knock*

    "Hey, are you guys back?" Xi Meili knocked on their room after sensing their presence had returned.

    Yuan opened the door for her, "Yes, we just got back."

    Xi Meili entered the room and sensed the weird atmosphere.

    "Did something happen?" she asked.

    Yuan exined the situation to her.

    "Wow¡­ To be marked by the Celestial Emperor without meeting him¡­ This is quite an impossible feat, but as expected of you, Yuan. Nothing is impossible for you." Xi Meili expressed her awe at his ability to achieve the impossible.

    "So, what are you going to do now?" she then asked.

    "There''s nothing we can do about the curse right now, so we''ll just move forward as nned. I am going to visit the Myriad of Techniques now. Since we''ve entered the Fourth Heaven, there should be more techniques avable to us. Want toe along?" Yuan asked them.

    "Why not." Chu Liuxiang said.

    "I''ll also tag along." Meixiu nodded, followed by Li Jinxi.

    "I will alsoe with you." Xi Meili said.

    They made their way to the Myriad of Techniques after checking out of the hotel.

    Surprisingly, Xi Meili did not need to have her fate examined even though it was her first visit. Apparently, such evaluation was only needed before the Fourth Heaven.

    "You guys can take your time since I don''t know how long I''ll take," Yuan said to them before contacting Senior Bai and entering his world.

    "You¡­" Senior Bai''s eyes widened with shock the moment heid eyes on Yuan. He could discern that Yuan''s body had undergone a profound transformation since theirst encounter, but he remained ignorant of the precise cause of this change.

    "What did you do to your body? How can such drastic change ur in such a short amount of time?" Senior Bai had to ask.

    Yuan smiled and said, "It''s nothing serious. I just acquired a new physique, that''s all."

    Senior Bai''s eyes widened a little more after hearing his words.

    "So you have two different physiques at this moment?"

    Yuan nodded, confirming his doubts.

    Just as some individuals can only wield a single Soul Weapon, most people possess only one physique. In fact, due topatibility issues, having two physiques within one body is considerably more extraordinary than wielding two Soul Weapons simultaneously.

    Senior Bai had the urge to inquire about Yuan''s new physique, but a sense of foreboding made him reconsider, opting to remain silent.

    After congrattion Yuan on his new achievement, Senior Bai said, "Anyways, you''re here for Lady Xu, correct? Give me a moment to contact her."

    "Thank you." Yuan nodded.

    Senior Bai left to contact Xu Jiaqi, returning alone about half an hourter.

    "Is she busy?" Yuan asked.

    "A little, but she will be here within a few hours. In the meantime, why don''t we entertain ourselves?" Senior Bai suddenly suggested.

    "What kind of entertainment?" Yuan raised an eyebrow.

    Senior Bai smiled and said, "Do you recall that small exchange we had some time ago? When you revealed the God of War''s Astral Arts to me? I want to personally experience your growth since then, so I want you to attack me with everything you''ve got again."

    Yuan''s eyes widened at his suggestion and responded in a reserved manner, "Are you sure¡­?"

    A confident grin appeared on Senior Bai''s face as he spoke, "If you think you can hurt me after growing a little, you are underestimating the power of an immortal cultivator."

    He continued, "Or are you waiting for me to reward you if you can hurt me? Very well. I''ll give you a treasure if you can so much as graze my skin!"

    "Since you insist, I won''t be humble." Yuan nodded.

    They flew into the air a momentter, but they didn''t immediately start. Senior Bai took a moment to remove all of the nearby floating inds so that they wouldn''t get destroyed. Once prepared, they both faced each other with some distance between them.

    "Good luck." Senior Bai smiled.

    "You too." Yuan smiled back.

 Chapter 1404 Yuans Most Powerful Attack

    Chapter 1404  Yuan''s Most Powerful Attack

    ?1404  Yuan''s Most Powerful Attack

    With a deep breath, Yuan gathered his spiritual energy, causing his aura to surge, reaching heights that seemed to touch the heavens.

    ''Since I don''t have to worry about killing him, I guess I should throw everything I have at him¡­'' Yuan thought to himself as he activated God of War''s Astral Arts, materializing a colossal avatar behind him.

    This avatar had grown at least a hundred timesrger than before, and its colossal weapon alone dominated the entire sky above Senior Bai. Overwhelmed by the formidable sight, Senior Bai could only swallow nervously in the face of such immense power.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.

    ''The God of War''s Astral Arts utilizes one''s Soul Strength more than spiritual energy¡­ Just how strong is his Soul Strength? Even a Divine Lord wouldn''tpare to him, who is only a mere Spirit King!'' Senior Bai clenched his fists and immediately started fortifying his defenses.

    After their previous exchange, Senior Bai did not dare to underestimate Yuan, who was countless times stronger now. He created a powerful defensive formation around himself that could easily block even a Divine Lord''s attack.

    ''This much should be enough¡­ no¡­ I should prepare some insurance just in case¡­''

    Thus, he created not one but two more defensive formations around him, enough to defend against a Divine King''s attack.

    Once he was finished, Senior Bai awaited Yuan''s attack with a confident smile on his face.

    However, Yuan showed no signs ofunching his attack anytime soon, and his aura continued to surge, growing in intensity.

    Senior Bai swallowed nervously at Yuan''s seemingly endless strength and wondered, ''Does he not have a limit? Is he truly a mere Spirit King? There''s simply no way¡­''

    "Are you prepared to receive my attack, Senior Bai?" Yuan suddenly asked him.

    Senior Bai narrowed his eyes and asked, "I thought I told you to use your full strength. Why are you holding back?"

    "What do you mean?" Yuan tilted his head in a puzzled manner.

    "During ourst exchange, you had this golden aura around you¡ªthat terrifying and mysterious power. Yet, I don''t sense it from you right now." Senior Bai exined.

    ''He must be talking about Heaven''s Supremacy¡­'' Yuan immediately realized why Senior Bai thought he was holding back.

    Yuan sighed, "I told you back then that I have no control over that power, Senior Bai. Unfortunately, I am still unable to summon that power as I wish."

    Despite saying that, Yuan still had one use of Heaven''s Supremacy left, but he intended on saving it in case of an emergency.

    As much as he wanted to win against Senior Bai, he couldn''t justify using his trump card in such a wasteful manner.

    After a moment of silence, Senior Bai spoke, "Very well, but you better not hold back anymore than that."

    Yuan nodded, "I wouldn''t dare look down on you, Senior Bai."

    "Then I will begin my attack now," Yuan warned again before he started moving.

    He raised his arm, pointing it toward the sky, muttering in a low voice, "Limitless Sword, First Domain: Endless Sword Stream."

    Over 20,000 swords materialized above them, each embued with Enhanced Sword Aura. Since he didn''t have to worry about prolonging the fight, he used his spiritual energy without reserve.

    Senior Bai''s eyes widened with shock upon witnessing such a frightening sight. Even with his vast experience, he has never experienced anything close to this before.

    ''Not just Sword Aura, but Enhanced Sword Aura?!'' Senior Bai began losing confidence in his own defense, but he couldn''t add more right after Yuan began his attack, as that was no different than admitting defeat in his eyes.

    However, Yuan did not release the attack just yet.

    "Limitless Sword, Second Domain: Descending Sword God!"

    Merging all 20,000 swords into one colossal de, Yuan, controlling the massive avatar, firmly grasped the unified weapon with both hands.

    "Oh¡­ fuck." Senior Bai held a dazed look on his face as Yuan prepared to swing the massive de with the God of War''s avatar.

    Yuan swung the colossal sword, and in an instant, the massive de descended upon Senior Bai, cleaving through the fabric of space as it moved.

    Seeing this, Senior Bai''s instincts started screaming at him. He quickly tossed away his pride and started preparing more defensive formations.

    However, right as he was about toplete the formation, he sensed an ominous re and was immediately struck by an invisible attack that tore his already weakened mental defenses to shreds.

    In the fleeting moments before the abyss of darkness enveloped his consciousness, Senior Bai managed to cast a final, profound gaze upon Yuan, whose golden eyes radiated an unfathomable brilliance, resembling that of a dragon''s gaze.

    ''Ah¡­ to think I still underesitmated him¡­ this is my defeat¡­''

    The massive sword tore apart Senior Bai''s formation like thin sheets of paper and continued straight for his body.

    Right as the sword closed in on Senior Bai''s body, his entire being suddenly surged with an unfathomable aura foreign to Yuan, followed by a powerful shockwave that not only shattered the massive sword into countless fragments but also sent Yuan flying far away.

    Their world shook violently, as if it might crumble at any moment. The immense power even leaked to the outside world, messing with the Myriad of Techniques and making everything tremble.

    Even with the Golden Immortal''s Physique, Yuan felt a crushing pressure envelope his body, threatening to destroy it.

    By the time Senior Bai snapped out of his daze and retrieved his aura, the damage had already been done. His world had cracks all over, and Yuan was miles away with a bloody nose, staring at him with a look of disbelief.

    Senior Bai immediately approached Yuan to check his condition, "Are you okay?!"

    "Y-yes¡­ I''m just a little shaken by your prowess, Senior Bai." Yuan smiled.

    "My instincts took over my body when I was trapped in your mental attack! I am deeply ashamed of myself! " Senior Bai sped his hands and lowered his head as he apologized in a sincere voice.

 Chapter 1405 Immortal Qi

    Chapter 1405 Immortal Qi

    ?1405  Immortal QiN?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    "Let me inspect your body for a moment. I need to make sure you''re actually fine." Senior Bai said as he ced his palm on Yuan''s chest.

    lights¦­¦Ïv¦Ål ?¦Ïm Despite Yuan''s assertion of well-being, Senior Bai found it hard to ept that a mere Spirit King could withstand his Immortal Qi without incurring significant harm.

    However, Senior Bai wasn''t looking down on Yuan because of his low cultivation. What he had inadvertently unleashed moments ago was Immortal Qi, a power reserved for those who had transcended the realm of mortals by bing a Bronze Immortal. It was a power beyond mortal endurance, not meant to be withstood by ordinary beings, regardless of their talents.

    The Immortal Qi Senior Bai had unleashed carried enough potency to inflict serious injuries or even death upon a Spirit Sovereign. However, Yuan, a mere peak Spirit King, emerged with nothing more than a bloody nose after facing the brunt of Senior Bai''s Immortal Qi. This oue left Senior Bai utterly confounded, as it defiedprehension.

    Not daring to believe what was before his very eyes, Senior Bai inspected Yuan''s body again. Sure enough, his internal organs remained unharmed, only slightly stressed because of the immense pressure.

    ''Unbelievable¡­ even though it was only for a brief moment, he endured my Immortal Qi and came out nearly unscathed. What kind of divine body does he possess?'' Senior Bai swallowed nervously as he lowered his hand.

    "I am d that you are unharmed. Once again, I extend my deepest apology for myck of control just now." Senior Bai said a momentter.

    Yuan shook his head and said, "Forget about that, Senior Bai. Can you tell me more about that aura you released instead? I have never experienced anything like that before!"

    Senior Bai nodded and exined, "What you experienced just now is called Immortal Qi. It''s spiritual energy that is also simr to your Sword Aura, something that can only beprehended and absorbed by cultivators after they achieve Bronze Immortal."

    "Immortal Qi is what differentiates cultivators and immortal cultivators, as it''s impossible for a mortal cultivator to defeat someone with Immortal Qi no matter how talented they are, sort of like Enhanced Sword Aura and Sword Aura."

    Yuan pondered Senior Bai''s words. During Tian Yang''s time, the concept of Immortal Qi did not exist even though there were several immortal cultivators.

    "By the way, I also sensed something ominous inside your body¡ªa powerful curse. Did something happen to you recently?" Senior Bai suddenly asked.

    Yuan showed a bittersweet smile and said, "Sort of. I''ve been cursed by the Celestial Emperor."

    "You what?!" Senior Bai eximed in a shocked voice. "Y-you met with the Celestial Emperor?!"

    He quickly shook his head, "No, I haven''t. I don''t know why, but he decided to curse me. Perhaps I''ve been climbing the Nine Divine Heavens too quickly and he wants to slow me down."

    "What sort of curse?" Senior Bai inquired for more information.

    "ording to Xiao Hua, it''s a curse meant for Exiles, and it reduces the effectiveness of all cultivation resources for me by a significant amount."

    Senior Bai frowned upon learning of this information and said in a cold voice, "I will let Lady Xu know of thister. She can speak with the Celestial Emperor and get it removed."

    Yuan''s eyes widened at his words. Did Xu Jiaqi have such influence that she could change the Celestial Emperor''s mind?

    After pondering for a moment, Yuan said, "Please wait, Senior Bai. I appreciate what you are trying to do, but I do not wish for you or Miss Xu to upset the Celestial Emperor over such a minor issue."

    "Minor? You call this a minor issue?" Senior Bai looked at him with a dumbfounded face.

    "Right now, yes. After all, I cannot increase my cultivation past Spirit King because of my physique, so the curse does not affect me at this moment."

    "What about the future? Surely, you don''t n on remaining as a Spirit King forever, right?"

    "Of course not. If I cannot find a solution by then, I''ll request for Miss Xu''s help."

    "Alright, we won''t do anything for the time being, but Lady Xu has a right to know that the Celestial Emperor hadid his hands on a member of the Celestial Overlord. To harm a member of our faction is akin to harming the entire faction and challenging Lady Xu herself. Even the Celestial Emperor has no right to do such a thing without any reason." Senior Bai said.

    "Is that so¡­ I didn''t know that. By the way, I recently received a promotion to the rank of General." Yuan casually brought up his promotion.

    "..."

    Senior Bai had a bewildered look on his face as he silently stared at Yuan with eyes as wide as saucers.

    After a long minute of silence, he spoke in a low voice, "D-Did you just say you''ve been promoted to the rank of General within the Celestial Overlords¡­?"

    Yuan calmly nodded his head in confirmation.

    "T-that''s impossible! The amount of karma you would need to reach General isn''t such an insignificant amount that it could be achieved in so little time!" Senior Bai couldn''t believe it¡ªhe refused to believe it.

    Even Xu Jiaqi, who had the fastest promotions in their history, invested well over a century in umting sufficient karma to attain the esteemed rank of General. The fact that Yuan, who hadn''t been a member of the faction for long, had already amassed enough karma to attain the rank of General was simply incredulous.

    Seeing Senior Bai''s doubtful expression, Yuan revealed his faction rank.

    "No way¡­" Senior Bai had no choice but to believe Yuan after seeing the symbol ''General'' on his palm.

    "What did you do to acquire so much karma in such a short time? Even wiping out an evil sect would not help you reach the rank of General this quickly." Senior Bai had to ask.

    Yuan smiled and said, "It wasn''t much. I happened toe across a hundred Exiles and slew them all."

    "A hundred Exiles?! Did you sneak into the Primordial Realm or something?!" Senior Bai regretted asking, as the chances of encountering so many Exiles were even more ridiculous than his speedrun to the rank of General.

    Yuan chuckled, "It was just a coincidence, really."

    "I¡ª" Senior Bai closed his mouth as soon as he opened it and said a momentter, "Lady Xu has arrived."

    He opened the entrance to his realm, and in the next instant, Xu Jiaqi''s exquisite face emerged from the portal, her divine aura instantly permeating and enveloping the entire world.

 Chapter 1406 Purple Jade Slip

    Chapter 1406 Purple Jade Slip

    ?1406  Purple Jade Slip

    "..."C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.

    "What happened here?"

    The first thing Xu Jiaqi noticed when she walked through the portal was the condition of Senior Bai''s world. There were still cracks all over the ce, looking like it was on the verge of copse.

    Senior Bai rubbed his nose in a somewhat embarrassed manner and said, "I wanted to test our young friend here and got a little carried away."

    He purposefully avoided giving her the details, as he didn''t want to admit losing to Yuan, even using Immortal Qi by ident.

    Fortunately for him, Xu Jiaqi was not interested in their business and did not question further. She looked at Yuan with a narrowed gaze, as if she was examining him.

    A subtle smile appeared on her face a momentter, and she spoke in a calm voice, "You''ve grown strong, Yuan."

    "Thank you, Miss Xu!"

    She descended on the tform and retrieved a purple jade slip from her spatial ring, offering it to Yuan.

    "What is this?" he asked.

    "This was left behind by the Founder of the Celestial Overlords," she said.

    "He gave it to me before he disappeared, but I do not know how to use it. Why don''t you try it? Perhaps it can only be activated by those with the Heaven Refining Physique. If it how to use it. Why don''t you try it? Perhaps it can only be activated by those with the Heaven Refining Physique. If it doesn''t work, I want it back, you hear me?"

    Yuan nodded and epted the purple jade slip from her.

    The moment his fingers made contact with it, the purple jade slip emitted a radiant glow, casting a luminous sheen of purple light that enveloped the surroundings.

    Yuan became dazed as memories started flowing inside his head. Inside the memories, he saw himself traveling the world with a cute little girl by his side. This little girl was a troublemaker and always picked fights with people. Most importantly, he also recalled the process of evolving his Heaven Refining Physique.

    Yuan snapped out of his daze a few momentster.

    "Yuan? What just happened?" Seeing that he''d returned to reality, Xu Jiaqi asked him.

    Hearing her voice, Yuan turned to look at Xu Jiaqi, who greatly resembled the little girl in his memories, and he subconsciously muttered, "You mischievous little brat¡­"

    "W-wha¡ª" Xu Jiaqi''s expression froze with a clear look of shock on her face.

    12:05

    "Y-Yuan¡­ you¡­" Senior Bai looked at Yuan with a terrified look on his face.

    "Uh¡­ I¡­" Yuan just realized what he''d uttered and quickly covered his mouth.

    "What did you just call me¡­?" Xu Jiaqi asked after a moment of silence, her body trembling.

    "S-sorry, I didn''t mean to call you that¡­ I was still influenced by the memories inside the jade slip when I said that¡­ You look like someone from the memories," Yuan swallowed nervously, mentally preparing himself for her wrath.

    "By memories, you mean the jade slip contained the founder''s memories¡­?" Xu Jiaqi inquired with a serious expression on her face.

    He nodded, "I believe so."

    "Tell me everything you saw and I will forgive you for the rude remarks," she then said.

    "Of course."

    Xu Jiaqi suddenly turned to look at Senior Bai and said, "Leave us alone."

    "I understand." Senior Bai didn''t even question it and immediately left them alone.

    Yuan spent the next several minutes recalling the memories.

    As she listened with her eyes closed, Xu Jiaqi''s mind drifted back into the past and recalled her own memories with the founder.

    "You mischievous little brat, what have you done this time?" A handsome man sighed as he nced at the beautiful young girl before him.

    Xu Jiaqi, who was only around 16 years old, spoke in a nonchnt voice, "Some loser confessed his love for me, so I beat him up."

    The handsome man rubbed his eyes and said, "How many times do I have to tell you to not beat your fellow disciples over the smallest things? And what''s wrong with one expressing their feelings to you?"

    "It''s annoying," she calmly said.

    "Don''t you used to utter the words ''I love you'' a dozen times a day?" The handsome man red at her.

    lights¦­¦Ïv¦Ål ?¦Ïm Xu Jiaqi''s face flushed red as she hastily responded, "T-That was years ago when I was still an innocent baby! Ouch!"

    Xu Jiaqi suddenly cried out in pain when the handsome man flickered her forehead.

    "You''re still a baby, though."

    Xu Jiaqi held her forehead while trying to appear angry, but the handsome man only found her even more adorable.

    "Go apologize to that disciple," he then said.

    "But¡ª"

    "No buts. Or would you rather spend a month in seclusion?"

    "..."

    "I hate you, father!" Xu Jiaqi shouted as she stormed outside the room.

    Sometimeter, Yuan said, "That''s all."

    Xu Jiaqi opened her eyes and realized they were unnaturally moist and foggy. She quickly wiped her eyes and said, "There''s no mistaking it. The memories within the jade slip belong to the founder of the Celestial Overlords¡ªmy adoptive father."

    "I thought it would help you with your physique, but it turned out to bepletely irrelevant. Sorry."

    Yuan shook his head and said, "Actually, I did learn something about my physique from these memories, so it was definitely very useful. Thank you, Miss Xu."

    "Is that so? That''s good to hear."

    Xu Jiaqi then narrowed her eyes at him and continued in a cold voice, "By the way, you are forbidden from sharing those memories with anyone, do you hear me?"

    Yuan smiled, "Please don''t worry, Miss Xu. I will bring these memories with me to my grave. And who would I even share them with?"

    "I will trust you. Do you have any questions for me before I take my leave?" she then asked.

    Yuan pondered for a moment before asking, "What sort of privileges do I get as a General in the faction?"

    "You''ve already reached the rank of General?" Xu Jiaqi''s eyes widened at his words.

    "Yes."

    He showed the General symbol to her as proof.

    Xu Jiaqi was left speechless.

    "W-well... as a General, you are entitled to one treasure from our treasury. Would you like to receive your reward now?" she asked.

    Yuan immediately nodded and said, "I would!"

 Chapter 1407 Celestial Overlords Headquarters

    Chapter 1407 Celestial Overlords'' Headquarters

    ?1407  Celestial Overlords'' Headquarters

    "I am bringing him to the Celestial Overlords'' headquarters so that he can receive his reward for reaching the rank of General." Xu Jiaqi said to Senior Bai after calling him back.

    Senior Bai nodded and remarked, "Perfect. In fact, I intended to seek your permission to bestow upon him a treasure from the treasury. If you approve, he''ll get to acquire two treasures instead of one."

    "I don''t mind since it''sing from you, but I''m interested in your reason," she said.

    "I lost a bet with him." Senior Bai said with a defeated smile on his face.

    "Oh? I''d like to hear more details on thister. Anyways, if you want to give him an extra treasure, I''ll allow it¡ªnot that you need my permission."

    Senior Bai was already at the rank where he had the authority to give treasures to others without needing permission, but he still asked Xu Jiaqi out of his respect for her.

    "Now then, let''s move to the headquarters."

    Senior Bai nodded and created a portal before them, its aura distinct from the usual ones.

    Xu Jiaqi stepped into the portal first, with Yuan following suit, and Senior Bai enteringst. Upon arriving on the other side, Yuan was greeted with the sight of a massive city before him.

    "This is the headquarters? I was expecting a building, not an entire city!" Yuan muttered in a dazed voice.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.

    Senior Bai smiled at his reaction and said, "Actually, this ce is more like a Sect than a city."

    Xu Jiaqi then said, "It''s not just ''like'' a Sect. It was a Sect. The founder of the Celestial Overlords used to be the Sect Leader of a small Sect, which he transformed into the Celestial Overlords."

    "Is this ce like Senior Bai''s world?" Yuan asked.

    "Yes, it exists outside out of the Nine Heavens if that''s what you are asking."

    "Follow me. I''ll show you to the treasury." Xu Jiaqi said.

    As they walked, Yuan inquired more information about the ce, "How many people live here?"

    "About twenty thousand people."

    "Is that a lot for a faction?"

    "No, it''s actually on the smaller scale. The average faction has around 100,000 members while therger ones have millions."

    "We''re a lot smaller than I thought," Yuan said.

    "Our numbers may seem tiny inparison to others, but we''ve risen to be one of the most powerful factions in the Nine Heavens with our modest poption, all thanks to having only exceptionally talented members," Xu Jiaqi said, her voice resonating with pride.

    "Just one of our top members can stand toe-to-toe with an entire faction," Xu Jiaqi added, emphasizing the extraordinary prowess of their elite members.

    "Is there a ranking for factions?"

    "Of course, and there are two separate rankings. The first is the Karma Ranking, where factions are ranked based on their umted karma. We''re ranked 7th there. The other ranking would be the Power Ranking, based on our overall prowess. In this particr ranking, we are ranked 2nd."

    "Wow, second? That''s amazing." Yuan said.

    "We used to be first, but that was when the founder was still around." Xu Jiaqi sighed.

    As they traversed deeper into the Celestial Overlords'' headquarters, Yuan noticed the atmosphere intensifying, with an increasing presence of experts boasting unfathomable cultivation bases.

    At his current level, he could only clearly sense up to Divine Grandmaster without much effort. Anything above that would require more time and effort.

    "Most of our members are immortal cultivators." Senior Bai suddenly said. "You have the record when ites to having the lowest cultivation in our faction."

    He continued, "While that''s an amazing feat, it''s also quite dangerous. After all, most people would not believe you are a member if they saw your cultivation base. Even if you showed them your symbol, it might not be good enough, especially now that you have reached the rank of General."

    "He''s right. You should avoid revealing the fact that you''re a member until you have a higher cultivation base." Xu Jiaqi added.

    They arrived at the treasury an hourter.

    The treasury took the form of a pagoda with four floors. Standing at the sealed entrance were two guards, both with a cultivation that Yuan could not identify.

    "We greet Celestial Overlord Xu and Overlord Bai!" The guards greeted them with bowed heads and arched bodies.

    Xu Jiaqi acknowledged them with a slight nod and said, "We''ll be opening the treasury for a moment."

    She turned to look at Yuan and handed him two talismans and said, "The treasures inside are protected with a powerful formation that can only be deactivated with these talismans. Use these talismans on the treasures you want. Each talisman will deactivate one formation. Also, you are only permitted to look around the first floor. Even if you go to a higher floor, these talismans won''t do anything there."

    The guards'' eyes widened with shock when they saw the scene of Xu Jiaqi handing two talismans to Yuan.

    ''Who the hell is that mortal kid?!''

    ''Why does he get to take two treasures from the vault?!''

    They stared at Yuan with bewildered looks on their faces. However, they didn''t dare to question Xu Jiaqi on her business.

    "I understand." Yuan epted the talismans.

    "There are plenty of treasures on the first floor, but you don''t need to rush picking a treasure. Take your time," she added.

    "Okay," he nodded.

    A momentter, Xu Jiaqi opened the treasury, and she silently watched Yuan''s figure vanish into the pagoda.

    After Yuan entered the treasury, Senior Baimunicated with Xu Jiaqi through divine sense, saying, ''There''s something I need to make you aware of. It''s rted to Yuan and the Celestial Emperor.''

    ''The Celestial Emperor? What''s Yuan got to do with him?'' Xu Jiaqi turned to look at him with a deep frown on her face.

    Senior Bai went on to reveal Yuan''s predicament, disclosing the Celestial Emperor''s actions of cursing Yuan to her.

    Upon learning this information, an overwhelming pressure radiated from Xu Jiaqi''s entire being, causing their surroundings to tremble and her face to contort with anger.

 Chapter 1408 Abyss Piercer

    lightsvel 1408  Abyss Piercer

    "C-Celestial Overlord?! What''s the matter?!"

    "Please calm down, Celestial Overlord!"

    The guards were startled and frightened by Xu Jiaqi''s abrupt and overwhelming pressure, which sent shockwaves through the entire headquarters, causing it to tremble.

    Moreover, several individuals in the vicinity showed up within seconds to see what themotion was about.

    "Lady Xu" Senior Bai cleared his throat and called out to her.

    Xu Jiaqi withdrew her aura, yet her face retained a manifestation of anger.

    "What happened, Lady Xu?"

    "Who dares to anger our Goddess?!"

    "Fairy Xu, that anger doesn''t suit your beautiful face."

    The neers immediately started inquiring about the situation and tried to ease Xu Jiaqi''s anger at the same time.

    However, Xu Jiaqi was in no mood to deal with them and shouted, "Leave!"

    Her cold voice sent chills down their spine, and not wanting to anger her even further with their presence, these experts immediately disappeared into thin air like ghosts.

    Once they were alone again, ignoring the guards, Xu Jiaqi muttered, "Even if he''s the Celestial Emperor, I will not let him do as he pleases with my people. How dare he target a member of our faction? I will go speak with him after this!"

    ''The Celestial Emperor?!'' The guards were bewildered after learning of the cause of Xu Jiaqi''s anger. Although this wasn''t the first time the Celestial Emperor had upset Xu Jiaqi, it was never to such a degree.

    "Please wait a minute, Lady Xu. There''s more to this." Senior Bai quickly said.

    He continued, "I already told Yuan that you would do something about his curse, but he refused our help, saying that the curse doesn''t affect him at this moment and that he would try to deal with it himself. If he cannot deal with it by the time it really affects him, he will seek our help."

    Xu Jiaqi frowned and asked, "Is he worried about getting us involved with the Celestial Emperor? What needless worry. The Celestial Emperor may be powerful, but he''s not omniscient and untouchable."

    "That''s just the kind of person he is" Senior Bai smiled.

    Xu Jiaqi suddenly fell silent with a pondering look on her face.

    After a long moment of silence, she spoke, "Very well, I won''t interfere for now. However, we''re going to pull the forces we sent to assist the Celestial Emperor back."

    "Do you mean those who went to hunt down the escaped prisoners from the Nine Heavens Eternal Grotto? If we do that, not just the Celestial Emperor, but the others will also question us."

    "Let them question us. If the Celestial Emperor wants an answer, he cane find me." Xu Jiaqi said.

    It was evident to Senior Bai that Xu Jiaqi harbored no genuine intention of letting the Celestial Emperor off the hook for meddling with Yuan. Even if she didn''t directly confront the Celestial Emperor for answers, she would undoubtedly createplications for him.

    Perhaps because Yuan was the target, it elicited such a profound reaction from Xu Jiaqi. Senior Bai was certain that she wouldn''t have responded with such intensity if it had involved anyone else in the faction.

    Meanwhile, inside the treasury, Yuan inspected all of the treasures one by one. There were all sorts of treasures avable, from spiritual treasures to spiritual medicines. Most of the treasures were between Divine-grade and Ancient-

    grade.

    If he had to be honest, the treasures appeared somewhat underwhelming in his eyes, and the majority of the items there either didn''t suit him or wouldn''t provide enough assistance.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    ''While I can make do without any of the treasures in here, the others could use better equipment even if they cannot wield them now''

    After spending almost three hours inside the treasury, Yuan used the talismans to retrieve the treasures he''d picked.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.

    The talisman emitted a faint glow when it was used, turning into dust after the formation had sessfully deactivated.

    Yuan grabbed the first treasurea stunning ck bow crafted from a crystal-like material, its body translucent and glistening as if stars resided within it.

    [Abyss Piercer]

    [Grade: Ancient]

    [Quality: Peak]

    [Physical Strength Required: 5,000,000]

    [Pration: 690,000]

    [Description: Pierce through the void with this beautiful yet powerful bow crafted with Abyss Crystal as its core material. This bow uses arrows made from spiritual energy or aura.]

    "This will be great for Meixiu, who has been practicing with the bow," Yuan mumbled as he stored the bow in his spatial ring.bender

    He proceeded to walk to the next treasure.

    After removing the formation with hisst talisman, he grabbed the silver bracelet and ced it in his spatial ring.

    Once he was done, he immediately left the treasury, where Xu Jiaqi and Senior Bai were waiting outside.

    "What did you get?" Senior Bai asked him out of curiosity.

    Yuan showed the treasures he acquired to them with a smile on his face.

    "Huh? A bow and a bracelet? Aren''t you a swordmaster? Why do you need a bow?" Senior Bai looked at him with a puzzled expression.

    "It''s not for me," he calmly said.

    "You picked a treasure for someone else? You''re more generous than I thought." Xu Jiaqi said.

    "I doubt it''s just for any ordinary friend your girlfriend, perhaps?" Senior Bai said with a teasing smile on his face.

    To their surprise, Yuan actually nodded, "Something like that."

    "Huh?" Xu Jiaqi''s eyes widened slightly after hearing that Yuan had a girlfriend, as this was news to her.

    As for Senior Bai, he was already aware of Yuan''s group ofdies, so he wasn''t that surprised.

    "What about the other treasure? Are you also giving that away?" Senior Bai continued inquiring.

    Yuan nodded, "Yes."

    "You''re truly something, Yuan. While the treasures on the first floor are only Divine-grade and Ancient-grade, they are all top-tier treasures even within their respective grades. Not many people would be willing to give away one, much less two treasures even if it''s their loved ones," Senior Bai remarked.

    "It''s nothing worth mentioning. After all, it''s only natural to look after those you love. And no matter how valuable these treasures may be, they will never be as valuable as those around me," Yuan smiled.

 Chapter 1409 Perks Of Being A General

    1409  Perks of Being a General

    "If you''re done here, I will take you back." Xu Jiaqi said.

    Yuan looked at her with slightly raised eyebrows. Perhaps he was overthinking it, but he sensed a hint of irritation within Xu Jiaqi''s voice, but he couldn''t recall doing anything to annoy her.

    "Yes, I am done here," he said a momentter.

    Xu Jiaqi looked at Senior Bai, who nodded, creating a portal before them the next second.

    "This will take you back to the Myriad of Techniques," he said.

    "Do you have any questions before you leave?"

    Yuan pondered for a bit before asking, "How do Ie here without your help?"

    Surely, there must be a way to enter the Celestial Overlords'' headquarters without Senior Bai''s assistance. Otherwise, that would make Senior Bai a gatekeeper.

    "We have ces spread throughout the Nine Heavens with portals that lead to this ce, though they only exist within the Sixth Heaven and above," said Senior Bai.

    "But if you ever want to visit this ce for whatever reason, you can just contact me through the Myriad of Techniques," he added.

    Yuan nodded, "I see. Thank you."

    "Until next time."

    Yuan walked through the portal the next moment, disappearing from the Celestial Overlords'' headquarters and returning to the Myriad of Techniques.

    "Have you guys found any suitable techniques?" Yuan asked the others when he returned to their side.

    "This ce has an abundance of techniques! I can''t believe such a treasure trove exists!" Xi Meili eximed, rendered speechless by the vast array of techniques avable for purchase.

    Yuan looked at her, who was carrying over a dozen techniques in her arms, smiled, and said, "That''s an impressive amount of techniques you have there."

    lightsvl m She chuckled, "Don''t worry, I''m not expecting you to pay for them."

    "If they''re below a certain rank, I can acquire them for free," he said.

    "Really?! They are all Divine-rank techniques, though."Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.

    "Probably"

    Yuan looked at Meixiu and the others. Excluding Xiao Hua, they all had two to three techniques in their grasp. Upon entering the Fourth Heaven, the volume of techniques essible in the Myriad of Techniques had significantly expanded, unveiling numerous new and formidable skills for them to explore.

    "Are you all ready?" he asked.

    They nodded.

    Seeing this, Yuan guided them to the front desk, where a middle-aged man was overseeing the operations.

    This was his first time buying techniques from the Myriad of Techniques after he achieved the rank of General.bender

    He showed his symbol to the middle-aged man and asked, "Do I get any discounts?"

    Even though Xu Jiaqi warned him to not show off his symbol until he increased his cultivation, he figured that it would be safe to do so within the Myriad of Techniques.

    The middle-aged man furrowed his brows upon seeing the symbol, casting a disapproving re at Yuan while scrutinizing him from head to toe.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "You''re a General within the Celestial Overlords? Howe I don''t recognize you?" The middle-aged man spoke in a cold voice. He was a Warrior in the faction, and he''d memorized all of the Generals and above. Yet, he didn''t recognize Yuan.

    Moreover, Yuan seemed clueless about his own privileges as a General.

    "I''m a new member, and I was only recently promoted to the rank of General," said Yuan.

    The middle-aged man narrowed his eyes at Yuan, whose cultivation was simply too low to be part of the Celestial Overlords, much less a General there.

    The middle-aged man sighed a momentter, "While umon, there are people like you from time to timebold individuals who think they can fool the Myriad of Techniques. However, you are especially bold, to utter such ridiculous lies with a straight face. How can someone who just joined the faction be a General already?"

    "Eh?" Yuan raised an eyebrow at his ominous words.

    "The punishment for impersonating one of us is death, but I will give you a chance to admit your crime and apologize." The middle-aged man spoke in a calm voice, yet his gaze was cold and oozing with killing intent.

    Seeing this, Yuan sighed, "What''s the point of this symbol if nobody believes me? And don''t you have a talisman that proves I am a member of the faction?"

    "That only proves you are a member, not a General." The middle-aged man calmly said.

    Yuan took away the symbol the next moment and retrieved a medallion from his spatial ring.

    "Here."

    "T-this is" The middle-aged man swallowed nervously at the sight of Senior Bai''s medallion.

    "Don''t tell me you''re going to say it''s a fake." Yuan calmly said.

    The middle-aged man epted the medallion into his hands, taking a moment to thoroughly inspect it.

    "It''s real" he muttered in a dazed voice.

    "If you still have doubts, you can ask Senior Bai."

    "T-that won''t be necessary. I apologize for doubting you, General. May I have your name?"

    "Yuan."

    "Then, General Yuan, allow me to give you a brief exnation of your privileges as a General. As a General, you are allowed to acquire any Heaven-rank and Divine-rank techniques from the Myriad of Techniques for free. Ancient-rank techniques will have a seventy-five percent discount."

    "Divine-rank techniques are free for me? That''s very generous." Yuan didn''t expect the faction to be so generous.

    "That may seem to be the case at first nce, but if you think about it, most Generals have a cultivation of Immortal Ascension and beyond. At that level, Divine-rank techniques aren''t as useful." The middle-aged man exined.

    "Makes sense." Yuan nodded.

    It only seemed like a crazy privilege to him because he was still a Spirit King in the Fourth Heaven, where Divine-rank techniques are still rare and valuable. In the upper heavens, however, they are not as valuable and sought after.

    Yuan turned to look at Xi Meili and the others and said, "You heard him. As long as it''s not Ancient-rank, you can have them for free."

    "No way" Xi Meili muttered in a dazed voice with a bewildered expression on her face. She had prepared to spend a fortune on her techniques, so it was baffling to hear that she wouldn''t need to spend a coin on them.

    ''But, I won''tin!'' Xi Meili merrily walked over to the front desk andid all of her techniques before the middle-

    aged man, creating a small mountain.

 Chapter 1410 Sacred Bracelet

    Chapter 1410 Sacred Bracelet

    ?1410  Sacred Bracelet

    After Xi Meili ced her techniques on the front desk, the others quickly followed. Meixiu had two techniques, Chu Liuxiang had three, Li Jinxi had three, and Lan Yingying had two. In total, 26 Divine-rank techniques formed a small mountain in front of the middle-aged man, who wore a weird expression on his face.

    While it was fully within Yuan''s privilege as a General to purchase so many Divine-rank techniques, it still felt weird to the middle-aged man, especially since he wasn''t buying it for himself. Moreover, they were still within the Fourth Heaven, where Divine-rank techniques are precious.

    If Yuan wanted to abuse his privileges by selling these Divine-

    rank techniques as though they were candy, he would easily make a fortune. However, it would cause an uproar within the Fourth Heaven and catastrophic damages to the economy. If that were to happen, the higher-ups would not sit still, as such actions would hurt their faction''s reputation and karma.

    After acquiring the techniques, they left the Myriad of Techniques and went to the nearest hotel, where they talked about their ns.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.

    "I will be heading to the Vanishing Valley now. Unfortunately, I cannot bring any of you with me since I cannot guarantee your safety there¡ªexcept Xiao Hua and Lan Yingying who can reside safely within my Dantian." Yuan said to them.

    "Normally, I wouldin and follow you even if you refuse, but I have a lot of new techniques to learn, so I don''t mind staying behind." Xi Meili said as she was already holding onto one of these techniques with an eager look on her face.

    "I was already nning on staying behind to cultivate since we''re still nowhere near capable enough." Chu Liuxiang said.

    "Me too," Meixiu said.

    "Are there any locations where we can train without any concerns about our surroundings?" Li Jinxi asked.

    "I''m not sure, but¡­" Yuan lifted his head to look at the ceiling and called out, "Dong Ye, are you here?"

    "..."

    There was no response.

    "I guess it''ll take him a little longer toe to the Fourth Heaven."

    Unlike Yuan and the others, Dong Ye did not have the luxury of traveling between the Nine Heavens using the Stairway to Heaven because of his identity.

    "I think the Cultivators'' Haven may have something like that." Meixiu suddenly said.

    "The usual spot, huh? Let''s check it out." Chu Liuxiang nodded.

    They left the hotel shortly after and made their way to the Cultivators'' Haven.

    "Of course, we have training rooms specifically for those who wish to practice their techniques without worry." The receptionist said after being inquired by them.

    She led them to the basement, where a hallway of rooms was located.

    "These rooms are reinforced with tier 5 formations that can withstand attacks from even a Spirit Sovereign without any problems." The receptionist gave them a brief tour of one of these rooms.

    The interior was quite spacious with about 30 meters in width, 40 meters in length, and about 20 meters in height. There was even a bathroom avable.

    Since he wasn''t sure how long it would take him to return, Yuan handed the others enough money to use these rooms for half a year without any breaks. Naturally, he didn''t actually think he would need that long. It was more of a precaution.

    Before leaving, Yuan retrieved the Abyss Piercer from his spatial ring and offered it Meixiu.

    "I want you to have this."

    "T-this is¡­ I don''t even have the power to wield this bow¡­" Meixiu stared at the beautiful ck bow in her grasp with a dumbfounded look on her face.

    "I am well aware, but you''ll eventually be able to wield it." Yuan smiled, and he continued, "It even looks simr to my Starry Abyss. I think they were made with the same materials."

    Yuan showed his Starry Abyss, and sure enough, the de looked like it was made with Abyss Crystal, the very same material used for the Abyss Piercer.

    "Thank you¡­ I will treasure it." Meixiu said with a warm smile on her face.

    Before he left her training room, Meixiu gave him a passionate kiss on the lips thatsted for several seconds.

    Yuan visited Lan Yingyingst. Although she could''ve followed him, she decided to stay behind to train as well. While she was stronger than Li Jinxi and the others from Earth, she still fell behind Xiao Hua and Xiao Hua.

    "Here, I want you to have this." Yuan handed the other treasure he acquired from the Celestial Overlords'' treasury to her.

    "A bracelet¡­?" Lan Yingying epted the silver bracelet with a curious expression on her face.

    The moment she touched the bracelet, she sensed a connection with it, almost as though they were fated to be together.

    [Sacred Bracelet]

    [Grade: Ancient]

    [Quality: Peak]

    [Description: A beautiful bracelet forged in Sacred Fire. Increases the wearer''s efficiency and power by 500% when using fire-rted techniques. Its effects will double when using Sacred Fire.]

    When Yuan saw this bracelet, he instantly thought of Lan Yingying, who could wield Sacred Fire.

    "This bracelet will improve your Sacred Fire''s efficiency and power," Yuan exined its effects to her.

    "It boosts the power of my Sacred Fire? No wonder why the Sacred Fire in my body acted up with excitement when I touched it¡­" Lan Yingying swallowed nervously as she stared at the glistening silver bracelet in her grasp.

    "I-I don''t know how to thank you¡­" she said with a troubled look on her face.

    "You don''t need to repay me for it, really."

    "Even if you say that, this treasure is too¡ª"

    Yuan suddenly ced his palm on her head and started aggressively rubbing it, causing her hair to fly everywhere.

    His random action left Lan Yingying speechless.

    Yuan chuckled at her appearance and said, "Don''t even think about it."

    Lan Yingying slowly nodded her head, her face flushed with redness.

    After leaving Lan Yingying''s room, Yuan left the Cultivators'' Haven with Xiao Hua by his side.

    "Are you ready?" he asked her.

    "Un!" she nodded with a confident look on her face.

    "Then let''s head to the Vanishing Valley."

 Chapter 1411 Vanishing Valley

    Chapter 1411 Vanishing Valley

    ?1411  Vanishing Valley

    After leaving the Cultivators'' Haven with Xiao Hua, Yuan went to find the teleportation device in their city.

    When he found it, Yuan approached the individual managing it and said, "I''d like to travel to ck Fog City."

    "ck Fog City? That''s very far away from here, so it''ll cost 200,000 spirit stones." The manager said.

    "200,000, right? Here." Yuan paid the money without hesitation.

    The manager took a moment to count the spirit stones before nodding his head, "Alright, I have confirmed your payment. Give me a few minutes to adjust the device."

    As he waited for the device, Yuan recalled the directions Dong Ye had given him to the Vanishing Valley.

    A few minutester, Yuan stepped through the teleportation device, traveling to the other side of the world in the blink of an eye.

    The instant he emerged from the portal, he was met with an eerie scene. His view was obstructed by a ck fog that seemingly engulfed the entire city. The atmosphere was chilling, and it felt like he had already arrived at the Shadow Realm.

    Of course, Yuan had learned of this ce before his arrival, so he wasn''t shocked by the scene.

    ''The fog is thicker than I''d anticipated. Luckily, it doesn''t have any harmful effects on the body. Still, how does one live in such an environment?'' he wondered to himself as he started walking north.

    While the ck fog obstructed his vision, he had no issues seeing with his divine sense.

    When he used his divine sense to examine his surroundings, he sensed hundreds of thousands of presence within the city. Surprisingly, there were more residents than he anticipated.

    Due to the environment, the cost of living within the city was extremely low, making it an ideal ce to live for those without money, and since the ck fog was only aesthetically unpleasant and somewhat inconvenient, many people chose to live here despite the ghastly atmosphere.N?velDrama.Org holds this content.

    As for the ck fog, it originated from the Vanishing Valley. Given the close proximity of ck Fog City to the Vanishing Valley, it was an unavoidable inconvenience.

    After leaving the city, Yuan flew high into the sky, where the fog couldn''t reach, and he continued moving north.

    As he approached the Vanishing Valley, the ck fog thickened and ascended higher into the air. Gradually, it began emitting a faint and unpleasant dusty smell.

    Yuan reacted by covering his body in a thinyer of spiritual energy, separating himself from the smell.

    A few dayster, Yuan stopped moving when he noticed thousands of signs in the distance.

    [Vanishing Valley ahead! Stay away!]

    [Turn around! Turn around!! Turn Around!!!]

    [Only death awaits those who ignore the warnings!]

    [Danger! Danger!! Danger!!!]

    Thousands of such signs were positioned before the Vanishing Valley, spanning for miles and forming a bizarre barrier that couldn''t be disregarded.

    If Yuan hade across this ce by ident and seen these signs, he would''ve turned around without any hesitation. Unfortunately, he came here with a very specific goal in mind, and that goal was only achievable if he entered the Vanishing Valley.

    After taking a deep breath and mentally preparing himself, Yuan flew past the signs and entered the Vanishing Valley several miles ahead.

    The instant Yuan passed the treeline that was within the Vanishing Valley''s territory, he sensed a subtle change in the atmosphere, almost like he''d slipped through an invisible wall.

    He turned around to find that the treelines he had just traversed had vanished entirely, reced by an expansive emptiness stretching for countless miles.

    "So this is the illusion that Dong Ye mentioned, huh¡­" he mumbled in a low voice.

    Yuan didn''t linger and continued moving forward. Unfortunately for him, there were no maps of the Vanishing Valley, so he could only wander aimlessly until he found something recognizable, such as the giant sword that Dong Ye had warned him about.

    However, he couldn''t afford to travel too swiftly or recklessly, given the presence of innumerable magical beasts roaming the Vanishing Valley, with many capable of rivaling even immortal cultivators.

    Xiao Hua left his Dantian shortly after they entered the Vanishing Valley, apanying him by his side to ensure that he wouldn''t feel alone in this dangerousnd.

    lights¦­¦Ïv¦Ål ?¦Ïm Several hours into their journey, they encountered their first magical beast.

    "Careful, there''s a magical beast hidden within the fog about a mile away," Yuan said out loud.

    This magical beast resembled a giant toad. It had purple skin withrge ck needles on its back, almost like that of a porcupine.

    "Spirit Enlightenment¡­" Yuan could tell its cultivation at a nce.

    "That''s a Great Violet Toad, Brother Yuan. The needles on its back are coated in a deadly poison that could kill a Divine Warrior expert in seconds, and it has the ability to shoot them out of its body like a projectile." Xiao Hua said, showcasing her knowledge.

    Yuan nodded. He summoned the Empyrean Overlord and threw it at the Great Violet Toad, killing it in a single hit.

    Ding!

    <yer Yuan has be the world''s first yer to kill the Elite Boss: Great Violet Toad!>

    ''Huh? That toad was an Elite Boss?'' Yuan was not expecting to see an announcement for such a simple kill.

    "Brother Yuan, you should salvage its needles. They are quite valuable even in the upper heavens." Xiao Hua said to him afterward.

    Yuan nodded and collected the needles.

    [Great Violet Toad''s Needle]

    [Material]

    [Description: Very durable and contains deadly poison]

    "Hmm? Now that I have it in my hands, it kind of resembles the ck Anguish Needle I acquired some time ago. Perhaps it was created with this?" Yuan expressed his thoughts after seeing their familiarities.

    "Most spiritual treasures are created with parts salvaged from magical beasts, so it''s very likely." Xiao Hua said.

    After storing the needles, they resumed their journey.

    Half an hourter.

    <yer Yuan has be the world''s first yer to kill the Elite Boss: Corrupted Brown Drake>

    "Another Elite Boss? Don''t tell me all of the magical beasts in the Vanishing Valley are such entities¡­" Yuan muttered in a dazed voice as he red at the announcement with a weird look on his face.

 Chapter 1412 Elite Bosses

    Chapter 1412  Elite Bosses

    ?1412  Elite Bosses

    <yer Yuan has be the world''s first yer to kill the Elite Boss: Oblivion Mantis>

    <yer Yuan has be the world''s first yer to kill the Elite Boss: Mutated Spirit>

    <yer Yuan has be the world''s first yer to kill the Elite Boss: Endangered ming Boar>

    Not even half a day has passed since Yuan entered the Vanishing Valley. During this short amount of time, he''d killed 5 unique magical beasts, all of them releasing an announcement shortly after being in.

    The yers were bewildered by how many announcements were appearing that day, and all of them were rted to yer Yuan hunting Elite Bosses.

    Seeing how many unique Elite Bosses were being hunted so quickly, they wondered if Yuan had found a hidden dungeon filled with such bosses. However, even if they knew his location and wanted to follow him, none of these yers were insane enough to enter the Fourth Heaven.

    While several thousand yers have entered the Fourth Heaven, most of these people were Scouters hired by others to gather information about the realm.

    <yer Yuan has be the world''s first yer to kill the Elite Boss: Green-tailed Fox>

    "Again?! How many more announcements are we going to have to see before it stops?!"

    The yers were already getting fed up with the spam. Unbeknownst to them, this was just the very beginning.

    Several more days came and went quickly while Yuan continued to wander the Vanishing Valley with Xiao Hua by his side. During this time, he''s encountered plenty of magical beasts at the level of Spirit Sovereign to Divine Grandmasters. He slew all of them except one¡ªa red-eyed ck lizard that had a cultivation base even he could not fathom.

    This lizard stood 20 meters tall and was the length of three school buses. Xiao Hua recognized it as a Tyrant Lizard King, a very aggressive and vicious magical beast that could spit out bone-melting venom and destroy mountains with the swing of its tail.

    Yuan thought that he would stop finding so many unique magical beasts by now, but new magical beasts kept on appearing with barely any repeats, almost as though the Vanishing Valley was a zoo of exotic and powerful magical beasts.

    During these few days, Yuan''s name would constantly appear in the sky, sometimes a dozen times in a single day.

    The yers had grown so sick of seeing these announcements that they started outright ignoring them, acting as though they didn''t exist. Unfortunately, because of this, some yers who weren''t Yuan and managed to receive an announcement would bepletely ignored by the majority of yers.

    <yer Yuan has be the world''s first yer to kill the Elite Boss: Vanishing Spirit>

    "Heavens¡­ it''s been two weeks now, and he''s still finding new Elite Bosses to kill? Just where is he farming?" Wang Xiuying stared at the sky with a slight smile on her face while she practiced her alchemy outdoors.

    Meanwhile, the inte blew up with spections about the treasures Yuan had gotten after killing so many Elite Bosses.

    "He must have a mountain of treasures by now!"

    "Fuck! I am so envious! Thest time I fought an Elite Boss was three months ago, and I couldn''t even defeat it! In the end, I had to run away!"

    "s, the distance between yer Yuan and the rest of us has increased yet again."

    After wandering the seemingly endless Vanishing Valley for three weeks, Yuan finally encountered andmark that could direct him toward the Shadow Realm.

    In the distance, a mountain loomed with a distinct shape resembling a head, and there were several of them all lined up to form a mountain range. If one looked closely, one would be able to see aughing expression on the body of these mountains, looking as though they were mocking the world.

    "The Mocking Mountain Range¡­ If we follow the direction of their faces, we should arrive at our nextndmark¡ªthe Red Garden of Death." Yuan muttered out loud.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    He looked at Xiao Hua and asked, "Do you need a small break before we continue?"

    Even though she shook her head, Yuan decided to take a small break at the Mocking Mountain Range.

    As they approached the mountains, Yuan was struck by sudden chills, almost as though his instincts were warning him.

    Suddenly, on the other side of the mountain range, a shadowy figure emerged from the ground, quickly rising toward the heavens.

    "Brother Yuan, we need to leave immediately!" Xiao Hua suddenly shouted with a rare nervous look on her face.

    This shadowy figure took on the form of a human, but its entire essence seemed to beposed of the same ck fog that enshrouded the entirety of the Vanishing Valley. Upon closer inspection, one could discern ck fog oozing from its body.

    Whatever this entity was, it evidently served as the source of the ck fog.

    "Just what is that thing?" Yuan asked as they turned around and flew away.

    "I don''t know. I have never seen anything like that before, but my instincts were telling me to stay away from it¡­" Xiao Hua said, her voice still a little shaky.

    "It looked like it crawled out of the ground. Let''s wait for it to leave before we go back there." Yuan said.

    "Un." Xiao Hua nodded.

    They waited a few days to see if the shadowy entity would leave, but it barely moved from its position. As he stared at the shadowy entity from a safe distance, Yuan got the feeling that he''d seen such an entity before.

    ''That''s right! The Colossal on the Deste Continent had a simr appearance! Does that mean this shadowy entity was created by someone with the purpose of guarding something?'' Yuan wondered to himself.

    ''No¡­ there''s no way someone could''ve created this monster. Even if they did, why would they leave it here?''

    Eventually, the shadow entity left the Mocking Mountain Range, allowing Yuan and Xiao Hua to approach the ce once again. Even though they could''ve left at any time, Yuan wanted to see if the shadowy entity had left anything behind.

 Chapter 1413 Red Garden of Death

    1413 Red Garden of Death

    Upon arriving at the Mocking Mountain Range, Yuan approached the area the unknown entity roamed to see if it had left any clues about its identity behind. Even though he wasn''t particrly interested in the entity itself, he had a weird feeling when he saw it, almost as if he was connected to it in some ways.

    However, he found no clues left behind¡ªnot even a footstep, which was weird, considering itsrge size.

    Suddenly, a voice resounded inside his head, "My liege, I, your loyal servant, Dong Ye, have arrived at the Fourth Heaven."

    "Can you hear me from your ce?" Yuan spoke out loud.

    "Yes, I can hear you loud and clear."

    "Do you know my location as well?"

    "Yes, I can sense your presence within the Vanishing Journey. However, I am unable to pinpoint your precise location."

    "While I am away, I''d like you to watch over my friends at the Cultivators'' Haven."

    "Naturally."

    "Also, I have a question. There is thisrge entity within the Vanishing Valley that is covered in ck fog¡ªthe same ck fog that permeates the ce. Do you know anything about it?" Yuan asked.

    "ck fog¡­ do you mean the ck Death? That is the second most dangerous entity within the Vanishing Valley, right behind the spirit. Although it doesn''t appear to be aggressive, it wanders around the Vanishing Valley, killing everything it touches. Rumors say the ck Death is currently searching for something."

    "Do you know what this ''something'' is?"

    "Those who have encountered the ck Death have said to heard its voice, and it would always utter the same words, being ''fragment'' and ''outer god''."

    "Fragment? Outer god?" Yuan repeated these twos in a low voice to see if it would trigger any memories, but s, nothing came up.

    "Why do you ask, my liege? Do you recognize the ck Death?" Dong Ye suddenly asked.

    "No, but I sensed a subtle connection with it," he admitted.

    "A connection, huh? Even if it''s vague, you shouldn''t ignore it, my liege, as it could have something to do with your previous incarnations."

    Yuan nodded, "I am aware, but there are no clues, and I do not want to risk my life finding out. I''ll see what happens after I visit the Shadow Realm."

    Their conversation ended there and Yuan continued his journey within the Vanishing Valley.

    "Xiao Hua, do the words ''fragment'' and ''outer god'' mean anything to you?" Yuan asked her as they made their way to the Red Garden of Death.

    Xiao Hua closed her eyes to ponder seriously.

    "Outer god¡­ I think I have heard my father uttering such words before, but these memories are vague." Xiao Hua said a momentter.

    "I see¡­ I guess we have another reason to visit the Primordial Realm now," Yuan smiled.

    Several dayster, they arrived at the Red Garden of Death, and as its name suggests, it was a field of red flowers¡ªmore specifically, spider lilies. Additionally, there were countless skeletons scattered around and within the field, giving it a chilling atmosphere. N?velDrama.Org holds this content.

    "Red Garden of Death¡­ It is said that magical beasts dwelling within the Vanishing Valley, sensing the approach of their demise, are drawn instinctively to this ce to breathe their final breath. Nobody knows the reason for this phenomenon, either."

    Upon closer examination, one would discern human skeletons interspersed amidst the sea of bones within the garden.

    Yuan and Xiao Hua lingered for a few minutes to admire the beautiful yet eerie scenery.

    Just as they prepared to leave, they noticed a presence slowly approaching them from a distance.

    Yuan immediately retrieved his weapon to confront the iing presence. However, he lowered his weapon when he saw the entity.

    It was a magical beast, its form marred by grievous wounds, its internal organs exposed, hanging from its body amidst the numerous injuries it endured.

    The magical beast walked into the Red Garden of Death with rigid movement until it could no longer lift a leg, copsing in the middle of the garden.

    Once it took itsst breath, the magical beast closed its eyes.

    Then, the spider lilies within the Red Garden of Death abruptly began exuding a crimson-hued gas that enshrouded the field.

    Seeing this, Yuan and Xiao Hua quickly ascended higher into the air, not daring to touch this unknown gas.

    Their actions were promptly validated as the corpse of the magical beast began to dissolve, gradually diminishing until only its bones remained.

    After the Red Garden of Death absorbed the magical beast''s corpse, a single spider lily sprouted at the edge of the field.

    There were tens of millions of spider lilies in the Red Garden of Death. If each of them represented a corpse the garden absorbed, that meant tens of millions of entities took theirst breath in this ce.

    "Let''s head to our next destination¡ªthe Vanishing Pond," Yuan said a momentter.

    "Un." Xiao Hua nodded.

    "Fragment¡­ of¡­ outer god¡­"

    A hoarse and chilling voice suddenly resounded, causing Yuan and Xiao Hua to turn around.

    To their surprise, the ck Death had appeared behind them like a ghost without any warning.

    It was still several miles behind them, but it was close enough to send shivers down their spines.

    Seeing this, Yuan wrapped his arm around Xiao Hua''s small waist and ran with Vermillion Phoenix Dominating the Heavens, escaping towards the direction of the Vanishing Pond as though their lives depended on it.

    ''That was dangerous! I couldn''t sense its presence even though it was so close to us!'' Yuan cried inwardly.

    If the ck Death hadn''t spoken, it could''ve sneaked up on them with ease.

    The realization of potentially perishing without even discerning it brought home the gravity of his predicament within the Vanishing Valley. He had underestimated the dangers of this ce due to the rtively smooth progress thus far. However, his close encounter with the ck Death had opened his eyes to the true perils lurking within.

    In the blink of an eye, Yuan traveled hundreds of miles, not daring to stop until they were tens of thousands of miles away from the Red Garden of Death.

 Chapter 1414 Black Death

    Chapter 1414 ck Death

    ?1414  ck Death

    "That was dangerous¡ªa little too dangerous." Yuan sighed out loud after looking around without seeing the ck Death in sight.

    "Sorry for grabbing you so suddenly, Xiao Hua." He quickly realized that he was still carrying her like luggage and released her.

    "It''s okay," she shook her head.

    If not for the dark atmosphere, Yuan would''ve noticed her cheeks were rosy.

    "I was captivated by the Red Garden of Death and stopped using divine sense for a moment, but I will not make that mistake again."

    Xiao Hia then said, "It''s not Brother Yuan''s fault. I also failed to notice it until it was almost toote."

    He nodded, "Now then¡­ I made sure to escape toward the direction of the Vanishing Pond, but I don''t know if I went past it. The Vanishing Pond has this phenomenon where it disappears for several hours every few minutes."

    The Vanishing Pond was exactly several thousand breaths from the Red Garden of Death if one moved at a certain speed. Unfortunately, Yuan was too upied to count his breaths or control his speed, so he had no clue if he had gone too far or still needed to travel some more.

    "The only way we''ll find the entrance to the Shadow Realm now is¡­" Yuan shifted his gaze from Xiao Hua to the small silhouette of a sword in the far distance.

    "That must be the Giant''s Sword¡­" Yuan muttered in a low voice.

    "Xiao Hua, things will get even more dangerous as we get closer to the Giant''s Sword, not to mention the spirit. Stay in my Dantian for the time being." He knew Xiao Hua was capable, but he didn''t want to risk anything.

    Xiao Hua nodded, "I will watch Brother Yuan''s back so you don''t have to worry about that thing sneaking up on us again."

    After saying that, she entered his Dantian.

    Yuan started moving toward the Giant''s Sword shortly after, but he didn''t dare to travel too fast.N?velDrama.Org holds this content.

    A few minutester, he sensed not just one but several fathomless presence appear around him.

    ''I am surrounded!'' Yuan immediately concealed all of his presence and entered the ck fog near the ground, further erasing his existence.

    A few momentster, several magical beasts appeared and, without hesitation, immediately started attacking one another.

    Yuan slowly distanced himself as he watched with amazement.

    ''Why are they fighting each other?'' he wondered.

    Magical beasts typically avoid each other, but in the Vanishing Valley, where food and water are scarce resources, they could only feast upon other magical beasts flesh and blood, especially since they were all of different bloodlines.

    Moreover, consuming other magical beasts would further boost their own strength.

    In the blink of an eye, two of the four magical beasts that appeared were in, their corpses disappearing into the ck fog.

    Even if he wanted to loot the corpses, Yuan could barely endure the powerful ripples created by the magical beasts'' shes, as it contained something he experienced recently¡ª Immortal Qi.

    Fortunately, the Immortal Qi emitted by these magical beasts was nowhere near as strong as Senior Bai''s Immortal Qi.

    Suddenly, amid his escape, one of the attacks from the magical beasts coincidentally flew his way.

    "Shit! What kind of luck is this?!" Yuan suddenly recalled the Major Misfortune curse that came alongside the Celestial Emperor''s curse that greatly reduced his luck.

    It was not an attack that Yuan could avoid, so he could only block it even if it would reveal his presence.

    He gathered as much spiritual energy as he could in a short amount of time and released it at the iing attack.

    BOOM!

    The sh created a powerful ripple that swept the ck fog around them, revealing Yuan''s figure to the magical beasts, who stopped fighting to look at the neer.

    "..."

    In the eyes of a magical beast, the taste of a human''s flesh and blood was far superior to that of a beast, so they would always prioritize hunting humans first.

    Once Yuan''s presence was exposed, the two immortal magical beasts ignored each other and charged at Yuan with an unfathomable sense of yearning.

    Seeing this, Yuan turned tail and used Vermillion Phoenix Dominating the Heavens to soar towards the Giant''s Sword in the distance.

    However, unlike the ck Death, these magical beasts were able to chase after him, even slowly inching toward him.

    While they yed cat and mouse, the magical beasts would constantly bombard Yuan with attacks from behind, closing their distance with every attack.

    If Yuan hadn''t gained some distance from the magical beasts in the beginning, he would''ve already been caught by them.

    Realizing that he wouldn''t be able to escape from these magical beasts for much longer, Yuan started attacking them as he flew.

    [Limitless Sword, First Domain: Endless Sword Stream]

    Five thousand swords appeared in the sky and started raining down on the magical beasts.

    Each of these swords was imbued with Enhanced Sword Qi, but they were ineffective against these magical beasts, bouncing off their body like throwing rocks at a mountain.

    ''My Enhanced Sword Aura is unable to pierce their Immortal Qi?!'' Yuan swallowed nervously after realizing this.

    If physical attacks were ineffective, he could only try spiritual attacks.

    After taking a moment to prepare, Yuan suddenly stopped moving, turned around, and activated Immortal Monarch''s Dominion on the magical beasts.

    "HALT!"

    He roared at them.

    Sure enough, the magical beasts immediately stopped moving and stared at him in a dazed manner.

    "KILL EACH OTHER!" hemanded.

    As though they were bewitched by a power beyond their understanding, the magical beasts shifted their gaze from Yuan to each other and, before long, resumed their fight.

    ''It really worked¡­'' Yuan swallowed nervously.

    "Brother Yuan! That thing is back!" Xiao Hua suddenly alerted him.

    "Fragment¡­ of¡­ outer god¡­"

    The ck Death had appeared like a ghost in front of the magical beasts, yet the beasts were unaware and continued fighting each other.

    When the ck Death took a step toward Yuan, its body passed through the magical beasts, causing them to copse instantly, as if they had fallen asleep. However, their eyes were wide open and without any signs of life.

    Seeing this, Yuan immediately started running toward the Giant''s Sword again.

 Chapter 1415 Giants Sword

    Chapter 1415  Giant''s Sword

    ?1415  Giant''s Sword

    As Yuan soared through the Vanishing Valley at neck-breaking speed, he heard a chilling voice resound from behind.

    "Fragment¡­ of¡­ outer god¡­!"

    "Brother Yuan! That thing is chasing after you!" Xiao Hua alerted him in a nervous voice.

    "Why now?! It didn''t follow us before!" Yuan cried out loud.

    He turned to look back, and sure enough, the ck Death was chasing after him withrge strides.

    lights¦­¦Ïv¦Ål ?¦Ïm It was a terrifying scene straight from horror movies, sending chills throughout Yuan''s body.

    He gritted his teeth and tossed several sword lights infused with Enhanced Sword Aura at the ck Death.

    As the sword lights made contact with the ck Death, they prated its body, vanishing within it.

    "?!?" Yuan was baffled by what he''d just witnessed. The Enhanced Sword Aura hadpletely vanished within the ck Death''s body, almost as though they were erased from existence.

    "Dong Ye! Does the ck Death have any weaknesses?!" Yuan shouted out loud, hoping Dong Ye could hear him.

    A few momentster, Dong Ye responded, but it was not what Yuan had hoped to hear, "Regrettably, the ck Death possesses no discernible weakness. Anything ites into contact with perishes, whether it be spiritual energy or treasures. In essence, that entity is effectively invincible."

    "Well, I am being chased by said invincible being right now! Do you have any advice to get me out of this situation?" he asked.

    "What¡­? Why would the ck Death chase after you, my liege? It''s known for ignoring everything even when provoked. Are you sure it''s not a coincidence the ck Death is moving in your direction?"

    "Coincidence, my ass! It''s literally running after me!" he cried.

    Dong Ye frowned when he heard this, and he pondered whether he should intervene in this situation or let fate handle it like usual.

    ''No¡­ Fate led him to the Vanishing Valley for a reason. I cannot intervene, or my liege will grind these old bones once he fully recovers his memories¡­'' Dong Ye quickly came to a decision.

    He then said, "You are not fated to die in the Vanishing Valley, my liege. Just do whatever you usually do."

    "Thanks for the help!" Yuan eximed in a sarcastic tone.

    He continued soaring toward the Giant''s Sword over the next several days, ignoring all of the magical beasts he encountered, even the ones that attacked him.

    After all, even if he didn''t lift an arm, the ck Death chasing after him would kill them with a simple touch.

    During these several days, Yuan analyzed the ck Death as he escaped from it. He noticed that none of the magical beasts there were able to see or sense the ck Death, almost as though it was invisible to them. It didn''t matter if these beasts had Immortal Qi or not, and because none of them could sense the ck Death, some would walk into its path and unknowingly perish.

    One could consider the ck Death as a type of ''fate'' for magical beasts, as it could not be seen or anticipated by them until it was already toote. Moreover, this kind of fate only leads the beasts to their death.

    The best that the magical beasts within the Vanishing Valley could do was to pray that they weren''t destined to cross paths with the ck Death, much like how humans could only hope they weren''t fated to perish at any given moment.

    As Yuan came to this realization, he sensed something change within him, almost as if something had awakened. However, he was too busy running away from the ck Death to think about it.

    Suddenly, Yuan noticed the ck Death slowing down.

    ''Huh? Why is it stopping?'' Yuan didn''t think for a second that the ck Death might have gotten tired of chasing after him and quickly deduced that it was probably unwilling to approach the Giant''s Sword for some reason.

    Seeing this, he continued approaching the Giant''s Sword.

    The ck Death eventually stopped chasing after him and disappeared. However, without realizing it, Yuan had gotten much closer to the Giant''s Sword than he''d anticipated. Although Senior Bai had warned him to not get too close to the Giant''s Sword, he wanted to see the mentioned spirit even if it was just a glimpse.

    Yuan stopped his movements to stare at the majestic sword in the distance, his gaze filled with awe.N?velDrama.Org holds this content.

    The Giant''s Sword was unlike anything Yuan had encountered before. Its de boasted intricate engravings, adding to its allure. Yet, what captivated Yuan''s attention the most was undeniably the enigmatic aura emanating from the sword.

    The aura bore a resemnce to both Sword Aura and Enhanced Sword Aura, yet it possessed an entirely distinct quality that was unfathomably stronger and sharper.

    As though he was mesmerized by it, Yuan stared at the sword with a dazed look on his face.

    Ding!

    <You have glimpsed ???>

    <Your understanding of ??? has increased very slightly>

    "Even the system cannot identify it?" Yuan muttered to himself as he saw the notice.

    Suddenly, before he could even take a moment to contemte the mysterious aura, Yuan''s entire body shuddered, as if it were warning him of imminent danger.

    He instinctively used his movement technique.

    The very instant Yuan moved, a potent sword aura descended upon the spot where he had stood just a split second ago, blowing away the ck fog and creating a massive ten-mile-

    long sword mark in the ground. This sword mark was also so deep that one would not be able to see the bottom with their bare eyes.

    Yuan stared at the sword mark with wide eyes, his back soaked in cold sweat.

    ''Fuck! Even my regeneration ability wouldn''t be able to save me if I was struck by such a devastating attack!'' he cried inwardly.

    "Brother Yuan! Look at the top of the sword!" Xiao Hua suddenly said.

    Yuan lifted his gaze to the very top of the Giant''s Sword, where a silhouette that hadn''t been there moments before silently observed him.

    ''The spirit!'' Yuan immediately recognized the identity of this silhouette even though he couldn''t see its appearance.

 Chapter 1416 Fearsome Existence

    Chapter 1416 Fearsome Existence

    ?1416  Fearsome Existence

    Just as Senior Bai had mentioned, the spirit assumed the form of a human. Despite the distance between them, Yuan could discern that it bore the likeness of a slender female figure, its long hair being caressed by the gentle and ominous wind.

    Yuan tried to take a closer look at this spirit, but there was an invisible force that blocked his divine sense from approaching it after a certain distance. It was clear that the spirit did not wee his gaze.

    However, after the initial attack, the spirit did not attack Yuan again, almost as though it was only trying to warn him¡ªor so he thought.

    The next moment, he watched as the spirit raised its arm before swinging it in his direction.

    Sha! Boom!

    A potent sword lightshed out at Yuan''s location like a whip, carving another deep sword mark into the ground, stretching for miles.

    "Brother Yuan, what are you doing?! We need to get out of here as soon as possible! That is not an opponent you can fight!" Xiao Hua eximed in a terrified voice.

    Even with all the time he had spent with her, Yuan had never witnessed Xiao Hua disy such evident fear before. This underscored the iprehensible power and sheer terror that the spirit of the Giant''s Sword wielded.

    After confirming its fearsome existence, Yuan, not wanting to aggravate the spirit anymore, turned around and started running toward the Shadow Realm''s entrance.

    ''Judging by the Giant''s Sword view from my position, I should be very close to it!'' Yuan thought to himself as he activated Vermillion Phoenix Dominating the Heavens.

    Normally, he would test the water by throwing a few attacks at his aggressors, just like he did with the ck Death, but he truly did not want to find out what would happen if he were to attack this iprehensible spirit.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.

    ''Although I couldn''t sense it at first, its attacks are imbued with Enhanced Sword Aura, and they are even many times more powerful than mine!'' Yuan nced at the second sword mark that still lingered with the spirit''s Enhanced Sword Aura.

    If his Enhanced Sword Aura were to sh with the spirit''s Enhanced Sword Aura, he would undoubtedly lose. Miserably, at that.

    "..."

    Yuan could sense the spirit''s sharp gaze following him even without looking at it. He was moving at an extreme speed that would bewilder even Divine Realm experts, yet the spirit could easily follow his movements.

    A few secondster, Yuan was hit by another chilling sensation that sent shivers throughout his entire body.

    He immediately halted his movements, not daring to move an inch.

    BANG!

    Four sword marks appeared around him the very next second. If he had continued moving, even changing directions, he would''ve perished to the spirit''s attack, which anticipated even his escape routes.

    The only thing the spirit hadn''t anticipated was his sudden halt, which saved his life.

    ''This is fucking crazy!'' Yuan cried inwardly as he started soaring toward the Shadow Realm''s entrance once again.

    The spirit, as though it was impressed by Yuan''s performance, stopped attacking him for the time being, but its gaze remained fixated on him, watching his every movement.

    A few minutester, Yuan barely noticed a ck portal in the distance.

    ''That must be the entrance to the Shadow Realm!''

    Even though he was relieved to finally see the entrance, he still had to worry about getting there safely, as he hadn''t forgotten about the spirit that was still watching him.

    Sure enough, just as he was mere moments away from reaching the portal, he sensed the spirit''s aura abruptly erupt, reaching the heavens.

    Yuan''s entire body trembled violently, as though it was warning him of his immediate demise.

    With a strong sense of foreboding that he would not survive the iing attack, Yuan didn''t hesitate to unleash all of his hidden strength.

    [Heaven''s Supremacy!]

    A majestic golden aura enveloped Yuan as an unfathomable power surged forth from the depths of his body.

    When the Golden Immortal Physique detected the power of Heaven''s Supremacy, it responded by manifesting a semi-

    transparent armor that enveloped his entire body.

    [Progress: 10%]

    This golden armor did not obstruct Yuan''s movements, nor did it have any weight to it. However, it further boosted Yuan''s prowess to even greater heights, rivaling that of the spirit.

    "?!?"

    "Come! Empyrean Overlord!"

    Yuan summoned his sword and activated God of War''s Astral Arts.

    "?!?!?!"

    The spirit''s figure visibly shook after seeing the Empyrean Overlord. It instinctively pulled back its attack, but it acted a little toote.

    A massive amount of spiritual energy and Enhanced Sword Aura descended upon Yuan, surpassing the attack he used on Senior Bai several times.

    [Nine Supreme Swords!]

    Yuan used the Nine Supreme Swords, executing a series of rapid sword strikes in quick session, each several magnitudes stronger than thest.

    When Yuan''s all-out assault collided with the spirit''s attack, it generated a colossal ripple that rents space asunder and instilled fear in every existence within the Vanishing Valley that sensed it, regardless of their cultivation level.

    It took six out of nine of the Nine Supreme Swords'' strikes to obliterate the spirit''s attack, leaving the remaining three to hurtle toward the spirit itself.

    However, Yuan was not willing to wait for the results and immediately charged into the entrance to the Shadow Realm.

    "Wai¡ª!" The spirit raised a hand and extended it in Yuan''s direction, but he had already disappeared into the Shadow Realm by that point.

    The spirit remained in that position like a stone statue.

    Just as the final three sword strikes from Yuan''s Nine Supreme Swords closed in on the spirit, it nonchntly swung its arm, effortlessly dismantling the most formidable attack Yuan could muster at that moment, treating it with nonchnce.

    "That sword just now¡­ it can''t be¡­" The spirit muttered in a dazed voice as it recalled the image of Yuan''s Empyrean Overlord inside its head.

    It desired to pursue Yuan to confirm its suspicions, but its movements were constrained, unable to stray too far from the Giant''s Sword. Furthermore, the entrance to the Shadow Realmy beyond its travel range, rendering any efforts futile.

 Chapter 1417 Returning to the Shadow Realm

    Chapter 1417 Returning to the Shadow Realm

    ?1417  Returning to the Shadow Realm

    Upon escaping into the Shadow Realm, Yuan took a good minute to breathe after nearly losing his life to the spirit''s devastating attack.

    "I have never been so close to experiencing death¡ªnot even when I actually died inside the Nameless Emperor''s Tomb!" Yuan cried out loud as he fell t on the cold ground.

    "That spirit was immensely powerful¡ªperhaps even stronger than Senior Bai."

    Xiao Hua came out of his Dantian tofort him, "Yet you managed to escape unscathed, Brother Yuan."

    Yuan looked at his sweaty palms and sighed, "Yes, but at the cost of myst usage of Heaven''s Supremacy. Unless I gain its approval, I won''t be able to call forth its power again, and we might have to face that spirit again once we leave the Shadow Realm."

    Without Heaven''s Supremacy, Yuan knew he had no hopes of escaping the spirit a second time. In fact, he believed that even if he had unlimited usage of Heaven''s Supremacy, it still wouldn''t be close to enough to defeat the spirit at his current strength.

    Once he''d rested enough andposed himself again, Yuan examined his surroundings.

    Just as when he first entered the Shadow Realm back at the Dragon Essence Temple, he found himself amidst a deste and dpidated cityscape that looked like it had been void of life for eras.

    However, there were no trials for him to do.

    "Is this ce located in the same dimension as the Dragon Essence Temple''s Shadow Realm?" Yuan voiced his concerns aloud, feeling a twinge of worry at the possibility of them being separated, as it meant he wouldn''t be able to search for the God Ascension Realm experts he met before in this Shadow Realm.

    However, he quickly recollected one of the God Ascension Realm experts mentioning that the Shadow Realm had multiple entrances. Hence, there was a reasonable likelihood that they existed somewhere within this particr Shadow Realm. The only challengey in locating them amidst this vast and unfamiliar terrain.

    "Where should I begin¡­?" he sighed.

    Unlike the Vanishing Valley, where he was given instructions on reaching the Shadow Realm, he had no clue where to even begin once he arrived at the destination.

    In the end, he could only think of one solution.

    "I guess we''ll have to wander around until we find something again," he muttered.

    His divine sense was strong enough to cover the entire abandoned city and even several miles outside, where the real Shadow Realm was located.

    Once Xiao Hua returned to his Dantian, he went into the sky and flew outside the city, entering the Shadow Realm.

    Immediately after leaving the city, shadowy entities of various shapes and sizes began appearing around Yuan, their red eyes staring at him with immense bloodlust.

    "Human¡­!"

    "Human¡­!"

    "Human!!!"

    Their hoarse voices constantly resounded, reminding Yuan of his first encounter with these banished souls.

    However, unlike when he was only a Spirit Grandmaster, he was notpletely clueless in the Shadow Realm and even had sufficient prowess to wander the ce without worrying too much about the banished souls.

    The banished souls were also slightly stronger than he remembered, but they weren''t nearly strong or fast enough to threaten him as long as he paid attention.

    "They were most likely powerful cultivators in the past, but they''ve been reduced to such a pitiful state after wandering as a trapped soul for countless years. Only someone with a cruel and indifferent heart could do such a thing to them," Xiao Hua voiced her sentiments, expressing sympathy for these banished souls, noting the resemnce of their plight to that of Exiles within the Primordial Realm.

    Simr to these banished souls, Exiles themselves are trapped within the Primordial Realm by the Celestial Emperor. However, Exiles, at the very least, retain their physical bodies and possess a glimmer of hope for eventual freedom through the Supreme Heaven''s Legacy. Meanwhile, banished souls are forsaken and left tonguish in this dark and deste realm. Though they may harbor a flicker of hope that someone like Yuan might appear to rescue them from the Shadow Realm, such asions are less likely to ur than an Exilepleting the Supreme Heaven''s Legacy, as not even immortal cultivators dare to venture into this forbidding domain.

    As Yuan ventured deeper into the Shadow Realm, the banished souls grew progressively more powerful, their bloodlust for him intensifying with each passing moment.

    ''Senior Bai warned me to not attack them since it will aggravate them even further, but they will eventually overwhelm me at this rate¡­'' Yuan sighed inwardly as he contemted using Dragon''s Gaze on these banished souls.

    In the end, he decided to scare them a little without actually hurting them.

    He activated Dragon''s Gaze without directing it at any of the banished souls, serving it as a warning to them.

    "Scram if you don''t want your soul to perish!" Yuan let out a resounding roar, his voice amplified by soul strength.

    When the banished souls perceived the formidable prowess of Yuan''s soul strength, they abruptly ceased their pursuit and even fled as if their lives hung in the bnce. Though they may not have the intelligence toprehend it, their instincts, honed through their experiences in life, could sense impending doom and instinctively recoil from it.

    ''That worked better than I''d anticipated¡­'' Yuan thought to himself as he continued wandering the Shadow Realm without a single banished soul in sight.

    However, it was not as though the banished souls vanished entirely. Yuan could still perceive them with his divine sense. They remained present, albeit at a distance, silently observing his every movement, as if they were waiting for him to lower his guard¡ªtheir moment to strike.

    lights¦­¦Ïv¦Ål ?¦Ïm Knowing this, Yuan didn''t dare to ease his guard and continued to exude some of his soul strength once in a while as a reminder to these banished souls that he still could erase their existences at will.T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    Moreover, Yuan''s act of releasing his soul strength was not within the purview of just anyone. It was achievable only due to his ample soul strength and the umted knowledge from his past lives. Typically, only immortal cultivators who have cultivated their souls for centuries would dare to use their soul strength in such an extravagant manner, as it could potentially inflict harm upon their soul if executed incorrectly or impulsively.

    Yet, Yuan executed it with ease, as if it was second nature, akin to the act of breathing.

 Chapter 1418 A Familiar Place

    Chapter 1418  A Familiar ce

    ?1418  A Familiar ce

    Now that no banished souls dared to approach him, Yuan found traveling the Shadow Realm much more rxed. However, it didn''t mean it was a leisure journey, as he had to focus on controlling the amount of soul strength he exuded.

    If he exuded too much, it might hurt the banished souls, causing them to rampage, but if it''s too weak, it would not keep them away. Moreover, he had to be careful with such an act entirely, as it could easily backfire and damage his soul.

    Fortunately for him, his soul cultivation technique Heaven''s Indomitable Soul constantly recovered his soul strength, or else he wouldn''t have been able to use such a method.

    Several dayster, Yuan still wandered the Shadow Realm without any clue as to his location.

    However, he noticed the banished souls growing stronger and stronger, requiring him to use more soul strength to keep them away.

    ''At the rate their strength is growing, I won''t be able to keep up in another week or so¡­'' Yuan thought to himself.

    Three dayster, Yuan noticed another city in the distance. He immediately approached it.

    Upon entering the city, none of the banished souls dared to follow him past the city walls, almost as though they were forbidden from doing so.

    Yet, Yuan was unable to sense anything odd around the city¡ª

    nothing that could exin why the banished souls refused to enter the city.

    He thought there was a formation around the city that kept the banished souls away, but he couldn''t sense anything like that. Even if it was a powerful level 9 formation, he should still be able to sense it to a certain extent.

    Since he didn''t have to worry about the banished souls appearing in the city, Yuan took this time to recover his soul strength and take a break.

    Once he fully recovered, Yuan did not immediately continue his journey and flew into the air to examine the city.

    "This city isn''t the same as the previous city, but it bears some resemnce, almost as though it''s from the same city, just separated¡­" Yuan muttered.

    He decided to look around the city to see if there were any more clues.

    As he strolled throughout the city, he felt a sense of nostalgia, almost as if he''d been to this ce before¡ªbefore it turned to such a sorry state.

    ''But where have I seen this ce?''

    He looked at the stores and such, hoping it''d trigger something within him.

    "Golden Dumplings."

    "House of Starlight."

    "Lao''s Perfect Noodle."

    Unfortunately, the ce was too small, and seeing the store names only further strengthened the feeling that he had been to this ce before.

    ''If this is only a part of the whole city, there should be other simr ces in the Shadow Realm. Perhaps I will find my answer once I visit enough of them.''

    With this thought in mind, Yuan immediately left the city to find the next one.

    Even though he didn''t know where he was going, Yuan moved with a sense of purpose without feeling hopeless or lost, as though he instinctively knew theyout of the Shadow Realm.

    He encountered another city five dayster.

    "I am certain now. This is just a portion of a city, and I have been to this city before." Yuan confirmed his suspicions after visiting the third city.

    However, he couldn''t recall where and when he visited the ce before no matter how hard he racked his brains.

    He left the city to find the next one.

    However, the strength of the banished souls had reached the level where even Yuan could not keep them away with his soul strength without injuring them, so he had to return to avoiding them.

    This time, it took nearly two weeks to reach the next city.

    Unlike the first three cities, there was something distinctly different about this one. At its heart stood a towering and majestic pagoda, its height seemingly reaching the heavens themselves. So striking was its presence that Yuan spotted it from miles away.

    When Yuan saw this pagoda, a name immediately appeared inside his head, but he didn''t dare to jump to conclusions.

    When he reached the city walls, he noticed a worn-down sign lying on the ground right before the entrance to the city.

    His expression froze when he read the words on the sign.

    "Ahhh¡­ As I thought, this ce is¡­"

    "City of Xian."

    Indeed, this ce was the home of Tian Xian, also known as the Evil God who slew the first Celestial Emperor¡ªan evil abomination that killed millions of cultivators, enough to create an ocean of blood and mountains with corpses.T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    Yuan descended beside the sign and stared at it with a profound expression on his face.

    Sometimeter, he lifted it with spiritual energy and ced it above the city entrance, where it once sat with dignity.

    Afterward, he directed his gaze towards the pagoda at the heart of the city. Despite countless years of abandonment, it remained tall and majestic, seemingly untouched by the passage of time.

    He approached it with a heavy heart, feeling incredibly sorrowful for some reason. Even if he didn''t have all of Tian Xian''s memories, it was a feeling he received from his soul.

    As Yuan approached the pagoda and stood at its entrance, he stared at the grand sign that hung above the doors.

    "Invincible Heaven."

    "Ah¡­"

    As Yuan stood before the Invincible Heaven, memories that had been blocked started flowing into his mind once again.

    "City Lord, what do you think of the name Invincible Heaven? I think it''s quite the suitable name for someone like you¡ª

    someone who has yet to experience defeat," A young man asked him.

    "Why are you asking me that when you''ve already made a sign and hung it up at the entrance?" Tian Xian shook his head with a gentle smile.

    The young man rubbed his nose in a bashful manner and said, "We couldn''t think of anything more fitting, so we went ahead of ourselves a little¡­"

    He quickly continued, "But we can tear it down and make another one if you really don''t like it."

    "No, this is fine. Good job."

    "Thank you, City Lord!" The young man bowed, showing a relieved expression on his face.

 Chapter 1419 Invincible Heaven

    Chapter 1419 Invincible Heaven

    ?1419  Invincible Heaven

    As Yuan recalled his time as the City Lord of the City of Xian, he opened the doors to the Invincible Heaven and entered it.

    The first floor served as the lobby, where his citizens would frequently line up to discuss their grievances with the city, among other matters. During his time as the City Lord, Tian Xian would seek advice from the citizens to improve the city''s lifestyle.

    "My name is¡­ I live at¡­ I am here today because I have an issue with my neighbor¡­"

    "I am¡­ I have a business at¡­ I am here to see if I can dy my taxes this month due to¡­"

    The citizens visited Tian Xian for all sorts of reasons, even minor issues that weren''t rted to the city at all. Normally, such requests would only be deemed a waste of time and immediately turned away, but Tian Xian listened to everyone, regardless of how insignificant it may seem. Because of this, he was trusted by all of the citizens, as well as being highly respected by them. And it was to the point where some would im that the citizens trusted their City Lord more than their own family.

    The second and third floors served as waiting areas for these citizens.

    From the fourth floor and upward, Tian Xian utilized the space as training rooms and living quarters for his soldiers. The Invincible Heaven was crafted using precious materials capable of withstanding blows from even immortal cultivators, and each floor could easily amodate several people.

    Despite its towering height, Tian Xian considered it an unnecessary extravagance, a waste of resources. However, the builders were resolute in creating a structure befitting his status, resulting in the magnificent pagoda that could amodate thousands despite being intended for a single upant.

    "Good morning, City Lord!"

    "City Lord, do you have a minute to spare? I would like to test out a new technique that I''ve recently created on you!"

    Everyone in the City of Xian held deep love and respect for Tian Xian. He had transformed a humble backwater vige, devoid of any significant resources, into a formidable and wealthy city boasting its own military might, surpassing even many major cities in the region.

    Tian Xian himself was a formidable warrior, renowned far and wide as an undefeated prodigy capable of beating opponents an entire realm above his own cultivation. Also known as the God of War, his mere presence instilled a sense of security among the citizens, granting them peaceful slumber devoid of worry, akin to that of newborn infants.

    At the pinnacle of the Invincible Heaven rested Tian Xian''s work chamber, affording him a vantage point from which he could survey the entirety of the city below while seated on this majestic seat, his presence resembling that of a god.

    Upon reaching the summit of the pagoda, Yuan removed the thickyer of dust on an object that had settled over millions of years, revealing the gleaming surface of the golden throne beneath, before taking his seat upon it.

    As he sat on the throne, even more memories flowed into his mind.

    "City Lord, the Celestial Emperor''s messenger is here to request your aid once again¡­" A soldier approached him with a troubled expression, rying the news.

    "Hmph. No matter how many times he sends his messengers, my answer will always be the same. I have no interest in aiding him in a war that was created by his own ego and obsession. I will not send my soldiers to their death for someone like him."

    "I-I will let the messenger know¡­" The soldier said before leaving.

    Naturally, the soldier refrained from conveying Tian Xian''s response word for word to the messenger, recognizing that it could be interpreted as a deration of war by the Celestial Emperor.

    During Tian Xian''s era, the Celestial Emperor wielded unchecked power, intoxicated by his own authority. He would hog all of the resources for himself and eliminate any perceived threat, regardless of the consequences for the world atrge.

    However respectfully the City of Xian may decline to support the Celestial Emperor in his war, it would eventually be perceived as defiance¡ªeven opposition. In the eyes of the Celestial Emperor, refusal to ally could only be interpreted as enmity.

    As expected, after three refusals, the Celestial Emperor ceased sending messengers and instead dispatched soldiers of war to the City of Xian to pressure Tian Xian.

    Unfortunately for the Celestial Emperor, Tian Xian wasn''t some pushover and immediately got rid of these soldiers who dared to threaten his city.

    Yet, despite Tian Xian''s resistance, the Celestial Emperor persisted, sending increasinglyrger forces with each encounter, determined to assert his dominance over the City of Xian.

    This back and forth continued for a few years until the Celestial Emperor had enough and adjusted his n slightly.

    However, this sudden change in tactics resulted in an incident that marked the end of a concluding war and the start of an even bigger war thatsted for thousands of years, as well as the birth of a fearsome entity known as the Evil God.

    After taking another moment to look around, he stood up and said, "There''s a nearby ce that I would like to visit. Let''s make a slight detour."

    After departing from the Invincible Heaven, Yuan proceeded on foot towards a particr building situated several minutes away.

    Yuan wiped away the dust covering the metal tag next to the gate, revealing the surname ''Tian'' wlessly engraved on it.

    Indeed, he''d returned to his old home, where he lived a humble life with his beloved wife.

    Upon entering the building, he immediately walked to a specific room on the second floor.T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    When he saw the interior, he recalled what the Stairway to Heaven showed him during his previous trial.

    ''Meixiu¡­''

    Yuan gritted his teeth and clenched his fists upon entering the bloodstained room, where the walls and ceiling were tainted with brown, dried-up blood from countless years ago, suggesting that someone had met a grisly fate within those confines.

    Sensing a significant surge of bloodlust from him, Xiao Hua nervously inquired, "Are you alright, Brother Yuan?"

    Hearing her voice, Yuan took a deep breath and nodded weakly, "Yes¡­"

 Chapter 1420 Basement

    Chapter 1420  Basement

    ?1420  Basement

    After spending a moment staring at the gruesome scene before him, Yuan released a deep sigh before turning around and walking out of the room.

    He walked back downstairs until he reached the basement. A thick cloud of dust smacked into Yuan''s face when he opened the basement door, but he reacted quickly enough to block it.

    Upon walking down the staircase that creaked with every step, Yuan arrived at a small room that he''d visited before during a trial within the Stairway to Heaven.

    The room seemed empty at first nce besides the obvious dust covering every inch of the ce, but Yuan approached one of the walls in a manner that suggested something was there.

    He closed his eyes and stood there in silence. A few momentster, he muttered a few inaudible words. A profound ripple swept the room in response, revealing a red portal standing right in front of Yuan.

    After seeing this portal, Yuan walked into it without any hesitation.

    Another world existed on the other side of the portal. It was a pitch-ck world without any light¡ªso dark that Yuan wouldn''t be able to see his own hand even if he waved it in his face.

    Divine sense was also useless in this abyss, or rather, unavable, as Yuan''s cultivation base was sealed the moment he entered, almost as though the darkness had consumed it all.

    He didn''t even bother trying to summon his alchemy mes to light up the ce because he knew that it would be a futile effort.

    Despite having zero visibility and his cultivation base sealed, Yuan calmly walked forward with precise and calm strides, asionally turning at a specific angle.

    Xiao Hua was quite curious about their location, but she didn''t want to disturb Yuan, who was immersed in his memories, following a path that led him to his destination.

    After fifteen minutes of constant movement, Yuan''s view turned from absolute darkness to a fully lit room that was the exact size as his basement room.

    However, the room was immacte and without a speck of dust. Moreover, there were three items disyed at the end of the room.

    Yuan approached the three items with a sense of nostalgia washing over him.

    There was an old silver spear, a damaged ck chest armor, and a pair of worn-out ck boots.

    These three items were worn by Tian Xian back when he was still known as the God of War, experiencing more battles than even the most veteran soldiers nowadays. Despite their worn-

    out appearances, they still exuded a profound aura that surpasses even Divine-grade treasures.

    [Silver Victory]

    [Grade: Mythic]

    [Quality: Peak]

    [Physical Strength Requirement: 27,000,000]Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.

    [Description: An ancient relic once wielded by the God of War, who fought and won over 1,000,000 battles. Despite its tattered appearance, it remains in great condition. Increases damage by 10,000%. Increases weapon pration by 20,000%. Increases damage by an additional 10,000% when fighting another soldier.]

    [Stygian Vest]

    [Grade: Mythic]

    [Quality: Peak]

    [Physical Strength Requirement: 20,000,000]

    [Physical Defense Requirement: 35,000,000]

    [Description: The God of War never entered battle without this piece of armor, saving his life countless times. Increases physical defense by 1,000%. When worn, it will reflect all damages from those below Divine Lord. ''God of War''s Protection'' will automatically activate when it senses imminent danger that threatens the wearer''s life, negating any damage a single time from those below Divine Emperor(72-

    hour cooldown).]

    [Stygian Boots]

    [Grade: Mythic]

    [Quality: Peak]

    [Physical Strength Requirement: 12,000,000]

    [Physical Defense Requirement: 19,000,000]

    [Description: God of War''s favorite shoes, its sole dyed crimson from always being submerged in his enemies'' blood. Increases movement speed by 100% when worn. Immune to most movement restrictions when worn. Increases movement speed by an additional 50% when in a battlefield environment.]

    Yuan stored these two of these three treasures in his spatial ring, wearing the Stygian Boots immediately.

    Although he already has a spear, Silver Victory''s prowess vastly surpassed the Dragon''s Soul in its current form in terms of raw power. The only advantage Dragon''s Soul had over Silver Victory would be its unique effect that ignores spiritual energy. Unless he encountered an enemy he could not harm normally, such as Bai Xutao, Silver Victory would serve him better.

    As for the armor, he finally had something to rece the Invisible Dragon''s Cloak, which had served him long enough. Moreover, his naked body alone, strengthened by the Golden Immortal Physique, could endure attacks from Divine Warriors, making the Invisible Dragon''s Cloak even more obsolete.

    However, the Stygian Boosts are arguably the best of the three treasures for Yuan, as treasures that increase one''s movement speed are exceedingly rare and sought-after. Furthermore, it also protected him from many movement restrictions, such as formations that could slow down one''s movement.

    In a fight between two equally skilled and powerful fighters, the one with the superior speed usuallyes out as the victor, hence why anything that could boost one''s movement speed is worth a fortune.

    "That borate room before this one was only meant to hide these three treasures?" Xiao Hua couldn''t help but ask.

    Yuan nodded, "This room was meant to be a safe shelter for my wife, but it ended up bing a storage¡­"

    "Huh? Brother Yuan''s wife?" Xiao Hua muttered in a dazed voice.

    "My previous life¡­ I had a wife and a child¡­ Unfortunately, I was unable to protect them. They were assassinated while I was busy with the enemy." Yuan sighed, not hiding one of his darkest moments in history.

    Yuan closed his eyes, recalling the events that led up to that tragic incident.

    Tian Xian lived a rough childhood from the moment of his birth. He was abandoned shortly after birth and left in the wilderness as food for the wild beasts. If a passing mountain bandit hadn''t found him and decided to raise him, that would''ve been the end of everything.

    Yet, against all odds, Tian Xian managed to survive.

 Chapter 1421 Tian Xian

    1421 Tian Xian

    One might expect Tian Xian''s life to get better after being adopted by a mountain bandit, but he was treated as a servant until he was able to prove to the others that he had what it took to be a fellow bandit.

    "If you want to be acknowledged as a fellow bandit, you''ll need to plunder at least 10 gold coins by yourself!"

    "If you cannot do even that, you might as well be a ve for the rest of your life!"

    After years of self-training without any instructors, Tian Xian finally earned the others'' respect by looting 100 gold coins from a merchant after killing three mortal guards all by himself. He was only 10 years old at that time.

    "Hahaha! From now on, you''ll be our 17th brother!"

    "100 gold coins! That''s a record! By a whopping 24 gold coins!!"

    Upon bing a full-fledged bandit for 2 short years, misfortune befell Tian Xian once again when their gang of bandits were caught and executed by a group of soldiers. At that time, half of the bandits including Tian Xian were mere mortals without any cultivation. The other half were hovering in the mid-level of Spirit Apprentice.

    "Kill these low-life bandits! Kill them all! No mercy!"

    Unsurprisingly, when a group of Spirit Warriors appeared to hunt them, none of the bandits survived. All of them were in mercilessly¡ªexcept for one.

    When the soldiers saw how young yet skillful he wielded his weapon and learned his history with the bandits, they offered him a new life as a soldier for the Xiu Family, a powerful and influential royal family in the Fourth Heaven.

    "Kid, you don''t have to die here. Come with us and start a new life as a soldier for the Xiu Family. You''ll be fed properly, given a real bed, paid a sry, and even have a worthwhile purpose in life."

    "If you refuse, you''ll die here with the very bandits that took advantage of you."

    Tian Xian had no reason to refuse such a generous offer, so he epted it, following these soldiers back to the Xiu Family, where he was given proper education and training.

    His life as a soldier wasn''t easy and extremely strict,pletely different from that of a mountain bandit, but Tian Xian adapted to his new lifestyle very quickly.

    His attitude and morals quickly changed, shocking even those who brought him back.

    "Are you really the same mountain bandit from a week ago?"

    "Fuck! How can a person change so fast?! You''re not actually a spy, are you?"

    Eventually, the soldiers realized that Tian Xian was blessed with a great gift¡ªthe ability to master any weapon with ease.

    "Huh? Why''s he training with the sword today when he was training with the spear just yesterday?"

    "I saw him training with the saber, too."

    "I guess he''s having trouble picking a weapon."

    "If you''re a man, you''ve gotta pick the spear!"

    "Are you insane? Swords dominate the martial world for a reason!" N?velDrama.Org holds this content.

    It didn''t take long for the Xiu Family to take notice of Tian Xian''s immense talent with weapons. No matter what kind of weapon they tossed his way, Tian Xian would perfect it within a day¡ª two at most despite having never touched them before.

    "I have never witnessed such talents before."

    "And he''s not even an adult."

    "We need to nurture him properly. He''ll be of great asset to our Xiu Family in the future."

    In just a single year, Tian Xian went from an ordinary soldier still in training to being a royal guard for the Xiu Family.

    After bing a royal guard, Tian Xian was taught how to cultivate and was even allowed to use the Xiu Family''s cultivation technique, something heavily protested at first but eventually stopped after the Xiu Family''s treasured jewel, Xiu Mei, insisted on letting him learn the technique.

    "Princess Xiu, we need to speak about your obsession with that young soldier! it is too much for someone of your stature! Please think of how it''ll affect your image! There are already rumors spreading about the two of you!"

    "Screw my image! He''s the only one around my age here and someone I can call a real friend! If you don''t like it, you can simply ignore it! As for the rumors... are they calling us a couple yet...? What if they think we''ve kissed already?! Do you think he''s heard of them, too? Ahhh! I''m so embarrassed!"

    It was no secret that the princess of the Xiu Family would often visit the soldier''s barracks to y with Tian Xian, who was only a year older than her. Furthermore, she fancied Tian Xian''s appearance and admired his diligent nature. Nobody would be shocked if they were told that Xiu Mei had some sort of romantic feelings for him. In fact, it was so obvious that even a blind man would be able to see it.

    However, because of the difference in their status, Tian Xian would often be a target of bullying, mostly by young masters from powerful and wealthy families who envied his rtionship with Xiu Mei. It was inevitable even though he was a royal guard because, in the end, he was just a mere soldier.

    "Ah! Tian Xian! You''re all bruised again! Why don''t you fight back?! You can easily handle those losers with your skills and strength!" Xiu Mei would often reprimand him for not defending himself.

    Tian Xian responded with a subtle smile, "I can only point my weapon at the Xiu Family''s enemies. Unless they be your enemy, I am unable to harm them. Otherwise, your family will also be affected, as I am, at the end of the day, your soldier. Moreover, beating the helpless and weak is only something a bully and bandit would do. I am past that kind of life."

    "Tian Xian¡­" Xiu Mei looked at him with a tender gaze.

    He continued, "Also, if Your Royal Highness cannot convince them to stop, what can I, a mere foot soldier, do?"

    Xiu Mei''s body trembled upon hearing his words that had a double meaning.

    She immediately turned around and stomped away in anger.

    The following day, an incident that sent the entire Fourth Heaven into an uproar urred.

    Princess Xiu Mei, who was known far and wide for her docile and gentle nature, had gone on a rampage and brutally assaulted several famous troublemakers at a popr restaurant, sending them to the hospital with a broken nose and half of their teeth missing.

 Chapter 1422 Princess Xiu

    1422 Princess Xiu

    The day after Tian Xian got bullied and spoke with her, Xiu Mei sneaked out of the royal pce and made her way to a famous restaurant in the same city, where the bullies that messed with Tian Xian are rumored to frequent. Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.

    "Y-Your Royal Highness! What in heaven''s name are you doing here by yourself?! Where are your guards?!" The receptionist was scared out of her mind when Xiu Mei walked into the restaurant alone.

    Xiu Mei casually dismissively waved her hand and spoke, "Forget about that. I need to know something. Is the Lee Family''s young master and his group of troublemakers here right now?"

    "Young Master Lee and his friends? Yes, they have been dining on the top floor for the past half hour. If Your Royal Highness is looking for them, I will call them down here for you."

    "No, that won''t be necessary. I''ll go greet them myself since they aren''t expecting me."

    Without saying anything else, Xiu Mei walked upstairs with the receptionist staring at her back with a nervous gaze.

    ''I should notify the Xiu Family¡­'' The receptionist had an ominous feeling when he saw Xiu Mei and didn''t want to be responsible if anything were to happen to her.

    While the receptionist alerted the Xiu Family of Xiu Mei''s presence at the restaurant, the person herself casually climbed to the top floor of the restaurant.

    At the end of the hall, two guards were standing before a closed room that couldn''t contain the loudughter inside.

    "Hahaha! Did you see how that wimp stood there and ate our fists?! I have never seen such a coward before!"

    "How did a loser like that be a royal guard for the Xiu Family?! Whoever made that decision must''ve been blind!"

    "Fuck! Just thinking about him makes me want to beat him up some more!"

    "We can always give him another visit! Hell, we can even see him after this!"

    "Why don''t we cut off his fingers so that he''ll lose qualifications to even work as a soldier? I bet he won''t even fight back!"

    "Once Princess Xiu realizes how much of a cowardly bastard that soldier is, she''ll definitely stop paying attention to him!"

    As Xiu Mei overheard their conversation, her expression immediately darkened, and her steps toward the room hastened.

    "Stop right there and iden¡ª Your Royal Highness?! What are you doing here?!" The guards standing watch tried to stop her from approaching the room but instantly gave up when they took a closer look at her beautiful yet terrifying face.

    BANG!

    Without saying a word to the guards, Xiu Mei kicked down the doors like a barbarian, startling everyone in the room.

    "Which bastard dares¡ª?!"

    "Fuck! How dare you startle this young master! I''ll have your entire family executed¡ª!?!"

    The young masters in the room stopped their speech halfway when they saw Xiu Mei standing before the broken door with clenched fists, their faces filled with disbelief and shock, looking like they had just seen a ghost.

    "P-Princess Xiu?! What are you doing here?!"

    However, these young masters couldn''t care less why Xiu Mei was there. They only wanted to know if she had overheard their loud conversation just now. Of course, they had an idea judging by the way she kicked down the doors and her chilling aura.

    Xiu Mei was the first to break the silence, speaking in a cold tone, "Damaging my future husband''s face is already punishable by death, but to think you would even consider doing something as heinous as robbing him of his future¡­ I''ll have you bastards executed immediately!"

    Without any warning, Xiu Mei exuded immense killing intent as she jumped to the nearest young master, punching him directly in the face, and sending him flying.

    Despite her small and seemingly delicate figure, Xiu Mei possessed the cultivation of a peak Spirit Grandmaster.

    The one who received her punch felt his face dent inward before his vision darkened.

    "Princess Xiu?! Please calm down! We were only joking!"

    The young masters showed zero signs of wanting to fight back. In fact, they were all older than Xiu Mei by several years, but their cultivation was only between peak Spirit Master and mid-level Spirit Grandmaster. None of them were strong enough to defeat her even if they fought without caring about her status.

    "Ahh! My fingers are bending backward!" One of the young masters screamed in pain after trying to block Xiu Mei''s fist.

    Another was struck directly in the mouth, shattering most of his teeth.

    "Ahhh! My leg!"

    Xiu Mei, who was also known as the Gentle Princess, was no different than a barbarian at this moment, her small and smooth hands stained and dripping with fresh blood.

    In just a few minutes, Xiu Mei had brutally crushed 5 young masters without breaking a sweat.

    If the guards hadn''t stopped her at the very end, she wouldn''t have hesitated to act upon her words and executed them on that day.

    What transpired at the restaurant was spread throughout the continent like wildfire, shocking every individual who heard it.

    The Xiu Family expected Xiu Mei''s image and reputation to plummet like a boulder. However, to their surprise, her actions had actually significantly improved her reputation, especially among the citizens within their own city. The troublemakers she had dealt with had caused so much trouble for the people that everybody dreamed of giving them a taste of their own medicine but couldn''t, due to obvious reasons.

    "Long live Princess Xiu for dealing with those troublemakers!"

    "Hahaha! This news is worth a grand celebration!"

    "If only they were killed! That would''ve been even better!"

    However, while the citizens celebrated, the families of these troublemakers immediately sought reparation from the Xiu Family, and their friendly rtionship that was slowly built over thousands of years vanished in a single day.

    These families were not small backgrounds and could threaten even the Xiu Family if they worked together, so it brought no small headache to the Xiu Family.

    The Xiu Family immediately tried to repair their rtionship, but these families never intended to do so and had always coveted the Xiu Family''s power. Now that they had the opportunity and the excuse, they established another faction together in hopes of recing the Xiu Family.

 Chapter 1423 Unprecedented Genius

    Chapter 1423 Unprecedented Genius

    ?1423  Unprecedented Genius

    "Xiu Mei, because of your reckless actions, we''ve lost several powerful allies. Even worse, they have formed an alliance that will now directly challenge us. At this rate, there will be war, and our victory isn''t guaranteed." Emperor Xiu sighed in front of his beloved daughter. He would''ve never imagined that his most precious and gentle daughter would cause such trouble, and it was all for a single soldier.

    "Can we even call them allies when they have clearly nned on opposing us for some time now? If I hadn''t acted and exposed their true faces, we wouldn''t have known about it until we had a sword stabbed in our back!" Xiu Mei rebuked.

    The room fell silent after Xiu Mei''s words.

    "Your Majesty, I have to agree with the Princess on this matter. Her actions and reasoning aside, it showed us the true colors of those traitorous bastards. The Lee Family and the others would have eventually stabbed us in the back if given the chance regardless if Princess Xiu had beaten their children or not. We should immediately start preparing to deal with them." One of the most trusted and experienced Royal Advisors there said.N?velDrama.Org holds this content.

    "Not just that. Those families are rumored to have some shady business running in the shadows. Unfortunately, we haven''t been able to secure any solid evidence that could incriminate them yet," said one of their Generals.

    "I am actually d that the Princess had done what she did. Those children are infamous troublemakers. We''ve received a mountain ofints from the citizens because of them. Moreover, it exposed their true colors to us, allowing us to take action faster."

    The majority of people in the room expressed their support for Xiu Mei. Seeing this, Emperor Xiu could no longer find it in him to punish her and sighed, "You got lucky this time, Xiu Mei. I won''t punish you as the Emperor, but as your father, I have to ensure you won''t do something so reckless again. That young soldier who made you do this¡­ I forbid you from seeing him again."

    "What?! But father¡ª!" Xiu Mei immediately tried to protest.

    But she was quickly rejected, "If you agree to never see him again, I will allow him to continue working as a soldier for us. However, if you refuse, I will have him removed immediately. The choice is yours."

    Xiu Mei clenched her teeth in frustration. Despite her ability to defeat those young masters, she remained powerless against her father''s authority. Emperor Xiu could have Tian Xian executed for encouraging Xiu Mei''s actions, leaving her with no recourse but toment her situation.

    "I¡­ I understand. I will not see him again, but you have to keep your promise and not touch him! If you break this promise, I will hate you forever!" Xiu Mei said before turning around and stomping out of the room in anger.

    Since that day, Xiu Mei kept her promise and did not approach Tian Xian once. However, she would asionally sneak a peek at him from afar to ensure that he was still there and Emperor Xiu did not break his promise.

    lights¦­¦Ïv¦Ål ?¦Ïm Tian Xian knew that Xiu Mei''s disappearance was most likely rted to what she did for him and refrained from even mentioning her name, as he was worried about stirring the ho''s nest.

    Of course, he would notice someone staring at him from afar from time to time, but he pretended to be oblivious to it for obvious reasons.

    ''Thank you, Your Royal Highness, for protecting me. I, Tian Xian, swear to protect you until myst breath.''

    After making that vow to himself, Tian Xian intensified his training regimen, pushing himself to the brink of exhaustion each day until he copsed from sheer fatigue.

    Two and half years passed in the blink of an eye. It has been four years since Tian Xian became a soldier for the Xiu Family. He recently turned 16, officially bing an adult. He also reached the realm of Spirit King with unprecedented speed, shocking the entire army. Moreover, he mastered every weapon known to man, bing a powerful force that could fight those several levels above his own cultivation.

    The reputation of the prodigious talent Tian Xian had reached every corner of the Xiu Family, earning admiration even from the Emperor himself.

    "I knew he was talented even before he started his cultivation, but to think I almost threw away such a monster! I''m so d that I didn''t quietly get rid of him that day!" Emperor Xiu sighed out loud before the presence of several individuals.

    "Tian Xian¡­ He started training for the royal guard a year after he joined us and graduated a yearter, bing the youngest royal guard in our army''s history at the age of 14," said the General of the army, who also held Tian Xian in high regard.

    He continued, "He''s just turned 16 and he can already fight me toe to toe despite having a lower cultivation base. I have never seen a monster like him before."

    "We should properly secure him within the Xiu Family before it''s toote. Our situation with the Seven Heavenly Order has only been worsening for the past three years. We''ll need his strength when war eventually breaks out in the near future," suggested the Royal Advisor.

    "Indeed," agreed the Emperor, his expression grave. "Tian Xian''s talent is our greatest hope against the impending storm. We must ensure his loyalty andmitment to our cause. However, how should we go about this?"

    "The easiest and mostmon method would be to give him one of our daughters. I have three daughters, but they are all married," said the General in a regretful tone.

    "I have two daughters. One was recently married and the other is only 10 years old¡­" The Royal Advisor sighed.

    "I only have sons¡­" said another Royal Advisor.

    "I have a daughter who is 17 years old and not married, but she already fancies some disciple from the Grand Sword Academy," said the Royal Treasurer.

    "You should introduce your daughter to Tian Xian, Royal Treasurer! I''m sure she''ll like him better than that disciple!" Emperor Xiu suggested.

    However, the Royal Treasurer shook his head and sighed, "It''s not that simple. She may not be married, but she''s already given her body to that disciple, and they n on getting married once that disciple bes a Core Disciple."

    "Aiya! You should''ve said that first!" Emperor Xiu sighed.

    "Anyways, does anyone here have a daughter who isn''t married and who is still pure? Tian Xian is an unprecedented genius who probably won''t appear again in our lifetime!"

    The Royal Advisor there suddenly raised his hand and spoke, "Um¡­ Your Majesty, what about Princess Xiu? If I recall correctly, she was pretty close with Tian Xian before that incident with the families from the Seven Heavenly Order."

    "Xiu Mei?! Impossible! I will let him have anyone¡ªanyone but her!" he immediately refuted.

    "But Your Majesty, we don''t have anyone else. Furthermore, it will pretty much guarantee that Tian Xian will stay loyal to the Xiu Family if his wife is Xiu Mei, who is of direct lineage..."

    Very quickly, the others started voicing their approval of Xiu Mei and Tian Xian''s marriage despite being responsible for their separation several years ago.

 Chapter 1424 Engagement

    Chapter 1424 Engagement

    ?1424  Engagement

    "Your Majesty, since this conversation is rted to Princess Xiu''s future, we should have the person in question here with us. I''d like to hear her opinion on this matter, as well." The Royal Treasurer said.

    "No! I don''t care what you guys say! You will not convince me to sell my beloved daughter!" Emperor Xiu eximed, remaining adamant.

    "But nobody is telling Your Majesty to sell Princess Xiu¡­ If the Princess fancies Tian Xian, everything is fine. Or does Your Majesty n on keeping Princess Xiu single for the rest of her life¡­?" One of the Generals asked.

    Emperor Xiu clenched his teeth in frustration, but he was unable to answer the General''s question. Naturally, he couldn''t let Xiu Mei remain alone forever, but he also couldn''t imagine anyone being worthy of her.

    After spending several hours convincing the Emperor, they summoned Xiu Mei''s presence into the room and exined the situation to her.

    "So, in order to ensure that Tian Xian''s loyalty remains with the Xiu Family, we have decided to find him a partner¡ª"

    "I will marry him!" Xiu Mei gave her response before they could even finish exining the situation.

    "L-let us finish¡ª"

    "No! I will be the one to marry him! That''s why you called me here, right?! My answer is yes!" Xiu Mei spoke without hesitation, her eyes flickering with excitement.

    Xiu Mei''s enthusiasm left the Emperor utterly speechless, even devastated. However, he was unable to find the strength to talk her out of it.

    "Why him¡­?" Emperor Xiu eventually found the courage to ask her this simple question.

    "Why¡­? I don''t know when I started looking at him with interest, but I have been watching him grow ever since he was brought back by the other soldiers. He''s a very earnest and hardworking individual, but his real charms only appear when you really get to know him." Xiu Mei closed her eyes and recalled the first time she coincidentallyid eyes on Tian Xian, who was training alone even before the morning sun rose.

    Tian Xian''s young presence piqued her interest, so she asked around and learned of his background as an abandoned child who was adopted by mountain bandits. Since then, she asionally checked in on Tian Xian''s progress, and before she knew it, they were chatting andughing together like best friends.

    "Honestly, I think it was love at first sight. I already decided to make him my husband years ago, so I won''t allow another woman to have him!" Xiu Mei red at her father with a serious expression.

    Seeing this, Emperor Xiu worried that Mei Xiu might do something drastic likest time if he meddled with her love affairs.

    "If you''re this stubborn about it, I will have no choice but to allow it¡­"

    In the end, Emperor Xiu waved the white g and approved of their rtionship.

    "Thank you, father!" Xiu Mei immediately stormed out of the room and went to look for Tian Xian.

    Since Tian Xian could always be seen training in the same area, Xiu Mei had no trouble and found him instantly.

    "Tian Xian!" she called out to him.

    Tian Xian was startled by her sudden voice and dropped the weapon he was training with and turned around to see Mei Xiu standing right behind him with a bashful smile on her face.

    "Y-Your Royal Highness¡­? Why are you here?" he asked her, looking truly puzzled by her presence. After all, they haven''t seen each other in almost three years.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.

    Mei Xiu raised her hands with two fingers pressed together into a cross and said, "Bu, bu! I told you to stop addressing me so coldly! Call me Xiu Mei!"

    Tian Xian was utterly speechless. In the three years that he hadn''t seen her, Xiu Mei had grown into a devastating beauty that could copse even cities with her smile alone. Yet, her character remained almost the same as three years ago.

    "Your¡ª Xiu Mei, you need to leave before someone sees you here with me. I don''t want to get you in trouble again." Tian Xian picked up his weapon and returned to training, acting like he never even noticed her.

    However, Xiu Mei pounced on his body and embraced him from behind.

    "Xiu Mei?! What are you doing?!" he cried out loud, feeling two soft objects pressing against his sweaty back.

    "You don''t need to worry about that anymore. I have received my father''s permission to see you again. Let''s go somewhere to catch up. We haven''t spoken to each other in almost three years, after all!"

    Before Tian Xian could even respond, Xiu Mei had already dragged him away from his training spot.

    Tian Xian could only wear a bittersweet smile on his face as he allowed her to drag him off without any resistance.

    Xiu Mei took Tian Xian to an old spot where they used to meet frequently. They spent several hours catching up on their lives, with Xiu Mei doing most of the talking, as Tian Xian''s days were primarily consumed by training.

    However, Xiu Mei did not bring up their marriage the entire time from the beginning to end. In her mind, even without Emperor Xiu''s approval, they would''ve ended up together, as if it was her fate to be with him.

    Over the next two years, Xiu Mei spent nearly every day by Tian Xian''s side. Whether she was quietly observing him train from a distance or sharingughter with him, every moment they spent together held equal significance in her heart.

    In two years, their rtionship underwent a significant transformation, culminating in an engagement. However, it was Xiu Mei who took the bold step of proposing to Tian Xian.

    Tian Xian refused at first due to the difference in their status and Xiu Mei''s exalted background, but Xiu Mei reassured him that they would have the Emperor''s blessing.

    Sure enough, Emperor Xiu personally approached Tian Xian that very day to congratte him on their engagement.

    "I will leave my daughter in your hands, Tian Xian. If you dare make her cry or fail to protect her, I wille after you even after death!"

    "I swear that I will protect her with my life, Your Majesty."

    "Who are you calling Your Majesty?! I am your father-inw now! Call me father!"

    "Y-yes, father¡­"

 Chapter 1425 Tian Xians First Battle

    Chapter 1425 Tian Xian''s First Battle

    ?1425  Tian Xian''s First Battle

    While Tian Xian and Xiu Mei became engaged, their rtionship wasn''t officially announced or acknowledged yet. The reasoning was simple.

    They decided to wait until Tian Xian had gained sufficient fame and reputation before making their engagement public. If the Xiu Family were to announce the engagement of their prized jewel to amon soldier during a time of war with the Seven Heavenly Order, they risked ridicule and mockery.

    While Tian Xian had gained fame as a prodigy within the Xiu Family, this knowledge was kept internal, and few outside their circle were aware of his talents.

    "Tian Xian, our situation with the Seven Heavenly Order has finally reached the point of war. I will send you into battle so you can acquire experience and make a name for yourself. Do you object?" Emperor Xiu asked him.

    "I object! Why do you have to send him when there are countless other soldiers?! It''s too dangerous!" Xiu Mei refused to send her beloved to war, fearing the possibility of him getting hurt or, even worse, losing his life.

    However, Tian Xian ced his hand on her shoulder and said, "Please, Xiu Mei, don''t be like this. This is what I''ve been trained for. If I can''t fulfill the purpose I''ve dedicated many years to, then what meaning does my existence hold?"

    "Well said!" The General eximed with an excited smile on his face.

    Tian Xian turned to look at Emperor Xiu and continued with a resolute face, "I ept, Your Majesty¨C No¡­ please, let me go to war with the Seven Heavenly Order. I have a debt to repay them, after all."

    Emperor Xiu nodded with a calm smile, "Very well. Then you will be part of our first battle with them. Immediately prepare for departure."

    "As youmand, Your Majesty!"

    Once they returned to their room, Xiu Mei asked, "Is there really no way I can convince you to stay here with me?"

    Tian Xian, noticing that she was crying, walked over and wiped her tears.

    "Xiu Mei, the Seven Heavenly Order threatens the Xiu Family and your safety. As your soldier and future husband, it''s only natural for me to fight them to defend our family."

    If the Emperor had heard such words, he would definitely be jumping in joy over how sessful their n was.

    "I couldn''t raise my hand at those bullies back then because they were allies, but now that they are our enemy, I won''t hesitate to get rid of them like you wanted me to."

    "Tian Xian¡­" Xiu Mei suddenly propelled herself forward and gave him a passionate kiss on the lips.

    "I want to give you something before you leave for the war¡­" She started removing her clothes, her face flushed with redness.

    Once she was fully naked, she grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the bed.

    Tian Xian''s eyes widened at her actions. However, he didn''t reject it and followed her to the bed, where they passionately embraced each other and connected for the first time.

    They made love to each other for several days straight until it was time for Tian Xian to leave.

    On the battlefield several thousand miles away from the Xiu Family, Tian Xian stood in a formation as they faced the Seven Heavenly Order''s army which was three timesrger in size.

    "Heavens! Those Seven Heavenly Order bastards have vited the agreed-upon number of soldiers to be sent into battle on our very first engagement! This bodes ill for us!" The soldiers were both shocked and incensed by the Seven Heavenly Order''s tant disregard for honor.

    In order to prevent a full-fledged war between two massive powers, they often resort to small-scale skirmishes with a predetermined number of soldiers and cultivators until one side either surrenders or depletes its forces.

    For their first battle, they agreed to send only a thousand soldiers with a single Spirit Sovereign, three Spirit Kings, twenty Spirit Lords, two hundred Spirit Grandmasters, and the rest Spirit Masters. However, the Seven Heavenly Order tantly disregarded their agreement and sent three times the amount with three Spirit Sovereigns, nine Spirit Kings, sixty Spirit Lords, six hundred Spirit Grandmasters, and over two thousand Spirit Masters.

    "These sons of bitches! We need to get reinforcements!"

    "They won''t make it! We''ll all be dead before reinforcements arrive!"

    "What should we do? Run away?"

    While the Xiu Family''s soldiers contemted running away, the only Spirit Sovereign within their ranks suddenly stepped forward and pointed his silver spear at the enemy.

    "So what if they outnumber us three to one?! They are just a bunch of cowards who cannot even fight fairly! How strong can they be? Follow me! I will pave the way to victory for us!"

    Without waiting for a response, Tian Xian fearlessly charged at the enemy. He made it halfway to the enemy without looking back to see if anyone had followed him. In his mind, even if he had to fight the entire army alone, it would not stop him.

    "Hahaha! Charging at us alone, what a foolish bastard!"

    "Who is this idiot? How did he manage to reach Spirit Sovereign?"

    The three Spirit Sovereignsughed and mocked Tian Xian openly.

    "I can handle a dumbass like him by myself!" One of the Spirit Sovereigns said as he confronted Tian Xian.

    However, the Spirit Sovereign was in by Tian Xian after exchanging three mere blows with him.

    It didn''t feel like a fight between Spirit Sovereigns and was more like a true master bullying a toddler. This unexpected result shocked both sides to their core.

    "Who is that soldier?! Howe I don''t recognize him?"

    "Isn''t that Tian Xian? He''s a royal guard for the Xiu Family!"

    "But he looks so young! He has to be less than twenty years old!"C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.

    "I have heard rumors of him, but I have never seen him fight before!"

    The Xiu Family''s soldiers were overwhelmed with shock after witnessing Tian Xian in action for the first time.

    Meanwhile, the Seven Heavenly Order''s soldiers were trembling from fear.

    Seeing this, the remaining two Spirit Sovereigns went to confront Tian Xian together in hopes of raising their fellow soldier''s morale.

    However, they also fell to Tian Xian in less than ten strikes.

    "Holy fuck! He defeated all three Spirit Sovereigns by himself!"

    "He''s even unharmed!"

    "We have a chance! We can defeat these cheating bastards!"

    The morale of the Xiu Family''s soldiers soared when they witnessed Tian Xian''s overwhelming strength, and they swiftly followed him into battle against the enemy soldiers.

    Once Tian Xian defeated the enemy''s Spirit Sovereigns, their morale plummeted to rock bottom, leaving them vulnerable to the onught of the Xiu Family''s soldiers, who swiftly overwhelmed them with ease.

    In less than two hours, the Xiu Family''s army emerged triumphant with only a few casualties. Meanwhile, the forces of the Seven Heavenly Order were utterly vanquished despite outnumbering their opponents.

    Word of Tian Xian''s unparalleled prowess on the battlefield quickly spread throughout the Fourth Heaven like wildfire, garnering him widespread acim and respect among both allies and adversaries alike.

    "Hahaha! You should''ve been there to witness Tian Xian''s prowess! None of the enemy''s Spirit Sovereigns were able tond a hit on him!"

    "The way he just marched toward the enemy alone without any hesitation and looking back! It was the most amazing thing I''d ever seen!"

    In the blink of an eye, Tian Xian became a celebrity within the Xiu Family''s army.

 Chapter 1426 God of War

    Chapter 1426  God of War

    ?1426  God of War

    "Amazing work, Tian Xian. You have exceeded our expectations." Emperor Xiu praised him when he returned from the battlefield.

    "Tian Xian!" Xiu Mei flung herself into his embrace the moment she saw him.

    "Ahem! Control yourself, Xiu Mei. You are not alone, and your rtionship with him is still a secret." Emperor Xiu awkwardly cleared his throat.T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    "Who cares? Everybody in this room is aware of our rtionship, anyway." Xiu Mei said, refusing to let Tian Xian go.

    ''But pretty much everyone outside of this circle is already aware of their ''secret'' rtionship¡­'' The Royal Advisor and the others thought to themselves as they looked at Xiu Mei and Tian Xian.

    Xiu Mei''s demeanor around Tian Xian spoke volumes, leaving little doubt about the intimacy of their rtionship to anyone observing, even a blind man. The only thingcking was official confirmation.

    Sometimeter, Tian Xian asked, "So when is the next battle?"

    Xiu Mei looked at him with wide eyes and said, "You want to participate in another battle? Isn''t one enough? The entire city is already aware of your prowess, so why would you want to participate in another battle?"

    Tian Xian then said, "I won''t stop until the Seven Heavenly Order is gone."

    "I like your dedication!" The Generalsughed out loud.

    12:09

    "I like your dedication!" The Generalsughed out loud.

    Emperor Xiu nodded, "I will notify you when the next battle is decided."

    Due to the Seven Heavenly Orders disregarding their agreement, things would only get moreplicated. After all, the Xiu Family could no longer trust them.

    In the end, they scheduled the second battle to take ce the following month with 2,000 soldiers on each side. However, wary of the Seven Heavenly Orders'' potential treachery, the Xiu Family stationed their reinforcements a few miles away from the battlefield. Should the Seven Heavenly Orders breach the agreement once more, the Xiu Family was prepared to swiftly deploy their reinforcements without hesitation.

    The Seven Heavenly Orders showed up with exactly 2,000 soldiers this time, but they also had reinforcements stationed not far away from the battlefield.

    "Look at that young man in front of the formation! That must be Tian Xian, the Unstoppable Tyrant!"

    The soldiers of the Seven Heavenly Order swiftly recognized Tian Xian''s presence within their formation, dubbing him ''Unstoppable Tyrant'' due to his formidable performance in the previous battle.

    Just like the previous battle, only a single Spirit Sovereign was allowed to partake in the battle. However, once the battle began, the Seven Heavenly Orders revealed that they had hidden nine additional Spirit Sovereigns within their formation.

    "Kill the Unstoppable Tyrant!"

    Despite the potential damage to their reputation, the Seven Heavenly Order couldn''t afford to let Tian Xian dominate the battlefield once more. Therefore, they resolved to swiftly eliminate him during the second battle.

    "Hmph! I knew I could count on you cowardly bastards to use such dirty tactics!" Tian Xian sneered in disdain when he realized that he was surrounded by 10 Spirit Sovereigns.

    Yet, in less than five minutes, Tian Xian slew all of them while suffering only minor injuries.

    After killing the Spirit Sovereigns, Tian Xian''s prowess on the battlefield was unmatched, and the battle concluded before the Xiu Family could even summon their reinforcements. Once again, Tian Xian carved through the enemy forces like an unstoppable force of nature.

    With each swing of his spear, more than twenty enemy soldiers would fall, their morale shattered by Tian Xian''s relentless onught.

    "These dirty fucking bastards! If it weren''t for Tian Xian''s overwhelming talent, I would have lost my son-inw today!"

    Emperor Xiu and the others expressed their anger after learning of the situation.

    "Damn it! Your Majesty, let''s forget about these skirmishes andunch a full-scale attack on these bastards!"

    "Yeah! If these bastards want to y dirty, let''s show them how dirty we can get!"

    However, the Xiu Family quickly realized that their concerns would be alleviated without them having to take any action.

    "We never intended on meddling with your war, but we cannot ignore such disgraceful behavior being disyed before our eyes in our own continent. If the Seven Heavenly Order continues their nonsense, we will join the Xiu Family to get rid of you pests."

    When the neutral Sects and other factions of the Fourth Heaven that have been watching from the sidelines learned of the Seven Heavenly Orders'' dishonorable actions, they united together and threatened to assist the Xiu Family, leaving the Seven Heavenly Orders with no choice but to reconsider their actions.

    After being warned by their neutral neighbors, the Seven Heavenly Orders refrained from employing underhanded tactics andmitted to engaging in future battles with honesty and integrity.

    However, if the Seven Heavenly Order couldn''t defeat Tian Xian with underhanded tactics, they had no hope of defeating him in a fair fight.

    A dozen battlester, the Seven Heavenly Order suffered 12 crushing defeats at the hands of Tian Xian.

    Despite hiring renowned Spirit Sovereign and Spirit Enlightenment mercenaries from across the Divine Heaven, the Seven Heavenly Orders found no sess in defeating Tian Xian. Meanwhile, with each victory, Tian Xian''s reputation soared, his name echoing throughout the Fourth Heaven like some kind of deity.

    The war between the Seven Heavenly Orders and the Xiu Familysted over a decade, spanning more than a hundred battles. Tian Xian participated in every single battle, grew stronger after each battle, and emerged victorious in all of them. Moreover, cultivators from around the world would spectate these battles and offer Tian Xian an exalted position within their faction, but he respectfully declined all of them.

    In the end, Tian Xian stormed the Seven Heavenly Orders'' headquarters and personally executed the young masters who bullied him in the past.

    After the war concluded, Tian Xian was crowned the nickname God of War by those around him. His engagement with Xiu Mei was also officially announced by the Xiu Family, and they performed the marriage ceremony in the same year, bing husband and wife, which surprised nobody.

 Chapter 1427 The Beginning of the End

    Chapter 1427 The Beginning of the End

    ?1427  The Beginning of the End

    "Once again, congrattions on your marriage." Emperor Xiu said to Tian Xian after the wedding in a private meeting.

    "Thank you for allowing me to marry Xiu Mei, father. You will not regret this." Tian Xian said with a smile on his face.

    "Hahaha! Why are you being so humble out of nowhere? It''s weird!" Emperor Xiuughed out loud.

    After chatting for a while, Emperor Xiu spoke with a serious expression on his face, "Let''s talk about why I called you here, Tian Xian. Now that you are officially part of our family, do you have any desire to rule your own territory?"

    "My own territory?" Tian Xian raised his eyebrows in a puzzled manner.

    "Indeed. You are no longer just a soldier with a duty. Now that you are one of us, you have two options. One, remain here andpete with the others for my position as its Emperor. Or two, leave and build your own empire. Of course, I will support you regardless of your decision."

    After hearing his choices, Tian Xian, without hesitation, responded, "I will leave this ce to build my own empire."

    Emperor Xiu smiled and said, "I knew you would say that. As much as I hate to admit it, this ce is too small for you, Tian Xian. You''re already stronger than me by an entire realm. Go build your own empire¡ªone that is worthy of the one called God of War. Your talents will surely bring you to a ce where even I have to tilt my head and look up."

    "What about Xiu Mei¡­?" Tian Xian then asked.

    "Why are you asking me? You''re responsible for her now, so make your own decisions!" Emperor Xiu quickly said.

    "So you won''t be upset if I decide to take her with me?"

    "Of course, I will be upset. However, she is already an adult. If she wants to follow you to the edge of the world, I have no authority over her decision."

    Tian Xian went to speak with Xiu Mei after his conversation with Emperor Xiu ended. To his surprise, Xiu Mei didn''t object to his decision at all. In fact, she even encouraged it.

    "Why do you look so surprised? I know you''re not the type to linger in this small ce when you could be doing much bigger things¡ªnot that this small city could handle someone like you. As a matter of fact, I have been wanting to leave this ce for some time now and nned on speaking to you about relocating soon." Xiu Mei said.

    After receiving Xiu Mei''s answer, the two of them returned to Emperor Xiu to further n their departure.

    "Do you have a location in mind? If it''s within my power, I can help you with acquiring thend." Emperor Xiu said.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.

    Tian Xian pondered for a moment before responding, "Do you know where the soldiers found me? I want to build a city around there."

    "That''s a little too close to this city, which could cause problems. However, there''s a small vige not too far away from that ce. Since I own that territory, I can arrange it so that you will be its new lord." Emperor Xiu said.

    Tian Xian nodded, "Let''s do that."

    Thus, Emperor Xiu transferred said territory to Tian Xian, who immediately relocated to the vige with Xiu Mei.

    When news of Tian Xian''s departure spread, many of the soldiers who had fought alongside him expressed a desire to follow him. However, if Emperor Xiu allowed them to join Tian Xian, too many soldiers would leave, risking the copse of their army.

    Yet, Emperor Xiu decided to lend 10,000 soldiers to Tian Xian for the time being.

    The seasons changed swiftly, and in the blink of an eye, a decade had passed since Tian Xian started managing his own territory.

    In just a decade, Tian Xian sessfully transformed a small vige into a bustling city with a poption of 20,000. Additionally, he established a small yet formidable army of 100 soldiers that could rival 5,000 soldiers, personally overseeing their training and development.

    "Dong Ye, I am promoting you to General. Congrattions on bing the first to reach such a rank in our army." Tian Xian said to the stern yet loyal middle-aged man before him.

    Dong Ye immediately got on his knees and bowed, "This unworthy one is eternally grateful to the City Lord for this opportunity. I will not disappoint you!"

    A decade, two decades, fifty years¡­

    After a century, the City of Xian had grown to rival even thergest cities in the Fourth Heaven with a poption of over 10 million. They expanded their territory, stretching its boundaries far beyond their initial limits, while their military prowess became unmatched, casting a formidable shadow over the entire region.

    Numerous factions have attempted to halt its expansion or conquer the City of Xian, yet they were all thwarted before even nearing the city''s front gates, allowing the citizens to live a peaceful life with a deep sense of security.

    Tian Xian''s influence and stature had long surpassed that of the Xiu Family, yet he steadfastly refused to ascend to the status of emperor, opting instead to remain a humble City Lord.

    As for Xiu Mei, she spent half of her time assisting Tian Xian in managing the city amongst other things, and the other half improving her cultivation so that she could stay in this world with her beloved husband longer. While Xiu Mei couldn''t even dream of catching up to Tian Xian''s cultivation, it was enough for her to live a very long life.

    One hundred years¡­

    Three hundred years¡­

    Nine hundred yearster.

    The City of Xian stopped expanding after 250 years of establishment, but it continued to increase its citizens'' quality of life and military might. Tian Xian stopped working as much and started spending most of his time with Xiu Mei, who gave up working entirely after she became pregnant with his child.

    "It''s a girl, Tian Xian. What should we name her?"

    "I am not good with names, so I will let you decide¡­"

    "Then I will think of something."

    However, halfway into Xiu Mei''s pregnancy, a messenger bearing the Celestial Emperor''s medallion entered the City of Xian with a simple yet terrifying message for its City Lord, Tian Xian.

    Unbeknownst to Tian Xian at that time, this marked the beginning of the end of his seemingly perfect life.

 Chapter 1428 The First Celestial Emperor

    Chapter 1428 The First Celestial Emperor

    ?1428  The First Celestial Emperor

    "Messenger from the Celestial Pce, what purpose do you have here in my city?" Tian Xian spoke as he gazed upon the messenger from his seat.

    The messenger looked at Tian Xian''s arrogant presence with a slight frown on his face, but he refrained from saying anything, as his mission was to recruit Tian Xian.

    "I am here on behalf of His Majesty, the Celestial Emperor." The messenger said as he retrieved a scroll and unsealed it.

    "Tian Xian, one recognized as the God of War, immortal of the battlefield, your war stories have reached even I, the first Celestial Emperor, emperor of the Divine Heavens. As an admirer of your indomitable presence on the battlefield, I hereby offer you a position in my Celestial Army as its Supreme General. As the Supreme General, you will have unimaginable authority within the army, second only to I, the Celestial Commander."

    "Should you ept this position, I shall grant you unlimited wealth, unfathomable power, widespread fame, as well as any single wish within my authority as the ruler of the Divine Heaven."

    "..."

    Tian Xian listened to the Celestial Emperor''s message with a nonchnt expression on his face. If it were anybody else in his shoes, they would''ve been jumping up and down in excitement over such a generous offer.

    The position of Celestial Emperor came into existence about 100,000 years ago when the patriarch of the most powerful family in the Divine Heaven decided to rule over the Divine Heaven.

    Despite facing considerable opposition from various factions and individuals who questioned the idea of bestowing such immense power and authority upon a single individual, the patriarch had an equal amount of support from those who stood to gain from it.

    Thus, the Celestial Emperor came into existence with half of the Divine Heaven against it and the other half supporting it. With the passage of time, the influence of the Celestial Emperor extended its reach, gradually engulfing the entire Divine Heaven.

    The power of the Celestial Emperor grew to such an extent that defiance against it became an act of inevitable self-

    destruction, as his enemies faced swift and merciless judgment, leaving little room for opposition or resistance.

    The unchecked power and authority wielded by the Celestial Emperor became a tool for exploitation, not only by the Emperor himself but also by those who surrounded him, leading to corruption and maniption on an unprecedented scale.

    Under the dominion of the Celestial Emperor, cultivation resources, precious treasures, and even the natural phenomena of the world fell under its exclusive control. Those who did not submit to its authority were barred from essing these vital assets, forcing all to pledge  allegiance or face deprivation.

    In response to the tyrannical rule of the Celestial Emperor, countless individuals came together and challenged its oppressive regime, sparking the conflict known as the Heavenly War of Immortals and Gods.

    The Heavenly War of Immortals and Godssted for tens of thousands of years and was nearing its end with the Celestial Emperor having the upper hand. However, the Celestial Emperor was impatient and wanted to end the war as soon as possible, so he sought out Tian Xian, a renowned warlord who had risen to prominence less than a thousand years ago, intrigued by tales of his achievements.

    However, after receiving the Celestial Emperor''s offer, Tian Xian scoffed inwardly at the messenger and spoke in a calm manner, "I don''t need such an exalted position, so I will have to decline his offer."

    Tian Xian actually wanted to curse out the messenger and the Celestial Emperor, but he refrained from doing so.

    Enraged by Tian Xian''s refusal, the messenger''sposure shattered, his voice booming with rage, "You arrogant little bastard! How dare you refuse the Celestial Emperor''s generous offer?! You are just a nobody from some backwater background!"

    "How dare you!" Dong Ye, who was standing beside Tian Xian immediately drew his sword and pointed it at the messenger.

    However, Tian Xian quickly gestured for Dong Ye to stop and said, "Indeed, I am a nobody. A frog in a well. Therefore, it wouldn''t make any sense for me to ept the Celestial Emperor''s offer. You may return to the Celestial Emperor and tell him that."

    "Good! You will regret this!" The messenger did not linger and immediately left.

    "Haaa¡­ I knew the Celestial Emperor would make a move on us eventually¡­" Tian Xian sighed afterward.

    "The Celestial Emperor is truly overbearing and arrogant! Even hisckeys are disgusting! Ipletely understand why there is a war against him right now!" Dong Ye sneered in disdain.

    "Prepare the army just in case they want to start something. We will most likely see that messenger again." Tian Xian said a momentter.

    "As youmand!" Dong Ye bowed before leaving.

    lights¦­¦Ïv¦Ål ?¦Ïm True to expectations, several weekster, the messenger returned with another offer. However, it was a far cry from the previous one. Instead of the prestigious position of Supreme General, the Celestial Emperor now offered Tian Xian the humble role of a foot soldier, a drastic downgrade from his initial proposal.

    Tian Xianughed at the offer and made a soldier turn away the messenger without even seeing him.

    The messenger returned a monthter, but this time there was no offer to negotiate. The Celestial Emperor''s message was clear and ominous: either Tian Xian worked for him or faced utter destruction.

    In response to the threat, Tian Xian killed the messenger and sent his decapitated head back to the Celestial Pce. A weekter, hundreds of Celestial Emperor''s soldiers showed up at the front gate with the intention of going to war with them.

    Naturally, Tian Xian had prepared for the Celestial Emperor''s confrontation and led his army to face their enemies, quickly ughtering them.

    Tian Xian''s refusal to bow to the Celestial Emperor quickly became the talk of the Divine Heaven, reigniting the mes of the dying Heavenly War.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.

    After experiencing Tian Xian''s prowess firsthand, the Celestial Emperor quickly realized that he''d been trying to tame an uncontroble monster, deeply regretting it.

 Chapter 1429 The Birth of Evil God

    1429 The Birth of Evil God

    "Y-Your Majesty! That arrogant bastard slew the soldiers we sent again! At this rate, we''ll lose all of our spare soldiers to him!" The current Supreme General of the Celestial Army reported to the Celestial Emperor.

    Frustration clenched the Celestial Emperor''s teeth together. If not for the diversion of his main army in the Heavenly War of Immortals and Gods, he could have easily crushed Tian Xian. But s, his only option was to dispatch his reserve forces, as his enemies could potentially change the tide of their war if he weakened his main army even slightly.

    It''s been six years since Tian Xian openly defied the Celestial Emperor. Tens of thousands of soldiers from the Celestial Emperor had perished to Tian Xian, who was only bing more formidable with every fight.

    ''If I don''t take care of this little bastard soon, he''ll definitely be a real thorn in my side.'' The Celestial Emperor wanted to recruit Tian Xian to end the war quicker, but he ended up making Tian Xian an enemy, who now had the potential to prolong the war.

    The realization that Tian Xian could be the catalyst for his downfall drove the Celestial Emperor to the brink of madness. C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.

    "How dare a mere city lord defy me, the Celestial Emperor?! Supreme General, I don''t care what it takes or how much you dirty your hands! I want that bastard to despair! I want him to regret defying me! While you distract him with some soldiers, sneak into the city and remove his loved ones from existence!" The Celestial Emperor roared, his eyes bloodshot.

    "As Your Majestymands!" The Supreme General did not have an ounce of hesitation within his voice despite being given such an order.

    The following month, ten thousand soldiers arrived at the City of Xian, looking more ominous than ever.

    When Tian Xian saw this, he immediately left the city to confront them as usual. Of course, he left behind some soldiers to guard the city and his beloved wife just in case.

    Unfortunately, the Supreme General was an existence that even Tian Xian''s strongest soldiers had no hopes of defeating in a group. Thus, the Supreme General sneaked into the City of Xian without alerting anyone, located Tian Xian''s living quarters, and silently killed all of the soldiers guarding it, before entering the building.

    Inside, a woman sat on the bed, silently caressing her round stomach that looked like it was about to burst at any moment.

    "Who''s there?!" Xiu Mei was immediately alerted when the formation around the building was suddenly destroyed.

    The door to her room was kicked down the next second, and a figure soaked in blood casually walked inside, his weapon still dripping with blood.

    "W-who are you?" Xiu Mei could instantly tell at a nce that she was no match for this individual and that she had no hopes of escaping.

    "I am your executioner," said the Supreme General in a cold voice.

    "Why are you doing this¡­?" she asked.

    "Because your husband offended someone he couldn''t afford to offend, and now he will pay the price for defying His Majesty, the Celestial Emperor."

    Despite her seemingly helpless situation, Xiu Mei did not let fear control her and even smiled, "I''m surprised it took you so long toe after me."

    "Hmph." The Supreme General coldly sneered as he slowly approached her.

    The Celestial Emperor''s decision to dispatch the Supreme General to the City of Xian during a critical juncture of the Heavenly War of Immortals and Gods risked their current advantage in the conflict. Yet, the Celestial Emperor deemed Tian Xian to be threatening enough to take such a risk.

    This is also why the Celestial Emperor only ordered the Supreme General to assassinate Xiu Mei, since he wouldn''t be able to kill Tian Xian without revealing his presence there to their enemies.

    ''Ah¡­ I''m truly sorry, my darling¡­ for being such a useless wife and mother¡­'' Xiu Mei knew that fighting back or trying to escape would only be futile effort, so she used what little time she had left to think of Tian Xian and recall all of the time they''d spent together.

    Meanwhile, when Tian Xian sensed that the formation around his house had been destroyed in the midst of his fight with the Celestial Army, he, without any hesitation, abandoned the battlefield for the first time in his life as a soldier and rushed back to the city.

    ''Please let me make it back in time!'' He prayed inwardly until he returned home.

    When he arrived, he ignored the corpses that surrounded his house and immediately went inside the building.

    "Xiu Mei! Are you okay?!" Tian Xian shouted as he rushed to her room.

    However, his movements froze when he reached the entrance to her room.

    Standing outside the broken entrance, he could see the horrific scene inside the room. There was blood sttered everywhere, staining the walls, ceiling, and furniture. And in the center of this room was a lifeless body that had its limbs severed.

    However, the true horrory in the grotesque sight of the body''s stomach, savagely cut open and ripped apart to reveal the small, helpless figure nestled within.

    Seeing this gruesome scene, Tian Xian fell to his knees with a loud thud, his face filled with shock and despair.

    "X-Xiu Mei¡­"

    "Aah¡­ Aaahhh! AAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!"

    Tian Xian released an inhuman cry that shook the entire city.

    Tears filled his eyes and flowed down his face like two streams during a rainstorm, quickly turning into blood a few momentster.

    Suddenly, Tian Xian stopped moving and copsed into the puddle of blood beneath him. However, he hadn''t lost consciousness. In fact, he was wide awake, and something mythical was happening inside his head. Memories of a life that he didn''t recognize were flowing into his mind.

    Sometimeter, Tian Xian slowly pushed himself off the floor, muttering in a low voice, "Tian Yang¡­ Huang Xiao Li¡­ Shura¡­"

    As rity returned to his mind, Tian Xian''s fury surged like a tempest, his fists clenched so tightly that the bones within shattered under the force of his rage.

    Overwhelming killing intent and bloodlust emanated from him, so intense that it materialized into a thick crimson fog, shrouding the entire city in its ominous embrace, and his once brown eyes now glowed with a menacing red hue, as if they had been soaked in fresh blood.

    "Celestial Emperor!!! I will not rest until I ughter everyone around you and bathe in your blood!!!"

    Thus, the one who would soon terrorize the Divine Heaven as the Evil God was born.

 Chapter 1430 Tian Xians Wrath

    Chapter 1430 Tian Xian''s Wrath

    ?1430  Tian Xian''s Wrath

    lights¦­¦Ïv¦Ål ?¦Ïm After experiencing the most traumatic event in his life, Tian Xian recalled his previous life and regained all of Tian Yang''s memories.

    "Once again, I was unable to protect my beloved¡­" Tian Xian muttered in a dazed voice as he left the building.

    When Tian Xian walked outside, the crimson fog that shrouded the entire city like a nket began thickening to the point where visibility was reduced to near zero, rendering it nearly impossible for anyone without divine sense to see beyond a few inches ahead. Furthermore, the bloodlusting from Tian Xian was so immense that it suffocated everyone in the city, knocking many citizens unconscious, especially the mortals.

    This sudden and ominous phenomenon terrified all of the citizens, as it looked like doomsday had arrived.

    Tian Xian ignored the chaos within the city and turned to look in the direction where the Celestial Emperor''s soldiers were still engaged in a fierce fight with his own army. He flew into the air and soared toward the battlefield the next instant, leaving behind a trail of bloodlust that scattered in every direction, quickly covering the sky and causing the world to darken.

    Meanwhile, on the ongoing battlefield, the Celestial Army was slowly pushing back Tian Xian''s army after his sudden disappearance.

    "Where''s the City Lord?!"

    "I don''t know, but he suddenly took off with a nervous look on his face, and I have never seen such anxiety from him before!"

    "L-look at the sky! What''s that?!" One of the soldiers there pointed at the red sky when he noticed it.

    It didn''t take long before nearly every soldier on the battlefield noticed the red sky, looking like someone had painted it with blood.

    "T-that''s killing intent! I have never seen such bloodlust before!"

    "I didn''t know killing intent could materialize in such a manner¡­ How much killing intent does it require to cause such a phenomenon?"

    "I would be more worried about the person exhibiting such bloodlust¡­"

    The very next moment, a silhouette appeared in the distance. However, everyone was too distracted by the red sky to notice him.

    In the blink of an eye, this shadowy figure arrived at the battlefield and hurtled toward the battlefield without any pauses in rming speed. Before anyone could react, the figure dove headlong into the ranks of the Celestial Army, shattering their formation in an instant.

    "W-what the hell was that?!"

    "Someone just invaded our formation!"

    "They must have a death wish!"

    As Tian Xian breached the rear lines of the Celestial Army, he found himself encircled by thousands of foes on all sides, with no allies in sight. However, this worked in Tian Xian''s favor, as this allowed him to go on a rampage without needing to worry about harming his allies by ident. After all, in Tian Xian''s enraged current state, discerning friends from foes was a luxury he couldn''t afford.

    The moment Tian Xiannded on the ground, he immediately started swinging his silver spear like a madman, killing everyone around him. Due to his immense killing intent that blocked the soldiers'' views, they were forced to use Divine Sense to locate him. Moreover, the shocking amount of bloodlust caused even these seasoned warriors to freeze, hindering their movement and allowing Tian Xian to kill them without any retaliation.

    The Celestial Army sent as a decoy became the first ones to experience Tian Xian''s wrath.

    As Tian Xian killed everyone around him without discrimination, the soldiers'' limbs and flesh flew all over the ce, causing the sky to rain blood and human flesh.

    "Ahhhh!"

    "Where the fuck did this monstere from?!"

    "I-it''s Tian Xian! The God of War is back!"

    "What?! But why is he in our rear formation?! His army is on the opposite side!"

    "I don''t know what''s going on, but we need to focus on him first! Once we kill Tian Xian, the others will fall like flies without theirmander!!!"

    When the Celestial Army realized Tian Xian had returned and even found himself amidst their ranks, they halted their advance toward the City of Xian and swarmed him like a colony of ants confronting a foreign intruder.

    Tian Xian''s army was left dumbfounded and puzzled when their enemy suddenly turned around and started running away.

    "W-wait! Where the hell do you think you are going?!"

    "Hold on! I can sense a disturbance in the direction they are running to!"

    "T-this is the City Lord''s spiritual energy! He''s finally returned! But why is he so far away from us?!"

    "Who cares about the reason! We need to back him up!"

    Thus, Tian Xian''s soldiers started chasing after the Celestial Army when they also realized that theirmander was fighting the enemy by himself.

    However, when they could finally witness the scene of Tian Xian ughtering the Celestial Army like a mindless barbarian, the soldiers were left aghast, even terrified by his appearance.T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    "T-that''s our City Lord?! He looks like a different person!"

    "What happened to him in the short amount of time that he left?!"

    "Even I have never seen him like this before¡­" Dong Ye said in a dazed voice as he watched Tian Xian ughter the enemy with a look of profound admiration on his face.

    Dong Ye has always admired Tian Xian, but there was something different about the current Tian Xian. Unlike the dignified and gentle nature he was familiar with, Tian Xian currently gave off a barbaric, ruthless, and almost inhuman feeling, simr to that of a wild beast.

    "No¡­ even wild beasts would not be so vicious. He''s more like an evil being, one that was born out of pure malice¡ªan Evil God!" Dong Ye muttered, feeling unfathomable reverence toward Tian Xian''s new appearance.

    Tian Xian''s soldiers were perplexed once they saw Tian Xian''s current appearance. They were unsure whether they should rush to his aid or hold back, considering his overwhelming aura of killing intent and the chaotic situation on the battlefield. Some hesitated, torn between their loyalty to Tian Xian and their fear of the dark energy emanating from him.

    "I have a feeling that we''ll also be killed if we interrupt him right now¡­"

    "Does he even need our help¡­? It looks like he can deal with their entire army by himself."

    "Just what in heaven''s name happened to the City Lord during his absence? His eyes even turned red."

    "Was he bewitched by some kind of evil technique? That would exin his behavior¡­ sort of¡­"

 Chapter 1431 Creation of the Shadow Army

    Chapter 1431 Creation of the Shadow Army

    ?1431  Creation of the Shadow Army

    The more Tian Xian''s army watched him massacre the Celestial Army, the less they wanted to interfere. In the end, his soldiers could only stand in the distance like a group of stone statues and watch as piles of corpses quickly formed into mountains.

    An hourter, Tian Xian lowered his spear after killing every single soldier from the Celestial Army. Some of the soldiers tried to escape toward the end of the battle when they realized that he was unkible, but Tian Xian chased after each and every single one with a profound movement technique that he never disyed before until today.

    As Tian Xian stood in a sea of blood and beside mountains of corpses, he held a dazed look on his face. He stared at the red sky with his blood soaking every inch of his body, looking like he''d just jumped into a bath filled with blood.

    Despite the carnage he wrought upon the Celestial Emperor''s soldiers, Tian Xian found no satisfaction in his actions. His bloodlust remained unquenched, soaring skyward like a relentless tempest, leaving him feeling no better than before.

    His soldiers remained distant from him, fearing that he might attack them if they got too close. However, a fearless individual eventually approached him and kneeled before him in the sea of blood.

    "My lord, what are yourmands?" Dong Ye asked.

    After a moment of silence, without looking away from the sky, Tian Xian muttered in a low voice, "I am stepping down from the position of City Lord, as I have to leave for a long, long time. I don''t know when I will be back if I ever will¡­ Dong Ye, I will leave the military and the city in your hands¡­"

    "B-but my lord¡ª"

    "Don''t follow me."

    Before Dong Ye could even finish his sentence, Tian Xian flew toward the red sky and disappeared into it.

    Dong Ye was left speechless. He wanted to chase after Tian Xian, but he didn''t dare to defy Tian Xian''s order.

    In the end, Dong Ye could only ry Tian Xian''s words to the other soldiers.

    lights¦­¦Ïv¦Ål ?¦Ïm "The City Lord left his position and won''t return?!"

    "What will happen to the City of Xian now?!"

    "What about our military?!"

    "Where did the Commander go?! Why did he suddenly abandon everything?!"

    Although these soldiers were filled with questions, they eventually understood the situation when they returned to the city and saw the scene at Tian Xian''s house, who left in a hurry and never got the chance to clean up the mess at his house.

    Dong Ye and the others were overwhelmed with sorrow and anger when they saw the gruesome scene inside Tian Xian''s house.

    Most of them were familiar with Xiu Mei and treated her as though she was a goddess, so one could imagine the shock they received when they saw what had happened to her and her unborn child.

    Unable to leave Xiu Mei in such a state, Dong Ye and the others gave her a proper burial and even held a mass funeral for her. Many hoped Tian Xian would show up during the funeral, but s, he was nowhere to be seen.

    After the funeral, Dong Ye and the rest of the army gathered to discuss their future.

    "The Commander is most likely fighting the Celestial Emperor and his army all by himself right now¡­"

    "He left everything behind because he didn''t want us to be targeted as well¡­"

    "Damn it! How could we let such a thing happen to the City Lord and Fairy Xiu after everything they''ve done for us?! We are so fucking useless!"

    "Isn''t there anything we can do for the City Lord?! I refuse to sit still after what happened!"

    After hearing the soldiers''int, Dong Ye stepped forward and spoke in a grim voice, "I have a suggestion¡­"

    He continued, "I am going to assist the Lord in his revenge. As powerful as our Lord may be, he cannot deal with the Celestial Emperor by himself. If you want toe with me, raise your hand. Otherwise, you may leave, as this will likely result in our deaths."

    The very next moment, every soldier who had fought alongside Tian Xian raised their hands, their faces filled with determination.

    Someone then spoke, "But how can we assist him? We''re all too weak. And the Commander had specifically told us not to follow him."

    Dong Ye closed his eyes and pondered for several minutes before responding, "Indeed, we are too weak to do anything to the Celestial Emperor right now. However, things will not remain this way forever. Moreover, there are several ways to assist the Lord without letting him know."

    "That sounds good."

    "I''m all for it."

    "Then starting today, will move in the shadows and assist the Lord from a ce he cannot see! We shall be the Shadow Army!"

    "Yeah!"Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.

    "Down with the Celestial Emperor and hisckeys!"

    "For the City Lord!"

    "For Fairy Xiu!"

    "For their child!"

    This moment marked the birth of the Shadow Army, Evil God''s most fearsome and mysterious army that would y a massive role in helping Tian Xian defeat the Celestial Emperor.

    Moreover, following Dong Ye and others'' revtion of the dire circumstances to the rest of the city, the citizens rallied behind the cause, offering their unwavering support to the Shadow Army. The City of Xian, once the home of Tian Xian, now served as the bedrock for the establishment of the Shadow Army.

    Together, they forged awork to gather information and resources to support the fight against the Celestial Emperor, eventually bing Divine Heaven''s most formidable andrgest information-gatheringwork.

    Since Tian Xian left the City of Xian and started hunting down the Celestial Army throughout the Divine Heaven, the Celestial Emperor stopped paying about them, allowing the city to grow without much hindrance. While many have tried to im the City of Xian for themselves after news of Tian Xian''s departure spread, the Shadow Army made sure to keep the ce untouched for Tian Xian''s return.

    Despite the absence of Tian Xian, the Shadow Army remained as a formidable force,posed of veterans and prodigies who had been meticulously trained by him. United by a newfound purpose and vision, they continued to grow stronger with each passing day, fueled by their unwavering determination andmitment to their cause.

 Chapter 1432 Heavens Defiance

    Chapter 1432 Heaven''s Defiance

    ?1432  Heaven''s Defiance

    "W-watch out! It''s Tian Xian, the Evil God!" One of the Celestial Army''s soldiers cried out loud in a terrified voice when he noticed Tian Xian''s figure approaching their formation from a distance, carrying with him enough killing intent to scare even ghosts.

    "Fuck! Why''d he have to show up now of all times?! We were beginning to push back those Heaven''s Defiance bastards!" Another soldier cursed out loud.

    "There''s no way we can deal with the Evil God and Heaven''s Defiance at the same time! We''re screwed!"

    The forces opposing the Celestial Emperor in the Heavenly War of Immortals and Gods adopted the name "Heaven''s Defiance" as a symbolic gesture, implying their defiance against the Celestial Emperor who imed to represent heaven itself.

    As for the title Evil God, nobody seemed to know the origin of such a name, but it quickly spread throughout the Divine Heavens, bing widely recognized and associated with Tian Xian, who was once known as the God of War.

    When Tian Xian arrived at the battlefield, wielding a spear in one hand and a sword in the other, he immediately began ughtering the Celestial Army like a madman.

    "Oh, shit! The Evil God has appeared on our battlefield! We need to retreat before our own people get caught up in his bloodbath!"

    "Thank the lord! If he hadn''t shown up, we would''ve been in grave danger!"

    Those from Heaven''s Defiance, without hesitation, withdrew from the battle when they noticed Tian Xian''s presence on the battlefield.

    After all, Heaven''s Defiance had already attempted to fight alongside Tian Xian during their initial encounter. However, his relentless assault showed no regard for friend or foe, resulting in casualties among their own ranks.

    Despite suffering losses at Tian Xian''s hands, Heaven''s Defiance refrained from seeking retribution and even tried to assist him on several other asions. They recognized that targeting Tian Xian would be counterproductive. After all, he was cutting down the Celestial Army at a rapid rate by himself and was their best hope of defeating the Celestial Emperor.

    While Tian Xian chased after the scattering Celestial Army, Heaven''s Defiance worked on stopping the Celestial Army from escaping.

    "Hahaha! Where do you think you''re going, Celestial Emperor''s dogs!"

    "You think you can run away now?!"

    "Look at you pathetic bastards! What happened to your arrogance from a minute ago?! You have been shaking in your boots since the Evil God showed up!"

    Those from Heaven''s Defianceughed and mocked the Celestial Army''s soldiers for their cowardice as they prevented the Celestial Army''s escape, allowing Tian Xian to ughter them at a much faster pace.

    Eventually, Tian Xian erased the Celestial Army from existence. After taking care of the Celestial Army, he immediately left the scene to find the next battlefield with the Celestial Army''s presence,pletely ignoring those from Heaven''s Defiance.

    As for Heaven''s Defiance, they could only silently admire Tian Xian as they watched him leave.

    In their eyes, Tian Xian appeared out of thin air one day and started ughtering everyone working for the Celestial Emperor or had worked for him at one point. It didn''t matter if they were the active Celestial Army or some small family that once worked with the Celestial Emperor a hundred years ago. He hunted everyone affiliated with the Celestial Emperor without exception.

    "Fuck! That fucking son of a bitch, Tian Xian, has been wrecking havoc throughout the Divine Heavens and ughtering my people nonstop for thest 100 years! How is he still alive?! Exin yourself, Supreme General!" The Celestial Emperor roared with an enraged face, his gaze staring daggers at the Supreme General, who was soaked in cold sweat.

    The Supreme General, trembling in his boots, spoke in a nervous voice, "Your Majesty, I truly don''t know what is happening. Tian Xian was nowhere near this powerful when he was still a City Lord at the City of Xian! His rapid growth and newfound power are far beyond what anyone could have anticipated! No matter what we throw at him, he somehow always manages to escape! Moreover, he never stays in one ce! Even if we know he''ll hunt down our allies, it''s near impossible to predict his actions!"

    Even though it''s been 100 years since Tian Xian left the City of Xian to hunt down the Celestial Emperor and his allies, he has long attained a level of cultivation that typically requires geniuses hundreds, if not thousands, of years to achieve even marginal progress, so the way he''s growing like he was still a Spirit Lord did not make any sense.

    Tian Xian''s progress was simply unprecedented and unfathomable in the Supreme General''s eyes.T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    BANG!

    The Celestial Emperor suddenly smashed his jade table into tiny pieces and shouted, "I didn''t ask for excuses, Supreme General! I asked why that fucking bastard is still alive! If you cannot do your job properly, I will have you reced immediately!"

    The Supreme General was horrified by the Celestial Emperor''s words and the looming threat of being reced, and he quickly kowtowed on the cold floor.

    "This useless subordinate was wrong! Please give me another chance to dispose of Tian Xian!"

    "This will be your first andst warning! Get out of my sight!" The Celestial Emperor stomped his feet, causing the entire building to tremble.

    The Supreme General wasted no time and swiftly left the room, his mind consumed by the urgent task of hunting down Tian Xian. In just a mere century, Tian Xian had inflicted more damage upon their forces than Heaven''s Defiance had managed to do in the past millennium, and he was working mostly alone.

    "I refuse to let my tens of thousands of years of hard work vanish because of a single individual!"

    The Supreme General no longer held back and started sending his elite soldiers to hunt down Tian Xian. Unlike the ordinary soldiers of the Celestial Army that were at most Golden Immortals, these elite soldiers were all real immortals between the True Immortal realm and God Ascension realm.

 Chapter 1433 Cat-And-Mouse

    Chapter 1433  Cat-And-Mouse

    ?1433  Cat-And-Mouse

    With a hundred elite soldiers at hismand, the Supreme General wasted no time, setting off immediately on his mission to hunt down Tian Xian.

    Among these elite soldiers, 80 were at the True Immortal realm, 15 at the 1st level God Ascension realm, and the remaining 5 at the 2nd level God Ascension realm.

    At that time, the strongest cultivator was only at the 5th level God Ascension realm, so one can imagine the immense prowess of this elite armypared to the ordinary soldiers, who were at most Golden Immortal level.

    As for Tian Xian, he was only a True Immortal at this time, so it was overkill to send so many powerful experts after him, but the Supreme General couldn''t care less and wanted to get rid of Tian Xian without giving him any chance of survival.

    However, even though the Supreme General had such a powerful army at hismand, they still had to find Tian Xian first. Due to the immense size of their world, the Divine Heaven, it would take hundreds if not thousands of years to travel around the world even with the help of flying treasure, hence why Tian Xian hadn''t been caught after 100 years of carnage, as he would immediately leave after killing his enemies.

    Moreover, Tian Xian was only a single individual, which made it even harder to track him down.

    The Supreme General could only show up to witness the aftermath of Tian Xian''s carnage, then attempt to predict his next destination and hope to close their gap, but with battles between the Celestial Emperor''s supporters and Heaven''s Defiance urring in hundreds of locations around the world, it was easier said than done.

    Whenever Tian Xian''s sixth sense alerted him of imminent danger, he would immediately halt his killing spree and hide for several years to enter secluded cultivation, further increasing his strength and making it even more difficult for the Supreme General to catch him.

    This tricky cat-and-mouse game between Tian Xian and the Supreme General wouldst for another 300 years until Tian Xian broke through the True Immortal realm and entered first-level God Ascension.

    Once Tian Xian entered the God Ascension realm, he became much bolder and started attacking the Celestial Emperor''s forces even more frequently.

    "W-who are you?! Why are you attacking our Gu Family?!"

    "Do you have any idea who you''re messing with!? We have the Celestial Emperor''s backing!"

    "Ahhhh! Have mercy!"

    "Please! Spare my children!"

    "M-monster! You are not human, you monster!"

    Tian Xian ignored their screaming and ughtered all of them without any mercy, regardless of their age or gender.

    Once Tian Xian left the Gu Family''s household without leaving a single person alive, he lingered in the ce for a moment to uproot the entire building, something he hadn''t bother doing before.

    "FUCK! WHAT THE FUCK ARE THEY DOING?!"

    The Celestial Emperor blew a massive hole in his room after receiving news of the Gu Family''s destruction. For the past 300 years, he had endured the relentless onught of news reporting the annihtion of his allies by Tian Xian, each report tearing away at the fabric of his power and influence.

    As for the Supreme General, he didn''t dare to return to the Celestial Pce without Tian Xian''s head in his grasp, so he has been absent for 300 years, and his absence left a conspicuous void within the ranks of the Celestial Army.

    Meanwhile, when Heaven''s Defiance learned of his absence, they immediately became more aggressive and daring, furtherplicating the already challenging situation for the Celestial Army.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.

    After another 200 years of no results, the Celestial Emperor called back the Supreme General.

    "You are fucking fired, you useless piece of shit! I gave you 500 years to hunt down a single man and what have you aplished in 500 years?! Absolutely nothing!" The Celestial Emperor pped the Supreme General so hard he fell on the ground.

    However, the Celestial Emperor didn''t stop there and started kicking and stomping on the Supreme General while he was still down. Even though the Supreme General was an Immortal, he didn''t dare to retaliate against the Celestial Emperor and epted the beating without uttering a single sound.

    "T-this useless subordinate has failed Your Majesty, the Celestial Emperor. I don''t deserve my position." The Supreme General immediately got on his knees after the Celestial Emperor stopped beating him.

    "Scram!" The Celestial Emperor shouted at him.

    "Excuse me." The Supreme General immediately left.

    After leaving the Celestial Pce and going somewhere far away, the Supreme General unleashed all of his built-up anger on a random city, killing thousands of innocent mortals.

    "TIAN XIAN! THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT! I, MO RU, SWEAR TO HUNT YOU DOWN UNTIL MY LAST BREATH!"

    After destroying an innocent city, Mo Ru resumed his hunt for Tian Xian alone, hoping to regain the Celestial Emperor''s trust and his position as the Supreme General with Tian Xian''s head.

    A thousand yearster, Mo Ru finally encountered Tian Xian. However, it wasn''t because Mo Ru had sessfully hunted down Tian Xian. In fact, it was the other way around with Tian Xian hunting down Mo Ru.

    "I have finally found you, Evil God!" Mo Ru''s entire being trembled from excitement after seeing Tian Xian.

    "Because of you, I was removed from my position as Supreme General! Because of you, the Celestial Emperor tossed me aside! You will regret ever challenging the Celestial Emperor today!"

    "..."

    Tian Xian remained silent.

    Suddenly, as though a tempest of rage had been unleashed, a titanic wave of bloodlust surged forth from Tian Xian''s body, enveloping the heavens and the earth in its oppressive aura, spanning a vast expanse of a hundred miles in every direction.

    And as if in response to his immense emotions, the very fabric of the heavens seemed to tremble, unleashing torrents of red and ck lightning that crackled and danced ominously in the skies above.

    In a voice that seemed to chill the very air around him, Tian Xian muttered with a tone that could freeze the blood in one''s veins and even raise the dead, his eyes aze with a profound and unsettling glow, like smoldering embers in the darkness.

    "I have been waiting for this day for over a thousand years¡­!"

 Chapter 1434 Confronting the Supreme General

    Chapter 1434 Confronting the Supreme General

    ?1434  Confronting the Supreme General

    "I have been waiting for this day for over a thousand years¡­!"

    Tian Xian could only control his anger for a few seconds after encountering Mo Ru, barely enough time to utter these words.

    After Xiu Mei''s death, Tian Xian spent two hundred years venting his anger on the Celestial Army and the Celestial Emperor''s allies.

    Once his anger was slightly relieved¨Cenough for him to think clearly, he spent another one hundred years trying to find the culprit who killed Xiu Mei. Unfortunately, he had ughtered all of the soldiers Mo Ru had sent to distract him, so there was nobody left alive besides the Celestial Emperor who could identify Mo Ru as the killer.

    Yet, the Shadow Army, whose power and influence had been growing over the course of three centuries, somehow unearthed the truth¨Cthat the Supreme General, Mo Ru, bore responsibility for the death of Xiu Mei.

    When Dong Ye learned of this information, he immediately sought out Tian Xian to ry this information. Of course, since Tian Xian was always on the move and sometimes hiding in seclusion, it took some time even for the Shadow Army to find him. In fact, if the Shadow Army had been even slightly lesspetent, they would''ve suffered the same fate as Mo Ru and the Celestial Army.

    One could even say that without Dong Ye, who had spent hundreds of years by Tian Xia''s side as his right-hand man, they would''ve never found Tian Xian.

    When Dong Ye found Tian Xian and revealed the information about Xiu Mei''s killer to him, Tian Xian''s somewhat subdued anger spewed out like a volcano during an eruption after decades of slumber.

    However, Tian Xian was still too weak at that time to defeat Mo Ru, so he focused on training and improving his cultivation. He ughtered the Celestial Emperor''s allies as training and plundered their wealth, using it to further increase his own prowess.

    This went on for hundreds of years until Tian Xian was confident that he could defeat¨Ctoy with Mo Ru.

    The first thing Tian Xian did was seek out Dong Ye for the Shadow Army''s assistance, helping him find Mo Ru.

    "You took the words right out of my mouth, Evil God! Do you have any idea how much I have suffered because of you?! I was made a fool in front of those around me, and even the Celestial Emperor tossed me aside! How dare you make me suffer such humiliation?!" Mo Ru shouted like a crazy old man as he pointed at Tian Xian with two fingers.

    "Suffer¡­? You call that bullshit suffering¡­?" Tian Xian muttered in a cold voice, his gaze sharp enough to pierce even steel.

    He pointed his sword at Mo Gu and continued, "For killing my wife, I shall teach you the true meaning of suffering."

    "Hahaha! You mean that pregnant bitch?! You should''ve heard the way she screamed when I sliced open her stomach and showed her the baby! I have never heard anything as thrilling!" Mo Ruughed like a madman.

    Hearing such words, Tian Xian released a beastly roar that sounded like a dragon. His body began emitting a golden glow until it engulfed his entire body like mes.

    Mo Ru immediately stoppedughing, even choking on his own saliva after seeing the tremendous change in the atmosphere.

    Tian Xian waved his ck and red sword viciously, instantly splitting the heaven and earth before him in half.

    Seeing this, not even Mo Ru, who was at 3rd level God Ascension, dared to confront such a powerful attack head-on, so he quickly dodged it.

    ''Where the fuck is this bastard pulling out so much power from?!'' Mo Ru cried inwardly when he sensed the violent and overwhelming spiritual energy contained within Tian Xian''s normal sword swing without any techniques.

    Tian Xian was only at the 2nd level God Ascension, yet he disyed prowess that surpassed even the strongest cultivator in the world who was at 5th level God Ascension¨C the Celestial Emperor himself!

    Moreover, the golden aura that covered Tian Xian''s body made every single cell within Mo Ru scream in terror, almost as though they instinctively knew how dangerous it was.

    After unleashing his first strike, Tian Xian immediately swung his sword again before even confirming that his first one had struck or missed Mo Ru, as if he already knew.

    Mo Ru hastily dodged the iing attacks and started retaliating, throwing powerful martial techniques that could easily erase tens of thousands of miles of Divine Heaven if itnded.

    However, Tian Xian used his ck sword to effortlessly cut down any technique that was thrown in his direction.

    ''W-what?! How is he cutting my Immortal Qi like it''s ordinary spiritual energy?!'' Mo Ru felt his world turning upside-down after witnessing something iprehensible.

    "I refuse to believe you''ll also cut down my Celestial Qi!" Mo Ru shouted before exuding a divine and godly presence.

    When the animals, spiritual beasts, and even insects within a hundred-thousand-mile radius sensed Mo Ru''s Celestial Qi, they all instinctively lowered their bodies and bowed toward his direction.

    After attaining immortality, cultivators gain mastery over Immortal Qi, a force that can overpower any non-immortal. However, upon reaching the God Ascension realm, they ascend to a level where they can sense and wield Celestial Qi, a power that eclipses even Immortal Qi.

    "Hmph!"T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    Tian Xian released a disdainful snort as he countered Mo Ru''s Celestial Qi with his own. The sh between their energies resulted in a colossal crater spanning 20,000 miles around them. Naturally, everything within the crater had beenpletely erased from existence.

    The potency of Celestial Qi was such that even a True Immortal would perish if struck by it. However, due to the immense energy required to wield Celestial Qi, it could only be utilized sparingly. After just using Celestial Qi once, Mo Ru was already soaked in sweat and panting heavily, something that typically never happens to those who reached the God Ascension realm.

    Yet, Tian Xian remained unfazed, his breathing calm and steady.

    Mo Ru''s countenance darkened as he realized the vast disparity between their prowess, prompting him to contemte possible avenues of escape from his dire predicament.

    Tian Xian, who had been on the battlefield for most of his life acquired the ability to tell when his enemy had given up and wanted to escape at a nce, so he could read Mo Ru like an open book at this moment.

    "Hahahaha¡­!"

    Tian Xian suddenly startedughing in an eerie manner, his voice sending chills down Mo Ru''s entire being.

    "We''ve barely just fought and you''re already thinking about escaping? I understand why the Celestial Emperor sent someone like you to assassinate a helpless mother now! Turns out you''re one cowardly son of a bitch!"

    Mo Ru''s face flushed red with anger after hearing Tian Xian''s insult, yet he didn''t utter anything back, merely staring daggers at him.

    Tian Xian suddenly stoppedughing and continued with a truly grim expression on his face, "Let''s see if you''ll still dare to leave after seeing this!"

    "Dong Ye!" he shouted.

    Dong Ye appeared next to Tian Xian the very next moment, but he was not alone, as he had a woman within his grasp, her presence clearly against her will.

    When Mo Ru saw the face of this woman being held captive by Dong Ye, his face twisted in shock and anger, almost as if he had eaten a group of live flies by ident.

 Chapter 1435 Unhinged (18+)

    Chapter 1435 Unhinged (18+)

    ?1435  Unhinged (18+)

    Reader''s discretion is advised. Mature content ahead.

    _____

    "You can escape if you want, but you''ll have to leave behind this helpless woman¡­" Tian Xian spoke in a nonchnt voice as he calmly gazed at Mo Ru, who was trembling so violently one might mistake it as an ongoing seizure.

    "EVIL GOD, YOU SON OF A BITCH! I SWEAR TO GOD IF YOU HURT EVEN A SINGLE HAIR ON HER BODY, I WILL¨C" Mo Ru roared at the top of his lungs, causing the entire world to shudder.

    However, he was quickly interrupted by Tian Xian, who reached for the silky hair on the woman''s head with his hand, grabbing a handful of it before viciously ripping it directly out of her scalp, tearing away a chunk of skin on her head and causing it to gush with blood.

    "AHHHHHH!" The beautiful woman in Dong Ye''s grasp screamed in pain and squirmed like a fish out of water.

    "DONGMEI!" Mo Ru cried out loud as he subconsciously flew at her, but he was quickly stopped by Dong Ye, who casually pressed his sword on the woman''s throat, threatening to cut it if Mo Ru got any closer.

    Seeing this, Mo Ru could only halt his movements and hover in the air with a helpless look on his face, not daring to move a single muscle in fear for the woman''s life.

    ''How?! Why is Dongmei in their hands?! She should be protected by¨C'' Mo Ru suddenly recalled that he had been removed from the position of Supreme General, so it was only natural for the Celestial Emperor to stop all support for him and his family.

    A momentter, Tian Xian moved closer to Mo Dongmei, who was shaking nonstop with tears constantly flowing down her face. Despite being a powerful Golden Immortal cultivator, she was akin to a mortal before Dong Ye, who was a True Immortal.

    "Please¡­ let me go¡­ I will do anything you want¡­" she pleaded.

    Tian Xian lifted his hand and gently caressed her soft cheeks, causing her to shake even more violently.

    "DON''T YOU DARE TOUCH HER WITH YOUR FILTHY HANDS, EVIL GOD!" Mo Ru released an enraged shout, but he didn''t move a muscle.

    Tian Xian halted his movement and shifted his gaze from the terrified woman to Mo Ru.

    "How long have you known each other?" he suddenly asked.

    "Why the hell are you asking such a question?!"

    "Ahhhh!" Mo Dongmei started screaming again when Tian Xian suddenly swung his sword, slicing off a piece of her face that he''d just caressed, creating a hole in her right cheek.

    "Dongmei!" Mo Ru clenched his fists to resist the urge to pounce on Tian Xian, squeezing so hard it bled.

    "How long have you known each other?" Tian Xian calmly repeated the same words he just uttered without the slightest change to his expression, clearly unfazed by his actions.

    "O-one hundred and eighty thousand years! We have known each other for one hundred and eighty thousand years!" Mo Ru could only respond to his question, fearing what refusing might do.

    "180,000 years, huh? I wonder how it would feel to lose someone you''ve loved for so long¡­ I suffered unfathomable pain when I lost my wife and we haven''t known each other for even a small fraction of your time together, so I cannot imagine. Would you be kind enough to share your experience with meter, Supreme General?" Tian Xian asked as he stared into Mo Ru''s eyes.

    "D-don''t you dare, Evil God! Please, I will do anything you want! Just spare her!"

    Mo Ru''s will to fight hadpletely dissipated, leaving behind only a profound sense of despair and powerlessness, emotions he had never before experienced in such intensity.

    Yet, Tian Xian remained unhinged, and as if to reflect his existence, the golden aura slowly turned ck and red.

    "You will do anything I want¡­? Then I''d like you to bring my wife, Xiu Mei, and our child back from the dead." Tian Xian requested.

    "T-that''s impossible! Not even the Celestial Emperor can bring back the dead!" Mo Ru eximed.N?velDrama.Org holds this content.

    "Ahhhh!"

    In response to Mo Ru''s response, Tian Xian grabbed two of Dongmei''s fingers and yanked them, tearing them right off her left hand, bones and all.

    "You imed you''d do anything, but you immediately proved to be a liar." Tian Xian sighed, shaking his head in a dejected manner.

    ''T-this unhinged son of a bitch! He''ll definitely kill her at this rate!'' Mo Ru gritted his teeth.

    Tian Xian suddenly narrowed his gaze and yanked three more fingers off Dongmei.

    "W-what was that for?!" Mo Ru eximed.

    "I didn''t like the way you were looking at me just now," he calmly responded.

    "W-what?!" Mo Ru was speechless.

    However, despite her seemingly fatal injuries, Mo Dongmei was far from death''s grasp, thanks to her high cultivation, which continuously regenerated her body.

    Tian Xian stopped paying attention to Mo Ru and turned to look at Mo Dongmei, who immediately looked down when she sensed his gaze on her.

    "Hey, woman, look at me." Tian Xian called out to her, but she continued staring at the ground.

    Seeing this, Tian Xian grabbed her by the chin and forced her to stare at his face. Then, with his other hand, he gouged her eyes right out of their sockets.

    "AHHHHHH! MY EYES!!!" Mo Dongmei shrieked like a ghost.

    Tian Xian ignored the screaming right beside his ear and looked at the two eyeballs in his bloodied grasp, muttering, "If you''re not going to use them, I might as well take them from you."

    "EVIL GOD! WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM US?!" Mo Ru could no longer endure it and roared.

    "If you''re going to torture someone, torture me instead! I was the one who killed your wife! Not Dongmei! She has nothing to do with this!"

    Tian Xian shifted his gaze back to Mo Ru and surprisingly chuckled, "Nothing to do with this?"

    "My wife, Xiu Mei, also had nothing to do with my fight with the Celestial Emperor, yet you targeted her just because she was my wife."

    With a swift movement, Tian Xian clenched his grasp and destroyed the eyeballs, creating a weird sound.

    "As for torturing you¡­ don''t worry, you''ll definitely get your turnter."

    After saying such words, he returned to looking at Mo Dongmei, who was still screaming hysterically, almost as if she''d gone insane.

 Chapter 1436 An Eye for an Eye(18+)

    Chapter 1436  An Eye for an Eye(18+)

    ?1436  An Eye for an Eye(18+)

    Reader''s discretion is advised. Mature content ahead.

    _____

    "Your husband killed my wife, so I will kill you in return. An eye for an eye. Do you me me?" Tian Xian suddenly asked Mo Dongmei, who lost control over her body, causing it to release its impurities in the form of piss and poop.

    "Ugh, how dirty. You nearly dirtied my clothes, too." Dong Ye shook his head in an awfully calm manner despite what they were doing to this helpless woman.

    "Evil God! Stop! I will help you fight the Celestial Emperor if you spare her! You can even kill me afterward if you want!" Mo Ru suddenly shouted.

    "The Celestial Emperor? As if I need your help to get rid of him." Tian Xian sneered.

    "Then what the fuck do you want from me?!" Mo Ru cried out loud.

    "I thought I''d already made it crystal clear at the very beginning¨Cthat I am going to let you experience true suffering." Tian Xian muttered in a grim voice.

    He then moved his arm, using his sword to perfectly skin Mo Dongmei like one would skin an animal''s hide.

    Seeing this, Mo Ru could no longer endure it and pounced forth. If they were going to kill Mo Dongmei regardless if he attacked them or not, he might as well take his chances.

    However, all it took for Tian Xian to stop Mo Ru was a single st of Celestial Qi.

    When he was struck by the Celestial Qi, Mo Ru was sent hurtling into the crater,nding at the very bottom.

    "Now, let us continue." Tian Xian immediately returned to torturing Mo Dongmei.

    As Mo Ruy at the bottom of the crater with a broken body, unable to lift even a finger, his cultivation allowed him to witness every moment of Tian Xian torturing his wife as if he were right in front of them.

    After skinning Mo Dongmei like an animal, Tian Xian proceeded to butcher her like a cow, removing chunk after chunk of her flesh until only her skeleton remained. However, surprisingly, Mo Dongmei remained alive despite missing most of her body and even her heart.

    Once a cultivator achieves Golden Immortal, they gain the ability to survive even if their entire body and heart are crushed as long as their soul remains unharmed. Mo Dongmei could''ve separated her soul from her body and escaped that way, but Dong Ye had sealed her soul within her body, making it impossible for her to escape.

    Sometimeter, Tian Xian crushed Mo Dongmei''s skeleton until it was fine powder and mixed it with her butchered flesh before forcefully feeding it to Mo Ru, who had been silently recovering his body as he watched everything.

    As for Mo Dongmei''s soul, Tian Xian shattered it with his Celestial Qi right before Mo Ru, killing her without giving her a chance at reincarnation.

    "Y-you monster¡­ You are not human! You are the incarnation of evil itself!" Mo Ru brawled his eyes out as he was forced to savor the vor of his beloved wife¨Cliterally.

    "Perhaps that may be true, but it was you who brought out the evil within me." Tian Xian said in a low voice.

    Sometimeter, Go Ru shouted, "Well?! What are you waiting for?! Are you going to kill me now or what?!"

    Tian Xian didn''t respond and silently stared at him while surrounded by an ominous aura.

    After a moment of silence, he spoke in a chilling voice, "Do you seriously think it would be over so quickly¡­?"

    "W-what do you mean¡­?" Mo Ru muttered in a dazed voice.

    What Tian Xian said the following moment left Mo Ru absolutely speechless and horrified.T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    "In case you forgot, it wasn''t just my wife who died at your hands. My child¨Cour daughter was also ughtered by you." Tian Xian reminded him of his crimes.

    "Y-you don''t mean¡­" Mo Ru didn''t even dare topletely decipher the meaning behind Tian Xian''s ominous words, leaving his mind nk.

    "Dong Ye." Tian Xian called for him.

    "Yes, my liege." Dong Ye bowed to him before disappearing for a moment.

    After a few seconds of eerie silence, Dong Ye returned to Tian Xian''s side with another individual within his grasp.

    This figure was much smaller than Mo Dongmei, and he was also much weaker, being only a Divine Warrior.

    "F-father¡­? I-is that you?! Please! Help me! These bastards captured Mother and everybody in our family!" The young man immediately started shouting when he saw his father''s face, even feeling relieved.

    "N-no¡­no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, NOOOO!!!" Mo Ru had a look on his face so twisted and horrifying that it could scare even ghosts to death.

    "PLEASE! EVIL¨C TIAN XIAN! ANYTHING BUT THIS! ANYTHING BUT MY CHILDREN!" Mo Ru pleaded in a desperate voice.

    However, Tian Xian ignored Mo Ru and used his sword to cripple the young man''s cultivation. He then turned to look at Dong Ye and spoke, "Bring the rest here."

    "As youmand, my liege."

    Dong Ye left for a few moments again before returning with another individual. He repeated this until over a dozen individuals knelt before Tian Xian, their cultivations crippled.

    "Why?! I only killed one of your children!" Mo Ru asked with blood flowing down his eyes, nostrils, and lips.

    "You didn''t just kill one of my children. You killed my one and only child and my wife, so you killed all of my children, including the ones we would''ve had in the future."

    As Tian Xian spoke, he removed the limbs of his first victim, replicating the injuries Xiu Mei had suffered. He repeated the same actions on the second victim, then the third, until he reached his seventh victim, who was a young woman with a somewhat round stomach.

    "This must be fate. You''ll get to see your grandchild before they are even born."

    Without hesitation, Tian Xian split the woman''s stomach in half, revealing the baby inside to Mo Ru, who could onlyy there and stare at the gruesome scene with a nk expression on his face.

    Then, without stopping, Tian Xian continued to torture the rest of Mo Ru''s children.

    Chilling screams that could freeze even hell itself filled the crater for many minutes until it suddenly became dead silent.

    After a long moment of silence, a blood-curdling and inhuman scream that sounded worse than a pig being ughtered echoed throughout the crater.

    "TIIIIIAN XIIIIIAN!!!!!!!"

 Chapter 1437 Evil Gods Atrocities

    Chapter 1437 Evil God''s Atrocities

    ?1437  Evil God''s Atrocities

    After Tian Xian finished ughtering Mo Ru''s entire family before his very eyes, Tian Xian took a seat on top of the pile of corpses and calmly gazed at Mo Ru, who had an inhuman expression on his face.

    "T-the Heavens¡ª they will not forgive you for your heinous crimes today!" Mo Ru cried as he stared back at Tian Xian.

    If res could kill people, Mo Ru''s stares had the potential to y even gods.

    "Perhaps¡­ but I do not seek forgiveness for my actions today¨C

    I only ask for understanding." Tian Xian muttered as he lifted his gaze to stare at the red sky that seemed to be growing darker with every moment.

    He then looked at his bloodied hands and sighed, "Even after all this, my anger is not fully satiated. Maybe it will never be satisfied¨Cnot even after I y the Celestial Emperor."

    He returned to looking at Mo Ru and continued, "All you had to do was leave my wife alone, but s¡­"

    "Even if I had refused to do the Celestial Emperor''s deed, he would''ve simply found somebody else to kill her! You should''ve never offended the Celestial Emperor! This is all your fault!" Mo Ru roared.

    "Indeed, I am partially at fault for Xiu Mei''s death, but not because I offended the Celestial Emperor." Tian Xian sighed with a self-loathing expression, "I promised to protect her with my life, but I was too weak to even do that, so she perished. I have no excuses."

    He suddenly stood up and pointed his sword at Mo Ru and continued, "I don''t care how long it''ll take. I will find her again after her reincarnation. Even if she doesn''t remember me, I will protect her properly this time."

    "Reincarnation¡­? Hah! You''ve truly gone insane!" Mo Ru sneered.

    Tian Xian narrowed his eyes and muttered, "Don''t worry, you won''t even get the chance to experience reincarnation."

    His sword suddenly gushed with immense Enhanced Sword Aura, decapitating Mo Ru. However, since Mo Ru was essentially a god, he would survive even if his entire body was crushed.

    Tian Xian naturally knew of this, so he immediately captured Mo Ru''s soul and sealed it within the ck sword in his grasp.

    Upon reaching God Ascension, a cultivator''s soul undergoes a profound change, making it challenging for even another God Ascension cultivator to destroy it.

    "I don''t have the strength to shatter your soul right now, so I will keep you in here until I do." Tian Xian tossed the ck sword into his storage ring and silently stood there.

    Meanwhile, the sky above Tian Xian had be so dark it looked as though it had been burned ck.

    "My liege¡­" Dong Ye appeared beside him with a worried face.

    "Go." Tian Xian responded with a single word.

    "Yes."

    Dong Ye immediately disappeared from the scene.

    Once he was alone, Tian Xian nced at the cruelty he''d done and suddenly fell to his knees.

    "Urgh!"

    He proceeded to vomit violently, even crying rivers of tears as he emptied his stomach.

    His sweat-soaked body trembled nonstop, sending chills throughout his entire being.

    "Ahhhhh!" He released a beastly cry a few momentster.

    Tian Xian, who had spent decades in resolve and had not felt anything during the process, was suddenly overwhelmed by an immense wave of guilt and disgust over what he had done to Mo Ru''s family.

    "She definitely wouldn''t have approved of my methods, even hate me for what I''ve done¡­" he muttered in a low voice.

    "Unfortunately, this is the only way for me to remain somewhat sane¨Cthe only reason for me to remain in his shitty world without you¡­"

    Tian Xian stood up a momentter and lifted his head to stare at the massive ck clouds rumbling above him.

    "What are you waiting for? Hurry up and get this over with."

    In response to Tian Xian''s words, the ck clouds suddenly unleashed unfathomably powerful lightning strikes upon him. Hundreds of thick lightning strikes, each powerful enough to cause the world to tremble, smitten Tian Xian''s small figure, as if the heavens wanted to erase his existence.

    Yet, these lightning strikes were unable to prate Tian Xian''s body, shielded by a ck aura, let alone harm him.

    The Heavenly Tribtionsted for several days without any pauses.

    Once the ck clouds dissipated from the sky, Tian Xian emerged from the burned crater without a single injury on his body.

    However, he was no longer alone, as tens of thousands of powerful immortals surrounded him in every direction.

    "Evil God! You will pay for the atrocities you havemitted today!"

    Tian Xian swept the crowd with a cold yet calm gaze.

    After identifying them as the Celestial Army, the suppressed bloodlust within Tian Xian began oozing out once again.

    "Even if I have to fight against the entire world¡­ even if I have to split heaven and earth in half¡­ I will destroy anything and anyone that dares to block my path to the Celestial Emperor!"

    Tian Xian continued his relentless campaign to ughter the Celestial Emperor, leaving a trail of bloodshed and death across the Divine Heaven, with mountains of corpses marking his path.

    "Brother Yuan! Are you okay?!" Xiao Hua''s worried voice suddenly resounded.

    Yuan slowly opened his eyes and found himself kneeling on the ground with tears flowing down both sides of his face.

    "Huh¡­? What happened to me¡­?" he muttered in a dazed voice, unaware that Tian Xian''s memories had overwhelmed his consciousness.

    When he regained his rity, Yuan recalled Tian Xian''s memories and the atrocities he''dmitted again, causing him to vomit violently.

    "Brother Yuan!" Xiao Hua called out to him again.

    He hurriedly raised his hand and said, "I¡­ I am fine. I just remembered something unpleasant, that''s all."N?velDrama.Org holds this content.

    Once he''d calmed down, Yuan stood up and left the basement, returning to the house.

    Before he left, Yuan took the time to clean the entire building, removing all dust and dirt, fixing the broken door, and even cleansing the bloodstains in Xiu Mei''s room.

 Chapter 1438 Unique Quest

    Chapter 1438 Unique Quest

    ?1438  Unique Quest

    After cleaning up the building to the best of his abilities, Yuan left the ce and returned to the dark and ominous world outside.T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    He turned to look at Invincible Heaven for a moment and said, "The City of Xian has been split into many pieces, but we can use it to determine our location within the Shadow Realm. The Invincible Heaven was built in the city''s center, but it was pushed further east when we expanded the city, so we''re near the eastern side of the Shadow Realm."

    Yuan closed his eyes and recalled the first city he encountered when he entered the Shadow Realm before.

    "That part of the city was toward the western gate, so we''ll have to travel west if we want to have a higher chance of encountering those two God Ascension realm souls."

    Now that he had a sense of direction, Yuan no longer hesitated and started flying toward the west.

    As he reached the end of the city and neared the Banished Souls, Yuan heard a familiar noise and shifted his gaze to look at the notification.

    <You have unsealed ''Evil God''s Celestial Shackles''>

    lights¦­¦Ïv¦Ål ?¦Ïm Yuan suddenly felt his body getting lighter, as if an invisible boulder had been lifted from his shoulders.

    ''Celestial Shackles¡­? What is that?'' Yuan raised an eyebrow at this notification, as he''d never seen anything like this before.

    However, it implied that he had been restricted by something, which had been unsealed when he fully regained the Evil God''s memories. With that said, while he''s fully regained Tian Xian''s memories, he has yet to fully regain Tian Yang''s memories even though Tian Xian already did.

    As Yuan pondered about the implications of this unsealing, more notifications appeared.

    <You have met the criteria to learn ''Immortal Qi''>

    <Your understanding of Immortal Qi has significantly increased>

    <You have met the criteria to learn ''Celestial Qi''>

    <Your understanding of Celestial Qi has slightly increased>

    <You have met the criteria to learn ''Heaven''s Supremacy''>

    <You have received a Unique Quest>

    [Quest: ???]

    [Difficulty: Impossible]

    [Quest Description: Complete the following trials to acquire the approval of Heaven''s Supremacy]

    [1. Defeat a Cultivator who is at least nine realms above you without using Heaven''s Supremacy]

    [2. Defeat a Magical Beast that is at least nine realms above you without using Heaven''s Supremacy]

    [3. Break your mortal shackles and be a True Immortal]

    [4. Defeat 100,000,000 enemies]

    [5. Attain an unbreakable will]

    Yuan''s eyes widened with shock upon seeing the requirements for the trials. Even a top cultivation genius seen only once every thousand years would have trouble defeating an opponent who is an entire realm stronger, yet he had to defeat someone nine entire realms stronger than himself.

    The second trial that required him to defeat a magical beast nine realms above his own was even more difficult, as magical beasts are naturally stronger than human cultivators.

    As for the third and most time-consuming trial, he had to evolve his physique before he could even break through Spirit King, and even if his cultivation resumed its progress, it could take decades for him to reach True Immortal.

    The fourth trial simply required him to defeat opponents, but the number needed was massive, to say the least.

    The fifth andst trial was too vague to gauge its difficulty.

    ''Heavens! Do I have to fulfill all of these ridiculous requirements before I can use Heaven''s Supremacy?!'' he cried inwardly.

    While Heaven''s Supremacy was undeniably an incredibly powerful¡ªeven unrivaled¡ªtechnique, the prerequisites to employ it were simply staggering.

    ''How did I even manage to use Heaven''s Supremacy before I fulfilled these requirements, anyway? Did it deliberately give me a brief taste of its peerless prowess just to mess with me like this?'' he sighed.

    However, while these trials may seem outrageous at first nce, perhaps even impossible in the eyes of most if not everyone besides Yuan, he did not immediately give up and only found it ''difficult'' even with his advantages.

    After regaining the Evil God''s memories, Yuan''s soul and demeanor underwent a profound transformation. Yet, even with his vast and unfathomable experience, Yuan desperately clenched onto his own personality and character.

    Naturally, since he''d only lived for barely 2 decades inparison to Tian Xian, who had tens of thousands of years of experience, not to mention Tian Yang and the other incarnations, Yuan''s own experience was insignificant, akin to that of a single grain of sand in a vast desert.

    This made it incredibly difficult if not outright impossible for Yuan to remain unchanged, but he still managed to hold onto his core values and identity.

    As Yuan stood at the edge of the city, he silently gazed toward the direction of his destination with an ominous feeling in his guts.

    ''If I flew toward the western region directly, I would have to pass the central region, where some of the most dangerous and powerful Banished Souls exist¡­''

    The Shadow Realm existed even before the Evil God''s birth, and Tian Xian himself had traversed the world several times during his life. However, while there were not as many Banished Souls as in the current era, most of the expert souls resided near the center of the Shadow Realm, as it contained more spiritual energy, allowing them to preserve their souls and sanity a little better.

    Moreover, since there was only so much space in the central region, the weaker souls were forced to live elsewhere, where their souls deteriorated much quicker.

    ''In my current state, I''d be simply marching toward my grave if I approached the central region, so I need to circle around it¡­''

    Since he was closer to the northern region than the southern region, Yuan eventually approached the northern region of the Shadow Realm.

    When Yuan entered the Banished Souls'' territory, despite not exuding his Soul Strength, none of the souls there approached him, almost as though they were afraid of him.

    Yuan observed this change and wondered if it had anything to do with his strengthened soul, which was naturally exuding the aura of an ancient expert that could only be detected by the Banished Souls.

    However, he didn''tin and soared toward the next city with extreme speed.

 Chapter 1439 A Familiar Notification

    Chapter 1439 A Familiar Notification

    ?1439  A Familiar Notification

    Somewhere in the Primordial Realm, a dignified middle-aged man of imposing presence sat poised upon the surface of arge pond while emanating an ancient aura, seemingly asleep.

    Suddenly, a ripple appeared on the tranquil surface of the pond, followed by a calm yet excited voice, "Father, the Blood Jade has finally activated."

    The middle-aged man''s eyes which had remained closed for countless years abruptly snapped open, revealing his beautiful yet ominous red eyes.

    He stood up without creating another ripple on the pond and turned to look at the tall figure standing at the edge of the pond.

    "Prepare for his arrival," he spoke in a nonchnt tone.

    The tall figure, a beautiful woman with long ck hair and simr crimson eyes, nodded before disappearing into thin air.

    Once he was alone again, the middle-aged man lifted his head to gaze at the dark sky and smiled, "Atst, you have returned to us¡­"

    A few more momentster, the middle-aged man also disappeared into thin air.

    Sometimeter, several tens of thousands of miles away, a man wore a fearful expression on his face after he realized the middle-aged man had left the pond.

    "T-the Asura n is on the move again!"

    "What?! The Asura n?! They''ve been silent for so many years now, though!"

    "Warn everybody! If we disturb them even slightly, they''ll be another bloodbath within the Primordial Realm!"

    Rumors of the Asura n''s sudden activity spread swiftly across the Primordial Realm, igniting spection and intrigue like wildfire. Moreover, even though it was only a rumor, nobody questioned its legitimacy or dared to confirm it.

    "The Asura n? Fuck, why does it have to happen when the next selection is about to begin?"

    "What if they''re nning on participating this year?"

    "Hahaha! Even if they want to participate, I doubt the Heavens would allow them to!"

    "Whatever, it doesn''t matter what they''re trying to do. I''m going into seclusion until the selection begins."

    Regardless of their status or cultivation, most Exiles within the Primordial Realm entered seclusion shortly after the rumors spread, turning the usually rowdy and chaotic ce eerily quiet and peaceful.

    Meanwhile, in the Shadow Realm, Yuan silently pondered about Tian Xian''s memories, mostly his connection with the Asura n, where Xiao Hua imed to originate from.

    His first encounter with the Asura n was anything but friendly. In fact, they faced each other as adversaries since the Asura n aligned with the Celestial Emperor''s forces. Yet, this didn''t imply an alliance, as many were coerced into supporting the Celestial Emperor under threat of resource restriction if not straight annihtion.

    The Asura n was a powerful but small family that has existed since Tian Yang''s time but didn''t start gaining influence until muchter. Their family consisted of less than 100 members. Despite that, they were known as one of the most powerful backgrounds in the Divine Heaven, surpassing even the Nine Immortal ns.

    Just like Tian Xian, the Celestial Emperor coveted their talents and approached them. Unfortunately for the Asura n, they were approached way before the Heavenly War of Immortals and Gods even began, so they had to bear the full pressure of the Celestial Emperor''s prowess.

    As powerful as the Asura n may be, they could not defy the Celestial Emperor and his massive forces, so they ended up surrendering before joining his forces.

    While their encounter with the Celestial Emperor was unfortunate, the same could not be said about their encounter with Tian Xian. Since they encountered Tian Xian long after he''d dealt with Mo Ru and regained hisposure, they were not immediately annihted without any chance of survival.

    Tian Xian, after gaining enough strength and shattering Mo Ru''s soul, started working together with Heaven''s Defiance and recruited those who were forced to submit to the Celestial Emperor into their own forces.

    The Asura n was one of these people he''d released from the Celestial Emperor''s shackles. Upon regaining their freedom, the Asura n swore their loyalty to Tian Xian and started their own campaign against the Celestial Emperor, ughtering everyone who willingly worked with him.

    The pent-up bloodlust of the Asura n amassed over thousands of years erupted like a volcanic explosion, shocking the entire Divine Heaven and leaving everyone terrified of their presence¡ªtheir allies included.

    ''Xiao Hua¡­ What''s the Asura n nning? Why did they seal that little princess within Xiao Hua?'' Yuan pondered inwardly.T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    Since most of Tian Xian''s memories were rted to fighting and hunting down the Celestial Emperor''s forces, there wasn''t much information on other matters. However, Yuan instinctively knew that he had to meet the Asura n soon.

    ''I could either patiently collect the Ancient Seals and secretly enter the Primordial Realm or forcefully open it¡­ Regardless of my decision, it will cause amotion within the Nine Heavens and alert the current Celestial Emperor of my presence¡­''

    Due to Tian Xian''s memories, Yuan no longer had to rely on the Ancient Seals to enter the Primordial Realm. However, such methods would essentially announce his presence to the entire world.

    In the end, Yuan stopped worrying about something that might not happen for a while and focused on his current problem¡ªEarth''s cmity.

    After traveling for almost two weeks straight, Yuan finally arrived at his destination, returning to the city he''d explored during his first visit to the Shadow Realm.

    The first thing he did when he entered the city was approach the giant dragon statue.

    As Yuan hovered before the dragon statue, he activated Dragon''s Gaze to see if he could activate the statue again. However, there was no response.

    Sometimeter, he scanned the city with Dragon''s Gaze, and sure enough, he could still see some buildings glowing, indicating that there was a Great One''s trial there.

    After pondering for a moment, he flew toward the building that had the brightest glow and entered it.

    Inside the building was a small dragon statue.

    lights¦­¦Ïv¦Ål ?¦Ïm Shortly after he entered the building, a familiar notification appeared before Yuan.

    <The Great One''s Trial has begun!>

 Chapter 1440 The Great Ones Proposal

    Chapter 1440 The Great One''s Proposal

    ?1440  The Great One''s Proposal

    <The Great One''s Trial has begun!>

    <You have a new challenge!>

    <Restrict the enemy''s movements for as long as possible!>

    <Difficulty has been adjusted based on your talents!>

    <Error!>

    <Error!!>

    <Error!!!>

    <The challenger''s talents could not be evaluated!>

    <Difficulty has been set to the maximum>

    Yuan suddenly found himself standing in the middle of a long bridge while surrounded by golden clouds, and a familiar-

    looking entity with red skin and a bloodthirsty aura stood on the other side of the bridge.

    "A demon, huh?"

    In the presence of a demon, most would quiver with fear, but Yuan calmly gazed at it like it was akin to an ant in his eyes.

    This demon had the cultivation of Spirit Enlightenment, but in terms of prowess, it would rival even a Divine Warrior.

    lights¦­¦Ïv¦Ål ?¦Ïm

    Yuan shifted his head and gaze to look behind him at the red line drawn on the bridge.

    <The trial will begin in 1 minute>

    [0:59]

    [0:58]

    [0:57]

    "A whole minute to prepare? How generous." Yuan mumbled as he took a seat right behind the red line.

    Once the timer reached zero, the demon started walking toward the red line in small and slow steps.

    Yet, Yuan didn''t do anything and calmly watched as the demon slowly approached him.

    Seeing this, the demon bore a perplexed expression, baffled by Yuan''sck of resistance or opposition, almost as though he had no intention of stopping it.

    It took almost 90 seconds, but the demon finally stood before the red line.

    As the demon raised its leg to take the final step, Yuan calmly muttered, "Swords of Eternal Torment."

    The demon suddenly found itself unable to control even a single muscle within its body, much less finish the final step, almost as though its figure waspletely frozen in time.

    [1:31]

    [10:31]

    [1:59:31]

    Two hours passed in the blink of an eye, yet the demon remained frozen with its leg halfway in the air.

    Four hours¡­ ten hours¡­ fifty hours¡­

    Once the timer reached 72 hours, the demon suddenly shattered into countless fragments like ss, followed by a notification.

    <You havepleted the Great One''s Trial!>

    <Total time: 259200 seconds>

    <Congratluations! You have set a new record!>

    <Since you have already reached the limit of trials you mayplete, you will not receive any rewards!>

    Yuan already knew that he wouldn''t receive any reward forpleting the Great One''s trial, but he still wanted to see if there would be any difference.

    "It was a lot easier than I''d anticipated¡­" Yuan muttered to himself as he left the scene.

    However, as he reached the exit, he sensed a profound gaze staring at him.

    He immediately turned around.

    "You are¡­" Yuan was slightly surprised by the sudden appearance of an eye that hovered at the corner of the room.

    "Oh? You can see me?" The eye spoke in a slightly surprised tone.

    "You must be the Great One." Yuan quickly identified the identity of this golden eye.

    The Great One narrowed his eyes slightly and remained silent for a few moments.

    "It hasn''t been that long since ourst encounter, yet your progress has been... monstrous, forck of a better term," The Great One remarked.

    The Great One had already recognized Yuan''s potential from their first meeting, but he never could have imagined that he had underestimated Yuan''s talent to such an extent.

    "Hahaha!"

    The Great One suddenly startedughing.

    "Yuan, correct? Why did you challenge the trial even though you wouldn''t receive anything?"

    "I just felt like it." Yuan casually shrugged.

    "Interesting¡­ then allow me to ask you another question¡ª

    why have you returned to the Shadow Realm? If you''re seeking treasure, I''m afraid you won''t find anything besides the ones within the Treasure Room."

    "I''m not here for treasures." Yuan shook his head and did not further exin his situation.

    The Great One stared directly into Yuan''s eyes, almost as though he wanted to read Yuan''s memories like thest time. However, he quickly realized that he was unable to see anything and swiftly gave up.

    "I have never met anyone half as talented as you." The Great One sighed.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.

    "Thank you."

    "..."

    After a moment of silence, the Great One spoke in a serious voice, "It''s been countless years since Ist met someone with even half your potential. It would be a waste to ignore such talents, so I have a proposal. How about bing my disciple?"

    "Excuse me? You want to ept me as your disciple?" Yuan didn''t dare to believe his ears.

    "Indeed. If you be my disciple, I will help you reach the God Ascension realm within 1,000 years."

    Yuan raised his eyebrows and asked, "What about your legacy?"

    "What about it?"

    "Would it still count if I met you in such a manner?"

    "Hahaha!"

    The Great One startedughing again.

    "The treasures I''ll give to my own disciple will naturally be much better than the legacy''s reward, something I created out of boredom! To tell you the truth, the legacy''s rewards are mostly just random trash I''ve picked up throughout the years. Of course, even trash that I pick up is better than what the top families in the Nine Heaven could provide!"

    Yuan was left speechless by this revtion. The notion that the creation of the Great One''s Legacy stemmed from mere boredom caught him entirely off guard.

    "You look disappointed. Is it due to the rewards or something else?" The Great One inquired.

    "A little bit of both, I guess."

    "As I''d said, even though the treasures for the legacy are worthless to me, they are still extremely valuable to others¡ª

    especially humans. I can randomly pick a treasure from the pile and it would be valuable enough to start a war."

    "Of course, you wouldn''t have to worry about that if you became my disciple, as you''ll have ess to the most powerful techniques and valuable treasures in the Nine Heavens."

    "This is a once-in-a-lifetime offer. Even Immortals and Gods would not hesitate to be my servant, much less a disciple."

    The Great One became silent and patiently awaited Yuan''s response.

 Chapter 1441 A Little Early

    Chapter 1441 A Little Early

    ?1441  A Little Early

    Yuan stared at the Great One''s overbearing eyes and spoke after a moment of silence, "You''re actually serious about recruiting me as your disciple?"

    "Of course. I wouldn''t joke about something like this. What makes you think I am joking?" The Great One asked.

    "I thought most beings of your stature typically avoided such things, especially since you''re a Divine Beast."

    Since Divine Beasts and humans have different cultivation methods, it wouldn''t make sense for a Divine Beast to teach a human in cultivation. Another reason would be theirck of human cultivation techniques and resources.

    However, the Great One was an entity that stood at the very top of the cultivation world with unimaginable wealth and resources, so such problems weren''t an issue for him.

    "If it were a few million years ago, I would''ve simplyughed at such an idea, but times have changed. Divine Beasts and humans are no longer isted in their own world, and the world itself is evolving in ways even I cannot fathom."

    "In fact, you won''t be my first disciple¡ªor even second, but the third."

    Yuan smiled and said, "It''s a very enticing proposal, especially since it''sing from an entity such as the Great One. Unfortunately, I will have to decline."

    The Great One narrowed his eyes, his gaze seemingly filled with disappointment.

    "Why?" he asked.

    This marked his first experience of being rejected in such a matter. He wasn''t exaggerating when he imed that even immortals and gods would be willing to be his disciples due to his unfathomable wealth and unshakable position within the Nine Heavens.

    "Honestly, there''s no particr reason besides the fact that I don''t like taking the easy route. While I may be able to progress much faster if I were to be your disciple, it doesn''t necessarily mean I''ll be stronger than if I were to take my own path."

    "You think that by bing my disciple, you''ll be taking the easy route¡­? I didn''t anticipate being underestimated in such a manner, and by a human, at that."

    "I am not underestimating you, but I''ll definitely have an easier life if I ignore everything else in my life to be your disciple, as there are some things that could only be experienced and gained in the wild cultivation world."

    Of course, Yuan had other reasons for not bing the Great One''s disciple, but he didn''t need to reveal such information.

    The Great One fell silent, his thoughts unknown.

    Sometimeter, he spoke, "Since you have already refused, I have no reason to persist, nor would I go out of my way to beg someone to be my disciple. Good luck finding me in this vast universe."

    The Great One disappeared the following moment without uttering another word.

    Yuan didn''t think too much of it and left the building.

    After preparing himself, Yuan left the city and made his way toward the direction of the treasure room.

    Sometimeter, he halted his movements when he arrived at his destination.

    After looking around and taking a deep breath, he shouted in a loud voice that was amplified by his spiritual energy, "Immortal Fairy Yu Ning and Sect Master Ji Ran, are you here?! I, Yuan, have returned to fulfill my promise!"

    Yuan''s voice echoed for hundreds of miles in every direction.

    A few minutes passed without any responses, but he didn''t panic and closed his eyes to wait while thousands of banished souls that had been alerted by his voice circled him like a school of fish without daring to get too close.

    A few more momentster, Yuan''s eyes snapped open as he sensed a powerful presence approaching his location.

    "Scram!" A cold voice boomed, causing the banished souls around Yuan to scatter like startled pigeons.

    Yuan turned to look at the feminine shadowy figure before him and smiled, but before he could say anything, he sensed another powerful presence approaching them.

    Yuan waited for the second presence to arrive before speaking, "It''s been a while."

    "I hadn''t anticipated you would return so soon," said Yu Ning, the Immortal Fairy, her voice filled with surprise.

    Ji Ran then spoke, "While I am d to see you again so soon, it appears to be a little too early for your return, Yuan. You''re only a peak Spirit King."

    "I recall telling you toe back only after you''ve reached the cultivation of Spirit Emperor. You were too hasty to return..." Yu Ning recalled with a slightly dispirited tone after realizing that he was only a Spirit King.

    Yuan nodded, "I am well aware that I was only supposed to return after reaching Spirit Emperor but rest assured, I have more than enough soul strength to get the both of you out of this gloomy ce."

    "Really?"

    The two immortals exchanged nces with each other, seemingly in disbelief.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.

    "I wouldn''t joke about something like this. I promise," he reassured them.

    "Now then, how does one go about housing souls in a Soul Weapon?"

    Ji Ran then said, "First, we''ll need a Soul Weapon that isn''t already upied by another soul or spirit. Then one of us will attempt to enter it. The Soul Weapon''s master will be able to sense any intruders and reject them, but it''ll be fine if you don''t do anything and allow us to dwell within the Soul Weapon."

    "Will there be any side effects for my Soul Weapons?" Yuan asked.

    "No, there won''t be any since we''re only using it as a temporary home until we can recreate our physical bodies."

    Yuan nodded and retrieved the Starry Abyss, his first Soul Weapon, and asked, "Who wants to be first?"

    "Me!"

    They both responded simultaneously.

    "Ji Ran, I''ve been in the Shadow Realm for much longer than you, so it should only be natural for me to leave first. Also,dies first." Yu Ning said to him the very next moment.

    "That''s bullshit." Ji Ran immediately sneered.

    Seeing this, Yuan shook his head and said, "Rx, you two. Did you forget that I have two Soul Weapons?"

 Chapter 1442 Ji Ran

    Chapter 1442  Ji Ran

    ?1442  Ji Ran

    "We know that you have two Soul Weapons, but to bepletely honest with you, we''re not confident that you have enough soul strength to house both of our souls at your current level, so you cannot me us for wanting to go first." Ji Ran said in a sighing voice.

    "He''s right, Yuan. You also can''t me us for being skeptical of your capabilities." Yu Ning agreed with Ji Ran, and she continued, "If you don''t have enough soul strength, it would be incredibly dangerous for us to upy your Soul Weapon, so it''s not as if we have no risk. Normally, we wouldn''t trust a Spirit King to be capable enough to help even a single one of us, much less both of us at once, but we''re just that desperate to get out of this hellhole."

    Yuan nodded, "I understand your hesitation, so allow me to get rid of them for you."

    "How will you do that?"

    "You''ll see in just a second. It will hurt you a little, so prepare yourself."

    After taking a deep breath, Yuan exerted some of his soul strength, manifesting it in the form of a rippling energy that swept through their surroundings.

    When Yu Ning and Ji Ran saw this ripple, they immediately felt a sense of danger and dreading from it. Without hesitation, they sacrificed some of their precious soul strength to shield themselves from the ripple.

    However, even with protection, the ripple tore right through their defenses and inflicted a brief but intense pain upon their soul. The painsted for a split second, but it was enough to embed a deep sense of fear within Yu Ning and Ji Ran.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.

    Yu Ning and Ji Ran subconsciously distanced themselves away from Yuan. Although hecked the strength to destroy their souls, he possessed the power to torture their souls with immense pain, something even more terrifying than death to these immortal cultivators.

    "That was only about 30 percent of my soul strength," Yuan spoke a momentter. "What do you think? Do you still doubt my capabilities to help the both of you?"

    "Such powerful soul strength was only thirty percent?! Impossible! Not even a Spirit Enlightenment cultivator would possess half of such prowess!" Ji Ran eximed, clearly in disbelief.

    Yuan smiled and replied, "If you don''t believe me, I can do that again but with fifty percent of my soul strength this time."

    Yu Ning and Ji Ran trembled in fear when they imagined themselves experiencing pain even worse than what they''d just experienced a moment ago.

    "T-there''s no need to go that far. I believe you¡­" Yu Ning quickly said.

    "M-me too. I apologize for doubting your capabilities¡­" Ji Ran followed.

    After a moment of silence, Yuan spoke, "I should''ve asked you this sooner, but what is your cultivation at?"

    "I was at 4th level God Ascension before my body was destroyed, but s, after spending countless years in here, my cultivation dropped to Golden Immortal¡­" Yu Ning sighed.

    "I was also at 4th level God Ascension, but I''ve managed to keep my cultivation at 1st level God Ascension because of my unique cultivation technique, but that won''tst for much longer. I''ll probably drop to True Immortal in a few thousand years." Ji Ran shook his head in a dejected manner.

    Yuan''s heart dropped a little when he learned of Yu Ning''s cultivation since it was below God Ascension, but he quickly regained hope after hearing Ji Ran''s words.

    "How long does it typically take for one to recreate their body?" Yuan then asked.

    "It''s not really a matter of time, but an issue of resources." Yu Ning said.

    "In order for us to recreate our body, we need the proper materials. If you have the materials on you right now, we can reconstruct our body immediately. Unfortunately, these materials are quite valuable and rare."

    Yuan nodded, "I understand. We can worry about finding these materialster. Before we begin, I have something I''d like to say¡ªa request."

    He turned to look at Ji Ran and continued, "You said that you''d give me anything I want if I took you out of this ce, correct?"

    Ji Ran swiftly nodded, "Indeed. As long as it''s within my power, I will help you acquire it."

    "I only need one thing from you¡ªyour assistance."

    "Can you exin?"

    "Of course. But before I do that, I have another question for you two. You guys have been trapped here before the Heavenly War of Immortals and Gods even concluded, correct?"

    "That''s right."

    "Does that mean you aren''t aware of the conclusion?"

    "No, we are aware. Some of the survivors hade here in the past after the war and told us everything¡ªabout how a hero known as the Evil God showed up near the end and turned the tide against the Celestial Emperor, even ying him in the end." Ji Ran said.

    "He was widely recognized as the Evil God, but he was also known as the God of War. If it hadn''t been for his efforts, this ce would''ve been even more crowded." Yu Ning chuckled.

    "We''re also aware that the ce we once knew as Divine Heaven is now known as the Nine Heavens," she added.

    "That''s great. Then I''ll start from the middle."

    Yuan proceeded to tell them about his homnd Earth and how they''d been split from the Nine Heavens after the incident that separated the world into nine realms. He then exined the current Celestial Emperor''s actions and Earth''s cmity.

    "I don''t know why the Celestial Emperor brought us back to the Nine Heavens through Cultivation Online, but I will find out. However, before I can even do that, I must find a way to save my own world."

    Yuan continued to tell Ji Ran his n, which required the soul of a God Ascension realm cultivator.

    "I think I get the jist of it¡­ you just need me to supply this Divine Beast my spiritual energy so that it can restore the formation, preventing your world from destruction, correct?" Ji Ran asked.

    "Yes, that''s right." Yuan nodded.

    "As long as it doesn''t require me to exhaust my soul strength, I will give you as much spiritual energy as you need." Ji Ran quickly agreed to help.

    "Then you can enter this Soul Weapon first since I probably won''t be able to use it while you are helping." Yuan extended the Starry Abyss, offering it to Ji Ran, who immediately flew toward it without hesitation.

 Chapter 1443 Yu Ning

    1443 Yu Ning

    The moment Ji Ran entered the Starry Abyss, Yuan received a notification.

    <An unknown entity has invaded your Soul Weapon>

    Yuan suddenly felt the urge to retaliate and terminate Ji Ran''s soul, but he quickly resisted such an urge and allowed Ji Ran to upy the Starry Abyss.

    Once Ji Ran had sessfully upied the Starry Abyss, Yuan felt a chunk of his soul strength being consumed¡ªabsorbed by the Starry Abyss, but it wasn''t enough to worry him.

    ''That took about 15 percent of my soul strength, huh? I anticipated worse.'' Yuan thought to himself.

    "How do you feel?" Ji Ran''s voice resounded a momentter.

    "I am fine. What about you?"

    "I haven''t felt this good since I lost my physical body. It''s also much more spacious in here than I''d anticipated, almost like I have my own little world." Ji Ran responded enthusiastically, clearly pleased with his new temporary home.

    When Yu Ning heard how content Ji Ran sounded, she immediately became fidgety, almost as though she couldn''t wait to relocate.

    "Sorry, but I probably won''t be able to help with the formation at my current cultivation¡­ However, I can still try. I can also do other things. Anything at all!" Yu Ning said, sounding a little worried and desperate.

    Yuan looked at her and smiled, "Don''t worry, I promised to get the both of you out of here, and I will fulfill my promise even if neither of you can help me."

    Of course, he would''ve had to dy their ns until he found someone who could save his world. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    "T-thank you! I will definitely repay this debt once I reconstruct my physical body!" Yu Ning eximed.

    If she had a physical body, there would''ve been tears flowing down her face right now.

    Yuan retrieved his Empyrean Overlord a momentter and extended it toward Yu Ning.

    Seeing this, Yu Ning immediately began flying toward the sword.

    However, right before she reached it, an unfathomable presence appeared, followed by a strong pressure that restricted both Yu Ning and Yuan''s movements.

    "W-what the hell is this¡­?!" Yu Ning had to use all of her strength just to utter these few words.

    Yuan gritted his teeth and shifted his gaze to look at the shadowy figure approaching them from a distance.

    This shadowy figure arrived before them in less than a second, hovering between Yuan and Yu Ning.

    "Who are you?" Yuan asked this neer who had the figure of an adult human but without any facial features or distinct parts that would identify their identity.

    "Oh? You can still speak while under my pressure? I knew you were no ordinary Spirit King, but to think you were this exceptional." The shadowy figure spoke in a voice that resembled an old man.

    "Y-you¡­ You''re the Holy Sword Saint, Jin Geming! What do you want from us?!" Yu Ning recognized the shadowy figure''s identity from his voice alone.

    "I don''t need anything from you since I am here for this young man." Jin Geming responded.

    He continued while staring at Yuan, "I sensed your powerful soul strength and was intrigued, so I came here and observed you guys a little."

    "So you were eavesdropping on us? How distasteful for someone of your stature, Holy Sword Saint." Ji Ran sneered from within the Starry Abyss.

    "I stopped being the Holy Sword Saint when I was tossed into this ce countless years ago." Jin Geming retorted coldly.

    He then stared into Yuan''s eyes and continued, "You''re looking for people to save your world, correct? Take me instead of this useless woman. I was at the 5th level God Ascension during my peak, and I''m still at the 3rd level God Ascension right now. If that''s not enough, I will give you all of the Holy Sword Academy''s sword techniques. I will be much more useful to you in every way."

    "Y-you bastard!" Yu Ning shouted in anger, yet she couldn''t refute Jin Geming''s words.

    As the Sect Leader of the Holy Sword Academy, an esteemed sect that once rivaled the Immortal Monastery in their primes during the Primordial Era, he held authority and resources far surpassing Yu Ning''s.

    However, Yuan spoke with a cold grin on his face, "Do you normally restrict the movements of the person you''re asking for help?"

    Hearing such words, Jin Geming released his pressure on Yuan but kept it on Yu Ning, as he didn''t want to give her the chance to run into the Soul Weapon.

    "My apologies, it wasn''t my intention. I don''t usually panic, but even a god would lose some senses after spending so much time in this gloomy ce."

    Yuan didn''t immediately respond and pondered his next step.

    While he had no intention of helping Jin Geming, he couldn''t simply refuse to help him, as Jin Geming would definitely attack him, and he wasn''t close to being strong enough to oppose someone at God Ascension even with Evil God''s memories.

    In fact, even if he worked together with Yu Ning and Ji Ran, they wouldn''t be able to defeat Jin Geming.

    "Yuan¡­" Yu Ning looked at him with a look of eptance, almost as if she''d given up on leaving with him.

    "You should take him. I''ll stay here for now. If one of them leaves their Soul Weapon in the future and you don''t mind returning for me, I will be eternally grateful."

    Yu Ning recognized the gravity of their circumstances. Jin Geming wielded enough power to effortlessly annihte them all, so she decided to stay behind. In doing so, she would, at the very least, still have a chance to leave the Shadow Realm in the future.

    "Looks like I will owe you a favor now, Fairy Yu." Jin Geming smiled.

    In response, Yu Ning merely snorted coldly.

    However, a momentter, to their surprise, Yuan shook his head and said, "No, I won''t let you stay behind. I said I''d take you out of this ce, so I will."

    "W-what? But¡­"

    Before Yu Ning could finish her sentence, Yuan continued, "I didn''t mention this before because it wasn''t necessary, but I actually have three Soul Weapons in my possession."

    "You what?!"

    The three immortals eximed in a shocked voice after learning of this information.

 Chapter 1444 Holy Sword Saint

    Chapter 1444 Holy Sword Saint

    ?1444  Holy Sword Saint

    "Y-you possess three Soul Weapons¡­? No¡­ that''s impossible!" Jin Geming quickly expressed his doubt. After all, even the most talented cultivators during the Primordial Era had 2 Soul Weapons at the most. Three was simply unheard of¡ªeven unimaginable.

    "Why would I lie to you? Especially when this sort of lie can easily be exposed?" Yuan shook his head.

    "T-then what are you waiting for? Hurry up and show us your third Soul Weapon!" Jin Geming urged impatiently.

    Yuan nodded and retrieved his third Soul Weapon, the Dragon''s Soul.

    The moment the Dragon''s Soul made its appearance, its presence permeated the surroundings with a profound aura, causing the souls of the immortals to quiver in awe and fear.

    ''What a powerful Soul Weapon!'' They cried inwardly.

    "Let me dwell within that Soul Weapon!" Jin Geming hastily said as he pointed at the Dragon''s Soul.

    Yuan casually nodded, "Sure."

    "..."

    Jin Geming sensed something was amiss, almost as though he''d gotten what he wanted too easily. However, when he reconsidered Yuan''s weak cultivation base and their circumstances, Jin Geming no longer pondered too deeply about it and nodded.

    "But will you be able to handle three immortal souls at once?" Yu Ning suddenly inquired in a worried tone.

    Moreover, Jin Geming''s soul would be the most strenuous on Yuan''s soul strength due to his higher cultivation base.

    Yuan looked at Yu Ning with a calm smile and said, "I might be weakened a little, but of course, it''s no problem for me."

    Yuan retired the Empyrean Overlord, offered the Dragon''s Soul to Jin Geming, and said, "Here you go, Senior. I''ll let you go first if you''re worried that I won''t have enough soul strength to carry all three of you at once."

    Jin Geming nodded and spoke as he flew into the Dragon''s Soul, "I will remember your act of kindness."

    <An unknown entity has invaded your Soul Weapon>

    Yuan felt about 20 percent of his soul strength being consumed.

    ''Yuan, you need to be careful of the Holy Sword Saint. He went astray during the war and became an evil cultivator who took advantage of the chaos to strengthen himself.'' Ji Ran suddenly warned him through divine sense.

    Yuan didn''t respond and merely held a mysterious smile on his face.

    A moment after Jin Geming entered the Dragon''s Soul, his satisfied voice resounded.

    "This ce is much more spacious and luxurious than I''d expected."

    "Heavens! I can even feel my soul strength growing stronger just by staying in here!"

    "Hahaha! This ce is fucking amazing! The more I explore the

    ¡ª"

    "W-wait! Who the hell are you?!" Jin Geming suddenly became alert, his voice filled with surprise.

    "You little bastard! This Soul Weapon is already upied by another soul! How dare you trick me!"

    "Hmph! Whatever! I simply need to destroy this soul and be its sole upant!"

    A different voice suddenly resounded, "Not only did this bug invade my sanctuary, but it even dared to threaten me¡­? Hahaha¡­"

    The voices suddenly stopped. Yu Ning and Ji Ran swallowed nervously as they waited for the results.

    A few momentster¡ª

    "W-wait! Please! Spare me! I will immediately leave this ce!"

    Jin Geming''s voice returned, but it was filled with shock and fear, sounding as though he''d encountered a ghost.

    "Please! Have mercy! I was wrong! I was wrong!!!"

    Yu Ning and Ji Ran listened to Jin Geming beg the mysterious soul with wide eyes filled with disbelief.

    "Aahhhhh! Mother! Father!! Someone!!! Save m¡ª"

    "..."

    "..."

    "..."

    "I will remember this, Tian Yi¡­" Dragon Goddess Yeyou''s voice suddenly resounded with a displeased tone.

    Yuan wore a bittersweet smile on his face as he responded, "I wasn''t sure you were actually in there and saw the opportunity to find out, so I took my chances. Sorry, Dragon Goddess Yeyou. Now that I''ve confirmed you are dwelling within the Dragon''s Soul, why have you been ignoring me?"T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    "..."

    However, there were no responses from Dragon Goddess Yeyou.

    "The silent treatment again, huh?" Yuan sighed as he wondered what he was doing wrong. Unfortunately, he probably won''t figure it out until he recovers more of the Immortal Monarch¡ªTian Yi''s memories.

    Ding!

    <Dragon''s Soul has assimted Jin Geming''s soul>

    <Congrattions! Your Soul Weapon ''Dragon''s Soul'' has absorbed enough spiritual energy and leveled up!>

    <Your Dragon''s Soul has unlocked a new unique ability ''Dragon''s Roar''>

    [Dragon''s Soul]

    [Level: 1]

    [Rank: Soul Weapon]

    [Growth Rate: Fast]

    [Requirement: ???]

    [Unique Ability (Dragon''s Roar): Lets out a resounding battle cry that shatters the surrounding spiritual energy.]

    However, that was not the end.

    Ding!

    <Congrattions! Your Soul Weapon ''Dragon''s Soul'' has absorbed enough spiritual energy and leveled up!>

    After devouring the soul of a God Ascension cultivator, the Dragon''s Soul unsurprisingly leveled up twice in an instant.

    <Your Dragon''s Soul has unlocked a new unique ability ''Dragon''s Sanctuary''>

    [Unique Ability (Dragon''s Sanctuary): Creates a domain around the wielder that seals all spiritual energy from those that do not have dragon blood. Does not affect the wielder.]

    ''This Dragon''s Soul is¡­'' Yuan swallowed nervously after seeing its overpowered unique abilities.

    However, its unique ability only applied to spiritual energy, so it might be ineffective against immortals who could wield Immortal Qi and Celestial Qi. Still, it was a very powerful ability that could surprise even immortals. As for those who cannot use Immortal Qi and do not have dragon blood flowing through their veins, they were simply screwed.

    Yuan reimed the Dragon''s Soul and retired the Empyrean Overlord again.

    He looked at Yu Ning, who was still frozen from shock, and said, "It''s your turn."

    Yet, Yu Ning didn''t fly into the Empyrean Overlord and stood there like a stone statue, her gaze fixated on Yuan''s calm smile.

    Seeing this, Yuan chuckled and said, "Don''t worry, this Soul Weapon is definitely unupied. Nothing will happen to you."

    "Y-you promise¡­?" Yu Ning muttered in a timid voice.

    "Of course. I only killed that guy because I knew of his character," he nodded.

    Jin Geming was a renowned individual whose infamy reached even Tian Xian''s ears, so he already knew of Jin Geming''s vicious character even before Ji Ran''s warning.

 Chapter 1445 Replenishing the Lords Cultivation

    Chapter 1445  Replenishing the Lord''s Cultivation

    ?1445  Replenishing the Lord''s Cultivation

    After receiving Yuan''s reassurance that the Empyrean Overlord was unupied, Yu Ning took a deep breath before entering the sword.

    "Wow¡­ they weren''t exaggerating when they said it was spacious inside a Soul Weapon¡­ You can probably fit one or two major cities in here and still have room to spare." Yu Ning''s surprised voice resounded a momentter.

    "I''m d you like it." Yuan smiled.T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    "What are you going to do now?" Ji Ran asked.

    "Since I''ve aplished what I came here to do, I will leave this ce and return to the Nine Heavens," he said.

    "And because it''s been a long time since you guysst seen the world outside of the Shadow Realm, I won''t immediately ask you to start working, Ji Ran. However, I also cannot dy it for too long."

    "Honestly, I don''t care if I have to immediately start working. After all, I am satisfied just knowing that I am no longer in the Shadow Realm," Ji Ran quickly replied.

    Yuan nodded, "Let me leave this ce and show you my world first."

    However, Yuan did not directly leave the Shadow Realm. Instead, he returned to the nearest city, where he logged off.

    Upon returning to Earth, Yuan immediately climbed to the peak of the Dragon Spiral Mountain to meet with the Lord.

    He met Liya halfway through the formation.

    "I know you called in advance, but you couldn''t have waited a few minutes for me?" Liyained with a slight frown on her face.

    Yuan smiled and said, "I haven''t cracked the formation yet, but I instinctively know the way to the peak after walking through this mist multiple times."

    "Huh? Formations don''t even work like that!" Liya eximed with a look of disbelief on her face.

    Yuan shrugged and continued climbing the mountain.

    Sometimeter, they arrived at the peak of the mountain, where the Lord was already prepared to meet them.

    "I heard you had something urgent to tell me?" The Lord asked.

    Yuan nodded and retrieved the Starry Abyss and Empyrean Overlord.

    "Those are¡­ your Soul Weapons? Why are¡ª"

    "W-where are we?!"

    "We were still at the Shadow Realm an instant ago! How did we end up here before I can even blink?!"

    Ji Ran and Yu Ning''s bewildered voices suddenly resounded.

    In their eyes, they were in the Shadow Realm when their scenery suddenly flickered and changed to somethingpletely new and unfamiliar.

    "Calm down. This is Earth¡ªmy home world." Yuan exined the situation to them.

    "E-Earth? Already? I was expecting it to take some time¡ªat least much longer than this¡­" Ji Ran muttered in a dazed voice.

    Sometimeter, Yuan said, "Ji Ran, meet the Lord. Lord, this is Ji Ran, and he''ll be helping you with your cultivation base from now on."

    The Lord approached the Starry Abyss with a look of wonder on his face.

    "I don''t have a name, but you may call me Xue." The Lord said, and he continued, "I also cannot sense your presence or cultivation from out here."

    Ji Ran then introduced himself, "My name is Ji Ran, and I used to be the Sect Leader of the Immortal Monastery before my body was destroyed by the Celestial Emperor and tossed into the Shadow Realm, where I spent countless years. I was at the 4th level of God Ascension during my peak, but I was reduced to the 1st level of God Ascension after spending so long in the Shadow Realm."

    "The Sect Leader of the Immortal Monastery?! I never would have imagined that such a renowned figure would still be alive in this day and age!" The Lord eximed, his voice filled with astonishment

    "Oh? You know of me?" Ji Ran sounded pleasantly surprised as well, as he didn''t expect to be recognized by someone who wasn''t from the Primordial Era.

    "Of course! You were a prominent figure in the Primordial Era, also known as the Devil Hand Madman after single-handedly annihting the Maleficent Devil Cult! And as the second Sect Leader of the Immortal Monastery, you led the sect to its peak, bing a top 5 sect within the Divine Heaven!"

    Although the Lord sounded like a fanboy, one must consider his point of view. In the Lord''s eyes, he was speaking to someone who should''ve perished long ago and only existed in stories. Even someone as ancient as the Lord came into existence long after the Primordial Realm ended. He was no different than a baby ifpared to Ji Ran or Yu Ning.

    "Hehe¡­ I think we''ll get along just fine¡­" Ji Ran sounded a little prideful as he spoke.

    "Are you sure you want to immediately start working?" Yuan asked him a momentter.

    Ji Ran nodded inside the Starry Abyss, "It''s fine, I can start working now. It''s not like I have to do it without any breaks, as I will need time to replenish my exhausted spiritual energy afterward, anyway. Furthermore, although Xue is hiding it, he''s actually in a lot of pain. His body is in a mess. I''m surprised he''s managed to survive this long, much less support such a powerful formation for so long."

    Ji Ran spoke with deep admiration for the Lord''s preservation and determination to protect Earth.

    Sometimeter, the Lord sat on the ground and closed his eyes, seemingly going to sleep. Meanwhile, Ji Ran left the Starry Abyss and took the form of a middle-aged man before sitting behind the Lord.

    "I will begin transferring my spiritual energy to you now." Ji Ran warned as he ced his palms on the Lord''s back and began transferring his spiritual energy.

    A refreshed and relieved look immediately appeared on the Lord''s face, resembling an old man who regained years of energy after soaking in a hot spring.

    "I can do this for five days before I run out of spiritual energy." Ji Ran said a momentter.

    Yuan nodded, "I will return before then. In the meantime, I''ll show Yu Ning around this world."

    Not wanting to disturb them any longer, Yuan descended the mountain and returned to his living quarters.

 Chapter 1446 A New Era on Earth

    Chapter 1446 A New Era on Earth

    ?1446  A New Era on Earth

    Upon returning to his living quarters, Yuan encountered Meifeng waiting at the front door.

    "Are you waiting for someone?" Yuan asked her.

    "Yes, I was waiting for you since I noticed you had left." Meifeng nodded.

    "Did something happen?"

    "Yes, but it''s nothing bad¡­ for now."

    Yuan frowned slightly upon hearing this and said, "Let''s go inside first. Tell me everything."

    Once they were seated inside, Meifeng spoke, "The others are already aware of this so you''re the only one who is still out of the loop¡ªunless Liya told you."

    He quickly shook his head.

    "She didn''t tell me anything."

    Meifeng proceeded to show her palm to Yuan and continued to speak, "Shortly after the system update, people noticed they could use the system even when they are logged out of Cultivation Online."

    "What?!" Yuan''s eyes widened with shock after learning of this news.

    "Watch this."

    The next moment, an item that resembled a storage pouch suddenly materialized out of thin air and appeared on Meifeng''s palm.

    "We can bring certain items from Cultivation Online to Earth now. This includes treasures, medicine, and most importantly, cultivation resources. The entire world''s amid an evolution as we speak."

    Yuan sat there with a dazed expression on his face as he contemted this new information.

    Sometimeter, Yuan flipped his palm and retrieved a Monster Core that exuded the spiritual energy of a peak Spirit Grandmaster.

    "It actually works¡­"

    Then, without hesitation, he moved the Monster Core to his lips before swallowing it casually.

    Yuan could immediately feel his spiritual energy soaring, as well as his cultivation base.

    A few momentster, Yuan muttered, "Character status."

    Ding!

    [Cultivation: 9th Level Spirit Grandmaster]

    [Bloodline: Immortal Monarch Bloodline]

    [Physique: Heaven Refining Physique, Golden Immortal Physique]

    "So it''s a simplified version, huh?"

    He looked at Meifeng and asked, "What''s going on with the world now that this is possible?"

    "Well, for starters, those who have the capability started consuming powerful cultivation resources left and right, causing their cultivation base to soar. I believe the strongest Cultivator is a Spirit Lord at the moment, which is a massive increasepared to before the system update, where the strongest Cultivator was only a Spirit Master¡ªnot including you and the others."

    Yuan nodded and asked, "What about Meixiu and the others?"

    "They''ve decided to wait for you before deciding on anything."

    Yuan showed a bittersweet smile and sighed, "They shouldn''t need to worry about me and do what they believe is right."

    "And why didn''t Liya tell me about this? She could''ve at least mentioned it before I left."

    "Anyways, tell them to do whatever they want the next time you see them. I''ll be leaving the Dragon Spiral Mountain for a bit."Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.

    "Where are you going?" Meifeng asked.

    "It''s been some time since I saw Yu Rou, so I''m going to give her a visit."

    "Are you going alone?"

    "Yes, I am going to fly straight there and back."

    Sometimeter, Yuan asked, "By the way, if we can bring things from the Nine Heavens to Earth, can we also bring things from Earth to the Nine Heavens?"

    "People have tried that but were unable to do so. Even the things that can be brought to Earth are limited, so we cannot bring anything we want."

    "What''s the limit?"

    "Treasures Divine-grade and above, as well as some of the more powerful cultivation resources."

    Hearing this, Yuan immediately tried to retrieve his Divine-

    grade treasures, and sure enough, he was unable to.

    <Error>

    "I guess they don''t want us to progress too fast over here, but it doesn''t mean things won''t change in the future. We should also start preparing for this change. Who knows what people will start doing with their newfound strength? This world is too small for any Cultivator nonsense, especially as the average cultivation increases."

    Compared to the Nine Heavens, Earth''s size was akin to a grain of sand in a desert. If Cultivators started going crazy with martial techniques and powerful treasures, Earth wouldn''tst long and would be destroyed even before the Lord''s formation copsed.

    "How are the Cultivators'' Association and the governments around the world dealing with this change?" he then asked.

    "Well¡­ they''re trying to do something. Regtions are bing stricter, and they''re thinking of restricting everyone''s cultivation base to a certain level so that we won''t be able to do too much damage even if we tried, but I''m not sure how they''ll be able to regte that. It seems impossible."

    Yuan rubbed his eyes and sighed, "Looks like I have to speed things up and try to reconnect the Nine Heavens and Earth, but that will also have its own problem. I will speak with the Lord when I return. Let me see for myself what the world is like nowadays first."

    Meifeng nodded and followed him outside.

    "Stay safe, Yuan. It''ll be a lot more dangerous out there now that everyone has ess to powerful cultivation resources and treasures. You won''t be as invincible as before." Meifeng warned him.

    Yuan chuckled, "We''ll see about that."

    Sometimeter, Yuan retrieved the Empyrean Overlord and jumped onto it before soaring into the sky, quickly disappearing from Dragon Spiral Mountain.

    "Wow! Although the spiritual energy in this world is pathetic, it has a very beautiful scenery!" Yu Ning eximed in excitement as they soared through several cities.

    Yuan showed a bittersweet smile and said, "If we want to preserve these sceneries, we need to find a way to stop those with bad intentions from damaging them. Unfortunately, that is easier said than done."

    "That is true. In fact, I can easily cover the entire world with my divine sense alone. This ce is truly too small. If a fight between two Spirit Kings broke out, it''d be an environmental disaster." Yu Ning said.

    "Unless they are insane, I doubt anyone would do anything too crazy¡­ but then again, there are plenty of insane individuals out there¡­" Yuan sighed.

    With the rapid changes happening on Earth, Yuan started pondering methods to keep his friends and family safe even in this new era.

 Chapter 1447 A Surprise Visit

    Chapter 1447  A Surprise Visit

    ?1447  A Surprise Visit

    After flying for almost an entire day without rest, Yuan arrived at the Eternal Lotuses'' headquarters.

    The guards at the front gate were startled when he suddenly descended from the sky andnded before them.

    "W-who are you?!"

    Yuan greeted the female guards with a handsome smile and said, "Hello, I am Yuan. I''m here to visit my little sister, Yu Rou."

    "Yuan?" The guards'' eyes widened with surprise, but there was a hint of doubt in their eyes for some reason.

    "Please give us a minute to notify Yu Rou."

    "Wait!" Yuan suddenly stopped them.

    "I actually came here unannounced to surprise her, so if you don''t mind, can you let me inside without notifying her? You can let Bai Lianhua know, though."

    "Sure¡ªwait a second! How do we know you''re actually Yuan and not someone disguised as Yuan?!" One of the guards suddenly said with a doubtful frown on her face.

    lights¦­¦Ïv¦Ål ?¦Ïm "For all we know, you could''ve consumed an appearance-

    altering pill!"

    After all, medicine and pills are part of the things that people are now able to acquire through the system, so things such as appearance-altering pills are bing moremon on Earth.

    "Uh¡­" Yuan didn''t anticipate being questioned in such a manner, feeling like he was still in Cultivation Online.

    "I''m not sure how you want me to prove my identity. How about my Cultivators'' Association ID card?"

    "Those can be faked, too!"

    Yuan sighed, "Aren''t you being a little too paranoid? I''m just trying to visit my little sister."

    "As if! yer Yuan is at the top when ites to stolen identity right now! And Yu Rou is also very popr with countless admirers! There are plenty of people who would disguise themselves as Yuan to get to her! In fact, it has happened before!"

    "Really?" Yuan''s eyes widened at this information, and he wondered when Yu Rou became so popr.

    "If you can''t prove your identity, you may scram before we escte this!"

    Hearing this, Yuan shook his head and proceeded to take out his cell phone.

    He dialed a number before putting it on speaker.

    "Hello? Yuan?" Bai Lianhua''s voice resounded a momentter.

    "Hey, sorry to bother you, and this will sound sudden, but I am outside your headquarters right now."

    "Really?! I''ll be right there!"

    "Thanks."

    Yuan closed the call and silently stared at the female guards, their eyes as wide as saucers.

    It waspletely silent with neither of the guards uttering a single word until Bai Lianhua showed up.

    "Yuan!" Bai Lianhua rushed in front of him with a strong urge to embrace him, but she managed to control her emotions at thest second.

    "You should''ve notified me earlier so that I could''ve called for Yu Rou, as well!"

    Yuan shook his head and said, "I actually wanted to surprise her, so I am d you didn''t."

    "Come, I''ll bring you to her."

    He nodded.

    "W-wait!"

    The female guards suddenly stopped them.

    "What is it?" Bai Lianhua asked, unaware of their circumstances.

    Meanwhile, Yuan spoke with a calm smile on his face, "Don''t worry about it. You were just being diligent. Keep up the good work."

    "Did something happen?" Bai Lianhua looked at him with raised eyebrows.

    "No, nothing at all."

    "If you say so."

    However, Bai Lianhua silently red at the guards, almost as though she was trying to tell them that she would question themter.

    Once they entered the gates, Bai Lianhua brought Yuan straight to Yu Rou''s room.

    "Hm? She changed rooms?" Yuan asked as they walked in a different direction.

    "Yes. She was recently promoted, so she gets to live in her own room instead of sharing it. She''s a hard worker."

    "Looking at your progress, I can say the same to you." Yuan smiled.

    At a nce, Bai Lianhua''s cultivation was actually at 1st level Spirit Lord.

    "This is mostly because of the treasures you left behind for my family," she said with a somewhat bashful smile.

    "Speaking of your family, is everything okay for you guys? Are the other families bullying you?" he asked.

    A bittersweet smile appeared on Bai Lianhua''s face as she suddenly stopped walking.

    She turned around to look at him and sighed, "Since we refused to partake in that event where they ambushed you, they''ve been ming us for several things. It''s nothing we can''t handle, but the pressure on us has been increasingtely because of the system update. Everything is a mess nowadays."

    "How are they pressuring you if you don''t mind me asking?" he inquired for more information.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.

    "They''re mostly messing with our business and bullying our faction with challenges. We''ve been bumped down a few ranks because of that."

    "Oh, right. A faction can challenge another faction to friendly matches to increase their rank. I forgot this system existed since we''ve never been challenged before."

    "Who in their right mind would challenge your Demon Sealing Faction? However, things might change soon with everyone increasing their cultivation much quicker."

    "I''ll keep that in mind."

    Bai Lianhua then said, "Anyways, you don''t need to worry about us. We can deal with some bullying and they''ll eventually stop."

    Yuan nodded, "Don''t hesitate toe to me if you need help."

    "Of course."

    They resumed walking shortly after and quickly arrived at Yu Rou''s new room, which was located right in front of a small but beautiful fish pond.

    "Yu Rou, you have a guest." Bai Lianhua knocked on her door.

    The door opened a momentter and a beautiful youngdy in a somewhat messy appearance showed her face.

    "You''ve grown up, Yu Rou."

    "B-brother?! What are you doing here?!"

    "I''vee here to visit you."

    "Why didn''t you call me beforehand?! I am not prepared to meet you! Give me a minute!" Yu Rou suddenly went back inside her room and even mmed the door on them.

    Her actions left Yuan speechless.

    Several minutester, Yu Rou returned with her hair neatlybed, a cute dress, and a subtle touch of makeup adorned her face.

    "Brother! What a surprise! When did you arrive?" Yu Rou greeted him with a bright smile, acting like their meeting a few minutes ago never even happened.

    "You''ve grown up, Yu Rou..." Yuan repeated with a stiff smile on his face.

 Chapter 1448 The Plan to Protect Earth

    Chapter 1448  The n to Protect Earth

    ?1448  The n to Protect Earth

    After sessfully controlling her emotions for two seconds, Yu Rou stopped caring and jumped at Yuan with her arms wide open, embracing him tightly.

    "I''ve missed you, Brother! You should visit me more often!" sheined.

    "Sorry, I''ve been incredibly busytely, but I''ll try to visit you more often."

    "I don''t believe you! You said you''d visit me soon every time we spoke on the phone, but this is your first time showing up!" Yu Rou puffed her cheeks andined.

    Yuan fell silent.

    "Brother Yuan?"

    "Let''s talk inside. I have something important to tell you. Bai Lianhua, you should join us." Yuan said with a serious expression on his face.

    Yu Rou swallowed nervously when she saw his expression. She quickly released him from her embrace and silently nodded before entering her room.

    "Just call me Lianhua." Bai Lianhua said as she followed Yu Rou inside.

    Yuan enteredst and closed the door behind him.

    Once they were all seated, Yuan took a deep breath and started exining the situation to them.

    "As you probably already realized by now, Cultivation Online isn''t simply just a game. The Nine Heavens truly exist somewhere in this universe, and our world, Earth, used to be part of the Nine Heavens. However, after a certain incident, we were split from the Nine Heavens and drifted away."

    "When a worldcks spiritual energy, it will naturally copse. Fortunately for us, we have an expert in this world who has the capabilities to support this world with his cultivation base through a powerful formation that surrounds Earth, and he has been doing so for millions of years."

    "Unfortunately, due to Cultivation Online, which transfers our soul from Earth to the Nine Heavens and back every time we log in or off Cultivation Online, it has caused irreversible damage to the formation. If this formation is destroyed, the Earth will cease to exist as well."

    "W-what?! W-wait a second, Yuan! This is too much information to digest! Are you telling me that our world is ending soon?!" Bai Lianhua eximed, her face filled with shock and fear.

    "I know it''s a lot of information, and yes, the world is at risk of being destroyed. However, you don''t need to worry, as I have managed to find a way to prevent it for now. That''s why I have been so busytely, Yu Rou."

    "Unbelievable¡­ to think you''ve been trying to save the world¡­ I cannot even begin to imagine the burden on you¡­ I''m sorry for getting mad at you just now¡­" Yu Rou was on the verge of crying after learning the truth.

    lights¦­¦Ïv¦Ål ?¦Ïm "So the world is safe from destruction now, correct?" Bai Lianhua asked for rification.

    He nodded, "Yes, but only for now. It''s just a temporary fix, and with the recent changes, I''m worried it might affect the formation even more. Moreover, our world is too small to have Spirit Lords, much less Spirit Kings that will appear sooner orter."

    The room fell silent.

    Bai Lianhua then said, "Regarding the cultivation situation, the Cultivators'' Association and governments around the world have already begun working together to prevent cultivators from doing too much destruction."

    "This information is only known to the top Legacy Families, but they n on restricting everyone''s cultivation inside cities to Spirit Master."

    "And how do they n on doing that?" Yuan inquired.

    "They have recently created a device that can forcefully restrict a cultivator''s cultivation to a specific level, and they n on using it soon. I don''t know when they''ll be in service, but the device should be undergoing rigorous testing as we speak."

    Yuan narrowed his eyes and began pondering after hearing this information.

    "I just thought of a great idea¡­" he muttered.

    "What?"

    "Instead of waiting years for these devices, I can simply rece them with arrays and formations!"

    "Formations¡­? You know how to create formations? Array Masters are rare even in Cultivation Online." Bai Lianhua said.

    "I do, but I am nowhere near experienced or powerful enough to cover the entire Earth, so I will have to start studying arrays more seriously now."

    "Even if you could achieve such a feat, do you really think it''s a good idea to restrict everyone''s cultivation base?" Yu Rou asked.

    Hearing this, Yuan sighed, "I am aware of how oppressive and controlling it may sound, but this is for the best for everyone and our world. Forget about Spirit Kings, a fight between two Spirit Lords could already easily destroy a city. We didn''t have this issue before because it was impossible to reach Spirit Lord with the resources avable on Earth, but now that we can acquire and use cultivation resources directly from Nine Heavens, it will only be a matter of time before we have an abundance of Spirit Lords and even Spirit King."

    "Moreover, this isn''t something new, as such a system already exists within the Nine Heavens. Think about it. Spirit Kings are forbidden to exist within the Lower Heaven without special permission, and those who manage to reach Spirit King in the Lower Heaven are forced to ascend to the next realm, where it''srge enough to amodate their prowess. This sort of rule exists for a good reason."

    "If we don''t want Earth to be destroyed by insane people or by ident, we can only restrict everyone''s cultivation so that it bes impossible to do so."

    "And in the future, when we reconnect Earth with Nine Heavens, we can continue following their system, so anyone that wishes to increase their cultivation past the limit could continue doing so in the Nine Heavens."

    "That sounds like a good n." Bai Lianhua nodded.T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    "I can''t believe we''re making decisions that will affect the entire world in my room¡­ and with just the three of us¡­" Yu Rou muttered in a dazed voice aftering to this realization.

    Yuan chuckled, "The Cultivators'' Association and governments around the world have the same n. We''re just going to make it more reliable and protect every inch of the world. Now it''s only a matter of who finishes first¡ª their devices or my study."

 Chapter 1449 Possessing Yuanâ€™s Body

    <h4>Chapter 1449 Possessing Yuan''s Body</h4>

    1449 Possessing Yuan''s Body

    "Wait a second, Yuan. While we can restrict everyone''s cultivation bases, what about their weapons? Are there formations that can prevent people from using treasures that are too powerful?" Bai Lianhua asked.

    "Powerful treasures will require more spiritual energy to use. If we limit the cultivation base enough, it would automatically restrict their weapon usage, as well."

    "Then what should the cultivation limit be? Spirit Grandmaster? Spirit Master?" Yu Rou then asked.

    Yuan took a moment to ponder before responding, "I believe limiting everyone to Spirit Grandmaster should be more than enough. If that''s still too much or too little, we can always adjust the limit in the future."

    "Now let''s just hope that Earth willst until you can create these formations¡­" Bai Lianhua sighed.

    "..."

    "If you want, I can create the formation immediately." An unfamiliar voice to Yu Rou and Bai Lianhua suddenly resounded.

    Yuan turned to look at the Empyrean Overlord, which he''did against the wall and asked, "Are you an Array Master, Yu Ning?"

    "Yu Ning?" Yu Rou and Bai Lianhua turned to look at his sword with raised eyebrows.

    "She''s a soul from the Nine Heavens. Due to circumstances, she''s currently upying my sword." Yuan gave them a brief exnation.

    Yu Ning responded the next moment, "Indeed, I am an Array Master. In fact, I am a level 7 Array Master."

    "And you can create a formation that will cover the entire Earth?" Bai Lianhua asked.

    "Of course. Your world is extremely small¡ªeven tiny, after all. The Nine Heavens have vigesrger than your world. It won''t take any effort for someone with my cultivation base to cover this entire world. However, since I am only a soul, it will be a little tricky, as souls don''t have the capability to create formations."

    "Then how are you going to create the formation?" Yuan asked.

    "I will use a medium."

    "So you''re going to possess someone?"

    "It sounds bad when you put it that way, but yes, it''ll require me to take control over another body. However, it cannot be just anyone since their body needs to be able to withstand my soul."

    Yuan pondered a moment before pointing at himself.

    "Am I qualified to be your medium?"

    "You definitely qualify, but do you trust me enough to lend me your body?" she asked.

    "Well¡­ what can you do once you take control of my body? Any side effects?"

    "A lot can be done, honestly. I can move it as though it''s my body and even temporarily transfer some of my cultivation to you, but that''s pretty much about it unless I forcefully destroy or consume your soul. If I consume your soul, I''ll acquire your memories and secrets. If I destroy your soul, I''ll permanently acquire your body."

    "Though, you don''t have to worry about me messing with your soul since I won''t be able to do anything to you, who possess three Soul Weapons, each housing a powerful soul. If you still don''t trust me, I can swear another Heavenly Oath. Oh, and there aren''t any side effects as long as I don''t spend too long in your body. It typically takes weeks if not months to see any side effects and I will only be using your body for a few minutes."

    Yuan nodded his head and said, "I understand. And there''s no need for an oath. I trust that you won''t try anything funny. You may be an immortal, but your soul isn''t strong enough to do anything even if I let you."

    "When do you want to create the formation?" Yu Ning then asked, not questioning how a mortal''s soul could be stronger than an immortal''s soul.

    "Can you make it so that certain areas or specific individuals in this world aren''t affected by the formation?" Yuan then asked.

    "Of course."

    "Great. Then let''s create the formation now. As for the exceptions¡ª"

    "You can decide who to exclude from the formation''s powerter. Since I will be using your body to create the formation, you will be its creator, meaning you will have full control over it." Yu Ning interrupted.

    "Alright."

    Yuan closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

    "Whenever you are ready."

    Yu Ning took a moment to prepare herself before leaving the Empyrean Overlord and entering Yuan''s body.

    A chill traversed Yuan''s body when Yu Ning entered his body. Of course, Yuan could sense every movement and action made by Yu Ning while she was inside his body.

    "I will now try to take over your body. Please don''t resist, as this will only make things difficult for both of us." Yu Ning''s voice echoed inside his head.

    "Okay." Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.

    A few momentster, Yuan slowly opened his eyes, but it was not Yuan in control. Yu Ning had sessfully taken over Yuan''s body.

    She took a moment to inspect Yuan''s body out of curiosity and was immediately overwhelmed with shock and fear by what she saw and felt from his body.

    ''Heavens! What kind of heaven-defying body is this, Yuan?! Not even immortals have such a powerful physical body!''

    Yu Ning became increasingly terrified as she realized how powerful Yuan was, and this was without taking into ount his martial techniques.

    Once she was finished admiring Yuan''s body, Yu Ning transferred some of her cultivation base to Yuan, causing his cultivation to skyrocket all the way to Spirit King.

    ''Huh? How weird. For some reason, I cannot increase my cultivation any higher than Spirit King. With my cultivation base, I should be able to help you reach Divine King easily¡­'' Yu Ning muttered in a dazed voice after experiencing this weird phenomenon.

    "It has something to do with my physique. Are you unable to create the formation with my current cultivation?" Yuan asked.

    "No, this is enough to create the formation, but you''ll need to reapply the formation every year if you want to keep it active."

    "That''s good enough for now."

    "Then I will start making the formation now." Yu Ning started creating perfect Array Symbols with extreme speed, filling the room with tens of thousands of them in seconds.

 Chapter 1450 Godlike Body

    Chapter 1450 Godlike Body

    ?1450  Godlike Body

    "Wow, it''s so¡­ beautiful." Yu Rou muttered in a dazed voice as she was quickly mesmerized by the golden Array Symbols filling up the room.

    Bai Lianhua, on the other hand, was shocked at the speed at which Yu Ning was forming the Array Symbols. She had seen Array Masters at work several times in Cultivation Online, but none of them were even a small fraction of Yu Ning''s speed.

    Naturally, the Array Masters that Bai Lianhua saw were at most level one or level two Array Masters. They were simply iparable to a level 7 Array Master. In fact, it would be disrespectful to Yu Ning to do so.

    For the next 15 minutes, Yu Ning continuously created Array Symbols without stopping even for a split second, and Yuan''s body was soaked in sweat by the end.

    Once finished, shebined all the symbols and shot them toward the sky.

    The symbols flew right through the ceiling and quickly disappeared behind the clouds.

    A few secondster, the symbols exploded, quickly covering the entire world with a transparent veil that could only be sensed by level 6 and above Array Masters.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.

    Yu Ning immediately fell to her butt afterward and gasped for air.

    "Brother!"

    "Yuan!"

    Yu Rou and Bai Lianhua rushed to his side with worried expressions.

    However, Yu Ning was still in control and said, "He''s fine¡­ He''s just a little weak after exhausting his spiritual energy."

    "Yuan, I would return your control now, but it might be dangerous to do so while you''re exhausted so I will restore some of your spiritual energy first¡­ if you don''t mind."

    "I don''t mind."

    Yu Ning nodded and corrected her position before absorbing the spiritual energy around them.

    A few secondter.

    ''Heavens! What is this cultivation speed?!''

    When Yu Ning realized how much spiritual energy she was absorbing with almost zero effort, she was so shocked that she nearly lost control over Yuan''s body.

    ''It''s so easy cultivating in this body!''

    It was so easy that Yu Ning wondered if she could sleep and cultivate simultaneously in Yuan''s body.

    ''This is a godlike body that would make even gods jealous! Was he born with this body, or did he temper it to such a state?''

    Yu Ning felt her borders widening after cultivating in Yuan''s body, experiencing what it felt like to be a frog in a well again after countless years.

    If she were born with such a heaven-defying body, she would''ve easily achieved Cultivation God with the same amount of time it took her to reach fourth level God Ascension.

    With such an amazing body, even an immortal like Yu Ning couldn''t help but have thoughts of coveting it. Unfortunately, she knew that any attempt to steal Yuan''s body would be in vain, so she swiftly tossed away those unhealthy thoughts.

    ''I may not be able to have his body for myself, but as long as I follow him, it may be possible to taste it in the future¡­!''

    A few minutester, Yu Ningpletely replenished Yuan''s depleted cultivation base even before she realized it.

    "I will leave your body now¡­" Yu Ning said in a dejected voice, sounding heartbroken because she could no longer experience Yuan''s god-like talents.

    After leaving Yuan''s body, she immediately flew back into the Empyrean Overlord.

    She continued speaking the following moment, "Although I have created the formation, I have yet to activate it. You can do so whenever you feel like it."

    "Thank you for your hard work."

    Yuan lifted his head to look at the ceiling and continued, "I will activate it when I return to the Dragon Spiral Mountain and speak with the Lord."

    "What should we do now?" Yu Rou asked.

    "I was going to walk around the city with you, but if you''re busy, I won''t bother you."

    "There''s no way I would be busy when you''re here!" Yu Rou quickly said.

    Her schedule consisted mostly of training and cultivation, and she wasn''t going to waste time doing any of that when her dear brother was visiting for the first time in a long time.

    "I''ll let your teacher know that you won''t be able to attend training."

    "Thank you! By the way, how long do you n on staying here?" Yu Rou asked.

    "I was nning on staying for a day or two, but I can stay longer if you want."

    "You still have a lot of things to do in Cultivation Online, right? As much as I want you to stay longer, I won''t take up too much of your time, especially when you''re trying to save Earth."

    Yu Rou turned to look at Bai Lianhua and continued, "Do you want toe with us, Senior Sister?"

    Yu Rou knew how much Bai Lianhua fancied Yuan, so she purposefully asked for her presence.

    However, Bai Lianhua refused her offer and said, "Thank you for asking, but I will have to decline. Maybe next time, since I don''t dare to intrude on your family time. I also have a lot of work to do."

    "If you say so¡­" Yu Rou nodded and didn''t say anything else.

    Yuan left the building with Yu Rou shortly after.

    The two of them walked around the city and dined at many of the highest-rated restaurants in their city.

    "It''s been so long since I''ve gotten the chance to rx like this." Yu Rou sighed as they exited their third restaurant.

    "Yes, it feels like thousands of years ago¡­" Yuan muttered with a profound expression on his face.

    When he acquired Tian Xian''s memories, he essentially had to experience Tian Xian''s entire life again, and since it was done recently, it felt like thousands of years had passed for Yuan since he met Yu Rou, hence why he suddenly decided to visit her.

    Yu Rou noticed something was a little different about Yuan, but she couldn''t pinpoint what exactly and just thought it was because of his burdens.

    ''He''s saving the world without most of the world knowing¡­ he''s probably putting on a brave face to not worry me¡­ If only there were something I could do for him¡­'' she sighed inwardly.

 Chapter 1451 Simply Curious

    Chapter 1451 Simply Curious

    ?1451  Simply Curious

    After spending nearly the entire day touring the city without any disturbance, their peace was finally broken when someone on the street recognized them.

    "H-hey! Look over there! Isn''t that yer Yuan?!" Someone there suddenly blurted out loud in the busy street.

    This single sentence caused nearly every head there to turn left and right until they also noticed Yuan.

    "Holy shit! It''s actually him!"

    "Are you sure that''s really him? What if he''s another imposter and only pretending to be yer Yuan with an appearance-

    altering pill?"

    "That''s what I thought at first, but look at that prettydy beside him! That''s Yu Rou, his little sister!"

    "What if she''s also an imposter?"

    "Who would be insane enough to put so much effort into pretending to be yer Yuan?"

    "You have no idea¡­"

    Due to the changes in the world, it became amon habit for many to doubt the identity of influential people, especially yer Yuan, who was at the very top of the list of celebrities nowadays. In fact, it was a miracle that he''d managed to spend an entire day with Yu Rou without being noticed.

    "Are you really yer Yuan?! Please tell me you''re not fake!"

    "Can I have your autograph, please?!"

    "I am your number one fan, yer Yuan!"

    "Please shake my hand!"

    Nearly everyone on that street rushed to meet Yuan, instantly encircling him and Yu Rou.

    "Ah¡­ I should have worn my mask¡­" Yuan sighed.

    "This is why I rarelye outside nowadays¡­" Yu Rou shook her head.

    Her poprity and fame had reached heaven long ago just by being Yuan''s little sister. While she has her own aplishments and charms, they paled inparison to being his little sister¡ªblood-rted or not.

    "Yu Rou, grab my hand." Yuan''s voice suddenly resounded in her head.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.

    She didn''t question it and immediately grabbed his hand.

    The next moment, both of their figures began levitating off the ground and hovered above the surprised crowd.

    "He''s flying! He''s definitely the real yer Yuan!"

    "That doesn''t prove anything. Anybody can reach Spirit Grandmaster nowadays with enough money¡­"

    "Fuck, how can someone be this distrustful? I wouldn''t be surprised if you doubt your own identity!"

    Yuan ignored the crowd and flew away with Yu Rou, quickly disappearing from the rowdy scene.

    "This reminds me of that one time when we sneaked outside to y at a nearby park, only for you to be recognized by someone. If we hadn''t started running immediately, your fans would have surrounded us. In the end, we''d only managed to y less than five minutes at that park." Yu Rou chuckled as she recalled some of her earlier memories.

    Yuan smiled and said, "I also remember being scolded to hell and back for that little stunt."

    After a moment of silence, Yu Rou muttered, "Our parents¡­ I wonder where they are now and what they have been doing since they disappeared from our lives. What about you, Brother Yuan? Do you often find yourself wondering about them?"

    Hearing her question, Yuan responded calmly and detachedly, "To bepletely honest, I haven''t thought of them even for a split moment since ourst meeting. However, now that you mentioned them, I guess I am a little curious about their whereabouts. But don''t misunderstand. I am simply being curious, not caring."

    Hearing no response, Yuan shifted his gaze to look at Yu Rou, who had an air of mncholy around her, alongside a pondering expression on her face.

    "If you''re worried, I can try looking for them."

    "I-I am not worried about them! They are terrible people who don''t deserve to be cared about!" Yu Rou eximed with a look of denial on her face.

    Yuan smiled and said, "It''s okay if you do. I won''t me you or hate you for it. After all, they are still your parents by blood."

    However, Yu Rou adamantly shook her head and said, "I truly am not worried about them, Brother Yuan. Just like you, I am simply curious about their situation."

    After a brief moment of silence, she continued, "Though, perhaps deep within my soul, I still have some feelings for them¡­"

    Yuan chuckled, "It won''t take too much effort to look for them. There is only so much space for them to hide in this tiny ce, after all."

    "It''s fine, really. If we are fated to encounter each other again, we will definitely see them in the future. I will leave it to fate."

    "Fate, huh?" Yuan muttered in a low voice and didn''t say anything else.

    The two of them remained quiet until they returned to the Eternal Lotuses'' headquarters a few minutester. As they drew nearer to the headquarters, Yu Rou noticed that it was a little rowdier than usual during this time of the day.

    "There''s so many people gathered at the front gate. Something must''ve happened." Yu Rou pointed at the group of people standing outside the front gate with a worried frown on her face.

    Yuan stopped their movements and hovered in the sky to learn more about the situation before sticking their noses into it.

    At a nce, there were two distinct groups, with Bai Lianhua leading one and a robust young man leading the other. They appeared to be in a heated conversation.

    "Are you going to continue hiding in your headquarters forever, Eternal Lotuses?! Our Fiery Locust Swarm challenged you to a ranking match! Since we are ranked lower than your faction and within 10 ranks, you must ept it, or Eternal Lotuses will automatically lose its current rank to us!" The person in front of one of these groups shouted out loud.

    Bai Lianhua sneered in response, "If you want to talk about hiding, why don''t you tell your master to get out of her hole ande face us personally instead of sending a bunch of goons to my front door? You''re dirtying our beautiful home with your unwanted presence!"

    "Looks like the Fiery Queen is messing with us again¡­" Yu Rou sighed after understanding the situation.

    "Fiery Queen¡­" Yuan mumbled as he held a pondering expression.

 Chapter 1452 Unlimited Money

    Chapter 1452 Unlimited Money

    ?1452  Unlimited Money

    "Since it''s alreadyte, we will leave for now and give you another night to think through it, Bai Lianhua! If you do not give us a response by tomorrow evening, we will put in an official request with the Cultivators'' Association! If you don''t respond or show up to our challenge, your faction''s rank will drop by another ten ranks! How many ranks have your faction already dropped these past few months? 30? 40? Hahaha!" The robust young manughed out loud as he pointed at the Bai Lianhua and the others.

    "Both choices will require us to participate in the ranking match, you shameless bastard!"

    "Yeah! Do you think you can start bullying us because you have the other families'' support?! If you want a fight, you''ve got it!"

    "Senior Sister Bai, let''s teach these bastards a lesson!"

    Bai Lianhua merely shook her head in silence before turning around and walking back into their headquarters.

    Seeing this, the Fiery Locust Swarm left shortly after.

    Once things calmed down and everyone returned to their residence, Yuan descended with Yu Rou and went to find Bai Lianhua.

    "Wee back. Did you enjoy your day?" Bai Lianhua said with a smile after seeing them, acting like the drama at their front gate had never even happened.

    "Senior Sister, we saw what happened at the front gates." Yu Rou went straight to the point.

    "Oh¡­ sorry you had to witness that, Yuan." Bai Lianhua sighed.

    "Fiery Queen sent those people to challenge your faction? Why?" he asked.

    "Just to provoke and mess with us, I suppose. Our families have been rivals for generations¡ªeven long before we attained our current position, so we''ve been butting heads with each other for as long as I can remember. However, they have never been this aggressive before. I guess what happenedst time had triggered something in Fiery Queen."

    "So I am partially responsible for this?" Yuan muttered with a bittersweet smile.

    "What? Of course not!"

    "But it is true that I flipped that trigger."

    "And who told Fiery Queen to conspire against you with the other families? She''s one hundred percent responsible for her own actions, so don''t you dare me yourself for this, okay?"

    "I understand, but I have to ask, what are you going to do now? From what I''ve seen, it seems like you don''t want to fight them, even if it''ll affect your ranking. Why? Are you not confident in defeating them? Eternal Lotuses should be pretty high up in the rankings, right? I doubt you''ve achieved such a rank without proper qualifications."

    "You''re right; we''ve managed to reach the top 10 in the world. However, that was before the system update. Now that people can acquire cultivation resources from Cultivation Online, we''ve been surpassed by many factions, as we do not have the resources to feed all of our members with treasures." Bai Lianhua sighed.

    "And before you say anything, let me exin. While it''s true that my family is quite resourceful¡ªenough to increase all of our members'' cultivation to remain in the top 10, I promised myself that I would not rely on my family''s resources to assist my own faction. I created the faction because I wanted to achieve something with my own capabilities, after all. Most of our fundinges from my own wallet, which I earned through my own effort, and while I can afford a few treasures here and then, it''s not nearly enough to keep our faction in the top 10 any longer."

    "Moreover, the Bai Family has another faction, which is being led by its patriarch¡ªmy father. Even he does not have the resources to fund tworge factions at once."

    "I didn''t know you funded the faction alone. That''s very impressive." Yuan said.

    Bai Lianhua shook her head and said, "While that was true in the beginning, and I still contribute about 75 percent of our overall funds, the others are also contributing to the faction by donating some of their own earnings from Cultivation Online. It''s a group effort, so I cannot im all of the credits alone."

    "What about the Demon Sealing Faction? How are you guys being funded?" Yu Rou suddenly asked.

    "Well¡­" Yuan had to ponder for a minute before responding, "Honestly, I am not sure. Meixiu used to handle all of the faction''s affairs, but she was reced by her mother, who handles everything now. The other members are fully capable of funding their own cultivation, and they''ve never approached me for funding. While I do assist them with treasures and techniques here and there, I don''t think it would''ve made too much of a difference in their growth. With that said, we''re not your ordinary faction, so we don''t have the same routine as most."

    "What about their cultivation techniques? Do you all cultivate the same techniques as we do?" Bai Lianhua asked.

    "No, we all have our own cultivation technique. Besides Meixiu and Chu Liuxiang, I had nothing to do with how they acquired their techniques."

    "Really? Even though you can acquire as many techniques as you want for free?" Yu Rou said with a doubtful look on her face.

    "Huh? What do you mean by that?" Bai Lianhua looked at Yu Rou after hearing her words.

    Yuan answered with a smile, "I have some connections with the owner of Myriad of Techniques, and I can pretty much take any technique from there without paying¡­"

    "You what?!?!" Bai Lianhua nearly fell off her chair after hearing this shocking information.

    "A-and you can share these techniques with others¡­?" she then asked.

    lights¦­¦Ïv¦Ål ?¦Ïm "Yes."Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.

    "Are there any limits?"

    "Not that I know of. I can even sell them if I want."

    "That''s ridiculous and totally unfair! You essentially have unlimited money!" Bai Lianhua stood up in sheer shock.

    Yuan chuckled and asked, "Not really. I don''t want to break the economy by selling too many techniques."

    He continued after a slight pause, "Do you want some techniques? I can donate some to your faction."

    Bai Lianhua''s eyes widened with disbelief after hearing his offer.

    After a moment of silence, she sighed, "As much as I want to, I cannot ept your offer. That''d be no different from relying on my family''s wealth."

    Yuan shook his head and said, "You don''t have to be so strict with yourself. You''re just going to hinder yourself at this rate

    ¡ªnot to mention your members. And you''ve already done more than enough and proven your own capabilities. Nobody would me you for needing assistance now, nor is it shameful."

    "Even if you say that¡­" Bai Lianhua turned silent with a serious, pondering expression on her face.

 Chapter 1453 Faction War

    Chapter 1453 Faction War

    ?1453  Faction War

    ''Although I don''t want to admit it, he''s right. Because of my stubbornness, our faction has been declining for the past several months, and our overall morale has dipped. The others say that everything is fine, but they''re probably doubting my ability to continue leading Eternal Lotuses effectively¡­'' Bai Lianhua sighed inwardly as she pondered her own faults.

    ''I have already managed to bring my faction to the top 10 of the world through my own efforts. I wanted to reach first ce, but there''s only so much a single person to do, especially considering the current world''s circumstances¡­''

    She turned to look at Yu Rou, who sat there with a calm expression, and asked, "What do you think of your brother''s proposal, Yu Rou?"

    "I think this isn''t a decision for me to make, even if it''s my brother''s offer," she quickly replied.

    "I know; I am just asking for your input. What do you think about our faction''s current standing?"

    Yu Rou nodded, her face serious, and said, "Our faction is struggling, even though everything appears normal at a nce. My fellow sisters are feeling frustrated because we''re being bullied without the ability to retaliate. The fact that nobody was able to bully us before makes that feeling much worse."

    "I understand that Senior Sister has her own pride and ambitions, but please reconsider epting my brother''s help. I think we need it, and it''ll recover our fellow sisters'' morale."

    Even though Bai Lianhua was already aware of everything Yu Rou had mentioned, it still felt bad to hear iting from another person''s mouth.

    Bai Lianhua sighed, "You''re right. I am often told that I have a stubborn personality. Sorry if I''ve been such a useless leader¡­"

    "Please, Senior Sister, don''t call yourself useless! You''re anything but useless!"

    She shook her head and said, "A leader that cannot protect their own faction is useless in my eyes."

    Then, she turned to look at Yuan and said, "Okay, I will ept your generous donation, but I won''t ept it for free. With that being said, I don''t know how to repay you, so let''s just put it on my tab for now, if you don''t mind."

    Yuan nodded while chuckling, "Sure, I don''t mind. And since I don''t know what techniques would benefit you the most, I''ll bring you to the Myriad of Techniques so that you can pick them for yourself."

    "Eh? But aren''t you in the Fourth Heaven, brother?" Yu Rou asked.

    "Yeah, so? If you think we can''t meet because of that, I can simply just go back down to the Third Heaven."

    "Wouldn''t that cost you a tremendous amount of resources? Most people who have ascended aren''t able to descend, mostly for that reason," Bai Lianhua said.

    Yuan raised an eyebrow. Although he had never tried descending before, he always assumed it would be free for some reason.

    ''Now that I think about it, I probably thought it was free since I am the master of the Stairway to Heaven, but that might not be the case for others.''

    "I have never tried descending before. How much does it typically cost to descend?" he asked a momentter.

    "It all depends on how far you''re traveling and your cultivation base, but it typically costs millions of spirit stones per realm." Bai Lianhua said.

    "That is pretty expensive¡­" Yuan mumbled after learning this number.

    Bai Lianhua sighed, "It''s fine, Yuan. I appreciate you trying to help, but it''s not worth it if you have to spend so much money."

    Yuan smiled and said, "Who said I need to pay to descend? However, even if I have to spend some resources, a few million spirit stones aren''t an issue for me now. I still have a lot of trash to sell, after all."Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.

    "Trash¡­?" Bai Lianhua and Yu Rou raised their eyebrows.

    ''Knowing him, even Divine-grade treasures might be considered trash in his eyes.''

    "Then when do you want to do this?" Bai Lianhua said a momentter.

    "We can do it right now¡ªactually, I am currently in a weird location, and it might take me a while to return. I will contact you when I am prepared to descend." Yuan sighed.

    He forgot that he was currently in the Shadow Realm, and even if he immediately left, he still needed to travel to the Stairway to Heaven, which would take a few days.

    "It''s okay, you can take your time. Even if the Fiery Locust Swarm challenges us to a fight tomorrow, it''ll take some time to schedule it, usually one to two weeks."

    "How are you going to deal with them?" Yuan then asked.

    "We''ll deal with them how we dealt with the others¡ªby facing them. We won''t run away even if we are destined to lose."

    Yuan nodded, and he continued to ask, "I''m curious how these matches work since¡ªyou know¡ªI have never participated in one myself. Why do you sound so certain that you''ll lose to them? Do they also have Spirit Lords?"

    "Official ranking matches are officially called Faction War. Because these matches require a team effort, they are not something a single individual can dominate. The content of the matches varies, as well. Some may be tournament-style, while others may be siege-style, where you defend or attack a point. They''re basically settings that typically exist in video games."

    "Where do these matches happen?"

    "They used to be quite simple, where we pick our strongest members to fight against each other. Unfortunately, that got boring to watch really fast, so they started making it more borate and grander. All matches now take ce on arge ind called the Great Battlefield. This ind has several sites built specifically for matches, and you can travel there by sea or flight. This is also why it takes so long for a match to be scheduled. Though, I must admit it''s very entertaining to watch and gets a lot of viewership." Bai Lianhua exined.

    "That does sound fun. Maybe we should participate every now and then to change things up so we''re not always cultivating." Yuan smiled.

    "T-the Demon Sealing Faction¡­?" Bai Lianhua swallowed nervously after hearing that they might start participating in ranking matches.

 Chapter 1454 Participating in a Faction War

    Chapter 1454  Participating in a Faction War

    ?1454  Participating in a Faction War

    "Really? Are you really going to start participating in Faction Wars, Brother Yuan?!" Yu Rou eximed excitedly.

    He nodded, "Yes, it seems fun."

    Bai Lianhua wiped the invisible sweat on her forehead, her hand trembling slightly, and said, "It''s going to get rowdy once the rest of the world learns of this. Countless people¡ªmyself included¡ªhave anticipated the day the famous Demon Sealing Faction shows their prowess."

    "Despite being worldwide famous, you guys have never participated in any events, and people are starting to question whether the Demon Sealing Faction actually exists or is just a fake faction."

    Yuan chuckled at this information and said, "Faction rankings and whatnot are insignificant matters in our eyes, and we''re always busy improving our own cultivation in both Earth and Cultivation Online."

    "Insignificant, huh? While that may be true for you, who live in an entirely different world from the rest of us mortals, one''s rankings determine whether they are respected, sponsored, or left in the dust. And having a sponsor is incredibly important, as many factions, including top-ranking factions, depend on them for survival and growth."

    "Does Eternal Lotuses have any sponsors?" Yuan asked.

    "We used to have some, but I refused any mary support from them so that they wouldn''t impact our faction in the slightest, even if they were to disappear from our lives one day suddenly. My decision proved correct since all our sponsors stopped supporting us simultaneouslyst month. It would''ve greatly affected our operations if we''d relied on them, and I am willing to bet my savings that Fiery Queen had something to do with it." Bai Lianhua shuddered at the thought of their faction being forced to close down due to a suddenck of finances.

    "I see¡­ I am beginning to understand the economy of factions now¡­ Honestly, I created my faction on a whim. I wanted a ce for my friends and family¡ªa ce we can call home. I never once considered looking for sponsors or whatnot."

    "Then how do the rankings work? Is it true that you must ept a challenge, or you''ll lose your rank?" Yuan then asked.

    Bai Lianhua nodded, "Yes, but that is only true if the challengers are within 10 ranks of their target. This is to prevent those at the top from purposefully avoiding Faction Wars to prolong their rank. While we don''t have to fight those who challenge us, we''ll lose our rank to the challenger if we don''t respond. Also, a faction can only be challenged once a month by those within 10 ranks."

    "What rank is your faction at right now?"

    "Last I checked, we were at rank 77, a far cry from rank 9 just several months ago. I feel frustrated and ashamed every time I think about it," she sighed.

    "Then what about my Demon Sealing Faction?" Yuan suddenly asked.

    "The ranking system has changed drastically since it was first implemented, but the Demon Sealing Faction should be unranked at this moment since you guys haven''t participated in any Faction Wars."From N?velDrama.Org.

    "Is that so¡­"

    Yuan closed his eyes and proceeded to ponder about some things.

    After a moment of silence, he opened his eyes to look at Bai Lianhua and showed her an ominous smile, "You don''t want to deal with the Fiery Locust Swarm, correct? How about we take care of them for you?"

    "Huh? You want to challenge the Fiery Locust Swarm? The Demon Sealing Faction only has 11 members, correct?" Bai Lianhua sked.

    "Twelve now." Yuan smiled.

    In order to manage the Demon Sealing Faction''s affairs, Meifeng also joined their faction.

    Bai Lianhua looked at him in disbelief and said a momentter, "I don''t mean to look down on you or your faction, but you won''t defeat the Fiery Locust Swarm with a dozen people. I told you that a Faction War requires a team effort, right? Unless you''re a Spirit King or everyone in your faction is a Spirit Lord, you won''t be able to ovee the difference in numbers."

    "We''re all Spirit Grandmasters, but we won''t know until we try."

    "Well, most Faction Wars are sieges nowadays, where two factions attempt to overtake the other''s base. Even you can''t defend a base from thousands of people with a dozen, I think¡­"

    "That sounds like a challenge to me." Yuan smiled.

    He suddenly retrieved his cell phone and dialed a number.

    "W-what are you doing?" Bai Lianhua had a bad feeling about his actions.

    An excited voice resounded from the phone the following moment, "Hello, this is Chairman Lee!"

    "Good evening, Chairman Lee. Do you have a moment to talk right now?"

    "Of course! I always have time for you, Yuan! It''s been a while since I''ve heard from you. I hope you''ve been doing well."

    "I''ve been doing well. Thank you for asking. Anyways, the purpose for my call is this¡­"

    After a brief pause, he continued, "The Demon Sealing Faction would like to participate in a Faction War. Do you think you can help me arrange one?"

    "What?! The Demon Sealing Faction?! Are you serious?!" Chairman Lee''s voice was filled with shock and excitement.

    "Of course. Why would I joke about something like this?"

    Chairman Lee didn''t immediately respond, but Yuan could hear some weird noisesing from the background.

    A momentter, Chairman Lee responded in a calm voice, "When would you like to participate in a Faction War? Do you have an opponent in mind? If not, we can help you put out a notice to attract challengers."

    "I do have an opponent in mind. They are called Fiery Locust Swarm."

    "Huh?"

    After a moment of silence, Chairman Lee''s dumbfounded voice resounded again, "D-did you just say Fiery Locust Swarm? But they are ranked 86th in the world with over forty thousand members, while the Demon Sealing Faction only has twelve¡­"

    "Forty thousand members, huh? I wasn''t expecting such arge number, but their number is irrelevant to me. Or am I unable to challenge them due to the difference in our member count?" Yuan asked.

    "Regardless of your member count and rank, you are able to challenge anyone that isn''t below your rank, but your faction will be at an immense disadvantage, and whether they ept the challenge or not is an entirely different matter." Chairman Lee said.

 Chapter 1455 Fiery Locust Swarm

    Chapter 1455 Fiery Locust Swarm

    ?1455  Fiery Locust Swarm

    "Surely, they are not going to give up the chance to defeat the famous Demon Sealing Faction, right? After all, we''re only twelve people." Yuan chuckled through the phone, leaving Chairman Lee utterly speechless.

    "Are you seriously going to challenge the Fiery Locust Swarm to a Faction War? You might have to go against hundreds if not thousands of them with just twelve of you." Chairman Lee asked, his voice filled with disbelief.

    "Yes, I am serious," Yuan replied, his voice filled with determination.

    "..."

    A moment of silenceter, Chairman Lee sighed, "Very well, I will send your challenge request to the Fiery Locust Swarm, but before I can do that, I need to know the details of the challenge. As the challenger, you may set your terms for the match, such as limiting the amount of participants and the suggested challenge mode."

    "Since this is my first time participating in a Faction War, much less challenging another faction, can you run me through it?"

    "Of course."

    "First thing''s first: What mode do you want to fight them in? We have siege mode, tower defense mode, war mode, capture the g mode, scavenger mode, and tournament mode. Since you only have twelve members, I suggest doing tournament or scavenger mode, but most factions tend to avoid these two modes because they won''t be able to take advantage of their member counts. The Fiery Locust Swarm will definitely reject your challenge if you request either of these modes."

    "I thought we couldn''t select our match conditions?" Yuan asked.

    "That''s only true if you''re within ten ranks of your opponent and you''re aiming for their rank. Since the Demon Sealing Faction is currently unranked, the Fiery Locust Swarm can refuse your challenge without any consequences, so the rules are much more rxed. Of course, they can still lose their rank if they are defeated."

    "I see¡­ can you give me a brief exnation of the avable modes?"

    Chairman Lee nodded and exined, "In siege mode, each faction will possess a castle, and the objective is to conquer the opposing castle and kill their ''ruler'' for victory. The ''ruler'' can not join any battles or fight back, only run. There is no yer limit for this mode, but there must be at least 1,000 total yers on the field."

    "In tower defense mode, each faction controls five towers. The first one to control all five towers or the most towers before time runs out will win. There is no yer limit for this mode, but there must be at least 100 total yers on the field."

    "In war mode, it mirrors a conflict with equitable conditions, with both factions engaging in battle on a field with evenly matched soldiers ofparable cultivation levels. The first faction to lose all soldiers will lose. However, you won''t be able to participate in this unless you can match your opponent''s soldiers'' prowess and number and vice versa. You need at least 100 yers from each faction to participate, but there is no yer limit."

    "Capture the g is simr to siege mode, but you must steal the enemy''s g and bring it back to your base before they can do the same to your g. Each faction is limited to 300 yers in this mode."

    "In scavenger mode, both factions will scavenge items scattered across a spacious field and bring them back to base, with each retrieved item granting points. As long as the item hasn''t been retrieved, the opponent can steal it. The one with the highest point in the end wins. Each faction is limited to 30 yers in this mode."

    "Last but not least, tournament mode. In this mode, both factions will select their strongest members to fight against each other on a traditional stage. The fights will be one-on-Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.

    one, and the winner of the match may continue fighting in the second match until they lose. The first one to defeat all of their opponent''s fighters will win. Each faction is limited to 10 yers."

    "For all of these modes except tournament mode, each participant will wear a badge that represents their life. If one''s badge is destroyed, they are considered dead, can no longer participate in the match, and will be removed from the battlefield. This keeps the participants from purposefully aiming at each other''s necks, keeping them safe. Also, the weapons provided cannot slice flesh but can break bones."

    "I''m impressed. This is pretty well thought out. It sounded dangerous at first, but it turned out to be quite safe." Yuan said.

    "Of course. Faction War is akin to sports nowadays, after all. While we have had some casualties, some idents cannot be avoided when everyone is a cultivator."

    "Alright, give me a moment to think now," Yuan said.

    A few minutester, he spoke, "Let''s do sige mode."

    "What about the number of yers? You need at least 1,000 total yers to participate, so with 12 members on your side, your enemy needs to have at least 988 yers."

    Yuan smiled and said, "No limit. They can bring all 40,000 of their members if they want."

    "What¡­? But that''s¡­" Chairman Lee was left speechless by Yuan''s arrogance.

    Even Bai Lianhua and Yu Rou couldn''t help but stare at him with wide eyes, as if they were looking at a madman.

    "I''m serious. I want them to attack us with full force."

    "If that''s truly what you want¡­"

    "It is," Yuan confirmed.

    "I understand¡­"

    "Any cultivation limit?"

    "Nope."

    "What about martial techniques? Do you want to allow the usage of martial techniques?"

    "Of course."

    "When would you like to challenge them?"

    "Right now, and give them until tomorrow midnight to respond. If they ept, can you schedule the match to start within a few days?"

    "A few days? That''s quite the rush, but it''s possible if we push all scheduled matches back a day. It will probably upset the other factions, though¡ªactually, probably not. I''m sure they''ll understand. This is the famous Demon Sealing Faction''s debut, after all!"

    "Alright, I have all the information I need. I will notify the Fiery Locust Swarm of your challenge right away."

    "Thank you, Chairman Lee. To show my gratitude, I''ll donate some techniques to the Cultivators'' Associationter," said Yuan.

 Chapter 1456 Demon Sealing Factions Challenge Request

    Chapter 1456 Demon Sealing Faction''s Challenge Request

    lights¦­¦Ïv¦Ål ?¦Ïm ?1456  Demon Sealing Faction''s Challenge Request

    When Chairman Lee heard Yuan nned on donating some techniques to the Cultivators'' Association, he immediately jumped up and down in excitement. After all, anything that came from yer Yuan was definitely very precious and significant.

    "Also, if you don''t mind, can you spread the news about the Demon Sealing Faction challenging the Fiery Locust Swarm? If everyone is aware of it, it might be harder for them to reject our challenge," Yuan suddenly suggested.

    "Of course, we can arrange that for you. Then I will call you back once I have a response from the Fiery Locust Swarm."

    "Thank you."

    Yuan closed the call and turned to look at Bai Lianhua, who had been staring at him with wide eyes and a loose jaw throughout the entire call.

    Seeing her reaction, he simply smiled in silence.

    "Do you really n on fighting 40,000 people with 12?" Yu Rou suddenly asked with a worried look on her face.

    Yuan shook his head, but before they could say anything else, he spoke, "No, we don''t n on making everyone participate. Meifeng, for example. I don''t want to make her fight, so we''ll have 11 people at most."

    "Unbelievable¡­" Bai Lianhua muttered in a dazed voice, "Nobody will think you have a chance of winning this Faction War, you know?"

    "That''s fine. I don''t expect anyone to, anyway."

    Then he dialed another number on his phone and raised it to his ear again.T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    "Hello? Miss Meifeng? This is going to be very sudden and out of the blue, but I just challenged another faction to a Faction War. If they agree, we''ll begin in a few days."

    "Huh? Faction War? With whom?" Meifeng didn''t bother asking him why.

    "Fiery Locust Swarm."

    Yuan did not expect Meifeng to know about them, but to his surprise, she started mumbling about their statistics as though she was their manager.

    "Fiery Locust Swarm is ranked 86th in the world. It had 39,500 membersst month. It has approximately 30,000 Spirit Apprentices, 9,000 Spirit Warriors, 300 Spirit Masters, 7 Spirit Grandmasters, and one first-level Spirit Lord."

    "How do you have so much information on them¡­?" Yuan couldn''t help but ask.

    "As the manager of the Demon Sealing Faction, it is my duty to know everything about our potentialpetitors. I have information on every faction that wasn''t recently founded."

    "I appreciate the effort, but there''s really no point wasting your effort on this, Miss Meifeng."

    "It hardly requires any effort on my part, so I don''t mind it."

    "If you say so¡­ Anyways, can you let the others know about it whenever you see them? They are not required to participate, either."

    "Okay, I will let them know. What about the nature of the Faction War?" Meifeng then asked.

    "Siege mode."

    "I understand."

    "Then I will give you a call when I have a response from the Fiery Locust Swarm."

    "Yes, Young Master."

    After Yuan hung up the phone, Bai Lianhua said to him, "Yuan, do you know why it''s incredibly difficult, if not impossible, to win a Faction War alone even if you have a superior cultivation? It''s because you need to hold back your strength so that you don''t identally cripple or kill your opponents, especially when you''re surrounded by enemies in a heated battle."

    "In order to prevent yers from killing each other, real weapons are strictly forbidden, and one''s life is represented by a badge around their waist. In a fight, you cannot attack your opponent with the intention to kill or purposefully cripple them. However, with martial techniques allowed, it is still possible to identally cripple or kill someone with our bare hands. When that happens, you will automatically be disqualified and removed from the Faction War."

    "During my first Faction War after the system update, I tried a little too hard and nearly killed a Spirit Apprentice, which got me disqualified and removed, costing us the match. Since then, I instinctively hold back and haven''t used even half of my strength." Bai Lianhua sighed.

    "I see¡­ that does make sense."

    After a moment of silence, Yuan suddenly suggested, "Hey, would you mind letting me spar with your members?"

    "Huh? You want to spar with my members?" Bai Lianhua''s eyes widened with shock.

    "No way! Are you trying to bully my fellow sisters, Brother Yuan?!" Yu Rou spoke up in a somewhat joking tone.

    Yuan chuckled and borated, "Of course not. I want to practice holding back my strength, and this will be good training for them since I will also be giving thembat advice."

    "Training with you, huh? That might not be a bad idea. I won''t mind it as long as you can guarantee that none of my members will be harmed too badly." Bai Lianhua said.

    "Don''t worry. It''s not like I don''t know how to control my strength at all, and I don''t intend on actually hitting them."

    "Huh? Then what''s the point of sparring?"

    "We will treat it like it''s a Faction War and try to destroy the other''s badge."

    "Oh, I see what you are trying to do now. Okay, I approve of it. I will let the others know so you can start tomorrow." Bai Lianhua said.

    "Okay." Yuan nodded.

    Meanwhile, shortly after Chairman Lee sent the Demon Sealing Faction''s challenge request to Fiery Locust Swarm, an anonymous source tipped off news agencies around the world. The source revealed that the Demon Sealing Faction had challenged the Fiery Locust Swarm to a Faction War, which quickly spread online like wildfire.

    Forum threads and discussions about the challenge quickly filled every website and channel rted to factions, but since Yuan was involved, it also spread to Cultivation Onlineworks.

    In fact, news had spread so quickly that the Fiery Locust Swarm learned of the Demon Sealing Faction''s challenge request to them through online forums before they even saw it in their personal notifications, which greatly shocked all of its members, sending the entire faction into a turmoil.

 Chapter 1457 Fiery Locust Swarms Response

    Chapter 1457 Fiery Locust Swarm''s Response

    ?1457  Fiery Locust Swarm''s Response

    "M-Miss Walker! There''s been an emergency!" A servant urgently knocked on Fiery Queen''s bedroom door.

    The door opened a few momentster, and Fiery Queen stepped out of the room in her pajamas.

    "What the hell is going on?" she muttered in an irritated voice.

    "T-The Demon Sealing Faction has just issued a challenge to the Fiery Locust Swarm!" the servant stammered, his words heavy with the news.

    "Demon Sealing Faction?" Fiery Queen did not immediately recognize the name and wore a puzzled look on her face.

    "T-the Demon Sealing Faction is the one founded by yer Yuan!" the servant borated.

    "What?! yer Yuan?!" Fiery Queen instantly recognized his name and almost choked on her saliva from shock.

    "He challenged the Fiery Locust Swarm to a Faction War?! Why would he suddenly do this?!"

    Fiery Queen suddenly recalled that Yuan''s little sister was part of Bai Lianhua''s faction.

    "That little bitch must''ve cried to her brother about it!"

    "Hm? Wait a minute."

    Fiery Queen''s anxiousness abruptly disappeared when she realized another thing.

    "How many members does the Demon Sealing Faction have, again? Last I checked, they only had 11 members," she asked the servant, who quickly pulled out his phone and started typing.

    "ording to the database, they only have 12 members."

    "Only twelve members?" Fiery Queen held a dumbfounded look on her face after hearing this information.

    After a moment of silence, she burst outughing, "Hahaha! Twelve! They''re challenging the Fiery Locust Swarm with just 12 people?! They must be out of their damn minds!"

    "Fuck, I was actually worried for a second there because of yer Yuan. This is actually great news since there''s no way they could defeat the Fiery Locust Swarm in a Faction War! Even if yer Yuan''s cultivation is at Spirit King, it won''t help him defeat 1,000 people, much less 40,000, and he will surely make a mistake and get himself disqualified!"

    Fiery Queen clenched her fists in excitement at this chance to defeat yer Yuan once and for all.

    "Call Xu Boqin for me," she said to her servant.

    After dialing Xu Boqin''s number, the servant handed his phone to her.

    "Hello? Who''s this?"

    "It''s me."

    "Miss Walker! I was expecting your call. You must be calling because of the Demon Sealing Faction''s challenge request to us."

    "Yes, that''s right. Just in case, what are the terms? Did they impose any limits?"

    "Well, they want to do siege mode with no yer or cultivation limitation. They are also allowing martial techniques."

    "Hahaha! No limitations?! Are they insane? Have they even been keeping up to date with the rest of the world, or do they spend all of their time in Cultivation Online? Do they truly believe they can defeat 40,000 yers with just 12 in siege mode?!"

    Fiery Queen was notughing alone at this moment. Countless people around the world wereughing at the Demon Sealing Faction''s seemingly foolish decision after seeing the terms, filling the inte with mockery.

    [No yer or cultivation limitation? Is the Demon Sealing Faction that arrogant? Or are they simply insane?]

    [Do they realize that they''ll have to defend their castle against 40,000 yers with just 12?]

    [Honestly, they probably don''t even know the rules since this is their first time participating in a Faction War.]

    [But why pick the Fiery Locust Swarm, a top 100 faction, as their first target? Are they on bad terms with each other or something?]

    [They are probably doing this just for attention because they''ve be irrelevant.]

    [Or they''re being paid.]

    [It''s their own fault for losing relevance. Not only do they seem to have no intention of increasing their members, but they also don''t participate in anything. Why did they even create the faction in the first ce?]

    Despite Yuan''s poprity, few stood by him or defended his decision. In fact, some outright lost all respect for him, openly criticizing his choices.

    [What a fucking arrogant bastard. He thinks he''s invincible or something just because he got lucky in Cultivation Online.]

    [I cannot wait to see them being obliterated during the Faction War.]

    [Get them good, Fiery Locust Swarm! Put them in their ce!]

    "Xu Boqin, I want you to ept their challenge." Fiery Queen said shortly after learning of the terms.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.

    "Are you sure? What about the Eternal Lotuses?"

    "Forget about them! I am only messing with them because I cannot directly mess with yer Yuan, and they''re obviously supporting him!"

    "How about the Faction War? Even though there are no yer limitations, we should still set some limits to avoid being ridiculed for using a sledgehammer to crack open an egg."

    "Who cares if you''re ridiculed?! Send everyone! I want you topletely and utterly destroy yer Yuan and his faction! And it''s better to be safe than sorry. Who knows what that tricky bastard has up his sleeves."

    "What about the payment¡­? Will you still pay us the rest of the money even though we won''t be fighting Eternal Lotuses?"

    "Of course, I will still honor the rest of the payment. In fact, I will increase the payment depending on how much you humiliate them. The more satisfied I am, the more money I''m willing to give you."

    "Hahaha! This is great! Thank you, Miss Walker! You will not be disappointed!" Xu Boqinughed out loud.

    "Then I will immediately respond to their challenge and ept it."

    "Very well. Keep me updated."

    "Of course."

    After hanging up, Xu Boqin epted the Demon Sealing Faction''s challenge request.

    Ding!

    [Fiery Locust Swarm has epted your challenge! Please wait for your match to be scheduled!]

    Meifeng smiled when she saw this notification.

    Chairman Lee had been staring at his screen since he sent out the challenge request, so he immediately saw the Fiery Locust Swarm''s response.

    He swiftly picked up the phone and called Yuan to ry the news.

    "Yes, they have responded and epted your challenge."

    "Of course, I will immediately schedule your match and call you back when I have a date."

    "No, thank you."

    Chairman Lee hung up and started working on hisputer again.

 Chapter 1458 In Three Days

    Chapter 1458 In Three Days

    ?1458  In Three Days

    Although Chairman Lee could''ve scheduled the Demon Sealing Faction''s Faction War the next day, he wanted to give everyone a chance to prepare, so he scheduled the match to begin in three days.

    After pushing back a month''s worth of scheduled Faction Wars, Chairman Lee confirmed the match schedule and called Yuan to notify him of the news.

    "Yes, the match will start at noon on the Great Battlefield in three days. I can guide you if you don''t know how to get there. If we travel by ne, it''s about eight hours away from the Dragon Spiral Mountain."

    "Thank you for the offer, but I already have people guiding me there," said Yuan.

    "I understand. Then, good night."

    After hanging up, Yuan called Meifeng to notify her of the Faction War.

    "Yes, the Fiery Locust Swarm has epted our challenge, and our match is scheduled to begin in three days at noon. Do you know how to get to the Great Battlefield?"

    "Yes, I do."

    "Then can you bring the others there? I will meet you guys there."

    "Of course. We''ll see you there."

    Yuan hung up the phone, turned to look at Bai Lianhua, and said, "Now that that''s settled, let''s get some rest tonight and start our training tomorrow."

    "Okay, I''ll get you a ro¡ª"

    Before Bai Lianhua could finish her sentence, Yu Rou stood up and dered, "Brother will sleep with me! My bed is big enough to fit two peoplefortably, too!"

    Yuan looked at her with a bittersweet smile, "Aren''t you an independent adult now?"

    "That has nothing to do with us sleeping together like before! You owe me, at the very least, this much for not visiting me sooner!"

    Yuan sighed in a defeated voice, "Alright, we can sleep together."

    "Goodnight, Senior Sister!"

    "Goodnight, Lianhua," Yuan said to her before following Yu Rou to her room.T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    They quicklyy in bed inside Yu Rou''s room but did not immediately go to sleep.

    "Brother, what do you think''s going to happen to our world?"

    "I can''t say nothing will happen since we''re already past that point, and there will surely be more changes in the future, but I will do my best to protect it from being harmed by foreign or domestic forces."

    "I know that you''re trying to protect the world, but please take care of yourself. You''re much more important to the world for me, and if I had to choose to sacrifice one, I wouldn''t hesitate to sacrifice the world if it means keeping you safe." Yu Rou spoke in a low voice.

    Yuan smiled, "I will do my best."

    They fell asleep shortly after while holding hands.

    Early in the morning the following day, Bai Lianhua gathered every member in her faction, which numbered in the thousands, at the training grounds.

    Once everyone gathered, Bai Lianhua began speaking, "I''m sure most if not all of you heard this by now¡ªthat our opponent, Fiery Locust Swarm, has been challenged by the Demon Sealing Faction. If you''re wondering why they would do something like that, you can ask the person who challenged the Fiery Locust Swarm himself, as he will be training with us for the next several days."

    "What?! Did this happenst night?"

    "yer Yuan is here?!"

    "I knew my eyes weren''t ying tricks on me and that I saw him yesterday!"

    "Where is yer Yuan right now?!"

    A stir ofmotion rippled through the crowd.

    "He should be arriving at any moment¡ª"

    "I''m here." Yuan''s voice suddenly resounded, causing everyone there to turn their heads to stare at him like a group of seagulls before food.

    Seeing how much attention he was getting from females, Yu Rou, who was beside him, frowned slightly.

    "It''s really yer Yuan!"

    "You''re my idol, yer Yuan!"

    "Are you really going to train with us?!"

    Yuan jumped onto one of the stages there and started answering their questions, "Please, just call me Yuan. Yes, I will be training with you guys to prepare for the uing Faction War with the Fiery Locust Swarm."

    "Why did you challenge the Fiery Locust Swarm? Did you do it to help us?" someone raised a hand and asked.

    "As a friend of Bai Lianhua, I cannot sit still when her beloved faction is being bullied. Not to mention that my precious little sister is also part of the faction. However, I am not doing this for a noble cause, so I don''t deserve any gratitude you may feel toward me."

    "How confident are you in defeating the Fiery Locust Swarm? I saw the terms, and it doesn''t y to your advantage¡­" someone else expressed their worry.

    Yuan smiled and said, "I won''t say that victory is guaranteed, but I am confident in our abilities."

    "Isn''t this the Demon Sealing Faction''s first time participating in a Faction War? How can you be confident in something you''ve never experienced?"

    "While I may not have any experience in Faction Wars, I certainly know a thing or two about fighting arge number of opponents at once."

    Sometimeter, after answering several more questions, Yuan said, "Anyways, let''s talk about our training now."

    "For training, I am going to be sparring with everyone here, but we''re going to treat it as though we are in a Faction War, such as representing our life with a badge by the waist. Everyone here will have exactly 30 seconds to take my life. If you sessfully do so, I will reward you a Divine-rank technique."

    "What?!" Everyone there expressed immense shock after hearing his words.

    "Also, I won''t use any techniques, and I won''t attack you for the first 30 seconds. Once I start attacking, if you are able to keep your life for 10 seconds, I will reward you with a Divine- rank technique, so you''ll have two chances to receive the reward."

    "What?!?!?!" They cried out loud again.

    "A-are you serious? You won''t go back on your words, right?"

    Yuan chuckled and said, "I promise you that I am serious."

    Yu Rou nodded, "I vouch for my brother''s integrity."

    "Me too." Bai Lianhua also chimed in.

    Hearing this, the others cheered loudly, causing the ce to tremble with their volume alone.

 Chapter 1459 Training With Eternal Lotuses

    Chapter 1459  Training With Eternal Lotuses

    ?1459  Training With Eternal Lotuses

    After the announcement, members of the Eternal Lotuses started going onto the stage to spar with Yuan.

    "You are free to use any martial technique you want, and don''t hold back," Yuan said to the short youngdy standing a few meters in front of him.

    "You may begin whenever you are ready."

    A few secondster, the youngdy flew forward and started swinging her sword at Yuan without reservation, her eyes as fierce as a tiger''s as she unleashed her most powerful martial technique.

    The youngdy was a 7th-level Spirit Warrior, so even her most powerful attack posed no threat to Yuan, who easily dodged it.

    lights¦­¦Ïv¦Ål ?¦Ïm As he continued dodging her attacks, Yuan lectured her about the mistakes in her movements and swordsmanship and even told her the method for fixing them.

    Thirty seconds passed in the blink of an eye for the spectators and the fighters on the stage, and Yuan announced, "I will be aiming for your life now."

    He raised his wooden training sword and closed their distance in an instant.

    "Wha¡ª"

    Before the youngdy could even react, Yuan stabbed his sword directly at the wooden badge hanging around her waist, destroying it.

    In less than a second, Yuan had taken her ''life''.

    This greatly shocked the spectators, as none of them were able to follow Yuan''s movements when he attacked.

    "Wow! Did anyone see what just happened?! Even though I stared at him without blinking, I couldn''t see his movement until after he''d destroyed her badge!"

    "It''s as though he stopped time or something! Did he use a technique, or is he simply just that fast?!"

    "Next!" Yuan ignored the sidements and called for the next challenger.

    Since the Eternal Lotuses had around 5,000 members, he had very little time to spare if he wanted to spar with everyone there before the Faction War.

    Time passed quickly, and an entire day had passed before anyone realized it. Yuan continuously sparred with the members there without any breaks from day to night.

    After hundreds of matches, nobody could destroy Yuan''s badge, and nobody there couldst more than 5 seconds when Yuan started attacking.

    "I will stay on this stage until nobody is willing to challenge me, or I have to leave for the Faction War," Yuan dered, dumbfounding the members there.From N?velDrama.Org.

    However, they also saw this as a chance. They thought that if Yuan continued sparring with them, he would eventually get tired and make mistakes.

    Thus, the Eternal Lotuses continued sparring with Yuan throughout the entire night.

    Sometime in the afternoon on the second day, the Eternal Lotuses members noticed Yuan''s movements getting slower. He also wasn''t instantly destroying their badges.

    "Yes! He must be getting tired!"

    "It''s only a matter of time before he''s exhausted and makes a mistake!"

    The girls clenched their fists in excitement, and their motivation to defeat him peaked.

    Yuan continued to grow increasingly slower and more sluggish with his movements throughout the day. Yet, nobody was close to destroying his badge orsting more than 10 seconds during his offense.

    "Howe we''re unable to defeat him even though he''s clearly exhausted?!"

    "Is he really exhausted, though? What if he''s just messing with us?"

    "No way¡­ but he''s been fighting thousands of matches without any rest! Even a Spirit Lord would get tired!"

    Suddenly, a familiar face entered the stage to face Yuan.

    "It''s my turn, Brother Yuan." Yu Rou greeted him with a smile.

    Yuan smiled back and said, "Let me see how much you''ve grown."

    Just like in Cultivation Online, Yu Rou''s choice of weapon was the fan.

    "You know, one of the Demon Sealing Faction members also wields the fan," Yuan said.

    "Oh, really?"

    "Yes. If he participates in the Faction War, you''ll be able to see him fight. Maybe you''ll even learn a thing or two."

    "I can''t wait!"

    Not wanting to let Yuan rest for another second, Yu Rou suddenly used a movement technique to close their distance.

    "Your movements aren''t bad, but they could be better¡ª

    sharper."

    Yuan said as he turned his head around to face Yu Rou, who was already swinging her fan at his face.

    However, halfway into her strike, Yu Rou activated her movement technique again.

    ''I''ve got you now!''

    Yu Rou smiled inwardly when Yuan didn''t follow her movements a second time and was still staring at her previous location.

    However, right as her fan was able to smack him in the back of the head, Yuan casually moved his arm to block the iing strike with a single finger.

    "Wha¡ª?!"

    Yuan''s eyes shifted to stare at her, emitting an intense pressure.

    Sensing his gaze, Yu Rou''s entire body trembled, and without hesitation, she jumped back to distance herself from him.

    "Not bad, Yu Rou. If you hadn''t backed away just now, I would''ve taken your life." Yuan smiled and continued, "Also, you''re the first one to aim for my head instead of my badge, and that strike contained enough strength to break someone''s skull."

    "Can you me me? You did tell us not to hold back," she responded with a stiff smile.

    "You''re right, and I am not ming you. Come, you''ve got another 15 seconds left." He beckoned her with the finger he used to block her strike.

    Yu Rou nodded and quickly approached him again.

    Fifteen seconds passed, but Yu Rou was unable to break his badge.

    "My turn now."

    Yuan used his movement technique for the first time, disappearing into thin air like a ghost.

    "Wha¡ª?! Where did he go?!" Yu Rou was left baffled by his disappearance.

    A split secondter, she sensed a weird sensationing from her waist, causing her to look down. That was when she realized her badge had been destroyed.

    "Wow¡­ I thought he would go easy on her because she''s his little sister, but he took her life in less than a second." The spectators were amazed by Yuan''s movement technique, which allowed him to get behind Yu Rou like a ghost.

    "I knew you were acting tired, brother." Yu Rou turned around to look at him with a bittersweet smile.

    Yuan chuckled, "You guys were starting to ck off, so I had to motivate you guys again."

    The next person to enter the stage was another familiar face.

    "I don''t care about the Divine-rank technique, so let''s have a proper spar without the 30-second time limit." Bai Lianhua said as she stepped onto the stage.

    Yuan nodded, "Sure."

 Chapter 1460 Sparring With Bai Lianhua

    Chapter 1460 Sparring With Bai Lianhua

    ?1460  Sparring With Bai Lianhua

    "Whenever you are ready," Yuan said as he casually stood on the stage with a calm smile on his face.

    Bai Lianhua readied her sword and took a deep breath before dashing at Yuan at full speed.

    "Hah!" Bai Lianhua began their confrontation with a quick sword thrust that aimed straight at the spot between Yuan''s eyebrows.

    She expected Yuan to easily dodge her strike, and he did, so without dy, she immediately raised her right leg to kick his waist, aiming for his badge.

    However, right as her feet reached his badge, Yuan''s hand appeared out of thin air and grabbed onto her leg.

    Seeing that she had been caught, Bai Lianhua hastily pulled her feet back but quickly realized that she did not have the strength to break out of Yuan''s hold. Yet, she did not panic and swung her sword at his face for a second time.

    However, she was forced to stop midswing when Yuan abruptly lifted her into the air and swung her around like a cowboy with a rope.

    "W-wha?! Yuan?!"

    Bai Lianhua cried out loud.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org.

    A few more circlester, Yuan tossed her to the other side of the stage.

    After barelynding on her feet, Bai Lianhua looked at Yuan with wide eyes, seemingly in disbelief about what had just transpired.

    The spectators also couldn''t believe their eyes.

    "Yuan¡­ can you treat our fight more seriously?" Bai Lianhua asked with a sigh.

    "Hm? But I am," he said with a nonchnt expression.

    "..." Bai Lianhua was speechless.

    After a moment of silence, she clenched her sword and charged at him again.

    This time, she kept her distance and used a martial technique.

    "Illusion Sword Arts!"

    Bai Lianhua propelled her sword in a stabbing motion, aimed at Yuan''s forehead again.

    However, from the spectators'' view, there were several swords flying at Yuan, almost as though Bai Lianhua grew a few extra arms.

    "There it is! Senior Sister''s Illusion Sword Art!"

    "Wow! She''s managed to create seven illusions!"

    Yuan raised an eyebrow at the crowd''s mumbling.

    ''Seven illusions? What are they talking about?'' he wondered inwardly, as he couldn''t see any illusions.

    Once Bai Lianhua''s sword almost reached him, Yuan casually swung his sword, deflecting the strike.

    "He saw through it so easily!"

    "As expected of Yuan, not even Senior Sister can fool him!"

    Unbeknownst to them, Yuan''s soul strength was so high that Bai Lianhua''s Illusion Sword Arts werepletely ineffective against him. In fact, Yuan thought he had to defend against invisible attacks.

    Bai Lianhua sucked her teeth after seeing how easily Yuan had blocked one of her stronger techniques.

    "Okay, let''s fight for real now!" Bai Lianhua released her cultivation base, filling the headquarters with the aura of a peak Spirit Lord.

    Yuan nodded and also released his cultivation. Even though he was only a peak Spirit Grandmaster, the aura and pressure he exuded were far superior to Bai Lianhua''s, who was an entire realm higher.

    The spectators subconsciously distanced themselves from the stage.

    "Here Ie!" Bai Lianhua warned as she flew at him, unleashing a series of powerful sword techniques.

    Yuan did not back away, even approaching her as he blocked and deflected all of her strikes with ordinary sword swings. However, since his wooden sword could not handle Bai Lianhua''s spiritual energy alone, he had to cover it with his own energy.

    Over the next several minutes, Bai Lianhua showcased all of her techniques and experience without holding anything back. On the other hand, Yuan only casually swung his sword without any techniques. However, his thousands of years of experience inbat was overwhelming and as clear as day even to the inexperienced.

    Several more minutester, using nothing but ordinary sword techniques, Yuan cornered Bai Lianhua and made her feelpletely hopeless.

    "I-it''s your win¡­" Bai Lianhua dropped her sword and forfeited.

    Yuan lowered his sword, and both withdrew their cultivation bases.

    The moment their spiritual energy dispersed, the wooden sword in Bai Lian Hua''s grasp cracked. Meanwhile, the sword in Yuan''s grasp exploded into thousands of tiny fragments.

    Seeing this, Bai Lianhua sighed, "I couldn''t even get you to use a single technique. I am simply too weak."

    Yuan shook his head and said, "Don''t feel bad. Unless you''ve practiced sword techniques since you were young, you''re already very good with the sword at your age."

    "What about you? Does that mean you''ve been practicing sword techniques even before you were born?" she asked in a joking tone.

    He smiled.

    "Something like that."

    He then swept the crowd with a calm gaze and asked, "Does anyone else want to spar?"

    "You should get some rest, Yuan. After all, the Faction War between Demon Sealing Faction and Fiery Locust Swarm is tomorrow."

    "I will rest as soon as everyone gets their chance to spar with me."

    After sparring for a few more hours, Yuan spent the rest of the day teaching Yu Rou how to wield her fan properly.

    "Since when did you learn to use the fan, brother? I thought you only learned to use the sword and dagger." Yu Rou asked him after seeing how perfectly he handled the fan.

    He casually lied, "I trained with several other weapons during my spare time, such as the fan and spear."

    In reality, the God of War hadplete mastery over every weapon in existence, and Yuan merely remembered how to use them after regaining Tian Xian''s memories.

    Later that night, Yuan left the headquarters of Eternal Lotuses with Yu Rou, Bai Lianhua, and Xia Jingyi, Yu Rou''s friend, who joined the Eternal Lotuses at the same time.

    "Good luck, Yuan!"

    "Give those bastards a good beating! I know you can do it!"

    Sometimeter.

    "It''s been a while, Yuan. Sorry, I didn''t spar with you. As a Zither Cultivator, I have a mostly support role, so it would be a waste of time to spar with you¡­" Xia Jingyi said to him as they made their way to the airport.

    Yuan casually waved his hand and said, "Don''t worry, I understand your special position. Zither Cultivators are not suited for one-on-one until you have a high enough cultivation, after all."

 Chapter 1461 The Great Battlefield

    Chapter 1461 The Great Battlefield

    ?1461  The Great Battlefield

    "Don''t look down on her because she cannot fight one-on-

    one, Brother Yuan! She''s an excellent supporter and an even better fighter when ites to fighting in groups!" Yu Rou suddenly said. "Her buffs are amazing, and her zither arts allow her to fight multiple people at once! She''s the perfect supporter!"

    Bai Lianhua nodded in agreement, "Yes, she''s a valuable asset to the faction, so much so that many have tried to poach her from us."

    Yuan smiled and said, "I wasn''t looking down on her."

    Xia Jingyi blushed from all their praises and said in a bashful voice, "You''re giving me too much credit, Yu Rou. Although my zither arts can cover arge area, Ick control, so I am often disqualified for identally injuring the opponents too much."

    "That''s true for now, but if you keep practicing, you''ll eventually reach a level where you can destroy many badges at once from a distance! You''ll be unstoppable then!"

    Yuan''s eyes narrowed slightly, his lips curling into a mysterious smile as he absorbed Yu Rou''s words.

    Xia Jiingyi shook her head and sighed, "That''s easier said than done. Attacking several people at once¡ªprecisely at that¡ª

    requires a tremendous amount of spiritual energy and perfect control. That could take decades of practice, and I am not sure I have the talents for it."

    "Have some faith in yourself, Sister Jingyi. You definitely have the talent for it!"

    Eventually, they arrived at the airport.

    Bai Lianhua, who had a private jet stationed at this airport, entered through the backdoor with the others.

    "We''ll arrive at the Great Battlefield in six hours." Bai Lianhua said as they boarded the jet.

    "Wow¡­ this is my first time flying on a private jet," said Xia Jingyi, who looked around excitedly.

    Yuan and Yu Rou had their fair share of experience with private jets in the Yu Family, especially Yuan, who used it the most to travel around the world for his music concerts.

    Sometimeter, the ne started moving and quickly ascended into the clouds.

    "The spiritual energy in the sky is much cleaner and denser than it is on the ground, so you should use this opportunity to improve your cultivation." Bai Lianhua said to Yu Rou and Xia Jingyi.

    "Yes!"

    Unfortunately for Yuan and Bai Lianhua, their cultivation was simply too high for Earth, so they could only efficiently cultivate through treasures from the Nine Heavens.

    Bai Lianhua retrieved several spirit stones and offered a few to Yuan, saying, "Do you want some?"

    Yuan shook his head with a smile, "Thank you, but I would need millions of spirit stones to increase even a single level."

    "That much?!" Bai Lianhua''s eyes widened with shock.From N?velDrama.Org.

    "But you''re only a Spirit Grandmaster. Even I don''t need that many spirit stones to break through as a Spirit Lord."

    "My body''s a little unique."

    "I don''t doubt that¡­" Bai Lianhau chuckled.

    "Go ahead and cultivate without me. I''ll give you a little boost." Yuan suddenly said.

    "Huh? What do you mean?" Bai Lianhua looked at him with raised eyebrows in a questioning manner.

    Yuan retrieved the Soul Ensnaring Zither and replied, "You will find out in a moment. Just start cultivating."

    Bai Lianhua nodded and closed her eyes to cultivate.

    A few minutester, once Bai Lianhua was absorbed in her cultivation, Yuan looked at his zither and took a deep breath before ying it.

    When Bai Lianhua heard the music, she found herself oddly more rxed andfortable instead of being distracted by it, allowing her to concentrate even better than before.

    ''It''s much easier cultivating!'' Bai Lianhua quickly realized the effects of Yuan''s profound music.

    Yu Rou and Xia Jingyi were also shocked by this realization.

    ''To increase one''s cultivation speed through music¡­ he''s truly on a different level¡­'' Xia Jingyi was left in awe.

    Yuan yed the zither nonstop for the entire six-hour flight, greatly assisting the others'' cultivation.

    Xia Jingyi even experienced a breakthrough, entering the ninth level of Spirit Master.

    "T-thank you, Yuan! I was able to breakthrough much sooner than expected because of your music!" she thanked him after the jetnded.

    "I didn''t even know improving another''s cultivation speed with zither art was possible. You''ve opened my eyes again." Bai Lianhua said.

    "Do you think you can teach Sister Jingyi?!" Yu Rou asked.

    "Eh? I-I don''t think that''s necessary¡­" Xia Jingyi quickly said.

    However, Yuan shook his head and said, "Even if I want to teach her, this isn''t something that can be taught. After all, it isn''t as simple as giving her a sheet of musical notes to y with. It''s not the song that matters, but how you incorporate your spiritual energy, emotions, and experience into your performance."

    "Emotions and experience? How does one do that?" Yu Rou asked out of curiosity.

    "For example, anyone can sing a love song, but those who understand the essence of love and are able to express it through their voice will typically sound better than someone who has never experienced love."

    "When I performed just now, I incorporated my cultivation experience into my zither arts. But there''s no need to worry. She will eventually learn it as long as she continues to practice."

    "Wow¡­ I didn''t know Zither Art was soplicated. Sister Jingyi always makes it seem so easy. My respect for you just increased, Sister Jingyi!"

    Sometimeter, they deboarded the jet.

    lights¦­¦Ïv¦Ål ?¦Ïm As he walked down the steps and approached the vehicle parked beside the jet, Yuan used his divine sense to quickly sweep the entire ind.

    The ind was massive and resembled a resort. It had an airport, several docks for those traveling by sea, a section that had hundreds of hotels, a marketce, a food court, and,st but not least, six distinct arenas, each for a specific Faction War mode.

    "This ce is quite crowded," Yuan muttered out loud.

    "That''s natural. The Great Battlefield has millions of unique visitors every day." Bai Lianhua said.

    "Anyway, where are we meeting the others?"

    "They haven''t arrived yet and should be arriving soon. Let''s get some food first, shall we?"

    "Okay."

 Chapter 1462 Fewer Than Anticipated

    Chapter 1462 Fewer Than Anticipated

    ?1462  Fewer Than Anticipated

    After leaving the airport, Yuan and the others ventured to the food court, a bustling hub housing over a hundred restaurants offering diverse cuisines from around the world.

    However, before they left the airport, Yuan handed everyone there an appearance-altering pill to hide their identity, as Yuan had learned his lesson several days ago and didn''t want to be recognized.

    Upon arriving at the food court, spent nearly an hour exploring the ce before finally settling on a steakhouse.

    Half an hour into their dining, Yuan received a text message notifying him of her arrival.

    [We have arrived at the Great Battlefield.]

    Yuan responded with their location.

    [We''re currently dining in the food court at Spirit Steakhouse.]

    [We will be there shortly.]

    "They havended and will being here," Yuan said to the others as they savored the juicy steaks before them.

    An hourter, Meifeng showed up with the Demon Sealing Faction¡ªat least those who nned on participating in the Faction War.

    By the time Meifeng showed up, Yuan and the others had already finished eating and were waiting for them outside the restaurant. Of course, he told her about their disguise.

    "This is everyone?" Yuan stared at Meifeng and her group with a raised eyebrow.

    "I''m sorry, Young Master, but the others haven''t logged off Cultivation Online¡­" Meifeng sighed.

    "..."

    Yuan silently looked at the members who had followed Meifeng.

    There was Wang Bingbing, Shi Lang, and Wu Zao. Three people in total.

    "Seriously? You''re going to fight the Fiery Locust Swarm with this many people?" Bai Lianhua was speechless.

    Yuan nodded, "Although this is fewer than I''d anticipated, four is more than enough. If I could, I would even fight them alone."

    "What do you mean four, Young Master? I am also participating, you know." Meifeng suddenly said.

    "Huh? You really don''t have to, Miss Meifeng. I don''t want you to feel like you need to fight for us. After all, you''re already doing enough as our caretaker and manager."

    "Nonsense. If you''re worried about me¡ªthat I cannot fight¡ª allow me to remind you who taught Meixiu how to fight. That''s right, it was me."

    Yuan showed a bittersweet smile and said, "That''s not it, Miss Meifeng. I am not doubting your ability inbat. I just thought you wouldn''t be interested in something like Faction Wars."

    "Now, why would you assume that? I have been anticipating the day we participated in one since I started studying about factions. In fact, if you hadn''t brought it up, I would''ve mentioned it sooner orter." Meifeng responded with a slight smile.

    "I-is that so¡­" Yuan was speechless.

    "Anyway, while I said that, I shall take the role of ''ruler'' during the Faction War since I have the lowest cultivation base among us," she said.

    Yuan nodded, "Okay. By the way, we still have some time before the Faction War. You should grab some food here before then."

    "It''s okay, we ate on the flight here. We should take this time to n for the Faction War." Wang Bingbing said.

    "n? Do we really need a n?" Yuan asked.

    "Of course¡­ How else are we going to deal with 40,000 people with just the five of us?"

    Yuan then said, "I was going to let you guys have some fun before I step in."

    "Let us have some fun¡­? How confident are you in defeating them? I know you''re strong enough to kill all of them in a real fight, but we cannot harm them too much in a Faction War." Wu Zao asked.

    "I am aware. Don''t worry about winning or how I''ll deal with them. Just enjoy your own battle."

    Meifeng then said, "I have watched all of their previous matches. They won''t send all of their members at once and will probably try to drag it out."

    "Why don''t we talk elsewhere? Preferably somewhere quieter." Shi Lang said.

    They left the food court and went to a nearby park. Although the ce was also crowded, it wasn''t as noisy as the food court.

    "Like I was saying, the Fiery Locust Swarm most likely won''t try to finish the Faction War too quickly, so they''ll send their members slowly. After all, they have plenty of people to spare, and the spectators would crucify them for ending it so soon." Meifeng said.

    "That makes sense." Yuan nodded and continued, "Moreover, they''re working for Fiery Queen. She''ll definitely use this chance to humiliate me as revenge for what I did to her in Cultivation Online."

    He turned to look at Wang Bingbing and the others and said, "Just consider this Faction War as part of your training. In fact, let''s make this into a little game."

    "Excluding me, whoever gets the most ''kills'' during the Faction War will receive an Ancient-rank martial technique from me."

    Wang Bingbing''s eyes flickered with excitement after hearing this, and she asked, "Is that it? No restrictions?"

    He shook his head.

    "Do you have any Ancient-rank martial techniques for a fan wielder like me?" Wu Zao asked.

    "Of course."

    "What about me? I won''t be able to fight as the ruler." Meifeng said.

    Yuan smiled and said, "If you want any specific technique, just let me know."

    "Do you have any spear techniques?"From N?velDrama.Org.

    "Oh? You''ve decided to use the spear?"

    She nodded, "It was either the spear or the staff since I spent a lot of time wielding a broom and mop."

    "Y-you decided your weapon based on that?" Yuan looked at her with wide eyes.

    She merely nodded with a slight smile.

    Sometimeter, Yuan received a phone call from Chairman Lee.

    "Have you guys arrived at the Great Battlefield yet?" Chairman Lee asked.

    "Yes."

    "Can you start making your way to Arena One? I will give you a quick briefing before the Faction War begins."

    "Alright, we will start heading there now."

    "Then I will see you soon."

    After hanging up, Yuan and the others started making their way to Arena One, which also happens to be thergest arena on the ind.

 Chapter 1463 Faction War Rules

    Chapter 1463 Faction War Rules

    ?1463  Faction War Rules

    As Yuan and the others approached Arena One, they were met with the sight of a sea of people moring to enter the arena.

    "Heavens, there are a lot more people today than usual. There are probably millions of people in line," Yu Rou muttered in a dazed voice when she saw the crowded scene.

    "It''s no surprise, and I''d wager that everyone here hase to witness the Demon Sealing Faction''s debut," Bai Lianhua remarked with a calm smile.

    After taking a moment to scan the scene with his divine sense, Yuan found Chairman Lee standing by the second entrance meant for participants.

    Of course, the 40,000 members of Fiery Locust Swarm were also there, trying to enter the arena.

    Yuan and the others approached the entrance.

    Chairman Lee noticed Meifeng first due to her maid outfit and beauty.

    "I have been waiting for you. Let''s go to your room first," he said to them.

    "Okay."

    The members of the Fiery Locust Swarm stared at Chairman Lee and the others with raised eyebrows.

    "Who are they? Howe the Chairman of the Cultivators'' Association is personally greeting them at the entrance?"

    "I don''t recognize them."

    Due to Yuan and the other notable identities still being disguised, nobody from the Fiery Locust Swarm recognized them as their uing opponent, the Demon Sealing Faction.

    Once Chairman Lee led Yuan and his group inside the arena, the Fiery Locust Swarm quickly stopped thinking about it and resumed talking about their uing match.

    "I still cannot believe that the Demon Sealing Faction would challenge us with a mere dozen people. Just what are they thinking?"

    "They''ve probably gone mad from ying too much Cultivation Online."

    "I never thought the day I would contribute to yer Yuan''s defeat would evere, but it''s so close I can already taste it."

    Sometimeter, Yuan and the others sat down before a long, round table inside a spacious office.

    "Umm¡­ I have been wondering this since I saw you guys, but where are the rest? There are only eight of you." Chairman Lee asked.

    "Hm? Oh, no, we''re not members of the Demon Sealing Faction." Bai Lianhua said, and she proceeded to remove her disguise.

    "You¡­ White Lotus?"

    Yu Rou and Xia Jingyi also removed their disguise.

    "W-wait¡­ so there are only five members from the Demon Sealing Faction? Are the others okay?"

    Yuan removed his disguise and nodded, "Yes, they are fine, but they won''t be participating in the Faction War."

    "E-excuse me?" Chairman Lee stared at him with wide eyes filled with disbelief.

    He slowly counted the people in the room, excluding those from Eternal Lotuses. After counting five of them, he started counting again just in case he miscounted.

    "Five of you?! Are you really nning on fighting the Fiery Locust Swarm with just the five of you?!" Chairman Lee found the situation too absurd to believe.

    "Yes. There shouldn''t be any problems, right? After all, you technically only need two people to participate in the siege mode."

    "T-there''s no problem, but¡­"

    "I know what you''re thinking, but have some faith in us. Also, as this will be the Demon Sealing Faction''s first appearance, we should make it as shocking as possible."

    "It will definitely be shocking, but unless you defeat the Fiery Locust Swarm, it won''t be the good kind." Chairman Lee shook his head.

    "Anyways, I won''t say anything else on this topic since it won''t change anything. Instead, let me brief you about your uing Faction War."

    He retrieved several pieces of paper and handed them to the Demon Sealing Faction members.

    "The first page exins the rules of siege mode. First and foremost, you are forbidden from seriously injuring or killing a yer. While idents happen, you will still be held responsible and removed from the Faction War. If you purposefully try to seriously harm or kill another yer, your faction will automatically be disqualified, which will be considered as a loss, and you will also be forbidden from participating in another match for four years."

    "Next, the match will have a six-hour time limit. If neither faction is able to kill the other''s ruler in six hours, the faction with the most yers alive will be dered the victor."

    "Weapons will be provided to the yers, so they are forbidden from bringing their own weapons. In fact, you are prohibited from bringing anything that wasn''t provided to you into the match."T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    Hearing this, Yuan asked, "Is it possible for an individual to bring more than one weapon into the match?"

    "Yes, just write down your desired weapons in the Weapon Request Form on the next page."

    "Anyways, continuing with the rules, you are forbidden from using any martial techniques that are considered deadly''"

    Wu Zao raised his hand and asked, "What do you consider to be deadly?"

    "If you ask me, any martial technique can be considered deadly if used by the right person."

    Chairman Lee replied, "Any techniques that attack indiscriminately, cannot be controlled, or always result in serious injuries are considered deadly."

    Everyone there turned to look at Yuan. All of his martial techniques could be considered deadly since he could easily kill someone with them.

    "Don''t worry. In order to use a martial technique in the match, you must acquire approval first so you''ll know what you can and cannot use. Before the Faction War begins, you may showcase any martial technique that you wish to use during the match before three judges. As long as you can prove that you have sufficient control over your technique and that you won''t easily injure someone, you should be able to use any technique you want. However, the stronger the martial technique, the stricter the evaluation."

    "Oh, that''s good to know."

    "Last rule. You are prohibited from consuming any performance-enhancing drugs before the match. If you are caught doing such a thing, you will be banned from participating in another match for the rest of your life." Chairman Lee spoke with a heavy tone.

    After the system update, there have been many incidents of yers consuming performance-enhancing drugs right before their match, giving them an unfair advantage, and it has led to several idents that resulted in the death of yers. However, since their world has yet to discover a reliable method of detecting such things, many yers are still abusing such methods to have a higher chance of victory despite the risks.

 Chapter 1464 A Reliable Method

    Chapter 1464 A Reliable Method

    ?1464  A Reliable Method

    "Performance-enhancing drugs, huh? Do you think the Fiery Locust Swarm would stoop that low during our match when they already significantly outnumber us?" Wang Bingbing asked.

    "I wouldn''t put it past them since they are heavily connected with Fiery Queen, who loves to y dirty." Bai Lianhua shrugged.T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    "In fact, several of their members have already been caught using performance-enhancing drugs, such as pills that temporarily boost their cultivation base or strength."

    Suddenly, Yu Ning''s voice resounded inside Yuan''s head.

    ''I know of a formation that will automatically detect anyone who is under performance-enhancing effects.''

    ''Oh? That does sound convenient and useful. Although I don''t care if my opponentsck integrity, it would be unfair to everyone else who is abiding by the rules. Do you mind creating this formation around the indter?''

    ''I don''t mind!'' Yu Ning immediately responded.

    ''Thank you.''

    ''There''s no need to thank me. My body and soul already belonged to you the moment you brought me out of the Shadow Realm.''

    ''We''re technically not out of the Shadow Realm yet.''

    ''It''s close enough.''

    ''By the way, do you know of any formations that could prevent yers from seriously injuring or killing each other during the match? I have experienced a few of them for myself.'' Yuan suddenly asked, recalling his experience in Ancient Dragon City.

    ''The onesmonly used in tournaments and sparring matches to prevent idental death, correct? Of course, I know how to make them. I can even make one that can restore limbs, but those require more time and a higher cultivation base than Spirit King.''

    ''Okay.''

    Yuan cleared his throat and spoke out loud the following moment, "Chairman Lee, regarding the issue with yers using performance-enhancing drugs, I may have a reliable method to detect those under the influence."

    "What?!"

    lights¦­¦Ïv¦Ål ?¦Ïm Unable to detain his excitement, Chairman Lee stood up and mmed the desk with a shocked look on his face.

    "Is that true?! How?!"

    "Do you know about arrays and formations? I know of a formation that will help us catch these cheaters. If you agree, I can create the formation around this ind."

    "If you can really do such a thing, I have no reason to refuse! These cheaters have been a pain in our butt since Cultivation Online''s system update, but we don''t know how to reliably detect them!"

    Yuan nodded and said, "Okay, then I will make the formation. However, I need a few favors from you."

    Chairman Lee swallowed nervously.

    "What is it?"

    "One, you will keep the fact that I created the formation a secret. Two, I will activate the formation once our match with the Fiery Locust Swarm begins, and even if there are yers cheating, I want you to let them continue the match. I will create the formation right now if you can do these two things for me."

    "You''re going to allow the Fiery Locust Swarm to cheat?" Chairman Lee was dumbfounded by his bold decision.

    "I won''t be able to teach them a lesson if you remove them, after all." He showed a cold smile.

    "I-is that so¡­" Chairman Lee''s entire being trembled.

    After a moment of silence, he nodded, "Okay, we won''t remove them, but how will this formation expose these cheaters?"

    "You''ll find out when I activate the formation."

    Sometimeter, Yuan closed his eyes and allowed Yu Ning to take over his body again.

    His cultivation base soared to the peak of Spirit King, and Yu Ning quickly started filling the room with Array Symbols.

    "W-wow¡­" Wang Bingbing muttered in a dazed voice.

    Since only Bai Lianhua and Yu Rou were aware of Yu Ning''s existence, nobody else in the room realized that Yuan was currently being possessed by an ancient deity and believed that he was the one in control.

    Several minutester, Yu Ning covered the entire ind with the formation and sat down to replenish Yuan''s exhausted spiritual energy.

    ''Ah~! I didn''t think I would get to experience this amazing feeling again so soon!'' Yu Ning thought inwardly as she fully immersed herself in the moment.

    Once his body regained enough spiritual energy, Yu Ning returned the control to Yuan.

    "Y-Yuan! When did you reach Spirit King?!" Shi Lang stared at him with bulging eyes.

    He shook his head and said, "That was just temporary. My real cultivation is still at Spirit Grandmaster."

    "Huh? So that was a technique?"

    "No, it''s not. I will exin everythingter."

    Chairman Lee then asked, "So, is it done?"

    Yuan nodded, "Yes, the formation ispleted. I just need to activate it during the match."

    "Thank you! Unfortunately, I don''t know how to repay you for this!" Chairman Lee lowered his head and bowed.

    Yuan casually waved his hand and said, "I don''t need any payment since I am not doing this specifically for you. In fact, I also wanted to create a formation that would prevent the yers from being seriously injured or killed, but I will have to do thister since I don''t have enough time right now."

    "W-what? Can you say that again?" Chairman Lee slowly lifted his head to look at Yuan with disbelief.

    Seeing the confusion in Chairman Lee''s eyes, Yuan proceeded to exin the formation in more detail.

    "These formations aremonly used in Cultivation Online to prevent idents during tournaments and friendly spars. They allow anyone within the formation to use their full power without needing to worry about identally killing their opponent."

    "Seriously? How reliable is this formation?"

    "Unless the yer''s cultivation surpasses the creator''s cultivation, it''s almost impossible for anything to go wrong within the formation. It''s certainly safer than whatever you''re doing now. Would you like to test it out for yourself?"

    Although Chairman Lee was anxious about experiencing something unknown to him, his curiosity made it so that he couldn''t refuse.

    Seeing Chairman Lee nod his head in approval, Yuan handed his body to Yu Ning again.

    Since the formation would only berge enough to cover the entire room, Yu Ning didn''t have to put much effort or time into it,pleting the formation even faster than thest.

 Chapter 1465 Technique Evaluation

    Chapter 1465  Technique Evaluation

    ?1465  Technique Evaluation

    "Okay, the formation ispleted and activated," Yuan announced after regaining control over his body.

    Chairman Lee and everyone else in the room started looking around, but they were unable to sense anything different in the room.

    "So¡­ how does this formation work?" Chairman Lee eventually decided to ask.

    In response, Yuan retrieved a sword¡ªa real steel sword with a sharp de.

    "This might hurt a little, but bear with me."

    "H-huh? What are you going to¡ª"

    Before Chairman Lee could even finish his sentence, Yuan disappeared from his position and reappeared in front of him like a ghost with the sword positioned, the tip of the de aimed at his heart.

    "W-wait!" Chairman Lee''s body began sweating profusely.

    Even though he knew that it would not kill him, he couldn''t control his instincts and feared for his life.

    However, Yuan ignored him and shoved his arm, thrusting the sword at his heart.

    Chairman Lee''s life shed before his eyes, and right as the sword reached his body, ayer of spiritual energy suddenly appeared around his body, shielding him from any serious harm.

    Yet, the sword still managed to strike Chairman Lee''s body, sending him flying.

    A momentter, Chairman Leey on the floor in a sleeping position, his limbs spread out and his face dazed.

    "I-I am still alive?" he slowly reached for his chest and rubbed the area Yuan had struck him. Although it felt like he had truly been stabbed in the heart, he could not feel any wounds on his body.

    "Wait! My clothes!"T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    Unfortunately, his clothes did note out unscathed and had a small slit where Yuan struck.

    "Sorry, but the formation only protects one''s body, so your clothes can still be damaged."

    Chairman Lee eventually stood back up with a profound expression on his face.

    "This formation¡­ it will change¡ªrevolutionize Faction Wars! If we don''t have to worry about the yers identally killing each other, we won''t have to restrict their weapons and martial techniques, allowing every yer to disy their true potential! This will make Faction Wars even more exciting and entertaining!" Chairman Lee clenched his fists from sheer excitement as he pondered the possibilities.

    "I can change the terrains and make it more risky and dangerous! I cany natural traps and much more! I cannot wait!"

    Chairman Lee wore a wide smile on his face that looked a little sadistic.

    Quickly snapping out of it, he turned to look at Yuan and asked, "How long do you think it''ll take to create this formation for the arenas? Also, I won''t ask you to do it for free. We will pay for it."

    Yuan didn''t immediately respond since he had to ask Yu Ning.

    A momentter, he said, "Not long, a few minutes for each arena. However, they need to be recharged with spiritual energy every day. You can do so by feeding it with spirit stones."

    "Then can you do it after I speak with the organizers? Since this will change the entire Faction War scene, I will need the approval of others. Of course, I cannot imagine it being rejected. It''s more of a formality."

    Yuan nodded, "I don''t mind."

    "Then I will contact the organizers right now. As for the papers, you just need to write down the weapons you n on using during the match and sign it."

    Chairman Lee left the room shortly after, leaving them alone.

    Yuan and the others quicklypleted the second page and moved to the third page, which disyed a map of the entire arena for siege mode.

    Arena One stretched across a vast battlefield, spanning 20 miles in both width and length. The opposing castles were positioned in the west and east, approximately 15 miles apart.

    The terrain was mostly t, filled with trees and several hills.

    "The map is pretty simple and safe," Meifeng muttered out loud after looking at the map.

    "I guess they didn''t want to risk putting anything that could be dangerous." Wang Bingbing said.

    "Things might change soon, though." Shi Lang chuckled.

    Chairman Lee returned to the room several minutester.

    "Are you guys done with the papers?" he asked them.

    "Yes."

    "Great, then let''s bring you guys to get your martial techniques evaluated. As for the organizers of the Great Battlefield, they all agreed to create the formation, but they wanted to experience it for themselves first and wanted more details about what it would protect the yers from. A meeting will be held after your match is concluded."

    "They didn''t question you where the formation wille from?" Yuan asked with a smile.

    "Of course they did. I simply refused to answer. They will definitely continue to pester me for your identity during the meeting, though."

    Yuan nodded and said, "Then I will leave the formation in this room active for now. As for my identity¡­ I can attend the meeting in disguise if you don''t mind."

    "That''s a great idea!" Chairman Lee quickly agreed.

    Sometimeter, Chairman Lee brought the members of the Demon Sealing Faction to a basement underneath the arena.

    "The evaluation is typically done long before a match, but since you have only a dozen people in your faction, we decided to let you do it right before the match. In fact, those who haven''t been evaluated aren''t allowed to participate in any matches." Chairman Lee said as they approached arge mechanical door.

    He continued, "For privacy reasons, you will be evaluated one at a time. After your evaluation, you may only use the approved techniques during the match. You will automatically be disqualified if you use a martial technique that wasn''t approved. If you learn a new technique and wish to increase your list of approved techniques, you will need to be evaluated again for that specific technique."

    "So, who wants to be evaluated first?"

    Wang Bingbing quickly raised her hand, "I will go first."

    She approached the door and waited for it to open, entering the spacious room behind the door that looked like an underground training facility a momentter.

 Chapter 1466 Technique Evaluation(2)

    Chapter 1466 Technique Evaluation(2)

    ?1466  Technique Evaluation(2)

    Once Wang Bingbing entered the training room, the door closed behind her.

    The interior of the room was extremely simple and empty. Other than a metallic human-shaped dummy standing in the middle of the room, there was nothing else.

    Standing by the wall were three individuals¡ªtwo men and one woman.

    "Hello, can we have your name, faction, and current cultivation base?" the woman asked.

    "Wang Bingbing from the Demon Sealing Faction. 7th level Spirit Grandmaster."

    The woman nodded and said, "Thank you, Miss Wang. We will be the ones evaluating whether your martial techniques are safe enough for your uing Faction War. What weapon do you use?"

    "A sword."

    One of the men pulled a wooden sword out of thin air and tossed it at her.

    "In order to determine whether your martial technique is safe or dangerous, we need to see its strength and control. For the first test, you may strike the dummy with full strength. The dummy can withstand a Spirit Lord''s attack with no problem, so you don''t have to hold back," said the woman.

    "You may strike the dummy with your martial technique whenever you are ready."

    Wang Bingbing nodded and took a deep breath before unleashing one of her martial techniques.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.

    Sha!

    Wang Bingbing''s figure suddenly became blurry for the next few seconds. At the same time, dozens of red sword marks appeared on the dummy, each mark representing a hit and the damage it sustained.

    "Do you mind telling us the name of that technique and its rank? Although it will be recorded, the public cannot ess it if you''re worried about that."

    "Wandering Phantom Sword Arts. It''s a Divine-rank technique."

    "No wonder. Each of your strikes at full strength was strong enough to kill a Spirit Grandmaster. Now, show us how much you can control its strength. I want you to imagine the dummy as a Spirit Apprentice cultivator and strike it with just enough strength to knock him out without any serious injuries."

    Wang Bingbing nodded and performed the technique again. This time, the sword marks on the dummy were orange in color.

    "Good. Now¡­"

    The woman pressed a button on her remote controller, causing the dummy to start moving its limbs.

    "You will now spar with the dummy. Its strength has been adjusted to be as strong as that of a Spirit Grandmaster. I would like you to perform the technique on it a minute into your fight. Also, use the same amount of strength as you did just now."

    Sometimeter, the dummy started moving and attacking Wang Bingbing. Although its movements were stiff and predictable, it moved quickly and had tremendous strength.

    A minuteter, Wang Bingbing performed her martial technique, striking the dummy a dozen times in just a few seconds.

    Of her 12 strikes, 9 sword marks glowed orange and three green.

    After seeing the results, the three judges nodded with approved looks. The green sword marks indicated that the damage was superficial and would only leave bruises on a Spirit Apprentice. Strikes that could potentially break bones glowed orange, and life-threatening strikes glowed red.

    "Looks like you have sufficient control over your technique, Miss Wang. We will approve the utilization of this technique in your Faction Wars. You may show us if you have any more techniques you would like to use."

    Wang Bingbing nodded and proceeded to show off a few more martial techniques.

    The tests varied depending on the martial technique''s properties and effects. For example, a martial technique with an explosive nature that attacks on a wide scale will have a different test than a technique that focuses on pration.

    Wang Bingbing finished her evaluation after spending 10 minutes inside the room and came out with 3 martial techniques approved.

    "I will go next." Shi Lang said.

    He returned fifteen minutester with two martial techniques approved.

    "I don''t n on using any martial techniques for this match, so you can go," Meifeng said to Wu Zao.

    He nodded and entered the room.

    Wu Zao only had a single martial technique evaluated, but due to its nature, they had to test it thoroughly.

    Ten dummies stood in a scattered formation before Wu Zao, each wearing a badge around their waist.

    "You may begin whenever you are ready."

    Wu Zao nodded before casually swiping his fan in the dummies'' direction.

    A powerful gust of wind made purely of spiritual energy swept the dummies, quickly destroying the badges around their waist while their bodies glowed green. However, only two of the dummies glowed green, meaning the rest weren''t damaged in the slightest.

    "Impressive control¡­" The woman muttered in awe.

    Many yers have tried to evaluate martial techniques that could attack on a wide scale, but almost all of themcked the control needed for approval.

    Wu Zao left the room half an hourter.

    "You''re left, Yuan." Wu Zao looked at him with a smile.

    Yuan nodded and approached the door, entering it.

    When the judges saw Yuan, they subconsciously swallowed nervously.

    ''It''s really yer Yuan! Despite his fame, not much is known about hisbat prowess or abilities, but that will change starting today!'' they thought inwardly.

    While the Ten Great Families were aware of Yuan''s prowess through experience, they valued such information and did not spread it unnecessarily, so the majority of the world remained oblivious to his capabilities.

    "Wee, yer Yuan. What is your current cultivation?" the woman asked.

    "Ninth level Spirit Grandmaster," he calmly said.

    ''He''s only a Spirit Grandmaster?'' the judges were inwardly surprised, as they had expected him to be at least a Spirit Lord.

    "What weapon will you be wielding?"

    "I will be using three weapons. The sword, dagger, and zither."

    "Huh? Three weapons? And a zither, too?" The judges were certainly surprised by his response.

    Among the millions of yers around the world that have participated in Faction Wars, less than a hundred yers picked the zither as their weapon of choice, so one could imagine the judges'' surprise to learn that the most popr yer will also use the zither.

 Chapter 1467 Entering the Battlefield

    Chapter 1467  Entering the Battlefield

    ?1467  Entering the BattlefieldT¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    Outside the evaluation room, Wu Zao asked the others, "How did your evaluations go?"

    "How? It was much simpler than I''d anticipated. As for whether it''s reliable or not¡­ I don''t know." Wang Bingbing shrugged.

    "I cannot imagine it being that effective. Anyone can easily purposefully act weaker than they are in reality to get their techniques approved."

    Chairman Lee smiled bitterly and said, "Honestly, it''s really hard to urately gauge a person''s strength and determine whether it''s truly safe or not for them to use any technique. Our technology is simplycking for this subject due to how new cultivation is in our world, so it''s mostly up to our judges'' judgment. However, give it a few more years, and we should have enough experience and information about cultivation to urately gauge a cultivator''s strength."

    "With that being said, once the formation ispleted, we will no longer need to evaluate people to determine whether they can use a martial technique or not."

    An hourter, the door opened, and Yuan casually walked out of the room.

    "How did it go? Did you get any techniques approved?" Shi Lang asked him.

    He nodded, "Yes."

    "How many techniques did you get approved?"

    "That''s a secret," he said with a smile.

    "Eh?!"

    Chairman Lee looked inside the room and saw the judges'' weird expressions, causing him to raise an eyebrow.

    ''Why do they look disappointed?'' he wondered inwardly.

    He decided to ask themter and said, "The Faction War between Demon Sealing Faction and Fiery Locust Swarm will begin shortly. Let''s get the participants prepared."

    "Okay."

    While Chairman Lee led them to the dressing room to get changed, the three judges muttered to each other.

    "That was it? He''s a lot weaker than the rumors."

    "Right? None of his techniques were that powerful."

    "Haaa¡­ I was expecting something amazing since he dared to challenge the Fiery Locust Swarm with a dozen members."

    "Hm? Wait a minute. Is that it? We''ve only evaluated four people. What about the rest?"

    "Either they don''t n on using any martial techniques, or they won''t be participating¡­ Surely, it''s the former, right?"

    Meanwhile, the Fiery Locust Swarm was already prepared for the Faction War and began gathering on the battlefield.

    "It''s the Fiery Locust Swarm!"

    "Please teach those arrogant bastards from the Demon Sealing Faction a thing or two!"

    "I have bet all of my savings on your victory today! Don''t disappoint me!"

    The crowd went crazy the moment the Fiery Locust Swarm started appearing.

    The audience area had enough space to amodate ten million spectators, and every single seat was filled. Not to mention the tens of millions of individuals sitting in anticipation before their television.

    Yuan and the others had just finished changing into their uniforms, which were in white and devoid of any design, unlike the Fiery Locust Swarm''s, which sported red and ck colors and an emblem.

    "Since you guys don''t have your own uniform, this will have to suffice." Chairman Lee said to them.

    "We need to design our own uniform, huh?" Yuan muttered.

    "We can think of somethingter," said Meifeng.

    "Here. Everyone besides the ruler will be wearing this green badge. The ruler will be wearing a golden badge." Chairman Lee showed them a basket of badges.

    Everyone besides Meifeng took the green badge and wore it around their waist.

    "Also, here are the weapons you requested."

    Everyone picked their weapon.

    "You''re going to use three weapons?" Bai Lianhua looked at Yuan with wide eyes.

    "A zither¡­?" Xia Jingyi red at the zither with a dumbfounded look on her face.

    "You may enter the arena now if you want to familiarize yourself with the field and start preparing for the match, but you are forbidden from crossing the red line before the match begins, or you will automatically be disqualified."

    Like the Fiery Locust Swarm, Yuan and the others decided to enter the field early.

    "Good luck, Brother Yuan! Give ''em a good beating!" Yu Rou cheered.

    "Show the world your prowess, Yuan." Bai Lianhua smiled.

    "Good luck¡­!" Xia Jingyi said in a bashful manner.

    The Demon Sealing Faction entered the battlefield.

    "Look! It''s the Demon Sealing Squad!"

    "You mean the Demon Sealing Faction?"

    "Huh? Wait a minute¡­ why are there only five of them?! I thought they had a dozen members!"

    "Hahaha! Did more than half of them oversleep?"

    "Perhaps they all quit after learning that they had to fight 40,000 yers with just a few of them."

    "If a faction''s member count dips below 10 for over 30 days, they are required to disband, correct?"

    "Is the Demon Sealing Faction already ending before it could even begin?"

    "I don''t understand their method of managing the faction. It had so much potential, but they didn''t seize their chances for whatever reason."

    "They probably thought nobody was worthy enough to join their elite ranks, hence why they have only epted two members since their founding."

    Countless people in the audience started mocking the Demon Sealing Faction when they appeared. It was a spectacle that wasn''t unexpected but still surprising, especially given how popr Yuan was.

    "Young Master, you should know I had invested much in our victory." Meifeng suddenly said.

    "Huh? Invested? How?"

    "You know how people in horse races bet on the winning horse? Well, I am betting on our victory. Due to how many people are betting against us, we''ll easily make a fortune if we win." Meifeng spoke with a calm smile on her face.

    "And what if we lose?" Yuan chuckled.

    "Then I''ll lose all of my money. Surely, you won''t let me suffer such a fate, right?" Meifeng red at him.

    Yuan merely smiled in silence.

    He turned to gaze at the sky, where a timer was ticking down to the start of the match.

    [12:20]

    [12:19]

    [12:18]

    He then used his divine sense to examine the Fiery Locust Swarm located on the opposite side of the battlefield.

    "41,982 of them, huh?" he muttered with a calm smile, unfazed by their overwhelming number, which vastly outnumbered his team by 10,000 to 1.

 Chapter 1468 Outnumbered 10,000 to 1

    Chapter 1468  Outnumbered 10,000 to 1

    ?1468  Outnumbered 10,000 to 1

    "The enemy has exactly 41,982 yers¡­ 41,983 if you count their ruler. This means they outnumber us 10,000 to 1," Yuan said to the others.

    "Nearly forty-two thousand, huh? This is going to be rough even for us." Shi Lang wiped the invisible sweat off his forehead.

    "Is this really doable?" Wang Bingbing looked at Yuan, who wore a confident smile on his face.

    "I doubt he arranged this match just so we could lose our debut match¡­" Wu Zao said.

    "So, what''s the n?"

    Yuan then said, "It''s quite simple. We will wait for our opponents to move first and respond ordingly. As mentioned before, they will most likely toy with us a little instead of trying to crush us as fast as possible."

    "I will stay back here to protect our ruler while the rest of you will confront the opponent."

    "Huh? You''re going to stay back while we fight them?" Shi Lang looked at him with wide eyes.

    Yuan nodded with a calm smile, "This is also training. You need to experience what it feels like to be overwhelmed by the enemy in numbers. Don''t worry; it''s not like I won''t do anything. I will support you guys from the rear with buffs and whatnot."

    In a seated position, Yuan suddenly hovered in the air and ced the zither on hisp, giving the appearance of a god looking down on everyone there.

    "You know, even though we''re also Spirit Grandmasters, we cannot stay in the air for as long as you. Is there a trick to flying or something?" Wang Bingbing suddenly asked him.

    They could only hover in the air for, at most, a few minutes before running out of spiritual energy.

    "The spiritual energy in this world is too weak to support your flight, so you must use more of your own energy to sustain your flight. The only way to fix it would be to increase your own spiritual energy," he said.

    "That sounds easier said than done. Haaa¡­ it sucks being able to fly without problem in Cultivation Online but not in this world." Wang Bingbing sighed.

    "You''ll eventually get there."

    Eventually, the countdown in the sky reached zero.

    "Wee to Arena One, guests from around the world! I, Yan Xiaoxiao, will be your speaker for this match!"

    The audience went into an uproar after hearing and recognizing this sweet voice to be a famous celebrity¡ªa renowned singer.

    "Fairy Yan?! I thought she was a singer! Why is she suddenly working as a speaker?!"C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.

    "The organizers must''ve specifically hired her for this special asion."

    Suddenly, a beautiful youngdy appeared above the arena through projection, and on her face was a sweet smile that could charm even heaven itself.

    Yan Xiaoxiao continued speaking, "First and foremost, I would like to thank the organizers for allowing me to be here today! As a big fan of yer Yuan, when I heard that his faction was making its debut, I immediately requested to be the speaker for their match, and I am very grateful to have received this role!"

    "Now, for this match, we have the challenger, the Demon Sealing Faction, and the Fiery Locust Swarm, who epted the challenge!"

    "The match terms are as follows: there is no yer limit, no cultivation limit, and martial techniques are allowed!"

    "The match rules are as follows: killing and crippling another yer is strictly prohibited! Any performance-enhancing drugs are prohibited! The yers may only use the weapons provided to them! Those who break any of these rules will immediately be removed from the match and penalized ordingly! The match will end when either ruler is eliminated or the time runs out!"

    "Now, let''s give the participating factions a brief introduction!"

    "We have the Fiery Locust Swarm, who is currently ranked 86th in the world. Led by Xu Boqin, they have almost 42,000 members with three hundred fifty Spirit Masters, nine Spirit Grandmasters, and one Spirit Lord! They currently have a record of 13 victories and 3 defeats!"

    "Their challenger, the Demon Sealing Faction, needs no introduction, but they are currently unranked with zero matches in their record, making this their debut! They currently boast a team of 12 members, all under the leadership of none other than the renowned yer Yuan, the undisputed number one yer in Cultivation Online!"

    "Now I know what most of you are thinking¡ªwhy would the Demon Sealing Faction challenge the Fiery Locust Swarm with just 12 members? Why are there only 5 of these 12 members currently on the field? Are they confident in winning this seemingly impossible-to-win match? Honestly, I don''t have the slightest clue! But hopefully, we will get an answer soon!"

    "Okay, enough yapping from me. Let''s get this match started!"

    Another countdown appeared, residing beside Yan Xiaoxiao''s projection.

    [0:10]

    [0:09]

    [0:08]

    The audience also started counting down, causing the entire arena to tremble with their enthusiastic voice.

    "Three!"

    "Two!"

    "One!"

    "Let the match begin!"

    A loud noise that indicated the start of the match buzzed throughout the arena, and the red line on the ground turned green.

    The match had begun, but nobody from the Demon Sealing Faction moved.

    Meanwhile, only a hundred yers from Fiery Locust Swarm advanced toward the Demon Sealing Faction''s castle.

    "It looks like the Fiery Locust Swarm does not n on ending this faction immediately!" Yan Xiaoxiaomented as live streaming of the battlefield was disyed in the air for the spectators to see more clearly.

    Of course, none of the yers on the battlefield were able to hear Yan Xiaoxiao''smentary or see the live streamings, as the battlefield was covered by an invisible formation that blocked off sound and video projections.

    This formation had required over a hundred Array Masters and several weeks of effort to build despite it being a mere level 1 formation.

    However, before the Fiery Locust Swarm''s yers could really go anywhere, a weird phenomenon urred on the battlefield, halting their movements.

    "Formation activate," Yuan muttered, activating the formation that revealed cheaters shortly after the match began.

 Chapter 1469 Exposing the Cheaters

    Chapter 1469  Exposing the Cheaters

    ?1469  Exposing the Cheaters

    The moment Yuan activated the formation, several people on the battlefield suddenly started lighting up like a Christmas tree, their bodies glowing bright red.

    "W-what the fuck is happening to me?!"

    "Why am I glowing red?!"

    These yers were shocked at first.

    Their shock turned into puzzlement when they noticed that not every yer was glowing red.

    These yers slowly came to a realization when they saw the other yers who were glowing red had consumed performance-enhancing drugs right before the match began.

    Upon this realization, they started sweating profusely, and like paranoid individuals, they anxiously looked around to see if something was going to happen to them.

    However, nothing happened even after many moments.

    Eventually, these yers stopped glowing red. Seeing this, they all sighed in relief.

    "W-what happened just now?! Why were all of those yers glowing red?" Yao Xiaoxiao questioned out loud.

    "Did someone from the Demon Sealing Faction use a technique? But none of them have moved yet, and nothing happened to those yers who glowed red! What a weird phenomenon!"

    Meanwhile, inside arge room filled with high-ranking officials from the Cultivators'' Association that managed the Great Battlefield, Chairman Lee mmed the table in anger and shouted, "These cheating bastards! I cannot believe how many of them felt the need to cheat despite already having a major advantage! Do none of them know shame?!"

    "Heavens¡­ I also can''t believe it. My eyes nearly popped out of their sockets when I first saw the number of yers exposed as cheaters."

    Out of the almost 42,000 yers from Fiery Locust Swarm, a whopping 30,000 of them glowed red! This meant that more than half of their yers were cheating with performance-

    enhancing drugs!

    "To think that even their leader, Xu Boqin, a Spirit Lord, would resort to cheating when they outnumber their opponents 10,000 to 1. How disgusting."

    "Is this formation really reliable? I cannot fathom how nearly the entire faction is cheating in what seems like a guaranteed victory without the need for drugs. Why would they do something so risky and stupid?" One of the people there asked out loud.

    "I cannot tell you what''s going through their minds, but I can assure you that yer Yuan is trustworthy. He wouldn''t lie about something like this, as it wouldn''t benefit him in any way." Chairman Lee said.

    "Let''s say the formation is working as intended, and all these yers are cheating. What now? Do we remove all of them? That would greatly disturb the match," another person asked.

    "No, we won''t remove them. In fact, we won''t do anything."

    "What?! You''re just going to let them cheat?!"

    "Yes. This is what yer Yuan personally requested, after all. He asked me to turn a blind eye to these cheaters until after the match."

    "W-why on earth would he do that? He could''ve reduced his enemy''s forces by three-quarters without doing a single thing!"

    "Maybe he wasn''t expecting for there to be so many cheaters? Whatever the reason, since it''s his request, he cannot me us for not acting even if it results in his faction''s defeat."

    Sure enough, Yuan hadn''t expected the formation to expose so many cheaters. In fact, he even doubted the formation''s uracy.

    Of course, Yu Ning assured him that the formation was working properly.

    "More than half of them are cheating, huh? Well, that won''t change anything."

    "Huh? What did you just say?" Wang Bingbing and the others turned to look at him with wide eyes.

    "Did you just say that more than half of them are cheating? They have over 40,000 yers against our 5, for heaven''s sake!" Wu Zao cried out loud.

    Yuan smiled and said, "So what if they are cheating? Even if all of them are cheating, it just means that they will be slightly stronger than anticipated. It won''t change anything."

    "Anyways, they have begun to move."

    "There are 129 yersing our way. Who wants to show off first?"

    Shi Lang stepped forward with a resolute face and said, "I will go."

    "Very well."

    Yuan nodded and started ying the zither.

    The moment Shi Lang heard the music, he felt a surge of strength coursing through his body, his reflexes sharpening and his body bing lighter. It was as if he had been reborn into a stronger, more capable version of himself.

    "W-what in heaven''s name is this¡­?" Shi Lang inspected his body with a shocked expression.

    "I just gave you some buffs, that''s all. How do you feel?"

    He responded with a bright smile, "Like I can fight against the entire world, much less a hundred yers!"

    "You''ll encounter them if you move straight in that direction." Yuan raised his arm and pointed in a certain direction.

    Without saying anything else, Shi Lang tightly gripped his spear and started running toward the approaching enemy.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.

    "Oh! What do we have here?! The Demon Sealing Faction has started moving, but they''re only sending a single member into battle!" Yan Xiaoxiaomented.

    "Heavens! Look how fast he''s moving! He''ll encounter the Fiery Locust Swarm in no time!"

    And despite moving far away from Yuan, Shi Lang could still somehow hear his music.

    ''My body is still growing stronger! What a mythical technique!''

    Sometimeter, Shi Lang stopped moving when he noticed a group of individuals in the distance.

    The group also stopped moving when they noticed Shi Lang.

    "Is he alone?"

    "Seriously?"

    "Hahaha! This is practically a free match!"

    While the Fiery Locust Swarm yers stood in ce tough, Shi Lang activated his movement technique and quickly closed their distance.

    Seeing this, the Fiery Locust Swarm yers did not panic and onlyughed louder.

    "He really thinks he can take us on by himself!"

    Most of these yers were Spirit Apprentices, and only six were Spirit Masters.

    "Hmph."

    Shi Lang didn''t even bother speaking to them. The moment he was close enough, he started swinging and thrusting his spear.

    The Fiery Locust Swarm yers tried to surround him, but Shi Lang was simply too fast for them and quickly overwhelmed them.

    Crack! Crack! Crack!

    The Fiery Locust Swarm yers'' badges were destroyed rapidly, and in just a few minutes, Shi Lang took all of their lives without breaking a sweat or being hit once.

 Chapter 1470 Demon Sealing Factions Prowess

    Chapter 1470 Demon Sealing Faction''s Prowess

    ?1470  Demon Sealing Faction''s Prowess

    "Amazing! With swift movements, yer Shi Lang has managed to defeat a hundred yers all by himself without getting hit once!" Yan Xiaoxiao eximed in excitement.

    Di! Di! Di!

    Shortly after Shi Lang defeated the yers, Xu Boqin''s tablet notified him of his yers'' deaths and the locations of their deaths.

    Due to the spacious expanse of the arena, the leaders of each faction are equipped with a tablet that monitors their own yers'' location and avable members. Regrettably, the tablet''s capabilities were limited, leaving them blind to their enemy''s location until it was toote.

    Meanwhile, Yuan''s divine sense was strong enough to cover the entire ind, much less the arena, allowing him to see every yer on the battlefield like a god.

    After a yer is defeated, they have to leave the battlefield immediately, and any interaction with those still participating is strictly forbidden.

    Sometimeter, Xu Boqin decided to send more yers to the Demon Sealing Faction''s castle.

    Three thousand yers were split into three groups, with a thousand yers in each group. Moreover, each of these groups took separate paths. One group advanced in a straight line, heading to where the previous group was defeated, while the other two groups advanced north and south.

    "Looks like the Fiery Locust Swarm decided to ramp things up for the Demon Sealing Faction! How will they deal with this predicament?!" Yan Xiaoxiaomented.

    Seeing this, Yuan used his divine sense tomunicate with Shi Lang, "There are another thousand yers advancing towards you. Most of them are Spirit Apprentices and Spirit Warriors with 30 Spirit Masters."

    "A thousand, huh? Looks like I can no longer hold back." A nervous smile appeared on Shi Lang''s face after hearing this information.

    Even with his talent and experience, fighting 1,000 yers at once would be difficult.

    After speaking with Shi Lang, Yuan spoke to Wang Bingbing and Wu Zao.

    He looked at Wang Bingbing and said, "I''ll leave the north to you. They have a thousand yers."

    "Okay!"

    He shifted his gaze to Wu Zao next and continued, "You can take the south. You''ll also face a thousand yers."T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    "A thousand yers without any warm-up, huh? No matter. The Ancient-rank technique will be mine!" An excited smile appeared on Wu Zao''s face as he elegantly fanned his face.

    "In your dreams, Wu Zao! The reward will be mine!" Wang Bingbing eximed as she started advancing toward the north.

    "We shall see about that!" Wu Zao replied as he advanced toward the south.

    "What is this?! Both Wang Bingbing and Wu Zao from the Demon Sealing Faction also began moving! And they appear to be heading directly toward the Fiery Locust Swarm''s yers! How is this possible?! It''s almost as if they can see everyone''s movements!" Yao Xiaoxiao expressed her surprise and confusion after seeing the Demon Sealing Faction''s movements.

    The spectators were also bewildered and began wondering if the Demon Sealing Faction had a technique for seeing their opponent''s location.

    "Is that why many of the Fiery Locust Swarm members glowed red at the beginning of the match? It must''ve been caused by the Demon Sealing Faction and have some kind of tracking effect!"

    The audience quickly misunderstood the situation.

    Meanwhile, Meifeng approached Yuan and asked, "Are you just going to stay here and wait until they are defeated?"

    Normally, the ruler would stay within the castle and be heavily guarded, but it didn''t matter if Meifeng stayed inside or outside due to their insignificant number. In fact, she found it safer beside Yuan.

    "No, I will be supporting them."

    Yuan retrieved his dagger and activated the technique Ten Thousand Ghost de, cloning his dagger until there were three hundred daggers floating around him.

    "Go."

    Hemanded the daggers to fly into the air before splitting them into three groups and sending a hundred daggers to each of his yers.

    "W-what a mythical technique! yer Yuan just created hundreds of daggers out of thin air to support his fellow yers! I cannot even imagine the control required for such a feat!" Yan Xiaoxiaomented.

    Meanwhile, the judges who evaluated and approved Yuan''s techniques were shocked after watching this.

    "What! He only created 50 daggers during the evaluation! I thought that was the extent of his abilities!"

    "He actually held back during an evaluation? Isn''t that prohibited? He could be disqualified for this."

    "Honestly, we should''ve seen thising. There was no way yer Yuan would be so weak. And it''s not like cloning his weapons directly poses any danger to the yers. Let''s just see where this goes."

    "Hm?" Wang Bingbing and the others quickly noticed the daggers following them from the sky.

    "I thought you weren''t going to do anything?" Wu Zao asked him.

    Yuan smiled and said, "I didn''t say I''d do nothing. Don''t worry, I won''t take your kills unless absolutely necessary if that''s what you''re worried about."

    "I''m actually feeling relieved to know that you''ll be watching my back." Wang Bingbing smiled.

    "Fight to your heart''s content. Although I will be watching your back, I will only intervene if you''re guaranteed to die."

    Shi Lang first encountered the members of the Fiery Locust Swarm sometimeter, as he was closest to their castle.

    "What the?"

    The Fiery Locust Swarm yers were taken aback when they saw Shi Lang, who was being followed by a hundred floating daggers, feeling a little intimidated by his presence.

    "Let''s dance, you cheating bastards!" Shi Lang immediately confronted them with a brave smile on his face.

    "Rain Dragon''s Crushing Waves!"

    Shi Lang''s first action was a martial technique, and like an unstoppable tsunami, he shed with the enemy, who saw the figure of a blue dragon around Shi Lang right before he reached them.

    "Ah!"

    Everyone at the front of the group was sent flying the next second, their badges shattered.

    In the blink of an eye, over a hundred yers from the Fiery Locust Swarm''s side were defeated. However, the Fiery Locust Swarm yers reacted quickly and surrounded Shi Lang.

    Seeing this, Shi Lang released his cultivation. His Spirit Grandmaster aura crushed those around him without injuring them, slightly restricting their movements.

    He then spun his spear above him, scattering his spiritual energy in every direction.

    Those who were struck by his spiritual energy were immediately sent flying.

    "Fuck! He''s much stronger than our Spirit Grandmasters! Even Xu Boqin, who is a Spirit Lord, might not be his match!"

    These yers were shocked by Shi Lang''s prowess, but they did not give up hope and started ganging up on him, attacking him from every direction.

    Shi Lang used his movement technique to avoid most of them and deflected the rest. Even though he was surrounded, he only had to fight several of them at once due to theck of space.

    The enemy yers were also distracted by the flying daggers in the sky, fearing that they would suddenly start attacking them. However, when the flying daggers remained still even many minutester, these yers started ignoring them and focused on defeating Shi Lang, who had already defeated half of them at this point.

    "The flying daggers must be for show only¡ªa mere distraction! Let''s focus on him!"

    "Yeah! He must be getting tired by now! Don''t give up!"

    At the same time, Wang Bingbing and Wu Zao just entered their own battle with the enemy.

 Chapter 1471 Demon Sealing Factions Prowess(2)

    Chapter 1471 Demon Sealing Faction''s Prowess(2)

    ?1471  Demon Sealing Faction''s Prowess(2)

    "Embraced by Heaven''s Breath!"

    With a casual wave of his sleeves and fan, Wu Zao conjured a gust of wind infused with spiritual energy, which he directed towards the group of yers charging towards him.

    "Ah!"

    The wind, though not physically harmful, was a force to be reckoned with. It tore through the air, shattering the yers'' badges into countless pieces, a sight that sent a wave of panic through their ranks.

    "B-badge! Quickly! Protect your badges!"

    The yers swiftly reached for their badges, protecting them from the wind by embracing them with their palms.

    lights¦­¦Ïv¦Ål ?¦Ïm Seeing this, Wu Zao charged into their formation and started smacking the enemy yers in the face with his fan.

    The moment these yers removed their hands from their badges or fought back, Wu Zao immediately went for their badges.

    "Fuck! How is he so fast and slippery?! Bastard''s like an eel!" They cursed at him.

    Despite their best efforts, none of the Fiery Locust Swarm yers were able to touch Wu Zao''s shadow, much less a hair on his body.

    In fact, Wu Zao boasted the fleetest footwork and most agile movements among all members of the Demon Sealing Faction, second only to Yuan.

    Due to his choice of weapon, he couldn''t effectively block otherrger weapons with his small fan, so he focused on avoiding his enemies.

    Sometimeter, even though Wu Zao started his fightter than Shi Lang, he managed to defeat all one thousand enemies before Shi Lang.

    Although Shi Lang also defeated all one thousand enemies, he did note out unscathed and was struck several times. However, he managed to keep his badge safe. During their entire fight, Yuan did not assist them even once.

    Meanwhile, Wang Bingbing was still in the middle of her fight, and she was struggling the most. She was neither as nimble as Wu Zao nor had a long weapon like Shi Lang. With that said, she was not weak by any means and still managed to defeat almost a thousand enemies, albeit with some help from Yuan.

    After defeating about 900 yers alone, Wang Bingbing started feeling fatigued, causing her movements to be more sluggish.

    One of the enemy yers eventually broke through her defenses and would''ve destroyed her badge if not for Yuan''s interference.

    Right when Wang Bingbing was on the verge of losing her life, the daggers that had been inactive and silently watching the fight like a spectator suddenly moved, blocking the strike that would''ve taken her life.

    Wang Bingbing clenched her teeth in frustration after seeing this and decided to stop holding back.

    ''They were right. Trying to fight them while holding back so much is incredibly difficult and exhausting!'' Wang Bingbing stopped being defensive and started attacking more aggressively.

    "Wandering Phantom Sword Arts!"

    Wang Bingbing''s figure became blurry and even looked like she''d multiplied, splitting into four separate figures.

    "What the?!" The remaining yers were surprised by her sudden aggression and use of martial techniques, as she had fought them without any techniques this entire time.

    "If you don''t want any broken bones, you''d better block this properly!" Wang Bingbing warned them as she charged at them without hesitation.

    "Ah! My hands! I think my fingers are broken!"

    Wang Bingbing purposefully aimed for their hands, as such injuries are not considered severe unless she chopped off their fingers.

    After defeating her opponents, Wang Bingbing fell to her buttocks and immediately started cultivating to restore her energy.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.

    "You''re holding back a little too much and wasting energy by doing so," Yuan said to her.

    "I''m worried that I''d identally use too much strength," she sighed.

    Yuan smiled and said, "Don''t worry. I will stop you if I sense that anything might go wrong."

    "Okay! Then I will stop holding back!" Wang Bingbing nodded excitedly.

    Meanwhile, Yao Xiaoxiao continued hermentary, "The Demon Sealing Faction is truly something! Each of their members has managed to defeat 1,000 yers all by themself!"

    The audience also chatted, "While undeniably impressive, they have yet to defeat even ten percent of the Fiery Locust Swarm''s entire army."

    "Right? And how long can they keep this up? They''ll probably be too exhausted even to lift their weapons after another battle or two."

    Xu Boqin looked at his tablet with a pondering expression.

    ''They''ve managed to intercept and defeat all three of our groups, huh.''

    He didn''t immediately send more yers onto the field and waited.

    Sometimeter, several yers from the Fiery Locust Swarm returned to the castle after scouting the battlefield and recalled everything they witnessed to Xu Boqin.

    "What? They only have five yers, including the ruler? That''s impossible! They are surely hiding inside the castle or somewhere on the field!" Xu Boqin doubted this information.

    Unlike the audience, the Fiery Locust Swarm had no idea that they were not fighting against the entire Demon Sealing Faction but just half.

    "That''s what I thought too, but their ruler was not hiding in their castle but standing out in the open in front of their castle with yer Yuan. The other three yers were fighting our yers on the field."

    "No, that can''t be. Look again. I don''t believe that they''re facing us with just five¡ªfour people!" Xu Boqin ordered these scouts to redo their scouting.

    "Yes!"

    These scouts immediately returned to the battlefield and thoroughly searched the entire battlefield for the missing 7 yers.

    Yuan naturally knew about these scouts but purposefully ignored them to see how Xu Boqin would react to their information.

    An hourter, the scouts returned with their results.

    "It''s real! They only have five yers on the field! We''ve searched the entire battlefield but couldn''t find the others!"

    "I even sneaked inside their castle to see if they were hiding inside, but as expected, it was empty!"

    Xu Boqin narrowed his eyes and pondered the meaning behind their actions.

    ''Is this a trap? Or are they seriously looking down on us?''

    After pondering for several minutes, Xu Boqin looked at the 39 thousand people waiting in front of their castle with a resolute face and shouted, "The Demon Sealing Faction dares to look down on us and mock us by sending just five of their twelve yers to confront us in this Faction War! Let''s show them the consequences of mocking us by trampling over them and shattering their arrogance!"

    The yers roared, causing the ce to tremble.

    Shortlyter, Xu Boqin, apanied by his entire faction of 39 thousand yers, marched towards the Demon Sealing Faction''s castle.

 Chapter 1472 An Endless Battle

    Chapter 1472 An Endless Battle

    ?1472  An Endless Battle

    "Oh my! It looks like the Fiery Locust Swarm has had enough and decided to end this once and for all! Although the Demon Sealing Faction has done an excellent job repelling their enemy so far, how are they going to react to the Fiery Locust Swarm''s full aggression?!" Yan Xiaoxiao''s voice trembled from excitement.

    "Hahaha! It''s over for the Demon Sealing Faction! There''s no way they can defend against this with just four people!"

    "Hurry up and end this so I can get my winnings!"

    The audience could feel their heartbeat increasing with every step the Fiery Locust Swarm took toward the Demon Sealing Faction''s castle.

    Seeing the Fiery Locust Swarm''s move, Yuan used his divine sense to speak to Wang Bingbing and Wu Zao, "Make your way to Shi Lang. The Fiery Locust Swarm has finally decided to act. All of them are advancing toward Shi Lang''s direction."

    Wang Bingbing and Wu Zao, who had been cultivating to replenish their spiritual energy, immediately stood up and started running toward Shi Lang''s direction.

    "They should still have around 39,000 yers left, right? Are you telling us to stop them with just the three of us?" Wu Zao asked.T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    Yuan smiled and said, "I don''t expect you guys to defeat all of them by yourselves, but I want you to defeat as many as you can. I will take over once you guys can no longer continue. Also, I doubt they''ll all attack you at once."

    "I hope you''re right."

    They regrouped with Shi Lang sometimeter and prepared to confront the Fiery Locust Swarm.

    "They will arrive soon."

    After a while, a multitude of people emerged on the horizon, advancing steadily towards them like a vast sea.

    Wang Bingbing and the others exchanged nervous nces as they stood face-to-face with the approaching army, their throats dry with apprehension. Nothing could have readied them for this confrontation.

    Xu Boqin, who was leading the army from the front, stopped moving and silently stared at Wang Bingbing and the others.

    He narrowed his gaze as he questioned, "Is it true that only five of you are participating in this Faction War?"

    "So what if it''s true?" Shi Lang replied.

    "Are you looking down on us?"

    "So what if we are?" Wu Zao sneered.

    Xu Boqin''s body trembled in anger. He pointed at them and roared, "Where is yer Yuan?! Tell him to get his ass over here!"

    "If you want to fight Yuan, you''ll have to get past us first."

    "Hmph! Who do you think you are? A bunch of arrogant bastards, it won''t take any effort to get rid of you!"

    "If it won''t take any effort to get rid of us, why did you bother risking everything with performance-enhancing drugs?" Wu Zao asked as he fanned his face, which wore a cheeky smile.

    "What did you say?" Xu Boqin''s face immediately darkened with a deep frown.

    The yers of Fiery Locust Swarm also became anxious upon hearing such words.

    "What? You think we wouldn''t know?" Shi Lang chuckled.

    "Those are hefty usations, but I''ll grant you the opportunity to retract them!" Xu Boqin''s voice thundered with anger.

    "There''s no point trying to hide it. Chairman Lee and the organizers are already aware of it." Wang Bingbing said.

    "If they know, why haven''t they taken any action?! We should''ve been disqualified the moment they knew! This proves that you''re just making baseless usations!"

    "It''s okay if you don''t believe us. You''ll find out once our match ends."

    "Don''t worry, it will end soon!"

    Xu Boqin pointed his sword at them and roared in amanding voice, "If you are a Spirit Apprentice, attack them! But don''t let them suffer a quick defeat! Wear them out and make them regret tarnishing our faction''s reputation!"

    Hundreds of yers immediately detached from the formation and charged at Wang Bingbing and the others.

    Seeing this, the Demon Sealing Faction immediately raised their weapons and prepared to fight back.

    "Despite their overwhelming numerical advantage, the Fiery Locust Swarm has refrained from unleashing their full force!" Yan Xiaoxiao narrated.

    Surrounded on all sides with no avenue of escape, Wang Bingbing and the others found themselves in a relentless onught. Yet, unlike before, they weren''t besieged by the entire enemy force at once and only needed to focus on one yer at a time. However, with every yer they defeated, another swiftly stepped into the fray, ensuring that their battle continued without giving them a chance to catch their breath.

    One hundred¡­ two hundred¡­ five hundred¡­

    One thousand¡­ two thousand¡­ three thousand¡­

    Despite defeating thousands of yers, they were still surrounded with no end in sight. The enemy forces dwindled slightly and at a sluggish pace. Meanwhile, Wang Bingbing and the others found themselves rapidly depleting their energy, their endurance stretched to its limits in this seemingly endless battle.

    In fact, if it hadn''t been for Yuan''s interference every now and then through the flying daggers, they would''ve long lost their lives.

    "How long do we have to keep this up?!" Shi Lang cried out loud.

    While it appeared to the others that he was talking to himself, his words were actually directed at Yuan.

    "If you want to give up, you can. However, I will tell Liya to give special training sessions to the first one to give up." Yuan spoke to them with divine sense.

    When they heard his words, the thought of giving up immediately vanished from their head.

    Four thousand¡­ five thousand¡­ six thousand¡­

    After taking down seven thousand opponents together, they were so worn out they could barely lift their weapons, let alone swing them.

    "Keep pushing them! They''re on the verge of copse!" Xu Boqinughed out loud.

    "yer Yuan! Are you seeing this?! Stop hiding and get your ass out here!"

    Meanwhile, the audience marveled at the Demon Sealing Faction''s remarkable endurance.

    "Goodness gracious! The Demon Sealing Faction has put on quite the spectacle! None of us could have foreseen the extent of their struggle. Sadly, it seems they can hardly press on!" Yan Xiaoxiao remarked, voicing the astonishment shared by the onlookers.

    A few more minutester, just as Wang Bingbing fell to her knees from exhaustion, Yuan''s voice resounded.

    "You guys have done enough. I will take over from here."

 Chapter 1473 A Single Move

    Chapter 1473 A Single Move

    ?1473  A Single Move

    After Yuan spoke with Wang Bingbing and the others through divine sense, he pulled his finger across the zither on hisp, creating a powerful ripple that swept throughout the entire battlefield.

    The ripple traversed at the speed of sound, reaching Wang Bingbing and the others in just a few seconds.

    As the ripple swept the crowd, every yer who had been touched by the ripple was sent tumbling to the ground.

    Another ripple appeared a secondter. When Wang Bingbing and the others were touched by this ripple, they felt their spiritual energy recover a good amount, more than enough for them to move.

    "Come back." Yuan''s voice resounded again.

    Without hesitation, the three of them stood up and started running back to the Demon Sealing Faction''s castle.

    "T-they''re trying to escape! Don''t let them get away! Chase! Chase after them!" Xu Boqin hastily shouted when he saw this, and he quickly started chasing after them, with the rest of his faction following behind.

    Although the Spirit Apprentices and Spirit Warriors were quickly left behind, the Spirit Grandmasters, who were full of energy, quickly caught up with them. However, right when they are about actually to catch up, Yuan interrupts them with the flying daggers.

    "Fuck! This must be yer Yuan''s doing!"

    "Why are you still hiding like a coward, yer Yuan?! Come out and face us if you dare! You are the one who challenged us, not the other way around!"

    As they approached the Demon Sealing Faction''s territory, Yuan said to Meifeng, "I will go now."

    "What about me?"

    "Stay here. The others will be returning soon."

    "Okay."

    Yuan turned to face the Fiery Locust Swarm and flew toward their direction.

    "P-yer Yuan is finally on the move! And he''s speeding towards the Fiery Locust Swarm like a bullet!" Yan Xiaoxiao''s voice brimmed with excitement as she witnessed the scene, her shout echoing loudly through the air.

    "Does he really think he''ll be able to defeat the Fiery Locust Swarm by himself? They still have over 30,000 yers left."

    "Does he think he can enter the scene at thest second and defeat the enemy like a hero? What an arrogant and delusional bastard."

    "Why is he so popr, anyway? We don''t even know his capabilities. He may be a top yer in Cultivation Online, but nobody has seen him in action before."

    "I think he was already famous before Cultivation Online. If I recall correctly, he was a musician. Being the number one yer in Cultivation Online boosted such poprity."

    "What makes him the number one yer? Because he ascends faster than everyone else? I don''t think that is a good indicator."

    Sometimeter, Yuan reached his destination.

    The Demon Sealing Faction yers stopped running when they saw Yuan. Xu Boqin and everyone else stopped chasing after them and lifted their head to look at Yuan, who hovered above them like a deity.

    "Yuan!" Wang Bingbing felt like crying when she saw him, especially after what she''d just experienced.

    He smiled at her and said, "Good work, you guys. Regroup with Miss Meifeng and get some rest. I will take care of them now."From N?velDrama.Org.

    "I can stay behind just in case," said Shi Lang.

    "You can stay here to watch if you want, but you won''t have a chance to help."

    "That''s good enough. I want to see how you''ll deal with them." Shi Lang nodded.

    "T-that''s not fair! I also want to watch!" Wang Bingbing said.

    Wu Zao shook his head and said, "Guess I''ll return alone. Don''t you dare let them get to the castle, Yuan!"

    Yuan acknowledged with a confident smile.

    As Wu Zao left the scene, Yuan retrieved his sword and swung it at the ground.

    Sha!

    He engraved a long sword mark in the ground that served as a line, separating him and the Demon Sealing Faction members.

    "None of you will make it past this line."

    Yuan dered in a calm voice with an overbearing aura around him.

    "Hahaha! You sure act big for someone on the verge of defeat, yer Yuan!" Xu Boqin pointed his sword at Yuan andughed.

    "On the verge of defeat? Who decided that?"

    "Open your eyes and see for yourself! You are the only one who can fight from your side while we still have over 32,000 yers left! We outnumber you 32,000 to 1! Even you can''t do anything about this!"

    Yuan''s gaze swept across the army below him, sending chills down their back.

    Without saying a word, he retrieved his zither and pulled a single string.

    "Heaven Severing Zither Arts!"

    Ding~!

    A profound ripple swept the battlefield, instantly destroying over 7,000 badges from the Fiery Locust Swarm''s side.

    "Now I am only outnumbered 25,000 to 1," Yuan spoke in a calm voice a momentter.

    "What?!"

    Not only the members of the Fiery Locust Swarm but also every single spectator present was shaken to their core by the sight of Yuan effortlessly dispatching 7,000 yers in the blink of an eye.

    "H-heavens! What did we just witness?! With a single move, yer Yuan eliminated over 7,000 yers from the battlefield! What a power y!" Yao Xiaoxiao couldn''t contain her excitement and started shouting like a fangirl.

    The judges who evaluated his techniques stared at the live stream with their jaws touching the ground.

    "What monstrous control! I thought it was already amazing enough when he urately hit 500 targets at once during the evaluation!"

    Xia Jingyi''s expression reflected sheer awe as she murmured, "What level of mastery and control must one attain to achieve even half of what he''d just done?"

    Meanwhile, Yuan continued speaking as he stared at Xu Boqin, "I could easily wipe all of you with a single note, but that would take away all the fun, so I only removed those who aren''t under the effects of performance-enhancing drugs."

    "As for the rest of you¡­ sorry, but I''ll have you stick around for a little longer."

 Chapter 1474 Unparalleled Dominance

    Chapter 1474 Unparalleled Dominance

    ?1474  Unparalleled Dominance

    After witnessing Yuan''s overwhelming prowess, the Fiery Locust Swarm yers subconsciously started taking steps backward, almost as though they were unwilling to confront him.

    Seeing this, Xu Boqin angrily roared at them, "What the fuck are you guys doing?! He must''ve consumed most, if not all, of his energy with that one attack just now! There is nothing to fear! We still overwhelmingly outnumber him!"

    After hearing his words, the yers stopped moving back, which made sense. After all, there was no way a mere Spirit Grandmaster would have enough spiritual energy to repeat such a powerful technique.

    They clenched tightly onto their weapons and advanced toward Yuan, who casually hovered in the air.

    Xu Boqin pointed his weapon at Yuan and shouted, "Come down and fight us if you dare!"

    Yuan smiled and descended to the ground.

    "I was going to do that even without your yapping. After all, how else am I going to beat you all?"

    He tossed the zither in his hands to Wang Bingbing, who swiftly caught it.From N?velDrama.Org.

    Then, wielding a sword in his right hand and a dagger in his left, Yuan approached the nearest yer.

    "Ahhhh!"

    Seeing Yuan approaching him, the yer immediately released a war cry before swinging his weapon.

    Yuan countered with his dagger, blocking the attack. Then, using his sword, disarmed the yer.

    After disarming the yer, Yuan started smacking him in the face with the sword until both of his cheeks were swollen, destroying his badge half a secondter.

    This happened in less than three seconds, leaving the yer confused and baffled.

    However, Yuan did not stop after eliminating the yer and immediately moved to the next one.

    The yers tried to fight back, but none of them were able to block his attacks, much lessnd a hit on him.

    In less than a minute, Yuan eliminated over 20 yers, none of whom left the battlefield without being badly beaten.

    "W-why are you fighting him one at a time?! Surround him and attack him together!" Xu Boqin instructed.

    The yers followed his instructions and quickly surrounded Yuan before attacking him together from all directions.

    However, no matter how many people attacked him at once, Yuan wlessly blocked their attack, even striking back. The yers felt like they were fighting someone with more than two arms.

    Xu Boqin would asionally send a few Spirit Masters into the fray to catch him by surprise, but this waspletely ineffective. It was almost as if Spirit Masters were not different from Spirit Apprentices in his eyes.

    "Let''s speed this up a little, shall we?"

    Yuan suddenly tossed his dagger into the air, and in the blink of an eye, it duplicated until a thousand flying daggers were in the sky.

    "Wha¡ª?!"

    Before the yers could even react, the daggers rained down upon them, smacking them in the faces and stabbing their bodies.

    The yers desperately tried to defend themselves, but they were simply powerless.

    In the blink of an eye, the Fiery Locust Swarm had dropped to 20,000 members.

    "Fuck! How is he still fighting like this?! He should''ve exhausted his spiritual energy long ago!" Xu Boqin anxiously gritted his teeth.

    Sometimeter, hemanded 100 Spirit Masters and 3 Spirit Grandmasters to run past Yuan and target the Demon Sealing Faction''s ruler.

    "Even if you capture their ruler, don''t take their life yet!" he said to them.

    "Yes!"

    These yers ignored the battle between Yuan and the other yers, running past him.

    However, right as they reached the sword mark, they sensed a cold gaze bearing down on them, sending chills throughout their entire body.

    "I thought I said nobody would make it past the line?" Yuan''s voice resounded, followed by an unfathomable pressure that restricted all of their movements.

    "Heavenly Domain."

    Upon Heavenly Domain''s activation, all the yers on the field felt as though their bodies were being restricted in invisible chains. It did not matter whether they were Spirit Apprentices or a Spirit Lord like Xu Boqin, none of them could lift a single finger within the Heavenly Domain.

    "W-what is happening on the battlefield?! Why did everyone''s movement suddenly halt?! It''s as if they''re all frozen in time! What a phenomenon!" Yan Xiaoxiao expressed bewilderment after witnessing the scene.

    "Wait a moment! I take back my words just a second ago! It appears that everyone but yer Yuan is frozen! This must be his doing! What kind of technique did he use to stop their movements?!"

    The judges who evaluated him felt their souls leaving their bodies after witnessing this.

    "He couldpletely restrict the movements of 20,000 people with that technique?! That''s totally cheating!"

    "He purposefully misled us during the evaluation again!"

    They had experienced Heavenly Domain firsthand during the evaluation, but their movements were notpletely stripped away; they were only made sluggish.

    Meanwhile, while the entire battlefield was frozen in time, Yuan casually walked out of his encirclement and approached the yers who tried to get past the sword mark, each of his steps calm and steady, almost as though he had all the time in the world.

    "Heavens! It''s like he''s taking a stroll in the park! What is he nning on doing next?!" Yan Xiaoxiao''s voice shivered from anticipation.

    As Yuan approached the group of yers behind the sword mark, he raised his sword in a batting motion before striking them in the stomach with swift, precise blows, sending them hurtling back to Xu Boqin''s side like mere insects swatted away.

    He continued to do this for the next several minutes until all of those yers were back right where they started.

    Afterward, he walked right back into the encirclement and released the Heavenly Domain, allowing them to move again.

    "Let''s continue, shall we?" Yuan beckoned the dazed yers surrounding him.

    Yet, none of them dared to move.

    His recent actions rendered not only the yers but also the entire audience speechless, stunned by the disy of his unparalleled power and dominance.

 Chapter 1475 End of the Faction War

    Chapter 1475 End of the Faction War

    ?1475  End of the Faction War

    Seeing how nobody dared to approach him, Yuan approached them himself.

    "T-that fucking monster! How does he still have the energy to do that kind of stuff?!" the yers who were swatted like flies all spat out some blood after spending a few moments on the ground groaning in pain.

    "More like, where is he even getting the energy to do that when we can''t use our powerful techniques because of theck of spiritual energy in the air?!"

    "Leader, what should we do now?"

    Xu Boqin clenched his teeth and fists until they bled.

    "I refuse to believe that he''s not exhausted after all that! He must be running low! We still have plenty of yers to spare, too!"

    He raised his voice and continued, "Do not fear! He''s definitely running out of energy! It''s only a matter of time! Whoever brings down yer Yuan will receive a million dors and a Heaven-rank cultivation technique!"

    Hearing this, the yers roared and started charging at him again, their eyes raging with determination.

    "This is more like it!" Yuanughed out loud as he continued his dance with the Fiery Locust Swarm yers.

    Ten minutes¡­ twenty minutes¡­ thirty minutes¡­

    As time passed, the yers began doubting whether Yuan was really tired, much less exhausted.

    His movements remained fluid, and his breathing steady, mirroring the calmness he exhibited when the fight initially began.

    "Leader¡­ when is he going to run out of energy¡­?" the Spirit Grandmasters, waiting for their turn to strike, asked.

    "We''re down to 15,000 yers¡­ At this rate¡­"

    "Take 5,000 yers and charge through the line! My name is not Xu Boqin if he can stop you!" hemanded.

    "Yes!"

    Thus, the Spirit Grandmasters gathered 5,000 yers from the rear of the formation and made another attempt to cross the line.

    When Wang Bingbing and Shi Lang saw this, they prepared to intercept them.

    Yet again, just as these yers were on the verge of crossing the line, an invisible force constrained their movements, thwarting their advance.

    "It''s okay! Don''t panic! He won''t be able to restrict our movements for much longer!" Xu Boqin shouted.

    lights¦­¦Ïv¦Ål ?¦Ïm Yuan looked at him and smiled, "Do you want to put that theory to the test? After all, we still have plenty of time left for our match."

    After saying those words, he took a seat on the ground and closed his eyes.

    "Looks like yer Yuan has used the mysterious technique to restrict his enemy''s movements again! But why isn''t he doing anything?"

    A few minutester, Yan Xiaoxiao seemed to have realized something andmented, "I think yer Yuan is trying to tell the Fiery Locust Swarm something¡ªthat he could do this all day if he wanted! As expected of yer Yuan! His confidence and arrogance are simply off the chart! But let''s see how long he can trulyst! Surely, that technique consumes a tremendous amount of spiritual energy!"

    Ten minutester.

    "Fuck! How much longer do we have to stay like this?! My butt is itchy, but I cannot relieve it!"

    "Who said he was getting exhausted?! What a load of bullshit!"

    "Leader! Please do something about this!"

    With each passing moment of their movement being restricted by Yuan, the anxiety among the Fiery Locust Swarm yers surged, intensifying their sense of unease.

    "yer Yuan! How long do you n on messing with us?! Fight us fair and square!" Xu Boqin roared at him.

    Yuan opened his eyes and looked at Xu Boqin.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.

    "Fair and square? That''s funnying from you. And if I don''t mess with you a little, our match would''ve ended the moment it started," he said as he stood up and approached Xu Boqin.

    "B-bullshit!"

    Yuan stopped in front of him and sneered, "Bullshit? I could''ve easily destroyed all of your badges in thest ten minutes instead of doing nothing."

    He raised his hand and gently poked Xu Boqin''s badge with his sword.

    "I could''ve eliminated all of you with my first move."

    He lowered his sword and asked, "Do you know why I didn''t?"

    "W-why¡­?" Xu Boqin asked in a trembling voice.

    "Because I wanted to enjoy something before it ceases to exist."

    "Huh? What are you even talking about?" Xu Boqin wore a puzzled frown on his face.

    Little did he know that following this match, Yuan would create a formation enabling yers to unleash their full strength without the looming fear of inadvertently causing harm to one another, which would inevitably change Faction Warspletely. Thus, he decided to enjoy it a little before that happened.

    "You''ll understand it soon¡ªor not, since you''ll be prohibited from participating in any future matches for using performance-enhancing drugs."

    "Anyways, I guess it''s about time I wrap this up. It was fun at the beginning, but I''m getting bored and do not want to look like a bully."

    The following moment, Yuan deactivated Heavenly Domain and used Ten Thousand Ghost des to clone his dagger to the technique''s limit of 10,000.

    As ten thousand daggers ominously hovered above the battlefield, exuding a menacing aura, the Fiery Locust Swarm yers hesitated to make a move despite having regained their ability to do so.

    Secondster, the daggers descended with swift and brutal precision, resulting in a scene that could only be described as a merciless massacre.

    In the blink of an eye, 10,000 yers were eliminated.

    After another blink, the remaining yers were also eliminated, with just one yer remaining.

    "I''ll give you a chance," Yuan said as he looked at Xu Boqin, who wore a look of disbelief on his face.

    "Don''t worry, I won''t use any techniques."

    Xu Boqin gritted his teeth, his grip on his weapon tightening as he charged fiercely at Yuan.

    A few secondster, in less than 10 exchanges, Yuan sent Xu Boqin tumbling face-first to the ground.

    "Is this the best you can do after stuffing your face with treasures and performance-enhancing drugs? Even the weakest member of Eternal Lotusessted longer than you. How disappointing."

    Yuan threw his sword at Xu Boqin, shattering the badge around his waist and putting an end to their match.

 Chapter 1476 Post-match Speech

    Chapter 1476 Post-match Speech

    ?1476  Post-match Speech

    "L-looks like we have a winner! Against all odds, the Demon Sealing Faction has managed to defeat the Fiery Locust Swarm and emerged victorious in this Faction War!" Yan Xiaoxiao announced in excitement. "Let''s all give a round of apuse to the Demon Sealing Faction for their outstanding performance and the Fiery Locust Swarm for their effort!!"

    However, instead of celebrating, the majority of the audience was crying and cursing out loud, as they had bet a lot of money on the Fiery Locust Swarm''s victory.

    "Fiery Locust Swarm, you sons of bitches! I bet my entire savings on you! How could you lose to five yers with over 40,000 yers?! You''re fucking trash!"

    "Fuck! This must''ve been a setup to steal our money! There''s no way the Demon Sealing Faction won this! It just doesn''t make sense!"

    "Right?! That frozen movement bullshit must''ve been an act! There''s no way such a powerful technique could exist!"

    The audience erupted into an uproar, leaving Yan Xiaoxiao feeling a tinge of panic. She knew the Demon Sealing Faction''s victory would cause an upset, but she didn''t anticipate it reaching such a level.

    "I want a refund! This is a scam!"

    "This match was scripted! I want a refund!"

    "Refund! Refund! Refund!"

    The masses started chanting loudly.

    "Hahaha! Look at these losers! That''s what they get for not believing in yer Yuan! I made a killing because of this match!"

    "Thank you, yer Yuan! I knew you wouldn''t disappoint me!"

    Amidst the mor of the enraged crowd, there were still voices of gratitude, though they were drowned out by the majority.

    Meanwhile, inside one of the VIP rooms at Arena One, Fiery Queen found herself in a furious outburst, hurling furniture about in a fit of rage.

    "That useless bastard! I poured so much resources and effort into him and his faction, and this is how he repays me?! By suffering such a humiliating defeat?!"

    Although the Fiery Locust Swarm wasn''t Fiery Queen''s faction, it was associated with her main faction as a subsidiary faction, the Fiery Garden of Hell, which was ranked 5th in the world.

    Sometimeter, Yan Xiaoxiao appeared on the battlefield in person with a microphone in her hands.

    She approached Yuan, who had regrouped with the others at their castle and was waiting for someone to tell them to leave the arena.

    "Hello, yer Yuan and the Demon Sealing Faction! I am Yan Xiaoxiao, and I am here for your post-match speech! It doesn''t have to be long. If there''s anything you want to say to the audience or the world, please don''t hesitate!"

    Yuan turned to look at her. She was a stunning youngdy whomanded attention with her tall stature and graceful and confident standing. Her slender figure highlights her elegant poise, and she moves with a fluid grace that captivates all who behold her.

    Her vibrant pink hair cascades in soft waves, framing her face like a crown of blossoms in full bloom. But it''s her sparkling emerald eyes and warm smile that truly mesmerizes anyone who meets her. With every nce, they seem to reveal a myriad of emotions, drawing people in with their maic allure.

    "Wha¡ª! Yan Xiaoxiao?! I didn''t expect to meet my idol in such a ce!" Wu Zao eximed, his face flushed and shocked.

    "Huh? You know her?" Shi Lang looked at him with a surprised face.

    "Of course! She''s a famous idol and singer! I learned about her shortly after moving out of the Jaded Garden, and I''ve been a fan since then." Wu Zao spoke in a proud manner.

    "Do all of us have to give a speech?" Wang Bingbing asked.

    "Nope! Just one of you will be fine!"

    "Then it''s obvious who will do the talking."

    They all turned to look at Yuan.

    Seeing this, he beckoned for the microphone.

    "yer Yuan will now give us a quick post-match speech!" she quickly announced.

    "Here you go!"

    Yan Xiaoxiao grabbed Yuan''s hand with her free hand before intimately handing over the microphone to him, causing Wu Zao''s eyebrows to twitch.

    "Thank you."

    Although the others couldn''t hear the audience''s cursing, Yuan could hear them very well with his divine sense.

    He raised the microphone to his lips and spoke in a clear and calm voice, "Hello, this is Yuan speaking. I''m sure that many, if not most of you, are not satisfied with the results of this Faction War."

    "You''re probably thinking that this was staged or that I cheated. Honestly, I don''t care what you think or how you''re feeling. This is the result. Whether you like it or not will not change anything, so suck it up and learn your lesson¡ªthat lesson being never to bet against me because I will always disappoint you."

    Yan Xiaoxiao and the others stared at him with bewildered expressions, clearly caught off guard by Yuan''s sudden decision to provoke the audience.

    "W-what are you doing, yer Yuan?!" Yan Xiaoxiao called out to him in a low, mosquito-like voice.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.

    Yuan nced at her and smiled, but he continued speaking, "Fiery Queen, I''m sure you''re not satisfied with the results either."

    "Huh?"

    Inside her room, Fiery Queen suddenly halted her movements when she heard her name being called out and snapped her head to stare at the livestream.

    "Therefore, I will give you a chance to avenge your goons. Fiery Queen, I challenge your faction to a Faction War with the same terms as this one! I don''t care if you want to do it tomorrow or a month from now! I will send you the requestter!"

    The entire ce turned dead silent as everyone tried toprehend the situation before them.

    "T-that arrogant son of a bitch!" Fiery Queen threw an entire table across the room after hearing Yuan''s challenge to her.

    "You think you are invincible because you have a few tricks up your sleeves?! Good! If you want a fight, I will give you one!"

    She retrieved her phone and called a number.

    "Send a challenge request to the Demon Sealing Faction!"

 Chapter 1477 Fiery Garden of Hell

    Chapter 1477 Fiery Garden of Hell

    ?1477  Fiery Garden of Hell

    "Did I hear him correctly? He wants to challenge the Fiery Garden of Hell next? They are ranked 5th in the world with over 500,000 members!"

    "He can''t be serious, right? Even if he''s a little excited about defeating the Fiery Locust Swarm, this is a little too much¡­"

    "Even if he challenges them and loses, it won''t help me get my money back!"

    "Why did he target Fiery Queen, specifically? Do they have some sort of grievances with each other?"

    "Obviously. If you didn''t know, the Fiery Locust Swarm is a subsidiary faction of Fiery Queen''s main faction."

    The audience erupted into a frenzy of shock and surprise, their collective gasps and murmurs filling the air as Yuan''s unexpected deration of war still reverberated within their minds.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.

    "That''s all I have to say. Thank you for being here today."

    Yuan handed the microphone back to Yan Xiaoxiao, who absentmindedly epted it, standing there with a dumbfounded expression stered across her face.

    "Let''s leave now," he said to the others, who silently nodded their heads, clearly just as surprised as everyone else.

    Seeing their bewildered expressions, Yuan smiled, "Don''t worry. I have no intention of dragging you into the Faction War. This is my personal battle with Fiery Queen. I will confront her alone, though I will need one of you to assume the role of ruler."

    "Are you serious, Young Master? Fiery Queen''s faction, Fiery Garden of Hell, is ranked fifth in the world, and it has over half a million members. That''s over ten times the number of yers we had to fight today."

    "The formation will be ready by the time we fight, so I don''t need to hold back as much. Even if there''s a million of them, it won''t change a thing."

    As they made their way to the exit, Yan Xiaoxiao snapped out of her daze and chased after them.

    "P-yer Yuan! If you don''t mind me asking, how much of your true capabilities did you disy today? I have a feeling that you''re still holding back your true strength."

    "How much, huh? Would you believe me if I said that I''d only disyed one percent of my true capabilities?"

    "O-one percent¡­?" Yan Xiaoxiao stared at him with a gawking expression.

    He chuckled, "All the techniques I showcased today are among my weakest and least lethal, as Ick confidence in restraining myself enough to prevent idental fatalities if I were to employ my stronger techniques. However, that will change soon."

    "Huh? What do you mean? How will things change?"

    "You''ll find out soon."

    Sometimeter, they encountered Chairman Lee, who was waiting for them at the end of the exit.

    "That was some post-match speech, Yuan."

    "Thank you."

    "The others are waiting for you. Are you able toe with me now?"

    "Sure."

    Yuan looked at the others and continued, "You guys can regroup with Yu Rou and the others. I wille once I am done with the meeting."

    "Okay."

    Meifeng and the others left shortly after, leaving Yuan, Chairman Lee, and Yan Xiaoxiao alone.

    "Hm? Miss Yan, do you need something?" Chairman Lee asked her when he noticed that she''d stayed.

    She quickly nodded and turned to look at Yuan before speaking, "Um¡­ I am actually a big fan of the Demon Sealing Faction¡ªespecially you, yer Yuan! It was your music that got me into singing!I''m sure the entire world will be talking about your faction after today, and if you don''t mind, I would like to visit the Demon Sealing Faction to interview you and your members to help the world understand you guys better!"

    "An interview, huh?" Yuan mumbled with a pondering face.

    "I believe the interview is a good thing, Yuan," Chairman Lee suddenly interjected, his tone serious. "With the Demon Sealing Faction''s debut, it''ll be much harder to remain in seclusion, not to mention the results of your Faction War with the Fiery Locust Swarm. Public sentiment will be low if not already, and this interview will definitely help you regain some. I know you don''t care about such things, but think of your fellow members¡­"

    After a moment of silence, Yuan nodded, "An interview, huh? I don''t mind. And I am not doing this to change the public''s sentiment toward us. I think it''s a good thing to spread the others'' reputation."

    "Thank you for giving me this opportunity! I swear I won''t disappoint you!" Yan Xiaoxiao almost started jumping up and down from excitement.

    "Here is my contact information. You can give me a call whenever you are ready for the interview."

    She quickly wrote down her phone number on a napkin and handed it to him.

    "Alright, I''ll give you a call after I speak with everyone."

    Yan Xiaoxiao left the scene shortly after, and Yuan followed Chairman Lee to the office where the protection formation had been built.

    "You''ll be in a disguise, correct? How should I address you?" Chairman Lee asked as they walked.

    "You can call me Mister Xian."

    "Okay."

    After consuming an appearance-altering pill and transforming into a handsome middle-aged man, Yuan entered the room with Chairman Lee.

    Upon entering, Yuan found several individuals already present, each emanating an aura of authority and ustomed tomanding respect.

    "Allow me to introduce you all to Mister Xian, the formation expert who will be creating the protection formation." Chairman Lee introduced Yuan to the people inside the room before taking a seat with them.

    "Please, have a seat." They gestured to him.

    Yuan nodded calmly and settled into a seat, his demeanorposed and unhurried.

    "We''ve already been briefed about this formation that is allegedly capable of safeguarding yers from serious harm or death during Faction Wars, but we need to hear it directly from you, Mister Xian," one of the individuals said, his tone serious. "Please provide us with aprehensive overview of this formation and your qualifications. We will be entrusting countless lives to it, so we cannot do this halfheartedly."

    "I understand." Yuan nodded and proceeded to exin about the formation in more detail.

 Chapter 1478 Heavenâ€™s Protection Grand Array

    Chapter 1478 Heaven¡¯s Protection Grand Array

    ?1478  Heaven¡¯s Protection Grand Array

    "This formation is officially known as the Heaven''s Protection Grand Array. It''s a level 6 formation that prevents any death and serious injuries as long as one remains within the formation and someone doesn''t significantly exceed the strength of its creator." Yuan exined to the people in the room.

    "For example, I can slice your throat with a sword or stab your eyes with a dagger, and you''ll be perfectly fine as long as you stay within the formation. However, you''d still experience the sensation of pain as if the injury were genuine. Of course, if you''re worried about that, I can also create a formation that can alter the amount of pain you experience."

    "The protection formation isn''t limited to weapons. From martial techniques that can cleave mountains to spiritual attacks¡ªit can protect one from all sorts of damage. If you would like to experience its effectiveness firsthand, we already have the formation set up in this room, so you can go ahead and test it immediately."

    Hearing his words, the people in the room exchanged nces with each other. Clearly, nobody there wanted to go first and was suspicious of its reliability.

    Seeing this, Chairman Lee stood up and said, "I will volunteer to go first even though I have already experienced its effectiveness firsthand."

    He retrieved a steel sword and ced it on the table.

    "I don''t care who does it. Go ahead and swing that sword at me with the intention to kill me."

    "A-are you sure you want to do this, Chairman Lee? What if something goes wrong¡­"

    "How can you put so much trust in someone with no credibility or reputation? I don''t mean to be rude, but I''ve never heard of you until today, Mister Xian."

    Everyone in the room turned to look at Yuan. It was only natural to be suspicious of someone they''ve never heard of yet imed to be able to create level 6 formations when their best array masters are only level 2.

    "I don''t me you for doubting my abilities. It''s true that I am a nobody, and the reason you have never heard of me is that I prefer to remain low-key. I''ll bepletely honest with you. I have studied formations even before Cultivation Online existed."

    "What?! How is that possible?!"

    "I''m not sure if you''re aware of this, but cultivation existed long before Cultivation Online existed. There are even hidden families that have been cultivating since ancient times. I am from one of these families."

    The room fell silent.

    While the existence of these hidden families, such as those from Jaded Garden, remained concealed from the public eye, they were long known among society''s elite echelons.

    "Why have you decided toe out of hiding to do this?" one of them suddenly asked.

    Yuan shrugged, "With the entire world now aware of cultivation, there''s no longer any reason to remain hidden. I am also tired of living a secluded life."

    "What do you wish to gain from this? Fame? Wealth?"

    "I don''t need any of that, nor am I asking for any payment. I am doing this simply because I find entertainment in Faction Wars, and I wish to make it even more entertaining for myself. This is purely an act of self-interest, nothing more, nothing less. With that being said, I have a favor¡ªthat you keep my identity a secret."

    After another moment of silence, one of the people there suddenly picked up the sword on the table and swung it at Chairman Lee with all of his might.

    "Wha¡ª!"

    Because it happened so suddenly and without any warning, Chairman Lee was not prepared for the attack and was taken aback when he was struck in the neck with it.

    The force was strong enough to send Chairman Lee flying toward the wall, mming into it.

    "Fuck! That hurt! You could''ve, at the very least, warned me before you struck!" Chairman Lee cursed at the person who struck him after coughing a little.

    "Heavens¡­ he''s actually unharmed¡­"

    The people in the room stared at him with bewildered expressions.

    "Let me try!" Another person suddenly snatched the sword and swung it at the person who had just swung at Chairman Lee.

    "You fucker! Are you trying to scare me to death?!" the person who just got struck cursed loudly after getting off the floor a momentter.

    Soon, everyone in the room started swinging their weapons at each other without a care in the world.

    "Hahaha! Taste my de, you bastard!"

    The situation reminded Yuan of his days in the orphanage when the children would pretend to fight each other with wooden sticks as weapons.

    Once they were tired of using their weapons, they started throwing their martial techniques around, quickly destroying the entire room.

    Yuan didn''t interrupt them and patiently waited for them to finish.

    Several minutester, Chairman Lee and the othersy on the floor, visibly exhausted from their exertions.

    "Are you guys satisfied with my formation?" Yuan asked them with a calm smile on his face.

    "Very much."

    "So as long as we are inside this formation, we are essentially immortal?"

    Yuan nodded, "Yes."

    "You said that someone stronger than the creator might break the formation, correct? How strong are you?"

    "I will have the cultivation of a peak Spirit King when I create the formation, so unless someone reaches Spirit Sovereign, it''s impossible to break the formation."C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.

    "Peak Spirit King?!"

    They were all shocked to learn his cultivation, Chairman Lee included, as he thought Yuan was only a mere Spirit Grandmaster.

    "Is there anything else we should know about the formation? What about additional functions?"

    "Let me think for a bit."

    Yuan closed his eyes and asked Yu Ning.

    "Well, I can make it so that the formation will automatically teleport those who have taken enough damage to ''die'' to safety," she said.

    "That''s actually great. We won''t need to wear a badge if we can automatically remove those who take too much damage."

    Yuan opened his eyes and shared with the others about the other function.

    "It can do that, too?!"

    "This formation is so convenient! Is there anything it can''t do?!"

    Sometimeter, after sharing with each other their thoughts on the matter, Chairman Lee said to Yuan, "We will redesign all of the arenas for this change. Do you mind waiting until then to create the formations?"

    "How long will that take?"

    "We will halt all Faction Wars to focus on the reconstruction and work around the clock, so it shouldn''t take too long. I''d say about a month or so, including the time it''ll take to n and design the new arenas."

    Yuan nodded, "Alright, let''s do just that then."

    After talking for a little longer, Yuan left the office with Chairman Lee.

    "Then I will contact you once the reconstruction is nearly finished."

    "Sure."

    "One more thing. When do you want to schedule your Faction War with Fiery Queen?"

    "If they ept the challenge, we can do it immediately once the formation ispleted. It will also be a good chance to show off the formation''s effectiveness since many people will be doubtful at first."

    "I understand."

    After Yuan left, Chairman Lee promptly returned to the office to join the others in the task of redesigning the arenas.

 Chapter 1479 Alliance With Eternal Lotuses

    Chapter 1479 Alliance With Eternal Lotuses

    ?1479  Alliance With Eternal Lotuses

    "Chairman Lee, who was that person? I doubt that was his real appearance." One of the people in the room suddenly inquired when he returned.

    "Are you really asking me about his identity when he clearly wants to keep it hidden for whatever reason?" Chairman Lee''s piercing gaze met the person who had just spoken, his displeasure etched on his face.

    "Are you going to be responsible for offending him because you care so much about his identity? Are you going to risk everything over a mere identity?"

    "..."

    Silence fell over the room as his words resonated withpelling logic, leaving everyone momentarily speechless.

    Chairman Lee sighed a momentter, "I know what you''re all thinking, but forget about it. He''s not someone you can take advantage of."

    "Then how will we deal with the others?Once we halt the Faction Wars, inquiries will undoubtedlye flooding in from every direction," someone voiced his concern.

    "Let them question us. It''s not like we''re doing something illegal or suspicious, so we''ll just answer them truthfully."

    "Any more questions?"

    "That surnamed Xian¡­ is he truly trustworthy? And how much do you trust him?"

    Chairman Lee stared at them with a serious expression on his face and responded in a clear voice, "I trust him enough to risk my life."

    The people in the room exchanged nces with each other before nodding their heads.

    "Chairman Lee, our trust lies in you, not in that individual, so if you say that you''ll trust him, we won''t make things difficult for you."

    "Let''s immediately start the Great Battlefield''s renovation, shall we?"

    Meanwhile, after Yuan regrouped with Meifeng and the others, they left Arena One. Not wanting to be recognized or surrounded, they all consumed an appearance-altering pill before leaving.

    "Young Master, Fiery Garden of Hell has sent us a challenge request. The terms are the same as the one we sent to Fiery Locust Swarm." Meifeng notified him as they made their way to Bai Lianhua''s private jet.

    "Is that so? Go ahead and ept it."

    "I already did," she said with a smile.

    "Now we wait until they finish their renovations."

    While Yuan and the others flew away from the Great Battlefield, discussions about the Demon Sealing Faction''s shocking debut filled every forum and website rted to Faction Wars and Cultivation Online.

    [I just watched the Demon Sealing Faction''s debut! Is yer Yuan even human?!]

    [His members are also very strong. I can tell that they were holding back quite a lot, too.]

    [They really made a fool out of the Fiery Locust Swarm and those who mocked them.]

    [I always believed in yer Yuan!]

    [Does anyone know what techniques were used by yer Yuan? Can they be found in the Myriad of Techniques?]

    [Now that I think about it, this is the first time we''ve seen yer Yuan''s capabilities outside of Cultivation Online. As for his capabilities inside Cultivation Online¡­ it has yet to be seen.]

    "Young Master, we''re getting a lot of emails from powerful backgrounds who wish to purchase the techniques you disyed during the Faction War." Meifeng suddenly said to him as she browsed through herptop. "Some of them are from the Ten Great Families."

    "Just ignore them," he casually said.

    "Okay."

    "Everyone is talking about your faction," Yu Rou chuckled as she swiped through her phone.

    "It''d be weird if they weren''t." Wang Bingbing shrugged.

    "While we''re on the topic of factions¡­ Lianhua, want to form an alliance with the Demon Sealing Faction?"

    "Huh?" Bai Lianhua turned to look at him with a surprised face.

    "I''m not sure if the concept of alliances between factions exists yet, but you understand its significance, don''t you?" Yuan continued. "Essentially, we''ll be mutually assisting each other in an official manner."

    "Alliances exist. The Fiery Locust Swarm and Fiery Garden of Hell, for example. But I''m not sure how we''ll be able to assist you guys." Bai Lianhua shook her head.

    lights¦­¦Ïv¦Ål ?¦Ïm "We might never need your help and vice versa, but we''ll never know for sure. Of course, even if you refuse to form an alliance with us, we won''t do something as petty as refusing to help you in the future."

    Bai Lianhua quickly responded, "I''m not refusing to form an alliance with you. In fact, I could not be any happier to do so. I''m just a little worried about our qualifications."

    "Who cares about something as insignificant as that? The only qualification you need is my approval, and you already have it." Yuan smiled.

    "If you say so, then I won''t be humble." Bai Lianhua nodded.

    "Then we''ll be in your care." Yuan extended his hand for a shake.

    Bai Lianhua showed a bittersweet smile as she shook his hand, "We''re already in your care with the techniques you''ll be giving us."

    "Then I''ll send you the alliance request right now," Meifeng suddenly said.

    A few momentster, Bai Lianhua epted the request, officially forming their alliance.

    Sometimeter, they returned to the Eternal Lotuses'' headquarters.

    "Make sure to visit us again soon, brother! And I don''t mean next year!" Yu Rou said to him at the front gate.

    "I know. I''ll visit you again next month before our Faction War with the Fiery Garden of Hell."

    "Also, I''ll be activating the formation to limit our cultivation soon, so don''t be rmed when your cultivation is suddenly suppressed."

    "Okay."

    "Huh? What are you talking about?" Wang Bingbing and the others looked at him with puzzled faces.

    "I''ll exin it on the way back."

    Sometimeter, they left the Eternal Lotuses'' residence and made their way back to the Dragon Spiral Mountain.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    "What?! You''re going to limit everyone''s cultivation to peak Spirit Grandmaster?!"

    Shi Lang eximed in a shocked voice after learning of his n.

    "Heavens¡­ you can do something like that?" Wang Bingbing was shocked for another reason.

    "As crazy as it sounds, I actually support it. Humans are capable of ridiculous things, much less cultivators." Wu Zao said.

    Meifeng nodded, "I was actually going to bring this matter up sooner orter. I''m d you''re way ahead of me in this regard. Thest thing we need are crazy cultivators changing terrains for whatever reason."

    Yuan then said, "I''ll exin this in more detail once we return and everyone is present."

 Chapter 1480 Nine Divine Supremes

    Chapter 1480 Nine Divine Supremes

    ?1480  Nine Divine Supremes

    When they returned to the Dragon Spiral Mountain, Yuan went to see the Lord''s condition while everyone else went back to the mansion.

    Upon seeing the Lord, Yuan was relieved to notice a significant improvement in his condition. The Lord''s eyes shone with renewed rity, his red fur now vibrant with life.

    "Wee back, Yuan." The Lord greeted him with a smile.

    "You look much better."

    "Yes, and it''s all thanks to you and Ji Ran."

    Yuan looked at the Starry Abyss resting not far away with a smile.

    "He must be utterly exhausted if he hasn''t even noticed our return," Yuan muttered in a low voice.

    "That''s the downside to being just a soul without its body. While cultivators at his level don''t require a Dantian to contain spiritual energy, the amount of energy he can store inside his soul is much more limited."

    "Also, even if they regain their physical body, they''ll need to rebuild it from scratch."

    Yu Ning could be heard sighing when she heard the Lord''s words, which reminded her of the sad reality. However, even if she had to rebuild her body from scratch, it was better than having her soul slowly rotting away in the Shadow Realm.

    "The spiritual energy in this world is too weak to recover Ji Ran''s exhausted energy, so you''ll have to let him do it within the Nine Heavens." The Lord said a momentter.

    Yuan nodded and retrieved the Starry Abyss.

    "By the way¡­"

    The Lord lifted his head to gaze at the sky and smiled, "You are responsible for that formation, correct?"

    "Yes. I am going to suppress everyone''s cultivation base. Do you object to my method?" Yuan asked.

    "You''re doing it to protect this world, no?"

    "I am."

    "Then why would I object? Although I am preserving this world, I am not doing it purely out of my love for humans. Indeed, I love them, but I also despise them at the same time." The Lord sighed with a heavy breath.

    He continued, "Humans possess an innate greed, willing to resort to heinous acts in pursuit of power. Their hunger for control is insatiable, and even a fleeting taste of power can drive them to madness."

    "Of course, I fully understand that not every human is a power-hungry beast, but it only takes one to inflict irreparable damage and ruin everything for the rest. If you hadn''t acted, I would''ve created the formation myself sooner orter. Why do you think the Nine Heavens operate the way it does? The Lower Heavens would''ve copsed long ago if immortals were allowed to dwell there."

    Yuan smiled at his words and asked out of curiosity, "Lord¡­ I have been wondering this for a while, but why are you sacrificing your own life for this world? I mean, I am aware that you''d still perish with this world if it were to copse, but wouldn''t that be better than slowly suffering as this world''s protector?"

    Hearing his question, the Lord lifted his head to gaze at the sky with a calm yet emotional gaze.

    "As the descendant of the Immortal Monarch, you deserve to know. This world, before it was separated from the Nine Heavens, was the birthce of the Immortal Monarch, and my father was one of the Nine Divine Supremes."

    "The Nine Divine Supremes are the Divine Beasts that were directly under the Immortal Monarch. They were all Supreme Beings at the peak of their respective bloodline, each capable of rivaling the entire world."

    "My father, who was known as the Crimson Terror, used to be a walking cmity who hunted and consumed humans on a daily basis. However, he changed after being humbled by the Immortal Monarch and grew to love humans."

    "The Crimson Terror, huh¡­" After hearing this name, a vague image appeared inside Yuan''s head, but no matter how much he tried to remember, he could not get a clear image.

    "So you''re doing this for your father?"

    "I am doing this for my father and the Immortal Monarch. If it weren''t for the Immortal Monarch, humans would''ve never stopped hunting our race. The same could be said for the other races since it was the Immortal Monarch who united the human race and beasts."

    Yuan stared at the Lord with a silent gaze, seemingly pondering something.

    After a brief moment of silence, he smiled warmly and expressed, "I''m at a loss for words to convey my gratitude to you, Lord."

    "I don''t deserve your gratitude since I am not doing this for you," Lord said with a calm smile.

    However, that smile immediately froze when he heard Yuan''s next words.

    "No, you did. I have the Immortal Monarch Bloodline not because I am his descendant but because I am the Immortal Monarch himself."

    "You¡­ what¡­ huh?" The Lord''s eyes widened with immense shock.

    Seeing his bewildered face, Yuan repeated, "I am the Immortal Monarch¡ªhis reincarnation, to be precise. Unfortunately, I do not have all of my memories, but I am slowly regaining them."

    Thud.

    The Lord fell to his knees, his face filled with disbelief.

    "Is this... real? Or am I dreaming...?" he murmured in a bewildered tone, struggling toprehend the surreal turn of events.

    Yuan nodded and spoke, "My name was Tian Yi. The first to follow me was Dragon Goddess Yeyou, followed by the Primordial Phoenix, Feng Yuming. My thirdpanion was the Eater of Stars, Xingrui. Regrettably, this is the extent of my memories."

    The Lord''s entire being trembled, and he muttered, "While Dragon Goddess Yeyou and Primordial Phoenix Feng Yuming are renowned figures, the Eater of Stars, on the other hand, was shrouded in mysteries. Besides the Nine Divine Supremes and the Immortal Monarch himself, nobody knew her real name¡­"

    "I no longer have any doubt about your identity."

    The Lord lowered his body until even his forehead was kissing the ground.

    "Immortal Monarch, ruler of the Nine Divine Supremes and Savior of One Hundred Bloodlines, this lowly one wees you home!" he eximed in profound reverence.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

 Chapter 1481 Tantrum

    Chapter 1481 Tantrum

    ?1481  Tantrum

    ''Immortal Monarch? Who is that?'' Yu Ning raised her eyebrows in a puzzled manner, as she''d never heard of this individual before.

    Since the Immortal Monarch came into existence way after the Heavenly War of Immortals and Gods, there was simply no way for those within the Shadow Realm to know of him.

    Despite the asional tales of the Divine Heavens splitting into the Nine Heavens being told by those who ventured into the Shadow Realm throughout the years, the Immortal Monarch''s name never found its way into these discussions, leaving a void of knowledge in the Shadow Realm.

    With that being said, there were names that Yuan uttered that sounded familiar to Yu Ning.

    ''Dragon Goddess Yeyou, Primordial Phoenix, and even the Eater of Stars? Weren''t they godlike entities revered as the pinnacle of the beast race?'' Even in her era, these names were tantamount to deities beyond humanprehension, especially the Eater of Stars, who was viewed as a cmity or God of Destruction.

    ''Yuan is the reincarnation of this Immortal Monarch who ruled over such powerful entities¡­? Heavens¡­ This exins why his entire existence is so heaven-defying!'' Yu Ning clenched her fists from excitement at the realization that she''d been picked up by such a powerful individual.

    "Please, stand up." Yuan beckoned the Lord.

    "Yes!"

    The Lord immediately stood up, but his head remained lowered, staring at the ground.

    "There''s no need to act in such a manner, Lord. I may be the Immortal Monarch, but you''re still this world''s savior. If anything, I should be the one lowering my head to you."

    "Please don''t do that, Your Majesty."

    "Only if you stop calling me that¡­"

    "But you''re the emperor of beasts¡­"

    "That was before my death. I am merely Yuan now, a human living on Earth. Just address me as that."

    "If you say so, Yuan¡­"

    Despite being ustomed to addressing him as such, it now felt profoundly ufortable for the Lord, knowing Yuan''s true identity as the Immortal Monarch.

    "If you don''t mind me asking, how did you perish as the Immortal Monarch? And what happened to the Nine Divine Supremes?" The Lord suddenly asked.

    Yuan shook his head and said, "Unfortunately, I do not know."

    The Lord fell silent with a pondering expression on his face.From N?velDrama.Org.

    After a moment of silence, he spoke in a grim tone, "The destruction of the Divine Heaven and the Immortal Monarch''s disappearance coincided. This cannot be a mere coincidence. I am convinced the Immortal Monarch yed a role in it, which led to his demise."

    Upon hearing this, Yuan responded, "Actually, though I am uncertain of the whereabouts of all the Nine Divine Supremes, I can confirm the location of Dragon Goddess Yeyou. In fact, she is with me at this very moment."

    "What?! Where is she?!" The Lord''s entire body tensed up after learning of this shocking information.

    Yuan retrieved the Dragon''s Soul and showed it to him.

    "She''s in here¡ªher soul, at least."

    "What¡­?"

    The Lord stared at the Dragon''s Soul with a dazed face.

    "To reduce Dragon Goddess Yeyou, who was the strongest among the Nine Divine Supremes, to such a state, what unfathomable events could have led to such a tragedy?" he muttered in a trembling voice.

    "You can ask her, but she will not respond no matter how many times I try to speak with her," Yuan shrugged.

    "That usually happens when you upset her in some way¡­" The Lord exined.

    "Huh? I don''t remember doing anything that could upset her. But to think her reason for not responding was due to a tantrum¡­ I guess she can be quite childish, too." Yuan chuckled.

    However, the Lord did not find his words funny. In fact, he wore a terrified expression on his face and even distanced himself.

    lights¦­¦Ïv¦Ål ?¦Ïm The very next moment, the Dragon''s Soul in Yuan''s grasp suddenly began to tremble violently, and an unfathomably powerful pressure that threatened every existence on Earth appeared.

    This sudden turn of events shocked Yuan, who quickly eximed, "What''s happening?!"

    "Y-you angered the Dragon Goddess by calling her childish!" The Lord responded in a screaming voice.

    "What?!" Yuan eximed.

    He immediately turned to look at the Dragon''s Soul with a bittersweet smile and apologized, "I''m sorry, Dragon Goddess Yeyou, for calling you childish."

    Yet, the Dragon''s Soul began trembling even more viciously for some reason.

    "Even though I apologized?!"

    "..."

    Although Dragon Goddess Yeyou did not utter a single word, the Lord could somehow understand the reason for her frustration, but he wasn''t sure whether he should reveal this information to Yuan, fearing it would anger her even further.

    Yet, if he remained silent, the Earth would be imperiled, facing the looming threat of destruction.

    "Y-Yuan¡ª"

    Just as the Lord parted his lips to speak, he felt a sharp aura materialize before his throat. It was Dragon Goddess Yeyou''s silentmand to maintain silence, and heplied without hesitation.

    ''I''m sorry, but you''ll have to figure this out on your own¡­'' the Lord sighed inwardly.

    "Dragon Goddess Yeyou, why can''t you just tell me what''s bothering you? I''m sure you know this already, but I do not have all of my memories as the Immortal Monarch, so I cannot respond to you the way you probably want me to."

    "..."

    Surprisingly, the Dragon''s Soul began to calm down.

    Seeing this, Yuan quickly continued, "I am sorry, but I will definitely make it up to you when I remember."

    The Dragon''s Soul stopped shaking, and the terrorizing pressure also disappeared.

    Yuan wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and sighed inwardly, ''She''s more handful than what I currently remember¡­''

    Sometimeter, Yuan said to the Lord, "Anyway, I will activate the formation once I warn the others. Of course, I won''t restrict you or Liya''s cultivation base."

    "I will support your decision no matter what you want to do."

    "Then I''ll return once I replenish Ji Ran''s cultivation base."

    Yuan recalled the Starry Abyss and descended down the mountain, returning to the mansion shortly after.

 Chapter 1482 Powerful Presences

    Chapter 1482 Powerful Presences

    ?1482  Powerful Presences

    Upon returning home, Yuan was greeted by Meifeng at the door, who said, "The others havee out of Cultivation Online and are waiting for you in the dining room."

    "Okay."

    They went to the dining room together, where everyone was gathered and chatting mereily.

    "Hahaha! You should''ve been there! We had to fight 40,000 yers with just the four of us!" Shi Langughed out loud.

    "Damn it! Why did I have toe out of Cultivation Online a dayte?! I can''t believe that I missed out on our debut!" Wang Ming cursed as he mmed the table with his fist and a regretful look on his face.

    It was not just Wang Ming. Everyone who missed out on the Faction War wore a disappointed expression on their faces.

    "Don''t be too upset. You''ll have plenty of chances to participate in the future." Yuan said as he entered the room.

    "Yuan!"

    He took a seat and continued, "We have another Faction War with the Fiery Garden of Hell in about a month, but I n on participating in this alone."

    "Eh?! Why?!"

    "Let''s just say I want to teach Fiery Queen a lesson, and it would be less effective if everyone were there. If you really want to participate in a Faction War, we can simply challenge another faction after that one."

    "Anyway, I have an important announcement that will affect all of us and surely cause an uproar around the world for some time," Yuan suddenly dered, his expression solemn.

    Everyone in the room immediately fell silent, a sense of nervousness hanging in the air.

    "Due to the system update that allowed people on Earth to acquire treasures and whatnot from the Nine Heavens, our economy and overall power bnce has be chaotic, to say the least. Many cultivators saw a significant boost in their cultivation because of this. Normally, this would be celebrated, but unfortunately, this is a disaster waiting to happen."

    "Earth is simply too small and frankly not ready to have so many powerful cultivators running around. While the number of cultivators who can destroy this world is still small and our cultivation world isn''t as developed, I am going to restrict everyone''s cultivation to peak Spirit Grandmaster, just like how the Nine Heavens have certain cultivation restrictions for each world."

    "This is a selfish act that some may even call oppressive and tyrannical, but I refuse to risk this world being destroyed by a single bad apple. Any questions?"

    Hong Xiuquan raised his hand and asked, "Does this apply to us, as well? I''m pretty sure nobody here would do anything that would put the world at risk."

    Yuan nodded, "I can also confidently say that nobody here would do such a thing, but I cannot show any favoritism, as that would be unfair to others. Moreover, if everyone in the world except for those around me had their cultivation suppressed, it would definitely raise eyebrows."

    "So you don''t n on letting the world know you''re behind the restriction?" Xi Murong asked.

    "No, I do not."

    "Well, I don''t have any objections orints. Luckily, I didn''t get ahead of myself, or I would''ve wasted a lot of resources increasing my cultivation base past Spirit Grandmaster." Wang Xiuying chuckled.

    "I guess we won''t have to worry about our cultivation on Earth after reaching the peak of Spirit Grandmaster anymore. This is great news for me since I can focus on Cultivation Online now," said Chu Liuxiang.

    "Right? It''s exhausting cultivating two bodies at once," Wang Bingbing sighed out loud.From N?velDrama.Org.

    "When are you going to suppress our cultivation?" Li Jinxi asked.

    "Later today."

    "Okay."

    Sometimeter, after the conversation regarding the formation ended, Yuan notified the others about their interview.

    "I thought you guys would like some recognition, so I agreed to an interview for the members of our faction. I''ll contact the interviewer after this, so it''ll be great if you can stay on Earth for a few days. Of course, if you''re busy or don''t wish to participate, I won''t forceyou."

    "An interview, huh? I''m surprised this didn''t happen sooner." Chu Liuxiang said.

    "Who''s the interviewer?" Meixiu asked.

    Wu Zao suddenly stood up and announced, "That would be the idol, Yan Xiaoxiao!"

    "Who?"

    Several voices could be heard at the same time.

    "Wha¡ªnone of you know Yan Xiaoxiao?! She''s the number one idol!" Wu Zao looked at them with clear disbelief on his shocked face.

    "So you were into that kind of stuff, huh? How surprising." Hong Xiuquan chuckled.

    "I don''t care who it is as long as they''re not someone suspicious or have any ulterior motives." Li Jinxi said.

    "There''s no way she''s someone like that! I can vouch for her!" Wu Zao said as he patted his chest confidently.

    Everyone in the room looked at him with weird faces.

    Sometimeter, Yuan left the mansion to prepare for the formation''s activation.

    ''Yuan¡ªno, Young Master, before you activate the formation, I should let you know that its effect is limited to those below Spirit Enlightenment. If someone were to achieve that level, it would no longer suppress their cultivation. This is due to yourck of cultivation base, as I was only able to create an inferior formation with my given resources. With that being said, I can improve it in the future once you increase your cultivation base.''

    Yuan nodded, "Okay."

    "Also, there''s another matter you should be aware of. When I searched this world with my divine sense, I was able to detect several powerful presences with a cultivation that already surpasses Spirit Enlightenment hidden around the world. I believe they''re all Divine Beasts."

    "Is that so? I always expected this world to have a few of them, so this just confirms my suspicions. Since they have dwelled in this world for so long without causing any trouble, I don''t need to worry about them causing any trouble for Earth for now. However, I would like to visit them soon," Yuan muttered as he stared at the horizon with a pondering expression on his face.

 Chapter 1483 Flashbacks

    1483 shbacks

    "Then I''ll activate the formation now."

    Yuan closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

    A momentter, he opened his eyes with a resolute expression and activated the formation.

    Immediately after the formation''s activation, a profound pressure engulfed the entire world. This pressure made cultivators feel uneasy, their instincts sensing something dreadful. Meanwhile, mortals who did not cultivate remained blissfully unaware, feeling nothing at all.

    As the creator of this formation, Yuan wasn''t affected by its effects. However, cultivators around the world sensed a change within their bodies¡ªmore specifically, in their Dantian. It was an indescribable sensation, almost as if an invisible force had taken hold of it.

    Those below the peak of Spirit Grandmaster were unaware of the formation''s effects, as it did not impact them. However, those above Spirit Grandmaster were struck with a paralyzing shock, their faces contorted with terror, when their cultivation was suddenly suppressed to the level of Spirit Grandmaster.

    Around fifty cultivators around the world have achieved Spirit Lord, and all of them had their cultivation lowered simultaneously.

    "W-what the fuck?! What happened to my cultivation?!"

    "Did someone poison me?! Why did my cultivation suddenly regress?!"

    These Spirit Lords frantically began trying to figure out what had caused their cultivation base to decline, but it would be some time before they realized the truth.

    Since there were so few of them, and the concept of a formation capable of restricting everyone''s cultivation base was simply ludicrous, it was practically impossible for them toprehend the situation for the time being.

    "It''s done¡­" Yuan sighed after activating the formation.

    "The people won''t figure out the cause of the restriction, but they will eventually realize that their cultivation is being restricted."

    Yu Ning then said, "While the formation forcefully suppresses their cultivation, it won''t stop them from increasing their cultivation, so while they can be a Spirit Lord, their cultivation will be suppressed to remain at Spirit Grandmaster until they surpass Spirit Enlightenment, which will probably take decades."

    Yuan returned to the mansion shortly after and contacted Yan Xiaoxiao.

    "Hello, this is Yuan. This is regarding the interview¡­ Yes, we''ll be avable for the next few days."

    "I''ll be there tomorrow morning!" Yan Xiaoxiao dered, her voice shivering from excitement.

    "Then I''ll see you tomorrow. Goodnight."

    After hanging up, Yuan returned to his room.

    Inside, Chu Liuxiang was waiting for him. However, instead of beckoning him from the bed as usual, she sat on the balcony, staring at the dark sky with a profound expression on her beautiful face.

    "Lulu?" Yuan called out to her.

    She turned to look at him with a gentle smile and asked, "Do you have a moment?"

    "Of course. What''s wrong?"

    He sat right beside her.

    After fidgeting around for a bit, clearly nervous about it, she spoke, "I might sound crazy for saying this, but you see¡­ I have been having these weird dreamstely."

    "Dreams?" Yuan raised an eyebrow.

    "Actually, not dreams. They''re more like shbacks¡ª

    shbacks of memories that do not belong to me. It would typically ur when I am deeply immersed in my cultivation."

    "When did you start having these shbacks?" Yuan asked.

    "Shortly after you gave me this ring."

    Chu Liuxiang retrieved Huang Xiao Li''s spatial ring and showed it to him.

    "Even though I don''t recognize any of these memories, they feel awfully familiar and realistic, almost like I''d actually experienced it before."

    "Huang Xiao Li¡­" Yuan suddenly muttered.

    "Huh?" Chu Liuxiang''s eyes widened with surprise after hearing this namee out of his mouth.

    "T-that''s a name that frequentlyes up in my shbacks! How do you know such a thing?!"

    Yuan smiled and said, "I don''t want to spoil the fun, so I won''t say anything. However, these shbacks are real memories."

    "Real memories¡­?" Chu Liuxiang looked at the ring and muttered, "Could these memories have belonged to the previous owner of this ring?"

    "Something like that."

    "Then can I ask why you gave this ring to me? You said it belongs to me, but I don''t get it."

    "You will in due time." T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    Chu Liuxiang puffed her cheeks and said, "You''re teasing me!"

    Yuan chuckled, "Is this the cause of your worries?"

    "Basically. I thought I was possessed by a ghost or something."

    "Don''t worry, you''re not cursed or possessed."

    Chu Liuxiang stood up and suddenly grabbed Yuan''s hand.

    "It''s been a while since we''ve been together like this. Let''s have some fun!"

    She quickly dragged him to the bed.

    When Yu Ning saw this and realized what they were about to do, she immediately sealed her divine sense to respect their privacy.

    ''So he already has a partner¡­'' she sighed inwardly.

    Several hourster, while Chu Liuxiang slept beside him with a satisfied and peaceful face, Yuan stared at the ceiling with a pondering expression.

    ''So she''s slowly regaining her memories as Huang Xiao Li¡­ Does this mean Li Jinxi is also regaining her memories as Jin Xi?'' he wondered inwardly.

    Before the sun fully rose, Yuan left his room while Chu Liuxiang continued to sleep peacefully.

    "Good morning, Young Master." Meifeng greeted him in the hallway as she mopped the floor.

    "You''re up early."

    "I always wake up this early," she calmly said.

    "Yan Xiaoxiao should be arriving soon. I''ll do some warm-up on the training grounds. Can you call me when she arrives?"

    "Certainly."

    When he arrived at the training ground, he could see that someone had arrived before him, and she was swinging arge sword twice her size around like it was a feather.

    Upon noticing Yuan''s presence, Li Jinxi stopped her training to look at him.

    "It''s been a while. Spar with me," she immediately said to him.

    "Sure."

    As Yuan approached her, Li Jinxi stored away herrge sword and retrieved a different sword.

    "That''s¡­" Yuan did not expect Li Jinxi to pull out the Golden Empress suddenly.

    "You''re going to spar with that?" he chuckled.

    "You can''t handle it?"

    In response to her words, Yuan retrieved the Empyrean Overlord.

    "I see that you''ve gotten better at provoking me, but let''s see if anything else has improved."

 Chapter 1484 Jin Xiâ€™s Influence

    <h4>Chapter 1484 Jin Xi¡¯s Influence </h4>

    1484 Jin Xi¡¯s Influence

    Shortly after Yuan and Li Jinxi began sparring with each other in the training grounds, Yan Xiaoxiao arrived at the Dragon Spiral Mountain''s entrance gate.

    She approached the gate with an excited smile on her face.

    "Hello! I have an appointment with the Demon Sealing Faction!" she said to the guards there.

    "You must be Lady Yan Xiao Xiao. We have been expecting your arrival." The guards treated her with respect.

    Typically, only those living at the top of the Dragon Spiral Mountain are allowed to have guests without needing Liya''s approval. However, the Lord made it very clear that Yuan could use the Dragon Spiral Mountain as he pleased.

    "Please wait here while we contact the Demon Sealing Faction."

    One of the guards went to contact Meifeng, who was appointed as their manager.

    Yan Xiaoxiao nodded and turned to look at the majestic scenery before her.

    ''So this is the famous Dragon Spiral Mountain, huh? I have been trying to get a house in this ce for a while, but I keep getting rejected even with my status¡­'' she sighed inwardly.

    The spiritual energy within the Dragon Spiral Mountain could be considered the best in the world, so many people have applied to be its residents since cultivation became the norm. Unfortunately, everyone who applied after Yuan was rejected, meaning Yuan and his group were thest people to settle in the Dragon Spiral Mountain.

    Sometimeter, Meifeng arrived at the gate while driving a red motorcycle.

    "I''m here to bring you to our residence," she said as she beckoned for Yan Xiaoxiao to sit behind her.

    ''We''re going there on that¡­?'' Yan Xiaoxiao wasn''t expecting such an exciting ride on her way up.

    But she had noints, so she quickly took her seat and enjoyed her ride up the mountain.

    Meifeng ascended the mountain without slowing down even slightly, clearly very experienced with this routine.

    "Do you ept guests often?" Yan Xiaoxiao decided to ask.

    "No, you''re our first guest."

    "Really? I feel very honored!"

    They arrived at the Demon Sealing Faction''s residence shortly after.

    "By the way, where is your equipment for the interview?" Meifeng asked her, who appeared emptyhanded.

    "Oh, it''s all in here." Yan Xiaoxiao pointed to the spatial ring on her finger.

    Spatial rings and storage pouches became extremely popr on Earth after the system update, as they allowed everyone to carry heavy loads with convenience. However, due to their high price even in Cultivation Online, it was a luxury item only for the wealthy.

    "That is very convinent¡­ I should get one, too." Meifeng muttered to herself.

    Dong!

    The entire mountain suddenly shook, startling Yan Xiaoxiao.

    "W-what was that?! An earthquake?!"

    Meifeng turned to look in the direction of their training ground and sighed, "Can''t they be considerate to our neighbors? We''ve been getting a lot ofintstely¡­"

    She turned to look at Yan Xiaoxiao and exined, "Don''t worry, there''s no need to be rmed. It''s caused by the Young Master''s sparring session."

    Yan Xiaoxiao''s eyes flickered with excitement upon learning this information.

    "yer Yuan''s sparring session?! Can we take a look?! Please?!"

    "Sure."

    By the time they arrived at the training ground, the Dragon Spiral Mountain had shaken several more times.

    When they finally arrived at the training ground, Yan Xiaoxiao was left speechless by the devastation that had been wrought. The ground was riddled with craters andrge sections had beenpletely leveled.

    "A-are you sure they''re only sparring?" she asked in a trembling voice.

    Even Meifeng was shocked by the damage done to thend there.

    "Manager Liya won''t be happy when she sees this¡­" Meifeng rubbed her eyes as she sighed.

    After taking a deep breath, she shouted loudly, "Young Master! You''ll destroy this entire mountain at this rate!"

    Upon hearing her words, Yuan, who had been fully absorbed in his sparring with Li Jinxi, snapped out of his intense focus.

    When he saw the destruction they had caused, he immediately began sweating. However, Li Jinxi remainedpletely immersed in their fight, oblivious to Yuan''s pause, and continued to pounce at him with relentless fervor.

    Seeing this, Yuan used Heavenly Domain to restrict her movementspletely without causing any damage to their surroundings.

    Yet, Li Jinxi was notpletely suppressed and still managed to walk toward him slowly.

    "Oh?" Yuan was impressed by Li Jinxi''s effort and shocking progress.

    "Unfortunately, if we continue any further, we might really destroy this mountain¡­"

    "Jinxi, it''s about time you snap out of it."

    Yuan activated Dragon''s Gaze the next moment, shaking Li Jinxi''s soul directly.

    Thud.

    Li Jinxi immediately copsed on the ground. No matter how strong her body was, her soul was still prone to spiritual attacks.

    However, she quickly recovered and woke up a few secondster.

    "Ugh¡­ what just happened?" she slowly got back to her feet, looking confused.

    "Are you finally awake? Look around you." Yuan said to her. From N?velDrama.Org.

    "T-this is¡­" Li Jinxi swallowed nervously after seeing the destroyed training ground. She can already imagine being punished by Liya for this.

    "Ahhh! What the hell happened to the training ground?!"

    Another voice resounded the very next moment.

    Yuan turned to look at one of the balconies, where Wang Ming stood with a terrified look on his face.

    "Sorry, we got carried away during our spar," Yuan exined with an apologetic smile.

    More and more of the Demon Sealing Faction members started appearing on their balcony to see what themotion was about.

    "Oh my god¡­ Senior Liya will tear us to shreds once she sees this¡­" Shi Lang was on the verge of tears.

    "Don''t worry¡­ I will speak with her and bear all responsibility¡­" Yuan said with a guilty smile.

    He turned to look at Li Jinxi and continued, "I am very impressed by your improvements, Jinxi. You must''ve been training very hard."

    "T-thank you¡­"

    Despite his words, Yuan couldn''t help but notice the drastic change in her movements and fighting style. It felt as if he were facing an entirely different person.

    ''It must be Jin Xi''s influence¡­ Is she aware, or¡­?'' Yuan wondered inwardly.

 Chapter 1485 Yan Xiaoxiaos Interview

    Chapter 1485 Yan Xiaoxiao''s Interview

    ?1485  Yan Xiaoxiao''s Interview

    Sometime after Yuan ended his sparring session with Li Jinxi, he approached Yan Xiaoxiao, who was trembling from excitement.

    "It''s an honor to meet you finally, yer Yuan!" Yan Xiaoxiao loudly dered.

    Yuan smiled and said, "But we already met during the Faction War. And you can just call me Yuan."

    "That doesn''t count since I was working!"

    "You''re not working now?"

    "No, this interview is for my own entertainment, so I am not doing it for work or anything like that."Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    Yuan nodded, "That''s good. Then how would you like to do this interview?"

    "If you don''t mind, I would like to get a glimpse into the daily life of every member of the Demon Sealing Faction, so this will be a three-day process. Four days at most." Yan Xiaoxiao said.

    "I don''t mind, but I''m afraid you''ll be disappointed by our daily life. We don''t really do anything besides training and cultivating."

    "That''spletely fine! I''m sure that even a ten-second video of you walking in the hallway would be entertaining!"

    Yuan chuckled, "In that case, you should follow Meifeng. She''s the most active here."

    He turned to look at Meifeng and asked, "Do you mind?"

    "No, I don''t."

    "Great! Then let''s immediately start!"

    Yan Xiaoxiao retrieved her camera, which was supported by an adjustable handheld rod, and began her filming.

    "I am going to prepare breakfast for everyone now," Meifeng said.

    Yuan nodded and said, "Miss Yan, if you have any questions, don''t hesitate to ask Meifeng."

    "Okay! And just call me Xiaoxiao, please!"

    He nodded. "Then I''ll go speak with Liya. In fact, she''s already making her way to us as we speak."

    He left the scene shortly after.

    "Who is this Liya?" Yan Xiaoxiao asked as she followed Meifeng into the mansion.

    "She''s the manager of this Dragon Spiral Mountain."

    "So she gets to decide who gets to live on this mountain or not?"

    "I''m not sure about that. We can ask herter."

    While Yan Xiaoxiao filmed Meifeng preparing breakfast for the Demon Sealing Faction, Yuan watched Liya, who wore a stern expression on her face, approach their mansion.

    "You!" she shouted angrily.

    "Do you have any idea what time it is?! The sun is barely out, and you''re already causing a ruckus, disturbing the entire mountain! My phone''s blowing up withints because of you!"

    "Sorry, I got a little excited during a spar. It won''t happen again."

    "That''s what you guys always say, but it keeps on happening! If not for the Lord, you guys would''ve been kicked out of this mountain ages ago!"

    "Really, it won''t happen again. I''ll create a formation around our ce to contain any disturbance. It''ll be like we don''t even exist."

    Liya sucked her teeth in response.

    After a moment of silence, she spoke, "Did you do something yesterday?"

    "What do you mean?" Yuan raised an eyebrow.

    "The Lord''s been giggling like a child nonstop since I returnedst night."

    "Oh, that? I told him that I was the Immortal Monarch''s reincarnation."

    "You what?!"

    "Why are you surprised? It was bound to happen."

    "What made you expose your secret so suddenly?" Liya then asked.

    "After everything he''s done for this world, he deserves to know. I''m surprised you didn''t tell him yourself. I was sure you''d tell him."

    "What kind of person do you think I am?" Liya stared at him with a deep frown on her beautiful face.

    "The type to tell the Lord everything?" Yuan answered truthfully.

    "Hmph! Then you don''t know me at all!"

    "I''m willing to learn if you''re willing to teach me," he said with a gentle smile.

    Liya''s face slightly flushed after hearing his words.

    "W-whatever. I''m leaving. If I receive anotherint about this ce after today, I will kick you out of this mountain¡ª Immortal Monarch or not!"

    "Sorry for the trouble."

    After Liya left, Yu Ning said, "Young Master, do you need my help with the formation? I can also create a formation to restore the damages."

    He nodded.

    "You''re a lifesaver."

    Sometimeter, Yu Ning took control of his body to create two formations. One formation isted the Demon Sealing Faction''s area from the rest of the mountain, essentially moving them to a different dimension without moving the actual ce. As long as they were within this formation, they would not disturb the neighbors even if they sparred with their full strength.

    The second formation restored the destroyed training ground and will even automatically repair any future damages done to theirnd.

    "I''ve said this before, but there are a lot of convenient formations out there. I should return to studying arrays soon." Yuan muttered afterward.

    "Should I teach you? I don''t want to sound boastful, but I was one of the best Array Masters in my time," Yu Ning said.

    "Then I won''t be humble and will take you up on your offer," Yuan responded.

    Meanwhile, inside the kitchen.

    "Wow¡­ you''re really amazing, Madam Meifeng. You''re cooking a whole feast by yourself, and you''re making it look effortless. Do you do this every day for every meal?"

    "No, this is a special asion. I usually cook only when requested since everyone has their own schedule, and most of them spend their time inside Cultivation Online."

    "How long have you been a member of the Demon Sealing Faction?"

    "It''s almost been a year, I guess."

    "Why did you decide to join the Demon Sealing Faction?"

    "Well, I was already working for Yuan when he was still Yu Tian at the Yu Family, and my daughter is here, too."

    "Eh? Your daughter is also here?"

    10:18

    "Yes. Her name''s Meixiu."

    Sometimeter, the members of the Demon Sealing Faction gathered in the dining room for breakfast.

    "Hm? We seem to be missing one member." Yan Xiaoxiao quickly noticed this.

    "That would be Chu Liuxiang. She typically sleeps until noon." Yuan exined.

    "I can''t believe she slept through thatmotion this morning. I envy her ability to sleep so soundly." Wang Xiuying sighed.

    "You should join us. I made your portion, too." Meifeng said to Yan Xiaoxiao.

    "Thank you!" Yan Xiaoxiao didn''t hesitate to join them.

    After breakfast, Yan Xiaoxiao continued her interview with Meifeng.

 Chapter 1486 Yan Xiaoxiaos Interview(2)

    Chapter 1486 Yan Xiaoxiao''s Interview(2)

    ?1486  Yan Xiaoxiao''s Interview(2)

    "Miss Meifeng, what do you typically do on a daily basis?" Yan Xiaoxiao asked as Meifeng cleaned the dishes.

    "I have two primary roles in the Demon Sealing Faction. First and foremost, I am a maid, so I deal with all the chores first. My second role is being the manager of the faction, so I am responsible for any requests or inquiries sent to the faction."

    "My chores usually consist of preparing food, cleaning the hallways and rooms, and washing their clothes. It''s really simple and barely requires any effort. For my duties as the manager of the faction, I check all of the emails and keep myself updated on all faction-rted trends. With the rest of my spare time, I simply cultivate and train my techniques."

    "What kind of weapon do you specialize in?" Yan Xiaoxiao then asked.

    "I am currently training with the spear mainly, but I am also trying out other weapons."

    "What is your cultivation at right now?"

    "I have the lowest cultivation in our faction, being only at the 7th level of Spirit Master."

    "In a few words, can you give me a description of your feelings for the Demon Sealing Faction?"

    Meifeng showed a slight smile before responding, "It''s a small and peaceful ce¡ªone that I can truly call home."

    "Thank you!"

    Yan Xiaoxiao continued to follow Meifeng for another hour before moving to the next member.

    "Can you give us a brief introduction about yourself? What kind of weapon do you use?"

    "I''m Shi Lang, and I came from the Jaded Garden. My primary weapon is the spear."

    "Jaded Garden? I have never heard of this ce before."

    "Well, it''s a very seclusive ce."

    "Why did you join the Demon Sealing Faction?"

    "When Yuan needed ten people to create his faction, we decided to help him."

    "We?"

    "Yes. Seven of us came from the same ce."

    "What is your rtionship with Yuan?"

    "We''re good friends and rivals at the same time. Of course, none of us actually think we will ever catch up to him, but nheless, it still motivates us to train harder."

    "What do you typically do besides training?"

    "Nothing, really. If we''re not training here, we''re training in Cultivation Online. Of course, there are special asions like the recent Faction War."

    "Speaking of the Faction War, you''ve done a great job defeating so many yers by yourself. I could tell that you were holding back, but exactly how much were you holding back?"

    "This might sound like nonsense, but I was only using about 30 percent of my full strength."This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    "Only thirty percent?!"

    "Yes, it would be bad if I identally hurt, or worse, killed one of them by ident. I may sound arrogant for saying this, but only very few people in this world can handle me at my full strength, and most of them live on this mountain."

    Yan Xiaoxiao continued to ask several more questions, such as his hobbies and favorite food.

    Since the training ground had been fixed, Shi Lang proceeded to show off some of his skills for the interview. He used this opportunity to back up his previous im that he only used 30 percent of his strength during the Faction War.

    "Heavens¡­ how did they repair this ce so quickly?" Yan Xiaoxiao muttered in a dazed voice when she saw the scene.

    There were already people sparring on the training ground, and they were all using most of their strength.

    "Are you guys trying to destroy this ce again so soon?!" Shi Lang called out to them.

    "What, you haven''t been notified? We won''t disturb the neighbors or destroy this ce even if we use all of our strength after Yuan created a formation around our ce." Wang Ming said.

    To demonstrate, he swung his sword at the ground, creating arge slit in the ground. However, as though time was being reversed, the slit in the ground quickly returned to its original state, as if it was never damaged.

    "That guy is really capable of everything, huh¡­" Shi Lang chuckled.

    "Hey, Shi Lang, let''s spar!" Wu Zao suddenly approached him.

    "Sure." Shi Lang didn''t think much of it and agreed.

    "I will go all out from the beginning. Don''t say I didn''t warn you." Wu Zao said.

    Yan Xiaoxiao backed away and stood in a safe distance as she filmed their sparring session.

    "Wow¡­ he wasn''t joking when he said that he was only using 30 percent of his strength during the Faction War. If he''d fought like this back then, he would''ve easily defeated 5,000¡ª

    even half of the yers from the Fiery Locust Swarm by himself¡­"

    "The same goes for the fan-wielding Wu Zao. He was clearly holding back the majority of his strength during the Faction War. Are the rest of the members like this, too? If that''s the case, the Demon Sealing Faction is much stronger than anyone could''ve anticipated¡­"

    Sometimeter, after their spar ended with Wu Zao being victorious, Yan Xiaoxiao began her interview with Wu Zao.

    "It''s always been my dream to meet you, Fairy Yan." Wu Zao greeted her with a handsome smile.

    "Hello. You are Wu Zao, correct?"

    "Indeed, and I cannot be any happier knowing that Fairy Yan is aware of my insignificant existence¡ª"

    "Stop being creepy, Wu Zao. You''re ruining the atmosphere." Someone from the training ground suddenly shouted.

    "Which bastard just said that?! I dare you to say that to my face!" Wu Zao snapped his head in the direction of the voice.

    "I said that." A beautiful figure approached him.

    "Ugh¡­" Wu Zao made a weird expression when he identified the person approaching him as Li Jinxi.

    "If you have a problem with that, how about a spar with me?"

    "N-no problem. I have no problem at all."

    Wu Zao cleared his throat and looked at Yan Xiaoxiao, feeling incredibly awkward.

    "Sorry, you had to witness that."

    Yan Xiaoxiao nodded and proceeded to ask him, "Are you also from the Jaded Garden?"

    "Yes, I am."

 Chapter 1487 Yan Xiaoxiaos Interview(3)

    Chapter 1487 Yan Xiaoxiao''s Interview(3)

    ?1487  Yan Xiaoxiao''s Interview(3)

    "I heard from Shi Lang that your reason for joining the Demon Sealing Faction was because Yuan needed 10 members to create the faction, but what is keeping you here?" Yan Xiaoxiao asked.

    "That''s simple. Although those who aren''t by his side won''t understand this, Yuan has this certain charm that beckons those around him to follow him. I am following him because I am intrigued by his very existence. I want to see his limit and what he''ll achieve in the future. Of course, following him also has many benefits. That I cannot deny," Wu Zao said with a calm expression.

    Although it was initially his family who ordered him to follow Yuan, he eventually chose to follow Yuan of his own ord after realizing how interesting Yuan''s existence was.

    "What are some of these benefits that you speak of?"

    "For one, we''re all growing much faster than if we''d remained in the Jaded Garden. He also has ess to an unfathomable amount of resources that would shock the world if revealed." Wu Zao said, purposefully teasing those who will be watching this interview in the future.

    Despite Yuan''s vast wealth and powerful resources, none of them from the Jaded Garden asked him for anything, nor do they have any intention of doing so in the future.They didn''t follow Yuan for his resources, so they saw no reason to request any. Of course, if Yuan offered them resources on his own ord, they wouldn''t refuse.

    "How satisfied are you with your performance during the Faction War?" Yan Xiaoxiao asked a momentter.

    "It was average, I guess. If I weren''t so worried about hurting those weaklings, I would''ve wiped them all out by myself."

    "I-Is that so¡­ Then what do you typically do when you''re not training?"

    "I surf the inte and watch music videos¡ªmainly yours." Wu Zao replied with a slightly bashful smile.

    "Thank you for your support!" Yan Xiaoxiao responded exactly how an idol would respond to a fan¡ªwith a beaming smile that could charm even heaven itself.

    Wu Zao nearly had a heart attack and quickly said, "While we''re on this subject, would you mind giving me your autographter?"

    "Of course!"

    Sometimeter, Yan Xiaoxiao approached Wang Bingbing for her interview.

    "Hello! Can you tell me a little about yourself and your background?"

    "I am Wang Bingbing, and I came from the Jaded Garden with my younger brother. I wield the sword."

    "This Jaded Garden is a seclusive ce, correct? Are you sure it''s okay to talk about it so openly? Many people will see this interview." Yan Xiaoxiao asked.

    "It''s fine. It used to be secluded because of certain circumstances, but we no longer need to hide ourselves," Wang Bingbing said.

    "You joined the Demon Sealing Faction because Yuan needed 10 people to create the faction, correct? Do you n on leaving anything soon?"

    "That is correct, but I do not have any n to leave this ce, nor do I want to. It''s very fun living with everyone like one big family, and I learn a lot of things from those around me, especially Yuan. Don''t be fooled by his innocent and young appearance. He may seem young, but he knows more than the elders at my family, and he''s the strongest person I know."

    "I see¡­ What do you typically do when you''re not training or ying Cultivation Online?"

    "I spend that time reading books¡ªmostly martial arts novels."

    "How far have you progressed in Cultivation Online?"Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    "How does one evaluate their progress?" Wang Bingbing asked.

    "Your cultivation and current realm, I suppose."

    "Oh, then I am at the peak of Spirit Grandmaster and currently within the Second Heaven."

    "Huh? You''re still at Second Heaven? I thought you would be with Yuan in the Fourth Heaven."

    "We may be in the same faction, but we have our own adventure and path. I am a Core Disciple at a certain Sect, so I cannot leave as I want. However, I will be leaving soon to ascend. The same goes for the others."

    "I see¡­ What do you think about Yuan as the faction''s leader? Do you think there is anything he needs to improve?"

    Wang Bingbing chuckled and said, "Even though he''s the leader, he doesn''t act like one, which is what I consider his biggest fault. Other than that, he''s very reliable and caring. He might be a little sadistic during training at times, but it''s not a bad thing since we''re growing tremendously from it."

    Yan Xiaoxiao moved on to the next member sometimeter.

    "Hello, my name is Wang Ming."

    "You must be Wang Bingbing''s younger brother."

    "That''s right."

    "You weren''t at the Faction War¡ªthe Demon Sealing Faction''s debut. Why was that?"

    Wang Ming sighed, "I was inside Cultivation Online at that time¡ªso were the others, so we didn''t know about it until it had already ended."

    "What about the next Faction War? The Demon Sealing Faction has dered war on the Fiery Garden of Hell. Will you be participating in that one?"

    "No, I won''t. The others also won''t be participating."

    "Huh? Why is that?"

    "Because Yuan wants to deal with them alone." Wang Ming casually shrugged.

    "S-seriously¡­?" Yan Xiaoxiao''s eyes widened with surprise at this information.

    "Yup."

    "And you believe he''ll be able to do that alone? The Fiery Garden of Hell has over half a million members¡­ That''s over ten times what the Fiery Locust Swarm has."

    "I believe nothing is impossible for Yuan. Numbers and talents are meaningless before him. If I had to describe him with one word, it''d be ''monster''."

    "And what do you think about Yuan as a leader?"

    "Hmmm¡­" Wang Ming pondered for a moment before responding, "He doesn''t behave like a leader, but he''s definitely qualified as one and a good leader, as everyone knows they can rely on him during times of need. If he says he''ll do something, it will happen. And that is what''s most important to me."

    "I see¡­" Yan Xiaoxiao nodded and continued asking questions.

 Chapter 1488 Sudden Visit

    Chapter 1488 Sudden Visit

    ?1488  Sudden Visit

    After her interview with Wang Ming, Yan Xiaoxiao took a break and ate lunch with the Demon Sealing Faction.

    Just as Meifeng started serving the food, Chu Liuxiang appeared in the dining room.

    "Oh? You must be our interviewer. Nice to meet you. I''m Chu Liuxiang."

    "Hm?" Yan Xiaoxiao looked at Chu Liuxiang with raised eyebrows. She hadn''t really put any thought into it before, but after seeing Chu Liuxiang''s face, she found the name extremely familiar.

    "Ah! I remember now! You''re the Chu Family''s Young Lady! How are your parents? They''ve helped me plenty with my career. They also live on this mountain, right? I should give them a visitter."

    "The Chu Family¡­" Chu Liuxiang made a weird expression after being reminded of them.

    It has been a while since she left the Chu Family. She had been expecting their retaliation for some time now for crippling Chu Shijian, but to her surprise, they hadn''t tried to do anything to Yuan or the Demon Sealing Faction.

    "Actually, I''ve left the Chu Family due to some circumstances, and it''s been a while since I left, so I don''t know about their situation," she shook her head.

    "I-is that so?" Despite her curiosity, Yan Xiaoxiao refrained from questioning any further and stopped talking altogether.

    ''The Chu Family, huh?'' Yuan sighed inwardly.

    ''I was still immature back then. Although they showed hostility toward me, it was mostly due to a misunderstanding. Due to my inability to settle things properly, Lulu had to leave her family on bad terms.''

    Yuan wondered if he should also visit the Chu Family again to see if he could recitfy their bad rtionship. Since the Chu Family hadn''t attempted to take revenge for that incident, it meant they were still redeemable.

    ''The Qi Family, as well. I wonder how they''re doing nowadays¡­''

    Since Yuan had to figure out how to leave the Shadow Realm with his life intact, he wasn''t in a hurry to return to Cultivation Online.

    ''That spirit is definitely waiting for my return.''From N?velDrama.Org.

    Without Heaven''s Supremacy, there was simply no way for him to defeat the sword spirit, even with his experience as the Evil God.

    ''The sword spirit didn''t leave the Giant''s Sword even once when attacked me. Perhaps she cannot separate from it because she''s its spirit? In that case, I might be able to escape.''

    Yuan spent the rest of the meal in silence, pondering ways to escape from the sword spirit and Vanishing Valley safely.

    After the meal, Yan Xiaoxiao continued her interview with the members, starting with Xi Murong.

    Meanwhile, Yuan approached Chu Liuxiang and asked her, "Lulu, I am thinking about giving the Chu Family another visit. Do you want toe with me?"

    "Huh?! Why? This is too sudden!"

    "After being reminded of their existence, I can''t help but recall that incident. If I had handled things better, we might''ve been able to talk things out with your family. In the end, I crippled your father''s cultivation because of a mere misunderstanding."

    Chu Liuxiang fell silent.

    A momentter, she sighed, "Other than their decision to suddenly marry me into the Qin Family, they''ve treated me like any ordinary parents would. My annoying siblings aside, my parents never hated me. Honestly, the way I left the Chu Family had left a bitter taste in my mouth that would asionally return every time I think about them, but what can we do at this point? I doubt we can rectify things after so much has happened."

    "You won''t know until you try."

    After another moment of silence, Chu Liuxiang nodded with a resolute expression, "Alright, let''s give them a visit. I am also curious about how things ended up with the Qin Family after that. When do you want to visit them?"

    "We can do it now since we have plenty of time."

    "What about the interview?"

    "She''ll be here for a few days, so we have time."

    "Okay."

    "I''ll notify Meifeng of our ns first."

    "Then I will wait for you out front."

    While Chu Liuxiang returned to her room to prepare, Yuan went to find Meifeng.

    "You''re going to meet the Chu Family now? This is quite sudden."

    "I know."

    "Then I''ll let Yan Xiaoxiao know. Do you know when you''ll be back?"

    "It shouldn''t take too long. We should be back by tonight."

    "Stay safe, Yuan. The Chu Family has been facing some difficulties for some time now."

    Yuan raised an eyebrow at this information and asked, "What kind of difficulties?"

    "I don''t know the details, but their family head is constantly sick nowadays. Due to his frequent absence, they''re being heavily pressured by theirpetitors, and their overall influence has fallen significantly."

    "Their family head should be Chu Shijian, correct?"

    "Correct."

    Yuan had a feeling that this sickness was rted to his cultivation being crippled.

    "I understand. Thank you for the information, Meifeng."

    Sometimeter, he met up with Chu Liuxiang outside their residence and made their way up the mountain together.

    As they walked, Yuan talked about the Chu Family''s troubles.

    "To think the Chu Family would be suffering in such a manner¡­ I could''ve never imagined such a thing happening before." Chu Liuxiang sighed out loud after learning this information.

    She continued, "This is probably the Qin Family''s doing, too."

    "The Chu Family have been fighting with the Qin Family for decades, correct?" Yuan asked.

    "That''s right. I don''t know the details, but they''ve always been on bad terms with each other. Things were about to get out of hand, so the two families came together and made a decision

    ¡ªto change things around before things got bloody. Marrying me into the Qin Family would''ve resulted in said change, but s¡­"

    "I don''t know what happened to the Qin Family after I left, but they must be upset, especially their eldest, who really fancied me back then, always sending me gifts and stuff."

    As they approached the Chu Family''s residence, Yuan could see a figure standing by the gates.

    "Sebastian¡­" Chu Liuxiang muttered in a low voice after seeing his familiar face.

 Chapter 1489 Chu Familys Downfall

    Chapter 1489 Chu Family''s Downfall

    ?1489  Chu Family''s Downfall

    "I doubt this is a coincidence," Yuan said after seeing Sebastian waiting by the gate.

    "Oh, I called him right before leaving so they know we''re visiting," Chu Liuxiang quickly exined. "Should I not have done that?"

    "You did the right thing. I didn''t have his contact information, so I wouldn''t have been able to contact him even if I had wanted to. This is much better than hoping they ept us at the front gate."

    When they arrived, Sebastian bowed to them in a respectful manner, "This humble servant greets the Young Lady and the Young Master."

    "We''d like to visit the Chu Family. Would that be a problem?" Yuan inquired.

    "No, there is no problem at all. The Master is expecting your arrival inside."

    Sebastian opened the gate and gestured for them to enter the vehicle parked right inside.

    Once they were seated, Sebastian drove the vehicle toward the mansion.

    The atmosphere inside the vehicle was awkward and silent. Chu Liuxiang looked like she wanted to speak but didn''t know how to start the conversation.

    Seeing her fidgety movements, Sebastian broke the silence with a question, "Young Lady, how have you been? I hope you''ve been living a healthy and happy life outside the Chu Family."

    Chu Liuxiang nodded, "I''ve been doing great with Yuan and everyone at the Demon Sealing Faction. What about you, Sebastian?"

    "The same as usual¡ªis what I would like to say, but without you there, I''ve been reassigned to be your brothers¡ªthe Young Masters'' butler."

    "Are they causing you any trouble?"

    "They can be a handful from time to time, but so were you, Young Lady."

    "Is that so¡­"

    The vehicle became silent again for another moment before Chu Liuxiang asked, "I heard the Chu Family has been having troublestely. Is it the Qin Family''s doing?"

    Sebastian didn''t immediately respond this time and even looked hesitant.

    "I will find out the answer even if you don''t tell me, you know." Chu Liuxiang gave him a slight push.

    Sebastian sighed and said, "The Master told me to keep this a secret from you even if you asked, but because you had left the family, your marriage with the Qin Family''s eldest son had to be canceled. Apparently, the Qin Family had prepared a lot for the marriage and even announced it to many people, causing them to be humiliated."

    "Since then, the Qin Family has beening at our Chu Family like wild beasts. They''re also receiving help from someone from the Ten Great Families, making them even more difficult to deal with."

    "Even if the Qin Family is supported by the Ten Great Families, there''s no way the Chu Family could have fallen so low so quickly!"

    Sebastian shook his head and exined, "The Chu Family has been declining even before we adopted you, Young Lady. It just wasn''t apparent from the surface. Meanwhile, the Qin Family continued to grow. Even without external help, they could''ve bankrupted us within a decade. This is why the Masters agreed to marry you into the Qin Family¡ªthey were essentially ckmailed into doing so. Of course, they were too prideful to tell you the truth."

    "No way¡­" Chu Liuxiang wore a look of disbelief on her face.

    She turned to look at Yuan, who silently sat beside her with a pondering expression on his face.

    "You don''t need to feel guilty about it, Young Lady. Even if they were pressured to marry you off to the Qin Family, they shouldn''t have obeyed without any resistance, so the Masters are still in the wrong."

    "..." Chu Liuxiang lowered her head and sighed.

    Yuan then spoke, "Honestly, I expected the Chu Family to take revenge for what I did. Why aren''t they doing anything?"Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    "There are two reasons. One, we''ve been too busy dealing with the Qin Family to even care about something like revenge. Secondly, the Qi Family warned us never to touch you and to forget about taking revenge."

    "I see¡­ are you guys still in touch with the Qi Family?"

    "No, they''ve been quite silent since the warning."

    Sometimeter, they arrived at the Chu Family''s living quarters.

    "I will bring you to the Master now," Sebastian said as he led them inside the building.

    As they walked through the hallways, Chu Liuxiang noticed how empty they were. When she was still living there, over a dozen housemaids constantly cleaned the building, but there hadn''t been a single one since they entered it minutes ago.

    The windows and walls were dusty, and there was less furniture in the hallway, not to mention the artwork.

    Chu Liuxiang was shocked, to say the least, after seeing how far the Chu Family had fallen in just a year.

    ''What on earth happened? To fall this much in so little time doesn''t make any sense!'' she cried inwardly.

    They stopped in front of a certain closed room sometimeter.

    Sebastian knocked on the door and said, "Master, Chu Liuxiang, and Yuan have arrived."

    "Let them in¡­"

    A weak voice responded a secondter.

    Sebastian opened the for them and gestured for them to enter without entering the room himself.

    "I will stay out here," he said.

    Chu Liuxiang nodded and entered the room, followed by Yuan.

    "Father¡­?" Chu Liuxiang''s eyes widened with shock when she saw Chu Shijian''s appearance.

    He was sitting on the bed with a paleplexion. His eyes, which once shone with pride and strength, now appeared dull and lifeless. He had also be very thin, resembling a sick patient. Compared to a year ago, he looked like an entirely different person.

    Yuan narrowed his eyes slightly at Chu Shijian''s appearance. Even with his Dantian crippled, it wouldn''t ount for such a drastic transformation. There had to be another reason for his sickly appearance.

    "I never thought you''de back¡­" Chu Shijian spoke with a bittersweet smile on his face.

    "I''m d to see you looking healthy. Unfortunately, I have to greet you in such a pathetic state."

    Chu Liuxiang was utterly speechless.

 Chapter 1490 Chu Shijian

    Chapter 1490 Chu Shijian

    ?1490  Chu Shijian

    Seeing Chu Shijian''s state, Chu Liuxiang subconsciously turned to look at Yuan with a weird expression that seemed to ask if destroying his Dantian had caused this.

    Chu Shijian saw right through Chu Liuxiang''s worry and said, "This has nothing to do with him destroying my Dantian. I was living healthy until recently¡ªaround the time Cultivation Online had its system update."

    "Do you have any idea what might have caused this?" Chu Liuxiang inquired.

    Chu Shijian shook his head and sighed, "I have spent a fortune on the best doctors in the world, but none of them were able to identify the cause of my sickness."

    Yuan stepped forward and said, "Let me inspect your body for a moment."

    Chu Shijian looked at him with slightly narrowed eyes and asked, "Why¡­ why have youe? If you''re here just to mock me, I¡ª"

    "What would I get from doing that? Just give me your hand." Yuan extended his own hand and beckoned.

    With nothing to lose, Chu Shijian offered his hand to Yuan for inspection.

    A few momentster, Yuan said, "You''ve been poisoned."

    "What?!"

    Chu Liuxiang and Chu Shijian eximed in a shocked voice.

    "H-how can you possibly tell when nobody else could?" Chu Shijian questioned, doubting his credibility.

    "I don''t know the exact poison used, but it flows through your meridians and is slowly killing you. Unless you have sufficient cultivation, even the best doctors in the world wouldn''t be able to detect it."

    "It most likely came from Cultivation Online since you became sick after the system update."

    "N-no way¡­" Chu Shijian wore a look of disbelief on his face.

    When could he have been poisoned? He could count the number of times he left his residence on one hand after his cultivation had been crippled! He also couldn''t recall any opportunity for someone to have poisoned him after the system update.

    "Yuan, do you think the poison can be treated?" Chu Liuxiang asked him with a worried face.

    "Honestly, I don''t know, but I know someone who might."

    Chu Liuxiang pondered who this person might be for a moment.

    "Wang Xiuying! She''s a pill expert who studied in the field of medicine!"

    Yuan nodded, "Yes, she might know something. I''ll call her over now."

    He retrieved his cell phone and called Wang Xiuying.

    "Hey, Xiuying, it''s me. I have a quick question. Do you know anything about poison?"

    "Of course. Why do you ask?"

    "Can youe to the Chu Family? Someone here has been poisoned, and I need your expertise."

    "Sure. I''ll be there as soon as possible."This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    "Thanks."

    He hung up and turned to look at Chu Shijian.

    "Why¡­? Why are you helping me?" Chu Shijian asked before Yuan could even open his mouth to speak.

    "The same reason why I am visiting. I want to see if we can rectify our mistakes."

    "Mistakes¡­?"

    Yuan nodded and continued, "I heard from the butler that it was the Qin Family who pressured you into giving away Chu Liuxiang. Is that correct?"

    Chu Shijian''s eyebrows twitched at his words, and cursed in a low voice, "That damned Sebastian¡­ I specifically told him to keep it a secret¡­"

    "Why would you hide something as important as this from me?!" Chu Liuxiang suddenly eximed.

    "Is your pride really worth that much?! If you had told us the truth, we wouldn''t have needed to fight!"

    Unsure how to respond, Chu Shijian could only remain silent, his head lowered in a shameful manner.

    "Father! It''s better to bete than never! Please tell us the truth!"

    "You still see me as your father, huh?" A bittersweet smile appeared on his face.

    After a moment of silence, he said, "Yes, it''s true. It was the Qin Family who approached us first. They suggested ending our feud through marriage. Of course, I refused at first. However, that''s when they started threatening to bankrupt our businesses."

    "I don''t know if you''re aware, but our Chu Family has been declining long before we adopted you. The Qin Family showed us solid proof of their current prowess and influence, and it was more than enough to force us out of business within a decade if nothing is done. To make matters worse, they managed to receive support from the Ten Great Families¡ª

    from the Walkers Family and Gu Family."

    ''Walkers and Gu¡­'' Yuan narrowed his eyes upon hearing these two familiar names.

    ''Fiery Queen belongs to the Walkers Family. As for the Gu Family¡­ why do I keep running into people with their surname? How many times have I encountered them by now? Are we destined to sh with each other constantly?''

    "Anyways, due to the pressure, I surrendered without even a fight, and I have been loathing myself for that ever since. This caused me great stress¡ªto the point where I couldn''t even think properly during your visit." Chu Shijian looked at Yuan.

    "I was rash and irrational, which led to the misunderstanding of you killing Chu Liuxiang''s Master and our fight. I know it''ste, but I deeply apologize for that. Qi Fang exined the situation to me afterward."

    Yuan shook his head and said, "I also hold some me for that incident. I was still immature and hotheaded back then. If I had just exined the situation instead of being hell-bent on delivering ''justice'', we could''ve ended it without fighting. If I were in your shoes, I would''ve probably done the same thing if I thought you''d killed someone important to me. Unfortunately, my head was too full of anger to think properly, and I''d even crippled your cultivation out of anger."

    Chu Shijian was speechless. He didn''t think Yuan would actually apologize for his actions.

    ''Compared to hisst visit, he''s like an entirely different person¡­ even the atmosphere around him is different.'' Chu Shijian could sense a dignified aura around Yuan, feeling almost as though he was before an exalted expert.

    "As an apology, I will try to do something about your crippled Dantian and help you restore your cultivation." Yuan suddenly said.

    "W-what did you just say? My Dantian can be healed?" Chu Shijian didn''t dare to believe his ears, his eyes wide with shock.

 Chapter 1491 Basilisks Tear

    Chapter 1491 Basilisk''s Tear

    ?1491  Basilisk''s Tear

    Seeing Chu Shijian''s doubtful face, Yuan nodded, "Yes, it''s possible. There are spiritual medicines and elixirs that can heal destroyed Dantians. They''re a little rare, but they definitely exist."

    "If you can restore my cultivation, I will forever be grateful! I am ready to take responsibility and pay for the treasure!" Chu Shijian hastily said, his voice filled with a newfound determination.

    Yuan raised an eyebrow and said, "Grateful? Even if I restored your cultivation, I am still responsible for destroying it in the first ce."

    "I also med you at first, but as I calmed down and realized my shorings, I came to realize that I also bore responsibility for my actions. I no longer me you and consider it a punishment for my failure as a father." Chu Shijian sighed in a dejected manner.

    Yuan nodded and said, "As for the payment, consider it already fully paid."

    "Huh? What do you mean?"

    "You can consider it as an early betrothal gift," he calmly exined.

    "B-betrothal gift?!" Chu Liuxiang stared at him with wide eyes, her face filled with a mix of shock and anticipation.

    Yuan looked at her with a slight smile and asked, "What, you want to remain as a mere girlfriend forever?"

    Chu Liuxiang''s face flushed with redness after hearing his words. Although no words came out of her mouth, she shook her head in a bashful manner.

    "If that''s what you''ve decided, I will humbly ept it¡­" Chu Shijian nodded in a dazed manner.

    "Anyway, tell me about the Qin Family. What have they been doing since the incident, and how have you been dealing with them?" Yuan inquired a momentter.

    "Well, they were definitely not happy when I told them that the marriage had to be ''dyed'' due to Chu Liuxiang''s sudden departure. Of course, I didn''t reveal the fact that she''d left the family and only gave an excuse for her absence, hoping to dy our inevitable downfall."

    "However, after a mere week or so, they somehow managed to find out the truth, including the fact that I''d lost my cultivation, which was a heavily guarded secret. Since then, they''ve been attacking our businesses relentlessly, especially our business within Cultivation Online. Since ourws do not apply there, they''ve been going rampant in that world."

    Yuan pondered this information for a moment before asking, "Who knew your cultivation was crippled?"

    "Besides those who were there to witness it, all of my wives are aware of it."

    "So there''s a good chance that one of them has betrayed the Chu Family, huh?"

    "W-what! No, I refuse to believe that my wives would betray me! It must''ve been the others! There were others who witnessed our fight!"

    "..."

    "We can figure that sort of stuffter¡ªafter we deal with your poison," Yuan said as he answered his phone.

    "You''re outside? You can just fly inside."

    "Okay, then I''ll see you in a bit."

    After the call ended, Yuan went out of the room and notified Sebastian of their new guest.

    "I understand. I will bring her to you." Sebastian didn''t question him and immediately left to wait for Wang Xiuying''s arrival outside their building.

    Sometimeter, Wang Xiuying entered the room with Yuan and the others.

    She turned to look at Chu Shijian and said, "You must be the patient."

    Wang Xiuying didn''t wait around and immediately went to inspect Chu Shijian''s condition.

    "Hmm¡­" Wang Xiuying hummed with her eyes closed.

    Chu Shijian swallowed nervously, and he anxiously waited for her diagnosis.

    A few momentster, Wang Xiuying released Chu Shijian''s hand.

    "How is my father?" Chu Liuxiang asked.

    "He''s poisoned, alright."

    "Do you know what caused it? And can you do something about it?" Yuan asked.

    She nodded, "Yes, it should be the Basilisk''s Tear, an umon and effective poison that is hard to detect. Once consumed, the poison takes root within the person''s Dantian, slowly killing the person over time."

    "This poison is only effective against mortals and those with low cultivation. While this poison can be easily dealt with in the Nine Heavens, I doubt there are many people on Earth with the capabilities to diagnose it, much less cure it."

    "Y-you can cure it, right?" Chu Shijian asked in a trembling voice.

    "Of course. Who do you think I am?" Wang Xiuying puffed her chest in a prideful manner.

    "Thank the heavens!" Chu Shijian sighed deeply and even teared up after hearing her response.

    "With that being said, I do not have the materials on me right now, so I have to return to Cultivation Online to concoct the antidote. It shouldn''t take long, though. I can have it ready in a few hours."

    "You can use our device to enter Cultivation Online to save some time." Chu Shijian said.

    "Okay, let''s do that."

    Sebastian was called into the room shortly after.

    "Sebastian, prepare a room and a device for her to enter Cultivation Online." Chu Shijian instructed him.

    "Yes, Master."

    "I''ll watch over her. You can stay here and continue chatting with your father." Yuan said to Chu Liuxiang, who quietly nodded.

    Yuan left with Wang Xiuying and Sebastian, leaving Chu Liuxiang alone with Chu Shijian.T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    It was incredibly awkward at first, with neither of them uttering a word for several minutes.

    Eventually, Chu Liuxiang spoke, "I apologize for leaving the family in such a manner, father. However, I do not regret it. To live with Yuan like a family, I have been living my dream."

    Chu Shijian smiled and said, "You do not need to apologize. If anything, I should be the one apologizing, for I have failed as a father. I ced our family''s wealth and business over your well-being and happiness, hurting you in the process. You have chosen a fine partner, Liuxiang. I would smile and feel relieved whenever I saw Yuan being mentioned on the news. To think such a capable man is taking care of my daughter¡ªI cannot be any happier."

    "Father¡­" Chu Liuxiang muttered, seemingly on the verge of tears.

 Chapter 1492 Spirit Healing Academy

    Chapter 1492 Spirit Healing Academy

    ?1492  Spirit Healing Academy

    Once the room and device were prepared, Wang Xiuyingy on the bed with Yuan sitting beside her.

    "I will watch over you until you return," he said with a calm smile.

    Realizing that she''d be essentially sleeping with Yuan by her side, Wang Xiuying immediately became flustered.

    Seeing this, Yuan chuckled and teased, "Are you worried that I might do something weird while you''re inside?"

    However, to his surprise, Wang Xiuying said, "Try not to wake me up if you do since I will be doing alchemy¡­"

    Yuan''s eyes widened with surprise after hearing her unexpected response, but before he could even say anything else, Wang Xiuying entered Cultivation Online.

    Once inside Cultivation Online, Wang Xiuying took a minute to calm herself before she went to collect the ingredients needed for the antidote.

    Since the antidote required a few rare ingredients she didn''t have at hand, she had to head to the Medicine Hall, which was located at the outer court.

    Wang Xiuying was a Core Disciple at the Spirit Healing Academy, one of the top sects within Spirit Heaven and the number one alchemy sect.

    Although it''s only been about two short years since she joined the sect, Wang Xiuying managed to rise to the top and be a Core Disciple. Her talents were considered the best in the sect, surpassing that even of their Sect Master.

    While even the most talented disciples require months of memorizing ingredients before they can even start learning about alchemy, Wang Xiuying began concocting pills after just a week in the sect. The speed at which she memorized ingredients and medicine-rted information was simply unheard of and terrifying.

    Once an Alchemist is capable of concocting a Tier 1 pill with over 60 percent purity, they are automatically considered a Pill Disciple. They will remain a Pill Disciple until they can concoct Tier 3 pills with over 60 percent purity. Once such a feat is achieved, they will be considered a Pill Expert, and it usually requires years of experience to achieve the status of Pill Expert, with many failing to do that in their entire life.

    Those who are capable of bing a Pill Expert typically require fifteen to twenty years of experience, while the more talented ones only require around ten years. An alchemy genius could achieve that in half the time with less effort.

    Meanwhile, Wang Xiuying managed to be a Pill Expert in under a year, achieving a record in the Spirit Healing Academy.

    Her talents were so rare and jaw-dropping that the Sect Master of the Spirit Healing Academy wanted to ept her as a disciple and nurture her as the future Sect Master. However, this would require Wang Xiuying to remain in the sect for longer than she wanted, so she refused the position.

    Naturally, the Sect Master was upset about Wang Xiuying''s refusal to be the next Sect Master, but she didn''t try to force Wang Xiuying to stay and even offered to have someone from the Third Heaven help her ascend to join a better sect in the future.

    As Wang Xiuying flew to the Medicine Hall on her flying treasure, she thought to herself, ''I have learned everything this sect could teach me and will be a Pill Master in a few months even if I leave the sect right now¡­ I guess it''s about time I make my way to the Third Heaven soon¡­''

    When the disciples outside the Medicine Hall noticed Wang Xiuying''s arrival, they quickly approached her with respectful smiles and bowed to her.

    "Good evening, Senior apprentice-sister Wang!"

    "How''s your alchemy been progressing? Can you concoct Tier 4 pills yet?"

    "Senior apprentice-sister Wang, I have a question regarding alchemy¡­"

    Wang Xiuying was bombarded with questions, especially alchemy-rted questions. Due to her experience and knowledge surpassing even most Sect Elders, she would often give lectures to the disciples.T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

    "Sorry, everyone, but I am in the middle of an urgent business. If you have any questions, I will be more than happy to hear them during my next lecture, which will happen at the usual location in a week." Wang Xiuying apologized to the disciples before rushing into the Medicine Hall, a tall building with ten floors.

    She stopped on the seventh floor and approached one of the avable workers there.

    "Good evening, Healer Wang. How can the Medicine Hall assist you today?"

    The worker treated her as though she was a Sect Elder.

    Wang Xiuying handed a list of ingredients to the worker and said, "I need these as soon as possible."

    The worker didn''t even nce at the list of ingredients and nodded, "Of course. Please give me a moment to prepare the ingredients."

    As a Core Disciple, Wang Xiuying had near unlimited ess to the ingredients as long as they weren''t too rare, and she wasn''t being unreasonable with the amount. Furthermore, she was assisting the sect in producing pills exclusive to the Spirit Healing Academy, which were sold outside the sect. This allowed her to have more ess than other Core Disciples, including many Sect Elders.

    While Wang Xiuying waited for the ingredients, she noticed someone was approaching her from behind.

    Turning around, she was greeted by a beautiful woman.

    "Elder Mu." Wang Xiuying greeted the Sect Elder, who was responsible for her when she first joined the sect.

    "It''s been a while since Ist saw you outside your peak. What are you up to this time?"

    "Why are you making it sound like I am always causing trouble?" Wang Xiuying chuckled.

    "Aren''t you always, though?"

    Wang Xiuying shook her head with a smile and continued, "I am getting ingredients for the Basilisk''s Tear antidote."

    "What? Basilisk''s Tear? Don''t tell me the victim is one of our disciples!" Elder Mu inquired.

    "Don''t worry, Elder Mu. The victim isn''t from our sect, but he''s my friend''s father."

    "Your friend is lucky to have you. The antidote is a difficult Tier 3 pill that only a few Sect Elders have the ability to concoct, and they aren''t usually found in stores because the poison is rarely used nowadays, so you''d need to find someone to make it." Elder Mu said.

    The worker returned shortly after with the ingredients prepared.

 Chapter 1493 Antidote

    Chapter 1493 Antidote

    ?1493  Antidote

    "Here are the ingredients you have requested, Healer Wang."

    The worker ced the ingredients on the table before them.

    "Thank you." Wang Xiuying tossed all of the ingredients into her spatial ring.

    "Are you returning to your residence now?" Elder Mu asked her.

    "Yes, then I will be leaving again after I concoct the antidote."

    "I wille with you since it''s been a while since Ist saw you working."

    "Okay."

    The two of them left the Medicine Hall and made their way back to Wang Xiuying''s residence.

    Once they arrived, Wang Xiuying retrieved a cauldron and immediately began concocting the antidote.

    "Elder Mu, I''ve told you this before, but I do not n on staying in the Spirit Healing Academy forever," she spoke as she concocted the pill, something most alchemists don''t dare to do since it takes away their focus.

    Elder Mu nodded, "Yes, you have. The Sect Master may be upset by your decision, but she also understands it. This ce is simply too small for someone as talented as you, Disciple Wang. You''re destined to climb higher than all of us and achieve great things as an Alchemist."

    "Since you''re bringing this up now¡­ do you n on leaving soon?" Elder Mu looked at her with a calm gaze.

    "Yes, it''s about time I climb the Stairway to Heaven."

    "Why would you willingly put yourself through that ordeal when we can have someone from the Third Heaven guide you there?" Elder Mu asked.

    Unbeknownst to Elder Mu, all yers had ess to the Stairway to Heaven and could ascend without needing to partake in the trial because of Yuan. However, yers could still willingly partake in the trials.

    The majority of yers ascended without participating in the trials, but a minority willingly did so just to train themselves. After all, even if they failed the trials, it wouldn''t affect their ability to ascend.

    In fact, Yuan had advised everyone in the Demon Sealing Faction to ascend the Nine Heavens through their own effort instead of solely relying on him, as it would greatly benefit them.

    While it was possible to die during trials with countless people perishing to it since its establishment, as the master of the Stairway to Heaven, Yuan made it so that nobody from the Demon Sealing Faction would die during a trial.

    He also adjusted their difficulty, making it much harder than usual. This made the Stairway to Heaven a perfect training device for the Demon Sealing Faction.

    "I don''t want to ept every handouting my way. I have my own pride, you know? Once I ascend to the Third Heaven, I will join a sect through my own powers, not because of some rmendation!"

    "W-wait a second! Does that mean you won''t be joining the Jade Cauldron Sect?! Their Sect Master is already expecting you to join them!" Elder Mu panicked a little after hearing her words.

    Wang Xiuying shook her head and said, "I didn''t say that I wouldn''t join them, Elder Mu. I am saying that I will join them through the disciple examination by proving my qualifications, just like how I had to prove my qualifications before joining the Spirit Healing Academy."

    "B-but you have already proven your qualifications in thest two years. Nobody will dare to question your qualifications now."

    "Perhaps not their Sect Master and Sect Elders, but my fellow disciples will definitely question my qualifications. I know how the others will look at me if I joined through the backdoor, regardless of my qualifications."Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    "You¡­ are truly something." Elder Mu showed a defeated smile on her face.

    "No, this is the bare minimum. If I don''t do this much, I will never be able to catch up to him, much less walk beside him¡­" Wang Xiuying muttered with a somewhat dazed face.

    "Him¡­? Who are you talking about?" Elder Mu inquired in a curious tone.

    "My friend and idol. You should''ve heard of him before. If he hadn''t refused to ascend after the Mystic Realm, I would''ve never had the chance toe here so soon."

    "You mean that arrogant bas¡ªAhem. Of course, I remember him. He''d caused quite the scene before, after all." Elder Mu coughed mid-sentence.

    Wang Xiuying sighed, "I wouldn''t badmouth him if I were you, even if he''s not here. You might receive bad luck."

    "Why are you even trying to surpass him? I know he''s a cultivation genius, but is he also an alchemy genius?" Elder Mu inquired.

    "Not as far as I am aware. And who said anything about surpassing him? That''s literally impossible. I just want to be useful enough to stand by his side."

    "What are you saying? You have the potential to be an Alchemy Emperor, at the very least. Who knows, you might even be an Alchemy God. There''s no way you wouldn''t be useful with such talents."

    "You wouldn''t understand it even if I spent an entire day exining it to you, Elder Mu. Anyways, my pill is about to bepleted."

    Wang Xiuying stopped talking and poured all of her focus into the cauldron.

    A few minutester, Wang Xiuying removed the lid and retrieved the pill from the cauldron, quickly sealing it inside a pill bottle.

    "I am finished here, so I will be leaving soon."

    Elder Mu nodded and said, "Then I will speak to the Sect Master, your Master, about your inevitable departure."

    "Thank you, Elder Mu. I will also speak with my Master the next time I return."

    Wang Xiuying logged off Cultivation Online shortly after.

    When she woke up, she found Yuan cultivating beside her.

    "You have the antidote?" Yuan opened his eyes and spoke before she could even disturb him.

    "Yes."

    Wang Xiuying retrieved the pill she''d just created.

    "Great. Then let''s return."

    Sebastian was waiting for them outside and guided them back to Chu Shijian''s room.

    "You''re back already? It''s only been a little over an hour." Chu Shijian wasn''t expecting the antidote so soon.

    "Yes, and I have your antidote here." Wang Xiuying showed the pill on her palm.

 Chapter 1494 Curing Chu Shijian

    Chapter 1494 Curing Chu Shijian

    ?1494  Curing Chu Shijian

    Wang Xiuying handed the antidote to Chu Liuxiang and said, "I''ll give you the honor."

    "Thank you¡­"

    After epting the antidote, Chu Liuxiang opened the seal and poured the pill into her grasp before offering it to Chu Shijian.

    The pill was only the size of a fingernail but exuded an intense bitter smell.

    "It''s going to be very bitter." Wang Xiuying warned as Chu Shijian epted the pill.

    Without hesitation, Chu Shijian tossed the pill into his mouth and swallowed it with water.

    The pill quickly dissolved, and Chu Shijian''s face immediately twisted with disgust. It had the worst taste he''d ever experienced¡ªboth intensely strong and longsting.

    "Fuck! Is this what drinking moldy milk would be like?!" Chu Shijian nearly puked but managed to keep it inside.

    He looked at Wang Xiuying with teary eyes and a runny nose, and he couldn''t help but wonder if she had actually poisoned him instead of curing him.

    "That means the medicine is working." Wang Xiuying calmly said, and she continued, "You''ll need to use the bathroom in a bit. Things might get a little¡­ explosive."

    Chu Shijian''s eyes widened at her words, but before he could even open his mouth to respond, he felt a churning sensation in his stomach.

    When he sensed a weird sensation from his rear, he immediately jumped out of bed and rushed outside.

    "M-Master?!" Sebastian was shocked to see Chu Shijian out of bed and running when he could barely walk just hours ago.

    "Looks like he''ll be just fine." Wang Xiuying chuckled.

    "Once again, thank you for saving my father¡­" Chu Liuxiang said to her.

    Wang Xiuying casually waved her hand and said, "You don''t need to thank me. I merely did the obvious and right thing."

    "Still, I feel grateful to you."

    "I-is the Master cured?" Sebastian asked as he entered the room.

    "Yes, he''s cured." Wang Xiuying nodded.

    "Thank the heavens¡­ Without him, the Chu Family wouldn''t have survived another month, let alone another year."

    An hour passed, but Chu Shijian had yet to return from the bathroom.

    "How long do you think he''ll spend inside the bathroom?" Chu Liuxiang asked.

    "Hard to tell. It varies depending on how much poison was in his body. Considering his state, it''ll probably take three to four hours before he finishes cleansing it out of his body."

    "T-three to four hours?!" Chu Liuxiang did not expect it tost so long.

    "Shall wee back tomorrow?" Yuan said.

    "We should. He''ll need to rest properly afterward, too." Wang Xiuying said.

    "Then we''lle back tomorrow at noon," Yuan said to Sebastian.

    "Very well. I will let the Master know once he returns."

    Yuan left the Chu Family with the others shortly after, while Sebastian continued to wait for Chu Shijian''s return.

    Four and a half hourster, Chu Shijian returned to the room with a pale expression, but he looked much better overall than before he left for the bathroom.

    "Wee back, Master. Yuan and the others have already left for today. They''ll return tomorrow at noon." Sebastian said.

    "I see¡­"

    "The doctor also advised you to rest for the remainder of the day."

    "I understand."

    After Chu Shijian went under the nkets on his bed, he said, with a serious expression, "Sebastian, I want you to investigate my wives¡ªall four of them."

    "I will immediately do so." Sebastian calmly nodded.

    "..."

    Chu Shijian narrowed his eyes at Sebastian and asked, "You don''t seem at all surprised by my request. How long have you been suspecting them? And why haven''t you said anything?"

    "It''s not this lowly servant''s job to make assumptions. Even if I suspect them, I have no proof, nor do I dare to investigate the Mistresses without the Master''s order."

    "Sebastian¡­ you¡­ you take your job too seriously." Chu Shijian sighed out loud. "You''ve been working for our family since your childhood, not even mentioning your ancestors. I see you more as a friend than a servant. If you have something to say, please do not hesitate to speak up."

    After a moment of silence, Sebastian spoke, "I had a suspicion that you were poisoned at first, but I threw away that thought after none of the doctors made such a im. When I still believed that you were poisoned, I immediately suspected one of the Mistresses, as they were the only ones who could''ve poisoned you without my knowledge. I personally prepare your food, so I know it didn''te from me."

    "With that being said, do you have any idea who could''ve poisoned you?" Sebastian then asked.

    Chu Shijian closed his eyes to ponder.

    A few minutester, he sighed while shaking his head, "I''ve made contact with all of my wives before I got sick, and without knowing how I was poisoned, it''s impossible to tell who had the capability to poison me."

    "We can ask the doctor tomorrow."

    "We shall. I''ll get some sleep now."

    The following morning, after breakfast, Yan Xiaoxiao approached Meixiu for her interview.

    "How long have you known Yuan?"

    "Pretty much for my entire life," she said.

    "Your mother is Miss Meifeng, correct? Did you also work for Yuan?"

    "That''s correct. I was trained to serve Yuan but ended up serving his sister for the majority of my time there. I only started serving him again after we left the Yu Family."

    "What''s your current rtionship with Yuan now?"

    "..."

    Meixiu hesitated to answer this question, as she was unsure whether she could reveal such private information to the rest of the world.

    "She''s my partner." Yuan''s voice suddenly resounded, surprising the both of them.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    "B-by partner, do you mean¡­" Yan Xiaoxiao swallowed nervously.

    "Yes, she''s my lover." Yuan rified without an ounce of hesitation in his voice.

    Meixiu stared at him with wide eyes, her face slightly flushed.

    Yuan smiled at her and said, "Are you embarrassed to be my woman, so you don''t want the world to know?"

    "T-that''s not it!" she hastily said.

    He chuckled, "I know. I am just teasing you."

    Yan Xiaoxiao stared at them with a dazed look on her face, seemingly unable to find the proper reaction to this shocking information.

 Chapter 1495 Theres Still Hope

    Chapter 1495 There''s Still Hope

    ?1495  There''s Still Hope

    ''Yuan has a lover? This is huge news¡ªprobably the biggest one in this entire interview!'' Yan Xiaoxiao cried inwardly, and she couldn''t help but feel pity for the countless maidens who had fallen in love with Yuan.

    "H-how long have you been together for?" Yan Xiaoxiao continued to inquire.

    "Probably about a year now?" Meixiu said with a pondering expression.

    "You guys can continue. I''ll be in the training ground with the others." Yuan said before leaving them alone.

    After Yuan left, Yan Xiaoxiao asked, "In your eyes, what do you believe is Yuan''s biggest charm? And when did you start liking him?"

    "I don''t know when I started liking him, but I''ve probably liked him since our childhood. He has many charms, but his biggest charm is definitely his dependability. I can always depend on his words, and it''s a great feeling always to have someone to rely on."

    In the training grounds, Yuan sparred with the others.

    Meanwhile, the world outside of the Dragon Spiral Mountain was in an uproar after all Faction Wars had been paused and dyed for an entire month.

    When the organizers, the Cultivators'' Association, were questioned for a reason, their response during a live interview sent immense shockwaves throughout the entire world.

    "The Great Battlefield is undergoing reconstruction, and all arenas will receive an upgrade, which will allow the yers to fight each other with their full strength without needing to worry about identally killing their opponents!"

    When the Chairman of the Cultivators'' Association made this announcement, they were bombarded with questions on how such a feat was even possible.

    "We have a powerful Array Master on our side who has the ability to create formations to achieve this feat."

    "Who is this Array Master?!" One reporter asked.

    "Unfortunately, we are not allowed to disclose his identity, as requested by the Array Master himself."

    "How reliable are these formations?" Another reporter asked.

    "Very reliable. I, along with several of my colleagues, experienced firsthand its effects, and we can guarantee its effectiveness." Chairman Lee responded.

    "If you''re not convinced by this, the Demon Sealing Faction and the Fiery Garden of Hell have agreed to be the first ones to test the formation."

    "W-wait! Does that mean the Fiery Garden of Hell has epted yer Yuan''s direct challenge?!"

    "Indeed. The Fiery Garden of Hell was the one to send the challenge request, and the Demon Sealing Faction epted it. The terms of the Faction War will be the same as the Demon Sealing Faction''s Faction War against the Fiery Locust Swarm."

    During this interview, the world also learned of the Demon Sealing Faction''s second Faction War, which was several times more shocking than their match against the Fiery Locust Swarm, as the Fiery Garden of Hell had over half a million yers.

    Thousands of articles on their uing Faction War filled the inte.

    [Fiery Garden of Hell epts yer Yuan''s challenge!]

    [yer Yuan bites more than he can chew!]

    [From ranked 86 to ranked 5th! Will yer Yuan challenge rank 1 for their third Faction War?!]

    While the rest of the world talked about the uing changes to the future of Faction Wars, Yan Xiaoxiao interviewed Chu Liuxiang after Meixiu.

    "How long have you known Yuan?" Yan Xiaoxiao asked.

    "I''ve known Yuan even before he was adopted by the Yu Family. We came from the same orphanage, after all."

    "Wow, what was Yuan like during his childhood?" Yan Xiaoxiao''s eyes flickered with excitement at this unexpected information.

    "Pretty much how you''d expect a child to behave, but he was already talented with instruments back then. He taught me how to y the harmonica, too."

    "How would you describe your rtionship with Yuan nowadays?"

    "We''re partners." Chu Liuxiang responded without hesitation.

    "H-huh?" Yan Xiaoxiao''s eyes widened.

    "By partner, do you mean¡ª"

    "We''re lovers." Chu Liuxiang interrupted.

    "..."

    "Huh? Wait¡­ but I thought¡­" Yan Xiaoxiao immediately became confused by this revtion.

    Yan Xiaoxiao wasn''t sure if she should mention Meixiu. What if Yuan and Chu Liuxiang were in some kind of secret rtionship? What if he was cheating on Meixiu? These stories are verymon, after all.

    Seeing Yan Xiaoxiao''s hesitation, Chu Liuxiang chuckled, "Are you worried about Meixiu?"

    "Eh?"

    "Don''t worry, we''re both his lovers."

    "So she knows?"

    "Yes."

    "And you''re both okay with sharing him?"

    "Of course."

    "I-is that so¡­" Yan Xiaoxiao could feel her heart racing for some reason.

    "Why are you surprised? It''s not a new thing. My father also has several wives."

    Yan Xiaoxiao cleared her throat and said, "Now that you mention it, I guess it isn''t that surprising for someone like Yuan to have several lovers."

    ''There''s still hope for the others!'' she cried inwardly.

    Yu Ning also had simr thoughts when she learned that Yuan had two daopanions.

    Yan Xiaoxiao ended her interview with Chu Liuxiang an hourter. Although there was still plenty of time, she decided to end the interview for that day since only Yuan was left to be interviewed, and she wanted to spend an entire day with him.

    When noon arrived, Yuan, Chu Liuxiang, and Wang Xiuying made their way to the Chu Family''s residence as scheduled. This time, they just flew directly to their residence, saving time.

    "Sebastian, why is the house so empty? Where''s everyone?" Chu Liuxiang asked as they walked through the empty hallways.

    "The other mistresses and your siblings are all doing their own things outside."

    "When father is this sick?" Chu Liuxiang frowned.

    "It''s precisely because he''s sick that they have to leave. After all, with the Master bedridden, they are the only ones who can continue the family businesses." Sebastian exined.

    "That makes sense. I shouldn''t have made any assumptions. Sorry."

    "It''s fine. I understandpletely where you''reing from."

    They entered Chu Shijian''s room shortly after.

    "You look much better today." Wang Xiuying said to Chu Shijian after seeing his appearance.

    "It''s all thanks to you." Chu Shijianughed heartily.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    "Anyway, I have a question. How is that poison typically applied?" he suddenly stoppedughing and asked with a serious expression.

 Chapter 1496 The Culprit

    Chapter 1496 The Culprit

    ?1496  The Culprit

    Hearing Chu Shijian''s question, Wang Xiuying pondered for a minute before responding, "There are several ways to apply Basilisk''s Tear. The easiest method is to mix it with liquid and feed it to someone, but since it has a distinct bitter taste, the best approach is to mix it with something sweet. It can also be injected into solid food."

    "Something sweet¡­?" Chu Shijian began trying to recall thest time he had something sweet.

    Hisplexion darkened a momentter when he recalled something, and his body trembled in anger.

    "It can''t be¡­" he muttered in a cold voice.

    "Who poisoned you, father?" Chu Liuxiang asked with a deep frown on her face.

    Chu Shijian didn''t respond and turned to look at Sebastian with a serious expression before asking loudly, "What is Chu Wuyang doing at this moment?!"

    "Chu Wuyang?! That useless brother?!" Chu Liuxiang cried out loud after hearing his name.

    "Chu Wuyang?" Yuan raised an eyebrow as he recalled this familiar name.

    ''He was the one who blocked me at the front door when I tried to get Lulu back.''

    Yuan recalled beating Chu Wuyang so hard that he fell unconscious.

    "Young Master Wuyang should be in charge of our business in Cultivation Online. The one located at Third Heaven." Sebastian quickly replied.

    "Don''t tell me¡­ he was the one who poisoned you¡­?"

    Chu Shijian gritted his teeth and clenched his fists in frustration.

    "I don''t have solid proof or want to suspect him, but he was the only one who fed me something in thest several months. Right before I got sick, he brought me a slice of cake and asked for my opinion on it. The cake was so sweet I can still recall it clearly even now, so I only had a single bite!"

    "However, Chu Wuyang also tasted the cake right after I gave my opinion!"

    Wang Xiuying then said, "I don''t want to make assumptions, but he could''ve easily prepared the antidote beforehand. This poison isn''t deadly as long as you''re prepared. The antidote is also not that hard to find."

    "Why would he do something so foolish?! Sebastian! Summon Chu Wuyang and his mother for me!" Chu Shijianmanded.

    "Right away."

    Sebastian immediately rushed out of the room.

    Chu Shijian lowered his head in a dejected manner and used his hands to massage between his eyes.

    "What should I do now¡­?" he muttered in a stressful voice.

    Nobody in the room responded. This was Chu Shijian''s problem to solve as Chu Wuyang''s father and victim.

    Sebastian returned a few minutester with the news, "I have notified Young Master Wuyang and his mother, telling them that there''s been an emergency. They should arrive in a few hours."

    Chu Shijian nodded and said, "In fact, summon everyone! I want everybody there to witness Chu Wuyang''s response!"

    "As youmand." Sebastian left again.

    "Father¡­ we should probably leave¡­" Chu Liuxiang said in a low voice.

    "Even if you are no longer part of the family, I would like for you to be there. You too, Yuan. If you don''t mind, that is." Chu Shijian stared at them with a serious face.

    "I don''t mind being there." Yuan calmly nodded.

    "Then I''ll be there, as well." Chu Liuxiang said.

    Wang Xiuying left the Chu Family shortly after checking Chu Shijian''s condition while Yuan and Chu Liuxiang remained.

    While they waited for the rest of the Chu Family, they rested in Chu Liuxiang''s old room, which was left untouched.From N?velDrama.Org.

    "They kept this ce clean¡­" Chu Liuxiang was left speechless after realizing that they''d continued to clean her room even after she left.

    "So this is your room, huh?" Yuan looked around with interest.

    "I wanted to show you my room long ago, but s¡­"

    "Betterte than never, right?" he smiled.

    Chu Liuxiang proceeded to spend her time cultivating while she waited. Meanwhile, Yuan closed his eyes to study his techniques.

    A few hourster, Sebastian knocked on their room and brought them to the audience room. Chu Shijian was already there when they arrived.

    "Three of my wives have already arrived. We''re waiting for thest one to arrive before we start." Chu Shijian said as he gestured for them to sit in the chairs beside him.

    Half an hourter, the fourth wife arrived. With the entire Chu Family present, Sebastian led them to the audience room.

    "W-what the hell is going on here?" They were immediately shocked to see Chu Liuxiang and Yuan sitting beside Chu Shijian.

    "F-father¡­?" Chu Wuyang also expressed great shock, but his attention was on Chu Shijian instead of the other two.

    Chu Shijian didn''t miss this and felt his blood boiling from anger, but he managed to keep his outer appearance calm.

    "Dear, what on earth is happening here? Are you sure you can be out of bed right now?"

    Chu Shijian''s first wife, Chu Shufen, stepped forward and inquired. Instead of asking about Yuan and Chu Liuxiang, she questioned his well-being first.

    Chu Shijian nodded, "As you can see from my appearance, I have been cured of my sickness."

    "Is that true?!"

    "What was the sickness?!"

    "And who cured it?!"

    The other wives also started speaking.

    "We did." Chu Liuxiang suddenly spoke. "Well, to be precise, a member of our Demon Sealing Faction did."

    "Y-you¡­? What are you even doing back here? I thought you''d left the family and would never return." Chu Shufen stared at her with a frown.

    Her frown deepened when she shifted her gaze to Yuan.

    "We can discuss themter. I summoned all of you here for another reason¡ªmy sickness. I thought I had contracted an unknown illness, but guess what? I wasn''t actually sick! It turned out that I had been poisoned!" Chu Shijian''s voice grew grimmer as he continued with a hint of self-mockery within.

    "W-what?! Poisoned?! Who would dare?! And when could have this happened?!" Chu Shufeng shouted in anger.

    "The poison is called Basilisk''s Tear, something that does not belong to our world but came from Cultivation Online!" Chu Shijian exined.

    As he listened to his father''s words, the pace of Chu Wuyang''s heartbeat quickened.

 Chapter 1497 Chu Wuyang

    Chapter 1497 Chu Wuyang

    ?1497  Chu Wuyang

    ''Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Why is this happening?! What went wrong?! I did everything perfectly!'' Chu Wuyang cried inwardly after realizing that his n to assassinate Chu Shijian had failed.

    He shifted his gaze from Chu Shijian to Chu Liuxiang before stopping at Yuan.

    ''It must be this bastard''s doing! This is the second time you''ve hindered my ns, you fucking bastard!''

    Yuan noticed Chu Wuyang staring at him, so he made eye contact with him and showed a mocking grin.

    ''This fucker!!!'' Chu Wuyang''s body trembled from anger.

    "Do you know who poisoned you?" Chu Shufen suddenly asked.

    Chu Shijian didn''t immediately respond, so the entire room fell silent.

    "I do."

    "?!?!" Chu Wuyang tried to hide the fear on his face but failed to do so.

    "Who?! Which brave bastard dared to assassinate you?!"

    Chu Shijian sighed and said, "That person is currently in this room with us."

    "W-what?!"

    The wives immediately started exchanging looks, their faces filled with disbelief and doubt.

    Chu Shufeng shook her head and spoke a momentter, "Dear¡­ there must have been some sort of mistake. How did you learn that someone here poisoned you?"

    "I rarely left this ce after my Dantian was crippled and I returned to being a mere mortal. I waspletely healthy, albiet weak, until the system update for Cultivation Online happened. I began growing sick shortly after the system update, and I hadn''t left our home for an entire month before the system update, so only someone from our family could''ve poisoned me."

    "The poison, Basilisk''s Tear, is administered through consumption, whether it be through liquid or food. Additionally, its intensely bitter taste can only be masked effectively with sweetness."

    "Sebastian is responsible for all of my food, but there''s no way he''d poison me. He has been with our family since birth, not to mention his ancestors. I trust him enough to entrust my life to him. Moreover, since I have a strict diet, he''d never go out of his way to cook anything sweet without receiving my request first."

    "From the moment the system update urred to now, only one individual in this room has fed me something sweet¡ª

    overwhelmingly so, at that."

    Chu Shijian''s gaze fell upon Chu Wuyang, who was visibly shaking by now and looked as though he was about to freeze to death.

    The others followed his gaze to Chu Wuyang, their eyes wide with shock.

    "N-no! There must''ve been a misunderstanding! My son would never do such a thing!" His mother quickly stepped forward, shielding Chu Wuyang with her body.

    "T-that''s right!" Chu Wuyang shouted.

    "It''s true that I had fed you a slice of cake, but I also ate from that very slice right after you, so why did I not get sick?!" Chu Wuyang cried out loud, desperately defending himself.

    "Don''t tell me you''re going to say that I had prepared the antidote for myself beforehand because that is mere spection and not solid proof!"

    Chu Shijian nodded, "You''re right, and I am not foolish enough to use you without solid proof. Therefore, I had Sebastian dig through all of your stuff."

    "Sebastian!" he called out loud.

    Sebastian entered the room the very next second with a folder in his grasp.

    "Young Master Wuyang, you''re not very good at hiding your secrets. It only took me several hours of investigation to learn so much about you. Not only are you in constant contact with the Qin Family''s eldest son, Qin Bojing, but you''ve also been paid tremendously by them for the past four years."

    "What?! You''ve been scheming behind our backs with the Qin Family?!"

    The others eximed in shock upon hearing this revtion.

    "That''s bullshit!" Chu Wuyang cried out loud.

    Yuan''sughter suddenly erupted, followed by his words, "Chu Wuyang, you must be immensely cherished by your family to achieve Spirit Lord at your age. I can only imagine the wealth and resources they''vevished upon you."

    "What? Spirit Lord?" Chu Shijian and the rest of the Chu Family were baffled to learn this, as they weren''t aware of his cultivation this entire time due to their inferior cultivations.

    The strongest Cultivator in their family was a mere Spirit Master, and due to the Qin Family''s hindrance, they didn''t have the luxury of drowning themselves in resources after the system update.

    "Is this why you betrayed your own family, Chu Wuyang?! For some cultivation resources?! You are a disgrace!" Chu Shijian roared, his face bulging with veins.

    "I cannot even begin to imagine attempting to assassinate my own father just to reach Spirit Lord. I knew you were always pathetic, but I could''ve never imagined it was to this extent." Chu Liuxiang spoke in a cold voice as she looked at Chu Wuyang as if he were a mere bug.

    But she was not finished and continued, "Or what? Did Yuan beat you so hard that you''d gone insane? Actually, that happened long after you started scheming with the Qin Family, so that cannot be the case."

    "P-please tell me this is all a lie. Wuyang¡­ tell them that it''s all just a misunderstanding!" His mother grabbed his sleeves and muttered while crying.

    Chu Wuyang suddenly stopped trembling and stood there like a stone statue. After a moment of silence, he snapped, "DID YOU THINK I WANTED TO DO THIS?!"

    Lifting his head, his face contorted with anger, he pointed at Chu Liuxiang and shouted, "This is all because of you! You don''t even share our bloodline! You were merely adopted! Yet, you receive better treatment and more privilege than me, who was actually born into this family!"Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    "From the day you came to our household, everything went to you! Resources! Oppurinities! My father''s love! Everything!"

    Chu Wuyang turned to look at the eldest son and continued, "If anyone can understand me, it''s you, Elder Brother Yuanjun! In fact, being the eldest in our family, you must hate her more than I do!"

    Chu Yuanjun, who was suddenly dragged into this mess, merely lowered his head in silence.

    "That''s your reason for poisoning your own father? As expected of someone as weak and fragile as you. It''s very befitting, wlessly so."

    A cold voice suddenly sneered.

    Chu Wuyang snapped his head to re at Yuan, who had just spoken, his gaze brimming with intense killing intent and profound hatred.

 Chapter 1498 Magic Talisman

    Chapter 1498 Magic Talisman

    ?1498  Magic Talisman

    "Shut up... SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Chu Wuyang roared, his Spirit Lord aura exploding around him. However, due to the formation, he could only exert the strength of a peak Spirit Grandmaster.

    "What do you think you''re trying to do?!" Chu Shijian shouted.

    "Whatever I want!"

    Without another word, Chu Wuyang lunged at Yuan like a tiger, his entire being radiating bloodlust. In midair, he summoned a sword and swung it at Yuan without hesitation.

    "Yuan!" Chu Liuxiang subconsciously called out to him even though she knew Chu Wuyang wouldn''t be able to touch even a single hair on him.

    Sure enough, Yuan casually caught the de with two fingers and, with seemingly no effort, pinched it so hard that the entire de shattered into hundreds of fragments.

    "What?! That was a Heaven-grade treasure!" Chu Wuyang eximed in a terrified voice.

    He''d never seen someone breaking a Spirit-grade treasure with their bare hands before, much less Heaven-grade.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    ''It must be some kind of trick!'' Chu Wuyang gritted his teeth.

    After distancing himself from Yuan and pausing for a moment, he retrieved a ck talisman and infused it with half of his spiritual energy.

    The ck talisman emitted a crimson glow before suddenly catching fire and burning away.

    "mes of Purgatory! Turn that bastard into ash!"

    Once the magic talisman fully burned away, it released a powerful pir of fire that resembled a dragon''s breath in Yuan''s direction.

    ''The magic talisman contained a powerful Divine-rank martial technique! Once released, it can instantly kill even a peak Spirit Lord! Let''s see how you, a mere Spirit Grandmaster, survive it!'' Chu Wuyang grinned as he watched the mes engulf Yuan''s figure.

    "That''s a dangerous thing you have there," Yuan''s voice resounded, followed by a strange whooshing noise. The mes suddenly vanished as if consumed by the air itself, revealing Yuan''s perfectly unharmed appearance and a beautiful silver spear that wasn''t in his grasp a moment prior.

    "That could''ve destroyed a good portion of this mountain if I hadn''t erased it in time," he continued in a grim voice.

    ''Clearly limiting their cultivation isn''t enough. I will need to find a way to deal with such tacticster¡­'' he sighed inwardly.

    "H-how?! How the hell are you doing this?!" Chu Wuyang roared, his face twisted in confusion, seemingly on the verge of madness.

    However, Yuan wasn''t even paying attention to him; he was looking at Chu Shijian.

    "How do you want to punish him?" he asked.

    Chu Shijian responded solemnly as she red at Chu Wuyang, "Chu Wuyang, for your crimes¡ªyour betrayal¡ªI hereby disown you. And to prevent you from harming others, I will cripple your cultivation!"

    "Please wait a moment! Let''s talk about this first!" Chu Wuyang''s mother suddenly stepped forward.

    However, Chu Shijian''s face remained resolute, and he said, "Chu Tung-Mei, don''t act like you''repletely innocent, either. Since he''s your son, we will also be investigating you to see if you have any involvement. In fact, everyone in the family will be investigated with no exceptions. If you are not satisfied with my decision, you may leave the Chu Family with him. Chu Wuyang, you''re lucky I am sparing your life despite your assassination attempt on my life!"

    The room fell silent.

    Yuan broke the silence by stepping away from his seat.

    "You heard him, Chu Wuyang. Since I am the only one capable of crippling you here, I shall do the honors. No hard feelings."

    "G-get away from you, you monster!" Chu Wuyang turned around and began running away.

    Seeing this, Yuan activated Heavenly Domain, instantly restricting his movements.

    "The less you struggle, the less painful this will be. Or would you rather I beat you down first, like thest time? Don''t worry, it''ll be over before you even know it."

    Without taking another step, Yuan raised his hand and pointed a finger at Chu Wuyang''s back. In the next moment, a thin strand of Sword Aura shot out from Yuan''s fingertip, flying at Chu Wuyang''s Dantian like a bullet.

    Upon impact, the Sword Aura drilled a hole within Chu Wuyang''s Dantian, causing it to leak out all of its spiritual energy.

    Chu Wuyang''s cultivation immediately began to decline. In less than ten seconds, it plummeted from Spirit Lord to Spirit Grandmaster, then further to Spirit Master, Spirit Warrior, and Spirit Apprentice¡ªuntil it waspletely depleted of spiritual energy.

    "N-no! Noooo!" Chu Wuyang''s horrified cry echoed throughout the entire room.

    Chu Shijian and the others swallowed nervously after witnessing Yuan''s domineering disy of strength. He was so powerful that even a Spirit Lord like Chu Wuyang seemed as vulnerable as a chicken on the chopping board.

    After crippling Chu Wuyang''s cultivation, Yuan returned to his seat and casually sat down without even a ripple on his nonchnt expression.

    ''I knew he was powerful, but to think he''d be this overbearing!'' Chu Shufeng was quivering in her shoes when she recalled their fight with him.

    After a moment of silence, Chu Shijian spoke, "Sebastian, escort our guest to the interogation room. If he refuses to move, you can drag him away."

    "Yes."

    Sebastian proceeded to drag Chu Wuyang out of the room. Chu Wuyang''s mother watched all of this unfold with a dazed look, but she didn''t dare to help him any further, fearing it might incriminate her.

    Sometimeter, Chu Shijian said to the others, "You can leave for now. We will continue this tomorrow."

    In the end, only Yuan and Chu Liuxiang remained in the room with him.

    "So, what are your ns now?" Yuan asked Chu Shijian.

    "Unfortunately, this won''t really change our situation with the Qin Family. Chu Wuyang has already done irreversible damage to our family. The Qin Family''s hindrance may slow down for a bit without Chu Wuyang, but it won''t stop them from bankrupting us."

    "Our business within Cultivation Online, which was handled by Chu Wuyang, will also be in a mess for some time."

    "This business¡­ can you tell me more about it?" Yuan suddenly asked.

 Chapter 1499 Businesses in Cultivation Online

    Chapter 1499 Businesses in Cultivation Online

    ?1499  Businesses in Cultivation Online

    "Our business in Cultivation Online? It''s nothing special¡ªjust your typical operation with the usual groups." Chu Shijian said.

    He continued, "As you probably already know, Cultivation Online is heavily incorporated into our economy now. Nowadays, it''s fine even if you have no money in the real world. As long as you have money in Cultivation Online, you''re essentially sessful even in the real world."

    "Mostrge businesses like us have different branches that specialize in their own gold earning strategy."

    "For example, we have the Monster Hunter Branch, which focuses solely on hunting magical beasts for monster cores and materials. This is the most profitable method but also the most tiring andpetitive. Although we used to have businesses in every realm, we''ve decided to move to the Third Heaven, where resources and wealth are much easier to acquirepared to the Lower Heaven, andpetition is weaker there due to the higher requirements."

    "Other operations include Quest farming and herb picking for those with weaker cultivations. Alchemy is also a very profitable business, but unfortunately, the requirements for this are extremely high, and any alchemist that can concoct tier 2 and above pills is in very high demand, not to mention their expensive contracts."

    "We also have a dungeon-focused branch that specifically clears those, but the casualty rate is even higher than the Monster Hunter Branch."

    Yuan quickly digested this information and nodded, "I see how it works. How does the Qin Family hinder your business?"

    "Targeting a specific business is much harder than you might think since they''ll need to know our operations and workers'' identity. Since Chu Wuyang, who was in charge of our business in Cultivation Online, gave Qin Family our information, it made our business in Cultivation Online hell."

    "The Qin Family would target our Monster Hunting Branch by killing our yers during or after their hunt when they''re the most vulnerable. For those working in cities, the Qin Family would harass them and threaten them to stop working for us and whatnot. Once the Qin Family realizes Chu Wuyang''s been exposed as their spy, they will definitelye at us in full force since they no longer need to care about being exposed."

    "What a bunch of filthy and unscrupulous bastards, the Qin Family!" Chu Liuxiang cursed out loud after learning of the situation.

    "And since you don''t have their information, you cannot fight back," Yuan muttered.

    "Unfortunately, that is exactly the case."

    "Is there anything we can do to help, Yuan?" Chu Liuxiang asked him.

    Yuan closed his eyes to ponder.

    "I can try to think of something. I''ll be heading back down to the Third Heaven for a bit, anyway."

    "Really? You''re willing to help us after everything you''ve already done?" Chu Shijian looked at him with a surprised face.

    He actually wanted to ask them for help, but since he''d already received so much help from them, he was too ashamed to do so.

    "If there''s nothing else, I will take my leave for today. I''ll contact you when I return to the Third Heaven." Yuan said.

    He looked at Chu Liuxiang and continued, "You can stay here if you want."

    "I''ll stay behind to speak with my mother."

    "Okay."

    Yuan returned to his residence shortly after, while Chu Liuxiang went to speak with Chu Shufen with Chu Shijian.

    "Yu Ning, do you have any solution for those talismans? They could be a problem in the future." Yuan asked her.

    "You mean the Array Talismans? They all contain arrays with martial techniques stored in them, so they''re not really treasures, which makes it tricky to restrict them. However, they''re quite difficult to create and very expensive, so I wouldn''t worry too much about them for now."

    "Perhaps not right now, but eventually. It would be disastrous if a talisman powerful enough to destroy this world somehow ends up in the wrong hands."

    "If you''re that worried, there is a Tier 8 formation that can restrict not just cultivation but also the amount of spiritual energy that can be released in this world. Unfortunately, I am not capable enough to create it." Yu Ning said.

    "Tier 8, huh."

    "Tier 7 was pretty much the pinnacle of formations during the Primordial Era. Only one individual has managed to reach Tier 8."

    After pondering for a moment, Yuan showed a mysterious smile and spoke, "Want to y a game with me, Yu Ning?"

    "What kind?"

    "To see which of us will be the first to reach Tier 8 Array Master. If you win, I''ll ept any one request from you. If I win, I don''t need anything from you."

    "Huh? What purpose does this game serve? It doesn''t benefit you¡ªonly me."

    "Perhaps, but it serves as a good motivation for me. It''ll probably take some time for you to reconstruct your body, so I have some time to catch up."

    "Well, I have no reason to refuse something that would only benefit me, so I''ll y your game." Yu Ning nodded.

    Chu Liuxiang returned a few hours after Yuan left.

    "How did things go with your parents?" he asked her.

    "We''re making progress, but it''ll take some time before things return to how they were before. I left the family for an entire year, so I never expected everything to be fixed instantly."

    The following day, Yan Xiaoxiao woke up earlier than usual.

    "Today is the day! I made sure to interview Yuanst and dedicated an entire day just for him! Failure is not an option!"

    She spent the next hour going through all her equipment to ensure the interview would be as smooth as possible.

    After breakfast, Yan Xiaoxiao approached Yuan with a wide grin on her face, "I''ll be with you for the entire day!"

    He nodded with a smile, "Then let''s start with my morning routine. I typically spend some time ying the zither after breakfast."

    As they made their way to the music room, Yan Xiaoxiao began asking him questions.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

 Chapter 1500 Yuans Interview

    Chapter 1500 Yuan''s Interview

    ?1500  Yuan''s Interview

    "What is your cultivation currently at in Cultivation Online?"Yan Xiaoxiao asked Yuan as they walked through the hallways.

    "Ninth level Spirit King," he calmly responded.

    "Wow! I only know of one other person who''s a Spirit King, and they''ve just achieved the first level of Spirit King after spending a fortune on resources! How much did you spend to get to your cultivation?"

    "I rarely purchase my cultivation resources. I hunt them. It''s much cheaper and more efficient that way."

    "Wha¡ª! So you''ve reached the peak of Spirit King without consuming treasures?! Is that even possible?! Have you ever purchased gold for Cultivation Online? What do you do with your resources?"

    "The majority of my cultivation was obtained from monster cores that I hunted. I have never purchased gold for Cultivation Online, but I''ve sold many things on the auction house for money to spend on Earth. It''s also how I was able to afford this ce at first."

    "Oh? Rare treasures that are typically out of most yers'' reach would asionally make their way into COyerAuctions, usually in bundles, and they would always sell for a fortune. Perhaps you''re responsible for most of them?"

    Yuan smiled and said, "Perhaps."

    Sure enough, he''d sell all of the treasures that were useless to him at COyerAuctions. This included all the loot he picked up from his in enemies.

    "There have been fewer and fewer high-quality treasures being sold in COyerAuctions these days. Do you n on selling more treasures in the future?"

    "Who knows? I don''t really need any money right now." Yuan shrugged.

    He''d already earned enough money to splurge on for several lifetimes, and since he no longer needed to pay to live in the Dragon Spiral Mountian ever since he helped the Lord kill the demons, he decided to stop selling treasures.

    "Can you tell me what you typically do in Cultivation Online? Are you focused on improving your cultivation? Hunting treasures? Quests?"

    "A little bit of everything, I suppose. I don''t have any routine or strictly focus on one thing. I just go where fate takes me."

    "Going where fate takes you, huh? That''s a good one!" Yan Xiaoxiao chuckled.

    She paused for a moment to look at her notes before continuing, "You had a lot of yer announcements from hunting many unique Elite Bosses. Can you tell us a little about that ce?"

    "It''s a dangerous ce called the Vanishing Valley." Yuan calmly responded.

    Yan Xiaoxiao was a little surprised to see Yuan answering so casually. Many people believed it was a secret hunting ground, so she wouldn''t have been surprised if he had refused to answer the question.

    Seeing her reaction, Yuan smiled and said, "I know what you''re thinking. It''s a dangerous ce filled with magical beasts that defy the cultivation restriction ced on each realm, so you can encounter magical beasts as powerful as immortal cultivators that you would normally only be able to encounter in the Sixth Heaven and above. Even I nearly died several times in there, so unless you have a death wish¡­"

    Yan Xiaoxiao swallowed nervously at this information. No doubt, many yers will ignore Yuan''s warning and visit the Vanishing Valley once they see this interview.

    Yan Xiaoxiao stopped the interview when they arrived at the training ground. Yuan retrieved his zither and exercised his fingers with several heavenly songs.

    Yan Xiaoxiao watched his performance with a dazed look on her face. It was Yuan''s music that made her pursue a career as an idol.

    ''Ahh¡­ I never got the chance to attend his live performance¡­ to think I''d get this chance and be right beside him in this moment¡­ I can die at peace now¡­'' she sighed inwardly.

    After the performance, Yan Xiaoxiao continued the interview.

    "Why did you create the Demon Sealing Faction?"

    "To fight demons," Yuan responded nonchntly.Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    "Demons¡­? Is this in a figurative sense? Can you borate on that?" Yan Xiaoxiao wore a puzzled look on her face.

    "No, I mean it in a literal sense. Believe it or not, demons exist in this world."

    "..."

    Yan Xiaoxiao was left speechless.

    After a moment of silence, Yuan chuckled and said, "Of course, I am joking. I created the Demon Sealing Faction because I wanted a ce for myself and those close to me."

    "I-I see¡­ and why did you choose a name like the Demon Sealing Faction? It doesn''t really fit your images."

    "There''s an organization in Cultivation Online called the Demon Sealing n. I thought it sounded cool, so I took it."

    "You took it¡­?"

    Yan Xiaoxiao was left speechless again.

    After another moment of silence, she asked, "I''m sure countless people have the same question, but what are the requirements to be a member of the Demon Sealing Faction?"

    "There''s no requirements."

    "Then howe only two individuals managed to get into the Demon Sealing Faction when thousands have applied?"

    "As I said, the Demon Sealing Faction is like a family to me, so you naturally have to be close to me before you are even qualified to apply. But once you are qualified, there are no further requirements."

    "Then does the Demon Sealing Faction ever n on opening to the public in the future?"

    Yuan pondered for a moment before responding, "I cannot say with certainty that we will never open to the public, but I have no such ns as of this moment."

    The other Demon Sealing Faction members started to appear on the training ground at this moment.

    Seeing this, Yuan said, "I typically spend two to three hours sparring with the others. It rarely happens nowadays since I am always inside Cultivation Online, but I try to spar with them whenever possible."

    "Yuan! Spar with me!" Wu Zao approached him first for a spar.

    "Sure."

    "What do you think your chances are in a spar against him?" Yan Xiaoxiao suddenly asked Wu Zao, her voice tinged with curiosity.

    "Huh? I have never won against him, nor do I ever expect to. Just getting a hit on him is already worth bragging about." Wu Zao calmly responded.

 Chapter 1501 Yuans Room

    Chapter 1501 Yuan''s Room

    ?1501  Yuan''s Room

    When Wu Zao noticed the weird expression on Yan Xiaoxiao''s face, he smiled and said, "Even though we know we won''t ever win, we still benefit a lot from our losses because he doesn''t just spar with us. He trains us at the same time. You should give it a tryter."

    "You want me to spar with Yuan?" Yan Xiaoxiao wore a look of disbelief on her pretty face.

    "Why not? You''re already here. Might as well get the full experience." Wu Zao chuckled.

    Yuan smiled at this idea and agreed, "Don''t worry, it won''t hurt that much."

    "So it''ll still hurt!" she eximed.

    She took a deep breath and sighed, "But you''re right. I might as well get the full experience. What better way of knowing someone than to exchange blows with them?"

    Yuan and Wu Zao began their spar shortly after, with Yan Xiaoxiao capturing every moment¡ªor at least trying to.

    ''He''s moving too fast for me!'' Yan Xiaoxiao cried inwardly. In the end, she gave up trying to follow Yuan''s movements and focused on Wu Zao, who was desperately trying to defend against Yuan''s relentless attacks.

    The spar was one-sided, with Wu Zao barely able to do anything at first. However, Wu Zao quickly adapted and improved, allowing him to fight Yuan to a reasonable degree.

    Unbeknownst to Yan Xiaoxiao, Wu Zao was being lectured by Yuan through divine sense as they fought.

    Suddenly, a figure that didn''t belong to either Yuan or Wu Zao appeared behind Yuan and tried to sneak attack him.

    Ding!

    Yuan casually blocked the sneak attack.

    "Damn it! I thought I finally got you this time!" Wang Ming eximed before he was sent flying by Yuan''s sword swing.

    Yet, despite Wang Ming''s random sneak attack that intruded on their spar, neither Yuan nor Wu Zao looked surprised or seemed bothered by it.

    "Huh? What''s going on?" Yan Xiaoxiao wore a puzzled look on her face.

    "You seem confused." Wang Bingbing suddenly appeared beside her and asked.

    Seeing her nod, Wang Bingbing continued, "This was encouraged by Yuan. He said that if anyone manages to sneak an attack on him sessfully, he will reward that person with a powerful martial technique or spiritual weapon. Oh, we can only do this when he''s in the training ground."

    "I see¡­" Yan Xiaoxiao muttered.

    "Hey, let me join your spar!" Wang Ming said after recovering from being thrown.

    "Sure." Yuan calmly nodded.

    Thus, Wu Zao and Wang Ming started attacking Yuan together.

    "We can also try to take him down together. If we manage to defeat him, all of us will receive a reward." Wang Bingbing continued exining.

    "I guess you haven''t been able to defeat him yet?" Yan Xiaoxiao said.

    "Nope, but I can feel that day getting close!"

    Wang Bingbing also joined Wu Zao and Wang Ming shortlyter, making it a three-versus-one.

    The rest of the Demon Sealing Faction members eventually joined the chaotic fight.

    Chu Liuxiang was thest to show up and join the fight, turning it into a ten-versus-one spar.

    Fighting so many talented individuals simultaneously while limiting himself to basic sword techniques was difficult even for Yuan, especially when Li Jinxi and her explosive growth joined the fray.

    And since nobody there needed to worry about identally killing Yuan due to his heaven-defying regeneration ability, they were all able to go all out without holding anything back, fighting him as though their lives were on the line.

    "Heavens! Are they seriously trying to kill him?!" Yan Xiaoxiao was terrified by what she was witnessing.

    Each attack by the Demon Sealing Faction members exuded genuine killing intent, and they were all aiming for life-

    threatening areas such as his neck and heart without any hesitation in their movements.

    If a stranger were to stumble upon this scene without any context, they would undoubtedly think Yuan was being targeted by a group of seasoned killers.

    However, despite their efforts and cooperation, Yuan defeated them and emerged victorious without a single injury to his body.

    Considering the God of War''s extensive fighting experience, it was only natural for him to dominate opponents who had barely twenty years of practice.

    "Oh, right. Wu Zao." Yuan suddenly called out to him as hey on the ground from exhaustion.

    "Since you defeated the most yers during the Faction War, you can receive the Ancient-rank technique. Do you have any specific techniques in mind?"

    "I''d like a movement technique¡ªsomething that will keep my opponents away from me."

    Yuan nodded, "Alright, I''ll let you know when I find something suitable."

    "Thank you."

    Yuan approached Yan Xiaoxiao after the spar.

    "I''m going to clean myself real quick. We can spar after the interview."

    "Okay! Can I have a look in your roomter?" she asked.Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    "Sure. We''re heading there, anyway."

    They left the training ground while the others continued to train with each other.

    As they approached Yuan''s room, Yan Xiaoxiao could feel her heartbeat speeding up.

    ''Yuan''s room! Yuan''s room! I am going to enter Yuan''s room!'' she screamed internally.

    "It''s nothing fancy, so don''t expect much," Yuan said as he opened the door, revealing his room.

    "I won''t take long." Yuan entered the bathroom shortlyter, leaving Yan Xiaoxiao alone.

    Not wanting to waste this opportunity, Yan Xiaoxiao stopped recording temporarily and retrieved her personal camera.

    She proceeded to take selfies of herself in various areas in Yuan''s room.

    Sometimeter, she turned to look at the bed and swallowed nervously.

    ''I really shouldn''t do this, but¡­ please forgive me for this!''

    After positioning her camera and setting a timer, Yan Xiaoxiao entered the bed and began posing in various poses.

    Click. Click. Click.

    The camera took a picture every three seconds and didn''t stop until an entire minuteter.

    Yan Xiaoxiao checked the results afterward and was incredibly satisfied.

    "This is definitely going into my collections!" she giggled sheepishly.

    Yuan came out of the bathroom feeling refreshed several minutester to find Yan Xiaoxiao staring at her camera with a weird expression on her face.

 Chapter 1502 End of the Interview

    Chapter 1502 End of the Interview

    ?1502  End of the Interview

    "I''m done," Yuan called out to Yan Xiaoxiao, startling her, who was absorbed with her new collection.

    "Eh?! Ah! Right!" Yan Xiaoxiao hastily stowed away her personal camera and retrieved the one used for the interview.

    After taking a moment to look through her notes, she asked, "Do you have any specific goal you''re chasing in Cultivation Online?"

    "I wanted to explore the entire world of Cultivation Online when I first started. While that is true still, I have a different goal now¡ªone that I am still trying toprehend fully."

    This goal was shared by all of his incarnations, so Yuan was certain that he would eventually have to face it even if he didn''t know the details for now.

    "A goal you don''tprehend? Soundsplicated." Yan Xiaoxiao muttered.

    She continued, "What is the Demon Sealing Faction''s rtionship with the Eternal Lotuses? Rumors have been saying you fought the Fiery Locust Swarm for them."

    "We''re in an alliance, and they were being bullied by the Fiery Locust Swarm, so I decided to teach them a lesson."

    "Oh?! Since when did you form the alliance with each other?!" Yan Xiaoxiao''s eyes flickered at his surprising news.

    "It was established only recently."

    "Since the Fiery Locust Swarm is under the Fiery Garden of Hell''smand, is your challenge to the Fiery Garden of Hell rted to the Eternal Lotuses?"

    "No, my challenge to the Fiery Garden of Hell¡ªor more specifically¡ªFiery Queen, has little to do with the Eternal Lotuses and is more personal."

    "I guess that confirms the rumor about you and the Fiery Queen being on bad terms. Can you tell us the reason?" Yan Xiaoxiao asked.

    "It''s nothing crazy. We had a little skirmish inside Cultivation Online. I wanted to keep our drama inside Cultivation Online, but she decided to involve my friends and family outside of Cultivation Online, so I am just responding to her provocation."

    "Is that so¡­ then¡­"

    Time passed quickly, and it was noon before Yan Xiaoxiao was aware.

    "Okay, let''s end it here. I have more than enough material to make several movies." Yan Xiaoxiao said with a satisfied smile.

    During the interview, she asked Yuan over a hundred questions, most of which rted to Cultivation Online.

    "Once again, thank you for giving me this opportunity to interview the Demon Sealing Faction!" Yan Xiaoxiao bowed to him.

    "In the future, if there''s a chance, I would like to interview your journey in Cultivation Online, too."

    Yuan nodded, "If there''s ever an opportunity."

    "I will send you the interview first once Iplete it. If there is anything you would like me to edit or remove, just let me know!"

    Yan Xiaoxiao stayed the night and joined them for breakfast the following day.

    After breakfast, Yan Xiaoxiao went to the training ground to spar with Yuan.

    Yan Xiaoxiao was only at the fifth level of Spirit Master, and she wielded a sword.

    "Please go easy on me," she said.

    "That''s only natural. Otherwise, I would kill you in the blink of an eye." Yuan chuckled.

    "You know what I mean¡­"

    "Then I''ll assess your current level first. Come at me with everything you''ve got. You saw how the others sparred with me yesterday, right? Fight as if your life depends on it. Don''t worry about hurting me because you won''t be able to do so."

    Hearing his provocative words at the end, Yan Xiaoxiao felt the urge to prove him wrong and quickly wore a serious expression on her face.

    Once she was prepared, Yan Xiaoxiao lunged at Yuan and started attacking him with all of her power.

    Yuan didn''t say anything and either dodged or blocked her attacks for the first few minutes.

    Once he fully understood Yan Xiaoxiao''s strengths and weaknesses, he started lecturing her through divine sense, even demonstrating it through their spar.

    Yan Xiaoxiao rarely engaged inbat and never had an instructor. Her inexperience was evident in her stiff and awkward movements.

    ''It''s been a while since Ist fought someone this inexperienced.'' Yuan smiled inwardly.

    Their spar ended quickly because Yan Xiaoxiao, despite going all out, didn''t know how to utilize her energy properly and ended up wasting most of it.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    "You''re aplete beginner¡­ I didn''t expect this." Yuan said afterward.

    Yan Xiaoxiao showed an embarrassed smile and said, "I enjoy cultivating, but I don''t enjoy fighting."

    "It''s okay to dislike fighting, but you should still prepare yourself for it. The world is bing more dangerous, after all."

    "I understand. I''ll start training more often now."

    Sometimeter, Yan Xiaoxiao said goodbye to the Demon Sealing Faction and left the Dragon Spiral Mountain.

    "Now that the interview is over, I''m going to return to Cultivation Online and start making my way to the Third Heaven," Yuan said to the others.

    "How long do you n on staying down there?" Shi Lang asked.

    "Not long. I am meeting up with Bai Lianhua to give her some things, that''s all."

    Chu Liuxiang then asked, "What about us? Should wee with you?"

    "You can stay in the Fourth Heaven and continue your training."

    Later that night, Yuan followed Meixiu to her room to spend the night.

    "Yuan, is everything okay?"

    "Do I look worried about something?" Yuan raised his eyebrows in a puzzled manner.

    "Not worried, but you have something on your mind, especially when you look at me¡ªat least that''s how it feels to me."

    She caressed his face and sighed, "If there''s anything you need to take off your chest, I am here."

    Yuan didn''t immediately answer, but after a moment of hesitation, he said in a low voice, "I recalled all of the Evil God''s memories."

    "All of it? How many years of experience is that?" Meixiu stared at him with wide eyes.

    "Thousands and thousands of years of ughter and atrocities¡­ I don''t even know where to begin¡­"

    "I''m sorry¡­ I want to understand, but I don''t know how you feel, nor can I pretend to understand¡­"Meixiu sighed, her heart heavy, knowing she couldn''t assist him.

    =

 Chapter 1503 Xiu Mei

    Chapter 1503 Xiu Mei

    ?1503  Xiu Mei

    Seeing Meixiu''s beautiful face lying right next to him, Yuan pondered if he should tell her about her incarnation as Xiu Mei

    ¡ªthat they''d been together in their previous lives.

    ''Since Li Jinxi and Chu Liuxiang are already beginning to recall their past life memories, it wouldn''t be weird if Meixiu is also doing the same¡­''

    As far as he knew, Meixiu could''ve already recalled all of her memories and was simply waiting for him.

    The reason he didn''t outright tell Li Jinxi and Chu Liuxiang about their past lives was that he didn''t want to force the memories upon them. Since they were already beginning to recall their pasts on their own, he saw no need to hasten the natural process, as it could potentially backfire.

    After a moment of silence, Yuan spoke, "During my life as the Evil God, I had a wife¡­"

    "We''ve known each other and been together since childhood. We had a child. She was my everything, and her name was Xiu Mei. Unfortunately, I was unable to protect her, and she was murdered, along with our unborn child."

    "Because of her death, I went on a rampage and killed countless people, not to mention the atrocities I''vemitted. When I get the chance, I am going to apologize to her."

    Meixiu felt a weird sensation in her chest when she heard the name Xiu Mei.

    "When you get the chance? I thought she passed away?" Meixiu asked in a puzzled tone.

    "Reincarnation is not unique to me. Unless their soul is shattered, everyone who dies will eventually be reincarnated. The only difference between them and me is our ability to remember our past lives, and there are other people other than me who can remember their past."

    "There are others? How do you know that?"

    "Because two of them live among us."

    "Huh? Who?" Meixiu was surprised to hear this and immediately became curious.

    "Li Jinxi and Lulu, but they don''t remember everything and are still in the process. They also don''t know that I know, so keep this a secret for me until they decide to tell us."

    Meixiu nodded and mumbled, "So they also recall their past life¡­ I wonder what my past life was like."

    Yuan smiled and asked, "Do you want to know?"

    "Hm? You know my past life?" she stared at him with wide eyes.

    He silently acknowledged with a nod.

    Meixiu swallowed nervously and spoke, "Don''t tell me¡­ Xiu Mei¡­"

    "What makes you think that?" Yuan was slightly surprised by her intuition.

    "Just a feeling. I was right?"

    He nodded, "Yes¡­ you were my wife when I was still the Evil God."

    Meixiu fell silent.

    ''To think things would turn out like this¡­ is this a coincidence, or are we bound by fate?'' she wondered inwardly, feeling blissful knowing that she was also with Yuan in their past life.

    "Are you okay?" Yuan asked when she remained silent, wondering if it was too shocking for her.

    "Yes¡­ I am just a little surprised by this information, and I''m not sure how to respond to it. However, I can say that I am very happy that you told me. Even if I might never remember it myself, I bet the time I spent with you was incredibly blissful. By the way, how do you know that it was my past life?"

    "For starters, you look exactly the same as Xiu Mei. Moreover, those around me in this life seem to have a close connection with me in my past life."

    "Hm? Does this mean Lulu is also¡­?"

    "Yes. Li Jinxi, too. However, they are not rted to the Evil God but my other incarnations instead."

    Meixiu wore a bewildered look on her face. This information shocked her more than her own reincarnation.

    "Exactly how many past lives have you lived?" she couldn''t help but ask.

    "I don''t know, but I have memories of seven so far."

    "S-seven?! That''s a lot!"

    "If you consider how long this universe has existed, living seven lives isn''t that shocking." Yuan chuckled.

    "Any questions?"

    After a moment of silence, she asked, "What was our daily life like?"

    "Before our marriage or after?"

    "Both."

    "Then I''ll start from when we first met. Prepare yourself since this will take the entire night."

    Thus, Yuan spent the rest of the night recalling his memories with Xiu Mei to Meixiu.

    Meixiu would ask questions here and there.

    "Was Xiu Mei on birth control pills? Why did it take so long for her to be pregnant?"

    "Not that I was aware of. It''s unlikely, though, since she was always excited to have a child. Also, things work differently for female cultivators in general when ites to giving birth. Due to the spiritual energy in their body, not only is it harder to be pregnant, but the time it takes for the child toe out also differs. So, while a mortal typically gives birth after nine months of pregnancy, it could take years for a female cultivator to give birth. The difference is evenrger for cultivators with a stronger cultivation."

    "Is that so¡­" Meixiu muttered with a pondering look on her face.

    "Are you interested? In having a child¡­" Yuan suddenly asked her.

    "Eh? N-no!" Meixiu hastily responded before continuing, "I mean¡­ I don''t particrly care. Do you want one? Considering that you never saw your child in your past life, I wouldn''t be surprised if you have the desire for one. So¡­ if you want one¡­ I won''t refuse¡­"

    Yuan chuckled, "While it''s true that I have the desire to have a child, that desire belongs to Tian Xian. As for myself¡­ I still think I am too young for one, not to mention all of the ongoing changes in the world. Perhaps once everything settles down¡­"Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    "If you say so." Meixiu nodded.

    The following day, Yuan returned to Cultivation Online. Meanwhile, Meixiu went to find Wang Xiuying.

    "How can I help you, Meixiu?"

    "You''re an Alchemist, correct? Do you know if there are any pills for birth control?"

    "Huh? Birth control pills? Of course. Why are you¡ª" A cheeky smile appeared on Wang Xiuying''s face as she came to a realization.

    "Do you want me to concoct you some? A single one willst for an entire year."

    "Theyst that long?" Meixiu said in a surprised tone. "How effective are they?"

    "Pretty much one hundred percent effectiveness. However, there is an extremely tiny chance that one could still be impregnated. That said, it''s so small that it can be ignored."

    "Do you mind making me some? I''ll pay for them," Meixiu said, as she was getting tired of consuming the typical birth control pills that required her to eat them daily, causing her to leave Cultivation Online constantly.

    In fact, she missed a few days because she was too absorbed in her training in Cultivation Online. Fortunately, it had been some time since shest embraced Yuan.

    ''If I want to train properly without any distractions, these pills are a necessity.'' Meixiu thought to herself.

    "You don''t need to pay me. These pills are cheap and easy to make. I''ll have them ready in an hour." Wang Xiuying said.

    Meixiu nodded.

    "Thank you."

    After Meixiu left her room, Wang Xiuying mumbled to herself, "Should I make some for Chu Liuxiang as well?"

 Chapter 1504 Leaving the Shadow Realm

    Chapter 1504 Leaving the Shadow Realm

    ?1504  Leaving the Shadow Realm

    After returning to the Shadow Realm, Yuan summoned his Soul Weapons and asked the immortals, "Do you know the way out of here? Last time, I was teleported out of here by the Great One. I doubt he''d be willing to do it again since I refused to be his disciple."

    "Huh? The Great One wanted you to be his disciple?" Yu Ning''s voice was filled with a profound, almost incredulous, shock.

    "That''s the Supreme Being who stood at the apex of the cultivation world even during the Primordial Realm! It was an existence that not even the Celestial Emperor dared to approach, much less covet!"

    "For such a great existence to take an interest in you¡­ I guess you''re even more talented than I had ever dared to imagine." Ji Ran spoke, his voice tinged with awe.

    "You''re awake. Are you okay? How do you feel right now?" Yuan asked after hearing Ji Ran''s voice.

    "Besides feeling a little tired, I feel perfectly fine. The spiritual energy in your world is much worse than I''d anticipated. I could barely breathe there." Ji Ran sighed.

    Yu Ning then said, "Our Young Master''s potential is beyond even your imagination, Ji Ran."

    "Huh? Young Master? Since when did you start addressing him that?" Ji Ran asked.

    "His identity is also far beyond your wildest imaginations. It''s only natural for someone as lowly inparison to show this level of respect."

    Since Ji Ran was slumbering when Yuan revealed his identity as the Immortal Monarch''s reincarnation, he had no clue why Yu Ning was being so respectful. Additionally, unless he possessed Yuan''s body like Yu Ning, Ji Ran would have no idea how heaven-defying Yuan''s body was.

    Moreover, unless Yuan summoned the Soul Weapon they were upying on Earth, neither Ji Ran nor Yu Ning would be able to see or hear anything from Earth. After Ji Ran fell asleep from exhaustion, Yuan sent him back to Cultivation Online to recover.

    As for Yu Ning, while Yuan has kept the Empyrean Overlord summoned for his entire stay on Earth, Yu Ning sealed her senses within the Soul Weapon when Yuan entered Meixiu''s room for their privacy, so she also wasn''t aware of their conversationst night.

    "Anyways¡­ several exits could be found in the Shadow Realm, but they are not in a fixed position and always move around. The closest one I can sense is about ten thousand miles to the south." Ji Ran said.

    "Alright."

    Yuan immediately flew toward the south.

    "How long do I have before it moves?" he asked as he traveled.

    "The time each exit moves varies."

    Sometimeter, Yuan arrived at his destination, where a massive ck portal was surrounded by a massive sea of Banished Souls.

    He didn''t immediately leave the Shadow Realm since he still had to prepare for the sword spirit waiting for him outside.

    As he spectated the situation before him from a safe distance, Yuan watched as the Banished Souls attempted to enter the ck portal, only to be bounced off it, almost as though they had run into an invisible wall right before the exit.

    "Only those with a physical body may leave through that exit, hence why we''ve been stuck in here since the Primordial Realm." Yu Ning sighed when she saw this familiar scene. Once upon a time, she had been among the Banished Souls in this ce, relentlessly attempting to escape the Shadow Realm. She mindlessly bashed against the invisible wall for hundreds¡ª

    even thousands of years before she finally gave up and epted her fate to rot within the Shadow Realm.

    Ji Ran suffered a simr fate. In fact, every Banished Soul within the Shadow Realm had attempted to escape at least once. Though none had seeded on their own, it didn''t deter the others from trying.

    "Um... What are you waiting for?" Ji Ran asked when Yuan hadn''t tried to leave for many minutes.

    Yuan exined the situation to them.

    "There is a formidable spirit waiting for me outside. I am just taking a moment to prepare myself."

    "By the way, this exit will take me to the Vanishing Valley, where I originally entered the Shadow Realm, correct? I know there are multiple entrances to the Shadow Realm throughout the Nine Heavens, so how can I be sure this exit will lead me back to the Vanishing Valley and not somewhere else?" he asked.

    "I don''t think you need to worry about that, Young Master. The Shadow Realm tracks where you entered from and will automatically take you back there." Yu Ning said.

    "Is that so?"

    Yuan remained still for a few more minutes before making a move.

    He unleashed his cultivation to the maximum, causing the surroundings to tremble. Then, he flew toward the ck portal.

    The Banished Souls were immediately alerted by Yuan''s presence. Upon seeing that he had a physical body, they rushed at him like a group of starving beasts.

    "HUMAN!!!"

    "PHYSICAL BODY!!!"

    "ESCAPE!!!"

    The strength of the Banished Souls varied greatly. Some were weak, while others were as powerful as Immortals.

    Yuan didn''t dare to underestimate them and unleashed his Soul Strength. Unlike before, he wasn''t just trying to scare them; he was determined to destroy them.

    "Scram!"

    He activated Dragon''s Gaze at its full power.From N?velDrama.Org.

    When the Banished Souls were struck by Dragon''s Gaze, most were destroyed before they could even utter a sound. The stronger Banished Souls were momentarily stunned, overwhelmed by the fear of their souls being shattered.

    Yuan didn''t pause for a split second and continued shooting toward the ck portal, disappearing from the Shadow Realm a secondter.

    After exiting the Shadow Realm, Yuan didn''t stop moving and even elerated his movement technique.

    Meanwhile, before Yuan could even leave the Shadow Realm fully, the sword spirit resting above the Giant''s Sword immediately sensed the change in the atmosphere and turned to look at the location that was causing the disturbance.

    ''He''s back!''

    The sword spirit clenched her fists in anticipation and prepared to seize him the moment he appeared.

 Chapter 1505 Sword Spirit

    Chapter 1505 Sword Spirit

    ?1505  Sword Spirit

    After leaving the Shadow Realm, Yuan didn''t stop to see where he''d exited and continued speeding forward. He wasn''t sure if the sword spirit could leave the Giant''s Sword or how far he had to travel before her attacks could no longer reach him, so he could only pray for the best.

    The moment he returned to the Vanishing Valley, he could immediately sense the sword spirit''s gaze on him, sending chills throughout his entire being.

    "What a powerful spirit! I have never felt such a profound cultivation before, either!" Yu Ning cried out loud after seeing the sword spirit with her own eyes.

    "Heavens! If such a being existed during the Primordial Era, it could''ve easily ughtered the Celestial Emperor and his army by itself!" Ji Ran was left in awe by her almighty presence.

    The sword spirit narrowed her gaze on the sword majestic sword in Yuan''s grasp.

    After confirming that it was indeed the Empyrean Overlord, she muttered in a trembling voice, "I have been looking for you¡ª"

    However, she suddenly frowned, and her expression turned grim.

    Her entire body trembled in anger, and her body seethed with immense killing intent.

    "WHO THE FUCK IS THAT BITCH?!"

    The sword spirit''s voice, infused with her immense cultivation base, boomed, creating a profound ripple that swept through the entire Vanishing Valley and beyond, resounding throughout the entire Fourth Heaven in the blink of an eye.

    The sword spirit boasted a profound cultivation at the peak of the God Ascension Realm, essentially the apex of the cultivation world, just below a Cultivation God. With so few people achieving Cultivation God status since the Primordial Era, those who reached the ninth level of the God Ascension Realm were considered the pinnacle of power.

    The presence of God Ascension Realm cultivators should not exist within the Fourth Heaven, so her aura enveloping the world sent it into turmoil, shocking and terrifying all the experts there. Normally, the Heavens would intervene and try to restrict cultivators who did not belong there or force them to ascend, but the Vanishing Valley was a unique location that ignored thews of Heaven, so as long as the sword spirit remained inside its space, it was essentially untouchable.

    As for Yuan, who was the closest to the sword spirit, his movements were immediately suppressed, and a crushing sensation forced him to his knees.

    This overwhelming pressure was a new experience for Yuan, even with the Evil God''s memories. His peak was only at the sixth level of the God Ascension Realm during the Evil God''s prime, and he did not have to fight anyone at the peak of the God Ascension Realm.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    ''So this is what it''s like to be at the top of the cultivation world!'' Instead of fearing for his life, an excited smile appeared on Yuan''s face.

    However, even with all of his powerful treasures and the Golden Immortal Physique, Yuan found himself unable to stand up, much less run away.

    The difference between the God Ascension Realm and his current level was simply too vast and insurmountable.

    Meanwhile, the sword spirit leaped off the Giant''s Sword andnded right in front of Yuan a split secondter.

    Yuan had to use all his strength just to lift his head high enough to look at the sword spirit''s face.

    She was a woman of unparalleled beauty, standing tall with an elegant, slender frame that exudes noble grace. Her hair is a cascade of obsidian ck, falling in silky waves that shimmered subtly even when surrounded by darkness.

    Her eyes are a striking contrast, gleaming with the richness of molten gold. They hold a depth and intensity that can captivate anyone who meets her gaze. Besides her aura, the sword spirit was indistinguishable from a human being.

    Although this was Yuan''s first time seeing her, an uncanny sense of familiarity washed over him, as if he had encountered her in another lifetime.

    While Yuan gazed at her face, which exuded coldness that could freeze an entire continent, the sword spirit''s eyes were fixed on the Empyrean Overlord in his grasp.

    "You... how dare you permit another presence within my body

    ¡ªespecially a woman!" the sword spirit muttered in a grim voice,den with killing intent, as if she was on the verge of strangling him.

    "What do you mean¡ª" Yuan''s eyes widened at her unexpected words.

    "Silence, you unfaithful bastard! I didn''t spend thousands of years in this gloomy ce for this nonsense!" she interrupted, raising her hand in a chopping gesture.

    "You deserve death for this betrayal!"

    The sword spirit''s entire being gushed with killing intent, and she swung her arm before Yuan could even utter another word.

    "Brother Yuan!"

    Xiao Hua''s voice suddenly resounded as her body, in the form of a cloud of purple mist, emerged from his body and carried him out of the path of the sword spirit''s attack.

    Sha!

    The path cleaved by the sword spirit''s strike split in half, birthing a long and profound earth fissure that could easily swallow entire cities with ease.

    Yuan swallowed nervously when he saw the result. The sword spirit definitely acted with the intent to kill him.

    ''Heavens! She wasn''t joking about killing me!'' he cried inwardly.

    He then noticed the sword spirit preparing for a second strike. Seeing this, he hastily said, "Wait! You''re the Empyrean Overlord''s spirit, right?!"

    The sword spirit suddenly halted her movements.

    Just as Yuan thought that she had calmed down, the sword spirit began trembling again, her body seething with uncontroble rage.

    "So you don''t even recognize me anymore, huh?!"

    An unfathomable aura exuded from her body, and it was strong enough topletely obliterate anything in its path if released through a martial technique.

    ''My lord! It''s going to destroy the Fourth Heaven at this rate!'' Ji Ran cried out loud.

    ''You must do something to stop this spirit, Young Master!'' Yu Ning also cried, her voice filled with dread.

    Sensing the desperate situation, the Empyrean Overlord began trembling, and from deep within, a memory long concealed emerged, surfacing in Yuan''s mind.

 Chapter 1506 Three Major Paths

    Chapter 1506 Three Major Paths

    ?1506  Three Major Paths

    "Have you heard? The Sword Saint, Ju Mingye, met his demise when his weapon shattered mid-battle against the Spear Devil, Lei Zhen."

    Yuan could hear the people around him mumbling as he casually enjoyed his food in a noodle shop.

    "How is that possible? He wielded the Heaven Splitter, a Mythic-grade spiritual treasure, a creation of the Heaven and Earth cksmith, Han Bing! Such a formidable weapon would be unbreakable even by a True Immortal!"

    "Well, the Spear Devil has the Heaven Piercer, an Empyrean-

    grade spiritual treasure created by the Eternal cksmith, and it specializes in breaking weapons."

    "The Heavenly cksmith and the Eternal cksmith, huh? They''ve been rivals since they were mere Apprentice cksmiths thousands of years ago, fighting for the title of God of Creation. Now, they both stand at the top of the world as Divine cksmiths, being one step behind their goal. However, the Eternal cksmith managed to create an Empyrean-grade treasure first, so I guess he''s better."

    "They may be amazing, but are they worthy of the God of Creation title? Only those who can create Celestial-grade treasures should be worthy of that position."

    There are three major secondary paths a cultivator can pursue.The first and most popr involves studying medicine to support the world with their pills. They are Alchemists.

    The second path belongs to Array Masters, whose formations and arrays can influence the world on a grand scale. The mostmon and sought-after formations are defensive ones, typically established around Sects and powerful family households.

    The third and final path, which is also the least popr and most difficult to master, is that of the cksmiths. They are responsible for crafting the weapons and artifacts that aid cultivators in battle.

    There are other paths one could take, but those are considered niche whenpared to the major three.

    While one could argue which of these three major paths benefits cultivators the most, it is undeniable that all are foundational to the cultivation world and even the mortal world. The world would look vastly different if even one of these paths were missing.

    Suddenly, someone spoke up, "The Heaven and Earth cksmith and Eternal cksmith are impressive, no doubt, but their names are already well-known. I''ve heard rumors of a rising cksmith with a mysterious background. They say that he''d crafted a Spirit-grade weapon that could outshine even peak quality Earth-grade weapons."

    "Huh? What kind of nonsense is that? As if a weapon like that could exist! Unlike cultivation, a treasure''s grade is absolute, so if a Spirit-grade weapon can outshine an Earth-grade weapon, it should be ssified as Earth-grade!"

    "Who even is this mysterious cksmith? I consider myself quite knowledgeable in this field, but howe I''ve never heard of him?"

    People immediately doubted this information.

    "I don''t know much about him. All I know is that he appeared out of thin air with weapons of unparalleled perfection that make everything else look fragile and imperfect inparison."

    Yuan, who had been silently listening to their conversation this entire time, suddenly spoke, "That cksmith''s name is Tian Qiyuan! You better weld that name into your soul because he''ll eventually conquer the world with unrivaled treasures!"

    Everyone in the store turned to look at him with raised eyebrows.

    "Tian Qiyuan? Never heard of him. What about you?"

    "Nope."

    "He''s definitely a nobody."

    Hearing their words, Yuan stood up and approached their table. With a nonchnt expression, he retrieved a sword from his storage pouch and ced it on the table before them.

    "T-this is¡ª!"

    As the doubters beheld the perfect sword before them, their eyes widened in shock. They swallowed nervously, and their hands subconsciously reached out to touch it.

    However, before any of them could touch it, Yuan reimed the sword and tossed it inside his storage pouch.

    "T-that sword! Where did you get it?! I have never seen such a perfect sword before!"

    "Please! Let me see it again! Just for a few more seconds!"

    "I-I''ll buy it off you! How much do you want?!"

    This noodle shop was frequented by the city''s cksmiths, and they were all experienced enough to gauge a weapon''s quality with a single nce. Despite the sword being a mere Heaven-grade treasure, it surpassed all expectations, transcending even the pinnacle of peak-quality treasures they had encountered before.

    "That sword was crafted by none other than Tian Qiyuan!" Yuan announced proudly.

    "And where did you find him?! I must confirm his skills with my own eyes!"

    Yuan shook his head and said, "Unfortunately, Tian Qiyuan is a wandering cksmith, so you''ll have a hard time tracking him. When I encountered him by chance, he gave me the sword, asking me to spread his name in exchange."

    "T-then I''ll buy the sword off you! I''ll pay you what a peak-

    quality Divine-grade weapon would cost for it!" Someone there offered.

    "I''ll pay you enough to purchase any low-quality Ancient-

    grade treasure!"

    It quickly turned into a bid, as if they were at an auction house.

    However, Yuan merely shook his head and said, "Sorry, the sword''s not for sale."

    And before any of the cksmiths could utter another word, he vanished from the store like a ghost, leaving everyone speechless.From N?velDrama.Org.

    Rumors of Tian Qiyuan began spreading like wildfire among cksmiths worldwide after that event, which took ce at Starforged Sanctuary, a renowned city dedicated to training cksmiths and where countless famous cksmiths were created. It was also the birthce of the Heaven and Earth cksmith and the Eternal cksmith.

    Shortly after Tian Qiyuan''s name became widespread, his weapons started showing up in auction houses.

    At first, only Spirit-grade treasures were sold, but the quality and grade of the treasure gradually increased throughout the years. These treasures were highly sought after not only by cultivators but also by cksmiths eager to study them. However, despite countless attempts at analysis, nobody was able to replicate their craftsmanship.

    Even peak cksmiths, such as the Heaven and Earth cksmith and the Eternal cksmith, were unable to replicate Tian Qiyuan''s creations. This further skyrocketed his fame and reputation to heights most cksmiths could only dream of.

 Chapter 1507 Tian Qiyuan

    1507 Tian Qiyuan

    In an auction house somewhere in Eighth Heaven, a tall figure wearing a fiery red mask approached one of the workers there and said, "I have a weapon that I would like to sell here."

    Without turning his head, the worker nced at this figure and gave him a quick assessment. The figure, shrouded in a ragged cloak that seemed to have been scorched by fire, stood there with an air of mystery. His cultivation, a mere Golden Immortal, didn''t seem to match the unique aura that emanated from him, leaving the worker perplexed.

    "If you want to sell your trash, you can go elsewhere. This ce isn''t a ce for beggars either, so scram." The worker sneered.

    "..."

    The masked figure''s voice rang out, clear and defiant, in response to the worker''s mocking words, "Oh? So, this ce is so grand that it deems a weapon crafted by the Exalted cksmith, Tian Qiyuan, to be trash? I suppose I''ll heed your advice and find a more appreciative ce elsewhere."

    The masked figure''s voice was loud enough for everyone in the room to hear.

    "What? A weapon crafted by the Exalted cksmith? Is that true?!"

    "Thest one was sold over five hundred years ago! And it was an Ancient-grade treasure that fetched a price that rivals even peak-quality Empyrean-grade treasures!"

    "Who called a weapon crafted by the Exalted cksmith trash?! Get over here, and let me give you a good beating!"

    "Every time a treasure rted to the Exalted cksmith is revealed, it sends ripples through the Nine Heavens, igniting fervor and awe. Even the most sessful auction house, the Mystic Jade Auction Pavilion, would get on its knees and beg for one to be sold there! Yet, in this tiny ce, they dare to call one useless."

    The worker standing before the masked figure immediately turned pale upon hearing the people around him, his body trembling uncontrobly.

    "W-why didn''t you say it was a weapon created by the Exalted cksmith in the first ce?! You must be lying to save face!" The worker refused to believe the person in front of him would have something so valuable.

    The masked man didn''t utter another word and retrieved a beautiful purple sword. The moment the sword appeared, the atmosphere in the auction house shifted, as if it were in the presence of something extraordinary.

    The worker choked on his own saliva after seeing the sword, and loud gasps of shock could be heard in every direction.

    "I-it''s a Mythic-grade weapon!"

    "This refined aura! That wless appearance and the distinctive signature on the de¡ªit''s undeniably a treasure crafted by the one and only Exalted cksmith, Tian Qiyuan!"

    "It''s finally happened! The Exalted cksmith has finally stepped into the rank of Grand cksmith! He''s only one step away from bing a Divine cksmith like Heaven and Earth cksmith and Eternal cksmith!"

    To advance in rank as a cksmith, one must sessfully craft a treasure corresponding to the desired rank. For example, crafting a Spirit-grade treasure earns the title of Apprentice cksmith, while crafting Earth-grade treasures elevates one to Expert cksmith.

    "Please! Let me buy it off you! I will pay you as much as you want!"

    The people in the auction house surrounded him and started offering to buy the sword, all of them offering unbelievable amounts of money for it.

    However, the masked figure merely shook his head and said, "If you want it, fight for it."

    The people there exchanged nces with each other and prepared to turn the auction house into a battlefield.

    Seeing this, the masked man quickly continued, "I mean with your money¡ªin a proper setting. It was going to happen in this auction house, but it will have to be dyed due to circumstances. But this is a good opportunity to spread the news more."

    "P-please wait a moment, esteemed guest!"

    Someone suddenly approached him in a hasty manner, his body soaked in sweat.

    "I am the manager of this auction house! Please do not leave! I will execute this useless fool who doesn''t have eyes! Please give us another chance! We won''t disappoint you again!"

    The masked man looked at the manager and, without saying a word, turned around and walked out of the building, leaving the manager utterly devastated.

    "Any auction house blessed by the Exalted cksmith''s treasure would inevitably acquire a massive amount of reputation, but this ce actually dared to chase such an opportunity away. What a pity."

    The other customers also started walking out of the auction house shortly after, as they did not want to be associated with the auction house.

    News of this event quickly spread like wildfire throughout the Nine Heavens. In order to save whatever face and reputation they had left, the auction house forced the worker who chased away the masked man to kneel on the streets until his inevitable death.

    Meanwhile, the Mystic Jade Auction Pavilion extended a public invitation to the masked man, imploring him to grace their auction house with the sale of his extraordinary weapon.

    The masked man epted their invitation and scheduled the auction to begin in one month, allowing people worldwide some time to prepare.

    Once news spread, not only did people flock to the Mystic Jade Auction Pavilion, but even powerhouses from the Ninth Heaven made the journey to the Eighth Heaven solely to participate in the auction. Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    From renowned families to powerful sects to individual collectors, a sea of people made their way to the Mystic Jade Auction Pavilion the moment they heard about the auction.

    While the rest of the world was scrambling to gather enough money for the auction, Tian Qiyuan spent his time strolling through the street like a tourist, stuffing his mouth with all sorts of food.

    A month passed in the blink of an eye, and so many people showed up to the auction that the Mystic Jade Auction Pavilion had to hastily change its location just to amodate more participants. Yet, there was not enough space for everyone, so many had to participate from afar through treasures.

 Chapter 1508 Violet Dream

    Chapter 1508 Violet Dream

    ?1508  Violet Dream

    "Look over there! That''s the Heaven and Earth cksmith!"

    "The Eternal cksmith is here, as well!"

    These two renowned Divine cksmiths were quickly identified within the crowd.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    While the participants of the auction grew increasingly excited for the uing auction, Tian Qiyuan himself just arrived at the Mystic Jade Auction Pavilion while wearing his red mask.

    "Wee, esteemed guest. I am Qing Ling''er, the manager of the Mystic Jade Auction Pavilion. Allow me to extend our deepest gratitude for entrusting us with the honor of auctioning your precious treasure." Qing Ling''er bowed to him in a respectful manner, not daring to repeat the other auction house''s mistake.

    "If you have any requests, don''t hesitate to ask."

    Tian Qiyuan nodded and said, "Then I would like to have a word with the participants before we begin auctioning my sword."

    "Of course, that can be arranged. Anything else?"

    "No, that''s all for now."

    "May I ask for the esteemed guest''s name? If you wish to remain anonymous, that is fine as well."

    "You''ll know my name once the auction begins," he said.

    "I understand." Qing Ling''er didn''t question him any further.

    The auction began sometimeter.

    However, as the main event, Tian Qiyuan''s weapon would be soldst, with over a hundred treasures being sold before it.

    There were a lot of enticing treasures and even miracle elixirs, but none of the powerhouses even bothered to pay attention, as they were only at the auction for one thing.

    Several hourster, it was finally Tian Qiyuan''s weapon''s turn to be sold.

    "Thank you all for visiting our Mystic Jade Auction Pavilion today. We will start the bid for the Exalted cksmith''s Mythic-grade treasure soon, but first, the seller would like to have a few words with everyone." Qing Ling''er announced to the participants.

    Tian Qiyuan approached the stage after receiving the signal.

    Countless gazes immediately fell upon him, most of them filled with curiosity as they wondered about his identity and how he acquired Tian Qiyuan''s treasure.

    After a moment of silence to build up the tension, Tian Qiyuan spoke, "Hello, everyone. This is my first time appearing publicly like this. My name is Tian Qiyuan, and some of you might know me as the Exalted cksmith."

    "What?! That''s Tian Qiyuan?!"

    "The Exalted cksmith in the flesh?! Is this real?!"

    Many people stood up in shock after hearing this revtion.

    "I am aware that many of you are skeptical of my identity and are expecting me to show my face next. Unfortunately, I wish to keep my face a secret, so I won''t be removing my mask or anything today." Tian Qiyuan spoke in a calm voice.

    He proceeded to retrieve the purple sword he''d nned on selling today, instantly causing the audience to gasp in shock and awe.

    "This is my first Mythic-grade treasure. I call it the Violet Dream. Although it''s only a Mythic-grade treasure, it has the prowess to rival even Empyrean-grade treasures. It has a special effect that can create illusions, and anyone below God Ascension Realm struck by it will enter a deep slumber that can only be reversed with the sword."

    The audience immediately began mumbling to each other about the sword''s ability.

    "What a powerful-sounding ability."

    "Too bad it only works against those below the God Ascension Realm."

    "Are you hearing yourself? How many people are in the God Ascension Realm at this moment? This is a priceless treasure with an extremely powerful effect! I must get my hands on it even if I have to sell all of my belongings and be homeless!"

    However, Tian Qiyuan was not finished speaking, and he continued, "Now, with the introduction out of the way, I have a special announcement to make."

    "Starting today, after this auction, I will be epting weapon craftingmissions, and whoever purchases my Violet Dream today will receive priority."

    The entire ce fell silent as everyone digested this information. Once they realized what it meant, the auction house erupted into a crazed frenzy.

    "The Exalted cksmith will eptmissions?! Heavens! I never thought this day woulde!"

    "Hahaha! I cannot wait to have my dream weapon crafted by him!"

    A few momentster, Tian Qiyuan continued, "For the payment, I will only ept two methods of payment. The first is Spirit Jades. The second is any material that is on this list."

    Tian Qiyuan retrieved a scroll and revealed a long list of rare materials written on it.

    "If you have any material on this list, I will ept that as payment, and you''ll also receive priority. In fact, I would like to purchase it from you."

    The experienced cksmiths instantly recognized that the list of materials was intended for crafting treasures.

    "Heavens¡­ how many¡ªor what kind of ridiculous treasures is he trying to create with that many rare materials? Even a single material on that list would make a weapon priceless." Eternal cksmith muttered to himself with a pondering face.

    "Not even Celestial-grade treasures would require that many rare materials¡­ Is he trying to create something that surpasses Celestial-grade? Not even a God of Creation would have such ambitions." Heaven and Earth cksmith sighed out loud.

    Sometimeter, Tian Qiyuan said, "Then I will stop dying the auction and take my leave now."

    He turned around and walked away, leaving the Violet Dream behind.

    The auctionmenced shortly, and a frenzied battle for the treasure began.

    While the treasure itself was highly sought after, it paled inparison to the value of securing priority for Tian Qiyuan''smission.

    Tian Qiyuan didn''t stay to watch the auction and spent his time in the VIP room drinking tea and listening to music performed by beautiful experts.

    In the end, the Violet Dream sold for the price of a Celestial-

    grade treasure, a shocking amount that left even the auction house speechless.

    "Here are your earnings after deducting our house fees." Qing Ling''er handed him a spatial ring loaded with enough spirit jade to create arge sect and fund it for a hundred thousand years.

 Chapter 1509 Sword Goddess

    Chapter 1509 Sword Goddess

    ?1509  Sword Goddess

    "Who won the auction?" Tian Qiyuan asked after storing away the money.

    "That would be the Sword Goddess of the Unrivaled Nine Swords Sect," said Qing Ling''er.

    "Sword Goddess? Never heard of her before." Tian Qiyuan casuallymented.

    "She is a prodigious Swordmaster in the Supreme Heaven, renowned for being the first to achieve a level of Sword Aura that surpasses even the Enhanced Sword Aura. I believe she named it Supreme Sword Aura. Do you wish to speak with her? She''s still at the auction house."

    Tian Qiyuan nodded, "Sure."

    "Then I''ll go inform her right now. Please wait a little, Senior Exalted cksmith."

    After learning of Tian Qiyuan''s identity, the Mystic Jade Auction Pavilion''s attitude toward him changed. While they showed him respect at first, it wasn''t directed at the person himself but the weapon he was carrying until they realized his true identity as the Exalted cksmith.

    Sometimeter, Qing Ling''er returned with another individual by her side.

    She was an exceedingly beautiful woman. With a tall and slender body, long ck hair, and golden eyes, she exuded an aura of dominance and pride.

    "It''s a pleasure to finally meet you, Senior Tian. I am Zi Xuan, one of nine Unrivaled Swords from the Unrivaled Nine Swords Sect." Zi Xuan bowed to him with the Violet Dream in her grasp.

    Tian Qiyuan nodded, "The Violet Dream already suits you very much, Miss Zi. If you wish tomission me for a treasure, you will always have priority for a singlemission."

    "Then I would immediately like tomission you for another sword," she quickly said without an ounce of hesitation in her voice.

    "Is this sword for yourself or someone else?" he asked.

    "For myself."

    "Alright. Here are my terms. First, you''ll give me a brief description of what you''re looking for in your sword. If you don''t have any idea, I can make it based on your current abilities."

    "Two, you''ll supply me with all of the materials for the sword."

    "Three, I will need half of the payment upfront and the other half once the sword ispleted. If you''re paying me with one of the materials on my list, I won''t need any upfront payment."

    "Lastly, I will only make one weapon permission."

    "Also, I won''t ept any deadlines or tolerate being rushed. And don''t even think about scamming me because you''ll regret it dearly. Do you agree with my terms?"This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    Zi Xuan then said, "I agree. As for the payment, I have two of the materials you want. What kind of sword can I get with them?"

    "Which two materials?" he inquired.

    "The Empyrean Gold and Tempered cial Steel."

    Tian Qiyuan pondered for a moment before responding, "For these two materials, I am willing to create a peak-quality Mystic-grade sword for you."

    "Deal." Zi Xuan quickly agreed.

    "Then I''ll visit the Unrivaled Nine Swords Sect in a month for the details of your sword unless you have another preferred meeting spot."

    "You cane here."

    As if prepared beforehand, Zi Xuan retrieved a jade slip that contained information about a specific location and handed it to him.

    After checking the information inside the jade slip, Tian Qiyuan nodded and said, "Then I will see you exactly a month from today. Thank you for purchasing my Violet Dream."

    Just as Tian Qiyuan turned around to leave, Zi Xuan suddenly said, "Before you go, can I get your autograph?"

    "Sure." Tian Qiyuan had no reason to refuse such a simple request.

    Zi Xuan took out a piece of ck cloth and asked, "Can you sign this?"

    Tian Qiyuan raised an eyebrow when he saw the cloth''s unique shape.

    "Um¡­ this is¡­"

    "My underwear. It''s my favorite, too."

    Qing Ling''er''s eyes widened with disbelief when she heard Zi Xuan''s shocking words. She thought it was a joke, but when she saw Zi Xuan''s dead serious expression, Qing Ling''er began doubting if she was in reality or inside an illusion.

    "You''re serious?" Tian Qiyuan had to make sure she wasn''t messing with him.

    "Of course." Zi Xuan confirmed with a confident head nod, leaving him speechless.

    "..."

    After a long moment of silence, Tian Qiyuan asked, "How do you want me to sign it?"

    "You can just write your name on it using spiritual energy. I don''t care if it''s damaged."

    "O-okay¡­"

    Tian Qiyuan began writing his name on the piece of cloth by scribbling on it with his finger, which was imbued with spiritual energy, essentially engraving his name on the cloth.

    After fulfilling her request, Tian Qiyuan cleared his throat and spoke in a stiff tone, "Then I will take my leave now¡­"

    He disappeared into thin air the next moment.

    Zi Xuan stared at the signed underwear with a profound smile on her face.

    "..."

    Qing Ling''er''s body trembled at the sight. To her knowledge, Zi Xuan was an unfeeling, aloof figure who had never opened her heart to anyone, dedicating every fiber of her being to the mastery of the sword. However, Zi Xuan''s actions just now contradicted everything Qing Ling''er knew about her.

    "Then I''ll take my leave, as well." Zi Xuan calmly said a momentter, acting like nothing strange had happened.

    In the following days, Tian Qiyuan sought information about the Sword Goddess, Zi Xuan. However, he wasn''t inquiring about her because of her weird request or because he was interested in her. Since he was going to make a sword for her, he was simply doing his due diligence as a cksmith. After all, how could he possibly craft a sword tailored to someone he knows nothing about?

    Until their meeting, Tian Qiyuan learned everything he could about Zi Xuan through public knowledge. Her demeanor, nature, habits, and whatnot. However, some of the information he gathered contradicted the Zi Xuan he met. Although their meeting wasn''t long, it was enough for him to understand her character a little.

    "Zi Xuan, huh? What a peculiar woman." Tian Qiyuan chuckled.

    Once it was time for their scheduled meeting, Tian Qiyuan made his way to the location inside the jade slip Zi Xuan gave him.

 Chapter 1510 A Dangerous Obsession

    Chapter 1510 A Dangerous Obsession

    ?1510  A Dangerous Obsession

    Since Tian Qiyuan has never been to the Supreme Heaven, Zi Xuan arranged for their meeting somewhere in the Eighth Heaven.

    Upon arriving at their designated meeting spot, Tian Qiyuan looked around with his divine sense but couldn''t see any buildings or Zi Xuan''s presence in a thousand-mile radius. Even weirder, he was in the middle of nowhere.

    However, just as he prepared to look around, the empty space before him began to rend apart, as though the very fabric of reality had been cleaved by an unseen force. From this spatial rift, a figure emerged, stepping into the world with an air of otherworldly authority and a face of peerless beauty.

    Zi Xuan showed a gentle smile and said, "I created an entrance to my humble world here before I returned to the Supreme Heaven. Please,e inside."

    Tian Qiyuan nodded and followed her to her world.

    Much like Senior Bai''s realm, essible through the Myriad of Techniques, Zi Xuan''s world resided in a separate dimension, far removed from the Ninth Heaven.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    Butpared to Senior Bai''s somewhat empty realm, which consisted entirely of flying pavilions, Zi Xuan''s world was a realm of countless swords and a single floating ind that housed a solitary building.

    The swords hovered in the air like scattered clouds, forming a path that led to the building in the distance.

    As Tian Qiyuan followed Zi Xuan, he inspected the swords with his divine sense. Their grades varied from Spirit-grade to Empyrean-grade, yet one thing remained consistent¡ªtheir excellent quality, all being peak quality swords.

    "This is a unique way to disy your collection. It''s an impressive collection, as well." Tian Qiyuan casuallymented on it.

    To his surprise, Zi Xuan said, "I''m not actually disying them. They used to be stored in my vault, but after I learned of the existence of your swords and acquired one for my collection, I couldn''t bear to keep them in the same space. So, I tossed them out here."

    "Is that so¡­" Tian Qiyuan mumbled, unsure whether to feel honored by her appreciation for his creations or to sympathize with the unknown maker of the swords she had discarded in such a fashion because of him.

    Upon reaching the ind, Zi Xuan led him straight to the building and said, "This is my private living quarters. You''re the first one ever to visit this ce."

    "To bring me to such a personal ce even though we''re practically strangers. I feel honored."

    "I don''t see you as a stranger," she quickly said.

    "I have collected many of your swords and spent many years with them. They say a cksmith''s creation embodies a fragment of their creator''s soul, so in a way, we''ve known each other for a very long time."

    The next moment, they stepped into the building. Its interior was opulent yet understated, exuding a sense of luxury without extravagance. The atmosphere was cozy, with a natural soothing aura permeating the air.

    Though the building appeared sizable from the outside, it housed only a small living room and a bedroom, with the remainder of the space dedicated to her extensive sword collection¡ªat least before most of them were tossed out and reced by Tian Qiyuan''s swords.

    "Please, have a seat." Zi Xuan gestured at the couch by the purple-fired firece.

    Once they were both seated, Tian Qiyuan asked, "So, what kind of sword do you want me to make for you?"

    "I will let you decide."

    "Are you sure?"

    She nodded solemnly and spoke, "Imissioned you not out of necessity but out of desire. I do not wish to defile your creation with my ideas, so I don''t care what I want. Just like your other creations, I want this sword crafted solely by you, but I want you to think of me when you make it."

    Despite Zi Xuan''s enigmatic demeanor, Tian Qiyuan epted her request with determination.

    "I understand. I will craft a sword that I believe will be perfect for you, and I will only think of you during the process," he affirmed.

    Although Tian Qiyuan was wearing a mask, Zi Xuan could feel his intense stare through the mask. Additionally, when the words that she would only hear in her dreams were uttered in reality by the person in her dreams, a profound change urred within her, causing her body to tremble in delight.

    Zi Xuan''s breath quickened, and her eyes locked onto Tian Qiyuan with a deep sense of yearning.

    ''Should I just make him mine right here and now?'' she pondered inwardly.

    Little did Tian Qiyuan know, Zi Xuan was an ardent admirer of his creations to extreme levels. Despite possessing numerous Empyrean-grade and even Celestial-grade swords, Zi Xuan had found herself utterly charmed by one of Tian Qiyuan''s creations, despite it being only of Spirit-grade quality at the time. Such was the allure of his craftsmanship that it transcended the boundaries of material worth, capturing her heart with its unique charm.

    As Tian Qiyuan''s skill refined and his creations became even more exquisite with each creation, Zi Xuan''s admiration for his work only deepened.

    Eventually, her infatuation soon morphed into a dangerous obsession, reaching a point where she was willing to go to extreme lengths, even resorting to violence, to obtain his coveted creations.

    Her crazed obsession quickly earned her the nickname of Exalted cksmith Fanatic. However, since she was always disguised, nobody knew her true identity as the Sword Goddess. If the world somehow learned of this, not even the Heavens would be able to predict their reaction.

    Zi Xuan was an expert at the seventh level of the God Ascension Realm, while Tian Qiyuan was only a Golden Immortal. If she were to force herself upon him in this secluded world, there was nothing he could do about it.

    However, Zi Xuan quickly regained control of her emotions and refrained from doing something so barbaric for now.

    "Now then, can you tell me more about yourself? For example, your hobbies, your likes and dislikes, and even habits. I will also need to examine your swordsmanshipter." Tian Qiyuan said to her a momentter, unaware of the dangerous thoughts flowing through Zi Xuan''s mind.

    "With pleasure." Zi Xuan responded with a profound smile on her beautiful face.

 Chapter 1511 Zi Xuan

    Chapter 1511 Zi Xuan

    ?1511  Zi Xuan

    Upon Tian Qiyuan''s request to learn more about her, Zi Xuan did not hesitate to reveal everything about herself to him, including personal information that one usually wouldn''t reveal even to their loved ones.

    "I enjoy reading scriptures every now and then, and my hobby is collecting swords. I haven''t eaten anything in thest hundred years, but if I were to eat something right now, it would be a spicy dish."

    "I like swords, and there are too many things I dislike to list, but if I had to name a few, it would be pesky people and men who only think with their lower swords."

    "I don''t mind perverted men as I am quite perverted myself, but there is a difference between lustful and being lecherous. When I am feeling lustful, I like to use the swords in my collection to relieve myself. By the way, your swords are the best. They make me go crazy, something other swords cannot replicate."

    "..."

    Behind his mask, Tian Qiyuan''s eyes widened in surprise, his disbelief evident. Was she toying with him, or was she genuinely like this? He had always known Zi Xuan to be entric, but this was a whole new level.

    He cleared his throat and said, "W-why don''t you tell me about your background? How did you grow up and be the person you are today."

    Zi Xuan pondered for a moment before responding, "I was born in the Unrivaled Nine Swords Sect. My mother was a Sect Elder, so I spent the majority of my life there. I touched my first sword when I was one year old and started training with one when I was only five years old."

    "I learned Sword Aura ten yearster, Enhanced Sword Aura after another hundred years, and attained Sword Body at three thousand years old. I became an official disciple of the Unrivaled Nine Swords Sect at 10 years old and was promoted to Inner Disciple three yearster. On my eighteenth birthday, I became a Core Disciple. Ten yearster, I became a Sect Elder. After another fifty years, I reced one of the Nine Unrivaled Swords by defeating him in an official match."

    "Since then, I began working toward a level that surpasses Enhanced Sword Aura. It took a hundred thousand years, but I''ve managed to achieve just that, and I named it Supreme Sword Aura. Oh, I started collecting swords when I was sixteen years old."Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    Tian Qiyuan listened to her history with interest. This was his first time encountering someone as talented as Zi Xuan when it came to the sword.

    To achieve a Sword Body at two thousand years old was incredibly gifted, a talent seen once every hundred million years.

    After telling him her entire life story, Zi Xuan suddenly stood up and asked, "Want to see my sword collection? It''s mostly your swords, though."

    "Sure. It would help me understand your taste for swords a little more." Tian Qiyuan nodded and followed her to the collection.

    Sometimeter, they arrived before a sealed door.

    "I called this the Sword Vault, and once again, you''re the first person besides myself to see it."

    Zi Xuan removed the seal and opened the door, revealing the room on the other side.

    The room was huge, taking up most of the building, but fewer than a hundred swords were on disy, even though it could easily hold hundreds of thousands.

    "This room used to be more crowded, but as you saw, they''re all outside now." Zi Xuan said.

    Tian Qiyuan took a quick look at the swords with his divine sense. There were seventy-nine swords on disy, with sixty-

    nine of them being his own creation.

    "You''ve managed to collect 69 out of the 90 treasures I''ve sold to the public?" Tian Qiyuan marveled at her unwavering dedication and extraordinary collection. To obtain even a single treasure crafted by his hand was a formidable feat, yet she had amassed 69 of them as a single individual.

    He was aware of the high cost of his treasures, but he couldn''t fathom the extent of resources she must have sacrificed to acquire these 69 weapons.

    "I never thought I would collect weapons that were not swords, but your creations changed me," Zi Xuan said as she caressed a blue-ded dagger with her slender fingers.

    While some cksmiths specialize in a single type of weapon since it''s much easier to advance in their career, a true master crafts all kinds of weapons with equal excellence.

    Tian Qiyuan crafted every type of weapon, but his favorite was the sword; thus, half of his creations were swords.

    Zi Xuan walked over to a particr sword on disy and said, "This is the first of your creations that appeared in public, and it''s the sword that changed my life."

    It was a mere Spirit-grade sword, but it was just as wless as the Violet Dream in terms of quality and could easily be mistaken as a Heaven-grade¡ªeven Divine-grade treasure.

    "When I firstid eyes on this sword, it made me feel emotions that I didn''t know existed in me, and I knew I had to acquire it."

    She grabbed the sword off the disy and handed it to Tian Qiyuan.

    "If you don''t mind, can you hold it for me? I want to see it with its creator."

    Tian Qiyuan epted her request and held the sword in his hand. Instantly, the sword began exuding an aura that had never manifested for anyone else, not even Zi Xuan.

    This left Zi Xuan bewildered.

    "Ah¡­" she muttered in a trembling voice, her body shaking in excitement.

    "I have tried, but I could never imagine it being any more perfect than it already is¡­ but now¡­ with it in your hands¡­ this is true perfection!" Zi Xuan eximed with a crazed expression on her face, as if a switch had been flipped inside her.

    She approached him and grabbed his hands, "I was only 99% convinced you were the real Exalted cksmith, but I am now 100 percent convinced!"

 Chapter 1512 Unrivaled Sword Art

    1512 Unrivaled Sword Art

    "You weren''t certain I was the real deal? What if I had been an imposter?" Tian Qiyuan asked her out of curiosity.

    Hearing this question, Zi Xuan''s expression darkened, looking incredibly grim, and she responded in a chilling voice, "If you had dared to impersonate the Exalted cksmith, then I would''ve tortured you until the end of time."

    Her gaze exuded real killing intent that sent shivers down Tian Qiyuan''s body.

    "Alright, then, let''s take a look at your swordsmanship now," he said a momentter.

    Zi Xuan nodded her head and said, "Let''s go outside."

    Before leaving the vault, Zi Xuan took the Spirit-grade sword with her.

    Once they were outside, Zi Xuan brought him to the empty field behind the building.

    "I will now perform my main sword technique, Unrivaled Sword Arts. It consists of nine stages, each several times stronger than thest."

    Instead of wielding a powerful sword like the Violet Dream, Zi Xuan opted to use the Spirit-grade sword for her performance. She was morefortable with it due to spending countless hours with it, allowing her to disy her best abilities.

    "Unrivaled Sword Art, first stage, Unrivaled Spirit."

    Zi Xuan then gave Tian Qiyuan a sword performance that could only be described as wless, even otherworldly. Each movement was precise and fluid, flowing as naturally as water in a river, without a trace of hesitation or stiffness.

    After watching her otherworldly performance, Tian Qiyuan fully understood why people called her the Sword Goddess.

    Sometimeter, Zi Xuan stopped after the third stage and asked him, "Are you able to understand my swordsmanship?" From N?velDrama.Org.

    Once a swordsman attains a certain level of mastery, their movements transcend ordinary understanding, and this effect intensifies as the individual''s skill level increases. Since Tian Qiyuan was mainly a cksmith, Zi Xuan was worried that hecked the ability to understand her swordsmanship, which would hinder his ability to craft a suitable sword that matched her abilities.

    Tian Qiyuan could tell what was on Zi Xuan''s mind based on the worried frown on her face, and he said, "Don''t worry, I can understand your swordsmanship. I may be a cksmith, but I am also a swordmaster. In order to create a weapon, I believe you must understand the weapon itself first, and what better way to understand a weapon than to master it?"

    Some of Zi Xuan''s worries went away after hearing his words, but there was still some doubt in her heart. After all, to fullyprehend her swordsmanship, Tian Qiyuan would need to be near her level or even surpass it, which was very unlikely.

    However, she didn''t say anything else and continued her performance.

    "This is the fourth stage, Unrivaled Earth."

    Then, the fifth stage.

    "Unrivaled Heaven."

    The sixth stage.

    "Unrivaled Divine."

    The seventh stage.

    "Unrivaled Saint."

    She stopped after the seventh stage to look at Tian Qiyuan again.

    "Are you still following?"

    "Yes, 100 percent."

    "..."

    Despite her profound respect for him, she couldn''t bring herself to believe his words. Not even the other eight Unrivaled Swords could im with such certainty that theyprehended the seventh stage of her swordsmanship.

    Seeing the doubt on her face, Tian Qiyuan said, "Just keep going. I''ll prove to you that I am capable of understanding your swordsmanshipter."

    Zi Xuan silently nodded and proceeded to perform the eighth stage.

    "Unrivaled Void."

    Finally, thest stage.

    "This is the ninth stage, Unrivaled Sword God."

    There was a saying in the Unrivaled Nine Swords Sect: mastering the ninth stage of their technique would inevitably make one a Sword God. And within the entire sect, only Zi Xuan has managed to reach such a level.

    It was widely known within their sect that Zi Xuan surpassed even the Sect Master in power. However, she had no desire to shoulder the responsibilities of leadership, and thus, she chose not to ascend to the position, remaining as a guardian of the sect.

    As Zi Xuanmenced the final stage, the atmosphere in their secluded world shifted, and the very air trembled in awe.

    If Zi Xuan had infused her spiritual energy into her swordsmanship, their world would''ve been destroyed long before she could even reach the fifth stage, much less the ninth stage.

    "What do you think?" Zi Xuan asked him afterward while being slightly out of breath.

    Tian Qiyuan nodded, "It was amazing."

    "Are you saying that because you couldn''tprehend it or¡­?"

    Tian Qiyuan smiled and gestured for the sword.

    "As promised, I will now prove to you that I am fully capable of understanding your swordsmanship."

    Zi Xuan handed him the sword and asked, "What are you going to do?"

    "You''ll see in just a moment. Please give me some space."

    Once Zi Xuan was far enough, Tian Qiyuan closed his eyes and recalled Zi Xuan''s performance with the Unrivaled Sword Art.

    After a moment of silence, he started moving his body and performing the Unrivaled Sword Art.

    "?!?!"

    Zi Xuan''s eyes widened in shock as she watched Tian Qiyuan wlessly replicate her sect''s most revered and challenging sword technique. However, as impressive as it seemed at a nce, anyone with enough experience could replicate the first three stages of the technique.

    A few minutester, Tian Qiyuan began performing the fourth stage. His movements were just as impable as if he was still doing the first stage, leaving Zi Xuan speechless.

    However, little did she know that was just the beginning.

    After performing the fourth stage, Tian Qiyuan went on to the fifth stage and then the sixth stage.

    Even more remarkable than his effortless replication of the sword technique was Tian Qiyuan''s seamless performance, wlessly executing each stage without the slightest pause, almost as if he''d practiced the sword technique for thousands of years.

    As Tian Qiyuan reached the ninth stage of the sword technique, Zi Xuan fell back in shock, her expression mirroring disbelief as if she had seen a ghost.

    "I-impossible!" she uttered in a terrified voice, and she began doubting whether she was a true sword prodigy or a fake one.

 Chapter 1513 Exalted Blacksmiths Store

    Chapter 1513 Exalted cksmith''s Store

    ?1513  Exalted cksmith''s Store

    "You¡­ what the hell are you?" Zi Xuan stared at Tian Qiyuan with her eyes as wide as saucers. It''d taken her thousands of years to master the Unrivaled Sword Arts. Yet, it only took a nce for Tian Qiyuan to master the sword techniquepletely. She has never heard of anything like this before, much less witnessing it with her own eyes.

    "Are you secretly a disciple of our Unrivaled Nine Swords Sect?" she asked with a suspicious look on her face.

    If he were truly a disciple of her sect, it would exin his knowledge of the Unrivaled Sword Arts. However, even within her sect, fewer than five individuals had learned all nine stages, and she was the only one to master all nine stages. So, how could he wlessly execute all nine stages?

    "No, I am not a disciple of the Unrivaled Nine Swords Sect."

    "Then are you telling me that you actually learned the technique on the spot after watching me perform it once? Do you really expect me to believe such a thing?"

    "I don''t expect you to believe me, but that''s the truth. Anyways, have I cleared your doubt about my ability toprehend your swordsmanship?"

    "Don''t try to change the subject! Only disciples of the Unrivaled Nine Swords Sect are allowed to learn the sword technique! If they learn that an outsider has managed to do so, they''ll hunt you down!"

    "That''s only if they learn it, right? You''re the only one who knows about it, so unless you tell them, I will be safe. Moreover, I learned the technique from watching you, who willingly showed it to me, so you also bear some responsibility."

    "T-that''s¡ª!" Zi Xuan was left speechless by his argument.

    In fact, even if she knew that he had the capability to learn the technique beforehand, she would still be willing to perform the sword technique for him for the sake of her sword.

    She sighed in a defeated manner and said, "You''re right. Since you learned the sword technique from me, I am technically responsible for it. Anyway, I have no intention of revealing this to my sect, so you do your job and don''t go around unting it."

    Tian Qiyuan smiled and said, "I have no interest in the Unrivaled Sword Arts. I have my own sword technique."

    "Anyway, I have a good understanding of your capabilities, and I already have an image of what kind of sword I will be making for you. I just need some time to think about it."

    "Will it take long?" she asked.

    "No, I''ll be done in a few days."

    "Okay."

    "Then I''ll begin now."

    He sat on the ground and closed his eyes. It looked like he was cultivating, but he was actually forging Zi Xuan''s sword inside his mind, and he was doing it more than once.

    To craft the perfect sword for her, Tian Qiyuan needed to experiment with various materials andbinations. A cksmith of his caliber possesses the ability to forge treasures within their mind as vividly as if they were doing it in reality. This extraordinary skill allows them to save both resources and time.

    Time passed in the blink of an eye for Tian Qiyuan. As for Zi Xuan, she sat right in front of him and stared at him the entire time.

    A few dayster, when Tian Qiyuan opened his eyes, he was startled by Zi Xuan, whose face was so close to his mask that they were almost touching.

    "Uhh¡­ I am finished," he said in a somewhat stiff voice.

    Realizing that he''d finished, Zi Xuan calmly distanced herself from him and asked, "Why are you hiding your identity?"

    "I like peace and freedom. If the world knows my face, I will never be able to walk in public without being stopped by people," he calmly said.

    "A fair reason."Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    "Anyway, I know exactly what kind of sword I''ll make for you."

    He proceeded to write down a list of materials needed for the sword and handed it to her.

    "How long do you think it''ll take you to collect them?" he asked.

    Zi Xuan looked at the list with a pondering face. After a moment of silence, she said, "It shouldn''t take too long. I already have half of these materials. I can probably acquire the other half in a few months."

    "Then I''ll return to the ce that I came in here from exactly one year from now."

    "Okay. What are you going to do in the meantime?"

    "What a cksmith typically does¡ªmake things."

    Tian Qiyuan left Zi Xuan''s world shortly after and disappeared from the world for an entire year.

    News of the Exalted cksmith eptingmissions spread throughout the Nine Heavens after the auction house. Many people wanted to request amission immediately, but all of them quickly came to the same realization that stopped them from doing so.

    "How the hell do we contact the Exalted cksmith when we don''t even know his identity or where to find him?"

    Indeed, Tian Qiyuan had departed the auction house so quickly that he forgot to mention the store he had opened in the Eighth Heaven, where he would be epting requests.

    Tian Qiyuan found it weird that nobody approached him even though many months had passed, and he was beginning to doubt his own poprity.

    "Ah! I forgot to tell them about this store!" he suddenly came to this realization one day.

    Upon realizing his mistake, he immediately began spreading information about his store. Not even half a day after he began spreading the news, experts from around the world flocked to his store like hungry pigeons.

    His store was situated in the middle of nowhere, standing alone in an open, empty grasnd. It was almost impossible to miss once someone entered its vicinity, but without knowledge of its existence, nobody would go out of their way to visit such a deste ce.

    However, once news of his store spread, the once-empty grasnd quickly became crowded with people.

 Chapter 1514 The Pinnacle of Swords

    1514 The Pinnacle of Swords

    Before people arrived at his store, Tian Qiyuan created arge sign that read, "Those who have my desired materials may enter the store immediately. Those who do not have priority must wait outside until their number is called."

    "There are jade slips with numbers on it beside this sign. Take the number in the front and wait for your turn. I will have at most 10 customers at a time, excluding those with priority and with my desired materials." From N?velDrama.Org.

    "Every customer will only be allowed onemission request in their lifetime."

    "Fighting is not allowed near the store, or you will be put on the cklist. Those on the cklist will not be able to receive my service."

    "Those with a jade slip may sell their slot, but others are prohibited from threatening those with a jade slip to sell. If you pressure or force someone to sell their jade slip, you will be put on the cklist."

    When the first customer arrived, he grabbed the jade slip that read ''one'' and waited for his turn. Secondster, another individual showed up.

    In less than one minute, all ten jade slips had been acquired with the people who came after feeling dejected. However, they didn''t immediately leave and tried to purchase the jade slip from those who had one.

    Unsurprisingly, none of the 10 individuals with a slot were willing to sell it, so the others quickly gave up and waited for the next day''s slots.

    Tian Qiyuan waited half a day for someone with his desired materials to show up. When nobody did, he called in the first customer.

    "What kind of weapon do you want?" Tian Qiyuan asked.

    "I would like a spear."

    "Do you have a specific design in mind? What about its grade and quality?"

    "I do. It''s right here. How much would it cost for one at the peak-quality Ancient-grade?"

    After taking a look at the design, Tian Qiyuan gave the man an estimate of the price.

    "I understand. I have the money and materials right here. When will you begin themission?"

    "I will start right now. You can expect the spear to be ready in an hour."

    "That fast?!" The man almost couldn''t believe his ears.

    Most cksmiths would require months of work to craft an Ancient-grade weapon, after all.

    "Yes, it''ll be done in an hour." Tian Qiyuan reaffirmed.

    The man nodded and left the store, which consisted of one small reception room and the rest being a smithy.

    An hourter, Tian Qiyuan called the man back into the store and showed him the finished product.

    "A-amazing¡­" The man was at a loss for words.

    "C-can I touch it?" he then asked.

    "That depends. Do you ept this result? If you do, you''ll need to pay the full amount before you can have it."

    "I ept!" The man retrieved the rest of the payment and handed it to Tian Qiyuan.

    "It''s all yours." Tian Qiyuan gestured at the beautiful red spear.

    The man grabbed the spear with trembling hands and muttered, "This is exactly what I envisioned! No¡­ it''s even better than I imagined!"

    Tian Qiyuan then said, "It doesn''t have a name yet, and that will be your responsibility."

    Afterpleting his firstmission, Tian Qiyuan walked outside and showed everyone the jade slip with the number ''one'' in his grasp and said, "If you want this, you can go get it."

    He proceeded to flick the jade slip, shooting it into the distance.

    Those who reacted the fastest were the first to chase after it, with the others following behind, quickly emptying the ce beside the other nine already with a jade slip.

    "Number two, you may follow me inside." Tian Qiyuan said a momentter.

    Over the next several months, Tian Qiyuan focused on hismissions, amassing a tremendous amount of wealth.

    He also epted several prioritymissions from those who offered him the material that he was looking for.

    Once a year had passed since his meeting with Zi Xuan, Tian Qiyuan closed the store down temporarily.

    "If you already have a jade slip, you can keep it with you until I reopen the store."

    Tian Qiyuan disappeared after saying these words.

    He made his way to the same location asst time and waited for Zi Xuan to invite him to her world.

    Zi Xuan showed up shortly after his arrival, but she looked a little grumpy for some reason.

    "Is something wrong?" he asked her.

    "I thought I would be your first, but you ended up creating other treasures before mine even started!" she said, displeased that she wasn''t the first to have a custom weapon by him.

    "While I didn''tplete your sword first, you are still my first customer, and your sword was my first custom design, so it''s still technically my first custom creation," he said.

    Zi Xuan fell silent when she couldn''t argue with his logic, eventually bringing him into her world.

    "Here are all of the materials you requested." Zi Xuan pointed at the materials neatly ced outside her living quarters.

    "Where are you going to make the weapon?"

    "For Mystic-grade treasures, I have to do it inside my world," he said.

    "Oh? Do you think I cane watch?" she asked out of curiosity, but she was prepared to be refused.

    Tian Qiyuan did not immediately respond and pondered for a moment.

    Seeing this as an opportunity, Zi Xuan quickly continued, "I actually have another material that was on your list. I''ll give it to you for free if you let me watch."

    "Alright, I''ll let you watch." Tian Qiyuan nodded.

    "Why are you collecting so many precious materials anyway?"

    "Since you are my first customer, I''ll tell you." Tian Qiyuan smiled behind his mask and said, "I am nning on creating a masterpiece¡ªa sword that surpasses even Celestial-grade treasures! The pinnacle of all swords!"

    "T-the pinnacle of all swords¡­?" Zi Xuan swallowed nervously as she stared at him with a dazed expression on her face.

 Chapter 1515 Tian Qiyuanâ€™s World

    <h4>Chapter 1515 Tian Qiyuan''s World</h4>

    1515 Tian Qiyuan''s World

    As a sword enthusiast, the mere mention of Tian Qiyuan''s n to craft the pinnacle of swords sent a thrill through Zi Xuan, igniting a spark of excitement in her.

    The fact that she was essentially giving him the resources to craft the weapon made it seem like she contributed to the creation of the sword.

    ''Ah¡­ I''m wet¡­'' she thought to herself with a europhic expression on her face.

    Tian Qiyuan ignored the weird expression on Zi Xuan''s face and collected the materials.

    "I''m going to return to my world right now, but I won''t begin the smithing for a few more days," he said afterward.

    "I''ll follow you there," she snapped out of it and said.

    "Okay."

    They left Zi Xuan''s world shortly after.

    A few dayster, Tian Qiyuan arrived at the entrance to his world, which was located near a river in the middle of a mountain valley.

    Tian Qiyuan''s world consisted of three areas. The first one to enter Zi Xuan''s view was a floating ind that had a majestic golden mountain and a golden waterfall.

    The next appeared to be a floating ind with a volcano that appeared ordinary at a nce, but when Zi Xuan tried to take a deep look into it, she found an unfathomable existence living within.

    Unfortunately, this presence was too powerful for even an expert like Zi Xuan to perceive fully. Not wanting to offend such a formidable entity, she immediately withdrew her divine sense the moment she became aware of its existence.

    The third area was a simple floating ind with two buildings. One appeared to be his living quarters, and the other a smithy.

    "You''re the first human ever to visit this ce." Tian Qiyuan suddenly said to her.

    "The first human, huh¡­" Zi Xuan nced at the volcano.

    "Do you want a tour of the ce while we''re here?" he suddenly asked.

    "Sure!"

    Tian Qiyuan proceeded to lead Zi Xuan to the golden mountain with the waterfall and said, "This entire mountain is made of Primordial Gold, and the water is all liquid from the Golden Celestial Tree that you see growing around the river. Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    Sure enough, dozens of Golden Celestial Trees were growing along the river, each of them at least a million years old. A single Golden Celestial Tree could sell for the price of several Mystic-grade treasures.

    "This is the first time I''ve seen so many Golden Celestial Trees in one ce¡­" Zi Xuan swallowed nervously at the marvelous sight. However, they still weren''t as impressive as the golden mountain that waspletely made of Primordial Gold.

    Primordial Gold was more valuable than Empyrean Gold, and a small fist-sized chuck could easily sell for the price of a Mystic-grade treasure. Yet, there was a whole mountain of it in Tian Qiyuan''s world.

    "Why do you need so much Primordial Gold and Golden Celestial Tree?" Zi Xuan asked him out of curiosity.

    "I''ll be using most of it for my masterpiece," he calmly said.

    "M-most of it?! You can easily craft a dozen Celestial-grade treasures with this much material!" she eximed in shock.

    "Even if it can craft a hundred Celestial-grade treasures, it wouldn''t be able topare to my masterpiece." Tian Qiyuan said in a confident tone.

    "Just what kind of sword are you trying to craft? Do you intend on ying gods or something?" Zi Xuan shook her head. Since she didn''t have any idea what kind of sword he was creating, she couldn''t help but consider it a waste of resources.

    "Let''s head to the next ind. By the way, I call this ce the Golden Valley."

    Tian Qiyuan led her to the second ind with the volcano, but he didn''t enter its territory and merely inspected it from outside.

    "You should have already noticed its existence by now, but I do not live in this world alone. Mypanion isn''t human, either. It resides inside the mountain, where all sorts of precious ores and jewelry can be found, especially those that grow in extremely hot conditions."

    "What kind of entity lives here? Since it can withstand the immense heat in this ce, it''s most likely a Yang Element beast, right?" Zi Xuan inquired.

    "Indeed, it''s a Yang Element beast. I would introduce you now, but it onlyes out when I work on profound treasures that require unique mes. That said, you''ll meet it once I begin working on your sword."

    "It even assists you with your creation? I cannot imagine what kind of beast has the capabilities to do that¡­"

    With that said, Zi Xuan could think of one entity that could produce mes, but it seemed so farfetched that she didn''t even consider it possible and quickly tossed that thought aside.

    Since he didn''t want to disturb the entity any longer, Tian Qiyuan led Zi Xuan to the final ind.

    "This is my living quarter, and the other building is my workshop." Tian Qiyuan said, confirming Zi Xuan''s spections earlier.

    He invited her into his living quarters and served her tea.

    As she sipped on the tea, Zi Xuan''s eyes remained fixated on Tian Qiyuan''s mask.

    When her curiosity could no longer be contained, she asked him, "Would you be willing to show me your face? I promise I won''t tell anyone. I can even swear on my soul if that would reassure you."

    Without waiting for Tian Qiyuan''s response, Zi Xuan raised her hand and swore, "With heaven as my witness, I swear upon my soul that I would not reveal your identity to anyone you don''t want me to."

    "You didn''t have to do that. I would''ve shown you my face even without needing the oath, but it does make it more easy for me to reveal my face."

    Tian Qiyuan wasn''t worried that she might recognize him because his true identity, besides being the Exalted cksmith, was a nobody who belonged to no background.

    He removed his mask the following moment, revealing his handsome face to Zi Xuan.

 Chapter 1516 Vulgar Presence

    Chapter 1516 Vulgar Presence

    ?1516  Vulgar Presence

    "You''re¡­ much more handsome than I expected," Zi Xuan muttered in a dazed voice as she stared at Tian Qiyuan''s handsome face.

    She had braced herself in case Tian Qiyuan had an ugly face because he always wore a mask. Even though he imed that it was because he didn''t want to be recognized in public, there was no way to really tell if he was being truthful. However, after seeing his handsome facial features, Zi Xuan no longer doubted his ims of wanting to remain anonymous.

    In fact, he was so handsome that Zi Xuan subconsciously reached for his face, gently caressing his cheeks.

    Tian Qiyuan would''ve been able to avoid it if it was a surprise attack, but Zi Xuan''s actions were so random that he simply froze from bewilderment, which allowed her to caress his cheeks.Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    "Ah, sorry. My hands moved on its own just now." Zi Xuan quickly pulled back her hand once she realized what she was doing and slightly blushed.

    Tian Qiyuan chuckled and responded in a joking manner, "It''s fine. I don''t me you, as I am very handsome, after all."

    He continued, "Anyway, I''ll be spending the next several days preparing the materials, so until then, make yourself at home."

    To ensure the process goes as smoothly as possible, all of the materials are typically refined orbined before the weapon crafting begins.

    "You don''t mind me taking a look around? Aren''t you worried that I might steal from you?" Zi Xuan asked.

    He chuckled at her words and said, "Unless you want to provoke my neighbor, I don''t see why you would do such a thing."

    Zi Xuan''s gaze shifted to the volcano and smiled.

    "Then I''ll have some fun in your living quarters."

    Zi Xuan entered his living quarters the next moment while Tian Qiyuan immediately began refining the materials.

    Upon entering Tian Qiyuan''s home, Zi Xuan immediately began exploring the ce. It was a simple home with four rooms.

    There was a bathroom, a kitchen, a living room, and a bedroom. The atmosphere resembled that of a mortal home since Immortal cultivators did not need to use the bathroom or eat.

    The living room was simply furnished with a leather chair, framed disys on the walls showcasing precious materials that even Zi Xuan did not recognize, and a firece.

    The bathroom and kitchen looked ordinary.

    Zi Xuan visited Tian Qiyuan''s bedroomst. Once she was inside, she took a deep breath through her nose and mouth at the same time.

    She kept the air in her lungs for a long moment before breathing out again.

    "What a wonderful smell~"

    Zi Xuan muttered as she focused her gaze on the bed in the corner. Then, without hesitation, she jumped on the bed and started rolling around like some kind of bug.

    ''Ahh¡­ why am I so attracted to him? Is it because he can craft amazing swords? No, there''s something more to him, but I cannot pinpoint it¡­''

    Zi Xuan''s excitement continued to rise as shey on his bed. Eventually, she could no longer control herself and reached underneath her clothes and started ying with herself.

    Meanwhile, Tian Qiyuan waspletely focused on the materials and did not even bother to check on Zi Xuan.

    Days passed in the blink of an eye.

    Once he was finished with the preparations, Tian Qiyuan went inside his home to call Zi Xuan. He quickly found her sleeping peacefully on his bed with a satisfied expression on her face. There was also a unique smell in the air that he did not recognize.

    Tian Qiyuan went to wake her up after staring at the sleeping beauty for a brief moment.

    "Mmm¡­" Zi Xuan slowly opened her eyes to see Tian Qiyuan standing before her.

    "Are we going for another round?" she muttered in a dazed voice, almost as if she believed that she was still dreaming.

    "Another round of what?" Tian Qiyuan asked with raised eyebrows.

    "..."

    Zi Xuan quickly realized that she was no longer dreaming and swiftly sat up.

    "Nothing," she responded in a stiff voice.

    "I''m going to start crafting the weapon now, soe with me," he then said.

    Zi Xuan nodded and fixed her robes before following him outside. She thought they were going to enter the smithy, but Tian Qiyuan went behind it, where a gold anvil was located.

    "We''ll be doing it out here since we''ll be using unique mes," he said.

    "For your safety, please watch from outside the ind."

    Zi Xuan nodded and flew away, stopping right outside the ind.

    Tian Qiyuan proceeded to remove the upper part of his robes, revealing his otherworldly physique that had been refined to perfection.

    Zi Xuan nearly began drooling upon seeing his bare upper body.

    "Feng Feng!" Tian Qiyuan suddenly called out.

    Zi Xuan''s expression immediately stiffened when the unfathomable presence she sensed from the volcano returned.

    She turned to gaze at the ind just as the volcano erupted. From the fiery chaos, a colossal figure emerged, its ming wings unfurling to shroud half the sky.

    "A phoenix!?" Zi Xuan cried out loud.

    She had initially spected the beast to be a phoenix when she first heard about it, but the likelihood of a phoenix coborating with a human seemed so improbable that she dismissed it as a mistake.

    ''What kind of phoenix is it? I have seen phoenixes before, but none of them were covered in golden mes like this one! It''s presence is also iparably stronger!'' Zi Xuan pondered inwardly as the phoenix flew to Tian Qiyuan, hovering above the entire ind like a roof.

    "I''ll be relying on you again for the next few days, Feng Feng." Tian Qiyuan said.

    The phoenix did not respond; its gaze fixed intently on Zi Xuan.

    Zi Xuan''s entire being trembled upon sensing its stare. She had a feeling that she was not being regarded favorably.

    ''You are dirtying our sacred home with your vulgar presence, human.''

    A cold voice suddenly resounded in Zi Xuan''s head.

    "..."

    It was undoubtedly the phoenix''s voice, but Zi Xuan could not respond. She feared that it might obliterate her if she did.

 Chapter 1517 Feng Feng

    Chapter 1517 Feng Feng

    ?1517  Feng FengExclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    ''Not only did you disturb my slumber, you even dared to dirty his room with your filthy bodily fluid! I should turn you into roasted meat!'' The phoenix continued, even threatening to kill her.

    Zi Xuan eventually snapped out of her daze and gritted her teeth before responding, ''As if a beast would understand human love! Once we be lovers, I will dirty his room with my bodily fluid every day!''

    The phoenix''s golden mes suddenly red up, turning it into a bright sun that colored the entire world golden.

    "YOU AND I CANNOT COEXIST! ONE OF US WILL PERISH TODAY, AND IT WILL BE YOU!" It screamed in a chilling voice, causing the entire world to tremble.

    Seeing this, Tian Qiyuan spoke up, "Don''t be rude to our guest, Feng Feng."

    "..."

    After a moment of silence, the phoenix slowly calmed down. Yet, Zi Xuan could still feel its killing intent being directed at her.

    "Feng Feng." Tian Qiyuan called her out again.

    "Hmph."

    The phoenix eventually stopped caring about Zi Xuan.

    Zi Xuan''s entire back was soaked in sweat after her confrontation with the phoenix.

    Seeing her nervous expression, Tian Qiyuan said, "Her name''s Feng Tianru, but I call her Feng Feng since it has a nice ring to it. She was just a baby phoenix when I first found her, and she was injured, so I treated her. Since then, she''s been following me like a pet. I think we were destined to meet."

    "Don''t call me a pet!" Feng Tianru shouted at him.

    "As you have experienced yourself, her temper is as fiery as her body of mes." Tian Qiyuan chuckled.

    "Anyway, enough chitchat. There''s a lot of work to be done. Feng Feng, let''s get started."

    Tian Qiyuan walked to the anvil before using Qi Manifestation to ce one of the materials on it.

    He retrieved a ck and golden hammer and said, "Whenever you''re ready."

    A few momentster, Feng Tianru pped her wings, spewing a waterfall of golden mes not just on the anvil but on Tian Qiyuan''s figure as well, engulfing him in mes.

    "What the fu¡ª?!"

    Zi Xuan''s heart nearly jumped out of her chest when she saw this scene. However, she quickly realized that Tian Qiyuan was unharmed when she started hearing the sound of a hammer striking metal.

    ng. ng. ng.

    A rhythmic sound filled the world with ripples appearing after every sound.

    Before Zi Xuan realized it, her heartbeat had synchronized with the rhythm of Tian Qiyuan''s hammering, filling her very existence with a sense of harmony.

    Feng Tianru continued to shower Tian Qiyuan and the anvil with golden mes.

    A few hourster, Tian Qiyuan moved another material to the anvil without stopping his hammer even a split second.

    Ten hours¡­ twenty hours¡­ fifty hours¡­

    Zi Xuan stood transfixed, her eyes glued to Tian Qiyuan''s handsome figure, her heart swelling with a sense of wonder as the hours ticked by.

    Seven days passed in a blur, and the sound of metal being hammered never stopped. Not even for a second.

    "You can stop now." Tian Qiyuan said to Feng Tianru, who immediately stopped producing mes for the first time in seven days.

    Once the mes dispersed and Tian Qiyuan''s figure emerged, his entire body was drenched in sweat, but there was not a single injury on his body. In fact, his physique looked even better than before.

    He turned to look at Zi Xuan, who looked like she was on the verge of lunging at him like a rabbit in heat.

    If it weren''t for Feng Tianru''s presence that kept her sanity in check, she would''ve definitely defiled every inch of his body.

    "Your sword is done."

    Tian Qiyuan extended the sword in her direction; its gleaming de held steady in his hand. Zi Xuan hastened to his side, her eyes flickering at the sight of the weapon as she hesitated, reluctant to touch it, her gaze lingering on its beauty.

    The sword radiated an aura of a peak-quality Mystic-grade treasure, but its aura was so intense that Zi Xuan initially believed it to be an Empyrean-grade treasure. Its potency was so overwhelming that it eclipsed her usually sharp senses.

    "This sword will increase the potency of all your sword techniques, especially the Unrivaled Sword Art. Its de was forged with naturally poisonous materials. While it won''t kill your opponent, it will paralyze them, and depending on their cultivation, it may be indefinite. It''s also incredibly durable¡ª

    near indestructive. Only a peak-quality Celestial-grade treasure would be able to damage it, and even that requires tremendous effort."

    "Go ahead and give it a few swings."

    Zi Xuan''s eyes locked onto the sword as she nodded, her hands moving with precision as she began performing the first three stages of the Unrivaled Sword Art. The moment she did, she felt a profound improvement in her technique, as if the sword''s energy had awakened a deeper connection within her, and her movements became more fluid and effortless than she had ever imagined possible.

    The sensation was so intoxicating that Zi Xuan found herself unable to stop. Her fingers moved with a life of their own as she seamlessly transitioned from the third stage to the next, each subsequent step revealing a deeper understanding of the technique as if the sword was guiding her through the motions, her proficiency growing with each passing moment.

    Once she finished her performance, Zi Xuan''s gaze remained fixated on the sword, seemingly unable to take her eyes off it.

    "What do you think? Do you like it?" Tian Qiyuan suddenly asked.

    Zi Xuan finally stopped looking at the sword and shifted her gaze to him.

    With a beautiful smile, she nodded her head and said, "I love it!"

    "Then I will mark thismission fulfilled."

    Zi Xuan retrieved the rare materials he wanted and gave them to him as payment.

    "What else from the list are you missing?" she asked.

    He showed her the list and said, "This many."

    "Alright. I''ll help you find them for more swords."

    "You want more already?"

    "Am I not allowed to have more?" she raised an eyebrow.

    "You can request as manymissions as you want as long as you bring me one of the listed materials. Otherwise, I am only creating one weapon for every individual."

    "I understand. I was nning on doing that, anyway." Zi Xuan said.

 Chapter 1518 Exalted Blacksmith Fanatic

    Chapter 1518 Exalted cksmith Fanatic

    ?1518  Exalted cksmith Fanatic

    After Zi Xuan left Tian Qiyuan''s world, she returned to her sect with her new sword, which she named Heaven''s Intoxication due to how every sword crafted by Tian Qiyuan inevitably makes her feel heated and dazed, almost as though she was intoxicated.

    The first thing she did when she returned to the Unrivaled Nine Swords Sect was to test the sword on someone, so she challenged another Unrivaled Sword to a match.

    Despite the reluctance of the individual she chose to spar with, there was no room for refusal. The power and authority Zi Xuanmanded was undeniable, and he knew that she would not hesitate to attack him if he dared to refuse.

    "W-wait! What in heaven''s name is that sword?!"

    Her opponent was immediately taken aback by the sword''s overwhelming presence in Zi Xuan''s grasp, a presence that seemed to radiate with a life of its own.

    "Heaven''s Intoxication. It''s my new favorite sword," she calmly said.

    "Ignoring the weird name, where did you acquire such a marvelous treasure?!"

    "Exalted cksmith," she replied, her voice carrying a sense of pride.

    "Oh, I remember now. You won that auction a year ago with our sect''s resources. Do you have any idea how much that hurt our finances? That amount could''ve supported our sect for another hundred fifty thousand years. The Sect Master would still cry even at the slightest mention of it."

    "Stopining. I only borrowed it, so I n on paying it back. After all, it wouldn''t truly be mine if I used another''s wealth to buy it." Zi Xuan said in a nonchnt voice.

    "And how do you n on doing that? Even if you sold your body, it wouldn''t cover half of the costs!"

    "I will be visiting the Primordial Chaos shortly to familiarize myself with Heaven''s Intoxication by hunting Chaotic Beasts."

    "The Primordial Chaos?! That''s reckless behavior, even by your standards! Do you have any idea how many God Ascension Realm cultivators perished in that ce?!"

    "You''re worried about me? I don''t need it."

    "I''m worried that the debt you owe to the sect will disappear with your pointless death!"

    "That''s none of your business. Anyway, let''s get started. I have a lot of work to do."

    After another warning, Zi Xuan attacked her opponent.

    The fight was incredibly one-sided, with Zi Xuan dominating her opponent.

    Their sparsted half as long as it typically does, and after the spar, Zi Xuan immediately left the sect to start earning money at the Primordial Chaos, one of the most dangerous ces in the Supreme Heaven.

    Meanwhile, Tian Qiyuan continued to eptmissions for the next decade.

    Once his fame had reached its peak and his reputation was unshakable, Tian Qiyuan stopped epting normalmissions and only eptedmissions from those who could provide him with rare materials.

    Although this sudden change upset many individuals, nobody daredin, as it was already a miracle that he had eptedmissions from pretty much anybody with enough money for thest decade.

    In thest decade, Tian Qiyuan managed to acquire seven more of the materials he needed for his masterpiece. However, he still needed dozens of materials, and it could take hundreds, if not thousands, of years before he had enough material to finally craft his masterpiece.

    Zi Xuan returned to her sect after spending 50 years straight hunting Chaotic Beasts from the Primordial Chaos.

    With the number of Chaotic Beasts she slew, she acquired a tremendous amount of fortune from selling the Chaotic Beasts'' materials. However, a majority of her earnings went to pay back her debt to the Unrivaled Nine Swords Sect.

    Then, with the rest of her money, she spent it on hiring scouts to search the Nine Heavens for the materials Tian Qiyuan needed.

    If the materials were avable, she would''ve spent it on purchasing them directly, but Tian Qiyuan could''ve done that already.

    Eventually, she found several individuals who had one of these materials, but none of them were for sale.

    Knowing that Tian Qiyuan had tried and failed, Zi Xuan opted to acquire them through other means. Thus, the Exalted cksmith Fanatic, who hasn''t appeared in over 50 years, started causing havoc around the Nine Heavens once again.

    "Fuck! Why are you doing this?! Did the Exalted cksmith send you to rob me because I refused to sell it to him?!" One of her victims cried out loud.

    "No, I am doing this on my own ord because I find it ridiculous."

    "The only thing ridiculous here is your existence!"

    "Why are you hogging the material even though you don''t n on using it? Frankly, it''s a waste of resources. If you ask me, it should be given to the Exalted cksmith, who will refine them into their purest form and craft the most beautiful treasures out of it."

    "This is a warning to the others. Either sell your materials and let them serve their purpose, or let me take them from you. I rmend the former since it''ll earn you some money at the very least."

    The Exalted cksmith Fanatic''s warning would spread throughout the world like wildfire, terrifying the other collectors who had refused to sell their material.

    When Tian Qiyuan heard the news, he couldn''t help butugh out loud, "I don''t know who this fanatic of mine is, but I truly appreciate it!"

    While he wouldn''t stoop to the level of theft, he had no issue with someone doing it for him as long as he didn''t personally encourage it.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    He also agreed with the fanatic''s words and believed that materials should serve their purpose instead of collecting dust.

    After another twenty years, Zi Xuan appeared before him with a material that was on his list.

    "I''m here for my second sword!" she greeted him with a wide smile.

    It only took a nce for Tian Qiyuan to immediately recognize the material she brought as one of the materials he had failed to purchase.

    "So you''re the Exalted cksmith Fanatic, huh?" he smiled aftering to this realization.

 Chapter 1519 Divine Blacksmith

    1519 Divine cksmith

    "E-Exalted cksmith Fanatic? Are you suggesting a connection between me and that enigmatic figure? What led you to such a conclusion?" Zi Xuan swiftly retorted, her innocence a well-crafted facade. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    "So you''re not the Exalted cksmith Fanatic? How did you acquire that material, then? I can remember and identify any material I''ve seen once, and that piece of Cold Ster Iron was stolen from Gu Guming a few years ago." Tian Qiyuan spoke in a calm voice.

    "Is that so? I had no idea. I acquired this from the ck marketst month. So it was stolen by the Exalted cksmith Fanatic, huh? A fascinating revtion, but does it truly matter where it originated? It''s in your possession now." Zi Xuan''s words flowed as smoothly as her breath.

    Seeing how stubborn she was to keep her identity a secret, Tian Qiyuan no longer tried to expose her and said, "You''re right. It doesn''t matter where it came from."

    Zi Xuan was slightly taken aback by how readily he epted the situation. She was certain that he had a strict policy against epting stolen materials, a rule that would have challenged her persuasive skills. But she was relieved that it wasn''t the case.

    "You''re a lot more open-minded than I''d anticipated. I know many cksmiths who would not craft anything with materials acquired through hical means," she expressed her surprise.

    "Would you rather I not ept the material, then? It''s not like I don''t have any standards or pride. I obviously won''t steal anything myself, but how another individual acquires their material is none of my business. Of course, I''m not encouraging such actions, either. Moreover, how can one tell for sure their material wasn''t acquired through hical means?"

    In the cultivation world, where the pursuit of power and longevity often led to questionable ethics, murder was amon urrence. Given this, Tian Qiyuan''s eptance of the stolen material was hardly unusual. For him, it was just another aspect of the cutthroat world he lived in.

    "Anyway, what kind of sword do you want this time?" Tian Qiyuan asked.

    "I don''t know, so I''ll let you decide."

    "The same grade?"

    "How many materials would it take for you to craft an Empyrean-grade treasure?" she asked.

    "Well, I''ll need at least five. However, I have yet to craft one, so you''ll need to wait a little longer if you really want one."

    "Five, huh? Alright. I have four here." Zi Xuan retrieved three more materials. Naturally, all of them were stolen from their owners in thest few years.

    "Let me guess¡­ you got them from the ck market?" Tian Qiyuan smiled at her nonchnt action.

    "Yup! It was sold to me as a bundle," she calmly nodded with an innocent smile on her face.

    "Give me two¡­ no, one hundred years. I''ll be a Divine cksmith by then."

    "Okay. I''ll look for more materials in the meantime."

    Zi Xuan left shortly afterward. Although she wanted to stay a little longer, she didn''t want to dy his promotion to Divine cksmith even for a second.

    After Zi Xuan left, Tian Qiyuan immediately began working toward Empyrean-grade treasures inside his world.

    Most cksmiths struggle to advance to the next level due to ack of materials. Crafting treasures requires a significant amount of resources, which can be expensive, especially high-

    grade treasures that require rare materials. Even recycling the materials afterward isn''t enough to create something new, making it a major hurdle for those seeking to upgrade.

    However, Tian Qiyuan didn''t have to worry aboutcking rare resources since his world had an abdunance of them. This is also how he managed to be a Grand cksmith in just a few thousand years, while most would take hundreds of thousands of years to reach that level.

    While Tian Qiyuan entered seclusion to focus on his craft, Zi Xuan returned to collecting materials for him as the Exalted cksmith Fanatic.

    Her existence has be such a menace that people form alliances and groups to hunt her down. However, Zi Xuan wasn''t one of the strongest cultivators in the world for nothing. Even without revealing her true strength, she could easily deal with any adversaries.

    A hundred yearster, Tian Qiyuan emerged from his seclusion to auction off his newest creation and to let the world know of his advancements.

    "Did you hear? The Exalted cksmith has finally created an Empyrean-grade treasure, officially bing a Divine cksmith!"

    "Heavens! He''s a Divine cksmith already!? He''d be a Grand cksmith not too long ago! How the hell is he progressing so fast?!"

    "I call bullshit! There''s no way that''s possible!"

    "It''s true! He''s auctioning off his Empyrean-grade treasure as we''re speaking!"

    At the auction, Tian Qiyuan gave a quick speech before the battle, just like previously.

    "Although I''ve managed to craft an Empyrean-grade treasure, I can only do swords at the moment, so I do not consider myself a real Divine cksmith just yet. I will wait until I can craft other weapons of simr quality before I dare im that title."

    His humble demeanor left a favorable impression on many cksmiths, including the Divine cksmiths out there.

    "And once again, I will ept a personalmission from the winner of this auction."

    Once Tian Qiyuan left, the auction began shortly after.

    The auction for the Empyrean-grade treasure was a frenzied mess, even more chaotic than thest Mystic-grade auction.

    Sure enough, Zi Xuan was at this auction as well. Unfortunately, there were too many powerhouses present in this auction and she was unable to win this auction due to ack of funds. While she had managed to win thest auction, it was mostly due to the treasure being mere Mystic-grade, and most of the truly wealthy bidders already possessed Empyrean-grade and above treasures, so they weren''t as willing as her to spend a fortune on it.

    In the end, the ancestor of the Holy Sword Monastery won the bid.

    Zi Xuan was frustrated that she lost, but she did not despair, as there were opportunities to acquire it in the future.

 Chapter 1520 Advancing Grades

    1520 Advancing Grades

    After the auction ended, Tian Qiyuan had a quick meeting with the ancestor of the Holy Sword Monastery, a powerhouse that rivals the Unrivaled Nine Sword Sect and may even surpass it slightly.

    The ancestor was a handsome young man with cultivation at the 8th level of the God Ascension Realm. Despite his young appearance, his eyes were filled with ancient wisdom acquired over hundreds of thousands of years.

    "It''s a pleasure to meet you, Exalted cksmith. I am the ancestor of the Holy Sword Monastery, Sheng Qiu. We may have never met before, but you''ve crafted a sword for one of my disciples. When I saw his sword, I knew that I had to get one for myself sooner orter."

    "I am honored to have someone as revered as you to take interest in my humble creations. Are you going to request amission from me?" Tian Qiyuan asked.

    "Yes, but not right now. Can I save thismission for the future when you can give birth to Celestial-grade treasures?"

    "Of course, but it might take some time before I reach that level."

    "Hahaha! By your words, you are essentially iming to be the next God of Creation! Not even the Heaven and Earth cksmith or the Eternal cksmith would so boldly proim they possess what it takes to be the next God of Creation!" Sheng Qiuughed heartily at his audacious im.

    He continued, "You act humble in public, but you''re actually an egotistical bastard! I like you!"

    Naturally, Tian Qiyuan did not find any offense in his words despite being called an egotistical bastard.

    "If anyone can be the next God of Creation, it''s you, Exalted cksmith. I eagerly look forward to the day your creations reach that level."

    Sheng Qiu ended their conversation there and left the next moment.

    "If you ever need to sell anything, our Mystic Jade Auction Pavilion would be honored to serve you again, esteemed Exalted cksmith." Qing Ling''er bowed to him on his way out.

    Tian Qiyuan made his way back to his world. However, someone had arrived before him.

    "You''re here already?" Tian Qiyuan smiled at Zi Xuan''s presence.

    "You can craft Empyrean-grade treasures now, right? I also have thest material, so I''m here for my own Empyrean- Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    grade sword. It''s a pity that I couldn''t win that auction, but there''s nothing I can do about it. There are many who are much wealthier than me." Zi Xuan sighed.

    "Let''s go inside first."

    Tian Qiyuan opened the entrance to his world and entered it, with Zi Xuan following behind.

    Once inside, Zi Xuan asked, "Have you thought about what kind of sword you''ll make me next?"

    "Of course. I had plenty of time to do so. However, do you really want a new sword? I can upgrade thest sword to Empyrean-grade, too. It''ll retain the same appearance and have enhanced abilities."

    "Really? You can do that?" Zi Xuan wore a surprised expression on her face.

    In their world, upgrading weapons was amon practice, but advancing weapon grades was a more challenging task. The process required a high level of skill and craftsmanship, as well as a deep understanding of the materials and techniques involved. Only the most experienced and skilled cksmiths could sessfully advance a weapon''s grade without significantly altering its original appearance and abilities.

    As the grade of a weapon increased, the process of advancing it to the next level became progressively more challenging. In fact, only the Heaven and Earth cksmith, one of the top cksmiths in the world, has managed to advance a Divine-

    grade treasure to Ancient-grade before. Advancing Mystic-

    grade to Empyrean-grade was literally unheard of and deemed impossible by even Divine cksmiths. Yet, Tian Qiyuan imed that he had the ability without any hesitation in his voice.

    Seeing the doubt and hesitation on Zi Xuan''s face, Tian Qiyuan spoke, "If I mess it up, I''ll make you the exact same sword free of charge, as well as the Empyrean-grade sword."

    "Deal!" All of Zi Xuan''s hesitation was tossed out of the window after getting insurance for her sword.

    "What materials do you need from me?" she asked as they approached his living quarters.

    He pointed at the Golden Valley and said, "I already have them."

    "Huh? But those are your materials."

    "I know. Consider it part of the deal. You''re giving me five materials, after all. Also, it''s easier to upgrade a sword than to create a new one."

    "It''s easier to advance a sword than create one¡­? If other cksmiths could hear your voice right now, they would being at you with their hammers raised, you know." Zi Xuan almost couldn''t believe what she''d just heard.

    Tian Qiyuan silently smiled at her words.

    Once they arrived at the anvil, he extended his hand and said, "Let me borrow your sword."

    "Alright."

    Zi Xuan handed him the Heaven''s Intoxication.

    "It''ll be done in a few hours. Feng Feng!"

    When Feng Tianru emerged from the volcano, Zi Xuan hastily left the ind, fearing that Feng Tianru would engulf her in mes.

    Sure enough, Feng Tianru started spewing mes long before she even reached the ind.

    ''That fucking phoenix really wanted to burn me!'' Zi Xuan cursed inwardly after seeing this.

    However, Feng Tianru didn''t even spare her a gaze and focused on working with Tian Qiyuan.

    A few hourster, Tian Qiyuan revealed the new and improved Heaven''s Intoxication with barely any changes to its appearance at a nce.

    "Heavens¡­ You really advanced it from Mystic-grade to Empyrean-grade¡­" Zi Xuan was bewildered by the results.

    If the world were to find out Tian Qiyuan could advance weapon grades like this, his fame and reputation would pierce the heavens.

    "Satisfied?" he asked her.

    "Yes!"

    Zi Xuan wielded the sword in her grasp. While it felt the same as before, she sensed a much more profound energy coursing through it, allowing her to channel her own energy with far greater ease.

    "Thank you for the business again." Tian Qiyuan smiled.

 Chapter 1521 Success Rate

    Chapter 1521 Sess Rate

    ?1521  Sess Rate

    "So¡­ when do you think you''ll start crafting Celestial-grade treasures?" Zi Xuan asked Tian Qiyuan shortly after putting away her sword.

    "You''re asking me that when I just achieved Empyrean-grade not long ago? It''ll probably take me thousands of years before I can achieve Celestial-grade."

    "Only thousands of years? You''re actually more arrogant than I thought." Zi Xuan looked at him with wide eyes.

    There were around 7 Divine cksmiths in the Nine Heavens at their current time, not including Tian Qiyuan. All seven of them are considered prodigies in their field of expertise, yet it took all of them hundreds of thousands of years to reach the level of Celestial-grade treasure.

    In order to be acknowledged as the God of Creation, one must be able to craft Celestial-grade treasures and have at least a 25 percent sess rate when doing so.

    The cksmith with the highest sess rate at this moment was Eternal cksmith, who has an incredible 15 percent sess rate after almost half a million years of being a Divine cksmith.

    The next highest sess rate was 10 percent by Heaven and Earth cksmith, who had 300,000 years of experience under his belt as a Divine cksmith.

    "By the way, what''s your sess rate with Mystic-grade treasures? Even Eternal cksmith only has a 70 percent sess rate."

    "I''ve never failed before, so I guess 100 percent?"

    "Y-you what?" Zi Xuan''s eyes widened with disbelief at his ridiculous ims.

    "I have crafted over a hundred Mystic-grade treasures by now and have not failed once. In fact, I''ve never destroyed a treasure before."

    "T-that''s literally impossible!" Zi Xuan eximed.

    "I always craft the treasure in my head first, and I won''t begin if I cannot guarantee its sess. If you don''t believe me, I have nothing else to say. Or do you want me to prove myself by crafting a dozen Mystic-grade treasures for you?" Tian Qiyuan casually shrugged.

    Zi Xuan swallowed nervously. She really wanted to believe him, but this im was simply too hard to believe.

    If another cksmith were here to hear such ims, they wouldugh their assess off and immediately brand him as a liar and crazy, regardless of his prior fame and reputation.

    "Alright, I''ll believe you." Zi Xuan eventually said.

    But she was not finished and continued, "But I won''t stop you if you want to prove yourself. Of course, even if you manage to prove yourself to me, it won''t really mean anything since I am just a single individual. Moreover, I really don''t care if you prove yourself or not since I already said I believe you."

    Tian Qiyuan remained silent for a moment before speaking, "You can stay here a little longer if you want. I am going to craft a few more Empyrean-grade treasures to solidify my foundation."

    "Then I won''t be humble!" Zi Xuan, who was prepared to leave, immediately decided to stay a little longer.

    Tian Qiyuan quickly went back to work and started crafting his next Empyrean-grade treasure.

    However, he didn''t immediately start the craft and instead sat down to cultivate.

    "Why are you suddenly cultivating?" Zi Xuan asked with a puzzled face.

    "It helps me with my mental visualization," he said.

    "What¡­? Won''t that have the opposite effect since cultivation requires more attention?"

    "Is that how it works for you? It works differently for me, I guess."

    Zi Xuan was speechless, and then she realized that he was speaking to her and cultivating at the same time, even acting very casually about it, like it was as natural as breathing.

    ''Just what kind of talent does he possess? It''s too ridiculous¡­'' she thought to herself.

    Not wanting to disturb him, Zi Xuan silently watched him work over the next several months.

    Before he started working on the first treasure, he had spent two days practicing inside his mind. Once he started, his first Empyrean-grade treasure required almost three weeks toplete. The next one only took two weeks.

    After nearly three months of practice, he reduced that time to one week. However, his crafting speed wasn''t anywhere near as ridiculous as his sess rate. In three months, he crafted five Empyrean-grade treasures without failing a single one. Meanwhile, even the most experienced Divine cksmiths would fail at least three out of five.

    Then, over the next three months, Tian Qiyuan made 12 Empyrean-grade treasures, seeding in every attempt.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    In half a year, he''d sessfully crafted 17 Empyrean-grade treasures without wasting any materials. If the world knew of his achievements, it wouldn''t surprise Zi Xuan if people started dering him to be the new God of Creation even without needing to create any Celestial-grade treasures first.

    "What are you going to do with so many treasures? Sell them? I don''t think the world is prepared to see 17 Empyrean-grade treasures half a year after you sold your first one." Zi Xuan said.

    "I''m going to recycle them to make more treasures," he casually said.

    "Seriously¡­? That seems like such a waste of resources. Even if you can recycle 90 percent of its original material, you''ll still lose 10 percent every time. You might as well sell it and use that money to buy more resources. Who knows, you might even make a profit."

    "That will take too much time and effort. I am fine even if I lose some resources. It''s only natural, after all."

    Sometimeter, Zi Xuan said goodbye to Tian Qiyuan.

    "It''s about time for me to return to my sect. Thank you for letting me stay here to watch you train. It definitely opened my eyes and broadened my view."

    "See you next time." Tian Qiyuan bid her farewell.

    Once Zi Xuan left, Tian Qiyuan reopened his store and returned to collecting materials while he continued to hone his skills.

    Zi Xuan would often visit him to chat or simply hang around him. Tian Qiyuan did not mind herpany, even enjoying it.

    Five hundred yearster, Zi Xuan suddenly appeared before him with this crucial information, "Tian Qiyuan, I''ve found the Void Meteoroid Core! Or, more precisely, where to find it! They say it''s at least a hundred million years old, too!"

    Hearing this, Tian Qiyuan halted whatever he was doing to look at her.

    "Where?" he asked with a serious expression.

 Chapter 1522 Void Meteoroid Core

    Chapter 1522 Void Meteoroid Core

    ?1522  Void Meteoroid Core

    The Void Meteoroid Core is an extremely rare and sought-

    after material that Tian Qiyuan nned to use as one of the cores for his masterpiece. As its name implies, it originates from the Void Meteoroid, an indestructible rock that traverses the starry sky. Since it is indestructible, the only way to ess the core, its most valuable part, is to wait for it to break down naturally until only its core remains.

    However, this process could take millions of years, and the longer it takes for the Void Meteoroid toplete it, the more valuable its core will be.

    Thest time a Void Meteoroid Core appeared in the world was seven million years ago, igniting a war that spread across the starry sky. This time would be no different.

    "I can take you to it, but there''s already an ongoing battle between several powerhouses for it. How do you n on participating? You''re only a True Immortal. You''ll die before you realize it." Zi Xuan said.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    "I''ll try to get it for you, so just sit here and prepare your body for my return," she said with a passionate smile.

    Tian Qiyuan chuckled at her words and said, "I cannot risk losing it. Who knows how long it''ll take for the next one to show up? Also, who said I am only a True Immortal?"

    Before Zi Xuan could even question his words, Tian Qiyuan released his suppressed cultivation and entered the God Ascension Realm.

    His aura continued to surge, ascending swiftly through the levels of the God Ascension Realm, only stopping when his cultivation reached the ninth level of the God Ascension Realm.

    This revtion shocked Zi Xuan speechless.

    "Y-you were at the peak of God Ascension Realm this entire time?!" she cried out loud.

    "Of course," he smiled at her reaction.

    ''Fuck! I am really d that I didn''t force myself upon him at that time, or I would''ve ended up embarrassing myself!'' she cried inwardly.

    "Can you bring me to the location? I''llpensate youter." Tian Qiyuan said a momentter.

    "Alright. Follow me."

    Zi Xuan led Tian Qiyuan into the starry sky. The two of them traveled for three months straight without any breaks until they reached their destination. Long before their arrival, they could sense powerful ripples in the starry sky caused by cultivators engaged in fierce battles.

    Upon arriving, they could see a dozen powerful experts engaged in several battles at once. Not far away from the battlefield was a beautiful ck orb contained in a formation to prevent it from floating away or being stolen.

    Tian Qiyuan did not immediately join the fight and watched for a little. The others noticed his presence even before he arrived, but seeing how he didn''t join the fight, they didn''t bother him. Of course, they still kept some of their attention on him, just in case.

    Eventually, Tian Qiyuan approached them and spoke, his voice resounding in their minds, "My name is Tian Qiyuan, also known as the Exalted cksmith. Just like you, my purpose here is the Void Meteoroid Core."

    The experts temporarily halted their movements to look at Tian Qiyuan, who was hiding behind his usual mask. If he had been a nobody, they wouldn''t have given him any attention, but Tian Qiyuan''s fame is so widespread that they couldn''t afford to ignore him.

    Seeing that he''d acquired their attention, Tian Qiyuan continued, "I do not want to resolve this with violence, so I have a suggestion¡ªan offer for all of you who are fighting for the Void Meteoroid Core."

    "If all of us fought, there would only be one winner and many deaths. Instead, I will offer each of you a Celestial-grade treasure crafted by yours truly in exchange for letting me have the Void Meteoroid Core. This way, all of us win."

    "Celestial-grade treasure crafted by you? As enticing as that may sound, I know you only became a Divine cksmith several hundred years ago. Are you asking us to wait for hundreds of thousands of years? Even if we agree, we can''t ensure that you''ll keep your word in the future." One of them proimed his skepticism.

    "I mean no disrespect when I say this, but Exalted cksmith, even a Celestial-grade treasure crafted by you will not be as valuable as this Void Meteoroid Core."

    "If you want it, you''ll have to fight for it like the rest of us."

    After hearing their responses, Tian Qiyuan said, "Indeed, even a Celestial-grade treasure would not be as valuable as this Void Meteoroid Core. However, I am not only offering the treasure."

    After a slight pause, he continued in a cold tone, "I am also letting you leave with your life. Is the Void Meteoroid Core worth more than your life? Instead of losing your life to me and losing the Void Meteoroid Core, you can leave with your life and a Celestial-grade treasure in the near future. If that''s not good enough, I will have no other choice but to fight for it."

    None of the experts there expected Tian Qiyuan to threaten all of them suddenly, Zi Xuan included.

    "All that fame must''ve gotten into your head, Exalted cksmith! You should stick to what you''re good at¡ª

    hammering iron!"

    "You should get the fuck out of here while we are still being nice! If you think we won''t kill you just because you are a Divine cksmith, you need to think again!"

    Tian Qiyuan was one of the most popr and revered cksmiths in the world. These experts knew that killing him would provoke the wrath of many powerful factions, as it would mean the end of not only his life but also all his future masterpieces.

    In fact, it was an unspoken rule never to kill individuals of immense significance to the world if it was avoidable, such as top pill masters and cksmiths, as their deaths would have unimaginable repercussions on the world.

    With that said, there were several other Divine cksmiths besides Tian Qiyuan, and the world would still function properly, albeit a little worse, even if he were gone, and it wasn''t as though he was irreceable.

    "It''s clear that not all of you will ept my offer, but my offer is to each of you individually, so you can still individually ept my offer and leave this battlefield. I will give you ten seconds to decide. Once that time has run out, I will immediately begin killing everyone who refused to leave!" Tian Qiyuan dered in a domineering manner, sending chills down Zi Xuan''s entire being.

 Chapter 1523 Hidden Strength

    Chapter 1523 Hidden Strength

    ?1523  Hidden Strength

    After the warning, Tian Qiyuan began counting down from ten.

    "Ten!"

    "Nine!"

    "This bastard''s truly gone insane! What does he think he can do to us with his measly True Immortal cultivation?!"

    "Eight!"

    "Don''t force our hands, Exalted cksmith!"

    "Seven!"

    "Six!"

    "I''ll ept your offer!" One of them suddenly raised his hand before departing from the battlefield. In his eyes, it wasn''t worth offending Tian Qiyuan for the Void Meteoroid Core, especially when he was already on the verge of giving up.

    Tian Qiyuan acknowledged the person who epted his offer with a nod and continued counting down.

    "Five!"

    "Do you really think he''ll live long enough to fulfill his promise to you?! He''ll be killed by us long before then!"

    "Four!"

    "I''ll also ept your offer, Exalted cksmith." Another person agreed to withdraw from the fight. In his eyes, even if Tian Qiyuan is killed in this battle, he could simply pretend that nothing happened and return to fighting for the Void Meteoroid Core afterward.

    "Three!"

    "Two!"

    "One!"

    In the end, only two people epted Tian Qiyuan''s offer and left the battlefield. However, they didn''tpletely leave and spectated their fight from a distance.

    "And zero. Starting now, whoever dares to block my path to the Void Meteoroid Core will be killed!"

    Tian Qiyuan spoke in a grim voice before releasing his suppressed cultivation.

    His cultivation base immediately soared to the peak of the God Ascension Realm, shocking the others, as they were only between the 7th level and the 8th level of the God Ascension Realm.

    "This bastard has been hiding his cultivation this entire time?!"

    "Fuck! We need to fight him together!"Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    The people there quickly formed a temporary alliance to get rid of Tian Qiyuan, who was the biggest threat, not to mention his earlier provocation. This made it easier for them to work together.

    Seeing this, Tian Qiyuan retrieved an Empyrean-grade sword andughed out loud, "This will make things move quicker!"

    His body suddenly surged with Sword Aura before turning into Enhanced Sword Aura. Then, after another push, it became Supreme Sword Aura, something only Zi Xuan had been able to achieve until now.

    "Y-you can use Supreme Sword Aura?!" Zi Xuan was just as shocked as everyone else there, perhaps even more, as nobody there was more familiar with Supreme Sword Aura than her.

    She had only discovered Supreme Sword Aura several thousand years ago, so it was quite shocking for a cksmith who spends the majority of their time with a hammer to achieve Supreme Sword Aura.

    Even the most talented Swordmasters, only slightly behind her, were nowhere near achieving Supreme Sword Aura.

    While his enemies were in a daze, Tian Qiyuan swung his sword at them.

    "Endless Sword Domain."

    Tens of thousands of swords enhanced with Supreme Sword Aura rushed at the small group of individuals before him.

    They had been fighting for months before Tian Qiyuan''s arrival without any clear winners. Yet, after showing up for less than an hour and with a single sword technique, Tian Qiyuan destroyed the bodies of half of the people there, forcing their souls to be homeless.

    Tian Qiyuan did not immediatelyunch another attack. Instead, he casually approached the Void Meteoroid Core in the distance while ignoring the people around him.

    The others were so stunned by what had just happened and his audacity to covet the material before he even finished killing a single one of them.

    However, before any of them could act, Tian Qiyuan spoke in a cold voice, "That was myst warning. I can guarantee that all of you will perish in the next attack."

    Despite his bold and arrogant words, nobody there doubted it. They exchanged nces with each other to see if they were going to continue fighting Tian Qiyuan, which would undoubtedly lead to their death.

    Suddenly, two more presences appeared in the distance, fast approaching from two different directions.

    These two figures appeared almost at the same time.

    Zi Xuan immediately recognized the neers as none other than the Eternal cksmith and Heaven and Earth cksmith! Since the Void Meteoroid Core was akin to a holy grail for cksmiths, it wasn''t weird for these two powerhouses to show up.

    Tian Qiyuan halted his movements upon their arrival. Like him, they were both at the peak of the God Ascension Realm.

    "You¡­ Exalted cksmith? Since when did you have such a profound cultivation base?"

    Both of them were shocked when they sensed Tian Qiyuan''s cultivation base that rivaled them. Even though Tian Qiyuan caught up to them in terms of crafting skills, neither of them was too bitter or envious because of his low cultivation base. However, it turned out Tian Qiyuan had been hiding his cultivation base this entire time!

    ''How old is he, anyway? He only started making his presence known a few thousand years ago, but there''s no way he''s only that old! Both his cultivation base and smithing capabilities have already reached the peak of this world!'' Eternal cksmith wore a pondering frown on his face.

    Heaven and Earth cksmith also wore a simr look on his face. Both of them thought Tian Qiyuan was their junior, but with this new information, he might very well be their senior!

    "I don''t want to fight to death with my fellow Divine cksmiths, but I really need that Void Meteoroid Core. Is there any way for me to convince you two to step back?" Heaven and Earth cksmith was the first to speak, breaking the silence.

    "What a coincidence. I also really need the Void Meteoroid Core." Eternal cksmith said.

    Tian Qiyuan narrowed his eyes at them.

    After a moment of silence, he proposed, "How about this? Instead of a deathmatch, let''s fight as cksmiths should. The three of us willpete against each other through our smithing skills, and the winner will take the Void Meteoroid Core."

    "Oh? What do you have in mind?" Eternal cksmith''s interest was immediately piqued, as this was also an opportunity to see which of them was the best.

    "I''m also listening." Heaven and Earth cksmith said.

 Chapter 1524 Smithing Competition

    Chapter 1524 Smithing Competition

    ?1524  Smithing Competition

    "I''m d you both agree. Let''s do something that won''t take too long and is fair across the board." Tian Qiyuan said.

    He continued, "Before I give my suggestion, let me hear yours first."

    The two of them began pondering.

    A few momentster, Eternal cksmith spoke up, "How about each of us craft five Empyrean-grade treasures with the same materials? The one with the most sess wins. If there''s a tie, the quality will determine the oue."

    "That will take too long. Let''s just see which of us can craft the highest grade and quality weapon." Heaven and Earth cksmith proposed.

    Both tried to gain a slight advantage over each other, as Eternal cksmith was confident in his higher sess rate, and Heaven and Earth cksmith was confident in his slightly superior quality.

    Tian Qiyuan, after carefully listening to their suggestions, took ideas from both and proposed, "How about we craft a weapon of every grade from Spirit-grade to Empyrean-grade? We will all receive the same material for every weapon, but how we use it will be dependent on our own expertise."

    Heaven and Earth cksmith and Eternal cksmith exchanged nces with each other before nodding their heads.

    "Let''s schedule this match half a year from now. For the time being, we can give the Void Meteoroid Core to someone trustworthy to hold. If they dare covet it, we''ll work together to destroy them. How does that sound?" Tian Qiyuan said a momentter.

    "Who can we trust the Void Meteoroid Core to?" Heaven and Earth cksmith asked.

    "I will do it!" Zi Xuan suddenly spoke up.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    "I am Zi Xuan, one of nine Unrivaled Swords from the Unrivaled Nine Swords Sect." Zi Xuan quickly volunteered to hold it.

    "The Sword Goddess, huh? I trust the Unrivaled Nine Swords Sect enough, so I have no problem." Eternal cksmith said.

    "If you''re okay with them, I don''t mind letting them hold the Void Meteoroid Core." Heaven and Earth cksmith agreed.

    "Then it''s settled."

    Tian Qiyuan grabbed the Void Meteoroid Core before tossing it to Zi Xuan.

    "What about the location?" Eternal cksmith suddenly asked.

    "I''ll let you two decide." Tian Qiyuan said.

    "How about the Grand Elder Summit? It''s a hotspot for cksmiths with plenty ofpetitions around the year." Heaven and Earth cksmith suggested.

    "That sounds good. Let''s use the Grand Elder Summit for ourpetition." Eternal cksmith agreed with the location.

    He continued, "What about the materials?"

    "I''ll supply them." Tian Qiyuan calmly said.

    "I will also throw in some materials." Heaven and Earth cksmith said.

    "In that case, I will do the same."

    "Good, then I''ll see you both at the Grand Elder Summit in half a year." Tian Qiyuan left the scene with Zi Xuan shortly after.

    Eternal cksmith and Heaven and Earth cksmith disappeared soon after, leaving the others utterly dumbfounded and dispirited, feeling as though their existences didn''t even matter.

    The uing match between the top three Divine cksmiths quickly spread through the Nine Heavens like wildfire, especially among cksmiths.

    Matches between Divine cksmiths were rare events, so one could imagine the excitement when news spread of a three-

    waypetition between the three most famous Divine cksmiths of their era.

    Moreover, this match would finally answer a question that had been debated for thousands of years: which of them was the best?

    Soon, the Grand Elder Summit became immensely crowded with people eager to witness the uing match. It was to the point where it became nearly impossible to walk in the streets without bumping into others or being bumped in every direction.

    Even major sects and many famous families showed up just to spectate the match.

    Half a yearter, Tian Qiyuan made his way to the Grand Elder Summit.

    When he arrived, Heaven and Earth cksmith and Eternal cksmith were already waiting at the peak of the summit, where the match would take ce. Zi Xuan was also there with the Void Meteoroid Core, but she was not alone. The Sect Master of the Unrivaled Nine Swords Sect was also there to represent the sect, as well as the other eight Unrivaled Swords.

    Since Zi Xuan gave their sect this opportunity to shine, it would be a waste not to take advantage of it.

    The number of spectators was massive, enough to make Tian Qiyuan''s previous auction look tiny inparison. Moreover, influential figures from most of the top families and sects in the Eighth Heaven and Ninth Heaven were present, something that rarely happens.

    In the center was arge arena with all of the necessary equipment for thepetitors to craft their treasures.

    Not far away were threerge piles of materials, enough to craft a treasure of each grade with some leftovers.

    "Thank you all foring to witness this historic event." Eternal cksmith spoke in a loud voice shortly after Tian Qiyuan arrived.

    "Over the next few weeks, the three of us will be showcasing our smithing experience to the whole world and, at the same time,peting with each other for the Void Meteoroid Core."

    "We will be crafting one weapon for each grade, all the way up to Empyrean-grade. We all have the same amount and type of materials, but how we distribute and utilize these materials will be entirely at our discretion."

    "We will be judged on our speed, sess rate, and quality, and we must sessfully create a weapon of every grade in order to be judged, so failing to create a single treasure means an automatic disqualification."

    "Before we begin, we shall give a brief introduction of our background and experience."

    Eternal cksmith began talking about his background. He spoke of his earlier days as an apprentice cksmith, what caused him to choose such a path, how long it''d taken him to reach his current level, and all sorts of personal achievements that were unknown to the public until today.

    Despite calling it a brief introduction, Eternal cksmith ended up talking for two hours straight. However, nobody minded, as this was valuable information about one of the most respected and skilled cksmiths in the entire Nine Heavens.

 Chapter 1525 Uncle Chens Weapon Store

    Chapter 1525 Uncle Chen''s Weapon Store

    ?1525  Uncle Chen''s Weapon Store

    Heaven and Earth cksmith stepped forward and began introducing himself once Eternal cksmith ended his introduction.

    Not wanting to fall behind Eternal cksmith, Heaven and Earth cksmith also talked about his personal achievements that were never made public. He also spoke of his childhood, where he trained to be the cksmith he is today and many more. In the end, his introductionsted three full hours.

    Tian Qiyuan nearly fell asleep by the end. Once it was his turn, he stepped forward and cleared his throat before speaking, "My name is Tian Qiyuan, and I was born within the Sixth Heaven. The first thing I did when I became a proper cultivator was find a weapon. I purchased my first weapon from Uncle Chen''s Weapon Store, which was just down the block. Uncle Chen''s Weapon store was quite popr in my city, and they boasted of having near-indestructible weapons."

    "With Uncle Chen''s weapon in my grasp, I felt safe, as if no harm coulde to me as long as I had it. Unfortunately, Uncle Chen''s weapon broke on my very first experience with it, and I nearly died in the process. I was devastated¡ªto the point where I vowed to be a cksmith who can create truly indestructible weapons."

    "I don''t know who this Uncle Chen is, but I''m d he made trash. If it weren''t for him, the Exalted cksmith might not exist today¡­" Zi Xuan muttered to herself after learning this information.

    Tian Qiyuan continued, "I started my journey as a cksmith a few yearster, but with no guidance or knowledge of smithing, I decided to join a sect. I approached the Fiery Hill of Fire Mountain in hopes of bing their disciple, but s, they deemed me unworthy and didn''t even let me participate in their entrance exam."

    "Fiery Hill of Fire Mountain?"

    Upon hearing this familiar name, many people there suddenly turned to look at a certain individual in the audience.

    This individual wore an expression on his face that made it seem like he''d swallowed a live fly. He was the current Sect Master of the Fiery Hill of Fire Mountain, a very reputable sect that produced many genius cksmiths throughout the years.

    Sensing countless unfriendly and disappointed gazes directed at him, the Sect Master of the Fiery Hill of Fire Mountain hastily stood up and said, "I-I had no idea about this! I will find the blind bastard who turned you away and skin him alive, even if it''s thest I do!"

    Tian Qiyuan turned to look at the Sect Master and smiled, "Don''t worry about it. It happened thousands of years ago. I was just a nobody back then, after all."

    "Huh?"

    Many in the audience suddenly raised an eyebrow, as if they had collectively realized something.

    This included Eternal cksmith and Heaven and Earth cksmith.

    "H-hey¡­ Exalted cksmith¡­ how old are you, exactly?" The Heaven and Earth cksmith was the first to voice the question that had been on everyone''s mind for a while now.

    "Hm? I stopped counting long ago, but I should be around 11 thousand years old," Tian Qiyuan casually responded.

    "ONLY ELEVEN THOUSAND YEARS OLD?!?!"

    Both Eternal cksmith and Heaven and Earth cksmith eximed out loud, their voice in sync with each other.

    "Heavens¡­" Zi Xuan covered her mouth in a shocked manner.

    "You''re lying! There''s no way you''re only 11,000 years old!" Eternal cksmith pointed at him and shouted, rejecting his ims.

    "You''re telling us to believe that you''d managed to reach the peak of God Ascension Realm and be a Divine cksmith in 11,000 years?! Are you mocking us right now?"

    Tian Qiyuan shrugged in response, "Whether you believe me or not is none of my business."

    "Anyway, we''re getting off track. After being rejected by the Fiery Hill of Fire Mountain, I tried several more sects only to be refused by them."Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    Tian Qiyuan quickly brushed off the matter of his age and continued his story while ignoring the audience''s stare.

    "In the end, I decided to study alone. I purchased a book that taught the basics and started my journey to be a cksmith from there."

    "N-now you''re iming to have self-taught yourself¡­? That kind of fucking bullshit is this¡­?" Eternal cksmith almost lost all of his respect for Tian Qiyuan after his seemingly bogus ims.

    Heaven and Earth cksmith was in a simr position. He was so enraged that his face became red, and his entire body was trembling. If there weren''t so many people around them, he would''ve already started throwing fists at Tian Qiyuan.

    Noticing the heavy atmosphere around him, Tian Qiyuan ended his introduction and said, "Well, that''s about it. Let''s get thepetition started, shall we?"

    "..."

    Although Tian Qiyuan''s introductionsted only several minutes, its impact on the audience was greater than that of Eternal cksmith and Heaven and Earth cksmithbined.

    ''He must''ve done that on purpose so he could mess with our heads, which will affect our performance during thepetition! What a crafty son of a bitch!'' Eternal cksmith suddenly had a revtion, which helped him calm down almost immediately.

    Heaven and Earth cksmith took a little longer to realize this, but he startedughing once he did.

    "Hahaha! Fuck! You almost got me there, Exalted cksmith! You''re much more cunning than I''d thought!"

    "Huh? What are you talking about?" Tian Qiyuan questioned with a genuinely puzzled face.

    "Still trying to deny it? Alright, let''s have it your way."

    When the audience witnessed their conversation, they quickly came to the same conclusion as Eternal cksmith and Heaven and Earth cksmith.

    "Oh, so the Exalted cksmith was only trying to mess with their minds to have an upper hand during thepetition? I thought he was being serious at first. Now that I think about it, it was silly of me to believe him even for a second."

    Tian Qiyuan eventually understood their misunderstanding, but he had no reason to correct them, so he remained silent.

    Sometimeter, the three Divine cksmiths approached their anvil, starting thepetition shortly after.

 Chapter 1526 Divine Blacksmith Competition

    Chapter 1526 Divine cksmith Competition

    ?1526  Divine cksmith Competition

    "Let thepetition for the Void Meteoroid Core begin!" Zi Xuan dered shortly after the three Divine cksmiths arrived at their workstations.

    When thepetition began, the three Divine cksmiths used their divine sense to check the materials. Each of them brought their own material, and none of them knew what the other would bring until the day of thepetition. This made it so they couldn''t spend half a year preparing for thepetition.

    Once they identified all of the materials, they sat down and closed their eyes to run simtions within their mind.

    "What are they doing?" Someone who wasn''t knowledgeable about the process asked out loud.

    The person next to him, a renowned cksmith, exined, "They are currently crafting the weapons in their mind. An experienced cksmith has the ability to recreate the process of creation inside their head, and the more skillful they are, the more urate it''ll be."

    "Since they''re not just crafting a single weapon but seven weapons, each with a different grade, they need to allocate the materials for each weapon properly, or they might not have enough materials."

    Four dayster, Eternal cksmith was the first one to emerge from his meditation and immediately got to work. He retrieved several materials from the pile and started refining them.

    "Judging by the materials he picked, he''s going to start crafting an Ancient-grade treasure. It''s not too easy and not too difficult¡ªperfect for a warmup." One of the cksmiths there exined.

    Heaven and Earth cksmith emerged from his meditation six hours after Eternal cksmith and immediately went to work.

    "Looks like Heaven and Earth cksmith ns on starting at Spirit-grade, working up the grades one by one."

    Tian Qiyuan remained in meditation, seemingly unaffected and undisturbed by the noisesing from the other two.

    A few hours after Heaven and Earth cksmith began his work, he finished his first creation, a shortbow, and ced it on a disy rack with seven slots.

    Heaven and Earth cksmith was renowned for crafting the finest bows, daggers, and gauntlets in the Nine Heavens and was expected by many to focus on creating these weapons during thepetition.

    "Oh! Even though it''s only a Spirit-grade treasure, its aura is stronger than many Earth-grade treasures!" The audience inspected the result with their divine sense.

    Heaven and Earth cksmith immediately proceeded to work on the second treasure, which, as someone had anticipated, appeared to be Earth-grade.

    Three more days passed in the blink of an eye, and Eternal cksmith had just finished his first creation. It was an Ancient-grade spear.

    Just like Heaven and Earth cksmith, Eternal cksmith appeared to be focused on his strengths, which were spears, swords, sabers, and anything with a simr shape.

    Meanwhile, Heaven and Earth cksmith was already on his fourth creation at Divine-grade.

    As for Tian Qiyuan, he was still meditating.

    "Exalted cksmith may produce higher quality treasures, but his speed isgging behind the other two, and it''s not by a small margin, either."

    "I wonder what''s taking him so long."

    "Only time will tell."Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    Meanwhile, Eternal cksmith began working his way down to Divine-grade.

    Sometimeter, as Heaven and Earth cksmith finished his Divine-grade treasure and began working on his Ancient-

    grade treasure, Tian Qiyuan finally emerged from his meditation and walked to his pile of materials.

    Both Heaven and Earth cksmith and Eternal cksmith gave him a quick nce thatsted half a second before ignoring him again.

    Once Tian Qiyuan picked his materials, it was clear that he intended to follow Heaven and Earth cksmith''s path by working his way up from the lowest grade.

    The moment Tian Qiyuan started refining the materials, his skills also became clear. Although his mental simtions appeared slower than the other two, his craftsmanship was clearly superior. Each time his hammer struck the material, it produced a harmonic sound that soothed the heart.

    When the audience heard this noise, several individuals there suddenly closed their eyes and began cultivating. They quickly realized that it was easier to cultivate while listening to the sound of Tian Qiyuan''s hammering, feeling as if they were being guided by it.

    In fact, even the other two Divine cksmiths found themselves hammering to Tian Qiyuan''s rhythm, as though they were hypnotized by it.

    ''Fuck! Why does the hammer feel so much better in my grasp when I follow his rhythm?!'' Heaven and Earth cksmith gritted his teeth in frustration when he realized this.

    Eternal cksmith also sighed inwardly. He''d been a cksmith for hundreds of thousands of years by this point, but he''d never felt such peace when hammering at the anvil.

    ''What''s so different between the way he hammers and the way I do it?! I cannot tell!''

    What frustrated him the most was his inability toprehend their difference. This sort of phenomenon only happens when one''s skill is drastically superior to the other.

    Both Heaven and Earth cksmith and Eternal cksmith felt defeated by the sound of Tian Qiyuan''s hammering alone, but they couldn''t afford to mess up in thispetition and told themselves that thispetition was more than just about quality. Moreover, no matter how high-quality Tian Qiyuan''s treasures maye out, there was always the chance he would mess up at the very end.

    ''Let''s see if he can keep this up for the rest of thepetition!'' Eternal cksmith started hammering his weapon more fiercely, creating a separate rhythm that directly shed with Tian Qiyuan''s.

    Not wanting to lose to either of them, Heaven and Earth also created his own cadence, one that would go fast and slow at a specific rate.

    Even though there were three distinct rhythms, none of thepetitors were distracted by the others; each was entirely focused on their own cadence.

    Half an hourter, Tian Qiyuan''s cadence stopped when he finished his first creation, which turned out to be a gauntlet.

    "He finished the Spirit-grade treasure so quickly! Several times faster than Heaven and Earth cksmith!" The audience didn''t miss this detail.

    After putting his creation on disy, Tian Qiyuan immediately began working on the next grade.

    Ding! Ding! Ding!

    The audience was surprised when Tian Qiyuan''s cadence sounded different than before. This time, it was slightly quicker, with pauses every five strikes.

    Half an hourter, Tian Qiyuan finished the Earth-grade treasure, a bow, spending the same amount of time he spent with the Spirit-grade treasure. Typically, it takes longer to craft higher-grade treasures due to the stronger materials used, but that logic did not seem to apply to Tian Qiyuan.

    The same phenomenon urred when Tian Qiyuan crafted his Heaven-grade treasure, which took the form of a saber.

    "How''s he doing that?! I have never heard of anyone crafting a Heaven-grade treasure in less than half an hour!" The cksmiths watching were left stunned.

    "Fuck! It''s too amazing! Do you think he''ll do the same with Divine-grade?!"

    "Surely, that won''t happen."

    "It can''t happen! My heart won''t be able to take it!"

    As Tian Qiyuan began working on his Divine-grade treasure, his cadence sped up again. It''d be clear to the audience that Tian Qiyuan increases his cadence the higher the grade.

    Half an hourter, Tian Qiyuan hung his finished product on the disy, catching up with Heaven and Earth cksmith. The audience stared at the Divine-grade spear with awed expressions, many of them in disbelief.

    "Don''t tell me he''ll do the same thing with Ancient-grade¡­"

    "That would be ridiculous!"

    "Won''t the quality suffer if he''s working this fast?" Someone asked.

    "That will depend on his skill.

    The audience expected Tian Qiyuan to spend half an hour with the Ancient-grade treasure. However, he didn''t start working and sat down to meditate again.

    "Huh? He''s meditating again? I thought he finished with that already."

    "Perhaps he''d only managed to craft up to Divine-grade initially?"

    "If it already takes him so many days to craft up to Divine-

    grade, how long will it take him to finish Ancient-grade and above? Weeks? Months?"

    "This doesn''t make any sense. One typically works faster in their mental simtion than in reality. Exalted cksmith is somehow doing it in reverse!"

    "Truly an unfathomable existence¡­"

    Several dayster, Tian Qiyuan emerged from his meditation at the same time Heaven and Earth finished his Ancient-grade treasure.

    As for Eternal cksmith, he''d also finished every grade below Ancient-grade.

    Both Eternal cksmith and Heaven and Earth cksmith started working on their Mystic-grade treasure on the same day, with Eternal cksmith being an hour ahead.

    While they started refining their materials for the Mystic-

    grade treasure, Tian Qiyuan began working on his Ancient-

    grade treasure.

    The audience held their breaths as the timer neared thirty minutes, wondering if Tian Qiyuan would be able to create another miracle.

    When thirty minutes passed and Tian Qiyuan was still hammering away at the material, many sighs of relief could be heard from the audience, most of theming from cksmiths.

    "Thank the heavens he didn''t finish in thirty minutes. I would''ve quit my career as a cksmith if he did."

    However, after another twenty minutes, the cksmiths who sighed in relief earlier began holding their breaths nervously again, as they could tell that Tian Qiyuan was on the verge of finishing.

    "Heavens! It hasn''t even been an hour! What kind of ridiculous speed is this?! Even the Heaven and Earth cksmith and Eternal cksmith took several days to craft an Ancient-

    grade treasure!"

    Meanwhile, both Heaven and Earth cksmith and Eternal cksmith were too absorbed in their work to pay attention to anything else.

    After putting up his treasure, Tian Qiyuan returned to meditating. However, nobody dared to make fun of him for being slow anymore.

 Chapter 1527 Half the Materials

    Chapter 1527 Half the Materials

    ?1527  Half the Materials

    As Eternal cksmith and Heaven and Earth cksmith neared thepletion of their Mystic-grade treasure several weekster, Tian Qiyuan opened his eyes and emerged from his meditation once again.

    He quickly gathered the materials and started creating his Mystic-grade treasure. Once he refined the materials and began forming its shape, it was clear that he intended to create a sword.

    ''He''s doing the sword now? I figured that he would save that for his Empyrean-grade treasure since that''s what he''s most familiar with¡­'' Zi Xuan was surprised by Tian Qiyuan''s choice.

    If one looked at all of the treasures Tian Qiyuan had created up to this point, none of them were the same type of weapon. Meanwhile, Eternal cksmith and Heaven and Earth cksmith only crafted what they were famous for. Even without Tian Qiyuan winning, many cksmiths would agree that Tian Qiyuan was the better cksmith of the three in terms of skills due to his ability to craft excellent quality weapons of all types equally.

    "How long do you think it''ll take him this time?"

    "Probably two hours."

    "No way."

    "I''ll sell my left nut if he does it within 2 hours."

    "Why the left nut, specifically?"

    "Maybe because he already sold his right nut?"

    The audience cracked jokes with each other. However, most, if not all, of the cksmiths there remained focused on thepetition, not daring to miss any moment of it. To witness a Divine cksmith at work was a rare moment, much less three of the best in the Nine Heavens simultaneously.

    Additionally, merely by watching these Divine cksmiths at work, their own understanding of smithing deepened.

    A few hours passed, but Tian Qiyuan had not yet finished his treasure, allowing the other cksmiths to sigh in relief. Had hepleted a Mystic-grade treasure in such a short time, it would have undoubtedly ended many cksmiths'' careers that day.

    Heaven and Earth and Eternal cksmith finished their Mystic-grade treasures two dayster.

    With just one treasure remaining to craft, they didn''t immediately start working on their final treasure and returned to meditating first.

    Even with their experience and skills, they had about a 60 to 70 percent chance of sess when ites to Empyrean-

    grade, and any mishap would instantly destroy their chances of sess.

    Tian Qiyuan finished his Mystic-grade treasure three dayster and ced the sword on disy.

    Zi Xuan had an urge to take the sword for herself when she saw it, but she managed to hold herself back.

    "He''s probably going to spend the next week meditating again." The audience spected when Tian Qiyuan was done.

    However, to their shock, Tian Qiyuan did not meditate and even grabbed more materials.

    "He''s going to attempt crafting the Empyrean-grade without any preparations?! Even the other two decided to meditate first!"

    "Why is he rushing to create the treasure when he took his sweet time before this? What''s going on inside his head?"

    "He only became a Divine cksmith not long ago, right? His sess rate must be pretty low right now, so one would expect him to take his time, but this is¡­reckless?"

    "Even Eternal cksmith, renowned for his high sess rate, only had around thirty percent sess rate when he first became a Divine cksmith."

    "Maybe he''s trying to show off?"

    "Hasn''t he already shown off enough? He doesn''t need to prove himself anymore."

    As the audience spoke about Tian Qiyuan''s decision, the person himself finished picking out his materials, which left everyone puzzled.

    "Huh? He''s leaving behind so many materials even though this is thest treasure he needs to craft."

    Everyone there expected Tian Qiyuan to use all of the remaining material for the final treasure, but he only took half of it. This puzzled everyone, including the expert cksmiths.

    However, Tian Qiyuan didn''t bother exining his actions and immediately went to work.

    Ding! Ding! Ding!

    His hammer danced back and forth in a rhythmic manner, causing sparks to fly in every direction with every strike.

    A few dayster, Eternal cksmith emerged from his meditation, and he was surprised to see Tian Qiyuan had already started crafting his final treasure.

    ''What the hell? He''s managed to get ahead of us? Did he go straight into it without preparations?'' Eternal cksmith quickly came to this conclusion after seeing Tian Qiyuan''s progress.

    He looked at the small pile of materials and became even more confused.

    ''Is he even trying to win? There''s no way he can craft a high-

    quality Empyrean-grade treasure with the amount of materials he used.''

    Eternal cksmith stopped looking at Tian Qiyuan and focused on his own creation. Naturally, he used all of the materials he had left.

    Heaven and Earth cksmith came out of his meditation a day and a half after Eternal cksmith. However, he panicked a little when he saw that he wasst to begin working.

    ''I would understand it if it''s Eternal cksmith, but Exalted cksmith, too?! He was several days behind us! How did he catch up so quickly?!''

    Even though he noticed Tian Qiyuan''s leftover materials, Heaven and Earth cksmith was in too much of a hurry to think twice about it. He quickly got to work shortly after.

    "Finally, the conclusion of thispetition is near its end. It should only take them around a month toplete their work."

    "Who do you think will win?"

    "Judging purely on the current results, I''d say Exalted cksmith has a really good chance of winning. Not only are his treasures of higher quality than the other two, but his collection is also very diverse. Meanwhile, the other two not only lost in quality but also in variety."

    "While it''s true that Exalted cksmith has the upper hand right now, things might change at the very end. I don''t know why, but Exalted cksmith opted to use less material for his final creation, which is also the one that will grant him the most points."

    "He might not evenplete the final task because he rushed it."

    "Who are you to im that he rushed it? Exalted cksmith''sprehension is beyond any of our understanding!"

    Time passed quickly, and the audience spected on the results nonstop.

    Two weeks had passed since Tian Qiyuan started working, and it looked like he was on the verge ofpleting his treasure.

    "That shape¡­ he''s creating a dagger?" Zi Xuan muttered to herself as Tian Qiyuan molded the shape.

    A few hourster, Tian Qiyuanpleted his treasure. It turned out to be a medium-grade Empyrean-grade treasure.

    He ced the dagger on the disy, filling all six slots. However, instead of leaving the arena like everyone had expected, Tian Qiyuan returned to the anvil with the remaining materials.

    "What the hell? He''s not done?"

    "What could he craft with so little materials?"

    "The materials are quite high in quality, so it''d be really wasteful to create low-grade treasures with them. However, there''s not enough to create another high-grade treasure, either. In the end, his treasures came out as medium-grade because he didn''t use them. If he did, it would''vee out high-quality, perhaps even peak-quality." One of the cksmiths there exined.

    "I guess we can only wait and see what he cooks up with it."

    In the blink of an eye, another week passed.

    Both Eternal cksmith and Heaven and Earth cksmith were on the verge ofpleting their weapon.

    "Hey¡­ the fact it''s taking Exalted cksmith this long to craft the treasure¡­ don''t tell me it''s another Empyrean-grade treasure?" Someone suddenly spected.

    "Huh? From that small pile of treasures? No way! There''s not enough materials!"This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    "I swear on my soul I will sell my left nut if he crafts another Empyrean-grade treasure!" One of the cksmiths there dered.

    The audience waited in anticipation as Tian Qiyuan neared the process of forming the treasure''s shape.

    "It''s another dagger! He''s making another dagger!"

    After another three days, Tian Qiyuan finished his eighth treasure.

    The aura it emitted was not inferior to his previous creation, and when the audience realized he had crafted two Empyrean-grade treasures, it sent them into a frenzy.

    "Heavens! Exalted cksmith actually crafted two Empyrean-

    grade treasures!"

    "Fuck me, he actually did it! And it''s medium-quality! I heard someone swear on their soul that they''ll sell their left nut if it was achieved! Is he actually going to do it?!"

    The person who made said deration looked devastated after seeing the results. His face was as pale as sheets, and he looked like he was standing before his own grave.

    He could feel many gazes on him, which only worsened his anxiety. He''d made such a bold deration because he was certain that it wasn''t possible. Unfortunately, Tian Qiyuan had made the impossible possible.

    The man wanted to go back on his words, and even if it were a half-assed oath, he''d swore on his soul that he would do it. If he fails to fulfill his oath, his soul may be shattered by heavenly tribtion.

    While the manmented his situation, Tian Qiyuan ced the second Empyrean-grade dagger on the same disy as the first. As the two daggers touched, they emitted a harmonic aura, as if they were destined to be a pair.

    "..."

    Eternal cksmith and Heaven and Earth cksmith suddenly halted their hammers for the first time since they started working.

    Although the chaotic audience didn''t disturb them, the aura radiating from the daggers was so profound that it momentarily nked their minds upon sensing it. Once their hammers stopped and their momentum killed, their chances of finishing the treasure dropped significantly, to the point where it was almost guaranteed to fail.

    However, neither of them were angry. They knew that even if theypleted their treasure, it would not be enough to defeat Tian Qiyuan, who crafted two Empyrean-grade treasures.

 Chapter 1528 A Special Sword

    Chapter 1528 A Special Sword

    ?1528 A Special Sword

    "I admit defeat. I never even considered crafting two Empyrean-grade treasures." Eternal cksmith dered shortly after he stopped working.

    "It''s also my defeat. Congrattions, Exalted cksmith. You''re the winner of thispetition." Heaven and Earth cksmith said afterward.

    Tian Qiyuan bowed to them with a smile, "Thank you. It was a fun experience. I never had the opportunity to experience this kind of excitement before. I hope we can do this again in the future."

    Sometimeter, Zi Xuan approached Tian Qiyuan with the Void Meteroid Core in her grasp.

    "Congrattions, Qiyuan," she said as she offered the material to him.

    "Thanks." Tian Qiyuan casually epted the prize before tossing it into his spatial ring.

    "Since when did you be so close to Exalted cksmith?" The Sect Master of the Unrivaled Nine Swords Sect inquired with interest.

    If Zi Xuan and Tian Qiyuan were in a romantic rtionship, it would greatly benefit their sect.

    Hearing his question, Tian Qiyuan responded calmly, "She''s my number one customer, so we see each other often."

    "I see¡­ Oh, I am Three Swords Divine, the sect master of the Unrivaled Nine Swords Sect."

    In the upper heavens, immortals who have achieved great feats and widespread recognition are bestowed with a title of their own choosing. As a disy of respect, this title is used in ce of their actual name, which is reserved only for close friends and family.

    As for Tian Qiyuan, he did not pick the title Exalted cksmith, which became widespread before he even realized it. However, he never corrected it or changed it, so it just stuck with him.

    "By the way, Exalted cksmith, Heaven and Earth cksmith, and Eternal cksmith, I have a small question for you. What do you n on doing with the treasures you crafted during thepetition?" Three Swords Divine asked.

    When the audience heard this question, they stopped talking to focus on the Divine cksmiths'' response. They had all been wondering about it long before thepetition even concluded.

    Tian Qiyuan was the first to speak, "I have no use for it, so I nned on selling them."

    "Same here. I''ll auction it off or something." Eternal cksmith said. He had no intention of keeping something that would only remind him of this utter defeat.Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    Heaven and Earth cksmith nodded in agreement, "I''ll also do the same."

    "If you don''t mind, I''ll purchase the Mystic-grade sword from you, Exalted cksmith." Three Swords Divine suddenly said.

    However, before Tian Qiyuan could even respond, someone from the audience shouted, "Hold it! I also want to buy it!"

    A crazed frenzy ensued, with people shouting their offers for the treasures. Even many of the cksmiths there joined, as they wanted something tomemorate this event.

    Seeing this, Tian Qiyuan said, "I will just do the usual and let the Mystic Jade Auction Pavilion handle the sales of my treasures. If you want it, go bid for it there."

    A secondter, a figure from the audience gracefully jumped from the spectators'' area to the arena.

    It was Qing Ling''er.

    "It''s our honor to serve you once again, Exalted cksmith. Do you want me to take the treasures off your hand now so you don''t need to make the travelter?" she asked.

    Tian Qiyuan nodded, "Sure."

    "Take mine while you''re at it." Eternal cksmith suddenly said.

    "Mine too." Heaven and Earth cksmith said.

    "Y-yes!" Qing Ling''er was ecstatic, feeling like she''d struck gold.

    Once Qing Ling''er collected all of the treasures, she asked, "Do you have a schedule in mind, or can we auction them as we see fit?"

    "Just sell them as soon as possible." Tian Qiyuan said.

    "Mine as well." Eternal cksmith said.

    "Same." Heaven and Earth cksmith followed.

    Sometimeter, Qing Ling''er left the Grand Elder Summit and returned to the Mystic Jade Auction Pavilion to immediately start the process.

    Seeing this, many of the audience also left to prepare for the uing auction. Before leaving, Eternal cksmith said, "Although I lost to you today, I won''t lose the title of God of Creation."

    "Dream on, old man. I will be the next God of cksmith!" Heaven and Earth cksmith dered.

    "Are you willing to bet your left nut on that deration?" Tian Qiyuan chuckled.

    Heaven and Earth cksmith''s face immediately darkened.

    "Hahaha!" Eternal cksmithughed out loud as he flew away.

    Tian Qiyuan also left the scene shortly after.

    Once the Divine cksmiths were gone, the Grand Elder Summit quickly became empty.

    Tian Qiyuan went straight back to his own world, where he stored the Void Meteoroid Core.

    "I''m going to be the God of Creation before I craft you¡­" he muttered in a low voice before returning to his training in pursuit of the title of God of Creation. However, he needed to be able to craft Celestial-grade treasures before he could even attempt the title.

    Several centuries passed.

    One day, Zi Xuan showed up in his world with more materials.

    "Hey, Qiyuan. It''s been a while. How''s your training?" she strolled into his home, treating it as though it was her own.

    "Same as usual. What kind of materials did you get me today?" he asked as if he already knew.

    "This one." Zi Xuan showed him the material in her grasp.

    "With this, I only need three more materials for my masterpiece. What kind of sword do you want today?" he asked.

    "I want a special one today." Zi Xuan pointed at his lower body and continued, "I want that sword."

    "..." Tian Qiyuan fell silent after hearing her response, but he didn''t appear surprised.

    Sometime after thepetition for the Void Meteoroid Core, Zi Xuan showed up at his ce to celebrate his victory. One thing led to another, and it eventually led them into the bedroom, where they shared a passionate night with each other.

    Since then, Zi Xuan has ceased to be just a customer and has be something more, though they are not exactly dating.

    "When you ask me like this, it feels like I am selling my body for materials," Tian Qiyuan eventually said with a bittersweet smile.

    "Is that so? Then here. It''s a gift for you." Zi Xuan tossed the material at him.

    Once Tian Qiyuan caught it and stowed it away, she grabbed his wrist and pulled him toward the bedroom, "It''s been a while. Let me y with your sword."

    Tian Qiyaun didn''t know whether tough or cry in this situation, but he didn''t exactly dislike it either.

 Chapter 1529 Divine Blacksmith Gathering

    Chapter 1529 Divine cksmith Gathering

    ?1529 Divine cksmith Gathering

    After spending several days in each other''s arms, Zi Xuan, her voice filled with curiosity, asked him while she rested on the bed, "How close are you to crafting your first Celestial-grade treasure?"

    "I think I can start working on my first one in a few years," he confidently responded.

    "It''ll be a sword, right?"

    "Of course."

    "I can''t wait to witness the birth of your first Celestial-grade treasure! And don''t start without me!"

    "Don''t worry, I''ll contact you before I start."

    Zi Xuan left shortly after, and Tian Qiyuan returned to his training.

    Four yearster, Tian Qiyuan contacted Zi Xuan through hermunication jade slip, notifying her that he would begin crafting his first-ever Celestial-grade treasure.

    When she received this momentous news, Zi Xuan dropped whatever she was doing and rushed over to his world.

    By the time she''d arrived, Tian Qiyuan was already in meditation, working on the Celestial-grade treasure inside his head.

    Zi Xuan patiently waited for him, and seven dayster, he emerged from his meditation.

    Without uttering a word to Zi Xuan or even looking at her to acknowledge her presence, he immediately started refining the materials.

    Zi Xuan knew that he waspletely focused and didn''t dare to make any sounds. Even her breathing was kept to a minimum.

    Feng Tianru was already flying above him before he emerged from his meditation, so she started spewing mes the moment he approached the anvil.

    Ding! Ding! Ding!

    Tian Qiyuan kept the rhythm constant for the next two months, only stopping to change the material. Due to the immense quality and durability of the materials, it typically takes weeks to refine just one material, even for a Divine cksmith. As for those without sufficient skills, they could hammer the material for the rest of their life, and it wouldn''t budge.

    After spending six months just preparing the materials, Tian Qiyuan finally began crafting the sword.

    One month¡­ two months¡­ six months¡­

    After another year of hammering nonstop, Tian Qiyuan finally finished his first Celestial-grade treasure.

    "That took longer than I wanted¡­" Tian Qiyuan immediately sat down the moment he finished, his body soaked in sweat.

    Zi Xuan approached him shortly after, her eyes flickering with excitement.

    "Congrattions, Qiyuan! You''re now officially a true Divine cksmith! Now you can trulypete for the position of God of Creation!"

    "Thank you, but let''s slow down a little."

    "Slow down? Knowing you, you probably have a 100 percent sess rate with Celestial-grade treasures and already qualify to be the next God of Creation. You just need to prove yourself through the God of Creation Ceremony before you''re recognized as one."

    Tian Qiyuan then said, "Yes, you''re right. I am confident that I will never fail even a Celestial-grade treasure. However, the God of Creation Ceremony requires one to craft multiple Celestial-grade treasures in one sitting. I will need at least another thousand years before I can confidently achieve that."

    "Anyway, here you go." Tian Qiyuan suddenly extended his arm with the sword to Zi Xuan.

    "Huh?" Zi Xuan didn''t instantlyprehend his words and stared at him with a dazed face.

    "It''s a gift to you for keeping mepany throughout the years. Besides Feng Feng, you''re the only one I can truly be myself around."

    "..."

    Zi Xuan was speechless. This was the first time she''s received a gift from him, after all.

    "Are you sure I can have it? It would sell for a fortune if you sold it."

    "I don''t care about that kind of stuff. It''s not like I don''t have money, either. If I really need money, I can just make a few more and sell those. However, the first one will belong to you."

    "Thank you¡­" Zi Xuan didn''t know what else to say.

    Sometimeter, Zi Xuan spoke, "Speaking of the God of Creation Ceremony, Eternal cksmith recently announced that he would be partaking it in two thousand years." "Eternal cksmith, huh? He''s been aDivine cksmith for hundreds of thousands of years, after all."

    "Did Heaven and Earth cksmith say anything about it?" he then asked.

    "Not that I know of."

    "Is that so?"

    Zi Xuan returned to the Unrivaled Nine Swords Sect a few dayster.

    Almost a thousand yearster, Heaven and Earth cksmith suddenly announced that he would be doing the God of Creation Ceremony in a year, shocking the world.

    It was clear that Heaven and Earth cksmith wanted to beat Eternal cksmith to it, but many couldn''t help but wonder if he''d been too hasty with this decision.

    After all, a cksmith could only attempt the God of Creation Ceremony three times in their lifetime, and Heaven and Earth cksmith already attempted it once.

    "Have you heard? Heaven and Earth cksmith will be taking his God of Creation Ceremony in a year." Zi Xuan visited Tian Qiyuan after hearing this news.

    "Really? I guess I''ll have to put my training on halt to watch it."

    Zi Xuan then realized something, "Oh, right. It''s customary for all Divine cksmiths to witness the God of Creation Ceremony, so it''ll be a Divine cksmith gathering."

    "Where is he going to do it?" Tian Qiyuan asked a momentter.

    "The Grand Elder Summit," she said.Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    "That ce again, huh?"

    Sometimeter, Tian Qiyuan and Zi Xuan made their way to the Grand Elder Summit to watch Heaven and Earth cksmith''s God of Creation Ceremony.

    A crowd had already gathered even though there was still a month until the God of Creation Ceremony, and within this crowd was Eternal cksmith, as well as five other Divine cksmiths.

    Besides Exalted cksmith, Eternal cksmith, and Heaven and Earth cksmith, there were five other Divine cksmiths in their era.

    These five Divine cksmiths were Relentless ckmisth, Fiery Heaven cksmith, Yin Yang cksmith, Silver me cksmith, and Star Forging cksmith.

    Even though he''s been a cksmith for thousands of years, this was Tian Qiyuan''s first time seeing the other Divine cksmith besides Eternal cksmith and Heaven and Earth cksmith.

    "It''s an honor to meet my Seniors." Tian Qiyuan bowed to them in a respectful manner.

 Chapter 1530 God of Creation Ceremony

    1530 God of Creation Ceremony

    "Exalted cksmith, huh? You''re all that I''ve been hearing abouttely. It''s nice to meet you finally." Star Forging cksmith stood up and extended his arms to bow respectfully.

    "There''s no need to call us Seniors when you''re already above us in terms of skills." Relentless cksmith said.

    Despite his youth and rtive inexperience, Tian Qiyuan''s skills were already surpassing those of his elders. In their world, skill was the ultimate measure of seniority.

    Fiery Heaven cksmith suddenly sneered, "Hmph. Is he really as good as they say? I know he won against Eternal cksmith and Heaven and Earth cksmith in apetition, but that doesn''t mean much to me. I''m not convinced by you, Exalted cksmith. You came out of the blue with all of these ridiculous achievements. You''re more suspicious than anything, and whatever you''re hiding, I''ll be sure to expose it." This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    "You can ignore him, Exalted cksmith. He''s a very jealous man with a few missing brain cells. None of us takes him seriously." Silver me cksmith, the only female Divine cksmith, said with a smile on her face.

    "The fuck did you just say, you silver-haired bitch?! I''ll fucking kill you!" Fiery Heaven cksmith roared.

    "As you can see, he truly lives up to his name with his fiery temper. But don''t worry, he''s all bark and no bite." Yin Yang cksmithughed out loud.

    "Exalted cksmith,e join me. I have a spot here for you and your friend." Eternal cksmith pointed at the seats beside him.

    Tian Qiyuan nodded and sat beside him.

    Once he was seated, Eternal cksmith asked him, "What do you think about Heaven and Earth cksmith''s decision to perform his God of Creation Ceremony?"

    "I can''t really say since I don''t know him well enough. What do you think? You''ve been rivals for a long time, right?" Tian Qiyuan said.

    "Indeed, we''ve been rivals for the longest¡ªever since we were mere Apprentice cksmiths at the academy. Even during our time at the academy, he would always try to one-up me and end up screwing himself over. I want to say that it''ll be different this time, but I truthfully don''t think he''s ready yet. However, I''d be more than happy if he proves me wrong." Eternal cksmith said.

    Despite being rivals, the two of them were also friends.

    "If he fails the God of Creation Ceremony this time, he''ll only have one more chance left, which will put immense pressure on him." Silver me cksmith said.

    All of the Divine cksmiths besides Tian Qiyuan have attempted the God of Creation Ceremony once, with Heaven and Earth cksmith attempting his second one.

    "When will you perform your first God of Creation Ceremony, Exalted cksmith?" Star Forging cksmith inquired out of curiosity.

    Tian Qiyuan smiled behind his mask and said, "It''ll be a while before I attempt the God of Creation Ceremony."

    "Hah! He can''t even craft Celestial-grade treasures yet!" Fiery Heaven cksmith sneered.

    Tian Qiyuan did not reveal that he''d already sessfully crafted a Celestial-grade treasure, so only Zi Xuan was aware of this information. He only intended to do so when he was prepared for the God of Creation Ceremony.

    Sometimeter, Heaven and Earth cksmith showed up at the Grand Elder Summit with seven other individuals.

    These individuals were from the Ancient Anvil Association, a vastmunity of cksmiths. To be acknowledged as an official cksmith, one must receive a permit from the Ancient Anvil Association.

    The Elders of the Ancient Anvil Association must also be present to witness the God of Creation Ceremony. Only with their presence would it be considered legitimate.

    Sometimeter, one of the individuals from the Ancient Anvil Association hovered above the arena and spoke loudly, "Wee to Heaven and Earth cksmith''s second attempt at the God of Creation Ceremony. In order to be acknowledged as the God of Creation, one must have at least a 25 percent sess rate. During the God of Creation Ceremony, Heaven and Earth cksmith will attempt to craft 25 Celestial-grade treasures, and he has 100 attempts to do so."

    Due to the number of Celestial-grade treasures that must be crafted, the God of Creation Ceremony typicallysts over a century.

    "Now, Heaven and Earth cksmith will give a brief speech."

    Heaven and Earth cksmith rose into the air before speaking, "I am aware that my God of Creation Ceremony may appear rushed, but I guarantee you that''s not the case, and I will prove it to you by bing the next God of Creation!"

    When Heaven and Earth cksmith spoke, his gaze remained on Eternal cksmith for the longest.

    Heaven and Earth cksmith kept his speech short and immediately began preparing for the God of Creation Ceremony.

    "Heaven and Earth cksmith will now be given one year to prepare." The Ancient Anvil Association announced.

    Then, a Tier 8 Array Master appeared to create a formation around Heaven and Earth cksmith to prevent any disturbance.

    Once Heaven and Earth cksmith closed his eyes, the audience immediately began speaking with each other while many of them also closed their eyes to cultivate.

    "Heaven and Earth cksmith seems pretty confident."

    "Maybe he''s just putting up the act."

    "Have some faith in him, will y''all?"

    Meanwhile, Tian Qiyuan closed his eyes to practice inside his head.

    "I''m going to cultivate. You don''t need to wait for me," he said to Zi Xuan, who nodded.

    Most people tend to watch the God of Creation Ceremony for a few days to weeks before leaving. After all, nobody was expected to witness the entire ceremony, which couldst for over a century.

    While all individuals from the Ancient Anvil Association must be present, only three are required to watch the ceremony, so they take turns watching Heaven and Earth cksmith while the others cultivate.

    A yearter, the Heaven and Earth cksmith emerged from his cultivation and began crafting his first Celestial-grade treasure, marking themencement of the God of Creation Ceremony.

    "So it''s finally begun¡­" Eternal cksmith mumbled as he prepared himself to watch the entire ceremony without missing a moment.

 Chapter 1531 God of Creationâ€™s Ceremony(2)

    <h4>Chapter 1531 God of Creation''s Ceremony(2) </h4>

    1531 God of Creation''s Ceremony(2)

    In order toplete the God of Creation Ceremony and be the next God of Creation, one must not only sessfully 25 Celestial-grade treasures within 100 attempts but also craft 5 different types of weapons, so Heaven and Earth cksmith could not just craft his specialties.

    For his first treasure, Heaven and Earth cksmith went for gauntlets, which he seeded after spending almost two years on it.

    His second crafted treasure also turned out to be gauntlets, but it took him 2 attempts to do so.

    In the blink of an eye, ten years have passed since Heaven and Earth cksmith started his God of Creation Ceremony, and he had just finished his second Celestial-grade treasure.

    His third, fourth, and fifth treasures also turned out to be gauntlets, but that took him 5 attempts.

    By this point, Heaven and Earth cksmith was twenty years into his God of Creation Ceremony, with five Celestial-grade treasures and seven failures.

    With eighty-eighty attempts and twenty Celestial-grade treasures left to craft, Heaven and Earth cksmith was doing pretty well.

    Since he had to craft five different types of treasures, Heaven and Earth cksmith was limited to five treasures of each type, so he had to craft a different type of treasure for his next one.

    For his sixth creation, Heaven and Earth cksmith decided to craft the bow.

    He continued crafting the bow until his eleventh Celestial- grade treasure.

    Fifty years have passed since Heaven and Earth cksmith started his God of Creation Ceremony, and due to fatigue, it was taking him longer to craft each treasure.

    Once the God of Creation Ceremony began, there would be no breaks until it waspleted.

    Most of the audience that were there on the first day had already left, but the audience remained pretty crowded with constant neers.

    Zi Xuan left after five years, but Tian Qiyuan remained. He spent most of his time in meditation and only woke up every few years to see Heaven and Earth cksmith''s progress.

    The only person there who watched from the beginning without taking any breaks was Eternal cksmith, who was determined to witness Heaven and Earth cksmith''s entire ceremony.

    When Heaven and Earth cksmith finished his 15th Celestial- grade treasure, he''d used up 47 attempts.

    While having 53 attempts toplete 10 Celestial-grade treasures may seem promising, one must consider the Heaven and Earth cksmith''s fatigue and the fact that he would be crafting treasures outside his area of expertise, which would significantly increase his failure rate.

    Heaven and Earth cksmith started crafting spears for his 16th Celestial-grade treasure.

    By the time he finished his 20th treasure, Heaven and Earth cksmith only had 16 attempts left to craft thest 5 treasures.

    "Do you think he''ll do it?" Yin Yang cksmith questioned out loud as Heaven and Earth cksmith started his 21st treasure.

    "Impossible." Fiery Heaven cksmith responded without a hint of doubt in his voice.

    "I also think it won''t happen, unfortunately." Star Forging cksmith shook his head.

    Thirty yearster, Heaven and Earth cksmith crafted his 23rd Celestial-grade treasure. Unfortunately, he only had three more attempts for thest two treasures.

    "Unless he performs a miracle, he''ll have to try again on his third and final God of Creation Ceremony." Eternal cksmith sighed.

    For his final attempts, Heaven and Earth cksmith''s movements were sluggish and full of mistakes. To him, it felt like there were mountains attached to his arms, and he was trying to hammer something underwater. Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    In the end, Heaven and Earth cksmith failed the God of Creation Ceremony with 23 Celestial-grade treasures, being only two away from the coveted God of Creation position.

    Very few people actually believed Heaven and Earth cksmith would pass the ceremony, so nobody was surprised when he actually failed.

    "Good try." Eternal cksmith approached him after the ceremony ended.

    "Haa¡­ I thought I could do it, but s¡­" Heaven and Earth cksmith sat beside the anvil, surrounded by a dispirited aura.

    "Don''t sweat it, Heaven and Earth cksmith. You still have one more attempt." Relentless cksmith patted him on the back.

    "Indeed, but I won''t need a third attempt." Eternal cksmith suddenly dered. "I will be the next God of Creation. If you want my title, you''ll have to challenge me for it."

    "I can''t wait." Heaven and Earth cksmith chuckled bitterly.

    Once Heaven and Earth cksmith''s God of Creation Ceremony was concluded, everyone returned to doing their own things.

    As time passed and Eternal cksmith''s God of Creation Ceremony approached, Eternal cksmith suddenly dered that he would be dying his ceremony for another thousand years.

    Although his decision to dy his ceremony left many disappointed, nobody med him for wanting to take more time to prepare. Some believed that Heaven and Earth cksmith''s failure had influenced him to make this decision, but nobody could be certain.

    In the blink of an eye, another thousand years passed, and it was almost time for Eternal cksmith''s God of Creation Ceremony.

    Eternal cksmith chose to perform his ceremony at the Grand Elder Summit as well, and all of the Divine cksmiths gathered once again on the day of Eternal cksmith''s ceremony.

    "We are gathered once again for another God of Creation Ceremony. This time, Eternal cksmith will be the one partaking in the ceremony." The Ancient Anvil Association dered.

    "Thank you all foring here today. First and foremost, I would like to apologize for dying this. I unexpectedly experienced enlightenment right before it was time for my ceremony and wanted to take some more time solidifying my new foundation." Eternal cksmith revealed the true reason for dying his ceremony for a thousand years, which greatly surprised everyone.

    "To think he would experience enlightenment at his level. I guess this is the end of our rivalry¡­" Heaven and Earth cksmith sighed after learning of this.

    Eternal cksmith continued, "Not only will Iplete the God of Creation Ceremony, but I will do so in less than 50 attempts!"

    His bold deration shocked everyone there.

    "Heavens! In less than 50 attempts?! Just what kind of enlightenment did he experience?!" Silver me cksmith eximed in a shocked voice.

    "Such a bold im¡­ I wonder what kind of performance he''ll show us¡­" Yin Yang cksmith muttered.

    Without further borating on his deration, Eternal cksmith went into meditation to prepare for the God of Creation Ceremony.

 Chapter 1532 The New God of Creation

    1532 The New God of Creation

    "What do you think of Eternal cksmith''s deration?" Zi Xuan asked Tian Qiyuan out of curiosity.

    "It would be amazing if he actually achieves such a feat," he calmly responded.

    "Really? You''re not worried?"

    "Why should I be?" Tian Qiyuan responded, his voice tinged with a hint of indifference. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.

    "He''ll be the next God of Creation, you know."

    "So what? It''s not like that position will be his forever. I can still challenge for it."

    "Don''t you have to beat his record if you want to be the God of Creation after him?" Zi Xuan asked.

    "Yes, and I also have to defeat him in a match."

    If the position of God of Creation is already upied, anyone who challenges that title must not only surpass the God of Creation''s record during their God of Creation Ceremony but also defeat them in a one-on-one match.

    A year passed in the blink of an eye, and Eternal cksmith emerged from his meditation and immediately began hammering away.

    Once the Eternal cksmith began working, it took only moments for the other Divine cksmiths to notice a significant change in the way he struck the material. His movements were more refined and carried a profound quality that even they could not fullyprehend.

    "My lord! He''s improved so much; it''s like he became a different person!" Heaven and Earth cksmith eximed in a shocked voice. He was the most familiar with the way Eternal cksmith smithed, so he was the most surprised out of everyone there.

    "Looks like it wasn''t just any ordinary enlightenment¡­" Star Forging cksmith mumbled.

    "Since when was there ordinary enlightenments? No matter how minor or major, an enlightenment is still an enlightenment. Even a minor enlightenment could transform a carp into a dragon, drastically improving them." Silver me cksmith said.

    "And if you consider Eternal cksmith''s already deep understanding and vast experience, even a minor enlightenment would be unfathomably profound." Relentless cksmith added.

    Eternal cksmith''s first creation was a dagger. Unlike Heaven and Earth cksmith, Eternal cksmith wanted to get the weapon types he didn''t excel at out of the way while he still had plenty of energy, as that would give him the highest sess rate.

    His first creation was a sess, and so was his second.

    He failed his third attempt but seeded on his fourth attempt.

    Eternal cksmith proceeded to seed every other creation.

    Thirty years passed swiftly, and Eternal cksmith was on his 30th attempt and 14th creation, which he seeded in creating.

    Eternal cksmith now had 15 sessful creations while being only on his 31st attempt, so he had 19 more attempts to craft the remaining 10 treasures to fulfill his own deration.

    "Holy shit¡­ even if he doesn''tplete the ceremony within 50 attempts, it''s almost guaranteed that he''ll be the next God of Creation¡­"

    The audience was at a loss for words.

    Fifteen yearster, with exactly 10 attempts left, Eternal cksmith only needed 4 more treasures toplete the ceremony and be the next God of Creation.

    After another fiteetn years, Eternal cksmith had three attempts left, and he only needed one more treasure to have 25 Celestial-grade treasures crafted.

    Exactly two and a half yearster, Eternal cksmith sessfully crafted his 25th Celestial-grade treasures on his 49th attempt,pleteing the God of Creation Ceremony and bing the next God of Creation.

    The audience erupted with celebration.

    However, the God of Creation Ceremony itself has yet to end, and Eternal cksmith continued to craft his next treasure.

    Even though he only needed 25 Celestial-grade treasures to be the next God of Creation, he still had 51 attempts left to craft as many Celestial-grade treasures as possible, and anyone who challenges his title afterward will be required to beat that record for as long as Eternal cksmith lives.

    After another hundred years, Eternal cksmith finished the God of Creation Ceremony with exactly 40 Celestial-grade treasures created.

    "Heavens! He nearly doubled the requirement to be the God of Creation!"

    "This is a new record! Not only did Eternal cksmith be the next God of Creation, he''s also the most sessful one!"

    "Does this mean he''s now the Eternal God of Creation, or just God of Creation?"

    Once the God of Creation Ceremony ended, all of the cksmiths there went to congratte the newest God of Creation.

    "Congrattions on your achievement, God of Creation." Yin Yang cksmith respectfully bowed to him.

    "You''ve bested me, God of Creation. I, Heaven and Earth cksmith, admit defeat." Heaven and Earth cksmith lowered his head in a humble manner.

    "Just you wait, God of Creation! I''ll snatch that title away from you soon!" Fiery Heaven cksmith dered.

    "Congrattions, God of Creation. I cannot wait to see what your future creations." Star Forging cksmith said.

    "Let''s have a drinkter, God of Creation." Silver me cksmith said.

    "It was quite the show, God of Creation. When I perform my ceremony, I''ll make sure to give you an even better show." Tian Qiyuan said to him.

    "Oh, really? I cannot wait." God of Creation smiled at him.

    News of Eternal cksmith bing the next God of Creation had spread throughout the Nine Heavens long before he even finished the ceremony, but the banquet to celebrate his new title did not happen until a year after the ceremony ended.

    During the next several thousand years with the Eternal cksmith as the God of Creation, Tian Qiyuan rarely made any public appearances and even ceased selling his treasures. His absence led many to initially wonder if something had happened to him, but over time, people stopped talking about him, almost as if he no longer existed.

    The other Divine cksmiths, excluding Heaven and Earth cksmith, attempted their second God of Creation Ceremony during this time.

    Star Forging cksmith and Relentless cksmith barely managed to craft 25 Celestial-grade treasures during their ceremony, but neither of them came close to Eternal cksmith''s record of 40, so they won''t be the next God of Creation.

    However, once Eternal cksmith retires as the God of Creation, the two of them maypete with each other to rece him.

    Meanwhile, secluded in his own world, Tian Qiyuan quietly honed his smithing skills and increased his endurance over the years. Zi Xuan rarely visited him because she knew what he was doing and didn''t want to disturb him.

    In the blink of an eye, nine thousand years had passed since the Eternal cksmith became the God of Creation. Then, on an otherwise ordinary day, the Exalted cksmith reemerged, announcing with shocking news that he would be performing the God of Creation Ceremony.

 Chapter 1533 Ancient Anvil Association

    1533 Ancient Anvil Association

    "Have you heard? Exalted cksmith has returned and announced that he would be doing the God of Creation Ceremony!"

    "No way! The one who disappeared from the world after Eternal cksmith became the God of Creation nine thousand years ago?! When is he going to do the God of Creation Ceremony!?" Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    "He said he''s going to do it next month."

    "Next month? That''s too soon!"

    Once news of Tian Qiyuan''s God of Creation Ceremony spread, people from around the world flocked to the Grand Elder Summit, where he would perform the ceremony.

    "The Grand Elder Summit, again? It''ll definitely be a tradition to perform the ceremony there from now on."

    At the Grand Elder Summit, countless people gathered there, including the Divine cksmiths, as well as the God of Creation.

    "I knew he was training in seclusion, but I didn''t anticipate he would perform the God of Creation Ceremony this soon." Silver me cksmith said out loud.

    "It''s been around ten thousand years since he became a Divine cksmith, right? This is a little too soon, no matter how I look at it." Star Forging cksmith sighed.

    "Can he even craft Celestial-grade treasures? I bet he rushed to perform the ceremony the moment he crafted his first Celestial-grade treasure!" Fiery Heaven cksmithughed in a mocking tone.

    "What do you think of Exalted cksmith''s decision to perform the ceremony, God of Creation?" Heaven and Earth cksmith asked him.

    God of Creation pondered for a moment before responding, "He crafted his first Empyrean-grade treasure around ten thousand years ago. Even if he''s managed to improve enough to craft Celestial-grade treasures with this little time, I cannot imagine he could have achieved a high sess rate."

    Relentless cksmith nodded in agreement with God of Creation and said, "I share the same sentiment. No matter how talented you are, there is a limit to what you can achieve. All of us performed our first God of Creation Ceremony after a hundred thousand years of achieving Celestial-grade treasure, too."

    "Let''s bet on how much treasure he''ll craft. I''ll bet a Glistening Cold Ore on 5." Fiery Heaven cksmith suddenly said.

    "That sounds fun. I''ll bet a nine-inch long and three-inch thick Ancient Burning Wood on 12." Relentless cksmith said.

    The others also joined in on the fun.

    "Can I join you guys?" A new voice suddenly resounded.

    The group of Divine cksmiths turned to look at the person who had just spoken simultaneously.

    "If it isn''t the Sword Goddess. Of course, you can join in on the fun." Heaven and Earth cksmith said, knowing that she was a friend of Tian Qiyuan.

    "So, what''s your bet?" Fiery Heaven cksmith asked.

    "I''ll bet this." Zi Xuan retrieved an entire Golden Celestial Tree from her spatial ring, shocking everyone there.

    "You''re betting an entire Golden Celestial Tree?! And it''s at least 1 million years old!" Yin Yang cksmith eximed in a shocked voice.

    "Is it too much? I''ll change it if you don''t want it," Zi Xuan casually said.

    "Who said anything about not wanting it? If you want to bet that, by all means!" Fiery Heaven cksmithughed.

    "What is your prediction?" Silver me cksmith asked.

    Without hesitation, Zi Xuan responded with a calm smile on her face, "I''ll bet on 100."

    "Huh?"

    Everyone paying attention to their little gamble raised their eyebrows in a puzzled manner after hearing her words, most of them believing they had misheard her.

    "Did I hear you correctly? That you''d bet on Exalted cksmith crafting 100 Celestial-grade treasures during the ceremony?" God of Creation asked with a look of disbelief on his face.

    "Indeed, you heard me correctly." Zi Xuan calmly nodded her head.

    "..."

    After a moment of silence, Fiery Heaven cksmith burst outughing, "Hahaha! If you''re trying to donate that Golden Celestial Tree to one of us, just say so! There''s no need to utter such nonsense!"

    The other Divine cksmiths alsoughed out loud. None of them could take Zi Xuan seriously, after all.

    "Alright, since everyone is having fun, I''ll join, too." God of Creation said as he retrieved a rare material from his spatial ring. "I''ll bet on 20."

    "20? You''re overestimating him too much, God of Creation." Fiery Heaven cksmith shook his head.

    "We''ll see about that¡­" he calmly said.

    The people who sat around them wanted to join in on the fun, but none of them had the guts to do so, as the Divine cksmiths'' presence was simply too much for them, not to mention the God of Creation himself.

    Sometimeter, Tian Qiyuan showed up at the Grand Elder Summit. However, there was an issue that most of the people there immediately noticed.

    "Huh? Where is the Ancient Anvil Association?" Star Forging cksmith questioned out loud.

    "Perhaps they''re runningte?" Silver me cksmith said.

    "There''s no way they would bete to the God of Creation Ceremony. It''s sacred for them." Heaven and Earth cksmith said.

    "Exalted cksmith, where is the Ancient Anvil Association? You are aware that their presence is essential for the ceremony''s legitimacy, are you not?" the God of Creation inquired.

    Tian Qiyuan looked at him and said, "I know, but I don''t think they''ll show up."

    "Why is that?" God of Creation became even more puzzled.

    "Because I refused to be associated with them," he calmly said.

    "What?! You''re telling me that you''ve been an unofficial cksmith this entire time?!?!" Heaven and Earth cksmith eximed in a bewildered voice.

    "That''s right." Tian Qiyuan calmly nodded.

    To be officially recognized as a cksmith, one must register with the Ancient Anvil Association.

    "Impossible! Howe the Ancient Anvil Association hasn''t mentioned this before?!" Silver me cksmith asked, her voice filled with disbelief.

    "More importantly, why did you refuse to ept them? They''re recognized by almost every cksmith in the world," the God of Creation asked.

    "It''s simply a matter of pettiness," Tian Qiyuan replied with a casual shrug. "We had some disagreements in the past, and I''ve held a grudge ever since." His words left everyone speechless.

 Chapter 1534 Exalted Blacksmithâ€™s Ceremony

    <h4>Chapter 1534 Exalted cksmith''s Ceremony </h4>

    1534 Exalted cksmith''s Ceremony

    "Disagreement? What kind?" Zi Xuan asked, her curiosity piqued.

    "I''m d you asked." Tian Qiyuan said, seemingly eager to expose the Ancient Anvil Association.

    "When I was still young and inexperienced, I went to register at the Ancient Anvil Association. However, when they saw the treasure I crafted, they imed I was too young to have such skills and called me a fraud, even stealing the first treasure I ever created from me that day."

    The audience was left speechless by this unexpected experience Tian Qiyuan had with the Ancient Anvil Association.

    "I-I understand your frustration, but the Ancient Anvil Association is a massive background with hundreds of thousands of workers. You cannot hold a grudge against the entire faction over a single bad individual¡­" God of Creation tried to reason with him.

    "Indeed, they are, and I gave them another chance a thousand yearster. Although I was no longer called a fraud, they tried to swindle me by making me sign some nonsense contract that would give them arge portion of my future sales as a cksmith. When I refused, they threatened to end my career as a cksmith." Tian Qiyuan sneered, his voice dripping with resentment.

    In order to receive a license from the Ancient Anvil Association, every cksmith must sign a contract that would give the association a small portion of their earnings. This contract varied depending on the individual and their background, so everyone had different experiences.

    When the cksmiths heard about Tian Qiyuan''s experience, some felt his pain because they also had to give more than others.

    Tian Qiyuan was not finished speaking and continued, "In fact, the person who branded me as a fraud and stole my treasure is the current head of the Ancient Anvil Association, so I will never associate myself with them even if I will never be recognized as an official cksmith."

    The entire ce was dead silent as they listened to Tian Qiyuan, and many cksmiths sympathized with him.

    "Anyway, I don''t care about the Ancient Anvil Association. So what if they''re not here to witness my God of Creation Ceremony? Why is their presence necessary for the ceremony to be authentic? Are the people here watching not enough to authenticate the ceremony? Is the ceremony itself not good enough? Then we might as well rename it to Ancient Anvil Association''s God of Creation Assessement!" Tian Qiyuan sneered.

    Eventually, someone from the audience shouted, "Yeah! Since when did the Ancient Anvil Association be so powerful that they can determine the authenticity of the ceremony?!"

    "Fuck! Why do we have to register at the Ancient Anvil Association to be recognized as an official cksmith?! And why do we have to give them a portion of our ie just for their recognition?! That''s in robbery!"

    After Tian Qiyuan revealed his strained rtionship with the Ancient Anvil Association, the audience, filled with cksmiths, erupted in curses directed at the association. It was obvious that the Ancient Anvil Association had wronged many people, but they were too afraid to speak up due to the association''s immense influence.

    However, now that Tian Qiyuan, a renowned Divine cksmith, had openly criticized them, it opened the floodgates, with wronged cksmiths rushing forward to voice their grievances.

    Although the Ancient Anvil Association wasn''t present physically, they witnessed the spectacle through a treasure that allowed them to see events from afar, typically used to observe crowded gatherings from thefort of their own homes.

    "Damn it! Is this why Exalted cksmith refused to register at our Ancient Anvil Association?! Leader, please tell me he''s lying!" The elders at the association turned to their current head for answers.

    None of them knew of the drama between Tian Qiyuan and their association because it was never mentioned until today. However, they always found it weird that Exalted cksmith never tried to register at their association.

    Some had even personally gone to recruit him, but they were all turned away without exnation. Ashamed, they kept this quiet, leading the public to believe Tian Qiyuan was already with them. However, if what Tian Qiyuan said was true, it rified everything.

    The current head of the Ancient Anvil Association, Yao Tao, had a dark expression on his face as he tried to recall the past.

    After thinking for a long moment, he could vaguely recall calling some young brat a fraud before taking away their weapon.

    ''Fuck! That darned brat was the Exalted cksmith?!'' he cried inwardly, his back soaked in sweat when he realized his own fault.

    Tian Qiyuan was only a teenager when he tried to sign up at the Ancient Anvil Association, bringing with him a peak- quality Spirit-grade treasure. Yao Tao, however, didn''t believe a teenager without any background or master could possibly craft something even a Master cksmith would have trouble creating.

    Therefore, Yao Tao kicked Tian Qiyuan out, but not before confiscating his treasure.

    "What should we do now, leader? Should we show up for his ceremony?" One of the elders asked in a worried tone.

    "After everything he''s said about us? Not a chance!" Someone else said.

    "Let''s refute his ims and then call him out for ndering us with lies. Even if what he said is true, there''s no way for him to prove it." Another suggested.

    After a long conversation, Yao Tao came to a decision.

    "We will refute his ims and go after him for ndering us. As Elder Li said, there''s no way for him to prove his ims, something that happened thousands of years ago. Our Ancient Anvil Association has existed for millions of years. We''ll not allow a single individual to run our reputation to the ground."

    "He''ll soon make a fool of himself with the God of Creation Ceremony, too. Once the ceremony ends, we will confront him together." This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    Sometimeter, Tian Qiyuan prepared to begin the God of Creation Ceremony. Even though it was not official and without the presence of the Ancient Anvil Association, nobody wanted to miss this asion.

    As of this moment, countless people from around the world were spectating Tian Qiyuan''s ceremony.

    "I will now begin my God of Creation Ceremony. Thank you all for being here." Tian Qiyuan gave the audience a quick bow before retrieving arge mountain of materials and cing them on the ground.

    Typically, the Ancient Anvil Association supplied the materials for the God of Creation Ceremony and kept every treasure crafted during the event. However, without the association present, Tian Qiyuan had to use his own materials. Fortunately, there was no limitations on the type of materials used for the ceremony as long as the results created from it was Celestial-grade.

    After taking out the materials, Tian Qiyuan immediately started refining them, leaving the spectators speechless.

    "W-what the hell? He''s going straight into it without any mental preparations?! I''ve never seen anyone do this before!" Relentless cksmith eximed in a shocked voice.

    "Did he forget? I also made many mistakes during my first ceremony¡­" Silver me cksmith muttered.

    "Hahaha! What a fool! I''ll definitely win this bet!" Fiery Heaven cksmithughed out loud, even pping his thighs.

    "I am¡­ truly speechless¡­" Heaven and Earth cksmith sighed.

    The whole audience was left bewildered by Tian Qiyuan''s actions. Nobody knew if it was a mistake or done on purpose, but they were certain that he''d messed up severely by not taking the time to prepare for it.

    As Tian Qiyuan neared his first month of the ceremony, he started forming the shape of the weapon.

    "What?! He''s already almost done?! Impossible! It''s only been a month!" Star Forging cksmith stood up in shock.

    "Looks like he''s craft swords first." Yin Yang cksmith mumbled.

    After another week, Tian Qiyuan finished his first treasure.

    "Heavens¡­ he really crafted a Celestial-grade treasure in a month. Even the God of Creation requires half a year to do so¡­" The other cksmiths muttered to each other.

    Tian Qiyuan immediately moved on to his second treasure. Another monthter, he began forming its shape.

    "Huh? He''s crafting a dagger this time?"

    Once again, Tian Qiyuan''s unpredictable actions left the audience confused and speechless.

    "He''s done it! He''s sessfully crafted two treasures in a row!"

    "In two months, too! How long will he be able to continue at this pace?!"

    A monthter, Tian Qiyuan crafted his third treasure, a bow.

    Then, in another month, he crafted a spear for his fourth treasure.

    For the fifth treasure, he crafted a fan.

    In less than half a year, Tian Qiyuan sessfully crafted 5 treasures with 5 attempts.

    The audience was so shocked that they could only silently watch him continue with wide eyes, their body numb.

    "T-this can''t be¡­ He''s definitely cheating somehow! There''s no way he crafted 5 Celestial-grade treasures in a row, much less in five months!" Fiery Heaven cksmith suddenly blurted out loud.

    However, God of Creation responded in a serious tone, "Can you prove that he''s cheating? With so many people watching his every move, wouldn''t someone have already noticed it if he was cheating? Or are you saying that he''s skillful enough to cheat in front of so many people, including me?"

    "That''s exactly what I am saying! There''s no way he''s able to achieve this legitimately!"

    "Then shut your mouth and keep watching closely. Since you''re so confident he''s cheating, prove it." Star Forging cksmith said without taking his eyes off Tian Qiyuan.

    It was inevitable that some people would think Tian Qiyuan was cheating. However, without any proof, they can only continue watching until they can expose him.

    Zi Xuan was the only one in the audience who watched with a calm expression, free of any suspicion in her gaze.

    "Wee back, Exalted cksmith¡­" she mumbled.

 Chapter 1535 Fraud

    1535 Fraud

    A full year had passed since Tian Qiyuan began his God of Creation Ceremony, and he had crafted 10 Celestial-grade treasures within 10 attempts, meaning he hadn''t failed once since he started.

    More and more people became skeptical and doubted his legitimacy. Yet, no one could figure out his methods, and continued to watch in amazement as Tian Qiyuan showcased his unfathomable prowess.

    ''Fuck! How the hell is he doing this?! I refuse to believe that he''s doing this without any tricks!'' Fiery Heaven cksmith began biting his nails in frustration as he continued to analyze every movement Tian Qiyuan made to expose his tricks but to no avail. Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    He couldn''t fathom how Tian Qiyuan was refining the materials so quickly and how he would sessfully craft a Celestial-grade treasure every time.''

    As Tian Qiyuan continued to defy all logic andmon sense, the God of Creation Ceremony entered its third year. Tian Qiyuan kept his ridiculous pace by producing a Celestial- grade treasure nearly every month, reaching 22 Celestial- grade treasures by the end of the second year.

    Of course, his 100 percent sess rate remained, and he had 78 attempts left to defeat the current God of Creation''s record of 40.

    Tian Qiyuan''s wless performance left the God of Creation deeply perplexed. On one hand, he wanted to believe in Tian Qiyuan''s talent; on the other hand, it was almost too extraordinary to ept, even though he couldn''t find any fault in Tian Qiyuan''s work.

    However, it made absolutely zero sense for Tian Qiyuan to cheat before so many people and in such an obvious manner, no less. If one wanted to cheat, it shouldn''t be so exaggerated and obvious.

    Tian Qiyuan himself had an unshakable reputation throughout the years. While everybody was suspicious of his skills at first, he quickly proved himself to be the real deal, not to mention thepetition he participated in for the Void Meteoroid Core.

    ''If his talents are truly real and not fabricated¡­ this world might not be ready for someone like him¡­'' God of Creation sighed inwardly.

    After another two years, Tian Qiyuan approached the God of Creation''s record of 40. Although his crafting speed had slowed down slightly, it was still outrageously fast.

    Ding! Ding! ng!

    Tian Qiyuan sessfully crafted his 40th treasure on his 40th attempt. Unless he failed to create a single treasure within the next 60 attempts, it was essentially certain that Tian Qiyuan would be the next God of Creation.

    A monthter, nobody was surprised when Tian Qiyuan created his 41st treasure.

    "Good heavens¡­ what in heaven''s name is happening? Is this even real?"

    "Even if he fails to create a single treasure with the rest of his attempts, he''s already smashed the previous record with an unprecedented 41 treasures in a row."

    "Do you think the God of Creation will ept this result? He might argue it''s an unofficial ceremony."

    "With so many witnesses, even heaven itself would not dare to deny Exalted cksmith''s achievement because of some arbitrary rule made up by the Ancient Anvil Association."

    "I kind of pity the God of Creation. He''s only held on to that title for ten thousand years, which is probably the shortest time someone has sat in that position."

    "Exalted cksmith still has to defeat the God of Creation in a one-on-one match to acquire his title officially, right? Nothing is guaranteed." Someone said.

    "Are you blind? Even the God of Creation cannot craft more than 3 Celestial-grade treasures in a row, much less 41! I''d be surprised if he doesn''t hand over his title without the match since the oue is already obvious!"

    "The God of Creation would lose more face if he were to participate in such an obvious match than just to hand over his title since that would show his denial."

    "And I would not be surprised if it turns out the Exalted cksmith has been cheating this entire time. His talents are too good to be true."

    "He''s just way ahead of his time, that''s all. Also, how can he cheat with so many expert cksmiths around? There''s no way he hasn''t been exposed already if that were the case."

    The audience continued to argue with each other regarding the legitimacy of Tian Qiyuan''s ceremony.

    Once Tian Qiyuan crafted his 50th treasure, his speed slowed down to a treasure every two months instead of one.

    60¡­ 70¡­ 80¡­

    Tian Qiyuan crafted his 80th Celestial-grade treasure in a row six yearster. By now, the audience had grown numb and was no longer shocked. They only had one thing in their mind¡ª whether Tian Qiyuan would be the first person in history to craft 100 Celestial-grade treasures in a row or not.

    Tian Qiyuan''s speed slowed down again after his 80th treasure. Instead of taking two to three months to craft a treasure, he needed five to seven months.

    Ten yearster, Tian Qiyuan used his final attempt to craft the 100th treasure.

    The audience held their breaths as they prepared to witness history being made right in front of their very eyes.

    As Tian Qiyuan formed the shape of the final treasure, nearly everybody in the upper heavens had their eyes on him.

    "It''s a sword! His final treasure is a sword!"

    Ding! ng! Ding!

    Ding! Ding! Ding!

    After spending an entire year on his final treasure, Tian Qiyuan sessfully crafted his 100th treasure, bing the first ever individual to perform a wless God of Creation Ceremony.

    The audience erupted with cheers, but there were also many who still doubted the legitimacy of his performance.

    "Exalted cksmith, you fucking fraud! Do you really expect us to believe that you had crafted 100 Celestial-grade treasures in a row?!" Fiery Heaven cksmith was the loudest with the curses.

    "If you''re going to bullshit, at least make it believable! I cannot believe I wasted so much time watching this nonsense!"

    "Fraud! Fraud! Fraud!"

    Of course, the Ancient Anvil Association had nted some of its own people within the crowd to oppose Tian Qiyuan and discredit him.

    "Where is the proof that he''s a fraud?! Everyone saw his performance, but nobody could prove that he was cheating!"

    "Right!? I didn''t see anything suspicious, and I watched the entire ceremony without blinking!"

    "Surely, you have something to say about this, God of Creation!" Fiery Heaven cksmith suddenly turned to look at him.

    The audience temporarily became silent as they waited for the God of Creation''s response.

    God of Creation quietly sat in his seat with a pondering expression on his face. He''d watched the entire ceremony from beginning to end without missing a thing, yet he couldn''t find anything that would expose Tian Qiyuan as a cheater. However, his own pride and experience couldn''t ept the fact that Tian Qiyuan had such unfathomable capabilities.

    After a long moment of silence, the God of Creation solemnly spoke as he stared at Tian Qiyuan''s figure, "Although I did not see anything suspicious during the ceremony, nor can I prove that he''d cheated,mon sense tells me that what he''d done is simply impossible. Exalted cksmith, you disappoint me. I thought you were someone of integrity and respected you, but to do something like this during the sacred God of Creation Ceremony, you''vemitted sphemy."

    "Y-you can''t be serious!" Zi Xuan was the first to respond to God of Creation''s verdict.

    However, once the God of Creation gave his verdict, nobody dared to refute him, even if they believed in Tian Qiyuan.

    Despite being called a fraud, Tian Qiyuan did not show any signs of anger and remained tranquil.

    He responded a momentter, "Are you really that reluctant to hand over your title? I don''t me you, though, since you only got to enjoy it for a short ten thousand years. Don''t worry. I don''t care enough about the title to fight you for it, anyway. The only reason I performed this ceremony was for my own satisfaction."

    "It would''ve been nice if I was recognized as the God of Creation, but whether I have such a title or not won''t have any effect on my capabilities as a cksmith. As a matter of fact, I do not need anyone''s approval. I don''t craft treasures to prove myself. I do it because I enjoy it, and it benefits me."

    "To those of you who still believe in me and recognize me as the next God of Creation, thank you. Unfortunately, it appears that I am not destined to be the next God of Creation."

    Tian Qiyuan waved his sleeves, collecting all 100 Celestial- grade treasures.

    "Anyway, call me a fraud if you want. You may be able to deceive yourself and even the world, but as long you can''t prove that I cheated, you won''t be able to get rid of that doubt hidden deep within your soul, and you''ll eventually be consumed by it."

    After saying such words, Tian Qiyuan vanished into thin air before everyone''s eyes like a ghost, leaving the entire world speechless.

    Shortly after Tian Qiyuan''s disappearance, the Ancient Anvil Association showed up at the Grand Elder Summit to further smear Tian Qiyuan''s image.

    "As you have all witnessed, Exalted cksmith is a fraud that cannot be trusted. Not only did he nder our association with false ims, but he even dared tomit sphemy during the God of Creation Ceremony." Yao Tao said.

    "Our Ancient Anvil Association has known about this for a long time now, hence why we refused to recognize him as an official cksmith! We haven''t said anything until now because we need solid proof to expose him! I shall repeat this once again¡ªExalted cksmith is a fraud!"

    "Yeah! He''s a fraud!"

    "I cannot believe I had spent so much money purchasing his weapons before!"

    "Fuck! I alsomissioned him for a weapon! I''ll destroy that thing once I get home!"

    After the ceremony, the Ancient Anvil Association, supported by the God of Creation, spread the news of Tian Qiyuan being a fraud throughout the Nine Heavens, sending shockwaves through the realms and leaving all of his fans in disbelief.

 Chapter 1536 Crafting the Masterpiece

    1536 Crafting the Masterpiece

    "Hold onto your anvils, folks! I''ve got a shocking revtion for you! The Exalted cksmith has been unmasked as a fraud! Don''t miss this breaking news!" A streetwise informant bellowed, drawing a throng of curious onlookers.

    "What? Exalted cksmith is a fraud? How is that possible?"

    "It''s true! The Ancient Anvil Association and even the revered God of Creation have already dered the Exalted cksmith to be a fraud! In fact, Exalted cksmith was never even an official cksmith to begin with!"

    "The Exalted cksmith not onlymitted sphemy during the God of Creation Ceremony by cheating, but all of his creations are not even his!"

    "What kind of nonsense are you sprouting? How can someone cheat in the God of Creation Ceremony? And many have watched him craft treasures."

    "I heard about this. However, nobody at the ceremony could actually prove that the Exalted cksmith had cheated during his ceremony." Someone defended Tian Qiyuan.

    "I was present at the ceremony, and I didn''t notice anything unusual, let alone cheating. It''s possible that the Exalted cksmith is being unfairly used due to envy of his skills." Another voice chimed in, offering a different viewpoint.

    "The Exalted cksmith called out the Ancient Anvil Association before the ceremony began, so they have a motive. As for the God of Creation, he probably just didn''t want to hand over his title so soon after acquiring it."

    Not everyone believed the rumors, but the God of Creation and the Ancient Anvil Association wielded immense influence. Challenging them meant risking their ire and losing ess to their invaluable services, making it wiser for most to remain silent.

    Because of this, most of the families and sects in the upper heavens remained silent, allowing such rumors to continue spreading like wildfire.

    With nobody truly influential stepping forward to refute these rumors, more and more people started believing it. Eventually, the rumor was no longer just a rumor and turned into a fact.

    The Ancient Anvil Association also invested tremendous resources and effort into ensuring that Tian Qiyuan became and remained a fraud.

    With the God of Creation backing them, almost nothing could stop them from branding Tian Qiyuan as a fraud.

    And in just a few hundred years, it''d bemon knowledge that Tian Qiyuan was a fraud who managed to be a Divine cksmith by fooling the world.

    "God of Creation¡­ I am disappointed in you¡­" A face that the God of Creation hadn''t seen in a while suddenly showed up to say such words in private.

    "What are you talking about, Heaven and Earth cksmith?" God of Creation responded in a nonchnt tone.

    "You know what I am talking about. For the sake of that title, you''ve forsaken your own dignity and coborated with the Ancient Anvil Association to nder Exalted cksmith, who performed a wless God of Creation Ceremony. Because of you, we''ve lost a prodigy that might never appear in this world again."

    "You actually believe that he''d performed a wless ceremony? It''s impossible to have a 100 percent sess rate for Celestial-grade treasures, not to mention the speed at which he was crafting them. Even if there is no solid evidence, the abnormal result is enough to convince me that he''d cheated. It''s justmon sense, in and simple."

    There was no change in his tone as the God of Creation remained adamant on his own beliefs.

    "Since when didmon sense apply to true prodigies¡ª

    monsters? Anyway, I have said what I wanted to say, so I am leaving now."

    However, God of Creation stopped him and said, "If you''re so convinced that he''s legitimate, why haven''t you said anything about it?"

    "I am aware that I do not have the power to convince the public alone, hence why I am here speaking to you personally. I should''ve said something on that very day, but just like you, I was overwhelmed by his otherworldly performance and became blinded with envy."

    "In truth, I have no right to say these things to you since I am just as guilty, and I can hardly raise my hammer nowadays because it carries the weight of my guilt. I wish the best of luck to you and your future endeavors, God of Creation."

    Heaven and Earth cksmith left shortly after without looking back.

    A few yearster, Heaven and Earth cksmith shocked the world with an unexpected retirement announcement.

    "Why did the Heaven and Earth kcksmith suddenly announce his retirement? He still has one more attempt at the God of Creation Ceremony, right?"

    "It might have something to do with what happened to Exalted cksmith."

    "Were they even close enough for Heaven and Earth cksmith to do such a thing for him?"

    "Who knows, but we''ve lost two Divine cksmiths in less than a thousand years now."

    After Heaven and Earth cksmith''s visit and sudden retirement, the God of Creation began toe to his senses, and as if he had been cursed by Heaven and Earth cksmith, his hammer became heavier with each passing day.

    "What have I done¡­"

    God of Creation eventually realized his faults, but it was already toote to change anything, and the damages were already done.

    Meanwhile, the Exalted cksmith hasn''t made an appearance since his God of Creation Ceremony, almost as if he''d vanished from the world.

    In reality, Tian Qiyuan was hard at work inside his own world, preparing for his masterpiece.

    Zi Xuan visited him a few years after his ceremony. Although she had nned on visiting sooner, she had to deal with some problems first.

    When she arrived at his world, she was surprised to see Tian Qiyuan working by the anvil as usual.

    "Hm? Hello, Zi Xuan. It''s been a few years. Am I a fraud to the entire world yet?" Tian Qiyuan asked her with a calm smile on his face.

    Zi Xuan frowned at his question and said, "How can you act so calm in this situation?"

    "And yes, the Ancient Anvil Association, God of Creation, and Fiery Heaven cksmith are hard at work trying to brand you as a fraud. They''re even going as far as trying to destroy your creations. Why aren''t you even attempting to defend your own image? Are you going to let them continue ndering you like this?"

    "It''s too much of a hassle. The Exalted cksmith was the perfect persona for me to collect the materials I needed for my true ambition. Now that I have collected everything I need for my masterpiece, I couldn''t care less about what happened to it afterward. In fact, I intended to disappear from the world quietly after collecting the materials." Tian Qiyuan shrugged.

    He didn''t think it was worth it trying to save a persona he''d already intended to throw away.

    However, Zi Xuan had a different thought in mind.

    "No! You may not care about that persona, but it''s important to me! It''s the identity of my first love, and I will not allow anyone to trample on it!"

    Zi Xuan did not stay for long and left in a hurry.

    Tian Qiyuan didn''t think too much about it and continued his preparations.

    Several thousand yearster, Tian Qiyuan was almost finished with his preparations.

    He knew that Zi Xuan would want to experience the creation of his masterpiece, so he contacted her through hermunication jade slip.

    "I will soon craft my masterpiece. You know where to find me. I''ll wait for you, but I can''t wait too long since the materials are already prepared and will eventually start losing quality if I don''t use them."

    After sending her this message, Tian Qiyuan waited for her arrival.

    One year¡­ two years¡­ five years¡­

    Ten years¡­ twenty years¡­ fifty years¡­

    A hundred years passed, but Zi Xuan never showed up.

    Tian Qiyuan wanted to look for her, but he''d already wasted too much time and needed to craft the treasure as soon as possible.

    ''She''s probably in seclusion or something. I''ll look for her after I finish my work.''

    "Feng Feng! It''s time! Let''s get started!" Tian Qiyuan called out to her.

    Feng Tianru appeared shortly after, with her body raining mes.

    "God of War''s Astral Arts!" Tian Qiyuan summoned a massive avatar that wielded hammers in both hands, which he used to strike the anvil alongside his own hammer.

    Even though it would only take him a month to craft a Celestial-grade treasure, Tian Qiyuan ended up spending over a hundred years straight hammering at the anvil.

    All of the rare materials he''d painstakingly collected throughout the years, enough to buy an entire realm, were used for this one treasure.

    Once he was finished with the treasure, which took the form of a greatsword, he left his world to find Zi Xuan.

    The first and most obvious ce he visited to find information on Zi Xuan was the Unrivaled Nine Swords Sect. However, when he showed up at the sect, nobody recognized him.

    Since Tian Qiyuan had no intentions of continuing his persona as the Exalted cksmith, he no longer had any reason to hide his face and showed up to the sect without his mask.

    "I''m a friend of Lady Zi Xuan. Do you know where I can find her?" he asked one of their disciples. Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    "You''re looking for the Sword Goddess¡­?" The disciple suddenly wore a stiff expression after being questioned about her.

    He then said, "I''m sorry, but the Sword Goddess hasn''t been affiliated with the Unrivaled Nine Swords Sect since she was exiled from the sect several centuries ago."

    "What? She''d been exiled from the Unrivaled Nine Swords Sect? How did such a thing happen?" Tian Qiyuan was greatly shocked by this news and immediately inquired for more information.

 Chapter 1537 Gone Rogue

    1537 Gone Rogue

    "How are you not aware of her situation? It caused quite the scene around the world when it happened. Are you really her friend?" The disciple doubted Tian Qiyuan being Zi Xuan''s friend.

    "I was in seclusion for a long time and only recently emerged, so I am still unaware of many things. If you enlighten me, I''ll make it worth your time."

    Tian Qiyuan proceeded to take out an Ancient-grade sword and dangled it in front of the disciple like a carrot on a stick.

    The disciple''s eyes immediately flickered when he saw this. He never thought he would be able to acquire an Ancient-grade sword just by answering some questions.

    "I''ll tell you everything you want to know, Senior!"

    "You can start by telling why Zi Xuan was exiled."

    "That''s because she''d gone rouge and went on a killing spree, bing a mass murderer. If the Unrivaled Nine Swords Sect hadn''t exiled her, it would''ve dragged all of us down with her."

    "What? Zi Xuan became a mass murderer? Surely, there must''ve been a mistake. I''ve known her for thousands of years. She wouldn''t do something like that without a good reason." Tian Qiyuan''s eyes widened at this shocking revtion.

    He knew Zi Xuan was an entric individual, but she was definitely no mass murderer. If she killed someone, she definitely would have a good reason for doing so.

    "It''s true, Senior. The Sword Goddess went on a rampage against those who ndered the Exalted cksmith, especially the Ancient Anvil Association. If anyone dared to nder the Exalted cksmith openly, she would show up at their door and ughter them like pigs."

    "Huh¡­?" Tian Qiyuan''s eyes widened for a second time, as he could totally see Zi Xuan doing such a thing for him as the Exalted cksmith Fanatic.

    "She''d killed thousands of people throughout the years, killed two of the Ancient Anvil Association elders, and even crippled the Fiery Heaven cksmith¡ªto the point where he could no longer wield a hammer properly. Due to her actions, she was branded as an evil cultivator and was given a bounty."

    "She would''ve probably gone for the God of Creation''s throat if he weren''t so much stronger than her. Anyway, after being branded as an evil cultivator and given a bounty, the Sword Goddess became the hunted."

    "If the Unrivaled Nine Swords Sect hadn''t exiled her, we would''ve been branded as aplices and also be the world''s enemy."

    "I understand her situation¡­ and I have another question. Is she dead?" Tian Qiyuan wore a grim expression on his face as he asked this serious question.

    Although they never acknowledged each other as lovers, they were certainly more than just friends and had shared moments that only lovers would. Tian Qiyuan would be lying to himself if he said he didn''t have any feelings for her.

    "Last I heard, they managed to destroy her physical body but failed to secure her soul and allowed her to escape. That was about twenty years ago. I haven''t heard anything about it since then."

    "So she could still be out there, huh¡­"

    "Last question. Who destroyed her body?"

    "That would be Fiery Heaven cksmith. Of course, he had help from the Ancient Anvil Association and several other parties."

    "Thank you. As promised, I willpensate you for your time." Tian Qiyuan handed him the sword and quickly left the scene.

    His next objective was to locate Fiery Heaven cksmith, which didn''t take long at all.

    After being crippled by Zi Xuan, Fiery Heaven cksmith retired as a cksmith and became a famous yboy who frequented brothels and whatnot.

    After asking around, Tian Qiyuan found Fiery Heaven cksmith at the Thousand Fairy Sky Pavilion, surrounded by dozens of beauties as they fed him fruits and drinks.

    Tian Qiyuan examined Fiery Heaven cksmith''s body to see how crippled he was.

    Fiery Heaven cksmith looked healthy at a nce, but once someone noticed the condition of his hands, they would immediately understand why he had to retire as a cksmith.

    His hands not onlycked fingers, but the hands themselves appeared squashed, resembling that of meatpaste.

    Normally, a cultivator at his level would be able to heal such injuries even without the help of medicine. Unfortunately for him, Zi Xuan had struck him with a sword that caused permanent damage and blocked the effects of all healing medicine. This sword was something Tian Qiyuan crafted himself, and he knew at a nce from Fiery Heaven cksmith''s injuries that she''d used that sword on him.

    Unless Fiery Heaven cksmith destroyed his crippled body and reconstructed it from scratch, he would have no way of recovering from his injuries fully.

    However, such a method was easier said than done. Rebuilding his newly constructed body to its current level would require tremendous effort and take hundreds of thousands of years.

    Fiery Heaven cksmith did not bother rebuilding his body since he''d already lost all motivation and passion for smithing after Eternal cksmith became the God of Creation.

    Once he was done examining Fiery Heaven cksmith, Tian Qiyuan approached him.

    "Hey, you bastard, are you blind?"

    Fiery Heaven cksmith cursed at him before he could even get too close.

    "Can''t you see that I am busy enjoying myself here? Your presence is affecting the atmosphere. Get lost before I kill¡ª"

    Before Fiery Heaven cksmith could even finish his sentence, Tian Qiyuan retrieved the masterpiece he''d recentlypleted and swung it.

    Sha!

    Even though Fiery Heaven cksmith could follow Tian Qiyuan''s movements, his body was not fast enough to react to it, and before he realized it, his physical body had been destroyed.

    "AHHH!"

    "MURDERER!!!"

    Thedies around them screamed in terror.

    However, Tian Qiyuan did not kill Fiery Heaven cksmith, who was now a bodiless soul.

    "Y-you fucking bastard! Who do you think I am?! How dare you do this to¡ª"

    Fiery Heaven cksmith failed to finish his sentence a second time, but it was not because of Tian Qiyuan.

    When Fiery Heaven cksmith subconsciouslyid eyes on the sword in Tian Qiyuan''s grasp after being attracted by its aura, he was struck with such profound bewilderment that words utterly failed him.

    As a Divine cksmith, he''d seen all sorts of treasures in this world. However, he''d never seen a treasure like the sword before him at this very moment. While he couldn''t tell exactly what it was made of, he instinctively knew that it was something otherworldly¡ªsomething this world had never seen before. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    If he had to describe the treasure, it would be wless and without equal.

    Tian Qiyuan noticed that Fiery Heaven cksmith was ensnared by his sword and smiled, "Are you interested in this?"

    He extended his sword to give Fiery Heaven cksmith a better look.

    "W-where did you acquire such a treasure?! Is it a natural treasure, or is it someone''s creation?!" Fiery Heaven cksmith asked, pretending as if Tian Qiyuan hadn''t destroyed his physical body a moment ago. Despite losing his passion as a cksmith and retiring as one, he was still one at heart.

    Tian Qiyuan shrugged and said, "I don''t know. I found it lying on the street and picked it up."

    And without saying another word, Tian Qiyuan vanished from the scene like a ghost, leaving Fiery Heaven cksmith utterly speechless and confused.

    His purpose for visiting Fiery Heaven cksmith was solely to punish him for destroying Zi Xuan''s physical body. He''d thought about destroying Fiery Heaven cksmith''s soul, killing him permanently.

    However, when Tian Qiyuan saw how interested Fiery Heaven cksmith was in his weapon, Tian Qiyuan decided to torture him with curiosity.

    Sure enough, Fiery Heaven cksmith''s encounter with Tian Qiyuan''s sword left a profound and evesting impression on him, sparking an intense desire to create something ofparable brilliance.

    His passion for the art reignited, and Fiery Heaven cksmith announced his return as a cksmith after reconstructing his new physical body. He used his memories to study Tian Qiyuan''s sword, but no matter how much he tried, he was unable toprehend it.

    Eventually, he gave up trying to understand it and began attempting to replicate it. s, nothing he crafted came even close to matching the quality of Tian Qiyuan''s sword, even after millions of attempts.

    "If only I could see that sword one more time! If only I had looked at it for a little longer back then!!!"

    His infatuation eventually turned him into a madman who traveled the Nine Heavens in search of Tian Qiyuan and his sword.

    Meanwhile, Tian Qiyuan visited the Ancient Anvil Association and unted his sword to the experts there, leaving all of them absolutely gobsmacked.

    To the untrained eye, Tian Qiyuan''s sword appeared to be a high-quality sword and nothing more. However, to expert cksmiths, it was nothing short of a miracle¡ªthe true pinnacle of craftsmanship that surpassedmon sense and defied all logic, as if it embodied the very essence and secrets of the art of smithing.

    The experts there begged Tian Qiyuan to let them examine the treasure, but Tian Qiyuan refused even to let them touch his sword.

    This drove all of the experts there mad, especially Yao Tao, who actually lost control of his emotions and attacked Tian Qiyuan in an attempt to steal the sword.

    However, Tian Qiyuan easily stopped Yao Tao in his tracks, even destroying his physical body in the process. Then, without another word, Tian Qiyuan vanished into thin air.

    Soon, rumors of a mysterious man with a ''perfect'' sword spread throughout themunity like wildfire.

    "It was a sword that surpassed even Celestial-grade treasures."

    "It was not something created by man but by a god¡ªone that surpasses even the God of Creation!"

    These rumors eventually reached the God of Creation, immediately piquing his interest.

 Chapter 1538 Pinnacle of Treasures

    1538 Pinnacle of Treasures

    "A mysterious man carrying around a sword of unfathomable quality that is described as the pinnacle of treasures by those who witnessed it, huh?" God of Creation muttered to himself after hearing the recent rumors. As a cksmith, he was more interested in the sword than the individual with it.

    Eventually, he could no longer contain his curiosity and began a journey to find the mysterious man with the so-called pinnacle of treasures.

    He visited those who had seen the sword to see if he could learn anything about this mysterious man or find any clues that would lead to him. Unfortunately, he could only acquire insubstantial information.

    "He was a tall and handsome man."

    "I have never seen him before, but he had a powerful aura around him. I believe he was an expert."

    "He was definitely an expert. I don''t know how much his sword contributed to his strength, but he managed to obliterate Yao Tao of the Ancient Anvil Association with a single blow."

    "His sword matched the length of his body, its de predominantly ck with hints of gold woven in. Although its appearance wasn''t extravagant, its quality was undeniably otherworldly," one of the witnesses recalled, their voice filled with reverence.

    "If a grade existed above Celestial-grade, that sword would definitely be in that category¡ªor two above it. That''s just how perfect it was."

    As the God of Creation heard more about this wless sword, his desire to see it with his own eyes intensified.

    The God of Creation, driven by an insatiable desire, eventually ced a bounty on both the man and the sword, offering vast fortunes to anyone who could lead him to either. To the man himself, he promised untold riches and treasures beyond imagination should he present the sword in person. This announcement reverberated through the realms, igniting a fervent hunt that spanned across the Nine Heavens.

    However, no matter how much people searched, they were unable to find any traces of the man or the sword, as if he''d vanished into thin air.

    Meanwhile, Tian Qiyuan went to look for Zi Xuan''s soul after messing with the Ancient Anvil Association.

    The first ce he looked was the secret entrance to her world in the Eighth Heaven. After traveling to the Eighth Heaven and arriving at his destination, he found that the entrance had vanished and was no longer there.

    ''She probably couldn''t handle opening too many entrances to her world after losing her physical body¡­''

    Unfortunately, this was the only entrance to her world that he knew of, and he doubted anyone who wasn''t Zi Xuan would know of another entrance.

    ''If I cannot find her, I''ll let her find me¡­''

    Tian Qiyuan could only think of one way to attract Zi Xuan. Although he had already tossed away the identity as the Exalted cksmith, if it could help Zi Xuan''s situation, he would not hesitate to be the Exalted cksmith again.

    There was a chance that Zi Xuan might eventually show up in his world, but he didn''t know how long that would take or if she''d want to trouble him with her presence.

    ''Since she acted to clear my name, I should do just that¡ªclear my name.''

    However, he didn''t know where to start. The Ancient Anvil Association had already convinced the entire world that he was a fraud. If he appeared out of the blue to clear his name after ignoring it for so long, it would only have the opposite effect.

    In the end, he decided to return to his world to think of a n. He also hoped that Zi Xuan would suddenly show up in his world like she often does.

    Unbeknownst to him, Zi Xuan had already caught wind of the rumors surrounding the peerless sword. The moment she heard about it, her thoughts immediately turned to Tian Qiyuan. In all the heavens, there was only one individual capable of crafting such a masterpiece.

    ''So he''s achieved his ambitions¡­ It''s a pity that I missed the process, and I really want to see the sword with my own eyes, but s¡­ I don''t think I can visit him while in this condition¡­''

    She feared that Tian Qiyuan would disapprove of her methods of trying to clear his name, as she''d gone to the extreme. However, even if it caused him to hate her, she would not stop until she cleared his name.

    ''Once I reconstruct my body and regain enough strength, I willunch a full attack on the Ancient Anvil Association! Then I will deal with Fiery Heaven cksmith once and for all! Since I am not strong enough to deal with the God of Creation yet, I''ll save him forst¡­''

    A few yearster, Tian Qiyuan appeared in the world again, carrying on his back a beautiful ck and golden sword.

    Once people started realizing his identity as the mysterious man with the wless sword, they immediately notified the God of Creation of his whereabouts. Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    When the God of Creation received this news, he stopped whatever he was doing and flew directly to the location given to him.

    Surprisingly, it was the Grand Elder Summit.

    "The Grand Elder Summit, huh? I haven''t been to this ce since that incident¡­" The God of Creation mumbled to himself as he approached the ce.

    As for Tian Qiyuan, he quietly cultivated at the peak of the summit, wherepetitions usually took ce. It was also where he performed his God of Creation Ceremony.

    Although he was surrounded by a crowd, mostly cksmiths, none dared to approach him. They had all heard of what he had done to Yao Tao. Instead, they merely inspected the sword resting on hisp with awe in their eyes.

    "The rumors were true! That is truly a wless sword! The pinnacle of treasures!"

    "Heavens! Who is that man? Do you think he created it?"

    "There''s no way a nobody could have crafted such a treasure! I doubt even the heavens have the capabilities to do so!"

    The cksmiths stared at the sword with mouths agape, their eyes brimming with wonder and reverence as if they stood before their god.

 Chapter 1539 Exalted Blacksmithâ€™s Return

    <h4>Chapter 1539 Exalted cksmith''s Return</h4>

    1539 Exalted cksmith''s Return

    "Excuse me, can you tell us your name?" One of the cksmiths surrounding Tian Qiyuan, like a group of hungry pigeons, suddenly asked him.

    Tian Qiyuan looked at the man who just spoke and calmly responded, "Tian Qiyuan."

    "Tian Qiyuan¡­?"

    "It sounds familiar, but I can''t remember where I heard such a name before¡­"

    "I also find it very familiar, too."

    "Me too."

    None of the people there recognized his name at first, but it definitely sounded familiar to them.

    God of Creation showed up shortly after, but nobody there managed to remember where they heard his name.

    During his time as the Exalted cksmith, Tian Qiyuan rarely mentioned his name, only doing so during his earlier days as the Exalted cksmith, hence why nobody there could recall it.

    When the people there noticed the God of Creation descending to the Grand Elder Summit, they all made room for hisnding.

    God of Creation touched the ground a momentter,nding right before Tian Qiyuan.

    However, the God of Creation didn''t utter a word even many minutes after his arrival, filling the atmosphere with an awkward silence.

    With a nonchnt expression on his face, his eyes were fixated on the sword on Tian Qiyuan''sp. Yet, if one looked closely, one would notice the God of Creation''s eyebrows asionally twitching.

    God of Creation eventually opened his mouth to speak, "Who¡­ who created that sword?"

    Even the expert cksmiths present struggled to discern whether the sword was a crafted masterpiece or a natural wonder born from the essence of the world itself, but the God of Creation could tell that it was the former.

    He''d seen all kinds of treasures in the world, including the best treasures in the world. However, none of them could even begin topare to the sword in front of him at this very moment.

    He initially believed the rumors about the sword were exaggerations, but upon seeing it with his own eyes, he realized they had, in fact, underestimated its true value and miraculous nature.

    "Does it really matter who crafted it?" Tian Qiyuan responded.

    "Of course it does!" he quickly answered.

    "And what are you going to do with that knowledge, God of Creation? Are you going to give them your position?"

    "What¡­? That''s¡­" God of Creation immediately fell silent.

    Whoever crafted this sword definitely had the skills to rece him, but he didn''t dare to utter such words out loud.

    "Wait¡­ your voice¡­" God of Creation suddenly had a moment of realization and wore a look of disbelief on his face.

    "You can''t be¡­"

    Tian Qiyuan stood up and said, "This sword was crafted by none other than yours truly, Tian Qiyuan."

    "Exalted cksmith!" God of Creation muttered in a shocked tone, feeling all sorts of emotions rushing into him.

    "What? Exalted cksmith? The fraud of the era?"

    Everyone there was left speechless after finally realizing Tian Qiyuan''s true identity.

    "But he''s not wearing a mask¡­ what does this mean?"

    "Why would he expose his face like this? His only saving grace was his unknown identity."

    "Forget about all that! He just imed to be the creator of that wless sword! If anyone could craft a sword, it would be someone who performed a wless God of Creation Ceremony! I''ve always known that he was innocent!"

    "Is this the return of the Exalted cksmith?!"

    "Why are you all so quick to believe him? He''s a fraud!" someone shouted, their voice cutting through the murmurs of admiration.

    "That''s right! He''s a fraud! That sword is probably fake, too!"

    "A fraud, huh?" Tian Qiyuan suddenly chuckled.

    "What''s so funny?!"

    "Oh, it''s nothing serious. I just find your stupidity quite funny, so I cracked a chuckle. What do you think, God of Creation? Do you also think my sword is fake because it''s too perfect¡ª

    just like my God of Creation Ceremony? I am, by your words, a fraud, after all."

    God of Creation gritted his teeth and clenched his fists at Tian Qiyuan''s words, but he could not find a proper response. Deep down, he knew the truth. He wanted to refute him, but having already acknowledged his own faults privately, he understood that continuing to deceive himself and nder Tian Qiyuan would render him truly irredeemable.

    After a moment of silence, God of Creation spoke, "Let''s have a match, Exalted cksmith."

    "That''s quite sudden, but I never shy away from a challenge. What do you have in mind?"

    "We will both perform the God of Creation Ceremony again¡ªa slightly modified version of it¡ª and at the same time. For this ceremony, we will be crafting specific treasures to ensure that cheating is impossible. Of course, I will also be providing the materials."

    Tian Qiyuan quickly agreed, "It''s a bit of a hassle, but I''ll do it. However, let''s make it more interesting. The winner will have to give up on their most valuable possession. In my case, it would be this sword."

    "If you can beat me, I will give you this sword." Tian Qiyuan held the sword in front of him with a confident aura surrounding him.

    The God of Creation swallowed nervously at this enticing offer. However, he had nothing in his possession that could possibly match the sword. Even if he were to give up his title and his entire fortune, it would not be able topare with the sword.

    After pondering for a moment, he said, "I shall give you my life."

    The God of Creation''s response surprised not just Tian Qiyuan but also left the crowd speechless.

    "What are you trying to achieve? Atone for your crimes of ndering me?" Tian Qiyuan asked, his voiceced with curiosity.

    "I''ll give you an answer if you can defeat me." Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.

    "Very well. And a heads up¡ªI have no intention of stopping you if you truly want to give up your life because I have no sympathy for those who wronged me, so be prepared to die once you lose to me."Tian Qiyuan said.

    The God of Creation calmly nodded, seemingly undisturbed by his words.

    "Then I''ll give you the date and location of our matchter," he said the following moment.

 Chapter 1540 Unparalleled Speed

    1540 Unparalleled Speed

    News of Tian Qiyuan''s return and his uing match with the God of Creation spread through the Nine Heavens like wildfire, igniting curiosity and excitement among cultivators and cksmiths alike.

    "What? The Exalted cksmith has returned? What happened to him being a fraud?"

    "I guess that''s why the God of Creation challenged him to a match¡ªto determine whether he is truly a fraud or not."

    "The Exalted cksmith revealed his identity? How do we know that he''s not in disguise?"

    "So the Exalted cksmith is the creator of the wless sword¡­ It all makes sense now¡­"

    A few weekster, the God of Creation announced the time and ce for theirpetition.

    "Our match will take ce at the Astral Holy Grounds exactly ten years from now. There will be no time for preparations once the God of Creation Ceremony begins, but you have ten years to prepare."

    Tian Qiyuan acknowledged the match and vanished from the world for the next ten years.

    As Tian Qiyuan''s match with the God of Creation grew closer, countless influential figures and powerful backgrounds made their way to the Astral Holy Grounds.

    The Astral Holy Grounds, a unique location beyond the Nine Heavens, was essible only to those capable of traversing the starry sky, making attendance at their match a rare privilege reserved for the most powerful or resourceful cultivators.

    Fortunately for those unable to travel but eager to witness the historic event, a special treasure would broadcast the match to the entire world, ensuring everyone could watch the legendary match unfold.

    When Tian Qiyuan arrived at the Astral Holy Grounds, he was greeted by a massive sea of influential people. No matter where he looked, he would recognize at least several of them with a nce. Hell, even the Celestial Emperor was present.

    Of course, the Ancient Anvil Association and Yao Tao, with his new physical body, were also there.

    When Yao Tao sensed Tian Qiyuan''s gaze on him, his body instinctively reacted, trembling in fear.

    Sometimeter, Tian Qiyuan and the God of Creation approached therge area where their stations had already been prepared.

    Before they started the match, the Celestial Emperor entered the stage as an announcer and said, "We have all gathered here today to witness the God of Creation and Exalted cksmith''spetition. Both contestants will be performing a slightly altered version of the God of Creation Ceremony."

    "Just like the original ceremony, they have 100 attempts to craft as many Celestial-grade treasures as they can. However, they both must craft the treasure using the materials provided to them, so they cannot craft whatever they want."

    In the God of Creation Ceremony, participants could craft any treasures they desired from the materials they selected and choose the type of weapon they desired to make. This flexibility made the traditional ceremony less challenging than the altered version, where they were restricted on the materials they used, as well as the type of treasures they could craft from them.

    "Before we begin thispetition, our contestants will give a brief speech."

    The God of Creation stepped forward and began speaking after the Celestial Emperor gave him a nod.

    "I will keep my speech brief. As some, if not most of you, have already heard, if I lose this match, I will forfeit my life. You may be wondering why I decided to gamble my life in such a manner. There are several reasons, but I will only tell you one."

    "If Exalted cksmith defeats me, it means he was not a fraud, and I was mistaken the entire time. To nder someone who performed a wless God of Creation Ceremony, I can only atone with my life."

    The spectators immediately began mumbling to each other.

    "If the Exalted cksmith turns out to be innocent and his God of Creation Ceremony was legit, the Ancient Anvil Association is done for. Nobody will ever trust them again."

    "The Exalted cksmith is definitely innocent. I''ve believed in him since day one."

    Tian Qiyuan spoke next, "I only have one reason for epting his challenge¡ªto prove my innocence. If I lose thispetition, I will give God of Creation my masterpiece¡ªthis sword right here."

    When Tian Qiyuan revealed the sword, countless gasps echoed through the crowd. Sword enthusiasts were literally drooling at the sight of such perfection, their hands itching with an almost unbearable urge to touch and inspect the masterpiece before them.

    The Celestial Emperor was no different. Despite his vast collection of treasures, none couldpare to the sword crafted by Tian Qiyuan.

    Tian Qiyuan continued, "With that said, God of Creation''s life alone won''t be able to make this a fair gamble, so I will be taking every treasure crafted from this God of Creation Ceremony."

    Tian Qiyuan''s words were quite arrogant, but nobody could refute his ims¡ªnot even the God of Creation himself.

    Sometimeter, Tian Qiyuan and the God of Creation went to their workstations.

    "Let the match between God of Creation and Exalted cksmith begin!" The Celestial Emperor announced.

    Tian Qiyiuan grabbed the first set of materials. There were signs beside the materials with the required type of treasure, and his first treasure would be a spear.

    Once he took a moment to examine the materials, Tian Qiyuan immediately began refining them.

    Unbeknownst to the world, Tian Qiyuan''s smithing skills experienced a profound evolution after he sessfully crafted his masterpiece.

    With his current skills, Celestial-grade treasures were no different than Spirit-grade treasures.

    A few hourster, while the God of Creation was still refining his materials, Tian Qiyuan finished his first treasure.

    "No way¡­ he''s already done? It''s only been four hours since he began!"

    "Impossible! He must be cheating!"

    "Are you fucking stupid? Almost every expert in the Nine Heavens is present, including the Celestial Emperor himself! Even if he dared to cheat, I do not believe he can evade the detection of so many experts!"

    "Four hours¡­ what the hell is this? Is he crafting Celestial-

    grade treasures or Spirit-grade treasures?"

    "At this rate, he''ll finish all 100 Celestial-grade treasures before the God of Creation can finish a single treasure."

    God of Creation was so focused on his work that he didn''t realize Tian Qiyuan had already finished his first treasure.

    Tian Qiyuan quickly moved on to his second treasure and, a few hourster, finished it within three hours.

    "My god! He''s gotten even faster!"

    "Some people can''t evenprehend just how amazing of a feat it is to lower even a single minute, much less an entire hour¡­" This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    Ding! Ding! Ding!

    Tian Qiyuan''s hammer swung with such speed that, to onlookers, his arm seemed frozen in time.

    "How fast is he hammering the materials?! Although I hear a steady rhythm, he''s obviously hammering it much faster! What kind of phenomenon is this?!"

    Two hourster, Tian Qiyuan finished his third treasure, lowering his time by another hour.

    "Heavens¡­" The Celestial Emperor and the other powerhouses were all left stunned by Tian Qiyuan''s ridiculous crafting speed.

    While they were certain that Tian Qiyuan was not cheating, they struggled to ept the existence of such unparalleled talent. Desperately, they scrutinized every detail in his movements, hoping to find something to discredit him.

    Unfortunately, no matter how hard they tried, they could not find anything sketchy about Tian Qiyuan''s work.

    Heaven and Earth cksmith, who was present at the ceremony, sighed to himself, "He''s truly ahead of our time by countless years."

    "Such unrivaled talents¡­ you can only be envious about it." Star Forging cksmith spoke with a bittersweet smile.

    After crafting his 10th treasure, Tian Qiyuan sped up a little more, now requiring only a single hour to finish a treasure

    "Surely, he cannot go any faster than this, right?"

    "At this rate, he''ll finish this ceremony in less than a week."

    Four dayster, Tian Qiyuan started working on his final treasure.

    Meanwhile, the God of Creation was still trying to refine the materials for his first treasure.

    It was evident who was destined to win thispetition long before Tian Qiyuan evenpleted his second treasure. Yet, no one intervened on behalf of the God of Creation. Instead, they all pitied him. Having staked his very life on this contest, they were essentially witnessing the final moments of the God of Creation.

    Unfortunately, his final moments were neither grand nor something to be celebrated. The once mighty God of Creation was humbled, his greatness eclipsed by the brilliance of Tian Qiyuan''s otherworldly talent.

    Half an hourter, Tian Qiyuanpleted his 100th treasure, marking the end of his God of Creation Ceremony. He had somehow surpassed his previous wless ceremony, achieving the impossible by elevating perfection to an even higher realm.

    As Tian Qiyuan finished hisst treasure, the entire world fell silent, as if time itself had frozen in awe of his achievement.

    Tian Qiyuan ced his hammer down and turned to look at the God of Creation, who was still hammering away, oblivious to the fact that the ceremony had already concluded.

    Tian Qiyuan shook his head and approached the God of Creation, stopping right in front of his anvil.

    With Tian Qiyuan standing directly in front of him, the God of Creation couldn''t help but notice him, even in his state of deep immersion in his work.

    "Bastard, what are you trying to do?! Are you giving up already because you know you can''t beat me?" The God of Creation stopped hammering and roared at Tian Qiyuan.

    Tian Qiyuan shrugged and said, "Thepetition''s already over. However, I won''t stop you if you wish to finish your ceremony. That way, you''ll get to spend a few more decades doing what you love before you die."

    "What¡­?" The God of Creation looked at him with disbelief.

 Chapter 1541 Defeating the God of Creation

    1541 Defeating the God of Creation

    "Y-you''re done with the ceremony¡­? That''s impossible! It''s only been several days since we started!" God of Creation didn''t even have to look at Tian Qiyuan''s workstation to know that he was farting.

    Tian Qiyuan''s expression remained calm as he spoke, "You really don''t learn, do you? If you don''t believe me, take a look for yourself."

    He gestured at hispleted treasures on disy.

    The God of Creation didn''t want to entertain Tian Qiyuan and his nonsense, but he had to take a look.

    When he turned his head to Tian Qiyuan''s workstation, he could not see any materials. On Tian Qiyuan''s disy were 100 Celestial-grade treasures, all of them following their own specifications.

    ng.

    The God of Creation dropped his hammer from shock after seeing this.

    He turned to look at the audience. They all wore expressions of defeat, a sorrowful aura hanging around them as if they were mourning a profound loss¡ªhis imminent death.

    While the God of Creationmented in silence, Tian Qiyuan spoke, "Even though it''s your loss, I won''t personally kill you, nor do I really care if you actually honor your own words. You can continue to live after this, but you will forever be known as a coward and nderer for the rest of your life."

    Tian Qiyuan no longer paid attention to the God of Creation and turned to look at the Yao Tao, who was seated with several elders of the Ancient Anvil Association and said out loud, "Are you going to im that I had cheated thispetition, too? Are you going to nder my name and call me a fraud to cover up what you''ve done in the past?"

    Yao Tao and the elders lowered their heads in shame, not daring to talk back. With their credibility lost and their nder now exposed to so many people, the Ancient Anvil Association was essentially finished.

    Moreover, after Tian Qiyuan''s performance today, nobody would dare to offend him, who could churn out Celestial- grade treasures like candy.

    The Celestial Emperor approached Tian Qiyuan once it became clear that the God of Creation had given up¡ªnot that it would have made a difference even if he continued.

    "Congrattions on bing the next God of Creation, Exalted cksmith."

    However, Tian Qiyuan shook his head and said, "I have no intention of epting that position."

    Seeing the confused look on the Celestial Emperor''s face, he exined, "I came back as the Exalted cksmith to clear my name, that''s all. I have no intention of working as a cksmith again."

    "No way! With your talents¡­ it''d be an immense waste of talents!" Heaven and Earth cksmith suddenly stood up and eximed.

    "Why did you be a cksmith in the first ce?" The Celestial Emperor asked.

    Tian Qiyuan showed his sword and said, "I started my journey as a cksmith to craft the perfect weapon, and I have achieved my ambition."

    The Celestial Emperor swallowed nervously. With the sword so close to him, he had a strong urge to grab it from Tian Qiyuan.

    "What do you n on doing now that you''ve retired? I could offer you a position within the Celestial Pce." The Celestial Emperor said.

    "I''m going to rx at home for a bit, hopefully with somepany. Then, I''ll begin my next project, whatever that may be."

    Tian Qiyuan proceeded to collect all of the treasures he''d crafted. Then, without giving the audience any more of his attention, he disappeared into the distance.

    The audience remained silent even after Tian Qiyuan left. As for the God of Creation, he continued to sit before his anvil in silence, his thoughts unknown.

    After leaving the Astral Holy Grounds, Tian Qiyuan returned to his own world. Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    Over the next several years, the world would not stop talking about Tian Qiyuan''s match against the God of Creation, who disappeared after theirpetition and vanished from the world, never to be seen or heard from again.

    Nobody knew what happened to him. Some spected that he''d killed himself in istion, while others spected that he chickened out and couldn''t kill himself and changed his identity.

    As for the Ancient Anvil Association, they were disbanded when everyone lost faith in them. Many cksmiths med the association for Tian Qiyuan''s early retirement and refused to coborate with them. Countless cksmiths tore up their contracts and discarded them outside the association''s headquarters.

    The Ancient Anvil Association, one of the oldest establishments for cksmiths, ended because they ndered a single man, and nobody felt sorry for them.

    With the God of Creation gone and Tian Qiyuan refusing the title, the position became awkwardly vacant. Despite being qualified, neither the Star Forging cksmith nor the Relentless cksmith stepped forward to im it.

    When asked about it, they simply said they were not worthy of it, especially when Tian Qiyuan still existed.

    In the end, people gave Tian Qiyuan a new title as the God of Refinement due to his ridiculous material refining speed.

    As for Zi Xuan, it became clear to everyone that she had been right all along¡ªTian Qiyuan was indeed innocent. Although her methods had been extreme, few med her for her actions. The Unrivaled Nine Swords Sect publicly announced their willingness to wee her back into the sect, but they never heard from Zi Xuan again.

    Nine years after Tian Qiyuan defeated the God of Creation and cleared his name, he sensed a presence appearing inside his world.

    He greeted the presence with a gentle smile, "It''s been a while, Zi Xuan."

    "I''m sorry to show up in this pathetic state¡­" she sighed, still in her soul form.

    "It''s all good. I''m d you''re okay. I was worried that I might never see you again."

    "Really? You don''t hate me? Even though I''ve done such horrible things?"

    "What''s so horrible about trying to clear my name? So what if you''ve killed some people? They deserved it for ndering me." Tian Qiyuan shrugged.

    "Qiyuan¡­ thank you¡­" Zi Xuan said in a trembling voice.

 Chapter 1542 Empyrean Overlordâ€™s True Name

    <h4>Chapter 1542 Empyrean Overlord''s True Name </h4>

    1542 Empyrean Overlord''s True Name

    "What''s your n now?" Tian Qiyuan asked Zi Xuan sometimeter.

    "I don''t know yet, but I''ll let you know once I think of something. In the meantime, let me see your sword. I''ve been dying to take a look at it ever since I heard about it." Zi Xuan said, her voice filled with enthusiasm.

    "Of course."

    Tian Qiyuan retrieved his sword and held it before Zi Xuan.

    "Oh¡­"

    Even without a body, Zi Xuan could feel her entire existence trembling from excitement.

    Once her excitement calmed down a little, she noticed the sword emitting a strange aura, almost as though it was trying to charm her soul.

    However, after examining it for a little longer, she felt that something was off about it, and she couldn''t pinpoint why she was feeling this way.

    "It''s definitely an otherwordly sword without equal, and don''t misunderstand me for saying this," Zi Xuan muttered after a moment, "but it feels like there''s something missing. It just doesn''t feelplete, somehow."

    Zi Xuan braced herself for Tian Qiyuan''s reprimand, but to her surprise, he simply smiled at her.

    "If anyone could tell, I knew it would be you, Zi Xuan." Tian Qiyuan chuckled.

    Despite the multitude of admirers and expert cksmiths who had seen the sword, none had noticed the subtle w that Zi Xuan pointed out.

    "Huh? I was right?" Zi Xuan muttered in a dazed voice. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    Tian Qiyuan nodded and said, "Indeed, you''re right. As you pointed out, while the sword is finished, it''s not trulyplete. It''s missing one key element, but this element isn''t something that can be forged or crafted."

    "What do you think this element is? Take a guess."

    Zi Xuan stared at the sword in silence. However, no matter how much she thought about it, the answer eluded her.

    "I can''t think of anything."

    "The answer is a soul." Tian Qiyuan answered a momentter.

    "A¡­ soul? Like a human''s soul?"

    "Although I said soul, it''s not the type you''re thinking about. It''s an extremely rare phenomenon, but did you know that given enough time and spiritual energy, natural nts and herbs can develop into sentient spirits with their own consciousness?" Tian Qiyuan asked.

    "Yes, I am aware of that."

    "Treasures are the same. They, too, have the capability to form their own consciousness. When they do, they be Soul Weapons¡ªa weapon with its own soul. However, not all treasures can be Soul Weapons. As for those that have the capability, one can only wait for them to turn into a Soul Weapon naturally."

    Tian Qiyuan then continued, "This sword¡­ it''s an artificial Soul Weapon¡ªa soulless one. While it doesn''t have a soul right now, it has the capability to house a soul and grow together with it."

    "An artificial Soul Weapon¡­? That''s crazy¡­ but what advantage does it providethat a natural Soul Weapon cannot?"

    "Well, for starters, once a natural Soul Weapon''s spirit dies, the weapon loses its powers alongside the spirit. As for my sword, it won''t lose its powers or be destroyed even without a spirit because it came into existence without one."

    "And since the sword won''t be destroyed without a spirit, we can always change out the spirit for whatever reason."

    Zi Xuan listened to Tian Qiyuan''s words as she stared at the beautiful sword.

    "Would a human soul bepatible with it?" she suddenly asked.

    "A human soul, huh? Since a spirit''s soul is almost indistinguishable from a human''s soul, I think it would work." Tian Qiyuan said.

    "I have decided what I want to do. Qiyuan, let me be this sword''s spirit," she spoke in a serious tone.

    "What?" Tian Qiyuan stared at her with wide eyes.

    "The sword is iplete right now because it doesn''t have a soul, right? Then, allow me toplete it. I have always wanted to be one with your swords, so this is exactly what I''ve been waiting for!"

    "But you''re a human who spent most of your life living in this vast world¡­ Are you really fine with throwing away all of that just to spend your life inside a sword as a spirit?" Tian Qiyuan hesitated to make Zi Xuan the spirit of his sword.

    "I am. I can continue growing stronger with the sword, right? And it''s not like I have to spend the rest of my life inside the sword since it can continue to operate without a spirit."

    Tian Qiyuan sighed, "If that''s what you really want, I won''t stop you. And it''s true. If you ever change your mind, you cane out of the sword and return to living as a human."

    "Then it''s decided. I want to be together with you as your sword. This will fulfill both of my dreams at once, just like killing two birds with one stone."

    Zi Xuan always wanted to remain by Tian Qiyuan''s side, but her position within the Unrivaled Nine Swords Sect made that difficult. Now that she''ll be living inside his sword, she''ll be able to follow him wherever he goes.

    "However, promise me something." Zi Xuan suddenly said.

    "What is it?"

    "That you''ll never let another soul dwell inside this sword for as long as I exist."

    "As long as you wish to remain inside the sword, I promise that I won''t let anyone else take your spot." Tian Qiyuan nodded.

    "By the way, what''s this sword''s name?"

    Tian Qiyuan smiled and said, "I thought you''d never ask."

    "Since it''s a treasure that stands above all treasures under heaven, I named it Number One Under Heaven."

    "Number One Under Heaven¡­ What an arrogant yet fitting name. It''s perfect."

    Sometimeter, Zi Xuan entered Number One Under Heaven,pleting Tian Qiyuan''s masterpiece.

    "..."

    "..."

    "..."

    "I remember everything now, Zi Xuan!" Yuan eximed as the sword spirit''s aura reached its peak.

    Zi Xuan''s body trembled after hearing her name, and her aura began to simmer down.

    Yuan raised the Empyrean Overlord and mumbled to it, "I apologize for not remembering you sooner, Number One Under Heaven."

    Ding!

    <You have learned Empyrean Overlord''s true name!>

    <Empyrean Overlord has begun its true awakening>

 Chapter 1543 Number One Under Heaven

    1543 Number One Under Heaven

    "So you''ve remembered everything, huh?" Zi Xuan pointed her finger at him in a threatening manner.

    "Not literally everything as Tian Qiyuan, but I remember how we met, about the God of Creation Ceremony, about being ndered and clearing my name, and how you became the spirit of Number One Under Heaven."

    "Then you remember our promise, right? That you''d never let another soul dwell within my sword for as long as I exist!" she growled, her anger palpable.

    "Yes¡­ I remember¡­ and I''m sorry for breaking that promise. I have no excuse, even though I only recovered Tian Qiyuan''s memories just now. However, can you hear me out for a moment?"

    "I''ll give you one minute to exin yourself." Zi Xuan replied after a moment of silence.

    "Thank you." Yuan immediately exined the situation to her.

    Sometimeter, Zi Xuan spoke after grasping the situation, "I understand the situation now, but that doesn''t mean I have to ept it. You tossed them into your Soul Weapons so you could bring them out of the Shadow Realm, but now that they''re out of the Shadow Realm, they no longer have any reason to stay inside."

    "Now give me back my home before I go in there and remove you myself! I can''t promise you''ll be in one piece by the time I am finished!"

    Knowing Zi Xuan''s character and how much Number One Under Heaven meant to her, he had no doubt that she would actually carry out her own threat.

    Yuan quickly pondered for a solution. Since the Soul Weapon could only house one soul at a time and he didn''t have another unupied Soul Weapon, there was only one ce for Yu Ning to stay.

    "It''s okay, Young Master. I wille out. Since we''re outside the Shadow Realm, it''s true that I no longer need to stay inside, and this is her home, after all." Yu Ning''s voice suddenly said.

    And without waiting for Yuan to respond, Yu Ning emerged from Number One Under Heaven.

    Unlike Zi Xuan, who was in perfect shape and looked like an actual human, Yu Ning''s soul resembled a small, ethereal cloud.

    "Hmph!"

    Zi Xuan immediately entered Number One Under Heaven.

    Ding!

    <Sword Goddess Zi Xuan has entered Empyrean Overlord>

    <Sword Goddess Zi Xuan has reconnected her bond with Empyrean Overlord>

    <After reuniting with its spirit, Sword Goddess Zi Xuan, Empyrean Overlord''s awakening has elerated significantly>

    Ding!

    <Empyrean Overlord has fully awakened its true form!>

    <Empyrean Overlord has changed name, bing Number One Under Heaven>

    Ding!

    <Due to your insufficient cultivation, you will not be able to utilize Number One Under Heaven at its full capacity>

    <For the safety of the user, Zi Xuan had ced restrictions upon Number One Under Heaven, reducing its power significantly>

    [Number One Under Heaven]

    [Level: Max]

    [Rank: Soul Weapon]

    [Growth Rate: ???]

    [Requirement: Can only be wielded by yer Yuan]

    [Description: The God of Refinement''s masterpiece. It is the pinnacle of swords and treasures with unfathomable prowess.]

    [Unique Ability(weakened): When wielding Number One Under Heaven, all sword techniques will have their power amplified by 100,000%.]

    [Unique Ability(2): Constantly devours the Qi of your targets after a sessful hit, replenishing your own Qi.]

    [Unique Ability(3): Number One Under Heaven''s size and weight can be altered ording to the user''s desire. Qi consumption increases based on the size and weight gained.]

    [Unique Ability(4): When Number One Under Heaven is out, all swords in the vicinity will have their powers sealed.]

    [Unique Ability(5): Sealed]

    "..."

    "..." Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    [Unique Ability(9): Sealed]

    Five out of nine of Number One Under Heaven''s unique abilities were inessible due to the restriction.

    "I''ve been meaning to say this for a while now, but what''s with your pathetic cultivation base? You won''t be able to use me at my full potential at your current level. It''s a miracle you managed toe this far inside the Vanishing Valley." Zi Xuan''s voice resounded from the sword.

    "I know. I''m working on it."

    "Hmph. If I hadn''t restricted most of Number One Under Heaven''s power before it fully awakened, your body would''ve exploded just from touching it. Anyway, do you remember how to use me?"

    "I do, but right now¡­"

    Yuan turned to look at Yu Ning and said, "You can stay inside my Dantian."

    "What? Are you insane?" Zi Xuan responded before Yu Ning could. "How can you let a stranger enter your Dantian so easily? If she wants to destroy your Dantian, there''s nothing you can do to stop her."

    Due to a Dantian''s unique properties, it was possible to let living beings reside within them. Xiao Hua and Yuan''s other servants were perfect examples of this phenomenon, as they would stay inside his Dantian whenever they entered his body.

    However, unlike Xiao Hua and the others who couldn''t harm Yuan due to their master and servant status, Yu Ning, who was not bound by any contract, posed a different story. This made her presence within the Dantian potentially dangerous, as she could destroy his Dantian while inside.

    "Even though I haven''t known Yu Ning for long, I trust her enough to let her stay within my Dantian," Yuan said with a calm smile.

    "Young Master... to go through such lengths for me... I am eternally grateful," Yu Ning spoke, her voice trembling with emotion.

    And she continued, "With heaven as my witness, I swear upon my soul that I will never harm you for as long as I live, or may the heavens shatter my soul!"

    A profound aura enveloped Yu Ning''s soul as she finished speaking, signifying that her oath had been heard and was now in effect. If Yu Ning were to harm Yuan from this moment forth, her soul would be shattered.

    "You didn''t need to do that, but thank you for doing so," Yuan said.

    "Once I regain my body, I will definitely serve you properly, Young Master." Yu Ning said as she entered his Dantian.

 Chapter 1544 Zi Xuanâ€™s Stash

    <h4>Chapter 1544 Zi Xuan''s Stash </h4>

    1544 Zi Xuan''s Stash

    "Now then¡­ Zi Xuan, let''s talk about your situation. Why are you staying in the Vanishing Valley, possessing that Giant''s Sword?" Yuan turned his focus to Zi Xuan now that Yu Ning''s issue was resolved.

    "Good question. Unfortunately, I do not know. Or, more precisely, I don''t remember. When I woke up, I found myself already inside the Vanishing Valley, and not wanting my soul to degrade, I had to possess a treasure, and this Giant''s Sword happened to be nearby."

    "You don''t remember? Then do you remember what you did before losing consciousness?"

    "I have a faint recollection of engaging in a battle, but the specifics elude me. I can''t recall the circumstances that led to the fight or who or what I was up against," she confessed.

    "Is that so¡­" Yuan mumbled with a pondering face.

    "Oh, but I do remember you telling me something right before I lost consciousness. ''Wait for me'', you said, and so I did¡­ for countless years."

    "Sorry for making you wait so long¡­"

    "You can make it up to me with some intense sexter," Zi Xuan casually said.

    "..."

    Xiao Hua lifted an eyebrow at Zi Xuan''s words.

    Yu Ning wondered to herself, ''A sword spirit having intercourse with a human? Is that even possible?''

    Unbeknownst to Yu Ning, Zi Xuan was originally human. However, after spending countless years as a sword spirit, her soul experienced a profound transformation that turned her into a hybrid of sorts, the first of its kind.

    "Then did the previous ''me'' tell you anything about what I should do?" Yuan then asked.

    "They always say the same time¡ªjust let fate take its course."

    "Of course¡­ why did I even ask?" Yuan shook his head at his own foolishness.

    "What about you, Zi Xuan? Do you have any goals or purpose at the moment?"

    "I only have one purpose¡ªto protect and serve you as your sword. Unfortunately, due to your insufficient cultivation base, I have to suppress my cultivation base and restrict Number One Under Heaven''s true potential, which will make protecting you a lot more difficult. However, unless you run into an immortal or something, there won''t be a problem."

    Yuan nodded, "Now that I''ve done everything I need to in here, let''s get out of this ominous ce."

    "Wait. Before you leave, you should take the monster cores I have collected over the years from killing magical beasts that tried to challenge me. I put them right underneath the Giant''s Sword. They will benefit your cultivation greatly if you consume them." Zi Xuan suddenly said.

    "Okay."

    Yuan flew toward the Giant''s Sword.

    "Did I hear that right? You can consume monster cores?" Yu Ning doubted her ears.

    "Yes, I have a unique physique that allows me to do so."

    "Just what kind of existence are you, Young Master?" Yu Ning muttered in a dazed voice.

    Sometimeter, Yuan arrived at the base of the Giant''s Sword, where a mountain of monster cores was stashed out in the open. The sight of so many cores piled together was both awe-inspiring and intimidating.

    Furthermore, more than half of these monster cores belonged to Immortal-level magical beasts.

    "I won''t have to worry about raising my cultivation base for a while¡­" Yuan swallowed nervously.

    Then he remembered that he was cursed by the Celestial Emperor, so these monster cores would lose 99 percent of their effects.

    ''If it weren''t for the curse, my cultivation could probably shoot straight to True Immortal with this many monster cores andplete one of the requirements to unlock Heaven''s Supremacy¡­'' he sighed inwardly.

    ''Speaking of Heaven''s Supremacy¡­ Now that I have Number One Under Heaven, maybe I can defeat a Divine Emperor-level magical beast and get that task finished. Moreover, I have Immortal Monarch''s Dominion, which will surely make things easier.''

    After putting away the monster cores into his spatial ring, Yuan immediately went around looking for a magical beast with a cultivation of Divine Emperor, which was exactly nine realms above Spirit King.

    Zi Xuan continued chatting with him as he traveled.

    "Hey, what''s your current life like? And what''s our situation looking like?"

    Yuan proceeded to exin about his new life on Earth, the existence of Cultivation Online, and his current situation. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.

    "Cultivation Online, huh? What an interesting concept the Celestial Emperor had crafted. I''m also interested in your world. Let me see it the next time you return."

    Yu Ning also listened with great interest. As for Xiao Hua, she couldn''tprehend Yuan''s words, nor did she find anything weird about it. To her, it was akin to trying toprehend an unknown scripture even though she understood the words themselves.

    A few dayster, Yuan encountered a magical beast at the first level of Divine Sovereign, which was stronger than his initial target. However, he figured that he''d try to defeat it.

    He approached the magical beast in a calm manner and used Immortal Monarch''s Dominion on it.

    "You are forbidden from moving until I say so."

    The magical beast''s movements immediately stopped. However, it quickly started moving again after a few seconds, albeit extremely slow and stiff.

    ''Is my cultivation not strong enough tomand them perfectly?'' Yuan wondered to himself.

    He used Immortal Monarch''s Dominion on it again, resetting the effects.

    Then, with Number One Under Heaven in his grasp, Yuan activated God of War''s Astral Arts before using Nine Supreme Swords.

    With Number One Under Heaven''s Unique Ability, Nine Supreme Sword''s power increased by 100,000 percent.

    With nine strikes in total, the first strike was powerful enough to kill a Divine Warrior instantly. The second strike could annihte a Divine Master in one blow. The third strike could defeat a Divine Grandmaster, while the fourth strike was potent enough to kill a Divine Lord.

    The Nine Supreme Sword''s fifth strike was powerful enough to obliterate a Divine King. However, it took the seventh strike to defeat a Divine Emperor.

    As for a Divine Sovereign magical beast, the eighth strike heavily injured it, with the ninth and final strike killing it.

    With a single technique that delivered nine consecutive attacks, each more powerful than thest, Yuan managed to defeat a magical beast ten realms above his own cultivation with rtive ease.

 Chapter 1545 Leaving Vanishing Valley

    1545 Leaving Vanishing Valley

    Ding!

    <You have achieved an impossible feat by defeating a Magical Beast that was at least nine realms above you!>

    <You have acquired the title ''Defying Logic With Overwhelming Strength''>

    [Defying Logic With overwhelming Strength: All damage dealt to Magical Beasts will be increased by 1,000%]

    Yuan looked at Number One Under Heaven after defeating the magical beast with ease.

    "The difference between its unawakened form and awakened form is night and day. Their strength is simply iparable. I haven''t felt this powerful since Heaven''s Supremacy¡­" he muttered to himself.

    "You think it is powerful right now? Just wait until you can use its full potential. This isn''t even 10 percent of its true power." Zi Xuan said.

    "Not even ten percent?" Yu Ning swallowed nervously.

    This was her first time witnessing anyone fight and defeat a magical beast ten realms above their own cultivation. Yet, Yuan managed to do it with rtive ease, leaving her in awe of his godlike prowess.

    "Since I am already here, I might as well test out Number One Under Heaven a little more," Yuan said before going to find his next target.

    Sometimeter, he encountered a Divine Grandmaster-level magical beast with a body that was several timesrger than an adult elephant.

    After halting its movements with Immortal Monarch''s Dominion, Yuan activated Number One Under Heaven''s third Unique Ability.

    Then, as though it was a balloon, Number One Under Heaven began growing in size until it was 150 meters long.

    Since Number One Under Heaven was toorge to hold, Yuan used Qi Manifestation to wield it, levitating it in the air.

    However, despite its increased size, its weight remained the same, but that didn''t remain the same for long, as Yuan increased its weight until it was as heavy as a mountain of steel.

    Then, he swung it at the magical beast, cleaving itsrge body cleanly in half.

    After killing the magical beast, Yuan reverted the sword''s size but kept its weight the same. However, it still felt as light as a feather in his hand, as if the sword''s increased weight didn''t affect him.

    Sometimeter, Yuan found a magical beast only at the level of a Spirit Sovereign.

    Without using Immortal Monarch''s Dominion on it, he struck its body with Number One Under Heaven without killing it and only injuring it with a superficial wound.

    After inflicting the injury, Yuan could feel Number One Under Heaven absorbing the magical beast''s spiritual energy through the wound before replenishing his cultivation with the spiritual energy it absorbed.

    ''It''s absorbing much more than I''d anticipated¡­''

    Number One Under Heaven was absorbing enough spiritual energy topletely deplete a Spirit King''s cultivation base within seconds, causing them to suffer from cultivation deprivation.

    "Just how many unique abilities does your sword have?" Yu Ning couldn''t help but ask.

    A typical treasure would only have one unique ability, with the higher-quality ones having two. Even the most powerful Celestial-grade treasures in the world would not have more than three unique abilities.

    "Number One Under Heaven has nine unique abilities." Zi Xuan responded in a prideful tone.

    "Nine?!" Yu Ning was shocked to learn this information.

    "And it will learn more as it continues to evolve. Number One Under Heaven is a unique treasure that does not have a limit¡ª

    it''s truly a weapon with unlimited potential."

    "Is it a natural weapon, or was it crafted by someone?" Yu Ning asked out of curiosity.

    "It was crafted by none other than the person you''re dwelling within, who was once known as the God of Refinement. Both his reputation and skill surpasses even the God of Creation."

    "That was in the past¡ªin one of my past lives." Yuan calmly said.

    "Huh? How many past lives do you have?" Yu Ning was baffled to learn that he had more than one incredible incarnation.

    "I don''t know the exact number. Do you, Zi Xuan?" Yuan turned to her.

    "You rarely talked about your past, so no. However, while I don''t know much about the lives before Tian Qiyuan, I know he had reincarnated three more times afterward¡ªnot including your current one. They are Tian Xin, Tian Kai, and Tian Yingzhe."

    ''Tian Xin¡­ That''s the Sword Emperor and the ''Lord''. Tian Kai is the one who taught the Zither Goddess¡­ Who is Tian Yingzhe?''

    Yuan only recognized two of the three names provided by Zi Xuan.

    Tian Xin was the identity of the Nameless Emperor, also known as the Sword Emperor. Tian Kai excelled in music and also taught the Zither Goddess. However, he didn''t recognize Tian Yingzhe at all.

    ''He could be the Celestial Overlord''s founder or a brand new identity that I have not discovered yet¡­''

    "What do you know about Tian Yingzhe?"

    "Sorry, but I don''t remember anything besides his name. I have more memories missing besides the moment before I lost consciousness and appeared in the Vanishing Valley. However, I think I will remember everything soon since I''ve been regaining bits and pieces of my memories about two decades ago." Zi Xuan said.

    "It''s fine. We can learn a lot with just a name."

    Once he was satisfied with his testing, Yuan flew without stopping until he left the Vanishing Valley with Zi Xuan''s help, as his divine sense was not strong enough to see through the natural illusion that prevented people from leaving the ce.

    "It feels great to leave that ce finally. I was beginning to wonder if I would ever leave." Zi Xuan sighed once they were outside Vanishing Valley.

    "I''m just d I don''t have to deal with the ck Death anymore. That thing was a menace."

    "That thing? You can damage it with Supreme Sword Aura," Zi Xuan suddenly revealed.

    "I just learned Enhanced Sword Aura. It''ll be a while before I learn Supreme Sword Aura."

    "You can also damage it with Number One Under Heaven¡ªonce you unlock its Unique Ability that allows you to cut through anything, including ck Death. However, you''ll have to reach Spirit Enlightenment to unlock it." Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    "Spirit Enlightenment, huh? Good to know."

 Chapter 1546 Returning to the Third Heaven

    1546 Returning to the Third Heaven

    After leaving Vanishing Valley, Zi Xuan asked him, "What do you n on doing now?"

    "I''m going to descend to the Third Heaven for a while."

    "What''s happening down there?"

    "Nothing. I''m just meeting up with a friend."

    "Is that so? Anyway, I''m going to slumber for a bit, as I haven''t been able to rx at home for countless years now. Don''t bring me out unless you''re in danger."

    "Alright. Get some good rest, Zi Xuan." Yuan said before putting her away.

    Even in its suppressed form, Number One Under Heaven was incredibly overpowered and definitely not necessary for the Fourth Heaven, let alone the Third Heaven.

    "Wee back, my liege." Dong Ye''s voice suddenly resounded.

    "It appears that you''ve reunited with Lady Zi and managed to awaken your sword''s true appearance."

    "Did you know Zi Xuan was in the Vanishing Valley this whole time?" Yuan suddenly asked.

    "No, my liege. I was only aware that a powerful sword spirit existed within the Vanishing Valley. Although I had my suspicions, I could never confirm it."

    Yuan nodded, "Anyway, I''m going to make a quick trip to the Third Heaven. Watch over my friends while I am gone."

    "Naturally." Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    Yuan made his way back to the ck Fog City for their teleportation device.

    From there, he teleported to the city closest to the Stairway to Heaven.

    Sometimeter, Yuan arrived at the Stairway to Heaven.

    Instead of immediately entering the Stairway to Heaven, Yuan admired it from outside.

    "Stairway to Heaven¡­"

    He vaguely recalled crafting the Stairway to Heaven as Tian Qiyuan to make traveling between the Nine Heavens more convenient.

    Before the Stairway to Heaven came into existence, cultivators had to traverse the vast starry sky to travel between realms, rendering the notion of journeying from one heaven to another much less essible.

    Each journey, depending on one''s starting point and destination, could take years, if not decades. The arduous and perilous voyages deterred many, making travel between Heavens a rare and significant endeavor reserved for the powerful and privileged.

    Realizing this, Tian Qiyuan crafted the Stairway to Heaven, allowing everyone the privilege of traversing the Nine Heavens.

    In the beginning, the Stairway to Heaven was only used as a means of travel. However, nowadays, it has be a trial of sorts for those in the lower heavens who wish for a better and more challenging life in the upper heavens. Those who sessfully ascend are often regarded with great respect and seen as worthy of the higher realms'' opportunities and challenges.

    As for who decided to turn the Stairway to Heaven into a trial, it was the Celestial Emperor, who wanted to regte travel within the Nine Heavens so the upper heavens were not overpopted, allowing the natural resources there to remain abundant.

    As for the lower heavens, while they may have fewer resources, they don''t have to worry about any Immortals wreaking havoc.

    Tian Qiyuan had no problem letting the Celestial Emperor control the Stairway to Heaven, either. It was only natural to let the ruler of Nine Heavens have authority over such issues, and not doing so might spark another war.

    Even if he handed control over to the Celestial Emperor, he was still the ultimate decision-maker as its creator, and he could regain full control whenever he wanted. Furthermore, he saw this as an opportunity to turn the Stairway to Heaven into a training ground for his future reincarnations.

    Yuan entered the Stairway to Heaven after admiring his own creation for a minute.

    "Wee back, Master." Tian''er greeted him inside.

    "Are you already ascending to the Fifth Heaven?"

    "No, I am going to visit the Third Heaven."

    "I understand. Please have a safe journey." Tian''er didn''t ask any questions and created a staircase that went down instead of going up like usual.

    "Thank you."

    Yuan didn''t say anything else and began his descent.

    Typically, after receiving approval, one must pay the Lord of their respective Heaven a significant amount of resources before they can descend. The only exception is for those traveling under the orders of the Celestial Emperor, such as the envoys sent to the lower heavens to find Yuan.

    Moreover, one would have their cultivation restricted to the limits of their destination to control the damage that could be done while there.

    Fortunately, Yuan''s cultivation was still well within the limits of Third Heaven, so he didn''t need to worry about his cultivation being a problem.

    An hourter, Yuan emerged from the Stairway to Heaven, arriving at the Third Heaven.

    "I''ll be right back." Yuan logged off shortly after to contact Bai Lianhua.

    Since Yu Ning dwelled within Yuan''s Dantian, she was unable to travel to Earth and was forced to enter a slumbering state after he logged off. The same went for Xiao Hua.

    "Yes, I''ve arrived in the Third Heaven. Meet me at the nearest Myriad of Techniques."

    "Okay, I''ll see you in a bit."

    Yuan returned to Cultivation Online the next moment.

    "Looks like I''m unable to go to Earth with you while I am in your Dantian¡­"

    "I guess it makes sense since I technically have two bodies, and you''re in my other body''s Dantian. Meanwhile, Soul Weapons are connected to one''s soul, so I can bring it out no matter which body I am using."

    "The Spirit Avatar Array and the Soul Transference Array, huh? They were ssified as level 8 formations during my time, but even I cannot perform them despite being a level 8 Array Master, so they''re definitely level 9 formations. I cannot imagine how powerful the Array Master who performed these two formations on such a massive scale may be, but they''re definitely powerful enough to be the God of Formations."

    "The God of Formations, huh? What does it take to be one?"

    "Well, while the position of God of Formation existed during my time, nobody was actually good enough to im that title. To even have the chance to be the God of Formation, you need to be able to create a level 9 formation that was considered the mostplex and difficult formation in existence¡ªthe Chaotic Heaven and Earth Formation. It''s an unfathomably powerful formation that has wless offensive and defensive capabilities."

    "The Chaotic Heaven and Earth Formation¡­ I have heard of it. It was used by the first Celestial Emperor when I fought him as the Evil God, and it was very annoying to deal with." Yuan casually muttered.

    "Huh? Excuse me? What did you just say?"

    "That I fought the first Celestial Emperor as the Evil God? Oh, right. I didn''t tell you guys yet."

    "Y-y-you were the Evil God in one of your previous lives?!?!?! Why didn''t you say this sooner!?" Yu Ning eximed in a shocked voice.

    "Well, now you know." Yuan smiled.

    Yu Ning fell silent the next moment, almost as though she was trying to figure out how she should react to this shocking revtion.

    Yuan made it all the way to the Myriad of Techniques inplete silence.

    Bai Lianhua was standing outside when he arrived.

    "Sorry, did you wait long?"

    Bai Lianhua shook her head and smiled, "No, I just got here myself."

    "Let''s go inside."

    Once inside, Yuan brought her straight to the highest floor and said, "Alright, go pick whatever techniques you want."

    "Are you sure about this?" she asked, still hesitant to ept such a gift from him.

    "What are you saying now? Go and get some techniques for your faction. Also, you can take your time. I''ll also be looking around."

    "Okay¡­"

    Bai Lianhua left the next moment to wander the ce while Yuan also went to check out the techniques. While he doesn''t need any for himself, he figured that he might as well acquire a few for his faction.

    Yet, even after looking through the entire floor, Yuan was unable to find any decent techniques. Although most people would consider the techniques at Myriad of Techniques above standard, they were merely so-so in Yuan''s eyes.

    Suddenly, a voice resounded inside his head.

    "I see that you''ve returned from the Vanishing Valley in one piece, Yuan. I''m relieved. Anyway, can I have a moment of your time right now? I have some urgent information for you."Senior Bai''s voice resounded.

    "I''ll be right there."

    Yuan went to find Bai Lianhua to let her know that he''d be gone for a bit before going to Senior Bai''s world.

    "What''s wrong, Senior Bai?" Yuan asked after meeting up with him.

    "This is about the escaped Immortals. Do you remember the third Immortal who managed to escape into the lower heavens? Well, we found the Immortal in the Fourth Heaven, where you currently are."

    "The Fourth Heaven¡­ so what''s going to happen now?"

    "There are already experts chasing after this Immortal, but their hands are somewhat tied because they don''t want to cause too much damage in the Fourth Heaven."

    "This escaped Immortal¡­ do they have their full cultivation?" Yuan asked.

    "No, their cultivation will be suppressed because of the Heavenly Law. However, they won''t be fully suppressed, so this Immortal is still strong enough to wreak havoc within the Fourth Heaven."

    Yuan began pondering. Since this Immortal has their cultivation restricted, he might be able to finish the task that required him to defeat a Cultivator nine realms above his own.

    "If I happen to run into this Immortal, I can kill them, right?" he asked.

    "Uhh¡­" Senior Bai was left speechless by his question.

    "You actually want to fight the Immortal? That''s reckless¡ª

    suicidal! I gave you that treasure to detect the Immortal''s presence not because I want you to fight them but to run away and call for backup instead!"

    "I know, but if the Immortal is weak enough, I might be able to catch them off guard and kill it in one go," Yuan responded calmly, despite talking about fighting an Immortal.

 Chapter 1547 Tian Yingzhe

    1547 Tian Yingzhe

    "I understand your immense talent and prowess, and I''ve witnessed the full force of your attacks. But, my dear little friend, these Immortals are not like anything you''ve encountered. They are a force beyond your wildest imagination, and they won''t simply stand there to be defeated. I implore you to reconsider your decision." Senior Bai''s words carried a weight of urgency, hoping to sway Yuan''s determination.

    "Don''t worry, Senior Bai. I''ve grown a lot stronger since my visit to the Vanishing Valley. I am also not as reckless as you think. If I deem the opponent too dangerous, I''ll run away."

    "And what if by the time you realize the danger, it''s already toote? It would be far wiser to avoid them altogether," Senior Bai sighed, his disappointment evident as he contemted Yuan''s unwavering resolve to face this immortal.

    If anyone else were in his shoes, they wouldn''t even think of such a thing.

    ''I guess this is what differentiates the true prodigies from the talented. They are truly iprehensible beings. There is also a saying that the more talented an individual is, the more they tend to attract danger. Unfortunately, this is also why they tend to perish earlier than others despite having more potential.''

    Normally, Senior Bai would stop trying to persuade Yuan to fight the Immortal, but knowing firsthand how dangerous the Immortals from the Nine Heavens Eternal Grotto are, he continued trying.

    "The criminals within the Nine Heavens Eternal Grotto, the Immortals you''re so eager to fight, are arguably even more dangerous than the ones sealed within the Primordial Realm. They are also much harder to kill than ordinary Immortals due to their unique physiques, such as the one within the Fourth Heaven, who has the Shrouded Physique, which makes their appearance impossible to perceive even with divine sense."

    "And because you cannot see their body, you won''t be able to predict their attacks or attack them effectively."

    "I see¡­" Yuan turned silent with a pondering face, but it wasn''t because he was reconsidering fighting the immortal. He was wondering how he could effectively deal with them.

    "Anyway, thank you for warning me about the immortal. I''ll keep my eyes out for them. Also, I would like you to pass on a message to Lady Xu for me."

    Senior Bai narrowed his eyes at Yuan, wondering if he''d given up on fighting the immortal or the opposite.

    "What''s the message?"

    "Can you ask her if she knows the name Tian Yingzhe? That''s all."

    "Tian Yingzhe? Okay, I''ll let her know."

    "Then I''ll see you next time."

    "I''m going to warn you again, just in case. Don''t engage with the immortal! Just run away and notify me if you sense them nearby!"

    "I understand." Yuan nodded with a mysterious smile on his face.

    Senior Bai still felt concerned for some reason.

    Once Yuan left, he sighed out loud, "s¡­ even there''s nothing I can do if he truly wants to fight the immortal¡­"

    "Hm? Wait a minute. I can just have someone watch over him!"

    With this idea in mind, Senior Bai left his world to contact someone from the Celestial Overlord.

    Sometimeter, Senior Bai arrived at a massive outdoor training ground that was asrge as several major cities.

    "This junior greets Overlord Bai."A half-naked, tall, and robust man stopped his training and respectfully bowed to Senior Bai after noticing his presence.

    "Sorry for the sudden visit, Kn."

    "You''re always wee, no matter the time and day."

    "Are you busy nowadays?" Senior Bai asked.

    "It''s the same as usual."

    "Then, do you mind doing me a favor? I''d like you to watch over a junior of ours in case he does anything reckless."

    "A junior of ours? So he''s a member of the faction?"

    "Yes, he joined very recently."

    "This junior must be very special for you to go out of your way to do this." Kn smiled.

    "You have no idea. He was recruited by Celestial Overlord Xu herself."

    "What?! Celestial Overlord Xu recruited him?! Alright, I''ll take a look at this junior. Where is he?"

    "Fourth Heaven."

    "Huh? But we''re currently in the Eighth Heaven."

    "I am aware."

    Kn raised his eyebrows in a puzzled manner.

    "Oh, was this junior sent to the lower heavens to find a certain somebody?" Kn suddenly came to this realization.

    "No, this junior was recruited in the lower heavens. He''s only a Spirit King, so he''s a real junior."

    "N-no way¡­" Kn wore a look of disbelief on his face.

    When was thest time they had someone with such low cultivation amongst their ranks?

    "Don''t look down on this junior, Kn. Even though he''d only recently joined, he''s already a General."

    "Already a General?! That''s impossible!" Kn cried out loud.

    Senior Bai smiled, "If his rank had been lower, I would''ve asked someone else. You''re the only Commander with so much free time, too."

    "Please don''t make me sound like a cker, Overlord Bai. Training is also working, and I am still healing from my injury."

    Senior Bai nced at the obvious scar that covered Kn''s arm and said, "I''m just joking with you. Anyway, can you do this favor for me? You''ll also be helping Celestial Overlord Xu since she cares about him, too."

    "Of course. You just need me to watch over him, right?"

    "Yes, since he might pick a fight with one of the escaped immortals who was found in the Fourth Heaven."

    "A mere Spirit King daring to pick a fight with an escaped immortal from the Nine Heavens Eternal Grotto? This kid''s got guts! We might get along pretty well." Kelenughed out loud at this information.

    "His name is Yuan. Also, he''s from outside the Nine Heavens, if you know what I mean."

    "I know. The Lost Ones, right? Do you mind if I talk to him, or am I just supposed to tail him like a spy?"

    "You can interact with him if you want."

    "Alright."

    "Don''t bully him too much, or you might catch a beating from Celestial Overlord Xu." Senior Bai chuckled.

    "When have I ever bullied a junior?" Knughed out loud.

    "Then I''ll make arrangements for your descent after I speak with Celestial Overlord Xu. You should prepare for your departure, too."

    "Understood. I''ll see youter, Overlord Bai."

    After Senior Bai left, Kn smiled, "A Spirit King and a General, huh? I have high expectations, so don''t disappoint me, junior."

    After his meeting with Kn, Senior Bai went to find Xu Jiaqi.

    "It feels like I''ve been seeing you much oftentely. Is this rted to him?" Xu Jiaqi spoke the moment Senior Bai entered her office.

    "Yes, it''s about Yuan. I wanted to let you know that I had sent Commander Kn to watch over him."

    "Why?" Xu Jiaqi raised an eyebrow at this unexpected news.

    "One of the escaped immortals was spotted in the Fourth Heaven, and when I warned him about it, he decided to fight them instead of running away. I advised him not to fight them, and even though he said he understood, I cannot help but doubt him."

    "Is that so? Fighting an escaped immortal, huh? If he somehow manages to defeat an immortal, our reputation would skyrocket."

    "You want him to fight the immortal?" Senior Bai stared at her with wide eyes.

    "Of course not. I''m just saying. Anyway, you did the right thing. We cannot let someone as talented as him die in vain. Is that all?"

    "There''s one more thing. Yuan asked me to pass a message on to you."

    After clearing his throat, Senior Bao repeated, "Do you know the name Tian Yingzhe?"

    "...What?"

    Xu Jiaqi''s expression froze after hearing this name.

    Seeing her reaction, Senior Bai swallowed nervously.

    After a moment of silence, Xu Jiaqi suddenly stood up, mmed the desk before her, and loudly inquired, "Where did he learn of this name?!"

    "Uh¡­ I don''t know. I didn''t ask since it seemed like an innocent question. Who is Tian Yingzhe? Should I be worried?"

    Xu Jiaqi didn''t immediately respond and fell back onto her chair.

    After another moment of silence, she sighed, "He¡­ was the founder of the Celestial Overlord."

    "What?! The founder?! But I thought¡­"

    Xu Jiaqi nodded and said, "The founder had two names. One was his true name, and the other was used for the Celestial Overlord. Even among the other Celestial Overlords, only I knew his true name."

    "Oh¡­ then was it okay for you to have revealed it to me¡­?" Senior Bai asked.

    "It''s fine. Since you would''ve learned it sooner orter after. However, how did Yuan learn of this name?"

    "I''ll ask him the next time I see him."

    "Please do." Xu Jiaqi nodded with a serious expression on her face.

    "Also, although it''s just a name, keep it to yourself."

    "Of course. I won''t tell a soul." Senior Bai nodded.

    "Then what about your response?" he then asked.

    "Just tell him what I told you."

    "I understand." Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.

    Meanwhile, Yuan returned to Bai Lianhua''s side after leaving Senior Bai''s world.

    "You''re really not being humble." Yuan smiled when she saw the piles of techniques Bai Lianhua had picked out.

    "Is this too much? I knew it, but¡­"

    "No, it''s fine." Yuan chuckled.

    "Are you sure I can have all of this for free?"

    "I''m certain."

    Once they were prepared, Bai Lianhua brought all of the techniques to the register, shocking the worker.

    But before the worker could even open his mouth to speak, Yuan showed his General symbol, shocking the worker even more.

    "Thank you for your service!" The worker bowed to Yuan.

    Yuan nodded at him before turning to look at Bai Lianhua and speaking, "It''s done. You can put them away."

    "What? That''s all?" she stared at him with a gawking expression, as she had anticipated a much lengthier process.

    "That''s all." He confirmed with a smile.

 Chapter 1548 Messing With the Qin Family

    1548 Messing With the Qin Family

    After acquiring the techniques, they left the Myriad of Techniques. However, even after sessfully leaving the store with the techniques, Bai Lianhua couldn''t believe that she''d managed to acquire so many powerful techniques for free.

    Even if she had her family''s full backing, it would still be difficult for them to purchase this many rare and valuable techniques without severely damaging their finances. Yet, she was able to acquire them for free because of Yuan.

    "How exactly did you manage to do that again?" she looked at him with wide eyes.

    "Did you know that factions also exist in Cultivation Online? I am part of the faction that owns the Myriad of Technique, so it''s a member''s privilege¡­of sorts."Yuan gave a brief exnation.

    "Do you think I can also join your faction?" Bai Lianhua knew the answer even before she asked, but she still had to take her chances.

    "Probably not, and I am not looking down on you when I say this, but their requirements are quite high, as they''re one of the top factions in the upper heavens. In fact, you won''t even meet them unless you ascend at least to the Sixth Heaven."

    Bai Lianhua showed a bittersweet smile and shook her head, "No, it''s fine. Ipletely understand. I am not foolish enough to think that I have even a fraction of your talents."

    "There''s no need to drag yourself down like this. You''re plenty talented. With enough experience and time, you''ll definitely qualify for my faction."

    Bai Lianhua nodded and said, "So, what are you going to do now? Return to the Fourth Heaven?"

    "Not yet. I still have some business in Third Heaven. By the way, do you know of a Qin Family?" Yuan said.

    "I know of several. Which one are you referring to?"

    "The one close with the Walkers Family and the Gu Family."

    "Oh, yeah, I know of them. They''ve been quickly rising in reputation and power recently with the Walkers Family and Gu Family''s help, after all. Why are you asking about them? Did something happen between you guys?"

    Yuan nodded, "I''m not directly involved, but they''ve been bullying the family of someone who''s very close to me, even going as far as to use poison."

    "Poison? What a nasty bunch¡­ but I''m not surprised that someone closely affiliated with Fiery Queen has such a nature. What are you going to do with them?"

    "I''m not sure yet. The family they''ve been targeting has been losing business because of the bullying, so I''m thinking about messing with their operations within Cultivation Online as a warning."

    "If you want, I can help you locate their businesses. It shouldn''t be too hard with my family''s resources."

    "Really? That''d be great."

    "Consider it my payment for the techniques¡ªeven though it''s nowhere enough to pay for everything." Bai Lianhua showed a bashful smile.

    She continued, "Then I''ll contact you once I have the information prepared. It shouldn''t take too long. A few hours at most."

    "Alright. By the way, take this."

    Yuan handed her a spatial ring filled with treasures that he had picked up but had no use for.

    "T-this is a lot¡­ There are even Divine-grade treasures inside! Are you sure about this, Yuan? The techniques are already more than enough¡­"

    "Just take it." He nodded.

    "Thank you¡­ really¡­"

    Bai Lianhua logged off the next moment.

    With nothing else to do, Yuan also decided to log off.

    While he waited for Bai Lianhua to scout the Qin Family''s business, Yuan went to visit the Chu Family.

    "I''ve decided to mess with the Qin Family''s business within Cultivation Online."

    "Mess with¡­? If you don''t mind me asking¡­ how do you n on doing that?" Chu Shijian asked. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.

    "It depends on the kind of operation they have, but I''ll most likely end up destroying all of their business." Yuan casually shrugged.

    "Is that so¡­"

    "By the way, any news from the Qin Family?" Yuan then asked.

    "Well, they''ve figured out that we know about Chu Wuyang being their spy when they haven''t been able to contact him since we locked him up. Just yesterday, they threatened topletely destroy our business within Cultivation Online in a few days if we don''t obey them."

    "A few days, huh? Not before I destroy them in a few hours." Yuan smiled.

    "To do so much for us¡­ I really don''t know how to thank you¡­" Chu Shijian sighed.

    "You don''t need to thank me because I am not doing this for you. I am doing this for Lulu." Yuan calmly corrected him.

    "We still end up receiving your help, so you have my gratitude."

    Three hours after they logged off, Bai Lianhua contacted Yuan.

    "The Qin Family has three major businesses in the Third Heaven. The first and most profitable business is their monster hunting business. They have about 50 different teams that specialize in monster hunting throughout Third Heaven, and you can identify them through the purple badge by their waist. Their strongest and highest-grossing team is in Night Wing City, most of them being Spirit Lords. While they don''t have a store, they typically meet up at the Purple Lizard Pavilion before going on their hunt." After giving Yuan their location, Bai Lianhua proceeded to give him some of their names and their physical descriptions.

    She continued, "Their second business, the dungeon hunting team, is currently staying at the Eight Point Hotel in Yun Yun City."

    "Their third business is a medicine store called Perfect Qin Medicine, which is also located within Night Wing City."

    "You''ve gathered so much information so quickly. I was told it wasn''t easy learning about another''s business without having insiders." Yuan smiled.

    Bai Lianhua chuckled, "Who in the Ten Great Families doesn''t have a spy or two? With how quickly the Qin Family has been growing, I''m sure there are many keeping eyes on them."

    "Makes sense. Then I''ll see youter."

    "Yes, see youter."

    After returning to Cultivation Online, Yuan made his way to Night Wing City while Bai Lianhua sorted out all of the treasures Yuan gave her.

    Sometimeter, Yuan arrived at the Purple Lizard Pavilion and, using his divine sense, looked at every single individual inside the pavilion.

    "It must be them."

    Yuan quickly found the yers who matched the description Bai Lianhua gave him.

    He didn''t approach them and simply watched them from afar.

    There were eleven yers in their group, all of whom were between the sixth and ninth levels of Spirit Lord.

    Although Yuan wanted to kill them immediately, he decided to mess with them a bit first.

    Half an hourter, once they were prepared, the group of yers left the city and entered the nearby wilderness, where magical beasts between the third and sixth levels of Spirit Lord roamed.

    They quickly encountered their first magical beast. It was at the fifth level of Spirit Lord.

    Yuan didn''t interfere and watched them hunt the magical beast together. Their movements and great teamwork indicated that they''d been working together for a long time.

    It took them almost ten whole minutes to defeat the magical beast, but only five out of eleven had fought.

    After defeating the magical beast, they stripped any valuable materials from the corpse before resuming their hunt.

    For their next encounter, the other six that didn''t participate in the first encounter fought.

    They rotated between two groups to save energy, as they nned on hunting until night.

    However, during their third encounter, right as the group was able to defeat the seventh-level Spirit Lord magical beast, Yuan appeared out of thin air to steal their kill.

    "What the¡ª?!"

    "Fuck! Who the hell are you?!"

    Yuan was wearing a mask, so none of them could identify him. Moreover, Yuan had killed the magical beast so badly that even its materials could not be salvaged.

    "Identify yourself!" The group demanded.

    However, Yuan didn''t say anything and merely escaped from the scene, vanishing like a ghost.

    "What the fuck was that about¡­?"

    "I have no idea¡­"

    "He was probably just some weirdo passing by. Let''s forget about him and continue our hunt."

    The group didn''t bother chasing after Yuan and resumed their hunt.

    However, their fourth and fifth encounters had all been sabotaged by Yuan, who refused to exin anything and vanished as soon as he was done.

    "God damn it! What the fuck is going on?!"

    "Does that person have a grudge against us or something? He''s not even letting us collect the materials¡­ I have never seen or heard of anything like this before¡­"

    "That''s it! If he dares to show up again, we''re all going to attack him without warning! Keep your eyes out!" The leader of their group dered.

    They encountered their sixth magical beast soon.

    Once again, Yuan showed up at the end to im the kill for himself.

    The group of hunters was prepared this time and attacked him the moment he showed himself.

    However, none of them had expected Yuan to block all of their attacks with ease, and before they could attack again, Yuan vanished into thin air.

    "God fucking damn it! What the hell is that bastard''s problem?!?!"

    "We''ve been out here for four hours and only managed to secure one kill!"

    "He''s probably hiding his face because he''s afraid we might recognize him."

    "Let''s see how long he can keep this farce up! He must''ve used a considerable amount of spiritual energy to defeat thest few magical beasts. I doubt he''ll be able to continue this for long! He will eventually slip up, and that''s when we''ll get that bastard!"

    "Yeah!"

    The group continued their hunt, fueled by anger and the desire to catch Yuan.

 Chapter 1549 Messing With the Qin Family(2)

    <h4>Chapter 1549 Messing With the Qin Family(2)</h4>

    1549 Messing With the Qin Family(2)

    Several hours have passed since Yuan started messing with the Qin Family''s strongest hunting group. They figured he would eventually run out of energy and mess up, but Yuan continued stealing their kills with seemingly no effort at all.

    "Fuck! I''ve had enough! Get out here and face us like a man, you fucking coward!"

    "Come out!"

    "Get out here and fight me, you bastard!"

    The group of yers eventually had enough and started yelling out loud like a group of maniacs.

    Seeing this, Yuan smiled inwardly, ''I guess it''s about time I stop messing around and deal with them for real.''

    With that in mind, he emerged from his hiding spot and appeared before them.

    "You''ve finally appeared, you kill-stealing bastard! I have never seen anyone as shameless as you!"

    "Let me give you a good beating!"

    The group of yers approached Yuan with enraged faces.

    However, Yuan raised his hand and gestured for them to stop, "Wait a minute. I have some questions for you before I decide your fates."

    "And who the fuck are you to decide our fate?! Get him!" The leader of their group shouted. Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    But before any of them could move, Yuan released his suppressed cultivation base at the peak of Spirit King.

    The pressure was so immense and unbearable for these Spirit Lords that they copsed on the ground, unable to breathe.

    "A-a Spirit King!"

    "Please! Have mercy!"

    Yuan retrieved his aura, allowing them to breathe again.

    "I think you might have mistaken us for someone else. I don''t ever recall offending someone like you!"

    Hearing such words, Yuan spoke, "So you guys aren''t working for the Qin Family?"

    "Huh? This is about the Qin Family?"

    He silently nodded.

    "We do work for the Qin Family, but what''s that got to do with this?"

    "I''ll keep this short, but I''m going to shut down the Qin Family''s business, so if you could do me a favor and just quit, I won''t make things difficult for you."

    "What?! This is too sudden! We can''t do that even if you threaten us!" One of them quickly said.

    "Why are you targeting the Qin Family? They have a lot of influence nowadays, especially with the Ten Great Families'' help."

    "I am just giving them a taste of their own medicine. They dared to mess with the Chu Family''s business, so I am now messing with theirs."

    "The Chu Family¡­? Look here, we have no involvement in businesses outside hunting magical beasts. And we''re bound by a contract. If broken, we''d need to pay a huge fine, so we cannot quit even if you threaten us."

    "How much are these fines? I''ll pay for them." Yuan said.

    "You''ll pay for our fine? That''s ridiculous¡­"

    "If not, I''ll give you a real excuse to not work anymore¡ªby killing you until you lose your ability to cultivate." He calmly threatened, leaving them speechless.

    The yers trembled in fear upon hearing Yuan''s words, which were definitely effective.

    They exchanged nces with each other and, without uttering a word, nodded at each other.

    "Alright, we''ll quit if you can pay for our fines. It''s a million dors for each vition."

    If Yuan were truly willing to pay for their fines, it would definitely be better than getting killed and losing their ability to cultivate, as they would be able to change employers.

    "A million each, right?" Yuan retrieved a random Heaven-

    grade treasure and showed it to them.

    Although Heaven-grade treasures have gone down significantly in price¡ªat leastpared to when Yuan sold the Frozen Jade Zither¡ªas they''re bing more essible, they can still be fetched for over ten million dors with ease.

    "You can keep the change. Also, if I find out that any of you were involved with messing with the Chu Family, I''ll hunt you down not just in Cultivation Online but also on Earth, so this is yourst chance toe clean." Yuan said as he handed the treasure to the one who seemed to be the leader of the group.

    "I swear we''re not involved! I don''t know about the other teams, but we''re definitely clean!"

    Yuan nodded and said, "Also, if you''re still working for the Qin Family after this, you''ll die before you even realize it."

    "We wouldn''t dare!"

    "Ah, before you leave, tell me about the other hunting teams." Yuan then said.

    "I have their schedule and hunting grounds all listed here." The leader of the group handed Yuan a jade slip that contained all sorts of useful information that allowed him to hunt the others down more efficiently.

    "Thank you."

    Yuan left shortly after.

    While Yuan went hunting down the other teams, the group of 11 yers immediately went to sell the Heaven-grade treasure on COyerAuctions. The treasure was sold in under one hour for 15 million dors.

    Over the next several days, Yuan traveled all over the Third Heaven and bribed all of the Qin Family''s monster-hunting teams to quit. Those who refused to ept his bribes were threatened with death, and the rude ones were beaten until they were on the verge of death, which only took a single punch from him.

    When the Qin Family was suddenly told by their strongest and highest-earning monster-hunting team that they''d quit, the Qin Family was left baffled and confused.

    They became even more bewildered when every member of the team paid the fine for breaking the contract.

    When asked why, the team told the truth¡ªthat they were threatened by a powerful cultivator to quit working for the Qin Family or have their cultivations crippled.

    Soon, more and more teams from their monster-hunting business stopped working with them.

    "Fuck! Which bastard is responsible for this?! And why are they doing this?!"

    Qin Mn, the head of the Qin Family, mmed his table in anger, causing it to split in two.

    "For it to happen right after Chu Wuyang was caught¡­ I don''t think this is a coincidence." Qin Long, his eldest son, said with a pondering expression on his face.

 Chapter 1550 Messing With the Qin Family(3)

    <h4>Chapter 1550 Messing With the Qin Family(3)</h4>

    1550 Messing With the Qin Family(3)

    "So the Chu Family is involved in this, huh? But how did they acquire information on all of our monster-hunting teams?" Qin Mn pondered out loud.

    "I''d wager one of our own teams betrayed us, providing the Chu Family with the information they needed. But for them to resort to hiring a Spirit King, they must be quite desperate." Qin Long said.

    "Long''er, I''ll leave this troublemaker in your hands.." Qin Mn said to his son.

    "I will crush this bastard for daring to mess with my Qin Family!" Qin Long nodded with a cold expression on his face.

    Meanwhile, after Yuan made all of the Qin Family''s monster- hunting teams quit, he made his way to Yun Yun City, where their dungeon-hunting team was residing in the Eight Point Hotel.

    Due to how rare dungeons typically were, most businesses put most of their resources into one team.

    The Qin Family''s dungeon team consisted of thirty yers, all of whom were between Spirit Grandmaster and Spirit Lord.

    When Yuan arrived, he used divine sense to scout the hotel and immediately found 20 yers with the Qin Family''s identification token. ording to the intel provided by some of the monster-hunting teams, all of the members of the dungeon team stayed at the same hotel.

    "Are the others offline or scouting? Well, it doesn''t matter." Yuan pondered what he should do with them.

    Sometimeter, he forced his way into one of the rooms through the window. Inside, four yers were looking at arge map together.

    "Who the fuck are you?!"

    Yuan''s intrusion immediately alerted them because he made no effort to be stealthy.

    They swiftly pulled out their weapons and pointed them at Yuan.

    "Calm down; I''m not here to hurt you." Yuan calmly raised his hands as if to show that he was harmless.

    "Then why are you here?" One of them asked with a suspicious frown.

    "I''m here to make you quit working for the Qin Family. I''ll even pay for whatever fine you may incur for breaking the contract."

    "What¡­? And why are you doing this?"

    "I have some beef with the Qin Family, that''s all. So, what do you say?"

    "I say¡­ screw off!" The four yers in the room suddenly pounced at Yuan with their weapons flying.

    However, Yuan didn''t even bother dodging their attacks and used his body to block them.

    "What the fuck?!"

    The yers were shocked when their weapons couldn''t prate Yuan''s skin, much less injure him. It felt like they were trying to cut metal with a butter knife.

    "It''s pointless. You won''t be able to kill me even if I went to sleep right now. Anyway, I''ll give you one more chance to keep your life. Quit working for the Qin Family or die to me with a chance of bing a cripple."

    Yuan stood before them like a domineering warlord, his aura so intense it made the yers gasping for breath.

    "W-we will quit¡­"

    They eventually said.

    "Alright. One more thing. Are you guys, by any chance, responsible for bullying the Chu Family?" Yuan suddenly asked.

    "Huh? The Chu Family¡­?"

    "N-no¡­ we had nothing to do with that¡­"

    "Right? I have no idea what you''re talking about."

    These yers suddenly became nervous, and it was written all over their faces.

    "Is that so?"

    Yuan suddenly pulled out the Grail of Truth, which was already emitting a bright light.

    "Sorry, but it looks like my offer will no longer apply to you anymore."

    "W-wha¡ª"

    Before any of them could even utter a single word, Yuan waved his sleeve with Sword Aura pouring out. Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    Three of the yers immediately turned into a cloud of blood mist, while one of them only lost an arm.

    Of course, he survived only because Yuan allowed him to live.

    "Tell me, who else was involved with the Chu Family? Just the four of you, or the entire team?" Yuan asked him, who was kissing the floor with his buttocks, his face filled with fear as snot and tears flowed down his face.

    "A-all of us! We were all paid a bonus by the Qin Family to mess with the Chu Family''s business!" The yer immediately revealed everything.

    The Grail of Truth had no reaction, meaning he was telling the truth.

    "Is that so? Make sure to tell your buddies to quit, or I''lle after you until you can no longer cultivate." Yuan killed thest yer after finishing his sentence.

    He made his way to the next room shortly after.

    "Who the hell are you?!"

    There were five yers in this room.

    Yuan went straight to business and said, "I''m here to avenge the Chu Family. If you don''t quit working for the Qin Family after I kill you, I''ll continue to kill you until you lose your ability to cultivate. If you''re unlucky to be crippled after one death, that''s too bad."

    Before any of the yers in the room could even respond, Yuan killed all of them with Sword Aura.

    He continued doing this until every member of the Qin Family''s dungeon team was wiped out. However, there were several that weren''t at the hotel, so he waited a few hours for them to show up before moving to his next target.

    After waiting for six hours, the rest of the team showed up at the hotel, and all of them were killed after being told to quit working for the Qin Family.

    The Qin Family was immediately alerted when Yuan killed the first four yers.

    "What?! He killed all of them because they were involved with the Chu Family?! This confirms it! That bastard is avenging the Chu Family and targeting our businesses in Cultivation Online!" Qin Mn mmed his desk that was just reced, destroying it again.

    "Long''er, how are you going to deal with this bastard?" he turned to look at Qin Long, who had a pondering face.

    "Since he''s targetting our businesses, he''ll most definitely show up at our medicine store. I''ll wait for him there," he said.

    "How are you going to stop him? He''s a Spirit King!" Qin Mn said with a frown.

    "So what if he''s a Spirit King? I have with me a magic talisman that can instantly kill even a Spirit Emperor! A Spirit King is nothing before me!"Qin Longughed out loud.

    "Good!" Qin Mn nodded.

 Chapter 1551 Qin Long

    1551 Qin Long

    After he met with his father, Qin Long immediately went to his family''s medicine store to wait for Yuan.

    "Wee, Young Master Qin. Are you looking for some medicine today?" The workers there greeted Qin Long.

    "This ce will be attacked soon. Close down the shop and get everyone out of here," he said to them.

    "What? Who would dare to attack us?" The workers there were shocked to hear this news.

    They had the Ten Great Families'' backing. No sane yer would dare to offend them, much less attack them.

    "I don''t know, but they undoubtedly work for the Chu Family. Anyway, get out of here. Things will definitely get messy here."

    The workers quickly closed down the store and left, leaving Qin Long alone in the store.

    Sometimeter, Yuan arrived at Night Wing City once again. He used divine sense to inspect the ce.

    ''Only one guy, huh? Looks like he''s expecting me.''

    The lone individual at the store had a confident and arrogant air around him as he sat at the entrance like amander in battle.

    After pondering for a moment, Yuan casually approached the store without hiding his presence.

    Qin Long immediately noticed him due to his mask and said, "So, you''re the bastard that''s been trying to ruin my family''s business, huh? How much did the Chu Family pay you? I''ll triple it if you stab them in the back."

    "Who said anything about getting paid? I''m doing this without any payment."

    Qin Long frowned at this unexpected information and said, "Do you even know who you''re messing with? We have two of the Ten Great Families backing us. Once we figure out your identity, you can kiss your life goodbye."

    "Oh? Is that so? Then I''ll make it easy for you." Yuan spoke as he reached for his mask and removed it, revealing his handsome face to Qin Long.

    "Y-you! yer Yuan!" Qin Long immediately recognized him.

    ''It''s been yer Yuan this entire time?! I should''ve realized this sooner!'' Qin Long nearly facepalmed.

    Qin Long was aware that Chu Liuxiang had left the family to live with Yuan, so it should''ve been obvious that he would be the one messing with them when they said he was a Spirit King.

    "Did Chu Liuxiang ask you to do this?" Qin Long asked.

    "No, I am doing this because I owe the Chu Family. You must be from the Qin Family. What do you think you can achieve by yourself?"

    "You''ll find out soon enough, bastard." Qin Long sneered in disdain.

    He''d always wanted to deal with Yuan for stealing Chu Liuxiang from him, but he couldn''t find a way to do so since Yuan lived inside the Dragon Spiral Mountain and barely interacted with other yers in Cultivation Online, making it difficult to track him.

    Yuan smiled and said, "You seem awfully confident. Is that thing in your pocket really that powerful?"

    "!!!"

    Qin Long''s expression immediately darkened after realizing Yuan was aware of his magic talisman.

    "Judging by its spiritual energy, is it a magic talisman? The same one you gave to Chu Wuyang?" Yuan continued.

    Qin Long immediately retrieved the magic talisman from his robe and pointed it at Yuan.

    "So what if you know about it? It''s toote to run. I only need half a second to activate it, and then you''ll go boom."

    "Before I kill you, let me ask you something."

    Yuan calmly nodded with a carefree smile, seemingly unfazed by his threat.

    "How far have you gotten with Chu Liuxiang?" he asked.

    "You don''t need to concern yourself with our rtionship, but if you really need to know, we''re very intimate with each other."

    Qin Long''s entire face twisted in anger, his face flushed red. If one''s re could kill, his was definitely intensive enough tomit mass murder.

    "Why are you looking at me like I stole your lover? She was mine to begin with. You were the one using underhanded tactics trying to steal her from me." Yuan casually shrugged.

    "Silence, you bastard! I''ve had my sights on her for years!"

    "So what? You were never fated to be with her. Simple as that."

    "And you are fated to die here! Die for me, you bastard!"

    Yuan could tell that Qin Long had begun pouring his spiritual energy into the magic talisman and activated Sword Aura.

    Before Qin Long could fully activate the magic talisman, his entire arm was severed by Yuan''s Sword Aura.

    "Ahh!"

    Qin Long fell back while screaming.

    "Think about our surroundings. Using such a powerful item in the middle of a city would be disastrous." Yuan shook his head.

    If they were not in a bustling city surrounded by people, Yuan would''ve let Qin Long use the magic talisman on him. Unfortunately, the magic talisman was simply too strong and had the capability to level the entire city.

    Yuan collected the magic talisman and tossed it into his spatial ring.

    He turned to look at Qin Long and said, "Any more tricks up your sleeve? If not, I''ll kill you now." Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    "You''ll pay for this, yer Yuan!"

    "I''ll be waiting." Yuan casually flicked his arm, decapitating Qin Long with Sword Aura.

    After killing Qin Long, Yuan destroyed the entire building before him so the Qin Family could no longer use it for business.

    His action shocked everyone around him, but nobody dared to call for help.

    By the time the city guards arrived, Yuan had long left the city.

    ''Now that I''ve dealt with the Qin Family''s business, let''s wait a little to see how they''ll react.''

    Yuan logged off for the day and notified the Chu Family of the situation.

    "I''m sorry, father. I couldn''t even activate my magic talisman because he used some invisible skill." Qin Long also notified his father of his failures.

    "What happened to our store¡­?"

    "By the time I returned, it had turned to rubble¡­" he sighed.

    Bang!

    Qin Mn mmed his desk, destroying it.

    A moment of silence filled the room before Qin Mn spoke in a grim voice, "I''ll contact the Walkers Family and the Gu Family to see if there''s anything they can do about our situation."

    Qin Mn contacted them shortlyter.

    "yer Yuan? Sorry, but there''s nothing we can do against him in Cultivation Online." The Walkers Family refused to deal with Yuan while he was inside Cultivation Online. They knew that he was essentially impossible to defeat, and fighting him would only result in their loss.

    The Gu Family, however, did not immediately refuse to help the Qin Family.

    "If you can provide us with a solid n to deal with yer Yuan, we will assist you."

    Thus, the Qin Family proceeded to spend the next several hours nning.

    "yer Yuan is helping the Chu Family, right? Why don''t we just attack all of their businesses at once? There''s no way he could stop all of us at once."

    "The Chu Family have already changed their operations, and without Chu Wuyang, we won''t be able to locate them fast enough."

    "How will attacking the Chu Family help us defeat yer Yuan? That''d only enrage him even more!"

    "yer Yuan is a Spirit King. There are probably fewer than 10 Spirit Kings, even amongst the top yers. It''s impossible to defeat him."

    "How about we borrow the power of NPCs? There are plenty of Spirit King cultivators in the Third Heaven."

    "Actually, I know of a faction in the Third Heaven that specializes in assassinations." Qin Long suddenly said.

    "That''s great and all, but what if he''s already returned to the Fourth Heaven by then? Won''t we be wasting our money?"

    Despite spending hours on it, the Qin Family could not find a solid n to deal with Yuan. In the end, they could only wait for Yuan to leave the Third Heaven before they resumed their businesses.

    Sometimeter, Qin Long returned to Cultivation Online. Since he died inside Night Wing City, he respawned in the same city.

    "Fucking yer Yuan. I will definitely have my revenge the next time I see him!" Qin Long looked at the sky and cursed out loud.

    "Oh? How are you going to do that?" A familiar voice suddenly resounded behind Qin Long, greatly startling him.

    He swiftly turned around to see a familiar face standing behind him.

    "P-yer Yuan?! Why are you here!?" he cried out loud.

    "I heard someone calling my name, so I came here to see who it was," Yuan said sarcastically.

    He continued, "Anyway, I see that you still have your cultivation. How many times do you think I''ll have to kill you before you lose the ability to cultivate?"

    "Y-you¡­ you can''t be serious!" Qin Long had a terrified expression on his face after realizing what Yuan wanted to do to him.

    ''He''s nning on spawn camping me?!''

    Due to how respawning works in Cultivation Online, it was possible to trap someone within a city and kill them repeatedly. However, this was only done by the foulest yers and was heavily frowned upon by the yer base.

    "Do you not value your reputation?! Once word gets out that you''re a spawn camper, your reputation will sink to the bottom!"

    "Would they even believe such rumors?" Yuan smiled.

    The next moment, Qin Long found himself staring at the death notification.

    ''Fuck! I must get out of the city before he finds me again!'' Qin Long immediately ran for the teleportation device upon respawning in a random area within the city.

    However, before he could even travel a block, Yuan appeared before him like a ghost.

    "What?! How did you find me already?!" Qin Long cried out loud, his eyes filled with shock.

    Yuan merely responded with a silent smile before killing him for the third time.

 Chapter 1552 Vengeful Slaughtering Formation

    1552 Vengeful ughtering Formation

    After Yuan killed him for the third time, Qin Long had to wait 24 hours before respawning.

    When an avatar is killed, it requires time to be reconstructed. While in this state, the yer''s consciousness will be transported to a ck room with a countdown.

    "Fuck! How did he find me so fast?! We don''t respawn in the same location, and it''s randomized, so there''s no way he could''ve predicted my respawn point! He must have some sort of technique that allows him to find me quickly." Qin Long quickly came to this conclusion, but he could do nothing about it.

    Sure enough, Yuan found him using divine sense, which is already powerful enough to cover the entire city and more.

    While Qin Long waited for his death cooldown to disappear, he started spreading rumors of Yuan being a spawn camper online, spamming this information as far and wide as possible.

    Since spawn campers are widely despised and frowned upon by most yers, it didn''t take long for people to respond. However, Qin Long quickly became irritated when nobody believed him.

    "Hahaha¡­ yer Yuan spawn camped you in the Third Heaven? He left for the Fourth Heaven already!"

    "I''m sure yer Yuan has much better things to do than spawn camp a nobody!"

    "Let''s say he did spawn camp you, for argument''s sake. I bet you deserved it. One thing I''ve learned about yer Yuan is that he isn''t the type to provoke others without reason."

    Qin Long was left fuming after seeing countless people mock him in thements of his discussions. It also reminded him of Yuan''s words before getting killed.

    Twenty-four hours have passed, and Qin Long''s death cooldown disappeared, but he didn''t immediately log back onto Cultivation Online and waited an extra day before doing so.

    However, when he logged back in and respawned, Qin Long was terrified by a particr change that urred within his body.

    "M-my cultivation is gone!" he cried out loud.

    When a yer dies, one of three things can happen. One, nothing changes. Two, they lose all their cultivation and must start from scratch. Lastly, and arguably the worst oue, they lose the ability to cultivate entirely, bing a cripple.

    yers around the world coborated to determine the probabilities of these three oues. With contributions from hundreds of millions of yers, the chances of each oue were finally revealed.

    Upon experiencing death, there was a 96 percent chance that nothing would happen to the yer. There was a three percent chance they would lose all of their cultivation, and there was a one percent chance they would lose the ability to cultivate entirely.

    Although the probability of bing a cripple was low, it was not zero, and millions of yers around the world have already lost their ability to cultivate.

    Of course, losing all of one''s cultivation was still better than bing a cripple. That said, Qin Long had spent a fortune getting to Spirit Lord, unlike most ordinary yers, so it was a devastating blow to him regardless.

    "M-my cultivation! Ahhhhhh!!!" Qin Long fell to the ground and bawled his eyes out on the street with many spectators around him. However, he was too devastated to care about the people around him, even if they saw him as a madman.

    For many minutes, Qin Long did not stop crying. Due to hismotion, the city guards were eventually called. When they showed up, they treated Qin Long like a madman and dragged him away, returning peace to the city.

    However, as they dragged Qin Long away, a masked figure appeared before them, blocking their path.

    Before the guards could even speak, the masked man said, "Qin Long, right? I see that you''ve lost your cultivation base after thest death. Unfortunately, but at least you can still cultivate."

    Qin Long snapped out of his daze after hearing Yuan''s voice.

    However, before he could speak, Yuan continued, "At least for now. If you do not give the Chu Family your word that you will never bother them again, I will keep killing you until you do. You will never be able to y Cultivation Online again because you will immediately die after respawning."

    Once he finished his sentence, Yuan used his Sword Aura to kill Qin Long again, shocking the guards. Yet, before they could even react, Yuan vanished into thin air like a ghost.

    While Qin Long waited for his cooldown to disappear again, Yuan spoke to Yu Ning.

    "Do you know any formation that can keep attacking someone even if I am away? I don''t n to stay here much longer, but I can''t leave without ensuring the Chu Family''s safety."

    "Yes, I do. I can create a formation around this city that will immediately attack a specific individual whenever they enter its range, and it can operate even if you''re not present, but it''ll only be able to target people you''ve interacted with before." Yu Ning responded.

    "That''s perfect. Since he''ll keep respawning within this city, this will keep him inside the city for as long as I want¡­ Alright, let''s do this." Yuan said.

    Yu Ning took control of Yuan''s body the next moment to create the formation.

    Sometimeter, Yuan regained control and activated the formation. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.

    <Vengeful ughtering Formation has been activated>

    He wanted to witness the formation in action at least once before he left, so Yuan remained in the city until Qin Long''s return.

    ''I''ll give you three days, Qin Long. Hopefully, you won''t immediately budge and die a few more times beforeing to your senses.'' Yuan smiled inwardly.

    Meanwhile, Qin Long was losing his mind inside his room.

    "That fucking bastard, yer Yuan! I swear to god that I will fucking kill him even if it''s thest thing I do!"

    Despite Yuan''s warning, Qin Long had no intention of listening to his demands.

    "I refuse to believe that you''ll remain in the Third Heaven forever just to kill me!"

    Qin Long decided to wait an entire week before returning to Cultivation Online. In the meantime, he spoke to his father about his situation.

    Of course, Qin Mn was unhappy to learn that his son had lost all his cultivation, wasting the fortune they''d spent on resources to boost his cultivation. But there was no use crying over spilled milk.

    Three dayster, seeing that Qin Long hadn''t returned yet, Yuan left the city and made his way back to the Stairway to Heaven to return to the Fourth Heaven.

    "Wee back, Master. Are you returning to the Fourth Heaven?" Tian''er asked him.

    "Yes."

    "Okay."

    Tian''er created a staircase straight to the Fourth Heaven for him.

    "Thank you."

    Yuan ascended, returning to the Fourth Heaven shortly after.

    Upon returning to the Fourth Heaven, Yuan contacted Dong Ye.

    "Dong Ye, I need you to find someone for me. They are an escaped immortal from the Nine Heavens Eternal Grotto. This immortal has the Shrouded Physique. Apparently, he was spotted in the Fourth Heaven."

    "Of course, I shall find him even if it''s thest thing I do." Dong Ye immediately agreed without asking for his reason for wanting to find this immortal.

    "Thank you."

    "Now, I have some time to spare while waiting for Dong Ye. What should I do in the meantime?" Yuan pondered out loud.

    After thinking for some time, he remembered Xi Shengmo telling him about the Pavilion of Knowledge, which may have information on the Immortal Monarch.

    ''Let''s give them a visit with Xi Meili.''

    With his next destination in mind, Yuan went to find Xi Meili at the Cultivators'' Haven.

    When he arrived, he went directly to their training rooms. However, they were all closed.

    He didn''t want to disturb them, so he used his divine sense to peek inside Xi Meili''s room to see if she was busy.

    Xi Meili was partially transformed inside her training room. Her body emitted a profound and oppressive aura as she sat in a cultivating position. The walls around her were also heavily damaged, even though they could resist attacks from Spirit Sovereigns without any problem.

    Seeing this, Yuan didn''t dare to disturb her and waited for her to finish.

    Several dayster, Yuan suddenly received a notification.

    <Vengeful ughtering Formation has been initialized>

    ''So he''s finally decided to return to Cultivation Online, huh?''

    A few seconds after this notification, another notification appeared before him.

    <You have killed ''Qin Long''>

    Meanwhile, when Qin Long finally logged into Cultivation Online for the first time in a week, his presence triggered the formation.

    The formation located Qin Long''s precise location and activated in less than three seconds, and before Qin Long could even fully see his surroundings, his body was bombarded by powerful attacks that would instantly obliterate even a Spirit King, so even if he still had his original cultivation, it wouldn''t have saved him.

    <You have died>

    Qin Long had only managed to take a single breath in Cultivation Online before being killed, and he wasn''t even able to release the breath he took in.

    Even after his death, it took a long minute before Qin Longprehended that he''d just been killed for the fourth time.

    "What the fuck?! He actually waited an entire week for me?!" Qin Long was more shocked by Yuan''s stubbornness than his sudden death.

    "Does he really intend to spawn camp me until our family stops messing with the Chu Family?! I don''t even have the authority to make such a call!" he cried out loud.

    Only the family head, his father, had the authority to fulfill Yuan''s demand, but he did not want to embarrass himself further, putting him in a perplexed situation.

 Chapter 1553 Purple Sea

    1553 Purple Sea

    After his death, Qin Long immediately logged off Cultivation Online and tried to cultivate. He sighed in relief after realizing that he could still cultivate properly.

    Even though the chances of bing a cripple were only one percent, it was enough to stress any yer out, much less someone like Qin Long.

    "Damn it! What should I do?! I cannot keep letting him get away with this! At this rate, he''ll really cripple me!"

    After pondering for a long moment, Qin Long suddenly thought of a good idea.

    "Since nobody believes me that yer Yuan is spawn killing me, I shall let the entire world witness it! If there were thousands of yers watching, I doubt yer Yuan would dare to kill me in front of so many people! This will allow me to get away safely!"

    He went online and started another campaign. This time, he advertised his own demise, telling people to visit Night Wing City if they wished to see yer Yuan spawn camping him.

    Sure enough, his antics were effective, and many yers visited Night Wing City over the next several days. However, many of these yers just wanted to see yer Yuan and couldn''t care less about Qin Long being killed.

    News agencies also sent people to witness yer Yuan spawn killing, as it would give them something to talk about for a while.

    Soon, tens of thousands of yers could be seen wandering Night Wing City.

    Four days after hisst death, Qin Long logged back into Cultivation Online. Night Wing City was bustling with activity, with yers thronging every corner, most of them hoping to meet yer Yuan.

    After respawning, Qin Long shouted out loud, "Witness me!"

    The yers around him instantly turned their heads to look at Qin Long, and just as they finished turning their heads, several powerful attacks descended from the sky to attack Qin Long, instantly killing him.

    Qin Long was shocked by his swift death. He could''ve never anticipated Yuan would be so ruthless as to kill him without hesitation despite the presence of so many yers.

    As for the yers, they immediately looked at the sky, expecting to see Yuan hovering above them. However, they were left puzzled when nobody was in the air where the attacks were shot from.

    "Where''s yer Yuan? I don''t see him."

    "Did he leave already?"

    "That quickly? No way. I don''t think he was even here."

    "Hahaha! What kind of scam is this? I knew this Qin Long was trying to nder yer Yuan all along, but I was still expecting something! How foolish of me!"

    "Who was the one that just got killed? I couldn''t even see his appearance clearly before he died."

    "Probably some poor soul paid to die so that they could sell this nonsense to us."

    Qin Long quickly became aughing stock once news of what had transpired within Night Wing City spread on the inte.

    [Qin Long, eldest son of the Qin Family, nders yer Yuan]

    [yer Yuan is innocent]

    Many articles about Qin Long quickly surfaced, spreading through themunity like wildfire.

    Qin Mn quickly learned of Qin Long''s embarrassing situation and summoned him.

    "Long''er! What the fuck are you doing?! I asked you to take care of yer Yuan, but you dragged our family name through the mud instead! You''re aughing stock right now!" Qin Mn mmed his desk, destroying it.

    Now that his reputation had hit rock bottom, Qin Long no longer cared about losing some more and revealed the entire situation to his father.

    "yer Yuan threatened to continue killing me until I lose my ability to cultivate or we stop messing with the Chu Family. At this rate, I will never be able to y Cultivation Online properly again. Please do something about this, Father! Let''s just forget about the Chu Family! They''re not worth our attention anymore!" Qin Long appeared to be on the verge of tears as he revealed this information.

    Qin Mn wore a deep frown on his face after hearing this and said, "Our Qin Family and the Chu Family have been at war with each other for many generations! How will we face our ancestors if we give up?! We''d essentially be acknowledging our defeat! We will not stop until the Chu Family ispletely bankrupted!"

    "As for your situation,just take a break from Cultivation Online to focus on your real cultivation. I doubt yer Yuan will spawn camp you forever. He will eventually have to give up and return to doing whatever he''s doing. Also, he has an uing Faction War with the Fiery Garden of Hell. He won''t be able to y Cultivation Online during that time, so you can use that time to leave the Night Wing City."

    Qin Long looked at his father with wide eyes.

    "Y-you''re a genius, Father! Ipletely forgot about his uing Faction War! Alright, I''ll do that and take a break from Cultivation Online."

    Qin Mn nodded and said, "I will try to do something about those mocking you online. While I won''t be able to censor everything, it''ll definitely reduce the amount of people talking about you."

    "Thank you, Father. I apologize for this failure. I will definitely make it up to you one day."

    With that, Qin Long stopped logging onto Cultivation Online and focused on his cultivation on Earth.

    Qin Mn quickly started paying people to censor anything negative about Qin Long, slowing down the attention he was receiving.

    Meanwhile, Yuan knocked on the door to Xi Meili''s training room once he noticed she''d finished her cultivation and appeared to be taking a break.

    Xi Meili walked to the door, and she muttered to herself, "I''m pretty sure I still have plenty of time left in his ce."

    "Huh? Yuan? You''re back?" she was pleasantly surprised to see him standing in front of her training room.

    "Yes, and I n on visiting the Pavilion of Knowledge, operated by the Xuan Family. Since your father had a connection with them, I was wondering if you want toe with me."

    "Of course! And I hope you didn''t wait too long for me."

    "It wasn''t too bad."

    They left the Cultivators'' Haven together shortly after.

    "Do you know where the Pavilion of Knowledge is?" Xi Meili asked him.

    "No, I don''t, but someone might."

    He asked Dong Ye about the Pavilion of Knowledge.

    "The Pavilion of Knowledge is located on a secluded ind in the middle of the Purple Sea, north of Keen City."

    "Purple Sea, huh? Alright."

    Yuan used the teleportation formation to travel to Keen City and, from there, traveled north for several days until he encountered a purple-colored sea.

    "I wasn''t expecting a literal purple-colored sea¡­" Xi Meili muttered with a surprised look on her face. This was her first time seeing something so unusual before.

    With their divine sense, they could see thousands of fishermen at the docks.

    "Hey, what are they doing?" Xi Meili, who had never seen fishermen before, asked.

    "They''re fishermen, and they are fishing¡ªtrying to catch the fish in the water," Yuan exined.

    "Fishing¡­? What an odd thing to do."

    "Want to take a closer look?" Yuan then asked.

    "Yes!" she immediately nodded, her face filled with anticipation. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.

    They entered the docks and watched the fishermen.

    Sometimeter, Xi Meili approached one of the fishermen and asked, "What are you trying to catch?"

    "Hm? Are you new to the Purple Sea?" The fisherman asked.

    "Yes. This is my first time visiting this ce," she nodded.

    "Well, there''s only one thing we can catch from the Purple Sea

    ¡ªViolet Tuna. However, they''re exceedingly rare. Even though there are thousands of us fishing every day around the clock, only around ten of us will catch a single Violet Tuna for the entire day."

    "Why are they so rare? And why are they so desirable?"

    "Well, for one, they''re incredibly delicious. But that''s not the main reason they''re so coveted. Violet Tuna are infused with potent spiritual energy, and consuming one can significantly boost a cultivator''s strength. They''re not just a delicacy; they''re a treasure for anyone seeking to enhance their cultivation," said the fisherman.

    "What''s the history behind the purple-colored sea?" Yuan suddenly asked.

    "Legend has it that a mighty dragon was in near these waters, and its purple blood seeped into the sea, forever staining it with its vibrant hue," said the fisherman.

    "A dragon with purple blood? That would be the Ancient Gxy Dragon. They''re incredibly rare and powerful, even among the dragon race. I heard less than ten of them have existed since ancient times." Xi Meili muttered after hearing this information.

    "Do you know anything about the Pavilion of Knowledge?" Yuan then asked.

    "Ah, those weirdos that live in the middle of the Purple Sea? I know they live in the middle of the Purple Sea and rarely leave their ce. There''s also a rumor that says they will reward you if you can provide them with useful information they don''t already know."

    "I see. Thank you for the information."

    Yuan suddenly pointed two fingers at the Purple Sea. Then, with a gesture, he fished out a sizeable purple-colored fish from the water with his spiritual energy.

    This shocked every fisherman there and left them speechless.

    Once the fish hovered before Yuan, he said, "For taking the time to speak with us."

    The fisherman epted the Violet Tuna with a dazed look on his face, unsure how to react.

    But before he could say anything, Yuan and Xi Meili flew away, disappearing into the horizon.

 Chapter 1554 Pavilion of Knowledge

    1554 Pavilion of Knowledge

    "How did that young man do that? Divine sense shouldn''t work in the Purple Sea¡­" The fishermen were shocked by what Yuan had done.

    The Purple Sea had a special property that blocked all divine sense from peeking underneath the water''s surface, hence why nobody there could repeat what Yuan did despite being cultivators themselves.

    Meanwhile, Yuan and Xi Meili continued flying north for several days until they could see a tall silhouette on the horizon.

    "We''re almost there." Xi Meili''s voice was brimming with excitement, as this would mark her first encounter with another dragon n outside the Ancient Dragon City.

    After a few more hours of flying, they finally arrived at the Pavilion of Knowledge, situated in the center of arge ind.

    The Pavilion of Knowledge was an imposing, tower-like structure with a spiraling design that ascended towards the heavens, its peak lost amidst the clouds. The ind looked like any tropical ind, but magical beasts wandered freely. Most of them were around Spirit Emperor level, with a few at Spirit Sovereign level.

    However, before they could even reach the ind, Yuan and Xi Meili stopped when they noticed a figure approaching them from the ind.

    This individual was a middle-aged man with blue hair and azure-colored eyes who boasted the cultivation of Spirit Enlightenment.

    "Wee to the Pavilion of Knowledge. I am Xuan Wei, one of the Seven Scroll Elders here. How can we assist you today?"

    When Xuan Wei spoke, his gaze was mainly on Xi Meili, almost as if he was aware of her dragon bloodline.

    "I''m here to learn more about the Immortal Monarch," Yuan said.

    Xuan Wei turned to look at him with a frown and replied, "You want information on the Immortal Monarch? Not only are you not worthy, but you won''t even be able to afford it."

    Xi Meili frowned and said, "Who are you to decide whether he''s worthy or not?"

    "Any information on the Immortal Monarch is sacred and priceless, and our Pavilion of Knowledge does not ept money or treasures for payment. The only payment we ept is information of equal value, and there''s no way in hell a nobody from the Fourth Heaven would have information as valuable as information on the Immortal Monarch." Xuan Wei sneered.

    "You''re making a lot of assumptions¡­for a nobody." Xi Meili sneered back.

    Xuan Wei frowned and said, "I showed you respect by personallying out to greet you because I could tell you''re of dragon bloodline, and this is how you treat me? You can leave now. The Pavilion of Knowledge will not serve you."

    "If you want to show respect, you should''ve sent the head of this ce to greet me. What is a mere servant''s greeting worth?" Xi Meili shook her head, seemingly genuinely disappointed.

    Xuan Wei''s face darkened after being mocked as a servant by Xi Meili.

    "If you think I won''t harm you because we have dragon blood flowing through our veins, you''re sorely mistaken, Junior!" Xuan Wei roared.

    "Oh, yeah? I''d love to see you try!" Xi Meili retrieved Furious Dragon and went into abative position.

    Seeing this, Xuan Wei merely released his cultivation base. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.

    "How brazen of you, Junior! This Senior shall teach you a lesson your parents never taught you today!"

    Yuan shook his head at their situation before looking at the Pavilion of Knowledge and speaking, "To the Senior watching this, are you sure you want to let them continue? Her surname is Xi, and her father''s name is Xi Shengmo."

    "?!?!"

    After hearing this information, the individual who had been watching them from the peak of the Pavilion of Knowledge experienced a great shock, causing him to fall back on his chair.

    "Stop it, Xuan Wei!"

    A loud voice boomed the next moment, instantly halting Xuan Wei''s movements. He turned to look at the Pavilion of Knowledge with a puzzled expression on his face, and a silhouette approached them from the tower before he could even utter a word.

    This silhouette belonged to an elderly man with long white hair, a short blue beard, and azure-colored eyes shimmering with profound knowledge. He donned a ck outfit adorned with a blue scroll-shaped symbol.

    "Grandfather, what are you doing out here? And why did you stop me from punishing these rude Juniors?"

    However, the old manpletely ignored him and respectfully bowed to Xi Meili.

    "I apologize for my grandson''sck of manners, Young Lady. May I have your name?"

    "Xi Meili. Who are you, old man?"

    "Y-you! How dare you address the master of the Pavilion of Knowledge as ''old man''?!"

    "Just shut up for a moment!" The old man snapped at him before returning to smile at Xi Meili.

    "As he said, I am the master of the Pavilion of Knowledge and the previous Patriarch of the Xuan Family who operates the Pavilion of Knowledge within the Fourth Heaven. My name is Xuan Kun."

    "Is it true that your father''s name is Xi Shengmo?" he then asked.

    "That''s right. You know my father?"

    Xuan Kun nodded and said, "I didn''t just know him. I¡ªour Xuan Family used to serve the Xi Family and his father¡ªlong before they entered the Ancient Dragon City."

    "What?! But they haven''t left the Ancient Dragon City for millions of years! Why would theye out now?!" Xuan Wei cried out loud after hearing this.

    "Since you''re out here, does that mean your father is also¡­?" Xuan Kun asked, his eyes flickered with a hint of anticipation.

    "Nope. I left the Ancient Dragon City by myself to travel with Yuan." Xi Meili shook her head.

    "Oh¡­ is that so¡­" Xuan Kun immediately became dejected. "I was hoping to speak with him again after so long."

    "Anyway, let''s go somewhere morefortable and continue our conversation there, shall we?"

    Xi Meili nodded.

    Yuan and Xi Meili proceeded to follow Xuan Kun to the Pavilion of Knowledge.

    "Grandfather, are you sure we can trust them? What if they''re impersonating the Xi Family?" Xuan Wei asked him through divine sense.

    "Shut up, you idiot. You''ve never seen someone from the Xi Family, so you wouldn''t know, but I can tell that the Young Lady is definitely from the Xi Family. I am confident enough to put my life on the line. I also expect you to give her a proper apology."

    "Why are you treating her like you still serve the Xi Family? We haven''t worked for them since they went into hiding within the Ancient Dragon City!" Xuan Wei couldn''tprehend why they had to lower their heads to someone they used to work for.

    "I bet our current standing isn''t lower than the Xi Family!"

    "You better watch your mouth, Xuan Wei. If you think I won''t hit you because you''re my grandson, you can test me! Our Xuan Family has served the Xi Family for generations since ancient times. Even if we no longer work for them, we will always put them above us!"

    "..." Xuan Wei could not understand Xuan Kun''s point of view and decided to remain silent.

    Once they arrived at the Pavilion of Knowledge, Xuan Kun led Yuan and Xi Meili to one of the guest rooms for esteemed guests.

    "Xuan Wei, go bring them some tea. You can use my tea leaves."

    "What? We have servants for that." Xuan Wei wore a look of disbelief on his face.

    How could he, one of the Seven Scroll Elders, stoop as low as serving tea to guests? His position was only below that of his father and Xuan Kun.

    "Don''t make me repeat myself." Xuan Kun narrowed his eyes with a cold glint in them.

    Xuan Wei could only swallow his frustration and listen to Xuan Kun''smand.

    "I guess I wasn''t wrong to call you a servant." Xi Meili chuckled, rubbing salt on his wounds.

    Xuan Wei''s body trembled in anger, and he stopped walking for a second, but he didn''t say anything and quickly left.

    "Don''t tease him too much, Young Lady. He has a short temper." Xuan Kun smiled.

    "That''s what he gets for looking down on Yuan," she sneered.

    "Yuan¡­ you must be her friend." Xuan Kun turned to look at Yuan, who appeared unremarkable at a nce, but once he tried to peek deeper, Xuan Kun was surprised that even he couldn''t inspect Yuan''s body, who was only a Spirit King.

    "Thank you for calling out to me earlier. I would no longer be able to face my ancestors in the future if someone from our Xuan Family had harmed a member of the Xi Family."

    "He''s more than just a friend to me, Senior Xuan. He''s essentially a member of our family¡ªwith my parents'' approval, of course."

    "What? His Majesty epted a human into the Xi Family? That''s unthinkable¡­" Xuan Kun stared at her with wide eyes.

    He could still vividly recall Xi Shengmo''s hatred for humans, which forced his family to escape into the Ancient Dragon City.

    "You don''t have to believe me. Yuan, show him your robe and ring." Xi Meili winked at him.

    Yuan nodded and retrieved the Golden Dragon Robe and the Dragon Spatial Ring, showing it to Xuan Kun, who stood up from shock.

    "The Dragon Spatial Ring?! And even the Golden Dragon Robe?! Heavens! I never thought I would see these precious items in a human''s possession!" he eximed.

    "You have no idea how much he helped my Xi Family. If it weren''t for him, the Azure Dragon Family would''ve ended our family''s lineage." Xi Meili sighed.

    "The Azure Dragon Family? Those ambitious bastards tried to do something like that? Though, I can''t say I''m surprised. They have always been hungry for power and authority¡ªeven before they moved to the Ancient Dragon City." Xuan Kun shook his head at this information.

 Chapter 1555 Pavilion of Knowledge(2)

    <h4>Chapter 1555 Pavilion of Knowledge(2)</h4>

    1555 Pavilion of Knowledge(2)

    "Young Master, on behalf of the Xuan Family, thank you for helping the Xi Family." Xuan Kun respectfully lowered his head at Yuan.

    "Don''t even mention it. I only did what was natural." Yuan smiled.

    "Anyway, you''re here for information on the Immortal Monarch, correct?" Xuan Kun then asked. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.

    "Yes, that''s correct."

    "I see¡­ Unfortunately, as Xuan Wei had already said, any information on the Immortal Monarch is incredibly sacred to us, so even if you are with the Xi Family, I cannot give you any information without payment. This is also a rule of the Pavilion of Knowledge I cannot break as its Master."

    "No, Ipletely understand. I never thought it was going to be free, anyway. If you provide me with new information on the Immortal Monarch, I will be willing to share information on the Immortal Monarch that you may not be aware of. That sounds fair, correct?" Yuan said.

    Xuan Kun looked at Yuan with a doubtful gaze. Information on the Immortal Monarch was incredibly rare and not something that could be found within the Fourth Heaven in this day and age, after all.

    However, he only remained doubtful and didn''t outright dismiss Yuan as a fraud.

    "By the way, how does the Pavilion of Knowledge verify the information they''re given?" Xi Meili suddenly asked.

    "We have a treasure called the Heavenly Scroll of Validity. It can tell whether someone is being genuine or not," exined Xuan Kun.

    ''Sounds like my Grail of Truth.'' Yuan thought inwardly.

    While the Heavenly Scroll of Validity and the Grail of Truth had simr functions, they were actually very different. The Grail of Truth only had the capability to tell whether someone was lying or not, so it wouldn''t be able to detect anything deeper than that.

    As for the Heavenly Scroll of Validity, it directly reads one''s soul to tell if they are being genuine or not.

    "If you truly wish to purchase information on the Immortal Monarch, we will need to verify your information before the Heavenly Scroll of Validity." Xuan Kun continued.

    "I''ll do it." Yuan nodded.

    "Let''s do it after we drink some tea. I''d like to chat more with the Young Lady here, as well."

    "I don''t mind."

    Xuan Wei returned sometimeter with three cups of tea.

    He ced the tea on the table, immediately turned around, and walked back out to the door without uttering a single word, clearly still upset that he was treated like a servant.

    "Wait." Xuan Kun suddenly stopped him.

    "The Young Lady here hasn''t received an apology from you yet."

    "Why do I have to apologize to her?! I did nothing wrong!" Xuan Wei roared.

    "Do I really have to repeat myself?" Xuan Kun frowned, his domineering aura growing more noticeable.

    Xuan Wei''s entire body trembled in anger, but he didn''t dare to talk back.

    He turned to Xi Meili and reluctantly lowered his head before stiffly speaking, "I''m sorry."

    "Apology epted." Xi Meili could''ve remained silent, but she thought it would annoy him more if she responded, and she was right.

    Xuan Wei stormed out of the room the next moment, his face flushed red.

    "Now then¡­ Young Lady, can you tell me about your life in the Ancient Dragon City? And how is the Xi Family fairing nowadays?" Xuan Kun asked.

    Xi Meili casually nodded and began recalling her life in the Ancient Dragon City.

    Although Xuan Kun''s request seemed innocent and out of curiosity at a nce, he was actually trying to acquire information on the Ancient Dragon City.

    Due to Ancient Dragon City''s seclusive and secretive nature, any information on them would be precious to the Pavilion of Knowledge, especially information on the Xi Family, a dragon n with royal blood that hasn''t been seen in the outside world for millions of years.

    Yuan silently enjoyed the tea as he listened to their chat.

    In the blink of an eye, several hours have passed since Yuan arrived at the Pavilion of Knowledge.

    "I see¡­ I''m d that His Majesty is doing well these days. It''s unfortunate that he can no longer progress his cultivation due to theck of spiritual energy there, but he knew this before going inside the Ancient Dragon City. Now let me tell you about the history of the Xuan Family with the Xi Family." Xuan Kun said.

    "Our Xuan Family has served the Xi Family for generations¡ª even before the Divine Heavens split into Nine Heavens. It all started when your ancestors saved our ancestor''s life. After our ancestors swore loyalty to the Xi Family, we started working as their servants until we were promoted to being their record keeper, where we record significant moments or their achievements."

    "Everything was great¡­until the humans started hunting down dragons like madmen. The Xi Family didn''t want to deal with humans and decided to move into the Ancient Dragon City, a world of its own, created by none other than the Dragon Ancestor. However, the Xi Family didn''t force their retainers to follow them and gave us a choice¡ªto follow them or remain in the Nine Heavens."

    "Our Xuan Family wanted to follow the Xi Family, but s, we found a new objective in life when a certain someone showed up¡ªthe Immortal Monarch. This individual was so awe-

    inspiring and special that we wanted to remain outside to witness and record his greatness, which was the start of the Pavilion of Knowledge."

    "This is why we regard information on the Immortal Monarch sacred. It''s the foundation of the Pavilion of Knowledge."

    "Anyway, we can start verifying your information now."

    Yuan nodded and stood up, "Let''s go."

    Xuan Kun proceeded to bring them to arge and spacious room on the upper floor. This room only had four things inside¡ªa table, two chairs, and a golden scroll that was floating above the table.

    This scroll emitted a profound, almost otherworldly aura that permeated the room.

    "Please, have a seat." Xuan Kun gestured toward one of the chairs before sitting down on the other one.

    Once Yuan sat across from him, Xuan Kun activated the Heavenly Scroll of Validity.

    "From this point forth, the Heavenly Scroll of Validity will enter your soul to determine whether your information is genuine or not."

    "Let''s start with something simple. What is your name?"

    "Yuan."

    The very next moment, the Heavenly Scroll of Validity emitted a golden glow that made the room appear divine.

    "Good. Now, lie to me. Do you know Xi Meili?"

    "No."

    The Heavenly Scroll of Validity did not glow and released an imposing pressure that filled the room, as though a judge had just sentenced someone to death.

    "Last test. I won''t ask you anything. Just tell me something. It doesn''t have to be real, either."

    Hearing such words, Yuan showed a mysterious smile on his face as he spoke, "The Immortal Monarch is still alive."

    "?!?!" Xuan Kun''s eyes widened with surprise after hearing Yuan''s information.

    As someone with millenniums of experience verifying information, he could usually tell when someone was farting or not, even without the Heavenly Scroll of Validity''s help. Yet, he somehow found Yuan''s information to be real even though it shouldn''t be possible.

    Xuan Kun immediately turned to look at the Heavenly Scroll of Validity for its response. He wanted it to permeate the room with its golden glow so badly, but he knew that it wasn''t going to happen, as that would have severe and significant implications.

    A momentter, the room brightened as the Heavenly Scroll of Validity glowed gold.

    "WHAT?!"

    Xuan Kun stood from his chair and mmed the table, looking like he''d just witnessed his ancestors crawling out of their graves.

    After standing there for a long minute with a bewildered look on his face, Xuan Kun looked at Yuan and asked in a trembling voice, "W-where did you get this information?!"

    However, Yuan merely shrugged and said, "Who knows, but the information I just gave you should be pretty valuable, right? I wonder if it''s valuable enough for you to give me what I want."

    Xuan Kun''s jaw dropped after hearing his words. He was renderedpletely speechless, and his mind was already in a mess from the earlier information.

    Eventually, he took a deep breath and sighed, "Very well¡­ I shall give you all the information we have on the Immortal Monarch. But honestly, the information you gave us is already more valuable than everything we''ve gathered since our foundation."

    "That''s fine."

    "Follow me¡­"

    Xuan Kun tried to walk to the door, but he stumbled and fell on the floor like an old man who suddenly had his cane taken away.

    "Sorry, but can you give me a moment?" he asked with an embarrassed look on his face.

    "Take your time." Yuan nodded with a smile.

    Xuan Kun remained seated on the floor for several minutes, contemting the information that the Immortal Monarch was still alive out there somewhere.

    ''The Immortal Monarch is alive¡­? The Immortal Monarch is alive?! Why hasn''t he made an appearance for so long?! What about the Nine Divine Supremes?! Just who is this young human?!'' Xuan Kun knew Yuan was an extraordinary existence when he managed to visit the Ancient Dragon City and receive the Xi Family''s approval, but this was truly far beyond his expectations.

    ''This young man¡­ could he be rted to the Immortal Monarch? Perhaps his descendant? No¡­ he wouldn''t need to look for information on the Immortal Monarch if he were the Immortal Monarch''s descendant¡­''

    Sometimeter, once Xuan Kun could finally walk properly, he led Yuan to the room on the highest floor of the Pavilion of Knowledge.

 Chapter 1556 Chronicles of the Immortal Monarch

    1556 Chronicles of the Immortal Monarch

    "This is the room where we keep all of the Immortal Monarch''s information. We call this room the ''Chronicles of the Immortal Monarch,''" Xuan Kun said as they approached a metal door crafted from a ck metallic material adorned with the image of a human figure surrounded by nine beastly entities.

    "You will be the first guests to visit this room. Wee to the Chronicles of the Immortal Monarch."

    Xuan Kun proceeded to bite his thumb and press it against the door, feeding it with his blood. The ck door slowly creaked open, and Xi Meili swallowed nervously in anticipation. However, once the door was fully opened and they stepped inside, the interior was quite ordinary.

    Inside, tall wooden shelves hugged every wall in the room, and thousands of scrolls were neatly ced on them.

    "Please, take as much time as you need here. They are allbeled, too. I will be leaving to deal with something else. If you need anything, don''t hesitate to call me. I will be in the room across from this one." Xuan Kun said to them before closing the door for them. Then, he went into the other room and sealed the door shut.

    "Where should we start?" Xi Meili asked as she looked around.

    Yuan used his divine sense to look at all of thebels quickly and pointed to the shelf by the door.

    "That''s the beginning, so we can start from there."

    Xi Meili nodded and walked to the shelf.

    "Immortal Monarch''s First Appearance," she read thebel out loud.

    She picked out the scrollbeled with the number ''one'' and looked at Yuan, asking, "Can I do the honors of reading it?"

    He nodded with a smile, "Go ahead."

    Thus, Xi Meili began reading the records of the Immortal Monarch''s first appearance.

    ording to the records, the Immortal Monarch''s appearance was very sudden, like thunder in a clear blue sky, and when he appeared, there were already three Divine Supremes by his side.

    "When he first appeared in the world, he was already apanied by three supreme entities that would eventually be known as the Nine Divine Supremes."

    "The first was Dragon Goddess Yeyou, also known as the Dragon of Origin, one of the first dragons to exist in the Divine Heavens alongside the Dragon Ancestor and the Great One. Unlike the other two Dragons of Origin, who spread their names far and wide, Dragon Goddess Yeyou preferred being lowkey and seclusive. She was rumored to be the strongest divine beast during her time. Unfortunately, she disappeared along with the Immortal Monarch." Xi Meili read, her hands trembling with excitement.

    "The second supreme entity who followed the Immortal Monarch was the Primordial Phoenix, one of the first phoenixes to exist. Her prowess rivaled that of the Dragons of Origin, except the Dragon Goddess, who was stronger than the other two Dragons of Origin. The Primordial Phoenix''s body burned so intensely that she would set entire stars aze just by being in its vicinity. She was rumored to have true immortality, where she would not die even if her soul perished. She also disappeared alongside the Immortal Monarch."

    "The third supreme entity that followed the Immortal Monarch was also the most mysterious and unique of the Nine Divine Supremes. Eater of Stars, once known as a natural cmity that devoured stars and everything unfortunate enough to enter its path as though it was her only purpose. We don''t know her name or how the Immortal Monarch tamed an entity like her, but she was the most obedient of the Nine Divine Supremes. Almost everything about her is a mystery. From her origins to her true strength, they all remained unknown even after the Immortal Monarch''s disappearance."

    "The Eater of Stars disappeared alongside the Immortal Monarch but was spotted nine hundred thousand yearster. She had returned to being the Abyss Cmity she was once infamous for, devouring the stars and everything in the gxy more intensely than before. However, there hasn''t been any news of her since her initial reemergence."

    Yuan''s body trembled after learning that Eater of Stars had returned to her life before she met the Immortal Monarch, most likely because he''d perished and could no longer satisfy her insatiable hunger.

    He looked to the ceiling with a woeful frown on his face, wondering if she was still living such a harsh life in the starry sky.

    ''If she''s still out there, I need to find her as soon as possible so she can live a normal life again¡­'' Yuan clenched his fists until they bled, his eyes filled with newfound determination.

    However, in order to traverse the starry sky without the help of treasures, one must at least be a Golden Immortal. As for treasures that allow one to traverse the starry sky, most of them are insanely expensive.

    "The Immortal Monarch and these three supreme entities traveled the Divine Heavens for thousands of years with one goal¡ªto stop the war between humans and beasts and start their coexistence."

    "The first intervention by the Immortal Monarch was between the Blood Mastiffs and humans. Due to their highly desirable blood, Blood Mastiffs were hunted by humans to near extinction. As revenge for his bloodline, the strongest Blood Mastiff, known as the Crimson Terror, went on a carnage and destroyed hundreds of human settlements and consumed countless humans."

    "In order to calm the Crimson Terror, the Immortal Monarch had to fight with it. Their fightsted seven hundred years until the Crimson Terror was defeated. After their fight ended, the Crimson Terror swore loyalty to the Immortal Monarch and became the fourth Nine Divine Supreme."

    ''Crimson Terror¡­ he was the Lord''s father¡­'' Yuan recalled what the Lord told him not long ago.

    Xi Meili continued, "After turning the Crimson Terror into his subordinate, the Immortal Monarch swiftly dealt with the humans hunting the Blood Mastiffs. He dered that if any humans hunted Blood Mastiffs solely to benefit from their existence¡ªor any beasts, for that matter¡ªhe would personally wipe them out. This was the true beginning of his campaign to bring peace to humans and beasts."

    "Over the next several thousand years, the Immortal Monarch stayed true to his words, killing humans that hunted beasts for their materials. As for beasts that hunted innocent humans for revenge, the Immortal Monarch also dealt with them. A lot

    ¡ªcountless humans and beasts died at the hands of the Immortal Monarch. In the end, the war between humans and beasts was forced to end by a third party with overwhelming power that could wipe out either side." Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    "The Immortal Monarch appeared to be a gentle and kind individual at a nce, but he was a true tyrant who made the world obedient with fear and power. However, he also made the world a better ce by doing so."

    "A tyrant¡­? That was unexpected." Xi Meili looked at Yuan, who also looked surprised by this information.

    He thought the Immortal Monarch had ended the war between humans and beasts through other means, but it turned out that he had simply forced it to end by making everyone fear him.

    "To end the war by force¡­ it may be a morally questionable method, but it was undeniably effective," Yuan sighed out loud.

    "No¡­ it may have been the only method¡­" Xi Meili suddenly said.

    "Not just humans, but beasts can also be unreasonable beings. If you wish to have two objects that naturally repel each other join together, it can only be done with force." Xi Meili said.

    For example, attempting to make two mas of opposite poles touch requires force, as their natural state is to repel each other.

    Yuan nodded, agreeing with her.

    Xi Meili continued reading the scrolls.

    "Once the war ended, the Immortal Monarch began working towards bringing humans and beasts together, something that could not be forced."

    "In order to do this, he started with befriending the beasts to let them know that it was possible to coexist with humans. The Immortal Monarch started with the Dragon n due to his connection with Dragon Goddess Yeyou."

    "The Immortal Monarch started from top to bottom, so he first met with the Dragon Ancestor, who he quickly befriended. Due to the Dragon Ancestor''s immense influence in the Dragon n and with two of the three Dragons of Origin by his side, convincing the rest of the Dragon n required little to no effect."

    "After gaining the Dragon n''s approval, the Immortal Monarch sought the approval of the Great One. However, for reasons unknown, the Great One refused, even antagonizing the Immortal Monarch. Rumors suggested that the Great One was not on friendly terms with the other two Dragons of Origin and thus could not ept someone they already epted."

    "The Immortal Monarch and the Great One weren''t on good terms with each other? Now that''s another piece of information that I did not expect¡­" Yuan muttered after hearing this information.

    He thought he had some kind of fate with the Great One at the beginning of his journey in Cultivation Online, but after theirst interaction, their rtionship with each other had be somewhat clouded.

    With this new information, his future rtionship with the Great One became even more cloudy.

    ''It''s a pity that we might be enemies in the future. I even learned Dragon''s Gaze from him in this life¡­'' Yuan sighed inwardly.

    However, he didn''t immediately consider the Great One an enemy, as there were still many uncertain things.

    Xi Meili continued, "One day, the Immortal Monarch and the Great One had a massive fight that shook the Divine Heavens, and they became sworn enemies since that day."

    "..."

    Yuan became speechless.

 Chapter 1557 Chronicles of the Immortal Monarch(2)

    <h4>Chapter 1557 Chronicles of the Immortal Monarch(2)</h4>

    1557 Chronicles of the Immortal Monarch(2)

    "Sworn enemies with the Great One? Now that''s an achievement one can brag about." Xi Meili chuckled at this information.

    The Great One was a supreme entity that stood at the pinnacle of the world. To be noticed by him was an honor beyond measure, and to be considered a sworn enemy was a mark of unparalleled distinction. Of course, whether that was a good thing or not was debatable.

    "What do you think caused the fight?" Xi Meili looked at Yuan.

    He shrugged, "I can''t imagine. From my few encounters with him, I can tell that he''s a very prideful and fulfilled individual. I cannot imagine someone like him would fight over something simple."

    Xi Meili then said, "I always thought the Dragons of Origin were close to each other since they were the first dragons toe into existence and might see each other as siblings, but I guess I was too naive."

    "Don''t siblings tend to argue with each other?"

    Yuan, drawing from his own experiences, mused, "Although most of my time with Yu Rou was pleasant, there were moments when we had fought in the past. So, I would understand it if the Dragons of Origin had simr experiences."

    "Sibling fights, huh? I totally understand. I am always butting heads with Murong." Xi Meili chuckled.

    She continued reading the next scroll a momentter.

    "After securing the Dragon n''s approval, the Immortal Monarch set his sights on the Heavenly White Tiger n, a formidable yet rtively small n renowned for their ferocity and tumultuous nature. Ranked as the seventh most powerful n, their influence belied their size. The males, in particr, were notorious for their insatiable lust, a trait embedded deeply within their bloodline, which often led them into conflict with other ns."

    "Although the females were not as lustful as the males, they were known to go to extreme lengths to acquire a partner once they fancied someone. Due to their nature, they did not make a good first impression, and the entire n received a massive beating from Dragon Goddess Yeyou when the males tried to go after her and the females tried to get overly friendly with the Immortal Monarch."

    "Their leader, the Heavenly White Tiger God, was particrly affected. He was beaten so severely that he lost all sexual desire, bing as pure and chaste as a monk. He would also be the fifth of the Nine Divine Supremes."

    "Che. The Heavenly White Tigers." Xi Meili sucked her teeth in an annoyed manner after being reminded of her encounter with Bai Xutao.

    "The Dragon Goddess should''ve just killed all of them back then," she casuallymented.

    She looked at Yuan and continued, "By the way, how''s Feng Feng''s recovery?"

    "I''ve been feeding her my blood almost every day. Her appearance''s changed a lot, but I still don''t know when she''ll return."

    "I see¡­ Hopefully, she''ll return to us soon." Xi Meili said before returning to the scroll. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.

    "During his campaign to receive the approval of all major beast ns, the Immortal Monarch would asionally hunt the surviving demons that had managed to flee the war."

    "Demons, huh? I never got to see one. They must be all gone by now, right? What a pity." Xi Meili muttered.

    Yuan smiled and said, "You should be d that you never got to experience their disgusting presence. Unfortunately, demons still exist in this world¡ªand mine. They''re just in hiding now."

    "Have you seen one?" she then asked.

    He nodded, "Yes, and more than just one, unfortunately."

    "Then did you fight them? They''re supposedly immortal¡ªwith an indestructible body."

    "Their body is definitely destructive. They just have insane recovery, so any damage they take would instantly recover, and unless you get rid of their entire being in one go, they could fully regenerate even from a small chunk of flesh."

    "The only reliable method of getting rid of them would be demon-sealing techniques and sacred mes. Unless you have one of these abilities, you don''t want to meet a demon."

    "I''ll keep that in mind," she said.

    She picked up another scroll and continued, "After traveling for hundreds of years, the Immortal Monarch met the sixth of the Nine Divine Supreme, a powerful divine beast that did not belong to any n¡ªthe Divine Yin Yang Crane."

    "The Divine Yin Yang Crane was a one-of-a-kind mythical being said to bring immense luck to anyone for the rest of their life if they are lucky enough to see it, and most people live their whole life not seeing it, including immortals that have lived for millions of years. Yet, the Divine Yin Yang Crane had personally appeared before the Immortal Monarch and requested to follow him."

    "The Divine Yin Yang Crane, huh? This is my first time hearing about such a creature." Xi Meilimented afterward.

    "Me too," Yuan said.

    "Is this information helping you regain your memories?" she then asked.

    "No, nothing''sing up."

    "Maybe you''ll recall something after hearing a little more. We still have thousands of scrolls to go through, after all."

    She moved on to the next scroll.

    "The seventh to join the Nine Divine Supremes was the Celestial Turtle, a divine beast said to have the strongest and most durable body in the Divine Heaven. The Celestial Turtle has a massive body that was many timesrger than the sun, and due to its size, it could only live in the starry sky."

    "Rumors say that the Immortal Monarch had built a home for himself and the other Divine Supremes somewhere on the back of the Celestial Turtle, but nobody could confirm this rumor."

    "The eighth of the Nine Divine Supreme was the Shadow Dweller, a divine beast that can enter and traverse shadows. Not much is known about this Divine Supreme due to itsck of presence."

    "The ninth and final of the Nine Divine Supreme is unknown. Nobody but the other Divine Supremes and the Immortal Monarch himself have seen the Ninth Divine Supreme''s beast form." Xi Meili closed the scroll.

    "There''s not much information about the Nine Divine Supremes here. Maybe they have their own category," she said afterward.

 Chapter 1558 Chronicles of the Immortal Monarch(3)

    <h4>Chapter 1558 Chronicles of the Immortal Monarch(3)</h4>

    1558 Chronicles of the Immortal Monarch(3)

    Although there were still thousands of scrolls left to be read, there were only a few scrolls left that focused on the Immortal Monarch''s journey. The other scrolls were dedicated to misceneous information on the Immortal Monarch and hispanions.

    "After spending thousands of years convincing the beast ns that humans could coexist with them, the Immortal Monarch helped some of the beast ns settle around human settlements, allowing them to experience it firsthand."

    "Of course, the humans weren''t happy about having beasts as neighbors, but there wasn''t anything they could do to get rid of them, as the beast ns were all protected by the Immortal Monarch, someone even the Celestial Emperor had to be respectful around." Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    "Eventually, after many decades of coexistence, humans and beasts grew ustomed to each other''s presence. Gradually, they began to converse and build a sense of camaraderie, transforming from wary neighbors to unlikely allies."

    "Unfortunately, not every beast n managed to coexist with humans. The Immortal Monarch did not force this on either side and allowed the beast ns that did not want to be around humans to return to their original settlement."

    "Eventually, the notion of humans coexisting with beasts becamemonce. Many beast ns lived alongside humans, coborating to build thriving cities andmunities, breaking down the barriers that once separated them."

    "The Immortal Monarch, content with the harmony he had fostered, ceased his role as mediator between humans and beasts and vanished from the world. For several thousand years, his whereabouts and activities remained a mystery. When he finally reappeared several thousand yearster, he seemed like a different person, transformed by the unknown experiences during his absence."

    "His demeanor had shifted significantly; he appeared more serious, less approachable, and carried an aura of profound gravity. The cause of this transformation was unknown, but it was unmistakable. Not long after his return, the Immortal Monarch sought a private audience with the Celestial Emperor."

    "At that time, no one thought much of his audience with the Celestial Emperor, as they were known to be quite friendly and had many conversations before. However, this time was different. For reasons unknown to anyone but the two, their conversation sparked a fierce battle thatsted seven days straight. The Celestial Pce was flipped upside-down and turned to ruins as a result."

    "The Celestial Emperor survived, albeit heavily injured from the battle. As for the Immortal Monarch, he vanished once more, now branded a criminal. Despite this, the Celestial Emperor refrained from hunting him down, wary of the Immortal Monarch''s immense power and the might of his Nine Divine Supremes."

    "News of the Immortal Monarch attacking the Celestial Emperor sent shockwaves throughout the Divine Heaven, raising questions from all corners. Spections quickly followed, but with so little information to go on, most of these theories sounded like pure fantasy."

    "After a few more thousand years of silence, the Immortal Monarch reappeared and confronted the Celestial Emperor once again¡ªwith all Nine Divine Supremes by his side this time. The Celestial Army was prepared to fight to the death to protect the Celestial Emperor, but to their surprise, the Immortal Monarch only uttered a few words to the Celestial Emperor before leaving. Yet, the Celestial Emperor''s face remained etched with fear long after the Immortal Monarch had departed."

    "The words uttered by the Immortal Monarch were ''Only I control my own fate, nobody else''."

    "The Immortal Monarch vanished from the world after that, never to appear in public again. Shortly after his disappearance, a catastrophic event unfolded. The sky turned a bright red, as if painted with blood, and the Divine Heaven was split into nine different realms, bing what we know today as the Nine Heavens."

    "It''s evident that the Immortal Monarch had something to do with the event, but nobody knew why¡ªexcept for the Celestial Emperor. However, the Celestial Emperor remained silent despite being questioned by the entire world."

    Xi Meili returned the scroll to the shelf with a bewildered look on her face, clearly taken aback by what she''d just read.

    Even Yuan wore a pondering expression on his face.

    "So the Immortal Monarch caused the Divine Heaven to be the Nine Heavens, and it had something to do with the Celestial Emperor. I wonder what happened after he aplished his ambitions that caused him to change so drastically?" Yuan muttered to himself.

    "Whatever happened, it was disastrous enough to split the entire world into pieces." Xi Meilimented.

    "Can you think of anything powerful enough to split the Divine Heaven?" Yuan asked.

    Xi Meili pondered for a moment before shaking her head, "While a Cultivation God may have enough power to destroy the world, splitting the Divine Heavens into several pieces while keeping the world intact is a different story. Maybe a treasure? I have no clue, honestly."

    "What do you think?" she then asked.

    "It was most likely a fight that caused it. As for the Immortal Monarch''s opponent, there''s too little information to go on, so I cannot imagine."

    "A fight? The Immortal Monarch had the Nine Divine Supremes, who were considered the most powerful entities in the world, each strong enough to rival a Cultivation God. I cannot imagine an opponent the nine¡ªten of them couldn''t defeat even working together." Xi Meili shook her head, finding it hard to believe anything could defeat the Nine Divine Supremes when even the Celestial Emperor was powerless before them, not to mention the Immortal Monarch himself.

    Yuan couldn''t argue with Xi Meili''s logic. However, he couldn''t shake the feeling that it was definitely a fight that caused it.

    Suddenly, a particr term appeared inside Yuan''s head.

    ''Outer God¡­''

    He recalled the ck Death uttering this word for some reason.

    ''What if there are existences out there that defy thews of this world¡ªwith power that surpasses the Nine Divine Supremes?'' he wondered inwardly.

    It wouldn''t be the first time something extraordinary existed beyond their knowledge. Take Earth and Cultivation Online, for example.

    If it weren''t for Cultivation Online, Yuan might never have discovered the existence of the Nine Heavens, a realm far beyond their world''s understanding and reach.

 Chapter 1559 Chronicles of the Immortal Monarch(4)

    <h4>Chapter 1559 Chronicles of the Immortal Monarch(4)</h4>

    1559 Chronicles of the Immortal Monarch(4)

    "Well, that''s all for the Immortal Monarch''s journey. The rest of the scrolls seem to focus more on hispanions and the ces he''d visited than the person himself." Xi Meili said as she looked at the other shelves.

    "Let''s check out the information on the Nine Divine Supremes," he said.

    Xi Meili nodded and excitedly walked to the shelf with a sign that read ''Dragon Goddess Yeyou''.

    "Dragon Goddess Yeyou, one of the first dragons to exist, was also known as the Dragon of Origins. Beyond Dragon Goddess Yeyou and the other two Dragons of Origin, the exact order in which the three Dragons of Origins came into existence remains unknown."

    "Although she is typically in seclusion, slumbering far away from any settlement, whenever she wakes up from it, she would always find someone to spar with, earning her the nickname of Supreme Tormentor."

    "Dragon Goddess Yeyou''s cultivation reached the equivalent of Cultivation God sometime past the Evil God''s Era. Rumor has it that she was the first entity to reach such a profound cultivation."

    "We didn''t learn of this until she started traveling with the Immortal Monarch. However, she was someone who got envious easily, especially when it concerned the Immortal Monarch, and would asionally throw tantrums."

    Yuan smiled at this information and recalled the little tantrum she had thrown at the Dragon Spiral Mountain.

    The scrolls went on to talk about Dragon Goddess Yeyou''s history¡ªat least the ones publically known. Due to Dragon Goddess Yeyou''s seclusive nature, not much was known about her in her earlier days, especially before she met the Immortal Monarch.

    ording to those who fought with her, Dragon Goddess Yeyou had a remarkably simple routine: she would either slumber or spar with others. If she wasn''t napping in the starry sky, she was bullying someone. If she wasn''t bullying someone, she was sleeping.

    After meeting the Immortal Monarch, Dragon Goddess Yeyou only slumbered whenever the Immortal Monarch entered seclusion, and she would only pick fights with those who tried to get too close to him.

    It was quite obvious that Dragon Goddess Yeyou fancied the Immortal Monarch, but nobody was bold enough to say it out loud¡ªnot even the other Divine Supremes.

    After spending several hours on Dragon Goddess Yeyou''s information, Xi Meili went on to read about the Primordial Phoenix.

    "The Primordial Phoenix was perhaps the only divine beast who walked amongst the humans before the Immortal Monarch''s influence. She had her own business, selling treasures she acquired, amassing a fortune rivaling even the Great One, who was known to hoard treasures like a madman."

    "The Primordial Phoenix didn''t spend as much time as the others with the Immortal Monarch and only showed up asionally whenever she got bored or was needed, like that time when the Immortal Monarch visited the Phoenix n."

    "The Primordial Phoenix is highlypetitive and is often seen butting heads with Dragon Goddess Yeyou."

    Eater of Stars was next on Xi Meili''s reading list, but her shelf was quite empty whenpared to the others, with one exception¡ªthe ninth member of the Nine Divine Supreme.

    Most of the information on the Eater of Stars was about her past before she met the Immortal Monarch. Besides Dragon Goddess Yeyou, she spent the most time with the Immortal Monarch¡ªto the point where it was nearly impossible to see the Immortal Monarch without her somewhere around him.

    "The Eater of Stars was especially protective of the Immortal Monarch. If she perceived any threat to him, no matter how minor, she would immediately be aggressive, ready to unleash her wrath on anyone who dared to harm him." Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.

    Nobody but the Nine Divine Supreme knew this, but the Immortal Monarch kept her hunger satisfied with his own blood, so it was only natural for the Eater of Stars to be protective of him since he was the reason she could live a normal life.

    After finishing the scrolls on Eater of Stars, Crimson Terror was next.

    "Despite the nickname he was given, Crimson Terror wasn''t born a killer. In fact, he disliked violence and would always find a method to avoid it. Unfortunately, in order to protect his own n from the greedy humans, he was forced to kill and kill until one day, he lost his mind and became nothing but a crazed killer."

    "If the Immortal Monarch hadn''t snapped him out of it, the Crimson Terror would''ve inflicted significant damage not to just human society but the beast ns, as well."

    After being tamed by the Immortal Monarch, Crimson Terror traveled the world in his human form to fix the damage he''d done to the innocent.

    "Up next, we have the Heavenly White Tiger God¡­"

    Just as Xi Meili reached for a scroll, the door opened, and Xuan Kun walked inside.

    "How''s everything so far?" he asked them.

    "I''ve learned a lot of new things from here, and we''re just getting started," Yuan said.

    "I''m d. Anyway, I have a new guest who needs my attention, so I will not be avable for a little."

    "This guest must be fairly important." Xi Meili causally said.

    "Yes¡­ this individual is not only from the upper heavens, but she''s also from the Immortal ns that are closely rted to the Immortal Monarch."

    "Someone from the Immortal ns?" Yuan raised an eyebrow, his interest piqued.

    "Which n is she from?"

    "The Heavenly White Tiger n."

    Yuan narrowed his eyes at this information.

    ''Could it be her?''

    Yuan recalled the woman who showed up to protect Bai Xutao.

    Xi Meili also had simr thoughts.

    ''For her to show up in this ce, she must be looking for information¡­'' Yuan thought to himself.

    "Then, I''ll let you return to your study now." Xuan Kun closed the door and went downstairs to meet this individual while Yuan and Xi Meili returned to reading scrolls.

    Even if this individual turned out to be the same woman they met, they had no reason to be in her business and decided to just ignore it for the time being.

 Chapter 1560 Bai Ning

    1560 Bai Ning

    Once Xuan Kun arrived at the reception area, he could see a beautiful young woman standing with Xuan Wei, who had a respectful smile on his face, a stark contrast to the way he greeted Yuan and Xi Meili.

    "Wee to the Pavilion of Knowledge, Lady Bai Ning. How can we assist you today?" Xuan Kun respectfully bowed to her.

    Bai Ning looked at him nonchntly and said, "I heard that this is the ce to go for information. Is that correct?"

    "That depends on the type of information you''re looking for, but generally, yes. We have information on pretty much everything, including information that is normally only avable in the upper heavens." Xuan Kun spoke with confidence.

    The Pavilion of Knowledge gathered information from not only the Fourth Heaven but also all the other Heavens. They achieved this by contacting other information-gathering agencies in the upper heavens and sharing information with each other.

    "Good. I am looking for someone," Bai Ning then said.

    She continued as Xuan Kun raised an eyebrow, "This individual has long golden hair and golden eyes, a unique scent that does not belong to any beast n that I know of, but his aura did resemble that of the dragon n slightly. He wields a golden Soul Weapon shaped like a spear that can easily prate spiritual energy. He might have a habit of wearing masks."

    "Oh, he''s also immensely talented, being able to fight even Spirit Enlightenment despite being a mere Spirit King."

    Xuan Kun wore a look of disbelief on his face after hearing the description of someone who sounded like pure fiction to him.

    "A Spirit King that can fight Spirit Enlightenment? That doesn''t sound feasible at all¡­" Xuan Wei subconsciously uttered this after hearing such a ridiculous im.

    Bai Ning narrowed her eyes at him and sneered, "Are you calling me a liar?"

    "N-not at all! But how can you be sure this information is correct?"

    "Because I encountered and fought him myself in the Third Heaven. Not only did he match my strength, but he also humiliated my little brother, who had to unseal his cultivation to Spirit Enlightenment. Even then, it wasn''t enough."

    "A Spirit King from the Third Heaven was able to match you? That sounds ludicrous, but since it''sing from you¡­" Xuan Kun swallowed nervously.

    He began pondering seriously, but nobody that fit the description came to mind.

    ''There''s no way a genius like that would go unnoticed. In that case, he must be a neer¡­''

    "Do you have any more information on this individual?" Xuan Kun asked.

    Bai Ning recalled every little detail Bai Xutao told her to Xuan Kun, who listened with great interest. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.

    "I see¡­ Truly a fascinating individual¡­ As for that spear you mentioned¡­"

    Once Xuan Kun was given more details on the Soul Weapon wielded by this individual, he immediately thought about the Dragon''s Soul, something the Xi Family had in their possession even before they entered the Ancient Dragon City.

    ''A Soul Weapon that sounds like the Dragon''s Soul, and with the Young Lady''s recent emergence¡­ is this just a coincidence, or¡­?'' Xuan Kun wondered inwardly, not daring to rush any conclusions.

    "Oh, one more thing. This masked individual had some weird technique. Right when I was about to strike him, he shouted ''halt'' at me in amanding tone, and as though I was his servant, my body obeyed even though my mind rejected it." Bai Ning suddenly said.

    "What?" Xuan Kun frowned upon hearing this, and he asked, "Can you repeat that one more time? And how you felt in more detail?"

    Bai Ning closed her eyes and recalled the moment her body stopped working.

    "With a single word, that individual was able to takeplete control of my body, forcing it to listen to hismands regardless of my own will. If he told me to kill myself at that moment, I would''ve probably done so. I have never felt so powerless in my life¡­" Bai Ning wore a nervous expression on her face as she recalled the sensation of being powerless, something she had never experienced since birth.

    Xuan Kun swallowed nervously and took a deep breath before speaking, "I don''t want to startle you or anything, Lady Bai, but what you described sounds exactly like an authority¡ª

    something only the purest of royal bloodlines can wield."

    "What?" Bai Ning frowned upon hearing this and said, "You mean to tell me this individual has the authority tomand the Heavenly White Tiger''s bloodline when we are already the purest of our bloodline? That''s nonsense!"

    The Heavenly White Tiger n already stood at the peak of their bloodline, so it was impossible for another bloodline to have the authority tomand them.

    "In that case, I can only think of one possibility, even though it may sound even more ridiculous than thest¡­" Xuan Kun''s body trembled at this thought.

    "What is it?" Bai Ning urged.

    After taking a deep breath, Xuan Kun muttered in a shivering voice, "Immortal Monarch''s Dominion¡­ That''s the only authority that could possibly surpass the Heavenly White Tiger''s authority."

    "Are you insane?!" Bai Ning suddenly roared, her voice filled with anger.

    "You dare suggest that the Immortal Monarch is still alive and that the person I fought was him?!"

    Just the thought of raising a finger against the Immortal Monarch left Bai Ning in utter disgust and anger, as she would rather die than do such a thing.

    "Even if the Immortal Monarch were alive, he wouldn''t be a Spirit King! Moreover, why would the Immortal Monarch be bullying my little brother?!"

    After Bai Xutao''s fight with Yuan, Bai Ning brought Bai Xutao, who was half dead after the heavenly tribtion, back to her family, where he had to exin everything. However, Bai Xutao gave a fake story, so Bai Ning was still unaware of the whole situation and thought Yuan was just targeting the Heavenly White Tiger n for whatever reason.

    "I know how ridiculous it sounds, but it''s the only exnation. Furthermore¡­" Xuan Kun hesitated for a moment before continuing, "The Immortal Monarch¡­ he''s alive¡­"

    "What¡­ did you just say?" Bai Ning and Xuan Wei stared at him with wide eyes, their faces filled with shock.

 Chapter 1561 Bai Ning(2)

    <h4>Chapter 1561 Bai Ning(2)</h4>

    1561 Bai Ning(2)

    Bai Ning''s entire being froze like a stone statue after being told that the Immortal Monarch was alive. Her body trembled after a moment of silence, and she suddenly reached for Xuan Kun''s cors.

    Once she got ahold of his robes, she lifted him into the air and roared, "I swear to god, if you''re messing with me!"

    Xuan Kun was startled by her sudden aggression and hastily said, "I-it''s true! This information has already been verified through the Heavenly Scroll of Validity! The chances of this information being fake are almost zero!"

    "Who? Who gave you this information!?" she growled.

    Xuan Kun hesitated to reveal this information since the Pavilion of Knowledge prided itself on its confidentiality. If he revealed a customer''s name, it would set a dangerous precedent and, if exposed, would sink their reputation to the bottom of the sea.

    "Please forgive me, but I cannot reveal a client''s information, especially if that individual may have a connection with the Immortal Monarch. I beg for your understanding, Lady Bai." Xuan Kun said, his body soaked in cold sweat.

    "..."

    Bai Ning froze again and, after a moment of silence, released Xuan Kun and said, "My apologies. I got a little too excited after learning of the information. You''re right. This individual likely has connections with the Immortal Monarch to have such valuable information. I almost made a rash judgment there."

    Xuan Kun sighed in relief and said, "Thank you for your understanding. Although I cannot reveal this individual''s information to you, I can speak with him and see if he would be willing to meet you."

    Bai Ning''s eyes flickered after hearing this, and immediately nodded, "Please do! I must speak with this individual, no matter what! If there''s anything I can do that would increase the chances of meeting him, let me know!"

    Xuan Kun pondered for a moment before responding, "I''m not sure, but he seemed very interested in information rted to the Immortal Monarch. If you have information to share with him, he''d have a reason to speak with you."

    "Information on the Immortal Monarch, right? I have plenty of that." Bai Ning quickly agreed.

    As an Immortal Monarch enthusiast, Bai Ning collected all sorts of information on the Immortal Monarch, and being part of an Immortal n, she has ess to information not avable to the public.

    "What about the individual you wanted to find?" Xuan Wei suddenly asked.

    "I can deal with himter. This takes priority," she said.

    "Then I''ll be back. You can rest in the guest room in the meantime." Xuan Kun said.

    "Hm? You make it sound like you''ll be able to contact this person soon."

    "Well¡­ he is currently in the Pavilion of Knowledge, after all¡­"

    "What did you say?!" Bai Ning was pleasantly surprised by this news.

    "You don''t mean¡­" Xuan Wei swallowed nervously as he thought of their recent rude guests.

    Xuan Kun left shortly after, leaving Xuan Wei and Bai Ning alone. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    Sometimeter, Xuan Kun opened the door to Chronicles of the Immortal Monarch.

    "Young Master, I apologize for disturbing you, but the guest from the Heavenly White Tiger n would like to meet you. Due to her background, I shared with her the information you told me." Xuan Kun said with an apologetic look on his face.

    "She wants to meet me, huh?" Yuan didn''t immediately give an answer.

    "She said she''s willing to share information on the Immortal Monarch if you agree to meet with her. Since she''s from an Immortal n, her information would undoubtedly be valuable."

    Yuan pondered for a moment before nodding his head, "Sure, I''ll go meet with her."

    "Thank you!" Xuan Kun bowed to him, feeling relieved.

    Xi Meili ced the scroll in her hands down and asked through divine sense, "Should Ie with you?"

    "No, I can speak with her alone. She might also recognize you." Yuan said.

    "Alright." Xi Meili nodded.

    Yuan left the room while Xi Meili continued to read the scrolls.

    Sometimeter, Xuan Kun brought Yuan to Bai Ning.

    The moment Bai Ning saw Yuan, she raised an eyebrow. She didn''t recognize Yuan but felt like they had met somewhere.

    "Hello, I am Bai Ning of the Heavenly White Tiger n. How should I address you?" Knowing that he might be connected to the Immortal Monarch, Bai Ning spoke to him in a respectful tone.

    "Yuan," he said.

    "I heard you wanted to speak with me. What is this about?" he then asked.

    "I heard from Xuan Kun here that you were the one who told him the Immortal Monarch is alive. If you don''t mind me asking, how did you acquire this information? I will share with you everything I know about the Immortal Monarch. In case you don''t know, the Heavenly White Tiger God, our ancestor, was one of the Nine Divine Supremes that followed the Immortal Monarch, so we know more than most."

    "I don''t mind telling you, but can you tell me what you n on doing with that information first?" Yuan said.

    "What I n on doing¡­?" Bai Ning raised an eyebrow, as she hadn''t thought about it yet.

    "I-if the Immortal Monarch is truly alive, I want to meet him¡­" she responded in a low voice after a moment of silence.

    "And what are you going to do once you meet him?" Yuan continued to ask.

    "I will serve him just as the Nine Divine Supreme had! That is my dream!" she answered with a serious expression on her face.

    "And what if he refuses?"

    "That''s¡­" Bai Ning was left speechless.

    "I haven''t thought that far, but I will not give up even if it''s thest thing I do!"

    Yuan remained silent for a moment before speaking, "If you want to meet the Immortal Monarch that badly, I can let you meet him."

    "What?! Really?! You know where the Immortal Monarch is?!" Bai Ning''s eyes widened with shock.

    "Yes, but you''ll have to do something for me."

    "I will do anything!" she answered without hesitation.

    "We''ll see about that," Yuan said with a mysterious smile on his face.

 Chapter 1562 Vial of Blood

    1562 Vial of Blood

    "So, what do you need me to do?" Bai Ning urged in an impatient manner.

    Yuan calmly said, "You have a brother, right?"

    "Yes¡­ I have several younger brothers, in fact. Why are you asking?" Bai Ning raised her eyebrows with a confused look.

    "I am looking for one of them. ording to what I was told, he wields a pair of gauntlets." Yuan said, pretending he didn''t know Bai Xutao.

    "Gaunlet¡­ I know three of them that wield them. Any more specifics?" Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.

    "I heard he came down to the lower heaven for some mission."

    "Oh, then you must be talking about Bai Xutao, our youngest. Why are you looking for him?"

    "I met him not long ago and couldn''t finish our conversation because he had to leave suddenly. I''d like to speak with him and repay a little debt I owe him." Yuan said with a calm smile on his face.

    "Is that so¡­" Bai Ning''s face became a little nervous as she continued, "Unfortunately, Bai Xutao was heavily injured not long ago, so I had to send him back home to the upper heavens, so you might have to wait until he recovers."

    "Heavily injured in the lower heavens? What happened to him?" Yuan acted surprised to hear this information.

    "He was viciously beaten by this masked individual."

    "What? Why would this individual do such a horrible thing?" Yuan''s eyes widened with shock.

    "My brother imed it was a random attack¡ªthat he has no idea why he was being attacked. However, Bai Xutao is a troublemaker, so I wouldn''t be surprised if he offended someone he shouldn''t have. This individual was insanely talented and powerful¡­ there''s no way someone like that would attack Bai Xutao without reason."

    "This is also why I came to the Pavilion of Knowledge¡ªto find this individual who attacked my younger brother." Bai Ning clenched her fists in frustration.

    In her head, she couldn''t care less about avenging Bai Xutao. The real reason she wanted to find this individual was to fight him again and to learn about his mysterious power.

    "What will you do once you find this individual?" Yuan asked out of curiosity.

    "Well, I am going to find out the real reason he attacked Bai Xutao, but regardless of the reason, he''d nearly crippled someone from the Heavenly White Tiger n, so he will need to pay for his crimes. I will bring him back to my family so they can deal with him." Bai Ning said.

    "I see¡­ I hope you find this individual and find justice for Bai Xutao." Yuan said.

    "As for meeting with the Immortal Monarch, he''s not in the condition to meet anyone right now, anyway. I''ll let you meet him in the future."

    "What?! Is he okay?! You make it sound like he''s injured or something!" Bai Ning''s face darkened, acting like a mother about her missing child.

    "It''splicated, but you''ll find out in the future. Anyway, can you share your information on the Immortal Monarch with me?"

    After a moment of silence, Bai Ning nodded her head, and she retrieved a jade slip from her spatial ring before handing it to him.

    "This is my personal logbook. I logged all of my information on the Immortal Monarch here. You can borrow it for now."

    Yuan epted the jade slip and said, "Thank you. As a token of our new friendship and to further develop our trust in each other, I would like you to have this¡­"

    Yuan retrieved an object from his spatial ring and offered it to her.

    "This is¡­"

    Bai Ning raised her eyebrows at the vial of blood before her with a puzzled face. Why was he giving her blood, and who does it belong to?

    However, not wanting to be rude, Bai Ning epted it without any question.

    "T-thank you¡­?" she said in a stiff voice.

    The vial was the length of her finger, and only a fourth of it contained blood.

    "It was nice meeting you. Then I''ll go back upstairs now." Yuan turned around and left before Bai Ning could question him about the blood.

    Once Yuan left, Bai Ning opened the vial and took a sniff of the blood.

    Her senses immediately went crazy from the sweet scent of the blood, and her body trembled uncontrobly from excitement.

    "What a profound scent! Whose blood does it belong to?!" Even Xuan Kun could smell it from afar, and the scent made his mouth watery.

    "I don''t know but¡­ I really want to taste it for some reason." Bai Ning swallowed nervously.

    Usually, she''d never even think about tasting a stranger''s blood, but the sweet scent was too enticing andpelled her to do so.

    "I''ll just taste a drop to see if I can identify it¡­" Bai Ning carefully retrieved a drop of blood from the vial with her Qi Manifestation and ced it in her mouth.

    The instant the drop of blood touched her tongue, an overwhelming sensation surged through Bai Ning''s entire being, as if she had been touched by the divine itself, baptized in an ethereal purity that transcended allprehension.

    "Good heavens!" she cried out loud and fell to her knees, nearly dropping the vial of blood in the process.

    "W-what the?! Lady Bai! Are you okay?! Did that bastard poison you?!" Xuan Wei eximed in a terrified voice after seeing her drastic reaction.

    Bai Ning didn''t respond to him and merely stared toward the sky with a dazed look on her face.

    "Lady Bai¡­?" Xuan Kun swallowed nervously.

    "It''s¡­ it''s so fucking delicious¡­" she muttered in a dumbfounded voice.

    "Huh? Excuse me?"

    "This otherworldly taste that''s unlike anything I''ve tasted before¡­ this to-die-for taste¡­ only one individual could make a divine beast fall to their knees with the delicious taste of their blood¡ª the Immortal Monarch! This blood definitely belongs to the Immortal Monarch!!!" Bai Ning eximed as she came to a realization.

    "T-the Immortal Monarch''s blood?!?! Impossible!" Xuan Wei cried out loud, his voice filled with disbelief.

 Chapter 1563 Immortal Monarchâ€™s Blood

    <h4>Chapter 1563 Immortal Monarch''s Blood</h4>

    1563 Immortal Monarch''s Blood

    Both Xuan Wei and Xuan Kun looked as though they just witnessed their ancestors'' ghost after hearing Bai Ning''s words.

    "Lady Bai¡­ I don''t mean to doubt you, and I apologize in advance for saying this, but could you be mistaken?" Xuan Kun said in a nervous voice.

    "Mistaken? Me? Impossible! Although I have never tasted the Immortal Monarch''s blood before, I have read enough about it to recognize it if I ever tasted it! This blood is, without a shadow of a doubt, the Immortal Monarch''s blood, and I am willing to bet my life on it!" Bai Ning spoke with confidence.

    "If you''re that certain¡­" Xuan Kun stared at the vial of blood and swallowed nervously.

    He didn''t wholly believe Bai Ning, but it wasn''t as though he could make her use the Scroll of Validity, as that would basically tell her he didn''t trust her. However, if there''s even one percent that the blood genuinely belonged to the Immortal Monarch, he wanted it!

    "Lady Bai¡­ this may be imprudent of me, and allow me to apologize in advance again, but¡­"

    "No." Bai Ning responded before he could even finish his sentence.

    She turned to re at him and continued, "You were going to ask me to give you some of this blood, right? I refuse. I don''t care what you have to offer me. I won''t give you even a single drop."

    Xuan Kun began sweating profusely at her words, but he still remained hopeful, "I beg you, Lady Bai¡­ You have about a dozen drops of blood inside that vial¡­ Can''t you just spare a single drop for this old man? It would mean the world to me!"

    Bai Ning sneered and said, "I''ll think about it if you can find me the individual who attacked Bai Xutao."

    Xuan Kun''s jaw dropped. After a moment of silence, he sighed out loud, "I''ll be blunt, Lady Bai. It''s almost impossible to find someone like that with so little information. The only thing we know about this individual is that he''s a genius who can fight multiple realms above his own cultivation and that he wields a golden spear that can prate spiritual energy."

    "And there''s a high probability that he''s from the dragon n." Bai Ning quickly added.

    Xuan Kun sighed again, "I will ask my informants in the Third Heaven to see if they have any information. It might take a couple of days for a response."

    "That''s fine. I nned on staying here a little longer, anyway." Bai Ning nodded as she looked at the upper floors of the tower.

    Meanwhile, Yuan returned to Xi Meili''s side.

    "How''d it go? Did she recognize you?" Xi Meili asked.

    He shook his head, "No, but I got the feeling that she finds me familiar."

    "What did you talk about? It was over pretty fast, too."

    "It wasn''t much. She asked me how I knew about the Immortal Monarch being alive."

    "So, did you lie to her?"

    "No, I didn''t lie. I didn''t even tell her anything." He casually shrugged.

    "Huh?" Xi Meili raised an eyebrow.

    "She stopped caring about that when I told her that I could set up a meeting with the Immortal Monarch for her."

    "And you intend on keeping your word?"

    "Of course, but she''ll need to do something for me first. I wasn''t able to kill Bai Xutao back then, so I''m giving her the chance to set up another meeting for me."

    Xi Meili''s jaw dropped at his words.

    "And then what? You''ll reveal your true identity after killing Bai Xutao in front of her?"

    "Pretty much."

    "That''s¡­ pretty cruel. I wonder how she''ll react," she muttered.

    Yuan smiled and said, "I get the feeling that she''d do anything for the Immortal Monarch. I don''t doubt she''d even kill her own brother if the Immortal Monarch told her to."

    "Then you might as well do just that. At least that''ll save you some energy."

    "No, I won''t feel satisfied unless I squeeze Bai Xutao''s life away with my own hands for attacking you and Feng Feng."

    "Are you sure you want to do that? He''s a descendant of the Heavenly White Tiger God, one of the Nine Divine Supremes. I won''t me you for forgiving him."

    Xi Meili wondered if he''d feel bad about killing one of his follower''s descendants.

    "It''s not like he''s the Heavenly White Tiger God''s son¡ªor even grandson. If the Heavenly White Tiger God were here, he''d probably kill Bai Xutao before I could even get to him." Yuan shook his head.

    "You make a fair point¡­" Xi Meili mumbled with a look of realization. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    "Anyway, I''ll deal with it when we get there. For now, let''s check out the information that the woman gave me for meeting her." Yuan retrieved the jade slip and began reading its contents.

    Half of the information in the jade slip talked about the Heavenly White Tiger God''s achievements during his time as one of the Nine Divine Supremes. The other half was mostly scattered information about the Immortal Monarch, such as potential hobby, his height, his woman type, and how delicious his blood tasted.

    "There''s not much in here that I don''t already know, but there is some useful information about the Heavenly White Tiger God and their Heavenly White Tiger n," Yuan muttered after reading all the information, feeling as if he had just perused the diary of a love-stricken teenager. The text was filled with effusive praises for the Immortal Monarch, offering more adtion than substantial information.

    "Most of the information left in this room are rumors rather than actual facts," said Xi Meili.

    Yuan nodded and said, "Then let''s read through them quickly and leave."

    A few hourster, a familiar voice resounded inside Yuan''s head, "My liege, I have found this immortal you''re looking for."

    "Oh? Where are they?"

    "They are actually very close to your current location, hiding on a remote ind in the middle of the Purple Sea." Dong Ye said.

    "Perfect." Yuan smiled at this information.

 Chapter 1564 Meeting the Escaped Immortal

    1564 Meeting the Escaped Immortal

    After learning that the escaped immortal was close to his location, Yuan said to Xi Meili, "Let''s stop here. Something else came up."

    Worried that the immortal might leave before he could finish the scrolls in this ce, Yuan decided to deal with the immortal first, then return to the Pavilion of Knowledge to finish the rest if possible.

    "Huh? What came up?" Xi Meili lifted her head to look at him with a raised eyebrow.

    Since Dong Ye spoke to Yuan through Divine Sense, she had no idea about their conversation.

    Yuan gave her a quick brief of his situation, "There is a ce called the Nine Heaven Eternal Grotto that imprisons some of the most dangerous immortals in the world. A few of them escaped recently, and one of them managed to enter the Fourth Heaven. That immortal happens to be close by, so I am going to kill them real quick."

    "What?! An immortal?!" Xi Meili was shocked speechless by such information.

    "You make it sound like killing an immortal is a simple thing to do! They are so powerful that even a Divine Ancestor would notst a single strike from them! And they won''t die even if you destroy their body!" Xi Meili eximed.

    "I doubt I will be able to kill an immortal in their perfect condition. This immortal is greatly weakened due to being in the Fourth Heaven, so I have a good chance of defeating them."

    "Even if their cultivation is weakened, they can still use powerful techniques and Immortal Qi, which mortals cannot resist!"

    Yuan confidently smiled and said, "I know it''s dangerous, but I have to do this. You should stay here. I don''t want you to get caught up in our fight."

    "No! Let me fight with you!" Xi Meili quickly shook her head.

    Yuan sighed, "That''s not possible, and you should know that. I won''t have the leisure to protect you during our fight, either."

    Xi Meili clenched her jaws tightly in frustration, but she couldn''t argue with Yuan. She knew that she would die long before she could even react if she fought with an immortal.

    After a moment of silence, she sighed out loud, "In this entire universe, you''re probably the only mortal who would dare to fight an immortal. But that''s also what I like about you. Don''t die on me, Yuan."

    "I promise you that I''ll return." Yuan nodded with a serious face.

    He left the room shortly after while Xi Meili remained inside.

    "Are you leaving already?" Yuan encountered Xuan Kun on his way out.

    "I''ll be leaving for a little, but I''ll be back. Xi Meili will stay here." Yuan said.

    "Is that so¡­ by the way¡­ that vial of blood you gave to Lady Bai¡­ do you have more? Even a single drop is enough. If so, I''d like to purchase it from you!"

    Xuan Kun decided to try his luck with Yuan since it might be impossible to get Bai Ning to part with her supply.

    Yuan shook his head and said, "Sorry, but that''s all I have."

    "Is that so¡­" Xuan Kun wore a dejected expression on his face, looking like he''d been rejected by the love of his life.

    After leaving the Pavilion of Knowledge, Yuan asked Dong Ye for directions to the escaped immortal.

    "If you fly southwest, you should arrive at a small ind in three days. The escaped immortal is hiding there." Dong Ye said.

    "Alright." Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    Without hesitation, Yuan started flying toward the southwest.

    Two and a half dayster, he could see a small ind on the horizon.

    This ind had a small mountain on it, and it was surrounded by purple trees.

    Yuan didn''t want to alert the immortal with his divine sense, so he restrained from using it on the ind.

    However, Dong Ye was a different story, as his divine sense would be too powerful for the immortal to sense.

    "Where is he?" Yuan asked.

    "Hidden in one of the mountain caves. They''ve hidden their presence and are trying to recover spiritual energy. If you want to fight them, now is the best time." Dong Ye said.

    Yuan nodded and took a moment to prepare himself.

    After taking a deep breath, he retrieved Starry Abyss before releasing his aura. He purposefully avoided using Number One Under Heaven to see how much he could handle without her.

    "Come out!" he roared.

    The instant the immortal sensed Yuan''s presence and powerful aura, they immediately thought about escaping. However, they stopped when they realized that Yuan was alone and was a mere Spirit King. After a moment of pondering, the immortal emerged from their hiding spot to confront him.

    Yuan narrowed his eyes at the immortal''s appearance, shrouded by a mysterious mist, looking like a cloud that could block divine sense.

    ''If Divine Sense doesn''t work, let''s try Divine Gaze¡­''

    Yuan used Divine Gaze, and to his surprise, he could see through the mist, but the immortal''s true appearance remained as a silhouette.

    The figure inside the mist narrowed their eyes after sensing Yuan''s Divine Gaze.

    ''A mere Spirit King using Divine Gaze only those in the Divine Realm can use? Who is this kid?'' the immortal wondered inwardly.

    "Hey, why don''t you show me your real appearance?" Yuan suddenly spoke.

    "And why would I do that?" The immortal spoke in a hoarse voice.

    "I''m just curious. I want to see my opponent before fighting them."

    "You want to fight me¡­? A mere mortal? Do you even know who I am?" The immortal expected many things from Yuan, but a fight was not one of them. They were also confident that Yuan was not suppressing his cultivation and was a genuine Spirit King.

    "Yes, I do. You''re an immortal who escaped the Nine Heaven Eternal Grotto, right?"

    "And you still want to fight me despite knowing that¡­? Why are you trying to kill yourself?" The immortal couldn''t believe what they were hearing.

    "Who said anything about wanting to die? You may be an immortal, but your cultivation is currently restricted to the Divine King realm." Yuan smiled.

    The immortal was speechless. They couldn''t fathom how Yuan could talk so confidently before someone several realms above his own strength.

    "To think I''d be looked down upon by a mere mortal¡­ hahaha!" The immortal suddenlyughed out loud.

    "Very well¡­ I shall teach you the difference between a mortal and an immortal today¡­ at the cost of your insignificant life!" The immortal roared, his aura skyrocketing the next second.

 Chapter 1565 Fighting the Escaped Immortal

    1565 Fighting the Escaped Immortal

    When the Immortal released their cultivation, Yuan barely felt its pressure. However, they didn''t release all of it, and it only went up to Spirit Enlightenment.

    The Immortal never intended to fight Yuan with their full power, thinking it would be an overkill. Moreover, they were still hiding from the pursuers from the upper heavens. If they released their full cultivation, the pursuers would definitely find them in a heartbeat.

    ''There''s no need to expose my location just to kill a mere mortal! I''ll end this before he can even realize what had killed him!'' The Immortalughed inwardly before they flew at Yuan with immense speed.

    Seeing that the Immortal had no intention of fighting him with their full strength, Yuan smiled and said, "You''ll also regret underestimating me."

    Although the Immortal was going easy on him, Yuan didn''t have the leisure to go easy on the Immortal.

    The Immortal, still with the appearance of a floating cloud, flew at Yuan.

    Yuan immediately used Divine Gaze to see how the Immortal was going to attack him.

    Sha! Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.

    As though the Immortal had turned into a porcupine, hundreds of needles made entirely of spiritual energy burst out of the cloud and flew toward Yuan.

    <Ten Thousand Ghost des!>

    Yuan cloned the Starry Abyss 10,000 times and used them to deflect the needles while attacking simultaneously.

    "Cheap tricks!"

    The Immortal roared and released some more of their aura, which was strong enough to block the Starry Abyss and, like an invisible wall, halted all of the attacks.

    Yuan narrowed his eyes slightly at the sight of this.

    ''Unlike Number One Under Heaven and Dragon''s Soul, the Starry Abyss is too weak to do anything. Even if I managed to hit him, it wouldn''t do any damage.''

    Due to itsck of power, Yuan retrieved the Starry Abyss.

    ''I definitely need to take some time strengthening the Starry Abyss after this¡­'' he thought to himself as he wielded Dragon''s Soul next.

    "Two Soul Weapons?" The Immortal narrowed their eyes at Dragon''s Soul, surprised that a mortal could wield two Soul Weapons. They could also feel an unfathomable aura emitted by Dragon''s Soul.

    Yuan used his movement technique to instantly close their distance, approaching the Immortal without hesitation.

    Once he was close enough, he began thrusting Dragon''s Soul at the Immortal.

    "!!!"

    The Immortal was greatly shocked when the Dragon''s Soul touched their mist and destroyed it with ease.

    ''Fuck! What the hell is that Soul Weapon?!'' The Immortal was left terrified after seeing their unique mist being destroyed when it was indestructible to weapons.

    ''To think he''d have a weapon that could cut through my mist! What fucking bad luck!'' The Immortal cursed inwardly after realizing they''d met their worst enemy.

    "Looks like this weapon is effective on you." Yuan smiled after seeing how far the Immortal had backed up.

    "So what? In the end, it''s still useless if you can''t hit my actual body." The Immortal sneered.

    "We''ll see about that."

    Yuan went on the offensive while the Immortal focused on avoiding his Dragon''s Soul, asionally throwing powerful spiritual attacks at Yuan.

    After just several exchanges, it was clear to Yuan that this Immortal was a cultivator who focused on spiritual techniques instead of using weapons like the majority of cultivators out there.

    ''What the hell is up with this mortal human?! He''s just a mere Spirit King, yet he fights like he has countless years ofbat experience!'' The Immortal was bewildered by how skillful Yuan was inbat.

    None of his movements were wasted, and his decisions seemed instant, even reading several seconds ahead.

    The Immortal had fought tens of thousands of Immortals even before they were sent to the Nine Heavens Eternal Grotto, but they''d never fought someone half as experienced and skillful as Yuan.

    ''My cultivation may be superior, but this bastard''sbat skills are unfathomably high! It''s like I am fighting someone in the God Ascension Realm!'' The Immortal began doubting whether Yuan was actually a Spirit King or actually a God Ascension Realm cultivator in disguise.

    Yuan''sbat experience through the God of War helped him narrow the gap between him and the Immortal, but it was far from enough.

    "Enough!" The Immortal suddenly roared, and their cultivation entered the Divine Realm, bing a Divine Warrior.

    The Immortal''s speed and overall prowess increased significantly after the boost. Yet, it still wasn''t enough to overwhelm Yuan.

    ''Is this guy really human?! How is he fighting me while only having the cultivation of a Spirit King?! He should''ve died long ago!'' The Immortal was baffled by Yuan''s nonsensical existence.

    There were plenty of unique and heaven-defying immortals inside the Nine Heavens Eternal Grotto, but none of them were as ridiculous as Yuan, who could fight several realms above his own with ease.

    Usually, one would be considered talented if they could fight someone one or two levels higher, a genius if they could battle someone at least three levels above, and only a true prodigy would be able to challenge an opponent an entire realm higher.

    Yuan was currently fighting someone four realms above his own. Not only that, but he was also fighting someone one major realm above. The difference in prowess between Spirit King and Spirit Enlightenment was insignificantpared to Spirit Enlightenment and Divine Warrior.

    If the former was akin to heaven and earth, thetter was akin to Earth and Nine Heavens.

    Meanwhile, unbeknownst to Yuan or the Immortal, a figure was watching their fight from afar.

    "So that''s the neer, huh? Magnificent! He truly deserves to be a General with his capabilities, much less a member of the Celestial Overlords!" Kn smiled as he continued spectating their fight.

    "However¡­ to defeat that Immortal will require much more than that, Junior¡­"

    A few momentster, the Immortal increased their cultivation by another level, entering Divine Master.

    "The difference between Divine Warrior and Divine Master is greater than Spirit King and Divine Warrior. How will you deal with this now?" Kn mumbled as he prepared to save Yuan at any moment.

 Chapter 1566 Fighting the Escaped Immortal(2)

    <h4>Chapter 1566 Fighting the Escaped Immortal(2)</h4>

    1566 Fighting the Escaped Immortal(2)

    "Divine Master, huh? Finally, some challenge." Yuan smiled upon seeing the Immortal''s increased cultivation.

    "That arrogance won''tst long!" The Immortal roared before they rushed at Yuan.

    Just the pressure from the Immortal''s aura alone would kill an ordinary Spirit King. However, Yuan had the Golden Immortal Physique, as well as a Sword Body, so he barely felt it.

    "Shrouded Illusion!"

    The mist around the Immortal suddenly began spreading, quickly covering a hundred miles around them.

    While inside the mist, Yuan''s Divine Sense and eyes were rendered useless. The only thing he could rely on was his Divine Gaze and instincts.

    Suddenly, as though a massive hoard of monsters appeared, Yuan could hear loud noises approaching him from a distance. Soon, thousands of silhouettes appeared, crashing toward him like a wave.

    Each individual silhouette had a distinct aura and presence, making them feel incredibly real, almost indistinguishable from reality.

    Without hesitation, Yuan fiercely swung Dragon''s Soul, instantly destroying the hoard of silhouettes and scattering the mist like smoke.

    However, the mist quickly restored itself, and another illusion appeared shortly after.

    Moreover, the mist started transforming into a background until the mists were no longer visible, and Yuan quickly found himself in the middle of a bustling city.

    "Chicken skewers here! Come get your chicken skewers!"

    "Free newspapers! Free newspapers!"

    "Mom, I am tired. Let''s go home already."

    The pedestrians spoke and acted like real humans. The smell of chicken skewers reached Yuan''s nose, and he could even feel the heating from the zing sun in the sky. It was almost as if he''d been teleported to an actual city. However, Yuan''s expression remained nonchnt.

    ''This is quite a powerful illusion¡­ I wouldn''t me anyone for falling to it, '' he thought.

    If one had weak mental strength, one would quickly lose oneself in the illusion and fail to distinguish fake from reality.

    Yuan closed his eyes and took a deep breath. A secondter, when he opened them again, he could no longer see the people or the city, and the mist was visible once again.

    Moreover, several spiritual attacks wereunched in his direction.

    Despite seeing the attacks and having plenty of time to avoid them, Yuan stood still and allowed the attacks to strike his body.

    The impact from the attacks was strong enough to blow the mist field away. Yet, Yuan remained still, and his body was only slightly injured.

    By the time the Immortal even realized Yuan had survived the attack, his injuries had already healedpletely.

    "Heavens! He took several Divine Master''s attacks with his bare body and took virtually no damage! What is his body made of?!" Kn''s eyes widened with shock after witnessing this.

    Despite being a Body Refiner himself, Kn could not imagine the extent to which Yuan had tempered his physique to be able to achieve such a ridiculous feat.

    Although the Immortal''s face wasn''t visible, Yuan could tell they were greatly shocked by his durability.

    Not only did Yuan casually shrug off their powerful illusion, but he even ate several of their spiritual attacks with his bare body and came out unscathed. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    The Immortal were beginning to wonder whether they could defeat Yuan without using their full strength. However, even if they managed to kill Yuan, they would have to deal with their pursuers afterward.

    ''Damn it all! Why did I have to encounter such a fucking monster in the Fourth Heaven?! My luck is rotten to the core!'' The Immortal cried inwardly. They''d managed to escape from the Nine Heavens Eternal Grotto to the Fourth Heaven without feeling half as cornered as they were currently, and it was all due to a single mortal.

    ''Fuck it! Let''s just quickly kill him and hope my pursuers aren''t so close that I won''t be able to escape!''

    The Immortal increased their cultivation once again, reaching all the way to the peak of Divine Grandmaster.

    The aura being emitted by the Immortal now was at least four times stronger than before.

    Sensing the tyrannical auraing from the Immortal, Yuan knew that even his godly body would not be able to endure a single hit from the Immortal.

    The difference between Spirit Master and Spirit Grandmaster was simply too massive for him to ignore.

    ''I guess it''s finally time to fight seriously.''

    For the first time during their fight, Yuan equipped his equipment, from the Stygian Vest to the Stygian Boots.

    Indeed, Yuan had been empty-handed this entire time while fighting the Immortal.

    The moment Yuan equipped his equipment, his aura changed drastically.

    The Immortal frowned at this and, without hesitation, increased their cultivation once again, bing a Divine Lord.

    The Stygian Vest could deflect all attacks below Divine Lord, but that ability was rendered useless the moment the Immortal became a Divine Lord. However, Yuan was using it for its life-saving skill, so it was still useful.

    Yuan and the Immortal began their sh shortly after. The two of them moved at the speed of light, and every exchange would fill the surface of the Purple Sea withrge craters.

    The immense spiritual energy emitted by their fight rippled far and wide, reaching even the Pavilion of Knowledge.

    After sensing the powerful ripples, Bai Ning and the others within the Pavilion of Knowledge stopped whatever they were doing and became alert.

    "What powerful spiritual energy! Two Divine Realm experts must be fighting each other nearby! I need to check this out!" Bai Ning looked at Xuan Wei and said, "I''ll be back."

    Since she had nothing to do while waiting for Xuan Kun, Bai Ning decided to entertain herself with this event.

    "Allow me toe with you just in case¡­" Xuan Wei hastily said.

    "Just in case what? You''re not even qualified to protect me when you''re so weak." Bai Ning sneered at his attempt to be a knight, as his cultivation was nowhere near hers. If anything, she would be the one protecting him.

    Xuan Wei''s face flushed with embarrassment after being reminded he was weaker than her. He lowered his head in silence, and Bai Ning left the ce and made her way toward Yuan.

 Chapter 1567 Fighting the Escaped Immortal(3)

    <h4>Chapter 1567 Fighting the Escaped Immortal(3)</h4>

    1567 Fighting the Escaped Immortal(3)

    ''Yuan¡­" Xi Meili looked toward the direction of his battle with tightly clenched fists and a nervous face. She wanted to follow him so badly, but she knew she would only get in his way and convinced herself to stay in the room.

    Meanwhile, Yuan and the Immortal continued to attack each other as though their lives depended on it.

    "White Lance!"

    The Immortal created over ten thousand spears out of spiritual energy in the sky beforeunching all of them at Yuan.

    Seeing this, Yuan stopped moving and focused on blocking the attack. Using Dragon''s Soul, he destroyed as many of them as he could and purposefully allowed some of them to hit his body.

    Even with his godly body and Stygian Vest, the spears were powerful enough to prate holes into his body easily. Still, due to his regeneration ability, these holes would instantly recover, and in seconds, it was as though they never existed.

    The Stygian Vest, as a treasure, also had a simr function. Unless struck by an attack strong enough to obliterate itpletely in one hit, it would always recover.

    The Immortal slowly increased their cultivation from the first level of Divine Lord to the peak of Divine Lord.

    After an entire day of trying to kill Yuan with no results, the Immortal finally had enough and roared, "Ahhhh! I''ve had enough of you! I don''t know what trick you''re using, but I will not let this go on any longer!"

    He released all of his cultivation, causing it to shoot to the peak of Divine King instantly. The Immortal''s aura was so tyrannical that Yuan felt like someone was strangling him by the neck.

    The difference between Spirit King and Divine King was simply too vast, even for someone like Yuan.

    Without hesitation, Yuan tossed most of his cards onto the field. After releasing a deafening roar, Yuan transformed into his dragon form. However, he didn''t feel that was enough and equipped the Celestial Visage.

    "A Celestial-grade treasure! How in heaven''s name did he acquire such a treasure in the Fourth Heaven?!" Kn''s entire being trembled after seeing Yuan pull out a treasure far beyond their current realm.

    However, what shocked him the most was Yuan''s transformation.

    "Is he actually half human and half beast?" he wondered out loud.

    "Just what the fuck are you?! How many more bullshit are you going to pull out of your ass?!" The Immortal eximed after seeing Yuan''s transformation.

    The Immortal was certain that Yuan was only at the Spirit King level, as he would have advanced his cultivation base long ago if he were higher. However, the fact that he hadn''t meant that this was his true cultivation. Yet, this raised more questions. How could a Spirit King be on par with a Divine King?

    The difference between their cultivation was so vast that no treasure or technique could bridge the gap¡ªat least, that''s how it should''ve been.

    "I am not done yet!" Yuan suddenly said.

    <God of War''s Astral Arts!>

    A massive avatar appeared, its frame big enough topletely obstruct the Immortal''s view of the Purple Sea.

    "That''s ridiculous!" The Immortal cried out loud.

    "That''s the God of War''s Astral Art! Did Celestial Overlord Xu teach him that technique?!" Kn cried out loud.

    Compared to his previous shocks, this revtion was the most profound, shaking him to his core.

    However, Yuan still had more cards to y. After putting away Dragon''s Soul, he retrieved Number One Under Heaven, instantly filling the atmosphere with an otherwordly aura.

    "A third Soul Weapon!?" The Immortal was on the verge of tears. They could''ve never even dreamed of encountering such a monster in the Fourth Heaven. Hell, not even the Supreme Heaven had a monster like Yuan.

    "Let''s y to our heart''s content!" Yuan spoke with a wide grin on his face as he struck first.

    <Nine Supreme Swords!>

    The first strike descended upon the unprepared Immortal like a falling mountain.

    However, as powerful as Yuan''s attack appeared, he was still fighting a Divine King, and the Immortal was able to block it without too much difficulty.

    The second strike immediately followed.

    "Don''t you dare look down on me, mortal! No matter how many tricks you have up your sleeve, it won''t help you defeat me!" The Immortal roared as they blocked the second strike, then the third and fourth shortly after.

    The fifth and sixth strike was also blocked, but the Immortal struggled to do so.

    The seventh strike was so powerful that the Immortal barely managed to block it.

    Once the eighth strike descended, the Immortal didn''t dare to block it and opted to avoid it.

    The eighth strike struck the Purple Sea, splitting it in half.

    "What''s wrong? Why are you running from a mortal?" Yuan provoked the Immortal as heunched the ninth sword strike.

    The pressure from the ninth sword strike was nothing to scoff at. Even Kn, who was watching from afar, felt threatened by it.

    Although enraged, the Immortal didn''t sumb to Yuan''s provocation. Instead, they employed a movement technique so swift that it appeared as if they had teleported.

    The ninth sword strike cleaved the Purple Sea with such force that it not only split the water in half but also gouged a profound fissure into the seabed. Two powerful tsunamis were also created from the split water, reaching the clouds.

    "Let''s see if you can avoid this!"

    <Limitless Sword Domain!>

    Thousands of swords appeared in the sky before flying toward the Immortal, who frantically tried to avoid them. However, the swords chased after them like homing missiles. Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    "Each sword is overflowing with Enhanced Sword Aura! What a terrifying ability!" Kn felt a strong urge to fight Yuan after witnessing how fierce their battle was.

    "I have severely underestimated our neer! At this rate, he might actually be able to defeat this Immortal!" Kn almost couldn''t believe his own words.

    The thought of a mortal killing an immortal was so outrageous that even insane people wouldn''t believe it. Yet, it was slowly happening before Kn''s eyes.

 Chapter 1568 The Escaped Immortalâ€™s True Appearance

    <h4>Chapter 1568 The Escaped Immortal''s True Appearance</h4>

    1568 The Escaped Immortal''s True Appearance

    However, as much as Kn wanted Yuan to defeat the Immortal, he still expected Yuan to lose the fight.

    "Although you''ve been doing good so far, the Immortal still has one more trick up their sleeve. This trick is what differentiates and truly separates mortals and immortals." Kn muttered after seeing how much Yuan was dominating the Immortal.

    ''This is outrageous! Why does such a mortal exist in a ce like the Fourth Heaven?! If only I weren''t injured by the pursuers,I could''ve killed him in seconds instead of being ridiculed like this!'' The Immortal cursed inwardly.

    They had been chased nonstop since escaping the Nine Heavens Eternal Grotto and were injured in the process. If it weren''t for their injury, Yuan wouldn''t have been able to push the Immortal so far.

    ''This mortal¡­ should not exist! His existence is extremely dangerous! Even if I have to sacrifice my life in the process, I will get rid of him!''

    Several hourster, the Immortal''s aura suddenly changed, causing their surroundings to freeze.

    From spiritual energy to the Purple Sea, everything was still, as though time itself had frozen.

    ''This pressure!'' Yuan halted his movements after sensing this familiar aura.

    He excitedly smiled and said, "It''s about time you use Immortal Qi. I was wondering when you''d use it."

    "I hate to admit this, but to force an immortal like me to use Immortal Qi on you, a mortal, is an unprecedented feat that I must respect."

    As the immortal spoke, the mist around them began dissipating, revealing their true appearance for the first time.

    Yuan''s eyes widened with surprise when he saw the Immortal, who was much smaller than he''d anticipated.

    "A child?" Yuan muttered in a daze as his gaze stared at the little boy floating before him.

    The Immortal''s true form was revealed to be that of a small boy, seemingly no older than ten years. Of course, the immortal wasn''t a real child but merely bore the appearance of one. Adding to the strangeness, a short white tail protruded from his back.

    "As a show of respect, I shall fight you in my true form," said the Immortal.

    "You¡­ you''re not human?" Yuan asked him with a strange frown.

    "Do I look human to you? I am of the proud Misty Fox race." The Immortal responded in a boastful tone.

    "Haa¡­" Yuan sighed with a genuinely disappointed look on his face. He''d gone out of his way to fight this immortal because he thought they were human.

    However, now that the Immortal is revealed to be a beast, it would no longer count toward his Unique Quest, even if he were to defeat the Immortal.

    The Immortal misunderstood Yuan''s reason for disappointment and roared, "Are you looking down on me because of my appearance?! This is why I refuse to show myself!"

    Despite saying such words, the Immortal had to reveal himself mainly due to his injury. Concealing himself required a significant amount of energy, and he wouldn''t be able to maintain it for much longer if he also had to use Immortal Qi on top of that in such a state.

    In the end, the Immortal decided to throw away his defenses to focus solely on his attack power.

    Yuan shook his head and said, "No, I am not looking down on you. I thought you were human, hence why I even bothered to fight you. Now that I know you''re a beast, I don''t really have a reason to continue fighting you."

    "What kind of bullshit is that?! You disturbed my recovery and forced me to reveal myself! We''re going to fight to death even if you don''t want to!" The Immortal shouted.

    "I never nned on backing out of our fight, anyway." Yuan smiled.

    "There won''t be any fight! I am going to massacre you now!" The Immortal roared before activating a technique using Immortal Qi instead of normal Qi.

    "Immortal White Lance!"

    The same technique from before was now multiple times stronger, and since they were created from Immortal Qi, Yuan would not be able to destroy them even using Dragon''s Soul.

    Furthermore, the Immortal Qi being exuded by the Immortal made it much more difficult for Yuan to move, and his entire body was screaming from pain. In fact, his muscles were being torn apart every passing second. He was essentially a sitting duck at this moment in time.

    Seeing this, Kn prepared to save Yuan.

    However, despite his seeming perilous situation, Yuan did not panic.

    "Die, you monster!" The Immortal gestured, causing hundreds of Immortal White Lances to rain upon Yuan.

    Yet, Yuan refused to move, much less dodge the iing attack.

    "Has he given up on living?! Fool!"

    Not daring to wait until it was toote, Kn made his move, disappearing from his spot.

    A split secondter, Kn appeared in front of Yuan, who was slightly surprised by this sudden intruder.

    However, before Yuan could speak or take any action, Kn released an overwhelming aura that far surpassed the Immortal and destroyed all of the Immortal''s attacks with a mere flick of his arm, treating them like they were mere candle flickers.

    The Immortal''s entire body trembled in fear when he sensed Kn''s profound presence.

    Unlike the Immortal, who had traversed to the Fourth Heaven illegally, Kn received approval, so his cultivation wasn''t as suppressed as the Immortal. However, the Immortal was sure he would not be this neer''s opponent even if they had simr cultivation.

    Ignoring the Immortal, Kn turned to look at Yuan with a proud demeanor around him.

    "Why did you give up at such a crucial moment, Junior? Even if you are certain of your death, as a man, you should fight until yourst breath. Who knows? Maybe a miracle could''ve happened." Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.

    Kn expected Yuan to thank him for saving his life. Yet, Yuan had a frown on his face.

    He removed the Celestial Visage so Kn could see his frown and said coldly, "Who said I gave up? And who the hell are you? Who permitted you to interrupt our fight?"

    "Huh?" Kn muttered in a surprised tone, his expression puzzled.

 Chapter 1569 Distraction

    1569 Distraction

    Kn was rendered speechless by Yuan''s response, and after a moment of silence, he spoke, "Junior, it''s good to be confident in yourself, but you were clearly on the brink of death. If I hadn''t saved you just now, you''d have be a human skewer."

    "Also, if you hadn''t given up, why were you frozen just now? Any onlooker would''ve assumed you were giving up in that situation." Kn said.

    Yuan shook his head and sighed, "While I appreciate your thoughtfulness, it was unnecessary and undermined my existence. Leave. I don''t need your assistance."

    "You¡­" Kn''s expression quickly turned angry. He couldn''t believe he was being lectured by the very person he had just saved.

    "Is that so! Then you can go ahead and die here, you stubborn and arrogant little bastard!" Kn left the scene the very next moment.

    However, Kn didn''t wholly leave and only pretended to do so. Even if Yuan refused his goodwill and shooed him away, he still had a duty to protect Yuan, and it was not only his promise to Elder Bai thatpelled him to do so.

    Yuan''s talent was simply shocking and unlike anything he''d seen before, and that fact alone was worth his protection.

    ''Regardless of his character, he''s a profound existence that will significantly benefit our Celestial Overlord in the future. However, he''ll need to survive until then, and with his suicidal nature, it''s not going to be easy keeping him alive.'' Kn sighed inwardly, feeling like an older brother trying to keep his younger siblings out of trouble even though he was hated by them.

    Meanwhile, the Immortal was left speechless by what had just transpired.

    ''W-who the hell was that bastard just now?! I don''t recognize him, and since he left without doing anything to me, it''s safe to assume that he''s not with the pursuers!'' The Immortal swallowed nervously.

    If Kn had been with his pursuers, he would''ve never made it to the Fourth Heaven alive. That was just how vast the difference in their strength was. Immortals are prideful creatures, so for one to acknowledge their inferiority held great significance.

    "I apologize for that." Yuan suddenly said.

    "What?" The Immortal stared at him with wide eyes.

    "That man''s interruption. Although it was never my intention, he disturbed our battle. Go ahead and use that technique again. I can even wait for you to recover some of your energy." Yuan exined.

    Not just the Immortal, but even Kn was utterly speechless.

    After a moment of silence, the Immortal began trembling, his face flushed red, turning into a tomato.

    "STOP MOCKING ME, YOU BASTARD! DO I REALLY APPEAR THAT PATHETIC TO YOU?!"

    With an enraged bellow, his aura skyrocketed.

    Meanwhile, several individuals far away from the Purple Sea sensed the distinct aura of the Immortal''s Qi.

    "It''s the escapee!"

    "Why are they releasing so much Immortal Qi?! Are they engaged in battle with another immortal?!"

    "It must be the others! But why didn''t they notify me?! They know that Immortal isn''t someone they can handle alone!"

    The immortals chasing after the escaped immortal were puzzled when they were not notified, and when they contacted the others, they were shocked to learn that none of them were actually fighting the escaped immortal.

    "What? None of you are fighting the escapee?! Then what''s with this immense Immortal Qi?! They wouldn''t release so much Immortal Qi for no reason!"

    "Maybe the escapee is trying to lure us into a trap."

    "Do you seriously believe that?"

    "Whatever the escapee is attempting, we need to capture or kill them! Let''s hurry up before they escape our grasp again!"

    These immortals immediately started soaring toward the Purple Sea.

    At the same time, Bai Ning was just minutes away from reaching her destination.

    Unlike Kn, Yuan could sense her approaching presence from miles away. Not wanting to expose his identity so quickly, he wore the Celestial Visage again, hiding his face.

    Just as Bai Ning arrived, the Immortal activated his technique again.

    "Immortal White Lance!"

    Thousands of whitences filled the sky, each exuding profound Immortal Qi.

    Bai Ning was shocked by the scene, but when she noticed the masked man in the middle of the battlefield, her eyes fixed on him, and she was unable to look away.

    "It''s him!" she eximed in a bewildered voice.

    Although he was wearing a different mask, she recognized him as the individual who bullied Bai Xutao and used that weird technique on her.

    Bai Ning wanted to approach Yuan, but he was in a position where she could not enter, as she risked getting blown away with him by the Immortal.

    "DIE FOR ME, YOU HUMAN MORTAL!"

    The Immortal released his technique.

    Kn gritted his teeth as he watched Yuan being bombarded with Immortal Qi. He wanted to believe in Yuan, but his instincts acted before he could even think.

    However, he was immediately halted by an unfathomable presence that surpassed even Senior Bai.

    "Who''s there?!" Kn frantically looked around but couldn''t sense anyone.

    ''To avoid my detection, they must be a God Ascension Realm expert! What the hell is going on right now?!'' he cried inwardly.

    "Oh no! Junior!"

    The distraction rendered Kn unable to save Yuan, his mind already racing to formte excuses for when he would have to report Yuan''s death to Senior Bai. Yet, Kn''s face filled with disbelief as he witnessed the unfolding events. What he saw defied all expectations and left him momentarily paralyzed in astonishment.

    The Immortal''s attacksnded with unerring precision, each strike tearing holes through Yuan''s body. Yet, to the Immortal''s astonishment, the grievous injuries Yuan sustained healed instantly, akin to a demon''s heaven-defying regenerative abilities. It was as if the veryws of nature bent to keep Yuan whole.

    [Progress: 15%]

    [Progress: 17%] Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    [Progress: 20%]

    The merging of his physiques, which had been progressing at a snail''s pace, began to advance rapidly under the immense stress Yuan''s body was enduring.

    "Just what the fuck are you?!?" the Immortal shrieked out loud, his face twisted in anger, but his eyes showed a hint of fear.

 Chapter 1570 Progress

    Chapter 1570 Progress

    "Why won''t you just die?! Die already, you fucking monster!" The Immortal relentlessly assaulted Yuan with Immortal Qi, but regardless of the countless wounds inflicted, Yuan would miraculously heal all injuries within half a second.

    [Progress: 22%]

    [Progress: 25%]

    [Progress: 30%]

    <Your understanding of Immortal Qi has significantly increased>

    Not only was Yuan''s physique rapidly merging, but hisprehension of Immortal Qi was also deepening merely by being immersed in it.

    Yuan even closed his eyes and started cultivating.

    This bewildered everyone watching.

    "What the hell is he? This is beyond the realm of talents and what humans can achieve¡­" Kn swallowed nervously at the ridiculous scene before him.

    "And his regenerating ability rivals that of a demon. Don''t tell me he has demonic blood flowing through his veins?"

    The possibility that Yuan might be a demon filled Kn with wariness and profound anxiety, knowing the immense implications it would have.

    Meanwhile, Bai Ning had her jaw tightly clenched, her expression more irritated than shocked.

    ''He can fight someone over eight realms above his own strength!''

    Bai Ning was irritated that Yuan, the very person who had humiliated the Heavenly White Tiger n by defeating Bai Xutao, possessed far more talent than she did. Despite being a prodigy capable of battling opponents nearly two entire realms above her own cultivation and being hailed as one of the top prodigies of their era, she was akin to an ordinary individual before Yuan''s talents.

    However, even with their differences, Bai Ning wanted to fight Yuan, and that feeling was boosted by herpetitive nature.

    [Progress: 85%]

    [Progress: 88%]

    [Progress: 93%]

    As the Immortal increased the intensity of his attacks, Yuan''s merging progress advanced even faster.

    "You will fall here even if it''s thest thing I do!" The Immortal bellowed as he exerted his maximum strength.

    The pressure from his aura was so intense that it seemingly filled the entire Purple Sea, causing the surrounding inds to tremble violently.

    The Immortal was exerting so much strength that he somehow broke through some of heaven''s restrictions on his cultivation, causing his cultivation to enter Divine Emperor.

    The Immortal''s aura pierced the heavens.

    "IMMORTAL MIST GATHERING!" The Immortal roared, creating a massivence in the sky that rivaled the size of Yuan''s God of War''s Astral Arts.

    "Let''s see if you can regenerate from apletely obliterated body!" The Immortalughed maniacally beforeunching the massivence at Yuan.

    "Do you need my help?" Zi Xuan''s voice suddenly resounded.

    "No, I''ll be fine."

    "Is that so? Then I''ll go back to sleep." Zi Xuan calmly said.

    The massivence arrived in front of Yuan the following moment.

    "HA!"

    Yuan released a powerful roar as he brought forth every ounce of power within his body.

    For the first time in a long time, Yuan was going beyond his limit.

    <Your understanding of Immortal Qi has significantly increased>

    A faint but noticeable amount of Immortal Qi exuded from Yuan''s body.

    "Immortal Qi? Impossible!" Kn cried out loud.

    "No¡­ it''s weak and iplete, but it''s undeniably Immortal Qi! That arrogant bastard is already able toprehend Immortal Qi?! He''s not even in the Divine Realm, much less the Immortal Realm!" Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.

    Most people startprehending Immortal Qi at Immortal Ascension realm, and only when they fullyprehend Immortal Qi would one be able to enter the Immortal Realm as a Bronze Immortal.

    However, Yuan, who was still a mortal with a Spirit King cultivation, was already showing signs ofprehending Immortal Qi. If the world knew such a genius existed, many powerhouses would try to recruit him or outright erase him if he rejected them.

    In the next moment, thence struck Yuan''s body. Yet, instead of piercing through him as usual, it froze in ce, as if suspended in time, barely prating the surface like a needle hanging by a thread.

    "What?!" The Immortal was shocked by what he was witnessing.

    Despite Yuan''s Immortal Qi being iplete, it was still powerful enough to barely hold back the Immortal''s Qi. [Progress: 97%]

    [Progress: 98%]

    [Progress: 99%]

    "DIE ALREADY!!!" The Immortal bellowed as he detonated thence, causing a massive explosion that shook the Fourth Heaven.

    Profound Immortal Qi erupted like a shockwave, generating tsunamis that surged in every direction.

    "Junior!" Kn''s heart skipped a beat.

    ''Damn it! I was too absorbed in their fight and failed to protect the neer! The Celestial Overlord and Senior Bai will skin me alive once they find out!'' Kn cried inwardly, feeling a strong urge to bury himself in a hole and never emerge.

    "Fuck! Don''t tell me he died just like that! I never even got the chance to have a rematch with him!" Bai Ning gritted her teeth in frustration.

    "Hahaha! I did it! I finally killed that fucking cockroach!" The Immortalughed out loud.

    At the same time, several more individuals appeared at the scene. They were the Immortal''s pursuers, and they arrived shocked, as they''d witnessed the moments before Yuan was caught up in the explosion.

    Meanwhile, after enduring the Immortal''s explosion head-on, Yuan''s body was obliterated, leaving behind only a few scattered cells. Yet, he did not receive the death notification.

    [Progress: 100%]

    <Congrattions, your Heaven Refining Physique has sessfully merged with Golden Immortal Physique, transforming into Heaven Refining Immortal Physique>

    <Congrattions on evolving your Physique! You have be the first yer to evolve your Physique!>

    Yuan''s obliterated body immediately began to repair itself. As his form regenerated fully, his Dantian also underwent a profound transformation.

    The invisible wall that had been blocking his cultivation advancement past Spirit King was finally lifted, and Yuan could feel his cultivation inching toward the next realm.

    "I-impossible¡­" The Immortal muttered in a dazed voice, his expression filled with despair.

    "N-not human¡­ he cannot be human with that kind of regenerating ability! Don''t tell me he''s a demon?!" The pursuers quickly came to this conclusion.

    "I''ll be damned¡­" Kn''s entire body trembled in excitement.

    "..." Bai Ning remained silent, but her bewildered expression spoke clearer than any words could.

 Chapter 1571 Heaven Refining Immortal Physique

    Chapter 1571 Heaven Refining Immortal Physique

    <You have acquired the title ''An Evolved Physique''>

    <You have acquired the title ''Physique Merger''>

    Yuan inspected his body after acquiring the Heaven Refining Immortal Physique. His body was iparably stronger than before, whether in strength or durability. If his body couldn''t handle the Immortal''s attacks previously, his current body would have no problem shrugging them off.

    The difference was akin toparing dried mud to steel. There were also several other changes that urred within his body, but he had no idea what they could be for the time being.

    "Don''t move, you demon!" A loud voice with a hint of terror suddenly resounded, snapping Yuan out of his daze.

    He shifted his head to look at the person who''d just spoken¡ªone of the pursuers.

    "What did you just call me?" Yuan raised an eyebrow.

    "There''s no use hiding it! That ridiculous regenerating ability is unique to demons!" Yuan was speechless, but he didn''t me this individual for mistaking him for a demon. After all, he would''ve probably done the same if he were in that man''s shoes, as his regenerating ability was acquired through Demon Cores, so the pursuers weren''t wrong.

    "I understand your confusion, but rest assured, I am not a demon." Yuan calmly said.

    "Shut up! Do you think I''m stupid or something?!"

    The pursuers outright ignored the Immortal, whom they had been chasing for months, to focus on Yuan, who was a much bigger threat to the Nine Heavens than the escapee.

    "I don''t think you''re stupid¡­ for now. If I were a demon, I would have horns and a crystal, wouldn''t I?" Yuan exposed his torso so show that he had no demon crystal on his body.

    "You''re definitely taking me for a fool! High-ranking demons don''t have horns and crystals! They look no different than humans!" "So you''re suggesting that I am a Demon Emperor who looks no different than humans? How could a Demon Emperor be a mere Spirit King? And why would I bother to risk exposing myself to fight that immortal?" Yuan asked.

    The pursuer couldn''t find a logical exnation immediately and momentarily became speechless.

    "You''re obviously hiding your cultivation! There''s no way a Spirit King could emit Immortal Qi! I don''t know why you''re fighting with the escapee, but that doesn''t prove you''re not a demon!" One of the pursuers eximed.

    "That''s right! You''re a demon hiding in human skin!" Another joined.

    Seeing how the group of immortals prepared to kill him, Yuan sighed, "You guys must be quite weak if it requires four of you to chase after a single escapee. Come, I''ll y with you." The group of immortals immediately exploded with anger after being provoked by Yuan.

    "If we can''t capture him, kill him!"

    "Kill me? Even though I''m a demon? You should probably get the Demon Sealing n instead." Yuanughed out loud.

    The immortals'' faces flushed red before surrounding him in a formation.

    "Golden Lotus Prison!"

    The four of them worked together to quickly create a powerful formation around Yuan. Although they were only Tier 5 Array Masters, they were able to create a Tier 6 formation in the blink of an eye together.

    Yuan suddenly found himself entrapped inside a golden lotus that slowly drained his spiritual energy.

    When Kn saw this, he thought about intervening, but he wanted to see how Yuan would deal with this situation first. As long as Yuan''s life wasn''t in danger, he decided to remain as a spectator.

    However, with Yuan''s regenerating ability rivaling demons, Kn was no longer worried that he might die.

    The immortals, aware that their chances of killing Yuan were slim despite the disparity in their cultivation, resorted to using a formation specifically designed to capture entities as resilient as Yuan.

    "Do you want me to destroy the formation for you?" Yu Ning, who had been silently watching this entire time, suddenly spoke.

    "No, it''s fine. I want to test out my new physique." "Okay¡­"

    Yuan suddenly closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

    The very next moment, the prison around Yuan suddenly began breaking down, almost as if it were slowly being devoured by an invisible force.

    "W-what the fuck?!"

    "The formation''s losing energy!"

    "That''s impossible!"

    "T-that demon bastard is absorbing the formation''s Immortal Qi!"

    "What?! How is he doing that?! Techniques are sealed within the Golden Lotus Formation!"

    "It must be one of his demon abilities!"

    "H-hey! Escapee! Help us kill this demon, and we''ll give you freedom!" One of the immortals turned to look at the escapee.

    "Are you serious? Even if I want to kill him, you saw for yourself that I am unable to do so." The Misty Fox said.

    "That''s only if you''re fighting alone! If the five of us work together, there''s still a chance!"

    The Misty Fox couldn''t reject the possibility of freedom and agreed to help the immortals. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    "The more the merrier." Yuan smiled.

    <Your understanding of Immortal Qi has significantly increased!>

    After consuming Immortal Qi directly, Yuan''s understanding of Immortal Qi skyrocketed, causing the Immortal Qi he exuded to be more apparent and profound.

    ''This is the perfect opportunity for me to understand Immortal Qi.'' Yuan found a reason to fight these immortals.

    The five immortals, each restricted to the Divine King, began bombarding Yuan with techniques infused with Immortal Qi.

    To Yuan, enduring these hits with his bare body felt like being struck with a sledgehammer. However, unlike before, it wasn''t enough to destroy his body and merely bruise it.

    <Your understanding of Immortal Qi has increased!>

    Moreover, whenever their attacks struck Yuan, his Heaven Refining Immortal Physique would automatically absorb some of the Immortal Qi, weakening the force of their blows and strengthening his body even further.

    Suddenly, Yuan''s aura surged, and his Dantian expanded.

    <You have absorbed enough Qi for a breakthrough!>

    <You have met the requirements for a breakthrough!>

    <You have reached First Level Spirit Emperor!>

    Amid the battle, Yuan had a breakthrough and finally escaped Spirit King, bing a Spirit Emperor!

 Chapter 1572 Spirit Emperor

    Chapter 1572 Spirit Emperor

    The moment Yuan''s cultivation entered Spirit Emperor, his aura surged so much that the immortals thought he''d skipped several levels in his breakthrough.

    "This bastard had a breakthrough in the middle of a battle! What a fucking monster!"

    "Wait¡­ does that mean he was actually only a Spirit King¡­?"

    The realization that Yuan, merely a Spirit King, possessed the prowess to fight them struck quickly. Their faces filled with terror as the full implications of his power dawned on them. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.

    "W-we cannot let him live, or he''ll be an immense threat to humanityter!"

    "Kill him! Use everything you''ve got!"

    The immortals frantically attacked Yuan, viewing him as a looming cmity destined to destroy humanity in the future.

    Meanwhile, seeing Yuan breakthrough snapped Bai Ning out of her daze, and she suddenly approached the battlefield.

    "Stop!" she shouted, her voice filled withmanding authority.

    "Who the hell are you?!"

    "Are you this demon''s aplice?!"

    The immortals immediately became even more nervous. If Bai Ning turned out to be another demon, they''d have no chance of killing them.

    However, Bai Ning retrieved a white and ck medallion before throwing it at one of the immortals.

    "That is my identity!"

    "This is¡­ the Heavenly White Tiger n''s medallion? And this name¡­ you must be the Heavenly White Tiger Goddess!" "Are you here to help us subjugate this demon?! Thank the heavens!"

    However, Bai Ning shook her head and said, "No, but I want to fight him, so get out of my way."

    "W-what? I understand that you want to fight him, but why must you do it alone? He''s a dangerous entity¡ªa demon that terrorized our world and all living beings within!" "Do I really have to exin myself to you?" Bai Ning narrowed her eyes at them.

    "..."

    The immortals exchanged nervous nces with each other. Bai Ning''s status was simply too exalted for them to ignore, but it was not as though they could let her fight the demon alone.

    If she died, they would be held responsible, hence their perplexed situation.

    Seemingly aware of their predicament, Bai Ning said, "Don''t worry, even if I die, you won''t be responsible."

    Bai Ning no longer paid attention to the immortals and approached Yuan, who hovered there calmly.

    Without an ounce of fear in her eyes, Bai Ning spoke, "Yo. Do you remember me?"

    Yuan nodded, "You''re the one who interrupted my fight with Bai Xutao."

    "You call that a fight? You were straight bullying my brother." "Do you know why I did what I did?" Yuan then asked.

    "No, and I don''t care. The only thing that matters to me is you attacked someone from my family."

    "So you won''t care even if he ughters an entire city of innocent people?" Yuan asked, his voice carrying a hint of coldness.

    "..."

    After a moment of silence, Bai Ning responded, "He will atone for whatever crime he''dmitted, just like how you''ll be punished for attacking a member of the Heavenly White Tiger n."

    "Is that so? What if the Immortal Monarch were in my shoes? What would you do then?"

    Bai Ning was taken aback by his sudden mention of the Immortal Monarch.

    "How dare you utter his sacred name with your dirty mouth?! The Immortal Monarch would never be in your shoes in the first ce!"

    "Really? The world''s a big and mysterious ce. What if I turn out to be the real Immortal Monarch?" Yuan teased.

    "sphemy!" Bai Ning bellowed before suddenly transforming, her aura skyrocketing.

    "I couldn''t kill you in the Third Heaven because of my restricted cultivation, but it''s a different story up here! Let''s see if you can repeat what you didst time!" Bai Ning''s aura surged all the way to the peak of Divine King, surpassing the other immortals'' aura.

    "Thisd is not bad¡­" Kn nodded in approval after sensing Bai Ning''s powerful aura.

    "No matter how high your cultivation is, you''ll never be able to defeat me." Yuan casually shook his head.

    "Shut up and fight me!" Bai Ning shouted as she started her assault.

    Yuan didn''t move to purposefully test the strength of her first strike.

    Sha!

    Bai Ning used her bare hands¡ªher ws¡ªto strike. Imbued with powerful Immortal Qi, her ws were strong enough to cut through Yuan''s body. However, the damage was only superficial, and it didn''t take more than a second for it to recover fully. "Not bad, I suppose." Yuan calmlymented.

    "Shut up and fight me seriously!" Bai Ning shouted.

    "Are you actually using Bai Xutao as an excuse to fight me? All you need to do is ask nicely, you know."

    Bai Ning responded with another powerful strike, its pressure powerful enough to cleave the Purple Sea.

    Five red lines resembling sword cuts spread across Yuan''s chest but disappeared in the blink of an eye.

    Despite Bai Ning''s relentless attack, Yuan remained still, seemingly unwilling to fight her.

    "FIGHT ME, DAMN IT!" she roared, her aura surging even higher.

    "Not until you admit that you don''t care about the punishment and are only using it as an excuse to fight me." Yuan casually shrugged.

    "Fuck you!" Bai Ning continuedunching powerful strikes at Yuan.

    Several momentster, her most potent attack managed to slice his body in half, but it was pointless and just a waste of Immortal Qi if she couldn''t kill him.

    "I''m waiting¡­" Yuan yawned, positioning himself as if he werezily lying on a couch before a television.

    Yuan''s unwillingness to fight and his tant mockery infuriated Bai Ning.

    "Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!"

    Bai Ning stopped fighting for a moment and cursed out loud. "I don''t care about Bai Xutao or the punishment for attacking a member of our Heavenly White Tiger n! I just want to fight you!" she eximed with her face flushed red.

    "That''s more like it. Don''t you feel better just from being honest with yourself?" Yuan chuckled.

    "Fuck you! If you still refuse to fight me properly, I''ll make you regret being born!" she roared.

    "I am a man of my word¡­" With Number One Under Heaven in his grasp, Yuan suddenly charged at Bai Ning.

    Seeing this, Bai Ning prepared to confront him with a wide grin on her face.

 Chapter 1573 Beyond Human Capabilities

    Chapter 1573 Beyond Human Capabilities

    When Yuan swung Number One Under Heaven at her, Bai Ning prepared to confront it with her ws, which were sharper and more durable than even Mythic-grade treasures. However, moments before they shed, her instincts kicked in, causing her to avoid the sword instead.

    Sha!

    A powerful sword light swung past Bai Ning''s w and struck the Purple Sea behind her, splitting it in half.

    Although the sword light didn''t touch her, its aura grazed her hand, and that was enough to cut through her skin.

    Bai Ning swallowed nervously at this and cried inwardly, ''If I hadn''t avoided his sword at the veryst moment, my entire hand would''ve been cut off! I have never seen such a powerful Soul Weapon before!'' Seeing Bai Ning''s nervous expression, Yuan looked at Number One Under Heaven and showed a bittersweet smile, "You''re too powerful." Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.

    After pondering for a moment, he put away the sword and retrieved Dragon''s Soul again.

    "What is the meaning of this? Are you looking down on me?" Bai Ning''s brows deeply furrowed.

    "I mean, it''s not like I am trying to kill you." Yuan calmly said.

    "Do you really think you have what it takes to kill me?! You''re thinking too highly of yourself just because you manage to fight with a few ordinary immortals! Today, I, Bai Ning, shall teach you what a prodigy is like!" Bai Ning roared before charging at Yuan, releasing a relentless assault on him.

    Yuan parried all her attacks, but the impact from her strikes was far stronger than those of all the immortalsbined, enough to push him back.

    ''So it wasn''t just his sword that contributed to his prowess! This bastard must have a unique physique that rivals demons!'' Bai Ning gritted her teeth as she used all her power, which she rarely did.

    Hours passed, but Bai Ning couldn''t see any opportunity to defeat Yuan. He was akin to an unsurmountable wall¡ªone that could regenerate any damage in the blink of an eye.

    ''Is he really a demon?!'' Bai Ning began doubting whether he was actually a demon.

    Although she had never fought or seen a demon before, she''d heard plenty of rumors about them, especially how they terrorized the world with their god-like healing abilities¡ªthe same one Yuan was disying at this moment.

    "Are you really a demon?!" Bai Ning asked without stopping the fight.

    "What do you think?" Yuan casually responded.

    "I think your healing abilities are ridiculous!" "Thanks." "I am notplimenting you! It''s so ridiculous that it''s not helping your case!"

    Yuan chuckled and said, "People will believe what they want to believe regardless of the facts, even if it''s right in their eyes. There''s no need to try to convince these people, as I would only be wasting my breath."

    "You will regret this in the future!"

    "Are you worried about me? If so, thanks." Yuan chuckled.

    "Shut up!"

    Several more hourster, Bai Ning ran out of spiritual energy. Usually, she''d be able to fight for months, if not years, without exhausting her spiritual energy, but she had to use a tremendous amount of spiritual energy just to hurt Yuan.

    Meanwhile, Yuan was still full of energy from absorbing her attacks, transforming it into his own energy.

    "How¡­ are you¡­ still so full of energy?!" Bai Ning was in disbelief.

    "I just am. Anyway, it''s been fun, but I have other things to do."

    "Where do you think you''re going?!" One of the immortals shouted at him.

    Yuan fell silent and nced at him through his mask.

    After a moment of silence, Yuan suddenly withdrew Number One Under Heaven and charged at the immortal with his movement technique.

    [Immortal Rendering Sword Strike!]

    The immortal was caught off guard by Yuan''s surprise attack and failed to react in time before being sliced in half.

    However, the immortal didn''t die and managed to survive with just his soul. Yet, Yuan swung his sword again, using nothing but his Enhanced Sword Aura.

    "Nooo!"

    The immortal cried out loud, his voice filled with fear.

    Unfortunately, Yuan didn''t spare another thought before cutting down his soul, killing him entirely.

    Ding!

    <You have achieved an impossible feat by defeating a Cultivator that was at least nine realms above you!>

    <You have acquired the title ''Beyond Human Capabilities>

    [Beyond Human Capabilities: When fighting a Cultivator, your base stats will be boosted by 100%]

    [Defeat a Cultivator who is at least nine realms above you without using Heaven''s Supremacy]

    [Completed]

    With two of the most challenging taskspleted, Yuan felt like he was making progress for Heaven''s Supremacy.

    "What the fuck have he done?!" Kn was greatly shocked by Yuan''s actions.

    In fact, nobody there expected Yuan to suddenly kill one of the immortals there.

    "YOU SON OF A BITCH!" The other immortals quickly reacted to the death of theirpanion, their faces flushed with anger. Yet, none of them dared to attack Yuan.

    "You will regret this, you damn demon!"

    Instead of fighting him, the immortals turned around and ran away.

    As for the Misty Fox, he also ran away. Kn appeared shortly after with a deep frown on his face.

    "You¡­ why did you do that?" he asked.

    Yuan looked at him and calmly responded, "Why not?"

    "That man you killed belonged to the Nine Heavens Law and Order! Not only do they oversee the Nine Heavens Eternal Grotto, but they''re also responsible for keeping order in the Nine Heavens! Their influence is second to the Celestial Emperor! And you just killed one of them!" "Is that so? I got unlucky, I guess."

    "..."

    Kn suddenly turned to look at Bai Ning and said, "Can you please leave us alone?"

    "And who the hell are you tomand me?" Bai Ning frowned.

    Kn''s body suddenly released an oppressive aura that filled the entire Purple Sea.

    "Please leave¡­ while I am still asking nicely." "..." Bai Ning narrowed her eyes at him.

    After a moment of silence, she turned to look at Yuan and spoke, "This isn''t over. I''ll defeat you the next time we meet!"

    Bai Ning left the scene shortly after, leaving Yuan and Kn alone in the middle of the Purple Sea.

 Chapter 1574 Nine Heavens Law and Order

    Chapter 1574 Nine Heavens Law and Order

    Once they were finally alone, Kn raised his hand and showed his faction''s symbol, as long as his rank.

    Yuan''s curiosity was piqued at the sight of Kn''s symbol and rank. He raised an eyebrow and inquired, "What brings a high-ranking figure like you to the Fourth Heaven? I doubt it''s a simple task like catching an escaped immortal."

    Yuan pretended not to be part of the Celestial Overlord to see Kn''s reaction.

    "There''s no need to be on alert. My name is Kn, and Senior Bai asked me to watch over you because he was worried that your fight with the immortal might go awry."

    "Oh, is that so? I apologize if I had offended you in any way before, Senior." Yuan''s attitude suddenly changed, bing more respectable.

    This dumbfounded Kn.

    ''The way he treats his friends and foes are so vastly different. Even if I am someone slightly suspicious, he might not hesitate to cut me down.'' Kn thought to himself.

    "Anyway, even though nothing happened to you, and you even managed to y an immortal¡ªalbeit the wrong one¡ªI must apologize for failing to save your life multiple times due to how absorbed I was in your fight."

    "Your fight was truly mesmerizing and awe-inspiring. Unfortunately, you ended up killing someone you shouldn''t have, and you even made it seem like you''re a demon¡­ or are you actually one?" Kn inquired, seemingly unclear on his identity.

    Yuan smiled and said, "Don''t worry, I am definitely human."

    Kn sighed in relief and said, "Thank the heavens. You would''ve made things really difficult for us if you were a demon. With that said, you''ll probably still be hunted by the Nine Heavens Law and Order for killing their member, and rumors about you being a demon will spread."

    "Your healing abilities that rival a demon will concern many people, and they might treat you like a real demon, even if you''re a human. However, the Celestial Overlords will do everything they can to protect you."

    However, Yuan shook his head and said, "Don''t worry, I never intended to cause trouble for the Celestial Overlords. Even if they want to find me, they don''t know my real identity yet, so they''ll be chasing a phantom for a while."

    "You''re unfathomably bold¡­ Nobody could be as calm as you if they knew they were being hunted by the Nine Heavens Law and Order¡­"

    Yuan shrugged and said, "Anyway, since I am safe, does that mean you''ll return to the upper heavens now?"

    "No, I''ll stick around a little longer. After all, it''s been so long since I visited the lower heavens. I also want to know more about you, Junior. And once you recover from your fight, let''s have a spar."

    Yuan nodded, "Alright."

    "Then I''ll see youter." Kn left the scene shortly after, returning to Senior Bai to notify him of their situation.

    Yuan returned to the Pavilion of Knowledge.

    "Yuan! You''re okay!" Xi Meili''s face immediately brightened after seeing his return.

    "I told you I''d be fine." Yuan smiled.

    "How was it? Did you kill the immortal?" she asked.

    "No, he got away, but I did kill an immortal." "What¡­?" Xi Meili raised her eyebrows in a puzzled manner.

    "It''s a bitplicated, but this is what happened¡­"

    Yuan recalled the events that had urred during his battle.

    "Heavens¡­ what a mess¡­" Xi Meili''s eyes were wide open by the end.

    Meanwhile, Kn requested an urgent audience with Senior Bai.

    When Senior Bai received this urgent request, his eyebrows rose.

    Sometimeter, he met up with Kn, who was waiting for him inside his world.

    "Senior." Kn respectfully bowed to him.

    "What''s the matter? To request an urgent audience, did something happen to Yuan?" Senior Bai went straight to the point.

    Kn nodded with a serious expression and said, "A lot happened, so sit back and prepare yourself."

    Senior Bai immediately swallowed nervously.

    "I watched our Junior fight the escaped immortal. It was quite something. He exceeded my expectations in every metric and more. This is how it went¡­"

    While Kn recalled everything he had witnessed to Senior Bai, the same thing was happening elsewhere with the group of immortals that had confronted Yuan.

    "It''s a demon, I tell you! We must contact the Demon Sealing n and the Demon Sealing Grotto as soon as possible!"

    "This demon was unlike anything I''ve seen or heard! He wielded a sword and spear and had the aura of a beast!"

    "He was only a Spirit King, but he could use Enhanced Sword Aura and fight several Divine Kings simultaneously!"

    The leader of Nine Heavens Law and Order listened to the information with a confused and bewildered look on his face.

    "A Spirit King that can fight an immortal with their cultivation suppressed to Divine King? Has demon-like regenerating ability? What kind of fucking creature are you guys making up? Did you guys get hit in the head too hard when trying to capture the escapee?" The leader couldn''t believe what he was hearing. This entity sounded like something that wouldn''t exist even in exaggerated fiction.

    "This monster is real!" The immortals insisted.

    The leader sighed, "Alright, I''ll contact the Demon Sealing n and the Demon Sealing Grotto. Tell me everything that happened." Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.

    A few hourster, the leader of Nine Heavens Law and Order visited the Demon Sealing Faction''s headquarters and requested an audience with Qian Chu, the current leader of the Demon Sealing Faction.

    "It''s been a while, Demon Sealer Qian." Qian Chu casually nodded and said, "I was told you have information on a powerful demon?"

    "Unfortunately. My faction members encountered this demon in the Fourth Heaven while chasing after one of the Nine Heavens Eternal Grotto escapees. With that said, I am not certain this information is trustworthy. You''ll understand what I mean in a bit."

    "A demon in the Fourth Heaven? This would be troublesome if true." Qian Chu muttered.

    "Alright, let''s hear it. Tell me everything you know about this demon."

 Chapter 1575 Unknown Demon

    Chapter 1575 Unknown Demon

    The leader of Nine Heavens Law and Order began recalling what his subordinates told him with a somewhat stiff expression, almost as if he couldn''t believe what he was uttering.

    "This demon was only a Spirit King when they initially encountered it but had a breakthrough toward the end, reaching Spirit Emperor."

    "However, even before reaching Spirit Emperor, this demon could fight with the escapee, who was restricted to the Divine King realm, even overpower them to a certain extent."

    "Once this demon reached Spirit Emperor, it was able to fight five Divine Kings simultaneously, even killing one of our members."

    "This demon wielded two different weapons, a sword and a spear, being exceptionally proficient with the sword¡ªto the point where he could use Enhanced Sword Aura. Moreover, both of these weapons were Soul Weapons."

    "This demon''s regenerating ability is also no joke, being able to recover within seconds after having their entire body annihted."

    "Not only did they have a ridiculously fast regenerating speed, their body was also incredibly durable."

    "This demon wore a mask, but it had no visible horns or unique skin color, amon trait amongst demons. Furthermore, it had the aura of a beast."

    "..." Qian Chu listened to the information of this potential demon with raised eyebrows.

    He''d studied and encountered more than anyone within the Demon Sealing n, yet he''d never encountered a demon that could wield Soul Weapons, much less two.

    While demons are naturally powerful and could fight humans with higher cultivation than itself, not even a Demon Emperor could fight someone eight realms stronger, let alone five at once.

    The most ridiculous im about this demon was that it could use Enhanced Sword Aura. Demons specialized in blood techniques and their own bodies, and there had never been a record of a demon using Sword Aura, much less Enhanced Sword Aura.

    If Qian Chu had to be honest, he would outright refute these ims. However, there was no reason for the Nine Heavens Law and Order to fabricate such information, especially since their leader had personally shown up to share it. The details were simply too borate to be a joke.

    "So, what do you think? Ridiculous, right?" The Nine Heavens Law and Order leader said with an embarrassed face.

    "However, I have verified the information myself. My members have no reason to lie about this, and they looked genuinely shaken by their encounter with this demon."

    Qian Chu quickly replied, "I would be lying if I said that I don''t doubt such information, but if a demon with this sort of capabilities were to truly exist, our world would definitely be plunged into another chaotic era¡ªperhaps one that''s even more chaotic than thest one." Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.

    The Nine Heavens Law and Order leader swallowed nervously after hearing such words, and he said, "Regardless of if this entity is a demon or a ghost, we must find it and ensure that such a thing won''t happen."

    Qian Chu nodded and said, "I will have all of my Supreme Demon Sealers and Master Demon Sealers look into this demon."

    "Thank you! I will also contact the Demon Sealing Grotto so we can work together. The sooner we deal with this threat, the better!"

    Although the leader knew these two powers rarely coborated and, more often than not, shed with each other, they were not in a position to be picky. If this demon turned out to be the real deal, they might have another war with demons.

    Qian Chu didn''t object to the leader''s idea to involve the Demon Sealing Grotto, knowing they would inevitably learn of the situation and intervene, regardless of the Demon Sealing n''s stance.

    The Nine Heavens Law and Order leader didn''t linger and immediately went to the Demon Sealing Grotto.

    Qian Chu also summoned all of the Supreme Demon Sealers and Master Demon Sealers to an urgent meeting, something that has not happened since he became the leader of the Demon Sealing n.

    The demon sealers were taken aback by the sudden summoning. Filled with a mix of anticipation and a touch of dread, they swiftly assembled at the headquarters.

    At the meeting, Qian Chu revealed the situation to the demon sealers, who responded with skepticism rather than shock or fear. "I know what you''re all thinking, but the leader of the Nine Heavens Law and Order personally delivered this information to me. Regardless if this entity is a demon or something else, it raises too many concerns and must be looked into."

    "Do we have a description of this demon?" Someone asked.

    Qian Chu retrieved arge scroll and revealed a painting of Yuan on it.

    "This was created by those who encountered the demon. It has all of the details they could recall. Study it and memorize it."

    While the Demon Sealing n was having their meeting, the Demon Sealing Grotto was also preparing to hunt this demon. After hearing how ridiculously capable this demon was, they decided to make hunting it their number one priority.

    Over the next few days, hundreds of powerful demon sealers would be sent to the Fourth Heaven.

    Meanwhile, Senior Bai had trouble standing once Kn recalled everything to him.

    "Dear heavens¡­ are you sure you weren''t hallucinating? Yuan only became a cultivator a few years ago¡­ How in heaven''s name is he already fighting immortals? Even if their cultivation was suppressed, their experience should''ve made an insurmountable difference. Or are you telling me that he''d managed to acquire what others need tens of thousands of years to learn in just several years? Do such terrifying talents truly exist in this world?"

    "Trust me, I know how you feel, and I witnessed it first-hand. He''s the real deal¡ªa real monster." Kn sighed.

    He continued, "What should we do now? Although the Nine Heavens Law and Order aren''t aware of his identity now, they eventually will."

    Senior Bai pondered for many minutes with a serious expression on his face before speaking, "I''ll seek guidance from the Celestial Overlord. Don''t utter a word of this to anyone else before I return."

    "Naturally." Kn nodded.

 Chapter 1576 Leaving the Pavilion of Knowledge

    Chapter 1576 Leaving the Pavilion of Knowledge

    After he left, Senior Bai immediately sought an audience with Xu Jiaqi. Once they met, Senior Bai informed her of everything Yuan had done.

    "He''s already capable of fighting Divine Kings despite being only a Spirit King? I mocked him for his slow cultivation speed not long ago¡­" Xu Jiaqi wore an astonished expression on her beautiful face, something that rarely happened.

    "Moreover, they''re not ordinary Divine Kings, but real immortals with vast experience." Senior Bai sighed.

    He continued, "Anyway, his monstrous talent is one thing. Killing a member of the Nine Heavens Law and Order is another. I''m afraid they might give him¡ªus trouble in the future."

    "About that¡­ the Nine Heavens Law and Order have already acted." Xu Jiaqi suddenly said.

    "What?" Senior Bai''s eyes widened at this new information.

    "The leader has already contacted the Demon Sealing n and Demon Sealing Grotto, and these two powerhouses have dispatched their experts," Xu Jiaqi exined.

    "Isn''t that really bad? What should we do?" Senior Bai asked.

    Xu Jiaqi pondered for a moment before speaking, "We won''t do anything until we need to. Let''s just see where this goes."

    "Are you sure? What if it''s already toote by then?"

    "Are you still underestimating Yuan after all this? He won''t go down so easily, and we''ll have more than enough time to react. Kn will be with him, as well, no?"

    Senior Bai nodded, "Kn wishes to remain in the lower heavens a little longer."

    "Permission granted. Make it his mission to protect Yuan, too. However, don''t spoil him. Only act when absolutely necessary." Xu Jiaqi said.

    "I understand."

    "We also have a member within the Demon Sealing n. I''ll notify him of the situation." Xu Jiaqi added.

    Senior Bai nodded.

    After talking a little longer, Senior Bai returned to Kn to pass Xu Jiaqi''s decision to him.

    Meanwhile, the Nine Heavens went into turmoil after news that the Demon Sealing n and the Demon Sealing Grotto had dispatched most of their experts in some kind of expedition.

    "Fuck, are we going to war with demons again?"

    "No, they are looking for a single demon."

    "What? They dispatched so many people for a single demon? Did they find the Demon Emperor that escaped previously?" Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    "Apparently, this one is even more dangerous."

    "How long has it been since the Demon Sealing n''s been this active?"

    "It''s been thousands of years¡­ Unfortunately, their activity isn''t something to be celebrated but dreaded."

    Somewhere in the Demon Sealing Grand Library, a beautiful woman sat before a scroll with a ponderous face.

    "I wonder how the founder''s doing¡­ Hopefully, I''ll get to see him again soon." Yan Hara muttered to herself as she stared at the scroll with the demon''s description.

    As a Master Demon Sealer, she was also dispatched to the lower heavens.

    Meanwhile, Yuan and Xi Meili spent several more hours at the Pavilion of Knowledge before leaving.

    "Are you leaving already?" Xuan Kun asked them when he noticed them exiting the room.

    "Yes, we''ve finished reading all of the materials." Yuan nodded.

    "I see¡­ I hope it was helpful to you."

    "It was. I learned some new things about the Immortal Monarch and hispanions¡ªmostly about the Nine Divine Supremes."

    "If you ever need information on anything, don''t hesitate to visit our Pavilion of Knowledge. Here is our medallion. There are other ''Pavilion of Knowledge'' in other ces with different names, but they all serve the same purpose. Our Pavilion of Knowledge happens to be the first one to be founded." Xuan Kun handed him a purple medallion with an image of a pavilion and the word ''Knowledge'' engraved into it.

    "Thank you." Yuan epted the medallion and tossed it into his spatial ring.

    Xuan Kun shook his head and said, "No, I should be thanking you. Because of you, we know the Immortal Monarch is still alive out there somewhere. You have no idea how much this means to me¡ªto many beast ns in the Nine Heavens." "What does it mean?" Xi Meili asked out of curioisty.

    "Well, for starters, there will be a massive movement to find the Immortal Monarch soon." Xuan Kun revealed with a serious face.

    Yuan raised an eyebrow and inquired, "And what will they do once they find him? The Immortal Monarch''s era ended long ago."

    "The Immortal Monarch''s era may have ended, but some¡ªmany still revere him. He is akin to their god¡ªa being above humans and beasts. His return will have unfathomable significance that I cannot even begin toprehend." Xuan Kun spoke with a dazed look on his face.

    "..." Yuan didn''t know how to react to that and remained silent.

    As they made their way downstairs, their presence caught Bai Ning''s attention, who also appeared to be leaving.

    "Where are you going after this?" Bai Ning asked him.

    "I don''t know." He shrugged.

    "What about you?"

    "I have to return to my family temporarily to report some things. Did you not notice the disturbance from earlier?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

    "I felt many powerful ripples, but I am not the type to stick my nose in other''s business." Yuan replied with a smile.

    "Good on you. It was a mess out there." Bai Ning sighed.

    "Oh? What happened?" he asked with a curious face.

    "A fight between immortals and some crazy bastard¡ªthe same bastard that beat my brother." Bai Ning clenched her fist as she recalled him.

    "The masked individual? He was there? Did you avenge your brother?" Yuan asked with a worried face.

    Bai Ning merely sighed at his question, her expression darkening with every passing moment.

    "I see¡­" Yuan wore a look of understanding and didn''t inquire further.

    "Well, I hope you''ll get to avenge your brother next time."

    She vigoriously nodded, "I won''t let him escape a third time!"

    "Then I''ll see youter."

    After bowing to each other, Yuan left the Pavilion of Knowledge with Xi Meili, who tried hiding her face by looking away from Bai Ning.

    Bai Ning stared at Xi Meili''s back as she walked to the exit.

    ''She looks a little familiar¡­ but from where?'' she wondered inwardly.

 Chapter 1577 A Hundred Million

    Chapter 1577 A Hundred Million

    Once Yuan and Xi Meili left the Pavilion of Knowledge, they disappeared into the Purple Sea. Bai Ning left shortly after and returned to her n in the upper heavens to update them on the situation.

    "Where are we going now?" Xi Meili asked Yuan as they soared across the Purple Sea.

    "A ce that will allow me to kill a lot of magical beasts," he calmly said.

    "Why?" Xi Meili raised an eyebrow.

    Although divine beasts and magical beasts are beasts, magical beasts are typically simpleminded and instinct-driven animals mutated through spiritual energy, so divine beasts don''t feel anything even if magical beasts are ughtered. In fact, divine beasts often ughter and consume magical beasts, which is akin to humans cultivating with spirit stones and monster cores.

    "I need to kill a hundred million entities¡­" he sighed.

    "A hundred million?!" Xi Meili''s jaw dropped at this astonishing number that would take years of constant grinding.

    "I would love to ask why you''d need to kill so many, but I''m a little afraid to do so¡­" Xi Meili swallowed nervously.

    Yuan chuckled and said, "You just asked. Anyway, it''s a quest¡ªsomething I need to do to be stronger."

    "You''re already powerful enough to kill immortals. I cannot imagine how much more powerful you can be." "No, I am not powerful enough to kill immortals. I only managed to kill that one because his cultivation was restricted. If I had to fight him at full power, he''d easily kill me." Yuan shook his head at reality.

    "Still, I don''t think anyone else out there can boast of defeating someone nine realms above their own strength."

    "With so many experts from the upper heavens showing up, I will need to be strong¡ªmuch stronger if I want to protect you and everyone." A glint of determination flickered within Yuan''s eyes.

    "We could''ve asked Xuan Kun, but we had already left the Pavilion of Knowledge." Xi Meili then said.

    "It''s fine. I intend to return to the others first. We can figure out the rest afterward." After returning to the Cultivators'' Haven, where Meixiu and the others are in seclusion, Yuan said to Xi Meili, "You can return to training if you want. I''ll be away for a few days." "I''ve had enough training for now. I''ll take a look around the city while I wait for your return," she said.

    Yuan nodded, "Stay safe."

    She chuckled, "Don''t worry, I doubt many Bai Xutao are out there." Yuan logged off the next moment.

    Once he returned to Earth, Yuan went to rx inside the bathroom by soaking in medicine. Even though the medicine no longer had any effect on his body, it still felt better than an ordinary hot bath.

    After getting out of the bathroom, Yuan noticed a card ced on the desk beside the bed.

    He picked it up and read its contents.

    [Chairman Lee has contacted us on... The Great Battlefield has finished with its renovations and will resume Faction Wars soon. Our Faction War with Fiery Garden of Hell has been scheduled.]

    "Two days ago, huh? Luckily, I finished my business in Cultivation Online earlier, or I would''ve missed the Faction War," he mumbled to himself.

    The Demon Sealing Faction and Fiery Garden of Hell was scheduled to begin in three days.

    He went to the training grounds to see if anyone was there, but it was empty.

    Everyone was busy with their training in Cultivation Online.

    With nothing else to do, Yuan went to the balcony and started ying the zither to pass the time.

    A few hourster, Meifeng knocked on the door.

    "You can enter."

    Meifeng walked straight to the balcony and said, "You saw the note, right?"

    "Yes."

    "Do you really intend to fight the Faction War alone?"

    "Yes, but I''ll need you there to be the ruler," he calmly nodded.

    "Of course, I''ll be there."

    "I''ll make my way to the Eternal Lotuses now. I''ll see you at the Great Battlefield."

    Sometimeter, Yuan disappeared into the clouds, speeding toward the Eternal Lotuses'' headquarters.

    When he arrived, the guards at the entrance instantly recognized him and said, "Our leader is expecting your arrival, yer Yuan." Yuan followed one of them inside and was led directly to Bai Lianhua''s room. Property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    "Wee, Yuan. I''ve been anticipating your match since Miss Meifeng told me about it two days ago." Bai Lianhua greeted him with a bright and beautiful smile.

    "If I was any slower with my business in Cultivation Online, I would''ve missed it and disappointed you." Yuan smiled.

    "But you didn''t. Anyway, Yu Rou is in her room."

    Yuan nodded.

    "Ah, before you go to her, I''d like to thank you again for all your help. The resources you''ve given us greatly benefited every member of our faction, and our faction''s prowess skyrocketed in a short time." "That was the purpose to begin with. Maybe you''ll be able to get your revenge on the Fiery Locust Swarm soon."

    Bai Lianhua''s eyebrows suddenly raised, and she said, "Unfortunately, that may no longer be possible, as the Fiery Locust Swarm had been disbanded after their rank was stripped and their leader and a majority of their members had been banned from participating in further Faction Wars for using drugs during their match with the Demon Sealing Faction."

    "Oh, right. I forgot they did something like that." Yuan chuckled.

    "Fiery Queen and her faction also faced ridicule since the Fiery Locust Swarn was under them." Bai Lianhua added.

    "So they must be extra pissed off right now. This is great. It''ll make our match even more entertaining."

    Yuan left to meet with Yu Rou shortly after.

    The following day, Yuan traveled to the Great Battlefield with Yu Rou and Bai Lianhua.

    When he arrived, Meifeng was already waiting for him¡ªalongside the other members of the Demon Sealing Faction. This time, every member was present. However, none of them would be participating in the Faction War and were there as mere spectators.

 Chapter 1578 Fighting the Fiery Garden of Hell

    Chapter 1578 Fighting the Fiery Garden of Hell

    "I was really hoping you didn''t show up so we could have some fun," Wang Ming remarked as Yuan and his group arrived.

    "Sorry, but I really need to do this alone," Yuan said with an apologetic smile.

    "It''s fine, but we have the next one!"

    "Of course."

    As they made their way to the arena, their group drew the attention of everyone they passed, like a group of celebrities.

    "Look! The Demon Sealing Faction is finally here!"

    "It looks like their entire faction will be present for this Faction War!"

    "That''s only natural. They''re against the Fiery Garden of Hell, after all. Even yer Yuan won''t be able to fight so many yers alone." "Who knows? With the new changes, anything''s possible."

    "No, it''ll definitely be much more difficult for yer Yuan if everyone can use deadly techniques."

    "I''m sure yer Yuan has some ridiculously powerful attacks that can wipe out thousands of yers in the blink of an eye."

    "Even if that''s the case, I doubt he would be able to use those techniques too much before running out of Qi."

    The people spected and debated on their Faction War, unaware that Yuan was nning to fight the Fiery Garden of Hell alone.

    Meanwhile, the Fiery Garden of Hell was already gathering inside the new and improved arena.

    The arena was expanded several times its original size, and hazardous areas, such as a river of realva and deadly traps, were spread throughout it.

    The arena itself could easily amodate ten million yers at once, so there was plenty of room for even thergest factions to go wild.

    Due to the formation that prevents death and serious injuries, the technique evaluation was no longer required, making Faction Wars more essible and exciting.

    A record number of people showed up to spectate the Faction War between the Demon Sealing Faction and the Fiery Garden of Hell, not to mention the number of people watching from home and other ces.

    At this moment, more than half of the world tuned in to watch the Faction War¡ªto see how the Demon Sealing Faction would deal with the Fiery Garden of Hell and its impressive number of yers.

    "I''ve been waiting for you, Yuan!" Chairman Lee''s face brightened like a lightbulb after seeing Yuan and the rest of the Demon Sealing Faction.

    "Do I have to do anything before we can start the Faction War?" Yuan asked.

    "No, we can start once it''s time." Yuan nodded and said, "Then I''ll make my way to the arena."

    "Good luck, brother." Yu Rou said to him.

    The others followed, but Chairman Lee''s eyebrows raised when the Demon Sealing Faction also started saying it.

    Seeing Chairman Lee''s puzzled face, Wang Ming said, "Only Yuan will be participating in the Faction War. We''re just here as spectators."

    "W-what?! You intend on fighting the Fiery Garden of Hell alone?! All 600,000 of them?!" Chairman Lee''s eyes widened with shock as he asked Yuan.

    "Yes, I do." Yuan calmly acknowledged.

    "B-but¡­ that''s¡­" Chairman Lee was at a loss for words. He couldn''t imagine how someone could fight so many people at once¡ªnot even someone like Yuan.

    Yuan smiled and said, "There''s a reason I created the formation. Of course, I wanted to make Faction Wars safer for everyone, but it''s also so I can fight with fewer restrictions."

    "..."

    Chairman Lee still couldn''t find any words.

    Yuan continued walking to the exit, quickly disappearing from the waiting room. Meifeng followed him since she had to be the ruler.

    "He''s serious?" Chairman Lee uttered in a dazed voice.

    "He never jokes around in these sorts of situations." Wang Ming chuckled.

    Sometimeter, Yuan appeared in the arena. When the spectators saw this, the entire stadium erupted with cheering.

    However, the cheering quickly quieted once the spectators realized only two members from the Demon Sealing Faction were present.

    "Huh? Where''s the rest of the members?" Someone asked out loud.

    "Maybe they couldn''t show up, just like thest Faction War?"

    "That''s impossible. I saw the entire Demon Sealing Faction at the airport. They''re definitely here."

    "So where the hell are they? The match''s about to begin in ten minutes."

    "L-look over there! The rest of the Demon Sealing Faction members are in the spectator''s area!" Someone suddenly shouted, his arm pointed at a specific location in the stadium meant for VIPs.

    "No way¡­ they''re here as spectators? Does this mean yer Yuan wants to fight the Fiery Garden of Hell alone?! That''s crazy!"

    "Hahaha! His arrogance knows no bounds!"

    "Are the Fiery Garden of Hell aware of this?"

    "We''ll find out soon."

    Yuan, who showed up alone in the arena to face the Fiery Garden of Hell, shocked every spectator watching. Nobody knew what he was trying to achieve or what his thought process was, but many people were mad.

    "Fuck! I can''t believe I woke up early for this shit!" Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    "I can''t believe I actually bet money on the Demon Sealing Faction''s victory! What was I thinking?!"

    After realizing that Yuan nned to fight the Fiery Garden of Hell alone, many people became desperate. They gambled the rest of their money on the Fiery Garden of Hell''s victory, hoping to recoup some of their losses.

    Meanwhile, Fiery Queen had someone scout the arena using a scouting technique. "What? Only yer Yuan is on the field, excluding the ruler?" Fiery Queen couldn''t believe what she was hearing and had the scouter do it again.

    Yet, the scout reconfirmed that Yuan was alone.

    "That bastard actually dares to face us alone? How much does he intend to look down on me?!" Fiery Queen gritted her teeth in anger instead of feeling relieved that he was alone.

    Five minutes before the match, a familiar voice resounded through the broadcasting speakers.

    "Hello, everyone! It''s me, Yan Xiaoxiao, and I will be thementator for this Faction War!"

    "Before we start, I would like to announce that the highly anticipated ''Demon Sealing Faction Interview'' will be released after this Faction War is concluded, so stay tuned for that!"

 Chapter 1579 A Display of Overwhelming Prowess

    Chapter 1579 A Disy of Overwhelming Prowess

    "Now then, as you can see for yourself, it appears that yer Yuan intends to fight the Fiery Garden of Hell by himself! That''s one to 600,000 yers! What kind of secret trick does he have up his sleeves to have so much confidence?!" Yan Xiaoxiao spoke with excitement. She was one of the very few people who weren''t angry at Yuan and even believed in him.

    "Before we begin the match, allow me to give you all a brief exnation of the new rules."

    "Due to the generosity of a profound expert in formations, the Great Battlefield has gone through several renovations that will enhance our yers'' experience and our entertainment!"

    "With this formation, we will no longer have to worry about idental deaths, allowing the yers to truly go all out with their powerful techniques!"

    "However! While yers won''t die even if a sharp sword strikes their neck, they will still feel some of the pain, so it''s notpletely risk-free!"

    "Although yers can no longer die, they will still carry a badge that represents their life, and if broken, they will be disqualified. A yer will also be disqualified if they are knocked unconscious, which may happen if they suffer enough damage."

    "We will now briefly demonstrate the formation''s functions." Two individuals appeared inside the arena and, before hundreds of millions of spectators, began hacking their sharp swords at each other''s bare bodies without any hesitation or holding back.

    Many powerful blowster, not a single life-threatening injury could be seen on their body. Besides a few bruises, they looked otherwisepletely fine.

    "As you just witnessed, this formation is very reliable!" Yan Xiaoxiaomented as the two demonstrators left the arena. Property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    The crowd cheered loudly, causing the entire stadium to tremble.

    Sometimeter, Yan Xiaoxiao received word that the Faction War would officially begin.

    "Alright, you''ve all been waiting for long enough! The Faction War between Demon Sealing Faction¡ª yer Yuan and Fiery Garden of Hell will begin now!"

    A re shot straight into the sky before exploding into a blue mist, signifying the start of the Faction War.

    Once Fiery Queen saw this, she pointed toward the direction of Yuan''s castle and shouted in amanding voice, "Teach that arrogant bastard what happens when he underestimates us, the Fiery Garden of Hell!"

    However, before the 600,000 members of the Fiery Garden of Hell could go anywhere, they halted their advancement and stared at the massive figure in the distance with bewildered expressions.

    Meanwhile, Yuan activated God of War''s Astral Arts the moment the match began.

    "W-what the fuck is that?! It''s huge!"

    "A giant! It''s a giant!"

    The spectators watched with wide eyes and mouths as Yuan controlled the avatar, sweeping the arena with a golden sword.

    Seeing this, the yers on the field dropped their weapons and immediately began running away. Yet, none was able to out run the sword.

    The moment the avatar struck the ground, the entire Great Battlefield shook violently, and a deep fissure appeared in the arena.

    Before the Fiery Garden of Hell members could even leave their base, over 300,000 yers were removed from the Faction War with a single strike.

    In the blink of an eye, Yuan had annihted half of the Fiery Garden of Hell''s yers.

    The spectators were speechless. Yan Xiaoxiao was speechless. There was not a single person watching who wasn''t shocked by what they had just witnessed.

    Once she snapped out of her daze, Yan Xiaoxiaomented, her voice filled with excitement, "HEAVENS! WHAT A POWER PLAY! yer Yuan disqualified 301,283 yers with a single strike the moment the match began! How will Fiery Queen and her faction respond to this?!"

    After the sudden attack, Fiery Queen sat on her buttocks with a dazed look on her face as she stared at the golden giant that overlooked them from above like a god, feeling like an ant. "I-it''s not over! He must have consumed most, if not all, of his energy on that one attack!" Fiery Queen eventually recovered.

    The very next moment, not wanting to finish the Faction War too quickly, Yuan deactivated God of War''s Astral Arts.

    Fiery Queen misunderstood this and became convinced that Yuan had exhausted all of his energy.

    The remaining Fiery Garden of Hell yers struggled to get back on their feet before advancing toward Yuan''s castle again.

    However, before they could take more than ten steps, a beam of light suddenly appeared from the direction of their destination.

    This beam of light contained an immense amount of spiritual energy, and everyone struck by it was instantly knocked unconscious. The same thing happened to those hit by the God of War''s Astral Arts.

    Suddenly, another 50,000 Fiery Garden of Hell yers were removed from the battlefield.

    "M-my god! What on earth was thatser technique just now?! I have never seen¡ª" Yan Xiaoxiao cried out loud.

    Before Yan Xiaoxiao could even finish her sentence, Yuanunched another Heaven Splitting Sword Strike at the Fiery Garden of Hell, defeating another 32,000 yers in the blink of an eye.

    Several more Heaven Splitting Sword Strikes appeared shortly after, giving Fiery Garden of Hell no room to breathe as they were bombarded with powerful techniques from across the arena.

    Less than a minute had passed since the match began, yet Fiery Garden of Hell''s impressive 600,000 yer number had been reduced to just 100,000.

    The spectators were unsure of what they were witnessing, but as Yuan''s overwhelming abilities became apparent, a palpable fear began to spread among them.

    "If it weren''t for the formation, he would''ve killed half a million people just like that¡­"

    "What kind of monstrous power is that? What if he suddenly decides to use it for evil? Who could stop him then?"

    These kinds of questions began to arise in people''s minds. They feared that Yuan was too powerful, that he wielded unchecked and uncontroble power that could spell the end of the world if he chose to end it.

 Chapter 1580 A Display of Overwhelming Prowess(2)

    Chapter 1580 A Disy of Overwhelming Prowess(2)

    "Queen! What should we do?! We''repletely powerless right now and are no different than sitting ducks waiting to be ughtered!" One of the Fiery Garden of Hell members suddenly cried out loud.

    Fiery Queen didn''t immediately respond. She surveyed her surroundings with a dazed look, taking in the devastated scene. Over eighty percent of her forces had been defeated in less than a minute, but they still had 100,000 yers remaining. If Yuan had exhausted all of his energy, they still had a good chance of defeating him.

    "There''s no need to despair! We may have lost a lot of yers, but we are still 100,000-strong! yer Yuan''s definitely exhausted his Qi this time! This is our chance to defeat him once and for all!" Fiery Queen shouted.

    She pointed in Yuan''s direction with a whip in hand and continued, "Advance!"

    The yers quickly scrambled to their feet and started running toward Yuan''s castle for the third time with their eyes peeled open for iing attacks.

    "He''s stopped attacking! I think he''s really out of energy! We need to hurry and reach him before he recovers!"

    "Move! Move your asses! We cannot allow him to recover even slightly!"

    The Fiery Garden of Hell began advancing like madmen, almost as though they were racing each other to see who reached Yuan first. Even if they don''t have the capability to defeat Yuan, they could still hope to dy his recovery.

    However, unbeknownst to them, Yuan still had plenty of spiritual energy. In fact, he''d been holding back the majority of his strength this entire time.

    If he''d used his full strength¡ªor even half of it, the yers wouldn''t have survived it, even with the formation''s protection.

    Seeing how desperately the Fiery Garden of Hell was trying to reach him, Yuan sat on the ground beforepletely lying down, looking like he was going to take a nap.

    "What in god''s name?! yer Yuan appears to be taking a nap in the middle of the war! Did he run out of energy after using so many powerful techniques at once?!" Yan Xiaoxiao eximed.

    "He really loves to show off, doesn''t he?" Wang Ming chuckled at this scene.

    "He''s just bullying them at this point." Shi Lang shook his head with a slight smile.

    The arena was so massive that it took the fastest yer in Fiery Garden of Hell nearly twenty minutes of straight sprinting to finally reach Yuan.

    "That bastard''s asleep?!" The yer almost couldn''t believe his eyes when he saw Yuan casually resting on his back, seemingly without a care in the world.

    The yer immediately thought aboutunching a sneak attack, but he quickly became doubtful whether Yuan was actually asleep or not.

    ''What was I thinking? Unless he knocked himself out after exhausting himself, there''s no way he would actually be asleep. This is obviously a trap!''

    However, even if it was a trap, the yer couldn''t stand there and do nothing while Yuan continued to recover his energy. He had to do something.

    The next moment, after taking a few deep breaths, the yer made his move. Using his movement technique, he closed their distance almost instantly.

    With a dagger in his grasp, the yer aimed for the badge hanging by Yuan''s waist.

    However, when the yer reached Yuan, he saw that Yuan''s eyes were suddenly opened, and they were staring right into his eyes.

    The yer felt an incredible chill throughout his entire body, almost like he was suddenly swimming naked in ice water. Unfortunately, it was already toote to stop, and the adrenaline in his blood made him move even faster. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    "Die for me, you monster!" The yer roared as his dagger inched closer to Yuan''s life badge.

    Right as the dagger was millimeters away from touching Yuan''s badge, the yer suddenly found himself unable to move even the slightest, almost as if he was frozen in time.

    Before the yer could even react, Yuan casually smacked him in the face, sending him flying across the arena until he hit another yer several minutes away.

    "Where the hell did youe from?!" The yer struck by the one who got hit cried out loud.

    However, the yer couldn''t respond, as he was knocked unconscious. Eventually, Fiery Queen and the rest of the yers reached Yuan, who was no longer napping on the ground but hovering in the air instead.

    "What took you so long? I fell asleep waiting for you." Yuan said as his gaze stared at Fiery Queen.

    "Shut up!" Fiery Queen bellowed with an enraged expression.

    "Keep acting arrogant, but we all know that you''ve already exhausted your energy!"

    "Oh, really? What gave it away?" Yuan smiled.

    "Unless you have unlimited Qi, there''s no way you''re not exhausted by now!" "But I had plenty of time to rest."

    "Hah! Who are you trying to fool? You wouldn''t be able to recoverpletely even if we gave you an entire day!" Yuanughed, "Fiery Queen, you don''t learn, do you? How many times do I have to teach you this lesson?"

    "W-what lesson?" Fiery Queen frowned.

    "That you''d never be able to defeat me!"

    Yuan activated God of War''s Astral Art again.

    The golden giant returned and even looked bigger than before.

    Fiery Queen and the other yers'' faces immediately darkened, and their hearts all dropped at the same time.

    "Fiery Queen, let this be myst warning to you. If I have to deal with you again, it won''t be so peaceful."

    Yuan proceeded to bombard Fiery Queen and the remaining yers with a barrage of attacks. Each time the golden giant swung its sword, the entire ind would shake, and a new fissure would open up in the ground. After destroying almost the entire arena, Yuan deactivated the technique and descended before Fiery Queen, who he''d purposefully left alone.

    Fiery Queen stared at him with a dumbfounded face. She opened her mouth, but no words came out.

    In the end, Yuan destroyed her badge without uttering another word.

 Chapter 1581 Controversies

    Chapter 1581 Controversies

    Fiery Queen stared at her destroyed badge with a dazed face. Although she sustained almost no physical damage during the Faction War, the damage dealt to her mentally was immense and profound.

    This overwhelming sense of defeat and helplessness made her recall their previous confrontation and how he ughtered all of the exiles. Tears began flowing from Fiery Queen''s eyes, but Yuan did not linger to watch her weep and was already walking away.

    Despite the Demon Sealing Faction¡ªYuan''s overwhelming victory, nobody in the crowd cheered, and the ce was so silent that a pin drop could be heard from miles away. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.

    Eventually, Yan Xiaoxiao broke the silence by announcing the winner, "T-the winner of this Faction War is Demon Sealing Faction! Or should I say yer Yuan, who single-handedly defeated 600,000 yers by himself!" Yan Xiaoxiao quickly appeared in the arena and sprinted to Yuan, fearing that he might leave before she could interview him.

    "Congrattions on the Demon Sealing Faction''s second victory! With this momentous victory, the Demon Sealing Faction is now ranked 5th in the world! I''m sure the speed of your rise broke several records, but we can talk about thatter. Right now, I want to know what you have to say!"

    Yuan grabbed the microphone and spoke calmly, "I see a lot of disappointed people in the audience. Were you expecting something else? I''m sorry if I disappointed you, but I warned you thest time¡ªnever bet against me." "Anyway, I''ve had enough fun of Faction Wars for now, so I will no longer be participating in them. With that said, if you wish to challenge the Demon Sealing Faction, I''m sure the other members will be more than willing to entertain you."

    Yuan returned the microphone to Yan Xiaoxiao before walking out of the arena.

    The spectators remained silent, trying toprehend what they had just witnessed. Given the absurdity of everything, many wondered if they had somehow logged into Cultivation Online without realizing it. Although the members of the Demon Sealing Faction tried to look calm, they were also inwardly shocked. They had never seen Yuan fight so fiercely, even during their training.

    "I knew there was a wide gap between us, but I didn''t think it was this ridiculous¡­" Shi Lang muttered in a dazed voice. "Forget about the Faction War. He can probably conquer the world with those techniques."

    "I wouldn''t doubt it." Wang Ming smiled.

    After the Faction War concluded, topics on the subject began spreading online like wildfire.

    [Even though the Faction War ended already, I still cannot believe it ended so fast.]

    [I waited an entire month for this Faction War, and the Fiery Garden of Hell was defeated in less than half an hour¡ªonly because yer Yuan waited 20 minutes for them to reach him!]

    Controversies on whether Yuan should be allowed to participate in future Faction Wars also began filling up the inte.

    [yer Yuan is too powerful! He needs to be banned from future Faction Wars to keep things entertaining and fair!]

    [yer Yuan is too much! He''s too arrogant! Fiery Queen did not deserve to be bullied like that!]

    Most spectators who watched Yuan''s Faction War felt an indescribable sensation after the match. It was a feeling they were not familiar with. Gradually, they began to recognize that feeling as existential fear.

    After witnessing someone who was beyond their understanding, they began to question the purpose of their own existence. However, unwilling to ept their inferiority, these people banded together to drag down the one who had made them feel that way.

    [yer Yuan was definitely using drugs to enhance his strength!]

    [Ban yer Yuan!]

    [Remove the Demon Sealing Faction from the rankings!]

    Countless calls for the Cultivators'' Association to ban yer Yuan and the Demon Sealing Faction flooded the inte. The sentiment only intensified over time, with more and more people echoing the same demand.

    Chairman Lee, under pressure not only from the public but also from the Legacy Families and other powerful backgrounds, found himself in a difficult position.

    The Legacy Families and Ten Great Families have always wanted to get rid of Yuan, but they have never had the opportunity to do so until now.

    Soon, even government agencies from around the world got involved. Due to Yuan''s prowess, which they perceived as a threat, they had no choice but to intervene.

    However, the governments had no interest in the Cultivators'' Association or the Faction Wars. They only had one thing in their sights¡ªYuan himself.

    Shortly after the Faction War had concluded, every single government agency in the world got together. They watched the Faction War between Yuan and Fiery Garden of Hell from beginning to end before they started their conversation.

    They started the conversation by revealing all of their information on Yuan, from the day he joined the orphanage to the current day.

    Although the government hasn''t acted until now, they have been gathering information on Yuan since the day they realized he was yer Yuan just in case of situations like this.

    "This person clearly has enough power to threaten not just a country but the entire world. He''s too dangerous to be wandering around without any supervision."

    "Then what do you suggest? That we chain him down? Who here has the power to do that?"

    "I do not know what has to be done or what can be done. I only know that something must be done before he gets out of control!" "He''s currently living within the Dragon Spiral Mountain, right? Perhaps we can get the Lord to deal with him."

    The room fell silent for a moment. The Lord''s identity as a divine beast was no secret among government agencies, but only those with the highest level of clearance knew about it.

    "If it''s the Lord, he definitely has the power to control Yuan. No¡­ he might be the only entity in this world who can do so."

    "But would he even help us?"

    "The Lord is a reasonable entity. I''m sure he''ll understand our worries."

 Chapter 1582 Yuans Offer

    Chapter 1582 Yuan''s Offer

    "Brother¡­ is there anything you can do about this?"

    Inside her room, Yu Rou shoved her phone at Yuan''s face, showing him all of the negative things being said about him with a concerned face.

    After the Faction War, wanting to spend a little more time with his sister, Yuan left with Yu Rou and Bai Lianhua while the others returned to the Dragon Spiral Mountain.

    Yuan nced at the topic being made about him and shrugged, "What do you want me to do? Tell them to shut up?"

    "I don''t know, but they''re demanding you to be banned from future Faction Wars! And it''s not just a few individuals!" Yu Rou said with a worried face.

    "I kind of agree with them. I''m simply too powerful. Any Faction War with my participation will be a guaranteed victory for the Demon Sealing Faction by andslide. I don''t intend to participate in more matches unless necessary, so this ban won''t really affect me that much."

    "But I enjoy watching you kicking everyone''s ass! Faction Wars will no longer be the same for me after seeing your performance today! They won''t be as entertaining!"

    "Senior Sister, you should say something too!" Yu Rou turned to look at Bai Lianhua, who was leaning on the wall with a perplexed expression on her face.

    "I don''t know what to say. I doubt the Cultivators'' Association would ban him because of this, but I have a feeling that the Ten Great Families will add to the pressure. There''s no chance in hell they''d let this opportunity to drag Yuan down slip away."

    Suddenly, Bai Lianhua received a call on her private cellphone. "Hello? Father?" It was her father, Bai Mengyao, calling.

    "Yuan? Yeah, he''s with me. Why are you asking?"

    "Huh? Seriously?"

    Bai Lianhua''s face became filled with shock.

    "Okay¡­ I''ll tell him¡­" Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.

    After hanging up, Bai Lianhua turned to look at Yuan with a heavy gaze.

    "What''s wrong?" Yuan asked.

    "I was right. The Ten Great Families are working together to pressure the Cultivators'' Association to put a ban on you. However, that''s not what''s most concerning. Apparently, government agencies around the world are wary of your capabilities and have gathered to discuss your existence."

    Yuan raised an eyebrow at this news.

    "The government? What are they worried about? That I might take over the world or something?" he spoke in a joking tone.

    Yet, Bai Lianhua nodded and said, "Yes, precisely that. They are worried about the prowess you disyed today. As of this moment, they see you as an unpredictable disaster waiting to happen."

    "Even if you swear that you won''t take over the world, they won''t feel safe until they have you under their control." "So what do you think they''ll do to me?" Yuan suddenly asked.

    Despite being on the government''s watchlist, Yuan didn''t seem to be all that concerned. "Well, they''ll most likely try to put a leash on you¡ªcontrol you. However, they won''t approach you directly and will most likely¡­" Bai Lianhua paused midway and turned to look at Yu Rou with a worried frown on her face.

    "They will most likely approach Yu Rou and those close to you first. Only once they have enough leverage over you will they finally approach you," Bai Lianhua sighed.

    "Is that so?" Yuan looked at Yu Rou and asked, "Want to spend some time with me in the Dragon Spiral Mountain? At least until everything calms down. Nobody will be able to bother you while you''re with me."

    "Of co¡ª!" Yu Rou closed her mouth just as quickly as she opened it. She wanted to agree, but she had her own obligations at the Eternal Lotuses and couldn''t be selfish anymore.

    She turned to look at Bai Lianhua, seemingly asking for permission.

    Bai Lianhua smiled and said, "Go spend some time with your brother. You barely left this ce since you joined our faction over a year ago. It''s about time you switch sceneries¡ªnot to mention the situation. This is also for your safety."

    "Thank you!" Yu Rou nodded.

    Yuan looked at Bai Lianhua and said, "You know, the Dragon Spiral Mountain has enough room for the entire Eternal Lotuses to relocate. The spiritual energy there is also much denser than here, so you''ll all benefit from being there."

    Bai Lianhua was momentarily stunned by his suggestion. After snapping out of it, she said, "I know it''s incredibly expensive to live there¡ªif you even get approved by itsndlord. There''s no way they''d let so many people move there at once."

    Yuan smiled and said, "I happen to be very close with thendlord, so we should have no problem getting you guys settled there. Of course, this is only a suggestion¡ªan offer. You don''t have to take it if you don''t want it."

    Unlike before, Bai Lianhua didn''t immediately reject his offer. Living inside the Dragon Spiral Mountain would not only provide them with security but also benefit their cultivation. However, the most important factor was that she would get to be neighbors with Yuan.

    Seeing Bai Lianhua seriously pondering moving her headquarters to Dragon Spiral Mountain, Yuan gave her another push, "You also won''t need to worry about living expenses since that''ll already be taken care of."

    After a moment of silence, Bai Lianhua replied, "Can I give you an answerter? I need to speak with the others first. This decision is too big for me to decide alone."

    Yuan nodded, "Sure."

    "Then I will immediately speak with the others." Bai Lianhua didn''t waste any time and gathered all the faction members before telling them about Yuan''s offer.

    "We get to be neighbors with the Demon Sealing Faction and yer Yuan? I agree!"

    "I heard that only the elite of elites are allowed to live there! I also agree with our relocation!"

    The members were quick to give their opinions on the matter, and everyone agreed to move to the Dragon Spiral Mountain because they would only benefit from it.

 Chapter 1583 Controlling Yuan

    Chapter 1583 Controlling Yuan

    "That was fast." Yuan smiled when Bai Lianhua returned to the room much faster than he''d anticipated.

    "Well¡­ everyone''s eager to move¡­" Bai Lianhua replied with a bashful smile.

    "Then it''s settled. You guys can make the move whenever. I''ll speak with the Lord once I return."

    Bai Lianhua nodded, "Okay. Thank you for giving us this opportunity."

    Yuan left with Yu Rou a few hourster.

    As Yuan and Yu Rou made their trip back to the Dragon Spiral Mountain, government officials were already there to speak with the Lord.

    However, before they could even reach the Lord, they had to deal with the manager first. Even as government officials, they couldn''t enter the Dragon Spiral Mountain without her approval.

    "What is your reason for visiting?" Liya asked them with a nonchnt look on her face.

    "We have some urgent matter that requires the Lord''s attention. This world''s bnce is in jeopardy, and we believe the Lord is the only individual who can deal with it."

    Despite hearing this information, Liya remained uninterested and said, "I will need more information than that, or are you implying that I don''t qualify enough to hear it?"

    The government officials exchanged nces with each other before giving a nod.

    One spoke a secondter, "We believe a certain individual has too much power and could be a potential time bomb strong enough to destroy this world if not controlled. He''s currently wandering the world unrestricted as we speak, and we''d like the Lord to do something about it."

    "Who is this individual?" Liya narrowed her eyes.

    "He used to go by Yu Tian, but he''s known as Yuan right now, and he''s a resident at the Dragon Spiral Mountain." Liya raised an eyebrow upon hearing this familiar name.

    After realizing the situation, Liya couldn''t help but crack a chuckle.

    The government officials raised their eyebrows at Liya''s reaction. Although they had met and spoken with her plenty of times, they had only seen her poker face, so it was an incredibly weird feeling to see herugh, even if it was just slightly.

    "Ahem." Liya cleared her throat and spoke, acting like nothing had happened, "You need the Lord to control this Yuan individual, correct? I''ll lead you to the Lord right now."

    "Already?" The government officials couldn''t believe how fast they gained entrance. Typically, they would have to wait for Liya to contact the Lord before getting a response.

    "Don''t tell me the Lord is already aware of the danger Yuan proposes to the world?" One of them spected as they passed the gates, entering the Dragon Spiral Mountain.

    "Maybe that''s why sheughed at us¡ªbecause they are already working on it."

    Sometimeter, these government officials reached the peak of the mountain.

    "Wait here for a bit," Liya said to them before disappearing for a few minutes.

    While they waited, Liya went to notify the Lord of their visit.

    "Government officials? What do they want?"

    "That''s a surprise." Liya smiled.

    "..."

    The Lord found Liya''s behavior to be unusual and immediately became suspicious. However, he didn''t question her any further and said, "Bring them to me."

    "Of course."

    Liya left to bring the visitors to him.

    A few momentster, the government officials stood before the Lord''s cave with their heads lowered so much their chin was kissing their chest.

    "What are you all waiting for? This is an urgent matter, right? Go ahead and tell him what you told me." Liya spoke up when none of the government officials dared to speak without permission.

    The officials felt something was off about Liya¡ªalmost like she was entertaining herself with their situation.

    "W-we greet the Lord of the Dragon Spiral Mountain. Today, we have an urgent matter to discuss."

    "There is a particr individual we believe requires your attention. This individual possesses unfathomable power that threatens not only the bnce of this world but also the world itself. He hasn''t done anything requiring immediate action, but we believe it''s only a matter of time, and at the speed he''s growing, we should move as soon as possible before he bes truly uncontroble."

    "This individual is a resident at the Dragon Spiral Mountain. He used to be called Yu Tian but is now widely known as Yuan, and we need you to put a cor on him..."

    The moment Yuan''s name was uttered, the atmosphere in the Dragon Spiral Mountain changed, and a dreadful pressure appeared at the peak of the mountain, forcing all of the government officials to kneel on the ground.

    "L-Lord?! What is the meaning of this?!" The government officials screamed in horror as the bones in their bodies began cracking.

    The pressure disappeared a few secondster, but the officials remained on the ground with their bodies still screaming from pain.

    "I refuse." The Lord uttered in a cold voice a momentter without exining any further. Property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Despite their pain, the officials tried to change his mind.

    "Please! You''re the only existence in this world who can control a monster like him!" "The world needs your help, Lord!"

    "Why are you refusing to help us?! At least give us an exnation!"

    "I will not repeat myself, nor do I owe you any exnation. Now get the hell out of my face before I lose my temper again!" The Lord roared, blowing them away with the force of his voice. "But¡ª"

    "The Lord has spoken. Unless you want to leave this mountain as a corpse, I suggest you leave now." Liya stepped forward and interrupted.

    The government officials gritted their teeth in frustration and began descending the mountain. Due to the pain in their body, they had to support each other as they slowly limped away.

    "Why didn''t you try to stop them or convince them that Yuan isn''t dangerous?" Liya asked the Lord after the officials left.

    "You think they''d listen to me? Humans are foolish and cowardly creatures, especially when their power and control are threatened." The Lord sighed. "Anyway, this was bound to happen sooner orter. Let''s wait and see how he''ll deal with this."

    Liya silently acknowledged.

 Chapter 1584 A Villain

    Chapter 1584 A Viin

    "Fuck! Why did the Lord refuse to help us?!"

    "Could he be afraid of Yuan?"

    "That''s impossible! The Lord has an unfathomable cultivation! He could easily kill someone like Yuan!"

    "Whatever his reason is, we cannot leave without any results. Our supervisors will eat us alive if we return emptyhanded."

    "But what the hell are we supposed to do?"

    The government officials stopped moving and decided to sit by the road to think. They were also in too much pain to walk and took this opportunity to heal. After some time, they considered returning to the peak for another attempt to convince the Lord, but no one actually dared, fearing that the Lord would kill them for such audacity.

    "There''s nothing we can do here. I''m sure our supervisors will understand. Let''s get out of here before there''s a misunderstanding."

    "Yeah. It''s not like we can argue with the Lord."

    The officials got back on their feet and began descending the mountain again.

    Sometimeter, they noticed a handsome young maning up the mountain from a distance.

    Despite his youthful appearance, he had a profound aura and exuded the presence of an expert.

    "T-that''s¡ª!"

    "Look over there!"

    "It''s Yuan!" The government officials immediately halted their steps when they recognized the young man to be Yuan¡ªthe very person they were trying to put under control.

    Yuan noticed these individuals long before they even saw him and had plenty of time to ponder how he should interact with them, if he even should.

    Once they were only several feet apart from each other, Yuan stopped in front of them with a friendly smile on his face.

    "Judging by your suits, you must be with the government. Did you already finish your discussion with the Lord? How did it go?" he asked.

    "W-what are you talking about?" The officials'' eyes widened with surprise, almost as if they couldn''t believe what they were hearing.

    Yuan pretended to look confused and said, "Hmm? I thought you were here to see whether you can get the Lord to deal with me or something along that line. Was I mistaken?"

    "You!?"

    The government officials'' faces darkened after hearing his words. However, they quickly realized the gravity of their situation.

    If they respond incorrectly and offend Yuan, it might trigger what they feared could happen.

    "I-I think there''s been a misunderstanding. We¡ªour supervisors are not trying to ''deal'' with you. We just want to make sure you don''t identally destroy a city or the world¡­"

    "Wow, that''s quite the assumption there. How did youe up with such a conclusion? Is it because of my performance during the Faction War?"

    "That''s¡­"

    Before the officials could respond, Yuan continued, "Or is it because of the Ten Great Families? Are they telling you that I am dangerous and need to be dealt with?"

    "Well, it doesn''t really matter. Tell your supervisors that I have no intention of being controlled, nor do I have any ns on overthrowing the government¡ªas long as you know your ce and don''t touch my friends and family."

    "In case they don''t want to listen, tell them that what they''d witnessed during the Faction War was only a small fraction of my full strength. If they want to see me prove it, they can go ahead and continue messing with me."

    The government officials trembled upon seeing Yuan''s cold smile. They couldn''t imagine Yuan possessing more power than what they''d already witnessed, but they didn''t doubt him.

    Yuan suddenly walked forward until he was standing right in front of them.

    "Are you afraid of me?" Yuan ced his right hand on the official''s shoulder and could immediately feel the man trembling in fear.

    "There''s no reason to fear me¡­ at least not yet. As long as the government doesn''t overstep its boundaries, I won''t do anything to you guys."

    Yuan gave the man''s shoulder a gentle pat before walking past them and disappearing into the formation.

    All of the officials fell to their knees once they could no longer sense Yuan''s presence. Their bodies began sweating profusely, and their legs felt like tofu, almost as though they''d just escaped a near-death situation.

    None of the officials spoke to each other, as they all had their own thoughts to figure out. Sometimeter, they stood up and left the Dragon Spiral Mountain.

    They would not utter a single word until they returned to their supervisors, informing them of the Lord''s response, as well as Yuan''s warning to them.

    Meanwhile, Yuan met with the Lord, who had watched his conversation with the officials.

    "You sounded like a viin back there. Are you sure that''s how you want to appear?" The Lord asked him.

    Yuan shrugged, "They are the ones who branded me as one first. It wouldn''t have mattered how I acted since I would still be a viin in their eyes."

    "Anyway, I didn''te here to talk about them. The Eternal Lotuses, who is in an alliance with my Demon Sealing Faction, would like to move their headquarters to the Dragon Spiral Mountain. My sister is there, and I would like to keep her close to me for now. Do you think that''s possible?"

    "Of course, that''s possible. Even if we don''t have room, I''ll make sure there''s room. In fact, I have been thinking about clearing out the mountain so it''s exclusively used by you and those close to you."

    Yuan was surprised to hear this and quickly said, "There''s no need to do that for me. What am I going to do with an entire mountain, anyway? I am fine with what I currently have, so just keep things the way they are." Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    "I understand." The Lord nodded.

    After chatting a little more, Yuan returned to his residence and contacted Bai Lianhua.

    "Yes, I have received the Lord''s approval, so you can move here whenever you want." "Then we''ll move there in a few days. I''ll see you then."

    "See you."

    Bai Lianhua immediately started the process after hanging up.

 Chapter 1585 Releasing the Interview

    Chapter 1585 Releasing the Interview

    "Who the hell does that arrogant little brat think he is, threatening the government!?" Government agencies around the world were enraged when they were informed of the situation. They couldn''t believe that they were being threatened by someone who barely just reached adulthood. Yet, that wasn''t even the most irritating part.

    The fact they couldn''t do anything about it was what truly infuriated them to the core.

    The Lord refused to help them for some reason, and Yuan lived inside the Dragon Spiral Mountain, making things even moreplicated than they already are.

    If they wanted to deal with Yuan, they had to wait until he left the Dragon Spiral Mountain. Otherwise, they risk offending the Lord of the mountain by conducting their business within his sacrednd.

    The Lord possessed power and authority that far surpassed any other organization or individual in the world. The only saving grace for humanity was the Lord''s indifference toward humans as long as they didn''t mess with him.

    Many decades ago, the government tried to subdue the Lord. However, they quickly found out how foolish their actions were when the Lord effortlessly killed everyone responsible without leaving the mountain.

    Of course, the government tried nuclear weapons, but those were also rendered useless before they could even get close to the mountain.

    After the old government was annihted by the Lord, a new one formed and signed a peace treaty with the Lord.

    The contract stipted that they would not interfere with the Lord or any activities within Dragon Spiral Mountain, dering the ce an independent power. This meant that thews governing the majority of the world were irrelevant within Dragon Spiral Mountain, and all business conducted there could not be judged by outside standards.

    "I want the Dragon Spiral Mountain to on a 24-hour survience! Notify us immediately whenever Yuan leaves!"

    "But what are we going to do once he leaves? Ambush him? We don''t have the power to do anything to him!"

    "We can figure that outter! For now, I want everything on him¡ªfrom what he eats to breakfast to when he shits it out! If we cannot deal with Yuan, we can always target those around him. Contact the Demon Sealing Faction members and try to recruit them to our side. Be cautious and discreet."

    "..."

    The entire room went silent after such an impossible task was given.

    It was already impossible enough to enter the Dragon Spiral Mountain, so how were they going to spy on Yuan to get information on him?

    The entire room went silent after such an impossible task was given.

    It was already impossible enough to enter the Dragon Spiral Mountain, so how were they going to spy on Yuan to get information on him?

    "I guess we can try to convert someone that''s already close to him on our side, but that has its own risks. What if they feed us incorrect information? What if they expose us?"

    "There''s no such thing as risk-free in our line of work. Everything has a risk. The only question is whether or not we''re willing to ept such risks."

    The room fell silent again.

    Eventually, they agreed to try to convert someone from the Demon Sealing Faction. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.

    Meanwhile, Yan Xiaoxiao just finished editing her interview with the Demon Sealing Faction and sent a copy to Meifeng to get it approved.

    At the Demon Sealing Faction, Meifeng watched the interview with Yu Rou and Yuan together.

    "It''s very well made and puts a good spotlight on the Demon Sealing Faction, which will definitely help us when everyone is trying to drag our name through the mud," Meifengmented after watching the interview.

    "Do you think it''ll stop people from talking badly about my brother?" Yu Rou asked with a slight frown on her face.

    "Unlikely, since most of the people speaking ill of Yuan are probably hired actors paid by the Ten Great Families and the government. This is verymon practice for those who want to lower another''s reputation."

    "There''s no need to worry about me, Yu Rou. Whether my reputation is good or bad, it won''t change anything." Yuan said to her.

    "I know that, but it''s still frustrating to see people badmouth you every time I open up the inte¡­" she sighed.

    Yuan suddenly ced a hand on her head and ruffled her hair. "Brother?!"

    "Don''t waste your energy over something like that. It''s not worth it." He looked at Meifeng and continued, "Anyway, you can let Yan Xiaoxiao know that she can release the interview whenever she wants."

    Meifeng nodded and immediately sent a message to Yan Xiaoxiao.

    Not even a minuteter, Yan Xiaoxiao posted the interview on her personal website and social profiles, instantly gathering tens of thousands of views.

    In less than half an hour, the interview garnered over a hundred million views, bing a sensation on the inte.

    At first, there were many positivements, praising the Demon Sealing Faction''s unique lifestyle and the members'' trust in Yuan.

    However, once the Ten Great Families and the trolls heard about the interview, they bombarded it with the usual negativements.

    Yet, because thesements were made under Yan Xiaoxiao''s profile, her immense fanbase was immediately enraged, considering it an attack on Yan Xiaoxiao herself.

    Thus, the trolls and Yan Xiaoxiao''s fanbase began a war with each other. Later that night, Yu Rou approached Yuan and said, "Let''s sleep together tonight!"

    "I don''t mind, but¡­" Yuan showed his room to her, where another individual was already sleeping on his bed.

    "Oh, right. You sleep together with Chu Liuxiang."

    Yu Rou proceeded to stand there in silence, seeming in deep thought.

    "I have been wondering about this for a while now, but why isn''t Meixiu sleeping with you, too? Isn''t she also your lover? I don''t think it is fair to make her sleep in a separate room when Chu Liuxiang sleeps with you."

    "Well¡­ it''s not like I am forcing her to be in a separate room. I also don''t want to force her to sleep with us, so I''m just waiting for her to say something." Yuan said with a bittersweet smile.

    "Is that so?" Yu Rou mumbled.

    After another moment of silence, she said, "I changed my mind. I''ll go sleep with Meixiu tonight since it''s been a while."

    Yuan nodded, and Yu Rou knocked on Meixiu''s room the following moment.

 Chapter 1586 Eternal Lotuses Relocation

    Chapter 1586 Eternal Lotuses'' Relocation

    Once Meixiu answered the door, Yu Rou greeted her with a bright smile, "Meixiu, it''s been a while since we''ve really spoken with each other! Let''s sleep together tonight."

    Although she was a little surprised, Meixiu agreed with a slight head nod, "Sure. Come inside."

    "Goodnight, brother." Yu Rou said as she strolled into the room.

    "Goodnight." Meixiu also said.

    "Goodnight, you two."

    Once the door closed, Yuan returned to his room to sleep, as cultivating was pointless nowadays.

    Due to the Celestial Emperor''s curse and his high cultivation base, his cultivation would go nowhere, even if he cultivated for years straight. Of course, he could always consume monster cores, but he had no reason to increase his cultivation on Earth any further. After all, he already had more than enough power to conquer the entire world if he so desired.

    Meanwhile, inside Meixiu''s room, Yu Rou muttered as she sat on the bed, "Wow, this is a reallyfortable bed."

    "Anyway, how have you been doing, Meixiu? Is my brother treating you right?"

    Meixiu nodded with a smile, "I''ve been doing great, and Yuan''s treating me fine, too." "Really? If that''s the case, why are you still sleeping alone while Chu Liuxiang is sleeping in the same room as him?" Yu Rou looked at her with doubtful eyes.

    "I''m satisfied sleeping in my own room, and he doese sleep with me once in a while."

    Although she didn''t mention it, she''d actually heard Yu Rou''s conversation with Yuan outside her room earlier.

    "That''s not good enough! We''ve been together since childhood, so you''re like a second sibling to me¡ªan elder sister! I will not allow you to lose to someone else!"

    "Lose¡­? But I am not losing¡­ at least, that''s not how I see it." Meixiu showed a stiff smile. Property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    After all, she was the first one to be epted by Yuan. Yu Rou sighed and said, "Although I wasn''t too surprised when I learned that you and my brother paired up since I knew it''d eventually happen, do you have any idea how shocked I was when I found out that he got a second lover?"

    "Is it really that surprising?"

    "Of course! I didn''t know he was capable of doing that! Anyway, you should start sleeping in the same room as my brother. I know you want to." Yu Rou winked at her.

    "..."

    After a moment of silence, Meixiu spoke in a low voice, "What about you?"

    "Huh? What about me?" Yu Rou raised her eyebrows.

    "Don''t you also love him?"

    Yu Rou was momentarily stunned by such a question, but she quickly snapped out of it and chuckled, "Of course I do. He''s my one and only brother, after all."

    Meixiu gently shook her head.

    "You know that''s not what I mean¡­"

    Yu Rou''s body trembled slightly, clearly not expecting Meixiu to question her in such a manner.

    "I know, but you should also know that we''re siblings."

    "But you''re not blood-rted. That changes everything."

    Yu Rou shook her head and sighed, "While that''s true, it''s our perspective that truly matters. I love him very much, and I''d do anything for him, but I don''t know if I am ready¡ªor will ever be ready¡ªto treat him as anything other than my brother."

    "Is that so¡­"

    Seeing the dejected look on Yu Rou''s face, Meixiu decided to stop talking about this subject.

    After a moment of silence, Meixiu sat on the bed and said, "Tell me about what it''s like at the Eternal Lotuses."

    "Sure."

    After closing the light, the two of themy underneath the nkets, and Yu Rou started recalling her experience at the Eternal Lotuses.

    Once Yu Rou was finished, Meixiu spoke about her adventures with Yuan and her progress in Cultivation Online.

    They ended up talking all night, only falling asleep once the sun began rising.

    Over the next few days, in order to know those around Yuan better, Yu Rou would spend most of her time chatting with the members of the Demon Sealing Faction.

    On the third day of Yu Rou''s stay at the Dragon Spiral Mountain, Bai Lianhua and the rest of the Eternal Lotuses were finally ready to move their headquarters.

    Early in the morning the following day, Bai Lianhua and the entire Eternal Lotuses showed up at the bottom of the Dragon Spiral Mountain with several trucks full of items, from furniture to decorations.

    Yuan went to greet them alone.

    "So, how does this work?" Bai Lianhua asked.

    "The manager is making her way here now. You can ask her in a bit."

    Liya showed up several minutester and said, "There are several unupied properties. Since your circumstances are unique and we haven''t prepared a ce for you, you can go ahead and pick the one you like best."

    "Once you have picked your property, you can start moving your stuff."

    Liya looked at Yuan before handing him a notebook and said, "Since you rmended them, they''re your responsibility. Everything you need to know is inside that notebook."

    Without further exnation, Liya turned around and disappeared.

    "Are we really wee here?" Bai Lianhua swallowed nervously after seeing Liya''s cold behavior. Yuan chuckled and said, "Don''t worry about her. She''s naturally grumpy like that. You''ll get used to it very quickly."

    "I can hear you!" Liya''s angry voice resounded in an echo.

    Sometimeter, Yuan brought Bai Lianhua and several high-ranking members inside the Dragon Spiral Mountain to look at the avable spaces listed in the notebook Liya gave him.

    Most of the property in the lower and middle areas of the mountain was already upied, but there were still plenty of options avable. In the lower area, tworge mansions remained, while the middle area had three. As for the upper area, five homes were still unupied.

    "The disparity in spiritual energy between the lower and middle areas is immense. I cannot fathom what it''d be like in the upper areas," Bai Lianhua remarked as they entered the middle area.

    "I never even thought such quality of spiritual energy was possible on Earth¡­" Anothermented.

    "This ce is a cultivator''s heaven¡­"

 Chapter 1587 Boot Camp

    Chapter 1587 Boot Camp

    A few hours have passed since Yuan started showing Bai Lianhua and the others the avable properties within Dragon Spiral Mountain. All of the buildings were luxurious manors that were even bigger than Bai Lianhua''s family home.

    While the upper area was more spacious, it was the higher spiritual energy quality that truly mattered. In the end, Bai Lianhua chose to live in the upper area while also staying as close as possible to the Demon Sealing Faction''s residence.

    "Here is a list of our rules. I doubt you will cause any trouble for the Dragon Spiral Mountain, but it''s better to be safe than sorry." Yuan handed him a list of rules that was ced inside the notebook.

    Bai Lianhua epted the list and spoke with a serious expression, "Don''t worry, I will make sure we don''t embarrass ourselves."

    Yuan smiled and said, "If you want, I can create a formation around your home that will prevent allmotion from leaving, so you won''t have to worry about being too noisy to your neighbors."

    Bai Lianhua nodded, "That would be great. Thank you."

    Sometimeter, Bai Lianhua signed the contract and began sending the trucks up the mountain.

    Once all of the items wereid out in front of the house, the members started moving them inside.

    Yu Rou showed up to help with the move since she was also part of the faction.

    Many hourster, once the moving was finished, the Eternal Lotuses began preparing for a massive feast to celebrate their new home, to which the entire Demon Sealing Faction was invited. "Before we get this feast started, I would like to give a special shoutout to the one who made this all possible¡ªYuan." Bai Lianhua gestured for Yuan to go onto the stage, where she was standing.

    The feast was held in the training ground, which was the most spacious. The stage they were standing on was the same one they used for sparring in their old location, something they decided to transport to their new home. Once Yuan was on the stage, Bai Lianhua continued, "In three, two, one¡ª"

    "Thank you, Yuan!" Everyone from Eternal Lotuses shouted.

    "Do you have anything to say to us?" Bai Lianhua asked Yuan once the noises calmed down.

    Yuan nodded and said, "Since we''re in an alliance, it''s only natural for us to help each other. Now, getting you all settled near us is only the first part. For the next part, I want to help you all grow stronger, and when I say stronger, I don''t mean give you powerful techniques."

    "I have already spoken to my faction about this, and we want to train you personally. Thus, we will have a 3-day boot camp session at the end of every month, where we will train you to be stronger than all of the other factions."

    "Of course, this boot camp is not mandatory and not for everyone, but for those of you who wish to stand above the rest, it''s your best chance of that."

    The Eternal Lotuses members exchanged nces with each other, their gaze filled with intrigue yet worry.

    "Since the month is already ending and you just moved here, we won''t start until next month, but we will give you a one-day trialter so you know what to expecte next month."

    "With that said, let''s enjoy ourselves."

    The feast began shortly after, with everyone stuffing their mouth with food and drinks.

    The feast continued into the night and even past midnight.

    Once the feast ended and everyone cleaned up the scene, the members of Eternal Lotuses began cultivating in their new environment.

    They knew the spiritual energy there was abundant and that their progress would be much faster than before, but when they finally experienced the difference firsthand, they were all profoundly shocked and ted.

    "Hahaha! Although it''s not as good as Cultivation Online, this is still multiple times faster than before!"

    "With this much spiritual energy, I should enter Spirit Master in no time!"

    "No wonder why people rush to ascend in Cultivation Online even if they''re severely under-leveled! This is worth the risk!" Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.

    None of the members of Eternal Lotuses were able to sleep that night, as if they were addicted to cultivating.

    Two dayster, Yuan and the rest of the Demon Sealing Faction showed up at the Eternal Lotuses'' residence with weapons in their grasp, looking like they wanted to start a war.

    "If you wish to participate in the trial, go to this side. Otherwise, go to this side." Bai Lianhua instructed her members.

    In just a few moments, every member of Eternal Lotuses went to the participating side.

    "Good." Bai Lianhua nodded in approval at their response.

    "Now, we''ll divide everyone into groups based on their cultivation base," Wang Ming instructed as he stepped forward. "Spirit Warriors will be in one group, and Spirit Masters will be in another."

    A few minutester, four different groups were formed from several thousand people. The first group contained about a thousand Spirit Apprentices, while the second group had around triple that amount of Spirit Warriors.

    The third group had only several hundred Spirit Masters, and thest group had around fifty Spirit Grandmasters.

    "Alright. Group one and group two will divide into smaller groups and follow me." Wang Bingbing raised her hand, gesturing for them to follow her.

    Hong Xiuquan, Chu Liuxiang, Meixiu, Wang Xiuying, and Xi Murong also followed her.

    "I will take group three." Shi Lang said.

    "And group four is with me." Wang Ming said.

    "What about me? Are you going to train me?" Bai Lianhua asked Yuan while pointing at herself.

    "No, she''ll be doing the honors." Yuan gestured to Li Jinxi.

    "Hello¡­ You''re Li Jinxi, correct?" Bai Lianhua greeted her with a respectful bow.

    "Yes."

    "I''ll be in your care."

    Li Jinxi silently nodded.

    "By the way, in addition to the sound concealing formation, I also covered this ce with a second formation that''s just like the one used at the Great Battlefield to prevent idental death, so you don''t need to worry about dying." Yuan suddenly said.

    "I-is that so¡­?" Bai Lianhua responded with a stiff smile.

 Chapter 1588 Boot Camp(2)

    Chapter 1588 Boot Camp(2)

    "P-please! Spare me!"

    "You call this training?! This is more like torture!"

    The members of Eternal Lotuses quickly realized just how terrifying and outrageously difficult their boot camp was after only a few minutes. They were constantly being beaten and tossed around like ragdolls by the members of the Demon Sealing Faction.

    "What''s wrong?! Are you giving up already?! We''ve just started!" Wang Bingbing shouted at them like a drill instructor in military boot camp.

    "Did you think it was going to be easy?! If this is too much for you, give up! However, don''tin if your peers leave you in the dust!"

    While not every member of the Demon Sealing Faction screamed, not a single one of them was going easy on the members of Eternal Lotuses.

    In less than ten minutes, over ten percent of the participants tapped out, refusing to continue the boot camp trial. It was simply too much for them to handle.

    "If you think this is bad, my training is several times worse than what you''re experiencing now. Everything has a price, and this is the price for wanting to get strong fast." Shi Lang said as he wasted everyone in group three.

    Meanwhile, Bai Lianhua was also being tossed around by Li Jinxi.

    ''It''s like I am fighting a relentless monster! She''s not giving me any room to breathe, much less attack!'' Bai Lianhua cried inwardly as she was tossed left and right by Li Jinxi''s heavy strikes despite blocking them.

    Half an hourter, seventy percent of the participants gave up.

    "What do you think? Want to give it a go?" Yuan looked at Yu Rou, who was watching the training with him.

    "..."

    After a moment of silence, Yu Rou nodded and said, "Yes, but I want you to train me, brother."

    "If you think I''ll go easy on you because you''re my beloved sister¡­" Yuan showed her a cold smile that sent shivers throughout her entire body.

    "That''s not it¡­ nor do I want you to go easy on me. I want you to train me because I want to be trained by the very best, even if it''ll be many times more painful." Yu Rou spoke with clenched fists.

    "As expected of my sister." Yuan''s smile became warmer, and he continued, "Alright. I''ll train you, but don''t you darein to meter about it being too difficult."

    "Don''t look down on me, brother. I am no longer the pampered little princess I was before." Yu Rou spoke with a serious expression.

    "Follow me." Yuan brought Yu Rou back to his residence since the training ground there was already fully upied.

    "Are you ready?" Yuan asked her once they were at the training ground.

    "I am." Yu Rou nodded.

    "Then let''s get this party started."

    In the following minutes, Yu Rou experiencedplete hopelessness as Yuan delivered a beatdown she would never be able to forget.

    If it weren''t for the protection formation, she would''ve died over a hundred times every few minutes.

    Of course, Yuan didn''t just silently beat her. Once Yu Rou started getting used to it, he began correcting her mistakes and giving her opportunities to counter him.

    Time felt exceedingly slow for the members of Eternal Lotuses since they were constantly in pain. The trial boot camp onlysted three hours. Yet, by the end, everyone felt like they had been tortured for three days straight.

    There were no visible injuries on the participants, but as if their bodies had memorized the pain,they would asionally feel the sensation of phantom blows striking them even long after the training ended.

    "Will this really help us get stronger¡­? I feel like we''re just being practice dummies¡­" One of them voiced her concerns.

    "What would they gain from lying to us? Let''s just trust in the process." "I am already exhausted from just three hours¡­ I don''t know if I can endure three whole days of this torture, even if it''s just once a month."

    Sometimeter, Bai Lianhua gathered all of her members.

    Yuan had to carry Yu Rou back because she was so utterly drained that even the mere act of lifting a finger seemed insurmountable.

    "So, what do you all think of the boot camp?" Yuan asked everyone there with a calm smile on his face. Property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    "..."

    After a moment of awkward silence, someone responded, "It was really difficult¡­"

    With the floodgates opened, more and more of them startedining.

    "Difficult is an understatement!"

    "Are you sure you''re not just torturing us for fun?!"

    "How will this help us get stronger?"

    After listening to all of theints, Yuan spoke, "Since I can only prove its effect with results, let''s do this. If you have endured three sessions of boot camp straight without very clear and satisfying results, I will give you an Ancient-grade technique or treasure as an apology."

    After hearing this, the audience''s faces immediately lit up with excitement. However, once they recalled their experience during the trial, their expressions quickly turned dreadful once more.

    Seeing this, Bai Lianhua stepped forward and said, "Once again, participation is not mandatory. However, if you wish to rapidly advance and rise above the crowd, this will be the most effective method. Personally, I will be participating in the boot camp. In thest three hours, I have gained more experience than in the past year."

    "You may not see any improvements right now, but that doesn''t mean you haven''t improved at all."

    "Take your time to think this through. You have plenty of time until the next session," Yuan told them.

    After the gathering, the Demon Sealing Faction returned to their residence while Yuan went to the peak of the mountain to pick up Ji Ran, who had been restoring the Lord''s cultivation for thest few days.

    "As always, thank you for the assistance." The Lord thanked Ji Ran.

    "I am only doing my duty." Ji Ran responded.

    Once he returned to Yuan''s Dantian, Ji Ran went into a deep slumber to recover.

    "How are you doing in the Nine Heavens?" The Lord suddenly asked Yuan.

    "Things are gettingplicated, but I''m doing fine otherwise." "Complicated? How?" The Lord inquired, his interest piqued.

 Chapter 1589 Silhouettes (End of Arc)

    Chapter 1589 Silhouettes (End of Arc)

    After hearing the Lord''s inquiry, Yuan said, "Well, some people think I am a demon because of my regenerative abilities, and I can''t really me them, either." "A demon, huh? That''s quite troublesome." The Lord mumbled with a frown.

    "It''s fine for now since they don''t know my identity, but it won''t stay like that forever."

    "Is that so¡­ How about your progress finding the Dragon Spiral Mountain?" The Lord then asked.

    Yuan''s eyes widened after being reminded of the Dragon Spiral Mountain¡ªthe one that existed within the Nine Heavens.

    "I actually forgot about that¡­" Yuan said.

    In order to travel to the Nine Heavens with his real body, he must find and activate the teleporter, which exists in a second Dragon Spiral Mountain somewhere between the Fourth Heaven and the Seventh Heaven.

    "I might need to make a second trip to the Pavilion of Knowledge¡­" he muttered.

    "Even if you find it, I would be surprised if the gate is still functional." The Lord suddenly said.

    "What makes you think that?"

    "I would be hard-pressed to believe the Celestial Emperor hadn''t tampered with it since it might affect his ns. After all, we would be able to travel there with our real bodies, and I am not sure if that''s part of the Celestial Emperor''s ns."

    "That makes sense¡­" Yuan mumbled. "I guess we''ll find out once I go there."

    "By the way, why are there two Dragon Spiral Mountains, and what are their purposes? They were created before the Divine Heaven became the Nine Heavens, correct?"

    "There are actually three Dragon Spiral Mountains in existence, and they were created to honor the Dragons of Origins, each representing a Dragon of Origin."

    "The one we''re on right now was heavily damaged during the divide and used to be much bigger and grander. The second one waspletely destroyed after a certain incident long before the divide. The third one should be safe, but as I said, I wouldn''t be surprised if the Celestial Emperor did something with it."

    "Oh, in case you''re interested, our Dragon Spiral Mountain is meant to honor the Dragon Ancestor. The Great One''s mountain was the one that got demolished. Thest one is for Dragon Goddess Yeyou."

    "Anyway, other than being used to honor the Dragons of Origins, they were also used as a means of travel by the beast ns¡ªmostly dragon ns."

    "The Divine Heaven was an unfathomably vast world before the divide, so these teleporters were important for travel back then."

    Yuan nodded and said, "Makes sense. The Nine Heavens is still massive even though it''s split into nine different realms. There are teleport formations in almost every city nowadays, too."

    Sometimeter.

    "Anyway, I will update you when I find the Dragon Spiral Mountain," Yuan said to the Lord before returning home.

    After dinner, as they walked back to their room, Chu Liuxiang suddenly stopped in front of their room and turned to look at Yuan, who was right behind her.

    "Lulu?" Yuan raised an eyebrow.

    "I heard what Yu Rou said a few days ago, you know?" she said.

    "About it being unfair to Meixiu that only I get to share a room with you despite both of us being your partner."

    "That''s¡ª"

    Yuan tried to respond but was immediately stopped by Chu Liuxiang, "I already spoke with Meixiu about it, and I asked her if she wanted to move in with us. We have plenty of room in the bed, after all."

    "I agreed." Meixiu''s voice resounded from behind.

    Yuan turned around to see Meixiu approaching them with a resolute expression on her slightly rosy face.

    "Is that so¡­" Yuan mumbled with a smile on his face.

    "As for my old room, we can use it for¡­ you know¡­"

    "For when we want to do more than just sleep together." Chu Liuxiang, who was much bolder, finished Meixiu''s sentence.

    "Are you okay with that?" Meixiu asked Yuan.

    He quickly nodded, "Of course. Why wouldn''t I?"

    That night, Meixiu moved most of her belongings into Yuan''s room, and the three of them slept together. Meixiu and Chu Liuxiang decided to continue their training since they were close to a breakthrough.

    The next day, they logged into Cultivation Online together.

    Meixiu and Chu Liuxiang decided to continue their training since they were close to a breakthrough.

    Yuan prepared to revisit the Pavilion of Knowledge to ask about the Dragon Spiral Mountain.

    However, before he could go anywhere, a familiar figure appeared before him.

    "You¡­ how did you find me?" Yuan asked the tall and bulky figure in front of him.

    "As a Commander, I have the location of every faction member below me at my palms," Kn calmly exined.

    "Did you juste back from your world? I have been waiting here for a few days now."

    "Yes¡­" Yuan was a little speechless since this was the first time he was greeted in such a manner.

    "Since you know I''m from Earth, it''s safe to assume you''re not cursed." Kn nodded, "I am from the upper heavens, after all."

    "Anyway, whatchu up to now?"

    "Why does it sound like you''ll be following me?" Yuan asked with raised eyebrows.

    "Because I will¡ªfor your protection. If you aren''t aware, the Demon Sealing n and the Demon Sealing Grotto decided to send their top Demon Sealers to hunt you down after hearing about you."

    "They''re moving faster than I''d anticipated¡­" Yuan mumbled.

    "That''s just how dangerous they deemed you¡­" Kn sighed.

    "Oh well. I''ll deal with it when the timees. Anyway, do you happen to know a ce called the Dragon Spiral Mountain?" Yuan suddenly asked, changing the subject.

    Kn raised an eyebrow and said, "How do you know that ce? Aren''t you from the lower heavens?"

    "So you do?"

    "Of course. It''s a pretty famous ce in the Seventh Heaven¡ªsacred, even."

    "I see¡­ so it''s in the Seventh Heaven¡­ I guess I don''t have to worry about it for a while."

    "Why are you asking?" Kn asked.

    "Just curious. I learned about it from the Pavilion of Knowledge." Yuan said.

    "Anyway, you asked what I am going to do now, right? I am going to hunt some magical beasts. Do you know a good hunting spot?" he continued.

    Kn shrugged. "You''re asking the wrong guy. This is my first time in the Fourth Heaven."

    "I thought so. Then I''ll go ask around."

    Meanwhile, somewhere in the Nine Heavens, two silhouettes were chatting away while surrounded by a chaotic energy that would kill even Immortals.

    "Did you hear? The Demon Sealing n and the Demon Sealing Grotto have sent the majority of their top Demon Sealers to the lower heavens! This is our chance to make a move!"

    "Finally! We have been waiting for this moment for countless years! Once we summon the Ancient, the Demon n will rule over this world again!" Property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    "Where''s Demon Emperor Carnage? I haven''t seen him for a while now."

    "I have no clue, but he was uttering some nonsense about the Divine Paragon before disappearing. He''ll show up once we start the summoning ritual."

    "Then let''s begin. I cannot wait to take my revenge on the Demon Sealing n."

    "Without the Divine Paragon, they''re just a bunch of nobodies."

    "Even if the Divine Paragon were still here, he''d be no match against the Ancient! Hahaha!"

    "Hehehe¡­"

    These two silhouettes soon vanished, theirughter echoing eerily until they werepletely gone.

 Chapter 1590 Endless Beast Den

    Chapter 1590 Endless Beast Den

    "A ce with a lot of magical beasts, huh?"

    An information broker pondered Yuan''s inquiry. After a brief pause, he said, "I know of the perfect ce. It''s called the Endless Beast Den, and as the name suggests, an inexhaustible horde of magical beasts constantly emerges from its depths."

    He continued, "Nobody knows why this is happening, but it''s a very famous location for cultivators to train. The only downside is that the magical beasts there never drop cores. That said, there are always people there training all year round."

    "Due to its poprity, unless you belong to a powerful sect or have an influential background, you will have trouble hunting there without being confronted by others."

    "Where is this ce located?" Yuan asked.

    After receiving the location, Yuan paid the information broker several spirit stones for his services.

    "Thank you for your business." The information broker bowed to Yuan.

    "To think the Fourth Heaven would also have a ce like this¡­" Kn muttered a momentter.

    Yuan looked at him and asked, "Is there a ce like this in the upper heavens?"

    "Yes, there are many. Some say the Heavens birthed them, while others im theye from another world¡ªone that is ruled by magical beasts. Unfortunately, all we know for certain is that no matter how many of them you kill, there will always be more."

    "Sounds like the perfect ce for me¡­" Yuan smiled.

    Before they made their way to the Endless Beast Den, Yuan went to pick up Xi Meili, who had been visiting every restaurant in the city. "Oh, you''re back already?" Xi Meili was in the middle of stuffing her mouth with food when Yuan appeared before her.

    Yuan smiled and said, "Take your time." While they waited for Xi Meili to finish her meal, Yuan exined the situation to her.

    "I see¡­ the Endless Beast Den, huh? This is my first time hearing about such a ce, so this is going to be a new experience," she said.

    "By the way, who''s your new friend?" Xi Meili asked with her gaze on Kn.

    "I''m Kn, and under the orders of my superiors, I am here to protect him."

    "He''s from the same faction as me, the Celestial Overlords," Yuan said.

    "You need protection?" Xi Meili looked at Yuan with raised eyebrows.

    He was powerful enough to kill someone nine realms above his own cultivation. What could possibly threaten him in the Fourth Heaven?

    "Because of your friend''s rash and reckless action, he''s now being hunted by the Demon Sealing n and the Demon Sealing Grotto, who thinks they''re hunting a powerful demon."

    "How powerful are they?" Xi Meili asked.

    "They''re experts that specialize in demons, but they''re also some of the most powerful cultivators in the Nine Heavens since the onesing after Yuan are top Demon Sealers. However, as long as I am here, they won''t be able to do a thing to Yuan." Kn patted his chest with a confident aura around hisrge body. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.

    "..."

    Yuan stared at Kn with a pondering expression. After a moment of silence, he asked, "I have been wondering about this for a while now, but you''re unusuallyrge. Are you rted to giants or something?"

    Kn''s eyes widened with surprise after hearing Yuan''s question, and he immediately responded, "You¡­ you know about giants?"

    "Why do you look so surprised? Are they supposed to be a secret or something?" Yuan asked.

    "No¡­ but their race went extinct countless years ago, and barely anyone remembers them anymore, even in the upper heavens. You''re also the first one to ask me such a question. Everyone else just assumes my size is due to a unique physique."

    "So you''re a giant¡­?" "..."

    Kn didn''t immediately respond and appeared to be pondering whether he should tell the truth or not.

    Eventually, he sighed, "I''m not a giant, but I do have giant blood flowing through my veins."

    "Huh? How does that work?"

    "Just like how some humans inject themselves with the blood of a beast to gain unique powers, I was injected with giant blood," Kn said.

    One of the main reasons humans hunted dragons in the past was to harvest their powerful bloodlines to use for themselves. "Giants went extinct countless years ago, right? How did you acquire their blood?" Xi Meili asked, her eyes filled with interest, as this was her first time learning about the existence of giants.

    "Though they may have gone extinct, remnants of their blood still exist, albeit in extreme rarity. In fact, you''re more likely to encounter dragon blood than giant blood in these times," Kn remarked.

    "My family happened to have some in their possession, and it was used on me due to my highpatibility."

    "Anyway, enough about me. Tell me more about yourself and your world, Yuan." Kn looked at him.

    "Sure, but I have one more question. The superior who told you to protect me¡­ was it Senior Bai?"

    Kn nodded, "Yes, but it was also a request from Celestial Overlord Xu."

    "I see¡­"

    Yuan proceeded to introduce himself from scratch.

    Sometimeter, the three of them left the restaurant and made their way to the Endless Beast Den.

    After traveling for several days straight and using multiple teleporters, they finally arrived at the Howling Mountain Valley.

    In this region, a dozen mountains pierced the clouds, and loud howling echoed from every direction.

    "There''s a lot of magical beasts here, alright," Kn said after sweeping the ce with his divine sense.

    Yuan quickly located the Endless Beast Den with his divine sense and flew straight there.

    The Endless Beast Den was a vast cave nestled within one of these mountains, from which magical beasts constantly emerged.

    Right outside the Endless Beast Deny a spacious, suspiciously empty expanse ofnd. It seemed as if someone had purposefully cleared the area to create a training ground.

    Moreover, there were already several hundred people there, all of them engaged in fights with magical beasts.

 Chapter 1591 Endless Beast Den(2)

    Chapter 1591 Endless Beast Den(2)

    After arriving at the Endless Beast Den, Yuan silently observed the scenery from the sky. Despite the presence of hundreds of people, most wore simr robes, indicating they belonged to the same sect. The rest exuded a confident and arrogant aura, suggesting they hailed from influential backgrounds.

    Most of these people were between the Spirit Lord and Spirit King, with only a few in the Spirit Emperor realm.

    There was a single Spirit Sovereign at the scene, but he was not training and appeared to be overseeing the disciples to ensure their safety.

    The Spirit Sovereign cultivator turned to look at Yuan once he noticed their presence. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.

    ''First level Spirit Emperor at such a young age. Not to mention that tall man beside him. He muste from an influential background.'' The Spirit Sovereign immediately recognized Kn as Yuan''s bodyguard due to his unfathomable aura, even though his cultivation was restricted to the peak of Spirit Enlightenment.

    "The strongest beast here is only at the peak of Spirit King. What could you possibly gain from fighting them? At your current level of strength, it wouldn''t matter even if you killed a million of them." Kn said to Yuan.

    Yuan retrieved the Starry Abyss and said, "I am going to strengthen my Soul Weapon."

    Of course, this wasn''t his only reason for being there.

    Xi Meili then spoke, "I am also going down there. This will be good training for me."

    She was bored of training alone inside a confined space, and there are some things you can only learn through real experience.

    "How long do you n on staying here?" Kn asked.

    "Who knows? Until I am satisfied, I guess."

    Yuan and Xi Meili descended to the ground and started their hunting the next moment. As for Kn, he decided to take a look around the Fourth Heaven.

    His Divine Sense was powerful enough to cover the entire Fourth Heaven, so he could watch over Yuan no matter where he was. The only reason he decided to follow Yuan around was to chat, but now, with Yuan busy training, he decided to do some exploring. With that said, he made sure not to travel too far.

    The area outside the Endless Beast Den was divided into three zones: the outer area, where there were the fewest beasts; the middle area, where the number of beasts was moderate; and the zone closest to the cave, which was filled to the brim with beasts.

    Xi Meili went to the outer area to warm up. Meanwhile, Yuan headed straight to the zone closest to the cave. Hended right outside the entrance, where dozens of powerful beasts were gathered.

    Yuan''s sudden appearance surprised the few who were training near him. They wanted to call him out, but before they could even open their mouths, Yuan slew all of the magical beasts around him, killing each of them with a single strike.

    After snapping out of their daze, they called out to him, "Hey! Who do you think you are? We have this spot reserved for 30 days!"

    Without looking at them, Yuan said, "Don''t worry, I''ll leave enough for you guys."

    "That''s not the point! We paid a fortune for this spot!"

    Yuan finally turned to look at them and said, "Someone owns this ce? Who did you pay?"

    "The Three Grand Sects has joint ownership of this ce. You''re not allowed to train here unless you''re a disciple of their sect or pay for a spot," one of them exined.

    Hearing this, Yuan looked around and asked, "Are we inside their sect right now?"

    "No¡­"

    "Then do they own thisnd?"

    "I don''t think so¡­"

    "So they''re making people pay to hunt wild magical beasts in a territory that they don''t even own. What kind of nonsense is that? Well, I am not going to y by their rules. If they have an issue, they cane to deal with me themselves.

    Even as they conversed, magical beasts continued to emerge from the Endless Beast Den.

    Yuan returned to killing magical beasts shortly after without giving the others any more attention.

    The Spirit Sovereign overseeing the ce frowned when he saw this. He''d initially thought Yuan already had permission to train there, but after hearing their conversation, that was clearly not the case.

    And seeing that Kn had disappeared somewhere, the Spirit Sovereign decided to approach Yuan.

    "Young man, if you do not have permission to train here, I must ask you and your friend to leave."

    "And who are you?" Yuan asked without stopping his movement.

    "I am Elder Hao of the Grand Spring Sect, one of the Three Grand Sects that holds authority in this area."

    "So what? Are you here to ask me for money?"

    Elder Hao sneered and said, "I don''t like your attitude. We don''t need your money. Leave before things be difficult."

    "You''re the one making things difficult here. I am merely hunting magical beasts in the wild. Who are you¡ªthe Grand Spring Sect¡ªto monopolize this? If anything, I should be getting paid for this. If you don''t want unauthorized peopleing here, why don''t you build a sect around here or something?"

    Yuan continued killing magical beasts without stopping as he spoke to Elder Hao, who was already fuming in anger by now.

    "You must think you''re invincible because you have an influential background! Unfortunately for you, no matter how influential you are, the Three Grand Sects are still above you! I will give you three seconds to get out of here before I force you!"

    Bang!

    Yuan suddenly unleashed some of his aura, filling the entire Endless Beast Den with tyrannical pressure.

    "You will force me? I''d like to see you try." Yuan stopped hunting to re at Elder Hao, who subconsciously started backing away from him.

    Despite Yuan''s clearly lower cultivation base, Elder Hao did not dare to underestimate him, as the pressure being exuded by him was stronger than even their Sect Master.

 Chapter 1592 Three Grand Sects

    Chapter 1592 Three Grand Sects

    "Are you trying to pick a fight with the Three Grand Sects? Do you have any idea what kind of trouble you''re getting yourself into?" Elder Hao growled in anger, realizing he had backed away from a junior.

    Yuan casually shrugged, "No, not really, since I am not from around here."

    Elder Hao frowned at such words and asked, "Are you¡­ from the upper heavens?"

    By now, most of the sects in the lower heavens are aware of people from the upper heavens descending.

    Since it was almost impossible for someone of Yuan''s caliber to be unrecognizable, there was a good chance he came from the upper heavens. "The opposite, actually. I came from the Lower Heaven."

    Elder Hao''s face immediately darkened.

    "Since you managed to climb all the way to the Fourth Heaven, your abilities and talent are unquestionably up there. However, you''re simply too arrogant if you think you can offend the Three Grand Sects."

    "Since you''re new here, let me educate you. The Three Grand Sects are the strongest and most influential sects in the Fourth Heaven! We have been in this position for millions of years! We are unshakable!" "Thank you for the information, but that doesn''t change anything, unfortunately." Yuan shrugged.

    Elder Hao trembled with anger, enraged that a junior would look down on the Three Grand Sects to such an extent. The Three Grand Sects were highly respected and revered by everyone, and he had never encountered anyone who refused to show them any respect.

    Yet, Elder Hao didn''t dare to attack Yuan.

    ''I won''t be able to defeat him alone. I need backup.''

    Thus, without saying another word, Elder Hao turned and disappeared into the distance. Seeing this, Yuan resumed his training. The others were left speechless by the results, but if Elder Hao couldn''t deal with him, they had no chance. Reluctantly, they returned to their own training.

    Over the next several days, Yuan killed thousands of magical beasts. However, that was far from enough toplete his task. At this rate, he''d need to spend over a hundred years at the Endless Beast Den just toplete it.

    ''I underestimated this task due to its simplicity¡­ One hundred million¡­ this might actually take the longest toplete¡­'' Yuan sighed inwardly.

    He suddenly turned to look at the cave where all of the magical beasts were emerging from.

    Ever since he showed up at the Endless Beast Den, he''d been getting a weird feelinging from the cave, almost as if it was beckoning him.

    However, he''d already examined the ce with Divine Sense and Divine Gaze, yet he only found an empty cave. As for the magical beasts, they simply pop into existence like magic.

    Suddenly, several powerful presences appeared, filling the entire Endless Beast Den and interrupting Yuan''s thoughts.

    Yuan turned around to see four individuals staring at him from the sky. One of them was Elder Hao.

    "You left to bring your friends?" Yuan smiled at them.

    The group descended to the ground in the next moment, silently ring at Yuan with profound frowns etched on their faces. These individuals were all in the early Spirit Enlightenment realm.

    "You must be the one looking down on our Three Grand Sects. Identify yourself." The middle-aged man standing at the very front said in a demanding tone.

    Yuan tilted his head and said, "I don''t recall looking down on anyone, though. I do think it''s weird you guys are mizing this ce."

    "With an endless number of magical beasts flowing from this cave, if people stopped training here, you''d need to hire people to constantly clean up this ce, or it will quickly fill the Fourth Heaven with wild beasts, so everyone training here is actually doing this world a service."

    "Regardless, I believe it should cost nothing to hunt wild magical beasts."

    "I don''t care what you believe. You will regret offending the Three Grand Sects." The middle-aged man sneered.

    Yuan raised an eyebrow and asked, "And how are you going to do that? By ganging up on me? I don''t think it will look good on the Three Grand Sects if people hear that you''d ganged up on a junior."

    "Who said we''re going to gang up on you? I alone am enough to deal with a brat like you," the middle-aged man said as he released his cultivation.

    "Which sect are you from?" Yuan asked.

    "Grand Elder Du of the Grand Mystic Sect," the middle-aged man introduced himself.

    "I''m just a nobody from the Lower Heaven. I''ll let you make the first move." Yuan spoke with a confident smile on his face.

    "Arrogant little bastard¡­" Grand Elder Du''s face immediately flushed red in anger, and his aura surged exponentially.

    "Profound Mystic Strike!" Grand Elder Du extended his palms, shooting a powerful st of spiritual energy at Yuan. Property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Seeing this, Yuan ced his arms behind his back and confronted the st with his naked body.

    Bang!

    The ground trembled violently from the impact, reducing the area around Yuan to rubble. Yet, amidst the destruction, Yuan stood unscathed.

    "What?!" Grand Elder Du and the others were greatly shocked by the results.

    Although Grand Elder Du had no intention to kill Yuan, he definitely wanted to teach Yuan a lesson that he''d never forget.

    The attack was strong enough to break most bones in a Spirit Sovereign, yet Yuan came out unscathed while being a Spirit Emperor.

    Elder Hao had warned them that Yuan was far more powerful than he appeared, but none of them could have anticipated the extent of his strength.

    "I didn''t feel that, so I''ll give you another chance." Yuan suddenly said.

    Yuan''s provocation immediately infuriated Grand Elder Du, causing him to abandon any thought of going easy.

    "You''ll regret this, brat!"

    "Grand Mystic Typhoon!"

    Grand Elder Du created a massive typhoon of spiritual energy around Yuan.

    "This is yourst chance to apologize because this will really kill you!" Grand Elder Du warned.

    Despite Yuan''s arrogant behavior, he admired Yuan''s talents and didn''t want to destroy them in such a fashion.

 Chapter 1593 Rift

    Chapter 1593 Rift

    "Whoa! Run away! If you''re caught up in that, you''re dead!"

    Grand Elder Du''s Grand Mystic Typhoon was strong enough to kill every entity there, and not wanting to get caught up in their mess, the people at the Endless Beast Den began running away.

    "We''ve only been here a few days, and he''s already angered someone? He''s really talented in that regard, as well." Xi Meili chuckled slightly before returning to her training.

    She had no doubt that Yuan would be able to handle a few Spirit Sovereigns alone and was not worried for his safety in the slightest.

    "Don''t force my hand, young man! This is your final warning!" Grand Elder Du warned Yuan for the final time.

    "If you''re that worried for me, why even bother attacking me in the first ce? Just get this over with so I can return to my training." Yuan said, sounding a little bored.

    "What a pity!" Grand Elder Du shook his head and increased the rate at which he gathered his spiritual energy.

    A few momentster, he released all of that built-up energy, unleashing the technique.

    The massive typhoon immediately copsed on Yuan, consuming him and everything around him. The magical beasts swallowed by the technique were instantly torn to shreds, and their blood scattered everywhere, causing it to rain blood.

    Grand Elder Du panted afterward,pletely out of spiritual energy after using that one devastating technique.

    "A-are you sure it was okay to kill him when we don''t even know his identity? A talent like that surely didn''te from nowhere. What if he lied abouting from the Lower Heaven and actually came from the Upper Heavens?" one of the other individuals brought by Elder Hao asked in a slightly worried tone.

    "I think it''s a little toote to ask those questions now, Grand Elder Lu," another individual said.

    Grand Elder Du nodded and said, "Grand Elder Tang is right. We''re way past that now. I didn''t want to kill him, but he left me no choice."

    "You make it sound like I had a sword against your neck or threatened your life." A familiar voice suddenly resounded.

    "W-what¡­?"

    "T-that''s impossible!" Grand Elder Du eximed after hearing Yuan''s voice, shouting so loud that his saliva went everywhere.

    Whoosh!

    As if cut by a sword, the typhoon suddenly split perfectly in half.

    Once the typhoon dispersed, Yuan could be seen standing in his original location without so much as a single blemish on his body.

    "Y-you must have used a life-saving treasure! There''s no other exnation!" Grand Elder Du cried out loud, not daring to believe that Yuan had endured his most powerful technique with his bare body.

    Without responding, Yuan suddenly took a step forward and disappeared into thin air.

    When he reappeared, he was standing right in front of Grand Elder Du with a domineering aura around him.

    Before Grand Elder Du could even respond, Yuan swung his arm, backhanding Grand Elder Du in the face and sending him flying.

    "?!?!"

    Seeing this, the other two and Elder Hao immediately went into abative stance. Yuan nced at them and said, "I will only attack those who attack me first, so if you wish for me to attack you, let me know. Otherwise, I''m going to resume my training."

    Grand Elder Lu and Grand Elder Tang exchanged nces with each other. They were all Grand Elders, second to the Sect Masters of the Three Grand Sects. They had never been disrespected in such a manner, much less threatened by a junior.

    They were both Spirit Sovereigns, an entire realm above Yuan in terms of cultivation. Logically speaking, they should be able to deal with him without even breaking a sweat. Yet, neither of them felt like they could defeat him.

    As for Elder Hao¡­ if he thought he could defeat Yuan, he wouldn''t have requested help from three experts.

    "If you''re not going to do anything, I will resume my training now. Don''t worry, I will make sure I don''t bother the others while I am training as long as they don''t bother me, and I will leave as soon as I am satisfied."

    After uttering such words, Yuan turned around and continued hunting magical beasts without a care in the world, leaving the Grand Elders speechless. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    "Maybe we should just leave him alone¡­ It''s not like he''s bothering anyone¡­" Grand Elder Lu mumbled.

    "Huh? You want to let him go after he spat on our faces? If we don''t do anything, the Three Grand Sects will be aughingstock once news begins spreading!" Grand Elder Tang looked at her with wide eyes.

    Grand Elder Lu turned to look at Grand Elder Du, who was lying on the ground unconscious several miles away after receiving Yuan''s p.

    "Let''s attack him together! I bet he''s only acting tough!" Grand Elder Tang said with a serious frown on his face.

    "But I only came here to spectate¡­" Grand Elder Lu sighed.

    "Do you have any idea how much our images will hurt if we back down now?! Not only will we be forfeiting to a junior, but we even allowed him to disrespect the Three Grand Sects! I''d be surprised if we remain Grand Elders if we leave without doing anything!"

    Grand Elder Lu clenched her teeth after hearing Grand Elder Tang''s persuasion, but she couldn''t refute his words.

    "Alright¡­ let''s attack him together¡­" she eventually agreed.

    Grand Elder Tang nodded in acknowledgment.

    The next moment, their aura began surging when they started gathering spiritual energy for their technique.

    "..."

    Yuan noticed what they were trying to do, but he simply ignored them and continued his training, acting as if they weren''t even there.

    His indifference and tantck of respect infuriated the Grand Elders, causing their aura to skyrocket.

    The Grand Elders unleashed their techniques simultaneously a momentter, and theirbined techniques crashed into Yuan and the Endless Beast Den.

    The impact violently shook the ground, causing a powerful earthquake.

    Additionally, the mountain with the Endless Beast Den exploded.

    "..."

    The entire ce became dead silent as everyone stared at the destruction with wide eyes. The only individual who wasn''t paying attention was Xi Meili, who was still focused on her target.

    Suddenly, a powerful wind with a vacuum effect emerged, drawing in the dust and rubble.

    Once all of the dust was gone, everyone could see that a rift had appeared where the Endless Beast Den once existed.

    "What is that?" Grand Elder Lu asked.

    "No idea¡­ but that wasn''t there a moment ago¡­" Grand Elder Tang said. "Anyway, where did that brat go? Did we vaporize him?"

    "Wait¡­ there''s no more magical beasts appearing¡­" Elder Hao suddenly noticed this.

    "What? Is it because we destroyed the mountain?" Grand Elder Lu immediately began panicking.

    "That''s not possible! This isn''t the first time the Endless Beast Den has been blown up, and the beasts continued to appear despite that!" Grand Elder Tang quickly said.

    "Yuan¡­?" Xi Meili suddenly halted her training when she noticed that Yuan''s presence had suddenly disappeared.

    When she saw the rift, she immediately thought Yuan had entered it and quickly approached it. However, before she could get close, the rift closed, vanishing into thin air.

 Chapter 1594 Yuans Disappearance

    Chapter 1594 Yuan''s Disappearance

    After realizing that Yuan hadpletely disappeared, Xi Meili immediately transformed and approached Grand Elder Lu, who was stunned by her transformation.

    "You bastards! What did you do to him?! Where did you take him?!"

    Xi Meili grabbed the stunned Grand Elder Lu by the cor of her robes and roared, disregarding the difference in their cultivation.

    "It''s a dragon!" The people there were incredibly excited to see someone from the Dragon n there, as dragons were incredibly rare within the Fourth Heaven.

    "W-wait! We aren''t responsible for the rift!" Grand Elder Lu eximed, clearly nervous about Xi Meili''s identity.

    "Bullshit! You were the ones who attacked him!" Xi Meili refused to believe that they were not responsible for Yuan''s disappearance.

    "Please let her go. Although we attacked him, we didn''t create that rift." Grand Elder Tang grabbed Xi Meili''s wrist and spoke with a deep frown.

    "I swear on my soul that we didn''t purposefully create that rift! This is the first time I''ve seen or heard of anything like that, too!" Grand Elder Lu shouted.

    However, Xi Meili refused to let her go.

    Suddenly, another voice resounded, "Let her go. They''re not responsible." Xi Meili turned around to see Kn descending toward them.

    "Che." Xi Meili reluctantly released Grand Elder Lu, who quickly stepped back.

    "Who are you?" Grand Elder Tang asked Kn with a worried frown. Just by Kn''s formidable aura alone, he could tell that he was not someone they could offend.

    Kn, who made a swift return after noticing Yuan''s presence had disappeared, revealed his Faction Symbol and said, "I am Kn from the faction Celestial Overlords." "The Celestial Overlords!?" The Grand Elders were greatly bewildered by this information.

    Although the Celestial Overlords primarily operated within the Upper Heavens, their reputation and influence were immense enough to reach the Fourth Heavens.

    ''What the hell is such a bigshot doing in the Fourth Heaven?! And he''s even a Commander!'' Grand Elder Tang cried inwardly.

    As mighty and influential as the Three Grand Sects were, they were no different than ants before the Celestial Overlords. With just a singlemand, even someone at the rank of Commander like Kn could wipe out the Three Grand Sects, and nobody would even question them. That was how powerful the Celestial Overlords were.

    "This humble junior greets the Commander! Please forgive my earlier disrespect!" Grand Elder Tang quickly bowed, his toneden with reverence. Grand Elder Lu immediately followed suit, mirroring his deference.

    Seeing that Kn hadn''t responded, Grand Elder Tang quickly continued, "Please let me exin¡ª"

    Kn immediately interrupted, "You don''t need to exin anything. I have been watching from the beginning, so I understand the situation fully."

    "Do you know why Yuan disappeared?! If he was taken by the rift, where did it take him?!" Xi Meili urgently asked Kn, her voice filled with desperation.

    ''That young man has connections with the Celestial Ovelords?! We''re doomed!'' Elder Hao cried inwardly after connecting the dots. Property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Kn looked at Xi Meili and responded, "I don''t know where he was taken, but I have some spections."

    "Although nobody really knows where the magical beastse from, people have spected that theye from another world¡ªone that is filled with endless magical beasts. As for why they''re being sent to the Nine Heavens, we don''t have the slightest clue."

    "The rift that took Yuan¡­ I have heard about it before. They rarely appear when an ''Endless Beast Den'' is destroyed. Many people have entered such a rift to explore the unknown and find out where the magical beasts areing from, but nobody has returned so far, and people eventually stopped entering them."

    "What?! Nobody has managed to return?! Are you certain about that?! But Yuan¡ª!" Xi Meili didn''t dare to finish her sentence.

    Kn understood what Xi Meili was trying to say and gritted his teeth in anger. He was tasked to protect Yuan and failed miserably so quickly.

    "I''ll need to contact my superiors. Maybe they will know what to do¡­" Kn eventually said.

    "Y-your superiors¡­?" The Grand Elders swallowed nervously after hearing such words.

    The only ones ranking above a Commander are Overlords and Celestial Overlords. Should an individual of such stature descend to the Fourth Heaven, it would undoubtedly provoke an immensemotion.

    "What should I do¡­?" Xi Meili asked.

    "Just stay here and wait for my return. Who knows. Maybe Yuan will return while I am away." Kn said before disappearing into the horizon.

    "I-I must contact my Sect Leader!" Grand Elder Tang eximed, his entire being soaked in sweat.

    "M-me, too!" Grand Elder Lu said.

    Shortly after the two Grand Elders left the scene, Grand Elder Du woke up from his slumber.

    Seeing this, Elder Hao immediately rushed to his side.

    "W-what happened to me? Where am I¡­?" Grand Elder Du looked at his surroundings with a dazed face.

    Grand Elder Du quickly came to his senses and jumped up, "Where''s that little bastard?!"

    "Grand Elder! We have an emergency!" Elder Hao cried out loud once he reached Grand Elder Du''s side.

    "Huh? Elder Hao? What''s the matter?"

    "We need to return to the sect and speak with the Sect Leader!"

    "Why? What happened?" "I don''t have the time to exin! We need to leave immediately!" Elder Hao didn''t say anything else and flew away.

    Grand Elder Du looked around but couldn''t see either Yuan or the other two Grand Elders.

    ''They must have dealt with that little bastard and left already.''

    With that in mind, he also left the scene shortly after.

    The people training at the Endless Beast Den had to stop their training because no more magical beasts spawned, not to mention their situation.

    In the blink of an eye, the Endless Beast Den was devoid of people, fallingpletely silent for the first time in thousands of years.

    Meanwhile, after being sucked in by the rift, Yuan found himself in an unfamiliar territory.

    "Where¡­am I?" he muttered in a dazed voice as he surveyed his surroundings.

 Chapter 1595 A Foreign World

    Chapter 1595 A Foreign World

    After quickly surveying his surroundings, Yuan found himself in the middle of a wilderness filled with oddly shaped, tall trees unlike any he had ever seen before. The sky was an ominous orange with a hint of red, and not a single cloud marred its expanse.

    A unique and unmistakable stench of blood filled the air, reminiscent of the battlefield during his time as the Evil God. However, it was not the scent of human blood but that of beasts.

    Beastly howls echoed from every direction. In fact, Yuan could sense tens of thousands of magical beasts in the area. Their strength varied greatly, ranging from the level of Spirit Apprentice to the Divine Realm.

    "Brother Yuan¡­ where are we?" Xiao Hua came out of his Dantian and asked, her face filled with curiosity and worry. "I have no clue¡­" Yuan shook his head.

    Yu Ning''s voice resounded a momentter, "Young Master¡­ I don''t know where we are, but this ce is so massive that my Divine Sense cannot see all of it. Moreover, I could not find a single human being. This ce is filled to the brim with magical beasts. Also¡­"

    "...It appears that many powerful magical beasts are quickly approaching our direction, and they all seem frenzied, like starved beasts." "..." Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.

    After a moment of silence, Yuan looked at Xiao Hua and said, "Xiao Hua, return to my Dantian for now."

    She nodded and immediately returned to his Dantian before asking, "What about you?"

    "This is just my guess, but I think they are likely drawn by my scent¡ªthe scent of a human, a rarity in this ce that seems to be filled with magical beasts," Yuan spected.

    "You''re right about that."

    An unfamiliar voice suddenly resounded behind Yuan, startling him.

    ''What?!''

    Like a startled cat, Yuan instantly leaped away and readied himself forbat. However, his eyebrows arched in surprise upon seeing the individual who had just spoken.

    Standing right where he had just been was a little girl who appeared even younger than Xiao Hua. She had pitch-ck hair that cascaded down her back like a waterfall, reaching the ground. Her eyes were clear and filled with intrigue. Yet, despite her human appearance, she exuded an aura that felt anything but human. Moreover, she waspletely naked.

    "W-when did she get there? No¡­ how long has she been there? Even now, despite looking at her with my very eyes, I cannot sense her presence, almost as if I am staring at a ghost," Yu Ning eximed in a shocked voice.

    Yuan narrowed his eyes on the little girl. He also failed to sense her presence, even at this very moment. Fortunately, she didn''t appear to be a threat to them for the time being.

    "Who are you?" Yuan decided to ask her.

    "Are you sure you want to worry about me right now? You''ll be dead in a few moments once the others arrive," she said.

    Yuan gritted his teeth. The magical beasts approaching them were all in the Divine Realm. Yu Ning also warned him of magical beasts at the level of immortals that were too far for his Divine Sense to pick up.

    "Since they''re here because of my scent¡­"

    Yuan''s aura suddenly surged, and his body began to transform.

    The little girl''s eyes widened with awe as Yuan entered his dragon form.

    "You smell like a dragon now, but you had a vastly different scent just moments ago¡ªone that I have never encountered before. Is this what humans are? I have only heard about your species but never met one," she inquired, her eyes brimming with interest, almost like that of a child visiting the amusement park for the first time.

    Hearing her question, Yuan became certain that she was not human.

    "Sorry, but I need to leave this ce for now¡­"

    Not wanting to wait for the magical beasts to arrive, Yuan used his movement technique and swiftly left the scene.

    "..."

    The little girl silently stood there.

    A few momentster, a red beast resembling a jaguar emerged. Initially, it didn''t notice the little girl, but when it finallyid eyes on her, a terrified expression crossed its face, and its body trembled with immense fear.

    Without any hesitation, the jaguar turned around and ran away with its tail tucked between its legs.

    This scene repeated several more times for the beasts that showed up at her location until the little girl disappeared into thin air like a ghost. Sometimeter, after running for days without stopping, Yuan finally came to a halt.

    "This should be far enough," he mumbled, feeling relieved that none of the magical beasts chased after him.

    He lifted his head to look at the sky, which had remained unchanged despite the passage of many days.

    "Just where in the world are we¡­?" he sighed out loud.

    "We''re currently at the Enchanted Forest." A calm and familiar voice responded to Yuan''s sigh.

    "What the¡ª?!" Yuan jumped after being startled again.

    His eyes widened with surprise after seeing the little girl had managed to follow him.

    ''Yu Ning, can you sense her cultivation base¡­?'' he asked.

    ''No¡­ I cannot sense anything about her¡­ It''s like she doesn''t even exist,'' she quickly replied.

    After a moment of silence, Yuan asked the little girl, "Enchanted Forest¡­ where is that in the Nine Heavens?"

    The little girl slightly tilted her head and said, "Nine Heavens? I don''t know of that ce."

    "W-we''re not even in the Nine Heavens¡­?" Yuan swallowed nervously after learning this information, though he was not entirely certain of its credibility. After all, it was possible that they were still in the Nine Heavens, but the little girl might not be aware of it.

    He looked at the little girl and continued asking, "Then do you know what this world is called?"

    "What a weird question," the little girl said. "But I''ll entertain you. This world is called the Primal Expanse." "Primal Expanse¡­?" Yuan repeated in a dazed voice.

    ''Have you heard of this ce? Yu Ning? Xiao Hua?'' he asked them.

    ''No¡­'' they both replied simultaneously.

    ''Well, I''ll be damned¡­''

 Chapter 1596 Primal Expanse

    Chapter 1596 Primal Expanse

    After taking a moment to digest the possibility that they had been transported to another world outside the Nine Heavens, Yuan turned to look at the mysterious naked little girl and asked, "Do you mind telling us a little about the Primal Expanse?"

    Since the little girl had been answering his questions without any issues, Yuan figured it wouldn''t be an issue to continue asking her questions.

    This time, however, she said, "I do mind. It feels like I am being used, and I don''t like it."

    "Sorry¡­ that wasn''t my intention. What do you propose, then?" Yuan quickly apologized to her.

    "I want you to answer some of my questions now," she proposed.

    He nodded, "That seems fair. What do you want to know?"

    "Where did youe from? Your presence appeared out of thin air."

    "I came from a ce called the Nine Heavens. I don''t know how I got here, but I was sucked inside a rift and arrived here before I realized it."

    The little girl took a moment to digest this information before asking the next question, "You''re a human, right? Does this Nine Heavens have a lot of humans?"

    "Yes to both questions."

    "Where is the Nine Heavens?"

    "Sorry, but I don''t think I can answer that question¡ªnot because I don''t want to. Since I don''t know where we currently are, there''s simply no way for me to pinpoint the Nine Heavens."

    The little girl tilted her head in a puzzled manner and said, "But I already told you. We''re at the Enchanted Forest within the Primal Expanse."

    "Well, you see¡­" Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.

    Yuan took a moment to think about how he''d go about exining the situation to her.

    "This is actually my first time hearing about a ce called the Primal Expanse, and I am not sure if it''s a ce somewhere within the Nine Heavens or outside¡ªlike another world. That''s why I wanted to know more about the Primal Expanse, so I can figure that out."

    "I see." The little girl mumbled.

    After a moment of silence, she spoke, "I have never heard of the Nine Heavens, but the Primal Expanse is a world of its own."

    "If you traverse beyond the sky and leave this world, you will only enter an empty, endless dark world we call the ''Infinite Expanse''."

    Yuan then spoke, "If the Primal Expanse is its own world, it''s safe to assume that it''s separate from the Nine Heavens."

    He wondered if it was a situation simr to Earth and the Nine Heavens, where the Primal Expanse used to be part of Divine Heaven before the split happened.

    "So¡­ humans are a rarity in this ce, huh?"

    The little girl then said, "A rarity is an understatement. Humans essentially don''t exist in this world. ording to legends, humans would asionally appear in our world in the past, but it''s been millions of years since we''ve had a human visitor."

    "So only magical beasts exist within the Primal Expanse?" Yuan asked.

    "Magical beasts? What is that?" The little girl asked.

    Yuan raised an eyebrow and exined, "In the Nine Heavens, beasts with spiritual energy thatck intellect and only act upon instincts are called Magical Beasts. Then there are Divine Beasts. They are as intelligent as humans and can even transform into one¡ªlike you."

    The little girl fell silent again. After a moment of silence, she spoke, "In the Primal Expanse, those who cannot speak and only act upon instincts are called Primals. I am what you call a Predator."

    "..."

    Yuan found their wording quite weird, but who was he to judge their world?

    "Primal and Predators, right? I will remember that."

    Yuan fell silent afterward and wore a pondering expression on his face.

    After connecting the dots, he was certain that the Primal Expanse and the Nine Heavens were connected in some way. After all, the very rift that transported him to the Primal Expanse appeared after the Endless Beast Den was destroyed.

    ''It''s very likely the magical beasts that appear out of thin air came from the Primal Expanse. In that case, there must be a way to return to the Nine Heavens.''

    He also wondered if Xi Meili had chased after him.

    ''Either way, there''s no method to contact her while I am here. In that case¡­''

    Yuan turned to look at the little girl and said, "I will be right back."

    He logged off Cultivation Online the next moment.

    When he returned to Earth, both Chu Liuxiang and Meixiu were lying beside him.

    He went to see if Meifeng was also in Cultivation Online.

    When he couldn''t find Meifeng, he used Divine Sense and immediately located her inside her room with the helmet on.

    The others were also inside Cultivation Online.

    With no other options, Yuan took out a piece of paper and began writing on it.

    Once he was finished, he ced the paper beside the bed and returned to Cultivation Online.

    "Where did you go just now? Your presencepletely disappeared. How did you do it?"

    Yuan was bombarded with questions the moment he returned to Cultivation Online.

    ''If she''s questioning it, it''s safe to assume the Celestial Emperor''s curse has no influence here, or her cultivation is simply that strong.''

    "I''ll answer your questions, but can you put on some clothes first? Even if you aren''t human, it doesn''t feel right when I look at you." After all, the little girl looked even younger than Xiao Hua. He hadn''t mentioned it until now because he wasn''tfortable enough with her to make such demands, as it could offend her, who wasn''t human.

    "Clothes? What is that?" she asked.

    Yuan pointed at his own robes and said, "These are clothes¡ªsomething you wear on your body to cover your skin."

    "Oh, those? I don''t have any. And why should I wear them? I don''t want to feel restricted," she quickly rejected.

    Yuan sighed inwardly, ''I guess I''ll just have to deal with it for now until we part ways.''

    He didn''t want to seem forceful and offend this little girl who was definitely much stronger than she appeared.

    "By the way, if humans don''t exist and you''ve never encountered one, why are you in the form of one?" Yuan asked a question that had been on his mind for some time now.

    "It''s a popr thing to do amongst Predators, but I only took this form shortly after your appearance since I figured it would be easier to have a conversation with you," she said.

    ''Is this why she somewhat resembles Xiao Hua¡­?'' Yuan wondered inwardly.

 Chapter 1597 Weird Spiritual Energy

    Chapter 1597 Weird Spiritual Energy

    "By the way, my name''s Yuan. What should I call you?" Yuan said suddenly, recalling that he hadn''t introduced himself.

    "You can call me Yingzi," she said.

    ''So they also have names here, huh?'' Yuan mused to himself.

    Given that names are primarily a human custom, he assumed that entities in this world might not follow such practices.

    However, after thinking about it for a moment, he realized it wasn''t that weird for them to have names since some of them also wear clothes.

    ''They must have learned a thing or two from the humans who have traversed this world in the past.''

    "Do you know what happened to the humans that came to this world before?" Yuan decided to ask.

    "Most of them were killed and consumed," Yingzi responded without an ounce of pity in her tone.

    She continued, "As for those that survived, they were enved by Predators and studied."

    Yuan shuddered at this information.

    "So there''s a possibility that some humans may still exist in this world?" he inquired.

    Yingzi pondered for a moment before nodding, "It''s possible, but very unlikely. Thest human to appear was several million years ago, and humans cannot live that long."

    "If they''re an Immortal, they should be able to survive that long, though," Yuan said.

    However, before Yingzi even responded, Xiao Hua''s voice resounded inside his head, "B-Brother Yuan! The spiritual energy in this ce is very weird!"

    "What?" Yuan raised an eyebrow.

    Yu Ning''s voice followed: "I can''t believe we haven''t noticed this until now. While the spiritual energy in this world may seem normal at a nce, it is actually incredibly difficult to absorb!"

    "..."

    Yuan also hadn''t noticed this change since their bizarre situation hadpletely upied his mind. If Xiao Hua hadn''t mentioned it, he probably wouldn''t have noticed until muchter.

    However, when Yuan tried to absorb the spiritual energy around him to experiment, he didn''t notice any difference.

    "Huh? Are you sure? I am absorbing it just fine, nor do I feel any difference whenpared to the Nine Heavens."

    "Seriously¡­? But when I try to absorb it, I would only get about 1 percent of what I should¡­ It''s like trying to breathe while being choked." Yu Ning tried to describe her own experience.

    "It''s the same for me." Xiao Hua said.

    Perhaps this was the real reason why Yuan hadn''t noticed anything. After all, he was absorbing the spiritual energy there just fine.

    ''If the others were also having trouble absorbing the spiritual energy in this ce, even Immortals would slowly perish from ack of spiritual energy¡­''

    Yuan quickly understood why Yingzi imed that humans couldn''t live for so long. However, he couldn''t figure out why he was able to absorb the spiritual energy there without any issues.

    "Hey." Yingzi suddenly called out to him.

    "Yes?"

    "What does it mean to be human?" she asked, her eyes flickering with intrigue.

    "Uhh¡­ that''s a really difficult question to answer¡­ If I were to ask you what it means to be a Predator, how would you respond?"

    Yingzi pondered for a moment before responding, "I don''t know."

    Yuan then said, "The question of what it means to be human is deeply philosophical. I can''t define what it means to be human universally since everyone differs. Whether it be our culture, morals, ethics, emotions, and even biology, none of that really defines us as human. If anything, I''d say it''s our soul that makes us human."

    "Your soul¡­? I don''t understand. I also have a soul, but I am not human," said Yingzi.

    "I guess it''d be more urate to say the shape of our soul? I don''t know." Yuan shrugged.

    Yingzi fell silent again.

    ''What''s she thinking now?'' Yuan wondered.

    A few momentster, Yingzi suddenly wore a look of enlightenment on her face, and she spoke, "Then I''ll observe you until I understand what it means to be human."

    "You want to observe me¡­?" Yuan had a bad feeling about this.

    ''Does this mean she''ll be following me as I explore this world?''

    He wanted to politely refuse, but he had a feeling that she wouldn''t care about what he had to say and would still follow him regardless. Moreover, he risked offending her by refusing herpany, which might get him killed.

    ''Maybe this won''t be as bad as I am imagining. She''s been a great help thus far,'' he thought, trying to be positive about the situation.

    If it weren''t for Yingzi, he probably would still be trying to figure out his location.

    He spoke a momentter, "If you want to understand what it''s like to be human, you can start by wearing clothes. All of the humans in my world wear clothes throughout the day."

    "..."

    Yingzi frowned slightly at his suggestion, but it made sense.

    "I don''t have any clothes," she reminded him.

    ''Xiao Hua, do you have extra clothes?'' he asked her since they had a simr build.

    Xiao Hua came out of his Dantian for a split second to hand him a pair of robes before quickly returning to his body to avoid attracting the beasts there with her scent.

    However, even though it was only for a split second, the Primals nearby had already noticed Xiao Hua''s scent and were rushing in their direction.

    Seeing this, Yuan quickly handed the clothes to Yingzi and said, "Here, you can wear this. Come find me when you''re done."

    Without exining further, Yuan turned around and left the scene.

    "..."

    Yingzi stared at the ck robes in her grasp with a profound expression on her face.

    After spending several minutes staring at it, she reluctantly started wearing it.

    While Yingzi struggled to figure out how to wear the clothes, numerous Primals arrived at the scene, drawn by Xiao Hua''s lingering scent. However, their excitement quickly turned to terror as they noticed Yingzi''s presence, and they swiftly departed. Property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Once she had managed to dress herself, Yingzi looked in the direction Yuan had gone and began chasing after him.

 Chapter 1598 Sect Leaders of the Three Grand Sects

    Chapter 1598 Sect Leaders of the Three Grand Sects

    A whole week has passed since Yuan was transported to the Primal Expanse. During this time, Xi Meili remained at the Endless Beast Den, anxiously waiting for Yuan to return. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.

    Kn went to speak with Senior Bai and exined the situation to him. Unsurprisingly, Senior Bai was extremely upset to hear this news. "Forgive me, Senior Bai. I have failed my mission." Kn lowered his head and apologized.

    Senior Bai didn''t respond for a long time before sighing, "You''re not at fault. I doubt I would be able to prevent it even if I were right beside him. Also, nobody could''ve expected a rift to appear. Follow me."

    "Are we going to¡­?" Kn swallowed nervously and asked.

    Senior Bai nodded, confirming his suspicions, "Yes, we''re going to speak with the Celestial Overlord."

    Sometimeter, Senior Bai and Kn stood before Xu Jiaqi, who was sitting behind her desk that was stacked with mountains of papers.

    "Didn''t you just leave?" Xu Jiaqi spoke without even looking at them.

    Senior Bai responded, "Sorry, but this is urgent."

    "I''ve been hearing that word a lottely. What is it this time?"

    Senior Bai turned to look at Kn, his gaze gesturing to Kn to do the speaking for obvious reasons.

    Kn took a deep breath before falling to his knees and kowtowing.

    "Due to my ipetence, Yuan, who I had been tasked to watch over, was swallowed by a rift!" he spoke in a shouting voice.

    However, Xu Jiaqi merely raised an eyebrow and muttered, "A rift? What rift?"

    "The ones that rarely appear when an Infinite Beast Spawn is destroyed¡­" Kn rified.

    "What?! How did that happen?!" Xu Jiaqi eximed.

    "This is what happened¡­" Kn proceeded to recall everything that led to Yuan being swallowed by the rift.

    Xu Jiaqi wore a deep frown on her face throughout the entire thing.

    "And that''s how Yuan entered the rift¡­"

    Once Kn was done, a profound silence filled the room.

    After a long moment of silence, Xu Jiaqi stood up and began walking to the exit.

    "Where are you going?" Senior Bai inquired.

    "I''m going to speak with an expert. Then, I am going to head down to the Fourth Heaven," she said.

    "Don''t take this the wrong way, but even if we go down there, what can we do? Nobody has ever returned from the other side." Senior Bai shook his head.

    "..." Xu Jiaqi halted her movement after hearing his words.

    A momentter, she walked out of the room without responding.

    Senior Bai looked at Kn, who appeared to be on the verge of tears from fear, and said, "Let''s go."

    "Where¡­?" he asked.

    "The Fourth Heaven."

    While Xu Jiaqi disappeared somewhere, Senior Bai and Kn made their way to the Fourth Heaven. However, due to Senior Bai''s identity and position within the Celestial Overlords, more work and effort were required before he could be permitted to enter the Fourth Heaven.

    Upon arriving at the Endless Beast Den, Senior Bai was surprised to see many experts there.

    "The Three Grand Sects, huh? How are they involved?" Senior Bai asked Kn.

    Kn didn''t go into detail and only recalled the important parts when he exined the situation, so Senior Bai wasn''t aware the Three Grand Sects were involved.

    "Actually, they were the ones who were fighting with Yuan," he exined.

    "Huh? The Three Grand Sects? Why?"

    Kn exined how Yuan thought it was silly to mize hunting wild magical beasts, which started the whole fight.

    Senior Bai rubbed his eyes in a stressed manner and sighed, "What a headache."

    They descended shortly after.

    A few days before Senior Bai and Kn arrived at the Endless Beast Den, the Sect Leaders of the Three Grand Sects gathered there after being informed of the situation.

    "E-excuse me¡­" The Sect Leader of the Grand Mystic Sect approached Xi Meili, who hadn''t moved from her spot since Kn left.

    "..."

    Xi Meili didn''t respond.

    Despite being ignored, the Sect Leader wasn''t offended, or more precisely, didn''t dare to be offended.

    He continued, "I am Du Daomi, the Sect Leader of the Grand Mystic Sect. I would like to apologize for what happened to your friend¡ª"

    "Save your breath." Xi Meili suddenly interrupted. "We both know you don''t care."

    The Sect Leader immediately became speechless. After a moment of silence, he returned to the other two Sect Leaders.

    "It''s pointless. We might actually make things worse if we try to appease her," said Du Daomi.

    "So what do we do? Wait for the people from Celestial Overlord to show up and kill us?" The Sect Leader of the Grand Harmony Sect said.

    "Don''t say that¡­ the Celestial Overlord is a righteous faction. They wouldn''t kill us over something like this¡­ right?" The Sect Leader of the Grand Defiance Sect said.

    In addition to the Sect Leaders of the Three Grand Sects, those directly involved with the incident, such as the Grand Elders and Elder Hao, were also present.

    "Fuck¡­ this is all your fault, Elder Hao. Why did you have to bother that young man?" Grand Elder Du cursed, ming him for everything.

    "Don''t push your me on me, Grand Elder! I was only doing my job! You were the one who initiated the fight!" Elder Hao eximed.

    "So what?! I wasn''t the one who destroyed the Endless Beast Den!" Grand Elder Du turned to look at Grand Elder Tang and Grand Elder Lu, whoseplexions were as pale as sheets.

    "I-I only wanted to spectate! Grand Elder Tang was the one who pressured me into attacking him!" Grand Elder Lu pointed her fingers at him.

    "Shut up! I was only avenging Grand Elder Du and trying to save face for the Three Grand Sects! If you weren''t so weak, Grand Elder Du, we wouldn''t be here right now!" Grand Elder Tang redirected the me to Grand Elder Du again, going in circles.

    They continued to me each other for the next several days until Senior Bai and Kn appeared before them.

 Chapter 1599 Infinite Beast Spawn Rift

    Chapter 1599 Infinite Beast Spawn Rift

    When Grand Elder Lu and Grand Elder Tang noticed Kn approaching them, they immediately alerted their Sect Leaders.

    "S-Sect Leader! It''s the Celestial Overlord! They''re here!"

    "What?!"

    The Sect Leaders immediately froze after hearing this. They were too busy pondering how they could fix their situation to notice Senior Bai and Kn''s presence.

    ''Fuck! We messed up!'' They cried inwardly.

    However, they had no time to think and immediately greeted Senior Bai and Kn.

    They sped their hands and lowered their body in a respectful manner, "We greet the seniors from Celestial Overlord."

    Kn responded, "If you''re here to apologize or make excuses, you can save your breath. We''re not here for you."

    "R-really¡­? You''re not going to punish us? Even if it might cost me my life, I have to admit that we''re partially responsible for what happened." Du Daomi lifted his head and said.

    "While you''ve admitted to being responsible, are you going to take responsibility? How are you going to do that?" Senior Bai stepped forward and asked.

    "T-that''s¡­ we will no longer mize the Endless Beast Den¡­" Du Daomi said.

    Of course, this decision was made on the spot without the other two Sect Leader''s approval. However, neither of them objected to it.

    Although no magical beasts are currently spawning, it was due to the appearance of a rift. Once a rift appears, no more magical beasts would spawn for at least ten years.

    Senior Bai sneered at their approach to ountability. Despite what happened to Yuan, he could not bring himself to ce the me squarely on the Three Grand Sects.

    If the rift hadn''t appeared, what they did would only qualify as a skirmish since they wouldn''t have been able to hurt Yuan, much less kill him.

    The Celestial Overlords were a righteous faction, and causing trouble for the Three Grand Sects over this unfortunate incident would only tarnish their reputation.

    The next moment, Senior Bai walked past them and approached Xi Meili.

    "How are you doing? I am Bai Linyu, a friend of Yuan."

    ''Bai Linyu?! The Sect Master of the Gates of Heaven?!''

    Those from the Three Great Sects were greatly shocked and bewildered after learning Senior Bai''s identity.

    Senior Bai was a prominent figure not only in the upper heavens but also revered in the lower heavens for his virtue. To ascend the ranks of the Celestial Overlords, one must umte good karma through acts of righteousness, so one could imagine how much Senior Bai had done to reach his rank of Overlord.

    Furthermore, Senior Bai was the Sect Leader of the Gates of Heaven, a top-tier sect that spanned across the Fifth Heaven, Seventh Heaven, and Supreme Heaven.

    Not many sects from the upper heavens establish branches in the lower heavens due to resource constraints, but those that do are considered the elite of the elite.

    "Bai¡­? Are you the owner of the Myriad of Techniques?" Xi Meili asked, as she recalled Yuan mentioning him to her before.

    "Yes, you''re correct." Senior Bai nodded with a friendly smile on his face.

    "I see¡­"

    After a moment of silence, Xi Meili continued, "Please tell me you know a way to save Yuan¡­"

    The smile on Senior Bai''s face immediately disappeared, reced with a perplexed expression.

    "Unfortunately, nobody has ever returned after entering the rift. However, my superior is currently seeking an expert''s help, so there might still be hope. For now, we can only wait for my superior to show up."

    Those from the Three Grand Sects felt their heart skip a beat after hearing this information.

    Senior Bai was an Overlord of Celestial Overlords, so only a Celestial Overlord would qualify to be his supervisor.

    "S-Senior¡­ does this mean a Celestial Overlord will make an appearance here¡­?" The Sect Leader of Grand Harmony Sect asked Kn with a nervous look on his face.

    Kn looked at him and said, "Not just any Celestial Overlord, either. Lady Xu will make an appearance herself."

    "C-Celestial Overlord Xu Jiaqi?!?!" Du Daomi fell on his buttocks after hearing her name.

    Among the few Celestial Overlords in their faction, Xu Jiaqi stood out as the most prominent and influential figure. She also had a reputation for being incredibly ruthless and merciless. Just her name alone would scare even the most vicious Immortals out there.

    "Xu Jiaqi?! The Celestial Goddess?!" Grand Elder Du cried out loud.

    "No¡­ we''re doomed¡­" Elder Hao fell to his knees with a despaired look on his face.

    "..." Kn understood their emotions very well. In the Celestial Overlords, there was nobody more fearsome than Xu Jiaqi, and her involvement was reserved only for the most significant of tasks.

    "Since we''re going to die anyway, I might as well ask. Who was that young man? And what''s his rtionship with the Celestial Overlords? To make the Celestial Goddesse down to the Fourth Heaven, he must be very important to her¡­" Du Daomi asked.

    "I don''t know about his rtionship with Celestial Overlord Xu, but he''s a good friend of Senior Bai and also a General within the Celestial Overlords."

    "A General?! But he looked very young!" Grand Elder Du eximed in disbelief.

    "That''s just how talented he was." Kn shook his head, his voice filled with disappointment.

    Grand Elder Du swallowed nervously as he recalled Yuan effortlessly defeating him despite having a much lower cultivation. This sort of talent was almost unheard of. Unfortunately, Yuan had gone inside the rift, and the chances of him returning were pretty much zero, so he was essentially already dead.

    Meanwhile, Xu Jiaqi was engaged in a conversation with the expert she had sought out with some difficulty.

    "Is there a way to bring back someone who entered an Infinite Beast Spawn Rift?"

    This expert, a tall, beautiful woman with brown hair, tanned skin, and green eyes, was surrounded by many powerful magical beasts as she spoke, "You should already know the answer to that question, so why waste your timeing here to ask me?"

    Xu Jiaqi silently clenched her jaw and narrowed her eyes, fixing the woman with a cold, piercing re.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 1600 Yuans Message

    Chapter 1600 Yuan''s Message

    The beasts surrounding the woman instantly sensed the threat in Xu Jiaqi''s gaze toward their master and bared their teeth in a defensive warning disy.

    In response, Xu Jiaqi''s body emitted killing intent.

    "I don''t have the time to joke with you today, Huyao." Xu Jiaqi uttered the next moment in a cold voice.

    Sensing her killing intent, the beasts began to howl and roar, their cries echoing with aggression.

    Seeing this, the woman named Huyao sighed, "Stop it, you idiots. You know I won''t be able to avenge you guys if you fight her and perish, right?"

    "..."

    The magical beasts immediately calmed down after hearing her words. Huyao continued a momentter, "To answer your question¡ªno, there''s no way to bring back someone who''d entered such a rift. Why are you asking? Did someone you know enter a rift? It''s been a long time since I have heard of someone entering one of those."

    However, Xu Jiaqi didn''t respond to her inquires and was even walking away.

    "Leaving already? What''s the rush?"

    "If you don''t have any helpful insights, I have no reason to stay here any longer." Xu Jiaqi said.

    Huyao showed a mysterious smile and said, "Actually, now that I think about it, there might be a way."

    Xu Jiaqi instantly halted her movement and turned around to look at Huyao, who continued speaking, "If someone as powerful and as capable as you enters a rift, perhaps you might find a way to bring them back."

    The atmosphere in the room suddenly changed drastically as an overwhelming pressure was exuded by Xu Jiaqi.

    "I thought I said I didn''te here to joke around?" Xu Jiaqi stared daggers at Huyao.

    "That''s none of your business."

    "You made it my business bying to me for advice."

    "Who said I was joking? Most of the people that went to explore the rift were run-of-the-mill Immortals. If someone like you were to explore the rift, there''s a good chance you might make it back." Huyao exined with a brave smile.

    "..."

    Xu Jiaqi remained silent, her expression contemtive, almost as if she were seriously considering the possibility presented to her.

    Huyao''s eyes widened at this, and she said, "Don''t tell me you''re actually thinking about it. Now I am really interested in this individual you''re trying to save."

    "That''s none of your business."

    "You made it my business bying to me for advice."

    "You think you''re giving me advice? You''ve only given me nonsense."

    Huyao shrugged and said, "Then let me tell you this. Even if you were to enter the rift to rescue this individual, you''d need to find a rift to enter. A rift only remains open for a few moments before disappearing, so you''d need to find a new one, which is only possible by destroying Infinite Beast Spawns, which has a very low chance of spawning."

    "Once an Infinite Beast Spawn is destroyed, you will need to wait at least a decade before you get another chance, and thest time a rift opened up was several thousand years ago."

    "I have no intention of entering the rift, but thanks for nothing." Xu Jiaqi left shortly after.

    "Never easy to please that woman¡­" Huyao shook her head with a smile.

    A few dayster, Xu Jiaqi arrived at the Endless Beast Den. However, given her prominent status, she discreetly made her way into the Fourth Heaven to avoid drawing unnecessary attention.

    This time, the Sect Leaders of the Three Grand Sects made sure to pay attention to their surroundings and noticed Xu Jiaqi''s arrival almost instantly.

    "Who are they?" Xu Jiaqi pointed to those from the Three Grand Sects with her gaze.

    Senior Bai gave her a quick exnation of their involvement.

    After learning of the full situation, Xu Jiaqi''s gaze remained on them for a few moments, her thoughts unknown.

    The Sect Leaders were so nervous that none of them dared to utter a word without Xu Jiaqi''s permission, and even their greeting was done in silence.

    In the end, Xu Jiaqi decided to ignore them and asked Senior Bai, "Any news on Yuan or the rift?"

    He shook his head and said, "Unfortunately not. What about your end?"

    "Nothing useful," she sighed.

    "So there''s nothing we can do besides wait for Yuan to return by himself?" Xi Meili asked.

    "..."

    Xu Jiaqi silently nodded.

    Overwhelmed by emotion, Xi Meili''sposure shattered, and she began to weep, releasing a torrent of tears she had restrained for more than a week.

    Seeing this, the urge to go after Yuan grew stronger inside Xu Jiaqi''s heart.

    However, just as they pondered how tofort Xi Meili, they noticed several individuals approaching them from a distance. Four individuals, to be precise.

    "Hm? Thosedies are¡­" Senior Bai recognized them, as he''d seen them at the Myriad of Techniques before.

    They were Meixiu, Chu Liuxiang, Li Jinxi, and Lan Yingying.

    "W-what are you guys doing here?" Xi Meili wiped her tears and forced herself to stop crying to ask them.

    "Yuan told us toe here," Meixiu said.

    "What? Yuan? How¡­?" Xi Meili wore a puzzled look on her face, as did everyone else there.

    "Um¡­ let''s just say I have a method to contact Yuan even when we''re far away from each other. Anyway, he wanted me to tell you not to worry about him." Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.

    "W-wait a minute. Let''s slow down a little. Who are you guys? And where is Yuan now?" Xu Jiaqi stepped forward and asked.

    "They''re Yuan''s friends. I have seen them with him at the Myriad of Techniques on several asions." Senior Bai quickly exined.

    Meixiu nodded and said, "But who are you¡­? We were only expecting Xi Meili."

    She logged out of Cultivation Online several days after Yuan wrote the note. After reading it, she gathered the others and rushed to the Endless Beast Den to exin the situation to Xi Meili. However, only Xi Meili was mentioned in Yuan''s note, and they weren''t acquainted with anyone else there.

    "This may be our first time meeting like this, but I have seen you guys before with Yuan at the Myriad of Techniques, which I own." Senior Bai said.

    "They''re from his faction, and they came here after what happened to Yuan." Xi Meili further exined.

    "I see¡­" "Anyway, hurry up and tell us about Yuan. Is he okay? What''s his situation like?" Xu Jiaqi inquired in an impatient manner.

 Chapter 1601 A Forgotten Rumor

    Chapter 1601 A Forgotten Rumor

    "ording to Yuan, he was taken to a ce called the Primal Expanse after going through the rift," said Meixiu after Xu Jiaqi''s impatient inquiry into Yuan''s situation. "Primal Expanse? Where is that? I have never heard of this ce before." Senior Bai mumbled out loud.

    Xu Jiaqi looked at Kn with a questioning gaze. Seeing this, Kn shook his head and said, "No, I haven''t heard of this ce, either."

    "Primal Expanse¡­?"

    However, Xi Meili''s face was ponderous, almost as if she was trying to recall something.

    Xu Jiaqi noticed this and quickly asked, "You have heard of it?" "I think I have heard of it, but I don''t remember where or when¡­" she sighed.

    Meixiu then spoke, "This is what Yuan said¡ªthe Primal Expanse appears to be its own world that exists outside the Nine Heavens, and there are no humans here, only Magical Beasts they call Primals and Predators."

    Upon hearing this, a spark of recognition flickered in Xi Meili''s mind, prompting her to exim, "I remember now! I recall reading about it in an ancient scroll owned by my father when I was very young. It imed that Magical Beasts and Divine Beasts didn''t simplye into existence but actually traveled to the Nine Heavens from another world called Primal Expanse!"

    "When I asked my father about it, he said it was a rumor that was once popr during the Primordial Era but has since faded into obscurity and forgotten by most people."

    Xu Jiaqi wore a serious look on her face as she digested this information.

    She turned to look at Meixiu and asked, "Did Yuan say anything else about this ce?"

    "No, but he said that he''d give me an update once he explores the world a little longer. Ah, he also said he''s safe and to not worry about him and that he will definitely return to the Nine Heavens as soon as possible."

    "I''m relieved to hear that he''s safe for now, but he still needs to find a way back to the Nine Heavens. Moreover, the existence of this Primal Expanse has serious implications now that we''ve confirmed its existence," Senior Bai said.

    "Even if we know about its existence, what can we do about it?" Kn shrugged. "It exists outside the Nine Heavens, and those who have gone there never returned. It might as well not exist."

    Xu Jiaqi suddenly red at him with a dangerous gaze. Kn trembled when he realized that he''d screwed up by essentially saying that Yuan would never return from the Primal Expanse. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    "I believe in Yuan. He''ll definitely return to us." Lan Yingying suddenly said.

    Sometimeter, Senior Bai asked Xu Jiaqi, "What are you going to do now?"

    "I''m going to see if I can learn more about the Primal Expanse, so I''ll leave now. Make sure to update me whenever Yuan gives an update." "You heard it yourself, Kn. If I am not avable, you can directly notify the Celestial Overlord." Senior Bai said to Kn.

    "Yes¡­" Kn acknowledged. He never thought he would work as a mere messenger, given his position in the faction, but he did not dare toin and considered this as punishment for his failure to protect Yuan.

    Senior Bai and Xu Jiaqi left the scene and returned to the upper heavens shortlyter.

    "What now?" Chu Liuxiang asked.

    "Well¡­ there''s nothing we can really do until Yuan updates us, so I guess we can return to training," Meixiu said.

    Upon hearing this, Kn said, "If you need training, how about I train you guys? I don''t mean to brag, but nobody trains as hard as me in the faction. I have nothing else to do, and I need to stay by your side to contact Yuan."

    They looked at him with doubtful gazes.

    "W-what''s with those looks?! Do you not believe me?! How about this? If even one of you doesn''t see any significant improvements after training with me for a month, I''ll give each of you an Empyrean-grade treasure!"

    Kn suddenly realized something and quickly said, "Ah, let me introduce myself first. My name''s Kn, and I was assigned to be Yuan''s bodyguard. We''re from the same faction, and I am his senior by one rank."

    Meixiu and the others began introducing themselves afterward.

    ''This bastard is surrounded by so many beautiful women. Are they his lovers?'' Kn wondered inwardly.

    Once the introductions were over, Kn turned to look at those from the Three Grand Sects and said to them, "Hey, I need a favor."

    "O-of course! Whatever you need!" Du Daomi immediately responded.

    "We''re going to borrow the training facilities in your sect for a little. Don''t worry, I willpensate you for the troubles."

    "Please, you don''t need to worry about anypensation. You can use our sects as much as you want for free. We''ll even give you your own living quarters."

    Sometimeter, Kn and the group ofdies followed Du Daomi to the Grand Mystic Sect.

    Meanwhile, in the Primal Expanse, after spending several days running because Xiao Hua had to reveal her scent, Yuan finally came to a halt.

    Without even looking back, Yuan had a feeling that Yingzi was behind him.

    He slowly turned around to look behind him, and sure enough, Yingzi was standing there, wearing Xiao Hua''s clothes. However, it was evident that Yingzi had never worn clothes before, given the disheveled way she had managed to put them on.

    "Umm¡­ you''re wearing them incorrectly. Let me help you." Yuan said to her.

    Yingzi silently nodded.

    Yuan approached her and had topletely strip her naked before he could even begin fixing her clothes.

    After helping her with the clothes, Yuan said, "Since I don''t know anything about this world, do you mind giving me a tour?"

    "Where would you like to go?" she asked.

    "Do you have cities in this world?"

    "I don''t know what cities are," she said.

    "A city is an area in which arge number of people¡ªor Primals and Predators, in your case¡ª live close together. It''s amunity of sorts." Yuan exined.

 Chapter 1602 Sword Head Serpentâ€™s Territory

    Chapter 1602 Sword Head Serpent¡¯s Territory

    "A ce where Primals and Predators live together? We call those ''territories'' here. For example, we''re currently in the Sword Head Serpent''s territory." Yingzi said.

    Yuan surveyed their surroundings with a raised eyebrow and further rified, "There''s been a slight misunderstanding. Cities also have buildings for dwelling and marketces where you can buy or sell things."

    "There''s no ce like that in the Primal Expanse. While the idea of buying and selling exists, it''s rarely practiced. Most Predators engage in trade, but for everyone else, acquisition typically involves taking directly from others." Yingzi said.

    In the Primal Expanse, the saying ''the strong prey on the weak'' was not just a principle but a stark reality. Here, if someone desired something, they simply took it by force. And since trading was the norm, there was no need for currencies in this world.

    Yuan pondered for a moment before asking, "Then, do you know a way to leave this ce?"

    "I don''t understand."

    "I am trying to return to my own world," he rified.

    "I am not sure that''s even possible." Yingzi shook her head.

    "There has to be a way. In my world, we have these specific areas where Magical Beasts¡ªPrimals spawn endlessly, and I believe they came from this world. The fact that I managed to travel to this world proves that our worlds are connected in some way."

    "Even if you say that, I have no clue. However, I may know someone who does." "Can you take me to them?"

    "In exchange for something."

    "What do you want?"

    "Something from your world."

    "Do you have anything specific in mind?" Yuan asked.

    "No, not really."

    Yuan pondered for a moment before retrieving several things from his spatial ring.

    The first item was a spirit stone. He didn''t know if they existed in the Primal Expanse and wanted to find out. He also took out several Divine-grade treasures and some random pills. Lastly, he took out some food¡ªmostly meat skewers that he had saved up for asions.

    "Is there anything you want?" Yingzi inspected all of the items with great interest. Her eyes were essentially sparkling with excitement.

    "What is this?" Yingzi pointed to the spirit stone and asked.

    "It''s a spirit stone. We, humans, use it to cultivate by absorbing the spiritual energy contained inside. We also use it as a currency to buy things." Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.

    "What about these things? They smell very nice." Yingzi pointed to the meat skewers next.

    "They''re meat skewers. This one is made from beef. This one is from chicken. This one is made frommb."

    Yingzi''s gaze danced back and forth between the spirit stone and meat skewers without giving the treasures even a single nce. After a moment of pondering, she pointed to the meat skewers and said, "I want these."

    Yuan nodded and handed her twelve sticks, four of each vor.

    Yingzi epted the skewers with a smile on her face. This was Yuan''s first time seeing any real emotion on her face.

    However, the unique and rich aroma of the skewers quickly permeated the area, alerting the Primals nearby.

    Since skewers were unknown in the Primal Expanse, their enticing aroma was as novel and irresistible as the scent of humans, sending the Primals into a frenzy.

    When Yuan noticed this, he immediately said to Yingzi, "Um¡­ can you quickly finish eating before the others arrive?"

    However, Yingzi shook her head and said, "No, I will slowly savor this food at my own pace. If anyone dares to steal from me, I will kill them." Yingzi''s presence was still nonexistent, so the nearby Primals could only smell Yuan and the skewers.

    Dragons were at the top of the food chain in the Primal Expanse, so Primals instinctively avoided them. Thus, no one dared to approach Yuan despite his rtively low cultivation level. However, this caution was abandoned once they caught the enticing scent of the meat skewers.

    Yuan wanted to run away, but he also wanted to see Yingzi''s prowess. In the end, he decided to stay with her.

    A few momentster, the first Primal to appear before them resembled a colossal elephant asrge as a mountain, its brown skin adorned with red spots across its body.

    Just its size alone was menacing enough, but its strength was also at the Divine Sovereign level.

    Yet, when its gazended on Yingzi, who wasn''t even looking at it, the massive creature''s body trembled, and a deep sense of fear flickered in its eyes.

    After a loud trumpet-like roar, the elephant turned around and stomped away faster than it approached them.

    "What the¡­?" Yuan was surprised by the Primal''s reaction.

    The elephant-like Primal''s reaction to Yingzi was puzzling, as she wasn''t exuding any presence or aura of danger that could exin why such a formidable creature would flee from her. This hinted at unseen powers within Yingzi that Yuan did not yetprehend.

    The next several Primals that appeared reacted simrly to the first. Each time their gazended on Yingzi, they disyed an intense reaction of fear, quickly turning and fleeing as if their lives depended on it. As for Yingzi, she didn''t even bother looking at the Primals that showed up and continued to enjoy the skewers in her grasp at her own ce.

    Many minutester, when Yingzi reached herst skewer, Yuan suddenly sensed an unfathomable presence appear, and it was quickly approaching them.

    ''What a powerful presence! This Primal must be at a level that rivals an Immortal!'' Yuan cried inwardly.

    When he turned to investigate the presence, he saw a massive ck snake, evenrger than the elephant, with a horn-shaped like a sword protruding from its head.

    "Is that the Sword Head Serpent?" Yuan asked Yingzi.

    "Looks like it," she calmly confirmed.

    "Will you be fine against it?"

    "..."

    Yingzi didn''t respond, as she was busy chewing the meat in her mouth.

    The Sword Head Serpent arrived shortlyter. However, unlike the other Primals, it did not immediately run away after seeing Yingzi. Although it still showed fear in its gaze, it refused to run away for some reason.

 Chapter 1603 Chaotic Essence

    Chapter 1603 Chaotic Essence

    After silently staring at Yingzi for several moments, the Sword Head Serpent spoke, "If you value your life, leave behind that meat and get out of my territory!"

    Having a territory named after oneself signifies dominion over that area, and entering another''s domain without permission typically invites conflict. Should the Sword Head Serpent flee from an unwee guest in its own territory, it would risk bing aughingstock, vulnerable to attacks from others who might perceive it as weak.

    This was why the Sword Head Serpent refused to flee despite its fear of Yingzi. Driven by the need to protect its territory and maintain its pride and honor, it was prepared to face even death rather than show weakness and risk losing the territory that it had ruled for many decades.

    In response to the Sword Head Serpent''s threat, Yingzi simply nced at it. Her look alone sent an unfathomable wave of fear coursing through the Sword Head Serpent, paralyzing it with dread.

    However, the Sword Head Serpent somehow managed to shake off the fear and moved to strike Yingzi.

    Seeing the Sword Head Serpent approach, Yingzi pointed at it with her empty skewer sticks. In the next instant, the serpent frozepletely as a massive ck spike emerged from the ground¡ªor, more precisely, from its own shadow, impaling its body with lethal precision.

    The life in the Sword Head Serpent''s eyes vanished instantly, and its lifeless body thudded heavily to the ground, sending a resounding echo through the area.

    Yuan was left speechless by how effortlessly Yingzi had disposed of the Sword Head Serpent, which would rival the strength of an Immortal in the Nine Heavens.

    ''She''s much more fearsome than I''d expected¡­'' he swallowed inwardly.

    Once she finished all of the skewers, Yingzi said, "Okay, I''ll bring you to that individual now. Follow me."

    Yingzi suddenly disappeared into thin air.

    "Huh?"

    Yuan''s eyes widened with shock. He wasn''t even able to follow her movement, much less follow her in person.

    Yingzi returned a few momentster and asked him, "What''s wrong? Why aren''t you following me?" "Umm¡­ you''re too fast for me. I couldn''t even see your movements, let alone follow you," he sighed.

    "Can you slow down a little?"

    "..."

    "If we travel at your pace, it''ll take centries to reach our destination," she said.

    "Centries?! How massive is this ce?" Yuan was dumbfounded to hear this.

    "Very."

    Yuan sighed, "Is there no other way? Asking me to travel at your speed is unreasonable and, quite frankly, impossible." "I can help you, but I want that shiny object you call spirit stone," Yingzi said.

    "Deal." Yuan immediately retrieved the biggest and shiniest spirit stone in his possession before handing it to her.

    Yingzi yed around with the spirit stone for a few minutes before tossing it in inside her shadow.

    ''The ability to manipte shadow, huh?'' Yuan thought to himself.

    "Okay, let''s go."

    Yingzi suddenly enveloped Yuan with a mysterious energy before bringing him with her. The method she used was simr to using Qi Maniption to move something or someone. They were moving so fast that Yuan only saw a blurred background as they traveled.

    "Yingzi, what''s this weird energy you''re using? It feels like spiritual energy, but it''s clearly not." Yuan asked. "You mean Chaotic Essence? It''s what we use to cultivate," she exined.

    "There are two types of essence in this world. Chaotic Essence and Pure Essence. There isn''t much Pure Essence, but that doesn''t matter since we can only cultivate Chaotic Essence."

    Yuan wondered if this was the reason why Yu Ning and Xiao Hua imed they couldn''t cultivate properly.

    ''Pure Essence must be Spiritual Energy. However, this worldcks Spiritual Energy, and humans cannot absorb Chaotic Essence. It''s almost like the Nine Heavens but inverted. In that case, Chaotic Essence might be something like impurity for us.''

    It didn''t take long for Yuan to understand the power sources of Primal Expanse.

    "By the way, how long will it take to arrive at our destination now?" he asked a momentter.

    "About half a year," she calmly responded.

    "Half a year?!" Yuan cried out loud.

    He had never anticipated that reaching their destination would take so long. At this rate, he might be stuck in the Primal Expanse for much longer than he had desired. Yet, there was nothing he could do. If it weren''t for Yingzi, he might actually be stuck in this world forever. "When the Divine Heaven used to be one world, it would take Immortals hundreds of years to travel around the world without teleports." Yu Ning suddenly recalled. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.

    "At the speed we''re currently traveling, I wouldn''t be surprised if this little girl already surpasses the fastest flying treasure in existence," she continued.

    "Do you know what kind of bloodline she has? She appears to have the ability to manipte shadows." Yuan asked.

    "I know of several bloodlines that can control shadows to a certain extent, and from what I''ve seen so far, it doesn''t rule out any of them. I''ll let you know once I lower the candidates."

    "Alright. What about Chaotic Essence? Do you know anything simr to that in the Nine Heavens?"

    Yu Ning pondered for a moment before responding, "There are several areas in the Divine Heaven where cultivators are unable to cultivate due to the chaotic spiritual energy, such as the Primordial Chaos. I have never been to these ces myself, so I cannot confirm firsthand, but ording to what I''ve heard from those who have experienced it, it''s simr to what I am experiencing in this world."

    ''Howe I am able to absorb this Chaotic Essence?'' he wondered inwardly.

    Yuan tried to absorb the spiritual energy there again, and sure enough, his body absorbed everything without any issue.

    As for the quality of the energy, it was iparably better than the Fourth Heaven. ''Half a year, huh¡­ What should I do in the meantime?'' Yuan began pondering how he should spend the next half a year.

 Chapter 1604 Training With Kelan

    Chapter 1604 Training With Kn

    While Yuan journeyed through the Primal Expanse with Yingzi, Xu Jiaqi was traversing the Nine Heavens, gathering more information about the Primal Expanse. Since this topic was rted to magical beasts, she focused on meeting the beast ns, such as the Dragon n and the Phoenix n.

    At one of the most ancient Dragon ns in the Supreme Heaven, Xu Jiaqi requested to meet with their historian. Property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    "The Primal Expanse, huh? It''s been a very long time since someone has brought this ce up."

    The Dragon n''s historian, Long Qi, spoke with interest as hebed his white beard.

    He retrieved arge, ancient scroll and opened it, revealing all sorts of information on the Primal Expanse.

    "Don''t let the amount of information here fool you, Lady Xu. They''re all just spections and rumors. In truth, nobody has been to the Primal Expanse."

    "Then where did the rumor evene from? Who started it?" Xu Jiaqi asked.

    "Do you know how some people im they have memories of their past life? Well, some beasts vaguely recall a ce called the Primal Expanse, where they lived in their past life. ording to these individuals, the Primal Expanse is strictly ruled by beasts, so no humans exist there."

    "..."

    ''It''s exactly like how Yuan described that ce¡­'' Xu Jiaqi thought to herself.

    "Do you mind if I borrow this scroll?" she asked Long Qi a momentter.

    "Of course, but why are you suddenly interested in the Primal Expanse¡ªif you don''t mind me asking?" Xu Jiaqi pondered whether she should reveal the fact that the Primal Expanse was not just a rumor but existed somewhere outside the Nine Heavens.

    "I heard someone mention it, and it piqued my interest. That''s all."

    In the end, Xu Jiaqi decided not to reveal this information yet, fearing it might make the world a little chaotic.

    ''I need more information about the Primal Expanse before I reveal this information¡­ if I even should¡­'' she thought to herself.

    After leaving the Dragon n, Xu Jiaqi visited the Phoenix n and asked for information on the Primal Expanse. She would visit multiple ns over the next several weeks, gathering as much information as she could.

    Meanwhile, Meixiu and the others began their training with Kn after a quick assessment. It only took a single five-minute spar with each of them for Kn to understand their prowess and how to train them.

    "I will spend a day training each of you, starting from the one I think is the weakest currently." Kn''s gaze fell on Meixiu as he spoke.

    "So you''ll be first."

    "Okay," she nodded.

    ''I already knew I was quite weakpared to the others, but it still hurts.'' Meixiu sighed inwardly.

    Although she had been rigorously trained inbat by her mother from a young age to serve the Yu Family, she couldn''t match Chu Liuxiang, who had the advantage of training with a cultivator since childhood.

    Kn shifted his gaze to Chu Liuxiang next, "You''ll be training with me after her."

    Then he looked at Lan Yingying and said, "You''re third."

    "On the fourth day, you''ll be training with me." Kn looked at Xi Meili, who wore a surprised expression on her face.

    "Huh? Me?" she pointed at herself, seemingly in disbelief.

    "Yes, you," Kn confirmed.

    Xi Meili turned to look at Li Jinxi for a moment before looking at Kn again.

    "You think she''s stronger than me? Surely, you are mistaken."

    Xi Meili couldn''t believe that she would be weaker than Li Jinxi, who had a much lower cultivation.

    Kn shook his head and exined, "While your cultivation is indeed superior, when ites to experience and execution inbat, she is superior."

    "How is that possible?! There''s no way she has more experience than me! I have lived for over 10 thousand years!" Xi Meili refused to believe that someone as young as Li Jinxi would have morebat experience than her.

    "You don''t have to believe me. The two of you can spar with each other¡ªwithout any cultivation." Kn shrugged.

    Xi Meili looked at Li Jinxi, who calmly nodded and said, "I can do it."

    Xi Meili then said, "Please don''t take this the wrong way. I just have a hard time believing that you have more experience than me."

    "Don''t worry, I won''t." Li Jinxi said.

    They entered one of the arenas avable at the Grand Mystic Sect''s training ground sometimeter.

    "For this spar, you are not allowed to use your cultivation or techniques, so you''ll be limited to just your weapon and the basics. Ah, movement techniques are allowed."

    "Good luck." Xi Meili said to her.

    "You too."

    While Xi Meili and Li Jinxi fought each other, Yuan asked Yingzi to stop for a little so he could write a note for Meixiu.

    "Where did you go just now? You never gave me an answer." Yingzi questioned him.

    "Uhh¡­ it''s a littleplicated." Yuan wasn''t sure how to exin Cultivation Online in a way that she would understand.

    He pointed at his body and said, "You see this body? It''s actually not my real body but a part of my soul. My real body is somewhere far, far away, and I have the ability to return to my real body whenever I want. Whenever I return to my real body, this one will disappear until I return. Do you understand?"

    Yingzi took a moment to understand his words. Eventually, she nodded and said, "I understand. Where is your real body? Is it in the Nine Heavens?"

    "No, it''s actually outside the Nine Heavens, sort of like the Primal Expanse. However, that world is much smaller."

    "If this isn''t your real body, why do you need to find a way to leave the Primal Expanse? Can''t you just create another body?" Yingzi then asked.

    "Even if this isn''t my real body, it''s still part of my soul, which is arguably even more valuable than my physical body, so I can''t just abandon it," Yuan said.

    "Is that so¡­"

    They resumed their journey shortly after.

 Chapter 1605 Meixius Training

    Chapter 1605 Meixiu''s Training

    ''This is ridiculous!'' Xi Meili cried inwardly as she desperately defended herself against Li Jinxi''s endless assault.

    It''d only been several minutes since they started their spar, yet she was already pushed into a corner. Xi Meili had never anticipated that someone other than Yuan could possess such outrageous talents.

    "Wow... Li Jinxi''s growth has been tremendoustely. What kind of training did she undergo in seclusion?" Chu Liuxiang muttered, her voice filled with awe. Despite having trained for the same amount of time, Li Jinxi''s progress had far outstripped her own.

    "Her experience doesn''t match her age, but I can say the same thing about Yuan and many other geniuses out there," Kn said. "In this world, there are three types of talent. Those who are gifted just enough to be above the average, those who stand above the majority as true geniuses, and then we have monsters that defy logic."

    "Li Jinxi''s talent would enter the monster category. As for Yuan¡­ I believe he is a separate kind of monster¡ªthe type that dominates over other monsters."

    Many minutester, Li Jinxi barely secured her victory against Xi Meili.

    "You''re very strong. Other than two other people, you''re the third person ever to push me this far¡­" Li Jinxi said afterward, her body soaked in sweat.

    "Besides Yuan, who is the other individual?" Xi Meili asked as shey on the arena with a dazed look on her face.

    "She''s my¡ªour mentor." Li Jinxi said as she turned to look at Meixiu and Chu Liuxiang.

    "..."

    After a moment of silence, Xi Meili released a deep sigh and said, "I admit defeat. You''re definitely better than me when ites to fighting experience. I apologize for looking down on you."

    Li Jinxi extended her hand and smiled, "It''s okay."

    Xi Meili epted the hand and was pulled back to her feet.

    "We will begin our training tomorrow," Kn said to them before dismissing them a momentter.

    Everyone returned to their own living quarter, which was provided by the Grand Mystic Sect.

    Meixiu logged off Cultivation Online after returning to her room.

    The first thing she did was look for Yuan''s note, and sure enough, there was one by the bed.

    Her eyes widened with surprise after reading it. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    "Half a year just to visit someone who may or may not know how to leave the Primal Expanse?" Meixiu knew it would take a while, but she hadn''t anticipated it would be to this extent.

    Once she finished reading, Meixiu began writing her own note. She mentioned their meeting with Senior Bai and Xu Jiaqi and their training sessions with Kn and suggested scheduling a meeting to discuss their experiences in more detail in a few weeks during the Eternal Lotuses boot camp.

    The following day, Meixiu began her training with Kn.

    "I see, so he won''t be back for at least half a year. That will be more than enough time to transform you guys."

    "Now¡­ in order to wield a bow properly, you must first build a foundation and strengthen your body, so we''ll begin with tempering your body."

    Kn retrieved a spatial pouch and handed it to her.

    "You will use these when you''re not training with me to temper your body. It will be very painful, but it''s the fastest and most effective way to temper your body."

    "I also grabbed a few body-tempering techniques for you. You can choose the one you like the most. Since you''re not trying to be a Body Refiner like myself, you don''t need any crazy body-tempering technique."

    Meixiu spent the next hour reading the techniques before choosing one.

    "Good. Then, we''ll focus on your technique today. We will begin your training next week."

    Kn spent the entire day helping Meixiuprehend the technique. At the end of the day, Meixiu returned to her living quarters and began her body-tempering process.

    Inside the spatial pouch provided by Kn contained all sorts of medicine that could only be found in the upper heavens. While they were not priceless treasures, it wasn''t something that could be obtained easily.

    This wasn''t Meixiu''s first time tempering her body since she would asionally temper her real body. In fact, every member of the Demon Sealing Faction tempered their body to a certain extent. Not only did it strengthen their bodies, but it also helped them with Liya''s spartan-like training.

    After following Kn''s instructions inside a jade slip, Meixiu tossed a specific medicine into the bathtub.

    After waiting for half an hour, she entered the hot water.

    The moment the tip of her toes touched the water, intense pain coursed through her entire body. "Ah!?" Meixiu eximed, immediately jumping back and staring at the bathtub with wide eyes. She had endured many painful moments in the past¡ªfrom her first body-tempering experience to training with Liya¡ªbut nonepared to the excruciating pain she had just experienced.

    However, she could already feel her body strengthening just from that slight touch.

    Meixiu silently stood there, staring at the bathtub with a nervous gaze.

    Eventually, she clenched her teeth and entered the bathtub again, sticking an entire foot inside the water.

    "Mmh!?!?" Meixiu nearly lost consciousness from the pain but managed to endure it.

    Many minutester, once she felt like she could endure more, she submerged her other foot into the water.

    An hourter, she submerged the rest of her body in the water, which increased the pain substantially.

    Meixiu couldn''t handle the pain for long and jumped out of the bath a minuteter to catch a breath.

    Over the next several hours, Meixiu repeated this process, slowly increasing the time she could remain submerged in the water.

    The medicine was so potent that even after an entire day, the water retained its full strength, as effective as when it was first prepared.

    As for Meixiu''s condition, she felt better than ever before, her body brimming with energy.

    Although the experience was incredibly painful, the rewards were significant enough to motivate her to continue.

 Chapter 1606 Qi Resistance Ball

    Chapter 1606 Qi Resistance Ball

    The day after Meixiu''s training, Chu Liuxiang met Kn at the training grounds.

    "As someone who specializes in spiritual attacks, you need to focus on increasing your spiritual energy, spiritual strength, and your control. While increasing your spiritual energy wille naturally through cultivation, in order to increase your spiritual strength and control, you need specific techniques and rigorous training.

    Kn retrieved a ck, round metal ball from his spatial ring. At first nce, this metal ball appeared quite ordinary, but it gave out a peculiar aura that made Chu Liuxiang feel anxious.

    "This is a Qi Resistance Ball. As its name suggests, it has very high resistance against spiritual energy, even outright repelling it if it''s weak enough. Your training will consist of levitating this Qi Resistance Ball until you can hover it above your head and keep it there for an hour. Give it a try."

    Chu Liuxiang nodded and proceeded to wrap her spiritual energy around the ball. However, the moment her spiritual energy touched the ball, she immediately lost control, causing it to disperse into the air.

    "What?"

    Chu Liuxiang''s eyes widened with surprise, and she quickly tried again, only to find that the results were the same.

    "Not only is your spiritual energy too weak, but your control is also atrocious. The spiritual energy was too flimsy. Watch how I do it." Kn said before wrapping his spiritual energy around the ball, lifting it into the air with seemingly no effort.

    "Can you see the difference?" he asked her.

    "Yes... While my spiritual energy is spread apart like a cloud of mist, yours are tightlypressed and wrap around the ball like sheets," Chu Liuxiang exined, highlighting the difference between the way they manipted their spiritual energy.

    Kn nodded in approval and took out a technique before handing it to her, "This will teach you how to properly control your spiritual energy."

    For the next two hours, Chu Liuxiang studied the technique. Once she had memorized it, she tried to pick up the Qi Resistance Ball again.

    However, while her control over her spiritual energy had improved, it was still nowhere near being able to touch the ball, much less pick it up.

    Chu Liuxiang returned to studying the technique again and Kn would give her advice here and there. Property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    By the end of the day, while Chu Liuxiang still failed to pick up the ball, she was able to cover it with her spiritual energy without it dispersing.

    "You can keep the Qi Resistance Ball to practice on your own time. I want significant improvements by our next session," said Kn.

    It was Lan Yingying''s turn the next day.

    "Before we begin, I must admit that out of the entire group, it''s going to be the trickiest to train you, who specializes in Sacred Fire," Kn said to her.

    "I can''t use Sacred Fire, and I am unfamiliar with such techniques. However, I know someone who is, and I have already contacted them for assistance. Until they respond, I will have you focus on strengthening your spiritual energy like Chu Liuxiang."

    When she first started, Lan Yingying was unable to touch the ball, just like Chu Liuxiang. However, after a day of training with the Qi Resistance Ball, Lan Yingying managed to levitate the ball an inch off the ground for three seconds.

    The next day, it was Xi Meili''s turn to train.

    "Since yourck of experience is your biggest weakness, that''s what we''ll be focusing on," Kn said to her.

    The fastest way to gain experience was through practice, so they immediately began sparring with each other.

    However, even after sparring for an entire day without any breaks, Xi Meili was not even close tonding a hit on Kn. It felt like she was fighting a ghost¡ªone that could anticipate all of her movements and perfectly avoid them.

    "After spending an entire day analyzing your style, I understand why you''recking in experience despite having ten thousand years of experience. Your fighting style is outdated." Kn said at the end of their training.

    "O-outdated? How is that even possible?" Xi Meili said.

    Typically, in the cultivation world, the older something is, the more valued it tends to be. This is why ancient treasures and techniques are highly sought after.

    "Not everything improves with age. In some areas, modern knowledge surpasses the old¡ªyour fighting style being one of them."

    "..."

    Xi Meili was left speechless, unable to refute Kn''s point. The style she had learned was indeed ancient, dating back millions of years to when the Xi Family first entered seclusion. And within such istion, advancements tend to ur at a much slower pace.

    "It''s not going to be easy to adjust your fighting style, considering you''ve spent thousands of years honing it and engraving its movements into your muscle memory. But once you manage to do so, you''ll see a significant increase in performance," Kn exined.

    "I will find you a new style that resembles your current style in a few days. We can start your real training next week."

    Li Jinxi showed up the next day for her training.

    "Frankly, your techniques are impable, and I have no criticisms there. However, it''s clear that your body is struggling to keep up with your movements," Kn said.

    He continued, "In order to narrow the gap between your abilities and your body''s limits, you will focus on tempering your body, much like Meixiu. However, you will need to push even further than her¡ªperhaps two steps further."

    "It''s going to be painful, but once you''ve achieved a physique that can handle your abilities, your prowess will skyrocket to unimaginable levels." "Will it be enough to beat Yuan?" Li Jinxi suddenly asked an unexpected question.

    "That''s¡­" Kn was caught off guard by such a question and didn''t know how to respond for a moment.

    "I''ll be honest with you. The chances of catching up to him are near zero, much less defeating him. However, nothing is impossible in this world. With enough luck and dedication, even a cripple can even surpass a god."

    "That''s good enough for me." Li Jinxi said with an eager smile.

    Sometimeter, Kn spent several hours sparring with her before sending her home with a bunch of body-tempering medicine, but they were several times more potent than the ones he gave Meixiu.

 Chapter 1607 The Real Boot Camp

    Chapter 1607 The Real Boot Camp

    In the blink of an eye, several weeks have passed since Yuan entered the Primal Expanse, and his group started training with Kn.

    "We''ll return in three days." Meixiu notified Kn of their absence due to Eternal Lotuses'' boot camp.

    "That''s fine. Make sure to pass on my message to Yuan." Kn nodded in acknowledgment.

    "Of course."

    After logging off together, Meixiu and Chu Liuxiang were greeted by the sound of heavenly musicing from their balcony. When they looked at the balcony, they could see Yuan ying the zither.

    They joined him on the balcony and waited for him to finish. Sometimeter, they talked about their training with Kn and conveyed his message.

    "How''s your training with Kn? I haven''t known him for long, but he''s definitely one of the strongest people I''ve met." Yuan asked.

    "It''s only been a few weeks, and my prowess has already increased significantly. While Manager Liya trains us through brute force and teaches us how to fight, Kn trains us individually and focuses on our weaknesses and foundation." Chu Liuxiang said.

    Meixiu nodded, agreeing with her, and said, "I never thought having a proper teacher would have such drastic differences. I wouldn''t be surprised if he has many disciples under him."

    "I guess I''ll have to thank him once I return." Yuan smiled.

    "Speaking of your situation, how is it?" Meixiu asked.

    "The same as usual. We''ve been traveling at a speed that even I cannotprehend without any rest, but we''re still many months away from our destination. The Primal Expanse is unfathomably massive." Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.

    "Kn has a message for you. He said that Lady Xu is currently researching the Primal Expanse and would you like to learn as much about it as you can."

    He nodded, "I was already nning on doing that. Although the Primal Expanse exists outside the Nine Heavens, it is still connected to them in some way."

    Sometimeter, the Demon Sealing Faction made their way to the Eternal Lotuses'' residence.

    When they arrived, around 90 percent of their members were standing in a formation, waiting for their arrival.

    "There''s more people here than I expected." Wang Mingmented after he saw this. He''d only expected half of them after what they experiencedst time.

    The Eternal Lotuses members trembled after seeing Wang Ming and the others smile.

    "Even if the majority of you quit after today, I apud you for showing up and giving it a chance despite what you experienced during the trial." Shi Lang said to them.

    "What you will experience in the next three days will be much harsher than the trial, but you will definitely be much stronger." Wang Bingbing said.

    The group swallowed nervously at such words, and many of them had regretful expressions on their faces.

    After the introductions, they were split into smaller groups again to make training more effective.

    However, Yuan did not participate and only watched as a spectator. Though, he would asionally give advice to the instructor, as well as the participants.

    The boot camp was gruesome and spartan-like, with the participants training until they threw up or fainted. Ten percent of the participants gave up within an hour, and fifty percent gave up in just the first half of the day.

    By the end of the day, only thirty percent remained.

    "Good job enduring today. Now, you just need to endure the next two." Wang Ming said, reminding them that the boot camp was a three-day event.

    One of the participants then asked out loud, "That''s physically impossible! We''re allpletely drained! We won''t have enough energy tomorrow, much less for the remaining two days!"

    Yuan stepped forward and said, "Don''t worry. We have something that will not only help you with your recovery but also strengthen your body simultaneously."

    "Really? What is it?"

    "A medicine bath," he said. "There''s a public hot spring avable on the Dragon Spiral Mountain. I have already reserved the whole ce, too."

    "A hot spring?"

    The participants were excited upon hearing this.

    After giving them some time to recover enough energy to walk, they descended the mountain until they reached the lower area, where the hot spring was located.

    An olddy was waiting for them outside when they arrived.

    "Wee to the Dragon Hot Spring, Young Master Yuan." The olddy bowed to him respectfully.

    The hot spring was divided into two sections: one for males and another for females, each spacious enough tofortably amodate a thousand people. As the exhausted participants submerged themselves in the medicinally enhanced waters, they felt the exhaustion swiftly drain from their bodies.

    "Wow! What kind of magical water is this?! I have never felt anything like this before!"

    "All of my exhaustion went away like smoke! How is that possible?!"

    The participants couldn''t believe the hot spring''s potent effect. "If I had known there was a ce like this here, I would''vee here every day!" However, Wang Bingbing said, "Actually, this is just a normal hot spring, so you wouldn''t get to experience this if youe here at another time. This medicine bath was specifically prepared for you by Yuan."

    Meanwhile, at the male''s side, Wang Ming asked, "What kind of medicine did you put in here, Yuan? I would like to bathe in this once in a while."

    "Medicine? I didn''t put any medicine in here," he calmly said.

    "Huh? Then what did you put in here?"

    "I fused my spiritual energy with the water, so you''re bathing in my spiritual energy," he revealed.

    "What¡­?"

    Everyone there looked at him with wide eyes.

    "You can do such a thing with spiritual energy? I didn''t know that." Shi Lang muttered.

    "The concept is simr to transferring your spiritual energy to another individual to replenish their energy. However, in this case, since there isn''t any method to contain the spiritual energy, you will need to constantly fuse your spiritual energy with the water, or it''ll quickly lose effect."

    "In other words, only you can do something like this." Wu Zao said.

    "Once you increase your cultivation, you can also do it. However, unless someone does it for you, it wouldn''t benefit you." Yuan exined.

 Chapter 1608 The Real Boot Camp(2)

    Chapter 1608 The Real Boot Camp(2)

    The members of Eternal Lotuses soaked in the hot spring for two hours. By the time they emerged, not only had all traces of their exhaustion vanished, but they also felt stronger than they had at the start of the day.

    When they returned to their residence, those who had quit or didn''t participate in the boot camp were absolutely bewildered to see them so energetic.

    "What the hell? Why do you all look so energetic? You spent the entire day training at their boot camp, right? I was only there for four hours, but I am still exhausted!"

    "Of course, we were exhausted. However, they had us bathe in a medicine bath at the Dragon Hot Spring, relieving us of all exhaustion in just two hours!"

    "It not only made our exhaustion disappear, it even strengthened our bodies and boosted our cultivation!" "Dragon Hot Spring? There''s a hot spring here?"

    "What?! Such a ce exists?! I''m going to go bathe there right now!" Since the members that bathed in Yuan''s spiritual energy weren''t aware of the hot spring''s true nature, they didn''t stop the other members from rushing to the Dragon Hot Spring.

    When these members arrived at the hot spring and soaked in the water, they were baffled when they were still exhausted and nothing was happening.

    "Were they messing with us because we didn''t participate in the boot camp? This is just a normal hot spring!"

    "Surely, they can''t be that petty."

    "They called it a medicine bath, right? Perhaps they''d already absorbed all of the medicine." Someone there made a sound judgment.

    "I guess the medicine bath is only a privilege for those who endured that hellish training."

    These members quickly left the hot spring after realizing that it had lost its healing effects, and most of them contemted on giving the boot camp another chance.

    Later that night, the Demon Sealing Faction had dinner together.

    "Have you guys done any Faction Wars since ourst one?" Yuan asked them.

    "Who would dare to send us a challenge after what you did to the Fiery Garden of Hell?" Wang Ming shook his head.

    "The Faction War scene has exploded in poprity and participation because of the formation, though," Meifengmented.

    "Any movements from the Ten Great Families or the government?" Yuan then asked.

    "No, they have been awfully silent. However, I was told by Manager Liya that there have been many people watching the Dragon Spiral Mountain."

    "She''s not doing anything about it?" Yuan raised an eyebrow.

    "She said that as long as they don''t enter the Dragon Spiral Mountain or cause trouble, they have no reason to act."

    "Sounds fair." Yuan nodded.

    "Actually¡­ I have something to say." Wang Xiuying suddenly raised her hand. "What''s the matter?"

    "I don''t know if this is rted, but there''s been many people trying to contact me through my grandfather."

    "Doctor Wang?" Yuan frowned slightly at this news.

    "I wouldn''t think too deeply into it. After all, our exposure exploded after Yan Xiaoxiao''s interview was released." Xu Murongmented.

    "Murong''s right. In fact, it would be weird if nobody tried to reach out to you." Hong Xiuquan said.

    "I guess you''re right¡­" Wang Xiuying nodded.

    "It''s never bad to be cautious," Yuan said.

    He continued, "Speaking of Doctor Wang, how is he doingtely?"

    "The same as usual, I guess. Ah, he started cultivating recently."

    "Oh? Then I will need to send him some support." Yuan said. Property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Although it was a job, Doctor Wang looked out for him since childhood. If it weren''t for Doctor Wang, he might''ve died before Cultivation Online came out.

    "It''s okay. I have already sent him some pills and resources to help with his cultivation." Wang Xiuying said.

    "Still, I should¡ª"

    "Trust me, it''s fine." Wang Xiuying interrupted. "I bet you''re going to give him valuable resources, correct? His cultivation is too low to even use them. You can help him once he increases his cultivation a little more, okay?"

    "If you say so¡­" Yuan nodded.

    Later that night, Yuan and Meixiu spent the night together in Meixiu''s old room while Chu Liuxiang slept alone.

    After spending several hours passionately embracing each other, Yuanmented on her physique at the end, "I can tell that you''ve been training really hard. Your body is iparably sturdier than before."

    "Huh?! Is my body that hard?!" Meixiu began panicking, worried that she''d tempered her body too much.

    Yuan chuckled and said, "I didn''t mean literally. Your body is still very soft and pleasing to touch, so there''s no need to worry."

    Meixiu blushed at such words.

    The next day, when the Demon Sealing Faction arrived for the second day of boot camp, they were pleasantly surprised to find that many of the participants who had quit the previous day had returned, ready to continue their training.

    "What happened? What made you change your heart?" Shi Lang asked them.

    These returning participants exined that they were motivated to rejoin after seeing the significant improvements their peers had made after just one day of training. "I''m d to hear that you''ll give it another chance, but actions speak louder than words. With that said, no matter how many times you quit, we won''t stop you from returning." Wang Ming said.

    They started training shortly after, with the second day proving even more intense than the first. Many of those who had quit on the first day found themselves unable to withstand the increased rigor, while those who had endured the initial day''s challenges barely managed to hold on through the entire session.

    Surprisingly, by the end of the second day, a higher number of participantspleted the trainingpared to the first day. Although the increase was modest, it was still an impressive achievement, given the heightened intensity of the day''s challenges.

    Soon, they were rewarded by the spiritual hot spring.

    "Wow! This is even better than I anticipated! I''m so d I held on!" One of the participants who had quit on the first day eximed after experiencing the hot spring.

    "Instructor Wang, only those who have endured the training can enjoy this luxury, correct?" Another asked.

    "That''s right. Those who quit won''t be allowed in here." Wang Bingbing confirmed.

 Chapter 1609 Half a Year Later

    Chapter 1609 Half a Year Later

    After spending two hours at the Dragon Hot Spring, everyone returned to their living quarters. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.

    Only two days have passed since they started training, but the members of Eternal Lotuses who didn''t quit were already experiencing tremendous growth. All had at least two breakthroughs, while some even had four breakthroughs. As for those who had stopped training on the first day but returned on the second day, they had at least one breakthrough. The rest of the Eternal Lotuses were envious of their exponential growth and contemted returning to training.

    Later that night, Yuan spent the rest of the night with Chu Liuxiang.

    "Is the Primal Expanse a dangerous ce?" Chu Liuxiang asked at the end of their passionate session, whichsted for hours.

    "Yes, it''s a gruesome ce where only the strong survive."

    "Doesn''t that apply to our world, as well?"

    "It''s much more so over there, where humans don''t exist. When humans want something, the normal ones will negotiate for it. However, ording to what I was told, they forcefully acquire everything in the Primal Expanse. It''s a ce wherews don''t exist and the strong rules over the weak."

    "Thew of the jungle, huh? I guess that makes sense since it''s a world of beasts. Be safe over there."

    Yuan smiled and said, "Unless my Immortal Monarch''s Dominion doesn''t work on the beasts there, I should be rtively safe no matter what I am up against. I also have an expert guiding me."

    He had been curious whether the Immortal Monarch''s Dominion would affect the beasts in the Primal Expanse, but he hadn''t yet had the opportunity to test it.

    The following day, even more participants showed up at the boot camp than on the second day. However, as many had expected, the third day of boot camp was even more torturous than the previous two daysbined. Every single participant had either puked or lost consciousness at least once.

    Fortunately for them, the training ended earlier than anticipated, and they were rewarded with a four-hour spiritual bath.

    "Good work, everyone. We''lle back next month for the next boot camp session!"

    The next day, everyone from the Demon Sealing Faction except Meifeng and Yuan went to the mountain''s peak to train with Liya.

    "Where have the three of you beentely? You haven''t been showing up to training." Liya asked Meixiu, Chu Liuxiang, and Li Jinxi, who had spent most of their time training with Kn in Cultivation Online.

    Meixiu exined the situation to Liya, who said afterward, "I understand. Let me see how much you''ve improved through your new trainer. If it''s good enough, you won''t need to attend my training any longer."

    The following hour, Meixiu and the other two had a sparring session with Liya, who was quickly surprised by their drastic improvements.

    "Heavens! Who''s training them?! They''ve improved so much that they''re almost unrecognizable!" Wang Ming eximed.

    In just a month, Meixiu and Chu Liuxiang, who had consistently ranked at the bottom, experienced a dramatic rise, propelling them to the top of their power ranking. Meanwhile, Li Jinxi, who was already at the pinnacle of the rankings, found her lead expanding even further as the gap between her and the others became more pronounced.

    "Who''s your teacher?" Liya asked them afterward.

    "He''s Yuan''s bodyguard. We''re being trained by him while Yuan is away," Chu Liuxiang exined.

    "Yuan has a bodyguard?" Liya raised her eyebrows at this information. She never expected someone as monstrous as him would need protection.

    "It''s a littleplicated¡­"

    "Whatever, I don''t really care. Anyway, the three of you no longer need to attend my training since that person is much more capable than me." Liya said a momentter.

    "Yes! Thank you for everything so far!" They bowed to her.

    "Shit¡­ we really need to ascend to the Fourth Heaven and train with them now¡­" Wang Ming muttered out loud.

    Hearing this, Liya turned to him and said, "That''s actually a great idea. Not only would you improve faster with that person, but I would no longer need to waste my time training you."

    Although it may seem like Liya was upset, she genuinely wanted the best for them. Meanwhile, Yuan continued his journey with Yingzi.

    "My body is feeling sore." Yingzi suddenly said as she slowed down.

    Seeing this, Yuan retrieved a meat skewer and handed it to her without uttering a single word.

    Yingzi epted his offering and immediately continued their journey, acting as though the soreness magically disappeared.

    This was Yingzi''s way of asking for more food, and she would do it once a week, so it wasn''t anything new to Yuan.

    ''Fortunately, I have an immense stock of meat skewers due to Xi Meili''s eating habits¡­'' Yuan thought to himself.

    A month passed in the blink of an eye, and it was already time for the Eternal Lotuses'' second boot camp.

    During this month, Yuan spent most of his time doing mental training since it was pointless for him to improve his cultivation normally.

    Meixiu and the others had be celebrities within the Grand Mystic Sect, recognized by the disciples as the Five Ethereal Fairies. Whenever they trained with Kn on the training grounds, a crowd of spectators would gather, cheering them on enthusiastically.

    Their beauty and diligence had captivated the hearts of many young disciples, drawing attention from even the top disciples within the sect. However, no matter who approached them, they consistently shut down any advances.

    Due to disturbances caused by a few troublemakers and the increasingly rowdy crowd at the training ground, Sect Leader Du Daomi took decisive action. He restricted ess to the training ground and forbade any disciple from disturbing the group, threatening expulsion for those who defied the order.

    In the blink of an eye, another month had passed, and it was time for the second boot camp.

    The Demon Sealing Faction spent three days training the members of Eternal Lotuses and returned to their daily routine.

    One month¡­ two months¡­ three months¡­

    Half a year has passed since Yuan entered the Primal Expanse.

    "We''re almost there." Yingzi notified Yuan as they reached the end of their six-month-long journey.

 Chapter 1610 Supreme Oxs Territory

    Chapter 1610 Supreme Ox''s Territory

    After traveling for another two weeks, Yingzi suddenly stopped moving and said, "We''re at the Supreme Ox''s territory."

    "Finally, after almost seven months." Yuan stretched his body. Since he had to attend boot camp three days every month, it''d extended their trip slightly. "..."

    Yingzi remained still even many momentster, prompting Yuan to ask, "What''s the matter?"

    "What do you mean?" she asked.

    "Why aren''t you moving?" he rified.

    "I do not have a good rtionship with the Supreme Ox, so my presence there will only make things difficult. You will have to meet him yourself," she exined.

    "How strong is this Supreme Ox?"

    "His cultivation is at Perfect Chaotic Immortal."

    "Sorry, but I am not familiar with your cultivation system."

    Yuan proceeded to exin Nine Heaven''s cultivation system to her.

    After taking a few minutes toprehend Nine Heaven''s cultivation system andparing it to the Primal Expanse''s cultivation system, she began exining it to Yuan.

    The Primal Expanse had ten major cultivation realms, each divided into four minor realms: Early, Intermediate, Advanced, and Perfect.

    The major realm consisted of Chaotic Establishment, Chaotic Adept, Chaotic Master, Chaotic Commander, Chaotic King, Chaotic Emperor, Chaotic Overlord, Chaotic Immortal, Chaotic Supreme, and Chaotic God.

    The strength of a Perfect Chaotic Immortal was akin to a peak-level Golden Immortal, but that was only pure spection. Unless two fights with such cultivation collided, there was really no method of finding out.

    ''Equal to a peak-level Golden Immortal, huh? I won''t be able to defeat them if we were to fight for whatever reason suddenly, and I don''t want to expose my trump card so soon¡­''

    Although Yuan trusted Yingzi to a certain extent, he couldn''tpletely trust her at this moment, and he was confident that she would be watching him, so he didn''t want to use Immortal Monarch''s Dominion and reveal it to her just in case he needed it for her.

    He turned to look at Yingzi and spoke, "Yingzi, as you can probably tell, my cultivation is a littlecking. If this Supreme Ox were to attack me for whatever reason, I''d die for sure. If that happens, can I count on you to protect me? Of course, I willpensate you."

    Yingzi pondered for a moment before sticking out her hand, with three fingers raised.

    "What is that?" Yuan asked.

    "Three hundred meat skewers. If you can provide me with that, I will guarantee your safety," she calmly said.

    "It''s a deal," he immediately agreed.

    He''d be willing to exchange 3 million meat skewers for his life, much less three hundred.

    To further improve their rtionship, Yuan gave her ten skewers as a downpayment.

    "Why are you giving me them?" she asked.

    "I''ll give you ten now and the rest if you protect me. We call this a downpayment in our world."

    "What if I don''t need to protect you? Will I have to give them back to you?" Yingzi asked.

    "You can keep the ten skewers even if nothing happens to me."

    Yingzi nodded and immediately began eating the meat skewers since she didn''t have to return them.

    Meanwhile, Yuan ventured into the Supreme Ox''s territory. This domain was a vast, rocky in, offering a stark contrast to the environment of the Sword Head Serpent''s territory. Furthermore, the gravity in this region was significantly altered, being ten times heavier than usual, adding an extrayer of challenge to navigating the area.

    The Supreme Ox''s territory spanned ten thousand miles, a vast expanse that could easily bewilder anyone from Earth. However, Yuan was guided by Yingzi''s directions through divine sense, ensuring that he wouldn''t lose his way.

    As Yuan traveled across the rocky ins of the Supreme Ox''s territory, he observed many Primals roaming the area. Most of these creatures were around the level of a Divine Warrior, equivalent to what would be called an Intermediate Chaotic Master in their world.

    Two days into his journey, Yuan spotted a massive mountain in the distance. In the Primal Expanse, the sky was positioned much higher than in the Nine Heavens, towering several times higher, yet this colossal mountain nearly grazed these lofty heights. Moreover, the side of this mountain bore an impressive engraving of an axe-shaped symbol.

    Once Yuan approached a certain proximity, a domineering voice resonated through the air, carrying an authoritative echo.

    "Halt, intruder." Yuan halted immediately, and he could see a silhouette descending towards him from the direction of the mountain.

    This individual possessed a bulky physique simr to that of a human, with two arms and two legs, but its head was distinctly that of an ox.

    The ox raised an eyebrow after examining Yuan closely.

    "Are you really a dragon? You smell like one, but your cultivation is¡­"

    "What does my cultivation have to do with my bloodline? Who are you, anyway?" Yuan said.

    "I am the Captain of the Supreme Ox''s Axe Squad. Why have you entered our territory?"

    "I''d like to speak with the Supreme Ox."

    "..."

    The Captain narrowed his eyes at Yuan, seemingly pondering something.

    After a moment of silence, he said, "I understand. I will bring you to the Supreme Ox now."

    ''That was too easy...'' Yuan thought inwardly. The ease with which they permitted him to meet their leader seemed suspiciously straightforward, prompting him to question if there were any ulterior motives behind their amodating behavior.

    ''Is it because I am a dragon?''

    Regardless of what they were up to, with Yingzi protecting him, Yuan had no need to worry and followed the Captain.

    Sometimeter, they reached the peak of the mountain, where arge throne made of bones was situated at the center,manding a view of the surroundingndscape.

    However, sitting on the throne was an ugly middle-aged man with unnatural facial features so unsettling they could scare even ghosts.

    Yuan''s eyebrows twitched upon seeing this middle-aged man, who was easily the most unattractive individual he had ever encountered.

    "Supreme Ox, you have a visitor." The Captain kneeled before the Supreme Ox and said.

    The middle-aged man, who had been staring at Yuan long before they even arrived at the mountain, spoke with a mysterious smile on his face, "What brought you to my territory, young dragon?" Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 1611 Appearances

    Chapter 1611 Appearances

    The Supreme Ox''s gaze felt unsettling to Yuan. It carried a mixture of craving and shock, leaving Yuan puzzled about the reason behind such an intense stare. However, he decided to ignore it for now and answered the Supreme Ox''s question.

    "I am looking for a method to leave this world, and I was told you might know the method."

    "Huh?" The Supreme Ox''s eyebrows raised in a puzzled manner.

    "Putting your request aside, who told you that I would know such a thing?"

    Knowing that Yingzi and the Supreme Ox weren''t on good terms, Yuan refrained from mentioning her before him.

    "Some Predator I met by chance. I never got to learn his identity, unfortunately."

    Supreme Ox shook his head and said, "I don''t have the slightest clue to what you''re talking about. However, I may know someone who might."

    "..."

    Yuan was left speechless. After spending half a year traveling to this location, he discovered that the Supreme Ox knew nothing significant, and now, the Supreme Ox was echoing the same information Yingzi had given him.

    ''Am I being scammed here?'' he couldn''t help but wonder inwardly.

    "Who might this individual be?" Yuan eventually asked.

    "Slow down, young dragon. You may carry the bloodline of dragons, but that doesn''t mean you can make free requests in my territory. I will provide you with the information you seek if you''re willing to do me a favor."

    "What is this favor?"

    "It''s quite simple. Allow me to buy¡ªno, let me borrow your appearance for ten thousand years."

    "Huh?" Yuan was bewildered by such an odd favor. "Since you''re a dragon, I''m sure you have nock of beautiful appearances like the one you''re currently wearing, so lend it to me for a bit. Don''t be stingy; it''s only ten thousand years."

    Yuan''s eyes widened at the Supreme Ox''s weird wording.

    ''Nock of appearances? Like the one I''m wearing? What nonsense is this?'' "Why do you want my appearance?" Yuan decided to ask.

    "Are you seriously asking me that? Look at me! I''m heinouspared to you!"

    "¡­" Yuan was speechless.

    At this moment, Yingzi''s voice resounded inside his head, ''In the Primal Expanse, due to ack of humans and our understanding of them, Primals like trading appearances.''

    ''How does that even work? Are you asking me to take off my skin like we do with clothes? We can''t do that.''

    ''It''s not like that. If you agree to let the Supreme Ox borrow your appearance, he will simply copy your appearance and use it for himself. Also, you won''t be allowed to use your appearance for ten thousand years if you agree.''

    ''Why would they choose to borrow appearances? Can''t they simply craft their own, tailored to their liking?'' He struggled to grasp the rationale behind adopting another''s visage when the possibility of creating a unique one existed.

    ''That''s easier said than done. With ack of humans, there are only so many authentic appearances to go around. Also, it is an unspoken rule to never copy another''s appearance without permission, even if you change some of the features.''

    Once Yuan thought about it, Yingzi was right. Even humans would have difficulties if told to create a human appearance without any reference since it cannot resemble another''s appearance too much, much less the beasts within Primal Expanse, where humans don''t exist.

    ''How valuable are appearances in this world?'' Yuan continued asking.

    ''It greatly varies depending on the avable features. Of course, the good-looking ones will be worth more. I have never seen anyone with your quality of appearance, so it should be worth a fortune.'' Yingzi said.

    ''Thanks for the information.''

    "What''s wrong, young dragon? Why aren''t you saying anything?" Supreme Ox asked with a nervous smile on his face.

    Seeing this, Yuan smiled coldly and said, "You want to borrow my appearance in exchange for some information that may not even be reliable? Are you looking down on me, Supreme Ox?"

    The Supreme Ox sucked his teeth after hearing Yuan''s words. He was clearly trying to take advantage of Yuan due to his seemingly young age and low cultivation base.

    "Fine! I won''t ask to borrow it, but allow me to use your appearance as a reference, at the very least!"

    "You''re still asking for too much." Yuan shook his head.

    Supreme Ox frowned and muttered in a cold voice, "Don''t try to push your luck too far, young dragon. The other Predators may be afraid of the dragon bloodline, but we don''t fear you."

    The atmosphere suddenly stiffened, and Yuan could sense many powerful entities in the vicinity announcing their presence, almost as if they were threatening him.

    Yuan remained calm and said, "Are you sure you want to threaten me? You might have to spend the rest of your life in that appearance." Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.

    Before the Supreme Ox could speak, Yuan continued, "I was going to say that while my appearance isn''t for sale or rent, I have plenty of high-quality appearances avable, but if you don''t want them, that''s fine."

    As someone with countless encounters with humans, he had an unlimited supply of human appearances to bargain with in this Primal Expanse. "W-wait!" Supreme Ox quickly said.

    He raised his hand and made a gesture. In the following moment, all of the surrounding presences disappeared.

    "I apologize for my subordinates'' unruly behavior. They are too easily agitated. Anyway, what other appearances do you have? May I see them?"

    Yuan retrieved an appearance-altering pill and swallowed it, transforming himself into a middle-aged man with somewhat handsome features.

    Supreme Ox''s face brightened with excitement the moment he saw Yuan''s disguise, even standing up from his seat.

    "That one! I want that one!" he hastily said.

    "Ten thousand¡ªno, seven thousand years! I''ll give you the information if you will lend it to me for seven thousand years!"

    Yuan calmly nodded, "Deal."

    The Supreme Ox didn''t waste any time and immediately copied every little detail of Yuan''s new appearance, taking it for himself.

 Chapter 1612 Snowy Fox Mountain

    Chapter 1612 Snowy Fox Mountain

    After the transaction, Yuan returned to his original appearance and asked, "So, who is this individual who might have the information I want?"

    The Supreme Ox, now with a pleasing-to-the-eyes appearance, spoke with a satisfied smile, "The DivineFox of Grand Prophecy is known to have knowledge that surpasses every Predator in the Primal Expanse. If she doesn''t have the information you need, I''m afraid that nobody else in the Primal Expanse does."

    "Where can I find this Divine Fox?"

    "The Mystic Valley, but unless the Divine Fox of Grand Prophecy wants to see you, it''s almost impossible to find her."

    "Sounds a bit troublesome, but I''ll figure it out when I get there. Thank you for the information."

    "By the way, which dragon tribe are you from?" The Supreme Ox suddenly asked.

    "That''s a secret."

    "Is that so? Then keep your secrets."

    A momentter, a small figure appeared before Yuan like a ghost.

    "W-who the hell are you?!" The Supreme Ox was startled by Yingzi''s sudden appearance, looking like he couldn''t believe he didn''t notice her presence until she stood right before him.

    ''No¡­ even with my eyes directly on her, I cannot sense her presence! This ghost-like presence¡­ she must be¡ª''

    "Shadow Dweller! What are you doing in my territory?! And that appearance¡­ where did you acquire such a high-quality appearance?!"

    "Shadow Dweller?" Yuan raised an eyebrow at this familiar name.

    He turned to look at Yingzi, who turned out to have the same bloodline as one of the Nine Divine Supremes!

    "Are you trying to start another bloodbath in my territory?!" The Supreme Ox roared, and the presences that appeared to threaten Yuan returned, but there were significantly more this time.

    "Don''t mind me. I am only here as that guy''s travel guide." Yingzi remained calm despite the many threatening presences surrounding them and pointed at Yuan with her gaze.

    "T-travel guide? You?" The Supreme Ox couldn''t believe what he was hearing.

    How could an entity like her be a guide for someone else, even if that individual was a dragon?

    "Are you ready to go to the Mystic Valley?" she asked Yuan the next moment.

    "How far away is the Mystic Valley from this ce?"

    Yingzi pondered for a moment before responding, "Fiftyyears, give or take."

    "¡­"

    ''You can''t be serious¡­''

    Yuan was left absolutely gobsmacked by the ridiculous distance. He thought half a year was already bad enough, but fifty years?

    "That''s too long!" he cried out loud.

    Seeing an opportunity to earn more appearances, the Supreme Ox said, "I know of a way to get to the Mystic Valley in six months."

    "Oh?" Yuan turned to look at him with a hopeful gaze.

    "There''s a natural space tunnel that will take you to the Snowy Fox Mountain, which is around six months away from the Mystic Valley."

    "I can get you there in two months," Yingzi then said.

    "As for the location of this space tunnel¡­" The Supreme Ox spoke with a suggestive smile.

    Yuan immediately realized what the Supreme Ox was thinking, smiled back, and said, "Not just seven thousand years. I''ll let you keep that appearance permanently."

    "DEAL! IT''S A DEAL!" The Supreme Ox excitedly agreed.

    The Supreme Ox proceeded to retrieve a medallion made from a piece of bone and tossed it to Yuan.

    "Since the space tunnel is within my territory, you will need to show that to the guards there."

    He turned to look at one of his minions and said, "Bring them to the space tunnel."

    "As youmand, Supreme Ox." The minion acknowledged with its head lowered.

    Yuan left the mountain to follow the guide shortlyter. They arrived at their location three dayster. The space tunnel appeared to be an ordinary cave at a nce, but Yuan''s divine sense told a different story.

    There were two ox guards standing outside this cave, and they red at Yuan and Yingzi as they approached.

    "The Supreme Ox has given them permission to use the space tunnel." The ox minion exined.

    Yuan showed the bone medallion to the guards, who took it and examined it.

    "Very well, you may enter."

    Yuan and Yingzi entered the cave the next moment while the ox minion stayed behind.

    "Just keep walking until you exit the other side." The ox guard said. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.

    The cave was dimly illuminated by the mysterious purple rocks sticking out of the walls around them.

    There was also a weird energy that filled the cave. This energy felt simr to the energy from teleport formations that Yuan was familiar with, but it was slightly different, and it only got more intense as they walked deeper into the cave.

    After walking for several days straight, Yuan could finally see the end of the cave.

    His steps hastened as they approached the glowing white light.

    When they finally exited the cave, Yuan was greeted by a white mountain range and snow so deep it reached his waist. As for Yingzi, her entire body was submerged in snow, leaving only her head visible.

    "Fifty meat skewers." Yingzi suddenly said. "Traveling in this terrain is a pain, so it will cost you more."

    "Sure. Do you want them now orter? The skewers will quickly get cold in this weather."

    If he didn''t protect his body with spiritual energy, the intense cold would easily freeze it within seconds, but even with his body protected, it was still freezing cold.

    ''I can''t recall thest time I felt this cold¡­''

    Cultivators can regte their body temperature using spiritual energy, ensuringfort even if they stand naked in a snowstorm. However, this ability can be challenged under extreme conditions that are too severe for their energy to suppress.

    Moreover, the snow in this area seemed to possess a unique trait that drained spiritual energy, making it even more challenging for Yuan to maintain a steady body temperature.

    "You can give them to meter," she said.

    "Alright."

    Yingzi picked up Yuan and flew toward the Mystic Valley shortlyter.

 Chapter 1613 Shadow Dweller

    Chapter 1613 Shadow Dweller

    As they ventured deeper into Snowy Fox Mountain, a fierce blizzard raged around them. The harsh conditions didn''t affect Yuan, but he could sense the relentless blizzard gradually chipping away Yingzi''s energy that protected them from the blizzard. Fortunately, Yingzi was able to replenish her energy faster than it was being depleted, averting what could have been a perilous situation.

    "Yingzi, if you don''t mind me asking, what kind of Predator are Shadow Dwellers?" Yuan suddenly asked this question that had been on his mind since it was revealed to him that she was one.

    "What do you mean? Can you be more specific?"

    "You know how the Sword Head Serpent is a snake, and the Supreme Ox is an ox? What about Shadow Dwellers?"

    "If you''re asking about my shape, we don''t really have one. We can be any shape or size, just like shadows."

    ''A shapeshifting beast?'' Yuan tried to imagine her true form, but the closest image he could conjure was that of the shadow monsters he''d seen on television¡ªan entity devoid of any distinct features, merely a shadowy figure resembling a silhouette.

    "We dwell in the shadow, hunt with shadows, and traverse through shadows. We are the pinnacle of hunters¡ªat least, that''s what the others say."

    "Sounds like a species that prefers living in istion," Yuanmented.

    "It''s true. Shadow Dwellers rarely show themselves. I, however, am an exception. I prefer traversing the world and experiencing new things. That''s probably why I am considered an outcast," Yingzi casually remarked.

    Despite calling herself an outcast, Yingzi didn''t sound dispirited or saddened, almost as if she waspletely fine with it.

    "Tell me about your world¡ªthis Nine Heavens." Yingzi suddenly said.

    Yuan nodded and recalled some of his experiences in the Nine Heavens with her.

    A month passed in the blink of an eye.

    Halfway through their journey, in the midst of Yuan''s mental meditation, a voice suddenly rippled loudly throughout the Snowy Fox Mountain.

    This voice carried a profound power that had the ability to stop the blizzard.

    Yingzi stopped moving after hearing this voice, and she warned Yuan, "The owner of this territory will be here shortly."

    The moment Yingzi finished her sentence, and before Yuan could even respond, a white-haired woman wearing white robes appeared before them.

    "You may be a dragon, but how dare you trespass into my territory without permission? Are you looking for death?" The woman spoke in a bold tone.

    At a nce, the aura exuded by this woman was slightly stronger than the Supreme Ox. "Huh? There are two of you?" The woman''s eyes widened with surprise after realizing that she''d failed to sense Yingzi''s presence.

    "I apologize for entering your territory, but we don''t have any business with you or this ce. We''re just trying to reach the Mystic Valley." Yuan exined the situation to her.

    "I don''t care what you''re doing or where you''re going. It doesn''t change the fact that you''re trespassing into my territory," she sneered.

    ''Are entering another''s territory usually such a big deal?'' Yuan asked Yingzi through divine sense.

    ''It varies from individual to individual, but it''s usually considered rude to enter another''s territory without permission. This only applies to Predators, though. Primals have no intelligence, so we can''t really me them for trespassing. They''re also considered a source of food and power for Predators, so they''re more than wee to trespass.''

    After taking a quick moment to ponder a way out of this, Yuan spoke, "Is there anything we can do to make it up to you? Would a high-quality appearance be good enough?"

    "Y-you¡­ are you bribing me?" The woman wore a bewildered expression on her ordinary face. Property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Killing intent surged from her the following moment. "I don''t care who you are or what you have to offer! Nobody bribes me!"

    Noticing the woman was preparing to strike, Yuan quickly swallowed an appearance-altering pill and transformed himself into a beautiful woman. He also ensured the appearance had white hair, reflecting the woman''s current appearance.

    "..."

    The woman, previously trembling with anger, suddenly froze. Her enraged expression shifted to one of bewilderment, as if she had just witnessed a miracle.

    "Y-you''re willing to give me that appearance¡­?" she asked in a low voice.

    Yuan nodded and said, "If you''re willing to overlook our trespass and let us continue our journey without any further issues, I''ll let you keep it."

    The woman lowered her head to hide her face while she pondered whether she should ept his offer.

    ''If I ept his offer, my pride will¡­ Forget it! I must get my hands on that appearance, no matter the cost!''

    It didn''t take long for the woman to make up her mind.

    "It''s a deal!"

    She swiftly mimicked Yuan''s appearance and then flew away immediately afterward, not uttering another word.

    They continued their journey shortlyter, and the blizzard never returned.

    After another month, they finally arrived at their destination.

    Before reaching the Mystic Valley, they had to cross an ocean whose surface suddenly began to glow, casting a shimmering light across the expansive waters.

    "So this is the Mystic Valley, huh? It''s a beautiful ce." Yuanmented after seeing the morous scenery before him.

    The Mystic Valley was draped in blue and purple trees, lending the area an exotic ambiance. Additionally, these trees bore glowing fruits that illuminated the entire valley, casting a light reminiscent of street stalls glowing softly in the night.

    Moreover, a long river that flowed into the glowing ocean bisected the valley, contributing to its mystical atmosphere. The water in this river also glowed, further enhancing the otherworldly aura of the ce.

    "Do you know where we can find the Divine Fox of Grand Prophecy?" Yuan asked Yingzi after he finished admiring the ce.

    Yingzi shook her head and replied, "No, but the Mystic Valley is a rtively small ce, and one could fully explore it in just a few months. If we search every nook and cranny, we should eventually find her."

 Chapter 1614 Mystic Valley

    Chapter 1614 Mystic Valley

    Shortly after their arrival, Yuan and Yingzi started looking around the Mystic Valley, using their eyes and divine sense to search for the Divine Fox of Grand Prophecy.

    "I want five meat skewers now." Yingzi extended her hand and said.

    Yuan acknowledged her request and retrieved five skewers before giving them to her.

    The moment the meat skewers emerged from his spatial ring, releasing their unique aroma into the air, all of the Primals within a hundred-mile radius detected the scent and charged in their direction.

    Sensing the iing danger, Yingzi released a burst of her aura. The instant the Primals detected her powerful presence, they abruptly turned and fled in the opposite direction, not halting their frantic escape even hundreds of milester.

    This was Yuan''s first time experiencing Yingzi''s ''presence.'' It was chaotic and unlike anything he had previously encountered. There was something fundamentally different about the beasts in the Primal Expansepared to those in the Nine Heavens.

    ''Is this due to the Chaotic Essence that they absorb?''

    Yuan wondered how it would affect his body if he cultivated Chaotic Essence, but he was reluctant to try, as it could harm his body.

    Over the following weeks, Yuan and Yingzi methodically traversed the Mystic Valley. Throughout this journey, they encountered numerous species of Primals, none of which Yuan recognized.

    Most of the Primals'' strength ranged between Spirit King and Divine Ancestor, with a few having the strength of an Immortal. However, regardless of their strength, not many approached them, primarily due to Yuan''s dragon scent. The few who dared to approach them were instantly scared away when they saw Yingzi, so their journey was rtively peaceful.

    One day, Yuan halted abruptly when a unique glow caught the corner of his eye. Turning his attention to the source, he discovered it was a glowing purple mushroom nestled among the branches of a nearby tree. Intrigued by its luminous appearance, he moved closer for a better look.

    "Do you know what this is?" Yuan asked Yingzi, who stared at it from a distance, seemingly unwilling to get closer to it for whatever reason.

    "That is a Primal Bane. It contains a tremendous amount of Chaotic Essence, but it''s also extremely poisonous. Just its scent alone could kill," she exined.

    "Is that why I don''t sense any Primals in this area? Are you okay?" he asked her.

    Yingzi replied, "I am not weak enough to be killed by its scent, but I dislike its smell." "More importantly¡­ how are you fine?"

    Yuan shrugged and said, "I''m not sure, but I don''t think it''s poisonous for me. After all, I can feel my cultivation rising just by being near it."

    He proceeded to pick the mushroom, which was the size of an apple.

    "Are all humans as reckless as you?" Yingzi asked with raised eyebrows.

    Yuan chuckled and said, "I can''t speak for all humans, but I am definitely not as reckless as you think."

    Yuan examined the Primal Bane in finer detail once it was in his hands.

    After staring at it for several minutes, Yuan suddenly opened his mouth and tossed the glowing mushroom inside.

    Yingzi was taken aback by Yuan''s actions. However, her immediate concern wasn''t for his safety but rather the prospect of not receiving any more meat skewers if something were to happen to him.

    As Yuan bit into the glowing mushroom, it released a sweet nectar that tingled his taste buds and offered a surprising burst of vor.

    <You have consumed Primal Bane>

    <You have gained Supreme Poison Resistance>

    <You have absorbed enough Qi for a breakthrough!>

    <You have reached Second Level Spirit Emperor>

    <You have absorbed enough Qi for a breakthrough!>

    <You have reached Third Level Spirit Emperor>

    <You have absorbed enough Qi for a breakthrough!>

    <You have reached Fourth Level Spirit Emperor>

    Not only did Yuan gain poison resistance from the mushroom, but he also experienced three consecutive breakthroughs in his cultivation despite the Celestial Emperor''s curse, which was a pleasant surprise.

    Yingzi''s eyes widened slightly as she witnessed these events, leading her to ponder whether Yuan''s human nature made him unique, or if there was something inherently special about him.

    "This Primal Bane is great. Do you see any more around here?" Yuan turned to Yingzi and asked.

    Although she was speechless, Yingzi still used her divine sense to search for more Primal Banes.

    A few momentster, she said, "There''s another one about two days away."

    "Great! Let me eat that one, too!"

    "..."

    Two dayster, Yuan tossed the second Primal Bane into his mouth.

    <You have absorbed enough Qi for a breakthrough!>

    <You have reached Fifth Level Spirit Emperor>

    He only managed to breakthrough once this time around, but he still felt it was worth it.

    As they continued to look for the Divine Fox of Grand Prophecy, Yuan also kept an eye out for more Primal Banes or anything that seemed like it would strengthen him.

    A weekter, Yingzi suddenly descended toward the glowing river. With a swift hand gesture, she raised an azure-colored flower from the water and hovered it before Yuan.

    "This is a Luminous Aquatic Lily. It''s poisonous enough to instantaneously kill a Chaotic Overlord. I''ll give it to you for one hundred meat skewers," she said.

    Yuan stared at the beautiful flower that glowed even brighter than the Primal Bane and swallowed nervously.

    ''Young Master! That''s the Sacred Ocean Lily!'' Yu Ning''s shocked voice suddenly resounded.

    ''Oh? You recognize this treasure?'' he inquired. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    ''Of course. It''s an extremely rare treasure that can only be found in the Azure Dragon n''s territory, deep within the Azure Ocean. It''s said to grant one immunity to poison!'' Yu Ning exined.

    ''Immunity to poison, huh?''

    "Alright, It''s a deal," Yuan said to Yingzi the next moment.

    ''This is safe to consume, right?'' Yuan asked for confirmation from Yu Ning.

    ''You''re asking that now, after you ate that weird mushroom, even though you knew it was poisonous?'' she said in a dumbfounded voice.

    ''Anyway, yes, it''s poisonous and can only be safely consumed if taken with Saint Dew, which neutralizes the poison when consumed together.''

 Chapter 1615 Luminous Aquatic Lily

    Chapter 1615 Luminous Aquatic Lily

    With a pondering face, Yuan stared at the Luminous Aquatic Lily, also known as the Sacred Ocean Lily in the Nine Heavens. Despite Yu Ning''s confirmation that it was poisonous, he had Supreme Poison Resistance, and he managed to consume the Primal Bane without any resistance.

    ''I cannot rely on Yingzi forever since I only had a limited amount of skewers left to use on her. Moreover, I don''t feel any sense of dread from it¡­''

    He considered whether to consume the Luminous Aquatic Lily immediately or wait until he had obtained the Saint Dew to safely neutralize its poisonous effects.

    "Aren''t you going to eat it?" Yingzi suddenly asked him.

    After hearing Yingzi''s words, Yuan quickly made up his mind. Without any hesitation, he tossed the entire flower into his mouth the very next second.

    "Young Master?!" Yu Ning eximed in a shocked voice after seeing his actions. She''d just told him that it was poisonous, so why would he do something so foolish?

    "!!!"

    Upon consuming the Luminous Aquatic Lily, Yuan felt an immense burst of energy surge through his body, so powerful that it threatened to cause his body to explode. Recognizing the urgency, he quickly found a ce to sit down and focus on cultivating to control the overwhelming energy.

    Since the Luminous Aquatic Lily had thrived in an environment rich with Chaotic Essence, consuming it began to alter Yuan''s aura. Gradually, his aura grew more chaotic, beginning to resemble that of the residents of the Primal Expanse, marking a significant transformation in his energy.

    Although the Primal Bane also contained a lot of Chaotic Essence, it was not enough to affect Yuan. The Luminous Aquatic Lily, however, was at least fifty times more potent than the Primal Bane.

    Yuan''s cultivation soared in the following moments.

    <You have absorbed enough Qi for a breakthrough!>

    <You have reached Fifth Level Spirit Emperor>

    <You have absorbed enough Qi for a breakthrough!>

    <You have reached Sixth Level Spirit Emperor>

    <You have absorbed enough Qi for a breakthrough!>

    <You have reached Seventh Level Spirit Emperor>

    <You have absorbed enough Qi for a breakthrough!>

    <You have reached Eighth Level Spirit Emperor>

    <You have absorbed enough Qi for a breakthrough!>

    <You have reached Ninth Level Spirit Emperor>

    In the blink of an eye, Yuan''s cultivation base surged to the peak of the Spirit Emperor level, then began to stabilize. Over the following hours, his cultivation slowly advanced, inching closer to the threshold of Spirit Sovereign.

    A day after Yuan consumed the Luminous Aquatic Lily, his aura, which had been tranquil for some time, suddenly skyrocketed.

    <You have absorbed enough Qi for a breakthrough!>

    <You have reached First Level Spirit Sovereign>

    <Sacred Ocean Lily has beenpletely refined>

    <Heaven Refining Immortal Physique has strengthened the effects of Sacred Ocean Lily>

    <Your skill ''Supreme Poison Resistance'' has developed into ''Hundred Poison Immunity''>

    <Your skill ''Hundred Poison Immunity'' has developed into ''Ten Thousand Poison Immunity''>

    <Due to arge consumption of Chaotic Essence, you have begun to develop a Chaotic Heart>

    Ding!

    <You have received a Quest>

    [Quest: Chaotic Heart]

    [Difficulty: Hard]

    [Quest Description: Consume Chaotic Essence andplete your Chaotic Heart]

    [Progress: 10%]

    [Reward: Chaotic Heart]

    Yuan stared at the quest with wide eyes.

    "Congrattions on your breakthrough, Young Master¡­" Yu Ning''s dumbfounded voice snapped him out of his daze.

    He turned to look at Yingzi and asked, "What''s a Chaotic Heart?"

    "That''s what we have and need to cultivate," she calmly responded.

    Her eyes suddenly narrowed as she fixed an intense stare at him.

    "I can sense a Chaotic Heart, one that didn''t exist before, within you¡­ However, it doesn''t seemplete¡­ How is that possible?" she muttered in a dazed voice.

    The residents of the Primal Expanse are naturally born with a Chaotic Heart, so nobody knew it could be created¡ªin a human, much less.

    "What did you do?" Yingzi asked him a momentter.

    "Besides consuming the Luminous Aquatic Lily, nothing really. I think it''s because I consumed arge amount of Chaotic Essence, which I am not used to," he said.

    "..."

    Yingzi wore a pondering expression on her face, but she didn''t say anything else.

    "Give me a few more hours. I want to try something."

    Yuan closed his eyes again and began cultivating.

    Six hourster, his progress increased by a single percent.

    ''At this rate, I will need to cultivate for 23 days toplete the Chaotic Heart.''

    "I need 23 days toplete my Chaotic Heart. Can you wait a little for me?" Yuan asked Yingzi, who calmly nodded.

    Once Yuan returned to his cultivation, Yingzi sat beside him and watched him slowly form his Chaotic Heart.

    However, Yuan emerged from his cultivation only a weekter.

    ''This won''t work. My progress slowed down significantly after reaching 20 percent. I will need to consume treasures if I want any decent progress.''

    He should have gained 28 percent in thest week, but he only managed to achieve an increase of 9 percent. He reached 20 percent overall progress on the second day but failed to make any further progress in the subsequent days.

    "What''s wrong?" Yingzi asked when she noticed he''d suddenly stopped cultivating.

    "There were some errors in my calctions. It seems the requirements increase as I get closer topleting the Chaotic Heart," Yuan sighed out loud.

    "At this rate, I don''t know how long it will take me to finish it. I will need to consume more treasures containing Chaotic Essence if I want toplete my Chaotic Heart anytime soon."

    "Treasures, right? I can find them for you, but in exchange¡­"

    "You want meat skewers, right?"

    She nodded.

    "Alright."

    They returned to looking for the Divine Fox of Grand Prophecy shortly after.

    As they continued to search the Mystic Valley, Yingzi would asionally bring Yuan treasures rich with Chaotic Essence. While these treasures were not as potent as the Primal Bane, much less the Luminous Aquatic Lily, it was still enough to progress his Chaotic Heart.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 1616 Divine Fox of Grand Prophecy

    Chapter 1616 Divine Fox of Grand Prophecy

    A month has passed since Yuan consumed the Luminous Aquatic Lily. During this time, he''d consumed numerous treasures while searching for the Divine Fox of Grand Prophecy.

    His progress with the Chaotic Heart had reached fifty percent, but his cultivation hadn''t increased even slightly due to the Chaotic Heart absorbing all of the Chaotic Essence.

    Most of the treasures were acquired by Yingzi, and in exchange for them, Yuan had to give her several hundred meat skewers.

    ''Will my supplyst until I can create my Chaotic Heart¡­?'' Yuan wondered inwardly as he checked his swiftly declining stock of meat skewers.

    He had only about five thousand meat skewers left, which might seem plentiful, but given Yingzi''s rapid consumption rate, his supply could be depleted within a year.

    "We''ve searched the entire Mystic Valley." Yingzi suddenly announced.

    "Is it possible the Divine Fox of Grand Prophecy isn''t in her own territory?" Yuan asked.

    "There is a chance she isn''t home, but we won''t know for sure unless we burn down this whole ce to draw her out."

    Yuan looked at Yingzi with wide eyes, clearly surprised by her savage suggestion.

    "It won''t take much effort or time," Yingzi said, misunderstanding his feelings.

    Before Yuan could respond, a new voice echoed through the air, "I knew my Mystic Valley would be receiving some special visitors, but s, what a disappointment. How dare you even speak of destroying my beautiful territory?" The tone was stern, filled with a mixture of anger and disappointment.

    A formidable presence suddenly enveloped the area, and Yuan caught a glimpse of a silhouette in the corner of his eye, prompting him to swiftly turn his head toward the source.

    Standing atop an enormous boulder in the distance was a majestic azure-colored fox with golden eyes and purple patterns across its body. Its four tails fluttered gracefully behind it, adding to its ethereal presence.

    This golden fox possessed a cultivation level that was at least two to three tiers higher than both the Supreme Ox and the woman Yuan had encountered in the Snowy Fox Mountain, and it exuded a fierce holy aura, almost as if it was a divine being from heaven.

    "Are you the Divine Fox of Grand Prophecy?" Yuan asked despite knowing the answer.

    "That''s right. Who''s asking?" she responded, her voice tinged with a mix of pride and arrogance.

    "Hello. My name is Yuan, and I came here for your help."

    "My help? That''s a good joke, considering you were just talking about destroying my territory to lure me out," she coldly sneered.

    "What? I''m sure she was just joking out of frustration since we couldn''t find you even after searching the whole Mystic Valley."

    The Divine Fox of Grand Propechy narrowed her eyes and sneered, "Yes, I saw¡­how you stole and consumed all of the treasures in my territory!"

    Yuan''s eyes widened at her usation. It had never urred to him that gathering natural treasures in the wild could be considered stealing.

    Unbeknownst to him, in the Primal Expanse, once an individual imed a territory, everything within it was considered their possession. Thus, taking anything from that territory was viewed as stealing.

    "To tell you the truth, I''m not from around here, so I don''t know your rules. I apologize if I offended you, and if there''s any way I canpensate you, don''t hesitate to let me know."

    The Divine Fox of Grand Prophecy fell silent after hearing his words. Eventually, she said, "If you wish topensate me, then give me those meat sticks you have been giving that Shadow Dweller."

    "Of course. How many do you want?"

    "All of it," she responded without hesitation.

    "That''s¡­"

    However, before Yuan could even formte a response, immense killing intent suddenly surged from Yingzi''s small frame, enveloping the entire Mystic Valley in an instant.

    "Don''t push your luck too far, Divine Fox," she growled in a shivering tone.

    Despite the intense atmosphere, the Divine Fox neither fled nor showed any signs of fear, standing firm andposed. In stark contrast, the nearby Primals scrambled away in terror, visibly shaken to their core, even pissing themselves while they fled.

    "What? You wanna go at it? I''m not afraid of you." The Divine Fox sneered, her posture oozing with confidence for some reason.

    "We didn''te here to fight you. Also, I would give you all of my meat skewers if I could, but as you can see, it will only lead to an even bigger problem, so I will refrain from doing so." Yuan sighed.

    "How about five hundred meat skewers?"

    "..."

    After a moment of silence, the Divine Fox nodded, "Fine. I''ll forgive you for five hundred of those meat sticks."

    Yuan immediately retrieved 500 meat skewers and offered them to the Divine Fox, who started eating them the moment it was in her grasp.

    "Oh my! What a unique vor! I have never tasted anything like this before! What kind of Primal meat is this?!" eximed the Divine Fox, her entire body trembling with joy as she savored the meat skewers, clearly delighted by the unfamiliar and exquisite taste.

    "I can tell you if you answer one of my questions," Yuan saw this opportunity and said. Property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    "There is almost nothing I don''t know. What do you want to know?"

    "A method of leaving this world," he said.

    "..."

    The Divine Fox stopped chewing on the meat skewers and stared at him in silence, her thoughts unknown.

    Sometimeter, she quickly chewed her food and swallowed before speaking in a calm voice, "As I thought, you''re not from this world."

    "How can you tell?" Yuan asked out of curiosity.

    "How can I not after watching you for thest several weeks? Not only do youckmon sense, but you alsock a Chaotic Heart. Are you even a dragon or a human disguised as one? It''s been a few million years since we''ve had a visitor from the other side."

    Yuan smiled inwardly after observing the Divine Fox''s knowledgeable demeanor, hopeful that she might possess the information he needed to return to the Nine Heavens.

 Chapter 1617 Primal Monarch

    Chapter 1617 Primal Monarch

    "You''re right. I am not from this world originally. I came to the Primal Expanse by ident, and I am trying to look for a way back to my own world." Yuan said to the Divine Fox of Grand Prophecy after she correctly guessed his identity.

    "And you think I know this method? What made youe here, anyway?" The Divine Fox asked.

    "That''s what the Supreme Ox said. Don''t tell me you don''t¡­" Yuan swallowed nervously.

    "I do know how to leave this world."

    "Really?!"

    Yuan''s expression brightened after hearing this.

    "Yes, but I do not have the power to do so. If you want to leave this world, you will need to find someone else."

    "Not this again..." Yuan muttered in disbelief.

    He had already spent a year in the Primal Expanse, with most of that time devoted to searching for someone who could help him escape this realm.

    This was now the third time he was being directed to find another individual who ''might'' be able to assist him. The repeated dead ends were bing increasingly frustrating, but there was nothing he could do but continue following these leads.

    Seeing Yuan''s disappointed face, the Divine Fox borated, "You probably don''t know this, but the Primal Expanse has a master¡ªone true ruler that governs every Primal and Predator in existence."

    "Not only does he rule over the entire Primal Expanse, but he also has the power to connect this world to the other world. If you want to leave this world, you''ll need to find him."

    "Who is this individual?" Yuan asked.

    "Some call him the One True Monarch while others call him the Primal Monarch or Monarch of Primals."

    "Primal Monarch¡­?" Yuan repeated in a mumbling voice. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.

    Although this should have been his first time hearing of this individual, Yuan couldn''t shake a sense of familiarity, as if he somehow already knew or was connected to them in some way.

    "Where can I find him?" Yuan then asked.

    The Divine Fox pointed the skewers in her hand at him and said, "So, what kind of meat is this?"

    Clearly, she had no intention of answering all of his questions for free.

    The Divine Fox pointed the skewers in her hand at him and said, "So, what kind of meat is this?"

    Clearly, she had no intention of answering all of his questions for free.

    "There are three types of meat used for those meat skewers. Theye from animals we call chicken,mb, and cow." "Are animals in your world what we call Primals here?" she asked.

    "No. Animals don''t have spiritual energy. They''re essentially powerless Primals."

    "I see¡­ Which meat is this?" Divine Fox asked as she showed him one of the skewers.

    "That white meat is from chicken. The small, chunky ones aremb meat. The brown slices are beef¡ªcow meat." Yuan exined.

    "And what are these tiny specks of dust on it? I can tell that''s where most of the vorse from." The Divine Fox continued to inquire.

    "We call those spices, which aremonly used to give or enhance vors in our food. Without them, the meat will taste quite nd."

    "I see¡­ how intriguing¡­" The Divine Fox stared at the meat skewers.

    "I happen to have some spices on me. If you want, I can give you some." Yuan suddenly retrieved several bottles of spices, mainly salt, sugar, garlic, and crushed pepper.

    "Oh?!" The Divine Fox''s gaze suddenly brightened.

    "Of course, it''s not for free¡ª"

    "If you want to find the Primal Monarch, it''s impossible. He''s not an individual you can just seek out. Like me, he will only appear before you if he chooses to do so. If he doesn''t want you to find him, you will spend the rest of your life trying."

    "What?! Then how am I¡ª"

    The Divine Fox interrupted, "Of course, I can help you find¡ªgive you a better chance of finding him. With my divination, I can locate his proximity. Whether or not you will be able to find him is entirely up to your luck and fate."

    "However, for my abilities to work on the Primal Monarch, I will need to use a tremendous amount of Chaotic Essence¡ªmore than what I currently have, so you''ll need to supply me with the rest. This is also why I can only give you his proximity, as Ick the power to do anything more."

    Yuan tossed the spices to the Divine Fox of Grand Prophecy after receiving her answer.

    "So, what would it cost to have you help me find him?" Yuan asked the following moment.

    "I''ll be severely weakened after using my ability on the Primal Monarch, so it''ll cost you more than just some spices or food." The Divine Fox said.

    "I have an annoying neighbor who''s always been a pain in my butt and consistently trying to scheme against me. I want you to get rid of them for me," she said.

    "If this individual is so strong that even you cannot get rid of them, what hope do I have?" Yuan asked.

    "They''re not particrly strong. I would have no issue dealing with someone at their level in ordinary circumstances, but this one has a special background, so I am unable to harm them without putting myself at risk. With that being said, they still have the strength of a Perfect Chaotic King, way above what you can handle at your current level."

    "Perfect Chaotic King¡­ so around Divine Sovereign, huh? I think I can manage." Yuan said.

    "Huh? You''re barely a Perfect Chaotic Adept. There''s no way you can defeat someone three major realms stronger than yourself. In the first ce, I never expected you to do the work, but your little friend here." The Divine Fox of Grand Prophecy''s gaze stared at Yingzi as she spoke.

    Yuan smiled and said, "I have my ways."

    "Whatever. I don''t care how you deal with that bastard as long as you get rid of him. Once you do that, I''ll divine the Primal Monarch''s location for you. Also, don''t forget about the extra Chaotic Essence. I need a treasure that will temporarily boost my strength, or it won''t work, and coincidentally, that annoying bastard has something like that in his possession."

 Chapter 1618 Starfire Dragon

    Chapter 1618 Starfire Dragon

    "So, who is this Primal that you want to get rid of?" Yuan asked.

    "Not a Primal. He''s a Predator." The Divine Fox corrected him. "He has a dragon bloodline¡ªa real one."

    "Dragon bloodline, huh? Is that why you cannot attack him?"

    "He''s from the Divine Dragon Sanctuary, one of the top powers in the Primal Expanse. If I attack him and offend them, they could easily destroy me and my territory. However, you''re a different story. Even if you kill him, it won''t affect you once you leave this ce."

    Yuan raised an eyebrow and said, "But you were expecting Yingzi to kill him, and she is a resident of this world."

    Divine Fox of Grand Propechy looked at Yingzi and sneered, "You know nothing about Shadow Dwellers. With their ability to hide their presencepletely, she can traverse the Primal Expanse without worry, even with the entire world hunting her."

    "Even if she''spletely invisible, it doesn''t make it okay to use her like that. Also, I don''t have to kill your neighbor, only get rid of him, right?"

    The Divine Fox of Grand Prophecy became silent to ponder.

    A momentter, she spoke, "I would prefer it if you killed him, but if you can''t, just make sure he never returns."

    "Sounds good. Then I''ll go visit him now." Yuan said.

    "What about me?" Yingzi asked.

    "I don''t think I''ll need your help this time, but you cane with me just in case."

    Yingzi nodded and decided to follow him, motivated by the opportunity to possibly acquire more meat skewers.

    Yuan began traveling to the dragon''s territory after acquiring more information from the Divine Fox.

    ording to the Divine Fox of Grand Prophecy, Yuan''s next target was a Starfire Dragon, who resided within the ming Peak¡ªa fierynd perpetually engulfed in mes.

    The ming Peak was roughly ten days away from Mystic Valley, even when traveling at Yingzi''s swift pace. As they neared their destination, the temperature soared to extreme levels, reaching intensities that could melt even Spirit Kings if they ventured too close.

    ''If it weren''t for my physique, I would probably be a puddle right now¡­'' Yuan thought to himself as he tried to cool himself.

    He looked at Yingzi, who didn''t have a single drop of sweat on her, seemingly unaffected by the intense heat.

    The heat only worsened as they approached the ming Peak. However, despite his situation, Yuan took this opportunity to temper his body.

    <You have gained Weak Fire Resistance>

    <You have gained Powerful Fire Resistance>

    As Yuan bolstered his fire resistance, the oppressive heat began to affect him less. Gradually, he adjusted until the once scorching temperatures felt merely warm, akin to that of lukewarm water.

    Upon arriving at ming Peak, Yuan was met with a fiery spectacle. The ce itself was an ind featuring a solitary mountain at its center. The entire ind was engulfed in mes, and the mountain was an active volcano, further intensifying the zingndscape.

    Upon arriving at ming Peak, Yuan was met with a fiery spectacle. The ce itself was an ind featuring a solitary mountain at its center. The entire ind was engulfed in mes, and the mountain was an active volcano, further intensifying the zingndscape.

    Resting within the volcano, submerged inva, was a solitary silhouette. Upon closer examination with his divine sense, Yuan discovered it was a handsome young man with short red hair.

    When the handsome young man sensed Yuan''s divine sense probing, his eyes snapped wide open, revealing their striking golden hue.

    "Who dares to spy on this Young Lord?!"

    The Starfire Dragon roared as he leaped into the air before staring directly at Yuan''s direction.

    "Hm? A dragon?" The Starfire Dragon narrowed his eyes after realizing this.

    "Which n do you belong to? And what business do you have here in my territory¡ªwith a Shadow Dweller, no less?" The Starfire Dragon immediately began interrogating Yuan.

    "How dare a lowly Starfire Dragon question me?" Yuan roared in an arrogant voice.

    Given that the Primal Expanse was a dog-eat-dog world, Yuan decided that it would be in his best interest to project strength, adopting an overbearing demeanor to show no signs of weakness.

    "L-lowly Starfire Dragon¡­?!" The handsome young man trembled in anger and disbelief.

    While it was true that the Starfire Dragon''s bloodline wasn''t top-tier¡ªranking only in the lower middle in terms of quality and purity¡ªthe Starfire Dragon had never before been humiliated or looked down upon in such a manner.

    "HOW DARE YOU!"

    As the Starfire Dragon''s anger surged, so did its aura, sending powerful ripples across the entire ind, causing the mes to dance violently.

    "I don''t care who you are or where the fuck you came from, but you will not be leaving here alive today!"

    The Starfire Dragon soared toward Yuan like a ming meteor.

    Seeing this, Yingzi spoke, "Do you want me to suppress him for you?"

    "No, it''s fine. I can handle this."

    Yingzi puffed her cheeks at his refusal, seemingly disappointed that she couldn''t earn some meat skewers.

    Once the Starfire Dragon was close enough, Yuan suddenly activated Dragon''s Gaze.

    "Wha¡ª?!"

    The Starfire Dragon halted upon being struck by Dragon''s Gaze. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.

    "T-this power is¡ª! Dragon''s Influence! You''re royalty?!" The Starfire Dragon cried out loud, his anger dissipating instantly after realizing he was baring his fangs against royalty.

    Even if he had the Divine Dragon Santuary''s backing, they would not hesitate to disown him if they knew he''d offended a dragon of a royal bloodline.

    ''Why the hell is a royal dragon causing trouble for me, a nobody?!''

    Although the Starfire Dragon found it weird that he didn''t recognize Yuan even though he memorized every member of the royal family, not to mention Yuan''s low cultivation base, he was in no position to think properly.

    "Your Highness! This is an misunderstanding! Please tell me why you are here!" The Starfire Dragon lowered his head and said.

    "Not only do you dare to question me, but you even dare to give me orders? Who do you think you are, huh?!" Yuan roared, sending chills down the Starfire Dragon''s spine.

    ''This overbearing demeanor! The strength of his Dragon''s Influence! He''s definitely royalty¡ªa high-ranking one, at that!'' he cried inwardly.

 Chapter 1619 Starfire Dragon(2)

    Chapter 1619 Starfire Dragon(2)

    "M-my apologies, Your Highness! It wasn''t my intention! I was wrong!" Starfire Dragon quickly lowered his head.

    "If you know you''re wrong, why are you still hovering above me and looking down on me like you''re above me? Get on your knees! Or are you waiting for me to help you with my authority!? A lowly dragon like you?!" Yuan shouted, increasing the intensity of Dragon''s Gaze.

    ''This fucker is really too overbearing! But there''s nothing I can do!'' The Starfire Dragon cried inwardly before reluctantly descending to the ground and kneeling before Yuan.

    "¡­"

    Yingzi stared at Yuan with slightly widened eyes, clearly surprised by his domineering demeanor.

    Once the Starfire Dragon was forced to kneel on the ground amidst the mes, Yuan fell silent. He spent the next several moments staring intently at the subdued dragon, his silence serving to further humiliate the proud creature.

    Eventually, Yuan spoke, "So, what are you doing here, on this ind that is obviously too small for you?"

    "T-this ce may be small, but the yang energy here is very beneficial for me, so I am training here."

    The Starfire Dragon didn''t dare to reveal the truth¡ªthat he was actually there to court the Divine Fox of Grand Prophecy, fearing that it might make him look weak and pathetic. Moreover, he was afraid that Yuan might take an interest in the Divine Fox of Grand Prophecy and steal her away from him.

    However, Yuan suddenly trembled, his face filled with anger.

    "Y-Your Highness¡­?" The Starfire Dragon had a bad feeling after seeing this.

    "Do you think I am stupid? That I am easily fooled? How dare you, a lowly dragon, mock me?!" Yuan roared, his body surging with immense killing intent.

    "?!?!"

    The Starfire Dragon was left in utter shock and fear after sensing Yuan''s immense killing intent, which manifested as a red miasma enveloping the entire ind. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.

    Even Yingzi, who had encountered countless bloodthirsty Primals and Predators throughout her life, was taken aback by the intensity of Yuan''s killing intent. Despite her extensive experience with formidable beings, she had never felt anything as overwhelming as the aura Yuan now emitted.

    "I will give you onest chance to tell me what you are doing on this ind!" Yuan roared.

    "I¡­I¡­I am truly sorry, Your Highness! Training here was just an excuse! I am actually here for the Divine Fox of Grand Prophecy, whose territory is close by! I have been trying to court her for many years now, and living close to her makes it more convenient!"

    "If you don''t provide me a good reason why you lied to me the first time, I''ll ensure you experience a fate worse than death!" Yuan said.

    "I truly don''t know why I lied to you, Your Highness! Please forgive me!"

    "No, that''s not good enough." Yuan shook his head with a profound glint in his eyes.

    "But I''ll give you a chance to redeem yourself."

    "Anything!"

    "Let''s have a spar. If you can defeat me within half an hour, I will pretend you never lied. However, if I win, you will leave this ce and never approach the Divine Fox of Grand Prophecy."

    "?!?!"

    The Starfire Dragon couldn''t believe his ears.

    ''He wants to spar with me? As far as I can tell, he''s only at Perfect Chaotic Adept! He won''tst a second against me, much less half an hour!''

    Yuan narrowed his eyes at the Starfire Dragon and muttered in a cold voice, "Are you looking down on me right now?"

    "H-huh? O-of course not! I wouldn''t dare!" The Starfire Dragon vigorously shook his head. ''He''s probably hiding his cultivation. There''s no way someone with a royal bloodline would have such a low cultivation!'' The Starfire Dragon convinced himself.

    A few momentster, Yuan descended to the fiery ground. Despite his entire body being engulfed in mes, he did not burn and only felt mildly ufortable due to his enhanced resistance.

    "Do you need some time to prepare?" Yuan asked.

    "No, I can start whenever."

    He nodded and said, "Don''t hold back just because of my status. I don''t want any excusester."

    "As youmand¡­"

    The Starfire Dragon transformed entirely the following moment, bing a giant, red dragon.

    He had expected Yuan to shift into his true form for the battle, as fighting in human form would be a disadvantage. So, when Yuan remained in his human guise, he couldn''t help but ask, "You''re going to fight me in that appearance?"

    "You''re not even worth it. In fact, if you can make me fully transform, I''ll consider it my defeat," Yuan said as he partially transformed.

    ''This arrogant bastard!'' The Starfire Dragon clenched his teeth, cursing inwardly.

    "Then here Ie."

    Without using any weapons, Yuan made the first move and approached the Starfire Dragon. He wanted to see his current limit after so many breakthroughs.

    They shed shortly after, with the Starfire Dragon unleashing devastating mes with every movement.

    Using nothing but his fists, Yuan struck the Starfire Dragon''s body, each strike as heavy as mountains.

    ''Fuck! How does he exude so much power with that cultivation?! It doesn''t make any sense!''

    However, as strong as it seemed, Yuan''s punches were only strong enough to inflict superficial damage on the Starfire Dragon.

    Not only were the differences in their cultivation too vast, but the Starfire Dragon''s body was unfathomably durable.

    ''Does he really intend to fight me while only partially transformed with that level of cultivation?!'' The Starfire Dragon was in disbelief, but he was also filled with anger.

    ''Royalty or not, I will teach you a lesson for underestimating me!''

    The Starfire Dragon opened its mouth and unleashed a massive ball of mes, its size rivaling that of the entire ind itself. The air around it shimmered with intense heat as the colossal fireball gathered energy.

    ''Let''s see if you still refuse to fully transform after this!''

    "Starfire Meteor!"

    The Starfire Dragon released the attack shortly after, hurling the massive ball of mes at Yuan.

 Chapter 1620 Starfire Dragon(3)

    Chapter 1620 Starfire Dragon(3)

    Long before the Starfire Dragon''s fiery attack even reached him, Yuan could feel his skin being scorched by the intense heat radiating from the massive ball of mes.

    Despite the dangerous situation, he refused to move away, seeming intent on blocking the attack with his bare body.

    "H-he can''t be serious¡­ right?" The Starfire Dragon muttered in a dazed voice.

    After the Starfire Dragon unleashed his attack, he began to fear the possibility of actually killing Yuan. Unsure, he nced at Yingzi, searching for any sign of concern.

    Noting her nonchnt demeanor, he sighed in relief, thinking, ''I doubt she would actually let me kill him. I need to push him to fully transform, no matter the cost!'' With this resolution, he continued his fiery assault.

    As the Starfire Meteor neared, about to make an impact, Yuan wrapped his arm in Enhanced Sword Aura and flicked it toward the massive ball of mes. The heat was intense enough to incinerate his armpletely, yet he sliced the meteor in half, and his burned arm fully recovered a few secondster.

    "What is that sharp energy?" Yingzi''s eyes widened with interest after seeing Sword Aura for the first time.

    The Starfire Dragon was just as shocked and puzzled as Yingzi, as he''d never heard of anything like that before.

    ''What is that weird energy? And what is with that ridiculous regenerative ability? My mes have a unique property that greatly reduces healing! Why isn''t it working on him?!''

    Unbeknownst to the Starfire Dragon, his mes actually reduced Yuan''s healing ability. Otherwise, it wouldn''t have taken him a few seconds to heal but instantly.

    <Your resistance to fire has increased>

    "Not bad." Yuan examined his arm, which appearedpletely healed on the surface. Despite this, a lingering burning sensation remained.

    ''What kind of dragon bloodline does he have? I don''t know of any bloodlines with such a powerful healing ability, not to mention that weird energy he used to split my fire!''

    "L-let''s see if you can cut this!" The Starfire Dragon soared into the air, spreading his wings wide. As he did so, tens of thousands of small fireballs materialized, raining down upon Yuan like a fiery meteor shower. In response, Yuan cloaked his entire body in Enhanced Sword Aura, transforming himself into a blur as he charged directly toward the Starfire Dragon, undeterred by the onught of mes.

    As Yuan charged forward, his Enhanced Sword Aura sliced through the barrage of fireballs, annihting anything it touched. However, the intense heat from the fireballs prated his aura, inflicting direct damage on his body. Despite this, Yuan''s form, nowpletely charred, continued to advance resolutely towards the Starfire Dragon.

    ''What the fuck?!''

    The Starfire Dragon was left terrified by Yuan''s unrelenting will and persistence. He always thought dragons with royal bloodline were mentally weak and disliked pain, but Yuan appeared to be theplete opposite of the rumors.

    In the midst of Starfire Dragon''s shock, Yuan arrived before him and swung his arm, unleashing a powerful sword light.

    The Starfire Dragon hastily snapped out of his daze to avoid the sword light, but he failed and ended up having one of his wings severed.

    He unleashed a thunderous roar, echoing through the air with such ferocity that he seemed to have entered a state of frenzy.

    "I don''t care anymore!"

    The Starfire Dragon suddenly curled his body into a tight ball, and a red, ominous light began radiating from him, signaling the buildup of a potentially devastating attack.

    "Need my help? You might die from this." Yingzi suddenly said.

    Yuan shook his head with a smile, "I''ll be fine."

    Not wanting to get caught up in the st, Yingzi distanced herself from the battlefield.

    "STARFIRE¡­"

    The light suddenly intensified, and a fiery aura enveloped the Starfire Dragon.

    "BURST!"

    The Starfire Dragon erupted in a colossal explosion, his mes rapidly expanding to envelop the entire ind in a mere blink of an eye, turning the surroundings into a sea of fire, including the ocean.

    The ferocious fire from the Starfire Dragon''s explosion obliterated everything it touched, leaving nothing behind. Yuan waspletely engulfed by the mes. The explosion maintained its intensity, with a massive ball of fire resembling the sun hanging in the air for several moments before it gradually began to dissipate.

    The Starfire Dragon,pletely exhausted of Chaotic Essence, fell directly into the ocean afterward.

    Yingzi looked around for Yuan, but he was nowhere to be seen, almost as if he''d been erased from existence.

    <Your fire resistance has increased significantly>

    Suddenly, as if he''d materialized out of thin air, Yuan''s body quickly recovered until there was not a single burn left on his body.

    "..."

    Seeing this, Yingzi began doubting whether Yuan was a human or a monster.

    "What kind of dragon are you¡­?" Starfire Dragon muttered in a low voice as he stared at Yuan with a defeated look on his face.

    "I have never seen or heard of an indestructible dragon before¡­ Even the Shadow Dragons, rumored to be as indestructible as Shadow Dwellers, would''ve perished just now¡­"

    "That''s none of your business. Anyway, it''s your defeat, so you''ll never show your face before the Divine Fox of Grand Prophecy again as punishment. If I find out that you''ve broken our agreement, I will ughter your entire bloodline. Do you understand?"

    "Of course, Your Highness. I swear upon my bloodline that I will never approach the Divine Fox of Grand Prophecy again¡­"

    Yuan nodded and suddenly retrieved a pill before tossing it into the dragon''s mouth.

    "W-what did you just feed me?" The Starfire Dragon was instantly rmed.

    "Rx. That will recover your injuries." Yuan said.

    Sure enough, the Starfire Dragon''s exhaustion was quickly lifted, and within minutes, he was full of energy, almost as if they had never fought. "W-what a miracle treasure! Thank you, Your Highness!" The Starfire Dragon returned to his human appearance and bowed to Yuan.

    "I''m tired of seeing your face. Scram." Yuan coldly sneered.

    "Yes!"

    The Starfire Dragon didn''t dare to linger and immediately flew away as if his life depended on it.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 1621 Ranked Territories

    Chapter 1621 Ranked Territories

    "It feels like I am forgetting something¡­" Yuan muttered to himself shortly after the Starfire Dragon left the scene.

    "Whatever. It''s toote to worry about that now."

    Sometimeter, Yingzi brought Yuan with her back to the Mystic Valley.

    "Do all humans have regenerative abilities like that?" Yingzi asked him as they traveled.

    "No, they don''t. I have an ability that allows me to regenerate that quickly."

    "Can this ability be taught?"

    "I don''t think so since it requires you to eat something dangerous."

    While humans are incapable of consuming Demon Cores, Yuan wondered if beasts in the Primal Expanse have such capability since the Chaotic Essence in their world was simr to the energy found within Demon Cores.

    Once they returned to the Mystic Valley, the Divine Fox of Grand Prophecy appeared before them with a weird expression on her face.

    She had watched their interaction with the Starfire Dragon and was left speechless by the results. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    "Are you really human?" she suddenly asked Yuan with a doubtful face.

    "Of course. What makes you think otherwise?"

    The Divine Fox of Grand Prophecy exined, "Because humans aren''t capable of using the power of our world. Moreover, you managed to create an iplete Chaotic Heart. Are you perhaps half human and half Primal?"

    The Divine Fox of Grand Prophecy had always suspected Yuan''s identity since the very beginning, but due to so many confusing factors, it was nearly impossible to confirm anything about him.

    "No, I am full human. I am also unsure why I can cultivate Chaotic Essence, but I think it might have something to do with my physique."

    The Divine Fox of Grand Prophecy pondered for a moment before responding, "If I recall correctly, some humans are born with special bodies and bloodlines, just like Primals, but they''re incredibly rare."

    "What about your healing abilities? Is that also due to your unique physique?"

    "No, that''s something else entirely."

    "Is that so? Well, I won''t pry further. Anyway, I believe you may have forgotten about something."

    "Oh? I also had the same feeling, but I don''t remember what exactly."

    "You were supposed to acquire a treasure that will allow me to use more Chaotic Essence than I currently contain, and the Starfire Dragon had something like that, but you let him go without it."

    "Ah, right. I remember now. With that said, I was only going to do that if I killed him, which I didn''t. Also, he would be suspicious of my identity if I suddenly asked for his treasure. I''m supposed to be royalty, after all."

    "Dragon''s Influence, huh? I was extremely shocked when you used it. Does your world have dragons, too?"

    "Of course. In fact, I think the beasts in my world originally came from the Primal Expanse. The only difference is that they cultivate different resources."

    "It''s possible, but there is only one individual who can confirm that¡ªthe Primal Monarch." The Divine Fox of Grand Prophecy said.

    "Anyway, now that you''ve dealt with my annoying neighbor, you''ll need to find me a treasure that can temporarily boost my Chaotic Essence. The closest ce with something like that would be the Phoenixes'' territory. They''re about three months away from here."

    Yuan narrowed his eyes at this information.

    "Phoenixes'' territory?"

    He wondered if they could help elerate Feng Yuxiang''s recovery. Despite his efforts in constantly feeding her his blood, there were still no signs that she would awaken anytime soon.

    "Yes, but there is a slight problem. The phoenixes in this world aren''t kind to dragons. In fact, they detest each other to the point where they will attack each other on sight. I''m afraid you won''t get near them, much less acquire their treasure.

    "You call that a slight problem?" Yuan said with a raised eyebrow.

    The Divine Fox of Grand Prophecy shrugged and said, "Then you''ll have to visit the Divine Dragon Sanctuary. They''re pretty far from here, but there is a space tunnel nearby that will shorten the trip to two years¡­ from two hundred years."

    Yuan shook his head and said, "No, I''ll visit the phoenixes'' territory. I have some business with them, regardless of the treasure."

    "Are you sure? Even the Shadow Dweller won''t be able to protect you there." The Divine Fox said as she shifted her gaze to Yingzi.

    While Yingzi was undoubtedly powerful, she was not among the most powerful beings in the Primal Expanse. As a matter of fact, she was far from it. Yuan looked at Yingzi and asked her, "I never asked you, but how strong are you?"

    Due to her unique existence, it was impossible to determine Yingzi''s cultivation base unless she disclosed it herself.

    "Early Chaotic Emperor," she calmly revealed.

    "Only Early Chaotic Emperor?" Yuan was a little surprised to hear that she was only slightly stronger than the Starfire Dragon in terms of cultivation, as she had been incredibly confident throughout their journey.

    The Starfire Dragon had a cultivation equivalent of Divine Sovereign in the Nine Heavens, so Yingzi would only be as strong as a Divine Ancestor.

    "You shouldn''t underestimate a Shadow Dweller because, just like you, they''re far more powerful in reality due to their unique abilities to control shadows." The Divine Fox of Grand Prophecy said.

    "At her level, she can probably defeat even a Chaotic Overlord, much less a Perfect Chaotic Emperor, and the difference between a Chaotic Emperor and a Chaotic Overlord is immense, sort of like the difference between being a mortal and an immortal in your world."

    "However, the Phoenix territory you''ll be heading to is a rank two territory, with rank one being the strongest and rank three being the weakest. In a rank two territory, there will be multiple Chaotic Immortals and a single one has the capability to erase you from existence with their breath alone."

    "What rank is the Mystic Valley?" Yuan asked out of curiosity.

    The Divine Fox of Grand Prophecyughed out loud, "Hahaha! My territory doesn''t even qualify to be ranked! Onlyrgemunities with many powerful Predators are qualified. This ce is a small house on an ind inparison."

 Chapter 1622 Feng Yuxiangs Spatial Ring

    Chapter 1622 Feng Yuxiang''s Spatial Ring

    In order for a territory to be ranked, it must first have amunity with at least a hundred Predators. Once that requirement was fulfilled, the overall prowess of that territory determined the rank of the territory.

    The Phoenix territory that Yuan nned on going to was a rank-two territory, with over ten Chaotic Immortals, each as strong as a Bronze Immortal, at the very least.

    Even though the Divine Fox of Grand Prophecy warned him of the dangers and the Phoenixes'' hatred toward Dragons, Yuan had to go there not just to find the Primal Monarch but also for Feng Yuxiang.

    "If you''re resolute on going to the Phoenixes'' territory, I won''t stop you." The Divine Fox of Grand Prophecy pointed in a certain direction and continued, "If you go straight, you''ll arrive at your destination in about three months, and I have already taken into consideration the Shadow Dweller''s speed."

    "Thank you. I''ll return once I acquire the treasure."

    "Don''t forget this time, and it''s called the True Ember." "I won''t." Yuan smiled.

    Yuan and Yingzi left the Mystic Valley and began their journey to the Phoenixes'' territory shortly after.

    "Yingzi, I don''t expect you to protect me inside the Phoenixes'' territory. If you sense danger, just run."

    However, Yingzi said, "While I won''t be able to defeat the Phoenixes, I can ensure you keep your life, at the very least, but it''ll cost you."

    "Of course." He nodded.

    While they traveled, Yuan pondered how he shouldmunicate with the Phoenixes once they arrived.

    ''ording to the Divine Fox, they will attack Dragons on sight, so I probably won''t be able to have a proper conversation with them. I should try to acquire their attention as soon as possible, but how can I achieve that?''

    Yuan pondered whether it would be a good idea to reveal Feng Yuxiang''s egg to them.

    ''No, I can''t do that until I am certain they won''t attack me. I cannot risk it, especially when Feng Feng is in that condition.''

    ''Should I just use Immortal Monarch''s Dominion on them? That will definitely get their attention, but there''s a chance it might not work on them, and there''s a good chance it might anger them even further.''

    Unable to think of anything, Yuan asked Xiao Hua and Yu Ning for advice.

    "Sorry, but I can''t think of anything." Yu Ning sighed.

    "Brother Yuan, why don''t you look inside that dumb pigeon''s spatial ring and see if there''s anything useful in there." Xiao Hua suddenly suggested.

    Feng Yuxiang had left behind her spatial ring when she entered her slumber. Normally, one wouldn''t be able to ess another person''s spatial ring while the owner was still alive, but Feng Yuxiang was Yuan''s servant and had previously granted him permission to use it.

    However, Yuan never even tried to look inside her spatial ring, as he respected her privacy and refused to invade it.

    "I guess I have no choice. I''ll apologize to herter."

    Yuan retrieved Feng Yuxiang''s spatial ring and opened it for the first time.

    "?!?!?"

    Yuan''s eyes widened with shock after seeing the treasures inside.

    He''d always known that Feng Yuxiang had arge collection of rare treasures because of her store in the Lower Heavens, but he''d vastly underestimated her wealth.

    After seeing just how truly wealthy Feng Yuxiang was, Yuan couldn''t help but bow to her inside his head.

    Not only did Feng Yuxiang''s spatial ring have arger storage space than his own Dragon Spatial Ring, but there were all sorts of treasures that could only be found in the Upper Heavens. What she''d shown in her store at the Lower Heavens barely scratched the surface of her vast collection.

    There were mountains of treasures in the spatial ring for Yuan to go through, and luckily for him, he had nothing but time for the next three months.

    After spending two and a half months going through all of the items, Yuan found several that might help him in the Phoenixes'' territory.

    [Burning Phoenix Pill] [Tier 7] [Purity: 94%]

    [Effects: Permanently increases fire resistance and grants the power of a Phoenix for nine sunrises]

    [Ancient Phoenix Robes]

    [Grade: Mythic]

    [Quality: Peak]

    [Description: An ancient robe, once worn by the most noble of Phoenixes, symbolizing their supreme status and power. Grants fire immunity. It can only be worn by those with a Phoenix bloodline.]

    [Warning: Those without a Phoenix bloodline will be punished with Phoenix''s Wrath if they try to wear this item!]

    [Primordial Phoenix Blood Essence]

    [Effects: ???]

    [Description: The Blood Essence of a Primordial Phoenix]

    When Yuan saw the Primordial Phoenix Blood Essence, it reminded him of the Dragon Ancestor''s Blood Essence, and knowing how valuable it was, he didn''t dare to use it without Feng Yuxiang''s permission. However, it made him wonder how Feng Yuxiang acquired such a precious treasure in the first ce.

    ''Phoenix''s Wrath¡­ how bad could it be?''

    After taking some time to mentally prepare himself, Yuan asked Yingzi to stop traveling temporarily.

    "Give me a moment to try something out," he said to her before gaining some distance from her.

    Once he felt there was enough distance between them, Yuan retrieved the Ancient Phoenix Robes and wore it on him.

    Ding!

    <The Ancient Phoenix Robes burns with rage!>

    <You have been afflicted with Phoenix''s Wrath!>

    [Phoenix''s Wrath] All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.

    [Effects: Inflicts immense pain upon the targeted.]

    Yuan''s body suddenly became engulfed in mes that were several times stronger than the Starfire Dragon''s most powerful attack, enveloping him in a zing aura of unprecedented pain. Yet, despite the immense pain and being enveloped in mes far more intense than those of the Starfire Dragon, Yuan''s body resisted immediate disintegration, and only his skin was burnt away. The purpose of Phoenix''s Wrath was to inflict pain so excruciating that death would seem a preferable alternative.

    Yuan attempted to withstand the pain, but even with his exceptional physique and high pain tolerance, he could only bear it for a few seconds. Upon removing the Ancient Phoenix Robes, the mes of Phoenix''s Wrath dissipated, yet the agonizing pain lingered in his body for a little longer, enough to nearly make him lose consciousness.

    <Your resistance to fire has increased tremendously>

    <You have gained Super Fire Resistance>

 Chapter 1623 Phoenix Ascendancy Plateau

    Chapter 1623 Phoenix Ascendancy teau

    "Fuck, that was fucking painful!" Yuan cursed out loud after taking off the Ancient Phoenix Robes.

    He''d worn it out of curiosity and expected some pain, but he never anticipated it to be that painful. ''Even though it increased my fire resistance by an entire stage after wearing it for a few seconds, I don''t want to experience that level of pain again¡­ It''s not worth it¡­'' Yuan quickly put the Ancient Phoenix Robes back into Feng Yuxiang''s spatial ring before retrieving another treasure.

    ''I need to mask my dragon scent first and foremost since I cannot undo my transformation, or everyone will know that I am a human.''

    The item he retrieved was a small red pouch. Property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    [Phoenix Powder]

    [Description: Made from Phoenix Feathers. It has incredible healing properties and produces the scent of a Phoenix when mixed with water.]

    ''This is exactly what I am looking for. Since it''s only made from feathers, I doubt it''s too valuable to use,'' Yuan smiled at this find.

    Sometimeter, Yuan filled a bottle with water and added the Phoenix Powder to it, creating a light red liquid that resembled blood diluted in water. The mixture emitted a unique scent that tingled his nose with each whiff.

    "Yingzi, does this smell like a Phoenix to you?" Yuan asked her.

    Yingzi took a deep breath and pondered for a moment before responding, "It''s simr, but it''s a little weak. I don''t think it''ll be able to mask your dragon scent, either."

    "Is that so?"

    Upon hearing Yingzi''s criticism, Yuan added more Phoenix Powder to the liquid, intensifying the smell.

    "That should be good enough," Yingzi said after taking another deep breath.

    "Okay."

    Yuan proceeded to rub the liquid all over his body until Yingzi could no longer smell the scent of dragons on him.

    Not only did the liquid mask his Dragon scent and make him smell like a Phoenix, but he could also feel his body bing more energetic.

    ''I should save the Burning Phoenix Pill for when I really need it since it onlysts for nine days¡­''

    Now that Yuan had found a way to mask his Dragon scent, he needed to make his identity more convincing, a challenging task given that he wasn''t originally from their world, and crafting a believable persona required careful attention to the cultural and social nuances of this new environment.

    "Can you tell me what you know about Phoenixes in the Primal Expanse?" Yuan asked Yingzi as they continued their journey.

    "Hmm¡­" Yingzi had to really think about it since she hadn''t had much interaction with Phoenixes, given their rarity.

    "I''m not too familiar with them, but from what I''ve heard, they''re all incredibly selfish and unreasonably prideful creatures. They''re arrogant, have bad tempers, and are generally unpleasant to be around if you''re not a fellow Phoenix."

    "..."

    Yingzi''s description of Phoenixes left Yuan speechless, but he didn''t doubt it.

    A weekter, Yuan had to reapply the liquid on his body to maintain his Phoenix scent.

    As they approached the Phoenixes'' territory, Yingzi suddenly warned Yuan, "A Phoenix ising."

    Momentster, arge, fiery Phoenix could be seen soaring in their direction. This Phoenix stopped once it was before Yuan.

    ''Divine Emperor, huh? A little weaker than I was expecting, but this is good for us.'' Yuan quickly gauged the Phoenix''s strength.

    "I don''t recognize you. Which bloodline do you belong to? And what are you trying to achieve in our Phoenix Ascendancy teau? " The Phoenix asked him.

    "I am from the Ancient Phoenix Bloodline," Yuan said, using Feng Yuxiang''s bloodline as his own.

    "A-Ancient Phoenix?!" The Phoenix eximed in a shocked voice after hearing this.

    "That''s impossible! There are very few Ancient Phoenixes in the Primal Expanse, and I know all of them! Howe I don''t recognize you?"

    "Can''t you tell by my cultivation that I was only recently born?" Yuan shook his head in a disappointed manner.

    "Indeed, you do smell a little young¡­ Who are your parents, if you don''t mind me asking?"

    Yuan frowned and responded in an irritated tone, "I do mind. Who the hell are you to question me? I may be young, but I still have the Ancient Phoenix Bloodline. Watch your manners!"

    He deduced that the Ancient Phoenix Bloodline likely held a high standing among the Phoenix ns, so he decided to embrace this identity and y along.

    The Phoenix trembled after hearing Yuan and quickly said, "M-my apologies!"

    "Forget it. Anyway, let''s talk about my reason for being here. I am looking for a treasure called the True Ember, and I was told that I could find it here."

    "The True Ember? While it''s true that we have it, it''s not something we can give away¡­"

    "I am willing to trade for it. Is there anything you want for it?"

    "I apologize, but I do not have the authority to speak on this."

    "Then bring me to someone who does."

    "I understand. Please, follow me."

    Sometimeter, they reached the heart of the territory, where amunity of Phoenixes resided. However, within the Phoenix Ascendancy teau, most of the Phoenixes possessed low-grade bloodlines, and the majority of its poption consisted not of true Phoenix bloodlines but rather of subspecies rted to Phoenixes, such as the Divine Yang Bird or the Vermillion Sky Hawk.

    "Please wait here while I notify our leader of your presence." The Phoenix that led Yuan said to him before disappearing somewhere.

    Yuan used this opportunity to closely observe the Phoenix Ascendancy teau. Despite being referred to as amunity, there were no buildings; instead, most of the beings resided within caves and outdoor nests. This setting gave Yuan the impression of being in a zoo, one predominantly popted by birds and Phoenixes, a stark contrast to the urban or structured habitats he might have expected.

    The temperature within the Phoenix Ascendancy teau was also hot and dry, but it wasn''t as bad as the Starfire Dragon''s territory.

    <Your fire resistance has increased slightly>

    Still, it was hot enough to temper his body.

 Chapter 1624 Phoenix Ascendancy Plateau(2)

    Chapter 1624 Phoenix Ascendancy teau(2)

    "Leader, we have a situation." The Phoenix that met with Yuan bowed before a handsome young man.

    This young man''s hair zed red with strands of bright orange, mirroring the fiery aura he carried about him. d in a robe of red and gold, the colors of me and royalty, he exuded the powerful presence of a Golden Immortal, attracting attention and awe from those around him.

    "Is this about the guest you brought back?" The young man asked.

    "Yes. He ims to have the Ancient Phoenix Bloodline. It''s a little suspicious, but I dare not verify his identity." The Phoenix said.

    Even if there was a ny-nine percent chance that Yuan might be a fake, they couldn''t risk offending an Ancient Phoenix. "He is also traveling with a Shadow Dweller."

    "A Phoenix and a Shadow Dweller traveling together? What an odd pair."

    A youngdy with features reminiscent of the young man sat beside him, her expression marked by curiosity. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.

    "The Ancient Phoenix Bloodline is an Imperial-grade bloodline, and it ranks in the top 3 amongst all Phoenix bloodlines. They''re essentially royalty. Meanwhile, my Scarlet Phoenix Bloodline is only ranked 9th. If he turns out to be real, we must assist him to the best of our capabilities. However, if he is a fake¡­ I''ll make him suffer a fate worse than death." The young man said.

    "What does he want, anyway?"

    "He wishes to trade for our True Ember."

    "The True Ember, huh? While it''s not a priceless artifact, it''s quite valuable. If he''s an Ancient Phoenix, he is likely to havee from the rank one Phoenix territory, Eternal Phoenix Domain, and they have plenty of artifacts that surpass our True Ember, so why would hee all the way here?"

    "Forget it. There''s no point guessing their motives. Bring them to me, and I''ll ask them myself."

    "Yes!"

    The Phoenix departed the next moment, returning to Yuan and Yingzi.

    "Nobody is dumb or bold enough to imitate an Ancient Phoenix, right?" The youngdy suddenly muttered out loud.

    The young man sighed, "The Primal Expanse is immense beyondprehension. There are bound to be some fearless individuals out there."

    Sometimeter, the Phoenix returned to Yuan''s side.

    "Esteemed guest, our leader would like to meet you. Please, follow me."

    The Phoenix led Yuan and Yingzi to the summit of the tallest mountain within the territory. Upon reaching the peak, Yuan was greeted by a surprisingly familiar sight¡ªa pagoda stood prominently on the mountaintop.

    ''So they do have buildings in this world¡­ I guess they''re just incredibly rare.'' Yuan thought to himself.

    However, the pagoda was striking in its simplicity, almost to a fault. It appeared that the builder, while earnest in their efforts, had clearlycked experience and imagination in its design, resulting in a structure that was functional but unadorned and stark. It was almost as if the builder had to work on it with nothing but a brief exnation of its outer appearance.

    Once the Phoenix brought Yuan and Yingzi inside the pagoda, it became even more apparent that the builder had no idea what they were building. Although the pagoda looked like it had four floors from the outside, inside, there was only one floor and room. The other floors were just an empty space.

    Inside, at the far end of the modestly decorated room, sat two individuals: a handsome young man and a beautiful young woman.

    Their appearance was top quality, surpassing even the appearance Yuan had given the Supreme Ox. However, they would still only be considered slightly above average whenpared to those truly beautiful in the Nine Heavens.

    The young man narrowed his eyes at Yuan the instant they entered the room, his gaze as sharp as swords.

    Before Yuan could even open his mouth, the young man spoke with a cold expression, "Bastard, what are you trying to pull here?"

    "What do you mean?" Yuan frowned.

    "The Ancient Phoenix Bloodline ranks the third purest amongst all Phoenix bloodlines, and all inferior bloodlines would naturally feel submissive toward them. You may smell like a Phoenix, but I don''t feel anything from you. I have seen Phoenixes with royal bloodlines before, and your aura is nothing like theirs. You may be able to mimic our smell, but you will never be able to mimic our royal bloodline. You should''ve disguised as an ordinary Phoenix instead, you bastard."

    Even though his disguise was instantly exposed, Yuan remained calm and began to think of a way out of his predicament.

    "Are you willing to bet your life¡ªyour territory and all its residents on those usations?" Yuan asked.

    "Your threat is as weak and empty as your attempt to fool me. I can easily erase someone at your cultivation with a sneeze. As for the Shadow Dweller, even if she has the ability to wipe us out, the Eternal Phoenix Domain will avenge us."

    "Kneel before me!" The young man suddenly roared, and his body exuded a profound aura that instantly filled the room.

    "..."

    A few moments of silence went by without anything happening, leaving Yuan puzzled.

    The young man frowned and muttered, "If my Phoenix''s Influence failed to work on you, then you must not be a Phoenix at all¡­ What are you?"

    Yuan swiftly noticed an opportunity to turn the situation around and showed a cold smile on his face.

    "You dare order me to kneel? A lowly Phoenix like you?"

    The young man''s face twisted with anger as he stood up.

    "How dare¡ª"

    "Who permitted you to talk back? Shut up!"

    Upon hearing Yuan''s voice, imbued with an unfathomable power, the young man felt his own voice falter, leaving him unable to utter another word.

    "?!?!" The youngdy turned to look at him with wide eyes.

    "F-father?! Please tell me you''re only pretending to¡ª"

    Yuan shifted his gaze to her and shouted, "Shut up!"

    The youngdy immediately felt as though someone had suddenly seized her throat, sealing her ability to speak.

    "?!?!"

    "Kneel!"

    Thud!

    Unable to resist hismand, the young man and youngdy suddenly fell to their knees, their gaze filled with shock and horror as they stared at Yuan.

 Chapter 1625 True Ember

    Chapter 1625 True Ember

    ''This power¡­ Phoenix''s Influence?! Impossible! He should be a fake! Why does he wield such power?!'' The young man eximed inwardly as his entire being was forced to obey Yuan''smands.

    ''He was a genuine Ancient Phoenix?! We''re screwed! Our entire territory is screwed!'' The youngdy cried inwardly.

    Due to her lower cultivation, the Immortal Monarch''s Dominion was even more potent on her.

    As for the young man who was as strong as a Golden Immortal, even he was powerless before the Immortal Monarch''s Dominion.

    Thest time Yuan used Immortal Monarch''s Dominion on an immortal-level entity, it could only affect them for a few seconds. However, he was still only a Spirit King back then.

    After his breakthrough, Yuan''s control and prowess of Immortal Monarch''s Dominion reached unprecedented levels. Moreover, he had been strengthening his Soul Strength nonstop for the past year during his travel around the Primal Expanse.

    At his current prowess, he could easilymand even a Golden Immortal for an entire minute.

    ''For whatever reason, Immortal Monarch''s Dominion feels stronger in the Primal Expanse¡­'' Yuan thought to himself after noticing this phenomenon.

    Yuan spoke in the following moment, "I will ask you again. Are you willing to bet your life and your territory on your ims?"

    Yuan released Immortal Monarch''s Dominion on the young man so he could speak.

    "..."

    However, the young man didn''t respond.

    Seeing this, Yuan turned his focus to the youngdy next to the young man and spoke in amanding tone, "Who gave you the permission to breathe?"

    "!?!"

    The youngdy instantly lost her ability to breathe and fell to the ground with her hands grasping at her throat.

    The young man instantly snapped out of his daze and shouted, "I-I was wrong, Your Highness! Please forgive me and my daughter for this offense! I will even give you the True Ember as an apology!"

    "..."

    Yuan had a calm look on his face, but he was inwardly surprised that his small experiment actually worked. It made him wonder if hemanded someone to die, would their heart instantly stop?

    "Your Highness! Please!" The young man pleaded again when Yuan refused to release the youngdy.

    "I''ll forgive you this once."

    The youngdy immediately began gasping for air after Yuan deactivated the Immortal Monarch''s Dominion.

    "The faster you hand over the True Ember, the faster I will be out of your feathers," he added.

    "Get the True Ember for His Highness!" The young man quickly ordered the youngdy, giving her an excuse to leave the room.

    "Right away!" The youngdy hastily left.

    Once they were alone, Yuan said, "Is there anything you want for the True Ember? Although you said it''ll be for free, I don''t want any rumors of me bullying you to spread."

    "I-I don''t dare ask for anything." The young man said.

    Yuan silently pondered for a moment before speaking, "You seem to have a thing for human appearances. I can upgrade your appearance and your daughters in exchange for the True Ember."

    The young man looked at him with wide eyes and said, "Really?"

    He nodded and said, "Give me a brief description of your ideal appearance. Young, middle-aged, or old? Hair color and length? Body shape?"

    "Umm¡­ I would prefer something a little older than my current appearance. I like my current hair color and style. As for my body¡­"

    After receiving the description, Yuan consumed an appearance-altering pill and transformed into the young man''s ideal appearance.

    The young man''s eyes widened with surprise after seeing how high-quality it was.

    "What do you think?"

    "Can I really have such a high-quality appearance?"

    "Are you doubting me?" Yuan narrowed his eyes.

    "N-no!" "Then hurry up and take it."

    The young man quickly changed his appearance, bing more handsome, a little taller, and a few years older.

    "Thank you, Your Highness, for this appearance!" The young man stood up and bowed to Yuan. "If there''s anything else you need, please don''t hesitate to ask!"

    Yuan smiled and quickly said, "Then let me ask you something."

    He retrieved Feng Yuxiang''s egg and continued, "Do you know how I can speed up my friend''s recovery progress?"

    "T-that''s¡ª!" The young man''s face became filled with shock after seeing the egg.

    "What''s wrong?" Yuan asked him with a slight frown.

    "W-who is inside that shell?! I have seen this state countless times before, but I have never seen such aplex and powerful shell! Not to mention¡­"

    Yet, what shocked him most wasn''t the shell itself but the overwhelming sensation it evoked within him. Bloodlines of a lower grade instinctively revere those of higher lineage, and he felt a powerfulpulsion to kneel and kowtow before the entity within the shell.

    ''There''s only one bloodline that could make my blood react in such a fashion! To think such a powerful entity would be in this sorry state¡­ what happened?'' he wondered inwardly.

    "I''m sorry, but there''s nothing we can do here to help you or the one inside that shell since our bloodlines are too weak. If you want to revive the Phoenix within that shell, you''ll need to visit the Eternal Phoenix Domain. There, you''ll be able to find the Primordial Phoenix."

    ''How far away is the Eternal Phoenix Domain?'' Yuan asked Yingzi since he would have exposed himself if he had asked the Phoenix before him. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.

    ''It''s on the other side of the world, so it''ll take several hundred years if we travel normally,'' she said.

    ''That''s too far¡­ I guess we''ll have to put this on hold for now.'' Yuan sighed inwardly.

    Sometimeter, the youngdy returned to the room with the True Ember, but she was astonished by her father''s new appearance.

    "His Highness said he''d upgrade our appearances for the True Ember," he exined.

    Once he received the description, Yuan gave the youngdy her new appearance.

    "Thank you, Your Highness! Here is the True Ember!"

    The youngdy handed Yuan a small ck rock that emitted intense heat. "Thank you." Yuan quickly tossed the True Ember inside his spatial ring.

 Chapter 1626 Ancient Canyon

    Chapter 1626 Ancient Canyon

    After putting away the True Ember, Yuan quickly made his way toward the exit, unwilling to remain in the Phoenixes'' territory any longer. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.

    Neither the young man nor the youngdy tried to stop him. In fact, they also wanted him to leave as soon as possible.

    Once they left, Yuan and Yingzi began flying back to the Mystic Valley.

    "Fuck, this is why I hate royalty. They do as they please and treat us like dirt." The young man sneered in disdain once they were alone.

    "We did call him a fake first¡­" The youngdy sighed out loud.

    "I don''t understand what went wrong. As far as I can tell, he definitely didn''t have the bloodline of an Ancient Phoenix. Yet, he was able to use Phoenix''s Influence on me despite hisck of cultivation."

    "Haa¡­ forget it. It''s already in the past."

    Three monthster, Yuan and Yingzi made it back to the Mystic Valley in one piece.

    "Oh? You''re back already? That was faster than I anticipated." The Divine Fox of Grand Prophecy greeted them the moment they entered her territory.

    "I got the True Ember," Yuan said.

    "Really? How did you deal with the Phoenixes as a dragon? Didn''t they attack you on sight?"

    Yuan shook his head with a smile, "I have my methods." "Anyway, here is the True Ember."

    He retrieved the treasure and tossed it to her.

    "Okay, give me a week to prepare."

    While the Divine Fox of Grand Prophecy began her preparation to divine the Primal Monarch''s location, Yuan spent that time with Meixiu and the others.

    While Yuan was in the Primal Expanse, Meixiu, Chu Liuxiang, and Li Jinxi continued their training with Kn. Meanwhile, the rest of the Demon Sealing Faction had graduated from their sects and traveled to the Fourth Heaven, joining Kn''s training three months ago.

    "How''s your progress? Have you figured out a way to get out of the Primal Expanse yet?" Wang Ming asked him during dinner.

    "No, but I think I am getting close."

    "Take your time so the rest of us can catch up." Shi Lang chuckled.

    "The Primal Expanse is so vast that most of my time is spent traveling. I have been pretty lucky so far with the distance I need to travel, but I''m worried that the next ce I need to go might take too long," Yuan sighed. He could imagine the Primal Monarch being in a location that was several decades or even centuries away. "Have you tried to kill yourself? Who knows, you might respawn back in thest city you visited." Wang Bingbing suddenly said.

    "That''s quite a dangerous suggestion. It''d be disastrous if he bes a cripple because of that." Wang Ming said.

    Yuan nodded and said, "I have thought about it, and as Wang Ming said, it''s quite risky. That said, if nothing else works, I can only try that as ast resort."

    "By the way, the Lord wanted to speak with you as soon as possible." Wang Xiuying suddenly said.

    "I''ll go meet him after this."

    After dinner, Yuan went to speak with the Lord.

    "What''s up?" Yuan greeted the Lord casually.

    "We have been contacted by the Qi Family. Do you remember them?" The Lord said.

    "Of course. Since you''re contacting me, it must be rted to demons, right?" Yuan could easily guess the reason behind the Qi Family''s contact. The Qi Family was the Earth''s version of the Demon Sealing n, and Yuan had personally trained them before.

    "You''re correct. They have recently stumbled upon another sealed demon. ording to them, this demon is unfathomably strong and surpasses the 11 demons you dealt with in the past."

    "Where is this demon? I''ll deal with it as soon as possible."

    "They haven''t disclosed the location to us yet. I''ll notify them of your arrival if you want to visit them directly."

    "You can do that. I''ll visit them first thing tomorrow morning."

    "I understand."

    After leaving behind the Starry Abyss so that Ji Ran could heal the Lord, Yuan returned to his residence.

    The next morning, Liya was already waiting at Yuan''s front door, ready to escort him to the Qi Family, just as she had done previously.

    "Wee back to the Qi Family, Manager Liya. Yuan."

    The Qi Family was ready to greet them long before their arrival.

    "It''s been a while." Yuan smiled.

    "Thank you again for your assistance," Qi Man said with his hands sped.

    "Don''t mention it. Anyway, where''s the demon?"

    "It''s located at the Ancient Canyon."

    "Is it close to breaking out of its seal?" "No, and some people are watching over it even as we speak. They would notify us if there were any changes."

    "Even if it''s not close to breaking out of its seal, I am going to take care of it immediately."

    Qi Man then said, "Please don''t be too hasty. We are aware of your prowess, but this demon is different. We believe it''s at least a Superior Demon with a tiny chance of it being a Demon General."

    "A Demon General, huh?" Yuan muttered with an intrigued face.

    Suddenly, someone could be heard shouting, "Elder Qi! We have just received a message from the expedition team! It''s an emergency! Cracks have started appearing on the demon!" "What?!" Qi Man eximed.

    "Looks like we can''t take things slowly anymore," Yuan said. "Bring me to the demon."

    "Y-yes! I will bring you there myself!" Qi Man quickly responded.

    Yuan and Liya followed Qi Man to the Qi Family''s private jet and quickly left.

    A dayter, they arrived at their destination, the Ancient Canyon.

    The Ancient Canyon is a 1,000-mile-long teauposed of horizontalyers ofva and rock, featuring a range ofndscapes, including arid deserts and barren stretches. This area is rarely explored due to its harsh climate and extreme heat, which can easily reach up to 170 degrees Fahrenheit, making it nearly impossible to explore without proper equipment. "We''ve arrived." Qi Man notified them after the jetnded.

 Chapter 1627 A Different Person

    Chapter 1627 A Different Person

    After disembarking from the jet, Qi Man led Yuan and Liya to the sealed demon, where a dozen members of the Qi Family were stationed to keep watch over it.

    "Yuan?" Qi Fang, one of the people stationed there, was a little surprised to see Yuan.

    "Hey, it''s been a while."

    "You came here alone?" she asked.

    "Yes, the others are busy with their training."

    Yuan''s attention quickly shifted to the sealed demon in the distance.

    "Just one? How disappointing."

    "Actually, we found another sealed demon just a few hours ago," Qi Fang suddenly revealed.

    "What?! How powerful is it?!" Qi Man eximed.

    "It''s hard to tell, but it shouldn''t be any stronger than this one." Qi Fang''s gazended on the sealed demon several meters away.

    Yuan approached the demon and examined it with his divine sense.

    "This demon¡­is a Demon General," he muttered a momentter.

    "What?! Are you certain?!" Qi Fang eximed in a shocked voice.

    He nodded in confirmation and continued speaking, "Not only is it a Demon General, but it''s as powerful as a Spirit Sovereign."

    Qi Fang and everyone who heard his evaluation fell to their knees, their faces etched with despair.

    "S-Spirit Sovereign? How the hell are we supposed to kill it?! This demon could destroy the world by itself!" Qi Man cried out loud as he fell back and copsed on the ground.

    "E-Elder Qi!"

    "Grandfather!"

    Qi Fang rushed to his side.

    Seeing this, Yuan said, "Calm down. It''s only a Spirit Sovereign. I''ll take care of it."

    Qi Fang frowned at his words and said, "This isn''t the time to be arrogant or get carried away, Yuan. I know you''re powerful, but you''re only at the peak of Spirit Grandmaster. There''s no way you can fight a demon that is as strong as a Spirit Sovereign, much less kill it! The only thing we can do is strengthen the seal until we''re capable of dealing with it!"

    "True, my cultivation is only at the peak of Spirit Grandmaster, but it won''t take long for me to increase it."

    Yuan suddenly retrieved a treasure he''d acquired from the Primal Expanse. After swallowing it, he could immediately feel his cultivation soaring to the next realm. A secondter, Yuan had a breakthrough and reached the first level of Spirit Lord.

    However, his surge of spiritual energy didn''t slow down; it continued relentlessly until he broke through to the second level of Spirit Lord. It then pushed him into the third level before finally settling at the fourth level of Spirit Lord.

    If it wasn''t for the Celestial Emperor''s curse, he could''ve easily entered the Spirit Sovereign realm with that treasure.

    "Alright, let''s get this over with."

    While everyone was still in a daze after witnessing Yuan breakthrough with the ease of breathing, he swiftly unsealed the demon before any of them could even react.

    "Ah! What have you done?!" Qi Fang cried out loud.

    "Get away from here if you don''t want to get caught up in our battle," Yuan said to them.

    "R-run!" Qi Fang shouted, snapping the others out of their daze.

    Once they realized their situation, they immediately scrambled to safety¡ªto Liya''s side.

    Momentster, the demon was fully released from its seal and calmly began to survey its surroundings and assess the situation.

    "Hahaha! I am finally free!" It suddenly burst outughing, its voice loud and powerful enough to create shockwaves.

    Yuan didn''t interrupt the demon''s celebration and patiently waited for it to notice him. Sometimeter, the demon turned to look at Yuan and spoke, "There''s even a meal prepared for me? This must be Demon God''s work!"

    The demon suddenly lunged at Yuan, its w-like hands reaching for his neck.

    However, just as it was able to reach Yuan, it suddenly felt something grasping onto its neck, holding it back from advancing any further.

    The demon was stunned to realize that Yuan had seized its neck before it could grab his.

    "When did you¡ª?!"

    "Shhh¡­" Yuan hushed the demon by tightening his grasp on its neck. If it weren''t for the demon''s regenerative abilities, it would have already died from having its neck crushed.

    "You just escaped your seal, so I''m sure you haven''t fully recovered your strength. Don''t worry, I''ll give you some time to recover so it isn''t too boring."

    Yuan flicked his arm, flinging the demon away like a ragdoll.

    "Yuan! What the hell are you doing?!" Qi Fang yelled at him after seeing his actions.

    "Calm down. It''s just a mere Demon General. I can deal with trash like this with my eyes closed." Yuanughed out loud.

    The demon trembled in anger after being humiliated by Yuan in such a fashion. "How dare a mere livestock mock me¡­ a great Demon General?!"

    Veins appeared all over the demon''s face and body.

    "UNFORGIVABLE!"

    The demon''s aura erupted with intense bloodlust. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    Feeling the demon''s overwhelming bloodlust and the terrifying pressure that apanied it, Qi Fang and the others trembled uncontrobly. They were so paralyzed with fear that even if given the chance, they wouldn''t have been able to run away.

    ''What the hell are you doing?'' Even Liya couldn''t help but question Yuan''s decision to anger the demon, as it would only make things more difficult for him.

    "DIE, YOU DAMN LIVESTOCK!"

    The demon lunged at Yuan for the second time.

    "Too slow!"

    Yuan lunged forward as well, flying straight toward the demon. Using nothing but his raw strength, he began pummeling the demon. Each of Yuan''s punches was powerful enough to blow a hole through the demon''s body.

    "Hahaha! What''s the matter, you fucking trash?! Is this all your anger amounts to?! You''re too weak! No wonder why you were sealed by the Demon Sealing n!" Yuan relentlessly provoked the demon during its beatdown.

    Qi Fang and the others were left speechless by Yuan''s sudden change in behavior, feeling as though he had be apletely different person.

    "AAAAAH!" The demon let out a crazed roar, its entire being radiating with unfathomable anger as its body suddenly began to transform.

 Chapter 1628 Second Sealed Demon

    Chapter 1628 Second Sealed Demon

    "Damn livestock! You will regret mocking me!"

    The Demon General suddenly grew in size until it was three times its original height, its muscles bulging as if they were on the brink of bursting, and two bat-like wings sprouted from its back.

    "So you grew a little bigger and a lot uglier. I don''t see how that will save you." Yuanmented on the demon''s transformation.

    Sure enough, even after its transformation, the Demon General couldn''t touch a single hair on Yuan''s body, much less defeat him.

    ''This bastard has grown so much since ourst spar, and it''s only been a year¡­'' Liya narrowed her eyes at Yuan. She had always been proud of her own talents and strength, but before Yuan, she felt as insignificant as an ant.

    ''Is this the prowess of the Immortal Monarch? I guess he didn''tmand the Nine Divine Supremes through sheer luck¡­''

    "Impossible¡­ How is he overwhelming a Demon General with the strength of a Spirit Sovereign at his cultivation? It doesn''t make any sense!" Qi Fang muttered with a dazed expression.

    "He''s not even using any Demon Sealing Aura, either! Are you telling me that he''s overwhelming the demon with brute force?! No wonder why he''s so confident!" Qi Man cried out loud.

    "Even if he''s confident and everything seems fine for now, why is he messing around? Demons aren''t ythings, and things can go wrong in the blink of an eye!" Qi Fang anxiously clenched her fist.

    "Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Where did a human like youe from?!" The Demon General no longer wanted to fight Yuan and began preparing to run away.

    "Even if the entire world knew my name, I guess it''s not possible for everyone to recognize my face, huh?" Yuan muttered in a low voice.

    While there was not a single demon who didn''t know of the Divine Paragon, not all of them had the misfortune of encountering him, so it wasn''t shocking that this Demon General didn''t recognize Yuan.

    "I guess it''s about time we finish this."

    Yuan suddenly surged with Demon Sealing Aura. The moment the Demon General sensed this aura, its entire being trembled with fear. Although demons typically don''t fear Demon Sealing Aura, even though it is their greatest weakness, Yuan''s Demon Sealing Aura was on an entirely different level¡ªone that made the demon feelpletely powerless, as if surrounded by the abyss.

    "No matter how many times I see it, his Demon Sealing Aura always humbles me¡­" Qi Man muttered,pletely in awe.

    The Demon General didn''t dare to confront Yuan''s Demon Sealing Aura and instantly ran away.

    "Where the hell do you think you''re going?"

    Yuan caught up with the demon in no time and shoved his hand into the demon''s body before pulling out of its Demon Core.

    "T-this technique! You can''t be the Divine¡ª"

    The Demon General perished before it could even finish its sentence.

    Yuan quickly tossed the Demon Core into his pocket and turned to look at the Qi Family.

    "Bring me to the next demon," he said to them.

    Once they snapped out of their daze, the Qi Family escorted Yuan to the next sealed demon several hours away.

    Yuan frowned as he looked at the sealed demon. Unlike the usual human-shaped statue, this one had no particr shape and resembled a small mountain.

    "We mistook this as an ordinary boulder at first, but we examined it a little closer since it seemed out of ce, and sure enough, we could sense a sealed demon inside." Qi Fang exined.

    "Yuan¡­?" Qi Fang raised an eyebrow upon noticing a surprised expression on Yuan''s face. "This isn''t an ordinary demon¡­" he spoke slowly.

    "This is a special demon called an Abomination! They''re essentially mutants even within the Demon n."

    "Abomination? We have never heard of them before. How strong are they?" Qi Man asked.

    "They''re not only much harder to kill but also stronger than the average demon, and judging by its energy¡­ it''s as strong as a Divine Warrior." Property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    "What?! Divine Warrior?! That an entirely different realm!" Qi Fang eximed in a shocked tone.

    "There''s no way we can defeat something like that even if we''re given a thousand years!" Qi Man said.

    Yuan shook his head and said, "I can still deal with it, but I will need some time to prepare."

    ''Yu Ning, can you set up a barrier around this area so I don''tpletely destroy this ce?'' Yuan asked.

    "Of course, Young Master."

    Once Yuan transferred control to Yu Ning, his cultivation temporarily soared to the peak of Spirit Enlightenment.

    ''I guess the peak of Spirit Enlightenment is my new limit, huh?'' Yuan thought to himself.

    Sometimeter, Yu Ning returned the control to Yuan after setting up the formation.

    "I am finished, Young Master. As long as they''re not stronger than a Divine Grandmaster, no attacks will be able to break this formation."

    "Thanks."

    He turned to look at the Qi Family and said, "You guys should stand further back."

    "Are you sure you want to unseal it now? Why don''t youe back a few yearster¡ªwhen your cultivation is much higher? The seal is strong enough to keep that demon sealed for another decade, so you have plenty of time." Qi Man suggested.

    Yuan looked at him and said, "You should know by now that one''s cultivation isn''t the most important factor when dealing with demons. It''s our Demon Sealing Aura that matters, and it doesn''t require spiritual energy to be strengthened."

    He stopped paying attention to the Qi Family and focused on the sealed Abomination.

    Once he was prepared, Yuan broke the seal and waited for the Abomination to emerge.

    The earth trembled as the Abomination began breaking free from its seal. Cracks rapidly spread across the boulder before it suddenly exploded a few secondster, revealing the creature''s ugly and menacing form.

    "T-that is an Abomination?!" Qi Fang and the others wore expressions of fear and disgust upon seeing its grotesque appearance. Even though Yuan had warned them about its hideous appearance, none of them could have anticipated just how horrifying it would be.

 Chapter 1629 The Divine Fox of Grand Prophecys Divination

    Chapter 1629 The Divine Fox of Grand Prophecy''s Divination

    The second the Abomination broke out of its seal, Yuan activated Swords of Eternal Torment. Once the Abomination''s massive body was covered in swords, immobilizing it, Yuan instantly transformed. His hair and eyes turned a majestic gold, and his aura erupted like a volcano, radiating immense power.

    "T-that''s?!" Liya''s eyes widened with shock after seeing Yuan''s dragon transformation for the first time.

    ''Not only does he know Dragon''s Gaze, but he can even transform?!'' she stared at Yuan''s handsome face with a dazed expression.

    Meanwhile, after his transformation, Yuan retrieved Number One Under Heaven and prepared tounch Heaven Splitting Sword Strike.

    He had to control its power so that it didn''t exceed the strength of a Divine Grandmaster and identally destroy the world, but he also had to ensure it was powerful enough topletely obliterate the Abomination in one strike.

    After taking a moment to adjust and gather spiritual energy, Yuan swung his sword,unching a beam of sword light that enveloped the Abomination''s figure.

    Fortunately for them, the Abomination wasn''t as massive as the one Yuan had faced during the Elite Demon Sealer Examination.

    The moment Yuan''s Heaven Splitting Sword Strike hit the formation, it triggered a massive earthquake powerful enough to be felt across the entire world.

    Cracks spread across the formation, yet it somehow managed to hold together, clinging to a sliver of strength.

    When the dust settled and the Qi Family could finally see the situation, they were bewildered to find that Yuan was standing alone and the Abomination had vanished entirely.

    "Heavens! He killed a demon with the strength of a Divine Warrior while only being a Spirit Lord!" Qi Man cried out loud, his entire being trembling in awe.

    "How on earth is he doing that? Ignoring his Demon Sealing Aura, his strength doesn''t match his cultivation! Is he hiding his true cultivation? It doesn''t make any sense!" Qi Fang shook her head.

    Once the Abomination was defeated, it left behind its Demon Core.

    Yuan''s eyes widened with surprise when he saw how different it was from an ordinary Demon Core. It wasn''t just the size of a watermelon but also pitch ck in color.

    "This is a Demon Core¡­?" Yuan mumbled as he picked up the core.

    He was also a bit disappointed, realizing it would be impossible for him to consume a Demon Core of this size, as it wouldn''t even fit in his mouth.

    The Qi Family approached him once they determined it was safe to do so.

    "W-what the heck is that?" Qi Fang asked as she pointed at the Demon Core.

    "The Abomination''s Demon Core. This is also my first time seeing something like this," he said.

    Qi Man shivered at its sight and said, "It feels very ominous¡­ What are you going to do with it?"

    "I don''t know if we can even do anything with it."

    Qi Man then said, "In that case, would you mind allowing our family to research it? Of course, we''re not asking you to give it to us. It''ll still be your property." Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    Yuan nodded, "Sure. Let me know if you learn anything."

    He handed the Demon Core to Qi Man.

    "S-so heavy!" Qi Man nearly dropped the Demon Core once it was in his grasp.

    The Demon Core was deceptively heavy and weighed several tons.

    "Oh, sorry. It was almost weightless for me, so I forgot to tell you." Yuan said with an apologetic smile.

    "It''s okay¡­" Qi Man quickly moved the Demon Core back to their private jet.

    Sometimeter, they returned to the Qi Family to celebrate the demon''s extermination with a big feast.

    "Yuan, can I bother you to check on our disciples'' progress before you leave? It''s been some time since their lecture with you, after all." Qi Huan asked him.

    "Of course."

    During the feast, the disciples put on a performance to showcase their Demon Sealing Aura.

    "What do you think, Yuan? Have they improved a little?"

    He nodded, "Yes, they''ve improved, but there''s still a lot of work to be done. I would give them another lecture, but I have to return to Cultivation Online by the end of the day. Next time, surely."

    "We''ll be waiting for your return." After the feast, Liya escorted Yuan back to the Dragon Spiral Mountain.

    During their travel, she questioned him, "How did you use dragon transformation? Only those with a dragon bloodline could possibly do such a thing."

    "I was able to do that after performing the Dragon Cleansing Ceremony." "The Dragon Cleansing Ceremony?!" Liya was deeply shocked to learn this, finding it unbelievable that dragons, who were famously strict about their traditions and bloodlines, would permit a human to partake in one of their most sacred rituals, especially those of royal bloodlines.

    ''Which royal bloodline would be foolish enough to do such a thing?'' she sighed inwardly.

    Once they returned to the Dragon Spiral Mountain, Yuan spoke with the Lord, recounting everything that had transpired.

    "An Abomination, huh¡­ That thing would''ve spelled the end of this world if you weren''t here," he sighed.

    "As long as I am here, no demon will cause havoc on Earth ever again. Notify me again if they find any more demons."

    "Of course."

    At the end of the day, Yuan returned to Cultivation Online. "Wee back. You''re just in time for my divination." The Divine Fox of Grand Prophecy had just finished her preparation.

    "Now, witness my divination!"

    The Divine Fox of Grand Prophecy was suddenly enveloped in a golden aura that expanded outward until it covered the entire Mystic Valley.

    "Grand Prophecy, show me the location of the Primal Monarch!" she roared.

    Aplex and majestic magic circle materialized beneath the Divine Fox, radiating an unfathomable aura. The Divine Fox''s eyes glowed with a golden light that shone like a shlight, and intricate symbols began to form within her eyes.

    The Divine Fox remained in this state for several moments until she suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood.

    "T-that is impossible¡­" she muttered in disbelief.

    "What happened? Did you fail?" Yuan asked with a slight frown, wondering if something went wrong with the divination.

    "No... the divination seeded, and I have the Primal Monarch''s location. But the Grand Prophecy revealed that its location is... here! In the Mystic Valley!" she eximed, her voice filled with terror.

    "What?" Yuan''s eyes widened with shock upon hearing this.

 Chapter 1630 Primal Monarch

    Chapter 1630 Primal Monarch

    "What did you say? The Primal Monarch is located somewhere in the Mystic Valley? Are you sure you divined properly?" Yuan looked at the Divine Fox of Grand Prophecy.

    "Y-you! Are you mocking me?! I have never failed a divination! I am sure of it! The Primal Monarch is in the Mystic Valley!" The Divine Fox of Grand Prophecy said as she frantically looked at her surroundings with a nervous and fearful expression.

    The Primal Monarch was an entity that stood at the very pinnacle of the Primal Expanse. If there were Primals and Predators within the Primal Expanse, the Primal Monarch would be the Apex Predator, existing in a league of its own.

    Knowing that the Primal Monarch was in her territory, the Divine Fox of Grand Prophecy didn''t dare to make any significant movements, remaining as still as a statue.

    Yuan looked at Yingzi and noticed that she, too, appeared quite nervous. It was the first time he had ever seen such emotions from her.

    ''This can''t be a coincidence¡­'' Yuan thought to himself.

    He recalled something the Divine Fox of Grand Prophecy said.

    "He will only appear before you if he chooses to do so, huh?" he mumbled.

    Several moments passed in silence, with nothing happening.

    After waiting a little longer without any changes, Yuan decided to make the first move.

    "Primal Monarch! You can hear me, right?! In fact, I bet you''re looking at me right now!" he shouted with the support of his spiritual energy, allowing his voice to ripple throughout the entire Mystic Valley.

    The Divine Fox of Grand Prophecy and Yingzi turned to at him with terrified expressions on their faces.

    "W-what the hell are you doing?! Do you have a death wish?!" The Divine Fox shouted at him.

    Yuan ignored her and continued, "I doubt you''re here by chance! Are you here for me? If so, why don''t you show yourself already?"

    "Yuan¡­" Yingzi called out to him in a nervous tone. If the Primal Monarch wanted to kill Yuan, even she was powerless to do anything about it.

    "Don''t tell me you want to y hide-and-seek with me?! I don''t have the time for that!"

    As Yuan''s voice faded and silence returned, a faint rustling noise suddenly broke the stillness.

    Yuan and the others immediately turned their heads toward the source of the noise, and a small silhouette slowly emerged from the tall bushes.

    "You are¡­?" Yuan''s eyes widened with shock when he saw the appearance¡ªthe face of this individual.

    Once the silhouette fully emerged from the bushes, it became clear that it was a child¡ªa young boy. He had short ck hair and innocent eyes that held a sharp and powerful gaze. Like Yingzi, he had an uncanny absence of presence, despite standing right in front of them.

    Yuan was in disbelief, not because this individual had the appearance of a child, but because the child''s face was identical to his own when he was younger. It was as if he were staring at a mirror image of his past self.

    The Divine Fox of Grand Prophecy and Yingzi also noticed this obvious detail. If they hadn''t known any better, they would''ve mistaken this child for Yuan''s son.

    "You¡­ you are the Primal Monarch?" Yuan asked.

    After a moment of silence, instead of answering his question, the child said, "Who are you? And why do you have that appearance?"

    The atmosphere in the Mystic Valley shifted abruptly. Sensing this change, both the Divine Fox of Grand Prophecy and Yingzi began to sweat profusely.

    "What do you mean? I have always looked like this. In fact, I should be the one asking you that. Why do you look like my childhood self?" Yuan responded.

    The child narrowed his eyes.

    "What is your name? And how are you rted to Tian Yi?" Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    Yuan''s eyes widened with surprise after hearing this familiar name.

    ''He knows the Immortal Monarch?!''

    "I am Yuan. As for my rtionship with Tian Yi, why are you asking? Who is he to you?"

    "I am the one asking asking questions here, brat."

    A domineering pressure suddenly surrounded Yuan, forcing him to his knees.

    "!!!"

    The force was so powerful that Yuan couldn''t fight it even for a split second.

    "You kneel!" Yuan immediately activated Immortal Monarch''s Dominion on the child.

    "..."

    However, the child remained standing, seemingly unaffected by the Immortal Monarch''s Dominion.

    Yuan''s eyes widened after seeing the results¡ªor theck of. He was certain that the child before him was a beast, so this made it the first time his Immortal Monarch''s Dominion failed on a beast.

    "As I thought, you were the one who used that power earlier." The child muttered, clearly unfazed by it.

    The pressure on Yuan suddenly disappeared.

    "Are you that brat''s descendant? Is Tian Yi still alive?" The child asked.

    "What...?" Yuan muttered, utterly confused by the situation.

    Despite the strange situation, Yuan couldn''t sense any killing intent from the child. Furthermore, the child''s tone when speaking of Tian Yi was akin to that of a father speaking to his child.

    ''I guess it''s safe to assume that he''s not my enemy.''

    "I''m not Tian Yi''s descendant," Yuan spoke as he got back to his feet.

    "I am¡ªwas Tian Yi in my past life."

    "What?" The child''s eyes widened with surprise after hearing this.

    "Bullshit. Then why don''t you recognize me?" He shrugged, "I reincarnated not long ago and am still recovering my memories. Unfortunately, my memories of Tian Yi''s childhood are still missing."

    "Anyway, you''re the Primal Monarch, right? Since you know Tian Yi, I must have traveled to this ce in the past."

    "So you really don''t remember anything, huh?"

    After sighing, the child spoke, "Indeed, I am the Primal Monarch."

    "You asked about my rtionship with Tian Yi¡ªyou, right? I am your father¡ª."

    "You''re my father?!" Yuan cried out loud at this revtion. "So I wasn''t even human?!"

    "Let me finish, you brat. I am not your real father. You somehow wandered into our world when you were still a child, and I took you in."

    "Is that so¡­?" Yuan swallowed nervously.

 Chapter 1631 Retrieving Tian Yis Memories

    Chapter 1631 Retrieving Tian Yi''s Memories

    ''W-what the hell is going on here? The Primal Monarch is that human''s adoptive father?'' The Divine Fox of Grand Prophecy was bewildered by this information. She had countless questions, but she didn''t dare to ask them.

    "Since you don''t remember me, I guess it''s safe to assume you don''t remember our promise. Did you wander to the Primal Expanse again by ident, too?" The Primal Monarch looked at Yuan.

    He nodded, "Yes, I came here by ident. I wanted to look for you because I was told you could take me out of this ce. How long have you been watching me?"

    The Primal Monarch sighed, "Since you used my power at the Phoenixes'' territory."

    "Your power¡­? You mean Immortal Monarch''s Dominion?" Yuan raised an eyebrow.

    "If that''s what you call it, sure. However, that power¡ªthe ability tomand Primals and Predators¡ªwas originally mine, to begin with." The Primal Monarch revealed.

    Yuan wasn''t too surprised to learn that the Immortal Monarch had inherited his power from another source, as it seemed unlikely for a human to naturally possess such control over beasts in the first ce.

    The Primal Monarch suddenly gestured to Yuan and said, "Let me see the kind of life you''ve lived after leaving the Primal Expanse."

    "Huh? You want to see my memories? But I don''t have all of them."

    "That doesn''t mean anything to me. While you don''t remember it now, they''re definitely somewhere in there, so all I need to do is take it out from hiding."

    "You can do that¡­?" Yuan didn''t think of this until it was mentioned.

    "Does it have any side effects?"

    He was worried that it might affect his fate.

    ''No¡­ my appearance in the Primal Expanse isn''t a coincidence or an ident. It was fate that brought me here, so the Primal Monarch retrieving my memories should also be considered fate.''

    "If I was an inexperienced brat like yourself, you might lose all of your memories and be a vegetable." The Primal Monarch calmly said.

    "But you''re not¡­ right?" Yuan swallowed nervously.

    "You really don''t change, huh?" A subtle smile appeared on the Primal Monarch''s face.

    The next moment, he pointed two fingers at Yuan''s forehead before shooting a warm beam of light directly into his head.

    Primal Monarch raised an eyebrow the following moment as he thought inwardly, ''This brat reincarnated more than once¡­''

    Despite his interest and curiosity, the Primal Monarch didn''t touch the memories that didn''t belong to Tian Yi.

    After retrieving Tian Yi''s memories, the Primal Monarch observed his entire life after leaving the Primal Expanse.

    Sometimeter, the Primal Monarch lowered his hand and said, "I understand the situation. Although I was able to retrieve most of Tian Yi''s memories, I was unable to retrieve the final moments of his life due to some interference. How do you feel?"

    "I remember now¡­" Yuan muttered in a somewhat dazed voice.

    After the Primal Monarch pulled out Tian Yi''s memories, he remembered everything from his childhood.

    Tian Yi was born into a wealthy and influential family. However, hecked the talents necessary to survive there. In fact, he didn''t have any cultivation talents, which was aplete surprise to Yuan since the Immortal Monarch was the fourth reincarnation, so he should''ve been a genius like his previous incarnations.

    Due to hisck of talent, Tian Yi was abandoned by his parents and exiled from the family at the age of six, leaving him to wander the streets as a foundling. However, that life didn''tst long, as his family didn''t want him to stay in the same city, so they forced him out into the wilderness, leaving him to fend for himself.

    Shortly after Tian Yi entered the wilderness, he encountered a powerful magical beast that chased him to a nearby Endless Beast Den. At that moment, two cultivators were locked in a fierce battle, causing the destruction of the Endless Beast Den.

    The destruction of the Endless Beast Den created a rift, and in his desperation, Tian Yi entered it, not caring where it might lead him.

    Once he came out on the other end, Tian Yi found himself in an unfamiliar world that reeked of wild beasts and blood. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    "Where am I¡­?" Tian Yi muttered as he frantically looked around.

    Suddenly, a rough voice resounded, "I came here as soon as I noticed the scent of a human, but what is this? A human this small¡­ You won''t even be able to fill the gap between my teeth!"

    Tian Yi turned to the source of the voice and was immediately scared shitless when he saw a massive ck dragon hovering in the sky.

    "This human is mine!" Another voice suddenly resounded, followed by the appearance of a Phoenix with fiery purple mes.

    "You dare covet my prey?! I''ll tear you to shreds!" The ck Dragon roared.

    "Not before I roast you for dinner!" The purple Phoenixughed arrogantly.

    Their aura fiercely crashed with each other. Unable to bear the pressure, Tian Yi fainted instantly.

    Tian Yi didn''t know how long he had been asleep for, but by the time he woke up, neither the Phoenix nor Dragon could be seen, almost as if they''d vanished magically.

    "This is the first time I''ve seen a human like you."

    An unfamiliar but calm voice suddenly resounded.

    Jumpscared by the voice, Tian Yi jumped to his feet and began running away without looking at the source of the voice.

    "Where do you think you are going?"

    The voice that was far away from Tian Yi a moment ago suddenly sounded like it was right behind him.

    Tian Yi swiftly realized that running wasn''t an option and surrendered to his fate.

    He stopped running and fell to his knees.

    "Go ahead and eat me. I don''t care anymore."

    "Why would I eat you? Even a thousand of you wouldn''t fill half my stomach. Eating you would only arouse more hunger." The voiceughed.

    At this moment, Tian Yi turned around to face the voice, and to his bewilderment, the voice belonged to a child who didn''t look any older than himself.

    As a matter of fact, this child didn''t simply look to be the same age. He looked exactly like Tian Yi, as if he was a perfect clone.

 Chapter 1632 Tempering in Blood

    Chapter 1632 Tempering in Blood

    "W-who are you?! Why do you look like me?!" Tian Yi was terrified when he realized that the face before him was actually his own face.

    "I like it, so I decided to use it."

    "You decided to use it¡­? You''re not human, are you?"

    "Humans don''t exist in the Primal Expanse. Other than you, who came here from another world, everyone here is what you call beasts."

    "Another world?" Tian Yi couldn''tprehend this information and became dazed.

    Seeing his dumbfounded expression, the entity with his face said, "I am the Primal Monarch, and you are currently in my world, the Primal Expanse."

    He continued, "What are you going to do now? Humans cannot survive in this world alone, and you''re not even a cultivator. The moment I leave you alone, you''ll be someone''s food or toy until you die."

    Tian Yi fell silent.

    A momentter, he spoke in a defeated tone, "My family abandoned me because I was born without talents, and I somehow ended up in this dangerous ce. I think this is Heaven''s way of telling me to just die. I am just a powerless mortal. Who am I to go against Heaven''s will? No matter what happens to me, I will ept it."

    The Primal Monarch smiled and said, "You''re an interesting human. Despite your young age, you''re surprisingly clear-headed and intelligent."

    "This Heaven you speak of doesn''t exist here. No, to be more precise, I am Heaven here!" The Primal Monarch boldly dered.

    "I don''t care how mighty your Heaven is; it won''t influence my territory. So if you want to survive, I can make that a reality."

    Tian Yi stared at the Primal Monarch with wide eyes and spoke in a dazed manner, "Even if you say that, how am I supposed to survive in this ce?"

    The Primal Monarch showed a wide smile and said, "Humans have never managed to pique my interest, but I think it''ll be fun to have you around for some time."

    "You want me to follow you?" Tian Yi asked.

    "You don''t want to?"

    "I''ll do it!" Tian Yi responded without any hint of fear in his voice. This was the first time he felt epted and needed, so he had no reason to refuse, even if that individual was not human.

    "Good." All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.

    After the Primal Monarch epted Tian Yi as his follower, he escorted Tian Yi back to his home, which existed in a different dimension. There, the Primal Monarch taught Tian Yi everything he needed to know about the Primal Expanse and the entities living there.

    ''This brat truly has a bright mind. His ability to learn andprehend things is almost frightening. Even Predators who have lived for tens of thousands of years wouldn''t be able to match him.'' The Primal Monarch quickly realized that the notion of Tian Yi being talentless waspletely false.

    ''To throw away such talents, humans are such foolish creatures.''

    In the blink of an eye, two years had passed since Tian Yi began studying under the Primal Monarch.

    "Listen here, you brat. If you want to live more than a hundred years, you''ll need to start cultivating. However, it''s impossible for humans to cultivate properly in the Primal Expanse since your bodies cannot adapt to our environment. If they forcefully cultivate our Chaotic Essence, they will turn into mindless beasts."

    "In that case, isn''t it hopeless for me?" Tian Yi spoke calmly, almost as if it didn''t matter to him whether he could cultivate or not.

    "A hundred years is already a long time¡ªenough to live a fulfilled life."

    "That''s what someone who''s never truly experienced life would say. Anyway, the reason humans are unable to cultivate Chaotic Essence is because they don''t have a Chaotic Heart, something all beasts in the Primal Expanse are born with."

    "In that case, what will happen if we give them a Chaotic Heart?" The Primal Monarch spoke with a profound smile as he red at Tian Yi, who swallowed nervously.

    "Is it even possible for a human to acquire a Chaotic Heart?" Tian Yi raised an eyebrow.

    "We''ll find out soon enough."

    "I guess so."

    Tian Yi understood that he was the subject of an experiment that had never been done before, fully aware that things could go disastrously wrong, yet he remained indifferent.

    The Primal Monarch went to the Primal Expanse to prepare for Tian Yi''s experiment.

    He returned a few hourster and prepared a bath filled to the brim with the blood of various beasts.

    "First and foremost, we need to strengthen your frail body. This will be incredibly painful, unlike anything you''ve ever experienced before, so brace yourself."

    However, to the Primal Monarch''s surprise, Tian Yi neither screamed nor showed any signs of pain during the tempering from the beginning to the very end,sting for six hours straight.

    "How do you feel?" The Primal Monarch asked Tian Yi as he emerged from the bath.

    "Feels like my body is surging with strength," he said.

    "Did you not experience any pain during the tempering?"

    "I did, and it hurt like hell." Tian Yi calmly replied.

    "..."

    The Primal Monarch gazed at the blood bath and thought to himself, "I never could have imagined he''d endure six hours on his first tempering. How interesting!"

    He began to feel that he had made the right choice in taking Tian Yi under his wing. Over the next four years, Tian Yi continued to bathe in the blood that the Primal Monarch provided. The pain he endured grew more intense as the quality and potency of the blood increased.

    "Your body should be strong enough to grow a Chaotic Heart now."

    The Primal Monarch retrieved a mountain of treasures and continued, "Although we are born with a Chaotic Heart, it isn''tplete at birth and requires tremendous effort toplete it. Oncepleted, Predators can further grow a second or even third Chaotic Heart by consumingrge amounts of treasures. Let''s see if you can grow a Chaotic Heart by consuming treasures."

 Chapter 1633 Primal Monarchs Bloodline

    Chapter 1633 Primal Monarch''s Bloodline

    After his body tempering period ended, Tian Yi began consuming an enormous amount of treasures provided by the Primal Monarch to cultivate a Chaotic Heart. He was akin to a pig, but instead of eating pig food, he was being fed priceless treasures.

    However, despite the vast number of treasures he consumed, there were no signs of his Chaotic Heart forming.

    Despite this, Tian Yi''s cultivation soared, reaching the level of Divine Ancestor in just four years solely by consuming treasures. He achieved this without needing to cultivate or learn any cultivation techniques, as the Primal Monarch assisted him in absorbing and containing all that energy.

    "Hmmm¡­ your Chaotic Heart isn''t forming¡­ We might be missing something." The Primal Monarch eventually halted feeding him treasures.

    "Maybe it''s because Ick a proper bloodline," Tian Yi casually guessed.

    "Bloodline, huh? That might be it¡­" The Primal Monarch fell silent for a few moments, a contemtive expression on his face.

    "I have never done or even thought about doing this before, but I can give you some of my Blood Essence, which has a chance of giving you my bloodline." The Primal Monarch muttered with a curious face.

    Even in the Divine Heaven, humans can acquire bloodlines through the Blood Essence of Magical Beasts or Divine Beasts. However, since the creation of Blood Essence requires tremendous effort and even involves sacrificing one''s longevity, they are only created for special asions and are incredibly rare, even in the world of beasts.

    "Once you ept my Blood Essence, we''ll essentially be family. What do you think? Are you willing to ept the bloodline of a beast?" The Primal Monarch asked Tian Yi.

    Tian Yi smiled and said, "I already see you as a family and a father, so nothing''s changed."

    The Primal Monarchughed out loud, finding his answer extremely entertaining.

    "Very well! Then, give me some time to form my Blood Essence. Since this is my first time doing something like this, it will take a few years toplete."

    "A few years? What should I do in the meantime?" Tian Yi asked.

    "I''ll teach you a few of my techniques, so you can use this time to train them."

    The Primal Monarch transferred several of his own techniques to Tian Yi directly through his mind, allowing him to understand them instantly. However, he still needed to train to deepen his understanding and strengthen the techniques.

    Afterward, the Primal Monarch entered seclusion to form his Blood Essence, leaving Tian Yi alone for the next decade.

    In these ten years, Tian Yi focused on training the techniques bestowed by the Primal Monarch, asionally tempering his body and consuming the leftover treasures. His cultivation reached the peak of Immortal Ascension without any issues.

    When the Primal Monarch returned with his Blood Essence, he didn''t immediately feed it to Tian Yi, as he feared that Tian Yi was too weak to absorb his Blood Essence.

    "Let''s increase your cultivation a bit more to be safe."

    Thus, he fed Tian Yi even more treasures.

    After a few more years, Tian Yi broke through Immortal Ascension and became a true Immortal at the Bronze Immortal realm.

    Normally, a cultivator would need to face a Heavenly Tribtion before they can ascend past Immortal Ascension and be an Immortal, but since Tian Yi was located in Primal Expanse, where the ''Heavens'' had no influence, he was able to break through that barrier without facing one.

    "So, I just consume this like water?" Tian Yi inquired with the Primal Monarch''s Blood Essence in his grasp.

    "Yes, pour it onto your tongue and let it be absorbed."

    Tian Yi followed the Primal Monarch''s instructions and ced a single drop of Blood Essence onto his tongue.

    The Blood Essence melted into his tongue the instant it touched. At first, he felt no change, but after a few moments, his entire body began to burn up, as if his blood were boiling.

    The Primal Monarch watched with great focus, paying attention to every little detail and change urring within Tian Yi''s body.

    Veins bulged across Tian Yi''s body, as if they were on the verge of bursting through his skin. Soon, they began to glow with a golden hue, as if liquid gold were coursing through them.

    "AHHHHH!"

    Tian Yi let out a beastly roar that shook the entire world. Momentster, he began to calm down, and his body quickly started to recover.

    "How do you feel now?" The Primal Monarch asked him. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.

    Even before Tian Yi''s response, the Primal Monarch could tell from Tian Yi''s aura that he had sessfully absorbed the Blood Essence.

    "I feel¡­ the same?" Tian Yi muttered in a somewhat puzzled voice.

    Although he didn''t realize it, his voice carried an unfathomable power capable ofmanding all beasts if there were any near him. Of course, it wouldn''t work on the Primal Monarch, who gave him the power.

    "You may not feel it now, but you''ll realize it sooner orter," said the Primal Monarch.

    "As long as you learn to control that power, you''ll be invincible within the Primal Expanse, even as a mortal."

    "However, great poweres with great responsibilities, and I trust that you won''t abuse this power." Tian Yi smiled and said, "I won''t betray that trust, but if I ever do, you can kill me."

    "Kill you? Hmph! I''ll make you suffer a fate worse than death." The Primal Monarch sneered.

    After acquiring his new powers, Tian Yi spent several more years studying and practicing to master control over them.

    During this time, Tian Yi also sessfully formed his Chaotic Heart, albeit an iplete one.

    Once the Primal Monarch was confident Tian Yi could survive by himself, he was released into the Primal Expanse for experience.

    "What should I do in the Primal Expanse besidespleting my Chaotic Heart?" Tian Yi asked the Primal Monarch before leaving for the Primal Expanse.

    "How should I know? This is meant to expand your experience, so live however you want for the next hundred years. Also, you will be hunted everywhere you go because you''re a human, and your scent will drive everyone mad, so try to stay alive. I don''t want all of my efforts to go to waste."

    "I will try not to disappoint you." Tian Yi left for the Primal Expanse with an excited smile on his face.

 Chapter 1634 Tian Yis Growth

    Chapter 1634 Tian Yi''s Growth

    After Tian Yi left home to gain experience in the Primal Expanse, the Primal Monarch secretly followed him, having nothing better to do. Of course, since this was Tian Yi''s first time exploring alone, he also felt a little worried for him.

    However, the Primal Monarch''s worries were quickly relieved once he saw how quickly Tian Yi adapted to the Primal Expanse.

    While his cultivation as a Bronze Immortal was respectable in the Primal Expanse, it was far from sufficient for him to be reckless and careless. Tian Yi didn''t have any big ambitions and wanted toplete his Chaotic Heart as soon as possible, which he set as his primary goal.

    He traversed the Primal Expanse in search of treasures, dominating nearly every territory he encountered.

    Tian Yi''s presence quickly spread throughout the Primal Expanse like wildfire, and within a few years, nearly every powerhouse there had heard of the human causing havoc in their territories.

    "A human who can cultivate and use his powers? Bullshit! There''s no way such a human exists!"

    "What? This human has a Chaotic Heart? Are you sure he''s really human and not just a Predator in disguise?"

    Most of the powerhouses refused to believe that a human could create such chaos in their world, especially when every human before him had been unable to adapt to their Chaotic Essence.

    However, some had their interest piqued and left their territories to seek out this human they had been hearing so much about.

    After another decade, it was all but confirmed that Tian Yi was real, and he was growing at such a tremendous rate that he could pose a threat to even the powerhouses in the Primal Expanse if given a few more decades.

    Tian Yi quickly became a presence that could not be ignored, prompting Predators across the Primal Expanse to attempt to either tame or kill him. However, every failed attempt only made Tian Yi stronger. Eventually, Tian Yi became so powerful that it took several powerhouses just to face him on equal footing.

    "Fuck! Where''s the Primal Monarch?! Why isn''t he doing anything about this human when his world is being flipped upside down?!"

    The natives of the Primal Expanse were puzzled by the Primal Monarch''s silence. Normally, whenever a situation threatened the bnce of the world or someone caused excessive chaos, the Primal Monarch would intervene.

    Yet, he was nowhere to be seen. This made some wonder if something had happened to the Primal Monarch. However, after a hundred years had passed since Tian Yi first appeared in the Primal Expanse, he vanished as suddenly as he had arrived.

    Unbeknownst to the natives, Tian Yi had returned to the Primal Monarch''s home.

    "How was your experience in the outside world?" the Primal Monarch asked upon Tian Yi''s return, pretending as if he hadn''t been watching him the entire time.

    "It was a little scary at first with the amount of beasts trying to kill me, but once I got used to it, it was pretty fun." Tian Yiughed out loud.

    "Is that so? Let''s see how many Chaotic Hearts you''ve managed to form in thest 100 years¡­"

    After a quick examination, the Primal Monarch was surprised to sense four Chaotic Hearts within Tian Yi''s body.

    "Four Chaotic Hearts in a hundred years, huh? Not bad, considering that even the strongest Predators in the Primal Expanse only have six after millions of years." Not only did Tian Yi acquire 4 Chaotic Hearts, but his cultivation even reached Golden Immortal in a hundred years. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.

    "What should I do now? I have done pretty much everything there is to do in this world¡ªnot that there is much to do in the first ce."

    "Well, do you have any interest in owning your own territory?" The Primal Monarch asked.

    "Not really. I just don''t see the appeal of owning a territory."

    "Unfortunately, there isn''t much for you to do in this world. In the first ce, the Primal Expanse wasn''t created for humans. As for the rest of us, we live to increase our strength and expand our territories. We thrive off growth and preying on the weak."

    "If there''s nothing to do, I can simply create my own entertainment. For example, I can bring human entertainment into this world." Tian Yi suggested.

    However, the Primal Monarch shook his head and said, "That won''t work. What you humans find entertaining is meaningless to us. Just as owning territories holds no appeal for you, we find human culture dull and uninteresting."

    Tian Yi sighed, "This is why I didn''t mind remaining as a mortal and living only a hundred years."

    The Primal Monarch fell silent for several moments before asking, "Have you ever thought about returning to your home¡ªthe human world?"

    Tian Yi looked at the sky and responded in an oddly calm tone, "I have. Many times, in fact. However, even if I were to go back, I wouldn''t know what to do. Furthermore¡­"

    He looked at the Primal Monarch directly in the eyes and continued, "Although I was born in the human world, I grew up in this world, and my family is also here, so this world is my home."

    The Primal Monarchughed out loud and said, "That''s heartwarming and all, but you don''t belong here. Now that you''re all grown up and have the power to survive without my help, I think you should go back to the human world."

    "You seem eager to send me away. Why?" Tian Yi noticed this and inquired with a deep frown, feeling like he was being abandoned by his family for a second time.

    The Primal Monarch shook his head and said, "This world is moreplex than it appears. Also, there''s nothing left for me to teach you, and unless you want to die of boredom in this world or spend the rest of your life fighting the natives of this world, it only makes sense for you to return to your original world."

    "In the first ce, I never expected you to remain in this world by my side forever. I took you in and helped you grow so that you could one day return to your world and be living proof that this ''Heaven'' isn''t omnipotent and its will could be defied."

    "..."

    Tian Yi was speechless, unsure of how to respond.

 Chapter 1635 Primal Monarchs Blood Essence

    Chapter 1635 Primal Monarch''s Blood Essence

    "Do I¡­ do I really have to leave and return to the human world?" Tian Yi stared at the Primal Monarch with a dispirited expression.

    The Primal Monarch smiled and said, "The Primal Expanse isn''t your final stop. You are fated to achieve great things in the human world. I''ll give you a few years to prepare, but you must leave within ten years."

    Tian Yi sighed, "Fine. If you so desperately want me to leave, I won''t argue any further. However, how do I even return to the human world? ording to what I''ve heard, it''s impossible to leave the Primal Expanse."

    "There is only one way to leave the Primal Expanse, and that is through me." The Primal Monarch said.

    "Whenever you''re prepared to leave, just let me know."

    Tian Yi nodded.

    In the years that followed, Tian Yi sought to learn all he could from the Primal Monarch, yet he soon realized there was nothing more the Primal Monarch could teach him. Despite this, Tian Yi chose not to waste their remaining time together.

    In the blink of an eye, nine years passed.

    "I am ready to leave." On a certain day, Tian Yi approached the Primal Monarch to dere his departure.

    The Primal Monarch nodded and said, "Before you leave, promise me one thing."

    "What?"

    "That you will never submit to anyone, especially to Heaven''s will, ever again and be a being worthy of the Monarch''s bloodline. Also, don''te back to the Primal Expanse unless you have fully awakened my bloodline."

    "You never told me how to awaken it even though I have asked many times," Tian Yi frowned.

    "Because you didn''t need such knowledge back then." The Primal Monarch shook his head, and he continued speaking, "Anyway, to fully awaken the Monarch''s bloodline, you will need to absorb the Blood Essence of nine different beasts with a Supreme-grade bloodline."

    "Supreme-grade Blood Essence?! And nine of them?! That''ll take an eternity!" Tian Yi eximed.

    There are barely a dozen Predators in the entire Primal Expanse who possess a Supreme-grade bloodline, and asking even one of them for their Blood Essence was nearly impossible¡ªlet alone nine.

    Moreover, he had to aplish this task in the human world, where the likelihood of finding even nine entities with a Supreme-grade bloodline was slim, if not nonexistent.

    "You''re asking for too much¡­ You might as well tell me never to return." Tian Yi sighed out loud.

    "Are you going to give up without even trying? I didn''t know I''d raised such a useless quitter." The Primal Monarch sneered in disdain.

    Tian Yi clenched his fists and gnashed his jaw, "Just wait, you old booger! Not only will I awaken my bloodline, but I''ll even take your position as the Primal Monarch and force you into retirement the next time Ie back, so prepare yourself!"

    "Hahaha! You''ll take my position? It''s a promise! I cannot wait, you snotty little brat!" Shortly after, the Primal Monarch opened a rift to the Divine Heaven, and Tian Yi stepped into it without looking back.

    After digesting Tian Yi''s memories, Yuan looked at the Primal Monarch with emotional eyes.

    "Sorry, but I don''t think I can fulfill my promise to you right now¡­" Yuan spoke with a bittersweet smile.

    "Well, this won''t be the first time you''ve disappointed me." The Primal Monarch shrugged.

    He continued, "Not only did you fail to awaken your bloodline, but you''ve managed to weaken it to its weakest state." Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    "I''ll awaken the bloodline this time for sure," Yuan said with a resolute expression on his face.

    However, the Primal Monarch shook his head and said, "Even if you consume nine Blood Essence right now, you won''t be able to awaken your Monarch bloodline because it is still in its dormant state."

    "Huh? What do you mean?" Yuan raised an eyebrow.

    "You''ve managed to activate your bloodline, but it''s only Royal-grade, so you''re not receiving any actual benefits from it."

    "Even your Immortal Monarch''s Dominion is just a technique, not your bloodline''s ability."

    "How do I awaken my bloodline then?"

    The Primal Monarch suddenly opened a rift and said, "Follow me."

    "Wait a moment."

    Yuan turned to look at Yingzi, "Thank you for everything."

    He retrieved a thousand meat skewers and handed them to Yingzi, who epted them in a daze.

    "You too." Yuan gave some skewers to the Divine Fox of Grand Prophecy before entering the rift with the Primal Monarch.

    On the other side of the rifty the Primal Monarch''s own dimension, the ce where Tian Yi had once lived. The world within this dimension was as vast as the Primal Expanse, but only Tian Yi and the Primal Monarch inhabited it at this moment.

    Yuan surveyed his surroundings, feeling a sense of nostalgia.

    Sometimeter, the Primal Monarch spoke, "I knew you would return one day, so I prepared this for you, but I never anticipated you would return in such a state."

    He showed Yuan his palm, where a small bottle rested.

    "This is¡­" Yuan swallowed nervously after seeing the drop of blood inside.

    "You made a second Blood Essence?"

    Most beings don''t even dare to create Blood Essence, fearing the harm it could cause them. Those brave enough to attempt it would only produce a single drop in their lifetime, as that was their limit. Yet, the Primal Monarch had created two drops.

    "If you consume this Blood Essence, your Monarch''s bloodline will awaken its true prowess."

    Yuan epted the Primal Monarch''s Blood Essence.

    "Thank you¡­"

    Yuan tossed the bottle into his spatial ring, causing the Primal Monarch to raise an eyebrow.

    "What are you doing? Saving it forter? Why?"

    "But I am only a Spirit Sovereign now, and I was an Immortal thest time I consumed your Blood Essence."

    "That''s true, but you also didn''t have the Monarch''s bloodline back then. You already have the Monarch''s bloodline this time, so the requirements won''t be as harsh."

    "Is that so¡­? Then I''ll consume it now¡­"

    Yuan retrieved the Blood Essence.

 Chapter 1636 Awakening Immortal Monarchs Bloodline

    Chapter 1636 Awakening Immortal Monarch''s Bloodline

    Yuan stared at the Blood Essence in his grasp with a nervous gaze. Despite the Primal Monarch''s assurance that it was safe to consume at his cultivation level, he couldn''t help but feel uneasy. Property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    After all, the Blood Essence belonged to an entity likely far stronger than even the Dragon Ancestor, whose Blood Essence he also possessed and has yet to consume due to hisck of cultivation.

    "Are you really scared of a single drop of blood? When did you be such a coward?" The Primal Monarch casually mocked.

    "A single drop of blood? Is that how little you view your own Blood Essence?" Yuan shook his head as he opened the bottle.

    After taking a deep breath, Yuan tilted his head backward and poured the Blood Essence onto his tongue.

    The Blood Essence immediately melted into his tongue.

    <You have consumed ''???'' Blood Essence>

    <Immortal Monarch''s Bloodline is reacting to ''???'' Blood Essence!>

    Yuan immediately sat down and began cultivating in silence. He could feel his body burning, almost as if his blood was boiling, but it wasn''t as intense as his first experience as Tian Yi.

    <Immortal Monarch''s Bloodline has improved>

    <Immortal Monarch''s Bloodline has reached Imperial-grade>

    <Immortal Monarch''s Bloodline has improved>

    <Immortal Monarch''s Bloodline has reached Divine-grade>

    A few dayster, Yuan''s bloodline had ascended by two grades. Unlike treasures and techniques, bloodlines had only four known grades, with the vast majority being Royal-grade.

    After Royal-grade came Imperial-grade. In the human world, those with Imperial-grade bloodlines were regarded as nobles, hailing from the most elite bloodlines. In the beast world, they were considered royalty.

    Above Imperial-grade was Divine-grade. Those with a Divine-grade bloodline were destined to rise above all others, standing as Emperors among their kind. If one searched the entire Nine Heavens, there would be less than a hundred entities with a Divine-grade bloodline.

    The highest-known grade of bloodline was the Supreme-grade bloodline. Only the most powerful entities, such as Dragon Goddess Yeyou, the Primordial Phoenix, and the Dragon Ancestor, possessed such bloodlines. They are so rare that one could count all of them with two hands.

    "Only Divine-grade? I was expecting it to reach Supreme-grade." Yuan mused afterward.

    "The Monarch''s bloodline is, without doubt, Supreme-grade at the very least. However, you''ve only partially awakened your bloodline. If you want your bloodline to reach Supreme-grade, you''ll need to consume Supreme-grade Blood Essences to truly awaken your bloodline''s full potential." The Primal Monarch said to him.

    "I need to consume nine different Supreme-grade Blood Essence, correct? Can I assume that your Blood Essence doesn''t count?"

    The Primal Monarch nodded, "My Blood Essence won''t count, so you still need nine more."

    ''The Dragon Ancestor should have a Supreme-grade bloodline, so that''s one down. If I count the Primordial Phoenix''s Blood Essence in Feng Feng''s possession, that''s two¡­''

    "What are your ns now?" The Primal Monarch suddenly asked him. "Will you be returning to the human world now?"

    "No, there''s still something I must do here¡­ unless you can help me."

    Yuan retrieved Feng Yuxiang''s egg and showed it to him.

    "Can you do something about this?"

    "What do you want me to do, exactly? If you want me to awaken the Phoenix inside forcefully, I can do that, but it''ll injure the Phoenix."

    "Can you speed up her recovery?"

    The Primal Monarch red at the egg and said, "As far as I can tell, the Phoenix inside is already fully recovered."

    "Really? Then why isn''t sheing out? I was told that she woulde out once she fully recovers."

    "I''m afraid I don''t have an answer to your question. If you want to know, you should visit the Phoenixes'' territory."

    Yuan nodded, "That was my n from the start, but it''s a little far, and I can''t spend too much time in this ce. Do you think you can send me there?"

    "The Eternal Phoenix Domain, right?"

    "Yes, that''s right."

    "I can send you there. What about your friend?"

    "My friend?" Yuan raised an eyebrow.

    "That Shadow Dweller you''ve been traveling with. She''s still at the Mystic Valley."

    "I thought she''d left by now¡­" Yuan muttered in a low voice.

    After taking some time to ponder, Yuan said, "Let me talk to her for a bit."

    The Primal Monarch flicked his arm, casually creating a rift that led him directly back to the spot where he had left from.

    When Yuan returned to the Mystic Valley, he noticed that Yingzi hadn''t moved an inch from her spot. As for the Divine Fox of Grand Prophecy, she had disappeared somewhere, presumably to recover after exhausting herself to divine the Primal Monarch''s location.

    "Don''t tell me that you''ve been waiting for me." Yuan looked at Yingzi with a raised eyebrow.

    She nodded and said, "Well, I still don''t understand what it means to be a human."

    "What if I never returned?" he asked.

    "If you hadn''t returned by the time I finished all of the meat skewers, I would''ve left," she calmly said.

    Yuan nced at the number of meat skewers Yingzi had left. He had been gone for five days, yet she had only eaten a little over 100 skewers. It was clear to him that she had purposely slowed down, waiting for his return.

    "Well, I am going to visit the Eternal Phoenix Domain now. Want toe along?"

    "I won''t be able to protect you, though," she said.

    "That''s fine. I can protect myself now."

    "Are you going to be visiting the Phoenixes'' territory in that guise? They''ll attack you before you can even get close." The Primal Monarch suddenly said to him.

    "Hmm¡­ you''re right, and pretending to be a Phoenix is too risky. If I cannot be a Dragon or a Phoenix, I might as well go there as a human."

    Yuan deactivated his transformation for the first time since he came to the Primal Expanse, and his human scent immediately started to fill the air.

    The Primals within the Mystic Valley quickly picked up his scent and immediately began rushing toward his location.

    Despite the approaching threat, Yuan remained calm. He took a deep breath and spoke in amanding voice, "I don''t have time to y with you lot. Scram."

    Though his voice was barely louder than usual, it sent a powerful ripple through the entire Mystic Valley.

    The moment the Primals heard his voice, which resounded inside their heads like a thunderp, they immediately turned and fled in the opposite direction.

 Chapter 1637 Forbidden Technique

    Chapter 1637 Forbidden Technique

    "I''m ready to visit the Eternal Phoenix Domain," Yuan said to the Primal Monarch after chasing away the Primals.

    The Primal Monarch nodded and said, "Don''t expect me to protect you if you get in trouble there."

    He smiled, "I''ll be fine. Thanks for worrying."

    "Who the hell is worried?" The Primal Monarch sneered before opening a rift that led directly to the Eternal Phoenix Domain.

    "Can you hold these for me with your treasure?" Yingzi handed him the meat skewers she didn''t eat.

    Yuan nodded and stored the skewers in his spatial ring before stepping into the rift, with Yingzi following closely behind. Upon emerging from the rift, Yuan found himself standing before a vastnd that resembled the Phoenix Ascendancy teau.

    His human scent instantly spread and attracted the attention of nearby Primals.

    ''This is the perfect opportunity for me to test out my new powers while I wait for the Phoenixes to show up¡­'' Yuan thought to himself and patiently waited for the Primals to show up.

    A few momentster, a massive purple-feathered bird, its wingsrge enough to cover an entire mountain, came diving toward Yuan''s location.

    This bird exuded an aura equal to that of a Divine Emperor cultivator.

    Yuan calmly gazed at the iing bird. Once it was close enough, Yuan muttered in a nonchnt tone, "Die."

    In the next moment, the bird''s movements suddenly slowed, and then, without warning, it began to fall lifelessly, plummeting straight into the ground.

    <You have killed Fleeting Lightning Bird>

    "..."

    Yingzi''s eyes widened in shock as she witnessed Yuan kill the Primal with nothing more than a simple voicemand.

    "So it actually works¡­" Yuan mumbled to himself.

    He had never used the Immortal Monarch''s Dominion in such a manner in his previous life, so this was something new to him.

    More Primals appeared shortly after, but they also dropped like flies as Yuanmanded them to die with nothing more than his voice.

    Although this power initially seemed limitless, Yuan began to feel fatigued after killing several more Primals in this manner, and it was mental fatigue that couldn''t be healed even with his powerful soul cultivation technique. It was also apparent that the stronger his target, the more it drained his energy and exhausted him.

    ''Let''s try something else now¡­''

    Yuan suddenly made a grasping motion toward the corpses scattered on the ground and muttered, "Condense!"

    In response, the corpses began to disintegrate into their purest form¡ªspiritual energy¡ªbefore condensing and forming what is known as a monster core.

    In the Primal Expanse, entities do not leave behind a monster core because they cultivate through their Chaotic Heart. Yet, Yuan had managed to transform their corpses¡ªtheir very Chaotic Hearts¡ªinto monster cores through his unique power.

    <You have learned Absolute Core Creation>

    [Absolute Core Creation]

    [Rank: Celestial]

    [Mastery Level: Max]

    [Description: Allows the user to create perfect monster cores from beast corpses.]

    "What is that?" Yingzi asked as she stared at the monster cores with a curious gaze. This was her first time seeing a monster core.

    "The Primals and Predators in the human world don''t have Chaotic Hearts. Instead, they have a monster core, which you''re looking at right now." Yuan exined.

    "They don''t have Chaotic Hearts...?" Yingzi muttered in disbelief, unable to fathom such a possibility, as it was impossible for them to survive without a Chaotic Heart.

    "Do you want it? Here you go." Yuan tossed the monster cores to her.

    Once the monster cores were in her grasp, Yingzi inspected them with great interest. Meanwhile, Yuan shifted his focus to the approaching Primals.

    "Although I can''t turn them into monster cores while they are still alive, I can do this instead¡­"

    When his next target was close enough, Yuan pointed two fingers at it and muttered, "Extract!"

    The targeted Primal suddenly sensed an overwhelming dread as it felt its longevity rapidly depleting, its life force draining away uncontrobly.

    However, its longevity wasn''t disappearing into thin air. Instead, it was being used to form a Blood Essence.

    Sure enough, just momentster, Yuan sessfully extracted the Primal''s Blood Essence.

    <You have gained Fiery Giant Eagle''s Blood Essence>

    <You have learned Forbidden Blood Extraction>

    [Forbidden Blood Extraction]

    [Rank: Celestial]

    [Mastery Level: Max]

    [Description: Forcefully extracts Blood Essence from your target. This forbidden technique is greatly frowned upon by the Heavens. Using this technique may invoke Heaven''s Tribtion!]

    Yuan swallowed nervously at the description.

    ''A technique that could invoke Heaven''s Tribtion just by using it? Luckily, I am still in the Primal Expanse, where Heaven has no influence¡­'' Yuan thought to himself.

    "..."

    When she realized what Yuan had just done, Yingzi wasn''t merely shocked¡ªshe was absolutely terrified. The ability to forcefully extract another''s Blood Essence was a terrifying technique, one that could plunge the entire Primal Expanse into chaos and turmoil.

    Seeing Yingzi''s fearful expression, Yuan smiled apologetically and said, "I''m sorry if that scared you. I was just testing it out. I won''t do that again."

    Yingzi silently acknowledged his words, but the fear in her heart couldn''t be dispelled so quickly.

    Meanwhile, several powerhouses had also witnessed Yuan''s terrifying powers from afar and were left in shock.

    "That human just used the Primal Monarch''s powers!"

    "Who is that human?! Where did hee from?!"

    "Did hee to our territory to cause trouble, or is he here for something else?"

    Despite their status as powerhouses, these individuals didn''t dare to show themselves before Yuan, fearing that he might forcefully extract their Blood Essences.

    "Let''s just stand by and observe him a little longer before deciding what to do with him."

    "Yeah, let''s do that." Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    Meanwhile, Yuan continued killing the Primals who approached him because of his scent. However, he refrained from using the Monarch''s power unless necessary.

    ''What''s taking them so long to show up? They should''ve been aware of my presence the moment I showed up in their territory¡­'' Yuan wondered inwardly, unaware that they were purposefully avoiding him.

    Sometimeter, a human-shaped figure approached Yuan, but this person was not one of the powerhouses.

 Chapter 1638 One Condition

    Chapter 1638 One Condition

    "Hey, you with the weird scent!"

    A voice suddenly called out to Yuan.

    Yuan turned toward the source of the voice, spotting a youngdy with long crimson hair, amber-colored eyes, and fierce facial features.

    "About time someone shows up," Yuan mumbled after seeing this young Phoenix.

    "Who the hell are you? And why are you causing a scene in our territory?" the youngdy questioned, seemingly unaware that Yuan was a human.

    It was well known that humans couldn''t use their powers in the Primal Expanse, and the fact that no human had appeared in their world for millions of years left the youngdy unaware of Yuan''s true identity.

    When the powerhouses realized who this youngdy was, they began panicking.

    "What the hell is she doing over there?!"

    "We need to intervene before that human steals her Blood Essence!"

    Meanwhile, Yuan faced the youngdy and spoke, "I have some business with the Primordial Phoenix."

    The youngdy frowned and said, "The Primordial Phoenix isn''t someone you can meet just because."

    "Then how can I meet them?"

    The youngdy narrowed her eyes and said, "First and foremost, you must identify yourself. What bloodline do you have? I am not familiar with your scent. Also, we need to know your reason for seeking out the Primordial Phoenix."

    "I''m Yuan, a human, and I need the Primordial Phoenix''s help with something."

    "Huh? A human?" The youngdy''s eyes widened with surprise after hearing such an unexpected answer.

    "To be messing with me¡­ you obviously don''t care about meeting the Primordial Phoenix," she sneered in disdain.

    "Why would I be messing with you? Can''t you tell by my scent? There''s a reason the Primals have been swarming me."

    "..."

    The youngdy was speechless.

    At that moment, two more figures appeared: a middle-aged man and a woman, both exuding an aura equivalent to a cultivator at the God Ascension realm. As soon as they arrived, they positioned themselves in front of the youngdy, as if shielding her with their bodies.

    "Seniors? Why are you here?" The youngdy was surprised by the appearance of these two powerhouses.

    "We should be asking you that! Why did youe here when we told everyone to remain in their home?!"

    "You did? I didn''t get the word." The youngdy shrugged.

    "Anyway, I came here because I noticed a weird scenting from this guy. He ims to be a human, but I don''t believe him."

    The two powerhouses turned to look at Yuan with deep frowns on their faces.

    "What is your rtionship with the Primal Monarch?" The woman asked in a nervous tone.

    "What? The Primal Monarch?" The youngdy''s eyes widened.

    "He''s my adoptive father." Yuan calmly responded.

    "?!?!"

    "The Primal Monarch adopted a human?!" The middle-aged man eximed, his face filled with disbelief.

    "Then are you here on behalf of the Primal Monarch?" The woman continued to ask.

    He shook his head, "No, I came here because I personally have business with the Primordial Phoenix."

    "What sort of business?" Yuan retrieved Feng Yuxiang''s egg and said, "I was told that they would be able to help my friend here."

    The Phoenixes before him trembled, their faces filled with shock when they saw the egg in Yuan''s grasp.

    "T-that is¡­! Where the hell did you get that?!" The youngdy cried out loud.

    "That shell! It can''t be¡­!" The middle-aged man swallowed nervously.

    "W-we must notify Her Majesty immediately!" The woman eximed.

    Yuan raised an eyebrow at their reaction and asked, "Does that mean I get to meet the Primordial Phoenix?"

    However, before the Phoenixes could respond, Yuan suddenly felt a strong, overwhelming pressure appear out of nowhere.

    Yuan tilted his head upward to see a massive, majestic Phoenix hovering above them.

    When the Phoenixes noticed this neer, they immediately lowered their heads and greeted it, "We greet Your Majesty!"

    "The Primordial Phoenix¡­?" Yuan recognized the Primordial Phoenix''s appearance since she looked exactly like Feng Yuming in her beast form.

    In the next moment, the Primordial Phoenix began to shrink, transforming into the form of a human.

    The Primordial Phoenix took the form of a stunning woman, tall and slender, with long, fiery red hair cascading down her back, nearly reaching her feet. Her presence radiated a majestic aura, one thatmanded respect, like that of an empress.

    ''She looks just like Feng Yuming¡­''

    Yuan was startled by how closely this Primordial Phoenix resembled Feng Yuming. Yet, it was clear that she wasn''t Feng Yuming, but another distinct Primordial Phoenix. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    The Primordial Phoenix descended gracefully, halting just before Yuan, her sharp gaze locking onto the egg in his hands. After a brief, tense silence, she shifted her eyes to Yuan and asked in a calm, yetmanding tone, "Who are you?"

    "I''m Yuan, a human from the human world."

    "What is your rtionship with the one inside this shell?"

    "We''repanions."

    "Then you''re not much of apanion, letting her end up in such a state," the Primordial Phoenix remarked, her toneced with disdain.

    Yuan narrowed his eyes and said, "You don''t even know what happened."

    "That''s irrelevant."

    "Whatever. I''m not here to argue but to see if you can heal her."

    The Primordial Phoenix looked at the egg and said, "Of course, I can heal her. However, why should I do that for you? Did you think I would be willing to heal her just because she''s a Phoenix?"

    "I was hopeful, but if you''re unwilling to heal her, just let me know so I can stop wasting my time here."

    "How dare you speak to Her Majesty in such a tone! Even the Primal Monarch addresses her with respect!" the middle-aged man shouted, his voice brimming with anger.

    The Primordial Phoenix narrowed her eyes at him.

    After a brief silence, she spoke, her voice calm yet firm, "I am willing to heal her... but only under one condition: you must leave her with us in the Eternal Phoenix Domain."

    Yuan frowned after hearing about her condition. "Are you serious?" "Did it sound like I was joking?" the Primordial Phoenix replied, her voice cold and unwavering.

 Chapter 1639 Primordial Phoenixs Outburst

    Chapter 1639 Primordial Phoenix''s Outburst

    "If I heal her and let her continue traveling with you, she will undoubtedly be hurt again, perhaps even face death," the Primordial Phoenix exined the reason behind her condition, her tone resolute. "In that case, I would rather she stay here with us, where she will be close to her own bloodline and, more importantly, where she''ll be safe."

    Hearing this, Yuan calmly replied, "You''re right. It is dangerous to be with me, and there''s a high chance she''ll get hurt again in the future. However, it''s her decision whether she wants to continue traveling with me. Neither you nor I have the right to decide her path for her."

    "Moreover, she doesn''t even belong in this world. It''s unreasonable to ask her to stay."

    "You speak so confidently despite knowing nothing." The Primordial Phoenix sneered.

    "Why don''t you enlighten me, then?"

    "You''re not worth it."

    Yuan shrugged, "Then I guess we have nothing left to talk about."

    He put Feng Yuxiang away and prepared to leave.

    "Where do you think you''re going? This isn''t a ce where you cane and go as you please," the Primordial Phoenix said sharply, her voice echoing with authority. "Leave that Phoenix behind, and only then will I allow you to leave." With those words, she unleashed a powerful pressure, instantly restricting Yuan''s movements.

    The Primordial Phoenix was undoubtedly one of the strongest beings Yuan had encountered so far, second only to the Primal Monarch. Ifpared to a cultivator, her power would rival that of a Cultivation God¡ªan entity that stood at the very peak of the cultivation world.

    Sensing the Primordial Phoenix''s overwhelming presence, Yuan instantly realized that he was powerless against her¡ªand that not even the Monarch''s power could save him.

    However, Yuan remained calm, confident that the Primal Monarch was watching everything unfold and wouldn''t allow him to die.

    "If you think the Primal Monarch will save you, think again," the Primordial Phoenix said, her eyes gleaming with certainty. "He and I have an agreement¡ªthat he won''t interfere with anything that happens within my territory, no matter what."

    She had guessed the obvious reason behind his calm demeanor.

    "If he does show up to save you, I am willing to fight him to death."

    "..."

    Yuan was speechless. He couldn''t understand why the Primordial Phoenix was so determined to keep Feng Yuxiang in the Eternal Phoenix Domain with them.

    Before Yuan could respond, she continued, "Or perhaps you believe I can''t kill you because that isn''t your real body? Unfortunately for you, my mes can burn anything¡ªeven a body crafted from your soul." Her voice carried a cold certainty that sent a chill through the air.

    Yuan''s eyebrows twitched at her words.

    ''She can tell that this isn''t my real body?!'' he cried inwardly. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    "As a curtsy to the Primal Monarch, I will give you onest warning. Leave behind that Phoenix. Otherwise, Ipletely erase you from existence!"

    Suddenly, mes erupted around them, encircling Yuan and trapping him within a zing sphere of fire. The intense heat pressed in from all sides, leaving him no escape.

    Seeing this, Yuan spoke out loud, "I know you''re seeing this, you old booger! Are you really going to let me die?!"

    "It''s useless. The Primal Monarch won''t interfere." The Primordial Phoenix sneered at his futile attempt.

    However, a voice suddenly resounded, "You were quite confident that you''d be fine right before I sent you off, so what is this, you little brat?"

    The Primordial Phoenix frowned when she realized it was the Primal Monarch''s voice.

    "Primal Monarch, I won''t hurt him as long as he leaves behind the Phoenix!"

    The Primal Monarch then spoke, but not to the Primordial Phoenix, "You heard her, brat. It would save me a lot of headaches if you leave behind that Phoenix."

    "Hmph! I''d rather die!" Yuan sneered.

    "It''s just a Phoenix. I''m sure you can easily acquire more when you return to your world."

    "Just a Phoenix? She''s much more than that to me!If you''re not going to help, just leave! You useless old booger!"

    "..."

    After a brief silence, a deep sigh echoed through the fiery enclosure. Suddenly, a rift tore open beside Yuan, and the Primal Monarch emerged from it.

    "What do you think you are doing, Primal Monarch? We had an agreement! Don''t tell me you n on breaking it!" The Primordial Phoenix roared in anger.

    "I know we had an agreement," the Primal Monarch responded, his voice calm yet firm. "But I cannot allow my one and only son, since the beginning of time, to die here."

    He paused, his gaze steady on the Primordial Phoenix. "Why are you so determined to take hispanion from him, anyway? Even if she dies by his side, what does that have to do with you? It''s not like she''s the only Phoenix out there."

    The Primordial Phoenix trembled at his words, herposure faltering. After a moment, she responded with a fierce intensity, "It has everything to do with me! You''re not the only one trying to save your child here, Primal Monarch! That Phoenix is my daughter¡ªmy oldest!"

    "What?! Your daughter?!" Yuan''s eyes widened with shock after hearing the Primordial Phoenix''s unexpected im.

    ''Feng Feng is her daughter?! How is that even possible?!'' he cried inwardly.

    "And unlike you, who merely adopted that human, she''s my biological daughter!" the Primordial Phoenix continued, her voice trembling with emotion, revealing the feelings she had been holding back all this time.

    Yuan stared at the Primordial Phoenix, his jaw ck in disbelief. He could sense the truth in her words¡ªher emotions were raw and genuine, leaving no room for doubt.

    However, Yuan couldn''t fathom how Feng Yuxiang could be her child. Had Feng Yuxiang somehow traveled to the Nine Heavens, much like he had identally found himself in the Primal Expanse?

    "So she was your child, huh? That exins a lot." The Primal Monarch mused.

    The Primordial Phoenix pointed at Yuan, her voice rising with fury as she shouted, "I won''t allow my daughter to stay with someone who let her nearly die, even if you are the Primal Monarch''s son!"

    Her fierce gaze burned with such intensity that Yuan felt as if his entire body was engulfed in mes. Coupled with her harsh words, he felt a deep sense of guilt, as though he was in the wrong.

 Chapter 1640 A Vicious Curse

    Chapter 1640 A Vicious Curse

    "Since you''re her mother, this changes everything. However, that doesn''t mean I''m willing to let you take her away from me." Yuan said to the Primordial Phoenix after a moment of silence.

    He continued, "How about this? Why don''t you help your daughter recover first, then we can discuss her future together? I promise that I won''t leave before the two of you have a conversation. I really don''t want to fight you."

    "Hmph! You don''t want to fight me? You aren''t even capable of doing so!" The Primordial Phoenix sneered.

    She turned to look at the Primal Monarch and continued, "Although you haven''t done anything yet, I am still going to consider this a breach of our agreement, Primal Monarch!"

    "Does this mean you have given up on trying to kill my son?"

    "That will depend on my daughter''s testimony. If I find out that he''s mistreated her even slightly, I will not hesitate to kill him even if it''s thest thing I do," she responded in a cold voice.

    The Primordial Phoenix removed the mes shortly after and said to Yuan, "Follow me."

    She created a rift and entered it.

    "Go ahead. I won''t being along." The Primal Monarch said.

    "Alright." Yuan nodded and followed the Primordial Phoenix into the rift.

    Yingzi, who had been watching in the background, silently followed him. As for the three Phoenixes¡­

    "So the Phoenix inside that egg was my eldest sister, huh? No wonder I felt an odd sense of familiarity with her..." the youngdy mused, her voice softening as the realization dawned on her.

    "I can''t believe that the First Princess has returned after so long¡­" The woman muttered in a dazed voice. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    "Things are going to get chaotic here very soon. I need to notify everyone of the situation as soon as possible." The middle-aged man sighed.

    Once Yuan stepped through the rift, he found himself in a vast, breathtaking garden that seemed to stretch endlessly in every direction. The air was thick with the fragrance of medicinal nts, all flourishing with vibrant yang energy.

    "Put my daughter on that altar." The Primordial Phoenix pointed to the altar covered withplex array symbols in the distance.

    Yuan nodded and approached the altar before retrieving Feng Yuxiang''s egg and cing it in the center of the altar.

    "Get back," said the Primordial Phoenix as she stood before the altar.

    Yuan stepped back and waited for her next move.

    However, the Primordial Phoenix didn''t do anything besides silently staring at the egg with a motherly gaze.

    A few momentster, she suddenly frowned and roared, "Which bastard ced such a vicious curse on her?!"

    "That happened to her before we met, so I don''t know the details." Yuan quickly shook his head when she turned to look at him for answers.

    "Just so you know, I''ve been working to get that curse removed since we met," he added.

    "Hmph! The reason why she hasn''t emerged from her shell is because of this damned curse." The Primordial Phoenix revealed with a cold sneer.

    "Unfortunately, I cannot do anything until wepletely remove the curse, or I risk injuring her, even killing her."

    "Do you have a way to remove the curse?" Yuan asked.

    "We can remove the curse with the help of a treasure. However, we don''t have that treasure at our territory."

    "But you know where it is, right?"

    "The treasure is called the Sacred Chalice of Purification, and it is in the possession of those annoying dragons at the Divine Dragon Sanctuary," she said.

    "The Divine Dragon Sanctuary?" Yuan didn''t expect to hear this name again.

    "It''s a rank one territory, one that rivals our Eternal Phoenix Domain, controlled by the dragon race," the Primordial Phoenix sighed, her frustration evident. "I would retrieve the treasure myself, but doing so would undoubtedly spark an all-out war between our territories."

    "I can get the treasure." Yuan suddenly volunteered.

    She looked at him and sneered, "You? What can you possibly achieve with that level of cultivation? Your Monarch''s power is useless against those whose strength far exceeds your own." Her tone was sharp, dripping with condescension.

    "Must everything be solved with violence and force?" Yuan shook his head.

    He proceeded to transform, revealing his dragon form to her.

    "You..." The Primordial Phoenix''s frown deepened as she sensed the unmistakable scent of a dragon exuding from his body. This was the first time such a scent had breached her sacred territory¡ªher private sanctuary. Her displeasure was evident, her gaze hardening with irritation.

    "I''ll go there as a fellow dragon," Yuan said with a calm smile, ignoring her displeased res. "Even if you go there as a dragon, it won''t do you any good," the Primordial Phoenix scoffed. "The Sacred Chalice of Purification isn''t just any treasure¡ªit''s one of their most valuable, revered as sacred. It has never left their territory before, and they guard it like their life depends on it."

    "That does sound troublesome¡­" Yuan mumbled to himself after hearing this.

    After a moment of silence, he shrugged, "Well, I''ll figure something out¡ªprobably."

    "You¡­ why would my daughter follow someone as foolish as you¡­?" The Primordial Phoenix sighed.

    "Then do you have a better suggestion?" Yuan inquired.

    The Primordial Phoenix remained silent.

    Eventually, she said, "Even the Primal Monarch might not be able to acquire the treasure from them without a fight, so I really have no idea how you''re going to do it. However, it''s still better than suddenly going to war with them¡ªnot that I am afraid of them or anything like that."

    "We''ve been trying to conquer or eliminate each other since the beginning of time," the Primordial Phoenix continued coldly. "We''ve gone to war more than once, even for reasons far more insignificant than this. All we need is time to prepare, and that''s exactly what we''ll be doing while you do your thing. So don''t worry. Even if you fail to secure the treasure, we''ll strike when the time is right."

    Yuan swallowed nervously.

    The Primordial Phoenix''s expression was deadly serious as she spoke of going to war with the dragons, all for the sake of reviving her daughter. Her resolve was unwavering, showing just how far she was willing to go for her child''s life.

 Chapter 1641 Human From Back Then

    Chapter 1641 Human From Back Then

    "I''ll do whatever it takes to acquire the treasure. Just don''t do anything reckless and foolish before I return." Yuan shook his head at the Primordial Phoenix''s eagerness to go to war with the dragons.

    "Who the hell are you to tell me what to do?" The Primordial Phoenix sneered.

    She continued, "Ten years. If you haven''t returned with the treasure by then, we will go there and get it ourselves."

    ''Ten years?'' Yuan smiled inwardly after hearing this generous number. ''I only n to stay in this world for another year at most. As if I need ten years!''

    "Alright. Ten years." He agreed to her terms.

    "Anyway, I will need some time to prepare before I head to the Divine Dragon Sanctuary. If I go there in my current state¡ªwith an iplete Chaotic Heart, they will definitely suspect my identity."

    The Primordial Phoenix narrowed her gaze on him, seemingly pondering something.

    "Since you brought my daughter back to us, we will assist you in that regard," she suddenly said.

    "Eh? Really?" Yuan wasn''t expecting this at all and was pleasantly surprised.

    "It''s only a single Chaotic Heart, and it''s your first, so it won''t take much effort."

    "Then I will take up on your offer," Yuan said.

    "..."

    "By the way, I have been meaning to ask you this, but how did Feng Feng¡ªyour daughter end up in the human world?"

    "Are you seriously asking me that? Do you even know anything about the Primal Expanse? Are you really the Primal Monarch''s son?" The Primordial Phoenix suddenly bombarded him with questions.

    "Now that you mentioned it, I don''t really know much about the Primal Expanse¡­" Yuan suddenly came to this realization.

    Despite spending over a hundred years in the Primal Expanse, Yuan hadn''t taken the time to learn much about its intricacies. Instead, he had devoted nearly all his focus to training.

    ''I never anticipated that I would be leaving the Primal Expanse so soon back then, so I never really paid attention to the world, and that old booger never told me much about the world, either.'' Yuan sighed inwardly.

    "Did the Primal Monarch really not tell you anything about our world? How long have you been living in the Primal Expanse?" The Primordial Phoenix asked.

    "I came to the Primal Expanse by ident a little over a year ago," he said.

    "Only a year ago? And you''d be the Primal Monarch''s son in that little time? Something isn''t adding up here." The Primordial Phoenix frowned.

    "It''s a littleplicated, but this isn''t my first time to the Primal Expanse."

    "borate."

    ''Since she''s Feng Feng''s mother, I guess telling her the truth is fine. She''d find out eventually, anyway.''

    With that in mind, Yuan exined his situation to her.

    "I lived in the Primal Expanse for a little bit in my previous life," he calmly exined.

    The Primordial Phoenix''s eyes widened after hearing this.

    "Your previous life¡­? Reincarnation? Wait a minute¡­"

    The Primordial Phoenix suddenly began approaching him, her movements graceful yet deliberate. When she stood directly in front of him, she leaned in, bringing her face so close to his that their lips were just a breath apart, almost touching.

    Her gaze was fierce, searing into his face with such intensity that it felt as though her eyes alone could burn him. The heat of her presence was almost overwhelming, like a fire just beneath the surface.

    After a tense moment of silence, she abruptly stepped back, her eyes widening in shock as she cried out, "Y-you! No wonder you felt so familiar! You''re that human from back then! The one who appeared out of nowhere and caused chaos in the Primal Expanse for a hundred years before vanishing just as suddenly!" Her voice was filled with both recognition and disbelief.

    "Hm? You know me¡ªTian Yi?" Yuan asked, his brow furrowing as he tried to recall the Primordial Phoenix from Tian Yi''s memories. However, he had fought so many phoenixes during that time that it was impossible to pinpoint her for certain.

    "Who in the Primal Expanse hasn''t heard of you back then?" the Primordial Phoenix sneered. "Though I never met you personally, I heard all about your so-called ''feats''¡ªhow you went from territory to territory, beating up the owners individually." Her voice wasced with a mixture of disbelief and frustration as she recalled the stories of his chaotic past.

    "As a matter of fact, you also made a mess in the Eternal Phoenix Domain back then!" the Primordial Phoenix continued, her voice rising with frustration. "Unfortunately, I was away when you invaded our territory. By the time I returned, you had already disappeared from the Primal Expanse, so I wasn''t able to exact revenge!" Her eyes burned with fury as she recalled the memory of returning home, only to find her people beaten to a pulp and their treasures plundered. The humiliation and rage she had felt at that moment resurfaced, igniting her anger once more.

    "Oh, that was just my training," Yuan said as he reminisced the past.

    "Then why did you take our treasures?!"

    "It requires a lot of resources to form Chaotic Hearts, you know? Anyway," Yuan continued calmly, "while I did take your treasures, I didn''t kill any of the Phoenixes. Besides, you guys were the aggressors. I was simply passing through your territory when your people attacked me first, so you can''t really me me for defending myself." Property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    The Primordial Phoenix trembled, but she eventually stopped.

    "That exins why the Primal Monarch never showed up to stop you¡­"

    "..."

    "Whatever," the Primordial Phoenix suddenly scoffed, waving her hand dismissively. "That''s all in the past, and I''m not petty enough to hold a grudge over something that happened millions of years ago." Her tone softened slightly, though the tension in the air lingered.

    "Thanks. Now, can you tell me about your daughter''s situation?" Yuan returned to the topic.

    "Before that, you should learn more about the Primal Expanse," she said.

    "In that case, allow me to exin." A third voice suddenly resounded.

    "I knew you hadn''t left yet..." the Primordial Phoenix sneered, her voice dripping with disdain. "But to snoop around in my private world... I didn''t realize you were this shameless, Primal Monarch."

    Sure enough, a momentter, the Primal Monarch appeared before them, stepping through an entrance he had created himself with a faint smile on his face.

 Chapter 1642 The Connection Between Two Worlds

    Chapter 1642 The Connection Between Two Worlds

    "Shameless? I am just trying to ensure my son''s safety. That''s all. I have no interest in you or your world." The Primal Monarch shrugged.

    "Hah! Do you think I am the type to go back on my words? I am nowhere as shameless as you, Primal Monarch!"

    "Anyway, you had plenty of chances to exin to him before, so why didn''t you do so?" "Hmm¡­ good question¡­"

    The Primal Monarch began pondering with a serious face.

    A few momentster, he had a look of realization and said, "I remember now! I forgot to tell him!" "Are you serious¡­?" The Primordial Phoenix frowned.

    He shrugged, "My mind was upied with other things back then, and teaching him about our world wasn''t a priority, so I never gave it any thought." "Unbelievable¡­" Yuan muttered.

    "Anyway, let me make it up by exining our world to you now." The Primal Monarch looked at Yuan and went on to exin the connection between the Primal Expanse and the Nine Heavens.

    "As you already know by now, the ''beasts'' of your world are originally from the Primal Expanse. Of course, not all of them came from the Primal Expanse, but a good portion of them are."

    "Now the question is, how does that work? How did they enter your world?"

    "But before I answer that question, I have one for you. What happens when a human dies in your world?" The Primal Monarch faced Yuan with a profound smile.

    "Well, as long as their soul isn''t destroyed, they will eventually be reincarnated. Without the memories of their past lives, obviously."

    The Primal Monarch nodded and continued asking, "Then what do you think happens to beasts after their death?"

    Yuan pondered for a moment before responding, "Unlike humans, beasts don''t reincarnate. Unless they have a unique bloodline, they simply return to nature¡ªbeing part of the world as spiritual energy."

    "You''re partially correct, and you''re missing a few pieces." The Primal Monarch spoke.

    "Just like humans, beasts also reincarnate," he proceeded to exin. "However, their process is vastly different. When a beast dies, as long as its Chaotic Heart¡ªor ''core''¡ªisn''t destroyed or consumed, it returns to nature as Chaotic Essence in the Primal Expanse and spiritual energy in your world. Over time, that energy will give birth to a new beast, whether by natural birth or through another beast."

    "Unlike humans, who rely on their own bodily fluids to breed and procreate, beasts only need spiritual energy to do so. There are two ways they acquire this energy¡ªby receiving it from another being or by absorbing the natural energy around them. Most prefer to use nature''s energy, as it is both the most convenient and abundant source. However, those who wish to maintain or strengthen their bloodline''s purity and strength typically acquire it from another individual."

    Yuan absorbed the information with a serious expression, carefully processing every word. When the Primal Monarch mentioned the beasts'' method of breeding through spiritual energy, Yuan''s thoughts drifted to Lan Yingying and how she had requested his spiritual energy to conceive her future child.

    While it wasn''t unheard of for beasts to conceive using a human''s spiritual energy, it was incredibly rare due to the unpredictability of the results. The fusion of human and beast energy often led to unforeseenplications, making such urrences highly unusual and risky.

    However, there are special races that can conceive with a human''s spiritual energy without anyplications, and Lan Yingying belongs to that category.

    "Now then, let''s finally get to the main topic," the Primal Monarch said suddenly. "In the Primal Expanse, for reasons still unknown, when beings here perish, they don''t always return to nature as Chaotic Essence. Instead, they sometimes transform into spiritual energy and drift into your world, where they are reborn."

    "Huh?" Yuan''s eyes widened at this information.

    He looked at the Primordial Phoenix and muttered, "Does that mean your daughter died in the Primal Expanse and was reincarnated in the human world?"

    She nodded, "Yes, but due to our unique bloodline, our reincarnation process is somewhat identical to that of humans. For instance, when a human reincarnates, they will always return as humans. If I were to die right now, I would eventuallye back as a Primordial Phoenix. However, if there are no interferences, a dragon could reincarnate as a snake or even a pig in their next life. In simpler terms, we will naturally retain our core identity and bloodline no matter how many times we are reborn, as long as there are no interferences."

    "Therefore, no matter how many times she dies, my daughters will always be my daughter."

    "I see¡­" Yuan muttered.

    "By the way, if you didn''t know, the Primal Expanse existed long before the human world even came into the picture." The Primal Monarch suddenly said.

    "I have another question. If a beast dies in the human world, is there a chance that they could return to the Primal Expanse?" Yuan asked.

    "No. Once one leaves the Primal Expanse, they will never return¡ªat least not in that fashion. Of course, they can still return the same way you did." Property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    "How often does that happen?"

    "As often as humans show up. Also, if a beast without a Chaotic Heart visits the Primal Expanse, it will be as powerless as a human. After all, only those with a Chaotic Heart or the Monarch''s bloodline could cultivate and utilize Chaotic Essence."

    "That exins why I am able to use my powers even without a Chaotic Heart¡­" Yuan mused to himself.

    "That said, a beast born in the human world can still form a Chaotic Heart, so they''re notpletely hopeless." The Primal Monarch added.

    Sometimeter, Yuan said, "I understand how the Primal Expanse and the Nine Heavens are connected, but I still don''t know why."

    "Unfortunately, even I do not know why." The Primal Monarch shook his head.

    "Hmm¡­ what about your bloodline? Just what exactly is the Monarch''s bloodline?"

    The Primordial Phoenix stared at the Primal Monarch with intrigue. Although the beings in the Primal Expanse understand and have epted the Primal Monarch''s powers, nobody knows how or why such a bloodline exists.

 Chapter 1643 Six in Total

    Chapter 1643 Six in Total

    "What is the Monarch''s bloodline, huh?" The Primal Monarch looked at Yuan with a profound smile on his face.

    After a moment of silence, he responded with a casual shrug, "No clue."

    "Huh?" Yuan''s face became dumbfounded.

    "I am the first of my kind, and it has been that way since the beginning of time. I do not know why I was born or my purpose. I merely exist."

    The Primordial Phoenix stared at the Primal Monarch with a pondering expression. As he had imed, he had existed since the beginning of time before any other race was born. In fact, there are spections that he had been created alongside the Primal Expanse itself, an ancient being intertwined with the very fabric of the world.

    No one truly knows the full extent of the Primal Monarch''s power, as he has never revealed it. Throughout the ages, he has remained detached from worldly affairs, rarely interacting with its residents or intervening in their matters. He was a silent ruler, observing the world from a position so high that others could hardlyprehend it¡ªhis presence akin to that of a god.

    He also possessed an unrivaled ability that allowed him tomand all bloodlines as if they were his servants, even those of the so-called purest and most powerful bloodlines. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    Due to his terrifying abilities, few dared to challenge him, allowing him to remain at the peak of the world since the beginning of time.

    "You never questioned it or tried to find an answer?" Yuan asked, his curiosity piqued.

    The Primal Monarch remained silent for a moment before shaking his head.

    "I was curious during my earliest years," he admitted, "but once I realized that knowledge wouldn''t change anything, I have since stopped caring about it."

    ''Just what is so special about this human for the Primal Monarch to be so attached to him?'' The Primordial Phoenix wondered inwardly.

    The Primal Monarch was a godlike existence, one so far beyond the reach of most that even speaking to him seemed unimaginable. Yet, somehow, a mere human had managed to pique his interest enough to not only be adopted as his own but also be granted his immense powers. It was simply iprehensible even for someone as experienced and knowledgeable as the Primordial Phoenix.

    Sometimeter, after their conversation ended, the Primordial Phoenix opened a rift, leading Yuan to the Eternal Phoenix Domain''s primary residence, where most of the phoenixes dwelled. "There will be someone to assist you with your Chaotic Heart." The Primordial Phoenix said to him after opening the rift.

    "You''re noting?"

    "I am going to examine her curse a little more."

    "I understand."

    The moment Yuan emerged from the rift, he was immediately greeted by a familiar face¡ªthe youngdy who was the first to approach him. And before them, multiple inds floated majestically in the sky, each one upied by a powerful phoenix, their fiery auras radiating through the air.

    "We meet again. I was given instructions by my mother to assist you." "Your mother¡­? You''re also the Primordial Phoenix''s daughter?" Yuan asked.

    She nodded, "I am the youngest. You can call me Feng Yao."

    "Nice to meet you. By the way, how many siblings do you have?" "I have five siblings, but only three of them still exist in the Primal Expanse. Thest two drifted into the other world, one of them being the eldest, whom you brought back."

    "So there are six of you in total, huh? Are you all Primordial Phoenixes?" "Of course not. The Primordial Phoenix bloodline is the purest and highest-grade Phoenix bloodline. Besides the eldest, we all have a different bloodline. However, while our bloodline isn''t as pure as the eldest, we''re still at the top of our bloodline."

    ''So Feng Feng is a Primordial Phoenix like her mother? But her character status shows a different bloodline. Is this also due to the curse?''

    Yuan recalled that Xiao Hua''s character status changed when she released her seal, so Feng Yuxiang might be in a simr situation.

    "Anyways, enough about me. What''s your rtionship with Eldest Sister?" Feng Yao stared at him with glowing eyes that were filled with curiosity.

    "We''re travelingpanions," Yuan said with a smile, purposefully avoiding the fact that they were in a master-servant rtionship.

    ''They''d probably skin me alive if they find out about our real rtionship¡­'' Yuan could imagine the Primordial Phoenix''s fury if she found out, sending shivers throughout his body.

    "How long have you known the eldest?" Feng Yao continued asking as they walked to their destination.

    "We''ve only known each other for a few years."

    "Huh? That little time? You''re practically strangers!"

    Yuan looked at her with raised eyebrows, but he refrained frommenting on her logic.

    "What was she like when she still lived in the Primal Expanse?" Yuan suddenly asked.

    Feng Yao shrugged and said, "I was born long after she was gone, so I don''t have the slightest clue. However, the others might know. You can try asking themter."

    "I''ll just ask the Primordial Phoenixter," he said.

    "...You''re really something, you know?" Feng Yao suddenly sighed.

    "What do you mean?"

    "Despite being her daughter, I rarely see my mother, let alone speak with her," Feng Yao remarked with a hint of bitterness. "I think you''ve spent more time with her than I have in my entire life so far."

    "Seriously? Even though you all live in the same territory?"

    "What do you know? Mother spends most of her time inside her own world."

    "Doing what? Increase her cultivation, which could already rival even the strongest cultivators in my world?"

    "No, she spends most of her time conceiving another child. It takes hundreds of millions of years for someone at her level to conceive a single child, after all. This doesn''t include the time it takes her to absorb enough Chaotic Essence to begin the process, either."

    Yuan was left speechless by this revtion.

    ''Hundreds of millions of years for a single child? I suppose it would disrupt the bnce of the world if such a powerful being could conceive too quickly,'' Yuan thought to himself.

    The stronger the being, the more time is required to conceive, a principle that applies even to humans.

    ''Compared to the Primordial Phoenix, Yingying''s one thousand years is almostughably short¡­''

    "Alright, we''re here." Feng Yao said out loud once they reached their destination.

 Chapter 1644 Nine Levels of Hell

    Chapter 1644 Nine Levels of Hell

    "Where exactly are we?" Yuan inquired as they stood at the peak of a massive volcano. He thought they were going to feed him treasures toplete his Chaotic Heart.

    "We''re at the Nine Levels of Hell Peak."

    "What a terrifying name. Why did you bring me here? The Primordial Phoenix said you''d help meplete my Chaotic Heart."

    "Were you expecting us to feed you treasures or something? You''ll be forming your Chaotic Heart here." Feng Yao pointed at the raging mes inside the volcano.

    "How does that work?" Yuan asked with raised eyebrows.

    "There are nine floors in the Nine Levels of Hell, each floor engulfed in my mother¡ªthe Primordial Phoenix''s mes," Feng Yao exined. "If you temper your body within these mes, you''ll eventuallyplete your Chaotic Heart. The deeper you go, the more intense the mes be, but the rewards will also be greater."

    Of course, they could have simply fed Yuan the necessary treasures toplete his Chaotic Heart. However, since the Primordial Phoenix couldn''t kill him, she saw this as an opportunity to inflict some pain on him instead. Thus, this grueling method of tempering his body in the mes was chosen as a way to achieve his goal while ensuring he endured some suffering in the process.

    ''Not petty enough to hold a grudge, huh?'' Yuan recalled the Primordial Phoenix''s words and shook his head inwardly.

    "Anyway, you''re only a human, and your cultivation is also pathetically low, so even the first level might be unbearable for you." Feng Yao continued, "That''s why I''ll give you this."

    She handed him a bottle that contained a single drop of blood inside.

    "Phoenix blood?" Yuan raised an eyebrow.

    "My blood, to be precise. If you consume it, you''ll have enhanced fire resistance for a short time, enough to endure the second level at most."

    It was only ordinary phoenix blood, but Feng Yao had a powerful bloodline, so even a single drop would be priceless in the Nine Heavens.

    "Your blood is only enough for the second level? Just how powerful are these mes?" Yuan asked.

    "What do you know? My Mother is the most powerful phoenix in existence. Her mes can burn even someone with fire immunity."

    "Is that so? Have you heard of Phoenix''s Wrath?" Yuan suddenly asked.

    "Phoenix''s Wrath? Of course, I have. Why?"

    "How does itpare to the mes here?"

    Feng Yao pondered for a moment before responding, "The Phoenix''s Wrath would only be as strong as the mes in the fourth level."

    ''The fourth level only? This ce is no joke¡­'' Yuan swallowed nervously.

    If the pain he experienced from the Phoenix''s Wrath was only as strong as the fourth level, he couldn''t imagine how much pain he''d experience in the ninth level.

    "Alright, I''m going in," Yuan said a momentter.

    "Don''t bite more than you can chew." Feng Yao said.

    Yuan didn''t say anything and jumped inside the entrance, diving straight toward the second floor.

    "Wha¡ª?! I just warned him! And he didn''t even consume my blood! Are all humans this reckless?!" Feng Yao was shocked when Yuan jumped straight to the second level.

    As Yuan passed through the first level, a wave of intense heat washed over him, making him feel as though he had stepped into an oven. The air was thick with scorching energy, but to his surprise, it wasn''t painful¡ªjust overwhelmingly hot, like standing too close to a zing fire.

    The moment Yuan stepped into the second level, the intensity of the heat skyrocketed. It was fierce enough to scorch his skin in an instant, but despite the mes'' strength, they couldn''t burn him faster than his body could regenerate. His healing abilities kicked in immediately, restoring his skin as quickly as it was damaged, creating a relentless cycle of burning and regeneration.

    <Your fire resistance has increased!>

    <Your fire resistance has increased!>

    <Your fire resistance has increased!>

    ''This is a great ce to temper my body and increase my fire resistance!'' Yuan thought, his excitement growing as the mes continued their relentless assault. ''Perhaps I could even achieve fire immunity in this ce!''

    The burning sensation was excruciating, but it wasn''t unbearable. Filled with determination, he sat down and began cultivating on the second level.

    "Wow, he''s actually enduring the second level right off the bat. I guess I underestimated him a little." Feng Yao mused, her interest piqued.

    Not only did the mes temper Yuan''s body, but they also contained rich Chaotic Essence that gradually advanced his Chaotic Heart. However, the process was slower than he anticipated.

    ''It''ll take years to finish my Chaotic Heart at this rate. I''ll head to the third level once I improve my fire resistance to the next level.''

    With that in mind, Yuan continued to temper in the mes.

    Sometimeter, a figure appeared at the Nine Levels of Hell Peak andnded right beside Feng Yao.

    "Elder Brother Mu." Feng Yao greeted this tall and handsome man with a respectful smile.

    "When did you return?"

    "A few hours ago," he responded, his gaze staring intently at Yuan''s figure.

    Feng Mu was the second youngest in the family, but he was still a billion years older than Feng Yao.

    "I came back immediately after hearing that the eldest has returned. Is that him? The human who brought back the eldest from the human world?" Feng Mu asked.

    "Yes, he''s the one."

    "He''s less impressive than I anticipated¡ªeven disappointing," Feng Mu remarked, shaking his head in dissatisfaction. "I heard he was rted to the Primal Monarch, too. Must be a lie."

    "No, it''s true. The Primal Monarch even showed up to protect him when Mother was about to kill him." Feng Yao said.

    "Seriously? How is someone so weak rted to the Primal Monarch? I can burn him to ashes with a single breath."

    Feng Mu quickly lost interest in Yuan and asked about Feng Yuxiang. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    "Have you spoken to the eldest yet? What was she like?"

    "That''s¡­ Haven''t you heard? She came back as a ''shell''."

    "What?" Feng Mu immediately became dumbfounded.

 Chapter 1645 Fire Immunity

    Chapter 1645 Fire Immunity

    "What the hell are you talking about? The eldest came back in such a state?" Feng Mu almost couldn''t believe what he was hearing.

    "Unfortunately. I don''t know the situation, but Mother''s going to take care of it. In the meantime, I am tasked with helping himplete his Chaotic Heart." Feng Yao pointed at Yuan.

    Feng Mu shifted his gaze to Yuan again and sneered, "What a waste of time and effort."

    "Is that really the case?"

    "Huh? Don''t tell me you think differently."

    "I don''t know humans enough to tell if he''s talented or not, but he was chosen by the Primal Monarch. I think that says enough." Feng Yao shrugged.

    At this moment, Yuan suddenly opened his eyes and stood up.

    <You have gained Supreme Fire Resistance>

    After Yuan''s fire resistance reached a new threshold, he wasted no time and immediately descended to the third level. The mes on the third level were no longer the familiar orange hue of the first two levels. Instead, the third level was bathed in intense blue mes, radiating an even more potent and refined heat.

    Even with his Supreme Fire Resistance and powerful body, he experienced pain that was several times worse than the second level.

    At this point, Yuan''s entire figure waspletely engulfed by mes, so much so that even his silhouette was no longer visible. The blue mes enveloped him entirely, making it seem as though he had be one with the fire itself. Despite the overwhelming intensity, Yuan remained focused, letting the mes temper his body further and push his limits.

    "Wow, he''s actually cultivating in the third level," Feng Yao muttered, covering her mouth in surprise, her eyes wide with awe. She had only expected him to reach the second level at most, but in just a few days, he had surpassed her expectations.

    Feng Yao turned to look at Yingzi, who had been silently blending in with the background, and spoke to her, "How long have you been following this human?"

    "Since the moment he arrived at the Primal Expanse, I guess."

    "Why are you following him? I thought Shadow Dwellers are introverts." "I wanted to know what it means to be human."

    "Oh? That does sound interesting. What have you learned so far?" A new voice suddenly interrupted.

    Yingzi turned toward the voice and saw a beautiful woman with short red hair and purple eyes hovering gracefully above the Nine Levels of Hell Peak. Her presence wasmanding, and the air around her seemed to shimmer with an ethereal glow as she watched the scene below with calm intensity.

    "Elder Sister Liqiu." Both Feng Yao and Feng Mu bowed to her in a respectful manner the moment they noticed her presence.

    This neer was Feng Liqiu, the second eldest in their family.

    After snapping out of her daze, Yingzi responded, "Not much, but from what I''ve seen, humans are beings that grow exponentially fast."

    "From my understanding, human growth varies from person to person." Feng Liqui said. "Although I don''t know how hepares with the rest of the humans in his world, he''s definitely a lot better than the humans I''ve encountered in the Primal Expanse."

    Being the second oldest in the family, Feng Liqui has lived for billions of years in the Primal Expanse, so she has encountered plenty of humans in the past.

    "Have you spoken with Mother yet, Elder Sister Liqui?" Feng Mu asked.

    "Yes, but it was brief." Property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    "Elder Sister Liqui, you''ve met the Eldest before, correct? What was she like?" Feng Yao suddenly asked after recalling Yuan asking her the same question.

    "Elder Sister, huh?" Feng Liqui closed her eyes and recalled her memories of Feng Yuxiang, which were billions of years old.

    "We never really got along and constantlypeted against each other to impress Mother. As for what she was like¡­ I don''t remember."

    "Anyway, she''s probably reincarnated many times by now. I doubt she''s the same person I remember."

    Feng Liqui''s gaze returned to looking at Yuan.

    "I''m more interested in this human with the Primal Monarch''s bloodline¡­" she muttered with a slight smile.

    "What''s so interesting about that weakling?" Feng Mu shook his head, unable toprehend it.

    "Are you pretending to be stupid, or are you actually stupid?" Feng Liqiu narrowed her gaze at him.

    "W-what did you say?! Did you just call me stupid?!" Feng Mu eximed, clearly surprised by her sudden mockery.

    "Amongst the thousands of phoenixes in our territory, how many of them are capable of cultivating in the third level? Most of them can''t even endure the second level! Yet, this human is able to achieve that with his pitiful cultivation!" "T-that''s¡­" Feng Mu became speechless.

    "A human capable of withstanding Mother''s mes¡­ I am very intrigued!" A profound smile appeared on Feng Liqiu''s face as she returned to focusing on Yuan.

    "Hmph. Whatever." Feng Mu didn''t linger and left the scene shortly after. However, he didn''t leave the Eternal Phoenix Domain.

    "Are you going to stay here? Elder Sister?" Feng Yao asked Feng Liqiu.

    "I don''t have anything else to do, so I might as well. I also want to see his limit."

    "Huh? You think he''ll be able to go higher than the third level? That''s impossible! He''s already at his limit on the third level!" Feng Yao refused to believe that he could go any further.

    "Is that what you think? I think he still has some tricks tucked under his sleeves."

    "I mean, I did give him a drop of my blood, which he hasn''t consumed yet. However, that won''t help him in the next level."

    "Oh? You gave him your blood? Did Mother tell you to do that?" Feng Liqiu looked at her with a suspicious smile.

    "No, but don''t misunderstand. This is my way of showing gratitude. He brought back the Eldest, after all."

    Two weekster, a significant change urred in the mes surrounding Yuan''s body. The once ferocious mes, which had relentlessly burned him, began to shift, their intensity softening as they seemed to merge with his aura. The fire no longer consumed him but appeared to dance in harmony with his energy, as though he had mastered its power and be one with the mes.

    <You have acquired Fire Immunity>

    <You have acquired the title ''One With the mes''>

 Chapter 1646 Completed Chaotic Heart

    Chapter 1646 Completed Chaotic Heart

    "That human! He''s achieved fire immunity!" Feng Yao eximed, her expression filled with astonishment. "I didn''t know humans could do that!"

    She had always believed that only beasts with unique bloodlines, like phoenixes, were capable of acquiring such immunity. The fact that a human had done it defied her expectations and understanding.

    Even in the Nine Heavens, achieving fire immunity was an exceptionally rare aplishment. Those who managed it typically relied on special techniques, priceless treasures, and years of dedicated cultivation to reach that level. There were also those born with unique physiques that granted them fire immunity naturally, but that was a different story since they hadn''t earned it through effort but were simply born with the gift.

    The fact that Yuan had attained this without the aid of a technique made his aplishment all the more extraordinary.

    However¡­

    "No¡­ this isn''t something as simple as fire immunity!" Feng Liqiu''s eyes widened as she came to this realization.

    [Fire Immunity]

    [Rank: Divine]

    [Mastery: Level 1]

    [Description: Grants the user immunity to most fire]

    <Heaven Refining Immortal Physique has activated>

    <Heaven Refining Immortal Physique has begun fusing with Fire Immunity>

    ''What? It''s fusing with my Fire Immunity?'' Yuan raised an eyebrow at this notification. ''Is this simr to how my two physiques fused with each other?''

    Unlike fusing two physiques together, the progress this time was much quicker.

    "He''s absorbing the mes!" Feng Yao eximed when she noticed this. "Fire Immunity only makes one impervious to most fire, but it doesn''t have the ability to absorb mes!"

    Feng Liqiu narrowed her eyes and spoke, her voice calm but filled with passion. "Fire Immunity may be the end of the journey for most, but for us phoenixes, that is just the beginning."

    "Above Fire Immunity lies True Fire Immunity, where one bes truly immune to all mes," Feng Liqiu continued, "And beyond that is the realm of Fire Harmony. Once one reaches Fire Harmony, not only will they be immune to fire, but they''ll also be able to absorb it, transforming mes into their own power¡ªthe apex of fire control."

    "Are you telling me that a human has managed to achieve Fire Harmony when even I haven''t been able to do so?!" Feng Yao eximed, her voice filled with disbelief and frustration. The idea that a mere human could reach a level of mastery that had eluded her was almost inconceivable.

    Feng Liqiu shook her head and said, "No, that can''t be possible. He''s just achieved Fire Immunity, so it doesn''t make sense for him to achieve Fire Harmony so quickly. There must be something else going on inside that weird body of his."

    Suddenly, Yuan stood up and jumped even deeper into the Nine Levels of Hell, reaching the fourth level.

    The fourth level''s mes were as powerful as the Phoenix''s Wrath, a force Yuan couldn''t withstand for more than a few seconds before. However, after achieving Fire Immunity, the once unbearable mes became barely endurable.

    The progress of his physique, which had stalled at 50 percent before Yuan entered the fourth level, began to rise once more.

    As for his Chaotic Heart, it was already on the verge ofpletion.

    "This is something different¡­ It''s simr to Fire Harmony, but it''s not the same¡­" Feng Liqiu mused to herself as she spent more time watching Yuan.

    Several hourster, Yuanpleted his Chaotic Heart.

    <You havepletely formed your Chaotic Heart>

    Ding!

    <Your character status has been updated>

    [Yuan]

    [Cultivation(Dantian): First Level Spirit Sovereign]

    [Cultivation(Chaotic Heart): N/A]

    Yuan wasn''t surprised to see a second cultivation because Tian Yi also achieved the same thing after returning to the Divine Heavens and cultivating his Dantian.

    <Due to having a Chaotic Heart, your Heaven Refining Immortal Physique will no longer refine Chaotic Essence into Qi!>

    <You have absorbed Chaotic Essence>

    <You have absorbed enough Chaotic Essence for a breakthrough!>

    <You have reached Early Chaotic Establishment>

    <You have reached Intermediate Chaotic Establishment>

    <You have reached Advanced Chaotic Establishment>

    <You have reached Perfect Chaotic Establishment>

    <You have absorbed enough Chaotic Essence for a breakthrough!> Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    <You have reached Early Chaotic Adept>

    <...>

    <You have reached Perfect Chaotic Adept>

    <You have reached Early Chaotic Master>

    Yuan''s second cultivation soared rapidly, experiencing breakthroughs every few minutes. In just a few short hours, Yuan''s second cultivation reached Early Chaotic Master, akin to a 9th-level Spirit Enlightenment in human cultivation, surpassing his original cultivation.

    "What am I seeing right now¡­? I can sense two distinct energiesing from him! Is this what happens when a human forms a Chaotic Heart? I have never seen or heard of anything like this before!" Feng Yao eximed.

    Feng Liqiu narrowed her eyes at Yuan and said, "This isn''t my first time seeing a human with a fully formed Chaotic Heart. Do you recall the human who made a mess in our territory several million years ago? However, he didn''t have the other energy at that time, so this is also my first time seeing someone with both at once. I wonder how it affects him." "I have heard about him, but that happened before I was born." Feng Yao nodded.

    "Now that he''s formed his Chaotic Heart, he should be leaving soon."

    However, Feng Yao would soon realize that Yuan had no intention of leaving so soon. He may have formed his Chaotic Heart, but he still had something else toplete.

    ''Chaotic Essence is essentially the same as spiritual energy, but it''s more chaotic, giving it far greater destructive power,'' Yuan thought, recalling Tian Yi''s experience. ''Unfortunately, it can''t be used with human techniques. However, I can fuse it with my spiritual energy to enhance my techniques and make them more powerful. Or, I can directly enhance my body with it.''

    When the fusing progress halted at 70 percent, Yuan looked to the fifth level.

    After a moment of stillness, his body suddenly surged with Chaotic Essence. Once he''d strengthened his entire body with Chaotic Essence, Yuan jumped straight to the fifth level, where the mes were bright green and five times more powerful than the fourth level.

 Chapter 1647 Fifth Level of Hell

    Chapter 1647 Fifth Level of Hell

    The instant Yuan entered the fifth level of Nine Levels of Hell, his progress shot up from 70 percent to 80 percent.

    However, the pain he was experiencing was excruciating and would break the minds of even the toughest cultivators out there. The Nine Levels of Hell weren''t created for humans but for phoenixes, beasts with a natural affinity for fire.

    Even a newly born phoenix with the lowest bloodline would have supreme fire resistance, and it wouldn''t take long for them to achieve fire immunity.

    In fact, even a Golden Immortal would perish inside the fifth level, much less a Spirit Sovereign like Yuan.

    "How much more is this human going to surprise me? Even I, who has almost achieved True Fire Immunity, can barely endure the fifth level''s mes!" Feng Yao eximed.

    "¡­" Feng Liqiu didn''t make anyments and merely watched him in silence.

    Yuan remained in the fifth level for a week straight, and his progress reached 89 percent.

    Once he realized he wouldn''t advance any further, Yuan looked at the sixth level, where purple-colored mes raged.

    After a moment of silence, he released a resolute roar before transforming into his dragon form.

    "That''s¡ª?!" Feng Yao and Feng Liqiu were startled by Yuan''s transformation.

    While they took a moment toprehend the situation, Yuan dove into the sixth level.

    "This scent¡­ does he have dragon blood flowing through his veins?!" Feng Yao cried out loud.

    "Does mother know about this?" Feng Liqiu looked at her with a slight frown.

    Dragons were forbidden from entering the Eternal Phoenix Domain. It didn''t matter if they were real dragons or only had a single drop of dragon blood in their whole body. Rules were rules, and not a single dragon managed to remain in their territory for more than a day, much less cultivate inside the Nine Levels of Hell Peak, a sacred ce for phoenixes.

    "I-I don''t know!" Feng Yao vigorously shook her head. "I was only told to bring him to this ce!"

    Once the nearby phoenixes noticed Yuan''s scent, they immediately rushed over to the Nine Levels of Hell Peak, thinking that a dragon had invaded their sanctuary.

    "A dragon?! In the center of the Eternal Phoenix Domain?! Impossible!"

    "How did a dragon manage to invade so deeply inside our territory without revealing its presence until now?!"

    "This dragon has a weak presence, but it still doesn''t exin how it evaded us until now!"

    "The scent ising from the Nine Levels of Hell Peak! Don''t tell me they''re trying to sabotage our sacred ce!"

    Hundreds of phoenixes gathered at the Nine Levels of Hell Peak within minutes, surrounding the ce.

    Not a single one of them wasn''t baffled at the moment of their arrival when they saw the situation.

    "W-what the fuck is going on¡­? What the fuck am I looking at?!"

    "Are my eyes deceiving me, or is there a dragon inside the Nine Levels of Hell?! At the sixth level, no less!!!"

    None of the neers dared to believe their eyes.

    Sometimeter, they snapped out of their daze and began shouting at each other.

    "Hey! Someone go fish that dragon bastard out!"

    "Why don''t you do it?!"

    Although nobody there wanted to admit it, none of them could enter the sixth level, much less drag Yuan out.

    "Lady Liqiu! You''re the only one here who can endure the mes on the sixth level!"

    Eventually, they all turned to the only individual there who had any hopes of surviving the sixth level.

    Feng Liqiu remained silent for a moment before responding to their hopeful gazes, "Huh? Why should I?"

    Her words instantly shattered their hopes and left them dumbfounded.

    "W-what do you mean, why?! There''s a dragon in our territory¡ªinside the Nine Levels of Hell!"

    She shrugged, "I''m exhausted right now."

    "Exhausted? From what?!!"

    "From rushing back home," she exined.

    "¡­"

    An awkward silence filled the atmosphere. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    Suddenly, a loud and authoritative voice resounded, "What the hell is going on here?!"

    "Master Mu!" These phoenixes became hopeful again after seeing Feng Mu''s appearance.

    These phoenixes pointed to the sixth level of the Nine Levels of Hell without uttering a word.

    When Feng Mu followed their gesture and saw Yuan cultivating in the sixth level, his eyes widened with shock and disbelief.

    "The sixth level?! Impossible!"

    He immediately looked at Feng Liqiu and questioned her, "What did you do to him?"

    He assumed Feng Liqiu was responsible for Yuan''s achievements since she was the only one there capable of entering the sixth level.

    "And why the hell does he smell like a dragon? Is Mother aware of this?"

    "No clue what you''re talking about." Feng Liqiu casually responded

    Feng Mu looked at Yuan and frowned.

    "Whatever. If you''re not going to take him out, I will do it myself. I won''t allow him to dirty this ce with his presence any longer."

    "Halt."

    Right as Feng Mu prepared to dive into the volcano, a calm and clear voice rippled through the air, halting everyone''s movement.

    The second the phoenixes recognized this voice, they lowered their heads and loudly greeted her.

    "Empress Feng!"

    "We greet Her Majesty!"

    The Primordial Phoenix emerged from a rift, her figure hovering majestically above the Nine Levels of Hell. Her gaze was fixed intently on Yuan, observing him with a mixture of surprise and curiosity.

    "Nobody is allowed to disturb him. Leave."

    The phoenixes bowed to her and left the scene without uttering a single word. The only ones who remained were her children.

    Once most of the spectators were gone, the Primordial Phoenix created a barrier around the peak that prevented Yuan''s scent from spreading.

    "Mother, did you let him enter knowing that he has dragon blood flowing through his veins?" Feng Mu asked.

    "Yes, I am aware."

    "..."

    Once the Primordial Phoenix confirmed this fact, Feng Mu no longer had any say in this matter. He gave Yuan one final nce before disappearing from the scene.

    "I know you''re watching this, Primal Monarch." The Primordial Phoenix suddenly spoke out loud.

    Sure enough, another rift appeared above the volcano, and the Primal Monarch emerged from it.

    "I don''t remember thest time I made so many public appearances in such a short time. In fact, this might be a first," he spoke as he appeared.

 Chapter 1648 Impervious to Fire

    Chapter 1648 Impervious to Fire

    "Primal Monarch!" Feng Yao and Feng Liqiu lowered their head after snapping out of their daze.

    The Primal Monarch acknowledged them with a slight nod before looking at the Primordial Phoenix and asking, "So, why did you call for me?"

    The Primordial Phoenix looked at Yuan and spoke, "You know, I have secretly been to the human world before, and I''d even spent a few thousand years there."

    "What? When did you do such a thing? And why?" Feng Liqiu expressed shock after learning this information for the first time despite being the second eldest.

    "After giving birth to my fourth child, I suddenly had the urge to see how my first child was doing, so I traveled to the human world to satisfy my curiosity. Just going there took several million years of traveling nonstop. I was only able to achieve this because she had the same bloodline as me, and I could sense someone of the same bloodline no matter the distance. If it weren''t for that, I wouldn''t have been able to find the human world, much less see my child."

    "After arriving at the human world and confirming with my eyes that my first child was there, I spent several thousand years exploring the world. During my time there, I studied the humans, learning their customs and whatnot."

    "Unfortunately, what stood out the most about humans was their insignificant strength. Even the strongest cultivators back then wereughably weak." The Primordial Phoenix recalled her experience in the Divine Heavens long before it was split.

    "No matter how much potential they had, it didn''t impress me even in the slightest. That''s why I left their world so quickly. It was simply too boring, and I have already reunited with my first child¡ªwithout her knowledge."

    "However, this human cultivating inside my mes right now, he''s different, and I want to know if you had anything to do with it, Primal Monarch."

    The Primal Monarch smiled and said, "In essence, you want to know if I have anything to do with his abilities, correct?"

    The Primordial Phoenix nodded.

    The Primal Monarch looked at Yuan and smiled, "He may have my bloodline, but what he''s disying right now has nothing to do with it. It''s something entirely different."

    "I see¡­"

    "Why do you even care?" The Primal Monarch asked.

    "Just curious," she responded in a nonchnt manner.

    A few dayster, Yuan''s aura suddenly began to transform.

    The Primordial Phoenix and the others watched with anticipation.

    Yuan stared at the progress for several hours straight, hoping it would bepleted without needing him to enter the seventh level. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.

    Realizing he needed stronger mes toplete his progress, Yuan turned his gaze toward the seventh level, where ck mes roared ominously. These mes exuded a dangerous and oppressive energy, far more intense than anything he had encountered before.

    ''I will only be able tost a few seconds in the seventh level¡­''

    Even with his godlike physique, fire immunity, and incredible regeneration, Yuan knew he would perish in the seventh level if he stayed longer than a few seconds. The sheer power of the ck mes was beyond anything he had faced before, and even this estimate felt like a dangerous gamble. But despite the risk, Yuan was determined to finish the progress.

    "He''s looking toward the seventh level¡­ don''t tell me he ns on going deeper? Does he have a death wish?" Feng Yao swallowed nervously.

    Feng Liqiu narrowed her eyes, recalling her first time entering the seventh level.

    When she first attempted the seventh level, she''d just achieved Fire Harmony, but even that was not enough to withstand the ck mes, and she nearly lost her life just entering it.

    ''If Mother didn''t save me at thest second, I would''ve perished on that day¡­'' Feng Liqiu sighed inwardly.

    After preparing himself, Yuan took onest deep breath before jumping into the ck mes.

    ''The mes are much more powerful than I anticipated! I won''tst more than a second in this ce!'' Yuan immediately realized that he''d underestimated the prowess of the ck mes, but it was already toote to go back.

    More than half of his body was burned away the instant he entered the seventh level. However, at the same time, his progress also advanced.

    <Congrattion, your Heaven Refining Immortal Physique has sessfully merged with Fire Immunity>

    <Heaven Refining Immortal Physique has evolved to Harmonious Heaven Refining Immortal Physique(Iplete)>

    The moment Yuan''s physique evolved, the ck mes ceased their relentless assault on his body. Instead of burning him, the mes began to restore his body, even strengthening it.

    Once his body was fully restored, the mes began filling his Chaotic Heart with Chaotic Essence, causing his cultivation to soar once again.

    <You have absorbed Chaotic Essence>

    <You have absorbed enough Chaotic Essence for a breakthrough!>

    <You have reached Intermediate Chaotic Master>

    <You have reached Advanced Chaotic Master>

    <You have reached Perfect Chaotic Master>

    His cultivation halted at Perfect Chaotic Master, rivaling someone at the peak of Divine Master.

    Yuan inspected his body, marveling at the transformation. The ck mes, which had once pushed him to the brink of copse with unbearable pain, now felt soothing andforting, as if he were basking in the perfect sunlight.

    ''Am Ipletely impervious to fire now?'' Yuan wondered inwardly.

    He turned his gaze toward the eighth level, where beautiful white mes raged with an ethereal intensity. Strangely, despite their brilliance and power, he couldn''t sense any threat from them. It was as though the mes no longer held the capacity to harm him. "W-what just happened?! His body was on the verge of destruction just seconds ago! Now it seems as if the mes don''t even affect him!" Feng Liqiu eximed, her voice filled with shock and disbelief.

    "Not only is he unaffected by it, he''s absorbing the mes and turning them into his own strength..." The Primordial Phoenix muttered, her eyes narrowing as she observed Yuan with a thoughtful expression.

 Chapter 1649 Harmonious Heaven Refining Immortal Physique

    Chapter 1649 Harmonious Heaven Refining Immortal Physique

    "Turning the mes into his own strength¡­ that is a realm above Fire Harmony¡­" Feng Liqiu muttered in a dazed voice.

    While the phoenixes remained stunned by Yuan''s remarkable achievements, he decided to push the boundaries of his newfound power. Without hesitation, he leaped straight into the eighth level, where the brilliant white mes roared fiercely.

    ''Sure enough, I don''t feel any difference¡­ no¡­ this is even morefortable than the ck mes!'' Yuan thought, closing his eyes as the white mes enveloped him.

    "This is¡­ outrageous¡­" Feng Liqiu muttered, her body trembling as she stared at Yuan''s figure. The white mes, powerful enough to seriously injure even her¡ªdespite having pushed her Fire Harmony to its limits¡ªseemed to have no effect on him. Just days ago, he had struggled on the second level, yet now, this mere human was enduring the mes of the eighth level with ease. The sight left her speechless and shaken.

    "I don''t get it." The Primordial Phoenix suddenly muttered out loud.

    "Even if he has the ability to absorb my mes, there should be a limit to how much he could absorb without blowing up. His cultivation isn''t increasing, and I refuse to believe that his single Chaotic Heart could contain so much Chaotic Essence! Where are all of the Chaotic Essence going?"

    The Primordial Phoenix''s question was a valid one. Just like a cup, no vessel¡ªno matter how powerful¡ªcould hold an infinite amount. If one kept pouring water into a cup, it would eventually overflow. Simrly, there had to be a limit to how much power Yuan could absorb before reaching a breaking point. Yet, this breaking point was nowhere to be seen with Yuan.

    Sure enough, Yuan''s Chaotic Heart could not contain an infinite amount of Chaotic Essence, and once it waspletely filled to the brim, the Chaotic Essence was sent elsewhere.

    <Harmonious Heaven Refining Immortal Physique has activated>

    <You have learned ''Primordial Fire''>

    [Primordial Fire]

    [Rank: Celestial]

    [Mastery Level: 1]

    [Description: The highest level of fire mastery, attainable only by a few bloodlines. Primordial Fire transcends all other mes, bypassing even the strongest fire resistance and immunity. It is the ultimate expression of fire, a me unrivaled in destructive capability and feared by even phoenixes.]

    ''So I can turn the mes I absorbed into my own power¡­'' Yuan swallowed nervously at the implications.

    ''If I can merge my physique with the fire immunity, I should be able to do the same with other immunities. Perhaps that''s how Iplete my new physique¡­''

    Sometimeter, Yuan turned his gaze to the ninth and final level of the Nine Levels of Hell. Unlike the previous eight levels, there were no visible mes in the ninth. However, despite the absence of fire, Yuan could clearly sense something powerful and ominous lingering within.

    ''It looks like I am notpletely impervious to all fire yet¡­'' Yuan sighed inwardly. Though he had endured the eighth level without any issues, he could instinctively sense that the ninth level was different¡ªdeadly, even for him. ''I guess it''s about time I leave this ce.''

    In just a few days, he''dpleted his Chaotic Heart, gained fire immunity, evolved his physique, and even acquired a Celestial-rank skill.

    Feeling satisfied by the results, Yuan left the Nine Levels of Hell. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.

    The moment Yuan emerged from the volcano, he instinctively sensed something hurtling toward him. Turning around, his eyes widened as he spotted a massive ball of ck mes flying directly at him.

    Yuan instinctively raised his arm, opening his palm to block the iing mes with his bare hand. The moment the massive ball of mes made contact with his palm, it was absorbed instantly. The mes, which were strong enough to kill even immortals, vanished into his hand, leaving Yuan unscathed. "What was that about?" Yuan looked at the Primordial Phoenix, who was responsible for the surprise attack.

    "I wanted to confirm your abilities."

    "What if that had killed me?"

    "But it didn''t."

    "Unbelievable¡­"

    "Why are youining? You should be thanking me for letting you use the Nine Levels of Hell."

    "I would''ve if you didn''t send me here because of your pettiness." Yuan shrugged.

    "I have no clue what you''re talking about." The Primordial Phoenix shook her head.

    "Whatever. I''m going to head to the Divine Dragon Sanctuary now that I havepleted my Chaotic Heart." "W-wait a minute!" Feng Liqiu suddenly spoke up.

    "Hm? Who are you?" Yuan asked.

    "I''m Feng Liqiu, the second eldest in the family."

    "Oh, hello. Do you need something from me?"

    "Can you tell me how you are absorbing the mes?"

    "It''s mostly thanks to my unique physique, that''s all."

    "Were you born with that physique?"

    "Yes."

    Feng Liqiu suddenly became silent with a ponderous expression on her face.

    "If there''s nothing else¡ª"

    "Wait, I have one more thing¡ªa request."

    "What kind?"

    Feng Liqiu narrowed her eyes and spoke, "Give me some of your blood and Chaotic Essence."

    "What?" Yuan raised an eyebrow, unable toprehend her request at first.

    However, Feng Yao and the Primordial Phoenix reacted with shock, their eyes wide in disbelief. The request clearly struck them, while the Primal Monarch, observing the scene, wore a slight smile, as if amused.

    "Hm? Wait a second¡­" Yuan suddenly had a sense of Deja Vu.

    Then, he recalled a certain conversation he had with Lan Yingying.

    He swallowed nervously before asking, "That request¡­ you want to conceive with my energy?" She nodded without hesitation.

    "What the hell are you thinking?" The Primordial Phoenix suddenly interjected.

    "I have been wanting a child for a while now, and I think this is the perfect time."

    "But with a human¡­? I have never heard of anything like that before! Is that even possible?"

    "I guess we''ll find out soon enough!" Feng Liqiu smiled.

    "Ahem." Yuan cleared his throat and said, "It''s definitely possible for beasts to conceive with humans since it''s been done before in my world, but I have no intention of doing something like that with someone I don''t know."

    "But I already told you who I am." Feng Liqiu said.

    "You know what I mean¡­" Yuan shook his head.

 Chapter 1650 Divine Dragon Sanctuary

    Chapter 1650 Divine Dragon Sanctuary

    "Honestly, I don''t really understand." Feng Liqiu shook her head, and she continued, "Most would be delighted, even honored, if I requested for their Chaotic Essence to conceive my child. Excluding dragons, I cannot imagine anyone refusing."

    Feng Liqiu''s status as the daughter of the Primordial Phoenix alone granted her immense prestige in the Primal Expanse. Her lineage was revered, making her among the most respected in the realm, with many viewing her as nearly untouchable.

    Moreover, she was a powerhouse in her own right, standing as one of the strongest Predators in the Primal Expanse. In the entire Eternal Phoenix Domain, her strength was second only to her mother, the Primordial Phoenix. Countless powerful beings had willingly offered their Chaotic Essence to Feng Liqiu over the years without her even needing to ask them, but not a single one of them managed to receive her approval.

    Just as human men court women out of love, in the Primal Expanse, beings offer their Chaotic Essence to those they admire to express their desire for a deeper bond and in hopes of conceiving a child with them.

    "If I''m going to conceive a child with someone, I''d at least want to get to know them first," Yuan said.

    "Is that a human thing?" Feng Liqiu asked.

    "I guess."

    Hearing this, she no longer continued the topic, but she didn''t appear to have given up yet.

    "Can you bring me to the Divine Dragon Sanctuary?" Yuan looked at the Primal Monarch.

    "Do you have a n to acquire the treasure from them yet?" The Primordial Phoenix suddenly asked.

    He shook his head, "No, I don''t. I''ll figure it out as things progress."

    The Primal Monarch didn''t ask any questions and created a rift that directly led to the Divine Dragon Sanctuary for him.

    "The rift will bring you to a ce two days away from the Divine Dragon Sanctuary."

    "Okay." Yuan looked at Yingzi and asked, "Want toe along?"

    She immediately nodded. With the Primordial Phoenix and the Primal Monarch''s presence there, the atmosphere was a little too suffocating for someone like her.

    "Then I''ll see you again once I acquire the treasure." Yuan entered the rift the next moment, followed by Yingzi.

    The Primal Monarch left shortly after Yuan left, disappearing into thin air. N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

    "Sister, were you serious just now?" Feng Yao looked at Feng Liqiu and asked.

    "Of course."

    "But why¡­?"

    "I am curious," she said with a smile. "What kind of child would be born from a phoenix and a human like him? I want to find out."

    "What do you think, Mother?" Feng Liqiu looked at the Primordial Phoenix to get her opinion on the matter.

    "I think that''s a ridiculous reason to conceive your first child with a human." The Primordial Phoenix shook her head, but she didn''t reject the idea for some reason.

    Feng Liqiu noticed this and chuckled, "So you''re also curious, huh? Now I wonder what would happen if a Primordial Phoenix like Mother conceived with a human."

    Hearing this, the Primordial Phoenix smacked Feng Liqiu in the back of the head and sneered, "Don''t get ahead of yourself."

    After emerging from the rift, Yingzi guided Yuan toward the Divine Dragon Sanctuary. Even before they began their journey, Yuan''s eyes were drawn to a towering, pir-like structure in the distance. The massive tower seemed to stretch endlessly into the heavens, dominating the horizon with its grandeur and presence.

    "That must be the Dragon Ascending Mountain. I wanted to visit this ce before, but it was too far away." Yuan recalled his experience as Tian Yi.

    Starting from the Eternal Phoenix Domain, the Divine Dragon Sanctuary was located on the far opposite side of the Primal Expanse. Without special treasures, the journey would take an unfathomable amount of time. Even with such treasures, it would have taken Tian Yi over a hundred years to reach the Divine Dragon Sanctuary on his own, which was why he had chosen to ignore it in the past.

    "Do you know anything about the Divine Dragon Sanctuary?" Yuan asked Yingzi as they traveled.

    "I have never been to this part of the Primal Expanse, but the Divine Dragon Sanctuary is one of the most famous territories in this world."

    "Although it has ''Dragon'' in its name and many dragons gather there, other races are also allowed to stay in the Divine Dragon Sanctuary," Yingzi continued. "It''s quite popted and diverse, unlike the Eternal Phoenix Domain, which is more exclusive."

    "Is that so¡­"

    Over the next two days, Yuan pondered how he should go about acquiring the Sacred Chalice of Purification. Unfortunately, with so little information on the Divine Dragon Sanctuary, formting any reliable ns was pretty much impossible.

    In the end, Yuan decided to join the Divine Dragon Sanctuary to learn more about them first before ninng anything.

    Two dayster, Yuan and Yingzi arrived at the Divine Dragon Sanctuary. Unlike the Eternal Phoenix Domain, where entry was closely guarded, no one approached or attempted to stop them from entering the territory. In fact, Yuan noticed a constant flow of other presences arriving at the territory at the same time, giving the ce a more open and weing atmosphere. However, Yuan didn''t know where to start.

    In order to be affiliated with a territory, one typically required the approval of the territory''s master. However, the Divine Dragon Sanctuary, being one of thergest and most powerful territories in the Primal Expanse, operated differently. It was impractical for one of the strongest beings in the world to handle such insignificant matters, so a dedicated group of individuals was appointed specifically for this purpose.

    "Yingzi, can you sense any dragons nearby?" Yuan asked her.

    "I sense a few, but none of them have the scent of a true dragon. They probably belong to an inferior bloodline."

    "Can you bring us to the one who seems to be the most reliable?"

    "How can I tell if they''re reliable?"

    "Uhh¡­ forget it. Just bring us to the closest one."

    "Okay."

    Sometimeter, Yuan and Yingzi approached a tall man with striking blue hair. The moment he sensed Yuan''s scent and powerful aura, the man''s eyes widened in surprise and awe.

    "W-who are you?"

 Chapter 1651 Dragon God Festival

    Chapter 1651 Dragon God Festival

    "I am Yuan, and I traveled half the world just toe to the Divine Dragon Sanctuary." Yuan introduced himself.

    The blue-haired man swallowed nervously. He could tell just from Yuan''s scent alone that he was in the presence of a true dragon with a powerful bloodline.

    "I cannot imagine the effort and time it took you toe here, but I would like to wee you on behalf of the Divine Dragon Council." The man said.

    "It wasn''t too bad." Yuan smiled. "Anyway, I came here because¡ª"

    Before Yuan could finish his sentence, the man interrupted, "The Dragon God Festival, correct?" "The what?" Yuan raised an eyebrow after hearing this unfamiliar name.

    "The Dragon God Festival," he repeated before asking, "You didn''te here for the festival? Pretty much every single visitor these days are here for the festival."

    "Sorry, but I came here to visit the Divine Dragon Sanctuary because of its widespread fame," Yuan shook his head.

    "Please, there''s no need for you to apologize. I should be the one apologizing for making such assumptions in the first ce. If you have any questions, don''t hesitate to ask me."

    "In that case, can you tell me more about this Dragon God Festival?"

    The man nodded.

    "The Dragon God Festival is a tradition in the Divine Dragon Sanctuary that happens only once every twenty-five million years. During the festival, the participantspete against each other for the title of Dragon God Sessor. Naturally, since this is rted to the dragon race, only dragons are allowed to participate. However, there''s some leniency. Even those with inferior or iplete dragon blood are permitted to join."

    "Every 25 million years¡­?" Yuan wore a dumbfounded expression on his face after hearing this information.

    He then asked, "What kind ofpetitions ur during the festival?"

    "I''m sorry, but I don''t know," the blue-haired man replied, shaking his head. "The trials are decided by the Dragon God, and they change with every festival. We only learn the details of the trials when the festival is about to begin." "When does the festival begin?"

    "Exactly two years from now, so very soon."

    "..." Yuan was speechless.

    ''Since the festival takes ce every 25 million years, I guess two years is nothing in their eyes¡­'' he sighed inwardly.

    "Is there anything to be gained from this festival?" Yuan asked a momentter.

    "Of course! Not only will you be the Dragon God''s Sessor if you win the festival, but the Dragon God will even grant you any one wish!" The man replied, his voice filled with excitement.

    "Any wish¡­?" Yuan repeated as he mused to himself.

    The man nodded, "That''s right. The Dragon God is one of the most powerful beings in the Primal Expanse. He can fulfill almost any wish."

    ''I must be fated to participate in this festival¡­'' Yuan sighed inwardly.

    If he won the festival, he could wish for the Sacred Chalice of Purification.

    "Can I participate in the festival?" he asked a momentter.

    "Of course. As long as you are rted to the dragon race, you can sign up for the festival."

    "Are there any other requirements? For example, do I have to be affiliated with the Divine Dragon Sanctuary?"

    "No, the festival is open to everyone as long as they meet the requirements."

    "That''s great. Where do I sign up?"

    The man pointed to the Dragon Ascending Mountain and said, "Do you see that tower? You can sign up there." "Thank you very much." Yuan and Yingzi made their way to the tower shortly after.

    ''Now that I''ve decided to participate in the festival, I have to wait two years for it to begin¡­''

    Yuan pondered what he should do in the meantime while they approached the Dragon Ascending Mountain.

    Sometimeter, Yuan and Yingzi reached Dragon Ascending Mountain, but by the time they got there, tens of thousands of beings were already lined up.

    Once they joined the queue, Yuan took a moment to inspect the towering structure ahead. The Dragon Ascending Mountain was, in reality, just an incredibly tall pir stretching into the sky. There was an entrance at the base of the tower, but Yuan couldn''t quite imagine whaty inside or what purpose it served. He tried looking inside using his divine sense, but an invisible force prevented him from peeking inside.

    "Hey." Amid his thoughts, Yuan suddenly felt someone tugging at his clothes. N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

    "Hm?"

    He turned to look at Yingzi, who was staring at him.

    "I want to eat the rest of my meat skewers," she said.

    "Alright."

    Yuan pulled out a handful of meat skewers and handed them to Yingzi. The rich, savory scent of the skewers immediately filled the air, catching the attention of everyone in line and even those nearby. Heads turned, and whispers spread as the aroma quickly became the center of attention.

    "What is that smell? My mouth became watery after a single whiff!" "It''sing from the back of the queue!"

    "Look at those meat on sticks in that little girl''s hands! What kind of meat is that?! I''ve never smelled anything so delicious before!" someone eximed, their voice filled with astonishment.

    The crowd murmured in agreement, their eyes fixed on the food in Yingzi''s grasp.

    "Hey! What the fuck are you trying to pull here?!"

    An irritated voice suddenly roared, cutting through the chatter. Yuan shifted his gaze to the man standing directly in front of them in the queue. The man''s expression was tense, clearly agitated by something, and his eyes flicked toward Yuan and Yingzi with clear frustration.

    "What do you mean?" Yuan calmly inquired.

    "You know what I mean!Why would you pull out something like that without considering your ce and situation?! Or are you trying to start something on purpose?!"

    "It''s just food," Yuan said with a seemingly innocent expression on his face.

    "Well, it''s causing amotion! Unless you share it with the rest of us, get it out of our faces!"

    "What kind of logic is that? I don''t see why we need to share it with you." Yuan shook his head and said, "You''re the one causing amotion here. Anyway, if it bothers you that much, feel free to take the meat skewers away from her. I won''t stop you."

 Chapter 1652 Dragon Princess Meihui

    Chapter 1652 Dragon Princess Meihui

    The man nced at Yingzi, only to be met with a fierce, piercing re that sent chills through his entire body. Instinctively, he knew that if he dared to make a move for the meat skewers in her hands, it would lead to a swift and terrible demise. ''Herck of presence¡­ is she a Shadow Dweller?'' The onlookers pondered Yingzi''s identity.

    After chewing and swallowing the meat in her mouth, Yingzi spoke out loud, "I''m willing to exchange my food."

    "Really?" The man was pleasantly surprised, and his opinions of Shadow Dwellers slightly improved.

    However, Yingzi continued, "In exchange for one skewer, I will have your life."

    "¡­"

    Not just the man before her but even Yuan and the other onlookers reacted with bafflement.

    "Y-you crazy little bitch! I''m gonna fucking kill you!" The man roared with an enraged face, and his aura surged with bloodlust. However, right as the man raised his hand, another voice boomed.

    "What is going on here?! Who dares to cause amotion right before the Dragon God Festival?! I''ll disqualify you on the spot!"

    Everyone there turned to look at the approaching figure. She was a tall beauty with a strict face and an authoritative air around her.

    "Dragon Princess Meihui!"

    The people there lowered their heads when they recognized her identity. Property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Yuan looked at her with interest.

    ''In terms of prowess, she seems to be on par with Feng Liqiu.''

    "So, what is the problem here?" Dragon Princess Meihui red at Yuan and the man who exuded bloodlust with a deep frown on her face.

    However, if one looked closely, one would see her eyes ncing at the meat skewers in Yingzi''s grasp every few seconds.

    Dragon Princess Meihui would never admit it, but she couldn''t care less about their insignificant drama. What prompted her to show up in the first ce was in Yingzi''s grasp.

    "Dragon Princess, we were quietly waiting in line when this unreasonable fellow in front of us suddenly became aggressive." Yuan was the first to speak up, and he directly ced all me on the man.

    "D-don''t give me that bullshit! You were the ones who provoked us with your food!" The man hastily refuted.

    Yuan shook his head and said, "How did we provoke you with our food? I don''t recall dangling them in front of your nose and provoking you. Or were you so enticed by the scent that you became offended?"

    "Either way, my friend was minding her business when you started yapping about sharing our food without providing any logical reason, and then you got angry when she refused."

    Yuan turned to look at the Dragon Princess with an apologetic smile, "Although it wasn''t our intention, it is true that our food was the main cause for themotion. I hope you can forgive us."

    Before the Dragon Princess could even open her mouth to respond, Yuan retrieved a handful of meat skewers and shoved them toward her.

    "Please ept our apology."

    Silence filled the atmosphere while the onlookers were shocked by the implications behind Yuan''s actions.

    ''That bastard has the audacity to bribe the Dragon Princess so openly?!''

    The Dragon Princess stared at the meat skewers with a somewhat dazed face.

    When she snapped out of it a momentter, she cleared her throat and spoke, "Is that so? Don''t worry about it. Since eating here is not a crime, you are not responsible for what happened."

    She turned to look at the man with narrowed eyes and continued, "I will only give you a warning. If you continue to make a scene, I will disqualify you from the festival."

    "I understand! I will not disappoint the Princess a second time!" The man didn''t dare to argue back and responded with his head lowered.

    "Then I will take my leave."

    Just as the Dragon Princess turned to leave, Yuan spoke again, his tone calm but firm. "You haven''t epted my apology yet, Princess."

    He was referring to the meat skewers that were still in his grasp.

    The Dragon Princess instantly halted her movements, but her eyebrows were twitching.

    "If you really don''t want it, I''ll take them back¡ª"

    As Yuan began pulling his arms back, she turned back to Yuan and swiftly epted the meat skewers.

    "If you insist, I will ept it," she said in a somewhat bashful voice.

    After epting the skewers, the Dragon Princess wasted no time and immediately took a bite. The moment the vors hit her tongue, her eyes widened in surprise and delight, clearly caught off guard by how delicious the food was.

    "Oh my, this is so delicious! What kind of meat is this?" The Dragon Princess inquired after swallowing.

    "Chicken."

    "What is that?"

    The Dragon Princess raised an eyebrow in puzzlement as she moved on to the next skewer.

    "It''s a kind of bird."

    "Like phoenixes?"

    "No, but I guess they''re pretty simr."

    "I have eaten phoenixes before, but they don''t taste anything like this." The Dragon Princess shook her head.

    Before she realized it, the Dragon Princess had finished all the meat skewers, and a wave of disappointment washed over her. She hadn''t expected to enjoy them so much, and now that they were gone, she found herself wishing for more. Her expression softened slightly, though she tried to maintain herposure.

    She turned to look at Yingzi, who was slowly enjoying the skewers, and sighed inwardly, ''I should''ve slowly savored every bite, but s¡­''

    Then she shifted her gaze to Yuan''s handsome face.

    After a moment of silence, she cleared her throat and said, "Thank you for the food. It was amazing. Can I get your name?"

    "I am Yuan."

    "Then, Yuan, I''ll give you this as a thank you."

    She suddenly gestured toward the people working at the front of the line. Noticing her signal, one of them quickly rushed over, holding a small token in his hands.

    "This token verifies that you are a participant in the Dragon God Festival," Dragon Princess Meihui grabbed the token and handed it to Yuan, "With this, you won''t need to wait in line anymore."

    Yuan dly epted the token.

    "Thank you!"

 Chapter 1653 Divine Dragon Council

    Chapter 1653 Divine Dragon Council

    "Then I''ll be on my way now."

    After Yuan had been given the token, Dragon Princess Meihui quickly left the scene.

    There were two major reasons why Dragon Princess Meihui gave Yuan the token, allowing him to skip the assessment entirely. The first reason was simple: she could tell by Yuan''s dragon scent that he was more than qualified to participate, making the assessment process unnecessary and a waste of time.

    The second reason was because of the meat skewers. If the others in line were forced to endure the enticing aroma for too long, it would likely lead to anothermotion. By allowing Yuan to leave early, they would avoid any further disruptions caused by the irresistible scent of the skewers.

    With the token in his grasp, Yuan and Yingzi left the scene, disappearing into the distance.

    "I guess I don''t need to worry about being affiliated with the Divine Dragon Sanctuary for now." Yuan tossed the token into his spatial ring.

    "What are you going to do for the next two years?" Yingzi asked him. Property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    "Hmm¡­"

    Yuan pondered for several minutes before responding, "If the Divine Dragon Sanctuary is as powerful as the Eternal Phoenix Domain, they should have training areas like the Nine Levels of Hell, right? I should take this time to strengthen myself further and prepare for the festival."

    "But will they allow someone who isn''t affiliated with their territory to use these training spots?" Yingzi mused.

    "Let''s go ask that blue-haired dragon."

    Yingzi and Yuan made their way back to the blue-haired dragon, who''d barely moved from his spot since they left.

    "Hm? You''re back already? Did something happen?" The blue-haired man asked them with a puzzled face since it''d been less than two hours since they left.

    Yuan shook his head and exined, "No, I have the participation token in my possession. I returned because I have some more questions."

    "Already? That ce is usually crowded, and it normally takes several weeks to acquire a token unless you skipped the queue," the man remarked, his expression filled with surprise.

    "One thing led to another, and I somehow managed to skip the line." Yuan smiled.

    "So something did happen¡­"

    "By the way, why are you still here?"

    "Oh, I am something like a guide. It''s my job to assist visitors like you. There are many first-time visitors because of the Dragon God Festival, after all."

    "I see¡­"

    "Anyway, you have some questions, right? I''ll try my best to answer them."

    "I''m looking for something to do while I wait for the Dragon God Festival. Are there any training areas avable in the Divine Dragon Sanctuary?" Yuan asked.

    "Training grounds, huh? There are several, but they are only essible by those affiliated with the Divine Dragon Sanctuary."

    "How does one be affiliated?"

    "You must visit the Divine Dragon Council and pass several assessments. Once you be an affiliate, you will essentially be part of the Divine Dragon Sanctuary''s prowess. For example, if our territory is ever threatened, you are obligated to aid us."

    "Can I ask about the assessments? What do they ask for?"

    "The Divine Dragon Council will ask about your background to determine whether you are qualified to be an affiliate."

    "So there''s a chance I won''t qualify, huh?"

    "Yes, but I have no reason to believe why you wouldn''t qualify. In fact, you''re pretty much guaranteed to qualify because you belong to the dragon race."

    "I see. Where is the Divine Dragon Council?" In response to Yuan''s question, the blue-haired man retrieved a white stone and said, "This will bring you directly to the Divine Dragon Council."

    "This¡­?" Yuan epted the white stone and inspected it with interest.

    "You''ve never seen a teleport stone before?" The man inquired, sounding somewhat surprised.

    "Uhh, no. They don''t exist where I am from."

    "I guess that''s not too surprising since they''re unique within the Divine Dragon Sancutary. These teleport stones are created by the Void Dragon, who has the ability to teleport. If you shatter that stone, you will create a rift that will directly bring you to the Divine Dragon Council."

    Sometimeter, Yuan shattered the teleport stone, releasing the energy stored within. The energy surged out, swirling in the air before forming a rift in front of him.

    "The rift will disappear after ten seconds." The man quickly warned him.

    "Thanks for your help again." Yuan said to him before jumping into the rift, followed by Yingzi.

    Upon emerging from the rift, Yuan found himself standing before a majestic pagoda, its intricate design far surpassing the one he had seen at Phoenix Ascendancy teau. The towering structure was adorned with borate carvings and shimmering details, exuding an air of ancient power and significance. Its grandeur made it clear that this was a ce of great importance.

    Just like the Dragon Ascending Mountain, there was a huge line waiting to go inside the pagoda.

    ''Fortunately, the line isn''t as long¡­ Moreover, it''s moving much faster,'' Yuan thought to himself as he entered the back of the line.

    As they waited in line, Yuan listened to the conversations around them. "Hopefully I qualify as a Divine Dragon Warrior. That would make life much easier in the Divine Dragon Sanctuary."

    "Unless you are a dragon or have a Master-level bloodline, it''s near impossible to be a Divine Dragon Warrior."

    "I''ll be satisfied with just being affiliated with the Divine Dragon Sanctuary since having a higher rank also means having more responsibility."

    "So what if I have more responsibility? Only Divine Dragon Warriors are allowed to use their training grounds, and that is my sole reason foring here!"

    After overhearing the nearby conversation, Yuan began to wonder if being affiliated with the Divine Dragon Sanctuary was simr to joining a faction in the Nine Heavens since there appeared to be ranks amongst those affiliated.

    ''I need to be at least a Divine Dragon Warrior to use their training grounds, huh?'' Yuan mused inwardly.

    Sometimeter, he looked at Yingzi and asked, "Are you also going to be an affiliate?"

 Chapter 1654 Divine Dragon Council(2)

    Chapter 1654 Divine Dragon Council(2)

    "I don''t really have a reason to join the Divine Dragon Sanctuary." Yingzi shook her head.

    Most people join the Divine Dragon Sanctuary for one of two reasons. Some sought ess to the powerful training grounds avable within the territory, hoping to grow stronger. Others join to use the Divine Dragon Sanctuary''s prestigious name as a shield, gaining protection and influence under its banner. "I do not care about their training grounds, and I don''t need their protection, so I don''t really benefit from joining them. However, if you were to remain in the Primal Expanse forever, I wouldn''t mind joining them with you."

    Yuan smiled at her words and said, "Unfortunately, I must return to my home soon."

    "I know. That''s why I won''t join them. Also, I am what most consider free-spirited. I don''t wish to be constrained by their rules. It won''t matter to you who will be leaving soon, but it''s a big deal for those living in the Primal Expanse."

    "I see¡­"

    After a moment of silence, Yuan spoke again, "This just crossed my mind, but do Shadow Dwellers also have their own territory?"

    She nodded, "We do. It''s a small and remote territory somewhere in the Hollowed Expanse, where sunlight doesn''t exist."

    Yuan''s eyes widened at this information, and he said, "I know of the Hollowed Expanse! But I never got the chance to see it for myself for the same reasons I didn''t visit the Divine Dragon Sanctuary."

    The Primal Expanse wasposed of many smaller regions, each with its own distinct environment, power structures, and unique inhabitants. These regions varied greatly, from fiery domains to shadowy realms,

    One such region was the Hollowed Expanse, a world shrouded in eternal darkness, where no sunlight ever touched thend. The creatures and powers that thrived there were adapted to the shadows, such as the Shadow Dwellers.

    Since Shadow Dwellers are born from shadows, most of them originated from the Hollowed Expanse. In this realm of eternal darkness, theck of sunlight and the pervasive gloom created the perfect conditions for these beings toe into existence. "What kind of ce is the Hallowed Expanse?" Yuan asked a momentter.

    Yingzi recalled her memories of the Hollowed Expanse and said, "It''s a gloomy ce, with hardly any living trees and nts. Thend is mostly sand and dirt, and not many Primals venture there. If we want food, we have to leave the region." Based on Yingzi''s description, Yuan imagined the Hollowed Expanse as a vast desert, barren and deste, where it was always nighttime.

    "That''s why I left the Hallowed Expanse in the first ce, even if it means weakening myself," Yingzi continued.

    Since shadow and darkness were the sources of Shadow Dwellers'' power, they preferred to stay in the darkest ces, where their abilities were at their peak. For Yingzi, leaving the Hollowed Expanse, the darkest ce in the Primal Expanse, significantly weakened her. The line moved quickly as they chatted, and before Yuan realized it, they had reached the front, now standing directly in front of the towering pagoda. Whenever someone exited the pagoda, it was immediately clear whether they had seeded or not. Those who had a badge pinned to their chest wore expressions of pride or relief, while those without a badge left empty-handed, often looking disappointed or frustrated. Eventually, it was Yuan''s turn.

    Noticing the woman standing by the entrance beckoning toward him, Yuan stepped forward and approached the pagoda.

    "You can wait for me out here," Yuan said to Yingzi as he left.

    Sometimeter, Yuan entered the first floor of the pagoda. The interior was modestly decorated, with minimal furnishings. At the far end of the room, a young man sat behind a desk, his posture rxed.

    When the young man noticed Yuan''s scent, he raised an eyebrow and asked in a surprised tone, "What dragon bloodline do you have?"

    ''My dragon bloodline¡­?'' Yuan swallowed nervously. Fortunately, he''d prepared for this question.

    "I''m an Azure Dragon."

    When Yuan considered his identity as a dragon, his first thought was to im he hailed from the Xi Family''s heritage. However, he quickly realized that he had never actually learned the name of their bloodline. In the end, he used the Azure Dragon''s name. "An Azure Dragon? That can''t be right," the young man replied, his brow furrowing in doubt. "I can tell by your scent alone that youe from a much more prestigious bloodline. Are you trying to hide your identity? Why? If you want to be affiliated with our Divine Dragon Sanctuary, you must tell us the truth. We don''t ept those with ulterior motives."

    ''I didn''t think he would see through me so easily¡­'' Yuan sighed inwardly.

    He responded a momentter, "Actually, I don''t know my race. I was abandoned when I was young, and the ones who epted and raised me were Azure Dragons."

    The young man narrowed his gaze at Yuan.

    "Where are you from?"

    "I''m from a remote and insignificant territory located on the other side of the Primal Expanse," Yuan revealed, his tone calm and sincere.

    "What is your reason for wanting to join our Divine Dragon Sanctuary?"

    "My parents have always spoken highly of the Divine Dragon Sanctuary even though they''ve never been here," Yuan swiftly responded. "They also rmended that Ie here once they are no longer in this world."

    ''What a load of bullshit¡­'' the young man sneered inwardly at Yuan''s excuses.

    However, even though he knew that Yuan wasn''t being truthful, he couldn''t ignore Yuan''s powerful bloodline.

    ''I don''t know what he''s nning, but we can figure out his true identity through the assessment.''

    Sometimeter, the young man smiled at Yuan and said, "Alright, you pass. Moreover, I believe you have the potential to be someone greater than a Divine Dragon Warrior, so I''m going to give you a chance."

    "Head to the second floor and take the assessment there. If you pass, you''ll be a Divine Dragon Commander instead of a mere Divine Dragon Warrior. Be proud. You''re only the fourth to be sent to the second floor in thest thousand years." All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.

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 Chapter 1655 Divine Dragon Council(3)

    Chapter 1655 Divine Dragon Council(3)

    ''Huh? That''s it?'' Yuan thought, surprised by how easy the process had been. He had expected the assessment to be much more difficult and strict, but in reality, it had turned out to be far simpler than he had anticipated.

    "Then I''ll head to the second floor now." Yuan gave the young man a slight bow before approaching the spiraling staircase by the wall.

    Several momentster, Yuan stepped onto the second floor. Theyout and decorations were almost identical to those on the first floor. At the other end of the room, a middle-aged man was slumped over a desk, seemingly asleep. His posture was rxed, and his soft, rhythmic breathing filled the otherwise quiet room.

    Yuan didn''t say anything and approached the desk.

    Suddenly, without opening his eyes, the middle-aged man spoke, "It''s been two hundred years since someone was sent up here."

    A momentter, the man slowly opened his eyes and sat up, his calm gaze immediately locking onto Yuan. "Hmm. I see why you were sent up here. You have a strong bloodline."

    "Thank you."

    The middle-aged man then spoke, "In order to qualify as a Divine Dragon Commander, you must demonstrate a certain level of prowess, and your bloodline must be at least Commander quality." In the Primal Expanse, bloodlines are ranked in the following order: Primal, Master, Commander, Emperor, and Monarch. Each rank signifies a major increase in potential and influence. Monarch-quality bloodlines sit at the very pinnacle, and only supreme beings like the Dragon God, Primordial Phoenix, and Primal Monarch possess such powerful bloodlines. The middle-aged man retrieved a finger-sized needle and tossed it to Yuan.

    "Feed it your blood," he instructed.

    Yuan didn''t act right away. Instead, he stared at the needle in silence for a moment, as there was a good chance this would expose his identity. Property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    The next moment, Yuan pricked his finger with the needle, and it immediately absorbed his blood.

    09:54

    "What are you thinking so deeply about?" The middle-aged man suddenly inquired when he noticed Yuan''s hesitancy.

    "Nothing important. It''s just that I''ve never seen anything like this before and was wondering what it does." Yuan said with an innocent smile.

    "Where did youe from to have never seen that before? It tests the quality of your bloodline." The middle-aged man briefly exined.

    "I see¡­"

    The next moment, Yuan pricked his finger with the needle, and it immediately absorbed his blood.

    Once the needle had consumed enough of Yuan''s blood, it began to glow faintly with a green light. In a matter of moments, the color shifted rapidly from green to blue, then to red, before finally settling into a glistening silver. The middle-aged man''s eyes widened with shock.

    "Q-quickly! Let me see it!" He hastily urged.

    Yuan nodded and gave the needle to him, who inspected it with a serious expression on his face.

    "My eyes are not deceiving me! You actually have an Emperor-quality bloodline!?" The middle-aged man stood up and shifted his gaze from the needle to Yuan, his eyes burning with excitement.

    "What sort of bloodline do you have?!"

    Yuan was inwardly relieved that the needle only revealed the quality of his bloodline and nothing more.

    "Uhh¡­ I don''t know," he responded a momentter.

    "What do you mean by that?" "I grew up without my parents."

    "Is that so?" the middle-aged man muttered, his toneced with skepticism as he eyed the glowing needle. While he clearly doubted Yuan''s background, he didn''t outright deny it either. After all, given how chaotic the Primal Expanse was, Yuan''s im was entirely possible¡ªevenmon. In a realm where powerful bloodlines often mingled and mysterious origins were not unheard of, the idea of someone like Yuan emerging from obscurity wasn''t out of the question.

    "Alright, you pass this assessment. Congrattions, you''re the second to pass the second floor in thest thousand years."

    "What about assessing my prowess?" Yuan asked.

    "You''ll be doing that on the next floor. Although your cultivation iscking, I don''t doubt you have immense potential as someone with an Emperor-quality bloodline, so there''s a very good chance you''ll qualify as a Divine Dragon Commander even if you fail the next assessment." "Alright. Then I''ll head to the next floor now." Shortly after Yuan left the second floor, the middle-aged man noticed the needle was still glowing.

    "That''s strange. Why is it still active?"

    Right as he muttered these words, the needle abruptly changed colors again.

    "T-this is¡ª?!" he gasped, his face pale with shock. He dropped the needle and stumbled backward, falling onto his buttocks.

    The silver needle was now glowing a brilliant golden color.

    "A golden glow¡­" he whispered in disbelief, fully aware of the significance of such a sight.

    "No¡­ this can''t be possible!"

    The middle-aged man shook his head in disbelief before staring at the golden needle for a moment longer. Then, he pulled out something that worked like amunication jade slip and started speaking into it.

    Meanwhile, Yuan had just reached the third floor, only to find itpletely empty except for two words painted on the wall that read, "Be patient."

    After seeing the words, Yuan patiently waited for the interviewer to show up.

    ''There''s a formation in the center of the room.'' Yu Ning suddenly notified him.

    She continued after examining it, ''It appears to be a teleport formation.''

    Yuan smiled as he sat on the floor and patiently waited for the interviewer to show up. Unbeknownst to Yuan, the Divine Dragon Sanctuary was in amotion, stirred by a piece of specific information that spread like wildfire amongst the upper ranks.

    "What? A new descendant of the Dragon God showed up?"

    "How is that even possible? The Dragon God should only have three descendants!"

    "Perhaps he conceived another one in secret."

    "That''s highly unlikely."

    "Where''s this supposed fourth descendant?"

    "ording to Councillor Luo, he''s currently on the third floor of the Divine Dragon Hall."

    "How long has it been since someone made it to the third floor?"

    "Who''s going to do the assessment?"

    "I heard the interviewer has already been decided."

    About fifteen minutes had passed since Yuan began waiting for his interviewer to show up when the teleportation formation suddenly flickered to life, and a handsome young man with a dignified andmanding presence emerged from it.

 Chapter 1656 Long Yejun

    Chapter 1656 Long Yejun

    After appearing on the third floor, the handsome young man approached Yuan with a calm smile, "Hello. I hope you didn''t wait too long."

    Yuan quickly stood up and said, "No, I didn''t."

    The young man then introduced himself, "I am Long Yejun, and I will be your interviewer. Before we begin, can you tell me about yourself?"

    "I''m Yuan, and I traveled here from the other side of the Primal Expanse. I grew up in a small territory with two Azure Dragons, who I consider my parents. Unfortunately, I don''t know my real parents."

    "I see¡­" Long Yejun mumbled with a ponderous face.

    Sometimeter, he looked at Yuan with a serious expression and said, "To be honest, based on the assessment from the second floor, we believe you may have a connection to the Dragon God."

    "What?" Yuan''s eyes widened with surprise after hearing this unexpected news.

    "When you say Dragon God, do you mean the master of the Divine Dragon Sanctuary¡ªthat Dragon God?"

    Long Yejun nodded, "Indeed."

    Yuan wore a dazed look on his face as he pondered how such a thing was possible inwardly.

    ''I may be rted to the Dragon God? That''s ridiculous. I don''t recall ever meeting him even as Tian Yi, so how is it possible that we''re rted?''

    Long Yejun stared intently at Yuan''s face, carefully analyzing every detail as if searching for something hidden beneath the surface.

    ''He''s genuinely surprised by the information. Maybe he really has no idea that he has the Dragon God''s blood within him, and it was pure coincidence that he came to the Divine Dragon Sanctuary¡­'' he wondered inwardly.

    After a brief moment of silence, Yuan''s expression shifted, as though a sudden realization had dawned on him.

    ''The Blood Cleansing Ceremony!''

    He gained the ability to transform after the Blood Cleansing Ceremony at the Ancient Dragon City, and the Xi Family imed they were unaware of the origin of the blood he absorbed. However, the system had confirmed that the blood belonged to the Dragon God.

    "That expression¡­ did you remember something?" Long Yejun inquired with a slight smile on his face.

    Before Yuan could respond, he continued, "Anyway, I am not here to question your bloodline. We can do that after the assessment."

    "For this assessment, I will be evaluating yourbat prowess. The most effective way to do that is through a sparring match with you." All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.

    Long Yejun suddenly suppressed his cultivation to Perfect Chaotic Master, matching Yuan''s cultivation.

    "You will pass this assessment if you can injure me even slightly," he said afterward.

    "Are you sure?" Yuan asked. "Yes. And take as much time as you need to prepare."

    "..."

    Yuan didn''t say anything else and became silent.

    ''How should I go about this?'' he wondered inwardly.

    He could easily injure this confident interviewer with Number One Under Heaven, but he was pretending to be a dragon, and very few beings in the Primal Expanse used weapons. Moreover, he wanted to test out something.

    Sometimeter, Yuan said, "Alright, I am ready."

    Long Yejun beckoned with a provocative gesture, saying, "Show me what you''ve got."

    In the next instant, Yuan sprang from the ground, hurtling toward Long Yejun with incredible speed.

    [Relentless Dragon Overwhelms the Nine Heavens!]

    As Yuan activated his fist technique, he channeled his Chaotic Essence into it, amplifying its power several times over.

    Long Yejun''s eyes widened as Yuan''s aura suddenly erupted with overwhelming force. Instinctively, he leaped back, attempting to dodge the oing strike.

    However, Yuan suddenly activated Dragon''s Gaze, catching Long Yejunpletely off guard. The technique paralyzed him for a split second, leaving him vulnerable.

    "F¡ª"

    Long Yejun couldn''t even utter a word before Yuan''s fist, engulfed in a ck aura that resembled mes, mmed into his gut,unching him across the room. His body crashed into the wall with such force that the entire building trembled. If not for the defensive formations reinforcing the structure, his impact would have shattered through the wall entirely.

    Despite the brutal blow, Long Yejun somehow managed tond on his feet, his expression grim butposed as he steadied himself.

    He took a deep breath, then forcefully blew his nose, expelling a fair amount of blood.

    Long Yejun stared at his own blood on the ground, then chuckled with excitement. "When was thest time I saw my own blood...? Hahaha!" heughed, a wild glint in his eyes.

    "Does this mean I pass the assessment?" Yuan asked.

    Long Yejun stoppedughing to look at him with a solemn gaze.

    "No," he responded.

    "But you¡ª"

    "That wasn''t enough to injure me."

    Yuan didn''t say anything and merely looked at the blood on the floor.

    "Ahem!" Long Yejun awkwardly cleared his throat and exined, "I was training before I came here, and that blood was umted then."

    Yuan shook his head inwardly and responded with a bittersweet smile, "I understand. Let''s continue, then."

    A satisfied smile appeared on Long Yejun''s face as he settled into abative stance, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.

    After a brief moment of stillness, Long Yejun made the first move, using a movement technique to instantly get in front of Yuan.

    Yuan reacted swiftly, but as he raised his arms to defend, Long Yejun''s eyes gleamed with a golden light.

    ''Dragon''s Gaze?!''

    Yuan was caught off guard by Long Yejun''s Dragon''s Gaze and became momentarily stunned.

    "Payback time!" Long Yejunughed as he drove his fist into Yuan''s stomach, precisely where he had been struck moments earlier.

    Yuan was instantly sent flying, crashing into the wall with even greater force than when he had struck Long Yejun. The impact reverberated through the room, shaking the entire building.

    Yet, it was Long Yejun who bore the brunt of the damage from the exchange. His hand was bruised and slightly bleeding, while Yuan emerged seemingly unscathed. "Fuck! What is your body made of?!" Long Yejun cried out, shaking his hand in an attempt to dispel the pain, disbelief written across his face.

 Chapter 1657 Endless Arena

    Chapter 1657 Endless Arena

    Although Yuan appeared unscathed on the outside, he hadn''t emerged from the exchangepletely uninjured. Beneath his calm exterior, the impact had taken a slight toll on his body, but his regenerative ability swiftly healed the damage, allowing him to recover almost instantly.

    ''I cannot underestimate this man. Not only did he prate my defenses with his bare fists, but he''s even restricted his cultivation to my level.'' Yuan stared at Long Yejun with a sharp gaze.

    Unbeknownst to him, an excited smile crept onto his face, giving him a fierce and almost vicious appearance.

    When Long Yejun saw Yuan''s expression, he also grinned excitedly, "I see! So you''re just like me! This is going to be fun! Hahaha!"

    "However, this ce is too small and restrictive for us to really go all out."

    Long Yejun tossed a teleport stone to Yuan and said, "Let''s change our location to somewhere more suitable."

    Before Yuan could even respond, Long Yejun crushed his own teleport stone and disappeared from the room.

    Yuan didn''t think too much about it and also crushed the teleport stone the next moment.

    After being teleported, Yuan found himself in a vastnd that seemed to have been artificially ttened. The ground was smooth and level, resembling the surface of a grand arena prepared for battle, and it stretched endlessly toward the horizon, its sheer size almost overwhelming.

    "Wee to the Endless Arena," Long Yejun said, gesturing to the vast expanse around them. "This is thergest arena in the Divine Dragon Sanctuary, spanning over 100,000 miles. We won''t have to worry about mming into walls and whatnot here."

    "Whenever you''re ready." Long Yejun gestured to Yuan a momentter.

    After a moment of stillness, Yuan made the first move. However, this time, Long Yejun had no intention of letting Yuannd a hit so easily and swiftly countered with a move of his own.

    When they shed, a powerful ripple surged through the arena, as if two colossal mountains had collided, sending shockwaves across the vast expanse and shaking the ground beneath them.

    Each of their punches was so powerful that it generated a fierce gust of wind, while every kick unleashed small windstorms, the sheer force of their battle reshaping the air around them.

    In addition to their fists and legs, they also unleashed Dragon''s Gaze on each other whenever possible. However, now that they were both fully aware of each other''s capabilities, neither of them was caught off guard, skillfully countering the other''s Dragon''s Gaze with their own.

    ''How is he canceling out my Dragon''s Authority?!'' Long Yejun thought in disbelief. ''Even though I''ve suppressed my cultivation, my soul strength should still be vastly superior!''

    Meanwhile, Yuan was focusing all his efforts on breaking through Long Yejun''s mental defenses, but no matter how hard he tried, he found himself unable to prate them.

    ''We''re pretty evenly matched at this moment, but neither of us is truly going all out¡­''

    Since it was rare for Yuan to encounter an opponent equal in strength, he took this moment to savor the fight. In fact, he had already forgotten about the assessment entirely, lost in the thrill of the battle.

    Long Yejun felt the same way. Even if he suppressed his cultivation to match his opponent, only a handful of people in the Divine Dragon Sanctuary could evennd a hit on him, let alone rival him in strength.

    "What was your name again?" Long Yejun suddenly asked.

    "Yuan."

    "Allow me to introduce myself again! I am Long Yejun, a descendant of the Dragon God! Since you also have the Dragon God''s blood in you, that makes you my younger brother!"

    "How many children does the Dragon God have?" Yuan asked as they continued fighting. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    "We always thought there were only three of us, but with your sudden appearance, there are now four of us. I am the second eldest."

    "The second eldest, huh? No wonder why you''re so strong!" Yuanughed out loud.

    "If I am strong, when what are you, the youngest? Your cultivation may be low, but your prowess does not match your cultivation in the slightest, being several realms stronger! Just to fight with you on an equal footing, I had to increase my cultivation to Intermediate Chaotic Commander!" Long Yejun admitted that he''d increased his cultivation just to match Yuan''s prowess.

    As Yuan and Long Yejun continued their intense battle, nearby beings began to take notice. Given the vast size of the Endless Arena, it wasmon for multiple individuals to use it simultaneously, typically without paying attention to others. However, the sheer ferocity of Yuan and Long Yejun''s fight was impossible to ignore,pelling onlookers to steal nces and witness the spectacle unfolding before them.

    "Huh? Isn''t that Prince Yejun? Who is his opponent? I don''t recognize him."

    "I don''t recognize him, but he''s fighting with Prince Yejun on equal footing while having a lower cultivation! What in Dragon God''s name is going on?!" One of the onlookers eximed in disbelief, unable toprehend how someone could rival Long Yejun, a descendant of the Dragon God.

    "Wait a second. I heard rumors about a fourth descendant showing up very recently. Is that him?"

    "The Dragon God''s fourth descendant looks extremely promising! He might even rival the eldest¡ªthat tyrant!"

    "Impossible. Nobody can rival that tyrant, who is the closest to reaching the Dragon God''s prowess."

    "Anyway, Prince Yejun is obviously holding back. If he became serious, the Fourth won''t be able to fight back."

    "I wouldn''t be so sure about that¡­ It seems to me the Fourth is also holding back."

    "Time will tell."

    More and more people began showing up at the Endless Arena to watch Yuan and Long Yejun''s fight once word of it spread.

    As the fight progressed, both Yuan and Long Yejun grew more serious, gradually revealing more of their true strength. "That should be enough for a warm-up. Let''s get serious now." Long Yejun suddenly stopped fighting and said. "Fine by me." Yuan nodded, agreeing with him.

 Chapter 1658 Dragon Gods Descendant

    Chapter 1658 Dragon God''s Descendant

    Yuan and Long Yejun silently stared at each other, seeming waiting for the other to act first.

    "If you''re not going to move first, then allow me to!" Long Yejun suddenly began transforming. His aura erupted like a volcano, and scales began appearing all over his body.

    Furthermore, a golden mask that was shaped like a dragon''s face materialized on Long Yejun''s face, giving him a fearsome presence.

    Seeing this, Yuan used God of War''s Astral Arts, but he restricted the avatar''s size to be only slightlyrger than his own body.

    "What is that...?" Long Yejun murmured, staring at the avatar with awe and intrigue, as he''d never seen a technique like that before.

    It was not just Long Yejun. The onlookers were also baffled by God of War''s Astral Arts, a unique technique unlike anything they''ve seen before.

    "Why are you just standing there? Let''s go!" Yuan made the first move a momentter when Long Yejun only stood there in silence.

    Long Yejun quickly snapped out of his daze to block Yuan''s strike before countering with his own.

    Long Yejun''s speed and power had significantly increased since his transformation. As for Yuan, not only did he be stronger, but he also grew another pair of arms, allowing him to attack more frequently.

    After their power-up, each of their punches and kicks would create powerful windstorms and cause violent earthquakes.

    "What is going on here?" A new onlooker showed up after being attracted by themotion.

    "Princess Meihui!" The others bowed to her after recognizing her.

    "The Dragon Prince is currently sparring with the fourth Dragon God Descendant." Someone filled her in on the situation.

    "Huh? My brother? And what do you mean fourth Dragon God Descendant?" Dragon Princess Meihui raised her eyebrows in a puzzled manner. This was her first time hearing this news.

    "You haven''t heard? This person managed to reach the second floor of the Divine Dragon Council, and when his bloodline was tested, it was revealed he had the Dragon God''s blood within him. It''s been spreading around like crazy."

    "This is my first time hearing about it." Princess Meihui shook her head.

    She narrowed her focus at the figure fighting with her brother, Long Yejun. When she saw Yuan''s face and recognized him, her eyes widened with shock.

    "He''s the fourth Dragon God Descendant?! No way!" she eximed.

    "What? You know him?" "We''ve met and even spoken very recently. However, I can''t say that I know him. To think he''d have Dragon God''s blood in him¡­ what kind of coincidence is this?" Princess Meihui sighed out loud.

    "It''s just a rumor for now since they haven''t confirmed if he is truly the Dragon God''s fourth descendant." N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

    Princess Meihui shook her head and said, "It''s likely true since I felt a strange connection with him when we first met. Although it was subtle, it was still there. I didn''t think much of it back then and even ignored it."

    "No way¡­ so he might really be the fourth Dragon God''s Descendant?" The others were speechless.

    In the Divine Dragon Sanctuary, those who were affiliated followed a strict ranking structure. This hierarchy determined not only status but also privileges and responsibilities, with higher-ranked individuals holding greater authority and ess to powerful resources, while the lower ranks strove to prove themselves worthy of advancement.

    The majority of affiliates within the Divine Dragon Sanctuary do not possess a rank, making even the lowest rank a position of immense authority.

    The lowest rank within the Divine Dragon Sanctuary was the Divine Dragon Warrior, entrusted with maintaining order within the territory. They also served as the first line of defense and enforcers of the territory''s peace.

    Above them were the Divine Dragon Commanders, responsible for leading and directing the Divine Dragon Warriors. They were akin to generals in the military. Only a hundred Divine Dragon Commanders existed in the Divine Dragon Sanctuary, while hundreds of thousands of Divine Dragon Warriors exist.

    The next and highest attainable rank was the Divine Dragon Council. Comprised of fewer than a dozen individuals, the members of the council wielded the greatest authority within the Divine Dragon Sanctuary, second only to the Dragon God and his descendants. They were entrusted with making crucial decisions and overseeing the sanctuary''s most important matters.

    Although the Divine Dragon Council was the highest rank, there was a rank even higher than them, reserved only for the Dragon God''s offspring¡ªthe Dragon God''s Descendants.

    "Has the Dragon Godmented on the situation?" Princess Meihui asked the ones around her.

    "No, but the Dragon God should have been notified already."

    Meihui looked toward the sky and mumbled, "Father¡­"

    Yuan and Long Yejun continued their battle for two days straight without a moment of rest. Both had long forgotten about the assessment, fully absorbed in the thrill of the fight, pushing each other to their limits as they exchanged relentless blows. Neither seemed willing to back down, their stamina and determination seemingly boundless.

    "You''re really something, Yuan! I haven''t been entertained to this extent in a very long time! However, I can tell that you''re still holding back! Show me everything you''ve got!" "Are you sure? Don''tin if you get hurt!"

    "Hahaha! Of course! I won''tin even if you kill me by ident!" Long Yejunughed out loud.

    "Then allow me to show you my true strength!"

    Yuan''s aura suddenly surged, transforming into something more refined and razor-sharp, resembling the cutting edge of a sword.

    Long Yejun halted his movement and even subconsciously backed away from Yuan after sensing his Enhanced Sword Aura.

    "What is that power...?" Long Yejun muttered in astonishment

    Everyone watching was equally bewildered by Yuan''s Sword Aura. The sharp, otherworldly energy left them in awe, unable toprehend its origin or nature.

    "I am not done yet."

    After releasing his Enhanced Sword Aura, Yuan imbued it with his Chaotic Essence.

    BOOM!

    The Sword Aura instantly intensified several times, almost reaching the realm of Supreme Sword Aura in terms of prowess.

 Chapter 1659 Chaotic Sword Aura

    Chapter 1659 Chaotic Sword Aura

    "Oh, this is not bad¡ªmuch better than I anticipated," Yuan nodded in satisfaction, impressed by the result of fusing his Chaotic Essence with his Enhanced Sword Aura.

    "What is that power?" Long Yejun asked again.

    Yuan pondered for a moment before responding, "Chaotic Sword Aura."

    He decided to give his Sword Aura a new name.

    "Chaotic Sword Aura¡­ what a fearsome technique!" Long Yejun swallowed nervously.

    Despite the distance between them, it felt as though his body was being assaulted by countless invisible des. Had his physique been any weaker, Yuan''s aura alone would have been enough to kill him on the spot.

    In fact, a sizeable 500-meter-long crater had formed around Yuan. His Chaotic Sword Aura was so sharp and overwhelming that his mere presence had obliterated everything around him.

    "Here Ie," Yuan warned Long Yejun before he swung his arm in a chopping motion.

    Sha!

    A ck-colored sword light was created from the motion and flew at Long Yejun.

    "?!"

    Long Yejun was barely able to react and narrowly dodged it¡ªor so he thought.

    After sensing what felt like a drop of water flowing down his face, Long Yejun awkwardly reached for his face.

    "This is¡­"

    When he looked at his fingers, they were stained by his own blood.

    Long Yejun trembled at the sight of his own blood. It had been so long since someone had managed to prate his scales that he couldn''t remember thest time it happened.

    "Ahh¡­ this sensation¡­ this thrill that I am feeling¡­"

    A crazed expression appeared on Long Yejun''s face as he licked his blood-stained fingers.

    "HAHAHAHA!"

    Long Yejun''s aura suddenly skyrocketed, piercing straight through the heavens.

    "Let me enjoy this some more, Yu¡ªBrother Yuan!"

    Long Yejun charged at Yuan.

    Yuan also wore a wide smile on his face as he faced Long Yejun head-on.

    BOOM!

    When they shed, Yuan''s Chaotic Sword Aura scattered in every direction, carving deep sword cuts into the surrounding area. Long Yejun, who stood directly in front of Yuan, bore the brunt of the scattered Sword Aura with his bare body.

    Sword cuts appeared all over Long Yejun''s body, quickly drenching him in blood. However, despite the severity of the sight, the wounds were superficial¡ªno more than paper cuts. Within moments, his naturally strong body healed all the sword cuts.

    "My turn!"

    Long Yejun opened his mouth, and a bright orb of light suddenly began to form inside, glowing with intense energy as it rapidly grew in size and brilliance.

    Yuan''s instincts warned him of the impending danger, but he found himself unable to move when he tried to dodge as Long Yejun held tightly onto his wrists. Long Yejun had deliberately closed the distance between them, enduring Yuan''s previous attack directly with his body, all in order to capture him and prevent his escape.

    "Dragon''s Breath!"

    Once he gathered enough energy, Long Yejun unleashed it from his mouth, shooting a beam of light resembling Heaven Splitting Sword Strike, even rivaling its destructiveness.

    Yuan''s entire body was swallowed by the massive beam of light, his silhouette disappearingpletely within its blinding brilliance.

    Long Yejun kept his mouth open, continuously releasing the Dragon''s Breath until everyst ounce of energy had been expended.

    It took several long seconds before Long Yejun finally closed his mouth. When the Dragon''s Breath attack wasplete, it left a path of utter devastation in its wake, and Yuan was nowhere to be seen.

    "S-shit... Did I identally kill him?" Long Yejun muttered in a dazed manner after snapping out of his frenzied state.

    A tsunami of worry and guilt washed over Long Yejun as he realized what he''d just done. He frantically scanned the devastated area, his heart pounding anxiously, dreading the worst oue.

    "Wow, that was scary. I almost died there."

    A familiar voice suddenly resounded, prompting Long Yejun to turn around.

    Yuan was standing right behind him, seemingly unscathed. However, he was naked since all of his clothes and equipment were destroyed by the attack.

    "Thank the Dragon God you''re alive!" Long Yejun eximed, feeling a surge of relief wash over him when he saw Yuan had survived his brutal attack. He let out a shaky breath, realizing just how close he''de to a tragic mistake. He wouldn''t have known what to do if he had identally killed Yuan.

    "Do you still want to continue?" Yuan asked, seemingly eager to continue fighting despite his near-death experience.

    Long Yejun shook his head with a bittersweet smile and said, "No, let''s stop here."

    He continued, "It''s embarrassing considering my status and experience, but I tend to lose control when I get too excited in a fight. Anyway, I''m d you''re safe. This is my loss." Yuan smiled and dismissively waved his hand, "Don''t worry about it. I know how you feel since it also happens to me." N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

    "But how did you survive? I am certain my Dragon''s Breathnded on you since I could still feel the sensation of your wrist after I released it." Long Yejun suddenly asked.

    "It did hit me, and it even destroyed most of my body."

    "What¡­? But you look perfectly fine¡­"

    "I''m quite confident in my regenerative abilities." Yuan smiled. Although Long Yejun was too preupied to see it, the onlookers had witnessed Yuan reconstructing his entire body from a single cell, which left them all astonished, even terrified.

    Sometimeter, Yuan retrieved the Golden Dragon Robe and wore it.

    ''Thank the heavens I didn''t wear this during the battle, or it would''ve been destroyed¡­'' Yuan sighed inwardly.

    Unfortunately, the rest of Yuan''s equipment had been utterly obliterated by Long Yejun''s Dragon''s Breath. Among the losses were the treasured armor and boots that had once belonged to the Evil God, which he had only recently acquired.

    These two treasures had endured thousands of years of abuse and even survived one of the biggest wars in the Divine Heaven. Yet, they were somehow destroyed so soon after returning to Yuan''s possession.

    "Stygian Vest and Stygian Boots¡­ What a pity¡­" Yuan muttered in a gloomy tone.

    Realizing that he''d destroyed Yuan''s treasures, Long Yejun said, "Sorry, I also destroyed your valuables."

    "It''s fine. At least they were destroyed in a battle. They were also quite old and worn out, anyway."

    "No, it''s not fine. I willpensate you fully. I promise." Long Yejun said with a heartfelt face.

    Yuan nodded, acknowledging his sincerity.

 Chapter 1660 Ancient Azure Dragon

    Chapter 1660 Ancient Azure Dragon

    Sometime after their fight ended, Long Yejun said to Yuan, "Although you have passed the assessment, it never mattered since you''re one of the Dragon God''s descendants, so you will automatically be ranked above the Divine Dragon Council."

    "Oh¡­"

    Yuan wondered if he should follow the flow and pretend to be a Dragon God''s Descendant.

    ''If the Dragon God is as powerful as the Primordial Phoenix, there''s a good chance he will be able to see through me, so the longer I continue to impersonate his offspring, the worse things will get for me¡­''

    ''However, if I reveal myself now, who knows how Long Yejun and the others will react¡­''

    After some serious pondering, Yuan decided to continue acting as one of the Dragon God''s Descendants to take advantage of their training grounds for as long as possible.

    Even if his identity were exposedter by the Dragon God, Yuan was confident that the Primal Monarch wouldn''t allow any real harm toe to him.

    "Hey, we meet again."

    A familiar voice suddenly resounded, prompting Yuan to turn his head.

    "Princess Meihui." Yuan acknowledged her with a nod.

    "There''s no need for such formality between us siblings. Allow me to introduce myself again. I am Long Meihui, the youngest of the Dragon God''s Descendant." Long Meihui said with a beautiful smile on her face.

    "I''m Yuan."

    "I''ll call you Brother Yuan from now on, so you should call me Sister Meihui. Elder Sister is fine, too." Long Meihui chuckled blissfully.

    Although she was the youngest, she was still billions of years old, so one could imagine her happiness in finally bing an elder sister.

    "I am finally an Elder Sister! I am no longer the youngest! Ahaha! I thought this day would nevere!" Long Meihuiughed out loud. She was so happy that she began crying a momentter.

    "By the way," Yuan suddenly spoke, "Can I still participate in the Dragon God Festival as the Dragon God''s Descendant?" "Of course. We''ll also be participating." Long Yejun nodded.

    "I see. That''s great."

    "Are you participating because there''s something you want to aplish? Can you tell us? Maybe we can help you right now." Long Meihui suddenly said.

    As one of the Dragon God''s Descendant, there was very little they couldn''t achieve in the Divine Dragon Sanctuary.

    Yuan nodded and said, "A close friend of mine is cursed, and I need the power of the Sacred Chalice of Purification to cure him."

    "The Sacred Chalice of Purification, huh? If you can bring your friend to the Divine Dragon Sanctuary, we can help him." Long Yejun said.

    Yuan shook his head and sighed, "Unfortunately, my friend cannot leave his territory, so I have to bring the treasure to him."

    "Hmm¡­ that would be difficult to do since the Sacred Chalice of Purification hasn''t left the Divine Dragon Sanctuary since it was brought here." Long Meihui said.

    "But if you win the Dragon God Festival, you can make that request to the Dragon God." Long Yejun continued.

    "That''s what I n on doing," Yuan said.

    "Good luck, Brother Yuan. Although we''ve participated in nearly every Dragon God Festival since its creation many billion years ago, we''ve only won a few times." Long Meihui said.

    "What kind of trials are in the festival?" Yuan asked.

    "All kinds, from trials that test your talent to nonsensical ones like racing each other across the Primal Expanse." Long Yejun said.

    "Racing across the Primal Expanse¡­? How long did that take to finish?" Yuan asked nervously.

    "A few hundred years."

    "Oh¡­" Yuan immediately became worried after hearing that the festival may potentiallyst for hundreds of years.

    "What''s the shortest time a festival has eversted?" he asked a momentter.

    "The shortest festival happened 750 million years ago. I believe that one ended in just a few minutes." Long Yejun said after pondering for a few moments.

    "Ah, I remember that one. It was a ridiculous trial that required us to catch a Primal prepared by the Dragon God. The Eldest caught it in less than three minutes." Long Meihui sighed as she recalled the events of that day.

    "Anyway, Brother Yuan, are you free now? I want topensate you for the valuables that I destroyed." Long Yejun suddenly said.

    "I am free now." Yuan nodded.

    "Great. Take this." Long Yejun tossed another teleport stone to him.

    "I''ll see youter." Long Meihui said to him before flying away.

    Sometimeter, Yuan crushed the teleport stone and entered the rift, followed by Long Yejun.

    When they emerged from the rift, Yuan found himself standing before a beautiful pavilion with a pond built around it.

    "Where are we?" he asked.

    Long Yejun smiled and said, "The Silver Pavilion."

    When Long Yejun approached the pavilion, another portal appeared.

    "This is just the entrance to my real home." Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    Once they entered the portal, Yuan found himself surrounded by an endless, shimmering sea that waspletely motionless, like water in a still cup. He stood on a long silver bridge that stretched out toward a distant ind, where arge house was situated.

    "What do you think of my world?" Long Yejun asked for his impressions.

    Yuan looked around for a moment before responding, "I can see that you like water."

    Long Yejunughed at his response.

    He then said, "I''m actually a water dragon¡ªan Ancient Azure Dragon."

    "A water dragon? I thought you were and dragon with how well you fought onnd." Yuan was surprised to learn this.

    Long Yejun smiled and said, "If we had fought near the ocean¡ªeven near a small pond, I wouldn''t have lost to you."

    Water dragons could only unleash their true potential when fighting near or within water, so Long Yejun had been severely handicapped during his battle with Yuan.

    "I wouldn''t be so sure about that," Yuan said provocatively.

    "Do you want to find out?" Long Yejun''s aura suddenly surged, causing the still water around them to tremble with excitement.

    However, before Yuan could even respond, Long Yejun retracted his aura and chuckled, "I''m just joking with you. Follow me. I''ll bring you to my living quarters."

    Yuan silently nodded, maintaining aposed expression, though inwardly, he was startled by Long Yejun''s aura just now, which was iparably stronger than when they had fought.''If we really fought here, I have only about a 20 percent chance of winning...'' he sighed inwardly.

 Chapter 1661 Long Yejuns Treasures

    Chapter 1661 Long Yejun''s Treasures

    After walking for several minutes, they finally arrived at the ind.

    "Wee to my humble home." Long Yejun said to Yuan as he opened the door.

    "Though, this is just my secondary home that I only use when I am in my human form. My real home is the water outside."

    The interior of the house was incredibly simple. There was only onerge room with a couch, a square table, four chairs, and some wall decorations. "What do you typically do here?" Yuan asked out of curiosity.

    "This."

    Long Yejun suddenly sprawled out on the couch, his entire body stretched across it with one foot casually hanging off the edge.

    "What am I looking at¡­?" Yuan didn''t want to make any assumptions and asked.

    "You can''t tell? I am rxing."

    "..."

    Yuan was speechless.

    "Although the human form is very restricting and weak, it has its advantages. The biggest one is their ease of movement and small size. I wouldn''t be able to do this if I were in my true form." Long Yejun said.

    "I see¡­"

    "Speaking of human form¡­" Long Yejun sat up and stared at Yuan with a serious face.

    "Your appearance is top-notch. Did you acquire it from the Human Face Artisan?"

    "Human Face Artisan?" Yuan wore a puzzled look on his face.

    "You don''t know the Human Face Artisan? He''s one of the top appearance makers in this world. Although his products are extremely expensive, they''re all top-quality. In fact, most of the top-quality appearances are created by him, mine included."

    "Is that so¡­ Anyway, to answer your question, I didn''t acquire my face from him. I made it myself." "What?! You made such a high-quality appearance by yourself?! You should start a business with that talent! The Human Face Artisan will finally have some realpetition!"

    "I''ll think about it," Yuan said with a stiff smile.

    Sometimeter, Long Yejun got off the couch and walked toward the steel door on the other end of the room. When he opened the door, a descending staircase was revealed.

    "Come with me." Yuan nodded and followed Long Yejun down the staircase.

    The staircase led to a tunnel made of transparent materials, allowing them to see the surrounding water. It reminded Yuan of an aquarium, with the serene, vast expanse of water pressing in from all sides as they walked through the passage. However, there was no aquatic life, so there was nothing to see.

    After walking for several minutes, they arrived at another room where numerous objects, each radiating a vast amount of Chaotic Essence, were disyed like a prized collection.

    "Wee to my treasure room, where I store most of my valuables. Unfortunately, I don''t have any valuables that could rece your destroyed clothes and shoes."

    Since humans don''t exist in the Primal Expanse and Predators only take human form as a hobby, armor-type treasures meant for human anatomy are extremely rare.

    "Since I destroyed two of your valuables, you can pick any two treasures from here." Long Yejun continued.

    "Huh? Any? Are you sure?" Yuan was pleasantly surprised by his generosity.

    "Yes, I am sure."

    "Then I''ll look around."

    There were about a dozen treasures in the room, and Yuan approached the one that was closest to him.

    However, when he inspected the item, he was shocked by the notifications.

    <Item could not be analyzed>

    [???]

    [Grade: ???]

    [Quality: ???]

    [Description: ???] N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

    ''The system failed to analyze the treasure?''

    This was the first time the system couldn''t identify a treasure at all.

    ''Is it because the treasures were created in the Primal Expanse?'' he wondered.

    A few momentster, Yuan looked at Long Yejun and said, "Do you mind giving me a brief description of these treasures so I know what they do?"

    "Oh, of course."

    Long Yejun walked beside him and continued, "This treasure is called Dragon''s Avarice. If you feed it enough Chaotic Essence, it will unleash a devastating attack that rivals even a Dragon''s Breath."

    "Is that the technique you used on me?" Yuan asked.

    "Yes."

    "Let''s move on to the next one. I''ll make a decision after I hear about every treasure."

    "Sure."

    The next treasure was arge golden scale that was the size of a watermelon.

    "This is a scale directly from the Dragon God. It doesn''t really have any particr uses, but it''s extremely durable¡ªnear indestructible. I wouldn''t be able to put a scratch on it even if I used my full power." Long Yejun said.

    "The Dragon God''s scale? How did you acquire this? And why is it so small?"

    "It was given to me by the Dragon God¡ªour father. Our siblings also have one, so he''ll probably give you er. It''s small because I made Father shrink it since its actual size is a pain in the ass the carry around. Its real size could cover the entire Endless Arena."

    "I see¡­"

    The next treasure was an elegant earring, crafted from gleaming silver and adorned with a brilliant sapphire gem. "Oh, I crafted this one myself. It greatly increases the wearer''s ability to control water. I chose this shape after meeting a human a few hundred million years ago, and he was wearing something like this on his ears." Long Yejun exined,.

    "What happened to that human?" Yuan asked out of curiosity.

    "He took his own life when he realized that he couldn''t return home and couldn''t cultivate in this world. He was also my first andst human friend." A sorrowful expression appeared on Long Yejun''s face as he recalled this tragic event.

    "Sorry if I made you ufortable¡­" "It''s fine. It happened a long time ago."

    The next treasure appeared to be nothing more than an ordinary sheet of ck leather at first nce, but Yuan could sense an ominous aura emanating from it.

    "This is dragon skin that belongs to the Dragon of Destruction, who was said to be the Dragon God''s strongest rival billions of years ago. After his defeat, he was skinned alive and eaten by the Dragon God. This is all that remains of the Dragon of Destruction today."

    Yuan stared at the ck leather with great interest.

    ''I can make new armor out of this¡­'' he thought.

 Chapter 1662 Two Treasures of His Choice

    Chapter 1662 Two Treasures of His Choice

    Long Yejun noticed Yuan''s intrigued expression and smiled, "You seem interested. Do you want it?"

    He nodded, "A little, but I will decide after looking at the other treasures."

    "Then let''s move on to the next one."

    The next treasure disyed was a beautiful golden marble resembling a dragon''s eyes.

    "This is the Dragon''s True Eye. If you consume it, you''ll significantly strengthen all of your senses and even learn Dragon''s Authority. Since you already know Dragon''s Authority, this treasure won''t benefit you too much, but for an ordinary dragon, it essentially turns them into royalty." Property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    The next treasure appeared to be some kind of stone. It didn''t have any distinctive shape, and its Chaotic Essence was also the weakest in the room.

    "This is a small piece of the Dragon God''s w. I acquired it from the first Dragon God''s Descendant, who managed to chip it off the Dragon God during a spar."

    "If you know how to make your own treasures, this will definitely create a very powerful treasure."

    "Hmm¡­"

    Yuan stared at the Dragon God''s w with interest. Because he had recovered Tian Qiyuan''s memories as the Exalted cksmith, these materials were more enticing than alreadypleted treasures because he could easily customize the treasure to his own preferences.

    ''This material will be the most effective if used to create a weapon, but I already have enough weapons. Perhaps I can use it to upgrade the Abyssal Dagger.''

    All sorts of ideas appeared inside Yuan''s head.

    Sometimeter, Long Yejun continued introducing the treasures to him.

    Since there were only a dozen treasures in the room, it didn''t take long for the tour to be finished.

    "So, have you decided on which two treasures you want?" Ling Yejun asked him afterward.

    Yuan nodded and walked to the Dragon of Destruction''s skin.

    "I want this for my first choice."

    "I had a feeling you would pick that. If needed, I can get someone to craft a treasure for you with that skin."

    Yuan shook his head and said, "It''s fine. I n on doing it myself."

    "What? This material isn''t your ordinary skin but the Dragon of Destruction''s skin. You''ll need to be a master of crafting to deal with it."

    "I know. I just need the proper equipment and ce to craft the treasure." Yuan showed a confident smile.

    "Unbelievable¡­ How many talents do you have?" Long Yejun muttered with a dumbfounded face.

    After snapping out of it, he continued, "Alright, I''ll arrange the perfect ce for you to craft the treasure. It might take a few months, though."

    "As long as it can be done before the Dragon God Festival," Yuan said.

    Long Yejun retrieved the Dragon of Destruction''s skin from the disy and handed it over to Yuan.

    "There''s a lot more than I anticipated," Yuan mumbled after unfolding the skin to examine it properly.

    At a nce, there didn''t appear to be much skin when it was neatly folded inside its disy, but unexpectedly, after it was unfolded, its full size was revealed to berge enough to use as a ship''s sail.

    ''With this much material, I can create more than just a piece of armor!'' Yuan smiled excitedly after realizing this.

    After storing the skin inside his spatial ring, Yuan approached his second choice.

    Long Yejun raised his eyebrows in a puzzled manner after seeing Yuan''s second choice.

    "Why did you pick this treasure?" he asked.

    "I''m not sure myself. It''s a gut feeling, I guess." Yuan said with a genuine face.

    "Are you sure? I only ced it here because of its mysterious origins."

    The treasure Yuan had picked for his second choice had an unknown origin and effects. Long Yejun had examined and tried to figure out its secrets since he acquired it but to no avail.

    "I am sure."

    "If you say so¡­" Long Yejun didn''t say anything else and handed the treasure to Yuan, who ced it inside his spatial ring without examining it.

    Seeing how confidently Yuan handled the treasure, Long Yejun had a feeling that Yuan knew the origin of the treasure, but he decided not to inquire about it for now.

    Once Yuan had his two treasures, they left the treasure room and returned to the main room.

    "What are you going to do until the Dragon God Festival in two years?" Long Yejun asked.

    "I''m going to use the training grounds to strengthen myself."

    "Which one?"

    "I''m not sure yet since this is my first time at the Divine Dragon Sanctuary." "I see. Wait a moment."

    Long Yejun suddenly tapped his forehead, retrieving an orb of light.

    After extracting the orb of light, he made a flicking motion with his fingers, shooting the orb of light directly into Yuan''s forehead.

    Once he absorbed the light, information on the Divine Dragon Sanctuary began filling his head, from its training grounds to other misceneous ces. He was essentially given a map of the entire Divine Dragon Sanctuary.

    Sometimeter, Long Yejun asked, "Have you found a training ground yet?"

    Yuan nodded and said, "The Baneful Dragon''s Poisonous Swamp." Long Yejun''s eyes widened, and he hastily said, "W-wait a second. That''s one of the most dangerous training grounds avable! Unless you''re a poison dragon, it''s essentially suicide to train there! Even I don''t dare to go there."

    "I''ll be fine. My poison resistance is quite strong." Yuan said.

    "I never asked, but what kind of dragon are you?"

    "I''ll keep it a secret for now. If you can guess it, I''ll do you a favor."

    "Alright, I''ll ept your challenge."

    "Before I head to the baneful Dragon''s Poisonous Swamp, can you take me back to the Divine Dragon Hall? I came to the Divine Dragon Sanctuary with a friend."

    "Sure thing."

    Long Yejun shattered a teleport stone to the Divine Dragon Hall a momentter.

    "Sorry for making you wait so long." Yuan approached Yingzi, who was waiting beside the entrance.

    "Hm? Where did youe from?" Yingzi was puzzled since she hadn''t noticed him leaving the Divine Dragon Hall even though she had been watching it without looking away the entire time.

    Yuan immediately exined the situation to her.

 Chapter 1663 Baneful Dragonâ€™s Poisonous Swamp

    Chapter 1663 Baneful Dragon¡¯s Poisonous Swamp

    "I see¡­?" Despite Yuan exining the situation to her, Yingzi only became more puzzled afterward. She couldn''t fathom how Yuan, who was obviously human, became the Dragon God''s Descendant. Moreover, he should have the Primal Monarch''s bloodline. However, she quickly stopped thinking about it, realizing it was pointless to overthink something she wasn''t meant to understand.

    "Your friend is a Shadow Dweller, huh? It''s been over a million years since Ist encountered their race." Long Yejunmented as he stared at Yingzi, as it was incredibly rare for a Shadow Dweller to be so far away from their natural habitat, the Hollowed Expanse.

    "Oh, let me introduce myself. I am the second Dragon God''s Descendant, Long Yejun."

    "Yingzi."

    "Let''s head to the Baneful Dragon''s Poisonous Swamp now, shall we?" Yuan said a momentter.

    "Sure."

    Since their destination was only three days away from the Divine Dragon Hall, they decided to fly there instead of wasting a teleport stone.

    While they traveled, Long Yejun gave an introduction to the Baneful Dragon''s Poisonous Swamp.

    "Baneful Dragons are the strongest poison dragons and some of the most feared creatures in the Primal Expanse due to their dreadful poisons. Their poisons are so deadly that even entities with poison immunities could perish from them. They''re also so incredibly annoying to deal with that even the Dragon God avoids fighting them as much as possible."

    "How are they annoying to deal with?" Yuan asked curiously.

    "Their bodies are essentially made of poison, so they release poison from any wounds inflicted upon them. The only way to fight them is from a safe distance, and you must defeat them swiftly, or else their poison will spread. Unfortunately, that is easier said than done because Baneful Dragons are annoyingly durable."

    "There''s a reason poison dragons are considered one of the most powerful and dangerous dragon bloodlines."

    "What bloodline does the Dragon God have?" Yuan asked.

    "I would love to tell you, but unfortunately, even I do not have the answer."

    "What? Even though you''re his offspring?"

    Long Yejun nodded and sighed, "We''ve asked him many times, but he said he''d only tell us if we can defeat him, which is essentially impossible. Even the Eldest, who is recognized as the most talented dragon since the Dragon God¡ªthe Unrivaled Tyrant¡ªhasn''t defeated him after many billions of years."

    "I''ve heard about the first Dragon God''s Descendant multiple times now, but I still don''t have a clue what they''re like." Yuan suddenly said.

    "There''s only one thing you need to be aware of about the Eldest¡ª" Long Yejun paused to look around nervously.

    Once he was sure nobody was eavesdropping on them, he continued speaking through divine sense, "That bitch is fucking crazy! No matter what, don''t speak with her! As a matter of fact, don''t even approach her! If you ever see her, run the other direction!" ''The Eldest is a woman, huh?'' Yuan thought to himself.

    "What does she look like so I know it''s her?" Yuan then asked.

    "She has multiple appearances and changes quite often, so it''s impossible to recognize her from appearance alone. However, you''ll still recognize her at a nce."

    "I don''t get it."

    "You''ll understand when you meet her."

    "Not even a hint?"

    "Nope." Long Yejun refused with a smile.

    "Forget it then."

    Three dayster, they arrived at the Baneful Dragon''s Poisonous Swamp.

    Just as its name implied, the ce was literally a swamp but with poisonous water and nts everywhere.

    "There are three different zones in the Baneful Dragon''s Poisonous Swamp: Outer, Inner, and Center. Every zone has manyyers of poisonous water, each containing a unique poison. We''re currently in the first zone on the very outskirts of the ce." Long Yejun exined. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.

    "As you go deeper and approach the center of the swamp, the poison will be stronger. Do not underestimate this ce, or you''ll die. I have the antidote for all poisons up to the inner zone, so you don''t have to worry about dying. However, once you enter the inner zone, I cannot save you, and only the Baneful Dragon could save you."

    Yuan nodded, "Thank you for the warning."

    After taking a deep breath, Yuan entered the swamp.

    ''The swamp is much shallower than I anticipated¡­'' Yuan thought to himself as the water in the swamp only reached his knees.

    <You have been poisoned by ''Phantom Poison''>

    <Ten Thousand Poison Immunity has nullified the effects of ''Phantom Poison''>

    Once he confirmed that his poison immunity was working, Yuan began walking deeper.

    Several stepster, he was poisoned by a different type of poison.

    <You have been poisoned by ''Whispering Death''>

    <Ten Thousand Poison Immunity has nullified the effects of ''Whispering Death''>

    He continued walking deeper into the swamp.

    <You have been poisoned by ''Blood Corruption Poison''>

    <Ten Thousand Poison Immunity has nullified the effects of ''Blood Corruption Poison''>

    <You have been poisoned by ''Death''s Extract''>

    <Ten Thousand Poison Immunity has nullified the effects of ''Death''s Extract''>

    After walking three hundred steps and being exposed to over 20 different types of deadly poison, Yuan had only managed toplete a little under 10 percent of the first zone, meaning he was still over two thousand steps away from reaching the second zone.

    ''My poison resistance isn''t increasing. I guess I have to be poisoned by something that my Ten Thousand Poison Immunity cannot handle¡­''

    With that in mind, Yuan continued walking to the next zone.

    Sometimeter, Yuan finished 90 percent of the first zone after experiencing over 200 different types of poison.

    When he was poisoned for the 207th time, a change urred in his notifications.

    <You have been poisoned by ''Eternal Agony''>

    <Ten Thousand Poison Immunity has failed to nullify ''Eternal Agony''>

    Ding!

    <Harmonious Heaven Refining Immortal Physique has activated>

    <Harmonious Heaven Refining Immortal Physique has begun refining ''Eternal Agony''>

    <Your poison resistance has increased>

    <Your poison resistance has increased>

    <Your poison resistance has increased>

    Seeing that his physique had finally activated, Yuan sat in the poisonous water and began cultivating. Although his physique was refining the poison, it didn''t mean he wasn''t experiencing any pain. In fact, Yuan was currently experiencing excruciating pain from every inch of his body.

 Chapter 1664 Hundred Thousand Poison Immunity

    Chapter 1664 Hundred Thousand Poison Immunity

    "Wow, he''s doing much better than I expected¡­" Long Yejun muttered with a surprised look after seeing how far Yuan had progressed in the Baneful Dragon''s Poisonous Swamp.

    He turned to look at Yingzi, who was standing beside him, and asked, "How long have you been traveling with him?"

    "A little over two years."

    "So only recently, huh? How did you guys meet?"

    "I was the one who approached him. He appeared out of nowhere and piqued my interest."

    "Is that so¡­"

    Sometimeter, Yuan stood up after receiving a notification.

    <Your poison resistance has stregnthened>

    <Heaven Refining Immortal Physique has begun fusing with Ten Thousand Poison Immunity>

    [Progress: 10%]

    <Harmonious Heaven Refining Immortal Physique has nullified Eternal Agony>

    <You have been poisoned by ''gue Poison''>

    <Harmonious Heaven Refining Immortal Physique has activated>

    <Harmonious Heaven Refining Immortal Physique has begun refining ''gue Poison''>

    <Your poison resistance has increased>

    Yuan stopped to cultivate again.

    A few minutester, Yuan walked to the nextyer. He continued this until he reached thestyer of the first zone.

    <Your skill ''Ten Thousand Poison Immunity'' has developed into ''Hundred Thousand Poison Immunity''>

    [Progress: 25%]

    It was only when his poison immunity advanced to the next realm that he noticed an increase in his progress. This realization led Yuan to believe that he would need to continue elevating his poison immunity to even higher levels in order toplete his progress.

    Sometimeter, Yuan walked forward, stepping into the second zone of the swamp.

    Long Yejun swallowed nervously when he saw this. The second zone was iparably more challenging than the first, and even poison dragons had trouble adapting to the poison there.

    "He''s only been here for a few hours, and he''s already entering the second zone¡­" Long Yejun sighed out loud as he recalled taking several hundred million years to reach that point.

    "His insane speed of adapting to poison¡­ he''s definitely a poison dragon!" Long Yejun was already convinced that Yuan was a poison dragon. Otherwise, it would make no sense.

    "Hm?"

    Long Yejun suddenly noticed a powerful presence behind him, prompting him to turn around.

    A tall and handsome man with purple, blue, and green hair was walking toward them with a slight smile on his face.

    "It''s been a while since I''ve seen you at my yground, Prince Yejun." This man greeted Long Yejun with respect.

    "Baneful Dragon. Are you here to watch my little brother, too?"

    Sure enough, this neer was the Baneful Dragon¡ªthe creator of the Poisonous Swamp.

    "Your little brother?" The Baneful Dragon looked at Yuan and smiled, "So that''s the rumored fourth Dragon God''s Descendant. And I came here because I noticed something odd was happening at my yground."

    "Something odd?" Long Yejun raised his eyebrows in a questioning manner.

    "My Poisonous Swamp started losing its strength rapidly a few hours ago, almost as if someone was purposefully detoxifying the poison."

    The Baneful Dragon narrowed his gaze at Yuan and continued, "Turns out he has been absorbing my poison and using it to enhance his own body¡ªand at an incredible rate at that."

    "What? Isn''t that something only someone who has attained Poison Harmony could achieve?" Long Yejun''s eyes widened with shock. "Although Brother Yuan has poison immunity, he definitely hasn''t reached the level of Poison Harmony yet!"

    Yingzi looked at Yuan with a weird expression on her face.

    ''Isn''t this exactly what happened at the Eternal Phoenix Domain? So he can do more than just absorb fire, huh?'' Yingzi, who had witnessed Yuan''s feats at the Nine Levels of Hell, immediately realized what was happening.

    However, she said nothing to Long Yejun and the Baneful Dragon since it would reveal Yuan''s true identity, leaving them to figure everything out themselves.

    When Yuan entered the second zone and was poisoned, his Hundred Thousand Poison Immunity immediately nullified the poison effects, so he continued walking deeper until he could no longer continue at the 20% mark.

    "If he''s stopping there, then his poison immunity should''ve only reached the level of Hundred Thousand Poison Immunity." The Baneful Dragon remarked.

    "That''s where I am now, and that took me hundreds of millions of years to achieve¡­" Long Yejun sighed.

    The Baneful Dragon looked at him and sneered, "You make it sound like you''ve been training for hundreds of millions of years straight when, in reality, you''ve only really trained for a few thousand years."

    It took Yuan a little longer to adapt to the poison in the second zone and a little over a week to advance his poison immunity to the next stage.

    <Your skill ''Hundred Thousand Poison Immunity'' has developed into ''Myriad Poison Immunity''>

    [Progress: 75%]

    [Myriad Poison Immunity]

    [Description: Grants the user immunity to over a million poisons, including Immortal-grade poisons.]

    When Yuan attained Myriad of Poison Immunity, he''d just traversed a little over 75 percent of the second zone. However, even with his improved poison immunity, he was only able to continue all the way up to 90 percent before needing to halt again.

    "I have never seen anyone adapt to poison so quickly¡­" The Baneful Dragon spoke with a shocked expression on his face. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    "That''s my little brother for you! Hahaha!" Long Yejunughed with prideful expression, as if he was the one who was being praised.

    "By the way, can you tell what kind of poison dragon he is?"

    The Baneful Dragon shook his head and said, "Everything about him tells me that he''s a poison dragon, but for some reason, I cannot see him being a poison dragon. My gut tells me he isn''t one." "What? He isn''t a poison dragon? How is that possible? There''s no way anything other than a poison dragon could adapt to poison so quickly!"

    "I am well aware of that. If I have to be honest, even I cannotpare to him in that category."

    "No way! You have the strongest bloodline and highest poison affinity as a poison dragon! How could you lose to someone who isn''t even a poison dragon? That doesn''t make any sense!" Long Yejun eximed.

    The Baneful Dragon remained silent, almost as if he had no response to such remarks.

 Chapter 1665 Heavenâ€™s Bane

    Chapter 1665 Heaven¡¯s Bane

    Another two weeks have passed since Yuan attained Myriad Poison Immunity.

    <Your skill ''Myriad Poison Immunity'' has developed into ''True Poison Immunity''>

    [True Poison Immunity]

    [Description: Grants the user immunity to most poisons.]

    [Progress: 90%]

    ''Looks like I will have to advance my poison immunity by one more stage if I want toplete the fusion¡­'' Yuan thought to himself as he took his first step into the third zone, where the poisons are strong enough to kill even immortals within seconds.

    "I would''ve stopped him from advancing further if you weren''t here, Baneful Dragon." Long Yejun said.

    However, the Baneful Dragon shook his head and said, "Even with me here, there''s nothing I can do to save him in the third zone because the poison there are strong enough to kill him before I can even attempt to save him."

    "My Poisonous Swamp isn''t the most dangerous training ground in the Divine Dragon Sanctuary without reason. It has the most casualties, and even other Baneful Dragons have perished here because they underestimated my poison."

    "What? Then I need to stop him immediately! Before it''s toote!" Long Yejun hastily said.

    "He''ll be fine." Yingzi suddenly spoke for the first time since the Baneful Dragon''s appearance.

    "Where is your confidenceing from?" The Baneful Dragon inquired, his gaze filled with intrigue.

    "From experience, I guess. I have seen what he''s capable of."

    "But you''ve only been with him for around two years!" Long Yejun eximed.

    "And in those two years, I have witnessed enough to be confident of him." Yingzi shrugged.

    Long Yejun shifted his focus to Yuan again and swallowed nervously.

    "Even that Unrivaled Tyrant hasn''t stepped foot inside the third zone¡­" he mumbled in a dazed voice.

    The third zone of the Baneful Dragon''s Poisonous Swamp was much smaller than the previous two, requiring only a hundred steps to reach its very center. However, each step introduced a new, more potentyer of poison. These toxins were so deadly that even those at the God Ascension would sumb to them within minutes.

    Even with True Poison Immunity, Yuan couldn''t take more than ten steps before he had to sit down to cultivate.

    The pain he experienced was excruciating, and if it weren''t for his regeneration ability that constantly created healthy blood cells and restored his organs, the poison would''ve melted his body within seconds.

    "Oh god¡­ what is his body made of?" The Baneful Dragon was shocked by what he was witnessing, and he even began to doubt the effectiveness of his poison, something he had been immensely proud of for countless years.

    "That regenerative ability¡­ if he''s not a poison dragon, he''s a dragon with extremely high recovery rates¡­" Long Yejun immediately started thinking of the possibilities.

    "Only an Undying Dragon would be able to rival that recovery speed of his¡­ but they are especially weak to poison, so that can''t be right¡­"

    "The Dragon God''s blood within him might have something to do with that."

    "No¡­ the Dragon God''s blood only enhances our existing abilities to extreme lengths. None of the Dragon God''s Descendants have abilities beyond what they''re capable of¡ªnot even the Unrivaled Tyrant."

    For example, Long Yejun''s ability to control water reached levels other Ancient Azure Dragons could never hope to achieve because of the Dragon God''s blood within him. However, he would not suddenly acquire the ability to control the void or fire.

    Four hourster, Yuan stood up and took another step before sitting back down again to cultivate. He would continue to spend four hours for each step until he reached the 69th step.

    Ding!

    <Your skill ''True Poison Immunity'' has developed into ''Perfect Poison Immunity''!>

    [Progress: 100%]

    <Congrattion, your Heaven Refining Immortal Physique has sessfully merged with Perfect Poison Immunity>

    <Harmonious Heaven Refining Immortal Physique(Iplete) has improved>

    <You have acquired the title ''Harmonious Poison Body''>

    The Baneful Dragon narrowed his eyes, sensing a drastic change in Yuan''s body and aura as his physique merged properly.

    "What a ridiculous monster. Even the Unrivaled Tyrant is nothing in front of his poison affinity!" The Baneful Dragon praised loudly. "Don''t let her hear that, or she''ll kill you." Long Yejun said as he nervously looked around to make sure nobody there heard it.

    "Rx. This ce is usually empty." The Baneful Dragonughed.

    "I wonder why." Long Yejun shook his head.

    Meanwhile, Yuan continued his march toward the very center of the poisonous swamp. Unlike before, when each step took him hours toplete, this time he moved forward without pause, not stopping for even a second.

    In the blink of an eye, he reached the very center of the Baneful Dragon''s Poisonous Swamp.

    <Harmonious Heaven Refining Immortal Physique has activated> All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.

    <You have learned ''Heaven''s Bane''>

    [Heaven''s Bane]

    [Rank: Celestial]

    [Mastery Level: 1]

    [Description: The strongest poison¡ªthe bane of all existence. A single drop of Heaven''s Bane could poison even Heaven itself.]

    Despite the powerful new technique he''d just acquired, Yuan was paying attention to something else¡ªsomething inside the Baneful Dragon''s Poisonous Swamp.

    He crouched down and reached into the water, carefully retrieving a purple crystal asrge as his entire head. The crystal gleamed with an otherworldly glow and exuded a deadly presence.

    [???]

    "What is this?" he muttered.

    "Congrattions, fourth Dragon God''s Descendant!" The Baneful Dragon suddenly appeared before Yuan with a wide smile on his face.

    "Huh? Who are you?"

    "I am the Baneful Dragon¡ªthe owner and creator of this wonder yground! And you''ve just be the first entity to defeat all of my poison by reaching the very center of the swamp!"

    "That object in your hand is a Baneful Crystal¡ªa treasure I have been nurturing for over a billion years in this yground. It can be used to create poison or as a material to craft another treasure. I''ll give it to you to celebrate this asion." "Thank you, Baneful Dragon. I will put this treasure into good use," Yuan said, already thinking about how he should use it.

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 Chapter 1666 The Next Training Ground

    Chapter 1666 The Next Training Ground

    "I can''t believe you have managed to conquer the Baneful Dragon''s Poisonous Swamp in such a short time, and it''s even your first visit to this ce." Long Yejun praised Yuan when he returned. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.

    He said, "Are you a Baneful Dragon, too? Only a Baneful Dragon with Dragon God''s blood could possibly achieve this feat."

    Yuan shook his head with a smile and said, "Sorry, you''re wrong. I am not a Baneful Dragon."

    "I want to believe you, but s¡­"

    "Anyway, let''s head to the next training ground." Yuan then said, leaving them speechless.

    "Already?"

    "There''s less than two years until the Dragon God Festival, so I am short on time. I am going to experience most of the training ground in the Divine Dragon Sanctuary by then."

    "Hahaha! You''re really something, little brother! Good! I''ll also stay with you until then!" Long Yejun dered, as he had a feeling that he might be witnessing history being made.

    "What about the location where I can craft my treasure?" Yuan then asked.

    "Don''t worry, I''ve already notified my contact about it. I''ll let you know when it''s avable."

    "Thank you." Yuan nodded.

    "Where are you going next?" The Baneful Dragon suddenly inquired.

    Yuan took a moment to look at the map inside his head before responding, "The nearest training ground from here is the Sky Splitting Dragon''s Tribtion, so I''ll train there next."

    "The Sky Splitting Dragon''s Tribtion, huh?" Long Yejum mumbled.

    "It''s been a while since I went there, so I''m going to tag along. I also want to see how far you''ll go in a different environment." The Baneful Dragon said.

    Long Yejun shattered a teleport stone that brought them near their destination shortly after.

    ''If I can be immune to lightning, I''ll no longer have to worry about Heavenly Tribtions back in the Nine Heavens¡­'' Yuan thought to himself as they entered the rift.

    In the Nine Heavens, when an individual attains immunity to a particr element, their unique physique is given a specific name. For instance, those immune to poison are known to possess the ''Perfect Poison Body,'' while those immune to fire are referred to as ''One With the mes.''

    For those who achieve immunity to lightning, they possess what is known as a ''Heavenly Physique,'' a physique that directly defies Heavenly Tribtions. This unique trait grants them the power to withstand the wrath of the heavens itself, making it one of the most coveted and sought-after physiques for cultivators.

    Most cultivators perish during Heavenly Tribtions when attempting to ascend to the next major realm. Thus, one can only imagine the immense value of the Heavenly Physique that enables its bearer topletely ignore these tribtions and ascend unchallenged.

    A few dayster, Yuan and his group arrived at the Sky Splitting Dragon''s Tribtion. The training ground stretched across a vast, barrenndscape, where lightning strikes continuously poured down like raindrops in a storm, illuminating the area with their relentless fury.

    With countless lightning strikes crashing down incessantly, the training ground was filled with a deafening noise. The mor was so overwhelming that it was impossible to stay there without sealing one''s hearing.

    Long Yejun snapped his fingers, covering their group in a soundproof barrier.

    "What a chaotic ce and scenery, but it''s also oddly beautiful¡­" Yuan muttered.

    Unlike the Baneful Dragon''s Poisonous Swamp, which was devoid of any presence, the Sky Splitting Dragon''s Tribtion was bustling with beings.

    "Hey, look over there! Two of the seven Dragon Monarchs are together!" It didn''t take long for the beings there to notice Yuan''s group.

    "Wow! The Water Dragon Monarch and the Poison Dragon Monarch? What a rare sight!"

    In the Divine Dragon Sanctuary, there exists a prestigious title separate from the regr rankings, bestowed only upon the strongest dragons of their respective elements. Both the Baneful Dragon and Long Yejun held this revered title as the Poison Dragon Monarch and the Water Dragon Monarch.

    The Spy Splitting Dragon was also one of the seven Dragon Monarchs as the Lightning Dragon Monarch.

    "What are they doing together at this training ground? And who are those two unfamiliar faces with them?"

    "I recognize the young man! He''s the fourth Dragon God''s Descendant!"

    "So he''s the one¡­"

    While the onlookers chatted, Long Yejun exined the training ground to Yuan.

    "There are nine levels of difficulty in this training ground," Long Yejun exined. "You basically temper your body at the level you can endure until you''re ready to move on to the next. Quite simple, right?"

    "For reference, my limit is level 3," Long Yejun continued.

    "Only level 3?" Yuan remarked with raised eyebrows, surprised that the limit seemed rtively low for someone of Long Yejun''s stature.

    "As a water dragon, I am especially weak to lightning, so it''s much harder for me to train here than others."

    "By the way, my limit is level 5." The Baneful Dragon said.

    "What about the Unrivaled Tyrant?" Yuan asked out of curiosity.

    "She''s conquered all nine levels a few million years ago." Long Yejun said. "But it took her 300 million years of straight training."

    "300 million years...?" Yuan swallowed hard at the sheer enormity of that number, unable to hide his awe and disbelief.

    ''Hopefully, it won''t take me anywhere as long¡­''

    After taking a moment to prepare himself, Yuan entered the training ground.

    "Then I''ll see youter."

    "Good luck." They said to him.

    "Look! The fourth Dragon God''s Descendant has entered the training ground!" The onlookers started shifting their attention to him.

    After entering the training ground, Yuan was immediately bombarded with lightning strikes that could easily kill even a Divine Grandmaster. However, it merely tickled him, who had attained the Golden Immortal Physique. Yet, he didn''t continue to the second level and sat down to cultivate in the first level.

    ''Unlike the poisonous swamp, where I had some poison immunity since the beginning, I don''t have any resistance to lightning, so I must build it up from scratch,'' he thought inwardly.

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 Chapter 1667 Sky Splitting Dragonâ€™s Tribulation

    Chapter 1667 Sky Splitting Dragon¡¯s Tribtion

    <Harmonious Heaven Refining Immortal Physique has activated>

    <Your lightning resistance has increased slightly>

    <Your lightning resistance has increased slightly>

    <Your lightning resistance has increased slightly>

    An entire day had passed since Yuan began his training at the Sky Splitting Dragon''s Tribtion, yet he had still not managed to develop any resistance to lightning.

    Lightning resistance was not only one of the most sought-after immunities but also one of the most difficult to train. Among all the immunities, the Heavenly Physique was one of the rarest, even though it had the greatest number of pursuers. Seeing that he was only progressing slightly, Yuan was tempted to enter the second level directly.

    After some contemtion, Yuan moved to the border between the first and second levels. In the second level, the lightning strikes crackled with a vivid purple hue, a stark contrast to the blue lightning of the first level.

    A few momentster, Yuan entered the second level with just one of his arm to test the waters.

    DONG!

    As if his arm had be a lightning rod, the purple lightning strikes that had been raining down aimlessly suddenly converged, targeting him with unerring precision.

    "Whoa!"

    Yuan cried out loud when the lightning strikespletely obliterated his arm in the blink of an eye, and he hastily took several steps back afterward.

    "The difficulty between each level is no joke¡­" he swallowed nervously.

    Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do but continue training in the first level until he gained some resistance to lightning.

    "Is he bold or reckless? I have never seen anyone try to advance to the next level so quickly." The onlookersughed after witnessing Yuan''s blunder. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.

    "He was probably influenced by his sess in my yground and underestimated this ce." The Baneful Dragon smiled. "Fortunately, he was smart enough to only stick an arm in there, or that would''ve been the end of him."

    Unbeknownst to Yuan, the lightning strikes in the second level were several times more powerful than the Heavenly Tribtion Feng Yuxiang had faced and nearly lost her life to.

    A few dayster, Yuan finally acquired some lightning resistance.

    <You have gained Weak Lightning Resistance>

    After gaining Weak Lightning Resistance, Yuan immediately attempted to enter the second level once more.

    Yet, nothing had changed; his arm was still instantly obliterated by the purple lightning.

    "..."

    However, not all hope was lost, as he was able to strengthen his lightning resistance this time, while his previous attempt did not give him any experience.

    <Your lightning resistance has increased moderately>

    <Your lightning resistance has increased slightly>

    <Your lightning resistance has increased moderately>

    Thus, Yuan began cultivating with only half of his body exposed to the second level, straddling the border and experiencing the effects of both levels simultaneously. This way, he could push his limits while still maintaining some degree of safety.

    "What the hell am I looking at?"

    The onlookers were in disbelief after seeing Yuan''s ridiculous training method that took advantage of his insane regenerative ability.

    "Does that really work?"

    "Only if you have his speed of recovery¡­"

    Meanwhile, Long Yejun wasughing.

    "Hahaha! What a brutal yet efficient method of training! Only someone like him could possibly do something like this!" "He did that with the poison at my yground, too¡­" The Baneful Dragon shook his head with a defeated smile.

    Word of Yuan''s training at the Sky Splitting Dragon''s Tribtion spread like wildfire, drawing an increasing number of onlookers. Some were captivated by the rumors of the fourth Dragon God''s Descendant, eager to glimpse his identity, while others came to witness his potential firsthand.

    Two weekster, Yuan advanced his lightning resistance to the next level.

    <Your skill ''Weak Lightning Resistance'' has developed into ''Powerful Lightning Resistance''>

    After attaining Powerful Lightning Resistance, the purple lightning in the second level no longer obliterated his arm. Instead, it merely tickled him, while the lightning from the first level had be so weak he could no longer feel it at all.

    Seeing this, Yuan confidently strolled into the second level. However, he didn''t stop and continued moving until he was right before the third level.

    Then, just like before, he tested the water with his arm.

    BOOM!

    The red lightning strikes in the third level instantly obliterated his arm, and his lightning resistance didn''t increase even slightly.

    Meanwhile, the purple lightning no longer increased his resistance moderately. Now, it only increased his resistance slightly.

    <Your lightning resistance has increased slightly>

    After seeing the results, Yuan no longer bothered with the third level and focused on cultivating in the second level.

    "My god, he''s managed to progress from the first level to the second level in just three weeks! What monstrous speed!" The onlookers eximed with shock.

    "Even the Unrivaled Tyrant took several years! Does this mean the fourth Dragon''s God Descendant is potentially even more talented than the Unrivaled Tyrant?"

    "No, this just means he''s more talented than her in this one aspect. The Unrivaled Tyrant has conquered most of the training grounds in the Divine Dragon Sanctuary, after all." "Also, it is still too early to say anything. Even if his progress is faster than others, that won''t mean anything if he reaches his limit too quickly." A monthter.

    <Your skill ''Powerful Lightning Resistance'' has developed into ''Super Lightning Resistance''>

    After advancing his resistance, Yuan repeated what he had done at the first level and cultivated in the third level with only half of his body.

    <Your lightning resistance has increased moderately>

    <Your lightning resistance has increased moderately>

    During this time, news of Yuan''s intense training session continued to spread across the territory, drawing in a steady stream of new onlookers. Curiosity and excitement filled the air as more people gathered, eager to witness his remarkable progress.

    "Elder Brother, I knew you''d be here." Long Meihui approached Long Yejun after noticing him at the training ground. "Oh, you''re also here, Baneful Dragon."

    "It''s been a while, Princess Meihui." The Baneful Dragon greeted her with a handsome smile.

    "How long have you been watching?" Long Yejun asked her.

    "I just arrived," she said, turning to gaze at Yuan with a look of awe in her eyes.

 Chapter 1668 Courting Death

    Chapter 1668 Courting Death

    "How long has he been training here?" Long Meihui asked.

    "It''ll be two months tomorrow." Long Yejun said.

    "Did he start from level two?" "No, he started from level one."

    "What?! He went from level one to level three in two months?! That''s impossible!" Long Meihui eximed, her face filled with disbelief.

    The Baneful Dragon smiled and said, "Then you''ll definitely not believe this, but he came here right after conquering my Poisonous Swamp in just a month."

    "WHAT?!"

    Long Meihui snapped her head to look at the Baneful Dragon with eyes as wide as saucers.

    "That''s literally impossible! Even Elder Sister hasn''t conquered the Poisonous Swamp! And you''re telling me he''s managed to do just that in a month?!"

    Long Yejun chuckled at her reaction, "It''s true. I was there from the beginning."

    "That''s¡­" Long Meihui fell silent with a dazed expression on her face.

    In the blink of an eye, two more months passed. <Your skill ''Super Lightning Resistance'' has developed into ''Supreme Lightning Resistance''>

    After advancing his lightning resistance, Yuan entered the third level with his entire body and walked straight to the border of level three and level four.

    However, when he tried sticking an arm in level four, Yuan was pleasantly surprised to see his lightning resistance increase, and his arm hadn''t been obliterated, only burnt.

    <Your lightning resistance has increased significantly>

    Of course, it was unfathomably painful. Even though it was only his arm getting struck, he felt the pain throughout his entire body.

    ''No pain, no gain!''

    After mentally preparing himself, Yuan walked into the fourth level, shocking the onlookers.

    "He''s going straight into level four this time!"

    "How bold!"

    "No matter how many times I see it, his regenerative ability still shocks me¡­ Is he an Undying Dragon?"

    "Most likely."

    Time continued to swiftly pass, and another three months have passed. <Your skill ''Supreme Lightning Resistance'' has developed into ''Iplete Heavenly Physique''>

    By now, Yuan has spent seven months in the Sky Splitting Dragon''s Tribtion. If the cultivators in the Nine Heavens knew that he''d managed to start creating his Heavenly Physique in such little time, not even the heavens could predict their reaction.

    Even the most talented cultivators required centuries, if not millenniums, of rigorous training to attain the Iplete Heavenly Physique, but Yuan had managed to achieve it in a little over half a year.

    However, the Iplete Heavenly Physique was just the beginning, as he still had to advance it a few more times to achieve thepleted Heavenly Physique.

    <Heaven Refining Immortal Physique has begun fusing with Iplete Heavenly Physique>

    [Progress: 25%]

    Yuan went to stick an arm into the fifth level shortly after.

    <Your lightning resistance has increased significantly>

    When he confirmed that he was able to survive the lightning strikes, he entered the fifth level with his entire body.

    "Level five in seven months! I don''t think anyone is going to beat this record!" The onlookers could feel their bodies trembling in excitement.

    "If he continues at this pace, he''ll reach level nine before the Dragon God Festival!"

    However, to the onlooker''s shock, Yuan increased his pace, and just a monthter, he began walking toward the sixth level.

    <Your skill ''Iplete Heavenly Physique'' has developed into ''Imperfect Heavenly Physique''>

    [Progress: 50%]

    When he entered the sixth level and was bombarded with silver-colored lightning strikes, Yuan was pleasantly surprised to find out that he was enduring the lightning strikes with rtive ease.

    Thus, he made a bold move and went into the seventh level after testing the waters with an arm.

    "He''s already at level seven?!"

    The seventh level unleashed torrents of ck-colored lightning strikes, each bolt as thick as a tree trunk, crashing down with immense power and fury.

    <Your lightning resistance has increased significantly>

    <Your lightning resistance has increased significantly>

    <Your lightning resistance has increased significantly>

    Although he was able to endure the seventh level, each lightning strike was powerful enough to almostpletely erase his existence.

    Ding!

    <You have acquired the title ''Courting Death''>

    [Courting Death]

    [Description: The holder of this title has faced the brink of death countless times. All sources of healing will be 1,000% more effective.]

    After receiving his new title, Yuan''s regeneration became even more powerful.

    "Is it just me, or is he regenerating even faster now?"

    "You noticed it, too?"

    The onlookers did not miss this detail.

    By now, the entire Sky Splitting Dragon''s Tribtion was filled to the brim with onlookers, all of them watching with anticipation for the moment Yuan conquers the training ground.

    In fact, even the Sky Splitting Dragon himself was present to witness history being made.

    "Took you long enough to show up, Lightning Dragon Monarch." Long Yejun said as he looked at the handsome, bulky man approaching their group.

    "I had to confirm the rumors¡ªthat someone had reached the seventh level from the first level in under a year. Is it true?"

    "It is very much true." Long Meihui said.

    The Sky Splitting Dragon looked around and asked, "Where''s the Unrivaled Tyrant? I thought she''d be here as well."

    "I haven''t seen her since she entered the Void Vortex two million years ago." Long Yejun said.

    "But she should be returning soon for the Dragon God Festival." Long Meihui continued.

    The Baneful Dragon shuddered at the thought and sighed, "If only she never returned¡­"

    Time continued to pass, and it has been ten months since Yuan entered the Sky Splitting Dragon''s Tribtion.

    <Your skill ''Imperfect Heavenly Physique'' has developed into ''Heavenly Physique''>

    Ding!

    <You have acquired the title ''Heavenly Physique''>

    Yuan had finally acquired the Heavenly Physique after ten gruesome months of training. However, even after acquiring the highly coveted Heavenly Physique, his progress only went up to 90 percent.

    [Progress: 90%]

    ''I guess there''s one more stage beyond the Heavenly Physique¡­''

    With that thought in mind, Yuan began approaching the eighth level, where golden-colored lightning strikes poured heavier than rain in a storm.

    "He''s heading for level eight!" The onlookers swallowed nervously as they watched Yuan step into the eighth level after making sure he could endure it.Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 1669 Heavenly Physique

    Chapter 1669 Heavenly Physique

    <Your lightning resistance has increased significantly>

    After reaching the eighth level, Yuan didn''t pause and continued toward the ninth level. However, just as he was about to extend his arm into the ninth level, he suddenly stopped. His instincts had kicked in, warning him that he wouldn''t escape with just a destroyed arm if he underestimated the ninth level.

    ''Let''s ignore the ninth level for now¡­''

    Yuan took several steps back and sat down to cultivate in the eighth level.

    "I guess he''s not just bold and reckless." Long Yejunughed out loud after seeing Yuan''s actions.

    "He has good instincts." The Sky Splitting Dragon smiled.

    "You guys want to y a game? Let''s bet on how long he''ll take to reach the ninth level and conquer the training ground." The Baneful Dragon suddenly suggested. "I''ll start with five months."

    "Sounds fun. I''ll bet a year." The Sky Splitting Dragon confidently said.

    "Then I''ll go with six months." Long Meihui said.

    Long Yejun pondered for a moment before speaking, "I''ll bet he''ll conquer this ce within three months."

    "What are we betting, anyway?" Yingzi asked.

    "Good question. How about something we consider valuable? Even if it''s only slightly."

    "Sure."

    "Then I''ll bet a hundred meat skewers he''ll finish in a month," Yingzi said.

    "Meat skewers? What are those?" They looked at her with raised eyebrows.

    The only person who knew what the meat skewers were, aside from Yingzi, was Long Meihui, who had experienced their deliciousness before.

    "It''s food," she calmly said.

    "Food¡­? How''s that valuable?" The Baneful Dragon asked.

    Long Meihui responded in Yingzi''s stead, "I can vouch for their value. They''re unlike anything you''ve ever seen or tasted before. I can still clearly taste them even though it''s been a year since I had them."

    "Now I''m interested." Long Yejun said with an intrigued smile.

    "But I thought they belonged to Brother Yuan." Long Meihui then inquired while looking at Yingzi.

    "They do, but some of them belong to me," she said.

    "I see¡­"

    A month and twenty dayster.

    <Your skill ''Heavenly Physique'' has developed into ''wless Heavenly Physique''>

    [Progress: 100%]

    <Congrattion, your Heaven Refining Immortal Physique has sessfully merged with wless Heavenly Physique>

    "Finally¡­" Yuan stood up and immediately began walking towards the ninth level.

    This time, his instincts told him that he had no problem withstanding the rainbow-colored lightning strikes in the ninth level. "No way¡­ is he already ready to conquer the training ground?" The Sky Splitting Dragon eximed in a shocked voice after seeing Yuan''s actions.

    "Slightly under two months¡­ If he manages to conquer this ce, it''ll be the Shadow Dweller''s win since she has the closest guess." Long Yejun said.

    After taking a deep breath, Yuan stepped into the ninth level. As the lightning strikes rained down on him, they rapidly changed colors, giving an odd scenery.

    <Harmonious Heaven Refining Immortal Physique has activated>

    <You have learned ''Heaven''s Final Judgement''>

    [Heaven''s Final Judgement]

    [Rank: Celestial]

    [Description: The pinnacle of lightning mastery, a level no human has ever attained. A single strike shall split the heavens and obliterate stars!]

    "He''s done it! The fourth Dragon God''s Descendant has actually managed to conquer the Sky Splitting Dragon''s Tribtion in less than a year!"

    The onlookers cheered loudly after witnessing history being made, causing the ce to tremble.

    "Unbelievable¡­" Long Meihui muttered in a dazed voice.

    "Here." The Baneful Dragon handed a treasure he deemed valuable to Yingzi after losing the bet.

    The Sky Splitting Dragon and the others followed.

    "Thank you."

    Yingzi tossed the treasures into her shadow without even inspecting them.

    Sometimeter, Yuan reunited with Long Yejun and the others. "Congrattions, Brother Yuan! I can''t believe you actually conquered this training ground in just a year!" Long Meihui congratted him.

    "Huh?" However, Yuan did not react in the manner they expected.

    "H-how long have I been training...?" he asked in a shaky voice, his face pale with a look of terror as he sought confirmation.

    "Well, it hasn''t been a full year, but it''s close." The Baneful Dragon said.

    "11 months and 20 days, to be exact." Long Yejun confirmed.

    "Fuck! I had been training for that long?!"

    Yuan cried out in surprise, suddenly realizing that he hadpletely lost track of time.

    "I''ll be right back!"

    Without exining further, Yuan suddenly disappeared into thin air, dumbfounding everyone there.

    "What the? Where did he go?" The Sky Splitting Dragon muttered with a dazed expression.

    "I don''t know, but he''ll be back soon," Yingzi said. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.

    Meanwhile, in the Nine Heavens, Xi Meili approached Meixiu and asked with a worried face, "Still no news from Yuan?"

    Meixiu shook her head in a dispirited manner.

    "It''s been a whole year since he stopped allmunication¡­ What if something happened to him?" Xi Meili sighed out loud.

    Yuan had been so absorbed in his training that he''d forgotten to log off, missing his monthly update to the others for an entire year.

    "Don''t worry, I''m sure he''s fine," Meixiu reassured Xi Meili. "Thest time we spoke a year ago, he mentioned that he would stay in the Primal Expanse for at least another two years to revive Feng Feng. He''s probably just lost track of time while training. This isn''t the first time it''s happened, though it is definitely one of his longest absences."

    "I really hope that''s the case¡­"

    At that very moment, Chu Liuxiang appeared before them like a ghost, a wide smile spreading across her face as she announced, "Yuan''s back!"

    "What?! Really?!" Xi Meili''s eyes flickered with excitement and relief after receiving this news.

    "Yes," she reassured.

    "What happened to him?" Meixiu inquired.

    Chu Liuxiang chuckled and said, "He said he was training and lost track of time. He also wanted to say he''s sorry for making us worry."

    "As long as he''s safe¡­" Xi Meili said.

    Chu Liuxiang continued, "Anyway, he returned to Cultivation Online immediately after telling me that. However, he said he''ll return as soon as possible to update us once he''s done with his business in the Primal Expanse."

 Chapter 1670 Something Fun

    Chapter 1670 Something Fun

    "Where did you go just now?" Long Yejun asked Yuan after he returned to the Primal Expanse a few minutester.

    "That''s a secret," Yuan said with a smile.

    It wasmon for powerful beings in the Primal Expanse to disappear and appear suddenly, so the others weren''t too baffled by Yuan''s sudden disappearance.

    Of course, they were curious, but seeing how Yuan didn''t want to talk about it, they didn''t question it.

    "Are you going to the next training ground now?" The Baneful Dragon suddenly inquired.

    Yuan shook his head and said, "I am going to take a short break. Is there any ce where I can have some privacy for a few days?"

    "You can stay at my abode." Long Yejun said.

    "Thanks." Yuan nodded.

    "W-wait! Before you go, can I shamelessly ask for a few more of those skewers?" Long Meihui suddenly said.

    Yuan smiled, "Sure."

    He retrieved ten meat skewers and handed them to her the next moment.

    Long Yejun and the others stared at meat skewers as they were being handed to her, their eyes wide with surprise.

    "What a unique aroma! Do you think I can get some, too?" Long Yejun asked with a watery mouth.

    "Of course." After giving a handful of skewers to Long Yejun, Yuan turned to look at the others and asked, "Do you also want some?"

    "Please!" The Baneful Dragon and the Sky Splitting Dragon eagerly nodded.

    "Thanks!"

    "By the way, I am the creator of this ce, the Sky Splitting Dragon." The Sky Splitting Dragon introduced himself after receiving the skewers.

    "Oh, it''s nice to meet you. This is a great training ground." Yuan said.

    "You have no idea how much it hurts my pride when you conquer it so quickly." "Let us know when you head to the next training ground. I want to be there when you conquer another one." Long Meihui said a momentter.

    "Sure." Yuan nodded.

    Sometimeter, Long Yejun shattered a teleport stone, teleporting Yuan and Yingzi to his living quarters.

    "You can go without me. I received the notification that your crafting room was prepared a month ago. I''ll go verify it myself first. Don''t worry, there''s no rush. You can take your time." Long Yejun said to them.

    "Thanks for everything so far."

    "No, thank you for entertaining me." Long Yejunughed before disappearing.

    Once they were inside Long Yejun''s home, Yuan handed Yingzi the rest of her meat skewers and said, "I''ll be gone for about a week or two." "Okay."

    Yuan logged off shortly after.

    When he returned to his real body, Chu Liuxiang and Meixiu were already awake and waiting for him.

    "Wee back," Meixiu said.

    "I''m so sorry!"

    Yuan wasted no time lowering his head and apologizing to her.

    "I was caught up in training and lost track of the time!"

    "I know. Lulu already told me."

    "Still, I wanted to apologize to you myself."

    "It''s fine. Honestly, it didn''t feel that long. I guess the higher our cultivation, the more we''re prone to losing track of time." Meixiu chuckled. Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.

    "Right? I have also been a victim of this." Chu Liuxiang said.

    Yuan then inquired about the Lord, "Anyway, how''s the Lord doing? I haven''t replenished his energy in a year, after all."

    "He''s doing fine for now. I visited himst week." Chu Liuxiang said.

    "That''s good. I''ll go replenish his energy right now."

    Yuan left from their balcony and flew straight to the peak of the mountain.

    The Lord emerged from his cave after sensing Yuan''s presence approaching his ce.

    "It''s been a while."

    "Sorry, I lost track of time during my training. I hope you''re doing okay."

    "I have endured many centuries without any help. A single year won''t kill me." The Lordughed out loud. "Still¡­ Anyway, I''ll call Ji Ran now."

    Yuan summoned the Starry Abyss shortly after.

    However, after being summoned, Ji Ran said, "Sorry, but I barely recovered any spiritual energy because the Primal Expansecks spiritual energy, so I won''t be able to help."

    "Now that you mention it¡­" Yuan rubbed his eyes after realizing this blunder.

    "I''m sorry, but you''ll have to use my spiritual energy until I leave the Primal Expanse," he then said.

    "I don''t mind waiting until you leave the Primal Expanse. After all, even if you give me all your spiritual energy, it will only give me relief for a brief moment." The Lord said. He continued, "Moreover, the amount of spiritual energy I have received so far is enough tost another decade."

    "Alright. Then, I will return once I leave the Primal Expanse. It shouldn''t take too long. Probably another year or two at most."

    Yuan returned to his living quarters afterward.

    "How''s training with the Eternal Lotusestely? It must''ve been rough without my spiritual bath." Yuan asked.

    "Yes, it was definitely rough on the trainees at first since they suddenly stopped recovering overnight, but they''ve adapted. Moreover, every single member of their faction is training with us now." Meixiu said.

    "That''s good to hear."

    "The Eternal Lotuses have also advanced their rank back to the top 10." Chu Liuxiang then said.

    "What about us? Have you guys participated in any Faction War since thest one?"

    "Unfortunately, they''re still afraid to challenge us. And since we''ve been inactive for a whole year, we''re back to being unranked." Chu Liuxiang sighed.

    "The ranking doesn''t have any meaning to us, anyway." Yuan shrugged nonchntly.

    He then asked, "Any news on the government or the Ten Great Families?"

    "Well, we know they''re watching us from outside the Dragon Spiral Mountain, but that''s about it," Meixiu said.

    "That''s good."

    "By the way, when are you going to return to Cultivation Online?" Chu Liuxiang suddenly asked.

    "I intend to stay here for a week or two before I return."

    "Do you have something to do on Earth?"

    He shook his head and said, "No, I just want to spend some time with you guys since I''ve been away for a whole year."

    "Hmm¡­ then do you want to go out and have some fun? It''s been a while since we''ve done anything fun together." Chu Liuxiang suggested.

    Yuan nodded, "Let''s do that."

 Chapter 1671 Ready or Not

    Chapter 1671 Ready or Not

    "Do you have any suggestions?" Chu Liuxiang asked.

    Yuan pondered for a good moment before responding, "There is this ce that I have always wanted to go to as a child but never got the chance to for obvious reasons. Nine gs Amusement Park."

    "An amusement park, huh? I have also never been to one before. Let''s go!" Chu Liuxiang immediately agreed, even appearing quite excited about it.

    "What about the others?" Meixiu asked.

    "We can invite everyone. I''ll let Yu Rou knowter." Yuan said.

    Sometimeter, Chu Liuxiang logged into Cultivation Online to invite the Demon Sealing Faction.

    Meanwhile, Yuan and Meixiu went to visit the Eternal Lotuses.

    "Brother! You''re finally back!" Yu Rou was nearly brought to tears after seeing Yuan''s face for the first time in over a year.

    "Sorry¡­" Yuan apologized and exined the situation to her.

    "I thought we would see each other more often after bing your neighbor¡­ how wrong I was¡­" she sighed.

    Yuan smiled and said, "This is the nature of the cultivation world. Anyway, you''ve grown taller and even more pretty since Ist saw you."

    "Trying to change the subject? Well, I''ll forgive you this time¡­" Yu Rou showed a bashful smile after hearing his praises.

    "Then, changing the subject again, I''m here to give you an invitation. We''ve decided to visit the Nine gs Amusement Park. Want to tag along?"

    "I want to go!" Yu Rou responded immediately and without any hesitation.

    She continued, "Oh, but can I invite Sister Jingyi and Sister Lianhua?"

    "Of course."

    "Great! I''ll go let her know now!"

    While Yu Rou went to speak with Xia Jingyi, Yuan visited Bai Lianhua.

    "Hm? Who is it?" Bai Lianhua stopped her paperwork after hearing her door being knocked on.

    "It''s me, Yuan."

    "Yuan?!"

    Surprised by his voice, Bai Lianhua swiftly stood up and rushed to open the door.

    "It''s really you! Are you okay?"

    Yuan nodded and exined the situation.

    "Thank god it''s only that. I was worried that something bad might''ve happened to you. I''m d that wasn''t the case." Bai Lianhua sighed in relief after learning of the truth.

    "Sorry for making you worry."

    "It''s fine."

    "Anyway, did you need something from me?"

    "Yes, I''d like to invite you to the amusement park."

    "A-amusement park?!" Bai Lianhua took a step back with a bewildered expression on her face.

    ''Is he asking me out on a date?!'' she cried inwardly as her heart began racing like a sports car.

    "If you''re too busy, I understand," Yuan said as his gaze shifted to the piles of paperwork on her desk.

    "I''lle!" Bai Lianhua hastily responded. "I need a breath of fresh air once in a while."

    "Great. I''ll let you know when once I receive the other''s answers." "Huh? The others?" Bai Lianhua wore a dumbfounded look on her face.

    "Yes, I also invited the rest of the Demon Sealing Faction. Yu Rou and her friend will being, as well."

    "Is that so¡­ I cannot wait."

    Bai Lianhua''s face flushed with redness after she realized her blunder.

    ''Why did I think we''d be alone?!'' she cried inwardly.

    Later that day, Yuan confirmed that everyone would be going to the amusement park.

    "When do you want to go? I''ll schedule it for everyone." Meifeng asked him during dinner.

    "Since this is quite sudden, how does the day after tomorrow sound?" Yuan asked the others, as everyone invited was present at the dining table.

    Once everyone agreed to go in two days, Meifeng went to schedule the event.

    "An amusement park, huh? The closest thing we have to one at the Jaded Garden would be the ygrounds¡­" Wang Ming mused.

    "I cannot wait!" Wang Bingbing said.

    After dinner, Li Jinxi approached Yuan to make an appointment.

    "Let''s have a spar tomorrow morning. I want to see how much stronger you''ve gotten in a year."

    "Sure. I''ll meet you at the training ground tomorrow."

    That night, Yuan went to the spare room with Meixiu, and the two of them embraced each other for the entire night.

    "How''s your training with Kn?" Yuan asked as they took a bath together.

    "Even though we''ve trained with him for a year, his training sessions don''t get any easier. No matter how much we improve, he always has something even more difficult prepared for us. Because of that, we''re unable to rx. However, as a result, we improve consistently at a tremendous rate."

    "What about you? What kind of training made you lose track of time?"

    Yuan gave her a detailed description of the training grounds in the Divine Dragon Sanctuary and the training he''d done so far.

    "Your training is at an entirely different level¡­ but why am I not surprised? Meanwhile, we''re still learning our basics and strengthening our foundations." Meixiu sighed.

    "The basics are just as important as whatever I am doing. Remember, I have experience from my past lives, so it''s only natural for me to be significantly ahead. My starting line is different from everyone else, so there''s no need topare yourself to me."

    "I know, but it''s human nature topare ourselves with others."

    Aftering out of the bathroom, Yuan headed straight to the training ground, where Li Jinxi stood, the Golden Empress already firmly in her grasp.

    Although it had been a year since theyst sparred, and it was natural for people to change in that much time, Yuan could sense that there was something fundamentally different about the Li Jinxi standing before him now.

    "Did something happen?" Yuan inquired with a curious gaze.

    "Why would you ask me that?" Li Jinxi asked.

    "Just felt like it, I guess."

    "I''ll tell you if you can beat me."

    Yuan smiled and said, "You should only utter such words if you''ve never lost to your opponent before."

    "Well, ''I'' haven''t lost to the current you yet,''" Li Jinxi said in a weird tone. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.

    "What?" Yuan raised an eyebrow.

    Li Jinxi couldn''t wait any longer and got into her fighting position.

    "That stance¡­" Yuan''s eyes widened.

    "Ready or not, here Ie, Yuan! Or should I call you Tian Xin!?"

    A wide smile spread across Li Jinxi''s face as she flew at Yuan, who looked stunned and waspletely caught off guard by the way she addressed him.

    "Jin Xi?!" he eximed.

 Chapter 1672 Amusement Park

    Chapter 1672 Amusement Park

    Yuan hastily retrieved his Abyssal Dagger to block Li Jinxi''s attack.

    "So you finally remembered your past life?" Yuan inquired as they shed.

    "I won''t say anything until you beat me!" Li Jinxi repeated.

    "But you''ve already said a lot¡­" Yuan smiled.

    However, instead of going all out to defeat her quickly, Yuan was curious to see how strong Li Jinxi had be after a year of training with Kn and regaining Jin Xi''s memories.

    Their shes were so intense that, if not for the formation surrounding the training ground, each strike would have caused the entire mountain to tremble violently.

    "I know this is not all you''ve got!" Li Jinxi said to him a few minutester when neither of them were gaining an advantage.

    "I can say the same to you. You seem weakerpared to ourst spar a year ago." Yuan smiled.

    "Hmph. If I truly went all out, this mountain would perish in the blink of an eye!"

    "Only the mountain? This world would perish if I went all out." Yuan shrugged.

    "You will be returning to the Nine Heavens soon, right? Let''s postpone our match until then. We can only go all out in the Nine Heavens, anyway," she suggested.

    "I can''t give an exact date of my return, but it won''t be too long. I also agree that we won''t be able to fight seriously unless it''s within the Nine Heavens, so I don''t mind postponing our match until I return."

    After a slight pause, Yuan continued with a provocative smile, "It''ll give you more time to mentally prepare for your inevitable defeat, too."

    "Then it''s settled." Li Jinxi said as she stowed away her weapon.

    "Are you really not going to say anything until then?" Yuan then asked.

    "That''s what I said, no?"

    Without saying anything else, Li Jinxi left the training ground, leaving Yuan standing there with a dumbfounded face.

    After leaving, Li Jinxi returned to her room and stood before a mirror with a perplexed expression on her face.

    "So it''s real¡­" she muttered in a dazed voice.

    Early in the morning the following day, everyone from the Demon Sealing Faction and three individuals from Eternal Lotuses gathered at the gates of the Dragon Spiral Mountain, where a long limousine picked them up and drove them to the Dragon Spiral Mountain''s private airport.

    "It''s Yuan and the rest of the Demon Sealing Faction! They''re finally leaving the Dragon Spiral Mountain!" The people hired by the government to watch over the Dragon Spiral Mountain were shocked to see Yuan and the others leave the mountain, and they quickly notified their superiors.

    "When did you buy a private jet?" Yuan asked Meifeng when they arrived at the airport to see a luxurious private jet with the name of their faction printed on its body.

    "A few months ago," she said. "We have plenty of money, so you don''t have to worry about our finances."

    "I am not worried at all. I was just curious." Yuan said with a smile. Even if they werepletely out of money, he could easily sell some treasures and gain a fortune.

    With the amount of treasures in his possession, as well as what he could acquire, it wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say the Demon Sealing Faction was one of the wealthiest in the entire world.

    Once they boarded the jet, Meifeng drove it herself. The flight was only an hour long.

    When theynded, the group entered another transport vehicle that brought them directly to the amusement park.

    "Huh? Why is it so empty? Is the amusement park closed?" Yu Rou muttered out loud after seeing the empty parking lot.

    Yuan used his divine sense to peer inside the amusement park and spotted several workers going about their tasks. However, not a single customer was present within the park''s grounds.

    Meifeng then spoke, "Oh, that''s because I reserved the whole amusement park for today, so we''re the only ones here."

    "Seriously¡­?" Yu Rou stared at her with wide eyes.

    "The experience will be different if we''re alone¡­" Chu Liuxiang sighed.

    Meifeng shrugged and exined herself, "In case you forgot, you''re all celebrities. If I hadn''t done this, we would''ve been swarmed by people."

    Yuan then said, "Although the experience will be different than what I had anticipated, I understand why it was done. I don''t really mind it, either. Also, this means we don''t need to wait in line for the rides."

    "I actually prefer that we''re alone since we don''t need to deal with anyone," Wang Bingbing said.

    Sometimeter, they entered the amusement park. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    "What should we do first?" Yu Rou asked.

    "We have plenty of time to try everything, so why don''t we explore the park clockwise?" Yuan suggested.

    "Sounds like a n."

    Thus, the group began exploring the park, experiencing every attraction one at a time.

    However, several attractionster, Wang Ming sighed out loud, "This is more boring than I''d anticipated. Is it because this park was built for mortals? I don''t feel any excitement from the rollercoasters."

    As cultivators, their senses had been significantly enhanced, and things like rollercoasters felt like they were moving at a snail''s pace. As for the height, it wasn''t even worth mentioning.

    "It''s a little disappointing, but there''s nothing we can do about it. After all, this ce wasn''t made for cultivators." Yuan said.

    They continued to explore the amusement park until they experienced all of the attractions.

    "Wow, that turned out to be a chore." Shi Langughed out loud as they left the amusement park.

    "Although there wasn''t any blood-pumping and heartstopping excitement, I still had fun. It''s like a walk in the park¡ªone that is more borate, I guess." Yu Rou said.

    "I agree. It wasn''t that bad." Chu Liuxiang said.

    After leaving the amusement park, they returned to the Dragon Spiral Mountain to have a feast. Since Meifeng''s cooking was better than most restaurants out there, they decided to save a trip and dine at home.

    "Brother, do you have anything else nned?" Yu Rou asked Yuan as they feasted. Yuan shook his head and said, "Not really, but if there''s anything you want to do, don''t hesitate to let me know."

    "Okay. Let me think about it." she nodded.

 Chapter 1673 Returning to the Primal Expanse

    Chapter 1673 Returning to the Primal Expanse

    At the end of the feast, Yu Rou said, "Brother, if you don''t have anything to do, why don''t you give us a concert? It''s been a while since I have listened to your music."

    Yuan nodded, "Sure. How does tomorrow noon sound? I can do it in our training ground."

    "Then it''s decided! I''ll let the rest of my faction know, so make sure you have enough seats!" she eagerly said.

    "Okay."

    Later that night, Yuan cuddled with Meixiu. He''d cuddled with Chu Liuxiang yesterday after his short spar with Li Jinxi ended, and the two of them didn''t leave the room until the very next day until it was time for them to head to the amusement park.

    The following day, after embracing Meixiu for an entire night and morning, Yuan held a private concert in his training ground with the Demon Sealing Faction and Eternal Lotuses as his audience.

    During the concert, Yuan yed all sorts of instruments, from the zither to the piano to obscure instruments most of them had never seen before.

    Meanwhile, government agencies around the world were in the midst of a meeting. The subject of the matter was, of course, about Yuan.

    "Yesterday at 0600, Yuan and the entire Demon Sealing Faction left the Dragon Spiral Mountain for the first time in over a year."

    "His sister, Yu Rou, her close friend, Xia Jingyi, and the leader of the Eternal Lotuses, Bai Lianhua, was also with them."

    "They flew from the Dragon Spiral Mountain''s private airport to Jade City''s airport, and from there, they went to the Nine gs Amusement Park."

    "The Demon Sealing Faction''s manager, Meifeng, who used to work for the Yu Family, had reserved the entire amusement park for the whole day. They spent six hours and thirty-two minutes in the amusement park and returned straight to the Dragon Spiral Mountain."

    Every detail of the Demon Sealing Faction''s movement was reported to the people in the meeting.

    "He went radio silent and holed up inside the Dragon Spiral Mountain for over a year, then came out just to visit the amusement park? What do you guys think of this?"

    "Bastard doesn''t even put us in his eyes. How dare he have fun at an amusement park after threatening us? He''s acting like we don''t even exist!"

    "Honestly, I''d rather he ignore us than pay attention to us."

    "That''s what a coward would say! How can you let a single man who''d just reached adulthood scare you with some threat?!"

    "You say that, but I know you''re also scared of him! This man has the power to destroy the world! We should ensure he doesn''t see us as a threat rather than make an enemy out of him!" "Let''s change the topic for a moment. Did we manage to find anyone close to him who''s willing to spy on him for us?"

    "We''re still working on it, but we''re making progress. We''re currently in contact with several members of Eternal Lotuses trying to make a deal."

    "Increase the rewards if they''re still hesitant¡ªenough to blow their hesitancy away in an instant!"

    In the end, they decided to continue monitoring Yuan from a distance¡ªat least until they found a way to deal with him.

    Meanwhile, Yuan ended the concert after four hours. Then, for the rest of the day, Yuan sparred with the members of Eternal Lotuses to see their growth.

    "Since it''s been a while, let''s end today with a spiritual water bath," Yuan said, and the members cheered with excitement.

    After the bath, everyone returned home.

    For the next week, Yuan devoted all his time to Meixiu and Chu Liuxiang, making up for the past year he had been away, with most of that time spent making love.

    "I''ll be returning to the Primal Expanse today," Yuan announced after spending 13 days on Earth. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    "Try not to disappear on us for too long again, okay?" Chu Liuxiang teased.

    Yuan nodded with a bittersweet smile.

    After saying his goodbyes, Yuan returned to the Primal Expanse.

    "Wee back." Yingzi was there to greet him upon his return, and all of the skewers she had before he left were gone.

    "Did Long Yejune by while I was gone?" he asked her.

    "Yes, he came by two days ago and left this behind."

    Yingzi handed him a teleport stone before continuing to speak. "He said everything''s been prepared, and you can use this teleport stone whenever you''re ready."

    "Alright."

    After leaving Long Yejun''s home and returning to the Divine Dragon Sanctuary, Yuan shattered the teleport stone and entered the rift with Yingzi.

    When he emerged from the rift, Yuan found himself on a remote ind that had an active volcano that wasrger than any mountain he''d seen before.

    "Where is this?" Yuan muttered out loud, as this ce wasn''t part of the Divine Dragon Sanctuary.

    Suddenly, a powerful presence filled the entire ind.

    "Are you the one Prince Yejun said will being?" A stern voice rippled.

    "Yes, I am Yuan."

    A half-naked, tall, bulky man with a bald head appeared before them a momentter.

    "Let''s make this clear. I only agreed to lend you my precious workshop because I owe Prince Yejun a favor. I don''t care if you''re the fourth Dragon God''s Descendant. If you make a mess of my workshop, I will kill you."

    Yuan nodded with a confident smile and said, "Don''t worry, I''ll be out of your hair¡ªyour sight before you even know it."

    "By the way, is Long Yejun not here?"

    "No, but he said he''ll be back soon."

    "Do you mind if I wait until he returns?"

    "I don''t care, but I only agreed to lend you my workshop for ten years¡ªnot even a second more. Oh, one more thing. The timer started when I notified you a month ago."

    Yuan silently nodded.

    ''It''s been a while since I created something, so I will be a little rusty, but it shouldn''t take more than a few months to finish my treasures.'' He thought to himself.

 Chapter 1674 Metal Dragon Monarch

    Chapter 1674 Metal Dragon Monarch

    "Can you show me the workshop for now?" Yuan asked the bald man. "By the way, how should I address you?"

    The man lifted his head in a prideful manner and introduced himself, "I am the Metal Dragon Monarch, Refined Obsidian Dragon! I am also one of the few beings in the Primal Expanse capable of creating treasures! As a matter of fact, nobody dares to im they are number one as long as I am still alive!"

    Creating treasures was unheard of in the Primal Expanse until a human skilled in treasure crafting appeared hundreds of millions of years ago. Since then, they have acquired the ability and knowledge to craft treasures.

    However, despite its potential, crafting treasures remained a niche practice in the Primal Expanse, as the knowledge and techniques were originally designed solely for humans.

    While some, like the Refined Obsidian Dragon, have refined and further developed their techniques to new heights that allowed them to craft treasures for Primals and Predators, mostcked the talent to achieve such mastery and remained mediocre in their abilities.

    Theck of treasures for Primals and Predators also contributed to why the beings of this world preferred using human appearances, as that allowed them to wield treasures. That said, only the truly powerful are capable of acquiring treasures, which is why only the top beings in the Primal Expanse take the form of humans.

    Sometimeter, the Refined Obsidian Dragon led Yuan to a massive cave located at the base of the volcano. Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.

    The workshop was so massive that Yuan couldn''t help but think it had been built for giants. He nced at the Refined Obsidian Dragon, whose human form was also significantlyrger than normal, resembling that of a miniature giant.

    All sorts of tools hung on the wall, but the most eye-catching was the elegant ck hammer that hung prominently above the furnace, its surface gleaming with a mysterious aura.

    Yingzi also looked around with interest. This was her first time being in this kind of environment, and it piqued her interest.

    The Refined Obsidian Dragon took a seat near the entrance, his gaze fixed on Yuan and Yingzi. It was as if he were a vignt guard, ensuring they wouldn''t cause any trouble in his workshop.

    Yuan also sat down and closed his eyes to cultivate.

    Two dayster, Yuan opened his eyes when he sensed a familiar presence appearing on the remote ind.

    Long Yejun showed up at the workshop shortly after.

    "Were you waiting for me?" he asked Yuan.

    "Yes. I figured you wanted to watch."

    "I sure do! Also, this is for you." Long Yejun retrieved a fist-sized crystal that crackled with electric energy, tiny arcs of lightning dancing across its surface.

    "What is this?" Yuan asked.

    "The Sky Splitting Dragon wanted me to give you this as your reward for conquering his training ground in record time."

    Yuan epted the crystal and inspected it with interest.

    "T-that is!" The Refined Obsidian Dragon''s eyes widened with shock after seeing the crystal.

    He hastily rushed over to get a closer view of it.

    "What a wonderful material! I could craft something even better than my previous masterpiece if I had this!" He nced at Yuan and frowned, "I doubt you have the ability to handle this material yourself. Even if you can somehow handle it, you''ll definitely waste its potential! Instead of wasting such a precious material, you should give it to me. In fact, I am probably the only one in this world who is qualified enough to use it!"

    "Refined Obsidian Dragon, even if Brother Yuan is willing to give you the material, the Sky Splitting Dragon won''t approve of it since you didn''t earn it." Long Yejun shook his head.

    Yuan smiled and said, "Sorry, but I have no intention of giving it to you."

    "You ignorant bastard! Do you even know what you''re holding?! Do you even know how to use it?!" The Refined Obsidian Dragon eximed angrily.

    "I have never seen this material before, but I will understand it once I spend some time with it. Also, who said that I wouldn''t be able to use it properly? I certainly didn''t say anything like that." Yuan shrugged.

    The Refined Obsidian Dragon then spoke, "You seem confident in your abilities. In that case, let''s put you to the test. If you can craft something that satisfies me and prove you can handle this material, I''ll no longer attempt to take it from you."

    "However," he continued, his eyes narrowing, "if you prove incapable of handling this type of material, you''ll have to hand it over to me. No, I''ll take it from you!"

    Yuan frowned and said, "I don''t mind you wanting to test me, but why is there no benefit for me, regardless of the oue? If I prove my abilities, nothing changes, but if I fail, you''ll take my material. Does that sound fair to you?"

    "As the one suggesting this test, you should, at the very least, put something on the line! How else will you atone for belittling me?"

    The Refined Obsidian Dragon gritted his teeth, struggling to suppress his irritation. Yet, he couldn''t find any w in Yuan''s logic. After all, even he had to admit that he was the aggressor in this situation.

    "Very well. If you can prove yourself, I will give you the most valuable material in my possession as an apology!"

    Yuan nodded with a smile, "That''s more like it."

    "Give me a few hours to prepare the materials for your test." The Refined Obsidian Dragon said before leaving the workshop.

    "I''m sorry about this, Brother Yuan," Long Yejun said, his tone apologetic. "The Refined Obsidian Dragon maye off as an asshole, but it''s only because he''s incredibly passionate about his craft."

    "In fact, even if you were the Dragon God himself, he would still try to take the material from you if he deemed you unqualified."

    Yuan shook his head and said, "You don''t need to tell me. I understand where he''sing from, nor do I me him."

    "Thank you." Long Yejun smiled.

 Chapter 1675 Crafting His First Treasure

    Chapter 1675 Crafting His First Treasure

    The Refined Obsidian Dragon returned to the workshop several hourster with a leather pouch filled with materials.

    He tossed the bag before Yuan and said, "If you can craft a treasure while using half of the materials in there, I''ll consider you worthy."

    Yuan grabbed the bag and poured all of the materials out. There were twenty-one materials in total, and he didn''t recognize any of them.

    However, instead of panicking, Yuan smiled and muttered, "Interesting. This will be fun."

    He suddenly sat before the materials, grabbed one of them, and started inspecting it in silence.

    "..."

    The Refined Obsidian Dragon''s eyebrows twitched at Yuan''s actions, and he sneered inwardly, ''At least he isn''tpletely ipetent.''

    After spending several hours examining every single material there in great detail, Yuan closed his eyes and began doing mental simtions. "What''s he doing?" Long Yejun asked the Refined Obsidian Dragon. Despite being a cksmith himself, he didn''t understand Yuan''s actions.

    The Refined Obsidian Dragon narrowed his gaze at Yuan and pondered for a moment before responding, "I believe he''s doing mental stimtions. He''s basically crafting the treasure inside his head right now."

    "What? You can do something like that? I have never even heard of this until today." Long Yejun couldn''t fathom crafting treasures inside his mind.

    "It''s possible, but it''s extremely difficult to achieve since you need to know the materials perfectly, and you also need to be incredibly knowledgeable and experienced in cksmithing." The Refined Obsidian Dragon clenched his fists in frustration as he spoke.

    ''Mental simtions? Hahaha! Even I cannot do mental simtions! There''s no way he''s doing it properly! This is just a waste of time!'' he mocked inwardly.

    A few hourster, Yuan stood up and said, "Okay, I am ready to craft the treasure. Do you have a hammer I can borrow?"

    The Refined Obsidian Dragon grabbed an old hammer and tossed it to him. N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

    Yuan looked at the worn hammer with a slight smile and said, "It''ll only make you look worse if I pass the test with this half-broken tool."

    "Here, you can use mine." Long Yejun retrieved his personal hammer and offered it to Yuan.

    However, he shook his head, refusing to ept it.

    "Thanks, but I don''t need it."

    He walked to the anvil and controlled the materials from afar with his Qi Maniption, throwing all of them into the furnace. "What the¡­?" Long Yejun''s eyes widened at his bizarre actions.

    "Hahaha! What the fuck is he doing?! How can he throw all of the materials in her at once?!" The Refined Obsidian Dragon burst outughing.

    They were taught to deal with one material at a time, so Yuan''s actions made him look like aplete fool who knew nothing about smithing.

    "I can''t believe I actually thought he waspetent even for a second! He had me fooled in the beginning!"

    Yuanpletely ignored the Refined Obsidian Dragon''s loud mockery and focused on the materials inside the furnace.

    A few dayster, Yuan retrieved a single piece of material from the furnace. This material had no impurities and was perfectly refined.

    When the Refined Obsidian Dragon saw this, his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

    "What the fuck?! That''s impossible!" he cried out loud.

    "He actually managed to refine that many materials at once, even though each one needed to be handled differently and required a different refining time?" Long Yejun muttered in disbelief, struggling toprehend the feat.

    The Refined Obsidian Dragon felt an intense urge to rush over and inspect the refined material up close, but he held back. It wasn''t out of respect for Yuan but rather because of an unspoken rule among cksmiths to never interrupt one once they have begun their work.

    After inspecting the refined material and being satisfied with it, Yuan ced it on top of the ck anvil before him and started hammering away with the damaged tool.

    The Refined Obsidian Dragon felt his heart skip a beat with every strike Yuan delivered to the material, his ears captivated by the mythical sound that resonated each time the hammer made contact.

    "What is this sound? How is he creating such a beautiful melody with that tool?" Long Yejun muttered, his eyes wide with awe.

    Even Yingzi, who knew nothing about smithing, could sense that something extraordinary was unfolding before her. She found herselfpletely absorbed by the performance, unable to look away.

    "The refined material¡­ his hammering techniques¡­ the sound it produces¡­ it''s beyond even my understanding¡­"

    The Refined Obsidian Dragon fell to his knees as the crushing reality of the vast difference in skill between himself and Yuan set in. It was an unfathomable gap, leaving him overwhelmed and humbled.

    "It turns out I was the ignorant one all along¡­"

    Tears flowed from his eyes.

    After striking the anvil for several hours without pause, Yuan finallypleted the treasure, which took the form of a sword. It radiated a powerful aura that would easily be graded as a peak-quality Empyrean-grade treasure in the Nine Heavens.

    <Congrattions! You have crafted your first treasure!>

    <Congrattions! You are the first yer to ever craft an Empyrean-grade treasure!>

    <You have acquired the title ''Divine cksmith''!>

    Yuan walked to the Refined Obsidian Dragon, who was still on his knees and ced the treasure before him.

    "I''m done. Please examine it."

    "..."

    "..."

    "You''re done¡­? Already?"

    The Refined Obsidian Dragon muttered in a dazed voice.

    "It''s a bit slower than usual, but it can''t be helped since I am still rusty, so thank you for giving me this chance to warm up."

    The Refined Obsidian Dragon slowly reached for the sword before him, but he stopped himself centimeters away and withdrew his hand.

    "I don''t deserve to touch it, let alone examine it. I am also not qualified to test you. I apologize for my ignorance and disrespectful behavior earlier. I hope you''ll forgive me, Master Yuan." The Refined Obsidian Dragon apologized in a sincere tone as he kowtowed respectfully before Yuan.

    Long Yejun stared at the scene, his face filled with bewilderment. He could never have imagined witnessing the Refined Obsidian Dragon behave in such a manner.

    "He''s showing Brother Yuan more respect than he does to the Dragon God¡­" he sighed with a bittersweet smile.

 Chapter 1676 The Refined Obsidian Dragons Sincerity

    Chapter 1676 The Refined Obsidian Dragon''s Sincerity

    "I don''t mind forgiving you for your unruly behavior, but I will need you to prove your sincerity first," Yuan said to the Refined Obsidian Dragon.

    "How can I show my sincerity? I will do anything!" The Refined Obsidian Dragon shouted.

    "Although I can make do with the materials I possess currently, it would be great if I had more. Do you understand what I mean?" Yuan spoke with a calm expression on his face.

    It took a second, but the Refined Obsidian Dragon responded with great enthusiasm, "Of course, I understand! It would be an honor if Master Yuan used my materials for his creations! Please wait here while I gather my finest materials!"

    The Refined Obsidian Dragon rushed out of the workshop the very next moment.

    "Brother Yuan¡­ how many more surprises are under your wings? Where in god''s name did you learn how to craft treasures like that?!" Long Yejun asked him with shining eyes.

    "I am mostly self-taught," Yuan said with a calm smile.

    "Self-taught?! Surely, you are teasing me." Long Yejun didn''t believe him even for a second.

    "I am serious."

    "..."

    "How long did it take for you to achieve that level of mastery? It must''ve taken billions of years. I am beginning to wonder if you''re actually older than me¡­" Long Yejun continued to inquire.

    "I am definitely nowhere as old as you, and it took me several thousand years to achieve my current level."

    "..."

    Long Yejun was speechless. N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

    ''It only took him several thousand years to achieve his level of mastery?! My napsts longer than that!'' he eximed inwardly.

    However, after thinking about it, Yuan had managed to conquer the Baneful Dragon''s Poisonous Swamp and the Sky Splitting Dragon''s Tribtion in a little over a year.

    ''If I see it in that manner, I guess a few thousand years is actually a very long time¡­''

    "By the way¡­" Yuan suddenly grabbed the sword he''d just created off the ground and offered it to Long Yejun, "You can have this."

    "What? Are you sure?" Long Yejun stared at him with wide eyes.

    He nodded, "Take it. You''ve been extremely helpful to me without expecting anything in return, so consider this my way of thanking you."

    Long Yejun nodded and epted the sword. When he held the treasure in his grasp, and its aura seeped into his skin, his entire body trembled.

    "What a masterpiece! The treasure I crafted is trash inparison!"

    "Don''t undersell your own creation. That earring is also a piece of art." Yuan smiled.

    "I am only speaking the truth, Brother Yuan. I don''t know how to exin this, but I have never held a treasure like this before. Compared to the other treasures, there''s just something fundamentally different about this treasure." Sometimeter, the Refined Obsidian Dragon returned to the workshop. This time, he brought back with him an evenrger sack.

    "Here you go, Master Yuan! You can use these materials as you please!" The Refined Obsidian Dragon poured the materials on the ground, forming a small mountain.

    Yuan''s eyebrows twitched as he took in the sheer quantity of treasuresid out before him. In his past life, he had encountered all sorts of treasures, including some of the most valuable and powerful materials. Yet, every single material before him now was entirely unknown.

    ''If I brought these treasures back to the Nine Heavens, they''d be priceless as one-of-a-kind treasures!'' Yuan thought to himself.

    However, the Refined Obsidian Dragon was not finished and continued, "Of course, I didn''t forget about the other thing."

    He retrieved a ck rock and offered it to Yuan.

    "This is my most valuable material¡ªthe Infinite Obsidian. I found this rock floating in the Infinite Expanse six hundred million years ago, and I have been trying to refine it since then. Unfortunately, Ick the skills and experience to refine it, much less turn it into a treasure. However, I believe you, Master Yuan, will be able to achieve what I could not."

    Yuan epted the rock and inspected it with immense interest. His eyes flickered as he examined every little detail.

    ''What a mythical material¡­''

    Although he didn''t know what kind of treasure it was, Yuan could tell it was as valuable as the materials he used as the core of Number One Under Heaven.

    ''No, this thing might be even more powerful¡­ If I use this to enhance Number One Under Heaven, who knows what will happen!'' Just the mere thought of enhancing his masterpiece sent chills through Yuan''s entire being. He had always believed that Number One Under Heaven was already a perfect treasure, beyond any further improvement. Yet, the appearance of this unknown material had turned his understanding on its head, igniting a surge of excitement within him.

    ''Unfortunately¡­ my cultivation iscking. I will need to improve my cultivation before I can even attempt to refine this material.''

    "Thank you. I will put this treasure to good use. You have also proved your sincerity, so I''ll forgive you and let bygones be bygones," he said to the Refined Obsidian Dragon after putting the Infinite Obsidian inside his spatial ring.

    "Your words mean more than you can fathom, Master Yuan!"

    He nodded and said, "I am going to start crafting my treasure now."

    Hearing this, the Refined Obsidian Dragon made a swift grasping motion toward the massive hammer hanging on the wall. As it flew through the air, the hammer began to shrink, transforming until it was small enough to be heldfortably, even by an ordinary human.

    "Please use this hammer, Master Yuan!"

    Yuan epted the hammer and smiled, "It''s a nice hammer."

    "Thank you very much!" The Refined Obsidian Dragon looked as if he was about to cry.

    ''This guy has gone crazy¡­'' Long Yejun looked at the Refined Obsidian Dragon while shaking his head inwardly.

    "Master Yuan, do you mind if I watch you craft? I swear I won''t disturb you." The Refined Obsidian Dragon then asked with begging eyes.

    Yuan nodded, "Sure."

    "Thank you very much!!!" The Refined Obsidian Dragon actually shed tears this time.

 Chapter 1677 Robes of Destruction

    Chapter 1677 Robes of Destruction

    Yuan sat before the mountain of materials and proceeded to inspect each one for several days.

    Afterpleting his inspection a weekter, Yuan closed his eyes and began doing simtions inside his head.

    Several more dayster, he stood up, picked the needed materials from the pile, and tossed them directly into the furnace.

    "It''s finally time!" the Refined Obsidian Dragon eximed with excitement, his eyes gleaming like a child about to enter his favorite ride in an amusement park after waiting in line for hours.

    While the materials were being refined, Yuan retrieved the Dragon of Destruction''s skin and Number One Under Heaven, using it to cut the tough skin.

    "What is that treasure?!?!?!" The Refined Obsidian Dragon''s eyes popped out of their sockets after seeing Number One Under Heaven.

    Long Yejun swallowed nervously and mumbled in a dazed voice, "No wonder why he didn''t even bat an eyelid when giving me that sword¡­ That''s a true masterpiece¡­"

    By the time Yuan finished cutting up the skin, the materials inside the furnace just finished their refinement.

    After retrieving the materials, he immediately beganbining the Dragon of Destruction''s skin and the refined materials.

    ng! ng! ng!

    Beautiful sounds filled the workshop.

    "His movement and techniques are even better than before!" The Refined Obsidian Dragon''s jaw dropped.

    "So he wasn''t joking when he said he was rusty¡­" Long Yejun swallowed nervously.

    "It''s too vast¡­" The Refined Obsidian Dragon suddenly mumbled in a dazed voice.

    "What is?" Long Yejun asked.

    "Our difference. I knew he was much better than me, but I could''ve never imagined it was to such an extent. I am no different than a baby in his eyes."

    "Don''t punch yourself down too much¡­ You''re still one of the best cksmiths in the Primal Expanse." Long Yejun sighed.

    "Pei!" Refined Obsidian Dragon suddenly spat on the ground. "One of the best? Don''t you ever say that to me again! I feel nothing but shame when I recall how prideful I was before Master Yuan opened my eyes! I was just a frog in a well, unaware of how truly vast the sky is!"

    A few dayster.

    <Congrattions! You are the first yer to ever craft a Celestial-grade treasure!>

    <You have acquired the title ''True Divine cksmith''>

    [True Divine cksmith]

    [Description: All of your creations below Celestial-grade will always result in peak quality!]

    Yuan looked at the result of his work with a satisfied smile.

    [Robes of Destruction]

    [Grade: Celestial]

    [Quality: Peak]

    [Description: A piece of art crafted by yer Yuan. It exudes a menacing aura. When worn, the wearer will be able to use the technique ''Dragon of Destruction''s Ultimate Chaos'' once every 72 hours. Increases the wearer''s Physical Defense by 100,000%. ''Dragon of Destruction''s Scales'' will automatically activate when the wearer''s life is threatened, negating all damage for 10 seconds(30 days cooldown). This treasure is indestructible.] [Dragon of Destruction''s Ultimate Chaos]

    [Description: Absorbs a portion of all damage taken, which can then be released with up to 1,000% increased power.]

    Yuan immediately wore the Robes of Destruction, a ck and red outer garment that appeared simple yet elegant.

    "I am speechless, Master Yuan! I thought I couldn''t respect you any more than I already was, but you''ve proven me wrong!" The Refined Obsidian Dragon fell to his knees and started kowtowing to Yuan. "You''re exaggerating." Yuan smiled.

    "Please! Can this humble dragon take a closer look at thepleted treasure?!" he begged.

    "Sure."

    "I will forever be in your debt!"

    The Refined Obsidian Dragon jumped to his feet and rushed over to inspect the Robes of Destruction.

    "Does it have a name yet?" he asked.

    Yuan nodded, "Robes of Destruction." Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    "A powerful name, befitting of someone of your exalted stature!" Refined Obsidian Dragon nodded.

    "..."

    Yuan could''ve never expected the Refined Obsidian Dragon to be so good at kissing ass.

    "Are you going to make more treasures?" Long Yejun suddenly asked him.

    "Yes, but not from scratch. I am going to upgrade an existing treasure next," he revealed.

    "Upgrading an existing treasure? You can do something like that?!" Refined Obsidian Dragon eximed in shock. He always thought that once a treasure waspleted, it could no longer be altered.

    "I''ll show you how it''s done in a moment," Yuan said.

    Refined Obsidian Dragon nodded and swiftly backed away, returning to his original location.

    Yuan retrieved the Starry Abyss and the Baneful Crystal¡ªthe treasure he''d acquired at the center of Baneful Dragon''s Poisonous Swamp.

    "That dagger gives off a simr aura to his sword," The Refined Obsidian Dragon noticed this detail and mused out loud, unaware they were both Soul Weapons, something that did not exist within the Primal Expanse due to ack of usage of weapons.

    "And that material¡­ it gives me the shivers. What is it?"

    "That treasure belonged to the Poison Dragon Monarch, Baneful Dragon." Long Yejun said.

    "I see¡­ But will he be okay handling such a poisonous material? While his smithing abilities are second to none, his cultivation, on the other hand¡­"

    "Oh, he''ll be fine. He acquired it from the very center of the Baneful Dragon''s Poisonous Swamp, after all."

    "Seriously? Just how talented is he?"

    "You have no idea¡­" Long Yejun chuckled.

    Their conversation stopped at that point when Yuan started working.

    ''Ji Ran, it will be a little chaotic for a bit. Please bear with it.'' Yuan warned him before tossing both the Starry Abyss and the Baneful Crystal inside the furnace.

    When he retrieved them from the furnace a few hourster, only the Starry Abyss remained, glowing purple and blue.

    "He fused thepleted treasure with the material while they were inside the furnace¡­ I have tried doing that before, but it would alwayspletely mess up the treasure, so I figured it was impossible." Refined Obsidian Dragon sighed.

    Sometimeter.

    <Congrattions! Starry Abyss has evolved and gained new abilities!>

    Yuan gazed at the Starry Abyss with a satisfied smile. The once fully ck dagger now shimmered with shades of purple and blue, resembling a vibrant neb.

 Chapter 1678 Starry Abyss Upgrade

    Chapter 1678 Starry Abyss Upgrade

    <Starry Abyss has evolved into Baneful Abyss>

    <Baneful Abyss has learned the ability ''Mark of the Baneful''>

    [Mark of the Baneful]

    [Description: When this weapon inflicts damage, the victim will be inflicted with the Mark of the Baneful. Those affected by Mark of the Baneful will be severely poisoned and take continuous damage until their life ispletely extinguished. The poison damage will increase over time. Mark of the Baneful can only be dispelled by the Baneful Abyss.]

    <Baneful Abyss has learned the ability ''Revenge of the Baneful''>

    [Revenge of the Baneful]

    [Description: Whenever someone inflicted with Mark of the Baneful dies, their body will explode, automatically releasing a poison mist in a 100-meter radius. Those caught in the poison mist will also be inflicted with Mark of the Baneful.]

    <Baneful Abyss has learned the ability ''Poison eleration''>

    [Poison eleration]

    [Description: The Baneful Abyss will elerate the effects of all poison in its vicinity.]

    <Baneful Abyss has learned the ability ''Poison Absorption''>

    [Poison Absoption]

    [Description: The Baneful Abyss has the ability to absorb all poison to enhance its own strength.]

    Even without needing to test its abilities, Yuan could tell that the poison within the Baneful Abyss rivaled even Heaven''s Bane.

    ''Revenge of the Baneful¡­ this will allow me to kill a crowds of enemies with extreme ease.'' Yuan thought to himself after reading its second ability. N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

    After its upgrade, the Baneful Abyss has transformed into a terrifying weapon that, if misused, could turn the heavens upside down.

    "What an ominous aura that weapon now exudes. Even I don''t dare to approach it." Refined Obsidian Dragon swallowed nervously after sensing the Baneful Abyss'' sinister aura, even taking a few steps back.

    "It gives off the same dangerous aura as the Baneful Dragon''s Poisonous Swamp." Long Yejunmented.

    Yuan looked at Refined Obsidian Dragon and showed a teasing smile, "You don''t want to inspect this? I''ll even let you touch it."

    Refined Obsidian Dragon began sweating as he started making excuses, "I don''t dare touch it¡­ It''s too much for a humble cksmith such as myself. I would only dirty your beautiful creation¡­"

    "It''s fine. Come, give it a touch. But don''t touch the de. You might die." Yuan beckoned.

    Refined Obsidian Dragon cried inwardly as he reluctantly approached Yuan. However, once he got closer and saw just how beautiful the dagger was, his passion overwhelmed his fear.

    "Wow! What a truly unique treasure! I can even feel a soul residing inside!"

    "You can tell? This is what''s called a Soul Weapon. They''re different from ordinary treasures, as they give birth to their own consciousness."

    "Such a miraculous treasure exists?!" Long Yejun also approached them to take a closer look.

    "A Soul Weapon¡­ how do you make something like this?" he then asked.

    "Some treasures have the potential to be a Soul Weapon if you use it long enough," Yuan exined.

    "Does that mean I can turn the sword you gave me into a Soul Weapon?" Long Yejun asked.

    "It''s possible." He acknowledged.

    "I guess I should start learning to wield the sword now¡­" Long Yejun mumbled.

    "By the way, Refined Obsidian Dragon, this hammer of yours has already begun forming its consciousness. If you continue to use it, it should be a Soul Weapon in the future."

    "Really?!" Refined Obsidian Dragon was immensely delighted to hear this information.

    "Anyway, I''m going to continue crafting some more treasures. I still have plenty of Dragon of Destruction''s skin left." Yuan suddenly said.

    "I also have the Sky Splitting Dragon''s material, too."

    Yuan resumed his mental simtions shortly after.

    A few hourster, he tossed the Sky Splitting Dragon''s treasure into the furnace before he began cutting up the Dragon of Destruction''s skin.

    "Looks like he''s going to make a new pair of shoes to rece the ones I destroyed next." Long Yejun muttered.

    Sure enough, Yuan wanted to rece the Stygian Boots next.

    Sometimeter.

    <Congrattions! You have sessfully crafted a Celestial-grade treasure!>

    [Boots of Swift Destruction]

    [Grade: Celestial]

    [Quality: Peak]

    [Description: A treasure crafted by yer Yuan. When worn, the wearer will be able to use the technique ''Sky Sundering Steps'' and ''Lightning Strides''. Grants the wearer immunity to most movement restrictions. This equipment can be charged with Lightning Qi to increase the wearer''s speed by up to 1,000%]

    [Sky Sundering Steps]

    [Description: A movement technique that allows the wearer to turn into lightning and travel at the speed of light.]

    [Lightning Strides]

    [Description: Traverse the Heavens at unimaginable speed. Instantly move up to 100,000 meters in any direction in the blink of an eye.]

    Yuan slipped on the Boots of Swift Destruction, their sleek ck design ented with bold red soles, perfectlyplementing his Robes of Destruction.

    "How much longer before the Dragon God Festival begins?" Yuan asked Long Yejun.

    "We still have about ten months. Do you n on training some more?"

    He nodded.

    "But first, I''d like to test out some of my newly learned techniques."

    "Then we can go back to the Endless Arena."

    "You''re leaving already?" Refined Obsidian Dragon asked, seemingly reluctant to see him go.

    "Yes. I want to prepare myself as much as possible for the Dragon God Festival."

    "Then, if you ever need to craft something in the future, my workshop will always be avable for you. As for the remaining materials¡­ you can take them with you."

    "Are you sure?" Yuan asked.

    He''d only intended to use some of them.

    "I''m sure. Although it was short, I have learned a lot about cksmithing from watching you, and I don''t want to feel like I''d stolen your techniques."

    "I allowed you to watch because I wanted you to learn from it, but if you''re willing to give me all of these wonderful materials, I won''t refuse."

    With a wave of his sleeve, Yuan gathered all of the materials and tossed them inside his spatial ring.

    "Thanks again." Long Yejun brought Yuan and Yingzi to the Endless Arena shortlyter with a teleport stone.

 Chapter 1679 Boots of Swift Destruction

    Chapter 1679 Boots of Swift Destruction

    After returning to the Endless Arena, Yuan immediately started testing his new equipment and techniques.

    ''First up, let''s try out my new equipment.''

    Yuan looked at Long Yejun and said, "Throw some attacks my way."

    "How many?"

    "As many as you want."

    Long Yejun nodded and started attacking Yuan with techniques weaker than his Dragon''s Breath.

    Since these attacks weren''t threatening enough, Yuan just allowed them tond on his body.

    The Robes of Destruction increased his Physical Defense by 100,000%, and what would''ve severely damaged him before barely hurt him now.

    "I''m going to attack now," Yuan suddenly warned.

    Once Yuan had umted enough damage, he activated Dragon of Destruction''s Ultimate Chaos, unleashing a ball of concentrated power at Long Yejun.

    Long Yejun''s eyes widened slightly when a ball of mass destruction that was ten times more powerful than all of his attacksbined flew at him.

    Of course, even if the Dragon of Destruction''s Ultimate Chaos could strengthen the attacks a thousand times, it would not be enough to harm a hair on Long Yejun, who only attacked Yuan with Divine Lord-level attacks while being as powerful as a God Ascension cultivator.

    "Was that your robes ability?" Long Yejun asked afterward. "That attack resembled one of the Dragon of Destruction''s techniques."

    Yuan nodded, confirming his suspicions.

    "So you can draw out the power of the Dragon of Destruction in such a manner¡­ how interesting¡­" Long Yejun muttered as he learned something new.

    "Okay, now attack me with the intent to kill me." Yuan suddenly said. "Do that Dragon''s Breath attack on me, but make it stronger thanst time."

    "Are you serious?" Long Yejun''s eyes widened with surprise.

    "Don''t worry, I won''t die."

    "If you say so. Don''t me me if anything happens!"

    Long Yejun immediately began preparing for a Dragon''s Breath.

    A few momentster, he released it.

    A Dragon''s Breath that was twice as powerful as thest one flew at Yuan, who merely stood there with a calm smile on his face.

    <Robes of Destruction has detected a life-threatening attack>

    <Dragon of Destruction''s Scale has activated>

    A ck barrier enveloped Yuan''s entire body. When the Dragon''s Breath connected with the barrier, it was immediately absorbed by the barrier, like a ck hole.

    Seeing this, Long Yejun continued to release Dragon''s Breath.

    Long Yejun closed his mouth after seven full seconds.

    "Wow¡­ you really escaped that unscathed. Is that also the robe''s ability?"

    Yuan nodded. "But I can only use it once a month."

    "That''s amazing. You basically have an extra life every month!" Yuan tested the Boots of Swift Destruction next.

    He tested Sky Sundering Steps first. When he activated the technique, Yuan transformed into a streak of golden lightning as he traversed around the arena at the speed of light. However, his spiritual energy was also being drained at lightning speed.

    Even with how rapidly he could restore his spiritual energy, Yuan could only maintain Sky Sundering Steps for a full minute before he waspletely exhausted.

    ''Even if it''s only for a minute for now, I can travel an immense distance in that minute, and if I use it wisely, I can maintain it for much longer.''

    After recovering enough spiritual energy, Yuan began testing Lightning Strides.

    Every time he activated Lightning Strides, he would instantly travel tens of thousands of meters, up to 100,000 meters.

    ''It''s basically short-distance teleporting, and it doesn''t consume that much spiritual energy either.''

    He looked at Long Yejun and asked, "Do you have any technique that restricts movement?"

    "I do. Want me to use it on you?"

    He nodded.

    "Alright."

    Long Yejun made a grasping motion at Yuan the next moment.

    "Water Prison."

    A barrier of water enveloped Yuan. It didn''t directly restrict his movements, so the movement immunity from the Boots of Swift Destruction didn''t activate, but it did trap him inside.

    Once he was fully imprisoned, Yuan activated Lightning Strikes again.

    Sha! All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.

    He turned into a streak of lightning that bypassed the water barrier, appearing outside it without any issues.

    "It''s notpletely teleportation, but it''s close." Long Yejun muttered after seeing this.

    Sometimeter, Yuan said to Long Yejun, "Alright, I''m going to attack you with a lightning attack next."

    "Do your worst." Long Yejun replied with a confident pose and smile.

    Yuan pointed at him with two fingers and activated¡ª

    [Heaven''s Final Judgement!]

    The sky above Long Yejun suddenly darkened before swiftly releasing a thick lightning bolt, striking him.

    At the same time, Yuan felt all of his spiritual energy deplete almost instantly.

    Meanwhile, Long Yejun casually swatted the lightning bolt away.

    "It''s definitely powerful¡ªeven more powerful than your robe''s ability, but it didn''tpletely activate." Long Yejunmented as his gazended on Yuan. "Because youck the cultivation to activate it."

    Yuan nodded and said, "Yes, my cultivation is not enough to use it, but I want to try again."

    He sat down and cultivated until he fully restored his cultivation.

    "I''m going to do it again now."

    Once he was prepared, Yuan activated the technique again. However, instead of just using his spiritual energy, he also used the chaotic essence within his Chaotic Heart.

    The sky above Long Yejun darkened again, but it was much more ominous this time.

    Yuan could feel his spiritual energy and chaotic essence deplete instantly, but miraculously, he managed to retain a sliver of chaotic essence.

    [Heaven''s Final Judgement!]

    BANG!

    A massive streak of golden lightning emerged from the ck clouds, striking Long Yejun.

    Long Yejun tried to flick it away likest time, but when the lightning struck his arm, it immediately exploded, releasing countless smaller lightning energy.

    Once the explosion subdued, Long Yejun looked at his arm. It wasn''t bleeding, but he wasn''tpletely unscathed either, as there was a slight burnt spot where the lightning struck.

    "For you to damage me without my cultivation suppressed, even if it''s only to this degree¡­ As impressive as ever, Brother Yuan!" Long Yejunughed out loud.

 Chapter 1680 Infinite Spiraling Abyss

    Chapter 1680 Infinite Spiraling Abyss

    "With that said, it is clear that you stillck the cultivation to truly utilize its true power." Long Yejun said as the wound on his arm quickly healed.

    "Yes, that feels like a fraction of its true potential. Unfortunately, that was the best I can do with my cultivation."

    Yuan sighed, but he wasn''t discouraged. If anything, he was excited for the future when his cultivation was sufficient enough to call down the true Heaven''s Final Judgement.

    ''I guess the technique isn''t Celetial-grade for no reason.'' He smiled inwardly.

    Yuan wanted to test Heaven''s Bane and the Baneful Abyss, but he felt that it was too dangerous. While his techniques may not affect Long Yejun, poison was a different story, especially when it''s one of the strongest poison in the world.

    ''There is a good chance that the poison won''t affect him, but there''s no reason to risk it just to satisfy my curiosity. I can test itter on people who really deserve it. As for Primordial Fire¡­ let''s not reveal too much just in case.''

    With that decided, Yuan ended his testing there.

    "Alright, I am done here," he said a momentter.

    "So, which training ground will you attempt to conquer next?"

    Yuan began pondering.

    He''d already conquered the three biggest and most useful elements out there: fire, lightning, and poison.

    His lightning immunity made him unaffected by even heavenly tribtions. His poison immunity made it impossible to assassinate or poison him. As for his fire immunity, the fire element was one of the most widely used elements in the cultivation world.

    After pondering for some time, Yuan smiled and said, "I want to try my hands at the Infinite Spiraling Abyss."

    Long Yejun''s eyes widened as he hastily eximed, "No, you don''t!"

    "The Infinite Spiraling Abyss is arguably the most dangerous training ground in the Divine Dragon¡ªin the entire Primal Expanse!"

    Yuan was surprised by his reaction and asked, "For you to react like this¡­ Is this ce really that dangerous?"

    "You have no idea! Only those who have a good understanding of the power of the void should think of training there. Even if you''re an expert, a single mistake and you''ll instantly be consumed by the Infinite Spiraling Abyss and never return!" Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    The power of the void, simply put, was the power to control space itself. If one could master this ability, one would have the freedom to traverse anywhere in the world.

    This power was incredibly potent and filled with infinite possibilities, but it was also the most difficult and dangerous to cultivate, with countless casualties just trying to understand the surface of it. Hence, only a handful of cultivators dare to pursue it, and most of them do so after bing powerful Immortals. However, even to this day, not a single cultivator has ever mastered the power of the void.

    ''I am well aware of how dangerous the power of the void is¡­'' Yuan sighed inwardly. ''After all, not a single of my previous incarnations had any understanding of it despite being peak figures in their era¡ªat least as far as I am aware.''

    However, to be fair, none of them had tried to understand the power of the void, as the very concept itself was nearly nonexistent, and they were busy pursuing other paths.

    "Don''t worry, I understand how dangerous the power of the void is, and I am not going to directly challenge the Infinite Spiraling Abyss. I am going to study it from the outside and try to understand it first."

    "I see¡­ if you''re only going to study it from the outside, I guess it''ll be fine." Long Yejun mumbled.

    A few dayster, they arrived at the Infinite Spiraling Abyss, located inside a massive crack in the ground, its depths disappearing into darkness.

    Unlike the Sky Splitting Dragon''s Tribtion, this ce waspletely empty.

    "So this is the Infinite Spiraling Abyss¡­" Despite being miles away, Yuan could feel a vacuuming force emanating from the crack, as if it were trying to pull him into its endless depths.

    "Be careful, or you''ll get sucked inside." Long Yejun warned him.

    "I''ll be right back."

    Before Yuan started his training, he logged off and wrote a note to the others in case he lost track of the time again.

    Since the Eternal Lotuses no longer needed his help with the spiritual bath, Yuan could spend more time in Cultivation Online without logging off.

    Once he returned to the Primal Expanse, Yuan immediately began trying to understand the power of the void.

    As Yuan became focused, Long Yejun looked at him and wondered, ''Will he actually understand the power of the void like this?''

    He didn''t mention it to Yuan because he wanted to see what Yuan was capable of, but there was another training ground in the Divine Dragon Sanctuary for those who wanted to understand the power of the void, and it was a much easier ce specifically for beginners like Yuan.

    The Infinite Spiraling Abyss was meant for experts¡ªthose who already have a good understanding of the power of the void.

    ''The others told me to contact them if Brother Yuan visits another training ground, but this ce is dangerous, and the fewer distractions there are, the better.''

    Trying to understand the power of the void was no joke, even for powerful beings like dragons.

    In the entire Primal Expanse, the number of beings who had fully grasped the understanding of the power of the void was fewer than ten¡ªand this referred solely to theprehension of its nature, not the ability to wield the power itself.

    ''Besides the Primal Monarch, Dragon God, and Primordial Phoenix, I cannot imagine another being capable of wielding the power of the void. Not even the Abyssal Dragon, who is known as the Void Dragon Monarch, could wield such power to its full potential¡­''

    As Yuan stared into the Infinite Spiraling Abyss, he gradually fell into a trance, much like the state he experienced when he firstprehended Dragon''s Gaze.

 Chapter 1681 Gathering of the Seven Dragon Monarchs

    Chapter 1681 Gathering of the Seven Dragon Monarchs

    ''Power of the void¡­ what a profound and mysterious concept¡­'' Yuan pondered as he gazed into the Infinite Spiraling Abyss. ''It''s like a branch that endlessly spreads out, extending into countless possibilities¡­''

    The more Yuan tried toprehend the power of the void, the more overwhelming it felt, almost as if he''d been tossed inside the void itself.

    Long Yejun and Yingzi silently watched him from a distance while ensuring that he didn''t identally fall into the Infinite Spiraling Abyss.

    ''What is that profound and mysterious feeling that surrounds him? I have never felt anything like that before.'' Long Yejun wondered to himself as Yuan''s aura gradually began to change.

    After a few days, Yuan began showing signs of entering enlightenment. However, the concept of enlightenment did not exist within the Primal Expanse. As a matter of fact, beings in the Primal Expanse are incapable of entering enlightenment. The reason remains unknown because nobody knew of its existence in the first ce.

    "What a mysterious aura¡­" Yingzi was immediately drawn to the aura Yuan was emitting due to his enlightenment, and she subconsciously approached him.

    However, Long Yejun snapped her out of it and said, "You can''t disturb him now. I don''t know why, but I am getting this feeling that it''d be dangerous to disturb him now."

    Yingzi nodded and moved further away from Yuan so she couldn''t disturb him.

    As time passed, the profound aura surrounding Yuan grew stronger and stronger until it reached the point where even other beings from far away could vaguely sense it.

    When Long Yejun noticed several presences approaching their direction, he immediately set up a barrier around Yuan and the Infinite Spiraling Abyss.

    Then, using sound transmission, hemanded the approaching presence to leave.

    "As the second Dragon God''s Descendant, I, Long Yejun,mand you to leave and stay away from this ce for the rest of the year!"

    When those approaching heard Long Yejun''s voice andmand, they instantly halted, silently bowed in their direction, and turned around, swiftly leaving.

    However, Yuan''s aura of enlightenment continued to grow stronger¡ªmuch stronger than ever.

    ''My concealment barrier isn''t able to stop his aura from spreading even though it couldpletely hide our presence? What an extraordinary aura!'' Long Yejun was inwardly shocked, but he didn''t have much time to think about such things.

    ''I will be busy asking people to leave,'' he smiled inwardly.

    ''Now that I think about it, I''ve done things for Brother Yuan I wouldn''t bother for my other two siblings. What''s so different about him?'' Long Yejun realized that he had been helping Yuan to the best of his abilities without expecting anything in return, something quite unlike his usual self. Yet, despite this change, it felt as natural as breathing for him to help Yuan.

    ''He''s humble and pleasant to have around, unlike the other two, who are always trying to get on my nerves. This¡­ is this what it feels like to have a younger brother?'' <Your understanding of the Power of the Void has improved slightly>

    <Your understanding of the Power of the Void has improved moderately>

    <Your understanding of the Power of the Void has improved significantly>

    As Yuan''s enlightenment deepened, so did his progress inprehending the power of the void.

    A few dayster, Yuan''s aura of enlightenment grew so intense that it spread throughout the entire Divine Dragon Sanctuary. Fortunately, word of Long Yejun''s order forbidding anyone from approaching had also circted, so few dared to get too close. Most onlookers observed from a distance, respecting the boundary set around Yuan.

    Of course, a few individuals still approached¡ªmainly the Dragon Monarches and the third Dragon God''s Descendant, Long Meihui.

    "You''re so mean, Elder Brother! You said you''d contact us the moment Junior Brother Yuan visits another training ground!" Long Meihui stared at him with her cheeks puffed angrily.

    "I didn''t say anything because I didn''t want any distractions near Brother Yuan. I hope you understand," he exined.

    "The Infinite Spiraling Abyss¡­ Even I could''ve never imagined he''de here after conquering my yground¡­" The Sky Splitting Dragon said.

    "Hahaha! I''d expect nothing less from the monster who conquered my poison swamp!" Baneful Dragonughed out loud.

    "You''ve changed, Prince Yejun. I never thought you''d be this caring toward another being." A new face said, his body naturally exuding intense heat.

    "What do you know, Hellfire Dragon?" Long Yejun sneered.

    The Hellfire Dragon, also known as the Fire Dragon Monarch, was a beautiful woman with long ck hair and fiery eyes. N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

    "As expected of Master Yuan, he''s as brilliant as ever." Refined Obsidian Dragon sighed out loud, his gaze filled with admiration.

    "The fourth Dragon God''s Descendant¡­ he''s just a beginninger. Why did you allow him to cultivate here?" Another new face said. He was a middle-aged man with long, wavy ck hair and pitch-ck eyes.

    "You''re here too, Abyssal Dragon?"

    The Abyssal Dragon was the Void Dragon Monarch.

    "Who wouldn''t want to investigate that weird aura? I came here as soon as I sensed it," said another new face, thest of the Seven Dragon Monarchs, the Ice Dragon Monarch, Eternal Frost Dragon. She was a youngdy with short white and light blue hair and silver eyes.

    "Well, Elder Sister isn''t here." Long Meihui said.

    "How odd. There''s no way she wouldn''t make an appearance during such amotion. In fact, I''d expected her to be the first one to show up, too." Abyssal Dragon said.

    "She''s probably too busy training to notice." Eternal Frost Dragon shrugged.

    "No way. Even if she''s deep asleep, this weird aura would''ve instantly woken her up." Long Yejun shook his head.

    Meanwhile, the onlookers were abuzz with excitement as they witnessed all seven of the Seven Dragon Monarchs gathered in one ce, a sight so rare that it left everyone in awe.

    "Maybe the Unrivaled Tyrant died without anyone knowing?" The Baneful Dragon suddenly suggested.

    "Hahaha! Great joke! Even if everyone were to suddenly die in the Primal Expanse, she''d still be alive and kicking!" Sky Splitting Dragonughed out loud.

    "Yeah, no way she''d die. What could possibly kill her when even the Dragon God failed to do so?" Hellfire Dragon shook her head.

 Chapter 1682 Basic Void Understanding

    Chapter 1682 Basic Void Understanding

    One month¡­ two months¡­

    Three months passed in the blink of an eye. During this time, Yuan remained fixated on the Infinite Spiraling Abyss, his eyes staring into the darkness in a dazed manner.

    <Your understanding of Power of the Void has increased significantly>

    Ding!

    <Congrattions! You haveprehended the basics of Power of the Void!>

    <Due to your understanding of Power of the Void, you have acquired a new title!>

    <You have acquired the title ''Basic Void Understanding''>

    [Basic Void Understanding]

    [Description: You grasp the fundamentals of the Power of the Void, allowing you to manipte the void to a minor extent.]

    <You have learned the technique ''Void Maniption''>

    [Void Maniption]

    [Grade: Mythic]

    [Mastery Level: 1]

    [Description: Allows you to manipte the void to a certain extent.]

    After acquiring the most basic understanding of the void, the Infinite Spiraling Abyss looked entirely different in Yuan''s eyes. It no longer seemed out of reach and iprehensible.

    Once Yuan was familiar with the power of the void within the Infinite Spiraling Abyss, his progress skyrocketed, and his aura of enlightenment became even stronger.

    However, despite Yuan''s ever-growing understanding, he couldn''t shake the feeling that he wasn''t getting any closer to the next level. It was as if he had encountered an invisible bottleneck, and this feeling lingered for an entire month.

    Suddenly, as if possessed by a ghost, Yuan suddenly began flying toward the Infinite Spiraling Abyss, shocking everyone there.

    "Brother Yuan! What are you doing?!" Long Yejun eximed with a bewildered expression.

    However, Yuan had moved with such speed that by the time Long Yejun processed the situation, he''d already flown into the Infinite Spiraling Abyss.

    "My god! Why did he do that?!" Long Meihui cried out loud.

    The Abyssal Dragon shook his head and sighed, "How foolish. He''d only just reached a basic understanding, yet he dared to challenge the Infinite Spiraling Abyss meant for those who have fullyprehended the power of the void. I had high hopes for him, too." "Right? How boring. I also had high hopes for him after hearing of his previous feats. I guess he''d only conquered thest two training grounds with luck." Hellfire Dragon casually shrugged.

    "Master Yuan isn''t someone who''d take on something he cannot handle!" Refined Obsidian Dragon roared.

    "Since when did you be the type to have faith in others, Metal Dragon Monarch?" The Eternal Frost Dragon asked him.

    "Hmph! If you knew Master Yuan''s true capabilities, you''d also be revering him!"

    "Will he be okay?" Yingzi asked Long Yejun with a worried look on her face. Since their first meeting, this was the only time she didn''t have any confidence in Yuan''s actions.

    Long Yejun clenched his fists, and he responded with a deep frown on his face, "Unfortunately, even if it''s Brother Yuan, I don''t think he can escape the Infinite Spiraling Abyss. If anyone can save him, it''s the Dragon God and possibly my Elder Sister if he hadn''t gone too deep into the void."

    "You only mentioned that he wouldn''t be able to escape, but what about his chance of survival?" Yingzi asked after noticing this detail.

    He sighed, "While the Infinite Spiraling Abyss is indeed very destructive, I believe Brother Yuan can survive it with his current level of regeneration. However, as he descends deeper into the void, the destructiveness will continue to intensify until it eventually surpasses his regenerative abilities."

    "How about the Dragon God? You said he could probably save Yuan. Can we ask for his help?." Yingzi said.

    "Hah! Good luck with that!" Hellfire Dragon sneered. "The Dragon God will only show himself during the Dragon God Festival or when he needs something. Since we''re so close to the Dragon God Festival, he probably won''t appear until the veryst second, right before the festival begins."

    "I can try looking for him, but it''ll take so long that it''s better just to wait for him to show up during the Dragon God Festival." Long Yejun sighed. N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

    "No way¡­" Yingzi wore a sorrowful look on her face.

    "What about Elder Sister?" Long Meihui asked.

    "She''s even harder to find than the Dragon God. Unless you''re fated to meet her, you''ll never find her." Long Yejun sighed.

    He continued, "We can only hope Brother Yuan survives long enough for the Dragon God to show up.

    Meanwhile, somewhere in the Infinite Expanse, two individuals had been quietly observing the events unfolding at the Infinite Spiraling Abyss since the very beginning, their expressions calm yet alert.

    A handsome man with long, beautiful golden hair nced at the young child hovering beside him and spoke, "Are you sure you don''t want to save him? He''s your son, isn''t he?" "Weren''t you prepared to kill him for faking his identity as your descendant just some time ago? Why are you suddenly worried about his wellbeing?" The Primal Monarch inquired with a nonchnt expression on his face.

    The handsome man, who was known as the Dragon God, smiled, "I was¡ªuntil he showed the qualifications to be a genuine descendant of mine. I can save him right now, but then I''ll take him off your hands."

    "What kind of nonsense is that?" Primal Monarch shook his head and continued, "Also, even if you want him, does he want to be your son? You''re just a slightly stronger dragon than the rest."

    "Hahaha!" The Dragon God suddenly burst outughing, hisughter powerful enough to shake the void around them.

    He stopped a momentter and said, "Did I just receive your permission to save him? Whether he wants to be my son or not¡­ we can deal with that afterward!"

    The Primal Monarch sighed, "Do you really think he needs your help?"

    "..."

    The Dragon God stared at the Infinite Spiraling Abyss and sneered, "Whatever."

    Meanwhile, after entering the Infinite Spiraling Abyss, Yuan found himself in a pitch-ck world that seemed to spiral endlessly around him as he continued to fall deeper into the void. His body was also constantly being damaged; while it wasn''t enough to threaten his life, he could feel the intensity of the damage gradually increasing, bing stronger with every passing moment.

 Chapter 1683 Leaving the Infinite Spiraling Abyss

    Chapter 1683 Leaving the Infinite Spiraling Abyss

    Although Yuan''s consciousness was awake, he was not fully aware or in control, akin to a state of sleep paralysis, where he was conscious of his surroundings but unable to move or react.

    As the void continuously damaged him, his body felt like it was slowly being chipped away by countless ants. It wasn''t too painful, but the gnarly sensation would drive most people mad if they had to endure it for an extended time.

    Time felt incredibly slow inside the Infinite Spiraling Abyss¡ªalmost as if it were frozen. However, what felt like minutes to Yuan was actually days outside the void, and two full months had passed since he entered the Infinite Spiraling Abyss.

    During this time, Yuan''sprehension of the power of the void continued to progress. Despite the constant pain throughout his body that grew more intensive as time passed, it wasn''t able to disturb Yuan from his enlightenment. If anything, it sped up his cultivation, as every time the void inflicted damage on his body, he would absorb some of that damage, refining it into his own power.

    It has been six months since Yuan started training at the Infinite Spiraling Abyss. As the Dragon God Festival drew near, more and more guests showed up at the Divine Dragon Sanctuary to participate or cheer on the participants.

    However, these new guests were puzzled to find the Divine Dragon Sanctuary nearly empty. Typically, the sanctuary would be bustling with activity, filled with countless beings, but this time it was eerily quiet.

    "Apparently, everyone went to the Infinite Spiraling Abyss."

    "What is going on there?"

    "No idea."

    "I heard the Seven Dragon Monarchs are also there."

    "Seriously?! Let''s check it out!"

    At the Infinite Spiraling Abyss, Long Yejun sighed, "There''s less than half a year before the Dragon God Festival begins¡­ Hang in there, Brother Yuan¡­"

    Another two months have passed since Yuan entered the Infinite Spiraling Abyss. Inside, Yuan was still half concious, and the void''s strength has be so much that his regeneration could no longer keep up with it. However, it was just slightly below the rate his body was being destroyed, so his body was slowly being chipped away.

    As of this moment, Yuan''s body was a mess. His limbs were missing, and only his head and upper body remained.

    Yu Ning tried to wake him up, but no matter how much she called for him, there was no response.

    After another month, only Yuan''s head remained.

    ''How long has it been? Am I going to die here? If I die here and return to the Nine Heavens, what about Feng Feng? Would I be leaving her behind?''

    <Your understanding of the Power of the Void has increased signfiicantly>

    <Your understanding of the Power of the Void has reached the next realm>

    <You have acquired the title ''Moderate Void Understanding''>

    Unfortunately, even after his Void Understanding had reached the next level, Yuan''s condition remained unchanged, as he''d fallen too deep inside the void.

    However, Yuan suddenly sensed another presence nearby. ''What a powerful, almost tyrannical presence¡­ Is that old booger finally here to save me?'' Yuan wondered as the presence approached him.

    "My, my, what do we have here? A human inside the Infinite Spiraling Abyss?"

    A small silhouette stopped before Yuan, her gaze staring at Yuan''s handsome face with interest.

    Yuan''s transformation had been undone shortly after he entered the void, so he was in his human form at this moment.

    "You''ve only just achieved Moderate Void Understanding, yet you dare to enter the Infinite Spiraling Abyss. I have never seen a being as reckless as you. But what is this weird aura you''re emitting?"

    However, Yuan couldn''t respond.

    "..."

    Seeing Yuan was unresponsive, the silhouette tapped his forehead with a finger.

    The next moment, the void ceased to attack him, and his body instantly regenerated fully.

    His connection with the void had been severed, blocked by the barrier the silhouette had cast around him, and his enlightenment also ended shortly after.

    Once he''d regained control over his body, Yuan looked at the silhouette and said, "Thank you for saving me. You must be the first Dragon God''s Descendant, the Unrivaled Tyrant."

    "Oh? You recognize me?"

    Yuan nodded, "Long Yejun spoke of you before. He said I''d instantly recognize you the moment I saw you. Truly, your presence is something else."

    The Unrivaled Tyrant''s presence was unfathomably profound and chaotic, so much so that even the void around them was being affected by it.

    Yuan examined the Unrivaled Tyrant''s appearance. She had a petite figure and a somewhat skinny body, with short ck hair that ended at her shoulders, a refined face, and sharp eyebrows that gave her a naturally fierce expression. At a nce, she looked like an ordinary, pretty little girl, but once her dark red eyes locked onto you, it felt like you were being preyed on by a bloodthirsty monster.

    "Um¡­ My name is Yuan." Yuan introduced himself.

    "I''m Long Wu Qing, eldest of the Dragon God''s Descendants. How long have you been living in the Primal Expanse?"

    "Not long. I''ve only been here for about three years."

    Long Wu Qing narrowed her eyes and said, "Are you lying to me?"

    "Why would I do that?" Yuan quickly refuted.

    "You''ve just arrived in the Primal Expanse, yet you already have apleted Chaotic Heart? How do you exin that? Also, I didn''t know humans were capable of having Chaotic Hearts."

    "I guess you can say I''m a special case. My father is the Primal Monarch, after all."

    Long Wi Qing''s eyes widened after hearing his words.

    "The Primal Monarch is your father¡­?"

    "Well, he''s not my real father. I was adopted by him."

    "I see¡­ In any case, I have a lot to ask you, but we can continue our chatter. The Dragon God Festival is about to begin, so I will take my leave now. Do you wish toe with me or continue training here?"

    "Honestly, I''m trapped in here, so I''d appreciate it if you can take me with you."

    Long Wu Qing nodded and brought him along as she traversed the void.

    ''She''s a pretty nice person. I wonder why Long Yejun made her seem like some unreasonable monster.'' Yuan thought to himself.

    "Ah. I cannot wait to get back and have a feast. I have been training here for thest hundred million years." Long Wu Qing suddenly muttered out loud.

    Yuan looked at her and said, "I happen to have some food with me. Do you want some?"

    "I am a very picky eater," she said.

    Yuan didn''t say another word and directly retrieved several meat skewers for her.

    Long Wu Qing''s body trembled the moment she noticed their savory aroma.

    "Let me see those!" She hastily said in a demanding tone.

    Yuan handed them to her. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    Once the skewers were in her hand, Long Wu Qing examined them for several minutes before putting them in her mouth.

    "Mmm¡­ I have traversed nearly the entirety of Primal Expanse and savored all kinds of beings, but nothinges close to this!"

    After her fist bite, Long Wu Qing wouldn''t stop until all of the meat skewers were gone¡ªthe skewers included.

    "Did you bring that food from the human world?" She asked afterward.

    "That''s right."

    "Do you have any more?"

    "Of course." Yuan didn''t hesitate to grab another handful of meat skewers for her.

    ''She did save my life, after all.'' He smiled inwardly.

    "Do you have more?" Long Wu Qing asked again a few minutester.

    "Here you go." Yuan continued taking out meat skewers for her.

    "You''re very different from the other humans I have met," she suddenly said. "They would all cower in fear and soil themselves the moment they see me. Even my siblings are no different."

    "Have you met a lot of humans?" He asked.

    "A few hundred of them, I suppose."

    "Wow, that''s a lot." Yuan was surprised by the number.

    "I have lived a long time, after all. However, humans have stoppeding to our world for some time now. Do you know why?"

    "Because they''re afraid. After all, none of those who havee to this world have ever returned, so people just stoppeding."

    "That makes sense. What about you? Are you sad that you can no longer return to the human world?"

    "Not at all. I can return whenever I want with the Primal Monarch''s help, but I am staying here for reasons."

    "Once I win the Dragon God Festival, I will return."

    "Hahaha!" Long Wu Qing suddenly burst outughing.

    "You actually dare to im you''ll win the Dragon God Festival right before me? How bold! So, you think you can defeat me?" She looked at him with an excited face, but her aura was oozing with bloodlust.

    Despite her threatening aura, Yuan faced her and spoke calmly, "Depending on the conditions, yes, I can."

    Long Wi Qing stared at him in silence for a moment before turning away, but she didn''t say anything.

    A few more minutes of awkward silenceter, they emerged from the Infinite Spiraling Abyss, shocking everyone there.

    "Brother Yuan! He''s actually managed to escape!" Long Yejun eximed in an excited voice.

    Then he noticed Yuan had emerged with a different appearance, and even his scent had changed.

    However, before he could even think about it, his entire body trembled as Long Wu Qing''s tyrannical aura permeated throughout the entire ce.

    "The Unrivaled Tyrant?!" The Dragon Monarchs and onlookers eximed with shocked faces after noticing her presence, their very souls trembling in immense fear.

 Chapter 1684 Unrivaled Tyrant

    Chapter 1684 Unrivaled Tyrant

    "My, what''s going on here? I have never had such a massive crowd to wee me back before." Long Wu Qing spoke with a slight smile on her face when she noticed the Seven Dragon Monarchs and the onlookers outside the Infinite Spiraling Abyss.

    "I-it''s the Unrivaled Tyrant! Run for your lives!" The onlookers began scrambling in fear, resembling a group of startled cats, their escape messy and swift.

    The only ones who didn''t attempt to escape were the Seven Dragon Monarchs, primarily because fleeing would make them appear weak, a vulnerability that would only invite further bullying and challenges to their authority.

    "What is this weird scenting from the fourth Dragon God''s Descendant?" Eternal Frost Dragon suddenly mused out loud.

    Since he was in his human form, Yuan''s human scent swiftly permeated the area. It was so intense that it even halted some of the onlookers running away. However, once they realized the scent wasing from the Unrivaled Tyrant''s direction, they began running again.

    "This scent¡­ is the scent of a human!" Long Yejun''s eyes widened as he stared at Yuan, who now had ck hair.

    "No way¡­ why does Brother Yuan have the scent of a human on him? What happened inside the Infinite Spiraling Abyss?" He didn''t immediately entertain the possibility that Yuan had been human all along; instead, he assumed that something within the Infinite Spiraling Abyss had triggered this puzzling transformation. After all, there was simply no way a human could have the Dragon God''s blood.

    Yingzi wore a nervous look on her face after realizing that Yuan''s identity had been exposed, but there was nothing she could do there. Even if she wanted to take Yuan and escape from the Divine Dragon Sanctuary, she knew it was impossible to escape with the Seven Dragon Monarchs so close.

    Moreover, with Long Wu Qing beside Yuan, she would kill Yingzi before she could even reach him.

    ''The only thing I can do now is hope for the Primal Monarch to help us,'' she sighed inwardly.

    "Thank you for your help, Senior Long," Yuan said to Long Wu Qing aftering out of the Infinite Spiraling Abyss.

    "You can just call me Wu Qing. I permit you to do so," she casually said. "Anyway, I need to stretch myself. I''ll talk to you again afterward."

    When the Seven Dragon Monarchs heard her words, their faces darkened, and they simultaneously released their cultivation, shocking Yuan.

    "What are they¡ª?"

    Before he could even finish his sentence, Long Wu Qing turned to look at them with a murderous smile on her face.

    "Let me see how much you''ve all grown!" sheughed as she flew at them.

    "This crazy bitch! The Dragon God Festival is right around the corner, and she wants to fight now?!" Hellfire Dragon eximed.

    "Elder Sister! Please wait a moment!" Long Yejun shouted with a begging expression. Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.

    "Damn it! Why is she always like this?!" Sky Splitting Dragon cried out loud.

    "I shouldn''t havee here!" Refined Obsidian Dragon sighed.

    "Have mercy on me¡­" Long Meihui shed a tear. She wasn''t one of the Seven Dragon Monarchs, but she was still a target.

    The Seven Dragon Monarchs attacked the iing Long Wu Qing with the intent to kill her.

    BOOM!

    A powerful ripple swept the Divine Dragon Sanctuary when Long Wu Qing collided with the Seven Dragon Monarchs.

    Yingzi had instinctively escaped the moment Long Wu Qing looked in her direction, and she barely made it in time, or she would''ve been caught up in their confrontation.

    Yuan was swept away like a pebble during a storm at first, but he quickly stabilized himself.

    A massive cloud of smoke hovered in the air, concealing the figures of the Seven Dragon Monarchs and Long Wu Qing within its dense, swirling mist.

    Momentster, several silhouettes could be seening out of the smoke. To be more precise, they appeared to have been tossed out, and their appearance was a mess with blood all over their bodies.

    Amongst these silhouettes were the Refined Obsidian Dragon, Eternal Frost Dragon, Long Meihui, and the Baneful Dragon.

    After a few more moments, the cloud of smoke was forcefully removed when another powerful st urred, revealing Long Yejun, the Abyssal Dragon, Sky Splitting Dragon, and Hellfire Dragon''s figure. However, they were all beaten up and dripping with blood, looking as if they had been run through by several trucks.

    Long Wu Qing was also there, but she didn''t have a single scratch on her body.

    As Long Wu Qing hovered in the air, exuding an aura of confidence and superiority, she sighed and remarked, "What have you lot been doing for thest hundred million years? Lying on your backs all day?"

    She looked at Long Yejun and continued, "I am especially disappointed in you, little brother. I thought you would be able tost a little longer this time, but s, you''ve barely improved since west fought."

    "T-that''s nonsense! I have improved a lot! You''re just a damn monster who outpaces all of us significantly, so no matter how much we train, you''ll always be several steps ahead of us!" Long Yejun refuted, his voice full of frustration.

    "Huh? What did you just call me?" Long Wu Qing''s eyebrows twitched.

    Long Yejun''s body shivered, realizing that he''d misspoke.

    Long Wu Qing moved again, but she only targetted Long Yejun this time, beating him left and right.

    Long Yejun tried to fight back, but their disparity was simply too vast.

    "Wu Qing, can you stop beating him?" A voice suddenly spoke, halting her movements.

    Long Wu Qing turned to look at Yuan, who continued speaking, "He''s been nothing but a good friend to me ever since I arrived, and I cannot bear to see him in such a state. If you want to stretch, how about doing it with me? Ah, I would appreciate it if you can suppress your cultivation to match mine, or I''ll die from a single punch from you."

 Chapter 1685 Sworn Brothers

    Chapter 1685 Sworn Brothers

    A deafening silence filled the area for a good moment after Yuan spoke, with the Seven Dragon Monarchs staring at him with wide eyes filled with disbelief.

    "I like your enthusiasm, Yuan, but I don''t want to injure you before the Dragon God Festival. After all, I don''t want to hear any excuses when you lose to me," said Long Wu Qing.

    Her words shocked the others more than Yuan''s words.

    ''That crazy bitch is declining a fight?! I didn''t know she was even capable of that!'' Hellfire Dragon cried inwardly.

    "But I can''t bear to watch you beat my friend any longer." Yuan sighed.

    Long Wu Qing nced at Long Yejun for a brief moment before releasing him.

    "Consider yourself lucky, little brother."

    She approached Yuan and continued, "Don''t think we won''t fight. We''ll do it the moment the Dragon God Festival is over."

    "I am looking forward to it."

    Long Wu Qing left the scene shortly after.

    "I didn''t want to show you such a pathetic sight, Brother Yuan." Long Yejun approached him a momentter.

    Despite his resilient body, the wounds caused by Long Wu Qing didn''t recover normally, as if there was something preventing him from healing.

    The same could be said for the others, too. N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

    "Don''t say that." Yuan shook his head.

    "I can''t believe you came out of the Infinite Spiraling Abyss with her. My heart stopped for a second back there."

    "She saved my life." "How unexpected¡­" Long Yejun mumbled.

    "By the way, what happened to you inside the Infinite Spiraling Abyss? Why do you smell like a human now?"

    "Oh¡­"

    It was at this moment that Yuan realized he forgot to transform back to his dragon form. However, considering that his true identity has been revealed to Long Wu Qing, it would only be a matter of time before it was revealed to everyone else. "Actually, I am human." Yuan decided to reveal his true identity.

    "What¡­?" Long Yejun''s eyes widened with immense shock.

    "I apologize for deceiving you until now, but I am not one of Dragon God''s descendants."

    "W-why would you¡­?"

    "I have my reasons¡­" he sighed.

    Long Yejun lowered his head and fell silent, seemingly in deep thoughts.

    "I see¡­ so you were human from the start¡­"

    When Long Yejun lifted his head and showed his expression again, it was filled with excitement and admiration.

    "I can''t believe a human has conquered the Baneful Dragon''s Poisonous Swamp, the Sky Splitting Dragon''s Tribtion, and even survived the Infinite Spiraling Abyss! Hahaha!" Heughed so hard tears began forming in his eyes.

    "Hey, although we''re not real brothers, can I still call you Brother? I''ve grown ustomed to it, and it wouldn''t feel right if I changed it now."

    Yuan nodded, "Of course."

    The realization that Yuan was a human began to set in for the others, their faces filled with shock, some with disdain.

    "Master Yuan is a human¡­? That exins his godlike smithing techniques! The art of smithing was originally humans to begin with!" Refined Obsidian Dragon muttered to himself.

    "A human? A human conquered my yground?" The Baneful Dragon wore a look of disbelief on his face.

    The Sky Splitting Dragon had a simr reaction.

    Long Meihui''s eyes were sparkling with admiration.

    The Hellfire Dragon and Eternal Frost Dragon red at Yuan with disdain in their eyes.

    The Abyssal Dragon remained silent.

    "Though, I must admit that I am disappointed." Long Yejun suddenly continued with a weak smile, "You have taught and given me the experience of what it''s like to have a little brother. Now I have to face the reality that I might never have a little brother."

    "Although I cannot be your real brother, we can still be brothers. In the human world, we have the concept known as sworn brothers. While they are not real brothers, they treat each other as one."

    "What a wonderful concept! Let''s be sworn brothers!" Yuan nodded with a smile.

    However, a voice filled with power and authority abruptly resounded, "Who said you can''t be real brothers?"

    Yuan suddenly sensed a powerful presence behind one, one that surpassed even Long Wu Qing. However, it wasn''t tyrannical and oppressive as hers.

    Yuan turned around to see a handsome man with long golden hair and golden eyes hovering behind him.

    "Dragon God!" Long Yejun hastily lowered his head after recognizing the man.

    The others followed suit.

    "Dragon God?" Yuan muttered.

    "Indeed. I am your father¡ªor so you imed." The Dragon God spoke with a smile that appeared threatening to Yuan for some reason.

    Perhaps it was because of his guilt for taking on the identity as one of the Dragon God''s descendants.

    "F-father! Please wait! There''s a good reason that Brother Yuan¡ª" Long Yejun hastily tried toe up with an excuse, but the Dragon God sealed his lips with a single nce.

    "Brother Yuan, huh? It sure has a nice ring to it." The Dragon God chuckled.

    "Rx, I am not cruel enough to punish you for pretending to be my descendant," he continued.

    "Oh, really?"

    Suddenly, another figure appeared beside the Dragon God.

    None of those present, except for Yuan and Yingzi, recognized him. However, they were bewildered that this young man could stand beside the Dragon God as an equal.

    ''No, he is standing even above the Dragon God!'' Long Yejun noticed this.

    "You''re not going to tell him that if I hadn''t stopped you, you would''ve killed him?"

    "You dwell too much on the insignificant details, Primal Monarch." The Dragon God shook his head.

    "The Primal Monarch?!"

    Long Yejun and the others eximed in shock.

    "W-we greet the Primal Monarch!" They hastily greeted him in a messy fashion.

    "You''ve finally decided to show yourself, you old booger."

    Long Yejun and the others stared at Yuan with terrified expressions.

    "B-Brother Yuan! T-that''s¡­" Long Yejun tried to warn him, but Yuan interrupted with a smile, "Don''t worry, he''s my old man¡ªmy father."

    "Y-your father?" Long Yejun looked speechless.

    "Yes." Yuan confirmed.

 Chapter 1686 A Feast Before the Festival

    Chapter 1686 A Feast Before the Festival

    "Did you want me to save you sooner? I knew there was someone inside that was capable of saving you, so why would I waste my energy?" The Primal Monarch shrugged with a smile on his face after hearing Yuan''s words.

    "What if she didn''t save me?" he asked.

    "But that didn''t happen, so why dwell on it?" Yuan sighed and no longer tried to argue with him.

    "Ahem." The Dragon God cleared his throat. "As I was saying. If you want to be my descendant, I will make it possible."

    "You were serious?" Yuan looked at him with wide eyes.

    "Of course. Do you want me to show you how serious I am?"

    "Hey, why are you trying to poach him when you didn''t even save him?" Primal Monarch suddenly asked. N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

    "My daughter saved him, which is the same thing." Dragon God shrugged.

    "I can''t believe such shameless words areing out of that mouth. Did you hit your head too hard recently?"

    Long Yejun and the others were bewildered by the Dragon God and Primal Monarch''s childish bickering, as they had never seen such behavior from these godlike existences.

    ''Since when were they on such good terms with each other?'' Long Yejun wondered inwardly.

    Once it seemed like their conversation had ended, Yuan spoke, "I don''t know how you''ll make me a descendant, and I appreciate the offer, but I will have to decline. After all, I already have a father here."

    Primal Monarch snickered after hearing this. The Dragon God''s expression didn''t change much, and he appeared calm, but he was definitely disappointed inwardly.

    "What a pity. With your talents, you definitely qualify to be my descendant. But if you don''t want it, I can''t force you."

    "The Dragon God Festival will begin soon, so I will take my leave now. Until then." The Dragon God disappeared into thin air the very next moment.

    "I''ll also take my leave for now." The Primal Monarch left before Yuan could say anything to him.

    The ce remained dead silent even many momentster.

    Eventually, Long Yejun broke the silence and spoke in a trembling voice, "I can''t believe you''re the Primal Monarch''s descendant! That''s actually even more impressive than being the Dragon God''s descendant!"

    "Well, I am not really his blood-rted descendant. I was adopted by him, and he gave his Blood Essence to me." Yuan exined.

    "The Primal Monarch''s Blood Essence?! That''s even more impressive!" Long Yejun cried out loud.

    He continued, "Anyway, what are you going to do now? Since we still have a little time left before the Dragon God Festival, want to have a feast?"

    Yuan nodded and said, "Sure, but I will be away for a little."

    "No worries. We need a few days to prepare the feast, anyway." Long Yejun nodded.

    Yuan looked at Yingzi and said to her, "I''ll be gone for a bit again."

    "Okay."

    Yuan logged off at that moment.

    "Huh? Where did he go?" The Baneful Dragon muttered in a dazed voice.

    "I can''t sense his presence anymore, almost as if he ceased to exist. Was that the power of the void?" Long Meihui inquired out loud, her face filled with wonder.

    "The Primal Monarch probably took him somewhere," Eternal Frost Dragon deducted.

    Meanwhile, Yuan returned to Earth again.

    He looked at the two sleeping beauties beside him and sighed, "I''d just promised them that I''d not lose track of time, but s, it''s almost been a year since myst return¡­"

    Although he didn''t technically lose track of time but was trapped inside the Infinite Spiraling Abyss, it was basically the same thing.

    Yuan waited for either Meixiu or Chu Liuxiang to wake up.

    The following day, Meixiu was the first to wake up. She and Chu Liuxiang had been taking turns logging off every other day to see if Yuan had returned.

    "Hm? You''re back?" Meixiu looked at him with a pleasantly surprised face.

    "Yes¡­"

    Upon seeing his apologetic smile, Meixiu instantly knew he was about to apologize for his absence again, so she swiftly ced a finger on his lips and said, "You don''t need to apologize. We were prepared for it when you left a note this time."

    Yuan nodded and said, "Alright, I won''t apologize, but I want to tell you what happened this time."

    "Of course."

    Yuan proceeded to exin about being trapped inside the Infinite Spiraling Abyss and how time flowed differently inside.

    "It felt like I had only been there for several minutes, but by the time I came out, several months had passed," he said.

    "Anyway, the Dragon God Festival is right around the corner. Once I finish it and hopefully win it, I''ll immediately return to the Nine Heavens."

    "What will happen if you don''t win?" Meixiu entertained this possibility and inquired.

    "Then I''ll have to ask the Primal Monarch for help. If he can''t help Feng Feng, I''ll just have to postpone her revival and return to the Nine Heavens. Though, I doubt the Primordial Phoenix will ept that oue."

    "She said that she''d wage war with the Divine Dragon Sanctuary for the treasure if I failed, and I cannot allow that to happen no matter what. I don''t know how serious she was being when she said it, but I have a feeling she was being dead serious," Yuan sighed.

    "If I have no other option, I will see if the Dragon God would be willing to lend me the treasure, and in exchange, I will be his descendant."

    "His descendant?" Meixiu wore a puzzled look on her face.

    "Apparently, the Dragon God wants me to be his descendant. I don''t know what went through his mind that led him to such a decision, though."

    After chatting for some time, Yuan and Meixiu spent the rest of the day together. He did the same thing with Chu Liuxiang the following day. Then, he visited Yu Rou and the Eternal Lotuses.

    Once he caught up with everyone, Yuan returned to the Primal Expanse for the feast.

 Chapter 1687 Seasoning

    Chapter 1687 Seasoning

    When Yuan returned to the Primal Expanse, Yingzi was there to greet him with a teleport stone given to her by Long Yejun.

    Without uttering a word, Yingzi handed the teleport stone to him.

    After attaining Moderate Void Understanding, Yuan could see the more intricate details within the teleport stone, even able to tell the direction it would take him. He shattered the teleport stone the next moment and entered the rift created by it.

    When they emerged from the rift, Yuan and Yingzi appeared at the Endless Arena, but it had a vastly different atmosphere and was no longer as empty as their previous visits. The once-empty tform is now filled with human figures and beasts, with mountains of food in every direction.

    Since Yuan was still in his human form, his scent quickly spread, attracting the attention of those around him.

    They stared at him in silence for a few moments before someone shouted, "It''s the Primal Monarch''s descendant!" News of Yuan''s true identity had long spread throughout the Divine Dragon Sanctuary. Some were upset, even angry, that they had been deceived by a human, but the majority of them didn''t mind it and became more impressed by his feats in the past two years.

    The beings near Yuan respectfully greeted him, regardless of their feelings toward him, as he was the Primal Monarch''s descendant, which ranked even above the Dragon God''s descendants.

    "Oh, you''ve arrived." Long Yejun appeared shortly after their arrival.

    "Follow me. I''ll bring you to our spot."

    Yuan and Yingzi followed him to another area where the other Dragon Monarchs were present. However, not all seven of the Dragon Monarchs were present.

    Besides the Hellfire Dragon and Eternal Frost Dragon, the rest were there.

    "Hello, everyone. Sorry to make you wait."

    "It''s fine. We just finished setting up the ce." Long Yejun said.

    "There''s still two weeks left before the Dragon God Festival. Enjoy yourself until then!" Long Yejun''s voice rippled throughout the Endless Arena. Everyone started stuffing their mouths with food the very next moment.

    Yuan also started eating the food that had been prepared using beings that only existed in the Primal Expanse.

    Although the food had natural vors, itcked any seasoning, so it was verycklusterpared to the food in the human world.

    Realizing this, Yuan said to them, "You guys like the meat skewers, right? How about I prepare this food in the same way?"

    "What? You can do that?" Long Yejun''s eyes widened.

    "Please do!" Long Meihui eximed, her eyes flickering with excitement.

    Yuan nodded and retrieved several bottles of seasoning. "One of the most significant contributors to the excellence of human food is how we apply our seasoning¡ªhow we season our food."

    He showed them the bottles and continued, "We call this seasoning. If we apply it to the food, it will give the food a specific taste. If we mix them together, it will create a unique vor, and different mixtures have different results."

    Yuan sprinkled some salt on his food and handed it to Long Yejun.

    "This is one of the mostmonly used seasonings. Salt."

    When Long Yejun bit into the meat, his eyes widened with surprise. "What the! This food is now several times tastier!" "L-let me try!" Long Meihui and the others shouted.

    Yuan sprinkled some salt onto their food.

    "Wow!"

    "I can''t believe those tiny sand-like things could enhance the vors so much!"

    "This one is called ck pepper, anothermonly used seasoning." Yuan handed them more food.

    "What a stark difference!"

    "And this is what happens when I mix them together."

    Yuan added salt, ck pepper, and garlic powder to the next sample.

    Long Yejun and the others trembled with satisfaction when they ate the food.

    "I used to underestimate humans, but the fact is, they possess knowledge we could never fathom¡­" The Baneful Dragon muttered.

    "I''ve known that since I learned how to cksmith from one." Refined Obsidian Dragonmented.

    Yuan then said, "By the way, we typically season our food before cooking it."

    "Speaking of cooking, we also learned that from humans. Before, we would consume our food raw." Long Yejun said.

    Yingzi gently tugged on Yuan''s robes and asked, "How about the vor of meat skewers? What kind of seasoning do you put on them?"

    "Many people have their own special mix, but the majority of them contain cumin, salt, and chili." Yuan tried to replicate the seasoning of the meat skewers in his possession and handed them to Yingzi.

    "It''s missing some vors, but it''s very close," she said after tasting it.

    "There are hundreds of different seasonings out there, but I only have some of them," Yuan said.

    Yuan took out all of the seasoning in his possession to let the others use them as they pleased.

    Long Yejun and the others had a st testing out everybination, but their peacested only for a few minutes.

    Suddenly, a rift appeared right next to Yuan, and even before the figure emerged, their tyrannical presence poured through the rift, saturating the surroundings with an overwhelming and oppressive force.

    "My, my. How can you have a feast without me?" Long Wu Qing spoke as she walked out of the rift. However, she looked a little different from before. While most of her features remained the same, she was much taller and more mature-looking, resembling that of a peerless woman.

    "Because we knew you''d show up regardless." Long Yejun spoke with a nervous smile.

    Long Wu Qing looked at the bottle of salt in his hand and inquired, "What is that white stuff in your hand?"

    "Seasoning. Humans use them to enhance the vor of their food." Yuan gave her a brief exnation.

    "Interesting," she showed a thrilled smile. "Show me how to use it."

    "Ummm¡­ I don''t mind, but can you do something about your presence? It''s terrifying everyone." Yuan said. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    Everyone at the Endless Arena had instinctively halted their movements since Long Wu Qing''s appearance and hadn''t moved a muscle since then. Some even tried running away, but their bodies were stiff from fear.

 Chapter 1688 Dragon God Festival Details

    Chapter 1688 Dragon God Festival Details

    Long Yejun and the others looked at Long Wu Qing with nervous gazes, seemingly waiting for her reaction. Nobody has ever dared to ask her to suppress her presence since she killed thest one who did.

    In the Primal Expanse, disying one''s presence was a way of unting their status and prowess. The more powerful the presence, the better. To be told to stop, even if it was a reasonable request, could be interpreted as disrespect. It was akin to telling a wealthy man to stop showing off their jewelry in public because they were reflecting the sunlight and bothering those around him.

    "¡­"

    After a long moment of silence, Long Wu Qing''s tyrannical presence unexpectedly began to weaken until it was barely noticeable. Her oddly obedient behavior greatly shocked everyone there, with some even wondering if she was truly the feared Unrivaled Tyrant.

    "There. You happy now, little human?" Long Wu Qing red at Yuan.

    He nodded and said, "That''s perfect. Let me show you how to use the seasoning."

    After teaching her the basics, Long Wu Qing began testing otherbinations on her own. Sometimeter, she''d managed to somewhat replicate the meat skewers'' vor.

    "Hey, do you have any more seasoning? This isn''t enough to recreate the taste of those skewers you gave me," she said.

    "Sorry, but that''s all I have right now."

    "When can you get more?" she inquired.

    "When I return to the human world, but once I do that¡­ I won''t be returning."

    "..."

    Long Wu Qing fell silent again.

    "What a pity," she muttered a momentter and continued to eat in silence.

    ''I can''t believe it! That tyrant is actually have a peaceful meal with everyone!'' Long Yejun swallowed nervously, feeling like he was living a dream.

    When he pinched himself and sensed pain, Long Yejun nearly cried tears of joy.

    ''As expected of Brother Yuan¡­ If anyone can tame that monster, it''s him!'' he red at Yuan with a profound gaze.

    Yuan''s spine shivered at Long Yejun''s gaze.

    ''What is this ominous feeling?'' he wondered inwardly.

    For the next few days, Yuan and the others continued to feast until all of the food was devoured, leaving not even the bones. Of course, it was the beasts who consumed all of the bones. As big as his appetite was, Yuan wouldn''t eat bones.

    10:46

    For the next few days, Yuan and the others continued to feast until all of the food was devoured, leaving not even the bones. Of course, it was the beasts who consumed all of the bones. As big as his appetite was, Yuan wouldn''t eat bones.

    Shortly after they finished eating, a powerful presence suddenly appeared in the Endless Arena, alerting everyone there.

    "We greet the almighty Dragon God!" The beings there respectfully greeted upon noticing him.

    The Dragon God remained silent.

    A few momentster, he opened his mouth and spoke, his voice resounding throughout the entire Divine Dragon Sanctuary.

    "Heed my words. I will be announcing the details for this year''s Dragon God Festival."

    The entire Divine Sanctuary became dead silent without a single entity making a sound.

    "This year''s Dragon God Festival will consist of three separate trials, each requiring thepletion of the previous to participate."

    "The first trial shall be a one-on-one deathmatch. In order to make things as fair as possible, your cultivation must be suppressed to Perfect Chaotic Commander. Those of you with a lower cultivation will have to deal with the difference if your opponent has a higher cultivation. Once you participate, you will not be able to forfeit. In other words, half of the participants will die!"

    The first trial left everyone speechless. While death was not umon during the Dragon God Festival, with many perishing in each event, this trial had been the deadliest to date¡ªand it was only the first of three trials. The sheer brutality of it shocked even the most seasoned participants.

    ''Why did the Dragon God make such a trial?'' Long Yejun wondered, his gaze subconsciously shifting toward Yuan.

    Yuan was only a Perfect Chaotic Master. If he were unlucky with his opponent, he''d need to fight a Perfect Chaotic Commander in a worst-case scenario.

    Although the atmosphere remained quiet, a significant portion of the participants had already made the decision to skip this year''s Dragon God Festival. Whether it was due to insufficient cultivation or simply an unwillingness to risk their lives, many chose to withdraw rather than face the deadly trial ahead.

    The Dragon God continued to speak after giving the listeners a moment to think about the first trial.

    "Those of you who survived the deathmatch will be qualified to participate in the second trial. In the second trial, you will be given a Blood Reservoir containing my blood. If you are able to absorb and refine more than 90 percent of my blood within 30 days, you will pass the second trial."

    "The Dragon God''s blood?!" Countless beings eximed in a shocked voice after hearing the details of the second trial.

    Even if it wasn''t his Blood Essence, the Dragon God''s blood was an invaluable treasure, capable of strengthening bloodlines and even transforming a mere snake into a true dragon. Most beings present would willingly start a war over such a precious resource, let alone risk everything in a one-on-one deathmatch.

    ''We only need to pass the first trial to absorb the Dragon God''s blood in the second? Even if we only manage to absorb a drop of his blood in the second trial, it''spletely worth it!''

    Those who had already decided to skip this year''s Dragon God Festival immediately had a change of heart. They have decided to participate even if they had to risk their lives, including those with a lower cultivation. N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

    ''Why is the Dragon God being so generous for this year''s Dragon God Festival¡­? No¡­ this is a little too generous. I doubt he''d really let so many people absorb his blood with so little risks.'' Long Yejun and the Seven Dragon Monarchs stared at the Dragon God with suspicious faces.

    The Dragon God suddenlyughed, "You lot sure seem eager to absorb my blood. However, did you think it would be so simple?"

    ''I knew it!'' Long Yejun cried inwardly after the Dragon God proved his worries to be correct so quickly.

 Chapter 1689 Dragon God Festival Details(2)

    Chapter 1689 Dragon God Festival Details(2)

    The Dragon God continued to speak, "The Blood Reservoir contains exactly ten drops of my blood, so you will need to absorb and refine at least nine drops to pass the trial."

    "However, with that said, the blood you''ll be absorbing is no ordinary blood. Every single drop has been enhanced, and if you''re unable to absorb it, you''ll immediately die a violent and explosive death."

    "For example, let''s say I only have the potential to absorb three drops of blood. If I try to absorb even a single drop more, it will spell the end for me. You may think it''ll be fine as long as you stop at your limit, and while that is true, only some of you will have the capability to tell your own limit. The majority of you will not know your limit and will essentially be walking on a thin rope in the void." N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

    "I will give you a warning. Whether you heed it or not is none of my problem. Many¡ªand I mean many of you here will not even be able to absorb a single drop of my enhanced blood!" The Dragon God''s voice was grim but also felt oddly provocative, as if he was daring them to participate.

    The second trial was arguably even more dangerous and deadly than the first. While half of the participants would perish in the first trial, there was a good chance that most of the participants would perish in the second trial.

    As the reality set in for those present, they began to wonder why this year''s Dragon God Festival was so dangerous and different from the rest. It was as though the festival had been tailored and fine-tuned for a particr individual.

    Unbeknownst to those present, the Dragon God had changed the Dragon God Festival at the veryst minute. While some spected that was the case, they had no solid proof, and they were not going to question the Dragon God.

    Yuan silently stared at the Dragon God. Although the Dragon God wasn''t looking at him, he had a weird feeling the Dragon God was somehow paying attention to him.

    "Let''s move on to thest trial." The Dragon God continued a few momentster.

    "If you manage to absorb and refine nine drops of my blood and pass the second trial, you''ll be able to participate in the third and final trial, where you will get the opportunity to refine my Blood Essence!"

    "WHAT?!"

    Almost everyone there eximed in shock, Long Wu Qing included. Long Yejun''s eyes were so wide that his eyeballs were on the verge of falling out of their sockets.

    "You did not hear me incorrectly. For the third trial, you''ll need to refine my Blood Essence to be this year''s champion."

    Yuan was speechless. He could''ve never expected the Dragon God to use his own Blood Essence for a mere festival. However, he wasn''t exactly delighted, either.

    While he''d managed to refine the Primal Monarch''s Blood Essence, it was mainly because he already had the Immortal Monarch''s Bloodline. The Dragon God''s Blood Essence was an entirely different story and could outright kill him if he attempted to do so.

    ''I still don''t dare to consume the Dragon Ancestor''s Blood Essence in my current state, and the Dragon God is most likely even stronger than the Dragon Ancestor. How could I possibly refine his Blood Essence? It sounds like an impossible task¡­''

    The only one there who even had a chance to refine the Dragon God''s Blood Essence would be Long Wu Qing. However, when Yuan looked at her to see her reaction, her face was full of doubt and worry.

    ''So even she''s not confident, huh?'' Yuan shook his head inwardly.

    "That is all. Due to the unnatural nature of this year''s Dragon God Festival, I will give you all an extra month to think about it. Until then."

    The Dragon God disappeared into thin air afterward. Right before the Dragon God left, Yuan noticed the Dragon God giving him a quick nce.

    The entire Divine Dragon Sanctuary remained silent for a few more moments beforemotions erupted in every direction.

    "Holy fuck! This year''s Dragon God Festival is fucking batshit insane!"

    "It''s as dangerous as it is rewarding! Who is going to participate?"

    "I was¡­ until his warning for the second trial¡­"

    Nearly everyone was having a conversation about the Dragon God Festival at this moment.

    "Brother Yuan, what do you think? Are you still going to participate?" Long Yejun turned to ask him.

    "The festival turned out to be much more dangerous than I could have ever anticipated. You probably don''t want to hear this, but I don''t want you to participate. It''s too dangerous. This has nothing to do with your talents. Humans are simply unable to absorb the Dragon God''s blood, much less the enhanced version."

    Yuan nodded, "I am aware of its danger. We still have a month to decide, but as of this moment, I haven''t given up yet."

    "It''d be quite bad if one of us gets paired with each other during the first trial¡­" Sky Splitting Dragon suddenlymented.

    "Yes. It''s incredibly risky, and it''ll only be riskier with fewer participants." Baneful Dragon responded.

    "As enticing as the trial seems, I won''t be participating." Refined Obsidian Dragon had already made up his mind. He was already one of the Seven Dragon Monarchs, and his passion was smithing. He almost has no reason to risk his life at this festival.

    "What about you two, the Dragon God''s descendants?" Abyssal Dragon looked at Long Yejun and Long Meihui. He didn''t even bother asking Long Wu Qing because he already knew her answer.

    In response, Long Meihui looked at Long Yejun and Long Wu Qing with a worried frown.

    "I''m worried that I might need to fight with my own siblings. Will the Dragon God¡ªour father really be fine with us killing each other for this festival?" she wondered out loud.

    Long Meihui wasn''t worried that she had to kill her siblings. If she really fought with Long Yejun or Long Wu Qing, Long Meihui had no chance of surviving. She was worried for her own life. It was as simple as that.

 Chapter 1690 Yingzi

    Chapter 1690 Yingzi

    "I¡­I don''t think I''ll participate in this year''s Dragon God Festival." Long Yejun spoke after Long Meihui, surprising the others.

    "I can''t lie that the rewards aren''t enticing, but as mentioned, there''s a chance I might fight with my siblings or Brother Yuan. I don''t think I''ll be able to kill them if I matched against them."

    Long Yejun could not bear fighting his sworn brother for real, much less kill him. However, since it was a rule in the Dragon God Festival, there was no way to avoid it if he really fought against Yuan.

    The Dragon God Festival was more than just a festival. It was a sacred ritual, one that even the Primal Monarch could not interfere with ease.

    If Long Yejun and Yuan matched against each other, one of them would need to die, and the Dragon God himself would make sure of it even if it were thest thing he did.

    "Hah!" A scornfulugh suddenly resounded.

    Everyone there turned to look at Long Wu Qing, who''d justughed.

    She was staring at Long Yujun and said, "Just say you''re afraid of being killed by me. This is your only chance to be truly powerful, but you''re shying away because of some emotional bullshit."

    "Or do you believe the Dragon God will give us another opportunity like this ever again? I don''t think so."

    Long Yejun clenched his teeth, but he couldn''t refute her ims. The chances of a simr Dragon God Festival urring in the future were extremely slim to none. If he were to let go of this opportunity, he would never close the gap between him and Long Wu Qing.

    "If you''re worried about killing me, don''t." Yuan suddenly chimed in. "If we really matched against each other, I wouldn''t hesitate to kill you. Of course, I will also have no qualms if you kill me."

    "Brother Yuan¡­?" Long Yejun looked at him with wide eyes.

    Yuan smiled and said, "I told you. I need to get my hands on the Sacred Chalice of Purification no matter what. Being sworn brothers doesn''t mean we cannot kill each other. As long as we both agree to it, nothing is off the table."

    "Brother Yejun. I don''t mind if you kill me." Yuan confirmed with a serious expression on his face.

    After a moment of silence, Long Yejun smiled and said, "I also don''t mind if you kill me. Even if I die, it''s not like I will be gone forever. Due to my bloodline, I''ll eventually be reincarnated. However, if I let go of this opportunity, I will never have a chance like this again."

    "Then it''s settled." Yuan nodded with a smile.

    Long Yejun turned to look at Long Wu Qing and continued, "Don''t think you''ve won already. We''ll both have our cultivation suppressed, so even if we fought, it''s not like I don''t have any chance at all to defeat you."

    Long Wu Qingughed out loud, as if she just heard something unbelievable. "What a ridiculous joke. Even if I suppressed my cultivation to Perfect Chaotic Master, you will never defeat me."

    Long Wu Qing shifted her attention to Yuan and said, "You better not run away, little human. You imed you''d win the Dragon God Festival. If you dare run away, I''ll kill you right here and now."

    Yuan smiled and said, "Don''t worry, I don''t have any ns on running."

    Although he was worried about the second and third trials, he still had to do it for Feng Yuxiang''s sake.

    ''No¡­ this is no longer just about Feng Feng. If I lose here, there will be countless casualties from both the Divine Dragon Sanctuary and the Eternal Phoenix Domain,'' he sighed inwardly.

    If he fails to acquire the Sacred Chalice of Purification, the Primordial Phoenix will lead the Eternal Phoenix Domain and raid the Divine Dragon Sanctuary, resulting in countless deaths.

    "Good, because you seemed hesitant moments ago." Long Wu Qing smiled.

    "I could say the same for you, Wu Qing."

    "Hmph. As if. You were just seeing things. Then I''ll see you next month."

    Long Wu Qing flew away shortly after.

    "I''ll probably still skip this year''s Dragon God Festival." Long Meihui sighed a momentter. "But I''ll wait to see how many will be participating. We have a month, after all."

    After saying that, Long Meihui also left.

    "I''ll also leave now." The others left one after another until it was just Long Yejun, Yuan, and Yingzi.

    "What about you, Yingzi? You going to participate?" Yuan asked her.

    She immediately shook her head. N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

    "I have no interest in this sort of thing," she said.

    "I see."

    "I''m going to go home and take this time to prepare myself." Long Yejun said a momentter. "You''re wee to join me."

    Yuan shook his head and said, "It''s fine. There''s nothing I can do to prepare for the uing trials."

    "Then I''ll see you here in a month."

    Long Yejun disappeared afterward.

    Now that it was just Yuan and Yingzi, he said to her, "I''m going to leave for a month."

    "Hey, can Ie with you?" Yingzi suddenly asked.

    "Come with me¡­? I don''t think that''s possible, unfortunately."

    "You know this isn''t my real body, just a fragment of my soul, right?"

    She nodded.

    "I am returning to my real body now, and I don''t think there''s a way for you toe with me. Sorry."

    "It''s okay," Yingzi said.

    A split second before Yuan logged off, Yingzi''s figure suddenly flickered and disappeared into thin air.

    When Yuan returned to Earth, he removed his helmet and got off the bed to stretch.

    "Since there''s nothing I can do to prepare, I might as well use this time to rx," Yuan mumbled.

    "Let''s take a shower first."

    Just as Yuan turned around to face the bathroom, he was shocked to see a petite figure standing right behind him, her face filled with wonder and excitement.

    "Y-Yingzi¡­?" Yuan muttered in a dazed voice, his eyes wide with disbelief.

    "Yes?" she calmly responded, confirming that she wasn''t his imagination.

    "H-how in the world¡­?"

 Chapter 1691 Yingzi(2)

    Chapter 1691 Yingzi(2)

    "Yingzi, how did you follow me?" Yuan asked her with a dumbfounded expression on his face.

    "I followed your shadow," she calmly responded.

    "My shadow¡­?"

    "How much do you know about shadows?" she asked him next.

    "Honestly, not much."

    Yingzi proceeded to exin, "Most believe that shadows are universal for everyone. While that is somewhat true, it''s different for us, Shadow Dwellers." N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

    "Just like how everyone has a different soul, their shadow is also unique to them. However, only those born in the shadows like us Shadow Dwellers can see the difference."

    "That means as long as I enter your shadow, I''ll be able to emerge from your shadow, no matter where that may be."

    "With that said, I wasn''t certain I would be able to follow you, and I acted on a whim. But I''m d it worked. This world may be small, but it has a lot of delicious scents."

    "¡­"

    Yuan stared at Yingzi with a worried gaze. While he was confident that Yingzi wouldn''t cause any trouble for him or Earth, this incident exposed a loophole¡ªa risk that he wasn''t even aware of before.

    If Yinzgi was able to follow him from the Primal Expanse through her own abilities, there was a chance the same could happen again. This meant that Earth wasn''tpletely safe from unexpected invasions.

    ''I will need to be more wary of who I log out around. I should let the others know this too.'' Yuan thought inwardly.

    It''d be disastrous if someone dangerous were to follow him back to Earth, after all.

    He looked at Yingzi and spoke a momentter, "Um, Yingzi. I trust you, and I don''t mind your presence here, but you''ll need to be extra careful in this world. As you know, this world is very small and fragile. If someone like you were to use your abilities, it would fall apart."

    She nodded, "I am aware. I won''t do anything to your territory."

    "Thank you. By the way, are you feeling okay? This world doesn''t have any Chaotic Essence."

    He figured that if humans were unable to cultivate in the Primal Expanse, those from the Primal Expanse would have the same issue if the roles were reversed.

    "I guess it does feel a little ufortable since I have never been this deprived of chaotic essence, and I won''t be able to replenish my chaotic essense if I use them, but it doesn''t have any detrimental effects on me."

    "That''s good. Anyway, since you''re here, is there anything you want to do? I''ll show you around."

    Without hesitation, Yingzi replied, "Food."

    "I figured." Yuan smiled.

    "Alright, give me a few minutes to shower first."

    "What is a shower?" she asked.

    "It''s when we clean ourselves with water."

    "Why? You don''t look dirty."

    "We can shower even if we''re not dirty."

    "Is itmon for humans to shower?"

    "Very. Pretty much everyone showers."

    "Okay. I will shower with you," Yingzi dered.

    "If you want."

    Yingzi followed Yuan into the bathroom a momentter.

    Once inside, Yuan began taking off his clothes. Yingzi followed.

    A certain object on Yuan''s body quickly attracted Yingzi''s attention.

    "Hey," she spoke. "What is that weird thing between your legs?"

    When the beings of Primal Expanse first took on the appearance of humans, most got rid of what they deemed useless, such as the object between a man''s legs. In their eyes, it was nothing but a hindrance since they don''t require sexual intercourse to reproduce. Hearing Yingzi''s odd question, Yuan subconsciously looked at the area between her legs. However, what was supposed to be there wasn''t. It was a smooth area without the slit.

    "I see," He muttered as if he understood something.

    "Looks like beings in the Primal Expanse only care about the face and overall appearance, so they forgot the most integral part of humans¡ªtheir private part."

    This made Yuan wonder about their internal organs.

    "Anyway, unlike you, we humans reproduce through sexual intercourse, which is done by connecting a woman and man''s private part."

    Even though Yingzi had the appearance of a little girl, her real age could potentially rival even the Lord, so Yuan had no issue teaching her. Most importantly, she wasn''t even human, hence why Yuan could take a shower with her without batting an eye.

    "Anyway, let me show you how to shower."

    Yuan quickly changed the subject and pointed to the shower area, which wasrge enough to fit two or even three people with ease.

    "You operate it with this handle."

    Water began pouring from the shower head.

    "You can adjust the water''s temperature like this. Turn it this way if you want cold water and the opposite way if you want hot water. Keep it in the middle if you want warm water."

    "Ooooh." Yingzi stared at the pouring water with interest. "It''s like rain."

    Yuan stepped into the shower once the water temperature was to his liking.

    "Once your body is wet, you use body wash to cleanse your body like this. You can also wash your hair with shampoo and finish it with conditioner."

    "Then, you rinse yourself again with water."

    Yuan stepped out a few minutester and wiped himself with a towel.

    "That''s the gist of it. Pretty simple, right?"

    Yingzi entered the shower next, and she yed around with the water temperature while standing below the shower head.

    In the end, she settled with hot water that was raised to the maximum, quickly steaming the ce.

    Once she was satisfied, she stepped out of the water and started washing her body with body wash and hair with shampoo just like Yuan did.

    Afterward, she rinsed herself and stepped out, feeling refreshed.

    "We also take baths after showers if you want to rx. It''s when you submerge yourself in water. Since we''re already here, want to try it out?" Yuan asked.

    Yingzi immediately nodded.

    Yuan quickly prepared the bath.

    They entered therge bathtub sometimeter and spent the next several minutes in silence.

    "I have been meaning to ask, but who are the two female humans outside sleeping next to each other?" Yingzi suddenly asked.

 Chapter 1692 Yingzi(3)

    Chapter 1692 Yingzi(3)

    "Ah, those two? They''re my partners, Meixiu and Chu Liuxiang." Yuan exined.

    "Partner¡­ so you''re breeding them?" she spoke calmly. The weird phrasing and her calm tone sent shivers down Yuan''s spine.

    He cleared his throat and exined, "While some humans enter a rtionship with the determination and intent of having children, not everyone wants children. We became partners because we love each other."

    "What is love?"

    "It''s an emotion we feel towards someone we want to be with forever¡ªsomeone you really like. For example, you like to eat food, right? Love is basically several times more intense than that."

    "Hm. I still don''t understand."

    Yuan pondered for a moment before asking her, "How do you feel about me? What emotions do I invoke from you?"

    Yingzi stared at his handsome face in silence.

    "You pique my interest. You''re always full of surprises. Also, when I look at you, I don''t feel the desire to rip you apart, unlike others," she said a momentter.

    "You''ve followed me for over two years now. Why?"

    "At first, I wanted to learn more about humans. But before I realized it, I found myself wanting to learn more about you."

    "Then how do you feel about following me for the rest of your life? Would you be able to do it?"

    "I''m not sure what to feel, but I can''t imagine following you for the rest of my life," she responded with a calm expression.

    Yuan smiled and said, "If you can imagine yourself following me¡ªor anyone for that matter¡ªfor the rest of your life, you''ll get closer to understanding the feeling of love. With that said, love is a veryplex emotion, even for us humans, and there are many different types of love. Of course, it''s also fine if you don''t understand it for the rest of your life. It''s just an emotion, after all. Just like how some people never feel fear, it''s possible some will never experience love."

    "By the way, why do you want to understand humans?" Yuan suddenly asked.

    "I don''t really have a reason. I think I am inherently interested in them," she responded. "Is there a problem with that?"

    "No, that''s fine. We humans often do things for no reason, too." Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.

    "I¡ª"

    Just as Yingzi opened her mouth, another voice interrupted.

    "Wee back, Yuan! Are you taking a bath? Let me join you!" A cheerful voice came from outside the bathroom.

    The very next moment, a naked Chu Liuxiang could be seen strolling into the bathroom with a bright smile on her face.

    However, her smile froze when she noticed an unfamiliar little girl resting in the same bathtub as Yuan.

    "Eh? Huh? Wait¡­" Chu Liuxiang''s brain nearly overheated from trying toprehend the situation.

    Chu Liuxiang had no qualms if Yuan found more partners, having alreadye to terms with and epted the idea. However, the girl with Yuan appeared so young that it would instantly raise many eyebrows wherever they went, and even someone as epting as Chu Liuxiang couldn''t help but feel a sense of concern.

    Seeing Chu Liuxiang''s panicked and perplexed expression, Yuan said, "Calm down, it''s not what you''re thinking."

    He proceeded to exin the situation in a calm but hasty manner.

    "First of all, she''s not as young as she looks. She''s actually from the Primal Expanse, and she somehow followed me back to Earth when I logged out."

    "..."

    After taking a long moment to process this information, Chu Liuxiang asked, "But why are you taking a bath together?"

    "I am teaching her about humans and our culture. Ah, she''s also not human."

    "So she''s not the ''third''?" she asked for rification.

    Yuan calmly shook his head.

    Chu Liuxiang heaved a deep sigh of relief once her worries were eliminated.

    "Oh, I was worried for a second there."

    Chu Liuxiang went to take a quick shower before entering the bath with them.

    "Hello, I''m Chu Liuxiang," she introduced herself to Yingzi.

    "I''m Yingzi. We were just talking about you," Yingzi said.

    "Really? About what?" Chu Liuxiang''s eyes flickered with curiosity.

    Yuan gave her a brief description of the subject.

    Chu Liuxiang chuckled after hearing it.

    "Is that so? But Yuan, if you ever want a child, don''t hesitate to ask me."

    Yuan silently nodded with a somewhat stiff smile.

    "By the way, how did she follow you from the Primal Expanse?" Chu Liuxiang asked a momentter.

    "Her race has the power to control and enter shadows. She entered my shadow right before I logged off and managed toe out through my real body."

    "Such a thing is possible¡­? That''s ridiculous¡­ and has some serious implications¡­" Chu Liuxiang muttered in disbelief. "I know what you''re thinking, but if Yingzi is able toe to Earth through her own powers, we cannot dismiss the possibility that others could aplish the same," Yuan sighed.

    "Isn''t that really dangerous for us?" she asked.

    "It is. However, I doubt there are many beings out there who have such capabilities. Still, we need to be careful where and who we log off around from now on in case we do meet someone simr to Yingzi."

    Chu Liuxiang nodded with a serious face.

    Sometimeter, the three of them left the bathroom.

    "By the way, the Dragon God Festival was postponed for a month, and I''ll be staying here for the whole duration. However, I cannot leave Yingzi unattended, so I''ll be apanying her for a bit." Yuan said.

    Chu Liuxiang nodded, "Alright. Then I won''t bother you for the time being."

    "Can you let the others know the situation for me?"

    "Of course."

    After giving Yuan a passionate kiss on the lips, Chu Liuxiang returned to Cultivation Online.

    Meanwhile, Yuan went to find Meifeng. However, she was also inside Cultivation Online.

    ''I guess Yingzi can experience her foodter.''

    Yuan brought Yingzi outside.

    "I don''t know where to bring you, so let''s just wander until you find something you want to eat," Yuan proposed with a casual smile.

    "Okay!" she nodded eagerly.

 Chapter 1693 Yingzi(4)

    Chapter 1693 Yingzi(4)

    After leaving the Dragon Spiral Mountain, Yuan brought Yingzi to the nearest city for their first destination.

    Before leaving, Yuan consumed an appearance-altering pill to change his face so they don''t attract unwanted attention.

    "We''re moving too slow. I''ll bring you with me like usual." Yingziined halfway there.

    Yuan nodded and said, "Do you see the city in that direction? That''s our destination."

    Yingzi swiftly wrapped her chaotic essence around Yuan and, as if they''d teleported, arrived at the city instantly.

    Earth was simply too small for someone like Yingzi. With her cultivation, she could easily circle the world a dozen times before someone could even finish blinking their eyes.

    ''Either her cultivation is too high for formation to work on her, or it has no effect on those with a Chaotic Heart¡­'' Yuan thought inwardly after realizing the cultivation restricting formation had no effect on Yingzi.

    After arriving at the city, Yingzi took a moment to savor the unique scenery of tall buildings, cars, and bustling humans.

    Although she''d already seen this view through her divine sense, looking at it with her own eyes and being there in person invoked a special feeling that couldn''t be achieved through divine sense.

    A look of awe appeared on Yingzi''s face as she realized theplexity of human technology.

    "Just how did humans achieve this¡­?" she mused in a low voice.

    "This is what happens when society focuses on technology rather than cultivation. You may find this hard to believe, but the majority of this world learned about cultivation only a few years ago," Yuan said with a slight smile.

    "Is that why everyone''s cultivation is so weak¡ªbarely noticeable? Even the weakest beings in the Primal Expanse would be a bigshot here." "Unfortunately."

    Once she had enough of the scenery, Yingzi walked to the nearest restaurant and pointed at it from outside.

    "I want to eat whatever is inside," she said.

    Yuan nodded and approached the waiter by the entrance. "Table for two. Ah, can I also have your biggest table? We''ll be ordering one of everything."

    The waiter looked at Yuan with wide eyes, seemingly in disbelief.

    "One of everything? We have 200 different dishes, you know?"

    Yuan silently nodded.

    "O-okay. Please follow me."

    The waiter led them to one of the biggest tables avable and asked again once they were seated, "Just to confirm, one of everything?"

    "Yes."

    "Umm¡­ can you pay in advance first?"

    Yuan retrieved a ck card and ced it on the table.

    "T-thank you very much, esteemed guest!" The waiter''s eyes flickered with excitement after seeing the card.

    Once the payment was confirmed, the waiter ced their order.

    "Why is it taking so long?" Yingziined not even five minutester, her disappointed gaze focused on the empty table before her.

    "Besides fast food, they only start cooking once an order is ced. This guarantees the food wille out fresh and hot."

    After waiting another ten minutes, their first dish finally arrived, with more dishesing out nearly every minute.

    The workers were initially worried they''d need several tables to amodate all the food, but Yingzi quickly relieved them of their concerns. She devoured each meal within seconds, effortlessly keeping pace with the speed at which dishes wereing out of the kitchen.

    Yuan didn''t touch any of the meals and allowed Yingzi to hoard all of the food. Yingzi''s unfathomable ability to consume so much food with her small body left the others shocked. They took out their cellphones and began recording her.

    "Heavens! Is she a professional eater?"

    "That already exceeds the level of pros!"

    "Where does she keep the food? Is there a ck hole in her stomach?"

    The other customers muttered to each other.

    Once Yingzi finished all of the dishes, she stood up and said to Yuan, "Let''s head to the next ce immediately."

    Yuan nodded with a smile.

    As they walked to their next destination, which was right next door, Yuan asked her, "How does itpare to the meat skewers you''ve been eating?" N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

    With an excited expression on her face, she responded, "The vors are much moreplex, and the textures vary greatly between dishes. While some tasted better than meat skewers, others were less enjoyable. However, overall, even the least impressive dish is far superior to anything I''ve experienced in the Primal Expanse."

    Once they arrived at the restaurant next door, Yuan showed the waiter his ck card and said, "I want to order one of everything on the menu. You can charge me in advance."

    The waiter silently stared at him, as it took some time toprehend his words.

    "R-right away!"

    When the customers from the previous restaurant realized Yingzi nned on eating more, they followed her to the next restaurant with their phones out, acting like a group of paparazzi.

    "My god! They ordered one of everything again!"

    "How much does she n on eating?!"

    An hourter, Yingzi finished every dish with ease, and they made their way to the next food establishment, repeating the same thing.

    News of a monstrous little eater began spreading across the inte, quickly gaining traction. Videos of Yingzi eating gained millions of views in just a few hours, and every single one of these viewers was shocked by her infinite appetite. With her newfound fame, Yingzi earned the nickname Little Fairy of Gluttony.

    However, many were skeptical of her eating ability and imed it was all fake. Once Yingzi became popr enough, people began traveling to her location just to watch her eat with their own eyes, with some traveling even halfway across the world just to confirm her existence.

    "She''s still eating?! This is her 27th food establishment, and she''d been eating almost nonstop for thest ten hours!" The onlookers couldn''tprehend how Yingzi could eat so much.

    When some onlookers attempted to approach her, their advances were immediately halted by Yuan, who was concerned they might annoy Yingzi. He knew that irritating her could potentially lead to disastrous consequences, and he wasn''t willing to take that risk.

    A few stubborn individuals tried to force their way past Yuan, only to be sent flying.

    ''I knew she''d attract attention, but this is too much¡­'' he sighed inwardly.

 Chapter 1694 Yingzi(5)

    Chapter 1694 Yingzi(5)

    "Bastard, who the hell do you think you are?! We are just trying to speak with the Little Fairy of Gluttony!" One of the individuals who tried to force his way through and was sent flying returned shortly after to shout at Yuan.

    "Little Fairy of Gluttony?" Yuan couldn''t help but crack a chuckle after hearing her nickname.

    "Anyway, she''s a friend of mine, and we don''t need any distractions. I don''t mind if you watch from a distance, but stay away from my friend unless you want to die."

    Of course, Yuan had no intention of killing anyone, but Yingzi was a different story. He didn''t know much about her or the limits of her patience, and thest thing he wanted was for things to escte due to her unpredictable nature.

    "Unless you want to die." The man repeated Yuan''s words in a mocking tone. "Get a load of this bastard!"

    Suddenly, another figure stepped forward. He was a skinny young man with depraved facial features, looking like a ghoul.

    "Step aside before you get hurt." The skinny man warned Yuan as he showed off his Spirit Grandmaster cultivation base.

    "..."

    After a moment of silence, a low sigh resounded.

    "Should I just get rid of all of them?" Yingzi stopped eating to ask.

    Yuan looked at her and said, "Just focus on your food. I can deal with them myself."

    "Alright." Yingzi no longer paid them any attention and returned to eating her food.

    Yuan released a defeated sigh the next moment. He looked at the skinny man and muttered, "Since we''ve already attracted this much attention, there''s no point in hiding myself any longer."

    Yuan removed his disguise, revealing his true identity to everyone there.

    "P-yer Yuan?!" Someone from the crowd instantly recognized him and shouted. Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.

    "What?! The same yer Yuan who disappeared after stomping the Fiery Garden of Hell?! He hasn''t shown himself for over three years now!"

    Yuan narrowed his eyes at the skinny Spirit Grandmaster and those around him. "I am having trouble breathing with so many people around me. Do you mind giving me some space?"

    The skinny man snapped out of his daze and hurriedly left without uttering another word. The others swiftly followed.

    Yuan shook his head and returned to his seat. Now that he''d made an appearance for the first time in over three years, the attention on Yingzi skyrocketed to unprecedented levels.

    "yer Yuan returns after three years! Unexpectedly, he''s friends with the Little Fairy of Gluttony!"

    "What''s yer Yuan''s rtionship with Little Fairy of Gluttony?!"

    "yer Yuan disguised himself to be with Little Fairy of Gluttony! A secret rtionship exposed?!"

    Such leadlines swiftly filled the inte.

    Despite the growing attention and the increasing size of the crowd around them, nobody dared to approach Yuan or Yingzi. The spectators kept their distance, content to watch from afar, clearly still fearful of Yuan.

    Although three years had passed, the majority of people still vividly remembered Yuan''s fight with the Fiery Garden of Hell. The sheer intensity of that battle left an evesting impression, keeping his reputation fresh in their minds.

    After spending a few days visiting literally every single food establishment in the city, Yingzi traveled to the next city and repeated the same thing.

    Her seemingly infinite appetite made people wonder if she had a unique physique that refines food into her own energy. Unbeknownst to them, Yingzi truly had an infinite appetite. Shadow Dwellers are made entirely of shadows, so no matter how much Yingzi ate, she would never feel full. However, she doesn''t feel hungry, either.

    While unnecessary, Yingzi still enjoyed eating, just like how powerful cultivators could survive without food but still indulge in it once in a while.

    In the blink of an eye, two weeks had passed since Yingzi''s visit to Earth. During that time, she had experienced a wide variety of foods and cuisines. However, there was only so much truly unique food to try. Eventually, she began encountering simr dishes, with only minor differences in vor and quality.

    Although she still enjoyed them, Yuan could tell that she was slowly getting bored of them.

    "Food can vary greatly depending on our location, with some food only avable in specific parts of the world. If you want to experience newer food, we should travel further." Yuan suggested.

    Yingzi nodded and said, "Okay. I''ll let you choose the ce next." After finishing her current meal, Yuan brought Yingzi to the other side of the world to experience their cuisine.

    They spent one week eating as much food as they could. Then, for thest week, Yuan bought seasoning for her to use in the Primal Expanse. He bought so much that they had to visit several supermarkets because he emptied all of their stock.

    "This month I have spent in this world has been the best of my entire life. I will remember it forever. Thank you," Yingzi said to Yuan with sincerity as they returned to the Dragon Spiral Mountain.

    Yuan nodded with a smile, "You''ve done a lot for me in the Primal Expanse. This is the least I could do for you."

    "Before we return to the Primal Expanse, I would like you to have onest meal."

    "Okay."

    Yuan brought her to the dining room, where a feast prepared by Meifeng was waiting. The Demon Sealing Faction members were also present.

    "So that''s the famous Little Fairy of Gluttony, huh?" Wang Ming chuckled after seeing her.

    "She resembles Xiao Hua¡­" Meixiu mumbled after noticing their simrity. After all, Yingzi borrowed most of her features from Xiao Hua.

    "Although you''ve eaten a lot of food in the past month, you ate mostly alone. Some say food will taste better when you''re eating with others." Yuan said to her.

    Once the introductions were done, they began feasting.

    When Yingzi took her first bite, her eyes widened with surprise.

    ''He''s right¡­ there is something different about this food¡­'' she mused inwardly.

    "Hey, Yuan, the Dragon God Festival is tomorrow, right? How confident do you feel about it?" Shi Lang suddenly asked.

    A stiff smile appeared on Yuan''s face as he responded, "Honestly? I don''t feel confident at all."

    "Seriously?" Everyone there turned to look at him while looking surprised.

 Chapter 1695 The Dragon God Festival Begins!

    Chapter 1695 The Dragon God Festival Begins!

    Seeing their surprised faces, Yuan exined the details of the Dragon God Festival and why he didn''t feel confident with them.

    "The Dragon God is a godlike entity with strength that rivals a Cultivation God. I cannot fathom someone at my level would be able to absorb it, much less refine it."

    While he had a heaven-defying physique that allowed him to refine things one typically could not, even extending the limit of what those around his cultivation could absorb, it did not allow him to refine anything without limit. The training grounds were prime examples. It wasn''t as if he could walk straight into the highest difficulty without any preparation. His body could still be destroyed if its limit was exceeded.

    "There''s also one thing I am worried about."

    Yuan wore a serious expression as he spoke, "There is a chance I might not respawn if I die in the Primal Expanse."

    "What? Why not?" Wang Ming inquired.

    "Because we don''t know everything about the system. What if the revival system only works within the Nine Heavens? What if I am too far away for it to work? The heavens have no influence in the Primal Expanse, after all."

    After a moment of silence, Yuan asked, "Were there any announcements recently? About me, specifically."

    "No, announcements are quite rare nowadays, and anything rted to you would instantly rile up the inte," Meifeng said.

    "In that case, I''m certain there are limitations to the system. Unless someone has learned Celestial-grade techniques before me, there should''ve been an announcement about it. I even received the notification that I was the first. However, since I was in the Primal Expanse when it happened, something probably prevented the announcement from being made."

    "What if it''s like a cell phone and reception?" Wang Xiuying suddenly said. When the others looked at her, she exined, "You know how cell phones cannot receive messages without reception? What if the Nine Heavens is like a cell phone, and the reason it didn''t make any announcement was because it couldn''t receive Yuan''s data in the Primal Expanse?"

    "That does make sense and definitely a possibility¡­" Yuan nodded with a pondering face.

    "In that case, the announcements may show up once you return to the Nine Heavens."

    "I guess we''ll find out when he returns."

    "In any case, the chances of my worriesing true have increased now." Yuan sighed.

    "Having said that, I have no ns on backing down now. I am going to tackle this Dragon God Festival, regardless of the risks," he swiftly continued with a resolute face.

    Although he was concerned, he wasn''t losing his mind over it. After all, he was pretty confident the Primal Monarch wouldn''t let him die needlessly.

    After the feast, Yuan and Yingzi prepared to return to the Primal Expanse.

    "I have learned a lot about humans this past month," Yingzi said as she sat on his balcony.

    "After seeing so many humans, I think I''ll be able to craft a unique appearance for myself."

    She closed her eyes and began visualizing her ideal appearance.

    In the next moment, Yingzi''s appearance began to transform. Her hair grew longer, its color deepening into a much darker shade of ck, resembling the void itself. At the same time, her skin became even paler, almost ghostly white, creating a striking contrast against her dark hair.

    Her height increased, and her face matured slightly. In just a few moments, Yingzi had transformed from a cute, innocent little girl to a strikingly beautiful girl with a naturally aloof expression, and she even wore a ck dress thatplimented her appearance.

    From behind, she appearedpletely human in every aspect. However, once her front was revealed, she left an unforgettable impression, her appearance teetering between human and something ethereal, almost ghostly. It was an otherworldly sight that would linger in one''s mind. N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

    "What do you think?" she asked him afterward.

    Yuan smiled, "I think it suits you perfectly."

    Yingzi smiled back and said, "Now the only thing left for me to experience is sexual intercourse. Hey, let''s have sex before we return to the Primal Expanse."

    Her bazaar words instantly shattered whatever atmosphere they just had. However, Yingzi spoke with such rity that it didn''t sound like a joke at all.

    "That is something you should only experience with the one you love, especially if it''s your first time," Yuan responded with a stiff smile.

    "Is that how it works?"

    "Normally."

    Yingzi wore a disappointed look on her face.

    "Fine."

    Without saying another word, her figure disappeared into Yuan''s shadow.

    Yuan returned to the Primal Expanse shortly after.

    The moment he returned, something in the sky caught his attention.

    There were millions of gold tokens hovering in the sky, and beings could be seen grabbing one from time to time.

    As Yuan wondered about their purpose, a familiar presence approached him.

    "You''re back." Long Yejun spoke with a smile.

    "Yes. What are those tokens in the sky?" Yuan asked him. "Grab one if you wish to participate in the Dragon God Festival," he briefly exined, showing the token in his grasp.

    Yuan looked around and noticed that nearly everyone around him had a token, and there were tens of thousands of beings in his area alone.

    He went to grab one for himself a momentter.

    "I''ll leave just in case the Dragon God matches us in groups." Long Yejun suddenly said.

    He wanted to lower his chance of being matched against Yuan as much as possible.

    "Then I''ll see you after the first trial. Good luck, Brother Yejun."

    "Best of luck to you too." Long Yejun disappeared into the distance shortly after.

    The very next day, Dragon God''s voice rippled throughout the Divine Dragon Sanctuary.

    "This is yourst chance to grab a token and participate in the festival."

    "In thirty seconds, everyone with a participation token will be teleported to a secluded arena with their opponent, and you will not be able to leave until one of you dies. If both fighters are still alive after a month passes, the space will copse and kill both of you."

    The participants were shocked by thest part, which wasn''t mentioned until thest second, causing some of the participants to change their minds by tossing their tokens away.

    Once thirty seconds had passed, everyone holding a token disappeared into thin air without any warning.

    The Dragon God Festival has begun!

 Chapter 1696 Yuans Opponent

    Chapter 1696 Yuan''s Opponent

    After being teleported, Yuan found himself surrounded by darkness, almost as if he''d returned inside the Infinite Spiraling Abyss.

    However, oddly enough, he was able to see his opponent clearly.

    "Hahaha! What luck!" His opponent, a red-headed man,ughed hysterically.

    Yuan stared at his opponent with a calm gaze. This wasn''t their first meeting.

    "I can''t believe I actually got matched with the Primal Monarch''s son! How lucky!"

    "Hellfire Dragon¡­" Yuan muttered with a slight smile on his face.

    Hellfire Dragon was one of the Seven Dragon Monarchs as the Fire Dragon Monarch. He was someone nobody wanted as an opponent, especially for a deathmatch.

    However, despite being matched with one of the strongest beings in Divine Dragon Sanctuary, Yuan wasn''t even the least concerned. After all, his opponent specialized in fire.

    ''Fortunately, I visited the Eternal Phoenix Domain and acquired fire immunity beforeing here.''

    "Why are you staying silent? Are you despairing because you realized that you''re doomed?" Hellfire Dragon taunted, appearing very confident.

    "On the other hand, you talk too much. They say when one realizes they are screwed, they often be more chatty than usual to cope with their anxiety," Yuan sneered, wiping the smile off Hellfire Dragon''s now enraged face.

    "As I thought, I really don''t like you, human."

    The Hellfire Dragon wasted no time transforming into his true dragon form. Shedding his human appearance, he became a massive red dragon, his scales glowing like moltenva. His aura radiated such intense heat that the air around him twisted and shimmered from the scorching energy.

    The Hellfire Dragon''s aura was so powerful that it would have been enough to kill an ordinary Chaotic Commander. However, to Yuan, it was nothing more than afortable, lukewarm sensation, barely worth noticing.

    "So what if you have godly talents? That shit will amount to nothing if you die an early death." Hellfire Dragon remarked. "You got greedy, human. If you hadn''t participated in the Dragon God Festival, you would''ve be a powerful figure."

    Yuan''s face remained calm as he responded to his provocation, "Where is your confidenceing from?"

    "Where?" Hellfire Dragon sneered.

    "Right here!" He abruptly opened his mouth and spat a massive fireball at Yuan.

    Despite seeing the ball of fire hurling at him, Yuan didn''t move a muscle and silently stared at it. Once the fireball was close enough to touch him, Yuan extended a finger to poke at it. The moment his finger came into contact with the fireball, its heat and energy were absorbed.

    "W-what?" Hellfire Dragon''s eyes widened with shock after witnessing his fire being absorbed. Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.

    "Why do you look so bbergasted? Did you think I only had two types of immunities? Unfortunately for you, I am also immune to fire."

    "Since when?!" Hellfire Dragon roared.

    "Since before I came to the Divine Dragon Sanctuary, obviously." Hellfire Dragon clenched his jaws tightly, his gaze so intense it could engulf an entire world in mes.

    "So what if you''re immune to fire? You''re still just a human! I don''t need my fire to kill someone like you!" The Hellfire Dragon startedughing.

    "I heard that you almost died to Long Yejun even when he suppressed his cultivation. I am on the same level as Long Yejun if not a little stronger. There''s nothing you can do to defeat me."

    Yuan chuckled and said, "Brother Yejun is indeed very powerful. However, if I wanted to kill him during our spar, it wouldn''t have been too difficult."

    "You''re bluffing!" Hellfire Dragon did not believe Yuan''s ims for a second.

    Not only was Yuan a mere Chaotic Master, but he was also human, who were inherently weaker than beasts. "Don''t think you can rely on the Primal Monarch''s power for everything! It won''t work on someone like me!"

    "I never intended on using the Primal Monarch''s power, anyway."

    Yuan suddenly retrieved a sword¡ªa majestic sword that emitted an otherworldly aura.

    "A sword?" Hellfire Dragon raised his eyebrows, looking surprised. However, it was not because he was worried.

    "That tiny thing won''t even scratch my scales, much less¡ª"

    In the midst of Hellfire Dragon''s speech, Yuan''s arm suddenly flickered, shooting a powerful sword light made of pure Enhanced Sword Qi at him.

    Sha!

    The sword light went right through Hellfire Dragon''s right wing, cutting through his scales as if they were tofu.

    A momentter, the Hellfire Dragon released a deafening roar, not out of pain, but from the overwhelming shame he felt after realizing one of his wings had been severed. The humiliation of such a blow stung more than any physical injury could.

    "I will make you suffer a fate worse than death for this humiliation!" Hellfire Dragon released onest roar before charging at Yuan in his human form.

    Meanwhile, their fight was being spectated by the onlookers who didn''t participate in the Dragon God Festival. However, it wasn''t just Yuan''s fight that was being broadcasted. Every single fight was disyed for everyone to see.

    Although Yuan''s fight attracted some attention at first, they all went to watch another broadcast, one that had nearly the attention of every single onlooker at the moment.

    This specific broadcast disyed Long Wu Qing''s dominating performance as she brutally toyed with her opponent, which wasn''t too surprising considering her unrivaled status.

    However, what truly surprised the onlookers and initially captured their attention wasn''t just Long Wu Qing''s presence, but her opponent.

    "What''s wrong? Are you already giving up? It hasn''t even been half a day since we started." Long Wu Qing provoked her opponent with a cold grin on her face.

    "Shut up!" her opponent roared, their voice filled with fury. Their entire body was drenched in blood, open wounds covering nearly every inch of their skin. Meanwhile, Long Wu Qing appeared unscathed inparison.

    "What a pitiful sight." Long Wu Qing shook her head at the fully transformed dragon before her.

    "Well, it''s not like you ever had a chance in the first ce¡ªjust as I said. Right, little brother?" Long Wu Qing remarked, her voice cold and condescending as she stared at Long Yejun with an eerily calm expression, unfazed by his bloodied state.

 Chapter 1697 The Siblings Deathmatch

    Chapter 1697 The Sibling''s Deathmatch

    After being teleported, Long Yejun found himself inside a secluded dimension that was created solely for the Dragon God Festival. He didn''t waste any time looking at the void and searched for his opponent.

    However, he instinctively knew who he had been matched against after sensing her tyrannical presence.

    "Elder sister." Long Yejun muttered in a calm voice after confirming that his opponent was Long Wu Qing.

    He had already mentally prepared himself to fight Long Wu Qing, so he didn''t act surprised. As a matter of fact, he had spent the past month preparing to fight Long Wu Qing.

    "Why am I not surprised, little brother?" Long Wu Qing suddenly spoke. "Is this fate, or is this father''s desire?"

    There was a chance the Dragon God had purposefully matched them together. However, they had no proof.

    "Either way, it doesn''t matter. I have been prepared to fight you since I decided to participate in the Dragon God Festival," said Long Yejun.

    "Really? It doesn''t look that way." A cold smile crept on Long Wu Qing''s face as her fierce eyes red at Long Yejun''s left arm, which had been trembling nonstop for some time now.

    "!!!" Long Yejun was surprised when he looked at his arm. He wasn''t aware that he had been trembling until Long Wu Qing mentioned it.

    He hastily grabbed his left arm with his right, forcing it to stop trembling.

    "Hahaha!" Long Wu Qing couldn''t help butugh at his reaction.

    In response, Long Yejun released a deafening roar as he transformed into a blue and white dragon.

    "What''s the rush, little brother? I have a whole month to kill you, so there''s plenty of time to y. However, if you wish a swift death, I can also make that happen."

    "Screw you!" Long Yejun cursed beforeunching a quick Dragon''s Breath at her.

    However, Long Wu Qing casually flung it away with a swatting motion. "At least you''ve be bolder than before. Or maybe it''s because you know you are going to die soon?" Long Wu Qing treated Long Yejun as a joke.

    As infuriated as Long Yejun was, he knew that Long Wu Qing had the power to back up her arrogance.

    "Here, I''ll lower my cultivation a little more for you." Long Wu Qing''s cultivation base suddenly dropped from the peak of Chaotic Command to the peak of Chaotic Master, dropping an entire realm.

    Her actions were incredibly arrogant and the ultimate mockery to her opponent. However, Long Yejun wasn''t offended. If anything, he saw this as his chance.

    ''I knew you''d do something like this! Your arrogance will be your downfall!'' Long Yejun smiled inwardly as he prepared tounch a full-scale attack on her.

    After throwing a few more weak attacks at her, Long Yejun unleashed his most powerful technique, utilizing all of his chaotic essence.

    When facing a monster like Long Wu Qing, a prolonged fight would inevitably end in defeat. There was only one way to stand a chance against someone like her¡ªa swift and sudden attack that exploited her weakness: her arrogance. Her tendency to underestimate her opponents could be her downfall if timed correctly.

    Unfortunately, Long Yejun miscalcted one thing¡ªthe true extent of Long Wu Qing''s overwhelming power.

    Even without transforming, Long Wu Qing easily defended against the strongest attack Long Yejun could muster with his suppressed cultivation.

    "Did you think I was underestimating you?" Long Wu Qing spoke after seeing the look of disbelief on his face.

    "It''s the opposite, little brother. I lowered my cultivation because I know exactly what you''re capable of¡ªthat you''d still not be able to defeat me."

    "You fucking monster¡­" Long Yejun muttered.

    Long Wu QIng''s eyebrows twitched, and she scolded, "Just because you''re about to die doesn''t mean I''ll let you say whatever you want."

    For the next few hours, Long Wu Qing wouldunch an endless assault on Long Yejun, beating him left and right.

    Despite Long Yejun''s attempt to fight back, Long Wu Qing was too overpowering for him to do anything.

    ''Damn it! If only our cultivation wasn''t restricted this much¡­ No¡­ even if the limit was higher, the results would have remained the same¡­'' Long Yejun sighed inwardly, epting the results¡ªhis defeat.

    "Giving up already? This is why I always mess with you." Long Wu Qing looked at him with a disdainful gaze after seeing his state, and she increased the intensity of her attacks.

    "You give up too quickly. You never push yourself past your limit, and you have a habit of running away from your problems. You''re a disgrace to the Dragon God''s bloodline."

    Long Wu Qing''s words ignited a fire in Long Yejun''s heart, and he released a vicious roar.

    "I know I can''t defeat you, but I will survive for a month, and then the both of us will perish together!"

    Long Wu Qing merelyughed at his n, showing no signs of concern. She knew that she could defeat him whenever she wanted, after all.

    A few hourster, Long Wu Qing sighed, "Seeing you struggling like this isn''t fun at all. I''d rather go watch that human''s performance than beat a corpse like you any longer. Anyst words?"

    "..."

    Long Yejun didn''t respond. His body hovered in the void like a lifeless corpse, but he wasn''t dead just yet.

    "Is that so? I hope you said your goodbyes to your human friend, at the very least."

    "He''s¡­ not a¡­ friend¡­" Long Yejun suddenly muttered. "He''s my¡­ brother."

    "I''ll consider those your final words." Without saying another word, Long Wu Qing unleashed a devastating attack at Long Yejun, far more powerful than anything she had disyed so far. "This is yourst chance to intervene, father." Long Wu Qing muttered in a low voice as the attack enveloped Long Yejun''s figure. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    However, the Dragon God did not respond, and Long Yejun''s body was obliterated, disintegratingpletely under the overwhelming power of Long Wu Qing''s attack.

    Long Wu Qing found herself back in the Divine Dragon Sanctuary shortly after.

 Chapter 1698 Hellfire Dragon

    Chapter 1698 Hellfire Dragon

    After returning to the Divine Dragon Sanctuary, Long Wu Qing ignored the nearby stares being tossed her way and looked for Yuan''s fight.

    Once she found it, she disappeared into thin air, appearing at the location it was being broadcasted a momentter.

    Her sudden appearance terrified those nearby, causing them to flee as if their lives depended on it.

    "I see¡­ so that''s how he fights¡­" Long Wu Qing muttered with a slight smile on her face as she analyzed Yuan''s fight.

    If someone were to look at her right now, they''d never imagine she had killed her own little brother just moments ago based on her calm and nonchnt demeanor.

    "Oh, I remember now." Yuan suddenly spoke as he dodged the Hellfire Dragon''s attack.

    "We''ve fought before," he continued.

    "What the fuck are you talking about?" Hellfire Dragon halted his movements to ask. He was certain they had never fought before.

    "Well, you didn''t fight the current me, but Tian Yi," Yuan exined.

    "I recall fighting you near the end of my journey. It happened quite long ago, so I don''t me you if you don''t remember. You had the appearance of a female human at that time, too."

    Although the Hellfire Dragon had the appearance of a human man at this moment, he also had female appearances in his collection. When he first encountered Yuan, he was in his female appearance. The reason Yuan recognized him despite his new appearance was simply because of his unique presence.

    Just like how one could identify Long Wu Qing through her tyrannical presence, one could also identify the Hellfire Dragon through his fiery presence.

    While beings in the Primal Expanse also had genders, such as male and female, some of them tended to adopt whatever appearance they preferred. The distinction between a female human and a male human was mostly cosmetic in their eyes.

    The Hellfire Dragon was a male dragon, but he preferred a female human''s appearance. Hell, even his male appearance was very feminine and could easily be mistaken as a female from afar.

    The Hellfire Dragon became silent to ponder Yuan''s words.

    ''Thest time I fought a human was¡ª''

    His eyes widened after realizing the meaning behind Yuan''s words.

    "Y-you! You were that bastard human from back then?!" Hellfire Dragon cried out loud as he recalled some bitter memories.

    "N-now that I take a good look at your face, you definitely resemble that human! But how is that possible?! You only have a single Chaotic Heart, not to mention your cultivation!"

    Yuan merely smiled at his confusion, refusing to exin further.

    After learning that Yuan was Tian Yi, the Hellfire Dragon''s eyes flickered with fear. He had been badly beaten in the past by Tian Yi, hence his hatred toward humans. "Are you remembering that day?" Yuan suddenly inquired. "You should''ve just left me alone. If you hadn''t provoked me, I wouldn''t have done that to you."

    Hellfire Dragon''s entire being trembled after Yuan mentioned a certain event.

    A few hundred million years ago, the Hellfire Dragon encountered Tian Yi and provoked him, threatening to make him a human pet. Tian Yi became so enraged that he plucked every single one of Hellfire Dragon''s scales, turning him into a scaleless dragon for millions of years until his scales eventually grew back.

    That incident had humiliated the Hellfire Dragon to such an extent that it drove him to the brink of insanity. Consumed by the desire for revenge, he trained like a madman until he became a powerhouse. It could be said that Tian Yi was the catalyst who shaped the Hellfire Dragon into who he is today¡ªone of the formidable Seven Dragon Monarchs.

    However, Tian Yi left the Primal Expanse shortly after that incident and never appeared again. After hundreds of millions of years, Hellfire Dragon started to forget about that incident.

    "After so long, I have finally found you¡­" Hellfire Dragon muttered in a shivering tone, his voice filled with excitement.

    "I have trained myself to the brink of destruction countless times for this moment!"

    The Hellfire Dragon resumed his assault, pouncing at Yuan with a ferocity unlike anything he had shown before. It was as if his power was being fueled by the immense rage he had contained within him for the past several hundred million years.

    Yuan remainedposed. Despite the Hellfire Dragon''s brief boost in power, it was not enough for him to defeat Yuan, who was immune to his fire attacks, and any physical damage dealt would also heal in the blink of an eye.

    The Hellfire Dragon had no real means of defeating Yuan, and as the fight dragged on, it became clear he was merely wasting his energy. Each of his attacks, though fierce,cked the effectiveness needed to ovee Yuan''s defenses.

    On the other hand, every time Yuan struck with Enhanced Sword Aura, Hellfire Dragon needed to expend energy to recover from the damage.

    It was a fight the Hellfire Dragon was destined to lose, and he realized it. However, instead of epting it calmly like Long Yejun, he became more and more frenzied¡ªdesperate.

    Eventually, Yuan had enough and decided to end the fight with Heaven Splitting Sword Strike.

    He unleashed a massive beam of light that closely resembled a Dragon''s Breath. In fact, many onlookers mistook Heaven Splitting Sword Strike as Dragon''s Breath.

    Hellfire Dragon''s figure waspletely engulfed by the light. Once the attack ended, he was nowhere to be seen. N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

    A few momentster, Yuan was transported back to the Divine Dragon Sanctuary.

    "Congrattions on your victory, Yuan." Long Wu Qing approached him shortly after his return.

    "Thank¡ª"

    "However, if that''s the full extent of your capabilities, I''m afraid you won''t qualify to be my opponent," she continued.

    "..."

    Yuan didn''t respond, but it wasn''t due to ack of words. Instead, his attention was drawn to a certain energy lingering around Long Wu Qing.

    "Where''s Brother Yejun?" Yuan suddenly inquired with a serious expression.

    "..."

    Long Wu Qing refused to respond, merely staring at him in a deafening silence.

    "Did you...?" Yuan''s eyes narrowed. He looked at her as if he already knew the answer.

    "Yes, I killed him," Long Wu Qing eventually responded, her voice as calm as it could be.

 Chapter 1699 End of the First Trial

    Chapter 1699 End of the First Trial

    After hearing Ling Wu Qing''s confirmation that Long Yejun had matched up against her and lost, Yuan tightly clenched his fists.

    Long Wu Qing paid attention to every little detail and asked, "Are you angry at me for killing him?"

    Yuan closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath before responding calmly, "No, I am not."

    "Oh?" Long Wu Qing looked genuinely surprised by his answer.

    She knew humans were emotional beings who are often led astray by their emotions, causing them to do unreasonable things.

    "My, my. You''re surprisingly calm. Totally not what I expected." Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    Yuan raised an eyebrow and responded, "Were you expecting me tosh out at you for doing something I would''ve done myself if I had been matched with him?"

    He had prepared to kill Long Yejun if they fought, after all. It would be unreasonable for him to be angry at Long Wu Qing for doing what she has to do.

    Everyone who participated in the Dragon God Festival epted and agreed to such a risk before they grabbed the token so they couldn''tin about being killed.

    "I like you even more now. But that doesn''t mean I will go easy on youter," Long Wu Qing said with a smile.

    Yuan smiled back and said, "I may not me you, but I am still going to vent my anger on you, so I apologize in advance."

    "I thought you weren''t angry?" she raised an eyebrow.

    "Not at you, specifically. Just in general," he rified.

    "But you''re going to take it out on me?" Long Wu Qing chuckled.

    "If anyone could deal with my anger, it''d be you."

    "I guess that''s fine since it''ll make things more entertaining," she nodded with an understanding expression.

    After a few more days, Long Meihui defeated her opponent and returned to the Divine Dragon Sanctuary. When she first heard the news of Long Yejun''s death, she didn''t believe it. However, after she found Long Wu Qing and confirmed Long Yejun''s death, Long Meihui broke down in tears.

    "Waaaaah! This is why I didn''t want to participate! Why would the Dragon God do this¡ªlet his own descendants die?!" she cried out loud.

    "Stop exaggerating. It''s not like he''s gone forever." Long Wu Qing shook her head.

    "As a matter of fact, this isn''t his first time dying," she suddenly revealed.

    "I know that, but it could potentially be millions of years before I see him again!"

    "What''s a few million years to beings like us?" Long Wu Qing sighed.

    "That''s not the point!" Long Meihui screamed.

    "Huh? Who the hell do you think you are raising your voice at?" Long Wu Qing red at her with narrowed eyes.

    "S-sorry¡­" Long Meihui immediately shrunk her body, looking like a timid rabbit.

    "Hmph." Long Wu Qing sneered.

    Long Meihui withdrew to Yuan''s side and asked him, "Are you okay?"

    "I am upset about Brother Yejun''s death, but this is the result if you lose."

    Long Meihui sighed, "I hope he reincarnates soon. I don''t think I can handle being alone with my older sister. She''s too scary."

    Yuan pondered for a moment before asking, "How long does it usually take for one to reincarnate?"

    "It depends on factors I am unfamiliar with. He could immediately reincarnate, or it could take hundreds of millions of years," she answered.

    "I see. I hope he reincarnates sooner thanter."

    After a brief moment of silence, Yuan spoke again, "One more thing. Will he remember memories of his past life?"

    "I can''t say for sure. There''s a chance he might reincarnate without his memories, but I''m sure they will still be deep within his consciousness and eventually resurface."

    "Thank you."

    They proceeded to spectate the other ongoing fights for the remainder of the month.

    Long Wu Qing approached Yuan again a few dayster.

    "Hey, do you have any more of those skewers?" she asked him without any shame or hesitation in her voice.

    "You still have an appetite after everything that happened?" Yuan looked at her with a look of disbelief.

    "Why not?" she responded in an unfazed manner.

    Yuan couldn''t help but admire her carefree nature. It was as if nothing in this world could truly bother her.

    "So, do you have any or not? Or are you going to refuse because I killed Long Yejun? Don''t be so petty," she continued.

    He sighed, "I do have some, but I am running low on supply, so I cannot give them out so casually."

    "Sounds like an excuse to me," she muttered with a displeased look.

    However, Yuan wasn''t lying because he was being petty. He was really running low on meat skewers.

    He had a chance to replenish his supply when he returned to Earth, but he couldn''t bring them back through the system and had to rely on Yingzi, who was capable of bypassing the system and bringing whatever she wanted back with her.

    That said, Yingzi had managed to acquire a tremendous amount of meat skewers. During her food tour, she bought out the entire stock of every single stall she encountered. Of course, it was done using Yuan''s money.

    ''Yingzi has plenty of meat skewers, but I doubt she''d be willing to share them.'' Yuan smiled inwardly. He also had no authority to make her share them, even if it was purchased with his money.

    "If you give me some, I''ll share Long Yejun''s final words with you," Long Wu Qing suddenly bargained.

    Yuan raised an eyebrow at her words.

    "His final words¡­?" he muttered.

    "Alright."

    Yuan retrieved a handful of meat skewers and handed them to Long Wu Qing, who immediately repeated Long Yejun''s final words to him. Word for word.

    "I see¡­" A warm smile appeared on Yuan''s face after hearing it.

    As the end of the first trial approached, more and more participants returned to the Divine Dragon Sanctuary. However, there were still plenty of matches that seemed far from being concluded.

    Once the time limit had been reached, all of the secluded dimensions were forcefully closed, crushing anyone who remained inside them without any warning.

 Chapter 1700 Refining the Dragon Gods Blood

    Chapter 1700 Refining the Dragon God''s Blood

    "Congrattions to those of you who have survived the first trial." The Dragon God''s voice rippled throughout the Divine Dragon Sanctuary.

    "You may choose to continue to the second trial or give up now. Those of you who will continue, keep the token in your grasp. Otherwise, crush it. You have an hour to decide."

    Once the Dragon God''s voice faded, everyone began mumbling to each other.

    "He said that most of us won''t even be able to refine a single drop of blood, correct? Do you think he''s serious, or is he trying to scare us into forfeiting?"

    "Knowing the Dragon God, it could go both ways. It''s extremely risky, no doubt. However, the benefit of this trial is worth the risk, so I am going to risk it."

    "Many of us have risked our lives for much less. This is a no-brainer for me."

    Most of the participants shared simr sentiments.

    Only a few remained hesitant. However, after thinking about it, they realized if they gave up now, they would have fought to the death for nothing in the previous trial. In the end, everyone who survived the first trial decided to participate in the second trial.

    An hourter, the golden token suddenly emitted a golden light, and a small bottle materialized before the participants. Every participant had a single bottle containing ten drops of the Dragon God''s blood.

    "You will need to refine at least nine drops of blood to pass the second trial within three months. If you manage to refine all ten drops of blood, I will give you a special reward at the end." The Dragon God''s voice returned.

    "What kind of reward?" The participants mused to themselves.

    However, the Dragon God did not respond to their curiosity and disappeared after saying, "The second trial begins now."

    Yuan inspected the bottle of blood in his grasp. He had a quarter of a year to refine nine drops of blood, which seemed plenty of time at a nce.

    However, after inspecting the Dragon God''s blood, each drop contained an immense amount of chaotic essence that could take months if not years to refine, but they''re only given three months to refine nine drops, which seemed impossible.

    The first participant to act and consume a drop of the Dragon God''s blood was Long Wu Qing. She retrieved a drop and swallowed it without hesitation. She then closed her eyes and began to cultivate in silence.

    Many participants followed and consumed their first drop.

    "Agh!" Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.

    Suddenly, a painful shout pierced the air, drawing everyone''s attention. As heads turned toward the source of the scream, the individual who had cried out exploded into a gruesome, bloody mess before anyone could fully process what had happened.

    However, that was just the beginning, and the situation quickly grew more chaotic as more and more participants exploded after failing to refine the Dragon God''s blood.

    The gruesome scene terrified the others, but they couldn''t forfeit now and forcefully consumed their first drop of blood.

    In half an hour, nearly 70 percent of the participants had perished from just the first drop of blood. There were tens of millions of participants who had passed the first trial, so one could imagine the carnage that urred within these thirty minutes.

    Yuan was one of thest participants to consume the Dragon God''s blood. As soon as the first drop entered his body, a powerful surge of energy began coursing through his veins, filling him with a strength unlike anything he had felt before.

    However, that sensation was short-lived. Shortly after his body began surging with energy, something within his body activated and started consuming the energy at a tremendous rate.

    <Nine Dragon Symbols have activated!>

    <Nine Dragon Symbols has absorbed the Dragon God''s blood!>

    The energy from the Dragon God''s blood disappeared within minutes, causing Yuan to raise an eyebrow.

    When nothing else happened after waiting for several minutes, Yuan looked at the bottle of blood in his grasp. After some consideration, he retrieved the second drop of blood and consumed it.

    His actions greatly bewildered the onlookers.

    "Didn''t he just consume a drop of blood a few minutes ago?"

    "You''re saying he''s already on the second drop? Impossible! Even the Unrivaled Tyrant is still on her first drop of blood! You definitely saw it wrong, and he''d just consumed his first drop."

    The onlookers quickly dismissed the possibility that Yuan had already refined the first drop of blood, let alone started on the second¡ªeveryone, that is, except for Yingzi. Having been watching Yuan closely from the very beginning, she was certain that he had already refined the first drop of the Dragon God''s blood.

    "There''s no way he''d just refined a drop of my enhanced blood in just a few minutes. Did you do something to him?" The Dragon God questioned the Primal Monarch after witnessing this.

    The Primal Monarch calmly shook his head and refuted, "No, I have nothing to do with this."

    <Nine Dragon Symbols have activated!>

    <Nine Dragon Symbols is resonating with the Dragon God''s blood!>

    <Nine Dragon Symbols has absorbed the Dragon God''s blood!>

    Yuan absorbed the second drop of blood just as fast as the first¡­ No, it was slightly faster.

    "No, no, no. There''s just no way!" The Dragon God eximed as he watched Yuan consume the third drop of blood, his voice filled with disbelief.

    "You must''ve done something to help him! I refuse to believe a human has the capability to refine my blood this quickly!"

    The Primal Monarch red at him and sneered, "Why would I lie to you? If I said I have nothing to do with it, then I didn''t." His tone was cold, leaving no room for doubt or further questioning.

    The Dragon God clenched his fists as he returned to focusing on Yuan, who was already preparing to consume the fourth drop of blood.

    A few momentster.

    <Nine Dragon Symbols have reached level four!>

 Chapter 1701 Dragon Gods Special Reward

    Chapter 1701 Dragon God''s Special Reward

    <Nine Dragon Symbols have reached level four!>

    <Due to the Nine Dragon Symbols, you have gained the ability to use ''True Dragon Awakening''>

    [True Dragon Awakening]

    [Grade: ???]

    [Description: Further increases your physical capabilities when transformed. Your base Physical Strength and Physical Defense will be multiplied by 10 times.]

    "Oh my god! What are we witnessing?! He''s already on his fourth drop of blood!" The onlookers were bewildered once they confirmed that Yuan had actually managed to refine the Dragon God''s blood in such a short time.

    "The Unrivaled Tyrant is still on her first drop of blood! The difference is overwhelming!"

    "What''s causing this disparity? How can a human consume the Dragon God''s blood with such ease?"

    The onlookers tried their hardest toprehend the bizarre events urring before them. Unbeknownst to them, even the Dragon God was baffled by it.

    However, when Yuan''s Nine Dragon Symbols reached level four, its existence was revealed for a split second, and the Dragon God did not miss it.

    "There''s a mysterious and powerful power hidden deep within his body. To be able to evade even my detection, its origin might surpass even myself." The Dragon God spoke with a profound frown on his face.

    "Primal Monarch, do you know anything about it? He''s your son, after all." He turned to the Primal Monarch for help.

    "Do you know every little thing about your own children?" The Primal Monarch responded with a question.

    "If you''re that curious, you can just ask himter."

    The Dragon God sighed inwardly, ''At this rate, he''ll refine all of my blood.''

    Despite offering a special reward for anyone who could refine all of his blood, the Dragon God never truly expected anyone to aplish it. However, now that someone appeared to have a good chance of clearing the second trial perfectly, he found himself having to seriously consider what the reward would be.

    Meanwhile, Yuan continued to refine the Dragon God''s blood at a shocking rate.

    <Nine Dragon Symbols have activated!>

    <Nine Dragon Symbols is resonating with the Dragon God''s blood!>

    <Nine Dragon Symbols has absorbed the Dragon God''s blood!>

    In less than an hour, Yuan had cleared the second trial by refining nine drops of the Dragon God''s blood.

    ''There''s only one drop left.'' Yuan thought inwardly as he stared at the final drop of blood inside its container.

    Since he''d already refined nine drops of blood without any issues, Yuan had no reason to worry about the final drop and tossed it into his mouth without hesitation.

    After consuming the blood, Yuan closed his eyes to let the Nine Dragon Symbols do all the work.

    A few minutester, Yuan opened his eyes and took a deep breath.

    "That should be the end of it," he muttered. N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

    However, shortly after he refined all of the Dragon God''s blood, Yuan was forcefully teleported to another location.

    "What''s this?" Yuan calmly stared at the Dragon God and asked.

    "I''m going to distribute the special reward to you right now," he said with a profound smile.

    "Oh?" The Dragon God teleported him again. He was now standing before a massive pool of blood that was drifting somewhere in the Infinite Expanse.

    "Is this what I think it is?" Yuan swallowed nervously.

    The Dragon God nodded and said, "Yes, this is a pool of my blood, and it is also your special reward. I will give you until the end of the second trial to refine as much blood as you can from here."

    "Seriously? That means I get to spend three entire months absorbing as much blood as I want?" Yuan did not expect the Dragon God to be so generous.

    "That''s exactly what it means. Are you not satisfied?" he asked.

    "Of course not! I am more than satisfied!" Not wanting to waste any more time, Yuan immediately jumped into the pool that wasrge enough to be considered an ocean.

    <Nine Dragon Symbols have activated!>

    <Nine Dragon Symbols has absorbed the Dragon God''s blood!>

    A whirlpool appeared around Yuan when he started to absorb the blood. Although the blood wasn''t enhanced, the quantity more than made up for it.

    "What a terrifying scene..." the Dragon God mused to himself, watching in astonishment as Yuan consumed his blood like a ck hole.

    "At this rate, he might empty the entire ce before the three months are up!" the Dragon God swallowed nervously.

    A month passed in the blink of an eye.

    <Nine Dragon Symbols have reached level five!>

    <Due to the Nine Dragon Symbols, you have attained a ''Dragon Body''>

    [Dragon Body]

    [Description: Your body now has the natural resilience and raw strength of a real dragon, even without transforming.]

    After acquiring a ''Dragon Body,'' Yuan''s physique became akin to that of a true dragon while still retaining his human form. His natural strength, resilience, and power had all drastically increased, giving him the might of a dragon in the body of a man.

    Dragons stood at the pinnacle of natural strength, born with immense power second to none. Even an infant true dragon could easily kill cultivators in the Divine Realm. In terms of innate prowess, even if Yuan had never acquired the Golden Immortal Physique, he would still be the strongest human with his Dragon Body.

    After another two weeks, the Dragon God started to refill the blood in order to prevent it from being sucked dry.

    "What a monster¡­" The Dragon God muttered with a stiff smile.

    While Long Wu Qing was undoubtedly stronger than Yuan at the moment, the Dragon God believed that Yuan had the potential to not only catch up to her but eventually surpass her.

    Time continued to pass. As the second trial neared its end, Long Wu Qing barely managed to refine the ninth drop of blood with only a week left to spare.

    ''I don''t sense his presence anywhere in the Divine Dragon Sanctuary¡­ Did he really die from trying to refine the Dragon God''s blood? What a pity¡­'' she shook her head in disappointment.

    However, she didn''t linger too much on such feelings and immediately prepared for the final trial.

 Chapter 1702 The Final Trial

    Chapter 1702 The Final Trial

    Long before Long Wu Qing even refined her ninth drop of blood, every other participant had already been disqualified. Some tried to refine more blood than they could handle and perished, while others gave up after refining their first drop of blood.

    The vast majority of participants perished in the second trial, meaning tens of millions of participants were killed in just a few months. This level of casualty was unprecedented in the entire Primal Expanse and would definitely go down in history as the most deadly Dragon God Festival.

    Of those few thousand participants who survived, about 95 percent of them only refined a single drop of blood. The rest of them only managed to absorb two drops of blood at most, with Long Meihui beating everyone at five drops of blood.

    "What? You''re telling me that Yuan, a human, had managed to refine all ten drops of blood in less than a day?! As if I''d believe that, you idiot!" Long Meihui didn''t dare to believe this information despite being told by many witnesses.

    "Where is Yuan right now? I want to verify it with him!"

    "We don''t know where he went. That human disappeared shortly after refining all ten drops of blood."

    "The Dragon God probably took him away. Understandably so, too."

    Long Meihui scanned the entire Divine Dragon Sanctuary for Yuan''s presence, and sure enough, he had vanishedpletely.

    "T-that doesn''t prove anything!" Long Meihui continued being in denial.

    It was simply too hard to believe that a human with such a low cultivation could absorb the Dragon God''s blood, much less refine it.

    However, when she recalled Yuan''s unbelievable achievements prior to the Dragon God Festival, his newest achievement became less unbelievable.

    "Does my elder sister know about this?" Long Meihui asked. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    The onlookers immediately shook their heads.

    "Who''d dare be the one to let her know that someone¡ªa mere human¡ªhad managed topletely surpass her? She also disappeared somewhere after shepleted the trial."

    Not many people dared to speak with Long Wu Qing under normal circumstances, so it was even less likely that someone would approach her with bad news.

    "So she doesn''t know¡­ I wonder how she''ll react once she realizes¡­" Long Meihui muttered.

    Meanwhile, somewhere in the Infinite Expanse, Yuan continued absorbing the Dragon God''s blood.

    <Nine Dragon Symbols have reached level six!>

    <Due to the Nine Dragon Symbols, you have attained a ''Dragon Core'', increasing your cultivation speed by 100,000%. Your Dragon Core will also passively absorb and refine spiritual energy.>

    After acquiring a Dragon Core, Yuan''s body naturally absorbed the surrounding energy with astonishing speed, as if he were actively cultivating even when at rest. This meant that even when sleeping, he''d cultivate faster than someone actively trying their hardest, giving him an unfair advantage during a fight when his enemy cannot replenish spiritual energy as easily.

    Suddenly.

    <Harmonious Heaven Refining Immortal Physique has activated>

    <Dragon Core has begun fusing with Chaotic Heart>

    Ding!

    <Dragon Core has fused with Chaotic Heart>

    <You have attained Chaotic Dragon Core>

    Yuan''s Dragon Core had unexpectedly fused with his Chaotic Heart. Now, it can absorb both spiritual energy and chaotic essence without any issue. "You have one day left." The Dragon God notified him when his buffet was nearing its end.

    Yuan opened his eyes and asked, "Do you mind if I take some of your blood back to my world?"

    The Dragon God raised his eyebrows in a questioning manner and inquired about his reason for needing his blood.

    Not hiding anything, Yuan exined that he knew a certain dragon family in the Nine Heavens and identally absorbed all of their precious blood during a sacred ceremony, and he promised to help them.

    "Your blood is almost identical to the blood I absorbed at that time, so I figured I could use it to refill their supply," he said.

    "Identical¡­? It can''t be¡­" The Dragon God muttered with a serious expression on his face.

    "I promise I won''t take much," Yuan added.

    The Dragon God nodded and said, "I''ll let you take some, but in return, you''ll have to forfeit yourst day here."

    "Deal!" Yuan did not hesitate to sacrifice a day of Dragon God''s blood buffet to repay the Xi Family.

    Yuan proceeded to collect the Dragon God''s blood with arge bottle.

    "Okay, I''ve collected enough." Yuan did not get greedy and only collected what he needed to help recover the Xi Family''s blood pond.

    "Then I will send you back now." The Dragon God said.

    The next moment, Yuan found himself back in the Divine Dragon Sanctuary.

    "The second trial has concluded, with two participants who have passed." The Dragon God''s voice rippled throughout the Divine Dragon Sanctuary shortlyter.

    "What? Two participants? Who''s the second?"

    The beings who were not aware of Yuan''s feat wondered.

    Somewhere in the Divine Dragon Sanctuary, Long Wu Qing had a greatly surprised expression on her face.

    "Two¡­? Is that why the trial didn''t end when I finished? Cause there was someone else in the trial? Who is the other?" she mused to herself.

    Yuan did note to her mind because she thought he''d already died.

    "The final trial will begin in ten minutes."

    Ten minutester, the Dragon God forcefully teleported Yuan and Long Wu Qing to a secluded tform in the Infinite Expanse. "Y-you''re still alive?!" Long Wu Qing''s eyes widened in shock as she saw Yuan standing beside her, alive andpletely healthy. "You thought I was dead?" Yuan chuckled.

    "But I couldn''t sense your presence! And I searched the entire Divine Dragon Sanctuary!"

    "Ah, that''s because I was teleported by the Dragon God after I finished the trial," he briefly exined.

    "What¡­?" She looked as if she were staring at a ghost, her face frozen in disbelief. In her entire life, she had never experienced such shock.

    "That means you had refined nine drops of blood even before me¡­?" she muttered in a dazed voice.

    "Nine drops? No, I refined all ten drops." Yuan corrected her with a smug look.

    "?!?!?!"

 Chapter 1703 Consuming the Dragon Gods Blood Essence

    Chapter 1703 Consuming the Dragon God''s Blood Essence

    "Ten drops of blood? He refined all ten drops of blood¡­?" Long Wu Qing muttered to herself with a somewhat nk look on her face, looking like she was experiencing a mental breakdown.

    As unbelievable as it sounded, Long Wu Qing did not doubt Yuan''s im. "How did you do it?" she asked.

    "That''s a secret," Yuan replied with a smile.

    However, even Yuan didn''t know the answer. While he knew it was due to the Nine Dragon Symbols, he was unaware of its origins.

    Long Wu Qing narrowed her eyes at him, almost as if she were trying to unveil his secrets.

    ''His body has be stronger than before, and even his Chaotic Heart is different. It must''ve been the effect of consuming the Dragon God''s blood.''

    If Long Wu Qing knew that Yuan had absorbed and refined an ocean of the Dragon God''s blood in the amount of time it took her to refine nine drops of blood, she''d probably go crazy from shock.

    "Are you two done flirting with each other yet? If so, I''ll begin the final trial." The Dragon God suddenly said.

    "What nonsense is that¡­?" Long Wu Qing almost couldn''t believe her ears.

    "I am ready. You can start the trial whenever." Yuan said.

    The Dragon God retrieved two drops of his Blood Essence and gave a drop to Yuan and Long Wu Qing.

    "I will give you a month to refine my Blood Essence. The first to sessfully refine it will be the winner of this Dragon God Festival and have one wish granted by me." The Dragon God exined the rules.

    "..."

    After hearing the rules, Long Wu Qing looked at Yuan with a slight frown. If he''d managed to refine all ten drops of the Dragon God''s blood faster than she could refine nine drops, there was a good chance he''d also beat her in the third trial.

    ''No¡­ what am I even thinking?'' Long Wu Qing shook her head to wake herself up.

    ''I can''t believe I thought I''d lose before the trial began. This is not like me at all.''

    "Good luck," Yuan suddenly said to Long Wu Qing.

    "The final trial begins¡­ now." The Dragon God announced a momentter.

    Like the first trial, the trial was broadcast to everyone in the Divine Dragon Sanctuary, and everyone watched as Yuan and Long Wu Qing consumed the Blood Essence.

    <You have consumed Dragon God''s Blood Essence>

    <Immortal Monarch''s Bloodline is reacting to Dragon God''s Blood Essence>

    Ding!

    <Due to the immense energy, you are having trouble absorbing the Dragon God''s Blood Essence>

    <Nine Dragon Symbols has activated>

    <Nine Dragon Symbols has absorbed some of the Dragon God''s Blood Essence>

    <Harmonious Heaven Refining Immortal Physique has activated>

    <Harmonious Heaven Refining Immortal Physique has begun refining the Dragon God''s Blood Essence>

    For the first time ever, all three of Yuan''s unique traits worked together to tackle a single source of power. However, even with his Immortal Monarch''s Bloodline, Harmonious Heaven Refining Immortal Physique, and Nine Dragon Symbols working together, the Dragon God''s Blood Essence was still too much for someone at Yuan''s level to handle.

    The Dragon God narrowed his eyes at Yuan and wondered, ''As I figured¡­ No matter how much of my blood he absorbs, they''re just ordinary blood. It cannotpare to even a drop of my Blood Essence¡­ Is this his limit?''

    Yuan could feel his body swelling. He was on the verge of bursting from the overwhelming pressure building inside him like a balloon with too much air.

    ''Ah¡­ is this the end¡­?'' Yuan sighed inwardly, unable to do anything to reverse or fix the situation.

    The Primal Monarch appeared and prepared to save him. However, the Dragon God intervened, saying, "You shouldn''t spoil your child too much. In case you forgot, we''re still in the middle of the Dragon God Festival. I will not allow any intervention, even if it''s from you."

    "Get out of my way." A vicious glint flickered within the Primal Monarch''s eyes, and his aura emitted killing intent.

    For the first time ever, the Primal Monarch disyed bloodlust.

    The Dragon God trembled, but he was unrelenting, even prepared to fight to death.

    Suddenly, a mythical aura appeared, captivating both the Dragon God and the Primal Monarch.

    When they followed the aura''s direction, it led them directly to Yuan.

    "What the¡ª?" The Dragon God subconsciously muttered. His eyes widened as he witnessed a golden object emerging from Yuan''s chest.

    Once fully exposed, it was revealed to be a spear-like object.

    When the Dragon God attempted to probe the spear with his divine sense, it was instantly and forcefully canceled, something that could only be done by an entity of equal or stronger prowess. This unexpected resistance left him momentarily taken aback.

    Suddenly, the golden spear''s tip aimed directly at Yuan and shot forward. It pierced through the front of his chest and exited out his back,pletely prating his body in one swift, brutal motion.

    Ding!

    <Dragon''s Soul has absorbed some of the Dragon God''s Blood Essence>

    <Dragon''s Soul is resonating with the Dragon God''s Blood Essence>

    <Dragon''s Soul has fully awakened>

    <Dragon''s Soul has evolved into ''Dragon God''s Vengeance''>

    [Dragon God''s Vengeance]

    [Level: Max]

    [Rank: Soul Weapon]

    [Growth Rate: ???]

    [Requirement: Can only be wielded by yer Yuan]

    [Description: A beautiful golden spear with an unknown origin. It is shrouded with a mysterious aura that will render all spiritual energy useless.]

    [Unique Ability: Requires level 1 Nine Dragon Symbols to activate. When this weapon is out, it greatly enhances the strength of its wielder''s Dragon Techniques.]

    [Unique Ability(2): Requires level 3 Nine Dragon Symbols to activate. If a dragon is killed with this weapon, the effects of this weapon will increase based on the dragon''s strength. This weapon also deals 100,000% increased damage to dragons and 10,000% increased damage to other beings.]

    [Unique Ability(3): Requires level 6 Nine Dragon Symbols to activate. Allows the user to use Dragon God''s Vengeance''s special technique, Dragon God''s Suppression. If an enemy is struck by Dragon God''s Suppression, their bloodline will be sealed. This effect can only be removed by the Dragon God''s Vengeance. Only one bloodline can be sealed at a time.]

    [Unique Ability(4): Requires level 9 Nine Dragon Symbols to activate. ???]

    N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

 Chapter 1704 End of the Dragon God Festival

    Chapter 1704 End of the Dragon God Festival

    Once the Dragon God''s Vengeance helped him absorb some of the Dragon God''s Blood Essence, Yuan no longer felt like he was expanding uncontrobly. However, he was still having trouble refining it.

    The Dragon God stared at the Dragon God''s Vengeance with a profound expression, his gaze sharp and intense, almost as if he were trying to stare a hole into it.

    Although he couldn''t see inside the Dragon God''s Vengeance, he was sure it contained a powerful soul, one strong enough to cancel out his divine sense.

    While the Dragon God hadn''t used his full strength in his initial attempt to peer inside the spear, he had no intention of trying again. He didn''t want to risk angering the being within, and he had a strong sense that even with his full power, the oue would remain unchanged.

    Meanwhile, Long Wu Qing also struggled to refine the Dragon God''s Blood Essence. While she was strong enough to endure its overwhelming energy, she quickly realized that she would need far longer than a month to refine the Blood Essence fully. However, she didn''t give up and tried her best.

    "Hey¡­ isn''t that considered cheating?" One of the onlookers suddenlymented after witnessing everything.

    "You literally just spoke my mind. Using a treasure to assist you is outright cheating."

    "But was there a rule that prohibited them from using treasures?" Someone asked.

    "No¡­ and the Dragon God didn''t immediately disqualify him, so it must be within the rules."

    The onlookers began debating with each other on the legality of Yuan using the Dragon God''s Vengeance to assist him in refining the Dragon God''s Blood Essence.

    Although it was not explicitly stated, using external treasures during this trial was certainly against the rules. However, the Dragon God did not consider the Dragon God''s Vengeance an external treasure for one simple reason¡ªbecause it was directly connected to Yuan''s soul. In that sense, it was more a part of his body than a separate item, making it an exception.

    Having said that, even if Yuan cheated a little, the Dragon God wouldn''t have minded. After all, it was unreasonable to expect a human at Yuan''s cultivation level to refine his Blood Essence in the first ce.

    Two weekster¡ª

    <You have refined the Dragon God''s Blood Essence>

    <Immortal Monarch''s Blood has begun to evolve>

    [Progress: 11%]

    <Nine Dragon Symbols has begun to evolve>

    [Progress: 50%]

    <Nine Dragon Symbols have reached level seven!>

    <Due to the Nine Dragon Symbols, you have attained a ''Dragon Heart'', allowing you to learn and use dragon technique as if you are a true dragon, and your physical capabilities have improved drastically.>

    Although the Dragon God''s Blood Essence had beenpletely refined, Yuan had only managed to refine a portion of it, with the Dragon God''s Vengeance refining the majority of it.

    "Congrattions, you have won, bing this year''s Dragon God Festival winner." The Dragon God approached him shortly after he finished

    Yuan pulled the Dragon God''s Vengeance out of his chest and looked at it with a pondering face before asking, "Doesn''t this count as cheating since I didn''t technically refine your Blood Essence myself?"

    The Dragon God smiled, "You''re an honest one, huh? Don''t worry, it''s fine. I doubt anyone else would be able to replicate what you did even with the help of treasures."

    Yuan nodded.

    He turned to look at Long Wu Qing the next moment. She was still trying to refine the Blood Essence, and her entire body was bulging with veins.

    The Dragon God suddenly turned his gaze toward her, making a swift grasping motion. In an instant, he forcefully ejected his Blood Essence from her body. Even if a Blood Essence had been absorbed, as long as it hadn''t been fully refined, it could still be retrieved.

    Afterward, Long Wu Qing immediately began gasping for air, herplexion as pale as a ghost. Despite her rming appearance, she was merely exhausted and not physically injured.

    After catching her breath, she turned to look at Yuan and then the Dragon God.

    "I see¡­ so I lost, huh?" she muttered in a bitter voice.

    Long Wu Qing struggled to get on her feet before limping toward Yuan.

    "In one month¡ªNo¡­ we will have our match in one week," she said with a fierce gaze.

    Yuan then said, "I don''t mind dying it a little so you can recover properly."

    "This kind of injury will heal within days, and I want to fight you as soon as possible."

    He nodded, "If you insist, we will fight in a week."

    "Meet me at the Endless Arena exactly a week from now," she said.

    "I understand."

    After receiving Yuan''s confirmation, Long Wu Qing disappeared into thin air.

    "As the Dragon God Festival winner, you have earned one wish. Tell me your wish," said the Dragon God a momentter.

    Yuan stared at him in the eyes and spoke in a clear and calm voice, "I want to borrow the Sacred Chalice of Purification. I need to bring it outside the Divine Dragon Sanctuary." This is from N?velDrama.Org.

    "..."

    The Dragon God didn''t immediately respond, but his eyes were wide with disbelief.

    "T-that''s your wish? You can have almost anything, you know?" The Dragon God almost couldn''t believe how simple Yuan''s wish was and had to double-check.

    "I don''t need anything else. I just need to borrow the Sacred Chalice of Purification," Yuan repeated.

    "..."

    The Dragon God fell silent again.

    Sometimeter, he sighed, "If that''s your wish, so be it. However, rather than just letting you borrow it, I''ll let you keep it. The Sacred Chalice of Purification is a powerful treasure that can remove almost any curse out there."

    The Dragon God made a swift grasping motion toward a specific direction. Momentster, a beautiful golden chalice materialized in his hand, adorned with two lifelike dragons swimming around the cup.

    He handed the treasure to Yuan the next moment.

    <You have acquired Sacred Chalice of Purification>

    [Sacred Chalice of Purification]

    [Grade: Celestial]

    [Quality: Peak]

    [Description: A treasure of unknown origins. It has the power to remove almost all curses. Feed the chalice a drop of blood from the target to remove their curses.]

    "Thank you." Yuan immediately tossed the chalice inside his spatial ring.

    "Now that the Dragon God Festival is over, I would like to have a private word with you. It''s rted to the soul within that spear of yours." The Dragon God suddenly said.

 Chapter 1705 Dragon Goddess Yeyous Origin

    Chapter 1705 Dragon Goddess Yeyou''s Origin

    "You want to talk about the soul inside my spear¡­?" Yuan looked at the Dragon God''s serious expression and swallowed nervously.

    Noticing his nervous look, the Dragon God said, "Don''t worry, it''s not what you''re thinking. I just want to confirm something that has been weighing my mind for some time now."

    Yuan nodded, "Alright."

    The Dragon God created a rift between them and stepped inside it. Yuan followed.

    The Primal Monarch, who had been silent this entire time, also followed them.''

    After emerging from the other side of the rift, Yuan found himself in the Dragon God''s personal world. Strangely, it looked exactly like the Infinite Expanse, with vast stretches of empty space all around. They stood on a floating rock, slowly drifting through the void.

    The Dragon God looked at the Primal Monarch and sighed, "What part of private conversation don''t you understand, Primal Monarch? Are you still worried that I might harm him or something?"

    "I also want to confirm something. Don''t mind me and just have your conversation," he calmly said.

    Yuan then said, "Before that, I have a question for you, Dragon God."

    "What is it?"

    "Did you purposefully match Long Yejun against Long Wu Qing?" he asked with a serious expression on his face.

    "..."

    The Dragon God smiled and replied, "I had nothing to do with their match. It was truly purely coincidence that they were matched up against each other. Whether you believe me or not is up to you."

    "Since you''re such good friends with Long Yejun, let me tell you something. Long Yejun has already reincarnated."

    "What? Is that true?!" Yuan''s eyes flickered with excitement.

    "Yes. Not only that, but he''s even reincarnated in the human world."

    "Huh?" Yuan was taken aback by this information. "You mean he reincarnated in the Nine Heavens? Are you sure?"

    "Yes, I am certain. I watched him leave the Primal Expanse after his death."

    Yuan clenched his fists with excitement.

    ''Brother Yejun reincarnated in the Nine Heavens¡­ This is great news.'' He decided to find Long Yejun once he returned to the Nine Heavens. This is from N?velDrama.Org.

    "Now then, let me ask you a few questions." The Dragon God said.

    "That soul living inside your spear¡­ what is their identity?"

    "I''m not sure I can reveal her identity without her permission¡­"

    "Then, can you tell me if she is a dragon or not?"

    "She''s a dragon." Yuan nodded.

    The Dragon God fell silent for a moment before looking Yuan in the eyes and asking, "Do you think I can have a word with her?"

    "You want to speak with her? Why?" Yuan asked with a puzzled expression.

    "I think I know her," he said in a sincere voice.

    Yuan began pondering, ''If Feng Feng originated from the Primal Expanse, it''s likely Dragon Goddess Yeyou also came from this world.''

    "Let me ask her."

    Yuan retrieved the Dragon God''s Vengeance and spoke to it, "The Dragon God would like to speak with you. Can youe out for a moment?"

    "..."

    Silence.

    "Sorry, but I don''t think¡ª"

    Just as Yuan opened his mouth, the Dragon God''s Vengeance trembled, and Dragon Goddess Yeyou materialized before them.

    Yuan immediately noticed that she looked a lot moreplete than before.

    ''Is this due to the Dragon God''s Blood Essence?'' he wondered inwardly.

    "As I thought, it was you¡­" Dragon God muttered after seeing Dragon Goddess Yeyou with his own eyes.

    "Do you remember me?" he asked, his voice emotional.

    "I do, but I only regained my memories of the Primal Expanse recently," she responded in a nonchnt voice.

    "Why are you in that state?" Dragon God then asked.

    Dragon Goddess Yeyou remained silent.

    "I never thought I would see you again¡­ sister," Dragon God continued speaking.

    "What¡­?" Yuan''s eyes widened with shock after hearing the word ''sister''e out of the Dragon God''s mouth.

    Dragon God looked at him and smiled, "Yes, that''s right. She''s my sister¡ªmy twin sister. However, having said that, we were originally one being."

    "???" Yuan wore a puzzled look on his face.

    "We were the Dragon God¡ªa single being. However, we eventually split into two, bing two different individuals," he exined.

    "How does something like that even work?" Yuan asked.

    "We were two souls born into a single body, so we don''t share the same mind," the Dragon God further exined. "Because of that, we were able to split ourselves into two and have our own bodies. However, in doing so, we also split our talents and prowess in half."

    Yuan was shocked by this information, as this meant that the Dragon God and Dragon Goddess Yeyou only had half of their original strength. Yet, they were still able to stand at the peak of their respective world.

    ''How powerful would they be if they returned to being a single being again? Would they surpass even the Primal Monarch?'' Yuan wondered as he nced at the Primal Monarch.

    As if he could read Yuan''s mind, the Primal Monarch said, "No, they won''t. I have defeated them even before they split into two."

    "That was billions of years ago! Things might be different now!" Dragon God rebuked.

    He then stopped paying attention to the Primal Monarch and returned to looking at Dragon Goddess Yeyou.

    "Now that you''ve returned to the Primal Expanse, will you stay? I can help heal your damaged soul and restore your body," he asked.

    "No, I still have unfulfilled business. Also, I left this ce for a reason."

    "I see¡­ at least I got to see you again, as brief as it may be¡­"

    Dragon Goddess Yeyou suddenly turned to look at Yuan, her gaze seemingly demanding something from him.

    "How long do you n on ignoring me? You should have regained most of your memories by now. Are you still going to act like you don''t know why I am upset?" she asked. "..."

    Yuan suddenly became silent.

    He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

    When he opened his eyes again, they flickered with a profound light, and his entire demeanor shifted. It was as if a deep, ancient soul had awakened within him, transforming his presence entirely.

    "I wasn''t pretending, nor am I ignoring you. I just didn''t want to bother you before I figured out how to make it up to you," Yuan said with a bittersweet smile. "I''m sorry, Yeyou."

    Yuan dropped the formalities, calling her directly by her name.

    "Hmph," she sneered.

 Chapter 1706 Their Relationship

    Chapter 1706 Their Rtionship

    "You¡­ what''s your rtionship with my sister?" The Dragon God inquired as he stared at Yuan with raised eyebrows. This is from N?velDrama.Org.

    "She''s my follower¡ª" Yuan stopped mid-sentence as Dragon Goddess Yeyou shot him a dangerous re, her eyes warning him not to continue.

    "Ahem!" Yuan quickly cleared his throat before correcting himself, "She''s my lover."

    "?!?!" Hearing this unexpected answer, the Dragon God''s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets from shock.

    The Dragon God turned to look at Dragon Goddess Yeyou for confirmation. Although Dragon Goddess Yeyou appeared nonchnt at a nce, her eyes flickered with delight.

    "No way¡­" The Dragon God could feel his knees weakening. He had never felt so weak and vulnerable before.

    "H-how did it happen?" he asked a momentter.

    Dragon Goddess Yeyou frowned and said, "Stop inquiring. It''s none of your business, anyway."

    "How can you say that to your twin brother? What if the two of you produce another Dragon God''s descendant? We may have split, but we''re both still considered ''Dragon God''."

    Dragon Goddess Yeyou sneered, "Even if we do, it''s still none of your business."

    The Dragon God wore a shocked look on his face before asking in a trembling voice, "D-don''t tell me¡­ you already have a child?"

    Dragon Goddess Yeyou''s body trembled in anger. "You''re lucky I don''t have a physical body to beat you up right now¡­" she growled.

    "..."

    The Dragon God stopped joking and became serious.

    "Speaking of your condition, what happened?"

    Dragon Goddess Yeyou ignored him and looked at Yuan instead.

    "Do you remember yourst moments¡ªhow you died?" she asked.

    Yuan closed his eyes and responded, "Not everything. It''s still a little fuzzy, but I can make out the silhouette of several inhuman figures, and I was engaged in a fight with them."

    "Then forget it. We can talk about this once you remember."

    "You can''t just tell me?"

    "If you want to risk your soul shattering, I don''t mind telling you."

    Yuan''s eyes widened at her words.

    "Why would telling me have such a dangerous risk?"

    "There exists forbidden knowledge which could trigger something akin to a curse or heavenlyw if you reveal them to someone who doesn''t have the authority or capability to hear it," she exined.

    "It''s like teaching a mortal an immortal technique so profound that it overwhelms and copses their mind."

    "I see¡­" Yuan muttered with a look of understanding. "Well, I''ll eventually remember."

    "By the way, Yeyou, what are you doing inside this Soul Weapon?" he asked her next. "And do you know what happened to the others?"

    "We were with you when you died. Some of us perished alongside you, but some survived. I barely survived with my soul. After escaping, I met with the Dragon Ancestor, who ced me inside this unupied Soul Weapon."

    Yuan clenched his fists after hearing that some of the Nine Divine Supremes had perished. "Do you know who died and who survived?" he asked.

    Dragon Goddess Yeyou pondered for a moment before responding, "As far as I know, Crimson Terror, Heavenly White Tiger God, Divine Yin Yang Crane, and the Shadow Dweller all perished. Right, that dumb pigeon, Feng Yuming, also died."

    Yuan''s heart felt a squeezing pain after hearing that five of the Nine Divine Supremes had perished.

    "Although Feng Yuming died, she''ll eventually reincarnate. As for the others¡­ I''m not so sure. It might be possible if their souls weren''t destroyed during that battle. As for the Shadow Dweller¡­ their race is a little unique, so I don''t know what happened to her."

    "About Xingrui¡­ I know that she is currently drifting somewhere out there in the starry sky, probably starving and consuming stars like before¡­ I need to find her as soon as possible." Yuan revealed what he knew about the Eater of Star''s situation.

    "If you can restore my body, I can look for her," Dragon Goddess Yeyou said.

    Yuan turned to look at the Dragon God and spoke, "You said you can help her restore her body? How?"

    "I can create another body from scratch for her, but that will take time, especially if she wants it to be as strong as before," he said.

    "How long, exactly?"

    "Hard to say, but it''ll definitely take at least a hundred million years."

    "..."

    Yuan fell silent. There was no way he could wait that long.

    "Do you have another idea?" Yuan looked at Dragon Goddess Yeyou.

    "If you bring me back to my world, I will be able to create another body using the resources there, and it won''t take more than a few years," she said.

    "Where is your world? And why didn''t you ask the Dragon Ancestor to bring you there before?"

    "Because he cannot ess it. Only you and I have ess. However, I am unable to ess it in my current condition."

    "Are you sure I''ll be able to ess it? I have been reincarnated."

    "I''m sure. The key to my world is the Nine Dragon Symbols within your body. You have it, no?"

    Yuan''s eyes widened at her words and muttered, "So you''re the source of the Nine Dragon Symbols?"

    Dragon Goddess Yeyou suddenly frowned and angrily said, "You don''t remember? So you have no idea what the Nine Dragon Symbols represent?"

    "Sorry¡­ I am still missing bits and pieces of my memories."

    "Unbelievable! Truly unbelievable!" After shouting bewilderedly, Dragon Goddess Yeyou abruptly returned to the Dragon God''s Vengeance.

    "W-wait! What about your world? Where can I find it? I don''t remember!" Yuan hastily asked.

    "..."

    No response. Dragon Goddess Yeyou has returned to ignoring him.

    "She''s a handful, am I right? She was like that when we were a single being. I couldn''t handle it, so I suggested we have our own bodies." The Dragon God chuckled.

    Yuan merely showed a bittersweet smile. He didn''t dare to respond to the Dragon God, fearing it''d anger Dragon Goddess Yeyou even more.

    "Anyway, it''s about time I leave," Yuan said a momentter.

    "What about your match with my eldest daughter?" he inquired with raised eyebrows.

    "I''ll return for it once I deal with my business," Yuan said.

    "Make sure you do. I don''t want to see her going on a rampage when you don''t show up," he said with a stiff smile.

 Chapter 1707 Returning to the Eternal Phoenix Domain

    Chapter 1707 Returning to the Eternal Phoenix Domain

    "Can you bring me back to the Eternal Phoenix Domain now?" Yuan looked at the Primal Monarch.

    "Eternal Phoenix Domain? How are you rted to those annoying birds?" Dragon God inquired with a raised eyebrow.

    "Mypanion is waiting for me there," he said.

    "Does it have something to do with your wish?"

    "Yes. I need the treasure to get rid of her curse."

    "Ah. Can you bring me back to the Divine Dragon Sanctuary first? I also have a friend waiting for me there." Yuan quickly said, nearly forgetting about Yingzi.

    The Dragon God nodded. While he had problems with the Eternal Phoenix Domain and Primordial Phoenix, he wasn''t unreasonable enough to cause trouble for someone purely because they had connections to the phoenixes there.

    Yuan returned to the Divine Dragon Sanctuary shortly after. He was teleported directly to Yingzi''s location.

    "Congrattions on winning the Dragon God Festival," Yingzi said to him.

    "Thank you."

    "Look! It''s the Primal Monarch''s descendant!"

    The nearby beings quickly noticed him and began gathering around him.

    "We''re going to return now," Yuan said to Yingzi.

    A rift appeared before them the next moment. Yuan and Yingzi stepped inside it, disappearing from the Divine Dragon Sanctuary. The others tried to follow, but the rift closed before anyone else could enter it.

    Meanwhile, when Yuan emerged from the other side, he was already inside the Primordial Phoenix''s world. The ce was initially empty, but a bewildered voice resounded shortly after they appeared, "Seriously? You''re just going to waltz into my personal world like that?"

    The Primordial Phoenix appeared before them the next moment with a displeased expression on her face.

    "Uhh¡­ That old booger sent me here when I told him I wanted to return. I never specified where, too." Yuan immediately expressed his innocence.

    However, the Primordial Phoenix was silent, and she was staring at him with a somewhat dumbfounded expression.

    "You¡­ what have you been doing for thest two years?" The Primordial Phoenix asked, as she was greatly shocked by how much stronger he''d gotten in such a short time.

    ''He''s essentially a different person! And he reeks of dragon''s scent even while in his human form!''

    "A lot has happened, but I will not get into it. Here, this is what you asked for." Yuan retrieved the Sacred Chalice of Purification and showed it to her.

    "Wow, you actually managed to acquire it? How did you do it?"

    "Do you know of the Dragon God Festival?"

    "I have heard about it. Something about the winner will have their wish granted by the Dragon God."

    "Well, I won it and wished for the Sacred Chalice of Purification." He gave her a brief exnation of how he acquired the treasure.

    "Is that so¡­"

    The Primordial Phoenix wasn''t familiar with the specifics of the Dragon God Festival, but she had heard of its notorious difficulty.

    ''I heard that almost any wish could be granted. To think he''d use such a precious opportunity just to save my daughter¡­''

    Primordial Phoenix looked at Yuan in a different light.

    She epted the Sacred Chalice of Purification and said, "Give me a week¡ªa month at most to remove the curse."

    Yuan nodded and said, "I''ll return to the Divine Dragon Sanctuary in the meantime. I still have some business left there. I''ll be back after a week or so."

    "Do whatever you want."

    Yuan returned to the Divine Dragon Sanctuary shortly after and waited for his appointment with Long Wu Qing to arrive.

    As the days passed, beings from all over the Divine Dragon Sanctuary gathered around the Endless Arena to witness Yuan''s fight with Long Wu Qing.

    The Dragon God even decided to broadcast it throughout the territory.

    "Who do you think will win?"

    "Although the human has won the Dragon God Festival, he has almost no chance to defeat the Unrivaled Tyrant in an actual fight."

    "The Unrivaled Tyrant is too overpowered. There''s no way she''ll lose to a human."

    "I don''t know about that¡­ If you watched how he dealt with Hellfire Dragon, you wouldn''t say that with such confidence."

    "Even a hundred Hellfire Dragons cannotpare to a single Unrivaled Tyrant."

    Time passed swiftly, and the moment for Yuan and Long Wu Qing''s highly anticipated match had finally arrived.

    Long Wu Qing arrived in her petite human form¡ªthe one she saved Yuan in.

    "Have you recovered?" Yuan asked her.

    "Yes, I have made aplete recovery," she calmly nodded.

    "So, any rules before we begin?" he continued.

    "Since this is only a spar, I don''t think we should seriously aim for each other''s throat. Of course, idents could happen, but that''s different from purposefully aiming for the heart."

    Yuan nodded, "I agree. I don''t wish to turn this into a deathmatch."

    "Next, I will lower my cultivation to match yours."

    Long Wu Qing lowered her cultivation to the Perfect Chaotic Master.

    "Do you have anything to add to the rules?" she asked.

    Yuan pondered for a moment before speaking, "Let''s set the time limit to seven days. Also, to make this more interesting, we''ll each have three lives."

    "How will that work?" she raised an eyebrow.

    "While I won''t die even if you destroy my heart, we''ll still consider that as a death," he exined.

    "I see. I can do that," Long Wu Qing responded confidently. In an instant, she summoned three thin barriers around her body, each one perfectly conforming to her figure, outlining her form with precision.

    "Each barrier will represent one life. If you manage to destroy all three at once, I''ll consider it my loss," she said.

    "Whenever you''re ready." Long Wu Qing said a momentter.

    Yuan retrieved Number One Under Heaven. This is from N?velDrama.Org.

    "Ready."

    The instant Yuan uttered those words, Long Wu Qing opened her mouth and released a massive Dragon''s Breath thatpletely engulfed Yuan''s figure. The output and strength of her Dragon''s Breath were at least ten times stronger than the one Long Yejun released while sparring with Yuan with his suppressed cultivation.

    "..."

    "Guess I wasn''tpletely ready," Yuan said after escaping the Dragon''s Breath¡ªbut not before dying once to it.

 Chapter 1708 Fighting Long Wu Qing

    Chapter 1708 Fighting Long Wu Qing

    "Hey, stop messing around and fight me seriously. You don''t have the leisure to hold back against me. Juste at me with your full strength." Long Wu Qing said to him with a disappointed frown on her face. N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

    This was the first time she faced an opponent who didn''t immediately go all out against her. It was a weird feeling being on the receiving end since she would often be the one to hold back.

    "Sorry, it''s a bad habit of mine to slowly ramp things up as I get used to my opponent''s strength." Yuan apologized.

    He was used to slowly increasing his strength to match his opponent so he wouldn''t end the fight too quickly. However, Long Wu Qing was an opponent who could easily fight someone several realms above her own strength, just like Yuan.

    "That said¡­ I can also say the same for you." Yuan said, and his aura suddenly skyrocketed.

    He entered his dragon transformation and abruptly unleashed Heaven Splitting Sword Strike on Long Wu Qing, instantly engulfing her body.

    "..."

    However, Long Wu Qing didn''t try to escape from his strike and stood still until the very end. Once Heaven Splitting Sword Strike ended, Yuan could see that one of the three barriers around Long Wu Qing was heavily cracked.

    "Hm. You''re right. I should probably heed my own advice. As an apology, I''ll give you one of my lives." Long Wu Qing swung her arm, destroying the cracked barrier.

    "You really didn''t need to do that."

    "Well, it''s done now, so there''s no point lingering on it." Long Wu Qing''s aura suddenly intensified and began surging toward the clouds.

    Not only did she release her full presence, but she also transformed, causing iridescent, rainbow-colored scales to appear across her body, shimmering with powerful and otherworldly energy.

    "Allow me to introduce myself again. I am Long Wu Qing, a Sublime Elemental Dragon, the eldest of the Dragon God''s descendants."

    "I am Yuan, a human."

    After their greeting, Yuan and Long Wu Qing shed with each other, their collusions sending powerful shockwaves in every direction.

    If the Dragon God hadn''t covered the Endless Arena with a barrier to prevent their destruction from spreading too far, the nearby beings would''ve been affected by the shockwaves of their energy shing.

    Although their cultivation was only at the Perfect Chaotic Master, their prowess far exceeded their cultivation by several realms. In reality, they were disying the strength of a Perfect Chaotic King, a powerparable to the Divine Ancestor Realm in human cultivation.

    [Nine Supreme Swords!]

    "Nine Dragons Purgatory!"

    [Immortal Rending Sword Strike!]

    "Tyrant''s Grand Sunder!"

    Yuan and Long Wu Qing continued exchanging techniques for several hours without pause, each move met with equal skill and power, with neither gaining an advantage over the other.

    The onlookers were absolutely gobsmacked by the spectacle. None of them had ever seen Long Wu Qing locked in a stalemate before, much less struggling to overpower her opponent.

    However, Yuan and Long Wu Qing suddenly stopped moving after half a day of fighting.

    "Hey, what do you think?" Long Wu Qing asked him with a suggestive smile on her face.

    "I think neither of us will be able to truly go all out because we don''t want to kill each other."

    "That''s obvious. I''m asking what you think about tossing that rule out of the window and we fight each other to the death¡ªwithout actually fighting to the death?"

    "I don''t mind," he said.

    "Then¡­"

    Long Wu Qing removed the barriers around her and transformed again, entering her true dragon form¡ªan iridescent-colored dragon with six beautiful wings on her back.

    To match her increased size, Yuan activated God of War''s Astral Arts¡ªenhancing its prowess with chaotic essence.

    "This is more like it! Hahaha!" Long Wu Qingughed out loud as they resumed their fight.

    However, Yuan was not done yet, and he retrieved Dragon God''s Vengeance, wielding it in his left hand while using Number One Under Heaven in his right.

    Long Wu Qing narrowed her eyes at the Dragon God''s Vengeance, her instincts sensing something unpleasant about it.

    Yuan''s eyes flickered viciously, and he suddenly lunged the Dragon God''s Vengeance at Long Wu Qing.

    Long Wu Qing''s instincts warned her not to touch the spear, so she avoided it.

    Not giving her any time to breathe, Yuan attacked with Number One Under Heaven next.

    Long Wu Qing used her ws to block the strike, but even with her durable scales, Yuan was able to leave behind somewhat deep scratches on them. Unfortunately, that was the extent of the damage he could inflict on her, even with Enhanced Sword Aura.

    As the fight continued, Long Wu Qing began pushing Yuan back slowly but surely. If he hadn''t received a boost in power from the Dragon God Festival, he wouldn''t have been able tost more than ten minutes against Long Wu Qing.

    Suddenly, Yuan''s eyes flickered.

    [Dragon''s Gaze!]

    However, he didn''t stop there and also used Immortal Monarch''s Dominion at the same time.

    "Halt!"

    Although Yuan''s efforts didn''t stop Long Wu Qing for even a second, they weren''t in vain. He managed to make her flinch, distracting her for a split second. In that brief moment, he seized the opportunity and controlled the Dragon God''s Vengeance to strike her from behind.

    The Dragon God''s Vengeance barely prated her scales and drew a drop of blood from her.

    <Dragon God''s Suppression has activated!>

    <Target ''Long Wu Qing'' has been sealed!>

    Long Wu Qing instantly felt something had changed within her, but she wasn''t sure what.

    "What did you do just now?" she inquired.

    "It''s nothing much. I just sealed your bloodline," he answered truthfully.

    "Oh, I see." Long Wu Qing''s nd response caused Yuan to raise an eyebrow.

    "That''s all you have to say?"

    Long Wu Qing chuckled and said, "Do you even know anything about my bloodline? It only helps my training, allowing me to master all elements with ease. Even if you seal it, it won''t have any effect on my ability to fight, as my prowess does note from my bloodline."

    "Seriously¡­?" Yuan was dumbfounded by this revtion.

 Chapter 1709 True Dragon Awakening

    Chapter 1709 True Dragon Awakening

    "Honestly, even though I''ve suppressed my cultivation to match your cultivation, I still have a major advantage against you. Unlike others, I can only weaken my physique so much, not to mention the vast amount of chaotic essence within my body. Suppressing my cultivation doesn''t make my chaotic essence magically disappear, either." Long Wu Qing said.

    However, Yuan smiled and said, "To be honest, I am still not going all out. It''s hard to get rid of habits, unfortunately."

    As he finished his sentence, immense killing intent began oozing from Yuan''s body, forming two beautiful red and ck wings on his back.

    Although releasing his killing intent didn''t directly enhance his power, it put him in the right mindset to fight seriously.

    "My, my. That''s some impressive bloodlust. How many people did you have to kill to build up such intense killing intent?" Long Wu Qing showed a somewhat nervous smile after sensing Yuan''s killing intent. Despite her experience, she''d never felt such intense killing intent before.

    "Who knows? Do you count every single ant you identally stepped on?"

    Not only did Yuan''s aura shift, but his entire demeanor transformed as well, bing cold and emotionless, almost resembling that of a ruthless, crazed killer.

    "Is that the real you?" Long Wu Qing asked out of curiosity.

    "It''s one of me."

    "No matter how much killing intent you show off, it won''t change the oue," she said.

    A cold smile crept across Yuan''s face as a mask resembling a dragon materialized, simr to the one Long Yejun had worn during their battle. Its fierce design added an even more intimidating edge to his presence.

    [True Dragon Awakening!]

    Yuan''s presence suddenly became several folds stronger.

    Sha!

    A powerful ck-colored sword light shed when Yuan suddenly swung Number One Under Heaven.

    The sword light struck Long Wu Qing''s leg, cutting through her scales and skin. This is from N?velDrama.Org.

    "?!?!"

    Long Wu Qing''s eyes widened with surprise.

    "To think you were still hiding this much power¡­ You sly little bastard," she muttered in a cold voice.

    "The true fight starts here, Wu Qing!" Yuan shouted as he lunged at her.

    "Is that so?!"

    Long Wu Qing''s aura increased again right before they shed. Just like Yuan, she hadn''t gone all out until now. However, even when using all of her strength, Long Wu Qing quickly realized that she was still falling behind Yuan, and it was not by a small margin.

    ''I am losing?! This can''t be happening!'' Long Wu Qing clenched her jaws in frustration.

    Other than the Dragon God, she had never lost to anyone, always dominating her opponents with overwhelming strength. Yet, she now found herself being pushed back by a mere human, something she had never thought was even possible.

    [Asura''s de of Execution!]

    Yuan used his chaotic essence to enhance the technique, causing it to emit a vibrant purple aura that radiated with unfathomably destructive energy.

    Long Wu Qing sensed her life being threatened for the first time in a long time when she saw the ominous-looking de in the sky. However, her pride did not allow her to avoid this attack.

    Thus, she confronted it with Dragon''s Breath.

    The Asura''s de of Execution flew toward Long Wu Qing with terrifying speed, effortlessly slicing through her Dragon''s Breath as it made its way toward her.

    Upon realizing she couldn''t stop the attack, Long Wu Qing was forced to toss aside her pride and attempt to dodge the de. However, it was a little toote. A massive wound opened up near her chest, but no blood emerged. With full control over her body, Long Wu Qing used her chaotic essence to prevent any blood from leaking.

    ''What is this feeling? Even though I am losing and getting hurt, it doesn''t feel that bad¡­'' Long Wu Qing thought to herself as she quickly healed her wound.

    "Still want to continue?" Yuan asked her.

    "Are you seriously asking me that?" Once her wound healed, Long Wu Qing charged at Yuan again.

    They continued fighting nonstop for the next several days. Every time Long Wu Qing suffered damage, the strange sensation within her grew stronger, bing more pronounced with each blow she endured.

    "I can''t believe it¡­ The Unrivaled Tyrant is actually being tossed around by a human¡­"

    "Is it just me, or does she appear to be enjoying it?"

    "How is that possible? There''s no way she''d enjoy losing when she''s always been the one bullying others. She must be feeling humiliated."

    "Is that so¡­?"

    Although a few onlookers pointed it out, nobody wanted to believe that Long Wu Qing was enjoying her situation. After all, she was the Unrivaled Tyrant¡ªthe uncontroble monster who has terrorized the Divine Dragon Sanctuary for billions of years.

    "More! Harder! I can''t get enough of this feeling!" Long Wu Qing could no longer control herself and shouted loudly.

    "Huh?" The onlookers stared at her with bewildered looks.

    "Who knew getting hurt would feel so good?! Hurt me some more!" Long Wu Qing eximed, her expression a mixture of pleasure and pain.

    "..."

    Yuan was taken aback by Long Wu Qing''s sudden shift in behavior, which messed with his momentum greatly.

    "Although I''ve felt pain before, the pain you inflict is different!" Long Wu Qing continued. "I can feel it down to my very bones every time your sword cuts my flesh!"

    Long Wu Qing''s body could be seen visibly trembling.

    "More! More! More!" she shouted, chasing after Yuan, seemingly having lost all desire to continue the fight, driven by an insatiable urge instead.

    Yuan also lost his desire to continue fighting after seeing Long Wu Qing in this state. He withdrew his weapons and undid his transformation.

    "Let''s end it here," he sighed.

    "What? No! Let''s fight a little longer!" she eximed, sounding like a spoiled child who didn''t want to leave the amusement park to go home yet.

    Yuan rubbed his eyes and said, "We''ve been fighting for nine days, so we already went over the time limit by two whole days. If you want to continue, you can find somebody else. I have other business to attend to."

 Chapter 1710 Long Wu Qings Mark

    Chapter 1710 Long Wu Qing''s Mark

    "No. The others aren''t capable of injuring me even if I matched their cultivation, and I am not the type to purposefully let someone beat me." Long Wu Qing said, responding to his suggestion.

    "Come on, let''s fight for another week¡ªeven another day will be enough!"

    Yuan shook his head and said, "I have already lost all desire to fight. If you want to fight, we can do it another time."

    "You promise?" Yuan nodded, but he wasn''t sure he would be able to fulfill this promise anytime soon. After all, he will be returning to the Nine Heavens soon, and it might be a really long time before he visits the Primal Expanse again. Moreover, there was the possibility that he might never return.

    However, he had no intention of letting Long Wu Qing know of this.

    ''She''s someone who''s lived for billions of years. I''m sure a few thousand¡ªor even a few million years mean nothing to her.'' Yuan thought.

    As if to acknowledge their promise, Long Wu Qing returned to her human form and stopped suppressing her cultivation.

    Right after she entered her human form, Long Wu Qing approached Yuan and abruptly grasped his neck with her hand.

    "What are you¡ª"

    Just as Yuan opened his mouth to speak, Long Wu Qing suddenly pulled him toward her, pressing her lips firmly against his in a bold, unexpected move.

    "???"

    Yuan didn''t even bother trying to escape and epted his fate because he knew that he wouldn''t be able to escape Long Wu Qing with her full cultivation even if he had ess to Heaven''s Supremacy.

    <You have been marked by Long Wu Qing>

    ''Marked? What is this?'' Yuan wondered inwardly after seeing this notification.

    "I''ve just ced a mark on you, so I will know where you are at all times," she said after releasing him.

    "Why do you want to know where I am at all times?" he asked with raised eyebrows.

    "Just in case," she calmly said.

    "In case of what?"

    "Who knows," she shrugged.

    "But why a kiss?"

    "I thought humans liked that sort of thing."

    "..."

    "Don''t think too much about it. The mark won''t harm you or affect you in any way," she reassured him.

    "That''s not why¡­ forget it."

    Yuan realized it was pointless to argue with Long Wu Qing.

    "Anyway, I am going to leave now."

    "Where are you going?" she asked out of curiosity.

    Yuan didn''t immediately respond as he pondered whether it would be a good idea to tell someone entric like Long Wu Qing. He didn''t mind telling the Dragon God because he was confident the Dragon God wouldn''t do anything foolish.

    Long Wu Qing, on the other hand, was almost impossible to predict.

    Seeing that Yuan remained silent, Long Wu Qing smiled and said, "Are you going to meet with a phoenix?"

    Yuan raised an eyebrow and asked, "How can you tell?"

    "Before we fought, I noticed the lingering scent of a phoenix from you," she exined.

    After all, Yuan was just speaking with the Primordial Phoenix before he returned to the Divine Dragon Sanctuary.

    "I see¡­ Yes, I am going to the Eternal Phoenix Domain," he admitted, realizing there was no point in trying to hide it any longer.

    "You hesitated to tell me at first because what? You thought I would do something to them?"

    "No, it''s because I didn''t know what you would do. That is my reason."

    "Makes sense, and I don''t me you," she said and continued, "While I have nothing against phoenixes, they definitely hate me. They would attack me on sight, regardless if I provoked them or not."

    "Hm? Why?" Yuan asked with a curious face.

    "Because I killed a phoenix whose status is akin to one of the Dragon God''s descendants over there. She was the Primordial Phoenix''s eldest child, who is also a Primordial Phoenix."

    "What?" Yuan''s eyes widened with shock after learning this unexpected information.

    He could''ve never expected that it was Long Wu Qing who caused Feng Yuxiang''s death when she was still living in the Primal Expanse.

    "She was one of the strongest opponents I''ve ever had. It happened very long ago, and I almost lost to her back then." Long Wu Qing sighed as she recalled the fight in her mind.

    "What led to your fighting?" Yuan asked. Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    Long Wu Qing had to ponder for a moment before she could respond, "Honestly, I don''t remember, but it was probably over something silly."

    "Is that so¡­"

    Despite the fact that Long Wu Qing had killed Feng Yuxiang in the past, Yuan felt no anger toward her, nor did he hold her ountable. After all, he hadn''t been there when it happened, and for all he knew, it could have been Feng Yuxiang''s fault.

    Phoenixes are naturally arrogant creatures and are often the aggressors. This was a fact that Yuan couldn''t deny, as he''d also experienced their troublesome behavior firsthand as Tian Yi.

    Sometimeter, Yuan bid Long Wu Qing farewell before returning to the Eternal Phoenix Domain with Yingzi.

    "If you don''te find me soon, I''lle find you." Long Wu Qing warned him as he stepped into the rift

    When Yuan returned to the Eternal Phoenix Domain, he waited for the Primordial Phoenix to show up.

    Three dayster, another rift opened before Yuan.

    "Enter." The Primordial Phoenix''s voice resounded in his head.

    Yuan nodded and stepped into the rift, his heart pounding with excitement, as it has been a long time since hest saw or heard Feng Yuxiang''s voice.

    Upon arriving in the Primordial Phoenix''s world, the first thing Yuan noticed was the stunning woman standing beside the Primordial Phoenix. She had a tall, slender figure, silky red hair that flowed like mes, and glistening golden eyes that radiated a powerful yet graceful presence.

    However, she also appeared confused and slightly overwhelmed, like a patient who had just woken up from a years-longa.

    Yuan''s expression lit up after seeing her familiar face, and with a delighted smile, he called out, "Feng Feng!"

    Hearing his voice, Feng Yuxiang swiftly turned to look at him. Her confused look instantly vanished after seeing his handsome face, and her expression became filled with relief and excitement.

    "Young Master~!" she cried as she flew at him with her arms spread wide.

 Chapter 1711 Feng Yuxiangs Return

    Chapter 1711 Feng Yuxiang''s Return

    "Waaaah! Young Master!" Feng Yuxiang cried her eyes out as she embraced Yuan. "I thought I''d never see you again!"

    The moment her life shed before her eyes during the heavenly tribtion was still fresh to her, almost as if it''d just happened.

    Yuan patted her head and said, "I''ve missed you."

    He continued soothing her until Feng Yuxiang finally calmed down.

    "¡­"

    The Primordial Phoenix watched them in silence. She''d also tried calming Feng Yuxiang after her revival but was unsessful. Feng Yuxiang only grew more confused and anxious as time passed, so the Primordial Phoenix gave up and decided to let Yuan see her. It was also a test of sorts for Yuan. She wanted to see how Feng Yuxiang reacted to his presence. Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.

    As for the results, the Primordial Phoenix wasn''t just surprised. She was absolutely gobsmacked by how different Feng Yuxiang had be¡ªat leastpared to the haughty daughter in her memories.

    "Young Master, does this mean I am still alive? I thought I woke up in the underworld," Feng Yuxiang said after calming down.

    "Yes, you''re still alive. It''s going to take some time, but I''ll exin the whole situation to you."

    Thus, Yuan began exining to Feng Yuxiang about the Primal Expanse and how he''d got there.

    Once Feng Yuxiang understood the existence of the Primal Expanse, Yuan proceeded to exin the Nine Heavens'' connection to the Primal Expanse and how some of the beasts from theNine Heavens originated from the Primal Expanse.

    Next, he spoke of the Eternal Phoenix Domain and how the Primordial Phoenix before them was her mother.

    "My¡­ mother?" Feng Yuxiang looked at the Primordial Phoenix with wide eyes. She''d always thought she came into existence naturally, so the sudden appearance of her mother came as a great shock to her.

    "So you don''t have your memories¡­? When did yourst rebirth ur¡ªwhen were you born?" The Primordial Phoenix asked.

    "A little over a hundred thousand years ago, I suppose."

    "So recently¡­" Primordial Phoenix sighed. Most phoenixes who have the ability to reincarnate tend to regain all of their memories after they reach a million years old when they be adults, if not immediately after their rebirth.

    "Give me some of your blood," the Primordial Phoenix requested a momentter.

    Feng Yuxiang turned to look at Yuan, almost as if asking for his permission or approval.

    Yuan nodded with a gentle smile.

    Feng Yuxiang proceeded to give several drops of her blood to the Primordial Phoenix, who immediately began examining her blood.

    "Although we have lifted your curse, it still has some lingering effects due to how long it affected you. However, it shouldpletely resolve itself soon. When that happens, you''ll regain your strength, and your true bloodline will reveal itself."

    "I see¡­ thank you for removing my curse," Feng Yuxiang bowed to her respectfully. However, the Primordial Phoenix shook her head and said, "I may have removed your curse, but it was mostly with the assistance of this treasure, which was obtained by your human friend there."

    "Young Master?" Feng Yuxiang looked at him with sparkling eyes.

    He smiled and said, "I''ll tell you about itter since it''s a long story."

    She nodded and then looked at the Primordial Phoenix.

    "By the way, he''s not a friend. He''s my master, and I am his number one loyal servant."

    "¡­"

    The Primordial Phoenix''s eyebrows began twitching uncontrobly after hearing such words.

    "A¡­a servant¡­?" she muttered in a trembling voice, almost as if she was trying to suppress her anger.

    Ultimately, she failed, and after a moment of silence, the Primordial Phoenix erupted, "Uneptable! No child of mine will be lowered to the status of a mere servant!"

    "That''s not for you to decide." Feng Yuxiang rebuked.

    Yuan then spoke, "Are you sure, Feng Feng? Now that your curse has been lifted, you are essentially free to go¡ªas we had initially agreed."

    "I already told you that I want to follow you even after my curse is lifted! My mind hasn''t changed even in the slightest! I will follow you until the end of time!" Feng Yuxiang spoke in a stubborn voice, her face resolute.

    "¡­" The Primordial Phoenix narrowed her eyes at Feng Yuxiang.

    "Whatever. You''ll definitely change your mind once you recover your memories, so it''s only a matter of time anyway," she said a momentter.

    Feng Yuxiang didn''t respond to the Primordial Phoenix''s words. Instead, she looked at Yuan and asked, "By the way, how long have I been asleep?"

    "It''s been about three years, I guess."

    "THREE YEARS?!" Feng Yuxiang cried out loud. "Where are you currently in the Nine Heavens?"

    Knowing how fast Yuan progressed, she wouldn''t be surprised if he''d already reached the Seventh Heaven or above.

    "We''re only in the Fourth Heaven. I have spent thest three years in the Primal Expanse. While I could''ve left sooner¡ªtwo years ago, I couldn''t leave knowing you could be healed here."

    "Young Master¡­" Feng Yuxiang began tearing up again.

    "I''m so sorry! Because of my uselessness, I have be a burden and set you back three whole years! I''ve wasted three years of your precious life!" Yuan wiped the tears off her face and smiled, "That''s nonsense. I''d spend ten years here for you, let alone three. Also, none of my time here was wasted. As a matter of fact, I think I have grown more here than I would''ve in the Nine Heavens."

    "There are many beings here that rival the Great One and the Dragon Ancestor, who are probably only found in the Ninth Heaven, and I am still a long way from reaching them."

    Three years may seem like a lot at a nce, but considering how much Yuan has grown in the Primal Expanse, he''d probably need tens, if not hundreds, of years to achieve the same results in the Nine Heavens.

    "If you say so¡­" Feng Yuxiang nodded, feeling much better knowing she didn''t hinder Yuan''s growth.

    "By the way, how''s Xi Meili? Did anything happen to her?" she inquired a momentter.

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 Chapter 1712 Sleepy Xiao Hua

    Chapter 1712 Sleepy Xiao Hua

    "Don''t worry, nothing happened to Xi Meili. She endured her heavenly tribtion well." Yuan said.

    "So I was the only one who ended up in such a pathetic state, huh¡­" she sighed.

    "Don''t put yourself down so much. Your case is special."

    "By the way, I met with Bai Xutao." Yuan suddenly said.

    "Y-you did? You didn''t kill him, did you¡­?" she asked in a somewhat nervous tone.

    "No, but I did punish him a little. I''ll kill himter¡ªwhen I visit the Heavenly White Tiger n."

    "..."

    Feng Yuxiang began pondering in silence. A momentter, she spoke, "Young Master, if it''s not too much to ask, can you let me deal with Bai Xutao? I want to be the one to punish him properly."

    Yuan nodded without hesitation, "If that''s what you want. I won''t touch him then."

    "Thank you, Young Master¡­ By the way, didn''t Xiao Huae with you to the Primal Expanse? Why is she so silent?" Feng Yuxiang suddenly asked.

    "Now that you mention it¡­" Xiao Hua had been oddly quiet for the past two years.

    "Xiao Hua, are you okay?" he asked her.

    "..."

    No response.

    Yuan frowned at this and said, "Give me a moment to check on her."

    He closed his eyes and entered his Dantian through his consciousness. Inside, he could see a small figure hugging her knees and curled up in a ball as she floated around aimlessly.

    Yuan approached Xiao Hua''s figure, but he didn''t bother her. ''She''s asleep¡­ There doesn''t seem to be anything wrong with her, but something feels off.'' Yuan thought to himself.

    He continued to examine her condition without waking her up. However, a few minutester, as if she sensed his presence, Xiao Hua slowly began opening her eyes.

    "Brother Yuan¡­?" she looked at him with a dazed face, seemingly still half-asleep.

    "Xiao Hua? Are you okay?"

    She gave him a slow and weak nod, "I think so¡­ It''s just that I have been feeling extremely sleepytely¡­ and I cannot fight it¡­ I don''t know why¡­ I have never felt like this before¡­"

    "Can I check your body?" Yuan asked with a worried face.

    "Yes¡­"

    Yuan gently pressed his fingers against Xiao Hua''s wrist and used his spiritual energy to probe inside her body. Everything appeared healthy¡ªshe wasn''t injured or ill. However, the flow of her qi was unusually slow, a condition typically seen when someone is in a weakened state, and their body is instinctively trying to conserve energy.

    ''Something is forcing her to conserve her qi, but what¡­?'' Yuan waspletely dumbfounded by her condition. He tried looking through the Evil God''s memories since he was rted to the Asura n. However, just like Tian Yi''s life, there were bits and pieces missing.

    ''It doesn''t seem to be hurting her now, but that could change in the future. I''ll need to figure out the cause of her condition as soon as possible.''

    "Xiao Hua, Feng Feng''s revival was a sess, so you can sleep peacefully and not worry about her." Yuan caressed her head in a gentle motion.

    "Who is¡­ worried¡­ about that¡­ dumb¡­ pigeon¡­" Xiao Hua closed her eyes and fell asleep again.

    "..."

    Yuan stared at her for a few more moments before leaving her alone and returning to the outside world.

    "Something''s wrong with Xiao Hua," he exined the situation to Feng Yuxiang.

    "What? What happened to her?" "I don''t know, but she''s in a state of spiritual energy conservation. Something is affecting her, but there''s no telling what."

    Yuan turned to look at the Primordial Phoenix and asked her, "Can you take a look at my friend?"

    The Primordial Phoenix silently nodded.

    "Father, I would also like to borrow your knowledge," Yuan said out loud.

    "Y-your father?!" Feng Yuxiang eximed, as she wasn''t aware of the Primal Monarch''s existence yet.

    "I''ll exin it to youter," Yuan said.

    The Primal Monarch appeared a momentter, and Feng Yuxiang was shocked by how much he resembled Yuan.

    ''No¡­ it''s more urate to say he''s Young Master when he was just a child!'' she cried inwardly.

    Yuan retrieved Xiao Hua from his Dantian and carried her in his arms as she slept soundly.

    "Hm. I have never seen this condition before. I can sense a few curses on her, but they have no rtionship with her condition." The Primordial Phoenix said.

    "By the way, you also had those curses, but they were dispelled alongside your other curse," she looked at Feng Yuxiang and said.

    "You must be talking about the Celestial Emperor''s curse. They prohibit those with it to acknowledge certain information." To prevent the Nine Heavens from questioning the existence of yers from Earth, the Celestial Emperor had ced a curse on those below the Seventh Heaven.

    "Huh? Now that I think about it, I never questioned it when the Young Master disappeared into thin air. Looking back, it felt like I was affected by an illusion." Feng Yuxiang said.

    The Sacred Chalice of Purification not only removed the curse on Feng Yuxiang''s bloodline, but it also lifted the Celestial Emperor''s curse on her, allowing her to be conscious of yers as people not from their world.

    ''I wonder if it''ll get rid of the Celestial Emperor''s curse on me¡­'' Yuan thought to himself. However, he was not in a hurry to remove the Celestial Emperor''s curse, as it could attract the Celestial Emperor''s attention. Moreover, the curse had almost no effect on him due to his inability to breakthrough without advancing his physique first.

    Therefore, if he got rid of the Celestial Emperor''s curse now, he''d only attract unwanted attention without any real benefits.

    "This human girl¡­ she''s fighting with another soul. To be precise, her soul is fighting against itself." The Primal Monarch suddenly said.

    "What?" Yuan looked at him with a questioning face. This is from N?velDrama.Org.

    The Primal Monarch continued, "Her soul¡­contains two separate souls within. It''s almost like the Dragon God, who originally had two souls in one body. In her case, two souls inhabit a single soul and body, and they''re subconsciously shing with each other for control of the body."

    "Two souls in one¡­?" Yuan quickly recalled the other personality Xiao Hua had revealed before.

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 Chapter 1713 Leaving the Primal Expanse

    Chapter 1713 Leaving the Primal Expanse

    "Now that you pointed it out¡­ she really has two souls in one, and it''s almost impossible to notice without looking into the depth of her soul. Even I missed it, after all." The Primordial Phoenix muttered in a slightly surprised voice, as she had never seen such a phenomenon before.

    Yuan recalled what Xiao Hua revealed to him and said, "She said there was another personality sealed within her. Can a soul be sealed inside another soul?"

    "I don''t know too much about humans, so I cannot tell you with certainty." Primal Monarch said.

    The Primordial Phoenix then said, "This little human¡­ I can sense the power of reincarnation from her, but it''s not the natural kind."

    Yuan looked at her with raised eyebrows and asked, "What does that mean?"

    "For us phoenixes, we can reincarnate naturally without any external help, and we''ll always remain as phoenixes no matter how many times we reincarnate. While humans also reincarnate naturally when they die, they will not reincarnate with the same identity, so they won''t have the same bloodline or innate talents. However, this could still be achieved with the help of techniques and treasures."

    "As for this little human¡­ her reincarnation was forced, meaning she forcefully went through the process of reincarnation before her soul reached the River of Rebirth, where all souls must enter before they can be reincarnated."

    "Is that a bad thing?" Yuan asked.

    "The process itself may be unnatural, but there''s nothing inherently negative about it. However, the same cannot be said about the techniques or treasures involved with her reincarnation. Such powerful treasures and techniques tend to have negative effects that could affect the individual in the future. Of course, I am not saying that this little human experienced something like that. I am just speaking in general."

    "I see¡­ Then, is there a way to stop them from fighting each other?" The Primal Monarch then spoke, "There are two ways. Since both souls are active, you can seal orpletely destroy one of them. If there''s only one soul, there won''t be any fighting."

    "No, that''s out of the question." Yuan instantly refused that proposal.

    "Then you can only separate the two souls and replicate what the Dragon God did."

    "That sounds good. Do you know how I can separate their souls?"

    "That is that tricky part. Their souls are so intertwined with each other that it''ll be incredibly difficult to separate them perfectly, and any mistakes could lead to the destruction of one or both souls."

    Yuan frowned. "I can''t ept such risks." Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.

    "I have another option. If you find the source of her reincarnation, you might find some clues. If you cannot figure it out alone, you can bring her back here, and I might be able to do something about it." The Primordial Phoenix said.

    "The source of her reincarnation¡­ the Asura n¡­ Primordial Realm¡­" Yuan muttered to himself.

    He already nned on visiting the Primordial Realm, but Xiao Hua''s condition made it a little more urgent.

    Yuan ced Xiao Hua back inside his Dantian shortlyter.

    "Even if I want to bring her back here, it might be difficult for me to return." Yuan then said. "I came to the Primal Expanse by ident, after all."

    "In that case, I might be able to help," Yingzi suddenly spoke.

    "Really?" Yuan looked at her with intrigue.

    "As a Shadow Dweller, I have the ability to ''mark'' shadows, allowing me to move from any shadow to them no matter the distance. However, I can only have one mark active at a time, and I currently have the Hollowed Expanse marked."

    "I see¡­ but in that case, you''ll need to¡ª"

    "Yes, I will need to be with you if I want to bring you back to the Primal Expanse."

    In other words, Yingzi needed to follow Yuan to the Nine Heavens in order to bring him back to the Primal Expanse.

    "Are you sure?" Yuan asked her.

    She nodded, "I cane back whenever I want, and I want to see the human world. Also, I still have lots to learn about humans."

    "That worldcks chaotic essence, so you won''t be able to cultivate or replenish the energy you exhaust."

    "I don''t mind. It''s not like I am going to stay there forever," she said.

    "Is that so¡­ If that''s your decision, I won''t say anything else." Yuan nodded.

    Without saying another word, Yingzi turned into a ck silhouette and entered Yuan''s shadow, temporarily joining his team.

    "Now that I have a method of returning to the Primal Expanse, I need to visit the Primordial Realm." Yuan clenched his fists with determination.

    "Are you ready to return to your world?" The Primal Monarch asked him.

    Yuan looked at Feng Yuxiang, who turned to look at the Primordial Phoenix.

    "Let''s have a proper conversation next time¡­ mother." Feng Yuxiang said to her.

    The Primordial Phoenix calmly nodded, but her eyes flickered with joy.

    Feng Yuxiang entered Yuan''s body the next moment.

    "I am ready to return now," Yuan said a momentter.

    The Primal Monarch nodded and created a rift.

    "Before you leave." The Primal Monarch stopped him as he took a step forward.

    "¡­"

    However, the Primal Monarch didn''t continue speaking, seemingly pondering about something.

    "What is it?" Yuan asked.

    "Never mind. I will tell you when you return next time. It''s still too early for you to know now," he eventually said.

    Yuan narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

    "Alright. Then, until next time, Father."

    Yuan stepped into the rift and disappeared from the Primal Expanse.

    "What were you trying to tell him?" The Primordial Phoenix asked afterward.

    The Primal Monarch merely gave her a cold nce before disappearing without uttering a word.

    "Hmph. Finally, back to his usual self, huh?" The Primordial Phoenix shook her head, not minding the Primal Monarch.

    After returning to the Nine Heavens, Yuan found himself in an unfamiliar scenery. However, with the abundance of spiritual energy, he was, without doubt, back in the Nine Heavens.

 Chapter 1714 Rasharaâ€™s System(End of Primal Expanse Arc)

    Chapter 1714 Rashara¡¯s System(End of Primal Expanse Arc)

    "Where am I?" Yuan mumbled as he surveyed his surroundings. However, before he could really pay much attention to his surroundings, he noticed several announcements appearing in the sky almost simultaneously.

    <Congrattions! yer Yuan has be the first yer to learn a Celestial-rank technique!> <Congrattions! yer Yuan has be the first yer to craft an Empyrean-grade treasure!>

    <Congrattions! yer Yuan has be the first yer to be a Divine cksmith!>

    <Congrattions! yer Yuan has be the first yer to craft a Celestial-grade treasure!>

    <Congrattions! yer Yuan has be the first yer to be a True Divine cksmith!>

    The sky was bombarded with announcements rted to the achievements Yuan had achieved in the Primal Expanse, just as Wang Xiuying spected.

    Nearly every yer in the Nine Heavens was staring at the sky in shock at this moment, their eyes and mouths wide with disbelief and awe. Over three years have passed since Yuan disappeared from the Nine Heavens, and the yers have gotten used to ying Cultivation Online in peace without anymotions. In fact, except for a few yers, the presence of yer Yuan had diminished from their minds, bing something akin to an urban legend.

    Due to hisck of presence, some even wondered if yer Yuan had retired from Cultivation Online.

    However, this was just the beginning of the yers'' shock. Once they finally got past the name ''yer Yuan'' and began reading the rest of the announcement, their eyes popped out of their sockets, and their jaws fell to the ground.

    "Celestial-rank techniques?!"

    "Crafting Celestial-grade treasures?! How in the world?! The top yers have only just begun crafting Earth-grade treasures!"

    "What the fuck has yer Yuan been up to?! He disappears for three years andes back with this bombshell?!"

    "Wait a second! We''ve only progressed to the Fourth Heaven! How did he even acquire an endgame technique, much less craft them?!"

    "Why did these announcements show up almost simultaneously? There''s no way he achieved all of them back-to-back in such a short amount of time."

    The yers were filled with questions. Some yers were so shocked and distracted by these announcements that they died because they were in the middle of a battle when it happened. However, no matter how much they wanted answers, they realized they might never find out. Cultivation Online was a mysterious game with a ghost publisher. Unlike other games, nobody could get any help from the administration, so they were all on their own.

    Some yers have tried seeking help from powerful cultivators because they believed the admins were disguised as NPCs. Unfortunately, none of their efforts resulted in anything.

    Most yers have already epted the phenomenon behind Cultivation Online and stopped questioning it, just like how the people of Nine Heavens don''t question the existence of yers.

    However, unbeknownst to the yers and even Yuan, the announcements only appeared between the First Heaven and Sixth Heaven, so the people in the Seventh Heaven and above were not aware of the yers activity.

    That being said, a single being above the Seventh Heaven was aware of their activity.

    Inside his private quarters, the Celestial Emperor stared at the recently made announcements with a profound expression on his face, and his brows furrowed in a worried manner.

    "yer Yuan¡­ I knew there was something different about you. To think you''d reincarnated in that abandoned world¡­ I would''ve never guessed," he mumbled to himself.

    "..."

    After a moment of silence, he shook his head and sighed, "No, this isn''t enough proof. There''s a slim chance this yer is not rted to him¡ªwho am I kidding? Not even the most talented cksmiths in the Nine Heavens could be a True Divine cksmith in such a short time. There''s only one person who could achieve such a feat."

    The Celestial Emperor stood from his throne and walked to one of the open windows, staring at the world beneath him.

    "You''ve finally returned, Shura''s Apostle¡ªHeaven Refiner and the cmity who will destroy this world! The others may have failed, but I will stop you once and for all! For this is my duty as the Celestial Emperor!" The Celestial Emperor clenched his fists, his eyes filled with rage and determination.

    The Celestial Emperor proceeded to summon the system and configure it.

    <Block yer Yuan from essing the system?>

    "Confirm."

    <yer Yuan has been blocked from essing the system>

    "If you cannot ess Cultivation Online, you will be stuck in that world and won''t be able to cause any trouble for me." The Celestial Emperor showed a satisfied smile on his face.

    "However, just in case, I should send a few people to make sure he''s gone from this world."

    The Celestial Emperor''s figure disappeared the next moment.

    Meanwhile, in the Fourth Heaven, Yuan received several notifications that made him feel several emotions in quick session.

    <You have been blocked from the system> Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.

    <You no longer have ess to Cultivation Online>

    <Logging off¡­>

    Ding!

    <The Shura''s System has detected unusual activities>

    <Shura''s System has been activated>

    <You have been granted ess to Shura''s System>

    <Shura''s System has overridden Rashara''s System>

    <Attempting to log off>

    <You are unable to log off>

    "??????"

    Yuan wore a bewildered expression on his face as he tried toprehend the situation. "My ess to the system has been blocked? And Shura''s System¡­? Isn''t that¡­" Yuan swiftlyprehended the situation.

    The original system¡ªthe one used by every other yer was called the Rashara''s System.

    However, his ess to that system had been blocked.

    ''It was probably done by the Celestial Emperor because he saw my announcements...''

    Noticing this, the Shura''s System, which was obviously rted to Shura, the unknown entity who gave him the power of Heaven''s Supremacy, activated, preventing him from losing ess to Cultivation Online.

    However¡­

    "Log off!" Yuan tried to log off.

    <You are unable to log off>

    <Shura''s System does not support such function>

    "I can''t log off?! You have to be fucking kidding me!" Yuan cried out loud, his voice echoing in every direction.

 Chapter 1715 The Ning Family

    Chapter 1715 The Ning Family

    Although Yuan could no longer log off Cultivation Online, he quickly calmed himself down, as there were more important issues at hand.

    ''If the Celestial Emperor is aware of my presence, should I just remove his curse?''

    He was slightly worried that the Celestial Emperor could track him through the curse. However, he didn''t immediately use the Sacred Chalice of Purification because there was an even higher chance the Celestial Emperor would realize he was still inside Cultivation Online if his curse was broken.

    ''No¡­ I have never heard of any curses that can be used as a tracker. However, the caster can, more often than not, feel their curse being destroyed and track it back to where it had been destroyed¡­''

    If he destroyed the Celestial Emperor''s curse, there was a good chance the Celestial Emperor would send someone to check on the location and realize he was still in Cultivation Online.

    ''As of this moment, I need to move without alerting the Celestial Emperor¡ªat least until I find and activate the Dragon Spiral Mountain in the Nine Heavens and reconnect it with Earth.''

    "Buy first¡­ I need to find Meixiu and the others to let them know of my situation¡­"

    Yuan scanned his surroundings with divine sense to better understand his location. However, he saw thousands of individuals flying toward him urgently, their faces filled with panic. In fact, tens of thousands of people in guard uniforms were already surrounding him.

    "¡­"

    Yuan wore his mask and patiently waited for them to approach him since they didn''t appear to be with the Celestial Emperor, as theycked the cultivation and atmosphere.

    A few momentster, one of the guards, who appeared to be their leader, approached him. Although the guard appeared calm and fierce at a nce, his gaze was filled with worry and fear. Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    "I am the Royal Guard for the Ning Family, surnamed Sau. May I request for your identity?" the guard requested respectfully.

    Although Yuan was unaware, his presence right now was akin to Long Wu Qing¡ªabsolutely tyrannical and overwhelming for those around him. In these people''s eyes, Yuan was no different than a monster in human skin.

    "Xiao. My surname is Xiao." Yuan said.

    "T-then, Senior Xiao, what brought you to the Ning Family''s household? Are you here for the Ning Family? Do you have an appointment with them?" Guard Sau continued to ask.

    The Ning Family was one of the most influential families in the Fourth Heaven. In fact, they were essentially royalty. Yuan had invaded their private space without warning, and his earlier shouting had alerted them. However, the guards didn''t dare to do anything rash because of his presence.

    ''While his cultivation only appears to be in the Spirit Sovereign realm, his real cultivation is definitely much higher! He must be one of the envoys from the upper heavens!'' the guard swallowed nervously.

    "Ning Family? Sorry, but I didn''t mean to intrude. I came here by ident. Do you know where the Grand Mystic Sect is? I''ll quickly be on my way."

    "Ah, so you''re with the Grand Mystic Sect. No wonder you''re emitting such an overwhelming presence, Senior Xiao!"

    The guards there sighed in relief after mistaking Yuan to be with the Grand Mystic Sect.

    "My presence?" Yuan muttered.

    "Young Master, your presence right now is very overwhelming¡ªstrong enough to make those guards faint if they get any closer." Feng Yuxiang revealed his situation to him.

    Hearing this, Yuan looked at the guard in front of him, who appeared to be struggling to stay awake for some reason.

    "Ah."''

    He hastily suppressed his presence.

    "I didn''t mean to scare you with my presence. I apologize if I caused any trouble."

    "No, it wasn''t any trouble at all! We were just slightly rmed by an unknown presence! That''s all, Senior Xiao!" Guard Sau bowed.

    "Anyways¡­ about the direction of the Grand Mystic Sect¡­"

    "The Grand Mystic Sect is located on the other side of this world. However, if you''re willing to wait a few days, they will be making their way to this location." Guard Sau said.

    "Hm? Why? What''s happening here?"

    "The Ning Family hosts a worldwide tournament every seven years to allow the younger generation to show off their talents. Most sects tend to send their most promising disciples, and the Grand Mystic Sect is one of them. Of course, this tournament is open to individuals, so even those without any affiliation may participate. In fact, we have the highest number of participants this year."

    "I see," Yuan said.

    He pondered inwardly, ''Meixiu and the others should still be training with Kn at the Grand Mystic Sect, but there''s a chance they mighte here to participate. Waiting a few days won''t hurt. I still need some time to study Shura''s System, too.''

    "If Senior Xiao would like, you can stay with the Ning Family in the meantime. We''ll show you to our royal guest room if you allow us."

    Yuan nodded, "Alright. I''ll trouble you for a few days."

    "It''s an honor to serve you!"

    Guard Sau led Yuan to their most luxurious guest room, usually reserved for the Sect Leaders of the Three Grand Sects.

    "Please make yourself at home for now. We''ll be contacting you again shortly after speaking with His Majesty."

    Yuan nodded and waited in the room while Guard Sau notified the Ning Family of the situation.

    Meanwhile, at the Grand Mystic Sect, a group of young men and women gathered in front of Kn like a group of private soldiers.

    "The Ning Family will be hosting one of the biggest tournaments in a few days, where most of the top talents in the Fourth Heaven will participate. I want all of you to participate and show me the results of your training for thest three years. Whoever wins the tournament will receive a special reward. Whoever leaves the tournament first will be punished instead." Kn said to Meixiu and the others.

    He continued, "And if nobody wins the tournament¡­ I will subject all of you to hell! Understand?!"

    "Yes!" They all responded with excitement, their eyes filled with fighting spirit.

 Chapter 1716 Shuras System

    Chapter 1716 Shura''s System

    "Have you guys received any news from Yuan recently?" Kn asked the Demon Sealing Faction afterward.

    Everyone there turned to look at Meixiu and Chu Liuxiang since they were usually the ones in contact with Yuan. Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    "No, I haven''t heard from him." Meixiu shook her head.

    "Me neither¡ªat least not after hisst return."

    "Did he say how long the Dragon God Festival wouldst?" Kn continued asking.

    "No, he didn''t. However, it probably shouldn''t take that much longer¡ªat least considering the type of trials he had to partake in."

    Yuan had mentioned the three trials to her before he returned to participate in the Dragon God Festival.

    "I understand. Keep me updated. My superiors have been hounding metely because of theck of information. They''re getting impatient, especially Celestial Overlord Xu."

    A few dayster, Kn brought the Demon Sealing Faction to the Ning Family''s location with the Grand Mystic Sect.

    Meanwhile, the head of the Ning Family requested an audience with Yuan after Guard Sau exined the situation to him.

    "My surname is Xiao." Yuan greeted a middle-aged man wearing a pair of golden robes as he sat on a majestic throne.

    "I understand that you came here by ident, but we are delighted to serve someone from the upper heavens, Senior Xiao. If you need assistance during your stay, don''t hesitate to ask."

    "Thank you. I appreciate your hospitality."

    "If you don''t mind me asking, why did youe down to the Fourth Heaven?"

    "Ah, I''m supposed to look for someone, but we don''t really have any information on him, so I am just wandering around for now."

    "I see¡­ What of the Grand Mystic Sect? What''s your rtionship with them?"

    "I have a few friends there. Since I am here, I might as well visit them. It''s been many years, after all."

    Their conversation didn''tst long, and Yuan returned to his room to study Shura'' System.

    "Character status."

    [Heaven Refiner]

    [Cultivation: First Level Spirit Sovereign]

    [Chaotic Dragon Core: Perfect Chaotic Master]

    "..."

    "That''s it?"

    Yuan was left speechless by how simple his new character status was. Moreover, his name had changed to Heaven Refiner for some reason.

    He retrieved a random item from his storage ring and inspected it.

    [Poison Sac]

    [Description: A rare item dropped by Demonic Spiders. It can be used to enchant weapons or used to create poison pills]

    The system was able to analyze items properly, which was good enough for Yuan.

    "Poison sac, huh? This was one of the first items I''ve gotten, but I never really found a good use for it. Now that I have upgraded the Starry Abyss to Baneful Abyss, this is essentially useless¡­"

    Despite its uselessness, Yuan was reluctant to throw it away. He stored it back into his spatial ring shortlyter and continued experimenting with the new system.

    As the tournament drew near, more and more people gathered at the Ning Family''s territory. A few hundred miles from the Ning Family''s household, a colosseum-like structure had been built specifically for the tournament, its grand design capable of holding the immense crowd that had arrived to witness the event.

    "Senior Xiao, would you like to watch the tournament with the Ning Family? His Majesty said he''d prepared a seat for you just in case." Guard Sau asked Yuan the day before the tournament.

    Yuan used his divine sense to sweep the crowd. A smile appeared on his face when he saw Meixiu and the others.

    "Sure, I''ll watch." He nodded.

    On the day of the tournament, Yuan met up with the Ning Family before they headed to the tournament.

    The Ning Family consisted of Emperor Ning, his four wives, and their twenty-one children. Emperor Ning made his family introduce themselves to Yuan. Yuan introduced himself afterward.

    "Senior Xiao, why are you wearing a mask?" One of the younger children asked.

    "Ah, I don''t have any special reason. I just enjoy wearing masks." Yuan removed his mask to show them his handsome face. Naturally, it was disguised, as he''d consumed an appearance-altering pill before leaving the room.

    "You must be very strong since you''re from the upper heavens. How strong are you, Senior Xiao?" Another asked out of curiosity.

    "How strong, huh? Good question. I also don''t know how strong I am right now since I have nothing to properly scale to."

    "Can you destroy stars with your fists?!" Another child asked.

    "I think I am still quite far away from aplishing such feats, unfortunately."

    "Okay, enough bothering Senior Xiao. We need to move out now, or we''ll bete." Emperor Ning eventually stepped in to stop them.

    They were escorted to the tournament area shortlyter by a group of powerful guards. Most of them were at the peak of the Spirit Enlightenment, with a few in the Divine Realm.

    When they arrived, they sat in the private seating area reserved only for the Ning Family. However, they made an exception for Yuan and allowed him to sit with them.

    "..."

    The rowdy crowd quickly became quiet when the Ning Family arrived, and almost everyone there had their heads lowered toward their seating area.

    Kn was one of the few individuals who didn''t bow his head, as the Ning Family was no different than an ordinary family in his eyes.

    He wasn''t even paying attention to the Ning Family at this moment but to the mysterious masked individual sitting with them.

    ''That man¡­ is formidable.''

    Despite Yuan''s efforts to suppress his presence, Kn could instinctively sense that Yuan was a powerhouse.

    "Hey, do you know the identity of that masked man with the Ning Family?" Kn turned to ask Du Daomi, the Sect Leader of the Grand Mystic Sect.

    "No, I don''t recognize him. However, to be able to sit with the Ning Family, his background must be extraordinary," Du Daomi remarked thoughtfully.

    "Is that so¡­" Kn continued to stare at Yuan.

    Noticing his gaze, Yuan confronted Kn''s gaze in a somewhat provocative manner. ''Interesting¡­!'' An excited smile appeared on Kn''s face.

 Chapter 1717 Tournament of Rising Stars

    Chapter 1717 Tournament of Rising Stars

    Emperor Ning stood up and began his speech shortly after their arrival.

    "My Ning Family wees you all to this year''s Tournament of Rising Stars, where those below the age of 27 may participate, regardless of your background or affiliation!"

    "Before I reveal the reward, allow me to exin the rules for this tournament first."

    "First and foremost, each of you will be assigned an opponent who matches your age. As the tournament progresses and there are fewer participants, the age disparity will naturally widen."

    "There is a protection formation around this arena, so you do not have to worry about identally being killed. However, your opponents may still forfeit. Once they forfeit, you are prohibited from attacking. If you damage your opponent after they forfeit, you will also be disqualified."

    "Martial techniques that directly damage the soul are also strictly forbidden. If caught, you could be punished with death."

    Several rulester, Emperor Ning revealed the rewards.

    "The winner of this year''s tournament will be given an Innate Miracle Pill."

    The onlookers and the participants gasped in shock after hearing the reward. An Innate Miracle Pill could boost one''s innate talents greatly and could turn an ordinary cultivator into a talented one. However, they are incredibly rare and priceless due to the exceedingly rare materials required to concoct them.

    Afterward, Emperor Ning said, "Before we begin the tournament, I would like to take a moment to introduce an esteemed guest to you all today. This is Senior Xiao, an envoy from the upper heavens."

    "An envoy from the upper heavens¡­?" Kn muttered to himself.

    "Would you like to share a few words before we begin the tournament, Senior Xiao?" Emperor Ning asked him.

    Yuan pondered for a moment before responding with a question, "Do you mind if I make this year''s tournament a little more exciting?"

    "Oh? What do you have in mind?" Emperor Ning''s eyes flickered, his interest piqued.

    "If you would allow me, I would like to give the top participants an opportunity to fight me. If they can defeat me, I''ll give them a separate reward."

    "T-that''s¡­ but with your cultivation¡­" Emperor Ning hesitated to let someone as powerful as Yuan participate in a tournament meant for the younger generation.

    Yuan chuckled and said, "You probably won''t believe me, but I actually qualify to participate in this tournament."

    "What?! You''re that young?!" Emperor Ning''s eyes widened with shock. He''d sensed Yuan''s presence before, and it was absolutely terrifying. It was not something someone so young should have.

    ''For this young man to be this talented¡­ he''s most likely from the Ninth Heaven!'' Emperor Ning swallowed nervously.

    "Don''t worry, I won''t go too hard on them, and I''ll put several restrictions upon myself," Yuan assured him.

    Emperor Ning pondered for a moment before nodding, "Alright, let''s do it. It sounds entertaining, too."

    After receiving Emperor Ning''s approval, Yuan stepped forward and spoke in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear. Naturally, he disguised his voice so Kn and the others couldn''t recognize him.

    "During this tournament, any participant in the top 20 may challenge me. My cultivation will be suppressed to the peak of Spirit Grandmaster. In fact, I qualify to participate in this tournament since I am under the age of 27. If you can defeat me¡­ I will give you a Supreme-rank technique or an Empyrean-grade treasure."

    "?!?!?!"

    A Supreme-rank technique and Empyrean-grade treasures are typically only acquirable within the Seventh Heaven and above, so for it to be given as a reward in the Fourth Heaven was a once-in-a-life opportunity.

    Even Emperor Ning was shocked by the generous reward.

    However, despite the immense reward, every participant understood the challenge ahead. Simply making it into the top 20 was already an incredibly difficult journey, but defeating someone capable of casually offering such valuable rewards would be exponentially harder, even if that person suppressed his cultivation to the peak of Spirit Grandmaster.

    "Hah! Spirit Grandmaster? Underestimating us will be his downfall. That reward will be mine!" Wang Ming rubbed his hands like he had already won.

    Seeing this, Kn nced at him and sneered, "You''re the one who''s underestimating him. That man is formidable and unfathomably dangerous. If I were to suppress my cultivation to his level, even I don''t dare say I am confident in beating him."

    "What? Seriously?" The Demon Sealing Faction members looked at him with wide eyes. They couldn''t imagine Kn losing to anyone¡ªnot even to Yuan.

    "What about his cultivation of Spirit Sovereign? Is it his real cultivation?" Wang Bingbing asked.

    "It appears to be his real cultivation, but I am sensing another power inside him, and it''s unlike anything I''ve seen before. It''s chaotic and destructive," said Kn.

    "I guess there''s always a bigger fish, especially in the upper heavens. Yuan might finally have somepetitionter." Shi Lang chuckled.

    "Alright, I have decided." Kn suddenly said, "All of you will challenge that man from the upper heavens. If any of you win, I will give you a special reward that would make even my own disciples jealous."

    "What about the tournament?" Hong Xiuquan asked.

    "Forget about it. I brought you here to evaluate your progress and limitations, but after seeing the participants, I have no doubt you''ll rise to the top with ease. However, that man is a different story. You''ll be able to truly test your limits with him."

    Sometimeter, the tournament officially began.

    "I''ll be right back," Meixiu said shortly after the tournament began.

    "Checking on Yuan?" Chu Liuxiang asked.

    She nodded, "He appeared in the announcements, so I thought he came back. However, he hasn''t logged off yet, so maybe he''s still in the Primal Expanse."

    "The announcements were probably just dyed because he''s so far away."

    "Probably. It won''t take long." She logged off the next moment. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.

    Once she returned to Earth and saw Yuan sleeping peacefully, she caressed his face and gave him a gentle kiss before returning to Cultivation Online.

    "Not yet?" Chu Liuxiang asked.

    "No." Meixiu shook her head.

 Chapter 1719 Tournament of Rising Stars(3)

    Chapter 1719 Tournament of Rising Stars(3)

    "Spirit Enlightenment, huh? They''re grown." Yuan muttered with a smile behind his mask. The Demon Sealing Faction had not only caught up to his cultivation but even surpassed him. Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.

    Naturally, whether they could hold a candle against him in prowess was an entirely different story.

    Xi Murong''s opponent swallowed nervously after realizing he was at Spirit Enlightenment.

    However, the young man didn''t forfeit and stepped forward, "Hmph. So what if you''re at Spirit Enlightenment? I''d never forfeit!"

    "Is that so?" Xi Murong muttered as he retrieved a Spirit-grade dagger.

    One of the rules in the tournament forbade the participants from using treasures above Spirit-grade, as that would defeat the purpose of the tournament. They were supposed to show off their talents, not their wealth, after all.

    The only reason there was no restriction on their cultivation was simply because one''s cultivation was considered a talent.

    Xi Murong''s opponent retrieved a Spirit-grade sword, and they started fighting shortly after.

    The spectators expected Xi Murong topletely dominate his opponent right as the fight began, but he diverted their expectations when he started messing around with his opponent. However, that is not to say he was ying around. Instead, he was purposefully matching his opponent''s speed and strength.

    "Who is that young man at the Spirit Enlightenment? I don''t recognize him." Emperor Ning asked Guard Sau, who was guarding their area with several other powerful guards.

    Guard Sau retrieved a jade slip that had the information on all participants and said, "His name is Xi Murong. We don''t have much information on him, but he''s been training with a high-ranking member of the Celestial Overlords at the Grand Mystic Sect for the past few years."

    "What?! Someone from the Celestial Overlords is in the Fourth Heaven?! Are they here right now?!" Emperor Ning stood up in shock after hearing this information.

    The Celestial Overlords are bigshots in the upper heavens, much less the Fourth Heaven. Even royalty like Emperor Ning have to lower their head when speaking to them.

    "Yes, he came here with the Sect Leader of the Grand Mystic Sect."

    "You idiot! Why didn''t anyone notify me?! We should''ve invited them to sit with us the moment we learned of their presence! Do you have any idea how bad this looks on us?!" Emperor Ning shouted angrily, causing heads to turn in their direction.

    "I-I also wasn''t aware until I saw the information just now¡­ I''ll go invite him right now!" Guard Sau lowered his head and left the next moment.

    Once Guard Sau left, Emperor Ning looked at Yuan and sighed, "I apologize for that, Senior Xiao. Do you know of the Celestial Overlords?"

    "Of course, I do. Who hasn''t heard of them in the upper heavens?" he calmly replied.

    "Ah, I just realized how foolish my question was." Emperor Ning rubbed his chin in an embarrassed manner.

    Meanwhile, Guard Sau approached the Sect Leader of the Grand Mystic Sect and asked him, "Senior Du, we''ve just received news that a member of the Celestial Overlords came to the tournament with your Grand Mystic Sect. Do you know where this esteemed guest is right now?"

    Without uttering a word, Du Daomi shifted his gaze to look at Kn, who was standing right beside him. Seeing this, Guard Sau immediately understood the situation and recognized Kn as someone from the Celestial Overlords. While Kn''s presence was suppressed, there was no way to conceal the immense aura his body naturally exuded. Even an ignorant child could tell he was a powerful expert at a nce.

    "Esteemed Guest from the Celestial Overlords! His Majesty, Emperor Ning, respectfully requested your presence at his humble booth with his family¡ªif you don''t mind!"

    Kn looked at the location where the Ning Family was spectating from, but his gaze wasn''t directed at Emperor Ning. Instead, they were staring at Yuan.

    "Sure," he said with an excited smile.

    "Thank you! Please follow me."

    Kn looked at the others and said, "I''ll be gone for a bit."

    He followed Guard Sau to the Ning Family''s booth.

    When Kn arrived, Emperor Ning got back on his feet and immediately apologized, "I would like to extend my deepest apology for thete invitation, Esteemed Guest. I wasn''t notified of your presence until just now."

    "It''s fine."

    "How should we address you, Esteemed Guest?"

    "Kn."

    "K-Kn?! Commander Kn?! The God of Physiques?!" Emperor Ning almost couldn''t believe his ears after hearing Kn''s name and recognizing it.

    "That''s right. There''s no need to act so formally. Although I epted your invitation, it wasn''t because of the Ning Family," Kn said as his gaze shifted to Yuan, who was calmly viewing the matches,pletely ignoring Kn.

    ''Not a single reaction even after learning of my identity, huh?'' Kn smiled inwardly.

    Emperor Ning instantly realized what Kn was trying to tell him and didn''t try to prolong the conversation, fearing it might annoy Kn.

    "I understand. Then I won''t bother you. If you need anything, just let me know."

    Kn grabbed the chair that had just been ced beside Emperor Ning''s seat and moved it directly beside Yuan.

    Kn sat down with a loud thud, and his aura immediately began shing with Yuan''s intensely. The air between them grew thick with tension, and the atmosphere in the booth turned chilling. Emperor Ning and his family instinctively moved their seats away from Kn and Yuan. They feared for their lives, but none of them dared to utter anyints.

    The two of them remained silent for several minutes until Kn broke the silence.

    "So, where are you from?"

    "A ce far away from here," Yuan responded nonchntly.

    "Do you really qualify for this tournament?" "Of course. Do you think I am lying?"

    Kn turned his head to look at Yuan.

    Yuan did the same. Although his eyes were hidden by his mask, their gaze confronted each other with intensity that matched their auras.

    Feeling Yuan''s gaze through his mask, Kn smiled and said, "You wanna sparter? I''ll match your cultivation."

    "Do you always ask strangers to spar with you?" Yuan asked.

    "Only if they make the hair on my skin tingle." Yuan chuckled, "I''ll think about it."

    This chapter upload first at

 Chapter 1720 Even More Monstrous Than Yuan

    Chapter 1720 Even More Monstrous Than Yuan

    "What''s there to think about? I can tell you''re someone who craves a good battle just as much as I do. Moreover, your physique¡­" Kn''s gaze lowered to look at Yuan''s physique.

    ''His clothes and boots are both Celestial-grade treasures. Either his family or sect spoiled him, understandably so. This young man is not even 28 years old, and his aura is already this overwhelming. His cultivation is also deceptively low. There''s no doubt he can fight someone several realms above his own. Yuan may be a monster, but this guy is on a whole different level!''

    Knpared Yuan to the mysterious monster before him. Although Yuan was wearing clothes that covered most of his skin, Kn could still tell that he had a powerful physique.

    "You''re a body refiner like me, aren''t you?" Kn asked.

    "I do temper my body whenever I get the chance, but I cannot say that I am strictly a body refiner." Yuan shook his head.

    "That''s absolute nonsense. Even gifted and hardcore body refiners in the Ninth Heaven will have difficulties achieving your level at your age." Kn did not believe Yuan in the slightest.

    "My level? What do you think my level is?"

    "I can''t say for certain without exchanging a few punches with you, but it''s definitely as extraordinary as that ominous energy inside your body."

    ''Oh? He can sense my chaotic essence even though I hid it to the best of my abilities?'' Yuan was slightly surprised.

    Although Kn could sense something ominous inside Yuan, it was just a feeling, and he had no idea what it was. Yuan''s gaze suddenly turned to look at the members of the Demon Sealing Faction and asked, "Those children are yours?"

    Kn shook his head and said, "No, not really. I am just training them. They''re not really my disciple."

    "They''re not your disciples, but you''re still willing to train them? I didn''t know the Celestial Overlords were this generous."

    "It''splicated, and I don''t know about the others, but I don''t mind training strangers as long as they show promise and determination."

    "Are you confident they''ll be able to reach the top 20?" Yuan asked.

    "Of course. I have confidence that they''ll dominate the whole tournament and reach the top 20¡ªunless they start fighting each other. However, one of them will definitely win the tournament." Kn spoke in a proud manner, as if he was speaking of his own children.

    "I see. Then how about this? If one of them manages to defeat me, I''ll spar with you."

    Kn didn''t immediately respond because even he wasn''t confident they could beat him while his cultivation was suppressed to Spirit Grandmaster.

    ''No¡­ I need to have some trust in them, especially that little monster who might one day rival Yuan. I don''t believe they won''t be able to defeat a Spirit Grandmaster, even if their opponent is a prodigy from the upper heavens!'' Kn thought to himself, shaking away his doubt.

    "Alright," he said a momentter.

    "Very well." This is from N?velDrama.Org.

    Yuan didn''t say anything else and returned to watching the tournament.

    "I''ll be back," Kn said before flying back to the others directly from the booth.

    "What did you talk to him about?" Li Jinxi asked, her face filled with curiosity.

    "That man is much more powerful than I''d anticipated, but that doesn''t mean you have no chance of winning. He''ll be suppressed to Spirit Grandmaster. If you guys, who are also able to defeat those above your own realm, cannot defeat someone at his level¡­ Ah, forget it."

    "Anyway, you need to defeat him no matter what, you hear me? Otherwise, I''ll force all of you to endure a whole year of hell that would make even the disciples at my sect wish for death¡ªregardless if Yuan has returned or not."

    The members of the Demon Sealing Faction swallowed nervously upon seeing Kn''s serious expression. Although Kn hadn''t mentioned anything about his spar with Yuan, they could instinctively sense that something significant was on the line.

    "If youpare him to Yuan, how would you¡ª" Xi Meili suddenly asked.

    Kn interrupted before she could even finish her sentence, "Yuan is very talented¡ªprobably one of the most talented individuals I know, but this man is on another level. I don''t want to pat my own butt, but I am very confident in my ability to assess people''s abilities with a nce."

    "How big is their disparity, in your opinion?" Li Jinxi asked.

    Kn pondered for a moment before responding, "If Yuan was at the Spirit Sovereign realm, he''d probably be able to defeat someone at the Divine Emperor realm¡ªeven the Divine Sovereign realm with some difficulty. However, that man will be able to defeat someone in the Immortal Ascension realm. The difference between Divine Sovereign, Divine Ancestor, and Immortal Ascension is unfathomably vast."

    "Of course, this is just an estimate since I haven''t fought him. For all we know, he could be weaker¡ªor even stronger." "Man, it''s really hard to believe that someone out there could outss Yuan to such an extent. Is this what it feels like to be a frog in a well? I never thought I''d see the day, but s¡­" Hong Xiuquan sighed.

    "Hey, hey! Why are you suddenly acting like Yuan is no longer relevant? We''re still talking about Yuan in the past! Who knows how much he''s improved in thest three years." Chu Liuxiang suddenly spoke up with a frown on her face.

    "Calm down, Sister Chu. We''re not looking down on Yuan. He''s still a monster. We''re just surprised that someone is even more monstrous than him." Wu Zao said.

    "However, what Sister Chu said has merit. We haven''t seen Yuan in three years, so we cannotpare them in a fair manner. However, we can all agree that the Yuan three years ago would lose to this powerhouse, right?"

    "..."

    "I''ll withhold my opinion until I fight that man." Li Jinxi said.

    "Me too." Wang Xiuying agreed.

    At the same time, Feng Yuxiang asked Yuan about Kn, "Who was that man? And why is he training Meixiu and the others?"

    Yuan smiled and said, "Let me exin. It''s a long story, though. Fortunately, we have plenty of time."

    This chapter upload first at

 Chapter 1721 Divine Fist Manifestation

    Chapter 1721 Divine Fist Manifestation

    "Heavens¡­ a lot has happened since I went to sleep¡­" Feng Yuxiang couldn''t believe how much had happened in such a short amount of time.

    ''Thank the heavens I woke up this soon. If I had slept any longer¡­'' Feng Yuxiang swallowed nervously. She could imagine sleeping for a decade and waking up to Yuan already achieving immortality. Just the thought of missing Yuan''s growth gave Feng Yuxiang a sense of dread.

    "So, when do you n on letting them know your true identity?" Feng Yuxiang asked Yuan a few momentster.

    "I don''t," Yuan said with a smile.

    "Huh?" Feng Yuxiang muttered in a surprised voice.

    "Now that I am hunted by the Celestial Emperor, I need to keep ''Yuan'' away from them. I could be endangering them just by being near them. Of course, that''s not to say I''ll keep my identity a secret forever. Once the tournament is finished, I''ll find a way to tell them."

    "Then why stay here at all? Wouldn''t it be better if you''d just left and never interact with them?" Feng Yuxiang asked.

    "I thought of that, but with so many people from the upper heavensing down to the lower heavens, my identity won''t raise any suspicions. There''ll also be many witnesses who will have seen us acting like strangers to each other."

    "I see what you''re trying to do. Fooling your own allies to fool your enemy, huh?"

    "Yes, but I will also admit that I want to see how much they''ve grown, even if it''s a little risky. They wouldn''t fight me with the same intensity if they knew my identity, after all."

    Sometimeter, Kn returned to the booth.

    "By the way, I never got your name."

    "Surnamed Xiao."

    "Surname? You can''t tell me your full name?" Kn raised an eyebrow.

    "My background is a bit unique. I am not allowed to disclose my true identity carelessly."

    "Ah, so you''re from one of those families, huh?" Kn nodded his head as if he understood.

    Hidden families were not umon in the Nine Heavens, particrly in the upper heavens. These families were known for keeping their backgrounds, techniques, and talents as secretive as possible, rarely revealing their true strength or lineage to the outside world. Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    Their reasons for doing so also varied from family to family, so they were typically shrouded in mystery.

    ''So he''s from a hidden family. No wonder why I have never heard of him.'' Kn thought to himself, and he wondered how many more monsters like Yuan were hidden from the rest of the world, growing in secrecy.

    Sometimeter, Xi Murong finally defeated his opponent after messing around for many minutes.

    As time passed, more and more members of the Demon Sealing Faction entered the stage. Their unusual background and high cultivation base attracted a lot of attention from the other sects. "Heavens. They have another at the Spirit Enlightenment, and he''s even at the fifth level." "They are standing with the Grand Mystic Sect. Are they disciples? Howe I don''t recognize any of them?"

    "Just where in heaven''s name are they finding so many monstrous talents? Finding a single one of them every thousand years would already be considered a miracle, yet there''s a dozen of them together at this moment."

    "Ah, I know about them. I heard this from a disciple of the Grand Mystic Sect, and they''re apparently being trained by someone from the Celestial Overlords. They''re also not disciples of the Grand Mystic Sect."

    "What?! Someone from the Celestial Overlords is here in the Fourth Heavens?!"

    "My god! No wonder! This exins everything!"

    Information of the Demon Sealing Faction being rted to the Celestial Overlords quickly spread throughout the spectators'' area, shocking everyone.

    Several hourster, two members of the Demon Sealing Faction had been matched against each other.

    "What a coincidence, Sister Wang," Hong Xiuqian said, pressing his fists together, the steel gauntlets on his hands gleaming as he stared intently at his opponent, Wang Bingbing.

    "Do you remember thest time we fought each other in an officialpetition?" he asked.

    "Yes, I do." Wang Bingbing calmly responded, recalling their fight during the Spirit Competition at the Jaded Garden.

    "Then you also remember being defeated by me, right?" "Yes, I remember barely losing to you. However, things are different now."

    "Are they, really? We both trained under the same teacher."

    "Hmph! Enough talking! I will show you the difference right now!" Wang Bingbing raised her sword, enveloping it with a sharp aura.

    "Sword Aura! That youngdy knows Sword Aura at such a young age?!" The audience gasped in shock.

    Hong Xiuqian remained unfazed by her Sword Aura, knowing it wasn''t a secret. He calmly bashed his gauntlets together, and a silver aura appeared around them a momentter, emitting a destructive aura.

    "That young man also achieved Divine Fist Manifestation!"

    While masters of sharp weapons could achieve an "aura," such as Sword Aura or Spear Aura, those who rely on their fists can achieve Divine Fist Manifestation. This concept is simr to Sword Aura, but instead of enhancing sharpness, its power lies in its overwhelming destructive force, amplifying the raw strength of every blow.

    Not only can Divine Fist Manifestation block weapon auras, but they are also just as difficult to cultivate and train as weapon auras.

    Wang Bingbing and Hong Xiuqian shed with each other a momentter. When their Sword Aura and Divine Fist Manifestation collided, a powerful ripple swept the arena, disturbing the nearby fights.

    While every tform had formations in ce to prevent projectiles and debris from flying outside and harming the spectators or other participants, these formations did not block the ripples of energy created when two powerful forces shed.

    Wang Bingbing went on the offensive while Hong Xiuqian yed defense, repeating their match during the Spirit Competition, almost as if they were trying to prove something to each other.

    Butpared to their fight previously, they were both iparably stronger with much more fighting experience.

    This chapter upload first at

 Chapter 1722 Peak of Spirit Enlightenment

    Chapter 1722 Peak of Spirit Enlightenment

    "What a fierce battle! It''s like they''re really trying to kill each other!"

    The spectators were shocked by how intensely Hong Xiuqian and Wang Bingbing were going at each other''s throats, almost as if they were before their archenemies.

    As for the match itself, Hong Xiuqian was sessfully blocking all of Wang Bingbing''s sword strikes. Moreover, his fists were still in great condition, unlike their previous match, where his fists would be bruised by the end.

    As for Wang Bingbing, each of her sword strikes struck exactly where she wanted with deadly precision, and she had almost no wasteful movement. ''They''re iparably stronger than before, and they are still hiding their true strength.'' Yuan smiled inwardly, wondering if they were hiding their true strength because of him.

    "Sister Wang, I have a better chance of defeating that man. Stop this pointless struggle, and just let me win."

    "Are you seriously saying that?" Wang Bingbing suddenly became even more aggressive, and her aura soared, clearly angry at Hong Xiuqian''s words.

    Hong Xiuqian was slightly taken aback and started getting pushed back.

    ''Damn, she''s starting to use her real strength!'' Hong Xiuqian clenched his jaw and started fighting more seriously, too.

    While they continued fighting, another member of the Demon Sealing Faction was called to the stage.

    A beautiful woman with a stern expression walked onto the stage. Her opponent, who was only a Spirit King, began trembling in fear after sensing her cultivation.

    "P-Peak of Spirit Enlightenment!"

    Li Jinxi''s overwhelming presence on the stage affected not just her opponent but even those around her, including those in the audience.

    "A-are you ready to fight?" The judge for their match asked.

    Li Jinxi silently nodded.

    It took a moment for her opponent to respond. After swallowing nervously, he said, "R-ready!"

    "Then let the fight begin!"

    The instant the match began, Li Jinxi''s figure disappeared from her spot.

    "Agh!"

    Her opponent cried out in pain and was sent flying outside the stage a split secondter.

    Li Jinxi had defeated her opponent in a single move not even a second after the match began, and she used nothing but her own fists.

    "W-winner, Li Jinxi!"

    Once the match ended, the judge offered Li Jinxi a recovery pill, but she outright refused it and left the stage.

    "Heavens! What a domineering beauty! To be at the Peak of the Spirit Enlightenment at her age, her potential is massive!"

    "Hahaha! That young man from the upper heavens must be sweating by now! I cannot imagine a Spirit Grandmaster defeating someone at the peak of Spirit Enlightenment, regardless of their background!"

    Sometimeter, Meixiu entered the stage with a spirit-grade bow. However, she didn''t have any arrows on her, and her bow alsocked the bowstring that traditional bows have, resembling that of an iplete bow.

    Her opponent was a young woman at the third level of the Spirit Sovereign realm who belonged to one of the Three Grand Sects, the Grand Spring Sect.

    "Please go easy on me," said her opponent. Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.

    Meixiu silently nodded.

    Once the match began, the Grand Spring Sect disciple raised her sword in a defensive manner while Meixiu''s aura skyrocketed, wrapping itself around the bow in her grasp and creating a bowstring. By the time Meixiu raised her bow, an arrow made entirely of her aura was already prepared tounch from the bow.

    "!!!"

    The Grand Spring Sect disciple instinctively knew that she was incapable of blocking Meixiu''s attack and immediately switched from defensive to trying to avoid the attack entirely.

    The arrow flew from the bow a momentter and barely missed the Grand Spring Sect. However, right as the disciple sighed in relief inwardly, she felt something strike her from the back.

    "Wha¡ª?!"

    The arrow that had missed her initially had suddenly turned around, and in that instant, she felt as though a massive hole had been torn through her stomach. However, when she looked down, she saw no injury on her body; the formation had activated, sparing her life.

    "I-it''s my loss¡­" The disciple sighed in a disappointed manner as she ced a hand on where Meixiu had struck her.

    As a Core Disciple of the Grand Spring Sect, she thought she would, at the very least, achieve the top 10. However, she had gotten incredibly unlucky and got matched with someone an entire realm above her for her first match.

    ''I couldn''t even show off a single technique before I was defeated¡­ This is so embarrassing¡­'' The disciple left the stage with her head lowered.

    Chu Liuxiang was next, and she also defeated her opponent in a single attack by sting them away with an unavoidable ice technique that covered the entire stage. Sometimeter, Wang Bingbing and Hong Xiuqian''s match finally concluded.

    "Winner¡ªWang Bingbing!" The judge announced.

    Wang Bingbing had managed to defeat Hong Xiuqian after a long and arduous battle where neither of them was able to overpower the other for hours until Hong Xiuqian made a mistake from exhaustion¡ªone that Wang Bingbing took advantage of and came out on top.

    The spectators cheered madly, causing the whole ce to rumble with excitement.

    "This year''s tournament is really exciting." One of Emperor Ning''s children said as he pped.

    "Father, do you think it''s possible to meet them after the tournament? I would love to have a word with that beauty with the bow." One of the older children asked, his gaze filled with adoration.

    Before Emperor Ning could even speak, Kn responded, "She already has a partner."

    "That doesn''t mean any¡ª"

    Kn looked at him and interrupted, "I wouldn''t continue that sentence if I were you... unless you wish the downfall of your family."

    Emperor Ning hastily went to p his own son in the face and shouted, "Apologize to Senior Kn right now!"

    "I-I am sorry, Senior! I didn''t realize you were her partner!"

    Kn frowned and said, "Hey, that''s a crazy misunderstanding. I am not her partner, and don''t you dare utter such words again. If her real partner was here to hear that, he''d probably go on a rampage and kill everyone here."

    Yuan turned to look at Kn with raised eyebrows.

    ''What kind of nonsense is that? Is this how he sees me?'' he shook his head inwardly.

    This chapter upload first at

 Chapter 1723 The Top 20

    Chapter 1723 The Top 20

    "He''d kill everyone here over something like that? He sounds like a viin." Yuan said, joining the conversation.

    "Well¡­ I''m not saying he''ll definitely do it, but he is very much capable. That man is a crazed bastard who''d aim his sword at the heavens without any hesitation if needed." Kn said,pletely unaware that he was talking to Yuan.

    "Sounds like you''re scared of him. Is he more powerful than you?"

    Kn rubbed his nose and said, "He may be a little monster with more potential than I, but he is still a hundred¡ªthousand years too early to defeat me."

    "And who said I am scared of him? His unpredictably does make me nervous at times, but that is different from fear."

    "Is that so?" Yuan smiled inwardly.

    Suddenly, another of Emperor Ning''s older sons spoke, "T-then what about that beauty who used that ice technique?"

    "Ah, she''s also taken¡­ by the same man."

    "¡­"

    "That nonchnt fairy at the peak of Spirit Enlightenment is probably single, right?"

    Kn merely shook his head in silence.

    "Seriously¡­?"

    Kn sighed and said, "You can forget about coveting any of the women in that group. They all belong to the same guy."

    "What?!"

    The Ning Family was surprised to hear this. Even Emperor Ning couldn''t help but swallow nervously, his gaze filled with envy. "Is this man¡­also an Emperor?" Emperor Ning had to ask.

    How can a single man have so many talented partners if they weren''t in a position of high power and authority?

    "No, but he''s also from the Celestial Overlords, and he is one of the youngest Generals in our faction''s history. He''d also qualify to participate in this tournament if he were here."

    "¡­"

    "Anyway, he''s one hell of a womanizer who is always surrounded by women." Kn continued.

    Yuan had a strong urge to smack Kn in the back of the head for his earlier statement about all of the girls in the group belonging to him, but he held back.

    However, he decided to punish Kn in the future for spreading misunderstanding when there is a chance.

    Sometimeter, once all of the participants had their match, they immediately started the second round.

    With half of the participants eliminated, the age gap began widening, but it was only by a year or two at most.

    During the second round, Wang Ming and Shi Lang were matched against each other, and Wang Ming ended up barely winning.

    For the third round, Wu Zao fought Wang Xiuying, with Wu Zao emerging victorious by andslide.

    Although Wang Xiuying also trained with Kn, she''d only spent half as much time as everyone else since she still had to focus on her alchemy, which was her primary path.

    For the seventh round, Li Jinxi ended up matching with Meixiu.

    Li Jinxi obviously won by andslide, but she was unable to instantly defeat Meixiu unlike her previous matches. In the end, their match ended upsting a whole minute.

    Wang Ming and Wang Bingbing also fought each other during the seventh round, with Wang Ming winning.

    In the ninth round, Wu Zao got matched against Xi Murong and lost within half a minute.

    By the time there were about twenty or so participants left, only Chu Liuxiang, Li Jinxi, Xi Murong, and Wang Ming were left.

    Yuan then spoke, "Congrattions to those of you who have made it this far. Now, you have all acquired the qualifications to challenge me. Of course, you don''t need to challenge me right now."

    "You can challenge me after the tournament ends, or you can challenge¡ª"

    Before Yuan could even finish his sentence, one of the people there stepped forward and shouted, "I want to challenge you!"

    "Good."

    Without saying another word, Yuan leaped from the booth to one of the empty stages there.

    The one who challenged Yuan also entered the stage a momentter.

    "What happens if more than one of us defeats you? Will you give out the reward twice?" The young man, number one disciple of the Burning Lotus Sword Sect, asked as he faced Yuan. This is from N?velDrama.Org.

    Yuan calmly nodded, "Naturally."

    The spectators gasped in shock after learning the reward wasn''t for a single person.

    Xing Chen sucked his teeth after realizing he had jumped the gun. He thought the reward was only for the first one to defeat him, hence why he was so eager to fight first. However, after learning the truth, he regretted not waiting a bit more to study Yuan''s prowess first. He turned to look at the other participants, and most of them were smiling, almost as ifughing at him.

    ''Whatever. It doesn''t matter if I am first orst since I will defeat him regardless!'' Xing Chen readied his sword.

    At this moment, every single pair of eyes were on Yuan, their gaze filled with anticipation.

    "I will let you have the first¡­three strikes. By the way, I have sealed all of my treasures'' abilities, so you don''t have to worry about that." Yuan said.

    "Then I won''t be humble!" Xing Chen roared as his sword became engulfed in mes.

    "Burning Lotus Raging Sword Strike!"

    Yuan merely stood there as Xing Chen swung his fiery sword at Yuan''s neck.

    Seeing his opponent aiming for his neck, Yuan willingly tilted his head the other way, giving Xing Chen full ess to his neck.

    "Your neck is mine!"

    The moment the ming sword touched Yuan''s neck, its movement halted abruptly, and the mes were instantly and forcefully absorbed into Yuan''s body.

    Kn stood up from his seat and eximed, "Fire Harmony?!"

    "W-what?" Emperor Ning looked at him with a startled and puzzled expression.

    "A level that is even higher than me immunity. Not only is he impervious to mes but he could also absorb them and turn it into his own energy! The peak of fire mastery!"

    Kn clenched his fists as his body trembled in excitement. Even he has only achieved Super Fire Immunity after tens of thousands of years of rigorous training.

    "No¡­ There''s simply no way he could''ve achieved Fire Harmony at that age. It must have been one of his techniques at work¡­" Kn quickly shook his head, almost as if he couldn''t believe that he had been fooled by such an obvious fact, even if it was only for a brief moment.

    "Fuck, that surprised me¡­" he mumbled a momentter.

    This chapter upload first at

 Chapter 1724 Fire Harmony

    Chapter 1724 Fire Harmony

    "That was your first strike," Yuan said to Xing Chen after tanking his attack without a single scratch on his neck.

    "N-no way¡­" Xing Chen hastily jumped back.

    ''There''s no way he actually defended against such a powerful strike with his naked neck! He must''ve used an illusion or something to make it look like that!'' Xing Chen refused to believe that a Spirit Grandmaster had managed to eat one of his most powerful strikes ande out unscathed.

    "What are you waiting for? You have two more strikes. I''m not trying to spend a whole day on a single match." Yuan beckoned him in a provocative manner.

    Xing Chen immediately became infuriated, as he had never been mocked in such a fashion before. He began gathering his spiritual energy for several moments before pointing his sword at Yuan.

    "Burning Lotus Heavenly Sword!" A massive de made of pure fire materialized in the sky directly above Yuan. Once it fully materialized and the de almost appeared real, it fell on Yuan''s head.

    Whosh!

    mes spewed in every direction like a tsunami, engulfing the arena in a sea of mes.

    "There''s no¡­ way¡­ he could''ve¡­ avoided that¡­" Xing Chen became incredibly weakened after releasing the technique, which exhausted nearly all of his spiritual energy. This is from N?velDrama.Org.

    Yuan''s figure was engulfed in mes, but his silhouette could still be seen by the spectators and Xing Chen.

    However, before Xing Chen could celebrate, a powerful gust appeared, swallowing up all of the mes. The mes gathered like bugs to antern around Yuan, who began taking a deep breath, as if he was preparing to blow a straw house down.

    As for the mes, they were simply consumed by Yuan.

    "H-how¡­?" Xing Chen fell to his knees with a loud thud that resounded throughout the stadium.

    The spectators could only gasp in shock at what they''d just witnessed.

    "There''s no mistaking it¡­" Kn muttered in a dazed voice. "He actually achieved the state of Fire Harmony before the age of 30! This level of talent is almost unheard of, even in the Supreme Heaven! He must have been born with a physique blessed by the fire gods!"

    Kn''s desire to fight Yuan skyrocketed after learning this.

    ''You kids better defeat him so I can fight him!'' Kn clenched his fists in anticipation.

    Yuan casually patted his clothes after swallowing the mes and said, "If that was your best, then I''ll consider this fight concluded, as you will not be able to damage me, much less defeat me."

    Xing Chen did not even have the energy to respond anymore and directly copsed onto the ground. One of the workers there swiftly entered the stage to retrieve Xing Chen, bringing him away.

    Yuan looked at the rest of the participants and said, "So, who''s next?"

    The participants subconsciously stepped back when they felt Yuan''s overwhelming gaze through his mask.

    After a few moments of silence, a beautiful girl entered the stage with a graceful leap.

    Once the beauty introduced herself, Yuan nodded and said, "The match will begin the moment you raise your weapon."

    The beauty quickly raised the sword in her grasp and prepared to attack. However, before she could even act, Yuan''s figure flickered and disappeared.

    When he appeared again a split secondter, his fist was already digging into the beauty''s stomach.

    "Ah!"

    The beauty let out a dramatic cry of pain, and her face contorted in an exaggerated expression as she was sent flying off the stage.

    "W-why¡­? What happened to three free strikes¡­?" sheined after struggling to get back on her feet.

    "It''d take too long if I let everyone have three free strikes," he shrugged.

    "N-no way¡­" The beauty muttered in disbelief before falling unconscious and getting carried off the stage.

    "Next." Yuan ignored her and turned to look at the remaining participants, who swallowed nervously and subconsciously avoided his gaze.

    "Since nobody is going next, I will do it."

    A familiar face entered the stage.

    "I''m Chu Liuxiang. What''s your name?" ''Lulu¡­'' Yuan showed a gentle smile on his face after Chu Liuxiang challenged him.

    "My surname is Xiao."

    "You can''t tell me your full name?"

    "Unfortunately, I am unable to because of reasons beyond my control."

    Chu Liuxiang narrowed her eyes at him and asked, "Have we met before?"

    "Why do you ask?"

    "Just a feeling."

    "Well, unless you''ve been to the upper heavens, I highly doubt we''ve met, as this is my first timeing to the lower heavens."

    "I see."

    "..."

    "You''re not going to ask why I came down here?" Yuan asked.

    "Well, I don''t really care, so I have no reason to ask."

    "I understand. Then let''s start the match. I''ll make my move after you make your first move." Yuan said a momentter.

    Chu Liuxiang nodded, and after several moments of stillness, she suddenly brought her arms parallel to the ground and swiftly activated a technique.

    "Ice Shield!"

    A beautiful and thick shield made of ice and enforced by spiritual energy appeared in front of Chu Liuxiang, capable of blocking any frontal attacks.

    She thought Yuan was going to attack her the moment she used her technique like thest match. However, Yuan merely stood there in silence, almost as if he were analyzing her technique.

    Seeing this, Yuan smiled and said, "Don''t worry, I won''t end this match too fast since I ended myst one a bit too fast, so we have some spare time to enjoy ourselves."

    "Sorry, but I''m not interested."

    Chu Liuxiang suddenly ced her palms on the ground.

    [Frozen Garden of Impalement!]

    Thousands of ice spikes erupted from the ground and reached a dozen meters tall, covering the entire arena and leaving no room for Yuan to escape. She had used this technique in several matches before, and not a single one of her opponents had been able to block or avoid it.

    However, Yuan didn''t even try to avoid it and allowed the ice spikes tond on him.

    "Wow¡­" Chu Liuxiang showed a nervous smile after seeing Yuan tank such a powerful technique with ease.

    This chapter upload first at

 Chapter 1725 Fighting Chu Liuxiang

    Chapter 1725 Fighting Chu Liuxiang

    <Cold Resistance has improved>

    A simple notification appeared when Yuan took Chu Liuxiang''s ice technique with his bare body.

    ''Oh? I can temper my body like this?'' He smiled inwardly.

    Yuan looked at Chu Liuxiang, "Is that all you''ve got? Show me some more of your ice techniques since they''re quite rare even in the upper heavens."

    Chu Liuxiang snapped out of her daze and gritted her teeth.

    [A thousand Ice Lotus Blooms on the Battlefield!]

    Hundreds of beautiful frozen lotuses materialized around Yuan,pletely surrounding him.

    Yuan curiously touched one of them, causing it to burst and sending ice shrapnels in every direction. Almost instantaneously, a chain reaction urred, and in the blink of an eye, all of the ice lotuses exploded.

    <Cold Resistance has improved>

    <Cold Resistance has improved>

    <Cold Resistance has improved>

    Although the system did not specify, Yuan could feel that his cold resistance was only increasing slightly.

    Yuan wanted to get at least Weak Cold Resistance by the end of the match, but he didn''t want to prolong their match for too long without any reason, as it would raise eyebrows.

    "You''re that tall man''s disciple, right? Show me what he taught you. I promised to fight him if one of you manages to defeat me, after all."

    "No wonder why he appeared a little desperate for us to win¡­" Chu Liuxiang sighed.

    "Forget it. I know I can''t win, and I don''t feel like fighting you for some reason." Chu Liuxiang shook her head.

    "You don''t? Why not? You fell for me or something?" Yuan teased her, hoping it''d get her riled up.

    Chu Liuxiang sneered and said, "I am already with the love of my life, so I have no reason to look at another man."

    "Anyway, I¡ª"

    Just as Chu Liuxiang prepared to forfeit, Yuan casually swung his arm, sending a sword light made of pure Sword Aura at her.

    Chu Lixiuang hastily created a shield of ice before her, but itsted only a split second before it was sliced in half. If she hadn''t dodged at the same time she created the shield, the sword light would''ve struck her.

    "Were you going to forfeit because you couldn''t harm me with your techniques? I didn''t know Kn raised such a coward¡ªor did you learn that from your partner?"

    Chu Liuxiang''s eyes burned with fighting spirit.

    Seeing this, Yuan pped, "So you finally feel like fighting me?"

    "Damn, you''re annoying as hell! I will make you regret provoking me!"

    Chu Liuxiang began writing in the air, swiftly creating array symbols.

    "Oh? You''re an Array Master?" Yuan was pleasantly surprised that Chu Liuxiang had started using array symbols.

    A few secondster, the array symbols that gathered above the arena came together, creating a massive cloud. Soon, it began snowing in the arena.

    When the snowkes touched Yuan''s body, some of his spiritual energy was eaten away.

    "A formation that gradually weakens your opponents, huh? This is at least a level 3 formation. Not bad."

    Just like Wang Xiuying, Chu Liuxiang didn''t spend all of her time training under Kn. She also studied array symbols under one of the Grand Mystic Sect''s sect elders.

    "I can''t believe it''s only been a year since I started teaching her about array symbols." An olddy sighed in admiration and regret as she stared at Chu Liuxiang''s figure from the spectators'' area.

    "In just a short year, she went from barely knowing anything about array symbols to bing a level three Array Master¡­ If she had a better teacher than this useless one, she would''ve definitely reached higher. Her talents are simply iprehensible."

    Chu Liuxiang wasn''t finished with just one formation and continued creating more array symbols.

    Yuan wanted to see what she had nned and purposely allowed her to finish. However, Chu Liuxiang remained alert the entire time, anticipating him to attack at any moment.

    A few momentster, Chu Liuxiangpleted her second formation, one that weakened the strength and those within it.

    The third one affected Yuan''s movements, making him move slower.

    By the time Chu Liuxiang was finished, she''d used up a third of her spiritual energy, but she felt that it was worth it as long as it weakened Yuan enough.

    "To cast three formations in just a few moments, what a talented Array Master¡­ not to mention her young age¡­" The spectators were in awe. "You done?" Yuan asked her.

    "No, but you are!"

    Chu Liuxiang began bombarding Yuan with ice techniques with her remaining spiritual energy.

    However, Yuan would not block any of them, allowing them to bombard his body.

    Seeing this, Kn subconsciously began tapping his foot.

    ''He doesn''t have any cold resistance. He''s blocking all of her Spirit Enlightenment attacks with his body! Not only does he have Fire Harmony, but his physique has also been tempered to a ridiculous degree! How in heaven''s name does he have the time to achieve all of this?! Did he train inside a time chamber or something?!''

    Kn couldn''t fathom how Yuan was able to attain his physique and Fire Harmony in less than thirty years. While there are time chambers in the upper heavens where time flows differently inside, they are all incredibly rare and scarce, and the time one could spend inside is severely limited.

    ''Just what is his background? Is there really such a powerful and resourceful family hidden away somewhere in this world?''

    <Weak Cold Resistance has been attained>

    Before Yuan acquired Weak Cold Resistance, Chu Liuxiang''s ice techniques would tickle him. However, after acquiring cold resistance, he wouldn''t even feel it touching his body if it weren''t for his clothes.

    Kn''s eyes widened after noticing this.

    "He''d gained cold resistance?! Just like that?! It''s only been a few minutes!" he eximed in a shocked tone.

    If one could acquire resistance from being struck by another''s techniques, then everyone in the world would possess some form of resistance. However, reality didn''t work that way. Yet, Yuan had somehow managed to achieve this feat, which exined Kn''s shock and disbelief.

    This chapter upload first at  Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 1726 Cold Resistance

    Chapter 1726 Cold Resistance

    "N-no¡­ let''s think about this properly¡­ There''s no way anyone could achieve resistance after just a few minutes from that level of attack. He must''ve already been on the verge of attaining cold resistance before fighting her. Yup. This has to be the exnation." Kn suddenly convinced himself that this must be the exnation, as he found it impossible to believe that Yuan had started from nothing and attained cold resistance in just a few minutes. In other words, he was in denial, unable to ept the reality of Yuan''s rapid progress.

    Meanwhile, on the stage, Chu Liuxiang was sweating buckets after exhausting all of her spiritual energy. Unbeknownst to her, her efforts ended up benefiting Yuan greatly.

    "Thank you for the training. It helped me a lot." Yuan said to her afterward.

    "As a thank you, I''ll face you seriously."

    Yuan thought about going easy on Chu Liuxiang because she was his partner. However, after thinking about it, he decided to do the opposite.

    ''Although we''ve sparred with each other plenty of times, she never really experienced fighting ''me''.'' Yuan smiled inwardly.

    No matter how intense their sparring became, it was still just a spar in the end. Even if they fought with full seriousness, Chu Liuxiang never felt threatened because, deep down, she knew Yuan would never hurt her.

    This made it impossible for Chu Liuxiang and the others close to Yuan understand what it''s truly like fighting a monster like Yuan. ''Facing someone unfathomably stronger than her¡­ This will be a good experience for her, even if it might scare her a bit.'' Yuan believed that Chu Liuxiang needed this valuable experience since most people tend to freeze from fear, which could be the difference between life and death.

    A momentter, Yuan''s aura surged dramatically, shifting from a suppressed state to one that was outright tyrannical and terrifying. However, it wasn''t killing intent; instead, it was a destructive and ominous aura that radiated immense power.

    His aura was so overwhelming that Chu Liuxiang instinctively let out a terrified scream as she fell backward onto her buttocks, even raising her arms to shield her face.

    Li Jinxi and the other Demon Sealing Faction members instinctively retrieved their weapons and tiptoed as they tried to jump on the stage to protect Chu Liuxiang, but they managed to control themselves at thest second. As a matter of fact, pretty much everyone at the tournament became defensive after sensing Yuan''s aura¡ªparticipants or not. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.

    "What''s wrong? I only revealed some of my aura, and you''re already shaking on the ground?" Yuan spoke as he slowly approached her with small and steady steps. "Get up and show me some more of the ice techniques that you''re so proud of."

    Yuan retrieved his weapon¡ªa spirit-grade spear. "Why''s he using a spear when he knows Sword Aura?" Kn frowned, being more intrigued by his weapon of choice than his aura.

    Suddenly, the tip of Yuan''s spear began emitting a sharp aura¡ªthat one resembled Sword Aura.

    "Spear Aura!" Shi Lang eximed after seeing his aura. "He knows Sword Aura and Spear Aura?!"

    This was not only Yuan''s first time using Spear Aura. It was actually his first attempt using Spear Aura. Despite this, he didn''t feel unfamiliar with it. After all, the God of War, who had mastered all sorts of weapons, also achieved weapon auras for many of them.

    <Spear Aura achieved>

    The system only recognized his achievement once he used it even though he had the capability to do so for a long time now.

    "Where did your bravery a minute ago disappear to? Stand and fight me." Yuan provoked her.

    However, Chu Liuxiang didn''t respond, almost as if she couldn''t hear him.

    "..."

    Seeing the petrified expression on Chu Liuxiang''s face and how much she was shaking, Yuan began to wonder if he''d scared her a little too much.

    ''She won''t hate me when I reveal my identity to herter, right?'' he swallowed nervously at that thought.

    Suddenly, a loud voice resounded, "Stand up and face your opponent properly! Have you forgotten about what I told you?!"

    Kn could be seen shouting from the Ning Family''s booth.

    Hearing Kn''s voice and recalling about the conversation he had with everyone some time ago, Chu Liuxiang gritted her teeth and forced herself to stand up to face Yuan.

    "If I''m going to stand beside Yuan, who will face many powerful figures in the future, I need to get used to this feeling of overwhelming difference!" Chu Liuxiang muttered as she faced her opponent.

    Seeing this, Yuan smiled behind his mask and said in a genuinely proud voice, "Not bad. Then here''s your reward."

    Yuan''s spear flickered the next moment.

    Chu Liuxiang suddenly felt a sharp pain in the area between her eyebrows. Despite being aware of the formation that protected her life, Chu Liuxiang was not in the situation to remember such things, and her life shed before her eyes.

    ''Yuan¡­'' Thest image that appeared in Chu Liuxiang''s shback was Yuan''s childish face when they were still back at the orphanage before she lost consciousness.

    Li Jinxi suddenly appeared on the stage to catch Chu Liuxiang''s falling body, her gaze staring intently at Yuan, almost as if she wanted to tear him apart.

    "Are you going to fight me next?" Yuan asked in a provoking tone.

    "No, I will." Xi Murong said as he entered the stage with a dagger in his grasp.

    "Sure." Yuan calmly nodded.

    Li Jinxi carried Chu Liuxiang off the stage while Xi Murong approached Yuan.

    "You can''t scare me with your aura," he said.

    "Oh, really? I swear I saw you flinch when I first emitted it." Yuanughed.

    Xi Murong gritted his teeth and eagerly said, "Can we start already?"

    "You''re itching to fight me, huh? Are you her boyfriend, by chance? Anyway, whenever you''re rea¡ª"

    Before Yuan could even finish his sentence, Xi Murong''s figure disappeared like a ghost.

    ''A movement technique, huh.''

    Although Yuan couldn''t see Xi Murong, he didn''t need to, as he could sense Xi Murong''s position very clearly with his powerful soul strength and divine sense.

    "There you are," Yuan muttered as he suddenly thrust his spear at a specific spot.

    This chapter upload first at

 Chapter 1727 Fighting Xi Murong

    Chapter 1727 Fighting Xi Murong

    "Che!" Xi Murong sucked his teeth when Yuan could see through his movement technique, but he wasn''t too surprised, considering his opponent was a genius from the upper heavens.

    Right as Yuan''s spear reached him, Xi Murong''s speed abruptly increased, and his figure disappeared again.

    A split secondter, Xi Murong appeared behind Yuan with his dagger diving toward his neck.

    [Absolute Pration]

    ''No matter how sturdy your body is, this technique will allow me to bypass all of your defenses!''

    Sure enough, Xi Murong managed to cut Yuan''s skin, but only the tip of his de managed to prate his flesh. Still, he''d managed to make Yuan bleed, an astonishing feat that most wouldn''t be able to aplish.

    Yet, Xi Murong wasn''t finished. After drawing Yuan''s blood, he activated another skill that injected poison directly into Yuan''s body through the dagger and his wound.

    Xi Murong quickly distanced himself afterward. Realizing that Xi Murong had poisoned him, Yuan decided to y along and pretended to be affected.

    "W-what did you do to my body?!"

    "I just poisoned you with a deadly poison that will melt your internal organs. You''ll experience excruciating pain for a bit, but you won''t die because of the formation." Xi Murong announced proudly.

    "Ah!" Yuan fell to his knees and began trembling and screaming in pain.

    "Hahaha! This is what happens when you underestimate us! Know your ce!" Xi Murongughed loudly.

    The spectators were in shock, and they began to believe that Xi Murong had won the fight.

    However, Kn suddenly shouted, "You fool! You''re the one who is underestimating him! Check his body with divine sense!"

    "What?" Xi Murong frowned and probed Yuan with his divine sense.

    "M-my poison is gone?! Where did it go?!"

    At this point, Yuan stopped pretending to w at his body from the pain and calmly stood back up.

    "Your poison? My poison immunity dealt with it the second it entered my body." Yuan casually exined.

    "Poison immunity?!" Xi Murong and the others eximed in shock.

    Poison immunity was one of the most tedious and painful immunities to attain, so it came as a great shock that someone so young had managed to attain such immunity.

    "He has not only Fire Harmony but also poison immunity at that age¡­" Kn''s expression turned solemn, looking like he was pondering something.

    Unbeknownst to Kn, Yuan''s poison immunity had reached the maximum level, just like his fire immunity. Otherwise, his reaction would''ve been a lot more exaggerated.

    "Y-you!" Xi Murong was speechless, but above all, he felt embarrassed.

    He instinctively pounced at Yuan, as if tobat his embarrassment.

    "You were soposed just moments ago, but all it took was a little act topletely break you? You still have lots to work on." Yuanmented as he casually dodged Xi Murong before thrusting his spear at him.

    "Agh!"

    Xi Murong made a funny expression when Yuan''s spear dug into his neck. However, Yuan wasn''t done and infused a tiny amount of his chaotic essence into his spear.

    The moment Xi Murong sensed Yuan''s chaotic essence, it felt as if he suddenly standing before death''s door.

    ''Ah¡­ I''m dead¡­''

    This was all Xi Murong could think of before falling unconscious.

    "You''re not going to take him away this time?" Yuan looked at Li Jinxi, who wore a deep frown on her face.

    "Too scared to approach me? Fine. Let me help you." Yuan used his foot to pick up Xi Murong''s body before gently tossing him at Li Jinxi.

    "W-what was that energy?! It''s so chaotic!"

    "It resembles killing intent, but it also feels different. It''s like a mortal standing before a god-like beast. Is this due to his unique cultivation technique?"

    The spectators spected the origin of Yuan''s chaotic essence, but none of them had ever sensed something so foreign. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.

    Only Kn could somewhat identify his chaotic essence.

    ''It''s simr to the chaotic energy typically found in the Primordial Chaos and other ces inhabitable by humans! Don''t tell me his family has managed to create a cultivation technique that allows them to cultivate that chaotic energy?!'' The shock Kn was experiencing right now was far more than when he realized Yuan had Fire Harmony.

    If a cultivation technique that allowed one to cultivate chaotic energy was truly out there, it would change the entirendscape of the cultivation world! It could even usher in a new age of cultivation!

    ''This man¡­ I must get him to join the Celestial Overlords at all costs!'' Kn secretly contacted Senior Bai through amunication jade slip meant for emergencies. When Senior Bai answered, Kn exined the whole situation to him.

    "We must acquire this man at all costs! He will definitely y a massive role in the cultivation world in the future! His potential is even higher than that of Yuan''s!"

    "Potential higher than Yuan? That is very hard to believe, but I will take your word and notify Lady Xu."

    Unbeknownst to Kn, his actions would end up sparking a war within the Celestial Overlords.

    After their conversation ended, Senior Bai revealed the details of their conversation to the individuals with unfathomably deep cultivation before him.

    Senior Bai was coincidentally in the middle of a meeting with most of the upper echelons of the Celestial Overlords when Kn called, and everyone there was at least within the rank of Overlord, meaning several Celestial Overlords were present as well.

    Knowing Kn would only use the emergency contact when it involved Yuan or his friends, Xu Jiaqi allowed Senior Bai to ept the call.

    "A monster from a hidden family who, while not even at the age of thirty, has cultivated Fire Harmony, poison immunity, and an extreme physique? He might also have a cultivation technique that allows him to cultivate Chaos Qi? Does Kn really expect us to believe such a mythical being exists? Talk about being delusional! Ahahaha!!" A bulky manughed out loud after hearing the information.

    "Regardless of its believability, we should still send someone to verify this information and check out the individual. If this individual turns out to be as formidable as Kn imed, we might have another Celestial Overlord in the future." Another individual spoke.

    "Who should we send?" The Overlords there turned to look at the three Celestial Overlords before them.

    This chapter upload first at

 Chapter 1728 End of Tournament of Rising Stars

    Chapter 1728 End of Tournament of Rising Stars

    "A heaven-defying talent that would make even the most talented individuals in the Nine Heavens look ordinary. I don''t believe such a being exists, nor am I going to waste my time finding out," said a handsome man with long ck hair tied into a ponytail.

    The second Celestial Overlord looked at Xu Jiaqi and said, "Why don''t you go and check him out, Senior Sister Xu? It''s been a while since youst recruited someone with significant talents in the faction."

    "¡­" Xu Jiaqi remained silent; as did Senior Bai.

    The information that a monster like Yuan existed in the Celestial Overlords was strictly restricted due to Xu Jiaqi''s efforts to keep his existence hidden until he was powerful enough to walk amongst them properly with his head held high. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.

    If the members of the Celestial Overlords realized that someone not even in the Divine Realm was among their elite ranks, some might find issues with it and cause trouble for Yuan.

    While Celestial Overlords like Xu Jiaqi hold immense authority in the faction, they were not inpletemand over every member in the faction due to the existence of more than one Celestial Overlord, each having their own group or sub-faction.

    For example, the faction had four members at the rank of Celestial Overlords, and each would hold a certain percentage of control over the faction. That percentage varied based on how many members each of the Celestial Overlords or their members had recruited. The members'' loyalty toward each Celestial Overlord also varied.

    As of this moment, Xu Jiaqi had the lowest percentage, but those within her group could be considered the elite of elites, consisting of the most powerful members in the faction.

    As for the other Celestial Overlords, they had Xu Jiaqi beat in quantity. Moreover, while numbers y a big role, it wasn''t as if the members of the faction could recruit anybody they saw to inte their numbers.

    "I''ll pass." Xu Jiaqi said.

    "Eh? Why not? I thought you loved gathering those with extreme talents. This guy sounds like he''s right up your alley."

    Xu Jiaqi feared that if she recruited this mysterious monster and the others found out about Yuan''s existenceter on, things might get messy due to her monopoly of two monsters.

    While she wasn''t afraid of the other Celestial Overlords or theirining, she feared that it might cause strife and affect the entire faction. ''I only need Yuan. They can have this guy.'' Xu Jiaqi thought to herself.

    She was also aware of how powerful Yuan''s Heaven Refining Physique could be, so she wasn''t worried about his potential being surpassed by some nobody.

    "I have enough talented individuals by my side already. If I get another one, you''ll all beining, especially if his talent is as amazing as Kn ims, anyway." Xu Jiaqi sneered.

    "Are you sure? Kn is from your group, so you have priority over this man, regardless of our feelings."

    "Yes, I am sure."

    Xu Jiaqi''s decision really surprised and puzzled many individuals there. She would typically be the first to jump at the opportunity to recruit someone highly talented, but she didn''t seem interested this time for some reason.

    Unbeknownst to them, Xu Jiaqi had already secretly recruited a monster and thought this new monster wasn''t worth unnecessary drama. Only Senior Bai understood Xu Jiaqi''s thoughts.

    "In that case, I''ll go take a look at this young man," said the third Celestial Overlord. She was sitting beside Xu Jiaqi and was the one who addressed her as Senior Sister.

    "Don''teining to me if he turns out to be the real deal, okay?"

    "Celestial Overlord Qing, are you going to go down yourself, or should one of us go in your stead?" One of the Overlords there asked.

    "There''s a reason Kn didn''t outright recruit him but contacted Overlord Bai instead. Would you send your servant to invite an Emperor to your banquet? No, you''d show up yourself to show your sincerity." Celestial Overlord Qing exined her reasoning.

    Sometimeter, Senior Bai notified Kn that Celestial Overlord Qing would be the one to recruit Yuan. Naturally, Kn was incredibly upset by this decision.

    "Why would she be the oneing?! I notified you because I wanted Celestial Overlord Xu to recruit him!"

    Senior Bai exined the skepticism the others had about his information and Xu Jiaqi''s reason for not recruiting another monster.

    "They think I am misunderstanding something?! That''s outrageous and nderous! When have I ever made a bad judgment of talents?! I''m telling you that Celestial Overlord Xu will immensely regret not having this guy in her group! He''s even more monstrous than Yuan!"

    "What''s done has been done¡­ Unless you are willing to risk offending Celestial Overlord Qing and recruit him before she arrives, go ahead."

    Kn swallowed nervously at the thought of offending another Celestial Overlord¡ªone that was not in his group. He''d essentially make an enemy out of everyone under Celestial Overlord Qing.

    "Haaa¡­ Why did the Celestial Overlords split up in such a fashion? I heard it wasn''t like this when the founder was still alive." Kn sighed.

    The Celestial Overlords were inplete unity when the founder of the Celestial Overlords was still in control. There were even more Celestial Overlords at that time than currently. Yet, nobody tried to fight for authority or acquire more control, and they were all loyal to the founder.

    "Lady Xu is currently working to return the Celestial Overlords to its former glory. However, these things take a tremendous amount of time and energy." Senior Bai said. "Also, she believes in Yuan more, even if he may be a little behind now."

    "I also believe in Yuan, but there''s truly something unfathomable about this man surnamed Xiao. Whatever. If Celestial Overlord Xu refuses to recruit him, there''s nothing else I can do. I also don''t want to offend Celestial Overlord Qing, as she''s also very scary in her own right."

    Meanwhile, Yuan faced his next moment, a young man wielding a sword.

    "Wang Ming, and I''ll be your next opponent."

    "A sword, huh? Let me change my weapon real quick." Yuan swapped his spear for a sword.

    Their fight began shortlyter.

    Neither of them really spoke to each other. Instead, they used their swords to do the talking.

    Wang Ming''s sword gushed with powerful Sword Aura, but it was still behind Yuan''s ordinary Sword Aura.

    Realizing this, Wang Ming used his cultivation to make up for the difference.

    Only being weaker than Li Jinxi, Wang Ming was the second strongest member of the Demon Sealing Faction, and his performance only further solidified his position.

    His movements were perfectly executed, and his sword techniques were on the verge of perfection. His Sword Aura was also impressive for someone his age, something only seen in the upper heavens. Yet, despite his excellence, he was still several steps behind Yuan¡­ in every aspect.

    ''Damn it! This is exactly like fighting Yuan!'' Wang Ming gritted his teeth when he realized he couldn''t gain any advantage or overpower his opponent, and he was having shbacks of his first encounter with Yuan.

    "You''re not bad, but in my eyes, you''re only slightly better than myst opponent." Yuan provoked him.

    Wang Ming''s eyes flickered with fighting spirit, and his aura abruptly soared.

    [Sword Energy!]

    Wang Ming swung his sword at Yuan, releasing a powerful beam of energy that resembled Yuan''s Heaven Splitting Sword Strike. "Hmph." Yuan also swung his sword, but instead of using Sword Aura, his sword disyed Enhanced Sword Aura, cutting right through Wang Ming''s technique.

    "Enhanced Sword Aura?!" Kn cried out loud as he witnessed Wang Ming being struck.

    "Enhanced¡­ Sword Aura¡­?" Wang Ming muttered in disbelief as he felt the sensation of his body being sliced in half.

    ''Not just Sword Aura and Spear Aura, but he also knows Enhanced Sword Aura?! There''s no way he''s less than thirty years old!'' Kn started to question Yuan''s true age, as his achievements seemed far too extraordinary for someone so young.

    "No way! He defeated another Spirit Enlightenment cultivator while only being Spirit Grandmaster! How is this making any sense?!"

    "That must be Enhanced Sword Aura just now! It''s my first time witnessing it, but it''s so distinct from Sword Aura!"

    While the spectators were in an uproar, Yuan looked at Li Jinxi and inquired, "Are you next?"

    After a moment of silence, she said, "I want to, but I will deal with you once I finish this tournament."

    "If you say so."

    Yuan looked at the other participants, who all appeared to be stricken with immense fear.

    "I guess there will be no more challengers for now." Yuan returned to the Ning Family''s booth the next moment.

    The tournament resumed shortly after, but most of the top 20 participants had lost their desire to fight. In the end, Li Jinxi swept away the rest of the tournament without any effort and became the champion.

    "The champion of this year''s Tournament of Rising Stars is Li Jinxi, a rogue cultivator!" The judge announced.

    The crowd cheered for her, but the celebration was short-lived since everyone knew there was still one more fight left to be fought.

    After winning the tournament, Li Jinxi stepped onto one of the stages and beckoned Yuan with a finger.

    Once Yuan entered the stage, he said, "Since this is thest fight, and I can tell you''re different from the others, let''s make use of this entire stadium instead of just a single stage."

    "I am fine with that," she calmly said.

    This chapter upload first at

 Chapter 1729 Three to Four Realms

    Chapter 1729 Three to Four Realms

    Since not just the arenas but the entire stadium was protected by formations, Li Jinxi and Yuan''s fight would not be deadly¡ªas long as they didn''t go overboard.

    "Whenever you are ready." Yuan stood before Li Jinxi with a calm demeanor, almost as if she was no different than the others.

    "Before we fight, how about we make another rule? To allow the usage of treasures above Spirit-grade? I don''t think we''ll be able to have a proper fight with so many limitations."

    "¡­"

    Yuan didn''t immediately respond to her suggestion. While lowering the restrictions will definitely make the fight much more entertaining, it will also make the fight much more dangerous.

    "I don''t think I like that idea. I am doing this for fun, not because I want to kill you." Yuan eventually shook his head, rejecting the idea.

    He was also worried that he might identally reveal his true identity by fighting seriously.

    "You think you can kill me?" Li Jinxi''s aura suddenly soared towards the heavens, and her peak of Spirit Enlightenment cultivation began inching toward the next realm.

    In the blink of an eye, Li Jinxi''s cultivation reached the first level of Divine Warrior. However, that wasn''t the end, and her cultivation continued to soar.

    The audience all wore expressions of awe and shock on their faces as they watched Li Jinxi''s cultivation through the levels of Divine Warrior and enter Divine Master. Yet, Li Jinxi did not appear to be finished yet.

    By the end, Li Jinxi''s cultivation stopped at the fourth level of Divine Grandmaster.

    "Heavens! A Divine Grandmaster before even reaching the age of thirty?! Her potential rivals those geniuses in the upper heavens!"

    "No! Maybe she came from the upper heavens! If she had managed to reach that level in the lower heavens¡­ I cannot even imagine how much she''d grow in the upper heavens!"

    "Divine Grandmaster, huh? What a surprise." Yuan said in a surprised voice.

    "I will warn you now that I can fight someone three¡ªeven four realms above my own cultivation. If you don''t want to lose miserably, you should lower some of those limitations to increase your own cultivation."

    Li Jinxi spoke in a scornful tone, almost as if she was looking down on Yuan from a ce far above him.

    "Three to four realms, huh? I see¡­" Yuan chuckled.

    He pointed at her and continued, "Alright, I''ll lower some of the limitations¡ªbut not for me."

    "What?" Li Jinxi frowned.

    "You can use treasures above Spirit-grade¡ªup to Celestial-grade treasures. However, I will continue to use my Spirit-grade treasure."

    Li Jinxi wasn''t too happy about being looked down upon. "What kind of nonsense is¡ª"

    "Hey." Yuan suddenly interrupted, and his aura skyrocketed. However, his cultivation remained only at Spirit Grandmaster.

    "Who do you think you are? Under this heaven, only I am allowed to look down on others."

    Yuan used True Dragon Awakening, causing his aura to explode.

    "?!?!?!"

    The entire stadium suddenly felt suffocating, and everyone struggled to breathe as a crushing pressure filled the air. Xi Meili''s body trembled violently, her very bloodline resonating with an overwhelming sense of fear.

    Due to the stark difference between Dragon Awakening and True Dragon Awakening, Xi Meili was unable to recognize Yuan, not to mention she was overwhelmed by intense fear.

    "W-what kind of bloodline does he have?!" Xi Meili fell to her knees as she stared at Yuan''s silhouette with trembling eyes, her teeth ttering as if she were freezing to death.

    The blood within her responded to the Dragon God''s Blood Essence inside Yuan, filling her with an instinctive sense of reverence. It was as though she were standing before her own god, her very beingpelled to admire his presence.

    Kn stood up again.

    "This presence! He''s not human but a dragon?! This exins a lot!" he almost couldn''t believe it. "You¡­" Li Jinxi gritted her teeth as she struggled to remain standing before Yuan''s oppressive aura.

    However, Yuan''s aura suddenly vanished. Although it was only active for a few seconds, and it wasn''t all of his aura, he''d knocked out the majority of the audience with his aura alone.

    "So, are you still underestimating me, Miss Three to Four Realms?"

    Li Jinxi clenched her fists in frustration, but she couldn''t respond. After a moment of silence, she silently tossed the Spirit-grade sword in her grasp away before using her own treasure.

    "That''s more like it!" Yuanughed out loud. ''This son of a bitch is even crazier than Yuan!'' she cried inwardly.

    With the Golden Empress in her grasp, Li Jinxi flew at Yuan.

    As she swung the Golden Empress, it suddenly became engulfed with a golden me-like aura. Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.

    Seeing this golden me, Yuan instinctively dodged it despite having fire immunity.

    ''So he doesn''t just block anything and everything with his body, huh?'' Li Jinxi sneered inwardly.

    The Golden Empress had a special ability that directly ignored all fire resistance, so it would''ve gone through Yuan''s fire resistance and damaged him. Naturally, the damage would''ve only been superficial even if the attacknded, and Yuan could''ve easily healed from the damage afterward, but he didn''t want to reveal his regenerative ability, as it could expose his true identity.

    "Is dodging all you can do?! You were barking so damn loud just now, too!" Li Jinxi provoked when Yuan continued dodging her attacks without striking back.

    "Was that pressure you disyed also just for show?!"

    Yuan blocked her next strike with Enhanced Sword Aura and said, "I just didn''t want to end the fight so soon, but if you insist!"

    Yuan began striking back without using any techniques, as it''d easily reveal his identity.

    Li Jinxi noticed this detail and wondered if Yuan didn''t know any proper techniques at all since he''d spent all of his time improving other aspects.

    ''His overall prowess is ridiculously high, but hecks techniques! This is why his attacks thus far have been incredibly simple! This is his disadvantage!'' Realizing this, Li Jinxi became more confident in her chances of winning.

    This chapter upload first at

 Chapter 1730 Reincarnators

    Chapter 1730 Reincarnators

    With his True Dragon Awakening, Yuan was able to withstand Li Jinxi''s cultivation at the fourth level of Divine Grandmaster whilst only being a Spirit Grandmaster himself.

    His Chaotic Dragon Core also assisted him even though he didn''t utilize any of his chaotic essence.

    Li Jinxi''s swordsmanship was perfect, but in terms ofbat experience, she was still far behind Yuan, even if her past experience was taken into ount.

    Li Jinxi was a formidable immortal in her previous life, but Yuan specialized in fighting immortals more than ordinary cultivators.

    Li Jinxi, having fought many immortals before, could tell that the man before her was as formidable as one¡ªif not even more powerful.

    There was no opening in Yuan''s defense, and every time he strikes, he leaves her no room to counterattack.

    Li Jinxi would normally risk attacking him, but knowing that a single mistake could end their match, she didn''t dare to risk it.

    After several hundred exchanges, Yuan purposefully gave Li Jinxi the opportunity to attack, but he made sure not to make it too obvious.

    Li Jinxi saw the chance and took it.

    Her sword shone brightly as it unleashed one of its unique abilities.

    [Golden Goddess!]

    A golden silhouette suddenly emerged from the Golden Empress, taking the form of a beautiful female avatar who greatly resembled Li Jinxi. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.

    This golden avatar was a manifestation of the Golden Empress'' memories of Jin Xi. This meant that the golden avatar had her fighting experience, techniques, and even habits. Its cultivation was even higher than Li Jinxi, being at the peak of Divine Grandmaster.

    "One versus two, huh?" Yuan muttered with a slight smile on his face.

    Once Jin Xi''s avatar began fighting alongside Li Jinxi, they were able to push Yuan back by constantly throwing powerful techniques at him.

    [Golden Empress'' Sword Dance!]

    Li Jinxi began executing a series of swift and powerful sword techniques, each faster and more threatening than thest.

    Jin Xi''s avatar used her own technique at the same time, supporting Li Jinxi from the rear with long-distance sword techniques.

    "Heavens! What a fight! This isn''t something you''d expect to witness in the Fourth Heaven!"

    The audience watched with their mouths agape. Li Jinxi disyed techniques andbat prowess meant for immortals, and Yuan could somehow withstand them while only being at the peak of Spirit Grandmaster.

    "Although that man from the upper heavens is a monster, that beauty is also a monster!"

    "Two monsters fighting each other! I cannot imagine what sort of beings they''ll be in the future!"

    "Their names will definitely spread throughout the Nine Heavens!"

    The audience cheered louder and louder as the fight progressed.

    "And this isn''t even all he can do!" Kn''s body trembled with anticipation as he imagined fighting Yuan at his full prowess.

    However, he then realized that if Li Jinxi failed to defeat Yuan, he would also lose his own chance to face Yuan in battle.

    "Li Jinxi! You better defeat him, or I will not forgive you!" Kn cried out in a desperate voice.

    As their fight reached its climax, Yuan said to her through voice transmission, "You don''t fight like an ordinary genius. Are you, by any chance, a reincarnator?"

    "Wha¡ª?!"

    Yuan''s sudden remarks took Li Jinxi by surprise, causing her to misstep, nearly falling on her face.

    "Judging by your reaction, I guess I''d hit the mark." Yuan continued to tease her.

    "You¡­ you are also a reincarnator?" Li Jinxi red at him with a serious frown.

    "Yes, and if I said that I have reincarnated more than once, would you believe me?"

    Li Jinxi swallowed nervously.

    ''Reincarnated more than once? That''s just like Yuan, but it exins his abnormal prowess,'' she thought inwardly.

    Li Jinxi had suspected there would be more reincarnators like Yuan and herself after realizing it was possible, but she never had any solid proof.

    As for Meixiu and Chu Liuxiang, they would only speak about their past lives with Yuan, so Li Jinxi was unaware of their background.

    "What happened? Why did they suddenly stop fighting?" The spectators were puzzled when the two of them abruptly stopped their match.

    "They appear to be talking with each other through voice transmission. I wonder what they are talking about."

    Nobody there dared to eavesdrop on their conversation, Kn included, as it would be incredibly rude and offensive if caught.

    ''If Li Jinxi has such a serious expression, it must be a fairly important subject.'' Kn wanted to eavesdrop, but he feared it would mess with their chances to recruit him.

    "What do you know about reincarnations?" Yuan asked Li Jinxi.

    "Clearly not as much as you," she said.

    "If you defeat me, I''ll tell you. I can keep this up forever, but you are starting to run low on spiritual energy, right? How about unleashing your most powerful technique for your next strike? Otherwise, you''d suffer a boring defeat."

    Li Jinxi could tell that he was telling the truth just by his calm and rxedposure. Meanwhile, she was sweating bullets and breathing heavily. Summoning Jin Xi''s avatar had exhausted a third of her reserve, and it needed a constant supply of spiritual energy to continue functioning.

    ''At this rate, I''ll run out of spiritual energy in a few hours and lose by default¡­'' Li Jinxi gritted her teeth.

    ''I refuse to lose in such a manner to someone who isn''t Yuan!'' Her eyes burned with determination.

    Seeing Li Jinxi begin gathering her spiritual energy, Yuan smiled and spoke with enthusiasm, "Don''t disappoint me now!"

    A few momentster, Li Jinxi finished gathering every drop of her remaining spiritual energy and unleashed it at Yuan.

    [Golden Empress'' Absolute Decree!]

    Li Jinxi raised the Golden Empress above her head as it grew until it became evenrger than the stadium itself.

    "H-heavens! Is she trying to destroy the entire stadium?!" Emperor Ning cried out loud.

    "Don''t worry, I will ensure the safety of everyone, including the stadium," Kn assured him.

    The next moment, Li Jinxi swung the massive sword at Yuan.

    As the golden sword began descending, Yuan''s eyes flickered with a vicious glint.

    [Sword God''s Apex Sword Art]

    "Wait, that''s¡ª"

    Li Jinxi''s eyes widened after seeing Yuan''s unique sword stance, but before she could say anything, her vision nked, followed by a certain notification.

    <You have died>

    This chapter upload first at

 Chapter 1731 Killing Li Jinx

    Chapter 1731 Killing Li Jinx

    The entire stadium became dead silent after Yuan killed Li Jinxi, most of it due to the system''s interference, as Li Jinxi was a yer.

    <Sword God''s Apex Sword Art learned>

    Despite the notification, Yuan didn''t budge an inch, almost as if he''d be a stone statue. However, if one were to look underneath his clothes, one would see his entire body covered in sweat.

    ''I identally killed her!'' Yuan cried inwardly after his mind slowlyprehended the situation.

    The Sword God''s Apex Sword Art was a Celestial-rank technique, but Yuan figured Li Jinxi would be able to survive it even without the formation. Moreover, he''d only used a fraction of its power. Yet, the sword technique was much stronger than he''d anticipated, destroying the formation and killing Li Jinxi instantaneously.

    He wanted to log off immediately and see if Li Jinxi was okay, but he was unable to do so.

    After snapping out of his daze, Yuan turned to look at Kn and hastily shouted, "I-it was an ident! I swear I didn''t kill her on purpose!" However, Kn didn''t react, almost as if he couldn''t hear Yuan''s voice, seemingly shocked about something.

    ''That sword technique contained the power of the void! He''s managed toprehend the power of the void before reaching the age of thirty?! There''s simply no way!'' Kn cried inwardly. This is from N?velDrama.Org.

    The power of the void was something humans have been trying to master since its existence was revealed to the cultivation world. However, not a single human has ever fully mastered the power of the void to this very day.

    Although Yuan only disyed a slight understanding of such power, it was still more than what Kn and many immortals couldprehend.

    As for Yuan, he''d identally used the power of the void when using Sword God''s Apex Sword Art because it felt natural, almost as if the technique was created to be used with the power of the void. Meanwhile, after dying to Yuan in Cultivation Online, Li Jinxi sat up on her bed with a dazed look on her face.

    "I¡­ died?" she subconsciously checked her body. A few secondster, she sighed in relief.

    ''I didn''t lose my ability to cultivate.''

    Once she confirmed that the death didn''t affect her cultivation, Li Jinxi immediately began thinking about the technique that killed her.

    ''That sword stance looked very familiar¡­ I think¡­''

    Her death had happened too fast, and she wasn''t able to get a good look at Yuan''s sword technique before she cked out.

    A few momentster, Li Jinxi could hear several pairs of footsteps running in the hallway, and they were all getting closer to her room.

    Soon, her door was being knocked on.

    "Sister Jinxi, are you okay?" Wang Bingbing''s voice resounded.

    Li Jinxi went to open the door to find Wang Bingbing, Wang Xiuying, and Meixiu standing outside her room.

    "Yes, I am fine. The death didn''t affect my cultivation," Li Jinxi nodded.

    "I can''t believe that man actually killed you! Wait until Yuan hears about this!" Wang Xiuying said.

    "He said it was an ident, but who knows if he''s telling the truth or not¡­" Meixiu sighed.

    "At least you didn''t lose your ability to cultivate, or that would''ve been disastrous." Wang Bingbing said.

    Li Jinxi clenched her hands tightly into fists, and she muttered, "I didn''t think I''d lose so miserably. I''m sorry for letting you all down."

    "Why are you the one apologizing when everyone lost to him? That man could give even a monster like Yuan a run for his money." Wang Bingbing said.

    "Speaking of Yuan, any news from him?"

    Meixiu shook her head and said, "He was still asleep when I left the room just now."

    "I see¡­"

    Sometimeter, everyone but Li Jinxi returned to Cultivation Online to see Yuan being confronted by Kn.

    "I boastfully imed that nobody would die under my watch just a second before you killed Li Jinxi. I am both angry and ashamed¡ªnot for you but for myself. However, even if I was aware of your intentions, I would not have been able to stop that attack unless my understanding of the power of the void surpasses your understanding, which it does not."

    "I didn''t intend to kill her. Truly." Yuan sighed.

    "I know, but since you''re from the upper heavens, you should already know that you didn''t really kill her."

    "Still, it could affect her cultivation."

    "Even if that''s the case, there are methods to restore her ability to cultivate."

    "What? Really?" Yuan was pleasantly surprised to hear this and inquired for more information.

    "Just like how a crippled Dantian could be healed with treasures, there are methods to heal someone with a damaged soul. It''ll be costly, but it''s possible. In the case she lost her ability to cultivate due to a damaged soul, we¡ªthe Celestial Overlords¡ª have the capability to heal her."

    "I see. The Celestial Overlords are truly capable," Yuan said, relieved to learn that a yer losing their ability to cultivate after death wasn''t necessarily permanent.

    "By the way, do you belong to a faction?" Kn suddenly asked.

    "...Are you trying to recruit me now?"

    Kn scratched his head in a somewhat awkward manner, "Well¡­ I do, but I won''t¡ªbecause there will be someone even more amazing than meing to recruit you soon."

    "What? Can you borate?" Yuan asked in a puzzled tone.

    Kn scratched his head a little harder, seemingly perplexed about something.

    "Ah! Forget it! Since we''re already at this point, I might as well tell you now. One of the Celestial Overlords¡ªthe highest authority in our faction¡ªwill being down to personally recruit you soon."

    "What¡­?" Yuan muttered in a dazed voice after hearing this.

    "This person¡­ is it Celestial Overlord Xu?" he couldn''t help but ask.

    "No, it''s someone else. Why did you mention Celestial Overlord Xu? Do you know her?" Kn asked with raised eyebrows.

    Yuan sighed after realizing the troubleing their way and said to him through voice transmission, "Hey, let''s go somewhere private. I need to speak with you. Ah, bring the children you brought with you."

    "Huh? Sure." Kn casually nodded, not thinking much of Yuan''s request.

    This chapter upload first at

 Chapter 1732 Revealing His Identity

    Chapter 1732 Revealing His Identity

    Sometimeter, Yuan and Kn went over to Emperor Ning to say goodbye.

    "Before you leave, can you give this reward to that youngdy who won the tournament?" Emperor Ning handed the Innate Miracle Pill to Kn.

    Kn brought the Demon Sealing Faction and Yuan to a nearby area afterward.

    "How much time do we have before the Celestial Overlord arrives to recruit me?" Yuan inquired.

    "We have a few more days. Why?"

    "Alright. Let''s go to the Myriad of Techniques, then."

    "Why the Myriad of Techniques?" Kn raised an eyebrow, feeling like Yuan was being oddly specific and familiar with their background.

    "That''s Overlord Bai''s territory, no? What I have to tell you guys is incredibly important and cannot be leaked. I need a safe ce to reveal this information to you."

    Kn''s eyes widened. This was their first time meeting, so why does he have something so important to tell them?

    "Does this have something to do with Yuan?" Meixiu suddenly asked with an observant face.

    He silently nodded.

    "Huh? Yuan? You know Yuan?" Everyone there looked at him with wide eyes.

    "So you''ve known about us this entire time?!"

    "I cannot reveal any more here."

    "..."

    "Alright, I''ll bring us to the Myriad of Techniques right now." Kn retrieved a talisman and burned it with spiritual energy. The next moment, everyone around him was enveloped by a golden light before they vanished into thin air.

    The scenery flickered before Yuan and the others, and before they realized it, they were suddenly in front of the Myriad of Techniques.

    The talisman worked simrly to the teleport stones in the Primal Expanse, but they were incredibly valuable and limited in travel distance due to human''sck of understanding of the power of the void. They entered the Myriad of Techniques and went straight into Senior Bai''s world, as Kn had been given permission by Senior Bai to do so without his presence in case of emergencies.

    Once they were inside Senior Bai''s world and protected from eavesdrops and the Celestial Emperor''s interference, Yuan said to them, "Before I begin, I would like to apologize for messing with you all. I kept my identity hidden because I couldn''t let the public know that I am still in Cultivation Online, and I wanted you all to experience what fighting me without knowing it''s me was like."

    "W-wait¡­ that voice¡­" Chu Liuxiang muttered in a dazed voice after recognizing Yuan''s voice, as he''d stopped disguising his voice after entering Senior Bai''s world.

    Yuan removed his mask, revealing his handsome face to them.

    "Sorry, it was me this entire time," he said with an apologetic smile.

    "Y-YUAN?!?!" Kn screamed, sounding like he''d just witnessed his ancestors crawling out of their graves.

    "Y-you¡­ it was you this entire time?!" Shi Lang eximed.

    "Fucking fuck! I knew it! I knew something was off!" Wang Ming cried out loud.

    "Damn! I really thought there was someone more monstrous than you for a moment there!" Xi Murong sighed loudly.

    "Waaaah! You really scared me during the fight, Yuan!" Chu Liuxiang went to embrace him.

    Xi Meili rubbed her eyes and sighed, "I knew your dragon scent was familiar, but there was something very different about it, and it threw me off."

    "Yuan¡­ when did you return?" Meixiu asked him.

    "A few days before the tournament started. When I left the Primal Expanse, I found myself at the Ning Family''s residence, and upon hearing about the Grand Mystic Sect participating in the tournament, I figured I''d wait to see if you guys would show up."

    "After confirming that you guys were also participating, I wanted to see how much you guys have grown first-hand, hence my interference."

    "Umm¡­ About Sister Jinxi¡­" Wang Bingbing looked at him with a puzzled expression on her face.

    "Ah¡­ yeah¡­ I identally killed her. I''d like to personally apologize to her, but I cannot do that." Yuan shook his head.

    "What do you mean by that?" Meixiu asked with a slightly worried tone, sensing something was off.

    "Before I say anything, Meili, Yingying, you''re still affected by the Celestial Emperor''s curse, so let''s have that removed first." Yuan retrieved the Sacred Chalice of Purification.

    "W-what kind of treasure is that?" Kn finally snapped out of his daze and asked him.

    "A treasure I acquired in the Primal Expanse. It has the ability to remove curses¡ªincluding the one the Celestial Emperor ced on every being below the Seventh Heaven. This will allow her to understand our existence as yers."

    "Such a powerful treasure exists?! The Celestial Emperor''s curse isn''t an ordinary curse!"

    Xi Meili and Lan Yingying fed the chalice some of their blood, and a few momentster, they were no longer forced to ignore the existence of yers.

    Yuan exined their existence to them shortly after.

    "Heavens¡­ To think my way of thinking had been controlled by someone without my knowledge this entire time¡­ how terrifying¡­" Xi Meili shivered from fear after realizing the truth.

    "What a horrible thing to do to someone, and they didn''t even warn us..." Lan Yingying sighed.

    "Alright, now that we''re all on the same page¡­ The Celestial Emperor is targeting me for some reason, and my ess to the system has been blocked. Basically, I''ve been banned from Cultivation Online." Yuan revealed.

    "W-what the hell? Something like that can happen?" Wang Xiuying muttered.

    Yuan nodded and continued, "Once someone has their ess to the system blocked, they will no longer be able to ess Cultivation Online. In other words, they won''t be able to enter the Nine Heavens."

    "Wait. If that''s the case, how are you still here?" Kn asked.

    "Don''t ask me how or why, but I''ve been given ess to another system, allowing me to stay inside Cultivation Online. However, there are a few issues, one of them being that I am no longer allowed to log off and return to Earth."

    "What?!" Chu Liuxiang and the others cried out loud. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.

    "This is why I didn''t notify any of you of my return and why I cannot apologize to Li Jinxi until she returns to Cultivation Online after her death cooldown."

    "If you cannot log out¡­ What are you going to do now?" Meixiu asked once everyoneprehended the situation.

    "I will need to reestablish the connection between Earth and the Nine Heavens through the Dragon Spiral Mountain as soon as possible, allowing me to travel to the Nine Heavens with my real body, and I have to do so without alerting the Celestial Emperor," he said.

    This chapter upload first at

 Chapter 1733 Inevitable Involvement

    Chapter 1733 Inevitable Involvement

    "So your destination is the Dragon Spiral Mountain in the Seventh Heaven, huh. Do you intend on going straight there?" Kn asked after hearing his ns.

    "That¡­ I am not sure yet. I am afraid that I might reveal my presence if I ascend normally," Yuan shook his head.

    When a yer sessfully ascends to the next realm, there will always be an announcement, and it paves the way for the other yers, allowing everyone to ascend.

    "However, if I wait for the other yers to ascend for me, it''d take way too long."

    Kn then asked, "Why do you have to evade the Celestial Emperor, anyway? Did you do something to offend him?"

    "I don''t know." Yuan shook his head.

    In reality, he had an idea why the Celestial Emperor was hunting him, but he didn''t want to reveal information about his past lives if he didn''t need to. Besides the Demon Sealing Faction and those following him, nobody else was aware of his past lives.

    "The Celestial Overlords could help you, you know? I don''t know about the rest of the faction, but Celestial Overlord Xu wouldn''t hesitate to confront the Celestial Emperor for you. If you reveal your talents to the others, I''m sure they''d also be willing to assist you." Kn said.

    Being one of the most powerful factions in the Nine Heavens, the Celestial Overlords had more than just fame to their name. If they truly wanted, they could force even someone as powerful as the Celestial Emperor to act.

    However, Yuan immediately rejected that idea and said, "No, I cannot involve the faction, especially when the Celestial Emperor is clearly hostile toward me. I don''t want to cause you guys trouble."

    Kn frowned and said, "Wrong. As you''re already a member of the Celestial Overlords, we are obligated to protect you¡ªunless youmitted treason or did something we cannot defend, such as murdering innocent mortals or being a demon worshiper."

    "Did you do anything that would harm our reputation?" Kn asked him with raised eyebrows, his tone somewhat nervous. He truly wouldn''t be surprised if Yuan had done something he wasn''t supposed to do.

    "What? Of course not. I did no such thing in this life." Yuan said.

    Kn found Yuan''s phrasing a little weird and oddly specific, but he didn''t think too much about it.

    "Then there should be no problem with the Celestial Overlords helping you. If the Celestial Emperor is truly hunting you down, we will have to get involved sooner orter." This is from N?velDrama.Org.

    "..."

    Yuan fell silent. He wasn''t sure if he should get the Celestial Overlords involved.

    ''No... Now that I think about it, the Celestial Overlords shing with the Celestial Emperor might be inevitable since the Celestial Overlords was founded by one of my past lives¡­''

    After a moment of silence, Yuan nodded, "Okay. However, don''t let the Celestial Emperor know that I am still in Cultivation Online¡ªthe Nine Heavens, just in case."

    Kn nodded, "I will let Celestial Overlord Xu know... Hell, you can tell her yourself. I don''t know if I will be able to convince her not to kick down the Celestial Emperor''s door in anger."

    "I can tell her myself. When can I speak with her?"

    "Since you''re here, we can ask Overlord Bai to bring her to this world. We also need to resolve the situation with Celestial Overlord Qing, who will being to recruit you."

    "You can deal with her. You were the one who caused this mess, after all." Yuan quickly said.

    "What?! How can you put all the me on me?! If you hadn''t hidden your identity, I wouldn''t have contacted them!"

    "We can talk about thatter. Right now, let''s focus on how I can ascend to the Seventh Heaven without alerting the Celestial Emperor." Yuan then said.

    Wang Xiuying suddenly spoke, "What if you have someone bring you to the Seventh Heaven, like how I was brought to the Second Heaven after the Mystic Realm?"

    Kn then said, "No, that won''t work. We cannot bring anyone without restriction. There are rules and guidelines we have to follow. Bringing someone to the Second Heaven from the Lower Heaven may have fewer restrictions, but the upper heavens are different. At the end of the day, we won''t be able to bring him to the upper heavens while hiding his identity."

    "Can''t you just sneak him there?" Wu Zao asked.

    "There is a barrier that separates every realm in the Nine Heavens, and it will prevent unauthorized beings from passing. We can force our way through it, but it''d instantly alert the Celestial Emperor." Kn exined.

    "How about we climb the Stairway to Heaven for you?" Meixiu suddenly suggested. "I think we have a good chance of ascending at our current level."

    Kn looked at her and said, "You''ll probably have no issue ascending to the Fifth Heaven and even the Sixth Heaven, but the Seventh Heaven is a different beast. Besides Yuan and Li Jinxi, I don''t think anyone here will be able to pass it anytime soon."

    However, Yuan shook his head and said, "It''s fine. I think I have another method to ascend without alerting the Celestial Emperor."

    "Oh? What method?" Kn looked at him with genuine intrigue. "I don''t know, but I know someone who might," he said.

    Yuan continued, "Anyway, now that we understand my situation, let''s talk about you guys."

    "Us?" Wang Ming and the others pointed at themselves.

    "Yes, you guys. To avoid the Celestial Emperoring after you guys for being associated with me, I will have to limit our contact for now. And since you''ve done so well training with Kn for thest three years, I figured it''d be fine if you continued to follow and train under him."

    Yuan looked at Kn and asked, "You wouldn''t mind taking care of them for a little longer, right? I can ask Senior Bai if you''re too busy."

    "No, I don''t mind. In fact, I already have ns for them since none of them were able to defeat you during the tournament." Kn responded with a cold smile.

    The Demon Sealing Faction members trembled after seeing his smile.

    "However, it won''t be for free. In exchange for my assistance, I want you to spar with me right here and now." Kn looked at Yuan with an excited smile.

    This chapter upload first at

 Chapter 1734 Kelans Plan

    Chapter 1734 Kn''s n

    "What''s with you and sparring?" Yuan sighed. "How about this? Instead of sparring with a suppressed cultivation, we will have a real fight when I catch up to your cultivation. You''ll also have more fun that way."

    "What? That''ll take forever! I want to fight you right now!" Kn said, sounding like a spoiled brat.

    Yuan rubbed his eyes and said in a defeated voice, "Fine, I''ll spar with you, but it''ll only be for a little."

    "That''s more like it!" Kn immediately suppressed his cultivation to match Yuan.

    "Are you sure? You can increase your cultivation a little more if you want." Yuan said. "Yes, I''ll be fine. I won''tin even if you defeat me in an instant," Kn nodded.

    Yuan turned to look at the others and said, "Can you give us some space? The further, the better."

    Once Meixiu and the others were far enough, Yuan said to Kn.

    "I wille at you with my full strength. Don''t me me if I kill you by ident."

    Yuan activated True Dragon Awakening and unleashed his aura in the next instant. An overwhelming pressure, several times more intense than what he had disyed during the tournament, permeated throughout Senior Bai''s world, causing those who sensed it to tremble uncontrobly.

    "H-heavens! What he showed us during the tournament was only a fraction of his true power?!" Xi Murong cried out loud.

    Kn wore a nervous smile on his face after sensing Yuan''s aura, and he began regretting not taking Yuan''s offer moments ago.

    Seeing his expression, Yuan smiled and said, "It''s not toote to increase your cultivation."

    "N-n-no¡­ I am fine¡­" Kn responded, stuttering at the beginning.

    "Suit yourself." Yuan retrieved Number One Under Heaven and activated God of War''s Astral Arts next.

    BOOM!

    Yuan''s aura continued to skyrocket, and just his presence alone was enough to cause instability in Senior Bai''s world.

    "Wait a second! This is just a spar! Are you really trying to kill me?!" Kn eximed after sensing real killing intent from Yuan''s gaze. This is from N?velDrama.Org.

    "What are you talking about? You''re the one who asked for this." Yuan further strengthened his aura with his chaotic essence, causing cracks to appear in the world.

    ''Fuck! He''ll kill all of us at this rate!'' Kn cried inwardly.

    He raised his hand and sighed the next moment, "Alright, you win. We can postpone our match until we have a proper stage to fight on. Since Overlord Bai isn''t here, the world is much weaker, and it will definitely copse if we fight here."

    Yuan smiled and said, "If you say so."

    His overwhelming presence instantly vanished, and the world began repairing itself shortly after.

    Once everything returned to normal, Kn said, "I n on bringing your friends to the upper heavens¡ªto my sect, where I will be able to train them properly."

    "Can you bring so many people with you at once?" Yuan inquired.

    "Of course. It''s going to be a little expensive, but I can manage. I can even bring you along¡ªif you don''t mind your identity being revealed, that is." "Thanks for the offer, but I should be fine."

    "Where are you going to take us, exactly?" Chu Liuxiang asked.

    "The Seventh Heaven."

    "!!!"

    "So we won''t be able to see each other until Yuan reaches the Seventh Heaven¡­? I don''t know if I like the sound of that¡­" Chu Liuxiang muttered with a perplexed expression on her face.

    She wouldn''t have minded if Yuan could log off, as they would still be able to meet on Earth. However, with Yuan unable to log off, they were essentially separated for an unknown period of time.

    "It could be years before we see each other again!"

    Meixiu and the others also became dejected after realizing this.

    "It''s just a few years. I promise I will try to reach the Seventh Heaven as soon as possible. Also, it''s not like we won''t be able to see each other. Look at where we are now. We can still meet in the Myriad of Techniques since it can be essed from every realm." Yuan said.

    "Now that you mention it¡­" Chu Liuxiang couldn''t believe that she''d forgotten about the Myriad of Techniques despite being there currently. "If we can still see each other here, I guess I won''t mind going to the Seventh Heaven¡­"

    Yuan nodded with a smile.

    However, someone there suddenly said, "Sorry, but I won''t be going to the Seventh Heaven with you guys."

    "Me too." Another voice followed.

    Everyone there turned to look at the two individuals who had just spoken. It was Lan Yingying and Xi Meili.

    "As Yuan''s servant, I am obligated to follow him." Lan Yingying said.

    Xi Meili then spoke, "I left the Ancient Dragon City to explore the world with Yuan. Although my prowess has improved significantly during thest three years, and I would surely be even stronger if I continued training in the Seventh Heaven, that is not my priority right now."

    "Thank you for training me, but I will be staying with Yuan."

    Lan Yingying and Xi Meili bowed to Kn, who nodded with an understanding smile.

    "Since you''re both divine beasts, what I can teach you is very limited, and you''re probably better off traversing the world with Yuan," he said.

    Kn turned to look at the other and said, "We''ll set off to the Seventh Heaven in a few weeks. I''ll leave for a bit to contact Overlord Bai and Celestial Overlord Xu now."

    Kn disappeared shortly after.

    Once they were alone, Yuan said to them, "By the way, I have one more surprise for you guys."

    "Feng Feng, you cane out now."

    "What?" Xi Meili''s eyes widened after hearing her name.

    Feng Yuxiang appeared the next moment with a bright smile on her face.

    "It''s been a while, everyone."

    "Feng Feng! You''re back!"

    Xi Meili almost cried tears of happiness after seeing that Feng Yuxiang had managed to survive.

    Feng Yuxiang noticed Xi Meili staring at her and smiled, "I''m d to see that you''re also fine."

    This chapter upload first at

 Chapter 1735 Growing Stronger Without Doing Anything

    Chapter 1735 Growing Stronger Without Doing Anything

    "Sorry if I made you guys worry. As you can see, I am perfectly alive and healthy. Moreover, I''vee back even stronger!" Feng Yuxiang spoke with a prideful manner, her nose pointed toward the sky.

    "Now that you mention it, your appearance and presence is different from before¡­ How did you grow stronger while in such a state?" Xi Meili asked with raised eyebrows.

    While most beings experience exponential growth after near-death experiences, Feng Yuxiang''s situation was different.

    "A lot has happened, but I learned about my past life as a Primordial Phoenix, and now that my curse has been lifted, my sealed cultivation, bloodline, and talents will gradually return to me, especially once I remember my past life''s experience. I will essentially be stronger without needing to do anything."

    "What¡­? Growing stronger without doing anything? How envious¡­" Chu Liuxiang sighed.

    Feng Yuxiang cleared her throat and said, "In case you forgot, I was already a powerful phoenix before my bloodline was sealed, so it''s not like my strength appears from thin air."

    "By the way, where''s Xiao Hua?" Lan Yingying asked when she noticed her absence.

    "Oh¡­ she''s¡­" Yuan began exining Xiao Hua''s situation to them.

    "Two souls¡­ in a single soul? Such a thing is possible?" Everyone was shocked by the information and the perplexing situation.

    "At least she''s not in any immediate danger," Meixiu said.

    Yuan nodded, "Yes, she''s doing fine now, but we cannot be certain she''ll remain like this forever."

    "So what are you going to do now?" Wang Xiuying asked him.

    "Once you guys leave for the Seventh Heaven, I will figure out how to ascend without alerting the Celestial Emperor. I also need to ask Tian''er some questions, so I''ll visit the Stairway to Heaven."

    ''There''s also Dong Ye. He can traverse between the Nine Heavens without alerting anyone, so there has to be a way.''

    The first person that came to mind when he thought about ascending the Nine Heavens in secrecy was Dong Ye, who has been sessfully evading the Celestial Emperor since the Evil God''s era. Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.

    "Forget about that for now. I have an even more important question," Chu Liuxiang suddenly said. "How often should we meet each other?"

    "That''s hard to say and probably not something we can make a schedule around. However, I will try to meet with you guys whenever I can," said Yuan.

    "Oh, right, I have another surprise for all of you." "Another one?! How many surprises do you have?!" Wang Ming eximed.

    Yuan cleared his throat and said, "You can show yourself now, Yingzi."

    "What? Yingzi?" The Demon Sealing Faction instantly recognized this familiar name.

    The next moment, a shadowy silhouette appeared from Yuan''s shadow.

    "T-that''s Yingzi?! She looks so different!" Wang Bingbing said.

    "Ah, she changed her appearance right before we returned to the Primal Expanse," Yuan exined.

    "Hello, everyone. I didn''t think I would be able to see you all again." Yingzi greeted them with a slight head nod.

    "What a striking appearance. You could easily be mistaken as a ghost in the dark." Chu Liuxiangmented.

    "Wait, so you''re following Yuan now?" Shi Lang asked.

    She nodded, "For now, because he ns on returning to the Primal Expanse in the future, and I have the ability to take him back. I am also interested in your world."

    "How do you feel now? Will you be fine without chaotic essence?" Yuan asked her.

    Yingzi nodded and said, "Just like when I visited your world, I don''t have any issues living here. However, if I use my powers, I won''t be able to replenish them, so I will only grow weaker as I use my powers."

    "What kind of beast are you?" Xi Meili asked in a curious voice.

    "I''m a Shadow Dweller," she said.

    "Shadow Dweller¡­?" Xi Meili found this name familiar for some reason. Then she recalled the Chronicles of the Immortal Monarch, mentioning that one of the Nine Divine Supremes was a Shadow Dweller.

    ''A Shadow Dweller, Feng Yuxiang, who is a phoenix, Lan Yingying, who is a serpent, and myself, who is a dragon¡­ What a terrifying coincidence¡­ or is this fate?'' Xi Meili swallowed nervously after noticing that Yuan had a following that was nearly identical to the Immortal Monarch''s Nine Divine Supremes.

    After chatting for a little, Yingzi returned to Yuan''s shadow. Feng Yuxiang also returned to Yuan''s Dantian after saying, "Perhaps it''s due to my body trying to adapt to my bloodline''s awakening, but I feel more exhausted than usual despite not doing anything. I''ll go take a nap. See you guyster."

    Lan Yingying stepped forward next and said, "It''s been a while since I have done this¡­" She proceeded to turn into a snake before wrapping herself around Yuan''s wrist, turning into a bracelet.

    ''How envious¡­ I also want to rest inside his body¡­'' Xi Meili sighed inwardly, and she started contemting forming a contract with Yuan just so she could rest inside him like the others.

    "We have some time before Kn returns, so why don''t I tell you guys about my adventure inside the Primal Expanse?" Yuan said.

    "Please do!" They eximed excitedly.

    They found a nearby floating pavilion and sat around Yuan like a group of children during story time.

    Yuan recalled his experience inside the Primal Expanse from the moment of his arrival.

    Meanwhile, Kn met with Senior Bai and Xu Jiaqi inside the Celestial Overlords'' Headquarters. Since the ce was located inside a secluded world within its own dimension, members of the Celestial Overlords were able to ess it from anywhere in the Nine Heavens.

    "What''s going on, Kn? Why did you summon us? Celestial Overlord Qing should be arriving in the Fourth Heaven soon." Senior Bai inquired.

    Kn scratched his head, looking perplexed as he pondered how he should reveal the news to them.

    "Just spit it out already." Xu Jiaqi urged him with a slight frown.

    Kn''s body trembled, and he hastily responded, "Yuan has returned from the Primal Expanse, and he turned out to be the mysterious man from the upper heavens!"

    "What¡­?" Their eyes widened with disbelief.

    This chapter upload first at

 Chapter 1736 Internal Strife

    Chapter 1736 Internal Strife

    "W-wait a second. Repeat that, and speak slower this time." Senior Bai said, doubting his hearing just now.

    Kn cleared his throat and repeated in a slow and clear voice, "Yuan has returned from the Primal Expanse, and the mysterious monster surnamed Xiao I wanted you to recruit turned out to be Yuan in disguise¡­ I just found this out¡­"

    "Yuan is back from the Primal Expanse¡­?" Xu Jiaqi muttered in a dazed voice.

    "You¡­ you fool! How could you put Yuan''s existence in the spotlight when we''ve been trying to keep him hidden for as long as possible!" Senior Bai began lecturing him afterprehending the situation. "Now, the majority of the upper ranks and even two Celestial Overlords are aware of him!"

    "B-but you were the one who revealed this information to them¡­ I only wanted you to speak with Celestial Overlord Xu¡­" Kn said.

    "..." Senior Bai fell silent. He wanted to rebuke Kn, but he found himself unable to do so, as he''d realized his own mistake.

    "What should we do now, Lady Xu? It''ll only be a matter of time before the rest of the faction is aware of Yuan''s existence. The other groups will definitely try to covet him." Senior Bai looked at Xu Jiaqi.

    "I think we can still keep his existence hidden. After all, nobody but the three of us are aware of the truth. We can just have Yuan continue his disguise for the time being." Kn said.

    Xu Jiaqi nodded, "That''s a good idea. However, he''s still part of our faction, which poses some risks and problems."

    In fact, Kn could''ve figured out Yuan''s identity if he''d tried to locate Yuan since he has ess to the location of all members with a lower rank. However, since he didn''t know Yuan had left the Primal Expanse, he had no reason to try to locate Yuan or suspect his disguise, something that had to be done manually.

    Another way of exposing Yuan would be to use an identifying talisman, which will automatically glow if they are near a member of the faction.

    Commanders like Kn and those of higher rank possess the ability to forcefully reveal a member''s rank. However, since no one would suspect that Yuan is already part of the Celestial Overlords, the likelihood of this happening remains low.

    "What if we temporarily remove him from the faction?" Kn suddenly suggested.

    "..."

    Senior Bai and Xu Jiaqi frowned at his outrageous suggestion.

    "Why are you looking at me like that? You trust him, right? In that case, you don''t really have to worry about him going off to another faction."

    Kn''s suggestion was logical and would definitely work. However, Xu Jiaqi didn''t like the idea of removing Yuan from the faction, as it''d reset his progress and contributions to the faction. In other words, Yuan would have to start from the lowest rank when he rejoins the faction in the future.

    "If you''re worried about his rank¡­ Well, there''s not much we can really do about that. However, it''s probably still better than exposing his existence to the faction, which will definitely stir the already unstable ho''s nest." Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.

    Xu Jiaqi clenched her fists. She wanted to keep Yuan a secret from the rest of the faction until he was strong enough or she had enough control of the faction.

    ''If the others find out about Yuan, they will definitely fight over him, especially that madman. I have to avoid this at all costs since it will, without a doubt, give the Celestial Overlords a good reason to divide the faction finally.''

    The Celestial Overlords may seem perfect in the eyes of outsiders, but there was a serious power struggle within the upper ranks, with each Celestial Overlord trying to gain more authority and control over the other.

    "While he may lose his progress, we can still give him special promotions." Senior Bai suddenly said. "He''s only a General right now, and Kn has the authority to promote an Apprentice to a Warrior, even Captain. I can promote him to General, and if needed, Lady Xu could promote him even further."

    "I thought we cannot give out special promotions willy-nilly?" Kn said.

    "No, but there are ways around that. We can discuss that in the future." Senior Bai said.

    "Alright. Let''s remove Yuan from the faction temporarily for his safety and the stability of our faction."Xu Jiaqi eventually made a decision.

    "There''s another issue, but you will have to hear it from Yuan." Kn then said.

    "Why can''t you tell us here?" Xu Jiaqi frowned.

    "Because you probably won''t believe me, and Yuan requested this himself." Kn shrugged.

    "Fine. He''s in the Myriad of Techniques right now, right?" "Indeed."

    "You can return first." Senior Bai said.

    "Yes!"

    Kn bowed to them before leaving.

    "I hope he won''t hold a grudge for removing him, even if it''s only temporary¡­" Xu Jiaqi sighed.

    "Yuan isn''t that kind of person. He''ll surely understand why it must be done." Senior Bai said.

    Kn returned to the Myriad of Techniques sometimeter.

    "Where''s Senior Bai and Miss Xu?" Yuan asked Kn when he returned.

    "They''ll beingter. While we wait for them, I need to talk to you for a moment." Kn looked at him with a serious expression.

    "What happened?"

    Kn proceeded to exin the situation and that they had decided to temporarily remove him from the faction.

    "Miss Xu is worried that my existence might start a war in the faction and divide them, so she''d been keeping my existence a secret this entire time?" Yuan was dumbfounded after hearing this information.

    Kn sighed and exined, "You will eventually learn about this, so I might as well tell you now. Our situation isn''t as good as it appears from the outside. Due to the other Celestial Overlords'' ambitions, the faction has been split into four different groups, and we have internal fights almost daily. For the record, I am on Celestial Overlord Xu''s side, and you''re technically also on our side since she personally recruited you."

    "Divided into four groups? Internal fights? Ambitions? What the hell is happening to my faction?" Yuan muttered in a dazed voice.

    "Your faction?" Kn raised an eyebrow at his weird phrasing.

    This chapter upload first at

 Chapter 1737 Fateful Reincarnation

    Chapter 1737 Fateful Reincarnation

    "Hm? Is that what I said?" Yuan casually shrugged it off and continued, "Anyway, I understand the situation, and I don''t me Miss Xu for her decision."

    "You can tell her that yourself when she arrives in a bit. Also, you have to tell her about your situation with the Celestial Emperor," said Kn.

    Yuan nodded, "I will."

    Sometimeter, a rift appeared in the world, and two individuals emerged from it.

    It was Senior Bai and Xu Jiaqi.

    "..."

    Senior Bai and Xu Jiaqi''s eyebrows twitched when they sensed Yuan''s powerful presence despite his efforts to suppress it.

    ''Just what did he experience in the Primal Expanse to grow so much in just three years?'' Senior Bai swallowed nervously. Meanwhile, Xu Jiaqi was fixated on Yuan''s face the moment she saw it. While she was surprised by his growth, she was even more shocked by something else.

    In the three years since Xu Jiaqi hadst seen Yuan, he had grown noticeably more mature and handsome. Most striking, however, was that he now bore an uncanny resemnce to the founder of the Celestial Overlords, a simrity that was impossible to ignore.

    Although Xu Jiaqi had also noticed this before, she subconsciously ignored it¡ªpretended like it was only her imagination. However, she could no longer ignore their resemnce. "Father¡­?" Xu Jiaqi muttered in a low voice, her eyes trembling with emotion.

    "What?" Senior Bai turned to look at her with raised eyebrows after hearing her mumbling.

    "Sorry for making you guys worry, but as you can see, I have returned," Yuan said to them.

    However, Xu Jiaqi acted like she didn''t hear Yuan and approached him in a dazed manner.

    She ced a hand on his face and stared at it with intense concentration.

    "C-Celestial Overlord Xu¡­?" Kn tried calling out to her, but she ignored him.

    ''Heaven Refining Physique¡­ your uncanny resemnce to him¡­'' Xu Jiaqi mumbled inwardly with a profound expression on her face, almost as if she''d realized something.

    Without looking away from Yuan, she suddenly said, "Leave us alone for a moment."

    "Yes." This is from N?velDrama.Org.

    Noticing her serious tone, Senior Bai and Kn didn''t question her request and immediately left them alone.

    Even after they left, Xu Jiaqi proceeded to envelop Yuan and herself in a concealment formation and a sound-blocking formation.

    "What''s the matter, Miss Xu?" Yuan asked her after seeing her actions.

    "Do you believe in reincarnation?" Xu Jiaqi suddenly asked with a solemn face.

    "Yes, I do." "What do you know about reincarnation?" she then asked.

    "As long as their soul is preserved, everyone who dies will eventually reincarnate, but they won''t retain the memories of their past life." Yuan gave a brief exnation.

    "That is the basics of reincarnation, but did you know that those with a powerful fate could reincarnate into someone who closely resembles their previous life? Some even regain fragments of memories and talents from those lives." Xu Jiaqi revealed.

    "For example, once a Sword Immortal with a powerful fate for the sword perishes, there is a good chance their second life is also fated to walk the path of the sword, bing a Sword Immortal again. We call this phenomenon Fateful Reincarnation, and the people who have experienced this Fateful Reincarnation are called True Reincarnators."

    "Fateful Reincarnation¡­" Yuan mumbled.

    "Don''t be surprised to hear what I am about to say, but I believe you are a True Reincarnator who has experienced Fateful Reincarnation, and you were the founder of the Celestial Overlords in your previous life." Xu Jiaqi suddenly said, unaware that she''d perfectly struck the nail on its head.

    Before Yuan could even say anything, she continued, "The founder of the Celestial Overlords also had the Heaven Refining Physique, and your resemnce is uncanny. I''d be willing to wager my life that you''re the founder''s reincarnation."

    "..."

    Yuan couldn''t say anything, as he was absolutely bewildered that someone had actually managed toe to this conclusion.

    After a moment of silence, Yuan spoke, "Even if what you say is true¡­ What should I do?"

    Xu Jiaqi pondered for a moment before responding, "Just continue doing what you normally do. Since you are a True Reincarnator, your future has already been prophesied, and your path has already been determined. While there is a chance that your future might change, it can only be affected by those who are aware of your identity as a True Reincarnator, hence why you must not reveal this information to anyone¡ªnot even to Kn or Overlord Bai. Do you understand me?"

    "I understand¡­" Yuan nodded in a dazed manner.

    True Reincarnators are an exceptionally rare existence, and they typically only appear in the Ninth Heaven, where some of the most powerful individuals with powerful fates exist, hence why almost nobody is aware of their existence in the lower heavens.

    "Thank the heavens you''ve returned to us in our time of need¡­ I can finally breathe properly for once¡­" Xu Jiaqi released a deep and profound sigh.

    Nobody but Xu Jiaqi herself could understand the waves of emotions affecting her heart at this moment, but she''d managed to control herself and maintain her dignified demeanor. Yet, she was unable to prevent tears from forming in her eyes, causing her sight to be blurry.

    Yuan wondered if he should just tell Xu Jiaqi that he''d already begun recalling Tian Yingzhe''s memories but decided to wait until he had enough memories before doing so.

    ''She''s already convinced that I am Tian Yingzhe''s reincarnation, so there''s no point telling her. Once I regain enough of Tian Yingzhe''s memories, I''ll have a proper conversation with her.''

    Sometimeter, once Xu Jiaqi had full control again, she spoke, "I assume Kn had told you about our situation before we showed up."

    Yuan nodded, "Yes, he told me about the Celestial Overlords'' internal strife and how the faction is essentially divided into four different factions."

    "Indeed. Now that I''ve confirmed you to be our founder''s reincarnation, we definitely cannot allow the others to realize your existence, or things will get messy really fast, and they will definitely hunt you down before you can regain your memories or affect the faction." Xu Jiaqi spoke in a solemn voice.

    "But worry not. I will protect you even at the cost of my life, just as you''d done for me in the past."

    A slight smile appeared on Xu Jiaqi''s face.

    This chapter upload first at

 Chapter 1738 Removed From the Celestial Overlords

    Chapter 1738 Removed From the Celestial Overlords

    "And once you''ve be a True Immortal, I will help you regain your previous position in the Celestial Overlords." Xu Jiaqi said.

    Originally, she nned on uniting the Celestial Overlords by herself, but with Yuan''s Fateful Reincarnation, she tossed all of her initial ns down the drain to help Yuan ascend the Celestial Overlords. She was confident that Yuan had reincarnated to help the Celestial Overlords.

    Sometimeter, Xu Jiaqi retrieved Yuan''s Celestial Overlords symbol and rank, essentially removing him from the faction.

    "Don''t worry, the ranks are meaningless to you, who will ascend beyond the Celestial Overlords in the future." Xu Jiaqi said to him.

    "I am not worried, nor do I me you for making this decision. As a matter of fact, I was going to ask you to temporarily remove me from the faction because of a certain incident."

    "What incident? Is this rted to why Kn asked me to speak with you?" Xu Jiaqi frowned.

    Yuan nodded and said, "You understand the existence of people like me¡ªyers, right?"

    She nodded, "Of course."

    "Then are you aware that we require the system to visit the Nine Heavens?"

    "I don''t have a full understanding of the system since we natives of the Nine Heavens don''t have anything like that, but I know it''s something that assists the people from your world¡ªthese yers in the Nine Heavens."

    "Yes, that''s the gist of it. Anyway, without the system, we yers cannot travel to the Nine Heavens with our souls, and the Celestial Emperor has control of that system."

    After a slight pause, he continued, "The Celestial Emperor has blocked my ess to the system, meaning I can no longer enter the Nine Heavens¡ª"

    "He what?!" Xu Jiaqi roared as killing intent exploded from her being.

    "Let me finish¡­"

    Yuan hastily continued, "However, due to a miracle, I was able to remain in the Nine Heavens, but I am no longer able to log off¡ªreturn to my world. I am basically stuck in the Nine Heavens as a piece of my soul until I reach the Seventh Heaven and visit the Dragon Spiral Mountain there."

    "Do you know why the Celestial Emperor acted against you?" Xu Jiaqi asked. "If not, I will go to the Celestial Emperor and demand an answer even if I must be forceful."

    "Please don''t. And it most likely has something to do with my Fateful Reincarnation."

    "Wait¡­" Xu Jiaqi''s face suddenly became contemtive.

    ''Now that I think about it, while Father would asionally assist the Celestial Emperor with the faction, he never personally assisted the Celestial Emperor. He even refused to be associated with the Celestial Emperor to remain a neutral faction¡­''

    Xu Jiaqi began recalling the finer details of her memories with Tian Yingzhe, who would never smile while in the presence of the Celestial Emperor despite always smiling everywhere else.

    ''Did Father have some sort of grievance with the Celestial Emperor¡­?'' Xu Jiaqi wondered inwardly. ''Did the Celestial Emperor have something to do with Father''s disappearance¡ªdeath?''

    "If you speak to the Celestial Emperor, he would realize that I am still in the Nine Heavens, and there is also the possibility that he has people in the Celestial Overlords working for him," Yuan said.

    "If you put it like that, I agree we shouldn''t let the Celestial Emperor know. But will you be fine?"

    He nodded with a calm smile, "I will be fine. I just need to reach the Seventh Heaven without alerting the Celestial Emperor."

    "In any case, the Celestial Overlords'' situation isn''t good, so you should avoid confronting the Celestial Emperor for the time being."

    "Alright, I will try my best to not affect your fate since I amnow aware of your Fateful Reincarnation, but if I sense that you are in danger, I will act, regardless of our opponent''s identity or the costs." Xu Jiaqi said with a stern look on her face. Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.

    "Thank you." Yuan nodded with a warm smile.

    "By the way, how should I deal with the Celestial Overlording to recruit me?"

    "Do as you wish, but try to refuse without offending her. While she may belong to a different group, her group and my group are quite friendly toward each other, unlike the other two Celestial Overlords." Xu Jiaqi exined.

    "If possible, I would like to get her on our side, which will help us in taking care of the rats."

    Yuan nodded, "I understand. I will try my best."

    Xu Jiaqi suddenly lunged forward and embraced Yuan, pressing her soft breasts against his chest. They were so close that Yuan could feel her heartbeat.

    "Miss Xu¡­"

    "Call me Jiaqi when we are alone," she said firmly, her tone leaving no room for refusal.

    "Alright, Jiaqi." Yuan returned her embrace.

    He could feel her body trembling slightly at his touch.

    After remaining in that position for several moments, Xu Jiaqi released him and deactivated the formations.

    "You guys cane back," she said out loud.

    Kn and Senior Bai instantly appeared before them.

    "I have temporarily removed Yuan from the faction, so nobody in the faction, excluding the three of us, knows of his rtionship with us. I shouldn''t need to say this, but if this information is leaked¡­" Xu Jiaqi red at Kn as a warning to him.

    While she didn''t think Kn would betray them, she knew he had a big mouth and would asionally say things he shouldn''t or didn''t mean to.

    "Don''t worry, Celestial Overlord Xu. You can rest assured that I won''t utter about Yuan to anyone."

    "I am really sorry things have escted to this point, Yuan. I know you don''t me us, but I still want to offer my sincere apology." Senior Bai said to him.

    "We will definitely help you regain your rank once you return."

    Yuan chuckled and joked, "My rank will mean nothing if the faction goes to shit because of me."

    "What are you going to do now that you''re back in the Nine Heavens?" Senior Bai then asked.

    "I will ascend," he responded with determination.

    This chapter upload first at

 Chapter 1739 Celestial Overlord Qiang

    Chapter 1739 Celestial Overlord Qiang

    "Celestial Overlord Xu, I am going to bring his friends to my sect in the Seventh Heaven, and I am going to train them until Yuan makes his way there," Kn said to Xu Jiaqi after Yuan''s matter was settled.

    She nodded, "I understand. I will help you with the arrangements."

    Kn bowed to her, "Thank you!"

    With someone powerful like Xu Jiaqi helping him, their process would speed up greatly.

    "You will have about a week left with them," Kn said to Yuan afterward.

    Senior Bai made a gesture with his hands. Momentster, a floating ind with arge house approached them from a distance at the speed of sound, stopping right before them.

    "You can use this ce as you wish until then," he said.

    "Thank you." Yuan nodded.

    Upon closer inspection, there was a beautiful still pond and even a training ground on the ind.

    "Then I will leave now to deal with your friends'' matters. Don''t forget about what we talked about." Xu Jiaqi said to Yuan.

    He nodded, "I won''t."

    Once Xu Jiaqi and the others left, the Demon Sealing Faction gathered on the ind.

    There, each member recalled their training experience with Kn.

    Li Jinxi appeared at the Myriad of Techniques once her death cooldown ended.

    "You''re really cruel, you know that?" Li Jinxi greeted Yuan with a frown on her face.

    Li Jinxi had been told of Yuan''s situation by Meixiu earlier. When she first learned that the man from the upper heavens she''d lost to was actually Yuan, she didn''t know whether tough or cry.

    "I am truly sorry for killing you. It was an ident." Yuan apologized to her with a sincere bow.

    Li Jinxi sighed, "I know, but that also means I was below your expectations, right?"

    Li Jinxi clenched her fist in anger. The thing that frustrated her the most wasn''t her defeat but realizing that despite all of her hard work, she was still miles behind Yuan, and there was a good chance the gap between them had even widened.

    ''And to think I thought that I was actually catching up¡­ Howughable,'' she sighed inwardly, feeling dejected.

    Seeing her expression, Yuan smiled and said, "You have surpassed my expectations in terms of growth, and you will be stronger at an even faster rate once you train in the upper heavens, where the resources are much more abundant."

    "Let''s postpone our real match with each other until then."

    Li Jinxi nodded with a resolute face.

    A few dayster, Kn returned to the Myriad of Techniques and said to Yuan, "Celestial Overlord Qing will arrive in the Fourth Heaven in a few hours. I have prepared a ce for the two of you."

    "Alright. Take me there." Yuan retrieved his mask and wore it before leaving the Myriad of Techniques with Kn.

    Sometimeter, as they arrived at their destination, Yuan raised an eyebrow at the unexpected location. Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.

    "This is¡­ a wine restaurant?" Yuan muttered as he saw the store.

    "Celestial Overlord Qing is a wine enthusiast. She will be able to cope with your rejection much better here," said Kn.

    "I see." Yuan didn''t say much and entered the restaurant with Kn. It waspletely empty inside, as Kn had reserved the entire ce for the entire day.

    Once inside, they sat at the lone table in the middle of the empty room. There were two chairs, indicating that Kn had no ns of being there for the recruitment.

    "I''ll be waiting outside," Kn said.

    "So you really have no n on participating?" Yuan asked.

    He shook his head and sighed, "I have no ce to participate. Not only am I a mere Commander, but Celestial Overlord Qiang is from a different group. My only job was to make sure you would be present before her arrival."

    "Good luck, and don''t mess it up."

    "How could I mess it up?" Yuan raised an eyebrow.

    "How would I know? You''re as unpredictable as fate." Kn shrugged before walking outside to wait for Celestial Overlord Qiang''s arrival.

    Half an hourter, Kn noticed a figure descending from the sky,nding before him.

    "Commander Kn greets Celestial Overlord Qiang." Kn respectfully bowed to the beautiful youngdy standing before him.

    Celestial Overlord Qiang was a graceful youngdy who appeared to be at the end of her adolescent years. She had an elegant presence, as if brought up in a prestigious and noble family. She was someone who could easily be mistaken as an innocent youngdy who had been spoiled her entire life.

    Celestial Overlord Qiang acknowledged Kn with a slight nod before turning to look inside the restaurant. An excited smile appeared on her face as she spoke, "Even though I am still outside, I can feel his tyrannical presence. Looks like you weren''t exaggerating about his existence. If anything, I think you underestimated him!"

    Unable to contain her excitement, Celestial Overlord Qiang walked inside the restaurant.

    Kn remained standing outside, acting like a guard.

    The moment Yuanid eyes on Celestial Overlord Qiang, he instinctively wondered if she was lost, as shecked any noticeable presence.

    Celestial Overlord Qiang walked to the table and gave him an elegant bow, "It''s a pleasure to meet you. I am Qiang Qing Yun, one of four Celestial Overlords."

    Yuan stood up and bowed back, "The pleasure is mine, Senior Qiang. My surname is Xiao. Forgive me for not revealing my face or full name due to family circumstances."

    Qiang Qing Yun calmly dismissed his worries with a slow head shake, "It''s okay. I am aware of your situation."

    "Please, sit." She gestured at the chairs.

    Yuan nodded and sat back down.

    ''So she is Celestial Overlord Qiang, huh? She''spletely different from Xu Jiaqi. If anything, she''s theplete opposite.'' Yuan thought to himself as Qiang Qing Yun sat down before him.

    "I''m sure Kn already mentioned this to you, but I would like to personally invite you to join the Celestial Overlords." Qiang Qing Yun went straight to the topic after sitting down, leaving no room for small talk.

    This chapter upload first at

 Chapter 1740 Qiang Qing Yuns Invitation

    Chapter 1740 Qiang Qing Yun''s Invitation

    "This is a little sudden. Why do you wish to recruit me when you don''t even know anything about me?" Yuan asked.

    He didn''t want to outright reject Qiang Qing Yun''s invitation without having a conversation, as it would be incredibly rude and somewhat suspicious.

    Moreover, he wanted to befriend her if possible, as it would benefit Xu Jiaqi and the Celestial Overlords.

    "We can get to know you better as a member. The most important thing to me right now is your potential, and from what I have heard, you''re very gifted¡ªenough to shock Kn, who has seen all sorts of geniuses."

    "As for myself, I can tell from a nce that you hold extraordinary prowess inside your body, even though you are trying to hide it."

    "If I don''t hide it, I won''t be able to go outside without terrifying those around me." Yuan shrugged.

    "I know how you feel. Anyway, what is your answer?" Qiang Qing Yun asked, seemingly impatient for an answer.

    "Honestly, while I have heard of the Celestial Overlords, I don''t know much about them. Moreover, due to my family''s circumstances, I will need special permission before I can associate myself with any organization."

    "In that case, do you think I can have a word with your family? I will do my best to convince them to allow you to join our faction."

    "Sorry, but my family prohibits sharing any information about them to outsiders, and that will continue even when I join the faction. If that is a dealbreaker, I''m afraid I will have to reject your invitation."

    "No, that is perfectly fine. As a matter of fact, we have plenty of members whoe from hidden families, so we are very familiar with your boundaries."

    "Then what do you expect from me once I join?" Yuan asked.

    "Not much, honestly. You are pretty much free to do as you please, and we only ask that you prioritize the faction when we need your help for something."

    "Though, you are required to earn a certain amount of good karma every year. It''s not much and won''t take much of your time unless you wish to ascend the ranks."

    "Furthermore, given your potential, I could even personally train you if you want. If I don''t have what it takes, I know people who do."

    "That''s quite a generous offer, Senior Qiang. I thought it was difficult to get into the Celestial Overlords."

    Qiang Qing Yun chuckled and said, "It is. I am only giving you special attention because of your potential. I also need your power in the future."

    "Oh? Can you borate on that?" Yuan''s interest was piqued.

    "I shouldn''t say this since you''re not a member yet, but I also don''t want you to feel like I tricked you. In any case, the Celestial Overlords are in a tough situation right now due to internal struggle between members, mostly those at the top of the ranking."

    "Every Celestial Overlord has their own factions and are trying to take control of the entire faction. I need your power to defeat the others."

    "I see. I appreciate you telling such sensitive information to a stranger like me, and I would like to ask¡ªwhat do you n on doing if you win?" Yuan asked.

    "You won''t be a stranger if you join the faction," she chuckled before continuing, "Anyway, to answer your question¡­"

    After a slight pause, she spoke with an awkward smile, "Honestly, I haven''t thought that far yet."

    "¡­" Yuan was speechless. Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.

    "You probably think I am unreliable or irresponsible, but I can assure you that I am not like that. Right now, I am merely entirely focused on ensuring the other Celestial Overlords don''t win, as that could spell the end for the faction."

    "The other Celestial Overlords? Why would the faction copse if they win?"

    "They only care about power and authority. People like them will run any organization to the ground when given uncontested authority. I joined the Celestial Overlords because they saved my life in the past, and I will do anything to protect the faction."

    "Is that so? Are the other Celestial Overlords that bad? I never knew." Yuan went along with her to see if she was telling the truth or just wanted his assistance.

    "Hmm¡­ Besides Celestial Overlord Xu, the other two are definitely bad apples. One is hungry for power, and the other is desperate for authority. As for Celestial Overlord Xu¡­ I don''t know about her. She''s a very distant and cold individual. She won''t speak unless necessary. However, that doesn''t necessarily mean she''s a bad person. I don''t get a bad vibe from her. Perhaps that''s why I don''t dislike her."

    Qiang Qing Yun appeared sincere when discussing her feelings for the Celestial Overlords, and her perspective on Xu Jiaqi aligned perfectly with what Xu Jiaqi herself had mentioned.

    Realizing this, Yuan''s initial decision to reject her invitation suddenly began to change.

    ''If I join her group, I will not only be able to determine whether her feelings are real or fake, but I can even make moves within the Celestial Overlords without affecting Xu Jiaqi and her faction. Moreover, if Qiang Qing Yun turns out to be genuinely concerned for the faction, I can bring her to our side.''

    Yuan decided to ept Qiang Qin Yun''s invitation, but he didn''t hastily ept it just yet.

    "I understand the Celestial Overlords'' situation, as well as Senior Qiang''s goals, but what can I do to help?" he asked.

    "Well, you just need to focus on growing stronger for now since you are still too weak to do anything. If you need help, I, as well as those from my group, will do everything in our power to assist you. After all, it''s been a very long time since we''ve had someone as talented as you join us, and whenever someone highly talented joins, it''s typically Celestial Overlord Xu who recruited them." Qiang Qing Yun sighed towards the end.

    "Alright. Can you give me a few days to contact my family before I give you an answer?" Yuan said.

    "Of course! Take as much time as you need!" Qiang Qing Yun''s face brightened after hearing his positive response.

    This chapter upload first at

 Chapter 1741 The First Players to Ascend to the Seventh Heaven

    Chapter 1741 The First yers to Ascend to the Seventh Heaven

    "I shall wait for your response here." Qiang Qing Yun said a momentter.

    "Alright." Yuan nodded.

    Their conversation ended there, and Qiang Qing Yun waved goodbye as Yuan walked out of the restaurant.

    When Yuan left the restaurant, Kn immediately looked at him with a questioning gaze. He wasn''t aware of Yuan''s ns or his conversation with Qiang Qing Yun. However, the conversation ended a little too early for hisfort.

    Despite understanding Kn''s feelings, Yuan ignored him and left. "Commander Kn." Qiang Qing Yun''s voice resounded from inside the restaurant shortly after Yuan left.

    Kn hastily entered to see Qiang Qing Yun smiling from ear to ear. This caused Kn''s eyebrows to involuntarily raise.

    ''Why is she so happy when he rejected her invitation?'' he wondered inwardly.

    "You''ve done an excellent job scouting such a talented individual. Although I wish to reward you, I don''t want to create any misunderstandings since you belong to Celestial Overlord Xu''s group."

    "It''s fine. And honestly, I intended for Celestial Overlord Xu to recruit him, but she refused, so there''s nothing else I can do." Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    "You could''ve recruited him before I arrived. Why didn''t you?" Qiang Qing Yun asked.

    Kn sneered, "And offend you, who has the secondrgest group in the faction? I''d rather not. There are plenty of talents out there, anyway. We can miss one or two."

    "I wouldn''t be so sure about that. There may be many talented individuals out there, but there are rarely any monsters like him. Even a thousand geniuses wouldn''t be able topare to him."

    "You think so highly of him despite this being your first meeting with him. Why?"

    Qiang Qing Yun smiled and said, "You''re not the only one in the world who recognizes talent when they see it. That man¡­ I have never seen anything like that before."

    ''I must get my hands on him no matter what!'' she clenched her fists, her eyes filled with determination.

    While Qiang Qing Yun waited for Yuan''s return, she purchased and drank nearly the entire wine restaurant''s stock.

    Yuan pretended to contact his family when, in reality, he was spending his time at the Myriad of Techniques with the others.

    "Brother!" A familiar figure greeted Yuan when he returned to the Myriad of Techniques.

    "Yu Rou¡­" A warm smile appeared on Yuan''s face after seeing his little sister.

    Meixiu had revealed Yuan''s situation to Yu Rou. When Yu Rou learned of this, she cried like a baby. Fortunately, there were still ways for them to meet inside Cultivation Online.

    "Sorry, but I won''t be able to visit you for a while." Yuan apologized to her.

    "It''s okay. It''s not like you have a choice." Yu Rou shook her head as she embraced him.

    "However, I am worried about your body."

    "I should be fine. With my cultivation, I can survive with just spiritual energy alone, and my body naturally absorbs them."

    "Don''t worry. Yu Rou. I will check on Yuan''s condition every week just to make sure his body is healthy." Wang Xiuying assured her.

    "Thank you, Sister Xiuying."

    A few dayster, it was time for the Demon Sealing Faction to ascend. However, since Kn was busy apanying Qiang Qing Yun, Senior Bai went to the Fourth Heaven to escort them to the Seventh Heaven.

    "Until next time, Yuan."

    "Good luck, and don''t ck on your training," Yuan said to them.

    Before they left, Yuan revealed his n to ept Qiang Qing Yun''s invitation. Senior Bai was baffled at first, but after hearing Yuan''s reasoning, he agreed with Yuan''s decision.

    "Acting within the Celestial Overlords without affecting Lady Xu, huh? That''s a great idea. I will let her knowter." Senior Bai said.

    Once the Demon Sealing Members left with Senior Bai, only Yuan, and Yu Rou remained in the Myriad of Techniques.

    Soon, announcements began appearing for all of the yers to see.

    <Congrattions! yers Healer Wang, Li Jinxi, Chu Liuxiang, Meixiu, Sword Immortal Ming, Spear God Lang, Shadow Murong, Fluttering Zao, and God of Fists Xiuqian have be the first yers to ascend to ''Fifth Heaven''>

    <Congrattions! yers Healer Wang, Li Jinxi, Chu Liuxiang, Meixiu, Sword Immortal Ming, Spear God Lang, Shadow Murong, Fluttering Zao, and God of Fists Xiuqian have be the first yers to ascend to ''Sixth Heaven''>

    <Congrattions! yers Healer Wang, Li Jinxi, Chu Liuxiang, Meixiu, Sword Immortal Ming, Spear God Lang, Shadow Murong, Fluttering Zao, and God of Fists Xiuqian have be the first yers to ascend to ''Seventh Heaven''>

    These consecutive announcements left the entire world shocked and speechless. "W-wait a minute! I recognize their names! They belong to the Demon Sealing Faction!" Some of the yers quickly noticed this detail.

    "They must''ve found a method to ascend quickly! Does this mean we also get to ascend up to the Seventh Heaven now?"

    "No¡­ They didn''t ascend through the Stairway to Heaven. Instead, they were escorted to the upper heavens by experts who already live there, just like when Thunder Emperor and Healer Wang became the first yers to ascend to the Spirit Heaven after the Mystic Realm a few years ago."

    "That''s strange¡­ Howe yer Yuan didn''t ascend with them? Surely, he wouldn''t want to miss such an opportunity."

    The yers were quick to notice Yuan''s name was missing from the announcement.

    "Didn''t he also refuse to ascend thest time? He''s probably going to challenge the Stairway to Heaven soon."

    "The sooner the better. I want to see what''s in the Fifth Heaven."

    Yu Rou left shortly after, returning to her own faction.

    As for Yuan, he made his way back to Kn and Qiang Qing Yun. "Wow, what a smell." Even before Yuan stepped into the restaurant, a strong aroma of wine filled the air, assaulting his nose and eyes.

    "Oh, wee back. Have you spoken with your family?" Qiang Qing Yun ced the bottle of wine in her hand on the table and gestured for him to sit down.

    Yuan nodded and responded, "Yes, and they have given me permission to join the Celestial Overlords."

    This chapter upload first at

 Chapter 1742 Rejoining the Celestial Overlords

    Chapter 1742 Rejoining the Celestial Overlords

    "R-really?! You''ll join the Celestial Overlords?!" Qiang Qing Yun immediately became ecstatic, feeling like she was floating in the heavens from bliss.

    She had prepared to fight tooth and nail for Yuan, and she''d even prepared some treasures just in case. However, the recruitment had gone unexpectedly smoothly and without any hups.

    "Um, before you celebrate, I have some conditions." Yuan suddenly said, halting her celebration.

    Qiang Qing Yun became serious again and responded, "What is it? As long as it''s not unreasonable, we can definitely make it work."

    "First of all, I do not want anyone investigating my background."

    "I can assure you that nobody from my group will investigate your background, but I cannot guarantee you the other groups won''t, as my control over them is limited."

    "As a matter of fact, I can say for sure that they''ll try to investigate you, especially as your reputation increases within the faction.. However, I will still try my best to stop them if I find out."

    Yuan nodded, "That is good enough for me. I understand that it''s impossible to stop people from being nosy, and being investigated is inevitable."

    "My second condition is that you have to restrict ess to my location. I am aware that high-ranking members have ess to the location of other members."

    Qiang Qing Yun then responded, "I can definitely restrict certain ranks from essing your location, but I cannot block everyone, such as other Celestial Overlords."

    "As for my final condition¡­ Well, this isn''t really a condition but a request. If other members from opposing groups were to cause trouble for me, I would like the authority to deal with them in an appropriate manner, regardless of their rank."

    Qiang Qing Yun narrowed her eyes with a pondering face.

    "Can you borate on what you deem as appropriate?" she inquired a few secondster.

    "For example, if someone plots or has the intent to harm or kill me, I will be able to harm or kill them depending on the situation. In other words, an eye for an eye." Yuan gave a brief but straightforward exnation.

    "I see. If a member attacks you without justification, you are already allowed to retaliate without needing my authority. However, please refrain from killing anyone if possible, as that would make things moreplicated."

    "That''s good."

    "If that''s all your conditions, I will give you the Celestial Overlords'' symbol now."

    00:52

    "If that''s all your conditions, I will give you the Celestial Overlords'' symbol now."

    Yuan nodded and extended his arm.

    Not wanting to give Yuan another second to contemte, Qiang Qing Yun swiftly gave Yuan the symbol.

    "You are now an official member of the Celestial Overlords. Wee aboard." Qiang Qing Yun showed him a bright and satisfied smile.

    Yuan looked at the ''Apprentice'' symbol on his hand and smiled, "Thank you for having me."

    "To celebrate your eptance, do you have any request? It''s a rare opportunity to receive a Celestial Overlord''s help, especially when they just joined the faction."

    "Can I save it forter?" Yuan asked.

    "Of course."

    Qiang Qing Yun continued, "By the way, why did youe down to the lower heavens?" Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.

    "I was sent down by my family to hunt down some fugitive as a trial of sorts. Honestly, I don''t really get it."

    "I see. So you''re also here for that individual. But didn''t you hear? The Celestial Emperor has called off the search. Apparently that individual has been dealt with."

    "What? Seriously? When did this happen?" Yuan asked with wide eyes.

    "A few days ago. Most have already returned to the upper heavens."

    Yuanughed inwardly at this information, as this would make it easier for him to traverse the lower heavens without being noticed.

    "In that case, I''ll roam around the lower heavens for a bit before returning home. It''s a rare opportunity for me to venture into the outside world, much less the lower heavens."

    Sometimeter, Qiang Qing Yun said, "If you don''t have anything for me, I will leave you alone now¡ª"

    "Oh, here is a special present from me."

    Qiang Qing Yun stepped forward and tapped Yuan on the forehead.

    <Absolute Concealment learned>

    "This technique will help you hide your presence better," she said.

    Sure enough, the moment Yuan activated the technique, the rest of the presence he couldn''t hide disappeared magically.

    Although it wasn''t as perfect as Yingzi''spleteck of presence, Yuan could easily be mistaken as an ordinary cultivator. If he hid his presence even further, one could even mistaken him as a mortal.

    "Thank you very much, Celestial Overlord Qiang."

    "You can call me Senior Sister Qiang. I''ll give you special permission."

    "I understand, Senior Sister Qiang."

    "Good. Then I will return to the upper heavens now. If you ever need me, you can contact me using thismunication jade slip." Qiang Qing Yun handed Yuan a jade slip.

    Under normal circumstances, only Overlords and those closely connected to her would be given amunication jade slip that allows one to contact her directly.

    As of this moment, Yuan had direct ess to two Celestial Overlords. This was something only a select few Overlords could brag about.

    Before leaving, Qiang Qing Yun made sure to grab a few more bottles of wine from the restaurant.

    Once Qiang Qing Yun hadpletely left and her presence could no longer be sensed, Kn approached Yuan with a deep frown on his face.

    "What is the meaning of this? Do you intend on betraying Celestial Overlord Xu?" he inquired.

    Yuan sighed, "Are you being serious?"

    He proceeded to exin his reasoning for epting her invitation.

    "I have already spoken to Senior Bai about this, and he also agreed to it. I would''ve told you sooner, but you were busy."

    "You''re essentially using Celestial Overlord Qiang as a cover, and you''re acting like a spy. If she realizes this¡­" Kn swallowed nervously when he couldn''t even imagine her reaction.

    "Then we better make sure she doesn''t find out." Yuan calmly shrugged, leaving Kn speechless.

    "Fuck¡­ you''re really something else¡­" Kn sighed in defeat.

    This chapter upload first at

 Chapter 1743 Nine Random Players

    Chapter 1743 Nine Random yers

    "Anyway, now that your friends have ascended and your situation with Celestial Overlord Qiang is over, it''s time for me to leave as well. Don''t forget your promise." Kn said as he stared at Yuan.

    "What promise?" Yuan teased.

    "Our fight! We''ll fight once you reach the Seventh Heaven and travel to the Nine Heavens with your real body!"

    "Ah, I remember now. I''ll fight you as much as you want if you take care of my friends. If I find out that they had been mistreated in any way, I''ll hold you ountable, understand?"

    Kn swallowed nervously after sensing Yuan''s serious gaze through his mask.

    "Rx. They have protection not only from me but also from Overlord Bai and Celestial Overlord Xu. Nobody would be foolish to touch them, especially when they will be spending most of their time inside my sect."

    Yuan nodded, "Then I''ll leave them in your care."

    Kn left shortly after, returning to the Seventh Heaven.

    Meanwhile, Yuan made his way to a secluded location.

    "Dong Ye." Yuan summoned him.

    However, there was no response.

    After waiting around and trying again a few more times, Yuan decided to give up speaking with Dong Ye and made his way to the Stairway to Heaven instead.

    At the Stairway to Heaven, Yuan noticed many yers attempting to ascend.

    "I shall be the first yer besides yer Yuan to ascend!" A yer boldly announced as he took his first step on the stairway leading to the gates.

    Yet, four stepster, this yer was forced to forfeit when he couldn''t even lift his legs under the immense pressure.

    There were hundreds of yers there, and most of them failed at the sixth step. A few managed to reach the ninth step, with a dozen yers managing to reach the door. However, all of these yers were tossed out a few minutes after entering the Stairway to Heaven.

    Eventually, Yuan decided to participate.

    Once it was his turn, he jumped onto the staircase and, without stopping, jumped to the next step until he reached all the way to the end.

    "Who is that masked person?! Is he a yer?!"

    The yers were shocked by how effortlessly Yuan had climbed the steps.

    "There''s no way he''s a yer unless he''s yer Yuan!"

    "No, he doesn''t feel like a yer at all."

    The yers were quick to dismiss Yuan as a yer, as there was something inherently different about him.

    Perhaps it was due to Shura''s system, but the yers subconsciously saw him in a negative light, almost as if they were natural enemies.

    Upon reaching the door, Yuan opened it and entered it.

    Once inside, a small figure emerged from the darkness and lowered their head before Yuan.

    "Wee back, Master."

    "It''s been a while, Tian''er. How have you been?"

    "The same as usual."

    "I see. Anyway, I am here to ask you some questions. Is there any way for me to ascend the Stairway to Heaven without alerting the Celestial Emperor? For example, every time I sessfully ascend, a notification will be sent throughout the Nine Heavens, and the other yers will be able to ascend as well. Is there a way to avoid this?"

    Tian''er swiftly responded, "The Celestial Emperor made it so that only yers with the Rashara''s System will trigger an announcement when they clear the Stairway to Heaven. As for Master, since Tian''er cannot sense the system within you, there shouldn''t be any announcements when you clear it."

    "Hm? You know about the Rashara''s System?" Yuan didn''t expect this.

    "Of course. Such information is necessary for Tian''er to work with it," she nodded.

    "Then do you know about the Shura''s System?"

    Tian''er calmly shook her head.

    "Then am I still considered a yer?" Yuan then asked.

    Tian''er stared at Yuan for a moment before nodding her head, "Master is still a yer in Tian''er''s eyes."

    "Thanks a lot for the information, Tian''er." Yuan was relieved to learn that he would be able to ascend without worrying about alerting the Celestial Emperor.

    "Then I will be right back."

    Yuan exited the Stairway to Heaven.

    "What? He got kicked out already?"

    "Hahaha! Hested even less time than the yers!"

    As the yersughed at him, Yuan spoke in a loud and clear voice, "I am willing to carry nine yers through the Stairway to Heaven. Raise your hand if you wish toe."

    In order to acquire the best rewards in the Stairway to Heaven, Yuan decided to increase the difficulty to the max by bringing as many people as he could.

    The entire ce fell silent as the yers stared at Yuan with wide eyes.

    "W-we can do that? Being carried by an NPC, that is¡­" One of the yers suddenly asked out loud.

    "I have never heard of this before¡­"

    Despite their suspicions, many yers there raised their hands.

    Seeing this, Yuan smiled and said, "There are too many people here, so let''s do it like this¡ªthe nine highest-paying yers will get to ascend with me!"

    "What?!"

    The yers began exchanging looks with each other. It didn''t take long before the yers started shouting their offers.

    However, even if every single one of these yers handed their entire fortune to Yuan, it would still only be pocket change at best. In the end, Yuan ended up choosing nine random yers who hadn''t made fun of him to mess with these yers. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.

    "Fuck! Are you messing with us?!" "Come down here, and let''s fight!"

    Yuan jumped from the door to the ground, where the yers were gathered.

    "I''m here, now what?" Yuan released a tiny fraction of his aura, which was more than enough to terrify these yers.

    When nobody dared to move a momentter, Yuan said, "To those nine of you who were chosen, grab a badge and follow me."

    These yers hastily went to grab a badge from the dumbfounded individual working there and proceeded to follow Yuan up the staircase.

    Once all of the holes were filled, Yuan entered the Stairway to Heaven with the random yers.

    This chapter upload first at

 Chapter 1744 Ascending to the Fifth Heaven

    Chapter 1744 Ascending to the Fifth Heaven

    Shortly before Yuan arrived at the Stairway to Heaven, he was stopped by Xi Meili.

    "Hey, do you think I can challenge the Stairway to Heaven by myself?" Xi Meili asked him.

    "Hm? If that''s what you want, go ahead. I have no real reason to stop you." Yuan responded.

    "Great! I have been wanting to challenge it ever since I heard about it. Hopefully, it won''t be too difficult."

    "With your talents and training with Kn, I''m sure you''ll be able to pass it with flying colors."

    After hearing that Xi Meili wanted to challenge the Stairway to Heaven, Lan Yingying added, "I would also like to challenge the Stairway to Heaven. Since I chose to stay behind instead of training under Kn with the others, I need to make the most of every opportunity to train myself."

    "Alright. Then I''ll go first. See you twoter."

    "W-wait!" Xi Meili hastily stopped him.

    "What if one of us fails to ascend?"

    Yuan smiled and said, "Neither of you will fail. However, if you somehow fail to ascend, I still have a method to let you ascend."

    Xi Meili nodded, feeling a little more relieved, knowing they wouldn''t be stuck in the Fourth Heaven.

    ''Now that I think about it, what about Yingzi?''

    Since Yingzi didn''t originate from the Nine Heavens, would theirws affect her? Yuan decided to figure it outter.

    Once Yuan was inside the Stairway to Heaven with the nine random yers, the yers were teleported to the spectators'' room.

    "Tian''er, I have a question. I have someone who came from another world¡ªa ce outside of the Nine Heavens. How will Stairway to Heaven work for her?"

    Tian''er then spoke, "If you mean that being hidden within your shadow, she can ascend without needing to pass the trials. After all, the Stairway to Heaven is only meant for those born within the Nine Heavens. Moreover, she is already powerful enough to exist within the Supreme Heaven. It''d be pointless to make someone like her take the trials."

    "Oh? You can sense Yingzi despite herck of presence?" Yuanmented in a somewhat surprised tone.

    "Presence or not, Tian''er can sense anything and everything that exists within the Stairway to Heaven. Nothing can hide from Tian''er," she calmly stated. "For example, Tian''er can sense the three¡ªtechnically four souls resting within Master''s Dantian, as well as the three souls resting within your three Soul Weapons."

    "..." Yuan stared at Tian''er with wide eyes.

    ''I know I created her, but damn¡­ How terrifying¡­'' Yuan swallowed nervously as he thought to himself.

    "Alright, I will begin the trial now. Also, I have twopanions who will be challenging the Stairway to Heaventer. Just in case¡­ If they fail, I can still bring them to the Fifth Heaven, right?"

    Tian''er nodded, "As the master of the Stairway to Heaven, you ultimately decide who can and cannot ascend. Tian''er has said this before, but Master can also ascend without needing to take the trials."

    Yuan nodded, "Thanks. That''s all I needed to know. We can begin the trial. Ah, make sure to prevent those yers in the spectators'' room from seeing my trials."

    "As you wish, Master."

    Tian''er disappeared into the void shortlyter, and a staircase appeared before Yuan. Meanwhile, inside the spectators'' room, the yers were puzzled by their situation.

    "W-where are we? What happened to that NPC who promised to carry us?"

    Due to the inherent difficulty of the trials, very few yers even attempted to carry others through the Stairway to Heaven, as doing so only increased the challenge. Those who did try never reached the door, much less enter the Stairway to Heaven. In other words, aside from those previously carried by Yuan, no yers were aware of the existence of the spectators'' room.

    "Did we get fooled by that NPC? What if we''re trapped in here forever?" one of the yers made this assumption, his face filled with fear.

    "What? If that''s true, how the hell do we get out of here? This is an enclosed room with no exits!"

    "What if we have to kill ourselves to leave?!"

    "Fuck! I shouldn''t have trusted that damn NPC!"

    Right as the yers began panicking, a voice resounded, "Calm down. You will all remain here until the one challenging the Stairway to Heaven is finished with their trial."

    "Oh¡­"

    "Wait¡­ Whose voice was that?" Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    When the yers looked around and saw nobody, their bodies shivered in fear.

    "A ghost!"

    They all gathered in one corner of the room and cowered in fear.

    Meanwhile, Yuan began his first trial.

    When his location transformed, Yuan found himself inside a workshop with a hammer in his grasp.

    <You have started your first trial in the Stairway to Heaven>

    <Craft a Mythic-grade treasure>

    <You have 24 hours to finish the trial>

    <Finish the trial in less than 12 hours an hour to receive a reward>

    "I need to craft a treasure, huh? But with what materials?"

    He couldn''t see any materials around, so he used divine sense to broaden his view.

    Outside his cave, Yuan noticed several powerful magical beasts roaming a vast wilderness, and they had a cultivation at the peak of Divine Grandmaster.

    "I see."

    Yuan wasted no time and immediately went to hunt down these magical beasts. With his current prowess, Yuan could easily kill them with less than half his strength.

    After defeating his first magical beast, its corpse turned into a material.

    Yuan grabbed the material before hunting the next target.

    In less than half an hour, Yuan hunted fifty magical beasts and returned to the cave.

    He spent a few minutes looking through the materials and several more minutes doing mental simtions.

    Once he was prepared, Yuan began crafting the treasure.

    Sometimeter.

    <You have crafted a Mystic-grade treasure and sessfully cleared the first trial>

    <You have cleared the trial in less than 12 hours>

    A golden orb of light appeared from the treasure Yuan crafted and entered his body.

    The very next moment, Yuan regained a specific memory that once belonged to Tian Qiyuan, and it was a piece of memory that he hadn''t recovered yet.

    ''The location of Tian Qiyuan''s treasure vault! I remember now!'' Yuan smiled after recalling this memory.

    This chapter upload first at

 Chapter 1745 The Location to Tian Qiyuans Secret Vault

    Chapter 1745 The Location to Tian Qiyuan''s Secret Vault

    Long before he was recognized as the God of Creation, Tian Qiyuan maintained a secret vault to store all his most precious materials andpleted creations. Within this vaulty countless Celestial-grade treasures that he had never revealed to the public, along with priceless materials so rare they could easily spark a bloody war.

    During Tian Qiyuan''s era, many spected about the existence of such a treasure vault, though none could prove it. However, just before his mysterious disappearance, Tian Qiyuan shocked the world by announcing that he had hidden his vault somewhere in the Nine Heavens. He dered that whoever found it could im every treasure within for themselves, sparking an uproar that rippled through the entire world, igniting a fevered hunt that continued to this very day.

    Countless cksmiths and cultivators scoured every corner of the world in search of Tian Qiyuan''s treasure vault, yet none seeded in uncovering its location.

    Tian Qiyuan''s treasure vault had be such a coveted legend that top organizations in the Nine Heavens, including the Celestial Emperor, offered generous rewards for any credible hints about its location. Unbeknownst to all who sought it, the location of Tian Qiyuan''s treasure vault had finally been uncovered¡­ by none other than Tian Qiyuan himself.

    "I am still quite far away from reaching it, but I''ll definitely reim my treasures as soon as possible," Yuan mumbled to himself as he proceeded to the second trial.

    For the second trial, Yuan found himself standing beneath a clear night sky in the middle of what appeared to be a city. The streets were quiet, bathed in the soft glow of moonlight, with shadows stretching across the empty buildings.

    <You have started your second trial in the Stairway to Heaven>

    <Assassinate the Lord of this city within an hour>

    <Assassinate the Lord of this city, as well as all guards, within an hour to receive a reward>

    ''Assassination? This is a new type of trial¡­'' Yuan thought to himself as he used his divine sense to scout the entire city.

    He immediately noticed many mortals living inside the buildings, but they were all trembling in a corner for some reason. Seeing this phenomenon happening throughout the entire city caused Yuan to raise an eyebrow.

    Sometimeter, Yuan turned his attention to the tall pagoda that stood out like a sore thumb. Even without needing to use divine sense, he could tell that his target was living inside the pagoda.

    ''This ce feels very nostalgic, but whose memories does it belong to?'' Yuan wondered as he approached the pagoda.

    He had an hour toplete his trial, which was plenty of time. After all, his opponents were only at the peak of Divine Grandmaster, and none of them would be able to endure a single strike from him.

    Instead ofpleting the trial as fast as possible, Yuan decided to investigate the situation instead.

    He knocked on one of the doors, hoping to speak with the residents. However, there was no answer. Inside, the upants began trembling even more at the sound of his knock, as if death itself were waiting outside their door. After trying a few more buildings without new results, Yuan decided to be more forceful.

    ''This may be an illusion, but it still feels bad to do this¡­'' Yuan sighed inwardly as he kicked down the doors.

    "Sorry to bother you, but I need¡ª"

    "Aaahhh! Please! Don''t kill me! I have a sick mother who needs to be taken care of! She''d die without me!" A young boy shouted after realizing an intruder had entered their home.

    Yuan looked at this young boy with raised eyebrows and said, "Rx, kid. I am not here to im your life."

    "Really¡­?" The boy slowly turned to look at him with a fearful expression.

    "Yes. What would I gain from killing you?"

    "Okay, I''ll believe you."

    "Then, can you tell me why everyone is hiding inside their home? I''m not from around here."

    The boy trembled just thinking about it. After a moment of silence, he finally spoke with great difficulty, "T-the Phantom Assassin¡ªSilent Reaper¡ªhas dered that he will take the life of our lord, and anyone who dares to stand in his way will be killed as well."

    "Phantom Assassin? I have never heard of him." Yuan shook his head.

    "What?! There''s no way! The Phantom Assassin is renowned throughout the Nine Heavens! You should''ve heard of him no matter where you''re from!" The boy eximed, his voice filled with disbelief.

    "I''vee from a really far away ce, and I lived most of my life in seclusion, so I am not privy to such information." Yuan shrugged.

    "..."

    After a moment of silence, the boy exined, "The Phantom Assassin is both a judge and an executioner. Once he sentences someone to death, nobody could stop him¡ªnot even the Celestial Emperor."

    "I see. Then why did this Phantom Assassin sentence the lord of this city to death?"

    "I am not too sure. They say the Phantom Assassin only executes those who deserve it, but who really knows." The boy sighed.

    "Anyway, big brother, you should leave this ce as soon as possible. It''d be disastrous if you encounter the Phantom Assassin and he mistakes you as an enemy."

    Yuan scrambled his hair and teased, "Are you sure you have the luxury to worry about me? You were just shivering in a corner not too long ago."

    "T-that''s¡­!" The boy began blushing.

    "Alright, I''ll stop bothering you now. And don''t worry. The Phantom Assassin won''t target you if you don''t block his path."

    After saying goodbye to the boy, Yuan left the house and turned to look at the pagoda in the distance.

    "Phantom Assassin, huh? What a nickname." Yuan chuckled as he stomped the ground, shooting himself off the ground and soaring toward the pagoda.

    Bang!

    Yuan flew directly to the top floor, smashing through the wall as he entered the pagoda. Inside, a fat, middle-aged man stood surrounded by a dozen guards, their expressions filled with shock and terror.

    "Y-you must be the Phantom Assassin! Why are you trying to kill me?! What did I do wrong?!" the middle-aged man began shouting at him.

    Yuan looked at him and responded, "Good question. Why don''t you tell me what you''re thinking? How did you get into this situation?" Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    "I really don''t know! You''re the one who sentenced me to death! How could I possibly know what you''re thinking?!" The man eximed.

    "Is that so?"

    Yuan''s arm suddenly began gushing with Chaotic Enhanced Sword Aura, and before the guards could even act, his arm flickered, disappearing for a split second.

    In the very next instance, half of the guards in the room fell to the ground after being decapitated, their heads spinning in the air.

    "Heavens!" The middle-aged man fell to his buttocks and soiled his pants in the process.

    "Onest chance. Tell me what you know, and I just might spare you."

    The middle-aged man hastily got to his knees and began begging, "I took advantage of my position as the lord of this city and abused the citizens! I was wrong! Please spare my life! I swear I will change!"

    Sha!

    Yuan''s arm suddenly flickered again, and the rest of the guards were killed before they even realized what had happened.

    "Do you take me for a fool?" Yuan narrowed his gaze at the man as he revealed his immense killing intent.

    "Ahhh!" The man cried out loud. "O-okay! I am a demon worshipper!"

    ''A demon worshipper, huh? Is this life rted to the Divine Paragon, or¡­?'' Yuan wondered inwardly.

    "Tell me more," Yuan said to him.

    "Thanks to the Demon Cult''s teachings, I have acquired a technique that greatly boosts my cultivation speed and overall prowess, allowing me to fight those above my own cultivation! However, this technique requires a tremendous number of sacrifices!"

    "What a vile being. While worshipping demons itself isn''t a crime, the moment youy a finger on innocent people¡­"

    "Please! I was tricked and brainwashed by the Demon Cult! You have to believe¡ª"

    Before the man could even finish his sentence, Yuan swung his arm.

    <You have killed the lord within an hour and sessfully cleared the second trial>

    <You have killed the lord and all of his guards within an hour>

    A golden orb of light appeared from the fat man''s corpse, entering Yuan''s body.

    As Yuan absorbed the orb of light, memories began flowing into him.

    ''These memories belong to¡­ Tian Kai, the God of Music?!'' Yuan was surprised after seeing who these memories belonged to.

    He couldn''t fathom how Tian Kai, initially thought to be the God of Music and the mentor to the Zither Goddess, could also be the infamous Phantom Assassin¡ªa figure whose very name sent shockwaves of terror throughout the Nine Heavens.

    Unfortunately, he''d only regained a small portion of Tian Kai''s memories as the Phantom Assassin, so he stillcked the information to finish the puzzle.

    ''Tian Kai¡­ just what kind of life did he live?''

    This chapter upload first at

 Chapter 1746 Arriving at the Fifth Heaven

    Chapter 1746 Arriving at the Fifth Heaven

    <You have started yourst trial in the Stairway to Heaven>

    As the scenery shifted, Yuan found himself standing under a clear blue sky on a vast, empty, circr tform that resembled a stage. The area was expansive and open, with no obstacles in sight, as if it were designed specifically for a performance or a duel.

    <Survive for an hour>

    <Survive your opponent for an hour and kill it to receive a reward>

    A red-skinned figure materialized several hundred meters away from Yuan. With a height of at least nine feet, the figure had six ck horns atop its head and four muscr arms, each gripping a weapon seemingly forged from solidified blood. Its presence radiated a fierce, ominous energy that would terrify even immortals.

    This entity was obviously a demon, most likely at the rank of Demon General since Yuan couldn''t see its demon crystal, and it had the impressive cultivation of Divine Lord. "A human!" the demon roared, its voice so powerful that it made the very air tremble.

    "A demon, huh? Perfect. I have been wanting to test out my Demon Sealing Aura while enhanced by chaotic essence." Yuan smiled at the sight of this demon.

    However, he had to survive¡ªkeep it alive for an hour before he could kill it.

    "Allow me to consume your flesh and blood!" The demonughed out loud as it pounced at Yuan like a tiger.

    "..."

    Yuan didn''t even bother moving and stood in ce as the demon began shing at him with its weapons.

    "Are you so terrified that you cannot even move?! Pathetic!"

    The demon mocked with a devious smile, but its expression abruptly stiffened when it realized it could not scratch Yuan''s skin, let alone damage him.

    "We''ve got an hour, so do your best," Yuan said as hey on the ground and closed his eyes to sleep.

    Although its skin was already red, the demon''s face seemed to flush an even deeper shade as it erupted in fury, its eyes zing with rage.

    The demon proceeded to throw its weapons away and bombarded Yuan with techniques instead. Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    Yet, Yuan remained still and undisturbed.

    The demon could even hear Yuan snoring a bit, almost as if he were in a deep andfortable sleep. This caused the demon to snap, forcing it to use its own life to enhance its prowess.

    Yuan opened his eyes to look at the demon, whose aura suddenly changed drastically.

    Although demons are essentially immortal and can live for millions of years without any external energy source due to their demon crystal, they could sacrifice the power of their demon crystal for a tremendous boost in power. Once a demon uses this forbidden technique, death is inevitable shortly afterward, which is why demons rarely resort to it, even when facing death. Additionally, the act is considered shameful, something only the lowest of low demons would even consider doing.

    After destroying its own demon crystal, the demon''s cultivation soared to the peak of Divine Emperor, and its attack became capable of damaging Yuan.

    However, even with its enhanced power and increased strength, the demon''s attacks could only manage to scratch the outeryer of Yuan''s skin.

    "That''s not good. At this rate, you''ll die before an hour passes."

    Seeing this, Yuan stood up and extended a single finger, channeling his Demon Sealing Aura into the tip. As he touched the demon and poured Demon Sealing Aura into it, the red creature instantly turned to stone. However, since the demon was only sealed and technically still alive, the trial remained uncleared.

    The demon, even in its sealed state, would still perish due to the forbidden technique it had invoked. However, the sealing slightly prolonged its inevitable death, dying its final moments just enough for Yuan to clear the trial.

    An hourter, Yuan unsealed the demon. He then infused his chaotic essence with his Demon Sealing Aura.

    "W-what is that Demon Sealing Aura?! I''ve never seen or heard of anything like it!" The demon sensed a profound feeling of dread from Yuan''s upgraded Demon Sealing Aura, which sent chills through its entire being.

    A terrified expression appeared on the demon''s face, and without thinking, it instinctively turned around and ran away. However, before it could get far, its body began to disintegrate, breaking apart bit by bit as the effects of the forbidden technique took their final toll.

    <You have survived an hour and sessfully passed the trial>

    <You have survived an hour and killed the demon>

    "What a pity. I didn''t even get to test out my Chaotic Demon Sealing Aura." Yuan shook his head as he acquired some more of the Divine Paragon''s memories.

    "Congrattions on clearing the Stairway to Heaven, Master." Tian''er appeared shortly after.

    Yuan then inquired, "Since I no longer have ess to Rashara''s System, the other yers won''t be able to ascend to the Fifth Heaven even after I cleared it, correct?"

    Tian''er nodded and said, "Master is a yer¡­but also not a yer simultaneously. The Stairway to Heaven will only open to the other yers if someone with Rashara''s System clears it."

    "Since there''s Rashara''s System and Shura''s System, can I assume there are other systems out there? Do you know anything about that?"

    "No, Tian''er is only aware of Rashara''s System," she said.

    "I see. Thanks. Then I''ll see youter."

    Sometimeter, Yuan and the nine yers he carried were transported to the Fifth Heaven.

    After emerging from the Stairway to Heaven, Yuan looked at the sky to see if there were any announcements.

    A few momentster, when he didn''t see anything, Yuan smiled behind his mask, turned to the nine dazed yers, and said, "Good luck."

    He left before any of the yers could ask questions, but he didn''t go too far, as he still had to wait for Xi Meili and Lan Yingying.

    "We actually got carried by an NPC and made it to the Fifth Heaven?"

    "Since there''s no announcement, it''s safe to assume he wasn''t a yer."

    "Hahaha! That means we''re the only yers in the Fifth Heaven at this moment!"

    "This is huge!"

    These yers logged off shortly after to share their experience on the inte with the rest of the world.

    This chapter upload first at

 Chapter 1747 Second Ancient Seal

    Chapter 1747 Second Ancient Seal

    [I was carried to the Fifth Heaven by an NPC!]

    [We somehow reached the Fifth Heaven?!]

    [Nine yers were carried to the Fifth Heaven by a mysterious NPC!]

    Such titles quickly reached the first page of the biggest forum on all Cultivation Online things rted, shocking the yers who saw them.

    "I didn''t know we could use NPCs in such a fashion!"

    "How can we be certain that individual was an NPC and not a yer?"

    "If it had been a yer, the Fifth Heaven would''ve been essible to the rest of the yerbase once cleared."

    "Given how difficult the trials are, there''s no way a yer could''ve carried nine people through the Stairway to Heaven!"

    "yer Yuan might have the capability to do so."

    The nine yers who had been carried by Yuan quickly became the center of attention, attracting a flurry of interviews and offers from top factions and influential families eager to purchase information about the Fifth Heaven.

    "Looks like he sessfully reached the Fifth Heaven." Wang Xiuying smiled after seeing the news.

    Meanwhile, Xi Meili was the next to challenge the Stairway to Heaven.

    After training with Kn for three years, she increased her cultivation to the peak of Divine Warrior, allowing her to breeze through the Stairway to Heaven.

    "Defeat 100 opponents." A nonchnt voice resounded as Xi Meili entered her final trial.

    Soon, a hundred peak Spirit Enlightenment cultivators appeared to hunt her together.

    ''Is this what it felt like being hunted by humans back in the day?'' Xi Meili wondered inwardly as she swiftly defeated the cultivators one by one.

    After defeating all one hundred cultivators, Xi Meili passed the trial and ascended to the Fifth Heaven. Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    "Congrattions."

    Yuan appeared before her with a smile on his face shortly after she entered the Fifth Heaven.

    "It was really fun and not too difficult," she said with a prideful look on her face.

    "In that case, I assume you''ll also want to climb to the other realms by yourself."

    Xi Meili nodded, "Yes, it''s a great method of training."

    They proceeded to wait for Lan Yingying.

    "Defeat your opponent within thirty minutes."

    Lan Yingying had to face an opponent at the peak of Spirit Enlightenment while being at the same cultivation herself.

    Not even five minutester, Lan Yingying proceeded to the second trial. "Survive for fifteen minutes."

    The sky started raining down swords a momentter.

    Sometimeter, Lan Yingying also passed all of her trials and entered the Fifth Heaven.

    Xi Meili and Yuan appeared to congratte her shortly afterward.

    "My trials were quite simple whenpared to your trials. My expectations were affected by your experience." Lan Yingying said to Yuan.

    Unlike Yuan, who receives detailed and unique trials, everyone else faces straightforward tests that primarily assess theirbat prowess and other skills relevant to the cultivation world.

    "What are your ns now?" Xi Meili asked. "Straight to the Sixth Heaven?"

    "We can give it a try." Yuan nodded.

    However, just as Yuan made this decision, he noticed a shift in the space around them.

    "Dong Ye?" Yuan muttered. "Oh? You actually noticed me?" Dong Ye appeared the next moment with a surprised expression on his face.

    After acquiring an understanding of the power of the void, Yuan could instinctively sense someone using it around him, and Dong Ye just happened to be an expert in the power of the void.

    "Is this how you get around without people noticing you? Because of the power of the void?" Yuan inquired.

    He nodded, "Yes, and not to brag, but not many can match my understanding of the power of the void in the Nine Heavens."

    "Is that so? Anyway, did something happen? I tried calling you before, but you didn''t respond. Now, you appear out of nowhere." Yuan then asked.

    Dong Ye rubbed his eyes and sighed, "Let''s just say that the Celestial Emperor has increased his efforts to find me. I think something has happened, but I am not sure of the details just yet."

    Hearing this, Yuan revealed, "It might have something to do with me. The Celestial Emperor is now aware of my identity."

    "What?! How did that happen?" "Are you aware of the system used by the yers?"

    Dong Ye nodded, "I am aware of its existence and abilities to some extent."

    "Good, then you should grasp the situation easily."

    Yuan proceeded to exin his situation¡ªabout how the Celestial Emperor removed his ess to Cultivation Online to prevent him from entering the Nine Heavens.

    "I see¡­ In that case, we should also begin our arrangements¡­" Dong Ye muttered in a low voice after learning of the situation.

    "What arrangements?" Yuan asked.

    "Ah, it''s something prepared by your incarnations. I won''t go into specifics since it might affect your fate."

    Yuan had never fully understood Dong Ye''s reluctance to share details about his past lives, despite his loyalty and the fact that it had been a direct order from his incarnations. However, after learning about Fateful Reincarnations from Xu Jiaqi, everything finally made sense.

    Knowing Yuan''s identity as a True Reincarnator, Dong Ye had to be exceptionally cautious with the information and assistance he provided so that he would not interfere with Yuan''s fate in unintended ways.

    "Because of that, I will have to leave for a bit, so I won''t be able to watch over your friends for the time being." Dong Ye continued.

    Yuan nodded and said, "Don''t worry, my friends are currently training with someone trustworthy in the Seventh Heaven." "Ah, but there will be someone to assist you while I am away. They were hand-picked by me after a rigorous screening," said Dong Ye.

    "Are they aware of my identity?" Yuan asked.

    "They are aware of your identity as the Evil God''s reincarnation, but that''s the extent of their knowledge. Don''t worry. They''re very reliable and trustworthy."

    "I''ll take your word for it." Yuan nodded.

    "One more thing before I leave. I have found the identity of the second Ancient Seal holder. They are currently in the Fifth Heaven, and he is the Dragon King of the Shen Family."

    "Dragon King of the Shen Family?" Yuan raised an eyebrow after hearing this familiar name.

    This chapter upload first at

 Chapter 1748 Shadow Army Rank Structure

    Chapter 1748 Shadow Army Rank Structure

    "Yes, it is exactly that Dragon King." Dong Ye confirmed, almost as if he could read Yuan''s mind.

    "In order to protect your identity from the Celestial Emperor, I had his memories, as well as everyone else involved with you, erased," he exined.

    Yuan''s eyes widened.

    "So they don''t remember our interactions during my previous visit?" Yuan asked for confirmation.

    "No, they still remember. However, they won''t be able to remember your face and the conversations you had, much like how people only have vague memories of their dreams after waking up." Dong Ye exined.

    "However, if they see you again, there''s a chance for them to recall everything."

    "I see. In any case, I won''t be going there as Yuan, so they won''t remember."

    Dong Ye nodded.

    "Then until next time, my liege." Dong Ye bowed to Yuan before disappearing into thin air.

    Shortly after Dong Ye disappeared, Yuan noticed two unfamiliar presences appearing near him.

    "Are you the ones sent by Dong Ye?" Yuan muttered out loud.

    The next moment, two figures appeared before Yuan, one knee touching the ground and their heads already lowered. "We greet the Lord." This is from N?velDrama.Org.

    "Introduce yourselves."

    The first individual, a handsome young man with a tall, robust frame, tanned skin, and striking red eyes, spoke respectfully, "This loyal subject is called Yang. Although I am only a Shadow Reaper, I will do my utmost to support the Lord''s every need."

    Then, the other individual, a beautiful young woman with a tall, slender frame, simrly tanned skin, and red eyes, spoke with a tone of reverence, "This loyal subject is called Yin, also a Shadow Reaper. I exist solely to serve the Lord and support his ambitions."

    "Yin and Yang, huh? Are you siblings?" Yuan then asked.

    "Yes, we are twins." They responded simultaneously.

    "Then, can you tell me about the Shadow Army? What does it mean to be a Shadow Reaper?"

    Yang responded first, "There exists five ranks within the Shadow Army, each with a unique purpose. The first and lowest rank is Shadow Scout. They specialize in scouting and information gathering. The majority of the Shadow Army are Shadow Scouts."

    Yin continued, "The second rank is Shadow Reaper. We specialize in tracking and assassination, but we are just as well-versed in information gathering as Shadow Scouts¡ªif not better."

    Yang spoke again, "Shadow Enforcer is the next rank. They are a special unit that specializes inpleting high-risk missions."

    Yin then said, "Shadow Commanders are in charge of training and overseeing the Shadows. There are only three Shadow Commanders in the Shadow Army."

    "Thest rank is Shadow Sovereign, reserved for a single person¡ªMaster Dong," finished Yang.

    "How many members does the Shadow Army have?" Yuan asked a momentter.

    "We apologize, but we cannot answer that question. However, it''s not because youck the authority. We just don''t know the answer. Only Shadow Commanders and Master Dong know the exact number, so you''ll have to ask one of them." Yin and Yang spoke perfectly in sync, almost as if they shared the same mind.

    "Alright. In any case, I don''t really need any assistance for now." Yuan said a momentter.

    "If you ever need us, summon us with this." Yang handed him a ck and white jade slip shaped like a yin-yang symbol.

    "We''ll always be nearby waiting for your orders," Yin added.

    "Please excuse us."

    They disappeared at the same time shortly after.

    "That was something¡­" Xi Meili muttered with a somewhat dumbfounded look on her face.

    As a princess who grew up with a small army, she couldn''t help but admire just how faithful and loyal the Shadow Army appeared.

    ''Even the most loyal soldier in our family wouldn''t look at Father the way those two looked at Yuan, and they just met today,'' she sighed inwardly.

    "Now then, before we head to the Shen Family to receive the second Ancient Seal, I should fill you in on the situation and my n."

    Yuan proceeded to exin the purpose of the Ancient Seal and his reason for gathering them, detailing its importance. He then shared his n to acquire the seal, "Fortunately, the Shen Family are dragons, so we should have an easier time acquiring their Ancient Seal with your identity."

    "My identity? Wouldn''t it be better to use your identity? When you transform, you emit a presence stronger than even my father," she inquired with a puzzled face.

    "Yes, but there exists a dragon family in the Supreme Heaven with the same surname as your Xi Family, and they have quite the authority. Who knows? There''s even a chance you''re rted to them."

    "What? That''s not possible... I mean, my father had never mentioned anything about a family outside the Ancient Dragon City before. As far as I am aware, we''re the only remaining ''Xi Family'' left."

    "I guess we''ll find out once we reach the Ninth Heaven. Anyway, let me tell you how we''ll go about it¡­"

    Sometimeter, they began making their way toward the Shen Family.

    Meanwhile, at the Fairy Paradise, where Yuan once spent some time imprisoned, a beautiful woman stood before the Fairy Empress.

    "How long has it been since you visited us? You should visit more often. We all miss you very much, Sister Songyun." The Fairy Empress showed a warm smile to Tan Songyun, who had spent thest three years chasing after Yuan.

    "Sorry, but I''ve been very busy in the Sixth Heaven," Tan Songyun said.

    "Are you still trying to find the bastard who broke your heart? Have you found any leads yet?"

    Tan Songyun nodded and spoke with a serious expression, "Yes, I found a lead, and I believe he visited this ce about three years ago."

    "What?" The Fairy Empress'' eyes widened with shock after hearing this.

    "I learned that he visited my Immortal Cave in the lower heavens and came here by ident after triggering my teleport formation."

    "Three years ago¡­" Fairy Empress wore a perplexed expression on her face after realizing who Tan Songyun was talking about.

    This chapter upload first at

 Chapter 1749 Visiting the Royal Dragon Family Again

    Chapter 1749 Visiting the Royal Dragon Family Again

    "I remember the man who entered the Fairy Paradise a little over three years ago. However, I don''t think he''s the person you''re looking for." Fairy Empress shook her head.

    "What? Why do you say that?" Tan Songyun asked with a puzzled frown on her face.

    "The man you''re looking for is a human, right?" Fairy Empress asked for confirmation.

    Tan Songyun nodded with raised eyebrows.

    "He is¡­as far as I am aware."

    "Then it''s impossible for the man who visited the Fairy Paradise three years ago to be that man. After all, the man who visited us was a Dragon Emperor," said Fairy Empress.

    "A Dragon Emperor?! Impossible!" Tan Songyun eximed, outright refusing to believe this information.

    "He must''ve somehow tricked you! There''s no way he''s a Dragon Emperor! I am willing to bet my life on this im! But can you describe his appearance to me, just in case?"

    Fairy Empress shook her head and sighed, "Unfortunately, I don''t remember. I had my memories stolen by some fugitive, so my memories of that Dragon Emperor are gone. I only remember that he had showed up at the Fairy Paradise."

    "What? Why would anyone want to steal your memories? And how many memories did you lose?" Tan Songyun was baffled by this news.

    "That''s the strange part. That fugitive only stole memories of that Dragon Emperor, such as his appearance and our conversations. Besides that, I have all of my memories. I was even interrogated by Heaven''s Mandate because of that incident." "Heaven''s Mandate!? They only deal with the most dangerous and wanted fugitives in the Nine Heavens! I''m surprised you managed to survive an encounter with someone like that."

    "In any case, you don''t remember anything about this ''Dragon Emperor'', right?"

    Fairy Empress sighed, "Sorry. However, the Royal Dragon Family may know something about him since that''s where he went after leaving the Fairy Paradise."

    "The Royal Dragon Family¡­? The only Royal Dragon Family in the Fifth Heaven should be the Shen Family." Tan Songyun muttered.

    "It''s exactly that Shen Family." Fairy Empress confirmed.

    "Okay, I will give them a visit."

    "Sister Songyun, before you leave, do you think you can y a song on your zither? I have been longing to hear it again for years now." Fairy Empress suddenly asked.

    "That''s¡­" Tan Songyun wore a hesitant expression on her face.

    "Sorry, but I am still reminded of him when I y the zither." Tan Songyun shook her head.

    Sometimeter, Tan Songyun left the Fairy Paradise to make her way toward the Shen Family.

    At the same time, Yuan and Xi Meili had just arrived at the Shen Family, both of them wearing masks to hide their identity.

    When the guard at the gate noticed their suspicious appearance, they were immediately told to halt.

    "Stop right there and identify yourselves!"

    They stopped moving, and after a moment of silence, Xi Meili unleashed her aura, causing her dragon scent to spread quickly.

    "I am from the Xi Family, and I am here with my mentor, who is a Dragon Emperor! We''d need to speak with the Dragon King as soon as possible!"

    "The Xi Family and the Dragon Emperor?!" The guard fell on his buttocks after hearing this.

    "P-please wait a moment!"

    The guard hastily rushed inside to notify the Dragon King.

    "What?! The Xi Family and the Dragon Emperor?! Together?! That''s impossible!" Just as the Dragon King uttered these words, an overwhelming presence suddenly enveloped the entire Shen Family, causing everyone to tremble in fear and awe.

    "What an unfathomable presence! My bloodline is screaming for me to bow down! This must be the Dragon Emperor''s presence!"

    Realizing this, the Dragon King wasted no time rushing outside, with the rest of the Shen Family following suit.

    "The Shen Family greets the Xi Family and the Dragon Emperor!" Xi Meili stepped forward and said, "My surname is Xi. Are you the Dragon King?" she asked.

    "Yes! This humble one is the Fifth Heaven''s Dragon King, Shen Guang Yao!" Xi Meili nodded and spoke, "We apologize for the sudden intrusion, but we have an urgent matter that requires your attention and cooperation."

    "Please! You''re more than wee to intrude on us whenever you wish!" the Dragon King said, his tone with apparent reverence. "Moreover, we could never be bothered by your presence¡ªin fact, we are humbled to be graced by such a noble presence!" He spoke as though he were nothing more than a lowly servant.

    Xi Meili then said, "We would also like to apologize for not revealing our faces, as we do not wish to reveal our identity. However, we''re more than willing to prove our identities if you need."

    "No, that won''t be necessary. We already have more than enough proof¡­" Dragon King''s eyes shifted to Yuan as he spoke.

    Even though Yuan had already withdrawn his presence, revealing it only for a split second, the Dragon King could still feel it as vividly as if it were still active and enveloping the entire ce.

    "Please follow me." Dragon King said to them a momentter.

    As Yuan and Xi Meili followed the Dragon King inside, Yuan subconsciously nced at a beautiful youngdy in the crowd. She was Shen Shi, who had brought him out of the Fairy Paradise during his previous visit.

    Shen Shi noticed Yuan''s gaze, but she didn''t dare to say anything and merely acknowledged him with a silent nod. Once inside the building, the Dragon King brought Yuan and Xi Meili to a private room.

    "Please wait a moment for the tea¡ª"

    "It''s fine." Xi Meili interrupted. "If you say so." The Dragon King closed the doors and sat across from them.

    "So, what brought Lady Xi and His Majesty to the Fifth Heaven?"

    "I will get straight to the point. It''s about the Ancient Seal in your possession." Xi Meili said in a solemn tone. Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    "A-Ancient Seal?" The Dragon King''s eyes widened.

    "You don''t need to pretend. We know it''s in your possession." Xi Meili quickly said.

    "N-no¡­ I am not pretending. I was just surprised. I see¡­ so this is about the Ancient Seal¡­" he muttered in a low voice.

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 Chapter 1750 Visiting the Royal Dragon Family Again(2)

    Chapter 1750 Visiting the Royal Dragon Family Again(2)

    "What''s going on? Why are the Ancient Seals an issue?" The Dragon King inquired.

    Xi Meili responded, "We have credible intel of a traitor amongst the Ancient Seal holders."

    "What? A traitor?" The Dragon King''s eyes widened with shock and disbelief.

    Xi Meili continued, "This traitor is trying to open the Primordial Realm for some reason. We don''t know the reason for now, but we are trying to stop it from happening."

    "D-don''t tell me¡­ You are here today because the Xi Family thinks I¡ª the Shen Family are traitors?!" The Dragon King stood up with a terrified look on his face.

    For most dragon families in the Nine Heavens, the Xi Family''s status was as high as the heavens, owing to their direct lineage to the Dragon Ancestor. The Xi Family wielded enough power topletely erase the Shen Family from existence in the Nine Heavens, and no one would be able to stop them or hold them ountable.

    "Please! There must have been a misunderstanding! Our Shen Family would never engage in such sphemy!" The Dragon King looked as if his entire bloodline had just been sentenced to death.

    "Calm down, we are not suspecting your family¡­yet. We came here to investigate. That''s all."

    The Dragon King released a deep sigh of relief before sitting back down.

    "I apologize for that just now. However, I can confidently say that our Shen Family would never betray the Xi Family or abandon our duty to protect the Ancient Seal."

    "Words are¡­ in the end, just words," Yuan spoke in a calm voice, but it sounded as loud and powerful as thunder.

    "How can we prove our innocence?" The Dragon King inquired with a worried frown.

    "There''s really nothing for you to prove at the moment. However, we will need to confiscate your Ancient Seal until we figure out the traitor," said Xi Meili.

    "Unless¡­ you no longer have it with you?"

    "I-I have it! I don''t have it on hand since I stored it in a secret vault, but I can get it for you within two days!" "Alright. If you run away or do anything suspicious during this time, we will immediately consider you the traitor and sentence the Shen Family to execution." Xi Meili spoke.

    "I would never dare!" The Dragon King trembled in fear.

    "Then I will immediately bring it back right now! If you need anything while I am away, you can speak to the elders!" Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    The Dragon King bowed to them before leaving the room. Before he left the Shen Family to acquire the Ancient Seal, he had to notify the entire family of the situation.

    "Nobody is to leave the family''s premises until I return! If you cause any misunderstandings or offend our esteemed guests, our entire Shen Family could be executed!" The Dragon King gave his family a grim warning before leaving.

    "Your presence is really effective. Even I was affected by it when you revealed it." Xi Meili chuckled once they were alone.

    Yuan sighed, "I feel bad doing this to the Shen Family, but it''s better than threatening them or causing them unnecessary harm."

    "This also makes me wonder if the other two Ancient Seal holders are dragons."

    Thest two Ancient Seal holders were both of dragon bloodlines.

    "I guess we''ll find out when we visit the next holder." Xi Meilimented.

    Sometimeter, someone knocked on the door to Yuan and Xi Meili''s room.

    "Enter." Xi Meili said.

    The door opened, and a beautiful youngdy walked inside.

    "My name is Shen Shi, the Dragon King''s daughter. I was just wondering if there''s anything I could do to assist you," she said as she respectfully bowed to them.

    "We don''t¡ª"

    "Why don''t you tell us a little about the Shen Family?" Yuan suddenly interrupted Xi Meili.

    Shen Shi nodded, approached the couch before them, and asked, "May I?"

    "Go ahead. Make yourselffortable." Yuan nodded.

    Once she was seated, Shen Shi asked, "What would you like to know about our Shen Family?"

    "You can tell us a little about your background. For example, how long have you lived in the Fifth Heaven?"

    "Our family''s been living in the Fifth Heaven for as long as its history, but we''re only a branch family. The main Shen Family lives in the Supreme Heavens, but I''m sure you already know that."

    Yuan shook his head and said, "I may be the Dragon Emperor, but I don''t know every single family out there."

    "If you don''t mind me asking, what''s it like being a Dragon Emperor? I met one before, but I don''t remember our conversations." Shen Shi then said.

    "Hm? You met a Dragon Emperor before? Why wouldn''t you remember such a significant event?" Yuan tilted his head in a puzzled manner, pretending to know nothing.

    "It''s a bitplicated, but my memories, as well as several other family members, had been stolen by a fugitive. I think that Dragon Emperor had something to do with it, but I cannot be sure."

    "A fugitive who steals memories, huh? I only know of one individual who is famous for that, and he''s a real nasty individual." Yuan chuckled inwardly as he said these words.

    "Anyway, life as a Dragon Emperor is pretty simple¡ªat least for me. If I am not managing my people, I go around dealing with issues such as this one."

    "The Ancient Seals, right? I cannot fathom why anyone would want to open the Primordial Realm. There''s a good reason why it''s sealed in the first ce. If the criminals inside were to be set loose, the Nine Heavens would quickly go to hell."

    "Don''t worry, we will ensure that such a thing won''t happen." Xi Meili said.

    "Thank you for your hard work, Lady Xi. I know I should be the one entertaining you, but would you mind if I asked you a few questions? I''m very interested in the Xi Family, which is said to be the closest to the Dragon Ancestor in terms of bloodline." Shen Shi looked at her with passionate eyes.

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 Chapter 1751 Embroidery

    Chapter 1751 Embroidery

    "You want to know about the Xi Family? It''ll have to depend on your questions since some information cannot be disclosed." Xi Meili said.

    Shen Shi nodded and asked, "Then can you tell me what life is like in the Xi Family for you?"

    "Life is boring." Xi Meili sighed. "As a princess from a royal family yourself, you should know what I mean. We spend most of our time studying and cultivating long before we even learn to run, and there''s always a certain level of expectations for our every action. There are a lot of things that I wish to do but cannot do solely because of my background. It''s a little suffocating at times if I have to be honest." Shen Shi''s eyes flickered with emotion after hearing her own experience and feelings from Xi Meili''s mouth. "I understand!" she said, "And I''m sure it''s a lot worse for you, who is from the Supreme Heaven! I cannot even begin to fathom your hardships¡­"

    "Well, I am used to it by now."

    "Then what do you typically do when you''re not studying or cultivating?"

    "I go out to do missions such as this one for my family, which might be the only thing keeping me sane. Every time I leave home, it''s like visiting a new world." "Do you have any hobbies that you do when you''re free?" Shen Shi continued to ask.

    "Hmm¡­ Don''t make fun of me for saying this, but I enjoy making things, such as sewing or embroidery."

    "Wow! You know embroidery?! That''s amazing!"

    Xi Meili chuckled, "I can make something simple for you while we wait for your father''s return. We have plenty of time, after all."

    "Really?! Please do!" Shen Shi nodded enthusiastically.

    Xi Meili proceeded to retrieve a piece of white cloth, a thread, and multiple colorful yarns. Once prepared, she began working with swift and precise movements.

    Not only was Shen Shi amazed, but Yuan was also surprised by her unexpected talent.

    ''I didn''t know she had such a hobby.'' Yuan smiled inwardly. He thought she was a princess who only knew how to fight, so something so delicate was truly unexpected.

    Several hourster, Xi Meili handed the finished piece to Shen Shi, whose eyes flickered excitedly.

    "Here you go."

    The embroidery had Shen Shi''s name, as well as Shen Shi''s beautiful face on it.

    "Wow! This looks just like a painting! How did you achieve such fine details in this small piece of cloth? I watched from the beginning to end and still cannot figure it out." "The secret lies in the materials¡ªthe yarn, specifically. See how thin they are? It will take much longer toplete the work, but it''s definitely worth it." Xi Meili showed her the yarns.

    "Want to learn? I can teach you." Xi Meili then asked Shen Shi.

    Shen Shi nodded enthusiastically, and Xi Meili began teaching Shen Shi the art of embroidery.

    Sometimeter, the guard outside the Shen Family noticed a lone figure wearing a veil approaching their residence.

    "Halt and identity yourself!" The guard shouted at her.

    "Tan Songyun from the Fairy Paradise. I would like to speak with the Dragon King."

    "What does the Fairy Paradise want from the Dragon King?"

    "This is a private matter," she said.

    "Regardless, you''ll have toe backter since the Dragon King left yesterday."

    "When will hee back?" Tan Songyun asked.

    "He should be back sometime today¡ªtomorrow at thetest. However, you should return next week since we have important guests at the Shen Family, and we don''t know when they''ll be leaving."

    "Important guests?" Tan Songyun raised her eyebrows. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.

    "Fine, I''ll be back next week. Notify the Dragon King of my presence the moment he returns."

    Tan Songyun didn''t argue with the guard and turned around.

    However, just as she began leaving, her footsteps halted.

    "Hm? What''s that noise?" The guard raised an eyebrow after hearing a beautiful sounding from inside the Shen Family.

    Hearing this noise, Tan Songyun turned around and approached the guard once again.

    "Change of ns. I need to speak with the individual ying the zither right now," she said.

    Not only was the sound yed from a zither, but Tan Songyun could sense the Soul Ensnaring Zither''s aura from those music notes.

    ''The Soul Ensnaring Zither! That means that bastard is currently at the Shen Family! I have finally found you, Tian Kai!'' Tan Songyun clenched her fists in anger.

    "I-I''m sorry, but that''s not possible. The Shen Family is not epting any visitors right now, even if that individual is the Fairy Empress herself."

    "I don''t care. I will speak with the man ying that zither today, whether you let me or not."

    Tan Songyun ignored the guard and approached the gates.

    "If you take another step forward, I will have to stop you forcefully!" The guard raised his sword at her.

    "You can try." Tan Songyun retrieved her sword and swung it at the gate, destroying it in the blink of an eye.

    The guard rushed to stop her, but he was sent flying the next moment.

    "Intruder! We have an intruder!" The guard shouted, his voice resounding throughout the Shen Family''s premises.

    Noticing themotion outside, the Shen Family''s guards and elders quickly moved to assess the situation. Typically, only the guards would intervene, but with the Xi Family and the Dragon Emperor visiting, the elders feltpelled to take action as well.

    "Who dares to invade the Shen Family?! Are you looking for an early death?!"

    "Elders! That woman ims to be from the Fairy Paradise!" The guard said.

    "What? The Fairy Paradise? Are you trying to start a war with the Royal Dragon Family?!" The guards and elders surrounded Tan Songyun.

    "I have no business with the Shen Family. I only have business with whoever is ying the zither right now!" Tan Songyun said, releasing her cultivation base.

    "An immortal!" The elders were shocked once they realized she was emitting Immortal Qi.

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 Chapter 1752 Vengeful Fairies

    Chapter 1752 Vengeful Fairies

    Shortly before Tan Songyun arrived at the Shen Family, as Shen Shi became morefortable with the art of embroidery, she turned to Yuan and asked, "Your Majesty, may I ask about your hobbies?"

    "I enjoy ying music," he said. "The zither, especially."

    "Wow! Does that mean you also know the art of sound cultivation?" "Somewhat. I can y a song if you''d like," said Yuan.

    "Please do!" Shen Shi nodded with excitement.

    Yuan pulled out the Soul Ensnaring Zither without thinking too much about it and began ying a momentter.

    "What a beautiful sound!"

    However, shortly after Yuan began ying the zither, a suddenmotion erupted as someone outside unleashed their Immortal Qi, startling everyone in the Shen Family.

    Sensing the Immortal Qi, Yuan swiftly used his divine sense to observe the situation outside.

    ''A woman?'' Yuan wondered what she was doing with the Shen Family.

    Due to the veil blocking her facial features, Yuan had no idea she was Tan Songyun, the Zither Goddess.

    Naturally, since he was a professional, Yuan didn''t stop ying the zither despite themotion.

    "D-don''t worry, Lady Xu, Your Majesty, our Shen Family will take care of it as soon as possible¡­" Shen Shi spoke, but she didn''t look confident at all.

    After all, their opponent was an Immortal, and there was not a single Immortal in the Fifth Heaven, much less the Shen Family.

    "If you need any help, we''re more than willing to help," said Yuan.

    "If the Dragon King¡ªmy father finds out that we failed to protect you, our heads will roll." Shen Shi politely refused their help.

    "In that case, we won''t intervene," Yuan said as he returned to focusing on his zither. However, he was still paying attention to the situation outside in case this Immortal threatened their n.

    "Senior Immortal, please retrieve your cultivation immediately. We have two guests from the Supreme Heaven in our family right now. They''re not someone even an immortal such as yourself could afford to offend!"

    "What? Supreme Heaven?"

    Hearing this, Tan Songyun became even more convinced that Tian Kai was inside the Shen Family.

    "What are their names?" she asked a momentter.

    "One is a youngdy from the Xi Family. The other is a Dragon Emperor."

    "They''re not human?" Tan Songyun frowned.

    "Of course not."

    "Are you sure their identities are real?" Tan Songyun inquired.

    "How rude! Of course, they are real! Why would they fake their identities?!"

    "Then let me confirm it," said Tan Songyun.

    "Who the hell are you to make such a demand, anyway?!"

    Tan Songyun raised her arm and flipped her palm toward the sky, revealing a floating symbol.

    "You''re a member of the Vengeful Fairies?" The elders of the Shen Family recognized her faction.

    Though not as powerful or prestigious as the Celestial Overlords, the Vengeful Fairies are a very influential faction with countless connections throughout the Nine Heavens. This faction only epts female members, and to join, a woman must have been wronged by a man in the past. This rule not only gives the faction a unique identity but also creates a strong bond among its members.

    Furthermore, members of the Vengeful Fairies often track down the man who wronged them to exact their revenge as a ritual of sorts. This tradition is so widely known that even if a member attacked the Celestial Emperor himself, the people would only question what the Celestial Emperor had done to wrong that member, not the attack itself.

    "I believe the man who wronged me is currently within the Shen Family. If you prevent me from confronting him, I will return with my fellow sisters," Tan Songyun dered. "However, if I am mistaken, I will offer a proper apology andpensate you all for the trouble I''ve caused here."

    The elders of the Shen Family were caught in a dilemma. Members of the Vengeful Fairies were notoriously stubborn and often unreasonable when pursuing those who had wronged them. If the Shen Family prevented Tan Songyun from seeking her revenge, they would risk retaliation from the Vengeful Fairies and their powerful allies. Yet, if they allowed Tan Songyun to trouble a member of the Xi Family and the Dragon Emperor, their entire family would be in grave danger.

    No matter what path the Shen Family chooses, they''d end up in danger.

    ''Damn it! Why did the Dragon King have to be absent at times like this?!'' the elders cried inwardly.

    "I promise that I just want to confirm the identity of the individual ying the zither. If he''s not the one I am looking for, I will quietly withdraw and never bother the Shen Family again." Tan Songyun added a momentter.

    Meanwhile, inside the building, Yuan raised an eyebrow after realizing that the Immortal was there for him.

    ''She''s here for me? Could she be¡­?''

    The image of a certain beauty suddenly appeared inside Yuan''s head.

    ''The Zither Goddess? But why would she be here? And who is she looking for? Tian Kai?''

    As Yuan pieced the puzzle together, the Shen Family elders were deep in their own deliberations, struggling to make a decision.

    "I think we should just let her meet our guests. She said that she only wanted to confirm their identities, and the Vengeful Fairies are a righteous faction. They wouldn''t cause trouble for no reason."

    "Since she''s from the Vengeful Fairies, she''s probably here for the Dragon Emperor." Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.

    "If the Dragon Emperor turns out to be the one she''s looking for, what then?"

    "I have a feeling this is just one big misunderstanding."

    "Right? There''s no way the Dragon Emperor would wrong a human woman."

    However, before the Shen Family could reach a decision, they sensed a familiar presence approaching. When they turned, they saw Shen Shi walking toward them with their two esteemed guests.

    Tan Songyun instantly focused her attention on Yuan, who was holding the zither in his grasp, almost as if he wanted her to see it.

    "Your Majesty! Lady Xi! We apologize for themotion!" The members of the Shen Family quickly lowered their heads to bow.

    Yuan responded, "It''s fine. I don''t me any of you for it."

    While Xi Meili and Shen Shi halted before reaching the destroyed gates, Yuan continued forward. Noticing his approach, the guards surrounding Tan Songyun quickly stepped aside to clear a path for him.

    A few momentster, Yuan stopped just a few steps short of reaching Tan Songyun.

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 Chapter 1753 Tossed Aside Like Trash

    Chapter 1753 Tossed Aside Like Trash

    "Do you mind giving us some space?" Yuan asked the guards surrounding them.

    "B-but what if she attacks you?"

    "I''ll be fine. She won''t be able to hurt me," said Yuan, his voice filled with confidence.

    The guards exchanged looks with each other before backing away. Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.

    "You''re looking for me, right? How can I help you?" Yuan started the conversation.

    "I would like to verify your identity. Can you remove your mask for me?" Tan Songyun said after a moment of silence.

    "Sorry, but I cannot reveal my face to a stranger. Can you introduce yourself first?" Yuan said.

    Tan Songyun clenched her fists, but she yed along and introduced herself, "My name is Tan Songyun, member of the Vengeful Fairies, once known as the Zither Goddess!"

    ''So it really is her¡­'' Yuan thought to himself. He never thought he''d meet the Zither Goddess in the Fifth Heaven, and in such a weird fashion, no less.

    "I see, but Lady Tan, what is my identity to you? Why do you need to confirm my identity?"

    Tan Songyun suddenly removed the veil covering her beautiful features, revealing her ethereal face.

    "I am looking for a man¡ªsomeone who tossed me aside like trash after using me like a toy!" she dered in a cold voice.

    Yuan''s eyes widened with shock after hearing this. She was obviously looking for Tian Kai, but why would she say such awful things about Tian Kai, who clearly loved her?

    "I-I see¡­ so you''re looking for someone who wronged you¡­ but what does that have to do with me? Was the one who wronged you a Dragon Emperor? I can confidently say that I have never wronged anyone like you in my life¡­"

    "No, the one who wronged me was a human."

    "Then¡ª"

    "However, he also has many fake identities, and I wouldn''t be surprised if a Dragon Emperor is one of those identities."

    Tan Songyun lifted her arm to point at the zither in Yuan''s grasp and continued, "There are only two individuals in this world who can y that Soul Ensnaring Zither. Me and that man."

    "This zither?" Yuan caressed his fingers across the zither, ying beautiful notes. "It''s just an instrument. How can there only be two people in the world who can y it?"

    "It requires a special technique. Otherwise, it won''t make any sounds," she exined.

    "Ah, it was like that when I first found it, but after tinkering with it for a while, I managed to develop a technique for it," Yuan chuckled.

    Tan Songyun''s eyebrows twitched uncontrobly, her patience running thin.

    "I left that Soul Ensnaring Zither in the Lower Heavens. Why did a Dragon Emperor from the upper heavens like yourself visit such a ce?"

    "Really? I found it in the upper heavens, though."

    "By the way, I never got your name," Tan Songyun suddenly said.

    "My surname is Xiao."

    Yuan was a little worried that giving a random surname might give his identity away, but when he saw no reaction from the Shen Family, he sighed in relief inwardly.

    Although there are only a few Dragon Emperors in the Nine Heavens, they rarely make public appearances, and little is known about them. Even families in the upper heavens are often unaware of their true identities, much less a family in the Fifth Heaven.

    "Are you sure your surname isn''t ''Tian''?" Tan Songyun frowned.

    "Tian?" The members of the Shen Family raised their eyebrows after hearing this familiar surname.

    They recalled a certain incident that happened over three years ago when a Dragon Emperor visited their ce. However, the Dragon Emperor disappeared like a ghost, and the Shen Family''s memories of him were stolen by a fugitive. "I''m positive my surname isn''t Tian. That''s a weird assumption to make, Lady Tan."

    "Is that so? For some reason, I am having a hard time believing you."

    "Whether you believe me or not is not my issue."

    Yuan lifted his mask just enough for Tan Songyun to glimpse his face. Since the Shen Family was behind him, they couldn''t see his face unless they used divine sense¡ªand naturally, none of them dared risk offending a Dragon Emperor merely to satisfy their curiosity.

    "Are you satisfied now, Lady Tan?" Yuan asked after wearing the mask again.

    "No, not really."

    Tan Songyun retrieved a pill from her spatial ring and showed it to him.

    "This pill will remove all disguises. If you consume this pill and show me your face again, I''ll be satisfied."

    "..."

    Yuan looked at the pill with a stiff smile behind the mask.

    "Lady Tan, I have already given you plenty of face and entertained you enough. I would appreciate it if you could stoping after me as if I were the bad guy here. However, since you are with the Vengeful Fairies, I''ll give you some face and pretend nothing happened here. I am sorry that you had been mistreated by this man you''re looking for, but it has nothing to do with me."

    Yuan turned around and began walking away.

    However, Tan Songyun stopped him again, "Wait."

    "What is it now?" Yuan asked without turning around.

    "If you''re really not the person I am looking for, I apologize for everything. However, I will need that Soul Ensnaring Zither back. It was mine to begin with."

    "..."

    "Of course¡­ if you can prove that it belongs to you."

    Yuan turned to face her and said, "You said only two people in this world¡ªexcluding me¡ªcan y this zither. Well, y a song for me. I''ll also consider it as your apology."

    "I quit ying the zither long ago," she said.

    "That sounds like an excuse. I was expecting more since you were once called the Zither Goddess. Anyway, unless you y a song, I cannot give you this zither."

    Tan Songyun gritted her teeth. After a moment of silence, she approached Yuan and grabbed the Soul Ensnaring Zither out of his grasp.

    Yuan didn''t resist and allowed her to take it.

    With the object in her grasp, Tan Songyun ced it on herp, hovering in the air in a seated position.

    Soon, her slender fingers began dancing on the zither, and beautiful musical notes filled the air, quickly mesmerizing the audience.

    This chapter upload first at

 Chapter 1754 The Dragon Kings Return

    Chapter 1754 The Dragon King''s Return

    As Tan Songyun''s fingers touched the zither, the melodies that flowed captivated everyone who heard them, drawing them into a trance.

    When Yuan recognized the song Tan Songyun had specifically chosen, a slight smile appeared on his face. However, the song was traditionally apanied by a voice, and since Tan Songyun yed only the zither, it felt iplete.

    A minuteter, Tan Songyun stopped ying the zither to look at Yuan.

    "Is that enough proof?" she asked.

    Yuan nodded, "Yes, that''s enough proof. Since the zither belonged to you, it''s only right to return it to its rightful owner."

    Without saying another word, Tan Songyun stored the zither inside her spatial ring.

    "Can I ask you a question, Lady Tan?" Yuan suddenly spoke.

    "What?"

    "This man who wronged you¡­ What are you going to do once you find him?"

    "I''m going to kill him, then I am going to kill myself," she calmly responded.

    Yuan''s eyes widened after hearing this disturbing response, and he quickly said, "Don''t you think that''s a bit¡­ too much? I don''t know what he did to you, but to take your own life over it¡­"

    Tan Songyun gritted her teeth and said, "What do you know about my life? I pursued the zither for most of my life because of that man, only to find out that it''d been a waste!"

    "Although I don''t know the details, I am willing to listen to your story," said Yuan.

    Tan Songyun narrowed her eyes at him and sneered in disdain, "Since when were Dragon Emperors so kind andpassionate? As far as I am aware, they''re all arrogant bastards who only care about themselves and their authority."

    "You speak as if you know them personally."

    "I have never met any of them, but my fellow sisters in the faction have. If you knew how many women have been wronged by these so-called Dragon Emperors, your view of them would instantly shatter¡ªOh, right. You''re also one, aren''t you?"

    "I may be a Dragon Emperor, but that doesn''t automatically mean I am affiliated or friends with the other Dragon Emperors. As a matter of fact, I only stay within my territory and don''t interact with them." Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.

    "Sorry, but I am not buying it." Tan Songyun sneered.

    Yuan shrugged, "You are free to believe what you want. In any case, are you satisfied with your investigation? Am I free to leave now?"

    "Yes, go ahead. I won''t stop you."

    Yuan nodded, turned around, and walked back inside the Shen Family.

    However, Tan Songyun remained standing outside for some reason.

    "Um¡­ Lady Tan, what are you still doing here?" one of the elders approached her and asked.

    "What? I can''t be here?" she red at him.

    "N-no¡­ but¡­"

    "Don''t mind me. I won''t cause any more trouble for the Shen Family."

    "If you say so¡­"

    Tan Songyun retrieved several spirit stones and handed them to the elder, "This is for the gate I damaged."

    The elder epted the spirit stones and went back inside the building while the guards remained outside to fix the damaged gate.

    However, Tan Songyun remained standing outside the Shen Family''s household even long after Yuan and the others left.

    "I can''t believe she mistook you for someone else, even taking away your zither," Xi Meilimented out loud as they returned to their room.

    Yuan merely shook his head with a bitter smile on his face. He didn''t want to act like a stranger to Tan Songyun, but he had no choice. Not only would revealing his identity endanger them, but it could also endanger Tan Songyun.

    ''Since she''s staying outside and refusing to leave, I can safely assume that she''s not done with me yet.''

    Instead of being annoyed by Tan Songyun''s persistence, Yuan was relieved, as this gave him another opportunity to speak with herter.

    ''I''ll have a proper talk with herter¡­ when I acquire the Ancient Seal and leave the Shen Family.''

    "Lady Xu, Your Majesty, we want to apologize for what¡ª"

    "Save it." Yuan stopped Shen Shi and the elders from apologizing to him.

    "This wasn''t your fault. Even if you wanted to chase her away, you didn''t have the capability since you don''t have any immortals in your family," he borated.

    "Still, we won''t be able to rx properly if we don''t apologize¡­" said Shen Shi.

    "If you insist on apologizing, I won''t stop you, but let me warn you that it might offend me more than what transpired today."

    Shen Shi and the elders trembled after hearing such words, and they quickly gave up on trying to apologize.

    A few hourster, the Dragon King returned to the Shen Family, and the first thing he noticed upon his return was the veiled individual standing outside their destroyed gates.

    Hended before the guards and inquired about the situation.

    "What the hell happened to my gates?"

    "They were¡­ destroyed by a guest¡­"

    "What? Who dares to damage our precious gates? Not even the Fairy Empress would do something so bold!" the Dragon King eximed.

    The guards there didn''t say anything, but their eyes were all pointing at Tan Songyun.

    "What about the Dragon Emperor and Lady Xi?" he then asked.

    The guards proceeded to exin the whole ordeal to him.

    The Dragon King became livid after learning of the situation, and he approached Tan Songyun with heavy steps.

    "Did you destroy my gates?" he questioned her.

    "Yes, and I have already paid thepensation."

    "Clearly not, because you are still breathing!" the Dragon King growled, his eyes flickering with killing intent. Normally, he wouldn''t get so agitated over such an issue, but with the Dragon Emperor and the Xi Family present, things were different.

    Seeing this, Tan Songyun released her Immortal Qi again.

    "An Immortal?!" the Dragon King was startled by her immense aura and took steps back.

    ''Those idiots forgot to mention that she was an Immortal!'' he cried inwardly.

    "Although I said I won''t trouble the Shen Family again, it''s a different story if you provoke me," she said a momentter.

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 Chapter 1755 A Fraud

    Chapter 1755 A Fraud

    "I have already spoken and settled things with the Dragon Emperor, so why are you trying to start something you cannot end properly, Dragon King?" Tan Songyun removed her veil again, revealing her face to him.

    "Y-you are!" the Dragon King swiftly recognized her beautiful face, "You''re the Zither Goddess¡ªthe one who was always beside the Fairy Empress! You left the Fairy Paradise and ascended to the Sixth Heaven just a few hundred years ago, and you''ve already managed to be an Immortal?!"

    Not only was Dragon King familiar with her, he''d seen her on multiple asions with the Fairy Empress. Although they were not friends, they were somewhat acquaintances. Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.

    "What in heaven''s name are you doing at my Shen Family, harassing the Dragon Emperor and the Xi Family?! Do you have any idea what kind of trouble you''re stirring up?! Not even the Fairy Empress could save you if you offend a Dragon Emperor, much less the Xi Family!" the Dragon King eximed, bing even more aggregated after learning of her identity.

    "It''s none of your business, and even if the Dragon Emperores for my life, I won''t ask for any help," said Tan Songyun.

    The Dragon King sucked his teeth and sneered, "I see that you''re still the same resentful individual as before, even after hundreds of years and bing an Immortal."

    "Anyway, even if you don''t ask for help, your actions can still affect those around you. Don''t drag my Shen Family into your mess because if anything happens to us, I''ll haunt you after my death."

    Tan Songyun sneered and said, "Thanks for the warning. As a thank you, let me give you some good information. That Dragon Emperor with your Shen Family¡­ is a fake."

    "W-what the fuck are you saying?! How can the Dragon Emperor be fake?! His presence alone caused my bloodline to tremble, and I am a Dragon King! Besides a Dragon Emperor, what could possibly cause such a reaction?!" the Dragon King refused to believe Tan Songyun.

    Tan Songyun then asked, "First and foremost, why would a Dragon Emperore down to the Fifth Heaven?"

    "He''s on an important mission¡ªand don''t even bother asking me about it. I can''t tell you."

    "And what do you even know about Dragon Emperors? Although you are considered royalty in the Fifth Heaven, you''re not even worth being servants of the Royal Families in the upper heavens."

    "Dragon Emperors are beings who spend most of their time seated on their thrones, delegating their everymand to their servants. They almost never involve themselves personally unless their status is at stake. Aside from the Dragon Ancestor, not even the Royal Dragon Families canpel them to act."

    "You make it sound like you know them personally!" the Dragon King sneered, still refusing to believe Tan Songyun.

    "You''re right. I don''t know any Dragon Emperors, but I know many who do. I joined a faction called the Vengeful Fairies in the upper heavens. Perhaps you have heard of them?"

    "Vengeful Fairies?!" the Dragon King eximed. Naturally, he''d heard of them.

    Tan Songyun showed the Dragon King her faction symbol to back up her im and continued, "Many of my sisters were wronged by these Dragon Emperors. However, they are unable to get their revenge because touching a Dragon Emperor is akin to touching a dragon''s reverse scale and would spark a war between the Vengeful Fairies and the Dragon Families throughout the Nine Heavens, something nobody wants to see happen."

    A Dragon Emperor''s status is equivalent to heaven to the dragon race. To harm or kill a Dragon Emperor would be tantamount to dering war against their entire race. The Vengeful Fairies may be powerful, but they certainly are not powerful enough to fight the entire dragon race, hence why they are unable to touch these Dragon Emperors.

    It wasn''t just the Vengeful Fairies; even someone as powerful as the Celestial Emperor couldn''ty a hand on a Dragon Emperor without a justified reason. Such an action could ignite a war between two major races.

    "Also, you may not know this, but there are no Dragon Emperors with the surname Xiao in the Nine Heavens. Yet, that Dragon Emperor said his name was Xiao. How do you exin this?" Tan Songyun said.

    "T-that''s impossible. No one would dare to steal a Dragon Emperor''s identity¡ªthat would provoke the wrath of the entire dragon race. And what about Lady Xi? She''s from the Xi Family," the Dragon King said, his toneced with growing doubt.

    "I don''t know much about the Xi Family, but there''s no doubt she''s a fake too¡ªunless she showed you undeniable proof of her identity," Tan Songyun said firmly.

    ''N-now that I think about it, we don''t have any proof of their identity, and we''re just blindly trusting them.'' The Dragon King began sweating inwardly.

    Although Xi Meili was ready to provide proof of their identity, the Dragon Kingcked the courage to request it, fearing it might be perceived as a sign of disrespect.

    Naturally, Xi Meili and Yuan had anticipated this reaction and counted on it.

    "I''ll let you in on another secret, Dragon King. That man who ims to be a Dragon Emperor is actually a fraud, a thief, and a liar. He tricked my inexperienced self, used my body, and promised we''d be together. However, he turned out to be a known yboy who targets maidens for their Yin Essence to cultivate his evil cultivation technique. I also learned that he was an assassin who has stolen countless lives."

    Yuan, who was hearing all of this from inside his room, was shocked speechless. Although Tan Songyun couldn''t detect Yuan''s divine sense, she was confident that he was watching her. Despite that, she still revealed all of this information to the Dragon King.

    "A fraud? Evil cultivation techniques?" Yuan muttered to himself in a low voice.

    As unbelievable as these ims sounded, Yuan couldn''tpletely dismiss them, as hecked Tian Kai''s memories to confirm or deny their validity.

    ''There''s no way, right¡­?''

    He had lived many lives before his current one, and the possibility that one of them might have been evil couldn''t be entirely ruled out.

    Of course, Yuan didn''t want to believe this, but he had no choice but to take Tan Songyun''s words as it is until he regained Tian Kai''s memories.

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 Chapter 1756 Doubting Their Identities

    Chapter 1756 Doubting Their Identities

    "Z-Zither Goddess, I am going to ask you a question, and you''ll need to answer me as if your life depends on it."

    The Dragon King spoke with a grim expression shortly after Tan Songyun exposed the Dragon Emperor.

    Tan Songyun didn''t wait for the question and responded, "That Dragon Emperor is a fake, and I am willing to stake my life on this im."

    The Dragon King stared at her in silence for a long moment before nodding his head, "Alright. I believe you. Honestly, I have been a little suspicious of their identity since the very beginning, but it wasn''t enough to make me call them out. After all, there''s a slight chance that they were the real deal."

    "However, after hearing your words, it has be clear to me that they are likely imposters."

    Tan Songyun nodded, "Thank you for believing me."

    "That begs the question, what is their objective?" she asked the next moment.

    The Dragon King hesitated for a moment before responding, "They''re here for my Ancient Seal."

    "What is that?" Tan Songyun raised her eyebrows in a puzzled manner.

    The existence of Ancient Seals was a highly sensitive and closely guarded secret, with the Celestial Emperor actively suppressing their spread to minimize the risk of anyone attempting to obtain them.

    Aware of how sensitive the information was, the Dragon King said, "I cannot tell you. All I can say is that it is an extremely dangerous object that must not fall into the wrong hands, or it could bring disaster to the Nine Heavens."

    ''Being disaster to the Nine Heavens¡­? Why would he want something dangerous like that?'' Tan Songyun pondered inwardly.

    "Anyway, what are you going to do now that you know they''re imposters?"

    The Dragon King fell silent again. Sometimeter, he said, "I cannot outright call them frauds. It''s not that I don''t trust you, but there is still a tiny chance they could be the real deal."

    Tan Songyun couldn''t fault the Dragon King for being cautious. After all, a single mistake or offense toward a Dragon Emperor could lead to the execution of his entire Shen Family.

    Moreover,although Tan Songyun was 99 percent confident that the Dragon Emperor was Tian Kai in disguise, she was not absolutely certain herself. The possibility that the Dragon Emperor was a real Dragon Emperor had crossed her mind, but she simply couldn''t believe it.

    "I am going to go after the Dragon Emperor''s identity since it''d be difficult to expose the one who ims to be from the Xi Family, as I know nothing about the Xi Family myself," said the Dragon King.

    Sometimeter, the Dragon King summoned everyone from the Shen Family, excluding Yuan and Xi Meili, before revealing the truth to them.

    "What?! They''re imposters?!"

    "That''s ridiculous!"

    "Father, why would you believe that woman who almost ruined us?!" Shen Shi eximed. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.

    The Dragon King sighed, "I have known the Zither Goddess for much longer than everyone here. She may be difficult at times, but she is someone trustworthy. She also has no reason to screw us over."

    "I don''t believe they are imposters!" Shen Shi dered. "Father! Don''t do this! If you''re wrong and offend the Dragon Emperor, our entire Shen Family will be executed!"

    The rest of the Shen Family agreed with Shen Shi. Nobody there wanted to confront the Dragon Emperor, even if there was a chance he could be an imposter. The risks were simply too high.

    Seeing their response, Tan Songyun said, "So you''re going to continue treating him like a real Dragon Emperor despite knowing he''s an imposter? If the real Dragon Emperors from the upper heavens were to learn of this, you''d still be facing execution." "Are you threatening us, you bitch?!" Shen Shi roared as she pointed at Tan Songyun.

    "That''s quite harsh. I am merely stating the facts and possibilities. I have no intention of snitching, especially not to those Dragon Emperors," Tan Songyun sneered.

    Meanwhile, inside their room, Yuan said to Xi Meili, "They''re doubting our identity because of the Zither Goddess. There''s a good chance they''ll confront us."

    "What?! What should we do?!" Xi Meili panicked after hearing this.

    "From what I''m hearing, they won''te after you but me. I don''t know how they''ll ask me to prove my identity, but I''ll go along with it. This will be a good learning experience for the future if we need to prove our identities again," he said.

    "What if you fail to prove your identity?" Xi Meili then asked.

    "Well¡­ then we run." Yuan shrugged, leaving her speechless.

    Sometimeter, as the Shen Family continued to argue back and forth about whether they should confront Yuan, their meeting was abruptly interrupted by Yuan himself.

    "So you doubt my identity?" Yuan had appeared in the meeting room without alerting anyone, as they were too absorbed in their conversation.

    "D-Dragon Emperor?!"

    His sudden appearance shocked everyone but Tan Songyun.

    Shen Shi quickly approached him and said, "T-that''s not true! I believe you, Your Majesty!"

    Yuan ignored her, looked straight at the Dragon King, and said, "We offered to prove our identities when we first arrived, but you declined our offer. Now, you doubt our identities? How do you exin this, Dragon King?"

    "T-that''s¡­" The Dragon King was speechless. He couldn''te up with an excuse, no matter how hard he tried.

    Tan Songyun then spoke, "If you''re the real deal, then you wouldn''t mind proving your identity to us, right? Of course, we won''t be relying on any of your methods since we can''t trust you."

    "What do you have in mind?" Yuan yed along.

    Tan Songyun turned to look at the Dragon King, who quickly responded, "I-I am a Dragon King! Regardless of my achievements and background in the Fifth Heaven, my bloodline is powerful enough to make me a Dragon King. Therefore, we will test your bloodline against mine. Do you have an issue with this, Dragon Emperor?"

    Yuan shook his head and calmly responded, "Fine by me."

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 Chapter 1757 Dragon Blood Carp

    Chapter 1757 Dragon Blood Carp

    With Yuan''s approval, the Dragon King said, "In that case, follow me."

    The Dragon King led Yuan to an area within the Shen Family''s territory. At first nce, it appeared to be a serene garden, but scattered among the greenery were several unusual objects that seemed out of ce in such a setting.

    One of these objects was a stone statue carved into the shape of a dragon''s head, resting majestically atop a stone pedestal. This dragon''s head had its mouth open and tongue slightly sticking out. "This statue can determine whether someone is a dragon or not by assessing their blood. Before we begin the real assessment, we need to make sure you are a real dragon," said the Dragon King.

    If Tan Songyun was correct, there was a strong possibility that Yuan wasn''t even a dragon. In that case, this simple test could expose Yuan''s identity.

    ''If he turns out to be a dragon, it won''t prove he''s a Dragon Emperor. However, if he isn''t a dragon, we won''t even need to assess his bloodline anymore.''

    The Dragon King dripped his blood onto the statue''s tongue, feeding it. The moment his blood made contact, the statue''s tongue absorbed it instantly.

    He then turned to look at Tan Songyun and spoke, "Can you feed it some of your blood?"

    Tan Songyun nodded and approached the statue, feeding it her blood. Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.

    However, when her blood touched the statue, instead of being absorbed, it evaporated. "Dragon Emperor, it''s your turn."

    The Dragon King looked at Yuan, who calmly fed his blood to the statue. Before feeding his blood, Yuan activated his dragon transformation just in case.

    Everyone watched in anticipation as Yuan''s blood touched the statue.

    In the end, his blood is absorbed by the statue, confirming that he is a dragon.

    Shen Shi sighed in relief after seeing this.

    "Father, it''s not toote to stop this farce and apologize to the Dragon Emperor," she said to him.

    "He''s only managed to prove that he''s a dragon, that''s all," said the Dragon King, ignoring Shen Shi''s advice.

    Meanwhile, Tan Songyun was greatly surprised by the result. In fact, she was the most shocked out of everyone there.

    ''He''s a dragon? That''s not possible¡­ Unless Tian Kai was a dragon this entire time, this doesn''t make any sense!'' Tan Songyun clenched her fists anxiously. She had always believed Tian Kai to be human, and the possibility that she might have been wrong all along left her feeling deeply perplexed.

    After all, if she was wrong about such a crucial detail, it raised the unsettling possibility that she might be wrong about other things as well.

    ''What if he''s actually not Tian Kai but a real Dragon Emperor¡­?'' Tan Songyun swallowed nervously at this thought. Unfortunately, it was toote for her to do anything about it, as she''d already used him of being an imposter.

    "Follow me¡­" The Dragon King brought Yuan to the real assessment shortlyter. Although the Dragon King seemed fine outside, he was also panicking a little inwardly.

    ''Damn it¡­ What if he really is a Dragon Emperor?'' The Dragon King felt himself on the verge of a breakdown at the mere thought of this possibility.

    A few minutester, they arrived at arge pond. Yuan used his divine sense to inspect it and discovered a single living entity within¡ªarge red-colored fish with a fierce, almost menacing appearance.

    "This is a unique creature our Shen Family has nurtured for thousands of years," the Dragon King exined. "We call it the Dragon Blood Carp because it only consumes the blood of dragons as its food."

    "We started by feeding it low-quality blood, but once it gets a taste of higher-quality blood, it refuses to go back to the inferior kind¡ªeven if it means starving to death," the Dragon King added.

    "One day, I identally let the Dragon Blood Carp taste my blood. Ever since then, I''ve had to feed it my blood to keep it alive. No matter what kind of blood we offer it now, it will only ept mine," the Dragon King continued with a resigned tone.

    "Here, let me show you."

    The Dragon King nced at Shen Shi and gestured toward her. She nodded in acknowledgment and allowed a drop of her blood to fall into the pond.

    The moment the Dragon Blood Carp sensed the presence of blood in its territory, it darted toward it with eager anticipation. However, as soon as it realized the blood wasn''t the Dragon King''s, its interest vanished, and it swam away indifferently.

    The Dragon King repeated Shen Shi''s actions a momentter. This time, the Dragon Blood Carp eagerly consumed his blood until nothing was left.

    "This is a unique test that''s impossible to rig," said the Dragon King a momentter.

    Yuan looked at the Dragon Blood Carp and said, "Are you sure you want to use this method to prove my identity? Once the Dragon Blood Carp tastes my blood and I leave this ce, it will inevitably starve to death, you know?"

    The Dragon King nodded and said, "Yes, and I am prepared for it."

    The Dragon Blood Carp was a treasured creature of the Shen Family, but if sacrificing it could confirm the Dragon Emperor''s identity, the Dragon King was willing to make that trade. In his eyes, it would also serve as a fitting punishment for the Shen Family''s audacity in doubting the Dragon Emperor.

    Before Yuan fed his blood to the Dragon Blood Carp, the Dragon King had several other members of the Shen Family offer their blood to the creature. Each time, the fish swam toward the blood out of instinct but quickly rejected it, proving that it would only consume the Dragon King''s blood.

    "It''s your turn now, Dragon Emperor," the Dragon King said with a solemn expression.

    Yuan nodded, extending his arm over the pond before letting a single drop of his blood fall into the water.

    The moment the Dragon Blood Carp sensed the blood, it darted toward it with remarkable speed. The Shen Family members watched intently, holding their breath, their faces etched with anxiety and worry, as if the very survival of their family hinged on the oue.

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 Chapter 1758 Dragon Blood Carp(2)

    Chapter 1758 Dragon Blood Carp(2)

    The instant the Dragon Blood Carp sensed Yuan''s blood entering the pond, it rushed over with the desperation of a starving creature. However, instead of consuming the blood immediately, it paused and stared at it intently, almost as if it couldn''t believe it was being offered such precious blood.

    Naturally, the Dragon King wasn''t aware of this, and in his eyes, the Dragon Blood Carp had refused Yuan''s blood.

    "I knew it! Dragon Emperor, my ass! I knew you were a phony this entire time!" The Dragon King pointed at Yuan and started cursing out loud.

    Shen Shi and the others only stared in shock.

    "Fuck! I can''t believe I almost fell for your scam!"

    Tan Songyun merely shook her head in relief, ''I knew it¡­''

    "Apprehend this fraud!" the Dragon King demanded.

    Nearly everyone there surrounded Yuan, who remained calm despite the oue.

    He nced at the pond and calmly said, "You might want to take another look at the Dragon Blood Carp."

    "What?" the Dragon King muttered in confusion.

    Despite their skepticism, everyone instinctively followed his suggestion and turned their gaze toward the pond.

    The drop of blood Yuan had dropped into the pond was gone, leaving only the Dragon Blood Carp. However, the creature was behaving strangely, its body twitching and jerking erratically for reasons unknown.

    "W-what''s happening to my Dragon Blood Carp?"

    Just as the Dragon King voiced his question aloud, the Dragon Blood Carp suddenly leaped out of the water, releasing a deafening roar¡ªa sound unmistakably that of a dragon''s cry.

    Instead of falling back into the water, the Dragon Blood Carp remained hovering in the air. Momentster, its body began to transform, expanding in size and length.

    Within moments, the Dragon Blood Carp transformed beyond recognition. It no longer resembled a fish but had be a serpent-like entity, its body covered in shimmering, crimson scales.

    "What in heaven''s name¡­?"

    The Dragon King fell on his butt, his eyes wide with shock and disbelief.

    Amon legend tells of a carp that, by swimming upstream and leaping over the Dragon Gate, transforms into a dragon. While this tale has endured for billions of years, very few have ever witnessed a fish truly transform into a dragon.

    Amon legend tells of a carp that, by swimming upstream and leaping over the Dragon Gate, transforms into a dragon. While this tale has endured for billions of years, very few have ever witnessed a fish truly transform into a dragon.

    After its transformation, the Dragon Blood Carp fixed its gaze on Yuan and lowered its head in reverence.

    "Thank you for blessing this unworthy being with your precious blood. Because of your blood, I was finally able to evolve," the Dragon Blood Carpmunicated through voice transmission, its mouth remaining still.

    "It wasn''t my intention, but I''m happy for you," said Yuan.

    The Dragon Blood Carp turned its gaze to the Dragon King and continued, "Though it wasrgely your blood that allowed me to reach this point, and I am grateful for your care in nurturing me, I am truly disappointed in you, who fails to recognize true greatness even when he stands before you."

    "What¡­? How are you even¡­?" the Dragon King remained seated on the ground with a dumbfounded face.

    "Are you surprised by my ability to speak? Believe it or not, I have lived for much longer than any of you can imagine, and before being brought to the Shen Family, I have been to all kinds of ces in the Nine Heavens," said the Dragon Blood Carp.

    "My consciousness and intelligence have solidified through tens of thousands of years, but withoutpleting my evolution, I remained as a mere fish."

    The Dragon Blood Carp, who was no different than a unique-looking fish before his transformation, had suddenly be a divine beast with a cultivation that almost rivaled Tan Songyun, who was an Immortal.

    "With all that said, it''s about time for me to leave," the Dragon Blood Carp continued, "Benefactor, I will remember you. If we ever meet again, I will definitely repay you for your assistance today."

    Although Yuan was a little puzzled by the situation, he nodded.

    "Ah, before you go, can you answer a simple question?"

    "Of course."

    "My blood¡­ how does itpare to the Dragon King? Do I qualify to be a Dragon Emperor?"

    The Dragon King trembled after being reminded of their situation.

    "Although I have never tasted the blood of a Dragon Emperor, I can assure everyone here that the Benefactor''s blood is iparably superior to the Dragon King''s blood," the Dragon Blood Carp replied confidently.

    "Even if the Dragon King were to cultivate his bloodline for a million years, it''d neverpare to the Benefactor''s bloodline."

    Yuan, satisfied with the answer, nodded with a smile, "Thank you for your honesty, Dragon Blood Carp."

    "Then until we meet next time."

    The Dragon Blood Carp proceeded to swim toward the sky, disappearing into the clouds within seconds.

    Once the Dragon Blood Carp departed, an eerie silence enveloped the area, so profound that even the sound of a pin dropping miles away would have been audible. Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    "So¡­" Yuan suddenly spoke, breaking the silence. Moreover, he activated True Dragon Transformation and removed the suppression on his aura, causing his presence to envelope the entire ce.

    "Am I still a fraud in your eyes, Dragon King?"

    After experiencing Yuan''s unrestricted presence for the first time, Tan Songyun began sweating profusely. The Dragon King dropped to his knees and kowtowed before Yuan, his voice trembling with desperation. "Please have mercy, Your Majesty! I was foolish to doubt your identity! If you must unleash your anger, do so upon me, but I beg you to spare my family!"

    Seeing this, the rest of the Shen Family also fell to their knees and began begging for mercy.

    Yuan ignored their pleas and instead turned his attention to Tan Songyun, whoseplexion had turned as pale as a ghost.

    "This all started because of you, Lady Tan. What do you suggest I do?"

    Tan Songyun clenched her fists and jaw, struggling to maintain herposure. After a moment of silence, she lowered her head and said, "You''re right. This is entirely my fault. I humbly ask that you punish me alone and spare the Shen Family."

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 Chapter 1759 Acquiring the Second Ancient Seal

    Chapter 1759 Acquiring the Second Ancient Seal

    "Despite your earlier disrespectful behavior, I forgave you and allowed you to walk away," Yuan said to Tan Songyun, his tone cold and unyielding. "But you chose to persist in ndering me. While I am forgiving, my patience has its limits. This time, Lady Tan, you haven''t just ndered me¡ªyou''ve also involved the Shen Family in your reckless actions."

    "I have no excuses," Tan Songyun said, her voice weak and apologetic. "My hatred and desire for revenge clouded my judgment. If you wish to take my life for offending you, I will not protest. However, I humbly plead with you to spare the Shen Family."

    "At least you can admit when you are wrong. Unfortunately, you are not in a position to make any request at this moment."

    The Shen Family trembled at these ominous words.

    "I will deal with youter."

    Yuan turned to look at the Dragon King and the rest of the Shen Family.

    "Dragon King, I will give you a chance to talk before I give you my judgment."

    The Dragon King quickly responded, "I have no excuses, Your Majesty. I deserve death for doubting your identity, not to mention my unruly behavior. I know that I am in no position to request anything, but I just hope Your Majesty can forgive my family. They were against testing your identity from the very beginning, but I forced them to go along with my foolishness."

    The Dragon King did not lie. The rest of the Shen Family were still reluctant to confront Yuan despite knowing there was a good chance he was a fake.

    After a moment of silence, Yuan spoke, "I don''t me any of you for doubting my identity. As a matter of fact, I am a newly appointed Dragon Emperor."

    "A new Dragon Emperor¡­?" The Dragon King muttered.

    There could only be five Dragon Emperors in existence, so the only way for another Dragon Emperor to be appointed was through the death or retirement of an existing Dragon Emperor.

    If Yuan had been recently appointed to his position, it meant that he was recing one who passed away.

    ''Thest time a Dragon Emperor passed away, we were notified even while in the Fifth Heaven, and I was ordered to personally travel to the upper heavens to attend their funeral. Why didn''t we hear anything this time?'' the Dragon King wondered, his mind racing with confusion over theck ofmunication.

    However, the Dragon King did not doubt Yuan''s identity despite this. He figured it was due to other issues.

    Yuan continued, his tone unwavering. "I have a rule: if I am going to punish someone, I must punish everyone involved. However, there is one individual who truly does not deserve any punishment. Out of consideration for that person, I will spare the Shen Family this time."

    The Dragon King and the others felt as if a mountain had been lifted off their shoulders after hearing Yuan''s words.

    "Thank you for showing us mercy, Your Majesty!" the Dragon King banged his head on the ground as he kowtowed.

    Although Yuan didn''t specify who this individual was, everyone knew he was talking about Shen Shi.

    However, in reality, Yuan never intended to punish them. After all, they were correct, and he was a fraud. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.

    Yuan cleared his throat and said, "Dragon King, stand up."

    The Dragon King immediately stood up, not even bothering to wipe the blood off his forehead unless he was ordered to do so.

    Yuan made a beckoning gesture, almost as if he was asking for something.

    The Dragon King quickly understood what Yuan wanted and retrieved the Ancient Seal.

    "I will leave this in your hands," said the Dragon King, and he handed the Ancient Seal to Yuan.

    Yuan smiled inwardly after collecting the second of four Ancient Seals out there.

    "I will let the Xi Family know of your cooperation when I return."

    "There''s no need for that, Your Majesty." The Dragon King swiftly rejected.

    "Are you sure?"

    "I am certain." "Okay. Anyway, now that my business is done here, I won''t linger any longer." Yuan proceeded to let Xi Meili know of the oue through voice transmission.

    The next moment, Xi Meili appeared before them.

    "That took longer than anticipated. Was there an issue?" Xi Meili asked, pretending to have seen nothing.

    Yuan shook his head and calmly said, "There''s no issue at all. We can leave now."

    However, before they left, Yuan turned to look at Tan Songyun and said, "Lady Tan, you and I are not done yet. Follow me."

    Tan Songyun silently nodded and followed.

    ''Good luck, Zither Goddess.'' The Dragon King prayed for her inwardly.

    As much as he wanted to help her, she was on her own.

    After traveling for several days, Yuan finally stopped somewhere in a secluded area.

    ''Yu Ning, can you create a concealment formation around us?'' Yuan asked her.

    "Of course."

    Yu Ning took control of Yuan''s body for a moment, creating a powerful concealment formation in the blink of an eye.

    ''He''s an Array Master as well?'' The Zither Goddess swallowed nervously.

    Once the formation was set up and Yuan regained control over his body, he asked Xi Meili to leave them alone for a moment.

    "Lady Tan, I would like to ask you a few questions. You must answer them truthfully no matter what. Consider this your punishment for ndering me."

    Tan Songyun was a little bewildered by such a punishment, but she still nodded her head in acknowledgment.

    "First and foremost, can you tell me about the person you''re looking for?"

    "..."

    Tan Songyun answered after a moment of silence, "His name was Tian Kai, my music teacher and lover¡ªor so I thought."

    "How long have you known this Tian Kai?"

    "About a year before he left me."

    "What did you two do during that time?"

    "He taught me the zither during the day and showed me love during the night," she replied, her voice trembling with suppressed emotion. Despite her attempt to mask her feelings, the anguish and hatred in her tone were unmistakable.

    "What went wrong?" Yuan then asked.

    Hearing this question, Tan Songyun''s body trembled.

    "Everything¡­" she sighed.

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 Chapter 1760 Existential Crisis

    Chapter 1760 Existential Crisis

    "Can you borate?" Yuan asked a momentter.

    Tan Songyun frowned and said, "I don''t mean to be rude, but why are you so interested in my business, Dragon Emperor? I thought dragons couldn''t care less about species that don''t have dragon blood flowing through their veins."

    "Where did you hear that? I''m actually very interested in humans, especially those who are willing to offend a Dragon Emperor for their revenge."

    Tan Songyun narrowed her eyes and said, "You want to know? Very well, I''ll tell you. After all, this might be myst time telling this story."

    "After Tian Kai disappeared, I joined a music sect to improve my zither skills and cultivation further. Once I was prepared, I ascended the Nine Heavens because Tian Kai said he was waiting for me in the upper heavens."

    "However, as I ascended and gained ess to more information, I began uncovering the truth about Tian Kai," Tan Songyun said, her voice heavy with bitterness. "ording to numerous sources, including the Celestial Emperor himself, Tian Kai is none other than the infamous killer known as the Phantom Assassin¡ªa wanted fugitive responsible for countless deaths and the destruction of many families."

    As soon as Yuan heard the name ''Celestial Emperor''e out of Tan Songyun''s mouth, he knew that she had been mislead by false rumors. However, he didn''t say anything and allowed her to talk without interruption.

    "Not only is he an assassin, but he''s also an evil dual cultivator who targets maidens for their Yin Essence. He''s tricked thousands of maidens, promising them eternal love. I was one of these foolish maidens."

    Tan Songyun continued to recall everything she''d heard about Tian Kai, which was enough to write an entire novel, leaving Yuan speechless.

    ''Celestial Emperor, that son of a bitch! How dare he spread so many false rumors! This much nder is enough to anger even Buddha!'' he cried inwardly.

    "I''ve heard from another woman that Tian Kai had locked her in his basement for ten years, and he¡ª"

    "Okay, I have heard enough and get the gist of it," Yuan eventually interrupted her.

    "After hearing so many things, I have only one more question for you."

    "Lady Tan¡­ is your faith in this Tian Kai that little?"

    "What¡­?" Tan Songyun''s eyes widened, almost as if she wasn''t expecting such a question.

    "Haaa¡­" Yuan decided to remove his mask, revealing his handsome face to her. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.

    "Y-y-you are¡ª!" Tan Songyun stammered in shock, stumbling backward before copsing onto the ground andnding on her buttocks.

    "Before you say anything, I am not Tian Kai," Yuan said.

    "..."

    After a moment of silence, Tan Songyun stood up and roared, "As if I''d believe you after fooling me and the Shen Family, you trickery bastard! I knew it was you all along, Tian Kai!"

    Yuan shook his head and sighed, "Once again, I am not Tian Kai. The Tian Kai you know and love is dead."

    "W-what?" Tan Songyun almost fell down again after hearing this shocking information.

    "D-do you really take me for a fool?! No, even someone without a brain can tell that''s a lie! How much longer are you going to mock me, Tian Kai?! I should y you right now!" Tan Songyun''s eyes began tearing up.

    It had been tens of thousands of years since Tan Songyunst saw Tian Kai''s face. And despite the deep hatred she harbored for him, the moment she saw his face again, tears welled up in her eyes and began to fall uncontrobly.

    "Please, calm down for a moment and listen to me, Lady Tan¡ªZither Goddess," Yuan said gently.

    "Tian Kai is dead, and I am his reincarnation. While I don''t yet have all of Tian Kai''s memories, I do remember how we met and the year we spent together," he exined, his tone steady butced with sincerity.

    "Reincarnation¡­?" Tan Songyun''s jaw dropped.

    "I know this will be hard to believe, but I need you to trust me," Yuan said, his voice calm yet earnest. "As for why Tian Kai had to leave... it was most likely because of the Celestial Emperor, who likely spread all those nasty and false rumors about him."

    "Why would the Celestial Emperor nder Tian Kai?" Tan Songyun asked with a doubtful frown.

    "They¡ªwe are enemies. Although I don''t know why the Celestial Emperor decided to use such tactics, I can say with confidence that none of the rumors are true. Tian Kai truly loved you, Zither Goddess."

    "Why¡­ Why were you pretending to be a Dragon Emperor?" she asked a momentter.

    "I needed to acquire their Ancient Seal," he didn''t hide the truth since she already knew it.

    "I know, but why? ording to the Dragon King, it''s a dangerous object that could endanger the Nine Heavens. Why do you need something so dangerous?"

    "I need it to open the Primordial Realm to help a friend. That''s all."

    "The Primordial Realm?! Are you insane?!" Tan Songyun eximed, her voice rising with disbelief. "And you expect me to believe you''re not a wanted fugitive when you''re trying to open a prison that holds some of the most infamous criminals in the entire Nine Heavens?!"

    "Like I said, it''s to help a friend. I have no intention of releasing the criminals inside, either," Yuan said.

    "Sorry, but everything you''ve told me so far is incredibly far-fetched and impossible to believe," Tan Songyun sneered, her toneced with skepticism.

    "Zither Goddess, if I intended to deceive you, I wouldn''t have gone to such lengths to reveal my identity after all the effort I put into convincing you that I am a Dragon Emperor, let alone bring up Tian Kai. What could I possibly gain from doing this?" "That''s¡­" Tan Songyun couldn''t refute his logic.

    "As a matter of fact, I am currently targeted by the Celestial Emperor, so it''s incredibly risky for me to reveal myself. However, I couldn''t bear seeing you suffer because of some false rumors. Zither Goddess, I will ask you again."

    "Is your faith in Tian Kai¡ªin me¡ªthat little?"

    Tan Songyun trembled before falling silent, her expression reflecting the turmoil of an existential crisis.

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 Chapter 1761 Tan Songyuns Decision

    Chapter 1761 Tan Songyun''s Decision

    Tan Songyun recalled every moment of the year she had spent with Tian Kai¡ªthe emotions that had consumed her, the warmth of his presence, and the touch of his fingers on her body.

    Then, she remembered the countless rumors she had heard about Tian Kai over tens of thousands of years, along with the hatred and anger that had festered within her. While the year she had spent with Tian Kai had been filled with joy, she couldn''t simply cast aside the anguish and betrayal that had consumed her for thousands of years, as if it had never existed.

    Even if the rumors were untrue and Tian Kai was innocent, the anguish Tan Songyun had endured was undeniably real and couldn''t simply be dismissed.

    ''Tian Kai was innocent¡­? Then what have I been doing all these years? What am I doing with my life now?''

    After a very long moment of silence, Tan Songyun suddenly smacked herself in the face and shook it off.

    "Even after tens of thousands of years of feeling betrayed, it is undeniable that I still love Tian Kai to a certain extent, and if it turns out that all of the rumors I''ve heard about him are false, I will atone for my crimes."

    "However, there''s no way for me to confirm your words as of this moment, and I am no longer foolish enough to believe everything I hear. Therefore, I am going to follow and watch you to confirm it."

    "You''re going to follow me?" Yuan''s eyes widened at her words.

    "What''s with that look? You don''t want me to? Are you afraid I might expose the real you?" Tan Songyun frowned.

    "No¡­ that''s not it. Didn''t you hear me? I am currently being hunted by the Celestial Emperor. I also have many enemies. If you stay with me, I cannot guarantee your safety." Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.

    "So what? Even if I die in the process, I will not have any regrets¡ªexcept that I won''t be able to find out the truth."

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 Chapter 1762 Five Breakthrough Towers

    Chapter 1762 Five Breakthrough Towers

    Sometime after exining the situation to Tan Songyun, Yuan made his way to the Stairway to Heaven.

    However, upon arriving at the Stairway to Heaven, Yuan noticed that there were only a few individuals present, and most of them weren''t participants, but spectators gathered to see the participants off.

    Since Yuan had entered the Fifth Heaven alone, the rest of the yer base was still stuck in the Fourth Heaven. As a result, it was essentially impossible for him to carry nine individuals through the Stairway to Heaven by himself.

    Of course, Yuan could attempt to fill the required number with people from the Fifth Heaven, but he would need to find individuals willing to ascend to the Sixth Heaven. Unlike yers, who could traverse between realms with ease, ascending was a significant and life-altering decision for residents of the Nine Heavens, not something they could decide on a whim.

    ''Do I even need to carry people with me? I can just alter the difficulty ordingly!'' Yuan just realized this, but he wasn''t sure it''d work.

    "I''ll see you on the other side," Xi Meili said to Yuan.

    "Lady Tan, do you want toe with me? Although you have already passed all trials and reached the Ninth Heaven, you can still spectate me. I''m sure you''ll learn a thing or two about Tian Kai if you do."

    Tan Songyun nodded, "That''s only natural. I was going to follow you even if you didn''t ask."

    Lan Yingying emerged shortly after to follow Xi Meili, as she also wanted to challenge the Stairway to Heaven.

    "Who is this?" Tan Songyun asked with raised eyebrows. "And where did shee from?" Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

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 Chapter 1763 Metal Tower

    Chapter 1763 Metal Tower

    Yuan pointed to a tall tower-like building in the distance and asked, "Is that one of these Breakthrough Towers?"

    The woman nodded, "Yes, that would be the Metal Tower."

    "Where can I find the other towers?"

    "They are scattered throughout the Seventh Heaven. Unfortunately, I don''t know the exact location of the other towers."

    "Is that so? Thank you for the information."

    Yuan ended their conversation and made his way toward the Metal Tower. As he approached, he noticed that the entire structure was constructed from shiny ck metal, its surface gleaming under the light.

    Meanwhile, Tan Songyun wore a pondering expression on her face.

    "The Five Breakthrough Towers? Why are they in the Stairway to Heaven? More importantly¡­ what the hell is going on? Did the Stairway to Heaven create such an borate world for his trial? I have never heard of anything like this before!"

    Suddenly, she sensed a presence behind her. Turning around, she was startled to see a cute child standing there, having appeared silently, almost like a ghost.

    "Who are you? And where did youe from?" Tan Songyun asked, as she was certain that nobody else had followed them into the Stairway to Heaven.

    "My name is Tian''er, and I have been here since the very beginning, as I am the Stairway to Heaven''s spirit," she responded calmly.

    "What? The Stairway to Heaven has a spirit?" Tan Songyun''s eyes widened at this shocking information.

    Tian''er nodded in confirmation and continued, "Master ordered me to help clear up any uncertainty you may have, so here I am."

    "Master¡­?"

    "The individual partaking in the trial right now is my Master. He is also the creator of the Stairway to Heaven."

    "W-wait a second¡­ Tian Kai created the Stairway to Heaven? That''s impossible. The Stairway to Heaven existed long before he even came into existence!" Tan Songyun refuted her im, using this obvious fact as proof.

    "I am not talking about Tian Kai, but an even older reincarnation. Tian Kai is merely one of Master''s multiple lives, after all."

    "What in heaven''s name¡­?" Tan Songyun was speechless.

    However, after some pondering, Tan Songyun realized it wasn''t strange for an individual to have reincarnated multiple times. After all, humans naturally reincarnate each time they die, provided the soul remains intact.

    ''Wait a minute¡­ Can I even trust what she''s saying? Tian Kai¡ªYuan is her Master, so he could easily make her lie¡­'' Tan Songyun thought to herself.

    "I heard that it was the God of Creation who created the Stairway to Heaven. Are you telling me that your Master was the God of Creation in one of his previous lives?" Tan Songyun asked.

    Tian''er nodded.

    "It''s not just the Stairway to Heaven. Master has created many things throughout his life, with many of them still undiscovered to this very day."

    Tan Songyun swallowed nervously at such implications.

    "Then, can you tell me what''s going on with his trial? Howe it''s so different? I know everyone has their own trials, but the disparity isn''t this massive." Tan Songyun then inquired.

    "For Master, the Stairway to Heaven is not merely a way to travel through the Nine Heavens," Tian''er exined. "It also holds memories of Master''s past lives, and the trials help him recover those memories."

    "Huh? So what I am looking at right now is actually memories?" Tan Songyun looked at the vast world Yuan was in.

    "You''re half right," she rified. "The trials are created from his memories, but they are only fragments pieced together, like parts of a puzzle. They don''t directly mirror his actual memories."

    After taking a long moment to digest the information given, Tan Songyun asked, "Whose memories am I looking at right now?"

    However, Tian''er shook her head and said, "Unfortunately, I cannot answer that."

    "Why not? Are you afraid that I might know too much?"

    Tian''er shook her head once again and rified, "No. There are just some things I am not allowed to say. If you really wish to know, you can ask Masterter."

    Meanwhile, Yuan continued asking several pedestrians about the Metal Tower as he approached his destination. He was particrly curious to know if there were any negative rumors about the ce. However, everyone he spoke to praised the Metal Tower, describing its reputation as sparkling clean. While that might seem reassuring on the surface, Yuan couldn''t help but be suspicious.

    After all, it could all be a facade¡ªa carefully crafted mask to conceal the true evil lurking within. Yet, Yuan had no way to know for sure without visiting the Metal Tower himself.

    The Metal Tower appeared close at first nce, but it was actually several days away. Now, standing before it several dayster, Yuan realized just how massive it truly was. Not only was the tower so tall that it pierced the clouds, but its interior was vast enough to house argemunity of tens of thousands of people simultaneously.

    The massive entrance, notably without doors, bustled with a steady stream of people entering and leaving.

    After stepping inside the tower, Yuan quickly noticed that the entire first floor resembled a bustling shopping mall, filled with hundreds of stores and even personal stalls offering a wide variety of treasures.

    After looking around for some time, Yuan approached one of the merchants and asked, "Excuse me, I am trying to join the Metal Tower. Where can I go to sign up?"

    The best way to gain information about a ce was to join them, after all.

    However, the merchant merely sneered in disguise at Yuan and said, "Who do you think you are? The Metal Tower doesn''t just ept anybody."

    "I am a cksmith, and I am very confident in my skills."

    "Hahaha! You''re truly an ignorant one, aren''t you? To make meugh, I''ll tell you something. Talent alone won''t get you into the Metal Tower. Unless you know someone on the inside, you''ll need to increase your reputation¡ªenough to get the Metal Tower to notice you." The man gestured at the weapons he''d personally crafted before him.

    "The fastest way to gain reputation is to showcase your weapons here, just like many of us are doing."

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 Chapter 1764 Metal Tower(2)

    Chapter 1764 Metal Tower(2)

    To capture the Metal Tower''s attention, most cksmiths showcase their creations on the tower''s first floor, which also serves as an open marketce. However, despite the abundance of talented cksmiths, only about ten individuals gain the Metal Tower''s recognition every few hundred years.

    "I''ve been selling my creations here for about a hundred years now," the man said. "In all that time, I''ve only seen three people be recognized by the Metal Tower. But let me tell you, being recognized doesn''t mean you''ll be epted¡ªthat''s an entirely different matter."

    "I see. Thank you for the information," Yuan said to the man.

    He left shortly after and began roaming the first floor, examining all of the stores avable.

    Now that Yuan understood how to attract the Metal Tower''s attention, he knew he needed to craft treasures that would quickly build his reputation. The simplest and most effective way to achieve this was to create something far superior to anything else being showcased around him.

    After exploring every store on the first floor, Yuan observed that most of the treasures on disy were only Ancient-grade, with a few Mythic-grade items scattered among them. However, even the Mythic-grade treasures were of noticeably low quality.

    ''A few peak-quality Mythic-grade and Empyrean-grade treasures should be more than enough to attract the Metal Tower''s attention.'' Yuan thought to himself as he left the Metal Tower.

    Thanks to the Metal Tower''s influence, the area surrounding it was teeming with smithies and smithing-rted stores, including shops selling various materials and tools essential for crafting.

    Yuan entered a nearby smithy and requested to use their workshop.

    "Hello, I would like to borrow the workshop to create some treasures."

    The bulky man standing behind the counter looked at Yuan like he was crazy.

    "You got any identification? A cksmith identification, to be more specific."

    "Sorry, but I don''t have anything like that."

    "Then we cannot lend you our workshop, no matter how much you offer. If you wish to use our workshop, you need to be an official cksmith."

    "How do I be an official cksmith?" Yuan asked.

    "Hahaha! You want to be an official cksmith, but you don''t even know how? You''re an amusing one!" The bulky manughed out loud.

    He continued, "Ten blocks down, there is a ce called the cksmith Association. In order to be recognized as an official cksmith, you must pass several tests."

    "Thank you. Then I will be back after I acquire my identification," Yuan said to the man.

    "Hahaha! If a scrawny kid like you can pass the assessment, I''ll dly let you use my workshop for free!"

    "Scrawny?" Yuan raised an eyebrow. This was the first time he had ever been referred to with such a term.

    Yuan''s physique might appear scrawnypared to the bulky man standing before him, but in reality, it was perfectly bnced and refined to an unparalleled degree of perfection, being neither too skinny nor too bulky.

    Yuan left the store shortly after, but he didn''t immediately head to the cksmith Association. Instead, he decided to try his luck at a few more smithies. Unfortunately, all of them required him to be an official cksmith.

    ''I guess this is a process I must go through to progress the trial.'' Yuan thought to himself as he visited the cksmith Association.

    The cksmith Association was an enormous building spanning several streets, its reflective surface and metallic structure giving it the appearance of a solid block of steel at first nce.

    Yuan walked inside the building and approached the nearest worker.

    "I''d like to take the assessment to be an official cksmith."

    The worker, a young man, nodded, "Sure thing. May I ask how experienced you are with the art?"

    "I''d say that I''m quite experienced."

    "Then what is the highest grade of treasure you''ve created?"

    "Celestial-grade." Yuan calmly responded.

    The young man''s eyes immediately widened with disbelief. He didn''t respond for several moments due to being speechless.

    Eventually, he said, "That''s a good joke, but I need a serious answer."

    Yuan''s expression remained calm as he responded, "I am dead serious."

    Seeing Yuan''s solemn gaze, the young man swallowed nervously and spoke in a stiff voice, "T-then will you be fine with epting the most difficult assessment? If you pass, we''ll grant you the highest cksmith Rank we can possibly give you. Even if you fail, you can try again with a lower difficulty."

    Yuan nodded, "Sure, give me your most difficult assessment."

    The young man nodded and said, "Please give me a moment to notify my superiors."

    Sometimeter, an old man with long, short white hair and a curly mustache approached Yuan and asked, "Are you the one who requested our most difficult assessment?"

    Yuan nodded.

    "Follow me." Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.

    Yuan followed the old man to the basement, where arge workshop was avable.

    "Since you im to be able to craft Celestial-grade treasures, we''ll have you craft an Empyrean-grade treasure for your assessment. If you are able to do so, the cksmith Association will immediately promote you to our highest cksmith rank," said the old man.

    Yuan pondered for a moment before asking, "Does the cksmith Association have any connections with the Metal Tower?"

    The old man quickly understood what Yuan was trying to ask and said, "While we do have some connections and can rmend you to the Metal Tower, it is up to them whether they are willing to ept you. Moreover, Divine cksmiths are not rare in the Metal Tower, so even if you are capable of crafting Celestial-grade treasures, it won''t guarantee you a spot in the Metal Tower."

    "I see. Thanks for the exnation."

    The old man retrieved a pile of materials a momentter and said, "You have three months to craft the treasure using the materials we provide you. Are you ready to begin?"

    "I am ready."

    Yuan spent a couple of minutes examining the materials. Once he was prepared, he immediately began to work.

    Less than a dayter, Yuan presented his finished creation to the old man, who was utterly gobsmacked, not only by the masterpiece itself but also by the sheer brilliance of the process that had brought it to life.

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 Chapter 1765 Metal Tower(3)

    Chapter 1765 Metal Tower(3)

    "What do you think? Did I pass the assessment?" Yuan asked the dumbfounded old man, who was staring at the finished treasure with wide eyes filled with disbelief.

    Although smithing had advanced significantly since Tian Qiyuan''s era, with the emergence of many more Divine cksmiths, Tian Qiyuan''s smithing skills remained unparalleled.

    "C-can I examine the treasure?" the old man asked.

    Yuan nodded and handed the sword to him.

    The old man held the sword in his trembling hands, feeling as though he were cradling a priceless treasure of unimaginable value.

    "I have never seen an Empyrean-grade treasure of this quality before!" he muttered.

    "Pass! You pass! Congrattions, you are now officially an Obisidian-rank cksmith!" The old man handed Yuan a ck badge, its surface gleaming with understated elegance. This badge held immense significance in the world of cksmiths, representing the pinnacle of achievement. Within the cksmith Association, there were six ranks that could be obtained, with Obsidian¡ªthe rank represented by this badge¡ªbeing the highest and most revered.

    Normally, bing an Obsidian-ranked cksmith required passing multiple rigorous assessments. However, Yuan''s wless performance in his first trial was so extraordinary that the remaining tests were deemed redundant and unnecessary by the old man, who was also a Divine cksmith.

    "I haven''t introduced myself yet. I am the head of the cksmith Association, Lie Yan. If you ever need any assistance from the cksmith Association, we will always be there to help you," said the old man.

    Yuan nodded and asked, "Do you think I can borrow some materials? I would like to craft a few more treasures."

    "Of course! All official cksmiths under the cksmith Association are entitled to a specific allotment of materials every ten years as a privilege," Lie Yan exined. "As an Obsidian-ranked cksmith, you have near unlimited ess to most of our materials, provided the amount you request is reasonable."

    "I don''t need much. Just enough to craft several Mythic-grade treasures. Also, do I get to keep that sword?" Yuan pointed at the treasure he''d crafted for the assessment.

    Lie Yan, seemingly reluctant to let the treasure go, said, "O-of course."

    Sometimeter, Lie Yan left to acquire the materials Yuan had requested.

    Once Lie Yan returned with the materials, he hesitated for a moment before asking, "May I boldly request to watch you work? Even as a Divine cksmith, I feel my skills improve simply by observing your craftsmanship."

    "Do as you wish," Yuan said.

    Yuan proceeded to use almost all of his materials to craft five peak-quality Mythic-grade treasures.

    "Thank you for the experience." Lie Yan bowed to Yuan.

    "Then I''ll take my leave now."

    "One more thing before you leave. Although I cannot help you join the Metal Tower, I know some people there. I''ll mention your name the next time I visit them. Hopefully, that will help you a little," said Lie Yan.

    "Thanks."

    Yuan left the cksmith Association shortly afterward. However, instead of heading directly back to the Metal Tower, he made his way to the shop with the bulky man.

    Once there, Yuan casually revealed his Obsidian badge. The man''s jaw practically hit the floor, his eyes wide with disbelief as he stared at the badge in stunned silence.

    "Do I qualify to use your workshop?" he asked.

    After snapping out of his daze, the man said, "O-of course! You can even have my whole shop if you want!"

    Yuan merely shook his head with a slight smile on his face.

    The man led Yuan to his workshop at the back of the shop a momentter.

    Once inside, Yuan set to work, using the materials he had purposely saved for this asion. Within a few hours, he had crafted a wless Mythic-grade treasure, leaving the bulky man utterly speechless as he stared in awe at the masterpiece before him.

    "Thanks for lending me the ce."

    "You cane back here to borrow my workshop whenever you want, Senior! It will always be avable for you!"

    With his six finished treasures, Yuan returned to the Metal Tower to set up his showcase.

    "Oh? You''re back already?"

    The man who called Yuan ignorant was surprised to see Yuan return so soon. It''d only been a day since their conversation, after all.

    "Yes. I took your advice and went to craft some treasures. Do you mind if I set up my showcase next to yours?" Yuan said.

    "Hahaha! You''ve only been gone for a little over a day!" the manughed, shaking his head. "There''s no way whatever you created in such a short time would attract the Metal Tower''s attention! Each of my treasures required months, if not years, of hard work!" Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.

    "Maybe that''s why you haven''t gotten the tower''s attention." Yuan shrugged.

    The man frowned and cursed, "You cheeky bastard!"

    Yuan said nothing more and began setting up his spot. He spread a simple nket on the floor and casually ced the six treasures he had crafted onto it, treating them as if they were mere toys rather than extraordinary creations.

    The man''s eyes widened with shock after seeing the five Mythic-grade and one Empyrean-grade treasure.

    "Y-you crafted that in one day?! That''s impossible! You clearly purchased these treasures!" the man screamed out loud, attracting the attention of those nearby.

    "That''s quite the usation," Yuan said.

    "Anyone with a working brain knows that isn''t possible! Even a Divine cksmith wouldn''t be able to craft six treasures of such quality in a day!"

    "Guess I am just different." Yuan casually shrugged.

    The man gritted his teeth in frustration.

    "This is sphemy! You''re a disgrace! I bet you''re not even a cksmith!"

    "Now you''re just ndering me. Do you have proof that I didn''t craft these treasures? How do you know that I didn''t craft them prior to ourst conversation?"

    "T-that''s¡­ Right! If you had these treasures from the start, you would''ve shown them during that day! Why did you leave for a day?!"

    "I was hungry, so I went to eat some food," Yuan said, leaving the man speechless.

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 Chapter 1766 Metal Tower(4)

    Chapter 1766 Metal Tower(4)

    Noticing themotion between Yuan and the man, the nearby cksmiths eventually approached them and asked, "What''s going on here?"

    "This bastard here is mocking us, cksmiths! Listen to this¡ª" the man proceeded to exin the whole situation to the others. Naturally, he spoke from his point of view,beling Yuan as the bad guy.

    "He most likely purchased those treasures from somewhere."

    The cksmiths frowned deeply as they learned of Yuan''s actions. Most of them were tinum-ranked cksmiths, seasoned and proud of their craft. Yuan''s actions were enough to provoke any cksmith, let alone ones of their caliber¡ªif they were true.

    Seeing this, Yuan retrieved his Obsidian-rank badge and shoved it before them.

    "T-that''s an Obsidian badge!" the man stammered, his voice shaking with disbelief. "Only Divine cksmiths can qualify for that rank! Y-you''re a Divine cksmith?! Why didn''t you say so?!" His face, which had been full of scorn just moments ago, now bore a mix of shock and awe as he gazed at the badge that symbolized the rank he had long dreamed of achieving.

    "Why didn''t I say so? Why must I disclose such information to you when I''m trying to attract the Metal Tower''s attention? Who do you think you are?" Yuan sneered.

    The man''s jaw dropped, speechless.

    "Now that I have cleared up the misunderstanding, why don''t we all return to our objective¡ªacquiring the Metal Tower''s attention?" Yuan sat behind his disy and closed his eyes, seemingly entering cultivation.

    The cksmiths there looked at each other. After a moment of silence, they turned around and returned to their own spots.

    The man beside Yuan quietly sat down and lowered his head, doing his best to avoid drawing any attention from Yuan, as if trying to make himself invisible.

    Yuan''s disy quickly drew the attention of not only the shoppers but also the other cksmiths on the first floor of the tower. In no time, a curious and growing crowd had gathered around his setup, intrigued by the treasures he hadid out.

    "Do these beautiful treasures have names?" one curious shopper asked. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.

    "No, they do not have a name."

    "How long did it take you to craft such masterpieces?" one cksmith asked.

    "The Empyrean-grade treasure took about half a day, and the others only took several hours¡­ in total."

    "What?!" The cksmiths eximed, looking like they''d just witnessed a ghost.

    The crowd found it hard to believe that someone could craft six wless treasures in a single day. However, the cksmiths had already heard about Yuan''s status as an Obsidian-ranked cksmith, so they didn''t dare to voice any doubts.

    "What?!" The cksmiths eximed, looking like they''d just witnessed a ghost.

    The crowd found it hard to believe that someone could craft six wless treasures in a single day. However, the cksmiths had already heard about Yuan''s status as an Obsidian-ranked cksmith, so they didn''t dare to voice any doubts.

    "Umm¡­ Are any of these treasures for sale?" someone suddenly asked.

    While most cksmiths came to the tower not only to showcase their treasures but also to sell them, Yuan had no such intention. He had no need to sell his creations; his sole purpose was to use them as a means to attract the Metal Tower''s attention.

    After several days of sitting idly with no noticeable change, a suddenmotion erupted on the first floor, breaking the monotony and drawing everyone''s attention.

    "Someone from the Metal Tower is here, looking around! This is our chance!"

    Upon hearing that someone from the tower had arrived, the cksmiths immediately began tidying up their showcases, frantically trying to make their disys more presentable and impressive.

    Meanwhile, Yuan remained seated, his eyes closed and his demeanor calm, as though the news held no significance to him.

    At the same time, a handsome young man strolled through the first floor, dressed in an elegant ck outfit adorned with a golden badge on his chest that read ''Metal''.

    Everywhere he walked, people around him offered respectful stares, their admiration evident. The cksmiths, in particr, had eyes that gleamed with hope and desperation, eager to catch even a moment of his attention.

    Yet, not a single cksmith dared to approach him, almost as if he was out of their reach.

    The handsome man didn''t stop walking until he was standing right before Yuan''s disy.

    "Are you the one who recently became an Obsidian-rank cksmith?" the young man asked.

    "And you must be Lie Yan''s friend."

    The handsome man''s eyebrows twitched slightly at Yuan''s casual response, a hint of offense shing across his face. He nced at the weapons on disy, his gaze lingering only briefly¡ªjust a fraction longer than a passing look¡ªbefore sneering, "What a waste of time. I can''t believe I came all the way down here for something so mediocre."

    The handsome man''s words shocked everyone there. Even Yuan raised an eyebrow at the man''s abrupt aggression.

    "Is that what you truly think?" Yuan asked the handsome man. "Did you even look at my treasures?"

    The handsome man sneered, "Who are you to question my judgment? You''re just a nobody who recently achieved the rank of Obsidian. Even the worst cksmith in the tower can craft something a hundred times better than this crap."

    Hearing this, Yuan sighed and said calmly, "It seems I''ve wasted my time here. If the Metal Tower is run by childish individuals whock the discernment to recognize true craftsmanship, I''d rather invest my time at another tower."

    As he spoke, Yuan packed up his treasures and prepared to leave.

    The handsome man frowned, his eyes flickering with fury. "Hold it right there! Where do you think you''re going? Do you really think you can mock me and just walk away like nothing happened?" he snapped, his voice sharp with indignation.

    Yuan stopped and looked at the handsome man.

    "Of course, unless you n on stopping me."

    Yuan retrieved Number One Under Heaven.

    "T-that''s¡ª!?"

    The cksmiths gasped in shock upon seeing Number One Under Heaven, Yuan''s masterpiece. Even the handsome man, despite his earlier attitude, couldn''t help but fix his gaze on it. Unbeknownst to him, his expression shifted, his face now filled with awe and admiration.

    "I guess you''re not going to stop me, after all."

    A momentter, Yuan casually stowed away Number One Under Heaven, leaving the cksmiths around him in visible despair. It was as if a cherished toy had been snatched away from a child, their excitement instantly reced with disappointment and longing.

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 Chapter 1767 A Chance of Redemption

    Chapter 1767 A Chance of Redemption

    After putting away Number One Under Heaven, Yuan continued walking toward the exit.

    Seeing this, the handsome man snapped out of his daze and shouted, "Halt!"

    However, Yuan kept on walking, and he spoke as he walked, "Who do you think you are to stop me from leaving? You already said my treasures are not worth the Metal Tower''s attention, so why would I continue wasting time here? Let''s not waste each other''s time."

    The handsome man trembled with anger, but he couldn''t bring himself to utter another word. Saying anything further would be tantamount to admitting his own fault and misjudgment.

    Therefore, the handsome man and the others could only watch as Yuan nonchntly left the Metal Tower.

    "He actually left¡­" the man who had been stationed next to Yuan muttered in a dazed tone, his face frozen in a dumbfounded expression.

    A few moments after Yuan departed from the Metal Tower, before the handsome man and the others could fully process what had just urred, another figure appeared. It was an old man with a bald head, dressed in an outfit simr to the one worn by the handsome man.

    "That presence just now! Where is it?! Where did it go?!" the old man bellowed, his voicemanding and urgent, instantly grabbing everyone''s attention.

    "S-Senior Liao! What brings you down here?" the handsome man eximed, a look of genuine surprise spreading across his face as he caught sight of the old man.

    However, the old man, Senior Liao, ignored his question and asked again, "The presence that appeared just now! Where did it go?! Where is the treasure that emitted such presence?!"

    "T-that''s¡­" the handsome man stammered, swallowing nervously as he hesitated, unsure whether to reveal the truth.

    "What are you hiding from me, Apprentice Huan?" Senior Liao frowned.

    The handsome man sighed and said, "I wouldn''t dare, Senior Liao. This is what happened¡­"

    He recounted the events to Senior Liao, detailing everything that had urred. However, he carefully omitted certain details¡ªmost notably, the reason Yuan had decided to leave.

    Unfortunately for him, Senior Liao was not something easily fooled. He narrowed his eyes at Apprentice Huan and said in a cold voice, "Apprentice Huan, I epted you because of your potential, but I am beginning to doubt my own judgment. I will give you a chance to redeem yourself. Bring that person you chased away back to the Metal Tower. If you cannot do even that, you no longer need to return to the Metal Tower."

    "S-Senior Liao?!" Apprentice Huan''s face contorted in despair, his expression twisting into something almost unrecognizable.

    Having only joined the Metal Tower a decade ago, if he were kicked out over something as seemingly trivial as this, he''d be aughingstock among his peers and ruin his reputation entirely.

    "I will not repeat myself. You have one month to bring him back." Senior Liao turned around and walked away, leaving Apprentice Huan and the others speechless.

    Snapping out of his daze a momentter, Apprentice Huan turned toward the exit of the tower. Without hesitation, he rushed outside, determined to find Yuan and convince him to return to the Metal Tower. Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.

    Although it hadn''t been long since Yuan left the Metal Tower, his figure was nowhere to be seen.

    "Fuck! Where did he go?! Did he really leave to another tower?!" Apprentice Huan stomped his feet in frustration. He didn''t want to travel to the other towers, but there was nothing he could do, as his future and reputation depended on it.

    Meanwhile, after leaving the Metal Tower, Yuan immediately went to the nearest teleport formation.

    "I''d like to visit the other Breakthrough Towers," he said to the individual managing the teleportation formation.

    "Which one?" "I will let you pick."

    "Okay¡­?"

    Sometimeter, Yuan stepped into the teleportation formation.

    When he emerged on the other side, he found himself in a different city. Turning his gaze toward the skyline, he saw a massive tower in the distance. While it was just as majestic as the Metal Tower, its design and structure were distinctly different. This tower resembled a towering pagoda, exuding an air of elegance and tradition.

    Yuan looked at the man managing the teleport formation and asked, "Which Breakthrough Tower is that?"

    "Huh?" Although the man was puzzled by such a weird question, he answered regardless, "That would be the Martial Tower."

    "Is that so?"

    Yuan approached the tower.

    Unlike the bustling and open atmosphere of the Metal Tower, the Martial Tower exuded a sense of exclusivity and focus. Its entrance was closed, yet thousands of people had gathered outside, their attention fixed on fiverge jade tablets prominently disyed near the tower. The crowd buzzed with intensity, their gazes locked on the tablets as though they held immense significance.

    Yuan picked a jade tablet at random and looked at the contents written on it.

    "It''s a martial technique¡­" It didn''t take long for Yuan to realize what he was looking at.

    Each jade tablet showcased a martial technique of a different rank engraved onto its surface. The first tablet disyed a Mortal-rank technique, the second an Earth-rank technique, and so on, progressing through the ranks until the highest, an Ancient-rank technique, was reached.

    After looking through all five martial techniques, Yuan looked around until he found someone who wasn''tpletely focused on the techniques and approached them.

    "Excuse me, but what is the purpose of these jade tablets?"

    The woman he approached looked at him with raised eyebrows and said, "If you can improve any of the martial techniques on the jade tablet and achieve a satisfactory result, the Martial Tower will ept you into their organization."

    Yuan understood the situation immediately, but he continued asking, "Why are they all of different ranks? There''s even a Mortal-rank technique, which is obviously going to be the easiest to improve. Wouldn''t it be fairer if all of the techniques were of the same rank?"

    "That''s simple," she exined. "The more difficult the challenge you take on, the higher your position within the organization will be if you seed."

    "That makes sense. Thank you for your time and exnation."

    Yuan returned to focusing on the martial techniques shortly after.

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 Chapter 1768 Martial Tower

    Chapter 1768 Martial Tower

    To improve a martial technique, one must first learn and master it. For Yuan, who had lived multiple lives as powerful immortals, each reigning supreme in their respective eras, this process came naturally. His vast experience with countless techniques made him exceptionally adept in this domain.

    After spending a few hours carefully studying the jade tablet with the Ancient-rank technique, Yuan fully grasped it. He then spent the rest of the day with his eyes closed, mentally practicing the martial technique as if he were crafting a treasure within his mind, refining every detail and perfecting it in his imagination.

    If it weren''t for a disturbance, he would''ve spent some more time inside his mind.

    "You! I''ve finally found you!" Apprentice Huan shouted when he noticed Yuan amongst the crowd.

    Due to Yuan''s handsome features, he stuck out like a sore thumb no matter how big the crowd around him was. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.

    After leaving the Metal Tower, Apprentice Huan spent several hours scouring the city in search of Yuan. Eventually, he decided to check the teleportation formation, hoping for a lead. Sure enough, the attendant working the formation remembered Yuan and confirmed that he had used it recently.

    Yuan frowned after seeing Apprentice Huan and said, "Don''t tell me you followed me all the way here?"

    "I had no choice! You must return to the Metal Tower with me as soon as possible! Senior Liao wants to see you!" Apprentice Huan said, not even bothering to apologize.

    "Senior who?" Yuan raised an eyebrow at this unfamiliar name.

    "You don''t even know the Master of the Metal Tower, Liao Tian?! He once held the title of God of Creation before retiring!" Apprentice Huan eximed, his face filled with disbelief.

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